ã€ŠAn Otherworldly Scholar [LITRPG, ISEKAI]ã€‹


 1 - Down the rabbit hole

    Hackberry Creek, Connecticut, was a remote town of less than a thousand inhabitants, lost among the Appalachians. If anything, it was a picturesque place and a sufficiently good enough hunting spot. Not the place I¡¯d choose to visit in my free time, and yet, I was supposed to be there four hours ago. But again, I was the kind of fool who drove over 120 miles fantasizing about dragons and magic spells before realizing the navigation app on my smartphone was taking me in the wrong direction.

    My stomach growled. The last gas station had alluringly waved its colorful sign by the side of the road more than an hour ago but I didn''t have time to eat a greasy burger with a nice and expensive side of fries. I steeled my resolve, knowing in the back of my head the law firm wasn¡¯t going to cover all of my fuel expenses for those extra miles. It was another harsh blow to my already scrawny wallet but I deserved it for not triple checking the address my baboon of a boss sent me.

    One couldn¡¯t just glance at the lush vegetation of the mountains and not think of epic deeds and perilous travels.

    The engine of my old car revved weakly as I pressed the gas pedal. I took the next exit and got onto a solitary rural highway, getting further and further away from civilization. The green signage flew over my head. Hackberry Creek. I prayed the address was the right one this time.

    Over the passenger¡¯s seat, my phone buzzed for the eighth time that hour. The detestable sack of flesh masquerading as a human being that was my boss didn¡¯t seem to understand my car wasn¡¯t the USS Enterprise, and it absolutely couldn¡¯t cover two hundred miles in a matter of nanoseconds. I silenced my phone and threw it back on the passenger¡¯s seat.

    Better not to pick it up while driving.

    My boss wasn¡¯t particularly good with directions, but he was right about one thing. I fucking needed this job. Between my student loans, always growing rent, and health insurance piling over my shoulders, I was uncomfortably close to bankruptcy. In the end, I had to suck it up and pick up my phone.

    ¡°Hey, boss,¡± I said, trying to maintain a calm voice even knowing an ass chewing of extreme proportions was nigh. ¡°Sorry for not answering earlier, the signal here is awful.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s taking you so long?¡± my boss barked through the phone. He had seemed to forget what I had told him not half an hour earlier. ¡°I need to close this proceeding today. You better not mess up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing my best, sir,¡± I tried not to let my frustration show. ¡°But the direction you¡­¡±

    ¡°Just figure it out,¡± my boss snapped back. I knew he had one more thing before ending the call, he always did. ¡°Just figure it out or find another job.¡±

    Figure things out.

    My knuckles turned white as I clenched my hand around the wheel. I sighed, wondering how my life had come to this. Shitty apartment, shitty job, shitty salary, shitty boss. To think that there was a time where I had things figured out seemed inconceivable for my current self.

    I pressed the gas pedal all the way down and my car sped across the highway far above the speed limit. The trees at the side of the road became furious blurs of green and despite the fact I wasn¡¯t on a roll, a hint of a smile drew on my face. It had been years since the last time I drove out of the city, since I went hunting with my father for the last time.

    Work at the firm left me little time to partake in activities far from the central office and I never was an outdoor enthusiast myself but I liked nature nonetheless. There was something soothing about it. If I was somewhat savvy with camping gear it was because my father liked to go hunting and my mother insisted I had to tag along. And in our house, my mother¡¯s word was law.

    Me and my father didn¡¯t have a lot in common except for those times we passed together camping out in the forest. He was a baseball guy, I was a soccer guy, he liked to be alone in the woods, I liked to be alone with my books. In hindsight, I came to understand my mother¡¯s insistence because now they were gone I was left with a lot of great memories.

    My phone buzzed again.

    What I couldn¡¯t understand was why my boss was so eager to finish the proceeding. I could understand there was a shitload of money on the table, but Mr. Byrne was dead and his money wasn¡¯t going to go anywhere. Not unless a powerful necromancer reanimated him. But luckily for my boss, there were no necromancers on planet Earth.

    Mr. Byrne, one of our biggest clients, has been missing for years now. No known address, no new driver¡¯s license, no movements in his bank account. And most importantly, no heirs. Only a dubious will that would leave a generous portion of his fortune to the firm. So, like the leech he was, my boss wanted to declare Mr. Byrne legally dead to liquidate his assets and take a generous cut from his estate.

    To my knowledge, my boss had tried the same stunt years before but Mr. Byrne was still alive, living peacefully in one of his multiple properties near the Appalachians, covering his expenses only with ¡®mattress money¡¯. The old man was beyond loaded.

    Consequently, I was driving across the state to check if Mr. Byrne wasn¡¯t peacefully living on his property of Hackberry Creek. I was also in charge of finding any important documents that might come into conflict with the will the firm had. And it was kind of exciting. I felt like an astronaut visiting a long lost derelict filled to the brim with mysterious artifacts.

    Surely, visiting an old cabin in the woods wasn¡¯t as exciting as lost space derelicts but considering how predictable my life was, this was beyond exciting. Also, I would rather be anywhere than commuting to work, trapped in a sea of cars.

    A mysterious cabin of a wealthy and eccentric man was a great place for something magical to happen. God, if Narnia needed me I was fucking ready to yeet myself through the wardrobe. Most likely, the cabin would be just a dusty old building with dusty old magazines and rotten shingles. But that wasn¡¯t a reason to stop dreaming.

    Or daydreaming.

    Suddenly I returned to my senses and the panic got a hold of me. How long since I had zoned out? A sign just over my head warned me the next exit led to Hackberry Creek. I violently turned the wheel, almost tipping the car over. I was not going to drive another hour because I missed the exit.

    ¡°Safe,¡± I muttered to myself.

    A tattered road led me to a small town, if a single street with shabby buildings in the middle of nowhere could be called a town. Except for a couple of rusty trucks parked on the street, the place was empty. I cruised through the street until I found an open store. ¡®Sam¡¯s Outdoors¡¯.

    Looked like a great place to get directions so I parked my car and entered the store.

    Sam was the most rustic person I had ever seen. A bear of a man dressed like the caricature of a redneck with a bulbous nose and Brezhnev level of eyebrows. We greeted each other and I walked to the counter. Sam seemed surprised to see a new face.

    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± he sounded like he had smoked a pack a day for the last thirty years washed down with the strongest moonshine in the county.

    If anything, he reminded me of the other hunters I had met with my father.

    ¡°I¡¯m searching for this place. If you could point me in the right direction it would be great,¡± I asked, handing him a small piece of paper with the direction of the cabin. 1 Elk Road, Hackberry Creek.

    Sam clicked his tongue and shook his head.

    ¡°You got the wrong Hackberry Creek, kid,¡± the man said with a sympathetic tone but, after seeing my face lose all its color, he quickly added. ¡°Kidding, kidding. People usually confuse us with...¡±

    ¡°Hackberry Creek Township, yes. Was just there earlier today,¡± I gave him a tiresome smile.

    Sam laughed without a hint of malice.

    ¡°May I ask what brought you here, son? You are not the cabin¡¯s owner unless you are that weird old man¡¯s kid. No offense,¡± Sam said. His straightforward character was a nice change of pace compared with the tortuous customs of my workplace. Until I started working in the firm, I didn¡¯t know a smile could mean so many different things.

    I handed him my business card. Robert Clarke, Administrative Assistant, Connor & Connor LLP.

    ¡°Administrative assistant?¡± Sam asked, arching one of his populated eyebrows.

    ¡°Sugar coated title for errand boy, but hey, the bills don¡¯t pay themselves,¡± I replied and the man gave me a sympathetic smile. ¡°We are in charge of managing Mr. Byrne¡¯s real estate.¡±

    Sam nodded and gave me the business card back.

    ¡°To get to the cabin, continue down the main road, make a left turn just after the end of the pavement and turn left again at the fork. Easy as it goes,¡± the man explained as he vaguely pointed down the road.

    I thanked Sam and prepared to go but felt bad for not buying anything. I glanced at the showcase and saw a red Swiss Army knife. My father always carried one of those when he took me hunting or fishing, admittedly, he rarely used it but he carried it anyway.

    After a moment of tension, my credit card was accepted.

    ¡°Would you like a bag?¡± Sam asked me.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll carry it in my pocket.¡±

    ¡°Good luck then, Robert Clarke, and remember, left and left again. Don¡¯t let the fairies lead you down the wrong path,¡± the man laughed as I exited the store.

    I thanked him one last time and returned to the car.

    As I reached the edge of the town, the street suddenly turned into a rough dirt road. I took a left turn and a second one at the fork just as Sam told me to do. Regrettably, no fairies appeared to distract me. Elk Road was neglected and riddled with potholes. Branches overhanging prevented me from seeing where I was going and weeds had slowly colonized the tire tracks, making it difficult to distinguish the road from the surroundings.

    Finally, when I was getting anxious that I had made a wrong turn somewhere, the cabin poked out from the forest. It looked like the place a hermit would live. The lush green ferns had invaded the surroundings and the lichen had conquered the northern face of the cabin, almost camouflaging it against the forest. It was quite the view but I didn¡¯t stop for more than a second.

    Remembering my boss¡¯ words, I quickly parked the car and ventured out to examine the place. The cabin was an old one story wooden structure, with rotten shutters and a ruined shed. There was no trace of recent inhabitants. I peeked through a hole in the ruined shed and I saw an old diesel generator half crushed by a wooden beam.

    All shutters were closed although equally rotten. I asked myself if this was considered trespassing given that Mr. Byrne wasn¡¯t legally dead yet but I didn''t give it a second thought. My job depended on this.

    I put the key into the keyhole and opened the rotten door.

    Stupidly enough, the first thing I tried to do was to turn on the lights. Then I remembered the busted generator. Realizing my mistake, I stumbled across the darkened room and opened the shutters one by one until the interior of the cabin was illuminated by the dim rays of sun that managed to pass through the canopy.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    The interior was a mess to the point it seemed someone had broken inside and ransacked the place. There were old pieces of paper with scrawled notes scattered over almost every available surface, worn out books with leather covers, some of them eerily similar to human flesh, and brass instruments that seemed taken from the laboratory of a Victorian mad scientist.

    ¡°Nice,¡± I muttered to myself as my eyes fell on the table.

    The notes were written in an alphabet I couldn¡¯t recognize, let alone read, but the diagrams and sigils were oddly familiar. If I had to guess, the owner of the cabin was either obsessed with the occult or with obscure JRPG games.

    Normal amounts of madness so far.

    As I examined the table, an eerie feeling suddenly got a hold of me. There were books over books filled with the strange language I had never seen before. Not only a few pages but full tomes of five hundred or more pages. Even for the most passionate roleplayer, this was no common foolishness of a bored mind, this was advanced madness.

    Maybe I should let my boss know about this?

    I grabbed my cell phone to call back at the office but I had no signal.

    ¡°Come on, Rob. These are just scribbles of an old man,¡± I said nervously. I didn¡¯t want to get trapped in the shenanigans of a weird cult.

    I decided to investigate the rest of the cabin. As much as the frantic handwriting unnerved me, the rest of the cabin was unremarkable. There was basic camping gear stored in a wardrobe and surprisingly mundane clothing in the main room. As much as I expected cultist robes and sacrificial knives, the only thing remotely mysterious, other than the notes, was an old character sheet from those pen and paper role playing games. Maybe all the paraphernalia was just a little bit of worldbuilding that got out of hand along the years.

    ¡°Okay, Rob, let¡¯s wrap this up,¡± I psyched myself up.

    There was no indication Mr. Byrne had visited the cabin in the last years, I just needed to search for any official documentation regarding ownership of the property or other legally binding documents and I was done.

    I searched through every single crate and drawer to no avail. I found a hidden gun cabinet between the wardrobe and the bedside table, sealed with a see-through metallic door and a padlock, but other than that the house was clear of anything that could even hold important documents.

    I returned to the main room and glanced at the table covered in old handwritten notes. I could tell that they were written with a fountain pen because of the occasional smear of ink scattered across the pages. I rummaged through the notes searching for a trace of the English language to no avail. There was nothing near related to legal documentation nor anything I could actually read.

    Mr. Byrne was a strange man and I was not surprised that he was also interested in the occult. A lonely and eccentric man with outlandish tastes and an almost endless fortune. If there was a real magician on Earth, that would be Mr. Byrne. Unfortunately for me, he was just a slightly crazy old man with a cabin far into the woods.

    For some reason, I felt bad for him. Even if I only saw him once, from afar, I could tell he was a fool who dreamed about dragons and magic spells just like me. His fortune gave him the glamor I lacked though.

    The task ended up being more banal than I expected, but it was my fault for expecting something remarkable to happen. I was only a small cog inside a cold, unfeeling legal machine. In a couple of hours, I was going to be back in the office with only a moderately odd story to tell and nobody who cared enough to listen to it.

    I closed the shutters, leaving the notes untouched, and closed the front door.

    The car puttered to life and I was ready to go when I remembered about the basement. My boss had been insistent about it.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± I was glad I remembered, I didn¡¯t trust my temper to endure two ass chewings the same day.

    The entrance to the basement wasn¡¯t around the perimeter.

    ¡°It might be inside,¡± I muttered to myself even if I hadn¡¯t seen any trapdoor.

    As I entered for the second time, the handwritten notes didn¡¯t seem half sinister as before, now looking more like childish scribbles than magic spells. I ignored them and searched for the hatch. It wasn¡¯t hard to find. It was under an old rug.

    ¡°So, no satanic circle or anything under the carpet,¡± I sighed, half relieved and half disappointed.

    Outside, the light was dimming quickly so I grabbed my cell phone flashlight and pulled the handle up. At first it didn¡¯t budge, the hinges were rusty and despite the woody appearance, the thing had the weight of a metal door. With my pride a bit wounded, I anchored my feet firmly on the floor and pulled up the lid, revealing a narrow gap in the floor.

    ¡°The things I do for a paycheck,¡± I muttered as I aimed the light into the dark hole revealing a staircase.

    I stepped down into the darkness with my cellphone pointing at the wooden steps.

    Suddenly, the wooden step collapsed under my weight. As my body fell through the hole my head violently slammed against the edge of the wooden planks. My whole world went black.

    I woke up lying on a warm wooden floor with a throbbing pain in my forehead. Slowly, the world regained shape around me. The sun projected a weak pale gleam through the windows of the cabin.

    I counted up to ten before sitting on the floor, my head was killing me and I had to blink repeatedly to focus on what was in front of me.

    A closed trap door.

    ¡°What?¡± I mumbled. Objects, and people in particular, usually fell downwards.

    I looked around, searching for whomever had dragged me upstairs but I was alone. There was nearly zero possibility that my boss had sent someone to check on me. Sam from Sam¡¯s Outdoors then? It was a possibility within reason. He seemed like a decent man.

    I gave up any attempt to stand up for the foreseeable future and laid on my back. The mere effort of rolling around made me want to vomit. My head pulsated with pain. This time I counted to one hundred before trying to stand again.

    I let out the longest ¡®fuck¡¯ of my life and sat down.

    The morning rays streamed through the windows and the crisp aroma of clean air filled my lungs. I panicked. I was supposed to come back with news about Mr. Byrne more than twelve hours ago. I had been knocked out for far too long.

    Pulling myself together, I went back to my car. First thing I had to do was to return to civilization and call the office. Maybe visit a hospital. But that had to wait. I was rehearsing an apology in my mind when another wave of panic washed over me.

    My car was nowhere to be found. I felt my pockets. The keys were still there. If someone stole it it might have needed a tow, and it was even more unlikely for a tow truck to drive down Elk Road.

    ¡°What the hell?¡±

    Something else was out of place and it wasn¡¯t just my car. At first, I couldn¡¯t put my finger on what was wrong but it suddenly came to me. The canopy of the forest, lush and green mere hours before, was adorned by dry autumn leaves.

    My heart rushed as I counted the months of the year with my fingers. Before I could come to the conclusion that fall was still months away, a feral roar boomed through the forest. It sounded like a bear but not quite a bear.

    My eyes darted towards the direction of the sound, searching for any signs of movement. Whatever was stalking me, it was dangerously close.

    What was I even doing trying to locate the animal?

    I regained my sense of judgment and bolted back into the cabin, slamming the door shut behind me. Hastily, I secured the shutters and stood still, listening, but the forest remained ominously silent.

    The rustle of leaves and crunching gravel made my heart race even faster. Whatever had roared, it was getting closer. I held my breath and waited in silence for it to lose interest and leave. But it didn¡¯t. The animal circled the cabin and, to my horror, it started scratching at the rotten door.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± I muttered.

    I should¡¯ve paid more attention to what my father tried to teach me during the hunting trips instead of looking for Wonderland among the rabbit holes. Sure, I knew how to shoot but I never actually did it on a living animal. With trembling hands, I grabbed the key ring and crossed the room towards the gun locker. Luckily for me, Mr. Byrne had left a copy of the locker¡¯s keys in our possession. I opened the thing, almost slamming the metallic door to the side of the locker.

    Inside the locker, there was a dusty double barrel shotgun and a single ammo box. Without hesitation, I loaded two shells into the gun and returned to the main room. I could only hope the shotgun worked after who knew how many years of abandonment.

    Regretting my words, I realized I wasn¡¯t ready to fling myself through Narnia¡¯s wardrobe.

    The banging on the door intensified. The hinges screeched and rotten wood was slowly ripped apart. A set of long claws emerged through the gap in the doorway, gaining hold on the door. I raised the shotgun. It wasn¡¯t going to hold. The wood creaked as the beast tore the corner of the door, creating enough space to introduce both paws. Another big piece splintered off amidst deafening growls, revealing the face of the beast.

    It wasn¡¯t any creature I had ever seen.

    A thick, black mane framed an elongated, almost wolf-like mouth full of vicious teeth emerged from the gap. The beast¡¯s eyes were an electric blue and they shone with an unnatural hue, both focused squarely on me. The creature¡¯s jaws opened with an unmistakable hunger.

    Then, the door exploded into a thousand splinters and the wolf-bear hybrid from hell fell into the cabin. Adrenaline pumped through my body. As if the world moved in slow motion I aimed and fired. Pellets shredded the monster¡¯s shoulder, turning it into an amalgamation of bloody fur and viscera. The stopping power of the first volley gave me enough time to correct my aim before the creature could lunge forward. I shot again and the wolf-bear fell heavily to the floor with its skull splattered into thousands of small splinters.

    My shoulder hurt and my ears rang but that was the least of my concerns.

    With my heart hammering against my chest, I loaded two more shots before approaching the monster. I don''t know how my knees managed to keep me up straight, or how my bladder managed to keep its contents inside my body.

    I touched the monster¡¯s black fur with the tip of my shoe. It wasn''t bear nor wolf. Even that comparison fell short, there was something strangely humanoid to it. Then it hit me. Due to the position of the front legs, I realized the creature was most certainly bipedal.

    A sudden nausea took over me but I didn¡¯t even have time to puke.

    Suddenly, the mangled corpse emitted a ghastly glow and a blue radiance emerged from it. The blue mist raised like a haunting spirit and surrounded me. Panicking, I shot again to no effect other than intensifying the ringing in my ears and destroying a lamp in the corner of the room. The blue mist twirled around me, sticking to my skin. I painfully felt it enter each and every pore of my body.

    A second of pain and then nothing. No. It wasn¡¯t nothing. It felt great, greater than anything I had felt before. My head no longer hurt. Even my chronic back pain disappeared. Then a message appeared in front of me.

    Greetings, Robert Clarke.

    You have acquired Magic.

    To receive the blessing of the Fractalis reach for the mana inside you.

    ¡°What in the everloving fuck,¡± I muttered.

    I swatted the air, trying to get rid of the floating message but my hand cut cleanly through it. A hologram? My mind raced searching for answers. I had read somewhere about a treatment for people in coma was direct brain stimulation. Was I trapped inside some sort of medical Matrix?

    There were two possibilities. The hit on my head had left me in a coma or I was going crazy. Either way was equally troubling. And either way, it seemed I had to follow the instructions in front of me.

    How in the seven hells was I going to ¡®reach the mana¡¯ inside me?

    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s how.¡±

    There it was. Mana. I could feel it like a foreign body where my heart was, waiting for me to tap into it. Maybe even calling me. It was a soothing sensation and probably the only thing that kept me from having a panic attack.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± I asked, looking at the ceiling. For some reason, I assumed the being that was communicating with me was up in the sky.

    You are far from home, Robert Clarke.

    To return, you have to open the trap door and cross the portal.

    Once crossed there is no way back.

    My throat was suddenly dry. Madness or not, this was what I always yearned for. A second chance, an adventure, an enchanted wardrobe, a letter of acceptance to a prestigious magical academy, or whatever this was.

    There was nothing much going for me back at home but at least there I wasn¡¯t going to die mauled by a rabid chimera. I glanced at the mangled body of the monster and tried to swallow but my throat was still dry.

    I slapped my face, my brain trying to make sense of all this freakshow. Dying a violent death was only marginally worse than withering away sitting in a cubicle. Suddenly my boss¡¯ words echoed in my mind. Just figure things out or find another job.

    For better or worse, this decision was going to haunt me for the rest of my life.

    I reached for the mana inside my chest.

    Fractalis system initializing¡­

    Checking the contents of the foreign soul¡­

    Checking past experiences¡­

    My life flashed in front of my eyes. The happy early years, my parent¡¯s death, the long study sessions to get my degree, the boys laughing at the club after fencing lessons, my highschool sweetheart dumping me after an eight year relationship, the idealistic first years of my career as a school teacher. Then, slowly, everything getting more and more crooked. Finally, just an instant before the visions receded, a blue tesseract floating in the void.

    Initialization complete.

    Foreign Soul Robert Clarke is now subject to the Fractalis System.

    You have obtained Scholar¡¯s unique skill [Identify]

    This time I got on my knees and violently emptied my already empty gut over Mr. Byrne¡¯s old carpet. When I thought everything was over, another prompt appeared between my face and the puddle of vomit.

    One last bit of advice.

    Don¡¯t tell anybody where you came from.

    To find civilization head south.

    Good luck, Rob.

    ¡°Thanks¡­ I guess,¡± was the only thing my mangled brain managed to articulate before one last prompt appeared in front of me.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Scholar Lv.1

    Titles: Lonely Boy.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Manipulation.

    Skills: Identify.

 2- Inquiring

    After deciding I wasn¡¯t losing my mind, I sat on the floor between the mangled body of the bear-monster and the puddle of my vomit. A familiar character sheet floated in front of my eyes, it had my own name on it. Whatever was happening, I wasn¡¯t sure I was ready to accept it.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Scholar Lv.1

    Titles: Lonely Boy.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Manipulation.

    Skills: Identify.

    That was me, Robert Clarke, a human from Earth trapped in a dimension where random message windows popped from thin air. A part of me, the one who daydreamed about dragons and adventure, wanted to embrace it. But my other half, the rational one, the skeptical one, refused to accept what was happening.

    Wasn¡¯t it Ren¨¦ Descartes who said senses were deceiving?

    ¡°Come on, Rob. You are a man of science, there has to be a rational explanation,¡± I said out loud. Even if it was just my voice, it was better than the creeping silence.

    My initial assumption of being trapped inside a simulation lost strength as I checked the surroundings. The room looked like a perfect copy of the cabin on the other side of the trapdoor. There were notable differences though. First, there was the lack of a fridge or any other electric appliances. Second, all the weird looking handwritten pages on the table were also gone.

    If I was in a coma and trapped in a simulation, why simulate this place in particular and not a hospital for example? Waking up in a hospital, if worrying in its own way, would be much more soothing than all of this.

    There were other alternatives. Maybe my brain was floating inside a fish tank on an alien spaceship and I was plugged into a weird alien experiment, or this was really a world of magic, skills, and levels. The trapdoor was still at the corner of the room and I wondered if I could still come back home after all this ¡®initialization¡¯ thing.

    But did I really want to?

    The answer was a clear and resounding no. I didn¡¯t want to go back, but I wasn¡¯t sure it was safe to stay.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you wanted? A new beginning? You don¡¯t have too much going on back home. No family, no parents, no girlfriend,¡± saying it out loud hurt a bit.

    I slapped my face with both hands, knowing I already made a decision. Then, I entered the main room, sat on the king size bed far from the corpse and the puddle of vomit, and closed my eyes. The first step of the scientific method was asking a question.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±

    Perfect. I had my question, now I needed to make some observations. I glanced at my character sheet and tapped on my class. As expected, a small explanatory screen popped up.

    Scholar: Magical non-elemental support class. [Identify] Uncommon class specialized in understanding the surrounding world and assisting crafting classes. Can manipulate mana but cannot cast elemental spells.

    The last sentence was an arrow through my kneecap.

    ¡°No indiscriminate fireball casting for me,¡± I sighed with disappointment. If the System could actually ¡®see¡¯ the contents of my soul, then it should know that slinging fireballs was a must.

    I focused on the prompt in front of me.

    If the information on the screen was accurate, then I was probably useless in combat. What was worse, I wasn¡¯t even a support class, I was the support for the support if that made any sense.

    I took the L and moved on, it was probably better than nothing.

    My eyes wandered over my character sheet. At least I had [Swordsmanship]. That might be helpful if a fight ensued. It made sense considering I practiced HEMA for quite a while during my college years. I decided to investigate my skills next.

    Swordsmanship: Years of training have conditioned your body and mind to use swords as an extension of yourself. [Identify] The subject¡¯s skill will not diminish under the skill level regardless of the passing of time.

    That was useful. And it didn''t make sense.

    The last time I grabbed a sword was at least half a decade ago. If anything, my skills were as rusted as the hull of the Titanic. I closed my eyes and tried to ¡®feel¡¯ the skill just like I did during the initialization of the System but I got nothing. Any further experimentation would have to wait until I had an actual sword in my hands.

    Scholar, [Swordsmanship], [Mana Manipulation], [Identify], everything was mostly self explanatory. [Mana Manipulation] allowed me to feel and control mana and [Identify] allowed me to know details of the surrounding world. Closing my eyes, I focused on the mana around my heart and instinctively, I pushed it out. A cold blue flame flashed in my hand before disappearing. It was more spectacular than useful but it was something. I wondered if I could eventually weaponize it.

    The layout of my character sheet was clear and simple. However, there was one last thing that bothered me.

    Lonely Boy: A title for those who had led a lonely life and remained single past the usual marriage age. [Identify] Title bestowed upon those who contribute to population aging. A couple years more and you would¡¯ve statistically avoided your first divorce. Stay strong, trooper.

    ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± I asked the sky but the System remained silent.

    Since my ex-girlfriend had dumped my sorry ass, my love life was as barren as the surface of the moon. The worst part was I knew what was wrong with me; five years later I hadn¡¯t gotten over the breakup yet. And I didn¡¯t expect things to improve, at that point in life I was practically an honorary virgin.

    ¡°I just hope I still get that sweet magical boost when I turn thirty,¡± I growled to myself in a vain attempt of raising my spirits.

    Self pity wasn¡¯t going to do anything for me so I stood and started planning my next move. The System had told me that to find civilization I had to travel south. How far or how dangerous the travel would be I didn¡¯t know. I just hoped that out there, the bear-monster was the exception and not the rule.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    At least the cabin had a few things I could use to survive out in the cold of the forest. Inside the wardrobe there was Mr. Byrne¡¯s old camping gear. I secured a thick blanket, a tinderbox, a knife, rope, a handaxe, a water bottle, a pot, a cup, and a compass. There was also a small stove but there was no fuel to be found so I decided to leave it. The main room¡¯s wardrobe was also full of warmer clothes than my current outfit. I borrowed a few extra pairs of socks, a thick jacket and a woolen scarf.

    Finally, I slung the shotgun over my shoulder and put the remaining ammo in my right pocket. I had seven shells left, which meant I could kill up to seven creatures assuming I aimed perfectly although two or three kills was a more realistic approximation. I didn¡¯t want them near enough to have a clear headshot.

    After making sure there was no running water from the sink, I left the cabin. I advanced only a few paces before I realized I could [Identify] the creature I had slain so I returned over my steps and entered the cabin once again.

    Bear (corrupted). Lowly Magical Abomination, deceased. [Identify] Into the Farlands, magic takes multiple forms. Be cautious of them all. Weakness: Magic, Mana Drain, Shotgun.

    ¡°Lowly, uh?¡± I laughed nervously at the fact there were greater things out there.

    At least I knew now where I was. The Farlands.

    Only seven shells separated me from a violent death and yet the perspective of starting my travels was invigorating. I checked my compass. It seemed to work properly so I faced south and started walking.

    The fact that there was a magical portal in the basement of an eccentric millionaire quickly slipped away from my mind. What I was doing was logically speaking the most stupid thing of my life. Sure, life on Earth didn¡¯t offer too much but at least I was safe from rabid corrupted magical bears.

    The foolish part of my brain put a metaphorical pillow over the face of my rational self and pressed hard. As I advanced through the forest I realized there were no car tracks, no paved road, and no Hackberry Creek. Not even the same species of plants and trees. My theory of being in a mirror-world soon fell down.

    The yellow, red, and green leaves rustled gently in the cold breeze and formed an uneven multicolor tapestry on the forest floor. Despite my encounter with the magically corrupted beast, a peaceful stillness settled on the forest, broken only by the occasional chant of a singing bird. Luckily for me, the jacket I had scavenged kept me warm against the cold wind.

    One thing was sure, winter was going to be cold.

    I¡¯d been out in the wild long enough for the sun to travel half its way through the sky. With the help of the compass I tried to maintain my way south; however, the tall hills and deep ravines of the mountainous region had forced me to adopt an undulating path. Luckily enough, I found a small creek at the bottom of one of the ravines where I filled my water bottle.

    The creek went almost straight southwards so I decided to follow it as long as I could. Even a city boy like me knew civilization flourished near water sources. If it wasn¡¯t a big city, at least I expected to find a shepherd¡¯s shelter or a hermit¡¯s hut. The lack of brambles in the river bed was also a welcomed perk.

    The forest became thicker and thicker until the riverbed completely disappeared. At that point, I left behind the forest of deciduous trees and entered a new zone covered by perennial trees similar to bristlecone pines. There were still withered trees here and there but they were sparsely scattered.

    I focused my attention on one of the pines as I tried to determine if it was the same as the ones we had back on Earth.

    White Cork Pine, mature. [Identify] Inedible. Magic concentration: Low.

    The System screen suddenly popping out of nowhere surprised me. I should¡¯ve expected it, if I was capable of identifying the Magical Abomination it was only logical I was able to identify other things too. Suddenly I felt like a blind man that had suddenly regained the ability to see.

    Stone. [Identify] Or it¡¯s a rock? Magic concentration: Low.

    Soil. [Identify] Rich in nutrients. Tastes like dirt. Magic concentration: Low.

    Water. [Identify] It¡¯s wet. Magic concentration: Low.

    ¡°Is it though?¡± I scratched my chin deep in thought.

    I had avoided drinking from my water bottle since I didn¡¯t know if the creek was clean. The water was perfectly odorless and tasteless but I didn¡¯t trust it. The presence of Magical Abominations was dangerous enough to add magical brain-eating amoebas to the equation. I poured water from the water bottle into my hand and focused my eyes on it. Maybe I could identify if it was contaminated?

    Water (waterskin). [Identify] As I said, it¡¯s wet. Magic concentration: Low.

    ¡°So, no bacteria check, got it,¡± I sighed.

    I could not ignore either that the flavor text had some sort of ¡®flavor¡¯ to it. The logical conclusion was the System had some sort of personality or whoever designed ¨Cor created it¨C poured a bit of its sass to it. That would also explain the contents of my title. Lonely Boy.

    Suddenly I stopped in my tracks as the realization hit me.

    Was that a musical reference?

    That was no place or time to start reflecting on the capacity of the System to reference pop culture from my world. I made a mental sticky note to study the System¡¯s secrets after securing my safety.

    After hours of walking, I sat on a rock to rest my legs for a moment. The System had determined that the Cork Pine was inedible and yet it couldn¡¯t tell if the water was potable or not. But, at the same time, it was logical that a person couldn¡¯t eat raw bark. I had to try identifying something more manageable for my jaw.

    I focused my eyes on a patch of weeds at the base of a near Cork Pine

    Dire Cress. [Identify] Alchemy ingredient. Brewing ingredient. Magic concentration: High.

    My rpg-hoarder sense tingled. Loot meant money, and money meant useful goods and services.

    Abandoning the comfort of my rock, I pounced over the loot. I spent the next half an hour on all fours collecting all the specimens with high magic concentration while ignoring those with medium and low concentration. There was no way low was better than high. Not wanting to put all my eggs in one basket, I left the [Dire Cress] behind and searched for other alchemic ingredients. As far as I knew, this [Dire Cress] could be as common as thistle so it was better to collect a diverse loot.

    Picking weeds in my mother¡¯s garden wasn¡¯t as fun as this and I ended up foraging for another hour. An uncharted piece of forest like that was packed with high magical concentration resources so I picked them to my heart''s content. The activity didn¡¯t trigger any system notification but at least I had my backpack filled with a variety of herbs, weeds and seeds. I hoped I could sell some of them if I reached civilization.

    Smiling, I continued southward.

    As I wandered through the forest I found a white tree with yellow fruits hanging from its branches and scattered around on the ground.

    Hermit¡¯s Gold Fruit. [Identify] Alchemy ingredient. Brewing ingredient. Cooking ingredient. Edible. Magic concentration: Low.

    Edible.

    ¡°You are the MVP, Identify!¡± I smiled as I came near the withered tree. I hadn¡¯t had anything to eat since the breakfast of the day before. Although the adrenaline of being in a magical world had appeased my stomach for a while now, the thirst and fatigue were starting to get the best of me. I grabbed a bunch of fruits. They were the size of a plum but with shiny golden skin. They looked ripe enough for consumption.

    The tangy and sweet juices filled my mouth as soon as I sank my teeth into the soft skin. Weirdly enough, the taste had a slight metallic quality to it. And it was great. I devoured four more until my thirst and hunger were somewhat quenched.

    You have obtained Vigor Lv.1. Temporary.

    As soon as the message popped up I felt a pleasant wave of relief filling my body. It was hard to tell if it was caused by the sudden ingestion of sugars or the magic concentration within the fruits. One way or the other, I appreciated the effect.

    With a full stomach, my stay in the Farlands didn¡¯t seem so dangerous anymore. My thoughts might have jinxed it because when I was climbing the tree, trying to reach the highest fruits, a sudden high pitched screech echoed through the valley.

    Maybe I should¡¯ve called in sick after all.

 3 - Doggy, doggy, doggy

    I was precariously perched on the Hermit¡¯s Gold tree, trying to reach the upper fruits, when a high pitched screech echoed through the valley. My mind instantly flashed images of the bear-mutant creature that attacked me at the cabin and I jumped down, drawing my shotgun in a single movement.

    The birds had stopped singing and the forest fell into a deadly silence. Something deep inside my brain, I didn¡¯t know if it was my ancient instinct or a work of the System, told me I was in danger. My eyes drifted through the woods, however, there was no creature in my line of sight.

    Suddenly, the forest trembled as the sound of a hundred hooves pounding came to my ears. The sound became stronger by the second. The herd of whatever magical monster this world had birthed was coming in my direction. Not wanting to get trampled on, I ran downstream until I found a broad pine next to a sand bank and hid behind it. I pressed my back to the tree, looking southward, and waited for the stampede.

    Less than a second later, the first creature passed like an arrow through the forest. A deer of pure white left an electric blue haze in its wake. I saw the magic particles inside the animal¡¯s body and the faint afterimage it left behind. Whatever it was, it was using a skill to move faster.

    As soon as the first white deer passed, dozens of others followed, screaming in fear. I squatted, trying to stay below the fern line without losing visual contact. Whatever was chasing the flock of deer was most likely faster than me. I just hoped the pursuer would be so focused on the prey that it didn¡¯t notice me.

    Right after the last deer leaped over a dead pine a few paces away from my hideout, the roar of a predator resonated inside my chest. They were close and there were many.

    I squeezed the barrel of my shotgun as the pack of beasts followed the deer trail. They were wolf-like beasts with powerful front legs and a hunched backs. Their snouts were elongated, filled with foam covered serrated teeth, and their bloodshot eyes threw diabolical glances as they scanned the forest.

    Black Wolf (corrupted). Lowly Magical Abomination. [Identify] Although the corruption has diminished their sense of smell, their ears are as keen as their non-corrupted counterparts. Weakness: Magic, Mana Drain, Shotgun.

    It was good to see corrupted wildlife being weak to buckshot.

    I stood silently in my hideout, trying to keep my nerves at bay until the last wolf from the corrupted pack got lost between the trees. Then I counted to one hundred before I decided to get up. My heart was still pounding inside my chest with the strength of a dwarf¡¯s hammer. One thing was for sure, if I wanted to live I needed to get out of the woods ASAP.

    Retracing my steps, I came back to the Hermit¡¯s Gold tree to fill my food stock before leaving. I was deep in thought trying to gauge how much fruit I could carry without having to discard any equipment when the sound of shattering bone crashed my train of thought.

    The eyes of an oversized mutant wolf munching on the carcass of one of its kind met me. Its bloodshot eyes were framed by a scar-ridden head and thick black blood dripped from the corner of its mouth. And it was looking directly at me.

    Elder Black Wolf (corrupted). Magical Abomination. Man eater. Kin eater. [Identify] The more magic a corrupted animal consumes, the more dangerous it becomes. Weakness: Magic, Mana Drain, Shotgun.

    I cursed my luck. Of all the corrupted wolves, of course I had to run into the baddest of the bunch.

    Instinctively, I raised my shotgun and the wolf glanced at me with calculating eyes. It seemed to understand I was threatening him. Before I could react, the wolf let out a powerful howl. The mana particles sizzled around the beast and I found myself glued in place by some invisible force. Something had seized hold of my muscles and prevented me from moving.

    ¡°A skill?¡± I managed to mumble over the binding.

    Whatever the wolf had done to me, I could barely breathe. My heart kept on pounding inside my chest but every other muscle of my body was prey to paralysis. The wolf crushed another bone and licked the marrow before walking towards me at a sluggish pace. It was smarter than it seemed.

    Sweat beaded my forehead as I fought against the spell but no amount of physical strength could break it. I started to panic. This was a thousand times worse than my sleep paralysis demon.

    I summoned my character sheet and searched for something that could help me.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Scholar Lv.1

    Titles: Lonely Boy.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Manipulation.

    Skills: Identify.

    Status: Paralyzed, Frightened, Lv.1 Vigor.

    If there was something that could save me it was [Mana Manipulation]. I chastised myself for not experimenting with the skill beforehand. All I knew was that the skill could summon a flashy blue flame.

    Closing my eyes, I tapped into my inner mana reservoir and the mana answered my call. It was easier than expected, as if the system was guiding me through the process of molding the magic according to my desires. I felt a rush of knowledge, or awareness, getting over my brain. Then, I knew what to do.

    I surrounded my trigger finger with mana.

    The Elder Wolf didn¡¯t seem to notice I was using a skill because it kept on walking towards me at a leisurely pace. I waited. My mouth was dry and my forehead was covered with sweat. I couldn¡¯t do anything but pray for the wolf to stand in front of the barrel.

    ¡°Come on¡­ just a step more,¡± I grunted.

    One more step and the Elder Wolf would be standing just in front of the muzzle. But the creature stopped just a few centimeters short. The Elder Wolf broke its straight line and started circling around me. I followed it with my eyes until it went out of my visual range. I couldn¡¯t move my neck but I could hear it behind me. Slow steps, one after another, until it almost completed the full circle.

    ¡°One more step, please, one more step,¡± I silently prayed.

    The wolf completed the circle and reappeared in front of me, just in front of the barrel. Using the mana around my finger, I pulled the trigger. The hail of pellets struck the creature¡¯s ribs, breaking the spell.

    I fell to my knees, my muscles cramping and aching, but I ignored the pain and shot again before the wolf could pounce on me. The buckshot shredded flesh and bone, sending the wolf to the ground. My heart pounded like a hammer and adrenaline flowed through my veins at an alarming rate. I almost puked again but I took a deep breath, trying to keep myself together.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    The realization I was alive because of pure luck sent a shiver down my spine.

    If I wanted to survive, I had to master the skills the System had given me. For the time being, [Mana Manipulation] and [Swordsmanship] seemed to be my only insurance if I ran out of shells.

    The Elder Black Wolf growled from the ground, startling me. It was still alive even if the wounds prevented it from getting up. Wasting another shell to kill the Elden Wolf was out of the question but I was curious about the progression system. Usually, killing monsters was the most common way of getting experience.

    I wondered if it was the same for Scholars. There was too much I ignored.

    I pulled the knife I got from Mr. Byrne¡¯s cabin and glanced at the Elder Wolf. Suddenly, something clicked inside my brain as if my [Swordsmanship] reacted to the knife in my hand. Half a decade had passed since the last time I trained HEMA but somehow all my fencing experience was there, fresh and ready to be used.

    Warily, I walked towards the Elder Wolf. One thing was shooting in the heat of the moment, another completely different was stabbing a living being, even if it was a corrupted monster. Steeling my resolve, I stabbed at the creature¡¯s lungs but the point of the knife bounced over the hardened skin of the wolf. It was only logical to expect something like that considering the amount of lead the wolf could withstand.

    The Elder Wolf growled at me and a white gleam of magic started covering its wounds with a sizzling sound. It was starting to regenerate. I had to kill it fast. Suddenly, I had an epiphany. If [Swordsmanship] wasn¡¯t enough I might as well combine it with [Mana Manipulation].

    I reached for the reservoir of mana inside me and poured it into the knife until a phantom blue blade covered its surface. I didn¡¯t stop there. Greedily, I pumped more and more mana, hardening it until I had a meter long mana sword.

    It might not work but at least it looked really cool.

    ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± I whispered, raising my mana sword.

    What I didn¡¯t expect was the ease with which the knife penetrated the skin. With a confident downward blow I severed the beast¡¯s head like it was butter.

    Elder Black Wolf (corrupted) slain.

    I might be a fool, but I was a creative fool at least.

    Just like it happened with the wolf-bear hybrid, a mist of blue mana emerged from the beast''s body and surrounded me. It was brighter and more vibrant compared to the corrupted bear¡¯s mana. I braced myself and closed my eyes.

    Level up!

    Level up!

    Level up!

    Level up!

    The System prompts appeared under my eyelids.

    A wave of liquid euphoria rushed through my veins sending me to my knees. Suddenly, I felt stronger, faster, and even taller although the last one was probably just my imagination. For a moment I felt unstoppable but the overwhelming sensation receded as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind an overall feeling of well-being. Leveling up was a drug and I needed to find another corrupted beast to shoot down. I glanced around, searching for more Black Wolves but there were none in sight.

    Before I could do anything hasty, I composed myself. I had only five shells left and they were my life insurance until I reached a town or found people willing to help me.

    ¡°Ok, Rob. Let¡¯s use our head,¡± I muttered, trying to calm myself and put my thoughts in order. ¡°We have to get the fuck out of here before the rest of the pack realizes the leader was turned into dog meat.¡±

    Quickly, I stuffed a bunch of Hermit Gold fruit into my bag and sprinted away from the felled beast. Without a second thought, I jumped into the creek and waded the shallow water, hopefully away from the direction of the chase.

    Not even an hour later, the effect of Vigor started to fade away and my cubicle worker physique took over.

    You have obtained Exhaustion Lv.1. Temporary.

    It was well late in the afternoon and there wasn¡¯t any trace of civilization yet. The excitement of the day died down and my body was suddenly afflicted by at least twenty different kinds of pain. Leaving my heavy backpack to the side, I laid on the floor and closed my eyes for a moment.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Scholar Lv.5

    Titles: Lonely Boy.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Manipulation.

    Skills: Identify.

    Status: Exhaustion Lv.1 (Temporary).

    I had gained four levels by killing the Elder Black Wolf but no skills or points to spend on stats whatsoever. I felt scammed by the System. What was the difference between a level one scholar and a level five then?

    Leveling up felt great but after the sensation faded I was the same person as before. Supposedly, this was the moment where the broken skills and passives started piling one after the other, snowballing exponentially.

    I sighed. This was a scam.

    You have obtained Improved Stamina Lv.1. [Identify] Basic passive typically unlocked by people who workout a lot and whine very little.

    The prompt startled me, as if the System had added extra spice to the notification.

    ¡°What the hell,¡± I said in disbelief. A shiver ran down my back, there was no chance of that flavor text not being aimed towards me. If the System wanted to mess with me, it was working.

    ¡°Can you hear me?¡± I asked the sky but I got no answer.

    I shrugged my shoulders, there was nothing to lose by trying.

    ¡°A quest journal or a map with markers would be useful too!¡±

    Again, no response. Maybe it was for the best because after all the gore of the fight against the corrupted wolf, I wasn¡¯t psychologically ready to have a conversation with a transcendent being. I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on what I had in front of me. Four levels and no recognizable improvement.

    ¡°Maybe I have to use a special shrine or a magic stone to see my stats and allocate stat points,¡± I opened my character sheet and studied it for a while, there was not a lot to see but it was my only way to interact with the System.

    Swordsmanship: Years of training have conditioned your body and mind to use swords as an extension of your body. [Identify] The subject¡¯s skill will not diminish under the skill level regardless of the passing of time.

    [Swordsmanship] wasn¡¯t just some external skill delivered to me by the system. It was my own expertise gathered along the years in the HEMA club, now refreshed into my brain. [Swordsmanship] was some sort of paperweight that prevented my own experience from fading away due to neglect.

    I stood up and drew my knife. The movements, the stances, the swings, parries and blocks, everything was there ready to be used. Diagonal right step, tajo, medio rev¨¦s, fast recovery. I repeated the choreography two times more with different cuts. My form was as good as it was when I practiced regularly, with no awkwardness or stiffness.

    With an hour of sun to spare, I put together a campfire and boiled water to make myself some tea with the edible herbs I had gathered earlier. The outcome was far from good but it was better than plain hot water. The lack of sugar couldn''t bother me, I was exploring a magical world and I could do fucking magic tricks.

    If I squinted my eyes a little, I even had a lightsaber.

    As the sun fell, I fueled the fire and wrapped myself in the blanket. A wicked cold wind swayed the branches over my head and the nocturnal sounds won over the forest. The green pines had made me forget about the season. I hugged my shotgun and glanced at the flames.

    As accurate as [Lonely Boy] was, I yearned for someone to keep me accompanied. For some reason, never in my life have I felt so alone. I was in a world where nobody knew my name or my face, the Farlands could kill me and nobody will ever know my fate.

    ¡°If you keep going south you will eventually meet at least one kind soul,¡± I told myself as I closed my eyes, but no matter how tired I was, it was impossible to fall asleep.

    The night was long. Any single sound, as small as it was, was enough to put me on guard. I couldn¡¯t sleep for more than a few minutes at a time, but at least no carnivorous creature found me. After what seemed an eternity, the dawn broke and I instantly resumed my journey. No reward appeared after surviving my first day in this new world.

    Not after a long time of walking, I found myself at the edge of the forest. In front of me there was a rocky valley squeezed between two high mountains, with a few pines sparsely distributed along the rocks and densely packed thorny bushes. Down in the valley I saw the creek I was following yesterday. It was about a mile to my right. I followed it with my eyes until it converged with a small river that looked like a strand of silver against the vegetation. No sign of towns or cities yet.

    Something suddenly caught my attention. A weak trail of smoke rising into the sky.

    ¡°Jackpot!¡± I grinned.

    Where there was smoke there was fire and where there was fire there were people.

 4 - The Grumpy Princess

    I followed the smoke trail into a humid ravine covered in moss. The steep stone walls were five or six paces apart, forming a narrow path that went down to the valley. Without a second thought, I slid down the slope, hoping to be fast enough to meet whomever was camping in the Farlands.

    The canopy blocked the sun, darkening the ravine and casting shadows over the stone walls. I just hoped the shadows were enough to hide me because the ravine was the perfect ambush spot for any Black Wolf wanting to feed on me.

    As I advanced through the narrow path, the metallic smell of blood and decay suddenly filled my nostrils. Quickly, I hid behind a rock, glancing at the path ahead but a great boulder prevented me from seeing any further. I tried to catch any sound that gave up the presence of a predator but the forest remained silent.

    Gathering all the bravery I could muster, I decided to advance. I couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity to meet other people so I grabbed my shotgun and walked slowly, trying to not make any sounds. I pressed my back against the rock and peeked over the corner.

    In the middle of the path there was the mangled corpse of a Black Wolf. There was a pool of dry blood around the corpse, however, the wounds on the body were still fresh. The body shouldn¡¯t have more than a day or two and there was no sign of the attacker so I cautiously approached.

    The wolf¡¯s skin was covered in deep cuts. Whatever the attacker was, it was bigger than a Black Wolf. Regrettably, [Identify] didn¡¯t show me much more information.

    I swallowed hard and squeezed my shotgun as if it was a lucky charm. I had two options; turn around, find an alternative route, and probably miss the window to find the owners of the campfire, or take the risk and continue forward. Nothing assured me that the alternative route was safer.

    ¡°Come on, Rob. You chose this.¡± I forced myself to take the next step forward

    The second corpse was a few hundred meters ahead.

    A cold shiver ran down my spine. The body was split in two, each half separated by several paces. I kneeled by the corpse and examined it. More of the same. Fresh, claw marks, heavily mutilated but no organs or pieces missing. Whatever monster killed this wolf, wasn¡¯t hunting to eat. And it was likely bigger and more dangerous than I initially assumed.

    A sudden System prompt popped in front of my eyes, startling me.

    It seemed I was never going to get accustomed to the jumpscares.

    Conditions fulfilled.

    You have obtained a new skill.

    Common skill [Awareness] acquired.

    I felt as if someone had opened my skull and proceeded to knead my gray matter like dough. Before I could get a grasp of the experience, the sensation faded leaving me slightly dizzy. At first I didn¡¯t notice any change. Then, my brain went into overdrive.

    A wave of information crashed into me.

    The sound of the birds was weaker to the southwest. My brain raced through a sea of possibilities to find an explanation for the birds suddenly fleeing. People could scare the birds away. The dead bodies could¡¯ve drawn unwanted scavengers. Who was responsible for the killings? It was unlikely a human would¡¯ve done that considering the methods of the carnage. But I was no longer in the Appalachians anymore. In a world of magic things could be different. Some humans may be strong enough to rip apart a Black Wolf¡¯s spine. And powerful people might be dangerous¡­

    ¡°Stop!¡± I pulled the reins on [Awareness].

    As much as I enjoyed detective novels, I wasn¡¯t ready to become a Dupin wannabe yet. I was grateful for my newfound mental clarity but that amount of information pouring into my conscious brain was exhausting. I¡¯d only been using [Awareness] for a few seconds and I was already starting to feel dizzy.

    This B-class horror movie crumb trail wasn¡¯t what I expected from a magical world. Even a noisy and annoying fairy would be a better guide. But alas, it seemed my wishes weren¡¯t going to be fulfilled anytime soon because as I advanced through the ravine, a third dead Black Wolf appeared in front of me.

    The third corpse was even more gruesome than the previous two. It was hard to consider it a body anymore but various bits of gore and viscera smeared over the trail and the stone walls of the ravine. The ravine was blocked ahead by a rockslide two or three times taller than me, but what worried me the most was the claw marks also carved deep into the rock.

    I was focused on the markings when I heard a woman¡¯s angry scream echoing from the other side of the blockade. The scream was followed by a white flash of light and the whimpering sound of a wounded wolf. My [Awareness] went overdrive. Someone was fighting a Black Wolf. The person responsible for the previous corpses? Maybe. The flash meant someone was using magic. Magic could explain the gruesome deaths. What was the possibility of a person attacking me? I wasn¡¯t a monster. Should I show myself?

    I hushed [Awareness] and climbed the rock as quickly as my cubicle-worker physique would allow. I thanked the System for giving me [Improved Stamina], even if it did just to annoy me.

    Reaching the top of the landslide, I spied the other side of the blockade. A woman dressed in adventurer¡¯s gear pointed her longbow at a wounded Black Wolf a few meters away. She had a cloak pulled over her head so I couldn¡¯t have a clear sight of her face but I noticed strands of silvery hair stuck out of her hood.

    The woman jumped over a rock with feline agility to get away from the beast just as the Black Wolf pounced over her. Then, still mid air, she pulled the bowstring back and aimed for the kill. Just before releasing her shot, her leg faltered on impact with the ground and her arrow grazed the wolf¡¯s head, missing its mark by millimeters.

    [Awareness] sent me the notice that her leg was wounded just as the wolf readied itself to lunge again. Without even thinking, I raised over the landslide, grabbed a stone the size of my hand and threw it to the wolf, missing by one or two paces.

    ¡°It¡¯s over, you furry fuck, I have the high ground!¡± I yelled, catching the attention of the monster.

    The Black Wolf recoiled and turned its head to me. The creature recognized I was easy prey because it lost interest in the woman and jumped its way up the rocky blockade with an agility impossible for its size.

    ¡°Crap.¡± I muttered as my hands fumbled over the shotgun¡¯s butt.

    The Black Wolf was about to reach me when suddenly, a flash of light crossed my vision and the monster fell to the ground with its skull perforated from side to side by an arrow.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Black Wolf (corrupted) slain.

    [Awareness] was still working in the background of my mind and pointed out something about sharing experience and helping in combat. I ignored it and slid down the blockade to meet my savior.

    The woman was tall and thin, with straight platinum hair falling like a cascade of silver down her shoulders. Her sharp features and frowning brow gave her a stark appearance only intensified by her piercing emerald eyes. Under her cloak, she wore tight leather armor, leather boots just above her knees, and even tighter riding breeches that accentuated the contours of her well toned legs.

    The woman¡¯s face, even though stained with dirt and sweat, was too beautiful to put into words. I had to blink repeatedly to ensure it wasn¡¯t an illusion created by the shadows of the ravine. She had the kind of beauty that could silence entire rooms upon her arrival and turn even the most stoic men around to watch her go.

    When I reached the bottom of the ravine I found the woman pointing her bow directly at me. Instinctively, I raised my hands over my head hoping the gesture was recognized universally as a sign of capitulation.

    ¡°Eiqe nus? Trem ie!¡± The woman yelled in a stark tone.

    I was so infatuated by the beautiful woman in front of me that I almost overlooked the fact that she was speaking in a foreign language. Foreign for me at least, I was sure other adventurers didn¡¯t have difficulties understanding her.

    ¡°Trem ie!¡± She yelled angrily at me.

    Mind reading was unnecessary, she was demanding answers. The only issue was that I didn¡¯t know what the question was.

    ¡°Okay, this is awkward. I assumed everyone spoke English here, you know, since the System is in English.¡± I replied apologetically while still holding my hands in the air.

    The woman stumbled and fell to her knees, revealing a deep gash on her leg. Without a second thought, I threw my backpack to the ground, damned be the Hermit Gold fruit inside, and rushed to help her.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    The woman dropped her bow and quickly reached for her boot to draw the hunting knife strapped to her calf. I stopped in my tracks just before entering the knife¡¯s range.

    ¡°Tirena!¡± She yelled with a sharp and pained voice.

    My first aid training was kicking in. A belt wasn¡¯t optimal for a tourniquet so I untied my scarf and threw it to her. The woman grabbed the scarf mid flight and tied a makeshift tourniquet around her thigh.

    The woman put away her knife.

    ¡°I know you can¡¯t understand me but I¡¯m not going to harm you, okay?¡± I said, raising my arms.

    The white haired woman pointed at me and then gestured insistently towards the ravine. Given the efficiency with which she had tended to her wound, I knew she was familiar with life in the Farlands. Whatever she was pointing to must be important so I nodded and ran down the path as fast as I could. Maybe there were other wounded adventurers nearby.

    The walls of the ravine quickly shrunk and the path widened until I was in the open forest again. I didn¡¯t have to go far to find her camp, or what was left of it. The embers of the campfire had been scattered across the campsite and her backpack was reduced to a collection of dirty rags. The contents were also scattered all around. The Black Wolf must¡¯ve discovered the camp when she was away.

    The camp was empty but I let [Awareness] do its thing. Considering the remains, it seemed the woman traveled alone. If she hadn¡¯t sent me to help somebody, she sent me to retrieve something. But what?

    It had to be something so obvious that I wouldn¡¯t miss it even with the barrier of language in between. Problem was I wasn¡¯t native to this world. A magic wand? A healing ring?

    Searching around the remains of the shredded backpack, I found a rusted shovel, dirty bandages, a thorn blanket and a herb pouch. I grabbed all of it, except the rusted shovel, and ran back to the ravine. I just hoped there weren¡¯t more Black Wolves.

    Luck was on my side because when I returned, the woman was still there, sitting on the rock. I presented my findings to the woman and she instantly snatched the herb pouch from my hands.

    She retrieved a vial of reddish liquid and poured it on her wound. A chilling sizzle reached my ears as the liquid seemingly cauterized the wound. The woman clenched her jaw and let out a small moan of pain as the flesh healed. I was hoping the magic potion would be more ¡®magical¡¯, but the wound only looked marginally better than before. At least the bleeding had stopped.

    Now we were back to square one.

    The woman growled as she got up and limped down the ravine, ignoring me.

    I followed at a safe distance.

    ¡°Arduna sula!¡± The woman yelled as we reached the remains of the camp. ¡°Arduna bekar¨¢ sula!¡±

    That was obviously a curse. The woman punched a tree and yelled another string of harsh sounding words before dropping to a small rock and covering her face with both hands. Whatever she had lost during the Wolf¡¯s raid, it seemed important.

    I let her alone for a moment and gathered the scattered embers. After a minute or two I had a healthy campfire. I poured the water from my canteen into my pot and waited. As the water began to boil, I dropped the bandages inside.

    Every time I glanced at the woman, I found her looking back at me with a cautious expression. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t interrupt me. At least she wasn¡¯t trying to stab me anymore, which was an improvement.

    I pulled the bandages out of the boiling water with the point of my Swiss Army knife and the woman bandaged the wound with a skillful hand, as if she was already used to patching herself. Then she drank another of the potions from the pouch. The way she wrinkled her face was priceless but my cellphone was already dead, so I couldn¡¯t capture the moment.

    The grumpy woman was my ticket out of the Farlands so I had to think about how to gain her trust. Suddenly, an idea appeared in my brain. If I learnt something from my abuelita, offering food had to be the quintessential gesture of goodwill. The aftertaste of the potions must¡¯ve been foul so I reached into my backpack and pulled out a bunch of sweet Hermit¡¯s Gold fruits.

    I offered her the biggest fruit but instead of taking it, she slapped my hand sending the ripe fruit against the last rocky remnants of the ravine. I recoiled in surprise.

    ¡°That was uncalled for, you ungrateful NPC.¡± I rubbed my hand knowing she wasn¡¯t going to understand my complaints. Maybe it was my imagination but I thought I saw a spark of regret in her eyes.

    I grabbed a fruit from my backpack and took a bite, releasing the juices trapped inside the tender skin. It tasted a bit more sour than I expected. The first contact with the locals wasn¡¯t going as I expected. Sure we had killed a Black Wolf together but that didn¡¯t seem to be enough to gain her trust. Nor giving her a tourniquet. Not retrieving her backpack. Nor preparing clean bandages.

    I really wanted to hate her but she somewhat reminded me of an abused dog I saw once when I visited the local kennel with my students. Scared, distrustful. And she was my ticket to civilization.

    ¡°Eina elve nus, na? Eiqe nus?¡± The woman asked after a moment of silence.

    If anything, she didn¡¯t sound as aggressive as before.

    ¡°Eiqe nus?¡± She asked the same question again.

    Eique nus? If I recall correctly that was the same question she had asked the first time we met. It didn¡¯t take a genius to understand what she was asking.

    I pointed at my chest with both hands and replied. ¡°Rob. My name is Rob.¡±

    The woman pointed at me. ¡°Rob.¡± Then she pointed at her own chest and said. ¡°Elincia. Ienu Elincia.¡±

    I nodded with a cheerful smile, this was getting better.

    ¡°Ienu Rob. I am Rob.¡± I said, copying her words. If I wanted to be part of this world, the first thing I had to do was figure out a way of communicating.

    A System prompt appeared in front of me.

    New word learned!

    Words learned: 1

    Rank: Babbling Baby

 5 - I am Rob, you are Elincia

    ¡°Ienus Rob, einus Elincia,¡± I said under the attentive glance of Elincia¡¯s emerald eyes. I am Rob, you are Elincia.

    Elincia nodded across the campfire and a smile of satisfaction tugged at her lips. Her features had a strange timeless look to them that made me doubt her age. Her skin was smooth and fair, yet, her smart eyes were wise beyond her apparent age. Ultimately, my lack of vocabulary and the memories of my mother¡¯s chancla prevented me from asking.

    ¡°Eique nus?¡± I asked, hesitantly.

    ¡°Elincia,¡± she answered.

    ¡°Ieque nus?¡± I asked again.

    ¡°Rob.¡±

    Elincia clapped exactly two times, a gesture I quickly recognized as some sort of unspoken ¡®good job¡¯. It was funny that Elincia celebrated even the smallest of my successes. Kind of cute even. If I had to venture a guess, she had already worked with small children before. Maybe she had a little sibling, or a child.

    Conditions fulfilled.

    You have obtained a new skill.

    Scholar unique skill [Master of Languages] acquired.

    As always, the System prompt startled me. My brain was once again kneaded like dough and stretched like noodles, to the point I was about to lose balance. The sensation receded after an instant and I found a mint grammatical framework carved into my brain. Common. I couldn¡¯t speak it because my inner dictionary was empty but strangely enough, I knew how to arrange sentences.

    New mental note; ask Elincia if everyone in this world felt the same after learning a new skill. As far as it didn¡¯t leave permanent neurological damage I was kinda okay with it. I decided the System wasn¡¯t as bad as I initially thought.

    Blinking repeatedly, I waited for the sensation of having an empty dictionary engraved in my brain to disappear. But it didn¡¯t. Whatever change the System had made to my brain seemed to be permanent, which was worrisome in its own way. The perspective of a System that could control my brain was creepy to say the least.

    ¡°It is what it is,¡± I sighed.

    Taking advantage of my new skills was the only reasonable course of action, so I started pointing at things, prompting Elincia to say their names in Common. Myinch meant tree and also wood depending on the context. Jilp meant stone. Sje meant floor, ground, and the lowest part of something. Sa¡¯ meant branch and twig. Tsuil meant knife, blade and eyelashes for some reason. Feeding the empty dictionary inside my brain felt as good as eating the golden fruits. Was this the System¡¯s true power?

    From time to time, Elincia stopped paying attention to my demands and surveyed our surroundings. Given her bow skills and the agility she displayed during the fight with the Black Wolf, I assumed she was a Hunter or an Archer. And if my RPG knowledge was translatable to this world, she also had some sort of vigilance skill. Whatever it was, no monsters came near the camp.

    After exhausting all the material objects around us, I went for more intangible things. I pretended to eat from a plate. A timid smile crept on Elincia¡¯s lips as I mimicked, but she managed to remain stoic. Ma meant eat. Kwut meant sleep. Jik meant drink and read. ¡®Drinking a book¡¯ was technically a correct sentence in Common.

    I learnt about twenty common verbs when the System popped another sudden prompt in front of my face.

    New word learned!

    Words learned: 301

    Rank: Twaddling Toddler

    My brain, assisted by [Master of Languages] compiled meanings and conjugations at a record speed as Elincia taught me words and concepts. I was so immersed in the activity that I didn¡¯t notice the passage of time. From time to time, Elincia¡¯s face relaxed and she seemed to enjoy our conversation just to return to her cautious ways a moment later.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a monster, you know?¡± I said in broken Common when I ran out of concepts to mimic.

    Elincia shrugged her shoulders, raising a wall between us once more.

    ¡°We are in the Farlands, you better start assuming everyone you meet here is a Mimic. Even if you are not a Mimic, you can be a Bandit or something worse,¡± Elincia said as if it was the most obvious thing. ¡°But I don¡¯t expect a Scholar to understand how to survive in the Farlands.¡±

    ¡°How do you know my class?¡± I asked, ignoring her derisive tone. There was something behind Elincia¡¯s snarky attitude other than common mistrust. At least she was trying to use simple language to talk to me.

    ¡°You have a skill called [Master of Languages], that¡¯s how you are learning Common so fast. I might live in the butthole of the kingdom but I¡¯m not that ignorant,¡± the white-haired woman shrugged her shoulders again. It seemed like my time of asking questions had run out. ¡°I need answers. Who are you? Where are you from? What¡¯s that thing strapped to your chest? And remember, if you lie to me I¡¯ll leave you here.¡±

    Despite the fact I spent the last years constantly receiving shit from my former boss, I wasn¡¯t a fan of being threatened. Instead of snapping back, I took a deep breath and pondered over my answer. There was a time for snarky comments and a time for using my brain. And I couldn¡¯t ignore the fact the System had told me to hide my place of origin.

    [Awareness] flooded my brain with possible explanations. Maybe the inhabitants of this world knew about dimensional travelers, and they didn¡¯t like them.

    Luckily, I was a great liar.

    ¡°I¡¯m Robert Clarke, a humble Scholar from the City of Light,¡± I said, extending my hand towards Elincia. She looked at me like I was crazy, so I explained. ¡°You would grab my hand. It¡¯s a greeting from my land, to show each party is unarmed.¡±

    Elincia didn¡¯t move from her seat.

    ¡°Stupid. You can¡¯t tell what skills someone has with a handshake,¡± she said, ignoring my greeting and keeping her hands under her cloak. I hoped she wasn¡¯t pointing at me with a hidden mini crossbow. ¡°I have never heard of a City of Light, sounds fake.¡±

    Expecting at least the benefit of the doubt seemed to be asking too much and my blood was starting to boil. People around me always regarded me as a relaxed dude, however, even I had a limit. And my limit seemed to be stranded in an unknown forest with ravenous beasts trying to eat me.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Look, lady, I was peacefully surveying a property when I fell through a trap door and woke up here in the middle of the Farlands with only an obscure warning from the System. I have killed creatures I didn¡¯t know existed. I¡¯m hungry, I¡¯m thirsty, and I¡¯m fucking tired,¡± I said, indiscriminately mixing English and Common. I was starting to lose my temper. ¡°So, if you could stop giving me shit, I''d appreciate it.¡±

    Elincia recoiled and I instantly regretted my words. I wasn¡¯t making a good case to win her trust. Unexpectedly enough, the woman raised her hands with her palms forward, her face suddenly showing signs of regret.

    ¡°You are right, I¡¯m sorry. You have only helped me and I took my frustrations out with you¡­ and I¡¯m sorry you can¡¯t return home, you must be going through a lot right now and I¡¯m not helping,¡± Elincia said with an apologetic tone. As the words came from her lips, it became apparent I wasn¡¯t the only one going through a lot.

    The conversation died and the only sound that disturbed the forest silence was the cracking of the logs on the campfire.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start again,¡± Elincia stood from the boulder she was using as a seat and limped to the campfire. She sat next to me and awkwardly extended her hand. ¡°Elincia Rosebud, Alchemist level twenty four. Don¡¯t you dare say anything about my last name if you know what is good for you.¡±

    My jaw hung open for a solid second before I could react and shook her hand. It was soft. I pantomimed zipping my mouth shut and Elincia gave me a confused expression. The woman tilting her head was the most delightful gesture I had seen in my almost thirty years of life. She didn¡¯t seem to understand what I was doing so I showed her the zipper of my jacket.

    Elincia was beyond fascinated by the mechanism to the point she leaned over me to have a better look. When I offered her the jacket she flatly refused, hiding her hands inside her cloak once again.

    ¡°Looks expensive and I probably don¡¯t have the money to pay for it if I break it,¡± she shook her head energetically.

    Suddenly a shadow settled on Elincia¡¯s face so I changed the subject.

    ¡°Where are we anyway?¡± I asked.

    Elincia grabbed a small branch and drew a few lines on the ground.

    ¡°We are in Ebros Kingdom''s northern frontier, about three weeks away from the capital, in a remote shithole called Farcrest under the rule of Marquis Astur, protector of the frontier and bla bla bla...¡± Elincia pointed out with her stick.

    The Farlands encroached all the northern and western part of the kingdom. I unintentionally frowned at the notice we were in a kingdom. I wasn¡¯t eager to deal with royalty on top of the already dangerous monsters, I just hoped their laws regarding foreigners were not brutal.

    Elincia noticed my gesture because she quickly added. ¡°Living near the Northern Farlands isn¡¯t all that bad. It¡¯s been ten years without a Monster Surge so you could say it''s a peaceful place.¡±

    If the Black Wolves weren¡¯t ¡®all that bad¡¯, I didn¡¯t want to imagine what kind of abomination inhabited the ¡®quite bad¡¯ places. Well, that was a partial lie. The mere idea of seeing dragons and other mythical creatures from Earth was hyping me a bit more than expected.

    My expression must¡¯ve given me away because the woman instantly scolded me. ¡°I¡¯m not saying the Farlands are a safe place, they are no place for a Scholar no matter how adventure hungry you are.¡±

    Under Elincia¡¯s harsh eyes was a quite protective personality.

    ¡°I had enough adventure for a lifetime already,¡± I lied.

    ¡°Pff, typical Scholar, going out to see the sun for half a day and calling it ¡®adventure¡¯,¡± Elincia mockingly said despite having scolded me two seconds earlier but when I turned to reply I saw the mischievous smile on her lips. She was teasing me.

    ¡°For your information, I already killed a Corrupted Bear and an Elder Black Wolf. Un-fucking-scratched,¡± I opened my arms for Elincia to see my wound free body.

    ¡°Aaand, unsurprisingly enough, the Scholar blatantly lies like a typical Scholar,¡± Elincia crossed her arms under her cloak and glanced at me with her deep emerald eyes. ¡°So¡­ you found the camping gear before or after crossing the magical trapdoor?¡±

    The woman¡¯s skeptical tone returned and a mask of mistrust took over Elincia¡¯s face again.

    Then it hit me. I was an Earthling molded and used to the customs of my own land. Back on Earth, meeting a random person on a trekking trail was just a chance of engaging in small talk. The possibility of finding a stranger with nefarious intentions was real but slim at best. However, the same rules didn¡¯t apply in this world.

    ¡°The trapdoor took me to a near perfect copy of the building I was surveying. All the camping gear belonged to the owner of the cabin except for my shoes and my pants,¡± I explained.

    ¡°And you couldn¡¯t return through the same trapdoor?¡± Elincia continued relentlessly dissecting my story. Maybe the fact I wasn¡¯t suspicious of Elincia was a suspicious gesture per se.

    ¡°Do you think I would be here if the trapdoor was a two-way portal?¡± I pretended to be deeply offended.

    ¡°I guess not?¡± Elincia doubtfully conceded. ¡°Scholars are well known to poke their noses into dangerous places from time to time. When they are not locked up with their books, they like to peek into places full of mystery like the Farlands where the magic runs free and lawless.¡±

    That was quite an accurate description of myself.

    ¡°I¡¯m more of a teaching focused Scholar,¡± I replied, trying to deflect her accusations.

    But she had a point. When I was a kid I dreamed of being an explorer Indiana Jones style to discover forgotten temples with magical portals to other dimensions. Then I learned there was nothing left to be unearthed. However, I was here, in a magical world with a woman who had never heard of planet Earth. It struck me as funny, little Robby wouldn¡¯t believe what awaited him in the far future.

    Elincia suddenly perked up and glanced towards the forest. I thought I saw a glint of mana swirling around her emerald eyes but before I could notice, it was gone.

    ¡°We overextended our stay, we have to go," Elincia stood up, putting her weight on her healthy leg. The sun was high in the sky but I knew from experience that afternoons were short at that point of the year. We only had a few hours to leave the forest behind before dusk.

    ¡°I saw like three dead Black Wolves down the ravine,¡± I said, suddenly remembering the mangled corpses I had found earlier.

    ¡°Yeah, one or two days old corpses. Nothing to worry about, I¡¯ll get you out of the woods before anything could find us,¡± Elincia shrugged her shoulders as she quickly put out the campfire.

    We scavenged the few things in Elincia''s camp that survived the Wolf¡¯s raid and started walking south. Elincia led the march and guided me through the forest until the terrain became rockier and rougher and the trees more scarce. Even with her wounded leg, she didn¡¯t complain once.

    As we left the trees behind and we reached the skirt of a steep rocky hill, Elincia slowed down and pointed towards a hidden path between two rocks.

    ¡°Black Wolves didn¡¯t usually venture out of the forest. If you ever get lost in the Farlands, stay out of the forest and next to the mountains unless you know exactly where you are going,¡± Elincia said with her pedagogic tone of voice. ¡°And avoid fighting at all costs unless you know you can win.¡±

    ¡°Now you sound like my mother lecturing me before going camping,¡± I said, enduring the slope of the hill with the help of [Improved Stamina]. At that point I loved the System as much as I hated it.

    ¡°I get that from time to time,¡± Elincia turned around to give me a tired smile. As we crossed the hidden path between the rocks, Elincia suddenly stopped. ¡°It was fun to teach you how to speak Common, and sorry for being an asshole, Robert Clarke. I think this is our goodbye. If you hug this mountain you will reach Farcrest by tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± I asked. The woman¡¯s sudden goodbye caught me off guard, I was under the impression we were going in the same direction. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to Farcrest?¡±

    The light on Elincia¡¯s face faded away as she shook her head

    ¡°I¡¯m here to gather herbs and I can¡¯t return empty handed,¡± the woman sighed with a sad expression. ¡°And before you come up with any Scholar solutions, yes, I already tried to buy the ingredients back in Farcrest but with the war in the western frontier, prices are sky high.¡±

    I closed my mouth. To her credit, I was totally going to say buying the ingredients and taking advantage of her class seemed wiser than venturing into the Farlands.

    ¡°But you are wounded¡­¡± I objected, I was starting to like the girl and her blunt yet genuine style.

    ¡°One of my kids is sick. I can¡¯t leave without ingredients to brew the medicine,¡± Elincia cut me off, panic almost showing on her face.

    My heart sank. Despite having a sick child at home, Elincia had taken the time to patiently teach me the basics of her language. It might be a long shot but my backpack was full of the Alchemical ingredients I had looted the day before. I pulled out my backpack and revealed the inner pockets filled to the brim with high magical concentration herbs. Elincia let out a small squeal and her eyes twinkled upon seeing my stash of weeds.

    A special skill wasn¡¯t required to see that my loot was valuable.

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to part with some herbs in exchange for a guide, what do you say?¡± I tried to sound as if I wanted to do business instead of handing herbs out of pity.

    ¡°Dire Cress, Moon Laurel, Deadman Nettle, Red Rat-tail¡­¡± Elincia listed the ingredients as I opened the pockets of my backpack. Then, suddenly, she rubbed her eyes and let out a sigh full of relief.

    Elincia looked at me with her reddened eyes and smiled.

    ¡°We have a deal, Scholar Robert Clarke.¡±

 6 - Big Hunter, Small Prey

    We settled our deal with a handshake and Elincia guided me across the valley just as the sun hid beneath the western mountains. Despite her early warnings, we cut through the forest instead of sticking to the mountain. Elincia shushed me and mentioned that the ravines were faster and safe enough given that she knew perfectly well where we were going. I didn¡¯t push back because I thought she was in a hurry for her kid. We quickened our pace and reached deep into the path as the day died.

    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any monsters beyond this valley but better safe than sorry.¡± Elincia said before climbing a rock with nimble jumps. The evening sun casted red shadows on her pale skin as she inspected the path ahead.

    My suspicion about Elincia having a skill to survey the surroundings increased when I noted the mana swirling around her eyes. She wasn¡¯t just beautiful, there was a certain elegance in her feline movements that I haven¡¯t seen in any woman before. After a minute during which I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off Elincia, she descended from the boulder and left her satchel on the ground.

    ¡°We should be safe here.¡± Elincia gave me the thumbs up.

    A weird gesture considering she lived in a completely different world.

    ¡°Were you using a skill up there?¡± I asked curiously as I left my backpack on the ground and sat down on the carpet of dried leaves with my back against an old tree. My feet thanked me.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Elincia mysteriously replied, sitting in front of me. ¡°That¡¯s not a thing you ask a lady.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to...¡± Was the only thing I managed to say but I felt my face blushing.

    Different worlds, different customs. I was wondering if character sheets were considered something private when Elincia started giggling under her breath.

    ¡°You are a bit gullible. Even for a Scholar.¡± Elincia gave me one of her signature smartass glances.

    I rolled my eyes, not that sure if I liked her ¡®blunt¡¯ style anymore. She might have been an Alchemist but she surely loved to banter like my father¡¯s hunter friends. Elincia opened her mouth to continue with the Scholar banter when a sudden distant howl echoed through the hills.

    ¡°On second thought, we should keep going a bit more. There is something disturbing the pack.¡± Elincia bit her tongue.

    ¡°The thing that killed those wolves at the ravine?¡± I asked, putting my blanket inside my backpack and standing up. My feet complained.

    ¡°Maybe. Monsters from the Inner Farlands sometimes stumble into the outer valleys.¡± Elincia retrieved her satchel and resumed our march.

    The path meandered around the boulders that had found their resting spots on the bottom of the valley. Elincia said there were Stone Giants living in these mountains and they liked to roll boulders down the slope, but once again, I couldn¡¯t tell if she was making a joke or not.

    The evergreen canopy darkened the last sun rays, making it hard to walk without tripping on loose rocks and protruding roots. In less than a hundred meters, I almost ended up on the ground two times. Elincia helped me to get up every time, mumbling about how clumsy Scholars were but a quick glance at her eyes told me she had a skill to see in darkness.

    By the third time I fell, Elincia stopped the march for good. When she turned around to help me stand, I saw her eyes shining like a cat in the night.

    ¡°You can see in the darkness?¡± I asked, rubbing my knee.

    I had landed on a particularly pointy pebble.

    ¡°Perks of having mixed blood.¡± Elincia said, pulling back her cloak for the first time since I met her.

    Amidst the bright silvery cascade that was her hair, two delicate and pointy ears jutted out. I must¡¯ve been staring because Elincia blushed and covered them.

    ¡°You are an elf!¡± I exclaimed.

    ¡°Half elf, you deaf piece of Scholar. I just said my blood is mixed!¡± Elincia replied, still flustered. She put her satchel down and sat against a rock.

    ¡°That also explains why you can jump like a cat. I thought I was the sluggish one.¡± I pointed out, scratching my chin. In hindsight it made sense, normal people weren''t that good at moving around.

    ¡°You are a bit sluggish though.¡± Elincia said with a shit-eating grin as she drank her waterskin dry. As much as she wanted to annoy me, she had a point. It had been a long while since I was in shape.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been sitting on my ass for a few years now.¡± I conceded, putting my backpack down and pulling my shoes off. My feet were killing me.

    ¡°Just bear with me a month or two and I¡¯ll make a ranger out of you.¡± Elincia grinned.

    Our dinner time was silent. And dark. Elincia urged me to not light a campfire so we ate a few Hermit Gold¡¯s fruit each. Corrupted Black Wolves had keen eyes that could spot a point of light from miles away. And there was the other thing, whatever was disturbing the wolf pack was in the same valley as us.

    ¡°You don¡¯t loot monsters around here?¡± I asked, remembering that Elincia had just ignored the corpses.

    ¡°The meat is bad and the skin is tainted with corrupted mana but if you want a souvenir from this adventure we can always make you a wolf tooth necklace.¡± Elincia shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks.¡± I replied trying to not sound like the absolute noob I was. A wolf tooth necklace didn¡¯t sound that bad. Laura, my ex-girlfriend, would¡¯ve hated it, but I have always been a bit of a geek. My old katana replica could bear witness to that.

    ¡°I guess a Glutton class could make a meal out of a corrupted Black Wolf, or a Chef class could cook it into something edible.¡± Elincia pointed out after a moment of silence. ¡°I guess a Hexmage or a System Zealot could technically ¡®uncorrupt¡¯ it, but having such powerful classes is a hassle sometimes.¡±

    Elincia cleaned up the juice of a Hermit¡¯s Gold fruit from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand and asked for another one. I obliged.

    ¡°Entering cities without a guild invitation is a pain for combat classes. You know, a high level Fire Mage or Assassin could cause quite a havoc unlike an Alchemist or a Scholar.¡± Elincia sighed.

    As a teacher I had missed a lot of work opportunities because I was a dude. Lots of job offers asked for female teachers and a large number of principals still found a man who worked with children suspicious. In the end I had pursued a different career entirely, but I doubted a combat class could do the same in this world.

    ¡°You will not have trouble entering Firecrest as a Scholar but you will have to appear before the Marquis as you are not a subject of the king.¡± Elincia said as she kept a watchful eye on the animal trail.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in trouble?¡± I asked. In this world I was a low level peasant. If the social hierarchy in this world was any similar to medieval europe, then I could count my civil rights with a single hand. And most of them would be tied to a noble¡¯s whims.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have nobility in the City of Light? I mean, you are a Scholar. Weren¡¯t you employed by some local lord?¡± Elincia¡¯s confused facial expression was cute.

    ¡°We had nobility long ago, but then we put them through the guillotine or turned them into powerless tourist attractions with excellent salaries.¡± I explained, trying to be vague enough to not arouse suspicion. ¡°When I was a teacher, I wasn¡¯t employed by a lord but by the Depart¡­ the Ministry of Education.¡±

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Elincia¡¯s shocked expression was even cuter than her confused expression.

    ¡°The City of Light sounds like an interesting place.¡± Elincia managed to say.

    ¡°Do you think I could find work in Farcrest? I¡¯m not a fan of starving to death.¡± I asked.

    Now that I had Elincia escorting me to Farcrest, I was starting to plan my next steps to settle in this world. Unfortunately, adventuring didn¡¯t seem to be a Scholar¡¯s ¡®thing¡¯, so I couldn¡¯t rely on my monster slaying skills to pay the bills. Elincia thoughtfully tapped on her lips as she usually did when she was deep in thought.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if there is a lot of demand for Scholars in Farcrest, we are lacking Farmers, Anglers, Lumberjacks and Blacksmiths. Even a couple of extra Stonemasons and Herbalists would be nice.¡± Elincia finally said. ¡°The Marquis already has a dozen Scholars and Scribes leaching from Farcrest¡¯s treasury but I know for a fact Scholars are always welcome at the Imperial Library of Ebros. You might want to go there, maybe you will find a way to return to your homeland or someone who knows how.¡±

    I could tell Elincia didn¡¯t have Scholars in a particularly high regard but I decided to overlook it for the time being. The fact there was an Imperial Library was an exciting piece of news. Even if I couldn¡¯t fight my way through the continent like an adventurer, I might be able to study its secrets from the safety of the Imperial Library.

    Returning to Earth was not in my plans.

    I rubbed my hands like a plotting fly while my mind ran wild through the world of possibilities the Imperial Library might offer. The amount of knowledge I could offer wasn¡¯t as exciting as the things I could learn there. Learning how to cast spells without an elemental affinity would be a nice middle finger to the System. If there was even the slimmest chance of turning [Mana Manipulation] into a fake spellcasting skill I was going to find out how.

    ¡°You are not thinking about finding a way back home, are you?¡± Elincia interrupted my train of thought. ¡°You are thinking about going to the Imperial Library to study this continent!¡±

    I raised my hands in defeat. Did Elincia have an [Awareness] skill like me or was I being transparent as day? The woman sighed and shook her head, muttering something about reckless Scholars and people forgetting their roots.

    The last trace of sun faded away and night closed around the ravine. The wind swayed the tree branches producing a soothing melody that numbed my consciousness. I have rarely been so physically tired during the last few years. My legs hurt and the sole of my shoes felt like red iron against my feet. As much as I wanted to keep talking to Elincia but my eyelids were getting heavy.

    ¡°Is being so comfortable in the Farlands an Alchemist thing or an Elincia thing?¡± I made conversation, trying to remain awake.

    ¡°I chose to become an Alchemist but in reality I wanted to be a Hunter.¡± Elincia admitted, letting her guard down for an instant. ¡°I always liked to spend time here in the woods when I was a kid, alone, far from the city. Just me, my skills, and my bow¡­¡± Her emerald eyes got lost into the horizon as if she was reminiscing scenes from the past.

    ¡°What happened then?¡± I asked and for a moment I thought she wasn¡¯t going to answer.

    ¡°Life happened I guess.¡± The woman shrugged her shoulders, avoiding the topic. ¡°I''m sorry. I didn¡¯t want to sound like an ungrateful bitch. Being an Alchemist is also great. Having an Advanced class from the beginning is really helpful plus I can brew useful potions and I get to spend a lot of time in the woods gathering materials.¡±

    As much as she sounded confident, I noticed there was a lot more Elincia wasn¡¯t telling me. I wondered if it had something to do with her child or with her own story.

    ¡°What about you? Did you choose to be a Scholar or did the System bestow it on you?¡± The woman asked.

    ¡°It was given to me, and I¡¯m not going to complain, it has some nifty skills.¡± I said, drinking from my own water bottle. ¡°But fireballs would probably be more fun though.¡±

    Hearing my words, Elincia genuinely smiled for the first time since we met. Her smile was charming, a bit shy considering her outgoing personality, and she was absolutely out of my league.

    ¡°So, you are one of those adventure-junkies?¡± Elincia¡¯s mischievous grin returned to her face. Support classes yearning for adventure had to be a common occurrence in this world.

    ¡°I guess adventure-junkies can detect each other.¡± I returned the jab.

    Elincia laughed again, this time harder and more genuinely than before. I praised myself for defusing the situation, going from threats with bow and arrow to charming laughter was quite a step in the right direction. I had to remind myself that she had a kid and maybe a husband.

    ¡°You are not too bad for a Scholar, Robert Clarke. I¡¯ll take the first watch, you go to sleep.¡± Elincia said.

    Her words were like a lullaby, or maybe it was the fact that I had company for the first time since I arrived in this world. I instantly fell asleep with the certainty Elincia would wake me up if any monster roamed nearby.

    My rest didn¡¯t last long because I suddenly woke up to the sound of a howling wolf. It was still night time and the forest was shrouded in complete darkness except for a pair of glowing yellow eyes down the trail. I felt Elincia¡¯s soft hand pressed against my mouth and I saw her eyes shining by my side. I wished I had a night vision skill because the wolf''s yellow eyes disappeared and I completely lost sight of the beast.

    By my side, Elincia nocked an arrow and waited in silence for the creature to make a move. The Black Wolf was really close but our best bet was the creature not seeing us. Which was unlikely considering the glowing yellow eyes veered off the trail and stalked us in silence. I shouldered my shotgun, hoping that it was the only Black Wolf nearby.

    I wanted to hide the true nature of the shotgun from Elincia, or from every inhabitant of this world for that matter, but if it came down to surviving until reaching Firecrest then I didn¡¯t have a choice but to use it.

    Elincia shot and the arrow dug deep into the creature¡¯s flesh just over the neck. The Black Wolf faltered but didn¡¯t fall. Elincia cursed under her breath as she masterfully nocked a second arrow but the creature leaped, crossing half the distance that separated it from us.

    Elincia shot again but this time the arrow was lost in the darkness.

    I saw a glimpse of the creature¡¯s eyes just a few meters from us but it wasn¡¯t near enough to aim my shotgun. Elincia nocked a third arrow and I saw the tip emitting a white gleam. Then, a sudden idea popped into my brain. Before Elincia could shoot, I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back, then, deaf because of the blood rushing through my ears, I activated [Mana Manipulation].

    A blue flare lit up the forest for an instant, just enough for me to aim at the wolf. As the afterglow of my skill vanished, I pulled the trigger. The sound was deafening and the darkness of the night impeded me from seeing if my aim was true. However, a System prompt popped up in front of my eyes.

    Black Wolf (corrupted) slain.

    Level up!

    Level up!

    You have obtained a new skill.

    [Stun Gaze] acquired.

    The system message floated brightly before my eyes, only visible for me. My brain was again suddenly turned into dough as the information about [Stun Gaze] was imprinted directly into my mind. Just like during the previous level ups, I felt a wave of relief washing through me, however, the sensation fell short when the screeching roar of a second broke the silence of the night. This time it wasn¡¯t a wolf but an unnatural shiver-inducing sound. And it was close.

    ¡°We have to get out of here.¡± Elincia said with a panicked voice.

    The woman grabbed me by the arm and dragged me through the wilderness. I stumbled behind her, unable to see where my feet were going as branches wiped my face and brambles trapped my feet like skeletal hands of the undead. Even if I couldn¡¯t see, I heard the sound of trees being torn apart behind us. The creature was near.

    Suddenly, a deafening howling chorus of Black Wolves filled the night and a dozen bright yellow eyes shone in the darkness. We were surrounded. Elincia pushed me behind a rock and covered my mouth with her hand.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I muttered as I loaded another shell into the shotgun.

    ¡°Danger.¡±

    Elincia listened to the night. Silence only broke by the sudden growl in the distance. Whatever the new creature was, it didn¡¯t have trouble keeping the Black Wolves at bay. Elincia drew her bow and put an arrow on the string without tensing it. A gust of wind swayed the canopy and for a moment I was sure the trees were extending their branches toward us.

    I peeked over the boulder we were using as cover and saw a figure moving behind the trees lit by a stray moonbeam.

    Wendigo Lv.39. Magical Abomination. Man eater. Monster eater. [Identify] Wendigos live deep in the Farlands. Once a powerful shaman, high concentrations of magic corrupted its body and mind turning it into a monster. Weakness: Magic. Holy Magic.

    Elincia grabbed my jacket and dragged me back. The sheer level of the creature startled me. I wasn¡¯t used to the measurements of the System but the Wendigo¡¯s level was more than five times mine. That was obviously not good news. Even if levels weren¡¯t absolute, a level 39 had a clear advantage against a level 24 and a level 7.

    ¡°I think we can slay it. Your call.¡± I said looking at Elincia dead in the eye. I was not going to die in the Farlands when there was an entire library of magical knowledge waiting for me in the heart of the kingdom.

    ¡°Are you crazy? Wendigos are high level monsters, we can¡¯t fight nor flight.¡± Elincia hushed. ¡°We stay down and hope the Black Wolves attract it down the ravine. If the Wendigo sees us it''s over.¡±

    We squeezed behind the rock while we heard the Wendigo fighting against a group of Black Wolves. The sound of flesh tearing and bone splintering sent a shiver through my spine as [Awareness] informed me it wasn¡¯t the Wendigo that was getting hurt.

    Elincia trembled like a leaf but I couldn¡¯t help but wonder about how many levels I¡¯d get if I managed to gun the Wendigo down.

 7 - Its not okay to identify alchemists in the wild

    As the pack of Black Wolves swarmed the Wendigo, Elincia and I crawled behind the ferns trying to get away from the fight. Part of me knew I was being a burden to Elincia. With her night vision and elvish agility, she could probably break through the circle of Black Wolves.

    The fight intensified, the chaotic barking of the wolves was deafening and the screeching cries of the Wendigo filled the valley as it clawed and crushed the lesser monsters in its wake.

    Suddenly, a Black Wolf landed in front of us. Elincia''s eyes were wide open and her face blanched, devoid of the little color it naturally had. The Black Wolf was wounded, its hind legs broken and its ribs exposed like white knives protruding through its skin. Elincia nocked an arrow but she wasn¡¯t fast enough. The wolf let out a long howl before the arrow landed between its eyes.

    Elincia¡¯s eyes reflected pure and distilled terror as the Wendigo leaned over the ferns, just by our side, with its eyes fixed on the corpse of the Black Wolf. For a brief moment, the moon lit up the body of the monster. It was a tall bipedal creature with leathery slate-black skin. Its limbs were long and gnarled, and ended in long brackish claws. Its face was covered by an ivory deer-like skull. The slits in the skull revealed two bloodshot eyes that surveyed the surroundings with ill intent.

    The System description said that the Wendigo was once a powerful shaman who got turned into a monster by corrupted mana. A shiver ran down my spine as I wondered what kind of unholy metamorphosis had created such a creature.

    The Wendigo waded the fern bed, just above our hideout. I could hear the Wendigo¡¯s heavy breathing above my head. The smell of rot was almost unbearable. Elincia covered her mouth with both hands as the creature¡¯s arm touched the ground a few centimeters from my leg. I changed the weight of my body and tried to fold my leg. A twig broke under my hand.

    [Awareness]: You have been spotted.

    The Wendigo¡¯s eyes snapped directly to Elincia and before I realized what I was doing, I pulled the trigger, shooting point blank directly into the creature¡¯s head. The muzzle flash lit the forest for an instant and my ears rang. The Wendigo stumbled back, burying its claws on a tree to not fall. The creature clung there as the blood poured from its shattered skull.

    ¡°Gottem!¡± I yelled, thinking the Wendigo was as good as dead.

    Elincia grabbed the neck of my jacket and pulled me back through the ferns just as the Wendigo raked its claws in a deadly arc just a few centimeters from my face. The creature screeched in anger.

    ¡°How in the flying spaghetti monster is that fucker¡¯s alive?!¡± I said as Elincia pushed me behind a boulder, out of the Wendigo¡¯s reach.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what spell you just used, but stay put.¡± The woman yelled but her voice came muffled under the insistent ringing in my ears. Luckily, [Awareness] helped piece together what she had said.

    Without waiting for any confirmation she turned around and ran through the forest, putting some distance between herself and the Wendigo. Elincia¡¯s bright emerald eyes shone behind the bushes as she nocked an arrow and pointed at the creature. I noted a surge of mana emerging from the woman''s body and the arrow head shone with a silvery gleam. She let go and the arrow whistled with an unnaturally high pitch, burying deep into the wendigo''s calf.

    Piercing Arrow. [Identify] Basic archery skill that improves the projectile¡¯s piercing capacity.

    The Wendigo¡¯s screech rocked my spine and I knew I needed to put an end to the fight quickly. If the creature had enough defense to withstand a point blank shot, it should also have similar offensive capabilities.

    Ignoring Elincia¡¯s commands, I peeked over the boulder. The forest was pitch-black and the skeletal figure of the Wendigo blended with the trees.

    ¡°Come on, Robert, use your head.¡±

    I hoped Elincia¡¯s night vision didn¡¯t make her eyes too sensitive to bright lights.

    Pushing the mana out of my body I conjured a cold blue flame in the palm of my hand that illuminated the forest around me. Shredded corpses of a dozen Black Wolves covered the landscape.

    The Wendigo stopped in its tracks and turned its head towards the flame of mana in my hand.

    ¡°Crap.¡±

    Without hesitation, I raised the muzzle of my shotgun and fired. The spray of metal shredded through the Wendigo¡¯s spidery arm, leaving it hanging from a single tendon. The wound was gruesome but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop it. The Wendigo glared at me and crossed the distance between us in a heartbeat.

    With no time to reload, I dropped the shotgun and reached for my knife.

    My hand closed around the handle of my knife and set my mana free. A swirl of shining blue particles surrounded me and turned the small knife into a blazing shortsword that lit the forest around me.

    [Swordsmanship] injected information directly into my brain. Distance, speed, trajectory. The Wendigo tried to tear me apart but I sidestepped to the right just in time to dodge, then, I hacked diagonally but the mana sword bounced off the Wendigo''s healthy arm, leaving only a small scratch.

    It was harder than the Elder Black Wolf.

    My mana sword was enough to cut the skin of the creature, I only needed more power. I poured even more mana into my knife turning it into a blue beacon in the dark casting the shadows of the forest away. The mana blade grew until it was the length of a two handed sword.

    Blood stained the Wendigo¡¯s cracked skull and its wounded arm flailed around lifelessly. It might not be weak to buckshot but it was weak to magic. And I had a lot of magic. The Wendigo followed me with its gleaming red eyes. Its movements were cautious but I didn¡¯t let my guard down. I had to fight defensively. If the monster reached me once, it was over.

    Suddenly, an arrow bounced off the Wendigo¡¯s skin. The creature seemed to forget about me because it turned around and bolted towards Elincia. Just as the Black Wolf had attacked me back in the ravine, the Wendigo seemed to prioritize the weaker combatant.

    ¡°Run, now!¡± Elincia yelled at me. She stood her ground, nocking a second arrow and aiming at the three meter tall creature running her way.

    ¡°You run!¡± I replied as I ran behind the Wendigo while [Awareness] fed a stream of information directly into my brain. I couldn¡¯t let it reach Elincia.

    There was no time to retrieve and reload my shotgun and no time to experiment with [Mana Manipulation]. I remembered my new skill. [Stun Gaze].

    Without even reading the skill¡¯s description, I looked at the Wendigo and activated [Stun Gaze]. The spell hit the creature and bounced back at me. A stabbing pain shot through my eye, and into my brain. I let out a grunt of pain and pressed my free hand against my face.

    Skill failed! Wendigo Lv.39 cannot be stunned. [Identify] Your level is too low to perform this action successfully.

    [Stun Gaze] seemed to anger the Wendigo because it tried to stop its frantic race towards Elincia, stumbling on its ruined arm and crashing against a tree. I pumped even more mana into my knife and the blade got longer, broader, and heavier. Part of my brain wondered why a mana blade could have weight if the mana itself was weightless, but the wounded screech of the Wendigo silenced my thoughts.

    I couldn¡¯t allow fear to paralyze me if I wanted to save Elincia.

    [Awareness]: Frightened status, resisted.

    I let my mana flow free, further increasing its length until it was hard to wield. Suddenly, I felt as if I had been thrown into an ice-cold pool. A shiver ran down my spine and I knew I couldn¡¯t sustain my technique for long. My mana pool was getting dry.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    You have obtained Mana Depletion (Advanced). Temporary

    I ignored the system prompt. The Wendigo towered over me and tried to reach me with its sharp claws. I blocked with my mana sword and with a furious strike, I shredded the Wendigo¡¯s claws. The creature staggered back as I waved the sword around like a giant torch on its face.

    Another shiver ran down my spine, threatening to lock my joints in place, and I knew I didn¡¯t have much mana left at all.

    I used [Stun Gaze] again and braced for the pain. The spell ricocheted back at me and I felt a stabbing sensation in my eye. This time, the Wendigo froze for a millisecond, just enough for my [Swordsmanship] to find an opening. I slashed downward from left to right, putting all my strength in a single attack.

    The blade sliced through the Wendigo¡¯s skin, meeting more resistance as it went deeper into the creature¡¯s body until it lodged deep within its chest. Instinctively, I tried to retrieve the sword but it was stuck. I closed my eyes and waited for the Wendigo¡¯s claws to shred my body. But the blow didn¡¯t arrive.

    Dark crimson bloom of blood stained the Wendigo''s hide, illuminated by the fading light of the mana blade. The Wendigo produced one last weak screech and fell to the ground just as the light of my blade failed.

    Level up!

    Level up!

    Level up!

    Level up!

    Level up!

    You have obtained Mana Depletion (Critical). Temporary

    My vision blurred and my legs faltered, the only thing that kept me on foot was the mana sword stuck in the Wendigo¡¯s spine. When my last speck of mana was burned, the blade disappeared and I fell back but before I could hit the ground, Elincia caught me.

    ¡°We fucking did it!¡± Elincia said with a frenzied smile on her face. Then, she wrapped me in a tight hug that pushed all the air out of my lungs. I couldn¡¯t help but notice how strong her arms were.

    If I had to guess, she had leveled up a couple of times.

    I didn''t want the embrace to end but Elincia pushed me back and helped me sit on the forest bed. The moonlight shone a hole in the canopy, casting silver sparkles on her hair. She smiled enthusiastically and patted my back with a little too much strength.

    ¡°I swear I thought we were dead, but then you raised the metal thingy and bam! One arm less! You were pretty cool out there.¡± Elincia beamed. Her chest went up and down at an alarming rate and she had to take a moment to calm down. ¡°I think I¡¯m still a little deaf.¡± She added with a smile from ear to ear.

    Leveling up was a hell of a drug.

    ¡°Praise me more.¡± I rasped as I let out a weak laugh. Both my body and my mana pool felt like a pi?ata at a children¡¯s party.

    Elincia¡¯s expression suddenly became serious and a shadow of embarrassment flirted with her face. ¡°Thanks for not ditching me back there, and I¡¯m sorry if I was too harsh with you. You are a good man, Robert Clarke.¡±

    I didn''t know how to answer. It had been quite a while since I had received a compliment and my brain was too tired after being overfed by [Awareness]. I mumbled something unintelligible. Not even [Master of Languages] could help me to find the right words, however, I didn¡¯t have to search more because a sudden prompt slapped my field of vision.

    New title acquired!

    Hot for Teacher. [Identify] Got it bad, got it bad, got it bad, I¡¯m hot for teacher.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a pathetic dude who falls for the first girl that talks nice to me¡­¡± I stuttered as my consciousness slowly slipped away. The edges of my sight slowly blurred.

    You have obtained Denial Lv.1. Temporary.

    ¡°Oh, fuck off.¡±

    Elincia¡¯s worried face floated in front of me. ¡°Rob? Are you okay? If you talk in your weird language I can¡¯t understand.¡± She said with a hint of panic in her voice.

    It might come off as judgmental and foolish, but I didn¡¯t believe in love at first sight. It seemed too frivolous to me. No matter how cute, funny, and caring Elincia was, there was no way I was falling for her. And there was the fact she had a kid and, probably, a husband.

    You have obtained Denial Lv.2. Temporary.

    I wanted to fight back, fight against the idea I was falling in love, but my mouth couldn¡¯t move anymore. The world around me darkened and my body became too heavy to sit straight. Elincia tried to keep me awake, first softly hitting my cheeks then shaking my shoulders. I tried to growl but no sound came through my lips.

    ¡°Rob? Rob? Don¡¯t close your eyes, Rob.¡± Elincia said.

    But I was so tired.

    Elincia frantically searched her pouch for a small vial of translucent liquid. She pulled the cork and smelled the contents. Whatever scent she was looking for, it seemed to make the grade. Elincia opened my mouth and poured a drop beneath my tongue. I felt the effects of the potion spreading through my body, filling the hole inside my mana pool if only a little bit.

    ¡°Rob?¡±

    The last thing I heard before losing consciousness was Elincia¡¯s concerned voice.

    <hr>

    I woke up with the first rays of sunlight next to the remains of a campfire. More specifically, my [Awareness] skill awakened me with a stream of information filling my brain. The sound of the birds, the position of the sun, my bodily condition. I ignored it all. I felt drained. If a creature wanted to eat me I couldn¡¯t do much to defend myself.

    No. I had made the decision to stay in this world, now I had to face the consequences of my actions. Begrudgingly I opened my eyes just to find Elincia sitting on the other side of the campfire, by her side there was my shotgun and my knife.

    ¡°Morning.¡± I greeted, stiffly sitting up and taking a long sip from my water bottle.

    ¡°Morning, hero.¡± She greeted me with one of her mischievous smiles. However, this time I noted a hint of mistrust in her voice.

    ¡°Something happened?¡± I cautiously asked. After receiving that silly title from the System I had dropped like a sack of potatoes. I glanced at Elincia, searching for answers, and I couldn¡¯t help but notice both my weapons were on her side of the campfire.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not accusing you of lying or anything, but you are not a Scholar.¡± Elincia said with a conflicted tone. ¡°After what you did to the Wendigo last night I know you have a fairly high level. What are you really? A Runeblade? A Spellblade?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked cautiously.

    Elincia¡¯s bow rested on her lap.

    ¡°Killing a Wendigo isn¡¯t a feat a low level Scholar could achieve, I¡¯m not that dumb. So tell me what those skills were.¡± Elincia replied pointing at my weapons. ¡°Your explosive spell pierced through the Wendigo¡¯s skin but Scholars can¡¯t learn Elemental magic. Much less such powerful spells. Same goes for your [Mana Blade]. That¡¯s a Spellblade skill, not a Scholar skill.¡±

    I stretched my back and drank another sip from my water bottle while [Awareness] filled my brain with information. Elincia¡¯s accusations revealed that she couldn¡¯t peek into my status screen. It was a relief to know the System had some sort of privacy settings in place considering my last title, but privacy also made things more difficult.

    ¡°The artifact you have next to you is called a shotgun. It is a non-magical item that shoots high speed metal pellets created by a¡­ Tinkerer.¡± I explained but Elincias facial gesture still showed doubts. ¡°You probably tried to use it but it doesn¡¯t have ammo in it. You can¡¯t shoot a bow without an arrow nor can you shoot a shotgun without one of these.¡± I added pulling one of the remaining two shells from my pocket.

    ¡°Explain.¡± She said.

    Next, I proceeded to explain how to operate the shotgun. Elincia opened the barrels and I explained how the explosive powder sent the pellets through the barrel at ridiculously high speeds.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to perform a demonstration because I only have two shells left. Without ammo, a shotgun is as good as a club.¡± I said as Elincia tried the mechanism without a shell inside the chamber. Bow and arrow safety might be similar to trigger discipline because Elincia kept the muzzle away from any of us and only put the finger on the trigger when she was going to shoot.

    ¡°What about the [Mana Blade]? There is no way your knife is a magic item, no matter how much mana I poured into it I couldn¡¯t make it work.¡± Elincia continued with the interrogation.

    ¡°What do you mean? That was [Mana Manipulation].¡± I replied, summoning a small mana knife in the palm of my hand with the leftover magic power I had. Elincia¡¯s mouth gaped.

    ¡°You are mana depleted! You are not supposed to be able to do that!¡± The half-elf woman jumped on her feet. ¡°You can¡¯t materialize a magic blade without the proper skill!¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders and shaped a second mana knife.

    I already suspected that my mana pool was something out of the ordinary and now I knew to what degree. The amount of mana I had was probably thanks to the System. The thought of telling her about my world crossed my mind. A world without magic, without classes, and without skills. A world where one had to practice for years and years to become minimally proficient at any task. I wanted to tell Elincia about the marvels of the modern world but I feared she took it as the words of a madman.

    People who claimed to have traveled to other dimensions were deemed crazy back on Earth. In these lands it couldn''t be much different. For Elincia, a systemless world might sound like a thing from fantasy.

    In another situation I would¡¯ve dismissed the allegations calling them baseless, however, deep down I wanted Elincia to believe in me. I scratched my chin, deep in thought. Actually, there was something I could try that might prove that I was a Scholar.

    I used [Identify] on her.

    Name: Elincia Rosebud, Half-Elf (Light-Footed, Night Vision).

    Class: Alchemist Lv.26

    Titles: Governess, Wild Child, Bad Reputation, Loner, Copper Alchemist, Favorite Teacher (5).

    Passive: Archery Lv.3, Tracking Lv.5, Farsight Lv.1, Foraging Lv.5, Purify Water.

    Skills: Potion Crafting Lv.3, True Shot Lv.1, Piercing Shot Lv.1.

    Elincia¡¯s potion pouch hit my face before I could react, breaking the skill contact and vanishing her character sheet.

    ¡°Hey! Are you identifying me?¡± She said in an unusually high pitch.

    The half-elf cheeks were fiery red, contrasting with her usual paleness. While her hand searched for another projectile to throw in my direction, I pondered about my findings. Elincia¡¯s skills and passives were fairly low level compared to her class level. It was possible both numbers were independent from each other. Class level might rise by gaining experience from monsters while passives and skills might grow by mastering said skills.

    A twig hit my forehead, crashing my train of thought. At least I had discovered the etiquette regarding identifying other people. Despite the fact I would¡¯ve died of shame if someone saw my titles, I tried to identify Elincia one more time as vengeance for the twig.

    ¡°Okay, okay, okay! You are a Scholar, I believe you! I¡¯ll fulfill my part of the bargain. I¡¯ll take you to Farcrest.¡± Elincia said, trying to regain some composure. She was still red as a beet. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I completely trust you, hero.¡±

 8 - Meeting the family

    The System was a scam, period.

    I had leveled up five whole times after our fight against the Wendigo and I had not received any kind of reward. Sure, my mana pool had grown a little bit and my [Mana Exhaustion] had been slowly receding, but other than that I wasn¡¯t getting stronger, faster or more agile. I didn¡¯t even have a measly new skill to show for it.

    ¡°What a scam, I want a refund.¡± I muttered.

    ¡°I already told you, there was only a small chance for the Wendigo to have an elemental crystal. You only start seeing stuff like that after level fifty.¡± Elincia huffed in front of me. The mountainous path was steep but at least we had left the forest behind. Elincia had told me that Farcrest was just beyond the mountain range.

    ¡°People should get shit after leveling up five damn times!¡± I angrily said as if Elincia was somehow responsible for the shitty progression system.

    The white haired woman suddenly stopped and turned around. For an instant I thought she was going to scold me but then, out of nowhere, she put her hands on my shoulders and locked her eyes onto mine. I tried to control my face reddening with little success and hoped she would attribute it to the arduous hike.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to break this down to you, Robert Clarke, but support classes don¡¯t get crap from the System.¡± Elincia said with a solemn tone just to smile a moment later. ¡°In any case, you should be happy because your mana pool is so huge. Scholars are known for having lots of mana but, dude, you are on another level.¡±

    One thing was sure, I wasn¡¯t getting used to receiving compliments any time soon.

    [Awareness]: You are absolutely correct.

    I ignored the System prompt. At least I was getting very good at doing that.

    ¡°The amount of mana you need to materialize a [Mana Blade] without a skill is ridiculous. Are you sure you are a low level Scholar?¡± Elincia asked as we resumed the march. As we came near the edge of the Farlands, she grew more relaxed.

    There haven''t been any signs of monsters since the previous night.

    ¡°You still don¡¯t believe me?¡± I replied.

    ¡°At this point you could say you are the son of a Fire Dragon and a virginal maiden and I¡¯d believe you.¡± Elincia shrugged her shoulders. ¡°It might be a long shot but, have you ever been to a System Shrine?¡±

    As good a liar as I was, I couldn¡¯t just bullshit my way out of such a direct question. Elincia was too keen for that. A System Shrine sounded like basic knowledge.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t heard about that in my life.¡± I replied.

    Elincia stopped for a second and gave me one of her looks of disbelief that made me feel like a kid without his homework. I wondered if she had practiced that expression. After all, she had five stacks of [Favorite Teacher], she might have experience publicly shaming kids.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have System Shrines in the City of Light?¡± Elincia asked in disbelief.

    I just shrugged my shoulders to avoid giving an answer. Also, there was the fact that the hike was taking a toll on my lungs. I didn¡¯t know how Elincia could sustain a conversation at this pace. If I knew I was going to get transported to a magical world, I would¡¯ve exercised more back on Earth.

    ¡°The System blocks certain titles from low level individuals.¡± Elincia started explaining. ¡°Let¡¯s say a Lv.1 Soldier survives a scuffle against a flock of Fire Dragons and gets the [Dragon Killer] title which gives fire resistance. There is a high chance the System withholds the title from the Soldier on the basis that [Dragon Killer] is an overpowered title for a mere Lv.1.¡±

    I nodded. It made sense the System had a method to prevent power leveling, if only to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Earth would be plunged into chaos very quickly if suddenly a bunch of people with godly powers appeared out of nowhere.

    ¡°With the help of a System Shrine and a competent System Zealot the Soldier could fully unlock [Dragon Killer] even without the required level.¡± Elincia finished with her explanation. ¡°Maybe you are benefiting from a hidden title.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I replied.

    I couldn¡¯t imagine having any useful titles considering how ordinary my life has been before arriving in the Farlands. When I was in college, I was able to comfortably outdrink all my group of friends, but then I lost that skill just after graduating. And there was the fact my only title at level one was [Lonely Boy] so my hopes of having a nice hidden title weren¡¯t particularly high.

    ¡°Does Farcrest have a System Shrine?¡± I asked.

    My question prompted a dry laugh from Elincia.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes too high. Farcrest is a shithole.¡± She warned me as we climbed a rocky path between the two mountain ranges that separated the Farlands from the Kingdom of Ebros. We were almost there.

    ¡°Why is there a town so close to the Farlands anyway?¡± I asked.

    Elincia lent me her hand and helped me climb a steep boulder.

    ¡°To prevent monsters from pouring into the Kingdom. Think of Farcrest as a cork.¡± Elincia pulled me up the boulder.

    Suddenly, we were on top of the path between two mountain ranges. I glanced down the valley ahead expecting to see a handful of rustic cabins scattered across a modest patch of farmland with a rotten palisade and a muddy road; however, Farcrest was a town in its own right. It was located on the top of a soft hill, surrounded by a high stone wall with several watchtowers. An impressive church made of the same dark stone rose above the thatched rooftops and, on the highest part of the hill, a great hall, half palace, half fortress, dominated the valley.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like a shithole to me.¡± I said as we started the descent from the other side of the hill. It looked like a picturesque European medieval town.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Elincia replied, with a hopeless sigh.

    About two hours later, we reached the city outskirts. The main road was neglected and the farmland¡¯s irrigation canals blocked by debris. As we approached the city, the picture became even more bleak. I didn¡¯t need [Awareness] to tell me the crops were sickly and weak. Most of the farmers were older men and women that moved slowly among the plots of land.

    ¡°Where are the young people?¡± I asked, discarding the idea of a disease. If there was a plague ravaging Farcrest, then there wouldn¡¯t be old people working in the fields.

    ¡°They are in the eastern frontier, fighting the King¡¯s wars.¡± Elincia replied dryly.

    I recalled Elincia telling me there was a shortage of alchemical ingredients due to a war in the western frontier.

    ¡°War against who?¡± I asked. A war-torn country might not be too welcoming to strangers like me.

    ¡°Against the Farlands. The king is obsessed with expanding the kingdom¡¯s territory and uncharted lands and their resources.¡± Elincia sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a meat grinder. A bunch of low level kids trying to push deeper and deeper into monster territory while the real warriors are protecting the imperial capital and the frontiers.¡±

    [Awareness] sent me down a stream of reasoning. Numbers and equipment were the basis of any military force back on Earth. However, in this world, a single individual with a powerful class and a high level could potentially be a one man army.

    ¡°What about power leveling the new recruits? You know, pairing them with a bunch of high level people and fighting monsters together?¡± I asked again.

    ¡°You might be a genius, Robert Clarke! How had no one thought of that before?¡± Elincia replied as she mindlessly drummed her lips in a gesture I recognized as deep concentration.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°You really think Kings, Scholars, and Generals didn¡¯t think about powerleveling new recruits? The System doesn¡¯t allow that.¡± A tired smile was drawn on Elincia¡¯s face.

    Seeing Elincia¡¯s expression, I decided to drop the topic about the war. I wondered how many of her friends and acquaintances have gone to the frontline to never be heard of again. The Farlands were a dangerous place and the King¡¯s troops lacked the advantage of firearms like me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to my place.¡± Elincia said as we approached the city walls. ¡°You should make yourself presentable before going to the Great Hall for that transit permit, and we have to appraise the herbs.¡±

    It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize Elincia was desperate for alchemical materials, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t invite a stranger like me to her home. Or maybe there was a really charitable soul beneath the layers of mistrust and suspicion. The aftermath of the combat against the Wendigo had brought us a lot closer.

    ¡°Sounds like a plan to me.¡± I replied wondering if I was going to meet Elincia¡¯s kid. Or her partner.

    Farcrest was only a few hundred meters away. Up close, the black stone wall was taller and sturdier than I initially thought. Then I remembered they weren¡¯t built to resist medieval armies but the assault of skills and magic spells. The double wooden gate was wide open but nobody bothered to stop us or ask about the business that brought us to the city.

    As we passed through the hole in the wall, I spied into a guardhouse. I saw young men and women playing cards and drinking booze. Well-fed and well-dressed troops loyal to the Marquis, I assumed. Up close, Farcrest was further away from the bucolic city and dangerously close to a feudal dystopia.

    Elincia and I walked along the wall towards the northern district. As we progressed through the city, houses became more and more neglected to the point it seemed outright abandoned to me. Kids ran barefoot in the street, fetid puddles adorned the alleys, and most of the stores were closed. Farcrest was a ghost town.

    ¡°How long has there been war?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Seven years now?¡± Elincia replied. ¡°We are close.¡±

    After five more minutes of meandering through alleys, we emerged in front of a great manor made of stained white walls and washed out blue shingles. For a moment I was out of words. Was Elincia the heir of a noble family fallen from grace? Her dignified appearance and beautiful features made me think so, however, she was a bit too wild to be a noblewoman.

    The manor was old. The white painting of the front was peeling away and water stains plagued the nooks and crannies of the structure. A low stone wall marked the perimeter and a quick glance revealed it had served in the past as the foundation for an iron fence long gone. The only section of the outer wall that had survived the decay of the city was the iron gate.

    Elincia opened it and we entered the front yard. I was about to ask a hundred questions when the front door slammed open and a stampede of small kids came to meet us. I managed to count at least a dozen before they reached us. Elincia greeted them with arms open as the little ones burst into tears at the first sight of the woman.

    I froze. Not all of them were human.

    There were two small snakefolk kids with bright yellow eyes. The blue-scaled snake-kid was dressed in a ragged brown dress while the green-scaled one had an oversized white shirt and frayed pants. At the end of the retinue, somewhat late to the reception, appeared a small winged girl with a hesitant gait. Her beautiful golden feathers contrasted with the old pillowcase she used as a dress.

    Before I could react, both of the snake-kids jumped into my arms, crying a river of tears. Surprisingly enough, they were warm to the touch. I tried to exchange a glance with Elincia but she was busy trying to calm a handful of small kids on her own.

    How many kids did Elincia have?

 9 - Elincias kids

    On today¡¯s episode of ¡®Things I never thought would happen to me¡¯, two human-snake hybrids with long snouts and colorful scales cried in my arms. Despite the unsettling texture of their scales, I instinctively hugged them in a vain attempt to comfort them. It took me half a minute to process what was happening.

    Elincia worked at an orphanage.

    [Awareness]: Of course she does.

    I ignored the System prompt and focused on the kids crying against my chest. Elincia seemed to be too busy dealing with the seven or eight bawling kids at the same time.

    ¡°What happened, sweetie?¡± I asked, trying to sound reassuring.

    The snake girl with shining blue and white scales tried to hold back the tears, and she made it for a brief second, but then she wrapped her arms around my neck and burst into tears again. By the way she trembled, I could tell she was scared.

    ¡°Hey, hey. It''s okay. Elincia is already here. There is nothing to worry about.¡± I said, softly patting her back.

    My words, as I should have expected, caused the kids to cry even harder. This wasn¡¯t my first rodeo with teary small kids, however, it was my first time holding two snake-human hybrids. I wonder what had happened for the kids to be this distressed, a quick inspection told me they weren¡¯t hurt.

    The door opened again and a thin elven kid with fair blonde hair and dark circles around his eyes appeared in the doorway. Just like the rest of the orphans, he was dressed in well-worn oversized clothes. The elven kid was older than the rest of the kids but couldn¡¯t be more than twelve or thirteen years old.

    I wondered if he was Elincia¡¯s kid but I quickly discarded that theory, there was no trace of human blood in his appearance. The boy seemed to be a pureblood elf.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening, Zaon?¡± Elincia asked over the generalized bawling and I noticed a trembling in her voice, as if she was also about to burst into tears.

    The elven kid walked down the flight of stairs and raised his voice to be heard over the generalized bawling.

    ¡°M-m-mister Holst left the orphanage f-five days ago. Ilya and I tried to keep things under control but the small ones were nervous without you around. They thought you were going to be gone forever.¡± Zaon stuttered.

    My heart clenched at hearing the kids had been on their own for a whole week. I understood now why the small ones were so scared. Elincia¡¯s angered voice caught my attention.

    ¡°Mister Holst did what?!¡± Elincia exclaimed and the weeping sound of the kids suddenly died, leaving an awkward silence behind.

    ¡°Mister Holst had an imp-p-portant Class breakthrough so he left the orphanage to go to the imperial capital. That was five days ago.¡± Zaon repeated, stuttering the same syllables. ¡°We took care of the cooking and the bedtime of the small ones. I couldn¡¯t get them to shower, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    My heart shrunk even further.

    ¡°You did well, Zaon. Please take the kids inside, I need to talk to Elincia for a moment.¡± I said, gently putting the snake-children down. ¡°We¡¯ll be joining you in a moment.¡± I added, seeing that the kids didn¡¯t let Elincia go.

    Zaon nodded and led the way followed by a dozen reluctant small kids who cast anxious glances at Elincia as they entered the manor. After a moment, we were left alone in the front yard.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to fucking kill him, that weasel.¡± Elincia turned around and walked towards the iron gate.

    I grabbed her wrist, she tugged but I didn¡¯t let go.

    Elincia¡¯s face was red from anger and her knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists. She had done well hiding her anger from the kids. Adult problems should be dealt with by adults.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve known something like this was going to happen. I¡¯m so stupid for trusting Holst.¡± Elincia covered her face with both hands.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Holst?¡±

    ¡°Holst is a Scholar who comes to the orphanage a couple times a week to teach the kids. He had a temper but I thought learning under the guidance of a high level Scholar would help the kids.¡± Elincia replied. ¡°I was so blind. Of course he didn''t care about the kids, he was just cultivating his class!¡±

    I understood the general contempt Elincia showed towards the Scholar class now. Holst sounded like a despicable person.

    ¡°The kids are safe and that¡¯s what matters the most.¡± I said, grabbing Elincia by the shoulders and forcing her to look at me. ¡°You should be proud of yourself, Elincia, your kids faced an emergency and managed to get by. You raised them well.¡±

    Elincia dropped her shoulders and took a deep breath with her eyes closed. When she opened her eyes again, she seemed to have regained her composure.

    ¡°You are right¡­ but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not going to kill Holst if he puts a foot in this orphanage ever again.¡± She grinned with a wicked smile and I knew she was being serious.

    ¡°I¡¯ll lend you my shotgun if you don¡¯t mind cleaning up the aftermath.¡± I grinned back.

    ¡°Gross. I love it.¡± Elincia laughed, leaving behind the bad feelings and walking to the entrance of the manor. She signaled to follow her. ¡°Welcome to Lowell¡¯s Orphanage. You should call me Miss Elincia while the kids are around.¡±

    I followed her.

    The reception room was a spacious area with faded white walls and a tall ceiling, adorned solely with an old couch and a couple of worn out chairs. Square areas of less weathered white paint on the walls showed the places where old paintings had hung long ago. On the opposing wall, a great window overlooked the inner courtyard. I caught a glimpse of a small farm plot, a well, and a small groove.

    The whole manor seemed to have seen better days but it felt cozy and welcoming.

    ¡°This is our home. And these orphaned children are my family.¡± Elincia said with a mix of pride and embarrassment. She opened her arms in a gesture that encompassed the entire room.

    We left the receiving room behind and Elincia led me to the west wing of the manor into a corridor filled with sunlight. To the right there was the backyard and to the left a row of closed doors. Behind the only open door there was a classroom with rows of small worn-out desks lined up facing a worn-out chalkboard. Over each desk there was an old small wax tablet with their respective styluses.

    ¡°That is our schoolroom. It ain¡¯t much but it¡¯s quite handy during cold and rainy days. I try to teach the kids to read and write before they leave the orphanage.¡± Elincia said as she caught me looking inside.

    My brain connected the dots and a sense of sadness got a sudden hold on me.

    The Kingdom was at war and those who served as fodder were the least fortunate ones. I wondered how many of Elincia¡¯s orphans ended up in the king¡¯s army fighting in the Farlands to never come back home. But my sadness wasn¡¯t solely aimed at the orphans, Elincia was rowing against a storm in a ship that was sailing to nowhere.

    ¡°It looks cozy.¡± I said.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    We turned at the corner and found the harpy girl with the white pillowcase dress slowly walking down the corridor. The wooden floor clacked as she tried to catch up with the rest of the orphans but her talons were too big for her small body,  making her steps slow and clumsy. She was more than ten meters behind but seemed unfazed by the matter.

    The diminutive harpy saw us walking in her direction and stopped. It was my first time seeing a harpy. Her face was human but a pair of wings covered by golden feathers protruded from her pillowcase dress. She waited patiently for us, blocking the path.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t peed myself in five days.¡± The harpy girl proudly declared, putting her hands on her hips and adopting a defiant pose I had seen in Elincia before.

    ¡°Shu, you don¡¯t just¡­¡± Elincia looked at me, horrified, and I couldn¡¯t help but let out a small laugh.

    I squatted to Shu¡¯s height and smiled. ¡°You were so brave! I¡¯m sure Miss Rosebud is happy to hear that.¡±

    The harpy girl chuckled.

    ¡°You used the forbidden word. You are going to get scolded by Miss Elincia.¡± Shu hid her face beneath a wing. Before I could say anything else, Elincia grabbed her by the armpits and lifted her, interrupting our conversation.

    Was ¡®Rosebud¡¯ a forbidden word?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to prepare something to eat for the kids, you can wait in the classroom. I¡¯m going to send Zaon over with a water basin.¡± Elincia said before Shu could add any extra outrageous comment.

    Elincia and Shu followed the rest of the orphans and I came back to the classroom. Once alone, I punched the wall with full force, provoking a throbbing pain in my hand. My sadness had turned into anger. Holst was lucky to be away from Farcrest, otherwise I would be tempted to use one of my two remaining shells on him. I didn¡¯t have a drop of sympathy for people who abandoned children.

    I entertained myself with macabre fantasies until the left door opened again and Zaon entered the room carrying a large water basin.

    ¡°Miss Elincia says you can use her study to wash up. Then you can throw the water to the plants under the window.¡± Zaon said as he walked back to the corridor.

    I followed him until we reached a closed door just by the corner of the corridor.

    ¡°This is the living quarters. The small kids sleep in the common room. We, the older ones, have our own rooms.¡± Zaon explained pointing with the head at the doors further down the living quarters. ¡°This is Miss Elincia¡¯s study.¡±

    As I stepped into Elincia¡¯s study, a floral smell filled my nostrils. The air was thick, as if I had walked into a greenhouse and I couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath, enjoying the fragrance.

    The room was immaculately tidy. A large bookshelf covered one of the walls and a wide writing desk was situated just under the window. A shabby bed was tucked in a corner with a knitted quilt neatly folded at the foot. On the night table there was a flower vase and a small diary.

    [Awareness]: You have entered the forbidden dungeon: Elincia¡¯s Bedroom.

    The prompt made me stop dead in my tracks but no hidden traps were triggered by my presence.

    The lack of knives and hunting trophies hanging from the walls made me think this belonged to the Governess and not the adventure junkie I had met in the woods. A sense of serenity emanated from the room and I understood that, for the orphans, this was a place of peace and safety.

    Zaon put the water basin in the corner over a dresser and rummaged through the desk¡¯s drawer. He pulled out a pearlescent soap bar, a threadbare towel, and a change of men''s clothes from the chest at the foot of the bed. I wondered who the previous owner was.

    ¡°Thank you, Zaon.¡± I thanked the kid as I sat on a small stool by the water basin and washed my hands and forearms. I had a hundred questions to ask him but I didn¡¯t want to entertain him, Elincia probably needed Zaon¡¯s help to deal with the smaller kids.

    Zaon nodded and looked at me with curiosity.

    ¡°Speak your mind.¡± I said, realizing I wasn¡¯t going to get privacy until I answered some questions.

    Zaon was startled for a moment but he quickly made up his mind.

    ¡°C-c-can I? Really? Who are you? Your accent is strange.¡± He inquired.

    ¡°I am Robert Clarke, a Scholar from a faraway land.¡± I introduced myself, wondering how much information I should disclose to the kids. Or how much information I could get from them. ¡°I met Miss Rosebud in the Farlands and tagged along on the way back here.¡±

    ¡°Are you here to replace Mister Holst¡­ sir?¡± Zaon got tangled up in his words, unable to figure out the right amount of deference required to address me. I smiled, trying to seem reassuring.

    ¡°This is my first time here in Farcrest so I have to meet the Marquis first. I don¡¯t even know if I could stay.¡± I replied, deciding to tell Zaon the truth. ¡°Miss Rosebud told me about the Imperial Library, so I¡¯m tempted to go to the capital to cultivate my class.¡±

    The kid nodded in awe. For someone from a backwater town like Farcrest, the imperial capital must be a place of wonder and mystery.

    ¡°Miss Elincia doesn¡¯t like to be called that.¡± Zaon pointed out.

    ¡°Rosebud?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I think it''s a charming name.¡± I shrugged my shoulders thinking it was too much of a cute name for someone as tough as Elincia.

    I waited for a moment, expecting a sassy System prompt to slap me on the face but none appeared. Good. The last thing I needed was more titles about my politically incorrect thoughts. Zaon looked around, as if there were spies somewhere between the walls, before continuing talking.

    ¡°I think that too, sir. A truly charming elven name.¡± Zaon muttered full of pride but suddenly he seemed to realize he had overextended his stay. ¡°I¡¯m not taking more of your time, sir.¡± He politely added as he left the room at a quick pace.

    Finding the key inside the hole, I locked the door before taking my shirt off, and started scrubbing my body. The soap was the size of a small stack of coins and it didn¡¯t produce much foam but it was more than enough after all those days trekking through the Farlands. It felt good to be clean once again. My old shirt was ruined after my adventure in the forest so the new one felt nice even if it was a bit oversized and the fabric coarser.

    When I was finished, I opened the window and discarded the dirty water on the clump of bushes and flowers that adorned the mansion¡¯s exterior. Then I unlocked the door and returned to the classroom feeling like a new man.

    As I was sitting in the classroom, I saw a group of kids spying on me from the corridor¡¯s windows. I acted like I hadn''t seen them. Instead, I let them quench their curiosity while I mindlessly drew doodles on a wax tablet. Zaon probably already informed the rest of the orphans about my identity.

    ¡°Here you are.¡± Elincia said with a tired voice as she stood on the doorway. She carried a tray with a wooden bowl filled with steamy soup. ¡°Scared of being alone in a girl¡¯s bedroom?¡±

    I was about to make a snarky remark when I remembered the kids spying on us. Elincia seemed to notice too because she quickly added. ¡°Shall we discuss our deal in my study?¡±

    I followed Elincia into her bedroom and she invited me to sit at the timeworn desk. Then, she handed me a bowl of soup and a piece of old bread. The soup had a few pieces of vegetables floating on the surface similar to carrots and potatoes. I did what any logical person would¡¯ve done.

    Elincia¡¯s Vegetable Soup. [Identify] Edible. A watery, bland, and unseasoned soup made from various donated ingredients. It¡¯s warm.

    Luckily enough, Elincia didn¡¯t realize I was using [Identify] on her soup. I put the spoon in my mouth. The flavor was indeed watery and bland but it was the first warm food I had since I arrived in this world, and it felt great. As I dipped the bread into the soup, Elincia untied her padded jacket, revealing a white blouse and a washed out light blue bodice that adhered to her figure.

    I wasn¡¯t completely ready for some Renaissance Fair action but I managed to keep my eyes glued to the bowl of soup. Elincia stretched her back and rotated her shoulders with feline grace before settling on the chair.

    ¡°You look good disguised as a governess, I almost bought it.¡± I said, fighting to keep my eyes away from Elincia¡¯s delicate yet strong shoulders. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would swear Elincia had a twin sister that looked after the orphanage while she explored the Farlands.

    Elincia looked around as if there were spies in the walls before replying.

    ¡°Fuck off, Robert Clarke.¡± The woman whispered, rolling her eyes. ¡°And thank you for helping me with the kids. You navigated the situation pretty well.¡± She added in an almost shy tone.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I was a teaching focused Scholar?¡± I replied with a smug voice.

    ¡°Yeah, I remember hearing an excuse like that for your lack of level.¡± Elincia grinned. ¡°Now, show me the goods, I have a sick kid waiting for a potion.¡±

    I brought my backpack I had left forgotten in the corner and started lining the bundles of herbs and roots over Elincia¡¯s working desk.

    ¡°When you told me you had a sick kid I thought you meant your son or daughter.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Yeah, no. I already have enough kids around.¡± Elincia laughed as her eyes greedily pried over my alchemical loot.

    I wondered if one of her skills allowed her to measure the herb¡¯s magic concentration. Something like [Identify] but for Alchemists.

    ¡°Not to mention I¡¯d need a man for that. A good one for that matter.¡± Elincia added.

    ¡°You don''t have an army of volunteers lining up at the orphanage¡¯s doors?¡± I jokingly asked. With her looks, she could have a fan club following her everywhere back on Earth.

    Suddenly, Elincia forgot about the ingredients and locked her eyes with mine.

    ¡°Oh? Mister Scholar is interested in my relationship status now?¡± She gave me the biggest shit-eating grin I had seen in my life. And that was a lot to say considering Elincia¡¯s mischievous personality.

    ¡°Dream on.¡± I quickly replied. Elincia¡¯s big mouth made it difficult to feel bad for her.

    You have obtained Denial Lv.3. Temporary.

 10 - The amazon and the governess

    ¡°I¡¯d warn you, I''m not as much of a catch as you think I am. In practical terms, I have more kids than you can count on two hands.¡° Elincia said with a mischievous smile.

    It had been a mistake to ask Elincia if she had suitors lining at her door because she had been having a field day with me. I could tell she was enjoying it.

    ¡°A small army of kids and easily triggered, gotcha.¡± I replied.

    The tight breeches and adjusted bodice combo was entrancing for a fantasy nerd like me, but I managed to maintain a defiant look.

    Elincia smiled at me, knowing she had won our verbal exchange and walked to her dresser while humming a sweet melody. After seeing the bundles of herbs, her mood had improved dramatically, making her even more annoying than usual.

    I watched her lean forward as she rummaged through the depths of the drawers. The light blue bodice fit her well, however, I was having trouble reconciling the image of the rowdy amazon with her caring governess persona.

    Elincia uttered a muffled curse before pulling a small wooden box and a set of brass scales covered in strange engravings. I did my best to keep my eyes on the scales rather than her shoulders. Elincia seemed to be unfazed by the chilly autumn weather. I focused on the brass scales and instantly detected an almost invisible trace of mana.

    Elincia noted I was staring because she quickly said. ¡°A poor governess has the right to have nice toys, you know?¡±

    ¡°An enchanted item?¡± I asked, putting my empty bowl of soup by the side and glancing at the scale as Elincia lined the plates up on the table.

    ¡°You could say it¡¯s an heirloom.¡± Elincia replied as she ceremoniously opened the wooden box and extracted a set of five small crystals the size of dice, wrapped in silk handkerchiefs.

    As soon as Elincia uncovered the crystals I noticed they weren¡¯t regular minerals. Swirls of white mana particles danced inside them like diminutive galaxies. Despite the crystals being the same size, they shone with different intensities. The first one barely emitted any mana while the last one was like a small white ember.

    ¡°I assume Mister Scholar already knows how this works?¡± Elincia grinned.

    The better her mood was, the more annoying she got.

    ¡°You put one item on each plate, then the heavier item drops, the lighter rises. You can measure the weight of an item by balancing it against known weights. Obviously.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Obviously.¡± Elincia parroted as she reached for the herb bundles.

    Elkadia Root. [Identify] Alchemy ingredient. Brewing ingredient. Cooking ingredient. Edible. Magic concentration: High.

    Fairy King¡¯s Brooch. [Identify] Alchemy ingredient. Brewing ingredient. Edible Magic concentration: High.

    Moon Laurel. [Identify] Alchemy ingredient. Brewing ingredient. Cooking ingredient. Edible. Magic concentration: High.

    Barrel Root. [Identify] Alchemy ingredient. Brewing ingredient. Cooking ingredient. Edible. Magic concentration: High.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s figure out what we are working with.¡± Elincia said, putting the third crystal on the left plate of the scale and a single stem of Fairy King¡¯s Brooch on the other.

    Surprisingly enough, the ¡®weight¡¯ of the plant was enough to offset the crystal despite the difference in sizes. It wasn¡¯t hard to understand how the scale worked. It weighted magic concentration, not mass.

    ¡°All the herbs have high magic concentration.¡± I pointed out. If Elincia was going to measure every single stem, flower, and leaf, we were going to be sitting there for hours.

    ¡°Obviously the Hero is lucky enough to just pick the high concentration ones.¡± Elincia mockingly said. Her smile faltered a bit when I laid back in my seat and watched her with my best goofball smile instead of taking the bait.

    Elincia scowled at me before focusing on measuring the ingredients. The movements of her hands revealed the mastery she had over the process and I wondered how many times she had measured ingredients over the years. If kids were as sickly as they were in my world, then the number of potions she had brewed must be astronomical.

    I stretched my back and let my mind wander. Eating a warm bowl of food felt good after days of eating only a few Hermit¡¯s Gold, and being inside four walls felt cozy and safe after sleeping in the Farlands. For the first time since my arrival I had a moment to think about my next steps.

    The idea of traveling to the Imperial Library to cultivate my class, as Elincia told me back in the Farlands, popped into my mind.

    ¡°Do you have a skill to replicate the explosive powder inside my shotgun shells?¡± I mindlessly asked. You couldn¡¯t spell ¡®alchemist¡¯ without ¡®chemist¡¯ after all. The perspective of having a continuous supply of ammo in a world controlled by high level combatant classes was reassuring.

    ¡°I¡¯m an Alchemist, I brew potions, ointments, and essences.¡± Elincia replied without taking her eyes off her work. ¡°What you are looking for is a Transmuter or a Tinkerer, maybe. A Runesmith could also help you with that, but those are Prestige Classes. You are not going to find them here in Farcrest.¡±

    Prestige Classes. That was a new concept. Elinica had already mentioned Advanced Classes, Alchemist was one of them. I wondered about how I could inquire about them without revealing my complete ignorance about the matter of this world.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Elincia suddenly muttered. Her face grew more and more surprised as the ingredients¡¯ magical concentration offset every crystal except the brightest one. She stubbornly continued measuring the bundles until she finished with the Fairy King¡¯s Brooch.

    ¡°What are these plants used for?¡± I asked instead of saying ¡®I told you¡¯.

    [Identify] wasn¡¯t enough to answer all my questions.

    ¡°Elkadia Root and Fairy King¡¯s Brooch are popular bases for mana potions and a wide range of medicines against common diseases. The Moon Laurel and the Barrel Root are used as bases for wound regeneration potions. You usually add an essence later on in the brewing process but the base is useful on its own.¡± Elincia glanced at me as she put the Fairy King¡¯s Brooch by the side.

    ¡°Why would anyone brew a potion without an essence?¡± I continued with the questionnaire. At least Elincia seemed happy to answer my questions regarding her class.

    ¡°Low level Alchemists don¡¯t normally add essences into their potions due to the risk of corrupting the base.¡± Elincia replied with a teacher¡¯s tone as she continued to weigh the ingredients. ¡°You usually won¡¯t see the really top shelf stuff until your alchemist is level forty or more, but don¡¯t be fooled, low level brewing is useful too. Most people can¡¯t really afford high level potions so low level Alchemists are the real saviors of the working class.¡±

    Elincia¡¯s passion for her class was starting to rub off on me, making me wish I had a crafting class like her. I wondered what I could create with my knowledge of the modern world and a class like Tinkerer or Runesmith. Even if Scholars couldn¡¯t really craft anything useful, I could meet talented people that could.

    Elincia¡¯s voice brought me back to the present.

    ¡°The more mana involved, the harder the brewing process is. For that reason, low level Alchemists are limited to brewing low and mid grade base potions. You know, the basic recipes provided by the System.¡± Elincia continued explaining as she measured the ingredients. ¡°Man, I wish I could brew a Named Potion some day.¡± She added with a wishful voice.

    It seemed that Elincia did not just dream of forests and mountains.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°A Named Potion?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, like a brand new recipe that the System acknowledges as my own creation. I¡¯m talking about something neat like ¡®Elincia¡¯s Tracking Potion¡¯ or ¡®Elincia¡¯s Monster Repel¡¯.¡± Elincia explained with the same hopeful voice.

    I was wrong. Elincia¡¯s alchemy dreams weren¡¯t far from her love for the wilderness.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll take half the Fairy King¡¯s Brooch as a reward for escorting you here. I don¡¯t know what Scholar trick you used to pick only high concentration ones but it will be more than enough to brew medicine.¡±

    I was hoping to see Elincia brewing a potion but instead, she tied half the bundle of Fairy King¡¯s Brooch and put it inside a flask. Then she put the flask away in a drawer among many other Alchemy ingredients. Elincia seemed to ignore basic information about Scholars like the fact I could use [Identify] to detect ingredients with high mana concentration so I was inclined to think classes kept their skills to themselves.

    As Elincia put the Fairy King¡¯s Brooch away, I separated each bundle in two halves; one for me and one for her.

    ¡°For the soap, the shirt, and the food.¡± I said as Elincia gave me a questioning look.

    I hoped Elincia realized she had helped me more than I could ever repay her.

    ¡°And for the Common classes.¡± I added, remembering my newest title.

    Elincia shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s too much. These are high quality ingredients from the Farlands. They are a precious resource in the hands of a competent Alchemist.¡± Elincia said, refusing to accept them.

    ¡°Consider it a donation and a token of friendship. For the kids. To replenish the potions you used in the Farlands.¡± I dismissed Elincia¡¯s further objections with a movement of my hand.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. This is a lot.¡± Elincia said. Then, she realized how serious I was and a parade of emotions flashed through her face before she grabbed the half-bundles and tucked them into ingredient flasks. Surprise, relief, shame.

    ¡°Thank you, Robert Clarke. For everything.¡± Elincia sheepishly said as she returned from her ingredient rack at the opposite side of the bedroom.

    ¡°My friends call me Rob.¡± I smiled back. It felt good to be of some use for the orphanage.

    Elincia gave me a charming smile before speaking again.

    ¡°Go to the Great Hall to ask for a passage permit, Rob, then go to the southern gate and jump on a merchant caravan. I¡¯m sure the Sages from the Library are going to be thrilled to have you.¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need help with the kids now that Holst is gone?¡± I asked as I stood up, following her cue. Taking care of a dozen small kids sounded like a hell of a task for a single person.

    Elincia raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I got the Governess title years ago, Rob. Even the System knows I have things under control.¡± The woman said, putting a hand on my shoulder and pushing me towards the door. ¡°ZAON, COME HERE!¡±.

    The elven boy peeked through the dormitory door in a blink of an eye, which made me think he was already in the corridor when Elincia called.

    ¡°Did you call me, Miss Elincia?¡± The boy asked.

    ¡°Go to the kitchen and pack some bread and cheese for Mister Clarke. He¡¯s departing for a long trip. Quick!¡± Elincia said and Zaon instantly disappeared. Then, Elincia guided me back to the main entrance where we waited for the kid to return.

    ¡°It was good to meet you.¡± I said, extending my hand. ¡°If I find Holst in the Imperial Library, I''ll make sure to send him your regards.¡±

    Elincia gave me one of her trademark wicked smiles and shook my hand. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sad, she was the first person I had met in this world and despite the initial difficulties, I had grown fond of her and her unapologetic style.

    ¡°If you ever visit Firecrest again you are more than welcome to stay with us.¡± Elincia said. Maybe it was my imagination but I detected a hint of sadness in her voice. Even if we had only known each other for a few days, we had hit it off considerably well. Surely Elincia had a temper but I recognized it was part of her charm.

    ¡°And if I manage to replicate a shotgun, I¡¯ll send you one plus a box of ammo.¡± I said, imitating her wicked smile.

    ¡°Now you¡¯re talking!¡± Elincia beamed as Zaon appeared from the corridor carrying a big satchel. Our time was over.

    ¡°Goodbye, Elicia.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye Robert Clarke, it was nice to know you.¡±

    You have obtained Denial Lv.4. Temporary.

    <hr>

    Zaon walked by my side through the deserted streets, silently humming the same sweet song Elincia sang as she used the magical scale. The elven boy was shy and stuttered a lot but his curiosity was stronger than his withdrawn personality. My [Teacher¡¯s Sense] told me Zaon was the kind of kid that shined in small classrooms where he could speak freely.

    [Awareness]: You don¡¯t possess a skill called [Teacher¡¯s Sense], stop fooling around.

    Did I just detect a hint of jealousy?

    Maybe [Teacher¡¯s Sense] wasn¡¯t a real skill but I liked to think I had developed something like that after years working as a teacher. Most of my colleagues loved to hear their own voices instead of listening to their students. Then, they acted surprised when something bad happened.

    I tried not to think about my past and focused on the present.

    My shoes clacked against the polished cobblestone of the streets. More than half of the stone bricks were missing and rainwater accumulated in the holes left behind. The putrid smell of stagnant water filled my nostrils but Zaon was unfazed. He must''ve already gotten used to it.

    As we climbed the steep road, the precarious buildings of the northern district turned into well preserved houses and clean streets. Mold and rust turned into fresh white paint and varnished planks. Rotten and splintered shutters were replaced by clear glass windows. The eerie and abandoned atmosphere was replaced by lively and wide streets full of stores and workshops.

    ¡°How old are you, Zaon?¡± I asked as we left behind the narrow alleys of the north district. For some reason, Zaon didn¡¯t speak unless prompted to.

    ¡°Fourteen. I¡¯ll be fifteen during the winter and I''ll be able to get a Class before the year ends.¡± He said, dejected.

    It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize something bothered him.

    ¡°Is there a problem with that? Having a Class is great, look at Miss Rosebud, she can brew handy potions because she¡¯s an Alchemist.¡± I pointed out. I knew a few people who would die to achieve a class, whatever it was.

    Zaon gave a disheartened sigh before answering. ¡°I want to become a Knight and then a Paladin but I¡¯ll probably end up as a lowly Soldier.¡±

    The pieces of the puzzle regarding Class acquisition were starting to fall in place.

    ¡°Miss Rosebud told me she chose to be an Alchemist. Why do you think you¡¯ll end up as a Soldier?¡± I asked.

    Zaon sighed again and dropped his shoulders.

    ¡°I am not as talented as Miss Elincia, and Mister Holst said I¡¯m not Knight material, so I¡¯ll probably end up as a Soldier because there is basically no requirement to become a Soldier.¡± Zaon kicked a pebble out of the road.

    Requirements. It made sense the System had requirements for certain classes, otherwise everyone would be a Mega Black-knight of Death or something along those lines.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Soldiers?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Is this some sort of test? Everyone knows what¡¯s wrong with Soldiers and Archers.¡± Zaon said.

    ¡°I want to know why you believe the Soldier Class isn¡¯t good, not the popular opinion.¡± I deflected Zaon¡¯s suspicions using my high level [Teacher¡¯s Bullshido]. Truth was, I was completely ignorant as to why the Soldier Class was looked down on. If I had to guess, a level 5 Soldier had the prowess to kick my Scholar ass any day of the week.

    Zaon tapped on his lips with his fingers just like Elincia did when she was deep in thought.

    ¡°Well¡­ the Soldier Class has the worst growths of all combatant classes, their mana pool is shallow as a puddle, and their skills aren¡¯t really powerful. Even Blacksmiths have better Strength and Mana!¡± Zaon said, raising a finger for each con of the class. ¡°Mister Holst says that the System reserves powerful classes for the nobility and really talented individuals.¡±

    I nodded in silence trying to hide my inner turmoil from Zaon. My hatred for Holst was growing by the second. As if endangering the kids wasn¡¯t enough, Holst had also been feeding them world-class bullshit. There was no more vicious practice than a teacher telling a student they were dumb and incapable of improving.

    ¡°Do you know why some people can become Knights and others can¡¯t?¡± I asked.

    Zaon seemed to assume that I was testing his knowledge.

    ¡°No, nobody knows. The System just offers you a Class according to the contents of your soul.¡± The elven kid replied.

    ¡°Then you should trust yourself a bit more, Zaon.¡± I smiled. ¡°You were brave and determined by taking care of the younger kids during Miss Elincia¡¯s absence. Maybe you are not as far from your goals as you believe.¡±

    Zaon guided me in silence through the meandering streets of Farcrest. As we walked towards the southern district, the city continued to change. From the abandoned streets of the northern district to the bustling with activity of the inner city.

    Stores lined up on both sides of the streets, offering their alluring goods from behind their windows. Horse drawn wagons loaded with crates traveled up and down making deliveries to stores and workshops alike.

    Along the sidewalks, fine ladies and gentlemen walked up and down the street, hopping from store to store. Most of the inhabitants of Farcrest were humans but I noticed a few half orcs, half elves, and small gnome-like people from time to time.

    The Great Hall towered by the end of the street like a black sturdy stone golem overseeing the market. In the same fashion as the walls, the Great Hall had been built to last. I wondered if the black stone had magical properties.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me.¡± I pointed out as we emerged into a wide street, a few blocks from the inner wall.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± Zaon replied but his tone betrayed him.

    I stopped before entering the traffic on the main avenue and dug into my backpack.

    ¡°Take these ingredients to Elincia and tell her to brew some potions to help your training, I¡¯m sure she will assist you the best she could if you tell her you want to become a Knight.¡± I said. ¡°I can see the Great Hall from here. You can go back to the orphanage.¡±

    Zaon grabbed the bundles, nodded, and got lost in the maze of streets. I glanced at the alley from which he had disappeared for a moment and turned around to face the Great Hall, wishing good fortune to all the inhabitants of the orphanage.

 11 - Captain Kiln

    The Great Hall stood tall against the cloudy day, expelling white smoke from the multiple chimneys on its thatched roof. The outer walls made of a dark gray stone and the overall brutalist style of the building, gave the Great Hall a certain ¡®Big Bad Evil Guy¡¯s lair¡¯ vibe. Upon further inspection, I noticed traces of mana weaved in between the stone which made me wonder if the whole building had some sort of protecting enchantment in place. It made sense considering the whole town was a bastion between the Farlands and the Ebros Kingdom.

    Despite my initial assessment of the city, Farcrest¡¯s marketplace flourished all around me. Food, weapons, tools, and all kinds of crafting ingredients. No matter what direction I looked I found new things to identify. Other than the abandoned northern district, the city looked like a bustling trade center.

    I continued walking through the street market towards the Great Hall.

    Red banners with the Marquis crest, a man killing a wolf with a lance, hung from the inner walls. The gate was guarded by a small contingent of soldiers dressed in shiny armor and armed with long albarests. I was tempted to use [Identify] on them but remembering Elincia¡¯s reaction, I refrained from doing it. I didn¡¯t want problems before even starting my life in this world.

    As I reached the closed gate, a guard blocked my path.

    ¡°What is your business in the Marquis¡¯s Great Hall?¡± The guardsman asked, glancing at me with unfriendly eyes. The man inspected my appearance from head to toe and he didn¡¯t seem to like what he was seeing. My clothing was humble to say the least.

    ¡°My name is Robert Clarke, Scholar from the City of Light. I¡¯m here for a passage permit into the Kingdom of Ebros.¡± I said with a haughty voice. A good teacher was, in essence, a good actor, and I took pride in my classroom management.

    As expected, my words seemed to pique the guard¡¯s interest.

    ¡°Farcrest isn¡¯t a border town, Scholar. How did you even enter the kingdom?¡±

    The guard was unsure if he was really talking to a commoner or someone of high birth. Or maybe he thought I was a high level individual? It made sense that people with higher levels looked down on the weaker.

    Considering Elincia¡¯s reaction to the story about the teletransportation, I decided to continue with the same lie. If I had to guess, portals weren¡¯t all strange in this world.

    ¡°A magic accident teleported me into the Farlands. There I was picked up by an Alchemist harvesting ingredients who brought me here to Farcrest.¡± I explained with a serious tone.

    ¡°Should¡¯ve said that from the very beginning¡­ sir. Portal magic is no joke.¡± He stuttered.

    The guard swallowed the story.

    ¡°It is not.¡± I nodded.

    The guard must¡¯ve assumed I was the one responsible for the portal incident because his demeanor changed instantly. If I had to guess, portal magic was a high level technique.

    ¡°This way, sir.¡± The guardsman said, guiding me through a lateral door at the base of the wall and into a narrow and dark corridor. As much as I wanted to enter through the main gates, I assumed it wasn¡¯t worth opening it for a single person.

    We emerged into a cobbled courtyard by the side of the Great Hall where a small army of workers unloaded carts with crated goods under the attentive glance of an overseer. Regrettably, I couldn¡¯t tell what was inside the heavy boxes.

    ¡°Trade seems to be healthy considering Farcrest is a frontier town.¡± I pointed out in a vain attempt to make the guard talk.

    ¡°It¡¯s been that way for a while now.¡± He sparsely replied as we walked to a wooden building attached to the Great Hall. Outside the building, an angry middle aged woman dressed in a gambeson with the Marquis emblem was training a group of fresh recruits who barely knew how to hold a sword. The kids couldn¡¯t be much older than Zaon.

    Instead of walking towards the building, we approached the training group.

    The soldier saluted and the woman knight raised her hand, stopping the frenetic swinging of the recruits. Her eyes were of a stark gray color and her lips were a fine line under her aquiline nose. Her skin was tanned and covered in small scars from a hundred battles. [Awareness] told me she was the don¡¯t-fuck-with-me type.

    ¡°Captain, this man says he arrived at Farcrest via failed teleportation.¡± The soldier explained my situation.

    ¡°Another one?! I can¡¯t believe this is the second time this year.¡± The Captain chastised the soldier as if it was his personal fault. Then, she turned around to face me. She was taller than me and her rolled up sleeves not only revealed lean and bulking muscles but a skin covered in scars. Those weren¡¯t fashionable superficial scars but ones which distorted the skin and muscle.

    ¡°Tell me you are not from the Ansan Kingdom. It will cost us a small fortune to send you back.¡± The Captain said.

    I understood that was my cue to speak.

    ¡°My name is Robert Clarke, a Scholar, and you don¡¯t need to send me back to my homeland, Captain. I am more interested in traveling to the Imperial Library than returning.¡± I said with a small bow.

    ¡°I¡¯m Captain Izabeka Kiln, leader of the city guard. I like you already, Scholar. People who complicate things are too common in these places.¡± The captain left the bundle of parchment and walked around the table to inspect me closely.

    I made a mental note to not complicate things in front of the woman.

    ¡°Come on.¡± The captain left the group of disoriented recruits behind and walked towards the Great Hall. ¡°We have to ensure you don¡¯t have any suspicious hidden titles before giving you your passage permit.¡±

    ¡°Hidden titles?¡± I asked with a tremble in my voice.

    ¡°You have not been in a System Shrine before?¡± The Captain looked over her shoulder and gave me a confused glance.

    I shook my head. Hidden titles could mean two things; there was a method to hide one¡¯s titles from being identified or there were titles that could only be unlocked at a System Shrine. The second option made sense considering the lack of progress my class had even after twelve levels.

    ¡°I warn you, Robert Clarke, I¡¯m a level fifty seven Knight, if you do try anything stupid I¡¯ll crush your spine before you could even blink.¡± The captain said before addressing the guard who had guided me there. ¡°You, maggot, look after the Scholar¡¯s belongings. He is my guest.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± The soldier said, extending his hand to me.

    I gave him my backpack and nobody questioned the suspicious wooden shotgun butt protruding out. I felt naked without my weapon, however, the shells were safe inside my pocket.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a suspicious title do you?¡± The captain asked as we entered a beautifully adorned corridor with painted murals and ornamental banners hanging from the ceiling. The decoration was surprisingly tasteful.

    I swallowed hard.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡± I replied, remembering what Elincia had told me about locked titles.

    We walked in silence through a carpeted corridor. The brass-framed windows reached the high ceiling and gave us a wide view of the interior gardens. There was a bush maze, fountains and clumps of all kinds of flowers.

    We reached a glass door to a crowded balcony and the captain signaled the guards to let us through. On the balcony there were men and women dressed in expensive suits and dresses of vibrant colors. Broad rings of gold and precious stones adorned the noble¡¯s hands while the women flaunted beautiful necklaces and earrings. If the Marquis was there, he was hidden among the crowd.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Captain Kiln took me to the side of the balcony, far from the noble clump and pointed down to the garden. Two men dressed in fencing attire were standing at opposite sides of the garden while the squires helped them with their padded jackets. In the middle of the fighting area an old man with braided hair and stern look acted as the referee.

    ¡°Have you witnessed a judiciary duel before?¡± The captain asked.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s your lucky day, Scholar. Sir Janus insulted Baronet Tirno during the last feast.¡± Captain Kiln said with a lupine smile.

    ¡°What did Sir Janus say?¡± I inquired.

    ¡°Janus said Tirno¡¯s lovers during their days in the Ebros Knights Academy looked just like his mother.¡± Captain Kiln let out a tired sigh.

    I glanced down at the dueling area. Baronet Tirno was a tall and slender young man of blonde curls and piercing looks. He wore a blue and black jacket with a crest similar to the Marquis symbol, so I assumed he might be related to the Marquis. Tirno moved with ease under the padded jacket and made a flourish with his rapier before blowing a kiss to the balcony. The gesture was answered by a wave of giggles and sighs.

    For someone with a soiled honor, he was enjoying the moment.

    Sir Janus, on the other hand, was a brutish looking man with the physique of a beer barrel. An unkempt bristly black beard covered his face and his small black eyes resembled the ones of a pig. Janus looked more like a well-armed murder hobo than a knight.

    ¡°Tirno has the reach advantage.¡± I said as the squire handed the rapiers to Janus.

    ¡°Good, you can use your eyes.¡± Captain Kiln said and I wondered if every woman had a similar level of sass in this world.

    The referee, an old man dressed in a white and yellow tunic, stood at the center of the arena and cast a spell creating a golden dome of twenty meters in diameter. A second later the dome became translucent, barely blocking the view of the duelists.

    ¡°He¡¯s a Fortifier. Any skill used inside the area of the bubble should stay inside instead of killing you. Well, none of them have magic classes but with high level combatants any extra precaution is welcome.¡± Captain Kiln explained.

    Down inside the bubble, Tirno and Janus walked five paces away from the center, turned around, and saluted with the rapiers. Then, they adopted a fighting position I wasn¡¯t completely familiar with. It seemed they were going to start sprinting instead of fencing.

    A sudden gust of wind rose, kicking up a dust cloud, and Tirno disappeared just to reappear by Janus¡¯ flank. I gasped. Had he used a skill or was it his natural speed? Janus raised his sword and parried just in time. Then I noticed my mouth was wide open.

    ¡°Want to bet?¡± Captain Kiln asked with an entertained expression on her face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have money or valuables other than a quarter cheese wheel.¡± I babbled back, too entranced with the fight to pay attention to the woman.

    The captain slid a silver coin down the railing and left it in front of me. I recognized a gambling addict that shouldn¡¯t be gambling when I saw one. I glanced at the coin and then I looked down at the arena. The duelists were still testing each other. Baronet Tirno had an elegant style with quick transitions and nimble footwork. Sir Janus, on the other hand, stood like a heavy boulder in the middle of the yard.

    ¡°Two silver coins and I will tell you exactly how Lord Tirno is going to lose.¡± I said with a taunting smile.

    The captain¡¯s interest was piqued and soon after there were two silver coins in front of me and another two in front of the woman.

    ¡°I love to fleece know-it-all Scholars.¡± The captain said despite the fact she was betting against her own money.

    I ignored the banter and focused on the duel. After the initial explosion of speed things had slowed down. Still, they moved faster than any HEMA practitioner or olympic fencer I had seen in my life.

    I remembered Zaon talking about class growth. It wasn¡¯t a surprise that the kid was apprehensive of becoming a Soldier when there were classes that could move like those two men. Not even with my Lv.5 [Swordsmanship] was enough to reach those speeds.

    [Awareness] filled my brain with information. Tirno fought with deliberately elegant movements trying to find an opening in the opponent¡¯s defense while Janus adopted a style similar to what I knew;  he tried to control Tirno¡¯s sword and deliver a strike without jeopardizing his own safety.

    ¡°Sir Janus is going to end the fight by stabbing the Baronet in the hand.¡± I calmly said, channeling all my fencing knowledge. Judicial fencing wasn¡¯t about killing your opponent, although it happened frequently, but about incapacitating it before it could harm you.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going for Tirno.¡± The Captain said.

    The balcony was in complete silence. Rapiers clashed, but none managed to control the weak of the opponent''s blade to create an opening. The amount of stamina both men displayed was astounding, even compared to top tier athletes from Earth. If I were to train for a hundred years I could hardly reach their levels of speed and coordination.

    Suddenly Lord Tirno put aside all attempts of defending and lunged forward, aiming at the center of Sir Janus¡¯ chest. Sir Janus stepped back with a nimbleness uncharacteristic of a man of his span. To get away from Tirno¡¯s blade, Janus raised both arms and pulled back his body. In that awkward position, Sir Janus counterattacked with a downward stab aimed at Lord Tirno¡¯s hand and withdrew from the engagement to avoid Tirno¡¯s afterblow.

    However, the afterblow didn¡¯t come. Lord Tirno¡¯s sword fell to the ground as the man bursted out cursing. As he retreated to his side of the arena, I caught a glimpse of bright blood flowing from his right hand.

    New word learned!

    Words learned: 3,001/215,000

    Rank: Talkative Teenager

    I made a mental note to not mention that word in front of children.

    ¡°I lost.¡± Captain Kiln sighed, bringing me back to the present.

    ¡°Not yet, he¡¯s going to continue. Look.¡± I replied as Lord Tirno¡¯s aid bandaged the wounded hand. The noble man snapped at the squire to hurry up but no matter how much bandages he applied, they quickly soaked in more blood. Suddenly, sick of waiting, Lord Tirno pushed his squire back and retrieved the sword.

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Captain Kiln sighed again.

    Down in the garden, Sir Janus repeatedly hit Tirno¡¯s blade until it slipped from his bloody hand. Then Janus prompted his rival to retrieve his sword just to repeat the process. Three times Tirno raised his sword and three times Janus slapped it from his hand.

    ¡°What a shitshow.¡± Captain Kiln grunted just as Sir Janus disarmed Lord Tirno for the last time and chased him across the garden hitting the Baronet¡¯s legs with the rapier¡¯s flat side until he found shelter inside the Great Hall.

    Sir Janus took a bow towards the balcony and threw his sword in the squire¡¯s direction. The Captain slid four silver coins to my side of the handrail.

    ¡°Better spanked than dead.¡± I pointed out, pocketing the coins with a winning smile on my face.

    ¡°Sir Janus is a lowborn who reached knighthood because he was accepted in the Ebros Knights Academy. His position in the court is frail and yet he acts like an idiot.¡±

    The squires cleared the garden and the nobles who had been observing the duel started vacating the balcony. I learned a couple more insults from overhearing their conversation, some of the nobles were fuming and I pictured them plotting against Sir Janus in the near future. A hurt noble¡¯s ego was dangerous in this world or the other.

    ¡°Abei!¡± The captain suddenly called.

    An old robed man emerged from the group, clearly annoyed by the interruption.

    ¡°What is it, captain?¡±

    The man had a shining bald head and a majestically bushy beard. Unlike the young man from the tower, Abei didn¡¯t look like a cheap street magician but a full fledged sage.

    ¡°We have one of those portal hoppers. A Scholar.¡± Captain Kiln announced. ¡°I thought you would be interested.¡±

    In a single sentence, Abei¡¯s face was cleared of all irritation. The old man made his way through the balcony with an eager stride and, unlike the captain, didn¡¯t bother to measure me up with his eyes. Instead he jumped directly to the questions.

    ¡°Where are you from and how did you get here, young man?¡± Abei struck me like the kind of person who would look into a loaded shotgun¡¯s barrel to satiate his curiosity.

    ¡°I¡¯m Robert Clarke, humble servant of the City of Light. I arrived here due to a teletransportation accident.¡± I introduced myself, already expecting what will come next. The questioning.

    ¡°The City of Light? Never heard of that place.¡± Abei stroked his beard and looked around searching for an encyclopedia just to remember he was outdoors.

    ¡°And I never heard of Farcrest until I popped out here.¡± I replied with a shrug.

    Abei nodded, understanding my predicament.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be scared for someone so far from home.¡± The man looked me directly in the eye. I was slowly getting used to being questioned.

    ¡°Three days in the Farlands is a hell of a cure for fear.¡± I replied.

    The Captain gave me an approving nod. People of this world trusted too much in the System and too little in the common sense.

    ¡°Why am I being treated with such deference? I''m nobody after all.¡± I asked, eliciting a jolly laugh from the old man and I braced myself for a long story.

    ¡°People who are exposed to teletransportation spells usually are wealthy, noble or high level, so it''s only logical to protect such individuals when the integrity of the kingdoms depends on them.¡± Abei explained. ¡°Anyway, we need noble witnesses to grant you the permit. Let¡¯s go to the audience room.¡± The man added as he invited me through the glass door into the Great Hall.

    Before I could cross the doorway, Captain Kiln grabbed my arm and stopped me.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t do anything stupid and things will go well. Understood?¡± The woman asked with a stern voice.

    ¡°Understood.¡± I replied, knowing perfectly well that doing stupid things, like jumping heads on into a dangerous world full of magic creatures, was exactly my specialty.

 12 - Audience

    The audience hall was a long room with a high ceiling. From the ceiling hung metal chandeliers that held hundreds of small white shining stones that illuminated the room with a warm and gentle light. Sunlight cascaded from the tall, arched windows over a row of rose beds aligned through the side of the room. For a moment I forgot I was inside the Great Hall and I was transported to a summer garden.

    The ornate wooden pillars guided my sight to the center of the room. An exquisite carpet embroidered with fantastical animals and monsters went from the entrance to the foot of the Marquis throne. Captain Kiln guided me into the room where the nobles from the balcony leisurely chatted around the throne.

    ¡°That man over there,¡± Captain Kiln pointed at a man near the window. ¡°He is Marquis Tauron of Farcrest.¡±

    The Marquis was a tall man with a squared jaw and wide shoulders dressed in a simple white shirt and a red vest. From his belt hung a gilded scabbard and a short cape with his crest, a man impaling a wolf, covered his left shoulder. His tanned skin stood out among the paleness of the rest of the courtiers.

    ¡°Might I ask what his class is?¡± I asked.

    The Captain gave me an amused glance before replying. ¡°The Marquis is a high level Flame Fencer. I can beat his ass though.¡±

    Abei walked up to the Marquis and after a few words, he walked to his throne. The rest of the courtiers sat on the chairs by the sides of the room, chatting in lower voices.

    ¡°Robert Clarke from the City of Light, please come forward.¡± Abei announced with his voice magically amplified and I felt all glances falling on me.

    The old man continued speaking, invoking ancient laws, but I zoned out. Unlike the rest of the people I knew, the Marquis seemed to overflow with magic. If I narrowed my eyes I could almost see red sparks of mana floating around him. A shiver ran down my spine, the Marquis¡¯ mana pool seemed to violently boil inside him. There was something his mana had that mine lacked, but what?

    As my mind wandered, a servant dragged an odd brass nest with a dark blue orb embedded inside. I instinctively identify it.

    System Shrine Fragment. [Identify] ???

    The System prompt caught me off guard. It was the first time [Identify] couldn¡¯t give me extra information about what I had in front of me. I wonder if the System had a reason to keep the information about the fragment to itself.

    ¡°Put your hand in the Identify Orb if you are an innocent man, Robert Clarke.¡± The Marquis spoke out loud. I recognized his words were some sort of ritual because of the little spirit and great disinterest with which he spoke them.

    I begrudgingly obeyed, there were a dozen courtiers in the room and I wasn¡¯t eager to show them I was a [Lonely Boy]. I wasn¡¯t eager to know if I had any hidden titles either.

    Abei gave me a reassuring nod and I hovered my hand a few centimeters from the nested orb. Suddenly, a blue light surrounded my hand and a second later my data sheet appeared in the middle of the room for all to see. At least there was no cavity search in this world. Or so I hoped.

    Abei gasped and the room fell into a speculative silence.

    New title acquired!

    Favorite Teacher (96): Going to school isn¡¯t that bad with you at the whiteboard. [Identify] You have not only managed to teach your students but to earn their respect and affection.

    Reward: Slightly increased mana pool (96).

    New title acquired!

    Confidant: A title for those who are deemed trustworthy and reliable. [Identify] Your wisdom and welcoming nature

    Reward: Increased mana pool.

    New title acquired!

    Father Figure(2): Someone has to do it. [Identify] I guess you are a better father figure than none.

    Reward: Increased mana pool (2).

    New title acquired!

    Classroom Fiend: Not even flies fly when you are around. [Identify] They know you are not like those pesky substitute teachers.

    Reward: Increased mana pool.

    New title acquired!

    Master Tutor: Title awarded to those who had mastered the pedagogic arts and techniques, and have a deep understanding of what being a teacher means. [Identify] You should¡¯ve considered early retirement by now.

    Reward: Doubled mana pool.

    New title acquired!

    Silver Scholar: Title awarded to those who had a deep understanding of multiple sciences and techniques. [Identify] Neeeeeerd!

    Reward: Greatly increased mana pool.

    New title acquired!

    Stalwart Mentor (7): No matter how many times they fall, you helped them stand again. [Identify] Having too much trust in humanity isn¡¯t always a bad thing.

    Reward: Increased mana pool.

    Other titles kept popping up but my mouth went dry as I felt my mana pool deepening inside my chest far beyond what seemed possible. But even that sensation disappeared into the background as I came to the realization of what those titles meant.

    There was no way in the world I was the favorite teacher of ninety six kids, and the notion I was someone¡¯s father figure was just preposterous. I knew I was a mediocre teacher at best. The System was wrong, after all, I was one of those teachers who didn¡¯t really make the difference.

    Before I had time to dwell on it, my character sheet appeared with all of the new titles on it, for everyone to see.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Scholar Lv.12

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Titles: Lonely Boy, Hot for Teacher, Confidant, Classroom Fiend, Favorite Teacher (96), Father Figure (2), Master Tutor, Silver Scholar, Delinquent Reformer (5), Stalwart Mentor (7), Role Model, Expert Mathematician, Expert Physicist, Adept Historian, Adept Linguist, Journeyman Biologist, Novice Chemist, Novice Orator.

    ¡°A-aren¡¯t you too young to be a [Silver Scholar] and a [Master Tutor]?¡± Abei stuttered as he glanced at my titles like a child looking at a particularly colorful breakfast cereal commercial. The Marquis was at the edge of his throne and even the most gossipy of the courtiers was silent.

    Something completely unrelated clicked inside my mind. I knew why Holst had abandoned the kids. He was farming them. The breakthrough Zaon was talking about had to be a mana improving title just like mine.

    I withdrew my hand from the orb before it showed [Homicide Planner] or something along those lines because the System probably knew my [Awareness] was working overtime to plan Holst¡¯s death. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply.

    ¡°M-master Clarke? Are you all right?¡± Abei¡¯s whispering brought me back to the audience room.

    ¡°Yes, yes¡­ I just¡­ I¡¯m a bit embarrassed, that¡¯s all.¡± I lied, hoping nobody had seen my [Hot for Teacher] title.

    Abei gave me a reassuring glance from the side of the throne before speaking again.

    ¡°Most of us Scholars fell in love with a professor at some point in our formation, there is nothing to be ashamed of.¡± Abei opened his character sheet effortlessly and showed it to me without resorting to the Identify Stone.

    Name: Abei Luzian, Human.

    Class: Scholar Lv.51

    Titles: Silver Scholar, Bronze Tutor, Favorite Teacher (2), Expert Astronomer, Adept Mathematician, Adept Architect, Journeyman Orator, Novice Musician, Passionate for the Professor, Archivist, Translator, Thaumaturgy Theorist.

    Even if Abei¡¯s character sheet was intriguing, I wished I hadn''t seen it. By my Earthling standards that was a blatant breach of privacy. And yet, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that [Passionate for the Professor] was a lot tamer than [Hot for Teacher].

    ¡°How long have you been walking the path of the Scholar, Master Clarke? I can¡¯t fathom how much effort it took to get two expertises and one mastery at such a young age.¡± Abei asked, this time loud enough for everyone to hear.

    The silence in the room was replaced by the whispering of the courtiers. Abei¡¯s interest in my person felt nice but I didn¡¯t want to attract that amount of attention towards me. I didn¡¯t want to fall into any intrigue games that could be developing in the Marquis court.

    ¡°We have witnessed the titles of an innocent man. For that reason I shall grant you free passage across the kingdom.¡± The Marquis announced and got a round of applause. Now he glanced at me with predatory eyes.

    Abei took out a scroll from his sleeve and with a movement of the hand, the Scholar made it float in the air. With another movement, mana emerged from the tips of his fingers and washed over the scroll like the waves of the sea. With each clash, the words were imprinted on the yellowy surface until the document was complete. Abei took it to the Marquis who pressed his ring against the scroll, leaving a gleaming symbol that slowly lost its magical shine.

    ¡°Here you are, Master Clarke.¡± Abei handed me the passage permit.

    ¡°Accept my humble thanks, milord. I will not take more of your time.¡± I mumbled, still confused by the whole experience. I knew one thing, I had to get away before anything happened.

    As I started my getaway when the Marquis spoke again.

    ¡°Your knowledge and potential hasn¡¯t passed unnoticed to me and I will like to reward you properly.¡± The Marquis said with a mysterious grin on his face, but I knew there was no such thing as a free lunch. Whatever the Marquis was offering me wasn¡¯t a reward but a deal I wasn¡¯t in a position to refuse without insulting him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t think of a reward other than a letter of recommendation for the Imperial Academy.¡± The Marquis announced with his mighty voice. ¡°The royal family would be thrilled to have such a promising young man helping with the academic development of the kingdom.¡±

    There it was. The Marquis wanted to turn me into a gift for the King of Ebros, and part of me was okay with it. A recommendation letter would greatly expedite my journey to the imperial capital for a foreigner like me, however, something prevented me from jumping headfirst into the offer.

    ¡°Can I ask a question, milord?¡± I said before I could stop my tongue. ¡°I have been watching the comings and goings of the inhabitants of Farcrest and there is something that bothers me.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t accept the recommendation letter without an answer.

    ¡°Speak your mind, Robert Clarke. I¡¯m well aware Scholars have ten questions for every answer they have.¡± The Marquis'' attention was fixed on me.

    ¡°I couldn''t help but notice a great number of vagrant kids in the northern district while the farmlands around the city lack laborers and some parts of the city lack proper maintenance. Farcrest seems to have enough resources to flourish and yet they seem arranged in the most peculiar way. With a little investment in the orphanages, the Marquis could educate the kids so they become useful classes for the city.¡± I said.

    Suddenly, the Marquis wasn¡¯t as amused with my presence anymore.

    ¡°If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. I understand that for a Master Tutor every problem can be resolved through education.¡± The Marquis replied with a derisive tone.

    I didn¡¯t mention that the actual solution to many social problems was indeed education. Instead, I clenched my teeth and waited in silence. If I was to open my mouth it was going to insult the Marquis¡¯ ancestry.

    ¡°Master Clarke lacks the context¡­¡± Abei started talking but the Marquis silenced him.

    ¡°Miserable orphan lives are a small price for Farcrest¡¯s prosperity.¡± The Marquis rested his hands together and gave me a winning smile.

    The picture of Elincia and her kids eating watery soup came to my mind and I had to bite my tongue to not open my mouth. I saw the tears of the small snake kids, Zaon¡¯s doubts about the future, the bravery of the tiny harpy Shu. I saw Elincia clenching her jaw to withstand the pain of her wounded leg to return faster to the orphanage.

    There was something I wasn¡¯t catching.

    ¡°The King¡¯s war machine can only be quenched with gold or blood, and orphan blood is cheaper than gold coins. We just take the surplus kids that can¡¯t be fed in the orphanages and send them to the Royal Army.¡± The Marquis taunted me.

    For an instant I didn¡¯t believe what I heard. The Marquis was sending orphans to their certain death just to avoid paying the royal war tax.

    ¡°In any case, they are given a chance to survive but the Farlands are a treacherous enemy. Even if they die, they are doing a great service to the prosperity of Farcrest, and the realm.¡± The Marquis said with a predatory smile, then, he got comfortable in the throne, awaiting my answer.

    ¡°A cunning solution for a tricky problem, milord.¡± I bit my tongue.

    The Marquis smiled full of himself, thinking he had secured a nice present for the royal family while outsmarting me in front of the court. The courtiers spoke of how benevolent the Marquis was for offering me a recommendation letter. But the mere idea of leaving Elincia and her kids to their fate made me want to puke.

    ¡°I can¡¯t accept the letter of recommendation, milord.¡± I raised my voice, catching the attention of the whole courtroom.

    The Marquis¡¯ face fell apart.

    ¡°If you accept my proposal, you will be a Sage in no time. You will be freed of the shackles of a support class once and for all.¡± The Marquis couldn''t hide the venom in his words.

    My heart still yearned to accept the recommendation letter, travel to the Imperial Library, and become a spellcaster. But I couldn¡¯t accept it. My new titles reminded me of how I felt years ago when I was a young and idealistic teacher. I felt like I could change the world for myself and for others and no matter how naive it was, I wanted to preserve that feeling.

    ¡°I can¡¯t accept the letter. The System made me a Scholar, and a Scholar I shall remain until it decides otherwise. Trying to change that unnaturally goes against my oaths. I hope you can understand.¡± I said, praying that invoking the System would save me from the Marquis¡¯s wrath.

    ¡°Then you are a fool. We have nothing more to discuss, get out of my sight.¡± The Marquis growled and I felt the captain¡¯s iron grip closing around my arm. She dragged me out of the room. As soon as the gates closed behind us, she let me go.

    ¡°That¡¯s the biggest shitshow I have seen in a while, congratulations. The Marquis is going to hold a grudge.¡± Captain Kiln said as she signaled one of the guards to grab my backpack. My heart raced inside my chest but at least I was outside the courtroom with my head still glued to my body.

    ¡°Today I remembered something I had forgotten long ago.¡± I said as Captain Kiln walked me, or rather pushed me, back to the main entrance.

    ¡°And what is that?¡± The woman inquired, now more intrigued in my person than ever.

    ¡°I used to have strong ideals at some point in my life, might as well start following them.¡± I extended my hand, offering her the two silver coins she had lent me. ¡°These are yours.¡±

    ¡°You are going to need them if you are going to do what I am thinking.¡± Captain Kiln said, pushing me through the door. The guardsmen at the gates glanced at me with amused expressions. It seemed that not every day the Captain kicked some random dude out of the Great Hall.

    Despite her treatment, I noticed an approving look in her eyes. She took the money and put it into her pocket. I was having a hard time reading the woman. Was she loyal to the Marquis or did she have her own honor code?

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a rumor I heard the other day.¡± Captain Kiln grabbed me by the jacket and drew me near to her so nobody else could hear. ¡°Someone had been threatening lower nobility to not donate money and the merchants to not deal with orphanage owners. Do you understand what I am saying?¡±

    I nodded in silence. The Marquis wanted to starve the orphanages so the kids had to join the army early. What I couldn¡¯t understand was why the captain of the city guard shared that information with me.

    ¡°Lay low. Stay out of trouble, stay out of the Marquis¡¯ sights.¡± Captain Kiln whispered as she turned around and returned to the Great Hall, leaving me in the middle of the main street.

    Before the guardsmen could push me away from the gates, I turned around and entered the busy market knowing exactly what I had to do.

 13 - Haggler Extraordinaire

    Captain Kiln was right about her assessment of me, I was returning to the orphanage, to hell with consequences. I walked away from the Great Hall and into the market, cursing my pride. Captain Kiln was also right about my monetary situation; in terms of money, I was going to need a lot of money.

    I nibbled my thumb¡¯s nail, thinking about my next step. If Captain Kiln was telling the truth about the Marquis¡¯ intentions to block aid for the kids, I needed to secure food before merchants could link me to the orphanage.

    ¡°Small town, big trouble, I guess.¡± I said as I gingerly held on to my two remaining silver coins.  Not knowing the purchasing power of money was an invitation for scalpers and scammers alike and I couldn''t afford to be careless.

    Once again, I was ill prepared for the task ahead. At least, Elincia had taught me the names of most things traded at the market and to count up to fifty. I wandered around the colorful market, asking for prices and haggling without buying anything.

    Shopping was like fencing, before delivering the finishing blow one had to measure the opponent. As much as I wanted to buy a sack of flour and some yeast to make delicious bread, the price was prohibitive. I had to find foods rich in nutrients and calories for the lowest price possible.

    [Awareness]: The vendor is getting mad.

    The vendor, the medieval equivalent of Sam from Sam¡¯s Outdoors but with even more facial hair, glared at me as I asked the tenth question. It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize I was taking too much time in front of the stall without buying anything. The further from the Great Hall, the lower the prices were so I said goodbye and went on.

    Fruits and vegetables were curiously similar to the ones back on Earth. The fish were exotic, and they came in all shapes and colors. Peculiar caged animals, similar to chickens and small wooly pigs were also displayed for sale. There were other products even more conspicuous to my otherworldly eye. Potions of all colors, enchanted adventurer gear, and magical gadgets. I was about to buy a potion that allegedly could change the color of my hair but I stopped at the last moment and ran away from the stall, wondering if the woman had cast some strange skill on me.

    When I was far enough, and sure I wasn¡¯t under any mind-controlling skill, I stopped to ponder over my findings. A silver coin could be traded for twelve copper coins, which in turn could be exchanged for twenty iron chips. Each iron chip was roughly equivalent to a standard roofing nail.

    We were technically exchanging construction materials, which kinda made sense considering iron was the main material for weapons and tools.

    After an hour of wandering around, and with the help of my [Identify] skill, I had put together a list of interesting food items at reasonable prices. Flour was the foundation of Farcrest cuisine and even low grade varieties were on the expensive side of things. Green peas, carrots, potatoes and squash seemed the way to go if I wanted to feed a small army of orphans other than watery soup.

    Back on Earth, the pioneers of modern education not only had to fight against truancy and illiteracy, but also against the lack of infrastructure, malnutrition and the lack of sanitary standards.

    There was a silver lining though. The people of Firecrest were quite healthy for medieval commoners standards. Magical medicine was truly a miracle in a world without vaccines or antibiotics. One less concern for me, now I just needed the coin to buy huge amounts of food, and the only way to quickly make money that came to mind was selling the items I had brought from Earth.

    My inquiry guided me to a place called ¡®Erebar¡¯s General Store¡¯. It was a nice store near the intersection of the two main streets whose window showed a great variety of products. Inside the store was tidy and well illuminated by what I supposed was magically enhanced skylights.

    ¡°Good evening, traveler, and welcome to Erebar¡¯s General Store. I¡¯m Erebar, at your service.¡± The man greeted me with a merchant¡¯s smile on his face.

    As much as the citizens of Farcrest had pointed him out as an honest man, I didn¡¯t let my guard down.

    ¡±Are you looking for something in particular? Traveling gear maybe?¡±

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m in need of money. I have some camping equipment to sell and have heard you bought all kinds of stuff.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Then you came to the right place, we are always looking for more inventory. Please come with me.¡± Erebar called a woman to take care of the counter and guided me through a lateral door into a simple storeroom with a table and two chairs under a wide window. I left my backpack by my side and sat down while Erebar retrieved an accounting book from a shelf.

    I put my pot, hatchet and knife on the table. Erebar examined the items and he didn''t look too surprised.

    ¡°These are made of a metal that resists rust.¡± I explained as the man weighed them.

    ¡°These are good and all but we are not short of tools in Firecrest.¡± Erebar replied, leaving my loot on the table.

    ¡°Let me show you some other items.¡± I said nervously.

    Next I presented my ferro-rod and my scarf. Thank God Elincia hadn¡¯t bled over it. Erebar was surprised by the elasticity of the fabric and the ease with which the ferro-rod sparkled. I hoped I might be able to earn good money for them.

    ¡°These are common but quite unique items. The market for exotic items is small in Firecrest but I might be able to convince a noble to purchase them¡­ after a good wash, of course. Maybe a silver for the spark rod and two silver for the scarf.¡± Erebar scratched his beard as he fell into deep thought. Then he skimmed through the accounting book and marked a page.

    ¡°I have two more items you could consider exotic.¡± I grinned as I went through my backpack. Five silver coins was still too low to feed a small army of orphans for a prolonged period of time. I needed at least a few gold coins.

    I left my swiss army knife on the table and returned to my backpack where I pulled out my ruined shirt. Erebar looked at it with a mix of confusion and disbelief.

    ¡°Not the shirt, the buttons.¡± I said.

    Pulling out the knife I freed the buttons from the shirt. As expected, Erebar was more interested in the swiss army knife than in the pearlescent buttons but I acted like I didn''t notice. I didn¡¯t want to part with it but given the case I had to do it.

    ¡°These are not made of wood, nor bone, nor metal, nor precious stone. A joint effort of tinkerers and alchemists from my land to create a material that doesn¡¯t age.¡± I announced putting the set of buttons on the table.

    Erebar examined the buttons with a special magnifying glass.

    ¡°They are surprisingly light and yet they feel very resistant.¡± Erebar forgot about the multitool for an instant.

    ¡°If you hit them too hard they will break. However, they will not age unless you leave them under the sun for extended periods of time.¡± I explained. There was nothing similar to plastic in this world so they could be worth something. At least I hoped so.

    ¡°Not sure I could sell this. Our court is too small to find someone wanting to buy a set of rare buttons for their clothing when there are already golden and jeweled buttons.¡± Erebar left the buttons on the table and slid them back to me. ¡°You must understand that keeping things in inventory for too long is bad for business. However, I think I could quickly find a buyer for that peculiar knife you have there.¡±

    Maybe it was time to start getting aggressive. I pushed the rest of my belongings to the side and presented the red multitool to the merchant.

    ¡°As you so well realized, this is not a mere knife.¡± I said, pulling out each of the hidden tools. Blade, corkscrew, scissors, screwdriver, hook, tweezers, a small magnifying glass, saw, pliers, file, and spork. Erebar¡¯s eyes widened as I progressively revealed the tools.

    ¡°It''s a one of a kind custom tool made of stainless steel so as long as you keep it away from excessive water and moisture it doesn¡¯t need too much maintenance.¡± I left the knife in the middle of the table for the merchant to examine it.

    Despite the fact I had bought the Swiss Army knife as a memento, I could almost hear my father¡¯s voice in my ear telling me it was only a knife. He was a practical man.

    ¡°The corkscrew is quite an addition.¡± The merchant scratched his beard. I saw the gears moving inside his brain as he pictured the perfect buyer; probably some sort of noble akin to life outdoors.

    ¡°I can offer you one gold and two silver for the weird knife.¡± The merchant tucked in the corkscrew and gave me the knife back.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? The magnifying glass by itself costs a gold coin.¡± I returned the multitool to my backpack and [Awareness] notified me that the merchant followed my movement with his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m open to a counteroffer.¡± The merchant opened his hands.

    ¡°The whole lot for five pieces of gold. And no, I¡¯m not going to part ways with the multitool alone.¡± I firmly replied.

    ¡°Four gold and four silver for the lot.¡±

    ¡°Four and eight.¡±

    ¡°Four and six.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡± I grinned as I extended my hand to the merchant. He looked at it for a moment before realizing I expected him to reciprocate. After that, he retrieved a small chest of coins and I asked to be paid in silver and copper. When the merchant asked me why, I replied I liked to feel my coin pouch heavy. He laughed and complied with my request.

    ¡°If you bring more strange items from wherever you are, don¡¯t hesitate to contact me.¡± Herebar said. ¡°But next time I will not let you fleece me.¡±

    I went out into the street with my heart racing, haggling was not something I used to do often back on Earth but it was more exciting than I expected. However, haggling wasn¡¯t the sole reason behind my excitement. In spite of the circumstances, I had regained my long lost motivation. Maybe I wasn¡¯t going to become a Sage anytime soon nor I was going to be capable of casting spells, but I felt like the idealistic youngster I once was.

    I whistled down the road to the food market knowing perfectly well that I was getting ahead of myself. With Holst''s betrayal, there was the possibility Elincia wouldn''t want any Scholar near the orphanage. But Elincia also said I was welcome any time.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing this to impress her.¡± I muttered to myself. In a sense, I was acting like my mother; always getting ahead of herself to help people that maybe didn¡¯t want help. The only difference was that she was truly a saint and I was just an idealistic dude.

    You have obtained Denial Lv.5. Temporary.

    ¡°Come on! What¡¯s wrong with trying to look cool?! I don¡¯t do it to impress other people, I do it for myself!¡± I yelled to the sky, in English, of course, attracting worried glances from nearby pedestrians and vegetable sellers. A weirdly clothed man yelling in a strange language wasn¡¯t something happening on a daily basis in Farcrest.

    I started my odyssey through the market. For the modicum price of two copper, I was able to get a handcart with a beat up wheel. I bought four heavy sacks of potatoes, two sacks of green peas, two sacks of carrots, and an absurd amount of squash. I also found barley at a great price and, after taking a small risk and telling a certain old lady I was buying provisions for the orphanage, she made an excellent offer for rye flour. Another woman gifted me a small sack of oregano and another sack of thyme after spending a solid gold in her store.

    [Awareness] was doing God¡¯s work by helping me measure up the vendors. The Marquis¡¯ plan shouldn¡¯t be completely implemented because every time I hinted I was buying for the orphanage, I got something extra out of the deal. Still, I did make sure to not say anything in front of the guards.

    After securing enough calories for the body to function properly, I focused on the task of finding food rich in nutrients. I bought broccoli, garlic, onions, and spinach, but not in as much quantity as the rest of the foods because I was getting low on money and I wanted to have an emergency fund.

    I looked with yearning for chili peppers, salt, olive oil, refined sugar, and black pepper. But those prices were painful to even look at. I pushed my cart through the edge market more out of curiosity than anything else. While I had already bought enough food for a while, I was also curious about what else I could find.

    Before reaching the end of the market I had secured some cured ham from a good soul that overheard my conversation about the orphanage, an enormous wheel of cheese, and smoked bird meat. There was a lot of food in the cart but there were even more mouths in the orphanage.

    After inquiring about the prices of living animals (I thought that maybe a family of chickens or a small pig could be a sensible acquisition), I struck gold. By the end of the market I found a young man, almost a kid, sitting in the back of his cart looking overwhelmed. In front of him was an open sack with the ultimate survival food. Beans.

    I walked directly to the bean vendor with a radiant smile on my face.

    ¡°Don''t these cause flatulence?¡± I struck first and decisively.

    I had never made a grown man cry before, and this time I almost did.

    ¡°Beans cause flatulence, but not this kind of bean. Their skin is so tender that it will not cause any form of discomfort.¡± The man replied with a defeated voice. ¡°Aren Vesta, traveling merchant from far away at your service.¡±

    ¡°Well, Aren Vesta, I never had a plate of beans that hasn¡¯t turned into a nocturnal sonata.¡± I shrugged my shoulders as the man crumbled like a jenga tower. ¡°But I could use some beans to build a rattle, so I might buy some.¡±

    The man¡¯s face lightened. My intuition was on point; this poor soul was dying to sell his stock.

    ¡°How many sacks?¡± Aren Vesta said with a wishful tone.

    I had to hold my laugh, compared to Erebar, this merchant had a long way to go.

    ¡°A small sack is okay. A rattle doesn¡¯t require that much filler.¡± I replied and the merchant deflated like a balloon.

    You have obtained Sadistic Haggler Lv.1. Temporary.

    ¡°Rough day?¡± I started to feel bad for the merchant and it wasn¡¯t entirely because of my new status. He seemed to be about to cry.

    ¡°Damned be the System¡­ I¡¯m a traveling merchant stranded here until I manage to sell this blasted cargo. Every second that I¡¯m here is a lost copper coin.¡± The man whined. ¡°I need to liquidate my assets to buy new goods to sell in other cities. I should¡¯ve listened to the guildmaster and dealt with salt and iron.¡±

    I was really starting to feel bad for him.

    ¡°Look, what about an exchange?¡± I rummaged through my backpack for items discarded by Erebar. There wasn''t much left of value. As we were the same size, we exchanged shoes. He was ecstatic about the comfort, flexibility, and looks to the point he just laughed every time he gave a step. I offered him my blanket and compass.

    ¡°Despite the weight It¡¯s really warm. I will be able to put it to good use.¡± He pointed out to focus on the compass. ¡°Is this magical? Will it run out of magic juice anytime soon?¡±

    ¡°It has a magnetite stone inside or something like that, it will not run out.¡± I replied. ¡°And if you form a dome with your hands, you will see it glow in the dark.¡±

    The young merchant elicited a short shrieking sound.

    ¡°I might be able to sell this in the guild and not incur any losses.¡± The merchant cradled the compass in his hands as if it was the most precious thing in the world.

    ¡°So, how much does this get me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Take it all, I don¡¯t care. I was going to dump them anyway.¡± The merchant laughed.

    ¡°If you want to import beans into Firecrest again next year I¡¯ll happily buy them.¡± I offered my hand to the merchant and he stretched it with gusto. Then, he helped me to rearrange my cart¡¯s load and we parted ways.

    The bean dealer blew kisses to me from the top of his cart until he got lost down the road. At last, I was ready to go back to the orphanage.

    I didn¡¯t take two steps when I realized why Aren Vesta was so happy with my shoes. Medieval footwear was utter and complete crap. After a hundred paces my heels felt like ripe avocados, and by the time I reached the orphanage the only thing I wanted to do was cut off my feet. I pushed my cart up the street as the afternoon sun projected a reddish color over Farcrest¡¯s sky.

    I stopped in front of the iron gate. The orphanage looked empty.

    ¡°We are not interested in buying vegetables. We don¡¯t have money so you can try your luck elsewhere.¡± A sassy small girl emerged from behind a clump of small trees. The way she spoke in an articulate manner made me think she was older than she looked.

    The girl had short brown hair, delicate features, and light blue eyes. At each side of her head protruded two pointy ears almost horizontally. Most notably, her skin was of a pale light blue color.

    The severity with which she put her hands on her hips reminded me of Elincia. I had to suffocate a laugh. I was about to explain to her that I was no vegetable vendor when Zaon appeared from the corner of the building followed by a small army of malnourished orphans.

    ¡°Found you, Ilya!¡± Zaon said.

    The green scaled snake-folk kid tumbled his way to the small girl and grabbed onto her shirt. I realized I haven¡¯t heard the snake kids saying a word.

    ¡°Go back inside, there is a suspicious man at the gate!¡± The light-blue skinned girl ordered. Instead of obeying, the group of small kids followed Zaon through the front yard. Zaon glanced at me like he saw a ghost.

    I smiled at him and waved.

    ¡°He is not a suspicious man, you mudbrained gnome! That¡¯s Mister Clarke!¡± Zaon quickly opened the gate and herded the group of orphans out of the way so I could enter with the cart.

    ¡°Him?! This ordinary man? This cabbage vendor? If you would¡¯ve lifted me up I could¡¯ve seen him with my own eyes.¡± Ilya studied me as I pushed the cart into the front yard. I acted like I didn''t hear her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you are the size of a green onion! Now, apologize.¡± Zaon chastised her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for calling you an ordinary man, Mister Clarke.¡± The gnome girl stared down at her worn-out shoes.

    ¡°There is no need to apologize, you did well scaring away a stranger. Safety always comes first.¡± I tried to reassure her. Ilya nodded, proud of herself. ¡°And you, Zaon. Is it okay to allow an outsider like me in the orphanage without Elincia¡¯s knowledge?¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s okay, Mister Clarke is a trustworthy person.¡± Zaon nodded very sure of himself.

    ¡°Well, thanks I guess.¡± I sighed, not sure if I was deserving of such trust. ¡°Where can I park this cart?¡±

    Zaon and Ilya guided me through the front yard and around the manor into the back. As we turned the corner, I came face to face with Shu, the sleepy harpy girl that used a pillow cover as a dress. She slowly walked towards us, having difficulties moving faster due to her long talons.

    Shu looked at me and nodded.

    ¡°I knew you would come back.¡± She said with unusual confidence, then, she raised her arms for me to grab her. I deposited her over a bean sack and between two squashes and continued pushing through the backyard.

    ¡°Where is Miss Rosebud by the way?¡± I asked as we reached a shed they used as a wood reservoir.

    ¡°She went out to get food and still hasn¡¯t come back. But she will be here before dinner for sure.¡± Ilya answered.

    ¡°Shall we prepare something to eat to surprise Miss Rosebud?¡± I asked the group and received a unanimous nod and a few chuckles for using the forbidden word. ¡°Well, everyone get something from the cart you want to eat and bring it to the kitchen.¡±

    The orphans obeyed diligently. Each one grabbed a bunch of vegetables and walked in line into the manor. Zaon shouldered a heavier sack of barley and Ilya embraced a big squash. Out of nowhere, one of the snake-folk kids walked in front of me with a potato in each hand and an extra one half inside his mouth. He looked at me, nodded and followed the rest of the orphans. He looked just like a snake eating an oversized egg.

    ¡°Are you ready, Shu?¡± I asked.

    She nodded in return and I lifted her and the broccoli bundle she had seized. I headed into the orphanage wondering what Elincia would say when she found me there.

 14- Robs Stone Soup

    The manor¡¯s kitchen was a large space that could easily accommodate a fifteen member team. From the walls hung all kinds of pans, pots, and other utensils I couldn¡¯t quite recognize. There was a metal stove, a stone oven, a large counter, and a water barrel. In the corner of the room there was a firewood basket. Everything was worn down and somewhat battered, but the kitchen was well supplied all things considered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the food, you distract the little ones.¡± Ilya told Zaon. They must have been the ones who kept the orphanage going during Elincia¡¯s absence. I felt sorry for them, taking care of a large group of children was a heavy burden for two barely pubescent kids.

    ¡°That will not be necessary.¡± I intervened, adopting my best educator¡¯s voice; loud enough for everyone in the room to hear it while projecting authority without sounding bossy. ¡°I think Miss Rosebud would appreciate it if we all worked together to prepare her a nice meal.¡±

    I used Elincia¡¯s last name on purpose, they seemed amused when I called her Miss Rosebud instead of Miss Elincia. The little ones giggled and we exchanged a complicit smile.

    ¡°Mister Clarke isn¡¯t going to cook, surely.¡± Zaon stuttered. ¡°You are a Scholar, sir.¡±

    ¡°Why not? Scholars are perfectly capable of cooking like anyone else.¡± I replied with a conciliatory smile as I washed my hands in the water basin. I missed modern plumbing but I doubted I could do anything about that in the short term.

    ¡°Mister Holst said cooking was a lowly task unworthy of an advanced class like a Scholar.¡± Ilya said as she opened a cupboard to retrieve a tall cooking pot almost her size.

    ¡°A self-respecting Scholar has to experiment with all sciences and techniques, including cooking.¡± I replied, grabbing the gigantic pot from Ilya¡¯s hands and putting it onto the stove. Zaon, as usual, was fascinated with my behavior. Ilya on the other hand, seemed suspicious of me but kept silent and vigilant.

    ¡°All right!¡± I said, loudly clapping my hands. ¡°Ilya is going to help you wash your hands while Zaon lights the stove. It¡¯s forbidden to come close to the pot while the fire is lit.¡±

    The kitchen stopped for a second and I felt the orphan¡¯s brains trying to determine if I had enough authority to command them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± Shu yelled as she walked with hesitant steps to the water basin, making her characteristic clacking sound against the floorboards. Not an instant elapsed when the rest of the orphans rushed into a messy line in front of the basin, leaving Shu almost in the last place. As always, she didn¡¯t seem to worry.

    ¡°Remember to scrub a lot! When cooking your hands should be clean from germs otherwise you will get sick!¡± I said, feeling profoundly grateful to the harpy kid. No matter how good my intentions were or how deep my knowledge was, without the cooperation of the students I couldn¡¯t do much. As they said, the difference between a madman and a prophet was that a prophet had followers.

    ¡°You truly are different from Mister Holst.¡± Zaon said as he grabbed the firewood and rekindled the fire.

    ¡°Thanks, Zaon. You are too kind.¡± I replied with an innocent grin that made the boy flush. I was not going to openly trash talk Holst in front of the orphans but Zaon had to understand Holst¡¯s words weren¡¯t absolute. With time, false teachings turned into shackles and I was worried Zaon couldn¡¯t get rid of the presuppositions he harbored about commoners and nobles.

    Preconceived notions were a hard weed to eradicate, their roots grew deeper the more time they remained untouched. Once again I was getting ahead of myself. First I had to cook a nice meal, then speak with Elincia, and only then find out if I could remain at the orphanage.

    I found a cutting board and a nice knife and waited for the orphans to finish washing their hands.

    ¡°Alright people, please take the ingredient you chose and make two rows. Mister Clarke row and Ilya row.¡± I clapped sonorously once again. Forming rows was never as easy as it sounded. In a new classroom even the easiest of tasks had to be explained and demonstrated several times before kids could follow the instructions. This time, every orphan wanted to be in my row but after a minute of explaining and rearranging, I could form two similar lines.

    ¡°Ilya and I are going to clean, peel, and cut your ingredients. Then we are going to give them back to you on a plate and you will wait sitting on the table.¡± I explained the next step. ¡°Without eating the ingredients!¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    One by one, the orphans gave me their chosen ingredients. Potatoes, carrots, onions, handfuls of peas, barley and the occasional garlic. I cut a slice of squash that turned into small squares, then I cut half a cabbage and turned it into thin slices. The orphans were entranced by the speed at which I manipulated the knife.

    Bachelor life came with its own perks.

    ¡°Remember not to eat the ingredients yet!¡± I threw a quick glance to the kitchen tables and various pairs of hands disappeared under it. As hungry as the kids were, I couldn¡¯t speed things up without a pressure cooker. When we had all the ingredients ready, I passed to the second stage.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to choose my ingredients now.¡± I announced walking to the pile of food I had unloaded. There were still sacks of beans, potatoes and squashes in the cart outside that needed to be stored. I pulled a smoked drumstick from the pile and cut it into small pieces, almost shredding it.  Meanwhile, I asked Zaon to cut a slice of butter and threw it into the pot.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure this is a great idea.¡± Ilya voiced her concerns as she finished cutting the ingredients from her row. ¡°How can you make soup with random ingredients? It¡¯s going to taste foul.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a possibility.¡± I admitted just to be met with a look of distrust. Ilya was undoubtedly a miniature version of Elincia. ¡°Still, I think it¡¯s going to taste good.¡±

    I put the poultry in the pot and the butter started sizzling.

    ¡°Everyone who has garlic or onions please come forward.¡± I announced with a festive voice. Instantly, a small group of orphans approached me with their ingredients. One by one I raised them so they could put the ingredients in the pot. I stirred and a pleasant smell invaded the kitchen. I seasoned the mix with the gifted spices and let it turn brown.

    ¡°Zaon, would you fill it halfway with water?¡±

    The water sizzled as the elf kid poured it into the pot. The scent subsided after a while but the orphans were enthralled with the process. I let it simmer for a while.

    ¡°Now the squash, the potatoes and the carrots!¡±

    Another line of orphans formed in front of me, ready to pour their ingredients in the mix. Both snakefolk kids had chosen potatoes while the harpy girl had a sizable amount of squash. It seemed she had retracted from her initial pick. One by one, I lifted the younger orphans or helped the older ones to climb into the stool to pour their ingredients into the water.

    It was my first time cooking barley so I poured it with the potatoes and added a bit more water. Then I put the lid on and waited. Meanwhile, Zaon set the table and Ilya gave me furtive glances when she thought I wasn¡¯t looking. I opened the windows because the kitchen was getting too hot and I caught a shadow no taller than Zaon running around the corner of the manor.

    A shy orphan? Zaon¡¯s words previously that day had made me think that there were more than two older orphans in the orphanage. In my experience, the older the students were the harder it was to gain their trust. Small kids just assumed having an adult in charge was the natural order of things.

    ¡°Should I add more water?¡± Zaon asked.

    The soup tasted good to me, even if it was light on salt, but the orphans might be used to stretching the meals as much as possible.

    ¡°I leave it to your own judgment.¡± I replied, stepping back from the stove.

    ¡°B-but sir, you are in charge. I-I couldn''t¡­ I¡¯m just¡­ Y-you¡­¡± Zaon¡¯s stuttering intensified and the fear of making a mistake reflected in his eyes. I was starting to understand what was the overall situation in the orphanage. Holst probably was the kind of teacher who harshly punished mistakes, which, for a teacher, was a rookie mistake.

    ¡°Ilya, call when to add the greens.¡± The only kids who hadn¡¯t poured their ingredients were the ones who had chosen cabbage and spinach. Just like Zaon, she wasn¡¯t happy. However, she was capable of voicing her concerns.

    ¡°You are entrapping us.¡± Ilya retreated out of my range. ¡°No matter what decision we choose, it is going to be the wrong one and you will hit us with a wooden rod.¡±

    ¡°I-Ilya, don¡¯t say that to Mister Clarke.¡± Zaon rushed to help me, covering the gnome girl¡¯s mouth with his hand.

    ¡°Physical punishment isn¡¯t among my repertoire of tricks, Ilya.¡± I casually said, while ignoring the fact that physical punishment was the top item on my growing list of things to do to Holst if I ever got my hands on him.

    ¡°But you are a Scholar, like Holst.¡± Ilya replied.

    Our discussion ended because all of a sudden the kitchen¡¯s door slammed open, revealing an agitated half-elf with a big old cabbage under one arm and a loaf of stale rye bread in the other.

    ¡°Holst?!¡± Elincia almost yelled as she struggled to speak. There was a hint of fear in her eyes. The cabbage fell from her arms and rolled across the kitchen floor and the room fell in complete silence.

    ¡°Addressing a teacher without using ¡®mister¡¯ is disrespectful.¡± Shu pointed out, jumping off her stool and chasing the cabbage.

    Elincia¡¯s eyes jumped from the pile of food over the counter to me, then to the boiling pot and to the pile of food again. I let her have her time to process the situation.

    ¡°Can I have a word with you, Mister Clarke?¡± Elincia¡¯s face was impenetrable but I could guess she was experiencing a wave of emotions that were hard to contain. My respect for her grew as she kept to herself whatever she was feeling.

    ¡°I would love to.¡± I said, passing the wooden spoon to the gnome girl. ¡°You are in charge, Ilya.¡±

 15 - Showing the hand

    ¡°You are in charge, Ilya.¡± I handed the wooden spoon to the gnome girl and followed Elincia out of the kitchen. She guided me through the long corridor with a view to the inner courtyard into the sleeping quarters. As I followed her, I was able to take a look at the orphanage¡¯s small farm. The state of the plants was pitiful and I couldn¡¯t see any yields.

    Elincia guided me into her bedroom, leaving the door open. As I hesitated about leaving it open or not, she crossed the room and collapsed on her bed. I decided to close it.

    ¡°I know I said you were always welcome here but¡­ what the fuck.¡± Elincia threw daggers at me with her eyes.

    From all kinds of reactions, I wasn¡¯t expecting this one.

    She might have seen something on my face because she quickly apologized.

    ¡°Sorry, I''m just scared. If something looks too good it¡¯s probably a scam or a trap¡­ not saying you are a grifter or anything.¡± Elincia said as she sat on the bed and buried her face in her hands.

    After a moment, she raised again. Her eyes were red and her nose runny. Despite what she had said before parting ways, she didn¡¯t seem to have things under control.

    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I tentatively asked.

    Evidently, nothing was okay.

    ¡°No, I have failed as a governess. The orphanage is going through a crisis, winter is coming, we barely have any food left, and I think Holst sabotaged us before leaving¡­ but that¡¯s none of your business. You should be on a caravan traveling to the capital right now.¡± Elincia sniffled and wiped her nose with the sleeve of her shirt before taking a deep breath. It was the first time I had seen Elincia so vulnerable. She seemed to be at the brink of breaking down.

    ¡°Holst sabotaged the orphanage? What happened?¡± I asked, wondering if I should sit by Elincia¡¯s side at the bed or at the desk. I went to the desk.

    My findings about the Marquis intentions had to wait.

    The sun was about to disappear behind the mountains and the sky was dyed red and purple. Elincia hesitated for a moment but in the end she took a deep breath and spoke sincerely.

    ¡°I think Holst ruined our farm and released our chickens on purpose before leaving.¡±

    It was like opening up a cork. Elincia started speaking and didn¡¯t stop. She explained to me how Holst had ordered the older orphans to stop taking care of the farm under the excuse of renovating the garden. Within the same timeframe, the chickens had mysteriously disappeared from the coop, even if the birds didn¡¯t leave the manor grounds even when they roamed free.

    Slowly, a picture formed in my mind. The words of the Marquis, the warning from Captain Kiln. Even without [Awareness] the pieces of the puzzle fall in place with ease. If I was right, Holst¡¯s betrayal ran deeper than Elincia imagined.

    ¡°You morally bankrupt motherfucker!¡± I suddenly jumped on my feet.

    Elincia gave me a quizzical look and I realized I was cursing in English. My mastery over Common wasn¡¯t so thorough for me to elicit a satisfactory curse. Cursing in one¡¯s native tongue just hits differently.

    ¡°Royal tax collection is soon, isn''t it?¡± I sat down abruptly, making the chair whine under my weight.

    ¡°Next week. Why?¡± Elincia replied.

    ¡°You are not going to like hearing this but, I think the Marquis want to force the orphans to get into the army.¡± I said.

    Then, I told Elincia about what had happened during my visit to the Great Hall. About the Marquis¡¯ scheme to avoid taxes by using orphans as a bargaining chip. About the warning Captain Kiln had given me before kicking me out of the Great Hall. Elincia kept quiet, nodding from time to time as I told her the story. I decided to not tell her about the letter of recommendation I had turned down for the sake of staying in Farcrest.

    When I finished the story, she just nodded.

    ¡°It all makes sense now. Holst is the Marquis¡¯ cousin, of course he knew what the Marquis was plotting. They were accomplices!¡± Elincia jumped from her bed and walked in circles around the room like an imprisoned cat. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t make sense. The army can only conscript people with classes and the kids aren¡¯t fifteen yet. They can¡¯t legally take them.¡±

    Elincia suddenly stopped.

    ¡°The Marquis is probably betting you are willing to let orphans go to reduce the amount of mouths to feed.¡± I said, closing my eyes and massaging my temples in a vain attempt to calm myself.

    The Marquis was contesting the first spot in my list of mortal enemies. It was almost poetic, two shotgun shells, two flimsy excuses of human beings to be deleted from God¡¯s green Earth. Or it was System¡¯s green world on this side of the portal?

    ¡°Motherfucker! I¡¯m gonna kill him! No. I¡¯m gonna slaughter him!¡± Elincia kicked a stool across the room and let out a small scream of pain and frustration.

    That was more like the Elincia I knew, however, violence wasn¡¯t going to bring anything good to the orphanage. Not with the Marquis sights on us. I scratched my chin, deep in thought. The royal tax collection was in a week, which meant the Marquis was going to try to abduct them and conscript them into the army sooner than later.

    Taking the older kids to the Farlands until past the tax collection period might be an option. I let [Awareness] fill my brain with information, opening avenues of thought I couldn¡¯t open by myself. Could the kids survive in the Farlands? Did they have any useful skills? Could they even learn skills before getting a Class?

    As my eyes met Elincia¡¯s, I pulled back the reins on [Awareness]. Once again, I was getting ahead of myself trying to solve a problem that wasn¡¯t my responsibility. Maybe the problem was mine to solve from a moral perspective but in the practice, Elincia was the one calling the shots. It was her orphanage and her kids after all.

    ¡°The Marquis is going to try to take the kids from us.¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t think he will come in person, but he might send guardsmen here. You know, guardsmen with actual combat classes unlike us.¡±

    Elincia didn¡¯t hesitate a second.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m going to shoot every guard through the skull, one by one, until there is no one left.¡± Elincia barked back at me as she continued to walk from side to side like a caged feline.

    Something on Elincia¡¯s face told me she was absolutely prepared to fight to the last consequences. Despite the fire in her eyes and the violence oozing from her words, Elincia suddenly stopped. Something clicked inside her brain.

    ¡°Wait. Us? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Actually, I came here looking for a job.¡± I grinned. The prospect of wrecking Holst¡¯s plans only made the job even more desirable.

    Elincia opened her mouth to say something but closed it instantly. She looked like a fish out of the water. After being verbally mocked by the woman during the last few days, seeing her puzzled and disoriented expression was a sight for sore eyes.

    ¡°Denied. You are taking your scholarly ass to the Imperial Library.¡± Elincia stopped pacing around and sat across the desk. ¡°With all the mana you have you would be a powerful Sage very soon. Every support class dreams of becoming a combat class.¡±

    Suddenly, I was the one gaping like a fish out of the water.

    ¡°Bad news, Miss Governess. I turned down a recommendation letter from the Marquis itself so I¡¯d say that the bridge is already burnt.¡± I said with a defiant voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want to become a Sage. I want to teach.¡±

    Elincia gave me an irritated glance.

    ¡°More reasons to not employ you. First, you are an idiot. Second, you really are an idiot and your mother probably dropped you on your head when you were a baby.¡± Elincia crossed her arms and glared at me as if I had just insulted her whole maternal line up to the mitochondrial Eve of this world.

    Elincia was sweet in her own, strange way.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me, Elincia. I know the risks of staying at the orphanage.¡± I smiled.

    ¡°Who says I¡¯m worried about you?¡± Elincia replied defensively.

    I couldn¡¯t help myself but laugh at the situation. Despite both of us being adults, Elincia had decided I needed to be protected just like the rest of orphans. Watching her maternal sense in action felt strange considering her usually wild personality. It fit with her nonetheless.

    ¡°I would love to teach your kids, Elincia.¡± I said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have money to pay you a salary.¡± Elincia replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a salary, just a dry place to sleep.¡±

    ¡°The roof is leaking.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d sleep under the bed then.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Elincia finally asked.

    The sun had set behind the mountains and the bushes and trees outside the window casted shadows over the desk. I could barely see Elincia¡¯s expression anymore, just her shiny cat-like eyes.

    ¡°My father used to say the same thing to me over and over, everytime I acted like an idiot. ¡®Robert, you are a man not because of the thing that hangs between your legs but due to your actions¡¯.¡± I said.

    Elincia giggled. ¡°I like your father already.¡±

    ¡°The thing is, I can¡¯t go to the Imperial Library knowing what the Marquis is plotting, knowing that you are struggling, Elincia.¡±

    Elincia seemed to blush but I couldn¡¯t be sure with the shadows covering her face. I blushed too, despite how cool my words sounded in my mind, I couldn''t help but feel that the execution was on the lame side.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m listening. You have a plan, don¡¯t you?¡± Elincia said.

    She sounded cheerful?

    A plan was brewing in my mind indeed.

    ¡°I want to avoid the kid¡¯s conscription for good. I want to send them to the Imperial Knights Academy.¡± I said as a wide smile was drawn on my face.

    The idea had come to me after seeing Sir Janus whipping Lord Tirno¡¯s ass during the duel. If I could manage to get the orphans accepted at the Imperial Knights Academy, then they¡¯ll be safe from the Marquis¡¯ plans at least during their stay at the Academy.

    Elincia had to blink repeatedly before speaking.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°You lost your mind. No lowborn had passed the exams ever!¡±

    ¡°Sir Janus did.¡± I replied.

    Elincia embraced her shoulders as if she was protecting herself from something invisible. Her head fell into her chest and a cascade of platinum hair covered her face, only leaving her pointy ears visible.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t give me false hopes. Maybe Firana and Wolf would¡¯ve had a chance if they were properly trained, but Zaon and Ilya¡­ elves mature later than humans and gnomes aren¡¯t known for their combat capabilities.¡± Elincia shook her head, refusing to entertain any hope.

    ¡°With hard work and effective methods I believe it''s possible.¡± I cut her off with a stern voice. I felt the need to hug her but what she really needed was to understand my words. ¡°The Scholars of the City of Light have been discussing the optimal way of educating our kids for over two and a half millennia. During that time, we have discovered one or two truths about teaching.¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t know. You just appeared from thin air speaking about those grandiose things¡­ and I just don¡¯t know.¡± Elincia became small, sitting on the edge of the seat and clutching her own arms.

    I summoned my character sheet and tried to make it visible just like Abei had done with his. It was as easy as thinking about turning it around. In exchange, I felt like an idiot for not figuring it out earlier.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Scholar Lv.12

    Titles: Lonely Boy, Hot for Teacher, Confidant, Classroom Fiend, Favorite Teacher (96), Father Figure (2), Master Tutor, Silver Scholar, Delinquent Reformer (5), Stalwart Mentor (7), Role Model, Expert Mathematician, Expert Physicist, Adept Historian, Adept Linguist, Journeyman Biologist, Novice Chemist, Novice Orator.

    Passive: Swordsmanship Lv.5, Mana Manipulation, Awareness, Master of Languages.

    Skills: Identify, Stun Gaze.

    Status: Denial Lv.5 (Temporary), Sadistic Haggler Lv.1 (Temporary).

    ¡°Elincia, please, look at my titles. I know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± I pleaded, overlooking the fact that years had passed since the last time I entered a classroom as a teacher.

    Elincia obeyed, slowly raising her head and tucking her hair behind her ear. Elven ears seemed to be particularly efficient for hair holding but I stopped [Awareness] before it feeded me more useless information.

    ¡°So, you fell in love with one of your teachers?¡± Elincia asked in a shy voice.

    A rush of blood besieged my face.

    ¡°Please focus on my academic titles. Falling in love with a teacher is a Scholar thing, almost a mandatory part of our class.¡± I tried to deflect Elincia¡¯s attention, hoping the darkness of the room hid my blushing face.

    You have obtained Denial Lv.6. Temporary.

    ¡°Oh. It went up.¡± Elincia nonchalantly pointed out just to profusely apologize a second later after seeing my embarrassed expression.

    I immediately wished I knew how to hide information just like Abei had done when he showed me his character sheet. The man had shown me only his level and his titles.

    As Elincia continued reading my titles, she couldn¡¯t hide her surprise for long.

    ¡°Ninety-six instances of Favorite Teacher, Master Tutor, Silver Scholar AND Lv.5 Swordsmanship? What in the everloving System are you?¡± Elincia stood up and covered the distance that separated us to stare directly at my character sheet. She was so close I could feel her floral aroma.

    ¡°You are making me feel self conscious, lady.¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll show you my System Summary so we are even.¡± Elincia avoided my eyes despite how close we were. ¡°But only this once.¡±

    Name: Elincia Rosebud, Half-Elf (Light-Footed, Night Vision).

    Class: Alchemist Lv.26

    Titles: Governess, Wild Child, Bad Reputation, Loner, Copper Alchemist, Favorite Teacher (5)

    Passive: Archery Lv.3, Tracking Lv.5, Farsight Lv.1, Foraging Lv.5, Purify Water.

    Skills: Potion Crafting Lv.3, True Shot Lv.1, Piercing Shot Lv.1.

    Status: Hopelessness Lv.5 (Receding), Embarrassment Lv.2 (Temporary)

    Elincia¡¯s face quickly blushed and her eyes anxiously wandered across the room. I was tempted to use [Identify] on her titles for further detail but as suddenly as it had appeared, Elincia¡¯s character sheet disappeared.

    Only then I realized how intimate the moment had been. Intimate in a weird way, at least, like holding hands with your middle school crush for the first time.

    You have obtained Embarrassment Lv.1 Temporary. [Identify] If you show me yours, I''ll show you mine.

    As was already my custom, I ignored the System prompt and focused on Elincia¡¯s ¡®System Summary¡¯. Asking about her [Bad Reputation] title did not seem the most chivalrous thing to do given the circumstances.

    ¡°The Marquis is a prideful man. When he finds out we are trying to send the kids to the Imperial Academy he is going to try to stop us at all costs.¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°Have a little more confidence, Elincia. You have raised them well.¡± I replied.

    Zaon wasn¡¯t the only one with serious doubts about his own capabilities.

    Elincia let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Alright. I will employ you until the Imperial Academy exam. May the System guide us.¡± She tiredly smiled before speaking again.

    ¡°How much time do we have, by the way?¡±

    Elincia gave me a look of disbelief and I had to admit my plan had a few holes in it.

    ¡°All of autumn and winter. Zaon, Ilya, Firana, and Wolf will be fifteen by then, so this is our only chance.¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°Leave it in the hands of Robert ¡®Wendigo-slayer¡¯ Clarke and you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± I said with a radiant smile, not really knowing the origin of such confidence.

    Elincia rolled her eyes but ended up giggling.

    ¡°Alright, Mr Manly Man, let''s go back to the kitchen before the kids start suspecting anything.¡± She smiled back.

    As we entered the kitchen, we were illuminated by four washed-out orbs similar to the ones at the Marquis audience hall. The kids were sitting at the tables in complete silence, too focused on the food to notice our presence. Or maybe they saw us but didn¡¯t care about our grandiose entrance.

    Elincia elbowed me in silence and pointed at the snakefolk kids who sipped the soup directly from the bowl with their long snouts. Her smile was like summer, fresh breeze, and crystalline water. For the first time since I arrived at the orphanage, her face and shoulders relaxed, erasing for a moment her human heritage and bringing out her elven side.

    Despite her weary face, she was beautiful.

    I sat at the end of the table and Elincia put a bowl of steaming soup in front of me.

    Robert¡¯s Stone Soup. [Identify] Edible. Should¡¯ve supervised the hand washing better. It¡¯s warm.

    ¡°It boiled.¡± I shrugged my shoulders and dipped the wooden spoon.

    The soup was okay, it lacked proper seasoning and the taste of the poultry was so vague I had to close my eyes to even imagine it. Across the table, Elincia savored the soup as if it was the tastiest thing on earth. She closed her eyes and the corner of her lips raised in satisfaction.

    I guessed the soup wasn¡¯t that bad after all.

    Suddenly, Shu appeared next to us, bowl in hand. Her eyes were full of tears.

    ¡°This is the tastiest food I have ever eaten. Can I have more?¡± The harpy girl sniffed.

    ¡°Of course, sweety.¡± Elincia replied, grabbing the bowl from Shu¡¯s hands and walking towards the pot. ¡°You are quite the cook, Mister Clarke.¡±

    ¡°It was a joint effort, everyone helped with the ingredients.¡± I replied, giving due credit to everyone involved in the activity. The orphans seemed to awaken from their lethargy and started naming the ingredients they had chosen out loud.

    Elincia smiled and handed out compliments about the picks of every orphan. I limited myself to observing, fading away into the background. Elincia, the governess, was gentle, warm, and kind. She had a caress or friendly word for every orphan. And the kids seemed to adore her.

    Most of the orphans wanted seconds so Elincia had to pour more water into the mix.

    As the orphans demolished the second plate, they started to doze off in their seats. Despite being well past their bedtime, some of them were still stubbornly gripping their spoons as their heads wobbled back and forth.

    Elincia herded them to the bedroom leaving me alone with Zaon and Ilya. Without further input, they started picking up the dirty dishes and piling them near the water barrel.

    ¡°Leave the dishes to me. You two did a great job with the soup, the veggies were on point and the thickness was perfect.¡± I said, jumping to my feet and realizing how tired I was.

    Zaon shook his head and raised his palms as he tried to find the right words.

    ¡°The ingredients were good, we didn¡¯t do anything special.¡± He said in a bashful tone.

    ¡°Come on, Zaon. I have tasted the most foul food made of the greatest ingredients and seasonings the City of Light has to offer. Do not underestimate your own abilities.¡± I said as I took the bowls from their hands. Zaon and Ilya looked as tired as the rest of the orphans but refused to go to bed. Instead they sat back on the table.

    ¡°Are you going to stay at the orphanage?¡± Ilya asked after a moment of silence.

    ¡°You would like me to stay?¡± I replied.

    Ilya closed her eyes and massaged her temples just as Elincia used to do. Then, she frowned to the point her two thick eyebrows almost touched.

    ¡°If you make Miss Elincia smile like you did today then I would like you to stay.¡± Ilya replied. ¡°Despite the fact you are a Scholar.¡±

    For an instant, I didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°A good bowl of soup makes everyone smile. If Miss Elincia was happy today it was because of your hard work, not because of me.¡±

    My [Teacher¡¯s Bullshido] took control of my tongue but my hands didn¡¯t cooperate. The bowls appeared to have a life of their own because they suddenly slipped out of my hands and fell in every conceivable direction.

    Ilya raised an eyebrow and I focused on cleaning the bowls.

    For the first time since I arrived in this world I had a moment of peace. No rabid monsters, no dangerous wilderness, no sudden meetings with local nobility, no haggling, no nothing. Just me, the dirty wooden bowls and the quiet conversation between Zaon and Ilya behind me.

    How long has passed since I arrived in this world? It couldn¡¯t be more than a week but it felt like much more, months even. In a couple days I had more adventure than all my life combined. Unlike the time I worked at the office, I felt alive now. Tired, bruised, sore, and poorer than ever, but alive nonetheless.

    I looked over my shoulder at the two sleepy orphans sitting at the table, wondering if I could uphold my promise of getting them accepted at the Knights Academy. Zaon was too short for his age and his delicate frame didn¡¯t seem suitable for wearing heavy armor. Ilya didn¡¯t have the appearance of a promising fighter either; the gnome girl barely reached my waist despite being the same age as Zaon.

    Thinking like Holst wasn¡¯t going to get me anywhere. Zaon had the desire to become a Knight and Ilya had enough character to rival a whole debate team. Just that was more than enough to start working.

    Zaon stood on a stool by my side and pulled out two hidden bowls of soup from behind a sack of barley. Considering how thick the soup was, I assumed it belonged to the first batch, before Elincia thinned it to serve seconds.

    ¡°Are you still hungry?¡± I asked, pointing at the bowls.

    Hiding food from the rest of the orphans didn¡¯t seem like an honest move but I waited before making any judgment. Zaon didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person who put his needs before the needs of the group.

    ¡°I separated these for Firana and Wolf.¡± Zaon said, leaving them over the counter.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have saved one for Firana.¡± Ilya complained with a grumpy tone. ¡°She dipped on us as soon as Miss Elincia went out for food, and she was supposed to help us look after the small ones.¡±

    The more I heard Ilya talking, the more she reminded me of Elincia. A smaller, more judgemental, and gnomish version of Elincia. Voicing strong opinions seemed natural for both of them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Ilya. Firana also needs to eat.¡± Zaon said but Ilya wasn¡¯t having any of it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t defend her, you know very well she would leave the orphanage if it depended on her.¡± Ilya angrily said, crossing her arms over her chest in a defiant pose.

    ¡°I don''t want to fight.¡±

    ¡°You choose to fight when you put a bowl of soup aside for her.¡± Ilya retorted.

    Zaon¡¯s shoulders sank as he gave me a pleading glance to intervene.

    ¡°Who is Firana?¡± I asked. If I was going to teach these kids, I should start by getting to know them.

    ¡°A nuisance.¡± Ilya instantly replied before Zaon could silence her.

    After another minute of back and forth between the two orphans, I was finally informed that Firana was a human girl the same age as Zaon and Ilya. Unlike them, who had lived in the orphanage their whole lives, Firana had lived there only for the last two years.

    ¡°I get that we¡¯re all orphans, but Firana isn¡¯t helpful. She always goes off on her own no matter what Miss Elincia says, and she is fast and strong so there isn¡¯t much we can do to stop her.¡± Ilya said with an exasperated voice, putting a strand of hair behind her pointy ear.

    I just nodded, picking that piece of information with a grain of salt. As a teacher it was good to be prepared to take a new class but preconceptions were a dangerous thing. Teachers ended up expecting too much from ¡®good¡¯ students and too little from ¡®bad¡¯ students.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Firana has her reasons to be the way she is.¡± I tried to be conciliatory.

    ¡°Yeah, the reason being she was Holst''s favorite student. She could do whatever she wanted without being scolded.¡± Ilya replied bluntly.

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Mister Holst¡¯, Ilya.¡± Zaon interrupted her just to earn a look of contempt from the gnome girl.

    Ilya ignored Zaon and continued talking.

    ¡°Firana still believes Holst is coming back but I hope he doesn¡¯t. If I¡¯m going to end up in the army I want my last year here to be as peaceful as it can.¡± Ilya said between yawn and yawn.

    The light from the orbs was getting weaker by the second and the orphanage was in complete silence except from the occasional gust of wind whistling against the shingles. I wondered how it was for Zaon and Ilya to look after the younger kids for a whole week, not knowing if Elincia was going to get back alive.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, go to bed you two.¡± I said. ¡°You have done more than enough.¡±

    Ilya nodded and walked to the door dragging her feet. Zaon followed her closely.

    ¡°Good night, Mister Clarke.¡± They said in unison.

    ¡°Good night, kids.¡± I replied.

    Having them accepted in the Imperial Academy was going to be hard, and if Ilya¡¯s warning was real, I also had to fight against Firana¡¯s and Wolf¡¯s defiance. Bring it on. I was used to fighting against classes of more than twenty students, four couldn¡¯t be that bad.

 16 - Meet the team

    Excitement crept through my stomach. Never before have I been so thrilled to teach a class, but again, never before I had been into a world of swords and magic powers. Not many teachers back on Earth could boast about teaching a gnome and an elf. I was so caught in the excitement of the moment that I didn''t realize when Elincia burst into the kitchen.

    ¡°I had to fight them so they would brush their teeth! And I quote, ¡®I don¡¯t want to stop tasting the soup¡¯, so I blame you for this.¡± Elincia made a fake wince as she closed the door behind her.

    I wonder if she would blame me when I serve the beans.

    ¡°They said they had fun today, thank you.¡± Elincia came to my side to help me wash the dishes. I envisioned her cleaning the kitchen every night all alone for years and my heart sank a little bit.

    ¡°I had fun too. Ilya and Zaon made quite the comedic duo.¡± I replied.

    ¡°They do. Judgmental versus lenient, never gets old.¡± Elincia washed the bowls with a proud smile on her face. ¡°Wolf should be getting better by tomorrow, he will be joining your class too.¡±

    ¡°So, nothing serious?¡± I inquired, remembering Elincia had been out in the Farlands searching for ingredients for a potion.

    ¡°Yes. Wolf is a half-orc. During puberty they grow quickly but their resistance against sickness is low, and being surrounded by a dozen snotty brats eager to climb onto your newly-found muscles doesn¡¯t help.¡± Elincia¡¯s melodious laugh briefly filled the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯d warn you, Wolf might be stronger than you so I don¡¯t know if you are going to manage to win his respect.¡±

    Two lawful students and two troublemakers. I liked those odds.

    ¡°I¡¯m excited about this.¡± The words fled from my mouth before I could stop them.

    ¡°You are the only man I know who likes, no, loves to get into trouble.¡± Elincia replied.

    ¡°What can I say? I love trouble.¡±

    Elincia gave me one of her mischievous smiles. Without the kids around she quickly abandoned her caring and lovely governess persona and returned to her impish nature.

    ¡°I¡¯m a professional troublemaker, we will make a good team, Robert Clarke.¡± Elincia said.

    In a blink of an eye, the kitchen was spotless again. There was no hint that minutes ago a small army of small kids had cooked and eaten dinner in it. Elincia warmed Wolf¡¯s soup in a small pot before putting it back in the bowl. It was late at night and the magic orbs had lost their shine, the only source of light left was the open stove. The flame¡¯s shadows danced over Elincia¡¯s pale features.

    There wasn¡¯t anything left to do for the day, just sit and relax in the childless silence.

    ¡°You can sleep in my bed tonight.¡± Elincia suddenly said.

    Her words hit me like a rogue rubber chicken.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have other rooms available at the moment and the couch in the reception room is on the hard side. I don¡¯t mind hard surfaces, I¡¯m kinda used to sleeping outside so a hard couch is enough for me.¡± Elincia said.

    That made more sense than Elincia inviting me to sleep with her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind the couch.¡± I stuttered, unable to conceal the fact my heart was hitting my chest like a hammer against an anvil.

    You have obtained Denial Lv.7. Temporary.

    <hr>

    Elincia woke me up before dawn, shaking my shoulder. I got up abruptly, my mind thinking I was still stranded in the Farlands at the mercy of packs of Black Wolves, stray Wendigos, and other indescribable creatures. I probed into the darkness trying to find my shotgun just to find Elincia¡¯s soft hands. Only then I remembered I was in an orphanage managed by a half-elf of great beauty.

    I also remembered what I had committed myself to; turning a group of orphans into Imperial Academy cadet material. After years of stumbling around in life I had returned to the path of teaching.

    ¡°Good morning, Elincia.¡± I greeted her with a sleepy voice.

    The reception room was chilly even if the previous day had been pleasant as the first days of autumn and the night on the hard couch had left me with a stiff body. Ignoring the pain, I stood up and stretched. A thousand small bubbles of pain popped all across my back. Maybe it was the effect of me leveling up but I felt great compared to other rough nights back on Earth.

    I wondered if time passed at the same rate in both worlds. If that was the case, then a week on Earth since my disappearance.

    ¡°Good morning, Robert Clarke.¡± Elincia greeted me back. She was wearing a thin white nightgown and a woolen shawl which gave her the appearance of an ancient lunar goddess.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really go with ¡®Robert Clarke¡¯. You can call me Rob when we are alone.¡± I said. It was weird for an adult around my age to address me in such a formal manner. Of course, it had nothing to do with the fact I wanted to grow closer to Elincia.

    You have obtained Denial Lv.8. Temporary.

    I ignored the system prompt the best I could.

    ¡°Alright, Rob. Would you like to have breakfast with me?¡± Elincia invited me with a smile. It seemed impossible for a human to look so fresh so early in the morning but Elincia was only half human.

    ¡°I would love to.¡±

    I followed her to the kitchen. On the way we checked on the small ones. They shared a long bedroom with a double row of four worn out beds. The shutters were closed but I could see their slow and rhythmic breath with the little light that began to sneak in through the cracks on the wood.

    ¡°The older ones have individual rooms at the end of the corridor so they can have a bit of privacy while the small ones sleep closer to my room.¡± Elincia explained. ¡°We have space to spare since there aren''t as many orphans right now. I will prepare you a room today.¡±

    The kitchen was even colder than the reception room and Elincia rushed to light the stove. The embers weren¡¯t enough to rekindle the fire.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get my tinderbox.¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°Let me try something first.¡± I grabbed her hand as she crossed the kitchen. She looked at me with curiosity. If my suppositions about mana were correct I would be able to light the fire with magic even if I had no elemental spells.

    It was all a matter of physics. Mana wasn¡¯t an ethereal thing, it was a particle that could interact with the rest of objects. Proof of that was my mana blade cutting things.

    I squatted near the stove and covering my thumb and index finger in mana, I snapped them. Nothing happened at first but I could feel the tips of my fingers heating if only a bit. For my second attempt, I circulated the mana in opposite directions as fast as I could and a blue gleam covered my fingers. I snapped again and a spark fell into the tinder, creating a small ember.

    For a moment, I felt like an actual magician.

    ¡°Science one, tinder zero!¡± I laughed.

    ¡°What?¡± Elincia was as confused as she could be. ¡°You are not supposed to be able to cast elemental spells, that is illegal!¡±

    I explained to her I used friction to create just enough heat, it was the same principle of starting a fire with a spinning branch. It seemed that even that little trick required more mana than most people could channel.

    The kitchen became warmer and warmer until Elincia shed her shawl. She put a kettle on the fire and a mix of oatmeal, milk, butter, and water in a saucepan. We waited.

    ¡°You are a cheat magician.¡± Elincia sulked as she tried to imitate my trick without success.

    ¡°Let me figure out how to brew potions without a skill and you will be in trouble.¡± I replied.

    Elincia poured me a cup of tea and a bowl of oatmeal. Food was not going to last forever so we needed a way to make enough money to feed the orphans. Something to season the food would also be nice. I added it to my to-do list.

    ¡°With your titles you could be teaching in the Imperial Academy. Not just researching, mind you, but teaching other Scholars.¡± Elincia sat in front of me and cradled her steaming cup next to her chest.

    ¡°Which is quite ironic. With my titles I can barely hold a bottom-of-the-barrel job back in the City of Light.¡± I replied as I drew lines with my spoon on the oatmeal. Comparatively speaking, this world was ages behind the scientific level of the western world. Even in my field of study I was a mere bachelor.

    ¡°The City of Light sounds a bit like a brutal place to be a support class. Can¡¯t even imagine what one of your Alchemists can do.¡± Elincia admitted. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. The little ones already love you and the older ones trust you, and that is saying a lot considering you have been here half a day.¡±

    Her words made me oddly happy.

    ¡°They trusted me because you introduced me.¡± I clarified. ¡°The secret is to treat them like normal intelligent beings, respect their opinions, and be curious about what they have to say.¡±

    Elincia gave me a mischievous smile before replying. ¡°And teasing me by calling me ¡®Miss Rosebud¡¯ behind my back didn¡¯t have anything to do with it.¡±

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    I had been caught red-handed.

    ¡°A little bit of complicity goes a long way.¡± I smiled apologetically. ¡°That way they know I¡¯m approachable even if they fuck up.¡±

    Elincia picked up my empty plate.

    ¡°A little bit of complicity goes a long way, indeed.¡± She said as she washed the dirty dishes and prepared the table for the kid¡¯s breakfast. I offered her my help but she refused saying I had already helped her enough.

    ¡°What is your plan to get the kids accepted in the Imperial Academy? I tried to figure it out last night but I couldn¡¯t come up with anything. I have seen great fighters from the orphanage failing the exam, even back when I was a teen.¡± Elincia asked as she kneaded a piece of dough.

    That was an excellent question but I was prepared to answer. Last night I stayed up late thinking about the exam for the Imperial Academy. If I wanted to teach correctly then I basically had to know the questions on the test.

    ¡°If my instincts do not deceive me, the exam is not all about fighting. They are searching for a certain profile of a person. Think about a noble¡¯s child. They have the advantage of training under great fencing instructors, but also have tutors who teach them arithmetic, economy, military history, and other stuff too.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Soldiers for the Army, Knights for the Academy, make sense.¡± Elincia muttered.

    I had an approximate idea about what the Academy wanted from their students and I planned to dig more into the matter later. Meanwhile I needed to lay the groundwork to teach self-sufficient and dedicated students.

    ¡°I wonder if my Lv.5 [Swordsmanship] is enough.¡±

    At that point I couldn¡¯t just try to deceive Elincia about my knowledge of this world, I had to know how well prepared I was to teach my class.

    ¡°Well, passives usually go up to level ten. However, the higher the passive gets the harder it is to level them up.¡± Elincia crossed her arms over her chest in a meditative gesture.

    As she continued baking, she explained that [Swordsmanship] was an advanced passive that reflected an overall knowledge in various types of weapons and combat situations. Unlike [Longsword Mastery], [Fencing], or [Fighting Stance], for instance, that only covered a fraction of what was contained in [Swordsmanship].

    Maybe I was worrying too much about skills and levels. With or without good skills, I was already committed to the cause. Elincia left the dough in the oven and filled a basin with water.

    ¡°Would you watch the bread while I go wash my face?¡± Elincia smiled at me and disappeared through the doorway. My time alone in the kitchen didn¡¯t last long until Ilya arrived. Her short hair was messy and her eyes were still half closed. She wore a sleeping tunic that probably belonged to someone taller because much of the cloth was dragging on the floor. She had to hold the folds to not trip on it.

    ¡°Good morning, Ilya. Did you sleep well?¡± I greeted her with a smile.

    ¡°The small ones slept all night so, yes.¡± She replied, getting closer to the stove and warming her hands.

    ¡°I thought the older ones had their own bedrooms.¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯d rather sleep with the small ones so if anyone has a nightly emergency they don¡¯t wake Miss Elincia.¡± The gnome girl put another piece of firewood inside the stove and turned around to warm her back. ¡°Are you going to replace Holst or are you going to abandon us like he did?¡±

    Ilya¡¯s straightforwardness betrayed her age.

    I didn¡¯t have the opportunity to reply when Elincia came to my rescue.

    ¡°I was going to make the announcement during breakfast but it seems you beat me to it.¡±

    The white haired woman had shed her nightgown and had her commoner clothing on display; white shirt, dyed light blue bodice, a long dress to her ankles, and leather shoes. Behind her followed the younger kids, also dressed in old sleeping tunics, none of them of the right size.

    A young half-orc stood out from the group. He was almost as tall as me but his physique revealed he wasn¡¯t yet a mature adult. Still, his arms and shoulders looked strong even if he was on the thin side. His skin was pale green, his hair black as charcoal, and two small tusks protruded from his mouth.

    That had to be my third student, Wolf.

    Behind him, with a sour face, entered a young human girl with long chestnut hair, tanned skin that revealed the amount of time she passed outdoors, and a prideful stride. That had to be my fourth student, Holst¡¯s favorite, Firana.

    Both noticed my presence almost simultaneously. Wolf ignored me as he sat alone in a corner of the kitchen while Firana threw daggers at me with her eyes from the other side of the room. Maybe she already anticipated that I was there to replace Holst as the resident Scholar.

    I wondered where Zaon was.

    ¡°Attention everybody!¡± Elincia hit a saucepan with a wooden spoon to attract everyone¡¯s attention. The conversation died. The munching not so much. ¡°As most of you already know, this is Mister Clarke, a Scholar from a distant town and a good friend of mine. Since Mister Holst went to the capital, Mister Clarke has agreed to work here in the orphanage as a tutor and help me with the instruction of the older kids. Want to introduce yourself, Mister Clarke?¡±

    I nodded as the younger kids looked at me with anticipation. Wolf ignored me the best he could with his gaze fixed on his plate. It was just like Ilya had told me, he didn¡¯t care about a ¡®weak¡¯ Scholar like me. Luckily, I had a surprise in store for him.

    Firana, on the other hand, glanced at me with vibrant hate.

    ¡°Most of you already know me since yesterday but for the ones who don¡¯t, I¡¯ll introduce myself again. I¡¯m Robert Clarke, Scholar, and I¡¯ll be in charge of tutoring the older ones.¡± I introduced myself again. The young ones seemed eager to start talking again so I allowed them to ask questions. Instantly, several hands were thrown into the air.

    ¡°Where did you meet Miss Elincia?¡±

    ¡°We met deep in the Farlands when she was picking ingredients. We teamed up together to return to Farcrest.¡± I replied, eliciting a generalized ¡®wow¡¯.

    ¡°Are you friends with Mister Holst?¡±

    ¡°I have never met him. He wasn¡¯t in Farcrest when I arrived for the first time.¡±

    ¡°Are you a powerful magician?¡±

    ¡°Scholars can¡¯t cast elemental spells. I do have some magic tricks up my sleeves however.¡± I said as I threw sparks from the tip of my fingers.

    Another round of ¡®wow¡¯s filled the kitchen.

    The questions slowly tended towards more banal matters including my favorite color, food, and plant.

    ¡°When are you going to marry¡­¡± One of the human kids was going to ask but Elincia stopped him just in time and sent them to brush their teeth and dress up. The sun had already appeared from behind the mountains and the morning started to warm.

    ¡°They are a handful.¡± Elincia sighed, already tired despite not even being midday. As much as she acted like everything was alright, I could see she was nervous. ¡°If you are going to do physical exercise today, the equipment is in the shed. It¡¯s not much but you should manage.¡±

    ¡°You take care of the younger ones and I will deal with the older ones, so don¡¯t worry.¡± I said as I helped Elincia to collect the dirty dishes.

    ¡°Easier said than done, Rob. You go prepare your class and let me take care of this.¡± She kicked me out of the kitchen when I was about to start washing the dishes. Following her advice, I exited the manor and crossed the backyard into the shed.

    The backyard was more spacious than I expected. Behind the orchard there was a small esplanade with old trees around the perimeter to hide the surrounding walls. Considering the spaces and the architecture, it was obvious the manor once belonged to a noble or a wealthy merchant.

    Elincia had said a name before. Mr. Lowell¡¯s Orphanage. I made a mental note to ask her later and focused on finding the training equipment.

    Inside the shed I found the cart I had borrowed the day before. There were old tools and a small reserve of firewood among other things. In a corner, there were a bunch of practice swords with linen wrappings. Longswords, rapiers, smallswords, and wooden shields. The material of the grips was worn out and the blades showed intensive use, however, they showed no trace of rust. I grabbed the nearest one and felt the familiar weight.

    My [Swordsmanship] triggered instantly, filling my brain with distant memories from my days in the fencing club. Everything was there, fresh, ready to be used. Holding the urge to swing the sword, I grabbed the bundle and returned to the esplanade next to the stump of a large tree.

    I felt eyes on me. Ilya, Wolf and Firana crossed the backyard in silence, wearing boots, riding pants, and padded jackets. Firana and Wolf moved with the ease of seasoned fencing students. Ilya, on the other hand, seemed to be uncomfortable in her uniform.

    ¡°Take a seat, please. We have to discuss an important matter first¡­ as soon as Zaon gets here at least.¡± I said, using the stump as a seat. The orphans obeyed me, exchanging dissimulated glances, unsure of what direction the class was going. At that moment, the door of the manor slammed open and Zaon ran in our direction with the padded jacket under his arm. He looked like he had just woken up.

    The orphans glanced at Zaon with fearful looks, even Firana looked sorry for him.

    ¡°Come closer, Zaon¡± I said as he arrived by the stump.

    The boy froze in place for a moment but ultimately obeyed, bracing himself for his anticipated punishment. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, but no corporal punishment arrived.

    ¡°Apologize to your classmates that have been waiting here in the cold and then go sit down.¡± I said.

    ¡°What?¡± Zaon looked at me like a deer blinded by the lights of a truck. ¡°I mean, yes, yes sir. I¡¯m sorry to keep you all waiting. I¡¯ll be more responsible in the future, it won''t happen again.¡± He quickly added and sat by Ilya¡¯s side. He wasn¡¯t the only one surprised by my actions.

    Good, things were going to drastically change from now on.

    I examined my new class. It was hard to accept that by the end of the year they were going to be conscripted into the army. They were too young, barely kids by my standards.

    ¡°Mister Clarke?¡± Ilya derailed my train of thought. ¡°Can I go back inside? Mister Holst never included me during training because I¡¯m a gnome. I¡¯m small and not suited for combat.¡±

    I recognized Holst words coming out from Ilya¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°In half a year you will be drafted into the army, Ilya. Are you sure you don¡¯t need combat skills?¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°I¡¯m a gnome, I¡¯ll be turned into a Chef class or something like that.¡± Ilya replied, shrugging her shoulders.

    ¡°And do you want to become a Chef class?¡± I continued.

    ¡°No.¡± Ilya replied sparsely, as if she guessed what I was to ask next.

    ¡°Then, what class do you want to become?¡±

    Ilya looked like she wanted to disappear from the face of earth but no matter how much she looked around for help, there was no way to avoid the question. She rubbed her hands nervously, all the audacity she had shown during the last days had disappeared.

    ¡°There is no wrong answer here, Ilya. Speak from your heart.¡± I said, warning the rest with a glance that any rude commentary would not be welcomed. [The Glance] was among my most useful techniques as a teacher.

    ¡°I want to be a Hunter so nobody in the orphanage goes hungry again, okay?¡± Illya said all flustered.

    That explained her reluctance. If a gnome wasn¡¯t expected to become a combatant, they weren¡¯t expected to become Hunters.

    ¡°It¡¯s really sweet of you to think about others. However, I doubt the army will let you become a Hunter.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°I know. I will probably end up as a Chef, or worse, a Mender class.¡± Ilya replied.

    I didn¡¯t know what a Mender class was, but it didn¡¯t sound really powerful by any metric.

    ¡°You have two choices, Ilya. One, you get conscripted into the army by the end of the winter. There you will be forced to be a Soldier, Chef, or Mender class. You will have to fight against strong and vicious creatures and there will be no assurance you will survive.¡± I said, catching their attention. ¡°Or, you can train under my guidance and take the exam for the Imperial Knights Academy. There you will study under the best tutors of the kingdom and be able to aim higher.¡±

    My words produced the effect I expected. They looked at each other in disbelief and then looked at me, as if they were waiting for me to say it was a joke. But I was dead serious.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± Zaon raised his hand up into the air.

    ¡°B-but Holst said it was impossible for me to become a Hunter. I¡¯m a gnome, not an elf nor a human. Even Wolf could become a Hunter if he wanted and he is a muscle head.¡± Ilya¡¯s trembling voice broke my heart but to make them grow I had to challenge their preconceived notions.

    Wolf gave Ilya a quick ¡®why me¡¯ glance.

    ¡°If you give me the opportunity I will make you all worthy cadets for the Knights Academy. I promise.¡± I calmly said.

    At that moment, Firana stood up. It has been a while since she had started showing signs of discontent, and that must have been the final straw for her. She was livid.

    ¡°Master Holst was a Lv.4 Fencer and a high level Scholar on the way to becoming a Tactician. There is no way a greenhorn Scholar can accomplish in less than a year what Master Holst couldn¡¯t achieve in ten years.¡± Firana barked at me.

    It was a bit flattering that she thought of me as a youngster. I had to thank the good nutrition and healthcare from my homeland for that, and maybe my mother''s genetics.

    ¡°If Holst hasn¡¯t gotten any of his pupils into the Knights academy in ten years, then he isn¡¯t half the Scholar he pretended to be.¡± I replied, raising my voice so everyone nearby could hear.

    Firana clenched her fist and gave me a murderous glance.

    ¡°You are not berating Master Holst in my presence. I challenge you to a duel.¡± The girl growled as she threw her gauntlet in front of me.

 17 - First lesson

    I tested the balance of the longsword. [Swordsmanship] told me the sword weighed a bit more than a kilogram and a half, and the balance was further from the hilt than I was used to. I wondered if it was a conscious design trait considering that, in this world, people had literal superpowers. Swords didn¡¯t have to be nimble if the user had unnatural strength.

    The fact that the hilt rattled was getting on my nerves, but again, modern machinery wasn¡¯t a thing in this world. The protective gauntlets were too rigid, the padded armor too stiff, and the facemask too heavy. I missed my old practice gear as much as I missed salt, pepper, and shampoo.

    [Awareness]: The survival rate of the pampered and spoiled is considerably lower than average.

    ¡°Thanks for the reminder.¡± I muttered to myself.

    Despite my preferences in sword craftsmanship, I couldn¡¯t step back now. There was always a student who defied the teacher, one way or another. It was a universal rule of classrooms. How the teacher dealt with those kinds of students usually determined how the whole class perceived the teacher from that point onwards.

    Suppression was the usual, most logical response. The troublemaker¡¯s position was always respected inside the classroom, and suppressing them did not always produce the best results. Experience told me that bringing the troublemaker to the teacher¡¯s side yielded extra respect points and served to appease minor troublemakers.

    Firana glared at me from the other side of the dueling area and tied her chestnut hair into a bun. Because she was the one throwing down the gauntlet, I could choose the weapon. I had chosen the longsword because it was my best weapon by far. The fact it allowed me to perform grabs to disarm my opponent was also a nice feature.

    ¡°What are the rules of the encounter, Zaon?¡± I asked.

    ¡°R-rules? I¡­ why me?¡± The elven kid stuttered from the big tree stump.

    ¡°You are the referee, so you should set the rules.¡± I replied. ¡°If I did it, Firana might think I selected rules that would benefit me.¡±

    Of course I wasn¡¯t going to let Zaon establish any crazy rules, but the kid needed to gain confidence in himself.

    ¡°Well¡­ you are not allowed to hit unprotected areas, nor use thrusting techniques. The winner will be the first who manages to disarm the opponent or hit the opponent¡¯s head. If you want to surrender, drop your sword and¡­ that¡¯s all? Fight fair and¡­ have fun?¡± Zaon said with a hesitant tone.

    Ilya slapped her own face with both hands and Wolf tried to hold a smirk.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good set of rules, good job Zaon.¡± I said but the elven kid gave me an appalled glance as if he had already screwed up his chances of getting into the Knights Academy.

    ¡°If I win you will leave the orphanage.¡± Firana said, catching my attention. By the way she grabbed her sword, I could tell she had at least the basics covered.

    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± I replied with a grin and asked myself if I should add a sprinkle of sass myself. ¡°But if I win you will accept my tutelage with a smile on your face.¡±

    ¡°You will not win.¡± Firana replied.

    Zaon, Ilya and Wolf watched our verbal exchange from the big stump.

    ¡°At your mark, Zaon!¡± I said, raising my guard in vom tag.

    Firana took an overly centralized low guard. Not half bad, but it could be a lot better. If my hunch was accurate, then Holst wasn¡¯t preparing the orphans for judicial dueling as much as he was preparing them to fight as conscripts in the army.

    That had to change.

    ¡°Fight!¡± Zaon¡¯s voice broke the silent and cold morning.

    Firana attacked instantly, drawing an overly wide arc with her sword. Again, not bad but predictable. I took a step back, letting her blade fall short by at least two palms. Firana was fast, I had to give her that. Without [Swordsmanship] pumping my brain with my old fencing knowhow, her sword would¡¯ve hit my hand.

    Before Firana could attempt a follow up strike, I took another step back to disengage. Not only was her swordsmanship adequate, her footwork was also acceptable. It had taken me about a year to reach her current level.

    ¡°Fight me! Don''t hold back!¡± Firana angrily said.

    ¡°Remember, you asked for it.¡± I replied.

    Then, I identified her.

    Name: Firana Aias, Human (Strong, Fast).

    Class: None (Child).

    Titles: Aias Heir, Gifted.

    Passive: Fencing Lv.1

    Skills: None.

    Status: Angered Lv.1, Betrayed Lv.9.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Firana probably felt my intrusion into her character sheet because she retreated. Her [Angered] status also raised one more level.

    ¡°You told me to not hold back. You wanted to see my powers as a ¡®greenhorn Scholar¡¯. Well, these are my powers.¡± I replied, raising my guard.

    Firana responded to my taunt by going on an all-out-offensive. Her foot work was quick and her swings unchoreographed but not enough to match my Lv.5 [Swordsmanship]. There was no doubt why Firana was Holst¡¯s favorite student, the girl had a great potential.

    I stepped back and adopted the ochs guard to hinder her eagerness to attack. Firana seemed to understand my movements because she stepped away as soon as I raised my sword. For a moment we measured each other and I almost felt bad for using [Swordsmanship] against her.

    If anything, she deserved to win considering the amount of time she had trained to reach her current level. However, I wasn¡¯t going to let her kick me out of the orphanage.

    I attacked with a zornhau from the right. Firana raised her sword to block. Our weapons met, the point of her sword near the hilt of mine. I had control over the engagement. Firana seemed to understand because she tried to step back and disengage. I was not going to let her.

    Having the positional advantage, I pushed forward, driving her sword upwards until our masks almost hit each other. Then, I grabbed the hilt of her sword and ripped it from her grasp, all in a single movement.

    Firana fell on her butt and I threw her sword behind me. Then, to make the scene more dramatic, I pointed my sword to her chest.

    ¡°It¡¯s over! Mister Clarke wins.¡± Zaon jumped down from the stump with elven grace.

    The boy tried to help Firana to stand up but the girl pushed him back. Then, fuming, Firana threw her mask to the ground and walked back to the orphanage.

    ¡°Hey! Come back!¡± Zaon tried to stop her.

    I put my hand on his shoulder before he could chase her.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Let her be, Zaon. She will come back when she is ready.¡± I said.

    The combat hasn¡¯t been a flashy exchange nor a demonstration of advanced techniques but I hoped my display of swordsmanship was enough to show what I was capable of. A teacher without credibility wasn¡¯t going to inspire confidence from their students.

    Maybe I should¡¯ve added a couple of parries and counters to the mix.

    When I turned around, I found the three orphans focused on me.

    ¡°Are you sure you are a Scholar? That was a Fencer-level display of skill.¡± Ilya came to me with her usual face of suspicion.

    Zaon nodded intensely as the questions began to flow. Why? How? When? Where? A moment later, I had three orphans sitting in front of me listening to stories about the fencing club where I used to go.

    ¡°How many applicants did you have to beat to enter this HEMA club?¡± Ilya asked and I couldn''t help but notice she had a skewed perception of what a fencing club was.

    ¡°None, I just had to pay a small fee, which covered costs for the equipment and upkeep.¡± I replied.

    They gave me a suspicious glance.

    ¡°You are a skillful fencer so your instructors must¡¯ve been great fighters, therefore, hundreds of applicants must be trying to get into the club.¡± Ilya said.

    I just noticed I got myself into a predicament. Revealing that HEMA was considered a hobby back at my home was the equivalent of saying sword fighting as a whole was a hobby.

    ¡°I guess they were focused on teaching non-combatant classes¡­ you know, so we could cultivate a wider range of skills.¡± I channeled all the powers of my [Teacher¡¯s Bullshido] into a single sentence.

    Ilya gave me a suspicious look but accepted my answer in the end. [Awareness] pointed out that cultivating unfitting skills drained effort that could be put into class-related skills.

    ¡°Your hometown is a weird place.¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°Ilya, don¡¯t say such rude things!¡± Zaon stuttered.

    ¡°Let her speak her mind, Zaon. And yes, it is pretty different from Farcrest.¡± I said.

    The kids continued asking questions about my club and I tried to reply as sparsely as possible. They were surprised about how informally I talked about my old instructors. Our relationship wasn¡¯t too asymmetrical even if they were the teachers and I was the student. However, the kids couldn¡¯t grasp why high level warriors as my instructors were so friendly to low level non-combatant classes.

    The more the kids asked, the more I had to cover my tracks so after a short while, I decided it was enough storytelling.

    It was time to figure out if my display of swordsmanship had convinced them. To obtain good results, they had to pursue achievements under their own volition. There was nothing to be gained by forcing them if they were going to study half-heartedly.

    ¡°So, what do you say? Will you study with me to become a cadet in the Knights Academy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Zaon instantly jumped.

    ¡°You are strong. I''d like to learn how to be as strong as you.¡± Wolf nodded.

    I let out a metaphorical sigh of relief. Elincia had warned me it was going to be hard to win Wolf¡¯s respect because of his orcish ancestry.

    ¡°And you, Ilya?¡± I asked her as she couldn''t seem to decide whether to accept my guidance or embrace her self doubts. A myriad of different emotions were reflected on her face. It wasn¡¯t my first rodeo with a student who refused to believe they could improve, but there was only so much I could do to convince her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m still a gnome.¡± Ilya shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°Look, Ilya. Let''s forget about the Knights Academy for a moment and focus on turning you into a Hunter. What about that?¡± I said.

    Having great expectations of the students was the sign of a great teacher but there were situations where you wanted to prioritize achievable goals.

    After another moment of doubting, Ilya finally nodded.

    ¡°Okay. If I get conscripted, Hunter is a better class than Soldier. I could even become a scout for the army and run away to safety if monsters appear.¡± Ilya said, clapping her hands twice. ¡°So, what do we do to become as strong as you?¡±

    The three orphans beamed at me as if I was the recipient of ancestral knowledge.

    A wide smile crept onto my face. Strength, endurance, critical thinking, problem-solving, adaptability, leadership, and mental strength. There was a lot of work to do and too little time.

    As the old adage said.

    ¡°We are already behind schedule!¡± I proclaimed with my best teacher''s voice. ¡°Let¡¯s start with ten laps around the backyard and the manor. Not too fast, not too slow. Go!¡±

    Zaon and Wolf started running but Ilya stood behind, looking at me as if she was already regretting her decision.

    ¡°A Hunter has to be nimbler than a Knight, especially if you want to be able to run away to safety if monsters appear.¡± I reminded her.

    Ilya sighed and, envisioning her goal, set off after the boys.

    I sat on the stump and a wave of relief washed over me. Everything went better than expected, Ilya had acceded to training under my guidance and I had managed to pique Wolf¡¯s interest. Firana on the other hand, I had to trust she would keep her word after the duel.

    The group jogged around the backyard with Wolf on the head and Ilya greatly delayed behind. After half the laps, I decided to join them. Teaching them was only half of my work. If I wanted to protect the orphanage I needed to be in my best shape.

    ¡°And how is this going to help us? It''s not like our current class would help us improve our speed. We can¡¯t even level up.¡± Ilya ran with one hand on her stomach and was breathing heavily.

    ¡°You just can¡¯t leave everything to the System. You also have to grow by yourself.¡± I replied, jogging by her side.

    When Wolf got a lead of half a lap ahead of us, I grabbed Ilya¡¯s small hand and helped her to run. She didn¡¯t put up any resistance. At first, it was more valuable that she could see she was capable of completing the laps than actually doing everything for herself. I had to build up her confidence as quickly as possible.

    Ilya put part of her weight on my arm and pushed forward. She was tenacious, I had to give that to her. As we finished the tenth lap, a few minutes after the boys, Ilya dropped to the ground with the grace of a sack of potatoes.

    ¡°Come on! No time to lie down! We have to stretch those muscles.¡± I clapped my hands and guided them through a basic stretching routine.

    Zaon was naturally flexible, the rest not so. We stretched the main muscle groups and then we did joint mobility. As expected, I had to explain why doing those kinds of weird movements was instrumental for the training process.

    ¡°Are we finally done?¡± Ilya fell to the ground when I told them to rest.

    ¡°That was the warm-up. The real exercise begins now.¡± I replied just to elicit a pained groan from the gnome girl.

    As I grabbed the practice longsword, the orphans seemed to regain interest. I assumed the kids already knew the basic mechanics of a sword so I decided to skip that part.

    ¡°First thing we will learn is about the basic guards and the master strikes.¡± I clapped heartily. ¡°And yes, a Hunter has to know their fencing too, not everything is about bow and arrows.¡± I added as Ilya opened her mouth.

    The first master strike was the zornhau, the one I had used against Firana. The sword started near the right shoulder of the fencer, making a diagonal cut to the left while taking a step to the right to avoid the enemy¡¯s attack. I made the orphans repeat the movement from the right and from the left.

    ¡°Remember! This is the most important thing about what I am teaching you. Your priority while fighting is to defend yourself and survive! It doesn¡¯t matter if you deal a death blow if the enemy blade cripples you in the process!¡± I yelled as the three orphans practiced their zornhau. ¡°The sword is our shield and our armor! You don¡¯t have to behead your opponent to win a fight! Most of the time, hitting their hands or legs is enough to end combat.¡±

    The orphans quickly figured out the strike and then we paired up to practice the strike. Zornhau against zornhau with the corresponding step to the right and then back off. I paired Zaon with Ilya so they could start slowly while I paired with Wolf, who seemed to be more familiar with swordplay.

    ¡°Everyone, look here for a moment! Give me a zornhau, Wolf¡± I called the group. Wolf threw a strike and our swords tied in the middle. Then, I slowly drew a half moon over my head, letting Wolf¡¯s sword continue its trajectory, and attacked from the opposite side. ¡°Now, if Wolf raises the grip of his sword and turns it to align his edge with mine, then he has the correct defensive response. This is what we know as hangen, a defensive angle that we can turn into a strike.¡±

    Wolf and I reenacted the series of movements in slow motion. Zornhau against zornhau, change of direction, defense in hangen.

    ¡°In an actual duel, these are not two separate techniques but a single movement. Each strike turns into a guard and each guard into an attack. During the early training, we will split the fight into small successions of movements until you become familiar with them.¡± I said.

    Then I noticed Elincia was watching us standing on the backdoor.

    ¡°That¡¯s all for now. Ilya, you are in charge of the stretch routine. Then everyone can rest until lunch.¡± I said as I walked back to the orphanage.

    Elincia greeted me with a smile.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe what I am seeing. Ilya working out and Wolf following instructions? This has to be a dream.¡± Elincia looked me directly in the eye, her face showed surprise and satisfaction in equal parts.

    ¡°Beliefs are powerful beasts. As long as they keep believing in themselves, no task will seem unachievable. They will only need a bit of guidance in the right direction.¡± I said smiling.

    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m starting to believe in you too.¡± Elincia playfully bumped me with her shoulder.

    My heart skipped a beat or three. There were a hundred other things to worry about without going around acting like a lovestruck teenager.

 18 - Work, work, work

    ¡°I was a little worried about you so I came to check on you.¡± Elincia admitted, arching an eyebrow as she watched the older orphans stretching. In the esplanade, Ilya bossed Wolf around with hands on her hips. The half-orc obeyed the best he could but his flexibility was lacking.

    ¡°To transfer strength from the body to the sword you have to be flexible!¡± I yelled as Ilya pushed Wolf¡¯s back with her diminutive body. The half-orc struggled to reach the tips of his feet.

    ¡°You are doing quite well, Mister Scholar.¡± Elincia glanced at the orphans with a smile.

    Elincia¡¯s light blue bodice and wide beige dress fit her more than well, but I knew what was under her governess appearance. With no kids around, Elincia let her sassy nature come afloat.

    ¡°It¡¯s my masculine presence. They subconsciously know who is in charge.¡± I said, trying to sound as serious as possible but a hint of a smile slipped into the corner of my lips.

    Elincia slapped my shoulder and giggled.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you can make such a good impersonation of Holst without having met him.¡± Elincia laughed. ¡°Although, I do find the way you interact with children very manly.¡±

    Suddenly, my neurons forgot how to produce coherent thoughts and my mind fell into the emptiest void. I was grateful my involuntary bodily functions continued working.

    [Awareness]: You have received 18 points of psychic damage. [Lonely Boy] activated. Recalculating. 36 points of psychic damage received.

    I leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. Getting compliments from beautiful women was truly dangerous for a loner like me.

    ¡°Mister Clarke and Elincia sitting in a tree. K-S-S-I-N-T!¡± Shu¡¯s sleepy voice came from around the manor followed by a muffled group laughter. Elincia got startled for a second but quickly spun around to catch the harpy girl red-handed.

    ¡°That¡¯s not how you spell kissing Shu. We just had writing lessons!¡± Elincia adopted her caretaker''s serious voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I spelled, kissing is gross.¡±  Shu retorted and more muffled laughter emerged from around the corner.

    Elincia walked with long strides towards the corner and the orphans scurried everywhere giggling and shouting. Everyone except Shu, who had trouble running with her long talons. The harpy girl was quickly caught by Elincia but she was unfazed by the matter.

    ¡°You are in a good mood today, Miss Elincia.¡± Shu said.

    I didn¡¯t know if the lack of filter was a harpy thing or Shu''s thing, in any case, it was part of her charm. Sleepy, slow, and unfiltered.

    ¡°Well, last night I had a nice meal and then a good night¡¯s rest so I¡¯m feeling very energetic.¡± Elincia winked at me just to turn around and face the harpy girl again. ¡°Now go, I have to talk with Mister Clarke about some important matters.¡±

    Shu gave us a playful glance before following the rest of the small orphans.

    ¡°Something happened?¡± I asked in a low voice.

    ¡°No, nothing bad. I just wanted to let you know I¡¯m going out to collect donations.¡± Elincia sighed. ¡°I hate to beg but we are literally out of food and the farm plot isn¡¯t in any condition to yield anything.¡±

    As I was still under the effects of Elincia¡¯s psychic attack, it was hard for me to connect the dots.

    ¡°What about the food I bought? Zaon didn¡¯t tell you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m grateful for the ingredients, but they already ate all the soup and the older ones are going to need a lot of food to sustain your training hell.¡± Elincia replied. As much as she wanted to sound playful, I could tell she was worried.

    A mischievous smile appeared on my face as I realized Elincia didn¡¯t know about the cart with supplies hidden in the shed. I wonder if it was Zaon who parked it there. In any case, I had to thank him for giving me the chance to surprise Elincia. She deserved it after her snark about my class.

    ¡°Come with me, I want to show you something.¡± I said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time right now, Rob. Really.¡± Elincia replied, almost in distress.

    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t you trust me?¡± I said with pleading puppy eyes just as [Awareness] told me to.

    Elincia sighed and followed me into the shed.

    ¡°Look, I can understand you want to spend time alone with me but¡­¡± Elincia¡¯s words died in her mouth as her eyes fell on the cart.

    Sacks of potatoes and onions, bundles of carrots, a lot of squash, and a gazillion sacks of beans, everything was neatly piled on the cart and more importantly, it was ours. It was going to last for a while, although not as long as I hoped. I ignored how much a dozen orphans ate.

    Elincia¡¯s glance jumped from the cart to me and then to the cart again.

    ¡°How?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I sold a kidney.¡± I replied with a shit-eating grin.

    Elincia turned around and hugged me, tight, as if she wanted to merge our bodies into one. My spine cracked but I felt no pain, my brain was orbiting the planet ten thousand kilometers high in the sky.

    [Awareness]: You have received 65,535 points of psychic damage. SYSTEM ERROR. INTEGER OVERFLOW. REBOOT SEQUENCE INITIATED. SYSTEM ERROR. Just kidding.

    Then, Elincia let me go and started inventorying the contents of the cart.

    [Awareness]: Your name is Robert J. Clarke, you are inside a shed at Lowell¡¯s orphanage in Farcrest.

    ¡°This will last for a while but we need to secure a steady income to buy food.¡± Elincia said after checking on my vegetable loot. ¡°With your skill in finding ingredients with high mana concentration I could start brewing potions for a profit. We can also expand the farm if we are going for the long run, but Holst managed to ruin most of the plants¡­ if you hadn¡¯t arrived with a cart full of food, I wouldn¡¯t have known what to do¡­ thank you.¡±

    A shudder ran through my back. Holst¡¯s betrayal would have been a coup de grace against the orphanage in any other scenario. Or maybe not. Despite how dire was our situation, I chose to believe Elincia would¡¯ve gotten by even without my help.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should go to the Farlands for ingredients yet. The Marquis and his men are probably waiting to conscript the older ones before tax day. We can¡¯t leave the orphanage unattended.¡± I said.

    ¡°What should we do then?¡± Elincia asked as she passed her hands over the potatoes.

    It was the first time she let me take the lead, it was flattering.

    ¡°Let me check the farm plot for now. Maybe I can salvage something. Then we could think of something else.¡± I said.

    ¡°Good call. You go check that and I will take one of these to prepare lunch.¡± Elincia replied, grabbing a few potatoes and onions. Then, she walked to the dilapidated shed¡¯s door but stopped before exiting. ¡°And Rob, don¡¯t get used to hugs.¡±

    My face felt flush.

    ¡°You don¡¯t get used to them!¡± I replied as Elincia laughed her way to the manor.

    You have obtained Denial Lv.9. Temporary.

    I had to wait a moment to regain my scholarly gravity.

    As I stepped out of the shed, the picture of the kids resting near the big stump greeted me. Zaon and Wolf were sitting upright while hearing Ilya¡¯s rant. As interesting as her monologue appeared to be, I walked to the farm plot.

    Carrot Plant, Dying, Poisoned. [Identify]: Edible. Cooking ingredient. This plant has been poisoned.

    Squash Plant, Dying, Poisoned. [Identify]: Edible. Cooking ingredient. This plant has been poisoned.

    I walked along the rows of vegetables, identifying every single plant. Half of the garden had the [Poisoned] status and the other half had the [Withered] status. Whatever poison Holst had used to destroy the crops, it was working. He had made sure the Marquis would get those orphans conscripted.

    The future looked bleak, even if we planted autumn crops that same day, we would have to wait at least two to three months to see the first yields. The thought of building a greenhouse crossed my mind but the lack of materials and money made the idea unfeasible. The only solution seemed to be rebuilding the farm and holding out until the first harvest.

    I sat on the ground and scratched my chin. My beard had started to hitch but I ignored it for the time being. Every problem had a solution even if it wasn¡¯t immediately evident at first sight.

    When I opened my eyes, I noticed that Zaon, Ilya and Wolf had joined me in my meditation.

    ¡°What are you doing in the farm plot, Mister Clarke?¡± Ilya asked.

    ¡°Shhh, don¡¯t interrupt him, he is clearly thinking about something.¡± Zaon hushed her.

    The elven kid was surprisingly tactful for someone his age but I also noticed that he used to hold himself back to not disturb others.

    ¡°Miss Elincia and I are planning to expand the farm in order to become self-sustainable and not having to rely on donations. However, we are too busy to start the project right now.¡± I explained.

    As soon as my words left my mouth an idea materialized in my mind.

    ¡°For that reason, one of you will be in charge of developing the new farm. Any volunteers?¡± I asked with a smile.

    The announcement took them by surprise. They exchanged nervous glances and, as I expected, none of them volunteered for the position. The tyranny of the index finger it would be then.

    ¡°Alright. Congratulations, Zaon, you will be the project leader. Ilya and Wolf will be your assistants.¡± I smiled and clapped twice just like Elincia would have.

    My genius was frightening. This was going to be a great opportunity for Zaon to develop skills like leadership and organization while Ilya and Wolf cultivated their teamwork skills.

    ¡°Your goal will be to have your first yield three months from today.¡± I said.

    Zaon looked at me pale as paper. He seemed to be seconds away from passing out.

    ¡°B-b-but I don¡¯t know anything about farming. I barely know which side to grab a shovel. I wouldn¡¯t know where to start, the project will be a failure and everyone will starve to d-d-death.¡± Zaon¡¯s stuttering got worse by the minute.

    I put a hand over Zaon¡¯s shoulder. He was trembling.

    ¡°You need to split the problem into smaller chunks and then solve them one by one.¡± I smiled reassuringly. ¡°Come on, use your assistants. If you don¡¯t know something, ask someone who knows. If you need more hands, ask for them. If you want my opinion, just ask and I will guide you the best I can. But you have the last word.¡±

    Zaon nodded, still pale as a ghost, and Ilya had to rub his back for a solid minute before the elven boy regained the capacity to speak.

    ¡°W-w-well, what should we do first?¡± Zaon stuttered.

    ¡°Determine the size of the new farm, prepare the ground, sow the plants in the most efficient order, and tend them until they yield fruits¡­ evidently.¡± Wolf rattled off, raising a finger for each step.

    The three of us turned around in shock to look at Wolf. It was the first time I heard that many words coming out of his mouth and it seemed that Zaon and Ilya shared my impression.

    ¡°What?¡± Wolf asked.

    Despite my best efforts, I had created a wrong mental image of the half-orc.

    ¡°Nothing. You are right, that¡¯s roughly what you have to do.¡± I said.

    Suddenly, Zaon wasn¡¯t as scared. He was starting to see that the problem wasn¡¯t an unclimbable mountain but a series of gentle hills.

    ¡°We also have to choose the right plants. Not every vegetable grows in autumn.¡± Ilya pointed out, sitting cross legged and scratching her chin just like me. Was she imitating me? ¡°I also have heard you can plant them in a particular formation to maximize the yield.¡±

    ¡°And, we have to decide what to do with the old farm plot.¡± I added at the end.

    Then, I overheard the group''s discussion about the most efficient way to carry on the task. As the discussion progressed, Zaon lost part of his shyness and began to give strong opinions about different matters. Wolf¡¯s general knowledge about farming continued to surprise me and I didn¡¯t intrude in the conversation.

    The three made a great team so far and I had to congratulate myself for devising such a great project.

    ¡°Consider this as part of your training so let me know what you are going to do.¡± I said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll keep you informed, Mister Clarke.¡± Zaon briefly said just to resume the debate about the most efficient way of planting the farm plot.

    I stood up and walked back to the manor, thinking about farming. In the long run, the farm was going to be our main source of food so it had to work out on the first try.

    Inside the manor, the young ones played around in the receiving room. Not wanting to interrupt their games, I turned in the opposite direction and walked towards the kitchen. I had to talk to Elincia about the dying crops.

    I silently entered the kitchen and stopped in the doorway, looking at the woman preparing lunch. Her silky platinum hair was tied in a high bun, revealing her delicate neck. I glanced at her for a moment as she cut vegetables and fed the fire on the stove with an inhuman grace. Not wanting to look like a creep, I knocked on the door.

    Elincia gave a small jump and turned around.

    ¡°Were you staring at me?¡± She asked instantly.

    ¡°Were you doing something I wasn¡¯t supposed to see?¡± I replied entering the kitchen and leaning over the counter next to her. She had gotten me good at the shed and I was waiting for the opportunity to even the score.

    ¡°I don¡¯t usually spit in the food, if that¡¯s your question.¡± Elincia whispered near my ear.

    ¡°Did you spit in Holst¡¯s food?!¡± I whispered back. It wasn¡¯t something I''d expected from the Governess Elincia but the Alchemist Elincia I had met in the Farlands was a completely different beast.

    Elincia gifted me a charming smile and returned to her chores like a ballerina floating over the stage. Even her long dress fluttered around highlighting her rhythmic movements. She had totally spit in Holst¡¯s food.

    ¡°Please remind me not to make you mad any time soon, would you?¡± I looked at her feigning dismay. In reality, I liked this version of Elincia even more than the selfless and severe caretaker.

    ¡°Do you really think I am such a petty woman?¡± Elincia asked, focused on cutting carrots.

    ¡°Holst poisoned the crops so I¡¯m pretty sure he deserved a bit more than spit. You could¡¯ve served him hemlock tea and I would be okay with it.¡± I said.

    ¡°He what?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°Poisoned the plants, literally. The plants have the [Poisoned] status.¡±

    The knife fell from Elincia¡¯s hand producing a metallic rattle against the floor. Trembling with anger, she recovered the knife and stabbed a squash. I could almost envision the woman stabbing Holst¡¯s head.

    ¡°Poison. No wonder. Holst had a thorough personality.¡± Elincia gritted her teeth.

    ¡°If you brew an antidote, do you think we can recover the crops?¡± I tentatively asked. Back on Earth the plants would¡¯ve been lost for good, but as far as I knew antidotes in this world were magical in nature. Maybe they worked similarly in any living being.

    Elincia stopped for a moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I heard of giving antidotes to crops¡­ but it might work. If you have any other crazy ideas, please just tell me.¡± Elincia gave me a half smile and pulled the knife out from the squash she had skewered.

    It seemed we were having vegetable soup again.

 19 - Farm work

    The orphans swarmed the kitchen like a pack of vultures over an animal carcass and Elincia had to expel them, directing them to go to the pump to wash their hands and faces. After hearing Elincia¡¯s directions, Ilya instantly jumped down from her seat and herded them outside.

    Elincia opened the shutters and stuck half of her slender body out of the window. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to wash under your nails!¡±

    A distant ¡®yes¡¯ reached the kitchen where the more hygienic orphans were already waiting for the food.

    The stories about the morning practice were spreading like fire which made me wonder how bad Holst¡¯s lessons were to provoke such positive reactions in my pupils. At least Wolf was quietly sitting at the corner of the table, not answering questions.

    ¡°And then Mister Clarke was like shooooosh and waaaaaam, and he took the sword from Firana¡¯s hands without even getting hit once.¡± Zaon mimicked my movements during the duel with surprising accuracy as the toddlers followed him with attentive eyes.

    In any case, even if my body was inside the kitchen, my mind was light-years away.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that happened. Firana won''t lose.¡± A human kid called Ash said with a mocking tone.

    ¡°Ask Mister Clarke, he will tell you.¡± Zaon replied with a self-sufficient smile. ¡°Wasn''t it like that, Mr. Clarke? Mr. Clarke?¡±

    Elincia believed I was manly. Technically, she had said the way I interacted with the kids was manly, which was practically the same. I pulled the emergency brake of my train of thought. What if she was actually mocking me?

    ¡®Awareness, please play the video.¡¯ I thought.

    [Awareness]: Memory playback failed. Psychic damage detected. File corrupted. Extending search. File Fragment found, Elincia_hugging_you.mem.

    My expression was the dumbest thing I''ve ever seen in my life.

    ¡®Elincia was just grateful because I brought the equivalent of a few weeks of food. I do admire her work and selflessness, and she likes the way I teach the kids. Our relationship is about mutual, professional admiration.¡¯ I replied, not knowing if I was arguing against the System or myself. ¡®In any case, we should focus on ensuring the orphanage¡¯s long term sustainability and not whatever this is.¡¯

    [Awareness]: Self esteem issues detected. Contact therapist.

    ¡®Whatever.¡¯ I replied, ignoring the prompt.

    One of the snakefolk kids made a hissing sound that sounded suspiciously like laughter. As I looked around, getting out of my daze, I found Elincia¡¯s eyes perched on mine.

    ¡°Robert, are you listening?¡±

    ¡°Mister Clarke is getting scolded.¡± Shu sang with a melodious voice prompting a generalized laugh.

    I froze for a moment, not because Elincia was glaring at me with a slightly annoyed expression nor due to being the laughing stock of the orphanage. Hearing the kids having a good time felt surprisingly great. It was like they had already forgotten about the week without any adults around.

    ¡°As I was saying¡­¡± Elincia put special emphasis on every word to ensure I was actually paying attention this time. Her way of addressing me, as if I was another of the orphans, seemed to be hilarious for the kids. ¡°How hungry are you?¡±

    How hungry was I? With all the problems piling one over the other I had forgotten hunger was an actual thing. Usually, I could eat a whole chicken after a long training session but now I just feel like I should keep going. As we spoke, the poison continued weakening the farm plot.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not hungry at all.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Me neither.¡± Elincia turned around to the counter so I was the only one who could hear her, ¡°Should we check the farm before brewing the antidote? I want you to tell me exactly what your skill shows you.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Ilya, Zaon, Wolf, you three are in charge of lunch. Mister Clarke and I are going to check the farm.¡± Elincia announced as she crossed the kitchen with a decisive step. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see anybody coughing over Wolf. This goes for all you snotty brats.¡± She added with a kind smile.

    Elincia guided me out of the manor and into the orphanage¡¯s farm. The surviving plants were withering at an alarming rate. Their leaves were turning yellow and some fruit had fallen prematurely. The farm had a nice array of beets, carrots, peas, and squash. There were also green onions, garlic, and other greens similar to the ones on Earth but with much more exotic names.

    ¡°I wish I had the [Poison Detection] skill.¡± Elincia said. ¡°Come on, Scholar, enlighten me.¡±

    I told Elincia what [Identify] said about each plant. The prompts for each species were variations of the same message. [Poisoned], [Dying], [Withered], but no indication of what kind of poison Holst had used to kill the plants.

    Elincia took a leaf from a poisoned carrot plant and took a bite just to spit it out after a second.

    ¡°What was that?!¡± I asked.

    If Elincia dropped dead I didn¡¯t know what I was going to do with the orphanage.

    ¡°My alchemy teacher told me you could detect certain poisons by taste.¡± Elincia replied, spitting to the side once again. By her grimace I could tell it wasn¡¯t particularly tasty.

    ¡°So?¡± I asked again.

    To my dismay, Elincia tasted the leaves again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is good or bad. If this is Ashthorn poison then we are going to have a hard time using this plot of land for the foreseeable future, Ashthorn is nasty but expensive. Otherwise, I think I can brew an antidote to combat most common poisons.¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°Do we have the ingredients on hand?¡±

    I was worried that if we left the orphanage unattended, the guardsmen were going to appear and take the older kids.

    ¡°Zaon told me that an anonymous donor gave him bundles of alchemical ingredients.¡± Elincia winked at me, making my heart stop for a moment.

    I didn¡¯t know if it was Elincia¡¯s elven blood that made her so mysteriously attractive or if I was the one with a problem. I guessed it was the second option.

    After examining a couple more plants, we returned to the manor. Luckily, Elincia didn¡¯t drop dead even if she tasted a few more plants against my better advice.

    The jolly chattering of the orphans in the kitchen reached me as we walked towards Elincia¡¯s bedroom. Before we reached the sleeping quarters, I heard Ilya scolding the snakefolk twins for trying to steal potatoes, Zaon for not paying attention to the soup, and Wolf for letting the kids cough over him.

    ¡°Virdian and Nokti seem to like you. Every time Holst visited the orphanage they didn¡¯t stop hissing at him.¡± Elincia said, closing her bedroom door behind me.

    We sat at the desk under the window.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°That¡¯s flattering .¡± I replied with a hearty laugh.

    I realized it was the first time I heard the snake-folks'' names.

    ¡°Virdian is the boy, the green one. Nokti is the girl, the blue one. They are twins if you were wondering about it.¡± Elincia explained, realizing she hadn¡¯t introduced me properly.

    I did have quite a few questions about the snakefolk kids, but asking if they ate rats whole struck me as a bit tactless. Were they actually reptiles to begin with? I had taken them into my arms and they felt warm at least. Maybe scaled mammals?

    In the end, I decided to ask something simpler.

    ¡°Is it normal that they don¡¯t speak yet?¡±

    Elincia gave me a confused glance.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have snakefolk in your country?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Well, it is normal for them to not speak Common until later, something related to the development of their larynx. They should be about to start speaking any day now.¡± Elincia replied with a hint of excitement. ¡°Enough about the scaled ankle biters, it¡¯s brewing time.¡±

    Elincia opened the chest at the foot of the bed and started to take out her alchemist''s kit. I could recognize some of the tools; a mortar and pestle, various cloth sieves, the magical scale, jars, glasses, and bowls with and without contents inside. Other tools were a bit more esoteric. Glasses with multicolored crystals, a twisted bottle without a hole, a sealed flask of a strange pulsating fluid.

    ¡°First time seeing Alchemy in action?¡± Elincia asked me with a smug smile. Only then I realized that I was staring.

    ¡°Actually, yes.¡± I replied, startled.

    ¡°Using [Identify] on me is strictly forbidden.¡± Elincia pointed at me with her stone pestle. Even if she said it with a certain jesting tone, I knew she was being serious. After living in a world infested by social media oversharing, it was refreshing to see people caring for privacy.

    If I wasn¡¯t allowed to spy on the alchemical process directly, I might as well start asking questions. My knowledge of this world was still too precarious. I wanted to ensure the kids got good Classes, but for that I had to figure out the process of getting a Class.

    ¡°So¡­ people here can choose their Class? I remember you told me you chose to be an Alchemist when we were in the Farlands.¡± I asked as Elincia placed the ingredients on the table.

    She didn¡¯t say anything against Identifying the ingredients so I did. Dire Cress, Moon Laurel, Deadman Nettle, and Red Rat-tail. Then, she pulled out a small scalpel from her toolkit and started cutting the roots of the Dire Cress with surgical precision.

    ¡°What do you mean? Haven¡¯t you heard about the System Altars?¡± Elincia stopped her task to look at me as if I was a green alien with googly eyes.

    I was, in a sense.

    ¡°We obtain our Classes the natural way, like the System intended.¡± I replied, mockingly.

    Elincia rolled her eyes and continued with the delicate process of cutting roots. I wondered if the roots had different properties than the rest of the cress.

    ¡°Well, Mister All-Natural, in this corner of the world using System Altars is the norm. Of course you can wait until the System grants you a class, but that could take years, even decades, and nobody is going to waste so much time being unable to properly level up.¡± Elincia explained.

    I remember the orphans voicing the same concern during our training session. Why would they train if they couldn¡¯t level up? I shook my head. The peoples of this world trusted too much in the System for their development when true progress could be achieved with effort and dedication.

    ¡°What¡¯s it like? To choose a class?¡± I asked again.

    ¡°You touch the System Altar and you enter a state of meditation where you directly talk to the System.¡± Elincia calmly explained as she processed the rest of the ingredients. My theory about different parts of the plant having different properties seemed to be accurate.

    ¡°For me it was a summer forest with a small creek, but I heard it is different for everyone. There the System offers you a Class but you can also ask for something in particular. Of course, the System won¡¯t give you something impossible, but classes like Soldier, Archer, Farmer, Lumberjack, and Miner are open to anyone.¡± The woman said with a dreamy tone as if she was reminicensing a distant memory.

    ¡°What about Scholars?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Scholar is an advanced class so it''s a bit more uncommon. People usually start as Scribes and they evolve into Scholars later.¡± Elincia grinned. ¡°But don¡¯t get too cocky for getting an advanced class for starters, Alchemist is also the advanced version of Herbalist.¡±

    I smiled. Elincia wanted to be a Hunter, and now I knew why she chose Alchemist. It was for the orphanage''s sake. My admiration for her only grew.

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re just naturally gifted.¡± I grinned back.

    Elinia rolled her eyes and focused on the ingredients. She put the Dire Cress and the Moon Laurel in the mortar and started grinding it. As soon as the pestle touched the mortar, mana started flowing through Elincia¡¯s body and gathering into her hands. I could almost see the mana as a green and golden mist dancing and fluttering around her. She wasn¡¯t just mashing the ingredients together, she was blending their magical properties into something completely different.

    I dragged my chair to her side to take a closer look although I didn¡¯t need my eyes to feel mana flowing. If Elincia noticed my presence, she didn¡¯t complain. Instead, she continued mashing the ingredients with skilled touch.

    Then I noticed the process was far from perfect, Elincia¡¯s mana would leak from the ingredients hindering the process, or mana from the room would seep into the ingredients.

    If mixing Dire Cress with Moon Laurel was like mixing red and blue, then the environmental mana dulled the perfectly mixed lilac, muddying it into an impure puce. It was just a comparison product of my brain¡¯s lack of better representation.

    Without asking for permission, I poured my mana into the mix, forming a protective mesh around the ingredients. As soon as my mana surrounded Elincia¡¯s hands, the invasion of environmental mana into the mixture stopped almost completely. My technique still needed improvement but it produced a noticeable change in the purity of the blend.

    Elincia put Deadman Nettle and Red Rat-tail into a medium glass and filled it with water. Then she started heating the water through magical means. Elincia made her mana mutate, turning it into a sparkly substance and casting a fire elemental spell. I silently offered Elincia my mana and she accepted it, fueling the fire spell.

    The process continued for a few minutes, then Elincia strained the Deadman Nettle and Red Rat-tail infusion into the mortar with the blend of Dire Cress and Moon Laurel. We protected the mixture until the mana of the ingredients blended together in a uniform substance. Finally, Elincia put the mix into a cloth sieve and strained the liquid from the solid plant matter.

    The golden mana mixture was poured into a small vial with the help of a funnel. Elincia corked it and stopped using her [Potion Crafting] skill. The potion was of a translucent pink color to the naked eye but I knew it was filled with golden mana.

    I hadn''t realized I was holding my breath. I took a deep breath and Elincia¡¯s aroma assaulted my nose in a pleasant way. Only then I realized I was leaning over her shoulder grasping both her hands in mine. My lips were almost touching her pale and pointy ear.

    Luckily enough, Elincia was focused on the potion.

    ¡°So, this is the power of a Scholar. Now I understand why they are in such high demand by nobles and wealthy merchants.¡± Elincia said thoughtfully as I retreated to the other side of the desk. ¡°I heard Scholars could assist other crafting classes, but this is terrific!¡±

    There was the chance she was so entranced in the process of brewing the potion that she had overlooked the fact I was practically hugging her.

    ¡°Shall we test it right now? I¡¯m excited about the result.¡± Elincia jumped from her seat and scurried towards the door, barely looking at me. I didn¡¯t see her face but I got a glance of the antidote in her hand.

    Dire Cress-Moon Laurel Antidote. [Identify] Alchemy potion. Effect: High. Toxicity: Medium. A High grade potion capable of nullifying the effects of most common poisons.

    ¡°Medium toxicity?¡± I asked. The fact an antidote was toxic seemed weird to say the least.

    ¡°Antidotes are just like any other potion. If you pour too much foreign mana into your body you are going to get corrupted.¡± Elincia replied.

    The orphans were idling in the backyard after lunch. Ilya was looking after the younger ones as they scampered all over the esplanade while Zaon and Wolf measured with their steps the dimensions of the new farm plot. I was pleased they were taking the task so seriously, the more they achieved during the first days of training, the more their confidence would grow.

    Confidence was key to success, but I was not completely sure if the antidote we crafted would work on plants. We needed that extra crop with urgency, otherwise the winter would be harsh for the orphanage.

    ¡°If this works I¡¯m jumping naked into the Azur river.¡± Elincia whispered, kneeling near a withered squash plant.

    As we examined the crops, the group of orphans approached with curiosity and stared at us from the edge of the farm plot.

    ¡°If this doesn¡¯t work I¡¯m hunting Holst to the edge of the world.¡± I whispered low enough for the orphans to not hear me. A smile was drawn on Elincia¡¯s face. For some reason, she was strangely giggly.

    ¡°Mister Clarke shouldn¡¯t act so vindictive in front of the kids.¡± Elincia drowned a laugh with some effort.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think swimming naked is a great example either.¡± I retorted as I used [Identify] to find a poisoned plant that looked salvable.

    Squash. [Identify] Cooking ingredient. Edible. Poisoned. Withering.

    Elincia poured half of the contents of the bottle around the stem of the squash and deposited a few drops on the leaves. The mana flowed through the leaves and roots neutralizing the poison and clearing the plant from any trace of malicious mana inside.

    Squash. [Identify] Cooking ingredient. Edible. Recovering. Lv.1 Vigor (temporary).

    ¡°It worked. The poison is healing.¡± I muttered, surprised by how fast the antidote had worked. It was magic, after all.

    Elincia, not wanting to alert the orphans, subtly grabbed my hand and squeezed for a second. I squeezed her hand back as the weight fell from my shoulders.

    ¡°Hey! What are you two doing over there!¡± Ash yelled over the edge of the farm plot.

    Elincia gave me a radiant smile before walking back to the manor, leaving me with the orphans that slowly invaded the farm plot to watch whatever we were doing. She was acting strange.

 20 - Tarnished Victory

    The magical antidote had worked and the orphanage could continue existing for another few months. We only needed to focus our efforts on crafting enough potions to save as many plants as possible so I left the farm plot and followed Elincia back into the manor.

    Zaon caught up to me before I could reach the entrance.

    ¡°Sir? Can we talk for a moment?¡± The elven boy asked with a worried expression.

    ¡°Sure, Zaon. Anytime you want.¡± I replied, taking the boy to the side, far from prying ears.

    During the training session Zaon and the rest had had a positive attitude facing the challenge. Even if their first blows were full of doubt, slowly but surely they had started to get the hang of it. And even after, when I put him in charge of the development of the farm plot, he seemed to accept the role of leader in the end.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I said, as Zaon seemed hesitant to speak up.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a better idea to leave Wolf as the leader of the farm project. He knows a lot more about farming than me and he came up with better solutions too.¡± Zaon stuttered with the eyes fixed on the tips of his feet.

    Zaon¡¯s words took me by surprise at first, but then I remember that confidence could be lost even easier than it was obtained. I should¡¯ve realized that the boy was still full of self doubt, but despite his petition, I couldn¡¯t just let him resign. I had to find a way to support him.

    ¡°It is scary, isn''t it? To make a mistake I mean.¡± I smiled reassuringly and put my hand on Zaon¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°If I make the wrong decision we are going to starve this winter¡­ I don¡¯t think I am the right person for this job.¡± Zaon sighed.

    I sat with the back against the wall and patted the ground for him to do the same.

    ¡°I do believe you are the right person for the job. You care about the orphanage just as much as Miss Elincia so I know you will try your best.¡± I said. ¡°Sometimes life puts challenges in our way that we are not prepared to fight. War, illness, injustice¡­ but it is the duty of good men and women to stand tall in front of adversity, even if odds are slim.¡±

    Zaon looked at me and nodded.

    ¡°Mister Holst¡­¡± He stopped mid sentence.

    ¡°I do believe you can make it.¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯s just a farm, Zaon. Even if you get something wrong I will be there to guide you, and so will Miss Elincia, Ilya, and Wolf. You are a smart kid, Zaon.¡±

    Zaon jumped up with his eyes filled with determination once again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, Mister Clarke. I¡¯ll use Wolf¡¯s and Ilya¡¯s advice and we will work hard. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± The elven kid repeatedly slapped his face with both hands until his cheeks turned red.

    ¡°Would you look over the young ones while Miss Elincia and I craft more potions?¡±

    Zaon nodded energetically and zoomed around the manor towards the farm.

    I smiled, the talk had worked wonders on Zaon but also on me. Things were improving in the orphanage. Even with the Marquis¡¯s ominous shadow lingering over us and Holst¡¯s betrayal dragging us down, the orphans were in good spirits and even Elincia seemed more optimistic.

    Our situation was still precarious but I saw a glimpse of hope.

    But first potions.

    I passed outside the kitchen, where the snakefolk twins were stealing potatoes. One in each hand and another one inside the mouth. I softly scolded them, holding back a laugh. The pair was so cute that I could barely frown towards them without feeling guilty. Virdian and Nokti begrudgingly returned the potatoes to the sack and scurried away.

    I made a mental note to ask Elincia about the twins¡¯ obsession with potatoes but for the time being we were against the clock. Even if we had an antidote for poison, it couldn¡¯t resurrect the plants once they were dead.

    I knocked on Elincia¡¯s door.

    ¡°Come in!¡± Elincia yelled from the other side with a much more calm voice. She was acting suspiciously but my [Awareness] refused to form any hypothesis about it.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ventured inside the room. Elincia was already sitting at her desk precisely cutting the ingredients with the scalpel. There was no trace of the giddiness she had shown minutes before.

    ¡°I leveled up. Twice in fact. I had to retreat from the farm plot before I could start trashing Holst to the four winds.¡± Elincia said with an embarrassed tone. From my position I could only see a slice of her face but I noticed her cheeks were red.

    Leveling up made one feel like shouting out loud after all.

    ¡°By the time we finish crafting the potions you will be ready to evolve to the next class.¡± I tried to lighten the atmosphere with a joke as I sat across the desk.

    ¡°Can you imagine? The only Transmuter in Farcrest being the local orphanage caretaker? Imperial Scholars and even the Alchemist Guild would be quite mad, as far as I know there is just one Transmuter in the kingdom.¡± Elincia glanced at me across the table as if she was really entertaining the possibility.

    My Scholar¡¯s mind instantly archived the new knowledge. If the information Elincia was feeding me was reliable, then classes could evolve at least two times. Herbalist, a basic class, turned into Alchemist, an advanced class, and then into Transmuter. However, advanced classes seemed to be common enough to not raise an eyebrow. After all, both Elincia and I had started with advanced classes from the get go.

    Even if Elincia had been an Alchemist since her teenage years, she didn¡¯t seem to expect evolving any time soon. Maybe the headstart wasn¡¯t meaningful in the long run. The third class had to be something unusually rare for only a single Transmuter to exist in the whole kingdom.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°I wish I could become a Transmuter but it takes more than a few levels to reach a Prestige class. Becoming a Transmuter is a long journey that requires finding the rarest ingredients and crafting the most difficult potions. It¡¯s not something you can do at home.¡± Elincia shrugged her shoulders and continued preparing the ingredients.

    Leaving the orphanage wasn¡¯t a possibility for either of us.

    I sat back and watched Elincia¡¯s hands as she masterfully cut, mashed, and peeled the alchemical ingredients. I have always been fascinated by women who could make things with their hands, be it drawing, playing an instrument, or any other creative endeavor. No, more than fascination it was admiration.

    ¡°Come to think I know very little about you. I mean, I know you are a ¡®natural¡¯ Scholar from a faraway land that had a mad crush on his teacher.¡± Elincia said after a moment of comfortable silence. ¡°Okay, that was mean. It sounded funnier in my mind.¡±

    ¡°You are generally mean.¡± I replied.

    After my last breakup, I knew the moment of talking about myself with someone of the opposite sex would eventually come. Aslan, Iluvatar, and the System knew I wasn¡¯t prepared for this. I had abandoned most of my hobbies over the years and the most exciting thing that ever happened in my life was coming to this world. And that wasn¡¯t something I could tell Elincia.

    Music? Elincia wouldn¡¯t be familiar with modern Earth music genres. Movies? Sure, pictures that move would sound like magic. Books? Elincia probably hadn¡¯t read any of my favorites. Sports? Elincia would make fun of me for watching twenty-two dudes chasing a ball.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Scholars aren¡¯t known for being interesting people. Before arriving here, I hadn''t left my city for a long time. Not even to go to the outskirts.¡± I said, hoping to deflect the question.

    Elincia just laughed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even get me started, I have been sitting here in Farcrest since the day I was born. Unless you count the Farlands.¡± Elincia sighed, still focused on the Dire Cress.

    ¡°I¡¯d count the Farlands as your vacation spot of choice.¡± I replied.

    Elincia rolled her eyes without looking at me.

    ¡°Very funny, Robert.¡± She said.

    ¡°What about you? I barely know anything about you except for the fact you run an orphanage and you are a very sassy person.¡±

    Elincia stopped cutting and for a moment I feared I would have triggered some painful memories. Ebros Kingdom was at war, and she probably had sent more than a few orphans to feed the King¡¯s war machine.

    ¡°What about me, I wonder.¡± Elincia said, resuming her task. ¡°Mister Lowell died when I was sixteen and I was one of the older kids here so I had to take care of the orphanage. The first two years were peaceful but then war broke out and since then I could count with the fingers of both hands how many times I¡¯ve left Farcrest.¡±

    [Awareness]: Ebros Kingdom War of Expansion has been going on for seven years now.

    I quickly did the mental math. ¡°Nine years since you became the governess.¡±

    ¡°Soon to be ten. We could organize a celebration or something for the anniversary.¡± Elincia laughed but I knew she was hiding part of the story. I could see an old wound still not fully cicatrized in the depths of her emerald eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t run away from my question. I already told you how I got here, now it¡¯s your turn.¡±

    I blamed the Dire Cress for being so slow to process.

    ¡°What can I say, I studied for most of my youth then I taught for the rest of it.¡± I replied. That was a good summary of my life if I added to the mix a sprinkle of the romantic breakup that also got rid of all my friendships. ¡°Then I ended up as a¡­ surveyor for a law firm which led me to the teleportation device that brought me here.¡±

    Elincia frowned at me, clearly unhappy with how sparse my story had been.

    ¡°The ingredients are ready. I don¡¯t know what Scholar trick you did back there but you better do it again. That was my first High Grade potion ever.¡± Elincia said.

    I nodded.

    We worked mostly in silence with a few comments from Elincia between potion after potion. Alchemists improved their control over the crafting process as they leveled up their class and their skills. At first, with the meager mana pool of their initial levels, they could only process small quantities of ingredients with subpar purity. As their class progressed, they were able to brew greater quantities with multiple ingredients and several more middle steps without compromising the effectiveness of the potion.

    There was a catch, though. Mana Corruption. Magic potions were the way to go to treat most illnesses and injuries but it came with a cost. In great quantities, potions could cause Mana Corruption, an untreatable ailment that corrupted the mana pool and weakened the skills of the person.

    Usually, ingredients with high magic concentration yielded potions with great effects and high toxicity. Only a high level Alchemist could craft a potion with powerful effects and low toxicity.

    Luckily for adventurers, mana toxicity faded with time as long as it didn¡¯t pass the critical threshold.

    By mid afternoon, a group of orphans had appeared under the window. Their eyes reflected the mana colors cast by the alchemical process. Green during the extraction process and gold during the mixing. Potion crafting was repetitive and tedious so after half an hour, the orphans returned to their usual activities, leaving us alone once more.

    The mild autumn weather worsened during the afternoon. Dark clouds started brewing all over the Farlands heralding the first storm of the year. The weakened sun was about to hide beneath the mountains by the west when we ran out of ingredients.

    Elincia was a bit paler than usual and I could feel her mana pool dangerously depleted.

    ¡°I leveled up two more times.¡± Elincia said as she stretched her back with feline elegance. The euphoria from leveling up and the exhaustion from the prolonged crafting seemed to be canceling each other out.

    Not wanting to spend a single second idle, we returned to the farm plot. A strong wind picked up as we abandoned the safety of the manor and a few stray raindrops fell over my face and my hands. Elincia grabbed the hem of her dress as the wind rushed and led the way to the withering plants.

    We soon realized the stack of potions wasn¡¯t going to be enough for the whole farm.

    Elincia and I kneeled before a potato plant and poured a few drops on the leaves.

    Potato Plant. [Identify] The tasty part is underground. Recovering. Lv.1 Vigor (temporary).

    ¡°It worked!¡± I grabbed her hand before she could waste a single drop.

    About half of the vial was already empty, but more importantly, the other half was still full. With a smile on our faces, we tended the next plant. We worked shoulder by shoulder until the last potion was spent.

    In the end, the real MVP had been [Identify]. The skill allowed me both to detect the plants that were beyond recovery and to know the minimum antidote dose each sick plant needed.

    About a third of the plot was already [Withered].

    Now we could only wait for the crop and hope the yield was enough.

    We returned inside the orphanage after nightfall, only after tending each plant. The kitchen was empty but the leftovers of a pot of gruel revealed the orphans fended themselves against hunger before going to bed. I silently thanked the older kids. Without Ilya, Zaon, and Wolf¡¯s help everything would be twice as hard.

    My stomach grumbled. Mana work was exhausting for body and mind.

    Elincia fed the stove and put the kettle on. We sat near the fire as it was the only source of light in the room. It was too late for something more elaborate so Elincia brought an old piece of bread, roasted seeds, cheese, and the ham I had bought from the market.

    The meal tasted like no other. Maybe it was the company, or the fact we had made great advances toward the long term survival of the orphanage, but I wouldn¡¯t change the old bread and smelly cheese for anything.

    There was still something bothering me however.

    Firana hadn¡¯t reappeared since the morning session.

 21 - First steps

    Elincia held one of the orphange¡¯s magical light orbs in her hand as she guided me towards my new room.

    Sleeping on the lobby¡¯s couch had been quite the experience. Only a special few could brag about sleeping on a piece of furniture harder and more uncomfortable than the forest bed. The couch was so unpleasant to my back that I was about to flee to the floor and sleep inside a cocoon made with the dozen blankets Elincia had given me. I quickly discarded that idea just because I didn¡¯t want to be an extra source of concern.

    Luckily, my time served on the couch was over when Elincia showed me my room. It was at the end of the hallway, past the communal room of the younger kids and the individual rooms of the older orphans. The side opposite Elincia¡¯s study.

    The room was spacious, with a tall wooden wardrobe, a dresser, and a nightstand. The bed was an old hulk of wood with white sheets and a heavy wool blanket. On the opposite wall, there was a window with actual glass panels, a relic of the manor¡¯s better days.

    ¡°It¡¯s not much but you will have some privacy.¡± Elincia said. She was in a good mood after brewing High Grade potions all afternoon and, allegedly, leveling up several times. ¡°There are two, three, four rooms between this and Zaon¡¯s. His snoring isn¡¯t going to disturb you.¡±

    I felt a bit guilty about having Elincia prepare a bedroom just for me on top of all the daily chores, but I kept it to myself.

    ¡°It¡¯s bigger than my room back in my apartment.¡± I replied as I wondered what was going to happen with my old things back on Earth. I had a few distant aunts and uncles but I doubted any of them would drive across half the state to retrieve my stuff. I missed my CD collection.

    ¡°Apartment?¡± Elincia asked.

    Lately, the elven woman had been attentive at any mention of my previous life.

    ¡°A tall building with several homes inside.¡± I explained in simple terms. ¡°Like a beehive but square I guess?¡±

    Elincia¡¯s cute confused expression was worth every explanation. It almost made me forget how sassy and mischievous she actually was.

    ¡°The City of Light is a weird place. Scholars with stupidly advanced titles, beehives for people. What¡¯s next? Carts without horses?¡± Elincia jokingly said.

    As much as I suspected Elincia would love them, I wasn¡¯t ready to tell her about motorized vehicles. I could totally picture her speeding on a motorcycle and doing wheelies on the highway. Or being chased by the police.

    ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s water on the nightstand if you are thirsty. But don¡¯t drink too much or you will have to water the plants in the middle of the night.¡± Elincia lectured me.

    ¡°You should go to sleep already, or tomorrow you won''t be able to get up.¡± I lectured her back.

    Elincia gave me the light orb and waved goodbye, but she stopped at the doorway.

    ¡°You did a good job today, you know, with the kids and with the farm.¡± Elincia said, not quite hiding the shyness of her voice.

    ¡°You would have managed without me.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Elincia waved from the door and left me alone.

    I explored the room. At the foot of the bed there was a brazier with a few red embers and over the nightstand a water jug and a wooden cup. Elincia was truly mindful. Most of the drawers were empty, save for a few old pieces of men¡¯s clothing. After rummaging through the wardrobe I found a very medieval looking nightgown so I changed my clothes.

    After a long day trying to keep the orphanage afloat, there was only one thing I wanted to do. Experiment with my mana and find the limits of my [Mana Manipulation]. I jumped on my bed, it was way softer than the couch, and summoned my mana. A blue, cold flame appeared on my hand.

    No matter how many times I performed the trick, part of my brain refused to believe I could do magic. But there it was, on the palm of my hand. The thing I have always dreamed of doing since I grabbed my first fantasy book years decades ago.

    ¡°Focus, Robert. We are two shells away from losing most of my firepower. We have to figure out what else we can do.¡± I silently scolded myself.

    Identifying things was nice, but I wasn¡¯t going to be able to defeat a city guard by staring them down. For close quarter combat I had my mana blade, what I needed was something to improve my ranged capabilities.

    I summoned a small mana blade between my fingers, just like I have done in the forest, and aimed at the wardrobe. Before the mana knives could reach it, they vanished. No matter how many times I tried, the knives wouldn''t reach more than half a meter before disappearing into thin air.

    The knives seemed solid as long as they were in contact with me.

    ¡°What about a flamethrower?¡±

    So far, I knew mana particles could produce friction, and even sparks.

    I extended my hand and pushed mana out of my body. A blue flare filled the room but nothing caught fire. Just like the smaller blue flame, the flare was pure light and no heat.

    When I wanted to use the mana blade I just had to envision the solid blade in my hand but merely thinking of making fire wasn¡¯t going to cut it. Was that because of the class restriction on elemental spells?

    I thought about how I had made the sparks that lit the stove before. I stopped thinking about creating a flame and started thinking about creating friction. Running channels of mana perpendicular to itself, I managed some sparks again. It certainly looked flashy, but sparks weren''t exactly enough to scare off guards.

    How could I make that into a flamethrower? Or better yet, a fireball?

    Fire needed oxygen, temperature, and fuel. I already had a spark, and there was plenty of oxygen in the air. I only needed to figure out how to use mana as fuel.

    The System was going to regret giving me such a big mana pool.

    ¡°You better start preparing that Flame Alchemist title.¡± I grinned.

    But the mischievous smile on my face quickly faded away. After several attempts I realized I was just uselessly pushing mana along.

    "Oh come on." I muttered as I realized that I must¡¯ve overlooked something. Between the stacks of Denial and the ban on elemental magic, the System clearly had it out for me.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Maybe I needed more sparks and more air.

    Thinking about how a fan pushed wind, I shaped my mana into one and spun it. While I could feel the results they weren''t exactly impressive. I tried other methods like more fan blades, making a bag for the mana and compressing it, and even a crude attempt at mana bellows. Even with my mana pool however, it felt like a lot of work for a little bit of air.

    After around an hour of failed attempts I was starting to feel increasingly tired, and at best I had become a human sparkler. A neat party trick but a flame thrower this was not.

    How else could I move air? With my breath?

    I tried blowing the sparks but, as expected, it didn¡¯t work. I sighed after seeing the results. All my effort to blow mana with increasingly absurd mana contraptions was barely any better than just breathing on it.

    Maybe I could enhance my breath? I thought about the fight I had watched between the two nobles. They certainly had moved faster than normal people could. Body enhancing magic was a logical answer.

    Before I tried anything however, [Awareness] lit up with the possible risks of harming myself with improvised attempts to enhance my physical functions. I could collapse a lung or worse.

    [Awareness]: Ideal Magical Law, don¡¯t do anything the System doesn¡¯t allow you to do.

    I sat on the bed, frustrated. My dreams of having a flamethrower spell were pretty thoroughly shot.

    I was supposed to have otherworldly knowledge that let me cheat my way through life here, but instead all I had gained was the ability to light candles. The light orb that Elincia had left me taunted me with the realization that even that was barely useful. Even a poor orphanage like this one had magic lighting, so my cheat ability was little more than a crappy party trick.

    If there were magic sparklers in this world I was going home.

    Looking at the light, my eyes moved to the water jug that Elincia had left on the nightstand. What if I could heat water? Maybe even boil it. If nothing else, it could be useful in the Farlands later. I poured a little water into the wooden cup. I didn¡¯t want sparks this time, so I had to think about how to best heat it.

    I focused my mana inside of the cup. Shifting the mana against itself in a different direction, I worked the water. I wasn¡¯t sure if it did anything at first, but I continued at it. After a while I stuck my finger in it.

    It felt lukewarm. Then it occurred to me that I hadn¡¯t checked the temperature of the water before I had started. Sticking a finger into the pitcher of water I realized it was the exact same temperature. What was I doing wrong?

    This wasn¡¯t an elemental spell, just movement. The System wasn¡¯t going to stop me from having warm water with its stupid rules. I thought about how a microwave heated water.

    Was mana able to be used in a wave?

    I started pushing my mana into the water, oscillating it as tightly as I could. I had a feeling I was onto something. There was no way normal spells worked this way. Part of the problem was that mana usage aside, blasting mana in a wave was stupidly repetitive. It was mentally taxing.

    Maybe there was a trick to this.

    I thought about vibrations and oscillations for over an hour until I could reliably heat the water. It wasn¡¯t fast enough to be used in a fight, but it was faster than the stove in the orphanage at least. I might have spent more time on it, but my mana pool was showing signs of depletion.

    I already had spent a sizable amount helping Elincia to brew potions.

    Despite my best efforts, [Mana Manipulation] refused to be further weaponized.

    The light orb Elincia had given me was almost out when I decided to call it a night. The orb didn¡¯t have a switch so I covered it with a handkerchief from the dresser. I closed my eyes but no matter how tired I was, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep. A strange sense of urgency, like a loud alarm in the back of my brain, kept me awake.

    Suddenly, the sound of clanking armor broke the silent night.

    [Awareness]: Armored individuals nearby.

    I jumped to my feet and, without revealing the light orb, I pressed my face against the window. The sidewalk was barely visible from my position but I managed to catch a glimpse of a silhouette jumping the waist-high wall into the front yard. Moonlight wasn¡¯t enough to discern who the intruder was.

    A hundred different alarms started going off inside my brain. A rush of adrenaline pumped into my veins, erasing any trace of mana fatigue. I jumped off the bed and loaded my shotgun, hoping the self defense laws of Farcrest wouldn¡¯t punish me for blasting intruders into the river Styx. Because I was going to feed lead to anyone who dared harm the kids.

    Silently, I walked down the corridor and knocked on Elincia¡¯s door. As I didn¡¯t get any answer, I opened it.

    I was greeted by the elven woman¡¯s shining eyes floating near the window. I could barely see the contours of her white nightgown against the darkness. She put her fingers on her lips and scurried towards me, then, she grabbed my wrist and guided me through the dark corridors.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± I muttered but Elincia put her hand over my mouth and shook her head.

    Elincia guided me to a window facing the front yard where we had a better observation point. The intruders were still examining the mansion facade. There were two of them and even with the dim light of the moon, I recognized the guardsmen uniforms. They crossed the front yard to the main entrance, but the angle prevented me from distinguishing their movements. I squeezed the shotgun and waited for the door to be knocked off.

    After a minute that felt like an hour, the guards mantled over the low wall and left the orphanage. Elincia and I stayed frozen in silence for another five minutes before either of us dared to move. When we realized the guards weren¡¯t coming back, Elincia sighed and her hunting knife fell from her hand.

    ¡°What was that?¡± I tried to not sound panicked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They were guardsmen, and they were totally surveying the manor.¡± Elincia replied with a concerned tone.

    ¡°Do you think they will try to take the kids by force?¡± I asked again, remembering the tax season was soon. The Marquis was going to need fresh recruits if he wanted to continue his tax evasion scheme.

    Elincia smoothed out the wrinkles of her nightgown before answering.

    ¡°At this point I don¡¯t know¡­ after what Holst did, I don''t know what the Marquis is capable of.¡± She sounded defeated.

    There was no way any of us could sleep tonight so we went to the kitchen. Elincia rekindled the stove and put water in the kettle. We drank our tea in silence, listening to the sounds of the night, but nothing came near the orphanage. The aromatic herbs had a soothing effect on us.

    ¡°Firana hasn¡¯t come back yet.¡± I broke the silence.

    Guilt was getting the best of me. What if she was gone because of our duel?

    ¡°She is like that sometimes, she always comes back so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Elincia replied with a tired grimace.

    ¡°I had a duel against Firana.¡±

    ¡°I saw. You did well. Firana has yet to learn how to lose.¡± Elincia said reassuringly.

    The woman¡¯s calmness wasn¡¯t helping to calm my nerves. In hindsight, dueling one of my students on their first day was irresponsible to say the least. I should¡¯ve used words to make Firana come to her senses.

    ¡°I used [Identify] on her.¡± I tried once again to turn the guilt towards me.

    ¡°Firana asked you to not hold back.¡± Elincia was getting annoyed.

    I realized that I did not gain anything by blaming myself, what I needed was to know my students better. That was the only way I could possibly help Firana. If she ever came back.

    ¡°Is Firana noble born? One of her titles was ¡®Aias Heir¡¯.¡± I asked.

    Elincia¡¯s worried face suddenly changed into a grimace of sorrow.

    ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is.¡± She muttered, bringing her fingers to her lips in a meditative gesture. ¡°Firana belongs to a famous mercenary family, the Aias family. When the war erupted most of her relatives traveled to the front leaving the old and young behind. If she has the ¡®Aias Heir¡¯ title, that means she is the last one.¡±

    Elincia let out a long tiresome sigh.

    ¡°Or that she is the second to last.¡± I added in a vain attempt to improve Elincia¡¯s mood.

    My words seemed to have the opposite effect because Elincia buried her face in her hands and cursed in a low voice.

    ¡°I should have noticed something was wrong with Firana. She was always hard to deal with but lately she has been even worse. At first I thought it was Holst¡¯s fault, you know, pushing the kids too much during training, so I let it be. At least she was receiving the best education available in Farcrest.¡±

    Silence settled again in the kitchen. All the adrenaline of the night was suddenly gone, replaced by a feeling of uneasiness, as if Firana was pulling out of my reach by the second. During my career as a teacher I had lost students before. Some of them had made it in life but the vast majority had no happy endings.

    ¡°She will come back. Let me grab an orb so we don¡¯t wait in darkness.¡± Elincia put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a little squeeze.

    I hoped Elincia was right, but Firana didn¡¯t appear during the night nor the next morning.

 22 - Stranger danger

    I was suddenly awoken by the knocking on my bedroom¡¯s door. Despite how little sleep I had, I jumped onto my feet and reached for my shotgun, fully alert. Visions of intruders breaching into the orphanage and taking the kids had swarmed my dreams. This time, no one stormed into my room.

    There was knocking again, firmly but not violently.

    ¡°I¡¯m awake, enter.¡± I said as I tried to control the wild beating of my heart.

    Elincia opened the door but, instead of inviting me to have breakfast with her as she usually did, she entered the room and closed the door behind her. The elven woman was dressed in her white night robe with a woolen shawl across her shoulders. As usual, she didn¡¯t show any signs of just getting out of bed.

    ¡°Firana hasn¡¯t come back yet. I just checked her room and the bowl of food we left her is untouched.¡± Elincia announced the bad news with a weary voice. ¡°I fear the city guard has caught her. Holst would¡¯ve told the Marquis that Firana is a promising swordsman.¡±

    It was the third day since Firana¡¯s escape and Elincia was at the brink of panic.

    I cursed under my breath.

    We were facing a dilemma. We could go out to the town and search for Firana but we would leave the orphanage undefended if the guardsmen appeared to conscript the rest of the orphans. However, if we played it safe and Firana was indeed in danger, she would be sent to the frontline without us being able to protect her.

    ¡°You should look for her.¡± I finally said.

    Even if Firana ran away on her own, she was still one of Elincia¡¯s kids and it was our job to protect her whether she wanted it or not.

    ¡°What if the guardsmen come to the orphanage? They know you are a Scholar, Rob, there¡¯s no way you can dissuade them. The guardsmen know I have a few Hunter skills so they will be more reluctant to do anything rash in my presence.¡± Elincia replied.

    The guards didn¡¯t know anything about my makeshift [Mana Blade]. To them I was merely a low level Scholar without any meaningful offensive skills. Elincia was right, the guards would probably pick a fight with me thinking they would easily win. Then, things would escalate.

    ¡°We might be reading too much into Holst¡¯s actions. Maybe the patrol last night was just a coincidence and they are not going to force the orphans into the army until they reach the age.¡± I put my hand on Elincia¡¯s shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

    ¡°Or we are correctly reading the situation and the Marquis is going to abduct them if we don¡¯t hand them over.¡± Elincia replied.

    ¡°Maybe. What¡¯s certain is that Firana needs us right now. You go find her and I will hold the fort.¡± I said with a firm voice.

    Elincia didn¡¯t seem completely convinced.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to put that kind of weight over your shoulders.¡± She muttered.

    ¡°If the guardsmen come, I¡¯ll do what I have to do to keep the kids safe.¡± I replied, looking her directly in the eye.

    Elincia was already ready to fight to the bitter end for the kids but so was I. Despite the brevity of my stay, the orphanage was the only place I could call home in this world. As old and shabby as it was, I wasn¡¯t going to let the guardsmen stain the sanctuary Elincia had created for the kids.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Elincia bit her lip, indecisive.

    ¡°As sure as the sun rises.¡± I replied.

    My father would¡¯ve been proud I found something to fight for.

    Elincia placed her hand over mine and nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you are here, Rob.¡± The elven woman quickly said before decisively walking to the doorway.

    Elincia headed back to her room and, a minute later, she left the manor dressed in her adventurer¡¯s attire. I silently wished her luck and got dressed to prepare breakfast.

    Giving the kids a good impression was essential, as a large part of learning was made by imitation. Back on Earth, my thesis professor used to say that male teachers were extra important for kids who didn¡¯t have father figures at home, consequently, we had to act accordingly to the task.

    I hoped I was up to the task.

    My wardrobe wasn¡¯t particularly large, only a couple riding trousers and a few old shirts. As with everything inside of the manor, the clothes were good quality but they were old and washed-out by usage and time.

    I cast one last glance at the shotgun in the corner of the room and put the two remaining shells inside my pocket as a sort of lucky charm.

    The kitchen was empty and cold so I rekindled the fire using my mana. Other than producing a mana blade, sparks, and heating water, there was not much I could do yet. I already knew mana could interact with the world like a small particle which opened a lot of interesting applications. I just had to find time for experimentation, which was going to be hard for the foreseeable future. Even figuring out how to heat water had taken me a ridiculous amount of time and thought.

    I copied Elincia¡¯s routine the best I could. Breakfast was meager, just a small bowl of gruel and the occasional infusion of aromatic herbs. We had to find a way to make money fast if we wanted to maintain healthy nutrition for the orphanage.

    I made a mental note to ask Elincia about Farmer skills later.

    ¡°Good morning, Mister Clarke.¡± Ilya yawned in the doorway of the kitchen, still in her pajamas. She stumbled into the kitchen and sat in the chair nearest to the stove.

    ¡°Getting up early?¡± I replied, pouring a splash of water into the gruel.

    ¡°I figured out I could get up a little earlier to help Miss Elincia with breakfast. Lately I have been feeling more energetic, even with the physical training.¡± Ilya yawned again, betraying her own words.

    It was a sweet gesture but I wanted Ilya focused on herself. I made a mental note to reduce the number of tasks on her shoulders.

    ¡°Can I ask you a question, Mister Clarke?¡± Ilya watched me cooking from her seat, her feet hung a few centimeters over the floor.

    ¡°Whatever you want.¡± I replied, trying to prevent the oatmeal porridge from sticking to the pot. I missed non-stick kitchenware.

    ¡°How old are you?¡± Ilya asked.

    ¡°How many days does the calendar have here?¡± I mindlessly replied as I scraped the sides of the pot.

    Ilya glanced at me as if I was an alien trying to abduct children.

    ¡°Three hundred and sixty divided in four months of ninety days each. Yours doesn¡¯t?¡± Ilya asked, concerned.

    ¡°We measure people¡¯s ages with a hybrid lunisolar calendar.¡± I said with a stone-cold face, expecting the weird words to be enough to prevent further questions.

    That was one of the best worst lies I had told to date.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m twenty eight or twenty nine. I¡¯ll need paper to make a better calculation.¡±

    Ilya was bewildered by the revelation and, for a moment, it seemed she couldn¡¯t find the right words to articulate whatever sentence she was thinking of.

    ¡°I thought you were younger.¡± Ilya finally said.

    ¡°Because of my appearance or because of my behavior?¡± I inquired with a smug grin, knowing I had caught her thinking not-so-flattering thoughts about me. A sprinkle of public embarrassment was an infallible method of adjusting a kid¡¯s social compass.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    Ilya¡¯s face turned into a deep shade of red, which was surprising considering her natural tone of skin was a smooth light blue.

    ¡°It¡¯s because you wouldn¡¯t punish us. We thought you were still a Scholar apprentice.¡± Words stumbled from Ilya''s mouth as she tried to excuse herself.

    I made a mental note to erase any trace of Holst¡¯s hand in the orphanage.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think mistakes should be punished. If you think about it, it would be stranger to do things perfectly from the start than making mistakes along the way.¡± I replied, putting some oatmeal into a bowl. ¡°I will not punish you for making mistakes, but I will if you act violently, berate, or try to humiliate your companions.¡±

    ¡°I would never do that!¡± Ilya slammed the table as she stood up.

    ¡°Of course you wouldn¡¯t. You care about the orphanage as much as Miss Elincia.¡± I put the oatmeal bowl in front of her, smiling. Ilya was a good kid. ¡°Eat and then go wake up the younger ones. I¡¯ll check on Zaon and Wolf.¡±

    After breakfast, and at least a dozen questions about Elincia¡¯s whereabouts, the orphans and I headed to the backyard for the morning class. Zaon, Wolf and Ilya had already cleared the plot for the new farm and now they were discussing the best way to plant it.

    ¡°Wolf! You are in charge of the morning drill.¡± I said. ¡°Same as every day, laps, stretching, and sword drills. The five master strikes and the four guards. Remember to be mindful with the alignment of the blade.¡±

    Wolf, Zaon, and Ilya walked to the esplanade with their training equipment. Without wasting a minute, they started doing laps around the backyard. My former students back on Earth had serious trouble with self-motivation. Maybe it was an ailment of the modern education system, the product of having a bunch of kids sitting on their asses for hours.

    Seeing the older orphans fending for themselves, I turned around to deal with the younger ones. Elincia¡¯s ankle-biters.

    ¡°Since Miss Elincia is busy, I¡¯ll take care of the morning class today.¡± I announced.

    The group reacted with a mix of excitement and surprise.

    ¡°What will we learn?¡± Ash raised his voice over the orphans¡¯ muttering.

    Ash was a human kid of ten or eleven years of age and the leader of the younger children in the absence of Ilya or Zaon. Outspoken, mischievous, witful. Elincia had warned me about him. As the natural leader of the group, he could disrupt the whole class without much effort.

    I had to get him on my side at all costs.

    ¡°What do you want to learn today?¡± I asked back, adopting a gentle smile.

    My answer took Ash by surprise. All the ears that were attentive to my answer now were focused on his, who was suddenly turned into the center of attention.

    ¡°I want to learn how to fight like Wolf and the big kids.¡± Ash said with a smug grin on his rounded face.

    The orphans nodded in agreement as they exchanged excited glances. I read between the lines and came to the conclusion Elincia had forbidden any kind of fighting between the younger ones.

    ¡°Is that what everyone wants to learn today?¡± I asked out loud.

    ¡°YES!¡± The orphans chanted back.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°YES!¡±

    Luckily for Ash, I was a bit of an unruly teacher myself.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to the shed to see what we can use.¡± I said with a wide grin as I led the way to the shed with a small army of orphans swirling around me.

    As much as this was an improvised lesson, I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do with the kids. After teaching for years and years, a teacher ended up developing an instinct to plan a class along the way much like a musician improvising a song.

    ¡°Not running! Following me!¡± I clapped my hands loudly to get the group¡¯s attention.

    I already knew what implements were in the shed, so we returned to the backyard with several wooden swords, shields, and practice bows and arrows. Everything was loaded into an old hand cart to avoid the kids starting swinging prematurely.

    We returned to our corner of the backyard as the older orphans got ready to start with the sword drills. They were doing well on their own, so I focused on the little ones.

    ¡°Alright, little people. Swords and arrows are no game, they are true weapons of war. Even if these are made of wood, they can break your bones, so we are going to set some basic rules.¡± I said after I managed to sit the group in front of me and with their backs to the training session of the older ones. ¡°Rule number one. It¡¯s forbidden to swing or shoot at your companions. You have to be mindful of your vicinity while practicing with the sword and arrow. Rule number two. It¡¯s forbidden to make fun of others. We can laugh and have a good time but we have to be mindful of others'' feelings. Rule number three. While training we don¡¯t use full force. We are not doing this to win some game or competition, we are doing this to learn. Understood?¡±

    As expected, the group yelled a generalized ¡®yes¡¯.

    ¡°Well, if everyone understood, there would be no problem if I ask what the rules were, wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± I asked with a mischievous smile. As expected, the kid¡¯s jolly faces were overrun by anxious glances.

    Neither me nor any good teacher enjoyed creating anxiety among the students but very few teachers made sure their students really understood the instructions before starting exercises. It was needless to say that without clear instructions a teacher couldn¡¯t expect great results.

    ¡°Ash, tell me. What was the second rule?¡± I asked ¡®randomly¡¯. A few kids started laughing but a quick glance was enough to silence them. ¡°Someone wants to help him? Yes, Shu?¡±

    The sleepy harpy girl had raised her hand almost instantly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not allowed to make fun of others.¡± She said, confidently.

    I thanked her before continuing with the next question. ¡°Nokti, I¡¯m going to ask you, so start remembering the rules. What was the first rule?¡±

    I bit my tongue too late as I forgot Nokti and Virdian didn¡¯t speak yet. However, the snakefolk girl mimicked as if she stabbed her twin brother, then she profusely shook her head while gesturing her arms in an ¡®x¡¯ motion. Consequently, Virdian fell to the ground with his tongue hanging from his mouth.

    The fact they couldn¡¯t speak didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Good. As Nokti demonstrated pretty well, hitting your companions is forbidden.¡± I held my laugh. The twins were just precious. ¡°Now, someone please revive Virdian so we can continue with the lesson.¡±

    ¡°I want to be a Healer when I grow up!¡± Shu jumped on her feet and slowly walked towards the fallen snakefolk kid.

    The group of orphans and I looked patiently as Shu hovered her hands over Virdian¡¯s body and hummed slowly. Suddenly, Virdian opened his eyes and raised in the most frankenstein-esque way possible.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Healer, not a Necormancer, silly!¡± Shu said.

    ¡°It¡¯s Necromancer, silly.¡± One of the smaller kids replied.

    This time not even I could hold my laughter.

    I let them laugh for a while before trying to bring order back. If anything, Virdian was a natural joker, a thing that most orphans appreciated. I said most because there was at least one who wasn¡¯t completely happy about not being the center of attention.

    ¡°Ash.¡± I called the boy¡¯s name and the group went quiet again. ¡°Can you tell me what the second rule is? Shu already helped you to remember.¡±

    For an instant, panic took hold of his face.

    ¡°Not making fun of others.¡± Ash finally said after a moment of hesitation.

    ¡°Perfect. We are ready to roll then.¡±

    Before anyone started rolling on the ground I started with the actual instructions of the exercise.

    ¡°Ash, Nokti, Virdian, and Shu. You will be the first group. Go and grab a sword and a shield. The rest will watch first, then we will exchange positions.¡±

    In less than a breath, the four kids were armed with round shields and short swords similar to the roman gladius. They formed a line, ready for instructions.

    The sword grips were a bit too wide and the shields too heavy, but that didn¡¯t hinder their mood. Practicing footwork and striking at the same time might be overwhelming for the young ones so I decided to go just with striking.

    ¡°Today we will learn the basics of combat. First is the stance, shield feet forward, feet shoulder width apart.¡± I said as I examined the quartet¡¯s stances. They were doing excellent.

    Then we move to a basic cut progression. Right to left, left to right, stab, shield up. I made the orphans repeat the drill at the rhythm of my clapping until they figured out the steps.

    Ash got the gist of it right away. Then the snakefolk twins, only a few seconds later. Shu, on the other hand, had trouble figuring out the movement of the wrist so I knelt beside her and had her slowly mimic my swings.

    ¡°This is tiresome.¡± Shu said once she mastered the combination.

    Given the harpy¡¯s build, she shouldn¡¯t have more problems than the rest of the orphans but then I remembered she was surprisingly light. I wondered if harpies could fly when they reached adulthood. I made yet another mental note to ask Elincia later.

    If anything, Shu was not a quitter.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Shu, you are doing great. We are almost done. Maybe a harpy¡¯s best weapon isn''t a sword and shield but a spear or a longsword.¡± I said reassuringly.

    As humanoid as everyone was, every race had a different biology. Back on Earth,I was used to treating every kid the same but in this world things might be different. For instance, Wolf was just fourteen but he was already as tall as me and had more muscle than the average adult.

    ¡°Okay, kids. I¡¯ll grab a shield and you will show me your cuts.¡± I clapped again to catch their attention.

    At that moment, I caught movement with the corner of my eye. By the corner of the manor, Firana sprinted through the backyard, almost falling over the squash on the farm plot. The girl crossed the backyard as fast as an arrow and almost ran into me. There was clotted blood on her nose and chin, and the sleeve of her shirt was torn to shreds.

    Firana hung from my shirt as she fought to catch her breath.

    ¡°Guardsmen.¡± She said just as a thunderous noise followed by the sound of the front iron fence crashing on the stone path deafened me.

    A shiver ran through my spine but my body moved by itself.

    ¡°Ilya, Wolf! Take the kids into the manor and do not open the door under any circumstances! Zaon, to me! Bring me your sword!¡± I yelled in a rush, abandoning my calm teacher tone.

    Everyone obeyed without question.

    ¡°Mister Clarke?¡± Zaon asked without being able to hide the fear in his voice. His face was pallid and his hands trembled as he handed the practice sword to me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go try to reason with these men.¡± I said as I adjusted the sheath of the dull sword to my side. ¡°I need you to do something for me in the meantime.¡±

 23 - Holding the fort

    The thunderous sound of the iron gate crashing into the cobbled path sent a shiver down my spine. The manor¡¯s front wall barely reached my knee, as it was originally intended as the foundation for a fence, so it could easily be covered by a jump. Whoever had knocked over the gate, had done so intentionally to announce their arrival.

    I rushed into the manor, leaving Wolf and Ilya in charge of the younger kids. Before entering the manor, I caught a glimpse of the smaller ones gathering together around Wolf. With a fencing uniform and longsword in his hand, the orc kid looked fearsome. I just hoped I could defuse whatever this situation was without involving any of the kids.

    I pushed my bedroom¡¯s door with my shoulder and strapped my shotgun to my back.

    A quick glance through the window revealed what I feared the most. Outside there were city guards with shiny armor and curved scabbards hanging from their belts. There couldn''t be a worse time for this. Elincia was far from the orphanage, searching for Firana, and the guardsmen would know that I was just a low level Scholar.

    As I reached the front door, I wished I had some advanced oratory skill or passive.

    There was so much adrenaline running through my veins that I wanted to puke, but time was pressing. I opened the front door and stood on top of the stairs, trying to look as menacing as my office worker physique allowed me.

    Four armored men had entered the front yard and spied through the windows. In the center of the formation, with his arms crossed over his chest, there was a heavily armored man with a colorful short cape over his left shoulder and a plumed helmet. The man looked at me with a grimace of annoyance.

    Behind him there was the iron gate resting on the ground, ripped off its hinges and battered with an unnatural force.

    ¡°Is there a reason why the city guard knocked down the gate of an orphanage?¡±

    There was a reason I owned the [Classroom Fiend] title. Even if I rather not do it, I could act like the most severe teacher on the face of the earth. Now it was a good time to show some presence.

    ¡°Where is the half-elf woman?¡± The armored man bellowed, ignoring my question.

    ¡°The orphanage¡¯s Governess isn¡¯t here at the moment. What do you want?¡± I replied.

    ¡°Call the kids out, now.¡± The man demanded.

    Our worst fears seemed to come true.

    ¡°You came to my orphanage knocking over the fence like bandits. I¡¯m not moving until I know who I am talking with.¡± I said, breaking open the shotgun and loading it with my remaining shells.

    The soldiers put their hands on the hilt of their swords but I kept my eyes fixed on their leader. He glanced at me, sizing me up, then they stopped over my shotgun. He squinted, trying to determine what kind of weapon it was.

    ¡°I¡¯m Valerio Mer, Sergeant of the Marquis¡¯s Guard. Now, bring out the kids.¡± He barked at me as if I was one of his henchmen.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any kids old enough for conscription.¡± I stood my ground, noting the soldiers hadn¡¯t let go of their swords hilts. I could feel the tension boiling around me.

    ¡°You are not taking any kids from this orphanage before due time. You will have to come with a Scholar to identify them. I will not allow you nor the Marquis to throw underage children into the grinder.¡± I replied with clenched teeth.

    ¡°The Farlands grow in power and reach by the second. They will serve better in the army than dying of hunger in this vulgar orphanage.¡± The Sergeant spat to the ground. ¡°If they join the army they will serve a cause higher than any of us. They will live and die with honor.¡±

    ¡°You will not take any of my kids.¡±

    ¡°Raudhan, remove the Scholar from my path! Captain Kiln said you were eager to prove your worth to the Marquis.¡± The Sergeant said.

    The guards smiled as they retreated to the Sergeant¡¯s side, leaving the stage for the youngest of the group. Raudhan, a tall young man with tanned skin and well formed jaw came forward. Awareness pointed out that his armor was shinier than that of his companions. His belt had golden rivets and the hilt of his sword was adorned by a gleaming red gem.

    ¡°Last warning.¡± Raudhan said as he smiled over his shoulder.

    The guards laughed back as if bullying non-combatant classes was the most normal thing in the world.

    With the shotgun I could eliminate two of them and then use my makeshift mana blade to try and fight off the other two, but killing them would just cause the orphanage more trouble. I certainly didn¡¯t have enough ammunition to fight the entire city.

    I needed Zaon to arrive right now.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to do this, Raudhan.¡± I said, trying to buy time. ¡°They are kids without a class. They will die if they are sent to the front line.¡±

    Raudhan drew his longsword.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Scholar. Uncle¡¯s orders.¡±

    The realization hit me like a truck. I was about to fight against the Marquis¡¯ nephew, which meant I couldn¡¯t just blow a hole in his chest and get away with it. The nobles would burn down the orphanage to the foundations if that was the case.

    Where was Zaon?

    Reluctantly, I left the shotgun on the floor against the door and drew my dull training sword. The guards laughed but I zoned them out. My [Awareness] worked at full speed trying to come up with a plan.

    I walked down the flight of stairs to the cobbled path where Raudhan waited for me. Before he could even raise his guard, I identified him.

    Name: Raudhan Kiln, Human.

    Class: Fencer Lv.12

    Titles: Nobleborn, Big Game Hunter, Reckless.

    Passive: Fencing Lv.3, Shield Proficiency Lv.2, Riding Proficiency Lv.5.

    Skills: Ghost Slash, Puncture, Nimble Step.

    ¡°What did you just do?!¡± Raudhan yelled as he raised his sword in a guard I had never seen before.

    The young man was the same level as me, but I had to factor in the fact he was a Fencer while I was a Scholar. I wonder how much better a Lv. 12 Fencer was than a regular human being. If anything, I was about to find out.

    I adopted the alber guard, with the hilt of the sword at the height of my waist and the tip pointing to the ground. Alber invited the opponent to attack high, as my head was virtually unprotected, but it was also a trap for inexperienced duelists for the sole reason I could quickly parry despite the low initial position.

    ¡°Captain Kiln is going to smack your sorry ass when she finds out what you are doing, Raudhan!¡± I bluffed.

    My words seemed to have an effect on the man, because the sword trembled in his hands if only slightly. Suddenly, Raudhan stepped forward and swung his sword at my head. Expecting the attack, I raised my sword and parried, leaving me in a good position for a counterattack.

    When my sword cut the air, Raudhan was already out of my range. He was strong, fast, and skillful but not on a superhuman level. At least not yet.

    ¡°Not bad for a Scholar.¡± Raudhan laughed but he knew that, for a brief moment, I had him. I could see it in his eyes. If I had struck with all my strength I could¡¯ve reached his head.

    ¡°Not bad for a prissy noble.¡± I replied.

    Then, Raudhan turned into a gray and red blur.

    [Awareness]: Opponent has activated [Nimble Step] skill.

    My body moved by itself. Raudhan materialized to my left and I had a fraction of a second to block. The tip of my sword grazed my opponent¡¯s, deflecting the strike just enough for me to retreat. A flurry of strikes made my arm go numb but after five seconds of intense danger, I was able to disengage.

    ¡°Out of mana already?¡± I mockingly asked despite the fact I was about to lose.

    Raudhan¡¯s forehead was beaded with sweat.

    Anyone who had practiced martial arts knew that a minute could be an eternity, and for the next minute I fought for my life. Raudhan swarmed me with [Nimble Step] and [Ghost Blade]. The first skill made him faster for a few seconds at a time, and the latter made his blade invisible. Luckily for me, Swordsmanship and Awareness were enough to let me guess where the blade was.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°Out of steam already, Scholar?¡± Raudhan taunted me.

    Zaon was nowhere to be found. I needed to buy more time.

    I pushed my mana into the sword, turning it into a blue flare, and raised my guard. The Sargeant and the guards gasped in surprise. [Awareness] read their lips for me. Mana Blade.

    ¡°That¡¯s a cheap trick! You can¡¯t fool me, Scholars can¡¯t learn [Mana Blade].¡± Raudhan said.

    As a reply, I pushed even more mana into my blade.

    Sword play was all about flow, not strikes after stances after strikes but a single uninterrupted movement. And I was about to combo Raudhan¡¯s ass into the Shadow Realm.

    For the first time during the duel, I went on the attack. I took a step forward and followed with a well aligned strike against his head. As expected, Raudhan raised his sword and our blades met in the center. But I wasn¡¯t really aiming for his head, I was aiming for his sword.

    Raudhan¡¯s face lost all color when my sword cut his blade like butter.

    [Awareness]: Opponent has activated [Nimble Step] skill.

    I activated [Stun Gaze], freezing Raudhan in place for an instant, but an instant was all I needed. The bones of my hand cracked as my knuckles dug into the man¡¯s jaw. Momentum almost made me fall but I recovered just in time to raise my sword, however, neither Raudhan nor his ruined sword were in any condition to continue fighting.

    Our little fight was interrupted by the Sergeant barking more orders in an annoyed tone, ¡°Someone help Raudhan up. The rest of you be ready to cut the Scholar down If he resists any further. He¡¯s winded, and clearly out of mana from his little demonstration.¡±

    The guards advanced to help their fallen comrade and I quickly retreated to the doorway and grabbed my shotgun. At that moment Zaon opened the door behind me, carrying a pumpkin as big as his arms.

    ¡°Good, there¡¯s one. We also take retards who think they can fight the Guardsmen with a pumpkin.¡± The Sergeant sneered at me but I detected a certain nervousness in his voice. ¡°I know the Aias girl is inside too, so, let''s stop this charade and hand over the kids.¡±

    With all the adrenaline flowing through my body, blowing a hole in the man¡¯s chest was an alluring option and I had to fight my finger off the trigger.

    ¡°When I tell you, you throw the pumpkin as high as you can and cover your ears, understood?¡± I turned around and gave Zaon a pat on the shoulder.

    The kid was even paler than Raudhan was when my mana blade closed in on the Fencer¡¯s face.

    ¡°How about a ¡®little¡¯ demonstration of what is going to happen to the next idiot who comes near the orphanage?¡± I said, grasping the shotgun with both hands and praying that the pulsating pain in my right hand didn¡¯t interfere with my ability to shoot straight. ¡°Now, Zaon!¡±

    The elven kid threw the pumpkin into the air with surprising strength.

    The pumpkin rose above the manor¡¯s roof, giving me enough time to aim the shotgun and block my ears with hardened mana plugs. I prayed for my father¡¯s soul to guide my shot as I pulled the trigger.

    The soldiers recoiled with the booming sound of the shot as the pumpkin suddenly exploded to bits, hit by an invisible force. Shredded strands of the gourd rained from the sky like animal entrails, prompting the soldiers to retreat to the gate.

    ¡°First man who tries to come near the manor wins an extra hole in the chest!¡± I yelled as loud as I could.

    ¡°Your puny magic weapon works great against a pumpkin but it isn¡¯t going to go through armor.¡± The Sergeant shouted back, trying to sound unfazed. He probably had a skill to remain calm in the face of fear, but the pumpkin guts hanging off his helmet didn¡¯t make him look very calm.

    ¡°Fuck around and find out.¡± I replied, clenching my teeth. It wasn¡¯t a surprise the soldiers weren¡¯t intimidated, they had never seen what a firearm could do to human flesh and they felt secure under their armor. But I had to do something before I was forced to perform traumatic surgery with my shotgun. Something they knew was definitely lethal.

    I tapped into my mana pool and opened the gates. Since I had gotten to Farcrest I had only manipulated small bits of mana here and there. Now, I went all in.

    My hands swirled with blue fire, it was warm and tickled but it didn¡¯t burn. I let the mana flow. The blue flames spread through my body, crackling, sparkling, and growing in intensity until I was turned into a giant and menacing torch.

    The soldiers stepped back but I wasn¡¯t done yet. I had more, much more.

    I slid my shotgun back and drew my sword slowly. The raging flames embraced the sword, causing it to spark furiously as I pulled it from the scabbard. The gray sky darkened as my mana lit the front yard.

    The soldiers¡¯ faces were pale as paper but couldn¡¯t take their eyes off me.

    ¡°I¡¯m a humble servant of the secret flame and as long as I breathe no foul spirit shall pass.¡± I bellowed, my voice amplified by the mana surrounding me.

    I relaxed my shoulders and puffed out my chest, then I pointed the tip of my sword forward and downwards adopting the fool¡¯s guard. It was an invitation to come forward.

    New skill acquired: [Intimidate]

    Suddenly, my mana poured from every single pore on my body and exploded like great fireworks, spewing blue and white sparks all around the front yard. The Sergeant¡¯s face paled and his eyes bulged out of their sockets in sheer terror as the flames reached him.

    You have obtained Mana Depletion (Advanced). Temporary.

    The guardsmen squad ran down the street like souls chased by the devil itself. I followed them with my eyes and managed to Identify two of them before they got lost beyond the maze of alleys.

    Name: Valerio Mer, Human.

    Class: Sergeant Lv.35

    Passive: Archery Lv.2, Fencing Lv.4, Shield Proficiency Lv.4, Interrogation Lv.4, Extortion Lv.1, Brawling Lv.6.

    Skills: Bellow, Rally Troops, Taunt, Armor Break, Shield Bash, Ghost Slash.

    Status: Terror Lv.5

    Name: Hoff Bowyer, Human.

    Class: Soldier Lv.28

    Passive: Arming Sword Proficiency Lv.3, Spear Proficiency Lv.3, Shield Proficiency Lv.3, Coercion Lv.1.

    Skills: Puncture, Shield Bash.

    Status: Terror Lv.7

    The sudden exertion of mana had left me temporarily exhausted.

    ¡°Zaon.¡± I gasped for air. ¡°You should never resort to violence if possible because violence breeds more violence. Don¡¯t forget that. Violence is the wise man''s last resort.¡±

    I didn¡¯t get to hear his response. Elincia suddenly appeared from the shadows of the alley across the street with her bow in hand and an arrow in the other.

    ¡°Is everyone okay?!¡± Elincia asked, almost ramming me as she got to our side.

    ¡°Everyone is safe inside, even Firana.¡± Zaon replied with a trembling voice. The fight must have scared him, or maybe it was me.

    Elincia passed between us and opened the door of the manor. Inside, in the middle of the reception room there was Firana with her sword in one hand and a wooden shield in the other, ready to defend the orphanage from whatever threat crossed the doorway. Her eyes were fierce and the dried blood smeared on her face gave her a ferocious expression.

    Elincia moved Firana¡¯s sword away and embraced her. Firana dropped the shield and hugged Elincia, pressing her face against the woman¡¯s chest. From the door that led to the bedroom, appeared the rest of the orphans led by Wolf and Ilya. Firana tried to get away but the swarm of small children quickly surrounded her in a chaotic hug.

    I suddenly realized that I would go to any extent to protect the peace of the orphanage. I smiled. It¡¯s been a while, years even, since I had a goal so clear in my sight. As much as I wanted to discover the wonders of this world, staying in Farcrest had been the right decision all along.

    Zaon had not left my side so I pushed him through the doorway.

    ¡°Go, I¡¯ll check the iron fence in the meantime.¡± I said.

    Zaon nodded and ran towards the group of kids that swirled around Elincia and Firana. Meanwhile, I snuck away into the front yard, taking deep breaths in a vain attempt to calm my nerves. I tried to grab the iron fence but my hands wouldn¡¯t stop trembling.

    The last time I had an altercation was with a parent that wanted me to pass their kid with straight ¡®A¡¯s despite being a ¡®C¡¯s¡¯ student. But even then, it didn¡¯t escalate as much as this.

    There were a few onlookers on the nearby doorways and windows but I didn¡¯t pay them any attention. The residents of the poor part of the town barely interacted with each other and the houses near the orphanage were mostly uninhabited. Nobody wanted to have trouble with the Marquis and there was a collective understanding that the orphanage was a source of trouble.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to see why. Elincia had been fighting an uphill fight with treacherous allies against an invincible enemy.

    ¡°So much for an adventure laden fantasy world.¡± I sighed, calm enough to pick up the heavy iron door and lean it against the supports in precarious balance. For some reason, mumbling in English was extremely soothing. ¡°I guess even in this world a man is a wolf to another man¡­ at least wolves are cooperative among their pack.¡±

    I sighed once again. The gate might not have been much of a defensive barrier against the guards but not having one reminded me how vulnerable we were.

    The storm had passed but the orphanage was far from safe.

    ¡°So¡­ cowardice isn¡¯t a requirement to become a Scholar.¡± Elincia¡¯s voice caught me off guard.

    ¡°You were watching?¡± I turned around, deciding the fence gate wasn¡¯t going to get better aligned anytime soon. Elincia was in the doorway staring at me.

    ¡°I was waiting for the right moment to jump into the fray. My [Piercing Shot] isn¡¯t as good as your boomstick but I think I could take down a Soldier with a stealth shot.¡± The elven woman casually replied, as if we were not talking about killing actual human beings.

    ¡°How is Firana doing?¡± I changed the subject.

    ¡°She¡¯s all right. The guardsmen recognized her in the street and caught her, she managed to get away after a quick struggle, hence the nosebleed and the torn sleeve.¡± Elincia came down the stairs and stood by my side as we overlooked the street. It didn''t look like the guards were coming back, at least for now.

    The royal tax had to be paid by the end of the week and after that the orphans would be safe until the summer.

    ¡°So¡­ you are a Servant of the Secret Flame. What about that, mystery man?¡± Elincia bumped me with her hip. As much as I was exhausted, she seemed to be in a great mood. She was a weirdo after all.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to say so I stole a line from a movie. I left my ¡®Bad Motherfucker¡¯ wallet in my car, so that¡¯s that.¡± I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°What¡¯s a movie?¡± Elincia asked with renewed interest.

    Being the center of attention in the classroom every day had not prepared me for this kind of attention. I wished Elincia would return to a topic about the orphanage, I didn¡¯t have the time or energy to deal with my feelings right now.

    ¡°Rob?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Just thinking.¡± I shook my head to dispel any intrusive thought my brain could formulate. ¡°A movie is a series of pictures that create the illusion of movement. If we get enough paper I could show you a rough demonstration.¡±

    I wondered if paper was expensive in this world.

    ¡°I will take your word for it. For now we have to think about what we are going to do to keep the guardsmen far from the kids.¡± Elincia said, regaining her governess''s serious appearance. No matter how much her eyebrows converged, not a single wrinkle formed on her face. Elincia had a gracefulness and elegance hard to compare to anyone I knew from Earth, and it went beyond her mere appearance.

    Suddenly an idea sprouted in my mind. I might know how to keep the guardsmen at bay for a while.

    ¡°Do you know any craftsmen here in Farcrest?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Sometimes I feel like you don¡¯t really listen to me.¡± Elincia sighed. ¡°And yes, I know a certain craftsman. His name is Ginz, he was an orphan here at the same time as me.¡±

 24 - A fellow orphan

    ¡°You are not leaving until I finish tending to your hand.¡± Elincia said as she dragged me into her study. ¡°I swear to the System that Scholars don¡¯t even know how to punch someone properly.¡±

    After the fight, my hand had gotten increasingly swollen to the point I couldn¡¯t completely close my pinkie and ring fingers. As the adrenaline faded, I suddenly felt exhausted despite the actual fighting lasting only a few minutes. Elincia was right about two things, I didn¡¯t know how to punch properly, and my hand needed first aid.

    As I sat at her desk, Elincia examined my hand pressing my knuckles with the tip of her fingers.

    ¡°Nothing seems broken.¡± She quickly stood up and rummaged through the drawers until she found a clean roll of bandage and a small glass flask. ¡°This will help immobilize the joints while the balm reduces the swelling.¡±

    ¡°Did you craft this?¡± I mindlessly asked, my thoughts still on the fight.

    ¡°Balms, ointments, and salves are basic alchemy recipes. You can¡¯t even imagine how much the kids use, even with a strict no fighting rule they manage to get hurt.¡± Elincia replied with a tired smile.

    I stood up as soon as my hand was patched up but when I tried to open the door, the doorknob didn¡¯t turn. The key wasn¡¯t in the keyhole, as it usually was.

    ¡°We need to talk, Rob.¡±

    I expected to find Elincia¡¯s distrustful eyes on me but, when I raised my head, I noticed she was looking at me with a concerned expression.

    ¡°Do I have a say in this?¡± I asked, already knowing the answer.

    ¡°No. Sit down.¡± She replied, pointing to the chair in front of her. ¡°You are acting like a maniac, you know? Picking a fight against four armed guards, buying the orphanage weeks worth of food, sharing high quality ingredients with someone you barely know, and I can probably continue. Normal people don¡¯t go around saving orphanages in trouble.¡±

    Despite Elincia¡¯s words, I didn¡¯t register them as an accusation. She was truly concerned about me, which felt weird in its own way.

    ¡°I have seen men and women do rash things driven by guilt, hate, or pride. I do believe you have a motivation other than your vocation.¡± Elincia continued.

    Guilty as charged. I knew myself well enough to realize my motivations weren¡¯t completely selfless. Of course, my calling in this life was to be a teacher and help others, but there was more to it. I sighed. My hopes of keeping those reasons buried seemed to go up in smoke.

    Elincia had trusted me with her kids, her family. She had opened the doors of her home to me. I owed her at least the truth, but at the same time, it was hard to find the words.

    ¡°Are you doing all of this to impress me or something?¡± Elincia shot point blank without warning.

    That level of bluntness was Elincia¡¯s norm, and yet, I was left speechless.

    ¡°What? No! Of course not! I am not doing this to impress you.¡± I replied, bewildered.

    I braced myself, expecting a snarky System prompt to pop up but, to my relief, the System remained silent. No stack of Denial, no nothing. It was good to know I was not a total scumbag, although my motivations weren¡¯t completely selfless either.

    ¡°You can talk to me if something is bothering you. You have my back, I have yours.¡± Elincia said with a firm tone. During all the conversation she had maintained a calm yet worried expression, including the part when she asked if I was trying to impress her.

    ¡°Would you let me go if I promise to tell you eventually?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. But you also have to tell me why you need a craftsman.¡± Elincia replied.

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    *****

    Despite Elincia¡¯s concerns, I went to the Farcrest market in search of Ginz the Craftsman. After the episode with the guards, the atmosphere in the orphanage wasn¡¯t suitable to continue with the classes so I gave the older kids the afternoon off. With conditions, nonetheless. They had to remain in the orphanage with Elincia.

    Life continued in Farcrest, unaware of the hardships the orphanage was experiencing. Or maybe they knew and it all fell on deaf ears and blind eyes. My resentment towards the Marquis, the guardsmen, and everyone who left the orphanage to sink, was turning into something else, something more poisonous.

    During my years as a teacher I had time after time advised my students against anger and other ill feelings. However, I wasn¡¯t in a mood to listen to my own wisdom. I was in the mood to kick the Great Hall door down and have a strong-worded conversation with the Marquis. I was not going to do it, nonetheless, because I wasn¡¯t deranged enough to throw my life away.

    I sighed.

    ¡°Every question has an answer.¡± I repeated my favorite aphorism.

    With that in mind I just had to put my head to the problem and find the solution. I just hoped my solution was the right one.

    Farcrest¡¯s market bustled with activity. Peasants and merchants crowded the streets hopping from stand to stand, eager to buy and sell. The alluring scent of roasted meats and fresh herbs pierced my nose but I didn¡¯t let it distract me from my goal.

    I advanced among the crowd until I found the place Elincia had described me. An unnamed workshop with a hanging wooden sign of a hammer and a needle in the front. I entered silently.

    The smell of the tanned hides filled my nose. That scent sent me back to a time I didn¡¯t have memories of. When I was three or four years old, my father had taken me to my grandfather¡¯s workshop outside the city. The images were diffuse but I remembered the smell of the hides and the sound of the leather being worked.

    The room, half-store, half-workshop, was dimly lit by a sole skylight. Stacks of leathers hung from the wall, some of them dyed blue, green, and red. Behind the counter there was a large table with knives, leather needles, and thick thread. There were shaves of leather scattered around a pair of nice sturdy boots fit for a wealthy merchant.

    A small man with narrow shoulders was hunched over the table, his nimble fingers working on a small piece of leather with the focus of an artist consumed by their art. His black straight hair fell like a curtain around his face hiding his features.

    I slammed the counter with my open hand, causing the man to jump from his seat a foot into the air. I felt bad for what I was about to do but dire situations required exceptional actions. And Ginz wasn¡¯t a saint either, he had grown up at the orphanage with Elincia, but he hadn¡¯t visited ever since he left.

    ¡°Ginz, I presume?¡± I asked before the man could utter a word.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Ginz replied, raising his head. His brown, fearful eyes were hidden behind a thick pair of spectacles.

    ¡°Robert Clarke, Scholar from the City of Light. I have an idea I want to commission and I was told you are a capable Craftsman.¡± I introduced myself.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ err¡­ sir. Our order backlog is full for the time being.¡± Ginz stammered as his eyes glided through the workshop, always avoiding mine.

    ¡°What a shame. Our mutual friend spoke marvelously about your work, and she is quite particular in her tastes.¡± I nonchalantly drummed with my fingers on the counter. I felt like a con artist leading my prey to a trap.

    ¡°She?¡± Ginz¡¯s inquisitive eyes finally stopped on mine.

    ¡°Elincia Rosebud. I understand you two grew up together in the same orphanage.¡± I smiled mischievously.

    Ginz flinched as if someone had slapped him on the face.

    ¡°O-our order b-backlog is full. I¡¯ll have to ask you to leave.¡± Ginz stood from his workplace and circled the counter towards me. I realized he was a lot shorter and thinner than me. I was tempted to Identify him to see if he had some traces of Gnome ancestry.

    I didn¡¯t move to the exit. Instead I examined him.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°Nice shirt. Good boots. Is that a bronze bracelet?¡± I asked while grinning.

    ¡°Sir, you have to go now or I will call the guards.¡± Ginz managed to put some confidence in his words. As a response I let out a sudden flash of blue flames that sent him scurrying backwards on the ground.

    ¡°What you are going to do is to come back to your workbench and listen to my commision. Are we clear?¡± I replied with my best cold voice.

    Ginz nodded and crawled like a vermin back to the workshop.

    ¡°The kids of the orphanage you grew up in are cold and starving while you are here well dressed and well fed, Ginz. I want to make it clear that I know you abandoned Miss Rosebud when she needed you the most.¡± I jumped over the counter and sat in front of the craftsman.

    That day I didn¡¯t choose violence. Violence had chosen me.

    ¡°But the Marquis¡­¡± Ginz mumbled.

    ¡°Ginz, Ginz, Ginz. You are not a man by virtue of the thing that hangs between your legs. You are a man because of how you act in the face of evil.¡± I interrupted him, citing my old man¡¯s words. ¡°But I¡¯m not here to remind you of your shortcomings as a person. I¡¯m here to give you an opportunity to redeem yourself.¡±

    Despite my grandiose speech, I understood Ginz¡¯s actions.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t have a lot of money. Materials are not cheap and the rent for the workshop is ludicrous.¡± Ginz stuttered.

    [Awareness]: He is lying.

    ¡°Good. It will only take you an hour and the peace of mind you will get in return will offset the cost of the materials.¡± I grinned maliciously. ¡°I need four leather cups. They are not going to contain liquid so they don¡¯t have to be perfect, just sturdy. On the bottom you will burn a nice monogram with the letters ¡®I¡¯ and ¡®K¡¯.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Ginz asked in disbelief.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it. I already acquired the dice.¡±

    Ginz sat on his workbench and started to measure the pieces of leather, his brow frowned in concentration. His movements were slow and deliberate, measuring twice and cutting once. Suddenly, a soothing tune made of the knife¡¯s cut, the raspy sound of the punching tool, and the scratch of the thread against the leather took over the workshop.

    I didn¡¯t know to what extent Ginz¡¯s class helped him to work faster but after an hour he had the set of cups ready. For the final touch, Ginz took a set of slim branding irons and marked the bottom of the cups with a simple monogram. Then he put them into a small box and slid them across the table towards me.

    ¡°You are saving the orphanage, Ginz.¡± I grabbed the box and, without wasting a second, walked towards the entrance. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll repay you as soon as I have the money.¡±

    Ginz raised his hand, stopping me.

    ¡°I knew I screwed over Elincia when I left the orphanage but¡­ would you put in a good word about me with her?¡± Ginz hopefully said as I crossed the doorway.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± I replied. ¡°If you show up at the orphanage with a bag of fruit for the kids, she might have tea with you. I don¡¯t think she is against reconnecting with old acquaintances.¡±

    *****

    I left Ginz¡¯s workshop late in the afternoon with a wooden box under my arm. The sky was covered by deep gray clouds and a warm breeze ruffled the pennants and rocked the shops hanging signs. The streets had emptied while I was absorbed by Ginz¡¯s handwork and even the bravest merchants had closed their stalls.

    There was a certain beauty to the darkness, a certain charm to the wild wind and the promise of a storm. Instead of heading to the Great Hall, I decided to go back and share the somber majesty of the day with Elincia and the kids.

    I tucked the box under my jacket and rushed towards the orphanage.

    Shu was sitting on the entrance staircase. As I came closer to the manor, her face lit up and, when I moved the iron fence to enter, she was already halfway through the front yard.

    ¡°Ash said you were gone forever but I knew he was wrong so I was waiting here.¡± Shu proudly announced.

    Her know-it-all tone made me giggle.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going anywhere. Miss Elincia hired me until the summer at least, so I can¡¯t just leave.¡± I laughed as I lifted the girl and walked towards the manor.

    ¡°Is that for me?¡± Shu pointed at the box under my other arm.

    ¡°Not quite. This is going to help us to keep the guardsmen away from the orphanage.¡± I replied. Shu seemed to be happy with my answer because she didn¡¯t inquire further. Maybe she wasn¡¯t particularly curious or maybe she just trusted me that much.

    We entered the reception room just to find Firana sitting on the couch. She had washed her face and wore an oversized white shirt that clearly didn¡¯t belong to her. One with both sleeves intact. By the way she looked at me, I knew she wanted to talk to me.

    ¡°Go play with the rest of the kids for a moment, Shu.¡± I put the harpy girl on the floor.

    She hugged my leg in a rush and stumbled her way out of the room. Then I sat on the other side of the couch and waited for Firana to say the first word.

    ¡°Mister Clarke?¡± Firana said with an uncharacteristic ashamed voice.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I am sorry. I am very sorry, Mister Clarke. The guardsmen came to the orphanage because of me. They followed me and I put everyone in danger because I ran away, even Miss Elincia and you.¡± Firana bitterly said. ¡°I was disrespectful challenging you to a duel, I just felt¡­¡±

    ¡°Betrayed?¡± I helped her as she had trouble finding the right word.

    Even bad teachers like Holst had a soft spot for talented students. If Firana''s talent helped Holst to farm his class advancements faster than the other orphans, then Holst might have treated her better and encouraged her to improve.

    I had to remind myself that public education wasn¡¯t a thing here, and Holst might have just wanted the best pupils to tutor.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry. I will understand if it''s decided I should leave the orphanage.¡± Firana said. Her eyes were fixed on her shoes and her head sunken between her shoulders.

    For me, Firana was just a kid but for this world she was almost an adult.

    ¡°Firana. It¡¯s not your fault the guardsmen came to the orphanage. If anything, we are happy you managed to escape. Miss Elincia and I already suspected the guardsmen were going to come for you before your birthday. We now know the Marquis, the guardsmen, and Holst colluded to conscript you and the others before they were allowed to.¡± I put my hand on her shoulder and gently spun her so she could be face to face with me. She had a shocked expression on her face. ¡°We don¡¯t want you to go anywhere. We are happy you came back.¡±

    ¡°But I insulted you. How could you forgive me after what I have done?¡± Firana refused to believe me. Holst¡¯s phantom still haunted her judgment.

    ¡°I forgive you, Firana, as long as you learn from all this. And I meant it. I¡¯d love you to become a student of mine.¡± I smiled reassuringly.

    ¡°You won¡¯t regret it later?¡± Firana asked.

    ¡°Of course not. The orphanage¡­ this is your family and Miss Elincia and the kids will always have your back just like you were defending the reception room when the guardsmen came.¡±

    Firana blushed.

    ¡°You saw that?¡± She muttered.

    ¡°Saw what?¡± I replied.

    We walked to the kitchen where Elincia was entertaining the younger orphans. No one seemed to remember the scene with the guardsmen, on the contrary, spirits were high. The sweet smell of baked apples hit me as soon as I crossed the doorway.

    ¡°Ha! I told you he came back.¡± Shu stood on her seat pointing a mocking finger at Ash.

    ¡°Whatever. It must have been Miss Elincia who drove away the bandits.¡± Ash replied from the nearest seat to the door. As soon as he finished the sentence, Firana gave him a quick slap on the back of the head.

    ¡°Firana, please refrain from hitting your companions.¡± I said with a tired voice.

    My comment didn''t seem to go down well with Ash.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to defend me, that didn¡¯t even hurt.¡± The boy said with a haughty voice, however, he instinctively covered his head as Firana raised her hand again.

    I sighed and glanced at Elincia, asking for help. However, she just smiled back and continued kneading the dough on the kitchen counter. Despite everything that had happened during the day, I felt everything was good with the world.

    ¡°Need help, Miss Rosebud?¡± I asked with an impish voice as I crossed the orphan-laden kitchen to her side. The orphans covered their mouths and giggled at hearing Elincia¡¯s surname.

    ¡°Punish him, Miss Elincia, he said the word!¡± Ash yelled from across the room. His suggestion was received with cheers and complaints alike. The orphan¡¯s attention was fully focused on us.

    ¡°Mister Clarke can call me whatever he wants.¡± Elincia said, putting a hand over my shoulder. The giggling increased even if some of the orphans were disappointed they were not going to see a public punishment.

    ¡°What about me?¡± Shu asked, still standing on her seat.

    ¡°You still have to call me Miss Elincia until you are an adult like Mister Clarke. Same for everyone else!¡± Elincia shut her down before other orphans jumped into the ¡®Miss Rosebud¡¯ wagon.

    The attention of the group jumped from us to Firana. It seemed the girl was somewhat revered by the younger kids despite Ilya being the official kid-in-charge.

    ¡°So, Miss Rosebud.¡± I quietly spoke so Elincia was the only one listening. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need help? It must be a lot of work to bake apple dumplings for an army of hungry orphans.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t abuse your privileges, Robert Clarke.¡± Elincia grinned at me. ¡°And no, I can manage with this much. But you can go watch over the older ones who are training in the backyard.¡±

    I stuck my body out of the window just to find the older kids in full training attire doing longsword drills. They were not just playing around or swinging aimlessly but doing actual exercises I had taught them during the last couple days.

    ¡°They weren¡¯t like that with Holst. That motivated.¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me. If they grew up to be so mature it¡¯s because you raised them well.¡± I replied. Everything the kids were showing was something they had before.

    ¡°You give me too much credit. Things have changed since your arrival.¡± Elincia smiled at me with an expression I had never seen on her face.

    ¡°What are you two talking about? Secrets are not allowed in the kitchen!¡± Shu yelled.

    ¡°Mister Clarke was telling me he is going to watch over Zaon, Ilya, and Wolf while we continue baking.¡± Elincia said with her best governess voice and pushed me forward. I took it as my cue to go.

    As I crossed the doorway, I made a gesture for Firana to follow me.

    The clouds had darkened even more. There was still an hour of sunlight but the world was shrouded in a premature twilight. The trees swayed and groaned, and their branches creaked in protest against the occasional strong gust of wind.

    ¡°Class!¡± I called them with a devilish smile. ¡°I want to introduce you to the new student. Starting from today she will be training with us. Please greet Firana.¡±

    My silly joke had the expected effect on the group. Ilya covered her face with both hands, Wolf kept his stern look but looked away, and Firana gave a long sigh. Zaon, however, considerate as always, chuckled briefly.

    ¡°Go and gear up, Firana. We will be waiting right here.¡± I say, hoping Firana soon would forget about Holst.

 25 - Po-ta-toes

    A violent storm raged over Farcrest, rattling the windows and shaking the very foundations of the orphanage. The wind howled through the cracks and nooks of the building like the whimper of sorrowful spirits and the rain hammered against the wooden shingles in an all-out battle to penetrate the building. As far as the storm went, the orphanage was resisting.

    The storm wasn¡¯t the only thing that disturbed my sleep. There were around eighty days until the beginning of the winter and the new farm was still only half sown. On top of that, we were not yet free from further incursions from the city guards. There were still five days until the royal tax was collected.

    Overthinking was a dangerous game, it wasted time and energy that could be spent actually solving the problem. I stood up, grabbed the water basin next to my bed with both hands, and poured my mana into it. Putting problems momentarily out of my mind, I heated the water with mana alone.

    Like every morning, I shaved, scrubbed my body, and put on my usual clothes. Just in case, I fastened my scabbard and its sword at my side. My mana pool wasn¡¯t completely recovered from the incident with the guardsmen but I was confident in my ability to scare them off again.

    As every morning, I left my room in the wing for the older orphans and walked silently towards the kitchen to not wake anybody. This time, the rain covered my footsteps and I reached the kitchen without being noticed. To my surprise, Elincia was already up, watching a kettle on the stove.

    It was early even for Elincia to be working. I stood at the doorway, watching her moving graciously across the kitchen as she poured water into a big pot to cook the usual gruel for breakfast. I was enthralled by her precise movements when a sudden system prompt rudely brought me back to reality.

    For satisfying your aesthetic needs, you have obtained Vigor Lv.1. Temporary.

    ¡°Get lost and die in a ditch.¡± I muttered.

    Despite Elincia¡¯s evident beauty, we had only met a few days ago. The only thing I felt for her, if anything, was admiration. I had become a teacher to help others, and yet, I had lost my motivation and forgot the promise I made to myself.

    ¡°It''s a bit early to be preparing breakfast, isn¡¯t it?¡± I crossed the doorway and leaned against the counter next to her.

    ¡°Mornin¡¯.¡± Elincia yawned. Her elvish face had traces of dark circles around her eyes. ¡°Damn storm. All I hear is guardsmen tearing down the doors and the shutters.¡±

    I felt a bit guilty for sleeping through most of the night without much trouble. If I had visited the Great Hall and convinced Captain Kiln to put a leash on her men, Elincia would¡¯ve slept without worry.

    ¡°Want something tasty? Nokti didn¡¯t touch her apple dumpling yesterday.¡± Elincia interrupted my rumination and revealed a steaming dumpling that was left over from yesterday. She gently opened it with a knife and poured a small spoonful of butter inside.

    ¡°How are the pastries in your homeland?¡± Elincia asked as the butter slowly melted.

    ¡°Not a fan of sweets in general but some pastries have so much sugar you can actually die if you eat too much.¡± I joked, however, Elincia was more surprised than amused.

    ¡°So, you are a rich kid after all. I realized right away because of your stiff manners.¡± Elincia taunted me.

    ¡°I was not rich, nor am I a kid. I¡¯m a twenty-nine year old wage slave. The thing is that sugar and wheat are cheap and plentiful where I come from.¡± I replied.

    Elincia was even more surprised than before.

    ¡°There is no way you are older than me. I¡¯m a half-elf for the love of the gods! I¡¯m supposed to look younger than humans!¡± Elincia complained, leaving the dumpling forgotten on the table and cornering me against the counter. She looked at me intensely, trying to find signs of magic or cosmetics.

    ¡°I am older than you. Twenty-nine is older than twenty-five, that should be obvious even for an Alchemist.¡± I tried to get hold of the conversation if only a little bit.

    ¡°How do you know my age? Have you been snooping around?¡± Elincia stepped back.

    ¡°You told me you were sixteen when you took charge of the orphanage and it has been nine years since then. Hence, the half-elf Elincia Rosebud is twenty-five years old.¡± I grinned at her as I counted with my fingers.

    Elincia sat by my side on the counter and buried her spoon deeply into the dumpling.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t leave a wife and a child behind in your homeland, did you?¡± Elincia asked with her mouth full of apple and crust.

    ¡°If I had kids do you think I would look this young?¡±

    Elincia rolled her eyes while swallowing.

    ¡°What about a spouse? If you tell me you have a special someone I¡¯m sending you back tomorrow morning.¡± The woman asked as she offered me the plate and the spoon without taking her inquisitive eyes off me. ¡°Your turn.¡±

    Before replying, I took a spoonful of the apple dumpling. The texture was soft and the melted butter gave it a particularly pleasant taste. It lacked sweetness but it was one of the tastier things I had since I arrived in Farcrest.

    ¡°Hang on, that¡¯s a funny one. My girlfriend of eleven years dumped me a couple years ago.¡± I said, handing her the plate with the dumpling and the spoon. Suddenly, the atmosphere became weird.

    ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have asked that.¡± Elincia apologized, sliding the plate over the counter back at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m already over it.¡± I shrugged, sliding the plate back to her.

    Effects of Denial are subsiding. You have obtained Denial Lv.8. Temporary.

    I dismissed the system prompt out of habit and focused my attention on Elincia.

    ¡°I''d love to hear the story if you want to tell it. I mean. Isn''t it a bit weird that after eleven years you hadn¡¯t married or had kids?¡± Elincia ate another spoonful of the dumpling.

    Not being married with kids at twenty nine was considered weird even in my world not too long ago, so Elincia had a point.

    ¡°It¡¯s a boring story.¡± I said, apologetically. ¡°And we have a lot to do today.¡±

    ¡°Do I have to lock you up in my bedroom every time I want to ask you a question?¡± Elincia replied with a mischievous smile. ¡°We have ten minutes before the kids even think about waking up. Or do people just not talk about themselves in the City of Light, Mister Mysterious?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty for dodging Elincia¡¯s questions for the last week. Surely it was okay to tell her something right?

    ¡°Come on, people love to talk about their sad stories of unrequited love, and bitching with friends is fun.¡± Elincia said.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Bitching with friends. I supposed I could do that.

    ¡°I met Laura in junior year, in the chemistry lab. We quickly became friends and started dating a year later. She was great. Had good grades, was everyone¡¯s friend, and was great at sports. Her family wasn¡¯t particularly wealthy so when we graduated from highschool she started working right away while I attended university until I got an official teaching license.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Junior year?¡± Elincia was beyond confused.

    ¡°The eleventh of twelve years of compulsory education. University is another four years to get a degree.¡± I explained.

    Despite the apparent impossibility, Elincia became even more confused.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? Twelve years of compulsory education and then another four?! Holy System! What is wrong with your country?¡± Elincia passed me the spoon after gesturing energetically with it, enthralled by the story.

    I just shrugged my shoulders and continued talking. If anything I was having fun seeing Elincia¡¯s reactions.

    ¡°After I graduated, we rented a small apartment, you know, the beehive-like houses, and started living together. It went great for a while. We spoke about the usual things, marriage, kids, pets, buying a small house in the woods and moving out of the city.¡± I continued as my thoughts drifted back to a love long lost. It had been the closest thing to a fairy tale I had ever experienced but in the end took a dark turn.

    ¡°Laura didn¡¯t want to move out yet. She wanted to become a Healer, so she stopped working and enrolled in college. It was a hard time for us, teaching doesn¡¯t pay all that well but becoming a Healer was Laura¡¯s dream so we tightened our belts and endured the first year.¡± I took half of the remaining dumpling and passed it to Elincia. ¡°The thing is, the rhythm of college life is different from working life. In addition to going to classes you are expected to have a dynamic social life, she partied a lot with her new friends to the point we barely saw each other. Of course I couldn''t blame her, I already had my fair share of partying when I was studying to become a teacher. Soon the second year passed and I thought the hardest part of the storm had passed. Laura was halfway through college and we started talking about getting married after graduation. Or I guess I was talking about it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like where this is going.¡± Elincia said, taking half of what remained of the increasingly small dumpling and passing it back to me.

    ¡°I thought Laura was going to calm down a bit, people usually slow down after the initial thrill of campus life. However, she doubled down on partying. More and more often she didn¡¯t come home to sleep at night¡­ or by the morning even. Laura, of course, turned a deaf ear to my complaints. That continued until one time she didn¡¯t show up for a whole week.¡± I said. ¡°Then she did and told me I had been a great first love but she wanted to experience life before settling down. And that¡¯s how it was.¡±

    By the time I ended the story the storm had ceased, the clouds began to open, and there was still a small spoonful of dumpling left on the plate.

    ¡°Kinda fucked me up a bit.¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°But I don¡¯t really blame her anymore. Our life paths were just different.¡±

    Elincia closed her eyes and nodded.

    ¡°Still a bitch, though.¡± Elincia grinned. There was her proverbial straightforwardness. ¡°Speaking of betrayals, I swore with four other orphans my age to take care of the orphanage and here I am on my own. For the record, I still blame them and I¡¯m never forgiving them.¡±

    ¡°On your own? I guess I¡¯m no one then.¡± I giggled at hearing Elincia¡¯s vindictive side coming afloat.

    There was no place in the world I would rather be than in the orphanage with Elincia and the kids.

    ¡°You can eat the last spoon, the baker has the preference.¡± I said.

    Elincia grabbed the spoon and held it directly to my mouth.

    ¡°Eat, the baker has preference.¡± Elincia parroted.

    As I bit down on the spoon, a voice came from the doorway.

    ¡°Gross, by the way.¡± Shu glared at us with disgust. ¡°Waking time was an hour ago and I¡¯m bored of waiting for breakfast.¡±

    Soon enough, the kitchen was full with lively orphans eating watery gruel. By the workings of fate, Elincia and I ended up sitting on opposite sides of the table. I was eating in silence, listening to the animated conversation between the younger kids when the loud sound of a chair being dragged across the floor caught my attention.

    Nokti and Virdian, the snakefolk twins, both were dragging their chairs from the other end of the kitchen to position themselves at my sides. They placed their chairs touching mine and jumped on, giving me little room to move.

    I glanced at Elincia across the room but she just smiled, amused by the behavior of the twins.

    ¡°Zaon?¡± I asked the elven kid who was always conveniently within reach.

    ¡°Nokti and Virdian saw you fend off the guardsmen through a window, sir.¡± Zaon replied. As far as I heard, the opinion of the orphans about who scared the guards away was divided.

    ¡°You can understand them?¡± I asked as the twins spiritedly hissed to each other over my bowl of gruel.

    Zaon just shrugged his shoulders and continued eating his breakfast. Despite the fact I couldn¡¯t understand a word, Nokti and Virdian were very proficient in making themselves understood.

    Nokti shared a spoon of her gruel with me, Virdian hissed at her angrily and poured a spoon from his own bowl onto mine. I had to raise my bowl over their heads to avoid more donations. Elincia, of course, covered her mouth as she laughed at me across the table.

    Suddenly, Nokti jumped down from her seat and tugged my sleeve.

    ¡°She wants you to follow her, sir.¡± Zaon said.

    ¡°I figured out that much.¡± I replied.

    The persistence of Nokti¡¯s tugging forced me to stand up and follow her out of the kitchen. Whatever she wanted to show me, it was of utmost importance. The snakefolk girl brought me to the backyard and signaled for me to stay put, then she went into the old shed followed closely by Virdian.

    After what seemed to be an eternity, the snakefolk twins emerged from the shed covered in dirt. Nokti planted herself in front of me and raised her hands, offering me a small sprouted potato.

    ¡°Potate.¡± The blue snakefolk child said with a creaky voice.

    ¡°Thank you. I have never seen such a nice potato.¡± I replied, confused.

    Nokti hid her hands beneath her back and glanced at me from under her long eyelashes. A moment later she ran away to the shed and emerged a second later with a second sprouted potato that she promptly put in my hand. It seemed the twins had a secret stash that had escaped Elincia¡¯s surveillance. Virdian hissed angrily at Nokti and went inside the shed just to return with two potatoes to match his sister¡¯s tribute to me.

    Then it hit me. Nokti had said her first word.

    ¡°Elincia? Care to come here a little?¡± I yelled into the manor and a second later the half-elf was standing by my side.

    ¡°Winter potatoes? We haven¡¯t had them since last winter, where do you get these?¡± She pointed out, looking at the small reddish potatoes that rested in my hands.

    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked Nokti.

    ¡°Potate.¡± She croaked back.

    ¡°Of course it''s a potato¡­ They are talking!¡± Elincia grabbed my arm and squeezed it.

    You have obtained Vigor Lv.2. Temporary.

    I ignored the system prompt, something more important was happening in front of my eyes. Even if it was weird to celebrate the first word of a nine year old, I couldn''t help but feel Elincia¡¯s happiness slowly infecting me.

    ¡°Say it again!¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°Potate!¡± Nokti replied to the woman¡¯s delight.

    The first word of the potato-obsessed snakefolk twins couldn¡¯t be other than that. Potato. What surprised me, was the fact they had managed to conceal the winter potatoes from Elincia for a whole year. It was a touching gesture that they would share their treasure with me.

    As I wondered how many more potatoes they had hidden in their stash, an idea crashed into my mind.

    ¡°Do you have any more of these?¡± I asked the twins just to be glanced at with suspicion.

    Two potatoes seemed to be the greatest amount of potatoes they were willing to part with.

    ¡°If we plant this potato now and we wait until winter then we are going to have dozens of potatoes to eat.¡± I explained.

    The eyes of the twins shined as I introduced them to the basics of agricultural science.

    ¡°Real?¡± Virdian croaked.

    ¡°Yes, just like the rest of the vegetables in the farm these will grow and turn into a plant and then, when they are ready, we could harvest them and have a lot of potatoes.¡±

    The twins exchanged a glance and ran across the backyard full speed into the shed.

    ¡°This is going to be good.¡± I said as Elincia looked horrified at the twins pulling armfuls of small sprouted potatoes from the shed. The sheer size of their smuggling operation was impressive considering Elincia didn¡¯t even suspect there were missing potatoes from the stockpile.

    ¡°Call Zaon and tell him we are canceling the morning drill. They need to start sowing these bad boys now.¡± I said as Elincia¡¯s livid eyes were glued to the small mountain of potatoes the twins had collected.

    ¡°They? Aren¡¯t you going to help?¡± Elincia asked me, still perched on my arm.

    ¡°I have to meet someone today.¡± I replied.

    ¡°This has something to do with your visit to Ginz, right?¡± Elincia inquired with a worried expression.

    ¡°We have to keep the guards far from the kids, and I know the only person in Farcrest who might be willing to do that for us.¡± I replied.

    Elincia growled.

    ¡°Alright, you can go. But this is the last time you are allowed to act like a maniac.¡±

 26 - Mind games

    Farcrest¡¯s cobbled paths were covered by rainwater. Puddles had formed in the hollows of the street, reflecting the gray sky above like hundreds of small mirrors. The sound of raindrops echoed around me as the water drained from the rooftops and the scent of wet earth and damp wood filled my nostrils.

    The only downside to rain was the dozen leaks on the orphanage¡¯s roof.

    As I walked up the main street and got closer to the Great Hall, the town bustled with activity. People cleared debris from the streets and made quick repairs on the roofs of their houses in case another rain cloud burst over Farcrest.

    I approached the Great Hall with the wooden box under my arm and stood in front of the inner wall.

    ¡°What is your business in the Marquis¡¯s Great Hall?¡± A gatekeeper barked. He quickly examined my attire and came to the conclusion that I wasn¡¯t an important guest.

    ¡°I want an audience with Captain Kiln.¡±

    ¡°The Captain isn¡¯t receiving visitors right now. Come again next week.¡± The gatekeeper replied. I could tell by his mocking grin that he was implying I wasn¡¯t going to be received today nor next week.

    ¡°You are not understanding.¡± I said, summoning my character sheet and turning it around so the soldier could see the long list of titles I possessed. I was careful enough to hide my name and other sensitive information that could link me with my previous disputes. It was as easy as thinking about it.

    After realizing I wasn¡¯t a nobody, the guard begrudgingly disappeared behind the booth into the courtyard. I was left alone, wondering if my peace offering would be enough to gain the Captain¡¯s favor if only momentarily. We only needed a week without any incidents and then the orphans would be safe until summer.

    The courtyard of the Great Hall was a hive of activity as soldiers drilled under the watchful eye of their Sargeants. The sound of clashing swords echoed off the stone walls as the soldiers practiced their maneuvers, the Sergeants yelled orders amplified by their class skills, and the recruits grunted as their arms bulged from the effort. Rows of shields, spears, and swords were lined along the Great Hall¡¯s stonewall, while piles of hay and wooden dummies served for the most inexperienced soldiers to practice on.

    The Marquis had quite the operation going for what Farcrest was. I made a mental note to ask Captain Kiln about it, if things went well of course.

    ¡°The Captain will meet you right now.¡± The gatekeeper said, opening the gate.

    As I entered the courtyard, two soldiers clad in plain leather armor blocked the path with swords drawn. What they lacked in gear, they made up for in experience. Their faces were weathered and their sunken eyes stark. I didn¡¯t dare to Identify them but I knew I would find several levels into not-so-guardsmen skills.

    ¡°Search him.¡± The gatekeeper ordered with a malicious smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m unarmed.¡± I replied, raising my hands and trusting they were not going to kill me just because. As the soldier threw me against the wall, I made another mental note. Establish my own city-state with a functioning democratic republic and rule of law.

    ¡°He¡¯s unarmed, chief.¡± One of the soldiers announced after thoroughly frisking me.

    ¡°Open the box then. There will surely be something interesting inside.¡± The gatekeeper barked and the soldier seized the small wooden box from my hand. A shiver ran through my spine. Nobody except me knew what the contents of the box were, meaning I didn¡¯t have an alibi if they decided to plant something.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a set of leather cups.¡± The soldier announced with a disappointed raspy voice. ¡°You promised a big bust, this idiot is a regular Scholar with regular Scholar shit. I bet my yearly salary he is trying to sell another dumb idea to the higher ups.¡±

    If only they knew what the cups were for they would tremble. They were a weapon far more powerful than any sword, and would protect the orphanage better than any shield. At least I hoped they would for a few days.

    ¡°They might be poisoned in advance. The oldest trick in the book.¡± The gatekeeper glanced at me with a malign smile, as if he had already decided about my guilt. Suddenly, a visit to the Great Hall dungeon seemed dangerously close. I should have realized that this was a worse idea than I initially estimated.

    A drop of sweat fell from my temple.

    ¡°You. What are these leather cups about?¡± The seasoned soldier barked at me, ignoring the gatekeeper.

    ¡°It¡¯s a dice game, sir. I¡¯m aware the Captain likes to¡­ play high risk games, so I brought this one as a gift and a sign of good will.¡± I tried to sound convincing.

    ¡°This is not for drinking?¡± The soldier asked, putting away his sword.

    I shook my head.

    The veteran soldier glared at the gatekeeper.

    ¡°You are full of shit, Fibble, and you know it. We are taking things from here.¡± The veteran soldier said, moving to the side so I could enter the courtyard. The box was returned to my hands by his companion and they guided me inside the grounds of the Great Hall.

    I felt Gatekeeper Fibble¡¯s gaze glued to my back until we entered the guardsmen barracks by the side of the Great Hall. There was something strange about the gatekeeper without a doubt, but the real question was who was behind it.

    The veteran guardsmen guided me to the Captain¡¯s office without saying a word.

    ¡°Captain Kiln, you have a visitor with an important parcel.¡± The soldier knocked at the door.

    ¡°Go on, Markus.¡± The Captain yelled from inside the room.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    As I entered the document-laden office, the Captain¡¯s face soured. With a movement of her hand, she dispatched the soldiers who closed the door behind me. We heard the two pairs of boots getting lost in the hallway.

    ¡°Did I mention I don¡¯t like people who complicate things? Because you are a bold one showing up here after picking a fight with my nephew.¡± The Captain sighed and signaled me to take a seat in front of her.

    ¡°Did that happen?¡± I asked back, putting the chest over the table. There were two possibilities. One, the Captain didn¡¯t know what actually happened in the orphanage, or two, she knew and she expected us to not put up resistance.

    ¡°What do you have there?¡± Captain Kiln was going to the point as expected.

    Ceremoniously, I opened the box and took out two of the four leather cups. Then, rummaging through my pockets, I dropped ten dice on the table. The Captain must¡¯ve guessed what was all that about because she put the reports and maps to the side and quickly grabbed a cup and half of the dice.

    The woman rubbed her hands in anticipation.

    ¡°I guess people who complicate things aren¡¯t that bad as long as they are exciting.¡± Captain Kiln said as I put my famished coin purse on the table. If my plan went well, then I was buying something invaluable with the small change.

    The game was simple. The goal was to guess the right amount of a particular dice roll and call out other players wrong guesses. It was a bluffing game.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start shaking the dice without showing it to the other players.¡± I said, shaking my cup. As expected, the rattling sound of the dice against the hardened leather was pleasant to the ear, and Captain Kiln seemed to have the same opinion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make a bid then. I say four fives, the aces counting as wildcards.¡± I said covering my dice and glancing at the woman directly in the eye. ¡°Now, you can do four things. Rise the bid, this goes for the amount or the number. Bid aces, the amount being half of the current bid. Call, if you think my bid is incorrect and we reveal the dice. If there are the same quantity or more, the ¡®calling¡¯ player loses a die, otherwise the ¡®bidding¡¯ player loses one. Finally, you can say ¡®spot on¡¯, if you believe my bid is exactly right. If you are right you gain a die, if you are wrong you lose one.¡±

    The Captain nodded as I explained the rules. As a seasoned gambler, she seemed to quickly catch the gist of it.

    ¡°You said four fives. I say five fives then.¡± The Captain said, squinting at her dice as if she was trying to estimate the chance of her bidding being correct.

    ¡°Call. I don¡¯t think there are five fives on the table.¡± I replied with a smile as I revealed my dice. I had zero fives and an ace. The Captain cursed and threw one of her dice at the center of the table. She had two fives and an ace, making the total four.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you bluffed on the demonstration round.¡± Captain Kiln sighed.

    ¡°But now you know you don¡¯t have to tell the truth.¡± I replied with a smirk.

    We played the rest of the round and then another one, this time with actual bets. Even if it was a few pieces of copper at a time, by the end of the game, my already famished coin purse was half its original size. The Captain glanced at me with a smile on her face while she jingled my coins in her hand.

    ¡°You are a shit player for a Scholar.¡± She said, unamused.

    ¡°I limited my [Awareness] to make things even.¡± I replied in a vain attempt to defend my honor.

    ¡°What makes you think I don¡¯t possess a similar skill? And what makes you think I wouldn¡¯t use it in a game of wits?¡± The Captain mocked me as she summoned her character sheet and with a movement of her hand turned it around to make it visible to me.

    Name: Izabeka Kiln, Human (Strong).

    Class: Knight Lv.53

    Titles: Captain, (other 5 hidden).

    Passive: Gambler¡¯s Eye, Awareness, (other 17 hidden.)

    Skills: (9 hidden)

    Status: Pleased Lv.1 (other 3 hidden.)

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t read you without the skills. You are clear as day.¡± Captain Kiln further rubbed salt in the wound as she grinned at me with a winning smile.

    Then, she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back on her chair, which creaked as if the woman was heavier than she actually appeared to be.

    ¡°What''s the real motive of your visit? Go on, I¡¯m listening.¡±

    I clenched my fist under the table and tried to hide any sign of satisfaction on my face. The gamble had worked. However, instead of feeling relieved, I forced a stoic expression into my face, in this unfair world any signs of weakness could be dooming.

    ¡°Sergeant Valerio Mer showed up at the orphanage the other day, he knocked down our iron gate with a skill, and tried to kidnap my kids even though they are yet to turn fifteen.¡± I said with a cold voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to pick a fight with your men, Captain, but your men stormed my home and threatened the kids under my supervision.¡±

    The Captain¡¯s already thin lips turned into a fine line as she glared at me.

    My hunch was right.

    ¡°So, that was what actually happened? A Sergeant and a handful of soldiers couldn¡¯t steal a bunch of kids from a low level Scholar? Excuse me, but it¡¯s hard to believe.¡±

    ¡°Look, Captain. I don¡¯t want to have trouble with the guardsmen or the Marquis, but I¡¯m not going to let go of my kids before they even have a class. I¡¯m just asking you to respect what is lawfully stipulated.¡± I replied.

    ¡°You are playing a dangerous game. Robert Clarke. What if it was the Marquis who ordered me to conscript your orphans?¡± The Captain leaned her head to the side as she glanced at me without blinking.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you gave the order. You don¡¯t strike me as someone who would abduct children for personal gain.¡± I simply said. Most of my gamble was based on the assumption the Captain wasn¡¯t the source of problems. ¡°I do believe there is someone giving orders to the guardsmen other than you, Captain. I just came here to provide some information that you might find interesting.¡±

    The Captain closed her eyes deep in thought and nodded. Whatever she was thinking, she didn¡¯t share it with me.

    ¡°What do you want me to do then?¡± She said, finally opening her eyes.

    ¡°It depends on how much this gift can buy me.¡± I replied pushing the box with the leather cups across the table.

    Captain Kiln sighed.

    ¡°I will impress upon my sergeants to leave the orphanage alone until the end of the tribute season. That should do for the time being.¡± The Captain stretched her back and grabbed the box with the cups and dice. ¡°Now, if you excuse me, I have to fleece some courtiers.¡±

    I bowed farewell, satisfied with the outcome of our meeting, and let the Captain walk me to the door. Just as I reached the knob, she grabbed me by the wrist and put five golden coins in my hand.

    ¡°To repair the gate.¡±

    I glanced at the small fortune in my hands and I felt a weight being lifted from my shoulders. Five gold coins meant another month without starving, but didn¡¯t solve the greater problem.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather have answers than money. What set of skills did you have when you turned into a Knight?¡± I quickly asked, still with one hand on the doorknob. This could be my last chance to talk to the Captain so I intended to take all the advantage possible out of it.

    ¡°I see what you are doing, Robert Clarke, but you are not asking the right questions.¡± The woman replied. ¡°Fencing, longsword, polearm, shield, spear, bow, riding mastery, it doesn¡¯t matter. I have met a hundred Knights, some have one skill, others many, there are a few that didn¡¯t have any of them. The System doesn¡¯t care about skills, the System only cares about the content of one¡¯s soul.¡±

    Captain Kiln looked me straight in the eye and I noticed she was fighting an internal struggle. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it at the last second.

    ¡°The Marquis isn¡¯t a tyrant. He is not your enemy.¡±

    Before I could say anything, she pushed me out of the room and slammed the door shut.  I had my answers, but there were the kind of answers that only raised more questions.

 27 - Investigation

    I left the book I was reading over Elincia¡¯s desk and spied on the backyard through her window. The colors of autumn invaded the backyard. The trees shed their leaves, covering the backyard with a lovely bronze mantle while the grass of the esplanade was showing the first hints of decay.

    Despite the year being well into autumn already, the farm plot was a small haven of green. Elincia¡¯s potions had granted the poisoned plants a new life. In the same fashion, the section of farm plot managed by Zaon and the older kids was growing vigorously despite the weather. After weeks of fighting on several fronts, the orphanage had some semblance of peace.

    Tax season had passed without further incident and now we had six months until the Imperial Academy exams. The food situation was somewhat covered in the short term, and the kids had accepted my presence at the orphanage with surprising haste.

    Smiling, I leaned over the window frame to get a better view.

    By the side of the orchard, Elincia had gathered the orphans for their seasonal haircut. Wolf sat on a chair in the middle of the backyard while Elincia carefully shaved the sides of his head leaving the top untouched. I wondered if that was Wolf¡¯s preferred haircut or if mohawks were an orcish thing in this world too.

    In the meantime, the younger orphans took turns brushing each other¡¯s hair. Nokti helped Shu to brush her gold locks while Virdian fought against Ash¡¯s numerous knots. The complaints of the young human child filled the backyard as Virdian pulled the brush without any concern for his victim.

    The picture warmed my heart but my brain couldn¡¯t stop nagging me about the hundred different tasks we had to accomplish before winter. The firewood stocks were running dangerously low and we had to find a way to preserve food for the winter if we wanted to eat anything other than bean soup and gruel. We needed money to fix the roof, and even more money to buy seeds for the spring sowing.

    Money, money, money.

    Our material needs weren¡¯t the only thing that troubled me. I had to get the orphans ready for the Imperial Academy exam but I wasn¡¯t sure what the exam actually comprised. In the meantime, I had been teaching them the basics of various kinds of swords, but I feared a theoretical test. This world¡¯s history and military theory weren¡¯t my principal areas of knowledge.

    I made a mental note to inquire with Sir Janus about the exam.

    At that point, my memory was already filled to the brim with sticky notes, side notes, footnotes, and obscure doodles that once made sense.

    ¡°Firewood, money, food reserves, Imperial Academy exam, alchemical ingredients, prevent Nokti from unearthing potatoes before harvest, arithmetic lessons, find out Elincia¡¯s birthday, figure out the quirks of other species, establish my own city-state and make Elincia the Secretary of Children¡¯s Services.¡± I recited in a whisper.

    The last one wasn¡¯t really viable, but dreaming cost nothing.

    As much as my secret plans to establish a commercial hub were an interesting mental exercise in supply and development, I had more pressing tasks to accomplish first. I closed the window and switched my attention to the book in front of me. For the first time since I arrived in this world I had a free afternoon, which led me to my current activity, perusing the manor¡¯s book collection.

    [Master of Languages] was a cheat skill. It not only worked with spoken language but with written language too. I just needed to understand the word once for my skill to store the spelling next to the meaning. For that reason, I had wandered around the orphanage during the last few days, chasing Elincia to ask her about words I didn¡¯t yet know.

    The book I was trying to read was an old treatise of alchemy but most of the words were too technical to understand without Elincia by my side. But it didn¡¯t matter. I had a whole collection of otherworldly knowledge at my disposal.

    And the System knew that rare books rubbed my brain cells in the most correct way.

    I rubbed my hands in front of the shelf like a disgusting fly watching rotten fruit, enjoying the anticipation. On the other hand, if my college days taught me something, this was going to be more laborious than funny. Reading hundreds of pages to find a single quotation was really a monk''s work.

    Leaving my preconceptions behind, I grabbed a book it had caught my eye.

    On Classes by Echbert Soother.

    ¡°This is a big, fat title, Mister Soother, so it better be good.¡± I muttered.

    Of course the book started with a needlessly long foreword where the author didn¡¯t even mention the themes of the book whatsoever. I just shut down my inner literary critic and continued reading.

    Things got very interesting very quickly in the second foreword.

    Apparently, Echbert was considered a rogue Scholar for inquiring into the System¡¯s ways and revealing his conclusions to the world. As the lines progressed, Echbert metaphorically shat upon half a dozen other Scholars whose names I haven¡¯t heard of but seemed important to the period. As the pages progressed, the quarrel continued until the last paragraph where Echbert dedicated his work to the gods who had ¡®built the System with infinite wisdom and selflessness¡¯.

    ¡°This makes sense. If the System was created by the gods, then inquiring about it might be considered a vain effort in the best case and sacrilege in the worst.¡± I whispered to myself, wondering if there were actual gods in this world. After all, the System seemed completely man-made to me.

    I made another mental note to remember not to mention my heretical thoughts in front of a System Zealot.

    Here begins the epitome on the study of the System and its Classes, composed and written by my hand and letter, who, guided by the System, had gathered the experience of over a thousand combatants, crafters, and other noble jobs, and had seen with my own two eyes the great archive of Saint Nives abbey and the secret compendium written by its Dark Zealots.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Alright, no full stops for me.¡± I muttered

    Blessed be those who embrace the teaching of the gods because they will be rewarded with radiant Classes. Reject the dishonest teaching and the bogus prophet because the way of the System is the way of one¡¯s heart, embrace your given Class and do not envy those of your neighbors because that is the design of the gods. I hereby pronounce the wisdom of Nives the Sage under the sun. The farmer¡¯s son will be king and the King¡¯s son will be farmer by the System¡¯s will.

    ¡°Deterministic and sugar-coated.¡± I growled at the book, knowing that Echbert Soother wasn¡¯t going to hear any of my complaints. If he was right, then Classes were assigned even before birth, it was destiny, fate, the god¡¯s will, and no mortal could fight it.

    I nervously drummed the table with my fingers.

    Captain Kiln had told me something similar; the System only cared for the contents of the soul. Elincia, on the other hand, had told me she chose to be an Alchemist. That meant the person had some kind of input after all.

    I had to ask her exactly what happened before she visited the System Altar, what she was taught during her childhood, what her teachers did, and what happened to the other orphans before they were forced to join the army.

    I let [Awareness] feed me with the pictures of my own class bestowment. As much as I wanted to cast fireballs, the System had ignored my pleas and turned me into a Scholar.

    I sighed and focused on the book. Maybe Echbert had more wisdom to share.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t go into a fascist tirade about how people with better Classes are more worthy than others with ¡®lesser¡¯ Classes.¡± I sighed again as I turned the page.

    My pleas reached deaf ears because, oh boy, Echbert Soother had strong things to say about Farmers and Anglers.

    As I continued passing the pages, my patience ran dry.

    ¡°Of course the sons and daughters of Swordmasters grow to become Fencers, you fucking maggot! They have the best tutors next to them!¡± I yelled at the worn-out pages, knowing that that was the case back on Earth and not necessarily here.

    Captain Kiln had said people without fighting skills could achieve classes like Knight.

    After an hour of fierce fighting against the pages, I put the book aside. Naively I had thought I could learn something while ignoring Echbert¡¯s proto-eugenic ideals, but after he started calling for the eradication of certain classes, I decided it was too much for me.

    I could understand people being suspicious of someone holding a Bandit or an Assassin class, but there were a dozen classes related to family entertainment that didn¡¯t deserve such contempt. For some reason Mimes got the worst part in Echbert¡¯s book.

    I was swinging in my chair when Elincia opened the door. Her radiant smile on her made me forget every single one of my worries if only for a moment.

    ¡°Autumn haircut ready. Some of the younger ones wouldn¡¯t cooperate because a certain man refused to cut his hair like the rest.¡± Elincia crossed into the room and fell back into her bed while laughing.

    My hair was still too short to need a haircut.

    ¡°Can you believe Virdian asked me to cut his hair just like yours? The poor thing doesn¡¯t even have hair!¡± Elincia whispered with a cheerful voice while covering her mouth with a hand.

    As funny as it was, it didn¡¯t surprise me. That was the kind of wacky idea that usually came from Virdian¡¯s chattering mouth. Since the snakefolk kids had started talking I was having a hard time keeping my composure in front of the orphans. That morning, I could barely hold the gruel inside my mouth after Virdian had pointed out that pots were clearly called ¡®pots¡¯ because of their close relationship with potatoes.

    I glanced at Echbert¡¯s book and scratched my incipient beard knowing I wasn¡¯t going to get answers from him. Maybe Elincia could throw some light on the matter.

    ¡°I want to know more about you, Elincia.¡± I suddenly stopped rocking in the chair and glanced at the woman with renewed intensity. There was a world of distance between theory and practice and Echbert¡¯s theory wasn¡¯t necessarily reality no matter how many Saints and abbots he quoted.

    ¡°I want to know everything about you, in fact.¡± I said, full of conviction.

    For some reason, my words seemed to have caught her by surprise.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sure a seasoned Scholar who has eaten man-killing pastries like you wouldn''t find a nobody like me interesting.¡± Elincia stuttered as her ears burned a deep crimson hue.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Sometimes illumination comes from the most unsuspecting places.¡± I replied, recalling the tale of a historian who found important documents while messing around in an older section of a library. ¡°I recall you told me you chose to become an Alchemist. You touched the Altar and you entered a state of meditation where you spoke to the System. Can you tell me about that?¡±

    Elincia looked at me with an even more confused face but replied nonetheless.

    ¡°Yes, that was what happened. The System offered me the Hunter Class but I knew I could help the orphanage more by being an Alchemist so I just went for it.¡± Elincia sat up on her bed. She crossed her arms and legs while looking at me with utmost seriousness. ¡°I¡¯m not understanding where this conversation is going.¡±

    This time I was the one looking at her in confusion.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure out what I should do to ensure our kids get good Classes. Isn''t it obvious?¡±

    Elincia grumbled as she massaged her temples. Any hint of blushing had left her face, instead she showed an annoyed expression.

    ¡°Of course you are doing Scholar stuff. Why did I think otherwise?¡± She sighed.

    ¡°Do you think people are destined for the Classes they get?¡± I asked before she could change the topic of the conversation. This was important for me and the future of the orphans.

    ¡°Some people think we are destined to our Classes. When I spoke to the System I felt it looking inside me. If there is a truth out there, it is that the System knows who you truly are.¡± Elincia glared at me. ¡°I do think the System just draws what is inside you. Being an Alchemist just like Mister Lowel was probably inside me because of my experiences and my desire to help the orphanage.¡±

    I closed my eyes and sorted my thoughts. If Elincia was in the right then Class was a conjunction of desire and personality; what you wanted and what you were. Which was troublesome at a practical level. Teaching arithmetic and fencing was easy compared to molding the content of a child¡¯s character. Back on Earth I tried really hard to guide my students on the path of virtue with little apparent success most of the time.

    ¡°Rob, are you listening to me?¡±

    I opened my eyes and found Elincia standing just in front of me.

    ¡°Sorry, I was thinking. What were you saying?¡± I quickly apologized.

    Elincia let out the grandmother of all sighs.

    ¡°If someone can connect with the kids and unlock their true potential, that¡¯s you, Rob. I do believe you can change their fates for good. I believe it with all my heart.¡± Elincia¡¯s smile sent a shiver through my body. Not only that was the nicest thing someone had told me in this world or the other, but hearing it from Elincia made it mean even more.

    I panicked a little.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you have the greatest eye for men, I mean, you used to trust Holst.¡± I tried to joke to lighten the moment but my joke was not well received.

    ¡°I swear to the fucking System, I had never wanted to kill someone this much before meeting you, Robert Clarke.¡± Elincia sharply jabbed at my shoulder and stomped all her way back to her bed. ¡°Just keep doing your thing and the kids will do fine. Now get out of my room. I¡¯m done with you, damned Scholars.¡±

 28 - From the beginning

    I grabbed a couple books and left Elincia alone in her bedroom.

    Outside of the safe haven of Elincia¡¯s bedroom, the orphans roamed free making it hard for me to find a quiet spot to read. The orphanage¡¯s future was somewhat secured but I couldn¡¯t get rid of the sense of urgency in the back of my mind.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do everything right now. This is a process, it takes time.¡± I repeated with little success. Most of what I should¡¯ve done or known, was due yesterday. The fact that we only had six months until the try-outs for the Imperial Academy wasn¡¯t helping to quench my anxiety.

    If I revealed I was a native from a systemless world then Elincia might have given me a crash course on System Mechanics. But the System¡¯s warning about revealing my origin was still too fresh in my memory. As long as I didn¡¯t know the exact consequences of disclosing such information, I must keep it a secret.

    The System had the capacity of altering my brain which meant it probably had the capacity of shutting it down. The System could also retaliate against anyone I told my secret to.

    What I needed was a quiet place where I could put my thoughts in order. The kitchen was out of bounds in between meals. I grabbed my books and scurried through the manor, trying to avoid the younger kids.

    When I closed the door behind me, I was met with two big brown eyes looking at me with a startled expression. Firana. It took me a second to understand why she was so surprised at seeing me in the kitchen. She was having a stealth snack.

    Firana had a small carrot in her hand and a stem of celery in the other.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not telling.¡± I said.

    A smile appeared on her face. A little bit of complicity goes a long way, I repeated to myself as I sat on the nearest seat to the stove. I just hoped this wasn¡¯t enough for the System to give her the Thief class.

    ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t give me away?¡± Firana squinted suspiciously at me as she nibbled her celery in front of me.

    ¡°If you give me a bite, then we will be accomplices.¡± I joked.

    Firana offered me half of her carrot and I accepted it, it was sweet and tasty. What I truly wanted was a moment to talk to Firana alone. She was the orphan I had talked with the least.

    Zaon wanted to become a Knight. Ilya wanted to become a Hunter. Wolf was still an enigma, but I was going to get him to crack eventually. Firana was my only student of which I knew next to nothing.

    ¡°I have heard a lot about your previous teacher, Mister Holst. I wonder what you can tell me about him, the others seem to be a little biased.¡± I mindlessly said as I flipped the pages of my book.

    None of the kids knew about Holst¡¯s plotting against the orphanage and it might be best to keep it that way.

    Firana shrugged.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He taught me how to fence after the rest of my family joined the army. He also taught me table manners, how to behave in front of nobles, and that kind of stuff.¡± The girl said with a hint of sadness. ¡°Oh, and he also invited me to the gallery in the Great Hall and showed me how to ride a horse. That was fun.¡±

    Holst¡¯s curriculum caught me by surprise. Assuming the man was preparing Firana to rub shoulders with nobility wasn¡¯t a wild guess. Firana was from a famous family after all. Maybe Holst wasn¡¯t just ¡®farming¡¯ titles but really saw Firana¡¯s potential. In the end, going to the Imperial Library must have been more desirable to him than training a prospective fencer.

    ¡°Holst was nice to you.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°He was exigent but fair.¡± Firana replied. ¡°When I failed, he still reprimanded me.¡±

    Given Firana¡¯s talent, she must¡¯ve failed considerably less than Ilya and Zaon.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to understand why Firana felt so dejected with Holst¡¯s sudden departure. Firana belonged to a famous mercenary family and Holst was the only one who helped her become an Aias.

    ¡°What class do you wanna get, Firana?¡± I asked.

    The girl touched her temple with the celery stick and closed her eyes, deep in thought. Then she stood and walked around the table to sit next to me.

    ¡°Open that one.¡± Firana said, pointing at a thick black leather book that looked like a diary.

    The book was an old handwritten copy with no discernible author, no title, no forward. Instead of an index, it had a chart with the names of different classes. At first sight there were around twenty but when I turned the page I realized the list went on and on.

    ¡°There are a lot of classes, aren¡¯t there?¡± I said as I quickly flipped the pages.

    ¡°More than two hundred.¡± Firana replied, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°I counted them, but don¡¯t tell Miss Elincia, she doesn¡¯t know I entered her room to read the books.¡±

    ¡°Your secret is safe with me but you have to stop doing that.¡± I replied.

    The list of classes ended and I found myself in front of what seemed to be the character sheet of an unnamed player.

    Class: Archer.

    Role: Backline combatant.

    Rarity: Common.

    Known Skills: Piercing Shot, True Shot, Farshot, Blazing Arrow, Frost Arrow, Knockback Arrow, Stunning Arrow, Critical Shot, Swift Step, True Sight, Flare, Tenacity, Wind Walk, Eagle Eye, Evasion, Steady Aim, Read Wind, Spiderweb, Power Stab.

    <table>

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Strength

    </td>

    <td>

    Endurance

    </td>

    <td>

    Magic

    </td>

    <td>

    Spirit

    </td>

    <td>

    Speed

    </td>

    <td>

    Mana

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    C

    </td>

    <td>

    D

    </td>

    <td>

    E

    </td>

    <td>

    E

    </td>

    <td>

    C

    </td>

    <td>

    D

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    My RPG-sense tingled. Unlike Echbert¡¯s On Classes, this was totally my jam.

    ¡°Archer isn¡¯t a powerful class, is it?¡± I asked.

    My question should¡¯ve been extremely basic because Firana gave me a perplexed look.

    ¡°Nobody is going to tell you ¡®I want to become an Archer when I grow up¡¯, I guess. Even a Hunter is a better class, and Hunter is considered a support class. Everyone knows that.¡± Firana swallowed the celery before answering.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°It might seem obvious, but this is not information we have in my homeland.¡± I explained as I skimmed through the book.

    My ignorance surprised Firana.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know this stuff?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ashamed of confessing your ignorance, Firana, be ashamed of not searching for knowledge and aiming for improvement.¡± I replied with my best teacher''s voice.

    We flipped the pages in silence. From time to time, Firana put her finger over the book for me to stop on a certain class. There were a lot of them. Archer, Brawler, Warrior, Fencer, Knight, Paladin. Also magic classes. Mage, Witch, Shaman, Hexmage, Cleric. And a few more exotic ones. Cat Mage, Glutton, Sky Pirate, Battle Chef, Mime.

    When we reached the last page, Firana¡¯s expression was somber.

    ¡°Did any of them catch your eye?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not really.¡± She sighed and threw her head back.

    The fact Firana was already talking to me after our rough start was already a victory in my books. A partial victory at least.

    ¡°Want to talk about it?¡±

    A mischievous smile crept on the girl¡¯s face.

    ¡°If you beat me in a duel I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    ¡°Firana, I already beat you in a duel not so long ago.¡± I said.

    ¡°You probably have [Longsword Mastery], that¡¯s how you won. But what about rapier fencing?¡± She replied in a playful tone and her eyes shone with a glint of excitement.

    Firana was the kind of person who felt most comfortable with a sword in her hand. In my HEMA club there were members just like Firana. For me it was a fun and interesting activity, but for others it was a matter of passion.

    Firana beamed at me.

    ¡°Alright, young lady. I¡¯ll show you what a Scholar is capable of.¡± I replied.

    After leaving the books in a safe place, far from the threat of sticky hands, Firana followed me into the backyard. The younger kids left Zaon and Ilya behind at the farm plot and sprinted towards us, asking if we wanted to join their games. However, to the kids'' dismay, Firana shushed them and jogged towards the shed to retrieve the fencing gear.

    ¡°Are we training?¡± Zaon asked as he came close.

    The elven kid¡¯s hands and face were covered in dirt. I smiled. After half a dozen small meltdowns during the last two weeks, he accepted his role as the farm team leader. The more work he put into the farm, the fewer concerns he showed.

    ¡°Firana challenged me to a duel.¡± I calmly replied.

    ¡°Again?! She already lost once, I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s so selfish.¡± Ilya grumbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s a friendly duel, Ilya. And don¡¯t talk about your classmates like that., please¡±

    Ilya grumbled an apology but didn¡¯t look happy with the situation.

    Firana came back with a mountain of equipment in her arms. She stumbled across the backyard and deposited everything in the big stump. If anything, the orphanage was well supplied in the swordsmanship department. During Elincia¡¯s time as an orphan, everything was probably even better.

    Zaon and Ilya sorted the younger kids behind the stump while I put on a padded jacket. Their excited whispers reached my ears. Nokti and Virdian were my stalwart supporters while Ash argued that Firana was going to beat me with her Lv.1 [Fencing]. Scholars were really looked down on in this world.

    ¡°Are you ready, Firana?¡± I asked as I grabbed the mask and the rapier.

    In the same fashion as the longswords, the balance was further from the hilt that I was used to.

    ¡°Always ready, Mister Clarke.¡± The girl put on her mask and cut the air with her rapier.

    I signaled Zaon to judge the match and the boy, instead of looking around to ensure I was talking to him, instantly jumped on his feet.

    ¡°The first who reaches ten points wins the match. Simultaneous hits don¡¯t count. Head hits count as double points.¡± Zaon said out loud.

    Firana raised her guard. A frontal stance with the weight of the body on the back foot to prioritize quick lunges. I saluted and raised my rapier with the arm completely extended, showing my profile and keeping my feet perpendicular to each other. The tips of our swords barely touched.

    ¡°Fight!¡±

    Firana lowered her rapier.

    ¡°You skipped the ¡®have fun¡¯ part.¡± The girl said.

    Thankfully I had my mask on so I could hide my laughter.

    ¡°Can I? R-really?¡± Zaon stuttered. ¡°Alright. The first who reaches ten points wins the match. Simultaneous hits don¡¯t count. Head hits count as double points. And most importantly, have fun!¡±

    I needed a moment to choke my laughter before I could raise my rapier again.

    ¡°Fight!¡±

    Firana jumped forward as soon as Zaon elicited the last syllable and she almost caught me by surprise. My [Swordsmanship] triggered a quick response and I took a quick step to the side and deflected the tip of Firana¡¯s sword.

    ¡°Not too shabby for an old man.¡± Ash said.

    At least someone recognized my maturity.

    Firana recovered her footing and tried to smack my sword away but I effortlessly moved her blade out of my way and tapped Firana¡¯s mask with the tip of my rapier.

    ¡°Hit!¡± Zaon yelled. ¡°Return to positions.¡±

    Firana¡¯s face was covered by her mask and I couldn¡¯t watch her expression. However, she must¡¯ve been set aback by my skills because she took a moment too much to raise her guard.

    The duel continued at a fast pace. Firana deployed a whole arsenal of strikes, parries and counters, but every time I positioned my blade to control hers. When the score was seven to one, she grew even more reckless allowing me to steal another point.

    ¡°You focus too much on your own sword. Don¡¯t let me have the leverage advantage.¡± My voice came out muffled by the mask.

    Firana pulled off her mask and, for a moment, I was afraid she was going to stomp her way out of the backyard. Instead, she silently moved her lips. I concede.

    ¡°How dare you challenge me, swordsman from a faraway land!¡± Firana gracefully jumped over the tree stump and flourished her rapier.

    The kids laughed at the theatrical display.

    ¡°To get to the princess, you will have to walk over my dead body!¡± Firana continued.

    The fact that Zaon was right behind her didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the orphans.

    ¡°Si creeis que podeis detenerme venid a por mi, villana!¡± I replied with my best Spanish accent as I adopted a more extravagant stance. ¡°Os robar¨¦ a la princesa y todas vuestras patatas!¡±

    I just wished I had a cape so I could cosplay as Alatriste.

    We jumped, rolled, and exchanged flashy swings in an improvised play. The basic plot was that I was there to kidnap the princess and Firana was trying to stop me. Of course, the kids couldn¡¯t understand a word of what I was saying but they found the Spanish accent amusing.

    Nokti and Virdian instantly sided with me while the rest of the kids chanted for Firana. The fight continued at a fast pace until Elincia opened the kitchen window and yelled that the dinner was ready. The younger kids went crazy as they shouted about the appearance of the princess. However, Elincia shut them down with a single glare.

    In the end, only Firana and I remained in the backyard.

    ¡°Wanna talk now, or do you want to grab a bite first.¡± I said as I untied my padded jacket.

    ¡°I was lucky to hit a single point.¡± Firana replied, leaving her rapier against the stump. Her face was covered in sweat and her chestnut hair stuck to the sides of her face. ¡°You are too skilled to be a non-combatant.¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯m a Scholar, right? I do believe people can learn all kinds of different things despite their classes.¡± I said, summoning my character sheet. ¡°Look at this.¡±

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Scholar Lv.12

    Titles: Confidant, Classroom Fiend, Favorite Teacher (96), Master Tutor, Silver Scholar, Delinquent Reformer (5), Stalwart Mentor (7), Role Model, Expert Mathematician, Expert Physicist, Adept Historian, Adept Linguist, Journeyman Biologist, Novice Chemist, Novice Orator, (other 4 hidden).

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Manipulation, Awareness, Master of Languages.

    Skills: Identify, Stun Gaze, Intimidate.

    Firana¡¯s eyes became wide open when she realized I was sharing my character sheet with her. As Elincia had hinted during our first meeting in the Farlands, character sheets were something private that people only shared with those who they trusted.

    ¡°Level twelve isn¡¯t really impressive but those are a lot of titles¡­ LEVEL FIVE SWORDSMANSHIP!? HOW? WHY?¡± Firana stood up and brought her face closer to the character sheet.

    I couldn''t suppress my laughter upon seeing Firana¡¯s gaping mouth.

    ¡°I studied swordsmanship for years.¡± I explained. ¡°Sure, I will never be as strong as a Knight or a Fencer but the time I spent training has served me well in other aspects of my life. The dedication, fortitude, and focus required to fence, I also use them for studying and teaching.¡±

    Firana nodded and I dispelled my character sheet.

    ¡°So¡­ hypothetically speaking, it would be okay for me to want a Class not related to fencing?¡± Firana spoke slowly, as if she was testing the waters.

    ¡°Some people would say you were wasting your talent by getting a non-combatant Class.¡± I replied, watching the girl¡¯s reaction. She was discouraged. ¡°But human beings aren¡¯t determined only by their talents, skills, or their family. Of course you would make a great Fencer, but in the end you are going to have to live with the Class you choose, so you have to follow your heart and not other people¡¯s words¡­ hypothetically speaking, of course.¡±

    ¡°Hypothetically speaking, yes.¡± Firana emphasized my words.

    ¡°Go have some lunch. I¡¯ll sort things out here.¡± I said, satisfied with my conversation with Firana.

    The girl nodded and left her rapier and mask on the big stump. As she headed inside she stopped one last time.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disrespecting you, sir. From now on I will be the best student you could have.¡± Firana quickly said and ran into the orphanage before I could reply.

    As I gathered the training equipment alone, I looked at the manor¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°And I will be the best teacher you could ever have¡­ I hope.¡±

 29 - Learning gap

    ¡°Come on, Ilya, you can do it. Maintain the pace just a bit more.¡± I said as I jogged behind the group of orphans.

    The day was gray and cold gusts of wind descended from the northern mountains. The higher peaks were already covered with snow despite the winter being months away and the backyard trees were dyed red and yellow. Small clouds of vapor came out from the orphan¡¯s mouths as they jogged around the backyard. Their noses were red and their bodies warm under the training padded jackets and gloves.

    ¡°Legs. Too. Short.¡± The girl panted.

    ¡°Wolf has to move all those muscles and he isn¡¯t complaining.¡± I replied.

    In mere weeks, Wolf had put up more muscle than a regular fourteen-year-old could. On the other hand, Zaon still looked somewhat like a pre-teen due to his elven heritage. The difference was disconcerting.

    ¡°Yeah, Wolf has gained some weight recently.¡± Firana pointed out without an ounce of strain in her voice. She ran just behind Zaon who was the one in charge of setting the pace.

    ¡°Was that comment necessary?¡± Wolf grunted as he examined his contour.

    I switched my attention from the friendly banter to the gnome girl.

    Saying that Ilya was in bad physical shape was an understatement. She was the only one who hadn¡¯t even participated in physical training during the last year. Holst didn¡¯t want to train Ilya because she was a gnome, so she spent her days helping Elincia with the kids. That had to change.

    When we completed the lap, Ilya fell to the ground just a step ahead of the tree stump.

    ¡°We are not done just yet, lady.¡± I said, gasping for air.

    Ilya wasn¡¯t the only one behind in the cardio department. The [Swordsmanship] passive effect had refreshed my knowledge on sword fighting but unfortunately, it hadn¡¯t improved my office worker physique. The double training sessions, the work at the farm, and the general chores of the orphanage had me wasted.

    ¡°Firana, lead the stretches.¡± I panted.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The girl replied with a cheerful voice. ¡°Let¡¯s start with a set of lunges from here to the new farm.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t we just stretch while sitting like before?¡± Ilya rolled over her stomach and used both arms and legs to stand up. Her forehead was already glistening with sweat and her face was red from the effort.

    ¡°Dynamic stretching is better for your muscles. Come on, only a bit more before a pause for refreshment.¡± I replied as I walked to the starting line.

    Ilya also followed us but not before cursing dynamic stretching.

    We followed Firana across the esplanade as we performed the lunges.

    ¡°Remember your goal, Ilya, a Hunter has to be resilient and versatile. Shooting arrows isn¡¯t enough in this day and age!¡± I cheered for her,

    The gnome girl just clenched her teeth and endured forward.

    By the end of the stretching, Ilya was once again on the ground, gasping for air.

    ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a moment.¡± I said, sitting by her side while the rest of the group went to the well to refresh themselves at the well.

    Ilya didn¡¯t notice my presence, instead she stood still covering her eyes with her hands. The gnome girl¡¯s body was slender, almost delicate, not used to strenuous labor. I hoped she would notice her progress within a week or two of exercise. She needed a motivation boost soon.

    ¡°You have to be nimble if you want to be a Hunter.¡±

    ¡°I know I said I wanted to be a Hunter but I feel I¡¯m not made for this. Have you ever seen a gnome Hunter?¡± Ilya said with a defeated tone.

    ¡°There are no gnomes in my homeland so we will have to figure this out together.¡± I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°Am I the first gnome you ever met?¡± Ilya¡¯s ears fluttered.

    ¡°Yes. And you are leaving a great impression of gnomekind so far. I can see you are working hard both in the field and in the orphanage.¡±

    Suddenly, Ilya jumped up and jogged towards the well with the other orphans. I couldn''t help but notice there was some kind of racial pride in the orphans. Zaon liked Elincia¡¯s elven surname and Ilya seemed to be receptive to the compliments towards her race. I wondered if something similar happened to Wolf.

    To become the greatest teacher possible, I needed to learn everything about them.

    When they returned from the well, I already had my longsword ready.

    ¡°Today we will focus on sparring. As the old masters said; you should benefit from fighting all kinds of opponents while you have the chance to fail.¡± I announced as the group gathered around the stump.

    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Ilya asked.

    ¡°It means that you should practice a lot before someone actually tries to stab you in the eye.¡± Wolf replied with his deep voice.

    I couldn¡¯t pinpoint if he was joking or speaking seriously.

    ¡°That¡¯s the gist of it. Make mistakes now to improve in the future.¡± I clapped my hands to gather the orphan¡¯s attention. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the boys. Zaon, Wolf, put on your gloves and masks.¡±

    I sat on the stump between Firana and Ilya. A moment later the boys were on their guards in the middle of the esplanade, studying each other. Wolf passed his sword to his left side and Zaon responded by adopting the ochs guard. As expected, Wolf pressed the attack first with a zornhau. His fencing style was more aggressive while Zaon relied more on parries and counters.

    Wolf¡¯s sword zipped through thin air as Zaon stepped back. Before the elven boy could go into the attack, Wolf retreated and raised his sword back into ochs and threatened Zaon with a high lunge.

    ¡°Remember, Wolf, the sword isn¡¯t a club! Align the edge while striking!¡± I corrected them as the fight came to a standstill.

    Zaon feinted an attack from the right but swung from the left. Wolf answered with a swing himself, trying to bind swords in the middle. The half orc had enough strength to control Zaon¡¯s blade with ease. However, Zaon jumped to the right and quickly crossed his arms to perform a krumphau over Wolf¡¯s sword.

    I held my breath. It was the first time Zaon threaded a sequence of strikes during sparring.

    ¡°Good job!¡± I jumped from my seat as the strike reached Wolf¡¯s arms with enough strength to be considered a wounding hit.

    Zaon took off his mask and glanced at us with a surprised expression.

    ¡°I got it! Lv.1 [Longsword Mastery]!¡± He bellowed in victory, throwing his arms to the sky.

    The first one to join the celebration was Firana. The girl jumped onto her feet and tightly wrapped an arm around Zaon¡¯s neck. Instead of joining, Ilya sat down on the stump.

    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with her?¡± Ilya crossed her arms in a defiant gesture.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal to be happy when a member of your family is successful?¡± I sat next to her.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°Firana doesn¡¯t see us as a family, though. She¡¯s always doing what she wants without thinking about us. I can¡¯t even remember the last time she helped Miss Elincia with the younger ones.¡± Ilya replied with a stark voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m not doubting your words but people change, Ilya. Give her a chance and you will see.¡± I tried to sound conciliatory.

    Ilya wasn¡¯t happy.

    I understood her reasoning. The gnome girl was the orphan who cared the most about the orphanage and fulfilling the role of supporting caretaker made her see things from a guarded perspective. It wasn¡¯t strange for her to feel wary about Firana.

    ¡°Good job, Zaon and Wolf. Rest for a moment.¡± I clapped my hands to attract the attention of the class. ¡°Firana, Ilya, you two go now. Put on the masks.¡±

    Ilya put her mask on and grumbled as she took her position.

    Firana moved with ease beneath the padded jacket. Ilya not so much. If anything, the gnome looked a bit ridiculous dressed in full sparring gear. Even after Elincia had worked hard sewing the jacket and gloves to fit Ilya better, every single piece of equipment was a little bit too big for her size.

    ¡°Ilya, you start in ochs. Firana, you hit with a zornhau for the right or for the left, your choice.¡± I instructed.

    There was no use in letting the two girls spar freely, the gap in skill was too large for Ilya to learn anything. Ilya needed a more controlled approach.

    Firana struck and Ilya successfully brought the point of her sword downwards to block her left side. Then, Firana stepped back and quickly linked a zornhau for the left, aiming at Ilya¡¯s shoulder. The gnome girl tried to defend herself but her arms got tangled before she could adopt the right position.

    Firana pulled back at the last moment and the sword merely bounced over Ilya¡¯s padded jacket.

    ¡°Not bad, Ilya, just remember your footwork next time, if you don¡¯t move your feet, your body will not follow. Let¡¯s try one more time.¡± I yelled from the side.

    There was no shortcut to learning any skill, even with my guidance Ilya had to do it for herself.

    Firana repeated the strike at a slower pace but Ilya¡¯s arms became tangled again and she failed to protect herself. By the third try Firana was moving slow enough for Ilya to dodge it with a backstep, but her guard was yet to be effective.

    I could almost feel her frustration boiling inside Ilya. Years ago I had been in her place, fighting against my own body to make the right movements.

    ¡°Fuck this.¡±

    Ilya took off her mask and threw it aside revealing a face on the verge of tears. She dropped her sword and with tears pooling in her eyes, she walked away towards the mansion.

    Firana searched in my eyes for any sign of anger, like a kid who was caught doing something wrong, but I reassured her with a movement of my hand. I should¡¯ve known this was going to happen. Ilya was the orphan who was having the least progress with swordwork and her frustration was showing for a while now.

    ¡°Should I go get her?¡± Zaon asked with a doubtful voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get her. Don¡¯t worry, Zaon, she isn¡¯t in trouble.¡± I replied seeing the elven boy''s troubled face.

    If anything, this was my fault.

    I wanted to help Ilya to deal with her frustrations myself. The stakes were too high to let a kid deal with the situation.

    ¡°You three keep on sparring. I¡¯ll sort this out in a second.¡± I ordered as I walked towards the manor.

    Ilya was sobbing in the cramped space between the shed and the old stable. Her shoulders were slumped and her chest heaved as she tried to hold her tears. Her sweaty short hair stuck to her flushed cheeks and her gaze was fixed on a spot on the ground.

    ¡°Ilya, it¡¯s me.¡±

    The girl sniffled.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I knew you wouldn¡¯t punish me for failing so I made a scene.¡± She said with a small voice. ¡°But, I just can¡¯t do it. Even Zaon is starting to get passives while I can barely hold a sword. I¡¯m a gnome, Mister Clarke, I¡¯m not supposed to become a good fighter.¡±

    I had to give Ilya credit for her self awareness, she was the most mature of the group after all. And it seemed she was the most insecure too. Seeing her in such a vulnerable state broke my heart.

    ¡°It¡¯s completely normal to learn at a different pace from others, Ilya. If anything, it¡¯s my fault for not teaching you well enough.¡±

    ¡°You are a good teacher, Mister Clarke, it¡¯s just I¡¯m a useless gnome.¡± She sobbed.

    ¡®I¡¯m dumb¡¯ was something kids usually said when they failed repeatedly. The problem emerged when they started believing those words. If they believed they were dumb, they stopped trying. Feelings of inadequacy were an insidious killer.

    ¡°You are not useless, Ilya. Come out from there so we can speak, I can¡¯t physically crawl into such a cramped space.¡± I said.

    Ilya hugged me just as soon as she crawled out of the space between the buildings. Her shoulders quivered as she sobbed against me. With all the work she put into looking over the younger orphans, it was easy to forget she was still a kid.

    I let the girl cry.

    As a teacher, comforting kids was a duty I had to perform from time to time. It was probably the most awkward part of my job. And I wasn¡¯t good at it either. Finding the right words was near impossible, but I have developed a strategy after years of practice. Staying still until they calmed down.

    I put my hand on Ilya¡¯s head as she wept against my shirt.

    After a minute, she stepped back and cleaned her face.

    ¡°Better?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No.¡± She replied, distressed. ¡°I have tried really hard. I really do. When I saw Zaon getting better, I started staying up late practicing with a broom. For a moment I thought I had it, but when I grab an actual sword my arms get all tangled up and I can¡¯t think straight.¡±

    I nodded. It seemed to be a severe case of performance anxiety. Lots of kids had it when it came to speaking in front of a crowd or presenting a dissertation in front of the class. No matter how well they knew the topics, they couldn¡¯t present them.

    That kind of fear had a well known treatment. Practice. Repetition. I just needed Ilya to give it another chance.

    ¡°Sit in front of me and close your eyes.¡± I said, sitting cross-legged on the floor. ¡°Now, take deep breaths. Try to empty your mind. Focus on breathing. Every time an idea pops into your mind, throw it away and return to nothingness.¡±

    Ilya copied my stance and closed her eyes, soon enough her face turned into a placid expression.

    ¡°I can¡¯t keep my mind blank.¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about keeping a perfectly blank mind. It¡¯s about detecting the thoughts and actively discarding them. It¡¯s not about the result, it¡¯s about the journey.¡± I replied.

    I tried to follow my own advice but my mind was filled to the brink with worries. The fact it had been a fair while since I practiced meditation wasn¡¯t helping either.

    ¡°Focus on your breath. Keep your mind blank. Discard all your concerns.¡± I said. ¡°You are not useless, Ilya. You are just thinking you are useless. Keep your mind blank. Discard all your concerns.¡±

    We remained still and I forgot about the passage of time. Preparing for the winter, teaching the kids, keeping the guardsmen away from the orphanage. All my worries and concerns sieged my mind but one by one I let them go, and when nothing left, I found a bright orb of wild blue flames floating in the middle of white nothingness.

    My mana pool.

    My instinct told me something was wrong with it. Just like concerns disturbed my thoughts, my anxious state of mind disturbed my mana pool. I took a deep breath, calming myself down, leaving all the distractions behind, and focused on my mana pool.

    The flame slowly decreased its intensity until it turned into a perfectly round bright orb. Then, I extracted a small portion of mana. It did not materialize as tongues of fire but as ethereal silvery filaments. I turned them into a bright rapier with an intricate guard. They were surprisingly easy to shape.

    Unlike my crude first attempts to control mana, this was more efficient. More elegant.

    Remembering that Ilya was meditating in front of me, I opened my eyes.

    ¡°How are you doing, Ilya?¡± I asked.

    The sun had changed its position in the sky. It was nearly lunchtime.

    ¡°Not bad. I was having trouble focusing but then I envisioned a small blue ball inside my chest that grew and shrunk with my breath.¡± Ilya stretched her back and legs simultaneously. ¡°I feel¡­ great actually.¡±

    I ignored my recent discoveries and focused on the girl in front of me.

    ¡°Listen to me, Ilya. I¡¯ll find a way to make you a great fencer and a Hunter, I promise. I just need you to not give up.¡± I said, trying to sound as confident as possible.

    Ilya looked me directly in the eye. She used to glare at me with her eyes full of distrust. Her expression had changed.

    ¡°You won¡¯t give up on me?¡±

    ¡°Never.¡±

    ¡°Even if I fail and end up in the army as a Mender?¡± Ilya¡¯s voice almost broke.

    Our problem was time. Within a year or two I could turn Ilya into the best gnome fencer in the world. But we didn¡¯t have a year or two. We would be forced to run even before learning how to walk. And for Ilya, of all orphans, the army was a certain death sentence.

    Up to that point, the Imperial Academy had seemed the best option to avoid the orphan¡¯s conscription. Now, a rogue idea crossed my mind. Mr. Byrne¡¯s cabin was still there in the woods with a functional magic portal. If the worst happened we could use it as an escape mechanism.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let them conscript you, Ilya.¡± My voice came firm and full of certainty.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ilya sniffled.

    With a smile on my face, I sent Ilya to help Elincia with lunch but I remained behind.

    A human and a half-elf with a dozen orphans in a systemless world. Wouldn¡¯t that be quite a sight? It would be hard to explain Ilya¡¯s light blue skin or Wolf¡¯s green skin and tusks. It will be even harder to explain the existence of snakefolk twins and a harpy girl.

    Knowing I had a backdoor ready for me to escape was reassuring, but a part of my mind resisted that idea. I was in a world filled with magic, spells, and fantasy races. Why would I want to return to the gray reality of Earth?

    The orphanage was my home now, in this world or the other.

    ¡°We will cross that bridge when we get there.¡± I sighed to myself.

    ¡°What bridge?¡± Elincia¡¯s voice startled me.

 30 - Brawl, Booze, Black Market

    Elincia¡¯s voice startled me. Even in complete silence, I didn''t hear her arrive around the corner of the manor. Her muffled steps must have been the bane of multiple prank attempts around the orphanage, and now there were mine.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t make a promise you can¡¯t keep.¡±

    Elincia had been watching longer than I had expected, and wasn¡¯t about to let me off the hook so easily.

    ¡°I really meant it. I¡¯m not letting them conscript Ilya.¡± I replied.

    It had been a while since we had a big disagreement, during the last weeks, all had been smooth sailing between Elincia and me.

    ¡°And you are going to fight the whole city guard, Captain Kiln, Sir Janus, and the Marquis to achieve that?¡± Elincia raised her eyebrow.

    The mere memory of Captain Kiln¡¯s character sheet made me shudder. Even if I could intimidate a group of low level scrubs, Captain Kiln and the guard veterans were a completely different beast.

    Elincia¡¯s piercing gaze was hard to hold.

    ¡°I have a plan. I just can¡¯t tell you right now.¡± I sparsely said.

    ¡°Another of your secrets? I have been patient with you, but remember, I hate liars.¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°If Ilya fails, I¡¯ll take her to a faraway place where she will be safe from the Marquis if you allow it¡­ and we will probably never meet again.¡± I replied. ¡°I just can¡¯t tell you where.¡±

    Elincia covered the distance between us with a long stride. A parade of emotions crossed her face. Fear, anger, anxiety, despair. For an instant I thought she was going to punch me, but instead she hugged me tight and hid her face in the curve of my neck.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, then.¡± The woman said with a small voice.

    We stayed embraced for a few moments until Elincia stepped back.

    ¡°Alright Rosebud,  no time to feel down, we have so much to do.¡±

    Elincia spoke as if we didn¡¯t just have discussed Ilya¡¯s potential death. Then, she looked around to ensure there were no orphans nearby before speaking again.

    ¡°We need money, Rob. Urgently.¡± Elincia said with a hint of panic in her voice.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time we discussed the matter, the gold Captain Kiln had given me wasn¡¯t going to last forever. Food for winter, medicine, clothing for the older kids. Even if we survived the winter and got the kids in the Imperial Academy, we will need money for the caravan fare, appropriate clothing, supplies, weapons, and an emergency fund in case something happened.

    The answer was pretty obvious.

    ¡°You are an Alchemist and I am a Scholar, we only need ingredients so we can start brewing and selling high quality potions.¡± I said.

    Elincia sighed, that wasn¡¯t a good sign.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as easy. For starters, I don¡¯t have a permit to sell potions.¡±

    Of course it wasn¡¯t going to be that easy.

    ¡°This is outrageous. Why would you need a selling permit? You are an Alchemist.¡± I muttered. Ilya¡¯s voice came from the backyard calling the older orphans to have lunch. She sounded as bossy as ever, so that was a good sign at least.

    ¡°Potions are dangerous, Rob. High toxicity can cause permanent mana corruption, and people don¡¯t want to end up as a Wendigo or other corrupted vermin.¡± Elincia said in a whisper. ¡°Also, unlike you, normal people can¡¯t identify potions. Ashthorn Poison looks the same as a Healing Potion and a vial of water.¡±

    That was a hell of a good reason to not allow anyone to deal with potions. I didn¡¯t want a low level merchant to sell me a deadly potion by mistake.

    ¡°So, what can we do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go pay a visit to the Alchemists Guild.¡±

    * * *

    Farcrest was as lively as ever. Despite the cold, traveling merchants moved their goods through the city on the back of their carts, farmers advertised their products, and half orcs carried heavy construction materials on their shoulders. The whole city was getting ready for winter. Elincia walked holding my arm as we walked through the crowd so we wouldn¡¯t get separated.

    ¡°Look.¡± Elincia said as she pointed down the street.

    Suddenly, the crowd parted ways and a group of ragged looking individuals walked at a fast pace towards the Great Hall. Leading them was a man hardened by experience and years with a long gray beard and a green hood covering his head. The grip of a sword poked through his cloak and on his shoulder he carried a longbow.

    ¡°Sentinels.¡± Elincia said as the well-worn capes billowed up the street.

    As soon as the group passed, the crowd continued with their usual affairs.

    ¡°Farcrest exists to monitor the Farlands and protect the kingdom from the monsters that inhabit it, and the Sentinels are the vanguard.¡± Elincia explained as she tried to catch a last glimpse of the group before they entered the inner wall. ¡°They spend most of the time in the Farlands, watching and surveying the movements of the monsters. They are the kingdom¡¯s shield against the Farlands.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a tailor-made job for you.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Maybe if I was a Hunter.¡± Elincia said and I knew I touched a sensitive fiber.

    We continued our stroll around the inner wall and away from the main market. The crowded streets were replaced with opulent houses and famous workshops and stores of all kinds. Elincia stopped outside a store and we looked at shiny jewelry through the window. The pieces were nothing like Earth gems. These ones glowed and shined with a life of their own.

    ¡°It¡¯s right there.¡± Elincia pointed out at a tall four-stories building at the end of the street. There was a line of carts waiting for their turn to unload thousands of bundles of dried herbs and boxes with contents I could only imagine.

    ¡°Busy business, eh?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope the reception area isn¡¯t as crowded.¡± Elincia replied.

    Over the entrance there was a hanging sign with a bubbling cauldron that threw real purple and golden sparks. The idea of spending money on an enchanted sign made me laugh. Back on Earth, I also wasted my money on useless vanity items but now that I was fighting to feed an army of orphans, I found it outrageous.

    As soon as we entered the building, a wave of warm air hit my face. The interior was well lit with hundreds of light stones neatly embedded in the walls and ceiling. On the opposite side of the room there was a long counter with employees attending the public. Other than us, there were only a couple alchemists and providers filing paperwork.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    A human woman behind the counter made a gesture for Elincia to approach. She wore a long gray robe with wide sleeves and a broad belt from which hung several pouches and vials. I wondered if they were full of potions or if it was just for the looks.

    ¡°How can I help you today?¡± The clerk asked with a polite voice.

    ¡°I want to put a sale order. No more than three weeks from today.¡± Elincia replied.

    The fact we were selling, or rather announcing our intention to sell, without even gathering materials seemed odd. I could only think about a strictly controlled monopoly.

    ¡°Our current rates for antidotes, health, mana, and effect potions are thirty five percent for low grade potions, twenty five percent for mid grade potions, and fifteen percent for high grade potions.¡± The clerk said.

    Up to that moment, the only number that had hurt me was my student loans.

    ¡°This year you are really fleecing Alchemists.¡± Elincia commented with an annoyed voice.

    ¡°Farcrest has grown and the supply lines are a living hell.¡± The clerk coldly replied. ¡°Name, class, and level, please.¡±

    Elincia sighed before answering. ¡°Elincia Rosebud, Alchemist, Level 30.¡±

    The clerk scribbled something on a piece of paper and disappeared behind a door.

    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with these control freaks?¡± I whispered near Elincia¡¯s ear.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It has been like this for a few years now.¡± She replied. ¡°Last time I barely broke even due to penalty fees because I forgot to queue a sale.¡±

    When the door opened, instead of the clerk a man with leather armor and a grim face appeared. For a moment, I thought it was the city guard but then I realized the man didn¡¯t wear the Marquis colors. He looked like an angry bouncer dressed as a regular adventurer.

    ¡°The guild is not accepting sale orders from non-affiliated Alchemists at the moment. Thank you for your time.¡± The man growled before turning around.

    ¡°What? How are low level Alchemists supposed to sell our stuff then?¡± Elincia barked back.

    If this didn¡¯t smell fishy, I didn¡¯t know what was.

    ¡°Not my problem, Guild¡¯s rules.¡± The man said, unfazed by Elincia¡¯s display of rage. ¡°You need to go, Governess.¡±

    Two guards had approached us from behind but Elincia wasn¡¯t having any of it. She slammed her hand on the counter, everyone in the room had their eyes focused on us.

    ¡°This is not what the Guild was made for. This place was created to protect Alchemists from greedy merchants, not to suppress us!¡± Elincia said.

    I didn¡¯t even need [Awareness] to tell me this was an attempt of the Marquis to keep the orphanage poor. It was unfair. We were not begging for donations or grants, we were just trying to sell the work of Elincia¡¯s hard-earned levels.

    My blood boiled. The Guild didn¡¯t have the decency of giving us a straight answer. Instead, they had just called their goons on us as if we were thieves.

    One of the guards grabbed Elincia by the wrist and pulled back from the counter. My body acted on its own and I violently pushed the guard away. What I didn¡¯t expect was a huge hand grabbing my shoulder and forcing me to turn around.

    I barely had time to see the fist before it impacted against my face, let alone raise my guard. Pain exploded around my eye socket as I stumbled back. The world spun around me like an expressionist blur.

    Elincia grabbed me before I hit the floor. She must¡¯ve dragged me out of the Guild because when I could focus my eyes we were sitting on a bench in a dark alley across the street.

    ¡°I got pummeled.¡± Was the only thing I managed to say.

    It sounded funnier in my head.

    ¡°You got lucky back there.¡± Elincia grabbed my face and inspected my eye. ¡°Ongo is the gentlest half-orc in Farcrest.¡±

    The punch felt as if a whole tree had fallen upon my face.

    ¡°You knew them?¡± I asked, clenching my teeth as Elincia pressed my cheekbone.

    ¡°Yeah, they are Guild¡¯s staples. They usually escort Alchemists into the Farlands during the harvest seasons.¡± Elincia replied tiredly. ¡°I got to elbow Indar in the face, so I think we are even.¡±

    It didn¡¯t feel even for my face. Moreso, with that brawl we had compromised any possibility to make amends with the Guild.

    ¡°I''m sorry for snapping.¡± I said.

    It might be my Earthly upbringing making me feel that way, but violence left a sour taste in my mouth. Sure, the Guild and the guards had mistreated us, but I had preached anti-violence teachings for years.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind. Combatant classes get into brawls every other week.¡± Elincia grinned as she finished her examination. ¡°As expected from Ongo, not a single broken bone. I¡¯ll blend something for the bruises when we arrive at the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°What now?¡± I asked.

    The punch had smacked all my ideas out of my mind.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the System Hall to check if they have any clothing handouts.¡± Elincia said, handing me a shopping bag. ¡°Be a good Scholar and grab a few things from the market for me. We need salt, butter, and eggs. You can get candy with the spare change.¡±

    Elincia gave me a soft jab on the shoulder and disappeared through the alleys. Why was she in such a good mood after what happened? I hoped she had a contingency plan, because I was getting out of ideas.

    And I needed a drink.

    * * *

    Elincia scolded me in front of the kids for spending money irresponsibly.

    Firana instantly jumped to my defense, starting a small civil war between the orphans that believed in my innocence and those who wanted to see Elincia scolding me even more. When Elincia told me I could buy some candy with the spare change, apparently she didn¡¯t mean a small cask of berry wine.

    The fact it was dirt cheap passed unnoticed by her.

    ¡°This has to be the best purchase of the year.¡± Elincia said as she nurtured a cup of cheap berry wine.

    The kids were already sleeping and Elincia had summoned me to the kitchen, allegedly to discuss our next step. In reality she wanted to tap the keg. The light orbs were running out of mana but I didn¡¯t bother to refill them. The dim light and the fire from the stove gave the kitchen a cozy atmosphere perfect for a late night drink.

    Elincia was sitting in front of me, peering into the depths of her wine glass. The flames from the stove cast rust colored shadows on Elincia¡¯s platinum hair, giving her a mysterious aura. No matter how much I studied her, it was hard to tell where her human blood ended and her elven heritage began.

    ¡°Farcrest¡¯s goal was to defend the kingdom from Monster Surges. The Marquis has special concessions regarding royal tax to ensure the continuity of the city.¡± Elincia said. ¡°Purchases of grains, potions, weapons, and construction materials are partially deducted from the total tax the Marquis is required to pay.¡±

    I nodded in silence. The Marquis had relocated the farmers far from Farcrest to buy their grain at discounted price. That also had brought down the population of the city, reducing the amount of troops he had to tribute to the royal army.

    Not only was the Marquis turning Farcrest into a trading hub, he was creating his personal tax haven. I could respect the Marquis for stealing from the Crown and promoting local development. If I were in his position I might have done the same. But he had crossed the line by instrumentalizing the orphan¡¯s lives.

    ¡°The Guild produces potions, the Marquis buys with royal money, and then they resell them to the public at a higher price.¡± I said as the pieces of the puzzle came together. ¡°Wicked.¡±

    Elincia angrily slammed the table with her cup, spreading drops of alcohol all over the table. We were running an uphill race against the wind.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it.¡± Elincia said.

    But it was too late. Our chances of making clean money were running thin and the alternatives weren¡¯t particularly safe.

    ¡°Where there is a monopoly there is a black market.¡± I pointed out.

    Given Elincia¡¯s expression, she was already aware of such black market.

    ¡°If we bring down the prices and spoil his business, he will notice.¡± Elincia said with a sulky voice.

    ¡°But can we really bring down the prices?¡± I pointed out. After all, our ¡®brewery¡¯ had only one mid-level Alchemist and a novice Scholar helper.

    Elincia glanced at me with the same old confused expression she adopted when I asked obvious questions about this world¡¯s lore. As always, she seemed to be debating if I was a genius or a madman.

    ¡°Rob, high grade potions are exceptionally rare. Even those with high toxicity.¡± Elincia sighed. ¡°To have a chance to brew a high grade potion you need at least a Lv. 45 Alchemist and premium ingredients. What we are doing is easily the work of a Lv. 55 Alchemist, and, as you might know, there are not a lot of level fifty-fives in Farcrest.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°I swear, Rob, you are something else. Killing a level 39 Wendigo as a support class and brewing high grade potions without experience? In any other situation I¡¯d hate you.¡± She grinned.

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t hate me?¡± I jokingly said.

    The conversation was taking a gloomy turn to really enjoy my drink.

    ¡°Only from time to time.¡± Elincia gave me a mischievous smile as she brought her cup to her lips.

    Elincia gulped down her drink and gestured for me to refill the cup. I obliged. She might be an Alchemist but she had the thirst of a Hunter. As much as it was an irresponsible purchase, it was the best silver I had spent since I arrived at Farcrest for the sole reason Elincia seemed to be enjoying the moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you know someone who can help us sell illegal potions.¡± I said.

    Elincia knew lots of people in Farcrest despite the fact she didn¡¯t have any friends.

    ¡°I hate you.¡± Elincia sighed.

 31 - In vino veritas

    The flames of the stove crackled in the background as we sat in a comfortable silence. The kitchen was warm despite the autumn wind howling outside the manor. The flickering light of the fire cast dancing shadows over our faces and the magical light orbs were almost depleted. I had to lean forward to have a clearer view of Elincia¡¯s face.

    I savored the wine. It tasted like berries, grapes, and alcohol blended together. Simple. Just like my life in the orphanage. Going out drinking with my old coworkers never felt like this. This reminded me of the evenings I spent watching movies and drinking fancy wine with Laura before our relationship went to shit.

    Nothing could bother me except the fact that tomorrow I had to get up early.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to bed. Tomorrow I have morning drills with the kids.¡± I said as I emptied my glass.

    Before I could stand, Elincia caught my arm over the table.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a killjoy and stay a bit longer.¡± She said, raising her glass. ¡°This is nice, you know? Having a moment of the day without kids running around and climbing on your legs. Just two adults doing adult things.¡±

    The picture of Elincia¡¯s character sheet popped into my mind. Much like my [Lonely boy], she had her own [Loner] stuck between titles. With twelve orphans in her care and no helpers, it must have been next to impossible for her to maintain an active social life.

    ¡°Alright, but only one more glass. I¡¯m a responsible teacher after all.¡± I smiled and signaled for her to refill my glass.

    Elincia grinned back and filled my glass with gusto. After she pulled the wine cask away, I could notice the surface tension of the wine in action.

    ¡°Do you want to get me drunk?¡± I pretended to be shocked before taking a sip so it wouldn¡¯t spill.

    ¡°That would be quite the show. One of the orphans my age liked to climb to the roof and howl to the moon after having one-too-many drinks.¡± Elincia replied. ¡°Hated that bitch.¡±

    We drank small sips in silence, exchanging an occasional glance. The mere company of each other was enough to make the evening enjoyable. For a moment, all my worries disappeared. No Marquis, no Imperial Academy, no Alchemist Guild. Just me and Elincia with the flickering light of the stove.

    I really wished I could retrieve my laptop and a projector. The mood was just right for a movie, even without popcorn. I wondered if Elincia would like action movies or horror movies the most.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Elincia¡¯s words brought me back to the kitchen.

    ¡°Movies. I was thinking about how much I miss seeing a movie.¡± I replied, remembering why I avoided alcoholic drinks. When I drank too much, the ¡®lying switch¡¯ in my mind was automatically turned off.

    ¡°If we get out of this mess, you have to figure out how to do movies here.¡± Elincia said. ¡°If you miss them, I bet they are really cool.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. Although it might take a while.¡±

    I might not be able to screen a Hollywood production, but I could think of a few nice visual tricks to fake pictures in motion. More if I could replicate a camera. Having a picture of Elincia and the kids would be worth the effort of figuring that out if I ever had the time.

    Once again, the kitchen fell into silence.

    I cradled my cup with both hands and focused on the crimson liquid inside it. In the absence of something to distract myself, I used my mana to make the wine swirl. No matter how much I used [Mana Manipulation], the nature of mana always ended up avoiding me. Maybe the System was to blame but I had no evidence to prove it.

    As far as I had experimented, I could only do a few useful things. Produce sparks, warm up water, use it as a torch to light dark places, and use it as a fake [Mana Blade]. No matter how much available mana I had, I couldn¡¯t turn it into straight fire or flying daggers.

    The wine hypnotically swirled inside my glass when a sudden idea popped into my mind. What if it wasn¡¯t a matter of quantity but a matter of control? I closed my eyes and focused on emptying my mind. Given how peaceful the night was, it didn''t take long for my mana pool to materialize. A blue flame intensely raging in the deepest part of me.

    As I did earlier that day, I put my mind at ease and tried to consciously take control of the blue wildfire. The wild flame morphed into a bright orb made up of thousands of strands of silvery-blue mana. This time, I carefully extracted one of the silvery filaments and molded it. I didn¡¯t bother trying to raise its temperature or making it solid as a steel knife, I just gave it a form.

    It was easier than expected. The mana gave in to my wishes and took the form of a simple boat. Then it hit me. I was getting ahead of my actual skills trying to turn my mana into a flamethrower. As a teacher, I felt ashamed. Kids didn¡¯t jump directly into calculus, they had to master the basic operations and a whole lot of other concepts first.

    ¡°Rob? Are you sleeping?¡± Elincia¡¯s voice brought me back from my meditative state.

    When I opened my eyes, I didn''t remember having closed them. I noticed a small mana ship slowly revolving around the wine vortex inside my glass. The ship almost faded as surprise caught me.

    ¡°I¡¯m awake.¡± I replied, focused on my glass.

    I wondered if I could improve it.

    The ship was basic at first, a bit more than a blue mana raft floating on top of my wine. As the seconds passed, I was able to give it more details. Keel and stern, masts and sails, gunports and cannons. I didn¡¯t stop there and summoned a second ship.  Soon enough, both ships were trying to sink each other with ethereal mana cannonballs.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    It felt like the System wanted me to cast small illusions of sailboats.

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty.¡±

    Elincia¡¯s tipsy voice broke my focus and the naval battle dissolved into a bright blue cloud. As I raised my head, I encountered her face in close proximity to mine. She was practically knelt over the table, staring at the contents of my cup.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have been in a naval battle fought in the middle of a maelstrom.¡±

    Elincia¡¯s striking emerald gaze was fixated on me. Luckily, the part of my brain that short-circuited every time Elincia came near me was numbed by alcohol.

    Effects of Denial are subsiding. You have obtained Denial Lv.7. Temporary.

    ¡°I¡¯m not adventurous enough to have fought in a naval battle. I barely left my home town the whole time I lived there.¡± I laughed, ignoring the System prompt.

    ¡°Are you sure? You seem to be a knowledgeable man.¡± Elincia backed up to her seat and rested her chin in her hand.

    Elincia was right and wrong at the same time. I grew too used to having the complete recollection of human knowledge within my hand¡¯s reach to really train my memory. Without access to the Internet, I was limited to the knowledge I kept inside my head. Which wasn''t a lot and was widely composed of movie quotes and useless trivia.

    ¡°Wanna see something cool?¡± I asked.

    Elincia nodded vehemently.

    This time, it took me a second to focus, knowing that Elincia was watching me. In any case, the process was faster than last time. I managed to pull more silvery-blue threads from my mana pool to weave with, this time on top of the table.

    With some effort, I shaped my mana in the form of a chariot with four horses. At first, the chariot was a rough cube pulled by plain rectangles but as I poured more of my mana onto the table, the ¡®hologram¡¯ started to take shape. I gave more and more form to the environment around it. A colosseum, a long race track, sand, giant bronze statues staring down at the track, a formless audience watching from the stands, and a small person whipping the horses. The chariot lapped around the track kicking up a blanket of dust.

    The more I molded the illusions, the easier it became. The System really wanted me to use [Mana Manipulation] this way.

    Elincia stood up to see the living diorama from above the coliseum¡¯s wall. Her eyes were wide open and her face was lit with an expression of childlike joy.

    I added more chariots, copies of the first one. Everything was of the blue hue of my mana and I couldn¡¯t give the chariots distinctive colors. However, that didn¡¯t seem to bother Elincia. She glanced at the scene with fascination as it developed further.

    The chariots drifted across the curve with the small, low resolution riders hitting their horses and throwing murderous glances to their contenders. Suddenly, two chariots crashed in a spectacular explosion of splinters and debris. The stranded rider was suddenly run over by the horses that came from behind, eliciting an audible gasp from Elincia.

    The competitors ran a few more laps and I orchestrated a few more accidents that resulted in Elincia jumping on her seat. Her reactions were cute considering how crude and silent the show was. Then, the race ended and the crowd rushed onto the track, surrounding the victor and silently cheering. Slowly, the scene dissolved until we were left alone with a plain wooden table.

    ¡°What was even that! Do you have that kind of entertainment in the City of Light?!¡± Elincia slammed the table with both her hands as she intensely glared at me.

    ¡°It¡¯s from a book, and a popular movie. This is the climax scene where the hero overcomes the final test of his journey. It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t replicate the color or sound, though.¡± I said, downplaying the demonstration.

    Elincia was having none of it.

    ¡°This is wonderful! If you have these ¡®movie¡¯ things, how do your lords force people to go to work every day?¡± Elincia forcefully sat back and her chair dangerously tilted backwards.

    ¡°You need money to see the movies, so...¡± I replied.

    ¡°I guess you are right, movies suddenly don¡¯t seem so alluring when you are cold and hungry.¡±

    That word was enough to dispel the cheerful atmosphere.

    ¡°Cheer up, Rosebud. We managed to save the farm plot from Holst, and we scared off the city guards. We even have Captain Kiln¡¯s support.¡± I said as a sudden surge of confidence seized my body. Maybe it was the wine speaking, but for an instant I felt like I could move mountains to save the orphanage.

    ¡°I trust you will manage.¡± Elincia shook her head and put up a smile.

    ¡°You are underestimating yourself, Rosebud. Keeping the orphanage running for all these years is a greater achievement than anything I have done since I arrived. You are great, Rosebud. I admire you.¡± I said without thinking.

    ¡°Why do you take such joy in using that name?¡± Elincia asked, all flustered.

    ¡°It¡¯s a charming name. Why don¡¯t you like it?¡± I asked, curious to know more about Elincia¡¯s past.

    The elven woman bit her lip and for a moment I thought she wasn¡¯t going to answer.

    ¡°Despite my elvish blood, I wasn¡¯t the most refined orphan. The other orphans used to call me Orcbud, so I beat them until they only called me Elincia.¡± She shrugged her shoulders but her eyes betrayed her carefree facade.

    Expectations were a double edged sword. It could push someone to perform beyond their limits or it could drown them in pressure.

    Elincia crossed her arms and gave me a glowering look. She was more than tipsy.

    ¡°Humans have it easy, Robert. You can be as brutal as wild orcs or as refined as high elves and nobody would bat an eye. You can be inventive as the best gnome tinkerers or elusive as the slipperiest snakefolk and people will only find it natural.¡± Elincia complained as drops of wine fell from her glass. ¡°I do blame high elves for this, screw them. The fact that the Farlands ate the corridor between our kingdom and the elven territories should be considered an absolute victory.¡±

    She violently tapped the rim of her cup and I promptly filled it.

    ¡°You are right, Rob. We have to take the risk, we have to go to the Farlands, brew potions, and sell them on the black market. It¡¯s not like the Marquis has spies looking through the window while we craft them.¡± Elincia suddenly said, taking another sip of wine.

    The plan wasn¡¯t flawless. It entailed traveling deep into the Farlands for a week or more. And there was the fact I was effectively out of ammo. Fighting monsters in close quarters combat was dangerous for both of us given our lack of defensive skills.

    ¡°We have to do it.¡± Elincia said with fire in her eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s depart by the end of the week then.¡± I said, fueled by the wine¡¯s liquid courage.

    Elincia grinned at me and raised her cup for a cheer. The cask was practically empty.

    ¡°You don¡¯t fool me, Rosebud. You are loving the idea of going to the Farlands.¡± I mockingly raised my cup.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to deny it, Robert. I¡¯m dying to go camping with you.¡± She grinned back at me. ¡°Now we have set that aside¡­ Can I see more movies?¡±

 32 - Double stack

    A sudden knocking on my door woke me up. I jumped to my feet and guided by instinct I reached for the practice sword by the side of my bed. Half awakened and half disoriented, I raised my sword and waited but the attack never came. I felt my mushy brain stumbling against the walls of my skull.

    Wine hangovers were the worst. My mouth was dry, my brain felt bruised like a ripe fruit, and my mana pool was asking for a timeout.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked tentatively.

    Elincia had caught the bad habit of entering my room and shaking me awake every time I overslept, so I assumed it wasn¡¯t her.

    Zaon¡¯s voice came muffled from the other side of the door.

    ¡°Mister Clarke, we are starting today¡¯s training. If you are tired you can sleep a bit longer. Miss Elincia is also sleeping, so Firana and I cooked breakfast for the younger children.¡± The boy announced.

    A quick glance through the window told me it was well past breakfast time.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a second. Start with warm-ups.¡± I said through the door as I swiftly grabbed my clothes. I jumped on one foot trying to put my pants on as I reached for my well-worn shirt and almost ended up on the floor.

    Last night I learned something important. I was physically unable to resist Elincia¡¯s puppy dog eyes. When the half-elf pleaded for more ¡®movies¡¯, we stayed up late until she was too tired to ask for the next one. If my memory didn¡¯t fail me, the wine cask ended up empty.

    As bad as it sounded, it wasn¡¯t the first time I taught a class suffering from a hangover. I left my room and walked down the sleeping quarter¡¯s corridor to find a group of orphans hanging outside Elincia¡¯s room.

    ¡°Keep it down, Miss Elincia is tired.¡± I greeted them as the little ones rushed me.

    ¡°During breakfast, Zaon said that you were also sleeping, Mister Clarke.¡± Shu squinted her eyes as she talked. ¡°Did you stay up late with Miss Elincia?¡±

    A round of murmurs soared across the flock of orphans.

    ¡°Miss Elincia and I were working on a secret project to help the older kids become great warriors.¡± I lied.

    As mysterious as my answer was, the kids weren¡¯t happy with it. And they showed it.

    ¡°I think you two stayed up late to kiss¡ª¡± Shu said but I was quick enough to catch her before she could finish the sentence.

    ¡°Wanna see something cool?¡± I said in a whisper.

    With a movement of my hand I let my mana flow through my fingers creating a translucent curtain of blue particles. The kids glanced at the trick with open mouths and astonished eyes.

    Moving my arms in an exaggerated way, I shaped my mana in the form of a small Black Wolf, no taller than a poodle but with all the details of the actual monster. The orphans were ecstatic when the mana wolf started running between their legs. They tried to catch it but their hands passed through the mana particles.

    ¡°Bigger!¡± Ash yelled as the wolf jumped over the couch to avoid Nokti¡¯s quick hands.

    ¡°Bigger! Bigger!¡± Other voices echoed Ash¡¯s request.

    I could only oblige.

    Pouring my mana out of my body, I nurtured the wolf until it was the size of a big dog. Then, the panic ensued. Nokti croaked in panic, saying something about protecting the potatoes. No orphan tried to catch the mana wolf anymore, instead, they ran away from the creature in a mixture of panic and joy.

    I laughed as I made the wolf chase them around the room, they screamed, yelled and begged for mercy. Luckily enough, the wolf was ethereal and every time it caught an orphan the creature just merely passed through them, leaving them unarmed.

    Suddenly, the door of Elincia¡¯s bedroom slammed open, revealing a grumpy and disheveled half-elf on the threshold. I dispelled the illusory wolf.

    ¡°Run for your lives!¡± Shu yelled as she escaped with her clumsy steps towards the corridor. The rest of the orphans obeyed and, after a second, she dropped from the first to the last place in the race to escape. A moment later I was alone with Elincia.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just got carried away.¡± I quickly apologized.

    ¡°What? No, it¡¯s okay. I should¡¯ve been up hours ago.¡± Elincia yawned and stretched her body without holding back. ¡°I think it¡¯s cute, actually. How well you get along with the children. It¡¯s like you are still a kid at heart.¡±

    Elincia smiled at me warmly. Despite the fact we drank elbow to elbow, she didn¡¯t seem to be suffering from a hangover.

    ¡°People my age play games all the time.¡± I replied.

    Elincia signaled with a movement of her head for me to follow her to the hallway.

    ¡°Movies, games, sugary pastries, schools for all children. The City of Light has a lot of great things.¡± She commented as we walked to the kitchen.

    ¡°And poverty, corruption, pollution, and misery. Don¡¯t forget those.¡± I replied as I followed her. As grim as my words were, Elincia¡¯s scent made me forget about the harsh reality of the world. I walked behind just for a bit more before catching up.

    ¡°And I thought you were the optimist in this relationship.¡± Elincia bumped my shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m not an optimist, I¡¯m a realist. And I do think we are going to survive the Marquis¡¯ scheme if we play our cards right.¡± I replied.

    We entered the kitchen just to find the younger ones enjoying the heat of the stove.

    ¡°Mister Clarke is alive!¡± Shu yelled and pointed her finger directly to me.

    ¡°Of course he is alive. Did you think I was going to eat him, Shu?¡± Elincia replied, eliciting a cheerful laugh.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe? I¡¯d rather Mister Rob not being eaten until I¡¯m grown enough to train the swish and the whoosh.¡± Shu said as she cut the air with an imaginary sword.

    There was a generalized agreement that I must be kept alive until I could teach them swordsmanship.

    Elincia turned around and acted as if she was watching the kettle but in reality she was holding back her laughter. Meanwhile, I glanced at the orphans, hands on my hips, and accepted my fate. This was nice. Nicer than any movie or sugary pastry, and absolutely nicer than the shitty job I left behind.

    And it will be even nicer when we make enough money to secure the orphanage¡¯s long term survival.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you mind if I kidnap Miss Elincia for a moment?¡±

    Shu, of course, grinned at me.

    ¡°Kidnaping, so romantic.¡± She cradled her face in her hands as she sighed deeply.

    I exchanged a quizzical look with Elincia. I wasn¡¯t all that sure from where the little harpy got those ideas considering she couldn¡¯t even read properly.

    ¡°Alright, ankle biters, everyone go play outside. And no disturbing the training session of Mister Clarke¡¯s class!¡± Elincia hushed the kids with both hands and the swarm of kids obeyed with no complaint. ¡°Jackets first! I don¡¯t want anybody getting sick this winter!¡± Elincia cut them off as Ash opened the door to the backyard.

    A minute later we were alone again in the kitchen.

    ¡°They are going to get sick anyways.¡± Elincia broke the silence with a long sigh. She grabbed her long dress with a hand and leaned against the kitchen counter, watching me with her inquisitive emerald eyes.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll just nurse them back to health.¡± I replied, shortening the distance between the two of us and sitting next to her. ¡°We can take turns looking after them so we don¡¯t lose too much sleep.¡±

    Elincia arched her eyebrows.

    ¡°Offering a full night of sleep to a governess in charge of a dozen orphans? You truly are a sweet talker, Robert Clarke.¡± Elincia said in a playful tone.

    I was expecting a jab against my shoulder but the change of pace was well received. To be completely honest with myself, I wanted to spend more time with Elincia. Our daily schedules left us little time to just chat about miscellaneous things, and when the kids left to sleep, we were too tired to even keep our eyes open most nights.

    Effects of Denial are subsiding. You have obtained Denial Lv.6. Temporary.

    Oh, fuck off.

    ¡°So, what was all this kidnapping thing about? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s only to have a moment alone with me.¡± Elincia said with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°Actually, it is about having a moment alone with you.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Wha-¡±

    ¡°If we are going out to the Farlands we will need proper equipment. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to the market this afternoon.¡± I quickly explained before Elincia could utter another of her snarky comments. The woman had mentioned last night that she enjoyed hanging around without the kids, so it might be a nice gesture to invite her.

    ¡°Absolutely yes.¡± She beamed. ¡°I¡¯m all about some adult-only time for the two of us.¡±

    Curious selection of words.

    ¡°Language, lady.¡± I adopted my best teacher tone.

    Elincia seemed to understand because she redened to her hair roots.

    ¡°Silly.¡± She softly slapped my shoulder.

    * * * * *

    When I got to this world for the first time, I never pictured myself walking down the street with the most beautiful woman I had seen perched on my arm. More than a loner like me could ever deserve.

    ¡°I¡¯m really enjoying this adult-only time.¡± I puffed out my chest while glancing at Elincia with the corner of my eyes. Her reaction was as priceless as the first time I made the joke.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Elincia¡¯s face caught a soft shade of red if only for a moment.

    ¡°Cut it out, Rob. People are staring.¡± Elincia whispered as she dug her nails into my arm.

    ¡°If you put it that way, people would only get more suspicious.¡± I replied with the biggest shit-eating grin ever.

    ¡°I swear to the System that this is the last time I will go out with you.¡± Elincia pouted but despite her words she clung even more to me.

    Now that the royal taxmen¡¯s caravan had left town, the streets near the market seemed to be even more crowded. I grabbed Elincia by the waist as we danced around a pair of half-orcs carrying a massive log over their shoulders. Whatever they were doing, I didn¡¯t want both my legs broken before our picnic into the Farlands.

    The side streets of the market were a labyrinth of narrow alleys, winding paths, and water puddles. Without the everlasting pressure of the main street¡¯s crowd, one could find quieter shops filled with curiosities. What was more, the narrow streets encased the aromas giving them an unusual intensity.

    Elincia dragged me through a cloud of freshly baked pastries into the acrid aroma of a blacksmith¡¯s forge, then into the pleasant smell of tanned leather, and the almost salacious scent of salty cured meats. The most pleasant aroma throughout it all was still coming from Elincia¡¯s hair however.

    The crowd, although more sparse than in the main street, still pushed us together from time to time as the goods carts rolled down the street searching for the store they had to restock.

    ¡°To think this used to stress the fuck out of me.¡± Elincia commented as we pressed ourselves against the building line to let a specially wide cart pass. A quick peek revealed a load of firewood, probably bound to the Great Hall.

    ¡°Shopping?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Spending money. We had so little and there could also be a bigger emergency in the future that I never knew if I was doing the right thing.¡± Elincia replied with a grimace on her face.

    The firewood loaded cart passed and we continued our way. Sometimes it wasn¡¯t a matter of finding the best words but just staying quiet and listening to what the other has to say. And Elincia seemed to have a lot to get off her chest.

    ¡°I used to follow Mister Lowell into the market without him noticing. I didn''t have many friends back then, so I scurried through the fence and followed him into the big city. By the System, everything seemed so large and mysterious back then.¡± Elincia continued reminiscing about the past as we walked among the shoppers and vendors.

    Her tone of voice only became more nostalgic.

    ¡°Instead of coming directly to the market, Mister Lowell always took a detour to the main gate, from where the Sentinels came and went. Everytime a Sentinel squad entered the city, Mister Lowell stopped to see them go. I think he was giving me time to look at them without losing him in the crowd.¡± Elincia smiled slightly.

    ¡°He sounded like a great man.¡± I said, realizing how little I knew of the orphanage¡¯s previous caretaker and Elincia¡¯s father figure.

    ¡°Strict but good, yes. You could describe it that way.¡± Elincia tugged my arm and guided me through another side alley, away from the main street.

    We arrived at a small square with a well in the middle and a multitude of green patches of grass, ferns, and small trees along the road. I didn¡¯t know Firecrest had something like a pedestrian boulevard. We sat on a wooden bench in front of what once was a fountain.

    ¡°By your titles I¡¯d say you were a handful.¡± I joked.

    ¡°I was a weird kid, ok? One day I wanted to be a Sentinel, the next I wanted to be a Sky Pirate, the next week I wanted to be the most famous Bard on this side of the kingdom. And I would beat up anyone who dared to say that orphans didn¡¯t make good Sentinels, or Pirates, or Bards.¡± Elincia smiled as the memories returned to her but her words sounded nostalgic. ¡°Sometimes I wonder what would¡¯ve become of me if Mister Lowell would¡¯ve lived longer.¡±

    The same question kept me awake some nights. What would have happened if I had chosen law school, what would have happened if Laura and I didn¡¯t break up, what would have happened if I had returned through the trap door. The answer was easy. Nothing would change. I would be the same stranded fool that I used to be, but maybe I was getting better.

    ¡°Crap! I must¡¯ve been a constant headache for Mister Lowell.¡± Elincia sighed as she buried her face in her hands, falling prey to embarrassment.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you were a pain in the ass, but isn''t every kid like that?¡± I softly elbowed Elincia¡¯s ribs, making her squirm by my side. ¡°The teacher¡¯s favorite student usually is the most motivated and gifted in the class but it''s not always that way. I like the outgoing students, the ones who are always making a fuss, the ones who ask the most unrelated questions. For me, those are the funnier ones.¡±

    Elincia glanced at me  with an indignant gesture.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have favorite students! That¡¯s outrageous!¡± Elincia bumped my shoulder.

    ¡°What? Ash is a natural troublemaker and I love him.¡±

    ¡°I thought your favorite was Zaon.¡± Elincia shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°Zaon is great and so is Ilya, don¡¯t get me wrong. But Ash, Nokti, and Shu? They are unhinged.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold my laughter any longer. They also retained some of the na?vet¨¦ of childhood.

    ¡°Weirdo.¡±

    We remained in companionable silence as we watched the flowerbeds and the trees.

    ¡°Alright, we dragged this long enough.¡± Elincia suddenly stood, looking more nervous than usual.

    We left the square and returned to the alleys. Soon we reached a secluded store that occupied a whole corner. Unlike most of the stores, there was no signboard hanging over the door. However, a single glance through the windows revealed all kinds of stacked goods.

    We crossed the doorway and the chime of a bell announced our arrival.

    ¡°We are not handing out freebies, lady.¡± An old woman behind a counter announced as soon as we entered. Or maybe she wasn¡¯t that old, I usually forget hair dyes weren¡¯t a typical occurrence in this world.

    ¡°I brought silver today, thanks.¡± Elincia growled back.

    As I observed the interaction, I couldn¡¯t quite discern the nature of their relationship. While they seemed to have known each other for a while, there was clear animosity. Not friends, that was evident.

    ¡°Silver of yours or from your walking wallet? This is a new low from you, Elincia.¡± The old woman said with a raspy and smug voice. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by this lady, young man, she has over a dozen mouths to feed. Beware of elven charms, your pouch will dry out quickly if you are not careful.¡±

    Never before had I wanted to hit a woman in the face.

    ¡°Robert Clarke, Scholar, I work at Elincia¡¯s orphanage.¡± I introduced myself as calmly as possible.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you tethered down a talented man to that doomed orphanage.¡± The old woman continued bashing Elincia. ¡°Any smart person knows what the Marquis is trying to do with Farcrest. And anyone who dares going against him is a fool.¡±

    This time, the woman smirked towards me.

    ¡°Being foolish isn¡¯t as reprehensible as allowing injustice.¡± I replied.

    The woman smirked again, however, this time she didn¡¯t seem as mocking as before.

    ¡°So, what do the lovebirds want with this old woman?¡±

    Without missing a beat, Elincia started listing the items for our journey and I found myself fading into the background. Wool cloaks to keep us warm during the day, thick blankets to sleep comfortably at night, fabric alchemist pouches to carry herbs, and a sturdy backpack to carry everything.

    With a critical eye, Elincia inspected each piece of equipment to ensure it met her standards. By the admission of the store owner, everything on the table was secondhand. What had happened to the original owners I didn¡¯t want to know.

    ¡°Traveling to the Farlands for ingredients, aren¡¯t you?¡± The woman arched her eyebrow. ¡°Even with the Alchemists Guild stoppage on potion deals?¡±

    A shiver ran down my spine. The purchase wasn¡¯t exactly covert but I didn¡¯t expect the woman to draw conclusions so quickly.

    ¡°Not dangerous so long as we don¡¯t get caught.¡± I replied as Elincia failed to find the words.

    If the shop owner wanted to denounce us with the Marquis she probably had enough evidence to curb our small entrepreneurship. However, I noticed a sparkle on her eyes that could only mean one thing.

    Suddenly it hit me. The old hag was Elincia¡¯s black market contact.

    ¡°If you come across some potions I might be able to find a buyer for them.¡± The woman smiled.

    ¡°What¡¯s your cut?¡± I asked with my best salesman voice.

    ¡°Half for low grade, a third for medium grade, and tenth for high grade. No negotiation, this is a dangerous endeavor and I have expenses to pay.¡± She grinned at me and offered her hand. A weird gesture considering nobody shook hands in Farcrest.

    The rate for low grade potions was ridiculous but I only intended to craft potions of the highest quality. Ten percent didn¡¯t seem such a great loss considering we had secured a proxy for our operation. Or rather, the woman had secured a secondary source of easy income.

    ¡°Blatant robbery but we accept.¡± Elincia said by my side.

    With just one look, the old woman caused Elincia to find cover behind me.

    I shook her hand and grinned back. This was going to be more profitable for us than for her but she didn''t know yet. The day would come where she realized her mistake and I waited expectantly for it, if only to avenge the harsh words the woman had for Elincia.

    ¡°One gold and seven silver for the lot and you know I¡¯m lowballing it.¡± The woman said as she glanced at the overgrown pile of items. I took my two golden coins and put them on the counter as Elincia packed everything in the backpack.

    I received the change and we walked back to the entrance.

    ¡°It''s good to see there are Scholars with an actual spine in this world. Don¡¯t let him off the hook, Elincia!¡± The woman waved goodbye as we crossed the doorway.

    We walked in silence until we were ten alleys away from the shop. The backpack, although filled to the brim, wasn¡¯t so heavy.

    ¡°What a lovely lady.¡± I said, knowing we had gotten much more out of the visit than the old woman did.

    ¡°Miss Nasiah has helped the orphanage since Mister Lowell¡¯s time. She is related to one of the orphans my age.¡± Elincia sighed, the stress still visible on her face.

    ¡°One of the orphans you used to beat?¡± I asked, trying to cheer her up.

    ¡°No, one of the orphans I didn¡¯t beat.¡± She shrugged, ending the conversation.

    I wondered who that orphan was. Other than Ginz and the howling-girl-from-the-roofs, Elincia never mentioned them individually. At least it was reassuring to know Elincia had at least one good friend back in the day. Even if in the end she was left as the sole caretaker of the orphanage.

    The alleys slithered under our feet. Elincia was still perched on my arm but this time she let me lead the way. Without hesitation I took us to the same boulevard we had visited before.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a bit more adult-time before coming back.¡± I joked, guiding the girl to an empty bench.

    There were few people on the boulevard considering how beautiful it was.

    ¡°Care to watch over our stuff for a moment while I go to check something out?¡± I asked.

    Elincia gave me a weak smile, making my leaving even harder. Maybe it was an Earthling thing, feeling pity for those experiencing hardship but I wasn¡¯t so sure about that. I wasn¡¯t all that virtuous either. Maybe it was because Elincia was pretty.

    I expelled those thoughts from my mind and entered the labyrinth of alleys.

    Suddenly, a bakery display case appeared in front of me and my eyes became fixated on the golden and fluffy pastries. Flaky croissants dusted in powdered sugar and caramel sauce, buttery tarts filled with mashed berries, and aromatic loaves of bread welcomed me with their irresistible forms and colors. The bakers of my world surely had fierce competition.

    My stomach growled in anticipation, demanding food from skipping lunch. Pastries were a luxury right now but sharing a tart sounded like a nice act to mark the beginning of a new, more prosperous era at the orphanage.

    The smell of freshly baked bread assaulted my nostrils. There was something magical in the air, as if the act of baking was some kind of spell that turned simple ingredients into something more. Or maybe the bakers were actually using skills and spells to bake the bread. In any case, I forgot my troubles and savored the delightful scene, magical or not.

    In the end I bought a single-serving custard tart and a berry tart and returned to the boulevard as quickly as I could without putting the pastries in danger.

    Elincia was observing the empty fountain, still sitting on the same bench. I couldn¡¯t help but stop to admire her. The simpleness of her renaissance-esque peasant attire contrasted with the elegance of her refined posture. And yet she seemed unaware of her charms which only added to her whole appeal.

    Sitting next to her I took a small bite from the custard tart.

    Elincia¡¯s mood changed instantly when her eyes fell into the pastries.

    ¡°Oh, Rob, you are so sweet. You shouldn¡¯t have.¡± She said with the widest smile on her face.

    ¡°What? Both are for me. Get your own.¡± I replied in a dead serious tone.

    Elincia¡¯s back stiffened up.

    ¡°Robert Clarke, hand over that berry tart and nobody gets hurt.¡± Elincia said even more seriously as she shifted her position to face me. She had a roguish grin in spite of her aggressive tone.

    ¡°You can take my berry tart from my cold dead hands.¡± I replied, raising the tart out of Elincia¡¯s reach.

    ¡°Oh, now you fucked up Scholarboy. Nobody gets between me and my berry tart.¡± Elincia grabbed my other hand with an iron grip. ¡°I have beaten half-orcs twice your size for less than a quarter of a berry tart.¡± She said in a whisper.

    Her face was very close to mine.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°You bet it is.¡±

    ¡°I would like to see you try.¡± I grinned at her.

    ¡°Then I hope you are not too ticklish.¡± She replied with a mischievous smile.

    Suddenly I remembered both my hands were occupied, and there was the fact I was really, really ticklish. Not wanting to tempt my luck, I brought the berry tart down to Elincia¡¯s eye level and for an instant I thought she wasn¡¯t to accept my peace offering.

    ¡°Good boy.¡± She gave me a shining smile and took a small bite from the tart in my hand. ¡°If you had called my bluff I couldn¡¯t have done anything. Not in a million years would I put the tarts in danger. But now I know your weakness.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess both of us got something out of it.¡± I replied, saving the picture of Elincia eating the pastry from my hand in the deepest and safest part of my brain.

    I refused to elaborate and after a minute Elincia got bored of insisting.

    ¡°I had a good time, thanks.¡± Elincia said after finishing her tart.

    ¡°Yeah, we totally need more adult-only time.¡± I replied, barely holding my laugh.

    Elincia softly jabbed at my shoulder.

    ¡°I swear to the System you are a child at heart, Robert Clarke.¡± Elincia sighed but I could see the remnants of a smile in the corner of her mouth.

    Effects of Denial are subsiding. You have obtained Denial Lv.5. Temporary.

 33 - Back in the Farlands

    As the week passed, Elincia grew more excited for our little getaway to the Farlands. She smiled when she thought nobody was watching and hummed a lively tone as she worked around the orphanage. When Elincia was in a good mood, everything in the orphanage seemed to improve.

    Especially my own mood.

    I hid my shotgun on top of the wardrobe, far from the hands of the kids, just as someone frantically knocked at my door. Given the strength and rhythm of the hits, I guessed it was one of the younger orphans. As weeks passed, I became better at recognizing the respective noises of every inhabitant of the orphanage.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I yelled as I descended from the stool.

    The door opened up and Virdian fell forward. The no-access rule seemed to count only for Elincia¡¯s bedroom because Nokti and Shu jumped over Virdian¡¯s body and rushed into my room. Nokti was wearing a worn-out beige dress with more patches than original fabric that was too big for her. Shu¡¯s pillow cover and Virdian¡¯s jacket were in a similar condition.

    Considering their faces, Elincia had already told them about our trip. It was hard to tell if the snakefolk twins had been crying, but Shu¡¯s eyes were swollen, her nose runny, and the front of her pillow case was wet with tears.

    ¡°Leaving?¡± Nokti croaked.

    I sat on my bed and tied the laces of my traveling boots. The orphans took it as a sign to join. Soon I had Nokti and Shu by my right and Virdian to my left.

    ¡°We will be back before you even miss us.¡± I replied.

    My words were not convincing enough because Nokti glanced at me with distrust.

    ¡°Danger?¡± She asked while I was securing my longsword to the side of my backpack.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a secret, but you have to promise you will not tell anyone.¡± I whispered as if I was about to communicate some sort of hidden knowledge. The kids quickly looked around and joined heads despite the fact we were alone in the room.

    I closed my eyes and focused on my mana pool until the flames turned into a peaceful orb of light. Knowing I should save every single ounce of mana for the trip, I shaped a detailed monster bear the size of my hand. The kids recoiled in awe despite the size of the beast.

    Soon enough, a bear, an Elder Black Wolf, a couple regular Black Wolves, and a Wendigo roamed across the floor of my bedroom.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone, but those are the beasts I defeated during my last trip to the Farlands.¡± I said.

    A blue little man with a longsword appeared on the floor and started fighting the beasts. First the bear, then the Elder Wolf, one by one the creatures fell to the kid¡¯s amusement. I wasn¡¯t going to tell them my shotgun did ninety nine percent of the work.

    ¡°Will you bring a wolf pet, please?¡± Shu giggled, wiped her face with the hem of her pillow case.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Black Wolves make good pets.¡± I replied.

    Last time they almost bit my face off.

    ¡°Magic potato?¡± Nokti asked.

    ¡°Great Potate?¡± Virdian added instantly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if there are magical potatoes in the Farlands.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The twins replied in unison.

    There wasn¡¯t much I could do against their pleading tone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. No promises.¡± I said as I dispelled my mana illusions. ¡°Alright, you three. Take my backpack to the entrance, while I get my jacket.¡±

    As soon as the kids left, my smile faded and an ominous feeling settled in my chest. I tried to reassure myself, the Marquis had no use for the orphans until the next tax season. It was only logical to leave them be until the conscription time arrived. And we had Captain Kiln¡¯s word that the guardsmen would remain away from the orphanage.

    ¡°It¡¯s necessary.¡± I said out loud if only to convince myself.

    In the end, just before our departure, Nokti and Virdian managed to slide into our backpacks without anybody seeing. The weight gave them away, and we had to promise, for a hundredth time, that if we saw the so-called Great Potato, we were going to bring it back to the orphanage.

    Leaving was the hardest part. Seeing Shu¡¯s heartbroken eyes was almost too much to endure. The orphans waved us goodbye from the entrance of the manor, everyone was there except for Ash, but I guessed he was suffering the separation his own way. Soon the sight of the orphanage disappeared behind the old stone buildings.

    Elincia and I stayed silent until we crossed the city walls. We put on our cloaks and the guardsmen didn¡¯t pay us further attention. We left behind the smell of mud and stagnant water of the streets to enter the neglected farmland around the city. The weed-ridden farms were a harsh contrast with the lively marketplace, the everlit forges, and the busy workshops.

    It was all part of the Marquis plan.

    ¡°Look, Sentinels.¡± Elincia pointed down the road where a group of five cloaked figures ran at unbelievable speeds towards the forest. ¡°They don¡¯t usually travel in such large groups.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t think of it but as a bad omen.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± I said.

    We adjusted our coats around our necks and walked down the road. The slate gray sky foretold a cold day and we had a long day before us. By midday, we reached the foothills of the mountain path that separated Farcrest¡¯s valley from the Farlands.

    ¡°Can you smell it? The smell of untarnished nature?¡± Elincia stopped to take a deep breath as if she had been locked underground for a prolonged period of time.

    ¡°We are going to smell like tarnished nature before the end of the week.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I packed an extra bar of soap just for you.¡± Elincia jabbed at my shoulder.

    My obsession with cleanliness was already well known by the whole orphanage.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The rugged terrain had not changed since the last time I walked that road.

    Brambles, ferns, and young trees conspired to disrupt our advance but Elincia always managed to find a path between them. Maybe it was her elven blood, or maybe it was just experience, but she was always able to find the right path.

    ¡°It¡¯s harder in the summer.¡± Elincia pointed out as we scurried between a bramble and a cluster of rocks, saving us from a big detour.

    The crunching leaves under my boots was the only sound to break the silence of the forest. Elincia was right. The wind was crisp and cool and the trees were like dying torches with the red and yellow colors of autumn. It was just past midday and the sunlight briefly filtered through the canopy, casting a golden fiery glow over Elincia¡¯s platinum hair. Autumn was in its last breaths and winter already threatened to strip away the last colors of the forest.

    The path ahead twisted and turned, leading us deep into the heart of the forest and into the Farlands. Maybe it was the memory from the Black Wolves or the White Deer but everything around me seemed to buzz with magic. I Identified the forest bed around us, seeking for any alchemical ingredient that might be nearby.

    ¡°It¡¯s too soon to start looking. This section must already have been foraged.¡± Elincia told me as I fell behind.

    Wasn¡¯t this what I always yearned for? No, I always wished for a world filled with magic and mysteries. What I had got was infinitely more than that.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Elincia snapped her fingers at me.

    I noticed I had my eyes fixed on her figure. The renaissance-style dress Elincia used to wear at the orphanage didn¡¯t do her justice like the adjusted riding pants and the leather jacket she was wearing. Among the forest, Elincia seemed to be in her natural habitat.

    ¡°Sorry, what? I was lost in thought.¡± I said.

    It was a lie but a believable one.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t get left behind.¡± Elincia huffed as we climbed a step path between two rocks. She lent me a hand and pulled me up the boulder.

    Behind us, Farcrest was a small gray spot among the abandoned farmland. A toy house with white fumes and delicate watchtowers among the walls. Months before, Elincia and I stood in the same spot. Back then we were two complete strangers. What was our relationship now? Colleagues? Associates? Friends?

    A smile crept into my mouth, but I quickly erased it. The Farlands weren¡¯t the place to act like a fool.

    Elincia guided me to a more flattened area and we took the first break of the day. We left our backpacks by our side and sat against a mossy boulder that protected us from the wind. Then, Elincia unpacked a pouch of dried meat and offered me a stripe and I gladly accepted it.

    We hiked through the rocky path leaving behind the security of the valley and delving into the Farlands. The path continued its way up the mountainside encompassed in steep cliffs on each side. The wind blew above the gorge whistling a distant and ghostly tune.

    Elincia drew her bow and kept an eye on the ridges. The gorge was a great place for an ambush and we both knew Black Wolves commonly employed such tactics. She guided me over a path with massive boulders to silence our footsteps. Or maybe just mine. Even over dried leaves, Elincia¡¯s steps didn¡¯t produce a sound.

    The silence was menacing.

    The minutes extended like hours but no beast dared to attack us, perhaps by grace of the Sentinels that had departed ahead of us. When we emerged from the other side of the gorge, the Farlands stretched out before us in all its grandeur.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful.¡± Elincia stood beside me, looking in awe at the valley down below.

    ¡°Pretty as a painting.¡±

    My answer didn¡¯t seem to satisfy Elincia.

    ¡°Sometimes I forget Scholars are indoor creatures.¡± She poked at me.

    I couldn¡¯t say I felt the same levels of awe as Elincia, but seeing her so happy was enough to justify the hike. We were completely different, after all. Where Elincia saw the beauty of the untouched nature, I saw the promise of looming adventure and unearthed mysteries.

    Elincia sat at the border of the precipice and drank from her waterskin. I joined her.

    ¡°I just noticed you didn¡¯t bring your boomstick.¡± Elincia said after taking another gulp.

    ¡°Sadly I was too low on ammo to justify the extra weight.¡± I replied, showing her the single shell I had left.

    Killing Wendigos was out of the question.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s good, we aren¡¯t here to fight. We got lucky with the Wendigo last time but realistically any monster bigger than a lone Black Wolf is too much for us.¡± Elincia said, as she glanced at the valley.

    Elincia pointed north but before she could utter a word, the forest trembled. A rumbling sound emerged from the depths of earth, shaking the ground under my feet and almost making me trip. Down below the valley, the birds took off in a cacophony of frightened calls.

    I reminded myself we were still in Lushian Valley. There shouldn¡¯t be monsters so far south.

    ¡°An earthquake? A landslide?¡± I asked, hoping the cause of the rumble wasn¡¯t a living creature.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Elincia replied with a somber tone. She narrowed her eyes and surveyed the horizon but the forest remained silent. ¡°Let¡¯s stick to the mountainside and avoid the inner forest from now on.¡±

    I nodded.

    The mere thought of Elincia traveling through the Farlands alone, year after year, sent a shiver down my spine.

    ¡°If you are scared you can hug me any time.¡± Elincia grinned.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it into consideration.¡± I replied, arching my eyebrows.

    As much as I understood why people loved the outdoors, I couldn¡¯t completely understand why Elincia loved the Farlands. Nature and camping were nice, monsters on the other hand? Not so much. Maybe I wasn¡¯t the biggest maniac at the orphanage.

    The mountainside trail was narrow and the loose terrain made each step a potential hazard. The fact that a strong wind had started to blow didn¡¯t help us to keep up the pace. Suddenly, the wind changed directions forcing Elincia to step on a loose rock. Her foot slipped over the border but she managed to hold onto a lone root.

    ¡°That was dangerous.¡± Elincia noted as she stood up again.

    ¡°We should get back into the forest.¡± I said.

    Elincia nodded and we kept going forwards, always hugging the mountainside until the path led us down to the forest. When we crossed the treeline, it was late in the afternoon. The thrill of the journey had left me completely drained and Elincia seemed to feel the same way.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day.¡± Elincia said after half an hour. We were still near the mountainside but the trees and ferns provided us with protection against the wind and concealment against any monster on the lookout.

    ¡°Check this out.¡± Elincia pointed towards what seemed to be a random tree.

    But it wasn¡¯t. The exposed roots had gathered material until a natural barricade made of rocks, dirt, and leaves had formed. Not only that, an old and massive fallen tree blocked the path for the opposite side, creating a sort of a cozy cradle perfect for hiding from monsters.

    ¡°Bingo.¡± I replied.

    Elincia looked at me with a questioning glance but didn¡¯t push the matter forward. We had less than an hour of light to ready our camp. I cleared a small patch of leaves between a fallen tree and the depression on the terrain while Elincia gathered firewood. Luckily, the ground was dry although it lacked the cushiony characteristic of the forest bed.

    As the sun hid behind the top of the mountains, the temperature dropped drastically. I put my blanket around my shoulders and kneeled by Elincia¡¯s side as she used stones and small branches to hide our small bonfire in a nook on the ground. It was better to maintain a low profile.

    Before Elincia could find her flint, I pulled mana from my reservoir and rubbed it together until a lone blue spark showered over the dry leaves. A moment later, a small yet healthy fire sizzled in the corner of our hideout.

    ¡°Showoff.¡± Elincia mumbled, flint in hand.

    We wrapped ourselves in our blankets and sat shoulder against shoulder in front of the fire as the night fell. The birds hadn¡¯t returned since the tremble and the forest was silent except for the rustle of the canopy. If there were monsters outside, we were going to hear them before they could see us.

    Elincia fed the fire with a bundle of small branches and returned to my side.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you are here.¡± She said with a smile.

    ¡°I would rather be in a place without monsters.¡± I replied.

    The elven woman rolled her eyes.

    Suddenly, the earth violently trembled like an enraged sea, making me fall forward over Elincia. The tree whose roots formed the natural trench was ripped from the soil and a roaring thunder filled my ears as our shelter was sent flying through the air.

    ¡°Stone Giant!¡± Elincia yelled as a mountain of rocks blocked the sky in front of us.

 34 - A Greater Foe

    Elincia pushed me to the ground just as the tree flew over our heads. The smell of rot that filled my nose when my face hit the forest bed quickly faded into the background. Behind us, the Stone Giant let out a mighty howl that sounded like earth cracking down.

    Something on Elincia¡¯s face told me Stone Giants weren¡¯t supposed to wander so close to Farcrest. She was pale as a corpse and her eyes were wide open. I didn''t have time to ask about Stone Giant¡¯s habits because the woman grabbed my jacket and yanked me to my feet.

    The creature let out a second enraged howl and I thought the ground was going to crack open under my feet. My chest felt like it was about to burst from the sound when Elincia pushed me behind a tree. A giant boulder crossed the sky, landing a few meters ahead of us and turning a tree into splinters.

    [Awareness]: Humans are weak against boulders thrown at high speeds.

    ¡®Thanks for the reminder.¡¯

    ¡°Follow me.¡± Elincia muttered as she started to run away from the Stone Giant.

    We ran a frantic race, only interrupted from time to time by the deep rumble of the Giant¡¯s growling. Brambles got tangled around my ankles and low branches flailed against my face but I ignored the pain. My brain could only focus on keeping Elincia¡¯s pace and getting away from the monster.

    The daily workout had improved my condition because I felt more agile than my last time in the Farlands. As much as I had improved, Elincia still had the edge in the speed department. I held back the urge of turning around to identify the Stone Giant and focused on the path ahead. Escaping was always the best option for non-combatant classes.

    The sound of shattering trees behind us became weaker.

    ¡°Rocks can¡¯t rival human endurance!¡± I laughed fueled by adrenaline.

    My victory song was cut short when the ground around me was suddenly lit by a surge of ocre mana. The Stone Giant was casting an area spell. I jumped forward but instead of finding solid ground, my feet buried to the knee into the forest bed. When I tried to break free, my other leg got stuck in the foaming surface.

    The Stone Giant roared and the floor rippled around me like a raging sea.

    Elincia turned around and came to my rescue.

    ¡°Elincia no!¡± I yelled, but the spell didn¡¯t seem to affect her.

    ¡°Blessed be my elven blood.¡± The white haired woman muttered as she grabbed my hands and pulled me out of the trap. However, by the time I was dragged to solid ground, the Stone Giant was upon us.

    I expected to see an ugly man with deformed features but what stood in front of us was a humanoid clump of rocks with the texture of sandstone. The creature was a four meter tall juggernaut with a rough shell on its back and two sets of arms protruding from the orifices.

    [Awareness]: Stone Giants can retract their arms and legs and hide under their shell to disguise themselves from predators.

    ¡°This thing has predators?¡± I whined as I looked over my shoulder.

    Elincia shushed me and dragged me behind a fallen tree. It was little consolation to know how the golem had snuck up on us. It had been there all along, disguised as a rock.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be running right now?¡± I whispered.

    ¡°The Stone Giant won¡¯t let us get away, spirits don¡¯t get tired nor run out of mana.¡± Elincia replied.

    The sound of the Stone Giant shredding trees in its wake sent a shiver down my spine. Elincia was right, we had to be sneaky. We crawled under the line of ferns as the Giant swung its arms, wiping out everything in its path. Awareness told me each of the monster¡¯s hands weighed several hundred kilos.

    A single hit was enough to turn me into a mosquito splattered against a windshield.

    The Giant bellowed in anger as it thrashed at a clump of ferns.

    I looked over my shoulder and identified the creature.

    Stone Giant Lv.21. Corrupted Spirit. [Identify] An angered elemental spirit animated by the uncontrolled mana currents of the Farlands. Weakness: Water, Ice.

    There was no way the Stone Giant was a mere level 21. The ease with which it uprooted trees made me think it was stronger than the Elder Black Wolf and the Wendigo combined. The damned System needed a damned update.

    ¡°We need a plan like right now.¡± I tugged Elincia¡¯s ankle to catch her attention.

    The Stone Giant was clearing the area faster than we could stealthily move away.

    Every problem has a solution, my motto echoed inside my head.

    ¡°The bigger they are, the harder they fall.¡±

    Elincia¡¯s mischievous expression was enough to erase all the fear from my mind. If she thought we were going to be alright, I was going to believe in her. At the count of three, we stood and ran towards the steep slope hidden behind the fern clump. Gravity pulled me down the slope like a sack of potatoes while Elincia gracefully slid down.

    ¡°Scatter!¡± Elincia yelled as we reached the bottom.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    I obeyed without question.

    The Stone Giant fell off the slope¡¯s edge at full speed. The ground trembled as the creature stumbled down, destroying everything in its path. Elincia and I were already far from the landing zone when the Giant crashed hard against the bottom of the slope.

    ¡°Run!¡± Elincia yelled from the other side of the clearing.

    I didn''t need to hear it twice.

    Not even two seconds passed when the Stone Giant roared behind me. I looked over my shoulder expecting to see the creature still lying on its back. The picture froze my blood. The Giant buried its hand in the ground, grabbing a handful of dirt and small stones.

    ¡°Down!¡± I yelled.

    The Giant looked at me with gleeful eyes, as if it knew I wasn¡¯t stone-proof. I turned around and dove behind the nearest tree. A deadly rain of stones whistled across the forest, shredding branches, bark and brambles without distinction. Pain exploded on my left shoulder as a stone grazed me.

    Only when the artillery attack subsided, I dared to peek over the bruised tree trunk.

    A wave of relief washed over me when I saw Elincia curled up behind a tree, more than fifty paces from my hideout. I looked around for a feature of the terrain that could help me. The creature tried to stand but its leg faltered with a satisfying crunch.

    We needed to find a way to leave the Stone Giant behind now that it was wounded.

    Behind me, the terrain was rockier and the forest less dense. There was no place to hide in that direction. My best bet was to run towards Elincia, but the nearest tree thick enough to protect me was more than twelve paces away. I cursed under my breath. Twelve paces without cover was a lot of distance during a grapeshot attack.

    ¡®Every problem has a solution.¡¯ I repeated my motto.

    [Awareness]: The Stone Giant throws with a vertical movement.

    Then I noticed it. The pattern of destruction was a meter wide straight line.

    Elincia¡¯s words echoed in my mind but I ignored them, I was about to act like a maniac once again. I let [Awareness] feed on my knowledge about launches and trajectories. If I was right, I could predict the path of the grapeshot.

    I took a deep breath and ran towards the next tree ignoring all the alarms on my mind. [Awareness] warned me the Stone Giant was aiming at me but I continued running. The Giant roared. Only in the last instant, just before the Giant released the rain of stones, I stopped.

    With no cover between me and the creature, I expected the worst.

    The vegetation in front of me was shredded by the rain of projectiles but none hit me. Barely. I jumped behind the tree before the Stone Giant could grab another load of stones. One step closer to Elincia, a few more to go.

    The elven woman glanced at me from her hideout with her mouth open.

    ¡®What the hell was that?!¡¯ I read her lips.

    ¡®Monkey brain special skill; pattern recognition.¡¯ I silently replied.

    I peeked over the tree. The Stone Giant had its four arms raised into the air. Luckily, even the lower set of arms were arranged to launch vertically. Four throws to predict. If I wanted to get alive to the next tree I needed an edge over the Giant.

    There wasn''t much difference between our levels. Stunning it might work. Taking a deep breath, I cast [Stun Gaze] but the spell bounced off the Giant¡¯s skin.

    Spirits are immune to Stun.

    The System prompt appeared in front of my face just as the creature unleashed a rain of projectiles over my hideout. I pressed my back against the old tree until the impacts ceased.

    ¡°I can do this.¡± I muttered as I surveyed the terrain for the next cover. Almost twenty paces. Despite Elincia¡¯s frantic gesturing, I stood and lunged through the forest. With [Awareness] telling me the exact moment when the Giant threw the stones, I was able to predict the trajectory.

    The Giant roared in anger just as I reached the safety of the next tree. The closer I got to Elincia, the denser the forest became. Next cover was less than a few paces away.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± Elincia yelled from behind her tree.

    We were close enough to hear each other over the Giant¡¯s rumbling sounds.

    ¡°The attack has a pattern!¡± I yelled back.

    My plan had a big problem. Elincia was quicker than me but she lacked the [Awareness] skill to help her predict the trajectory of the stones. I massaged my temples in a vain attempt to come up with something. The solution was obvious. I had to be the bait.

    ¡°Elincia, run when I tell you!¡± I yelled.

    Behind us, the Stone Giant made efforts to stand up.

    Elincia gave me the thumbs up and got ready to run. Only a few more trees and we will be safe in the dense part of the forest. I raised a silent prayer for everything to go well and run towards the next tree.

    The Stone Giant raised its arm and [Awareness] notified me the creature was about to throw.

    ¡°Now!¡± I yelled.

    An instant later, the fern clump in front of me was reduced to shreds. I ignored the shiver going down my spine and continued my race for safety. A quick glance revealed that Elincia had safely reached the next cover. With the help of [Awareness] I dodged the penultimate barrage.

    The whistling sound of the stones flying mere centimeters from my face was unnerving. I only had to endure one more and I¡¯ll be safe.

    [Awareness]: The Stone Giant is getting ready to throw.

    I waited until the last second before stopping.

    ¡°Now!¡± I yelled and Elincia lunged through the forest like a green and white blur.

    The small trees in front of me were unscathed. There was no barrage, no whistling sound, and no destruction. I turned around to see the Giant¡¯s arm still up in the air.

    ¡°Crap.¡± I muttered.

    The Giant¡¯s brain didn¡¯t seem to be as polished as mine. The fact I had just announced the moment when I was going to stop by yelling at Elincia settled in my mind.

    The Stone Giant smiled with a thousand teeth like shards of glass. I wasn¡¯t going to gain enough speed to fool him again. I prepared my [Intimidation] skill in a desperate last attempt to survive but I didn¡¯t get to cast the spell.

    A sudden explosion hit the Giant¡¯s head.

    I raised my head to see Elincia drawing an arrow. The mana on her body was transferred to the bow and then accumulated at the tip of the arrow.

    ¡°Run!¡± Elincia said as she aimed.

    The Stone Giant roared.

    ¡°Elincia! No!¡± I yelled.

    Ignoring my pleas, the elven woman shot another flare. This time it completely caught the Stone Giant¡¯s attention. The creature howled with anger as it turned around, ready to discharge the barrage of stones over Elincia.

    ¡°Run!¡±

    Elincia jumped back with cat-like agility and rushed through the forest with inhuman speed. I couldn¡¯t look away. The Stone Giant threw a massive volley of stones and gravel.

    She wasn¡¯t going to make it.

    Elincia was struck and fell behind a tattered clump of ferns. Air escaped from my lungs. A nauseous feeling crept up my stomach. No matter how much I tried, I couldn¡¯t call her name.

    The whistling sound of high speed projectiles brought me back to the present.

    I covered my head and dove behind a young tree.

    ¡°Elincia!¡± I called but I got no answer.

    Panic.

    ¡°Elincia, please!¡± I called as loud as I could, disregarding the fact I could draw the Giant¡¯s attention. But again, there was no answer.

    An electrifying sensation covered my body as the mana poured out of my skin. Anger, fear, and despair battled inside my chest. I wanted to call Elincia¡¯s name, but no words came out of my mouth.

    I faced the Stone Giant and let my mana run wild.

 35 - Giant Killer

    Mana crackled at the tips of my fingers, forming blinding arcs of light. Sparkles fell to the ground, scorching the damp forest bed, and the smell of ozone filled my nostrils. Sensing danger, the Stone Giant bared its glass shard teeth before roaring. The sound echoed inside my chest but it wasn''t enough to scare me.

    The arch of light violently crackled as it extended and flattened until it adopted the shape of a sword. Despite the intensity of my mana, my hands were ice cold because of the sudden mana spent. I wasn¡¯t strange to [Mana Depletion] symptoms.

    The Stone Giant raised a handful of gravel and stones with each of its four hands.

    Elincia had to be alive. If she was dead, the System would¡¯ve given me a stupid title. I just needed to get rid of the Stone Giant to go help her. I tightened the grip of my mana sword and [Swordsmanship] filled my brain with forgotten knowledge. There was nothing a sword could do against a barrage of stones but I ignored the alarms in my head and pushed forward.

    The Stone Giant unleashed its attack.

    You have obtained Mana Depletion (Mild). Temporary

    I used my mana blade to protect my face. The stones felt like a hundred bee stings as they bounced against my body. The pain was almost unbearable but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop me. I couldn¡¯t stop. I had to destroy the Giant and help Elincia.

    The mechanics behind [Mana Manipulation] were now clear to me. Since I got the skill, I had wrongly assumed that ¡®manipulation¡¯ meant ¡®movement¡¯. All my experiments so far were about moving mana in certain ways to achieve a result. However, ¡®movement¡¯ was only a small aspect of the skill. [Mana Manipulation] wasn¡¯t just about moving mana around like I originally thought. [Mana Manipulation] was about focus and willpower. [Mana Manipulation] was magic.

    I didn¡¯t have to manually push and compress my mana to form a solid shield, just as I didn¡¯t have to manually contract my muscle fibers to move my arms.

    The second volley of stones hit me before I could find cover and, once again, I was showered by the pain of a hundred bee stings. The pain wasn¡¯t enough to erase the picture of Elincia wounded and waiting for my help.

    You have obtained Mana Depletion (Moderate). Temporary

    Mana rushed out of my body to regenerate the shield. Spending a great amount of mana felt like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over me. No amount of cold or pain could distract me from the task ahead. The Stone Giant had to be reduced to dust.

    My heart pumped adrenaline through my body and [Swordsmanship] sharpened my senses. The Stone Giant launched a third attack but I was quick enough to jump behind an old tree. The projectiles drummed against the hollow tree and created a rain of wooden shrapnel. I jumped back on my feet and lunged towards my foe.

    The Stone Giant was twice my size with arms wider than an adult man. A single smack would be enough to spread my guts across all the Farlands. The words of my HEMA instructor echoed in my mind. ¡®This is a duel with real swords, if you let your opponent touch you, you are dead¡¯. It sounded like a hell of a plan. Hit hard without getting hit in the process.

    I reached the Giant before it could throw the fourth barrage. The creature let the stones go and swatted its arm in a wide arc. [Swordsmanship] took control of my body and I dodged with a quick backstep. Then, I hit back with my supercharged sword.

    The mana blade cut the Giant¡¯s skin, leaving a blackened dent.

    I rolled over the forest bed to dodge the Giant¡¯s backhand. The fact the creature couldn¡¯t move its legs was my saving grace, otherwise attacking and dodging would be near impossible. I lunged forward, unleashing a flurry of swings over the monster¡¯s arms. A roar deafened and the smell of ozone numbed my nose but I pressed on with my attack.

    I wasn¡¯t going to let the Farlands take Elincia from me.

    The Giant roared and attacked with its four arms at the same time. I jumped, backstepped, rolled, and used my mana blade to block, but the Giant had infinite stamina. No matter how much I dodged, it always attacked again with the same speed.

    I dodged until a blow got me off balance.

    With an explosion of blue sparks from my mana shield, the smack sent me several meters into the air. A sharp pain spread through my body as if my skeleton wanted to break away from my flesh. Then I hit the ground.

    You have obtained Mana Depletion (Advanced). Temporary

    The prompt appeared in front of my eyes as soon as my shield got replenished. A shiver ran down my spine and I realized the mana depletion tremors were close. I had to hurry up before my mana pool ran dry. Using my sword as a cane and getting back on my feet before the Giant could unleash a barrage of stones over me.

    I remained near the edge of the Giant¡¯s reach, always dodging before attacking. But the Giant was smart enough to try to bait me into its range by pulling back its punches. Without [Swordsmanship] and [Awareness] measuring the distances with millimeter precision I would already be squashed against the ground.

    [Mana Manipulation] was like a magical 3D printer and until now I had been trying to shape things with filament and a lighter. If I wanted to win, I had to push my skills to the limit. An incandescent arch of mana emerged from my back and over my head, and quickly transformed into a second sword.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    The Stone Giant alternately looked at the sword in my hand and the one floating over my shoulder. Then I went all out on the offensive. The two-pronged offensive confused the Giant, which used two of its arms to swat the flying sword while it tried to hit me with the remaining two.

    My mind was in a state of flow. Part of my brain controlled my body while the other part controlled the flying mana sword. All of that under the shower of information provided by [Awareness] and [Swordsmanship]. My brain was overclocked.

    I cut, stabbed, and grazed the Giant¡¯s body, always aiming for the joints. I dodged the Giant¡¯s blows, and deflected every attempt to catch me. Anger kept me focused. My shield and my swords drained my mana pool at terrifying speeds, but not even the cold snaps of the [Mana Depletion] were enough to stop me.

    With a powerful blow, I cleanly cut through the Giant¡¯s elbow. The rocky arm fell to the ground with a dull thump and buried a palm into the soft soil. One arm down, three to go. I was so entranced in my small victory that I didn¡¯t notice the Giant was ignoring my flying sword.

    The blow left me breathless. Blue sparkles flew in a spectacular fireworks show as the massive hand impacted the mana shield. I rolled on the ground until I hit a boulder. The world spun around me as stars and sparkles filled my field of vision.

    You have obtained Mana Depletion (Critical). Temporary

    My body and my mana pool shut down at the same time. Both my shield and my swords faded in a veil of blue mist. My arms and legs trembled to the point I could barely get on all fours. [Mana Depletion] felt as if someone had suddenly stolen all the heat inside my body.

    The Stone Giant clawed at the earth for a handful of rocks. The surface of the creature was completely covered in darkened dents. Its forearms had received the worst punishment. One of its arms remained attached to its body by a couple centimeters of rock.

    Desperately, I reached for my mana pool but it felt like a frozen knife shredding my chest. I was at the end of the line. I only hoped the Stone Giant was stupid enough to have forgotten about Elincia. If it was over for me, I prayed for another opportunity for Elincia. I already had mine.

    A great explosion knocked down the Stone Giant followed by a barrage of smaller detonations.

    ¡°Elincia!¡± I called her name, but the volley of spells drowned out my voice.

    [Awareness] made me know the attacks came from four different directions.

    The Stone Giant raised its remaining arms to protect its face but the attack was relentless. Mana boiled inside the rocky surface of the Giant¡¯s body and escaped through the holes I had left like steam from a kettle. As suddenly as the attack started, the explosions stopped, leaving a ringing sensation in my ears.

    Stone Giant slain.

    As any respectable RPG-lover would, my brain was suddenly filled with dopamine.

    The sun was about to set behind the mountains and I didn¡¯t see the cloaked figures until they were almost upon me. I tried to reach for my boot knife, but before I could grab the grip, someone behind me put their own knife against my neck.

    Half a dozen cloaked figures entered the clearing. My mind raced. The ragged clothes and the lack of coat of arms suggested they weren¡¯t city guards. Bandit¡¯s maybe? A tall figure broke from the group and, sitting on their heels just in front of me, pulled back his cloak. An old rustic man with an ungroomed gray beard, and a deep scar crossing his face greeted me. He was the spitting image of a bandit leader. And smelled like one.

    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with this one. Maybe a mimic?¡± The old man said with a raspy voice. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Totally a bandit leader.

    ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡± I replied, gathering up the last traces of defiance of my body.

    The knife pressed to my neck even more.

    ¡°Someone please remind me why do I even bother with these soft-hands?¡± The bandit leader sighed.

    ¡°Because you are too kind, boss.¡± The knife-bandit replied with a feminine voice.

    It was good to see bandits didn¡¯t discriminate based on gender at least.

    Suddenly, a foreign presence invaded my mind. Someone was reading my most hidden thoughts and I wasn¡¯t going to allow it. The invasive sensation made me want to punch whoever was in front of me, however, the knife on my neck made me change my mind.

    ¡°Robert Clarke. Level 12. Scholar.¡± The leader said with a thoughtful expression.

    Was that how it felt to be identified? Now I understood why people disliked it. I made a mental note to apologize to Firana for identifying her during our first duel. If we made it out alive.

    ¡°Scholar? I swear I saw him casting Mana Blade, two of them at the same time even.¡± A man out of my field of vision said.

    ¡°Stupid name by the way, must be a smooth-hands raised by elves.¡± The woman with the knife on my neck pointed out.

    I didn¡¯t dare to speak back. I needed to find the right moment to escape. As long as I couldn¡¯t see her directly in the eye I wouldn¡¯t be able to cast [Stun Gaze]. And even if I managed to stun one of the bandits, there was the bandit leader and all the others who probably outleveled me. And I wasn¡¯t sure I even had enough mana to try.

    ¡°Are you going to tell me who you are now?¡± The bandit leader asked again.

    I saw no other way forward than telling him the truth.

    ¡°I¡¯m a teacher, I work at a poor orphanage in Farcrest.¡± I replied, hoping that adding ¡®poor¡¯ would appeal to any empathetic feelings they might still have. Hopefully they weren¡¯t after a ransom.

    The bandit leader¡¯s smile sent a shiver down my spine.

    ¡°This is your lucky day, Scholar. Marquis¡¯ law prevents us from charging soft-hands for our transportation services.¡± The man put his cloak back on. ¡°You are coming back to Farcrest in one piece, kid.¡±

    As suddenly as it appeared, the knife was pulled away from my neck and the woman yanked me on my feet. To say she was brusque was an understatement.

    ¡°He still used two mana blades.¡± The second man said.

    With the green cloaks, I couldn¡¯t tell from one or another.

    ¡°He might¡¯ve used a magical trebuchet for all I care.¡± The leader replied. ¡°This one time I saw¡­¡±

    My consciousness faded away and I fell to my knees. Suddenly, a tree moved and stopped in front of me, covering the last rays of the sun.

    ¡°He¡¯s wounded.¡± A man with a deep voice said.

    When I managed to focus my eyes, I saw a half-orc of big tusks shaking a bright light in front of my face. The next thing I noticed was the man thoroughly checking my body.

    ¡°He¡¯s not bleeding but¡­ damn. You are going to be a walking bruise for a week or more.¡± The half-orc said as he opened my shirt. ¡°Nothing broken either but I want to know how you managed to fight a Stone Giant at close range with only minor wounds.¡±

    I tried to answer but I was unable to speak. My teeth chattered due to the effects [Mana Depletion] and my jaw tensed up to the point it was painful.

    ¡°He¡¯s mana depleted. Open your trap.¡± The half-orc healer said with a professional voice as he retrieved a small vial from his pouch.

    ¡°Mana depleted? More like opossum-scared.¡± The knife woman joked.

    The potion had a sweet alcoholic taste. A warm sensation spread from my chest to the tips of my hands and feet. If it was a Mana Potion or a Warmth Potion I didn¡¯t know. However, I could speak again.

    ¡°Elincia, please.¡± I said, pointing towards the place I had seen her struck by the Giant.

 36 - Trial

    I woke up in the morning to the cracking sound of a campfire. I didn¡¯t remember falling asleep, much less starting a campfire. Suddenly, a hundred different aches and pains assaulted my body. Slowly, my brain cells began to work. A white dense fog filled with diminutive mana specks covered the forest.

    A concealing spell, maybe?

    I turned inside the warm blanket, trying to find a better angle for my bruised body. I didn¡¯t expect Elincia¡¯s emerald eyes staring intently at me, barely a palm from my face. My heart skipped a beat. Suddenly the memories from the combat against the Stone Giant flooded my mind, and my heart stopped for a moment.

    ¡°Am I dead?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Why? Because you are seeing an angel, you smooth talker?¡± Elincia gave me the biggest shit-eating grin to date.

    ¡°You lack half a dozen eyes, several golden rings, and a crown of fire to be an angel.¡± I replied with a smile that I hoped rivaled hers.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see your brain is working at the usual frequency.¡±

    A heavy weight left my chest. Elincia was safe. Other than the bandage wrapped around her head, she looked perfectly fine.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A stone grazed my head, so I was out throughout the whole thing. Then Chief Alton and the Sentinels killed the Stone Giant and rescued us. When I found you, you were already out.¡±  Elincia said as she tried to find a more comfortable position on the rocky forest bed.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I said in panic. Concussions could not be taken lightly.

    ¡°Oh, yeah. It was barely a scratch and Big-tusk is a high level Healer.¡± Elincia smiled. ¡°Now, stop hogging the blanket, my ass is cold.¡±

    I noticed Elincia was under my blanket. Or was I under her blanket?  A metaphorical siren drowned out the rest of my thoughts. Two months weren¡¯t nearly enough to get to really know someone. No matter how many stacks of Denial the System threw in my direction, two months weren¡¯t enough to get to like someone.

    Or maybe it was.

    In the short period of time I had lived at the orphanage we had lived through a lifetime of troubles and victories. We had expanded the farm plot, fended off the Marquis¡¯ henchmen, and won Captain Kiln¡¯s support. We had listened to Nokti and Virdian¡¯s first words, we had seen Shu turning into a brave little girl, and even made Zaon gain a bit of confidence. Even Firana had embraced her place at the orphanage.

    Maybe I was being stubborn, needlessly sticking to my [Lonely Boy] title.

    Effects of Denial are subsiding. You have obtained Denial Lv.4. Temporary.

    I shook my head. There was one great obstacle I hadn¡¯t accounted for. Elincia didn¡¯t know the real me.

    ¡°The lovebirds are finally awake.¡±

    I got up just to see the face of the old man who had interrogated me last night floating in front of us. I had to blink twice to catch the rest of his body against the foliage. The Sentinel cloaks had to be enchanted with some sort of camouflage spell. Every time I lost sight of them, they instantly blended with the background.

    ¡°Thank you for rescuing us, Chief Alton.¡± Elincia put her arm around my shoulders and used me as a crutch.

    The old man, Chief Alton, examined us. Around the campfire another four figures turned around to look at us. Only then I realized there weren''t just the three of us. The fact the Sentinels could appear and disappear seemingly at will was unnerving.

    ¡°Coincidence.¡± Chief Alton said. ¡°How is your leg doing, brat?¡±

    Elincia instantly let me go in a vain attempt to appear healthier.

    ¡°Great, my leg is doing great. Not a single trace of pain.¡± Elincia blurted out. Her act was as flawed as Ash¡¯s when the kid was caught committing a prank.

    Chief Alton¡¯s skeptic glance was enough to make my throat dry. The Sentinel gave off the same energy as my old math teacher. If I had the [Classroom Fiend] title, Mr. Santelices must have [If Looks Could Kill] or something alike.

    ¡°You know each other?¡± I asked.

    Elincia blushed.

    ¡°When I was a kid, Chief Alton used to drag me back to Farcrest every time I tried to enter the Farlands. Elincia explained with an embarrassed expression on her face. ¡°He used to say he was protecting the monsters from me.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow as I examined Chief Alton¡¯s stern face. The old man had the appearance of a reclusive hermit, not a babysitter. The whole squad of Sentinels was made up of tough individuals used to life in the wilderness. I couldn¡¯t help but picture Elincia belonging with the Sentinels.

    ¡°No time for chit-chat. Prepare your bags, I¡¯m taking you two back to Farcrest before this fog gets worse.¡± Chief Alton ordered.

    The rest of the Sentinels started to break camp with incredible haste.

    ¡°We are not going anywhere.¡± Elincia said. Despite her initial embarrassment, she was in full defiance mode now. Any authority the Chief Sentinel had over Farcrest inhabitants didn¡¯t seem enough to drag us back. However, I couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. The Sentinels were still the Marquis¡¯ men.

    Chief Alton sighed as if he had enough socialization for a lifetime.

    ¡°This is no natural fog, brat. There is a monster out there doing this, and there is a whole lot of mana involved. The whole valley is covered and who knows how far it goes.¡± The old man said. ¡°You have the spirit of a Hunter, Elincia, but you are just an Alchemist at the end of the day. And you need to start showing some respect for the Farlands.¡±

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    There was no malice in the man¡¯s words, just facts.

    I must¡¯ve misjudged Chief Alton. The man seemed more worried about Elincia¡¯s well-being than following whatever orders he had.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chief. We have business in the Farlands, fog-spitting monsters or not.¡± Elincia said with a tone that did not allow space for discussion.

    I could see, however, the reason why Chief Alton wanted us out of the Farlands. Elincia¡¯s leg was wounded, and my mana pool drained. And there was the fact my body was as bruised as a ripe plum. In my current state it would be hard to even grab a sword, and Chief Alton must have known.

    ¡°Knife-ears, to me!¡± Chief Alton yelled.

    A half-elf woman with short platinum hair and amber eyes appeared out of nowhere. I recoiled. The damned cloaks had to be infused with a concealment spell, there was no other explanation for the Sentinel¡¯s inhuman ability to blend with the scenery.

    ¡°Say, Mama-Bear?¡± The woman replied with a wide smile on her face.

    I refused to accept that ¡®Mama-Bear¡¯ was Chief Alton¡¯s codename.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say you are a Black Wolf¨C¡± Chief Alton was interrupted by the woman¡¯s howl. Her imitation, although weaker than the real thing, was surprisingly believable. ¡°You are hungry¨C¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always hungry.¡± The woman pointed out.

    Chief Alton was unfazed by the interruptions.

    ¡°You are a hungry Black Wolf, and you find a tasty Scholar¨C¡±

    ¡°He looks tasty though.¡± She pointed out, examining me from head to toe.

    Elincia put an arm in front of me as Knife-ears stepped forward.

    ¡°If you are able to fend off Knife-ears, I¡¯ll allow you to continue with your little trip.¡± Chief Alton concluded. ¡°Otherwise I¡¯ll drag you back to Farcrest. I¡¯m sure it will be no problem for a group of six combatants to subdue two soft-hands.¡±

    Chief Alton glanced at me, and I understood what he really wanted to say. ¡®We are stronger than you even with your mana tricks.¡¯ I didn¡¯t doubt he was right. We were fighting in their domain after all.

    Elincia hobbled forward before I could react.

    ¡°Finally I had a reason to smack your stupid smile off of your face.¡± She grinned, prompting the Sentinel to raise her fists in a comical manner.

    ¡°You are already out of combat, brat. The Scholar is the one doing the fighting.¡± Chief Alton cut out the girls¡¯ brawl before it could even start. ¡°The rules are simple. Don¡¯t let Knife-ears touch you. Use any trick up your sleeve. Three minutes.¡±

    I needed to think of a plan right now. Even with the half-orc¡¯s potion and the night of sleep, my mana pool felt depleted. A quick glance at my character sheet revealed that my [Mana Depletion] was still at an advanced level.

    Chief Alton must¡¯ve misinterpreted my grimace because he quickly added. ¡°She¡¯s a high-level Ranger, don¡¯t worry about hurting her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s in bad taste to reveal a lady¡¯s class.¡± Knife-ears pouted.

    ¡°Luckily the only lady here is Elincia.¡± Chief Alton pointed out.

    A moment later, with the help of Big-tusk¡¯s powerful voice, the group of Sentinels had cleared a wide circle. About twenty paces from me, there was the half-elf Sentinel stretching her legs. At least she had the courtesy of removing her chameleonic cloak. Elincia wasn¡¯t particularly happy when Knife-ears revealed an adjusted ninja-like outfit.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry soft-boy, I¡¯ll be gentle!¡± Knife-ears proclaimed with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°I am the epitome of masculinity!¡± I replied from my corner in an attempt to burn a couple more seconds before starting our bout.

    Half-elves were fast, and I assumed Rangers were even faster. Running was out of the question, if Knife-ears was half as fast as Elincia, I was done. My brain buzzed as I tried to think about a solution for my predicament. [Stun Gaze] and [Intimidation] probably wouldn¡¯t work against someone with a much higher level, and my holograms weren''t going to deceive her. Even without sensory skills to tell apart the real deal from the illusions, my holograms were always blue.

    I wonder if I could summon lenses with my new skills. That way I could reflect light and make myself invisible. I shook my head. Optics were too complex to just improvise as the fight happened. Body enhancement? Messing around with my own muscles to improve my speed was out of the question. Too dangerous without proper experimentation.

    I wished I had some sort of flash powder to blind my challenger.

    ¡°Oh.¡± I muttered.

    Big-tusk announced the start of the bout and Knife-ears lunged forward at dizzying speeds. Closing my eyes, I focused on my mana pool. [Mana Manipulation] wasn¡¯t about moving mana, it was about forcing mana to adopt the shape I wanted with willpower alone.

    I opened my arms wide and clogged my ears with mana plugs. I just hoped Big-tusk was a good healer because I didn¡¯t know how loud this was going to be.

    Knife-hears grinned only a few meters from me.

    I violently brought my hands together.

    My clap boomed through the clearing in the forest with the strength of thunder. Suddenly, Knife-ears¡¯ smile turned into a pained wince before she stumbled and fell, face first, to the muddy ground.

    [Awareness]: It¡¯s super effective.

    ¡°My ears!¡± Knife-ears yelled as she tried to stand up with little success.

    ¡°Big-tusk, attend Knife-ears. The damned Scholar wins.¡± Chief Alton said as he massaged his ears. The only one of the group who didn¡¯t seem to suffer the effects of my thunderclap was Elincia.

    I felt bad for giving everyone temporary tinnitus, but a win was a win.

    Chief Alton must¡¯ve fulfilled his quota for sociability because, after ensuring Knife-ears was in shape, he quickly prepared his group to depart. I wasn¡¯t surprised he was upholding his word. Just like Captain Kiln, Chief Alton seemed more loyal to the inhabitants of Farcrest than to the Marquis.

    The Chief handed us our backpacks and a thick and coarse woolen blanket that had seen too many moons in the Farlands. I received the gift, and I realized it was warm.

    ¡°It¡¯s enchanted, you wouldn¡¯t need to start a fire to remain warm.¡± Chief Alton explained as he turned to face Elincia. ¡°And you, brat, take good care of your Battle Scholar.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Chief. Will do.¡± Elincia bowed her head.

    Without saying a word, the old man walked north. The Sentinels followed him and disappeared like specters in the mist.

    ¡°If you want to make more loud sounds, come visit me from time to time. You know where to find me.¡± Knife-ears blew a kiss goodbye.

    Elincia showed her the finger before she disappeared in the thick fog.

    ¡°To be completely candid, I don¡¯t know where to find her.¡± I pointed out once we were left alone.

    ¡°You better not try.¡± Elincia grinned.

    Luck might not be a System recognized stat, but I was sure I had spent all my luck reserves for the foreseeable future. We sat on the ground against one of the felled trees. The battle¡¯s uproar should¡¯ve driven away every neighboring monster and my body could use another couple hours of rest. Elincia seemed to think the same because she covered us with the enchanted blanket.

    After all the fighting, I felt empty. However, it felt nice to have Elincia by my side.

    ¡°I feel like the Stone Giant sat on me last night.¡± Elincia grunted.

    ¡°Same. Want to see the bruise on my shoulder?¡±

    ¡°I would love to.¡±

    I pulled my shoulder out of my shirt revealing the most unholy abomination of clotted blood I have ever seen. The bruise was a purple, green, and black mess, with the vague shape of a hand gripping around my shoulder.

    Elincia couldn¡¯t help but press on it with two fingers.

    ¡°It¡¯s disgusting.¡± She pointed out, absorbed by the spectacle of such a monstrosity of a bruise. I didn¡¯t fail to notice that Elincia might be into battle scars.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t have cool injuries to show you.¡± I jokingly said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we can work things out.¡± She gave me a wicked smile as she drew her ankle knife.

    I sighed. She was totally into scars.

    ¡°Better cut me a piece of bread, I¡¯m starving.¡± I bumped her shoulder.

    My feelings could wait, I was happy we were alive. I just hoped whatever monster was producing this fog, it was several valleys away from us.

 37 - Sheer heart attack

    Elincia sat against a fallen tree and handed me a slice of dried meat and a bit of stiff bread. It has been almost an entire day since the last time I ate something and I was starving. The forest around us had been laid to waste. Not only had the trees been ripped apart and thrashed, but the same dirt under our feet had been completely ravaged. The area looked like someone had fed cocaine to a bulldozer.

    We ate in silence and then we remained seated until the weak autumn sun was high in the sky. Every single muscle of my body was aching and yet, I couldn¡¯t wait to resume the journey. The white fog was denser than before and it made me feel paranoid.

    Starting an illegal potion business might have been a bad idea, and part of me wanted to just get this over with. My mana reserves weren¡¯t at anything I could call comfortable. Even with all the time we had rested, I couldn¡¯t see myself fighting another opponent like the Stone Giant.

    I felt relieved when Elincia gave me the heads up to break camp.

    ¡°We almost died yesterday.¡± I said as I stuffed the blanket inside my backpack. No matter how dumb it sounded, I needed to get it off my chest and set the record straight. If I was alive, it was due sheer luck. No matter how much my [Mana Manipulation] had improved, in the end, I was at the mercy of the Stone Giant.

    I expected a snarky remark as a response, but instead, Elincia hugged me from behind. The warmth of her body and the steadiness of her arms made me feel better.

    ¡°I can tell you are not used to this, Rob, you don¡¯t need to pretend.¡± Elincia softly said. Her arms tightened around my chest.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid who needs comfort, you know?¡± I awkwardly said. Nothing had prepared me for this kind of attention. Since my parents had died, I could count with the fingers on one hand the number of people who had treated me like a kid.

    Elincia rested her chin on my shoulder, her face a few centimeters from mine.

    ¡°You can drop the tough-guy act around me, you know? We are a team. You lend me a shoulder, and I¡¯ll lend you mine.¡± Elincia tightened her embrace to the point I knew I wasn¡¯t just going away.

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll take it into consideration.¡± I replied.

    I felt Elincia deflating against my back.

    ¡°Let me say this clearly so your Scholar brain can understand. Your free trial of keeping secrets from the Governess has ended. To break free you must tell me what¡¯s on your mind.¡± Elincia said.

    I sighed. Elincia had kept her promise of not pushing the topic of my private life for a while but I could tell she was worried. The elven woman had a keen eye to detect troubled orphans and now she was using that skill on me. And she was right, I was troubled.

    The fight against the Giant had made it clear that neither of us were guaranteed to make it back to the orphanage in one piece.

    I took a deep breath and put my thoughts in order. The perspective of this being the last opportunity I had to talk to Elincia made the words flow with ease.

    ¡°I admire you.¡± I said with my eyes fixed on my backpack.

    The words sounded a lot more awkward than I anticipated.

    ¡°I admire what you do for the orphanage, for the kids. I admire your selflessness. You are a great woman and I¡¯m glad we had the chance to get to know each other.¡± I said.

    Elincia remained silent at first and I could feel her confused glance over me.

    ¡°Admiration? Aren¡¯t you doing practically the same as me? You know, taking care of the same orphanage with the same kids?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡± I said.

    ¡°Does this have something to do with the reason you act like a maniac every time you get a chance to do something risky?¡± Elincia asked once again.

    I wasn''t liking the direction the conversation was taking. Despite her promise of letting me go if I tell her what¡¯s on my mind, she kept hugging me.

    ¡°I already told you what was on my mind.¡± I replied.

    Elincia sighed and let me go. When I turned around, I discovered she had a smile from ear to ear on her face. It has been a while since I saw Elincia smiling without a hint of mischief in her expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so highly of me. Usually, people judge me too harshly.¡± Elincia said with an increasingly teasing tone. ¡°I might get accustomed to the compliments, though.¡±

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°I¡¯m not feeding you more compliments. It was a ¡®one time only¡¯ thing.¡± I replied, rolling my eyes.

    Elincia took a step forward and put her finger on my lips.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ruin the moment.¡± She said with a mischievous smile.

    If anything, I was glad Elincia wasn¡¯t trying to get more answers.

    * * *

    As we went deeper into the Farlands, the white fog became worse to the point it was hard to see my own steps.

    From time to time, we found uprooted trees and turned up soil that pointed to the presence of other Stone Giants. With my obscured vision, I couldn¡¯t help but feel paranoid. Every time we found a vestige, we remained still, searching for any sound that could give up the presence of monsters. We didn¡¯t stumble upon any dweller of the Farlands but my paranoia kept on growing.

    By mid day, we found a small creek so we stopped to rest and fill our waterskins. Despite our near death experience, Elincia was in a good mood. Unlike me, she was truly an adventure junkie.

    ¡°We have to go upstream and hug the mountainside to the north.¡± She said between sips of water.

    ¡°Can you really navigate with this fog?¡± I asked in disbelief.

    The dense fog had such a thick concentration of mana that I could barely sense my own mana pool. I couldn¡¯t help but feel we were wasting time walking mindlessly instead of actively searching for ingredients.

    ¡°I know the path by heart.¡± Elincia said with a smug face.

    Near the creek, I found a few clumps of low magic concentration Barrel Root and Moon Laurel. It wasn¡¯t a lot but we were reaching the territory untouched by the Alchemists Guild.

    ¡°Leave them.¡± Elincia said as I crouched to harvest the herbs.

    ¡°When do we start looking for ingredients then?¡± I asked.

    Elincia gave me a know-it-all glance.

    ¡°Bees don¡¯t just wake up in the morning and go on a rampage for pollen, silly. They first fly away from the hive ignoring all the flowers and just start collecting pollen during the flight back. That way they don¡¯t carry around any extra weight.¡±

    It made a lot of sense considering our provisions took up most of the space in our backpacks. However, a backpack with a lot of space and no food wasn¡¯t good either.

    ¡°What if we have to go further into the Farlands to find ingredients? Then we will not have enough food for our return.¡± I said nervously.

    ¡°We will not have to go further than we planned. You will see.¡± Elincia replied with a mysterious expresion. I could tell she was keeping a secret but I decided to trust her. The Farlands were her territory after all.

    The rest of the second day was uneventful. We continued walking the rocky path, always going north and west. By the end of the day, the path went into the forest once again. Despite the protection given by trees and the fog, I couldn¡¯t help but feel paranoid. With the fog hindering our vision, any little sound put me on high alert.

    ¡°We should set camp in a place with better visibility.¡± Elincia said.

    We endured the hike a bit more. As the road returned to the mountainside, a chorus of howling broke the silence of the evening. I froze. The pack of Black Wolves was near.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going, before they find us.¡± Elincia whispered to my ear as we pushed forward.

    We walked in silence, gazing towards the forest for any sign of the pack. At times I could see their yellow eyes like fireflies against the fog. My mind tormented me with images of Wendigos stalking us from behind the trees. I tightened the grip of my sword but no wolf dared to abandon the protection granted by the forest.

    Hour after hour we continued walking in silence until the sun fell behind the western mountains. After what seemed to be an eternity, the yellow eyes suddenly disappeared and only the sound of the gravel under my feet disturbed the night.

    We climbed a rock formation protected from the winds and finally Elincia dropped her backpack to the ground. I copied her, feeling a bit more safe between the rocks. From our position we had a clear view of the strip of land between the forest and the rocks, or at least as much as the fog allowed us to see.

    ¡°We will be reaching our destination by tomorrow.¡± Elincia said, collapsing over a stone. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a lot of monsters in this area.¡±

    Down in the forest, the wolves started howling again.

    ¡°They are scared. You can tell by the sound.¡± Elincia said, glancing into the foggy darkness as if she was able to follow the wolf pack¡¯s movements by ear.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that concerning?¡± I replied pulling out the enchanted blanket Chief Alton had given us. There were delicate strands of red mana threaded on the fabric and I wondered if I could do something similar if I had access to elemental mana.

    ¡°They won¡¯t leave the forest.¡± Elincia grunted as she stood and pointed at me with a finger. ¡°I¡¯m going to check the perimeter. Don¡¯t you dare follow me.¡±

    That was her secret code for bathroom time.

    I took off my shoes and massaged my feet, hoping to be able to walk by the morning. Now that I was alone, the feeling someone was preying on me from within the fog increased. I tried to keep my mind blank from paranoid thoughts but that just made it worse.

    Less than a minute had elapsed when Elincia came back from her bathroom break. In complete silence, she walked directly to her backpack and started pulling out all her belongings, forming a neat pile by her side. Whatever she was searching for, it seemed to be at the bottom.

    ¡°Did you lose something?¡± I asked from my comfortable position against a rock.

    Elincia mumbled something I didn¡¯t get and continued searching. After a moment, curiosity got me and I sat by her side, looking inside the backpack. Instead of shushing me, Elincia mindlessly handed me her belongings until the backpack was completely empty.

    Elincia had a strange expression on her face. It wasn¡¯t concern but it was close. She grabbed her alchemist toolkit and started examining it with a professional eye. If something was wrong with it, I couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t peek, did you?¡± Elincia¡¯s voice came from behind me.

    I turned my head to see a second Elincia standing against the rocks. A shiver ran down my spine. Both my arms and legs suddenly weakened. I had to fight against my muscles to turn around and look at the fake Elincia by my side. There was something inhuman in her eyes.

 38 - Family meeting

    I crawled back until my back hit the rock wall. Terror slowly threatened to freeze my joints as the fake Elincia glared at me. Our hideout protected by the rocky formation, which had been a blessing to hide us from monsters, now had turned into a cage. A cage where there was only me and the monster in Elincia¡¯s appearance.

    I surveyed our camp. My sword was at the opposite side, just behind the monster. My mind raced through my options. [Stun Gaze] and [Intimidate] could bounce if the fake Elincia¡¯s level was too high. Maybe I should try the flashless flashbang. As far as I knew, high levels weren''t enough to dodge sound.

    At my command, mana swirled around my hands. The fake Elincia showed me its teeth in a fierce expression that sent shivers down my spine. This time, I wasn¡¯t holding back. The creature had to be stopped.

    I didn¡¯t get to compress air to create a shockwave. The fake Elincia snapped its finger and the mana surrounding my hands slipped through my fingers in a black mist. Somehow, my mana had been rendered useless. I felt defenseless.

    For an instant, I feared all my mana had been canceled but my mana blade appeared on the palm of my hand. My technique was short lived however, as the creature reacted before I could swing. With a second snap, the sharp-edged blade was melted into a cascade of blue sparks.

    The fake Elincia looked at me directly in the eye and bared its small white fangs.

    ¡°Oh, shit.¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Oh, shit.¡± The creature parroted.

    Elincia, the real one, laughed hysterically at the edge of the rock formation, grabbing her stomach with both hands. As much as I loved the sound of her laughter, now I wanted to close her mouth with a gag. This was the sickest practical joke I had ever seen.

    I didn¡¯t remember seeing a clone illusion skill in Elincia¡¯s character sheet.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a Mimic, it¡¯s a Changeling. They are harmless.¡± Elincia said as she wiped the tears from the corner of her eye.  My face must have been pale as snow because Elicia fell into a second fit of laughter.

    This experience was going to leave a psychological scar in my mind.

    I glared at Elincia¡¯s clone and identified it.

    Changeling Lv.1. Magical Abomination. [Identify] Despite their bad reputation, these creatures are as curious as they are non-aggressive. Weakness: Magic, Light magic, Dispel magic.

    My identification was interrupted suddenly when the Changeling threw Elincia¡¯s spare bra at my face. The cackling elven woman was unfazed by it, or maybe she was too busy trying to endure the abdominal cramps from excess laughing.

    ¡°Shit! Shit!¡± The Changeling said. It didn¡¯t seem happy I was trying to identify it.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not identifying you again.¡± I raised my hands and apologized even if the creature couldn¡¯t actually understand me.

    That seemed to reassure the Changeling because it turned its attention back towards Elincia¡¯s belongings. The creature was particularly interested in the enchanted instruments from Elincia¡¯s alchemy kit.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, creature.¡± Elincia clapped her hands to catch the Changeling¡¯s attention. Her trick worked because the Changeling stepped back from her backpack and sat on the ground, glancing at us with its smart eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, creature!¡± The Changeling parroted back but kept its hands away from any of our belongings.

    It took me well over a minute to no longer feel like I was having a cardiovascular episode

    ¡°I require an explanation.¡± I said as Elincia entered the camp with a bundle of dry sticks and bark. She had finally managed to put reins to her laughter.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Explanation.¡± The Changeling added with Elincia¡¯s voice.

    ¡°The Changeling found me when I was¡­ patrolling.¡± Elincia explained with a smug grin. ¡°I thought I was going to die, but it just adopted my appearance and continued walking towards our camp.¡±

    ¡°So you let a potential Mimic stalk me?!¡± I said, trying to suppress my displeased tone.

    ¡°If it were a Mimic it would¡¯ve killed us on sight. The fact it let me¡­ patrol in peace was enough to know it was just a rogue Changeling.¡± Elincia shrugged as she grabbed her bra from my hand and proceeded to tuck it back into her backpack. ¡°It will get bored in a minute, and it will leave.¡±

    The vision of two identical Elincias was disturbing but my heart rate slowly returned to its normal pace. If I was fifteen years older, I would have died of a heart attack.

    ¡°Come on, Rob, don¡¯t be mad at me.¡± Elincia said. ¡°Pretty please?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not mad, just disappointed.¡± I replied.

    If I ever had the chance to bring Elincia to my world I was going to make sure she paid for her transgression. Starting with serving her sparkling water. That would teach her not to mess with people.

    As Elincia packed her belongings, I focused on the Changeling.

    ¡°Hey! Can you understand me?¡± I snapped my fingers to get the creature¡¯s attention like Elincia had.

    The Changeling didn¡¯t utter a word but dragged its butt over to me and sat down with its legs crossed. It wasn¡¯t just Elincia¡¯s appearance. From her graceful movements to the way she tilted her head slightly to the side, the creature imitated Elincia¡¯s mannerisms to perfection.

    Even Elincia¡¯s intense emerald eyes were perfectly duplicated as it stared at me with a curious, not completely human, expression.

    ¡°Can you speak?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Can you speak?¡± The Changeling replied.

    Even the way it spoke was exactly the same as Elincia.

    ¡°What else can you do?¡±

    I felt as if someone was identifying me as the Changeling flashed one of Elincia¡¯s smuggest grins, and I knew I was going to regret asking that question. The Changeling snapped its fingers, and a black mist surrounded its body, rendering it completely invisible. The mist didn¡¯t last very long because an instant later the Changeling reappeared, looking like a perfect copy of myself.

    Almost.

    It wasn¡¯t a perfect copy of my current self. It was a copy of me years ago.

    Long messy hair, sunken eyes, thin arms, curved back, unkempt beard. The Changeling had even copied the bleach stains on my black NASA shirt and the frayed edges on the exercise pants I used as pajamas.

    I wondered if the Changeling had chosen that appearance as revenge for my attempt to stab it. It was smart enough to understand my commands, so it could be smart enough to hold a grudge. On the other hand, I had a pile of even more hurtful memories from which to choose if the Changeling really wanted to hurt me.

    I glanced at my old self with a mix of contempt and irritation.

    I should¡¯ve gone to the therapist before things spiraled out of control.

    Elincia lit a small fire inside a hole and sat by my side without realizing that the creature had adopted a new form.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that? Someone you knew?¡± Elincia asked.

    The Changeling yawned and brushed its hair backwards, revealing my jaded face.  Only then Elincia realized she was seeing a younger version of myself. She opened her mouth to say something but ultimately closed it without uttering a word.

    It might have been due to the smoke from the campfire, but her eyes were getting watery.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can ask if you are curious.¡± I reassured her. Even if the vision of my past self was unsightly, time has helped me to be at peace with myself. What we were seeing was a version of me that was long gone.

    ¡°Are you sure? If it is too painful¡­¡± Elincia placed her hand on my shoulder and examined my face to ensure I was telling the truth. Even though it was a tender gesture, it only served to make me more self-conscious.

    ¡°If I ended up like that, it¡¯s because I kept a lot of things to myself.¡± I said.

    ¡°Like you generally do?¡± Elincia pointed out with a gentle tone.

    Once again I felt like a kid being lectured.

    ¡°Guilty as charged, Your Honor.¡± I giggled.

    The whole situation was too surreal to not laugh. The fact I needed a magical creature to remind me of a lesson I had learned a decade ago was ironic to say the least. I could consider myself fortunate to have such an opportunity, most people just counted on a therapist for things like this.

    ¡°I wonder why people dislike creatures like you.¡± I said in a mocking tone.

    ¡°People dislike creatures like you.¡± The Changeling parroted.

    The creature understood more than I expected.

    ¡°I need you to change again. Can you do it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, creature!¡± The Changeling replied before snapping its fingers.

    The black cloud of mana shrouded my old self just to disappear an instant later. My eyes almost got teary as the Changeling showed its new form. In front of me there was a face I thought I was never going to see again.

    ¡°Elincia, I present to you my father.¡± I said.

 39 - Family meeting II

    Elincia covered her mouth as she glanced at the Changeling¡¯s new appearance. A tall man with wide shoulders, blond hair, a strong jaw, and fair eyes. It was a perfect copy of my long deceased father.

    The Changeling had managed to capture details about my father I thought I had forgotten. His right shoulder stood higher than the left due to an old accident at the logging station, he also had a missing piece of ear, and his ring finger lacked a nail. I had never considered how battered my old man¡¯s body was, but I remember the stories he used to tell me when I was little. Most of them involved gruesome accidents with machinery and lots of blood.

    He used to say he was lucky to have all his digits.

    The Changeling also had captured my father¡¯s essence to perfection; his warm smile, his comforting presence, and the inexplicable feeling that everything was going to be alright if he was around to solve things. Or maybe, it was the feelings of my five-year-old self filling the gaps in the creature¡¯s work.

    A sense of peace seized me but I also felt an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy.

    ¡°The one and only, James Clarke.¡± I said, my voice catching slightly.

    Elincia grabbed my hand and squeezed it. Despite the fact her eyes were watery, her voice came out steady.

    ¡°He looks so carefree and kind.¡±

    Elincia didn¡¯t mention how different he was from me.

    ¡°You would¡¯ve loved him. He¡¯s quite the camping partner.¡± I replied with a weak smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to thank him for not raising a wimpy Scholar then.¡± Elincia squeezed my hand once again.

    There was so much I had to thank my father for.

    The Changeling combed back its thin blond hair with its hand. I had always hated that gesture because it left the hair in the exact same place as it was in the first place. My father always replied it was a habit from his hippie days, which further bothered me. I had never seen a picture of my father¡¯s alleged hippie phase no matter how deep I dug at grandma¡¯s place. There weren¡¯t any vinyls of psychedelic rock either, just cassettes with old country songs. If that wasn¡¯t enough to dismiss his hippie past, my old man was also adamantly against the legalization of pot.

    The words stuck in my mouth like leather boots in the mud. ¡°I haven¡¯t told this to anyone before but the reason I act like a maniac is him.¡±

    Not even Laura, my ex, was aware about the issues I had with my father after a decade of relationship. She just assumed it was part of my overall personality and I couldn¡¯t blame her. There were no secrets between us, not until near the end in any case. Laura couldn¡¯t have guessed I kept something so important for her.

    I was a good liar.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk about it if you don¡¯t feel like it.¡± Elincia said, caressing the palm of my hand with her thumb. More than the Governess comforting one of her kids, the contact felt intimate.

    The Changeling raised its eyebrows just like my father did when he expected me to admit wrongdoing. It might be a coincidence but that night I had a lot of confessions to make. Elincia deserved the truth after everything she had done for me.

    ¡°I want to tell you this. It might sound strange, but I want you to know everything about me.¡± I said, feeling like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

    Effects of denial are subsiding. You have obtained Denial Lv. 3. Temporary.

    For the first time, I didn¡¯t feel like rebelling against the System. Sure, the System was still playing some sort of sick mind game with me, but I didn¡¯t care anymore.

    ¡°Before you say anything, I¡¯m aware I¡¯m a weirdo.¡± I said.

    ¡°Just in the right amount.¡± Elincia replied, softly bumping onto my shoulder.

    The contact gave me courage to keep talking.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware I act like a maniac quite often. It¡¯s not a new behavior and I can¡¯t do anything to avoid it.¡± I said. ¡°Everything. Choosing a teaching career, working an obscene amount of hours every week at the expense of my relationship, donating all my herbs to the orphanage while having no money, picking a fight with the Marquis, choosing the orphanage over the Imperial Library. Every decision I¡¯ve made was because of him.¡±

    Elincia leaned closer, her presence comforted me as I tried to put words to feelings I had never communicated. My chest ached, as if my body rejected the idea of displaying my vulnerability. It was ironic. A hundred times I had told my students to freely express their feelings and yet I couldn¡¯t do it myself.

    ¡°My father wasn¡¯t my real father. My real one was long gone by the time I was born. James Clarke wasn¡¯t my biological father and yet he devoted his life to me. He spent his life looking after me when he could¡¯ve been doing a hundred different things. He was the best father I could ever hope for.¡± I said, my voice almost breaking with accumulated emotions. ¡°Deep down, I¡¯m a weak person. But, somehow, my father managed to harden me, to turn me into an actual human being.¡±

    Elincia¡¯s fingers intertwined with mine, offering me her silent support.

    ¡°He died before I could repay him, so I figured I had to do the same thing he did for me. I became a teacher. I worked long hours and amassed all these titles but in the end nothing wasn¡¯t enough to repay him. I have to give more and more, otherwise this sensation of ungratefulness won¡¯t go away.¡± I bitterly said.

    At that point, my voice was barely louder than a whisper.

    ¡°In a sense, I¡¯m just like Holst and the Marquis. I¡¯m using the orphanage for my own selfish benefit. Unlike you, I¡¯m using the kids to settle this debt I have with my father.¡± I said.

    Elincia¡¯s eyes were filled with compassion and tears.

    A lump was forming in my throat but I didn¡¯t know if I should spit or swallow. That was it. I had laid it for her to see, my deepest secrets, my Achilles heel, my bare heart. If she wanted, she could crush it with a single word.

    Elincia shook her head.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s okay for your motivations not to be completely pure. I also think it¡¯s okay to want to repay kindness with kindness. You are not in the wrong there, Rob.¡± Elincia cupped my cheek and forced me to look at her face. ¡°I might be a little biased, but you are nothing like them. You are here in the mud, day after day, teaching the kids while others turn a blind eye. That makes you far from selfish and you should know it.¡±

    I took a deep breath, trying to steady my words, but Elincia¡¯s words had struck a chord inside me.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t change the fact I¡¯m haunted by these feelings. No matter how much I do, it never feels like enough.¡± I said.

    ¡°You can¡¯t pour from an empty cup, Rob.¡± Elincia interrupted me.

    ¡°I can¡¯t stop. I¡¯ve been like this for too long, this is what I am.¡± I replied, my voice filled with desperation. During the last years I had abandoned my teaching career thinking the feeling would go away but little did I know. It made things worse.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Elincia gently combed my hair out of my face.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. If you are going too fast I¡¯ll slow you down and I¡¯ll remind you that you are not incompetent for slowing down as long as you keep going.¡±

    The weight on my shoulders felt a little lighter. I¡¯d been an idiot for pretending I could accomplish everything by myself. I glanced at Elincia¡¯s eyes and noticed she was doing her best to not burst into tears. A weak smile tugged my lips. I just needed to find the right person to lean on and ask for help when I needed it.

    ¡°Thank you for having my back.¡± I wasn¡¯t able to completely hide the gratitude in my words but it didn¡¯t bother me. After our conversation, Elincia knew me better than anybody else.

    ¡°Always. No matter what happens.¡± Elincia winked back, letting go of my hand.

    We faced the Changeling, the embodiment of my insecurities, but it had already changed its form. Not having to see my father in the face again was relieving. However, my respite didn¡¯t last long. The Changeling had adopted another appearance who would haunt me by the next month. This time, the Changeling looked like when I was a kid.

    I stretched out my hand to cover Elincia¡¯s eyes but it was too late. My chubby baby face, my bowl cut, my round glasses, a shirt with sassy text printed on it, every single aspect of my most awkward phase was on display for Elincia to see.

    ¡°Oh my, you were so cute!¡± She said as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

    ¡°Can we not dwell on that phase of my life? I was a walking disaster without fashion sense.¡± I said, hiding my face in my hands.

    Elincia¡¯s laugh was warm, without any trace of mockery.

    ¡°Oh, come on, Rob. You were adorable.¡± She teased, pulling my hands from my face so I could observe my past self silently performing a Kamehameha. The form was perfect, which added even more to my embarrassment.

    I begrudgingly spread my fingers. Regardless of how my past self looked and acted, Elincia had the incredible skill to make me feel comfortable with it. For a moment I thought it wasn¡¯t that bad. Then the Changeling stopped with the ki techniques and just stood in front of us. It was worse than I expected. My awkward mannerisms and my goofy expression were almost enough to kill me.

    ¡°Aged like fine wine.¡± Elincia poked my ribs, sending a painful signal across my body.

    ¡°You know two people can play this game, don¡¯t you?¡± I grinned, my face still blushed.

    It took a second for Elincia to realize the meaning of my words.

    ¡°Robert, no.¡± Elincia tried to cover my mouth just to turn around to face the Changeling. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± The creature replied.

    Before Elincia could do anything, the Changeling morphed into a tornado of black mana particles. Just as I did a minute before, Elincia tried to cover my eyes but it was too late. Standing in front of me there was a younger version of Elincia. Short fashionable hair, black eyeliner, black leather jacket and high boots, and a whole lot of belts.

    Her smug defiant expression made her look like a seasoned corsair.

    The orphanage must have been through its golden age, because Elincia¡¯s clothing looked brand new. What¡¯s more, that dark, slightly ¡®piratesque¡¯ style fit her to perfection. Unlike my ungainly past self, the young Elincia looked like the real deal.

    ¡°That was my Sky Pirate phase.¡± Elincia sighed as the Changeling walked around with the elegance of a peacock and the killing intent of a cat.

    ¡°Elincia¡­¡±

    ¡°Robert, no. You have to be kidding me. I looked ridiculous. Look at that aberration. You can tell from miles away I was not mentally all there.¡± Elincia replied, consternated. ¡°No, no, no, and a thousand times no. I refuse to look like that ever again.¡±

    A man could dream.

    * * *

    The third day of our expedition into the Farlands was a strange one. As usual, Elincia opened the march with me closely behind, but this time we had a third companion closing the march. Despite Elincia¡¯s prediction, the Changeling didn¡¯t get bored of us. For some reason it had grown fond of me and refused to leave my side.

    Elincia was annoyed with the Changeling copying her younger version so I convinced the small monster to adopt a different appearance. For the time being, the Changeling looked like my mother¡¯s dog, an old Bernese Mountain Dog with silky hair and a long hanging tongue.

    I honestly couldn¡¯t resist scratching it behind the ears, even if I knew it was no dog.

    ¡°Who¡¯s a good boy?¡± I asked and the Changeling answered by violently moving its tail.

    The Changeling ran forward and licked Elincia¡¯s hand while she was crouching, glancing at the border of the forest.

    ¡°Damn beast!¡± Elincia yelled.

    ¡°Damn beast!¡± The Changeling barked back in Elincia¡¯s voice, but she snapped around at it with a glare that made it cower.

    The Changeling ran back and hid behind me, whimpering with its tail between its legs.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you control it? It¡¯s going to get us killed.¡± Elincia yelled again.

    As we went up the mountain path, the magical fog had become thinner but still there was a white wall that prevented us from seeing very far.

    ¡°You heard the lady, you help watch over the forest or you are off the team.¡± I said with my hands on my hips.

    The Bernese Mountain Changeling gave a groaning whine before walking away from us while sniffing the ground.

    ¡°I told you it would get tired of us, it¡¯s in their nature. They copy one or two memories and then they leave¡­ or people kick them out.¡± Elincia said as she observed the forest. The mana swirling around her eyes told me she was using one of her skills to amplify her sight.

    I understood why people disliked Changelings, not only did they spy on people¡¯s memories but they also took human form without being one. Even in my world there were various stories about evil Shapeshifters. People seemed to have an instinctive fear for things pretending to be persons.

    ¡°The wolves are still near, they seem to be running away from something. You can¡¯t see it but over the eastern mountains the Rok Harpies are uneasy.¡± Elincia said, pointing towards the mountain range crossing the forest. ¡°We should hurry, I don¡¯t want to get trapped in the Farlands if this turns out to be a Monster Surge.¡±

    We didn¡¯t waste time discussing our next move and resumed the hike. The terrain grew increasingly rough as we climbed the mountainside until the animal trail disappeared completely.

    ¡°We are getting close.¡± Elincia said while trying to catch her breath.

    As we continued through unmarked paths the landscape began to change. The trees grew sparser and the stones larger until we were surrounded by nothing but jagged peaks and expanses of gravel. The wind howled with wrath, threatening to beat us to the ground, but we pressed on, stumbling with rocks and climbing increasingly steep walls of stone.

    I couldn¡¯t help but notice the amounts of mana swirling around us, as if someone had summoned those sudden gusts.

    ¡°One last push!¡± Elincia yelled.

    I pulled my cloak over my head and pushed forward.

    After another hour of climbing with my face down to avoid the cold wind, Elincia grabbed my hand and pointed towards the valley. My mouth opened in awe. The fog had disappeared. Miles and miles of dark forests, deep valleys, jagged peaks, and silver rivers stretched before us like a diminutive diorama. A sudden dizziness seized me. The Farlands pulsated like a living organism packed to the brim with mana, and we were immersed on it.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Elincia fought the wind to make herself heard.

    I gave her a thumbs up as the dizziness abandoned me, leaving only amazement.

    ¡°This would be more fun without the constant threat of monsters!¡± I yelled and my voice echoed against the mountain. Even the wind had suddenly stopped.

    ¡°Are you crazy?! That¡¯s half of the fun!¡± Elincia replied.

    Monsters meant experience, experience meant leveling up, and leveling up meant progress. I rolled my eyes. The memory of the Stone Giant was still fresh in my mind, and yet, I was curious about what kind of skills new levels will bring me. I blamed the hundreds of hours I played RPG games, but maybe I was getting infected by Elincia¡¯s philosophy.

    ¡°Where are we going anyway?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Mister Lowell¡¯s secret harvesting spot. Not even the Sentinels know it exists.¡± Elincia said, unable to contain her excitement.

    My train of thought was crushed by the sight of the Bernese Mountain Changeling sprinting like an arrow directly at us. Suddenly, a gust of wind whipped us mercilessly and I fell to the ground. My eyelashes froze on contact.

    Elincia¡¯s eyes shone with magic.

    ¡°An area spell.¡± She muttered as she pulled me to my feet.

    For an agonizing moment, the gelid wind seemed to penetrate into my very bones. Fingers of ice crept up the mountainside, almost touching the Changeling¡¯s heels. We turned around and ran uphill as far as our legs allowed.

    The loosened rocks made me falter and my lungs burn with liquid fire.

    ¡°The entrance is near!¡± Elincia gasped.

    The Changeling barked from the top of the slope, prompting us to hurry up.

    Elincia grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. When we reached the top, I raised my head and saw a shadowy cave in the mountainside hidden in the depths of a ravine. Behind us, the frozen claws gained ground on us.

    Without a second thought, we slid down the ravine and entered the cave just as the ice encroached the mountainside.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to get us killed!¡± The Changeling yelled as the cave entrance started freezing.

 40 - Sticky Situation

    The ice spell froze the mountainside in a matter of moments. The rocks transformed into glassy ice spheres and the weeds were turned into thin frozen needles. Like the hands of a wraith, the frozen fingers crept down the valley faster than we could get away. As the Bernese Mountain Changeling entered the cave, I stopped on my tracks and turned around. Then, I summoned my mana and raised a barrier over the cave¡¯s entrance.

    I waited for the assault but instead, the frozen fingers lightly touched the barrier. For an instant I thought my spell was going to fade away. Instead, a hundred icy claws bonded together forming a wall of ice that sealed the entrance of the cave.

    Completely out of breath, I heaved a monstrous sigh of relief. My lungs burned and the cold air did not help to make catching my breath a pleasing experience. I heard Elincia panting just behind me while the Changeling whimpered like a beaten dog. None of us dared to utter a word, as if the tiniest sound could disturb the spell.

    We remained silent for a minute but nothing happened.

    The cave was dimly lit by the scarce sunlight that managed to penetrate the ice wall. Gathering all my bravery, I walked closer to the entrance and examined the wall. I could tell it wasn¡¯t normal ice, there was too much mana embedded inside.

    I punched the ice. It felt like hitting a concrete wall.

    My mind raced. I could try to go through it with my mana blade, but maybe the ice spell was still active on the other side. We were trapped.

    ¡°I can hear your brain buzzing from here.¡± Elincia pointed out. Despite the dire situation, her voice came out calm and collected.

    ¡°Buzzing!¡± The Bernese Mountain Changeling parroted.

    The situation was so bizarre I could help but laugh.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was trying to solve things on my own.¡± I said as I turned around and faced Elincia. I had to remind myself I wasn¡¯t alone in this.

    The woman gave me a big grin. ¡°You make me so proud, Rob. Scholars don¡¯t usually mature until they have gray hair and lower back problems.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but love Elincia¡¯s unadulterated joking but, at the same time, I was glad she kept it to the minimum at the orphanage. The ankle biters were naturally troublesome even without external influences. I could only imagine the level of mischief Nokti and Virdian could reach if they knew Elincia¡¯s wild side.

    Thinking about the kids made me focus on the present. We needed a plan.

    ¡°Well, mature lady, we are trapped in a cave with little food. What do we do now?¡± I said, trying to lighten the mood.

    The fact we were ignoring a massive ice spell that required far more magic than I could muster was comical. In my books, gallows humor was the best humor. We were unarmed and that was an improvement compared to our battle against the Stone Giant.

    Whoever cast the spell would have to wait for us to solve our more urgent issues.

    ¡°So, how do we go back?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to hole up here until whatever this is passes, spending countless nights huddling together for warmth. If things get too dire we¡¯ll have to eat the Changeling.¡± Elincia said grimly.

    The Bernese Mountain Changeling backed up into a corner in the cave, loudly whimpering at Elincia.

    ¡°Just kidding, this cave has two entrances.The one in front of you, and the other goes to Mr. Lowell¡¯s secret harvesting spot. We are right where we need to be.¡± Elincia said, stifling a laugh. ¡°Unless the area spell can go through mountains, the other side will be safe.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Now I understood why Elincia was so calm.

    ¡°You must be feeling rather silly right now.¡± She gave me a friendly bump on the shoulder. For some reason, she seemed unfazed by the ice spell despite its magnitude.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be worried?¡± I asked while we walked into the cave.

    ¡°If it¡¯s a monster, the Sentinels will push it back into the deep Farlands.¡± Elincia replied. ¡°If it¡¯s something bigger¡­ Well, we better hurry and return to Farcrest before it goes out of control.¡±

    The fact Elincia considered the freezing area spell ¡®under control¡¯ was even more worrisome than the spell itself.

    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on finding the Great Potato then.¡± I jokingly said.

    Elincia gave me a wide smile and guided me into the cavern.

    As we exchanged playful banter, I took a moment to scan our surroundings. The air inside felt heavy with mana. It wasn¡¯t the same essence as the mana trapped in the ice wall. It was hard to explain, but the mana inside the cave felt natural, unadulterated, as if no mage had touched it ever.

    I walked past Elincia and lit my hand with a blue mana flame. The walls of the cave gleamed with streaks of shiny green and blue like the insides of an opal.

    ¡°Mana Moss, the green one is very sweet.¡± Elincia explained.

    ¡°You just assumed I didn¡¯t know?¡± I asked as I walked towards the stone wall to have a better look. The moss gleamed with the characteristic shine of a traffic signal at night. I couldn¡¯t help but to grab a pinch and taste it. It was sweet like cotton candy.

    ¡°For a Scholar, you don¡¯t know a lot of normal things. I wonder why that is.¡± Elincia teased me as she shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°Can¡¯t hear you, licking moss here.¡± I mockingly replied as I grabbed some blue moss.

    Blue Moss. [Identify] Brewing ingredient. Cooking ingredient. Edible. Magic concentration: Low.

    It was bitter and smelled like coffee. It had been months since I had a cup of coffee and the smell of it made me realize how much of an addict I was.

    The ice spell be damned, this required a thorough investigation.

    I wished the System gave me actual useful information for once instead of the usual snarky prompts.

    While I was busy with the moss, Elincia sat on the floor at the opposite side of the tunnel and pulled out the blanket. The cave was cold to the point I could see my breath but I didn¡¯t bother to figure out if the cave was naturally cold or if the change of temperature had to do with the ice spell. The Berne Mountain Changeling sat near Elincia¡¯s feet and laid its head on its paws. I wished I could grow fur like it had.

    I wished I was at the orphanage with a glass of berry wine in my hand.

    I grabbed a chunk of moss and returned by Elincia¡¯s side. It was hard to tell what hour of the day was, but I was hungry.

    Elincia lifted the blanket and gestured for me to enter. The adrenaline had made me forget how bruised my body really was, but the hard wall helped me to remember.

    ¡°Found something interesting?¡± Elincia asked as she got close to me. The blanket was just barely big enough for two people to fit under it so we had to squeeze together.

    ¡°Coffee flavored moss. I think it will work well as an infusion.¡± I replied, proudly showing Elincia Blue Moss sample.

    She gave me one of her usual worried glances.

    ¡°Is this a Scholar thing? Because I knew a man who loved his Blue Moss Tea. He was friends with Mister Lowell and he loved Blue Moss more than anything in this world. He even built a small moss farm during the time he lived with us at the orphanage.¡± Elincia said, leaning against my side and closing her eyes.

    My eyes fell on her.

    A long scratch on her forehead marked the place where the Stone Golem had hit her. The wound was almost healed but it was going to leave a scar. My stomach knotted up. A centimeter to the left and a different story would¡¯ve been told. I closed my eyes but the picture of Elincia with her skull wide open vividly appeared behind my eyelids.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I felt like a fragile doll standing too close to the edge of the display table.

    Elincia put her hand on my shoulder and I noticed I was tense like a spring ready to jump.

    ¡°If you are scared, you can hug me.¡± She grinned.

    The idea of actually hugging Elincia crossed my mind but I quickly dismissed it. I didn¡¯t want things to get weird between us when we should be focusing on surviving.

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared, I¡¯m a¡­ slime?¡± I replied.

    Suddenly, a slime appeared from the curve of the cave and slowly slid across the floor until it settled over a patch of Blue Moss.

    ¡°Scholars are slimy creatures, I admit it, but you are c¡ª.¡± Elincia suddenly stopped talking and jumped on her feet. ¡°A slime!¡±

    Slime Scion Lv.7. Magical Abomination. Man Eater. [Identify] A spawnling from a Greater Slime designed to scout and eliminate threats to the main body. It is powered by a secondary core hidden within its body.  Weakness: Fire magic, Ice magic.

    The slime quivered for an instant. Then, it suddenly shot itself directly at my face. I rolled across the floor just as the creature splashed against the wall, sprinkling blue drops over my jacket. The smell of burnt leather reached my nostrils and I noticed small scorch marks all over my jacket¡¯s forearm.

    I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounded inside my chest with a mixture of fear and repulsion. The Slime Scion hissed and quivered with malicious intent as the splattered chunks merged together.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it.¡± I said, and the Bernese Mountain Changeling scrambled between my legs. Slimes were supposed to be the weakest of monsters, not acid bags capable of flinging themselves like baseballs.

    My heart skipped a beat when the Slime Scion surged forward again, this time aiming at Elincia.

    The elven woman gracefully dodged the Slime that ended up splattered against the opposite wall. Immediately afterwards, Elincia drew her hunting bow. Mana quickly flowed through her hands and the point of the arrow shone in the darkness of the cave.

    [Awareness]: Elincia is casting [True Shot].

    A moment later her arrow was lodged in its core and Slime was turned into a steamy, gooey mess. Elincia knelt by the monster carcass and retrieved the arrow. I noticed small fragments of shattered crystal among the slimy remains.

    ¡°The body is virtually immune to damage but the core is fragile. Slimes are easy to kill if you know where to aim.¡± Elincia explained as she cleaned the arrow against her thigh and put it inside her quiver. There was no acid reaction.

    The attack had been so sudden that it took me a moment to recover my composure.

    ¡°There has to be a Greater Slime nearby. Let¡¯s hope it hasn¡¯t reached our harvesting spot.¡± Elincia said with a worried voice.

    Two more slimes appeared from the depths of the cave. I quickly grabbed my sword and stood between the monster and Elincia. My reaction had been automatic.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m better at dodging than you, right?¡± She nonchalantly said.

    ¡°Trust me, I learned a trick during the fight against the Stone Giant.¡± I replied.

    I wasn¡¯t risking Elincia¡¯s well being for underestimating a stupid slime.

    The nearest Slime Scion detected us and, just as expected, it quivered and shot forward.

    [Swordsmanship] reacted at the speed of light and sent a signal to my muscles just as the Slime moved. I stepped forward and cut the creature in half, while the acidic drops clashed against my mana shield. Compared to the Stone Giant¡¯s attacks, the barrier barely needed mana to regenerate. With a second quick step and a diagonal slash, I cut the slime in half.

    Elincia gasped.

    ¡°[Mana Shield], really?!¡±

    Breaking the exposed cores was a piece of cake.

    ¡°I¡¯m a man of many talents.¡± I replied with a winning smile.

    ¡°Talents!¡± The Bernese Mountain Changeling parroted as it revved around my legs.

    ¡°No, Rob, that¡¯s no ¡®talent¡¯. Scholars are supposed to use their skills to light up dark libraries, write notes, and observe strange magic phenomena, not to summon mana blades or create impervious mana shields.¡± Elincia said as she helped me with the cores.

    Our discussion was cut short by a third group of slimes. If I had to guess, they knew exactly our position inside the cave. I ran forward with my mana blade flaming in my hand before the Slime Scions could even try to attack us. Their attack patterns were easy to guess so we cleared the next wave with ease despite the increasing numbers.

    I wiped my forehead before speaking again. ¡°We better get out of here before they swarm us.¡±

    Elincia nodded and she guided me deep into the mountain. The cavern meandered and the different passages forked but Elincia followed our path with confidence. I noticed not all the tunnels were natural, some of them were cleanly cut into the rock but there were no signs of the tools used for the work.

    The tunnel screamed magic but I couldn¡¯t imagine the reason someone wanted to dig through a mountain in the middle of the Farlands. A bandit¡¯s hideout maybe?

    There were no slimes in sight, just the glowing moss growing over the walls and the occasional root hanging from the ceiling. The more Slimes we found, the less moss there was. A rogue root whipped my face. We must¡¯ve been close to the surface unless there were plants with really deep roots.

    ¡°This is definitely manmade. Was it Mister Lowell?¡± I asked after a moment of silence.

    The wall was smooth and the floor perfectly flat.

    ¡°Not talking to you until you tell me about your shield skill.¡± Elincia replied with annoyance.

    [Awareness]: She¡¯s pissed.

    ¡®Thanks, Captain Obvious. I¡¯m perfectly capable of reading the situation.¡¯ I silently replied.

    I had the strange premonition of a second System prompt popping up, but in the end nothing happened. It was good to know the System was learning some manners.

    I caught up to Elincia, who had gained quite the distance ahead of me, and softly grabbed her hand before we could reach the next corner. She was startled for a moment but didn¡¯t pull her hand away.

    ¡°I have noticed you hate liars.¡± I said but the words sounded a lot dumber than I had anticipated. Everyone hated liars.

    ¡°How perceptive of you.¡± She replied, raising her thin eyebrow.

    I let her hand go. Elincia leaned against the perfectly cut stone wall and pulled out her waterskin. If I had to guess, it was late afternoon. I could tell Elincia was definitely pissed.

    I grabbed my own waterskin and leaned against the wall by her side.

    ¡°I experimented a lot with [Mana Manipulation] at the orphanage. Mostly failed. I couldn¡¯t replicate anything like my mana blade until the Stone Giant attacked us.¡± I said, remembering how Elincia had been struck down by the Giant¡¯s barrage attack. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s been the meditation that helped me to perfect the control of my mana. Maybe it was the adrenaline of the fight. Maybe it was the fact you were in danger. In any case, I was able to do things I believed impossible even if I don¡¯t fully understand it.¡±

    Elincia nodded and had another sip from her waterskin.

    The first time I used my mana blade, I was also in mortal danger. I scratched my chin, deep in thought. The idea of the System cheating its own rules to help me survive popped in my mind. No. It couldn¡¯t be.

    Elincia¡¯s voice interrupted my train of thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rob. I just remembered how my friends abandoned me. It all started with small lies, and suddenly I was all alone with more than twenty orphans under my care.¡± Elincia said with a small, saddened voice. ¡°The thing is, I kinda like you and¡­¡±

    Suddenly a soft sizzling noise filled the cave and the smell of burnt leather assaulted my nostrils. I looked down to discover a tiny slime nibbling on my boot.

    Slime Scion Lv.1. Magical Abomination. Boot Eater. [Identify]  Weakness: Fire magic, Ice magic.

    I used to be the best striker of my highschool soccer team and this time it wasn¡¯t any different. I kicked the slime with the combined frustration of all the mishaps since the start of our trip into the Farlands. It felt like kicking an actual ball. The creature crossed the tunnel with the speed of an intercontinental cruise missile just to splatter against the opposite wall.

    Slime Scion slain.

    When I thought it was over, a deep rumble came from the corner.

    Multicore Slime Scion Lv.11. Magical Abomination. Man Eater. [Identify] A spawnling from a Greater Slime designed to scout and eliminate threats to the main body. It is powered by multiple secondary cores hidden within its body.  Weakness: Fire magic, Ice magic.

    My blood boiled inside my veins and I had to take two deep breaths and count to ten to avoid entering full goblin mode. I barely made it.

    Suddenly, a flash of light filled the cave and a [Piercing Arrow] went through the Slime¡¯s body, cracking one of the crystalline cores. The creature quivered, ready to retaliate but a second arrow pierced cleanly cut through a second core before it could jump.

    [Awareness]: Two cores down, six to go.

    The main body divided itself into two equally menacing Slimes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the left one.¡± Elincia said with an increasingly annoyed voice as she nocked the next arrow.

    I nodded and charged at the Slime at the right. My mana blade shone over the cave moss. I swung, aiming at the nearest core but the Slime¡¯s insides hardened, diverting the blade. For an instant I was stuck. Then, the Slime grew an appendage and smashed me against the wall.

    The mana shield absorbed the hit and I was greeted by the freezing sensation of mana being drained from my mana pool.

    ¡°You messed with the wrong Scholar.¡± I grunted as I summoned a flying sword over my head. I couldn¡¯t help but feel that the Slime had interrupted a very important moment.

    The flying sword danced and swirled with anger, cutting the Slime¡¯s body and exposing the cores. Getting rid of the pest was a pleasant walk in the park.

    ¡°The exit is near. Let¡¯s hurry before the Slimes locate us again.¡± Elincia said.

    We turned a corner and a bright light blinded me. Elincia yanked me by my hand and dragged me through the exit of the tunnel. I blinked repeatedly until my eyes became accustomed to the brightness of the outside.

    My jaw fell.

    An inner valley covered by a lush green forest and barely touched by autumn, appeared in front of us. A great cascade roared in the western side, dyed red by the afternoon sun, and a foamy, meandering river crossed the valley in its entire length. The air was sweet and the scent of blooming flowers and pollen assaulted my nose, prompting me to sneeze.

    I gazed at the landscape but no words came to my mouth. I felt as if we had stumbled into a hidden world. A secret world among a secret world. The scenery reminded me of the times I had gone hunting with my father, hoping to find something like this, an uncharted piece of land all for us to explore.

    Elincia smiled with satisfaction and offered me her hand.

    ¡°Shall we?¡±

 41 - Dassyra

    The memory of the freezing area spell faded into the background of my mind as Elincia guided me into the lush valley. [Identify] bombarded me with a hundred names. Barrel Roots, Fairy King¡¯s Brooch, Night Lilies, Dire Cress, Thorn Peppers. Mr. Lowell had struck metaphorical gold with this valley, a high level Alchemist could probably brew a whole catalog of potions with the ingredients in sight.

    My hands were itching to start looting. My only regret was not bringing more hands to help carry the harvest. I looked around for the Changeling. If I managed to convince it to adopt a human form maybe I could smuggle it into Farcrest. I whistled but the creature didn¡¯t come. It must have caught wind of my plan to enlist its help, because it was nowhere to be found.

    Other than Elincia, I didn¡¯t know many people in Farcrest. The idea of inviting Ginz next time crossed my mind but I knew the craftsman would decline my invitation. Forcing him to craft the leather cups had already been too much to drag him into the Farlands on top of that.

    I made a mental note to pay him for his service after we sold the potions. Maybe I should add a small gift as compensation. I still felt bad for intimidating him, even if I confirmed my initial suspicions that Ginz had promised to look after the orphanage just to bail out afterwards.

    Elincia hadn¡¯t told me the full story about the orphanage¡¯s decline, but I had a good idea of what happened. After the death of Mr. Lowell, four orphans had sworn to look after the orphanage. Elincia, Elincia¡¯s mysterious best friend, Ginz, and another girl. I didn¡¯t know exactly what had transpired between, but in the end, Elincia was the only person left in charge of the orphanage.

    A small spark of anger lit inside my chest, even if those events had transpired nearly a decade ago. Elincia was so collected and mature that I usually forgot she was just twenty five years old. I sighed. I couldn¡¯t really blame Elincia¡¯s companions when my own reasons to stay at the orphanage weren¡¯t totally selfless.

    I was so deep in thought, I didn¡¯t realize I had been collecting high magic concentration Barrel Root.

    ¡°You are not a really good bee, you know?¡± Elincia told me from the other side of the animal trail. We were supposed to be looking for a small creek to set camp before starting with any harvesting.

    ¡°My people rule over nature with an iron fist, we don¡¯t acknowledge nature¡¯s wisdom.¡± I jokingly replied.

    ¡°Barbaric.¡± Elincia sighed as she signaled to follow her.

    We hiked the animal trail down to the valley. The forest itself seemed more welcoming than the rest of the Farlands, with less brambles and thorny plants. Even the environmental mana felt different, less oppressive. It almost seemed like someone had been maintaining the forest as a garden, but considering the amount of ingredients, I knew nobody had touched the place for a long time.

    Elincia was more relaxed so I joined in the good mood.

    ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while since I came here.¡± She laughed but I detected a hint of nostalgia in her voice. Maybe a bit of bitterness. ¡°Soon after Mr. Lowell died, I came here with Risha and Ginz. We ransacked the place believing we would become rich. The only problem was me being only a Lv. 5 Alchemist who could barely put together a low quality Health Potion, so we ended up selling the ingredients to the Guild. We felt rich, though.¡±

    I waited for Elincia to continue talking, but the next sentence didn¡¯t come.

    ¡°Risha was your friend?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    I understood she preferred to avoid that matter.

    ¡°With your cheating Scholar skills, we will get rich this time, though.¡± Elincia looked over her shoulder to give me a mischievous smile. I didn''t mind cheating the System if that meant helping the orphanage, but we had to find our way back to Farcrest before that could happen.

    ¡°What do you want to buy?¡± I changed the subject. Thinking about Elincia¡¯s struggle really put a weight on my chest. Not a second elapsed before she answered.

    ¡°Well-marbled beef, pork chops, maybe a dozen good sausages. Venison is great but after a decade it gets boring.¡± Elincia said with a dreamy smile on her face. ¡°What about you?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t think of anything I wanted for myself. Shu could use a nice dress, Zaon clothes his size for once, and Wolf bigger shoes soon if he continued growing at such a fast rate. On a smaller scale I would kill for a steady supply of salt and other seasonings to cook with. And if we really made out, then the western wing of the orphanage could use some renovations as well, so that it could be rendered usable again.

    I didn¡¯t get to answer Elincia¡¯s question because the animal trail finally led us to the creek. There was a dying trickle of water running at the center of the bare riverbed.

    ¡°This is weird. At this time of the year it should be full.¡±

    Elincia slipped down the riverbed and crouched next to the stream. I did the same.

    Water (Creek). [Identify] It¡¯s wet. Magic concentration: Low.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check upstream, I don¡¯t want to drink if there is a huge rotting monster corpse blocking the creek.¡± Elincia said.

    We walked upstream until a stone wall stopped us. It wasn¡¯t actually a wall but a series of natural terraces with steps as tall as myself. Between the rocks, a plentiful clump of red foxtails poked out.

    Spirit Fox¡¯s Tail. [Identify] Alchemy ingredient. Brewing ingredient. Magic concentration: Low.

    ¡°Help me climb, it will be faster than taking a detour.¡± Elincia said as she took off her backpack and threw it upwards.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I crouched so she could step on my shoulders but she didn¡¯t hop on.

    ¡°I¡¯m a light footed half-elf, Rob, just grab me by the waist and lift me. I don¡¯t want to smear you with mud and animal waste.¡± Elincia laughed.

    I stood up and placed my hands on Elincia¡¯s slender waist. Then, on the count of three, she jumped and I lifted her. The physics of this world weren¡¯t the same for everybody, because I managed to throw Elincia a meter over my head and she landed safely on top of the terrace.

    Oddly enough, Elincia had no problems withstanding the violent gust of wind during our earlier ascension up the mountains.

    I passed Elincia my backpack before trying to climb.

    ¡°You are heavy.¡± Elincia said as she helped me.

    Luckily, the first stone wall was the tallest one, the next one barely reached my waist.

    ¡°I have been putting up some muscle lately. You can thank the beans for that.¡± I replied. It wasn¡¯t much, but the double training sessions with the kids had helped me improve both my cardio and strength.

    We climbed the stone walls, always following the small thread of water. There were great pools of stone, now completely dry, where no Spirit Fox¡¯s Tail grew. The original stream wasn¡¯t bigger than an irrigation ditch but now was reduced to almost nothing.

    ¡°We should set camp when we reach the top.¡± Elincia said as I helped her to climb the next terrace. ¡°The harvest will have to wait until tomorrow.¡±

    The climb was fairly easy compared to the morning¡¯s odyssey, however, the sun was already reaching the western mountains and the valley was covered in a dying reddish light. Despite the valley being a pocket of spring, I didn¡¯t want to risk a cold night without a good campfire.

    We reached the top of the terraces. There was no sign of whatever was blocking the creek but I noticed rogue streams of water flowing around the trees.

    ¡°It must be nearby, let¡¯s check it out.¡± Elincia said, putting her backpack on her shoulders and resuming the march.

    We left the rocky surface and entered the forest again. Suddenly, a dense and cold fog rose from the forest bed. It was filled with mana. I put my hand to the hilt of my sword just in case and Elincia did the same with her bow.

    ¡°Careful.¡± She whispered.

    Not a minute passed when we found the cause of the blockage. Elincia noticed it first, grabbed my sleeve and pulled me down behind a dense clump of bushes. In the middle of the sea of mist, a giant blue slime the size of a bus blocked the riverbed.

    The slime remained still and my [Awareness] didn¡¯t catch any scions preying on us. There was something wrong with the big slime, its surface was too opaque and its insides were too solid. More than a blob, it looked like a stone.

    I identified it.

    Carcass of a Greater Slime. [Identified] A deceased high level slime with multiple cores. It¡¯s frozen.

    ¡°It¡¯s dead.¡± Elincia whispered.

    A sudden drop in temperature made my hair stand on end.

    ¡°Something is nearby.¡± I whispered.

    Two cloaked figures emerged from the fog, their outlines were ethereal as if they weren¡¯t completely solid. Elincia and I hurdled behind the bushes as the figures glided over the forest bed. My heart raced, there was something extremely creepy in the way they moved but I restrained my need to identify them.

    The wraiths carried something.

    ¡°An orc.¡± Elincia muttered as her grip around my arm tightened.

    One of the wraiths grabbed the limp orc by the armpits while the other carried the legs. The body was covered with a dirty blanket but the muscular green arms and legs protruding from the sides were unmistakable. I couldn¡¯t distinguish if it was dead or alive.

    Elincia clenched her jaw. I didn¡¯t know if the orcs in this world were hostile or friendly, but Elincia¡¯s gesture made me think that it was the latter. My palms were sweaty. Whatever the wraiths were plotting to do with the body, it didn¡¯t seem any good. However, Elincia remained still.

    The orc suddenly woke up. It violently contorted and kicked one of its captors in the head, freeing its legs. The orc elbowed the remaining wraith, gaining enough room to raise its hands in a defensive stance. Only then I understood the real physical span of the orc. She was a tall, muscular woman with arms like trees, yellow tusks, and curly hair black as night. Her leather armor was adorned with tasteful feather ornaments and her head was crowned with a silver tiara.

    The wraith let out a high pitch screech that chilled my blood and revealed its icy claws from beneath its cloak. Elincia and I jumped on our feet but it was too late. The wraith turned into mist just as the orc threw a powerful hook. A moment later, the wraith reappeared behind the orc and violently buried its icy claws in the orc''s abdomen.

    I let my mana blaze and identified the creature in an attempt to catch its attention.

    Ice Wraith Lv.15. Corrupted Spirit. [Identify] An elemental spirit corrupted by a powerful magician. Weakness: Fire.

    The wraith screeched and conjured a dozen floating icicles. With my mana pool partially depleted, I wasn¡¯t going to be able to withstand a full barrage. I needed a diversion.

    I shaped two copies of myself and sent them forward. The Wraith moved its hand and a barrage of icicles cleanly cut through the blue clones just to bury on the ground. The creature couldn¡¯t tell the real thing from the copies.

    I created more clones and sent them running in every direction.

    The Wraith looked around, confused by the sudden amount of enemies, and for a moment stopped casting the icicle spell. I took advantage of the creature¡¯s lapse of concentration, and lunged forward.

    My blade went through the Wraith, vanquishing it in a single strike and leaving behind a ragged cloak.

    Ice Wraith slain.

    Level up!

    Conditions fulfilled. You have obtained a new skill.

    [Minor Illusion] acquired.

    It had been a while since the last time the System kneaded my brain like dough. It felt like someone had literally introduced its hand inside my skull and groped my brain. For a moment I thought I was going to puke but, as suddenly as the sensation appeared, it vanished without a trace.

    ¡°Rob! Bandages!¡± Elincia yelled from the orc¡¯s side.

    I snapped out of my stupor and crossed the distance that separated us with a single step. My first aid training triggered without needing a skill. No matter how fast my heart raced, my hands remained steady as I pulled out medical supplies from my backpack. Kneeling beside the orc, I assessed the extent of the injuries. Blood seeped through Elincia¡¯s fingers as she clutched the wounded abdomen. The breaths of the orc were labored and ragged.

    I pressed the bandages against the wound, giving Elincia enough time to pull her potion pouch. The wound felt like a block of ice and the blood froze around my fingers. I identify the wound.

    Dassyra. Orc. [Identify] A female adult orc. Wounded. Frost Hex.

    The orc woman winced in pain and tried to swat my hands from the wound. No matter how weak or wounded the orc was, I had to push back with all my strength to barely hold the ground.

    Elincia pulled out the cork of a small vial.

    ¡°Clear the area.¡± Elincia said as I removed loose threads of the torn clothes.

    The liquid hissed against the wound while a cloud of fetid vapors raised. I had seen Elincia applying a similar potion on her own wound before, and this time was ten times more gruesome. The orc whined in pain and I couldn¡¯t help but grab her hand.

    ¡°Hey! Do not fall asleep.¡±

    The orc¡¯s face softened as it blinked in a vain attempt to clear her sight.

    ¡°Byrne? Is that you?¡± She replied in perfect English just as she fell unconscious.

 42 - Thanks System

    With the Ice Wraiths vanquished, the mist vanished leaving the lush vegetation untouched. I cleaned the blood from my hands with the trickle of water flowing under the frozen slime. My mind worked overtime as I scrubbed my hands. The wounded orc had said Byrne¡¯s name. Mr. Byrne, the eccentric millionaire whose fortune was managed by the law firm I used to work in, and the owner of the cabin lost in the woods concealing a magic portal in the basement.

    I energetically rubbed my hands together, ignoring the pain from the freezing cold water. The orc¡¯s blood was a deep red hue just like mine. Realizing my hands weren¡¯t going to get any cleaner, I returned to the camp where Elincia was preparing a fire.

    I wasn¡¯t going to get answers until the orc woman recovered from the wound.

    ¡°How is she?¡± I asked, kneeling by the orc¡¯s side.

    The wound showed signs of frostbite and her breathing was still labored.

    ¡°She¡¯ll survive. Orcs are a tough lot, they live here in the Farlands after all.¡± Elincia replied but her expression was of deep concern.

    The sun set behind the western mountains. As the sky darkened, a million stars flooded the night sky forming constellations never seen before. I tried to locate Ursa Major, Cassiopea, and the North Star with no success. With the ambushes and the monsters, I had forgotten about the simple pleasures of nature.

    Once again, the idea of being in a completely different world struck me.

    In comparison to the vast sky, our struggles were small affairs, and yet, the orphanage had become important to me.

    Elincia sat by my side and covered our shoulders with the ragged non-enchanted blanket that had partially survived the Giant¡¯s attack.

    ¡°Stone Giants this far south, Ice Wraiths and a Greater Slime roaming inside Mr. Lowell¡¯s secret valley¡­ I¡¯m afraid Farcrest will soon experience a Monster Surge.¡± Elincia said over the cracking of the campfire. ¡°We have to go back.¡±

    ¡°What about the ingredients?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They will be useless if we die here.¡± Elincia replied. ¡°A lot of people died during the last Monster Surge, both combatants and crafters. It¡¯s hard to forget. Waves of monsters flooded Farcrest from the north while the forest moved to cover the southern road, cutting off the city from the rest of the kingdom. It only lasted a couple weeks but we had to burn the dead instead of burying them, there were just too many.¡±

    Someone had told me Farcrest was there to act as a first line of defense against the Farlands. At first, I had thought it was all about pushing back one or two wandering monsters while keeping Black Wolves far from crops and farm lands. However, after facing the destructive powers of the Stone Giant and admiring the huge body of the Greater Slime, I could tell the Farlands had even nastier things.

    As much as I disliked the man, the Marquis must¡¯ve done a hell of a job to turn Farcrest into a busy trading hub less than a decade after such a disaster.

    ¡°With a Monster Surge or not, the orphanage will not survive the winter without money.¡± I said as I got up. Every single muscle in my body complained and the soles of my feet threatened to go on a strike.

    Elincia pouted as the cold winter air snuck under the blanket. ¡°Come back, it¡¯s cold outside.¡±

    As much as I wanted to cuddle with Elincia under a blanket, I couldn¡¯t. Instead, I stretched my legs and arms, trying to get rid of accumulated fatigue from the previous days. The campfire burned hot, and the forest blocked the cold winds that came down from the snowy mountain range, but the night was even colder than the cave.

    I pulled up the hood of my cloak and coiled my scarf around my neck.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m pulling an all-nighter.¡± I replied. ¡°Just give me the list of ingredients we need and I¡¯ll be done by dawn.¡±

    Elincia shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this Rob. If this is because of your father¨C¡±.

    ¡°I survived college pulling all-nighters every week, I think I can do it one more time. I¡¯m not an old man who needs to take a nap every other day.¡± I tried to sound reassuring. ¡°Come on, this isn¡¯t even close to the craziest thing I''ve ever done.¡±

    A smile tugged Elincia¡¯s lips against her will.

    ¡°You are right, there is no time to waste. Let¡¯s do it.¡± She said.

    I shook my head and pointed at the wounded orc. ¡°I got this. You should make sure no monsters feed on Dassyra.¡±

    Elincia¡¯s eyes opened like plates. Then, she crawled towards the orc woman and brushed the hair off of her face. Whatever was happening, I wasn¡¯t following.

    ¡°This might be Wolf¡¯s mother.¡± Elincia muttered.

    ¡°Wolf has a mother?¡± I crossed the camp to kneel next to the orc.

    I couldn¡¯t say I noticed any similarities. Other than the tusks, the kid was just a green muscular teenager. Dassyra, on the other hand, had a strange facial structure. Her jaw was strong, her cheekbones solid, and even her eye sockets seemed to be sturdy. Her whole facial structure seemed to be designed to endure a beating.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Despite how different she looked from Elincia and I, there was a certain harmony in her features.

    Elincia examined Dassyra¡¯s face before speaking.

    ¡°Wolf is technically not an orphan. Dassyra brought him to the orphanage when he was seven, during the last Monster Surge.¡± Elincia explained. ¡°Wolf¡¯s human blood makes him weaker than other orcish kids, so the Farlands weren¡¯t a safe place for him in a time of crisis.¡±

    Despite my attempts to keep [Awareness] to a minimum, the skill let me know Elincia was just eighteen when Dassyra knocked on the doors of the orphanage to leave her son.

    At first, I had attributed Wolf¡¯s distance from the other orphans to his private personality. I was wrong. Unlike the rest of the orphans, Wolf had a family waiting for him somewhere in the Farlands.

    ¡°It must have been hard for him.¡± I said.

    ¡°You wouldn''t imagine the number of times I had to track him down all the way to the Farlands because he ran away from the orphanage.¡± Elincia covered her face with both hands and took a deep breath.

    I put my hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°It already happened, and you did well.¡± I softly said.

    Elincia gave me a look like she was a wounded fawn and took a deep breath.

    ¡°Alright, my favorite madman. Bring me two or three rods of Spirit Fox¡¯s Tail and I¡¯ll concoct something for your bruises.¡± She said with renewed spirits. ¡°If we are going to pull an all-nighter, we better be in good shape.¡±

    I gave her a thumbs up, a gesture that still puzzled her from time to time, and walked towards the stone terraces. The Spirit Fox¡¯s Tail was a clump of tall red rods that ended in a fluffy structure similar to the tail of a fox. Despite the fact there were hundreds of plants, the search for a nice specimen with at least medium magic concentration resulted to be a pain in the ass. I figured out it would be easy to find a cane with high magical concentration in a bundle of a hundred canes, but I was wrong. As every cane belonged to the same plant so I was surrounded by hundreds of low magic weeds.

    After climbing down several terraces, I accepted the reality that I wasn''t going to find anything better, so I cut three canes from a plant that looked healthier than the others and returned defeated to our camp.

    Focusing on handwork was a remedy for a worried mind.

    ¡°I have failed as a provider. I didn¡¯t find anything with a high mana concentration.¡± I announced.

    Elincia giggled and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Spirit Fox¡¯s Tail is a low rank ingredient, it doesn¡¯t store too much magical power inside.¡±

    Elincia was already boiling water in an old pot. By the side of the bonfire there was an extended old cloth with her portable alchemist kit on top. Various knives, a mortar, vials of oils, little bags of powdered substances, and small wooden containers for liquids were neatly organized to start brewing.

    ¡°It¡¯s just an anti-inflammatory ointment, not a reviving potion.¡± Elincia laughed as she received the canes and cleaned them with a wet rag.

    ¡°Reviving potions are a thing?¡± I asked, sitting by the fireside.

    ¡°According to legends, yes. According to any Alchemist that isn¡¯t batshit crazy, no.¡± She shrugged her shoulders and cut the long canes in small palm length sections. Then she put a single cane on a squeezing tool and extracted a milk-like substance. She repeated the process for each cane until she had filled half a bowl.

    ¡°Should I help you with the brewing?¡± I asked, readying my mana.

    Elincia shook her head. She was a Copper Alchemist, which meant she had already mastered the art of brewing low grade ointments. I sat on the sideline and watched her working. Elincia adopted a gesture of deep focus and forgot about the outer world. Then, she mixed the white substance with the powder from one of the bags and green mana sparks came from her hands.

    Elincia stirred the mixture at a constant pace until the white liquid turned into a red and brown paste similar to dry blood.

    Spirit Fox Ointment. [Identify] Alchemy ointment. Effect: Low Toxicity: Negligible. A basic ointment to combat inflammation and help small wounds heal.

    The ointment had to rest for a moment, so we focused on preparing our meal.

    Elincia refilled the waterskins while I filled the pot with water. My body yearned for a warm meal and a good cup of cheap instant coffee. The Blue Moss had the ¡®edible¡¯ label, but I wanted to save it for when we returned.

    Elincia unpacked a small brick of a substance similar to pemmican and threw it into the boiling water with a few strips of dried meat and crumbs from the hard bread. The soup thickened and became an appetizing amber color.

    With the warm meal and the ointment prepared, Elincia and I sat by the campfire enjoying the smell of soup and burning wood. We ate in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. As I sipped the hearty soup from a wooden bowl, I couldn¡¯t help but think about the orc woman, about the Monster Surge, and about the kids.

    There was so much beyond our control.

    Elincia put her empty bowl by her side and reached for the ointment. Then, she took off her socks and rolled up her pants, revealing a giant green bruise on her calf. A reminder of how close call the fight against the Stone Giant had been.

    ¡°What? Are you into ankles?¡± Elincia asked in a playful tone as she smeared a generous amount of ointment over the bruise. Not a second had elapsed when a relieved expression appeared on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m not into ankles.¡± I replied as I extended my hand to reach the bowl of ointment.

    The playful banter was much better than silence, even if she was forcing herself to sound jolly. Hearing Elincia joke around made me feel as if everything was going to be alright.

    I smeared the paste over my shoulder and the relief was instantaneous.

    Part of my logical mind still wanted to rebel against the idea of magic, the other half was just grateful for the comfortable sensation. Meanwhile, Elincia took off her jacket and partially unbuttoned her blouse, revealing her pale shoulders and a massive bruise covering her entire shoulder blade. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of a pebble doing that amount of damage.

    If anything, the sight of Elincia¡¯s wounded body made me feel sad.

    ¡°Care to help me? Make sure it covers the whole area.¡±

    I sat behind Elincia and gazed at her shoulder. She deserved more than this.

    ¡°With these potions we are going to be filthy rich, and the orphanage will be set for years to come.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure if I was trying to convince Elincia or myself.

    ¡°That¡¯s the attitude. I might as well buy hair dyes, I¡¯ve always wanted to have normal colored hair but they are quite expensive.¡± Elincia replied as she pulled her hair out of the way.

    ¡°I like the way it is. It suits you.¡± I said before realizing my input might not have been required.

    I bit my tongue and smeared the red ointment over her bruise.

    Effects of Denial are subsiding. You have obtained Denial Lv.2. Temporary.

    Thanks System.

    ¡°Moon Laurel, Night Lily, Barrel Root, Brizetree Bark, Elkadia Roots. If you find Fiery Vine Pods, I can brew something for her frostbite.¡± Elincia blurted out without even turning around to face me. ¡°That¡¯s what we need. Now go before it gets any later.¡±

 43 - No rest for the wicked

    The constant flux of information provided by [Awareness] kept me awake, locked in a relentless battle against fatigue. Sleep had become an elusive dream as I wandered the valley gathering ingredients, illuminated only by a small mana flame. Shadows danced around me, mockingly gesturing at me as I dragged my feet across the forest bed. Hour after hour I harvested ingredients until the distant promise of dawn showed its first silvery gazes over the horizon.

    The gray clouds far in the east reminded me of Elincia¡¯s hair. It was beautiful.

    With slow movements, I scoured the area for Fiery Vine Pods and Moon Laurel.

    [Awareness] had assumed the role of my merciless tormentor hours ago when the first signs of drowsiness clouded my mind. Trivial tidbits of old TV shows, snippets of long-forgotten books, and embarrassing memories that I believe long forgotten, [Awareness] used every trick on the manual to keep me away from falling asleep.

    I called this new function of [Awareness] the ¡®torture mode¡¯ because that was precisely how it felt.

    Each time the tendrils of sleep crept in, [Awareness] assailed me with a fresh barrage of useless information. It felt like icy water being splashed directly against my brain. Every time my sight blurred, [Awareness] dragged me back into a fragile state of alertness.

    Minutes stretched to hours, and hours to eternity. The torment of perpetual wakefulness was truly a cruel rendition of hell.

    Finally, as the first hints of dawn appeared over the horizon, I placed the last sample of Elkadia Root into my harvesting bag. My list of missing ingredients dwindled to only two. The devilishly elusive Moon Laurel and Fiery Vine Pods.

    I massaged my eyes and continued roaming through the forest.

    Among the inconsequential excerpts of information, [Awareness] had managed to align a series of facts that almost formed a greater picture. Elincia had said none of my powers made sense. [Mana Manipulation] was supposed to be used as a small source of light and as a writing tool, not as a sword, a shield, or illusions. Offense, defense, and crowd control. It was too perfect to be accidental.

    I shook my head, trying to discard that train of thought. However, it was too late, the metaphorical tinfoil hat was already sunk past my ears: There were too many coincidences, and the accumulated fatigue wasn¡¯t helping my rational brain to avoid the rabbit hole either.

    I placed my harvesting bag against a felled tree and drank from my water skin. All night, I had been avoiding thinking about Dassyra¡¯s words. Mr. Byrne had been into this world, which wasn¡¯t surprising considering there was a portal hidden inside his cabin¡¯s basement. However, that raised a completely different set of questions. Was Byrne the creator of the portal or did he just stumble upon it?

    In the background of my consciousness a completely different alarm rang. Elincia hates liars. You are a liar. Elincia is going to hate you. The sentences repeated one after another in an infinite succession no matter how hard I tried to suppress them. They thrummed deep in my chest, causing pangs and stabs that would make me worry for my health if I didn¡¯t know better.

    I summoned my character sheet for the first time in weeks.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Scholar Lv.13

    Titles: Lonely Boy, Stone in Love, Hot for Teacher, Confidant, Classroom Fiend, Favorite Teacher (96), Master Tutor, Silver Scholar, Delinquent Reformer (5), Stalwart Mentor (7), Role Model, Expert Mathematician, Expert Physicist, Adept Historian, Adept Linguist, Journeyman Biologist, Novice Chemist, Novice Orator.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Manipulation, Awareness, Master of Languages.

    Skills: Identify, Stun Gaze, Intimidate, Minor Illusion.

    Reluctantly, I tapped over my first title.

    Lonely Boy: A title for those who had led a lonely life and remained single past the usual marriage age. [Identify] Title bestowed upon those who contribute to population aging. A couple years more and you would¡¯ve statistically avoided your first divorce. Stay strong, trooper.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Then the second.

    Stone in Love. [Identify] In the heat with a blue jean girl, burnin¡¯ love comes once in a lifetime.

    And finally the third one.

    Hot for teacher. [Identify] Do you feel it? The butterflies fluttering in your stomach? The tingle in your chest when you look into her eyes?

    The System had knowledge from my world and, arguably, a rudimentary personality.

    Despite I outright denying the existence of love at first sight, the System had stubbornly pushed the tale of my sudden infatuation for Elincia. Was the System toying with me? Was it feeding me useful skills as I needed them? There were just too many coincidences to rule out the possibility of the System being man-made, and yet, there was little proof to assert it.

    The idea of the System being a creation of Mr. Byrne crossed my mind, but I was too tired to pay it attention. Instead, my eyes slowly closed and not even [Awareness]¡¯s torture mode was able to keep me awake.

    I woke up with the sun right over my head, its golden rays streamed through the dense canopy casting green shadows all around me. Despite being almost winter in the outer world, the wind carried the scent of spring. There was something magical about the valley that escaped my perception of mana.

    I jolted up and looked around in a panic. How long was I out? two, three hours? My heart raced as I scanned the surroundings and a wave of relief washed over me as I found the harvesting bag by my side with the contents undisturbed. I scolded myself. Elincia must''ve grown worried over my disappearance, so I jumped on my feet and resumed my march back to our camp.

    [Awareness] helped me navigate through the forest. Despite the fact I had been stumbling across the valley in complete darkness, the skill managed to bring me back to the small creek without trouble. The camp should be about a kilometer to the north from my current position.

    I resumed the hike, hoping Elincia wasn¡¯t out there looking for me. As I walked upstream, I let [Awareness] and [Identify] scan the surroundings for any potential threat or hidden resources. The brief nap had done wonders for my mental clarity, even if my body still felt like an old rotting puppet with rusty hinges.

    [Awareness]: Monster nearby.

    A tingle in my brain let me know that there was something ahead and slightly to the left where the tree line marked the edge of the riverbank. I carefully climbed the sandbank, my movements deliberately slow to avoid making any noise, and crouched behind the dense bushes.

    Through the foliage I detected a shadowy quadruped figure moving among the ferns. My curiosity battled with caution as I debated whether to use [Identify] on the creature. I hesitated for a moment, my intuition told me it was a Black Wolf. However, intelligent creatures like the Wendigo and other people could detect when they were being magically observed.

    Panic crept up my spine. Falling asleep had been a mistake. The sound of my heart pounding inside my chest covered the trickle of water in the middle of the riverbed. Deep down I knew I had enough of the Farlands for a lifetime.

    My eyes remained fixed on the creature.

    Should I risk using [Identify] to confirm its identity? Or was it wiser to trust my instincts and remain hidden? As I waited, the wind direction shifted, carrying a faint scent of rot to my nose. Not the gentle smell of decaying vegetable matter but the revolting stench of rotten flesh. [Awareness] went into overdrive and I felt as if my senses had suddenly improved. The Black Wolf, if that¡¯s what it was, seemed to be dragging something across the forest bed. Something big.

    The alarms on my brain went off, damned be stealth.

    I identified the creature.

    Carcass of a White Deer. [Identify] A recently deceased White Deer. Fresh.

    If the White Deer was recently dead, where did the smell of rot come from?

    My question was instantly answered as the Black Wolf jumped down the sandbank into the riverbed. The creature¡¯s matted fur was riddled with hairless patches that revealed the grotesque sight of rotten skin and exposed bone. The smell of rot was overwhelming, and [Awareness] informed me that that was the smell of advanced stages of decomposition.

    The source of the smell was evident.

    Undead Black Wolf Lv. 21. [Identify] ERROR.

    Against all odds, the Black Wolf swiveled its head towards me. A chill ran down my spine as the Wolf¡¯s dead eyes locked onto mine. Despite the decayed appearance, an eerie malice emanated from behind its clouded eyes. The Black Wolf briefly glanced at me, then, suddenly, something or someone intruded into my brain.

    Instinctively, I raised my head, expecting to see a Wraith or a Beholder hovering over my head, yet the sky was flawlessly clear. Without summoning it, my character sheet appeared in front of me. My eyes fell on the Undead Black Wolf. Through its eyes, something sinister was observing me, something sentient, with a great hunger that stretched beyond the physical realm.

    The entity touched my character sheet, and in a sudden flash, I could see it. Two ice-cold eyes floating in the emptiness of the void they peered at me from. The experience didn¡¯t stop there. I could also hear it. I could sense it commanding the Undead Wolf¡¯s body and mind.

    My blood froze inside my veins as the Wolf received its next directive.

    Bring him. Alive.

 44 - Reinforcements

    The eerie voice echoed inside my mind like icicles falling into a frozen gorge despite no actual sounds disturbing the valley. Something was broadcasting orders to its undead minion, and I had accidentally caught the signal. The voice felt wrong, evil, and indescribably powerful.

    Bring him. Alive.

    The words sent a shiver down my spine and, before the Undead Wolf could make a move, I reached for my sword. In a well practiced movement, I channeled mana out of my body lighting the sword with a blue flame. Meanwhile, [Awareness] ran several threads of thought in the background of my mind.

    Other than the Changeling, who had just copied my words like a parrot, no other monster in the Farlands had been capable of speech. My eyes scanned the surroundings searching for clues as [Awareness] automatically sorted through the information. The Ice Wraiths were carrying Dassyra alive. Whoever was broadcasting orders to the Undead Wolf, wanted me alive.

    The realization made me feel uneasy. Someone was gathering living beings.

    Oh? You can hear me. Unusual.

    The voice sounded like distant ice cracking, this time aimed at me. Then, I realized my mistake. My grip tightened around the sword¡¯s hilt. I had ignited my mana blade before the creature had shown signs of aggression.

    Resorting to the last drop of self control I had, I suppressed my flight response. The evil voice ignored my presence until I revealed myself to the Undead Wolf, which meant it didn¡¯t know about Elincia¡¯s whereabouts. I wanted to keep Elincia far from the creature¡¯s sights until I knew more about its plans for me.

    My mind raced. I wasn¡¯t going to acknowledge the voice yet. Instead, I tightened the herb bag¡¯s knot and jumped down the sandbank for a more stable ground. Unlike Elincia and her elven ankles, I would rather fight the Undead Wolf on even terrain.

    There was no need of resorting to [Awareness] to know the voice was dangerous but maybe, dealing with the Undead Wolf would free me from the evil presence. If the Undead Wolf worked as a familiar, then killing it blind its owner in this area.

    Before I could engage in the fight, the evil voice talked once again.

    Let¡¯s try a more direct approach.

    The Undead Wolf let out a powerful howl that ended in a repulsive gurgling of curdled blood. The creature¡¯s bones cracked and its muscles tore apart. In a grotesque metamorphosis, the dead flesh contorted and changed its shape. The creature¡¯s legs turned and stretched, its neck broke several times making its head fall forward, and its shoulders snapped apart to mimic a human torso. The Undead Wolf adopted an upright stance and stretched its arms like an aberrant monster waking up from its long slumber.

    The eyes of the monster were now a deep, glacial blue that held a spark of intelligence.  Its movements were graceful, completely different from what could be expected from a mangled corpse. The contorted abomination in front of me was no longer a minion but an avatar of its owner.

    The ground froze under its feet as it walked down the riverbed, crunching louder than its broken bones. Its whole body emanated an icy aura that seemed to freeze the very air around it. Hundreds of mana strands woven into the mutated body tensed every time the creature moved.

    I lunged forward aiming for the head.

    In response, mana moved through the creature¡¯s body and a frozen blade materialized from thin air, parrying my strike and pushing my sword away. [Swordsmanship] quickly took over my body. I stepped back just in time to avoid the riposte, then I took two more steps back just in case. My opponent was faster than I anticipated but [Awareness] pressed me to continue attacking before the creature could take the initiative.

    I jumped forward and violently struck from the right. The rotten flesh puppet raised its own iced blade to meet mine, its movements were precise and deliberate, however, what surprised me the most was its strength. The puppet parried and pushed my sword to the side as if it was a mere splinter. I sidestepped, predicting its counterattack, and swung my sword over my head aiming at the creature¡¯s neck.

    A second icicle materialized in the way of my strike, protecting the creature¡¯s neck. My sword bounced back as if it had struck solid rock. As I stammered, the puppet grabbed the floating icicle and wielded it as a second blade. Once again, I jumped forward trying to slash at the creatures¡¯ hands but my sword was met by solid ice.

    [Awareness] pressed me to summon my own flying blades and go in an all-out-attack but I ignored it. The fight against the Stone Giant had taught me to use the brain instead of jumping head on against my enemies.

    I pulled back and encircled my enemy as I considered my alternatives. The creature just followed me with its glacial eyes filled with mana.

    A fight of attrition was not on the table. Despite the nap, my body was sore and tired from the days of travel and the nights out in the open. My mana pool hadn¡¯t even fully recovered from the fight against the Stone Giant and I wasn¡¯t sure how long the puppet in front of me could last in a fight. Moreso, since the puppeteer was likely the one who cast the freezing area spell, then I wasn¡¯t going to deplete his mana pool any time soon.

    I had to be smart and use my resources wisely. To win, I had to sever the connection between the body and whatever was controlling it. Then I had to grab Elincia and get our asses out of the Farlands as fast as possible.

    I took a step back to catch my breath, [Swordsmanship] alone wasn¡¯t going to cut it off. My body still felt sore and stiff and the creature¡¯s movements were just too nimble and precise. To win this fight I had to employ the rest of my repertoire of skills.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    [Intimidate], [Minor Illusion] or [Stun Gaze] could give me enough time to find an opening if I timed them right. I just had to figure out which one was effective. The lack of information about my opponent was as dangerous as the iced blades in its undead hands.

    [Intimidate] might not work against a creature who could freeze a whole valley with a single spell, and [Minor Illusion] was too simple to fool anything more intelligent than a Slime.

    The undead creature walked over the creek, freezing the water under its feet. Its glacial eyes pierced through my skin but no matter how menacing its presence was, [Awareness] kept on going in the background of my mind. I was running out of time and space to fall back so I made a decision.

    I fixed my eyes on the creature and cast [Stun Gaze]. Mana swirled around my eye and the spell shot like a golden bullet aimed at the head of my enemy. As the spell shot, I abandoned all intent of defending and charged forward. Even if the stun effect lasted half a second, I was going to make it count.

    A wall of frozen mana suddenly raised between the undead creature and the mana bullet shattered into a thousand fragments. The creature smiled and swung its iced blades at me. I blocked the first hit and tried to step aside but the ground under my feet was frozen.

    I saw the second ice blade from the corner of my eye.

    My mana shield held up just enough to turn a killing blow into a graze. The creature¡¯s blade cut through my leather jacket and barely reached my skin. Pain suddenly exploded in my side as frozen tendrils spread from the point of contact.

    In a desperate attempt to free myself from the sensation, I let mana violently pour from my body. It worked but the shivering sensation from the sudden loss of mana took hold of my joints.

    You have obtained Mana Depletion (Advanced). Temporary

    My back hit the sand bank. I scanned my surroundings, there was no place to run. Even if I decided to climb the sand bank, the creature would be faster. My fingers were numb and my hands trembled as the effects of the sudden loss of mana settled on my cold body.

    The hilt of the sword almost slipped from my hands but I refused to be taken by the creature. I pressed the harvesting bag against my chest. The orphanage needed me, and I needed them. For too long I stumbled through life and I wasn¡¯t going to give up the best thing that had happened to me.

    Zaon, Firana, Ilya, and Wolf had a lot to learn. I had yet to discover the details of the exam to enter the Imperial Academy. I wasn¡¯t going to let the Marquis take the kids from Elincia.

    [Awareness] pressed me to go in an all-out-attack.

    I took a deep breath and let the sword slip through my fingers. Then, I collected mana around my hands. Magnitude, intensity, power, area. The concepts floated around my pain-ridden brain, making little to no sense, however, even a kid knew the stronger the applause, the louder the sound.

    I clapped my hands, releasing a thunder that echoed through the valley. The undead creature stopped for a second and briefly massaged its ears, then, it glared right at me with a newfound understanding.

    ¡°A mage of your caliber using System Skills?¡± The creature suddenly spoke.

    The voice sounded just like my brain had interpreted it, like ice cracking down a deep gorge. There was something unsettlingly human about it, and yet, I knew I was dealing with something monstrous.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked. Of all the results possible, I wasn¡¯t expecting the creature to be disappointed by my mana skills.

    ¡°Your magic reserves are a beautiful orb, and yet you choose to be bound to the System.¡± The Undead Puppet said as the blades in its hands disappeared into a cascade of powdered snow.

    Curiosity broke through the fear that I felt.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, keeping the creature speaking was better than being abducted, or worse, killed.

    ¡°You are an interesting one. Great potential. Don¡¯t you sense it? The System feeds you small crumbs of your own power.¡± The Undead Puppet said as it showed me its icicle teeth in a macabre smile.

    The game I was playing was dangerous, and yet, curiosity got the best of me.

    ¡°I¡¯m interested but¡­ you look like a monster to me.¡± I said, trying to sound confident, as if I wasn¡¯t talking to a literal corpse molded into the shape of a person.

    The Undead Puppet¡¯s laugh got on my nerves.

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between a person and a monster?¡± The creature asked.

    ¡°People have character sheets, monsters don¡¯t.¡± I replied with the first thought that came to mind.

    The Undead Puppet laughed again. For some reason it seemed to be enjoying our conversation.

    ¡°Orcs don¡¯t have ¡®character sheets¡¯ as you call them. Are they monsters then?¡± The creature pointed out.

    I bit my tongue. Dassyra was Wolf¡¯s mother, not some monster.

    ¡°A promising mage and a quick study, good.¡± The creature nodded and gave me a dangerous smile. I felt the air freezing around me. ¡°I give you two options. You can come with me under your own volition and I teach you the real extent of your magical prowess... or you can replace this minion with your corpse.¡±

    I glanced over the Undead Puppet¡¯s shoulder and laughed.

    The creature smiled at me and joined my laugh.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, turning into a Wendigo isn¡¯t in my plans and I have to go to work on Monday.¡± I replied. ¡°You see, I really can¡¯t afford to lose this job.¡±

    Suddenly, a whistling sound filled the air and the skull of the creature burst into thousands of pieces of rotten bone and brains. A second projectile dug a hole the size of a fist in the creature¡¯s rib cage, while the third one shredded its legs. Fueled by [Swordsmanship], I reached for my longsword and ignited the blade. Then, I swung, severing the strands of mana knit into the undead vessel and cut the tie between the puppet and its master.

    The next moment, the evil presence was gone.

    ¡°Someone called for reinforcements?¡± Elincia asked from the opposite riverbank. Around her, half a dozen huge orcs armed with slings prepared the next volley. I thanked all of the Greek pantheon for preventing a fist-sized stray rock from hitting me. Slings were already dangerous if not in the hands of a two meter tall and a hundred and fifty kilo orc.

    I sighed in relief as Elincia slid down the sand bank and gracefully jumped over the creek. The fight against a Stone Golem taught me a second thing; big monsters required a lot of hands to be felled. My father would be proud of my current learning rate.

    ¡°Happy to see me, Scholar?¡± Elincia grinned.

    ¡°I could kiss every one of you.¡± I replied with a trembling voice.

    ¡°Better keep your kisses to yourself, someone here has a liking for human men.¡± Elincia laughed as Dassyra made her way between the squad of orcs slingers.

    Awake and upright, Dassyra was imposing. Her green skin shone under the sun as a pained smile tugged her lips. As much as I wanted to put Dassyra up to date with her son¡¯s advancements, I had bad news to share first.

 45 - The Outpost

    Chapter 45

    There was no time for introductions. After a quick glance at the rotten remains of the Undead Wolf, the party of orcs guided us across the valley towards the northern wall. I expected the orcs to trample over the forest. I was wrong. Despite their massive sizes, the orcs moved with the grace of great cats, avoiding brambles, and finding paths with the ease of seasoned rangers.

    The only set of steps disturbing the forest¡¯s peace were mine, which made me wonder if orcs had racial traits like Elincia¡¯s [Light-footed]. I refrained from using [Identify] on them. As far as I knew, orcs didn¡¯t possess character sheets, which made me think they couldn¡¯t benefit from the System¡¯s boons.

    Eventually, I let my feet guide me and I focused on Dassyra who was silently walking in front of me. She wore a set of gray leggings made of stretchy fabric under a heavy beige skirt, fastened to her waist with a thick leather belt. The buckle was silver, with an ornate engraving featuring a wolf¡¯s head. From the waist up, her torn armor had been replaced with a well-tailored padded shirt with short sleeves, and a washed out waist-length cloak. To complement the outfit, a gray wolf¡¯s pelt fell from her left side with the jaws of the beast resting on her left shoulder.

    Orcs must have been adapted to colder weather because the short sleeved shirts and the skirts to the knee left a lot of uncovered skin. I couldn¡¯t help but notice Dassyra¡¯s tattooed left arm. Vines, the moon, stars, a deer, a wolf.

    A sudden elbow to my ribs brought me back to reality.

    ¡°Stop staring, perv.¡± Elincia grunted by my side.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s my first time seeing an orc. I¡¯m just curious.¡± I muttered back.

    So far, the best approximation to an orc has been the half-orcs in Farcrest, however, I could tell the human genes were the dominant ones. A half-orc could beat me to a pulp in a fist fight while Dassyra could easily snap my spine in half with both arms and legs. If humans were deer, orcs were bison.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have orcs in the City of Lights?¡± Elincia asked in disbelief.

    ¡°Of course not. Neither do we have gnomes, or harpies, or snakefolk, or elves. And we definitely don¡¯t have half elves.¡± I replied with annoyance. ¡°Also, I¡¯m not checking her ass. I¡¯m looking at her tattoos.¡±

    Elincia blushed and looked away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me? Dassyra has nice legs.¡± Elincia muttered.

    ¡°There are more important things than firm butts.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Big breasts?¡± Elincia asked.

    I decided our conversation was going nowhere so I focused on the path ahead. From time to time, I had to jog to keep up with the orcs who showed no problem against the increasingly steep terrain. We were getting close to the northern end of the valley.

    A sudden high pitched whistle caught my attention. Dassyra raised her arm and the group stopped. I scanned my surroundings, searching for friend or foe, but the forest was an impenetrable wall of green. Dassyra mimicked the whistle, and the group resumed the march, this time at a leisurely pace.

    The forest became denser, and the air suddenly became more humid. The waterfall I saw the first day at the valley had to be nearby. Given how relaxed the group was compared to the beginning of our journey, I assumed the destination was close.

    I wasn¡¯t wrong. Less than half an hour later, the forest disappeared to give way to a wide clear spot by the creek. There were a dozen circular tents of various sizes scattered around the clearing, the smallest ones able to shelter two or three orcs while the biggest could comfortably house more than twenty. The amount of drying racks, work benches, and firewood sheds made me think the orcs were permanently settled in the valley.

    Dassyra entered the small village and the whole village left their chores to form a welcome committee. Unlike the intricate designs of the warrior¡¯s attire, most orcs wore plain robes with leather belts and simple sandals. Most of them had some kind of weapon hanging from their waists but it wasn¡¯t hard to tell which ones were the warriors and which ones were just civilians.

    ¡°The Wraiths have been banished! No orc was harmed! The monsters tremble listening to our footsteps!¡± Dassyra proclaimed and her powerful voice drowned out the sound of the waterfall.

    Her words were received by a small ovation, however, most of the eyes were fixed on Elincia and me. They weren¡¯t looking too friendly.

    ¡°We also found the Caretaker.¡± Dassyra continued as she prompted us to come forward. The orc village examined us for a moment but ultimately, they were content with Dassyra¡¯s words.

    An old orc pushed through the crowd until he got to the front. Most of the orcs had pitch-black hair, smooth skin, and powerful bodies. This one, on the other hand, looked more like any elderly man, with a hunched back and stiff joints.

    ¡°This is not the Caretaker. The Caretaker was already a gray one when little Risha went to live among the humans.¡± The elderly orc said. Just like his eyes, his voice was firm and strong.

    A murmur rose from the crowd.

    ¡°The Caretaker died many years ago, Revered. This one is his successor, and the man beside her is her handy assistant.¡± Dassyra introduced us.

    The village fell into silence as Dassyra announced Mr. Lowell¡¯s death. Many of the orcs reacted to the news by lowering their heads and pressing two fingers against their forehead. Whatever relationship the village had with Mr. Lowell, I could tell the orcs respected him.

    The old orc examined us for a minute before speaking again.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to know she is the Caretaker and not him. We can¡¯t afford our kin to grow weak, even if it''s already thinned with human blood.¡± The old orc said before turning around and getting lost among the crowd.

    Despite the solemnity of the moment, Elincia barely stifled a laugh.

    As much as I was used to receiving flack from the inhabitants of this world, this time I was caught by surprise to the point I couldn¡¯t articulate a response. Time had passed since I was a lanky office worker. Now, for the first time since my college days, I had put up good muscle around my bones. Even my posture had improved.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You look strong to me, handy assistant.¡± Elincia whispered to my ear.

    I was okay with the awkward presentation finishing soon.

    ¡°Caretaker, Handy Assistant, you are welcome at the Outpost. Please, come with me.¡± Dassyra said just loud enough so the group knew the announcements were over.

    The orcs returned to their chores while Dassyra guided us to the main tent in the middle of the village. The rest of the orc party that had escorted us was nowhere to be found. Not that I tried to find them, there was so much to see in the small village that I forgot about them almost instantly.

    Near the creek, a group of young orcs trained in combat with wooden staffs under the strict vigilance of several old warriors. They all looked like Wolf albeit with bigger tusks and wider shoulders. At the center of the cluster of tents, a small squad of old orcs prepared food while the craftsmen worked on their respective areas, repairing footwear, armor, and tools. The black hair was almost universal, although I detected skins of various shades of green and tusks of variant length.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Dassy.¡± A male orc appeared from behind a loom and greeted us.

    The fabric was a rich checkered pattern of yellow, red, and green tones but what surprised me the most was how big the weaver orc was. Even for orc¡¯s standards, he was a giant. A mountain even. He could probably grab my head with a single hand and put me into orbit.

    ¡°Everything in order, Little One?¡± Dassyra asked.

    I couldn¡¯t tell if that was his actual nickname or if it was Dassyra messing around.

    ¡°The strange mist goes over the mountains at times. You know there shouldn¡¯t be strong monsters here, not stronger than a Rok Harpy at least.¡± Little One replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Little One, we have it handled.¡± Dassyra continued on her way, leaving the giant orc with a troubled expression. I was yet to find what was Dassyra¡¯s position in the orc hierarchy but so far, she seemed to be in charge of the village¡¯s safety.

    We followed her into a large tent in the middle of the outpost. There were no other orcs inside and as soon as we entered, Dassyra put her hand on her side where the wound was. So far she had hid it well.

    ¡°Make yourself comfortable.¡± Dassyra said as she took off her boots, left them near the entrance, and hung her socks near the brazier.

    Elincia and I imitated her before diving into the cushioned pile of pelts. Having a roof over my head and four walls around me ¨Cor rather a single circular wall¨C felt great.

    The tent was dimly lit by a skylight in the middle of the roof. I expected a precarious living place with a dirt floor and humid walls, however, the tent¡¯s floor was covered in exquisite carpets and pelts. There was a sturdy low table in the corner, and a brazier with red embers just under the skylight. A kettle pot hung over the brazier, filling the room with the smell of cinnamon and peppermint.

    Dassyra poured water into three beautifully carved cups. Mine had the shape of a sitting jackalope. It was difficult to drink with the antlers in the way. Then, she brought a huge wooden plate with cuts of salted meat, bread, and dried fruits and deposited it on the pelts in front of us. Before digging in, she offered us water to clean our hands and faces. I obliged with gusto, it had been quite a while since I washed myself.

    Once we were ready Dassyra sat cross legged across the big plate of food and prompted us to eat.

    ¡°I¡¯m Warchief Dassyra, you are Robert Clarke. Elincia already told me all the important parts, so we can skip the formalities.¡± Dassyra said.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Dassyra. My friends call me Rob.¡± I replied, offering her my hand.

    To my surprise, Dassyra firmly shook my outstretched hand without an instant of doubt.

    Elincia raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Well, Rob, tell us about the thing you were fighting against.¡± Dassyra said.

    Directly to the point, I liked her. I nodded and swallowed the handful of dried fruits I had poured into my mouth. The food was tastier than anything I had eaten in the last week but the memory from the Undead Wolf left a bitter sensation in the back of my throat.

    I hated being the bearer of bad news.

    ¡°The creature your guys turned into corpse porridge was a puppet controlled by someone else.¡± I said with utmost gravity. ¡°Despite the distance and the overall rot, the thing could talk, it moved faster than me and could cast spells. I¡¯d say stronger than a Wendigo. It made me choose between joining its forces or being turned into a minion so¡­ I¡¯m thinking the puppeteer is smarter than a common monster.¡±

    Suddenly Elincia¡¯s relaxed expression turned into a deeply worried one. ¡°Monster Surge.¡± She added solemnly.

    ¡°Just as the Elders suspected. An intelligent monster, just like seven years ago.¡± Dassyra pensively added.

    [Awareness] refreshed my memory. Seven years ago a Monster Surge had almost erased Farcrest from the map. During the same lapse of time, Dassyra had left Wolf at the orphanage to keep him safe from the monsters. I bit my nails. After fighting the Undead Wolf and the Ice Wraiths, I could only agree with Dassyra¡¯s actions. A Monster Surge wasn¡¯t a place for a young child.

    ¡°If the Farlands are going to get more dangerous, you should come to Farcrest. It might not be completely safe, but the walls are sturdy. I¡¯m sure you could strike a deal with Captain Kiln.¡± I said, knowing perfectly well I wasn¡¯t the best spokesperson considering my tortured relationship with the ruling caste.

    Dassyra¡¯s laughter was melodious and soothing.

    ¡°You are just like a man who I used to know. Always jumping head on to help others. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I appreciate the offering, but we have fortifications of our own. This is a temporary outpost we use to train our youth until they are strong enough to survive the Farlands.¡± Dassyra explained as she took a small piece of meat and swallowed it whole.

    ¡°You are going to abandon all of this?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°This is just temporary housing, Caretaker.¡± Dassyra said. ¡°We chose this hidden valley because monsters don¡¯t usually show here¡­ until now.¡±

    With a nice bath house near the tent, I could see myself living permanently here.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been deeply considering moving the orphanage from Farcrest to the orc city.¡± Elincia seemed to read my thoughts. ¡°Can you imagine it, Rob? No conscription, no harassment, and a whole lot of forest to explore.¡±

    The last item in Elincia¡¯s list seemed to be aimed at herself more than the kids. I couldn¡¯t understand how Elincia was still eager to live in the wilderness considering the events of the last few days. I had enough forests, caverns, and mountains for a lifetime or two.

    ¡°Leaving Farcrest doesn¡¯t sound half bad.¡± I replied.

    ¡°That would be hard to achieve.¡± Dassyra warned me with a friendly tone. ¡°System Slaves aren¡¯t readily accepted in our territory. If you two are allowed to be here it¡¯s because you are the Caretaker, and we owe you and your predecessor.¡±

    Something told me my race wasn¡¯t the issue.

    ¡°Orcs don¡¯t use the System?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We are wise enough to not deal with Corruption. The System gets into your head, always asking for more levels, more experience, more skills. It only ends with death, or worse, Corruption.¡± Dassyra said, this time more seriously. Her words felt almost like an accusation.

    Were the people of this world free to choose to accept the System? I wrung my brain trying to remember my first conversation with the System until it hit me. The System had given me the last word during the initialization process. I had chosen to reach the magic inside me by my own account. An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. Did I sign a contract with fine print?

    ¡°Enough of that, we had our dose of fighting already. It¡¯s been years since I got news from the Inner World. Last time I heard about Ongo, he accepted the System and got a job at the Alchemist Guild. How is he doing?¡± Dassyra leaned to her non-wounded side and rested her head on her hand.

    I made a mental note to interrogate other orcs about the System later.

    ¡°Ongo is doing great. He¡¯s a permanent bodyguard of the Guild now.¡± Elincia said. ¡°We picked a fight with him a couple weeks ago, punched Rob in the eye.¡±

    Dassyra inspected my face. I had to thank Elincia and her ointments, otherwise I would still have a big dark circle around the eye.

    ¡°Sometimes it takes more strength to take a beating than punching oneself. It¡¯s good to know my boy¡¯s teacher isn¡¯t a pansy System-user.¡± Dassyra said as she approvingly nodded.

    ¡°Ongo almost ripped my head off but thanks.¡± I said.

    I couldn¡¯t help but notice Dassyra¡¯s mannerisms were quite similar to people on Earth.

    ¡°What about Risha? Last time I ran into him while he escorted an alchemist into the orc territory. Is he still living at the orphanage?¡± Dassyra continued with the questionnaire. Most of the half orcs at Farcrest had to be related to Dassyra¡¯s people.

    This time, however, Elincia¡¯s face suddenly turned into stone.

    [Awareness] fed me with information as soon as I tried to remember where I had heard that name before. Risha was Elincia¡¯s only friend. One of the orphans who had sworn to look over the orphanage just to bail soon after.

    I turned around to face her.

    ¡°Risha left long ago, even before the last Monster Surge.¡± Elincia said in a neutral tone. Then, suddenly, she jumped on her feet and walked towards the entrance. ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom. You go harvest Fiery Vine Pods or whatever we are missing.¡±

    Elincia put on her boots without socks and left us alone. Her attitude worried me. Elincia never announced she had to use the bathroom, instead she always used some kind of euphemism. She had made clear she didn¡¯t want company.

    ¡°You heard the Caretaker, Rob. I¡¯ll escort you. Our healers found a good spot for harvesting stuff.¡± Dassyra said, getting up amidst a long grunt of pain.

    I put on my boots and left the tent. Elincia was nowhere to be found. I wanted to look for her but at the same time, I didn¡¯t want to be pushy if she wanted time alone to put her thoughts in order. I sighed, not knowing the right solution.

    In the end, I followed Dassyra. The faster we gathered all the ingredients, the sooner we would be back at Farcrest with the kids. We moved away from the camp, but I waited an extra minute to ask the question that had been burning in the back of my mind.

    ¡°You can understand what I¡¯m saying, can¡¯t you?¡± I spoke English for the first time in months.

 46 - Samuel Byrne

    Dassyra walked in front of me. Despite how chatty she had been at the tent, she had turned completely silent as soon as we left the outpost¡¯s boundaries. Alert to any suspicious sound, we walked across unmarked trails and rugged terrain towards the waterfall. The proximity of the mountain didn¡¯t make our journey easier, however, the sparser trees in the area proved to be an advantage. There were few places where a monster could hide.

    Monsters weren¡¯t my primary concern anymore.

    I waited until we were far enough from the outpost to avoid any unwanted spies. Then, I spoke English for the first time in months. ¡°You can understand what I¡¯m saying, can¡¯t you?¡±

    Dassyra stopped in her tracks, her dark eyes showed a mixture of surprise and fear. I expected her to reply but no sound came from her mouth. The wind ruffled her pitch-black hair. The silence stretched for an eternity before she finally spoke.

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Her voice carried a strong accent but was, otherwise, remarkably fluent.

    ¡°You can understand me!¡± I said as a smile tugged at my lips. Only then did I notice how much I missed talking in my native tongue. [Master of Languages] smoothed out the experience of speaking Common, however, having a skill wiring and rewiring my brain with each new word wasn¡¯t the same as using my own knowledge.

    Suddenly, [Awareness] sent an alarm through my nerves. Dassyra was reaching for her knife. Almost by instinct I reached for the hilt of my sword just to find it empty. I had left it forgotten inside the tent at the outpost. I reached for the ankle knife Elincia had given me just as Dassyra drew her orc-sized machete.

    Out of nowhere, our parent-teacher meeting had turned into a standoff.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time I had a staring contest with a parent, but it was the first time involving deadly weapons.

    Dassyra¡¯s eyes bore into mine, her expression inscrutable. Her hand tightly gripped the hilt of the machete, the glint of the blade catching the sunlight that filtered through the canopy above. As much as I tried, I couldn''t pinpoint what had gone wrong.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Dassyra grunted but the words made little sense to me even if she was speaking fluent English. The wind carried the words away, leaving only the rustle of leaves and the distant rush of the waterfall.

    Then something clicked inside my brain.

    ¡°I¡¯m not your enemy.¡± I said. My voice was steady, but my heart raced beneath my calm expression.

    The orc woman glared at me with distrust.

    I took a cautious step back. [Awareness] fed me with details of the terrain around me and came to the conclusion that trying to outrun the orc woman was a bad idea. Dassyra wasn¡¯t just taller and more athletic than me, she also knew the area and had a camp full of orc warriors at her disposal. I had to defuse whatever the situation was.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk it out. I¡¯m sure this is a misunderstanding.¡± I said.

    Dassyra¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t waver.

    My mind raced. There had to be a reason behind her violent reaction. Dassyra knew who Byrne was. Maybe the old man was an enemy of the orc tribe, but that didn¡¯t make sense. If Dassyra knew how to speak fluent English without help from the System, then she had to be exposed to the language over a long period of time.

    ¡°There¡¯s no misunderstanding.¡± Dassyra simply replied, her expression revealed nothing but determination to protect whatever she believed was at stake.

    My fingers tightly curled around the knife¡¯s hilt and [Swordsmanship] loaded my brain with fresh information. I had gotten accustomed to the sensation to the point I wasn¡¯t distracted by it anymore. My whole body adopted an alert stance and before I could utter a word, Dassyra jumped forward, shortening the distance between us in a heartbeat.

    Despite the fact I felt like a meerkat being charged by a rhinoceros, I stood my ground and ignited my knife. Dassyra towered over me and raised her frighteningly large machete over her head. I noticed her bulging muscles tensing to deliver a mighty blow. She wasn¡¯t holding back.

    I jumped back just in time to dodge.

    The force of her attack sent a shockwave through the ground. The blade of the machete sent dirt and debris flying around. A shiver ran down my spine, she could totally split me in half. I didn''t panic. The succession of battles during the last days had numbed my sense of self-preservation to the point my brain didn¡¯t even think about running away anymore. Instead, I studied the situation.

    Adrenaline surged through my veins as I shifted into a defensive stance. Dassyra swiftly recovered from her missing swing and, without skipping a beat, she threw a lateral cut directly at my face.

    I once again backstepped. [Awareness] sent information about the ground directly into my brain, preventing me from missteps in the uneven terrain.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight, Dassyra!¡± I said as I tried to create distance between us.

    The blood rushing through my ears drowned the sound of my own voice.

    Part of my brain thought that seeing such a strong body performing to the fullest of her capacity was a breathtaking show. The other part was too busy trying to not get shredded to even silence the unrequired thoughts. Dassyra lunged again, her machete whistling through the air. I sidestepped and deflected the blow with a quick motion of my mana blade. The clash of metal resonated through the forest as a vague reminder of the imminent danger.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    I continued retreating.

    Her movements were swift and powerful, as if the machete weighed no more than a butterknife. I couldn¡¯t match her strength, but I used my footwork and blade to avoid the full power of her blows. With each strike, I felt my mana pool diminishing.

    Dassyra swung again, no matter how wide the arcs were, I couldn¡¯t find any opening. I ducked under her blade, narrowly avoiding its deadly arc. With a swift step forward, I locked our blades in place in an attempt to cool down the situation.

    My muscles burned as I fought to keep Dassyra from pushing my blade away. I tried to speak but my jaw was firmly clenched in place. My whole body was fighting against the orc¡¯s strength, and I was losing.

    Even with the injuries from the fight against the Ice Wrath, Dassyra didn¡¯t relent. I stepped back and Dassyra took advantage of the situation to throw a quick blow. I blocked it with my mana blade, but the impact jarred my entire arm.

    I had to end the fight quickly, but I didn¡¯t want to harm Dassyra. I might be able to defeat Dassyra using all my skills, but orphaning Wolf just to stay alive wasn¡¯t on my list of ideal outcomes. I just needed to push some sense inside her thick skull.

    Taking advantage of the distance between us, I activated my [Intimidate] skill.

    Mana wrapped around my body, this time not as a flame, but as crackling arches of pure light. Dassyra¡¯s mighty presence shrunk against the display of magical power. For an instant she hesitated, and I knew that was going to be my only chance to be heard.

    ¡°I know the man who taught you to speak like me.¡± I said over the sound of my roaring mana.

    The standoff continued for what felt like an eternity. The forest seemed to hold its breath and even the sound of the birds had quieted down. Finally, after an eternity, Dassyra¡¯s grip on the machete relaxed just slightly. Her eyes were still fixed on me, but I sensed a hint of curiosity behind her distrustful expression.

    ¡°Talk.¡±

    ¡°His name is Samuel Byr¨C¡±

    I couldn''t finish my sentence because a fat vulture fell from the sky swiftly like an arrow and bounced against Dassyra¡¯s face.

    ¡°It''s going to get us killed!¡± The brown feathered vulture yelled as it fluttered against the confused woman¡¯s face.

    Dassyra swung her strong arms, but the Vulture Changeling bounced back and fell to the ground. There it transformed into a perfect copy of my mother¡¯s dog and quickly ran to hide behind me.

    ¡°Damn beast!¡± The Changeling added from the safety in between my legs.

    ¡°Byrne!¡± I yelled as Dassyra tightened the grip of her machete. ¡°The man who taught you how to speak my language was named Samuel Byrne. I knew him. I was searching for him and ended up here.¡±

    Dassyra¡¯s furrowed brow seemed to relax even slightly. The tension in the air hasn¡¯t totally dissipated but a fragile truce was better than nothing. Meanwhile, my mind continued processing the events unfolding around me. Byrne. His existence had been a catalyst for the most unpredictable events in my life, and it seemed the trend was going to continue.

    ¡°You know Byrne-Samuel.¡± She muttered to herself.

    Dassyra¡¯s grip around the machete finally slackened. Her expression was a mix of emotions. Confusion, surprise, curiosity, sorrow. Any clue of Byrne¡¯s relationship with the orc tribe was too diffuse to make up my mind.

    Dassyra seemed to force the words, so they came out of her mouth. ¡°Is Byrne-Samuel alive?¡±

    The question left me perplexed as I was trying to figure out the same thing when I was sent to his cabin.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Last time I saw him was five years ago.¡± I replied, lowering my blade. ¡°As I told you before, I was searching for him and ended up here near Farcrest. I swear I don¡¯t have any ill intent towards you or your people.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to get us killed!¡± The Changeling said and I had to put my hand around its snout to make it shut up. It had been a sweet gesture to come down to help me but now I needed to control the conversation.

    Dassyra let out a long sigh and put her machete back in its sheath.

    ¡°You seem like a good man and the Caretaker likes you. I¡¯ll trust my gut this time, but you¡¯ll have to answer my questions.¡± Dassyra said. ¡°Let¡¯s go where nobody can hear us.¡±

    For the next ten minutes none of us uttered a word. Dassyra guided me down a slope with sparsely scattered trees and a whole sea of ferns. As we advanced, the air became more humid, and the murmur of the waterfall intensified until we left the tree line behind and found a small blue lake fed by a high cascade.

    During the whole journey, the Changeling had made sure to stand between me and the orc woman, always on guard.

    ¡°This should be far enough.¡± Dassyra said with a pained expression as she sat on a rock and put her hand on her wound. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for attacking you. Byrne told me the people from his country were dangerous and should be dealt with before they find their way back. He said this world has to be kept a secret.¡±

    I nodded in silence. I could understand Byrne¡¯s concern, the clash of two worlds was always difficult for the less technologically advanced. If someone returned to Earth with proof of a magical land, there would be a line of governments fighting for the control of the new land.

    Oh.

    ¡°What do you mean with this world?¡± I asked.

    Maybe it was a translation mistake, but Dassyra shouldn¡¯t know that Byrne and I came from a completely different world. The System warned me against telling the locals and it was only logical to assume Byrne had received the same warning. Unless Byrne hadn¡¯t become a subject of the System.

    ¡°Byrne told me about the Earth, about America, about your world¡¯s wars and struggles.¡± Dassyra said with a melancholic voice. ¡°He told me our worlds had to remain separated.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m not planning on going back.¡± I said. ¡°And I don¡¯t plan to rat out a whole world.¡±

    Dassyra massaged her temples with such intensity I thought she was going to rip her skin. Then, she looked at the sky and let out a loud groan.

    ¡°Alright, I believe you. It¡¯s the least I can do after everything you have done for Wolfie and I. Byrne would kill me, but I believe you.¡± Dassyra finally said.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You are not the first woman who tried to kill me during our first meeting.¡± I replied, taking a seat in front of her. The whole fight had left me exhausted. ¡°I have a question, though. What was your relationship with Mr. Byrne?¡±

    Dassyra gave me a confused expression.

    ¡°Byrne-Samuel was my partner. He is Wolfie¡¯s father.¡±

 47 - Parent-teacher conference

    My mind had trouble processing everything Dassyra had just told me. Not only had Mr. Byrne, the old and eccentric millionaire, actually traveled to Farcrest, he had also contacted Dassyra¡¯s tribe, and revealed his otherworldly nature to them. On top of that, he had also sired a half-orc child that turned out to be one of my pupils.

    ¡°Let''s gather those pesky herbs of yours and call it a day. I can see in your face that you are exhausted.¡± Dassyra said in a humorous tone.

    ¡°I wouldn''t be if a certain someone hadn''t tried to kill me.¡± I replied with a tired smile.

    Wise or not, Byrne had instructed Dassyra to kill any person from Earth despite their true intentions. I glanced at Dassyra¡¯s tattooed arm. After experiencing the raw strength of her blows, I could only hope for Wolf to inherit at least half of her mother¡¯s strength.

    ¡°Mothers can be overprotective at times.¡± Dassyra apologized as she tried to get up, however, her knees gave out before she could stand. She clenched her teeth and placed her hand on her stomach.

    I instantly jumped up to help her. Despite her endurance, the wound on her side was too recent for her to try to swat down a slippery Scholar with five levels in [Swordsmanship].

    ¡°It''s just a small bruise.¡± Dassyra said, ignoring the fact that the Ice Wraith buried its claws deep into her flesh.

    I could only guess what kind of pain she was experiencing. A mere scratch from the Undead Puppet had left my body completely numb. Considering how nonchalant Dassyra and Elincia were about big and powerful monsters, I guessed survival was different in this corner of the universe. My near-death-experiences counter was too high for a lifetime, at least for someone from Earth.

    Dassyra placed her arm around my shoulders and dropped her weight on my back. My knees complained and I instantly regretted skipping leg day for the last seven years. Dassyra was built like a rhino.

    ¡°You are heavy.¡± I grunted as I helped the two meter amazon of an orc.

    ¡°Thanks, it''s hard to maintain the muscle here in the outpost. We have no gymnasium here and training with the younglings barely makes the cut.¡± Dassyra replied as she displayed a tusked smile for me.

    I didn¡¯t mention there were times when Wolf and Firana left me gasping for air after sparring.

    ¡°Certain someone tried to kill me!¡± The Changeling barked before returning to its vulture form and taking off again. I saw it soar the skies and made a mental note to give it a proper treat next time.

    Dassyra leaned on me and pointed in the direction of the cascade. ¡°Fire Vines in that direction.¡±

    I struggled to make the words leave my mouth but eventually, I managed.

    ¡°Godspeed.¡±

    The edge of the valley was an almost vertical wall of white rock that raised several meters up the sky. From the top, a stream of water formed an arch just to land into a deep pond probably formed by years and years of erosion. Other than the waterfall, small trickles of water fell along the stone wall and formed small silvery streams that joined the creek down the slope.

    I had a heated discussion with Dassyra because she wanted to help me with the harvesting. I was stalwart, she was wounded and lacked my cheat skills that let me harvest the right ingredients. Finally, after appealing to a whole litany of arguments, the orc woman agreed to let me do the dirty work.

    ¡°If a stray monster appears and something happens to you, the Caretaker is going to kill me.¡± Dassyra said as she slowly walked behind me. ¡°She told me a whole lot about you.¡±

    ¡°If you still tried to kill me, then Elincia must not like me a lot.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. She adores you.¡±

    I had to endure the impulse of looking over my shoulder to see if Dassyra was joking and focused on the Fire Vines in front of me. The plants seemed to like humid places with lots of disponible water because they grew in dense clumps around the small streams of water.

    I used [Identify].

    Fire Vine. [Identify]: Rare plant that gathers fire mana from the environment. If mature enough, its pods can ignite dried plants. Grows in humid locations to avoid starting fires. Alchemy ingredient.

    Was I going to bring great amounts of a potentially explosive plant into a manor mostly made of wood and full of cute orphans? I sighed. Experimentation would have to wait.

    ¡°The Caretaker told me how you appeared out of nowhere, acted like a damn maniac, and fixed most of the orphanage''s problems.¡± Dassyra continued speaking.

    Wolf must have inherited his reserved personality from his father.

    ¡°We are yet to solve the orphanage''s biggest problems.¡± I replied, trying to dismiss the part I played in the orphanage''s current situation. Stable but at the edge of the precipice.

    ¡°You are quite similar to Byrne-Samuel, Rob. Are all men from your country that prone to fixing people''s issues?¡± Dassyra asked.

    ¡°There are lots of kinds of men back at home, but I guess it is generally expected from us to fix stuff.¡± I replied as I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Household appliances mostly.¡±

    I didn''t expect Dassyra to understand my joke. Back at the orphanage my jokes usually went over Elincia''s head and got me only confused looks. However, Dassyra laughed heartily.

    ¡°You know what house appliances are?¡± I asked, shocked.

    ¡°Of course I do. I had Byrne locked in a cage answering my questions for a week before I could convince the Elders to let him go. He did enter our territory without permission after all.¡± Dassyra said with a smug expression. ¡°I kind of wish we had vacuum cleaners in this world.¡±

    ¡°Vacuum cleaners are great.¡± I replied.

    I walked along the stone wall, searching for more Fire Vines among the ferns and brambles, with Dassyra glued to my heels. I never suspected the amounts of enjoyment a conversation about electric appliances and small modern commodities could give me. Despite having green skin, ivory tusks, and arms strong as trees, having a conversation with Dassyra felt like interacting with someone from my own world.

    Over our heads, the Changeling drew wide circles in its avian form.

    ¡°What happened to Byrne?¡± I asked as our talk about soda flavors died.

    A search for the man had taken me into this world so I was curious about his whereabouts. If I managed to find him I could dispel a lot of doubts regarding the System and the origin of the portal between our worlds.

    ¡°I don''t know. He liked to investigate things, he traveled to Farcrest every other month and met with the previous Caretaker to discuss whatever he was researching at that moment. One day, when I was away patrolling the northern frontier, he went to Farcrest without an escort and he never came back. The Farlands are unforgiving, so he may as well be dead.¡± Dassyra replied.

    I didn¡¯t want to hint that he could¡¯ve just abandoned her so I pushed the conversation in another direction. As much as I wanted to figure out what Byrne knew, I was more worried about Wolf. A dead parent wasn¡¯t trivial for a teenager kid.

    ¡°And Wolf knows this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. Wolf quickly realized he¡¯s not a pureblood orc. Human kids are weak compared to orc kids so¡­ I had to tell them. He took it well, all things considered.¡± Dassyra explained. ¡°Don''t get me wrong. Half orcs are welcome in our towns, they are kin to us. However, most of them choose to accept the System and live among humans. Ongo and Risha were raised with the old Caretaker and they both decided to not return.¡±

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Risha. Elincia''s best friend had been a half orc from Dassyra''s people.

    I didn''t know how to feel about Elincia keeping it a secret from me. I shook my head knowing that I wasn''t the one to complain considering the amount of lies I keep telling her.

    I pushed those ideas to the side.

    ¡°Has Wolf mentioned something about coming back to the Farlands with us?¡± Dassyra asked with a shy tone and I understood how hard it had been for her to ask the question.

    ¡°Wolf hasn''t said anything about returning with the orcs, but he has not mentioned anything about staying with us humans.¡± I replied. ¡°In fact, he rarely speaks about himself. He''s worryingly stoic for his age.¡±

    Dassyra laughed again and the tension of the moment disappeared.

    ¡°It''s good to hear he hasn''t forgotten how to be a true orc.¡± The woman smiled. ¡°What else? Does he have a fiance yet?¡±

    My brain took a moment to click. People were considered adults with merely fifteen years  in this world. I shook my head.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he too young for marriage?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Now you are talking like a worried mother.¡± Dassyra laughed. ¡°What about a girlfriend, then?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what the orphanage''s dating policy was but I knew for a fact that a lot of schools forbid teens from dating. Not that it worked anyway. I made a mental note to ask Elincia if she had ''the talk'' with the older kids, the last thing we needed was an unplanned pregnancy.

    ¡°As far as I know, Wolf doesn''t have a girlfriend. But again, keeping secrets from parents and teachers is definitely a teenager thing.¡± I said, prompting another laugh from Dassyra.

    Now that we were talking in English, she didn''t seem as stoic as before.

    ¡°Wolf is mostly reserved. He never complains about anything and he''s very diligent with training. The other kids respect him and, for some reason, the younger children like him a lot despite Wolf''s attempts at ignoring them. I think they know Wolf is kind inside.¡± I said.

    Dassyra nodded with a satisfied expression.

    ¡°Is he strong like us?¡± She shyly asked as if she was talking about something frowned upon.

    ¡°He''s stronger than the other kids, probably stronger than an adult man but not a lot more than that.¡± I replied, sensing that there was a strong correlation between the amount of strength and the likelihood of Wolf coming back to join orc society.

    Dassyra kneeled by my side and examined one of the smaller vine pods.

    All the questions about Byrne¡¯s discovery of the magic portal left my mind as we continued talking about Wolf.

    ¡°Do you want me to speak with him about returning with your people?¡± I asked but Dassyra instantly shook her head.

    ¡°No. Wolf''s almost an adult now. Half-orcs have to make their own decisions, that''s our law.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Wolf is a kid.¡±

    ¡°Byrne-Samuel used to say the same all the time.¡± Dassyra smiled just to continue mimicking Byrne''s voice. ¡°How dare you take twelve years old to fight Black Wolves?! Kids that age belong in a classroom! Half of you orcs are savages, and the other half are brutes!¡±

    Dassyra''s expression suddenly became melancholic.

    ¡°Listen, Dassyra, maybe Wolf don''t have to live with humans.¡± I said, picking Dassyra''s attention. ¡°The Marquis will conscript the kids as soon as the winter ends. If you take them under your protection, they might have better chances to survive and Wolf will return home like you would want him to.¡±

    Dassyra stopped picking small Fiery Vine Pods and looked at me.

    ¡°The Caretaker already asked me, and the answer was no.¡± She replied with a stone face.

    ¡°Why not?! He''s your son!¡±

    As far as I knew the orc woman, she didn''t seem irrational nor cruel like the depiction of orcs from classic fantasy series back home.

    ¡°They would be safer fighting in the human army, Rob. Think about it. I can present the kids to the Elders, but they will not be accepted if they use the System. We don''t deal with the Corruption, ever. Even in the case they reject the System, they will have to fight anyway, every orc in the Farlands has to fight for our kin to survive.¡± She harshly replied. ¡°Do you think the gnome girl will survive a fight against a Black Wolf or even a Minor Slime without the help of the System?¡±

    I opened my mouth to reply but I couldn''t find any counterargument to Dassyra''s words.

    ¡°You are a lot like Byrne-Samuel. You have a peaceful view of the world, and you want that for others. But things are just too different here. For one reason or another we have to fight. This is a dangerous world, Rob. Only the strong survive and no amount of pity you feel for the Caretaker is going to change that.¡±

    The silence fell upon the valley, only interrupted by the constant singing of the waterfall against the stone wall.

    ¡°I don''t feel pity for Elincia.¡± I finally said. ¡°I do believe she would manage even without my help. She''s a great woman; strong, caring, smart, compassionate. I''m not fighting for the orphanage because I pity them, I''m fighting this fight because I admire her, because I want to be more like her.¡±

    My words got lost under the sound of the cascade as if I never uttered them, however, something changed inside me. A realization. I wasn''t helping Elincia and the orphanage only to repay my father''s commitment. I was fighting for the orphanage because I wanted to be more like him. I wanted to be a better person. More like Elincia. I covered my face with both hands. Even if the difference was minimal, it meant a world to me.

    Dassyra examined me with a critical eye, as if she was sizing me, before speaking.

    ¡°Very few people would say something like that.¡± Dassyra smiled tiredly. ¡°Most of the orcs, young and old wouldn''t even look in a poor governess'' direction and say ''I want to be more like her''. They would look at a freaking Wendigo and say ''yeah, I want to be strong like that''. This goes for you System users too. All they look for are more levels and powerful classes. Nobody looks up to the common farmer but everyone has to eat their grain to survive.¡±

    Dassyra put both her hands on my shoulders and forced me to face her before she continued speaking.

    ¡°Maybe Byrne-Samuel was wrong about the peoples from Earth. Maybe you are not half as cruel and destructive as he pictured..¡± Dassyra said.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± I replied and she let me go.

    I worked my way through the vines covering the stone wall until I managed to gather a pouch full of the red pods. Considering the amounts of herbs Elincia used to brew, I assumed it was more than enough for quite some time. Dassyra walked by my side in silence. I let [Identify] and [Awareness] scan the surroundings and soon after I found the remaining Moon Laurel that I needed to complete my shopping list.

    After an hour, I wiped off my hands on my pants and stretched my back. We already had all the ingredients we needed to start making money. A wave of relief washed over my body and my muscles released tension I didn''t even know I had stored. Now, we only needed to come back to bring the ingredients back to Farcrest, just like in the initial missions of RPG games. Go to the forest, retrieve ten herbs. Easy as it goes.

    Dassyra guided me back to the cascade but instead of returning to the orc outpost, she took off her boots and dipped her feet into the creek.

    ¡°If your feet are as bruised as mine, this will help you.¡± The woman said as a blissful expression overran her face. ¡°And you have to bring me up to date with Earth affairs. My last update was fourteen years ago and I have to know what happened with the Game of Thrones finale.¡±

    My heart skipped a beat. Last time I had seen Byrne was five years ago at the office while Dassyra had seen him for the last time fourteen years ago. The timing wasn¡¯t right unless time passed at different rates in this world. Maybe Byrne just gave up this world and came back to Earth. I wanted to voice my concerns but giving Dassyra a false hope of Byrne being alive and well left a foul taste in my mouth.

    In the end, I sighed and got rid of my boots.

    Footwear had been an issue since I had exchanged my comfy shoes with the bean seller. I did not regret the exchange, the orphanage needed the food and beans were god-tier nourishment, secondary effects aside. However, my boots were as uncomfortable as they were sturdy.

    I left the herb pouch by a rock near the creek, then I rolled up my pants and jumped into the pristine water. Despite the fact I had drank it only a couple hours earlier, I didn''t expect it to be that cold. My feet complained about the sudden change of temperature but after a minute I got accustomed to it. Just as Dassyra said, It felt great.

    We sat side by side on the riverbank. A part of my brain was telling me to rush back to the orc''s camp and return to Farcrest but I felt tired, my back was killing me, and the idea of talking in my native tongue was enticing. There was still so much I wanted to ask, but my mind felt numb and the only thing that kept me from falling asleep was the cold water running between my toes.

    ¡°Did Byrne use the System?¡± I finally asked.

    If Byrne had a class and she told Dassyra about our world, then that meant the warning about keeping it a secret was just a suggestion without a threat behind it. Seeing Dassyra''s interest in my world made me want to share it with Elincia without the risk of being punished by the System. Moreso, it would support my theory of Byrne coming back to Earth.

    Before Dassyra could answer my question, a stinging pain sent an electric pain through my feet. My mind pictured a piranha munching on my toes so I reflexively pulled out of the water. What I didn''t expect to see were ice crystals forming all over my feet.

    It was magic.

    Dassyra jumped out of the water at the same time as me.

    ¡°We have to get back to the outpost, quickly.¡±

    Over the peaks of the mountains, a dense mist started to saturate and slip into the valley.

 48 - The end of the line

    Dassyra pulled a round piece of red dyed glass from her bag and brought it to her eye, examining the mountains. Currents of mana swirled inside the piece of glass just like the strands of fire mana embedded into Elincia¡¯s blanket. The glass lens had to be an enchanted item of some sort.

    Dassyra remained silent for a moment, glancing at the mountains.

    ¡°It''s an area spell.¡±

    I focused on my surroundings, letting my mana sense run wild. The colors faded just to be replaced with ethereal currents of mana drawing lines and highways through the ground, into the tree roots, accumulating into the underground water reservoirs and seeping deep into the earth. Over the mountains an evil presence stretched out its arms into the valley.

    ¡°It''s going to freeze the valley.¡± I replied.

    Before Dassyra could add anything, the waterfall slowly froze on its way down. Snowflake shaped crystals grew along the pond, until the whole surface was turned into ice. Suddenly, the temperature around us dropped and a thick mist rose up from the ground. [Awareness] triggered all the alarms inside my brain.

    The undead monster was nearby.

    ¡°This is bad. The western area was supposed to be secured.¡± Dassyra cursed as she frantically stomped on the ground to get rid of the ice on her legs.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I grunted as I sat on the ground and rubbed my feet to break the ice crystals that continuously crawled over my skin.

    ¡°The main army retreated or was defeated.¡± Dassyra replied with a somber tone. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±

    The icy mana flew down the creek, freezing the sandbanks and any branches hanging over the water. The high peaks were completely encroached in the same magical mist filled with mana.

    We set off towards the orc camp. We walked in silence, Dassyra surveying the path ahead while I prayed for Elincia to be safe and sound back at the outpost. The valley became colder by the second, to the point I could see my breath as thick white clouds.

    The outpost was thrown into chaos. The orcs were already preparing to depart, the work benches had been stripped down and the tents had been disassembled and loaded into handcarts and travel bags. The old orc who had received us earlier that day approached us but before he could utter a word, I interrupted him.

    ¡°Where''s Elincia?¡± I asked but the elder didn''t understand. ¡°Where is the Caretaker?¡± I spoke again, this time in Common.

    ¡°I don''t know where the Caretaker is, I don''t care where the Caretaker is.¡± The old man angrily replied just to turn his focus to Dassyra. ¡°The young ones are already heading to the caves escorted by your warriors. We''ll be ready any moment now, we just need to load the last...¡±

    ¡°I want everyone to leave right now, leave everything you can''t carry.¡± Dassyra said.

    ¡°But...¡± The elder was interrupted before he could complain.

    ¡°Something is casting an area spell over the valley. I don''t want anyone getting caught.¡± Dassyra barked back.

    The elder became as pale as a green skinned orc could, then he nodded and got lost among the chaos of the outpost yelling orders left and right.

    Dassyra made her way across the sea of orcs towards the main tent. Dassyra''s tent was already taken down and packed on a cart with my sword and my backpack. I let my [Awareness] run amok in a vain attempt to catch a glimpse of platinum hair and pointy ears but Elincia was nowhere to be found.

    I was starting to panic.

    ¡°Little One!¡± Dassyra bellowed and a moment later, the behemoth of an orc pushed his way through the camp as if he was waiting for the woman. In his arms he carried a heavy wooden crate. Dassyra stripped off her jacket, leaving only a white tunic and her heavy skirt.

    Little One dropped the crate and pulled out a black brigandine. Dassyra opened her arms and Little One helped her to fit the armor around her body, first a light padded jacket, then the brigandine, greaves, and pauldrons. Then, Little One pulled out a round steel shield and a short spear.

    I glanced at Dassyra. Orcish armor was in the strange intersection between a Scottish warrior from Braveheart and a Greek hoplite. She looked imposing.

    ¡°I want everyone to leave anything they can¡¯t carry. I don¡¯t know how much time we have left before the Monster Surge arrives, I want everyone inside the tunnels by then.¡± Dassyra asked as she put on her wolf-head helm.

    ¡°The miners are still retrieving the Greater Slime Cores from the carcass.¡± Little One replied as he secured the belt around Dassyra¡¯s waist. The mist was already encroaching the remains of camp.

    ¡°Then put your arms to work and go help them. Grab any warriors left to protect the miners. Prioritize their safety, you have five minutes.¡± Dassyra said.

    I grabbed Little One¡¯s arm before he could leave.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the Caretaker?¡± I asked.

    ¡°She went west, I thought she¡¯ll be with you.¡± The giant orc replied before turning around and getting lost among the chaos.

    Without even thinking about it, I grabbed my sword from the cart and pushed my way back to the waterfall. Leaving Elincia behind wasn¡¯t among my plans.

    If I knew the journey to the Farlands was going to be this dangerous, I would¡¯ve stayed at Farcrest and devised another way to make money. I cursed myself. None of us could¡¯ve guessed there was going to be a Monster Surge.

    I looked up to the sky and I saw the Changeling still describing wide circles above our heads. Considering the haste with which the Changeling had fled during our first encounter with the undead monster, we should have time before its arrival.

    ¡°Creature!¡± I yelled and the Changeling took a dive just to land on my arm. The Changeling needed a proper name but now wasn¡¯t the right moment to think about it. ¡°Can you find Elincia?¡±

    The Changeling looked at me with its avian eyes and nodded.

    ¡°Damn creature!¡± The Changeling called as it took flight, and I made a mental note to help it to improve its vocabulary. I couldn¡¯t have it yelling obscenities in front of the kids.

    Dassyra caught up to me. Dressed in her war attire she looked like she could take on an entire army of Ice Wraiths. However, her expression was somber.

    ¡°Don¡¯t put on that face, we will deal with any monster that dares to cross our path.¡± I said, trying to ease my own fears. With Dassyra¡¯s strength and my [Swordsmanship], no monster could possibly stand a chance.

    ¡°Be on guard, Rob. Monster Surges are not something to take lightly. When the Corruption runs free there¡¯s no way to tell how it will affect monsters.¡± Dassyra replied as we left the camp behind.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    The magical mist rose over the canopy, hiding the sky and enclosing us into a milky dome. Only [Awareness] allowed me to distinguish north from south when all landmarks disappeared behind the white wall. Panic slowly crept inside me. Elincia was nimble enough to run away from most monsters and she had an observation skill that could help her locate the way back, but the mist was so saturated with mana that I feared it would act as a wall against skills too.

    This was all my fault. Elincia was probably out there looking for me.

    We slowly traversed the forest, my [Awareness] working overdrive to locate footprints or any trace of the half-elf¡¯s passage. But all my efforts were in vain. With the mist surrounding us and Elincia¡¯s light foot, there was nothing to pick up.

    Dassyra pulled out her red glass and peeked through the mist, or at least tried, because she cursed and pushed it back into her bag.

    When I thought all was lost, the Changeling¡¯s voice came out muffled through the mist.

    ¡°Damn creature!¡±

    Out of nowhere, the Bernese Mountain Changeling emerged from a clump of ferns, followed by Elincia. I rushed to them and surrounded Elincia in a tight hug while the Changeling circled around us, cuddling against our legs.

    ¡°You scared me.¡± I said with a shaky voice.

    ¡°I was just there.¡± Elincia replied, sneaking a quick kiss on my cheek.

    I pulled her away to make sure she wasn¡¯t wounded but to my relief, other than her shredded cloak, she was okay. I couldn¡¯t pinpoint if the tattered garment was like that before. Not that it mattered, we had to get out before the monsters arrived.

    ¡°Alright, lovebugs, no time for that. We have to reach the caves.¡± Dassyra grunted as she turned around and led the way back to the outpost.

    The urgency in Dassyra¡¯s voice made us snap back to reality. We broke apart and followed in silence, listening for any little sound that could give the position of the enemy while keeping an eye on each other. When we reached the camp, there were no orcs in sight, just the remnants of a forge that was too heavy to be transported by hand. I looked around and noticed the cart where my backpack full of herbs was gone.

    I hoped the cart remained safe during transit, the future of the orphanage was stored inside that backpack.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to get us killed!¡± The Changeling suddenly yelled.

    We stopped in our tracks. At first I didn¡¯t notice any changes, my [Awareness] was stretched to its limits trying to penetrate the magical haze. Then, in the span of a moment, the mist was suddenly gone. My instincts screamed that danger was imminent. [Awareness] told me the area spell was ready.

    I expected the ground to freeze but instead, a sudden earthquake brought me to my knees. Elincia grabbed my hand while the Changeling wrapped itself in black mana and turned into a rat before jumping inside my pocket. Trees swayed and a rain of dry branches fell upon us. Dassyra used her shield to cover us.

    I scanned the surroundings but there were no monsters in sight, just a constant flow of mana coming from the depths of the earth.

    Then, when I thought the earthquake couldn¡¯t get more intense, the ground split open, creating a deep, jagged chasm that seemed to lead to the very heart of the world. The trees, once firmly rooted into the ground, now toppled into the hole as it widened.

    As suddenly as it came, the earthquake stopped and Elincia tugged me back on my feet. I didn¡¯t let her hand go. A deep sound came from within the chasm.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Dassyra said, but my eyes were glued on the darkness of the chasm.

    Something was climbing from the depths of the earth.

    The deep sound became more defined. Drums, horns, heavy steps.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Dassyra¡± I said, turning around and walking away from the cave but the orc woman remained frozen in place. She was pale as paper. ¡°Dassyra?¡±

    A rotten green hand appeared from the chasm, then part of a head and most of a torso. An undead orc climbed the edge of the chasm and roared, then it grabbed its spear and threw it towards us. Instinctively, I raised my mana shield, but Dassyra was faster and, with a sound of metal against metal, she deflected the projectile with her heavy shield.

    ¡°The main army¡­¡± Dassyra muttered.

    Before the undead orc could grab a second spear, we turned on our heels and ran as fast as our legs allowed us.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to get us killed!¡± The Changeling yelled with a small, muffled voice from my chest pocket.

    A second spear whistled near my head and got lost among the forest. I looked over my shoulder just to see an army of undead orcs, geared with war attire just like Dassyra, hunting us down.

    We sprinted through the fern forest with our hearts pounding against our chests and adrenaline flowing through our veins. The cacophony of drums and horns echoed behind us. [Awareness] notified me that at least a dozen undead orcs were chasing us. I clench my jaw. Was it too much to ask for slow zombies instead of this?

    ¡°Keep moving! The caves are nearby!¡± Dassyra shouted. Her voice was a mixture of urgency and fear, and her confident demeanor was replaced by a mask of anguish. I could only imagine what was going through her mind. All those undead orcs must have come from somewhere.

    As we darted through the trees, the air grew heavy with the scent of decay.

    ¡°We need to find a defensible position!¡± Elincia yelled over the sound of the pursuit.

    The undead orcs were gaining on us.

    ¡°There¡¯s an entrance nearby.¡± Dassyra replied between gasps, pointing slightly to our left.

    We climbed a rock outcropping, and Dassyra dragged me up the ledge just as a rain of heavy spears and arrows chipped the rock. I took a second to glance down into the valley. A thousand undead orcs with battered rotting skin and maimed limbs stomped on the forest bed as they crossed the valley at full speed.

    We needed a bottleneck.

    ¡°Almost there.¡± Dassyra said, leading the way.

    A plain wall of stone greeted us but there was no entrance at sight. Dassyra pressed her shoulder against a loose stone and growled. The entrance was hidden behind the stone. Without pausing for even an instant to catch our breath, Elincia and I rushed to help. Blood rushed to my face as I strained my shoulders. For a moment, I thought I was going to pop a vein, but the stone finally tipped to the side and fell flat on the ground.

    ¡°Inside!¡± Dassyra yelled as a volley of projectiles fell upon the rock.

    We turned our backs to the undead army and entered the cave. The tunnel was narrow and damp, and the walls rough and uneven, unlike those we had found previously. The air inside was even cooler but at least the scent of decay was replaced by the musky odor of damp earth.

    We were crossing the entrance when Elincia screamed in pain as she collapsed to the ground. My heart clenched like a fist. When I turned around, blood froze inside my veins.

    A spear had gone through Elincia¡¯s calf from side to side. I rushed to her side. She gritted her teeth, trying to stifle her cries of pain with little success. The sight of the spear jutting out from her leg was gruesome. Panic took over me. My hands moved over the wound without knowing what to do. Elincia¡¯s forehead was beaded with sweat and her expression turned into a mask of terror and pain.

    I raised my head. At the entrance of the cave, a single undead orc aimed its bow at us. Its dead eyes glared down at us, emotionless. Before it could shoot, I extended my arms and raised a mana shield.

    The arrow bounced and a small portion of mana moved from my mana pool to harden the barrier.

    ¡°We need to get the spear out of her leg.¡± Dassyra said.

    The orcs flooded the entrance of the cave. I focused on keeping the barrier up as the undead army shot a barrage of arrows and spears at us. With each hit, mana was pulled out of my body to keep the mana shield up.

    Elincia¡¯s screams sent a shiver down my spine.

    ¡°We have to go, now.¡± Dassyra said just as the first orc crashed against my barrier with a mighty thump. The undead orc recovered and punched the barrier, smashing its wrists in the process. It didn¡¯t seem to care. Then, a second and a third orc arrived and soon the whole cave beyond the barrier was swarming with undead.

    My mana pool dwindled with every punch, arrow, and sword strike the barrier received.

    ¡°I can¡¯t move. Go.¡± I managed to choke out, my voice strained with the effort of keeping the barrier up. My muscles quivered, my arms felt heavy as if they were made of lead.

    Dassyra patted me on the back, grabbed Elincia on her arms, and dashed into the cave. My heart clenched at the sound of Elincia¡¯s panicked cries. I had to muster all my remaining self-control to not turn around. Elincia screamed, threatened, and called my name. I wished I could grow an extra pair of arms to cover my ears, every fiber inside me yelled for me to turn around to reach her. But I only had one responsibility. Hold the barrier as long as I could.

    This wasn¡¯t a fight we could win.

    The barrier absorbed the relentless barrage of blows. Minutes stretched into an eternity, each second was an agonizing battle against pain and fear. My vision blurred. Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead. System prompts announcing the levels of mana exhaustion floated in front of my eyes.

    It had been a nice run. A bit short if anything, but I was grateful I had got to know someone like Elincia. I closed my eyes. There were still a few strands of mana inside my reserves. Most certainly not enough to fight the undead horde but just enough to try something.

    ¡°Every problem has a solution.¡± I said, readying myself to lower the barrier.

    Suddenly, before I could break the spell, the orcs stopped moving. In unison, they pressed themselves against the tunnel walls, leaving a clear passage towards the entrance of the cave. As I raised my head, the air froze inside my lungs. A familiar pair of frozen eyes glared down at me.

 49 - Little Squire

    Chapter 49

    The undead monster¡¯s presence was overwhelming. Despite the fact it was just a black cloak cut against the entrance of the cave, my whole body was paralyzed and even the constant murmuring of [Awareness] stopped. The creature¡¯s gelid eyes penetrated my body and my soul. As strange as it sounded, I knew it could see through me, into my character sheet and perhaps even my memories. It was not the diluted presence behind the rotten flesh puppet I had faced previously. This creature was no regular predator like the packs of Black Wolves or the mutant bear I had encountered on my first day here. This monster was pure and unadulterated death.

    If I was going to die, I thought that I might as well quench my curiosity.

    Lich Lv.?? [Id?en?t?ify?] ????????

    Anticlimactic. I expected to see a level with three digits, but the fact the creature was beyond a System description was unnerving in its own right. A shiver ran down my spine as my mind tried to make sense of what I had in front of me. Maybe the System wasn¡¯t as absolute as I initially thought.

    ¡°You are a brave one, Wizard.¡± The Lich said and its voice sounded like glaciers clashing against each other.

    The undead orcs stood still against the tunnel walls, and I remained silent. My social skills didn¡¯t cover small talk with a chatty undead monster.

    Many times I had thought about dying but I never ever pictured myself being so calm in the face of death. Meanwhile, in the background of my mind, [Awareness] was still trying to come up with an escape plan but my mana pool was nearly empty. If [Luck] was an actual hidden parameter, I should already spend it all.

    ¡°Not brave. Curious.¡± I said as the silence dragged on and the Lich didn¡¯t seem to have the intention of impaling me with its icicles yet. Even if it was the kind of villain that liked to talk before delivering the finishing blow, I didn''t see a way out for myself.

    The Lich¡¯s voice echoed inside the tunnel. ¡°No. You are too serene. That¡¯s no curiosity.¡±

    A smile tugged the edges of my mouth as I understood the source of my calm.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already won.¡± I said to my own surprise.

    ¡°You''re aware you are about to die, aren¡¯t you?¡± The Lich replied and its electric blue eyes gleamed under its cloak.

    ¡°You are one of those unbeatable enemies at the beginning of video games. I am the secondary character that sacrifices their life to hold the unbeatable enemy long enough for the protagonist to flee.¡± I explained, not worrying if the Lich could actually understand the references. ¡°I¡¯ve already won. Elincia is alive and she has enough herbs to brew a small fortune worth of potions. The orphanage will enter a second golden era with or without me. Farcrest has survived other Monster Surges before, so the chance it survives again it''s quite high.¡±

    The number of guardsmen stationed at Farcrest didn¡¯t seem anything near excessive now. I had to credit the Marquis for that. It was ironic. The same man that was my enemy days ago, now was the only one who could protect the orphanage from the Monster Surge.

    The kids would be fine. Even if they didn¡¯t get accepted into the Imperial Academy, I could see them thriving in the army. Zaon had a great heart and a newly found confidence. Wolf¡¯s orc heritage made him stronger than a regular human. Firana was in a league on her own. Even Ilya was working hard to surpass her limitations. I didn¡¯t harbor any doubts about her potential anymore and by the end of winter she¡¯ll be twice as capable as today.

    Maybe my brain, or my [Awareness] skill, was tricking me to remain calm in the jaws of death.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite a small dream for a man of your capabilities.¡± The Lich said, tearing me away from my train of thought.

    ¡°You keep saying that about my capabilities.¡± I pointed out.

    The Lich smiled with its eyes.

    ¡°The System is a saddle, Wizard, but there¡¯s a way around it. Imagine all the things you could do without the boundaries of a mana pool. Without the silly little rules that prevent you from using magic as you please.¡± The Lich said, opening its arms. The way it gestured was unnerving, as if it were human once but had completely forgotten what it was to be one.

    I pondered over the monster¡¯s words. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine the spells I could work out without the System blocking my efforts. Freezing objects to the absolute zero, igniting oxygen, creating vacuums, showers of ionized radiation, and all the funny ways of making things explode. Breaking the laws of thermodynamics was only the tip of the iceberg.

    ¡°You are offering me power.¡± I said. I wondered if the Lich really knew how much it was offering me.

    ¡°Finite and powerless, all humans are. Just think about all your struggles. Imagine how trivial it would be to solve every one of them if you accept the deal.¡± The Lich replied with its frozen and wicked voice. ¡°I¡¯m offering you power and immortality.¡±

    For an instant, I forgot I was in front of a deadly monster and envisioned myself as an immortal and almighty leader. I could mold this kingdom as I saw fit. I could probably push it technologically hundreds of years ahead and even more if I factored magic into the matter. A fairer world for Elincia and the orphans.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°And what do you want in return?¡± I asked, my curiosity piqued.

    ¡°Loyalty.¡± The Lich replied. ¡°There are bigger and meaner things out there in the Deep Farlands, Wizard. Things that could kill even an immortal like me. I ask for you to join forces with me.¡±

    I weighed my alternatives. A part of me wanted to accept the power from the Lich¡¯s hands and then use them to kill it. However, another part of me was afraid of the consequences. What if all that power changed me? The Wendigo wasn¡¯t human anymore after whatever unholy metamorphosis it had experienced, and neither was the Lich. As much as I desired power, the mere idea of stopping being human made me sick. What if I stopped feeling compassion for others? My father would not forgive me, and neither would Elincia.

    ¡°How do you even go around the System?¡± I asked.

    ¡°With what lesser minds call Corruption.¡± The Lich stepped forward. ¡°I call it freedom.¡±

    My brain screamed danger but my body was frozen in place. As far as my experience went, corruption meant danger. I envisioned a Black Wolf. Rabid, hungry, vicious. I had seen regular wolves before and the Black Wolves were completely different beasts. Even the Wendigo, which had been a human before, seemed to have lost all trace of sanity.

    The Lich took another step forward and raised its undead hand towards my chest.

    I would rather die than turning into a mindless beast. I wasn¡¯t going down without a fight. In the best case my body ended up unusable for whatever necromantic experiment the Lich wanted to perform.

    [Swordsmanship] cleared my mind of any superfluous thought. With a precise movement, I grabbed the hilt of my sword, and the leftovers of my mana instantly surrounded my blade. Then, I quick-stepped forward, raising my arms and aiming towards the Lich¡¯s head. The tip of my blade buried into the darkness of the Lich¡¯s cloak, just between his shining blue eyes, but nothing offered resistance. The sword cut the fabric of the cloak from side to side. No face, no skull, no nothing.

    A thick layer of ice materialized out of nowhere and trapped my arms and legs. I struggled to break free with all my remaining strength, but the ice was solid as concrete. I cast [Stun Gaze], [Intimidate], and violently expelled mana from every pore of my body but nothing worked. My heart hammered against my chest. Claustrophobia got a grip on my throat and the freezing cold extended through my arms.

    The Lich continued walking, unaware of the sword going through its cloak. It stopped in front of me and raised a pale hand with marked green veins and long black nails. Effortlessly, the Lich made a cut on my jacket at the height of my heart. The cold wind washed over my skin.

    My throat was dry.

    The Lich looked directly into my eyes and touched my chest with the tip of its finger.

    Pain blinded me. It felt as if a frozen hand had cut my body wide open just to tear my bones one by one away from my flesh. I looked at my arms, but my vision was clouded from pain. From the tip of the Lich¡¯s finger, a black substance spread under my skin like the legs of a spider.

    In a blink of an eye, I found myself floating in the void. The pain was a distant reminder that my body was still at the Lich¡¯s mercy. Only if I focused hard enough I could watch my own body frozen in place. Despite not having a physical form anymore, I looked around. The realization suddenly hit me, I was inside my empty mana pool.

    Suddenly, the bottom of my mana pool trembled and tore apart, revealing a new depth much darker and more sinister than the emptiness surrounding me. I could feel something down there pulsating like a living being. As the hole grew, blinding rays of light hit my face and a powerful roar filled my ears. Then I saw it. An ancient fountain of raw mana covered in chains, seals and spells. It was as beautiful as it was frightening.

    If my intuition was right, my mana pool had a faint connection with that fountain even before the Lich had broken the boundaries between them. That was the source of my magic. No. Not only mine but of every System user in the continent.

    The borders of my mana pool continued tearing apart and I fell towards the blazing underground sun. When my consciousness began to get lost within the brightness, I parted from the vision and returned to the freezing cave. The pain assaulted me, but the adrenaline kept me from giving up to it.

    I felt the power of the mana source burning inside my veins but the black tentacles the Lich had injected under my skin prevented me from using it. Every single fiber of my being screamed in pain, and yet no sound came from my mouth. My eyes surveyed the tunnel in a last attempt to find a way out. [Awareness] was silent.

    I was going to get converted.

    Then, when I lost all hope, I felt a tug from my pocket and a swirl of black mana darkened my vision.

    ¡°Damn creature!¡± The Changeling yelled with a voice I didn¡¯t recognize.

    In front of me, a man of straight black hair and pale skin dressed in a long red tunic stood between me and the Lich. It wasn¡¯t anyone I knew so I assumed the Changeling must¡¯ve seen into the Lich¡¯s memories.

    Taking advantage of the moment of doubt in the Lich¡¯s movements, the Changeling channeled mana into its hands and cast a stream of flames. The spell hit the Lich, but it didn¡¯t seem to cause any harm. Suddenly, the ice around my limbs broke and I was free again.

    How dare you!

    The Lich¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t a sound anymore, but a message broadcast directly into my brain.

    ¡°How dare you!¡± The Changeling angrily replied as the flames intensified.

    The Lich was unfazed by the spell. Just as my mana blade before, the flames went through its body without causing any harm. I covered my mouth with the sleeve of my jacket. The smell of burning rotten flesh and the heat of the primal mana flowing inside my body were almost unbearable.

    My consciousness hung from a thread and the voice of [Awareness] was nowhere to be found. I closed my eyes and let the primal mana flow through the palms of my hands. It was different from the blue mana threads the System supplied me to perform my skills, more pure and violent. Then, I noticed there was nothing stopping me from using it as my mind imagined. There was no brake, no safety kill switch, no skills, no boundaries.

    Every second that passed, it brought me closer to the point of no return. The Corruption already flowed inside my mana pool, and I wondered how much more I could push it before turning into something else.

    Give it back!

    The Lich yelled directly into my brain.

    With my last strands of consciousness, I absorbed the heat stored in the rocks around me. Ten, a hundred, a thousand meters around me. I extended my control over the environment, siphoning the energy into a single point over the Lich¡¯s head. The tunnel walls cracked as they instantly cooled down, far colder than anything the Lich could muster. The whole mountain trembled and groaned as the veins of water stored in the stone froze.

    The ceiling of the tunnel glowed as the rock started to boil. For an instant, the Lich stopped paying attention to the Changeling and focused its gelid eyes on me. The rock reached its melting point and the ceiling turned into a cascade of molten rock that rained over the Lich. Then, as the Lich disappeared under the shower of lava, I siphoned the energy away from the collapsed rock, hardening it instantly.

    Before passing out, I heard Changeling''s high pitched voice screaming in panic.

 50 - Consequences

    Chapter 50

    I woke up with my head resting on Elincia¡¯s lap, which was strange considering the last thing I remembered was the dark tunnel collapsing over my head.

    ¡°Damn beast!¡± Elincia said and I realized it was just the Changeling.

    Begrudgingly, I rolled over my stomach and sat down. As much as I enjoyed Elincia¡¯s thighs ¨Cthey were a top quality pillow¨C, it felt wrong for me to put my head on them if it wasn¡¯t really her.

    ¡°You are a damn beast.¡± I replied as I massaged my eyes. New pains had been added to the earlier ones I had collected over our journey into the Farlands. A quick examination revealed an ugly burn on my forearm and the skin of my calf had turned red. My leather jacket and my pants were seared as well. Luckily enough, my clothing had taken the worst of it.

    A quick scan of my surroundings revealed I had been dragged far from the mountainside into the lush forest. Landslides had reached deep into the forest and there were even a few giant rocks settled on the soft forest bed not far from us. The Changeling had been wise enough to drag me behind a giant old tree.

    The creature had saved me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to pet you while you are in Elincia¡¯s shape.¡± I said as a wide smile was drawn into my face. Even with the blisters and the bruises, it was good to be alive.

    The Changeling instantly transformed into the Bernese Mountain Dog and pounced over me. It was just as heavy as I remembered. I had to push it back to prevent him from licking my face.

    ¡°Thank you for saving me. I owe you.¡± I said when I finally managed to put enough distance between the slimy tongue and my face.

    The Changeling puffed its furry chest and gave me a single hoarse and proud ¡®woof¡¯.

    ¡°Do you have a name? I can¡¯t be calling you ¡®Damn Beast¡¯ in front of the kids¡­ if you want to come with me to the orphanage I mean.¡± I said.

    ¡°Name!¡± The Changeling wagged its tail.

    I didn¡¯t know I needed a talking dog until now. The fact it could adopt the form of a fireball slinging wizard and drag me out from collapsing caves was just the cherry on top.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. Damn Beast¡­ DB¡­ What about Debbie?¡± I asked.

    The Changeling turned into a tortoiseshell cat and made an exaggerated gesture of vomiting.

    I¡¯d take that as a no.

    ¡°Ok, drama queen, please show some respect to all Debbies in the universe.¡± I scolded it.

    The Changeling gave me a mischievous glance. I closed my eyes and squeezed my brain to come up with something. Suddenly, a metaphorical mana flame lit into my mind.

    ¡°What about Loki?¡± I said. ¡°You can¡¯t say it¡¯s not the coolest name out there.¡±

    The Changeling turned back into its dog form and zoomed around the nearby trees like a dark blur. The only thing that separated it from a real dog was the fact it yelled ¡®Loki¡¯ instead of barking. I¡¯d take that reaction as a resounding yes.

    ¡°Alright, Loki. We have to return home.¡± I said as I cast a worried glance at the mountain behind us.

    The fact there were no System prompts floating in front of my eyes with half a dozen ¡®level ups¡¯ meant the Lich was alive. I considered the alternatives. Maybe the Lich was actually dead but it didn¡¯t yield any experience because it didn¡¯t technically belong to the System. Or maybe it was alive under the tons of solid rock.

    A shiver ran down my spine.

    ¡°The ¡®level up¡¯ prompt probably appeared when I was unconscious.¡± I said in an attempt to calm myself down.

    If the prompts appeared when I was unconscious, I just had to check my level in my character sheet.

    I opened it.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Scholar ?v.1???3???

    Titles: Lonely Boy, Stone in Love, Hot for Teacher, Confidant, Classroom Fiend, Favorite Teacher (96), Master Tutor, Silver Scholar, Delinquent Reformer (5), Stalwart Mentor (7), Role Model, Expert Mathematician, Expert Physicist, Adept Historian, Adept Linguist, Journeyman Biologist, Novice Chemist, Novice Orator.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Manipulation, A?w?ar?nes?s, Master of Languages.

    Skills: I?d?en?t?i?f?y, ???? ??z?, Intimi?d?te, Minor Illusion.

    Status: Exhausted Lv.5, Denial Lv.2, Minor burns Lv.1.

    I closed my character sheet and looked at the horizon.

    ¡°It could be worse.¡± I said, slapping my legs and walking away from the mountains.

    My character sheet should remain closed until I had an idea of what was happening. As much as I wanted to identify the corrupted skills, I didn¡¯t want to trigger any catastrophic error in the System.

    I took a peek into my shirt, and noticed a web-like black mass under my skin where the Lich had touched me. Just like my character sheet, I didn¡¯t want to look at it again in case it made it worse.

    ¡°You know, Loki. Men don¡¯t go to the doctor. They wait until the pain goes away or they die in the meantime.¡± I tried to lighten my mood, but I only managed to make it worse.

    I hope that with enough time, I will be able to piss the black substance out of my system.

    The Changeling didn¡¯t seem happy with my assessment.

    ¡°One problem at a time.¡± I said, looking around the forest.

    If I would be able to locate the cave Elincia and I used to arrive in the valley, I¡¯ll be able to find the way back to Farcrest. There should be someone who knows how to deal with this strange affliction. I looked around, expecting [Awareness] to guide me in the right direction, just like it had been doing since I entered the Farlands, but the skill remained silent.

    I didn¡¯t have to open my character sheet to know it was one of the corrupted skills.

    ¡°Loki? We have a problem, dude. I don¡¯t know the way back home.¡± I said.

    Sure, I had a vague sense of the direction of things, but actually finding the cave and then traversing it without getting lost could take me days if not weeks.

    ¡°The way back home!¡± Loki parroted as it started sniffing the ground. ¡°The way back home!¡±

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    I trusted its nose.

    Loki guided me through the valley, always going to the south and east. We stopped at noon to drink water from the creek. The orc miners must¡¯ve gone through the Greater Slime¡¯s frozen body because the creek was full of water once again. I tried to distract myself from my current problems by thinking about the potential uses of the Slime Cores. It was of little use because my attention invariably slipped back to my character sheet or the spider web-like mass in my chest.

    ¡°Man, I wish I had access to the Internet to search for my symptoms.¡± I said, peeking at my chest again. This didn¡¯t look like the kind of ailment that was cheap to fix, if it was possible to fix at all.

    ¡°One problem at a time!¡± Loki parroted.

    ¡°One problem at a time, pal.¡± I replied.

    We walked through the forest until we reached the southern cliffs. Without [Awareness] whispering directions into my ear, I couldn¡¯t know how far, or close, we were from the caves. The surroundings didn¡¯t seem familiar at all. However, my assessment of the path was wrong because a minute later Loki reached the entrance of a cave.

    ¡°The way back home!¡± Loki said.

    I summoned a small flame of mana ¨CI didn¡¯t dare to cast anything more mana intensive in case it produced a strange reaction with the Corruption inside my body¨C, and entered the tunnels. Loki sniffed the path in front of us and guided me through the forks and turns. Other than our steps, the cave was completely silent, but that didn¡¯t prevent me from pricking my ears in a vain attempt to pick up any dangerous sounds.

    After burying the Lich under tons of rock, I didn¡¯t trust the mountains to maintain their structural integrity. Luckily enough, the ground remained silent. This zone of the mountains must¡¯ve been out of the area of effect of my spell.

    As we got deeper, we found lots of untouched Blue Moss. Not knowing if the sample I had farmed survived the Monster Surge, I decided to take a second sample.

    ¡°Do you think Byrne is the caffeine addicted scholar Elincia mentioned?¡± I asked as I put a generous patch of Blue Moss into my bag as well as a patch of Green Moss. Loki barked back.

    Not a minute passed when we found the remains of our battle against the slimes. The bodies were just watermarks against the rock, but the core shards remained solid. I grabbed one core that was almost intact. It was a translucent sphere with a green hue. The surface was uneven and hard as glass.

    When I tried to identify it, a sharp pain spread across my chest. I fell to my knees. The black mass seemed to stab me everywhere it had spread, forcing me to stop using the skill. The broken core fell from my hand and clenched my teeth until the pain passed. When I opened my eyes again, I saw Loki looking at me with a worried canine expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay now.¡± I said as I stood up.

    I chastised myself from trying something so reckless. I should¡¯ve known something like this was going to happen. The pain lingered for another second before completely disappearing. My forehead was covered in sweat and my hands were shaky.

    I grabbed the core and put it into my bag.

    From the duration of the trip back to the surface, I refrained from using any of my skills. Luckily, other than a tiny slime feeding on a patch of moss, there wasn¡¯t anything interesting or dangerous in the cave.

    ¡°The way back home!¡± Loki suddenly said as it turned a corner at full speed.

    I followed the Changeling to find the cave¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°You truly are a lifesaver. We have to find the orcs now.¡± I said as we emerged high into the slope of the mountain range.

    Loki puffed its chest and ran around my legs. I was trying to catch it when a powerful roar echoed against the mountains. Loki perked its ears and scanned the trail. Not even a hundred meters from us, a band of orc warriors armed with shields and spears much like Dassyra, climbed the slope. They had spotted us.

    For an instant I thought Loki was going to transform into the Fireball Magician and smoke the poor orcs. My fears were unfounded, because it transformed into a mouse and scurried into my pocket in a panic.

    I raised my hands before any of them could load their slings. I wasn¡¯t in a position to fight, or even display my strength to intimidate them. The band of orcs spread over the slope and surrounded me. This was faster than finding them myself at least.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a monster!¡± I said, keeping my hands up. ¡°I was at the outpost with Dassyra and the Caretaker. I need to find the Caretaker.¡±

    The leader of the band approached me with its shield raised and its spear ready. He was even bigger and greener than Dassyra. His muscles bulged under its brigandine and its tusks were so big I was sure he had trouble eating. His body didn¡¯t seem starved though. I nicknamed him Hulk.

    ¡°Your personal sheet, System Slave.¡± Hulk said with a fierce voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to show it to other people. I¡¯m just a level thirteen Scholar.¡± I lied. Knowing how much the orcs despised Corruption, I couldn¡¯t just show them my corrupted character sheet and expect them to receive me with open arms.

    ¡°What about the creature in your pocket?¡± The orc stopped a few meters in front of me, still with his shield raised and his spear menacingly pointing at me.

    ¡°Just a Changeling that got fond of me. It¡¯s not aggressive.¡± I replied, hoping all orcs had the same reaction as Dassyra when she met the creature. ¡°Come on, Loki, I need you to transform into Dassyra. Show them we met her before.¡±

    The Changeling trembled inside my pocket but ultimately peeked outside.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, buddy. They will not harm us.¡± I reassured the shaking shapeshifter.

    For a creature that could turn into a mage, Loki was really fearful.

    Loki nodded and turned into a twister of black mana before emerging as a perfect copy of Dassyra. The orcs recoiled in their surprise and exchanged hushed words before lowering their weapons. After a moment, Loki turned back into its mouse form and returned to my pocket.

    ¡°You met Warchief Dassyra, that¡¯s true.¡± The orc leader nodded. ¡°But we are yet to know if you are friend or foe. The camp has to remain hidden. Tie him and put something on his head.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I asked before a dozen green hands fell upon me. Soon enough I was tied, blinded, and bouncing like a sack of potatoes on the shoulders of one of the orcs. It wasn¡¯t particularly comfortable but at least my feet had a moment of respite. And it was infinitely better than being chopped by a machete.

    ¡°Be careful with my moss! You know how difficult it was to find!¡± I said just for the sake of complaining. The orc grunted back but I couldn¡¯t know if they actually secured my belongings.

    It was hard to tell how long the trip lasted, all that I knew was that low branches hit like whips. Without [Awareness] it was impossible to properly tell the path. Loki remained inside my pocket, hanging for its dear life for the whole duration of the trip. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the orc that was carrying me put me down and removed my blindfold. I noticed the sun almost touched the top of western mountain range.

    ¡°Worst traveling company ever.¡± I grunted.

    The orc camp was completely different from the outpost. The tents were disorderly scattered around the clearing in the forest. Orc families were reunited around campfires while the warriors patrolled the perimeter. Everyone had worried and stressed expressions. It felt like a refugee camp. I scanned the surroundings, trying to catch a familiar face but without [Awareness], all orcs looked almost the same.

    ¡°This one.¡± Hulk¡¯s voice brought me back to reality.

    I turned around, expecting to find Dassyra¡¯s imposing frame. Instead, besides the orc leader walked the elder who had interrogated Dassyra upon our arrival to the outpost. For a moment, I feared he would tell the warriors to dispose of me.

    ¡°The ugly Handy Assistant?¡± The elder orc asked as his eyes fell on me. ¡°Let him go. He¡¯s Dassyra¡¯s guest.¡±

    The orcs freed me from my restraints.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Elincia? Where¡¯s the Caretaker?¡± I jumped to my feet, ignoring the warriors.

    ¡°She¡¯s resting in the main tent. That way¡­¡±

    Before the elder orc finished the sentence, I was already on my way. I dodged patrols and scurried through families and carts full of provisions until I found Dassyra¡¯s tent. A weight fell from my shoulders as I heard Elincia¡¯s voice across the fabric.

    ¡°What part didn¡¯t you understand, you fucking green bitch! You left Rob to die!¡± Elincia yelled.

    I had never heard her so angry before.

    ¡°Are you kidding me?! It was you who got a javelin in the calf. Don¡¯t try to pass the blame on me.¡± Dassyra replied, as angry as the elven woman.

    ¡°Yeah, because I totally WANTED to get a javelin on my calf. You should¡¯ve left me instead of him, you brittle idiot. You are an orc, you should act like one.¡± Elincia struck back.

    She was mad mad.

    ¡°It was Rob¡¯s will to save you. You should be grateful I dragged your pale ass out of the cave before it collapsed!¡± Dassyra grunted.

    I bit my tongue. The tunnel collapsing was probably my own fault.

    ¡°This is going to be hella awkward.¡± I muttered as my social anxiety kicked on at full steam.

    ¡°Hella awkward.¡± Loki parroted from my pocket.

    The two women continued their screaming match while I hesitated just in front of the tent¡¯s entrance.

    Time to face the music I guess.

    I stepped into the tent.

    ¡°First person who didn¡¯t abandon me alone at the orphanage and I got him killed.¡± Elincia muttered as she hid her face into her hands.

    ¡°The reports about my death were greatly exaggerated.¡± I interjected, standing in the doorway.

    I didn''t think it was possible for Elincia to look so pale.

 51 - At the brink

    I regretted my choice of words even before I finished the sentence.

    To say Elincia was pale, was an understatement, she looked like she had seen a literal ghost. She was lying down on a cozy pile of pelts, however, she didn¡¯t look comfortable at all. Her leg had been tended to, but her hair was a mess and eyes were swollen and reddened.

    I have never seen her looking so miserable.

    A moment later, I was kneeling on the floor, hugging Elincia. Damned be everything else. I closed my eyes and squeezed her against my chest. Even if I had accepted my fate of dying in a godforsaken cave, I was glad to be alive. There was still too much to do at the orphanage for me to die in the Farlands.

    Elincia perched on my jacket as if she feared I was going to disappear into thin air and cried without a drop of shame. She cried until she ran out of tears and then she cried a bit more. Eventually, her weeping turned into a weak whimper interrupted by an irregular hiccup. I softly stroked her hair until she regained control.

    ¡°But the tunnel collapsed. The whole mountain shook like it was going to erupt. How did you get out?¡± She said.

    ¡°Loki helped me.¡± I replied, as I reached into my pocket to pull out my mousey assistant.

    ¡°Loki?¡± Dassyra asked, puzzled. The way she said it had an English inflection, as if she had heard the name before.

    ¡°Loki!¡± Loki parroted proudly, as it scurried up my arm to my shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a good name for a shapeshifter?¡± I asked before I turned back to Elincia, ¡°This little trickster dragged me out to safety.¡±

    ¡°Out to safety.¡± Loki squeaked proudly.

    I watched Elincia¡¯s emerald eyes dart around the room, the red around their green irises made it much easier to notice the nervous movement.  Elincia pulled me back and, for a moment, I thought she was going to punch me in the nose.

    "Idiot, you scared me." Elincia said between sniffles.

    I smiled. That was the straightforward, foul-mouthed, and brutally honest Elincia I liked. It was good to be back.

    "I was about to die but then I thought you would be mad, so I didn''t." I said, holding back a laugh.

    "Dumbass idiot." Elincia said between hiccups, hugging me even tighter.

    "Dumbass idiot! Dumbass idiot!" Loki parroted.

    "No, bad boy! If you want to come back with us you can''t say that." I scolded it as if it were a small kid.

    "Damn beast." Loki grumbled back, sinking back into the pocket.

    Teaching Loki an appropriate vocabulary jumped up several spots in my to-do list.

    I didn''t realize Elincia and Dassyra were looking directly at me, as if they were expecting me to say something. Something smart at least.

    "It was just a Lich." I said.

    My choice of words didn¡¯t seem to be the right one because Dassyra almost fell over the brazier. Elincia, for her part, inspected my face, searching for any trace of undeath. Liches must be high up the pyramid of undead monsters. Dassyra crossed the tent in two strides, grabbed me from the shoulders and yanked me onto my feet.

    "I''m a man of many hidden talents." I said as the orcs'' eyes scanned my whole body. ¡°And I¡¯m alive.¡±

    After what felt like an eternity, Dassyra gave me a spine-breaking flash hug and put me back down into the pile of pelts.

    "Is the Lich dead?" Dassyra then asked.

    "It¡¯s complicated." I replied.

    "Being straightforward isn''t one of his many talents." Elincia interjected from her makeshift bed.

    I sighed.

    "The Lich being dead is the best scenario. The worst one is that he is alive and entombed under tons of solid rock." I quickly explained what had happened inside the cave after the two women left. "I didn''t get any levels afterwards, but the Lich wasn''t part of the System so I''m not sure if it could give experience at all. There wasn''t a trace of its magic on the way back here so I''m confident to say he is at least out of commission for now."

    Dassyra nodded and grabbed her jacket before walking towards the exit.

    "This is good news. I''ll go inform the elders." The orc woman said but stopped in the doorway. "I''m glad you are alive, Rob."

    And so, I was alone with Elincia.

    "You seem to have grown very close to Dassyra." Elincia raised an eyebrow.

    She had been acting really cute so far, so I decided to ignore her comment.

    "How''s your leg doing?" I asked.

    Elincia tried to get comfortable into the pile of pelts, but she clenched her teeth with every small movement. Her breeches had been cut at the knee and a hefty amount of bandages surrounded her whole calf. The sound of the spear going through Elincia¡¯s flesh returned to my mind and a surge of panic started growing inside me.

    What if the spear was contaminated? Did people in this world have the Tetanus vaccine? What if the nerves were damaged?

    "It will get better. I''m not a ceramic doll." Elincia shrugged her shoulders, somewhat offended by my sudden change of topic. Then, seeing my worried expression, she sighed. "I applied a Purification Potion and a Minor Health Potion. It shouldn''t leave any lasting damage with the right treatment."

    I examined Elincia''s face, searching for any signs of deception. The woman was clear as water, but I still missed the input from [Awareness]. Only then I realized how dependent on the skill I had been. Now I was back to relying on my five senses.

    "We should brew a high grade Health Potion." I said.

    We had enough ingredients to brew a substantial amount of Health Potions, however, my idea wasn''t as well received as I expected. Elincia vigorously shook her head.

    "A true Alchemist doesn''t consume their product."

    "Elincia, we are brewing potions, not illegal drugs." I replied.

    "Look, my leg will be alright. For the price of a high grade Health Potion, we could sustain the orphanage for two or three weeks. It''s not worth it using it on me." Elincia replied.

    I bit my lip. It wasn''t just a matter of selling potions, with the Corruption running rampant through my system, I wasn''t sure I was able to even assist with Elincia''s brewing. I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out Loki in its mouse form. It was sleeping.

    "Hey, bud. Wake up, I need a favor." I whispered. "I need you to guard the entrance, if someone is going to enter the tent, let me know."

    "Damn beast." Loki replied with its small voice as it opened its eyes.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Despite his words, Loki transformed into its dog form and obediently crossed the curtain. Before continuing, I looked around, scanning for any unwanted eavesdroppers but [Awareness] remained silent. I would have to trust Loki for this one.

    "Rob, you are scaring me." Elincia said.

    I was scared too. Up to that moment, everything regarding Corruption had been merely hypothetical thought experiments. Now, a native of this world would tell me if everything was as bad as it looked, or I was just exaggerating. My mouth was suddenly dry. I couldn''t tell Elincia I was scared to death too.

    It was better to pull the thorn quickly. I summoned my character sheet and turned it around. As Elincia''s eyes went through the lines, her expression darkened. It wasn''t good.

    "Rob... I''m sorry. I''m so sorry." She said on the verge of tears.

    As much as Elincia struggled to find the words, nothing came from her mouth. I grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her closer to me. She sat in the space between my legs and leaned against my chest. I didn''t know who was comforting who.

    "Is it bad, doc?" I finally asked.

    "Disasterrific." Elincia replied. It was one of Shu''s favorite words, a word that the snakefolk twins would use to describe the extinction of potatoes.

    "Damn." I replied. "How bad?"

    Elincia stroked my hair, it had grown a lot since I arrived at Farcrest.

    I braced for the report.

    "You won''t be able to use the corrupted skills, your mana pool is going to shrink, and you probably won''t level up until the corruption goes away.¡±

    ¡°How long?¡± I asked the nuclear question.

    ¡°I have read some books but I''m not an expert. I''d say ten or fifteen years until the System heals..." Elincia said with a broken voice. "...but don''t worry, I''ll take care of you."

    A weight was lifted from my shoulders. At least I wasn''t going to turn into a Wendigo.

    "Not half bad." I nonchalantly said. Compared to a lifetime of not doing magic ¨Cas it was my life on Earth¨C, ten years didn''t seem a lot. It would make it harder to defend the orphanage from pesky guardsmen, but I still have my shotgun. Crafting new shells had suddenly climbed several positions on my to-do list.

    "Of course that''s your reaction." Elincia said as she hid her face on my chest.

    Her hiccup had returned. For the people of this world, who were dependent on the System boons, having their level frozen should be the worst fate possible.

    "You''ll look after me, Elincia, so I don''t have anything to worry about." I said with a festive voice. "As I didn''t get any levels from killing the Lich, I expect a month of breakfast in bed as a reward."

    I felt Elincia''s body stiffening in my arms. I knew my words were going to scratch her the wrong way. Despite the fact Elincia didn''t let me help her a lot in the kitchen, she didn''t like to be treated as a housemaid either.

    "One weekend." She replied.

    "Two weeks."

    "Two non-consecutive weekends."

    "I would''ve settled for one weekend." I replied with a big grin.

    Elincia laughed.

    "You are incredibly silly. Actually, you are Shu levels of silly." She mockingly said.

    "At this point, I''m just glad to be alive." I shrugged my shoulders.

    "Yeah, things got complicated." Elincia replied in a quiet voice.

    We remained in a silent embrace for a moment. What was supposedly a simple quest for herbs had turned into a fight against a powerful dark wizard. That was just how my luck was. There was one question left to answer. Was I going to be able to support Elincia in the brewing process?

    I bit my lip. Surely Elincia had gotten a few levels in the past month, but she was far from being able to brew high quality potions. And those were the ones that would bring in the real money.

    "I''d say we brew a potion for your leg." I said.

    I put my hand over Elincia''s mouth before she could reply, this was another of Shu¡¯s secret techniques. Elincia had called me silly, so I was going to act silly. She mumbled something I couldn''t understand but she didn''t bite my fingers off.

    "The sooner you heal, the sooner we will be able to return to Farcrest, and the sooner we will get the money for the winter." I explained. "Also, we said we were returning in two weeks. The kids will be worried if we stay here until your leg heals."

    Elincia mumbled again and I pulled my hand off her mouth.

    "And we have to figure out if you are able to assist me." Elincia said with a worried expression.

    "Do you think any of the corruption might get transferred to the potion?" I asked.

    "Haven''t heard about that." Elincia said.

    We remained in silence, still entangled in a weird embrace, for another minute.

    "Shall we?" I finally asked.

    Elincia blushed and pulled away. A pained grimace appeared on her face as she recklessly moved her wounded leg. She was in no condition to walk.

    "Shall I carry you?" I asked with a mischievous smile.

    "Just drag that table." She replied.

    The low table was heavier than I expected. I pulled the table in front of Elincia, and she pulled out her portable alchemy kit.

    "Should I?" I asked as the woman pulled a few herbs from the pouch.

    "Not yet. I think we should take some safeguards, for your own good."

    As she didn''t say anything else, I sat back and watched her work. It was fascinating, as always.

    Elincia plucked a few strands of Elkadia Root and mashed them with the mortar. I could feel Elincia¡¯s skills helping her to extract the magic trapped inside the roots. She used an old sieve to separate the solid bits from the extract similar to milk. Then she repeated the process with the Fairy King¡¯s Brooch and mixed the ingredients until she got a translucent liquid with blue sparks of mana floating inside.

    I refrained from identifying it.

    "It''s a Minor Mana Scent. It will help you restore mana without adding toxicity to your system." Elincia explained, seeing my curious expression.

    "What''s the deal with toxicity?" I asked.

    "Drink too many potions and you''ll get sick. The symptoms are similar to Corruption, but the effect fades away more quickly." She explained.

    I drank the concoction in one go. It was slightly sweet, and it instantly eased the burning feeling inside my chest. Then, I checked my character sheet. The Corruption was still there but at least I felt my mana pool slowly refilling.

    ¡°You look surprised.¡± Elincia sat by my side.

    ¡°Well, it worked. I feel a lot better now.¡± I replied with a dumb smile. Until then I hadn''t noticed my mana pool being almost empty. No, it wasn''t empty, it had shrunk. Or rather, it was like someone had filled my gas tank with sugar.

    Before I realized it, Elincia already had the ingredients ready for the brewing process.

    ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± I said.

    I closed my eyes and intertwined my scarce mana into Elincia¡¯s brewing, forming a screen that protected the potion from environmental mana. The process was delicate, so any imbalance in the formula could drastically change the parameters of the potion. Even with closed eyes, I could tell Elincia was rushing the process. I thanked her for that. I was used to having mana to spare, but now, after only a few seconds of brewing, my forehead was covered in sweat and my chest was starting to hurt.

    Suddenly, the brewing process stopped, and I realized I was holding my breath. I glanced at Elincia¡¯s face, searching for an answer [Identify] couldn¡¯t provide me. The potion, now bottled into a small vial, swirled with red and golden mana.

    ¡°It worked.¡± Elincia muttered, her eyes shone like emeralds.

    ¡°How do you know? Is it corrupted?¡± I asked, knowing Elincia didn¡¯t have the [Identify] skill.

    ¡°The System gives me a prompt after brewing anything. Everything is normal.¡±

    I looked at the vial again. A high grade Health Potion. Liquid money.

    ¡°Drink it.¡± I prompted her.

    ¡°It¡¯s expensive.¡± Elincia replied with an unsure tone.

    I sighed. People who skipped their doctor appointments and refused to have their meds irritated me. The irony wasn¡¯t lost to me, and yet, I wanted to see Elincia healthy. I took the vial and uncorked it.

    ¡°I swear to God I¡¯ll force it down your throat if you don¡¯t drink it.¡± I said, not as angry as I was nervous.

    Elincia obediently opened her mouth and I put the vial against her lips. She slowly drank the entire bottle as I gently raised the vial for her.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± I nervously asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll feel sleepy, and the potion will work its magic while I¡¯m out. Hand me the warmth blanket, please.¡± Elincia replied as she fought to keep her eyes open.  ¡°Come here, you need to rest a little.¡±

    Elincia extended the blanket over our legs and laid down into the pelts.

    ¡°You realize there¡¯s plenty of space in the tent, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked as the woman tugged my jacket so I would lay down too.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stab you in the leg if you leave my side.¡± Elincia yawned and closed her eyes. Then she mumbled something about reckless Scholars going into the dark forest to fight magical creatures.

    I leaned back, leaving all the space I could between us, and watched over Elincia. If the potion was working I didn¡¯t know, but her peaceful expression made me think everything was going to be alright. With our bags full of ingredients, my ability to help Elincia brew intact, and no monsters stalking us, my mind landed on an old problem.

    Elincia was the most beautiful woman I had seen with my own eyes, and yet her beauty didn¡¯t impress me the same way as when we first met. Now that I got to know her, I knew Elincia was much more than a pretty face. Even with her lack of filter, her spiteful personality, her short temper, and the way she tugged at the blanket, she was great.

    I felt the prompt coming.

    Effects of Denial are subsiding. You have obtained Denial Lv.1. Temporary.

    ¡®My point stands, love at first sight is lame¡¯. I thought, knowing the System could see the contents of my mind.

    I glanced at Elincia¡¯s peaceful face one last time before closing my eyes.

    ¡°Man, what am I gonna do¡­¡± I muttered.

 52 - Matchmaker

    When I opened my eyes, Elincia was still sleeping by my side. Technically, by Loki¡¯s side. The Changeling was comfortably curled between us, still in its dog form. I stretched my back. At some point in the night, I had been banished from the warmth of the enchanted blanket, probably by the joint efforts of Elincia and Loki. My lower back was cold.

    I rolled onto my back and raised my body. Dassyra was sitting silently by the brazier, observing the contents of a black kettle. She gave me a quick smile and invited me to join her with a movement of her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see Wolfie having such a healthy couple as a model for romantic relationships.¡± Dassyra greeted me.

    I wasn¡¯t ready for that kind of statement so early in the morning.

    ¡°We are not like that.¡± I replied, holding my hands near the bright embers.

    A quick scan revealed the iron brazier was embedded with fire mana.

    Dassyra raised an eyebrow and grinned at me.

    ¡°Elincia is quite fond of you.¡±

    ¡°Lately we have grown a lot closer.¡± I said.

    Elincia had told me about her fears about not being able to sustain the orphanage like Mr. Lowell did. She had told me about how her old companions had abandoned her. What she hadn¡¯t told me yet, was what had happened between her and her only friend. Risha.

    ¡°So¡­ Risha was a half orc too?¡± I asked.

    Dassyra''s eyes lit, as if she had understood something.

    ¡°Risha is my nephew. My sister wasn¡¯t a great mother so she left the baby at the Caretaker¡¯s orphanage when he was very young.¡±  Dassyra replied. ¡°Risha came to visit quite often so the elders believed he would eventually return to live among the tribes.¡±

    ¡°But he didn¡¯t.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t.¡± Dassyra said as she prepared tea. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to tell you. Risha was a half-orc but he grew as a human. You will have to ask Elincia if you want to know more.¡±

    ¡°Are you two talking about me?¡±

    Elincia¡¯s voice sent a shiver down my spine but then I remembered she couldn¡¯t understand us. She could understand her name, though.

    ¡°Rob was explaining to me how pretty you are.¡± Dassyra replied before I could say anything.

    I gave her a dirty look.

    Elincia ignored Dassyra¡¯s words. Then, she stood up and jumped a few times on her wounded leg. I looked at her with an horrified expression.

    ¡°Good as new, with no secondary effects.¡± Elincia announced with a wide smile. ¡°It seems our little project was a success.¡±

    If a high quality Health Potion could heal a pierced muscle in the span of a night, they might be expensive as hell. It was basically a ¡®Get out of jail free¡¯ card for serious injuries. A smile tugged my lips. With the threat of a Monster Surge, the price of potions must¡¯ve skyrocketed.

    Dassyra raised an eyebrow, watching Elincia dancing with Loki.

    They made the cutest pair.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let orcs know you were brewing potions inside the camp if you want to remain alive.¡± Dassyra said with a sour voice.

    ¡°Thanks for the heads up.¡± I replied, still in English.

    ¡°Could you stop flaunting your [Master of Languages] for one second?!¡± Elincia grunted as she joined us around the magic brazier. ¡°It sounds like you two are flirting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d never flirt with one of my student¡¯s parents.¡± I quickly said.

    ¡°Good.¡± Elincia replied.

    Dassyra hid her amusement and served us tea. I got the uncomfortable jackalope cup for the second time, and wondered why anyone would bother saving it during an evacuation. It didn¡¯t even look like it was easy to pack without breaking the antlers. Dassyra smirked as I tried to drink without poking my own eyes.

    I left the cup on the table and pulled the broken Slime Core from my pocket.

    ¡°You know it''s useless if it''s broken, don¡¯t you?¡± Dassyra said.

    ¡°I figured that much. This is just a memento.¡± I replied.

    I didn¡¯t need [Identify] to know the core was completely busted, but that didn¡¯t stop me from wanting to get a better look at it.

    ¡°If you continue speaking that way, I¡¯m leaving you in the Farlands.¡± Elincia angrily said.

    I massaged my temples. She was cute even when she was throwing a fit.

    ¡®Man, I¡¯m down bad.¡¯ I thought.

    Dassyra emptied her teacup and excused herself by saying she had to talk with her scouts. Elincia and I were alone once again. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little uncomfortable.

    ¡°About what you said last night¡­¡± I tried to ask, but Elincia cut me off before I¡¯d finished the sentence.

    ¡°If I said something weird I¡¯m sorry, it was probably the potion¡¯s side effects.¡± Elincia replied as she removed the bandages from her leg. Other than a small mark the size of a penny, the wound was completely gone. ¡°Did I say something weird?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Is your leg ready to travel back to Farcrest?¡± I asked, changing the topic.

    ¡°My whole body is ready to travel back to Farcrest.¡±  Elincia gave me a thumbs up.

    I wanted to be far from the orc''s territory before they realized the amount of corruption on my character sheet.

    When Dassyra returned from her morning report, she found us preparing our backpacks. She stood in the doorway and gave us a tired smile. ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss you, Rob. These muscle-heads didn¡¯t even try to learn to speak English.¡± Dassyra said.

    ¡°What did she say?¡± Elincia instantly inquired.

    ¡°She said she¡¯ll miss our company.¡± I replied with a stone cold face.

    Dassyra seemed to find a perverse pleasure in triggering Elincia.

    ¡°You two are just too amusing.¡± Dassyra continued.

    Elincia raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Thank you, you are very kind.¡± I said with a polite tone.

    ¡°Come on, Rob. Don¡¯t be mad, I have goodbye presents.¡±

    Dassyra grabbed a small chest and slid it over the table. Elincia seemed to forget any grudge she had against the orc woman and looked at the chest with shining eyes. I also smiled, my RPG-sense was pleased at the sight of a proper reward.

    Dassyra opened the lid and revealed a set of two silver rings decorated with vines and leaves. For a moment I doubted they were nothing more than a ploy to Dassyra to play wedding with us.

    ¡°Rob, can you put one of the rings in Elincia¡¯s hand, if you would be so kind.¡±

    ¡°Dassyra, please.¡±

    ¡°I swear it¡¯s nothing weird.¡± Dassyra raised her hands in the air.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    I sighed, but ultimately complied. I grabbed Elincia¡¯s hand and put the ring. Then, she did the same with me. During all the process, Dassyra looked at us with a big and dumb grin on her face.

    Other than the beautiful design, I didn¡¯t notice anything special about it. Then, I felt a small tug on my hand. Elincia must¡¯ve felt the same, because when we extended our arm in the direction of the tug, our hands met in the middle.

    ¡°The rings search for each other, that way you two won¡¯t get lost, even if you get separated.¡± Dassyra explained. ¡°See? Nothing weird. It¡¯s very handy to travel through the Farlands.¡±

    Elincia¡¯s eyes shone as she examined the ring. An enchanted item was an enchanted item no matter how small it was.

    Elincia was telling me how cool the rings were when Loki suddenly morphed into its mouse form and jumped on the table. The Changeling walked directly to Dassyra and raised its arms, as if asking for a reward itself.

    Dassyra smiled and gave Loki a silver coin.

    ¡°Damn beast!¡± Loki happily said as the coin disappeared inside a swirl of black mana.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not supporting the orphanage all these years. When I left Wolfie in the Old Caretaker¡¯s hands, he told me it wasn¡¯t necessary.¡± Dassyra said.

    Elincia downplayed it with a gesture of her hand. During Mr. Lowell¡¯s era, the orphanage had experienced its golden age.

    Then, Dassyra  pulled a Slime Core and a pouch with orc silver from the chest.

    ¡°I trust you¡¯ll find a use for it.¡± Dassyra said before standing up and guiding us to the outskirts of the camp.

    ¡°Do you want me to give Wolf a message?¡± I asked as our departure was imminent.

    ¡°No. He already knows everything I want to tell him.¡± Dassyra replied. ¡°If you ever return to the Farlands, come to visit.¡±

    We waved goodbye and walked into the forest.

    * * *

    Elincia grabbed my hand and we ran up the hill. The bodily fatigue and the mental exhaustion accumulated from days trekking through the Farlands suddenly disappeared as we reached the last hill before our destination. Home.

    The trip back had been incredibly uneventful. Perhaps it was the absence of the Lich, perhaps it was my corruption, or perhaps there just wasn¡¯t anything stupid enough to get in our way back home. Most probably, every monster in the vicinity had run away from the Lich¡¯s presence. Whatever the happenstance, the trip back was much faster than when we had left. We were finally in the homestretch.

    We climbed the last slope with renewed strength.

    Farcrest was still a small speck of wood and black stone in the middle of abandoned farmland. A hundred small trails of smoke raised from within the walls and small carts traveled through the door, carrying the last crops before the winter descended into the valley.

    ¡°Something is happening.¡± Elincia¡¯s voice suddenly became concerned.

    Mmana swirled around her eyes giving them a subtle emerald glint. Other than a few campfires way over the northern farmlands I didn¡¯t catch anything suspicious.

    ¡°The Marquis deployed the guardsmen along the border.¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°Are they waiting for us?¡± I tried not to sound too afraid.

    It couldn¡¯t be that the Marquis already knew about our plans of crashing his potion monopoly.

    ¡°They are raising barricades.¡± Elincia squinted her eyes. A  great amount of mana surrounded her eyes. She was pushing her skill to the limit. ¡°This isn¡¯t about us. This is about the Monster Surge. We should hurry up.¡±

    My mind went to the kids.

    ¡°But we defeated the Lich.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°The Lich spells must¡¯ve displaced powerful monsters and created a chain effect. Monster Surges are always like that.¡± Elincia explained.

    I nodded in silence. The prospect of packs of Black Wolves, Stone Giants and armies of Slimes attacking Farcrest sent a shiver down my spine. With the corruption flowing through my body and my mana pool crippled, I could hardly protect the orphanage if the Monster Surge went out of control.

    Even if Farcrest seemed to be close, we didn¡¯t reach the outskirts of the farmlands until afternoon. More than a hundred guardsmen worked tirelessly to raise defensive structures around the mills, grain silos, and leather workshops outside the city walls. Even from a great distance I could realize their movement was frantic.

    ¡°The guardsmen are really useful when they are not intimidating orphanage caretakers.¡± I growled as a watchman spotted us coming out of the forest.

    There were wooden barricades being erected around the perimeter of the farmlands, with sharp stakes pointing outwards and bulwarks to break any group attack. The old watchtowers were being reinforced and surrounded with deep trenches filled with traps.

    The mill and the leather workshop were also being reinforced with sturdy wooden doors and sandbags around the perimeter. It was clear that the Marquis wasn¡¯t taking any chances with the safety of Farcrest food and goods production.

    ¡°This way.¡± Elincia grabbed my hand and guided me through the main road.

    I assumed the watchman had signaled Elincia to avoid any hidden traps reserved to monsters. Despite my paranoia being at its peak, the guardsmen didn¡¯t even raise their heads as we moved through the construction site.

    ¡°Master Clarke!¡± A familiar voice caught my attention.

    I turned around to find the Marquis¡¯ Court Scholar walking down the road. I closed my eyes and searched in the deep records of my brain for his name. Without [Awareness] everything was harder to remember. Abei.

    ¡°Master Abei! It¡¯s been a while.¡± I saluted the old man.

    ¡°Indeed, I did not expect to meet again in this situation. The Sentinels had alerted us of an imminent Monster Surge so I had to see it with my own eyes. Those unwashed brutes call every single stray Stone Giant a Monster Surge.¡± The Scholar complained.

    Abei¡¯s jolly voice made me think he ignored my impasse with the Marquis¡¯ guardsmen during the last Tax Season. He ignored it or he simply didn¡¯t care. Suddenly, Abei seemed to notice my ragged attire and her eyes opened wide.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were into the Farlands?¡± He seemed horrified.

    Elincia gave me a stealth punch on the side.

    ¡°Eh¡­ I heard there was an orc settlement nearby, so I thought about establishing contact in hopes to study their culture.¡± I said. Sometimes, my lying skills surprised me.

    Abei was dumbfounded.

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of the orc settlement nearby but¡­ why would anybody waste their time with a bunch of loincloth-wearing brutes when there is so much study material in Farcrest¡¯s Library?¡± Abei seemed truly confused.

    Elincia bumped me with her elbow once again.

    ¡°Knowledge can be found in the most unusual places, Master Abei. Human intellect is infinite but sometimes our own preconceptions slow us down.¡± I replied with a beatifical voice.

    Something seemed to click inside the old man¡¯s brain.

    ¡°Of course! Now I understand why you have obtained the Silver Scholar title at such a young age. I¡¯m a poor excuse of a Scholar for not realizing earlier. Curiosity is the fuel that gives life to our class!¡± Abei¡¯s eyes shone with confidence and a glint of madness.

    ¡°Y-yeah, of course you are right, Master Abei.¡± I stuttered.

    My [Teacher¡¯s Bullshido] seemed to be on point even after an exhausting two weeks in the Farlands.

    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed that a young man half my age had to lecture me about my own class, but as you say, knowledge could be found in the most unusual places.¡± Abei nodded as if he had found transcendent knowledge. ¡°I won¡¯t take any more of your time, Master Clarke. You are welcome to visit the Scholar¡¯s tower any time you want. I¡¯d love to hear your masterclass in orc culture.¡±

    Without any flourish, Abei continued his way to supervise the construction of defensive structures.

    ¡°Tell me I¡¯m not the world¡¯s greatest liar.¡± I bragged, taking a drink from my waterskin.

    ¡°If you ever lie to me like that, I¡¯ll punch you in the ear.¡± Elincia quickly walked past me.

    I knew Elincia well enough to know she wasn¡¯t really mad at me. She was scared of something, I couldn¡¯t blame her for her words. We jogged down the cobbled path. My feet hurt due to the hard boots but my desire to reach the orphanage was stronger.

    As we reached the northern gate, a pair of guards blocked our way.

    ¡°The gates are closed.¡± One of the men said under his helmet. He was fully cladded in armor to the point I couldn¡¯t even see an inch of his skin. They were ready for battle.

    ¡°Then open them.¡± Elincia growled impatiently.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to go to the southern gate. This gate remains closed.¡± The guard replied.

    The southern gate was a good two hours of walking around the walls.

    ¡°Open the service door, your job is to protect civilians like us.¡± Elincia raised her voice to the guard¡¯s amusement.

    ¡°Or what.¡± The second guard said, opening his visor. A cruel smile of yellow teeth peeked through his lips.

    I didn¡¯t need my [Awareness] to know he was the kind of guard who had more than a few levels on [Coercion] and [Intimidation]. Power positions always called the scum of society. I had worked in public schools for too many years to not know half of the teachers were drunk on power to some extent.

    ¡°Hey, hey, let me handle this okay?¡± I placed my hands on Elincia¡¯s shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze. She seemed to get my intention because she let me drag her back.

    ¡°Gentlemen. We were trapped in the Farlands during the Monster Surge, none of us is a combatant class so we just want to get to the safety of our home.¡± I calmly said as I grabbed the grip of my sword.

    ¡°That¡¯s a training sword, kid. You don¡¯t fool me.¡± The guard laughed.

    I wondered why everybody I knew thought I was younger than I looked.

    ¡°Last chance.¡± I said as I slowly surrounded my blade with blue mana.

    So far so good. My hands and feet became cold as my mana pool quickly started to deplete. My chest tightened as if the dark substance inside my body contracted like a dying spider. [Mana Manipulation] wasn¡¯t one of the corrupted skills and I had to know how much I could push it before the Corruption affected me.

    I made a quick motion with the blade perfectly honed from my years of training. The blade cut the cobbled path like a hot knife through butter, making the guards recoil and tighten their grips on their spears.

    ¡°Open the service door.¡± I said. ¡°Please.¡±

    This time, the guards rushed to comply and stepped back several steps for us to go through. I put the sword inside its sheath and invited Elincia to go first. I glared one last time at the guards with the hope they remembered my face the next time. They slammed the door behind me.

    ¡°So manly.¡± Elincia said in a mocking tone.

    ¡°So manly.¡± Loki parroted.

    Of course, the Changeling had remained inside my pocket for the duration of the altercation. I took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. My face was covered in sweat and my hands trembled. Apparently, my limit was only a few seconds of [Mana Manipulation].

    ¡°What were you thinking?!¡± Elincia¡¯s demeanor changed instantly. ¡°If you push it, it will only get worse.¡±

    ¡°I just want to meet the kids.¡±

    Elincia sighed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±

    I nodded and we continued through the deserted town. There were very few people roaming around the streets, and the ones we bumped into quickly went out of our way. Maybe Mimics were more common than I expected.

    I opened the orphanage¡¯s iron gate, careful not to ruin my makeshift fix.

    For the first time in weeks, I breathed in peace. Elincia seemed to feel the same because she put her hand on my shoulder and gave me a wide smile. Our mission was complete. We had gathered the resources and we had brought them safely to the main base.

    From the backyard, I heard the sound of swords clashing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what they are doing.¡± Elincia said with a mischievous smile.

    We sneaked by the side of the manor, following the sound of the sparring. Elincia put her finger on her lips and we peeked over the old shed. My blood froze. A man with dark, unkempt hair raised his sword at Firana, ready to deal the lethal blow.

 53 - Unlikely Ally

    The strange man attacked.

    Firana jumped to the side and raised her sword. She moved so fast it was hard to follow with my eyes. The blades clashed with the sharp sound of iron against iron and, for a moment, I thought the man was going to overpower her. I was wrong. Firana disengaged just as the attacker weaved a diagonal slash into his attack.

    ¡°Good job, brat.¡± The man with the unkempt hair said and rested his sword on his shoulder.

    They were sparring but the alarms inside my brain didn¡¯t turn off.

    The man was tall, with muscular arms and legs, and wide shoulders. His back was hunched and a round belly protruded from its jacket. From my position I couldn¡¯t see his face but it wasn¡¯t hard to tell he was a seasoned swordsman. A guardsmen maybe?

    Elincia drew her bow.

    At that moment, Firana looked past the shoulder of the man and let out a little scream of surprise. Immediately afterwards, the girl dropped her sword and zoomed through the yard towards us. I thought Firana was going to hug Elincia, but at the last moment she changed her course and crashed against my chest.

    I stumbled back but managed to remain on my feet. Barely. Firana had never struck me as the emotional type but there she was, squeezing her face against my chest. I mindlessly patted the top of her head. My attention was still on the strange man.

    His face looked familiar.

    ¡°Sir Janus?¡± Elincia suddenly asked.

    The man bowed slightly.

    I remembered seeing Sir Janus dueling a stiff noble during my only visit to the Marquis¡¯ Great Hall. From the balcony, the knight looked shorter than what he really was.

    ¡°The Governess and the Scholar are finally back!¡± Janus greeted us with a beatific smile, as if he was waiting for us.

    I really expected him to be more arrogant. Instead, if I dressed him in a red robe, he could pass as a genuine supermarket Santa but with darker hair.

    ¡°Go help your friends, Firana. I¡¯ll put the swords away.¡± Janus said.

    Firana squeezed me one last time and ran into the manor. My spine cracked. How was a fourteen year old girl so strong?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I made sure to sober myself before coming.¡± Janus added as soon as Firana disappeared through the doorway. Then he laughed.

    I exchanged a confused glance with Elincia.

    ¡°What is the reason for your visit, Sir Janus?¡± Elincia politely asked. As confused as she was, she didn¡¯t seem worried about the man¡¯s presence at the orphanage.

    Janus was one of the most famous persons in Farcrest despite his humble origin. He had been the only non-nobleborn who had gotten into the Imperial Academy. I examined him for an instant. Considering his distasteful behavior during the duel, I never thought he was so affable in person.

    ¡°Last week, when I brought donations to the orphanage, the kids told me you two were on a trip. I¡¯ve been coming to check if everything is under control.¡± Janus said with a guilty expression.

    I didn¡¯t need [Awareness] to know he was supposed to be in the fields working with the rest of the guardsmen.

    Janus took a quick glance at our backpacks.

    ¡°Isn''t it a bit too late in the season for herb gathering?¡± Janus changed the topic as he took a glance at our heavy backpacks.

    It seemed I wasn¡¯t the only one with great powers of observation.

    ¡°Something is better than anything. We wanted to restock our medicine cabinet in case the kids fell ill during winter.¡± I quickly replied before Elincia could open her mouth.

    Even if Janus was a commoner like us, he had strong ties with royalty. Keeping our potion operation a secret was paramount for its success. Luckily, Elincia was known for being a low level alchemist for the Guild, and, as such, not a hazard for their monopoly over the potion market.

    ¡°I see. I have heard that half orcs get sick a lot during puberty.¡± Janus pointed out.

    ¡°Thanks for looking over the children, Sir Janus. Even if there are two of us, hands are always in short supply.¡± Elincia said with a respectful bow.

    Janus bowed his head back.

    ¡°I have been sparring with the older ones, Governess. I see great potential in them so keep polishing their skills. Firana in particular, she has talent.¡± Janus said with a crooked smile as he massaged his lower back. ¡°Well, enough pleasantries, I should be overseeing the city defenses. Good day Governess, good day Scholar.¡±

    Could it be that Janus had a soft spot for children?

    ¡°Good day, Sir Janus, and thanks once again.¡± Elincia bowed her head as Janus walked towards the front yard.

    My heart rate had slowed down. Even if Janus had ties with nobility, he didn¡¯t seem to have a hidden agenda. I missed [Awareness] whispering useful insight to my ear. Moreso, Janus might be the ally the orphanage needed.

    ¡°Sir Janus!¡± I called him as he reached the corner of the manor. ¡°Can I have a word with you?¡±

    I decided the risk was worth it.

    The man gave me a curious look.

    ¡°It¡¯s about the entrance exam for the Imperial Academy.¡± I tested the waters but Janus kept his impassive expression. ¡°Firana is a talented swordsman from the Aias family, and I think she has what it takes to assist the Imperial Academy. I think Firana will have better chances if she knows what the exam is about.¡±

    For an instant none of us moved. Then, Janus undid his steps and approached me. Instead of saying anything, the man opened his mouth. There was a white sigil on the back of his tongue and I noticed strong magic currents flowing within it.

    ¡°A curse?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°An oath.¡± Sir Janus replied. ¡°To keep the secrets of the kingdom safe, cadets and graduates take an oath to keep the methods of the Imperial Academy a secret. If I reveal the methods of selection, I¡¯ll probably be branded as a traitor by King Ebros.¡±

    I nodded and thanked him once again.

    Janus waved his hand and disappeared behind the manor.

    ¡°It seems we are still blind regarding the exam.¡± Elincia pointed out when the man left.

    There was something that bothered me. Even if graduates from the Imperial Academy couldn¡¯t talk about the entrance exams, they could put that knowledge to work by training their students accordingly. Nobles who could pay for an Imperial Academy Knight to teach their sons and daughters had a massive advantage over the rest of the people

    Even if the Class system worked over the pretense of merit, this world wasn¡¯t completely fair either.

    ¡°I say we convince Sir Janus to impart complementary classes. He¡¯s a lowborn like us, I think he might agree to do it. We can even pay him with high grade potions.¡± Elincia said with a cheerful voice.

    I wasn¡¯t so sure.

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust someone with ties to the nobility to peek into the daily affairs of the orphanage.¡± I replied.

    Elincia raised an eyebrow. As much as I understood her point, going under the radar until the Tax Season might be the safest option for us.

    ¡°You are being paranoid. Sir Janus is well known for his relationship with the common folk. Nobles don¡¯t like him either.¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t want any strange men prowling near you.¡± I said on a whim.

    Then the realization hit me, without wanting I had spoken my heart out. Then I received a second hit. Elincia jabbed at my shoulder. She was flush to the roots of her hair.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say such outrageous stuff, the orphans might hear you and they¡¯ll jump to conclusions.¡± Elincia mumbled.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°It seems the bully doesn¡¯t like to be bullied.¡± I grinned back.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t a bully. I just taught them not to mess with me.¡± Elincia replied. ¡°Silly.¡±

    You have obtained ¡®It¡¯s good to be back at home¡¯ Lv.1. Temporary. Slightly improves mana regeneration.

    My mood had suddenly improved. Being back at the orphanage felt great. No more monsters, no evil magicians, no sleeping under the open sky. Just us and our humble orphanage. Even the Corruption seemed a distant problem for Future Rob. I was dying to see the rest of the kids.

    ¡°Shall we sneak up on them?¡± Elincia asked with her trademark mischievous smile.

    I nodded and we entered the manor, hoping Firana hadn¡¯t alerted them about our arrival.

    * * *

    We glanced at the kids from the slit of the door.

    The orphans were congregating in the kitchen, sitting around the two long tables with Firana standing on a chair at the head of the table. A pleasant smell of vegetables and spices filled the kitchen. The chestnut-haired girl seemed to be performing some sort of act.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± I muttered but Elincia shushed me.

    I focused on the spectacle.

    ¡°We have very little time before the grownups return, so we have to resolve this quickly.¡± Firana announced moving an evergreen branch as a sort of scepter.

    ¡°How do you know the grownups are coming?¡± Ash asked, scowling at Firana.

    ¡°Shut it, Ash, I just know.¡±

    All eyes were fixed on Firana except for Ilya who was manning the stove.

    ¡°We have to settle what has kept us awake all week long. I know some of you have strong opinions, myself included, so this is the last opportunity to voice them all. We are here to decide who is more enamored, Miss Elincia or Mister Clarke.¡± Firana declared, prompting a round of applause from her public.

    Not setting lookouts to alert them of our arrival had been a rookie mistake on Firana¡¯s part.

    Zaon stood up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s okay for us to discuss this kind of thing.¡± The elven kid objected with a serious voice. However, he was promptly silenced by the hostile yelling of the rest of the orphans.

    I silently thanked Zaon for his consideration, but the mob was stronger than a single voice. By my side, Elincia seemed to be enjoying the show.

    ¡°Those who believe Mister Clarke is more enamored than Miss Elincia, raise their hands.¡± Firana said.

    About half of the orphans raised their hands including Nokti, Shu, and, surprisingly, Ilya.

    ¡°You are all full of crap, Mister Clarke is just a kind person.¡± Wolf¡¯s deep voice broke the silence. I had more allies than expected.

    ¡°Shut yer green trap, you¡¯ll have your turn.¡± Firana pointed her evergreen scepter directly at the half-orc¡¯s chest.

    Was that scepter her source of power over the rest of the orphans?

    Wolf raised his arms in defeat.

    ¡°Shu, why do you think Mister Clarke is more enamored than Miss Elincia?¡± Firana pointed her evergreen branch at the harpy girl.

    ¡°When Mister Clarke goes to the kitchen, he always stands on the doorway watching Miss Elincia cook. He can stay there for minutes without moving, just smiling.¡± Shu said, prompting a small round of applause.

    Then she sat down again and Virdian jumped up.

    ¡°When the big kids are training in the yard, Miss Elincia always looks out of the window when Mister Clarke rolls up his sleeves and she¡­¡± Viridian said with his croaking voice but was promptly interrupted by Elincia, who stormed into the kitchen.

    ¡°Can anybody explain what¡¯s happening here?¡± Elincia said, putting her hands on her hips and sternly frowning.

    The first reaction of the kids was to flee from the scene, but Elincia was blocking the only way out. Only after a moment did they realize we were back from our trip and rushed towards us. Soon enough I had two lizardfolk in my arms. Most of them were swarming Elincia but it was nice to know I was the priority greeting for a few of them.

    ¡°Did you find the Great Potato?¡± Nokti asked instantly.

    I was starting to see why she had rushed to greet me instead of Elincia.

    ¡°There were no potatoes in the Farlands. In fact, there¡¯s nothing interesting in the Farlands and you should never go there.¡± I said, hoping that was enough to quench any interest the kids had for exploring.

    Nokti and Virdian looked at me with devastated expressions.

    ¡°I found something better, though.¡± I added, reaching for my pocket.

    Inside, Loki was dozing off. Since the fight against the Lich, the Changeling had been sleeping most of the time, maybe exhausted from the fight. I felt bad for waking it up. I could totally use a nap too.

    ¡°Better than the Great Potato? I don''t think so.¡± Nokti croaked.

    ¡°Great Potato!¡± Loki¡¯s little voice came out muffled from inside my pocket.

    Instantly the orphan¡¯s attention fell onto me. Even Elincia, who was being swarmed by little kids telling her a dozen stories at the same time, turned her face to me. I was completely sure I was going to get scolded later.

    ¡°Great Potato!¡± Loki parroted.

    It was too late to keep it a secret.

    Begrudgingly, I introduced my hand through the jacket¡¯s neck hole and grabbed Loki by the scruff of the neck and deposited him on the kitchen¡¯s table.

    ¡°Loki, these are the kids. You should look after them if you want to remain at the orphanage.¡± I introduced the Changeling. ¡°Kids, this is Loki.¡±

    Loki rubbed its eyes first. Then, realizing there was an expectant audience, Loki struck a pose. The orphans were delighted with the creature and several small hands shot forward to grab it.

    Loki transformed into a small bird and flew through the forest of hands, then, still mid air, it transformed again into my mother¡¯s Bernese Mountain Dog. The orphans squealed with joy as Loki zoomed between Elincia''s legs and ran out of the kitchen.

    The kids didn¡¯t take long to follow Loki. Viridian even slid through Elincia¡¯s legs just like the Changeling before. A moment later we were left alone with the older kids and Shu, who was still struggling to get off the chair.

    Ilya, Zaon, and Wolf didn''t swarm us like the little kids, so it was Elincia who hugged them one by one. Wolf seemed particularly uncomfortable with Elincia¡¯s show of affection, unlike Zaon and Ilya who gladly reciprocated the hug. Unlike them, Wolf had arrived at the orphanage when he was already a grown up kid.

    Firana also hugged Elincia, but that wasn¡¯t surprising considering how effusive she had been with me.

    I greeted them with the distant respect of a teacher.

    Ilya was the first to speak.

    ¡°How was the trip into the Farlands, Miss Elincia?¡±

    We didn¡¯t agree upon what we were going to tell the orphans. I wondered if we should tell Wolf about our encounter with the orcs. Dassyra didn¡¯t give me any particular message for his son either.

    ¡°Easy as a walk in the park.¡± Elincia said with a carefree voice. Then, she left her backpack by the side and sat at the table near the heat of the oven.

    ¡°We gathered a lot of useful herbs.¡± I joined the conversation, sitting in front of Elincia. I decided to go with the flow as I doubted Elincia wanted to disclose the fact we were at the verge of dying more than once.

    Firana promptly jumped on the seat beside me. Zaon and Wolf also joined.

    ¡°Did you fight any powerful monsters? Sir Janus told me there were signs of a Monster Surge.¡± The girl asked.

    ¡°A couple rogue monsters reached the farmlands and a strange mist encroached the city. We were worried.¡± Ilya added from the stove.

    I gave Elincia a furtive glance.

    ¡°We only found a couple Slimes.¡± Elincia shrugged her shoulders. ¡°We saw a couple Rok Harpies and a Stone Golem but they were far into the mountains. We also heard Black Wolves but we didn¡¯t catch a glimpse of them.¡±

    ¡°Bummer.¡± Firana sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t find any dangerous monsters.¡± Zaon said with a smile, but his smile promptly disappeared. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to say you couldn''t deal with powerful monsters. Miss Elincia and Mister Clarke are very strong.¡±

    Despite his general awkwardness, I could tell Zaon¡¯s voice sounded more confident than before. I examined my class. It has only been a little more than two weeks since the last time I saw them, but it looked like they had grown in our absence. It wasn¡¯t only their appearance, their demeanor was also more mature in a sense. Maybe giving them more responsibilities had helped them grow.

    ¡°Are you okay, Mr. Clarke?¡± Zaon asked.

    I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled.

    ¡°Have you grown some muscle, Zaon?¡± I replied with a question of my own.

    ¡°He sneaks in the afternoons to lift rocks behind the shed. Then he sneaks into the ballroom to flex his arms in front of the mirrors.¡± Firana said with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°No I don¡¯t! I¡¯m just growing. Like Wolf.¡± Zaon replied all flustered.

    My eyes fell on Wolf. Since my arrival to the orphanage, his muscles had become more defined and his body had lost the lankiness of adolescence. To survive the dangers of the Farlands, orcs developed faster than humans. I wondered if Wolf had inherited the strength of her mother or if he was more like his father.

    ¡°Enough talking about Zaon¡¯s non-existent muscles, lunch is ready.¡± Ilya interrupted us.

    I helped Ilya to reach the upper cabinet for the wooden bowls. Meanwhile, Elincia looked through the window. Outside, Loki was playing with the kids.

    ¡°Let them play. They can eat afterwards.¡± I said, happy to see Loki had been so well received.

    Despite Elincia¡¯s complaints, I convinced her to remain seated and helped Ilya to serve six bowls of steaming soup. My stomach growled with anticipation as I sat in front of my bowl and I dug in. The soup was excellent. It tasted like carrots and squash, with a little taste of barley and potato.

    ¡°So, did you manage to train while I was away?¡± I asked, adopting my best teacher¡¯s voice. I couldn¡¯t blame them if they had prioritized taking care of the orphanage over training, but I wanted to know. Two weeks were enough to dull the strongest muscles.

    Firana replied with the second smuggest grin I had seen in my life. The first place was still in Elincia¡¯s hands.

    ¡°[Fencing] Lv.2 and [Longsword Mastery] Lv.2. Sir Janus told me I should get [Swordsmanship] by the end of the year if I continue at this pace.¡± Firana said, full of herself.

    ¡°[Longsword Mastery] Lv.2. I also have become a lot stronger.¡± Zaon said quickly after.

    ¡°[Longsword Mastery] Lv.1.¡± Wolf shrugged his shoulders and focused on the bowl of soup.

    Then my eyes fell on Ilya. The girl mindlessly played with a lone potato cube in her bowl and I wondered if it had been a mistake to ask them about their progress. Even after our departure, the girl wasn¡¯t even close to reaching Zaon¡¯s level when he achieved his first level of [Longsword Mastery].

    ¡°Ilya?¡± I asked.

    ¡°[Mana Manipulation].¡± She said with a grin smug enough to temporarily displace Elincia from the podium of smug smiles. Then, the gnome girl cupped her hands and a small blue mana flame appeared out of nowhere.

    Elincia jumped from her seat.

    Considering the kid¡¯s faces, they weren¡¯t aware of Ilya¡¯s skill either.

    A wide smile was drawn on my face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, I¡¯ll also get [Longsword Mastery] any day now.¡± Ilya said with a proud smile.

    My chest warmed and it wasn¡¯t because of the soup. With the kid¡¯s motivation on an unexpected high and the backpacks full of herbs, the orphanage¡¯s future didn¡¯t look so bleak anymore.

 54 - Doing it

    Chapter 54

    ¡°Are you sure you can keep going? We have been doing it for hours now.¡± Elincia dried the sweat from her forehead and stretched her back with feline grace. An expression of delight drew on her face.

    ¡°The kids are distracted somewhere else. We are not going to have another chance like this one any time soon.¡± I replied, guzzling another stamina potion. At that point, I had started to get a liking of the bittersweet taste. ¡°I could keep going all day long if it''s with you.¡±

    Elincia grinned as she reached for the drawer in her nightstand.

    ¡°Okay, mister Man, let¡¯s find out if you can go for the twelfth.¡±

    Regardless of the fact it was technically a co-op activity, there was a hint of competitiveness in her voice.

    Elincia picked another stem of Fairy King¡¯s Brooch and started grinded the leaves in the mortar. A faint trace of green and golden mana surrounded her hands as she masterfully manipulated the alchemist tools. It was quite the spectacle. I remembered being infatuated by Internet videos of people drawing, sculpting or cooking, but seeing it in person was ten times better.

    The brewing process had been slowed due to the amount of attention the kids demanded since our arrival. We had been happy to indulge their demands no matter how outlandish they were. We had missed the kids more than they missed us.

    Nokti and Virdian gave me a detailed tour through the potato farm. I was dumbfounded when I realized the twins had named every single potato plant both in the old and new farm plots. They were worried about the plants dying but I assured them it was part of the life cycle of a potato plant. After minutes of secret deliberation, they said it was fine if the plants died as long as the potatoes were okay.

    Shu showed me how ¡®fast¡¯ she could ¡®run¡¯ now. It wasn¡¯t a great improvement but I could perceive she was getting better at it. Shu ran from one side of the farm plot to the other in a record twenty seconds. Me and the snakefolk twins clapped as she crossed the finish line, huffing and gasping for air. Then, just to show off, Ash ran the same distance in seven seconds.

    Firana had been trying to have me spar with her but I had refused, saying I had things to care about in the orphanage. The truth was, the black substance the Lich had injected into my body prevented me from freely moving my left arm. Elincia said it was a physical expression of Corruption and there was nothing we could do except wait for it to go.

    ¡°Hey, Rob, are you paying attention?¡± Elincia¡¯s words derailed my train of thought.

    ¡°Sure, yeah, absolutely.¡± I replied. ¡°What were you saying?¡±

    ¡°I said we are done with the potions.¡± Elincia rolled her eyes.

    I didn¡¯t realize I was autopiloting the process. My body was a machine that transformed Minor Mana Scent into High Quality Health Potions. At least three out of four times. Due to my limited mana pool, there were potions that resulted not perfect. Still, 75% was good enough considering the amount of herbs we gathered. It was like printing money.

    ¡°High Quality?¡± I asked.

    Elincia just grinned.

    I sighed in relief. Wasting high grade ingredients on a medium effect potion was a crime my RPG-loving soul wasn¡¯t yet used to committing. The crime I was ready to commit was selling potions in the black market.

    Inadvertently, I reached for Elincia¡¯s hand. It was soft, except for the tips of her fingers. Elincia was an archer after all. I caressed her slender fingers. She didn¡¯t seem to realize until a second later.

    I retracted my hand.

    ¡°Sorry, the ring.¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She replied.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time we had unconsciously held hands. The attraction from the ring was to blame, always tugging my hand towards Elincia. Luckily, no orphan had gotten to see us. Despite the fact it had happened half a dozen times, it didn¡¯t get less awkward.

    What I didn¡¯t expect was Elincia reaching for my hand across the table only a moment later.

    ¡°Are you tired?¡± She asked with a worried voice.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Hungry? Thirsty?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I said.

    During the last few days, Elincia had been pampering me. I knew the reason. Corruption. For the inhabitants of this world, Corruption was a looming threat. The most common threats were Corrupted Beasts and Spirits. But there also was Corruption of the System. Being unable to use skills and level up was like going blind and breaking both your arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. Scholar skills aren¡¯t that useful either, I can totally live without them.¡± I lied.

    There wasn¡¯t a day I wouldn¡¯t miss [Identify] and [Awareness]. Maybe I was partially blind after all. At least my mana pool was healing if only at a snail pace.

    Elincia gave me a distrustful glance.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°If you ask me one more time, I¡¯ll have you go to sell the potions.¡± I replied.

    Elincia sloached in her chair, dejected.

    ¡°If¡­ if you are too tired, I¡¯ll go see Miss Nasiah.¡± She said with a quivering voice.

    For someone who truly enjoyed exploring the Farlands, Elincia¡¯s fear of the shopkeeper must be extreme.

    ¡°She¡¯s just an old woman, why¡­¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you breakfast to your bed for a week.¡± Elincia cut me off as she stood up and quickly started storing the alchemy tools inside their respective boxes.

    I sighed. When Elincia closed in on herself it was near impossible to make her talk. I grabbed the twelfth High Quality Health Potion and put it inside the padded wooden rack Elincia had prepared for the occasion. We had brewed a whole batch of high quality potions before selling. For some reason, it was customary to sell them that way. The medium quality ones would have to wait until we brewed enough.

    I put the rack of potions into a wooden box and secured the lid. Unless someone opened it, nobody would know it contained such a precious cargo. The fact I had to carry it through Farcrest was starting to make me anxious. It was like that time I had ten grand in cash.

    Delaying the delivery would only make the feeling worse.

    Elincia climbed into a stool with feline grace and put a box in the upper cabinet. Then, she gave me a worried glance. Were her eyelashes so long before?

    ¡°I was thinking about expanding the scope of the kid¡¯s curriculum.¡± I said, changing the topic. Even without [Awareness] bombarding me with information, my brain tended to explore ideas I wasn¡¯t ready to acknowledge. Like the fact I had only one stack of Denial left.

    ¡°I was hoping you could teach them archery, tracking, and survival.¡± I said, changing the topic.

    Being a source of concern for Elincia was the last thing I wanted. We already had enough worries with the entrance exams for the Imperial Academy on the horizon. And, as we weren¡¯t sure about the contents of the exam, it was better to prepare them for different scenarios.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t those skills more akin to Sentinels?¡± Elincia asked, still from the heights of the uneven stool. ¡°Pass me the cutter kit, please.¡±

    ¡°Ilya told me she wanted to be a Hunter.¡± I replied, grabbing the leather case and giving it to Elincia. Cutters belong in the higher cabinet, out of the children¡¯s reach.

    ¡°Did she?¡± Elincia gave me a curious look.

    I had assumed she knew the preferences of each kid.

    ¡°Ilya said she wanted to be a Hunter so she could feed the orphanage¡­ but that was before our potion operation.¡± I said, offering Elincia a hand. She grabbed it and jumped down. The rings seemed to like to be together.

    ¡°I¡¯m jealous.¡± Elincia grunted and walked past me. ¡°I have taken care of Ilya since she was a baby but she never tells me those things. I was eleven when she arrived at the orphanage, she was the size of a bean!¡±

    I understood Ilya. The gnome girl didn¡¯t want to be a burden for Elincia. Considering the amount of work Ilya put in the orphanage, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if she achieved the [Governess] title one of these days. And there was also the fact that vocational choice was a difficult topic for commoners.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a vocational fair this weekend.¡± I suddenly said.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Despite knowing Ilya wanted to be a Hunter and Zaon a Knight, I still was ignorant to what Wolf and Firana wanted. Firana had even asked me if it was okay for her to not pick a sword-related class.

    ¡°A vocational fair?¡± Elincia was beyond confused.

    ¡°You know, we show the kids some common classes, their strengths and weaknesses, and the skills they could achieve, so they can make an informed decision in front of the System Altar.¡± I explained.

    The idea was simple but Elincia was dumbfounded.

    ¡°I swear I have never met a cockier man in my whole life.¡± Elincia smiled. ¡°Back in my days we just accepted whatever the System offered us.¡±

    ¡°Maybe the System offered you a nice class that you didn¡¯t even hear about.¡± I replied in a mocking voice.

    ¡°I hate you Robert. I can¡¯t even be mad with you around, and I want to be mad.¡± Elincia beamed at me. ¡°You better go deliver the potions, I¡¯ll go teach the kids some archery.¡±

    Seeing Elincia¡¯s radiant smile was a reward in itself. I shook my head. I told myself it wasn¡¯t the fact it was Elincia, but the fact I wanted to see all the orphanage denizens happy.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving then.¡± I said, walking to the study¡¯s door.

    Then I remembered the potion box.

    Elincia put it inside a satchel and handed it to me while laughing.

    Farcrest¡¯s streets were mostly empty, except for the occasional patrol. In the end, the feared Monster Surge never happened. There were a couple instances of rogue monsters reaching the farmlands, but the guardsmen quickly got rid of them. The uncertainty about the Lich¡¯s fate still gnawed at the edges of my consciousness but luckily, I had more pressing matters to be focused on.

    Maybe I should pay Captain Kiln another visit to tell her about the undead monsters. I added it to my to-do list. I wondered if I should give her a set of cards now. With a little bit of [Awareness] from the Captain¡¯s part, winning a poker hand should be a breeze.

    Despite Farcrest being in a level of low emergency, I tried to avoid the patrols nonetheless.

    The market looked strange with most of the stores closed and without people flooding the main street. I felt transported to a completely different town. A ghost town to be precise. I squeezed my satchel with the rack of potions and entered the dark alleys that surrounded the market, hoping Nasiah had her store open.

    After an hour of walking across the maze of alleys, and getting lost more than once, I found Nasiah¡¯s store. It was open.

    The bell chimed as I crossed the doorway, catching the old woman¡¯s attention. She examined me from head to toe before realizing who I was. Then, her eyes lit up.

    ¡°Mister Scholar, welcome back.¡± Nasiah greeted me. Her neutral voice betrayed her eyes. ¡°Where is your elven princess?¡± She added with a drop of contempt.

    I still ignored the source of Nasiah¡¯s dislike for Elincia, but it was starting to annoy me. From all the inhabitants of Farcrest, Elincia was one of the kindest and most caring ones. How could he deserve such contempt after devoting her youth to keeping the orphanage safe?

    ¡°Elincia is taking care of her loyal subjects, she¡¯s doing all right.¡± I replied, closing the door behind me and walking past the shelves. Camping equipment, small weapons, clothing, tools, jewelry, raw materials. Nasiah¡¯s store had a little of everything.

    It was a charming place if you overlooked the owner.

    ¡°So, are you here to buy something or to borrow money?¡± Nasiah asked.

    I didn''t need to hear the shopkeeper''s sarcasm dripping down her throat to notice the jab thrown at Elincia.

    ¡°We had a deal for potions.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Considering how much time has passed, I thought you had forgotten about our deal.¡± Nasiah mockingly said from behind the counter.

    Did she have to be so unpleasant?

    ¡°We were studying better alternatives to distribute our product.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t call low quality potions ¡®a product¡¯. It¡¯s disrespectful towards actual Alchemists.¡± Nasiah gave me a sarcastic smirk. ¡°Anyway, the situation has changed since the last time we spoke. Guardsmen and mercenaries bought Farcrest¡¯s whole stock of alchemy products, it will be risky to sell these illegal potions with such a reduced flux.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your offer then?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Seventy percent for the low grade potions, fifty percent for the medium grade, and twenty percent for the high grade.¡± Nasiah said.

    We were going to lose an ample margin with these new rates.

    ¡°You need to give me something better than that.¡± I said.

    Nasiah raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Enlighten me, then, who in Farcrest is going to buy potions from a non-registered Alchemist if not me?¡± She asked with a mocking tone.

    That was a hell of a good question.

    ¡°Master Abei Luzian.¡± I said with a straight face.

    Nasiah laughed, this time without a trace of mockery in her tone.

    ¡°Please tell me, why the Court¡¯s Scholar is going to fund a misbehaved Scholar at risk of angering the Marquis itself? Why could he need potions in the first place?¡± Nasiah wiped a rogue tear from her eye.

    I gave her a mischievous smile. Even without [Awareness] assisting me, I could lie perfectly well.

    ¡°Master Abei doesn¡¯t need potions but he will purchase anything I sell him.¡± I replied, shrugging my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m a [Silver Scholar] with twice as many expertises as Abei. I could write a treatise on farting and Master Abei would happily fund me. Of course, I¡¯d like to avoid siphoning Marquis¡¯ money in front of his face, so I¡¯d rather sell the potions to you, but I really need a better deal.¡±

    Nasiah must¡¯ve been using some haggling skill, because she didn¡¯t ask me for my character sheet. She just nodded in silence. My bluff wasn¡¯t really a bluff. I was sure Abei would open his wallet as soon as I started talking about calculus and biology.

    ¡°A [Silver Scholar]? How old are you?¡± Nasiah muttered as she examined my face.

    ¡°Despite my baby face, I¡¯m in my thirties.¡± I shrugged my shoulders.

    Abei was also a [Silver Scholar] but he was in his sixties or seventies.

    ¡°If you shave fifteen percent of the commission I¡¯ll be more than happy to sell the potions through your store.¡± I said, not giving the woman a moment to think.

    Nasiah squinted her eyes in suspicion. Fifteen percent wasn¡¯t a drastic sum considering low and mid grade potions weren¡¯t all that expensive. Considering Nasiah¡¯s words, she thought Elincia couldn¡¯t brew medium quality potions at best. There was no way Nasiah knew we only brew high quality potions.

    ¡°So¡­ fifty-five percent for low grade, thirty-five for medium grade, and five percent commission for high grade potions?¡± The woman asked as she did the mental math.

    ¡°Basically.¡±

    Nasiah closed her eyes and used her hands as an improvised abacus, or maybe she was using a skill to project her profits. Without [Identify] and [Awareness] was hard to tell.

    ¡°You can have your fifteen percent shave as long as it is store credit.¡± Nasiah finally said. Her counter-offer didn¡¯t sound half bad. The store had most of what we needed at the orphanage other than food and fuel for the stove. Clothing, tools, construction materials, all were there.

    ¡°Deal.¡± I extended my hand.

    Nasiah gave me a suspicious look but shook it nonetheless.

    ¡°Now, show me the goods.¡± The woman said, recovering part of her natural sass.

    As I placed my satchel over the counter, Nasiah pulled out a magnifying glass that overflowed with magic. The handle was made of brass and the lens had a blue tint to it. I didn¡¯t have to wait long to figure out its purpose.

    Nasiah grabbed the rack of potions and pulled out the first vial. A small, round flask filled with a translucent crimson liquid. The woman put the magnifying glass near her eye and inspected the potion. Confusion slowly dripped into her expression. She grabbed a handkerchief and cleaned the magnifying glass before trying again.

    ¡°Even low level Alchemists produce a lucky one from time to time.¡± Nasiah commented as she started to inspect the next potion. Then, she froze. ¡°What? Another?¡±

    Nasiah raced through the potions until she depleted the rack. Every single potion was high grade.

    ¡°You played me, you book-muncher!¡± Nasiah slammed the table with her fist. Shaving off fifteen percent from the low and medium grade potions wasn¡¯t a big change in rates, shaving the same amount from a high grade potion price was.

    ¡°You looked down on your supplier, the blame is on you.¡± I replied with a harsh voice.

    Nasiah sighed.

    ¡°Well, you did show me your hand, it was me who was too blind to see. I¡¯ll honor my part of the deal. As long as you keep bringing high grade potions, we are going to profit from this.¡±

    Nasiah put the vials in a rack of her own and covered them with a white and red cloth.

    ¡°Wait here for a moment.¡±

    Nasiah stood and disappeared through the backroom. A minute later she returned with a book thick as a brick and wide as a chair. She placed it over the counter and the wood creaked under its weight.

    ¡°It¡¯s magically locked so only I can use it.¡± The woman commented as she hovered her hand over the book and let a faint stream of golden mana flow into it.

    Suddenly, the book burst open and the pages turned quickly on their own. When I leaned over the counter to check the pages, I noticed they were blank.

    ¡°As I said two and a half seconds ago, It¡¯s magically locked.¡± Nasiah sighed as the pages continued turning as if a small tornado inhabited the book.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Scry Ledger, a rare enchanted item that lets me know the prices of every transaction that takes place in Farcrest. Quite useful to stay ahead of the competition.¡± Nasiah grinned, pouring more golden mana into the pages.

    The book seemed more magical to me than any skill provided by the System.

    ¡°How does such a rare item end up in your hands?¡± I asked. I had the suspicion that Nasiah might be more than what she pretended to be.

    ¡°I¡¯m not some high level Enchanter. Lowell gave it to me for my wedding. I almost left my fiance at the altar when I realized what it was.¡± Nasiah laughed. ¡°If I haven¡¯t kicked you out of my store it¡¯s because of my friendship with Lowell. He gave me something that I could hardly pay for during my lifetime.¡±

    The Scry Ledger was indeed an overpowered item. How did it find its way into the hands of an orphanage¡¯s owner then? Suddenly the pages stopped moving and Nasiah stared at the blank book.

    ¡°There they are. High Quality Health Potions have been sold for two pieces of gold each.¡± Nasiah said with an increasingly surprised tone.

    Two times twelve was twenty-four. Twenty-four pieces of gold just for the first batch of potions. My heart rate raced dangerously high. Were we rich now?

    Nasiah retrieved a small chest from under the counter and pressed her hand on the lid to open. The faint flash of mana told me there was a magical mechanism in place. It was mana locked just like the Scry Ledger.

    ¡°I can give you four gold as an advance, the rest will come when I manage to sell the potions.¡± Nasiah said, counting the coins behind the chest.

    ¡°Four gold is fine.¡± I stuttered. With that money I could buy a well needed sack of salt to preserve food for winter, maybe a couple of contraband tarts to secretly enjoy with Elincia, or a couple kilos of wheat. And meat, spices, fruits, fuel for the stove, clothes the right size for every orphan, shoes, an actual dress for Shu. We could fix the ceiling before the rains and renew the chicken coop.

    No. I had to ease my mind before making any important purchases.

    ¡°There you go, book-muncher.¡± Nasiah put four gold coins on the table.

    I put them inside my pouch. Then, I grabbed the empty box and put it back inside the satchel before walking back to the door. However, I couldn¡¯t yet return to the orphanage. Curiosity had been nibbling on my brain since Nasiah had told me about the Scry Ledger.

    ¡°There is another thing I want to ask you.¡± I said.

    Nasiah closed the magic chest and hid it away under the counter.

    ¡°After literally scamming me?¡± The woman raised an eyebrow.

    I ignored her and asked anyway.

    ¡°If Lowell gave you such a useful item, why do you hate the kid he raised as his own daughter so much?¡±

 55 - Another deal

    Despite the close ties between Nasiah and the orphanage, the shopkeeper seemed to hate Elincia. And Elincia seemed to fear Nasiah to the point she avoided the shop at all costs. I squeezed my brain trying to come up with a possible cause but the whole situation was too strange to even venture a guess.

    It didn¡¯t make sense. Why would Elincia, a non-combatant that liked to adventure into the dangerous Farlands, fear a simple shopkeeper? Nasiah had quite the presence but I doubted that was enough to induce fear in Elincia¡¯s heart.

    Curiosity got the best of me.

    ¡°If Lowell was such a close friend of yours, why do you hate the kid he raised as his own?¡± I asked.

    Nasiah¡¯s face suddenly hardened.

    ¡°Are you perhaps judging me, Scholar?¡± The woman¡¯s smile sent a shiver down my spine.

    My intuition told me she was using a skill on her voice. I didn''t let myself be intimidated. From a business standpoint we were at the same level.

    ¡°Just in the same way you judge everyone who crosses the doorway of your shop. We settled a twenty-four gold deal. I¡¯m trying to determine if you are a good trading partner for the next five or six batches.¡± I replied with a cold voice.

    My words seemed to have the desired effect because Nasiah¡¯s eyes shone with a golden glint. If my knowledge of this world was accurate, even non-combatants had a deep desire to improve their levels. Warriors yearned for battle while craftsmen yearned for their own recipes and creations. Logically, a Merchant like Nasiah yearned for profitable deals.

    ¡°Give me an extra five percent on the next four batches and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Nasiah said as she leaned back in her chair.

    Just as expected, the woman¡¯s mindset was pure negotiation. I smiled and eased the tension on my shoulders. My goal wasn¡¯t to break the relationship between the orphanage and the shopkeeper. As unpleasant as the woman was, she was one of our few loyal allies.

    ¡°Five percent of shop credit on the next five batches.¡± I made my counteroffer.

    ¡°Five percent of shop credit on the next six batches, if there are six.¡±

    I did mental math.

    Five percent meant that around seven extra gold coins were going to end up in Nasiah''s pocket by the end of our potions operation. That was the price of her secrets. I scratched my chin, deep in thought. If my math was correct, by the end of our deal the orphanage would have more than thirty gold coins as credit in the woman¡¯s store.

    I smiled. Thirty gold coins meant we would have no problem dressing the kids for years to come. Considering the existence of the Scy Ledger, Nasiah¡¯s store seemed a safe investment in the long term.

    ¡°Deal.¡± I finally said.

    Nasiah was a good asset for the orphanage, regardless of her ways.

    ¡°Seven gold coins for a small piece of the Governess¡¯ life history¡­ how romantic.¡± Nasia said with a mocking tone. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even give a silver coin for my husband¡¯s dentures.¡±

    ¡°Our relationship is merely professional.¡± I quickly replied.

    The woman didn¡¯t seem to believe me.

    ¡°Sit down.¡± Nasiah said, theatrically moving her hand.

    A chair slid across the floor, pushed by an invincible force, until it hit the back of my legs. I sat down. Luckily, the chair didn¡¯t show signs of being alive. Nasiah looked like the kind of person who would keep a Mimic pet.

    ¡°If you are so close to the Governess, you must know everything about Risha by now, don¡¯t you?¡± Nasiah said.

    ¡°I know a couple things.¡± I replied.

    Despite the fact curiosity was killing me, I was starting to regret the deal. Was it really my right to peek into a part of Elincia¡¯s life she didn¡¯t want to show me? I crossed my fingers and hoped she wouldn¡¯t consider this a breach of her privacy.

    Nasiah sighed and poured herself a glass of liquor.

    ¡°Risha is my nephew. Son of my deceased brother and an orc from the tribes, and my only living relative. If he¡¯s still alive, that¡¯s so.¡±

    The news hit me by surprise at first, then I remembered orcs usually sent their mixed blood kids to live among humans until their strength matured.

    ¡°Your nephew living in an orphanage?¡± I asked, sounding a bit more judging than I pretended.

    The woman shook her head.

    ¡°As usual, you don¡¯t understand anything, Scholar. Lowell was an Alchemist with a vision. Lots of kids with living parents stayed at the orphanage. Farcrest was a lot poorer with the previous Marquis but Lowell always had a plate of warm food, a pair of good shoes, and a bed with clean sheets for everyone who knocked on his door.¡± Nasiah closed her eyes as if she was reminiscing about a distant past. ¡° Lowell¡¯s house wasn¡¯t just a place for orphans to live. The old man had a lot of friends. High level Scholars, Craftsmen, and Musicians from every corner of the kingdom taught classes for free at the orphanage. There was no better place for a kid than Lowell¡¯s orphanage at the time.¡±

    I nodded as my brain put the pieces of the story together. I always thought Elincia felt pressed to keep the orphanage afloat because her debt towards Mr. Lowell but this shed a new layer to the story. Elincia had lived during the true golden age of the orphanage. The bar she aimed for was higher than I initially thought.

    I bit my lip.

    ¡°Lowell was branded as an eccentric man for training kids before they got their Classes, but it worked. Lowell¡¯s kids always got good classes. Scribes, Herbalists, Minstrels, Craftsmen, even a few Advanced Classes like Alchemist and Scholar.¡± Nasiah explained as a warm smile tugged her lips. ¡°I was a traveling merchant at that time, so leaving little Risha with my good friend Lowell was the right call. Farcrest was a shithole, but Lowell made it worth staying.¡±

    I nodded again, prompting Nasiah to continue. Learning more about Mr. Lowell¡¯s work helped me realize why Elincia had been so reluctant to accept my plans of sending the kids to the Imperial Academy. She probably tried to do the same with little success. It wasn¡¯t a surprise Elincia believed she couldn¡¯t live up to her own expectations considering what Mr. Lowell had managed to create.

    ¡°Enough of long gone Alchemists.¡± Nasiah said. ¡°Risha and Elincia were like nail and dirt. You rarely saw one without the other. You can say they had the most exclusive brotherhood of Lowell¡¯s orphanage, a club of only two if you want to call it that. Always causing trouble, running away into the Farlands, fleeing from the guardsmen, skipping classes.¡±

    Having Elincia as a partner in crime sounded like a nice deal.

    ¡°Then, when I returned from a particularly long trip, I found that Lowell was dead and Risha long gone to fight among the King¡¯s army.¡± Nasiah sighed. ¡°Fighting in the Deep Farlands is a death sentence. Risha is probably dead and I¡¯ll never forgive Elincia for not doing what was necessary to make him stay in Farcrest.¡±

    Silence fell over the store.

    Was Nasiah implying Elincia should¡¯ve gotten pregnant with Risha¡¯s children? I wanted to hate the woman for putting the blame on Elincia but I couldn¡¯t. After fighting against the Lich, I knew what kind of fate awaited for those who ventured into the Deep Farlands.

    Nasiah was right in one thing. Risha should¡¯ve stayed in Farcrest.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°Do you sell paper?¡± I asked.

    Nasiah gave me a confused glance, as if she was expecting me to start an argument instead of asking for goods. She shook her head and rummaged through the chests and containers behind the counter. I was starting to understand her life philosophy. Business first, personal matters second, spiteful as a dwarf.

    Maybe she had dwarf blood somewhere.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the whole lot. I¡¯ll pay with credit.¡± I said as the woman returned with a bundle of yellow paper and coarse.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say anything to defend the Governess?¡± Nasiah asked as she took notes in a non-magical accounting book.

    I didn¡¯t need [Awareness] to tell me Nasiah was smart enough to know Elincia wasn¡¯t to blame for Risha¡¯s life choices. However, I wasn¡¯t going to be the one to tell her how wrong she was.

    ¡°I have other places to be and I want to finish my errands quickly to come back to the orphanage.¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ll bring the next batch as soon as I can.¡±

    Nasiah closed her ledger and followed me with her eyes as I walked towards the entrance, as if she was expecting me to say something else. But I didn¡¯t. Despite the old woman¡¯s temper, I felt bad for her. After my parent¡¯s death, I also blamed everyone for my loss.

    With my coin pouch replenished and a bundle of paper under my arm, I walked towards the main street. Having secured funds for the orphanage¡¯s future should¡¯ve felt like a victory, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. Researching Elincia¡¯s past on her back was reprehensible at best.

    I walked through the empty main street and sat on one of the benches. Without the looming danger of monsters and guardsmen, there was nothing preventing my brain to focus on my feelings for Elincia. I knew I had to deal with those feelings sooner or later.

    One good thing about the Corruption was that the System had become silent.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really like Elincia. This whole infatuation thing is due to my monkey brain being fed novels and movies about princesses in distress for decades.¡±

    I waited. Even if I was asking for a snarky remark, no System prompt appeared to agree or disagree with me.

    ¡°Even if I like her, there is no guarantee she likes me back. In fact, we have only known each other for a little more than three months now. Even if those three months feel like a lifetime, they are just three months.¡± I continued.

    Still, no System prompt.

    ¡°In conclusion, disregarding how I feel about Elincia, it would be a terrible decision to pursue a romantic relationship with her.¡±

    The System remained silent, but my brain won''t.

    Who was I trying to fool? I liked Elincia. A lot. There was no way I couldn¡¯t like her.

    I walked down the street, looking for open bakeries where to spend some of my money but most of the shops were closed. Luck wasn¡¯t on my side. I checked my to-do list. Visit Captain Kiln. Visit Ginz. Find someone to fix the leaks on the roof.

    Before visiting Captain Kiln, I needed a proper gift, and to craft a proper gift I needed to amend my relationship with Ginz. I continued my way towards the man¡¯s workshop, looking for a tavern and trying to stop my brain from thinking about Elincia¡¯s cute smile.

    I was down bad.

    Was it a bad idea to romance a coworker? Absolutely.

    Did we meet just not so far ago? Yes.

    Was there a huge chance for things to not work? Definitely.

    Was I jeopardizing my place at the orphanage? Totally.

    Was I going to ignore my own good advice? Most probably.

    Suddenly, the realization hit me.

    Crap.

    Crap. Crap.

    Crap. Crap. Crap.

    The last time I flirted with someone was back in Junior year, more than a decade ago. I closed my eyes and squeezed my brain to extract the memories from that era. Without [Awareness] projecting my memories like a movie, it was hard to get the exact details. My mother was right. I should¡¯ve dated more.

    As I tried to untangle the mess my mind was, I finally stumbled onto an open store. A tavern. I quickly grabbed two bottles of berry wine, paid in silver, and continued my way.

    ¡°Let¡¯s put these thoughts on hold and let¡¯s focus on my to-do list.¡± I muttered.

    Luckily for me, the store I was searching for was open. Or rather the workshop.

    Over the door hung a wooden sign with a hammer and a needle.

    I opened the door, revealing Ginz¡¯s wimpy figure hunched behind the counter. His brown eyes were hidden behind his thick spectacles and a cascade of black hair hid his face. Even if there was no one  watching him, the craftsman seemed to do everything at hand to pass unnoticed. As soon as I entered, the smell of tanned hides hit my face.

    ¡°Welcome to Ginz Worksh¡­¡± Ginz choked as soon as his eyes fell on me. ¡°W-we are closed for today. Monster Surge, you know.¡±

    ¡°The sign at the door says it''s open.¡± I shrugged my shoulders.

    Ginz looked around barely hiding his panic, but there were only the two of us. I didn''t blame him. Our first encounter had required me to be ¡®imposing¡¯ to say it softly.

    ¡°Wanna have a drink?¡± I apologetically asked, putting the bottle of berry wine over the table.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ginz replied as it ogled the bottle curiously.

    At least he seemed relieved I wasn¡¯t there to make outrageous demands. I swallowed the little pride I still had and put two silver coins on the table.

    ¡°For the materials from last time¡­ and the inconveniences.¡± I said.

    Ginz nodded in silence and brought two wooden cups from the backroom. I took it as an acceptance of my apologies.

    ¡°How¡¯s the orphanage doing lately?¡± The craftsmen asked as I uncorked the bottle and filled the glasses to the top. His voice had a trace of guilt in it. I remembered from the last time that Ginz had shown the intention of amending things with Elincia.

    ¡°Better than ever, actually.¡± I replied. ¡°Sold some potions, got some money. Kids are studying hard.¡±

    Ginz nodded in silence and drank from his cup. His eyes lit up. The wine was better than the dirt cheap stuff I had drank with Elincia before traveling into the Farlands. Seeing his surprised expression made me want to return to the orphanage and have a drink with Elincia, but business came first.

    ¡°Is your order backlog too crowded lately?¡± I asked.

    Ginz shook his head.

    ¡°Things have been going slow for the past couple weeks. You know, with the suspected Monster Surge people have been hiding in their houses.¡± The craftsmen said as he emptied the first glass. I refilled it. ¡°I have been doing belts and boots, but no clue when I will be able to sell those.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say the conversation wasn¡¯t awkward at all. Ginz gulped the wine and his eyes fell on the stack of paper.

    ¡°Writing a book?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Actually, I was wondering if you work with paper. I have a couple ideas, you know, a one-of-a-kind item thing.¡± I casually said. If Alchemists leveled up by brewing potions, a Craftsmen like Ginz should level up on unique crafting requests.

    My words seemed to pique his curiosity because he pushed his tools to the side and took out a wax tablet with a beautifully carved bone stylus. I wondered if Ginz crafted the stylus himself.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a leather craftsman?¡± I poked him a little bit.

    The wine seemed to have polished the rough spots between us, or maybe it was due to Ginz¡¯s regrets regarding abandoning the orphanage, but things were going surprisingly well.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Craftsman! Craftsman! There is no material out of my expertise!¡± Ginz slurried, suddenly in a better mood. ¡°You are a Scholar, aren''t you? I have seen your prior design getting more popular among the guardsmen. This time I want my name on any artifact you commission. I¡¯m not manufacturing anything if it doesn''t have my signature on it!¡±

    I held back my laughter. Ginz was certainly passionate about his craft.

    ¡°Do you Craftsmen have intellectual property rights or something?¡± I asked, genuinely curious.

    Ginz¡¯s eyes shot wide open as if he had suddenly remembered something. Then, he jumped on his feet and stumbled into the backshop. I heard something falling down the stairs ¨Cmaybe Ginz himself¨C, then a bunch of colorful language directed towards the architect who designed the shop¡¯s storage room. A moment later, the craftsman returned with a single sheet of paper that he slammed on the table. Unlike my stack of paper, this one was a high quality document, with drawn ornaments, and silver lining.

    The document seemed to be a simple production contract between a craftsman and an employer. In the bottom of the sheet I noticed the seal of the Craftsmen Guild. The contract was filled with magic.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what I have in mind.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Then draw it on the wax tablet.¡± Ginz replied.

    ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t push me!¡±

    During the next hour, Ginz and I polished the blueprint of my creation. A standard deck of fifty two cards. In the end, the bottle of wine was empty and Ginz was pumped by the idea of starting working on the project. Not that he was sober enough to actually do it.

    ¡°Alright, I have to go back to the orphanage. I also need to find someone to check the roof before it rains again.¡± I said. Half a bottle of wine had made a dent on my consciousness. Working on the leaks on the roof seemed the smartest thing to do.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Craftsman. I know one or two things about roofing!¡± Ginz replied proudly.

    That''s what I called killing two birds with one stone.

    ¡°Would you check it? We have several leaks and I don¡¯t want some crooked repairman swindling us.¡± I said.

    Ginz jumped on his feet and started gathering his tools. He was checking the mallets that hung from the wall when suddenly he stopped and turned around. His expression soured.

    ¡°Would it be okay for me to return to the orphanage?¡± Ginz asked.

    Elincia was spiteful as a dwarf and probably hated Ginz for abandoning her, but, at the same time, Elincia also had a pragmatic side. If the kids were watching, she wouldn¡¯t try anything against Ginz.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put on the face if Elincia starts throwing blows.¡± I said.

    Ginz laughed and continued putting tools inside his bag.

    The truth was, I had an ulterior motive to bring Ginz with me. The idea of being alone with Elincia was making me nervous.

 56 - Grounded

    Ginz locked the door of the workshop and hung a ¡®closed¡¯ sign. Despite being barely past noon, Farcrest was practically deserted. Other than guards patrolling the main streets, we barely saw a soul. An eerie silence hung over the city, as if thousands of people were holding their breaths at the same time.

    There was also a second silence. The one between Ginz and me. Even after emptying a whole bottle of wine, the atmosphere between us was still awkward and the road towards the orphanage was a long one.

    As usual, my mind wandered towards Elincia.

    ¡°Are you married, Ginz?¡± I asked.

    The craftsmen glanced at me as if I was making fun of him.

    ¡°I¡¯m a low-level Craftsman, Robert. The only women I could impress with that are Farmers or Menders.¡± Ginz sighed, realizing I wasn¡¯t messing with him. ¡°Most Farmers left Farcrest due to the Marquis¡¯ policies. Oh, and the ones who stayed are mostly married older dudes.¡±

    I smiled. His rant was something I could hear on Earth too.

    Elincia had told me about the land grants the Marquis had been giving during the past years. Most of the orphans who had left the orphanage had turned into Farmers and migrated to nearby villages. But that was half of the story. It was all a ploy of the Marquis to buy the crops and raw materials with royal money. Then he sold manufactured products back to the villages, creating the perfect tax evasion scheme.

    ¡°You have a workshop, though. That has to count as something.¡± I pointed out, trying to cheer him up.

    ¡°I rent a small, dusty workshop with three other low-level craftsmen. I don¡¯t even have my own house. I share the bedroom on the second floor with one of them. He snores.¡± Ginz corrected me. ¡°But it¡¯s not all bad. You have to grind if you want to progress.¡±

    I nodded in silence.

    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t have time for romance. There are lots of things I want to build, but I have to grind my skills first.¡± Ginz shrugged his shoulders. ¡°When Mr. Lowell was alive, there was a man, a Scholar who usually visited us. He had this notebook full of crazy concepts for machines and contraptions, like automated machines to toast bread without burning it, and one hand fire starters. Oh, and there was this steam propelled carts that went on metal rails.¡±

    Ginz¡¯s words caught me by surprise. Those contraptions sounded strangely familiar. In fact, I had been inside these so-called ¡®steam propelled carts that went on metal rails¡¯.

    ¡°What was the name? Loco-something?¡±

    ¡°A locomotive?¡±

    ¡°Yes! That was the name!¡± Ginz¡¯s eyes shot wide open. ¡°Did you meet Mr. Byrne?¡±

    There it was again. Mr. Byrne. First Dassyra and now Ginz. I wondered what other mark the man had left in this world.

    ¡°Did you meet him? Why do you know his designs?¡± Ginz asked.

    ¡°I met him once, a few years ago, but never got to talk to him. I¡¯m familiar with some of his designs, though.¡± I cautiously said.

    ¡°His designs were crazy! Of course, he only taught us basic stuff, but sometimes he went off on tangents and spoke about all kinds of strange contraptions. This one time he talked during an entire class about flying machines that didn¡¯t need a magic core to fly.¡± Ginz said with an excited tone. ¡°Oh! And this other time, Elincia and I snuck into Mr. Byrne¡¯s bedroom to take a peek into his personal notebook. I can''t remember the schematics because I was dead scared, but there were a lot of crazy looking machines.¡±

    To say that Ginz was passionate about his class was an understatement.

    I was tempted to blow his mind with my own share of modern inventions but a stinging pain in the back of my mind made me drift away from our conversation. I recognized the sensation. [Awareness] trying to tell me something. The pain intensified to the point I had to turn around towards the direction [Awareness] tugged me.

    At the corner of the street, a group of three men cast furtive glances towards the orphanage. Even if they dressed as regular laborers, they stood like soldiers. It was even easier than recognizing an undercover cop at a political rally.

    Adrenaline rushed through my veins.

    Before the group realized I was spying on them, I turned around and focused on the street ahead. The next Tax Season was still months away. Was the Marquis going to make an early move against the orphanage? I clicked my tongue and took a quick peek at my character sheet. Most of my skills were unusable and my capacity to move mana was greatly diminished.

    ¡°The orphanage isn¡¯t looking that great. Where did the fence go and why is the gate busted?¡± Ginz pointed out as we reached the iron gate.

    When I turned around, the suspicious men were already gone.

    ¡°Things are getting better.¡± I replied.

    Instead of walking around the manor, I knocked on the door. Without [Awareness] available, I wanted Elincia to put her tracking skills to work just in case they were still there, hiding. I knocked again, harder this time.

    ¡°Eli? I need you out here!¡± I yelled, hoping Elincia¡¯s elven ears picked my call wherever she was.

    Elincia slammed the door open. Her worried eyes fell on me just to jump towards Ginz. Then, her worried expression changed.

    ¡°Orcbud! So long no¨C¡±

    Ginz opened his mouth but didn''t get to finish his sentence.

    Elincia¡¯s punch came before I could intervene. It was as fast as lighting, arm perfectly aligned, putting the whole weight of her body behind her fist. One of the most beautifully executed punches I have seen. Sports magazine cover worthy.

    I cringed.

    Elincia sunk her fist into Ginz¡¯s face, making him stumble down the steps and fall on his ass over the hard cobbled path. Ginz clutched his face with both hands as he whined like a beaten dog. Considering the sound his nose had made, something was probably broken.

    ¡°How dare you show your face at the orphanage!¡± Elincia bellowed.

    The elven woman towered over the poor craftsman as she cooked a second punch.

    I rushed to grab Elincia by the armpits before she could start beating Ginz to a pulp. The woman struggled and I had to drag her back before she could start kicking.

    I might have misinterpreted Elincia¡¯s policy regarding old acquaintances. The way she had recommended Ginz as a reliable craftsman had misled me into believing they were on not-so-hostile terms.

    It was my fault; I had underestimated how deep Elincia¡¯s grudge went.

    ¡°What the hell, Orcbud?!¡± Ginz muttered from the floor as he grabbed his nose. Bright red blood had started to flow in between his fingers.

    Elincia hated her surname because of that nickname. Hearing ¡®Orcbud¡¯ again, Elincia fought my grab with the energy of a wild cat. For a moment, I was tempted to let her maul the flimsy craftsman. But we needed him. The orphanage needed all the allies it could get.

    I remembered my abuelita¡¯s advice for the first day of elementary school. If they hit you, you hit them back. Then you throw them to the floor and kick them until your shoes shine. You¡¯ll see they¡¯ll never harass you again. May the gods welcome the old hag in all her glory.

    However, now was not the time to kick.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    I adopted my best angry teacher¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Elincia Rosebud! In this orphanage we do not approve the use of violence. You are grounded from this moment on.¡± I said, channeling all my teaching-related titles.

    My words seemed to hit Elincia like a whip because her body stiffened in my arms. When I let her go, she didn¡¯t pounce over Ginz. Instead, she looked at me and opened her mouth but before she could say anything, I interrupted her.

    ¡°You are grounded. Go to your room, miss.¡± I said.

    Elincia gave me a defiant look but, against all odds, she turned around and stomped her way across the reception room. I wasn¡¯t really sure what had happened. But it had worked.

    I crouched by Ginz¡¯s side.

    ¡°You know you deserved that, don¡¯t you? She doesn¡¯t like being called Orcbud.¡± I said.

    ¡°But everyone called her that back in the day!¡± Ginz replied with a nasal voice.

    ¡°And how many of them got the ¡®Elincia Special¡¯ in the face?¡± I raised both my eyebrows.

    How could someone be so dense?

    ¡°Oh.¡± Ginz muttered.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you something for your nose, bud.¡±

    I helped Ginz to stand up and we entered the orphanage.

    ¡°Wow, this place hasn¡¯t aged well at all.¡± Ginz commented as he glanced at the water-stained paint of the reception room.

    It was a relief that Elincia wasn¡¯t there. Otherwise she would polish her fists with Ginz¡¯s face yet again. Even I was starting to feel a bit frustrated with the craftsmen¡¯s commentary. After everything we had been through, the fact that an outsider came to speak badly about our hard work was unnerving.

    ¡°Few people care enough to help the orphanage. And the Alchemist Guild has made it difficult for non-associated Alchemists to sell their product.¡± I explained. ¡°Not that Elincia has a lot of free time to gather ingredients with a dozen orphans at her care.¡±

    Ginz raised his hands in defeat.

    ¡°Okay, I get it now. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I spied through the windows, but the suspicious men were nowhere to be found. I would have to bring that up with Elincia later. For now, I wanted to prevent Ginz from bleeding all over the floor. I brought the craftsman to my room and rummaged through my first aid kit for clean bandages.

    A moment later, Ginz¡¯s nose was clogged with cloth and the nosebleed had stopped. A quick examination revealed his nose wasn¡¯t broken. The adrenaline of the fight had removed any remaining trace of alcohol clouding my mind.

    I was more worried about the suspicious men over the roof leaks. No. What I was really worried about was about my inability to protect the orphanage. With my mana blade and mana shield I was confident I could defeat a low-level guardsmen, even a mid-level one with a little luck. Now, I wasn¡¯t convinced I could even defeat a low-level Slime.

    I bit my thumbnail. What other options did we have? Trapping the place wasn¡¯t an option with the orphans running around. Even if we trapped it, there should be guardsmen with detection skills capable of easily disarming them.

    I glanced at the flimsy craftsmen.

    Desperate times require desperate solutions.

    ¡°Ginz?¡± I asked, pulling the last shotgun shell from my pocket. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±

    The craftsmen grabbed the shell and examined it. His eyes were flooded with mana. He was using an appraisal skill. After a minute of rotating the shell to look at it from every angle, he returned it to me.

    ¡°I roughly know the structure, but I don¡¯t know what its purpose is. I have never seen anything like this.¡± Ginz said.

    If my memory served me correctly, shotguns dated back to the 19th century while plastic wasn¡¯t mass produced until the second half of the 20th century. That meant I didn¡¯t need plastic to make new shells. I squeezed my brain for any hints. Brass? I missed the way [Awareness] played back my memories like videos.

    ¡°What is it? Is it an invention of Mr. Byrne?¡± Ginz eyes shone. ¡°Robert?¡±

    ¡°Paper!¡± I yelled, suddenly remembering a conversation I had with my father.

    Hulls were made of paper.

    I looked at Ginz.

    Elincia might object to working with Ginz, but he was the only person in Farcrest who could remotely produce a shotgun shell and keep the secret to himself. I just had to use the correct leverage.

    ¡°I propose to you a deal. You help me replicate this thing, and I¡¯ll help you replicate some of Mr. Byrne¡¯s schematics.¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t offer you a precise blueprint, but I have notions of most of the machines he wanted to build.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the catch?¡± Ginz asked with a suspicious voice.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to keep it a secret until I say so. Nobody, and I say this very seriously, nobody must know about this.¡± I said with utmost gravity as I showed him the shell. ¡°This is dangerous. It could easily kill a man and it could get us in trouble if the Marquis notices.¡±

    The Marquis should already know about my ¡®magical boomstick¡¯ from my previous clash with the guardsmen. I wanted him to believe the shotgun was an enchanted item. The existence of a tool that allowed even a low-level Scholar to instantly kill a mid-level warrior was something that should be kept secret. I didn¡¯t want to mess with the balance of this world more than I strictly should.

    ¡°W-would this help the orphanage?¡± Ginz timidly asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know how much.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it then.¡±

    I didn¡¯t need [Awareness] to know Ginz was being honest.

    ¡°Okay, buddy, let me introduce you to the amazing world of boomsticks.¡± I said.

    * * *

    A few hours and a few wax tablets later, Ginz and I had designed a prototype for a shotgun shell. It was simple, crude, and it probably wouldn¡¯t work, but it was a start. The main problem was to find an explosive substance to propel the pellets. Ginz had a couple ideas, but nothing concrete. I probably had some vague knowledge on options, but without [Awareness] it was like fumbling around in the dark for car keys. More research was required but we were on the right path.

    We also found a moment to check the leaks. The kids wanted to climb on the roof with us, but with a little help from Ilya and Wolf, we prevented any accidents. Luckily, the slippery twins were more worried about the potato farm than climbing ladders. By the time we finished, the kids were in the kitchen having dinner and the sun had almost set.

    Admitting I was having fun with Ginz in front of Elincia wasn¡¯t something I wanted to do.

    ¡°It¡¯s crazy to see how fast they grow.¡± Ginz said as I walked him to the entrance.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ilya and Zaon were five or six years old when I¡­ uh, left the orphanage to dedicate to my class.¡± Ginz replied uncomfortably. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll send you one of my friends to do the repairs, he should charge you a fair price.¡±

    Sometimes I forgot Elincia was still under Mr. Lowell¡¯s care when Ilya and Zaon arrived at the orphanage. I did the math. Elincia was sixteen and Ilya was five when Mr. Lowell died. During a sizable period of time, they were more like sisters than governess and orphan.

    I scratched my chin.

    That might explain why Ilya behaved like a de facto governess.

    ¡°Goodbye Robert, see you around!¡± Ginz waved his hand from the iron gate.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go visit you soon!¡± I replied.

    When I entered the orphanage again, I found Ilya standing in the middle of the reception room with her hands on her hips, frowning. She was already in pajamas, which added to her comical appearance. A little girl with the demeanor of a seasoned governess.

    ¡°Did he leave?¡± Ilya asked in a grumpy tone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be harsh with Ginz, he¡¯s not all that bad.¡± I replied.

    Ilya frowned even further. Her eyebrows almost touched.

    ¡°We don¡¯t need him. We have enough with Miss Elincia¡­ and you.¡± Ilya muttered.

    I hid my smile from Ilya. Being a teacher was hard, but there were a few moments that made all the sacrifices worth it. And this was one of them. I couldn¡¯t stop smiling. If I wasn¡¯t Corrupted, the System would probably give me 128 points of psychic damage. Only my rigorous professionalism prevented me from giving her a hug.

    ¡°Are you meditating daily?¡± I asked instead.

    Ilya energetically nodded.

    ¡°Show me.¡± I said.

    The gnome girl closed her eyes and conjured a small mana flame. It was barely enough to light her own face, but steady enough to show the great control she had over her mana pool. After a moment, the small flame disappeared, and Ilya opened her eyes again. I could tell how satisfied she felt performing the trick.

    It was an unexpected development for Ilya to get [Mana Manipulation]. Maybe her gnome blood was a helping factor, just like Wolf¡¯s orc blood gave him improved strength.

    ¡°What should I do now? You know, to improve?¡± Ilya suddenly asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I replied.

    The gnome girl glanced at me with her mouth open in surprise.

    ¡°But you are a teacher, and a Scholar?¡± Ilya said in disbelief.

    ¡°Despite what some teachers want their students to believe, we don¡¯t know everything.¡± I replied, hiding the fact I had gotten my own [Mana Manipulation] not so long ago myself. ¡°Let''s ask Miss Elincia, and if she doesn¡¯t know, we can figure things out by ourselves. Does it sound good to you?¡±

    Ilya nodded and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder from where all that motivation had come.

    ¡°I¡¯m super tired and I still have to make sure the younger kids get to bed.¡± Ilya yawned. ¡°Goodnight, Mr. Clarke.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight, Ilya. Sleep tight.¡±

    ¡°Tight?¡±

    ¡°Sleep well.¡±

    Ilya nodded once again and quickly scurried towards the sleeping quarters.

    I stretched my back and marked a couple more tasks from my to-do list as completed. It had been a productive day, but there was even more work tomorrow.

    My stomach grumbled and I noticed I had skipped lunch and dinner altogether. I went to the kitchen, expecting to find Elincia, but I only found Zaon and Firana washing the dishes together. Normally the adults were in charge of cleaning the kitchen after dinner so the kids could go to sleep early.

    ¡°Hey kids, have you seen Miss Elincia?¡± I asked.

    ¡°M-miss Elincia hasn¡¯t appeared since lunch.¡± Zaon replied. ¡°I think she might be brewing potions in her bedroom?¡±

    Oh.

    I just remembered I had grounded Elincia.

 57 - Godspeed

    I sat at the table in front of a steaming bowl of bean soup. Even though I hadn¡¯t eaten anything since breakfast, I wasn¡¯t particularly hungry. The meal was just an excuse to postpone my visit to Elincia¡¯s room.

    I chewed slowly, savoring the plain flavors maybe for the last time. Now that we were swimming in money, I planned to fill the pantry with every possible ingredient and spice available in Farcrest. Spaghetti carbonara, paella, goulash, I made a mental list of all the dishes I wanted to cook for the kids.

    My train of thought was quickly crushed by the most pressing matters. I had grounded Elincia, and what was most surprising, she had obeyed me. The mere surrealism of the situation had me completely lost. However, the strangeness of the situation wasn¡¯t the sole reason I was putting off my visit to Elincia¡¯s room.

    A small voice in the back of my mind playing a single sentence on repeat.

    ¡®You are going to be rejected.¡¯

    ¡°Are you okay, Mr. Clarke? You look worried.¡± Zaon asked with a worried expression as he dried his hands on his pants. Meanwhile, Firana grabbed the pile of clean bowls and put them back into the upper cabinet.

    ¡°I¡¯m all right. I was just estimating our food budget for the winter. Is there something special you would want to eat?¡± I quickly replied.

    ¡°Meat! Pork! Venison!¡± Firana instantly jumped into the conversation. Despite the fact it was dusk, she was overflowing with energy. ¡°Sausages! Ham! Turkey!¡±

    Zaon looked at the girl and raised an eyebrow. When he spoke, sounded judgmental. ¡°You¡¯ll be better eating eggs and veggies, it¡¯s best for your digestion.¡±

    The words didn¡¯t seem to sit well with Firana because she jumped on her feet and grabbed Zaon by the shoulders, playfully shaking him until his hair became all disheveled.

    ¡°I¡¯m a better swordsman than you! I know exactly what my body needs, you flimsy twig!¡± Firana grunted.

    ¡°If you eat that much meat your brain will become pure muscle!¡± Zaon complained as his head rocked back and forth.

    ¡°Are you calling me an idiot, twig boy?¡± Firana replied, shaking the elven boy with renewed strength. ¡°Maybe if you eat more meat and milk you¡¯ll become more like Wolf.¡±

    I watched the exchange with amusement. Not so long ago, Firana was an outcast among the orphans. My heart felt warm. Firana had come a long way since I arrived at the orphanage. She was a tough nut to crack but she had a golden heart.

    ¡°Firana, please, I don¡¯t want my ears to heat up.¡± Zaon complained once again.

    Maybe she was a bit too overly cheerful.

    As the two exchanged playful jabs, I put my worries about Elincia to the side. It was moments like this that made the whole Farlands ordeal worthwhile. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Not only had we secured an income source, but the kids¡¯ relationships and skills had also improved. For the first time in a long time, I felt I was doing something good in my life.

    I closed my eyes, wondering if this was what it felt to have kids.

    ¡°Admit you like me! You surely do!¡± Firana had put Zaon¡¯s head in a chokehold.

    ¡°You are too loud and brusque.¡± Zaon grunted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what ¡®brusque¡¯ means, but I can tell you are not being honest with yourself.¡±

    ¡°If I start liking you, I will let you know. Now, please don¡¯t crack open my skull.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember that story Miss Elincia used to tell us about the man who built up ten stacks of Denial and exploded?¡± Firana asked.

    I choked on my soup. If I didn''t know better I would tell that jab was directed at me.

    When Zaon finally freed himself from Firana¡¯s playful grip, I said, ¡°Alright, you two. Let¡¯s not turn the kitchen into a battlefield. Tomorrow I plan to squeeze you during sparring, so you better go to sleep.¡±

    Surprisingly, both kids obeyed me and instantly stopped wrestling. When did I get that much authority over the orphanage inhabitants? Kids usually needed two or three warnings before complying.

    ¡°Let me clean your bowl. Oh, and I should grab Miss Elincia¡¯s bowl from her bedroom too.¡± Zaon said as she fixed his blonde hair.

    I stopped him before he could reach for my bowl. ¡°I¡¯ll take care from here, you two go to bed.¡±

    The kids nodded and walked to the doorway. Zaon leading the way, and Firana following with a mischievous smile. I couldn¡¯t call myself a teacher if I didn¡¯t know what she was planning.

    ¡°Firana?¡± I called her name before they could leave.

    ¡°Yes, Mister Clarke?¡± She replied with an angelic voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to catch you sneaking into Zaon¡¯s bedroom. You two really need to rest. Understood?¡±

    My words hit Firana like a shower of cold water. I smiled; she was totally planning a forced sleepover in Zaon¡¯s bedroom. Firana slowly turned around and glanced at me with puppy dog eyes.

    ¡°But I want to play! We only spared and tended to the farm today!¡± She complained.

    ¡°Should we put you in charge of the younger kids? It seems you have plenty of energy and I¡¯m sure they are dying to play with you.¡± I replied with a gentle smile myself. Weaponizing little kids was part of the arsenal of every competent teacher.

    ¡°Understood. Straight to sleep.¡± Firana said as her shoulders deflated.

    The kids waved me goodbye.

    The bowl of soup sat empty in front of me, and I knew I couldn¡¯t delay my visit to Elincia¡¯s study any longer. I closed my eyes to collect my thoughts but the tug from the twin ring had become stronger by the second and prevented me from focusing. I ignored if it was a machination of my guilty conscience or if Elincia¡¯s ring was really calling me.

    One or the other, I couldn¡¯t keep delaying it. I cleaned my bowl, and left the kitchen with a light stone in hand. I wondered if Firana had forced Zaon to work as a pathfinder. The elven kid could see in darkness after all. The answer was probably yes.

    The corridor was dark. At night, the orphanage looked like those haunted houses from ghost movies, with peeled paint and old, creaky floors. The wind blew through the hollow roof, producing haunting sounds. Even with all of that, I felt comfortable. This was my home.

    I entered the sleeping quarters and, instead of going to Elincia¡¯s study, I walked down the corridor to my room and grabbed the second bottle of wine. I had bought it to celebrate with Elincia our most recent victory. Now it looked more like an apology gift.

    Turned into a nervous wreck, I stood in front of Elincia¡¯s study and knocked on the door.

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± I said.

    No response, just the creepy sound of the howling wind.

    ¡°Are you feeling ill?¡± A phantasmagorical voice asked.

    I turned around in a flash.

    Two phantoms dressed in white had their eyes fixed on me. I froze for a moment but when I raised my light stone, I realized it was Shu riding on Elincia¡¯s arms. The harpy girl was wearing her pajamas, a pillowcase even older and more frayed than her daily attire. She gave me an impish smile, as if she knew her words almost gave me a heart attack.

    I couldn¡¯t be mad at her though. Even her evil smile was adorable.

    ¡°If you get ill, you get to sleep with Miss Elincia.¡± Shu said.

    Elincia raised an eyebrow, she probably suspected Shu¡¯s illnesses weren¡¯t all genuine after all.

    ¡°Are you feeling ill, Shu?¡± I asked back.

    The harpy girl shook her head before replying, ¡°I just wanted to go to the bathroom and Loki was too scared to join me. I¡¯m not scared, of course.¡±

    Then, Shu jumped to the ground and swiftly walked towards the younger kid¡¯s bedroom. Or at least as fast as her long talons allowed her. The girl looked over her shoulder to ensure we were still looking after her as she walked down the dark corridor. The glow from my light stone barely reached her. Finally, she waved at us and swiftly jumped inside the room as if ghouls from the abyss were about to grab her ankles.

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile proudly.

    However, my smile lasted a moment as the ring¡¯s tug reminded me of Elincia¡¯s proximity. My mouth was suddenly dry. Right now, I would rather fight Dassyra than have a talk with Elincia.

    ¡°May I come in?¡± I said.

    Elincia nodded but avoided my eyes.

    The door closed behind me. The dreaded moment had come. I was alone with Elincia, and I wished [Awareness] was still there to help me read the mood. The skill remained silent. I put the light stone over the desk and hoped for the best.

    A fear that ran deep into every man¡¯s DNA took over my body, the fear of rejection.

    Elincia walked with a cat-like gait across the room and sat on her bed. Her loose night robe billowed behind her. Maybe the beauty was in the eye of the beholder, but with her slender figure, Elincia¡¯s beauty shone even in such a simple garment.

    The light stone barely illuminated the room with a dying blue glow, adding to her ethereal appearance.

    ¡°Let me speak first.¡± Elincia broke the silence the moment I was opening my mouth.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    She sounded worried?

    ¡°Look, Rob. Even if you hide it, I know you must be having a hard time suffering from Corruption. Having your Class and Skills locked must be horrible and I just make things worse by giving you more problems. I¡¯m a hot-headed idiot and I shouldn¡¯t have punched Ginz.¡± Elincia said in a faint voice.

    Sometimes I forget how important the System was for the denizens of this world. It was no wonder considering that Class and levels usually determined one¡¯s place in the social hierarchy. Having a corrupted System must have been equal to being an outcast, a useless one.

    ¡°Elincia¡­¡± I said but she cut me off.

    ¡°Don''t. You should hate me. I know it¡¯s my fault you got the Corruption. It was my fault you had to face the Lich. It was my fault you lost all the skills you have worked so hard to get.¡± Elincia said.

    I was starting to feel even more guilty than before.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to stop you there, lady.¡± I said as Elincia readied herself for the third part of her tirade.

    She gave me an angry glance before continuing, ¡°Now you are going to say ¡®what¡¯s important is that we came back alive¡¯ or some bullshit. No, Rob. I have to take responsibility for my mistakes.¡±

    This was the perfect moment to bring up the fact I was born and raised in a world without a System. Even if losing my ability to perform certain Skills was annoying, it was only that. An annoyance. But I bit my tongue. Even though my connection with the System was somewhat severed, even if Mr. Byrne had revealed himself to Dassyra, revealing my own otherworldly nature was still a risk. A risk I wasn¡¯t willing to take.

    ¡°Thinking logically, a bunch of Scholar skills aren¡¯t a great price for our lives.¡± I said.

    ¡°You are not being honest!¡± Elincia replied with an accusing voice as she jumped on her feet. Anger was starting to show in her voice.

    My ¡®de-escalation¡¯ stat must be low in this world too because I got angry too.

    ¡°How can I be honest if you don¡¯t even believe in what I say!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an adult, Rob. You don''t have to act all condescending in front of me.¡± Elincia grunted.

    ¡°Oh? You want the truth? I will tell you the truth then.¡± I spoke over her complaints. ¡°I like you too much to even consider blaming you. Even if I really cared about losing my skills, I would still think it¡¯s a fair trade for your safety. I¡¯d give up my skills any day of the week to protect the orphanage.¡±

    Elincia opened her mouth to reply but no words came out. Instead, she glared at me with ice-melting intensity. I knew Elincia well enough to realize she was trying to find any trace of deception in my voice. Were my words that hard to believe?

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink.¡± I broke the silence. ¡°If anything, we should be celebrating.¡±

    I revealed the bottle of wine.

    ¡°Something good happened?¡± Elincia asked in a suspicious voice.

    Her tone reminded me of when we first met.

    ¡°I struck a deal with Nasiah.¡± I replied, putting my coin pouch over the table next to the light stone.

    Elincia slowly approached the desk, the mood was still awkward between us.

    Three gold and a few silver and copper coins shone under the pale glow from the light stone.

    ¡°I hoped it would be a bit more¡­ not that I¡¯m complaining. If we manage to brew five more batches we will have enough to survive the winter and a bit more.¡± Elincia sighed as she examined a gold coin. ¡°I can probably get some good fabric cloth and fix the kid¡¯s clothing. Yeah, it should be enough to survive another season. Their shoes though¨C¡±

    ¡°Eli.¡± I interrupted her. ¡°This is just an advance. The batch sold for almost twenty-four gold. After Nasiah¡¯s cut, we will get nineteen pieces directly to our pockets.¡±

    My words seemed to break something inside Elincia¡¯s brain because her eyes got lost through the window. I had to stifle a laugh. We were rich, after all. No more worries about food, or clothing, or fuel for the stove. With this amount of gold, our only pressing task was to get the kids into the Imperial Academy.

    ¡°Nineteen times five¡­¡± Elincia muttered.

    ¡°Almost a hundred gold pieces, and another twenty as store credit.¡± I replied.

    It was hard to tell what was more pale. The Moon, Elincia¡¯s nightgown, or her own face. For an instant I thought she was going to faint, but instead she looked me directly in the eye. Then, without prior notice, she pounced on me, coiling both her arms and legs around my body.

    I stumbled back and we almost ended up on the floor.

    Elincia squeezed me with the strength of a boa constrictor as she laughed. Then, she grabbed my face with both hands and forced me to look at her emerald eyes. There was no turning back, I was in love with her.

    ¡°We are rich¡­¡± Elincia muttered.

    ¡°We are filthy rich.¡± I replied.

    Our faces were so close that, for a moment, I thought I was going to kiss her.

    Elincia gave me another squeeze before letting me go, however, she didn¡¯t get very far. Before reaching the bed, she sat on the floor. Her legs were trembling, and her eyes were teary. She was in shock. I grabbed the bottle of wine and sat in front of her.

    ¡°For the orphanage.¡± I said, taking the first sip.

    I passed her the bottle.

    ¡°For the orphanage.¡± Elincia replied with a quivering voice.

    Then, she tipped the bottle and took a long drink before handing the bottle back to me.

    ¡°Twenty-four gold coins¡­ what in the ever-loving System. That¡¯s like two masterwork bows and a hundred good arrows.¡± Elincia said.

    Of course Elincia¡¯s measurement for riches was bows and arrows.

    It was hard to believe we had passed from rationing bean soup to swimming in money in a single day. Seeing Elincia so confused and happy at the same time was only the cherry on top. Slowly, the idea of our financial troubles being gone settled in her mind. I noticed her shoulders releasing tension.

    I covered my mouth and laughed, not wanting to wake the kids.

    The floor was uncomfortable, so I moved to use the bed as a backrest.

    ¡°All this time. All these years, it was like I was holding my breath. Waiting for something to happen but too scared to move.¡± Elincia muttered.

    ¡°I think you are doing a great job at the orphanage. It¡¯s easy to navigate in the calm sea, not so much during a storm.¡± I replied.

    My words seemed to surprise Elincia.

    ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s been stormy since Mr. Lowell died.¡± She said, sitting by my side in a very unladylike manner for someone wearing a white night robe. In Elincia¡¯s mind, she was probably by the side of a campfire.

    My heart beat like a battering ram against my chest.

    I felt I was standing at the edge of a precipice. Should I take a step forward or should I be content with what I currently have? Was it even the right time to reveal to Elincia my feelings for her, sitting on the floor with a bottle of cheap wine? Was the ¡®right time¡¯ even a thing?

    I took a deep breath. Why was I chickening out? I had fought a goddamn Lich not a week ago. I had almost died, and my only regret was not being able to be with Elincia anymore.

    ¡®Fuck it, we roll.¡¯

    ¡°Elincia, I need to tell you something, but you must promise you will forget about it by tomorrow.¡± I said.

    ¡°Is this some kind of riddle, Mr. Scholar?¡± Elincia replied, bumping my shoulder.

    Seeing my serious expression, she abandoned her festive mood and nodded.

    I stepped onto the precipice.

    ¡°I like you, Elincia, more than I ever liked someone before. When you tease me, part of me wants to believe you are serious, and when we are like this, just the two of us alone, I don¡¯t want the moment to ever end. At first I didn¡¯t want to fall in love, which was foolish considering how great you are. I even fought against my feelings, but I realized I was being an idiot.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m in love with you, Elincia.¡±

    Saying the words felt good, but that didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t scared. My body begged me to jump out of the window. Part of me didn¡¯t want to hear Elincia¡¯s response but the ring on my finger tugged me towards her. I froze in place, not even able to reach for the wine.

    ¡°Please reconsider. I¡¯m a single mother of twelve even if it''s by technicality. You shouldn¡¯t want to chain yourself to that kind of problem.¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°Request denied. I¡¯m in love with you.¡±

    Saying it a second time was easier. Not less frightful, but easier.

    ¡°You really are a maniac.¡± Elincia grunted, the faint light barely showing her blushing face.

    We kissed. Slowly at first, almost awkwardly. My fingers got tangled in her hair while she wrapped her arms around my neck. Elincia was sweet and tasted like berries. After what seemed an eternity, Elincia pushed me back. Forcefully.

    My heart clenched. Was something wrong?

    ¡°We have to address the ¡®elephant in the room¡¯.¡± Elincia¡¯s demeanor changed drastically. She sounded almost angry.

    Something was absolutely wrong.

    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with that funny ¡®Hot for Teacher¡¯ title you have on your character sheet? Who is this mysterious teacher you like so much?¡± Elincia asked with an angry and suspicious tone.

    Oh. I had forgotten about that one.

    ¡°How many tarts could get me out of this?¡± I asked in a last attempt to walk out with my honor intact. [Hot for Teacher] had been there since the first time we met, and she had seen it as soon as I learned how to ¡®turn¡¯ my character sheet.

    ¡°No bailouts for horny Scholars. Now, spill the beans. You said your ex-fianc¨¦ was a Healer so I¡¯m assuming this ¡®teacher¡¯ you are so hot for isn¡¯t her.¡± Elincia looked me straight in the eye.

    ¡°I got the title not so long ago. It was after breaking my engagement.¡± I shrugged my shoulders, downplaying the issue.

    ¡°Alright, not an adulterous Scholar, good start. And then?¡±

    Elincia snatched the wine bottle and gave it a long sip. She wasn¡¯t happy at all.

    ¡°Okay, so, I met this chick. The most beautiful woman I had ever met in my life. The kind of woman you know is way out of your league. Glossy hair, smooth skin, disarming eyes.¡± I explained, hiding my grin the best I could. ¡°She was gorgeous as the moon and the stars, but she had the shittiest attitude. You understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±

    Elincia nodded.

    ¡°Pretty people usually think they are better than the rest.¡± Elincia said, still clueless I was talking about her. ¡°This woman sounds like an annoying person.¡±

    Oh boy, Elincia was taking the bait.

    ¡°Well, at first she was annoying. But then I realized she was more than just a pretty face. She was also funny, capable, and caring. Even if the rest of the people believed she wasn¡¯t any good, I knew she was great.¡± I explained, stifling a laugh. ¡°She was still a bit bothersome, yes, but in a charming way. I might be biased in that regard.¡±

    Elincia crossed her arms over her chest and gave me an annoyed glance.

    ¡°You were biased because you were hot for her?¡±

    ¡°Because she was pretty.¡±

    ¡°Typical man.¡± Elincia sighed. ¡°I get the ¡®hot¡¯ part now, but what did she teach? Was she a colleague of yours back in the City of Light?¡±

    I took a deep breath and made myself comfortable on the floor.

    ¡°No, she wasn¡¯t a colleague. Well, technically she became my colleague after we met but by the time I got that title she was teaching me Common.¡± I explained.

    Elincia blinked repeatedly, seemingly unable to find the right words.

    ¡°But I was the one who taught you how to speak Common.¡± Elincia quietly said.

    She was clueless.

    ¡°Yes, you taught me how to speak Common.¡± I agreed, watching how the inner gears of Elincia¡¯s mind slowly turned.

    Then, realization hit her like an 18-wheeler.

    ¡°You were hot for me from the beginning! You horny Scholar!¡± Elincia jumped up with the biggest grin I had ever seen. Then, just before leaning for the kiss, her smile vanished. Realization hit her for the second time. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not annoying or bothersome! I¡¯m the most calm and rational person in Farcrest.¡±

    ¡°May the System have mercy on us then.¡± I said, as waves of relief washed upon my body. ¡°Wouldn''t it be fair if you tell me about one of your titles too?¡±

    Elincia placed a quick kiss on my cheek and dove into her bed. I could see her bright red ears from my position. Seeing her all bashful was medicine for my soul.

    ¡°It¡¯s late and I am too tired.¡± Elincia spoke from under her blankets.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going back to my room then.¡± I replied, grabbing the bottle of wine, and putting it on the night table. I walked to the door.

    ¡°Are you dense or something?¡± Elincia said, looking over her shoulder. Then, she opened the blankets and patted the mattress by her side. ¡°Please?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I only sleep with girls who are in love with me.¡± I taunted her as I turned the doorknob slowly.

    She mumbled something I didn¡¯t get to hear.

    ¡°I¡¯m also in love with you. For a while now.¡± Elincia shyly said.

    I entered the bed. It smelled like Elincia. She searched for my hand beneath the blankets and interlocked fingers with me. We kissed in silence until the light stone burned the last traces of mana.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m not going to forget this by tomorrow.¡± Elincia said as her fingers got tangled into my hair. She kissed the tip of my nose. ¡°No backsies.¡±

    ¡°No backsies.¡±

    I kissed Elincia¡¯s neck, eliciting the most delightful sound I had ever heard.

    Effe?ts ¦Ïf Denial have subsid?ed?. You n¦Ï l¦Ïnger are being ?ffe??ed by Denial.

    G?o?dspeed, ?¦Ïwb¦Ï??y.

 58 - Caught

    A knock on my door woke me up. The sun poured through the windows, casting glints of silver and gold over the coins scattered over the table. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep, and for a moment I thought I was back in the Farlands. But there were no doors in the Farlands.

    I pushed the blankets to my feet and jumped out of bed. I overslept. My class, as usual, was behind schedule and there wasn¡¯t a single second to waste. In a rush, I put on my pants and button up my shirt, and opened the door.

    ¡°Good morning Miss Elincia, Ilya says she already¨C¡±

    Our eyes met. Firana¡¯s jaw fell, and her eyes opened wide, her expression usually poised with confidence now was frozen in astonishment. Did I put my shirt backwards? I took a quick glance at my attire, everything seemed to be in place.

    ¡°What did Ilya say?¡± I yawned.

    If I had to guess, the gnome girl already herded the younger kids to the kitchen for breakfast. The angle of the sun rays told me I had really overslept.

    ¡°N-nothing She said nothing.¡± Firana replied with a quiet voice. Then, she turned on his heels and zoomed across the sleeping quarters at the speed of sound. That was a strange first interaction, even by Firana¡¯s standards.

    I scanned the corridor. The sleeping quarters were deserted, which meant Ilya had taken care of the younger kids¡¯ morning routine. I closed the door behind me and stretched my back. The inner workings of Firana¡¯s mind would remain an enigma.

    Or so I thought. A flush of embarrassment crept up my cheeks.

    Elincia was sleeping on the bed. Her open arms encompassed as much space as she could, and her wide nightgown made her look like a starfish. A cute, white starfish. At least her nightgown covered the important bits.

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Firana¡¯s reaction. By now, the whole orphanage must know what was happening. Not that we could keep it a secret for long considering how keen the kids were when romance was involved.

    Elincia curled into a ball. The morning was cold and the air in the room was crisp. Lighting the brazier wasn¡¯t one of our priorities last night. Not that we needed it. Elincia radiated heat at a worrying rate, and she was a clingy sleeper.

    I pulled up the blankets and sat by her side.

    I watched Elincia''s peaceful slumber, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. Her silvery hair cascaded over the pillow, framing her delicate features. It was hard to believe that a few months ago my life was so ordinary, so empty.

    As I outlined the contours of her lips with my finger, I admired her peaceful expression. Her lips were pale and her skin was smooth. The thin nightgown adhered to her slender body, giving her the elegant appearance of a marble sculpture. And yet, a closer look revealed her human heritage. Dark circles around her eyes, small freckles, expression lines, and hints of crow¡¯s feet were starting to appear in the corners of her eyes.

    The Corruption was a small price indeed.

    I wished I could remain there, but the matters of the orphanage were pressing.

    ¡°Eli, wake up.¡± I whispered near her ear.

    Elincia slowly opened her eyes. The sun rays dazzled her for an instant and a sudden expression of confusion drew on her pretty face. She looked around, searching for an invisible opponent.

    ¡°The onion golem!¡± Elincia slurred. It took her a second to realize there was no onion golem inside the room. Just the two of us.

    ¡°I know I have grown a bit of muscle since I arrived, but I wouldn¡¯t call myself a golem yet.¡± I replied with a smile. It was hard to keep a serious expression when my chest brimmed with joy. I flexed my arm. The daily training and a diet heavy in beans did wonders for my physique.

    It took Elincia a second to recover her natural sass.

    ¡°You were a twig when we first met.¡± She mockingly said as she grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me to the bed.

    ¡°And you were super rude.¡± I replied.

    Elincia rolled her eyes but kissed me nonetheless. I was getting addicted to her lips.

    ¡°At least I¡¯m not that kind of person who goes through life falling in love with the first girl they met in the woods.¡±

    ¡°At least I¡¯m not the kind of person who falls asleep in the middle of a kissing session. And I¡¯m truly glad I¡¯m not the kind of person who snores and farts while sleeping.¡± I replied with a mischievous smile.

    Elincia glared at me with her mouth agape.

    ¡°Your sleeping face is adorable by the way.¡± I managed to add before she covered my mouth with her hand. The fact she was red as a tomato told me that half-elves could indeed fart. Particularly while sleeping.

    ¡°I don¡¯t fart while sleeping, you dumbass liar!¡± Elincia poked my still bruised ribs.

    ¡°You do.¡± My voice became muffled by her hand.

    ¡°You are done, Robert Clarke.¡± Elincia threw the blanket aside and pounced on me with feline grace. She knocked me back and pressed her lips forcibly against mine. It was a weird punishment, but I happily accepted it. After a minute of playful struggle, kisses, and tickles, I finally managed to restrain her.

    Elincia¡¯s face was completely covered by her hair, but I could see her smile and her flushed cheeks between the strands of hair. I could wake up to this every day and be happy for the rest of my life. When I let her hands go, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me towards her.

    ¡°The kids are going to suspect us if we don¡¯t appear soon.¡± Elincia whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they already know, considering Firana saw us.¡± I replied before explaining my little mistake.

    Elincia had to grab her stomach as she laughed at me.

    ¡°Well, I guess that means we can stay here for a while longer. Maybe make up for the fact I fell asleep last night.¡± Elincia whispered into my ear. Her face was red as a beet, but her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint.

    I got goosebumps.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked.

    A knock on the door interrupted us. We remained still; however, the knocking became more frantic to the point it seemed that whoever was at the other side of the door was trying to hide from something.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±

    As I opened the door, Firana knocked on thin air.

    ¡°You have to go, Mr. Clarke! The little kids are getting restless without Miss Elincia, and they will be here at any moment. I won''t be able to cover you any longer.¡± Firana rushed her words as if she was being chased by goblins.

    ¡°We weren¡¯t planning to keep this a secret.¡± Elincia said as she grabbed her woolen shawl. Despite her composed expression, I could tell she was deeply embarrassed.

    ¡°This?¡± Firana asked cautiously. ¡°Are you two gonna marry?¡±

    Elincia elbowed me.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that simple, Firana. Remember that I¡¯m from a different country with different norms and customs. But what¡¯s important is that we care for each other, and we want to be together.¡± I said. ¡°Now go and tell the others to wait for me in the backyard. We are training with the sword today.¡±

    Firana nodded and rushed out of the sleeping quarters.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how things are in the City of Light, you are mine and you are not getting a harem.¡± Elincia said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

    It took me a moment to realize she was teasing me.

    * * *

    Cold gusts of wind bit my face as soon as I left the manor. Autumn was coming to an end and the trees stood like skeletal figures all over the perimeter of the grounds of the manor. The muddy ground was covered by dry leaves and the ocher tones that had reigned in the backyard were just a distant memory.

    My four pupils were finishing their warm-up laps, with Firana in the lead and Ilya lagging behind in last place. The gnome girl had come a long way since the first lesson. Even with a thick layer of mud under her soles, she was able to finish the laps.

    ¡°You are late.¡± Ilya panted as I approached the group.

    ¡°He¡¯s the teacher, he can be as late as he wants.¡± Zaon replied on my behalf.

    ¡°Mister Clarke was probably doing important things with Miss Elincia late last night¡­ like brewing potions.¡± Firana said with a stone-cold face, and I couldn¡¯t distinguish if she was trying to tease or help me.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°I apologize for my tardiness. If I demand punctuality the least I could do is to abide by the same rules.¡± I said.

    Considering the surprised faces, they weren¡¯t used to adults apologizing.

    ¡°Well, show me what you have learned during these two weeks. Let¡¯s start with Zaon and Wolf.¡± I said, clapping my hands and sitting on the big tree stump. As I lacked precise knowledge about passives and levels, it was best to see with my own eyes what a Lv. 2 [Longsword Mastery] looked like.

    The kids put on their training masks and faced each other. Zaon had one level of advantage over Wolf, however, as soon as they crossed swords, I noticed that Wolf¡¯s strength was enough to damper Zaon¡¯s movements. Surely, Zaon was more skillful, but Wolf¡¯s basics were fairly polished, and the speed of his sword was superior.

    Before a clear winner emerged, I stopped the sparring and paired Firana with Zaon. Despite the fact both had Lv.2 [Longsword Mastery], Firana had the clear advantage. Their skills were somewhat equalized but the girl¡¯s instinct to judge distances and trajectories was better. Zaon defended successfully until I called the bout finished.

    I swapped pairs for the next half an hour, measuring how much the skills weighed during the exchanges. My findings were interesting. Despite Zaon and Firana having the same level, Firana was the better fencer. In the same way, Zaon had the level advantage over Wolf, but that didn¡¯t translate into the duel.

    And then, there was Ilya, who was able to successfully fend off most of the attacks of the other orphans despite not having a single level in [Longsword Mastery]. Sure, she was the least skillful of the lot and she got hit on the head several times, but that didn¡¯t mean she was helpless.

    ¡°Firana, you and me.¡± I said.

    Zaon instantly jumped up and offered me his jacket and mask, but I refused.

    ¡°But the safety¡­¡± The boy said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay.¡± I said.

    Firana stood in front of me with her sword raised over her head. Her fierce expression was barely noticeable under her mask, yet the intensity of her eyes bore on my skull. It wasn¡¯t her usual solemnity towards fencing but something else. Not that it mattered, I planned to end the exchange quickly.

    If my theory was correct, there was a whole different set of abilities that [Longsword Mastery] didn¡¯t encompass.

    ¡°Fight!¡± Zaon yelled.

    Firana lunged forward and aimed for my head, but I mindlessly smacked her blade out of trajectory. The girl quickly recovered, then, she came forth and brought down her sword in a diagonal slash. I sidestepped, letting her blade cut thin air.

    Firana struck again with a rapid series of masterfully woven thrusts and slashes. Yet, I managed to parry each blow. I let her continue with the attack until her movements became more erratic and desperate. Maybe it was Firana¡¯s competitive nature coming afloat or the fact she wanted revenge for our previous duel, but she really wanted to hit me in the head.

    I parried Firana¡¯s attack and connected a swift strike against her mask.

    Firana muttered a curse.

    ¡°You all have improved a lot, congratulations. But Ilya was the only one who passed the test.¡± I said with a smile.

    Suddenly, all eyes fell on the gnome girl, but she was the most confused from the lot.

    ¡°Me? Don¡¯t you mean Firana?¡± Ilya asked in disbelief.

    ¡°During a real fight you can¡¯t spend even a speck of energy on external distractions. Even the slightest slip of concentration might mean the difference between life and death, and Ilya was the only one who remained focused from start to finish¡± I said.

    Zaon had panicked and closed his eyes when Firana overwhelmed him, Wolf was surprised even by the most basic parry, and Firana had lost her cool trying to hit me. Even if Ilya had received the most hits, she never panicked no matter how much she failed.

    ¡°From now on, we will add another layer to our training regime. Keeping your mind clear in the most tense situation is a skill you have to cultivate in and out of combat.¡± I said. ¡°Now, sit down and close your eyes.¡±

    The orphans looked at each other for a moment but in the end they obeyed.

    ¡°Try to keep your mind blank. Focus on your breath. Relax your shoulders, Zaon, this isn¡¯t an exercise in strength.¡± I slowly walked around the group, repeating instructions. ¡°The goal is to be conscious of the thoughts that appear in our mind and get rid of it. Be conscious of your breath, your posture, your body, but remove all thoughts from your mind.¡±

    Unlike Ilya, who was already acquainted with meditation, Zaon frowned as if he was trying to expel the intrusive thoughts by sheer force.

    ¡°Just relax, Zaon. Do less.¡± I said, holding a giggle. ¡°You don¡¯t need to reply, just focus.¡± I quickly added as he opened his mouth.

    Zaon relaxed his body and seemed to get the grasp of the exercise.

    The younger orphans were inside the kitchen with Elincia, so the backyard was in complete silence. Only the occasional gust of wind against the naked branches broke the peace of the morning.

    ¡°I¡¯m done with this. This isn¡¯t going to make me stronger. Call me when you start with the actual training¡± Wolf stood up in a huff, his voice was calm as ever, but I could notice certain turmoil underneath her words.

    Before I could react, Ilya opened her eyes and jumped up on her feet. ¡°Hey! That¡¯s disrespectful!¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who made a scene just the other day.¡± Wolf raised an eyebrow.

    It wasn¡¯t like him to engage in arguments with the other kids.

    ¡°That was completely different!¡± Ilya bellowed with her high-pitched voice.

    ¡°Watch out, gnome, people say too many stacked levels of Denial make you go bald.¡± Wolf grunted before turning around and walking towards the grove at the end of the manor grounds.

    There was no need for [Awareness] to know something was troubling Wolf.

    ¡°Continue with the exercise. I¡¯ll go talk with him.¡± I said. ¡°Oh, and you will not go bald, Ilya. I have seen men with like ten stacks of denial and full-on scalps.¡±

    * * *

    Wolf wasn¡¯t so far away, behind a tree thick enough to somewhat hide his bulky frame. He took a deep breath and threw a punch at the trunk, making a thumping noise. The blow made the branches shake.

    ¡°You can¡¯t treat Ilya like that, you know? She¡¯s like your sister.¡± I said, standing a few paces from the tree.

    Wolf had gotten rid of his boots and jacket, and faced the tree with his guard up. Wolf¡¯s stance was similar to a Muay Thai fighter, with his hands up and his legs ready to shoot up.

    ¡°Ilya is not my sister. Wrong skin color.¡± Wolf replied, as he punched the tree yet again. Despite the lack of unarmed combat instructors, his form was great. I wondered if he learned that before being dropped at the orphanage.

    ¡°Ilya might not be related by blood, but she worries about you. When you were sick she made sure you received a big portion of soup.¡± I said. ¡°The same goes for Miss Elincia and I.¡±

    Wolf continued flattening the bark at a steady pace. Even if his face remained stoic, there was an uncharacteristic, barely noticeable urgency in his usually calm movements.

    ¡°If words hurt her, then she is weak.¡± Wolf said, putting all the weight of his body behind the next punch. A bunch of splinters fell to the ground.

    Given the state of the trunk, Wolf had been doing this routine for a while now. I noticed his protruding knuckles and the hardened skin covering them.

    ¡°Words are not like swords, Wolf. The damage they can do doesn¡¯t lie merely in the skills of the speaker but in who he is.¡± I explained trying to introduce some reason to the half-orc¡¯s skull. ¡°Ilya cares about you. She knowingly handed you the weapon and you are using it against her. It doesn¡¯t seem fair to me.¡±

    Wolf threw a high kick against the tree, making the lower branches shake.

    ¡°Then it is her responsibility if she gets hurt.¡± Wolf grunted.

    ¡°Partially. Yes.¡± I conceded once again. ¡°But now you are conscious about the power you have over her and it will reflect badly on you if you misuse it. You two will be companions for the foreseeable future and I will like you to support each other.¡±

    Wolf changed guard and kicked with the other feet harder than ever before. He frowned his eyebrows as bark splinters cascaded from the trunk.

    ¡°Something else?¡± He asked, seeing me still standing there.

    ¡°I was also hoping my wisdom would amaze you to the point you came back and meditated with the rest. It seems it didn¡¯t work, though.¡± I shrugged my shoulders.

    There was a slight flash of one of his tusks as his lip curled up in the slightest smile.

    ¡°Meditation is more complex than sitting with eyes closed and breathing, Wolf. Just like you are controlling your physical pain now, meditation will help you to control mental pain.¡± I continued speaking after Wolf resumed his routine. ¡°The Imperial Academy isn¡¯t going to be just swords and brawls. They will probably teach you history, arithmetic, and military strategy among other things. You will have to master those concepts without using a single muscle. It won¡¯t be trivial. You will need the mental strength to govern your mind, overcome your desire to do anything else and sit through it until it''s done.¡±

    My grandiose speech seemed to work because Wolf stopped kicking the tree and glanced at me with an unreadable face.

    ¡°I am not going to the Imperial Academy.¡± Wolf suddenly said.

    ¡°Why not? I know you have the potential to do it. It¡¯s better than the army.¡± I replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to the army either.¡± Wolf muttered. He seemed to regret his words because he instantly avoided my eyes.

    Then I remembered what Dassyra had said.

    ¡°You will be returning with the tribes.¡± I said.

    Wolf nodded, his expression was full of shame.

    I nodded in silence, processing Wolf¡¯s words. I have seen kids living with loving foster families craving to go back to their original parents many times before. It was a drive stronger than hunger and cold. Maybe irrational, but I couldn¡¯t feel anything but sympathy for those who yearned for home.

    ¡°It has been happening for the last few months. Getting sick then getting stronger just to get sick again. As the days pass I¡¯m becoming more and more like an orc, strong I mean.¡± Wolf made a small pause in his exercise to stretch the muscles of his back.

    ¡°Why keep it a secret, Wolf?¡± I asked.

    Wolf just shrugged as he leaned against the tree. For someone who could punch a hole almost the size of his head in the bark of a tree, he was really distressed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Wolf replied. ¡°You can try stopping me if you want, but please, don¡¯t tell Miss Elincia. She has been nothing but good to me. I don¡¯t want to seem ungrateful.¡±

    For a moment, Wolf seemed much younger than he really was. With his stoic manners and her muscular body, it was easy to forget she was a fourteen-year-old kid. A fourteen-year-old kid who hadn¡¯t seen his mother in seven years.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you are wrong for wanting to come back with your family, Wolf.¡± I said, coming forth and putting a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I will help you if that is what you really want.¡±

    Wolf¡¯s eyes shot wide open.

    ¡°Why?!¡± His voice came out almost accusatory.

    ¡°School doesn¡¯t always conform to people¡¯s life project. But that''s the school''s problem, not the person¡¯s.¡± I explained, unable to hide a smile. ¡°When you turn fifteen you will be an adult in the eyes of the System and the kingdom, and when that moment comes, I will respect you as an equal. But in the meantime, while I¡¯m your teacher, I want you to grow as much as you can.¡±

    I let Wolf¡¯s shoulder go and he instinctively retreated, which was weird considering he had the strength to shred a tree without even having a Class.

    ¡°You are a peculiar man.¡± He simply said while he grabbed his jacket and boots.

    ¡°What a polite way of calling me weird.¡± I replied, making him flush. ¡°I met your mother, Dassyra, in the Farlands. They are waiting for you, Wolf, but Dassyra made it clear it was your choice. Elincia is aware of everything, so she will help you if you decide to return to the tribes.¡±

    Wolf nodded in silence.

    ¡°Did mom say anything else?¡±

    ¡°She said you already know everything you need to know.¡± I repeated Dassyra¡¯s cryptic words.

    Wolf seemed satisfied with the answer.

    When we returned to the tree stump, the rest of the orphans were still meditating.

    ¡°Enough meditation for today.¡± My voice broke the silence and Zaon fell back to the grass, arms open.

    ¡°I think my inner voice wants to kill me.¡± The elven boy simply said.

    Firana and Ilya exchanged a glance and burst out laughing. Even Wolf grinned a bit.

    It was good to be back.

 59 - The Warriors Hubris

    Rain lashed against the manor but the new wooden shingles held in place. The wind howled and whistled through the gaps in the roofing. However, the orphanage remained dry and warm. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

    On the flipside, for each solved problem, two more arose. The storm was predicted to last at least a week, which meant our already tight training schedule would be put to a complete stop until the storm passed. Only the winter separated us from the next Tax Season now and I feared my training regime lacked real-life experience.

    Janus¡¯ words echoed inside my mind. ¡®To keep the secrets of the kingdom safe, cadets and graduates take an oath to keep the methods a secret¡¯. Being branded a traitor sounded similar to being added to an intelligence service list. I scratched my shin, wondering how expensive that piece of information would be. The Imperial Academy made sure to strongly dissuade anyone who could leak the information of the entrance exam, so I doubted it was anywhere near our reach.

    Maybe, asking for Janus help was the right choice after all. My logic was simple. If the Imperial Academy wanted to keep the entrance exam a secret, it meant the exam was fundamentally the same, or at least very similar, every year. Even if Janus graduated a long time ago, his knowledge must be as good as a recently graduated Knight.

    The cold rain continued falling.

    Elincia¡¯s bedroom smelled like herbs and old books. An unsuspecting observer might deduce the storm had rendered the room a chaotic mess of alchemical tools and open books, but the truth was elsewhere. Last night we were too tired to tidy up the room after a harsh day of work. Elincia had made it her personal crusade to find a cure for my Corruption, so after we finished brewing potions she would immerse herself by digging through Mr. Lowell¡¯s old collection. Hence, the piles and piles of books covering every single surface.

    Elincia snuggled to my side and rested her head on my chest. Like every morning, her emerald eyes examined every landmark on my face, scanning for signs of Corruption. Luckily, the dark substance seemed to be stuck on my chest.

    ¡°Did you find anything interesting last night?¡± I asked as I softly drew circles on Elincia¡¯s back.

    ¡°I found you sleeping by my side.¡± She replied.

    A cute admission that she had not made any progress whatsoever.

    ¡°What about you? Have you guessed what the entrance exam is all about?¡± Elincia asked.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°There has to be a reason why the nobility seamlessly achieves something unachievable for the common folk.¡± I replied. Most nobleborns assisted the Academy when only one commoner in the story of Farcrest had made it. ¡°I¡¯m worried my methods might be too theoretical.¡±

    Suddenly, Elincia sat astride over me, then she leaned forward until our lips almost touched. The night gown rolled up her thighs, revealing her long and toned legs. I was starting to like night gowns. The way the garment hung from her shoulders allowed me to barely see past down her collarbone. I tried to lift my head for a better angle but Elincia pushed me back down.

    ¡°I love when you use your funny Scholar words.¡± Elincia whispered seductively. ¡°Theoretically, we could take a day off and stay in bed all day.¡±

    My pulse skyrocketed.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the responsible one?¡± I said as I tried to steal a kiss from her, however, Elincia pulled back before I could trap her lips.

    Our morning chilling sessions usually ended when one of us pointed out we had obligations to fulfill. This time, however, Elincia didn¡¯t budge. Instead, she pressed her body against mine. It wasn¡¯t much of an embrace as a way of keeping me from moving. Either way, I was okay with it.

    ¡°I¡¯m making the responsible decision of giving us time to rest.¡± Elincia said as she drew the lines of the Corruption with her finger.

    A distant thunder echoed over the raindrops against the roof. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say water spirits were throwing buckets over the orphanage. After witnessing the Lich¡¯s area spell, it was easy to tell natural weather from magic spells apart.

    ¡°Sometimes, the responsible decision is to indulge in the present.¡± Elincia closed her eyes and kissed me, devoting all her attention to that single moment. For a moment, all my worries fade away.

    Suddenly, Elincia¡¯s ears perked up and I knew something was walking down the corridor before hearing the footsteps. A moment later, someone knocked on the door. Considering how heavy the steps were, I guessed it was Firana.

    ¡°Miss Elincia, breakfast is ready!¡± The girl said from the other side of the door before continuing her way.

    Elincia threw her head back and groaned.

    ¡°Do you think I can ground everyone and get away with it?¡± Elincia rolled over from her advantageous position over me and snuggled to my side.

    ¡°You want a rebellion? Because that¡¯s how you get a rebellion.¡± I jokingly said, sitting on the bed and searching for my boots.

    We had too many close calls with the kids knocking on the door anytime things got remotely heated. Luckily, Elincia¡¯s hearing was better than the snakefolk twins¡¯ ability to pass unnoticed. The storm hadn¡¯t helped us in the least. With twelve orphans trapped inside the manor, our chances of having time alone were minimal at best.

    ¡°Should I spike their breakfasts with a Sleeping Potion?¡± Elincia said as she hugged me from behind.

    I couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t spike anyone¡¯s breakfast.¡± I said.

    ¡°I know, I won¡¯t do it¡­ unless...¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Elincia hummed a happy melody while she got dressed behind the folding screen. Other than the constant interruptions, life at the orphanage was better than ever. I made myself presentable and spied through the door to ensure the corridor was empty. Only then did we head towards the kitchen.

    Breakfast was a lot livelier than I expected, with all the orphans chattering and laughing despite the gloomy day. The warmth of the wooden stove and the aroma of freshly cooked food seemed especially comforting with the relentless rain falling outside. Moreso since we had finally stocked the pantry with spices.

    ¡°Do nobles bring their kids into the Farlands?¡± I asked, my voice barely audible with the noise of the kids and the clamor of the rain.

    ¡°I¡¯d say they bring their kids to hunt, sometimes. Otherwise no, it¡¯s too dangerous to bring a classless person into the Farlands.¡± Elincia replied as she dipped a piece of bread into her soup.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Long gone were the days of insipid gruel.

    ¡°Really? I know a girl who liked to venture into the Farlands before getting her class.¡± I replied with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s completely different! I¡¯m an expert when it comes to traversing the Farlands.¡±

    Elincia jabbed at me.

    I thanked the System that none of the orphans had picked Elincia¡¯s liking for adventure. The mere idea of one of the kids going into the Farlands sent a shiver down my spine. I could only imagine how worried Mr. Lowell must¡¯ve been when Elincia disappeared for days and days.

    The orphans slowly stopped talking to each other and focused on our friendly banter. Since our arrival from the Farlands, Elincia and I had dropped our solely professional demeanor, and started to act more like friends in front of the kids.

    Elincia and I had settled on telling them about our romantic relationship eventually, but in the meantime we decided to play with them for a while. The younger kids suspected something out of the ordinary was happening, but none could pinpoint how our relationship had changed.

    ¡°Miss Elincia?¡± Shu asked.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    The harpy girl stood in the corridor between the two tables.

    ¡°Do you like Mister Clarke?¡± She asked.

    Before, Elincia would¡¯ve blushed and silenced Shu the best she could. Now, however, Elincia just smiled.

    ¡°Of course I do. Mister Clarke is smart and hardworking, and he helps a lot around the orphanage. How couldn¡¯t I like him?¡± Elincia replied.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Shu said, narrowing her eyes.

    Out of nowhere, Loki transformed into its dog form and stood by the girl¡¯s side before parroting her words. ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Lately, Loki spent most of the day following the younger orphans around.

    I scratched my chin, wondering if Elincia had ever shown any signs of being romantically interested in me before. I shook my head, a couple suspicious situations popped into my head, but I quickly discarded them. Elincia was probably being friendly.

    Not that it mattered anymore.

    ¡°Alright kids! Finish eating, and go clean your teeth.¡± Elincia shouted. ¡°If anyone has more questions, please resort to Mister Clarke, he is the resident Scholar, not me.¡±

    Elincia gave me a mischievous glance and emptied her soup bowl. Luckily enough, no kid had further questions about our relationship, so the kitchen emptied quickly. A moment later there were only the two of us and Loki sleeping near the stove. As far as my observations went, Changelings could sleep up to twenty hours a day and didn¡¯t need food to survive.

    An idea had suddenly popped into my mind. The Changeling¡¯s skill to adopt the form of monsters should be useful to make my lessons more practical. At least it would help the kids to experiment fighting with non-humanoid creatures.

    ¡°Hey, Loki. Wanna play with the grown-up kids today?¡± I asked.

    Loki¡¯s ear slightly perked up, but its eyes remained firmly closed.

    ¡°I told you it would become lazy if you pampered it too much.¡± Elincia pointed out.

    ¡°Damn beast.¡± Loki lazily replied.

    In the end, I swiftly kissed Elincia goodbye after ensuring there were no kids on the watch, and walked to meet my class. We had emptied one of the classrooms and used it as an improvised gym. There was not enough space to do actual fencing, but just enough for a basic workout. Today, I had different plans.

    The corridor was cold, and the classroom wasn¡¯t much warmer either. Zaon and Firana were chatting next to the window while Ilya glared at them from the door. Wolf was standing in the corner with his eyes closed but I knew he wasn¡¯t meditating. He was just avoiding being dragged into any sort of social interaction.

    That¡¯s what I called our status quo.

    ¡°Good morning, kids.¡± I greeted them with a cheerful tone.

    Even with the rain and the cold, I had to set the mood straight from the beginning.

    ¡°Good morning, Mister Clarke.¡± Zaon, Ilya, and Wolf replied.

    ¡°Hey, Rob!¡± Firana said after a pause.

    Ilya instantly gave her a warning glance and Zaon flushed, as if by mere proximity, he was also part of the prank. Even Wolf opened an eye, and watched the scene with interest. What Firana ignored was that I had survived all kinds of pranks already. Some of them were not so lighthearted as hers.

    Most teachers believed pranksters wanted attention, but I knew that wasn¡¯t completely right. Lack of attention might be one of the reasons that fueled their actions. However, what pranksters wanted over all was a reaction.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Aias, but only my friends can call me ¡®Rob¡¯. You should stick to ¡®Mister Clarke¡¯.¡± I said before Ilya could dispense justice by her own hand.

    Not giving them the expected reaction usually worked in my favor.

    Wolf flashed a smile.

    ¡°What? How can we not be friends? We exercise together every day and we have fun. Do we have fun, right?¡± Firana said with a high-pitched voice. She almost sounded insulted.

    Only my experience as a teacher allowed me to maintain an indifferent expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m your teacher, not your friend. You should be conscious of that.¡± I said. ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s hard to say no to a friend, but you will have to say ¡®no¡¯ to a teacher. The classroom is a place for the debate of ideas, Firana. All of you should remember that when you go to the Imperial Academy.¡±

    Zaon scratched his head.

    ¡°So, we can question your methods, Mister Clarke?¡± Ilya shyly asked.

    ¡°No, my methods are perfect and shall not be doubted. You can question Miss Elincia¡¯s methods, though.¡± I replied with a grin.

    The four kids shook their heads at the same time. None of them were reckless enough to even think about trying it. At least their reactions shed light over the reason why the kids were so well behaved. The first time I met her, I also thought she was a little scary.

    ¡°Anyway, the backyard is too muddy so we will use the old ballroom. Let¡¯s go.¡± I said.

    ¡°I hope I don¡¯t have to dance with Wolf.¡± Zaon sighed.

    The manor was divided into two wings. The eastern wing was the one currently in use, with the sleeping quarters, the kitchen ¨Cwhich used to be the service kitchen¨C, and the classrooms. The western wing was currently closed due to a broken beam in the main kitchen, but most of the rooms were safe to use. With so few orphans, the extra space hadn¡¯t been needed so the whole western wing had remained closed for security reasons.

    I led the way to the reception room and unlocked the door. A damp scent instantly filled my nose. The wide corridor was pitch black, so I lit a small mana flame. The old paint was peeling off the bare walls just like in the rest of the orphanage. I smiled. It was time for a change.

    We reached a beautifully carved double door made of solid lacquered wood. It wasn¡¯t just a door but a work of art in itself, one of the last relics of the manor¡¯s golden age. I felt guilty for lazing on the bed with Elincia when there was so much to do around the orphanage.

    The old hinges creaked when I pushed the door open.

    Faded tapestries depicting scenes of hunting parties riding on horseback through the woods appeared in front of us. Bronze chandeliers hung from the ceiling. On the right, tall arched windows allowed the weak rays of sun to filter into the room, and on the left, a massive mirror stretched across the entire wall, reflecting the light from the windows and giving the illusion that the room was twice as spacious. The ballroom could easily hold more than a hundred guests without feeling cramped.

    The mirror could be specially handy to polish the kid¡¯s strikes and feints.

    ¡°Alright folks, who wants to go first?¡± I asked with a mischievous smile.

    There was one of my skills who wasn¡¯t corrupted, and it was exactly the one I planned to use today. Even the high ceiling seemed to conspire against the kids.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± Firana said, grabbing her sword and taking a step forward.

    The rest of the kids sat against the wall, and I prepared my [Minor Illusion].

    ¡°Are you ready, Firana?¡± I asked, standing in front of the girl.

    Despite not having my own sword with me, the girl seemed to assume I was going to be her opponent. She wasn¡¯t completely wrong. I closed my eyes and weaved my mana into thin threads of light. My mana pool was still a mess, but luckily, [Minor Illusion] wasn¡¯t as mana intensive as the mana blade or the mana shield.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready, Rob!¡± Firana replied with a smug voice.

    I was going to start with a small Black Wolf, but I couldn¡¯t let Firana¡¯s hubris go unpunished. I focused on my mana pool for a moment, then, I summoned the projection of a life size Wendigo in the middle of the ballroom.

    Unlike my previous illusions, this one had proper color, and it looked mean.

    Firana¡¯s eyes shot open and the sword slipped from her hands.

 60 - Mock battle

    Firana froze as the illusory Wendigo towered near the ceiling of the old ballroom. A man whose body had been tortured by evil spirits until rendering unrecognizable, with skin black as coal and arms that hung to the floor, finished in claws long as knives. A deer-like skull covered its face, with only its bloodshot eyes visible through the cracks. The sight made me shudder. Other than a faint transparency, it was a perfect copy of the original.

    The sword fell from Firana¡¯s hand. Unlike knights and honorable duelists, a Wendigo wouldn¡¯t wait for its opponent to retrieve their weapon.

    The Wendigo threw its claws forward, but Firana recovered from her stupor and jumped back. Her eyes quickly surveyed her options. The sword was out of her reach and the room was too narrow to safely circle the creature.

    ¡°Zaon, sword!¡± Firana yelled as the Wendigo pushed her against the wall.

    The elven boy looked at me, doubting.

    Firana dodged, tripped, and rolled over the old boards just to jump on her feet with unexpected agility. [Fencing] and [Longsword Mastery] would not trigger unless she had a sword on her hands, so those movements were totally hers.

    As far as the encounter went, I was pleased.

    The Wendigo charged forward but Firana jumped over the long table near the wall. However, a table was a small obstacle for a Wendigo. When I thought Firana was going to corner herself, she crawled under the table and scurried like a mouse between the pawns of a lion. The maneuver, although creative, only gave Firana a couple seconds before the creature cornered her against the opposite wall.

    The Wendigo had won.

    Firana gave a little scream and I made the illusion disappear.

    Despite the fact less than a minute had passed, Firana was pale and covered in sweat.

    ¡°Good job, although I would¡¯ve kept the sword. An applause for Firana, please.¡± I said and the kids gave her a flat applause.

    Firana wasn¡¯t the only one affected by the presence of the creature.

    ¡°W-what was that?¡± Ilya asked.

    ¡°That was a Wendigo, once a powerful magician whose corrupted magic turned into a beast. It¡¯s a high-level monster, very dangerous.¡± I replied, vaguely remembering the flavor text of [Identify]. To think the System had warned me from the very beginning against Corruption.

    I was so focused on Firana¡¯s performance that I had missed how Ilya and Zaon squeezed themselves against Wolf. The half-orc boy wasn¡¯t comfortable at all. Their scared expressions made me wonder if I just went overboard with the exercise. Maybe years of horror movies plus the last journey into the Farlands had atrophied my fear sense for good.

    ¡°Do you really hate me that much, Mister Clarke?¡± Firana approached, dragging her feet. Unlike regular sparring sessions, this exercise had really left her exhausted.

    ¡°I have seen your Character Sheet, Firana. I know [Fencing] and [Longsword Mastery] aren¡¯t your only tricks.¡± I replied.

    Unlike me, a regular human being, Firana had two extra traits: [Strong] and [Fast]. What wasn¡¯t clear was if those traits were an expression of her natural potential, or a boon given by the System. Further investigation was required.

    At the mention of Firana¡¯s character sheet, the kids looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and embarrassment. Looking into other¡¯s character sheets was kinda taboo, but we couldn¡¯t go on pretending it didn¡¯t happen. Firana, at least, didn¡¯t seem worried at all.

    ¡°Can I get a hug at least?¡± The girl asked.

    At first, I thought Firana was still playing with me, but her straightforward eyes were devoid of all deceit. Her request took me by surprise, though. The orphanage¡¯s usual cuddlebugs were Shu and the twins. And half of the time, Shu only wanted a ride to offset her slow pace.

    ¡°A hug?¡± I asked.

    Firana nodded.

    My teacher''s policy was no hugs, but that was back on Earth. My current job was more than being a simple teacher from nine to five. In this world, I was also Firana¡¯s caretaker. I opened my arms and Firana instantly jumped into them. Her heart was racing.

    ¡°Scared?¡± I cautiously asked.

    ¡°Me? Please.¡± Firana replied, giving me a good squeeze.

    ¡°You did good. When I saw a Wendigo for the first time, I froze badly.¡±

    Suddenly, Firana pushed me back, almost making me trip. She was, indeed, [Strong]. Four pairs of eyes glanced at me with equal surprise and interest. Then I realized my mistake. I clicked my tongue. I wasn¡¯t planning on fueling their desire for adventure.

    ¡°You saw a Wendigo!¡± Firana yelled.

    Bragging a bit wouldn¡¯t hurt, would it?

    ¡°I killed a Wendigo.¡± I replied, puffing my chest.

    Ilya raised an eyebrow.

    I felt like the uncle who told stories too fantastical to be actually believable. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if my lighthearted approach to the kids had finally undermined my authority. I explained to the kids that I had used a magical tool to deal with the Wendigo, but the skepticism was still present in Ilya¡¯s eyes.

    I sighed.

    ¡°Who wants to go next?¡± I asked.

    I would have to find peace with the fact that Ilya would never believe in my feats.

    ¡°Do I get to fight a Wendigo too?¡± Zaon asked with a trembling voice.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to jump onto the dance floor to figure that out.¡± I replied.

    Zaon gave me a troubled glance.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go, then.¡± Ilya said, grabbing her sword and walking to the center of the ballroom.

    More than a quarter of my mana pool had disappeared conjuring the Wendigo, so it was unsustainable to summon one for each student. I revised my mental bestiary. A Golem might consume even more mana, a Rok Harpy wouldn¡¯t work indoors, and a Slime was not impactful enough. After a moment of consideration, I found the perfect monster for Ilya.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ready!¡± The gnome girl tied her brown hair in a high ponytail and nodded.

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her stern expression.

    Carefully threading my mana, I shaped an Elder Black Wolf. The creature had a majestic mane and ferocious eyes and vicious teeth. Despite not producing any sound, its appearance was formidable.

    Ilya understood the task almost instantly. Instead of jumping forward and pushing the offensive, she raised her sword and waited for the wolf to make the first move. Black Wolves seemed to know about skills, so they acted cautiously in front of people. As such, I made the illusion to slowly circle Ilya. The girl didn¡¯t lose her cool.

    The duel stagnated for a whole minute before the Black Wolf jumped forward. Ilya was expecting it, because she stepped to the side and swung her sword through the ethereal body of the monster. Her footwork had been swift and precise, and as soon as the wolf turned around to claw her down, the girl remained calm and retreated.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    I nodded approvingly.

    Imitating how the Black Wolf had tried to find an opening on my defense, I tested Ilya¡¯s nerve during long minutes of only feints and fake attacks. The gnome girl was unbreakable. Other than a few ¡®scratches¡¯, the illusion had barely touched her.

    No matter what I tried, Ilya remained calm.

    ¡°Perfect.¡± I said, dispelling the illusion.

    Ilya put her sword against her shoulder and cleaned the sweat from her forehead.

    ¡°That was intense.¡± The gnome girl said with a satisfied smile.

    ¡°For the record, I also killed both an Elder Black Wolf and a regular Black Wolf.¡±

    Ilya raised an eyebrow yet again.

    Trying to convince the kids I was actually a really cool adventurer wasn¡¯t working at all. If only Ilya knew I defeated a damn Lich, she would show me a little more respect. I sighed. There was nothing I could do about it.

    ¡°Wolf, you are next.¡± I said.

    So far, the exercise was a complete success. Firana had encountered a speedbump to her perfect record, and Ilya had put her skills to work in a different context than a duel. I just hoped both girls drew the right conclusions about their respective fights.

    Now, for Wolf, I had something different in mind.

    ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°Ready.¡±

    I closed my eyes and summoned a big and fat Multicore Green Slime.

    Wolf looked at me with a disappointed expression, ¡°A Slime?¡±

    Before I could explain my train of thought, Firana got ahead of me. ¡°You are too clumsy to fight anything more dangerous. Look, it¡¯s a perfect monster for an orc, you both are green and tight-lipped.¡±

    I sighed. At least she had recovered from the fright of the chase?

    ¡°Raise your hand if you think Firana deserves a punishment for running her mouth.¡± I said with my best preschool teacher¡¯s voice. Ilya and Wolf raised their hands almost instantly.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll skip this one.¡± Zaon pointed out.

    ¡°What do you mean by skipping this one?! You should be defending me!¡± Firana replied, grabbing the elven kid by the shoulder. ¡°First you refuse to give me a sword and now this? Are you trying to sabotage me or something, you damn knife-ears?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to do anything!¡± Zaon tried to defend himself with little success.

    I clapped my hands and the focus of the group turned back to the duel.

    Wolf apathetically eyed the Slime, then, out of nowhere, the creature spat an acid blast. The half-orc couldn¡¯t react in time and the attack hit him in the shoulder before disappearing into a rain of blue sparks. The attack not only took Wolf by surprise but also startled the other kids.

    ¡°You are suffering from grievous burns on your shoulder.¡± I announced.

    Slimes seemed inoffensive at first glance, but without a shield, or a mana shield, their acid attack was dangerous. As expected, Wolf raised his guard and attacked. The swing cut through the Slime¡¯s body, missing all the cores. When Wolf was recovering from the cut, the Slime pushed a pointy tentacle out of its body. Wolf jumped back, barely dodging.

    ¡°How is the Slime not dead? I cut it in half!¡± Wolf complained.

    ¡°Use your eyes, Wolf!¡± I replied.

    The Slime continued with a series of predictable ranged attacks. The half-orc boy relayed far too much in its strength, but strength alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to defeat a Multicore Slime. It was the perfect rival for Wolf to comprehend his shortcomings. However, Wolf was resolute about his orc values.

    ¡°Is this even useful? We don¡¯t have our classes anyway.¡± Firana asked by my side.

    ¡°Ilya didn¡¯t need Skills or Passives to fend off the Black Wolf.¡± I replied. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between her and Wolf? He has orcish strength and a level in [Longsword Mastery], and yet, that Slime is giving him trouble.¡±

    Firana massaged her temples in a theatrical manner as she repeated ¡®why¡¯ over and over.

    ¡°Ilya fought smarter¡­ not saying Wolf and Firana are stupid or anything.¡± Zaon quickly corrected himself before Firana could put her hands on him, but the girl was more interested in Wolf¡¯s fight.

    ¡°Bingo! Ilya fought to her strengths. She remained calm, studied her enemy, and decided to fight on her own terms.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Unlike Firana who dropped her sword before the fight even started.¡± Ilya mindlessly added.

    ¡°That won''t happen again!¡± Firana replied.

    Wolf must¡¯ve been listening to our conversation because he jumped back and examined the Slime. Learning from other¡¯s mistakes was hard. Even harder if both situations, and in this case opponents, were different.

    Wolf examined the Slime, dodging the acid attacks and maintaining enough distance to avoid the Slime¡¯s tentacles. Suddenly, the boy¡¯s eyes lit up. The cores were barely visible, but when the Slime attacked, they lit with mana.

    After Wolf discovered its weakness, the Slime offered zero resistance. Soon, the last core was destroyed, and I let the illusion disappear into a cascade of mana particles.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve used your eyes earlier.¡± Firana pointed out as Wolf joined the group.

    ¡°And you should¡¯ve kept your sword in your hand.¡± Wolf replied, unfazed.

    I stopped them before the discussion escalated.

    ¡°Enough. We will have time to discuss what we did wrong and what we did right next time.¡± I clapped my hands. ¡°Your turn, Zaon.¡±

    The boy remained still.

    ¡°Can I not do it today? I don¡¯t feel really good.¡± Zaon said with a trembling voice. His face was pale and his shoulders tense. I recognized a case of scenic panic when I saw one, however, it caught me off guard. Zaon was the second student with the most Skill levels in the class. He had more than enough to defeat anything other than a Wendigo or a Golem.

    ¡°No problem, Zaon. You¡¯ll be the first to go next time.¡± I replied.

    The boy breathed calmly and returned to his seat. His discomfort was evident despite the fact he tried to mask it. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what had triggered Zaon¡¯s unease. The presence of monsters? But they were mere illusions, no matter how real they looked, they couldn¡¯t do any harm.

    I clapped my hands, catching the attention of the kids, ¡°Enough for today, let¡¯s do some stretching and call it a day. You all did a good job, for now focus on what you could¡¯ve done better.¡±

    Between morning classes and lunch, kids had a free hour where they hung around in the backyard or played with the younger kids. Now, with the rain, we were all trapped inside. Zaon, Ilya, and Wolf remained sitting against the wall, quietly chatting while Firana explored the surroundings.

    There wasn¡¯t much to explore in the ballroom. Other than the old tables and furniture covered with white sheets, the only object of interest was a giant wardrobe hidden in the shadows of the far corner. The huge wooden frame was out of place compared to the rest of the decor.

    I followed Firana just in the rare case the wardrobe was a portal back to Earth. I felt a faint presence of mana within the boards, as if it was an enchanted item. However, the concentration of mana wasn¡¯t anywhere near the one in the enchanted blanket or in the seeking rings.

    ¡°It¡¯s closed.¡± Firana sighed as she pulled the knobs one last time.

    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± I replied, forming a small mana lockpick on the point of my finger. I put the tool inside the lock and wiggled it around. It reminded me of when I used to play Indiana Jones in my grandpa¡¯s attic. The old man had a lifetime of junk that for an impressionable five-year-old looked more like a treasure than regular junk.

    Finally, the lock yielded.

    Firana pulled the doors open, and a pile of old clothing fell upon her. Surprisingly enough, the contents of the wardrobe weren¡¯t damp. They didn¡¯t smell exactly like perfume, but I expected something more foul.

    ¡°Old clothes. I don¡¯t know what I expected.¡± Firana grunted as she went through the pile of old rags. ¡°Oh? This one might fit Mister Clarke.¡±

    Firana grabbed a black travel cloak and offered it to me. The fabric was heavy and despite the passage of time, it looked good as new. Moreso, it fit my body perfectly and had several inner pockets. I put on the cloak and looked at the reflection in the mirror in one of the wardrobe doors. It looked good.

    Seeing that we were trying on costumes, the rest of the class approached us.

    ¡°I wonder if that belonged to Mister Lowell.¡± Ilya pointed out.

    ¡°Dunno.¡± Firana replied.

    We sorted the clothing until we revealed a pile of parcels and an old leather travel suitcase at the bottom of the wardrobe. I felt like an archaeologist unearthing the Arc of the Covenant. At first, neither the parcels nor the suitcase caught my attention, but then I noticed the monogram in gilded letters. SB. Samuel Byrne.

    After Ginz had told me about Byrne living in the orphanage during Mr. Lowell¡¯s time, I had been searching for any clues he would¡¯ve left behind. Until now I haven¡¯t seen success in my search.

    With Wolf¡¯s help, I pulled the traveling case out of the wardrobe and summoned the mana lockpick. Strictly speaking, the contents of the suitcase belonged to Wolf, but I couldn¡¯t forfeit the opportunity to shed some light over Byrne¡¯s late life. As far as I knew, the man had been last seen in this world fourteen years ago, just before Wolf¡¯s birth. However, I had seen the man on the flesh just five years ago, in the law firm I used to work at.

    Back in Byrne¡¯s cabin there were stacks of magical-looking books and scripts. I remembered being unnerved by them. Was Byrne trying to return to Farcrest? Did he achieve his goal? As far as I remembered the System¡¯s warning, once one crossed the portal back to Earth, there was no way back.

    I massaged my temples. Without [Awareness] feeding me the precise dates, it was hard to form a solid timeline. I would have to corroborate the dates Byrne stayed at the orphanage with Elincia.

    The lock yielded.

    Notebooks, diaries, stacks of letters, blueprints. Alchemy tools. Books. Everything seemed to be well conserved. My hands itched to start reading. This was the best opportunity I would have to fill the voids in the story. However, my best judgment stopped me.

    ¡°I think I know the owner of this suitcase. Don¡¯t touch anything. There might be dangerous things.¡± I warned the kids.

    I didn¡¯t want the kids to find a loaded gun.

    ¡°It¡¯s just paper.¡± Firana pointed out, peeking over my shoulder.

    ¡°That green thingy looks dangerous¡­ and poisonous.¡± Zaon replied from a safe distance.

    I knew what the ¡®green thingy¡¯ was. If it worked, it would be real fun.

 61 - Click

    Click.

    The camera clicked and a burst of light filled the ballroom. No matter how much I warned them, the sudden brightness surprised the kids. A smile spread across my face. It worked. The instant camera, stored inside a wardrobe for over fourteen years came to life with a mechanical buzz and spat out a black picture.

    ¡°Did it work?¡± Firana couldn¡¯t contain her excitement.

    When I mentioned the ¡®green artifact¡¯ was a tool from my homeland, Firana had instantly shown explosive excitement. The girl was too pure. I hadn¡¯t clarified what the camera¡¯s purpose was and yet she buzzed with excitement.

    I checked the film.

    Ten, twenty seconds passed, and then, slowly, the image began to appear.

    ¡°Can we move now?¡± Ilya asked through her gritted teeth.

    ¡°Come and check this out.¡± I replied, holding a chuckle.

    Little did they know the picture was already taken.

    The kids huddled around me.

    ¡°Something¡¯s appearing on the paper! Another illusion?¡± Firana asked.

    I was glad the first assumption about the nature of the photograph being an illusion trick rather than some backwards clich¨¦ about the camera stealing their souls. As the picture became clearer, the kids couldn¡¯t hold their surprise.

    ¡°It¡¯s us! Like a painting!¡± Ilya gasped.

    ¡°Dang¡­ I look ugly.¡± Firana sighed.

    ¡°You look normal to me.¡± Zaon peeked over the girl¡¯s shoulder.

    Firana glared at the boy. If only looks could kill.

    ¡°Do you want me to bury your body in the backyard or something?¡±

    ¡°N-no?¡±

    I carefully examined the photograph. Despite Firana¡¯s complaints, the four kids looked great. Zaon stole the spotlight, but being an elf, his features were naturally well defined and elegant, so it didn¡¯t really count.

    ¡°Whatever this is, I don¡¯t want to pose near Zaon ever again.¡± Ilya sighed.

    ¡°You look great, Ilya.¡± Wolf said, his voice serious as usual. ¡°Unlike Zaon, who looks like he is a second away from collapsing under the weight of his sword, you look like a true warchief.¡±

    Ilya couldn¡¯t decide if Wolf was teasing her or not. Orcs had their own set of beauty standards, but Ilya ignored the comment. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her confused look, it was priceless.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we do it again, just to be sure?¡± Firana asked.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°The camera has a limited amount of uses, so we should use it wisely. Now go see if Miss Elincia needs help with the kids, I¡¯ll be there in a moment.¡±

    Before leaving, the kids replaced their training swords with real ones. Elincia had been adamant about arming everyone as long as the possibility of a Monster Surge lasted. Even Ash had gotten his own hunting knife. Luckily, no monster had appeared near Farcrest other than a rogue Black Wolf. There was no trace of Ice Wraiths, area spells, or any other undead creature.

    The only thing that seemed to pop up at every turn was Byrne¡¯s name. I examined the monogram on the old suitcase. S.B. Samuel Byrne. There were several notebooks, letters, and small engraving tools. No sign of guns, rounds or anything magical. Other than the camera, there were only mundane items.

    I dragged the suitcase to the table and organized the papers. This was going to take a while, so I made myself comfortable in one of the old chairs.

    I opened a notebook and found a few schematics with messy scrawlings and rough sketches. It wasn¡¯t hard to recognize most of the designs. Waterwheels, windmills, gears, pulleys, cranes, and aqueducts. There were certain designs that required prior knowledge from my world to be understood such as a whole section with airplane wings, a lathe, and the cross section of a simple steam engine.

    What disappointed me the most was the lack of magical elements to the designs.

    I was about to open the letters when the creak of the hinges caught my attention. On the doorway there was Elincia dressed in her usual peasant dress. Now with the cold, she had added a light brown mantle to the attire. As much as I missed seeing her shoulders, she looked great. The bow on her back and the knife on her boot only added a layer of fierceness to the picture.

    If I had to describe her with a single word, it would be ¡®badass¡¯.

    ¡°Have you been doing magic?¡± Elincia asked, hands on her hips.

    I knew I was in trouble.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± I said, grabbing the camera and snapping a picture.

    The flash startled Elincia.

    The camera spat out the photograph and I signaled her to approach. A moment later, the image appeared. Despite Elincia¡¯s expression of disgust, I fell in love with the picture. This one was going directly to my treasure chest.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that apparatus is, but you could¡¯ve told me to strike a pose or something. Now I¡¯m eternally trapped inside that small painting with a huffy expression.¡± Elincia complained.

    ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®camera¡¯ and I think you look cute.¡± I replied.

    Elincia glanced at the photo one more time before letting out a long sigh.

    ¡°Just tell me you are being careful with your magic.¡± Elincia said, sitting on my lap and grabbing my face with both hands.

    ¡°My [Minor Illusion] skill isn¡¯t corrupted. I didn¡¯t feel anything strange using it.¡± I replied with a reassuring voice. Whatever the Corruption was, it only affected a section of my character sheet.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to hear you have developed a primitive sense of self-preservation.¡± Elincia grinned.

    As much as I wanted to turn this lecture into a kissing session, Byrne¡¯s belongings called for me. Elincia made herself comfortable on my lap, and glared at the mess I had made of the ballroom. The old clothing was still a mess on the floor, and the sea of papers didn¡¯t help my case.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember putting these things away.¡± Elincia said.

    As expected, Byrne had last appeared at the orphanage when Elincia wasn¡¯t in charge. Otherwise she would remember putting these things away. Considering the general state of the manor, an elegant suitcase with a monogram would totally stand out.

    ¡°These are the belongings of Samuel Byrne; I believe you met him at some point.¡± I said, connecting the dots for Elincia.

    Elincia seemed to recognize the name.

    ¡°The old Scholar addicted to Moss Tea? I remember him, good friends with Mr. Lowell, although I never assisted in any of his classes.¡± Elincia said. Suddenly her blissful expression turned into embarrassment. ¡°To be honest, I used to cut classes with Risha a lot. Like, every day.¡±

    I shook my head. The irony wasn¡¯t lost on me. Elincia had gone from problem student to governess.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°Do you remember anything else about Byrne? The first time you see him maybe?¡± I asked.

    Elincia mindlessly stroked my hair for a moment.

    ¡°I might have been seven the first time I saw him, but I think Mr. Lowell knew him from before because they were already friends back then. He used to live here in the manor and used to travel to the Farlands with Mr. Lowell a lot.¡± Elincia said. ¡°Oh, Mr. Byrne was the one who discovered the caves that led into the hidden valley. Shortly after, they both had a big fight and Mr. Byrne left the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember when that was?¡± I asked.

    ¡°If I had to say¡­ about five years before Mr. Lowell¡¯s death but it might be six or four.¡± Elincia said.

    The timeline was taking shape, although there were still black spots. Mr. Byrne arrived at Farcrest at least eighteen years ago. Stayed at the orphanage for four years and probably met Dassyra on one of his trips into the Farlands. Fourteen years ago, Dassyra got pregnant, but Byrne never got to know. Around the same time, he had a fight with Mr. Lowell and left the manor.

    I had to factor Dassyra¡¯s side of the story too.

    My hypothesis was simple. Byrne left the orc¡¯s settlement, picked a fight with Mr. Lowell, and disappeared for good. The fact Dassyra told me about Byrne¡¯s liking for traveling between the orc¡¯s settlement and Farcrest made me think the fight with Lowell occurred later in the story.

    Was that fight the trigger of Byrne¡¯s disappearance?

    ¡°Why so interested in Mr. Byrne? Are you a fan of his work or something?¡± Elincia asked.

    I lowered my voice in case there were orphans behind the door.

    ¡°Byrne is Wolf¡¯s father.¡± I said.

    Fourteen years ago was the last time someone saw him here. However, I saw him five years ago on Earth. There was still a gap of a decade of unaccounted time in between.

    ¡°Does Wolf know anything about this?¡± Elincia whispered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ I¡¯ll talk to him.¡± I replied, blaming myself for not asking Dassyra more questions. ¡°In any case, you should have a conversation with him too. I think he has something to tell you.¡± I added, remembering Wolf¡¯s intention of returning to the Farlands.

    Elincia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Something that he already told you?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, I won''t divulge my student¡¯s secrets.¡±

    She didn¡¯t seem particularly happy with my words because she softly headbutted me.

    ¡°Does he want to return to the Farlands with the orcs?¡± Elincia asked after a moment.

    ¡°He¡¯s strong. Orc levels of strong.¡± I shrugged my shoulders.

    Elincia nodded.

    ¡°This will be hard with the Marquis breathing down our necks. They will think we are hiding the kids in the forest, and believe me, we are not the first ones who think about that. It happens every year.¡± Elincia sighed.

    Silence fell upon the ballroom; nothing spoiled my mood more than the mention of the Marquis. However, that wasn¡¯t the only thing that annoyed me. There was a part of Byrne¡¯s story I had been avoiding telling Elincia.

    ¡°There¡¯s another thing about Byrne¡­¡± I said, minding each one of my words. ¡°I know him. I saw him just five years ago, in my home city. I was surveying one of his properties when the portal incident that brought me here happened.¡±

    The gears inside Elincia¡¯s mind turned slowly.

    ¡°So¡­ Mr. Byrne found the way back.¡± Elincia spoke slowly as her eyes wandered over the table. ¡°And you are researching his belongings in hopes of finding it too. Aren''t you?¡±

    I looked at the table and understood that the documents could give that impression. I opened my mouth to deny it. Even if the answer to interdimensional travel was within its documents, as far as I breathed I wasn¡¯t going to leave Elincia¡¯s side.

    Elincia got ahead of me. ¡°Smart. That way we could hide the kids in the City of Lights if things go wrong during the entrance exam.¡±

    I laughed.

    ¡°For a moment I thought you were going to accuse me of leaving the orphanage.¡± I said, relieved. If I were smarter, I would¡¯ve learned to communicate like a mature adult already. Maybe I was too conditioned for years of toxic relationships.

    ¡°You? Leaving? Impossible, I have been spiking your breakfast with a Love Potion for months now.¡± Elincia said, dead serious.

    ¡°What? Really?¡± I asked, taken by surprise.

    ¡°Of course not! Love Potions aren''t a thing, you ignorant booklover!¡± Elincia yelled. I must¡¯ve sounded extremely ignorant for her to be this annoyed. ¡°Are Alchemists from the City of Lights really that primitive? Or are they just secretive?¡±

    I was going to reply when suddenly, the door opened, and a dog strolled into the ballroom like it owned the place.

    ¡°Love Potions aren¡¯t a thing!¡± Loki parroted with Elincia¡¯s voice as it approached us. Then, Loki stopped by our side and adopted Shu¡¯s voice. ¡°Loki, tell Mister Clarke that someone is asking for him at the door.¡±

    Elincia and I exchanged a quick glance and we both sprang to our feet. A shiver ran down my spine. When had I become so fearful? The answer was clear. I had discovered happiness in the orphanage, and I dreaded the thought of losing it.

    I prayed the person at the door wasn¡¯t a Marquis thug.

    ¡°It must be Ginz.¡± I said, mostly to ease my own heartbeat.

    ¡°Or Miss Nasiah.¡± Elincia replied with a nonchalant tone despite the fact she had already reached for her knife boot.

    I burst into the reception room. Shu was standing at the doorway, chatting with whomever had come to visit. I couldn¡¯t tell who was on the other side. Fear gripped my throat as the memory from the guardsmen attempting to kidnap the kids during the last Tax Season resurfaced.

    ¡°Can you go to the kitchen with the rest of the kids, Shu?¡± I said with a smile to avoid alerting her. Inside my mind a silent plea echoed. Please move away from the door. Please move away from the door. Please move away from the door. After a moment that felt like an eternity, Shu stepped back and I put my body between her and the doorway.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± I greeted with a stiff voice.

    ¡°Good morning. Is this Master Clarke?¡±

    In the rain-soaked steps, stood a thin blonde girl no older than Firana.

    Elincia bumped into my back, unable to stop her momentum. At least her knife wasn¡¯t pointing at my kidneys. However, I had to hold onto the door frame to not fall over the strange girl.

    ¡°I¡¯m Robert Clarke. Who is this?¡± I said.

    More than a human girl, she looked like a particularly scrawny scarecrow.

    ¡°I have a message from Lady Nasiah. She says the sale of the fifth batch has been completed. She is waiting for the sixth one before the Monster Surge craze is over. She also says a certain brat called Elincia is not welcome at her store.¡± The blonde girl said, counting the sentences with the fingers of her hand.

    Suddenly, a great fatigue got a hold of my body. I needed to visit Ginz to see if he had any luck with his crafting project. With my skills corrupted, the only way I had to protect the manor was with the shotgun. I looked over the girl¡¯s head to ensure there was no one spying on the orphanage.

    Despite the fact the message was delivered, the girl remained still with a polite smile on her face. I searched among my pockets for a coin.

    ¡°Isn''t it too rainy to be working as a messenger?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fifteen soon, so, if I manage to become a Courier, I won¡¯t be sent to fight in the frontlines. I figured the System will give me the class if I start working early on it. Smart, uh?¡± The girl replied.

    The things people did to avoid conscription. It was a bit sad and yet inspiring.

    ¡°Come inside, we were about to have lunch.¡± I opened the door, but the girl seemed reluctant to enter. ¡°Eli, please go prepare a change of clothing. She¡¯s drenched.¡±

    As Elincia went into the manor, I pulled out a silver coin. Maybe it was too much for a simple courier, but with Nasiah¡¯s payment ready, we were technically rich. If anything, it was a necessary expenditure to gain the trust of the community. Seeing the shiny silver coin, the girl¡¯s face lit up.

    ¡°Keep it a secret.¡± I whispered.

    The girl nodded and, before I could blink, the coin disappeared among her clothes. Smart girl. Flaunting money was a recipe for disaster. I didn¡¯t want to imagine what kind of background she had for her to act like that.

    ¡°Come in, there¡¯s always room for one more in the kitchen. We have a wooden stove and steamy soup.¡± I invited her and this time, she obeyed, leaving a trail of water in her path.

    I scanned the street once more before closing the door. The rain was so heavy that seeing beyond the front yard became a challenge. If anything, rain seemed to dissuade any potential crooks. Despite the orphanage entering a second golden era, I couldn¡¯t help but feel paranoid.

    I closed the door and finally breathed calmly.

    ¡°Do you have a name, or I shall call you Courier?¡± I asked as I guided the girl towards the kitchen. Perhaps it was Farcrest¡¯s phenotype, but the girl displayed a certain similarity to Firana. Not in the hair though, Firana¡¯s was chestnut while the girl was blonde with a few darker strands here and there.

    ¡°Corin.¡± She said with a shy tone.

    I began to suspect her messenger persona was mostly an act. We walked in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. The fact that the girl would be considered an adult not a year from now really put me off. She was barely a teenager.

    Down the corridor, a door opened and Elincia appeared carrying fresh clothes.

    ¡°They are probably too big, but they have no holes. You can use that room to change.¡± Elincia said, pointing at one of the vacant rooms in the sleeping quarters.

    Corin nodded and quickly slipped through the barely open door.

    ¡°You give her a lot of money, don¡¯t you?¡± Elincia grabbed my hand and interlocked fingers. None of us had gotten rid of the seeking ring despite the fact we spent most of the time together.

    ¡°I only gave her a couple copper coins.¡± I replied, scanning the corridor and kissing her.

    ¡°Liar.¡± She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s strange. One of the things I like most about you is that you are a huge softie. For the record, I used to hate softies.¡±

    Elincia¡¯s friendly banter always managed to improve my mood, however, that day I felt gloomier than usual.

    ¡°I¡¯ll skip lunch today. I will collect the potion payment and then I¡¯ll visit Ginz to check his progress with the shotgun shells.¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, as the old hag doesn¡¯t want me near her store, you¡¯ll have to go alone. It¡¯s a shame, really, considering how enjoyable her companionship is.¡± Elincia gave me a teasing smile.

    I bit my tongue. The reason why Nasiah wanted to avoid Elincia might be related to our conversation about Risha. I had to tell Elincia eventually that I knew the reason why Nasiah hated her. In fact, I had several secrets to reveal.

 62 - Loans

    The streets had transformed into small rivers. However, unlike the Monster Surge alert, that didn¡¯t stop the city folk from going about their daily business. As the days passed and the Monster Surge never arrived, the city had reclaimed its normal routine. Merchants rolled their carts full of goods and street vendors set up long tents to protect their wares from the rain.

    With Byrne¡¯s dark cloak around my shoulders, and my sword hanging from the belt, I felt like Captain Alatriste walking through the streets of Madrid.

    The merchants eyed me like vultures circling over a fresh carcass. The city¡¯s economy had been frozen for weeks and the merchants craved making the money flow again. Smelling inflated prices, I brushed them off and headed towards Nasiah¡¯s store.

    The bell chimed as I opened the door. Nasiah raised her head from the accounting book on the counter.

    ¡°How is my favorite Scholar doing? Come in, it¡¯s pouring outside.¡±

    Her words caught me off guard. If I had to guess, the person in front of me was actually a Shapeshifter who killed the original Nasiah and wore her skin as a suit. My limited knowledge of Farcrest¡¯s bestiary prevented me from jumping into conclusions.

    She seemed to detect the change in my expression.

    ¡°What? I can¡¯t be happy seeing the Scholar who made me win solid gold in less than a week?¡± Nasiah asked, almost accusingly. ¡°Take the wand on the pedestal and touch the top of your head once before entering. As much as I¡¯m glad you are here, I don¡¯t want you to wet the floor.¡±

    On top of a wooden pedestal, a knotty wand with a small gem embedded in the center caught my eye. It looked as if the branch had grown around the gem. Even with my murky mana sense, I could see the magic emanating from the crystal. I grabbed the want and tapped the top of my head.

    A sudden gust of wind pushed the water drops trapped on the surface of my cloak down the mat. I did it again, and then a third time, not because my cloak was still wet but because it felt more like magic than the System skills.

    Nasiah looked at me as if I was the biggest simpleton of Farcrest.

    Maybe I was, but I didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Elincia is the Alchemist, you should thank her, not me.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bring up the Discount Dryad now that I¡¯m celebrating.¡± Nasiah grunted as she pulled a small chest from under the counter. She let her mana flow into the lock and the lid burst open, revealing a brimming treasure of gold.

    ¡°Elincia wasn¡¯t responsible for Risha joining the King¡¯s army and you know it. He probably took a liking for leveling up and made his own decision.¡± I replied.

    Nasiah glared at me.

    ¡°Live through three Monster Surges like I have, and you''ll understand. I don¡¯t know from what pampered court you crawled out from, but here in the frontier sacrifices have to be made. Sometimes you have to protect your loved ones from themselves.¡± Nasiah said with a calm voice.

    ¡°I didn''t crawl out from any court, and I¡¯m not here to force anyone to do anything.¡±

    ¡°And yet you act like the whole world should bend to your own ideals.¡± Nasiah sighed. ¡°Anyway, here¡¯s your money. We sold at the right time, Scholar. Everyone was too concerned about securing the potions that nobody cared if they were from a Guild approved source.¡±

    The old woman pushed the chest across the counter.

    I stuttered. The whole thing was ours?

    ¡°Can you divide it for me in ten small bags? One of them with silver if possible. I rather not walk around the Northern District with a box of gold.¡± I said, still recovering from the initial surprise.

    ¡°Smart. One bronze per pouch.¡±

    ¡°Deal. Credit.¡±

    Nasiah rummaged through a box of miscellaneous items until she gathered ten small cloth bags. Then, she opened another box full of silver coins. We exchanged the money and carefully placed the coins inside the pouches.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna count it?¡± Nasia raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I¡¯m convinced you are a reliable business partner.¡± I replied.

    Nasiah sighed.

    ¡°Merchants gain experience even if they swindle their customers, you know that?¡±

    ¡°I want to believe people are generally good.¡± I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°Then you are a hopeless idiot.¡± Nasia replied with an annoyed voice that was more like her. ¡°Now, get out of my store and don¡¯t come back unless you have something to sell or need to buy something.¡±

    I opened Byrne¡¯s coat and put each money bag in a different pocket. Then, having completed my mission of annoying the merchant, I said goodbye and got ready to leave the store, but not before using the wind wand one last time.

    ¡°Can I buy the wand?¡± I asked with the doorknob still in my hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s not on sale.¡± Nasiah grunted. ¡°And good luck finding an Arcane Craftsman in this shithole of a city. Have a nice day.¡±

    Despite my crushed hopes of obtaining a magic wand, I felt very optimistic about the future of the orphanage. Maybe it was due to the weight in my pockets. Then, a sudden idea struck me. Money wasn¡¯t only for indulging in tasty food and buying pretty dresses. With this amount of money I could probably ¡®persuade¡¯ the Marquis to spare the kids from getting drafted into the King¡¯s army.

    All I needed was to ask Captain Kiln. Grinning, I walked down the street whistling to the melody of Fortunate Son. There was one more stop I needed to make before returning to the orphanage. Ginz¡¯s workshop.

    I moved slowly to prevent the coins from jingling, however, the thick cloak and the rain splatter concealed any sound coming from my pockets. My encounter with the Courier girl, Corin, served as a reminder to be careful.

    Wanting to believe in the goodness of people wasn¡¯t enough to delude me from the practical truth that some individuals were capable of great evil. I pulled the cloak over my face and walked down the main street towards Ginz¡¯s workshop. The idea of contacting an Arcane Craftsman to potentially transform my Slime Core into a wand accompanied me all the way through the boulevard.

    My happy thoughts were quickly interrupted. Right outside the workshop, Ginz was being confronted by three men. While they were not yelling, their body language was enough to tell they weren¡¯t on good terms. The man who was arguing with Ginz, was dressed in a nice blue cloak so I assumed it was a merchant of some sorts. Maybe the landlord? The other two looked like his bodyguards. The sword handles poking from their worn cloaks made me think so.

    The nearby vendors looked at the scene with interest, yet no one dared to intervene. Some of them were even entertained. The silver lining was that none of the group wore the Marquis colors.

    As I approached, I noticed they were arguing about money. I didn''t get close enough to hear details because the bodyguards suddenly turned around and they put their hands on their swords. Could they hear me over the sound of the rain, or did they have a special bodyguard detection skill?

    They cast glances at my sword and examined my appearance.

    ¡°Move along. Nothing to see here.¡± Mustache Bodyguard said with a hostile tone.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I wondered if street thugs rehearsed the same lines across all the multiverse.

    ¡°Hey, Ginz! Are you going to take much longer with these gentlemen?¡± I said out loud, ignoring the bodyguards and catching the merchant-like man''s attention.

    He turned around and examined me with a sly expression on her face.

    ¡°A customer?¡±

    ¡°A customer, and a friend. Robert Clarke, at your service.¡± I introduced myself deliberately leaving my class out. The nice cloak and the sword on my side made me look like something I wasn¡¯t. A high-class swordsman, I hoped.

    ¡°Kellaren Odrac-Aias, debt collector, at your service.¡± The man said with a small, almost mockingly, bow.

    His name entered through one of my ears and went out the other, however, the last name remained.

    ¡°Aias? Like the famous mercenary family?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We prefer the term ¡®sellsword¡¯. The word ¡®mercenary¡¯ implies we lack the moral backbone to fulfill our part of the bargain.¡± Kellaren replied.

    I examined the man¡¯s face but didn''t find any resemblance to Firana.

    As far as I knew, Firana¡¯s family had joined the King¡¯s army and headed to the frontline to fight against the Farlands. Since then, no news about them had arrived, and Firana had the [Aias Heir] on her character sheet. I looked at the man once again. The chance he was a distant relative wasn¡¯t zero.

    ¡°Are you interested, perhaps, in helping Craftsman Ginz with his debt? It will expedite the process if you are in a hurry.¡± Kellaren said as an artificial smile was drawn on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay the interest, if that¡¯s enough to ¡®expedite¡¯ the situation.¡± I replied, knowing the debt collector smelled blood in the waters. Maybe I should¡¯ve stuck with my old, ragged cape.

    ¡°It will certainly do.¡± Kellaren¡¯s smile quickly mutated into an annoyed grimace.

    He totally expected the main prize. It was probably safer to flaunt money in front of a thief than a loan shark.

    ¡°Six pieces of silver and nine copper.¡± The man said.

    I looked over his shoulder towards Ginz.

    ¡°Six pieces of silver and four copper, actually.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, my bad.¡± Kellaren replied, barely hiding his annoyed voice.

    Rather than directly giving the money to Kellaren, I passed by his side and handed the coins to Ginz. With the corner of my eye, I saw the bodyguards gripping their swords but a subtle movement of Kellaren¡¯s hand was enough to dissuade them. For a simple payment request, the atmosphere had turned surprisingly hostile.

    Kellaren then pulled out an enchanted money box and Ginz put the coins one by one until a small bell rang inside.

    I resisted the urge to ask about the enchanted item.

    ¡°We will be back next month.¡± Eyepatch Bodyguard said, his words came out almost like a threat.

    I turned my back to the group and entered the workshop.

    Ginz was quick to follow me.

    ¡°Debt, uh?¡± I said.

    ¡°The ¡®Monster Surge¡¯ screwed up my delivery schedule. People didn¡¯t want to pay for the stuff they commissioned so I was at a momentary deficit.¡± Ginz replied, locking the door behind us. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s usual for crafting classes to be deep in debt until they reach enough level to make actual profit. The key is to scrap enough to make the monthly payments.¡±

    One perk of being sent to another world was not having to pay college loans anymore.

    ¡°In any case, thank you. I¡¯ll pay you. Eventually. Tea?¡± Ginz said as he grabbed a singed kitchen cloth and put the kettle on the brazier. It seemed like the craftsman had already forgotten about the debt collectors.

    I sat at the workbench and accepted the tea.

    ¡°So, Elincia didn¡¯t kill you for grounding her?¡± Ginz asked.

    ¡°Very few people can endure my overwhelming masculine presence.¡± I replied.

    Ginz almost dropped the kettle as he laughed.

    ¡°Sure, sure. I have to say you are something though. Not even Mister Lowell managed to get Elincia in line most of the time.¡± Ginz pointed out.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Elincia has matured since Mister Lowell passed away. You should see her dealing with the kids. She¡¯s awesome.¡± I mindlessly replied.

    Something in my voice must¡¯ve given up my feelings for Elincia because Ginz instantly raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Are you into elves or something?¡± Ginz said just to quickly add. ¡°I don¡¯t judge. I¡¯m not judging.¡±

    It sounded like he was totally judging me.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with liking elves?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Granny hair? Looking barely mature even if they are actual grannies? I know Elincia is almost my age, but she could easily be in her fifties. Don¡¯t you think it''s unnerving?¡± Ginz poured steaming tea into two cups.

    ¡°We are not having this conversation, Ginz. I just want to let you know, however, that your take on mature women is factually, philosophically, and metaphysically wrong.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Ginz said, handing me one of the cups. ¡°The deck of cards is ready, by the way. Want to see it?¡±

    I nodded.

    Ginz pulled a small ornate box and put it over the workbench. Inside there was a handcrafted standard card deck. I left the cup by the side and shuffled the cards. I could do the overhand, the double riffle and a surprisingly convincing faro shuffle. Ginz wasn¡¯t surprised by any of them.

    The cards felt great, not quite as good as the plastic-coated cards from Earth, but Ginz had coated them with a protective substance similar to plastic. I noticed he had taken the trouble to sign every single court card with his initials. G.L.

    ¡°Confident that this is going to be a banger?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nobleborns love this kind of stuff, trust me.¡± Ginz replied with a wide grin on his round face. ¡°I took the liberty of portraying the Marquis as the king of diamonds. King Ebros is the king of spades, Lord Tirno the jack of clubs, Sir Janus the jack of hearts, and Captain Kiln is the jack of diamonds.¡±

    I had to admit Ginz had a good nose for marketing. The kings, except for the king of diamonds, were the emeritus rulers up to King Ebros¡¯ grandfather while the queens were their respective spouses. The jacks featured Farcrest prominent nobility.

    The jokers, in general, weren¡¯t as flattering as the rest of the court cards. One of the jokers was eerily similar to me but Ginz denied it. The second one looked like Kellaren but with his eyes looking in different directions. It kinda resembled my old boss.

    I put the deck inside its box.

    ¡°What about the shotgun shells?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Just a couple prototypes so far. I still need a proper primer and propellant. If you want to recreate the exact substances then you probably need a Transmuter or a high-level Tinkerer.¡± Ginz said, displaying the paper hulls he had prepared.

    I wasn¡¯t sure about how much assistance the System provided to crafting classes, but Ginz¡¯s work was impressive for someone who wasn¡¯t familiarized with fire weapons.

    ¡°How much money do you need?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It depends on how much you want me to experiment. Explosive components usually come from expensive monster loot. Advanced chemist mixtures like the one you described aren¡¯t as common here in the frontier. We might want to order something from the inland or I could try to go cheap, but it might not be the best solution.¡± Ginz explained.

    I should¡¯ve majored in chemistry instead of math, but it was too late now.

    ¡°Can you do something with ten gold?¡± I tentatively asked.

    Ginz¡¯s eyes shot open.

    ¡°Are you selling drugs or something? Of course I can make things happen with ten pieces of gold. I could build you a functional flying ship if you were a Sky Pirate! Although a small one.¡± Ginz replied, suddenly excited.

    I had a hunch I had to put a leash to Ginz¡¯s excitement before he could brag about the project with other craftsmen.

    ¡°If you want to order anything unusual, go see Miss Nasiah. Don¡¯t use your regular suppliers, this needs to remain a secret. Okay?¡± I asked.

    Ginz nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it a secret.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± I said. ¡°Next time you have free time come to the manor, I have some schematics for you. Just make sure to put a helmet on before you say anything stupid.¡±

    Then, ignoring Ginz¡¯s avalanche of questions, I said goodbye and departed from the workshop. As I made my way back to the Northern District, the city gradually became silent. Even the guardsmen patrols became less frequent, but that was life in the abandoned side of the Farcrest. Other than a drunk man sleeping under the porch of a house, the streets were empty as ever.

    If anything, the leaning buildings were often enough to block out the rain.

    I took a turn to cut through a narrow alley. The rain had washed away the stagnant puddles of putrid water left behind by the previous storm and replaced it with clean water. At least the smell was better. I was deep in thought when suddenly a cloaked figure detached from the darkness and stood in the middle of the path, blocking the entrance of the alley. My heart skipped a beat, however I quickly tried to rationalize the situation.

    Nobody knew I was carrying an obscene amount of money.

    I squinted my eyes.

    ¡®Awareness hasn¡¯t warned you, it¡¯s probably just a drunkard trying to find protection against the rain.¡¯

    My train of thought was abruptly cut by a stabbing pain in the back of my brain. It felt like someone had stabbed me with an icepick through the eye, but I instantly recognized it as the corrupted skill trying to warn me. I turned around.

    A second figure had emerged from the shadows and blocked my only escape route.

    Then, I noticed the sheen of metal as the shadowy figure pulled out a long curved blade.

 63 - Shadow Fencer

    The cloaked figures blocked both exits of the alley. [Awareness] had returned to its dormant state, the sensation of being stabbed with an ice pick persisted. I ignored the pain and examined the dark alley. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, just plain stone walls on both sides.

    Fending off two opponents was completely different from dueling. No matter how skillful a swordsman was, it was near impossible to fight two opponents simultaneously and come out unscathed. Even without [Awareness] feeding my brain with useful information, I knew I could only bluff my way out.

    Back at college, I read an article about the advantages of having limited options in the classroom. The advantage of having limited options resides in the ability to streamline decision-making processes and maximize the focus on essential competences. It sounded great on paper, but in practice I would rather have all my skills intact.

    I drew my rapier and pointed it towards the thief¡¯s chest, hoping it would be enough to dissuade them. A non-combatant wouldn¡¯t waste their time learning a combat skill, I just hoped my opponent would draw the same conclusion. Without [Identify], I couldn¡¯t know their class and level, but in return, they couldn¡¯t either.

    ¡°He¡¯s supposed to be a Scholar.¡± The figure behind me nonchalantly said.

    ¡°Quiet. He is a Scholar.¡± The man in front of me replied.

    My ears caught the words, but my brain didn''t make anything of them, I was already two steps forward. I used [Minor Illusion].

    The shadows danced at my feet and a circle of blue light surrounded me. My artistic rendition of a summoning circle might have alerted my assailants, because the man in front of me stepped back. I needed to catch them by surprise before they figured it was just an illusion.

    My mana pool strained, and an Elder Black Wolf emerged from the circle. The rain hid the fact the monster moved without a sound. I had only one shot to get away. Once the thieves realized the monster was an illusion, it would be over for me. My mana pool was running low, so I decided to go all-in.

    The illusory magic circle widened, then, slowly, a Wendigo emerged through the fake portal. Its arms gripped the ground before the creature pulled itself out. The illusion was so credible that it even gave me a shiver.

    The Wendigo blocked the alley behind me, I just needed to focus on the thug in front of me. Seizing the moment of confusion, I charged forward with the Elden Wolf. The cloaked figure jumped to the side to avoid the Wolf and I swiftly pushed my rapier through the illusion. There was no need to kill to win a duel, it just needed to incapacitate my opponent.

    The hooded figure dodged the wolf¡¯s jaws, but missed the rapier¡¯s tip coming after. I stabbed the thug in the shoulder but didn¡¯t stick around to see if I could handle two assailants at once. Instead, I ran as fast as I could before they could realize the monsters were a sham.

    The rain fell over my head as I left the alley behind. I heard a man yelling but didn¡¯t look back. Going back to the orphanage wasn¡¯t an option; I had to head to the market where the patrols were more frequent. Guardsmen wouldn¡¯t overlook a man being chased by two hooded assailants.

    Unless the assailants were also Marquis¡¯ men.

    I turned the corner and plunged into the maze of alleys that was the Northern District. Left, right, then left again, and all straight for what seemed like an hour before I dared looking over my shoulder. There was no one behind me so I took a moment to catch my breath. Despite my improved stamina, sprinting in a soaking cloak loaded with gold coins could only take me so far before crashing down.

    I had to make a decision; return to the market and seek the help of the guardsmen, or return to the manor. The guardsmen were unreliable at best and returning to the manor would put Elincia and the kids in danger. I needed more information. If I only knew who my assailants were, I could make a more informed decision.

    My mind raced through the possible suspects.

    The Marquis was the first face that came to mind; however, it was unclear why he would have decided to act now. The tax season was still months away, and if he wanted to maximize profits, leaving the kids in the orphanage until then was the most reasonable choice.

    I scanned my surroundings. There were no signs of pursuers, but I kept going nonetheless. I moved cautiously, peeking over the corners at each intersection. The Northern District was empty as usual. Regardless of my destination, I had to keep moving.

    The face of Kellaren Odrac-Aias, the crooked debt collector, popped into my mind. My gut told me he was absolutely capable of eviscerating someone for a quick buck. [Awareness] probably would agree. However, unless the man had x-ray vision, he couldn¡¯t know I was packed with money. Ginz¡¯s debt payment was only a couple silver coins after all.

    There was a third option. Common thieves targeting vulnerable victims for a couple silver coins. Sometimes the simplest answer was the correct one.

    I bit my thumb. In any case, the thieves probably knew where I lived.

    Captain Kiln.

    The solution suddenly hit me. I needed to meet Captain Kiln. One way or another, she was my safest bet for help. I quickly felt my cloak. The card deck was still safe inside my inner pockets.

    Thanks to the System Ginz was a hard worker.

    I made my way towards the Great Hall through the maze of alleys until I reached a broader main street, still in the Northern District. There were no patrols on sight, or anyone really. There was another alley, less than twenty meters down the street. I looked both ways and went out of my hideout.

    I was halfway when suddenly, a clay roof tile fell in front of me.

    I looked up. Silhouetted against the sky on a two-story building, there was one of the cloaked men. The moment our eyes met, he hurled another roof tile. I moved away, barely in time to dodge. Considering the accuracy of the projectile, they had to possess a throwing skill.

    My heart raced as I noticed my mana pool was almost empty.

    As I turned around to head back to the labyrinth of alleys, I noticed the second man ¨Cthe one I had wounded with my rapier. He had a bloodied bandage precariously wrapped around the shoulder. My soul nearly left my body when I noticed he wielded the knife in the opposite hand.

    It seemed all my luck points had been spent on finding a cute half-elf girlfriend.

    The man on the roof jumped down and I hoped he splattered against the cobblestone street, however, he fell with the grace of a two-meter-tall feather. With two of my three paths blocked, I steered away from my pursuers and ran down the street, away from the Great Hall.

    The fact there wasn¡¯t a guard in sight could be either a curse or a blessing. Whichever one, I didn¡¯t know. What was truly a curse was the Scholar class having a risible [Speed] growth compared to whatever my pursuers were.

    I looked over my shoulder. They were closing in.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The hooded figures were concerning, however, what was behind them was even more alarming. Firana. I scolded myself for not teaching common sense lessons. Chasing knife wielding thugs wasn¡¯t something she should be doing.

    I stopped and drew my rapier again. Running was just a pointless energy waste. My breath quickened, not only because of the physical exertion but because of the fear and adrenaline flowing through my veins. It wasn¡¯t just my life that was on the line but also Firana¡¯s.

    I lunged towards the nearest cloaked figure with a quick barrage of stabs. Despite the rapier having a reach advantage over the knife, my opponent blocked my attacks with inhuman speed. I sidestepped to stay away from the second man and attacked with a violent reverse cut. My blade cut the air where moments earlier the face of my opponent had been.

    They were fast. I couldn''t rely on flashy spells or intricate illusions this time. It was just me, my blade, and the cold determination to protect Firana.

    The thug charged at me but I sidestepped and countered with a swift trust of my rapier. The clash of iron was muffled by the falling rain and the impact made my arm numb. It felt like I had struck the head of an axe rather than a simple dagger. I tried to back away, but the thug pressed the attack. We were in such close quarters that I could see his face beneath the hood, his cruel eyes were focused on my neck.

    Without the thugs noticing, Firana reached us and jumped into the fray. Her grip was firm around her longsword¡¯s handle and her eyes were focused on the back of the thief. For a moment, I wanted to tell her to stop. She was a kid, not someone who took lives without a second thought.

    The thief''s eyes suddenly shot open, and he rolled out of Firana¡¯s reach even though she was in his blindspot. I cursed whatever skill had warned the thief, but part of me was relieved. I took advantage of the moment of confusion and positioned myself next to Firana.

    ¡°You fight against the one with the wounded shoulder. Fight defensively. You just need to wound him once or twice to end the fight. Don¡¯t take risks.¡± I quickly commanded.

    ¡°Yes, teach.¡± Firana replied, eyeing the thugs with predatory eyes.

    The thugs examined Firana, trying to gauge her class and her level. If I had to guess, they were unsure how to proceed. Firana wasn¡¯t a factor that was in their plans. That meant we had the momentary advantage.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stay in the same line. Don¡¯t let them get on our backs.¡±

    The street was wide enough for four or five carriages to transit at the same time.

    Firana nodded.

    We took a couple steps away from each other. Not enough for one of the thugs to pass between us, but enough to not get in each other''s way. My fighting style relied heavily on lateral movement, and I wanted to avoid bumping into Firana. Extending my arm and pointed towards the tall, hooded thief, he locked his eyes onto mine and took a step forward.

    I parried his stab and attacked downwards but as expected, the thief was faster than my sword. Landing a stab was going to be problematic. With the corner of my eye I looked at Firana who had engaged in a fiery fight against the wounded thug. She kept her footwork agile yet sure, even with the wet cobblestone, and used the reach advantage of her longsword to keep the thug at bay. Barely. Despite her natural strength and agility, the thug had the clear advantage. He must¡¯ve been a low level twenty if I had to guess.

    Suddenly, my opponent disappeared. I panicked for a moment but then I realized he was in front of me, turned into a gray blur that blended in against the cobblestone and the rainy sky. An illusory [Skill].

    In a breath, I created a copy of myself. My chest burned, I was running out of blue juice and the wound in the walls of my mana pool threatened to tear apart. I ignored the pain and jumped to the right. By my command, the illusion moved to the left, mirroring my movement.

    My opponent hesitated, standing in a precarious balance.

    I thrusted. The thief¡¯s head was in reach but at the last moment, when I almost reached it, my arm moved by itself. The thief jumped back, the tip of my sword only grazing his shoulder. Then, the realization hit me, I had almost killed a man. What was I expecting to happen? The thugs weren¡¯t going to flee just because I kicked their asses in a fight, if I even could ¡®kick their asses¡¯ in the first place.

    Firana had understood the winning condition even before me.

    My throat was suddenly dry.

    The thief smirked. He jumped back to disengage and pulled a throwing knife from his belt. I pushed forward but before I closed the distance between us, the knife wasn¡¯t in his hand anymore. Pain exploded in my leg. The knife had buried several centimeters into my flesh. Reflexively, I pulled out the knife and threw it to the ground.

    I needed to focus but not even adrenaline was capable of overcoming the combined pain of [Awareness], my damaged mana pool, and my stabbed leg altogether.

    ¡°Mister Clarke! Firana!¡± Zaon¡¯s voice echoed behind my back.

    I cursed yet again. Why were the kids outside the orphanage with the danger of a Monster Surge still looming over the city? Firana was known for getting away from her chores, but that disposition had disappeared since the guardsmen tried to assault the manor.

    It didn¡¯t matter, to survive we had to fight.

    ¡°Zaon! Sword, now!¡± I yelled over the clash of rain against the cobbled street.

    Zaon¡¯s hands fluttered over the grip of his sword, however, the urgency in my tone and the sight of Firana struggling against the wounded thief, snapped him back to reality.

    ¡°With me, Zaon!¡± I yelled.

    The elven boy darted like an arrow as I pushed forward to prevent my opponent from drawing a second throwing knife. The fight had turned into a stalemate. Firana and Zaon focused each one on a thug while I jumped from side to side every time one of the kids was in trouble. Firana and I could easily overpower the wounded thug, but I couldn¡¯t leave Zaon unattended. No matter how focused the elven kid was, his opponent had the advantage of a class and combat skills.

    The fight had gone on for too long. Zaon and Firana were breathing heavily while our opponents remained composed. They had to have some stamina related skill, otherwise I couldn¡¯t explain why they had the resistance to fight on disadvantage for so long.

    I had to finish the fight soon, but I had enough mana for only one last spell. An illusion or a flare. I strained my brain. I should go full offensive or hope somebody interpreted my distress signal correctly?

    ¡°I can hear armor! Somebody is coming! A lot of them!¡± Zaon huffed.

    As much as I strained my ears, the rain blocked every sound other than the clash of iron against iron. Was the boy bluffing? His voice sounded sincere enough and I knew for a fact that Zaon couldn¡¯t lie in a believable way.

    The thugs exchanged a glance and pressed forward. They ignored the kids and went directly for me. I focused my mana and created one last decoy. It wasn¡¯t enough. The image was distorted, and the colors quickly faded away to leave a blue phantasm of myself.

    I clenched my teeth.

    A dagger pierced my shoulder while the wounded thug dodged my rapier and grabbed my wrist. For an instant, I was immobilized. The next moment blood splattered against my face, and I was free again.

    I jumped back and raised my rapier, but the fight was already over.

    A vaguely human-shaped swirl of darkness dashed in front of me welding a broad shortsword. The thieves were static pictures against the speed of the newcomer. A moment later, both their heads rolled over the cobblestone and their blood merged with the rain and flowed down the street.

    Zaon threw up.

    ¡°Loki?¡± I asked in disbelief.

    A man dressed in black clothing and built like a barrel stood in front of me. Blood and rain dripped from his beard and his hair stuck to his face. His sword was stained with blood. I recognized him.

    Sir Janus.

    ¡°Are you okay kids?¡± The man asked with a worried voice as the street was filled with armed guardsmen.

    Firana and Zaon rushed towards me, and I opened my arms to hug them. They were still kids after all. A sense of relief washed over my body. It was finally over.

    ¡°You two did good.¡± I said.

    Suddenly, my leg gave out and I fell to the ground.

    ¡°What was that skill?¡± Firana asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Shadow Fencer, what you saw was my [Shadow Step]. Surely you wouldn¡¯t think that two low-level thugs would stand a chance against me?¡± Sir Janus said as he signaled a guardsman who approached and tied a bandage around my leg.

    Still, nothing made sense, and my head was stabbing again.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked.

    As needed as Janus¡¯ assistance had been, the timing was too perfect.

    ¡°My first class was Sentinel.¡± Sir Janus replied, shrugging his shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m not following.¡± I said.

    Both my body and mind were too tired to start drafting up theories.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a Scholar? Each class has some sort of detection skill, mine can detect nearby combat. Very useful when you are on guard duty. Not very useful when you want to sleep straight through the night. Your kids might have saved you. I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve detected a three-man fight, even at my level.¡± Janus explained as he smiled under his unkempt beard. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the orphanage. I¡¯m sure the Governess has a nice magic potion for your wounds.¡± He added, offering me his hand.

 64 - A plan

    Getting stabbed sucked. The more I tried to move, the more it hurt. Despite Sir Janus repeatedly explaining that Shadow Fencers had a high ranking in strength growth, I refused to let him carry me back to the orphanage. In any other situation I might have chosen the more pragmatic approach, but I had to appear strong for the kids. I did accept his offer to lean on his shoulder to relieve some weight off my wounded leg.

    ¡°What do you think those men wanted?¡± Firana asked as we headed back to the manor.

    Zaon remained silent. After emptying his stomach next to the walls of an abandoned house, not even Firana had managed to get a word out of him.

    Sir Janus locked my arm over his shoulders and helped me walk. ¡°They were thieves, probably. There¡¯s always someone who wants to take advantage of dire situations. During the last Monster Surge there was a record crime wave inside the city even with the monsters pounding on the walls.¡± He said. ¡°Maybe a Bandit and a Soldier if I had to guess.¡±

    Regardless of what class the criminals were, it seemed to me it was a targeted attack. They knew I was a Scholar. What I ignored was their intentions. Were they after me or my money? Both implications were equally dangerous.

    ¡°How do you know their classes?¡± Firana asked again.

    Unlike Zaon, the girl showed her concern by wanting to know every detail of the events.

    ¡°You get a feel for it after you fight a lot of opponents. Besides, if they managed to follow Robert after losing sight of him, they must have some sort of personal detection skill. Bandits can ¡®mark¡¯ their targets and locate them as long as they remain within a certain radius.¡± Sir Janus explained.

    Firana nodded, fully submerged in Janus'' explanation.

    It was widely accepted that different classes had different growth stats. Fencers had better Speed, Knights better Defense, and Warriors, superior strength. With very few exceptions, the better growth stats, the better the class was. Of course, there were outliers and classes that heavily depended on certain skills like me with [Mana Manipulation].

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get to identify them, but they were a Thief and a Soldier below level twenty. Nothing to be worried about.¡± I pointed out, both to entertain Firana¡¯s curiosity and to show Zaon I had the situation somewhat under control.

    What I wanted the least was Zaon shutting on itself.

    Sir Janus looked at me as if he was asking for an explanation.

    ¡°I fought against a Lv. 12 Fencer with Fencing Lv.3 once. Soldiers and Thieves are weaker than Fencers, however, as far as I remember, Thieves have comparable speed.¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°It fits the prowess of the attackers.¡±

    It was painful.

    Sir Janus laughed and his voice thundered over the sound of the rain. ¡°Oh, yeah. The story about Raudhan Kiln having his nose broken by a Scholar was the talk of the court for a month or so.¡±

    The conversation seemed to calm Zaon a little bit.

    I had to thank the System for making the ¡®stat¡¯ gains progressively bigger as levels increased. Despite being a Lv. 12 Fencer, Raudhan Kiln didn¡¯t have supernatural strength or speed. What the people of Farcrest called ¡®low-level¡¯ ¨Cfrom one to twenty¨C was pretty similar to what one could expect from trained people from Earth.

    The speed and strength Sir Janus had shown, on the other hand, was hard to compare to anything I had seen before. I had underestimated Janus'' strength. During the duel with Lord Tirno, they fought only without any System skills. Sure, they were inhumanly fast, but what Sir Janus had shown today was a great jump in strength.

    Which opened an interesting line of thought.

    If the Marquis really wanted me dead, he could¡¯ve done it quickly and easily with a high-level combatant.

    Perhaps Sir Janus was right, and it wasn¡¯t a targeted attack but a simple robbery attempt. Perhaps the attackers didn¡¯t even know I was loaded with gold cousins. One way or another, the stabbing sensations lingered.

    We walked through the rain in silence until we reached the manor.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go through the backyard, I don¡¯t want to alert the younger ones.¡± I said.

    The cloak was enough to cover my wounds, however, I didn¡¯t trust myself to completely hide the pain from my voice. As predicted, the backyard was empty but before entering, I stopped the group.

    ¡°Zaon, Firana. Keep this a secret from the younger kids. They don¡¯t need to know what happened. I need to discuss this with Mis Elincia first.¡± I said.

    ¡°Okay, not a word.¡± Firana said, dead serious.

    Zaon just nodded in silence but avoided my eyes.

    The elven boy had me concerned, it seemed all the progress he had made, all the confidence he had gained over the months, had suddenly evaporated. And it wasn¡¯t just today. During the last training sessions, he had avoided fighting the illusions as much as he could.

    I needed to have a talk with him.

    We went inside the manor and made our way directly to the kitchen. It was evident lunchtime had finished recently, as there was a pile of dirty bowls still over the counter. Sir Janus helped me take a seat close to the stove and sat in front of me.

    I grunted in pain when the weight of my body fell on my wounded leg.

    ¡°Go find the Governess. Tell her Robert needs a Health Potion.¡± Sir Janus instructed the kids as he helped me remove my new ¨Cnow heavily damaged¨C cloak. I sighed. It was too soon to say goodbye to my Captain Alatriste cosplay, I still needed to find a proper hat.

    Firana hurried out of the kitchen with Zaon trailing behind.

    ¡°Was it necessary?¡± I asked and Sir Janus gave me a puzzled look. ¡°To cut their heads off I mean.¡±

    My stomach churned at the memory of the decapitated bodies.

    ¡°Sadly, yes.¡± Sir Janus replied. ¡°If they were high-level combatants, I¡¯d rather finish the fight before they could use their skills on me. I''m at a fairly high level myself but I have no desire to face another [Shadow Step] user ever again.¡±

    He pushed his unkempt beard to the side, revealing a scar that crossed his lower jaw to his right ear.

    ¡°Luck was on my side that day.¡± Sir Janus said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been fortunate too.¡± I replied, remembering all the encounters I had barely survived.

    I wanted to absorb every piece of information Sir Janus could provide me with, but the pain was making it difficult to stay focused. I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth. The pain kept intensifying and I began to feel lightheaded. I wondered if [First Aid] was an actual skill in this world.

    ¡°You are doing great, Robert. Just don¡¯t fall asleep.¡± Sir Janus said.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°Falling asleep in front of a guest would be rude.¡± I grunted.

    Bad jokes weren¡¯t going to ease the excruciating pain.

    Suddenly, the door slammed open, but no footsteps followed. It had to be Elincia. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the woman carrying her whole alchemy set plus a handful of potions. Her face was turned into a mask of concern.

    ¡°What did you do this time?¡± Elincia scolded me.

    Not that I could blame her, my history of getting in problems was quite extensive.

    ¡°Some dwarf supremacist was talking garbage about half-elves, so I had to put him in his place.¡± I replied.

    Bad jokes didn¡¯t alleviate excruciating pain, nor did they serve to calm Elincia down.

    ¡°Drink this.¡± She said as she pulled a translucent potion from her pouch. ¡°We¡¯ll also have to apply some directly to the wounds. A Minor Potion might be enough.¡±

    I recognized it as one of the medium-quality potions we had set aside during the brewing sessions. I examined the liquid. It couldn¡¯t be more painful than the wound itself, so I grabbed the potion and downed it in one go. Meanwhile, Elincia stretched open the hole in my pants and poured a few drops onto the wound. It stung.

    I had been careful enough to not reveal the Corruption patch on my chest to the guardsmen. As a consequence, the whole sleeve of my shirt was gone. There was a lot of blood everywhere and it looked worse than what it really was. Elincia worked in silence, applying potions, and bandaging the wounds with a steady hand.

    The Corruption tightened its tentacles under my skin as the mana from the potions entered my body. As uncomfortable as the sensation was, it paled compared to the pain of having been stabbed in the first place. By the end of the treatment, there was a pile of bloody rags and torn clothing next to my seat.

    ¡°So¡­ what happened?¡± Elincia asked as she collapsed in the chair next to me.

    I told her a summarized story of the events, starting from the moment I was surrounded by the thieves until Sir Janus had appeared with the guardsmen detachment. I skimmed through the details of the fight. There were things Sir Janus didn¡¯t need to know. My corrupted arsenal of skills was one of them, the fact the thieves seemed to target me was the other.

    Keeping things from the man who saved the kid¡¯s lives made me feel guilty. After the events of the day, I was in a straight paranoid state of mind. Elincia grabbed my hand under the table and the pain decreased ever so slightly.

    ¡°It seems you are going to survive, Scholar.¡± Sir Janus broke his silence, making Elincia jump in place.

    Maybe it was a [Shadow Fencer] skill that allowed him to blend with the background or maybe it was the fact he had remained perfectly still the whole time.

    ¡°Sir Janus?¡± Elincia said, half-asking half-greeting.

    ¡°The one and only.¡±

    ¡°Can I offer you lunch? Tea maybe?¡± Elincia offered.

    ¡°I could use something warm to eat, thanks.¡± Sir Janus replied.

    Elincia served two bowls of steaming bean soup. It smelled delicious but I couldn¡¯t get myself to eat even a bite. Sit Janus, on the other hand, seemed to have forgotten about the severed heads. I had to remind myself Janus was a man with experience that had studied in the Imperial Academy. He had probably fought greater foes than I could even imagine.

    ¡°You are a cunning one, Robert.¡± Sir Janus smiled. His black, hirsute beard made it hard to tell if he was being humorous or malicious. ¡°I think I know what you are planning.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I asked, genuinely lost.

    Suddenly, adrenaline started pumping through my veins and the pains of combat completely disappeared.

    ¡°You lied to me the last time. You don¡¯t believe Firana ¡®has potential¡¯ to enter the Imperial Academy, you are actually training all of them to take part in the entrance exams.¡± Sir Janus said with a lupine smile.

    Elincia froze by my side.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m training them to survive the king¡¯s army.¡± I replied with a neutral tone.

    ¡°No, you are not training them to fight against monsters. You are training them to become duelists, knights. I noticed when you two were in the Farlands.¡± Sir Janus pointed at me with his spoon. ¡°Watching Firana and Zaon fighting the thieves today only made it more clear.¡±

    If Sir Janus had ill intentions against the orphanage, there was nothing we could do against him. Between the wounds and the Corruption, my combat prowess was near zero. My mouth became dry. After seeing what Janus was capable of, I doubted even the whole guardsmen regiment could defeat him. He had reached the power level of a one-man army.

    ¡°Robert, you have to understand the Marquis isn¡¯t a tyrant.¡±

    Janus¡¯ words caught me by surprise.

    ¡°Captain Kiln also mentioned that a while ago.¡± I cautiously said.

    I wasn¡¯t following the conversation at all.

    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that the Marquis does what¡¯s more advantageous for Farcrest. If you didn¡¯t know, getting lots of cadets into the Imperial Academy comes with a certain amount of renown among nobles. I think you should try to gain the Marquis'' favor.¡± Sir Janus said.

    I was speechless. From all the twisted and wretched scenarios my mind was feeding me, Sir Janus pushing for mending my relationship with the Marquis wasn¡¯t one of them.

    ¡°Gain the Marquis'' favor? After what Rob did?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°The Marquis is a pragmatic person.¡± Sir Janus replied. ¡°And I think the kids have potential. I saw it with my own eyes. As much as I can¡¯t speak about it, I can tell you, they are well on track to become cadets.¡±

    I stopped my train of thought.

    The idea wasn¡¯t actually bad.

    I chastised myself for being so paranoid. Sir Janus had looked over the kids during our trip into the Farlands, he had saved my life, and he was a commoner just like the rest of us. It wasn¡¯t hard to understand the source of my paranoia. All the allies the orphanage had won over the months wanted something in return. Due to the mechanics of the System, only the truly powerful were in place to grant selfless boons while the low-levels were at the mercy of those above them.

    Ginz, as a craftsman, was pressured by the marvels high-level craftsmen could create with little effort. Nasiah might be in a similar position, even with the Scry Ledger in her possession, there had to be guilds of merchants that could move large quantities of goods and affect small markets like Farcrest. Even my relationship with Captain Kiln was partially transactional.

    Janus, on the other hand, was already on the top of the pyramid.

    The reason I was suspicious of Janus was simply because he had nothing to gain from us. A stupid reason considering I wanted to believe people acted kindly as default. Maybe I was already starting to think like a native.

    I wondered if Elincia felt the same when I voiced my intentions of working at the orphanage.

    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± I finally asked.

    Sir Janus lowered his voice.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t official yet, but the Marquis wants to improve the morale of the city after the Monster Surge fiasco. Rumors say there will be an event soon, a tournament to show the skills of promising cadets. You know, to show the masses how powerful Farcrest is and all that mumbo jumbo.¡° Sir Janus explained.

    A plan was already brewing in my mind.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be talking about the Stephannis Cup?¡± Elincia suddenly asked.

    A wide smile was drawn on Sir Janus¡¯ face.

    ¡°Exactly. The kids don¡¯t necessarily have to win. They have to show the nobles what they are capable of. Catch their attention.¡± Sir Janus added.

    Elincia looked at me.

    I bit my tongue before I could say no.

    So far, our whole strategy depended on keeping our movements a secret from the Marquis. However, I couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that both Janus and Captain Kiln believed the Marquis wasn¡¯t really a tyrant but an extremely pragmatic man. Going public was risky, but it also had its own benefits.

    I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the pain. Watching other pretenders to the Imperial Academy could shed light on what my teaching program lacked, and having the kids fight other potential recruits would be a great practical exercise. Even the old masters from Earth recommended sparring with all kinds of fencers before facing a real duel.

    ¡°We have to think about this.¡± I finally said.

    Sir Janus nodded, his bowl of soup was already empty.

    ¡°Thanks for the food, it was great.¡± He said before pulling a small medallion from his inner pockets and leaving it on the table. ¡°Show this to the guards and they¡¯ll let you through the gate. When you have an answer, come meet me.¡±

    Without saying more, Sir Janus stood and grabbed his cloak.

    ¡°I will leave two guardsmen watching over the orphanage tonight, just in case.¡± He said before leaving.

    Elincia respectfully bowed her head.

    Not a second had passed and I had already made up my mind. The ties with the nobility were a double-edged sword, however, in my current state I wasn¡¯t able to protect Elincia and the kids if anyone ¨Cthieves or guardsmen¨C decided to attack the orphanage. We have to move forward and let Farcrest know that powerful players like Sir Janus and Captain Kiln supported us. That would grant us a much-needed layer of protection.

    ¡°Are you alright? You are sweating a lot.¡± Elincia cupped my face with her hands.

    The stove wasn¡¯t even burning strong.

    ¡°Usually, it hurts when you get stabbed.¡± I replied, placing my hand on hers.

    My joke seemed to fly over her head.

    Elincia unbuttoned my shirt and removed the bandage from my shoulder. Just as expected, the wound was still there. As far as the medical attention had gone, I hadn¡¯t asked why we hadn¡¯t resorted to stitches.

    ¡°The potion is not working.¡± Elincia muttered.

 65 - Grounded 2

    Elincia¡¯s hand trembled as the needle hovered over the open wound. Several empty potion vials were scattered over the kitchen table. Health Essence, Mana Essence, Minor and Medium Health Potions. Elincia had tried every potion in her arsenal but none of them worked and the wound remained open.

    At least there was a vial of concentrated rubbing alcohol and a ball of waxed thread inside the first aid kit. If I had to guess, Byrne¡¯s time at the orphanage had a great influence on hygiene and ¡®analog¡¯ doctoring supplies. Health Essences were cheap to the point that even farmers could easily afford them.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do this.¡± Elincia pulled the needle away from my skin.

    ¡°Just think of it as a torn cushion,¡± I replied.

    ¡°You are clearly not a cushion,¡± Elincia grunted. ¡°We should call a healer, at least they know how to suture wounds¡­ I think.¡±

    The discussion circled back to the starting point.

    ¡°If we call a healer we would have to explain why the potions aren''t working, and I would rather keep my Corruption a secret,¡± I said.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of for suffering from Corruption. Even if your Personal Sheet is corrupted, that doesn¡¯t mean you are worthless or a lesser man.¡± Elincia pushed back with a fierce tone, her eyebrows almost touching in the middle. ¡°I said I¡¯ll take care of you, don¡¯t forget that.¡±

    The implications of Corruption were still alien to my earthly views, and yet, Elinca¡¯s words touched me deeply. Maybe it was my love-distorted perception of reality, but Elincia was just too gentle and too pure for a world like this. I smiled over the pain.

    ¡°If the thieves were really targeting the orphanage, we can¡¯t let them know one of us is incapacitated,¡± I said. ¡°Besides, the cut is pretty clean. I have seen training injuries far more serious.¡±

    Elincia glanced at me with an angry expression, the vein in her forehead threatening to burst.

    ¡°This is no accidental injury, they tried to kill you, Rob!¡±

    My mind had long lost interest in the attack, what worried me was the implications. Money wasn¡¯t going to protect us if a group of thieves, even low-level ones, tried to break into the orphanage. Which brought me back to Sir Janus'' offering.

    ¡°I might have grown a bit insensitive towards the attempts against my life,¡± I admitted.

    Elincia sighed, and for a moment I thought she was going to prick me with the needle. ¡°I hate you, Rob. I wasn¡¯t this weak before meeting you, I swear you put a spell on me or something.¡±

    ¡°People say I have a good hand for taming feral cats.¡± I grinned.

    ¡°Shut it or I¡¯m salting your wound.¡± Elincia grinned back at me.

    The friendly banter didn''t help Elincia to ease her hand. I could empathize with her feelings. It wasn¡¯t weakness what she was experiencing, it was fear of losing the home we had rebuilt over the months.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go,¡± Elincia said.

    Without a warning, I felt the puncture of the needle and the friction of the thread through my skin. I did my best not to wince as I thought about the magic of non-magical local anesthetic that we didn¡¯t have. Potions were great, but the over-reliance on them was a double-edged sword.

    I grabbed the edges of the chair and clenched my teeth.

    ¡°About Sir Janus'' offer¡­¡± I grunted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should let the kids participate in the Stephannis Cup.¡± Elincia interrupted me. ¡°We have enough money to not worry about food, clothing and fuel, and the kids are doing well in their studies¡­ we don¡¯t have to bring meddling nobles into our lives.¡±

    She, as usual, had a point. With sweat and tears, we had managed to stabilize the orphanage¡¯s monetary situation. But the equilibrium we had built was precarious at best. Two low-level opportunistic thieves were enough to throw our plans overboard. Without Firana, Zaon, and Janus, I would be dead and my body abandoned in a stinky alley. Not to mention the Marquis had a lot more power than a couple of thieves. If he wanted to topple the orphanage, a word from him and a squad of guardsmen would be enough to accomplish it.

    Sir Janus was right. In my current state, I could do little to protect the orphanage. The stability and safety of counting on a noble family support was more than I could ever provide. If we played our cards right, we could achieve it. I just needed more information.

    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the Stephannis Cup? It sounds important.¡± I winced.

    ¡°Oh, right. Sometimes I forget you know nothing.¡± Elincia jabbed at me. ¡°The previous Marquis used to organize an event every year to gather potential cadets for the Imperial Academy. Sir Janus won the tournament when he was fourteen, earning himself the previous Marquis''s support.¡±

    Over the pain, a plan was already brewing in my mind. Just as Sir Janus had said. If the kids reached later stages of the tournament, the orphanage would be in a privileged situation. I could even picture Firana fighting for a place on the podium.

    It sounded too good to be true.

    ¡°There is a ¡®but¡¯, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked.

    Elincia nodded.

    ¡°Sir Janus¡­ put to shame several nobleborns and made a couple of enemies in the process,¡± Elincia said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can afford that. Even if some of them support us, others might want to harm us, and I don¡¯t want to put the little kids on the line of court intrigue.¡±

    The mere idea of a vindictive noble using the kids as leverage against us was dreadful but the alternative wasn¡¯t any better. I didn¡¯t get to voice my concerns because the door slammed open.

    ¡°Firana disappeared again! She was supposed to look over the small kids today!¡± Ilya stomped into the kitchen with an exasperated expression. ¡°I swear, every time I thought she had changed, she always pulls this kind of thing!¡±

    Only when she was halfway through the room, she noticed the kitchen was turned into a makeshift field hospital. The pile of bloody bandages and the empty vials on the table made it look a lot worse than it really was.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Ilya asked, suddenly pale.

    Her astonishment only lasted a second because the next moment she was washing her hands and kneeling by Elincia¡¯s side ready to help. Ilya¡¯s decision left me astonished and it took me a moment to regain control of my voice.

    ¡°I got mugged, but the guardsmen caught the culprits,¡± I said, trying to calm Ilya down. However, Ilya didn¡¯t need to be calmed down. The girl grabbed the needle from Elincia¡¯s hands and finished suturing the wound with a steady hand.

    ¡°We gnomes are good with precision work.¡± She said as she tied the end of the thread. ¡°Where next?¡±

    Ilya barely reached my chest and was thin as a wheat cane, and yet, she exuded a confidence that seemed to defy her stature. I found myself at a loss of words.

    ¡°Where next, Mr. Clarke?¡± Ilya asked for the second time.

    ¡°The shoulder.¡± I quickly replied.

    Ilya got to work and patched me up before I could fully grasp the situation. Surely, Ilya had a natural disposition to take care of others, but performing first aid next to a pile of bloody bandages was something exceptional.

    ¡°The potions aren''t working. Why?¡± Ilya asked.

    The girl was too keen to keep it a secret from her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything later, for now, let¡¯s focus on what¡¯s most important. You said Firana disappeared again?¡± I asked.

    Ilya rolled her eyes. She hated when I answered a question with another question but didn¡¯t voice her complaints.

    ¡°Yes, just like before Mr. Clarke arrived at the orphanage. She just goes where only the System knows, and I have to do her chores.¡± Ilya grunted as she worked with the needle and thread. After a moment, the wound on my shoulder was perfectly sutured.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    I closed my eyes. Firana was roaming outside when she saw the thieves following me. Was she following me or was she going elsewhere?

    ¡°You know something, Eli?¡± I asked.

    Ilya raised an eyebrow at hearing the moniker I had for Elincia.

    The elven woman shook her head.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to follow her before. She is probably just wandering around Farcrest just like I did when I was a kid. There¡¯s not much to do trapped here in any case.¡± Elincia shrugged her shoulders.

    She had a point, when I was a kid I spent little time inside the house because there was nothing to do there. However, the Firana I knew seemed to enjoy pestering Zaon more than walking alone through the city.

    ¡°Wandering around? With this rain though?¡± Ilya replied.

    ¡°Firana might be a bit claustrophobic. Some people can¡¯t stand being locked away for prolonged periods of time.¡± I pointed out.

    Ilya was correct in her assumption. The fact that Firana was out in the rain during the worst storm of the year so far was at least suspicious. However, it was not a problem a kid like Ilya should solve.

    ¡°As long as she finishes her chores, I¡¯m not meddling between Firana and her hobbies. The problem is she isn¡¯t doing her part.¡± Ilya angrily said.

    In the end, promising to have a talk with Firana about responsibility and accountability was enough to satisfy Ilya. At least when it came to that issue. The time to reveal the Corruption to the kids was near. They were almost adults now and they deserved to know about the current state of the orphanage.

    ¡°You are very good at this,¡± I said, glancing at the patchwork on my shoulder.

    ¡°I just imagined you were a cushion.¡± Ilya shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°Thanks, Ilya. You are a lifesaver.¡± I smiled.

    I wasn¡¯t expecting a heartwarming moment, but I didn¡¯t expect Ilya to sigh as if I was the cringiest man on earth.

    ¡°You better go rest. I¡¯ll tell Wolf and Zaon that the afternoon lessons are canceled. And don¡¯t forget your promises.¡± Ilya said as she cleaned her hands. Then, she exited the kitchen without saying anything else.

    Getting scolded by a sassy fourteen-year-old light blue gnome girl was a one-of-a-kind experience.

    ¡°She got that from you,¡± I grunted.

    ¡°You heard the little governess. You better go rest and don¡¯t worry about anything until tomorrow.¡± Elincia parroted Ilya¡¯s words.

    These girls were going to be my demise.

    ¡°Eli, check the inner pockets of my cloak,¡± I said.

    ¡°I hope it¡¯s not squashed tarts.¡± Elincia jokingly replied, then she pulled out the first pouch of gold, then the second, then a third one. Soon after there was a small pile of coins on the kitchen table. She was speechless.

    ¡°We are ri¨C¡±

    Before I could finish, Elincia jumped on me and pressed her lips against mine.

    It hurt.

    * * *

    Shu¡¯s advice proved to be accurate. Sick people get the privilege of sleeping in Elincia¡¯s bed. The elven woman walked me to her bedroom and made it clear I should stay put, otherwise, I would lose kissing privileges.

    I glanced at the ceiling. The wooden planks were old and were water stained but stood the test of time. I had been sleeping in Elincia¡¯s room for weeks now but it was the first time I noticed the details of the ceiling.

    It reminded me of my apartment back on Earth.

    I wondered how my landlord was doing, my coworkers, and my father¡¯s family. Thinking about my lack of significant friendships made me feel sad. The past me should¡¯ve put more effort into moving forward, making new friends, and enjoying life. On the other hand, if I had moved forward, I might have chosen to return through the portal and never met Elincia and the kids.

    Thinking about things that could have been made me anxious.

    Thinking about staying in bed while there was so much to do also made me anxious.

    Knowing that two guardsmen stationed by Sir Janus were watching over the orphanage was a little comfort.

    I listened attentively to the distant sound of Elincia teaching classes. From time to time, she became silent and when she did, the chaotic mix of the kids'' voices would suddenly rise. Whatever subject she was teaching, the kids seemed to be enjoying it. Most probably they would come to me after classes to brag about everything they have learned.

    I slowly rose from bed and walked on the tip of my toes, or rather I slowly slid my feet, to avoid making any sound. I knew one of Elincia¡¯s ears had to be put on the sleeping quarters. Luckily for me, the old rug muffled my steps. Resting while Byrne¡¯s belongings still needed to be examined wasn¡¯t on my plans today.

    Even if the man was dead or long gone back to Earth, I felt some kind of responsibility towards putting his story together. Not only for Dassyra and Wolf but for myself. The reason I had stumbled into this world was Byrne and his portal. But that was half of the story.

    Byrne looked like the man who knew a lot and I hoped his notes shed light on his findings. Politics, history, min-maxing, the System. Anything worked for me.

    I moved slowly, not to disturb the sutures on my leg, but each step felt like a stab. I hoped Ilya was helping Elincia with the younger kids because I wanted to avoid being scolded by the gnome girl. She reminded me of my fifth-grade teacher. That old lady was hardcore.

    The reception hall was empty and the door towards the western wing was wide open even if the orphans weren¡¯t supposed to enter. The ceiling beams in the main kitchen were rotten and threatened to collapse. I closed the door behind me and slowly walked towards the ballroom. Maybe some of the older kids had decided to train on their own.

    The ballroom wasn¡¯t empty.

    Zaon was sitting near the windows, looking at the rain.

    It seemed to me, he was hiding.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Ilya tell you there are no lessons today?¡± I asked as I dragged my foot towards the table. Byrne¡¯s notes were still there, just as I had left them.

    ¡°Yes, she notified me,¡± Zaon replied without taking his eyes off the window.

    I put the notebooks in a separate pile to bring them back to the bedroom. The traveling suitcase was too heavy to transport on my own. Not that it contained anything interesting other than the notebooks but with a mysterious figure like Byrne, one never knew.

    ¡°How are you doing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Fine, I guess,¡± Zaon replied.

    It didn¡¯t take a Ph.D. in psychology to know Zaon was not doing well, however, I wasn¡¯t sure how to proceed. Half of the emotional support I did as a teacher was convincing the kids to sit down with their parents and tell them how they felt. The other half was listening, nodding, and promising things were going to get better.

    I wish my father was alive to ask for his advice.

    ¡°Wanna talk?¡± I asked, pointing to the chair in front of me.

    Zaon obliged, even if it was due to my status as a teacher.

    My father always managed to make me spill the beans, but I had known him since I had a memory and I trusted him blindly. Zaon, on the other hand, only knew me for a few months and most of our relationship was merely student-teacher. It wasn¡¯t like I was Elincia.

    ¡°I noticed you are down lately. Shouldn¡¯t you be happy about your progress? Two levels in [Longsword Mastery] aren¡¯t a small feat.¡± I said.

    Awful opening. Telling someone how they were supposed to feel was the complete opposite of sitting and hearing.

    Zaon sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware two levels of mastery before even getting a class is¡­ something, but I feel it has been pure luck. It has to be a coincidence. I don¡¯t think I can make it.¡± Zaon seemed to melt over his seat.

    I remained silent, just in case the boy wanted to add something, but he just focused his eyes on the dents of the table. Getting into the Imperial Academy was a tall order, even for nobleborns.

    ¡°I used to feel that way. My first job as a teacher was as a substitute. I really believed it was going to go badly. But it didn¡¯t, quite the opposite, the kids liked me, my colleagues also liked me, and I heard some parents wanting to keep me as a regular teacher.¡± I said. ¡°You know what happened next?¡±

    ¡°You got a permanent job at that school?¡± Zaon asked.

    ¡°The regular teacher returned from his medical holiday, I said goodbye and didn''t look for a job for three months due to fear of not being capable of performing well.¡± I laughed.

    ¡°But you did well in your first job¡­¡±

    ¡°It was probably luck.¡± I shrugged my shoulders.

    ¡°But you are a very good teacher¡­oh.¡±

    The elven boy seemed to come up with some sort of realization because his face turned completely red.

    ¡°I understand that self-doubt can feel silly, Zaon. It happens to many of us. I might not have a good answer for it, but if you are feeling down, you can always reach me and Miss Elincia.¡± I said.

    ¡°But the Imperial Academy¡­ you only have one shot and I don¡¯t know if I have what is needed.¡± Zaon left the words in the air.

    ¡°Hard work is a talent in itself, Zaon. Just because you fail a test doesn¡¯t mean you are useless or doomed to fail forever.¡± I said.

    Zaon bit his lip before speaking again. ¡°I don¡¯t want to end up in the army. I want to stay here with Miss Elincia and the little kids¡­ and you, and the rest. I don¡¯t want to go to dangerous places and I don¡¯t want to become a [Knight] nor an Imperial Knight.¡±

    I grabbed Zaon¡¯s hand over the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

    ¡°What a strange thing to say for someone who just jumped straight into a fight to help Firana and me. Maybe the System doesn¡¯t agree with me, but I think you are already a knight. You saved two lives today.¡± I said.

    Zaon awkwardly nodded.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure Ilya and Firana would also love to help you if you seek their help,¡± I added.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not do that,¡± Zaon said just to look around to ensure no girl was eavesdropping. A part of me understood him. Both Firana and Illya were a bit too intense in their own ways. I have seen water-potassium reactions a hundred times more tame than the girls.

    ¡°Wolf might be a safer bet, but his solution might be doing pushups or something like that.¡± I jokingly said. ¡°Not saying that exercising doesn¡¯t work. It¡¯s probably one of the safest bets to improve your mental state. Just don¡¯t go overboard and try to top him.¡±

    Zaon smiled and I smiled back.

    ¡°I¡¯m not Firana.¡± He shyly joked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, it''s cold here.¡±

    There was still a lot to improve, getting rid of insecurities was a long road, but I wanted to end the conversation on a high note. We grabbed the heavy suitcase and silently returned to the eastern wing. What we didn¡¯t expect was to find both Elincia and Ilya waiting to ambush us in the reception room.

    ¡°Do I remember wrong, or you should be resting your leg right now?¡± Elincia asked one of those questions that wasn¡¯t supposed to be answered with anything other than a lowered gaze.

    ¡°I got lost looking for the bathroom?¡± I said.

    ¡°You are so grounded, Robert Clarke,¡± Elincia said through her teeth.

 66 - The weight of reality

    After a week of constant rain, the storm moved north past the mountainous range and into the Farlands. Deep puddles mirrored the slate gray clouds, and a wicked wind rocked the tree''s naked branches. The backyard was a muddy mess, and the omnipresent smell of soaked earth slid even inside the manor. The outside world resembled the aftermath of a great battle between Elemental Spirits. However, one could almost forebode the clear blue sky where the clouds were thinner.

    Crossing the street before the orphanage, a single guardsman looked over the manor. Since the day of the attack, at least one guard was stationed outside, and no shady individual had dared come near the orphanage. If the attack was targeted or not, I could only guess.

    Sir Janus hadn¡¯t pushed the matter about the tournament, but he had sent a messenger to check on us every other day. Maybe it was fate, or there were very few messengers available in Farcrest because Corin had come knocking on our door both times. She had taken the idea of becoming a Courier class very seriously. No matter how much rain fell over the city, she was always on time to relay Janus'' messages. Every time we met, I tipped generously.

    Begrudgingly, I stepped out of Elincia¡¯s bed and peeked into the corridor. It was empty.

    ¡°The coast is clear. Let''s go,¡± I said as I opened the door. Elincia looked at me from the bed and gave me a thumbs up as if she was saying, ¡®Good, go by yourself¡¯.

    It was cold outside, and the layers of woolen blankets were exceptionally alluring during the dark morning. Instead of returning to bed, I grabbed my walking stick and waved it like a grumpy old man.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t bring your ass to the kitchen right now, little lady, I¡¯m not making an omelet for you!¡±

    Despite my joke not having the slightest comedic value, Elincia giggled.

    ¡°You are going to miss that walking stick when your leg completely heals, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I might use it nonetheless. It¡¯s very stylish.¡± I replied, glancing at the black, lacquered wood. Mr. Lowell had a great sense of fashion for a backwater city like Farcrest. ¡°I might have Ginz hide a rapier blade inside. Wouldn¡¯t that be so cool?¡±

    ¡°That would be the complete opposite of cool.¡± Elincia sighed, leaving the warmth of the blankets and putting her shawl over her shoulders.

    We held hands and walked to the kitchen. Sometimes, we held hands in front of the kids just to split apart when they turned their heads to check if what they saw was correct. As time passed, it became progressively more difficult not to laugh.

    Our steps weren¡¯t the only sound that broke the stillness of the morning.

    ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Elincia asked.

    I shook my head. Sometimes, I could hear rats walking through the roof, but my hearing skills were generally nothing compared to a half-elf. Lately, I have been getting more proficient in hearing kids circulating past bedtime, but storming out of Elincia¡¯s room in the middle of the night didn¡¯t seem adequate. I even get to memorize the particular sound of their footsteps. Firana was the worst offender.

    In the middle of the backyard were two figures dressed in padded jackets, thick breeches, and leather boots. Ilya and Wolf. Despite the early hour, the pair seemed to have been practicing for a while now, considering how much mud stuck to their clothing.

    ¡°Loki replaced Wolf, or I must be dreaming,¡± Elincia said as we spied through the corridor window.

    Wolf wasn¡¯t the kind of kid who actively pursued social interaction, although, lately, he seemed more open with the rest of the kids. Wolf performed a series of strikes and observed how Ilya tried to imitate him.

    ¡°I totally deserve a prize for turning Wolf into a socialite.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about a proper reward when your leg is healed,¡± Elincia replied with a naughty expression.

    My heart skipped a beat even if my mind knew she was toying with me.

    Wolf left his sword on the big stump and grabbed Ilya¡¯s wrists to help her perform a krumphau correctly. The gnome girl replicated the movement in slow motion until she gained Wolf¡¯s approval and a not-so-good-received pat on her head.

    ¡°Do you think he is messing with Ilya on purpose?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    Despite Wolf¡¯s usual silent behavior, he was a well-adjusted teenager.

    The pair of early birds continued performing strikes side by side, Wolf guiding the drill and Ilya copying his movements the best she could. Whenever she lost the pace, Wolf stopped and choreographed the moves in slow motion for her to follow. Out of nowhere, a sudden surge of pride filled my chest.

    Elincia leaned on my good shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see Wolf getting along with the rest. I must admit I¡¯m a bit jealous that you are the one who made it happen.¡± Elincia smiled. ¡°If I didn¡¯t fancy you, I¡¯d probably hate you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the closest thing to a compliment that has ever come out of your mouth.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want your ego rocketing through the roof.¡± Elincia bumped me with her hip.

    After briefly exchanging words, Wolf and Ilya put on their masks and stood before each other. Ilya stepped forward, her boots buried deep into the mud while she struck from the right. Wolf blocked with a measured movement but didn¡¯t counter. The exchange continued until Ilya overstepped, and Wolf bound both blades together. Then, he pushed back, and Ilya fell butt-first into the mud.

    It was hard to tell what kind of expression Ilya had under her mask, but she didn¡¯t seem too pleased. She quickly stood and wiped the mud from her pants the best she could before raising her guard again.

    They resumed the sparring session, and shortly after, Ilya made the same mistake for the second time. Due to the difference in strength and physical span, Wolf had a clear advantage during the bind, and Ilya couldn¡¯t measure her movements to keep her blade free. Wolf suddenly advanced and, performing the same technique I had used against Firana during our first match, pushed up Ilya¡¯s guard and ripped the sword from her hands.

    The gnome girl ended up in the mud once again.

    The fact Wolf could¡¯ve ended the exchange before pushing her didn¡¯t pass unnoticed.

    This time, Ilya was fuming.

    ¡°Wolf might be the better teacher. Unlike you, he doesn¡¯t pamper his students.¡± Elincia said.

    Less than a week ago, I had chased down Firana with an illusory Wendigo, but I decided to keep it to myself.

    ¡°I''m gonna quit my job and travel to the Imperial Capital then.¡±

    ¡°No, you won''t. You are still grounded.¡± Elincia frowned.

    Ilya exchanged lazy blows with Wolf, but the boy had an ironclad defense. After torturing him with illusory Slimes, he had learned to be patient. Suddenly, Ilya feinted to the right but attacked from the left. Wolf saw the trick from a mile away, but at the last moment, Ilya retreated. Then, she raised a hand to the sky, and a powerful light shone over the backyard.

    Wolf raised his hands to cover his eyes. Ilya seized the opportunity and charged, blade first with both hands on the grip, against the boy¡¯s chest. The tip of the longsword hit Wolf in the middle of the chest. However, the boy didn¡¯t budge. Instead, Ilya bounced back as if she had hit an invisible wall.

    For the third time, the girl ended up on the floor.

    Elincia slapped her face.

    When Ilya stood, she was more mud than gnome. Wolf took off his mask and bent over his stomach, laughing. It wasn¡¯t one of his stern smiles but a full-fledged laughter. Hearty, warm. His white teeth stood out against his green skin, as his smile widened even more.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    Ilya threw a scoop of mud directly against Wolf¡¯s face.

    The sudden mud attack made the whole situation even funnier for Wolf, but not so much for Ilya.

    ¡°I still think we must participate in the tournament,¡± I said.

    ¡°And I still think it¡¯s an egregious idea,¡± Elincia replied.

    I didn¡¯t push the matter. The discussion about the Stephannis Cup had become a point of contention between Elincia and me, and she had great arguments to support her claim.

    The sparring session had degenerated into Ilya chasing Wolf through the backyard. Luckily for the orc boy, the mud significantly diminished her movement speed to the point she had to struggle at every step. I made a mental note to prepare the big wooden basin to wash their clothing. I wondered if I could get Ginz to replicate the pedal-powered washing machine I had presented for the seventh-grade science fair.

    My mind wandered over the hundreds of clever uses I could give a bicycle chain when a distant horn broke the morning peace. Not a moment later, a second and a third one answered, each on a different note.

    ¡°Monster Surge?¡± I asked as the adrenaline surged through my veins.

    The picture of the Lich¡¯s empty hood was still fresh in my mind.

    ¡°No. This is a different call.¡± Elincia replied, opening the window and closing her eyes.

    Ilya and Wolf stopped their play and looked around in confusion. Then, they decided the best course of action would be to return to the manor. Wolf grabbed Ilya from under her arms and helped her to move over the mud while she carried the swords. This time, the girl didn¡¯t protest.

    Elincia¡¯s silence was starting to get on my nerves.

    ¡°I might be wrong, but that¡¯s the call for a royal family member¡¯s visit.¡±

    At that moment, Ilya and Wolf entered the corridor barefoot, with their pants rolled up. The mud was starting to cake over Ilya¡¯s body, making her an overgrown clay doll. I was careful not to mention it.

    ¡°Can we go see the King¡¯s army? I want to see the skeeths and the cargo togs, oh, and I bet Zaon wants to see the knights.¡± Ilya asked, without being able to contain her excitement.

    I had no idea what in the Everloving System a skeeth or a tog was, but I also wanted to see them. I wonder if I could pet them.

    ¡°First, you two should clean yourselves, then breakfast, and only then will we talk about it,¡± Elincia said sternly, leaving no room for discussion.

    Ilya and Wolf nodded and returned to the kitchen to light the stove and heat water. Most modern commodities, like showers, were nonexistent, but that didn¡¯t stop Elincia from enforcing a disciplined cleaning routine. At that point, I was already used to the simplicity of the quasi-medieval life of Farcrest.

    ¡°What¡¯s a skeeth?¡± I asked when we were alone again.

    ¡°Skeeths are mount lizards, very fast, and very violent. Don¡¯t get your hopes too high. It¡¯s probably a prince with his retinue, not a full battalion of knights.¡± Elincia replied, toning down my expectations as soon as she saw my eyes shine. ¡°No. We can¡¯t steal and raise one in the backyard.¡±

    I was thinking about committing theft and illegal exotic animal ownership.

    The sleeping quarters door opened, and a small army of orphans led by Loki entered the corridor. Their multicolor sweaters, scarfs, and woolen caps contrasted against the otherwise gray and worn-out walls. Nasiah¡¯s store credit had proved to be helpful. Even Shu, who intensely disliked tight-fitted clothing due to her feathery wings, wore her modified poncho. The kids dragged their feet towards us between yawns and eye rubs. Viridian even walked with his eyes closed, firmly grasping Nokti¡¯s sleeve.

    Before any kid could say a word, Loki transformed into a mouse and climbed my leg until it found a resting place inside my shirt pocket. Even if the Changeling had taken the task of looking after the kids with unusual seriousness, the creature also needed time for itself, usually inside my pockets.

    Loki slept a lot.

    ¡°What was that sound?¡± Ash asked.

    ¡°A member of the royal family is visiting Farcrest,¡± Elincia replied with a warm smile as she fixed Ash¡¯s scarf. The boy tried to get away, but Elincia was faster. Between the cap and the scarf, only his eyes were visible.

    ¡°A prince?¡± Shu asked with a dreamy tone.

    ¡°Not a handsome one, that¡¯s for sure.¡° Ash replied, his voice muffled due to the layers of thick woolen scarf. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. The boy was extremely envious of any other men and spared no effort in smearing everyone who gathered the slightest interest in the rest of the kids. Ash seemed okay with Zaon and Wolf, not so much with me.

    ¡°Princes are usually drunk and temperamental. You must look for someone who treats everyone respectfully and kindly, regardless of their social position.¡± I added. The earlier I convinced Shu to stop chasing fantasy men, the fewer problems we would get when she reached adulthood.

    Shu gave me a skeptical eye. My credibility inside the orphanage was at an all-time high after Firana bragged about how many [Fencing] and [Longsword Mastery] levels she had achieved since she started training with me. It wasn¡¯t enough, however, for the harpy girl to drop her preconceptions about charming princes yet.

    ¡°Yeah, what Mr. Clarke said. You must look for a strong man who can protect you, like a Warrior or a Knight.¡± Ash supported my words, if only partially.

    Shu sighed. ¡°Boys are so lame.¡±

    Every orphan had their own opinion on what constituted a good man to marry, except for Virdian, who kept sleeping even with the ceaseless yelling.

    ¡°Enough!¡± Elincia clapped her hands and raised her voice over the debate about marriage material. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone getting a cold this winter, so no corridor talks. Everyone to the kitchen now!¡±

    The kids muttered a few ¡®Yes, Miss Elincia¡¯ and instantly scurried away. Elincia was still the most influential voice in the orphanage, and I didn¡¯t believe that would change any time soon. I wondered if her [Governess] title had a secret passive attached.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Elincia grabbed my arm and pulled me to the kitchen.

    We strolled, cherishing the fleeting moment of solitude.

    ¡°Shu is going to be a beautiful woman one day. I¡¯m just preparing her to filter the scoundrels that most certainly will come for her.¡± I explained as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

    ¡°Alright, Daddy Robert, no need to be a misandrist.¡± Elincia could barely hold back her laughter.

    ¡°I know my people,¡± I replied.

    The breakfast was uneventful, and other than the snake kids asking for a potato omelet, everything went as expected. I had grown to prefer the stable, monotonous everyday routine over the excitement of uncertainty. Safe and certain was good when you had a dozen kids in your care.

    The topic of marriage came up again during breakfast, and, to my surprise, everyone had strong opinions about the optimal traits of a desirable spouse. Money, loyalty, and fame were replaced by Classes, Levels, and Skills. The only common point with Earth seemed to be looks. It was a surreal experience to hear the kids debating about the merit of Combatant and Non-Combatant classes as potential romantic partners.

    The whole scene was a delayed cultural shock.

    ¡°They will eventually realize there¡¯s more to Classes and Levels¡­ hopefully.¡± Elincia calmed me down.

    I spent the rest of the breakfast creating intricate mana patterns so Ilya could train her mana control. The discussion about marriage slowly died until most of the kids focused on our exercise. As much as Zaon and Firana tried to summon mana from within their bodies, their efforts were in vain. If I had to guess, Ilya had an innate talent for magic due to her gnome blood. The tables had turned, and now Firana struggled to catch Ilya.

    Once the breakfast was over, I gathered my class to start with the morning training session. Due to my wounds, my role was limited to overseeing the sparring sessions and producing illusions of monsters for the kids to fight. The mock monster hunting was proving to be a solid pedagogical tool. The kids had grown more cautious, which translated into their sparring sessions against each other.

    ¡°The storm is over. Are we training outside today?¡± Firana asked with a hopeful expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s still too muddy. Let¡¯s use the ballroom.¡± I replied, remembering Ilya being calf-deep in the mud.

    We were crossing the reception hall towards the ballroom when someone knocked on the door, and a man''s muffled voice came from the other side.

    ¡°Governess? There¡¯s someone here who wants to meet you!¡±

    I recognized the guardsmen''s voice, so I opened the door without a second thought. It was probably Corin, the messenger girl. But I was wrong.

    Standing in the front yard, over a dozen soldiers with haggard faces stood in an orderly formation. Unlike the guardsmen, who wore the colors of the Marquis, the soldiers wore shining yet battered armor adorned with green and gold. The banner of a golden stag on a yellow field faintly weaved on the hands of a bannerman whose head was wrapped in bandages.

    I froze in the doorway, looking at the scene. The troops were in bad shape as if they were marching day and night for a whole week with a pursuing army at their chase. On the street, I noticed a second group of warriors. Ten men dressed in unmarked combat gear in optimal condition. Mercenaries. On the front of the mercenary group, I recognized the debt collector who was harassing Ginz earlier this week. Kellaren Odrac-Aias. The man wasn¡¯t dressed as a debt collector anymore but as a warrior with a long and thick machete hanging from his belt and a crossbow on his back.

    The captain of the stag troops stepped forward. He was missing an arm. His gilded armor wasn¡¯t in better shape, and his helmet was missing one of the antlers. We were deep into the kingdom¡¯s territory, so I couldn¡¯t think of anyone attacking the royal armies anywhere nearby.

    Unless these were the men who were trying to expand the kingdom¡¯s territory deep into the Farlands.

    ¡°I¡¯m Captain Zoran Garibal from the Imperial Army. I¡¯m looking for Firana Aias.¡±

    The alarms in my mind began to go off. Twenty imperial soldiers, plus the men of Kellaren Odrac-Aias'' squad, stood in the front yard. There were too many, even if I had my shotgun, infinite ammo, and a healthy mana pool. I scanned the surroundings. A handful of guardsmen blocked both sides of the street.

    ¡°That would be me.¡± Firana¡¯s head popped through the doorway.

    Captain Garibal had an elongated object wrapped in white silk on his hand. He raised his arm and offered it to Firana. A sword, maybe?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, kid. This is yours now.¡± The man said with a stern yet saddened voice.

 67 - Standstill

    Time stood still in the manor¡¯s front yard.

    The silver storm clouds suddenly tore open, and radiant sunlight bathed the battle-worn armor of the king¡¯s soldiers, casting warm golden gleams. A timid breeze stole a small wave on the green and yellow flag, making the embroidery stag appear as if it was ready to flee. Firana passed by my side, her fingers brushing my shoulder in a last attempt to hold on to something familiar. She continued until she was face-to-face with the captain.

    The weight of an impending destiny pinned me on the doorway. The die was cast, perhaps before I arrived at the orphanage.

    ¡°This belongs to you now. I¡¯m sorry, kid.¡± Captain Garibal said, offering the elongated silk-wrapped object with his only arm.

    From the sideline, Kellaren Odrac-Aias observed the scene with lupine interest, as though he stood guard to ensure the ritual remained undisturbed. Firana reached for the silk-wrapped object, her eyes reflecting the grim determination of someone who had suddenly shed the last vestiges of childhood.

    I tried to swallow, but the lump in my throat refused to budge.

    Firana accepted the silk-wrapped object from the captain¡¯s hand and ceremoniously unfolded the silk. A bright red scabbard with gilded lining. The heirloom of the Aias family. Firana drew the sword from its sheath, revealing a charred blade that shimmered with a mix of silver and obsidian hues. And yet, the sword seemed dead, ashen.

    The reality we have been ignoring for months suddenly hit us.

    Firana was the last of her lineage.

    ¡°We would be truly honored to have the support of the Aias family.¡± Captain Garibal said, although his eyes went over Firana¡¯s shoulder towards me.

    The Captain knew Firana was still a kid.

    ¡°And the Aias shall indeed answer the call.¡± Kellaren Odrac-Aias declared, his voice raising until it resonated through the front yard.

    No. Firana wasn¡¯t answering any calls. I stood forward and rested a hand on Firana¡¯s shoulder to let her know she was not alone. My eyes darted around the front yard. Two dozen of the king¡¯s soldiers, nearly the same number of guardsmen, and ten warriors from Kellaren¡¯s faction stood before the orphanage. I had no clue about the underlying alliances and tensions between these groups.

    Was this a standoff, or were we screwed beyond hope?

    Elincia moved through the doorway without making any sound and positioned herself by our side ¡ªtwo of us against more than fifty of them. No matter the numbers, there was no trace of fear in her factions, just a profound resolution.

    ¡°You will have an answer after we mourn our dead, Captain.¡± Elincia declared.

    Kellaren stepped forward, his arrogant expression suddenly soured by Elincia¡¯s words. ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to mourn. You are not an Aias.¡±

    Elincia looked at the man with disdain. ¡°And neither are you.¡±

    Then, she grabbed Firana by the shoulders and gently guided her into the orphanage. Kellaren stormed towards the manor¡¯s entrance, followed by his troop of mercenaries. I put my hand on the hilt of my rapier, blocking his path. My gesture of defiance made Kellaren¡¯s eyes shoot open, his face suddenly disfigured into a mask of sheer rage.

    I put all my chips on the fact the guardsmen were going to prevent unnecessary bloodshed. The king¡¯s soldiers, on the other hand, I wasn¡¯t so sure. I needed to attract Captain Garibal to my cause.

    ¡°You won''t keep me away from my niece, peasant.¡± Kellarent barked. He unsheathed his broadsword, making the stag soldiers and the guardsmen tense up.

    I didn¡¯t need [Awareness] to know his acting was awful.

    ¡°Firana Aias has lived in this orphanage for the past two years, and no relative has ever visited. Where were you when your niece needed you the most? Where were you when she needed guidance and company?¡±

    I let the hilt of my rapier go and opened my arms in a gesture of defiance. Despite the recent influx of money, the manor''s facade was still in a pitiful state to say the least. It wasn¡¯t a secret for anyone, foreigner or not, that the orphanage wasn¡¯t a hospitable place, at least in appearance.

    ¡°We have fought with teeth and claws to give the kids a good life, and I will not let anyone take them from us!¡± I yelled.

    ¡°Firana is the head of the family now. As the [Aias Heir], she has the duty to guide us, isn¡¯t it, Captain?¡± Kellaren replied. Any trace of nobility from his Aias blood had been buried deep by the greed and anger of his nature.

    Kellaren¡¯s words seemed to resonate with Captain Garibal.

    ¡°There is truth in his words, Caretaker. The Aias lineage is as old as some noble houses. Being born an Aias isn¡¯t just a matter of blood but a legacy she must uphold. If Firana was blessed with traits, she has a duty with the Kingdom and its people.¡± Captain Garibal said.

    A smile of satisfaction was drawn on Kellaren¡¯s face. ¡°Firana has been blessed with traits. Not only one one but two at a time. She has a bright future ahead, with the right guidance.¡±

    Murmurs rose between the stag soldiers and the guardsmen. One trait was already rare, but two were almost unheard of. I clenched my jaw thinking about how this damned weasel had everything planned from the beginning.

    ¡°I understand your stance, Captain. Firana is the heir of the Aias family, but she is also a kid. She just learned her whole family is dead, and I don¡¯t want to see her rushing into the Farlands, searching for revenge that there¡¯s none to be found. Firana must grieve and get her Class before she¡¯s ready to lead a mercenary force.¡± I said, looking at the captain¡¯s missing arm.

    The battered armor and wounded soldiers were more than enough proof of the dangers of the Deep Farlands. However, that was a two-edged sword. The campaign against the Farlans was in a tight spot. They needed all the hands they could gather.

    ¡°I won''t let this man¡¯s weak will taint my niece.¡± Kellaren raised his voice even more.

    ¡°Firana is not even an adult yet,¡± I replied, barely containing my rage.

    It was clear that Kellaren only sought to exploit Firana¡¯s grief. I was familiar with the type after years of exercising as a teacher. He had no genuine concern for the girl. He only viewed her as nothing more than a useful pawn.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°I¡¯m Firana¡¯s family, and I intend to take her with me whether you like it or not.¡± Kellaren declared as he stepped forward.

    Neither the captain nor the guardsmen made any move to stop him. The ¡®Law of the Strong¡¯ was deeply engraved in the people of this world. I loathed it. Nasiah was right about me. I couldn¡¯t continue denying my disdain for the customs of this world. I wanted to shape it to align with my ideas, even if it meant using force to achieve it.

    Maybe I was the biggest hypocrite in the world, but Firana wasn¡¯t just a paycheck that the biggest bully could take.

    My mana surged like a tempest, casting bright blue sparks upon the manor¡¯s stone steps. The sudden power surge tore apart the scars within my mana pool, and the fountain of infinite mana brightly shone through the open spots. I gritted my teeth as the Corruption clawed to my chest like a thousand tiny needles. I had been able to control this forbidden power once. Now, I needed to do it once more.

    I shut my eyes and envisioned my mana pool. The walls were coming apart as the scalding rays from the fountain touched them. Pain blinded me for an instant as I looked at the shining ball of the purest strands of magic. Tapping into it wasn¡¯t meant for humans. My consciousness wavered, but [Awareness] continued working in the back of my mind, now free of all restraints.

    I opened my eyes. Not even a second had passed, but my body pulsated with magic energy. I conjured a mana blade before me. This one radiated with pure, radiant light, unlike its usual blue glow. Kellaren stopped in his tracks as his eyes widened. Did he know I was a Scholar? Even the king¡¯s soldiers let out gasps of surprise. I knew the reason. Being a caretaker wasn¡¯t a line of work for someone with such powerful skills.

    Soldiers and guardsmen began to step back, giving us more room to fight.

    I hated every single one of them.

    Slowly, all my corrupted skills came back to life. [Identify], [Awareness], [Intimidate], and [Stun Gaze], all were now bright lights ready to be reached in the back of my mind. Despite the blazing pain of the Corruption, I felt strong again.

    I crossed my arms over my chest and identified my opponent.

    Name: Kellaren Odrac-Aias, Human.

    Class: Warrior Lv.41

    Titles: Silver Warrior, Charismatic, Weasel,

    Passive: Riding Lv.5, Swordsmanship Lv.5, Interrogation Lv.7, Extortion Lv.6, Haggling Lv.4

    Skills: Rally Troops, Fearless, Iron Skin, Puncture, Armor Fortify, Taunt, Armor Break, Berserk.

    I grinned. Despite Kellaren¡¯s skills, it was a relief to be able to identify people again.

    The mana blade shot forward with a simple mental command, aiming directly at Kellaren¡¯s face. As expected from a Lv.41 Warrior, he easily repelled the attack. His control over his body and his weapon was perfect. Then, I launched attacks from the right and the left, executed feints and unpredictable strikes. I swung at him from angles no ordinary human could, but nothing broke his defense. If anything, he had gained ground on me.

    ¡°I will kill you!¡± Kellaren bellowed.

    I had no intention of repeating the same mistake I¡¯d made during my encounter with the thieves. When my and the kids'' lives were on the line, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate. I was a hypocrite, yes. I preached understanding and non-violence, yet I was ready to make heads roll.

    I conjured a second mana sword and then a third, channeling the power from the Fountain out of my body. It burned. Every single fiber of my body felt ablaze. Kellaren, however, defended himself without breaking a sweat. He was faster than Elincia and stronger than Dassyra. To make matters worse, he even stopped to hype the audience whenever he got away from a difficult position.

    Kellaren was mistaken on an essential point. He was not toying with me. I was measuring him. Perhaps ¡®assessing¡¯ was a more appropriate term, and I already got an accurate prediction of the man¡¯s skill.

    With a simple gesture, I summoned a dozen swords, each hanging in the air, pointing at my adversary like bullets ready to be shot. Then I conjured a dozen more. [Awareness] meticulously accounted for every angle, every possible strange contortion a human body could resort to avoid the attack. Kellaren was too busy fending off the three mana blades to realize what I was planning. His men, however, appeared to realize my intentions, but it was too late. Their leader was surrounded.

    The trap I had laid around my rival snapped, and a barrage of dozens of mana swords shot in unison. A brilliant flash of blue light instantly erased Kellaren¡¯s grin. Out of nowhere, a protective dome of blue mana materialized around the man, causing my swords to bounce and vanish in a spectacular explosion of white sparks.

    I didn¡¯t recall seeing any skills like that on Kellaren¡¯s sheet.

    [Awareness] suddenly informed me that a Fortifier¡¯s spell had nullified my attack. I remember seeing the same protective bubble during the duel between Sir Janus and Lord Tirno. It hadn¡¯t occurred to me that the force field could be so strong.

    On a subconscious level, I felt a strange sense of relief that my attack failed.

    ¡°Enough!¡± Captain Garibal bellowed, and his soldiers quickly formed a straight line between Kellaren and me.

    ¡°B-but my niece! I won¡¯t be at peace unless she is again with her family.¡± Kellaren pleaded with a pitiful voice, his performance still going even after the scare of his life.

    The man¡¯s act nearly made me forget any relief from my killing attack being stopped. However, throwing another attack seemed impossible with the mana shield dividing us.

    ¡°I saved your life today, warrior. Don¡¯t waste the chance I¡¯m giving you.¡± Captain Garibal said.

    Although his voice came out more as a petition than an order, the other stag soldiers didn¡¯t interpret it similarly. In a synchronized movement, the soldiers aimed their billhooks toward Kellaren and his group. Nobody moved, but vast amounts of mana surged their armor and weapons. Fortifying skills, [Awareness] told me. Even for Kellaren and his men, twenty soldiers were too much.

    Kellaren gave me a murderous look but understood the battle was over. His expression hinted he would return another day. I tried to quell my anger. Even if I had killed Kellaren, there were likely another dozen distant relatives eager to see Firana assuming the family''s leadership. I shook my head. This wasn¡¯t a problem that I could solve with violence alone.

    When Kellaren got lost among the old buildings of the Northern District, a sudden prompt startled me.

    New skill acquired: [Mana Mastery]

    It has been a while since I got one of those. Conversely, it had been a while since I leveled up. I closed my eyes, and a moment later, my brain was kneaded by the System to make space for the new skill. It was as uncomfortable as ever.

    Mana Mastery: An improved version of [Mana Manipulation] unlocked by those Scholars capable of controlling tremendous amounts of mana with utmost precision. Prestige Class requirement.

    Suddenly, my legs gave out, and I stumbled on the stone steps. Every fiber of my body was burning, and I felt as if I was going to puke fire. Yet, the worst sensation was the Corruption slithering through my body. It was more than the mere physical sensation of a sea of needles moving under my skin, but I couldn¡¯t put it into words.

    ¡°Are you okay? Should I call one of my healers?¡± Captain Garibal asked as he crouched in front of me.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s just a case of Mana Exhaustion. I¡¯ll take a Mana Potion later, and it will be okay,¡± I quickly replied.

    The Corruption had to remain hidden.

    ¡°Can I know your name, Mister Caretaker?¡± Captain Garibal asked.

    Quite the strange inquiry following such a performance.

    ¡°Robert Clarke, Scholar, at your service.¡± I introduced myself with my last forces.

    The captain was set aback. At that point of my stay at Farcrest, I was used to the surprised expressions of those who knew I was a fencing Scholar.

    ¡°Scholar?! If you can control that amount of mana, you must be close to becoming a Sage. Or are you aiming for Tactician? You should be studying at the Imperial Library!¡± Captain Garibal said.

    He had a good eye, but I shook my head nonetheless.

    ¡°Most of them were mere illusions. If you excuse me, I have work to do,¡± I muttered.

    The Captain nodded, and I staggered my way inside the manor. As soon as I closed the door, my legs gave away, and I fell face-first against the wooden floor. Then, it was all darkness.

 68 - Finally Awake

    I kept my eyes closed and dove into my mana pool. While the amounts of mana I used against Kellaren were not even close to the power I had unleashed against the Lich, I expected the damage to be catastrophic. After all, little effort was required to aggravate an already existing wound.

    The interior of my mana pool was completely different from what I expected. Before, my mana pool was like an underwater lake: obscure, calm, silent. Now, it was the opposite. Hundreds of thousands of bright pulsating runes covered every single space of the shredded walls of my mana pool. I watched the light show in awe.

    [Mana Manipulation] allowed me not only to manipulate mana but also to detect it. With [Mana Mastery], a whole new plane extended before my metaphorical eyes. If I had to guess, mana pools weren¡¯t just regular containers for mana. There was more to it. And I needed to know.

    Against my better judgment, I grabbed a minuscule strand from the Fountain under my mana pool and powered [Awareness]. A section of the wall lit up, startling me. Interesting. It seemed the mana pool wasn¡¯t just a container for mana but also for skills. [Awareness] filled my short-term memory with miscellaneous information. However, this time, I was looking for something in particular.

    Mr. Byrne¡¯s cabin. The eerie notes over the dinner table. [Awareness] used the memories buried deep inside my unconscious to create a projection of the room. My body floated freely over the floor, free from the laws of physics, and I saw myself leaning over the table.

    I peeked over my shoulder. Just as I expected, the runes on the pages were the same as the ones on the walls of my mana pool, which was strange, to say the least. A bit unnerving even. Two possible theories popped into my mind, courtesy of [Awareness]. One, Mr. Byrne had discovered the runic language created by the System, or two, the System was designed using a manufactured runic language.

    Excitement crept from my stomach; this discovery was huge.

    Both theories came with problems, though. I couldn¡¯t be the first Scholar to achieve [Mana Mastery], which meant others could have discovered the runes before me. Sure, when it came to Class progression, I was riding the shoulders of giants. Earth¡¯s advancement in physics, mathematics, biology, and chemistry was infinitely superior to this world, which gave me hefty mana boosts. There were no Einsteins, Curies, or Newtons on this side of the portal after all. But there had to be geniuses in this world.

    A discovery of this size had to be a world-class breakthrough in the understanding of the System, and yet, I haven¡¯t seen any similar rune patterns anywhere. If someone discovered these runes before, it was only logical that, at least, they might be considered religious symbols.

    A smile crept into my metaphorical mouth.

    The runes looked like a language. A language could be learned. Once learned, the language could be used. If my suspicions were correct, Mr. Byrne had somehow used the runes to open the portal between both worlds. It made sense. The portal didn¡¯t seem to be a [Skill]; otherwise, it would take a caster and lots of mana to remain functional.

    The rabbit hole ran deep.

    What if Mr. Byrne managed to tame the power of the Fountain without risking getting corrupted himself?

    The implications would be world-changing. I needed to study the runes and gather any written pieces left behind by Mr. Byrne. Without a Rosetta stone, deciphering the runes would be nearly impossible, but maybe [Master of Languages] could help. There was much to do, years worth of investigation, yet the results would be worth every minute and more.

    I watched the runes light and fade in no discernible order for a minute before deciding to get up. Kellaren¡¯s attack had opened a door for a whole lot of new problems that I probably couldn¡¯t solve on my own. I sighed. We needed Sir Janus''s and the nobility''s support now more than ever.

    As I opened my eyes, pain assaulted me. Needles. Thousands of needles caught on fire, running through my veins. My sight was fuzzy, and for a moment, I feared I had gone blind. Fortunately, after a minute of blinking and rubbing, I managed to bring the familiar objects of Elincia¡¯s bedroom to focus. The bookshelf with Mr. Lowell¡¯s collection, the window, the desk and the chairs, and Firana¡¯s messy hair. What surprised me the most was the fact I could see her mana pool. A bright pulsating red light in the middle of her chest, healthy, strong. When I blinked again, the vision disappeared.

    The girl was sitting next to me; her upper body rested on the bed, and her wavy chestnut hair scattered over the white sheets. She was using my left arm as a pillow. No wonder why I couldn¡¯t move it. The girl weighed more than it appeared at first glance. [Awareness] gave me one last piece of insight before disappearing. Maybe [Strong] individuals had denser bones and muscular fiber. It was a theory as good as any other.

    With my free hand, I softly shook Firana¡¯s shoulder. The girl slowly opened her eyes; they were swollen as if she had been crying. She mindlessly wiped off the drool from the corner of her mouth and looked at me.

    I held my laughter; it was relieving to see her well.

    Firana¡¯s eyes suddenly shot open, any trace of slumber violently washed away. It seemed as if she had seen her sleep paralysis demon. Before I could utter a word, she jumped forward and hugged me tight. If I had been any weaker, she would¡¯ve probably broken my neck.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I did it again.¡± Firana repeated again and again as her tears wet my nightgown.

    At first, I was confused about why she asked for forgiveness, but then I remembered. It was the second time she ¡®brought¡¯ bad guys to the orphanage¡¯s door. Neither had been her fault, and neither Elincia nor I blamed for that. If anything, the fight against Kellaren helped me understand the System''s true nature.

    Firana''s cry broke my heart.

    At that moment, I decided to overrule the no-hug policy. Firana and the rest of the kids weren¡¯t merely my students anymore. It had taken me a while to understand that I wasn''t in the orphanage just to teach them. I wanted them to be happy and successful in a way that was hard to describe. I couldn¡¯t even imagine putting my well-being and desires over theirs. I felt, if only a little, that they were my own kids. I wondered if my father felt the same after he met me.

    Before I could say anything, Firana let me go and ran away. I tried to say something, but my mouth was completely dry. It hurt. Sighing, I grabbed the water jug on the nightstand and poured myself a cup. It tasted great. Then, I tried to get up, but my body felt strangely weak.

    My talk with Firana will have to wait.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Gathering all the bravery I could, I peeked under my pajamas. The Corruption had grown ¡ªa lot. The black patch went from my shoulder to my hip and covered half of my chest. I gritted my teeth. The orphanage was in danger, and I urgently needed a way of getting rid of the Corruption if I wanted to protect it.

    The silver lining was my shoulder and my leg wounds being completely healed. I wonder if Elincia¡¯s potions had suddenly taken effect or if the healing had come from another source. In any case, at least I could fence.

    Suddenly, as if I had summoned her with my thoughts, Elincia broke into the room.

    ¡°Three days, Robert, for fucks sake! Three days!¡±

    Three days?

    ¡°Language, lady!¡± I replied just as the army of kids entered the room after her. They were quickly approaching. A moment later, I was at the bottom of a mountain of orphans, and even Loki joined the pile in his dog form. Elincia pressed her lips against mine, even in the presence of the kids.

    The sound of bawling soon filled the bedroom. Only the older ones remained at a respectful distance. Ilya and Zaon were crying, and even Wolf shed a tear, although he tried to hide it. Firana was nowhere to be found.

    I held my breath until I thought I was going to die from asphyxiation.

    ¡°Mister Clarke needs to breathe, please move.¡± Ilya finally said as she removed the younger orphans one by one from the pile of bodies.

    Elincia stayed by my side for an extra moment before sitting on the chair. I had seen her concerned before, but never to this extent. Deep dark circles framed her bloodshot eyes. Her words resonated in my mind. Three days. I have been sleeping for three whole days? It didn¡¯t feel like that.

    It did feel awkward to be the center of attention, though.

    ¡°I thought you died.¡± Shu was the first to air her fears, and the generalized bawling increased.

    ¡°Die? How could I die when there are so many classes to teach? I was resting. I happened to exhaust all my mana at once and got struck by a severe case of [Mana Exhaustion].¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°But I feel great now.¡±

    The burning sensation in my chest gradually faded until it was a mere afterthought. It wasn¡¯t a surprise, though, that my body felt so unresponsive after three days of being bedridden.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful next time, I promise,¡± I quickly added.

    ¡°Okay, promise,¡± Shu replied.

    Seeing I was alive and well seemed enough for the little kids to calm down, but not so much for Elincia and the older ones. They were mature enough to suspect something strange was happening behind my facade of nonchalance.

    ¡°Alright, kids. I need to catch up with my class. Would you be so kind as to give us a moment?¡± I asked, and after a little push and pull and a couple more promises, the little kids vacated the room.

    Then, I sat on the edge of the bed. My sleeping gown was ridiculous compared with the gravity of the atmosphere, but there was little to do about it. I look at the worried faces of the older kids. Almost adults now. They deserved to know the current situation in the orphanage.

    I looked at Elincia, and she gave me a thoughtful nod.

    ¡°As you might have noticed, I¡¯m not doing well lately. During our trip to the Farlands, we faced an unexpected foe, and I got infected by Corruption, so most of my skills are useless now.¡± I said as I unbuttoned the first few buttons of my nightgown to show the black patch under my skin. The kids paled, and even Elincia looked at me in surprise, seeing the corruption¡¯s growth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it''s not fatal as long as I don¡¯t use my skills too much.¡±

    Ilya covered her face with both hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I tried to push the matter the other day, didn¡¯t I? When Miss Elincia¡¯s potions didn''t work?¡± She muttered, her voice full of guilt.

    Corruption was really the worst diagnosis on this side of the portal.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ilya. It might look bad, but I¡¯m not worried about it.¡± I replied.

    ¡°B-but you have been training us. How¡¯s that possible? Without proper skills, people shouldn''t¡­ I mean¡­ do things.¡± Zaon asked.

    Wolf replied before I could. ¡°Mister Clarke is like us orcs. He¡¯s a good fencer even without skills.¡±

    I appreciated his words, but they weren¡¯t entirely true. Most of my perspective stemmed from being born in a systemless world rather than a deeply personal and philosophical evolution. Losing my skills hindered me, but I believed in my ability to do things without them. My class and my skills didn¡¯t define my identity. I wondered whether I could pass those ideas to the kids. Zaon, in particular, needed to understand that a Class was merely a tool, not a reflection of his worth.

    Elincia cleared her throat and sat uptight. Suddenly, her gentle governess expression turned into the other Elincia, the one who loved to roam the woods and mountains.

    ¡°The orphanage is going through a dangerous period. Rob and I have tried to keep it a secret, but you will be considered adults soon, so you deserve to know the real situation. Thieves are lurking in the shadows, the Marquis can always try to act before the examination period, and Firana¡¯s extended family wants to abduct her.¡± Elincia raised her voice. She wasn¡¯t doubtful anymore. ¡°To weather the storm, we need the support of the nobility. I suggest we participate in the Stephanis Cup.¡±

    Elincia¡¯s words caught me by surprise. The last time we had discussed the matter, she had been adamantly against mixing the orphanage¡¯s issues with the nobility. My fight against Kellaren, however, might have been the breaking point. To deal with an enemy like a mercenary group, we needed everyone to know the orphanage had the support of the nobility.

    With my mana pool in shambles and my skills corrupted, there was no other solution.

    ¡°I will not force anyone to participate. The stakes are high, and you will have to fight skillful opponents. I will not be disappointed if you believe you can¡¯t do it.¡± Elincia said. ¡°But know that by participating, you will be helping save the orphanage.¡±

    The room fell silent. Her words carried the weight of an impending destiny.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll do it,¡± Zaon said with a trembling voice. ¡°B-but I don¡¯t know if I will advance from the first round.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it too! If Istvan Kiln is participating, be sure I¡¯m kicking his stupid ass.¡± Ilya jumped. Her eyes were on fire.

    The gnome girl¡¯s expression was so fierce that I overlooked that she had used one of the forbidden words.

    ¡°What about you, Wolf?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do anything to help my family.¡± The half-orc kid gave me the thumbs up.

    Elincia reached for my hand, which didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the kids.

    ¡°It is settled then. We have preparations to make.¡± I said, slapping my legs and standing up.

    The first item on my list was to order new sparring uniforms and practice swords. Our current ones were serviceable, but if we wanted to create a strong impression, we needed more than a ten-year-old hunk of steel. We also needed a uniform, not just any padded jacket, but something that separated us from the rest of the contenders. And I had the right craftsmen to design them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll meet Ginz immediately!¡± I said, reaching for my cloak.

    ¡°You¡¯ll remain in bed until I say so.¡± Elincia pulled my arm back to the bed.

    ¡°But the fashion!¡± I complained.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call Ginz and Miss Nasiah to see what we can do. Deal?¡± Elincia asked, but I knew it was more an order than a question.

    I sighed.

    ¡°Alright, Miss Rosebud, I¡¯ll stay in bed.¡±

    With the corner of my eyes, I noticed the children attempting to hide their grins.

    Finally, we would demonstrate to the Marquis what a group of orphans could achieve.

 69 - A nice present

    Staying in bed was more challenging than I initially expected. Elincia assured me Firana was faring better than she had expected, considering the burden on her shoulders, so  I agreed to remain put. Reading, however, was considered a form of resting.  As soon as Elincia went to prepare breakfast, I got out of bed and began rummaging through Mr. Byrne¡¯s suitcase. I quickly grabbed the man¡¯s old notebooks and returned to bed.

    The more I put my head into the mysteries of the System, the more I was convinced it was man-made. To my disappointment, the first notebook was just a field diary in which Mr. Byrne wrote down scribbles about the Farlands. It contained an extensive list of edible plants, each rated from zero to three stars. Notably, Hermit¡¯s Gold had the highest rating. There were annotations on alchemy, cooking ingredients, geology, weather, and monster behavior. The detailed passages about Black Wolf''s behavior and their apparent enmity with the Gray variety were fascinating.

    The difference between animals and monsters seems to be related to Corruption. Gray Wolves (not the same as Canis Lupus from Earth) are considered animals by the inhabitants of Farcrest, and even the orc tribes let them roam unimpeded most of the time. Most notably, Gray Wolves don¡¯t act aggressively unless they stumble upon a pack of Black Wolves or other Corrupted monsters. Dassyra told me she once saw a pack of twenty Gray Wolves fight a similar group of Black Wolves. The fight continued until no Black Wolves remained alive. Most notably, [Identify] can distinguish ¡®Corrupted Beasts¡¯ from ¡®Beasts¡¯. Further investigation is required to find out the origin of this ¡®Corruption¡¯. What¡¯s certain is that Corruption doesn¡¯t seem to be considered natural either by the tribes or by the System Church.

    I reread the paragraph twice until the words got imprinted on my brain. A particular line caught my attention. Without delay, I jumped up again and grabbed a bunch of Elincia¡¯s alchemy raw ingredients from the shelves. There was a particular way Byrne indexed the information that reminded me of the System¡¯s ¡®style¡¯. I¡¯d bet my left kidney that the man had access to [Identify]. I just had to prove it. I gritted my teeth, bracing for the pain, and used [Identify] on Elincia¡¯s ingredients. Like an icepick going through my brain, the familiar sensation assaulted me. This time, I had to hold back the urge to vomit. When I managed to control the nausea, I read the descriptions and compared them to Byrne¡¯s scribbling. The flavor text was the same.

    For a brief moment, I froze. I had just verified Mr. Byrne was a Scholar with access to [Identify]. The man was a subject of the System, and yet Dassyra knew about his real origin. I couldn¡¯t dismiss the possibility of the System warning dimensional travelers without punishing them. However, Dassyra didn¡¯t use the System, so it wasn¡¯t too farfetched to presume that the System did not have power over her. Another possibility was that Mr. Byrne had somehow ditched the System altogether.

    I sighed. Despite my desire to tell Elincia the truth, I was back in square one. There were still too many unknowns to ensure safety, and yet, with my connection with the System partially severed, there might be a chance nothing happened.

    The field diary left aside the issue of Corruption and continued with the geological and ecological notes. Mr. Byrne traveled from the orc settlements to Farcrest and back, making lists of monsters, plants, and ingredients. His observations were interesting, but I expected something else.

    There was a high chance these annotations were from before he learned to create interdimensional portals. I checked the Class Compendium, just in case. Scholars didn¡¯t learn any skill related to portal making, or at least the book didn¡¯t say so.

    I skimmed through the pages until I finished the first notebook. The last section was the most intriguing of them all. Mr. Byrne narrated the expedition into the cave system he had accidentally discovered alongside Mr. Lowell. What puzzled Mr. Byrne the most was the discovery of perfectly square corridors intertwined with the natural caves.

    The tunnels go deep into the mountain. They were made with magic, without a doubt. There are no marks of any kind. The cut on the stone is too clean, and the finish is too sharp to have been made with tools. Lowell knows nothing about them, and Dassyra refuses to speak about them. Despite orc magic being powerful, it¡¯s not near enough to carve these tunnels. I know there¡¯s something down there. Lowell shows little interest in the tunnels. His pursuit of knowledge starts and finishes with Alchemy and education. I might ask Dassyra again later. She has been showing interest in me lately. I wonder if I can convince her to¨C.

    The following few pages had been torn off. I rummaged through the briefcase, but the missing pages were nowhere to be found. The remaining notebooks contained information unrelated to the tunnel diving. Byrne¡¯s last words left a bad taste in my mouth.

    Elincia opened the door and caught me out of the bed. She carried a tray with two steaming cups and two plates with scrambled eggs, sausage, and toasted bread. The aroma of Green Moss Tea filled the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to keep you pinned down, am I?¡± Elincia put the tray on the desk when I pushed the pages back into the suitcase.

    ¡°I feel fine, Rosebud. As long as I don¡¯t use too much mana, I feel nothing strange.¡± I tried to reassure her with little success.

    Elincia gave me a worried glance and put the cup of tea and the plate of food in front of me. She then sat beside me and stabbed the sausage with her knife. Unlike me, a sensible person who saved the best food for last, Elincia dove right into the most delectable item without hesitation. Forgetting about our worries and enjoying a brief moment of privacy with Elincia was the highlight of my day.

    ¡°You are by far the naughtiest person that has set foot in this orphanage,¡± Elincia said as she bumped me with her shoulder.

    ¡°The second one. I know how you behaved.¡± I replied, savoring every subtle expression on Elincia¡¯s face.

    ¡°I¡¯m experienced enough to know when a kid is ungovernable. I know you have to visit Sir Janus and Captain Kiln to settle the deal about the Stephanis Cup, so I propose a deal.¡± Elincia said, pulling a white square of paper ¡ªa picture from the instant camera.

    When I tried to reach for it, Elincia pulled away with elven agility.

    ¡°I took this when I was taking a bath the other day. If you want it, you should behave until the end of the Stephannis Cup.¡± Elincia said with utmost seriousness.

    ¡°What if a guardsman picks a fight with me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You run away.¡±

    ¡°And if there are kids with me?¡±

    ¡°You take the kids and run away. Same thing with nobles, mercenaries, thugs, and vagrants. No fighting, understood? No damn fighting.¡± Elincia sighed. She was getting annoyed. ¡°Is it that hard to understand, Rob? I want you to be safe¡­ I don¡¯t want something happening to you.¡±

    I grabbed Elincia¡¯s hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

    ¡°I promise, really,¡± I said with my best serious voice. ¡°I do plan to annoy you for the foreseeable future, so you are not getting rid of me so easily.¡±

    Elincia smiled and gave me a soft headbutt.

    ¡°Good. Now go and tell Sir Janus we are going to participate.¡± Elincia kissed me.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    I grabbed Sir Janus¡¯ silver medallion and Ginz¡¯s deck of cards and left the bedroom. I saw Ilya, Zaon, and Wolf playing in the backyard with the younger kids through the windows. Firana was nowhere to be found. However, I knew where she would be. I turned toward the abandoned wing of the orphanage and headed to the ballroom.

    Just as expected, Firana was doing sword drills alone. She was covered in sweat, and her chestnut hair stuck to her face. The charred arming sword Captain Garibal had given her was in her hand. The Aias heirloom. I watched the girl repeating the same pattern of movements over and over without faltering. Despite not knowing the style, I could tell her form was almost perfect. Even after years of teaching, it still surprised me how fast some students picked up skills.

    Firana continued her silent dance until her arms gave out, and the sword slipped through her fingers. A weak burst of mana sparks exploded where the blade touched the floor. I used [Mana Mastery] to examine the sword. Thin, almost invisible, magical filaments crossed the edge from point to pommel. It lacked ¡®life¡¯ as if something were missing.

    I knocked on the open door and went inside. Firana¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment, and she averted her eyes as soon as I crossed the threshold. A sign of a guilty conscience. But there was no means of escape. The lateral doors were locked, and the tall windows were not designed to open.

    ¡°Want to come with me on a walk?¡±

    Firana seemed surprised. ¡°Why me?¡±

    ¡°I thought you might want to stretch your legs for a while,¡± I said.

    Firana nodded and wrapped the sword in a linen blanket before returning it to the wardrobe. Moments later, we were out on the streets. The icy wind stung my skin, so I wrapped my scarf tightly around my neck. Autumn was over, and winter loomed over the city. The sky was completely clouded over, and it seemed snow might be coming. Despite the low temperatures, the town was lively as ever.

    Firana walked next to me, her face buried in her scarf and her hands deeply jammed into her pockets.

    ¡°Cold?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Only a little. The new clothes are good.¡± She replied, her voice more relaxed now.

    ¡°Your birthday is soon, isn¡¯t it? What would you like as a gift?¡± I asked, ignoring if giving birthday gifts was a thing in this world.

    ¡°Ilya¡¯s birthday comes first, but yeah, I suppose my birthday is soon,¡± Firana shrugged, although I noticed a certain tension in her words. ¡°Miss Elincia always prepares a cake, so that¡¯s okay for me.¡±

    Turning fifteen was a massive milestone for those who submitted to the System.

    ¡°What would you like as a gift from me?¡± I asked again, but my question made Firana even more self-conscious.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She simply said.

    We advanced through the market. Despite the amount of foodstuffs on sale having diminished, the stalls were well stocked with other valuable goods. Living stock, seeds, fuel, construction materials, everything to survive the winter. Further down the street, a group gathered around a vendor''s blanket.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check it out.¡± I pointed toward the clump of people.

    A furry creature like a ferret showed off his enchanted items with mastery that made the rest of the vendors jealous.

    ¡°Good afternoon, beautiful citizens. I¡¯m Opoki de Itoria, merchant extraordinaire, and welcome to Opoki¡¯s Gold Coin Store. For today and only today, I¡¯ll be selling a uniquely curated selection of enchanted items from all around the continent and beyond.¡± The furry creature said. ¡°First item. Self-tying shoelaces.¡±

    Opoki pointed towards his shoes, an extravagant pair of boots with tiny shards of mirror glued all over the surface, and then clapped. The crowd gasped as the shoelaces came alive and tied on their own. Problems surfaced when the nearby people started clapping. The shoelaces tied and untied until they seemed to get confused and tied the boots together.

    The crowd wasn¡¯t amused when Opoki fell face-first.

    The following items weren¡¯t spectacular. The ¡®almost invisible¡¯ cloak left the merchant slightly translucent but completely noticeable nonetheless. There was a set of cutlery that turned limp, a quill that tickled the hand that wielded it, and an elusive saltshaker that moved away from anybody attempting to use it.

    Although some items would make for perfect pranks, the surprised crowd had completely disappeared after a minute. Knowing how things were in Farcrest, people were more interested in collecting firewood for the winter. Opoki would be rich if he presented his products to a playful noble.

    ¡°Hey, Scholar, come here. You look like you have love issues. What about an illustrated guide¡­¡± Opoki said, rummaging through his seemingly bottomless bag.

    I quickly shielded Firana¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°My love life is wonderful,¡± I said, despite Elincia and I being so overworked that we had little time to do things. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a birthday present.¡±

    Opoki put the smutty book back into his bag, and I removed my hand from Firana¡¯s eyes. The girl gave me a curious look but refrained from asking questions. Opoki ignored our silent exchange and put his hand back in his bag. Then he showed us a pair of slippery socks to ¡®easily glide through the house¡¯, a mirror that reflected the viewer having a particularly awful day, and a vial of invisible ink that remained invisible no matter what.

    The ugly mirror was depressing, and the invisible ink was outright useless. That didn¡¯t prevent Firana from laughing at every item. The slippery socks were¡­ intriguing. The corridor between the sleeping quarters and the kitchen had to measure well over fifteen meters.

    No item had truly piqued Firana¡¯s interest, other than in a humorous way, until Opoki pulled out an aged cape dyed in a washed-out vermillion hue. Opoki draped the cloak over his shoulders and closed his eyes.

    ¡°Behold!¡± The merchant said, suddenly opening his arms.

    A sudden wind made the cape flutter most dramatically. Then, to show it hadn¡¯t been a fluke, Opoki did it again, this time acting like a powerful wizard. Unlike the shoelaces, the cape obeyed his orders every time without fault.

    I could tell Firana was in love with the cape.

    ¡°How much for that one?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Everything costs one piece of gold in Opoki¡¯s Gold Coin Store. No haggling.¡± Opoki replied.

    Firana¡¯s smile was swiped away as if someone had slapped her across the face. A piece of gold was a hefty amount of money for the ordinary citizen. On the other hand, the cape was a genuine enchanted artifact despite its uselessness. A gift, however, didn''t have to be useful.

    ¡°Do you perhaps have something for a gnome who wants to be a Hunter?¡± I asked, thinking that Ilya might be more pragmatic than Firana.

    ¡°Opoki might have something for an archer gnome, but you¡¯ll have to trust me on this one,¡± Opoki said as he pulled out a bow without a string. ¡°This is the Cooldown Bow. Pulling the string back doesn¡¯t require strength, but the string will become rigid for a while depending on how much you charge the shot.¡±

    ¡°Why would you have a bow without a string?¡± Firana asked.

    ¡°Opoki is a lover, not a fighter.¡± The merchant replied, lowering his voice and looking around in the most suspicious way. ¡°Also, Opoki may have declared the bow as a walking stick to avoid paying weapon taxes.¡±

    Firana laughed at the creature¡¯s weird revelation.

    In the end, I bought the cape and the bow. Firana beamed at me as she put the cape over her cloak and struck a pose. The cape fluttered on her back, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. She loved it because she hugged me so tightly she almost broke my ribs. A moment later, we left the merchant behind and continued on our way to the Great Hall.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you mad at me?¡± Firana finally asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you did anything wrong.¡± I simply said.

    ¡°But Uncle Kellaren¡­¡± The girl¡¯s voice broke.

    I stopped and placed a hand on Firana¡¯s shoulder, searching for her gaze.

    ¡°Do you want to go with them?¡± I asked.

    Firana shook her head.

    ¡°You are safe, and I¡¯m alive. Then there¡¯s nothing to be sad about.¡± I smiled. ¡°Look, Firana, the orphanage will always be your home. Whether you end up in the Imperial Academy or leading the Aias mercenary group, we will be here waiting for you. Right?¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Firana sniffled.

    ¡°Wanna go with me to the Great Hall?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Can we enter?¡± Firana asked.

    ¡°Sir Janus gave me this, so I say we are pretty much honored guests,¡± I said, showing the silver medallion he had given me.

 70 - Game Night

    I pushed my way across the market. By the end of the main street, the inner wall rose like the menacing crest of a black wave adorned with red and golden banners. The Marquis''s banner was flung at half-mast under the royal banner. Not only did the king¡¯s army seek shelter in the city, but a member of the royal family was also a guest at the Great Hall. No matter how many merchants I asked, nobody knew who it was.

    In front of the main gate, a squad of imposing stag soldiers stood guard next to the city guardsmen. The army men¡¯s weapons and armor must¡¯ve been repaired when I was out of combat because there was no trace of dents or scratches. None of the groups seemed too pleased to share the workplace.

    Ignorant of the tension between guardsmen and soldiers, Firana walked beside me with a carefree attitude, striking sudden poses to trigger her new cape¡¯s enchantment. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. The fact I spent two gold coins on a ¡®useless¡¯ gift was going to ruffle Elincia¡¯s feathers, but seeing Firana happy made the purchase worthwhile. I hoped the present for Ilya would serve to appease Elincia. The Cooldown Bow seemed extremely useful, at least on paper.

    Seeing the main gate shut, I guided Firana towards a lateral door guarded by three guardsmen. The usual sloppiness in the guardsmen¡¯s outfits had disappeared entirely. The men were dressed to the nines with fancy armor and well-polished billhooks that shone under the faint light from the winter sun. I envisioned Captain Kiln cracking the metaphorical whip of diligence over the recruits. Poor creatures.

    The guardsmen saw us breaking from the crowd. We walked up the slope towards the Great Hall, and the two guards crossed their billhooks over the doorway while the sergeant, the one with the red plume on its helmet, stepped forward to meet us. My feet froze when my eyes fell upon him. Raudhan Kiln. His nose was crooked at a strange angle, and I remembered the blow I had administered to his face. It even hurt my hand.

    ¡°Very bold of you to show your face here, Scholar,¡± The young man said as he blocked the path.

    I gritted my teeth and cursed my luck. Of all the guardsmen in the city, it had to be the only one I had punched in the face.

    ¡°Finally decided to surrender your orphans to the King¡¯s army? Good call. At least they would be useful that way,¡± He said with a mocking grin, pointing his chin towards Firana.

    Elincia¡¯s words echoed in my mind. No fights.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so harsh, Sarge, she¡¯s just a kid,¡± The veteran guardsman said with a tired voice.

    Raudhan turned around, but I caught a glimpse of his angered expression.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask unless prompted, peasant. Unless you want to work a double shift for the rest of the month,¡± Raudhan threatened him.

    The veteran guardsman seemed unimpressed by the threat but remained silent nonetheless.

    ¡°I¡¯m here for official business,¡± I said, taking Sir Janus¡¯ silver medallion and showing it to Raudhan. The medallion¡¯s design made little sense to me, but the man seemed to recognize it because his mouth suddenly turned into a thin line.

    ¡°A medallion from the Imperial Academy? Are you here to see Janus?¡± Raudhan asked, trying hard to hide his surprise. He failed, though. The young man¡¯s acting was light years away from the veteran guardsman¡¯s.

    ¡°Yes. Sir Janus is expecting me,¡± I replied with a neutral tone. As much as I wanted to act smug, acting hostile against Raudhan would only undermine my chance of success. The orphanage had enough enemies without making new ones.

    Ultimately, Raudhan grunted in discontent but signaled the guards to move nonetheless.

    ¡°Follow me. Captain Kiln should know where Janus is.¡±

    I grabbed Firana by the shoulders and followed Raudhan across the thick, reinforced door. The man guided us through a dark corridor inside the wall, then across a second reinforced door, and we went out into an inner cobbled courtyard. The Great Hall boiled with activity. A batch of tall and robust young recruits with red shirts were training with the billhook under the supervision of a much older sergeant while a squad of royal soldiers practiced their formations. Army officials sparred while other high-rank soldiers watched from the corridors. Blacksmiths repaired weapons and armor in makeshift workshops in the corner of the courtyard.

    At no time did Raudhan ensure that we were following, so I had to drag Firana, who was hypnotized by the drills, not to be left behind. We entered the barracks building unchecked, and we climbed a set of stairs towards Captain Kiln¡¯s office. As soon as we reached the second floor, we were welcomed by the woman¡¯s bellowing words. She was furious.

    Raudhan stopped in its tracks and turned around. Then, he brought a finger to his lips and signaled us to follow him in silence. Firana and I nodded. We dragged our feet over the rug and stopped outside Captain Kiln¡¯s office.

    ¡°Two bodies! You can imagine my surprise when I received the report! Two damn bodies and the reports took a whole week to reach my desk! Not in my thirty years as the Captain of the City Guard have I seen something like this,¡± Captain Kiln bellowed.

    Someone was getting chewed out.

    ¡°Come on, Izabeka. They were two lowlifes. You are weaving conspiracies from thin air,¡± Sir Janus''s voice came muffled from the other side of the thick oak door.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I am not weaving anything. Criminals must be apprehended and interrogated. That¡¯s how things are in Farcrest! I don¡¯t care if you are a Royal Knight or the damned High Priest. The rules must be followed to the letter,¡± Captain Kiln bellowed again.

    ¡°Every criminal you release is a potential threat to the city, Izabeka. We have more than enough with the monsters looming over our heads to be occupied with thievery and murder,¡± Sir Janus raised his voice. ¡°At least the Caretaker and his kids are great with swords, so they could defend themselves until we arrived!¡±

    ¡°You cut their damn heads off!¡± Captain Kiln exploded again.

    ¡°They were scum! Wait. Someone¡¯s at the other side of the door,¡± Janus said.

    Raudhan cursed and signaled for us to step back. Then, he knocked on the door and spoke with a childlike voice. ¡°Auntie, I brought two visitors.¡±

    Firana and I exchanged confused glances. It was hard to imagine Captain Kiln having a soft spot for her dear cousin. Raudhan just shrugged his shoulders as if he were asking, ¡®What else do you want me to do?¡¯.

    ¡°Come inside, I¡¯m done here!¡± Captain Kiln yelled from the other side.

    The office was messier than I remembered. Stacks of parchment raised from the floor to the ceiling, bundles of scrolls protruded from the wall shelf, and the map table was covered with hundreds of painted markers and tokens. Captain Kiln¡¯s face distorted when she laid her eyes on me.

    ¡°Great, now the troublemaker Scholar decides to appear,¡± Captain Kiln violently sat behind her desk, making her chair creak.

    Despite my ignorance about weight taboos, I made a mental note not to comment on her weight any time soon.

    Sir Janus turned around and greeted me with a nod and a smile. I nodded back, feeling a bit guilty. If anything, I was partially to blame for Sir Janus''s situation. The thieves had followed me because I had been careless. Probably. My gut told me Kellaren Odrac-Aias was to blame, but it made little sense, considering he didn¡¯t know I was a Scholar.

    Raudhan closed the door behind us and crossed the room to stand behind Captain Kiln. He whispered something in the woman¡¯s ear and was smart enough to cover his mouth. Whatever he said didn''t make her happy.

    ¡°I¡¯m too busy with the Royal Army stationed within my walls. The System damn them, take a seat and be brief.¡± Captain Kiln grunted as she put a rogue strand of white hair behind her ear. She looked like she had slept very little.

    With long strides, I covered the distance from the door to the desk and sat in the chair next to Sir Janus. Firana stood next to me as a silent honor guard. I couldn¡¯t help but notice Firana glancing at Captain Kiln with admiration. The woman had to be a legend in Farcrest, just like Sir Janus.

    ¡°You can go, Janus,¡± Captain Kiln grunted.

    ¡°That would not be necessary. What I have to say concerns Sir Janus too,¡± I said to the woman¡¯s dismay.

    ¡°My two biggest headaches now working together, nice. You better bring me something good, Scholar; otherwise, I¡¯m telling the guards to ¡®escort¡¯ you out of my sight faster than you take a breath.¡± Captain Kiln said.

    Despite her harsh words, her eyes shone with a greedy glint.

    ¡°Allow me.¡± I replied with a broad smile as I pulled the box with Ginz¡¯s deck of cards from my cloak¡¯s pocket. Captain Kiln and Sir Janus looked at the ornate box with curiosity. All the credit went to Ginz and his excellent nose for pleasing customers.

    The cards flew in my hands as I performed my small repertoire of cuts. Despite giving Ginz minimal guidance, he had understood the ¡®feel¡¯ the deck should have. Perks of using the System, I figured. The sound of the deck being shuffled would never cease to be satisfying.

    ¡°As you can see, this deck has fifty-two cards grouped in four suits. Each suit has ten pip cards and three face cards: a jack, a queen, and a king. This deck also has four jokers, but we will not use them now.¡± I explained, laying the diamond cards face up on the table. ¡°Several games use this deck, but we will learn only one today. Poker.¡±

    Sir Janus and Raudhan must¡¯ve been avid gamblers too, because their demeanor changed as soon as I mentioned we were playing a game. They exchanged greedy glances like cats eyeing the last sardine. Luckily for me, I was working as the dealer this time. After playing liar¡¯s dice with the Captain, I learned I was no rival to her.

    ¡°Can I play?¡± Firana asked from behind me.

    ¡°No, this is not a game for kids. You can¡¯t learn it either.¡± I replied, making the girl grumble.

    For the next few minutes, I explained the game''s rules and wrote on a sheet of parchment the possible hands and their value. Luckily, the rules were simple, and after a mock match, Captain Kiln, Sir Janus, and Raudhan swiftly put their coin purses on the table. The tension in the air was palpable, so I started shuffling again before someone told me to deal.

    ¡°Alright, gentlemen, I don¡¯t want to see any spying or illusory skills on my table. Play fair and smart. Please make your initial bids. A piece of copper may suffice?¡± I said.

    The three looked at me as if I had just offered them a glass of boiling zero-alcohol beer on a hot day.

    ¡°A piece of silver?¡±

    They nodded and placed the coins in the middle of the table. Then hell was let loose. Janus was an aggressive player, and after a few rounds, Raudhan¡¯s coin purse was reduced to half. Captain Kiln¡¯s face remained indifferent as she won several good rounds. Sir Janus was the complete opposite; he laughed, grunted, sighed, and betted a couple of times without seeing his hand. Even though this was probably the second game of poker ever in this world, Captain Kiln and Sir Janus were obviously counting cards.

    Meanwhile, Firana paced around the room, examining the map desk or lying on the couch near the door. If Captain Kiln noticed, which I doubted considering the game''s intensity, she didn¡¯t complain. After a couple more rounds, Raudhan was out and depressed. His money had been more or less distributed evenly between Captain Kiln and Sir Janus.

    ¡°Enough for today.¡± Captain Kiln finally said, throwing her cards on the table: a jack and a queen of spades.

    ¡°Come on, Izabeka, we are having a good time.¡± Sir Janus complained, imitating her. He had two aces.

    ¡°I¡¯m a pragmatic woman. I¡¯m not spending time to end the game with roughly the same money as I had initially.¡± Captain Kiln replied as she counted her newly earned money while Raudhan looked at his empty purse, dejected. ¡°Now, Rob, what is the reason for your visit?¡±

    The Captain¡¯s demeanor towards me suddenly changed. She seemed almost friendly.

    ¡°I¡¯d like my kids to join the Stephannis Cup, and I¡¯d like you to support our participation. Sir Janus already expressed his support.¡± I said, gathering the cards and putting the deck back into the ornate box.

    Captain Kiln was caught by surprise and gave Janus a questioning glance.

    ¡°It¡¯s true. I have seen how the kids from Lowell¡¯s Orphanage fight. They have great potential, and I think showing their capabilities to the Marquis and his people will benefit them greatly.¡± Sir Janus explained with a calm voice.

    Captain Kiln sighed and glanced at Firana.

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you are referring to the Aias girl and Dassyra¡¯s kid? I think we can accommodate two more contenders¡­ that will mean an extra qualifying match¨C¡± Captain Kiln reached for a scroll and quickly skimmed its contents.

    ¡°Actually, I was hoping for my four eldest students to participate. Firana the human, Wolf the half-orc, Zaon the elf, and Ilya the gnome.¡± I interrupted her just to win a glance of disbelief.

    ¡°Say again, a gnome?¡± Captain Kiln blinked in confusion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll assure you, they are great. You can present me as their sponsor if you are too scared to smear your name.¡± Sir Janus interjected with a malicious glance.

    ¡°You¡¯ll sponsor a classless gnome¡­ in a fencing tournament in front of the entirety of the local nobility?¡±

    ¡°Ilya knows a thing or two about swordsmanship. I can vouch for Clarke¡¯s School of Fencing.¡± Sir Janus just shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Not to mention, I¡¯ll laugh my Class off when those silly noble kids start having trouble dealing with a bunch of orphans.¡±

    Captain Kiln sighed yet again. ¡°Are they prepared to compete, Robert?¡±

    ¡°We can do a demonstration right now if Firana is down for it.¡± I said, looking at the girl.

    A moment later, four pairs of eyes were fixed on Firana.

    ¡°Right¡­ who am I supposed to beat?¡± The girl smiled full of herself as she gave me the thumbs up.

    ¡°Me.¡± Captain Kiln replied.

 71 - Firanas Gambit

    Firana jolted when the door opened.

    Since Captain Kiln had announced she would be Firana¡¯s opponent, the girl had become skittish. A big man dressed in a leather apron entered the room, a small cubicle adorned solely with a bedframe and an empty desk, and put an iron brigandine on the table. Then, without saying a word, he left.

    Firana knocked on the armor with her knuckles. It was solid.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit too much for a sparring session?¡± The girl said, barely hiding her nervousness.

    It was. But again, the Stephannis Cup was a solemn event devised by the Marquis''s grandfather to test potential recruits for the Imperial Academy. To a certain extent, I could understand why the nobility didn¡¯t want hoe-wielding Farmers participating in the tournament.

    ¡°I''d rather you be safe. Accidents can happen even in friendly sparring,¡± I said, despite the fact the most ¡®grievous¡¯ wound I had seen during my HEMA years was a torn-off nail. ¡°Captain Kiln is a dutiful person. She will not harm you but push you to your limit.¡±

    Firana avoided my eyes. Suddenly, she wasn¡¯t as eager to fight as before, which was strange considering how much she enjoyed fighting me. More than her natural talents, Firana¡¯s most important trait was that she enjoyed a good challenge. Now, that spark of defiance had disappeared.

    I glanced at her with my best teacher¡¯s questioning face.

    ¡°What if I mess it up? Captain Kiln knows I¡¯m an Aias. She fought alongside my parents against countless monsters since before I was born¡­ I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll live up to the expectations,¡± She finally yielded, her voice trembling, if only slightly. ¡°What if, because of me, Zaon and Ilya are left without a place in the tournament? I want them to avoid the army. I want all of us to go to the Imperial Academy together.¡±

    I bit my tongue. It seemed my worries had reached the kids.

    ¡°Firana, listen,¡± I said, placing my hands on her shoulders and gently forcing her to look at me. ¡°I know how you truly are. Captain Kiln will test you, but I want you to forget about the tournament, your family, and winning. I want you to go out there and have fun.¡±

    Firana opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out.

    ¡°I know you enjoy fencing, and I know you admire Captain Kiln. Take this opportunity to show how much you¡¯ve learned,¡± I continued.

    ¡°But the strategy¡­¡± Firana managed to utter.

    ¡°Screw the strategy. Follow your gut, Firana.¡± I cut her out before she could overthink her predicament. The strategy would come later when she faced opponents of her caliber. If I was right, Captain Kiln¡¯s test was different; she wanted to figure out if Firana had the makings of a fighter or if she was a mere farmer girl playing with a sword.

    Firana nodded in silence as if she was slowly digesting my words and their meaning.

    ¡°Can I use my cape then?¡±

    ¡°I trust you will give us a great show,¡± I replied, gently slapping her shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Firana showed me her white teeth.

    I nodded and turned towards the desk, where a complete armor set awaited us.

    ¡°First time using real armor?¡± I asked. Our training gear at the orphanage was all padded linen that only protected dull blades. The gambeson on the table was two or three times thicker, which meant Firana would have a diminished range of movement. Luckily, the brigandine was easy to wear by design.

    ¡°I have worn armor before,¡± Firana nodded.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you changed then.¡±

    Firana removed her woolen sweater, and I helped her get into the thick and long gambeson. After a minute of struggle, the girl¡¯s head emerged from the neck hole with her chestnut hair all disheveled. If I hadn''t been used to seeing her with morning hair, I would¡¯ve burst out laughing. Luckily, the padded coif was going to hide it. Then, I opened the brigandine and let Firana put her arms through the shoulder holes.

    ¡°Tell me when you feel the weight resting on your waist,¡± I said as I tied the straps on the back and added the lamellar skirt. Being a mildly medieval history aficionado came with its perks in this world. One of them was being acquainted with armor.

    The armorer must¡¯ve had a great eye because the brigandine was perfectly attached to Firana¡¯s body. Sure, Firana wasn¡¯t small for a fourteen-year-old girl, but I was surprised by the fact a brigandine her exact size existed. Then I remembered that this world used fifteen-year-old soldiers to fight monsters.

    ¡°How does it feel?¡± I asked, stepping back and putting the depressing thoughts out of my mind.

    Firana turned around, moved her arms, and stretched her back.

    ¡°I can barely feel the weight.¡±

    That was a good hint. In the absence of a mirror, I used [Minor Illusion] to cast a perfect copy of the girl. She gasped and turned her body from left to right. I made the illusion mimic her movements, although a bit delayed.

    ¡°I know what I want for my next birthday,¡± Firana said with a smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking notes,¡± I replied, cape around her shoulders.

    A Viking-like helmet with a sturdy nose guard crowned the set. The result was quite scenic; medieval armor usually looked better in movies, but the worn-out cape added a touch of gritty realism to the shiny piece. Firana then put on the gauntlets while I grabbed her longsword from the perch.

    The courtyard, previously full of soldiers training their skills, now remained empty if not for Captain Kiln and Sir Janus, who waited in the center. The woman had shed her formal uniform and wore a loose white shirt and a set of iron gauntlets. A longsword hung from her waist. She looked fiercer than any HEMA practitioner I had faced before. If I had to rank my rivals, I¡¯d put the captain between the Lich and the Wendigo. But she wasn¡¯t my opponent today. I cast a glance at Firana; she seemed resolute.

    From the sidelines, recruits and royal soldiers watched the scene with interest. I didn¡¯t expect Captain Kiln to empty the courtyard for a simple demonstration, but Firana should get used to fighting with an audience. As we approached, a murmur rose from the audience, and Firana did not miss the opportunity to raise her hand and salute. I don''t know what else I was expecting. Back on Earth, every class had a showoff, and this world didn¡¯t seem to be the exception.

    ¡°You better take things seriously, Firana Aias. The duel will not end until I know you have given everything. Understood?¡± Captain Kiln said.

    Sir Janus sighed. ¡°She¡¯s a kid, Izabeka.¡±

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°At her age, I was already knee-deep in mud transporting supplies for the Sentinels.¡± Captain Kiln barked back.

    Sir Janus shrugged and walked back to the corridor with the rest of the onlookers. I had yet to discover why those two didn¡¯t get along, but I was more worried about Firana for now.

    ¡°Remember what I told you,¡± I said, adjusting the coif to her shoulders.

    Firana nodded.

    I put the longsword in her hand and backed up towards the sidelines. Sir Janus signaled to me to come close. The murmurs had grown to the point the corridor was a kettle about to boil.

    ¡°Who''s the old lady, and why is she fighting a kid?¡± An oblivious royal soldier asked.

    ¡°Is your Personal Sheet full of skeeth manure? That ¡®old lady¡¯ is none other than Captain Izabeka Kiln, the third strongest person in Farcrest. She defeated a damned Wraithwood Warden when she was only twenty years old!¡± A young guardsman said defensively.

    ¡°And who is the kid facing the mighty old lady?¡± An old blacksmith with gorilla biceps asked.

    ¡°Dunno. A young noble born, maybe?¡± The guardsman replied.

    ¡°She will not last a second, then. All of them are lazy.¡± The old blacksmith sighed.

    I remained silent with my eyes fixed on the courtyard. Captain Kiln and Firana exchanged a few words before breaking apart. Firana saluted and raised her sword over her head, pointing the tip towards her opponent. Captain Kiln, on her part, drew her longsword but didn¡¯t adopt any kind of guard. Instead, she rested the sword on her shoulder and signaled Firana to hit her.

    ¡°Easy, Firana,¡± I muttered, but the girl didn¡¯t take the bait.

    Firana stepped forward and threw a quick diagonal slash, but Captain Kiln was even faster and quickly got out of the way. Firana recovered in the blink of an eye and pressed forward. Her expression was one of complete focus. Unlike the first time we met, her movements were precise and measured. If Captain Kiln was surprised, she didn''t show it.

    Firana showed off her skills, weaving strike after strike, not leaving a single opening for Captain Kiln to counter. At times, like small flashes of genius, Firana left behind the constraints of [Longsword Mastery] and weaved movements far beyond her capabilities. Even though she was at the same level as Zaon, their movements were radically different.

    ¡°The kid isn¡¯t half bad.¡± A soldier pointed out.

    Of course, she wasn''t. Firana was my star student.

    Captain Kiln¡¯s face showed no emotion. The woman limited herself to dodging and retreating with an inhuman speed, always a palm away from Firana¡¯s reach. If I had to guess, Captain Kiln wasn¡¯t showing even a fraction of her real strength. Firana, however, kept pushing forward.

    ¡°The kid is getting desperate.¡± The blacksmith said.

    ¡°Your brain is full of lead; that kid¡¯s pace is perfect.¡± The guardsmen replied.

    Captain Kiln grabbed her longsword with both hands and pushed Firana¡¯s sword out of the way with extreme ease. The movement was so fast I had almost missed it. Firana¡¯s balance was off, but she managed to dodge Captain Kiln¡¯s riposte¡ªat least the first one. Captain Kiln released a quick barrage of strikes, overwhelming Firana¡¯s defense.

    The courtyard fell into complete silence.

    ¡°How old is that kid? Does she even have a class?¡± A guardsman asked, genuinely surprised. Building a solid defense was usually more complicated than attacking.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t, she¡¯s just that good.¡± Sir Janus replied.

    My throat was dry.

    Captain Kiln swung her sword from above. Firana blocked, but the blow was too strong and smacked past her sword and against her helmet, making her stagger. Luckily, Firana was used to fighting Wolf and receiving powerful blows, so she quickly regained her balance.

    ¡°Strange form, Firana Aias. Did Holst teach that to you?¡± Captain Kiln said as she raised her sword.

    Before Captain Kiln could finish the sentence, Firana lunged at her face. In the last moment, however, Firana changed the direction of the blow and tried to attack with the fake edge. Captain Kiln raised her sword and blocked seamlessly, but Firana didn¡¯t stop there. The girl pressed forward, hiding feints beneath feints, launching fake attacks, and aiming at the captain¡¯s hands.

    Slowly, Firana diverted from the controlled style I had been instilling in her.

    Captain Kiln grunted and pushed Firana¡¯s sword away. Then, fast as lightning, she overpassed the girl¡¯s defense and struck her ribcage. Firana lost balance and fell on her knees. There was a deep dent in her brigandine. The audience gasped. It had been a brutal blow.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Izabeka!¡± Sir Janus yelled from the sideline.

    ¡°No, let her,¡± I grabbed his shoulder before he could invade the courtyard.

    Firana removed her helmet with one hand while she untied the armor straps with the other. A moment later, she got rid of the brigandine as she gasped for air. The dent must have pressed her ribcage. I looked at the scene with concern. A potion might quickly heal a broken rib, but the mental wound could last longer. Firana brought her hand to her side and struggled to her feet.

    ¡°Let¡¯s change weapons, something I could use with one hand if you are so kind,¡± She huffed.

    Captain Kiln nodded, and with a single movement of the hand, a couple of squires entered the courtyard and exchanged the longswords for rapiers.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know rapiers are my specialty,¡± Firana smirked over the pain. Then, she untied her cape and grabbed it with her free hand. I wondered if cloak and rapier were a thing in this world or if Firana was just improvising.

    Either way, I could tell she was brewing something.

    ¡°Are you having fun, Firana?¡± I yelled from the corridor.

    Firana looked at me and grinned.

    ¡°I could do this all day!¡± She yelled back.

    Of course, she could. Firana was the one who chased Zaon down the orphanage for extra sparring sessions despite Ilya¡¯s complaints. The crowd was getting excited. The only one who didn¡¯t share the feeling was Janus, who looked at the duel worriedly.

    Firana waved her cape in front of Captain Kiln¡¯s face in an attempt to divert her attention from her blade. However, the woman deflected Firana¡¯s attack without apparent effort. Slowly and methodically, Firana tried to dismantle Captain Kiln¡¯s defense, but the woman had the advantage of experience and levels.

    Firana pulled back, gasping. The fight was near its end. Then, Firana fluttered the cape towards Captain Kiln¡¯s face again. Out of nowhere, she adopted a sudden rigid stance. I blinked just to be sure I was watching correctly. Firana was striking a pose. The enchanted cape seemed to understand its master¡¯s orders and billowed forward, pushed by an invisible force. Then Firana let go.

    The cape wrapped around Captain Kiln¡¯s face, blinding her. Firana jumped forward, rapier in front, but a sudden mana surge emerged from Captain Kiln¡¯s chest, sending the girl to the cobbled floor. The courtyard held its breath as the Captain removed the cape from her face.

    She was smiling.

    Captain Kiln erupted into a burst of juvenile and melodious laughter. The guardsmen exchanged bewildered glances as if witnessing a rare cosmological event. Captain Kiln covered her mouth with her hand, but she continued laughing uncontrollably. Firana stood up and laughed as well. To be fair, the cape twirling around the woman¡¯s face had been hilarious.

    The duel was over.

    Sir Janus gave me a quick nod and disappeared inside the Great Hall. A man in a white robe quickly inspected Firana¡¯s ribs, but she shouldn''t have broken anything because he departed before I could cross half the courtyard. I reunited with Captain Kiln and Firana while the rest of the soldiers resumed their daily training. The moment''s tension had been completely wiped away, and everyone seemed to be in a better mood.

    ¡°I¡¯m impressed, Rob. Firana is a great fighter. It¡¯s been a while since someone caught me by surprise. Consider your participation in the tournament official.¡± Captain Kiln said, still smiling. Without her stern expression, she looked a lot younger.

    Firana beamed at me, covered in sweat.

    ¡°You did a great job, Firana. I¡¯m proud of you.¡± I smiled back.

    ¡°I just copied Ilya¡¯s trick.¡± She shyly replied.

    New title acquired!

    Favorite Teacher (97): Going to school isn¡¯t that bad with you on the whiteboard.

    Class Reward: Slightly increased mana pool (97).

    New title acquired!

    Making the difference: A title for those who had made a radical change in a student''s life.

    Class Reward: Greatly increased mana pool.

    I felt a tug in my chest, and a sudden surge of adrenaline rushed through my veins.

    The Corruption.

    ¡°Can I have a word with you, Captain? In private?¡° I asked, leaving a confused Firana in the middle of the courtyard and walking towards the changing room. I heard Captain Kiln¡¯s footsteps behind me.

 72 - Advice

    The Corruption moving under my skin brought me to the brink of panic. I was used to the pain of the Corruption tentacles constricting under my skin. This sensation was new, and it felt wrong in a different way. The Corruption wasn¡¯t growing. It was changing. The thought of the Lich and the Wendigo appeared in front of my eyes. I felt nauseous.

    I entered the small changing room by the side of the courtyard, and as soon as Captain Kiln closed the door, I started unbuttoning my shirt. It wasn¡¯t the same painful sensation I felt when the Corruption reacted to my mana, but it wasn¡¯t a good sensation either. The last few buttons shot out as I violently opened my shirt.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need more than a couple of card games for this to happen, you kno¨C¡± Captain Kiln started saying but was cut short by the sight of the black patch of Corruption on my chest.

    A white light shone through my skin, and the Corruption violently burned away. The dark tentacles that reached my left hip and my right shoulder retreated. It was a painful yet relieving sensation, like pulling a rotten tooth. An instant later, the light disappeared, leaving most of the patch of Corruption undisturbed.

    Ignoring Captain Kiln, I closed my eyes and dived inside my mana pool. The place was still a mess. The powerful rays from the Fountain slipped through the cracks of the torn-apart walls, but it looked better, as if my mana pool was slowly healing. I needed to return to the orphanage to tell Elincia. However, Captain Kiln blocked the only exit.

    ¡°By the everloving System, Rob!¡± Captain Kiln exclaimed as she examined my bare chest with an expert eye. She grabbed my face and pulled my eyelids down to check my eyeballs. Then, she made me open my mouth and even checked inside my ears. ¡°Are you feeling as if there was another presence inside your mind?¡±

    I stepped back, away from the woman¡¯s probing hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m not turning into a corrupted monster,¡± I said.

    Most probably.

    ¡°Take off all your clothes. I¡¯m not letting you know until I know you are not mutating into something else.¡± Captain Kiln said, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I assure you, you don¡¯t have anything I haven¡¯t seen before.¡±

    I complied, trying to convince myself that this was a mere visit to the doctor. A level 51 Knight doctor that could force me to strip if necessary. I doubted I could stop her even at my full power. My offensive capabilities were twenty levels higher than my current level. However, after seeing Sir Janus fight, I was sure my defenses wouldn¡¯t stand a second against a high-level warrior. Taking my pants off didn¡¯t seem to be enough to please the woman.

    Captain Kiln raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°How did you get that much Corruption?¡± She asked as she examined my scalp.

    There was no reason to lie.

    ¡°I fought a Lich,¡± I replied.

    Captain Kiln¡¯s eyes shot wide open.

    I felt guilty for not telling her earlier. As the Monster Surge never hit Farcrest and the danger of invading undead disappeared, I had postponed my visit to the Great Hall. Telling Captain Kiln that a Lich was out there in the Farlands lost importance compared to protecting the orphanage from more imminent threats.

    I tell Captain Kiln a summary of our adventure into the Farlands. The woman just nodded and asked a few questions from time to time. I incorporated only the most essential information into the story to avoid dragging our reunion. Firana was still somewhere out in the courtyard waiting for me.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe. A Scholar defeating a Lich?¡± Captain Kiln finally said.

    ¡°Don''t even tell me. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m still alive,¡± I replied.

    Captain Kiln scratched her chin in a pensive expression. She occasionally cast pitiful glances towards the black patch on my chest. I know what she was thinking. In this world, Corruption rendered people useless. The ailment carried a heavy stigma.

    ¡°There¡¯s very little we know about Corruption. I didn¡¯t even know it could heal so fast. This could be an important discovery.¡± Captain Kiln said. ¡°What did you do before it started healing?¡±

    I quickly opened my Character Sheet, and my eyes fell upon my shiny new titles. A sudden idea popped into my mind. What if the Corruption disappeared because the System overwrote a patch of runes inside my mana pool?

    ¡°I gained a new Scholar title. I think it triggered because Firana overcame a great challenge.¡± I said.

    ¡°You should put your students through great challenges then.¡± Captain Kiln said.

    It was only logical. However, I didn¡¯t want to use my kids as instruments toward my personal goals. Holst viewed the kids as tools for his Class progression, which had proven detrimental to them. I shook my head. Our priority was clear. Challenges will come, but our goal will always be to nurture the kids.

    ¡°One last thing, Rob. For the love of the System, don¡¯t let any System Zealot look at it. They aren¡¯t particularly fond of Corruption.¡± Captain Kiln looked at my naked chest one last time. ¡°Regarding the Lich¡­ I¡¯ll tell Chieftain Alton to open an eye in case they stumble upon any undead. You can dress up.¡±

    Before I could put my pants on, the door slammed open. An imposing figure blocked the doorway. I met a pair of eyes I hadn¡¯t seen since my first time in the Great Hall. Marquis Tauron of Farcrest raised his eyebrows as I quickly covered my chest with my shirt.

    ¡°Izabeka, finish that quick. The damned crowned prince is on his way already. Everything has to be perfect. We can¡¯t miss this opportunity.¡± The man said with a somber tone before turning around and disappearing through the courtyard without giving me a second glance.

    Captain Kiln sighed, and I knew I had done well staying away from court intrigue.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Another time, Rob. Prepare your kids. The tournament will be announced soon.¡± Captain Kiln said, leaving me alone in the room. With the doorway unblocked the Marquis''s entourage gave me a good ogling before turning around.

    I looked at the Corruption patch on my chest one last time before putting my shirt on. It had shrunk. Things were looking bright. Not a second after putting on my jacket, Firana crossed the doorway with the dented brigandine under her arm. She left the armor on the desk and sat smiling on the bare bed planks.

    ¡°Captain Kiln hits like a golem,¡± Firana said, rubbing her ribs.

    ¡°You did great,¡± I replied.

    ¡°That means I¡¯m your favorite student?¡±

    ¡°If you start doing your chores every day, I¡¯ll consider it.¡±

    I looked at my new Title, [Making the Difference], and a warm sensation filled my chest. Even if my rational mind knew we had made significant advancements at the orphanage, at times, it was hard to maintain a positive attitude with all the pending work ahead. [Favorite Teacher] was at ninety-seven stacks. I wondered if reaching a hundred would give me an extra boost.

    I helped Firana get out of the gambeson, and a moment later, she was back in her usual attire. We had accomplished our mission in the Great Hall. I rubbed my hands and smiled. We were a step closer to keeping the orphanage and the kids safe. The prospect of the future didn¡¯t scare me anymore. I felt enthusiastic instead.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Firana,¡± I said.

    We crossed the courtyard towards the gate when a familiar robbed figure stood before us.

    ¡°Master Clarke! It seems destiny has brought us together again, which is curious, considering I was thinking of you lately.¡± Luzian Abei, the old court Scholar, greeted me with his arms open. Luckily, he didn¡¯t expect me to hug him.

    ¡°Master Abei, the pleasure is mine as always. May I inquire what prompted you to turn your attention to me?¡± I politely replied. Now more than ever, I needed all the allies I could gather.

    ¡°I am the eldest Scholar in this remote city, and it¡¯s hard to find assistance when doubts siege me. I wondered if I could ask for your judgment for a brief moment.¡± Abei said with a slight bow. ¡°The little miss is also invited, of course.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, although there is plenty I¡¯m still ignorant about,¡± I bowed back.

    Firana watched our theatrical exchange with amusement.

    ¡°You can go back to the manor, Firana. These Scholar¡¯s things might be a bit boring.¡± I said, but the girl vigorously shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    Abei led the way into the Great Hall and towards the Scholar¡¯s Tower. Although Firana and I were armed with rapiers, no guard dared to stop us. Abei''s position inside the rungs of Farcrest¡¯s ladder seemed close to the top. I enjoyed the decorated corridors, wondering if the manor had ever come close to such a level of opulence before entering its dark days. Only Elincia knew. We climbed the spiral stairs and stopped near the top to spy through a window hole. The casual use of drones had made me insensitive to sky shots until now. Firana clung to me as we watched the rooftops and the ant-size people walking down the streets.

    When we reached the top of the tower, Abei pulled out a key from his sleeve and opened the door.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want Scribes spying on my research right now,¡± Abei said with a mysterious voice. ¡°Please, make yourself at home.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but watch in awe at Abei¡¯s ¡®study¡¯. It wasn¡¯t a study at all. The room was a full-fledged library with thousands and thousands of ancient tomes covering every wall and ceiling-high scroll racks filled to the brim with old texts. There were study tables under wide and tall windows that let the light pour in as cascades of silver, alchemy stations with a varied assortment of tools, solar system models that I couldn¡¯t recognize, great maps painted on leather hanging from the walls, and several shelves with tools I couldn¡¯t name. Firana was as surprised as I was.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take your astonishment as a compliment. Luckily for me, the last three Marquises had been men of science and progress. I have been building this hideout of knowledge for the last fifty years even though the Scholars from the Imperial Library frown at gathering such knowledge so near the Farlands.¡± Abei explained as his voice became more and more passionate. ¡°In any case, have you chosen a Class yet, little miss?¡±

    Firana took a second to realize the old man was addressing her.

    ¡°I¡¯m still months away from my fifteenth birthday.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Anything that caught your attention?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Scholars are very cool,¡± Firana said, looking in the opposite direction I was standing.

    ¡°We are very ¡®cool¡¯, indeed.¡± Abei agreed as he guided us to the biggest table in the library.

    In the middle of the table rested the System Shrine Fragment, the great blue orb they had used to project my Character Sheet for the whole court to see. Just as I remembered, it remained opaque, trapped inside a nest of bronze wire. I made a mental note to ask Abei how they crafted the wire.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I have been inconsiderate. I brought you here without asking first about your research, Master Clarke,¡± Abei slapped his wrinkled forehead.

    My research? Then I remembered I had told the old man that I was researching the social dynamics of the orc tribes.

    ¡°It¡¯s too soon to conclude anything. But it seems that the orcs can become subjects of the System but decide not to. They seem to despise the Corruption even more than they desire the boons of the System.¡± I quickly said.

    Abei nodded, meditative.

    ¡°Not a completely foolish way of thinking. In the best case, Corruption renders a man useless. At the worst, it turns him into a monster. There¡¯s still too little we know about Corruption, maybe for the best.¡± Abei nodded.

    ¡°What about your research, Master Abei?¡± I asked, funneling the conversation back to the critical matter. As much as I was interested in Abei¡¯s library, I wanted to return to the manor and celebrate our most recent victory with Elincia and the kids.

    ¡°It¡¯s a translation problem. As you are a man of the world, I thought you might be familiar with this foreign language.¡± Abei leaned over his research station and handed me an old notebook.

    I opened the first page and recognized the ball pen handwriting.

    ¡°How did you get your hands in this diary?¡± I asked, trying to hide my surprise.

    ¡°It belonged to a Scholar who arrived at Farcrest over a decade ago. Samuel Byrne. Good friends with Lowell, the orphanage¡¯s founder.¡± Abei explained as he walked towards the System Shrine Fragment. ¡°We found the System Shrine Fragment in the depths of a cave system in the Farlands. With time, my interest had shifted from the skies to more earthly matters, and now I¡¯m trying to make sense of the existence of this strange relic.¡±

    ¡°Investigating the System itself?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°It¡¯s not illegal, although I¡¯ll ask you not to talk about it in front of the System Zealots¡­ they are very zealous about their secrets, pun intended,¡± Abei said.

    It seemed that being lame came along with the Scholar Class.

    ¡°The diary contains certain information about the crystal, or so I hope. Fourteen years had passed since I saw Byrne for the last time, and the little I learned about his language is long forgotten.¡± Abei cleared his throat.

    ¡°Let me see what I can do with my [Language Mastery],¡± I replied, taking a chair and sitting near the window. After reading the diary''s contents, I would decide if telling Abei was an option.

    ¡°Marvelous!¡± Abei chirped. ¡°In the meantime, I''ll give the little missy a tour through the library so you can work in peace. There¡¯s ink and paper over there if you need it.¡±

    Firana pointed toward the solar system models, several desks away, and I buried my nose into the notebook.

 73 - The second Scholar

    I opened Byrne¡¯s journal to the first page, and a surge of adrenaline coursed through my body. It was that old, familiar sensation I experienced whenever I stumbled upon something long lost. Something that should¡¯ve remained hidden but, by the whims of destiny, had found its way back to my hands. Once again, I felt like an archeologist uncovering secret arcane knowledge. I just hoped Byrne¡¯s diary would be more enlightening than the ones I had read before.

    The diary started in the middle of a paragraph. I noticed the missing pages at the beginning. It wasn¡¯t the first diary with torn-out pages. That led me to believe there were parts Byrne didn¡¯t want to be seen. I shook my head and focused on what was in the journal.

    Lowel was feeling sick and missed the end of the expedition. It took us two extra days to finish mapping the tunnel system. Even with the help of the Sentinels, things got messy. Chieftain Alton¡¯s geolocation skills are as scary as they are helpful. Without his help, this expedition would¡¯ve ended in tragedy. His rough drafts are better than any of the Scholar¡¯s maps. Luzian Abei ignores the authorship of the tunnels. He says no Marquis of Farcrest has ever worked the inner mountains. Dassyra insists the tribes don¡¯t have the tools or the technique to cut the stone with such precision. I could not rule out the existence of a previous civilization living in these valleys, maybe when the Farlands were far to the north before they moved south.

    The following pages were unremarkable details about the expedition: information on the timeframe, supplies, summaries of other squad¡¯s exploration results, and minor skirmishes with low-level monsters. The only important conclusion I could draw from the following thirty pages was that Mr. Byrne had a sizeable mana pool and fairly advanced control over [Mana Manipulation]. It wasn¡¯t a surprise, considering he was a Scholar with knowledge of the modern world.

    The deepest chambers aren¡¯t different from the rest of the rest of the tunnels. Smooth stone cut in perfect angles. No monster had appeared. There¡¯s no indication of a previous underground settlement ¡ªjust naked rock. I feel a voice calling me from the depths, not an audible noise but a message directly telegraphed into my mind. Felt like a System prompt without a prompt. Perhaps it¡¯s just my own paranoia stemming from yesterday¡¯s encounter with the spider monsters. The last chamber is circular. There is a shattered orb in the middle. The biggest half is filled with a black substance, Corruption most probably. Luzian Abei and the rest of the Scholars corroborate my assumption. The shards are also corrupted. The smaller half isn''t. As soon as Luzian touches the stone, his face lights up. We have found the fragment of a System Shrine.

    The Zealots from the Church allowed us to keep the Fragment in the city. I haven¡¯t told anyone about the voice in my head, but it persisted even after a week outside the tunnels. If any other Scholars heard it, they haven¡¯t said anything. Luzian insists the Fragment¡¯s only use is to scan people¡¯s Character Sheet. The Zealots are keen, but I used the Fragment in secret. People of the kingdom of Ebros believe the System is a natural force, a god even; I think it is not.

    There was a time jump of several weeks until the next entry. Byrne¡¯s neat handwriting had mutated into hasty scribbles. If I had to guess, Byrne wrote the journal not because he enjoyed the activity but because he was committed to putting his thoughts on paper.

    I have been living in the Farlands for a while now, searching for clues about the Fragment to no avail. As much as I enjoy the company of these rowdy people, I need to return to Farcrest. Lowell¡¯s health is constantly declining. No matter how many potions he chugs, he isn¡¯t getting better. I might have to convince him to come back to Earth with me. Even if that would mean not coming back, modern science might save his life. I own him for saving mine. The Fragment keeps calling me, the words clearer by the day, but I still don¡¯t understand.

    There was another time jump. Months this time.

    I have achieved [Researcher of the Hidden]. Teaching at the orphanage had given me several boosts. My mana pool had doubled in the last month. Today my [Mana Manipulation] turned into [Mana Mastery].

    Byrne¡¯s handwriting was almost a continuous line. I could practically feel the urgency with which the entry was written. The following few lines were almost unreadable.

    It reacted. My theory might be true. The Fractalis System is something completely different than these people believe. A heavy burden rests on my shoulders. I have to return to Earth with or without Lowell. I might not be able to return.

    The diary ended abruptly. No more notes, maps, or anything. These were the last words Byrne had put into paper before going missing fourteen years ago. I reread the previous entries to ensure I wasn¡¯t missing anything. I closed my eyes and strained my brain for an answer. But instead of answers, even more questions piled up inside my brain. Who was the voice? What was this ¡®heavy burden¡¯ he talked about? Why did he return to Earth?

    I glanced at the Shrine Fragment, and a shiver ran down my spine.

    [Mana Mastery] and the Shrine Fragment had been the catalyst to Byrne¡¯s discovery, and I had access to both. I brought my hand near the crystal but stopped midway and asked myself if I wanted to expose myself to that knowledge. Curiosity was killing me, yet unveiling the world''s secrets wasn¡¯t my priority right now.

    I shot a glance at Firana.

    No matter what ominous secret lay before me, I wouldn¡¯t abandon Elincia and the kids like Byrne did with Dassyra. If the Fragment¡¯s secret was impossible to deal with, I could always take them back to Earth. Raising twelve kids in the current economy would be challenging, not counting their exotic races. I chuckled. As long as we were together, everything would be fine. After all, Elincia and I were an unstoppable team.

    I stretched out my hand and touched the fragment.

    Fractalis System initializing¡­

    Checking the contents of the foreign soul¡­

    Foreign Soul Robert Clarke detected¡­

    Large amounts of Corruption detected, initializing security settings¡­

    Stolen story; please report.

    I tried to pull my hand back, but an invisible force drew me towards the crystal. Suddenly, thousands of thousands of runes glowed within its blue depths. I couldn¡¯t turn around, but such a light show must¡¯ve alerted Abei and Firana. I waited for a moment, but nothing happened. Then, I wasn¡¯t in the Scholar Tower anymore.

    The transition had been instantaneous and unintentional. One moment, I was in front of the orb, and the next, I was floating inside my mana pool. The rune-covered walls remained as damaged as I remembered, but I wasn¡¯t alone this time.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Robert Clarke. Or should I call you ¡®cowboy¡¯?¡± A nasal yet soothing voice spoke behind me.

    A chubby, short man was sitting cross-legged ¨Cfloating?¨C in the middle of my mana pool, watching me from behind thick crystal glasses with tortoiseshell frames. His hair was blonde, almost white, with a bowl haircut. His mismatched clothes could be described as 80¡¯s nerdish style. After a second glance, I noticed faint Corruption strands under his pale skin.

    ¡°What did you expect? A six-foot-tall, handsome stud?¡±

    ¡°Are you the creator of the System?¡± I cautiously asked. Having someone inside my mana pool felt like a massive breach of privacy.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a fragment of the System.¡± The man explained, scratching the shade of beard on his upper lip. ¡°Look, I know you have many questions, and I¡¯ll try to answer them, but we have little time. With your ridiculous quest to save that orphanage distracting you from leveling up your class, I feared you¡¯ll never learn [Mana Mastery].¡±

    ¡°Wait. Were you expecting me to find you? You didn¡¯t make me a Scholar because of my teaching vocation?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not making you a Mage. Only Scholars can learn [Mana Mastery], so I needed you to be a Scholar if I wanted to meet you eventually.¡± He replied. ¡°Regarding your vocation, though¡­ your students loved you because you are a funny, easygoing guy who hasn¡¯t forgotten what it is like to be a kid. Other than that, you are kind of a shitty teacher with discipline issues.¡±

    I was so set back that I couldn¡¯t answer. During the last months, I had been telling myself that if the System assigned the Scholar class, it had to be due to my natural tendency to teach. That idea had pushed me forward even during moments of doubt. My titles didn¡¯t lie.

    If I had a solid body, I would¡¯ve needed to take a seat.

    ¡°You gaslit little Ilya into believing she could become an Imperial Knight. Unsurprisingly, you could also gaslit yourself into believing you are a good teacher.¡± The chubby man added as if reading directly into my thoughts. ¡°Did I use that word correctly? Gaslit?¡±

    I looked at the man in shock and nodded.

    ¡°I figured I did it. Learning things is easy when you have direct access to other people¡¯s memories.¡± He said with a self-satisfied tone.

    Although I was before a human figure, I suspected I wasn¡¯t actually talking with a human being. For starters, he lacked any kind of filter to his words. And there was the fact he hadn¡¯t moved an inch since we first met. I ignored the insults and assumed I was in front of a machine with a human appearance ¡ªan avatar of the System.

    ¡°You make me a Scholar so we could eventually meet. Why?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I have a problem I can¡¯t fix without external help.¡± The chubby man said, unbuttoning the first buttons of his yellow polo shirt and revealing a dark patch of Corruption. ¡°The System had accumulated errors over the years, and I fear the situation is about to reach a point of no return. Corruption isn¡¯t native to this world, not in great amounts, and yet corrupted beasts roaming the land had become a usual sign.¡±

    I nodded. Suddenly, all my theories about the System were being confirmed. The System wasn¡¯t perfect or natural, and a higher being didn¡¯t create it. The System was a complex artificial program that accumulated errors much like any other. I bit my nail. The Corruption situation had to be dire if Byrne returned to Earth instead of dealing with it.

    ¡°You have System Zealots to do your dirty work. Why don¡¯t you send them a Quest with whatever you need done?¡± I interrupted him. Usually, world-saving quests meant facing great dangers, and I wasn¡¯t in the position of leaving the orphanage to travel across the world any time soon.

    ¡°Can¡¯t do. System Zealots don¡¯t have the skill set required for this job. Only a Scholar with [Mana Mastery] would do.¡± The System Avatar replied.

    Suddenly, the walls of my mana pool trembled, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I felt a powerful presence prowling just outside my vision range ¡ªa slithering body of a dark creature moving just outside my mana pool.

    ¡°Don''t pay attention to it. That¡¯s a diagnostic tool searching for irregularities in the System. My presence must¡¯ve triggered that subroutine.¡± The chubby man said with a pleading, distorted voice. ¡°Look, Rob. The System is order, and the Corruption is chaos. The people of this cruel world need the System to survive. That¡¯s the reason it was created. If you love this world as much as my original creator did, please lend me your help.¡±

    The walls of my mana pool trembled again. The Avatar was right. I loved this world, its people, its magic, and I¡¯d do anything to protect it. I sighed, feeling dirty about what I would do. I doubted I¡¯d get a chance like this any time soon. Time was pressing, and I had the upper hand in the negotiations, so naturally, I had to ask for the moon and the stars.

    ¡°Can you give my kids powerful classes?¡± I asked.

    The man looked at me in disbelief.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t edit the class-assignment subsystems, and I can¡¯t edit their Classes if they don¡¯t have one already.¡±

    ¡°Can you get rid of my Corruption?¡±

    He shook his head.

    ¡°Can you at least tell me the [Knight] Class requirements then?¡± I was getting out of ideas for a proper reward.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that depends on the contents of people¡¯s souls, literally. A [Knight] is a bulwark against injustice. It requires decisiveness, tenacity, and an unbreakable sense of justice.¡± The chubby man apologized. His voice became more and more glitched by the second.

    My mana pool trembled violently, and the bright blue runes on the walls turned into a red gleam. I felt the creature trying to enter through the cracks. Time for negotiations was rapidly drawing to a close.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do much now, but I can eliminate the Foreign Soul¡¯s silence pact. I have seen inside your mind, and I know you are dying to tell your elven girlfriend the truth about your origin.¡± The chubby man grunted. His avatar was starting to fade. ¡°I have been pushing for that relationship since the very beginning, so at least you have to give me some credit.¡±

    Just as I nodded, a prompt appeared in front of my face.

    Erasing Silence Pact¡­

    Process complete.

    You can speak to your heart¡¯s content.

    I didn¡¯t feel a physical sensation, but the runes on the wall changed into a new layout, so I assumed the change had been done.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll help you. What should I do first?¡± I said as an eye peeked through a large crack through the wall. My blood froze. Was it necessary to add visual effects to whatever subsystem that was?

    ¡°I knew you would do it.¡± The man smiled. ¡°Ready for a power-up?¡±

 74 - [Researcher of the Hidden]

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± I said, but a powerful tremor drowned my words.

    ¡°I knew you would do it.¡± The man smiled, relieved. ¡°Ready for a power-up?¡±

    As soon as I pronounced the words, the slithering creature that roamed just outside my mana pool retreated. The quakes ceased, which was a relief because my mana pool was dilapidated enough as it was. The chubby man in the yellow polo shirt floated towards the wall and spied through a crack before sighing in relief. As much as I was relieved by the sudden disappearance of the creature, I feared that inviting the System Avatar would have permanent consequences.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you as long as your plan doesn¡¯t interfere with my work at the orphanage,¡± I clarified. Sure, freeing the world from Corruption seemed like an excellent idea. So far, every creature related to Corruption had threatened to kill me, and I was positively sure the world could live without it. Now, I had to ensure the System Avatar wasn¡¯t swindling me.

    ¡°My plan will not interfere with the orphanage, I assure you,¡± the chubby man said as he examined the sigils on the wall as if he were measuring his work area.

    Each time he reached a crack, he clicked his tongue in displeasure. The damage was extensive. Even after [Favorite Teacher] and [Making the Difference] had gotten rid of part of the Corruption in my body, long cracks and deep tears covered the walls, leaving only a few patches of runes untouched. As the minutes passed, I couldn¡¯t help but grow more suspicious.

    ¡°Can you at least give me the benefit of the doubt?¡± He asked.

    Could I give him the benefit of the doubt? The System had the ability to rearrange the neuronal connections inside my brain. [Swordsmanship] was enough proof. The System had refreshed and made instantly available memories and experiences I had thought long lost. A shiver ran down my spine. If the System could edit my memories, it could force me to accept its demands unquestioningly. But it hadn¡¯t.

    ¡°I am already giving you the benefit of the doubt, so you better start talking,¡± I finally said.

    The chubby man lost interest in the sigils and looked me directly in the eye. I felt the System¡¯s intrusion on my thoughts, an invisible hand digging through my most profound memories, reading and recording forgotten experiences. After a brief moment, the sensation disappeared.

    ¡°Okay, I know your main questions now, so keep quiet and listen carefully because I¡¯m explaining this once. Knowing this will benefit us both,¡± the chubby man said thoughtfully. ¡°Your theories are mostly correct. The System is an interface to ease the connection between mana users and the Fountain. The System is imperfect, though. You experienced it already; the reckless usage of Fountain mana produces Corruption. Corruption interferes with the System''s proper functioning, creating more Corruption, more corrupted monsters, and more crazy corrupted magicians. A vicious circle of Corruption, if you may.¡±

    I nodded in silence. The truth about the System and Corruption wasn¡¯t so far from my initial theories. Sure, my proof was limited to my own experience with Corruption, but it made sense. The Wendigo¡¯s flavor text pointed out that the creature was originally a magician whose powers came out of control.

    The same happened with the Lich. Even if the creature could not be identified, it had made clear that it wanted power the System couldn¡¯t confer it. More than a month had passed since my encounter with the Lich, but the memory of the electric blue eyes sent a shiver down my spine. If working with the System Avatar meant getting rid of creatures like the Lich, maybe it was worth it.

    I had little proof that the System Avatar was lying. The Corruption patch on my chest grew each time I used more mana than the System allowed me to. I already suspected there was a correlation between using mana directly from the Fountain and Corruption. The words of the System Avatar only corroborated my theory.

    ¡°How do I know you are not just tricking me?¡± I asked. All the talk about dealing with Corruption seemed correct to me, and yet, Byrne¡¯s first impulse after touching the Fragment was to flee back to Earth.

    ¡°There¡¯s no trick! Is it that hard to believe I want to eliminate the errors in the System? Look. First, I will trust you with powers others can only imagine. Second, I can¡¯t force you to do anything. I don¡¯t have leverage in the material world now that the Pact of Silence has been erased. If you wanted, you could grab my boons and never fulfill your part of the pact,¡± the chubby man sighed. ¡°This is a long-term plan, so ultimately, you¡¯ll have the opportunity to jump off the boat at any moment. I don¡¯t know what else to say to convince you.¡±

    ¡°Tell me the details of what I¡¯m supposed to do, and we¡¯ll see,¡± I said.

    ¡°The System is contained in several crystals similar to the one in Abei¡¯s study. I know what fragments of the ¡®code¡¯ are producing problems. You will have to learn how to weave runes first. After you master the technique, you¡¯ll edit the faulty runes, and we¡¯ll eliminate Corruption. Easy as it goes.¡± The chubby man smiled, proud of his plan.

    It was direct, simple, and, most importantly, safe. However, that depended on the actual location of the crystals. If I had to guess, the creator of the System hid them in the hundredth floor of a deadly dungeon. If it were me, I would¡¯ve done that.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like a long-term plan to me,¡± I pointed out. It smelled like the System Avatar was still hiding something from me.

    ¡°It is, actually. It will take you years to both master the runic art and improve your class to channel great amounts of mana safely, so yeah, it is a long-term plan. But it¡¯s our best bet. We are against the clock. The more Corruption exists, the easier it is to generate more Corruption. We are fighting a growing snowball.¡± The System Avatar replied. ¡°That¡¯s the deal. You help me with the Corruption problem, and I¡¯ll teach you how to weave runes. Think of the benefits for the orphanage of having someone capable of enchanting stuff.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    I nodded in silence. Power was exactly what I needed to protect the orphanage, and the System Avatar knew it well. The fight against Kellaren had opened my eyes. In this world, the powerful could take whatever they wanted. The Marquis could conscript orphans. The royal army could send them to their demise deep in the Farlands. Kellaren could snatch Firana from our hands. Even regular bandits could simply kill me for a few coins in my current state.

    ¡°At the slightest sign of danger, I¡¯ll abandon the deal,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on that,¡± The System Avatar replied, shrugging his shoulders like a man with little to lose. ¡°You already know this, but you are not the first Scholar from the other world I have tried to strike a deal with. If it helps, Byrne dropped our deal, and he was unharmed. I can¡¯t say why he did it, though. He doesn¡¯t seem to be in this world anymore.¡±

    ¡°He probably thought your solution was too risky,¡± I replied.

    I was thinking the same. Despite not having a background in IT, I knew that touching a single line of code was enough to derail the entire program. One wrong step and the whole System would collapse.

    ¡°Luckily for you, I¡¯m not that risk-averse.¡± I smiled. The orphanage was my first priority. Not causing a world-class cataclysm was fourth or fifth.

    ¡°Thank God.¡± The System Avatar rolled its eyes. ¡°Do we have a deal, then?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Deal.¡±

    We metaphorically shook hands because I had no material form inside the mana pool. Then, the System Avatar started rearranging the runes in the walls to unlock my new rune-weaving skill. His hands shone with the white light I had come to recognize as Fountain mana. I expected to feel something, pain maybe, but the experience was as dull as watching someone code.

    The task wasn¡¯t as easy as I initially expected. The chubby man cursed like a sailor each time one of the cracks impeded him from assembling a full line of runes. I felt partially responsible for having my mana pool in such a disastrous state. However, I remained silent and observed, hoping to learn something. As much as I tried to understand the logic behind his movements, his intention remained hidden from me.

    ¡°Listen to me, Scholar.¡± The man said as he rolled up the sleeves of his yellow polo shirt. ¡°I¡¯m trusting you with great power, so please, please, stop using the Fountain¡¯s mana so recklessly. We have enough Corruption already without producing more.¡±

    ¡°Recklessly doesn¡¯t mean stopping altogether.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°I¡¯m not foolish enough to pretend that you, of all dimensional travelers, will stop using the Fountain.¡± The System Avatar said with the excitement of a plumber being distracted by banal conversation. ¡°Did you know my creator was also native to Earth?¡±

    ¡°I assumed so, considering that Classes and Skills were taken from classic RPG games,¡± I said, just to be interrupted by a System prompt popping in front of my eyes. If I had a body, I would¡¯ve fallen on my back.

    New title acquired!

    Researcher of the Hidden: A title for those who have learned the world''s deepest secrets.

    Class Reward: Greatly increases mana pool.

    ¡°Finally!¡± The chubby man grunted.

    It was my first time achieving a new title inside my mana pool. Suddenly, the runes on the wall shone. Bright blue root-like protrusions extended from the holes, creating a new surface where there was nothing a moment before. I closed my eyes and embraced the sensation of Corruption disappearing. It felt great.

    When I opened my eyes, I found the chubby man smiling.

    ¡°You are welcome.¡± He smugly said.

    ¡°You told me all those things about the System just so the Corruption would heal!¡± I replied with an accusatory tone.

    ¡°An artist needs a proper canvas.¡± The chubby man shook his lit hands in my direction, expelling sparks from his fingertips.

    Minutes passed by until the System Avatar stepped back from the wall and dried his forehead. The bright white runes he had weaved into the mana pool stood out against the sea of blue runes. It wasn¡¯t just a block of white but a myriad of runes scattered over the surface. Whatever the design of the System¡¯s code was, it wasn¡¯t linear.

    ¡°If I weave the wrong rune on the System code, I could destroy it.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°You won''t. Luckily for me, you love this world. Even if the Class system can cause injustice, you know it¡¯s people¡¯s fault, not the System.¡± The chubby man said with a tired smile. ¡°Congratulations, Robert Clarke, you have joined the incredibly exclusive club of Runeweaver Scholars.¡±

    With a hand movement, the man filled the last empty space. Something clicked within my mind ¡ªan abrupt surge of understanding of the world. It was the second time I experienced that sensation. Months ago, on my first day in this world, I had achieved [Mana Manipulation] and the ability to sense mana in my surroundings. It was akin to gaining a second sense of sight. This sensation was similar. Suddenly, it felt like I had learned to speak for a second time, yet I was speechless.

    Speaking, I could produce words. Weaving runes, I still didn¡¯t with certainty.

    ¡°It will take you time to master this skill. When you do, meet me. Any System Shrine will do the trick.¡± The chubby man said. Suddenly, he didn¡¯t sound unfriendly anymore but profoundly hopeful.

    I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. The new power shone within my chest like a lighthouse against darkness. Vibrant. Eager. I unconsciously knew that my remaining Corruption hindered my rune-weaving capabilities, yet I felt stronger than ever before.

    ¡°One last thing before you go.¡± The chubby man said, buttoning up his shirt and unrolling his sleeves. ¡°I never learned how to write an essay, yet I thought of my English teacher every week. You don¡¯t have to be a great teacher to make a change. You just have to be there.¡±

    Before I could reply, a blinding white light filled my mana pool, and I was back at the Scholar Tower in Farcrest, sitting in front of Abei¡¯s desk. The sigils in System Shrine Fragment pulsated once before disappearing, leaving the lustrous blue surface entirely still. Through the window, I noticed the sun in the same position as before I touched the fragment. Then, I slowly turned around to find Firana¡¯s big brown eyes fixed on me.

 75 - An old enemy

    Firana waved at me and smiled, unaware of the fact I had spent the last hour talking with the System itself within my mana pool. I barely managed to smile back. A hundred thoughts piled up in my mind, but that wasn¡¯t all. There were runes everywhere: on the table''s surface, the shelves, the wooden beams, on Firana¡¯s cape, and even on my skin. Most of the runes shone with washed-away colors and undefined edges that made it impossible to read them. On the other hand, the runes on Firana¡¯s cape were bright and sharp.

    I repeatedly blinked, and the runes eventually faded out. Firana gave me a worried glance, but I did my best to reply with a carefree smile. Neither Abei nor Firana seemed aware of my lengthy reunion with the System Avatar. I let out a sigh of relief. Despite Abei¡¯s general friendliness, I wouldn¡¯t trust him with the secret of my new class.

    The old man gave Firana a beatific smile and turned a bronze crank at the side of the solar system model. The planets slowly spun under the girl¡¯s amazed glance. Still, I ignored the similarity between the model and the Solar System ¨Calthough there were more planets in Abei¡¯s model¨C and focused on the faint blue glow of Firana¡¯s cape. No amount of blinking made the juxtaposed runes disappear. I could see the enchantment weaved on the fabric.

    Fractalis System Re-initializing.

    Verifying the contents of the soul¡­

    Verifying past experiences¡­

    I closed my eyes and braced for what was coming next. My life flashed before my eyes. The happy early years with my parents and grandparents. The old house in the country. The piles of junk in my grandfather¡¯s workshop. The smell of leather. Highschool. Laura. My parent¡¯s death. My first day at the fencing club. Laughing with the boys at the club. Stressful college exams. My gloomy days. The portal towards Farcrest. Elincia. The kids. Hopes and fears.

    Re-initialization complete.

    Foreign Soul Robert Clarke verified.

    Assigning new Class.

    Goodspeed cowboy.

    ¡°You little piece of code.¡± I grinned as the series of prompts appeared in front of my eyes. The weird ¡®flavor¡¯ of the sassy prompts made sense now. The System Avatar had been eyeing me, taunting me, since the moment I had crossed the portal.

    My Character Sheet popped up before me.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Runeweaver Scholar Lv.1 (Displayed Class: Scholar Lv.15)

    Titles: Lonely Boy, Stone in Love, Hot for Teacher, Confidant, Classroom Fiend, Favorite Teacher (97), Father Figure (2), Master Tutor, Silver Scholar, Delinquent Reformer (5), Stalwart Mentor (7), Making the Difference, Role Model, Expert Mathematician, Expert Physicist, Adept Historian, Adept Linguist, Journeyman Biologist, Novice Chemist, Novice Orator.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Mastery, A?w?ar?nes?s, Master of Languages.

    Skills: I?d?en?t?i?f?y, Stun Gaze, Intimi?d?te, Minor Illusion.

    Status: Deeply grateful to the System Lv.99

    My heart skipped a beat. There were no skills related to rune weaving or enchanting. I let out a nervous laugh. Did the System make a mistake? My eyes raced over the Character Sheet just to reach the same conclusion ¡ªno new skills. I took a deep breath and eased my mind. There had to be a good reason behind the lack of skills related to rune-weaving. Maybe it was due to my lack of levels. A part of me doubted it, though. The first time I got a Class, the System gave me [Identify] instantly. Shouldn¡¯t it be the same here? How else would I improve my level without a related skill?

    I expected something else: a blue light engulfing my body or the feeling of an invisible hand kneading my brain. Cautiously, I reached the System Shrine Fragment, but the blue surface remained opaque. Then, I closed my eyes, and focusing, I dived into my mana pool. The right white runes made of Fountain Mana remained there, but the System Avatar was nowhere to be found.

    Further experimentation would have to wait until I was alone at the orphanage.

    I leaned forward and pretended to read Byrne¡¯s journal. The fact the man had fled back to Earth after contacting the System Avatar bothered me. If the System Avatar was telling the truth about the increase of Corruption ¨Cand I had no reason to think he was lying¨C why did Byrne run away instead of helping? A world of magic wasn¡¯t something even the most boring earthling could give up so easily. Certainly, I was not going to do it.

    Now came the issue of deciding what to tell Abei.

    Telling him I chatted with the System itself was disingenuous, to say the least. People who bragged about talking with gods and spirits usually ended up in psych wards. Even if System Zealots had some level of contact with the System, they didn¡¯t speak directly to it. Instead, they received quests from the System. I quickly discarded the idea of telling Abei.

    I decided to tell him most of the truth regarding the journal''s contents.

    ¡°Master Abei?¡± I drew the old scholar¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Were you lucky with those scribbles, Master Clarke?¡± Abei replied with a Mall-Santa smile on his face. He left Firana playing with the brass solar models and dragged a heavy chair beside me.

    I placed my hand on top of the notebook.

    ¡°This is one of Samuel Byrne¡¯s field journals. It summarizes the expedition into a tunnel network under the Farlands that ended with the finding of the System Shrine Fragment.¡± I explained. ¡°Since you were mentioned in it, I believe you are aware of most of the events described here.¡±

    Abei nodded. ¡°Yes. I was part of that expedition a long time ago. Does it say anything interesting about the Fragment?¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The eagerness in his voice only made me feel more guilty.

    ¡°Not much,¡± I said, opening the journal and turning the pages to the part Byrne started talking about the System Shrine Fragment. ¡°In this passage, Byrne says that the fragments were corrupted. There, it says he believes the Fragment has more uses than showing people¡¯s class and titles. Then he goes to the Farlands to gather evidence but with little success.¡±

    Abei followed my explanation in silence, occasionally writing a few lines on a wax tablet. The fact that Byrne¡¯s journal was primarily descriptive helped me convince the old scholar that nothing was out of the ordinary. Revealing that Byrne traveled through a portal to another world was out of the question because that would reveal my own place of origin.

    ¡°This part is interesting, though,¡± I said, pointing at the hastily written lines near the end of the journal. As much as I wanted to keep the secret, committing academic fraud was against my nature. ¡°It seems Samuel Byrne had a breakthrough after his [Mana Manipulation] evolved into [Mana Mastery]. The journal stops after that, so I can¡¯t tell exactly what the breakthrough was.¡±

    Abei¡¯s eyes lit up.

    ¡°Samuel Byrne was an expert in arithmetic, physics, and biology. It doesn¡¯t surprise me that he had achieved [Mana Mastery] at all.¡± Abei said, scratching his long white beard. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect to find all the answers to my questions here. Master Byrne wouldn¡¯t leave an important piece of his investigation behind wherever he decided to go.¡±

    I agreed with Abei. The essential bits of Byrne¡¯s investigation had to be on the table inside the cabin back on Earth. To think I was once so close to them infuriated me, but I couldn¡¯t foresee their importance.

    ¡°Might I ask what lit your interest in the System?¡± I asked.

    Abei laughed. It was reassuring, at least, that the man was so open to discussing his investigation.

    ¡°Consider the following. We take the sun for granted, but if you think about it, isn¡¯t it weird that a giant ball of fire crosses the sky daily? I¡¯m starting to feel the same about the System. Isn¡¯t it the way that gives us power mysterious? ¡± Abei said. Then, he paused as if he had trouble choosing the following words. ¡°That¡¯s not the whole story, though.¡±

    Although we were alone in the study, he looked around to ensure no prying ears were nearby and leaned toward me before continuing.

    ¡°The truth is, Corrupted monsters have been on the rise. What we considered a Monster Surge fifty years ago is only a normal Monday today.  Studying the System to shed light on the true nature of Corruption might be our next logical step.¡±

    ¡°Is it bad?¡± I whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying the situation is dire. Thanks to the young Marquis, we are better equipped to deal with monsters. I¡¯m starting to see a pattern, however. There is less time between Monster Surges and more casualties each time. What''s the point of being a Scholar if you can¡¯t protect your home?¡± Abei said.

    I felt the same, but before I could reply, the distant sound of a horn filled the Scholar Tower. Abei cursed and jumped on his feet, almost knocking over the chair. If I had to guess, he was expecting that call.

    ¡°The crowned prince is entering the city! I¡¯m sorry to cut our study session early, but I¡¯m the court¡¯s Scholar and must be present.¡±

    Abei rummaged through a chest, pulling out several different pointy hats and robes. In a heartbeat, the Scholar had shed his old robe and replaced it with a red mantle with golden stoles. The change surprised me. He didn¡¯t look like a thin Santa but an old sage from ancient times. Opening another chest, he pulled out a belt with several wand holsters and tied it around his waist.

    ¡°I have a lot of work at the orphanage. My time to return was near in any case,¡± I replied. The truth was I wanted to go home to put my new class to work. Also, I had to tell Elincia about my true place of origin now that the Silence Pact had been lifted. I sighed. The fact I had been lying wasn¡¯t going to please her.

    ¡°I can only imagine how much work the kids give you. I never married, but I was in charge of my young nephew after my sister died. He was a handful. A brilliant kid, Darius, but too focused on achieving results for his own good.¡± Abei laughed as he guided us to the door.

    ¡°Do the prince¡¯s troops ride skeeths? I wonder what they do to tame them.¡± Firana asked.

    Suddenly, Abei stopped in his tracks. With a swift movement, he pulled out a wand from his belt and swung it towards the coat rack. Two robes of a dark red color flew to his hand.

    ¡°The court Scholar needs an entourage, and I don¡¯t see any Scribes nearby. If the soldiers ride skeeths, you¡¯ll be able to see them from nearby when they cross the inner wall.¡± Abei mindlessly said. The fact he was bending the rules to satisfy Firana¡¯s curiosity made me like him even more. ¡°It will only be a moment.¡±

    Firana hung on my sleeve and gave me the puppy dog eyes. I wondered if she learned that technique from Shu. It was very effective, and I wanted to see the skeeths too.

    ¡°I guess we have time,¡± I said, grabbing one of the robes.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Firana celebrated and grabbed the smaller one.

    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed that Master Clarke, with all his titles, would have to dress up as a lowly Scribe.¡± Abei sighed, genuinely distressed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll survive,¡± I replied.

    Firana and I walked behind Abei down the spiral stairs and through the Great Hall corridors. The Guardsmen moved up and down like panicked ants. Other than high-ranking officers stopping to greet Abei, no one dared to stop us. If I had to guess, the Marquis wasn¡¯t expecting an actual royal visit after the army''s arrival. Despite the Great Hall being plunged into chaos, Abei walked leisurely.

    Outside the main gate, a double line of guards and royal soldiers formed a passage from the wall to the Great Hall steps. The Marquis was at the top of the stairs, dressed in red and black armor. Under his arm rested a wolf head helmet, and hanging from his belt, a gilded rapier. Captain Kiln stood at the Marquis''s right, wearing the same black and red armor except for the wolf helmet. On the Marquis''s left, there was Sir Janus. He didn¡¯t wear the colors of Farcrest Nobility, although its armor was cleaner than anything I¡¯d seen him in before.

    Behind the line of Guardsmen, nobles and commoners stood on the tips of their toes to catch a glimpse of the royal delegation. Abei guided us toward a spot reserved for the court Scholar at the base of the staircase. Then, as we reached our place, the bannermen blew their horns. The iron gate opened, and a squad of armored soldiers raided horse-sized lizards with muscular bodies covered in shiny, amethyst-like scales entered the courtyard. Firana gasped. A skeeth snapped against a nearby Guardsmen, and the raiders had to assert the reins for no one to get eaten. Raising one at the orphanage didn¡¯t seem a good idea anymore.

    Suddenly, A man in golden armor raiding in the back of a black stag of majestic ivory antlers crossed the iron gate. The crowd held their breath as the man reached the Great Hall. The Marquis walked down the stairs a moment later and knelt before him¡ªthe prince.

    After a short exchange of pleasantries, the prince dismounted and signaled the Marquis to stand up. Then, he raised his visor, but I didn¡¯t get to see his face due to the angle. They both walked inside the Great Hall a moment later, leaving a small army of squires to take care of the colossal stag.

    ¡°Not a single greet for the rest of the nobles, how unsightly,¡± Abei whispered as the rest of the royal entourage entered the courtyard.

    Two hundred men and women carrying dozens of different banners soon invaded the Great Hall. Two blue olive branches over a golden field. A raven over a silver background. A black hammer on the sun. A lush tree with ethereal multicolor petals falling out of the banners. A red falcon catching a fish. A white tower. Foot soldiers, skeeth raiders, carriages, and heavy carts drawn by another species of lizard, this one bulkier and slower than the skeeth. Togs. Soon, the Guardsmen retreated, leaving space for all the newcomers to fit inside the courtyard.

    I wondered if the Marquis would have enough room for everyone. This looked more like an invasion than an actual visit. The Farlands campaign shouldn''t be going very well for such a great force to retreat.

    ¡°Darius, boy!¡± Abei suddenly yelled over the noise of animals, workers, and soldiers.

    A tall man with sharp features, tanned skin, and rapacious eyes stopped his horse and looked in our direction. His skin had that sickly yellow tone usually associated with a lack of sunlight. Although he was dressed as a Scholar, a curved sword hung from his belt.

    ¡°Holst,¡± Firana grunted.

 76 - On board

    ¡°Darius!¡± Abei yelled over the noise of the parade.

    Firana hid behind me before Holst turned his head. I felt her pressing her face against my back, and anger simmered inside me. Holst¡¯s keen eyes scanned the crowd until his sight fell upon Abei. For a fleeting moment, Holst¡¯s facial expression softened upon finding Abei''s face among the guardsmen and nobles. The moment passed, though, and his stern and rapacious expression returned to his face.

    Then, his eyes fell upon me. I held my breath, hoping that he wouldn¡¯t recognize me. Then I remembered we were perfect strangers. Almost. Holst didn¡¯t know me, but I was never going to forget the marks of cruelty he had left in Elincia and the kids. I clenched my jaw. The silhouette of the man who had left the orphanage to die of hunger now had a face.

    I could understand the scheme to evade royal taxes, but I could never forgive a teacher who mistreated their students and conspired against their well-being.

    ¡°Is it okay if I give you the robes back later, Master Abei? I think it¡¯s my time to go.¡± I said.

    Abei nodded and put his skeletal hand on my shoulder¡ªthe hand of the man who had raised Holst. ¡°I¡¯ll send one of my Scribes to retrieve them, Master Clarke. Send my regards to the Governess and arrive safely.¡±

    I grabbed Firana¡¯s hand and dragged her towards the lateral gate, away from the parede. Firana trembled beside me, and her grip tightened on my hand. I didn¡¯t know what was going through her mind, but I could tell she was distressed.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I stopped at the shadow of the black wall, glancing over Firana¡¯s shoulder to ensure Holst hadn¡¯t caught a glimpse of the girl. Everyone was too focused on the parade to notice us.

    Firana nodded, but her eyes betrayed her fear. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect him to be here.¡±

    My mind jumped back to the days before my arrival. The harsh discipline that Holst imposed, his disdain for those whom he deemed unworthy, and the cruel treatment towards those who failed. Remembering the stories surrounding Holst made my blood boil. However, something didn¡¯t fit. Firana was the only orphan Holst deemed worthy of his teachings. She was the only one he treated remotely well.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let him hurt you, Firana. You can rest assured I¡¯ll do anything to protect you.¡± I said.

    Firana shook her head, failing to find the right words. ¡°It¡¯s not that. Holst never mistreated me. Can we go elsewhere?¡±

    We left the inner wall behind and walked away from the busy main street into the labyrinthine alleys. The atmosphere promptly shifted from the military parade''s pomp to the Northern District''s depressing abandonment. Firana¡¯s hand stayed nestled into mine until we emerged into the old boulevard where Elincia and I had eaten pastries for the first time. There wasn¡¯t a better place to talk in the Northern District, so I guided Firana toward a stone bench with views of a dry stone fountain.

    Firana¡¯s gaze got lost in the tiles of washed-away colors, her brows furrowed in deep contemplation. The parade sounds were distant echoes of horns, drums, and the noise of a sea of commoners watching the shiny soldiers and their exotic mounts. I remained silent, waiting for the girl to organize his thoughts.

    ¡°Being an Aias used to be a weight on my shoulders; I hated it,¡± Firana finally said, a lump in the throat. I couldn¡¯t see the connection with Holst, so I let her continue. ¡°I grew up listening to stories of my father¡¯s feats and the feats of my grandfather before him. I tried hard to live up to the expectations, yet I failed to learn any martial skills from him. I didn¡¯t enjoy fencing until I arrived at the orphanage and started training under Holst¡¯s wing...¡±

    Firana¡¯s words hung heavy in the boulevard¡¯s silence.

    ¡°I was having fun while Zaon and Ilya suffered because of him¡­ I knew it was happening and ignored it because I was finally gaining the skills that would make me a true Aias.¡± Firana¡¯s voice broke. ¡°Miss Elincia was delighted with my progress. It was probably my fault that she allowed Holst to teach in the orphanage for so long despite how he treated everyone else.¡±

    I nodded in silence. Firana¡¯s story was far from what I expected, but it made sense. Firana felt betrayed when Holst left because she had found someone to show her the way towards her goals. Now, guilt was coming back to bite her.

    ¡°Holst behavior isn¡¯t your responsibility, Firana,¡± I said softly. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault at all. Elincia allowed Holst to teach because she knew the chance of you all ending up in the army was real. From her standpoint, it was better to endure the abuse in exchange for improving your chances to survive the army and the Farlands.¡±

    The picture of Captain Garibal appeared in my mind. The man had stopped dozens of mana blades with a single spell, yet he had lost his arm. If a high-level warrior with access to great spells and the best healing potions and magic this world had to offer had been permanently maimed, I couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen to a low-level kid.

    ¡°Ilya is still resentful¡­¡± Firana said.

    ¡°Ilya is constantly mad at you because you skip your chores. She doesn¡¯t blame you for your closeness to Holst.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ logical.¡± Firana gave me a weak smile.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t carry the weight of Holst¡¯s mistakes, Firana. Nor the mistakes of your family. And certainly not my mistakes. You have a great sense of responsibility, but you can¡¯t atone for the wrongdoings of others.¡± I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t let the memory of Holst cast a shadow over the fact you are an important member of the orphanage¡­ even if you don¡¯t do your chores.¡±

    Firana giggled, but her smile promptly died. ¡°I feel ashamed for not realizing the others were suffering. I was selfish, and it was my mistake, not another¡¯s.¡±

    I smiled. My past mistakes had also weighed on my shoulders for a long time before I could shake them off. I didn¡¯t want the same for Firana.

    ¡°The past is the past; don¡¯t let it drag you down. You fought Captain Kiln to help the orphanage. You didn¡¯t hesitate to fight those bandits when I was attacked. Even when Raudhan Kiln tried to enter the orphanage forcefully, you were there at the other side of the door, sword and shield in hand, ready to defend us.¡± I replied. ¡°You have done many things for the orphanage, and everyone respects you for that. You just need to start doing your chores.¡±

    Firana playfully bumped my shoulder. Her cheeks burned red. ¡°You are our teacher! You are not supposed to mess with us!¡±

    ¡°Give me a break, kiddo. I can¡¯t be a teacher twenty-four hours a day. I¡¯m also the orphanage¡¯s caretaker. I can joke a little, can¡¯t I?¡± I replied.

    Firana smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing so much trouble. Because of me, the Corruption got worse.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s getting better now. I just need a couple of titles and a few levels, and my mana pool will be completely healed in no time,¡± I replied.

    To make my assertion count, I channeled mana and cast an assortment of illusory kites and miniature hot air balloons of all shapes and forms. It was much more than I could cast yesterday. Firana¡¯s eyes shot open as the illusions flew away from us like a flock of birds.

    ¡°Captain Garibal had to intervene so I wouldn¡¯t kick Kellaren¡¯s ass, so yeah, the ¡®trouble¡¯ you had caused is something I can easily deal with,¡± I said.

    ¡°But you said violence is bad.¡± Firana pointed out with a smile on her face. Kids seemed to love those small ¡®gotcha¡¯ moments both here and on Earth.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Once you reach adulthood, you¡¯ll see violence is sometimes necessary to defend yourself and those you cherish. However, it should be your last resort, not the first one. Got it?¡± I said.

    ¡°Last resort. Got it.¡± Firana said, back to her usual festive demeanor. She gave me a mischievous smile before continuing. ¡°I was thinking. If you are so good at dealing with problems, it would be a shame not to cause more.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling Miss Elincia.¡± I threatened back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll behave, I promise.¡± Firana quickly backtracked. ¡°And¡­ thank you¡­ again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to help you all.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel I was lecturing myself. Holst was a bad actor with some level of contact with high-positioned nobles. I had to tell Elincia. We will have to tread carefully during the tournament. The orphanage¡¯s work would be exposed to Farcrest nobility and the whole kingdom.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Firana. We have lots of things to do.¡± I said as I walked down the boulevard back to the main street.

    ¡°The orphanage is the other way,¡± the girl pointed out.

    ¡°I need to meet Ginz,¡± I replied. With the tournament just around the corner, I expected to spend more time far from the orphanage. It would be the perfect opportunity for any bad actors to make their move, so I wanted Elincia to have access to Byrne¡¯s shotgun. ¡°You can go back to the orphanage if you want.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Firana replied.

    ¡°And I appreciate the company,¡± I said.

    We returned to the main street. The market stands had been pushed to the sidelines because of the long retinue of carts that followed the army¡¯s parade. We used the dark lateral alleys to move down the main street. It was almost empty. Everyone was too busy watching the parade.

    Outside the workshop, three men were frantically knocking on the door. They didn¡¯t look like Kellaren¡¯s loan sharks. Their clothing, similar to Ginz¡¯s, made me think they were craftsmen too. I sighed. I didn¡¯t have time for trouble. I wanted to go home already.

    Before I could turn around, I was spotted.

    ¡°You! You are the orphanage¡¯s caretaker! We have been looking for you all morning!¡± One of the men angrily shouted as we came close to the workshop. ¡°Ginz has barricaded himself inside our workshop and won¡¯t let anyone inside. He has a knife, and we fear he might hurt himself. He won¡¯t talk with anyone but you.¡±

    I reminded myself that violence was the last resort of a wise man.

    ¡°We have been wasting time because you were nowhere to be found! We are entitled to compensation. I have a shipment of belts ready to be delivered.¡± A second craftsman said.

    I sighed. This was also my fault, apparently. Dealing with the emotional aftermath of Holst¡¯s betrayal had consumed most of my mental resilience. I wished [Intimidate] was one of the uncorrupted skills so I could sort this quickly.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± I asked, choosing the peaceful way.

    ¡°Already told you. Ginz had a psychotic outbreak and barricaded inside the  workshop.¡± The third craftsman replied.

    Firana glared at the craftsmen.

    The situation was strange. Ginz was the definition of a safe person, and I couldn¡¯t imagine a reason for him to act this way. I tried to zone out the complaints, but the cackling of the craftsmen prevented me from focusing. I missed [Awareness].

    If Ginz wanted to see me, I was going in. I took a deep breath to calm myself down and opened my robe. The craftsmen stepped back as they saw the shiny handle of my rapier. Spineless. I untied my belt and dismissively gave them the sword before walking towards the door. If Ginz was so disturbed, I was better off disarmed.

    ¡°Ginz?! It¡¯s me, buddy! I¡¯m unarmed.¡± I yelled.

    ¡°Tell them to step back!¡± Ginz yelled from the other side.

    I glared at the three craftsmen, and they reluctantly stepped back. Then the door opened, and a hand dragged me inside. As soon as I crossed the doorway, Ginz slammed the door shut and turned the key. The workshop was shrouded in darkness. The skylight couldn¡¯t gather enough light on a cloudy winter day. However, I noticed something strange with Ginz. Three deep scars covered his left cheek, and his eyebrows had been singed off.

    ¡°Put the knife down, Ginz,¡± I said with my best soothing voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. It¡¯s a putty knife.¡± Ginz replied, throwing the tool on the center table. Then, he walked towards the fire stove and threw a stack of parchment inside.

    ¡°What is all of this about? What happened to your face?¡± I asked.

    The scars were recent.

    ¡°I tried replicating a smaller version of your shooty gun, but it didn¡¯t go well. A healer pulled out the metallic shards, so I¡¯m okay now.¡± Ginz replied, downplaying the matter. ¡°Good news is that I crafted these.¡±

    He pulled a small bag from his coat and opened it on the table. Twenty shotgun shells made of paper and copper, half marked with a red and the other half with a black stripe. Despite my worries about the craftsman''s mental health, I smiled.

    ¡°The red ones are filled with a precise mixture of sulfur, fire beetle glands, and powdered slime core. The black ones are filled with powdered flare crystals soaked in dragonfire fruit oil. Both work¡­ most of the time. Try not to smell them, though. They might be slightly toxic.¡± Ginz said with a glint of madness in his eyes. ¡°I have been leveling up like crazy.¡± He quickly added, seeing my worried expression.

    I grabbed the bag of shells and tucked it inside my robe. I couldn¡¯t wait to teach Elincia how to shoot. First, I had to reveal that I came from a world without magic, of course.

    ¡°Are the shells safe?¡± I asked, looking at Ginz¡¯s scars.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t destroy the second test barrel, so yeah, they are safe. The worst thing that can happen is the primer not working.¡± Ginz replied as he continued throwing things inside the stove. ¡°Regarding the money you gave me. I spent almost all of it. Milking fire beetle glands don¡¯t come cheap.¡±

    The craftsman disappeared behind the door and returned a moment later with another stack of parchment. I raised my eyebrow. Ginz was acting strange, considering his usual fearful and indecisive demeanor.

    ¡°These idiots tried to steal my designs. As if I would let them!¡± Ginz continued fueling the stove with what I assumed were schematics and diagrams.

    I wondered if I had turned Ginz into a mad scientist, although I didn¡¯t get to voice my worries because Ginz continued with his tirade.

    ¡°Ilya¡¯s birthday is soon. Look inside that drawer over there. I made a gift for her.¡± Ginz said.

    I opened the drawer to find a diorama of a lumberjack doll made of cloth and copper sawing a log. I grabbed the wooden mount and put it over the table. It was well done, but I didn¡¯t see how it was a good gift for a gnome. Then, I noticed a brass mechanism hidden inside the wood. There was a copper-plated with a waxed wick in the middle.

    ¡°Light the wick,¡± Ginz said.

    I hesitated, worried I would burn the whole diorama. It took a moment to get started. Suddenly, the lumberjack moved by itself, rocking the little saw back and forth. My jaw dropped as I recognized the mechanism.

    ¡°A steam engine?!¡±

    ¡°Yes. I used the rest of the money to adapt one of Byrne¡¯s machines to this. Then I caught my idiot roommates rummaging through my trunk for the schematics.¡± Ginz angrily grunted. ¡°I paid a lot of silver for that padlock!¡±

    I looked at the tiny lumberjack again.

    ¡°This is huge! We can¡¯t let them have them.¡± I quickly replied. Ideas of rails and locomotives, steam pumps, sawmills, and hammers raced across my mind. If we could build a working prototype, the noble houses would fight to fund the projects. Ginz will become famous, and I¡¯ll get a powerful patron for the orphanage.

    ¡°I know! That¡¯s why I wanted you to come. I can¡¯t escape without them stealing the lumberjack and reversing the process, but you are a great craftsman bully.¡± Ginz replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about that.¡± I pointed out, suddenly my cheeks burning.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have leveled up seven times just by crafting your stuff. If anything, I¡¯m grateful you came to intimidate me that day. I¡¯d fight a fat Slime barehanded for you!¡± Ginz said, the glint of madness in his eyes even more patent now.

    I hold my laugh, envisioning the thin craftsmen fighting a Multicore Slime.

    Suddenly, an idea hit me. A great idea. Having a resident craftsman at the orphanage would be profitable for everyone. Ginz would have space to develop new machines far from prying eyes, and we would have an extra pair of hands to help with the kids. Not to mention someone who could fix the hundred broken things lying around in the shed.

    ¡°What about moving to the orphanage? We have plenty of space. You¡¯ll have your room and a workshop of your own. I¡¯m fairly sure I can convince Elincia if you don¡¯t go around acting like an asshole.¡± I said.

    Ginz stopped fueling the stove.

    ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Half of what you pay here for accommodations and food, and you¡¯ll have to teach ten hours a week plus helping with the kids in your free time,¡± I said.

    ¡°In that case, stop idling and help me pack, dear landlord,¡± Ginz grinned as he shoved one last stack of parchment into the stove and started gathering his tools. ¡°I¡¯m going back home.¡±

 77 - Longsword Mastery

    Ginz haphazardly threw his few clothes into a coarse burlap bag. Then, with the utmost care, he organized his tools into a special backpack with dozens of small pockets: scissors, knives, branding irons, sets of needles, bronze awls, and shears¨Call fitting into their designated places. Ginz''s face remained emotionless. For someone who had fought tooth and nail to scratch up the little he had, he displayed no attachment to the workshop whatsoever.

    Ginz gave me a small box containing leather cups and an assortment of dice sets made of wood and bone. I noticed a few sets of tinted red leather with golden rivets and dice made of ivory. The Liar¡¯s Dice game must¡¯ve been a success among guardsmen and nobles alike.

    ¡°Will you miss this place?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I hope never to come back. I¡¯d rather work with you, even if that means being punched by Orcbud on a daily basis,¡± Ginz replied.

    The life of a low-level craftsman wasn¡¯t easy. The initial cost of becoming one was steep. A craftsman required a considerable amount of resources just to reach the level where their creations covered production costs. Then came the relentless competition against guilds and high-level craftsmen who could mass produce the same products at a higher quality and efficiency. Arguably, the life of an early crafter was even more bloody than the struggle of combatant classes.

    ¡°If you keep calling her Orcbud, you¡¯ll wish to be back in no time,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°I know. That was the last time. I swear,¡± Ginz said, checking his backpack for the last time.

    Without looking back, Ginz pushed me out of the workshop. Outside, his roommates stood in a compact circle, engaged in hushed conversation. Firana stood a few meters away with her arms crossed. When the welcome bell rang, the craftsmen raised their heads and fixed their hungry eyes on Ginz.

    The craftsman subtly jabbed me with his elbow.

    ¡°Ginz won¡¯t be staying at the workshop any longer, so I¡¯d call this a problem solved. Now give me back my sword, and we will leave,¡± I said, reaching out my hand.

    The craftsmen were left speechless. What else did they expect? They probably wanted me to drag Ginz out of the workshop so they could steal his schematics. I clicked my tongue in annoyance. They would only let Ginz go after obtaining what they wanted.

    ¡°We made a pact. We promise to share all the recipes created at the workshop.¡± The tallest craftsman stepped forward, tightening his grip around my sword. ¡°We want the explosive recipe and the steam machine schematics. They belong to us.¡±

    I gave Ginz a quick glance, but he looked away. He hadn¡¯t mentioned anything like a pact. It wasn¡¯t a surprise he had barricaded inside the workshop. Then it clicked. Ginz was aware of the agreement and wanted me to drive his old companions away.

    I considered my alternatives. This was the easiest among all the confrontations I had faced since arriving at Farcrest. I believed I could overpower them even with my bare fists. I sighed. While it would be easy, I was conscious of Firana watching. I checked my Character Sheet. [Intimidate] was still corrupted, but [Minor Illusion] was not. I could summon a Wendigo and call it a day, but even that was slightly over the top.

    ¡°Give my sword back. Last warning.¡±

    ¡°Not until you hand what¡¯s ours,¡± the craftsman barked. They must¡¯ve known I was a non-combatant.

    ¡°Those schematics are mine and not on sale,¡± I grunted.

    The craftsmen laughed.

    ¡°Like the caretaker of a run-down orphanage could devise something like that. We will not move until Ginz surrenders the prototypes,¡± the craftsman said with a mocking grin. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get it, Caretaker. We are talking about more money than you will earn in your entire life.¡±

    Before I could start shaping my mana, Firana stepped forward and drew her sword. The craftsmen were momentarily taken aback, never before confronted by an armed opponent. After a second, they burst into laughter.

    ¡°What are you going to do, kid?¡± The tall man said. ¡°We are unarmed non-combatants. The City Guard will put you in a cell before the end of the day if you ever dare to touch us.¡±

    Firana grinned, separating her legs and adopting a menacing stance. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. You have a sword in your hand, idiot.¡±

    The craftsmen''s faces turned as pale as milk. Then, the tall man dropped the sword and scurried like a roach back toward the safety of the workshop. His buddies hurried to follow. Firana, satisfied, picked up my sword and offered it to me with a wide smile.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t use violence.¡± She proudly declared.

    ¡°Threatening someone with a sword counts as violence,¡± I replied, holding my laughter the best I could.

    ¡°Oh, shoot.¡± Firana deflated.

    I gently patted her shoulder, secretly satisfied with the situation''s outcome. Despite Firana¡¯s uprising as the heir of a mercenary family, protecting others seemed ingrained in her nature. No matter how much pride I felt, I kept a stern expression. For the time being, I wanted to avoid normalizing violence.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go before they think to call the guards,¡± I said.

    Back at the manor, the guards at the iron gate greeted us. Sir Janus had taken the orphanage¡¯s security with utmost seriousness. No member of the Aias extended family had dared to come nearby. However, with the royal army and a dozen noble families staying in the city, I feared the City Guard couldn¡¯t spare any recruits to stand guard outside the orphanage.

    Ginz had completed the shotgun shells just in time.

    We crossed the iron gate. Ilya was sitting on the manor''s steps, thoughtfully looking at her boots. My first instinct was to quickly cross the front yard. Halfway through, I noticed she wasn¡¯t in distress. I was so used to dealing with problems that her wide smile threw me off. Ilya jumped on her feet and came to receive me. The girl gave me a tight surprise hug that I promptly reciprocated. Even if I wasn¡¯t a hugs guy, I could get used to this.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing something good happened?¡± I jokingly said.

    Ilya stepped back. Her smile was so big that it seemed impossible to erase.

    ¡°Look,¡± she said. Then, she summoned her character sheet and, with a hand movement, she pushed it at my face.

    Name: Ilya, Gnome.

    Class: None (Child).

    Titles: Governess¡¯s Little Helper.

    Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.1, Archery Lv.1

    Skills: Mana Manipulation.

    Status: Ecstatic Lv.1

    Before I could react, Firana rushed past me and hugged Ilya from the stomach, lifting her into the air. Ilya kicked and struggled, but Firana¡¯s embrace was too strong. Ilya had finally done it.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± Ilya demanded, but Firana ignored her.

    After a moment of struggle, Ilya realized any resistance was futile and let Firana''s display of affection go uncontested if only to finish quickly. Seeing both girls going along was rare, but life at the orphanage had changed a lot since my arrival. Despite the weak winter sun and the biting cold wind, my chest warmed.

    I fed [Awareness] with a bit of mana. Even if my brain felt like a pin cushion, I wanted to take a permanent mental picture of the scene. Ilya and Firana had more in common than they suspected. Both were fiercely devoted to the orphanage in their own ways. I tried hard not to get emotional. These were the little things that made teaching worth the effort. It was easy to forget that people could change for the better.

    ¡°Just in time,¡± I said when Ilya¡¯s feet touched the ground. ¡°Firana earned us tickets to the tournament earlier today.¡±

    Ilya raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I fought Captain Kiln. She¡¯s super strong!¡± Firana couldn¡¯t hold her excitement anymore. She put her arm across Ilya¡¯s shoulders and dragged her inside the manor as she told her about the duel in great detail. I decided to give them space to sort out their relationship.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    I stopped Ginz at the entrance and waited until the kids were out of earshot.

    ¡°Remember what we talked about?¡± I asked.

    Ginz nodded. ¡°Yes, no saying ¡®Orcbud¡¯ or any derivative. No mentioning the precarious state of the orphanage. And no telling the kids Elincia used to be a bully.¡± Ginz nodded.

    ¡°Was she a bully, though?¡± I raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Most of the time, we deserved the beatings. Still, most of the time, Elincia put more strength than necessary behind her fists.¡± Ginz shrugged.

    Good enough. I sighed and opened the front door to let Ginz enter. My intuition told me I wouldn¡¯t get much more civility from the craftsman. I sighed yet again. Convincing Elincia to take him back was going to cost me. I just hoped she could leave old wounds aside and understand the advantages of having him at the orphanage.

    I closed the door and searched my pockets for the key.

    ¡°Hey Elincia! Wow! Have you gotten some extra kilos lately?¡± Ginz said the instant I stopped paying attention.

    A cold sweat covered my body. God damn you, Ginz. Everyone at the orphanage was better nourished since my arrival, but that wasn¡¯t reason enough to point out people¡¯s weight in such a direct way.

    ¡°Thanks, Ginz. In this household, we eat proper meals.¡± Elincia said with a smug expression.

    The tension on my shoulders suddenly disappeared¡ªanother unnecessary scare. Having Ginz living at the orphanage wouldn¡¯t do any favors for my cardiovascular health. I just hoped his skills as a craftsman at least offset his lack of social awareness.

    ¡°I invited Ginz to stay with us for a while. He has agreed to pay for the accommodations and teach classes in return.¡± I said before she could inquire about the reason behind Ginz¡¯s visit.

    Elincia¡¯s expression quickly soured. I understood her response. Nothing could erase the fact Ginz had abandoned Elincia and the orphanage in the moment of greatest need. The past couldn¡¯t be undone, but we needed to be pragmatic looking forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware I wronged both you and Mister Lowell¡¯s legacy. There¡¯s no day I don''t feel ashamed for leaving the orphanage, but please try to understand. We never got along, and I wasn¡¯t made for raising kids. I mean, look at me. My spine is made of jelly at best.¡± Ginz suddenly said, his voice carrying a depth I never heard before. ¡°I can¡¯t say Rob is a smart man, but he has ideas that can change the orphanage and the whole kingdom. If you let me stay, I¡¯ll work hard to make those ideas a reality.¡±

    Other than the backhanded comment about my intelligence, Ginz¡¯s level of introspection surprised me. Self-awareness was a strange commodity, after all. Elincia¡¯s expression softened, probably thinking about Mr. Lowell¡¯s original vision for the orphanage¡ªa place where kids could learn all kinds of subjects and trades.

    ¡°You can stay. But remember, Ginz, you are on The List. ¡± Elincia said, her voice not welcoming nor threatening. I wondered if she had dwarven blood in her veins. Having a list of grudges sounded like something a dwarf would have. ¡°Now, let me show you your new room,¡± Elincia added in a more civil tone.

    I carried Ginz¡¯s belongings to his new sleeping quarters. Elincia guided us across the reception room and into the dorms. Then she opened the last door at the end of the corridor. It was a medium-sized room, similar to the one she had given me before I started sleeping in her room. Elincia opened the curtains and the windows, letting a cold breeze wash away the smell of confinement.

    ¡°This used to be my room, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Ginz said, examining the empty wardrobe for markings only he was aware of.

    ¡°Welcome back, dweeb,¡± Elincia replied. ¡°Mister Lowell would¡¯ve kept the doors open to every returning orphan, so feel at home.¡±

    After a moment, we left Ginz alone to sort out his belongings.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any kind of hammering in the sleeping quarters. We will get you a proper workshop soon. Head to the kitchen when you are done here.¡± Elincia added before closing the door behind her.

    A wave of relief washed over my body. Things had gotten smoother than I expected.

    ¡°I find your emotional stability very sexy, Rosebud,¡± I jokingly said as we walked down the corridor.

    ¡°You are getting old, Clarke,¡± Elincia replied, jabbing at me with her elbow. ¡°So, how did things go with Captain Kiln? You really took your time out there.¡±

    ¡°Firana gave a once-in-a-lifetime show. Captain Kiln will support us.¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you for the details, but I¡¯m sure Firana is dying to tell me,¡± Elincia said as she reached for my hand and gently squeezed it. ¡°Did you behave, or did you try to abduct a skeeth?¡±

    ¡°I tried. They were bigger than I expected,¡± I said, smiling.

    I still needed to find a good moment to tell Elincia the details of our adventure. Between my new Class, Holst¡¯s arrival, and the Silence Pact dissolved, I needed to stop and sort things thoroughly. Luckily, we now had Ginz to support our endeavors around the orphanage.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go break the news about Ginz to the kids. Then I have something to show you.¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to squeeze him dry. We can¡¯t continue maintaining this work pace, just the two of us. We need a respite.¡± Elincia leaned to my ear. ¡°And maybe we will find a moment to have fun, you and me.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°I¡¯ll break him,¡± Shu said from the height of her chair, her eyes gleaming with evil intent.

    ¡°No, Shu. You will not break anyone,¡± Elincia replied.

    ¡°Okay, I won''t,¡± Shu shrugged and walked to the kitchen corner where Loki was resting. The Changeling¡¯s body was covered entirely in bright runes, so I had to squint to watch him directly.

    Shu said something in Loki¡¯s dog ear. Then, the changeling turned into a duck, and started dancing with Shu to a non-existent tune. I smiled. The tiny harpy girl was genuinely unreadable.

    The kids were generally excited about Ginz¡¯s arrival. The fact both Ilya and Zaon knew him from before he abandoned the orphanage helped the craftsman earn the acceptance of the younger orphans. Ilya¡¯s early birthday present also helped to soften the relationship between them. Just like Elincia, Ilya hasn¡¯t completely forgiven Ginz.

    ¡°Alright, Ginz. Your first assignment will be watching over the kids while they have dinner. Ilya will help you,¡± Elincia said with a mischievous smile. ¡°Meanwhile, Rob and I will go to the grove to practice a powerful spell. I don¡¯t want anyone nearby. I¡¯m talking seriously.¡±

    The kids instantly noticed the gravity of the situation, so they nodded with severe yet cute expressions. The ease with which Elincia managed the group was admirable. Ilya helped Ginz serve the meal: soup, bread, cheese, and dried fruits. Months ago, having such a variety of food on the table was unthinkable.

    We left Ginz in charge of the kids. I grabbed the shotgun from my bedroom and joined Elincia at the big stump. Then we walked silently to the deepest part of the manor grounds, a small grove of tall, lush trees with white bark, now completely devoid of leaves.

    ¡°So, are we going to test Ginz¡¯s shells?¡± Elincia asked as we got lost among the trees.

    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to shoot. My mana pool is improving, so I won¡¯t need the shotgun. I¡¯ll be combat-ready in no time.¡± I replied.

    Elincia gave me a worried smile. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t believe you, but I will have to see that with my own eyes.¡±

    ¡°You just want to see me naked,¡± I said.

    ¡°Guilty as charged,¡± Elincia giggled.

    We walked to the deepest part of the groove until we reached the tall, almost fortified stone wall surrounding the manor grounds. Elincia grabbed my hand and pulled me along the border for another minute until we reached a clearing. I didn¡¯t notice the white gravestones until I almost stepped on one. They were the same color as the trees.

    A small cemetery I had never noticed before.

    ¡°Hey, Dad, It¡¯s been a while,¡± Elincia said as she approached the gravestone in the center.

    If Mr. Lowell was buried at the manor¡¯s grounds, he didn¡¯t follow Byrne back to Earth in the end. The man had stayed at the orphanage to the bitter end. No wonder why Elincia had fought to keep the place going during all these years. She had inherited Lowell¡¯s will.

    Elincia cleaned a speck of moss from the gravestone and returned to my side. Despite the situation, she was smiling. ¡°No time to waste. Let''s shoot that beauty.¡±

    Over the next hour, I taught Elincia the basics of gun safety. Hunting with a bow and arrow had a similar safety code because she picked it up quickly. We practiced until I was sure Elincia had memorized everything. It was time to do some actual shooting. Before loading the chambers with one of each kind of shell, Elincia used her detection skills to ensure we were alone at the groove.

    ¡°Do you trust Ginz¡¯s handiwork? He tested the shells, but this is the first time he crafted an explosive,¡± I said.

    ¡°Ginz is talented and hardworking. Why do you think I recommended him when you first asked me for a craftsman? I trust his creations more than I trust him,¡± Elincia replied with a relaxed expression. ¡°I brought a few potions with me, nonetheless.¡±

    After seeing the effectiveness of a High-Grade Health Potion, I couldn¡¯t be more at peace. Even if the recoil was too strong, a potion could fix a wounded shoulder in mere days. It would be painful, but ultimately, it wouldn¡¯t leave scars.

    ¡°When you are ready,¡± I said, covering my ears with mana and using my hands to cover Elincia¡¯s.

    Elincia smiled, pointed at a rotten tree, and pressed the trigger. The sound of the detonation traveled through our bodies, and a cascade of wood splinters fell before us. She fired again, and we received an encore of shattering wood. Both shells worked as expected, although they produced lots of smoke, and a black residue covered the chamber. Nothing that couldn¡¯t be fixed with good maintenance. Elincia walked up to the tree she had shot and examined the metallic pellets still encrusted in the wood.

    ¡°This is more fun than I expected,¡± she laughed. ¡°I could hunt a Mountain Bison with this.¡±

    As much as Elincia enjoyed the experience, I couldn¡¯t laugh back.

    ¡°Eli¡­ promise me you will not do anything reckless,¡± I said. I still had to break down the news about Holst returning to Farcrest, and Elincia''s improved firepower worried me.

    ¡°You are the reckless one in this relationship, not me,¡± she rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking seriously. Listen. While we were looking at the parade with Firana, we found someone.¡± I said. ¡°Holst.¡±

    Elincia slowly nodded. What I didn¡¯t expect was her grabbing my hands and pulling me into a deep kiss. The shotgun uncomfortably squeezed between us, and the acrid smell of explosive residue filled my nose, yet I didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°The orphanage is thriving, the kids are growing healthy, and we have each other,¡± Elincia softly said. ¡°Living a happy life is the greatest revenge we could dream of.¡±

    I smiled and playfully rubbed Elincia¡¯s ears, ignoring her complaints. I wondered how she would react when I told her I was a dimensional traveler. That conversation would have to wait because the sun was about to set, and hunger waited for no one. I smiled, glancing at Elincia¡¯s deep emerald eyes. Vengeance was a dish best served warm.

 78 - The better half

    I stealthily moved the brazier to Elincia¡¯s bedroom without scalding my hands. A wicked wind howled outside, but I rested assured no orphan would come to disturb us. Firana had convinced Zaon and Wolf to do a sleepover in the communal bedroom the youngest kids shared. After looking over the kids for two hours, Ginz seemed so tired that I doubted he could remain awake long enough.

    Elincia and I were finally alone, and I had big news to tell her.

    A lonely light stone cast a dim light over the bedroom. I sat on the bed and removed my boots while Elincia changed her clothes behind the wooden screen. For the first time in months, despite all the day''s emotions, I wasn¡¯t completely exhausted. The Green Moss tasted like coffee, but sadly, it lacked the caffeine. I would have to thank Ginz for helping with the kids.

    I got rid of my clothes and put on my white pajama pants before Elincia returned from the other side of the screen. I assumed she had a nightly routine involving herbal oils and moisturizing lotions because she smelled like flower meadows and green pine. I could use some lotion for my hands. I looked for my nightgown, but it was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°Looking for this?¡± Elincia asked with a mischievous, waving the piece of white clothing in her hand.

    ¡°Give it back. I''m going to catch a cold!¡± I said.

    Elincia stood just out of my reach and examined my chest. [Making the Difference] and [Researcher of the Hidden] had pushed the Corruption tendrils back to the black core in the middle of my chest. Maybe my mana pool¡¯s health improvement could have contributed to my improved state of mind.

    ¡°It looks a lot better,¡± Elincia sighed in relief as she gave me the nightgown.

    I crawled inside the bed as soon as I got into my nightgown. Maybe half-elves were cold-proof, but I wasn¡¯t. With each passing day, I discovered a new peak of coldness in Farcrest¡¯s climate. I couldn¡¯t wait for the winter to end. As soon as I could find a free moment, I¡¯d try to enchant a portable heater.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming?¡± I asked, seeing Elincia standing by the brazier.

    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you to warm the sheets,¡± she smiled innocently.

    After a moment, Elincia entered the bed and snuggled up to my side. As per custom, she nibbled my shoulder to her heart¡¯s content. She said she liked to feel the muscle with her teeth. I patiently waited for her to finish before dropping the bomb.

    ¡±Remember how you said you hate liars?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I hate liars and flimsy Scholars, yet my man is both of them,¡± Elincia replied, poking my side with her fingers. I ignored her. During the last months, I have grown quite a lot of muscle around the back and shoulders.

    ¡°Well, I have two pieces of good news for you, cutie-pie,¡± I said.

    ¡°Ah! Nice one. I know you are level fifteen or so. You still need thirty or more levels to start thinking about a Prestige Class. Even then, you¡¯ll need great Class achievements for the System to bless you with a promotion,¡± Elincia said from her comfortable position beside me. ¡°I¡¯ll take your initiative in telling the truth as a sign you are fully committed to this relationship, though.¡±

    ¡°I am fully committed to this relationship!¡± I replied, somewhat angry.

    ¡°Are you if you are hiding things from me?¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°I swear to God I had a good reason for that,¡± I sighed. Elincia had been patient with me, but with the Silence Pact lifted, I could finally tell her the truth. ¡°I want to hear it from your mouth. What parts do you think I¡¯m lying about?¡±

    Elincia looked at the ceiling as if she were recalling a distant memory.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore. At first, I thought you were the son of a noble house or wealthy merchant family, raised and sheltered from the outside world. You were too flimsy even for a non-combatant and low-level for someone with minimal life experience,¡± Elincia shrugged. ¡°Honestly, I thought you would bail out after a week at the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°Your food isn¡¯t that bad,¡± I jabbed back at her.

    ¡°Shut it! You looked like the kind of dude needing half a dozen assistants to survive,¡± Elincia replied.

    I pulled an arm out of the blankets and summoned an illusion of me sitting on a beach chair with five swimsuit-clad Elincia clones pampering me. One Elincia held an umbrella, the other massaged my shoulders, the third fanned me out with a palm branch, and the next two fed me grapes and a pink margarita on the rocks, respectively.

    Elincia giggled at the illusion and waved her hand, trying to dispel it.

    ¡°Flowery shirts suit you, but that will not get you off the hook. There is also the fact you were ignorant about basic concepts about the System. You had a hundred titles regarding teaching while you ignored the basics of Class acquisition and promotion. If that¡¯s not suspicious, I don¡¯t know what it is,¡± Elincia pointed out, leaning on her shoulders and fixing her eyes on me. ¡°I can only guess why you keep it all to yourself. So, was I close to the truth?¡±

    ¡°Close, yet very far,¡± I replied, trying to put my ideas in order. I must start at the beginning. ¡°When I first arrived here, the System warned me against telling anyone about my place of origin.¡±

    ¡°But you told me you came from the City of Lights,¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°It was a lie. I¡¯m not from the City of Lights. I come from a place that might not be in this world. The great city of Hartford, Connecticut. On planet Earth.¡± I replied.

    Elincia raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Portals can cover great distances, Rob. I might have lived all my life in this backwater hellhole known as Farcrest, but Mr. Lowel made sure I knew a thing or two,¡± Elincia said skeptically.

    ¡°I mean it. My world isn¡¯t anywhere similar to Farcrest,¡± I said, making the illusion of the five Elincias serving me disappear.

    Elincia chuckled by my side. ¡°The world is huge, Rob. Your beloved City of Lights might be a hundred days of travel from the Farlands. The fact you didn¡¯t know about the Kingdom of Ebros doesn¡¯t mean you come from another world.¡±

    ¡°Oh, trust me. We¡¯ve mapped the whole planet, and this kingdom is not there. We even sent a spaceship to the moon and the nearby planets. We have sent probes out of our solar system and peeked into nearby galaxies with long-range telescopes.¡± I replied, summoning a projection of the Columbia launch.

    Elincia sat on the bed for a better view and glanced at the initial ignition with her mouth open. Then, the rocket slowly rose to the sky, leaving a huge trail of white smoke. The solid rocket boosters detached from the main body. I zoomed out until the shuttle was a speck of white against the vast blue globe. After the shuttle orbited Earth a couple of times, the illusion ended.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°All that happened before I was even born,¡± I said.

    ¡°How do you know what the launch looked like?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°Remember Byrne¡¯s device that makes still images?¡± I asked.

    I moved my hand again and summoned a family watching the launch on TV while eating pre-made dinner from aluminum trays.

    ¡°That apparatus shows several still images every second, creating the illusion of movement. It¡¯s not magic. Nothing is,¡± I explained as I projected a few seconds of several old shows. I zoomed out and summoned roads, cars, skyscrapers, parks, schools, and universities until I had a small city floating centimeters over Elincia¡¯s bed.

    I summoned cargo ships, cranes, planes, and hanging bridges. Electric light, running water, and gas stoves. A stadium packed with four times the population of Farcrest. Eternal corn fields harvested by industrial machinery. Intersections plagued with white-collar workers waiting for traffic. Dams, aqueducts, assembly lines, and other great engineering works.

    Elincia asked, and I answered. Most of the home appliances seemed like enchanted items to her, so I had to stop and give her a crash course in electronics. Motorized vehicles left a strong impression on her, and I had to summon illusions of Formula One and the rally World Championship for an hour or more until she was satisfied. Then, I made the mistake of showing her modern fighter aircraft.

    I lost track of time, but when I finished, there was little chance Elincia kept believing we came from the same world. The whole setting was absurd. We were both dressed in Renaissance-style pajamas, sitting on each side of the bed and watching technological marvels from my world.

    ¡°Your people tricked iron and wood to behave like magic,¡± Elincia finally said with an expression of awe and fear.

    ¡°As my distant relative used to say, ¡®Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic¡¯,¡± I said, wondering if the ¡®magic¡¯ of this world wasn¡¯t just a technology even superior to the System itself. As far as the words of the System¡¯s Avatar went, the System was just an interface to connect people and the Fountain. The Fountain was already there even before the System''s original creator arrived in this world.

    Elincia walked to her dresser and retrieved her terracotta shawl. The embers inside the brazier were completely burnt out. She peeked through the curtains. The first dawn lights emerged from behind the mountain range by the east.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not telling you earlier, Eli, but my hands were tied,¡± I apologized.

    Despite her having a good time with the illusions so far, Elincia was on the verge of crying.

    ¡°You are very far from home, aren¡¯t you?¡± She walked to the bed and sat on my lap.

    ¡°Well¡­ the System offered me the chance to return, and here I am. This is my home now,¡± I shrugged, forecasting a scolding from Elincia.

    Suddenly, any sign of tears disappeared from Elincia¡¯s face.

    ¡°So, you decided to leave all those nice things behind? The motorcycles, the canned soup, the hot water?!¡±

    ¡°I was kinda bored of the modern world, and magic powers sounded like a nice thing to have,¡± I admitted, even though it sounded really stupid.

    Elincia sighed, placing her cheek against mine. ¡°From the millions of earthlings on the other side of the portal, I happen to get the most stupid one.¡±

    ¡°Best luck next time,¡± I replied, squeezing her against my chest.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a ¡®next time¡¯. I would choose you any time,¡± she said.

    Suddenly, Elincia stiffened in my arms, and I thought she had heard someone out of the bedroom. However, as much as I strained my ears, I couldn¡¯t hear anything. There was still an hour left until the orphans who rose the earliest awakened.

    ¡°I just lost a title,¡± she announced, pulling up her character sheet.

    Name: Elincia Rosebud, Half-Elf (Light-Footed, Night Vision).

    Class: Alchemist Lv.38

    Titles: Governess, Wild Child, Bad Reputation, Better Half, Copper Alchemist, Favorite Teacher (5).

    Passive: Archery Lv.3, Tracking Lv.5, Farsight Lv.1, Foraging Lv.5.

    Skills: Potion Crafting, True Shot, Piercing Shot, Purify Water.

    ¡°Better Half? What does that even mean?! I am not¡­ My titles don¡¯t revolve around my marital status!¡± Elincia grumbled at the ceiling.

    I had to hold back my laughter. I knew precisely how getting annoying messages from the System felt. For Elincia, it was different, however. For the inhabitants of this world, the System was similar to a minor divinity.

    ¡°He can be like that,¡± I sighed.

    ¡°He?¡± Elincia pushed me back and looked directly into my eyes. She was terrified.

    ¡°Would you take me as a madman if I told you the System is a chubby blonde man with khaki pants and a yellow shirt?¡± I asked, trying to sound reassuring.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d ask you to show me your Personal Sheet to ensure you don¡¯t have any stacks of insanity,¡± Elincia replied, used to my somewhat outlandish bedroom chat.

    I summoned my Character Sheet and projected it in front of us.

    ¡°I talked with the System inside my mana pool. We reached an accord, and he lifted the Silence Pact I was subject to.¡± I said.

    ¡°You are lying.¡±

    ¡°I wish it was that easy.¡± I sighed. ¡°When I was at Abei¡¯s study earlier today, I touched the System Shrine Fragment that Byrne and Lowell found and met him. See that title? [Researcher of the Hidden]? I got that one after he told me about the System''s origin.¡±

    I touched the title with my mind, and a small explanatory window appeared.

    Researcher of the Hidden: A title for those who have learned the world''s deepest secrets.

    Elincia grabbed her head in disbelief, her eyes wide open. ¡°Swear on Shu¡¯s wings and Nokti¡¯s potatoes.¡±

    ¡°I swear,¡± I replied.

    ¡°What did I get myself into?¡± Elincia sighed.

    Suddenly, a System prompt popped in front of my eyes.

    New title acquired!

    Out of Your League: Somehow, you convinced your significant other to oversee your apparent flaws and many red flags.

    Reward: Gain access to your significant other¡¯s racial bonus.

    I swiftly re-opened my character sheet. [Stone in Love] and [Lonely Boy] had disappeared.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human. (Light-Footed, Night Vision)

    Class: Runeweaver Scholar Lv.1 (Displayed Class: Scholar Lv.15)

    Titles: Out of your League, Hot for Teacher, Confidant, Classroom Fiend, Favorite Teacher (97), Father Figure (2), Master Tutor, Silver Scholar, Delinquent Reformer (5), Stalwart Mentor (7), Making the Difference, Role Model, Expert Mathematician, Expert Physicist, Adept Historian, Adept Linguist, Journeyman Biologist, Novice Chemist, Novice Orator.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Mastery, A?w?ar?nes?s, Master of Languages.

    Skills: I?d?en?t?i?f?y, Stun Gaze, Intimi?d?te, Minor Illusion.

    ¡°Eli, check your new title, quick,¡± I said, guessing her new title would also have an attached bonus.

    Elincia¡¯ complained, and her eyes shot wide open.

    ¡°What in the everloving System? I have partial access to your mana pool now,¡± Elincia muttered. Suddenly, I felt a slight tug on my chest, and Elincia¡¯s hands caught blue fire. She examined her hands with fascination.

    ¡°Please treat me kindly. My mana pool is in a catastrophic state,¡± I nervously laughed. Having access to my mana pool seemed both frightening and exciting for her. Teaching her [Mana Manipulation] suddenly jumped several spots on my to-do list.

    Elincia left my lap, grabbed many flasks from the shelves, retrieved her alchemy kit, and without saying a word, she started brewing.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I inquired, missing her touch.

    ¡°Abusing the System,¡± Elincia replied with a glint of madness in her eyes. ¡°Alchemists gain mana by experimenting with new recipes, which I had neglected for the past decade. You can force incompatible alchemy components to bond with enough mana, creating new potions.¡±

    That was my girl.

    The distant sound of a rooster reached my ears, and the first rays of the sun illuminated the backyard. I smiled, deciding to let her work in peace. Elincia had taken the news better than I expected, and a part of me thought I didn¡¯t deserve such kindness. The only thing I could do to repay her was to improve my skills to ensure the well-being of the orphanage.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to experiment with my new class,¡± I whispered.

 79 - Soak

    Elincia and I had stayed up all night talking about my past life on Earth. Even if my rational mind told me Elincia would accept everything, a part of me still feared rejection. In the end, she just shrugged and said, ¡®You are still you¡¯. Maybe Elincia was right, and I was getting old. I found her maturity very attractive.

    My biggest desire was to return to bed and sleep beside Elincia until noon. However, time was pressing. Preparing the final details for the tournament was only the tip of the iceberg. I also had to put my new Class to the test and help Ginz settle at the orphanage. Not to mention looking after the orphans.

    I filled the wooden tub halfway up, hoping the water would wake me. The sheer number of trips I had to make to the well made it clear why bathtubs were a rarity and a luxury in the orphanage. I put the wooden screen between Elincia and myself while she was busy brewing potions and shed off my pajamas. Then, I cautiously heated the water using mana.

    A smile tugged my lips, thinking about the long way I had traveled since I had warmed water for the first time. I entered the tub slowly, letting the hot water embrace my body. I put my head on the edge and closed my eyes. The sound of Elincia working with her tools on the other side of the screen had a soothing effect on my body.

    The more pressing matter was to examine my new powers. I closed my eyes and examined my mana pool. I was a Runeweaver Scholar, yet runes made little sense to me. More than a thousand different runes, sorted in incomprehensible ways to my inexpert eye, covered every single centimeter of my mana pool. [Master of Languages] didn¡¯t give me vital insight about the runic language.

    The gargantuan task of learning the secret of the runes on my own didn¡¯t overwhelm me. During the last months, I had learned that I wasn¡¯t alone.

    ¡°Eli?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my love?¡± Elincia replied from the other side of the screen. I detected a humorous undertone in her words that made me smile. At least, I was sure routine wouldn¡¯t erode our relationship.

    ¡°Do you know anything about Enchanters? About the enchanting process?¡± I asked. Even though Elincia was more inclined to evade classes during her orphan years, Mr. Lowell taught her a lot.

    ¡°Have you been living under a rock? That¡¯s basic stuff! Oh¡­¡± Elincia bit her tongue mid-sentence. Despite my reassurance, she still believed I was homesick to a certain extent. ¡°Well, Scribe is a basic, non-combatant class that can advance into Scholar or Enchanter Class. Enchanters are masters of all kinds of mana. They can pour it into objects to give them magical properties.¡±

    I expected Elincia to say something more, but the silence grew long.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± I asked in disbelief.

    ¡°Rare classes are obsessed with secrecy. Even high-level Alchemists keep their original recipes to themselves and their disciples,¡± Elincia replied.

    My fears were starting to crystallize.

    Firana¡¯s enchanted cape glowed with runes, so I expected the Enchanter¡¯s craft to be related to engraving runes. Runes were like Chinese pictograms; I knew they had a meaning, but I couldn¡¯t start guessing them without a teacher. The System, however, hadn¡¯t given me knowledge about any runes. Leveling up my Runeweaver class might be more expensive than expected if I had to buy pre-enchanted items to learn runes.

    In hindsight, I should¡¯ve asked the enchanted item merchant about enchanting. I decided to not batter myself over it. I couldn¡¯t have guessed I was going to get a Class upgrade.

    I grabbed the bar of soap and started rubbing my body. As I enjoyed the hot water, I let my mind wander away from the rune problem. Maybe I was a little homesick. I wanted to crack a cold beer, not the lukewarm, stinky mead they served in Farcrest taverns. I imagined myself hunched over the computer screen, searching for runeweaving tutorials online. I sighed and submerged my head until my lungs screamed for air. When I resurfaced, I caught Elincia looking at me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is part of your training as a swordsman, but you are going to get sick if you take cold baths in winter,¡± Elincia pointed out.

    Did I ever tell Elincia I could heat water with my mana? I massaged my temples. I might have done so, but I didn¡¯t remember clearly.

    ¡°Anyway, I talked to Miss Nasiah the other day. She must have our new uniforms ready by now, so when you have a free hour, you should go to the store to get them,¡± Elincia said.

    I wasn¡¯t the only one putting in extra hours for the orphanage.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go after checking on Ginz. He might know something else about Enchanters,¡± I replied, clearing the last traces of soap and waiting for Elincia to disappear to the other side of the wooden screen. She didn¡¯t move. Instead, she locked her eyes on the soapy water. For some reason, the ring on my finger tugged my hand insistently.

    I raised an eyebrow.

    She raised her eyebrow back.

    My towel was nowhere to be found.

    Sneaky girl.

    ¡°Speaking of wary Alchemists, did Mr. Lowell leave you a list of his original potions?¡± I said, pretending I wouldn¡¯t get out of the tub any time soon. For good measure, I heated the water some more in case I stayed a little longer.

    My question seemed to touch a sensitive fiber because Elincia¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Mr. Lowell was somewhat of a wayward Alchemist. His recipes are¡­ I would rather not reproduce them.¡±

    Forbidden knowledge. That was totally my thing.

    ¡°If his recipes bought him this manor, they would be useful for us,¡± I pressed the matter.

    ¡°No, they won¡¯t!¡± Elincia turned around and disappeared behind the screen, all flustered.

    Curious.

    I pondered over the implications of Elincia¡¯s words as I looked for my towel. Mr. Lowell didn¡¯t strike me as the kind of man who developed deadly potions or potent flammable compounds. I wondered what kind of potions would make Elincia react that way.

    I closed my eyes and let my muscles relax. Unveiling the secrets of Mr. Lowell¡¯s alchemy prowess would have to wait. Staying up all night wasn¡¯t doing any favors to my ability to think logically. The hot water wasn¡¯t helping to keep me awake.

    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t sleep in the tub. You¡¯ll get sick,¡± Elincia said, handing me a bright green potion.

    I looked at her with a curious expression. My [Identify] skill was still corrupted.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°Oh, right. It¡¯s an Energy Potion. It will keep you awake for twelve hours; then you¡¯ll crash down, bad, so be near a bed,¡± Elincia explained.

    The potion was spicy.

    ¡°Fire vine pod?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Lots of it,¡± Elincia smiled.

    A moment later, the fog of sleepiness suddenly disappeared, and I felt a surge of energy coursing through my body. I blinked to activate my [Mana Mastery] and caught a glimpse of a fiery red mana flowing through my veins. The spiciness made me cough. I couldn¡¯t remain sitting with all that buzzing energy within me. I stood to my feet and grabbed the towel from Elincia¡¯s hand. The sensation was addictive.

    ¡°The water is still warm if you want to take a bath,¡± I said, wrapping the towel around my waist and grabbing my clothes. In an outburst of affection, I grabbed Elincia by the waist and kissed her. I decided I wasn¡¯t homesick. After a minute, we broke apart.

    ¡°So affectionate, so early?¡± Elincia asked, a little dazed. We were too busy dealing with the orphans in the morning to have any semblance of time alone.

    ¡°We have Ginz to cover for us now,¡± I replied.

    ¡°So, don¡¯t you want to soak a little more?¡± Elincia asked, untying the straps of her bodice.

    My heart skipped a beat. A glance through the window revealed it was almost breakfast time. It might be too risky with twelve orphans and a craftsman running around unsupervised.

    ¡°I would love to, but I can¡¯t,¡± I said with a mischievous smile as I put my pants on. ¡°If we take a bath together, then I would have no incentives to obtain your bath pic, and I don¡¯t want to ruin your plans to make me act cautiously.¡±

    Elincia couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. ¡°Oh, I see what you did there, you sneaky bastard!¡±

    She jumped forward, trying to catch me, but to my surprise, my body reacted instantly, and with an elegant jump, I got out of her reach. It seemed the System wasn¡¯t messing with me when it gave me access to Elincia¡¯s [Light-Footed].

    ¡°I have twelve hours to work on something, so I better make them count,¡± I replied, blowing a kiss to her and leaving the bedroom. If Ginz knew nothing about enchanting, I would ask Firana if I could look at her new cape.

    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this, Robert Clarke!¡±

    I heard Elincia yelling as I jogged down the hallway. If things go well for the following weeks, we will have all the time in the world to take long baths and sip on Margaritas under the sun. For now, I wanted to tease her a little more. The ring on my finger furiously tugged my hand towards Elincia¡¯s bedroom.

    Ilya was already in the kitchen, preparing breakfast with the rest of the early birds. Ginz raised his head, pleading for help. Dark circles outlined the craftsman''s eyes. Shu was continuously pulling on his jacket with a mischievous smile. As soon as she saw me entering the kitchen, the girl stopped tormenting Ginz and greeted me with the sweetest smile possible.

    ¡°Is it like this every day?¡± Ginz asked with a defeated tone.

    ¡°You guessed it, pal,¡± I replied with a wink. I sat by his side and shot my question. ¡°Have you ever met an Enchanter?¡±

    Ginz gave me a quizzical look. ¡°There was an Enchanter teaching here when I was a kid. Her classes were hectic, though. She forced us to do all kinds of exercises to help us develop mana before getting our classes. Other than that, I can¡¯t say I learned anything about actual enchanting.¡±

    That was a downer. It seemed like Firana¡¯s cape and Ilya¡¯s Cooldown Bow would be my first approach to enchanting. I stood up and returned to the door without waiting for breakfast to be served.

    ¡°You won¡¯t leave me alone with the kids again, don¡¯t you? Rob?¡± Ginz called for me as I exited the kitchen.

    As I headed to the kid¡¯s bedroom, I made a mental note to tell Shu to stop trying to ¡®break¡¯ Ginz. I knocked and opened the door. I hadn¡¯t a reason to frequent this room other than a couple of times when a younger kid wanted to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

    There were six beds on each side, with night tables between them and two big wardrobes on the opposite wall. Usually, there were four empty beds because the older orphans had personal bedrooms. However, no beds were currently vacant due to Firana¡¯s insistence on celebrating with a sleepover.

    Further from the door, I recognized Wolf, Virdian, and Ash sleeping soundly despite the hour. Firana was sitting on her bed, her messy hair pointing in all directions, looking blankly into space.

    ¡°Good morning, Firana,¡± I greeted her, full of energy. Maybe I should¡¯ve saved a couple of drops of the Energy Potion for her.

    ¡°Good morning, Dad,¡± she yawned. Then, suddenly, she finished waking up. ¡°Mister Clarke! Good morning, Mister Clarke!¡±

    I smiled. During my years teaching in an elementary school, I was called ¡®dad¡¯ at least a dozen times. The kids¡¯ shameful expression afterward was the same in this world and the other. My answer remained the same.

    ¡°Good morning, daughter,¡± I said. ¡°Would you be so kind as to lend me your cape for a moment?¡±

    Firana sighed, still appalled due to the slip of her tongue. Then she guided me to her room, and after a moment, I had the cape on my hands. The fact that the Aias Sword was hidden atop the wardrobe didn''t escape my scrying eye. Like the cape, the sword¡¯s surface was covered in bright red runes.

    The more enchanted items I had access to, the easier it would be to reverse-engineer the enchantments.

    ¡°Could I see your sword?¡±

    Firana nodded and stood on tiptoes to retrieve it.

    ¡°That¡¯s an enchanted item,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s dead now. It needs monster blood to revive,¡± Firana replied, bringing the sword closer. When I stretched my hand to grab it, Firana violently pulled back.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± I quickly said. It wasn¡¯t a surprise that Firana was protective of the only memento of her family.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. You¡¯ll burn your hand if you touch it directly,¡± Firana said, her eyes lost in the charred iron. ¡°That¡¯s why Captain Garibal had it wrapped in silk¡­ and Uncle Kellaren can¡¯t wield it.¡±

    I nodded in silence. That was the reason Kellaren needed Firana to lead the family. Only an Aias of the family¡¯s main branch could wield the sword. It was an intelligent safeguard to keep the family¡¯s name in good hands but a two-edged sword for Firana.

    I focused on the sword, and the runes shone before me. Considering the dark, charred patches, I guessed the Aias Sword had at least three enchantments in place: a recognition enchantment, a vampiric enchantment, and an igneous enchantment. The sword might not be the most manageable object to work with as a novice.

    ¡°How strong is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Right now, it is a piece of metal; when charged, it can cut through steel and set stone on fire,¡± Firana replied with a hint of reverence.

    As dangerous as it sounded, having a powerful magical artifact as a home defense measure might prove to be helpful during an emergency. However, I wasn¡¯t a fan of bringing Firana to the Farlands to charge the sword with monster blood.

    A sudden idea struck me. Monster blood didn¡¯t seem to have any unique properties other than the high concentration of mana within their bodies. Maybe we didn¡¯t need to go to the Farlands to revive the sword.

    I led Firana to my room and retrieved the slime core Dassyra had given me.

    ¡°Do you think the sword will charge up if it breaks the core?¡± I asked, unsure if I wanted to lose a valuable item in a doomed experiment. The core was full of mana, even if the slime it came from was dead.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s reacting,¡± Firana said.

    The runes on the blade suddenly shone as I brought the slime core next to the edge. Maybe it wasn¡¯t a doomed experiment in the end. With my mana pool recovering, Ginz¡¯s shells, and the Aias sword, the orphanage was a step closer to being a safe space for the kids.

    ¡°Do it,¡± I said.

    Firana nodded and sliced the slime core. A mist of blue mana, only visible to me due to [Mana Mastery], flowed towards the sword. Firana tightened the grip, and the blade caught fire. I felt the scorching heat against my face before Firana extinguished the flames.

    ¡°Keep it away from the other kids, and only use it in a moment of great danger. It will be a while until we can travel to the Farlands to feed it more monsters,¡± I said.

    ¡°Understood,¡± Firana replied with utmost seriousness.

    Igneous weapons were as powerful as they were intimidating.

    ¡°Could you leave the sword on top of that dresser? I want to study it,¡± I asked. ¡°Without touching it, of course.¡±

    Firana nodded and, without asking questions, left the sword in my room.

 80 - Arcane Powers of Illumination

    Firana left the Aias Sword on my dresser and headed to the kitchen for breakfast without asking questions. Despite her betrayal by Holst and abandonment by her extended family, Firana was quick to trust people. It was up to me to work diligently to repay her trust. Thankfully, the energy from Elincia¡¯s potion surged through my veins, dispelling the fog of sleep at bay and allowing me to remain laser-focused even after a sleepless night.

    It was finally time to put my new class to work. First of all, I needed to ready my workspace.

    I dragged the small desk over the wooden floor until it sat beside the dresser. I retrieved a small stack of scrolls and a charcoal pencil from a drawer and placed Firana¡¯s cape before me. I had access to four enchanted items: Firana¡¯s cloak, the Aias Sword, the Cooldown Bow, and my magical ring. I sat on the uncomfortable chair and wrote down a bullet list of what I knew, what I expected, and the questions I had. When the entire sheet was covered in hasty scribbles, I leaned back and closed my eyes.

    If enchanting functioned akin to other crafting Classes, I could expect the System to guide the Enchanter through the enchanting process. However, I wasn¡¯t an Enchanter. I was a Runeweaver, and I was uncertain whether the System would assist me in the same way. Despite gaining the Runeweaver Class, no external knowledge was inscribed into my brain as it happened when I became a Scholar.

    I examined Firana¡¯s cape, expecting to encounter a single shining rune. Instead, I felt like opening a book written in Japanese or Mandarin. I knew the symbols had a certain logic but couldn¡¯t start guessing it. There were too many runes and no System Prompt to explain anything.

    ¡°Hey, System, are you there? Care to give me a hand?¡± I asked the ceiling.

    No response. I dived into my mana pool, but the blonde man in yellow polo wasn¡¯t there either. How was I supposed to fix the System without a teacher to help me? I leaned back in my chair and took a deep breath. The System Avatar was right. Learning the runic language was going to take years.

    I focused again on the cape. An assortment of seven runes covered the fabric to the last centimeter¡ªseven runes for a single enchantment. I wondered if each rune was some sort of ¡®command¡¯. It wasn¡¯t a wild guess if the System was written like computer code. I wrote the runes down and focused on the Aias Sword. I counted seventy-two different runes that were sorted into several sentence-like structures. It was too much information to make an educated guess about the functionality of each fragment.

    After filling several sheets of scroll with the runes from the Aias Sword, I retrieved Ilya¡¯s Cooldown Bow. Twenty-one runes were sorted into sixteen different ¡®sentences.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t as complex as the Aias Sword, but it was still a four-year degree away from my current skills.

    I diligently wrote down the runes of each enchanted object. I added the words ¡®fire¡¯, ¡®absorption¡¯, and ¡®recognition¡¯ next to the Aias Sword runes and ¡®movement¡¯ and ¡®reaction¡¯ beside Firana¡¯s cape runes. For the Cooldown Bow, I had little clue about the object¡¯s functionality, so I just wrote ¡®charge¡¯ and ¡®momentum¡¯. Then, I compared the sentences. The chubby man looked American or maybe European, so I guessed the runes had to be read from left to right, from top to bottom. The first rune of each ¡®sentence¡¯ was different, so I assumed there was no ¡®start here¡¯ rune.

    The enchanted orc ring was my last hope. Its functionality was limited to pulling my hand in the direction of its twin, so I guessed it wouldn¡¯t be so complex. I was wrong. Completely wrong. Similarly to the Aias Sword, the ring was covered in several different combinations of sixty-one runes sorted in hundreds of different ways.

    After finishing my annotations, I leaned back and looked at the water stained white ceiling. Deciphering the runic language by cross-examining enchanted items might be my best shot. However, I was going to need more source material.

    I wanted to have a clear idea of what I was doing before trying to enchant anything.

    When I first got [Runeweaver], for a brief moment, I could see faint runes everywhere. I took a deep breath and activated my [Mana Mastery]. At first, nothing happened, but I used the meditation techniques until my mind cleared of any external and internal stimulus. Slowly, like magic, thousands of washed-away runes sprouted from all the surfaces, but most of them were too blurred to even guess the forms and lines.

    Another dead end.

    The next logical step would be replicating one of the enchantments. Still, I was worried about accidentally blowing up half of the orphanage or creating a glitch that would swallow reality. My gut told me that runeweaving was a more unrestricted process than regular enchanting. Such freedom scared me to a certain extent. If anything, my sense of self-preservation was triggered if there were orphans involved.

    ¡°You have years to master this skill. There¡¯s no rush,¡± I reminded myself.

    Focusing on raising Elincia and Ginz¡¯s classes might be a better approach. The potion operation had resulted in a massive influx of money to the orphanage with little risk, if I ignored the amount of times we almost died in the process. I made a mental note to put away money to hire a couple of bodyguards for our next venture into the Farlands. With enough money, I could buy more enchanted items, and with enough enchanted items, I could break the code.

    Using [Identify] on the runes was also an option, but the Corruption in my chest prevented me from jumping directly into the task. Now that I knew how to cure the Corruption, I couldn¡¯t jeopardize my recent improvement for a short-term gain. Elincia would be mad at me.

    ¡°Mister Clarke! Lunch is ready!¡± Shu said from the other side of my door.

    I looked at my notes with satisfaction and exited my bedroom. Progress was progress no matter how slow it was. I locked the door so no orphan could accidentally touch the Aias Sword, and focused my attention on the harpy girl.

    There were also other matters that I had to attend to before Elincia¡¯s potion ran out.

    ¡°Tell me, Shu. What do you think of Mister Ginz so far?¡± I asked as Shu raised her arms so I would carry her. I noticed I didn¡¯t know Ginz¡¯s surname. Ginz Lowell, maybe?

    ¡°Ginz is funny. If you use The Glare, he gets uncomfortable,¡± she shrugged. ¡°I like Mister Clarke more, though.¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Shu, but remember, Ginz is a teacher at the orphanage now, so you should treat him respectfully. Got it?¡± I said.

    ¡°How can he be a teacher if he hasn¡¯t taught any class yet?¡± Shu replied with a skeptical expression.

    I sighed. Shu was too adorable to scold her no matter how unruly she was. On the bright side, at least Elincia¡¯s classes promoted the orphans¡¯ logical-argumentative skills. I made yet another mental note to survey Ginz¡¯s mood. There was a lot of talk about student-on-student and teacher-on-student bullying and very little about the abuse suffered by teachers conducted by students.

    ¡°Will you promise me not to use The Glare too much?¡± I asked.

    The advantage of carrying Shu everywhere was that she couldn¡¯t flee mid-conversation.

    ¡°Alright. Promise. Just because I like you,¡± Shu replied as we entered the kitchen.

    The orphans were already sitting in their respective seats, waiting for the food to come. I smiled. They looked a lot more healthy than the first time I cooked for them. I automatically walked to the stove to help Elincia serve the portions. Despite my proximity, she ignored me.

    ¡°How did your morning go, sweetie?¡± I asked near her ear so no orphan could hear us.

    ¡°Great, actually. I took a long, hot bath. Without any clothing,¡± Elincia replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s how people usually take baths,¡± I giggled as I handed her the wooden bowls so she could pour the steaming soup.

    ¡°You think you are funny, Scholar? I¡¯ll touch your feet with my cold hands every morning until you beg for forgiveness,¡± she whispered as she took the empty bowl from my hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eli. I¡¯d love to have a bath with you, but my hands are tied until we formalize our relationship,¡± I teased her.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t lie to me. I know your hands are far from ¡®tied¡¯,¡± Elincia said, burying her elbow in my ribs. ¡°And I don¡¯t have any problems ¡®formalizing¡¯ my relationship with your lanky Scholar ass, so go ahead and do whatever weird mating ritual Earthling Scholars do.¡±

    I smiled. Elincia¡¯s lack of patience might explain why Ginz was often punched during their days as orphans. In my opinion, it was part of her charm.

    ¡°No backsies,¡± I said with my best annoying voice.

    ¡°In case you hadn''t noticed, I like you a lot. Proof? I put up with your bullshit on a daily basis,¡± Elincia grunted.

    ¡°And I like you a lot,¡± I replied, stealthily kissing her shoulder. An idea had crystallized in my overly energetic brain: the time to tell the orphans about our relationship might be long overdue. ¡°Excuse me, everybody, your attention here, please!¡±

    I clapped my hands, and the kitchen fell in complete silence.

    Elincia didn¡¯t seem amused in the slightest. ¡°Do it, I dare you,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°It has come to my attention that a certain rumor regarding Miss Elincia and I had been circulating around the orphanage. After investigating the source of said rumor, we have concluded that some of you might have magnified certain signs of mutual appreciation between Miss Elincia and myself. Yes, I¡¯m looking at you, Shu,¡± I said.

    The harpy girl gave me a smug, almost evil smile.

    ¡°Wait! That means there¡¯s nothing going on between you two?¡± Ilya asked in disbelief.

    Virdian and Nokti looked like they were about to cry.

    ¡°Miss Elincia is a great woman. She¡¯s kind, hardworking, supportive, and reliable, although a bit grumpy at times¡­¡± I prefaced, seeing how the orphans'' shoulders deflated as if they anticipated the rest of the sentence. ¡°I am pleased to announce that Miss Elincia and I are in a romantic relationship. I¡¯m deeply in love with her and wanted to share the good news with you all.¡±

    The kitchen fell in complete silence, as if they were waiting for the ¡®I¡¯m just kidding¡¯. Not even the cold winter wind dared to blow. The kids were shocked. Then, Elincia touched my shoulder and kissed my cheek, making my face red. The kitchen erupted into excited cheering, and the orphans rushed towards us and hugged us tightly. Even Ash, who still often showed his distrust, joined. Several soup bowls were spilled in the process.

    Elincia shot me an embarrassed look as Shu repeatedly chanted ¡®wedding¡¯.

    ¡°Enough of this nonsense!¡± Elincia yelled over the sound of shouting orphans, grabbing a ladle and brandishing it like a mace. It was impossible for her to hide how flustered she was. ¡°Back to your seats, you lot! Or I¡¯ll have you scrubbing dishes until your hands wrinkle and your fingernails fall off!¡±

    The orphans chuckled, but they held us hostage in the hug for another minute before they returned to their seats. I caught Elincia¡¯s severe glance and offered an apologetic shrug. She just shook her head, and a hint of a smile appeared on her lips.

    ¡°You are insufferable,¡± she said, trying to sound stern but failing to hide a glint of amusement.

    ¡°I know, but you love it,¡± I replied, signaling towards the kids with my head. ¡°Look at how happy they are.¡±

    Elincia rolled her eyes, but the warmth of her smile spoke volumes.

    ¡°I admit it. You are very good at keeping the morale high, insufferable as you are,¡± she said, stealthily grabbing my hand.

    ¡°Just hold until the tournament, and I¡¯ll spend all my time on you,¡± I said, joining heads.

    Suddenly, a weak glint of light behind a sack of potatoes caught my eye. A light stone. The enchanted stones were a staple in my daily life at the orphanage to a point I had forgotten about their existence. A shiver of excitement ran down my spine. The light stones were so simple that I had forgotten they were a magical item.

    ¡°I need to check something. Can you send Ginz with a bowl of soup to my room?¡± I asked as I kissed Elincia¡¯s hand.

    Elincia nodded and I walked to the door with the light stone in my pocket. The kids didn¡¯t seem too happy to see us breaking apart, although the attention promptly changed towards Firana, who was bragging about knowing about us for weeks now. As soon as I exited the kitchen, I heard the muffled ¡®wedding¡¯ chants behind me entangled with a ¡®traitor¡¯ chant.

    I laughed my way to the sleeping quarters.

    I unlocked my room¡¯s door and sat on the desk with the light stone in front of me. Only three runes sorted in a single ¡®sentence¡¯ shone on the surface of the rock. I took a piece of parchment and drew the runes down next to the possible meanings. ¡®Light¡¯ and ¡®recharge¡¯ were obvious, the third one not so much. I closed my eyes and envisioned the process. Mana went into the stone and emitted light until it was depleted. I wrote ¡®storage¡¯ and ¡®gradual¡¯ with a big question mark between them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if this works,¡± I muttered as I pulled my notes away, leaving only a piece of parchment on the desk. I felt more comfortable experimenting with the light stone¡¯s runes than the billowing cape ones. In the worst-case scenario, I¡¯d flashbang myself.

    The runes weren¡¯t ¡®drawn¡¯ in any of the objects, so I assumed I didn¡¯t need a pencil to weave an enchantment but only my mana. I closed my eyes and focused on the sheet of paper. Then, I envisioned the shape of the rune and gathered my mana in a bright ball before me. My mana shredded into silver hair-like strands and merged with the parchment, creating a tessellation of tiny runes.

    When I opened my eyes, the piece of paper emitted a weak light.

    ¡°First try, baby!¡± I grinned.

 "Christmas" Chapter

    Evil machinations brewed at Lowell¡¯s Manor.

    ¡°You see, my dear Roberto, manual work has no intrinsic value to it,¡± an inebriated Ginz said as he pointed at me with a sharp knife. He sounded like a certain uncle from my dad¡¯s family I didn¡¯t want to remember. ¡°You must convince the nobles that your product is the most prestigious item in town after the royal crown. The first step is to convince one or two nobles to use your stuff in public and the rest will quickly jump into the wagon. Product placement is everything. Then, you sell the nobles the item at an inflated price until the whole court has one. You must do it quickly before the leeches start making copies.¡±

    ¡°So, your business will eventually die, and you¡¯ll return to square one?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Let me finish, Roberino,¡± Ginz replied. ¡°Around this time, even the last courtier and wealthy merchant will have bought your product, and the price will plummet. Craftsmen will be discouraged from producing copies because every court member already has one. Here¡¯s the secret. You won¡¯t stop crafting. You¡¯ll use the money to hire a small army of low-level craftsmen to mass-produce your thing. By this point, every Farcrest citizen will know that your product is the latest fashion among nobles. They will be consumed by vanity if you offer the product to them at a reasonable price. By the end of the season, your product would¡¯ve conquered the city. Every single person has one. You are a famous craftsman, and the nobles will be on the hunt to be the first to wear your next big hit.¡±

    I looked at Ginz with my mouth agape. As far as wishful thinking went, he was the undisputed champion.

    ¡°Ginz, you are an evil eggnog balloon, and your plan is just as foolish as Nokti¡¯s scheme to create a Potato God,¡± I replied, enchanting the next batch of light beads.

    I made a mental note to monitor Nokti¡¯s potato appreciation club closely. The next time I hear a ¡®beware of its thousand eyes of madness¡¯ late at night, I¡¯d be putting an end to the cult. Things were getting too creepy too quickly. I put those thoughts away and focused on the workbench before me.

    Ginz drank from his eggnog mug. The ¡®product¡¯ in question was a dress for Elincia to wear during the Winter Solstice Festival. His plan was simple. Capitalize on the attention the orphanage had gotten due to the Stephaniss Cup, and exhibit the dress, with Elincia as the model, to the high spheres of the kingdom. His logic behind the ¡®inevitable¡¯ success of the plan? Enchanters were a Prestige Class, which meant there were only a handful in the kingdom. They wouldn¡¯t bother enchanting a hundred shiny little beads for a decorative piece.

    I wondered what kind of Enchanter would¡¯ve created all the joke items in Opoki¡¯s inventory. If Ginz¡¯s picture was correct, Enchanters were too busy crafting enchanted weapons and armor to have time to create floppy forks.

    ¡°Call me evil all you want, but most of my income goes into the orphanage¡¯s coffers by contract. If my plan succeeds, most money will go directly to the kids,¡± Ginz burped. ¡°Also, don¡¯t drink too much booze during the festival. We have to finish twelve decks tonight.¡±

    I deflated on my chair. Since Ginz arrived at the orphanage, I had even less free time.

    ¡°Drink the blueberry juice and give me twelve more beads, Robbybobby,¡± Ginz interrupted my grumbling.

    I drank Elincia¡¯s mana potion and continued enchanting polished white wood beads. My brain and my heart were divided. My heart was dying to see Elincia wearing the dress, but my brain told me this was an awful idea.

    ¡°Does it have to show the midriff?¡± I asked for the tenth time.

    ¡°Do we have to go through beauty standards again?¡± Ginz replied.

    ¡°No,¡± I sighed.

    Most of the Farcrest population had the ¡®green fever¡¯. Orc physique was largely considered attractive because it embodied strength. Strength was related to high levels, and high-level people were deemed successful. Ginz had summarized it that way but was neither a sociologist nor an anthropologist. What did Orc''s physique have to do with Elincia? Thousand hours shooting a bow had strengthened her core and back muscles, giving them a perfect definition.

    Ginz had everything planned, apparently.

    ¡°Trust me, Roburrito. Captain Kiln has broken more hearts than any other courtier in the city''s history. Half of the Guard recruits enlisted because they are in love with her. Have you seen her without armor? She has muscles on her muscles,¡± Ginz hiccupped.

    ¡°Would you marry Captain Kiln if she asked?¡±

    Before I pronounced the last syllable, Elincia entered the room. She looked at me with a disgusted expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in whatever repugnant guy¡¯s conversation you are having. I just want to know why you called me,¡± Elincia said, leaning on the doorway and crossing her arms. ¡°I¡¯m busy, you know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be brief,¡± Ginz hiccuped and drank another sip from his eggnog mug. It wasn¡¯t even noon. ¡°I feel like an ass for calling you Orcbud during all those years, so I sewed a dress for you. I hope you can forgive me. It¡¯s a party dress inspired by the wedding dress of the second wife of King Ebros the XVI, the Hunter Princess of Verhden, and the traditional orc Moon Shaman attire.¡±

    I glared at Ginz but didn¡¯t get to say anything because Elincia¡¯s face suddenly lit up. She was so happy that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell her Ginz was just using her for his evil plans. Maybe after the festival.

    ¡°Oh, Ginz, you shouldn''t have,¡± she said, but her smile told the opposite story. She was loving it. ¡°Can I try it?¡±

    ¡°Be my guest. If it needs any adjustment, I should be able to do it before the festival starts,¡± Ginz said, drunkenly smiling. ¡°Go change. We aren¡¯t going anywhere.¡±

    Elincia grabbed the dress and skipped away like a little kid.

    ¡°You will be in so much trouble,¡± I said with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°I won when I said ¡®Hunter Princess¡¯,¡± Ginz smiled. ¡°And you, Berty, you¡¯ll love me after this too. Just wait for it.¡±

    Not a minute later, the door slammed open, and Elincia jumped into the room. My heart skipped a beat, stopped, and performed a triple somersault. The dress was a shoulderless fitted bodice with an external translucent blouse of a flowy dark blue fabric decorated with silver embroidery and enchanted blue light beads. The skirt was similar, an inner tight-fitted legging with a flowy, translucent outer layer decorated with beads and silver embroidery. Not quite a belly dancer dress, but very close.

    ¡°I made the lateral cut high to the waist so you can move more freely,¡± Ginz explained, but I quickly zoned out. Elincia was stunning.

    ¡°Well, I guess Rob liked it,¡± Elincia giggled.

    ¡°What?¡± I said, confused.

    ¡°I asked how I looked. Twice,¡± she gave me the smuggest smile to date.

    I couldn¡¯t think of a single garment in which Elincia looked terrible. The dress, however, highlighted her elegant figure better than any patchwork nightgown.

    ¡°You are such a simpleton, Rob. It¡¯s just a dress,¡± Elincia giggled as she modeled for us.

    It wasn¡¯t just a dress. It was a weapon of mass seduction. The worst part? Ginz¡¯s plan to get the nobility on the ¡®Ginz¡¯s Fashion Train¡¯ seemed absolutely doable with Elincia as the poster girl of his products. I had to admit Ginz was a hell of a Craftsman. The dress was perfect to the last detail.

    ¡°As an extra service, I volunteer to look after the orphans today so you two can have fun,¡± Ginz said.

    ¡°Would you?!¡± Elincia¡¯s eyes shone bright.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Elincia smiled and skipped out of the room.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want an army of orphans taking the public¡¯s attention away from my dress,¡± Ginz added as he emptied the eggnog mug. ¡°This counts as your festival¡¯s gift, Robbieboyo. Enjoy it, and make sure Elincia uses the veil all the time. I don¡¯t want the model to rob attention from the dress.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°You should¡¯ve seen your face. At first, you gasped, then you were like, ¡®Whoa¡¯. Then I asked how I looked, and you were blank. Gone,¡± Elincia elbowed my ribs as we walked through the market. She was having a field day with my reactions to her dress. It wasn¡¯t my fault she was so cute.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± I deflected Elincia¡¯s remarks.

    ¡°The warmth enchantment is working well,¡± she replied, hanging from my arm.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Even if the city wore their best rags, Elincia stood out among the crowd. The beads shone like small constellations against the deep blue dress, while the flowy outer layer gave the garment a mysterious appearance. The veil and the headdress only highlighted the exotic design of the dress.

    ¡°We still have an hour before the party,¡± I said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check the fair. I want to play the sharpshooting game,¡± Elincia smiled. ¡°Last year, I won a set of mugs.¡±

    ¡°OK, go. I¡¯ll wait for you over there on those benches,¡± I replied, stifling a smile.

    ¡°Oh, no. You are coming with me, Mister.¡±

    That afternoon, Farcrest was different. There was a cheerful atmosphere. Flickering paper lanterns lit the streets, and even the stalls had been adorned with evergreen garlands and pennants. The market square was filled with merchants selling handcrafted gifts, lucky charms, and all sorts of dubious love potions. The air carried the smell of roasted chestnuts and mulled wine. Musicians played mellow songs at every street corner while kids ran around, followed by life-sized Wendigo puppets.

    ¡°A love spell for the lovely couple!¡± an old woman approached us mid-street. It wasn¡¯t a question but an order for the squad of grannies following her.

    Elincia dragged me in an attempt to escape, but the army of grannies was faster and quickly surrounded us. The corner musicians didn¡¯t wait to jump into the fray, singing about seizing the year''s longest night. The lyrics were full of dirty wordplay. After a moment, the old women tied our hands with a red lace. As suddenly as they ambushed us, the group of matchmakers disappeared.

    As I looked around, I caught other granny squads looking for unsuspecting couples.

    ¡°So much for me playing the archery game,¡± Elincia sighed, looking at the lace around our wrists.

    ¡°We can still eat pastries,¡± I pointed out, unsure how a red lace counted as a love spell. Maybe we were supposed to spend the whole evening together.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to feed me, though. They took my right hand, and I don¡¯t want to mess up the dress,¡± Elincia grinned as she raised our conjoint arm.

    ¡°It would be an honor, milady.¡±

    There were several couples with their hands tied together strolling around the market.

    I put a couple of copper coins on the chestnut vendor, and he gave us a wooden plate with a dozen big chestnuts covered in honey. He also gave us a dirty look when he saw the red lace tying us. I was starting to suspect the Winter Solstice Festival was closer to Valentine¡¯s Day than Christmas. It was understandable. Spending the longest night of the year with one¡¯s significant other had something poetic to it. Not that the festivity changed our particular sleeping habits.

    We sat on a wooden bench near the entrance of the Great Hall, just under a flock of paper lanterns, and Elincia raised the veil and opened her mouth for me to feed her a chestnut. Her blissful expression was just too cute, so I fed her another. Despite having only one hand free each, we were having a great time.

    As we ate, the year''s first snowflakes fell upon the winter fair as the sun set. Like clockwork.

    ¡°Should we go inside?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stay here for a minute. Elves are coldproof,¡± Elincia replied, leaning on my shoulder.

    ¡°Why do you like to touch me with your cold feet so much then?¡± I said.

    ¡°You are warm.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t because you like to see me grimacing?¡±

    ¡°How does that even occur to you? I love you too much to put you through that,¡± Elincia replied with a mischievous smile just to jab at my ribs a moment later. ¡°You haven¡¯t complimented me for my dress yet.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t. I¡¯m trying hard not to fall in love with you,¡± I replied, looking away.

    ¡°Admit it, you adore me,¡± Elincia snuggled to my side.

    ¡°I adore your humility.¡±

    Our friendly banter was cut short by the sound of horns from the Great Hall. Slowly, the commoners of Farcrest started crossing the inner wall into the gardens. Before the entrance clogged, we entered the front courtyard. Instead of walking around the building towards the gardens, we approached the main entrance. Captain Kiln had invited us to the VIP area to have someone to talk to.

    To my surprise, Captain Kiln was waiting for us at the top of the stairs. She wore a long purple night dress with a delicate silver tiara and a white wolf monster pelt over the shoulders. Maybe Ginz was right. I couldn¡¯t deny Captain Kiln was killing the dress despite looking uncomfortable without a sword hanging from her waist.

    ¡°Finally, good company! I was tired of entertaining all these bubble-blowing babies!¡± Captain Kiln greeted us with a relieved smile. ¡°How many marriage proposals has that piece of a dress gotten so far, girl? The System knows I have gotten a lot too many.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t tell if she was joking or not.

    ¡°I was expecting one, but no luck so far,¡± Elincia replied, pretending to be appalled.

    ¡°You were really expecting something from this one?¡± Captain Kiln raised an eyebrow.

    I still couldn¡¯t tell if they were joking.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We are drawing too much attention.¡±

    Elincia and Captain Kiln monopolized the crowd¡¯s attention, and people refused to continue their way into the gardens. I had to admit, they both looked great in their dresses. However, my eyes drifted invariably towards Elincia.

    Captain Kiln guided us into the Great Hall. I expected her to take us into a sumptuous ballroom. Instead, the nobleborn¡¯s party took place on a balcony with views of the gardens while the commoners danced below. A small orchestra played folk music on an elevated gazebo while a dozen pages served food and drinks. Most of the dancers were already tied together.

    I noticed Sir Janus drinking with the servitude in the corner of the dance floor.

    ¡°Robert Clarke, welcome,¡± The Marquis greeted us as soon as we joined the party on the balcony, quickly departing from a group of nobles. Was he also using me as his diplomatic scapegoat? I couldn¡¯t get used to interacting with him in such an informal manner.

    The Marquis wore a simple white shirt and a black vest with silver embroidery. If I overlooked the fabric''s quality and the ornaments'' detail, his clothes weren''t too different from mine. All the noblemen wore simple clothes. He had been tied to a young woman with tanned skin and glossy dark hair in an elegant ivory dress. His fiancee?

    I wondered if there was any anthropological reason for the disparity between attires.

    ¡°My Lord, it¡¯s an honor,¡± I greeted and bowed.

    When I raised my head again, I noticed he was more interested in Elincia.

    ¡°How much do I have to pay for you to keep the identity of the tailor a secret until the Sowing Festival?¡± he shot without warning.

    I hated the fact Ginz was right. Elincia¡¯s dress was a subtle flame in the dark, literally and metaphorically. The nobles showered us with a mix of envy, jealousy, and hatred glances. The hostile looks were mostly aimed at me. Even if the dress wasn¡¯t made of the most expensive fabrics and precious gems, its uniqueness stole all the glances.

    ¡°They¡¯ll guess it''s the craftsman that lives at the manor,¡± I whispered at the Marquis. ¡°But I know for a fact he has no morals and can be bought with an early offer.¡±

    The Marquis smiled, satisfied with my answer. ¡°Have fun, and don¡¯t let these snakes spoil your party.¡±

    Crisis averted.

    For the next few hours, dozens of unapologetic nobles approached and showered us with questions about Elincia¡¯s dress. There were so many of them that we could hardly do anything other than answer their questions. Elincia was having a good time, at least, being the center of attention and absorbing the noble ladies'' envy. If she was happy, I was happy.

    Ginz seemed to be up to date with the Kingdom¡¯s fashion scene because a couple of the most cosmopolitan nobles asked us if the dress was inspired by the Hunter Princess of Verhden¡¯s wedding dress.

    It was late at night when we managed to escape to the gardens. We sat on a stone bench and enjoyed the sweet music. The commoners must¡¯ve seen us on the balcony, so they kept a cautious distance, fearing attracting our ¡®noble¡¯ anger. The party had already passed its peak, and all the nobles soon retreated into the Great Hall.

    ¡°I think we should go home,¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere without first dancing with the most beautiful girl at the party,¡± I replied.

    ¡°And who would she be?¡±

    I looked around as if I was looking for someone.

    ¡°I¡¯d say nobody comes even close to you. You are beautiful,¡± I replied.

    Elincia blushed and dragged me into the dance floor. The band played slow romantic songs. Most paper lanterns had already been consumed, leaving the dancers in an almost complete darkness. The subtle light of the enchanted beads embroidered into Elincia¡¯s dress highlighted the contours of her hips and the vaporous fabric of the outer layer.

    Imitating the other couples, I put my hands on Elincia¡¯s waist, and we slid around the dance floor with slow, rhythmic movements. Elincia¡¯s bare skin burned under my hands. The exposed midriff was genius. Ginz hadn¡¯t cut a dress. He had created a deadly weapon.

    Elincia''s smile almost melted my last two brain cells.

    ¡°Are you a Paladin? Because your ¡®lay on hands¡¯ game is strong tonight,¡± she playfully said.

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell a joke so lame and expect me not to kiss you,¡± I replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m down for that, but I think we should wait until we return to the manor,¡± Elincia whispered.

    ¡°Feeling shy tonight?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, but the guards are already expelling people from the gardens.¡±

    I looked around to see a group of guardsmen herding the partygoers away.

    ¡°The last one to arrive at the orphanage has to wash the dishes tomorrow,¡± Elincia said before running through the dancers with elven grace. I hadn¡¯t noticed the lace around our wrists loosening.

    We ran out of the Great Hall gardens until I caught her ¨Cor she let me catch her¨C by the end of the market square. Then, we strolled silently, watching the clear night sky until we reached the orphanage. All lights were already out except for Ginz¡¯s room. We entered, stepping on the tip of our toes until we got to our bedroom.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go tell Ginz we are already here,¡± I said.

    Elincia nodded and struck a pose before closing the door behind her. I covered my mouth so as not to laugh out loud. Luckily, no kid appeared in the corridor to check the commotion.

    As entertaining as the night had been, I was starting to feel sleepy. My visit to Ginz¡¯s bedroom was short-lived. It seemed the Marquis hadn¡¯t wasted time and had already sent a messenger with an order, so any news about the success of the dress was already too old. I said goodnight to the craftsman and left before he could press me to enchant beads.

    I smiled. It was a shame the night had ended so quickly.

    When I returned to Elincia¡¯s bedroom, I found the door locked, so I softly knocked. I expected to see Elincia wearing her usual white nightgown, but I was wrong. Instead, she was still wearing the dress.

    ¡°I thought it would be a shame if we don¡¯t share one last dance before night ends,¡± Elincia said with a shy smile. It was reassuring to know she felt the same as me. I sneaked into the room and closed the door behind me.

 81 - Wand Safety

    I curled up deep under the blankets, counting the seconds the glowing paper¡¯s light took to fade away. The correlation between mana used and the duration of the enchantment didn¡¯t come as a surprise. However, I was yet to achieve a permanent enchantment. Using my whole mana pool and without resorting to Fountain mana, I made the paper shine for a few minutes before the enchantment ultimately faced away.

    The amount of mana required for a permanent enchant must¡¯ve been tremendous, which led me to believe all enchanted items drew mana from somewhere. The light stone was the most obvious example; someone had to recharge them regularly. In the same fashion, the Aias Sword absorbed mana from felled monsters. Firana¡¯s billowing cape, on the other hand, seemed to work on its own. Maybe it drew mana from the environment. If so, it must use minuscule amounts because I couldn''t detect any changes no matter how much I triggered the enchantment.

    I focused back on the paper, counting the seconds. My attempts to make long-lasting shining paper had yet to succeed, but I didn¡¯t want to experiment with Fountain mana until I was confident in my methods.

    A knock on the door made me lose count. ¡°Rob? Are you there?¡±

    ¡°Come in! Don¡¯t touch the sword!¡± I yelled.

    The door opened, and Elincia entered my room.

    ¡°Ginz¡¯s first lesson was a success; he showed a lumberjack doll that moved by itself, and the kids were blown away¡ª¡± Elincia suddenly stopped.

    Although I couldn¡¯t see her, I pictured her astonishment. Since I had started experimenting with the light stones, my room had become a makeshift workshop full of loose papers and spilled ink. Other than overseeing the sparring sessions of my class, I had been locked in my room investigating. I clicked my tongue. Reviewing Ginz¡¯s lessons was one of my top priorities, but enchantmenting had become almost addictive.

    Expanding my repertoire of runes wasn¡¯t my only focus. I also wanted to craft items.  A flare, a flash grenade, and a flashlight would be helpful to survive the Farlands. There were only two days until Ilya¡¯s birthday and a week until Firana¡¯s. Within the next two months, all my class would turn fifteen, and they would get their classes. After that, it was only time until they wanted to hunt monsters to level up.

    Elincia had told me low levels were the most dangerous ones. Due to the cumulative nature of the stats, the initial growth was slow. Only after level fifteen or twenty, depending on the class, could one see superhuman strength and speed.

    ¡°The ankle biters are still obsessed with combatant classes, but at least they showed interest in Ginz¡¯s creations. I understand now why Mr. Lowell filled the orphanage with Scholars, Craftsmen, and Enchanters. He wanted none of us to risk our lives fighting monsters,¡± Elincia sighed.

    ¡°Someone will have to risk their life, one way or another,¡± I replied.

    For that reason, I wanted to develop a magical flash grenade as soon as possible. Using the tiniest amount of Fountain mana, I enchanted the next piece of paper and started counting the seconds.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ask. What are you doing in there?¡± Elincia said.

    I needed a dark room to measure the enchantment duration precisely.

    ¡°Quickly, come inside,¡± I pulled my head out of the thick woolen blanket just to dive inside a moment later. The piece of paper in my hand was starting to dim, but within the darkness of the blankets, it shone clear as day.

    ¡°Really? After you turned me down the other day¡ª?¡± Elincia crossed her arms over her chest just to be interrupted by me.

    ¡°Just do it!¡±

    Grumbling, Elincia raised the woolen blanket and sat beside me. The enchanted foil of paper shone with the strength of a small candle for a minute before fading away. When I pushed the blanket back, I expected to encounter an excited Elincia sitting in front of me. Instead, I got an annoyed one.

    ¡°Robert Clarke?¡± she asked with fake gentleness.

    ¡°Yes, my love?¡± I tried to soften whatever reprimand was coming in my direction.

    ¡°When did you get the ability to enchant things?¡±

    If my memory didn¡¯t fail me, I had shown my character sheet to Elincia during our heart-to-heart conversation a couple of nights before. I summoned my character sheet and showed it to Elincia.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human. (Light-Footed, Night Vision)

    Class: Runeweaver Scholar Lv.1 (Displayed Class: Scholar Lv.15)

    Titles: Out of your League, Hot for Teacher, Confidant, Classroom Fiend, Favorite Teacher (97), Father Figure (2), Master Tutor, Silver Scholar, Delinquent Reformer (5), Stalwart Mentor (7), Making the Difference, Role Model, Expert Mathematician, Expert Physicist, Adept Historian, Adept Linguist, Journeyman Biologist, Novice Chemist, Novice Orator.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Mastery, A?w?ar?nes?s, Master of Languages.

    Skills: I?d?en?t?i?f?y, Stun Gaze, Intimi?d?te, Minor Illusion.

    Oh.

    ¡°What does my class say?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Scholar Lv.15. Pitiful level, by the way,¡± Elincia replied.

    I made the prompt disappear and resummoned it, this time trying to broadcast the intention of showing my actual Class. The System had been wise by giving me a believable cover for my new Class. However, I was adamant about telling Elincia the truth. The prompt appeared before me, and I instantly turned it around.

    Elincia¡¯s eyes shot open, and her face became paler than it already was.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but your boyfriend is a level one chump now,¡± I jokingly said.

    ¡°Robert Clarke, I swear to the System¡ª,¡± Elincia said, at a loss of words.

    From a logical point of view, I knew Runeweaver was as overpowered as a crafting class could be. Despite the limitations imposed by my current level, I knew the Class had limitless potential at further stages. I ignored the position of my new Class in this world¡¯s hierarchy, though, but Elincia¡¯s tone gave me the idea it wasn¡¯t a good thing to be a Runeweaver.

    Elincia massaged her temples like every time the kids made her lose her cool.

    ¡°Be calm, Rosebud. Rob is a traveler from another world,¡± Elincia said, suddenly putting her arms on my shoulders. Something was far from right. ¡°Runeweavers are a quasi-legendary class, Rob. Kingdoms fight for Runeweaver Baram¡¯s creations to this day. You have to keep it a secret, your class, your creations. Otherwise, they will capture you and use you.¡±

    I wondered if Runeweaver Baram was Byrne¡¯s predecessor.

    Suddenly, my blood froze as my brain connected the dots. Just before disappearing, Byrne underwent the same transformation from a Scholar to a Runeweaver. I wondered if he had revealed his class to someone untrustworthy fourteen years ago and had been captured afterward. The timeframe made sense. Fourteen years ago, he disappeared. Then, after a decade, he mastered the runeweaving skill and opened a portal back to Earth to escape. That would explain the runic annotations in the wood cabin and his appearance in the law firm five years ago.

    Just when I believed the mystery to be solved, another clue emerged. However, Byrne¡¯s whereabouts were still a mystery. If he managed to escape, where was he now?

    Elincia, detecting I was focused on something else, grabbed my face with both hands and forced me to look at her eyes.

    ¡°Rob, swear on my life, you will keep it a secret,¡± Elincia said. ¡°Whatever you enchant, don¡¯t go around flaunting it. Nobles have strict vigilance upon enchanted items entering their territories. You¡¯ll not be able to say you bought it from the local Enchanter because there is no Enchanter in Farcrest.¡±

    Elincia looked at me with a worried expression.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep the secret. It¡¯s not like I have too much to show yet. The System Avatar said it would take me a decade or more to master the runeweaving technique, so there¡¯s still time until I can make something minimally useful,¡± I replied.

    Elincia pulled me into an embrace that left me without air inside my lungs.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy your boyfriend is a legendary Runeweaver?¡± I asked once she let me go.

    ¡°I¡¯m more worried you hurt yourself in the process,¡± Elincia admitted. ¡°In fact, you should stop experimenting with glowing paper altogether and go to the market to buy preserved fruit for Ilya¡¯s cake. I want it to be special. A girl only turns fifteen once.¡±

    I smiled. Being back to conducting ¡®level-one¡¯ quests was refreshing. It reminded me that despite the world-saving quest the System Avatar had given me, the most important thing in my life was still the orphanage. I left the stack of paper by the side and sat on the bed. There will be plenty of time to investigate Byrne and Runeweaver Baram after the kids were accepted into the Imperial Academy.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°How are younger kids dealing with the announcement of our relationship?¡± I asked while I put on my boots. Since the announcement, I have spent most of the time enclosed in my room or supervising the older orphan¡¯s training.

    Elincia gave one last worried glance at my stack of paper before answering.

    ¡°They are happy; the youngest kids believed we were already a couple since day one, so they are confused. Ash said I could¡¯ve done better, but he thinks too highly of me,¡± Elincia giggled as if she had told herself a funny joke. ¡°You are the only madman who would¡¯ve looked at a single mother of twelve and thought, ¡®yep, that¡¯s the one I want.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Thank the System. He has been pushing our relationship since day one,¡± I replied, tying the belt with the sheath around my waist.

    ¡°I totally will,¡± Elincia replied, leaning for a kiss.

    I put my cloak on, and Elincia walked me to the front door. We left the sleeping quarters and found Zaon sitting in the reception hall. The elven boy had his mouth full of apple, and a small trickle of juice fell from the corner of his mouth.

    ¡°I d-don¡¯t want Firana to eat half my apple in a single bite, so I came here,¡± Zaon quickly explained himself despite no one asking.

    ¡°But Firana has her own apple, doesn¡¯t she?¡± I asked. Food was evenly distributed among the orphans, although Firana and Wolf made sure to eat any leftovers left by the smaller kids.

    ¡°Firana says her [Strong] trait made her more hungry than the rest,¡± Zaon shrugged.

    I wondered if it was true; Firana was one hungry girl.

    ¡°If you have so much free time, go with Mister Clarke to the market. He has been forgetting about picking the uniforms from Miss Nasiah¡¯s store, so he will need extra hands to bring back everything,¡± Elincia said.

    Zaon obediently darted toward his room and returned not a minute later with his cloak on.

    ¡°I was going to do it¡­ eventually,¡± I said.

    Elincia didn¡¯t seem convinced. She adjusted our scarves and kissed us on our foreheads before expelling us from the manor. The cold wind bit my face. Winter had fallen with full force over Farcrest. I expected to see snow any day soon.

    ¡°Are you worried about something, Mister Clarke?¡± Zaon asked.

    ¡°With the tournament around the corner, there are a few things to be worried about,¡± I replied with a smile. It wasn¡¯t a complete lie, but other things worried me more.

    The coldness of the day had made me remember Holst. If Elincia and I hadn¡¯t messed up his plans, the orphanage would¡¯ve run out of food and firewood by now. I didn¡¯t want to think about the implications of a harsh winter.

    I wondered how Holst would react seeing the orphanage going stronger than ever.

    Holst was the Marquis¡¯ cousin, which meant Captain Kiln and Sir Janus¡¯ protection would not be as helpful against him. I racked my brain, wondering if the Marquis was involved with Holst¡¯s plot against the orphanage. Sending kids to the army earlier than usual favored the Marquis¡¯ tax evasion plot. Yet, the Marquis hadn¡¯t directly moved a finger against the orphanage since my arrival, as if he had completely forgotten about us.

    Captain Kiln believed the Marquis wasn¡¯t evil, and I didn¡¯t have solid reasons to doubt her word. As far as nobility went, Captain Kiln had been one of the few to treat me fairly, even favorably. I sighed. If the Tournament went well, I¡¯d teach her Blackjack with a detailed arithmetic guide on cheating.

    ¡°What about you, Zaon? Something worrying you other than Firana stealing your apples?¡± I asked.

    Zaon squinted as if he were running a diagnostic of all his current worries. ¡°No, nothing except the apple thing.¡± He replied with a smile.

    ¡°Not even worry about your Class?¡± I inquired. Last time, Zaon had been worried about becoming a lowly Soldier.

    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about Firana,¡± Zaon shrugged. ¡°She said she wouldn¡¯t go to the Imperial Academy unless we all go together. I don¡¯t mind failing. It can happen realistically, but I don¡¯t want to drag Firana down.¡±

    ¡°You will have to show off during the Tournament then,¡± I said, pleased by the boy¡¯s stance. I wasn¡¯t wrong when I told him he already had the spirit of a knight.

    We arrived at the market, and Zaon told me Ilya¡¯s favorite fruits. The preserves were on the expensive side of the spectrum, but we had enough money to spend a little here and there. I missed using [Identify], but my mana sense made me think someone had used a preserving skill on the fruit. Maybe it was a [Chef] skill.

    We walked down the market when a familiar voice called me from an alley.

    ¡°Mister Clarke? Zaon?¡±

    Corin, the messenger girl, approached us. She looked different from the last time I had seen her. The girl wore a brand-new cape and shiny boots. She had tied her blonde hair in a high ponytail and seemed better fed than the last time. I was impressed. Both cloaks and boots were important work implements for someone used to moving around the city, even if it rained or snowed. I wondered if she had found a new job.

    ¡°Hello, Corin. How are you doing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I was going to the manor. I have several order requests for ¡®Ginz Decks¡¯ for Master Ginz. His latest invention seems to have gathered a lot of traction among nobles,¡± Corin said politely.

    Ginz was smart. Drawing the royal family on the face cards had been a great idea. With the influx of nobles plaguing Farcrest, everyone would want their own set.

    ¡°How do you know Ginz is living at the orphanage now?¡± I asked. As far as I remembered, Coring hadn¡¯t appeared in the orphanage since Ginz¡¯s arrival.

    Coring winked. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why I¡¯m the best Courier in town despite being level one. Imagine what I could do when I get my first few levels. The other couriers hate me.¡±

    Her smug expression made me laugh. Not even a month ago, Coring looked like a hungry scarecrow fighting against the grim prospects of the future. Despite not living with us, Elincia and I had gotten a liking for the girl.

    ¡°Did you get the Class?¡± I asked.

    Corin smiled. ¡°Yup, the System offered me to be a Courier as soon as I touched the System Shrine. I didn¡¯t even have to ask for it.¡±

    That meant she had turned fifteen not so long ago.

    ¡°Well, happy birthday, Corin. We will celebrate Ilya¡¯s birthday tomorrow; if you want to eat cake, you can crash at the manor,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Corin replied, barely hiding the shine in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be going then. Goodbye, Mister Clarke. Goodbye, Zaon!¡±

    An instant later, the girl glided across the street at a surprising speed, dodging pedestrians, stalls, and handcarts pulled by strong half-orcs alike. The way she contorted was both surprising and worrying. I didn¡¯t need [Awareness] to tell me she was using a movement-related skill.

    ¡°She does look like Firana, huh?¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°At least Corin respects my boundaries,¡± Zaon sighed.

    We walked away from the market into the maze of alleys. Despite being in the middle of winter, the city won¡¯t stop. The influx of royal troops and nobility from all over the kingdom had pushed Farcrest¡¯s productive sector to the limit. The most expensive taverns and inns were full of officers, while plain soldiers spent their hard-earned money in cheaper establishments. I wondered when those men and women set foot in a town the last time, but everyone seemed to be having a great time.

    There was a hint of festivities in the air, but even Farcrest was a paradise compared to the Farlands.

    I opened the door of Nasiah¡¯s store and entered first. As usual, the woman sat behind the counter with an irritable expression. At first, I wondered if a soldier had tried to haggle too aggressively, but then I remembered she wasn¡¯t a fan of the royal army. Risha, her only living relative, had enlisted almost a decade ago, never to return.

    ¡°The Discount Dryad chickened out again?¡± Nasiah greeted us. At first, she laid her eyes on me, but she quickly noticed Zaon.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Nasiah,¡± Zaon politely greeted.

    A part of me felt relieved it was Zaon and not Ilya who had tagged along with me.

    ¡°Elincia told me the uniforms are ready,¡± I said.

    I wasn¡¯t on the design committee, so I worried about Farcrest''s fashion trends. Despite most people using plain, Renaisansesque clothing, my visits to the Great Hall had revealed courtiers with peculiar styles. Thighs weren¡¯t as menacing as puffy pants.

    ¡°Are you really going to make those kids embarrass themselves in front of the nobility? The gnome girl will not last a minute,¡± Nasiah asked as she rummaged through a chest behind the counter.

    ¡°We are well prepared. Ilya is a smart fighter; despite her height, she has even taken points from Wolf and me during sparring,¡± Zaon said before I could reply.

    Nasiah slowly raised with a burlap sack in her hands.

    ¡°Becoming a good fighter takes more than a couple of tricks, Butterknife-Ears. Lowell made Elincia a resourceful woman, and the Scholar is not far behind, but there¡¯s a limit to everything. Not knowing your limits could result in your death or worse,¡± Nasiah said.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to see us before giving your verdict,¡± Zaon replied with a so far unseen poise.

    Nasiah grunted and opened the burlap sack. ¡°At least one of the kids got the best of both of you.¡±

    The uniforms were gorgeous: an elegant dark blue padded jacket with seven gray cloth buttons on the left side, a gray padded coif, and gray breeches. On the right shoulder was a white embroidered crest: a flower and a quill. Elegant, calm, sober. It was beyond perfect and could be used as under armor for a chain mail or brigandine. The Fashion Gods would be pleased.

    Zaon tried on the uniform. With his blonde, almost white hair and delicate features, the boy looked like a prince from a fairytale.

    ¡°Congratulations, Scholar, you are now the leader of your own fencing academy,¡± Nasiah said. This time, her voice came out strangely warm. She grabbed a uniform and handed it to me.

    I noticed there weren¡¯t four but five uniforms.

    ¡°How did you get my measurements?¡± I asked as I noticed the jacket fit me perfectly.

    ¡°Ask the Discount Dryad. Maybe she spiked your tea with a sleeping potion,¡± Nasiah chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t try to pay me. I already deducted the price from the credit. I got a good discount for the lot.¡±

    We moved around, getting a feel of the uniforms, and even Nasiah seemed amused.

    ¡°No noble house uses blue and gray. Elincia wanted yellow and red to stand out, but I convinced her to reconsider,¡± Nasiah explained with a satisfied smile.

    I owed her a great favor. Red and yellow were too much for my monochromatic liking.

    ¡°Well, enough modeling. I have manifests to audit and coin towers to count,¡± Nasiah gave us the boot. ¡°You better prove your words are not just mindless bravado, Butterknife-Ears.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Zaon replied.

    We returned the uniforms to the burlap sack and headed to the entrance. As I opened the door, a half-orc with shoulders as broad as the doorway appeared before me. Instinctively, I moved to the side to let him enter. Unlike the rest of the half-orcs of Farcrest, this one was dressed in the colors of the royal army.

    ¡°Hey, Auntie! I came to visit!¡± The half-orc said.

    I turned around as Nasiah pulled a magic wand from behind the counter. With a single arm movement, the woman summoned a burst of wind knives. My new [Light-Footed] trait propelled me forward. My hands moved by themselves, raising a mana shield between Nasiah and the half-orc. He didn¡¯t seem surprised.

    ¡°Come on, Auntie! It¡¯s me. This is how you receive your dear nephew after so long?¡±

    ¡°Risha? Is that you?¡± Zaon asked.

    .

 82 - Swindled

    Nasiah moved the wand in a wide arc over her head, channeling the green mana from the wand¡¯s core. A cascade of sparks fell upon the counter as the woman charged the spell to its maximum power. I raised the barrier and braced for the impact, expecting my mana pool to deplete violently, but Nasiah¡¯s hand faltered before shooting the spell. The wand fell over the counter.

    ¡°Risha?!¡± Zaon asked, standing in front of the half-orc.

    ¡°Z, is that you?¡± Risha asked in disbelief.

    The half-orc was unfazed by Nasiah¡¯s attack, but Zaon¡¯s presence completely put him off. The next moment, Zaon and Risha merged into a tight hug. The half-orc had to kneel to go down to Zaon¡¯s height. Seven years had passed since Risha had abandoned the orphanage.

    ¡°Look at you, Z! In a year or two, you will be bigger than me!¡± Risha laughed as he felt Zaon¡¯s biceps. The half-orc¡¯s smile was so broad that his tusks curved upwards, almost poking his eyes. ¡°Did you get your class already? No, your birthday is still one month away. Have you been lifting weights?¡±

    Lifting weights wasn¡¯t part of my strength training, but Zaon had built up quite a bit of muscle from swinging a sword.

    ¡°I have been training a lot,¡± Zaon replied, as flustered as I had ever seen him.

    ¡°Of course you are; becoming a Knight ain¡¯t easy,¡± Risha said, pulling Zaon back and standing up. Then he looked at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my name is Risha. I used to live in the same orphanage as Zaon. You should be Zaon¡¯s father?¡±

    The half-orc offered me his hand.

    ¡°Mister Clarke is not my father. He¡¯s a caretaker at the orphanage,¡± Zaon said.

    Risha examined me with a puzzled expression. ¡°Are you telling me a Fortifier is working at the orphanage? Elincia and Astrid must have a big business going!¡±

    His deep, hearty laughter put me off. I felt as if Risha was talking about a completely different orphanage¡ªone that hadn¡¯t suffered economic misery. I wondered if this Astrid person Risha mentioned was the fourth orphan left in charge of the orphanage after Mr. Lowell¡¯s death.

    ¡°Robert Clarke, Scholar,¡± I introduced myself, stretching his big, green hand. Even if I didn¡¯t mean to, my voice came out cold. Risha didn¡¯t seem to notice. He was more confused about the fact I could raise a mana shield like a Fortifier.

    ¡°I owe you, Robert. If it weren¡¯t for you, my auntie Nasiah would¡¯ve trimmed my face,¡± Risha said, casting an accusing glance towards the shopkeeper.

    Nasiah was livid to the point she couldn¡¯t utter a word.

    ¡°Let me take you for a drink as a token of gratitude for helping me and the orphanage. Zaon can come with us too. He¡¯s old enough for a cold ale with Uncle Risha,¡± he put a hand on my shoulder and gave me a friendly pat.

    Was Risha putting up an act? It didn¡¯t seem so.

    ¡°Zaon is a kid. He is still too young for drinking booze,¡± I replied.

    Risha let out a deep laugh. ¡°Now you sound like Mister Lowell! Well, having someone to carve some sense into Elincia¡¯s head is good. Ginz is a pushover, and Astrid can be uncooperative. I like you already, Scholar.¡±

    Risha then passed by my side and approached Nasiah with open arms. The woman was still out of words, looking at the scene unfolding before her with a vulnerable expression. It was my first time seeing her other than grumpy or greedily happy.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to hug your nephew?¡± Risha asked.

    Nasiah suddenly regained her natural brazenness. ¡°Listen here, you Overgrown Olive. Seven damn years without news of you, and you decide it¡¯s okay just to show up?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? I have written letters every time I got the chance,¡± Risha replied defensively, frozen in place. ¡°Tell her I have been sending letters at the orphanage too, Robert.¡±

    If Risha was lying, he was a serious contender for the award for best actor.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, pal. No news of you at the orphanage either. Everyone here believes you were dead or missing.¡± I broke the news to him, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel a tingle of sympathy for him.

    Risha¡¯s face became a pale green shade. He turned towards Zaon, searching for confirmation, but the elven boy just shook his head. Suddenly, [Awareness] let out a dull stab in the back of my brain, warning me of imminent danger. I instinctively raised the mana shield just in time to block Nasiah¡¯s wind blades. The charged spell ricocheted against the barrier, making one of the windows explode outward. The cold wind invaded the store.

    My body shivered as my mana pool instantly regenerated the barrier.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Z. I¡¯ll come back later when the old hag calms down,¡± Risha covered Zaon with his broad back. We retreated out of the store under a rain of insults worthy of a hardened sailor.

    I closed the door behind me, leaving the angry merchant behind. A shiver ran down my spine. My mana pool had taken a hit withstanding Nasiah¡¯s spells. The cold winter wind didn¡¯t make it more tolerable, but at least the preserved fruit was still safe in the satchel.

    ¡°Would you like to get that drink now?¡± Risha asked, dragging Zaon down the alley and far from the store windows.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I replied. I had a lot of questions, and Risha probably had them too.

    The three of us walked through the maze of alleys in silence until we reached a big, three-story building with a thatched roof and an embalmed head of a Black Wolf over the door. A sign hung from the door. The Dizzy Wolf.

    ¡°I knew this place was still up,¡± Risha said, his voice much less lively than before.

    The tavern was almost full despite the lack of royal soldiers or guardsmen. Most regulars were battle-hardened warriors, so I assumed the locale was focused on the mercenaries that supported Farcrest security. Since the uneventful Monster Surge, the Marquis seemed to have been reinforcing his ranks.

    Risha reached the bar and pushed a lanky craftsman to the side to make space for us three. The man gave him a killer glance but moved to the side nonetheless. As there were no seats, we remained on our feet.

    ¡°Three ales,¡± Risha said to the old man behind the counter.

    ¡°Two ales and a glass of kompot,¡± I replied.

    The innkeeper nodded, and a moment later, a young woman with more cleavage than what I wanted Zaon to see brought us our drinks. She smiled and got back to serve other customers.

    ¡°Can you do us the favor?¡± Risha asked with an annoyed voice, seemingly to the air. However, the tavern¡¯s owner turned around and blew over our drinks, leaving a faint trail of frost over the counter. ¡°You must ask if you want these scammers cooling your drink.¡±

    The innkeeper frowned at us but remained silent. I wondered if I could sell him Minor Mana Essences at a discounted price. Without the Monster Surge panic stirring things around Ffarcrest, the Alchemist Guild might notice.

    I took a sip of my cold drink. It tasted better than the lukewarm piss I occasionally drank with Elincia. Risha emptied half of his mug in a single go. Zaon imitated him, and his eyes shone at the sweet taste of the cold fruit juice. One had to be blind to not see how much Zaon admired Risha. It was unsurprising; Ilya and Zaon had spent all their lives with him before he left to fight the war.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing the money I''ve been sending hasn¡¯t arrived,¡± Risha said.

    ¡°No,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Elincia is going to kill me if she sees me, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Most probably,¡±

    Risha emptied his mug and signaled the barmaid to refill it. The young woman moved with the grace of a deer across the tavern and quickly served the drink. I didn¡¯t know what Class she was, but it was apparent she had a movement skill similar to Elincia¡¯s [Light-Footed] trait. The barmaid offered Zaon another glass, and the boy gladly accepted. Then, as she filled his glass, she winked at him, and Zaon turned red as a beet.

    When the woman turned around, Risha playfully elbowed Zaon¡¯s ribs. There was no doubt Risha loved Zaon, which made it difficult for me to hate him despite the state of the orphanage after his ¡®desertion.¡¯

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°Remember, Z, she doesn¡¯t like you. She only wants a good tip, and we tip for good work, not pretty faces,¡± Risha said as Zaon followed the woman with his eyes.

    ¡°Yes, Risha,¡± Zaon obediently said.

    We sipped our drinks in silence.

    ¡°Have you really been sending money to the orphanage all these years?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t have any reason to believe me, but yes. Didn¡¯t Astrid tell you?¡± Risha said.

    ¡°Astrid left the day after you left. Then Ginz left shortly after,¡± Zaon said. ¡°Miss Elincia has been our only caretaker until Mister Clarke arrived at the start of autumn.¡±

    Risha fumbled his mug, spilling the ale over the counter. Before the liquid could fall to the floor, the barmaid jumped to the fray, wielding a rag and a bucket. The half-orc muttered an apology before asking for another refill.

    Now that the orphanage was my home, Risha¡¯s story concerned me. Part of me wanted to hate him. However, if Risha was innocent, I wanted to allow Elincia to reconnect with her old best friend. Ultimately, she will have to decide whether to forgive him or not.

    ¡°Why did you leave, Risha? Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± I asked.

    Risha punched the counter, making the wood creak and the floor tremble. The innkeeper glared at us from the opposite corner of the counter, but Risha ignored him. The furniture must¡¯ve been built with drunk, high-level combatants in mind.

    ¡°Elincia wouldn¡¯t have let me go, but we needed the money. The escort missions for the Alchemist Guild paid too little, and there were no serious crafting scene in Farcrest to justify hunting down high-level monsters for advanced materials.¡± Risha grunted. ¡°Astrid was supposed to tell Elincia where I go¡­ that treacherous dog.¡±

    I laughed in complete disbelief; a tiny communication problem had triggered the orphanage¡¯s collapse.

    ¡°Risha, you perfect imbecile,¡± I said. Despite saying the words from my heart, part of me knew I wasn¡¯t the one to start pointing fingers at people. ¡°For seven years, Elincia has been working alone just because you didn¡¯t trust her enough to include her in your plans. You are as guilty as Astrid and Ginz for abandoning her. Do you even know how hard the recent years have been?¡±

    ¡°I was swindled,¡± Risha grunted.

    ¡°It didn''t seem suspicious to you that Elincia hadn¡¯t answered a single letter in seven years? Or you were too busy leveling up to realize, you absolute buffoon?¡± I grunted back.

    ¡°I thought Elincia wasn¡¯t responding because she was still resentful,¡± Risha let out a guttural growl.

    Elincia being resentful after seven years made sense; still, Risha should¡¯ve been more thoughtful. Our voices had risen until the whole tavern looked at us, expecting a fight.

    ¡°Let¡¯s calm down before we get kicked out,¡± Zaon interjected. ¡°It¡¯s more important to discover who has been stealing Risha¡¯s money¡­ I think.¡±

    I took a deep breath. Zaon was right. As much as Elincia and the orphanage had suffered from Risha¡¯s fault, he was still a victim. If what he said was true, of course.

    ¡°The Aias, those damn mercs. I knew we couldn¡¯t trust them,¡± Risha said, leaving a pile of silver coins on the table and walking to the exit.

    Zaon tensed up but grabbed Risha before he could get far. Sensing Zaon¡¯s hands around his arm, Risha let himself be dragged back to the counter. The Aias couldn¡¯t be the ones who had been stealing from Risha, and who knew how many soldiers more.

    ¡°The Aias Family is gone, Risha,¡± I said, just to continue in a whisper. ¡°But I know someone who might operate under their name. Loan shark, attempted kidnapper, and scammer. Kellaren Odra-Aias, from a secondary branch of the Aias Family.¡±

    Risha nodded. ¡°I know the man, and I know where he lives.¡±

    ¡°So, what are we going to do?¡± Zaon whispered.

    Risha laughed. ¡°You, little elf, will return to the orphanage and keep this reunion a secret. The Aias are renowned, high-level mercenaries; not something you can fight heads on.¡±

    Zaon looked at me like he was searching for support.

    ¡°I¡¯d say we bring Zaon with us. It¡¯s not like we were sieging Kellaren¡¯s house, and he has a good eye for details,¡± I said.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we?¡± Risha asked. ¡°I assumed you were a super-high-level Scholar.¡±

    ¡°Elincia forbid me from picking fights. It was becoming a problem,¡± I shrugged.

    Risha grinned and nodded approvingly.

    We finished our drinks and exited the inn. As we descended the stairs, I rummaged through my pockets and gave Zaon a silver coin. He gave me a curious glance, and I told him it was a tip for the waitress. A smirk was drawn on Risha¡¯s face as the elven boy tried to convince me to tip myself. I flatly refused. Zaon was handsome, and I foresee him becoming even more in the future. He needed to learn how to deal with girls before I sent him to the Imperial Academy.

    Zaon walked up the stairs like someone making their way to the gallows.

    When we were alone, Risha spoke again. ¡°How bad are things around the orphanage now?¡± His voice came out full of regret.

    ¡°We are doing well right now. That¡¯s the only important part,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Risha said.

    A moment later, Zaon exited the inn, his face glowing red. Risha put an arm around the boy¡¯s shoulders and laughed. ¡°What? She kissed you or something?¡±

    ¡°She told me my ears were cute,¡± Zaon muttered.

    Risha sighed. ¡°You still have a long way to go.¡±

    The three of us leisurely chatted and joked as we made our way to the Eastern District, where the old Aias Manor was. It wasn¡¯t a surprise Risha was Elincia¡¯s best friend. The half-orc was a delight to be around. If I had met him in the hallways of my old college, we would¡¯ve become instant friends.

    The fact that Zaon adored Risha was making it hard for me not to trust him.

    Risha guided us through an alley. Then, we climbed a set of moldy stairs that led us to the roof of an abandoned house. Despite the Eastern District not being in as bad a state as the Northern District, there were still empty houses here and there. Risha seemed to know Farcrest¡¯s nooks and crannies like the palm of his hand, even after several years.

    The wooden beams cracked under Risha¡¯s weight. Zaon and I, on the other hand, didn¡¯t have the same problem as we both had access to the [Light-Footed] trait. I felt as agile as a cat. Ultimately, the roof supported our weights combined, and I thanked the System for having magical builders.

    ¡°Down,¡± Risha said as we reached the rooftop.

    Before us, there was a cobbled square with a small monument of a man riding a skeeth. A famous member of the Aias family, I assumed. On the other side of the square was an enormous manor with an ample courtyard in front¡ªFirana¡¯s old home.

    A squad of armed warriors conducted exercises in the yard. I counted at least thirty of them. Many more worked in the surroundings, caring for the bushes, cleaning the windows, watering horses, and training hunting dogs. For a dead family, the Aias seemed to flourish.

    A red flag with a yellow flame flew at half-mast. Over the Aias symbol, however, flew another banner. The raven over a silver background. I recognized that coat of arms from the parade entering the Great Hall. It was one of the big noble houses of Ebros Kingdom.

    ¡°Why is the Osgiria banner hanging here?¡± Risha asked.

    ¡°Who?¡± I replied.

    ¡°Mister Clarke arrived here in a portal accident. He doesn¡¯t know many things about the kingdom,¡± Zaon came to my rescue.

    ¡°So, you know Ebros kingdom is surrounded by the Farlands from the east, west, and north, don¡¯t you? The Osgiria Dukedom covers all of the southern frontiers, meaning they manage the foreign trade of the Ebros Kingdom.¡± Risha explained. ¡°They are the most powerful house after the royal family itself.¡±

    I clicked my tongue. Kellaren has been expanding his influence while I played with glowing paper. I glanced at the soldiers. A few of them had the raven symbol in their armor. Kellaren was virtually untouchable if he had a deal with the Osgiria House. Not even the Marquis was as powerful as a duke.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask around the royal army about the Orgirian troops. You two should return to the orphanage before Elincia suspects something,¡± Risha sighed. Kicking some Odrac-Aias ass seemed to be out of the question. ¡°I¡¯ll send a messenger to the orphanage as soon as I get something.¡±

    I nodded; for now, our goals were aligned. Besides Holst and the Marquis, Kellaren was the orphanage¡¯s enemy number one. I just hoped the Osgiria House''s presence prevented Kellaren from acting against the orphanage. However, my hopes weren¡¯t too high. Ultimately, nobles stood over commoners.

    The orphanage might need a more powerful patron than the Farcrest nobles if I wanted to keep Kellaren far from Firana. I bit my nail, deep in thought. Developing a prototype for a steam machine and finding a sponsor among the royal retinue jumped several steps in my to-do list. I needed more information about the noble houses.

    We climbed down the roof and hid back in the alley.

    ¡°I need to ask you two a favor,¡± Risha said. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Elincia we met today. I¡¯m aware I¡¯m asking you to lie to her, but please, I want to sort this out before presenting myself at the orphanage.¡±

    Before I could oppose, Zaon jumped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll keep the secret, Risha. I believe in you.¡±

    I decided to trust Zaon¡¯s judgment.

    ¡°Thank you for looking after Elincia and the kids,¡± Risha offered me his hand.

    ¡°They have done so much more for me,¡± I replied, stretching it.

    ¡°You are a good man, Robert.¡±

    Risha said goodbye, and we parted ways. The half-orc walked towards the Great Hall, and we returned to the Northern District. I grabbed the big burlap sack with the uniforms from Zaon¡¯s hands. It wasn¡¯t heavy, but it was cumbersome. The boy had a sad expression.

    ¡°Are we going to be alright?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Miss Elincia, Captain Kiln, Sir Janus, Ginz, Miss Nasiah, Risha, Firana, Ilya, Wolf, the little ones, and you. All work hard for the orphanage, so I¡¯d say we will be okay,¡± I replied.

    Zaon smiled. ¡°And you, Mister Clarke.¡±

    We found Elincia nervously walking around the front yard when we reached the orphanage. Even the guardsman stationed to guard the manor followed her with worried eyes. I put the burlap bag on Zaon¡¯s arms and jogged forward. Elincia ran to open the iron gate for us.

    ¡°I have bad news. I think we should drop from the Stephaniss Tournament,¡± she said.

    I shook my head. The Stephaniss Tournament was instrumental in obtaining the support of the nobility. In a world where levels and classes demonstrate the base value of people, we needed to show the potential of our kids.

    ¡°What happened, Eli?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A messenger came. The crowned prince wants all the important noble houses to participate. We will have to compete with the sons and daughters of all the most important noble families of the kingdom,¡± Elincia¡¯s words stumbled out of her mouth. ¡°The tournament has been postponed four weeks so everyone can arrive.¡±

    I grinned. That was excellent news.

 83 - Headmaster

    I grabbed Elincia¡¯s hands and dragged her into the manor, far from the guardsman¡¯s prying ears. With the Stephaniss tournament just around the corner, the orphanage was about to enter the eye of the public. Until then, I would rather keep things private.

    My initial assessment of Kellaren Odrac-Aias¡¯s faction was wrong; he was no ordinary thief. Despite being unable to utilize the Aias name to back up his operations directly, he had a strong mercenary force. If I had to guess, he was employed directly by the Marquis; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be allowed to have a paramilitary group within the city walls.

    ¡°You two took an awfully long time for a simple fetch quest,¡± Elincia scolded us as she led us to the kitchen.

    The news about the tournament had visibly soured her mood.

    ¡°We stopped at a tavern,¡± Zaon said apologetically.

    ¡°Zaon had kompot,¡± I said as soon as Elincia¡¯s questioning glance fell upon me.

    Ilya, Wolf, and Firana were hanging in the warm kitchen. Ilya kept an eye on the stove while Wolf and Firana engaged in an arm-wrestling match on the table near the window. Firana¡¯s muscles strained as he tried to move Wolf¡¯s arm. Her face was redder than Zaon¡¯s while dealing with the waitress at the tavern. Trying to beat Wolf proved to be an exercise in futility.

    ¡°Sorry for the delay, kids. We will start our training session soon,¡± I said as I greeted them.

    Zaon put the burlap sack with the uniforms on the table, and the kids approached to inspect the contents. Meanwhile, I pulled the preserved fruit from my bag and gave it to Elincia.

    Quest Complete!

    The System prompt startled me. It was good to know the System Avatar was somewhere out there, but I was more worried about Elincia. I quickly dismissed the prompt and followed her to the kitchen counter, where she was inspecting the contents of each jar for any sign of fermentation.

    The sweet smell of fruit reached my nose, but Elincia¡¯s glance warned me enough to keep my hands to myself. When she was satisfied with the state of the fruit, she pulled a small scroll tied with a golden ribbon from her apron pocket and handed it to me. The broken seal showed the head of a wolf.

    To the participants of the Stephaniss Cup,

    By decree of the Royal Family, the Stephaniss tournament of swordsmanship and magic will commence one month after the winter solstice. The participants will abide by the following rules. Participants who fail to comply will be eliminated from the tournament.

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Each noble family can present up to three teams of up to four members. </li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">An additional member can be appointed as a reserve member. </li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">The participants must be at most LV10. </li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Each member will fight one member of the opponent¡¯s team. </li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Tournament officials will provide equipment.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Points will decide the winner of each fight. Hits in the head count as double points.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">The sum of the points of individual fights will decide the winning team.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">The tournament¡¯s format will be double elimination.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Any further information will be announced at a later date.

    </li>

    </ul>

    May this event stand as a testament to the martial prowess of our youth and serve as a beacon of inspiration for generations to come. Tauron of Farcrest, Marquis of Farcrest.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why this is bad news,¡± I said.

    ¡°Are you dumb or something?!¡± Elincia asked. ¡°The kingdom¡¯s most powerful families, including the royal family, will participate. It says there! We aren¡¯t facing Farcrest¡¯s hicks anymore; we are talking about the best-trained individuals in the kingdom!¡±

    I wondered whether I was being overconfident. The educational practices in this world were laughable at best. The inhabitants of this world relied too much on the System and put little emphasis on personal effort. Even if nobody mentioned it, there was a significant proficiency gap among individuals of similar [Skills], like Zaon and Firana.

    ¡°I think we can do it. No matter who we face, we have to play to our strengths, like the nice lady at the tavern,¡± Zaon interrupted us, his voice full of confidence.

    Zaon¡¯s words carried more truth than I initially expected. If we played to our strengths, even Ilya, arguably the weakest link in the chain, could shine. She didn¡¯t need to win, but to score enough points for the team. The format change fitted us like a glove, even if Elincia couldn¡¯t see it yet.

    ¡°What nice lady are you talking about, Twig?¡± Firana asked with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

    Zaon instantly recoiled.

    Elincia put a heavy hand on my shoulder. ¡°Have you been exposing Zaon to booze and women?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s talking about the waitress that served him his kompot,¡± I quickly said.

    Elincia gave me a suspicious glance but didn¡¯t press the matter.

    I reread the scroll, trying to memorize the rules. The difference in physical capabilities between a Lv.1 and a Lv.10 wasn¡¯t particularly big. What worried me was the skills. My fight against Raudhan Kiln taught me that skills significantly closed the gap between a novice and a master fencer. Ultimately, [Longsword Mastery] would be our primary weapon, and the skills we could achieve along the way would work as support.

    The first levels were the more dangerous ones. Unless we find a Slime nest near the southern edge of the Farlands, we will have trouble leveling up. Using the shotgun was always possible, but I would rather the kids get accustomed to using their own skills. Experience was more important than numbers; Zaon and Firana were proof enough. Both had Lv.2 [Longsword Mastery], and yet, Firana won reliably.

    We had a month to think about strategy.

    ¡°What about we try on our uniforms?¡± I clapped my hands, catching the group¡¯s attention.

    Elincia¡¯s eyes shone as the kids put on their jackets. The transformation was nothing but astonishing. Once ragged and hungry, they now flaunted the elegant blue and gray uniforms with the grace of a king''s guard. Even Ilya, with her short stature and slender frame, stood with a poise I hadn¡¯t seen before.

    They gathered before us, adjusting the uniforms with a mix of excitement and nervousness. I couldn¡¯t help but feel an almost uncontrollable surge of pride, knowing they had earned their skills with hard work. Suddenly, I felt at ease. We will show the nobles that the common folk also had more potential than they thought.

    Elincia rested her head on my shoulder and smiled.

    ¡°I think we need a name. We can¡¯t show up and be called the orphan team,¡± Firana jumped forward.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°What about Lowell¡¯s Fencing Academy?¡± I asked. Honoring the creator of the orphanage sounded like a good idea to me.

    Elincia laughed at a joke only she understood. ¡°Mr. Lowell despised violence. That was one of the reasons he filled the orphanage with all kinds of crafters, researchers, and artists.¡±

    I felt a bit guilty. We weren¡¯t upholding Mr. Lowell¡¯s legacy very well, at least in that regard.

    ¡°Rosebud Academy, then?¡± I mischievously asked, using the forbidden word.

    The kids covered their smiles with their hands.

    ¡°I was leaning more towards Clarke Academy, as you are the true teacher here,¡± Elincia replied, not completely happy about my joke.

    There was always an easy way to solve this kind of situation¡ªdirect democracy. I clapped my hands again, drawing the attention of the group. The chatter died almost instantly.

    ¡°Raise your hand if you want Clarke Fencing Academy as our official name,¡± I said with my best teacher¡¯s voice.

    Firana¡¯s hand instantly shot up, followed by Wolf¡¯s.

    ¡°Now, raise your hand if you think Rosebud Academy is a better name,¡± I said.

    As expected, Zaon and Ilya raised their hands. Then, with a smug smile, I raised mine.

    ¡°Three votes against two. By popular demand, I declare the Rosebud Academy as officially founded!¡± I said.

    New title acquired!

    Headmaster: A title for those who have founded their own educational establishment and untapped the hidden potential of their students.

    Class Reward: Greatly increases mana pool.

    ¡°Wait, no! I vote for Clarke Academy, then!¡± Elincia jumped forward before I could even focus on the prompt.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my love, but you are not part of the Rosebud Academy. You don¡¯t get a vote. What¡¯s more, Rosebud is a lovely name,¡± I replied, eliciting laughter from the kids.

    ¡°Rosebud is also a proud elven name. I think it fits,¡± Zaon pointed out in a vain attempt to improve Elincia¡¯s mood.

    ¡°But Clarke sounds menacing, like a Killer Ant clicking its jaws,¡± Firana replied.

    Firana¡¯s sense of aesthetics was way off.

    ¡°We should¡¯ve gone with Potato Warriors, but Mister Clarke likes Miss Elincia too much,¡± Wolf sighed.

    The children engaged in a heated argument about my motivations behind the name election. The discussion, however, was short-lived because Elincia ordered them to take off their uniforms, so they wouldn¡¯t get dirty, and sent them to get ready for the afternoon class. A moment later, we were left alone in the kitchen.

    ¡°You are going to pay for this,¡± Elincia jabbed at my shoulder.

    ¡°We will change the name if we come up with something better,¡± I replied. With the issues about the tournament settled, I focused on Ilya¡¯s birthday. I still needed to prepare her birthday gift. ¡°Can you help me string a bow?¡±

    ¡°Are you still trying to master the noble art of shooting?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°I might have bought a bow for Ilya¡¯s birthday,¡± I replied.

    As the word ¡®bow¡¯ came from my mouth, Elincia set the preserved fruit aside and fixed her attention on me. ¡° A bow? What style? What kind of wood? How many kilos of draw? How much did it cost?¡± Elincia bombarded me with a barrage of questions.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ it¡¯s a bow,¡± I said, opening my arms. ¡°Like this big?¡±

    Elincia facepalmed. ¡°Let¡¯s see it, but if you got scammed for buying without consulting me, I¡¯m getting mad.¡±

    I retrieved the bow from my bedroom and met Elincia at the groove by the edge of the manor¡¯s grounds. Elincia had swapped her usual dress for her adventurer¡¯s breeches and wide-sleeve shoulderless blouse. A quiver of arrows dangled from her waist. It has been a while since I had seen that side of Elincia.

    Elincia took the bow from my hands and examined it.

    ¡°Not too shabby, not too shabby,¡± she examined the curvature of the wood with a critical eye. What she was looking for was a mystery to me, but I trusted her judgment. When she put the bow down, she gave me a satisfied nod. ¡°It¡¯s on the big side for a gnome, but it might be for the better. I want Ilya to get used to heavy draws early.¡±

    Then, Elincia started stringing the bow.

    ¡°How did archers hit anything in your world? Without Classes and Skills, I mean,¡± she asked as she worked.

    I used [Minor Illusion] to replicate a volley of English archers against a unit of French infantry stuck in the mud, just as I had seen in a documentary once. Elincia leaned on the illusion and examined the soldiers.

    ¡°That¡¯s on the heavy side for a no-classer, not bad,¡± She nodded approvingly. I wondered how she knew about the specs of the bows with a simple glance. It might have something to do with the size and distance.

    ¡°If you shoot at a clump of enemies with a clump of archers, you are bound to hit some of the shots,¡± I replied.

    I wondered if I should show her a modern composite bow. Even if Archery wasn¡¯t one of my favorite Olympic sports, the fact competitors shot a twelve-centimeter target at seventy meters was beyond amazing. I decided not to, for the moment. Showing Elincia a toy she couldn¡¯t get sounded a bit cruel to me.

    ¡°Looks nice, isn¡¯t it?¡± Elincia smiled. With the string on, the Cooldown Bow had an elegant curvature enhanced by the dark wood. ¡°How much did you pay for it?¡±

    The right moment to tell Elincia the bow was, in fact, enchanted had long passed. Before I could answer, Elincia masterfully drew an arrow from her quiver and pulled back the string. A confused expression appeared on her face. It was too late.

    ¡°I swear I put more tension on the string,¡± she said.

    Then, she let go. The arrow whistled through the groove and buried into a tree thirty meters away from us. Elincia nodded approvingly as she drew a second arrow; however, the string didn¡¯t budge when she nocked it.

    ¡°What?¡± Elincia said as she strained her back muscles to draw back the arrow.

    ¡°It¡¯s an enchanted bow. The longer you pull the string back, the more powerful the shot is,¡± I said. ¡°You have to wait for the cooldown afterward.¡±

    Elincia remained silent until she could pull the string again. She aimed at the tree, holding the position for what felt like an eternity. Then, she waited a little more before letting the string go. Luckily, there was no sonic boom, just a high-pitched whistle. As the arrow hit the tree, a small explosion of bark and wood created a cascade of debris. It left a hole the size of a small fist around the impact point.

    ¡°Do you think Ilya will like it?¡± I cautiously asked. The bow was far from a toy.

    ¡°Rob¡­¡± Elincia turned around, her face dead serious. ¡°This is the best gift a teenage girl could hope for. Ilya will be thrilled.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure if Elincia was in touch with a teenage girl¡¯s tastes, but her joyful expression convinced me it was a good gift.

    ¡°This is an assassin¡¯s tool,¡± Elincia explained while the bow recharged. ¡°Usually, the heavier the draw weight is, the harder to aim a bow is. The heavier the arrow, the shorter the range. This abomination fixes both problems. You can send a heavy, armor-piercing arrow from really far away with an easy aim.¡±

    As the bow ''cooled down'', we approached the target tree. Elincia gave a strong tug to the arrow, but it didn¡¯t budge. She used both hands, and the shaft separated from the head, making her stumble back. No matter how much she struggled, the head of the arrow remained firmly embedded in the wood.

    ¡°I guess it could work against big monsters, too,¡± Elincia panted, giving up on recovering the arrowhead. ¡°Arrow damage caps most archery skills, so attacking a big monster with a bow is like using toothpicks against a bull.¡±

    ¡°Then I will have to make one for you,¡± I jokingly said.

    ¡°Can you?!¡± Elincia turned around and threw her arms around my neck.

    ¡°It will take me a while. The number of runes in the Cooldown Bow is alarming,¡± I quickly replied. ¡°Currently, I can use one rune at a time, and not all that well.¡±

    Elincia looked at me with suspicious eyes.

    ¡°If I give you a certain photo, will it speed things up?¡± She asked

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I laughed. ¡°I¡¯m struggling with the runes as it is; plus, I want to focus on training the kids and helping Ginz to craft a usable steam engine. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get to it eventually.¡±

    Elincia nodded with a broad smile and looked over my shoulder.

    ¡°Your class is getting ready around the big stump,¡± Elincia said. ¡°I¡¯ll, uh¡­ try to dislodge this arrowhead for a moment here.¡±

    I kissed Elincia on the forehead and turned around. I''d have to let her have some fun with the bow before it passed to Ilya. ¡°Eli, can you test the cooldown times for me? So you can explain how it works to Ilya tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Giving me the hard work, I see,¡± Elincia replied, but she couldn''t mask the smile on her face.

 84 - Deception

    ¡°Slow down, Firana! You are going to hurt yourself!¡± I said as the girl performed a reckless feint attack against Wolf. Ilya, Zaon, and I were cramped on the big stump, watching the match.

    Firana ignored my orders and pushed herself to the limit, but not the usual way. It seemed she wanted to beat Wolf in a pure strength competition. I sighed, hoping her wrist put up to the abuse. My instructions at the beginning of the session had been clear: we would have an extended lesson at half the usual intensity.

    ¡°Firana! Mind the technique, not the strength!¡± I yelled again.

    ¡°She won¡¯t hear you, but a Health Potion will fix her if she gets hurt,¡± Ilya said thoughtfully. ¡°After living with Firana for a while, one knows nobody can control her. It¡¯s better to plan for the aftermath.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I replied, not at all surprised by Ilya¡¯s pragmatic approach. At least the two girls had been getting along despite their differences.

    Despite living at the orphanage for months, my brain occasionally failed to adjust to this world''s rules. Healing magic was a thing, and high-grade Health Potions were strong enough to heal even a pierced muscle. Even if the kids injured themselves days before the tournament, a potion would get them in shape in a couple of days.

    Tomorrow was Ilya¡¯s birthday, so I had called it a day off for everyone.

    ¡°Go all out if you want, Firana!¡± I yelled.

    The fencing mask hid Wolf¡¯s expression, but I guessed it was a happy one. Firana was the nearest thing to an orc in the orphanage, and Wolf needed to get used to his new strength. If the boy wanted to return to the tribes, the least I could do was to send him prepared to fight monsters.

    ¡°When Wolf gets tired, you are replacing him, Zaon,¡± I said as Firana and Wolf cranked up the cadence of the fight.

    ¡°Yes, Mister Clarke,¡± the elven boy replied.

    I expected him to be discouraged at the prospect of fighting a frantic Firana. The fight against the thieves had been a hurdle to Zaon¡¯s self-confidence, but its effect had been short-lived. Zaon¡¯s current positive attitude was almost comical, considering his previously doubtful demeanor. I wonder if the meeting with Risha had also contributed to his good mood.

    Elincia reacted maturely at the news of Holst¡¯s appearance in Farcrest. I wondered if she would react the same now that Risha was around.

    I decided to give Risha a few days to gather information about Kellaren, but not for his sake. I wanted Elincia to know the whole truth before making a decision.

    For now, I wanted to focus on my kids. After a minute, Zaon entered the fight, and Wolf went to the well to refresh himself. The whole group seemed more adult. Except for Firana. Maybe.

    ¡°Are you nervous for tomorrow, Ilya?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Who gets nervous for a birthday?¡± Ilya replied.

    I''d be nervous if I had to choose the Class that would stick with me for life. A Class that would determine my social position and overall potential.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing shameful about feeling nervous,¡± I said.

    ¡°I mean it. Really. Whenever I feel uneasy, I do the meditation exercises you taught me,¡± Ilya replied. ¡°My mana pool remains the same, but I can do a couple more tricks now. It¡¯s handy to entertain the little ones.¡±

    Ilya cupped her hands, and a small swirl of blue mana slowly gained momentum. Then, she shaped a small bird, a bit rough at the edges but convincing nonetheless. I was impressed. I¡¯ve always credited my proficiency to shape mana to the great amounts of available magic inside me. The fact Ilya could do it with a smaller mana pool was impressive.

    ¡°I think I can throw off my opponent if I make my sword appear bigger. I can also intimidate him if I cover my sword in a blue hue so they think I have a mana blade,¡± Ilya said, grabbing her longsword and channeling her mana into the blade. It wasn¡¯t as bright as mine, but an unsuspecting opponent might fall for it. At least once.

    ¡°Try to create several daggers and point them forward. Like this,¡± I said, summoning half a dozen illusory mana blades over my shoulders and around my head.

    Ilya closed her eyes, and the mana left her sword. Creating an illusion far from the body was more challenging than surrounding the blade with mana. After a moment, Ilya shaped four long daggers like a halo over her shoulders, ready to shoot forward at any moment.

    ¡°If your opponent is too aggressive and you need space, this might work,¡± I said. ¡°Now, try to choreograph a fake attack.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t choreographing a bad thing?¡± Ilya asked.

    ¡°Not when you are trying to trick your opponent,¡± I replied.

    Ilya nodded and made the daggers move slightly backward as if they were preparing to shoot forward. The illusion was nearly perfect, but it would only work once before the rival teams realized Ilya only used illusions. We needed to expand her repertoire and introduce some genuine skills into the mix. Everything would depend on the Class she acquired.

    ¡°Should we try to deceive the opponent, though? Isn¡¯t that unsportsmanlike conduct?¡± Ilya asked after dispelling the knives.

    ¡°All war is based on deception,¡± I replied.

    Ilya gave me a suspicious look. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to teach us to be sincere and hardworking?¡±

    ¡°You can announce to your opponent where you will hit next if you want,¡± I grinned.

    Ilya sighed as if I was the most lame adult in the kingdom.

    ¡°Would you like to go tomorrow to unlock your Class?¡± I asked. Elincia had told me that the Church had a high-level System Zealot stationed in every big city without a proper System Shrine to unlock people¡¯s Class early.

    Ilya fiddled with her fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s go early, before the party.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll do good, Ilya. I have met hundreds of kids, and none of them were as dependable and strong-willed as you,¡± I said, trying to sound reassuring. ¡°Don¡¯t think I have forgotten about that time you stitched my wounds when Elincia was too nervous to hold the needle.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t much,¡± Ilya shrugged.

    I shook my head. ¡°It was a lot. You almost became my favorite student just for that.¡±

    Ilya rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless.

    ¡°When Holst taught at the orphanage, some days I wanted to join the practice with the rest. I was scared of what he would say if I asked to join. Part of me knew I would never become a competent fencer, but still, I wanted to try,¡± Ilya said, then she took a deep breath and slowly blew for his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not scared about tomorrow. Even if I get a subpar class, I still have Lv.1 [Longsword Mastery].¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s cross our fingers so you can get the Hunter Class tomorrow,¡± I smiled.

    ¡°How would crossing your fingers help? Is that some sort of spell?¡± Ilya raised an eyebrow.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a figure of speech.¡± I sighed. Some things didn¡¯t translate well, no matter how hard I tried. ¡°Well, Firana seems to be out of steam. Your turn now.¡±

    Ilya nodded and grabbed her sword.

    ¡°Remember what we talked about, Ilya!¡± I yelled from the sideline.

    Ilya gave me a mischievous glance and summoned the illusory knives.

    * * *

    The idea of slowing down and enjoying my free time with Elincia had been nothing but an illusion. After the sparring session ended, Elincia kidnapped my sweaty class and crammed an extra manners lesson on top of all the daily chores. As I would be dealing with nobility in the near future, Elincia made me participate too.

    When I thought everything was done, Ginz invited me to his makeshift workshop to work on the schematics of a steam engine. Our progress was modest at best because of the pile of orders he was already working on. An anonymous buyer had even requested a really saucy deck of cards. As the sun hid beneath the mountains, I brought some light stones to the workshop and helped Ginz lacquer the cards until it was late at night.

    After hours of monotonous work, we finished his most pressing orders. We said our good nights, and I left Ginz¡¯s bedroom. The orphanage was in complete silence. I raised the light stone over my head to illuminate my steps. I walked slowly, not to wake the kids. Then, I noticed I didn¡¯t need such precautions due to my [Light Footed] and [Night Vision].

    I put the light stone in my pocket and walked silently as a shadow down the corridor, thinking about Ilya¡¯s birthday. The book of Classes didn¡¯t paint Soldiers and Archers as good classes. I was worried that a lousy Class would weigh more than any skill Ilya could show off at the tournament.

    My train of thought was interrupted by men arguing outside the manor. Suddenly, all the accumulated fatigue left my body as adrenaline surged. I zipped down the corridor without making a sound. When I reached the bedroom, Elincia was already on her feet, dressed in her nightgown with the shotgun strapped to her chest. I made a gesture for her to remain silent and follow me.

    In the corridor, Ginz awaited us, gripping a brass candlestick.

    ¡°Stay here, Ginz. If the kids wake up, tell them to return to sleep. If something happens outside, lock yourself in the bedroom. Loki will protect you all,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°Who is Loki?¡± Ginz nervously asked.

    ¡°Our sleepy Changeling,¡± I replied.

    ¡°You are joking, right? We don¡¯t have a monster living in the orphanage, right? Right?¡±

    Without time to argue, I formed a slim mana barrier before me and walked, followed by Elincia, to the main door. Outside, I could hear at least four distinct voices. Although the angle wasn¡¯t perfect, I managed to get a glimpse of the intruders through the corridor¡¯s window. Three young men dressed in Guardsmen armor argued with the old guard who had arrived hours earlier to replace the day shift.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, we were ordered to relieve you of your duties. We will stand guard for the rest of the night,¡± a tall, young guard at the head of the group said with a commanding voice. Nothing in his uniform revealed a higher rank than the veteran guard at the door.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t received such orders,¡± the old guard replied with a neutral, almost bored tone.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m relaying the orders to you now,¡± the young one raised his voice even more.

    ¡°I heard you the first time, kid. My response is the same. Unless my direct superior orders me to fuck off, I¡¯m staying put,¡± the old guard replied, pointing with his chin towards the iron gate. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of space in the front yard; you can stand guard there. I¡¯ll stand guard here, next to the door.¡±

    The discussion continued as I exchanged a quizzical look with Elincia.

    ¡°This is suspicious,¡± I whispered as the scene unfolded at the other side of the door. The way the young group of guards pressed the veteran to leave rubbed me the wrong way. It reminded me of my first days at the orphanage, when the city guard was upon us despite Captain Kiln not having ordered any move against us.

    The whole situation was suspicious indeed.

    Then, the realization hit me. There was a pattern behind the guard¡¯s actions, even if it was far fetched. First, Raudhan Kiln¡¯s attempt to take the kids. Then, the group of guardsmen who had entered the manor¡¯s grounds to spy on us during the night. Finally, the harassment I had been a victim of during my first visit to Captain Kiln. Young recruits had perpetrated all instances of violence against the orphanage. On the other hand, veteran guardsmen were fair and polite to me.

    ¡°I think Captain Kiln is losing control over the guard,¡± I whispered.

    Kellaren instantly popped into my mind; the man was greedy and ambitious. He was also cunning and had the Aias family¡¯s network at his disposal. If he wanted to undermine Captain Kiln¡¯s authority, he had the means. But why? To become the Captain of the Guard himself? It made sense for the Marquis to want a strong right hand with the constant menace of Monster Surges hanging over the city. Kellaren only needed Firana to cement his position as the regent of a famous family.

    Not knowing where the attack came from made me nervous.

    Other possibilities included Lord Tirno or any minor noble within the Marquis''s retinue. A place as Captain of the Guard would benefit anyone who wanted to strengthen their ties with the high nobility. Even Sir Janus could use the extra pull from being Captain of the Guard to secure an advantageous marriage into a noble house.

    I shook my head. It didn¡¯t make sense for Sir Janus to become Captain of the Guard of a distant city like Farcrest. His name was already legendary among the nobility and peasantry alike, and the title of Imperial Knight was something very few could flaunt. Captain of the Guard would add very little to his resume.

    And there was the fact that Janus preferred to drink than to work. Being a captain wouldn¡¯t suit him. It didn¡¯t help to be paranoid. One way or another, I needed to contact Captain Kiln as soon as possible.

    The sound of metal against stone brought me back to reality. I opened the door and saw the young guard sitting on his butt over the stone path. The veteran seemed to have pushed him back because nobody was wounded, nor were there drawn weapons.

    ¡°What¡¯s this commotion?!¡± I angrily yelled as I stepped outside.

    Half of the work of a teacher was being a credible actor, and my [Classroom Fiend] achievement was proof enough of my acting skills. All eyes fell upon me. Unlike previous times, picking a fight wasn¡¯t an option. I couldn¡¯t jeopardize the position of the orphanage by beating a group of city guards.

    ¡°Do you know where you are, you drunk idiots? This is the Rosebud Fencing Academy!¡± I yelled.

    Despite my appearance startling them, they didn¡¯t seem too amused with my words. I needed them to fear the consequences of disturbing the manor. Maybe they wouldn¡¯t fear a man in old clothing like me, but I knew the exact words to make them tremble.

    ¡°You think you can come here at midnight and disrupt my students'' sleep? Just wait until Captain Kiln and Sir Janus know about this. I¡¯m going to take this affront to the Marquis himself!¡± I yelled.

    The young guards paled. Throwing important names into the mix during an angry tirade always worked well against lesser grunts. I smiled. The ancient art of summoning the manager worked best when the customer was in the right.

    ¡°Do you know the name of these dimwits?¡± I asked the veteran warrior, hoping he had picked up my cues.

    ¡°I know what squadron they belong to,¡± he calmly replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m just following orders,¡± the young guard grunted.

    I reached for my sword to deliver the verbal knockout blow just to realize I wasn¡¯t carrying any. The guard gave me a mocking smile as he stood, believing I was a toothless dog. Scowling, I used [Minor Illusion]. Fake mana particles gathered inside my closed fist until it reached critical mass. Then, with a small yet spectacular explosion, the mana turned into a bright blue rapier.

    ¡°Rob, please don¡¯t!¡± Elincia pleaded as she grabbed my arm and tried to pull me back into the manor. Her acting was good, although a little stiff.

    ¡°Let me go, woman!¡± I yelled. ¡°I will not stand such disrespectful behavior towards our academy.¡±

    The three young guardsmen backed up in silence until they got lost by the end of the street. Then, I let the illusion disappear.

    ¡°That was a nice illusion, Caretaker,¡± the old guardsman laughed with his coarse voice. ¡°I¡¯ll inform the Captain of this incident tomorrow morning; you can rest assured the manor is safe.¡±

    ¡°There were three of them, though,¡± Elincia said, still hanging from my arm.

    ¡°I have twice their level and three times the experience,¡± The guardsman said.

    We returned to the orphanage. The kids seemed to sleep still because Ginz remained in the corridor as if nothing had happened since our departure.

    ¡°Everything is okay?¡± He asked.

    I nodded. ¡°Just a couple of unruly guardsmen, I hope.¡±

    We said our goodbyes for the second time that night and returned to Elincia¡¯s bedroom. She unloaded the shotgun and left it on top of the wardrobe, far from the kid¡¯s hands. The mere idea of Elincia blowing a hole open in someone¡¯s chest sent a shiver down my spine.

    ¡°They almost shat their pants when you summoned the mana blade,¡± Elincia smiled proudly. ¡°For a moment, I almost believed you were going to decapitate them.¡±

    ¡°People really fear high levels, so I assumed a little demonstration to spread the word would be okay,¡± I pointed out as I removed my jacket. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to play along with my little trick.¡±

    Elincia grabbed my hand and kissed it. The tenderness of the gesture surprised me.

    ¡°All war is based on deception,¡± she said.

 85 - Thats a bingo

    I couldn¡¯t fall asleep. The confrontation with the guards was still too fresh in my memory, and not even Elincia¡¯s presence beside me could ease my restless mind. The clash with the young guards had been a minor incident compared to my fight against Raudhan Kiln or Kellaren, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel we were walking directly into a trap.

    My mission remained the same: keep the kids away from the army. However, a part of me started to doubt my methods. Participating in the tournament was the right decision in the short run. Given the political situation of the kingdom, having a powerful patron would alleviate the burden on our shoulders. Sir Janus had the support of the previous Marquis and managed to get into the Imperial Academy. That much was true. However, entering the public stage might not be the smartest decision in the long run. Once we started meddling with the affairs of the nobility, there was no turning back.

    Political favors had to be paid one way or another.

    Elincia softly snored in the bed, her arms and legs splayed like a starfish and her expression as peaceful as a sleeping cat. I wondered if Elincia was desensitized to danger or if the Guard had so much power that tonight¡¯s events were something normal. One way or another, I couldn¡¯t picture myself sleeping soundly after the incident.

    I slipped out of bed without making a noise and collected my notes about runeweaving from the desk. Elincia had a keen ear, even when she slept, but [Light Footed] again came in handy. I wasn¡¯t going to fall asleep any time soon. Despite my body being tired, my mind was restless, so I decided to spend the last strands of mana practicing runeweaving. I grabbed my journal and a bunch of paper and walked to the kitchen.

    Everything would have been easier if the System Avatar had used his powers to guide me instead of writing sassy prompts. But it seemed that was too much to ask. He took things too slowly for someone claiming to be worried about corruption and the eventual System''s destruction.

    ¡°Not to sound ungrateful,¡± I muttered, just in case.

    I entered the kitchen and sat in front of the windows. If someone tried to enter the orphanage by jumping over the wall, I would see them. Mister Lowell had been almost prescient at the moment of erecting an almost three-meter tall wall made of solid stone. I put my materials over the table without bothering to fuel the light stones. Instead of outright enchanting, I opened my journal on an empty page and wrote down what I believed to be the ideal equipment to survive in the Farlands. Enchanting was a medium. Surviving was the goal.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with equipment,¡± I said as I made an effort to remember my father¡¯s hunting gear. He always talked about how good boots were king of any hunting apparel. Other hunters said the orange vests, but after wearing uncomfortable shoes for a long time, I tended to believe my father better.

    I wrote down ¡®hardened boots¡¯, ¡®invisibility cloak¡¯, and ¡®thermic blanket¡¯ when I suddenly remembered the existence of the enchanted blanket Chieftain Alton had given us when we met in the Farlands. There was yet another enchanted item at the orphanage. The blanket was stored in one of the classroom¡¯s wardrobes.

    I believed the three runes on the light stone were ¡®light¡¯, ¡®gradual¡¯, and ¡®recharge¡¯. I wrote ¡®Blanket of Warmth¡¯ and then ¡®fire¡¯, ¡®gradual¡¯, and ¡®permanent¡¯ with a big question mark. My stomach tingled with expectation. Given that the blanket worked similarly but with heat instead of light, I expected to decipher two extra runes at least.

    In less than a minute, I retrieved the blanket from the classroom and spread the fabric over the table. I grinned. Just as I expected, the blanket had only three runes. And only one of them was the same as the second rune in the light stone. ¡®Gradual¡¯.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bingo!¡± I whispered to myself.

    That added ¡®gradual¡¯ to the pool of runes I knew.

    Before continuing with the experiment, I ripped a piece of paper and took it to the stove. The rune that kept the blanket warm had to be ¡®fire¡¯ or ¡®warmth¡¯. In case it was ¡®fire¡¯, I was better off taking some precautions.

    I tested the two remaining runes from the blanket, imprinting them on the piece of paper. The first one didn¡¯t produce any effect; that had to be the rune that powered the blanket¡¯s enchantment. By the process of elimination, the second rune had to be ¡®fire¡¯. I imprinted it. The paper instantly caught fire and singed the hair on the back of my hand.

    Excitement crept up my spine and I let out an involuntary laughter.

    Knowing the rune for ¡®fire¡¯ was a giant leap. From self-warming tents and blankets to fireball-throwing wands, the fire rune had to be one of the best runes for both utility and offense. I had to remind myself that it was a dangerous one, too. If I didn¡¯t want to burn the manor to the foundations, I needed to be extra careful.

    I already knew two of the three runes of the blanket: ¡®fire¡¯ and ¡®gradual¡¯. The third one must be related to the method by which the blanket gathered the mana to remain functional. I looked at my notes. ¡®Permanent¡¯ was an option if the enchanter poured industrial amounts of mana inside the blanket at the moment of creation, but as much as I examined the item, I couldn¡¯t sense such a reserve. Even compared to the light stones, the warmth blanket seemed less powerful. Maybe ¡®permanent¡¯ wasn¡¯t the rune in question. Maybe the blanket slowly gathered mana from the user or the environment.

    I put the blanket over my shoulders and examined the enchanted threads to no avail. I couldn¡¯t detect any movement of mana. Maybe it had a hidden mana pool? That would be overengineering a simple enchanted item. Maybe the blanket wasn¡¯t using enough mana to detect any movement. I needed a colder environment.

    I opened the window and exited the manor with the blanket over my shoulders. The freezing wind hit my face, and I made sure to close the window behind me to keep the kitchen warm. Then, I walked to the big stump and sat with my eyes closed. Minutes passed, but nothing changed. I could see the runes clear as day, but any sign of mana moving eluded me. I was having trouble focusing.

    Mana was easier to detect and control in a state of deep concentration, so I closed my eyes and fought against my consciousness to keep my thoughts at bay. The events of the night didn¡¯t make it easy. A convoluted map of names and faces appeared in front of my eyes. One of them was the culprit behind today¡¯s failed raid.

    I sighed. Having a family was hard.

    Suddenly, the kitchen window slammed open, and Loki, in its dog form, leaped into the backyard. The Changeling shone like a lighthouse in the middle of the night. Bright runes completely covered its body. I had to shut down my mana vision and open my eyes.

    ¡°Damn beast!¡± Loki said as it snuggled to my side. It has been a while since we were the two of us alone.

    ¡°Thanks for flash-banging me,¡± I grunted.

    I had to blink repeatedly to focus on the dog¡¯s features. Sensing the cold night, Loki turned into a twister of darkness and landed on my lap, turning into a mouse. Then, the changeling scurried inside the warm blanket and hid inside my chest pocket.

    When I got my powers, and for a brief moment, I was able to see weak runes on everything, from inanimate items to humans. However, after that initial surge of detection, the runes disappeared. No living creature shined as brightly as Loki did.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°Who are you really?¡± I asked as I opened the blanket and spied on the creature.

    ¡°Loki!¡± Loki replied.

    Not only had its shape changed, but also the runes on its body. I wondered what would happen if Loki mimicked one of the enchanted items. I got to my feet and jumped into the kitchen through the window. The name [Light Footed] fell short in comparison to the actual abilities the trait gave me. Even without thinking about it, I could move with the precision and agility of a cat. It felt great.

    ¡°Hey, buddy. Can you turn into this?¡± I said, holding the light stone in front of Loki.

    Loki buried deeper into my pocket.

    ¡°Come on, pal, I¡¯m stuck and need your help. Bad guys are coming after us, and I can only help the kids if I get this runeweaving thing going,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t do it for me, do it for the kids. For Shu.¡±

    Loki opened one eye and looked at me with a suspicious expression, or as suspicious as a rat could look. Finally, the Changeling sighed and jumped out of my pocket. After examining the light stone for a moment, Loki turned into a swirl of darkness just to fall heavily over the table, turning into a perfect copy of the stone.

    I checked Loki¡¯s runes. Just as I expected, there were more than the three runes of the light stone. Whatever mechanism Loki used to transform was a hundred times more complex than any enchanted object I¡¯ve seen. Yet, upon further examination, I caught a glimpse of the three-rune string I was looking for. Light-gradual-recharge.

    I shut down my mana sense and quickly copied the surrounding runes. At least that way, I would know where to look. Maybe I could even learn a ¡®mimic¡¯ rune.

    ¡°You are the best, Loki!¡± I scratched the surface of the stone.

    ¡°Loki!¡± Loki angrily squeaked, transforming back into a rat.

    I was petting the wrong rock, but it was Loki¡¯s fault for moving.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, pal. You are just that good at transforming,¡± I laughed. Sleep was starting to catch up to me, but I wanted to continue working. With a little bit of experimentation, I could use Loki as a rune finder.

    ¡°Damn beast!¡± Loki replied, offended.

    ¡°Hey! You have been repeating that since we met. I know you have been listening to the kids talk. You can talk freely to me if you want,¡± I said.

    ¡°In your dreams!¡± Loki replied, mimicking Shu¡¯s voice.

    I scratched my chin. Changelings were still a mystery to me. If Loki could look into my memories, why did he refuse to produce fluent speech? That wasn¡¯t even the greatest mystery of all, nor the most pressing. Loki¡¯s ability to change seemed to be tied to rune usage. Looking carefully, one could even think he was made purely of runes.

    The mission the System Avatar had given me resonated in my mind. Learn how to use the runes, edit the code of the System, and fix the Corruption. Any reckless change in the code could render the System useless, and yet, I was in front of a creature that wrote and rewrote runes freely. Wasn¡¯t that a dangerous design choice? The creator of the System was probably too smart to overlook something as outrageous as that. Unless Changelings weren¡¯t part of the masterplan designed by the creator.

    ¡°Loki? I¡¯m starting to think you are some sort of bug,¡± I said.

    ¡°You are a damn bugger!¡± Loki angrily replied.

    Runic or biological, the creature had a temper.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± I quickly said.

    Despite my apologies, Loki jumped to the floor and left the kitchen with an annoyed expression.

    ¡°Well, my mana pool is half depleted. It¡¯s not a lot that I can do right now even if I knew all the runes,¡± I muttered to myself as I wrote down some ideas in my journal.

    Combining ¡®fire,¡¯ ¡®gradual,¡¯ and ¡®recharge,¡¯ I could make self-warming clothing that only heated when required. Trekking with hot underwear on didn¡¯t seem very comfortable to me. During a snowstorm, on the other hand, warm socks sounded like a great idea.

    The other new combination I could try was ¡®light¡¯, ¡®gradual¡¯, and ¡®permanent¡¯. However, I didn¡¯t want to use the ¡®permanent¡¯ rune until I knew how it worked. If the energy used by the Blanket of Warmth came from the Fountain, using that particular rune could be dangerous. Useful but dangerous.

    Elincia would be mad if I unleashed unfathomable cosmic energies inside the kitchen.

    That didn¡¯t stop me from theorizing about applications. The combination of ¡®light¡¯, ¡®gradual¡¯, and ¡®permanent¡¯ would produce an object that shone constantly. Something like a beacon? Carrying a lit beacon in the pocket didn¡¯t seem practical at all. But what about something smaller, like pebbles? The tale of Hansel and Gretel instantly popped into my mind. Small light pebbles might work as a good way to mark a dark path.

    If I could only figure out how the blanket got its energy.

    ¡°Screw it, Robert, you have to focus,¡± I reprimanded myself. The faster I mastered the runeweaving art, the earlier the orphanage would reap the benefits.

    I took a deep breath and slapped my face until my cheeks burned. Then I focused on the Blanket of Warmth. Screw Kellaren. Screw Raudhan Kiln. Screw Holst. There was no time to feel insecure, just time to work, work, and keep working. Suddenly, my consciousness detached from my body, and I felt as if I was floating. The blanket¡¯s fabric extended in front of me like a desert of high dunes and deep valleys.

    Then, I realized I was looking in the wrong place. The blanket wasn¡¯t as fully enchanted as the light stones were. The blanket was woven with a mix of normal wool and enchanted threads. The first threads were opaque lines under my mana vision, while the latter were bright red highways of burning magic. Only one of the four threads was enchanted. Smart. Using solely enchanted threads would make the blanket too hot.

    My consciousness zoomed into the enchanted threads, searching for any trace of mana movement. Then I noticed it. Slowly, almost gently, the fibers absorbed blue mana particles from the environment and transformed them into red, fire mana.

    I remembered I had to breathe. With a deep breath, I was brought back to the present. For an instant, my hands feel weird, as if they weren¡¯t actually part of me. My head took a moment to adjust to the size of my body.

    ¡°Trippy,¡± I muttered as I fought to keep the contents of my stomach inside.

    Trippy and enlightening. The third rune wasn¡¯t ¡®permanent¡¯ but ¡®absorption¡¯. I cross-checked my notes and found almost the same rune in the Aias Sword. The blanket absorbed mana from the environment, while the sword most probably absorbed mana from monsters.

    Fatigue was beginning to win over me, but I wanted to perform an experiment before wrapping things up. With the [Headmaster] title, half of the remaining Corruption had disappeared, leaving me with considerable mana available. It was probably enough for a couple of enchantments. I exited through the window and grabbed a bunch of white pebbles from an empty flower pot.

    I sat back at the table and put a single pebble in the palm of my hand. Then, I carved the runes using mana. The process felt natural after enchanting paper with the light rune a hundred times. Light. Gradual. Absorption. Unlike drawing or writing, there was no skill involved in the operation, just willpower. It felt like the System interpreted and translated my thoughts into runes.

    A faint blue gleam lit the surface of the pebble. I held my breath, waiting for the enchantment to fade away. A minute passed. Then two. I expected a sudden System prompt popping in front of my eyes, but nothing happened. I examined the pebble. The runes show no sign of wearing out. The enchantment worked.

    ¡°Why stop with one?¡± I asked myself.

    The enchantment process stopped automatically when the runes absorbed enough mana, and I calculated I had enough for a couple more tries. I made a mental note to create a standardized unit for mana, but that would have to wait until I had a good idea of how to do it.

    I grabbed the second pebble and applied the enchantment. About a third of my mana pool was absorbed by the runes. This time, however, the pebble turned to be violet. I smiled, enjoying the success.

    ¡°Green next?¡± I asked as I grabbed the next pebble.

    A cold shiver took over my body as my mana reserve came dangerously close to empty so I put the blanket over my shoulders. The process of runeweaving was even more mana-intensive than my mana shield, which made me wonder how complex pieces like the Aias Sword were made. I would have to start inquiring.

    I focused back on the pebble and carved the runes on the surface. After a moment, the pebble glowed with a green hue. I just needed to learn the ¡®discharge¡¯ and the ¡®activation¡¯ rune, and I would have a magical flash grenade or a flare.

    I tried to focus on the paper but my eyes started to close and I slowly faded into sleep.

 86 - Birthday party

    I woke up to the sound of applause. Before I knew what was happening, I straightened on my chair and started clapping too. Did I fall asleep during a graduation ceremony? Suddenly, the kitchen exploded in laughter. I blinked repeatedly until my eyes regained focus. Half a dozen orphans dressed in multicolor pajamas watched me with mischievous expressions.

    ¡°Alright, pretty funny. Laugh all you want, you critters,¡± I said as I rubbed my eyes and tried to align my spine. It seemed I was too old to sleep on a hard wooden chair. My neck was killing me.

    Elincia playfully ruffled my hair.

    ¡°We were giving Ilya a round of applause for her birthday,¡± she said with a not at all innocent voice. Despite last night¡¯s incident, she was in a great mood.

    I looked around for Ilya to wish her a happy birthday, but then I noticed that the girl wasn¡¯t even in the kitchen. Elincia giggled and kissed the top of my head. They had gotten me good.

    ¡°Go wash your face, my love. You have to be presentable for Ilya¡¯s birthday party,¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early to start the celebration?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s called birthday and not birth-afternoon for a reason,¡± she replied, prompting a round of laughter from the kids. ¡°I thought a Scholar would understand the nuance of the matter.¡±

    The kids scrambled, laughing, and started preparing the table for breakfast.

    ¡°Partying all day? Count me in. In fact, I think I can outparty every one of you,¡± I replied, joining the festive atmosphere. Elincia raised an eyebrow. I ignored what kind of reputation Scholars had, but I doubt it was one related to partying.

    Shu instantly jumped forward. ¡°Nobody likes parties more than me! I could party every day!¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah? I could party every day and every night!¡± I replied.

    ¡°No, you are too old for that!¡±

    ¡°Stop it, you two. Mister Clarke has to get ready, and you, little miss, must help with the breakfast.¡±

    After a quick ¡®Yes, Miss Elincia¡¯, I collected my investigation notes and put them away before an orphan could tip a mug of milk over them. The small colored light stones were nowhere to be found. Elincia probably grabbed them before the kids could find them. I kissed her shoulder and grabbed a water basin with me.

    I quickly made myself presentable and grabbed the Cooldown Bow and a brand-new quiver with a dozen arrows. Ginz had applied a quick layer of varnish over the dark wood, giving it a beautiful sheen. It was perfect.

    As I was leaving my room, I stumbled upon Firana. Despite being well past dawn, the girl was barely awake, grumbling with each step. Yesterday¡¯s training had been intense, and Firana had given it all.

    ¡°Good morning, Firana. Have you seen Ilya?¡± I greeted her.

    Firana gently headbutted my chest as a good morning greeting. She stayed still for a moment, and for an instant, I feared she had fallen asleep. Without saying a word, she dragged her feet towards the shared room of the younger orphans and opened the door. After taking a quick peek, she looked back at me and shook her head as she grumbled something along the lines of ¡®No Ilya here¡¯.

    I knocked on Ilya¡¯s room despite her sleeping with the little ones every night, but she was not there either.

    ¡°Do you need help, Mister Clarke?¡± Firana asked with a raspy voice. She stood outside the kids¡¯ shared bedroom, almost falling asleep.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look for Ilya. You could grab the kids who are still sleeping and take them to the kitchen,¡± I replied, just to quickly add. ¡°Without falling asleep.¡±

    Firana grumbled once again and shuffled into the kid''s room.

    My next stop was Ginz¡¯s bedroom. I knocked on the door, and he invited me inside. Ginz was dressed in a long yellow and beige nightgown with a nightcap in the same tones. My instinct told me it was a ¡®good¡¯ pajamas for Farcrest standard, but that didn¡¯t make it any less funny. The craftsman was hunched over the small desk, examining the enchanted pebbles.

    One less mystery.

    Despite Elincia not wanting anything work-related in the sleeping quarters, half of Ginz¡¯s tools and works in progress were stored in his room. I suspected he worked past bedtime every night to keep up with the noble¡¯s orders. I wondered if we should get Ginz an official apprentice or two.

    ¡°Where did you get these? Can I use them?¡± Ginz asked before I could say anything.

    ¡°Sure, pal,¡± I replied. He was so excited that I couldn¡¯t just say no.  ¡°Have you seen Ilya?¡±

    ¡°She was going to the grove earlier this morning,¡± Ginz replied before focusing on his work table.

    I decided not to interrupt his creative process and exited the manor. Ilya¡¯s steps left a trail on the dew-covered grass, leading me deep into the grove. I pulled my jacket¡¯s neck up to protect myself from the cold wind. The kids rarely ventured far from the warm kitchen as the days became harsher, not because they didn¡¯t want to, but because Elincia said so.

    I walked along the wall for a minute until I found Ilya sitting cross-legged in front of Mr. Lowell¡¯s grave. She was meditating.

    ¡°Hello,¡± I greeted.

    ¡°Good morning, Mister Clarke. I didn¡¯t hear you arriving,¡± she replied.

    I didn¡¯t expect Ilya to be there.

    ¡°I was just visiting Mr. Lowell and meditating,¡± she explained.

    ¡°Did you meet him?¡± I asked, sitting next to her.

    As far as I remember, Ilya had arrived at the orphanage when she was almost a newborn. Ilya and Zaon had spent all their lives in the manor. They never met their parents.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it¡­¡±

    Ilya shook her head. ¡°I remember Mr. Lowell. He was the tallest person in the orphanage. Taller than Risha even. I always thought he was a retired soldier because his hands were huge and coarse. Imagine my shock when Elin¡ª Miss Elincia told me he was an Alchemist.¡±

    It was hard to conceive that Ilya and Elincia had been fellow orphans once. I knew it already; Elincia was only ten years old when Ilya arrived at the orphanage, and during the next six years, they had been under the care of Mr. Lowell. I wondered why Ilya didn¡¯t treat Elincia as her older sister and instead treated her as the Governess.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I remember I was scared when Mr. Lowell died. I thought the manor was going to crumble over our heads. But it didn¡¯t. Risha stepped forward and took care of everything,¡± Ilya said. ¡°He used to sleep with us in the shared room.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you sleep with the little kids?¡± I asked.

    Ilya nodded. It was hard to ignore the fact she admired Risha. I perfectly understood her feelings. When I was little, I went from being alone with my mother to having a loving father in less than a year.

    ¡°I thought Elincia had been the one who had taken the leadership,¡± I said.

    ¡°At the beginning, Elincia was an awful caretaker. She didn¡¯t have patience for little kids or household chores. An Alchemist is expected to know how to mix ingredients, but her cooking was abysmal. Ginz¡­ well, Ginz was Ginz, and Astrid was anything but a people person.¡± Ilya laughed as she reminisced about the past. ¡°For the first couple years, Risha carried the orphanage on his shoulders until the rest could somewhat adjust to their roles.¡±

    Despite knowing Elincia¡¯s past as a problem child, it was hard not to picture her as a caring governess. I made a mental note to avoid mentioning her beginning as an awful cook. I could see her taking away my spice benefits as revenge. I was deeply interested in Elincia¡¯s first days as a governess, but as much as I wanted to know everything about her, I would rather not bring back hurtful memories.

    ¡°Do you not resent him for leaving?¡± I asked. Unlike Elincia, Ilya didn¡¯t seem to hold a grudge against Risha.

    Ilya gave me a tired smile. ¡°I know it sounds stupid, but I trust Risha; I¡¯m sure he had a good reason to leave. I want to trust my gut. You know the saying, it¡¯s easier to move mountains than win a gnome¡¯s trust.¡±

    ¡°Is that really a saying?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Maybe? I trust like four people: Mr. Lowell, Elincia, Risha, and you. No one else.¡±

    ¡°What about Zaon?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been making great progress. I might start trusting him by the end of the year,¡± Ilya said with a mischievous smile.

    Ilya¡¯s laughter dispelled my concerns.

    ¡°Elincia said she was going to make you a cake, so I decided to get a gift too,¡± I said, extending the bow towards her. ¡°Happy birthday, Ilya. I hope you can become a Hunter.¡±

    Ilya grabbed the bow in disbelief and examined it. I ignored what the birthday customs were in this world, but Firana was thrilled with her enchanted cape. Ilya¡¯s eyes shone as her hands went over the dark wood. She tested the draw weight before nodding approvingly.

    ¡°It¡¯s a magic bow,¡± I explained.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore! I know enchanted bows are rare and expensive.¡±

    ¡°Try to aim for that old pile of wood,¡± I said, pointing at the pile of rubble by the wall¡¯s corner, more than a hundred meters from us. It was a big target, even considering the great distance in between.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this bow has enough draw to reach that,¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°Hold the string back for ten seconds before shooting. Only aim slightly higher. It¡¯s more powerful than it seems,¡± I replied.

    ¡°The arrow will fall before reaching the last tree.¡±

    ¡°Trust me.¡±

    Ilya grabbed a single arrow from the quiver and raised the bow. I tried not to smile. Elincia had been experimenting with the bow; a ten-second charge was enough for the arrow to cover a hundred meters in a straight line before dropping. Testing the limits of the Cooldown Bow in the orphanage¡¯s grounds was dangerous, considering the potential distance it could cover. Limit testing would have to wait until a trip to the city''s outskirts.

    ¡°Shoot!¡±

    Ilya let the string go. The arrow covered the distance in less than a heartbeat, lodging itself in a rotten beam and making a satisfying sound. The girl turned around, confused.

    ¡°It¡¯s an enchanted bow!¡± She shrieked, ramming into my stomach and putting his arms around me.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a kid anymore. You can have a magic bow now. Just remember this is a dangerous tool. The longer you pull the string, the stronger the shot will be,¡± I said, glad that Ilya was the one interested in archery instead of Firana.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Ilya stepped back, flustered. ¡°Should I have it, though? Miss Elincia is a better archer than me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s yours. End of the discussion,¡± I said as I shook my head. ¡°Shall we return to the manor, or do you want to shoot some more?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll shoot one more. We still have to get my class,¡± Ilya replied.

    The ¡®one more¡¯ turned into a dozen shots before we returned to the manor¡¯s kitchen. When Ilya entered, she was greeted with a warm round of applause. One by one, the kids approached Ilya and kissed her once on each cheek, then Ginz, and finally Elincia. After the greetings, Ilya was guided towards the head of the table. A bowl of oatmeal, a mug with warm milk sweetened with honey, and a plate of dried fruits were put before her, almost as if she were a queen being served by their loyal subjects.

    ¡°First time participating in a birthday party?¡± Elincia asked, noticing my confused expression.

    ¡°Should I treat Ilya as a noble lady too?¡± I replied with a question myself.

    Elincia gave me a gorgeous smile and dragged me inside the kitchen.

    ¡°Today is Ilya¡¯s last day as a kid. Tomorrow, she will have to carry her own weight, like the rest of us. Today is the last day we can properly pamper her.¡±

    It made sense. Receiving a class resulted in a significant ¡®power spike¡¯. A level one Alchemist was expected to start gathering ingredients and experimenting with their first low-grade potions and remedies. In the same way, a level one Soldier had their first tools to defeat monsters and become stronger.

    ¡°What are birthday parties like in your world?¡± Elincia asked as we served breakfast to the rest of the kids.

    ¡°The guests sing out-of-tune while the birthday person sits awkwardly. Then we eat cake and tasty food,¡± I replied, serving warm milk to the younger kids.

    ¡°Getting together with family and friends to eat special food. It doesn''t get too much different from that, uh?¡± Elincia pointed out.

    Before I could reply, Zaon entered the kitchen carrying a small harp in one hand and a round, violin-like instrument with a long neck and three double strings in the other. Elincia grabbed the strange instrument while Ginz grabbed the harp. Of all the possible activities, I didn¡¯t expect live music.

    A moment later, a jolly song that reminded me of the bright, warm sun and eternal wheatfields filled the kitchen. The kids dragged the second table to the side and set up a dance floor. Ilya clapped at the song''s rhythm as the kids laughed and danced.

    Elincia and Ginz played in perfect coordination. There was no hint those two hadn¡¯t talked to each other in years. I leaned against the kitchen counter and watched Elincia play. Her hands skillfully moved over the strings, producing crisp and cheerful notes. For a moment, I got lost in her elegant beauty.

    ¡°Mister Clarke? Do you want to dance with me?¡± the girl said embarrassedly, interrupting my trance.

    I smiled, wondering if she was genuinely embarrassed or just trying to guilt-trip me.

    ¡°I warn you, I¡¯m a terrific dancer,¡± I said.

    ¡°Loki says I¡¯m the best dancer it has seen,¡± Shu replied defiantly.

    I grabbed Shu¡¯s hand and let her guide me towards the dance floor. I exchanged a glance with Elincia, and she bit her lip, trying to suppress a smile. I was telling the truth about my dancing skills. My mother loved to dance, but my father despised it. Consequently, it fell upon me to join my mother in her dance classes.

    I gave a quick look at the other dancers; the steps weren¡¯t tricky.

    I grabbed Shu¡¯s hands, and we swayed at the quick pace of the music. The song¡¯s pace changed every few minutes, and we exchanged partners. Even the instruments changed hands after a while. Wolf played the mini cello while Zaon played the harp.

    The party slowed down a couple of hours later, and we started preparing lunch. The kitchen counter was packed with all kinds of ingredients. Meats, vegetables, lard, spices, cheeses, wine, eggs, and a worryingly large pile of potatoes. Luckily, we had a lot of little helpers.

    The kids forbid Ilya from moving from her seat, so she looked at us with uneasy hands.

    I was so focused on preparing the feast that I didn¡¯t notice when the door opened and Corin entered the kitchen. The girl greeted Ilya with a double kiss before approaching me. With her courier uniform and dependable expression, I almost forgot she was the same age as my class.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you decided to come. You arrived just in time; we haven¡¯t eaten cake yet,¡± I greeted.

    Then I noticed the sweat beads covering her forehead; she must¡¯ve sprinted her way into the orphanage.

    ¡°I bring a message from the Great Hall,¡± Corin said. ¡°The Marquis wishes to meet Master Clarke and his team right now.¡±

 87 - Summoned

    A cold silence replaced the music.

    ¡°The Marquis is expecting you in the Great Hall, Master Clarke. He expects you to bring your team,¡± Corin said. ¡°I¡¯d recommend promptness. The Marquis looked restless when the message was relayed to me.¡±

    All eyes fell on me, even Elincia¡¯s.

    ¡°You heard Corin, class. Get ready.¡± I said, and without a second of delay, Firana, Zaon, Ilya, and Wolf rushed through the kitchen door. For some reason, Ginz followed them.

    ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably a strategy meeting. Remember the official invitation? Each noble family can present up to three teams. We aren¡¯t representing the orphanage alone but the whole city. The Marquis probably wants to see us with his own eyes before any public appearance,¡± I said, hoping I was correct.

    We were more than ready if the Marquis wanted to test our skills. It was a shame he had chosen Ilya¡¯s birthday to summon us, but there was little we could do. It was the price of dealing with nobility.

    ¡°Alright, everyone. The older kids and I will be gone for a couple of hours. In the meantime, I want everyone to help Miss Elincia and Mister Ginz. Don¡¯t think about cutting the cake without us!¡± I said with a cheerful tone.

    The younger kids gave me their best innocent smiles, but I knew they weren¡¯t entirely true. I knew most of them were little devils disguised as cute kids. Smiling, I left the kitchen to equip myself.

    Once inside my bedroom, I put the blue uniform with the rose-and-sword sigil on the shoulder and the new flexible boots Ginz had prepared for us. I strapped the belt around my waist and secured the sheath of my longsword to my left. I also tied the coif to my right, although I doubted I was the one doing the fight today. The uniform made me feel more confident, as dumb as it sounded.

    When I left my bedroom, I found Ginz waiting for me in the corridor.

    ¡°Use this,¡± he said, handing me a copper bracelet embedded in the center with the blue light stone I had made the night before. ¡°Copper is a humble metal, but the stone has a mysterious aura. Appearances are important for the nobility. It will serve you well.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Ginz,¡± I replied, examining the piece. The bracelet had a knot pattern all over the surface. It was elegant but not luxurious, perfect for my position as a commoner.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. The steam lumberjack toy gave me two levels and improved my skill to work metals,¡± the craftsman said, giving me a slightly manic smile. ¡°I¡¯m the one who owes you. Good luck.¡±

    I patted his shoulder and continued my way. The kids were already waiting for me in the vestibule¡ªIlya, Wolf, and Zaon with their longswords in their sheaths, while Firana had the Aias Sword on one side and the longsword on the other. Everyone looked at me with a decisive expression. Elincia fluttered around the kids, fixing wrinkles and combing eyebrows.

    ¡°Showing the Aias Sword in public will be a strong statement,¡± I whispered near Firana¡¯s ear.

    ¡°I know, but I¡¯m the last Aias, whether I like it or not. The orphanage is my home, and you are all my family. That¡¯s my decision,¡± Firana said. ¡°If you want me to leave the sword here, I¡¯ll obey.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your decision, Firana, and I¡¯ll support you,¡± I replied. One way or another, she was the legitimate heir of the Aias family. If she wanted to announce she wished to continue with their legacy, so be it. I wasn¡¯t the one to dissuade her.

    ¡°The Potato Warriors are ready to go,¡± she said, trying to hide her worries.

    I grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

    ¡°The guard at the door should be enough to protect the orphanage, but have the shotgun in hand, just in case,¡± I said, but I knew Elincia well enough to know she wasn¡¯t worried about herself.  ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us. We will be alright. The kids are great fencers, and you taught them how to behave in front of nobility. We did everything we could; now we must advance confidently.¡±

    We kissed.

    ¡°Please, not in front of us. That¡¯s gross,¡± Ilya said, interrupting our ¡®moment¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯ll remind you of those words when you get a boyfriend,¡± I replied, prompting a round of laughter from the rest of the kids.

    With the tension defused, Elincia kissed each of us on the forehead before we departed. That little gesture filled me with confidence, and the kids seemed to feel the same. I sneaked a peek into Zaon¡¯s face just in case, and it surprised me to see him completely relaxed. That was a good sign.

    It didn¡¯t take us long to reach the city center. Guardsmen and royal patrols guarded the main streets. They looked at us with questioning eyes, but no one stopped us. We must¡¯ve seemed important because people opened space for us to cruise through the sea of merchants and shoppers in the market.

    ¡°Winter shouldn¡¯t have treated the royal army particularly well if they had to retreat to Farcrest,¡± Wolf pointed out. ¡°I arrived in Farcrest the same year the Farlands campaign was declared, and this is the first time the royal army has sought refuge here.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they stumbled upon a monster from the Deep Farlands,¡± Ilya said as a shiver ran through her body.

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s real?¡± Zaon asked.

    ¡°The deeper you enter the Farlands, the more dangerous it gets. It¡¯s only logical to think that huge monsters exist somewhere out there,¡± Firana added. ¡°I wonder if royal soldiers will tell us if we ask.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go asking reckless questions. Focus on the tournament,¡± I said.

    In all my trips to the market, I hadn¡¯t heard anything solid about why the royal army decided to retreat for the first time in seven years. Not even Risha had said something about it. There were two possibilities: there was no hidden reason, and the crown prince was just bored and wanted to spend the winter in a city instead of the wilderness, or the information was being suppressed.

    Even if we were dipping our toes into court intrigue just by participating in the tournament, I would rather remain as far as possible from any dangerous conspiracy.

    I heard a familiar voice over the sound of the market.

    ¡°Scholar!¡±

    Raudhan Kiln¡¯s mocking voice caught my attention. He was standing by the side of the road with two bodyguards dressed in full guardsmen armor. As expected, he wasn¡¯t thrilled to see me. I wasn¡¯t thrilled either, but he seemed to be waiting for us.

    ¡°Raudhan,¡± I greeted with a slight bow, following Elincia¡¯s etiquette lessons. Even if the Kiln were related to the Marquis family, they weren¡¯t high-level nobles but an old founding family with traces of noble blood running through their veins.

    The kids greeted him accordingly, without engaging in the conversation.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding when you said you wanted to participate in the tournament, Scholar,¡± Raudhan said.

    ¡°At the Rosebud Fencing Academy, we pride ourselves on turning every recruit into a skilled fencer,¡± I replied.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Raudhan Kiln turned around and signaled us to follow him through the main gate.

    ¡°My friends told me about this ¡®Rosebud Academy¡¯ thingy you have going on. I think you met them last night,¡± he said with a mocking voice. ¡°I think it¡¯s a cute name.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the compliment,¡± I replied, clenching my teeth.

    Suddenly, the realization hit me.

    Raudhan Kiln was so young and his level so low that he had flown under my radar. A young, promising Fencer with an inflated ego was the right profile to try to overthrow his own aunt for the position of Captain of the Guard. I chastised myself for being so blind. Due to our prior experiences together, I knew Captain Kiln trusted Raudhan. Bringing my suspicions to the woman could feel like a personal attack on the whole family if not done right.

    He must¡¯ve wanted to take the kids to ingratiate himself with the Marquis.

    Raudhan guided us into the Great Hall through the main entrance.

    The vestibule was a vast room with tall stone columns made of the same black, mana-charged stone as the inner wall. Despite the dark colors, the room was well-illuminated. White linens hung along the walls, the fabric enchanted with the same runes as the light stones at the orphanage. However, instead of pure white light, the linens emitted a warm ivory light that gave the Great Hall a cozy, whimsical feeling.

    Among the walls, the banners of the noble families hung in order of importance, with the royal stag just in front of the entrance and the Farcrest wolf at its right. From the second floor, a small army of courtiers dressed in the colors of a dozen noble houses cast curious glances at us. The Great Hall had quickly turned into a nest of intrigue if it wasn¡¯t already.

    ¡°If someone asks questions, let me speak,¡± I said.

    ¡°Good call, Scholar. Associating with the wrong person can be dangerous in the long run,¡± Raudhan said over his shoulder. I wondered if his words had a hidden meaning. Was he talking about Janus or the new arrivals?

    We advanced unimpeded to the audience chamber, maybe because nobody recognized our colors or because Raudhan and his thugs were closely escorting us. The room was just as I remembered it. Naked stone on the left, tall windows on the right, and a wooden throne at the top of a set of stairs at the end of the hall. Whoever had been decorating the Great Hall hadn¡¯t dared touch this room.

    Unlike the first time I put a foot here, the chamber was empty. No courtiers, no servants, no guards. Our steps echoed over the stone floor as Raudhan guided us to the end of the hall. We passed by the throne and reached a concealed wooden door that exuded magic. Raudhan dug into his pockets until he found a round wooden medallion with an impaled wolf drawn in red. He raised the medallion, and the door was unlocked.

    Raudhan''s companions stayed in the throne room while he escorted us inside. We followed the narrow corridor in a straight line until we reached a stone arc. We emerged into a large room with a wooden floor and a low ceiling. Along the walls hung all kinds of weapons, most of them made of wood. There were chairs and benches grouped to the side, but the center of the room was cleared of any furniture. I recognized it immediately. It was a training room.

    Two kids, a boy and a girl dressed in the colors of the Marquis, were fencing in the center. It surprised me they weren¡¯t using any protective gear, but at a second glance, I noticed the mana shield around their bodies. On the opposite wall, the Marquis, Captain Kiln, and a young man dressed like a Scholar were overseeing the match. A Fortifier, maybe. Next to them, a group of young kids were practicing with all kinds of weapons.

    ¡°Auntie, Uncle, I brought the Scholar,¡± Raudhan said jovially.

    ¡°You should refer to me as ¡®Marquis¡¯, ¡®My Lord¡¯, ¨Cor ¡®My Lord Marquis¡¯, if you feel fancy¨C, during official meetings, Raudhan,¡± The Marquis grunted. Then, he focused on me. My mouth became dry, and my confidence faltered as I remembered our first meeting.

    ¡°I believe we haven¡¯t met in person yet. I¡¯m the Marquis Tauron of Farcrest. Izabeka and Janus have talked wonders about you,¡± The Marquis said with his deep and rich voice. Despite his stern behavior, his words came out almost friendly.

    My mind suddenly became blank. I didn''t know what I expected from this reunion, but a friendly reception wasn¡¯t it. At best, I expected the Marquis to ignore us for the length of the tournament. Wasn¡¯t the Marquis plotting against the orphanage to send the kids to the royal army? Why the sudden change of heart?

    ¡°I¡¯m Robert Clarke, Scholar,¡± I said, nearly forgetting all the etiquette training Elincia had drilled into my brain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, My Lord, but I think we met once before, during the audience, to request a traveling permit.¡±

    Telling the truth from the beginning seemed to be the best approach. At least Captain Kiln was present in case things turned sour. I didn¡¯t expect the Marquis''s reaction.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t remember you, Robert Clarke. Don¡¯t take it as a personal affront. I dispense dozens of permits daily and meet hundreds of people every month,¡± The Marquis said with a tired voice. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, although disguised by his naturally tanned skin and a layer of make-up.

    I didn''t need to think about my following words.

    ¡°He¡¯s the Scholar with a hundred titles who refused your invitation to the Imperial Library. You were grumpy for the rest of the day,¡± Captain Kiln came to my ¡®aid¡¯.

    My blood froze.

    The Marquis raised an eyebrow as he examined my face for a trace of familiarity. Then his eyes fell upon my uniform¡¯s crest. ¡°Well, I can respect a man who would rather be a big fish in a small pond than a nobody in the big city, and I truly respect a man who can impress Izabeka. Let¡¯s call that a false start.¡±

    The picture of the Marquis as a mustache-twisting villain slowly started to crumble. Being complimented by the same person I had been blaming for the state of the orphanage felt strange. Almost conciliatory. I tried to focus on the facts. The Marquis hasn¡¯t moved a finger to help the orphanage. Was he actively seeking its demise, though?

    I bit my tongue. Despite being one of the primary beneficiaries of the kids getting conscripted, the Marquis might not be the mastermind behind the hostilities against the orphanage. Captain Kiln believed so, and my suspicions had moved towards Raudhan and Kellaren. Both had a lot to gain by winning the Marquis''s trust.

    I wondered if befriending the Marquis was the best solution to solve the orphanage¡¯s security issues. It would be hard to tell right from wrong without knowing the mastermind behind the attacks. It wasn¡¯t the moment to talk to Captain Kiln either.

    ¡°May I ask why I was summoned, My Lord?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. As you know, the tournament isn¡¯t a small festivity to raise the city''s morale anymore. Nobles around the kingdom will bring their most talented youth to gain prestige before the crowned prince and the three big ducal families. And so do we,¡± The Marquis said. ¡°Your team is registered as a guest, but Izabeka and Sir Janus told me you should participate as part of the Farcrest team.¡±

    ¡°Is this an order, My Lord?¡± I asked, looking at Captain Kiln for support.

    She ignored me.

    ¡°By royal edict, you are a free man, Robert Clarke¡ªone of the perks of being involved in a teleportation incident. Technically, I can¡¯t order you anything. Instead, I want to offer you an accord,¡± the Marquis replied.

    Not an order, a deal.

    ¡°If you represent Farcrest, and perform well in the tournament, I¡¯ll prevent your kids from getting conscripted by the royal army,¡± the Marquis said with a confident tone, as if someone had informed him of my intention of partaking in the exam for the Imperial Academy.

    I looked at the man, searching for any sign of deceit, but I could not read him. Was he setting me up?

    ¡°Can I ask why the sudden change of heart, My Lord?¡± I cautiously asked.

    The Marquis massaged his temples like the answer was obvious. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Robert Clarke, I don¡¯t care about your kids on an individual level. If you ran a city of thousands, you would understand that the well-being of the majority is more important than the individual''s,¡± he said, looking over my shoulder and examining my kids. ¡°If your students show me they are useful here, I will not allow their talent to be wasted in the royal army.¡±

    I nodded in silence. The Marquis¡¯ words were soothing, actually. For him, this situation wasn¡¯t anything else but a resource allocation problem. The rules were plain and simple. Be useful here in Farcrest, or be useful in the army. Despite my hatred for people who instrumentalized kids, there was a logic to the Marquis''s actions I could understand. A game with clear rules was easier to play.

    ¡°What if we win the tournament?¡± I asked, suddenly emboldened. If we were going to play, I wanted to know the rewards.

    ¡°I remember you now, Scholar. A reckless one,¡± the Marquis replied. He was smiling. ¡°If you win the tournament for me, I¡¯ll grant you a title and a fief. That will give you and your progeny, even the adopted ones, a certain level of political immunity, although with obligations towards me and the royal family. Taxes, mostly.¡±

    The Marquis knew what kind of bait to use against me.  Even if I was a free man, my kids weren¡¯t. I sighed. It seemed I would be playing the game I had avoided since arriving at Farcrest.

    ¡°I have one more request before sealing any agreement,¡± the Marquis said, detecting my imminent capitulation. ¡°You managed to impress Izabeka and Sir Janus, but you haven''t surprised me yet. I hope you understand I can¡¯t have subpar performers using my banner.¡±

    ¡°My students are ready, My Lord,¡± I replied with my best confident tone.

    ¡°I would like to see one of your team members against one of mine,¡± the Marquis said. ¡°Istvan! Come here! I want you to show us your skills.¡±

    A younger version of Raudhan quickly crossed the room and stood by the Marquis''s side.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I will have to fight the Microscopic Gnome,¡± the kid said mockingly.

    The Marquis clearly wanted to test the weakest link of my team. I hid a smile. It was the perfect time to show them that my team, in fact, didn¡¯t have any weak links.

    ¡°Ilya, you are the team¡¯s captain. You are in,¡± I said.

    Everyone was surprised.

    Except for Ilya.

 88 - Old grudges

    The sparring room fell silent when I announced Ilya would be Istvan¡¯s rival. The teenagers from the Farcrest team joined heads as they whispered to each other. Although I hadn¡¯t inherited Elincia''s keen hearing skills, I knew they were discussing my choice. Gnomes weren¡¯t built to become warriors, or so people believed.

    So far, I haven¡¯t paid much attention to the other kids. Two distinct groups were sitting on the opposite sides of the bench: the nobleborns and the Guard¡¯s recruits. I assumed the Marquis coached the first group while Captain Kiln coached the second. All the nobility kids ¨Cfour boys and one girl¨C were human. It wasn¡¯t surprising, considering Farcrest was primarily a human settlement. The City Guard team had a half-orc girl and a slender harpy boy with black wings.

    Ilya was the only gnome in the room.

    ¡°Are you sure about this, Robert Clarke?¡± The Marquis asked in a neutral tone. If anything, he was a good enough diplomat not to let his feelings permeate his words. I understood him well enough to know what he was thinking. The Marquis wanted to swap Ilya for some young cadet of the City Guard.

    ¡°I trust Ilya¡¯s skills. She will surprise you, My Lord,¡± I said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope you are right,¡± The Marquis nodded as he measured the girl with his eyes. Not a trace of skepticism showed in his face. ¡°As Ilya is our guest, she will choose the duel¡¯s weapon,¡± he announced.

    Was he trying to tilt the scale in Ilya''s favor?

    ¡°I¡¯m more proficient with the longsword, My Lord,¡± Ilya said with a bow.

    ¡°Get ready, then,¡± he said, turning around to meet Istvan Kiln at the other side of the dueling area. The boy smirked in our direction before turning around and letting Raudhan help him with the armored gloves.

    When I turned around to meet my team, I found Zaon, Wolf, and Firana surrounding Ilya like vultures over a fresh carcass.

    ¡°Ilya, look at me, don¡¯t be nervous. I had to prove my skills before Captain Kiln, and everything went well. You got this,¡± Firana said, grabbing the gnome girl¡¯s face between her hands and forcing the girl to look at her eyes.

    Ilya put her gloved hand on Firana¡¯s face and pushed her to the side. From the group, Ilya seemed to be the only one who wasn¡¯t nervous. It was a good sign. A focused player tended to perform better than a nervous one despite their skill gap.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make him regret calling me Microscopic Gnome all these years,¡± Ilya grunted.

    I looked at Zaon for an explanation. If I recall correctly, Ilya had previously mentioned his dislike for Istvan Kiln. I didn¡¯t expect the son of an influential family to have contact with orphaned kids.

    ¡°When Mr. Lowell was alive, many important people dropped their kids at the orphanage. Istvan used to be our playmate until they had a nasty fight over an ugly stuffed animal. They have hated each other since,¡± Zaon whispered near my ear.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t ugly!¡± Ilya turned around and pointed her finger at Zaon.

    Of all things, I didn¡¯t expect a decade-old playground grudge.

    I cast a glance at our opponent¡¯s corner. The Marquis and Raudhan helped Istvan secure his padded uniform while the Fortifier cast a mana shell around him. Istvan wasn¡¯t particularly tall for a fifteen-year-old, but Ilya was still a head smaller, and her shoulders were half as wide. With the size disadvantage, Ilya was going to fight an uphill battle. The tournament would be skewed against her unless other teams had gnomes like her, which I doubted.

    ¡°Ilya, listen. Fight defensively. It doesn¡¯t matter if he scores the first few points. Study his movements. People trust too much in skills, which means he will repeatedly abuse the same patterns,¡± I said.

    ¡°Like Zaon,¡± Wolf said as he tied Ilya¡¯s hair in a high ponytail.

    ¡°That was uncalled for,¡± the elven kid replied.

    Zaon was the worst offender in letting the System take control of his movements during sparring. The fact Ilya had gotten her [Longsword Mastery] late was a blessing in disguise. She had more time to become accustomed to the sword without the System backseat driving her development.

    ¡°Be careful with your head. Istvan has the reach advantage. If you don¡¯t believe you''ll reach his head, try to aim for his hands or feet,¡± I gave her the last instructions. The rest was on her hands.

    ¡°Yes, Mister Clarke,¡± Ilya said with confidence. Her eyes were fixed on Istvan Kiln, like a predator stalking its prey.

    The Fortifier crossed the dueling area accompanied by Captain Kiln.

    ¡°I¡¯ll proceed to apply the mana shields,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Please, do,¡± Ilya said.

    Blue mana swirled around the Fortifier¡¯s hands as he slowly poured it over Ilya¡¯s head. Gradually, the mana covered her body until it formed a perfect layer around her. Despite being almost transparent, I noticed the Fortifier¡¯s barrier was sturdier than everything I could create.

    When I thought the Fortifier had finished, he poured a second barrier with a fraction of the mana of the first one.

    ¡°The rules are simple. Break your opponent¡¯s outer barrier to win. Don''t be afraid to use all your strength. The inner barrier will absorb most of the blow. Understood?¡± The Fortifier said.

    Ilya nodded, and I gave her one last reassuring pat on the shoulder. Before Ilya could follow the Fortifier to the center of the dueling area, Captain Kiln grabbed her shoulder to stop her.

    ¡°Istvan is a level two Fencer. He knows Quick Step and has a single level in the Fencing passive. He also inherited the [Strong] trait from my family. Be careful; the barrier will not survive more than half a dozen blows,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes, ma''am. Thank you, ma¡¯am,¡± Ilya replied.

    I didn¡¯t expect Captain Kiln to take our side.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t tell the enemy about my skills! It¡¯s not fair if only she knows the contents of my Personal Sheet,¡± Istvan yelled from the center of the room.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want your skills leaked, then don¡¯t go around flaunting them,¡± Captain Kiln replied with a stern voice.

    The noble kids laughed from the sideline.

    ¡°This goes to all of you. There will be informants from the other families seeking all kinds of information to give an edge to their teams.¡±

    The noble kids suddenly became silent.

    Ilya stepped forward and spoke loudly, looking Istvan directly in the eye. ¡°I don¡¯t mind making things even. I¡¯m still classless.¡±

    Ilya excluded the fact she had a level in [Longsword Mastery] and access to [Mana Manipulation], even with a small mana pool. If Istvan were smart, he would suspect Ilya giving incomplete information. However, in Farcrest¡¯s culture, people assumed one needed a Class to make significant progress. I smiled. Istvan hadn¡¯t noticed, but the duel was about to start.

    ¡°Duelist, to the center,¡± the Fortifier called.

    I put a hand on Ilya¡¯s shoulder and whispered a single sentence. ¡°Use any trick necessary.¡± There was no point in hiding Ilya¡¯s true potential. If we were successful, the people in the room would become our teammates. If we failed, it wouldn¡¯t matter.

    Istvan Kiln playfully swung his longsword with a smirk on his lips. The rest of us stepped back. I cast a silent prayer to whatever deity looked after these lands. I trusted my educational methods to be better than the leveling system, yet actual combat differed from practicing.

    ¡°Listen carefully. The first to breach the opponent¡¯s mana shield wins the match. Use your skills wisely and let the System guide your sword,¡± the Fortifier said. ¡°On your guard.¡±

    I noticed the man didn¡¯t mention anything about fighting fairly. Strange. I guessed that fighting ¡®fair¡¯ in a world with such asymmetric skill levels was nearly impossible.

    ¡°Ready?¡± The Fortifier said.

    Ilya separated her legs and raised the sword from her hip with the point aiming at Istvan¡¯s chest. The pflug. Despite it being a basic low guard, the grin on Istvan¡¯s face disappeared. At least the boy was smart enough to know he was in front of at least a minimally proficient opponent.

    ¡°Fight!¡±

    Istvan instantly stepped forward and aimed at Ilya¡¯s face. The girl raised her sword and deflected the blow. Then, following the natural movement of her arms, she answered with a quick diagonal cut that almost reached Istvan¡¯s hands. Before Istvan could engage again, Ilya retreated.

    The Marquis mask broke down for a second. He wasn¡¯t the only one impressed with Ilya¡¯s movements; I was too. I tried to compose myself. The first seconds of a match served to examine the opponent¡¯s skill, not to throw winning blows.

    Istvan followed with a flurry of blows, but Ilya¡¯s footwork was almost flawless. She retreated out of Istvan¡¯s reach as she parried every blow. Despite her unbreakable focus, Ilya had trouble controlling Istvan¡¯s sword. The boy seemed to notice because he delivered a powerful blow that cast Ilya¡¯s sword to the side. Off balance, Istvan connected a blow to Ilya¡¯s shoulder that sent her to the floor.

    Raw strength was going to be a problem.

    ¡°Come on, Microscopic Gnome. Surrender already,¡± Istvan Kiln said.

    ¡°You got this, Ilya!¡± Zaon yelled from the sideline.

    Ilya grabbed her sword and returned to the initial position. The barrier stood.

    She circled Istvan, examining his movements. Fueled by the initial success, Istvan pressed the attack again with a quick lunge. Ilya sidestepped to get away, but Istvan activated Quick Step and chained a blow that surprised the girl. Istvan¡¯s sword grazed Ilya¡¯s head.

    The nobles exchanged smirks, thinking the duel was already decided.

    Ilya remained calm. She parried, sidestepped, and feinted, gradually getting the feel of the boy¡¯s style. Quick-Step was a menace, but Istvan¡¯s mana pool was small and only had a few uses before the skill drained its energy. The crowd started to cheer every time Istvan scored a hit, drowning Zaon and Firana¡¯s encouraging shouts. The barrier, however, stood. Despite being hit repeatedly, Ilya managed to block and reduce the strength of the blows. She even managed to graze Istvan¡¯s barrier.

    Istvan used Quick Step two more times, landing another blow. Ilya¡¯s barrier was starting to crack, but not without a cost. Istvan¡¯s breath suddenly became heavier, as if he were suffering from the first mana depletion symptoms.

    ¡°Tired already?¡± Ilya said with a mocking voice.

    ¡°Look at your barrier before speaking, Microscopic Gnome,¡± Istvan replied.

    Ilya stepped forward, not letting Istvan catch his breath, and performed a precise diagonal strike. Istvan raised his sword to block, but Ilya broke the trajectory of the blow to hit his hands. A perfect krumphau.

    Istvan¡¯s eyes shot wide open as his barrier took the full-force blow.

    ¡°Whose barrier is crumbling now?¡± Ilya said as she jumped back before Istvan could retaliate.

    Ilya wasn¡¯t putting on a bad show at all. Her defense was solid, and her footwork was flawless. Istvan, however, had the strength and the reach advantage. As they resumed the fight, I noticed a gleam of understanding in Ilya¡¯s eyes. Istvan¡¯s level in Fencing was making him go for lunges and stabs instead of using all the arsenal of movements a two-handed sword was capable of.

    Ilya changed her guard, now pointing the sword''s tip to the floor. Alber. Istvan clenched her teeth and lept forward, over-committing to a strike. Ilya¡¯s barrier was a hit or two away from crumbling down, but she evaded easily and hit his hip with full strength.

    Istvan¡¯s barrier was starting to show cracks.

    Nobody cheered anymore.

    Before Istvan could process what was happening, Ilya pressed the attack. It was apparent from the beginning that Ilya¡¯s footwork was better than Istvan¡¯s; however, the boy¡¯s strength was enough to put her off balance. The equilibrium of the match was precarious, and as the seconds passed, both sides became more passive to protect the integrity of their shields.

    ¡°Come on, Istvan. Don¡¯t chicken out in front of a classless gnome,¡± Ilya taunted him.

    ¡°Shut your mouth,¡± he replied.

    Ilya stepped forward. Mana surged from her body, and the tip of her sword emitted a white flash of light. Istvan instinctively retreated as he raised his sword to protect his head, but Ilya performed an elegant flourish and attacked from the opposite side, smacking Istvan¡¯s head with enough force to send him to the floor.

    ¡°Classless, my ass!¡± Istvan quickly stood up, his pride wounded, although the barrier had absorbed almost all of the blow.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore the fact you are a Fencer being kicked around by a Mage,¡± Ilya replied.

    I massaged my temples. Maybe Ilya was taking Sun Tzu¡¯s philosophy too seriously.

    The Marquis gave me a quizzical look, but I played dumb. The noble kids¡¯s whispers were enough for me to understand the unspoken question. How could a Mage be so proficient in dueling? The System was a two-edged sword; as helpful as it was, it also classified people into hard-set categories.

    Not that I could blame them. Education back on Earth had also worked under wrong assumptions for most of recorded history.

    Istvan looked alternatively at the Marquis and Captain Kiln for input.

    ¡°Spells, just as skills, aren¡¯t prohibited,¡± the Fortifier explained.

    Ilya¡¯s evil smile sent a shiver down my spine. ¡°The barrier could resist something more powerful?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a level twenty-one Fortifier, miss. I doubt you have enough mana to scratch the inner barrier,¡± the Fortifier proudly said.

    Given Istvan¡¯s face, ¡®Lv.21¡¯ wasn¡¯t particularly reassuring in the grand scheme.

    Ilya took a deep breath, and blue mana sparks emerged from her eyes.

 89 - Rosebud Academy Best Student

    Ilya¡¯s sword left a blue trail as she tried to deliver a clean hit to Istvan¡¯s mana shield. An unsuspecting observer would assume she was channeling great amounts of mana, but it was an illusion. The trick was working, though. The Marquis''s stony countenance shattered, and his eyes shot wide open, trying to make sense of what was occurring at the dueling area.

    Istvan Kiln backed up, defending his mana shield at all costs. His lack of offensive attempts enabled Ilya to open her guard and risk offensive maneuvers otherwise impossible for someone her height. The girl moved to the left but attacked from the right, crouched to poke Istvan''s feet, and raised her sword to summon the flash of light. Drops of sweat ran down her face, but her expression remained neutral.

    The Fortifier, visibly uncomfortable with Ilya¡¯s display, adjusted his stance, ready to intervene. I feared he would stop the fight prematurely. Ilya was pushing herself to the limit to keep the illusion up while trying to break Istvan¡¯s defense. If the Fortifier stopped the fight, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to regain the momentum.

    Ilya¡¯s movements were different now that Istvan was defending. The fluidity of her stances spoke volumes of her progress. If only the Marquis had known how clunky her movements were less than half a year ago, he would be twice as surprised.

    The room held their breath as Ilya parried a half-hearted counter and scored a clean hit on Istvan¡¯s chest. Then she retreated before the afterblow could get her. Istvan¡¯s barrier cracked but held together by a miracle.

    The tension in the room was palpable. Nobility kids and Guard recruits leaned forward, absorbed by Ilya¡¯s style. It was a clash not only of blades but also of ideologies. Nobles believed they were better than commoners based on the classes they obtained. In the orphanage, we believed everyone had the potential to succeed.

    Istvan unleashed a flurry of strikes in a desperate attempt to regain control of the fight. Ilya maneuvered with near-perfect footwork, blocking and dodging every one of the blows. The girl heaved. Despite her advantage, Istvan¡¯s strikes were too heavy for her to endure for long.

    ¡°Go for it, Ilya!¡± I yelled from the sideline.

    With a last effort, Ilya parried a heavy blow, exposing Istan¡¯s head, and lunged forward, disregarding any attempt to defend her exposed flank. I held my breath. It was a clean hit. Before Ilya could connect the blow, Istvan disappeared. [Quick Step]. The girl¡¯s face turned into a grimace of shock as Istvan surpassed her blade and prepared to deliver the final blow.

    I could tell by Istvan¡¯s pained expression that he had strained his mana pool beyond the safe limits.

    Ilya, however, had one last trick. Suddenly, great amounts of mana surged through her body. It wasn¡¯t an illusion. A thick vine violently emerged from the floor and caught Istvan¡¯s leg. Ilya and Istvan connected their blows simultaneously. Both barriers broke into a thousand tiny blue shards that evaporated into the air before touching the ground.

    ¡°The duel is over!¡± The Fortifier announced.

    The whole room seemed to remember to breathe.

    Ilya sat on the ground while Istvan stood bound by the vine as they both tried to catch their breath. Their chests heaved as their eyes reflected the accumulated exhaustion from the lengthy duel. The room suddenly erupted into a whirlwind discussion as the noble kids and Guard recruits tried to make sense of the duel¡¯s outcome.

    The Marquis regained his composed demeanor and looked at me quizzically. I was as surprised as him, but for a different reason. I didn¡¯t expect Ilya to summon a solid vine.

    ¡°It¡¯s a draw!¡± The Fortifier finally said.

    Ilya dismissed the vine, and Istvan offered her a hand.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a draw. His sword reached me first. I lost,¡± Ilya grabbed Istvan¡¯s hand and let him pull her on her feet.

    ¡°No, it didn¡¯t. It was a draw,¡± Istvan replied.

    ¡°Do you think I need your pity, you damn barbarian?¡± Ilya grunted.

    ¡°If you weren¡¯t a microscopic savage, you¡¯d accept my courtesy!¡± Istvan yelled back.

    It seemed that the fight hadn¡¯t finished.

    ¡°Savage? I¡¯m not the one wielding the sword like a damn cudgel! Aren¡¯t you supposed to be a Fencer?¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°At least I¡¯m not cheating! What are you even? A mage? A magic fencer?¡± Istvan continued without giving Ilya the satisfaction of the last word.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Hunter!¡±

    ¡°A Hunter doesn¡¯t have the [Flash] skill or whatever spell you used to blind me!¡±

    The Marquis gave me a tired glance, and I knew these kinds of discussions weren¡¯t a rarity on his fencing team.

    Luckily, Captain Kiln stopped the fight before they got physical again. I wasn¡¯t close enough to hear, but it took her a single sentence to have Ilya and Istvan apologize to each other. I considered inviting her to live at the orphanage whenever she decided to retire from the Guard.

    I smiled, satisfied with the outcome. Ilya had given the show of her life against none other than Captain Kiln¡¯s nephew. It wasn¡¯t just an assertion of her potential but a vindication of my teaching skills. A wave of relief washed over me.

    ¡°So, we passed the test. My Lord?¡± I asked.

    The Marquis nodded.

    Firana instantly jumped forward and gave Ilya the tightest hug. Soon after, Zaon and Wolf joined, showering Ilya with compliments. The fact that a few months ago, they were a bunch of demoralized orphans seemed to be a lie.

    ¡°Your team will represent Farcrest in the Stephaniss Cup. I¡¯ll uphold my word. If you do well in the tournament, I¡¯ll ensure your kids will be safe from conscription. I swear it on my city, Izabeka, as a witness,¡± the Marquis said.

    ¡°It will be our honor,¡± I replied with a polite bow.

    ¡°Why won''t you present your crew now that we are officially on the same team?¡± Captain Kiln asked.

    My class formed before me.

    ¡°These are the students of Rosebud Fencing Academy. Firana Aias, heir of the Aias Family. Wolf, son of Dassyra, war chief of the Orc clans. Zaon, and, of course, Ilya,¡± I presented my team as the noble kids looked at them with equal interest and suspicion. They stepped forward and greeted as I said their names.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Hunter, actually,¡± Ilya interrupted me. ¡°I got the Class in the middle of the duel.¡±

    ¡°Can you be more lucky? That vine gave you the draw,¡± Istvan said.

    ¡°I already said you won! Can you be less salty about it?¡± Ilya replied but quickly shut up as the Marquis''s glance fell upon them.

    ¡°You really got your class?¡± I asked in disbelief.

    The process of getting a class consisted of being transported to another place, talking to the System, and being offered several Classes to choose from. Elincia told me she was transported to a forest. Ilya¡¯s focus, however, hadn''t faltered in the whole duel. I expected the experience to be at least off-putting.

    ¡°I¡¯m Hunter!¡± Ilya¡¯s broad smile went from side to side on her face. Then, she summoned her character sheet and turned it around for me to see.

    Name: Ilya, Gnome

    Class: Hunter Lv.1

    Titles: Governess¡¯s Little Helper

    Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.1, Archery Lv.1, Tracking Lv.1

    Skills: Mana Manipulation, Spirit Animal, Entangling Vines.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Spirit Animal: Summon a forest creature to aid the caster in its fights. Different amounts of mana will summon different creatures.

    Entangling Vines: Summon solid vines from the ground to restrict the opponent¡¯s movement.

    Tracking was within my expectations, but the lack of archery-related skills surprised me. Instead, Ilya had gotten two spells. It was fitting for her.

    ¡°Good job, Ilya. You have surpassed my expectations once again,¡± I laughed, making her all flustered. Still, no matter how tired she was, she smiled.

    Despite Ilya getting her dream Class, something still bothered me. Lordship was a disproportionate reward for such a mundane quest, no matter the way I looked at it. Despite my [Awareness] still being disabled by Corruption, it wasn¡¯t hard to realize something was happening backstage. The tournament was more important for the Marquis than I had initially expected.

    ¡°Today¡¯s session is over. Robert, Izabeka, follow me. We need to talk,¡± The Marquis said, walking towards the entrance.

    ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll be back in a moment,¡± I told my kids.

    As I followed the Marquis out of the room, I noticed the noble kids and the Guard recruits joined my kids in conversation. It was a good sign. The Marquis guided us through a lateral door into a windowless room illuminated by light stones.

    In the center was a large table with a detailed map of what I assumed was the Ebros Kingdom. Farcrest was a tiny black dot in the northeast corner of the Vedras Dukedom, away from any major trade routes. It was my first time seeing a detailed map of the kingdom. Elincia had sketched the frontiers on a wax tablet to show me the location of Farcrest, but her drawing was barebones at best.

    The Vedras Dukedom was in the northeast end of the kingdom, just above a mountainous region that split the area in half. On the north and the east, the dukedom collided with the Farlands. The southern frontier bordered the Lamantas Dukedom and the western frontier with the Royal territory. Farcrest, like the Vedras Dukedom, couldn¡¯t be further away from civilization even if it tried.

    An almost continuous line of small cities along the border defended the choke points where the northern mountain range thinned enough for the Farlands to pour into the kingdom. I nodded in silence. The cities were bulwarks against Monster Surges. The decision to make these settlements cities instead of fortresses seemed strange as if the Royal Family relied on meat shields to protect the kingdom.

    East of Farcrest, past the frontier and into the Farlands, the map was marked with several small banners and tokens. An army. That must be the frontline of the royal incursion against the Farlands. Strangely enough, the path they were carving led nowhere.

    ¡°Master Luzian tortured me with lessons long enough to know you¡¯ll not be at ease until your questions are answered, Scholar,¡± the Marquis said.

    He rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a glass vase of wine. Then he poured himself a glass without offering us. After a small sip, a blissful expression took over his face. Despite his relaxed demeanor, I could still see the iron mask on his face.

    ¡°You get two questions just because I¡¯m in a good mood,¡± the Marquis said.

    I wondered if Ilya¡¯s performance had something to do with his good mood. He must be thinking about what Firana and Wolf were capable of if a small gnome managed to fight toe to toe with a member of the Kiln family. One way or another, I was taking advantage of the Marquis''s good mood to satisfy my curiosity.

    ¡°The kingdom shares a long frontier with the Farlands. Why did the King decide to attack exactly there and not elsewhere?¡± I asked.

    The Marquis made a gesture with his glass for Captain Kiln to answer.

    ¡°Are you sure, Tauron?¡± Captain Kiln asked.

    ¡°He probably knows already,¡± the man shrugged.

    ¡°A few days of travel in that direction, there is the Lost Elven Kingdom of Tagabiria. The King of Ebros is trying to reopen an old commercial route swallowed by the Farlands years ago,¡± Captain Kiln explained, opening a scroll over the table.

    I glanced at a smaller map. The Lost Elven Kingdom of Tagabiria was an island in the middle of the Farlands, surrounded on four sides by forest and mountains controlled by monsters. It wasn¡¯t hard to see; a trade route would open a vast new market, and Farcrest was just in the way between Tagabiria and the rest of the Ebros Kingdom.

    Suddenly, it all made sense. The Marquis wasn¡¯t trying to make Farcrest a local trading hub. He was laying the groundwork to make the city the gateway to this brand-new market. I glanced at the map once again. Trade between Ebros and Tagabiria would change the power dynamics of the whole kingdom. House Osgiria controlled the southern territory and all the trade routes outside the kingdom. This new corridor would favor the northern dukedoms to the detriment of the southern ones.

    It all made sense.

    I raised my head to meet the Marquis''s eyes. ¡°The military campaign isn¡¯t in a good spot if the royal army had to retreat to Farcrest during the winter. Their defeat is making the King¡¯s faction lose strength.¡±

    ¡°What else?¡± He asked.

    I looked at the map again. The Marquis was clearly on the King¡¯s wagon, as the new trade route would bring immense riches to the city. What was he doing to help the army other than hosting them? Suddenly, it connected.

    ¡°The crown prince hijacked the Stepahniss Cup to stall the opposition and gain enough prestige to reinforce his stance on the conquest war,¡± I said.

    Considering the Marquis¡¯ expression, I had nailed it.

    ¡°Nobles offer titles only as great rewards, which means the royal faction needs an urgent victory in the tournament,¡± I continued. ¡°The royalist faction must perform well in the Stephanis tournament to show strength. To prevent the army from disbanding.¡±

    In hindsight, it was obvious. Just as a brand could sell a crappy product with its prestige alone, a king could unite a kingdom if he was famous enough. All that mattered was the nobles believing in the king.

    ¡°He¡¯s good,¡± the Marquis said as he sipped his wine.

    ¡°You only missed one little detail. The faction led by the House Osgiria is more powerful than the royalist faction. If possible, we have put to shame the House Osgiria, House Gairon, and House Herran teams during the tournament.¡± Captain Kiln said. ¡°Those are our targets.¡±

    I nodded. The more there was at stake, the more I could gain.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you called me here, My Lord?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, we don¡¯t know yet the precise team other Houses will bring, so until then, we will refrain from talking strategy,¡± the Marquis said. ¡°We are here to discuss the irregularities you noticed among the City Guard. Izabeka told me about the squad of young recruits trying to expel the guard at your orphanage. It doesn¡¯t seem so strange as an isolated event, but Raudhan and Izabeka had noted a similar pattern of miscarried orders.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I said, confused. ¡°If I may speak frankly, I suspect that Raudhan was behind the attacks on the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°Raudhan participated in the first attack on the orphanage by his own will. You are right. He wanted to surprise Tauron with four extra fresh conscripts for the army, and he was¡­ persuaded that was the right move,¡± Captain Kiln explained. ¡°Since you beat him in a fight, he has been spying for us.¡±

    A shiver ran down my spine. During my first fight with Raudhan, I almost shot him dead on the spot. I was thankful for not doing it.

    ¡°Does Raudhan know who ordered the young guards to raid the orphanage?¡± I asked.

    Captain Kiln shook her head. ¡°Whoever is behind the attacks knows how to cover their tracks. We are taking measures regarding possible impersonators, but rest assured, the old guard is still loyal to me.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure what was more impressive; impersonators sneaking into the Guard¡¯s ranks without being detected or Raudhan¡¯s act as an absolute asshole toward me. I wondered if he hated me for breaking his nose during our first encounter. It might explain why his hateful persona was so authentic.

    ¡°I summoned you to this safe room to ask if you have any other leads we could use. If rats managed to infiltrate the Guard, we should exterminate the pests before they multiply,¡± the Marquis said with a somber expression.

    I strained my brain. The Marquis and Raudhan, two of my main suspects, had been crossed off my list of possible perpetrators, and Holst had been out of Farcrest most of the time. The only remaining suspect was Kellaren Odrac-Aias, who seemed very friendly with House Osgiria.

    ¡°Kellaren Odrac-Aias tried to take Firana Aias from the orphanage when the royal army brought the Aias Sword back to her,¡± I said. ¡°He also has some sort of connection with House Osgiria and allegedly had been using the Aias name to steal from royal soldiers.¡±

    The Marquis left his glass on the table and leaned forward in his seat. A macabre smile had appeared on his face, like a shark smelling blood in the water. It was reassuring to know he was on my side, at least as long as I was useful to him.

    I made a mental note to buy Ilya anything she wanted as a reward for today¡¯s performance.

    ¡°Those are serious allegations, Rob,¡± Captain Kiln said.

    ¡°Look for a soldier, a half-orc formerly from Lowell¡¯s Orphanage named Risha. He is looking into the matter,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look for him,¡± Captain Kiln nodded and left the room in a swirl.

    I was left alone with the Marquis. It felt strange, considering no bodyguards were around us unless there was a fake wall somewhere. Then I remembered the Marquis was the most powerful person in Farcrest, not only on a political level but also in raw strength. He was a high-level Fire Fencer.

    ¡°Can I use my second question now?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That was your fifth question,¡± the Marquis humorously replied.

    I smirked. The man had the makings of a teacher. At least he was pleased with the information I provided. A gesture of his glass was enough to make me know I could ask the question.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you involving me too much for someone who just moved into the city?¡±

    I regretted asking almost instantly.

    ¡°Izabeka, Luzian, and Sir Janus told me everything I have to know about you. A smart and honorable portal traveler without previous allegiances who fell in love with the local governess and made the orphanage his home. You are bound to Farcrest as much as I am, which is a good start. Your allegiance is here, like mine,¡± the Marquis said. ¡°But remember, Robert Clarke. Serve me well, and I¡¯ll give you everything you need. Betray my city, and I¡®ll take everything you love.¡±

    I nodded, knowing it wasn¡¯t a personal threat. It was just how diplomacy was in this corner of the world. The Marquis was a full-fledged politician, which made him easier to read. Our relationship was transactional by nature, and everything would be fine if I upheld my part of the deal.

    The Marquis finished his glass and stood from his chair.

    ¡°Enough for today. Go take your kids and enjoy the victory. I expect great things from the Rosebud Fencing Academy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll assure you, My Lord, my kids will take the tournament by storm.¡±

 90 - Not Guilty

    The Marquis dismissed me, and I returned to the dueling arena with a lot to think about. But first, I had to grab the kids and return to the orphanage. We still had half a day to celebrate Ilya¡¯s birthday, and I wanted to make the most of it. She deserved it.

    I found Firana alone, practicing with the Aias Sword inside the private fencing room. The girl moved in circles around an invisible opponent, swinging her sword in wide arcs over her head. I watched the spectacle in awe. Firana¡¯s movements were rhythmic and controlled, as if she was performing for an invisible crowd. Then, she suddenly spun, and a flame tongue emerged from the Aias Sword. It was beautiful.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to burn the Great Hall down to its foundations, do you?¡± I jokingly asked from the doorway.

    Firana tripped over her feet and almost fell.

    ¡°You were watching?!¡± she asked, all flustered.

    I nodded, entering the fencing room and grabbing a sword from the wall. Firana just watched me. After seeing Firana performing only once, I could make an educated guess about the base movements. I stood in the middle of the room with my feet shoulder apart and the sword high in the air. Then, I started imitating her movements. Step to the right, wide sword arc, recover, and half spin.

    Despite not being swordplay in the strict sense, I could see how the dance helped get used to footwork. My old HEMA instructor liked to practice dance moves to help us ¡®loosen¡¯ our feet. Firana¡¯s dance was less flashy than Earth¡¯s sword dances and more like a stylized sword drill. Beautiful yet practical.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± Firana said, sheathing her sword.

    ¡°A traditional dance?¡± I asked when I finished the whole circle around my invisible opponent.

    ¡°A family tradition,¡± she sparsely replied.

    I took it as a sign to change the topic. If Firana weren¡¯t ready to talk about her family, I wouldn¡¯t push her.

    ¡°Where are the others?¡± I asked.

    Firana was alone in the room, despite my conversation with the Marquis not taking enough time for the kids to get bored and return to the orphanage on their own.

    ¡°Istvan Kiln took them to see the royal skeeths. I remained here to let you know¡­ I already saw them the other day,¡± Firana shrugged, just to add quickly. ¡°They¡¯ll be okay. Zaon is too cautious to get close to anything with sharp teeth, and Ilya will prevent Wolf from wrestling them.¡±

    ¡°I guess you are right,¡± I said. ¡°Shall we go get them?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she nodded.

    The enchanted door connecting the audience room to the Marquis''s quarters wasn¡¯t locked inside. The audience room was empty. There was no trace of Guardsmen or any sort of security detail. We continued our way to the main entrance in silence. I was still thinking about Firana¡¯s sword dance when a System Prompt popped into my eyes. I could swear the System did it on purpose; so far, I had never seen anyone getting jumpscared like me.

    New title acquired!

    Favorite Teacher (98): Going to school isn¡¯t that bad with you on the whiteboard.

    Reward: Slightly increased mana pool (98).

    ¡°Are you okay, Mr. Clarke?¡± Firana asked.

    ¡°Yeah, someone is probably saying good things about me,¡± I said, resuming my walk. I wondered which one of the three kids just realized how good of a teacher I was. Ilya, probably.

    Firana glanced at me in confusion but didn¡¯t pay it much attention. Most of the orphanage was used to me talking about seemingly nonsensical stuff, mostly slang that didn¡¯t translate well into Farcrest¡¯s language.

    My thoughts were short-lived because the mana reward from the title pushed the Corruption back. It was pure bliss, like stretching the legs after a long flight. I sneaked a peek under my jacket. The black patch of Corruption was almost gone. Firana gave me another curious glance.

    Out of nowhere, my mind was violently assaulted with information. Firana¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t curiosity; it was admiration. She had grown two centimeters and gained some weight. The stream of information didn¡¯t stop there. It revealed even the slightest details I had overlooked since I had lost [Awareness]. Firana¡¯s freckles were slightly more pigmented, and she had cut her hair four centimeters on the left side and three and a half on the right side. Her left wrist was slightly swollen. Her lips were dry, which hinted at slight dehydration.

    I took a deep breath and put a saddle to my thoughts. [Awareness] was finally free. I had forgotten how unhinged the skill was. I made a mental effort to tone it down before it started disclosing unnecessary information about the age of the trees used to make the ceiling¡¯s beams.

    ¡°You cut your hair,¡± I pointed out as we reached the inhabited area of the Great Hall.

    ¡°You noticed? Does it look strange?¡± Firana turned her head, and [Awareness] fed me information about her facial expression. Fear, anticipation, hope.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t notice until I got my [Awareness] back¡¯, although true, was probably the wrong answer. I was wise enough to know ¡®It is uneven¡¯ was the worst possible answer of them all. ¡®You look the same always¡¯ didn¡¯t sound any better. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little guilty for needing the support of a skill to notice changes in my students.

    ¡°You look great. It looks lighter,¡± I said.

    ¡°Nice. I used scissors instead of a sword this time,¡± Firana replied with a wide smile. Satisfaction, pride, embarrassment.

    I hoped she was joking. [Awareness] immediately hinted that she wasn¡¯t.

    In the vestibule, the swarm of nobles had abandoned their vantage point on the second floor and now flooded the flanks of the base floor. I quickened my step. Usually, that was enough to dissuade anyone from engaging in conversation. Looking busy was an art.

    [Awareness] warned me about the dozens of eyes following us through the room.

    In the center of the room was a group of people who didn¡¯t belong to any noble house I had seen during the army¡¯s arrival. Long white and yellow tunics, jeweled headbands, and opulent weaponry. Save for a few old men and women who looked like clerics, most of them wore golden masks. The matching outfits made me think they weren''t regular nobles but members of a society or sect.

    ¡°I think the masked ones are Zealots from The Voice of the System,¡± Firana whispered.

    Details that otherwise would¡¯ve passed unnoticed to my eyes now were clear as day. System Zealots wore tight-fitted fencing uniforms and flexible boots under the tunics and jewelry. Their shoulders tensed as if they were about to jump forward, and despite the golden ornaments, their weapons were sharp and deadly. They weren¡¯t priests but trained combatants.

    I had enough dealing with noble intrigue to add a cult to the equation.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    [Awareness] fed me with information about my surroundings. In the center of the vestibule, The Zealots were conversing with a small group of nobles with the crest of the White Tower. I remember the insignias from the kingdom¡¯s map. The White Tower was House Osgiria¡¯s symbol.

    On the sidelines, two big groups of nobles caught my attention. Like flies attracted by manure, minor nobles swirled around the House of the olive branches and the House of the black hammer against the sun. House Gairon and House Herran, respectively. Along with the House Osgiria, they were the three big dukedoms against the creation of the path toward the Elven Kingdom of Tagabiria.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go grab the others. We don¡¯t have anything else to do here,¡± I said, hoping the presence of the System Zealots was enough to let us go through the vestibules without being addressed by any of the nobles.

    Firana didn¡¯t answer. I turned around, but the girl was nowhere to be found. I had only looked at the Zealots for a second. [Awareness] suddenly stabbed my brain, and a cold sweat covered my body. Danger. I turned around to see a royal soldier with the golden stag imprinted in his armor had Firana firmly grabbed by the neck.

    Firana frantically scratched the metal gauntlet.

    Without thinking, I channeled dangerous amounts of mana directly from the Fountain and slammed it forward with all my strength. Sparks and arcs of energy crackled through the Great Hall. A wall of solid mana crashed against the soldier, sending him flying into the opposite wall like a disjointed ragdoll. Firana fell to her knees, fighting for oxygen.

    I cursed. The fight was on. [Awareness] searched my memories for advice about fighting foes with unknown classes and levels.

    Sir Janus¡¯s words resonated in my head as [Awareness] projected the man¡¯s face before my eyes. He moved his beard to the side, revealing a gruesome scar that went from the man¡¯s jaw to his right ear.

    ¡®I¡¯d rather finish the fight before they could use their skills on me.¡¯

    ¡®Luck was on my side that day.¡¯

    On the other hand, my father taught me to never cheapshot an opponent. I hoped he could understand. My priority was to keep Firana safe.

    [Awareness] had only taken an instant of my time. I moved my hands in a wide arc, stirring the raw, white mana around me. The Corruption in my chest gripped my flesh like red-hot shackles; however, this time, [Mana Mastery] channeled the mana around the corrupted area. I ignored the pain, knowing that I could push things further. Four soldiers still surrounded Firana.

    I didn¡¯t hold back. Ripping all the white mana out of the air, I shaped it into a giant fist and blasted forward. Two soldiers were fast enough to dodge; the others weren¡¯t so lucky. I felt the blow as if I had used my own fist. Chairs and tables were smashed into splinters. Armor dented and crumpled under the blow. Luckily, the dark stone of the pillars endured the attack without chipping. I jumped forward and stood between the remaining soldiers and Firana.

    My moment for a surprise attack passed. I had eliminated over half of my opponents, but it wasn¡¯t enough. I dispelled the giant¡¯s fist and reformed the mana into a swarm of swords and long, sharp-edged shards, creating a barrier between us and the soldiers.

    How they calmly analyzed my attack made me think they were seasoned warriors. Mana surged through their bodies, and the man before me disappeared.

    As the soldier reappeared above me, I raised my mana shield. He threw an axe-kick to my head, but the shield resisted. The energy of the impact painfully went through my body. My legs faltered as my own barrier pressed me down. Before I could get up, the man kicked me in the ribs. Pain exploded behind my eyes, blinding me for a second. I rolled away and jumped to my feet, drawing my rapier. I didn¡¯t have time to identify my attacker. Mana swirled around his feet, speeding him up to the point it was hard to follow with the eyes.

    [Swordsmanship] and [Awareness] filled my brain with information. Speed, trajectory, angles of attack. My opponent raised his mana-covered fists and came straight for me. I surrounded the blade with mana and countered his kick with the tip of my sword. It felt as if I had stabbed a solid wall of concrete. Uneasiness took over my mind. The mere idea of a person so brazenly exceeding the physical limits of the human body sent a shudder down my body. Such an individual scared me more than any Corrupted monster I had faced before.

    I launched my mana shards from all possible angles, but the soldier didn¡¯t bother dodging. A shining barrier covered his body, rendering the attack useless. He pressed the attack with a flurry of punches and kicks. His skin was hard as steel, and his fists were heavy as rocks. My footwork could barely keep up with the attack, even if I was assisted by [Swordsmanship], [Awareness], [Light Footed], and the flying mana blades.

    [Awareness] screamed at me that I had been ignoring the second soldier all this time. As I had a moment to breathe, I surveyed the vestibules, preparing my mana shield for the impact. Three white-robed figures stood guard around Firana. Their golden masks prevented me from seeing their faces. Two more Zealots of the Voice of the System tended to the wounded while the last one subdued the remaining soldier. Around us, the courtiers looked at the fight with amused expressions behind the safety of a Fortifier¡¯s mana barrier.

    A wave of relief washed over me. Firana was safe.

    Suddenly, a masked Zealot appeared beside me. [Awareness] hadn¡¯t warned me. My first reaction was to brace myself for the impact and pray for the barrier to hold up, but the Zealot didn¡¯t move against me. Instead, the masked figure put an arm over my shoulder, pinning me in place.

    Three masked Zealots materialized from thin air around the stag soldier, grabbing his arms and aiming at his throat with curved daggers. The soldier slowly raised his hands and gave me a murderous glance.

    ¡°Thieves belong to the gallows,¡± he grunted before he was dragged from the vestibule.

    Was it too late to tell him I was also on the royalist side?

    ¡°Are you okay, Robert Clarke?¡± The masked Zealot in front of me asked with a feminine voice. [Awareness] refused to give me information about her. She was a couple of centimeters smaller than me, but what caught my attention was the wolf-like ears protruding from two cutouts in her white cloak.

    Beastfolk.

    ¡°Do we know each other?¡± I asked, ignoring the pain from the blows.

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± she replied.

    I lacked the energy to feel annoyed.

    Firana was sitting on the floor while a masked Zealot kneeled in front of her, casting a radiating light from the palms of its hands. I didn¡¯t bother checking on the victims of my magical attack; instead, I went directly to Firana.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said with a hoarse voice. A dark bruise dyed the skin of her neck.

    Anger boiled inside me, but it was too late to retaliate against the perpetrators, as the Zealots were already taking them away from the vestibule. On some small level, I knew my anger was wrongly aimed at the soldiers. I didn¡¯t need [Awareness] to understand why they were after Firana. Like Risha, they believed the Aias had been stealing the money they had sent to their homes.

    I even understood their anger. I would feel the same if, after years of fighting away from home, my family thought I had abandoned them. I sighed, tired. Ultimately, the soldier¡¯s aggression was just a symptom of a bigger problem: Kellaren Odrac-Aias.

    Ignoring the Zealots, I wrapped up Firana into a hug.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Firana. It was not your fault,¡± I replied, even if the words sounded empty.

    At that moment, the Marquis stormed into the vestibule. The room¡¯s temperature seemed to rise several degrees as a flaming aura filled the area. The atmosphere was so oppressive that I couldn¡¯t breathe for a moment. I had screwed up.

    No matter how much I pressed [Awareness], I couldn¡¯t find enough excuse to disarm the situation. In a single fight, I had put the System Zealots against royal soldiers while making them look like subpar, violent goons in front of the rest of the nobles. As expected, the Marquis''s face paled when he saw that my victims were members of the royal army.

    ¡°You better start explaining things, Tauron,¡± a man¡¯s soft voice reached my ears, and suddenly, the vestibule fell into a sepulchral silence.

    A slender young man with curly white hair and delicate features dressed in simple gold and emerald garments emerged from the shadows. The nobles instantly opened a way and lowered their heads. His presence was overwhelming. He was the kind of man who didn¡¯t need to demonstrate anything. No bellowing voice, no dramatic entrance. When he spoke, everyone else listened. When he walked, everyone else made way.

    ¡°My Lord, I¡­¡± the Marquis stuttered. ¡°I¡¯m extremely ashamed for¡­¡±

    Only one person in the kingdom could make the Marquis act like a reprimanded lap dog. The crowned prince. [Awareness] told me the obvious. I was neck-deep in trouble.

    ¡°Silence, I don¡¯t want apologies, ¡± the prince said, passing by the Marquis'' side and walking towards me. He gave me a cold smile. ¡°I just want to know why you hid such a fine mage from me.¡±

    A murmur ran through the crowd, and suddenly, all eyes fell on me.

    ¡°Who are you, friend?¡± the prince asked. ¡°A Sorcerer? An Evoker, maybe?¡±

    The Marquis stepped forward before I could open my mouth.

    ¡°This man is Robert Clarke, the instructor at the Rosebud Fencing Academy, My Lord,¡± the Marquis said. ¡°He is a Scholar.¡±

    The prince blinked in confusion, and the vestibule broke into murmurs.

 91 - Respite

    ¡°This man is Robert Clarke, the instructor at the Rosebud Fencing Academy.¡± the Marquis said. ¡°He is a Scholar, Prince Adrien.¡±

    Despite the gasps from the nearby nobles, the prince didn¡¯t react. Instead, he examined my appearance with a skeptical eye. A Scholar wasn¡¯t supposed to match a warrior¡¯s combat prowess.

    Prince Adrien wasn¡¯t as tall as Sir Janus or as imposing as the Marquis yet he radiated a dangerous aura. It had nothing to do with his arrogant posture or the fact he was the kingdom''s soon-to-be ruler. Silvery mana particles swirled inside the prince¡¯s chest with a storm''s strength. Even the Marquis''s igneous mana paled in comparison.

    [Awareness] told me to run away, but my legs were petrified.

    ¡°A Scholar¡¯s biggest magical feat is to use their mana to grab books without having to stand up from their desks, not flinging Lv.30 soldiers in full armor across the room,¡± Prince Adrien said with a humorous tone as he combed back his already perfect short white hair.

    His remark didn¡¯t ease the Marquis''s visage.

    I couldn¡¯t tell if the prince was putting on an act or not. [Awareness] couldn¡¯t read his face. The prince¡¯s expression showed no anger even though I had attacked his soldiers; instead, he seemed curious.

    ¡°Show me your Personal Sheet,¡± Prince Adrien demanded.

    The Marquis quickly said, ¡°My Lord, Robert Clarke arrived at Farcrest via a portal accident. Under Old Imperial Law, he is protected from¨C¡±.

    ¡°It will be my pleasure,¡± I interrupted.

    The outline of a plan was quickly sketched in my mind. It was a risky gamble at best; the whole idea was supported by incomplete information. I just hoped Prince Adrien and the Marquis operated similarly.

    With a controlled hand movement, I summoned my Character Sheet and turned it around. The nobles stood five or six meters behind the prince, at the other side of the vestibule, which meant they couldn¡¯t take a peek into my Sheet. They will have to trust the prince¡¯s reaction.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human. (Light-Footed, Night Vision)

    Class: Scholar Lv.15

    Titles: Out of your League, Hot for Teacher, Confidant, Classroom Fiend, Favorite Teacher (98), Father Figure (2), Master Tutor, Silver Scholar, Delinquent Reformer (5), Stalwart Mentor (7), Making the Difference, Role Model, Headmaster, Expert Mathematician, Expert Physicist, Adept Historian, Adept Linguist, Journeyman Biologist, Novice Chemist, Novice Orator, Researcher of the Hidden.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Mastery, Awareness, Master of Languages.

    Skills: Identify, Stun Gaze, Intimidate, Minor Illusion.

    The only visible reaction I got was a slight raise of his eyebrow, but [Awareness] knew better. The Prince¡¯s rapacious eyes showed another emotion hidden behind the surprise. Greed.

    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed for causing such a ruckus in your presence, My Lord. If you can forgive me, I¡¯ll be in your debt,¡± I said with a deep bow. My plan was simple: Show Prince Adrien I was more valuable alive and free than inside a prison cell. I was already effectively in his camp, so I just had to play along so he could save face while letting me go. If my calculations were correct, no noble could resist the allure of a solid brick of titles.

    It was up to the prince to conduct the conversation in a way that seemed I hadn¡¯t embarrassed the royal army.

    ¡°Not every day you see a Scholar knocking a bunch of warriors off their feet. It¡¯s been quite the show, Robert Clarke,¡± Prince Adrien said out loud. His words created a stir in the room. ¡°Most of us would agree that so many warriors packed together in an enclosed space would only result in a fight breaking out sooner or later.¡±

    There was the trap. Prince Adrien was putting anyone who found my actions reprehensible against himself. The nobles had two options: agree with the prince and let me go or voice his position against the prince in front of all the other noble houses. The second option was political suicide.

    Turning a diplomatic disaster into a minor issue was going to be expensive. The favor of a prince was exponentially more costly than the favor of the Marquis of a city lost near the frontier. I was dipping my feet in deep, shark-infested political waters, but for Firana and the kids, I would go the whole nine yards.

    An old priest dressed in white and gold was the first to support the prince''s case, making me wonder if the Church of the System was on board with the royal family''s plans.

    ¡°If nobles knew how to behave, Fortifiers would be out of work very quickly. Think about it. Why would the System grant us such breath-taking skills if not to occasionally flex them?¡± The priest said.

    The atmosphere of the vestibule relaxed as more nobles jumped into the ¡®it was just a little scuffle¡¯ train. Finally, I could breathe in peace. The danger was gone. I took advantage of the noise to hammer the last nail of the coffin, to prove my worth.

    ¡°Lord Marquis, the men I just¡­ had an argument with, they are likely victims of the Odrac-Aias scheme. They are valuable witnesses,¡± I whispered, covering my mouth with a hand in case there was a skillful lip-reader among the nobles.

    The prince raised an eyebrow, asking for an explanation.

    ¡°The Rosebud Academy will represent Farcrest during the Stephaniss Cup. Robert Clarke is already aware of our plans for the tournament,¡± the Marquis said with a triumphal smile. ¡°And, we might have found a connection between House Osgiria and illicit activities.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll tell me anything you have on those Osgirian rats when we get rid of prying ears,¡± the prince replied with a pleased yet vicious smile. ¡°And regarding this new addition to our team, well done, Tauron.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, My Lord. Thank you, My Lord,¡± the Marquis bowed his head.

    The irony was not lost on me. Despite trying to avoid it at all costs, I became the Marquis''s gift for the royal house. This time, however, I was better prepared to get my cut out of the situation. I smiled. My read on Prince Adrien had been correct: a leader would¡¯ve sought justice for their wronged men; a politician, on the other hand, would¡¯ve prioritized the strength of their faction.

    A swift glance over the prince¡¯s shoulder revealed the rest of the nobles were slowly shortening the distance between our groups. The prince wasn¡¯t the only shark that smelled blood in the water. Everyone else wanted to have their turns with the famous newcomer.The time to pay for the favors was near, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel like the new plaything of the kingdom¡¯s nobility, for the best or the worse.

    ¡°High Priest Iloi, come meet the most powerful Scholar in the kingdom,¡± the prince said out loud. I didn¡¯t need [Awareness] to tell me all the Great Hall was spying on our conversation.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    The priest who had spoken in my favor approached us. He seemed old as time itself, and his tunic had enough gold to drag his movement down. Despite his age, he appeared as healthy as the rest of the nobles. A boon from the System, maybe.

    ¡°I¡¯m Iloi, High Priest of the Church of the System. I wanted to speak with you,¡± the priest said. ¡°Could it be that the System has blessed you? It¡¯s been a while since I have seen someone using Fountain mana; even the Zealots from the Covenant of the Radiant Fountain have problems channeling such quantities.¡±

    The priest¡¯s watchful eyes betrayed his wrinkled face and peaceful smile. I had met enough teachers throughout my life to recognize a trick question. Despite the innocent question, the High Priest wasn¡¯t asking me about blessings but about curses. I could use Fountain Mana because the Corruption shredded the walls of my mana pool and gave me access to the Fountain itself. The actual question was if I was using Corruption intentionally.

    [Awareness] was the employee of the month once again.

    I had the hunch that the Zealots from the Covenant of the Radiant Fountain used controlled amounts of Corruption to ease their connection with the Fountain. I wanted to avoid the High Priest suspecting me of using Corruption deliberately.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to credit Scholar gifts for the discovery, but in reality, I stumbled upon the Fountain by accident,¡± I said with a polite smile.

    ¡°I understand,¡± The High Priest said. ¡°It was a shock for me to know the Fountain was always there, under my own mana pool. Don¡¯t be scared of it. If anything, it''s a reminder that the System connects all of us.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that,¡± I replied, sure he was testing me. ¡°Although I''d rather use my own.¡±

    The priest nodded, looking over my shoulder where Firana was being tended by one of the System Zealots. ¡°A wise decision, Robert Clarke. Fountain Mana should only be used in times of great need,¡± he said, seemingly satisfied with my answers.

    A System Zealont leaned over the High Priest''s ear and whispered something my [Awareness] couldn¡¯t get. I took advantage of the lapse in conversation to look around. The Zealot with wolf ears that had called me by my name was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°If you excuse me, I have urgent matters to attend to,¡± the High Priest said, looking directly at my eyes. ¡°Your majesty, Marquis, Mister Clarke. Hopefully, we will meet again soon.¡±

    With the High Priest gone, Prince Adrien gave the Marquis a furtive look. A shiver ran down my spine. At this point in the conversation, I only desired to check on Firana and the kids, but it seemed the prince still had plans for me.

    ¡°You are well on track to become the next Prestige Class in our kingdom, Robert,¡± the prince said, loud enough for the nearby clumps of nobles to hear. [Awareness] told me everyone had at least one ear put on our conversation.

    ¡®Prestige Class¡¯ were big words to throw around.

    Between Elincia¡¯s explanations and the Book of Classes, I had an approximate idea about the progression system in this world. Kids usually got a Basic Class when they turned fifteen, although this wasn¡¯t always the case. Elincia had obtained an Advanced Class right from the start with Alchemist instead of the basic class Herbalist. My case was similar. Instead of becoming a Scribe, the System deemed it more appropriate to make me a Scholar.

    An Advanced Class was a sizable head start, although not an immediately noticeable one. The System balanced Basic and Advanced Classes, giving everyone a slow growth in the initial levels. Only after level twenty did power levels diverge dramatically. Evidence of this slow start was my ability to keep up Raudhan¡¯s pace during our first encounter despite him being a Fencer.

    Powerful Basic Classes, like Knight, could theoretically put up a fight with Advanced Classes of similar level. Prestige Classes were in an echelon on their own. They were exceedingly rare and exceedingly powerful. As far as the Book of Classes went, Scholars could evolve into two possible Prestige Classes: Sage and Tactician. The book, however, didn¡¯t have much to say about them, and most of the boxes were marked as unknown. The brief line about Sage said it was a powerful spellcasting class, while Tactician could command large armies and countries with extreme ease.

    The Marquis laughed, ¡°My court Scholar, Luzian Abei, is obsessed with Robert. He said that with Robert as the Headmaster, we could found an academy that competes with the Imperial Library, but I¡¯m sure he exaggerates.¡±

    ¡°With those titles? I believe it''s entirely possible. I can see Robert giving the Imperial Scholar a run down for her money,¡± the prince laughed back.

    As evident as the attempt to inflate the stature of my persona before the tournament was, I couldn¡¯t help but think they were going too far. The more they elevated me, the harsher the crash would be if I failed. Considering the risks of dealing with nobles, I wanted a safety net. I had no doubt Prince Adrien and the Marquis would discard me the moment I proved useless to their plans.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t mention my level. I couldn¡¯t live with such shame,¡± I replied with a laugh of my own. [Awareness] informed me it came out as stiff as humanly possible.

    We talked for a few more minutes before Prince Adrien deemed that the nobles had seen enough of our ¡®friendship¡¯. By that point of the day, everyone must¡¯ve known I was part of the royalist faction. I sighed. Anyone listening to Prince Adrien¡¯s remarks about me would¡¯ve thought I was some sort of young savant of unmatched wit.

    Playing politics was tiresome, but at least I wasn¡¯t requested to speak to anyone else. After exchanging pleasantries, Prince Adrien said his goodbyes, and I was left alone with the Marquis. Both of us sighed in relief. Dealing with nobility was going to be bad for my cardiovascular health.

    ¡°Izabeka, please escort Robert back to his manor. Don¡¯t let anyone else speak to him. Or have an ¡®argument¡¯ with him,¡± the Marquis said as soon as the prince disappeared among the crowd. Out of nowhere, Captain Kiln appeared with Raudhan and Firana by her side.

    It was finally over.

    Captain Kiln whispered into my ear, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already have the kids waiting outside.¡±

    As we left the Great Hall and I saw my class waiting for me at the steps, a weight left my shoulders.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve seen it! A soldier grabbed me by the neck, and then Mister Clarke pushed all this mana into the shape of a fist and bam! He sent the soldier flying across the room,¡± Firana said with a slightly hoarse voice before I could open my mouth.

    The markings around her neck had almost wholly disappeared. If not for [Awareness], I couldn¡¯t have noticed them. I sighed. At least Firana was in a good mood, which was only marginally worrying in the grand scheme of things.

    ¡°I swear to the System that the soldier¡¯s arm snapped in front of my eyes, with armor and everything,¡± Firana said. ¡°Then Mister Clarke sent another attack, and in the blink of an eye, he had neutralized four soldiers. Prince Adrien said they were level thirty or so. Oh, and Mister Clarke met the prince; and they became friends!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell Shu the prince is handsome, please,¡± I said as their glances of disbelief fell upon me. ¡°And don¡¯t tell Elincia I got into a fight in front of the nobles.¡±

    ¡°It was awesome!¡± Firana interrupted me.

    ¡°It was awesome, indeed,¡± Captain Kiln said.

    I sighed. Most of it had been luck and good timing. If the prince had a more vindictive personality, or the Marquis wouldn¡¯t consider me a potential ally, I would be done and dusted.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen such an idiot in ages,¡± Raudhan grunted.

    I couldn¡¯t tell if he was playing an act or if he really hated me. What was certain was that I needed time to get my thoughts in order. Once again, I had disobeyed Elincia¡¯s wishes by picking a fight, and I still had to tell her about Risha. I should¡¯ve told her before my transgressions piled up.

    At least the relationship improvement with the Marquis and Prince Adrien was a net positive.

    ¡°Well, who wants to eat pastries before lunch?¡± I asked.

    The kids, particularly Ilya, had done an excellent job that deserved a proper reward. Zaon smiled, Ilya licked her lips, Firana shot her arms to the sky, and even Wolf celebrated my decision to pick something sweet on our way home.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear a yes from Captain Kiln!¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m on call,¡± she sternly replied.

    ¡°Auntie has a sweet tooth but doesn¡¯t want anyone to know¨C,¡± Raudhan said before Captain Kiln wrapped her muscular arm around the young man¡¯s neck.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a small muffin just because of the troubles you have given me,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± I said, ignoring Raudhan¡¯s increasingly purple face.

 92 - A Bright Day

    Chapter 92

    ¡°And then Rob smashed the royal soldier against the wall like a cook swats a fly with a ladle! There were seven of them. Rob crushed four before they could react; one was smart enough to flee, and the other two decided to fight back.¡± Captain Kiln said between sips from her mug; her cheeks flush from alcohol and the eyes of the kids glued to her.

    Zaon stopped playing the harp.

    ¡°Now, that was a bad idea. Let me say it loud and clear. Rob summoned a barrier as sturdy as a Fortifier¡¯s while using mana shards as projectiles to press the attack! Suddenly, this Brawler uses Iron Skin, and Rob¡¯s sword strike bounces right off his fists!¡±

    Elincia was livid. A vein bulged from her forehead, threatening to burst. It was well past bedtime in the manor¡¯s kitchen, and the kids fought against slumber to keep hearing the words of the Captain. More than twenty years at the head of the Guard had left hundreds of entertaining stories. At first, I was confident my round against the royal soldiers wasn¡¯t going to come up. Until it did.

    The kids were hypnotized. Izabeka Kiln was a natural storyteller.

    ¡°Rob then parries every single hit in the counterattack like he¡¯s never heard the word Scholar before. But just before he is about to get serious, the System Zealots stop the fight, and Prince Adrien makes a surprise appearance,¡± Captain Kiln said, causing Elincia¡¯s mug to fall from her hand, spilling ale all over the table.

    The situation was dire.

    Shu suddenly woke up, pulling her head from under her wing. ¡°A prince?¡±

    ¡°Whom wasn¡¯t attractive at all. Go back to sleep,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Shucks,¡± she grunted before hiding her head under her wing again.

    To my horror, Captain Kiln continued narrating the events with great attention to detail. The kids were fascinated, and even Ginz was surprised. To a certain extent, the craftsman knew about my fighting capabilities, but fighting half a dozen royal soldiers around Lv.30 was a feat only a few high-level warriors could brag about.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame the System Zealots decided to interfere. The royal soldiers have settled at Farcrest as if it was their own house, and they were overdue for a lesson,¡± Captain Kiln sighed.

    The kids were skeptical at first, but as Captain Kiln continued narrating, they started to believe all was true. By the end of the story, the little ones were looking at me as if I were a superhero. It would be endearing if Elince weren¡¯t staring icy daggers at me.

    ¡°Well, what a nice story, but now it''s time to sleep,¡± Elincia said before Captain Kiln could start another story. We didn¡¯t need an army of kids looking forward to exploring the Farlands.

    ¡°But it¡¯s a birthday! We can stay up as long as we want! It¡¯s the law!¡± Firana complained.

    ¡°It¡¯s only a birthday as long as the birthday girl is awake,¡± Elincia retorted.

    We turned around in unison. Ilya was comfortably thrown back on her chair at the head of the table, with her arms hanging from each side and a thread of drool running by the corner of her mouth. The fight against Istvan Kiln had been intense, and it wasn¡¯t a surprise she would be so tired. Despite the funny appearance of the gnome girl, I felt proud.

    ¡°You heard the governess already,¡± Captain Kiln said with the same tone she used with fresh recruits.

    The kids grumbled and dragged their feet to their bedrooms. Wolf threw Ilya over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes while gently carrying Shu with the other arm. Wolf could probably carry Elincia and me without much trouble. He wouldn¡¯t be as tall as Dassyra, but his orc blood seemed more dominant than his human side.

    ¡°If you want to stay the night, Ginz can show you an empty room, Captain. We have plenty,¡± Elincia said.

    The words fell like a brick over the captain¡¯s head.

    ¡°What? Are we going to sleep too? We are adults. We should at least empty the ale barrel,¡± Captain Kiln sounded disappointed.

    After accepting the invitation to stay at the party ¨Cshe didn¡¯t have any intentions to return at the Great Hall to entertain nobles¨C Captain Kiln had sent Raudhan to buy booze at The Dizzy Wolf. He had bought plenty, which made me wonder if high-level people had an overdeveloped liver.

    ¡°The tournament is going to be in less than a month, Captain. We need to get ready,¡± Elincia replied with a stern voice.

    Captain Kiln grinned. ¡°Come on, woman, stop worrying. After seeing what this quill quibbler can do, you¡¯ll do fine in the tournament,¡± she drunkenly jabbed at my shoulder. Her fist shook my body. It felt as if it was made of reinforced concrete.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to bed,¡± I said, prompting disappointed faces from Ginz and the Captain. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, I¡¯m tired! I¡¯m the one who fought six royal soldiers today.¡±

    ¡°There were seven!¡± Captain Kiln pointed out, proud as a mother.

    After pushing, pulling, and promising that we would invite her to the other kids'' birthdays, Captain Kiln let us go. As we walked the hallway to the sleeping quarters, Elincia grabbed my hand and leaned over my shoulder. She was smiling.

    ¡°Ilya is a Hunter. I can¡¯t believe it,¡± she said.

    ¡°To think she thought she would become a Mender not so long ago¡­ are Menders that bad of a class, by the way?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They can evolve into Craftsmen, and that¡¯s it,¡± Elincia replied. ¡°Ginz might not seem like a lot, but Craftsmen is also an Advanced Class. He can work most materials to a certain extent, not as good as a Blacksmith, a Tinkerer, or a Tailor, but close enough.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been leveling up a lot lately,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°He¡¯ll go stagnant in no time,¡± Elincia said as we entered our bedroom. She grabbed her pajamas and walked behind the wooden screen. ¡°I have been using your mana to brew high-quality potions and hit a wall nonetheless. To keep leveling up, I have to fabricate my own recipes.¡±

    Brewing was a slow process, and Elincia must¡¯ve been leeching minor amounts of mana because I hadn¡¯t noticed any change in my mana pool. She hummed a happy tune as her clothes flew into the dirty pile.

    ¡°I have almost no Corruption left,¡± I said, taking my shirt off and cleaning my body with a wet towel and an aromatic herbal bouquet. The fight with the soldier had made me sweat, although not as much as the subsequent conversation with the prince. I was glad it was over.

    Elincia reappeared from behind the wooden screen and glared at me as I wiped my arms. ¡°Just making sure you are not wounded, handsome,¡± she winked before jumping under the covers.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in trouble?¡± I finally asked.

    ¡°Ilya got her dream Class. You strengthened our alliance with the Marquis and befriended Prince Adrien. Even Captain Kiln doesn¡¯t believe you are a dweeb anymore. Why would you be in trouble?¡± Elincia mischievously smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you do it, really. Nobles don¡¯t pay much attention to us, commoners.¡±

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°We have a monopoly on talented students in Farcrest. The Marquis and the Prince are obliged to negotiate with me,¡± I pointed out, shedding the rest of my clothes and putting on the pajamas.

    ¡°We could have a monopoly on high-grade potions if the Marquis forced the Alchemist Guild to give us a permit,¡± Elincia said. ¡°With your mana and my skill, I think we can outperform the upper echelons of the Guild.¡±

    The amount of success the orphanage was enjoying almost scared me. Between Elincia¡¯s potion production and Ginz¡¯s crafts, the orphanage could easily sustain itself in the long run. Strangely enough, I felt grateful. I owed my mana pool to a long genealogy of scientists. The ideas I fed Ginz with belonged to creative people who had perfected games for centuries. Even the steam machines we were experimenting with were mostly Byrne¡¯s blueprints.

    It was hard to cherish knowledge back on Earth, where the fruits of science were everyday things. Here in Farcrest, I understood we were riding on the shoulders of giants. Not only my parents and my teachers had shaped me into what I was. Thousands had spent their lives to push humanity forward.

    Maybe the System Avatar was right, and I should use that knowledge to help fix the errors in the System.

    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with that smile? You are creeping me out,¡± Elincia said, crashing my train of thought.

    ¡°Nothing, I was thinking,¡± I replied, entering the bed.

    As usual, Elincia instantly attacked me with her cold feet. I let her until she was content. There was one last thing I wanted to discuss before going to bed. I avoided touching the matter because I didn¡¯t want to spoil the party, but Elincia needed to know.

    ¡°Kellaren Odrac-Aias might have used the Aias name to steal money from royal soldiers. Instead of bringing the money back to the families, he embezzled it,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s why the soldiers attacked Firana and why I attacked them.¡±

    Elincia nodded in silence, reaching for my hand. She was smart enough to connect the dots. Risha could be one of Kellaren¡¯s victims.

    ¡°We suspect at least eight cases, but Kellaren¡¯s operation might be larger than we expect,¡± I said. ¡°And there is one more thing¡­¡±

    Before I could continue, Elincia sat over me and pinned my arms down to the bed. ¡°You met Risha, didn''t you? The day you took Zaon to a bar?¡±

    There was no point in keeping it hidden. I wasn¡¯t to lie for Risha¡¯s sake now that the Marquis and Captain Kiln were involved in the investigation. My loyalty was with Elincia but I had two important reasons to defend Risha, both equally selfish. First, he was the best option we had to know what was happening within the royal army. Second, the orphanage needed allies who could pack a punch.

    ¡°Tall, green as an olive, built like a rhino?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Sounds totally like him,¡± Elincia pressed me down, letting me know I wasn¡¯t allowed to escape yet. Surprisingly enough, she didn¡¯t seem mad but wary. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you talked about, but Risha is really smart despite his appearance. You shouldn¡¯t trust him just because he¡¯s charismatic. He knows what you want to hear, much like you sometimes.¡±

    Elincia had a point, but Risha¡¯s story also made sense.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem suspicious that he suddenly stopped caring about the orphanage? You said he was the one who took the lead when Mr. Lowell died,¡± I said.

    I wasn¡¯t trying to change Elincia¡¯s opinion about Risha. The orphanage had gone under the bus after his departure, and I couldn¡¯t convince Elincia to forgive him, knowing the hardships she had fought against for years and years. Risha was liable one way or another, yet Elincia should give him the benefit of the doubt. We still had to uncover the truth to know if he was lying or telling the truth.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it sound possible that Risha just got his money stolen?¡± I asked.

    Elincia shook her head.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get it, Rob. I¡¯m not saying Risha didn¡¯t care about the orphanage. I¡¯m saying that hitting the first soft cap at level twenty slows your progress dramatically. Then you almost stop leveling up completely. And for what? A bunch of dirty kids that aren¡¯t even yours?¡± Elincia said. She wasn¡¯t being judgmental; she was being realistic. ¡°I reached level twenty in three years, then, during the next seven, I only leveled up four times. For combatants, it is even worse. It¡¯s not rare for them to just go where the fight is.¡±

    Elincia¡¯s point was sound. Knowing the importance people gave to Classes and levels, I could see people leaving everything behind to pursue progress. Yet, I wanted to believe most people tended to do good if they had the choice. The fact that Ilya and Zaon adored Risha also tipped the balance in his favor.

    ¡°Risha said Astrid was the one in charge of telling you,¡± I said. The vein on Elincia¡¯s forehead bulged again at the mention of Astrid¡¯s name. ¡°Is it that hard to believe that Risha was just screwed over?¡±

    Elincia sighed and grabbed my face with both hands.

    ¡°Risha left without a word, Rob. He didn¡¯t trust me enough to make me part of his plans, so I don¡¯t have reasons to trust him now,¡± Elincia calmly said. ¡°The Risha I knew, my best friend, my partner in crime, my brother, is long gone. The one you met is a stranger to me and I don¡¯t mind keeping it that way.¡±

    I nodded in silence. Elincia might not see it the same way, but the more allies we had, the safer the orphanage would be in the long run. Surely, Nasiah and Ginz were great additions to our club, but our safety net was still precarious. Even if we had the money, we lacked firepower against Kellaren in case the Marquis gave us the cold shoulder.

    ¡°I understand. No trusting in green people. Can you let me go?¡± I asked. The idea of the orphanage still being in danger had made my stomach uneasy. In those situations, the only way to fix it was to work on the problem.

    ¡°I¡¯m comfy up here,¡± Elincia grumbled, knowing my mind was working at full speed.

    ¡°Do you have a domination fetish or something?¡±

    Elincia rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m scared you were going too fast. I feel I have to slow you down before you crash, but at the same time, part of me knows you are always doing what¡¯s best for the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°After the tournament things will be easier,¡± I pointed out.

    Elincia took a deep breath, as if she was fighting an internal battle, and rolled off me. ¡°Over the table, there is a red potion. It will sober you up and give you a couple of hours of energy.¡±

    The ease with which she could read me was both endearing and scary. I was totally planning on sneaking out of bed to play with runes for an hour or two. With Ilya getting her class, it was a matter of time before she wanted to venture into the Farlands.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be up too late. I love you,¡± I said, kissing her forehead and jumping to my feet. Over the desk, there was a small chest with twenty potions lined inside. Most of them were translucent, although there were a couple of green vials and a sole red one. I drank it in one go. Spicy.

    A rush of energy, stronger than the effect of caffeine, took over my body.

    I grabbed my journal and blew Elincia a kiss before silently walking to the kitchen. She pulled her cold feet out of the blanket to touch me one last time before leaving. I sighed. My elven girlfriend was a spoiled brat but I couldn¡¯t stop pampering her.

    I had less than a month to prepare for a trip to the Farlands to get the kids to level ten, and so far, my progress with runeweaving had been too slow for my liking. Protecting Elincia during our last trip had been a challenge already; protecting four kids at the same time was going to be harder if things went wrong. I needed to take precautions if we met a dangerous monster.

    [Awareness] informed me Ginz was already in his bedroom and, considering the thunderous snoring that came from the end of the hallway, booze had knocked down Captain Kiln too. Good. That meant the kitchen was empty.

    I opened the door of the shared bedroom of the little kids and looked for Loki. The creature was resting on the floor in its usual dog form, and as soon as I opened the door, it raised its head, ears pointing up in a vigilant manner.

    ¡°Hey, buddy. I need your help here,¡± I whispered.

    Loki sighed, which felt very strange coming from a dog, but followed me nonetheless. The only reason why Loki helped me with the runes was because it had a soft spot for the kids. Otherwise, the lazy changeling would remain resting.

    We reached the empty kitchen and sat at the table. Loki transformed into a small mouse and sat before me with a pensive expression. The rat form had a wider range of emotions than the dog form, which was hilarious on its own.

    ¡°Remember when I asked you to turn into a light stone?¡± I asked, doing my best not to insult the creature. The last time I had insulted Loki, it had cut down its assistance.

    Loki nodded, briefly transforming into a light stone before returning to its rodent form.

    ¡°I need you to transform into a light stone, but instead of emitting light gradually, I need it to come all at once, like when Firana activated the Aias Sword,¡± I asked.

    Loki seemed to understand the assignment because he looked into my eyes and I felt his presence digging into my memories. It was a weak intrusion, similar to the System kneading my brain to imprint a new skill. This time, however, all the contents of my brain were left untouched.

    ¡°You got it?¡± I asked.

    Bug or not, the Changeling was proving to be of great use by acting as a rune finder.

    ¡°Loki!¡± Loki happily replied, transforming into a light stone and emitting a dim white light. Dark wind gusts surrounded the stone as if Loki was trying to change just partially.

    I smiled. A flashbang grenade would allow us to run away from any monster too powerful for us to deal with. I focused on the stone to see what rune Loki was going to use to burn stored mana in a single swing. I was so focused on the task that my brain forgot a very important point.

    ¡°Loki!¡± Loki yelled just before blinding me with a bright explosion of light.

 93 - Not the brightest bulb on the tree

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it wasn¡¯t your brightest moment. Luckily, Loki was there to shed some light on your work. Get it? Shed some light?¡± Elincia giggled, satisfied with her joke.

    I lay in bed, my head resting on Elincia¡¯s lap while she prepared a concoction of Health Potion and water. Although Loki¡¯s flash hadn¡¯t been strong enough to completely blind me, seven hours had passed since the incident, and I still saw small black dots floating before me. That hadn¡¯t stopped me from perfecting the magical flash grenade before going to bed.

    ¡°You''re the opposite of funny,¡± I said.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Elincia retorted as she poured the mixture into a glass dropper.

    Directly looking at Loki as it turned into a flash grenade wasn¡¯t my brightest moment, as Elincia had put it. But it was also a wake-up call. I needed to focus. I couldn¡¯t allow myself to become sloppy, not when the safety of the orphanage was within easy reach.

    Elincia applied a drop of medicine to my eyes. The diluted Health Potion burned, albeit only slightly. I tried to blink, but she kept my eye open; the potion needed to make direct contact with the wounded area to best take effect.

    As there wasn¡¯t much to do, I reached for her face and caressed her pointy ear. It didn¡¯t escape my attention that she diluted the potion so it wouldn¡¯t hurt. Elincia could¡¯ve applied the potion raw and saved the time spent preparing the concoction, but she didn¡¯t. It was those small things that made me like her even more.

    Elincia thoughtlessly moved her ears to avoid the grasp of my fingers. ¡°One of us has to take Ilya to the Farlands for her First Hunt, and I think it should be you,¡± she broke the silence.

    ¡°There¡¯s only a week left until Firana¡¯s birthday. Shouldn¡¯t we wait for her to get her Class?¡± I replied.

    A trip to the Farlands would require at least four days away from the orphanage, maybe three if prey stumbled upon us. I wasn¡¯t sure we could spare the time, given the Marquis and the Prince were advertising me as the next hotshot of the kingdom. I foresaw invites to numerous fancy dinners to promote the ¡®close¡¯ relationship between the royalist faction and the Rosebud Fencing Academy.

    Elincia put her hand over my mouth before I could speak again.

    ¡°The First Hunt is Ilya¡¯s moment and no one else''s. She has to prove herself that she¡¯s not a kid anymore.¡±

    ¡°But she is still a kid. She¡¯s only fifteen,¡± I said between her fingers.

    ¡°No, Rob. Ilya is not a kid; she¡¯s a Hunter,¡± Elincia replied, and her tone let me know it was the last word of the argument.

    I have always supported giving kids more responsibilities as they grew, but sending Ilya to the Farlands rubbed me the wrong way. It was too dangerous, maybe even reckless. However, we were not on Earth, and in any other circumstance, Ilya would¡¯ve been in charge of hunting game to feed the orphanage, Lv.1 or not.

    I wondered if my parents had the same argument when I left for college. Sure, I felt like an adult then, but as a teacher, even eighteen-year-olds seemed like kids to me. I hated to admit it, but Elincia was right. Without challenges, Ilya wouldn¡¯t progress, and with the threat of Kellaren Odrac-Aias lingering over the orphanage, she couldn¡¯t remain a child forever.

    ¡°You are right. I¡¯ll take Ilya for her First Hunt,¡± I said. Ilya wasn¡¯t a typical teenager; she was a fifteen-year-old gnome with access to magic powers, which was equally reassuring and concerning. Moreso, a little hunting trip was exactly what I needed to clear my mind.

    Elincia beamed at me, and I remembered why I couldn¡¯t say no to her. I made a mental note not to mock Ginz for being a pushover ever again. Out of nowhere, Elincia jumped up, almost sending me to the floor.

    ¡°Perfect, I already prepared a pouch of potions for you two,¡± She said.

    Then she leaped towards the desk, fluttering around the shelves and grabbing a dozen flasks and ingredient containers. It was good to see her so cheerful after months of constant stress. If Elincia was doing well, the orphanage would be well too.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ask Ilya. She¡¯s the huntress,¡± Elincia replied, looking over her shoulder with a sly smile. I bet she was looking forward to saying that line.

    I looked at the ceiling and stretched my back, waiting for the eyedrops to take effect. The perspective of traveling to the Farlands awakened a certain hunger inside my chest I didn¡¯t know was there. I was a Lv.1 Runeweaver, meaning my base stats were still basically the same as a regular human from Earth. So far, my mana pool has carried me through every fight, but I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would happen if I backed my magical prowess with superhuman capabilities.

    I needed to grind my level.

    ¡°Next time let¡¯s go on a hunting trip, just the two of us,¡± I said. ¡°I bet we could put the Sentinels to shame.¡±

    ¡°Enough of that sweet talk. You are distracting me,¡± Elincia grinned as she siphoned my mana to brew a batch of potions. ¡°I will remember your invitation, though.¡±

    * * *

    When the orphanage learned that Ilya was going on her First Hunt, the manor fell into a generalized state of panic. Zaon and Firana trailed Ilya as she attempted to prepare her backpack for the trip, asking how she felt every minute. Shu and the snakefolk kids ransacked the pantry and prepared enough rations for a month. The idea of how difficult it would be to carry a sack of potatoes up the mountain didn¡¯t seem to cross the kid¡¯s mind. They had prepared two sacks, one for me, one for Ilya.

    To say the First Hunt was a big deal was an understatement. Before noon, the reception hall had enough luggage to fill a cart. Shu was sitting in a burlap sack by the corner of the room. Her logic? Loki, who was sitting inside a different burlap sack, would feel lonely if it traveled without her. Finally, Wolf convinced Shu it would be better for her to stay, arguing Ash would feel lonely without her at the orphanage.

    Ash tried to deny it, but Wolf¡¯s hand was big enough to seal the boy¡¯s mouth and nose.

    The announcement of the First Hunt hadn¡¯t come as a surprise for Ilya.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked.

    Ilya rolled her eyes as the snakefolk twins tried to sneak a couple more emergency potatoes into her backpack. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine when we leave the manor.¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    The day was cold as usual, but the sky was clear, and the weak winter sun barely provided any warmth. Ilya stood beside the iron fence door with the stringless Cooldown Bow hanging from her shoulder inside a rough fabric cover. As a ¡®side¡¯ weapon, she brought a short spear that perfectly fit her height. Despite being more proficient with the longsword, a spear was better suited for hunting. From her waist hung a quiver with twenty arrows and a padded potion pouch with a wide assortment of vials: high-grade Health Potions, Warm Potions, Antidotes, and Stamina Potions.

    Elincia, in her excitement, had failed to tell me something crucial about the First Hunt, or about leveling in general. The System appeared to withhold certain skills and passives from classless individuals, maybe as a safeguard against underage labor. Ilya needed to partake in the First Hunt so the System would start giving her more skills and passives from her class.

    I closed my eyes and envisioned Ilya¡¯s character sheet before and after getting her Class. She had gained [Tracking] despite not receiving any instruction on the matter. With [Longsword Mastery], it had been the other way around. It seemed the System had been forced to give her the passive just so her Character Sheet matched her current skills.

    As curious as the phenomenon was, I didn¡¯t have time to delve into it. Ilya was ready to go. I triple-checked my backpack, just in case.

    ¡°Remember, Rob, let Ilya do the heavy lifting,¡± Elincia kissed me. ¡°I love you.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Despite knowing it, it was nice to hear it.

    Behind Elincia, half of the orphans showed their disgust for our public show of affection. The other half was focused on the scene as if it were a Mexican telenovela. Although we no longer hid our relationship, the kids still found it amusing. Knowing they were okay with me being romantically involved with Elincia was reassuring.

    Elincia then grabbed Ilya¡¯s shoulders and wrapped her in a tight hug. ¡°And you, Ilya, don¡¯t try to show off. Aim for a double lung shot. Come as close to the prey as you need and shoot only when you feel comfortable. Got it?¡±

    The scene would¡¯ve been more endearing if it hadn¡¯t been the tenth time Elincia had given the same instruction.

    ¡°I wonder if you followed Mr. Lowell¡¯s lead during your First Hunt,¡± Ilya whispered mischievously. Only Elincia and I were in earshot.

    Elincia pulled back from the hug and squeezed Ilya¡¯s cheeks a bit too harshly. ¡°During my First Hunt, I didn¡¯t catch anything and almost got Risha killed,¡± she said.

    I smiled. Under the guise of governess and orphan, Elincia and Ilya were actually sisters. I wondered if it was the same with Zaon. The elven kid and the gnome girl had been fellow orphans with Elincia when Mr. Lowell was alive. However, the boy seemed to look up to Elincia as a role model instead of an older sister.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring back Mister Clarke alive. You don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Ilya jabbed one last time at Elincia before walking back to the iron fence.

    ¡°Good, replacing him would be a hassle,¡± Elincia grinned.

    The orphans waved goodbye as we crossed the iron fence. Ash told Ilya to hunt down a Wendigo, prompting a laugh from the lot. I wished I had the instant camera to immortalize the moment. Luckily, [Awareness] served the same function.

    We walked in silence until we reached the main street. Since the arrival of the royal army, the city had been packed. Mixed squads of royal soldiers and city guards patrolled the streets while carts of goods moved up and down the streets. With that amount of movement, I wouldn¡¯t have guessed that Farcrest was a frontier town at the kingdom''s far edge.

    We had to navigate carefully until then.

    Outside the city gate, a small town had grown like a tumor stuck to the black wall. Hundreds of tents were set in strict order on both sides of the road, adorned with the banners and flags of their respective Noble Houses. Most of the tents were decorated with the blue olive branches over a golden field of House Gairon. The black hammer of House Herran came in next, and the white tower of House Tagabiria were after that.

    The sturdy fortifications used to defend the mills and barns during the Monster Surge now surrounded the camp. Dozens of soldiers dressed in plain shirts dug a wide pit around the barricades. Only then did I stop to think that skills also served to improve manual labor. A high-level soldier should have the stamina to work long hours without exhaustion. Poor bastards. Knowing the army¡¯s mindset, the sergeants would squeeze them dry with or without extra stamina.

    Ilya and I crossed the camp without being disturbed. The fields were empty save for a couple of shepherds guiding small groups of animals. The lack of dogs inside the city didn¡¯t surprise me anymore. The shepherd probably had a skill to control the herd and to protect them from wild animals. Maybe they even had a little System Assistant to talk to during lonely days.

    The idea was ridiculous.

    ¡°So, Elincia had a First Hunt?¡± I asked after leaving the camp behind.

    The fact Ilya had mocked Elincia about her First Hunt hadn¡¯t passed unnoticed. The last time I checked Elincia¡¯s Character Sheet, however, she was an Alchemist with handy archery and tracking skills.

    ¡°It was Elincia¡¯s first gathering trip. Mister Lowell called it a First Hunt because she was a bit bummed about her class,¡± Ilya explained. ¡°She wanted to become a Hunter and join the Sentinels before Mister Lowell¡¯s death.¡±

    Elincia had the spirit of a Hunter despite selecting Alchemist as her Class. It had been a wise decision. Alchemist wasn¡¯t only an Advanced Class but probably the most important crafting class. A well-placed Health Potion could save a life even if the sword and armor failed to protect.

    ¡°Accepting your Class can be hard, isn¡¯t it?¡± I mindlessly said.

    Ilya gave me a quizzical look, which I failed to understand initially. Having a hard time accepting your Class might be evident for an inhabitant of this world. For me, on the other hand, it was an anthropological question.

    ¡°I guess I haven¡¯t told you,¡± I said as I scratched my incipient beard. ¡°Where I come from, we don¡¯t have the System. I became a Scholar the day I crossed the portal and killed my first monster in the Farlands.¡±

    Ilya stumbled on a loose rock but recovered before she could fall.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your joke caught me by surprise,¡± Ilya brushed it off.

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll tell the Marquis to fix the road next time I see him,¡± I jokingly said.

    Ilya smiled with her eyes put on the mountain by the north. The road would lead us to the mountain path and into the Farlands. Despite the first valley being a buffer zone for monsters, I had to remind myself there could be strays who ventured south.

    We left behind the farms, and the stone road turned into a dirt trail. At least there hadn¡¯t been rain in a couple of weeks, so the terrain wasn¡¯t as muddy as I expected. Movement wasn¡¯t going to be a problem.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± I asked after a moment of silence.

    ¡°We should stay in the first valley to avoid monsters,¡± Ilya said. ¡°Today, we travel and set up a camp as far north as possible. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll scout the area and put out some feelers. I¡¯m thinking of hunting an Iceshard Boar. This time of year, they should be down in the valley foraging for Crystal Lilies, and they are small enough for us to move them back home without losing too much meat.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like an excellent plan to me,¡± I said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell this to anyone, but I have been preparing myself for this moment in case I miraculously become a Hunter,¡± Ilya admitted, her face suddenly flush.

    My heart clenched.

    ¡°There¡¯s no shame in preparing yourself for the best,¡± I replied. ¡°If anything, people usually prepare themselves for the worst, but then they aren¡¯t prepared to get the most out of a success.¡±

    Ilya nodded but didn¡¯t say anything else about the matter. The stone path became a dirt road, and the dirt road became an animal trail. We reached the first hills of the mountain range a couple of hours after we left the city walls. A biting cold wind blew from the frozen peaks into the valley. At least the hike kept me warm, and inside my backpack was a newly enchanted warming blanket.

    ¡°Well, this is it,¡± Ilya said. ¡°After this pass, we¡¯ll be in the Farlands.¡±

    I put a hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Lead the way, I¡¯ll follow.¡±

    The wind blew against our faces as if the mountain was trying to keep us away from the inner valleys. Ilya, however, put the hood of her gray cloak over her head and pushed forward. Despite her size, her footing was sure. I could tell she was a bit nervous, but nervous was good. In the Farlands, overconfidence was a death sentence.

 94 - Matriarch

    The cold northern wind bit our faces as we climbed the mountainous path into the Farlands. Ilya led the way in silence, her head hidden under her cloak as sudden gusts of wind pushed us back as if they wanted to prevent us from continuing our travels. My worries were unfounded. Despite her massive backpack, Ilya advanced with sure footing and a good pace.

    ¡°Almost there,¡± Ilya said as she led me around a patch of dangerous frozen rock.

    Snowy peaks appeared behind the immense sea of dead trees and the evergreen pines. Before we reached the forest, Ilya climbed an outcropping on the rock and surveyed the terrain ahead. A glint of green mana shone in her eyes as she used her tracking skills. Imitating her, I let [Awareness] gather information on the path ahead. Dry rock. Compacted pebbles. No sign of monsters.

    After a minute, she jumped down with surprising agility and resumed our march. We slowly descended the slope, hugging the mountain to avoid treacherous wind gusts. The valley''s silence was only disturbed by the distant screech of the Roc Harpies and the wind whistling across the mountain pass.

    Ilya suddenly stopped as we reached the fertile and soft undergrowth. ¡°It seems someone passed here before us. These marks seem to be fresh.¡±

    I crouched by her side to examine the footprints. Big, heavy boot footprints from a single person moved down the slope into the forest.

    ¡°Sentinels?¡± I asked.

    With a member of the Royal Family staying in Farcrest, Chieftain Alton should have all the available Sentinels in the field looking for potential threats. I was confident no monster had managed to reach the southern valley, which meant it was safer for us to hunt.

    ¡°Sentinels don¡¯t leave such obvious tracks. Even low-level Hunters try to pass unnoticed as Iceshard Boars are shy creatures,¡± Ilya explained.

    ¡°A bored soldier then?¡± I asked.

    Ilya shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on our hunt.¡±

    Instead of hugging the mountain like the previous time I ventured into the Farlands with Elincia, we entered the forest. Half of the trees had lost their foliage, but the further we went, the evergreen pines became more dominant, keeping the lush canopy even in winter. Occasionally, Ilya stopped me and pointed toward winter birds and small rodents before [Awareness] could even discover them. On one of our stops, an owl with a peculiar crown of feathers became interested in us and silently followed us for an hour before another creature caught its attention.

    ¡°Good sign. Crowned Owls are not actually owls; they are scavengers. They like to eat crystalline shards that fall off the backs of the Iceshard Boars. There has to be a band nearby,¡± Ilya said with a satisfied expression.

    It took us a whole day to navigate the forest, but it wasn¡¯t in vain. The more we advanced, the more traces of the boars we found. Ilya¡¯s tracking ability wasn¡¯t just helpful for detecting small animals and surveying terrain.

    Well past noon, we reached the valley''s northern edge, where the forest was thicker, and the pines covered most of the sky.

    ¡°Look!¡± Ilya said.

    In a small clearing, a couple of Crowned Owls were on the forest bed, pecking the remains of what seemed to be icicles. [Awareness] informed me it wasn¡¯t ice shards but the crystalline formations Ilya had mentioned before. It was a good sign. There had to be a band of Iceshard Boars nearby.

    Ilya entered the clearing without minding the birds despite the fact they were as tall as her. The Crowned Owls turned around briefly but ignored her and continued eating. Ilya had to move her arms for the owls to take flight and perch on nearby branches, looking at her with displeased eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Hunter! You should respect me!¡± Ilya raised her fist.

    As the owls didn¡¯t seem particularly amused with the threats, Ilya crouched by the violet and blue shards and examined them.

    I crouched by her side, and seeing she grabbed the blue shards mindlessly, I grabbed one too. They were hard like horns but very slightly flexible. Some of them were as long as my forearm. At least I understand why they were called Iceshard Boars.

    ¡°This is strange,¡± Ilya said, handing me one of the violet shards.

    It was as hard as steel. I noticed the Crowned Owls avoided the violet shards while easily going through the bluish ones.

    ¡°There might be a Matriarch nearby,¡± Ilya said worriedly.

    ¡°I take it that isn¡¯t a good thing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We will be okay if we don¡¯t harm her or the piglets. Matriarchs aren¡¯t particularly hostile,¡± Ilya explained. ¡°I¡¯m more worried about whoever entered the Farlands before us. Let¡¯s keep an eye open.¡±

    I nodded and tucked the violet shard inside my backpack.

    We surveyed the surroundings, but the direction of the band of boars was unclear.

    ¡°The plan remains the same. Let¡¯s focus on hunting an adult male,¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°A boar, right? An adult male boar,¡± I said.

    Ilya rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. Despite the initial nervousness, I was having fun, and Ilya was knowledgeable despite being a Level 1 Hunter. I had the suspicion that Elincia¡¯s curriculum leaned heavily into the knowledge of the Farlands.

    ¡°Those jokes work better with ten-year-olds and younger, you know?¡± Ilya jabbed at me as we resumed the march north. She also grabbed a violet shard for herself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. The crowd gets harder after puberty,¡± I sighed, following. ¡°I do enjoy seeing my students cringing, though.¡±

    Ilya stopped walking and turned around.

    ¡°You do it on purpose?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that tone-deaf!¡± I replied.

    We continued our hike in silence. As we advanced, we found more signs of Iceshard Boars: fresh feces, scratched bark, and tiny shards of bluish crystals. Ilya pulled out a map of the area and pointed out the potential spots to set feeders.

    By the end of the day, we reached the mountain slope. The valley forked. To the east was the path leading to the orc tribes and Mr. Lowell¡¯s secret gathering spot. The west path would lead closer to Byrne¡¯s cabin if we traveled that way for three or four days. We moved away from the forest, without leaving the valley, to set camp so the smell of smoke wouldn¡¯t scare any nearby prey. Ilya guided me to the top of a rock formation with a depression protected from the wind.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Well, we know there are Iceshard Boars in the area. Lots of them, judging by the amount of feces,¡± Ilya said, taking off the backpack and sitting on a rock.

    ¡°I thought we were going to meet more Hunters,¡± I pointed out as I prepared the campfire. As the sun went down, the temperature also plummeted.

    Ilya quickly approached to help, but I dismissed her. She was the Hunter; I was the butler.

    ¡°There are better spots on the safe side of the mountain, but they are too far from Farcrest,¡± Ilya said, removing her socks and replacing them with the enchanted pair I had prepared for the trip. ¡°Sentinels, Alchemists, and leveling parties are the only ones who travel this side.¡±

    Suddenly, Ilya¡¯s ears pricked. She quickly put her boots on and grabbed her bow.

    ¡°Wait here,¡± she said before jumping out of our hideout and getting lost beneath the rocks.

    I obeyed and continued preparing the campsite. A few minutes later, Ilya returned, dragging her feet.

    ¡°A fowl fooled me,¡± she sighed.

    ¡°Good one,¡± I replied.

    I lit the campfire, and Ilya passed me bread and dried meat. I missed aluminum cookware. Iron pans were heavy, so we carried only the essentials. The crackling of the fire hid the rest of the night''s sounds. I boiled water and prepared an herbal tea Elincia had prepared specially for the occasion. We sat by the fire to enjoy the tea, watching the sunset behind the mountains. Despite the cold, the warm blankets and tea made it comfortable.

    ¡°So¡­ any tips for starting adulthood with the right foot?¡± Ilya asked as we finished the tea.

    My expression must¡¯ve been off-putting because she quickly got defensive.

    ¡°What?! Elincia told me Mr. Lowell made her dizzy with advice. The fire has been burning for an hour, and I haven¡¯t heard any advice yet,¡± she said, flustered.

    Then it struck me. This wasn¡¯t just an opportunity for Ilya to start testing her Hunter skills but a rite of passage into adulthood. I cursed Elincia for not telling me. I cursed myself for not understanding. It was pretty obvious in hindsight. Ilya left the orphanage as a kid and would return as a full-fledged Hunter.

    I squeezed my brain, looking for advice. Since I abandoned my career as a teacher, I have been actively avoiding the responsibilities of adulthood. Sure, I paid my bills, but adults weren¡¯t defined by their capacity to pay bills.

    I sipped from my mug and tried to gather my thoughts. In the back of my mind floated hundreds of practical advice for college and trade school, but nothing that could be used in this world. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was to be an adult.

    Then I remembered something that had happened more than a decade ago.

    ¡°When I was your age, I asked my math teacher if I could do an assignment with a classmate. You know, because I was too lazy to do it alone,¡± I said after a long silence. ¡°You know what he told me?¡±

    Ilya shook her head.

    ¡°He told me that one day I¡¯ll be an adult, and I will have to face the real world on my own,¡± I said. ¡°So I ended up doing the assignment on my own.¡±

    ¡°I guess you must rely on yourself when you are an adult. Holst used to say something like that. In the end, you are alone with your Class and your level,¡± Ilya pointed out as she fed the fire with small, dry branches.

    ¡°They are wrong,¡± I said, catching the girl by surprise.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She demanded to know.

    The answer to Ilya''s question was evident after comparing my old life on Earth with my current life at the orphanage.

    ¡°Being an adult is about taking responsibility for yourself and others, but that doesn¡¯t mean you have to do it alone,¡± I said. ¡°If I had to give you one single piece of advice, I¡¯d say surround yourself with good people.¡±

    ¡°What if they are annoying?¡± Ilya asked.

    ¡°Are you talking about Firana?¡±

    ¡°You said it, not me,¡± Ilya grinned.

    This time, I was the one rolling my eyes. The conversation moved to less important topics until nighttime. The sky was clear, and the stars seemed closer to us than usual. I almost felt sorry to have to sleep and miss the show, but Ilya¡¯s First Hunt had priority.

    ¡°Go sleep. Tomorrow is your big day,¡± I said.

    Ilya wrapped herself in the enchanted blankets and crawled inside the tent. As I looked into the embers, I reflected upon my own life. I now understood how big of a commitment it was to be responsible for Elincia and the orphanage. It was also the most important thing I had done with my life. A grumpy governess and twelve charming kids wouldn¡¯t sound like a lot, but I wouldn¡¯t trade it for anything.

    * * *

    By noon, we had set up three feeders. Based on the traces of feces and loosened crystalline formations, Ilya had delimited the area where it was most likely to encounter boars. The trails were fresh, not even a day old, and Ilya was puzzled why there were so many clues but no boars. The day was extremely windy, and hearing each other¡¯s voices was difficult.

    ¡°Something is driving the boars away,¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°Do you think it''s our friend¡¯s fault?¡± I asked, referring to the fresh footprints we had found the day before.

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    We continued towards the western valley to add one extra feeder in case the Boars had escaped that way. Ilya stopped to examine the animal trails every few steps. The trampled brambles and broken branches were signs of a stampede. The number of broken shards scattered through the thicket pointed toward a fight.

    ¡°Boars don¡¯t fight for territory. They live in pairs or alone in the mountains due to the lack of food, but they have no problem flocking during winter feeding season,¡± Ilya explained.

    ¡°Do you think Black Wolves came this way?¡± I asked. The chance was slim, considering monsters never reached this far south without a Monster Surge.

    Before Ilya could answer, we found an uprooted oak tree. It wasn¡¯t a young tree by any measure. I doubted an elephant could¡¯ve toppled it easily. Ilya examined the area around it just to find more violet shards.

    ¡°Matriarch¡¯s dorsal shards don¡¯t usually fall easily, not even after crashing against a tree,¡± Ilya replied, pointing towards a violet shard. ¡°On rare occasions, if two Matriarchs come together, they might become hostile.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope that¡¯s it.¡±

    We ate a simple meal of strips of salted meat and dried fruits, sitting against the uprooted tree. Temperatures had fallen compared to yesterday, and I feared a snowfall was approaching. Depending on the severity, we could be forced to return ahead of schedule with or without finishing the hunt.

    ¡°If they don¡¯t appear, they just don¡¯t appear,¡± Ilya said as she chewed the meat stripes.

    ¡°Oh, they will appear. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I said as I energetically patted her shoulder.

    My words might have jinxed it because a mighty roar made the ground tremble under our feet. [Awareness] flooded my brain with information. The sounds came from the west. My heart rushed as I tried to figure out if a monster had passed through the Sentinel¡¯s web. The forest''s silence was replaced with the drumming sound of a hundred paws plummeting against the ground.

    ¡°A Matriarch!¡± Ilya yelled, throwing the piece of meat to the ground and grabbing the Cooldown Bow from her back.

    I grabbed Ilya from the cloak and dragged her behind the felled tree. An instant later, a sea of boars with light blue crystalline formations protruding from their backs surrounded both sides of the tree. They were fleeing from something or someone.

    At the other side of the tree, past the flattened brambles and crushed branches, a half-orc wielding a round iron shield and a long spear fought against a boar the size of a bus. The boar was monstrous. Countless violet crystalline shards protruded from its back and sides, serving as a shield and a weapon against the orc.

    The half-orc rammed against the Matriarch, shield first, sending a shower of small fragments to the ground. It wasn¡¯t enough to damage the Matriarch¡¯s body, only succeeding to make her angrier. The beast countered with a violent headbutt, but the half-orc covered his shoulder in mana just before the impact.

    ¡°We should help,¡± Ilya said. ¡°I can kill the Matriarch if it stops for a second. I just need a clean shot. The armor is weaker in the joints and the neck.¡±

    Without a question, I summoned a round mana shield around my arm and jumped the felled tree to help the half-orc. I was halfway there when I noticed his faction markings were familiar. The Matriarch spotted me and moved away, giving the half-orc a moment to breathe. As he took off his torn-apart cloak, I recognized our interloper. It was Risha.

 95 - Giant Slayer

    The Matriarch¡¯s gray fur was stained with blood, but the wound was superficial. A collar of crystalline shards protected the creature¡¯s neck. Risha¡¯s attacks only served to anger the beast. The Matriarch huffed and stomped the ground before charging against the half-orc.

    Instead of dodging, Risha planted his feet firmly on the ground and raised his iron shield. The impact sent metallic echoes through the forest, and for a brief moment, the half-orc managed to stop the beast''s charge. Risha gritted his teeth as the Matriarch slowly pushed him back.

    The forest bed was covered in loosened pebbles and rotten leaves, making it hard to maintain his footing. The Matriarch drove Risha back, causing his arm muscles to bulge as he tried to withstand the charge. As the Matriarch pressed forward, Risha had to drop his spear and grab his shield with both hands.

    A guttural growl emerged from Risha¡¯s throat as he redirected the creature¡¯s momentum and pushed it to the side before it could crush him against the tree. Then, he grabbed his iron shield by its edge and used it to bludgeon the Matriarch¡¯s head. The clash of iron against the hardened crystal shards echoed through the forest. Yet the blows were ineffective against the Matriarch¡¯s armor.

    Acting out of instinct, I drew the Matriarch¡¯s attention with a barrage of high-speed mana shards. My mind was racing. It was highly suspicious that Risha was in the same place at the same time and even hunting the same creature as us. My thoughts were cut short because [Awareness] demanded all my attention be put on the Matriarch.

    Seeing the two of us, the Matriarch hesitated. I seized the moment to examine the creature. The barrage of mana shards hadn¡¯t left a dent in the crystalline armor.

    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot yet! Keep charging the shot!¡± I yelled.

    If Risha¡¯s attempts to penetrate the body had failed, I could only assume that the crystalline protrusions provided an almost impervious defense.

    I channeled my mana. If tiny shards wouldn¡¯t work, then I needed something stronger. I summoned a bright mana blade and sent it flying toward the Matriarch, but as the blade touched the violet crystals, it shattered into a curtain of fine blue dust. My brain took an extra second to understand what had happened.

    Risha took advantage of the moment of respite and recovered his spear; then, he charged against the Matriarch. I held my mana shield and followed. The charge attack was dangerous, and we had to prevent the Matriarch from gaining enough momentum.

    The Matriarch violently kicked Risha¡¯s shield, but he endured the hit.

    Mimicking Ilya¡¯s vine spell, I summoned mana chains to trap the boar¡¯s feet. Thick chains emerged from the ground but were dispelled as soon as they touched the crystalline protrusions. The violet crystals shone as they absorbed my mana. I cursed. The Matriarch could render magic useless, which turned it into my biggest nemesis.

    The Matriarch thrust with its tusks, but my mana shield held. Barely. Despite the tusks being made of bone instead of crystal, I could feel the beast draining my mana just by proximity. I cursed yet again. The violet crystalline protrusions gleamed as they weakened my mana shield.

    I was going to be in trouble pretty soon if I remained engaged.

    ¡°Overcharge them! That will slow down the creature!¡± Risha yelled as he barely dodged a kick aimed at his head.

    I nodded. If the crystals operated similarly to a battery or a capacitor, overcharging would render them useless. Feeding mana from the Fountain to monsters seemed like a bad idea, so I channeled all the mana I could muster from my personal reserves. I covered my body in full armor like the Brawler had done during our fight in the Great Hall and grabbed the Matriarch by the tusk.

    I just hoped Elincia wasn¡¯t using my mana pool to brew because I would need every drop. I pressed my mana outside my body, and the violet crystals absorbed it, gleaming and sparkling. The strength of the armor diminished as the Matriarch drained my mana. At the same time, new crystalline protrusions emerged from the beast¡¯s back.

    ¡°I need help here!¡± I yelled.

    Risha jumped forward, grabbing the other tusk and pressing down with all his might. The crystals multiplied, and the added weight was too much to hold after a few seconds. The Matriarch¡¯s hind legs faltered.

    ¡°Only a little more,¡± Risha grunted.

    The Matriarch bellowed out a mighty roar. The crystal protrusions crackled on its back as arcs of pure light jumped from crystal to crystal, buzzing and flashing. The hair on my arms stood on its ends. As if it wasn¡¯t evident enough, [Awareness] informed me that batteries exploded when overcharged. I ignored the warnings and pushed more mana into the creature.

    Finally, the Matriarch¡¯s front legs gave up under the weight of the newly created crystals.

    ¡°Back! Now!¡± Risha yelled.

    The beast remained down, heaving.

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t the most famous Scholar this side of the mountains? Glad to see you, man,¡± Risha said, giving me a broad smile that almost made me forget Elincia¡¯s warning. He was good.

    The Matriarch roared as mana condensed on the crystalline formation on its back. Mana dangerously crackled. A shiver ran down my spine.

    ¡°Behind me!¡± Risha yelled. He raised his battered shield and cast a silvery aura¡ªa protective skill.

    An instant later, a beam of energy impacted against the surface, sending violet sparks all around us. Risha¡¯s hair fluttered. I felt the scorching heat against my skin, even though I was behind Risha. The shield started to melt away.

    Then, out of nowhere, a pure white streak hit the Matriarch in the head. The creature¡¯s eyes turned blank. The energy beam changed direction, leaving a trail of burnt leaves and scorched trees. Finally, the beam lost power, flickered, and died. The Matriarch remained still.

    ¡°Elincia?¡± Risha asked, his eyes full of a newly found terror he hadn¡¯t shown during the fight against the boar.

    ¡°Ilya,¡± the girl replied as she emerged from a clump of ferns.

    The edge of her cloak was singed, and the bowstring snapped. She ignored us and walked towards the Matriarch, knife in hand. The arrow hadn¡¯t completely pierced the boar¡¯s skull. More than half of the arrowhead was still visible between the tiny crystal shards that served as scaled armor. The Matriarch, however, didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°It¡¯s dead,¡± Ilya calmly said, pulling the arrow. ¡°The blow must¡¯ve been enough to turn the Matriarch¡¯s brain into mush. Scary, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    A System prompt appeared before my eyes.

    Beast slain!

    Level up!

    I blinked in confusion. The Matriarch was a rabid pile of muscle the size of a small bus, with enough strength to put Risha against the ropes and nullify all my magical attacks. The reward could have been more impressive for such a rival. I sighed, knowing my complaints would be met with deaf ears.

    Elincia had told me the System had anti-power leveling measures, but I never suspected it punished us so harshly. Risha¡¯s presence during the fight must¡¯ve absorbed most of the rewarded experience despite the fact both Ilya and I were Lv.1.

    Ilya turned around and approached us. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Risha.¡±

    Neither of us had moved a single millimeter since the girl appeared in the clearing. Maybe I was wrong about adulthood. The gnome standing before us wasn¡¯t a kid anymore. I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it, but something in her presence was different.

    Unlike Zaon, Ilya didn¡¯t jump into Risha¡¯s arms.

    ¡°So, you managed to become a Hunter after all,¡± Risha said with a smile.

    ¡°No thanks to you, that¡¯s clear,¡± Ilya replied.

    The girl¡¯s attitude reminded me of the beginning of my stay at the orphanage. Straightforward, unapologetic, a bit brutal. She reeked of suspicion.

    ¡°I swear to the System there¡¯s a good reason for everything,¡± Risha quickly said.

    ¡°I know. Zaon told me everything,¡± Ilya shrugged but didn¡¯t clarify whether she believed Risha¡¯s story. Her attitude was unequivocal. She wasn¡¯t pleased with Risha¡¯s presence.

    Risha looked over his shoulder, asking for assistance. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to keep it a secret until the investigation progressed?¡±

    ¡°Zaon promised to keep the secret, and Zaon is a man of his word,¡± I said thoughtfully. Then my eyes fell on Ilya, but she avoided my gaze. ¡°Something to tell us, lady?¡±

    Ilya cursed under her breath.

    ¡°I noticed Zaon was acting strange. As trustworthy as he is, he can¡¯t keep a secret hidden, so I pressed him until he told me everything,¡± Ilya admitted while gesturing with her knife. Her expression was a mix of pride and embarrassment.

    Risha erupted in laughter. ¡°Well, there are things that simply don¡¯t change. In any case, congratulations on your Class, Ilya. You¡¯ll be the strongest Hunter in Farcrest in no time.¡±

    ¡°You sound very confident for someone who hadn¡¯t met me in years,¡± Ilya replied, without wasting the opportunity to antagonize the half-orc.

    ¡°Well, in the Great Hall, there¡¯s the rumor of a certain gnome beating the youngest Kiln in a duel. I thought that was you,¡± Risha shrugged with a grace few actors could achieve.

    ¡°Thank Mister Clarke then,¡± Ilya cleared her throat. [Awareness] informed me that her defenses were crumbling down against the assault of Risha¡¯s compliments.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°You should also accept some of the credit. Not everyone can brag about defeating a Kiln,¡± Risha replied.

    Elincia¡¯s warnings echoed in my mind, but I couldn¡¯t call Risha just a sweet talker. He was the kind of person who was pleasant to be with. Charismatic, attentive, easy-going. The fact that he had shoved me behind him when the energy beam hit us only made me like him more.

    Ilya dismissed Risha¡¯s words with a wave of her knife and turned around to examine the carcass of the Matriarch. We followed. The creature¡¯s skin was too hard to cut with the knife, and my mana blade was still useless despite the animal''s death. Even Risha had difficulties cutting the skin open, but after minutes of struggling, Ilya managed to retrieve a piece of meat no larger than a slice of ham.

    Violet crystals grew along the muscle, rendering the meat inedible.

    ¡°Well, at least we know in what direction the other boars went,¡± Ilya said after spending several minutes trying to cut open the Matriarch.

    The crystals had lost their characteristic hardness and turned into dust at the slightest touch. They wouldn¡¯t absorb any amount of mana I fed them. I wished the System was fairer with the newbies. We couldn¡¯t have slain the Matriarch without us working together. Ilya even had given the killing strike, yet I didn¡¯t notice any trace of the leveling up high in her eyes.

    I left Ilya alone to inspect the Matriarch¡¯s body for anything useful and sat beside Risha. The half-orc was resting against a felled tree, bandaging his wounds. His forearms were seared product of the energy beam, and the rest of his body showed a dozen minor cuts and bruises. I rummaged through my potion pouch and offered him a high-grade Health Potion. Elincia had refused to give us anything but the best despite a high-grade potion being completely overkill to heal most minor wounds.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Risha said.

    He uncorked the vial and drank the contents. A moment later, the wounds had disappeared entirely, leaving tender new skin in place. Risha gave me a confused look.

    ¡°Mid-grade?¡± He asked.

    ¡°High-grade,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Elincia is brewing high-grade potions now!?¡± Risha shouted, scaring all the birds within a hundred-meter radius.

    I didn¡¯t answer. Instead, I examined the half-orc¡¯s face. If he was acting, [Awareness] couldn¡¯t notice it. However, I trusted Elincia¡¯s judgment more than a tool from the System.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it curious that we met here? The valley is broad and wide for us to meet coincidentally,¡± I said.

    Risha raised his hands in defeat. ¡°I was going to visit the family, but then I saw you two leaving the city geared up like Hunters. I thought I could ease Ilya¡¯s hunt by killing the Matriarch and driving the boars back here. Plus, the tusk of a Matriarch would¡¯ve been a great present for Auntie Dassyra.¡±

    ¡°You truly like to follow your own plans in spite of the rest,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Guilty as charged,¡± Risha replied.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m completely guilt-free either,¡± I said.

    ¡°At least your plans seemed to work in the end,¡± Risha said, pointing at Ilya. ¡°Ilya is a Hunter, Elincia is brewing high-level stuff, and Zaon seemed more self-confident.¡±

    ¡°You are giving me too much credit. The kids put in the hours to reach where they are,¡± I replied.

    Ilya continued working on the Matriarch¡¯s body. Even if the meat were inedible, she had that improving her understanding of the monster''s physiology would make the next fight easier. Considering how useless my skills had been, I secretly hoped there would be no next fight.

    ¡°Kiln contacted me,¡± Risha said after a moment of silence. ¡°There have been several cases of couriers stealing money, but we couldn¡¯t connect it to the Odra-Aias family. It seems the Osgirians are helping them to cover their tracks.¡±

    I grunted. That wasn''t great news. At least nobody would dare to touch the orphanage now that the Prince had expressed his amity towards the Rosebud Fencing Academy. Firana would fight an uphill battle if she wanted to clear the name of the Aias Family.

    ¡°You are involved in the investigation?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I want revenge, and I don¡¯t want to brag, but it happens that I know many people within the royal army,¡± Risha said.

    ¡°You look like the kind of person who knows a lot of people,¡± I jabbed at him.

    ¡°Thanks for the compliment,¡± he graciously replied.

    I was about to tell Risha that Elincia already knew he was in the city when Ilya emerged from the crystalline formation on the back of the Matriarch. The picture would''ve been hilarious if she wasn¡¯t holding a bright shard filled with mana. Ilya gracefully leaped off the Matriarch and approached me.

    ¡°Look what I found. It was in the middle of the crystalline formation,¡± Ilya said. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s dangerous?¡±

    Gleaming colors danced within the crystal. It didn¡¯t seem like it would start casting energy beams soon despite looking alive. Ilya handed me the shard, and I channeled a small amount of mana to cast an illusion. My spell was interrupted as expected, but the mana wasn¡¯t absorbed.

    ¡°Mages will hate this if we find some way to make the bearer immune to the effect,¡± I said with a greedy smile.

    I handed it back to Ilya, but the girl refused it.

    ¡°That¡¯s too valuable for me. I think Mister Clarke should take it,¡± Ilya said.

    I shook my head. ¡°You killed it. It belongs to you.¡±

    Reluctantly, Ilya grabbed the shard back and wrapped it in fabric before putting it inside her backpack. She seemed overwhelmed by the loot of her first successful hunt. I smiled, seeing her childish expression. None of the orphans were used to having nice things.

    ¡°Ginz should be able to craft something with it,¡± I said.

    ¡°Does he have the levels to deal with magic materials?¡± Risha asked.

    ¡°Mister Lowell raised many talented kids, it seems,¡± I said with a mischievous smile, making Risha and Ilya blush. ¡°So, are we ready to return to the orphanage?¡±

    Ilya shook her head. She still wanted to hunt down something edible to bring back to the manor. After making sure the Matriarch¡¯s body had nothing else of use. We marched in the direction of the stampede. The forest was laid to waste. The boars had razed everything on their path, from clumps of ferns to walls of brambles. Only adult trees seemed to survive.

    As we reached the feeder, Ilya signaled us to crouch. Down a depression in the forest, twenty or thirty boars sniffed through the old leaves, searching for the grain Ilya had scattered around. The girl signaled for us to stay put as she cautiously approached. The small boars seemed to be harmless compared to the Matriarch despite the chaos of the stampede.

    Ilya advanced until she was thirty meters from the feeding area, hidden behind an old pine. She would be safe if the boars decided to run in her direction. Red magic fluttered around her eyes, and [Awareness] told me she had used [Mark of the Hunt] on her prey.

    Calmly, Ilya put a new string on the bow and nocked an arrow.

    The boars were so busy searching for winter food that they didn¡¯t notice her presence. Ilya aimed. Mana flowed within the Cooldown Bow, empowering the shot beyond the string¡¯s capabilities. Then, after a moment, she let the string go. The arrow crossed the distance in a blink, piercing the side of an Iceshard Boar from side to side. Then chaos ensued. As the wounded boar coughed up blood, the whole band broke, running in all directions. Ilya remained hidden until the last Iceshard Boars disappeared.

    ¡°Good shot, Ils,¡± Risha whispered.

    Ilya didn¡¯t reply. Instead, she kept looking in the direction the Iceshard Boar had run away. [Awareness] didn¡¯t find any trace of the creature other than a thin blood trail, but it wasn¡¯t a skill tailored towards hunting like Ilya¡¯s. Her eyes retained a slight red glint.

    ¡°It¡¯s dead,¡± she finally said, despite not having a clear sight of the body. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Thirty meters east, we found the body of the Iceshard Boar. It was a large male, with long blue crystalline protrusions growing from its back, not quite as armored as the Matriarch, but I could see a Black Wolf having trouble clawing through it. Ilya instantly jumped forward, knife in hand, and cut the abdominal cavity open to pull out the internal organs.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Risha asked me.

    My face must¡¯ve shown a hint of revulsion. I knew how to dress a boar or a deer. I had done it several times, but the ill feeling remained no matter how often I went hunting with my dad. I blamed Bambi.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay. My mother used to dislike hunting stuff. I might have inherited part of her distaste for killing,¡± I said.

    ¡°Was she a Druid?¡± Risha asked.

    ¡°Something like that,¡± I replied.

    Ilya worked on the boar with little difficulty, which made me think she had practical experience preparing animals for consumption. I waited patiently. With the cold weather in our favor, we could bring the carcass back to the orphanage without risking spoiling it.

    Ultimately, time wouldn¡¯t be a huge factor. Ilya sprayed the interiors of the boar with a blue potion. Ice crystals formed over the surface, and a minute later, the whole carcass was frozen solid.

    ¡°I see Elincia opened up Mister Lowell¡¯s recipe book,¡± Risha said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a Mister Lowell¡¯s potion?¡± I asked, touching the animal¡¯s skin. I had to pull my hand back as the cold hurt my fingers.

    ¡°Mister Lowell was a high-level Alchemist. Of course he had a dozen Named Potions,¡± Ilya grunted as she tried to raise the carcass over her shoulder with little success. It didn¡¯t help that the boar was twice as heavy as her.

    ¡°Let me carry it,¡± Risha said.

    ¡°No, I have to do this,¡± Ilya replied sharply.

    After a minute of discussion, Ilya finally let Risha carry the body back to the camp. The whole ordeal had left us exhausted. The silver lining was the hunt was complete, Ilya had felled a Matriarch, and we had a hundred-kilo boar to feed the orphanage.

    ¡°So, Mister Lowell was a famous Alchemist?¡± I asked as we returned to the camp.

    ¡°He was unorthodox more than famous. While the Guild developed better healing salves and strengthening potions to help Combatants, Mister Lowell tried to improve the life of the common folk,¡± Risha explained.

    ¡°The Preservation Potion you saw doesn''t work on living things, and Mister Lowell refused to invent a variation that would work on people despite the pleadings from the Guild,¡± Ilya added. ¡°He invented a lot of other potions.¡±

    I nodded in silence as the girl listed the different potions Mister Lowell had created. Potions against headaches and lower back pain. Nutritional supplements for toddlers. Relief for hangovers. Cures for respiratory infections and treatments for common ailments.

    ¡°As useful as the potions were, Elincia was too low-level to brew most recipes, so the orphanage quickly ran low on funds. There were a lot of mouths to feed back then, and our closest friends were poor farmers,¡± Risha said.

    ¡°If a certain someone hadn¡¯t left the orphanage, things would¡¯ve been different,¡± Ilya didn¡¯t miss the opportunity to stab Risha where it hurt the most.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Risha sighed.

    Ilya ignored him and moved forward to survey the path ahead.

    ¡°I wonder why Elincia keeps Mister Lowell¡¯s journal locked away,¡± I said. The last time we had talked about the matter of original recipes, Elincia had shut me down before I could ask questions.

    Risha grinned.

    ¡°Half of the recipes were potions that improved the performance inside the bedroom. Didn¡¯t she tell you? Mister Lowell knew where the money was, and it was not in selling anti-headache potions,¡± Risha laughed.

    I was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally. Elincia was always dead embarrassed when Mister Lowell gave us the talk about the birds and the bees,¡± Risha continued laughing.

    ¡°Mister Lowell was a genius,¡± I said.

    ¡°Damn right, he was. He single-handedly tripled Farcrest''s population¡­ probably.¡±

    Half an hour later, we reached the camp. It was late afternoon, so we decided to rest the night and return early in the morning. The Preserving Potion would keep the carcass frozen for a week, so we didn¡¯t need to rush back. Risha left the boar on a rock and returned to the fight''s site to retrieve his camping gear from his camp. He promised to return before nightfall.

    We lit a campfire and prepared Elincia¡¯s tea blend.

    ¡°Satisfied with the hunt, Ilya?¡± I asked.

    The girl gave me a mischievous smile before summoning her character sheet.

    ¡°It¡¯s Giant Slayer Ilya,¡± she said.

    Name: Ilya, Gnome

    Class: Hunter Lv.2

    Titles: Governess¡¯s Little Helper, Giant Slayer.

    Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.1, Archery Lv.1, Tracking Lv.1

    Skills: Mana Manipulation, Spirit Animal, Entangling Vines, Mark of the Hunt, Piercing Shot.

 96 - Trust

    Ilya summoned an ethereal fluffy white fox, and with a silent order, she sent it forward to scout the path ahead. The creature glided over the forest bed and got lost in the bushes, leaving a white trail of residual mana. Ilya¡¯s smile warmed my chest. The girl couldn''t stop smiling despite the cold and the fatigue.

    The hunt had been an absolute success. Ilya had gained a level, a title, and two skills. One level might not have been a significant advancement, but the title made up for it. [Giant Slayer] gave Ilya a sizable boost to her mana pool, increasing the number of times she could cast [Entangling Vines] and allowing her to summon stronger familiars with [Spirit Animal].

    Instead of walking through the safe paths by the mountainside, Ilya took us back through the forest''s heart. She led the way, using her Spirit Animal to scout ahead, while Risha walked by my side. The half-orc carried the boar over his shoulder. Despite Ilya¡¯s reluctance to let Risha travel with us, I was glad we could take the boar whole.

    The ethereal fox returned to Ilya¡¯s side and jumped into her arms.

    ¡°Blockage ahead,¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°Should we make a detour?¡± Risha asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Ilya dryly replied.

    A thick cluster of dead brambles blocked the path a hundred meters ahead. I looked at the scene without interfering as Ilya examined the blockage. The bramble wall was shorter to the east but would take us down a ravine covered in treacherous rocks. Finally, Ilya cast [Entangling Vines] and used them to flatten a path through the brambles. She turned around, seeking my approval, and I gave her the thumbs up. With a smile on her head, Ilya let the ethereal fox go and guided us through the newly formed path.

    The System wasn¡¯t as whimsical as I used to believe. Levels strengthened physical and magical capabilities, while practical experience, in the form of titles, improved one¡¯s Class. Ilya wouldn¡¯t have just to defeat monsters to become strong; she would have to cultivate her class through practice to maximize her effectiveness in combat.

    The Title System wasn¡¯t far from my beliefs about education. It rewarded creativity and hard work and, to a certain extent, deterred people from trusting solely on brute force.

    Summoned vines kept the bramble cluster compacted to the ground. Ilya¡¯s control over her mana was impressive. Her thornless vines formed an almost perfect path for us to walk.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the secret of infinite mana? Ilya shouldn¡¯t be able to use so many spells in such a short time. When I got my Basic Class, I could barely cast [Bark Skin] for thirty seconds,¡± Risha whispered near my ear as he looked in awe at Ilya¡¯s display of magic.

    Not only was it effective, but also elegant and controlled, much like Ilya¡¯s personality.

    ¡°We sacrifice a virgin every full moon and then drink their blood,¡± I replied.

    Risha laughed. ¡°Good to know I¡¯m safe from your silly cult. Keep your secrets, though. I don¡¯t really want them.¡±

    I used to forget that in this world, people jealously guarded the secrets of their craft. Even on Earth, companies didn¡¯t survive by broadcasting every secret they had to the world. There was a reason why industrial espionage was a thing. My mind wandered to the secrets of Mister Lowell¡¯s recipe book.

    I examined Risha¡¯s expression. He seemed to be happy by merely looking at Ilya performing her skills. Despite Elincia¡¯s warning, it was hard to suspect him.

    ¡°There¡¯s no secret to infinite mana. Ilya is using her mana efficiently. You can improve mana efficiency by channeling mana without activating any skill. It takes practice,¡± I said.

    The fact my mana pool had been huge from the start had desensitized me from the mana expenditure ordinary people experienced.

    ¡°Channeling mana without using skills? That¡¯s weird,¡± Risha pointed out.

    I understood his words. For the natives of this world, using skills was as natural as breathing. On the other hand, my exposure to the media in mine had established the idea of magic spells as something that had to be powered by a source of energy.

    ¡°Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and empty your mind. It will help you to visualize your mana pool,¡± I said.

    ¡°Emptying my mind isn¡¯t my strong point, teach,¡± Risha grinned.

    ¡°I tremble at the thought of what Elincia and you put Mister Lowell through.¡±

    Ilya was doing such a good job guiding us that I forgot I was supposed to look after her. I enjoyed trekking through the forest and chatting with Risha equally. Despite knowing each other for a few days, the conversation flowed seamlessly, as if we were old acquaintances.

    ¡°May I ask what Class you have?¡± I asked. Classes didn¡¯t usually remain a secret as the rest of the contents of the Character Sheet, but asking felt a bit too inquisitive nonetheless.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Lv.39 Defender. Damage output is not the best, but put me in the front line, and I¡¯ll tank the monsters for you,¡± Risha replied.

    Risha was no small fry.

    Elincia was Lv.24 when I first met her. Considering they were around the same age, Risha should¡¯ve been busy fighting for the past seven years to reach such a high level. As Elincia had said, the soft cap at Lv.20 was brutal, so reaching Lv. 39 at such a young age was no easy feat.

    ¡°Acting as a human shield doesn¡¯t sound like the safest job at the Farlands,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°I spent my first paycheck buying booze for the Healer Corps. That might have played a role in my survival,¡± Risha replied, half joking. The dark side of the story didn¡¯t pass unnoticed to me; in the Farlands, soldiers died waiting for medical attention.

    ¡°Is it as bad as they say?¡± I asked.

    Suddenly, Risha dropped his festive mood.

    ¡°I¡¯m the only one alive from my original squad, and we were lucky to enlist at the start of the campaign. We fought near the border of the Farlands the first year. We used to watch the flanks, where there¡¯s not a lot of action expected. You can do the math,¡± Risha explained.

    Joining the army as a low-level novice was a race against time. The generals weren¡¯t as stupid to immediately send kids to the front line. They grouped them and sent them to the flanks to work as scouts. A novice would have one or two months to reach Lv.20, killing low-level monsters before being sent deep to the front line, where things were exponentially more dangerous to under-level soldiers. The ¡®good¡¯ part was that the more time a soldier survived, the better the chances were to remain alive.

    ¡°The grace periods became shorter as we went deeper into the Farlands. We need the manpower to keep the path open as the vanguard advances. New recruits get, at most, a couple of weeks to level up,¡± Risha explained with a grave expression. ¡°Not a good place to be as a low-level combatant, but at the same time, we are so close, we can¡¯t stop now.¡±

    A shiver ran down my spine as I imagined the old Ilya, under-leveled and under-classed, deep into the Farlands. My dark thoughts quickly vanished by the picture of Ilya trying to channel enough mana to summon a second Spirit Animal. My [Mana Mastery] told me the skill used a sizable amount of mana to function correctly, and Ilya already had her Spirit Fox running around.

    I silently thanked the System for giving Ilya a good Class.

    ¡°I owe you, Robert. For helping Elincia and keeping the orphanage afloat,¡± Risha said as he looked at the girl with a yearning smile. ¡°Ask me anything, and I¡¯ll do it. I''ll accept it if you want me to keep me away from the orphanage.¡±

    I bit my tongue. I was torn between Elincia¡¯s warnings and my personal opinion about Risha. Maybe Elincia was right, and Risha was manipulating me to gain my friendship, or maybe Elincia was wrong, and Risha left to make money for the orphanage. What was best for Elincia and the kids wasn¡¯t an answer I had yet, and I didn¡¯t want to burn down bridges until I had a complete picture of the situation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind,¡± I replied, and Risha breathed a sigh of relief.

    By noon, we reached the southern side of the valley. With Ilya guiding us through the forest and Risha carrying the Iceshard boar carcass, we made it to the mountain path ahead of schedule. We stumbled upon a lone Sentinel that waved at us after Risha drew their attention with a powerful whistle, but other than that, our journey was uneventful.

    We climbed the mountain path and covered the distance between the mountains and the army¡¯s camp outside the city walls at a good pace. We would arrive at the orphanage well before nightfall. As we crossed the defensive perimeter around the army¡¯s camp, the soldiers looked at our catch with greedy eyes.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    I had underestimated Risha¡¯s charisma.

    It took us an hour to traverse a hundred meters of paved road because Risha stopped to chit-chat with literally half the camp. The half-orc knew everyone by name, from recruits seeking advice to fellow veterans looking to brag about their earnings and even sergeants and captains just stopping to say hello. Everyone seemed to want a moment to greet Risha. Even a couple of lady friends, an attractive human Blacksmith, and a snakefolk Healer with more scars than scales stopped to catch on.

    ¡°We are old friends,¡± Risha stammered after the snakefolk Healer kissed both his cheeks goodbye.

    [Awareness] told me he was lying.

    ¡°I guess you have to pay for expedited treatment,¡± I replied with a wide grin.

    Risha gave me the ¡®not in front of the kids¡¯ look, but Ilya was more interested in the skeeths than Risha¡¯s romantic life. Despite my jokes, my intuition told me Risha wasn¡¯t so cherished strictly because of his charisma. An Lv.39 Defender should¡¯ve saved the lives of half the campament during seven years of service.

    Half an hour later, Risha had brushed off the last of his acquaintances, and we finally crossed the city walls. Farcrest remained the same as when we left. Carts of goods supplied the military camp, while merchants and vendors filled the main street, hoping to empty the soldier¡¯s pockets. As we walked, [Awareness] informed me a ¡®Red Light¡¯ district had formed near the city''s northern gate. Several taverns, gambling saloons, and potion stores that weren¡¯t there a month earlier had appeared overnight.

    The Northern District was experiencing some sort of economic revival. It made sense, considering this was the first time most soldiers visited a ¡®big¡¯ city since they enlisted. At least the Marquis''s plans were coming to fruition; lots of coin would find its way to his coffers.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to show up at the orphanage without Elincia¡¯s approval, so I¡¯ll leave now,¡± Risha said, putting the frozen boar down. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if the investigation gets somewhere.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you around,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Tell me which is your bedroom so we can have a couple of stealthy beers one of these nights,¡± Risha winked at me. Then he turned to Ilya. ¡°I¡¯m glad you got your dream Class, Ilya, but remember. Skill alone is not enough to survive in the Farlands. Find good friends. They are better than the sharpest sword and the strongest bow.¡±

    Ilya sighed like only a pissed teenager could; Risha¡¯s advice hadn¡¯t amused her. ¡°Try harder. Mister Clarke already told me that and phrased it more convincingly.¡±

    Risha stiffed a smile and waved before returning to the camp. After a moment, Ilya and I were left alone with a hundred-kilo frozen boar carcass in the middle of the street.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me you trusted Risha?¡± I said, grabbing the boar. It was heavier than I expected, so I had to put my mana to work to keep it on my shoulders. I felt my vertebrae compressing.

    ¡°I have to be twice as wary around Risha because I trust him,¡± Ilya replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

    It didn¡¯t make sense to me.

    ¡°The System should¡¯ve given you the ¡®paranoid¡¯ trait,¡± I sighed.

    Ilya rolled her eyes.

    Still, I gave Ilya the benefit of the doubt. Risha¡¯s advice had a different meaning if I assumed the words were directed at me. ¡®I can be a useful friend to the orphanage if you want me to be¡¯. He should know the orphanage was in great need of allies.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move before my spine breaks in half.¡±

    * * *

    Ily and I crossed the iron fence and went around the mansion to enter through the backdoor. Despite being the afternoon class hours, Firana played with the little kids in the backyard while Zaon and Wolf hammered down a new chicken coop. Elincia and Ginz were nowhere to be found.

    The little kids rushed toward us as soon as we entered the backyard. They stopped a meter away, watching in awe as I put the boar down. My body was sore after carrying the frozen carcass for a few hundred meters. I needed Elincia to rub my shoulders with some salve.

    As the first impression vanished, the kids swarmed Ilya with questions.

    ¡°Did you find the Sacred Potato?!¡± Nokti jumped forward.

    ¡°No, we were too busy fighting an Iceshard Matriarch,¡± Ilya replied, full of herself.

    Several ¡®wows'' and ¡®woahs'' flew around as Ilya told a detailed retelling of the fight against the rabid beast. She skipped the parts featuring Risha. The little kids shuddered in fear when Ilya told them about the destructive energy beam and jumped in bliss when she described the Cooldown Bow¡¯s powerful shot. Ash couldn¡¯t help but voice his skepticism, which was quickly received by a ¡®What do you know about the Farlands?¡¯ by Shu.

    Firana was the most amazed, by far. She eyed Ilya as if it was the first time she saw a gnome. It was hard to tell if Ilya and Firana were friends now, but I hoped the extra attention softened Ilya¡¯s defenses.

    While Ilya answered questions, Firana and I grabbed the boar and dragged it inside the kitchen.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Elincia?¡± I asked.

    ¡°In her bedroom. Miss Nasiah and Captain Kiln came to visit; they locked themselves in the bedroom and expelled us all,¡± Firana replied with a hint of bitterness.

    I did a mental review of the orphanage¡¯s finances. As far as I remember, we had no pending business with Miss Nasiah. And she wasn¡¯t the kind of person who visited an orphanage for the pleasure of seeing kids running around. Something important must¡¯ve happened in my absence.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check on them,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the kids off Ilya,¡± Firana replied.

    I suspected Firana¡¯s intentions weren¡¯t entirely selfless. She probably wanted to ask questions herself. If my inner calendar wasn¡¯t wrong, Firana was a few days away from turning fifteen herself.

    We parted ways. As I crossed the manor with long strides, my concerns grew; a visit from Miss Nasia was unheard of, and Captain Kiln should be in the Great Hall attending her captain duties. Something terrible must¡¯ve happened. The sooner I could get back to work, the better.

    I opened the bedroom door to find Elincia standing on a stool dressed in light white while Ginz and Nasiah measured her. Captain Kiln stood beside the bed, examining a pile of dresses. None of them noticed my presence.

    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m alive,¡± I greeted, watching the strange scene unfolding before my eyes.

    Elincia gave me a pleading look, but Nasiah quickly forced her to look forward.

    ¡°The groom finally arrived!¡± Captain Kiln replied in a festive tone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her,¡± Elincia said before Nasiah silenced her.

    I turned to Ginz, asking for answers.

    ¡°Hey, Rob! Good news. You are kindly invited to a party at the Great Hall. We are preparing your lovely companion,¡± Ginz said, just to turn around and glance at my muddy self with terror. ¡°You better go bathe before Izabeka dunks you into the well.¡±

    Nasiah burst out laughing, and Elincia¡¯s face reddened.

    ¡°I have removed the filth off two generations of Kilns. One dirty Scholar isn¡¯t going to be a rival to my power-scrubbing,¡± Captain Kiln said, flexing her arm. [Awareness] couldn''t tell if she was joking, but it let me know my chances of keeping my skin intact after a Kiln¡¯s [Power-Scrubbing] would be slim.

    Elincia and I exchanged a worried glance¡ªat least the pile of dresses made sense.

    A moment later, Ginz and Nasiah finished taking Elincia¡¯s measurements, and the girl jumped from the stool to my arms like a cat seeking shelter from a sticky-fingered toddler. Judging by the reddened skin on her chest and arms, she must¡¯ve been subject to Kiln¡¯s power-scrubbing.

    ¡°How did the hunt go?¡± Elincia nervously asked.

    At this point in our relationship, I knew I had to remove the band-aid in one go.

    ¡°Ilya did great. We killed an Iceshard Matriarch, and Ilya hunted down an Iceshard Boar. It''s in the kitchen right now,¡± I said. The effectiveness of the Cooldown Bow was greater than I had expected, but again, with magic or not, monsters were still made of flesh and bone.

    Everyone looked at me with mouths agape¡ªeveryone except Captain Kiln.

    ¡°Called it, pay up,¡± she said as she extended her hand, and Ginz and Nasiah begrudgingly deposited a silver coin each. Then Izabeka noticed my inquiring eyes. ¡°What? I knew you would go over the top.¡±

    ¡°Someone was in danger! We didn¡¯t go around looking for a Matriarch to pick a fight with,¡± I tried to defend my honor as a teacher.

    ¡°You infected Ilya¡¯s brain with your recklessness,¡± Captain Kiln replied, tucking the silver coins inside her pouch before Ginz or Nasiah could demand them back.

    As the discussion about the deal''s fine print erupted, I dragged Elincia outside the bedroom. I grabbed Elincia by the waist and hugged her tightly. Despite being away for three days, I missed her.

    ¡°Busy day, uh?¡±

    ¡°You smell awful,¡± she replied, hugging me nonetheless. ¡°Now tell me everything about the trip. With details¡±

    We moved the conversation to the kitchen. Ilya was skinning the boar while the kids observed the process in silence. The boar was completely thawed despite being rock-frozen minutes ago. I assumed Ilya had used another of Mister Lowell¡¯s miraculous potions.

    ¡°How do you even bring that thing back? Not even Wolf should be able to cross the northern valley in a single day with that on his shoulder,¡± Elincia said, approaching the kitchen counter and examining the carcass with expert eyes.

    ¡°I summoned a Mage Hand that carried it for me?¡± I replied, knowing my lie was flimsy as a straw house.

    ¡°Was that ¡®mage hand¡¯ a friendly half-orc named Risha, by any chance?¡± Elincia raised an eyebrow.

    Ilya looked over her shoulder. ¡°They are besties now.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Ilya! I thought I was your favorite teacher!¡± I jokingly said.

    ¡°Mister Clarke will always be my favorite teacher and my second most favorite caretaker,¡± Ilya replied smugly, just to move her focus back to Elincia. ¡°Risha was fighting the Matriarch, so I decided to jump in. I got a title and two skills.¡±

    More ¡®wows'' and ¡®woahs'' flew around.

    Elincia grabbed my hand and leaned against my shoulder.

    ¡°I love how you always want to see the good in people,¡± she said, poking my sides.

    The ¡®wows¡¯ and ¡®woahs¡¯ were quickly replaced by ¡®ewws¡¯ and ¡®ughs¡¯. Viridian was more pragmatic and simply covered his ears with his hands. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Shu gawked at us with interest. Seeing our signs of affection were not well received, I decided to change the topic.

    ¡°So what¡¯s this about a party we¡¯re going to?¡± I asked.

 97 - Appearances

    It was finally time to pay my dues. [Awareness] bombarded me with the hundred and one different dangers of dealing with nobility. I took a deep breath and silenced the skill. We were not the prince¡¯s key to victory but a small cog in his political machine. Our task was clear: support the royalist faction to cement their influence over the rest of noble families.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how my presence at the feast would help to achieve anything.

    The invitation letter was brief; as a participant in the Stephaniss tournament, I was kindly invited to the yearly memorial feast for the former Marquis. I wasn¡¯t invited because of my good looks, and I was definitely not invited because of my notorious dinner jokes. The Marquis wanted me to parade before the nobles, but I lacked any political weight to drag lesser nobles to the royalist faction.

    Maybe I was merely bait.

    Promoting an armed conflict left a bitter taste in my mouth, but my number one priority was to ensure the long-term survival of the orphanage. I dipped in the bathtub and scrubbed off all the dirt I had gathered during the hunting trip with Ilya. The warm water eased the tension on my shoulders. In front of me, there was a fine assortment of high-quality magical soaps and balms. Elincia had pulled out the big guns.

    ¡°Left to right, head to toe,¡± I muttered to myself to remember the order in which I was supposed to apply the infusions. The silver lining was that Captain Kiln wasn¡¯t there to apply her renowned [Power Scrubbing] on me. The Scholar Class lacked the defensive capabilities to withstand such abuse.

    I heated the water a couple of degrees using mana and closed my eyes for a second. My aspirations to break physics with magic were long gone, but at least the early work with mana manipulation helped me to develop my control over mana. I wondered if the System''s creator had put a safeguard in place to prevent people like me from accidentally splitting atoms.

    I shook my head. There was no time to waste on superfluous thoughts. I grabbed the shampoo and massaged my hair. It wasn¡¯t as long as it was during college, but it was getting there. The lather covered my head. It smelled like mint, which was strange considering how used I was to floral scents. I rinsed the shampoo with bathwater and continued with an oily cream. This one smelled of live Fire Vine Pods.

    I was very careful not to get any in my eyes.

    Across the hall, I heard Nasiah, Ginz, and Captain Kiln fiercely yelling at each other. Elincia¡¯s garment was becoming a point of contention between those three. It would be a touching scene if they weren¡¯t insulting each other¡¯s ancestors. At least I had the peace of mind that they worried about the well-being of the orphanage.

    I quickly shaved and rinsed off. Although a warm bath was a gift from the heavens after days of traversing the wilderness, I couldn¡¯t remain in the bathtub forever. The increasing uproar coming from Elincia¡¯s room made me think she needed support. After drying myself with an old towel, I put on a simple white shirt and riding breeches and left my bedroom.

    The yelling intensified to alarming levels as I walked down the corridor.

    I opened the door.

    Nasiah violently pulled on strings, and the modest yellow dress adopted Elincia¡¯s slim figure. It wasn¡¯t a hundred percent perfect fit, as the dress¡¯s shoulders were a bit wide for Elincia, but it was close. Nasia and Ginz both grabbed a pincushion and started fixing the surplus fabric. Considering Elincia¡¯s expression, she definitely needed support.

    ¡°My father gifted me that dress when I was thirteen. He was still hoping he could marry me with a man of the Farcrest Family,¡± Captain Kiln said.

    The dress was slightly too wide for Elincia despite her strong archer shoulders. Captain Kiln must have been a tall and robust thirteen-year-old to fill it. It wasn¡¯t a surprise. Despite being past her prime, Captain Kiln still maintained a sharp physique. If I hadn¡¯t seen her Character Sheet before, I would¡¯ve suspected she was at least a quarter orc.

    ¡°You were going to marry the Marquis?¡± Elincia asked, her arms extended as Ginz and Nasiah worked on the dress.

    ¡°Tauron hadn¡¯t yet been born when I was thirteen. My father had his older brother, Rikard, in sight. May the System let his soul rest in peace,¡± the Captain replied. She might have noticed my questioning look because she quickly explained. ¡°He died during the Forest Warden¡¯s Monster Surge; seventeen years old, Lv.35.¡±

    I nodded in silence. Risha was Lv.34 after fighting in the Farlands for seven years. Rikard, on the other hand, reached a similar level in only two years. I could only imagine what monsters he faced to reach that level at such a young age.

    ¡°Captain Kiln was the one who killed the Warden, if you are curious. Since then, she¡¯s regarded as a citywide hero,¡± Ginz pointed out.

    Captain Kiln shook her head. ¡°Rikard and Lord Stephaniss did most of the work. I only survived long enough to strike the final blow,¡± Captain Kiln looked at me directly. ¡°Generations of Farcrests, Kilns, Abeis, and Holsts have bled for this city to survive, Rob. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±

    I raised my palms in defeat. My views on nobility weren¡¯t a secret for anyone, but I wasn¡¯t going to smear the names of the city''s founding families just because of that.

    ¡°Did the Marquis send any instructions?¡± I asked. If I was going to be Farcrest¡¯s poster-boy, I better memorize the lines my employer wanted me to say.

    Captain Kiln gave me a questioning look.

    ¡°Ginz and Miss Nasiah are trustworthy,¡± I quickly said.

    Captain Kiln nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to put it in simple terms. The campaign is in a bad spot because the Three Great Houses, House Osgiria, House Herran, and House Gairon, are comfortable with the status quo. Opening a new trade route could put their business in danger. Turning them to our side would be unlikely, so don¡¯t worry about them until the tournament.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I said, relieved.

    I didn¡¯t wholly agree with Captain Kiln. Politically speaking, today¡¯s enemy could be tomorrow¡¯s commercial ally. It happened with Japan and Germany, so I hadn¡¯t the slightest doubt that was the case in this world too. If the big houses saw a benefit from the new trade route, they¡¯d jump into the royalist wagon in the blink of an eye. The rest would follow just to save face and not arrive late to the repartition of spoils.

    Not that it was something I could achieve.

    ¡°For now, your job will be to entertain the nobles,¡± Captain Kiln finally said.

    The words didn¡¯t make sense at first.

    ¡°Entertain?¡± I asked. Even if my attention span was flimsy at times, I knew ¡®entertaining nobles¡¯ had little to do with the complex web of economic and political relationships within noble houses.

    ¡°We are in the middle of nowhere, Robert. It¡¯s winter. The main problem of the royal army currently is that everyone wants to go home,¡± Captain Kiln said. ¡°They are bored, and you are the most entertaining thing in kilometers. Think about it. You belong to a completely different country with different traditions and customs.¡±

    I sighed. Even if I was technically allied with the Marquis and the crowned prince, I was a low-level grunt for them, at least until the tournament started.

    ¡°Tell them about motor-bikes! And planes! And¡ª¡± Elincia said from the top of the stool. The na?ve excitement in her voice was nothing but heartwarming.

    Nasiah shut her down with the jab of a pin.

    ¡°I guess I can entertain some nobles. It would not be that different from telling my class about my vacations on the first day of class,¡± I sighed, half relieved and half disappointed. If Captain Kiln had given me a couple of weeks of notice, I would¡¯ve prepared a Rubik¡¯s cube or some other nifty contraption to blow their minds away.

    Nasiah interrupted us. Elincia was ready. ¡°What do you think, Captain?¡±

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    The yellow dress was now a second skin around Elincia¡¯s body to the point she couldn¡¯t freely breathe. I wasn¡¯t up to date with the Ebros¡¯ fashion scene, but Elincia was stunning even with the dozen pins protruding from the dress. She gave me a distressed smile.

    ¡°Too anachronistic. I told you that dress was ¡®classic¡¯ thirty years ago,¡± Captain Kiln clicked her tongue in disgust.

    ¡°Anything newer looks like a tent on her!¡± Nasiah angrily replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault Elincia is a half-elf twig!¡± Captain Kiln said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not going to work, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Ginz pointed out, examining Elincia¡¯s appearance with his expert eye. ¡°Nobody will want to be seen near a lowborn skinny half-elf. We need something more striking. Something that would distract the nobles from the fact Elincia is Elincia.¡±

    ¡°I think Elincia is beautiful,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Shut it, Scholar, this is your fault,¡± Nasia said. ¡°You decided to make the name Rosebud famous by naming your silly fencing school after Elincia. Now nobles will expect something more than a piss poor governess.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rob. I was happy¡ª¡± Elincia tried to speak under the pressure of the dress, but she was cut short.

    ¡°Shut it, Discount Dryad!¡± Nasiah yelled.

    The pile of ¡®used¡¯ dresses on the bed told me everything I had to know about the fashion complications we were experiencing. I sighed. We were reaching unhealthy levels of stress, but nothing college didn¡¯t prepare me for. We had a problem. We just needed a solution. I crossed the room and dug into the pile of dresses. It was like seeing a timeline of Captain Kiln¡¯s physical prowess.

    Ginz, Captain Kiln, and Nasiah fiercely discussed the kind of attire Elincia should use. Ginz argued that something more motherly would fit the ¡®governess¡¯ aesthetic, while Captain Kiln said a mystical Alchemist vibe was the correct answer. Nasia, for her part, shot down every idea with her sharp tongue.

    ¡°Elincia lacks the bust and the hips to look like a fertility icon, and we¡¯ve already been doing business under the nose of the Alchemists Guild, so it wouldn¡¯t be wise to taunt them with a mystic Alchemist look,¡± Nasiah grunted.

    Nasiah and the Captain entered a shouting match for the next five minutes over our potion deal. In the meantime, Elincia climbed off the stool and put her head on my shoulder. I couldn¡¯t tell if she was angry, tired, or resigned. Maybe it was all of the above.

    ¡°How are you doing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s kinda funny. A few months ago, I was all alone, and now I have people arguing over my dress,¡± Elincia replied, covering her smile with a hand.

    ¡°We should be more selective going forward. You know, to keep crazy people away from the orphanage,¡± I said as Ginz joined the shouting match. Nasiah and Captain Kiln were like cats and dogs.

    ¡°I like feisty people,¡± Elincia shrugged as she stealthily pulled a couple of the pins, keeping the fabric tight on her chest. Having released the pressure, she took a deep breath. ¡°So, any ideas for my outfit? You come up with good ideas occasionally.¡±

    I rolled my eyes.

    A dark blue mounting dress had caught my attention. Even with a high-level Craftsman within our ranks, time would be our greatest constraint. We needed to work on something pre-made. In the corner of the room were several rolls of fabric and cloth. Despite the short notice, the Marquis had been farsighted enough to provide us with the necessary material.

    An idea was brewing in my mind.

    ¡°My philosophy teacher was a charlatan, you know?¡± I said as a smile tugged my lips. ¡°He once told the class that a woman¡¯s most beautiful part was her back because you don¡¯t know yet how she looks. You only see your own expectations.¡±

    ¡°He sounds like a charlatan, but I see where he was going. We don¡¯t have to meet the nobles'' expectations; we just have to string them along,¡± Elincia said as she thoughtfully tapped her lips. Then, she took a piece of expensive cloth from the pile and covered her mouth. ¡°Do I look more beautiful to you, Mister Clarke?¡±

    I laughed. ¡°You could hardly look more beautiful to me.¡±

    Her bright emerald eyes were mesmerizing.

    ¡°Mister Lowell warned me about sweet-talking men like you,¡± Elincia giggled, her face blushing ever so slightly.

    ¡°Are you okay with this?¡± I asked. Even if nobles had high expectations about the woman who gave her name to the fencing school, I didn¡¯t want to force Elincia to take an active role in my entanglement with nobility.

    ¡°If we can convince them we are the next big thing, I¡¯m in,¡± Elincia replied with a mischievous smile.

    A plan hatched in my mind. Light stones were far from a perfect light source; they were closer to a candle than a light bulb. We could exploit the darkened environment to hide Elincia¡¯s features and feed the nobles'' expectations. It was a gimmicky plan at best, but it would buy us enough time to prepare something more produced.

    ¡°Alright, kids,¡± I said, clapping my hands. ¡°Who can tell me a person¡¯s most attractive feature?¡±

    They all looked at me like I was clinically insane.

    Nasiah called me a cheating bastard, but the smile on her face told me everything I had to know. They were sold on my idea. The focus of attention changed from Elincia to the pile of dresses. The best part about concealing Elincia under layers of fabric was that we didn¡¯t need perfect fits.

    Ginz assembled a dress, using the blue mounting dress as a starting point. Then he added a mantle around the shoulders, a long skirt with pleats, a translucent face veil, and a petticoat to give the cloak more volume. By the end of the discussion, we had assembled a somewhat androgynous set, just in the sweet spot between orb-pondering wizard and arcane priestess, that hid most of Elincia¡¯s features except for her eyes.

    ¡°Elincia, you know you choose a trickster as a partner, don¡¯t you?¡± Nasiah asked.

    Coming from her, I took it as a compliment.

    After briefly discussing the best appliqu¨¦s for the cloak, Ginz grabbed the dress and took it to his workshop. Although we were racing against time, I trusted Ginz to prepare the dress for the evening. I had come to understand how overpowered Crafters were among crafting classes. Maybe he wasn¡¯t as specialized as a Tailor, but he could work fabric as well as any earthly designer.

    ¡°The best part about the dress is that I won¡¯t have to wear makeup,¡± Elincia said, full of herself.

    Captain Kiln put her huge hands on Elincia¡¯s shoulders and pushed her down to her seat. I used [Minor Illusion] to summon the figure of the younger Elincia that Loki had shown me months before. I didn¡¯t have a strong stance on makeup, but heavy black eyeliner perfectly suited her.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going back to that,¡± Elincia struggled to stand up. Unfortunately for Elincia, the Book of Classes stated that Knights had A-rank strength while Alchemists only had E-rank strength.

    ¡°Trust me, your sham Scholar sweetheart will not be able to keep his hands to himself after this,¡± Nasiah mischievously smiled as she pulled a make-up set out of nowhere.

    I swallowed, fearing she was right.

    * * *

    Despite the rush, Elincia¡¯s outfit came out perfect. The cloak and the veil covered her features, shrouding her in an aura of mystery while remaining elegant and sober. [Night Vision] made her emerald eyes shine like the eyes of a cat in the dark, adding even more allure to her presence.

    My heart skipped a beat every time our eyes met.

    My transformation wasn¡¯t as spectacular. I wore the Rosebud Academy uniform with nice boots and a short cape over the shoulders to add ¡®volume¡¯ to my figure. Captain Kiln strapped an old ornate sword from my side, and Nasiah slicked my hair back like a villain of a cheap action movie.

    ¡°It seems Elincia wants to perform some [Lay on Hands] action on Rob,¡± Captain Kiln laughed.

    ¡°No, I don''t!¡± Elincia replied.

    We laughed now that the tension had passed. I excused myself and ran to my bedroom to grab the instant camera. The situation warranted a photo. We stood in the middle of Elincia¡¯s room; everyone except Elincia was perplexed as I asked them to stand still. I warned them about the flash, set the timer, and ran back to pose by Elincia¡¯s side.

    ¡°This better not be a practical joke,¡± Captain Kiln said after the shutter clicked.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± I replied, taking the photograph.

    Just as expected, Captain Kiln¡¯s brains were blown. The photo was good despite Ginz¡¯s restless expression: Elincia and I were sitting in the middle, Captain Kiln stood straight to the right, and Ginz and Nasiah to the left. It almost looked like a parent and student photo on graduation day.

    ¡°If you bring that to the party, you¡¯ll be the night sensation,¡± Captain Kiln said, her eyes shining like an excited kid.

    ¡°There¡¯s only a few uses left, and I''d rather use it in the orphanage,¡± I replied.

    Captain Kiln nodded, somewhat sad. I made a mental note to leave it in a safe place. I knew my people; Nasiah would want to sell it for profit, while Ginz would love to disassemble it. Before they could start bartering, I scurried away to take a photo of Ilya with the Iceshard Boar. I suddenly felt nostalgic. Soon, my class would be all adults, and only time would tell where they¡¯d end up.

    After taking the pictures, we reunited in the vestibule. The kids were excited by Elincia¡¯s dress and would let her go until after a double round of hugs and several promises of returning before bedtime. After receiving a few leftover hugs myself, Captain Kiln guided us outside. In front of the orphanage, an elegant carriage of black varnished wood and silvery handrails pulled by two beautiful horses awaited us.

    ¡°Bring me cake!¡± Shu yelled from the doorway.

    Captain Kiln opened the door, and I entered first. A tall man with broad shoulders and a stern look was already sitting inside the carriage. He was dressed in elegant black and green military clothes with golden buttons. Several medals hung from his chest. His hair was combed back in the same fashion as mine, and his beard was perfectly groomed to the occasion. His mere presence told me he wasn¡¯t an ordinary commoner.

    ¡°Good afternoon, My Lord,¡± I greeted, cursing Captain Kiln for not warning me about our carriage companion.

    ¡°I¡¯m Janus, you asshat,¡± he grunted in the well-known voice of the rugged swordsman.

 98 - Barrier

    Elincia pushed me from behind, and I sat inside the carriage in front of Sir Janus. The man was unrecognizable. His hair was combed back, his beard cut short, and his uniform spotless. The crooked scar under his jaw was the only feature that hinted he was indeed Janus.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Sir Janus,¡± Elincia said with a curtsy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so formal, girl. We both are lowborn,¡± Sir Janus sighed.

    I wondered if Elincia had recognized the man or if she had overheard our brief conversation. Either way, her accurate greeting didn¡¯t help me save face. Behind us, Captain Kiln climbed the carriage and sat in the only empty seat.

    ¡°Good afternoon, My Lord,¡± Captain Kiln said with a humorous tone.

    ¡°Shut it, Kiln,¡± he replied.

    The driver closed the door behind her, and the carriage started moving a moment later. The ragged streets of the Northern district didn¡¯t make the trip comfortable. The tension that had been building up inside continued growing as we approached the Great Hall. Unconsciously, I started fiddling with the copper bracelet Ginz had crafted for me.

    ¡°Relax, Robert. I¡¯ll be your babysitter for the night''s first half. Being nervous will not do anything for you,¡± Sir Janus said, just to add with a mischievous smile. ¡°The really important people will be at a party of their own, so you don¡¯t have to worry about them. As long as you don¡¯t anger a Lv.40 Captain, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    I gave Captain Kiln a questioning look. I had assumed every noble, from Prince Adrien to the lower baron, would be at the same party. The woman remained silent. It made sense for the nobles to have an inner hierarchy: Prince Adrien and Lord Osgiria couldn¡¯t be compared with a lowly baron.

    Eventually, the carriage stopped shaking as we left the dilapidated streets of the Northern District behind. I took a peek through the small window in the door. Several other carriages moved up the main road towards the Great Hall. Ours was the most opulent one, which made sense considering all the important nobles were already staying in the Great Hall. Bystanders stopped on the sideways and pointed at us with curious looks, probably wondering who was riding inside. Little did they know it was the governess of a poor orphanage and her handy assistant.

    The carriage passed through the inner wall and slowly advanced to the Great Hall¡¯s entrance.

    Near a water fountain, a quartet of musicians played a happy tune while servants distributed drinks and snacks among the guests. For a moment, I thought the party was going to be celebrated in the gardens, but [Awareness] informed me their attire wasn''t up to the occasion. They were commoners. Wealthy merchants, prominent craftsmen, and officers from the royal army drank wine while the group''s young members participated in various dances and games.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at them. They¡¯ll try to drink your blood,¡± Sir Janus grunted.

    Those who weren¡¯t immersed in the dances or the drinks eyed our carriage with intrigued expressions.

    ¡°They are our countrymen, Janus,¡± Captain Kiln replied.

    Sir Janus dismissed the Captain¡¯s words with a movement of his hand and turned to face Elincia. ¡°And that won¡¯t stop them from stealing Robert from you if that improves their social standing.¡±

    Elincia extended her arm and closed the curtains and I covered my mouth with my hand to not laugh.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Eli. I¡¯m not letting anyone take me away from you,¡± I whispered into her ear.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to live the rest of your life fearing poisoned drinks, then you better behave,¡± Elincia replied.

    The carriage stopped, and the driver opened the door. An army of servants awaited us. Next to us, several other carriages dropped off their passengers and exited the premises. The newcomers were guided to the gardens by the servants while our carriage was left alone as if they knew we belonged inside.

    Captain Kiln was the first to jump out. She excused herself, saying she had to get ready for dinner, and disappeared through a lateral door. I wondered if a squire was nervously looking for her somewhere inside the Great Hall.

    ¡°Our party is inside. Follow my lead,¡± Sir Janus said as he stretched his uniform.

    The driver announced our arrival, and Sir Janus stepped outside the carriage. I followed. The entrance of the Great Hall was decorated with assortments of multicolor light stones bundled around iron poles. I couldn¡¯t help but think of them as candy trees. They looked delicious. Over the main entrance hung the banner of the golden stag, with the banner of the impaled Black Wolf hanging an echelon lower. The entrance was guarded by soldiers dressed in the colors of the seven Dukedoms.

    I offered my arm to Elincia, and we climbed the stairs.

    The attention of the commoners fell upon us as soon as they noticed we wouldn¡¯t join them. They looked at us with curiosity, joining heads to exchange questions about our identity. I followed Sir Janus''s advice and ignored them. It has been a while since I attended a party, not counting Ilya¡¯s birthday.

    The guards let us through, and a horn-holding herald dressed in bright clothing, almost like a jester, guided us toward the ballroom. The hall was decorated with the same white canvas and dozens upon dozens of light stones. Despite the dusk setting outside, the Great Hall looked like a warm summer morning.

    The herald asked us to wait before a great double door carved with floral motifs.

    Sir Janus took a deep breath, fixed the medals on his chest, and checked the sword hanging from his belt. Then he fixed his medals again. I wondered what was on the other side of the door that could give the jitters to a high-level Imperial Knight.

    ¡°Do you have class reunions in your land, Robert?¡± Sir Janus asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I avoided them like the plague,¡± I replied.

    Before Sir Janus could add anything else, the herald returned accompanied by two masked individuals. To say they looked shady was to fall short. It wasn¡¯t the golden masks that covered the Zealot¡¯s faces but crude imitations of suffering human faces. They wore washed-out jackets and baggy pants adjusted at the ankles, giving them the appearance of dangerous vagrants.

    ¡°Sniffers,¡± Sir Janus said.

    ¡°Please stay still,¡± the herald said with perfunctory courtesy.

    The Sniffers circled us like wolves. They didn¡¯t touch us but didn¡¯t respect personal space either. I could sense their intrusive presence crawling beneath my skin; half skill, half something completely different. I wanted to push them away from me, but the royal crest on their shoulder prevented me from doing it.

    ¡°That¡¯s a curious ring. I wonder what it does,¡± one of the Sniffers said as he crouched and closely examined my hand. He had a masculine voice. Not a completely sane one. [Awareness] told me to run and nothing else.

    ¡°The rings are connected. Not dangerous,¡± the other Sniffer scolded her companion. That one had a distinctive feminine voice. She soon lost interest in the ring on my hand and approached Elincia. ¡°The woman¡­ she has something interesting beneath her cloak.¡±

    The Sniffer¡¯s attention fell on Elincia, who remained as a statue.

    ¡°Show us, woman,¡± the male Sniffer said.

    Elincia opened her cloak and untied her potion belt. The Sniffers brought their faces close to the belt, to the point their noses almost touched it. I let my [Mana Mastery] take control over my senses, revealing the mana around me. The Sniffer¡¯s eyes, nose, and even tongue shone with a dark mana similar to the one Sir Janus had conjured back during our fight against the thieves. They were casting an advanced detection skill.

    ¡°Health, antidote, energy, no poison,¡± the man hissed between his teeth, disappointed.

    ¡°Safe. The potions are safe,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°The potions are safe, but this one smells strange, yes?¡± the man lost interest in Elincia and got on all fours to examine my boots.

    Elincia breathed with ease as she strapped the potion belt around her waist. The eyes of the Sniffer shone with a dangerous glint as her partner circled me, still crouching. I wanted to shove them and ran away. There was something wrong with the mana they were using to fuel their abilities.

    ¡°Yes, this one smells like faraway,¡± the woman replied.

    "Faraway, and something beyond. Beyond far away," the man said, sniffing my short cloak as if trying to pluck out its different aroma notes.

    "Beyond far away," the woman concurred as her eyes started to dilate.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Strange, very strange,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Strange, very strange,¡± the woman replied. She had an unsavory look in her eyes.

    The herald looked at me with a worried expression as he brought his hand to the war horn on his belt. It wasn¡¯t like I was carrying a bag of anthrax into the party. The Sniffers fell silent.

    ¡°Strange is not dangerous, dog. Do as your master said,¡± Sir Janus suddenly grunted, making the Sniffers snap out of their trance.

    ¡°They are clean,¡± the male Sniffer said.

    ¡°They are clean,¡± the woman replied before turning around and walking down the corridor they had appeared from.

    Sir Janus snapped his fingers, and the herald opened the double doors. Rays of gold and silver emerged from the ballroom. The herald grabbed his horn and pulled it to his mouth, producing a deep sound that made the floor tremble.

    ¡°Sir Janus, Swordmaster Robert Clarke, and Miss Elincia Rosebud from the Rosebud Fencing Academy,¡± the herald yelled louder than I thought humanly possible. Then, he moved aside and let us in.

    Streams of what could only be described as solid light flowed down the gilded candelabra on the ceiling, casting a warm glow on the ballroom¡¯s pure white floor. In the same fashion as the audience room, the walls were decorated with intricate tapestries depicting scenes of a hunt. Silver chandeliers hung between the marble columns, giving streams of silver light that mixed and intertwined with their golden counterparts. Gilded mirrors covered the wall to my right, while enormous windows draped in red curtains allowed the last rays of sun to enter the room.

    Whoever had decorated the room deserved a raise.

    ¡°I need a drink,¡± Sir Janus grunted as the welcoming committee came towards us.

    A tall, middle-aged man dressed in a black military dress with silvery appliqu¨¦s and a long white cape crossed the ballroom with a decisive step. I recognized the colors of the House Osgiria. The man received us with a well-acted smile. He had short black hair and the rapacious eyes of a competent strategist.

    Instead of the usual ornate sword, a crude axe made of black metal hung from his belt. It wasn¡¯t a magical artifact, yet it made me feel a strange void inside my stomach. After a moment, I understood why; the blade seemed to devour any mana particle that came in contact with it.

    An anti-magic weapon was bad news for me, so I made a mental note not to pick a fight with the guy.

    ¡°Janus the Weasel, what an unsightly surprise,¡± the Osgirian soldier ¨Cor general considering his uniform¨C said with a condescending voice.

    ¡°Still crying because a commoner beat you in your own game of intrigue?¡± Sir Janus replied with an arrogant tone.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lose,¡± the Osgirian said.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t win either,¡± Sir Janus replied.

    Despite the unfriendly banter, Janus and the man shook hands.

    ¡°This is Sir Enric Osgiria, cousin of Lord Osgiria, Great Marshall of the Osgirian Legion, and the coach of the Osgirian team for the tournament,¡± Sir Janus introduced the newcomer. ¡°If you embarrass him and his team during the tournament, Robert, I will pay you a hundred gold coins.¡±

    Sir Enric elbowed Sir Janus as he passed by his side and focused his attention on me. Elincia grabbed the fold of her dress and made a deep curtsy without saying a word. Sir Enric barely noticed her. His eyes were intense to the point I was tempted to look away.

    In the same line as the Marquis, Captain Kiln, and Sir Janus, Sir Enric was a head taller than me and weighed twice as much. I wondered if every high-level combatant had that strongman physique.

    ¡°I¡¯m Robert Clarke, and this is my companion, Elincia Rosebud,¡± I introduced us.

    ¡°So, you are the Scholar everyone is obsessed with. I thought you¡¯d be older. Usually, fencing masters are seasoned soldiers,¡± Sir Enric said, examining my appearance. ¡°No offense, of course.¡±

    Sir Enric¡¯s eyes were keen, much like the Sniffers¡¯. He wasn¡¯t just inspecting my physical appearance but also trying to measure my combat capabilities. I knew it was going to be the same all night. I grinned. If Prince Adrien wanted to parade me in front of the nobles, I was ready to add a little spice to the mix.

    ¡°No offense taken. I will be happy to have our students cross swords if you need more proof of my competence,¡± I calmly replied.

    Sir Janus stifled a laugh and gave me a slight nod.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the opportunity will arise during the tournament,¡± Sir Enric said, regaining his composure.

    I couldn¡¯t help but notice a hint of skepticism in his voice. It wasn¡¯t a surprise. Lowborns rarely reached the upper echelons of society. After one last glance, Sir Enric turned around to face Janus again.

    ¡°You should be careful, old friend. Your value lies in being the only commoner to graduate from the Imperial Academy. The moment more commoners start seeping into our ranks, you¡¯ll stop being a legend,¡± Sir Enric said before turning around and returning to his group of military buddies.

    The pragmatism of Prince Adrien and the Marquis had made me forget about the separation between nobles and commoners. The hierarchy of this world wasn¡¯t just about money, status, and bloodlines but a matter of potential, levels, and Classes. I massaged my temples, realizing we weren¡¯t just competing against the best-prepared students of the kingdom but against the prejudice against commoners. A smile tugged at my lips, though. The more they underestimated us during the tournament, the easier it would be for us to score better results.

    I noticed Elincia was squeezing my hand.

    ¡°That was intense,¡± she let out a deep sigh like she had been holding her breath during the conversation. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll never get used to dealing with high-level combatants.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t noticed anything out of the ordinary other than Sir Enric¡¯s axe, even with my [Mana Mastery] assisting me in detecting mana fluctuations. Maybe my own mana pool made me insensitive to the power of others.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not block the way,¡± Sir Janus said, leading the way to the party.

    Despite not wanting to be too distracted, I fed a little bit of extra mana to [Awareness]. The skill suddenly came to life, bombarding me with information: the strange fabrics of the nobles¡¯ garments, the enchanted jewels embedded in rings and necklaces, the furtive glances, unspoken words, and secret signals laid clear before my eyes.

    The party was the facade of a war zone. Political favors, trading, alliances ¡ªall concealed beneath the strange light from the chandeliers and the sweet music of the band. Some of the nobles were moved by honor, others by coin, others by power, and I needed to know who was which if I wanted to survive in this world. The last traces of nervousness left my body. Maybe it was [Awareness]¡¯s rush of information interfering with my capacity to make decisions. Maybe it was the [Scholar] part of my brain, but I felt the necessity of playing the game. I needed to solve the puzzle before me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like those eyes,¡± Elicia said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be cautious,¡± I mindlessly replied.

    Elincia didn¡¯t seem convinced but didn¡¯t add more.

    As we moved through the ballroom, I noticed the lack of servants. [Awareness] fed me more information. Silver trays full of liquor glasses floated around the room, carried by invisible hands. In the corner, a small assembly of instruments played without a musician. On the tables set along the wall, drinks poured themselves.

    I did my best not to look amazed.

    I was about to grab an enchanted tray to examine whatever runes were engraved on the surface when Prince Adrien appeared in front of us. Unlike the rest of the nobles, the prince was dressed in simple clothes. A pearl white shirt with delicate lace around the low neckline, heavy ruffles down the collar, and high-waisted blue pants. No trace of the royal colors other than the rings on his hand. His white, wavy hair was combed back like the rest of the men.

    A plain sheath with a simple sword, devoid of all decoration, hung from his belt.

    ¡°Robert and Elincia, finally someone interesting to talk to!¡± Prince Adrien said, loud enough for his voice to be heard over the music.

    The show had begun.

    [Awareness] instantly warned me about a dozen pairs of eyes falling upon us.

    ¡°Good evening, My Lord. It¡¯s a pleasure to see you here,¡± I greeted with a formal bow.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so stiff. You are making me feel self-conscious,¡± the Prince laughed.

    Was he already drunk, or was he playing a character? The other nobles didn¡¯t seem surprised in the slightest, which made me think we were threading known waters. I didn¡¯t need [Awareness] to notice their jealous eyes. Prince Adrien was putting me in a dangerous position, as expected. Soon, everyone would want to meet the mysterious Scholar who had the Crowned Prince enthralled.

    ¡°I beg your pardon, Prince Adrien,¡± I said, giving him the initiative of the conversation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll forgive you. You are not familiar with the local customs after all. It¡¯s a long way to the other side of the Farlands,¡± the Prince said, hiding a mischievous grin.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long way indeed,¡± I replied.

    Whispers rose all around us. The bait was planted, and the beasts were hungry. Captain Kiln was right when she told me nobles would crave entertainment. I wondered how much information the Marquis and Prince Adrien had fed the public about me. Would the nobles even believe there was something beyond the Farlands? I was a little too close to being branded as a charlatan to my liking.

    With a subtle movement of his hand, Prince Adrien summoned a silver tray and offered us a drink. We each took a glass of wine, and the tray continued its slithering way. A short sip revealed a fruity, soft flavor with barely any touch of alcohol.

    From the other side of the ballroom, Sir Enric glanced at us with interest.

    ¡°It seems everyone is here,¡± Prince Adrien said as the herald announced the arrival of the Marquis and Captain Kiln.

    The Marquis wore his usual black and red gala uniform, an amalgamation of a party dress and a military uniform. It took me a moment to recognize Captain Kiln, even with [Awareness] working in the background of my mind. She had shed her usual stained plate armor for a proper crimson dress with gold embroidery. Not only her face and arms were covered in scars, but her shoulders too.

    ¡°Those are sick scars,¡± Elincia whispered near my ear.

    The Marquis grabbed a glass of wine from one of the magic trays and raised it into the air. The music decreased its volume, and the guests met in the center. As expected, the Marquis went directly to the point.

    ¡°Today, we observe the thirtieth anniversary of the biggest catastrophe in Farcrest history: the Forest Warden Monster Surge. Many strong men and women paid with their lives to protect Farcrest and the kingdom, including my grandfather, Stephaniss of Farcrest, and my older brother, Rikard. To them, I say: Farcrest still thrives!¡± The Marquis''s voice filled the room.

    A round of applause rose. He did well in reminding everyone we were the ones who fought in the frontline against the Farlands. It served to solidify our presence, even if Farcrest was insignificant compared to the big three dukedoms.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave our worries outside and enjoy the night,¡± The Marquis raised his glass.

    The nobles cheered.

    Suddenly, half a dozen Fortifiers emerged from the crowd and channeled mana to the palm of their hands. Two of them were dressed in the colors of the royal family, two with the colors of the House Osgiria, one with the olive tree of House Gairon, and the last had the hammer crest of House Herran. I focused on the show. Their spells intertwined to raise a multicolor barrier around the ballroom and the adjacent rooms.

    I didn¡¯t need [Awareness] to understand we were cut off from the rest of the world.

 99 - Cheap Entertainment

    The barrier closed over our heads, casting a multicolor rain of sparks over the ballroom. I examined the crowd. [Awareness] informed me there were two kinds of nobles at the party: those who were used to the spectacle of lights and those who weren¡¯t. A barrier of this level was probably used only to protect royal family members and important nobles. The lack of servants, the Sniffers at the door, and the impenetrable barrier had to be state-of-the-art security, so only those used to moving with the upper echelons were accustomed to it.

    I ignored those entranced by the barrier and focused on those who seemed rather bored. By my side, Prince Adrien was more interested in his glass of wine. On the other side of the room, by Sir Enric¡¯s side, there was a pale middle-aged man dressed in a strange, blue, almost translucent cape with the crest of the White Tower embroidered in the chest.

    ¡°That one would be Lord Victor Osgiria. The redhead he is talking to is Lord Leonard Herran. I wonder where Lord Gairon is,¡± Prince Adrien muttered near my ear as the sparks danced over our heads, adopting the forms of monsters and animals.

    The Fortifiers were using a trick similar to my [Minor Illusion], but despite my curiosity, I focused on the high-profile nobles across the room. I visualized the map in the Marquis study. The Herran Dukedom was south Farcrest, beyond Vedras territory, between the mountainous region and the eastern Farlands. The area was rich in mineral deposits, so House Herran controlled most of the kingdom¡¯s metal industry.

    The new trade route could shatter their monopoly over metalworks, so they opposed the Farland¡¯s Campaign. They weren¡¯t strong enough to refuse the royal call to arms, but they had enough influence to withhold troops and aid despite their relative closeness to the front lines. I focused on Lord Herran to memorize his appearance.

    Lord Leonard Herran was a muscular man with fiery red hair riveted with white stripes and a wolf pelt across the shoulders. More than a noble, he looked like a savage warrior from the steppe. His clothing was stylish, though. He was more interested in arguing with Lord Osgiria than the light show.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t seem really fond of each other,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Their alliance is solid, still,¡± Prince Adrien smiled eerily. The way he framed it made me think he was actively trying to sabotage their relationship.

    My eyes drifted back to Lord Osgiria and Lord Herran. It seemed to me they were seconds away from throwing punches. Lord Herran was imposing, but Lord Osgiria didn¡¯t fall behind. [Awareness] told me that they both were high-level combatants.

    ¡°Do you know why we retreated to Farcrest?¡± Prince Adrien asked.

    ¡°The campaign isn¡¯t going well?¡±

    Prince Adrien nodded. ¡°Sparing soldiers comes with a cost. We were making a breakthrough across a difficult area full of nasty acid-spitting lizards when, suddenly, the flanks started disintegrating. Sir Enric Osgiria and the Osgirian army were on reserve, but they didn¡¯t have enough personnel to reinforce both flanks, so the Osgirians left Lord Herran and his troops to fend for themselves.¡±

    I focused on the discussion between the two nobles. They were too far for me to hear anything, so I fed [Awareness] more mana. I felt weightless as the corners of my vision blurred. The subtle gestures got new meanings. Lord Herran wasn¡¯t angry on a personal level; he was frustrated something wasn¡¯t working as intended.

    The Prince clicked his glass against mine, pulling me back from my state of hyperfixation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. Just try to make some friends, tell them stories about your homeland, and enjoy the night,¡± he said. ¡°And no matter what, don¡¯t try to pull anything against Victor Osgiria. I know he¡¯s partly responsible for the aggression towards your kid, but be patient. That snare will shut close in due time.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of¡­¡± I started saying, but the Prince interrupted me.

    ¡°I investigated your record before recruiting you, Robert. I know about your propensity to get into trouble. That¡¯s why we decided to invite Miss Rosebud,¡± the Prince gave me an innocent smile that [Awareness] registered as genuine.

    Elincia bowed with a grave expression behind her veil. ¡°I apologize for Rob¡¯s past behavior. I¡¯ll do my best to keep him on the right path tonight.¡±

    The Prince covered his smile with a hand. Out of all alliances, this was the least expected. I gave Elincia a quick, betrayed look.

    ¡°That puts my mind at ease. I might be able to enjoy the night after all. It¡¯s been a while since I properly partied,¡± he said, raising his glass and leaving us to join Lord Osgiria¡¯s group.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel like a kid who had been lectured in front of their parents.

    ¡°The Prince is used to party. Real parties, I mean,¡± I pointed out as a red phoenix flew over our heads just to explode in a cascade of yellow and white sparks. The light show was dazzling, but the fact the Prince acted like a partying college student was even more intriguing.

    Elincia grabbed my waist and pulled me toward her.

    ¡°Prince Adrien was fifth in the succession to the throne until not so long ago. The king used to send him to distant kingdoms to keep him out of trouble at the capital. Or so say the rumors. People come up with different things, but I believe that one is true,¡± Elincia whispered.

    Prince Adrien gave the impression of someone who had traveled and partied far and wide. Not that it mattered. My job was to keep the nobles entertained, and I planned to stick to it while staying away from the truly important people.

    The light show finished with the royal golden stag and Farcrest¡¯s black wolf running side to side and jumping out the window toward the night sky. Outside, the city was celebrating its own small festival. The main street was covered in multicolor paper lamps, and tiny figures danced in the square.

    I wondered how things were going at the orphanage. Despite the danger, Firana probably wanted to go out to enjoy the celebration. Ilya would be mad at her, while Zaon would try to make peace between them. Wolf would observe the scene without intervening. Nasiah probably had all the younger kids in bed already.

    ¡°So, what happened to the previous heirs? Monster Surge took them out?¡± I asked.

    I was growing accustomed to the story of the Farlands taking lives.

    ¡°Monster Surges are a problem for us, frontier dwellers,¡± Elincia replied with a somber expression, ¡°Prince Adrien was chosen by Baram¡¯s Cursed Runeblade, or rather, he was the only one capable of wielding the relic¡¯s power.¡±

    Using swords to choose a kingdom¡¯s heir wasn¡¯t a strange concept. However, being able to wield the power of a cursed sword wouldn¡¯t ensure the heir¡¯s capabilities as an administrator. A true leader has to excel in several areas of knowledge. Swinging a piece of metal wasn¡¯t one of them.

    The kingdom was doing well enough, nonetheless.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll have the chance to see Baram¡¯s Cursed Runeblade?¡± I asked. If I wanted to learn how to runeweave correctly, I couldn¡¯t just study the work of Enchanters. I needed to see the real thing¡ªthe work of another Runeweaver like me.

    ¡°I¡¯d recommend you don¡¯t,¡± a masculine voice said.

    It wasn¡¯t Elincia nor Sir Janus who answered. Sir Janus was nowhere to be found.

    I turned around to see a young man dressed in an opulent green robe with a short beige mantle on his shoulders. Through his open jacket, I noticed a potion pouch made of worn-out leather that seemed out of place within the expensive fabrics. My mana sense told me that, much like Elincia, he kept high-grade potions in his pouch.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°Lord Vedras! It¡¯s an honor,¡± Elincia said, grabbing the fold of her dress and making a pronounced dip. ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡±

    ¡°No need to introduce yourselves. I know who you are,¡± Lord Vedras said as he called a flying tray with a movement of his hand. ¡°Everyone here knows who you are. Robert Clarke from the Rosebud Fencing Academy, and Elincia Rosebud, the woman who managed to leash the beast.¡±

    For some reason, Elincia seemed satisfied with her new ¡®title¡¯.

    I sighed. After the incident with the royal soldiers, I understood my fame as a ¡®violent¡¯ man, but I expected the Prince and the Marquis to try to portray me in a more flattering light. I guessed that ¡®violent¡¯ wasn¡¯t a bad trait for a combat instructor in a world where a number determined strength.

    I closed my eyes, trying to envision the map of the kingdom. It was easy with [Awareness] pulling old memories like digitized pages of old newspapers. The Vedras were a ducal house, much like the Osgiria and the Herran, although not as wealthy nor politically influential. Despite the Marquis being a direct vassal of the royal family, Farcrest was in Vedras territory.

    A minor duke seemed a good starting point for my socialit¨¦ career.

    ¡°Lord Vedras, a pleasure to make your acquaintance,¡± I replied, raising my glass.

    The man before me was young but far from inexperienced. He examined us keenly, but I could tell he was at a loss. Elincia¡¯s appearance was an enigma under the layers of Captain Kiln¡¯s old dresses, and my attire didn¡¯t reveal much more than the fact I was a fencing instructor and a commoner.

    My fame as a belligerent swordmaster wouldn¡¯t take me anywhere, so I decided to start by dispelling that idea. I looked around. The nobles had slowly gravitated towards us, curious about the newcomer that had caught the Prince¡¯s attention. [Awareness] informed me that more than a dozen pairs of eyes and ears focused on our conversation.

    The setting was perfect. I fed [Identify] a shred of mana and instantly felt the distant tug of the Corruption in my chest.

    ¡°Those are high-grade potions, aren¡¯t they? Health, antidote, warmth, mana, stamina. Are you an Alchemist by any chance, My Lord?¡± I asked, pointing at Lord Vedras¡¯ potion belt.

    Lord Vedras¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°I am, yes, but how did you recognize them?¡±

    I softly squeezed Elincia¡¯s arm, and she revealed the new potion belt Ginz had crafted for her. Lord Vedras¡¯ eyes were shrouded by mana as he cast a detecting skill. He seemed surprised, and I could tell Elincia enjoyed flaunting her high-grade potions.

    ¡°Are you perhaps a fellow Alchemist?¡± Lord Vedras said, dropping his stern expression.

    I wondered if it had to do with the fact that we were non-combatants like him.

    ¡°Elincia is a skilled Alchemist,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m just a Scholar.¡±

    The revelation caught him by surprise.

    ¡°A Scholar? I assumed you were some sort of elemental fencer,¡± Lord Vedras pointed out. ¡°You did beat those soldiers, right? Why would Prince Adrien be so interested in you otherwise?¡±

    I smiled. The sensation of crashing the expectations of the denizens of this world wasn¡¯t getting old in the slightest. All that was left was to bullshit my way through the party until the barrier fell.

    ¡°That¡¯s a trade secret, My Lord,¡± I grinned.

    ¡°Yeah, there it is. I believe it. You are a support class,¡± Lord Vedras sighed as he raised his hand to call the flying tray again. He deposited his empty glass and grabbed a new one.

    Now that the man had lowered his defenses, I pushed forward.

    ¡°Are you going to participate in the tournament, My Lord?¡± I asked

    Before answering, Lord Vedras moved his hand, and a small table with three chairs and a spotless tablecloth flew over the heads of the dancers and landed next to the windows. With a movement of his glass, Lord Vedras invited us to take a seat. Despite my initial apprehension, the seat didn¡¯t come to life when I sat.

    ¡°My meathead brother arrived today with our team. You¡¯ll meet him eventually,¡± Lord Vedras sighed. ¡°What intrigues me is a Scholar as the instructor of a fencing academy. Combatant Classes are the ones who are usually in charge of those¡­ activities.¡±

    I leaned back and took a sip of my glass, taking my sweet time so other nobles dragged their chairs close to our table. Lord Vedra''s presence deterred lower nobles from directly approaching us. I didn¡¯t care too much. The night was going to be long.

    ¡°Where I come from, the Great Kingdom of Connecticut, people are encouraged to have one or more hobbies separated from their Class,¡± I explained. ¡°I picked up fencing parallel to my teaching job and got very good at it despite being a Scholar.¡±

    A slight murmur rose around our table.

    ¡°Hobbies. That¡¯s fascinating. I¡¯ve never heard of a country that encourages its citizens to neglect their Class to pursue recreational training,¡± Lord Vedras said.

    [Awareness] informed me more and more people dragged their chairs closer to our table to overhear our conversation. Unlike me, who had a certain familiarity with RPG systems, the citizens of Ebros couldn¡¯t imagine a life without a Class. The nearest thing to a systemless world was the orc tribes, but I doubted most people outside Farcrest knew about them.

    ¡°The people from Robert¡¯s land don¡¯t use System Shrines to get their classes. They go through the natural path,¡± Elincia pointed out, igniting the interest of the nobles.

    ¡°I call that bullshit. It''s impossible for a society to sustain itself by classless leeches,¡± Lord Osgiria said as he moved a hand to summon a chair.

    [Awareness] didn¡¯t warn me about him.

    ¡°I assure you, My Lord, that¡¯s how things work in Connecticut,¡± I replied with a steady voice¡ªyears of dealing with belligerent parents and administrators had conditioned me to keep calm during arguments.

    With a movement of my glass, I encouraged the other nobles to come closer if they wanted to hear more about my homeland.

    ¡°This might sound strange to you, but I got my Scholar Class when I was twenty-two,¡± I lied.

    The public gasped.

    ¡°That¡¯s indeed strange,¡± Lord Vedras said, wary of Lord Osgiria¡¯s presence at the table.

    Despite both being dukes, they were on entirely different levels.

    ¡°All I hear is seven years of life thrown away,¡± Lord Osgiria said.

    I grinned. The only years I had thrown away were those I worked for the law firm, but that was irrelevant. The nobles around me seemed to agree with Lord Osgiria, and I had to remind myself I wasn¡¯t there to convince anyone my methods were the only way. I was there to entertain them.

    ¡°Oh, I can assure you I wasn¡¯t idle. You could even argue I was as far ahead as the best Scholars of House Osgiria even before getting my class,¡± I replied with a challenging smile that only drew more attention from the nobles.

    Elincia kicked me under the table, but considering the other nobles'' curious glances, a little friction only added to the value of my performance. Lord Osgiria wasn''t happy with my statement. I waited for him to try to discredit me.

    ¡°It seems to me that even our Scribes would be on a better footing than you, Robert Clarke,¡± Lord Osgiria said.

    ¡°As I said, things are different in Connecticut,¡± I said with a mysterious tone. I had my audience captive. ¡°We start educating our kids at five years old. Almost everyone finishes the mandatory twelve-year program. After that, I underwent four extra years of education to specialize in teaching. I assure you, My Lord, we take the development of our youth very seriously.¡±

    Lord Osgiria was out of words, and even the nobles on the other side of the ballroom started to notice our little group.

    ¡°I got into fencing while specializing in teaching. Before that, I was into football. You¡¯d love it,¡± I said with a flourish. Before Lord Osgiria could refute me, I used [Minor Illusion] to cast a small football stadium with an excellent green pitch with twenty-two tiny players.

    The nobles leaned forward to peek into the illusion. Thanks to [Awareness], the memories of the thousands of hours of football were fresh in my mind. I showed them a curated mish-mash of the best plays sprinkled with some acrobatic goals.

    ¡°These are non-combatants, by the way. Skills are prohibited,¡± I clarified, showing a particularly nasty kick from a certain Portuguese player. Several nobles instinctively grabbed their chins and clenched their jaws. ¡°You are not allowed to do that, by the way.¡±

    Sensing his play wasn¡¯t going his way, Lord Osgiria interrupted my illusion.

    ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter how many years you studied. In the end, if you attract the most talented students, your academy will do well nonetheless,¡± Lord Osgiria said with a self-sufficient smile. ¡°The Aias had been famous fencers for generations. Undoubtedly, the Marquis allowed you to participate in the tournament because of her.¡±

    The accusation caught me by surprise. I could understand Lord Osgiria, or any other noble, being skeptical about how things worked back on Earth. After all, our cultures were utterly different regarding education and career choices. But that last bit felt too personal.

    Suddenly, I understood. For Lord Osgiria, the tournament had already started. For a moment, I was at a loss for words. I didn¡¯t expect him to throw accusations so openly during a closed-door party.

    To my surprise, Elincia spoke up. All eyes fell upon her. ¡°We don¡¯t pick our students, My Lord, not even Firana Aias. We are an orphanage. Our team is composed solely of orphans in Farcrest.¡±

 100 - The Ladys Fault

    ¡°Every member of the Rosebud Fencing Academy is an orphan from the city; we don¡¯t carry out any kind of selection process,¡± Elincia said, her voice carrying over the music and the guests'' chatter.

    Lord Osgiria¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but thanks to [Awareness], I noticed the hints of an arrogant smirk tugging his mouth.

    The nobles joined heads, murmuring and exchanging furtive looks, but I pretended not to notice. We were in trouble. The revelation might have come too early. The humble origin of the Rosebud Fencing Academy wasn¡¯t a secret, but I wanted the nobles to have a general idea of my kids'' competence before the big reveal. Without having anything to show in terms of achievements, Prince Adrien¡¯s patronage was our only lifeline.

    ¡°A team of orphans¡­ how picturesque. Just make sure the Aias kid doesn¡¯t turn them into little thieves,¡± Lord Osgiria said as he stood and elegantly put the chair aside. Without saying a word, he turned around and left our group. That was enough for half of the nobles to leave us.

    My blood froze.

    Lord Osgiria was an intelligent man, tortuous but intelligent. Without resorting to violence, he had managed to undermine my character. I memorized the faces of the nobles who abandoned our group. If anything, I knew those under the influence of the Osgirian faction.

    I turned around to face those who had stayed: high-rank soldiers, wealthy merchants, and members of the low nobility. Most of them seemed unsure if they should stay or follow Lord Osgiria.

    ¡°So, Prince Adrien is interested in a team of orphans. Quite intriguing if you think about it more than a second,¡± Lord Vedras said as he glared at Lord Osgiria¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to getting to know you better, Robert Clarke.¡±

    I silently thanked him. No one in the party would risk their reputation for a no-name Scholar like me. However, Lord Vedras¡¯s presence seemed to reassure my audience.

    ¡°Sorry, I got caught up,¡± Elincia whispered under her veil.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. They weren¡¯t our target audience in the first place,¡± I replied, putting my hand on hers. There was nothing we could¡¯ve done. Lord Osgiria was out of our weight class. He was Prince Adrien¡¯s problem.

    I fixed my jacket and focused on Lord Vedras across the table.

    The duke was the real question mark at the party. I wondered if he was on board with Prince Adrien''s plan or just interested in what I had to say; the new trade route would greatly favor Vedras dukedom. I looked around, searching for Sir Janus, but the man was nowhere to be found. If I had to guess, he should be hiding from his old classmates in one of the rooms annexed to the ballroom.

    ¡°Now that Negative Nancy is gone, I would like to know more about the Kingdom of Connecticut,¡± Lord Vedras said, summoning the flying tray for the sixth time that night and grabbing a glass of amber-colored hard liquor.

    Unlike Prince Adrien, Lord Vedras seemed utterly out of his element at the party. He was drinking too fast and seemed to be counting the seconds for the party to finish. If I had to guess, Lord Vedras was an outlier. All important nobles were combatants while he was a crafting class.

    ¡°Show them the cars!¡± Elincia said, interrupting my thoughts.

    ¡°We¡¯d love to hear about cars,¡± a young woman sitting a couple meters from us cheered. She wore a white and red dress with a necklace of the red falcon catching a fish¡ªthe symbol of Ducal House Jorn, the northmost territory of the kingdom. Her skin was pale, and a hastily made hair bum held together by a wooden stylus crowned her head.

    Compared to the rest of the nobles, her outfit was sloppy, as if she had put it together in a rush.

    ¡°So, cars¡­¡± I said as I channeled my mana.

    Without realizing it, Elincia had put me in a tight spot.

    Despite the Silence Pact between the System and me being erased, that didn¡¯t mean telling the whole truth would be safe. Any sane noble would want to replicate the technology of my world to have an edge over the competition, and I wanted to avoid any forceful attempts to get that knowledge from me. I decided to go vintage.

    ¡°Cars are interesting but not as useful as a cart with a good horse,¡± I replied, summoning the illusion of one of the early cars constructed, a little more than a tricycle with a small engine strapped to the back.

    With a hand movement, I expanded the illusion to match the actual size of the antique car. As clunky as I tried to make the movement look, it still surprised the nobles. Elincia seemed bored, which wasn¡¯t a surprise, considering she was used to another level of speed. I gave her an apologetic look.

    ¡°Do you mind if I draw a sketch?¡± The young woman from House Jorn asked.

    ¡°Please, be my guest, Lady¡­¡± I replied. Then, I realized I didn¡¯t know her name. I hoped my words didn¡¯t come out offensive. After Lord Osgiria¡¯s demonstration of contempt toward the orphanage, I had to be careful not to jeopardize the opinion of the other nobles.

    ¡°Jorn, Lady Jorn,¡± she casually replied, pointing at the necklace.

    I couldn¡¯t tell if she was making fun of me. Like Prince Adrien, her expression was indecipherable. [Awareness] couldn¡¯t tell me if she was playing or being serious.

    ¡°Silly me,¡± I replied, trying to play it cool.

    Lady Jorn pulled out a sketchbook and a charcoal pencil and started drawing with a fast and steady hand. I couldn¡¯t tell if she was letting the System assist her, but I could tell she was good. The car seemed to come to life on the yellowy page. Soon enough, Lady Jorn was wholly absorbed in the activity.

    Crisis averted.

    Elincia elbowed my shoulder, not subtly enough for the nobles not to realize and just violently enough to prompt a few laughs.

    ¡°We are waiting,¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°Right, let¡¯s continue with the lesson,¡± I replied without skipping a beat. ¡°Next slide. Wright Brothers¡¯ first glider. Probably the most important thing that has ever come out from Ohio.¡±

    I looked across the room at the nobles fluttering around Lord Osgiria. If he wanted to compete for attention, I was down for a fight. I shrunk the car and left it near Lady Jorn so she could finish her sketch in peace. Then, I made the glider grow until it was half the size of the original. Several guests turned their heads around to watch the mysterious contraption.

    ¡°This is one of the first versions of the Wright Brother¡¯s glider. Who can guess what this hulk does?¡± I asked with my best teacher''s voice.

    ¡°Glide, evidently. Nomads of the Sahnar Kingdom have similar vehicles they use to glide through salt flats,¡± Lady Jorn replied without raising her head from her sketchbook. I had taught enough know-it-all kids to recognize one. I wondered if she was a Scholar.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Good instinct,¡± I replied, making the glider take off and fly over the heads of the dancers towards Lord Osgiria¡¯s group. Then, the glider turned around and returned to our table, catching the attention of most of the nobles.

    ¡°It glides through the air!¡± an old, bald Baron said. ¡°These would¡¯ve been useful during the Sky Pirate era.¡±

    ¡°And without any mana involved,¡± I replied to everyone¡¯s surprise.

    Lady Jorn gave me a suspicious look before resuming her scribbling. She hurried to finish with the car to start the sketch of the glider. After the initial reluctance to engage with my demonstration, the nobles slowly put their reservations aside and started asking questions. I tried to dance around hard physics, claiming that all the gadgets I had shown them were mere experiments of famous Tinkerers without real use in everyday life.

    Other than Lady Jorn, the audience seemed to buy my lies.

    Elincia raised her eyebrows, judging me for the river of blatant lies that was coming out of my mouth. It was better to keep it that way; just entertaining enough to keep them focused on my illusions but not enough to leave nobles wanting to develop aeronautic warfare.

    Lord Osgiria and his clique watched my illusions across the ballroom, but as curious as they were, none dared come near to examine them more thoroughly. I lost the notion of time as I amazed the guests with my illusions. I felt like a fair charlatan showing eye-catching yet useless gadgets to the unsuspecting bystanders. Gradually, as the night progressed, my audience thinned. As interesting as my illusions were, nobles had much more to do.

    [Awareness] fed me with snips of conversation at the nearby tables. Trade agreements, exchanges of favors, marriage lobbying, promises of military aid, and much more were happening around my humble illusion. A kingdom was moving, alliances changed, and I was trapped as a circus monkey.

    After several hours of illusions and dozens of invitations to have dinner during the week, I was left alone with Lord Vedras, Lady Jorn, and Elincia.

    ¡°It is surprising you kept their attention for so long,¡± Lord Vedras said as he sipped from the umpteenth glass of wine of the night. I would¡¯ve expected the man to be more inebriated, but I noticed he took sips from one of his potions occasionally.

    An anti-drunkenness potion sounded pretty handy.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to join them, My Lord?¡± I asked, hoping for the wine to have loosened his tongue.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say that after months in the front line, I¡¯m glad to be among fellow non-combatants,¡± he replied, lost in his drink.

    Lady Jorn left her sketchbook for the first time in the night. She had moved to our table at Lord Vedras'' request, so I assumed she was highly positioned in the kingdom¡¯s politics. She had to be closely related to Duke Jorn.

    ¡°For combatants, war is a sport. The more you kill, the more you improve, the more powerful you become. That only serves to make combatants vacuous, murderous muscle-heads,¡± Lady Jorn complained, seemingly ignoring that ninety percent of the party and most of the high nobility were combatants. ¡°If support classes ruled, the kingdom would be in a way better standing.¡±

    Lord Vedras raised an eyebrow, and I refrained from making any comments.

    ¡°Are you an Alchemist too, Lady Jorn?¡± Elincia broke the awkward silence.

    The young woman shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m a Scholar¡­ and I don¡¯t want to bring Victor Osgiria back to the conversation, but I also find it hard to believe that someone who became a Scholar at twenty-two is better than someone with seven years of experience. Even with all your previous instruction, there are things you can only accomplish with a Class.¡±

    My hunch was correct. Lady Jorn was a Scholar, which was fairly obvious in hindsight, considering she was omnivorous and insatiable for knowledge. No matter what I showed them, she sketched, took notes, and asked dozens of questions. Everything while maintaining her smarty-pants aura.

    ¡°It¡¯s rude to force others to show their Personal Sheets, Lyra,¡± Lord Vedras scolded her. ¡°Even more if you are a noble putting pressure on commoners.¡±

    The girl wasn¡¯t having any of it.

    ¡°Personal Sheets are something to be studied, not hidden away. You, as an Alchemist, might want to keep your recipes hidden, but we Scholars wear our titles like badges of honor,¡± she replied, unapologetic.

    Then, with a gesture of her charcoal pencil, a System prompt appeared from thin air.

    Name: Lyra Jorn, Human. (Bright)

    Class: Scholar Lv.28

    Titles: Insufferable, Jorn Heir, Crush on Mentor, Copper Scholar, Adept Orator, Adept Investigator, Journeyman Mathematician, Novice Ecologist.

    Passive: Riding Lv.3, Eidetic Memory, Mana Manipulation, Awareness.

    Skills: Identify, Magical Ink, Minor Illusion, Ward, Silence Dome, Invigoration.

    I felt like I was seeing something I shouldn¡¯t. Lady Jorn, however, was unfazed, at least on the surface. Her titles weren¡¯t half bad for someone as young as her.

    ¡°I have nothing to hide. If the System decided to put all of that into my Personal Sheet, then I shall not be embarrassed,¡± she said, despite her cheeks catching a slight shade of red.

    Considering Lord Vedras and Elincia¡¯s expression, the girl was totally making a fool of herself. I took a long sip from my glass of wine. The secondhand embarrassment was getting to me, but she remained stalwart, showing her Character Sheet to everyone who turned their heads to our table.

    ¡°I have nothing to be ashamed of,¡± she muttered, turning redder by the second.

    I fought not to hide my face beneath my hands as I wondered why people suddenly decided to put themselves in that situation. Lady Jorn¡¯s chances to save face were almost nonexistent unless any of us reciprocated. I sighed and summoned my own Character Sheet.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Scholar Lv.15

    Titles: Out of your League, Hot for Teacher, Confidant, Classroom Fiend, Researcher of the Hidden, Favorite Teacher (97), Father Figure (2), Master Tutor, Headmaster, Silver Scholar, Delinquent Reformer (5), Stalwart Mentor (7), Making the Difference, Role Model, Expert Mathematician, Expert Physicist, Adept Historian, Adept Linguist, Journeyman Biologist, Novice Chemist, Novice Orator.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Mastery, Awareness, Master of Languages.

    Skills: Identify, Stun Gaze, Intimidate, Minor Illusion.

    Lady Jorn gawked at my Character Sheet with wide-open eyes.

    ¡°Curious. Both of you¡ª¡± Lord Vedras said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Scholar thing. Everyone knows it,¡± Lady Jorn quickly replied.

    ¡°Right¡­¡±.

    The table fell into an awkward silence. Despite Lord Vedras and Lady Jorn being part of important ducal families, they had little to no chemistry. They exchanged brief news from their relatives ¨CLady Jorn¡¯s father was serving in the army, and she hadn¡¯t seen him in a couple of years- but the conversation died out before I could learn anything about the high spheres of the kingdom.

    ¡°You should be teaching at the Imperial Library,¡± Lady Jorn said.

    ¡°Are you attending classes there?¡± I replied, but my question seemed to put her in a difficult position. Lady Jorn¡¯s mask showed a slim crack for the second time in the night. My teacher¡¯s intuition told me Lady Jorn was hiding something.

    ¡°Something like that,¡± she sparsely replied, grabbing her sketchbook and shielding herself from further questioning.

    For an instant, she looked as young as Firana.

    People of this world took around three years to hit level twenty and the first ¡®softcap¡¯. Lady Jorn was Lv.28, which meant she should be in her early or mid-twenties. On the other hand, the [Bright] trait might have significantly boosted her progress. At least in appearance, Lady Jorn didn¡¯t seem to have reached drinking age yet.

    Asking Lady Jorn about her academic problems might have been overstepping the boundaries of our non-existent relationship, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. If anything, Lord Vedras was the one who should be asking. If I had followed the conversation correctly, they were distant relatives. The man, however, was more interested in Elincia¡¯s explanation about the local alchemy ingredients.

    Suddenly, Lady Jorn¡¯s eyes shot wide open, and her face became paler than usual. A shiver ran down my spine. Standing beside me was a massive man with blonde, almost white hair. His coal-black eyes stood out against his red and white silk surcoat with a red falcon catching a fish embroidered on his chest. The bird was so realistic that it seemed about to flutter off the fabric. He had made no sound, nor had my [Awareness] detected a single mana particle coming from his direction.

    The charcoal pencil fell from Lady Jorn¡¯s stained hand and broke over the table.

    ¡°Hello, father. It¡¯s been a while, uh? Two years? I¡¯m a Scholar now,¡± she said with a trembling voice. Her whole body trembled.

    ¡°I just had a conversation with Preceptor Holst about your third year at the Imperial Library,¡± Lord Jorn said softly. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on its ends. I had never heard such a calm yet menacing voice. ¡°He told me you were expelled during the first semester.¡±

    ¡°I swear to the System it wasn¡¯t my fault,¡± Lady Jorn said, her expression overrun by panic.

 101 - Glass

    Lady Lyra Jorn shrunk in her seat like a trapped rat.

    The party remained unaware of the small drama developing in the corner of the room. Music kept playing, dancers kept moving at the band¡¯s rhythm, and the enchanted dinnerware flew undisturbed around the ballroom. I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off of Duke Jorn. A part of me knew that if I lost sight of him for even a second, he could vanish into thin air. [Awareness] made clear that losing sight of him would be dangerous.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault I was expelled¡ª¡± Lyra said, but before she could finish the sentence, Duke Jorn silenced her by merely clicking his tongue.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear excuses, Lyra,¡± Duke Jorn said, massaging his temples. His voice carried no emotion. It wouldn¡¯t have been so unnerving if he had yelled and shouted. ¡°Why have you put our family to shame? Why can¡¯t you be more like your sister?¡±

    Lyra¡¯s eyes flickered with fear. The tension in the air was almost suffocating. Despite Duke Jorn barely emitting any mana, his mere presence crushed me against the seat. I didn¡¯t need [Awareness] telling me he was dangerous to know that one wrong movement could end up with my blood spilled on the floor. It somehow reminded me of the Sniffers.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it to happen this way,¡± Lyra muttered, throwing her head forward, protecting herself from her father¡¯s eyes. Her blonde hair spilled over her face, shielding it, but Duke Jorn''s cold gaze seemed to bore into her. ¡°I¡¯m already Lv.28, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to hear excuses. No daughter of mine will taint the honor of House Jorn. You¡¯ll be returning home first thing in the morning,¡± the man said coldly.

    ¡°No!¡±

    The words escaped Lyra¡¯s mouth before she could catch them.

    ¡°No?¡± Duke Jorn asked.

    Despite the man not having moved a millimeter since his arrival, he seemed ready to pounce over Lyra and drag her out of the party despite the Fortifier¡¯s barrier.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go back home. I was arranging a mentorship with Master Clarke. His homeland has a similar geography to Ardia, so I guessed he could help me develop alternative transport methods for our scouts,¡± Lyra said without hesitation. She was a good liar. ¡°If we implement Master Clarke¡¯s ideas, we could get notice of Monster Surges within hours instead of days, even without high-level scouts available.¡±

    Duke Jorn¡¯s attention slowly drifted toward me. I couldn¡¯t ignore Lyra¡¯s pleading eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s a preliminary schematic, but Lyra is a promising Scholar, and I believe she will be able to refine the idea to produce a working prototype in the short to medium term,¡± I followed with the lie, grabbing Lyra¡¯s sketchbook and opening it in the page of the glider, hoping the girl was referring to that and not the car.

    Duke Jorn didn¡¯t bother to look at the sketchbook. Instead, he focused on me. My mouth became dry, and my palms started to sweat. I was transported back to the Farlands during my first days in this world. Duke Jorn had the same dark presence as the Wendigo.

    Lord Vedras stood and put a trembling hand on my shoulder. ¡°Let me introduce both of you. This man is Robert Clarke, Scholar. His resume is remarkable, even for the Imperial Academy standards. He is the Headmaster of the Rosebud Imperial Academy.¡±

    Suddenly, a glint of acknowledgment gleamed in the depths of Duke Jorn¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Robert, this man is Lord Sellen Jorn. Duke of Ardia,¡± Lord Vedras continued.

    I nodded.

    ¡°A Scholar? The man who caught Prince Adrien''s attention?¡± Duke Jorn asked, shifting his attention toward Lord Vedras.

    Oxygen returned to my lungs.

    ¡°A Scholar and a skilled fencer. Lv.5 [Swordsmanship] no less. His titles as a Scholar are even more impressive,¡± Lord Vedras replied. I couldn¡¯t help but notice a hint of nervousness in his voice.

    Duke Jorn cast one last glance at Lyra before locking eyes with me.

    ¡°It¡¯s settled then. Contact my steward to arrange the accommodations. I¡¯ll be expecting results,¡± he said.

    Without saying a word, the reunion between father and daughter ended. Duke Sellen Jorn walked away, almost gliding over the floor until I blinked and lost track of him. Only then could I breathe in peace. The feeling seemed mutual because Lord Vedras slumped back in his seat, and Lyra seemed to melt in her chair. Even Elincia, who had maintained a steely expression, breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I muttered, my body covered in cold sweat. ¡°That was intense.¡±

    ¡°Damned Prestige Classes,¡± Lord Vedras replied, gulping half of his wine glass in one go. After a second, color returned to his face.

    Lyra¡¯s expression was a vortex of fear and anguish with a hint of gratitude. Her fingers nervously flickered with the eagle necklace like someone who had managed to bury even deeper in trouble. She was trembling like a leaf against the autumn wind. It took her a minute to gather enough courage to speak.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to mentor me. I¡¯ll come up with something to fix this, I swear. I¡¯ll send a letter to my father telling him the glider didn¡¯t work, and you¡¯ll be free from this mess,¡± Lyra said, her lower lip trembling so hard that I barely understood her words.

    I wasn¡¯t entirely sure about the fine details of Lyra¡¯s family problems, but she was a promising Scholar and the daughter of a Duke. Moreso, she was neck-deep in trouble. I couldn¡¯t just leave her out to dry.

    Elincia read my expression .¡°You want her to stay, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see the problem. We have like twenty empty rooms,¡± I replied.

    Despite my knowledge of modern technology, I wasn¡¯t confident in my ability to implement most of those ideas. I lacked practical knowledge, and while Ginz was a great craftsman, he lacked the deepest insight into my designs. Lyra might be the right person to compensate for our shortcomings.

    ¡°Would you like to stay with us for a season? I think it would be easier than continuing this lie,¡± I said.

    ¡°That would be nice,¡± Lyra replied hesitantly.

    Elincia gave me a worried expression. ¡°You don¡¯t get expelled from the Imperial Library for doing nothing.¡±

    Our eyes fell on Lyra.

    "I swear it wasn¡¯t my fault. A letter arrived one day, and the next, I was out,¡± she said.

    Elincia crossed her arms. ¡°I won¡¯t expose our kids to someone I can¡¯t completely trust. If she wants to be part of the orphanage, she has to tell the whole truth. Believe me when I say I can sniff lies.¡±

    ¡°You can be frank with us, Lyra. Nobody will judge you,¡± I said, trying to sound reassuring. ¡°Tell us what happened.¡±

    Lyra stopped fiddling with her necklace.

    ¡°I left Ardia to the Imperial Library still as a Scribe, not a Scholar, so my father had to collect some favors for me to be accepted in the Upper Circle. Given my background and titles, Preceptor Holst was kind enough to accept me under his tutelage,¡± Lyra said.

    I exchanged a glance with Elincia.

    ¡°Preceptor Holst made clear he had been pressured to accept me, yet after a month, he seemed satisfied with my performance,¡± Lyra continued. That sounded more like the Holst we knew. ¡°I was a Scribe. There was only so much I could do, so Preceptor Holst told me I should focus on research until I became a Scholar. He was studying the war that caused the old Empire to shatter, so he took me as his personal assistant. I helped him catalog the unlisted books at the Library while focusing on my own research. There are more than a million unlisted books, so there was a lot of work to do.¡±

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°What were you researching?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Enchanter Baram¡¯s history. I was trying to distinguish historical truth from myth,¡± Lyra replied. I couldn¡¯t detect any lies. ¡°I got [Invigoration] as a Scribe, so I didn¡¯t need more than three or four hours of sleep daily. That helped me to cover more books per day than other researchers. I submitted to Preceptor Holst the chapters and passages I deemed useful for his research while compiling those who spoke about Enchanter Baram.¡±

    ¡°So, Holst expelled you because you messed up?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t like that. It¡¯s true that Preceptor Holst isn¡¯t the easiest person to deal with, but he was fair with me despite being a Scribe,¡± Lyra shook her head. ¡°After a couple of months of sleepless nights, I had gathered a sizable dossier about Enchanter Baram. Snips of stories from second and third-degree witnesses, a few legends, and little more.¡±

    The true identity of Enchanter Baram was a big question mark even for me. Like me, he was a Runeweaver, but I couldn¡¯t prove he was a dimensional traveler. I scratched my chin. The relationship between runes and the System language could be a dangerous discovery.

    ¡°Most of the stories I collected were about incredible enchanting feats: the Royal Cursed Sword, bottomless water bottles, whetstones that wouldn¡¯t wear out, flying machines, the Osgirian Invisibility Cloak. Nothing strange,¡± Lyra explained. ¡°Then, I stumbled upon a few loose pages of an authorless field journal about runic language. It wasn¡¯t mere suppositions about Enchanter Baram¡¯s crafting process but actual recipes. If those were real, I¡¯d be famous in no time.¡±

    A shiver ran down my spine.

    ¡°Enchanting recipes? That sounds like a sham. Not even high-level enchanters can replicate Baram¡¯s creations,¡± Lord Vedras pointed out.

    ¡°I know, but soon after making that discovery, I became a Scholar, gained most of my skills, and started stacking Investigator titles! I knew I was up to something! I just had to keep digging!¡± Lyra replied feverishly. ¡°Then, a letter from the Headmaster arrived, and I was expelled. No summary, no defense, nothing. I barely managed to gather my things before a squad of royal guards escorted me out of the premises. That¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Who else knew about your research?¡± I instantly asked.

    ¡°Preceptor Holst knew I was studying the story of Enchanter Baram, but I never disclosed any specifics to him. I didn¡¯t want to share the authorship of my findings with anyone,¡± Lyra said.

    ¡°But if he was your mentor, he had access to your investigation. He could¡¯ve read it when you were away,¡± Elincia said.

    Lyra shook her head. ¡°Preceptor Holst wasn¡¯t interested in my investigation. We only interacted when I had a book or a chapter that could help his investigation.¡±

    Elincia squinted as if she was trying to find a weak spot in Lyra¡¯s story.

    ¡°Maybe he knew you had a crush on him, and he decided to press your expulsion before his honor could be tarnished by gossip,¡± Elincia said.

    Maybe he wasn¡¯t trying to find holes in Lyra¡¯s story as much as she was trying to blame Holst for everything. I was also tempted to blame him, but my gut told me there was more behind the scenes¡ªthings even Lyra might ignore. Academic sabotage was a thing, but I wasn¡¯t leaning toward that answer either.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a crush on Preceptor Holst!¡± Lyra said, flustered.

    ¡°And yet your Personal Sheet¡­¡± Elincia pointed out.

    ¡°I had a crush on Lord Astur, just like half of the girls in the Imperial Library,¡± Lyra said.

    ¡°Lord Astur is very handsome. I remember him having quite the following during the year I spent in the Imperial Library studying alchemy,¡± Lord Vedras pointed out.

    Lyra¡¯s story made sense. If she was about to make a huge discovery about Baram¡¯s runes, then the System might have put some of its counter-measurements to work. If what the System Avatar had told me was true, then the System had two kinds of counter-measures: internal and external. The internal measures were a set of sub-systems in charge of monitoring Corruption and cleaning up bad code. The external ones were the Quests the System gave to the Zealots.

    Lyra must¡¯ve found part of Byrne¡¯s investigation. Then a Quest popped up for a Zealot, warning them about a Scholar making dangerous discoveries. After a letter from the High Priest to the Headmaster, Lyra was expelled without explanation. House Jorn was a small and poor dukedom, so nobody could fight the situation.

    I felt terrible for Lyra. The girl had all the qualities necessary for a successful career as a researcher. She was bright, hardworking, and had a little too much obsession.

    ¡°Would you show me these supposed ¡®recipes¡¯ for enchantments?¡± I asked.

    Lyra nodded, opening her notebook on an empty page and grabbing the pieces of the broken charcoal pencil. A series of familiar runes appeared on the paper. I recognized some of them. Gradual. Fire. Light. I couldn¡¯t tell what the enchantment was supposed to do, but I knew Lyra wasn¡¯t making up stuff. Those tunes were the real deal.

    After a minute, Lyra tore out the page and pushed it over the table for us to see.

    ¡°Looks like scribbles,¡± Lord Vedras said.

    ¡°Yeah, it doesn¡¯t look like they hold any kind of power either,¡± I replied, performing my best ¡®absorbed Scholar¡¯ act.

    I couldn¡¯t tell Lyra she was up to something there. Not yet.

    ¡°I think someone looked into your investigation without your permission and denounced you with the Church. I have seen accusations of heresy for a lot less,¡± Lord Vedras shrugged. ¡°Competition was always brutal at the Imperial Library, and sabotage among peers was common even in the alchemy course.¡±

    ¡°That might be it,¡± I replied, kicking Elincia¡¯s shin under the table.

    I needed to know what else she had discovered.

    ¡°I guess we can get her a trial period at the orphanage,¡± Elincia said reluctantly. ¡°But there will be rules. First, lying is strictly forbidden. Second, you¡¯ll have to teach a class five hours a week, plus help with the chores at the orphanage. Third, encouraging Robert to do dangerous stuff is strictly prohibited. Understood?¡±

    Elincia seemed to have forgotten she was talking to the daughter of a duke.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Thank you, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll do my best, ma¡¯am,¡± Lyra said, her back almost as stiff as it was when Duke Jorn appeared.

    I gave Lyra a pitiful look. Shu was going to tear her apart. For now, any more questions will have to wait until the privacy of the manor.

    Suddenly, the music stopped, and the Marquis walked up to the small stage at the end of the ballroom. The guest turned around as the man asked them to walk to the side of the room. They obeyed as if they knew what was going to happen. Elincia shrugged.

    A moment later, the tables and chairs flew through the air, forming a U-shape long dinner table covered in a lovely white tablecloth. Then, silver cutlery, porcelain plates, and crystal glasses crossed the ballroom, taking a tidy formation upon the table. Finally, a door opened, and dozens of trays appeared with various meats, vegetables, soups, and pasta.

    My stomach growled. Everything looked delicious.

    ¡°Dinner is served,¡± the Marquis announced.

    ¡°Until later, then,¡± Lord Vedras said as the guests looked for their designated seats.

    ¡°Until later,¡± Lyra said.

    Prince Adrien was sitting at the head, with the Marquis at the right and Lord Osgiria at the left, followed by the rest of the dukes. Low-level nobles and soldiers sat on the arms of the U, while merchants and notable commoners sat near the end of the table. Elincia and I found our seats on the left arm of the table, close to the dukes.

    We were better positioned than most of the nobles, which did not escape the curious eyes of the guests.

    ¡°I knew you were going to like Lord Vedras. Non-combatants tend to flock together, like sheep,¡± Captain Kiln suddenly sat to my left. With her party dress, she was almost unrecognizable.

    Raudhan Kiln swiftly came after her. He wore a red military uniform with a couple of small medals on his chest but no sword. His appearance was perfect; there wasn¡¯t a single hair out of place.

    ¡°Auntie, you are supposed to sit near the Marquis. You are the Captain of the guard. That¡¯s my seat,¡± Raudhan said.

    Captain Kiln sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be subjected to more political drivel. I¡¯ll stay here with Rob and Elincia and enjoy the food. Go cover for me; it¡¯s a great honor,¡± Captain Kiln said, shooing her nephew with both hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell everyone you named me your successor,¡± Raudhan joked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Go away,¡± Captain Kiln replied.

    ¡°Difficult night, Captain?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it. I have received no less than two marriage proposals,¡± she replied, tapping the crystal glass before her with a finger. A second later, a bottle of wine flew across the room and filled the glass.

    ¡°It must be hard being so popular,¡± Elincia joked, imitating her.

    ¡°Shut it, long ears. I saw you two also had your own share of problems.¡±

    ¡°Please, lift your glasses,¡± the Marquis said when everyone had found their seats.

    Raudhan Kiln gave us a mocking look from his place of honor.

    ¡°Tonight, we drink to remember those who had fallen in battle,¡± The Marquis continued. ¡°Worry not. My grandfather hated long speeches, so I won¡¯t bore you with one the day we honor his death.¡±

    The guests laughed, relieved. The food was too enticing to endure a long speech.

    ¡°For those who paved the way before us. For the kingdom¡¯s unity,¡± the Marquis said before drinking from his cup.

    Raudhan¡¯s cup fell from his hand, shattering against the table. The room became silent. Before anyone could help, he fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth.

    Then, a second cup shattered.

 102 - Panic at the feast

    A hand closed around my wrist, preventing me from raising the cup to my lips. The ballroom seemed to freeze in time. Raudhan¡¯s cup slipped through his fingers, shattering against the table. His skin took a gray, sickly hue. He opened his mouth, trying to say something, but the only thing that came out was a repulsive yellow foam. Someone screamed. Then, Raudhan¡¯s eyes rolled back and started convulsing.

    Before anyone could react, Elincia jumped onto her feet, violently knocking the chair, and leaped over Raudhan¡¯s convulsing body. She pulled a potion from her pouch and shoved the contents into Raudhan¡¯s mouth. Nobody dared to move a muscle. The seconds became hours, and after what seemed to be an eternity, Raudhan became motionless.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch your glasses!¡± Prince Adrien yelled.

    Then, chaos ensued. Nobles and commoners knocked back chairs and trays as they moved away from the dinner table. I froze. Whoever was grabbing my wrist remained by my side. I raised my head to find a Zealot dressed in the white and gold uniform of the church. A golden mask hid their face, but I recognized the wolf ears protruding from the top of its headpiece and the tail peeking under the robe; the same beast-folk had protected me during my fight with the royal soldiers.

    ¡°Be careful,¡± the Zealot said, their voice muffled under the mask.

    I put down the cup. Only Prince Adrien, Sir Janus, and I were still sitting at the table. The other guests had grouped with the members of their houses in tight defensive formations. Whatever attack they were waiting for never arrived.

    ¡°He¡¯ll live,¡± Elincia¡¯s voice broke the tension.

    Raudhan was pale as a ghost, but his chest slowly rose.

    My brain took a moment to process the scene. At the other end of the table, Lord Vedras knelt by Sir Enric¡¯s lifeless body, holding an empty potion vial in his hand. Sir Enric¡¯s skin had become gray as ash, and his muscles dried to the point he looked like an old mummy.

    ¡°Sir Enric is dead,¡± Lord Vedras announced.

    A shiver ran down my spine as I examined the room. Nobody else showed signs of poisoning. Sir Janus slowly set down his cup over the table and retreated beside the Marquis. Captain Kiln looked at Raudhan¡¯s body worriedly but remained by the Marquis¡¯s side, sword in hand.

    ¡°Everyone, to the safe rooms,¡± Prince Adrien said, his voice echoing on the walls. The guests exited through an ornate double door by the back of the ballroom. ¡°Robert, stay.¡±

    Despite Prince Adrien¡¯s orders, several nobles stayed behind. Lord Victor Osgiria, Lord Herran, and Lord Gairon, the heavy hitters of the kingdom, plus lord Vedras, who remained by Sir Enric¡¯s corpse.

    Prince Adrien was livid. ¡°What happened here,¡± he asked.

    ¡°Ashthorn Poison, your majesty. The speed of the reaction and the effects are unmistakable,¡± Lord Vedra¡¯s jaw clenched as he pointed at Sir Enric¡¯s withered body. ¡°If I had reacted a few seconds earlier, I could¡¯ve saved him.¡±

    Sir Enric¡¯s warped expression was gruesome. I couldn¡¯t imagine what he had felt in his last seconds for his face to turn so distorted. Luckily, Lord Vedras put a napkin over his face.

    ¡°What about this one?¡± Prince Adrien asked.

    ¡°Raudhan Kiln will survive with proper care. I used a high-grade Antidote just in time. A high-grade Health Potion should be enough to heal any damage the poison managed to cause,¡± Elincia replied.

    Prince Adrien cursed and kicked a chair. I didn¡¯t expect the chair to cross the whole ballroom just to crash against the wall and turn into splinters. The Great Hall¡¯s furniture was made of rugged, sturdy wood capable of withstanding the frustrations of high-level combatants. I doubted Sir Enric was close friends with Prince Adrien.

    ¡°Can someone explain to me how the killer managed to smuggle poison under the noses of five different Sniffers?¡± Prince Adrien grunted.

    The room fell silent.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. There are no precedents of Sniffers being deceived,¡± Lord Victor Osgiria muttered as he covered his mouth with a hand and closed his eyes in a pained expression.

    ¡°What about the perpetrator smuggling the poison in advance?¡± I asked.

    Lord Herran shook his head. ¡°I ensured our Sniffer went over every square inch of the ballroom before the barrier closed. There¡¯s no way someone poisoned the wine or the cups before arriving. The room was supposed to be safe.¡±

    Prince Adrien cursed yet again. ¡°My Sniffers also examined the area to the last corner. I supervised it myself. There¡¯s no way the perpetrator hid anything inside the room.¡±

    ¡°That means the perpetrator brought the poison. The killer must¡¯ve figured out how to bypass the Sniffer¡¯s detection,¡± the words automatically came out of my mouth. [Awareness] was working at full speed. In a world of magic, it was easier to conceal an object with a skill than hide it under a tile.

    The lords turned around to look at me, and a smile was drawn on Prince Adrien¡¯s face.

    ¡°If the culprit figured out how to bypass the Sniffers ¡®perfect¡¯ detection skills, then he is inside the barrier right now,¡± the Prince said.

    The faces of the nobles became pale as the realization set in. Someone figuring out how to bypass the Sniffers meant nobody was safe anymore. If the technique became known, the trust between nobles would plummet, and the kingdom would plunge into chaos.

    ¡°We need to figure out who the culprit is, how they did it, and if someone else knows how to evade the Sniffer¡¯s detection,¡± Lord Victor Osgiria said.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°We can¡¯t bring anyone from the outside to perform the investigation. Not even a Sniffer. If the barrier falls, the culprit might seize the moment to escape,¡± Lord Gairon pointed out, turning around and looking at the feast table. ¡°I¡¯m frankly out of my element here. I¡¯m a farmer, not a detective.¡±

    I felt the snare shutting around my neck before Prince Adrien opened his mouth.

    ¡°We might have someone who could play the role of a detective,¡± Prince Adrien turned around to face me. ¡°A Scholar with the [Identify] skill. There¡¯s no one more qualified.¡±

    None of the nobles seemed thrilled by the idea of an outsider being put in charge of the investigation.

    ¡°Do you think you can do it?¡± Lord Gairon asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s no perfect crime, My Lord. The culprit must¡¯ve left a trail we can follow,¡± I replied with a deep bow. It wasn¡¯t the moment to tell them I wasn¡¯t a detective or anything similar, nor the state of my [Identify] skill. It was time to perform my part, even if it was beyond my abilities. This was the perfect setting to gain the nobles¡¯ support.

    Prince Adrien smiled.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s my will. Robert Clarke, you are in charge of the investigation. Until the barrier falls, your word will be my word,¡± Prince Adrien said. ¡° If you need anything, just ask.¡±

    I looked around, quickly reviewing the situation.

    ¡°I need Elincia and Lord Vedras¡¯ help to study the poison. I¡¯d like to request Lady Lyra Jorn¡¯s assistance. She is also a Scholar with the [Identify] skill,¡± I said, realizing that a team would be better than dealing with the investigation alone. ¡°And please ask anyone else if they drink the wine. We need to know if it was a global attack or a directed assassination.¡±

    Prince Adrien nodded before turning around and walking towards the back door. ¡°Do not let us down, Robert.¡±

    I nodded. Of all the possible troubles I could get into, I didn¡¯t expect to be put in charge of a murder investigation. Sir Enric Osgiria was one of the most important members of the anti-royalist faction, the general of the Osgirian Army nonetheless. I wondered if the culprit wasn¡¯t the Prince and if I just was a smoke curtain to clean up his name.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked Elincia as I crouched by her side.

    ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t get to drink from the cup,¡± she replied as she checked Raudhan¡¯s pulse. ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°A Zealot grabbed my wrist, so I guess I have to thank my guardian angel somewhere,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Lyra to arrive. I want the insight of someone used to court life.¡±

    ¡°Good call. A lot is happening here,¡± Lord Vedras said, looking at the body of Sir Enric with a horrified expression.

    Our first task was to seize the crime scene. I looked at the table. The number of cups, cutlery, and plates correlated with the seats safe from the two that lay broken on the table. No one had added or taken anything. The wine stain from Sir Enric¡¯s cup slowly extended through the tablecloth. There was no visual sign it was poisoned.

    I poured a bit of mana into my [Identify] and felt the tug of Corruption in my chest. With the titles I had gained over the last weeks, the Corruption had been reduced to a speck in the center of my chest. Even if I abused the skill now, I was confident the Tournament would grant me enough titles to eliminate it completely.

    I made a mental note not to tell Elincia for now.

    [Identify] came back to life, and I focused the skill on the wine stain.

    Wine-stained cloth. [Identify] An expensive piece of cloth stained with what seems to be Ashthorn-poisoned wine.

    How was a skill so helpful yet useless at the same time?

    I approached Raudhan¡¯s shattered cup and tried again.

    Shattered glass. [Identify] A glass cup with the Farcrest Family Crest. It contains poisoned wine leftovers.

    How curious. Raudhan¡¯s glass didn¡¯t mention Ashthorn poison, just poison. The limits of the [Identify] skill weren¡¯t well defined, but that was expected from the System. Titles, levels, skills; everything seemed to be a bit whimsical. I was better off relying on my own logic.

    Elincia and Lord Vedras tended to Raudhan in silence. Why would anyone want to target Raudhan? The question lingered only a second before I stumbled into the answer. It was obvious. Raudhan and Captain Kiln had swapped places. The actual target wasn¡¯t Raudhan but the Captain. I massaged my temples. That opened a whole new line of reasoning.

    This wasn¡¯t an attack on Ebros¡¯ nobility but a targeted attack toward particular individuals. It made sense. The order of the seats was predictable: Prince Adrien at the center, with the host to the right and Lord Victor Osgiria, the most important duke, to its left. Then, their respective honor guards. Sir Enric by Lord Victor Osgiria¡¯s side and Captain Kiln by the Marquis¡¯.

    I had to verify my suspicion about the seating order with Lord Vedras and Lady Jorn.

    My theory still had a massive hole in the middle. Why target Sir Enric and Captain Kiln in particular? What did those two have in common? The two managed the armies of their respective houses, but that was all. House Osgiria was leagues away from House Farcrest. House Osgiria controlled most of the kingdom''s commerce, while House Farcrest dealt with a remote choke point at the border. Moreover, House Osgiria and House Farcrest were in opposite Factions. The Marquis was a royalist, while Lord Victor Osgiria was an anti-royalist.

    Maybe the perpetrator fucked up and messed up the order? Perhaps the targets were the Marquis and Lord Osgiria. That theory raised the same problems as the previous ones. The Marquis and Lord Osgiria were in opposite factions. The culprit had no reason to target them.

    Was this even a political assassination attempt? A smoke screen to divert the attention from what was important? The targets didn¡¯t make sense unless they weren¡¯t the only cups poisoned.

    I looked around. Lyra was taking her sweet time, so I focused back on the table, trying to see what I was missing.

    ¡°Ashthorn Poison is a magical poison, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s called Ashthorn Poison because of its main ingredient,¡± Lord Vedras replied.

    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, easing my mind and leaving all my concerns behind. My eyes, even [Identify], wouldn¡¯t be enough to see what was happening before me. The sensation came slowly. The colors faded away until only mana currents were visible. Blue, green, and golden streams of mana flowed from the light stones encapsulated by the Fortifier¡¯s barrier.

    I examined the banquet table. A stain, a disturbance among the mana currents, caught my attention like a rancid odor assaulting my nose. Noxious mana flowed and swirled within the traces of wine stuck to the shards of glass, the floor, and the stain on the tablecloth. The presence of the harmful mana was expected. Now that I knew what to look for, I examined the rest of the table, looking for any other missed targets.

    Prince Adrien''s cup was clean. The high-rank dukes¡¯ were clean. The Marquis¡¯ cup was clean. There wasn¡¯t a hint of noxious mana anywhere else but in Raudhan¡¯s and Sir Enric¡¯s glasses. And it didn¡¯t make any sense.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the delay, Master Clarke.¡±

    Lady Jorn¡¯s voice interrupted my train of thought. I was brought back to the world of color, maybe for the best. My line of investigation was going nowhere. Observation alone wouldn¡¯t push the investigation any further unless Lyra had any theory of her own. I turned around, ready to bombard her with questions about alliances, friendships, and rivalries, when I noticed the man walking in front of the girl.

    Long black hair pulled in a ponytail, tanned skin, and aquiline features. I instantly recognized the man from the day the royal army arrived at the Great Hall. Darius Holst.

 103 - Preceptor Holst

    Chapter 103

    Lyra Jorn¡¯s serene smile faded as soon as her eyes fell on Sir Enric.

    Ashthorn poison turned their victim¡¯s skin black like frostbite while the muscle was drained of all liquid, leaving behind a dried, unrecognizable carcass. Yet, I could detect a hint of curiosity in the eyes of the girl. The man who walked before Lyra didn¡¯t react to the gruesome scene. Holst.

    Darius Holst was a man well in his forties, with the proud presence of someone raised in a noble household. His facial complexion was eerily similar to the Marquis. However, unlike the Marquis, Holst was slender as a whip, almost like an Olympic fencer. I could tell the same blood flowed within their veins, but what caught my attention was his eyes. Sharp. Attentive. Cunning.

    I noticed it too late. My support request didn¡¯t just include Lyra Jorn but all the Scholars at the party. I swore under my breath and gave a quick look at Elincia. Her eyes burned with anger.

    ¡°This is Preceptor Holst. My old mentor at the Imperial Library,¡± Lyra stuttered, trying her best to ignore Sir Enric¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°My pleasure,¡± Lord Vedras replied.

    ¡°What is the situation?¡± Holst asked, looking over Lord Vedras¡¯ shoulder at where Raudhan lay.

    My father¡¯s voice echoed in my mind. Courtesy does not diminish bravery.

    ¡°Here, we are treating Raudhan right now,¡± I said, inviting Holst to check on the young man. I couldn¡¯t prevent a man from checking his sick relative, not even Holst.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Holst succinctly said as he knelt by Raudhan¡¯s side just before Elincia.

    [Awareness] warned me of impending danger. Holst didn¡¯t recognize her, but Elincia clenched her fist around the empty potion vial. The traitor who had brought the orphanage to the brink of destruction was within Elincia¡¯s reach, but she remained still. I thanked her silently.

    Holst lit the tip of his finger using mana and opened Raudhan¡¯s eyelids to examine the area. I leaned forward to observe the procedure. [Awareness] informed me that the sclera and the mucous membrane were healthy. Then, Holst continued by examining Raudhan¡¯s mouth, inner cheeks, and under his tongue. Finally, he checked the neck and the tips of his hands.

    I couldn¡¯t notice any trace of damage caused by the Ashthorn poison. There was no gangrene nor any sign of strange coloration that could give away the poison¡¯s presence in his organism. Other than the weak breathing, Raudhan¡¯s body seemed to be healthy. [Identify] didn¡¯t show me more than what was already apparent.

    ¡°The poison was stopped before extending through his body,¡± Holst said without a hint of emotion in his voice. [Awareness] detected a hint of anger, but he did his best to keep it under wraps.

    ¡°We were using high-quality potions, but with Ashthorn poison, one never knows,¡± Lord Vedras said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice any lingering symptoms, and his Personal Sheet says the poison is receding,¡± Holst said just to turn to face Elincia. ¡°Thank you for saving my nephew. I¡¯m in your debt. Anything you want, just ask me.¡±

    Elincia opened her mouth, but I stepped forward before she could ask Holst to end his own life. I read it in her eyes. Elincia was reaching her limit, and as much as I wanted justice for the orphanage, I couldn¡¯t have those two destroying my crime scene.

    ¡°We will remember that. For now, let¡¯s focus on the investigation,¡± I said, giving Elincia a pleading glance.

    ¡°For now,¡± Elincia replied, not in the slightest happy.

    Cooperating with Holst rubbed me the wrong way, but I was ready to put my grudges away for my kids. Momentarily. If half of what Abei had told me about Holst was true, the man was a top-notch Scholar. I could use him.

    We needed to get down to work. We had until the barrier fell to solve the crime.

    ¡°Did you notice anything important?¡± I asked.

    Holst nodded.

    ¡°Raudhan¡¯s body shows no after-effects of the poisoning, so I can¡¯t tell what poison was used on him. It¡¯s safe to say he was poisoned with the same Ashthorn poison that killed Sir Enric,¡± Holst said, focusing on the facts. ¡°I noticed Izabeka and Raudhan exchanging seats before the banquet. It¡¯s reasonable to think the original target might have been her. Unless she is the perpetrator.¡±

    Holst¡¯s theory caught me off-guard.

    ¡°Raudhan is Captain Kiln¡¯s nephew. She had no motive to kill him,¡± I said.

    Holst raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Raudhan had been hanging out with the wrong people, and the Guard isn¡¯t as tight-knit as it used to be. It¡¯s only logical to say that Raudhan has a strong case for being Izabeka¡¯s successor if something happens to her,¡± Holst said.

    ¡°Captain Kiln is like a mother to¨C.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t finish the sentence because Holst interrupted me. ¡°If you will lead this investigation, Robert Clarke, you better shed all preconceptions and focus only on the truth. The fact is, there have been political assassinations over a lot less.¡±

    I bit my thumbnail. Holst didn¡¯t know that Raudhan was a double agent working for Captain Kiln to unveil the dissident faction among the Guard. I dismissed those ideas and focused on the present.

    ¡°Captain Kiln poisoning Raudhan doesn¡¯t account for Sir Enric getting poisoned. She wasn¡¯t close enough to poison Sir Enric¡¯s cup,¡± I finally said.

    ¡°You might be right. My theory, although plausible, doesn¡¯t account for Sir Enric,¡± Holst said. I expected him to be more defensive of his theory. ¡°To solve the crime, we must first figure out what the victims have in common and how the poison was introduced to the party.¡±

    Holst was right. We needed a theory.

    ¡°Can you take Raudhan to a safe room to rest properly?¡± I asked, looking at Lord Vedras and Elincia. It felt strange to boss a duke around, but keeping him on the floor wouldn¡¯t be good for anyone. They both nodded and grabbed Raudhan by the arms and legs.

    I followed them with my eyes until they left the room.

    ¡°Maybe Captain Kiln and Sir Enric weren¡¯t the only targets. There can be other poisoned cups that didn¡¯t get to be consumed,¡± Lyra said as soon as we were left alone.

    Holst nodded approvingly with a proud teacher''s expression.

    ¡°I already checked everything. There¡¯s no other poisoned cups, plates, or cutlery,¡± I replied. ¡°Captain Kiln and Sir Enric are the only targets.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± Lyra said.

    Weird was an understatement. The crime scene didn¡¯t make sense.

    I used [Identify] on Sir Enric.

    Enric Osgiria¡¯s corpse. [Identify] The withered body of a victim of Ashthorn poison.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Not much more than we already knew. I looked at the ballroom. The food was still hot on the table while the chairs had been haphazardly strewn around. I felt the scene was trying to tell me a story, but I couldn¡¯t guess where to start reading. Then, my eyes fell on the chair Prince Adrien had kicked across the room. Wasn¡¯t it strange that a man as calm and pragmatic as the Prince would suddenly rage? It was almost as if he was destroying a clue.

    Before Lyra could voice her theory, I walked through the room and knelt by the chair¡¯s remains. Good, varnished wood. High-quality dyed fabric. Spongy cotton. I activated my mana sense, trying to catch anything my eyes couldn¡¯t notice. I fed [Awareness] with Fountain Mana, and the skill filled my brain with information. Materials, craftsmanship, the position of the splinters, old hits and nicks, but ultimately nothing of use.

    It was just a broken chair.

    ¡°Suspecting the Prince?¡± Holst¡¯s voice came from behind me. There was no trace of accusation in his tone. ¡°Good. I underestimated you, Robert Clarke, but now I know you are a true Scholar at heart. Tell me. What¡¯s going through your mind?¡±

    Our logic was failing because of our preconceptions. We were trying to find something that wasn¡¯t there. Captain Kiln and Sir Enric had nothing in common.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t one crime scene. This is two different crime scenes in the same room. One is the true victim. The other is a misdirection attempt,¡± I muttered.

    Holst followed my eyes toward the table.

    ¡°I was thinking the same,¡± he replied without abandoning his emotionless expression. ¡°But that idea is a preconception on its own. We have no clues to back it up. To test our theory, we need a brain that hasn¡¯t been poisoned by it.¡±

    Lyra approached us, walking as fast as her dress allowed her.

    ¡°A clue?¡± She asked, examining the chair with mana in her eyes.

    ¡°No. Focus. Who could¡¯ve wanted Sir Enric and Captain Kiln killed?¡± Holst asked. He wasn¡¯t just asking Lyra for information but using her as a tool to check his own line of thought.

    The girl toyed with her necklace as a mindful expression was drawn on her face.

    ¡°A foreign power trying to weaken our defense capabilities. Sir Enric was the general of the second-largest army in the kingdom. Captain Kiln might be a small name, but having the Farlands under control is also important for a country¡¯s stability,¡± Lyra replied without skipping a beat.

    ¡°And yet, the attack came from within the party. We are all subjects to the crown,¡± Holst pointed out.

    ¡°Someone betrayed us, maybe?¡± Lyra replied just to stop mid-sentence. ¡°No. Sir Enric and Captain Kiln are easily replaceable. To truly cause inner turmoil, foreign powers must create division between or within houses. A more proper target would¡¯ve been a duke or their successor. Something that could ignite infighting.¡±

    Holst nodded.

    ¡°Neither is it an attempt to make houses fight each other. Otherwise, the culprit would¡¯ve framed someone else,¡± Lyra added, her face suddenly illuminating.

    ¡°So, no external power and no attempt to destabilize the kingdom,¡± Holst smiled for the first time in the night. He looked like a hungry jackal. ¡°Any other thoughts, Miss Jorn?¡±

    Lyra looked around, panicking like only a student being questioned by a strict teacher could.

    ¡°Misdirection? One was the actual target of the assassination attempt. The other one is an innocent passerby,¡± Lyra said, her eyebrows almost meeting in the middle of her face. ¡°Sir Enric has to be the real target, while Captain Kiln is a red herring! You don¡¯t kill the General of the most important ducal house just to cover the assassination of a Captain!¡±

    Holst clapped.

    ¡°Correct, Miss Jorn. It¡¯s a shame you had to leave the Imperial Library so early,¡± he said.

    I could tell those words meant the world to Lyra.

    ¡°If we work under the assumption that the target was Sir Enric, who would benefit the most from his death?¡± I asked.

    The first suspect to come to my mind was Prince Adrien. A newly appointed general would want to show its prowess despite House Osgiria¡¯s reluctance to put all their power into the Farlands campaign. A new Osgirian General would help the royalist faction.

    ¡°The man who would benefit the most is Lord Victor Osgiria,¡± Lyra said. ¡°The previous Duke appointed Sir Enric as general. Sir Enric also was dangerously close to the top of the succession line for Lord Osgiria to be comfortable with him having control of the army.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Sir Enric was gathering too much power within House Osgiria. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to imagine Victor killing him despite being a high-level warrior,¡± Holst said.

    I nodded in silence. Calling Lyra to help had been the right decision.

    ¡°Who else?¡± I asked. Centering our efforts on a single suspect at this point of the investigation might lead us to a dead end. I would rather see the whole picture first.

    ¡°Prince Adrien,¡± Holst said without missing a beat.

    ¡°P-Prince Adrien?¡± Lyra stuttered as she looked around to make sure we were alone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fear the truth, Miss Jorn,¡± Holst replied. ¡°Sir Enric was an anti-royalist just like Victor Osgiria, despite the friction between them. The royalist faction would benefit from his death.¡±

    A bitter smile appeared on my face as I realized both factions could¡¯ve killed Sir Enric, the one he was against and the one he swore to defend. Court intrigue was a cold game without a final whistle, and I had agreed to play. I hoped I was a better player than Sir Enric and luckier than Raudhan.

    ¡°What about us?¡± Lyra suddenly asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t we suspects like everyone else at the party?¡±

    ¡°Have something to admit, Miss Jorn?¡± Holst asked with a disappointed teacher¡¯s voice.

    ¡°N-no! Why would I?¡± Lyra stuttered.

    ¡°We are Scholars, Lyra. I¡¯m certain we don¡¯t have the skill to smuggle poison through five Sniffers even if we had a strong reason to kill Sir Enric,¡± I said, prompting a pleased smile from Holst. I hadn¡¯t realized it, but he was putting me to a test.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we share our Personal Sheets nonetheless? I mean. Just in case?¡± Lyra said, giving me a meaningful look.

    I understood her hidden message instantly. We had shared Character Sheets not a couple of hours earlier. Lyra was suspecting Holst.

    ¡°You have yet to trick me, Miss Jorn,¡± Holst broke the silence. He looked at us with an amused expression. ¡°I don¡¯t mind showing you if that eases your suspicion. Use [Identify] if you believe I¡¯m hiding something.¡±

    Holst summoned his Character Sheet with a controlled hand movement and turned it around.

    Name: Darius Holst, Human. (Keen)

    Class: Scholar Lv. 43

    Titles: Silver Scholar, Master Investigator, Expert Historian, Expert Orator, Adept Strategist, Classroom Fiend, Favorite Teacher (3), Cunning, Gem Polisher.

    Passive: Lv.4 Swordsmanship, Lv.3 Riding, Mana Mastery, Awareness.

    Skills: Identify, Magical Ink, Ward, Mana Blade, Nimble Step, Puncture, Mirage.

    ¡°No need to show me yours. I know you two are innocent. Not even the Headmaster of the Imperial Library knows how to smuggle poison through a wall of Sniffers,¡± Holst said.

    What Holst didn¡¯t know was that Sniffers weren¡¯t omniscient or flawless. When they ¡®sniffed¡¯ me, they were confused by my smell. They could tell I had traveled far away, but they couldn¡¯t pinpoint the fact that I came from another world. Or maybe they could tell, but they didn¡¯t know another world actually existed, which narrowed their understanding of what was dangerous and what was not.

    ¡°We can¡¯t ignore the fact that new Skills appear every year, and that goes for everyone, not only us,¡± Lyra said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if we find our perfect suspect unless we can prove they were the ones who smuggled the poison into the party.¡±

    ¡°Nobles will not consent to showing their Personal Sheets, even with the Prince pressuring them,¡± Holst replied, mindlessly tapping his lips.

    I sighed. Solving the riddle wouldn¡¯t be as easy as identifying a random Baron just to find they had the hidden ¡®Wormhole¡¯ skill.

    ¡°Let¡¯s follow the action, step by step, one last time. Lord Osgiria and Prince Adrien had the motivation and the opportunity to conduct the crime. However, I feel we still are overlooking something,¡± I said, using [Minor Illusion] and [Awareness] to create a copy of the banquet table.

    Tables, plates, cups, and cutlery had flown into place in an apparent disarray from the gilded drawers lined along the wall. Holst and Lyra looked at it in awe, if only for an instant. We crossed the room and opened the drawers. Thousands of plates and cups were still stored inside. There was no way the assassin would¡¯ve poisoned them before they reached the table. It was impossible to tell what plate would end up in front of each guest, plus the Sniffers would¡¯ve detected the poison just like they detected Elincia¡¯s potions.

    We returned to the illusion.

    After the banquet table rearranged itself, the guests slowly walked to their seats. It had been the perfect moment to spike the glasses, but too many people approached the table, searching for their seats to pinpoint the culprit. Then, the Marquis''s speech, toast, and poisoning happened in quick succession.

    ¡°It must¡¯ve been someone near the victims,¡± Lyra said.

    The Prince and Lord Osgiria fit the description; Prince Adrien was one seat away from Raudhan and Sir Enric, while Lord Osgiria was two seats away from Raudhan and just next to Sir Enric. Both of them could¡¯ve approached the glasses without arousing suspicion.

    ¡°We are still missing something,¡± Holst said, just as Lord Vedras entered the ballroom.

    ¡°Can I help with something else?¡± Lord Vedras asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Holst instantly raised his head, his predatory eyes shining with bloodlust. ¡°Can you show us the antidote vial you used with Sir Enric?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Lord Vedras stuttered.

    ¡°The empty antidote vial, show it to us,¡± Holst said.

 104 - Vial

    ¡°The empty antidote vial, show it to us,¡± Holst said, and the room seemed to freeze.

    Nobles were used to dealing with [Awareness] users. Consequently, they were conditioned from an early age to maintain a neutral, unreadable expression. Lord Vedra''s facade, however, shattered as the words came out from Holst''s mouth. His calm expression changed to surprise, then fear.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. Despite our differences, I tried to help Sir Enric,¡± Lord Vedras said, his fear suddenly changing into anger. ¡°I¡¯m a duke! You don¡¯t have the right, Darius Holst.¡±

    A wicked smile appeared on Holst¡¯s face. ¡°You are right. I¡¯m not in charge of the investigation. Robert Clarke is.¡±

    I cursed Holst for putting me in a situation to antagonize a duke. As easygoing as Lord Vedras was, he was still among the most influential people in the kingdom. I couldn¡¯t ignore the fact he had reacted most suspiciously to the request for the antidote vial. It wasn¡¯t something I could overlook now.

    ¡°I will not force Lord Vedras to collaborate, but eventually, I¡¯ll have to report everything I see and hear to Prince Adrien,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t in a position to cover for anyone.

    I just hoped Lord Vedras realized it wasn¡¯t in my power to let this go.

    Lord Vedras opened his robe, revealing his potion belt. He pulled an empty elongated vial and held it between his thumb and index finger. The residue of a translucent potion had decanted to the bottom. Instantly, Holst, Lyra, and I cast [Identify].

    Empty Vial. [Identify] An empty vial that used to contain a powerful multipurpose antidote.

    There was nothing out of place with the antidote.

    ¡°If I¡¯m a suspect, I won¡¯t be part of this investigation,¡± Lord Vedras said coldly, leaving the empty vial on the table just to turn around and exit the ballroom.

    I sighed. Any chance of keeping a friendly relationship with a duke vanished into thin air. Not that my main goal of the night was to make powerful allies. It was a big plus, though. Elincia could¡¯ve benefited from meddling with high-level Alchemists. I focused on the antidote vial and activated my mana sense, hoping this misunderstanding would lead to something fruitful. For some reason, the drops inside the vial had a familiar magical signature. Then I noticed why. It was the same signature as the antidotes I brewed with Elincia.

    ¡°A more rational man would¡¯ve understood my suspicion,¡± Holst pointed out, unapologetic.

    I rubbed my temples. Despite having Elincia on the team, Lord Vedras had a higher level and more experience as an Alchemist. Holst was a prideful idiot. To prevent our suspects from hiding more evidence, we should prevent them from knowing we suspected them.

    ¡°You can¡¯t bake a cake without breaking some eggs,¡± I sighed to myself. ¡°How long do we have until the barrier falls?¡±

    ¡°A couple of hours,¡± Holst replied.

    A couple of hours and no leads other than baseless suspicion. I examined the banquet table one last time. There wasn¡¯t much else I could draw from it. If I wanted to complete the puzzle, I needed to gather information from other sources.

    ¡°Lyra. Prepare an interrogation room. Nothing too hostile. We are not accusing anyone yet, just investigating. Darius, can you inform the Prince we intend to ask some questions so he paves the way for us? We don¡¯t have time to lose,¡± I said.

    Both nodded and walked toward the safe rooms.

    Once alone, I walked back to the table. Holst might have burned Lord Vedras¡¯ bridge with his accusation, but he had opened a whole new line of investigation. Antidote and health potions looked almost identical under my mana sense. It was hard to explain without a mana sense; if the antidote was crimson, the health potion was vermilion; an untrained eye would deem both the same after a quick glance.

    I wondered if it was the same with the poison.

    I took a deep breath and focused on the shattered glass by Sir Enric¡¯s side. Viridian green. Then, I examined Captain Kiln¡¯s glass again. A smile tugged the corner of my mouth. Turquoise. Like Antidote and Health Potion, the poisons were a little different.

    And it didn¡¯t make sense. Why would the killer use different poisons? Did he want to kill Sir Enric but make Captain Kiln survive? No. The usage of two different poisons would only arouse suspicion. A killer wouldn¡¯t see the value of Captain Kiln¡¯s life to place their plan in jeopardy.

    There was only one logical outcome. The attempt on Captain Kiln¡¯s life wasn¡¯t a misdirection but a whole different crime. Two victims. Two perpetrators.

    ¡°Is everything okay? Where¡¯s everyone?¡± Elincia asked as she appeared from the backdoor.

    Without answering, I signaled her to come close.

    ¡°What was inside that vial?¡± I asked.

    Elincia gave me a questioning look behind her veil but went along with me.

    ¡°That was a health potion for sure. Maybe an antidote or chilblain medicine. The three use similar ingredients, so it''s hard to tell apart,¡± Elincia said, genuinely confused. ¡°Am I missing something?¡±

    ¡°I thought Alchemists could detect what kind of potion is inside each vial,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes, we can, but that isn¡¯t technically a potion. Those are leftover drops and saliva,¡± Elincia replied defensively. ¡°Sheesh, give me ten more levels, and I might give you a more precise read, damn Scholar.¡±

    Interesting. Lord Vedras should¡¯ve been able to detect the difference between the poisons unless he had just given a superficial look to the scene. Or, unless he was the culprit, as Holst hinted. I shook my head. It was too soon to make accusations.

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be able to solve the case?¡± Elincia asked.

    Even with the veil, I could see the concern reflected in her eyes.

    ¡°Is Ashthorn used in any antidote or potion with a healing effect?¡± I asked. If Ashthorn was used in a healing potion, the culprit might have used the similarity in their magic signatures to mislead the Sniffers.

    Elincia rolled her eyes.

    ¡°If you touch raw Ashthorn barehanded, you better have a saw nearby. Ashthorn kills everything it touches, no matter how slightly. It''s a dangerous plant, a famous one. There¡¯s no way you can brew a healing potion with it,¡± Elincia said.

    A picture of hazy borders was starting to appear in my mind. The crime was too perfect to solve within the timeframe, and the culprit knew it. However, that didn¡¯t prevent us from making an educated accusation. I had another trick under my sleeve that would come in handy.

    ¡°Do you want to yell at Holst, Eli?¡± I asked.

    Elincia repeatedly blinked as if she was convincing herself she had heard the correct words. Then, after an instant of confusion, she beamed. I couldn¡¯t say her face was devoid of all malice.

    ¡°Hell, yes!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask what my plan is?¡± I asked.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°No need, my love, I like your plan already,¡± Elincia gave me the thumbs up.

    ¡°Your faith in me is commendable, but I¡¯ll explain it nonetheless,¡± I sighed.

    * * *

    After exchanging a few words, Captain Kiln exited the safe room to make sure nobody touched the crime scene in our absence. It was instrumental to my plan to keep the purity of the evidence. Now, I had to deal with the nobility. I took a deep breath and entered the safe room.

    The atmosphere was dense.

    The safe room was a spacious lounge with comfy chairs and a fireplace. The walls were covered with beautiful paintings of old members of the Farcrest Family and carpets with scenes of old hunts and battles. The guests were reunited in small, ironclad groups, whispering and exchanging looks full of suspicion. It was only the natural response. The Fortifier¡¯s barrier and the Sniffers were supposed to be flawless.

    This incident would cost the royal faction dearly unless I found the culprit, but first, we needed to regain Lord Vedras'' trust. We would have to assassinate Holst¡¯s public character or at least pummel it a bit to achieve that. To gain credibility in the public eye, others had to lose it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go overboard, Eli. We are commoners, while Holst belongs to one of the founding families. Stick to the script,¡± I whispered.

    Elincia¡¯s evil smile made me shudder. Maybe she wasn¡¯t the right person for the role, but there weren''t any other trustworthy individuals who could carry out the performance as required. It would be a risky maneuver. Elincia winked at me and crossed the room with a decisive step that quickly caught the guests'' attention.

    ¡°I have a complaint with the investigation,¡± Elincia said, her voice carrying over the whispering of the noble factions. ¡°I demand that Darius Holst be removed from the investigation team for slandering Lord Vedra''s name.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but grin. Elincia¡¯s acting skills were better than I expected. There was no doubt in her voice, just pure, unadulterated contempt. I looked around to measure the effect of her words. There wasn¡¯t anyone in the room who wasn¡¯t focused on her. Good start.

    Prince Adrien raised his head, and Elincia charged forward. Metaphorically speaking.

    ¡°Lord Vedras and his medic team had been supporting the Farlands Campaign for years now, keeping the army healthy and saving countless lives! To even insinuate Lord Vedras is the culprit is an insult against the memory of all Alchemists and Herbalists fallen in battle,¡± Elincia said.

    Holst''s expression was priceless ¨Clike a fox found raiding a chicken coop in the middle of the night. He couldn¡¯t utter a word as a wave of murmurs rose. The atmosphere was already tense, and it would only take a small spark to start a fire. I grinned. Holst was smart. He should have realized that people tended to side with the wronged person. The effect was even more powerful if said person was perceived as kind and gentle. And Lord Vedras was a healer in a world controlled by combatants.

    ¡°If Darius Holst isn¡¯t removed from the investigation team, I will resign. I will not tolerate such acts of treachery,¡± Elincia said, hitting each work like nails in a coffin. ¡°You will have to solve this murder without any Alchemists.¡±

    The Marquis was enraged, the Prince entertained, and Lord Vedras was as astonished as he was uncomfortable with the guests'' sudden attention. That was my cue to enter the conversation.

    ¡°Sir Enric and Raudhan were poisoned. We can¡¯t solve this without the assistance of an Alchemist. Please, reconsider,¡± I said with my best pleading voice. My eyes, however, were fixed on Holst.

    There was only one good way out of this mess. Resign gracefully. A courtier like Holst wasn¡¯t a rival for a duke.

    ¡°Elincia Rosebud, I hadn¡¯t recognized you with the expensive clothes,¡± Holst smiled wickedly.

    Holst lashing back wasn¡¯t part of my plans.

    ¡°You know each other?¡± Prince Adrien asked.

    ¡°Our story goes a bit back in time. I used to be a teacher here in Farcrest. Elincia¡¯s lack of vision was driving her dear orphanage to imminent catastrophe. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t blame me for your own shortcomings, would you?¡± Holst replied.

    Elincia opened her mouth to reply, but no word came out, which allowed Holst to continue.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on the past. Regarding the murder case, I will step down. Robert Clarke and Miss Jorn are more than capable of carrying out the investigation,¡± Holst said, turning around and walking back to the cluster of Farcrest nobles. ¡°Let¡¯s catch up later, Governess. I¡¯d love to know how my old students are currently doing.¡±

    For an instant, I thought Elincia would pounce on Holst''s back. I prepared myself to intervene, but it wasn¡¯t necessary in the end. Elincia stuck to the script without skipping a beat.

    ¡°Lord Vedras. It might be asking too much, but we need your expertise on the investigation team,¡± Elincia said, turning around to face him.

    He could not say no after such a display, not with so many eyes on him.

    ¡°If Robert allows it¡­¡± Lord Vedras said, yielding to the pressure.

    ¡°We will be thrilled to have you back,¡± I replied, seizing the moment to strike. ¡°In fact, I wanted to ask Prince Adrien¡¯s approval for the next part of the investigation. I want to conduct an interrogation on everyone at the party.¡±

    Prince Adrien smiled. ¡°I allow it. Should I be the first?¡±

    The room Lyra had prepared was an old study with a desk under the windows and two big couches separated by a coffee table. There was a liquor wardrobe near the corner and several replacement chairs similar to those in the ballroom. The gentle light of several light stones gave the room a cozy vibe. It was perfect for my next movement.

    ¡°Can you grab a jug of water, Lyra?¡± I asked.

    Prince Adrien and I sat on opposite couches while Lord Vedras and Elincia sat in dest, a couple of meters away from us. They were supposed to work as witnesses of our interrogation while I¡¯d ask the questions. If my inner clock wasn¡¯t lying, we had little time left until the barrier¡¯s fall.

    ¡°So, do you already know who is the culprit?¡± Prince Adrien asked, making himself comfortable.

    ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯m close,¡± I replied, using my mana to grab a cup from the drawer and bring it closer to the Prince. He grabbed it midair and put it down on the table. ¡°Should I start with the questionable, My Lord?¡±

    Prince Adrien nodded, seemingly thrilled for the experience. In any other situation, I would¡¯ve regarded his nonchalance as a sign of culpability.

    ¡°First question, then. Did you know of anyone who would want to hurt Sir Enric? Did he have any enemies?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Sir Enric had a lot of rivals within the army and more than a few political rivals, but I can¡¯t think of anyone in particular who would want him dead,¡± Prince Adrien replied. ¡°He was a well-respected soldier.¡±

    I nodded; we had already figured as much.

    ¡°Do you know if Sir Enric received any death threats lately?¡± I continued.

    ¡°No, not a clue,¡± the Prince replied. ¡°We didn¡¯t talk much.¡±

    As expected about two members of opposite factions.

    ¡°Was there any recent event that could¡¯ve made him new enemies?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The army suffered a couple of defeats that could¡¯ve been attributed to the Osgirian army''s lack of promptness, but nothing that hadn¡¯t happened before during the campaign,¡± the Prince shrugged.

    I padded the interrogation with a few more questions about political and personal matters just for the sake of concealing the essential questions. In the middle of the interrogation, Lyra smashed the door open and panicked when she noticed the Prince was inside. Her hands were busy with two big jugs. She hastily served the Prince a glass of water before retreating to the desk.

    ¡°The water is safe,¡± Lord Vedras said.

    The Prince drank it in one go. As expected, nobody had dared to drink anything after the incident.

    ¡°Last question. Did you touch Sir Enric¡¯s cup at any moment in the night?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No,¡± the Prince replied, standing from the couch and leaving the glass on the coffee table. ¡°And I don¡¯t know how this interrogation will help. The culprit will not tell the truth, and I assure you, Robert, nobles can lie flawlessly.¡±

    ¡°Faith and a little bit of pixie dust go a long way, My Prince,¡± I grinned, using my mana to grab the empty cup and leave it on an empty drawer behind me. ¡°Please call Lord Osgiria. We are running out of time.¡±

    One by one, the nobles entered the interrogation room and answered my questions under the strict vigilance of Lyra, Elincia, and Lord Vedras. They joined with wary expressions just to leave dumbfounded by my questionnaire. Gathering crumbs from each guest, I reconstructed the life and personality of Sir Enric: his sleeping schedule, his favorite food, his romantic partners, his philosophy of engagement, his military tactics, everything to the last detail.

    Of course, I also questioned my team. All their answers were the same. They didn¡¯t know if Sir Enric had any enemies, they didn¡¯t touch his cup, and only Elincia lacked the [Awareness] skill¡ªnothing out of the ordinary.

    The last piece of the puzzle came from Lord Osgiria himself. Sir Enric had been receiving threats of poison since the day the army arrived at Farcrest. Suddenly, a picture formed in my mind. Maybe it wasn¡¯t perfect, but I hoped it was good enough.

    ¡°Lyra? Can you do me a favor?¡± I said, grabbing a clean cup from the drawer and serving the last drops of water.

    ¡°Sure, whatever you need, Master Clarke,¡± she said, promptly jumping to her feet.

    ¡°Collect all the powdered makeup and bring it here,¡± I said.

    Despite Lyra¡¯s sharp power of observation, my request left her dumbfounded. There were still a couple of things she could learn about me. She seemed to understand the urgency of the matter because she left the room in a flash.

    ¡°The poison was in the makeup? How did you come to that conclusion?¡± Lord Vedras asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a hunch,¡± I said, stretching my back and letting the couch mold to my body. ¡°Please go to the main room and take a break, My Lord. Elincia and I will take care of the rest. That¡¯s all.¡±

 105 - Robert Clarke, Investigator Extraordinaire

    The Fortifier¡¯s barrier shattered like crystal. The layers collapsed one after the other, showering the room with a rain of multicolor mana. It would''ve been a breathtaking show if it weren¡¯t for the corpse in the adjacent room. Time was up. I left the interrogation room and approached the Prince. In the safe room, the factions of noble houses looked at each other with increasing suspicion. I knew Prince Adrien wouldn¡¯t be able to hold them any longer.

    ¡°Time¡¯s up. Did you find the culprit, Robert Clarke?¡± Prince Adrien asked, and I noticed a hint of anxiety in his voice.

    As I didn¡¯t want the culprit to scurry between our fingers, I decided to be cautious.

    ¡°The results are inconclusive. I¡¯d rather share them with you in private, My Lord,¡± I said, just loud enough for anyone to hear.

    Prince Adrien turned around to face the guests. His expression had returned to the usual mask of carefree tranquility. ¡°The party is over. Please return to your chambers and remain vigilant. I¡¯ll make sure you get any relevant information about the incident. Be sure we will find the culprits.¡±

    Captain Kiln guided the guests through the ballroom, always keeping a safe distance from the banquet table. The party ended in the worst possible way for the royalist faction. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the army disbanded and every duke returned to the safety of their strongholds.

    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare a soundproof room in my quarters. We can talk about the investigation results there,¡± the Marquis said.

    That was a good call. The assassination of Sir Enric would mark an after and before in the relationships between nobles if the culprit went unpunished. Just the mere thought that someone could breach the Fortifier¡¯s barrier and the Sniffer¡¯s detection would be enough to sow distrust between factions.

    ¡°What should I do? I¡¯m invited?¡± Lyra asked as she awkwardly stood in the middle of the room, unsure if she had to stay or follow the other guests.

    ¡°Gather the team and follow the Marquis. And bring Holst too,¡± I said.

    Elincia gave me a quizzical look, but in the end, everyone exited the room. I just had to reunite the proof and present my case. I hoped it was enough; otherwise, I would get in big trouble. I walked toward the interrogation room when my mana sense warned me I wasn¡¯t alone in the safe room.

    ¡°You can come out,¡± I said.

    From the corner of the room, hidden within the shadows cast by the light stones, emerged the Zealot who had seized my arm during the feast. I couldn¡¯t tell the identity of my guardian angel because a golden mask and a white cloth curtain covered their head. Even their hands were covered with white gloves.

    The Zealot crossed the room without making a noise. It was almost unnerving.

    ¡°You helped me during the fight against the royal soldiers, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You recognized me? How?¡± The Zealot replied. Their voice had an androgynous quality.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t hard with those ears popping out of your headgear,¡± I said.

    I couldn¡¯t tell the exact expression under the golden mask, but the Zealot seemed appalled by the news. I sighed. At least they weren¡¯t trying to kill me, which was better than several of my previous encounters with people.

    ¡°Join me. I can¡¯t leave you alone with the evidence,¡± I said.

    There were a series of questions I was dying to ask, but I couldn¡¯t make the Prince wait. I didn¡¯t expect the Zealot to comply, but I heard the footsteps behind me as I entered the interrogation room. I looked around. In the corner of the room was a beverage cart. It would be helpful to transport the proof. I summoned my mana and loaded the cart.

    The Zealot stood at the doorway, watching the show.

    ¡°Why did you hold my arm instead of the Prince¡¯s? There were dozens of nobles more important than me in that room,¡± I asked as I used my mana to place the glasses on the cart.

    My words hit the Zealot like a minivan going over the speed limit. The Zealot¡¯s outfit wasn¡¯t suited to maintain a non-human¡¯s anonymity. The ears and tail made it too easy to read. I didn¡¯t detect malice emanating from them.

    ¡°I¡¯m very committed to my relationship, so¨C¡±

    The Zealot interrupted me midsentence.

    ¡°You are my Quest.¡±

    My mana faltered, and I almost smashed a glass against the floor. My blood froze. I expected the Zealot to be a spy of the High Priest or something similar, but the news of the System issuing a Quest with my name in it worried me. If the System Avatar told the truth, the System was composed of several different subsystems and subroutines. Not all of them worked with the same goal in mind.

    I bit my lip. It would be problematic if the Quest subsystem deemed me a persona non grata. The last thing I needed was an army of religious fanatics stuck to my ass. The Zealot before me, however, didn¡¯t seem hostile. They seemed troubled.

    ¡°So¡­ you are here to help me?¡± I tried to guess.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the Zealot replied.

    The Quest should be straightforward if the System used the same logic as an RPG. Gather ten herbs. Deliver the letter to the guildmaster of Hammerstorm. Go to the dungeon and destroy the dungeon core. Kill God. I wondered if the Zealot¡¯s Quest wasn¡¯t as easy to interpret.

    ¡°Your Quest is missing something. Or is it corrupted?¡± I said.

    ¡°How did you know that?¡± The Zealot asked, startled.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard to guess,¡± I replied, covering the cart with a tablecloth and pushing it to the door. ¡°Care to move? I have to risk my life about five minutes from now.¡±

    The Zealot followed me into the ballroom, practically attached to my heels.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You said you were risking your life. Until I can figure out how to accomplish the Quest, I won''t let you die,¡± the Zealot said, with a neutral voice more fitting to their golden mask.

    ¡°It was a figure of speech. I don¡¯t plan to die any time soon,¡± I sighed, wondering if all religious fanatics took things as literally as this one. ¡°Did you touch any of these cups, by the way?¡±

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    The Zealot shook their head.

    ¡°Good,¡± I replied, pushing the cart to the entrance and leaving the Zealot behind.

    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s all? I came from the capital all the way just to meet you!¡± The Zealot sounded disappointed.

    Having a Zealot bodyguard sounded like a great deal on the surface, but bringing religious freaks to the orphanage was out of the picture. I couldn¡¯t foresee if their Quest would change for good or bad in the future. The best choice was to not interact with volatile people, no matter how much there was to gain. Then I realized something.

    ¡°How did you know I was here in Farcrest?¡± I asked, stopping the cart in the middle of the hallway.

    The Zealot caught up to me and blocked the path. Out of nowhere, a System prompt appeared in front of my eyes.

    Quest:

    ¨CRobert Clarke in Farcrest.

    Great. The System had a GPS function. Was it that hard to put it into an interactive map? Not that it mattered; [Awareness] was just enough to help me navigate the Farlands. However, it was slightly worrying that the System knew my exact position. This wasn¡¯t a game I wanted to play.

    ¡°I love a good riddle, but I have too much on my plate already,¡± I said, pushing the cart to run into the Zealot¡¯s boots.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel there was something dangerous about the Quest. Quests served to maintain the balance in the world, and my deal with the System¡¯s Avatar was the complete opposite of preserving said balance. A shudder took hold of my shoulders. ¡®Slay Robert Clarke in Farcrest¡¯ sounded more plausible than ¡®Help Robert Clarke in Farcrest¡¯.

    ¡°Tell me, what should I do?¡± The Zealot asked, almost pleading.

    I didn¡¯t have an answer.

    ¡°Maybe you are meant to protect me,¡± I ventured forth an answer.

    ¡°If I were meant to protect you, it would say ¡®protect¡¯ in the Quest description. I hoped something would change if I met you,¡± the Zealot replied hesitantly.

    The conversation was taking me too long, and I wasn¡¯t sure I liked the direction it was going. The System Avatar had promised I would have years until I had to fulfill my part of the bargain. I needed time to grind my levels and runes first.

    ¡°Look, I promise not to leave Farcrest, and if I come up with something, I¡¯ll let you know. Deal?¡± I said in a last attempt to get rid of my unwanted companion.

    That seemed to be enough reassurance because the Zealot moved to the side.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be in contact,¡± the Zealot replied after a moment of reflection.

    ¡°The System works in mysterious ways,¡± I sighed, still unable to discern if the Zealot was a helper sent by the System Avatar or the complete opposite.

    ¡°The System works in mysterious ways,¡± the Zealot muttered like it was ancient wisdom hidden for millennia.

    I left the Zealot pondering on the Quest and followed the hallway.

    A wave of relief washed over me as I walked into the vestibule. I thanked God and all the Saints that the Zealot hadn¡¯t figured that killing me would nullify the troublesome Quest. Human life wasn¡¯t particularly valued in this corner of the universe to make me feel any more safe.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a problem for the future Rob,¡± I grunted.

    I grabbed the cart with my mana and walked upstairs to the second floor and the Marquis''s quarters. The Great Hall was almost empty except for the last partygoers returning to their chambers and the guardsmen stationed in every doorway. The light stones had lost their intensity and shone weakly against the shadows.

    I crossed the engraved double doors and entered the audience room. Captain Kiln was waiting for me at the enchanted door that led into the Marquis''s private quarters.

    ¡°Raudhan woke up,¡± she greeted me. ¡°He¡¯s pretty bummed he missed the party. He tried to sneak out to go drink with the guards, but I tied him to the bedpost.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem then?¡± I asked, noticing the Captain¡¯s troubled expression.

    Captain Kiln¡¯s voice quivered as she opened the door. ¡°I dragged Raudhan into the Guard, to this world. If I hadn¡¯t exchanged seats with him¨C¡±

    I wondered if Captain Kiln needed a hug. Probably not.

    ¡°Get your shit together, Izabeka. There¡¯s no time for grievances. Someone attacked us in plain sight,¡± I cut her off. ¡°Listen. The man who killed Sir Enric is not the same one who tried to poison you. I think the attempt on your life is linked to the person moving the threads behind the Guard¡¯s insurrection.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Captain Kiln whispered, quickly regaining the severity of her voice.

    ¡°The poison used on Raudhan was different from the one used on Sir Enric,¡± I replied. ¡°Two different attacks occurred during the feast. I think I know who poisoned Sir Enric, but I don¡¯t have a clue who can be behind the attack on you.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure, Rob? That¡¯s a strange theory,¡± Captain Kiln said.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure. Raudhan wasn¡¯t poisoned with Ashthorn, and I think I can prove it, but I will need a favor,¡± I said, stopping the cart in the middle of the darkened hallway. For me, it was illuminated as if it were day. ¡°The person who wants you dead probably resides here in Farcrest. The culprit acquired the poison from a local Alchemist. I need you to use your contacts and buy all the poison in the black market so I can compare them to the poison used on Raudhan.¡±

    Captain Kiln looked directly into my eye.

    ¡°Can you do that? Raudhan didn¡¯t show enough symptoms for us to know what poison was used on him.¡±

    I pushed the cart forward and resumed the march.

    ¡°I¡¯m a man of many skills.¡±

    Captain Kiln rolled her eyes and escorted me to the reunion room. We stopped outside the door. ¡°I¡¯m glad you showed Tauron the finger when he offered you a place at the Imperial Library. It¡¯s good to have you here.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m glad you are not a stuck-up noble lady, Captain,¡± I replied. The whole assassination thing might have gotten me a little emotional. ¡°Thank you for having my back.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry on me, Scholar. You might have a babyface, but I¡¯m not going to pamper you like the Governess does,¡± Captain Kiln said, opening the door.

    ¡°Wish me luck,¡± I said, pushing the cart inside.

    I recognized the room. It was the same place where the Marquis had offered me a place in the Tournament in exchange for representing the city. This time, Prince Adrien sat behind the desk while the Marquis stood beside him. The investigation team was seated around the maps table, although the frontline map and the wooden markers had been tucked away.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the delay. There were too many sets of stairs,¡± I said, parking the cart between the desk and the map table.

    ¡°I hope there¡¯s a good reason to meet here instead of arresting the suspects at the party,¡± the Prince said. ¡°The culprit could be escaping at this very moment.¡±

    ¡°I assure you, Your Majesty, the culprit believes we could not solve the case,¡± I replied.

    The Prince waved his hand for me to start, and I pulled the tablecloth from the cart, revealing a series of glass cups. Using my mana, I grabbed one of the cups full of wine and deposited it in front of the Prince. I was about to gamble my position in the royal faction.

    ¡°This was your cup at the banquet, Your Majesty,¡± I said as I grabbed a second cup, this one empty, and placed it beside the first one. ¡°This was the cup you used to drink water in the interrogation room. The markings in each cup are your fingerprints, highlighted with powder. If you pay attention, you¡¯ll realize they have the same pattern.¡±

    The Prince and the Marquis leaned over the table. [Awareness] would be enough to tell them the pattern was consistent.

    ¡°The pattern on your fingers is unique. Relatives don¡¯t have the same fingerprint pattern, not even twins,¡± I explained, presenting another glass from the cart. ¡°Those are my fingerprints. You¡¯ll notice they are different from yours.¡±

    The Prince was beyond dumbfounded by the revelation.

    ¡°This has been common knowledge in my country for over a century. The original discovery was even earlier,¡± I clarified.

    Lyra jumped from her seat. ¡°That¡¯s why you asked everyone if they touched Sir Enric¡¯s glass.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. The culprit left their fingerprints on Sir Enric¡¯s glass without knowing,¡± I said, clearing the table and grabbing the shards of Sir Enric¡¯s cup. ¡°There are two sets of fingerprints in this glass. Sir Enric¡¯s and Lord Vedras¡¯.¡±

 106 - Holsts Confession

    Prince Adrien sat behind the desk, nervously chewing on a cigarette. Not once in all the months I had lived in Farcrest had I seen anyone smoking, which was strange considering back on Earth, smoking was an activity enjoyed in every civilization I could think of. If the System registered smoking as a debuff-worthy activity, it wasn¡¯t a surprise most people avoided it.

    It wasn¡¯t a surprise either that the Prince craved the bitter relief of the smoke. Sir Enric¡¯s death was secondary to a more significant problem. Someone had managed to violate the sanctity of the Fortifier¡¯s Barrier and the infallible detection skills of the Sniffers. If my intuition were correct, the incident would be enough for Lord Osgiria and the anti-royalist faction to force the Prince¡¯s hand and disband the army.

    For an instant, I thought about keeping my findings to myself. If the army disbanded, the kids wouldn¡¯t get conscripted. However, if I chose that route, my credibility in front of the Prince and the Marquis would plummet. I wouldn¡¯t kill the goose that laid golden eggs for a short-term gain.

    ¡°There are two sets of fingerprints in this glass. Sir Enric¡¯s and Lord Vedras¡¯.¡±

    The cigarette slipped from the Prince¡¯s mouth.

    As expected, Sir Vedras remained imperturbable. ¡°Come on, Robert. Even if I touched Sir Enric¡¯s glass, that¡¯s only circumstantial evidence. We were sitting next to each other. It isn¡¯t strange to mistake glasses after a night of drinking.¡±

    ¡°Vedras is right. Even if his fingerprints indicate he touched Sir Enric¡¯s glass, it might be an innocent oversight,¡± the Prince said, focusing his eyes back on me. Despite his words, his eyes said, ¡®Give me something better to work with¡¯.

    Accusing a suspect was all about creating a cohesive and credible story.

    ¡°To link a suspect to a crime scene, investigators must determine three factors to establish a case against a suspect. Lord Vedras had the opportunity to commit the assassination; he was sitting beside the victim, and his fingerprints are all over the glass,¡± I said, locking eyes with Lord Vedras.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll entertain your little theory,¡± Lord Vedras said, ¡°What was my motive then?¡±

    I grinned. Defiant was never good. The more a suspect spoke, the more ammo they gave to the detectives. Lord Vedras might think he was clean of all suspicion due to the Fortifier¡¯s barrier and the Sniffers working in his favor, but he overlooked a minor detail. I wasn¡¯t conditioned to believe in the infallibility of the method.

    ¡°Lord Vedras¡¯ motive is interesting, considering his background as an Alchemist. Despite our initial guesses, Sir Enric wasn¡¯t murdered for political gain. He was murdered for vengeance,¡± I said.

    ¡°I do not harbor any negative feelings towards Sir Enric. In fact, we barely knew each other,¡± Lord Vedras said.

    ¡°You two might not know each other, but I think you did harbor ill-meaning feelings towards him. Let me explain. Due to the Osgirians'' reluctance to participate in the Farlands campaign, they severely undermanned their army. Consequently, Sir Enric lacked the troops to reinforce the frontline, leaving Lord Herran''s army on their own and causing massive casualties among Healers and Alchemists from Vedras¡¯ troops. You might think Lord Herran also has a motive to kill Sir Enric; however, their allegiance sets Lord Vedras and Lord Herran apart. Lord Herran doesn¡¯t benefit from killing Sir Enric because they have the same goal: stopping the new trade route from being completed. That¡¯s not Lord Vedras'' motive. He wanted vengeance for his fallen countrymen, non-combatants caught in some stupid political game.¡±

    Prince Adrien''s quick lesson on Ebros¡¯ politics was coming in handy.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± the Prince said, leaning back. ¡°I get why Vedras would want Enric dead, but that¡¯s not nearly enough for a conviction unless you somehow find out how he fooled the Sniffers.¡±

    This time, Lord Vedras remained silent. His expression was unreadable, and I couldn¡¯t tell if he was starting to panic. Not that mattered. I was confident in my theory and my findings. However, ¡®opportunity¡¯ was the most challenging point to prove.

    ¡°Sir Enric has received death threats since the day the royal army arrived at Farcrest; this is relevant because Ashthorn poison isn¡¯t an easy potion to come around. To acquire it through Farcrest black market, you must be a trusted buyer in those circles. Only a handful of Alchemists in Farcrest can brew Ashthorn poison, so it would be strange to sell it to someone who just arrived in town,¡± I explained.

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± the Marquis said. ¡°I can think of two local Alchemists who can brew it. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to track Ashthorn poison to its source. The culprit must¡¯ve arrived at Farcrest with the royal army.¡±

    I glanced at Elincia, wondering if she had reached the level to brew something as dangerous as Ashthorn poison. Fame and levels came with a heavy burden. The good news was that Elincia didn¡¯t have the motive, means, or opportunity to commit the crime. The only guest who satisfied the last piece of the puzzle was Lord Vedras.

    ¡°The culprit is an outsider who has their way of manufacturing the poison,¡± I said. ¡°Every noble house has high-level Alchemists in their retinue; however, what sets the culprit apart is a skill that allows them to circumvent the Sniffer¡¯s scrutiny.¡±

    The Prince leaned forward like a cat about to pounce on a mouse.

    ¡°Each potion has a particular signature, which is determined by its ingredients and effects. Health potions, antidotes, and chilblain medicine have a similar signature because they all have a healing effect and are brewed with similar ingredients,¡± I explained, prompting a few quizzical glances. ¡°Sniffers don¡¯t use System prompts to investigate dangers like a Scholar would. They go by mana signatures. If an Alchemist manages to brew a poison with a similar signature to a healing potion, that would be enough to fool the Sniffers.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s impossible!¡± Lord Vedras grunted. ¡°You can¡¯t brew a healing potion with poisonous ingredients, not a poison with healing ingredients. Isn¡¯t that correct, Miss Elincia?¡±

    Elincia bit her nail as she strained her mind for an answer. Suddenly, all eyes fell on her. Then, four words came out of her lips. ¡°There is a way.¡±

    ¡°There is a way,¡± I repeated triumphantly. ¡°Congratulations on getting your Prestige Class, Lord Vedras. You are a Transmuter.¡±

    Lord Vedras¡¯s mask cracked, and I knew I had won.

    I seized the moment to strike while the iron was hot.

    ¡°Motive, means, and opportunity aren¡¯t enough proof to convict a suspect, but to expand the investigation. Lord Vedras can still be an innocent man, so please, Your Majesty, have a Zealot check his Character Sheet,¡± I vehemently said.

    ¡°Even if I¡¯m a Transmuter, there¡¯s no proof it was me who poisoned Sir Enric,¡± Lord Vedras jumped from his seat and slammed the desk before the Prince. ¡°I¡¯m a damn duke. I want this man locked in a cell!¡±

    Having a certain class might not prove anything, but a criminal confident of his victory wouldn¡¯t scrub all incriminating proof. From a pure investigative perspective, Lord Vedras'' crime was perfect. With the Barrier and the Sniffers, there wouldn¡¯t be a reason to suspect him. It was a shame I was invited to the party.

    ¡°If hypothetically speaking, we have the Sniffers check on your chambers, would they find traces of Ashthorn?¡± I asked with a cold voice. Sniffers might not be available at the party, but nothing prevented us from using them with the barrier gone, and Lord Vedras was here where he couldn¡¯t clean up the evidence.

    The room fell into silence. All cards were on the board, and now only Prince Adrien could choose what to do. Even Holst, who had been watching the exchange with an apparent lack of interest, was sitting on the edge of his seat. Slowly, Lord Vedras raised his hands in defeat.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°You got me. I was sloppy. I didn¡¯t think anyone would suspect me.¡±

    New Title acquired!

    Consulting Detective: The world is a great chessboard. [Identify] And we are the pieces on that board.

    Reward: Increased Mana Pool.

    Reward: Improved [Identify] descriptions.

    ¡°You are right. I didn¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°Not until Holst accused you.¡±

    Lord Vedras covered his face with both hands; however, a smile appeared on his face. Caught or not, he had achieved his vengeance. In a world where combatants had superpowers, it was hard for non-combatants to obtain justice. The orphanage was living proof of that.

    ¡°That was it? A facial expression?¡± Lord Vedras asked.

    ¡°It was a fifty-fifty gamble,¡± I admitted. The Book of Classes had saved me again, but I still had no clue who had tried to kill Captain Kiln.

    Prince Adrien interrupted us. ¡°The assassination of an Imperial Knight is punished with death, and Lord Osgiria will not forget about what happened tonight. Are you aware, Vedras?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be necessary,¡± I said, to everyone¡¯s surprise.

    Vedras might be a murderer, but he also was a valuable asset.

    ¡°Think of it, Your Highness. What would happen if an Alchemist from another country became a Transmuter and discovered a method to fool Sniffers? This is a weapon anybody can acquire, and we need to be prepared to counter it,¡± I said.

    I didn¡¯t need to mention Lord Vedras'' ability to perform stealthy assassinations for the Prince to understand the hidden connotations. Like a kid in front of a new toy, the Prince smiled greedily. Ultimately, he was pragmatic. As long as he could keep Lord Vedras under control, he would use his capabilities despite being a known murderer.

    ¡°We still have to find a culprit; otherwise, the army will disband. We can¡¯t let them know Vedras managed to fool our protection,¡± the Prince said, chewing his cigarette with renewed impetus.

    I nodded. We needed to convince the nobles that the Sniffers and the Fortifiers were enough to keep them safe; otherwise, the power dynamics in the kingdom would change forever, and the royalist faction would be the most affected. I rubbed my temples, forcing my tired brain to come up with something. A horrid crime needed to be punished for society to move forward.

    The answer was quite evident.

    ¡°Sir Enric wasn¡¯t poisoned during the party,¡± I said. ¡°He was tricked into ingesting poisoned boluses before the party, probably by a jealous lover. The boluses then dissolved hours later, releasing the Ashthorn during the party and giving the impression he was poisoned right there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite genius, actually,¡± Holst added with a wicked smile. It wasn¡¯t surprising to see him so animated. He had the [Cunning] title, after all. ¡°We can perform an autopsy to plant the evidence in his stomach, then scrub everything else.¡±

    That only left one loose end.

    ¡°What about Raudhan Kiln?¡± the Prince asked.

    ¡°Raudhan, unlike Captain Kiln, has a faint heart. He just fainted at the sight of Sir Enric being poisoned,¡± I said, hoping nobody would remember Raudhan fell an instant before Sir Enric.

    The Prince leaned back in the chair with a satisfied smile. ¡°You are a tortuous person, Robert. Have you considered becoming a spymaster?¡±

    The Marquis choked on his own saliva.

    Robert Clarke the Spymaster. It didn¡¯t sound half bad, but I couldn¡¯t accept such honor. There was only so much I dared to lose. Becoming a spymaster would endanger everything I loved. Spymaster was a title for a ruthless person, not someone with a weak spot for children.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, but I''d rather remain a teacher,¡± I replied.

    The Prince laughed. ¡°I figured as much. Well, Vedras, I hope you understand you owe your life to Robert. I like his proposal. Nobody will know about this incident as long as you use your abilities as a Transmuter to serve the kingdom.¡±

    Lord Vedras fell into his chair; his expression was a mix of defeat and relief.

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Sir Enric was free of all guilt, and I frankly like you. Alchemists don¡¯t become Alchemists to brew poisons but to heal others,¡± I said, looking at Elincia from the corner of my eye. ¡°Nonetheless, you took a man¡¯s life today. You have incurred a debt with the System and should work to repay it.¡±

    The whole room looked at me as if I were an extremely wise person when in reality, I was just trying to make sure Lord Vedras wouldn¡¯t interfere with the orphanage any time soon. I had enough already with Kellaren Odrac-Aias lurking in the shadows.

    ¡°This is a royal order. Nobody here will talk about the events that occurred tonight. All we talked about in this room is a state secret, and everyone who breaks the confidentiality pact will be considered a traitor,¡± the Prince said. ¡°And for you, Vedras, you know I have the best hunting hounds in the kingdom. Don¡¯t try to escape. Don¡¯t do anything reckless.¡±

    I sighed, relieved. In the end, everything went according to plan.

    ¡°Captain Kiln and Darius Holst are loyal to our cause. They will keep the secret, I swear on my honor,¡± the Marquis said, taking a kneel.

    Holst, Elincia, and Lord Vedras imitated him.

    ¡°It seems Lyra Jorn is the only one who isn¡¯t kin to our faction,¡± the Prince pointed out.

    Lyra jumped in her seat, her expression suddenly overrun by panic.

    ¡°I¡¯ll vouch for her,¡± I said as Elincia dragged me down to my knee. ¡°From now on, Lyra will live at the orphanage as my apprentice and be part of the Rosebud Fencing Academy. Lord Sellen Jorn has already agreed.¡±

    The Prince nodded with a broad, genuine smile. For an instant, he looked several years younger. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll announce the investigation results to the main houses. For now, you are free to go¡­ and Robert, think about a reward suitable for your great act today.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± I said.

    I bowed goodbye one last time and exited the room, followed by Elincia and Lyra. Under the Rosebud Academy uniform, I was covered in cold sweat. I walked like I was in a dream until we exited the Marquis'' private quarters into the audience room. If I kept running into situations like this, maybe I would take up smoking too.

    We walked silently, processing the events of the past hours, as Lyra guided us toward the guest quarters. When we arrived, Lyra turned around and gave us a deep bow. I cringed a little, as I wasn¡¯t used to receiving such demonstrations of gratitude.

    ¡°Are you staying in the guest rooms?¡± Lyra asked.

    ¡°No, our carriage is waiting for us outside,¡± Elincia replied, just to finish the sentence with a great yawn.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll stay here tonight, I suppose. Goodnight, Master Clarke, Master Rosebud,¡± Lyra said, bowing again. I was too tired to tell her to drop the formalities. Too late I realized she had used the forbidden word.

    A vein popped out of Elincia¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Elincia. Call me Elincia,¡± she grunted, and I grabbed her hand just in case she wanted to test her knuckles against Lyra¡¯s head. In the end, Elincia laughed. ¡°When you are ready, send your belongings to the manor. We are ready to welcome you any day you decide to move in.¡±

    Lyra smiled back before crossing the doorway. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. You¡¯ll not regret hiring me.¡±

    Elincia gave me a playful tug and guided me to the entrance. I was physically and mentally exhausted, so I let her lead the way. Dealing with nobles would shorten my lifespan even more than the kids.

    ¡°All this time together, and you keep surprising me,¡± Elincia giggled, leaning over my shoulder. ¡°When you accused Lord Vedras, I thought we were done for.¡±

    ¡°It was a measured gamble,¡± I replied, too tired to explain further.

    A voice answered from the darkness.

    ¡°Like dismissing me from the Investigation? That was a bold move that paid out,¡± Holst said, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

    Elincia¡¯s body stiffened and she looked like a cat about to hiss.

    ¡°I know it''s late, but I have questions about Raudhan¡¯s situation. Do you truly have no leads on the identity of the culprit?¡± Holst asked.

    A spark of understanding suddenly illuminated my mind. The attacks on the orphanage, the framing of the Aias family, and the discontent among the City Guard; all seemed connected. And Holst was part of the scheme. He had poisoned the orphanage¡¯s crops so Elincia would send the kids into the army.

    ¡°I already gave Captain Kiln all the relevant information. It¡¯s up to her to share it with you,¡± I replied cautiously.

    Holst grinned. ¡°I will not go against Izabeka¡¯s desires, then.¡±

    Hols turned around and walked into the Great Hall. The memory of the dying crops and the starving orphans was still fresh in my mind, but I refrained from doing anything reckless. Elincia and I approached the main gate when she suddenly pushed my hand away and turned around.

    ¡°Why did you poison the crops?¡± Elincia asked. ¡°Answer me. I saved your cousin¡¯s life. You owe me.¡±

    Holst stopped walking and slowly turned around. ¡°I had to repay a favor.¡±

    ¡°To whom?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°That I can¡¯t say, Governess,¡± Holst replied, pointing into his mouth.

    I understood his gesture right away. On the back of his tongue, there was a hex of silence.

 107 - Behind Schedule

    At some point during the winter, I had become an old man. After lunch, I was sitting outside the kitchen window with a steaming cup of Moss tea and a heavy blanket on my legs. My eyelids felt heavy, and I started to doze. The sky was still covered in gray clouds, but there were already hints of spring here and there; the cold wasn¡¯t biting as harshly as weeks ago, and Elincia had shed her heavy dresses for more comfortable garments.

    Two days had passed since Sir Enric¡¯s assassination, and the story had spread like fire. The Marquis had done great intelligence work because the theory about a jealous lover seeking retribution was widely accepted. The next day of the feast, the Guardsmen found the ¡®culprits¡¯ while trying to flee the city. Among their belongings, the Sniffers found edible crafting materials and Ashthorn powder. The case was closed.

    I could not get a definitive answer from Captain Kiln, but she hinted that the ¡®culprits¡¯ were inmates sentenced to death for banditry. When I pressed her, she told me she shouldn¡¯t speak about confidential topics outside the Guard and shut any further questioning down. Captain Kiln was probably the most righteous person in Farcrest, so I didn''t give it a second thought.

    I was glad that episode was over, yet I knew my father would disapprove of my actions.

    A cold breeze hit my face, so I unfolded the blanket covering my upper body and took a little sip of Moss Tea. It was too hot. I thought about my father. Years ago, I used to make fun of him for dozing off after lunch. He always said the same would happen to me. It seemed his prophecy was becoming true.

    The fact that Elincia had me running around the market since the first hour in the morning to gather the ingredients for Firana¡¯s birthday party didn¡¯t help my energy levels. Even the easiest errand took a good part of the day without a car. Maybe I needed Ginz to develop a bicycle with a small cart attached to the back to carry Shu.

    ¡°So, this is what a dozen orphans do to a young man?¡± Elincia asked as she jumped out of the window with feline grace.

    ¡°A dozen orphans and a bratty elf governess. Don¡¯t forget the last part,¡± I replied.

    Lord Vedras becoming a Transmuter encouraged Elincia to double down on her efforts to improve her class. Late at night, while lying in bed, I felt Elincia drawing mana from my reserves as she tried novel recipes. Brewing without the assistance of the System used exponentially more mana than brewing known recipes. No matter how often I told her to be careful, she remained unapologetic.

    Elincia sat on my lap and wrapped her hands around my neck. A little normalcy in our daily lives was everything I yearned for, yet the tournament was just a week away. I took a sip of my Green Moss tea before Elincia hijacked it. Green Moss Tea wasn¡¯t a Scholar-only beverage as she had initially said.

    ¡°How are the kids doing?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°As you can see, Firana is asserting her ¡®birthday-girl¡¯ authority in the most tyrannical way,¡± I replied.

    Before us, in the training grounds, Firana grappled Zaon and sent him flying into the mud. I wondered if she had aimed at the mud pool on purpose. I sighed. Even if I hadn¡¯t expected it, now I knew how Zaon would look with brown hair. It suited him surprisingly well despite his crestfallen expression.

    ¡°Her birthday has her all fired up, uh?¡± Elincia said.

    Ilya scolded Firana as Wolf plucked Zaon out of the mud.

    ¡°Are you dumb? What if you injure Zaon?¡± Ilya yelled loud enough for us to hear.

    ¡°Chill out, captain. Miss Elincia can brew a potion to fix him,¡± Firana replied, but Ilya cut her off mid-sentence.

    ¡°Even with a potion, fractured bones and severed tendons require several days of rest to heal properly, you heavy-handed dimwit.¡±

    The argument continued for a few seconds until Firana finally capitulated. They stopped the wrestling session and retreated to the big stump, where they sat to contemplate the sky. Ilya had been the right choice as team captain; she was an innate team player and learned how to take command of the situation from Elincia. All she ever needed was a little push.

    ¡°Want to bet on the class Firana will get?¡± Elincia said, taking the cup from my hand and taking a long sip despite it being steaming. Elves seemed to be cold and heatproof.

    ¡°That would be disrespectful,¡± I replied.

    ¡°The kids already have their picks. Ilya thinks Firana will become a Fencer, Zaon says she will become a Knight, and Wolf opts for Soldier,¡± Elincia said. ¡°Oh. Wolf was just trying to mess with Firana. He doesn¡¯t believe she will become a Soldier,¡± she added after seeing my face of confusion.

    Soldier wasn¡¯t a good Class at all.

    ¡°Firana took the bait?¡± I asked.

    ¡°She went ballistic,¡± Elincia giggled. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see them getting along.¡±

    It was. Days like this were all I yearned for. However, I couldn¡¯t help but feel restless.

    Wolf had voiced his intention to remain at the orphanage until the end of the tournament. After that, he might want to return to the tribes, regardless of the results. A bitter smile appeared on my face. One way or another, the kids'' time at the orphanage was coming to an end. Whether it was the army, the Imperial Academy, or the tribes, they would end up leaving the orphanage.

    Things were bound to change no matter how much I wanted them to stay like this.

    ¡°Have you thought about what we are going to do onwards? We will have time to spare with Lady Jorn working for us,¡± Elincia asked as she snuggled to my side.

    ¡°What about a picnic on the bank of the Azure River?¡± I replied. Even on weekends, Elincia and I spent most of our time looking over the kids.

    ¡°If you want to see me swim naked, you¡¯ll have to wait until Spring,¡± Elincia grinned, jabbing at my ribs.

    ¡°You are such a tease for someone who uses a screen to put on pajamas,¡± I whispered back.

    ¡°Ha! Mister Lowell warned me about pretty boys like you. You give them an inch, and they take a mile,¡± Elincia retorted.

    It would be nice if things stayed like this forever, but there was always something to do around the orphanage. Firana left the big stump and returned to the manor without her usual rashness. She looked like she wanted to puke.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m ready, Mister Clarke,¡± Firana said.

    Elincia jumped from my lap and wrapped Firana in a tight hug.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go get your Class then,¡± I replied.

    * * *

    We walked down the street, dodging the familiar puddles. With the royal army stationed in Farcrest, The North District had regained some of its old population. New taverns, canteens, and stores flourished like dormant seeds in Spring. Despite my initial worries, the soldiers roaming the city were generally decent folk looking to spend their hard-earned coin.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    With the System archiving the most significant personality traits in the Character Sheet, it should be easy to distinguish good from wicked people. I wondered if that compelled people to act virtuously and avoid doing evil. The System was too subjective for my liking. Holst had left the orphanage to starve, but he had no suspicious titles besides [Cunning].

    What worried me more was the person who asked Holst to poison the farm and release the chickens. Deep inside, I knew I should tell Captain Kiln about my recent findings, but Holst was her relative and a well-respected member of Farcrest nobility. This was his hunting grounds. I shook my head. There were more pressing things to focus on.

    ¡°How are you doing, Firana?¡± I asked.

    The girl walked stuck to my side; her face was almost as green as Wolf¡¯s, and her mouth was turned into a thin line.

    ¡°Me? Perfect. I¡¯ll probably get a Prestige Class right away,¡± the girl replied, not sounding convincing at all.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Elincia told you how it feels to get your class?¡± I asked, offering her my arm. She grabbed it almost reflexively.

    ¡°The Zealot will touch my head, and I will be sent to a familiar place where I will talk to the System. Once there, the System will offer me several Classes to choose from,¡± Firana replied. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you want?¡±

    Firana¡¯s shoulders deflated. It wasn¡¯t usual to see her ashamed. ¡°Yeah. Ilya was worried about not getting a good class, which was understandable. I shouldn¡¯t feel nervous. I have no right to feel like this, and yet¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Ilya was the student who was fighting for a passing grade. Firana, on the other hand, had such good grades that she struggled to choose among the multiple career paths open before her. In a sense, Ilya¡¯s struggle was easier to resolve, as the goal was clearly highlighted.

    ¡°What do you want to do going forward?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s my problem! I don¡¯t know what Class I should take! Being all lovey-dovey with Miss Elincia really dulls your attention span!¡± Firana said, exasperated.

    I had to stifle a laugh.

    ¡°I was not asking about your Class. I was asking what you want to do as a person,¡± I explained.

    Firana frowned.

    ¡°Is that a trick question?¡± She turned around to examine my expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a trick question,¡± I replied. ¡°What would you like to be doing in a year from now? What about five? Ten? Again, don¡¯t think anything related to a Class.¡±

    Firana scratched her chin, and I wondered if she had copied that gesture from me.

    ¡°That¡¯s even harder to answer. I always thought what you¡¯ll end up doing depends on your Class,¡± Firana said. ¡°I guess¡­ I want to explore the Farlands and kill big monsters, but only sometimes. I want to stay at the orphanage with everyone, have fun, eat tasty stuff, and level up together.¡±

    It came as a surprise how similar our desires were. Staying at the orphanage with everyone seemed like something Ilya would say. I expected Firana¡¯s dream to be slightly more adventure-focused.

    At least, the answer to her question was very straightforward.

    ¡°In that case, you need a powerful Class to win the tournament,¡± I said. ¡°The Marquis promised to make me a noble if we win. Then, I can legally adopt you all, and you will have a degree of political immunity, which means no conscription.¡±

    The color came back to Firana¡¯s face.

    ¡°Alright, understood, I need a powerful Class to crush my opponents,¡± she said, slapping her cheeks with too much force. ¡°Firana Clarke, eh? Doesn¡¯t sound half as bad.¡±

    I would like to study Firana¡¯s brain to see how she managed to reach that kind of conclusion.

    The bystanders stopped to look at us. I didn¡¯t know why I expected Firana to react more calmly. I sighed. At least being pumped up was better than being nervous. We crossed the market and climbed the main street toward the Great Hall while Firana fantasized about getting a Prestige Class.

    ¡°If the System offers you [Black Knight of Death] or something similar, please skip it,¡± I sighed as we reached the inner wall. The guards saluted us and moved to the side despite our simple clothing.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the Class I need to crush my enemies,¡± Firana retorted.

    As soon as we crossed the inner wall, we were assaulted by the glances of the nobles hanging out in the front garden. I recognized a few faces from the party. Most of them were lowly barons and knights with their entourage of courtiers. I thought about going around the Great Hall to enter through the Guard¡¯s barracks, but a servant stood in front of me before I could slip away.

    ¡°We were waiting for you, Mister Clarke,¡± the man said, inviting me into the Great Hall.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t announced my visit,¡± I replied, confused.

    ¡°Oh, we know today is Lady Aias¡¯ fifteenth birthday. We have a Zealot ready to perform the ceremony,¡± the servant said.

    I couldn¡¯t find any excuse to escape, so I followed him inside the Great Hall. Although Firana was somewhat famous, I didn¡¯t expect the Marquis or Captain Kiln to organize a ceremony around her birthday. Prince Adrien maybe? No. The kingdom was vast, and the Aias family was one more of the hundreds of mercenary families.

    As soon as we entered the Great Hall, I noticed a few servants rushing outside the vestibule. Someone was waiting for us. The servant guided us to the audience hall without saying a word, but I noticed he made a big detour through the southern wing. Almost as if he was buying enough time for our mysterious guest to assemble.

    ¡°Good luck inside, Lady Aias,¡± the servant said as we reached the ornate oak door.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Firana replied, unaware of the strange situation.

    I shoved Firana behind me and entered first. My eyes took a second to get accustomed to the light. The audience hall was well illuminated, almost as if all the light stones of the Great Hall were gathered there. A small group of people turned around as soon as the doors opened: the Marquis, Captain Kiln, Luzian Abei, the wolf-eared Zealot, and Kellaren Odrac-Aias, accompanied by two soldiers dressed in the colors of House Osgiria.

    Before I could notice, mana swirled around my hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m not here to fight. I¡¯m just here to see my niece get her class¡­¡± Kellaren said, raising the palms of his hands. ¡°... with the permission of the Marquis and Lord Osgiria, of course.¡±

    His self-sufficient smile wasn¡¯t reassuring in the slightest.

    I took a deep breath and exchanged a glance with the Marquis. The face of the man didn¡¯t reflect any emotion. There was something wrong. Kellaren wasn¡¯t in the position to force the Marquis¡¯ hand unless he had solidified his alliance with House Osgiriam which wasn¡¯t particularly good news.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell in the past. Today is Lady Aias¡¯ special day,¡± Abei cheerily clapped his hands and signaled us to come forth. ¡°I reckon a girl as curious as you would make a good Scholar, but let¡¯s not get ahead of the System.¡±

    Abei was as excited as Firana, which was heartwarming in its own strange way. I took a deep breath and let the tension on my shoulders go. With the Marquis and Captain Kiln in the room, Kellaren wouldn¡¯t try anything funny, or so I hoped. I didn¡¯t know what to expect from an overly ambitious man.

    At least I knew who had prepared such a show.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with. There is a fruit cake waiting for me at the orphanage,¡± Firana said, ignoring Kellaren and walking directly to the Zealot.

    Firana¡¯s obsession with food was as endearing as it was worrying.

    ¡°Follow me, Lady Aias,¡± the Zealot said, walking towards the throne.

    ¡°I want Mister Clarke to come with us,¡± she replied. ¡°If that¡¯s okay with you.¡±

    The Zealot nodded and resumed the march. For a moment, I thought we were going into the Marquis¡¯ private chambers, but the Zealot stopped behind the throne. On the floor, there was a trapdoor that revealed a spiral staircase plunging into the darkness. Each of us grabbed a light stone before starting the descent.

    A moment later, the sounds of chatter disappeared behind us. The air was cold and damp, and for a moment, I thought we had arrived at the cabin in the middle of the Appalachians. Luckily, we weren¡¯t. The Zealot opened a door, revealing a small room of bare walls. In front of us was an altar with the System Shrine Shard resting on a nest of copper wire.

    I put my hand on Firana¡¯s shoulder, but the girl was more curious than nervous.

    ¡°I thought Farcrest didn¡¯t have a Shrine,¡± I said.

    ¡°It doesn''t. It¡¯s just a shard. We don¡¯t need a Shrine to connect with the System, but this shard would help,¡± the Zealot explained, putting a hand over the blue orb. ¡°Touch my hand when you are ready.¡±

    Firana gave me the thumbs up and stepped forward. Then, slowly, almost cautiously, she touched the Zealot''s fingers. The orb came to life. It only lasted an instant, but I saw the familiar runes shining on the blue surface with meridian clarity. A moment later, the light faded, and Firana stumbled back.

    It was done.

    Firana turned around with a hesitant step.

    ¡°What did you get?¡± I asked, barely hiding my worried expression. I was expecting Firana to jump around like a spring. Considering Ilya¡¯s reaction, getting a Class was a rush of adrenaline.

    ¡°I¡­ The System asked me to relay you a message,¡± Firana muttered. ¡°He said we are behind schedule.¡±

 108 - The prophet and the fencer

    ¡°I¡­ The System asked me to relay you a message,¡± Firana muttered. ¡°He said we are behind schedule.¡±

    The damp, cold air of the underground shrine stuck to the gray walls. Far from the sun and the court intrigue, time stood still, and seconds became eternal. Firana¡¯s words reverberated against the bare stone until silence reigned, but my brain refused to process the message. My eyes fell on the girl. Despite her carefree attitude, she was far from stupid and knew something odd was happening.

    I glanced at the Zealot, hoping the headgear had muffled Firana¡¯s voice.

    ¡°I know I always say we are behind schedule. You don¡¯t have to remind me every time,¡± I stuttered, trying to project my best lighthearted teacher¡¯s voice.

    [Awareness] flooded my mind with information, and my heart raced inside my chest.

    ¡°No, the¡ª¡± Firana said, but I interrupted her.

    ¡°The Class assignment ceremony is not the right moment to joke around,¡± I said, looking over her shoulder to see the Zealot¡¯s reaction. A thin layer of cold sweat covered my forehead. I could do only so much damage control if the Zealot believed Firana¡¯s words.

    ¡°Right. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t pretend to¡ª" Firana mumbled, but the Zealot interrupted her.

    ¡°I saw it too.¡±

    [Awareness] sent my mind on a whirl of several threads of thought. Silencing the Zealot was an option. The aftermath would be catastrophic. Did the inhabitants of Ebros know about heart attacks? A bribe might also work. Lady Jorn probably had access to her family''s funds. Unless the Zealot was completely loyal to the Church. Subterfuge. Trick the Zealot into believing you know more about their Quest?

    All options were equally dangerous, but letting the Church know I had direct contact with the System might be even more risky. Being burnt at the stake wasn¡¯t part of my short-term plans. However, being branded a false prophet by the High Priest was easier than proving that the System actually contacted me. I needed to convince the Zealot to take my side.

    ¡°The System talks to you. Why?¡± the Zealot asked.

    I raised my arms in defeat.

    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll tell you, but let¡¯s take things with ease,¡± I said, turning to Firana. ¡°I need to know what happened. What did you see?¡±

    Before answering the Zealot¡¯s questions, I needed a complete picture of the situation.

    ¡°I touched the Zealot¡¯s hand and was transported back to Magnolia, outside the old Aias Manor. The city was deserted, but a sense of tranquility and peace filled me, and I knew there was nothing to fear,¡± Firana said. ¡°I headed to the main square because I felt that was where I should go. Everything was as I remember: the gardens, the fruit trees, and the fountains where I used to play when I was little. Then, as I was approaching the market through the main street, a man stumbled outside a store. He was tired and sweaty as if something had been chasing him.¡±

    I nodded in silence. Firana¡¯s story was similar to what Elincia had told me about the Class assignment ceremony: a familiar place, a peaceful feeling. However, Elincia hadn¡¯t mentioned a man stumbling out of nowhere.

    ¡°Was he blonde, a bit chubby, and dressed in a yellow shirt?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Firana replied. ¡°He signaled me to follow him to the main square while he mumbled something incomprehensible. Once we were on the square, the System spoke to me¡ªnot with words, but inside my mind. It was strange. Only when the System spoke to me to offer me the Classes, could the man in yellow speak clearly. I knew he was also the System somehow. He told me to relay the message to you, Mister Clarke, but¡­¡±

    Firana tried to hide her face between her shoulders.

    ¡°But?¡± I asked, hoping that ¡®but¡¯ wouldn¡¯t put me in a more precarious position.

    ¡°But he didn¡¯t get to tell me the whole message. He told me you were behind schedule. He was so disturbed that I panicked, picked a Class, and the vision was over,¡± Firana said.

    That was anticlimactic. However, the Zealot stepped forward and closed their hand around my shoulder like a pincer. I had underestimated their strength.

    ¡°Tell me, do you know why the System is two but one simultaneously? What does that mean? The Voice of the System doesn¡¯t mention anything like that. Does this have anything to do with the Covenant of the Radiant Fountain?¡± the Zealot asked, burying their nails deeply in my skin.

    I cursed my bad luck. I didn¡¯t want to get involved in a fight between the three branches of the Church. The message from the System Avatar was worrying enough. Being behind schedule could only mean the System Avatar was losing the battle against the piling errors in the code, which meant more Corruption poured into this world.

    ¡°Listen. The System gave me a quest,¡± I said, minding my words.

    ¡°But you are not one of us,¡± the Zealot replied.

    ¡°Think about it. Why would the System give a Quest to a Scholar instead of a Zealot? The answer is easy. The System wants something only a Scholar can do,¡± I said, wincing in pain.

    I needed to put the Zealot on my side, and I knew how.

    ¡°I think you might be part of that Quest; otherwise, the System wouldn¡¯t have sent you in my direction,¡± I said.

    The Zealot let me go and walked around the tiny shrine while I rubbed my shoulder. I could almost see the Zealot¡¯s inner struggle through the golden mask covering their face. My words had the desired effect. I needed the Zealot to keep my secret at all costs, but to achieve that, I needed to topple some of the Zealot¡¯s beliefs.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Zealot. I¡¯m not supposed to have a name as long as I wear the mask.¡±

    Good. There was doubt in the Zealot¡¯s voice.

    ¡°The System allowed me to disclose my Quest at my discretion, but I won¡¯t share it with anyone I don¡¯t trust. If you want to be part of this, you better show I can trust you. It¡¯s your call,¡± I said, feeling the metallic taste of fear in my mouth.

    I needed to be more aggressive.

    ¡°If you tell your superiors about this conversation, I will deny everything. I will even convince them you are preaching dangerous teachings. I will ask Prince Adrien to back me up, and you¡¯ll be branded as a rebellious Zealot, a heretic.¡±

    My throat was dry.

    Slowly, with trembling hands, the Zealot removed their white headpiece and untied their golden mask. A cascade of black hair fell upon the Zealot¡¯s shoulders. It was my first time seeing the Zealot¡¯s face: sharp jaw, small nose, yellow eyes, thick eyebrows, and wolf ears. The Zealot was a woman.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°My name is Astrid,¡± she said, almost embarrassed without the protection of the mask.

    ¡°It''s nice to meet you, Astrid,¡± I replied, knowing I had already won half the battle. A Zealot from the capital would be a valuable ally; I just needed to convince her not to rat me out.

    ¡°What does the System¡¯s words mean? Are we in trouble?¡± Firana interrupted us.

    No matter how I tried to phrase it, the words stuck in my throat. A part of me refused to tell Firana the situation was dire. Putting that burden on a kid¡¯s shoulders felt wrong, no matter if, in this world, she was already considered an adult. Firana would always be a kid in my heart, but that was also dangerous. Whether I liked it or not, Firana was already part of this mess.

    Something was wrong. I expected to have more time to deal with the System¡¯s quest.

    ¡°We are not in trouble, Firana. We are just behind schedule,¡± I said, approaching the small shrine and putting my hands over the orb. I needed to ask the System Avatar what the hell was happening.

    The orb remained inert.

    ¡°We have been down here too long. If we stay longer, we will raise suspicions,¡± I said, pulling my copper bracelet and putting it on Astrid¡¯s hand. ¡°Find a Courier called Corin. Show her the bracelet and tell her I invited you. Make sure nobody follows you. Be discreet. Tonight.¡±

    Astrid nodded, and my bracelet disappeared between the folds of her tunic. Then, she put back her headpiece and golden mask, and a moment later, we emerged into the audience room. The Marquis was still there, accompanied by the Captain, Abei, and Kellaren. They glanced at us with curious eyes.

    ¡°That took some time,¡± Abei said. ¡°Did you have trouble selecting a Class?¡±

    ¡°Mister Clarke came up with the idea of giving a motivational speech just before I touched the orb,¡± Firana said, rolling her eyes.

    When did she get so good at lying?

    I wasn¡¯t going to complain.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so harsh on him. We Scholars have a poetic vein. It shows, especially when we are moved,¡± Abei laughed. ¡°So, little miss, with which Class the System bless you?¡±

    Firana¡¯s smug grin far surpassed Elincia¡¯s most mischievous smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say a word, kid. That¡¯s not something Osgirians should know,¡± the Marquis said, casting a derisive glance upon Kellaren. ¡°Is it a good class?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. The best,¡± Firana replied with a bow.

    I had no doubt Firana would get a good class, but hearing confirmation was relieving. I smiled. Seeing her smug grin was enough to know she was thoroughly pleased with her pick. To Zaon¡¯s detriment, I foresaw a lot of bragging in the near future.

    Kellaren cleared his throat.

    ¡°I disagree with this secrecy. Firana is an important asset of the Aias Family, the information about her Class is instrumental to outline our future plans,¡± he complained.

    I refrained myself from lashing out. Kellaren¡¯s wording caught [Awareness] attention. Asset. The Aias name alone was enough to back up Kellaren¡¯s mercenary operation, and it wasn¡¯t a secret that he wanted to become the head of the family. Still, his wording made me think he wanted to sell Firana as if she were an object.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get it wrong, Kellaren. You serve the Aias family, not the other way around,¡± I raised my voice.

    Kellaren gave me a murderous glance.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you, peasant. Be grateful we allow you to stand inside the Great Hall,¡± he barked back, and his guards suddenly squared up.

    I grinned. Someone hadn¡¯t received the memo that I was Prince Adrien¡¯s new favorite plaything.

    ¡°Be careful with that tongue, Kellaren. Captain Garibal isn¡¯t here to save your sorry ass anymore,¡± I replied, imbuing poison into each of my words.

    That day, at the gates of the orphanage, I had decided to take a man¡¯s life to keep Firana safe. Luckily for Kellaren and me, Captain Garibal stopped my attack with his barrier. However, my decision remained the same. It was pure, cold logic. If Kellaren maintained his intention to abduct Firana against her will, he had to go. I would rather have a restraining order, but those didn¡¯t exist in this world.

    Kellaren¡¯s jaw clenched as he remembered our encounter outside the orphanage and reached for his sword.

    ¡°Enough! You two are guests in my house, and you will behave!¡± The Marquis''s voice echoed through the audience hall, which was a feat considering all the carpets and tapestries hanging from the walls. ¡°You asked for a Zealot from the capital to perform the ceremony, and I complied, Kellaren. Now, go before I write a complaint against Lord Osgiria.¡±

    Kellaren gave me one last murderous glance before stomping his way to the oak doors, followed by the Osgirian guards. A moment later, Astrid, who had remained silent for the whole exchange, excused herself and exited the room.

    ¡°Kellaren did strike a deal with Lord Osgiria, just like you told us,¡± Captain Kiln sighed.

    ¡°Have you found any clues connecting him to the remittance thefts?¡± I asked.

    Though Prince Adrien had commanded his troops not to attempt anything against Firana or the remnants of the Aias family, gossip could be as damaging as physical attacks. If Firana decided to attend the Imperial Academy, I wanted to avoid any unnecessary stains on her honor.

    Captain Kiln shook her head. ¡°Your orc friend, Risha, has been helping us collect information among the army ranks, but Kellaren has been skillfully covering his tracks. He¡¯s practically a ghost, and now he has an extra layer of protection due to his alliance with House Osgiria.¡±

    I cursed.

    ¡°You should step back from this investigation, Robert,¡± the Marquis said as he rubbed his eyes. People already know about your ties with Firana. If you are among the investigators, nobles will suspect foul play.¡±

    I cursed yet again, but the Marquis was right.

    Captain Kiln put one of her heavy hands on my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Rob. You might be the greatest detective to put a foot in this hellhole of a city, but we aren¡¯t ignorant bumpkins either.¡±

    I was about to thank Captain Kiln for the encouragement, but she smacked my back, pushing all the air to the last drop out of my lungs.

    ¡°Why is everyone so somber anyway? You should be celebrating Firana¡¯s Class,¡± Captain Kiln said.

    Knowing a world-ending scenario was slowly creeping onto our backs kind of put me in a somber mood. I needed to tell Captain Kiln about the System and the Corruption, but I knew deep inside they would take me for a madman. ¡®Excuse me? Sheriff? Yes, I¡¯m Robert Clarke. God spoke to me in a dream and told me the end of days was nigh. I need you to improve the border¡¯s security in case some pesky Corrupted monster appears to cause trouble.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m a little worried about a Monster Surge,¡± I said.

    This time, Captain Kiln smacked my back without as much affection as before. My heart almost fell out of my mouth. ¡°The crown prince is in town. Of course, we have every single Sentinel patrolling the Farlands.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m yet to decide if you are as smart as you pretend to be,¡± the Marquis sighed as he turned around to exit the audience room. ¡°Don¡¯t get in trouble.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Tauron. Prudence is an important virtue,¡± Abei replied, quickly saying goodbye and following him.

    I really needed a smoke. Or a drink. Or both.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Firana. The others are waiting for us,¡± I said.

    Captain Kiln promised to crash at the party as soon as she had time, and a minute later, we were on our way back to the manor. A dozen emotions battled inside my chest as we crossed the market into the Northern District. We weren¡¯t deep into the dilapidated streets of the poorest district when one emotion emerged among all. Guilt. Guilt for spoiling Firana¡¯s birthday and dragging her into my problems.

    ¡°So¡­ are you some sort of prophet? Are we starting a cult?¡± Firana asked.

    The inner machinations of Firana¡¯s head were still unknown to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a prophet, and we are not starting a cult, Firana,¡± I quickly replied.

    ¡°What a shame, Nokti and Virdian would make very good cultists,¡± Firana sighed.

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile, knowing she was doing it to improve my mood.

    Whether I liked it or not, Firana was already part of my quest. I sighed. No matter how much I insisted, convincing her to forget today''s events would be impossible. Not every day did the System talk to you directly. I decided to do what a responsible parent would do: treat her like the adult she was.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you who the man in the yellow shirt is if you tell me what Class you got,¡± I said.

    ¡°Deal,¡± Firana grinned as she summoned her Character Sheet and turned it around for me to see.

    Name: Firana Aias, Human (Strong, Fast).

    Class: Wind Fencer Lv.1

    Titles: Aias Heir, Gifted.

    Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.2, Fencing Lv.2, Acrobatics Lv.1.

    Skills: Aerokinesis, Windrider, Puncture, Feather Fall.

 109 - Advanced Class

    Firana was a Wind Fencer.

    My heart stopped for an instant. Wind Fencer was an Advanced Class and a powerful one nonetheless. My mind raced. The Marquis was a Fire Fencer, Sir Janus was a Shadow Fencer, and I had seen what those two were capable of, if only slightly. I squeezed my brain trying to recall the Wind Fencer page in the Book of Classes. It was one of the most well-rounded Elemental Fencers, with a superb speed stat and a wide range of support and mobility skills.

    I was ecstatic about Firana¡¯s accomplishment. However, after seeing her Character Sheet, I couldn¡¯t help but harbor some wariness. It seemed reckless, if not dangerous, to give a hot-headed fifteen-year-old a skill like [Feather Fall].

    ¡°Firana?¡± I asked as we took a shortcut through the cluttered houses of the North District.

    ¡°Yes, Mister Clarke?¡± She replied, barely containing her excitement.

    ¡°Jumping from the roof is strictly prohibited,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh! Come on!¡± Firana replied, offended.

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m as happy as a man can get, but you are asking for a lesson on free fall,¡± I threatened her, knowing her dislike for theory lessons. ¡°You have to be careful, Firana. Let¡¯s take [Feather Fall] as an example. Does it slow your falling speed or just reduce the acceleration of the fall?¡±

    Firana focused her eyes on a point before her, and I knew she was peeking into her Character sheet.

    ¡°Does it matter? It says I would fall like a feather,¡± she said.

    As expected from the System, the skill description was vague for someone without the [Identify] skill.

    ¡°When you fall, you are actually accelerating, so the more you fall, the faster you go until you reach terminal velocity,¡± I explained. ¡°If [Feather Fall] sets your fall to a determined velocity, jumping from anywhere is safe. But what if it only reduces the acceleration? What would happen?¡±

    Firana stopped walking and put the tips of her fingers on her temples.

    ¡°If [Feather Fall] reduces the acceleration, then¡­ is it still dangerous to jump from high places?¡± Firana asked.

    ¡°Exactly! Sure, you¡¯ll be safe jumping from a higher height, but you¡¯ll have a limit of safe height. You¡¯ll also have to account for the weight of your equipment. Your body might not endure a fall with twenty kilos of armor,¡± I explained. ¡°And don¡¯t forget Skills use mana to work. If you are out of mana, or your mana pool is too shallow, you will not be able to use the skill. [Feather Fall] can save your life or put it at risk if you are not mindful of yourself and the surroundings.¡±

    Firana sighed, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel like a party popper. ¡°I thought it would be more fun.¡±

    ¡°A game is more fun if you know the rules,¡± I reassured her. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you shouldn¡¯t use your powers, but to use them wisely.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not Ilya. She¡¯s the one who can act all wisdomous,¡± Firana grumbled.

    It was good to see Firana cherishing the gnome girl.

    ¡°There are different approaches to solving a problem. Ilya might be more analytical, but many people prefer a more practical approach. You are a talented fencer, Firana. You¡¯ll get the gist of it in no time,¡± I said. ¡°And you have me. I know one or two things about throwing things into the air.¡±

    Firana giggled and casually summoned her Character Sheet. ¡°Alright, look at this.¡±

    Name: Firana Aias, Human (Strong, Fast).

    Class: Wind Fencer Lv.1

    Titles: Aias Heir, Gifted.

    Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.2, Fencing Lv.2, Acrobatics Lv.1.

    Skills: Aerokinesis, Windrider, Puncture, Feather Fall.

    Feather Fall: Jump like a lemming, fall like a feather. [Identify]: This skill dampens the user¡¯s falling speed and protects from falling damage.

    That was a straightforward description, yet it was as shallow as a puddle. I wondered if that ¡®protection¡¯ was total or partial or if the dampening effect correlated with the amount of mana used. I sighed. I wasn¡¯t comfortable limit testing the skill without a good safety net underneath.

    Despite the System awarding me an improved [Identify] skill after my performance at the feast, I didn¡¯t notice any changes in the System prompt. I sighed, channeling my mana and activating [Identify] for the second time. One thing was for sure: The System¡¯s user interface was horrible.

    Feather Fall: Jump like a lemming, fall like a feather. [Identify]: This skill dampens the user¡¯s falling speed and protects from falling damage. Slightly decreases falling speed. Single activation. Instant. Mana dependant.

    ¡°Good news. You won''t be trapped in a super-slow fall while your opponent waits for you underneath,¡± I said. ¡°The skill only controls the falling speed, which means you have complete control over the fall as long as you have mana.¡±

    Firana gave me a mischievous smile that didn¡¯t foretell anything good, and her Character Sheet disappeared into thin air. Maybe I should¡¯ve worded my explanation differently.

    ¡°I understand everything now,¡± Firana said. ¡°You are a great teacher, Mister Clarke.¡±

    ¡°We should take things slow¨C¡± I replied, but Firana wasn¡¯t paying me any attention anymore.

    She ran toward the alley''s exit and jumped. While she was in the middle of the air, she stepped on an invisible surface and propelled herself up, way over my head. Then, she made an acrobatic twist and softly landed, facing me.

    ¡°Ta-da!¡± Firana said as she panted.

    I was out of words.

    ¡°I understand everything now! This is what you have been teaching us all these months. Activating the skills isn¡¯t the hard part; the hard part is mastering them. It¡¯s the same with Fencing and Longsword Mastery. The System gives us the tools, but we have to use them to their maximum,¡± Firana scratched her chin, just like Ilya when she was deep in thought.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ of course,¡± I mumbled, still processing Firana¡¯s performance.

    [Awareness] helped me make sense of it. [Windrider] allowed her to use air as a solid surface, [Acrobatics] helped her adjust her center of gravity mid-flight, and [Feather Fall] controlled the speed of her descent. Maybe the System wasn¡¯t as mindless as I thought.

    ¡°What about [Aerokinesis]?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll use that later. I¡¯m saving mana for my duel against Ilya. I already used a fourth of my reserves, and she has become increasingly smug with her new powers,¡± she happily replied.

    I sighed yet again. Firana was the birthday girl, so her wishes were our commands. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Ilya would deal with Firana¡¯s new skills in a combat scenario. The gnome girl had been practicing tirelessly, and her [Entangling Vine] spell was almost an extension of her body. And there was the thing about mana. At a glance, it seemed Firana had the reserve advantage, but Ilya knew how to use it more efficiently.

    Firana walked before me, whistling a happy tune until we reached the manor.

    The kids waited for us on the stone step. Ash and Virdian tried to get the guard to chat with them while Ilya and Zaon looked over the younger ones. I could tell the old man was trying to keep an eye on the road while answering the kids'' questions. At least the old guard remained true to Captain Kiln¡¯s vision of the guardsmen force.

    When they saw us, the kids ran over the parapet and swarmed Firana with questions. Everyone wanted to know if she had become a fencer, but she didn¡¯t answer; instead, she walked directly to Ilya.

    ¡°I challenge you to a duel.¡±

    The flock of little kids fell into complete silence, but Ilya just raised an eyebrow.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Do you think you can beat me just because you got your Class an hour ago?¡± Ilya asked, igniting the little kids'' excitement.

    ¡°My class is a hundred times stronger than yours¡­ no, a million times stronger,¡± Firana replied.

    I wondered if she knew what a million was.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense, you know?¡± Wolf pointed out.

    ¡°Silence, you overgrown olive! This is between Ilya and me,¡± Firana shut him down. ¡°Tell him, Zaon. It¡¯s my birthday today; hence, I have to choose what we should do. And I want to duel Ilya.¡±

    Zaon looked around for a scapegoat.

    ¡°I think we should focus on helping each other¡­¡±

    ¡°Treason!¡± Firana interrupted him. ¡°You¡¯ll be next after I finish with Ilya.¡±

    The guardsman looked at me with a quizzical expression as the kids laughed. I sighed in return. The next moment, the whole group ran around the manor into the backyard. The duel was on whether Ilya wanted it or not.

    ¡°She¡¯ll start to take her Class seriously after level twenty or so. It happened with both of my boys. They are kids with Classes until they hit the twenties wall, then they calm down,¡± the usually silent guardsmen said.

    ¡°I hope you are right,¡± I replied, following the kids into the backyard.

    Elincia knelt under the kitchen window, removing weeds from her herb garden. Only a few plants grew in the middle of the winter: a distant relative of the Winter Lily, whose roots served to brew a moisturizing balm, and a small thorny plant with red sap that helped with respiratory problems. Elincia noticed me and stood up.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± She asked as she wiped her forehead, leaving a smear of mud.

    ¡°Firana wants to spar with Ilya,¡± I replied, rubbing her forehead with my sleeve.

    ¡°Did she get a good class?¡± Elincia asked, forgetting about the herbs and focusing on the sparring grounds.

    It broke my heart to tell her what had happened during the ceremony.

    ¡°Yes, but some things happened¡­¡± I said.

    Elincia took off her gardening gloves. She didn¡¯t seem annoyed at all.

    ¡°When I told you I loved you, I knew things would happen more frequently,¡± she said. ¡°What is it now? Lord Vedras fled the city? Did they find the culprit behind Raudhan¡¯s poisoning?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°The System Avatar contacted Firana to relay a message to me. He said we are behind schedule.¡±

    Elincia stopped for a moment, confused.

    ¡°Alright. I think we can deal with that. With Lady Jorn helping around at the orphanage, you will have more free time to practice your runeweaving,¡± Elincia simply said. ¡°After the tournament, we will have even more free time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not all. The Zealot who helped Firana during the ceremony saw it too, and she wants answers,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be meeting her tonight, here. We have to convince her to keep the secret from the Church. I don¡¯t think the System Avatar is in good standing with the part of the System that grants Quests, so we should keep them separated as much as possible.¡±

    Elincia looked at me with a worried expression. ¡°Was it necessary to invite the Zealot to the orphanage? I don¡¯t trust them. They are creepy.¡±

    ¡°The less people know, the better. I needed a place to talk without being overheard,¡± I replied.

    Elincia¡¯s face suddenly lit up.

    ¡°There are stories about the System contacting non-Zealots, and the Church already thinks you are special for your connection to the Fountain. We have to tell them the System warned you against Corruption and they will surely swallow it,¡± Elincia said, in a better mood. ¡°Or we can bury the Zealot in the backyard.¡±

    It took me a second to realize she was joking. That was too dark a joke to tell that early in the day, so I messed up her hair as revenge. Elincia headbutted my chest in return. I smiled. Things would be fine. In the worst case, I had to convince Prince Adrien and the High Priest that my ¡®quest¡¯ wasn¡¯t anything from the other world.

    ¡°So, about Firana¡¯s class?¡± Elincia asked, wrapping her arm around my waist and resting her head on my shoulders.

    ¡°You better see it for yourself,¡± I pointed to the sparring ground.

    The younger orphans sat at the big stump, huddled together around Wolf, while Zaon grabbed a long stick and acted like the referee. Firana and Ilya stood in the middle of the training ground, dressed in full sparring gear. I couldn¡¯t see their faces, but their body language revealed they were relaxed. It was a good sign.

    ¡°This will be a one-point sparring match!¡± Zaon announced.

    One-point sparring was the closest sparring method to actual combat; participants were out if the opponent managed to hit them once. It might be a punishing methodology for aggressive fighting styles, like Firana¡¯s, but it resembled reality the most. No matter how good a fencer was, it only took a single stab or even a graze to hand to disarm an opponent.

    ¡°Start!¡± Zaon yelled.

    A vine emerged between Firana¡¯s feet, but with the help of [Windrider], the girl jumped high into the air fast enough to dodge. The vine grew, searching for Firana¡¯s ankles, but she used [Windrider] again to change her course mid-air. Mana flew freely through her body and I noticed her mana pool was half empty already.

    ¡°Two meters? That isn¡¯t much range for a Hunter,¡± Firana mockingly said, landing outside the vine¡¯s range.

    Ilya broke the spell without saying a word, and the vine turned into dust. The little orphans were hallucinating with the skill display. They shouted and howled whenever the girls exchanged hits or used their skills to land a winning blow. However, Ilya fought defensively, using her [Entangling Vines] to create space whenever Firana pressed the attack.

    Elincia and I looked at the fight in awe. Firana had the speed, but she seemed to understand that Ilya¡¯s vine could nullify her skills if she got trapped. For her part, Ilya had an instinct to place the vine in the correct position to impede Firana¡¯s overwhelming advance. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. There was not much more I could teach them. They weren¡¯t mindlessly swinging their swords anymore; they were trying to control the pace of the combat with their minds and bodies.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the System made you a mage,¡± Ilya panted.

    An external observer could think Firana was performing wind magic, but it wasn¡¯t quite the case.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a mage, Ily. I¡¯m a Wind Fencer! The System recognized my greatness and gave me a powerful Advanced Class.¡± Firana proclaimed with a smile from ear to ear.

    Elincia gave me a quizzical look, but I pointed toward the training ground.

    ¡°I will never recognize the power of a [Fart Mage],¡± Ilya replied, prompting a wave of hysterical laughter from the kids. Then, she summoned an offensive vine.

    Firana jumped two meters into the air and aimed for Ilya¡¯s back; however, a second vine awaited her at the landing spot. Firana tried to maneuver, but her mana pool was almost dry. The vine wrapped around her ankle, anchoring her to the ground. Then, before she could react, a third vine emerged and grabbed her wrist. The fight was over.

    Ilya turned around and ceremoniously bonked the top of Firana¡¯s head.

    ¡°Three of them? You were able to summon three of them all this time?!¡± Firana complained as she remained immobilized.

    ¡°All warfare is based on deception,¡± Ilya replied with a know-it-all expression.

    I couldn¡¯t believe Ilya had hidden her full powers for a whole week so she would have the upper hand against Firana.

    Ilya¡¯s winning tirade didn¡¯t last long because the younger kids invaded the training ground and knocked Ilya down as they congratulated her. A moment later, Firana suffered the same fate. Very few could withstand the unrelenting power of overly excited kids.

    ¡°Firana is a [Wind Fencer], for better or worse,¡± I said, and Elincia couldn¡¯t hide her tears of joy.

    I decided to forget about our problems and enjoy the moment.

    * * *

    You have obtained Toxicity Lv.1. Temporary.

    Potion effects greatly decreased.

    I knew gushing Stamina Potions would eventually lead to a detrimental status, but I needed to remain awake. If the System Avatar had to use Firana to contact me, then something had gone wrong with our plan. As always, we needed allies. I bit my nails as I looked out the reception room¡¯s window, searching for Astrid¡¯s figure in the dark.

    Elincia was strangely silent that night. She roamed around the room like a locked beast, muttering to herself. After I told her the details of the ceremony, she had become silent¡ªmeditative. I decided to let her process the events at her own pace. I had just as much thinking to do. Things had become too real, too quick. Runeweaving was no longer a quirky skill for turning pebbles into Christmas lights, and the System quest was no longer something to accomplish over a lifetime.

    I knew the stakes were high, yet I only had a few runes to show.

    I had attempted to contact the System Avatar through my mana pool several times during the day, but he was nowhere to be found. Unless the System''s security subroutines had quarantined the Class acquisition trance, the System Avatar would try to contact me during Wolf¡¯s ceremony. Assuming he would get a Class instead of going the orc way.

    Conjecture was all we had.

    A shadowy figure appeared from the web of alleys. My [Night Vision] allowed me to see her before she saw us. Astrid hid her face beneath a long, dark cloak. Without her Zealot uniform, she was almost unrecognizable. She had done well in hiding her wolf ears. There weren¡¯t many beast folk in this part of the continent for her to go unnoticed.

    ¡°She¡¯s here,¡± I announced, gazing through the shadows, looking for Corin. The girl was nowhere to be found. Astrid had come alone.

    Elincia stopped roaming around, and we crossed the doorway into the front yard. The plan was simple: if things went south, keep the orphans away from trouble. I didn¡¯t know what level Astrid was, but I hoped I was enough to deal with her if she turned hostile. People were generally ignorant of a Zealot¡¯s capabilities, and even the Book of Classes lacked information about their skills.

    I went over the story that Elincia and I had prepared. I was a Scholar interested in the System; I had found the investigation of a previous teacher at the orphanage and gained a research skill that allowed me to establish a strong contact with the Fountain. As a result, I received a cryptic Quest related to Corruption. I¡¯d keep it simple while I tried to fish for information. Everyone in Ebros believed the System was a natural phenomenon. Contesting that preconception could be dangerous.

    Astrid crossed the iron gate and pulled her cloak back.

    Before I could greet her, Elincia crossed the front yard in a flash. I felt like a cold wave hitting my body. Elincia siphoned mana from my pool at an alarming rate. Astrid¡¯s eyes shot wide open as Elincia grabbed her by the cloak and threw her fist back. My mind connected the dots before I could move my feet. Astrid was the third orphan who had betrayed Elincia.

 110 - Heartfelt reunion

    Elincia¡¯s feline grace turned into predatory precision, and without warning, she pounced over Astrid as she violently drew from my mana pool. Bright blue sparks crackled around Elincia¡¯s arms as she pushed Astrid to the ground. When did Elincia learn how to channel mana offensively?

    Astrid raised her arms just in time to divert Elincia¡¯s punch. The fist grazed Astrid¡¯s face, leaving a red mark, but Elincia didn¡¯t stop there. She siphoned even more mana from my reserves, sending a shiver down my spine. I could almost feel Elincia¡¯s anger flowing like a river of flames across our connection.

    My first reaction was to channel my mana, waiting for Astrid to retaliate. The Book of Classes had given me a general idea of the combat prowess of most Classes, although the power graduation methodology was still unknown to me. Zealots, however, were a mystery even for the book¡¯s author. Their page was blank. I sharpened my mana sense, hoping to see Astrid channeling her mana before she cast whatever Skill she had prepared.

    But nothing happened. Astrid limited herself to coiling her legs around Elincia¡¯s abdomen and blocking her punches. Elincia was a bright blue flame, while Astrid was a gray opaque slate against a background illuminated by environmental mana.

    ¡°Stop!¡± I yelled, turning my mana into a rope and grabbing Elincia¡¯s wrist.

    Elincia fought against the mana shackles but ultimately surrendered. I grabbed her by the armpits and broke the fight. She slapped my hands away as soon as she stood and retreated to the stone steps. Something was wrong with Astrid. She didn¡¯t seem to have more mana than Zaon or Wolf, and even Ilya had more before she achieved her Class.

    ¡°She has no mana. You were going to kill her,¡± I said.

    Astrid rolled away. Her face grew more swollen by the second, even though Elincia hadn¡¯t managed to connect one good blow.

    ¡°What makes you think I don¡¯t want her dead?¡± Elincia replied, panting.

    I sighed. Elincia wasn¡¯t herself that night.

    ¡°You are not like that, Eli. Since the moment you got your Class, you have been helping others. You even sacrificed your desire to become a Hunter to become an Alchemist and help the orphanage,¡± I reminded her.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have told you,¡± Elincia grunted.

    Astrid used her knees as support and stood up. She remained silent, but a guilty expression crept on her face. I looked at her with renewed interest. Her long black hair was made a mess, and her cloak was torn apart. Astrid was the fourth orphan who had inherited Mr. Lowell¡¯s lifelong project and the first one to betray it. Elincia and Astrid never got along, but my instinct told me there was more to it than a simple betrayal.

    Maybe it was the [Scholar] Class wanting to know the truth, but something inside me needed to make sense of the orphanage¡¯s story. I took a deep breath and let my mana go. Astrid was the last piece of the puzzle.

    Risha had enlisted in the army to provide the orphanage with a steady flow of money while Elincia was away, collecting alchemy ingredients in the Farlands. Astrid was in charge of informing Elincia and Ginz, but she mysteriously disappeared that night. But why? It didn¡¯t make sense.

    Astrid searched in her pockets and handed me the copper bracelet.

    ¡°No surprise you arrived on your own. The manor used to be your home,¡± I said as I recovered the bracelet.

    I felt like an idiot. Risha even told me Astrid¡¯s name while he told me the story of his departure from the orphanage. I gave [Awareness] a metaphorical look of contempt, but I knew it wasn¡¯t the skill¡¯s fault. I directed the skill toward certain chores, like observation and vigilance, to avoid information overload.

    ¡°You know who I am?¡± Astrid asked.

    ¡°You were one of Mister Lowell¡¯s orphans. I¡¯ll introduce myself again. I¡¯m Robert Clarke, a teacher and caretaker at the Lowell orphanage. We always welcome former students,¡± I said.

    Elincia glanced at me murderously, but I ignored her. Whether she liked it or not, the manor was Astrid¡¯s home for the first sixteen years of her life. And despite Astrid¡¯s betrayal, my gut told me there was more to it.

    ¡°Elincia and Risha told me about you, but I think it would be fair to listen to your side of the story,¡± I said, adopting my best teacher¡¯s voice.

    ¡°I can tell you the whole story. She betrayed us and made it all worse,¡± Elincia grunted.

    I shook my head. Elincia deserved to know the whole story. No. She needed to see the truth to make sense of the last decade of her life, even if it was painful. I wouldn¡¯t let Astrid go before she told us her side of the story. It was the least I could do for Elincia after she completely changed my life.

    Damned be the System and its Quests.

    ¡°I want to hear it myself. Let¡¯s go to the kitchen,¡± I said, walking into the manor.

    Astrid hesitated for a moment but ultimately followed. Once inside the receiving room, I noticed she walked toward the western wing.

    ¡°Not there. One of the beams in the ceiling rotted, so we use the service kitchen,¡± I said.

    Astrid followed in silence, examining the peeling paint of the old walls and the spots where old portraits and tapestries used to hang. Even if I never knew the orphanage''s original appearance, I could tell the manor used to be an elegant and distinguished place. There were details that even time and misery couldn¡¯t take away; the sturdiness of the doors, the ornate brass knobs, the solid iron window frames. Astrid didn¡¯t comment on anything.

    I lit the kitchen¡¯s light stones and fed the oven embers. Elincia leaned against the counter and watched us in silence. To say she was annoyed was an Olympic understatement.

    ¡°This was the room where the maids used to hang out. We weren¡¯t allowed here,¡± Astrid said, examining the room.

    ¡°Did Elincia use to spend a lot of time here?¡± I asked.

    Astrid left her cloak on the bench and sat at the table without answering.

    ¡°Is Risha coming?¡± Astrid asked after a moment of silence.

    Elincia let out a dry laugh, but I understood the question. My previous words could be interpreted as Risha still living at the orphanage, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Astrid didn¡¯t know that Risha had been missing as long as her.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°The best I can do is Ginz,¡± I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not much,¡± Astrid replied.

    ¡°At least he is here, unlike you two,¡± Elincia pointed out; her words were daggers.

    Astrid deserved Elincia¡¯s contempt and probably much more. Yet, I couldn¡¯t help but sense something was out of place in the orphanage¡¯s history.

    Why did Astrid abandon the orphanage without telling Elincia that Risha had enlisted? I could understand those two never got along, but that level of sabotage against Mister Lowell¡¯s legacy was uncalled for. Astrid might dislike Elincia, but that wasn¡¯t a reason to retaliate against the other orphans. Moreover, Elincia would know Risha¡¯s whereabouts when the payments started rolling, so Astrid didn¡¯t have a reason to hide the information.

    It didn¡¯t make sense, no matter what angle I looked at it from. The kettle broke the silence, and I poured three cups of tea. Elincia didn¡¯t bother touching hers. It was the moment for answers.

    ¡°I know you were Risha¡¯s accomplice, Astrid. I don¡¯t know why you left the city without telling Elincia about Risha¡¯s whereabouts,¡± I said.

    ¡°I thought we were going to talk about the System¡¯s Quest,¡± Astrid coldly replied, but I noticed a certain urgency in her voice.

    I couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact origin of the urgency, but she had endured Elincia¡¯s blows without complaining just to talk about her Quest. There were other questions I wanted answered first.

    ¡°There''s no need to rush it. It¡¯s been almost a decade since you last visited the orphanage; you must have a couple of minutes to spare. To catch up,¡± I calmly said.

    Astrid¡¯s uneasiness only grew. Was it the lack of the Zealot¡¯s mask? During our previous encounters she seemed to be more of the composed type.

    ¡°Why did you leave the orphanage? Elincia, Ginz, and Risha needed you,¡± I asked.

    Astrid sighed, accepting this was an obligatory detour before talking about the System.

    ¡°The orphanage didn¡¯t need me. Ginz became a Craftsman, and Elincia an Alchemist. You don¡¯t get better crafting Classes than that. Even Risha got a decent combat Class,¡± Astrid replied, her Zealot composure slowly being washed away. ¡°My presence here didn¡¯t change anything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not accusing you, Astrid, but you could¡¯ve at least relayed Risha¡¯s message. What was it that you couldn¡¯t wait a single day to leave?¡± I asked.

    Astrid gave me a bitter smile. She had three sets of long canines, one longer than the others.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have much choice when you become a Zealot,¡± Astrid said. ¡°Why does it matter, though? Elincia was a talented Alchemist, Ginz was passionate about his craft, and Risha had more strength than what was healthy for him. I wouldn¡¯t make a difference even if I got any other Class.¡±

    For an almighty Zealot, Astrid had quite a low self-esteem.

    ¡°Everyone has a choice,¡± I pointed out.

    My words seemed to offend her.

    ¡°A Zealot? Choice? You don¡¯t know what you are talking about, Scholar,¡± Astrid sighed, covering her face with both hands.

    Despite her words, I didn¡¯t feel any ill intent against me.

    ¡°Our Quests are an itch in the back of our brains¡ªan itch that can¡¯t be scratched unless you accomplish your mission. It¡¯s like ants crawling under your skull.¡±

    Astrid looked at me directly, and I noticed a glint of madness in her yellow eyes. She clenched her fists, and a drop of blood fell on the table. For an instant, I feared she lost control of herself, but ultimately, she regained control.

    ¡°And now I¡¯m stuck with an unsolvable Quest, and this sensation inside me urging me to do something to solve the quest,¡± she said, taking a deep breath. ¡°Zealots eventually learn how to control the discomfort; otherwise, we couldn¡¯t even sleep. At first, however, it is almost unbearable. When I got my Class, the System told me to travel to the capital.¡±

    I nodded in silence. Being a Zealot wasn¡¯t as glamorous as I initially thought; it sounded more like a curse than a blessing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that,¡± I said.

    ¡°What do you mean? The System chose me. My mission is a great honor and a great responsibility,¡± Astrid replied defensively.

    Enslaving the Zealots and convincing them their captor blessed them was cruel yet effective. I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Astrid. Even if the people of this world were tied to their Class until their death, they had a certain level of freedom to choose which Class they wanted. Zealots, on the other hand, were pawns forced into obedience.

    ¡°I¡¯m still sorry for you. Elincia can choose not to brew potions, but you can¡¯t stop obeying the System. The whole situation seems unfair,¡± I said. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t excuse you for the problems you caused the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? I have been traveling the continent for almost a decade. How could I have caused problems to the orphanage?¡±

    With Astrid¡¯s piece, the orphanage¡¯s story came together.

    ¡°Mister Lowell knew he was sick some time before he died. Mister Byrne offered him treatment, which meant traveling across the Farlands back to Connecticut, maybe permanently. Mister Lowell decided to stay at the orphanage despite knowing he would eventually lose to sickness,¡± I explained, catching both Elincia and Astrid by surprise.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Astrid asked.

    ¡°When Mister Lowell died, you four took charge of the orphanage. Things went well for a while, but then money ran short. Elincia was too low of a level to make any real money, Ginz spent more on materials than what he earned, and you were classless. Risha tried to bring money by escorting Alchemists from the Guild and second-class merchants, but it wasn¡¯t enough for the number of orphans living in the manor at the time.¡±

    Astrid shrunk in her seat, knowing what came next.

    ¡°Noticing the orphanage was on course for a disaster, Risha confided to you he would enlist. The Royal Army was bolstering its ranks for the Farlands Campaign, and Risha understood that one less mouth and extra income would keep the orphanage afloat. It would help Ginz pay for materials to develop his Class and give Elincia time to improve hers. But before you could tell Elincia about Risha¡¯s plans, you got your Class, and the System dragged you to the capital,¡± I continued with the story.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem then?¡± Astrid asked.

    ¡°Risha¡¯s money never arrived,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Risha died!?¡± Astrid jumped from her seat.

    I sighed, alleviated. Astrid¡¯s reaction told me everything I needed to know about Risha; the only reason he would¡¯ve stopped helping the orphanage was his death. My trust in Risha seemed well-placed.

    ¡°Risha is alive and well. We believe he sent the money, but it was stolen before it reached the orphanage. The lack of communication between the frontlines and the rest of the kingdom helped the thieves scam many soldiers. We only found out about the missing money after the army retreated into the city,¡± I explained. ¡°Elincia and Ginz believed Risha, and you abandoned the orphanage to its fate. Ginz left shortly after you; he wasn''t ready to bear the burden, leaving Elincia alone.¡±

    Astrid was out of words.

    ¡°Are you finished?¡± Elincia grunted.

    ¡°No,¡± I replied, focusing back on Astrid. ¡°Elincia has looked after the orphanage since then, believing you and Risha betrayed her. Have you looked around, Astrid? Do you think the orphanage is in a particularly good spot? You could¡¯ve crawled back to the manor and told Ginz about Risha¡¯s whereabouts. You could¡¯ve left a note.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my intention,¡± Astrid muttered.

    ¡°I know,¡± I said, trying to sound reassuring. ¡°The manor is in a better spot, but Elincia had to weather an unforgiving seven-year-long storm alone. I¡¯m not the one who you need to ask for forgiveness. You owe her an apology.¡±

    Elincia let out a dry laugh. ¡°Why do you think I want an apology?¡±

    Even if Elincia didn¡¯t want to admit it, I knew she needed closure. The betrayal of her fellow orphans was still a festering wound in her heart, and no amount of love and affection would heal it. That wound could only be healed by Astrid, Risha, and Ginz.

    ¡°Elincia, listen. Someone is trying to harm the orphanage. Someone prompted Holst to poison our crops and tried to take the kids from us. Someone tipped the thieves that I carried the money from the potions. Someone has been trying to subvert the City Guard and kill Captain Kiln,¡± I said. ¡°Someone is trying to sabotage the orphanage, but that person isn¡¯t Astrid or Risha.¡±

    ¡°Like I care. As far as I am concerned, Astrid and Risha are as guilty as Holst and whoever is pulling the strings,¡± Elincia left her cold cup of tea on the counter and walked to the door, leaving us alone in the kitchen.

    The prospect of a heartfelt reunion slowly slipped through my fingers.

 111 - Shared past

    Elincia slammed the door behind her and left the kitchen. I had never seen her so mad, yet I understood her feelings. Nothing could erase a decade of constant fear and suffering, not even the fact that Astrid and Risha had good intentions. Whether it was due to bad fortune or youthful inexperience, Elincia had to watch generations of orphans get sent to the frontlines.

    ¡°Elincia hasn¡¯t changed a bit. She has always been like this. Emotional, stubborn, spoiled,¡± Astrid said without a shred of sympathy. ¡°She never bothered listening to the other side of the story.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say I knew the same Elincia that Astrid described. Although Elincia was quick to anger, she was also quick to forgive. Despite my reckless actions, Elincia always showed more concern for my well-being. Although she was grumpy sometimes, it was because she cared too much for everyone at the orphanage.

    I wondered why Astrid didn¡¯t see the same in Elincia.

    ¡°You two never got along?¡± I asked, putting the kettle back on the stove. I needed more caffeine, or at least the placebo effect. I wasn¡¯t actually sure if the Green Moss had any.

    I saw a long night in my future. My body couldn¡¯t tolerate more Energy Potions, and my reserves of Moss Tea were dwindling. But the winter was ending, and we could finally relax after the tournament. Until then, it seemed I was trapped in an after-hours loop.

    ¡°Would you trust me more if I told you about my life at the orphanage?¡± Astrid asked, her voice perfectly calm despite Elincia¡¯s outburst.

    I couldn''t tell whether she was pragmatic or desperate, but it was a good sign. If the Church of the System had the power to fix Astrid¡¯s Quest, she wouldn¡¯t be here tonight. She needed my help to deal with her defective Quest.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± I said, suspecting there was something she needed to get off of her chest.

    Astrid sipped from her cup for the first time that night. She smiled and, for a moment, she seemed more human and less Zealot.

    ¡°You might not know this, but initially, the orphanage was devised as one of Mister Lowell¡¯s science projects,¡± Astrid explained. ¡°Mister Lowell wanted to prove to the world that upbringing was more important than birth in the eyes of the System, so he turned his manor into an orphanage and filled it with the best artists, craftsmen, and researchers in this corner of the kingdom.¡±

    Astrid¡¯s words surprised me. Although Byrne¡¯s journals characterized Mister Lowell as a hardcore researcher, I never saw him as anything other than Elincia¡¯s loving father and mentor. I gave Astrid a questioning look.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. The orphanage started as a science project, but we slowly learned to be a family. I arrived at Farcrest as a refugee from a Monster Surge, and Mister Lowell showed me nothing but kindness,¡± Astrid continued, fiddling with her cup without drinking the contents. ¡°He is the only father I have ever known, but he only had eyes for Elincia. She was Mister Lowell¡¯s favorite despite constantly acting like a complete idiot: she skipped classes, snuck out to the Farlands, and got in more trouble with the city guards than I could count. Nothing she did seemed to bother Mister Lowell.¡±

    Her tone was so bitter I couldn¡¯t help but pity her.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t help your case. If anything, it seems you were jealous of Elincia,¡± I pointed out.

    Astrid raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I was jealous. I wanted Mister Lowell to notice me, but I always lacked that ¡®something¡¯ that made Elincia stand out. She might be hot-headed, but she¡¯s also smart, capable, and sociable,¡± Astrid said. ¡°Now that I think about it, I might have become a Zealot because I always wanted to please Mister Lowell, but I was never up to the task.¡±

    I nodded in silence, remembering all the times Elincia told me about her small adventures with Mister Lowell: a quick shopping trip to the market followed by a stop at a bakery, a small incursion to the Azure River to gather aquatic herbs and a hunting trip into the Farlands. I never questioned the absence of other orphans. I assumed Risha and Elincia were the only ones who liked to follow Mister Lowell wherever he went. In reality, those two were the ones who didn¡¯t conform to the orphanage''s rules.

    It was ironic but not unheard of for the most unruly students to have a closer relationship with teachers. At the end of the day, a competent teacher paid more attention to those who needed it than those who performed as expected.

    Astrid sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t blame Elincia. Mister Lowell and her had many things in common. I¡¯m sure Elincia also has her favorites. It¡¯s only natural to bond easily with certain people.¡±

    Just then, I noticed Astrid didn¡¯t blame the present Elincia but the teenager she used to know.

    ¡°Elincia doesn¡¯t have favorites. She treats everyone the same way,¡± I cut her off.

    ¡°Really?¡± Astrid asked.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I replied. ¡°Elincia does reign with an iron fist, though.¡±

    Astrid let out a weak laugh.

    ¡°I might have underestimated her,¡± she said. ¡°When I heard the Rosebud Academy was the talk of the town, I was happy. Mister Lowell wanted to see a group of orphans catching nobles by surprise. He wanted to show them that what matters isn''t the circumstances of our birth but what we do with our time.¡±

    I nodded.

    Those were strange words coming from someone forced to act as the System''s eyes and arms. At least, it was easy to tell Astrid loved Mister Lowell and the orphanage. Despite her ties to the Church, I might be able to trust her with my secrets. If the situation were as dire as the System Avatar made it seem, we would need all the help possible.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    I wondered if it was destiny or maybe Mister Lowell¡¯s spirit guiding needy misfits to the orphanage''s steps. It didn¡¯t matter. I was glad to have the opportunity to help so many people.

    ¡°Do your higher-ups know about your Quest?¡± I asked, and Astrid let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Astrid nodded. ¡°They believe I was meant to meet you before the System revealed the rest of the Quest. That wasn¡¯t the case, of course. I met you at the Great Hall, but nothing happened.¡±

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t. Whatever the Quest-giving subroutine had prepared for me differed from what the System Avatar wanted. I was a potential threat with the ability to rewrite the System¡¯s code. It was safe to assume the System Avatar edited Astrid¡¯s Quest to protect me, but his protection might not be permanent.

    No matter how much I wanted to help Astrid, I couldn¡¯t accept her into our closest circle if she would become the System¡¯s hitman.

    ¡°Last question,¡± I said, dead serious. This was the nuclear question. ¡°What would you do if the System asks you to harm the orphanage?¡±

    Astrid fell silent as if she hadn¡¯t considered that option. Then, her eyes met mine. All traces of her Zealot persona disappeared.

    ¡°If the System would ask me to harm the orphanage, I would go for a walk to clear my mind¡ªinto the Farlands,¡± Astrid slowly replied.

    A shiver ran down my spine. There was no sign of deceit in Astrid expression or a trace of doubt in her words.

    ¡°If you can keep the secret from your superiors, then we have a deal,¡± I said, but my voice quivered before Astrid¡¯s determination.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have superiors in the strict meaning of the word. Most Zealots work with the Church because it¡¯s convenient. The System provides us with Skills to accomplish our Quests, and the Church provides us with lodging, food, and funds,¡± Astrid shrugged. ¡°I will not rat out the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°Really? I thought you were more¡­ fanatic,¡± I said.

    ¡°Some devote their lives to the System; not only Zealots, but Scholars, Alchemists, Craftsmen, Merchants, and others. They believe the Church is the embodiment of the System in the material world, and it might be,¡± Astrid said. ¡°But don¡¯t get me wrong. Quests are given by the System, not the Church. If the System wants the High Priest dead and the Church disbanded, we will obey.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure if Astrid sounded sad or just tired.

    The whole idea of the Zealots being full-time servants of the System was saddening. I remembered my old boss calling me every few minutes to pester me about non-existent deadlines. Zealots had it worse. They couldn¡¯t even sleep without feeling the System¡¯s call.

    Helping Astrid was risky. The System could always turn against me if the security subroutines learned I planned to change its code. However, denying her assistance left a bad taste in my mouth. Whether I liked it or not, her current situation was due to my presence in this world.

    ¡°As long as you promise me you will not hurt the orphanage directly or indirectly, I will do my best to help you,¡± I said.

    Astrid gave me an understanding glance.

    ¡°I swear. As long as my name is Astrid Lowell, my actions will never harm the orphanage or its inhabitants,¡± she brought her hand to her heart. ¡°... and I will do my best to mend things with Elincia.¡±

    [Awareness] told me she was being honest, even the last part. I closed my eyes and emptied my cup of Moss Tea. It tasted sweet. Compared to Elincia¡¯s Energy Potions, the blend barely ignited a spark of vigor. The most pragmatic part of my brain told me I could put half of my chores on Astrid¡¯s shoulders, although I quickly silenced it.

    ¡°Can we continue our conversation elsewhere? There is something I want to do,¡± Astrid said, standing and walking to the doorway.

    I nodded and followed her into the backyard.

    ¡°Do you need help?¡± Astrid asked. Her eyes gleamed like a cat¡¯s, and her androgynous features gave her a mysterious aura.

    ¡°The System likes me. I can see in the dark,¡± I replied.

    Astrid needed no guidance through the manor¡¯s grounds. Despite the years passed, she navigated through the backyard without hesitation. She walked towards the grove, easily dodging the gray-barked trees and the protruding roots on the ground. After a minute, the white tombstones emerged in the circular clearing. It had been only a couple weeks since I had last set foot on the orphanage¡¯s cemetery, but it seemed a lifetime had passed since then.

    ¡°Hey, Father, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Astrid said, kneeling before Mister Lowell¡¯s grave and cleaning a small piece of lichen from the surface.

    I stood at a polite distance, but Astrid¡¯s attention didn¡¯t linger on the gravestone for long. She turned around and, with a hand movement, she summoned a System prompt. The blue square with silvery letters gleamed in the darkness¡ªRobert Clarke at Farcrest.

    ¡°Do you know what it means?¡± Astrid asked.

    Without the golden mask covering her face, the question didn¡¯t sound as menacing as before.

    ¡°Yes. It means you must either protect or stop me,¡± I replied.

    The prompt quivered mid-air, but the words remained the same.

    ¡°The Man in Yellow gave me a Quest, but, at the same time, another part of the System doesn¡¯t want me to complete it. The same happens with your Quest. The System wants you to help or stop me simultaneously,¡± I explained.

    Astrid tapped on her lips with a thoughtful expression.

    ¡°In any other circumstance, I would¡¯ve taken you as a madman, but I saw what happened inside the Aias kid¡¯s trance. The Man in Yellow and the Voice of the System were different entities yet the same, both the System,¡± Astrid sighed. She was taking the news like a champ for someone who had a mystical revelation.

    ¡°This is your last chance to back out. I will show you something that might change your Quest for better or worse,¡± I said.

    Astrid shook her head, and her black hair fell on her face, hiding her expression.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand Robert Clarke. This might be my first true choice in a decade. Whatever happens, I will be happy with the result,¡± Astrid said, saddened.

    I took a deep breath. With the tournament around the corner and the System Avatar¡¯s cryptic warning haunting me, I couldn¡¯t help but feel at the edge of a precipice. I smiled, remembering Elincia¡¯s words. ¡®You are not alone.¡¯

    I grabbed a loose piece of granite from one of the unmarked gravestones and put it in the palm of my hand. Effortlessly, mana flew through my body and into the stone, illuminating the groove. The light rune appeared on the pebble¡¯s surface, and a moment later, darkness reigned again. In my hand, there was a newly minted light stone.

    ¡°Enchanting?¡± Astrid asked, unconvinced of her assessment.

    I blinked repeatedly. Despite the completion of the light stone, the environmental mana pulsated with energy. It vaguely reminded me of the Lich¡¯s area spell; however, I couldn¡¯t feel any hostile presence this time.

    ¡°Runeweaving,¡± I replied, summoning my Character Sheet and turning it around.

    Astrid¡¯s eyes shot wide open.

    [Awareness] suddenly warned me about imminent danger. I spied through the shadows, but there wasn¡¯t a single soul other than Astrid and me in the groove. Then, out of nowhere, a black substance emerged from the ground, blinding me.

 112 - Killteam

    Thick and dense black mana stuck to my eyes like tar. The grove¡¯s washed-away colors were swallowed by darkness. I tried to use my mana sense to navigate through the graveyard, but my surroundings were completely opaque.

    ¡°Close your eyes!¡± I yelled.

    I raised the Lightstone and overwrote the ¡®instantaneous¡¯ rune on the ¡®gradual¡¯ rune. Then, I overcharged the enchantment. A violent flash of light enshrouded the grove and dispelled the shadows. Then, the Lightstone exploded in my hand, and blood dripped down my fingers. Astrid peeked over the curve of her arm, her hair bristling. For an instant, I thought I was the target of her rage. Then, I noticed the shadowy figures standing at the other side of Mister Lowell¡¯s grave, covering their eyes and wincing in pain.

    I instinctively used [Identify], but the skill seemed to bounce off. The people behind the black robes didn¡¯t want to be identified. An incomplete prompt appeared before me.

    Assassin Lv.31

    Sentinel Lv. 33

    Thief Lv.26

    [Awareness] sent me into tactical mode. In a fraction of a second, I had a clear picture of the situation. This wasn¡¯t a robbery attempt. What I had in front of me was a strike team carefully designed to kill. I channeled my mana, readying myself for a one versus three. With Astrid¡¯s Quest still bugged, the System wouldn¡¯t give her any helpful skills. The ass-whooping Elincia had imparted was proof enough. I had to protect her.

    I expected a little more time to counterattack, but the intruders were unwilling to give me the courtesy¡ªnot that I needed it.

    I used [Intimidate]. White Fountain mana flowed through my body in a display of raw power. My presence grew to the point I must¡¯ve seemed a monster to them. But it was an illusion.

    Following that up, I used [Minor Illusion]. I formed multiple summoning circles¨Cor at least my artistic depiction of summoning circles¨Con the ground. The wind and crackling of my mana hid the illusions'' lack of sound, and a moment later, two huge Wendigos emerged from the void. The shock lasted only an instant because the Assassin threw a dagger through the Wendigo¡¯s forehead, revealing its illusory nature.

    Did he know they were illusions?

    [Minor Illusion] was a cheap spell, so I didn¡¯t bother dispelling it. The attackers might have known on a rational level that the Wendigos were illusions, but no man alive was completely rational. The Wendigos charged forward as I summoned a swarm of mana blades. My heart raced, hammering against my chest, yet the movements came naturally to me.

    My opponents scattered. My eyes followed the slowest one¡ªthe Sentinel.

    I used a quarter of my mana pool to summon a thick barrier behind my back. Not even the best swordsman in history could go unscratched against a three-man ambush. Whether I liked it or not, numbers had the advantage.

    ¡°Astrid, run!¡± I said, using my swarm of blades to attack the Sentinel and the Assassin simultaneously.

    [Awareness] sent my brain into overdrive; otherwise, I couldn¡¯t control every blade.

    In the corner of my eye, I noticed Astrid frozen among the gravestones.

    I cursed yet again as the Assassin fended off my mana blades. His arms were surrounded with dark mana, from his elbow to the point of his blades. He moved like a monkey, using every surface available, horizontal or vertical, to dodge while parrying with his daggers faster than my eye could follow. The Sentinel wasn¡¯t as agile. He was pinned to the ground, wielding a short spear surrounded by mana.

    I looked around, searching for the Thief. He was nowhere to be found.

    Then, I felt a stabbing pain in my lower back. I summoned a mana blade in my uninjured hand and violently turned around. The Thief jumped back, his shortsword gleaming with a bright light. [Awareness] informed me the wound was superficial. The overcharged mana shield had blocked most of the attack. [Identify] told me I was looking at the [Puncture] skill.

    I cursed for the third time. My previous fight with a Lv.20 Thief hadn¡¯t prepared me for this. The power gap within those ten levels was greater than I expected. The Thief before me was faster, stronger, and deadlier than the one I had fought alongside Firana and Zaon months ago.

    I threw my mana blade like a dart, causing the Thief to jump back, giving me enough time to reach for Astrid. She remained in a state of shock, but it wasn¡¯t the moment to take care of her. I had misread the situation. Every single one of my enemies had the potential skills to kill me, but I couldn¡¯t reduce the amount of blades chasing the Assassin without risking giving him an opening to attack.

    Even with [Awareness] supporting me, I could control around a dozen blades. It had been easier against Kellaren because I was focused on a single target. The Assassin wasn¡¯t making things easier. I needed something that required less mental processing. I dug deeper into my mana pool, directly into the Fountain. The corners of my mana pool burned. My body was at the limit of how much mana I could channel.

    The world moved in slow motion. My brain burned, but I didn¡¯t stop. I drew mana from the Fountain and turned it into long, needle-shaped projectiles. I aimed at the Thief and shot a quick burst that impacted a nearby tree. The bark exploded, leaving small scars in the trunk, but the Thief was miraculously unscathed. He was too fast, and my aim too precarious.

    I clenched my teeth. The one day I had requested the Guardsman to retire early, a squad of three trained combatants ambushed me in the middle of the night. This couldn¡¯t be a coincidence.

    ¡°I need you here, Astrid!¡± I said.

    The lapse in my concentration was enough for the Sentinel to parry by blades and raise his short spear over his head. The tip gleamed. Puncture. Panicking, I dispelled the mana shield around my back and rematerialized it before me just when the Sentinel threw the spear. I wasn¡¯t the target. The short spear crossed the grove like a white tracer. I angled the mana shield at the last moment to maximize the thickness. It was almost enough.

    The short spear bounced to the side, grazing Astrid¡¯s cheekbone. Before I could counterattack the Sentinel used a skill to pull the short spear back into his hands. [Awareness] screamed in my ear. My back was unprotected, yet I couldn¡¯t dispel Astrid¡¯s shield due to the Sentinel¡¯s ranged attack.

    The Thief seized the moment and lunged. I aimed my shard minigun toward him, but a mesh of blue mana protected him against the occasional hit. I lacked the power to penetrate his magic resistance. The shard gun wouldn¡¯t cut it, so I reused the mana to cast a long rapier in my hand. I turned around, pulling the mana shield between me and the Sentinel, and faced the Thief.

    I blocked his attack, standing my ground, but I lost sight of the Assassin.

    It only took a second.

    The Thief thrusted against my chest. I raised my rapier to block, but a dagger hit my elbow at the last moment. The edge didn¡¯t break the mana shield, but the impact was enough to misdirect my sword. Such a trickshot wouldn¡¯t be possible without the assistance of the System. The Thief surpassed my defenses, and he was already upon me when I straightened the blade.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I braced for the impact.

    Out of nowhere, Astrid pushed my shoulder down and kicked the blade away. Then, she jumped over my head and landed between me and the Thief. Astrid didn¡¯t need a moment to recover. With superhuman agility, she propelled herself upwards and heel-kicked the Thief¡¯s head. It sounded like a coconut smashing against a rock.

    Power surged through Astrid¡¯s body¡ªbright and pure Fountain mana.

    The Thief rolled away and jumped to his feet, dizzy. Blood spurted from the wound on his forehead, but otherwise, he seemed combat-ready. He wasn¡¯t a lowly grunt like the last Thief but a trained combatant. I silently thanked Astrid as I pulled back my mana blades and examined my surroundings.

    My headache almost disappeared without the mental pressure of [Awareness] helping me control two dozen swords. My mind studied our possibilities. My gut told me whoever was behind this attack was responsible for all the previous little incidents we had suffered through the year. We needed one of them alive to figure out who was behind the attack.

    I didn¡¯t get to ask Astrid about her new powers because the Assassin appeared out of nowhere and tried to behead me. Astrid was faster and pushed me aside while she propelled herself towards a tree. Using her nails, she clung to the bark and pounced over the Thief. I focused back on the Assassin. Despite having the Fountain at my disposal, I would rather use my own reserves. It was quicker and easier to control, but I was already down half my mana pool.

    The Assassin studied me, his cold eyes the only recognizable feature beneath his black mask. They knew who I was and the extent of my powers, yet they underestimated me. I took a moment to assess the situation. Assassins were too slippery to be captured. The Sentinel was my best chance to capture one of them alive.

    Not having to worry about Astrid¡¯s security opened a whole new range of possibilities for me.

    Astrid fought with claws and fangs against the Thief. Whatever set of skills she had suddenly gained allowed her to move at a superhuman speed while parrying stabs and cuts with her bare hands. The Sentinel defended against my mana blades, occasionally using a skill that nullified a blade, creating a blast of mana sparks. As soon as a mana blade shattered, I replaced it with another. My mana slowly dwindled, but theirs did as well.

    I summoned a swarm of mana blades and sent them against the Assassin. I didn''t get my hopes up about the attack''s effectiveness; I just needed an opening to disable the Sentinel. My opponents weren¡¯t going to make it easy. The Assassin jumped to the tree branches and bombarded me with a flurry of dark mana knives. I raised my shield just in time, but the daggers cracked it.

    The shield rapidly siphoned my mana to maintain its integrity. I grunted, knowing that it would not be mana-effective in the long run. Then I remembered the Book of Classes. Assassins were an advanced class specialized in movement, deception, illusions, and piercing magic. Luckily, my best skill was a hard counter to their tricks. No matter what he tried, [Awareness] was a step ahead.

    The Assassin disappeared in a smoke explosion. [Awareness]¡¯s danger detection stabbed my brain like a red hot needle. Above. I didn¡¯t bother summoning my shield. Instead, I used my mana blade to deflect the knives. Sparks of mana exploded around me, momentarily blinding me. Then I noticed the threads wrapping around my wrists and ankles. It was too late to dodge.

    I attempted a sudden mana expulsion, but the threads resisted, burying deep into my skin. The Assassin was good. His skills were efficient, and his fighting style was effective against martial classes. However, I was a magician disguised as a swordsman. I didn¡¯t need to move to control my swords.

    The Sentinel threw the spear, but I summoned a shield at the last moment so the Assassin couldn¡¯t destroy it with his mana knives. I was a porcupine with mana blades instead of needles, and they were reluctant to come close. It was a good call, but they had overlooked my ranged capabilities. We were at an impasse, but I had the advantage of having a deeper mana pool. In a prolonged battle, I would get on top.

    The threads tightened around my wrists, but the mana blades couldn¡¯t cut them. I used my mana sense. The threads weren¡¯t binding my limbs to the Assassin but to the tree roots beneath my feet. Smart but not perfect. With a single movement, two blades buried in the ground and cut the roots.

    The Assassin was busy dodging my mana blades, so I focused on the Sentinel.

    The Sentinel adopted a defensive stance as his eyes jumped from the mana blade in my hand to the ones floating at each side of my body. I moved first, slicing the spear''s shaft, but the wood withstood my blade. The Sentinel was using some sort of fortification magic on the weapon.

    I used my flying swords, aiming at his hands and legs, but he moved unnaturally fast. Without [Awareness], I would¡¯ve had trouble following his movements. Not even my Lv.5 [Swordsmanship] was enough for me to keep up with him. Lv. 30 combatants surpassed human limits, but that didn¡¯t stop me. The Sentinel parried, dodged, and retreated, keeping my three blades at bay.

    The exchange could¡¯ve continued until one of us died of exhaustion, but I had one last trick up my sleeve. I summoned another mana blade, then another, and a fifth one. The Sentinel¡¯s eyes shot wide open. They might have known the Wendigos were fake, but they couldn¡¯t distinguish between illusory blades and the real ones.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± The Sentinel yelled, but his words were cut short by a scream of pain. One of the real blades had reached his hand and cut cleanly through every bone, tendon, and ligament in an arc leading to the base of his thumb. The battle was half won.

    Or so I thought.

    Suddenly, a piercing sound broke the silence. I instinctively turned around. The Assassin had a metal whistle in his mouth. An enchanted item? Out of nowhere, another whistle responded. [Awareness] set off all the alarms in my brain just as the grove was illuminated with a reddish light.

    ¡°Astrid! Look out!¡± I yelled, just as the fireball impacted my mana shield.

    My body shivered as the barrier used more and more mana to contain the explosion. I wasn¡¯t fast enough to switch over to Fountain mana. I cursed as my joints stiffened. So much for foiling a stealth assassination mission. Whoever had orchestrated the attack wanted me dead so badly they had brought a siege team. Another three cloaked figures appeared among the trees.

    Flame Mage Lv.??

    Brawler Lv.27

    Mage Lv. 28

    Before I could react, I felt a fist burying against my ribs. [Awareness] informed me a [Aerokinesis] spell just hit me. I turned around. The Mage moved his hands rapidly before slamming a palm forward, and a gust of wind violently slammed me against a tree. I fought to bring oxygen into my lungs.

    My mind raced. The explosion and roaring wind gusts should¡¯ve awakened half the Northern District. I needed to hold up for a few minutes before help arrived. With the nobility in town, the Guardsmen were on maximum alert. Dozens of patrols had to be approaching the orphanage at full speed. I just needed to tap on the Fountain, damned be the corruption.

    Out of nowhere, a round brass shield rammed the Brawler like a sixteen-wheeler against a confused deer. The Brawler''s neck twisted at an odd angle before disappearing beneath the trees. The cracks were disgusting, but relief washed over my chest. One enemy less, five to go.

    ¡°Risha!¡± I greeted him.

    The giant orc bellowed and threw the shield at the Mage, who could barely raise a mana shield to cushion the impact. Then, the fight became chaotic. Daggers, spells, and mana blades flew through the grove. Trees fell. Gravestones exploded into smithereens. Fire sizzled.

    [Awareness] could barely follow the action.

    Blood covered Astrid¡¯s face. Risha had a knife stuck in his shoulder blade. The flaming spells had burned more than half of my left arm, and the only thing my left ear heard was a constant, high-pitched ringing. My mana faltered. The pain prevented me from focusing on my mana manipulation.

    I didn''t know how the Sentinel¡¯s spear ended up in my hands or how the spear''s point ended up embedded in the Thief¡¯s ribs. It was better than remaining unarmed. I tugged, but it got stuck. When I turned around, I encountered the Flame Mage face-to-face. His nose was broken, and his mask torn apart. I didn¡¯t recognize him.

    He raised his arms, and his body caught fire. I got goosebumps. Mana pulsated around the grove. The Flame Mage was preparing an area spell.

    I pulled mana from the Fountain, but my consciousness drifted toward my burned skin, and I lost the mana''s reign. The mana blade in my hand flickered like a weak lightbulb. [Awareness] told me to run, but my feet didn¡¯t move. The heat singed the hair on my good arm.

    There was a detonation, and the Flame Mage crumpled like a puppet whose strings had been snapped. The black splotch in my eyes, product of the bright flame, prevented me from seeing what hit him. I blinked repeatedly, letting [Awareness] run wild.

    ¡°Line!¡± Elincia yelled as she aimed toward the gravestones.

    As Astrid dove behind a tree, Elincia blew a hole in the Assassin¡¯s chest.

 113 - The old gang

    The grove fell into silence.

    Elincia stepped back with a bewildered expression, the shotgun still smoking in her hands. She must have used one of the shells crafted by Ginz. The Assassin''s body lay at my feet. The slug tore through his chest. I gave a quick look at my surroundings. The Flame Mage lay a few meters away, half-hidden behind a tree.

    ¡°Are you alright, Eli?¡± I asked, snapping out and stumbling toward her. My legs were jelly, and my mouth tasted like blood despite not being punched in the face. Not that I remembered, at least. The last seconds of the fight were chaotic.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Elincia muttered, massaging her shoulder. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the shotgun to be so effective. That¡¯s all.¡±

    Although Flame Mages and Assassins weren¡¯t highly defensive classes, the Assassin was Lv.31, and the Flame Mage¡¯s level was probably even higher. They were leagues faster, sturdier, and stronger than normal humans, but not enough to endure a high-speed metal slug.

    The shotgun had to be kept hidden from the public''s eyes. No noble, merchant or crime lord would look past a weapon that could nullify the boons of the System. And those were the kind of people I wanted to keep away from the orphanage.

    I looked around. The fight was over. A tree had caught fire, and half of the gravestones had been destroyed or damaged, but the four of us were alive¡ªnot in perfect condition, but we had survived. The adrenaline rush passed, and the pain assaulted my burned skin. I suddenly understood why potion toxicity was such a big deal among Alchemists. A potion at the right moment was a free cheat death card, but high toxicity nullified that option.

    I was about to ask Elincia for some poultice or herbal balm when Astrid emerged from behind a tree and approached us in a rush. She bumped into me but grabbed my jacket to prevent me from falling. Ignoring Elincia, she grabbed my wounded arm and placed her hand a few centimeters over it. Out of nowhere, a green light washed over my burned skin, driving the pain away.

    I thanked the System for giving her a set of skills; otherwise, we would have been dead. Elincia looked at us with a mixture of relief and disgust, which only deepened when Risha emerged from the grove.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you ashamed your girl had to save your ass?¡± Risha approached with a smile from ear to ear and wrapped my neck with his overgrown biceps.

    ¡°Get lost, Risha. Your massive body is obstructing my work,¡± Astrid growled before I could answer.

    ¡°That¡¯s no way of talking to your older brother after almost a decade away,¡± Risha said, extending his arm to encompass both of us.

    The green healing light flickered.

    ¡°Brother? The last time I saw my reflection in the mirror, I wasn¡¯t an overgrown olive like you,¡± Astrid replied, annoyed. ¡°Now let go of Rob before I claw your face off. You are interfering with my Quest.¡±

    I slipped away from Risha¡¯s grasp and got away from Astrid¡¯s healing magic. My arm wasn¡¯t completely healed, but it looked a lot less disgusting. Risha had a knife buried in his shoulder blade not a minute ago, and Astrid¡¯s face was still covered in blood. I wasn¡¯t the one who needed medical attention the most.

    I was about to complain about Astrid¡¯s triage, but before I could say anything, a prompt surprised me.

    Enemies slain!

    Level up!

    New skill acquired: [Runeweaver¡¯s Encyclopedia]

    Level up!

    Level up!

    New Skill acquired: [Rune Debugger]

    My new skills would have to wait.

    The implication of gaining experience by killing other humans was disturbing, even more so considering the amount of experience distributed. The Matriarch Boar had given me a single level, and the experience had only been spread between three. We were four now, and I had gained thrice as many levels. I looked around. Everyone seemed to have received a prompt similar to mine.

    A second later, Astrid and Risha were howling to the moon. I had to admit I was tempted to join. The pain of the burns was replaced with a blissful sensation as the levels piled up. The System knew perfectly well how to promote leveling up. With time, I had come to accept the fact that the System could modify my brain, but a part of me still felt a bit of panic about it.

    ¡°Come on, Rob, Eli. Join us!¡± Risha said.

    ¡°You better explain why you showed up before I did,¡± Elincia cut him before he could utter another howl.

    I had the same question. Risha¡¯s appearance had been a bit too convenient.

    ¡°I¡¯m renting across the street. There is no way I wouldn¡¯t be watching the orphanage with the Odrac-Aias goons running around like the rats they are,¡± Risha replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to intrude, but I didn¡¯t want to leave the orphanage unsupervised.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Elincia cut him off again. Despite the levels we had gained, she wasn¡¯t as excited as the others.

    ¡°Come on, Eli. Cut me some slack,¡± Risha sighed. Suddenly, he seemed to shrink. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the difficulties you lived. I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯m sorry about the money not reaching you, but you are not the only one struggling. I have been sitting at the tip of the spear of the royal army for most of the last eight years, fighting horrors you can¡¯t even imagine! Mister Lowell taught us the world isn¡¯t a nice place. He told us it will never be easy, but you are making things harder for yourself. You are just being obstinate for the sake of it.¡±

    Elincia recoiled, surprised. She opened her mouth but was at a loss for words. I agreed with Risha. Even if hatred had pushed Elincia through all these years, she had to let go. Now that she had the whole picture, she had to give them a chance or cut the ties forever.

    ¡°It¡¯s over, Elincia. Look around you. You are not alone anymore,¡± Risha said.

    ¡°No thanks to you, you infected pustule,¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°Better a pustule than a knife-ears,¡± Risha replied.

    Despite Elincia¡¯s harsh words, she had a smug grin on her lips. Risha smiled back.

    ¡°Welcome home, idiots. I hope you two have money. We don¡¯t like freeloaders in this place,¡± she said.

    Her sudden change of heart surprised me. Elincia¡¯s mood was volatile under stress, but I didn¡¯t expect her to suddenly open her arms to Risha and Astrid. Not that I wasn¡¯t happy with her resolution, but I gave her a half-quizzical, half-worried look nonetheless.

    ¡°What? I only forgive them because they are helping around for a change and because you seem fond of those two,¡± Elincia said, playfully bumping me with her hip. ¡°...and because I gained a couple of juicy levels.¡±

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    I sighed. This was the weirdest school reunion I had attended in a while. The corpses and the burning tree didn¡¯t make the scene more welcoming, but at least Elincia was open to starting a new chapter in her life. Elincia was right. I was getting fond of Risha and Astrid.

    The manor''s backdoor slammed open, and Ginz emerged from the shadows. He was dressed in his silk yellow sleeping robe and fluffy slippers, hoisting a light stone in his left hand and a strange, cylindrical bronze object in his right hand. He stumbled across the backyard until the stone''s light reached us and let out a small scream. Then I remembered Ginz couldn¡¯t see in the darkness like Elincia and me. When he came closer, I could notice a certain glint of insanity in his eyes.

    ¡°Where are the bad guys?!¡± He yelled, raising the bronze cylinder.

    ¡°Is that Ginz?¡± Astrid asked

    ¡°No way, Ginz would¡¯ve cowered inside the manor,¡± Risha replied.

    ¡°Hide? I have nothing to fear. I have dominated the power of explosions, and nothing will stand in my way!¡± Ginz replied, offended.

    Then, my brain made sense of the object he had in his hand.

    ¡°Is that a makeshift explosive?¡± I interrupted Ginz before he could continue his tirade about crafting classes'' superiority. The object in his hand looked very much like a pipe bomb.

    He turned to face me, and his eyes gleamed with madness.

    ¡°Makeshift? Please! This explosive was crafted with the finest materials available,¡± Ginz retorted.

    A small detachment of Guardsmen entered the backyard, interrupting the reunion. They had taken longer than I expected. For the next hour, their Healers took care of us while two Mages used water from the well to extinguish the burning tree. Explaining the six bodies wasn¡¯t as easy as I expected.

    To make things worse, a squad of royal soldiers appeared a few minutes later. Luckily, the sergeant was friends with Risha, so the situation went much smoother. We had to answer many questions, but the invaders'' matching uniforms were enough for the Guardsmen to believe our story. In the end, they seemed to accept the theory of a bunch of criminals wanting to raid the reserves of a high-level Alchemist.

    Almost an hour after the first Guardsmen appeared, Captain Kiln and Sir Janus arrived at the scene. At that point in the night, I had no energy left to entertain the new guests, so I quietly asked Captain Kiln to discreetly deal with the corpses. I didn¡¯t want people investigating gunshot wounds. After promising her a new game, the five of us returned to the kitchen.

    Ginz''s makeshift explosive was left in a trunk inside the old shed, sealed with a padlock. I considered disarming it, but Elincia was curious about the device. I didn''t have the energy to argue.

    Risha noisily rummaged through the kitchen drawers until he had a kettle whistling on the stove. For some reason, he didn¡¯t seem tired after the fight. Not even the bandages around his shoulder and back seemed to hinder him. In comparison, I felt like I had put my arm inside a yellowjacket nest, only to be trampled by a herd of bison immediately afterward.

    Elincia sat by my side and happily rested her chin on my shoulder. None of the group seemed to be particularly affected by the fact we had killed six people. I looked inside me. I expected to feel more disgusted, but I only found a wave of relief and the leftovers of the pleasant sensation of leveling up.

    I reminded myself that, despite the levels, this wasn¡¯t a game. This was the real world. It didn''t work, and I only felt more relieved. The orphanage was safe, and that was all that mattered. Sure, deep inside, I wished for things to be different, but the outcome wasn¡¯t within my control. The invaders decided to attack the orphanage. They started the hostilities, not me. I just responded to an external threat.

    Not feeling bad made me feel bad about myself, but I decided to deal with those feelings later.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see the pup here,¡± Risha said, pointing at Astrid with an empty cup. ¡°What have you been up to? I heard you abandoned the orphanage when I left for the army.¡±

    Astrid pouted. ¡°Screw you, Risha, I¡¯m level thirty-one now. Zealot. My class is better than yours, and I didn¡¯t go away because I wanted to. The System needed me in the capital.¡±

    Risha raised his hands, surrendering, and gave Astrid a reassuring smile. He was the old brother who loved messing around with the youngest, but he loved them nonetheless.

    ¡°Not a Brawler anymore. Your big bro is a Defender. Leven forty as of tonight,¡± Risha replied with a smug grin.

    It was no wonder he was so happy. Lv. 40 was a huge milestone in this world. Although level progression was significantly slowed, the gains with each subsequent level increased significantly. The difference between Lv.1 and Lv.20 was negligible compared to the difference between Lv.20 and Lv.40. Risha had entered the domain of the ¡®high levels¡¯.

    ¡°It took you an eight-year tour through the Farlands to reach level forty? Pathetic,¡± Elincia said with a mischievous smile, clinging to my side. ¡°I did it while taking care of a bunch of orphans. Check this out.¡±

    Name: Elincia Rosebud, Half-Elf (Light-Footed, Night Vision).

    Class: Alchemist Lv.40

    Titles: Governess, Wild Child, Bad Reputation, Better Half, Wild West Hero, Silver Alchemist, Favorite Teacher (5).

    Passive: Archery Lv.3, Tracking Lv.5, Farsight Lv.2, Foraging Lv.5, Shooting Lv.1.

    Skills: Potion Crafting, True Shot, Piercing Shot, Purify Water, Quick Aim.

    The wooden cup slipped through Risha¡¯s fingers and rolled to Ginz''s feet while Astrid threw daggers at Elincia with her eyes. It seemed Astrid hadn¡¯t let go of all her envy for Elincia. Not yet.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be level forty by the end of the year,¡± Ginz shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

    ¡°If Ginz gets to level forty, then I don¡¯t want to,¡± Astrid retorted.

    ¡°I was about to offer you help, you know?¡± Ginz raised an eyebrow. ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, I will have to focus on getting Elincia into level fifty. I¡¯m sketching a machine to process ingredients so an Alchemist can work directly with the essences. It¡¯s five times faster than normal brewing.¡±

    Astrid threw herself on the table, begging Ginz to help her instead.

    ¡°Ginz has changed. He can joke for once,¡± Risha pointed out in amazement.

    ¡°Blame Rob¡¯s obsession with picking up strays and domesticating them. Ginz is almost a man now. You should learn one or two things from him,¡± Elincia replied.

    ¡°Like trusting my friends instead of making plans on their backs?¡± Risha said as he poured the tea.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Elincia replied.

    I didn¡¯t need [Awareness] to know he was genuinely sorry.

    ¡°I¡¯m working with Captain Kiln and Captain Garibal to expose the culprits and make things right,¡± Risha said. ¡°I don¡¯t think we will ever get our money back, but justice is something.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I care about your money? I make more in a day than you make in a year,¡± Elincia replied.

    ¡°Well, Then I will not have to worry about working anymore,¡± Risha said with an affected voice as he politely served Elincia a cup of tea. ¡°Sugar, milady? Honey, perhaps? Or would you like a boar roast and a beer?¡±

    Elincia cracked.

    I was an only son, and I never knew why my father never had a child of his own with my mother, but I knew this was what a healthy sibling relationship looked like. Boastful, sassy, loving. I almost felt like a stranger¡ªa guest in a foreign household. I smiled, glad that Elincia could¡¯ve recovered this.

    ¡°So, Astrid,¡± Elincia said, and the room soon fell silent. ¡°You are a Zealot now. What is your Quest? If you don¡¯t mind telling.¡±

    We all looked at Astrid, waiting for her response. The System''s designs were a mystery for most of this world''s inhabitants¡ªnot for me, though. I smiled. It was nice to see Elincia wanting to get along with her.

    ¡°My Quest? Oh, nothing spectacular. I just have to marry Rob,¡± Astrid said, dead serious.

    Suddenly, even the fire from the stove seemed to hush.

    ¡°Shame,¡± Elincia replied, levering the shotgun open.

    Risha threw himself on the table, trying to stop Elincia. ¡°Astrid is joking! She¡¯s trying to get under your skin because she¡¯s jealous about your level!¡±

    Elincia laughed.

    As the atmosphere eased, the kitchen door opened slowly. We all froze. Then, Zaon peeked inside.

    ¡°Firana broke into my room, saying there were a lot of guards outside. She won¡¯t let me sleep unless I promise to find out what you were up to,¡± he yawned as he rubbed his eyes. ¡°She said Mister Clarke would be mad at her if she snuck outside again, so she sent me.¡±

    I sighed. Firana was in so much trouble.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Firana? Your girlfriend?¡± Astrid asked.

    ¡°N-no! She¡¯s a girl, and she is my friend, but she is not my¡­¡± Zaon replied, rubbing his eyes once more. ¡°Astrid? Risha? I need to tell Ilya.¡±

    Zaon bumped against the door and disappeared down the corridor.

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t changed a bit,¡± Astrid mentioned.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be surprised,¡± Elincia replied, winking at me.

 114 - That technique

    ¡°We need a bigger bed,¡± I said.

    Elincia nestled to my side. Her platinum hair cascaded over her pretty face, and her emerald eyes gleamed in the dim light of the cramped room like those of a cat. Like every morning, my heart skipped a beat, but I did my best to hide my astonishment. I knew Elincia would cling to it and tease me for the rest of the day.

    A thin sunbeam crept between the curtains. Hundreds of pages of runic research covered the desk. Alchemic ingredients floated inside glass flasks, piling in the room''s corners. Dirty clothes piled in a corner. Elincia was a cleaning maniac, and the mess was a living sign of how tight our schedules were.

    ¡°We need a bigger bed,¡± I repeated.

    Elincia chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m too clingy?¡±

    I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her closer. ¡°I mean it. I can barely move with you taking up all of the space.¡±

    She nudged me with her elbow beneath the blankets. ¡°Oh, admit it, you love to have me so close.¡±

    I kissed her forehead. ¡°I love the touch of your cold feet and how your hair gets in my mouth, don¡¯t get me wrong, but I need space for my arm.¡±

    Despite the healing skills and Elincia¡¯s curative salves, the burns on my arm stabbed like a thousand glass shards. The Healers from the Guard said it would heal, but it would take a while. That¡¯s what I got for overusing Energy Potions. A stack of Mana Toxicity was too dangerous, and the benefits of chugging Energy Potions were too few compared to a High-Grade Healing Potion at the right moment.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have Ginz look into crafting a bigger bed,¡± Elincia giggled as she kissed my cheek. ¡°I¡¯m still going to cling.¡±

    ¡°I can live with that,¡± I replied, stretching my back.

    I wouldn¡¯t change my life for anything else. Despite the previous night''s fight, I felt energized. I suspected the System blessed me with a hidden Status every time I woke up to Elincia by my side, but nothing in my Character Sheet suggested that.

    ¡°So, you are level forty now,¡± I said. I eventually had to get up, but for now, I wanted to remain in bed, hugging Elincia and pretending this was a lazy Saturday back on Earth.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal. Alchemist¡¯s stat growths aren¡¯t very impressive, but at least my mana reserves improved,¡± Elincia said, playing with my hair. ¡°The problem is my titles. I have done very little research with all the work around the orphanage. By level forty, I should have at least one Unique Recipe under my name.¡±

    ¡°With all the extra hands, I think you¡¯ll have enough time now,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it will be the opposite,¡± Elincia whispered, searching for my lips.

    Before we could kiss, someone frantically knocked on the door.

    ¡°Miss Elincia! There are weird people in the orphanage!¡± Shu yelled from the corridor.

    The door slammed open, and Shu appeared in the doorway, wearing a cooking pot as a helmet. We had told the kids the night¡¯s commotion was caused by a small group of grave robbers. They believed the story and continued sleeping as if nothing had happened. It was good to know that, at least, they felt safe in the orphanage.

    Shu ran inside as fast as her talons allowed her. When she had crossed half the room, she used her wings to rise into the air and dove into the bed, softly landing between us. There, she clung to Elincia with her arms and legs.

    Elincia stroked her hair.

    ¡°There is a big green one and a scary wolf one. She has fangs and claws, and I think she might want to eat someone,¡± Shu said with an alarmed expression.

    Elincia laughed.

    ¡°Those are Risha and Astrid,¡± she explained, cradling Shu against her chest. Shu extended her wings, making herself comfortable. They were warm. ¡°Risha and Astrid are my friends, like you with Nokti, Virdian, and Ash. They used to live in the orphanage way before you arrived.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t have parents?¡± Shu asked, appalled.

    Elincia nodded.

    ¡°Well then, I guess they can stay at the orphanage. I better go tell them they are welcome before they decide to leave,¡± Shu said, climbing down the bed and walking to the door.

    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea,¡± Elincia said.

    Shu closed the door behind her a moment later, and Elicia and I were alone again.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem very thrilled about Risha and Astrid staying here,¡± I said.

    ¡°Give me a break,¡± Elincia replied, hiding her face in the curve of my neck.

    We lay there in comfortable silence, the only sound being the distant chatter of the kids in the kitchen. Danger upon the orphanage, but for a moment, the little joy of lazing together was all that mattered. If anything, we deserved it.

    The scenes of last night passed quickly before my eyes, yet I didn¡¯t feel a sliver of remorse¡ªI wasn¡¯t even angry. When the thieves cornered me in the alley a few months ago, and Sir Janus killed them, I felt regret and anger. Regret because two people had died. Anger because they had forced me to resort to violence. Now, I felt none. On a rational level, I wished things were different, but on an emotional level, I felt completely detached from the situation. A part of me even felt proud because I was able to protect the orphanage.

    I used a lock of Elincia¡¯s hair to tickle her nose. She grunted and shook her head.

    ¡°How are you feeling,¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not ready to fully forgive Risha and Astrid, but I guess they can stay. It¡¯s what Mister Lowell would¡¯ve wanted. I just need time,¡± Elincia replied.

    ¡°I meant about last night,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Oh, that,¡± Elincia shrugged. ¡°Zealots are known to be strong and unpredictable foes, and Defenders are a strong advanced class. Your combat power is comparable to a level 40, and the shotgun allows me to one-shot any mid-level regardless of their class, as long as I have the element of surprise. I¡¯d say no criminal group in Farcrest can safely attack us now.¡±

    Elincia had a completely different set of worries, but she was right. Most of the city''s inhabitants were between level one and twenty-five. Veteran Guardsmen and Sentinels reached around level thirty-five, but that was the peak for most people. To keep progressing, one had to face the dangers of the Farlands. Those who surpassed level forty were the ones who fought against Monster Surges and survived to tell the story.

    With our current combat power, only a few foes could touch us.

    ¡°How about you? How are you feeling?¡± Elincia interrupted my train of thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling annoying,¡± I replied, nibbling on Elincia¡¯s ear in the most bothersome way.

    I still cared about Elincia and the kids¡¯ well-being. I cared about Risha, Astrid, Ginz, Nasiah, and Captain Kiln, and I even cared for the regular citizens of Farcrest, although in a more diffused and distant way. I wasn¡¯t turning into a cold-blooded murderer any time soon, not even in exchange for all the levels.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to prepare your team for the tournament?¡± Elincia said.

    Alarms went off in my brain. We had four days until the tournament. It wasn¡¯t long enough to take the girls to the Farlands to level up, and it was barely enough time to teach them anything else. I went over my mental list, trying to come up with a new plan and cursing my bad luck and whoever wanted to sabotage the orphanage.

    I kicked the blankets and jumped to my feet. Elincia hissed, trying to remain covered. Winter was coming to an end, but the days were still cold and windy. I wondered if there would be any snow before spring. I put on my training clothes and winter boots using my mana as a third hand. A moment later, I was ready to roll.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it!¡± Elincia said as I left the room.

    ¡°I won¡¯t if you promise to get along with your friends!¡±

    Elincia pouted. ¡°They aren¡¯t my friends!¡±

    I blew her a kiss and jogged down the hallway, out of the sleeping quarters, into the corridor, and into the kitchen. I rubbed my hands together to drive away the morning''s cold. Inside, Ginz and Risha were sitting near the stove while the little kids fluttered around. Shu and the snake twins were excited about Risha¡¯s presence, and even the youngest ones seemed to accept him. It wasn¡¯t a surprise. Risha was the kind of person who fell on his feet wherever he went.

    As soon as I entered the room, Risha and Ginz raised their heads and greeted me.

    ¡°You should have woke me up,¡± I said.

    ¡°I prepare breakfast for a whole platoon. I¡¯m used to this. How is your arm doing?¡± Risha replied with a worried expression, moving to the side to open up space on the bench.¡±

    ¡°Healing skills helped,¡± I replied, grabbing a bowl of gruel, and adding raisins, nuts, and honey. ¡°What about you? How is it to be back home?¡±

    Risha sighed. ¡°Ash doesn¡¯t like me; he has made it clear, but I don¡¯t understand why. The other kids are okay with me. Nokti and Virdian already invited me to work on the farm.¡±

    I cast an accusatory glance toward the snake twins. They totally wanted Risha¡¯s muscle to boost their potato production. The kids seemed to notice because they scurried out of the kitchen, giggling.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Ash isn¡¯t very fond of me either,¡± I said, burying my spoon in the gruel.

    ¡°Teeth are for chewing. I thought a Scholar would know.¡± Risha said, prompting a laugh from the youngest orphans.

    ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry. Places to be. People to talk to,¡± I replied, shoveling another spoonful of gruel into my mouth. It wasn¡¯t bad, but Elincia¡¯s gruel was better. ¡°By the way, do you have any useful skills other than your class?¡±

    Risha blinked repeatedly. My question was a bit out of place in a world where Class was everything. However, he quickly recovered.

    ¡°I guess I know my camping stuff. I have lived in the Farlands for the last seven or eight years. I know how to camp safely almost everywhere in any season: summer, winter, forest, mountain, dry, humid,¡± Risha replied. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Good. First thing in the morning, you¡¯ll teach camping to Elincia¡¯s class. Then, in the afternoons, you¡¯ll help my class spar,¡± I said, scraping my bowl for one last spoonful of gruel and putting it on the pile of dirty dishes. ¡°Welcome back to the orphanage.¡±

    I swallowed and walked to the door.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Risha stopped me, putting his hand on my shoulder. ¡°I can help the older kids spar, but I¡¯m not a teacher. I don¡¯t know anything about your scholarly things.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but notice that Elincia was at least twice as rough as Risha.

    Ginz snorted. ¡°You¡¯ll do fine, Risha. I¡¯ll teach you everything there is to know about teaching kids.¡±

    Risha raised an eyebrow. It seemed that the present Ginz clashed with Risha¡¯s mental image of the past Ginz. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Ginz had changed a lot since arriving at the orphanage; it wasn¡¯t merely his level, fame, or his skills as a Craftsman. He used to be a meek and fearful man, but now he was a dependable friend.

    I just had to make sure he didn¡¯t experiment with explosives inside the orphanage.

    ¡°Teaching the specifics can be boring, but if you tell them everything is part of a bigger project, they will actually listen to you,¡± Ginz explained. ¡°Tell them you¡¯ll be camping with them in the groove when spring starts. They will love it.¡±

    Risha opened his mouth to reply but couldn¡¯t find the words. Ginz¡¯s idea was actually very smart. He continued explaining the minutiae of Elincia¡¯s class to Risha, so I seized the opportunity to leave the kitchen and exit the manor.

    My class was already in the backyard.

    Zaon and Wolf sat in the big stump while Firana and Ilya sparred against Astrid simultaneously. Ilya cast [Entangling Vines], and a root emerged from the ground, shooting at Astrid¡¯s ankle. However, Astrid dodged without breaking a sweat. Her combination of innate agility and boosting skills put her in a completely different speed tier. Firana didn¡¯t give up and used Ilya¡¯s vine in conjunction with her [Windrider] skill to boost herself forward, rapier first. Astrid kicked the blade aside and jumped out of Ilya¡¯s range.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± I greeted, interrupting the fight.

    The girls disengaged and rushed to greet me. The older kids already knew the truth about last night¡¯s events. Zaon had run to get Ilya, which alerted Firana that something was happening in the kitchen. She awakened Wolf so she wouldn¡¯t be the only one scolded for being up late. Ultimately, the four ended up in the kitchen.

    ¡°How¡¯s your arm doing, Rob?¡± Firana asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s Mister Clarke,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Come on, I¡¯m an adult now. I should be allowed to call you by your name,¡± Firana complained.

    ¡°You are still my student, Miss Aias,¡± I shot her down, to Ilya¡¯s delight. ¡°My arm is doing well, by the way. Just a bit sore.¡±

    During the night, I discovered an extra functionality for [Awareness]. The skill doesn''t only enhance my senses but could also redirect them to a certain extent. It was a blessing considering that the pain grew as the hours passed and the healing magic dissipated, and it was better than Astrid barging into the room every half hour to refresh the healing spell.

    Astrid came forward with a worried expression.

    ¡°Should I check it?¡± She said, and before I could answer, she grabbed my arm and washed it with the green light of her healing skill. After a couple of seconds, when the wound became saturated with magic, she let me go.

    I thanked her and looked at my students.

    ¡°The tournament starts in four days,¡± I said, examining their reactions. Every teacher knew that faces usually told more than words.

    Ilya remained calm, Firana buzzed with excitement, and Wolf seemed happy, although it was hard to tell, considering his natural stoicism. Zaon, however, seemed a bit more concerned than usual.

    ¡°Are we discussing strategy?¡± Firana asked.

    ¡°No. I just wanted to let you know I¡¯m very proud of you all,¡± I said, my words seeming to catch them by surprise. ¡°Regardless of the tournament outcome, I¡¯m very happy with your progress. From the beginning, I knew you had a lot to show, and you have far surpassed my expectations. As a teacher, it¡¯s been a privilege and a pleasure to work with you.¡±

    The four of them remained silent until Firana opened her mouth.

    ¡°That means we are your favorite students ever?¡± She asked.

    ¡°No. You are too sassy,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Oh, come on! You are lying!¡± Firana said.

    ¡°He¡¯s lying,¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°Mister Clarke wouldn¡¯t have favorites,¡± Zaon pointed out.

    ¡°Are you messing with me, Twig?¡± Firana said, putting her arm around Zaon¡¯t neck.

    ¡°Enough!¡± I said, holding back my laughter. I clapped my hands to catch the kid¡¯s attention. ¡°We have little time to refine the last details. Today, we will split the class. The girls will spar with Astrid, and the boys will come with me. Understood?¡±

    Astrid and the kids nodded.

    ¡°We don¡¯t need classless scrubs here. Go away!¡± Firana said, showing Zaon and Wolf her tongue.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry later when your fart powers fail,¡± Wolf calmly replied.

    A vein popped on Firana¡¯s forehead. I sighed. Wolf knew perfectly well how to annoy her, but Firana wasn¡¯t cool-headed enough to notice. I might have to retract my statement about the kid¡¯s progress.

    Before a fight could start, I brought the boys to the groove.

    ¡°Mister Clarke?¡± Zaon asked when we were outside eavesdropping range.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I replied, putting my sword on an old fallen tree and adjusting my padded jacket. There was no sign a battle had been fought the night before other than the burned foliage of a handful of trees.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be Classless during the first part of the tournament¡­ and I¡¯m not as strong as Wolf or skillful as Firana,¡± Zaon started. ¡°I don¡¯t want to make the team lose.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware you will be Classless for another week. But you have a tool none of your teammates have,¡± I calmly replied. ¡°You are an Elf, Zaon. Look at your Character Sheet.¡±

    Zaon focused his eyes on an invisible point before him.

    ¡°Night Vision? Are we fighting at night?¡± Zaon asked.

    ¡°Miss Elincia told me you inherited all three elven traits. Night Vision, Light-Footed, and Keen Senses, Zaon,¡± I replied with a mischievous smile. ¡°I brought you two here to teach you a secret technique that will allow you to win every match.¡±

 115 - Runeweaving

    I woke up before dawn. The world was quiet¡ªno birds were chirping, no carts rattling outside the manor, and no orphans running around. However, I couldn¡¯t sleep. Not even Elincia''s warm presence by my side and the allure of the heavy blankets were enough to keep my mind at ease.

    I slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Elincia¡¯s sleep, and slowly walked to the desk, avoiding the floor¡¯s loose boards. [Light Footed] made it easy. I sat down, grabbed a piece of paper, and wrote Wolf¡¯s Birthday Present. A little further down, System Avatar¡¯s Message. Then, New Skills.

    The warning from the System Avatar hung over my head like a sword. I wondered if there was a correlation between the System giving me new Runeweaver Skills and the fact we were ¡®behind schedule¡¯. I crossed ¡®System Avatar¡¯ out. Unless he figured out how to contact me, my hands were tied. For all I knew, Corruption might be shrouding the world in darkness as I wrote, yet my most pressing concern was securing Wolf''s birthday gift.

    I wondered if Opoki, the merchant of enchanted items, was still in town. His catalog, however, wasn¡¯t the most useful. Unless Wolf was a secret fan of floppy cutlery, Opoki had nothing left of interest.

    Wolf always has been the orphan who needed me the least. I had gained his respect and trust over the months, but he was different from the rest of the orphans. The manor was only a temporary residence, a place of passage for him. His real family awaited him in the tribes, and Wolf was already strong enough to survive the Farlands. As much as it saddened me, Wolf would be abandoning us shortly.

    A good present would be something he could take back to his home.

    I wondered if a hunting knife would do the trick. Wolf was pragmatic, but a more meaningful present would be better. Even if he could visit occasionally, I would like him to have a memento of his days at the orphanage. A reminder of the people he met and the friends he made.

    ¡°Rob?¡± Elincia grumbled, sitting on the bed and rubbing her eyes.

    ¡°Good morning, sleepyhead,¡± I replied.

    Elincia¡¯s eyes gleamed in the darkness of the room.

    ¡°It''s not morning yet¡­ the tournament!¡± she said, suddenly alert.

    ¡°That¡¯s tomorrow. I¡¯m just trying to come up with ideas for a birthday present for Wolf.¡±

    Elincia yawned and laid down again with the blanket up her chin. ¡°What about a bag of light stones? I¡¯m sure orcs would benefit from illuminated interiors.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a present for Wolf, not the tribes. Light stones¡ª¡± I replied, but I stopped mid-sentence.

    Stones. The word triggered a memory I haven¡¯t paid much attention to. During our trip to the Farlands, the orcs had saved me from the Lich¡¯s undead minions. To avoid engaging with the creatures up close, they used slings. A shiver of excitement ran down my spine. The tennis ball-sized stones had shredded through the flesh and bone of the undead like the discharge of a minigun.

    I jumped to my feet and grabbed my journal from the nightstand.

    ¡°I assume we are not having a make-out session this morning?¡± Elincia raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I will make it up to you, I swear,¡± I said, leaning on the bed and kissing her forehead.

    A sling would be the perfect present for Wolf. It would help keep him safe and be a nice keepsake of the orphanage. I rubbed my hands together, thinking of something better than a sling. An enchanted sling.

    I exited the bedroom and went down the deserted corridor toward Ginz¡¯s door. I knocked, and a moment later, the craftsman appeared in the doorway, his yellow nightcap tilted to the side and his eyes barely open. He yawned and greeted me with a movement of the head.

    Respecting sleeping schedules wasn¡¯t part of our friendship.

    ¡°Do you know how to make a sling?¡± I shot at point-blank range.

    ¡°You bet I do. It¡¯s one of the first recipes Craftsmen learn. Ask Elincia how many windows we smashed trying to hunt birds,¡± Ginz replied, rubbing his eyes.

    We exchanged a knowing grin.

    ¡°I want to craft a sling for Wolf¡¯s birthday. It has to be sturdy yet stylish, maybe with decorative branding on the stone pouch and nice needlework,¡± I explained. ¡°Wolf might grow as much as Risha, so it has to be long enough for his arm. Also, it has to be silent. The sling acts like a whip when released, and we don¡¯t want it to scare Wolf¡¯s game.¡±

    Ginz grabbed a small piece of paper and a charcoal pencil from his desk and wrote down the requirements.

    ¡°What enchantment do you have in mind?¡± Ginz asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m leaning towards a wind enchantment, but I have to figure things out,¡± I replied, lost in thought. If I could decode the runes on Firana¡¯s cape, I might develop a boosting enchanting for the sling.

    Then it hit me. I hadn¡¯t mentioned enchantments to Ginz yet. He seemed to notice my expression because he raised an eyebrow mockingly.

    ¡°Dude, if you don¡¯t want people to know you can enchant stuff, don¡¯t go around leaving a multicolor trail of enchanted light pebbles,¡± Ginz scolded me like a teacher would with a rebellious student. ¡°I have stolen like twenty of them, including the ones I used to craft Elincia¡¯s earrings for the party.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± I muttered.

    I juggled so many things that I hadn¡¯t noticed the missing pebbles.

    Ginz put his hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother, I won''t say anything as long as you keep providing me with blueprints and crazy ideas,¡± he said with a wide grin. ¡°I¡¯m well on the way to reaching level forty. Maybe in a couple of years, I will turn into a Tinkerer or some crazy Prestige Class. You know the saying: don¡¯t slay your swiftest skeeth for a sour steak.¡±

    ¡°Noted. You won¡¯t betray me as long as I¡¯m useful,¡± I sighed.

    ¡°People become friends for many reasons,¡± Ginz replied as he gathered clean clothes from the drawer. Then, he waved his hands and expelled me from the room. ¡°I¡¯ll have the sling ready before lunch, Boss.¡±

    I returned to my bedroom before anybody could appear. Risha was as much of a chatterbox as Shu, and Astrid had developed a weird, servile attitude toward me. It wasn¡¯t surprising, considering she had spent the first half of her life trying to please Mister Lowell and the second part obeying the System.

    As I closed the door behind me, I heard water splashing. Elincia was bathing behind the wooden screen, and the room smelled like flowers. She hummed a happy tune.

    ¡°You know what is funny? You never try to peek while I¡¯m changing or bathing,¡± Elincia greeted me.

    ¡°If you wanted me to peek, you wouldn¡¯t use the screen,¡± I replied, sitting at the desk and organizing my notes.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m using the screen to tease you,¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°And maybe I¡¯m aware you are trying to tease me, so I¡¯m teasing you by ignoring your teasing,¡± I replied. It wasn¡¯t like Elincia¡¯s nightgown left much to the imagination. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t want to spoil that mystery bath pic you like to flaunt so much,¡± I laughed.

    I suspected Elincia used the screen because she was embarrassed.

    ¡°You are insufferable, you know that, right?¡± Elincia splashed on the other side of the screen.

    I let out a tired laugh.

    Twelve orphans with little sense of privacy and an overloaded schedule were more than enough to keep us busy day and night, but at least the worst part had passed. We had secured a good income source, saved the orphanage from famine, and gathered enough allies to protect us from direct attacks.

    I wondered what had happened with Lyra Jorn. After watching my illusions at the feast, she seemed eager to start her internship at the orphanage. However, she hadn¡¯t shown up yet. I made a mental note to have Corin send Lyra a message, and I focused back on Wolf¡¯s birthday present.

    Runeweaver¡¯s Encyclopedia: The worst pen is better than the best memory. [Identify] Runeweaver¡¯s Encyclopedia is a detailed compendium of the Runeweaver successfully identified runes. Further information will appear as the Runeweaver discovers new uses for known runes. The Encyclopedia is only visible to the Runeweaver but can be wholly or partially shared with other Runeweavers.

    I didn¡¯t know if the System suddenly decided to support me more or if [Consulting Detective] had actually improved [Identify] ''s explanations. Still, that paragraph was more than I had been getting for the past half-year.

    The explanation also gave clues about runeweaving. The ¡°further information will appear as the Runeweaver discovers new uses for known runes¡± part led me to believe linear interaction wasn¡¯t the only way of enchanting. I just hoped things wouldn¡¯t get too crazy when adding more than two runes to the same enchantment.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Rune Debugger: No more unwanted explosions in the workplace! [Identify] Rune Debugger provides the Runeweaver with a testing interface to experiment and assess potential enchantments without engraving runes into an object. It provides a sufficiently realistic prediction of the enchantment the Runeweaver desires to perform, although the accuracy of the prediction greatly depends on the contents of the Runeweaver¡¯s Encyclopedia.

    I grinned. I had been dying to put [Rune Debugger] to the test, but with the tournament around the corner, I haven¡¯t found an excuse to sit down to draw runes. My only complaint was that System Avatar did not give me these skills from the very beginning.

    I opened the Runeweaver¡¯s Encyclopedia, and a thick old book appeared. Unlike my illusions, I could touch the Encyclopedia. The cover was made of dark leather adorned with delicate blue crystal inlays all over the surface. None of my detection skills worked on it. [Identify] showed the book''s name, while my mana vision only caught a blur of energy.

    The Encyclopedia had six entries: fire, light, gradual, instantaneous, absorption, and recharge. I instantly noticed that the order wasn¡¯t random. The first two were elemental runes that determined the enchantment''s effect. The following two were control runes that determined how the effect would occur. The last two were source runes that determined the enchanted object''s mana source.

    I felt dumb for not realizing it before.

    Even with a small sample, I had a general idea about how enchantments worked. Each runic circuit had at least three parts: the effect, the trigger, and the energy source. I suspected a fourth group of runes, one used to modify the effect or the trigger, existed.

    I rummaged through my notes until I found the page with the runes from Firana¡¯s enchanted cape. There were seven of them, but two matched the ones in the Encyclopedia: Absorption and Instantaneous. Being flash-grenaded by Loki had paid off. With those two runes out of the way, there were only five unknown runes.

    I examined the circuit. The ¡®effect rune¡¯ had to be Wind, and the ¡®power rune¡¯ was Absorption, which left five runes to encode the ¡®trigger¡¯. I knew the central ¡®trigger rune¡¯ was Instantaneous, so the other four had to work as modifications to create the effect of control. I closed my eyes and envisioned the cape around Firana¡¯s shoulders the day I bought it. The cape seemed to respond to Firana¡¯s movements while ignoring the passersby.

    Unlike Opoki¡¯s enchanted shoelaces, which came to life with anyone¡¯s command, the enchanted cape recognized its user. I smiled. This was getting good.

    Each time Firana struck a pose, the cape followed her movement, which meant it also recognized her movement and its direction. I scratched my incipient beard, deep in thought. Fire, Light, Recharge, and Absorption were straightforward runes. However, there was a massive jump in complexity between producing light or fire and recognizing the user''s precise movements among a crowd of people. The cape also seemed to recognize the user¡¯s movements as the trigger to activate the Instantaneous-Wind effect.

    What were runes in reality?

    In hindsight, I had been disingenuous. The cape''s effect seemed too complex to be reduced to seven runes. I wondered if the System Avatar was hiding something from me. I knew very little about the runes'' true nature, but those questions would have to wait until the end of the tournament.

    I focused back on my notes. There were thousands of ways of sorting seven runes, but it was safe to assume only one result on the enchanted cape. If that was the case, it was also safe to assume there were rules about the order of the runes. I examined the light stone in the corner of the table. Light-Gradual-Recharge. My heart raced. The runes in the warm blanket followed a similar order. Fire-Gradual-Absorption.

    Effect, trigger, power source.

    Eureka.

    Elincia emerged from behind the wooden screen, dressed in her usual beige Renaissance-esque dress, and put a hand over my shoulder. I couldn¡¯t help but move my eyes toward her. She was as beautiful as ever.

    ¡°It¡¯s Wolf¡¯s birthday today. Don¡¯t get too entranced in that,¡± she said, kissing the top of my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to enchant something for him,¡± I replied. I couldn¡¯t hide the excitement in my voice. ¡°Firana has her fluttering cape, and Ilya her Cooldown Bow. It seems fair he also gets an enchanted item.¡±

    Elincia smiled and messed up my hair.

    ¡°Why are you so adorable?¡± She whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare breakfast then. I¡¯ll pass the word you are not to be disturbed,¡± she added, kissing me again before skipping to the doorway.

    I was left stunned. I hadn¡¯t been called adorable by anyone other than my grandma since I was thirteen. I didn¡¯t expect to get a compliment out of nowhere.

    Wolf might not be the orphan who required more monitoring, but that didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t constantly looking out for him. Unlike Ilya, who had a massive issue with her identity, or Firana, who had a problematic family, Wolf¡¯s troubles were more subtle. He used to feel like a foreigner at the orphanage; he missed home, but that was a thing of the past.

    I sighed. Even if the orphanage was a home for him, Wolf was to return to his home among the orcs. I couldn¡¯t decide for him and didn''t want to put my thumb on the scale either. Wolf had to determine his future path for himself. That was the only reason I hadn¡¯t pushed him to get a class, even if I needed to contact the System Avatar.

    I wouldn¡¯t turn the orphans into tools like Holst or the Marquis.

    The only thing I could do for Wolf now was support his decision.

    I focused back on my notes. Even if I wasn¡¯t physically there for him, the enchanted sling might help Wolf. I needed to figure out how the runes worked.

    The light stones and the warm blanket had the same rune order: effect, trigger, and energy source. If my suppositions were correct, Wind was the first rune in Firana¡¯s fluttering cape, and absorption was the last, so I assumed I was well on track. I smiled. That dramatically reduced the number of possible combinations from a few thousand to a bit more than a hundred.

    This was where [Rune Debugger] came to play. Enchanting hundreds of runes would drain my mana pool before I could even reach ten percent of the total combinations. And that was without considering the danger of creating an unstable combination.

    I took a deep breath and used the skill. A blue, translucent box appeared before me¡ªthe same color as the System prompts but tridimensional. There were no markings. At first glance, it looked like a simple illusion, like the ones I made with raw mana before I got the [Minor Illusion] skill.

    I made a mental note to remember that, per [Identify]¡¯s description, [Rune Debugger] wasn¡¯t completely reliable.

    I closed my eyes and carved the runes of a light stone inside the blue box¡ªlight, gradual, and recharge. The box flickered and turned green. I smiled. After a moment, the runes inside the box disappeared.

    ¡°What about using Gradual only,¡± I muttered.

    I carved the sole rune. Gradual alone shouldn¡¯t be a successful enchantment because it lacked an effect rune. Just as I expected, the box turned yellow.

    ¡°Green for successful enchantment and yellow for unsuccessful. Gotcha,¡± I said.

    I looked at the scar on the palm of my left hand. During the fight against the Assassin and the Flame Mage, I had overwritten the runes of the light stone, resulting in its violent shattering. That was a good reason to avoid blindly testing runes. If enchanting could produce something as powerful as the Aias Sword, an accident with runes could be equally dangerous.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what happens if I mess with the runes,¡± I muttered.

    I wrote the runes of a light stone and then overwrote the Instantaneous rune over the Gradual rune. A moment passed, and the box turned a bright red.

    ¡°Just like the traffic lights, perfect,¡± I grinned, silently thanking the System Avatar. Even if we were ¡®behind schedule¡¯, [Rune Encyclopedia] and [Rune Debugger] would significantly speed up the process of learning runes.

    An idea started crystallizing in my brain: considering the characteristics of Firana''s cape, a wind-powered sling that boosted the projectile speed seemed possible. Sure, a fireball-throwing sling was way cooler, but I didn¡¯t want Wolf setting the entire Farlands on fire, and I didn''t know how to make the sling enchant a projectile.

    Could an enchantment enchant other objects? Probably not. Enchanting seemed to be reserved for Enchanters and Runeweavers.

    I got back to work. My idea was simple: match the unknown ¡®trigger runes¡¯ with Wind, Instantaneous, and Recharge to see how the enchantment works. I summoned [Rune Debugger] and wrote down the runes. The box turned green.

    I grinned and imprinted the runes on a small pebble, trying to use as little mana as possible. The enchantment was successful, just as predicted in the Rune Debugger. Then, I poured a bit of mana into the Wind Stone, and suddenly, air started gently flowing from the rock¡¯s surface. I branded the pebble a ¡®control pebble¡¯ and put it aside.

    New rune learned!

    A new entry has appeared in the Rune Encyclopedia: Wind.

    Total number of entries: 7.

    I smiled, pleased with the big, stylized seven floating before my eyes. Now that I had a benchmark against which to compare my new attempts, I summoned the Rune Debugger area and added the first unknown rune to the Wind-Instantaneous-Recharge circuit between Instantaneous and Recharge.

    The box turned yellow. I checked my notes, wondering if the order of runes mattered. I wrote the rune in second position this time, between Wind and Instantaneous. The box turned green. Strange but not unexpected. It may be safe to assume the unknown rune worked as an activation condition, so it had to be written before Instantaneous.

    As [Rune Debugger] said it was safe, I grabbed a second pebble. Maybe the System was messing with my neuroreceptors, but the idea of getting more runes had me on the edge of my seat. I carved the new four-rune circuit into a pebble. Four runes required much more mana than a three-rune enchantment.

    I ignored the cold shiver of my mana leaving my body and activated it. The wind blew from the stone''s surface, and that was it¡ªno notable change. I tried again, but both enchantments were the same for all practical purposes.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± I muttered as I reviewed my notes.

    The cape recognizes its user.

    The cape recognizes movement.

    The cape recognizes direction.

    The cape recognizes the user¡¯s intent to activate the effect.

    For the cape to flutter, the user''s movement and the direction of the enchantment¡¯s spell seemed to work together. Under that assumption, Movement and Direction runes were dead code without the other. It would be impossible to know if the new rune was one of those.

    I wondered how to test if the new rune served to recognize the pebble¡¯s user. The solution was simple: I needed a helper.

    I jumped to my feet and approached the door with the wind pebble in my hand. As soon as I crossed the doorway, I almost had a heart attack. Next to the door, a fully equipped Zealot stood perfectly still. The eerie presence startled me.

    ¡°Good morning, Robert Clarke,¡± Astrid greeted me. Her androgynous voice came muffled under the golden mask.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± I asked as I tried to calm down my heart rate.

    ¡°I¡¯m performing my quest. I¡¯m making sure Robert Clarke stays safe,¡± Astrid replied with her best anonymous Zealot voice.

    I sighed.

    ¡°Is it necessary to wear your Zealot uniform, though?¡±

    Her stern persona cracked as one of her ears flicked.

    ¡°Maybe?¡±

    I rubbed my temples, wondering how I was going to get a religious fanatic to adapt to civilian life. Out of all my problems, this would wait a while before I could address it. At least Astrid knew about my hidden class. She was the perfect helper.

    I looked around. We were alone in the corridor.

    ¡°Astrid, listen. This is an enchanted stone. It uses mana to produce a small wind current. Try to feed it mana while it''s in my hand,¡± I said, raising the pebble to eye level.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Astrid raised her hand with the palm forward. Mana flew through her body, but the stone rejected it. She pushed a bit more, but the result was the same. The pebble remained undisturbed.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± I smiled.

    The experiment was a success. The pebble recognized me as its user.

 116 - The code works but I dont know why it works better not touch it

    The size of my mana pool used to be a point of pride until I had to spend an hour tinkering with four rune enchantments. Then, I realized how shallow it was. Four rune enchantments required twice as much mana as three rune enchantments, and after a few tries, I was sweating cold. I couldn¡¯t even imagine how much mana the creator of Firana¡¯s fluttering cape had to pour into the enchantment to make seven runes work.

    I reexamined my notes.

    The cape creates a small wind current.

    The cape recognizes its user.

    The cape recognizes movement.

    The cape recognizes direction.

    The cape recognizes the user¡¯s intent to activate the effect.

    Finding the Wind and User runes wasn¡¯t particularly difficult. As soon as Astrid failed to activate the wind pebble in my hand, the entries were added to the Rune Encyclopedia, which piqued my interest. To learn a new rune, I had to engrave it successfully and know its particular function inside the circuit. The Encyclopedia would not index any rune I randomly added to the mix.

    I sighed. The remaining three runes played hard to get.

    I considered the best way to decode the remaining tunes. I could always ask Loki to assist me. The Rune Debugger would help me outline the enchantments, and Loki would help me test them without spending massive quantities of mana. Convincing Loki wouldn¡¯t be easy. He preferred to doze off near the stove and play with the kids. Elincia and Ginz ignored if the long sleeping schedule was normal Changeling behavior.

    I left the desk and sat on the bed with my legs crossed. I focused on my mana pool. The next time I opened my eyes, I was in the circular room with walls covered in runes. Most of the runes were still unknown, but I noticed the User rune repeated every few lines. I decided to ignore the implications and focus on the bottom of my mana pool, where the walls were still shattered by Corruption.

    The fight against the group of assassins didn¡¯t do any favors for the patch of black Corruption on my chest. Still, it was a small fraction of the initial wound. It would disappear eventually, as long as I were a good enough teacher to get more [Favorite Teacher] stacks.

    I focused on the Fountain, grabbing small strands of golden mana and adding them to my mana pool. Suddenly, the walls of my mana pool came to life, and the Fountain mana slowly turned blue as I assimilated it into my reserves. The patch of Corruption blocking a bigger patch of the runes slowed the process.

    I only recharged a fraction of my mana pool before someone opened the bedroom door.

    ¡°Mister Clarke, blonde Firana wants to talk with you!¡± Nokti said with a big smile on her snake-like face.

    ¡°Blonde Firana?¡± I asked, just to realize who the snake girl was referring to. ¡°Oh. Corin. Thanks, Nokti. I¡¯ll be there in a second.¡±

    The snake girl waited for me in the doorway and offered me her hand. I gladly accepted it, and we walked down the corridor to the kitchen. Looking through the windows, I saw my class sparring under the gray sky. I had to stop to take a second look. Was Risha blocking their swords with his bare hands?

    I sighed. So much for the safety measures I had been engraving in the kids¡¯ heads.

    ¡°What do you think of Risha?¡± I asked Nokti now that we were alone. It hadn¡¯t passed a week, but Risha and Astrid seemed to fit well into the manor¡¯s life¡ªat least with the orphans. Elincia didn¡¯t seem entirely on board with having them around. Some wounds took time to heal completely.

    The snake girl thought for a moment before answering.

    ¡°Risha is like Wolf but funnier, and his breakfast is good. I wonder if he likes potatoes,¡± Nokti happily replied.

    ¡°Yeah, I wonder,¡± I replied. The seven-year-old me would¡¯ve pissed his pants at the sight of Risha, but the kids seemed accustomed to half-orcs. ¡°It would be strange if he didn¡¯t like potatoes, right?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Nokti nodded as we reached the kitchen. ¡°I have to go back to play. Bye.¡±

    I opened the door to find Elincia arguing with Astrid about the preserved fruits on Wolf¡¯s birthday cake. I decided to ignore them. As much as they didn¡¯t like each other, they had to find peace for themselves. In the corner of the table, Corin swiftly ate a bowl of gruel.

    ¡°You know you can chew, right?¡± I greeted her.

    Corin jumped to her feet and swallowed without chewing.

    ¡°I have a message from Prince Adrien. It¡¯s about the tournament,¡± she said. ¡°I was told to inform you about a small change in the duel format. Prince Adrien decided to drop the point system and adopt the old imperial duel system to improve spectator attendance. That¡¯s all.¡±

    I blinked, confused.

    ¡°What is the old imperial duel system?¡± I asked, not sure if I would like the answer. Usually, there was an inverse correlation between the participants'' safety and the audience''s enjoyment.

    Elincia stopped scolding Astrid and joined the conversation.

    ¡°The point system requires a referee, while the old imperial duel requires a Fortifier to set a certain amount of barriers around the participants,¡± she explained, biting her nails. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the change would disfavor the teams that can¡¯t afford a Fortifier and haven¡¯t trained under this ruleset.¡±

    ¡°Like us,¡± I pointed out. Only Ilya had fought with the Fortifier¡¯s barrier around his body, which had happened once.

    Elincia gave me a nervous look.

    A smile crept onto my face. The secret technique I had taught Wolf and Zaon would be especially effective with the Fortifier barrier as a point system, but that wasn¡¯t the main issue. I couldn¡¯t help but smell foul play. As Elincia had pointed out, such a change in the rules would favor the richer families to the detriment of those who couldn¡¯t afford a Fortifier.

    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with that creepy smile?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The kids are ready,¡± I said. The changes in the rules weren¡¯t drastic enough to worry about. ¡°Corin, can you relay a message for me?¡±

    The girl nodded.

    ¡°I need you to relay a message to Lady Lyra Jorn. She is currently staying at the Great Hall. Tell her we are worried about her delay, and she can turn to us if she needs anything,¡± I said.

    I wasn¡¯t really worried about Lyra¡¯s well-being; she was the daughter of a duke and a guest of the Marquis at the end of the day. However, I couldn¡¯t help but think that whoever held her back knew about the attack. It was one thing to attack an orphanage of commoners, and a completely different one was attacking the residence of a duke¡¯s daughter.

    I put a few bronze coins in Corin¡¯s hand, a couple more than the usual rate, and excused myself, saying I needed to return to my workshop. Corin shoved a couple more spoonfuls of gruel into her mouth before speeding through the door into the backyard and around the manor.

    Elincia grabbed my arm before I could leave.

    ¡°Do you think they changed the rules to reduce our possibilities of winning?¡± She asked.

    Despite being a kid¡¯s tournament, there was much at stake. Credibility, after all, was a heavy coin in politics.

    ¡°They are trying to improve their chances,¡± I replied.

    Without us knowing, the tournament had already started.

    * * *

    It took me a couple of hours, Loki¡¯s begrudging help, and a lot of Fountain Mana to figure out the rest of the runes. The three remaining runes were hard to grasp because they lacked an effect by themselves. Just as I had theorized, they worked as modifiers and conditions for the main effects.

    The easiest to discover of the three was the Direction rune.

    A Light-Direction-Gradual-Recharge circuit transformed a light stone into a flashlight. If I exchanged the Light rune for the Wind rune, I would have a hair dryer. I made a note to add a Fire rune to the mix to enchant a hair dryer that used warm air. Elincia would love to dry the kids¡¯ hair in winter.

    The last two runes were harder to decipher because they worked like logic gates. The Rune Encyclopedia tagged the first as Activation, which was nothing but an ¡®if¡¯ statement. The second rune was Movement, which was the condition for activation. It made perfect sense, considering how Firana¡¯s cape worked. If there was movement, the effects activated.

    I couldn¡¯t yet comprehend how the Activation rune discriminated between regular movements, like walking or signaling, and the movements Firana made to activate the cape deliberately, let alone how it modified the Direction rune. I sighed, worried. If the System could read my memories, then it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it could determine people¡¯s intent. As far as I understood, skills were activated by intent alone.

    I stretched my back, and a wave of pleasure traveled through my body. A long day of work at the law firm never felt this good. My job at the orphanage was completely different. It had meaning.

    Loki slept belly up on the desk, his whiskers and little feet moving as if he were having a bad dream. Much like the runeweaving process, Loki¡¯s transformation also required a lot of energy. After several dozen failed attempts, Loki was exhausted, but we had a working prototype.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    The cape¡¯s circuit was Wind, User, Activation, Movement, Direction, Instantaneous, and Recharge. In other words, If the user activates the effect with a movement, create a wind current in the direction of the movement. My prototype for the sling was Wind, User, Direction, Gradual, and Recharge. For starters, I didn¡¯t think I could enchant more than five Runes simultaneously. Then came the problem of the ¡®feel¡¯ of the sling. As much as I wanted to power the shot, I also had to avoid making it uncontrollable.

    ¡°You did good work, buddy,¡± I said, scratching Loki¡¯s belly.

    He slapped my hand away with his little rat paw and grumbled something that sounded like his usual ¡®damn beast¡¯.

    The excitement of the rune discovery slowly disappeared, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. The Encyclopedia indexed the runes, yet the whole process still felt esoteric. In the worst case, I could delay Wolf¡¯s gift and try the enchantment again tomorrow when I had more mana.

    I grabbed my notes, put Loki inside my pocket, and exited the room.

    Ginz was inclined over his workshop table, working on a piece of leather.

    ¡°The Ginz I used to know would have the order ready by now,¡± I taunted him from the doorway.

    Ginz grunted.

    ¡°Knowing the idiot who commissioned this sling, I decided to make it as sturdy as possible,¡± he replied, applying a coat of dark liquid all over the leather. ¡°It¡¯s Skeeth oil. It will make the Laughing Fox leather even more resistant.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good, I guess,¡± I said.

    As socially inept Ginz was, he knew craftsmanship backward and forwards.

    ¡°You should start respecting me, Robbo. My inventions have become so popular among nobles that I got an invitation to see the tournament from the VIP section,¡± Ginz added with a huge grin.

    ¡°Do you mean my inventions?¡± I laughed.

    ¡°Our inventions,¡± Ginz pointed out with a laugh.

    I smiled back, and I sat by the sideline. Just like watching Elincia brewing potions, watching Ginz work was soothing.

    ¡°Corin brought the payments for the last shipment,¡± Ginz said, vaguely pointing toward the cabinet near the door with his brush. ¡°Most of the nobles already commissioned their decks of cards, so we can move to phase two. Use crap materials and expand the market to commoners.¡±

    On top of the cabinet was a leather pouch full of gold and silver. With that amount, Ginz could¡¯ve been considered the breadwinner of the orphanage, but I avoided saying it not to overfeed his ego. I had to admit, Ginz had a good nose for business.

    ¡°I took some of it to pay my debt to the Odrac-Aias loan sharks,¡± Ginz added. ¡°I thought cutting all ties with them would be best.¡±

    ¡°Good call,¡± I said.

    Our alliance with the royalist faction had dissuaded Kellaren from attempting anything against the orphanage so far. Despite being the most obvious suspect, I was starting to doubt his participation in the last attack. If Kellaren were allied with the Osgirians, a direct attack on royalist allies would be too dangerous for the kingdom''s cohesion. Whether I liked it or not, Osgirians needed the rest of the noble houses to fill their pockets with money. Without a seller and a buyer, there were no trade routes.

    Ginz summoned a high-intensity white flame from the tip of his finger and passed it over the Skeeth oil-impregnated piece of leather. A pungent, acrid smell filled the room. My eyes teared up, and I had to cover my nose and mouth with my shirt.

    ¡°The fumes are toxic. I recommend you get to the window,¡± Ginz said, unfazed by the stench.

    I opened the guillotine-style window and threw the entire top half of my body out of the workshop. Outside, the older kids were still training with Risha while the smaller ones ran near the farm plot. Elincia had loosened the rules about playing outside as the days became warmer.

    The little ones waved at me, and I did my best to hide my tears.

    After a minute, Ginz said, ¡°We need a development fund. I want to start experimenting with magical materials. Maybe that way, we could bring your crazy ideas to life.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to put some money aside when I review our books,¡± I coughed.

    Ginz continued working in silence, unfazed by the putrid fumes, until, half an hour later, he announced the sling was ready. I left my position near the window and approached the working bench. I was left without words.

    ¡°The rope is made with braided Shrewmouse Flax, and the pouch is made of Laughing Fox leather treated with Skeeth Oil. You can probably tie up a Wendigo with it,¡± Ginz said, proud of his work. ¡°I branded a wolf on the pouch. It¡¯s Wolf¡¯s name and his tribe¡¯s guardian animal. I thought it was fitting for the occasion.¡±

    Ginz craftsmanship was astonishing.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s my turn now,¡± I said. Elincia wouldn¡¯t be happy when she knew Ginz was aware of my enchanting powers.

    I grabbed the sling and hoped for the best.

    I inscribed the runes'' outline on the pouch''s outer side, aiming the Direction rune in the opposite direction of the spin so it would speed the sling up instead of slowing it down. Then, I opened my mana reserves and poured a wave of magic into the circuit. The runes drank the mana like desert sand, and for a moment, I thought I wouldn¡¯t have enough to complete the enchantment. I tapped into the Fountain to slowly replenish my reserves as the circuit continued to ask for more.

    You have obtained Mana Depletion (Minor). Temporary

    I brushed the prompt off, knowing a minor mana depletion stack would be gone by morning. A moment later, without announcement or fanfare, the circuit closed.

    ¡°Did it work?¡± Ginz asked, his eyes shining with amazement.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied. The runes were there, but the actual effect might vary from what I had in mind. ¡°Do you know how to use a sling?¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± he raised an eyebrow and snatched the sling from my hands.

    Ginz examined our creation as if he were trying to detect any difference in the materials. Then, he pulled a small metal ball from one of the drawers and put it in the pouch. As much as I wanted to keep the present a secret until the last moment, I wasn¡¯t entirely on board with testing it indoors.

    ¡°What now?¡± Ginz asked.

    ¡°Make it spin and channel a little mana,¡± I said.

    The sling started spinning, slowly at first, then faster and faster. I moved out of the way and crouched behind the desk. I noticed a small problem. The enchantment would have benefited from an abort mechanism, but I lacked the knowledge or the mana to implement it. Once in movement, one had to shoot.

    The sling slipped through Ginz¡¯s fingers, and the metal bullet flew across the room. A vase of wine that rested on top of the shelf burst into thousands of pieces, and the bullet ended up embedded in the wood. We exchanged a knowing look just to burst into laughter.

    The wind-powered sling was a success.

    New recipe achieved!

    Updating Rune Encyclopedia.

    Robert¡¯s Wind Sling added to the recipes tab.

    That looked good, but it will have to wait.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m going. I haven¡¯t even greeted Wolf today,¡± I said, grabbing the sling and walking to the door.

    Ginz gave me a quizzical look.

    ¡°You will help me clean up the wine, right?¡± He asked. ¡°Right? Rob?¡±

    I smiled, hoping that would help teach Ginz to warn me before gassing me out with toxic fumes. I closed the door behind me and whistled through the eastern wing and into the backyard. The enchantment, although crude in some respects, had been a success.

    ¡°Happy Birthday, Wolf!¡± I yelled across the backyard.

    The kids stopped the light sparring session and came to greet me.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be celebrating Wolf¡¯s birthday instead of sparring?¡± I asked. During Ilya and Firana¡¯s birthdays, we spent most of the time inside, eating, dancing, and chatting. Even if it was the day before the tournament, I didn¡¯t see why we couldn¡¯t have a lovely, relaxed celebration.

    Firana jumped forward because anyone could reply. Her face told me she was discontent with the day''s activities. ¡°Wolf said he wanted to spar like any other day, so here we are. This is by far the lamest birthday ever!¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Ilya nodded.

    The sudden attack made Wolf all flustered.

    ¡°What?! I enjoy our regular training schedule. There¡¯s nothing better than training the body and the mind to become stronger,¡± he muttered.

    It was the first time I had seen Wolf so flushed, but that wasn¡¯t enough for the girls to stop their attack.

    ¡°And here I thought Zaon was the teacher¡¯s pet,¡± Firana sighed.

    ¡°I thought it was Ilya,¡± Zaon jokingly said just to earn a murderous glance from the girls.

    ¡°Enough of that. Firana, you are in charge of sorting today''s training material. The sparring is over. You need to be well rested for tomorrow.¡± I interrupted the conversation. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind us, I would like to chat with Wolf. Just the two of us.¡±

    Firana grumbled but ultimately obeyed. Before she could convince Zaon to help her, Ilya grabbed the elf boy and dragged him to the farm plot where the small kids were playing. Even Risha turned a deaf ear and walked away, leaving his wooden shield on the big stump.

    ¡°Alright, I understand; I¡¯m sorry,¡± Firana grumbled as she grabbed the equipment.

    I looked at Wolf and signaled the grove with my head. We both walked in silence until we reached the tree line. There, Wolf leaned against a tree and let out a long sigh.

    ¡°Not used to the attention?¡± I asked with a sympathetic smile.

    Wolf shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t told them I plan to leave the orphanage after the tournament. They are talking about giving the Imperial Academy a try. Firana, more than anyone, wants us to stay together.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Firana will understand if you explain it to her,¡± I said. ¡°She might be an airhead sometimes, but she wants the best for every one of us.¡±

    ¡°I hope so. I don¡¯t want to make anyone sad, but I probably will,¡± Wolf replied, defeated.

    I remember the time I left my home to go to college. It wasn¡¯t that far, but the goodbye was hard, even with cell phones and video calls being a thing. In retrospect, it was probably even harder for my dad.

    ¡°Wolf, listen. If returning to the tribes is what you want, we will be thrilled to help you. It¡¯s your life we are talking about, and only you can make the final decision,¡± I said. ¡°Of course, Elincia and I will try to give you the best advice possible. You are strong and smart, and the orcs will be fortunate to have you among their ranks, but the Imperial Academy is also a good option. The rank of Knight opens up many avenues. In the end, it¡¯s your call. We will always be here for you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Wolf muttered. ¡°It means a lot coming from you, Mister Clarke.¡±

    This day looked more like a funeral than a birthday, and it wasn¡¯t the slate gray sky over our heads. I hoped the enchanted sling was enough to light up Wolf¡¯s day.

    ¡°I saw your relatives using these, so we thought it would be a good present,¡± I said, offering Wolf the enchanted sling. ¡°Happy birthday.¡±

    Wolf extended his arms and grabbed the sling. He carefully examined the craftsmanship, and the more he looked at it, the more his lips curved up.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, thanks,¡± Wolf said. ¡°Can I try it?¡±

    ¡°Be my guest.¡±

    Wolf grabbed a stone the size of a tennis ball, and for a moment, I thought the leather pouch would be too small. Ginz, however, had gotten ahead of the problem, and the projectile fit perfectly. With their size and strength, it was no surprise orcs preferred bigger bullets.

    The sling spun over Wolf¡¯s head.

    ¡°Give it a bit of mana,¡± I said, stepping to the side.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of mana. I¡¯m not Ilya,¡± Wolf replied.

    ¡°Just do it! We have been working on meditation for months now!¡± I said.

    Wolf¡¯s eyes suddenly shot wide open as the sling gained more velocity. He pushed the little mana a classless person could muster into the sling and aimed for a low branch. He let go, and the stone hit right in the middle, splitting the branch from the tree. Unlike Ginz, Wolf was a great shot.

    I smiled, not because of the enchantment''s success but because of Wolf''s gleeful expression. The young half-orc laughed to his heart''s content as he prepared a second shot. With his arm, he could knock down a deer.

    Loki peeked out of my pocket, looking as angry as a sleepy rat could be.

    ¡°Damn beast!¡±

 117 - Tournament

    Four green-scaled Skeeths pulled our carriage through the market. We weren¡¯t cramped in the back of a shabby cart but comfortably accommodated in the padded seats of a luxurious carriage with bronze guardrails and an upholstered interior. In our blue uniforms, we looked like nobility.

    The start of the tournament had taken the city by surprise, and hundreds of people slowly walked to the Great Hall. Prince Adrien went all in with the event. Hundreds of flags hung over the market streets, and town criers announced the dozens of teams that would participate. I wondered where the tournament would take place. Farcrest didn¡¯t have an arena, and the grounds of the Great Hall weren¡¯t big enough to house such an event, even with all the wooden stands magical woodworkers could raise.

    The people on the street quickly moved to the side as the coach approached. Despite the muzzles and straps, Skeeths were naturally aggressive, and their long claws could rip open the sturdiest monsters. The royal army used them in areas where horses would be easy prey.

    The Skeeths hissed at each other but continued moving in a straight line. Elincia laughed as she watched the beasts and squeezed my arm. The passersby looked at us, trying to guess what noble house we represented in the tournament. I wondered how many knew we were from the poor orphanage in the Northern district. They looked at us with reverence. Little did they know we were nothing but a wild gamble by the crown prince.

    ¡°Four Skeeths, no less,¡± Elincia giggled under her veil. ¡°People will think we are part of the royal family.¡±

    Firana waved at the crowd. I made [Awareness] take a ¡®screenshot¡¯ of her smile; there were no traces of the old, distrustful Firana I had met when I started working at the orphanage. Firana encouraged the crowd. Getting the Wind Fencer class had boosted her self-esteem to perilous heights, but I decided to save the humbling lectures for later.

    In the opposite seat, the story was completely different. Zaon leaned forward, shielding his head between his legs, his skin almost as green as Wolf''s. I left my spot and sat next to him.

    ¡°Remember what Captain Kiln said?¡± I asked, putting my arm around Zaon¡¯s shoulders. He raised his head.

    ¡°Eh¡­ that she will go to the orphanage for a celebratory drink?¡± Zaon asked.

    Izabeka had said that, but that wasn¡¯t what I wanted Zaon to remember.

    ¡°Captain Kiln said that a Lv.2 in Longsword Mastery is way above average for a classless person,¡± I said. ¡°Most of the opponents you will face didn¡¯t touch a sword until after they got their classes. Even if they have Classes and levels above you, the time they have been training is the same as ours. They train for power; we train for skill.¡±

    Zaon nodded.

    ¡°I know,¡± he muttered.

    ¡°Nervous is good, Zaon. Accept the feeling; don¡¯t fight it,¡± I said reassuringly.

    Zaon took a deep breath. ¡°Nervous is good. Nervous is good. Nervous is good,¡± he repeated like a mantra.

    ¡°You have fought real foes before, Zaon. Your opponents today are kids just like you.¡± I said. ¡°Just remember the secret technique, and you¡¯ll be good.¡±

    Firana seemed to hear our hushed conversation because she promptly pounced over my shoulder.

    ¡°What secret technique?¡± She asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a boy thing. You wouldn¡¯t get it,¡± Zaon replied with a mocking half-smile.

    Firana climbed over me and dove on Zaon, trying to immobilize him. The elven boy fought back, his skin turning a healthier hue as he struggled against Firana. I returned to Elincia¡¯s side, giving them space to brawl in peace.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you stop them?¡± Ilya asked, her feet hanging a couple centimeters over the carriage¡¯s floor.

    ¡°They are warming up for the tournament,¡± I replied. ¡°In the meantime, you can brawl with Wolf.¡±

    Ilya raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not,¡± she replied with a sulking expression. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why Wolf hasn¡¯t gotten his class yet. We are handicapping ourselves without a good reason.¡±

    Wolf opened an eye, interrupting his meditation.

    ¡°I can win without a Class. In fact, I could probably squash a Lv.2 gnome with an arm tied behind my back,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Want to try, Big Snot?¡± Ilya replied, channeling mana to her hands.

    I laughed. It was good to see everyone in such a good mood. After months of hard work, we had the opportunity to show everyone the real capabilities of a bunch of orphans. Mister Lowell might not have been happy with the circumstances; he was a pacifist, after all, but his dream of seeing the line between nobility and commoners erased was a step closer.

    I stretched my back and looked at the crowd.

    ¡°Come on, kids! We are representing Farcrest in this tournament. Act accordingly,¡± I said as we crossed the main gate.

    The inner gates were crowded, and the guardsmen had to open a path for the carriage to enter. It seemed the tournament was going to be in the Great Hall. A double line of soldiers guarded the Great Hall entrance, funneling the spectators around the main building and into the gardens. I expected the most influential citizens of Farcrest to be there, but I underestimated the number of people invited.

    The carriage reached the stairs and stopped. The Skeeth hissed at the soldiers in full armor. The coachman fastened the reins and opened the small door for us. Then, with all the deference in the world, he helped us climb down. Firana enjoyed the regal treatment.

    Once we descended from the carriage, I offered Elincia my arm, and we climbed the stairs. The spectators looked at us from the sidelines, probably assuming we were guests from far away. Ilya got some quizzical looks. Gnomes were already rare in this part of the kingdom, and she seemed out of place between Firana and Wolf. The soldiers let us through, and we entered the Great Hall. Just beyond the doorway, Captain Kiln was waiting for us.

    ¡°Any suspicious activity around the orphanage?¡± She whispered as soon as we met.

    I shook my head. Since the attack, things had been calm.

    Captain Kiln turned around, and we walked into the Great Hall. The vestibule seemed empty without the dozens of courtiers whispering in the corners. I guessed they might already be in the tournament.

    ¡°Any leads regarding our troubles at the feast?¡± I asked. The poisoning attempt against Captain Kiln had flown under the radar, and no further clues had been found.

    ¡°Vedras agreed to help us test the poison used on Raudhan, but the shards of the glass disappeared. They were locked inside a secure room,¡± Captain Kiln replied, leaning towards me and whispering. ¡°Whoever is trying to mess with us is either a ghost or a high-level assassin with the skill of traversing closed doors.¡±

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    A ghost with ties to organized crime.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Firana interrupted our conversation.

    ¡°We are talking about the tournament brackets,¡± Captain Kiln said, patting my back. It seems someone wants your head really bad, boy. Rumor has it that the Osgiarian dogs are on the hunt for a certain Scholar.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t the matches randomly chosen?¡± Elincia asked.

    Captain Kiln gave us one of her usual disappointed glances.

    ¡°Do you really think the noble houses would leave the matches to luck?¡± She said, ¡°Osgirians got the memo. They know you are part of the royal faction and think you are the weakest link.¡±

    ¡°Are we facing the Osgirian team in the first round?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, one of his lackeys,¡± Captain Kiln replied, guiding us through a long corridor I had never been before.

    I let out a massive sigh of relief. As much as I trusted my process and the kids'' skills, fighting in front of an audience was completely different from sparring in the backyard of the manor with the younger orphans running around. A small foe was perfect to test the waters. It was also an excellent opportunity to show Prince Adrien we were a valuable asset to his cause.

    ¡°Are you even allowed to tell me this?¡± I asked.

    Captain Kiln sighed. ¡°No. Anyway, you are fighting against Lord Nara, a wealthy merchant who bought his way into nobility. A noble of the robe, not the sword, if you may. That¡¯s all I know; I have been too busy to do a background check of his team.¡±

    Elincia put her hand on Captain Kiln¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If you are tired, you can always crash at the orphanage for the weekend. Despite the rabble currently crashing at the orphanage, there are plenty of free rooms.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Elincia, but I need to stay by Tauron¡¯s side,¡± Captain Kiln replied as she opened a lateral door. ¡°We are here.¡±

    The door led us to the inner gardens. Hundreds of spectators waited on the sidelines, sitting in stone benches around fountains or walking among the flowerbeds and low vegetal mazes. Other than the small gravel path between the Great Hall and the gardens, there wasn¡¯t a place to properly call the arena.

    ¡°A thousand more are heading to the Great Hall right now,¡± I mentioned.

    Captain Kiln shrugged it off and guided us into a red and black pavilion attached to the Great Hall¡¯s exterior wall. More than twenty teams were already inside, waiting for the start of the tournament. I examined the room. Near the entrance, Lord Gairon and a group of six tall young boys and girls dressed in blue and gold watched the crowd. By his side, House Herran¡¯s team played a board game with dice and tokens. They wore green uniforms with a gray hammer printed on their chests. In the corner of the room, Lord Osgiria instructed his team with a severe expression. They wore black uniforms with a white tower embroidered on the shoulder.

    I recognized the House Vedras team, dressed in green and violet, and the House Jorn team, dressed in silver with the crest of the red falcon catching a fish. For an instant, I thought the Jorn team was composed solely of elves, but a quick glance at their ears told me they were just tall, pale, and blonde, almost Nordic-looking. I recognized Duke Jorn standing silently in the corner, accompanied by Lyra Jorn.

    A wave of murmurs rose as we entered the pavilion. I could feel their eyes following us, trying to place us among the sea of nobility. The feast guests already knew who we were, but the ones who arrived afterward could only guess. The great ducal houses ignored us. However, Lord Osgiria gave us a hostile glance before focusing on his team.

    We walked to the corner of the tent, where a small pennant with a white rose over a blue field signaled our place. I looked around. There were still several empty spaces inside the pavilion.

    ¡°See? They are kids like you,¡± I said, patting Zaon¡¯s back.

    ¡°The members of the House Herran team look strong, though,¡± Firana pointed out.

    Captain Kiln joked, ¡°They are thrown into a mine as soon as they can walk.¡±

    ¡°People who live between a mountain range and the Farlands are bound to be strong,¡± Lyra Jorn said out of nowhere. Good afternoon, Master Clarke. I received your message. I¡¯m sorry for my late arrival, but I had matters to attend to.¡±

    The girl caught me by surprise; she was just as stealthy as her father. I remember being unable to detect him approaching even with [Awareness] working at full steam. I wondered if that was a trait of the Jorn family.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Lyra. Don¡¯t worry about it; we are always ready to receive you,¡± I replied.

    Lyra let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°What a relief! I am so excited to study under your guidance. I have even dreamt about you¡­ I mean about the things you have to teach and the machines from your land,¡± Lyra quickly corrected herself as she felt Elincia¡¯s green eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear, but¡­¡± I said. ¡°What kept you so busy?¡±

    Or rather, what prevented you from being at the orphanage during the assassin¡¯s attack?

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing, really,¡± Lady Jorn said. ¡°Preceptor Holst asked my help to reorganize the Farcrest library.¡±

    I froze for a moment. There were two possibilities: Holst delayed Lyra¡¯s departure to create a free window of time for the assassins to attack, or he did it because he knew of the attack and wanted to keep Lyra safe. The second option wasn¡¯t very compelling, but Holst had implied his attack on the orphanage was a one-time thing due to a favor he owed.

    ¡°You are welcome as soon as you are available,¡± I said, my jaw suddenly stiff.

    ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you, I will do my best. I promise. I have even convinced my father this is a good idea. The Jorn Duchy is far from commercial centers. We would benefit greatly from any development in transport technologies,¡± Lyra Jorn said, but I wasn¡¯t listening anymore.

    Holst might be the only link between us and the culprit behind the attacks.

    ¡°Is there any way of going around a Silence Hex?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Is this a test?¡± Lady Jorn said, embarrassed. ¡°Oh! House Jorn is more than willing to pay for your inventions. We wouldn¡¯t dream of enriching ourselves at the expense of other people¡¯s work.¡±

    ¡°We are not going to put a Silence Hex on you, Lyra,¡± Elincia sighed. ¡°Rob is probably thinking about something else. He does this all the time. It might feel like he¡¯s talking to you, but he is actually thinking about two or three different things.¡±

    Lyra let out an awkward laugh, ¡°I understand. People say that about me sometimes.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this about a Silence Hex, then? That¡¯s not an amateur spell,¡± Captain Kiln asked.

    ¡°You should check Holst¡¯s tongue,¡± I said.

    Captain Kiln grinned. ¡°I know Darius can be harsh. At times, I want to cast a Silence Hex on him¡­¡±

    Then, the realization hit her, but before she could reply, the sound of a horn filled the pavilion.

    Outside, a small army of men and women dressed in green and beige robes and headbands with antlers fixed to the sides entered the garden. They lined up in the gravel path and raised their hands over their heads. For a moment, I thought they would perform a musical number. Instead, a sudden mana discharge made the ground tremble. An area spell? Out of nowhere, the trees and bushes uprooted themselves and walked through the crowd to the outskirts, leaving a vast empty area in the middle of the Great Hall grounds.

    The performance didn¡¯t stop there. A second group dressed in terracotta-colored robes appeared from around the corner. With a movement of their arms, stands made of sandstone emerged from the ground and raised several meters over the ground. A myriad of different enchanted banners and flags flew from the Great Hall¡¯s windows, perching in the newly created masts. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh, amazed by the scene. Where there was a well-kept garden, now was a dueling arena with stands for thousands of spectators. There was even a roofed area for the VIPs.

    The spectators started to flood the stands. Prince Adrien waved at the crowd from the royal booth, accompanied by an attractive woman in a luxurious purple dress. The whole city was there: members from the Alchemists Guild, the Sentinels, high-ranking officers of the Guard, nobles from all around the kingdom, and wealthy merchants. On the plain stands, several thousand commoners were gathering together.

    A small man dressed in a ceremonial robe stood in the middle of the arena. For a moment, I thought his voice would get drowned by the crowd, but, to my surprise, it came out amplified with a spell. After a quick introduction to the event, he presented the teams.

    The Marquis was the first to enter the arena, followed by Istvan Kiln and the rest of his team. Shortly after, Captain Kiln, with a team of young Guard cadets, joined him. The audience went wild, cheering for the city teams.

    ¡°Are you ready, team?¡± I asked, turning around.

    Zaon smiled, Ilya gave me the thumbs up, Wolf nodded, and Firana raised her fist in defiance.

    ¡°And the third team and last team representing Farcrest,¡± the master of ceremonies stuttered as he examined the fixture. ¡°Lowell¡¯s Orphanage.¡±

 118 - Counterpick

    The master of ceremonies glanced at the paper in his hand, and a glimpse of confusion showed on his face.

    Something was wrong.

    ¡°And the third and last team representing Farcrest. Lowell¡¯s Orphanage!¡±

    Elincia clung to my arm, fear and impotence reflected in her expression. We were supposed to be called Rosebud Fencing Academy during the tournament. I clenched my jaw and glanced across the pavilion, giving [Awareness] free rein. Lord Osgiria gave me a mocking look.

    I cursed. Among the nobility, everything was appearances. The fact that Farcrest had to resort to a poor orphanage for representation spoke badly about the state of affairs in the territory. The nobles around us exchanged funny looks.

    ¡°Keep your heads up. That¡¯s our call,¡± I said, loud enough for the whole pavilion to hear us. If nobles thought this would weigh upon our shoulders, they were wrong.

    Ilya took position by my right as the team captain, and we entered the crescent-shaped arena. The cheering died. Our magnificent uniforms didn¡¯t fool the crowd anymore. I reached the Marquis''s side and saluted the VIP box. Only after Prince Adrien started applauding did the rest of the nobles acknowledge our presence.

    The commoners in the stands hesitated to cheer for us. This wasn¡¯t a gentle world. They didn¡¯t care about the kid¡¯s feelings. I glanced over my shoulder. Wolf was unfazed, and Zaon moved his lips, repeating, ¡®Nervous is good¡¯ repeatedly. Firana, on the other hand, was furious.

    ¡°Tough crowd, uh?¡± I muttered.

    ¡°It¡¯s only expected. Orphans don¡¯t get good classes. There is no reason to cheer for us,¡± Ilya replied with a grin. ¡°Yet.¡±

    Did she look so mature back at the carriage?

    The crowd¡¯s attention lingered on us for an instant before the next team entered the arena. To my surprise, a single team represented the royal family: a group of cadets from the Imperial Academy. Five young cadets dressed in plain black, guided by Holst, entered the arena. The crowd came back to life. Considering the opulence of the other teams, the uniforms of the Imperial Academy cadets were disappointing. Even my group was better suited to the occasion.

    Holst stood by my left, saluting the stands with a dull gesture.

    ¡°Robert Clarke, good to see you still among the living,¡± he greeted me with a bored tone.

    His words, however, sent a shiver down my spine. Did he know assassins had tried to kill me a few days before? Captain Kiln had sworn to keep it a secret. The coincidences piled up. Holst knew about the attack and asked Lyra Jorn¡¯s help with the library when Luzian Abei had a small army of Scholars and Scribes at his disposal. I couldn¡¯t help but think Holst was still in contact with the culprit.

    ¡°Preceptor Holst,¡± I coldly greeted, my brain too busy to formulate a more wordy sentence.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet my former students,¡± he added, looking past me at Ilya and the kids. ¡°Certainly not in these circumstances.¡±

    I swallowed my anger. This was a golden opportunity for the orphanage. Watching the skill of the imperial cadets could help me understand why Sir Janus had been the only commoner in Farcrest to assist the Imperial Academy. Even if we lost the tournament, we could improve our chances of getting them accepted into the Imperial Academy, putting them in the same echelon as nobles.

    ¡°Do you trust the ability of your current students to win the tournament?¡± I asked, examining the cadet¡¯s faces. Three humans, a half-elf, and a harpy. They didn¡¯t seem thrilled to be part of the tournament.

    Holst laughed.

    ¡°These idiots aren¡¯t my students. These five failed their first year. If they don¡¯t win the tournament, they will be kicked out of the Academy,¡± he replied, shrugging. ¡°For failures like them, I¡¯d say they are the favorites to win the tournament.¡±

    A glance at the Imperial Academy team revealed their strong shoulders and steady feet. Despite the lack of fashion, they looked like trained warriors instead of pampered noble kids. Their faces had lost the roundness of childhood, and their calm demeanor and sharp eyes revealed an intense training regime. I hoped not to bump into them until the later rounds of the tournament.

    Our conversation was cut short because the Osgirian teams entered the arena. First, Lord Osgiria, then Lord Nara, and finally, a man dressed as a knight, followed by a group of kids in mismatched uniforms¡ªeach one with the colors of their respective houses. Lord Osgiria stood by Holst''s side and greeted the VIP box.

    If Captain Kiln were right, our team would fight Lord Nara in the first round. I expected the man to be a merchant with a comically large belly. Instead, he looked like a cunning gray fox. I had to remind myself that buying a way into nobility required a skillful negotiator.

    ¡°Three teams, Lord Osgiria? You don¡¯t seem too confident in your chances,¡± Holst casually said.

    The Imperial Academy had to be a powerhouse within the kingdom because Lord Osgiria swallowed any snarky remark.

    Lord Herran, a tall and muscular redhead dressed in full warrior attire, entered next. I remembered him from the feast¡ªboisterous, talkative, determined. The black mana-repelling axe hung from his belt, causing my stomach to feel sick if I looked for too long. House Herran only had two teams, one led by Lord Herran himself and the other by a man who could be his twin. Only half of the team members were human; the other half were different flavors of beast folk.

    More than half of the kids had bright red hair like their lord. I wondered if red hair was a dominant gene in the Herran Dukedom because the kids looked healthy. There was not a trace of the infamous Habsburg chin. They were tall and robust like their lord.

    I tried to glance at the axe¡¯s runes, but Lord Herran was too far away.

    ¡°That¡¯s lord Herran and his army of copperhead bastards,¡± Holst pointed out, laughing at his joke.

    I doubted that having a dozen children the same age was normal, even more so for a noble, considering how difficult succession could be. Lord Herran must¡¯ve loved to spread his genes.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay for him to present his¡­ illegitimate kids in an official event like this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Do you like gossip, Robert Clarke?¡± Holst raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I like to be informed,¡± I replied.

    Holst seemed satisfied with my answer.

    ¡°Lord Herran is one of the few Combat Prestige Classes in the kingdom. He has the [Conqueror] Class,¡± Holst replied. ¡°It¡¯s only natural that he can do whatever he wants. Not even the king has enough power over Lord Herran to stop his¡­ reproductive impulses.¡±

    I nodded. The relationship between the royal house and the great three dukedoms was more complex than I initially thought. According to the stories, Combat Prestige Classes were, in essence, one-man armies that could create whole countries around their power. I wondered what kind of monsters the royal army found in the Deep Farlands to be obliged to retreat.

    After Lord Herra, Lord Gairon entered the arena. The Gairon House was arguably the second most powerful family after the royal house, and their uniforms reflected their status. The blue was rich and deep, and the gold shone under the winter sun, seemingly casting the few clouds away. The crowd yelled and cheered. It wasn¡¯t surprising. Lord Gairon was a tall, tanned man with hair the color of ripe wheat¡ªthe perfect poster boy and leader of the anti-war faction.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°He has to go down if we want the royal faction to have a chance,¡± Holst said.

    It suddenly hit me. Holst and I technically supported the same faction.

    ¡°Lord Gairon is also a Prestige Class?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A [Sacred Knight], yes. Rumor says he reached the mythic level sixty,¡± Holst replied. ¡°Let¡¯s hope their teams are more¡­ farming inclined.¡±

    The crowd became more tame after the three big houses made their entrance. Lord Vedras received less than half of House Gairon¡¯s support, probably because of the tax disputes between Farcrest and the Vedras dukedom. He had brought three teams.

    Duke Jorn¡¯s presence almost caused the arena to become completely silent¡ªHolst told me he was also a high-level Prestige Class, a Shadow Stalker.

    ¡°That sounds dangerous,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Sellen Jorn is one of the most dangerous men in the kingdom. His mere existence was enough for the king to create a whole new duchy,¡± Holst said. ¡°Take an Assassin and a Shadow Fencer, mix them, double their powers, and then double them again. That¡¯s a Shadow Stalker in a nutshell.¡±

    I tried to imagine it. The Assassin who attacked the orphanage would have had a hard time with any class without a skill like my mana blades. I had been lucky to have a favorable matchup against him; otherwise, I might have been dead. His capacity to disable my movement was scarily effective. A man with the skills of an Assassin and a Shadow Fencer had dangerous implications.

    ¡°Prince Adrien wanted Sellen Jorn as his Master of Assassins, but he didn¡¯t want to leave his people in the north,¡± Holst said. ¡°Walls, doors, bars, locks, nothing can stop a Shadow Stalker. Only the woven barrier of several high-level Fortifiers can stop him. Or so it¡¯s said.¡±

    Gears turned inside my skull. I wondered if Duke Jorn was involved in the disappearance of the evidence of Raudhan¡¯s poisoning. He certainly had the skill to move unnoticed through the Great Hall. Stealing a box with shards of glass would be a walk in the park for him.

    The rest of the teams passed in a blur as my mind reviewed the party''s events. Sellen Jorn was undoubtedly suspicious. His lack of presence was as unnerving as it was useful for an infiltration mission. Could he be involved in Raudhan¡¯s poisoning? Lord Vedras had denied the existence of any co-conspirators, and we were almost entirely sure that Raudhan hadn¡¯t been poisoned by Ashroot.

    Duke Jorn''s political positioning was hard to determine. The northern dukedoms were poor, and just like Farcrest, they served as a bulwark against the Monster Surges. Four families controlled most of the kingdom¡¯s economy and politics. House Gairon, House Herran, House Osgiria, and the Royal Family. The northern dukedoms didn¡¯t benefit from the current trade routes and wouldn¡¯t directly benefit from a new trade route into the Kingdom of Tagabiria.

    However, they would benefit from a closer relationship with the royal family.

    Duke Jorn had no reason to poison Captain Kiln.

    Ilya tugged the sleeve of my jacket, bringing me back to the present. The master of ceremonies was finishing a long speech about the legacy of Stephaniss of Farcrest, the previous lord of the city and the Marquis''s grandfather. Even the Marquis seemed bored.

    ¡°Prince Adrien will draw the matches for the first round!¡± The master of ceremonies announced.

    Prince Adrien came forward, and an assistant brought a glass bowl filled with small wooden rods. He put his hand in the bowl, picked one randomly, and passed it to his companion. The woman dressed in purple read it out loud, her voice magically amplified. Her pleasant contralto voice made me think she was a singer.

    ¡°House Nara versus¡­¡± she received the second wooden rod. ¡°Lowell¡¯s Orphanage!¡±

    Just like Captain Kiln had warned me.

    I didn¡¯t expect us to be the opening fight. The other teams returned to the pavilion, and a group of Scribes carried the System Shrine Shard embedded in its copper nest to the center of the arena. I assumed it was there to ensure all participants met the requirements for the tournament.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, team,¡± I said.

    We formed next to the Shrine Shard and in front of Lord Nara¡¯s team. The master of ceremonies activated the blue orb, and the kids'' names, classes, and levels appeared before us. Luckily, Lord Nara and I were exempt from the crystal ability. Being outed as a Runeweaver wasn¡¯t part of my plans.

    Belya Nara, Geomancer Lv.3

    Arel Nara, Warrior Lv.5

    Lino, Soldier Lv.9

    Jan, Archer Lv.3

    Aiwin, Courier Lv.7

    Firana Aias, Wind Fencer Lv.1

    Ilya, Hunter Lv.2

    Zaon, Classless Lv.1

    Wolf, Classless Lv.1

    The System prompts might have been big enough for the crowd to read because a murmur rose from the stands. I didn¡¯t need [Awareness] to understand the commotion. Half of my team was classless in a world where Classes were everything. Lord Nara also seemed to notice the discrepancy between our teams.

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling generous today, Mister Caretaker. I will gladly accept your surrender and spare you the embarrassment if you apologize for wasting our time,¡± Lord Nara said with a mellow, totally fake voice. ¡°You can save the kids the shame of losing in front of their countrymen.¡±

    The master of ceremonies looked at me.

    ¡°What do you think, Ilya?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The team is ready, Mister Clarke. We fight,¡± she replied without any hint of doubt.

    Despite Lord Nara¡¯s clever expression, he was underestimating us. I couldn¡¯t blame him. He had lived all his life in a world where value was determined by class and level. Developing an eye for people wasn¡¯t as helpful as on Earth, where it could mean the difference between life and death.

    ¡°We fight,¡± I said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t extend the courtesy of an honorable withdrawal,¡± Lord Nara grinned, his fox-like eyes turned into thin lines.

    The master of ceremonies nodded.

    ¡°The Rules are simple. The team that loses the coin toss has to choose its first fighter, and then the winning team chooses its opponent. Then, the roles change. Every team has two picks and two counter picks, for a total of four fighters,¡± the master of ceremonies explained, pulling a gold coin from the pocket.

    I nodded. There was a level of strategy involved in the pairing phase. I could pair Firana against their weakest member to ensure a vast point difference. Or I could choose Zaon to keep things equalized. If I were Lord Nara, I would leave the Lv.7 Courier outside the selection. As fast as they were, they weren¡¯t a combatant Class, but on the other hand, even non-combatants could develop useful masteries.

    Zaon had a good matchup against the Soldier and the Warrior, as their combat skills were on the ¡®basic¡¯ side of the spectrum. However, the Archer, the Geomancer, and the Courier could present a problem to him. Wolf also had a bad matchup against the Archer and the Geomancer because he relied on solid and static positioning to use his muscles. Ilya and Firana had good matchups against the enemy team, but the enemy Geomancer worried me the most. She wasn¡¯t just an Advanced Class, but a relative of Lord Nara.

    ¡°Here goes the coin,¡± the master of ceremonies said. He threw it high and caught it mid-flight.

    Lord Nara kindly offered me the call.

    ¡°Heads,¡± I replied with a grin.

    ¡°Heads,¡± the master of ceremonies said, revealing the coin.

    [Awareness] didn¡¯t disappoint, but I made a mental note to keep it hidden from Ilya. She wouldn¡¯t be on board with blatant cheating, even if we had the disadvantage. As cunning as Ilya was, strategy and cheats were completely different.

    Lord Nara huffed. ¡°Lino, you go first.¡±

    The Soldier kid stepped forward. He was tall, probably a year older than my kids, but [Awareness] told me he was nervous. Soldier Class was painfully close to no class at all.

    ¡°Zaon, you go first. Is that okay with you?¡± I said, hoping the combination of Light-Footed and Lv.2 Longsword Mastery would match a Lv.9 Soldier with a couple of skills under his sleeve.

    Zaon nodded.

    It was my turn to choose and Lord Nara¡¯s turn to counter-pick. ¡°Ilya, you go second,¡± I said.

    Ilya came forward, prompting a laugh from the rival Fighter.

    ¡°Do you want to fight the gnome, Arel?¡± Lord Nara asked.

    ¡°Yes, my lord. I¡¯m confident I can get a ten-point lead over a Gnome Hunter,¡± Arel Nara replied.

    A vein popped on Ilya¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Good. I chose my cousin Arel Nara for the second fight,¡± Lord Nara said.

    Then, Lord Nara selected the Archer boy for the third fight, which put me in a tough spot. The Archer and the Geomancer were hard matchups for Wolf, and I lacked a fifth or sixth member to play around it. Nonetheless, the Archers weren¡¯t known for their vast arsenal of skills.

    ¡°Wolf, you go against him,¡± I said.

    Wolf nodded.

    ¡°Which leaves us with the last pair,¡± Lord Nara said with a mocking smile.

    ¡°Firana, you go last,¡± I said.

    ¡°Belya, my daughter, will be my last pick,¡± Lord Nara replied.

    The dueling pairs were ready.

    ¡°So be it. The tournament''s first match will be between Lino the Soldier and Zaon the Elf,¡± the master of ceremonies said, his voice suddenly amplified again as the Scribes took the System Shrine orb away. ¡°Contestants, please go get your equipment. May the System bless you all.¡±

 119 - Skills vs Passives

    Zaon put on his gloves as he examined the array of armaments the aides had carried to the edge of the arena. Rows of swords, spears, polearms, and maces shone under the winter sunlight. There were bucklers and shields, parrying daggers and nets. There were even more exotic variants of curved swords and glaives. Zaon reached for a longsword with a broad blade, feeling its weight in his hand. With a practiced motion, he swung it in a diagonal descending arc, a small recovery motion, and back into a low guard. He shook his head and returned it to its place in the rack.

    ¡°Too heavy,¡± Zaon said.

    Unlike practice swords, the weapons in the rack were real tools for war. They were designed for use by mid and high-level combatants whose strength far surpassed the natural limitations of non-combatants.

    Lord Nara¡¯s team geared up at the pavilion''s opposite side while a Fortifier applied the ten-layer barrier over Zaon¡¯s opponent. Whoever had changed our name in the official documents might have prepared another assortment of nasty surprises for us. I used my mana sense to examine the barrier. The Fortifier was a middle-aged man dressed in gold with the emblem of the royal stag embroidered on the chest. Despite his supposed neutrality, I decided to play it safe.

    Zaon tested two more longswords before settling on the thinnest among them. Whether it was a deliberate choice or simply instinct, the blade seemed to fit with Zaon¡¯s style of swift attacks and agile retreats. The boy looked at me, asking me a silent question.

    ¡°A fine choice,¡± I replied.

    The crowd roared to deafening levels in the half-moon-shaped stands. Zaon looked around with a worried expression. Not only were the upper echelons of the kingdom there, but also most of Farcrest¡¯s population. I wondered how many of them cheered for us. Probably very few. Orphans weren¡¯t supposed to get good classes; they were destined to live in the outskirts of the social hierarchy where their purpose was limited to serve as cannon fodder for the armies of noble houses.

    The Fortifier approached us. ¡°I¡¯m going to apply the barrier.¡±

    Zaon gleamed with a blue hue as the mana surrounded his body. By the time the tenth barrier closed around him, the naked eye could barely catch the difference, but my mana sense could. There was a slight, almost indistinguishable discrepancy between Zaon¡¯s barriers and his opponent¡¯s, not to the point of being malicious, but I could tell the Fortifier felt a little disdain against us.

    ¡°Combatants, to the arena!¡± The Master of Ceremonies'' voice rose above the crowd¡¯s noise. Despite none of our teams being particularly famous, the crowd was starting to get heated.

    The System''s raw power against Zaon¡¯s hard work and combat knowledge passed from generation to generation. Maybe putting Zaon against a Soldier was a mistake. It was like putting the kid against his future self, against the class he believed he would become. This fight could build the foundations of a new Zaon or damage his confidence forever.

    I put my hand on Zaon¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, Zaon. Fight smart. If your opponent uses [Strengthen Armament] or [Iron Skin], just retreat until his mana runs out. This is your fight, not theirs, understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Zaon replied, his voice quivered if only slightly.

    Not all the kids reacted to pressure in the same way. Fighting in front of thousands of people wasn¡¯t something my former students had done. However, I was used to dealing with nervous kids before participating in public debates and sports events. A technical rundown of the opponent might be reassuring for Wolf or Ilya. Zaon needed another perspective; he needed to feel in control.

    ¡°Listen to me, Zaon. I¡¯m going to ask you something really important,¡± I said. ¡°Who would you rather fight, Firana or the Soldier from Team Nara?¡±

    Zaon gave me a quizzical look. Then, a timid smile appeared on his face. With her new wind powers, Firana had turned into a little tyrant on the sparring grounds. As a result, Zaon had spent the last few days being beaten up for Firana¡¯s amusement.

    ¡°I¡¯d take the Soldier from House Nara. No doubt,¡± Zaon said with a timid smile as the gears turned inside his brain. ¡°He can¡¯t be as bad as Firana.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he isn¡¯t as half as bad as Firana,¡± I replied, gently pushing him into the arena.

    Zaon walked a couple of steps before turning around. His expression was serene, and his shoulders relaxed. There wasn¡¯t a glimpse of the jittery elf I had met several months ago. Not even the deafening whistles from the stands shook him.

    ¡°Mister Clarke?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Zaon?¡±

    ¡°I got this,¡± he said, giving me the thumbs-up and walking to the arena where his opponent awaited him.

    I sat on a bench on the pavilion''s border. My heart didn¡¯t feel heavy anymore. Grades and scores never meant a lot to me. Sure, they could give lots of useful information about the kid¡¯s learning process, but they weren¡¯t my endgame. Cutting a block of granite required tens, if not hundreds, of hits. Just like a granite stonecutter, Zaon had put in the work, session after session. Even if this weren¡¯t the day he could cut the block, I knew that day would come, and he seemed to understand the same.

    ¡°What did you tell him?¡± Firana asked as she caught up.

    ¡°Nothing, just a couple of supportive words,¡± I lied.

    Firana gave me a suspicious look but didn¡¯t say anything else.

    We focused on the arena. The Soldier from Team Nara was taller than Zaon, and his shoulders were broader. Elves were late bloomers compared to humans, but that didn¡¯t mean Zaon was dramatically weaker. Zaon had the advantage of his elven traits.

    Firana squeezed my arm as she bit her nails.

    ¡°The rules are simple. The fight will end after one of the participants breaks the opponent¡¯s ten barriers. There will be no pause between breaks. If you want to give up at any moment of the fight, raise your hand,¡± the Master of Ceremonies announced. ¡°On guard!¡±

    Zaon adopted the perfect pflug guard: his knees slightly bent, his left foot ahead, his hands near his hip, and the tip of the sword pointing at his opponent¡¯s head.

    ¡°Fight!¡± the Master of Ceremonies yelled.

    The Soldier adopted a similar, low guard stance but with his longsword pointing down, inviting Zaon to attack. The elven boy, however, didn¡¯t take the bait. His expression was serene, completely absorbed in the fight.

    ¡°Lino, what are you doing? He has no Class, no skills! End this quickly!¡± Lord Nara yelled from the bench at the other side of the weapons rack.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The Soldier seemed to snap out of his trance and threw a quick diagonal strike. Zaon avoided the blade by stepping back, [Keen Senses] helping him bring his reaction times as low as possible. I held my breath, waiting for Zaon¡¯s riposte, but the attack never came. The Soldier, sensing the opening in his defense, hesitated for an instant, but Zaon stepped back, maintaining the defensive stance.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Lord Nara yelled from the sideline.

    The Soldier pressed the attack, marching forward and unleashing a flurry of blows.

    The crowd roared.

    Zaon seemed to glide over the arena, his feet gently kicking the ground to dodge every blow. The Soldier¡¯s broad longsword gleamed with mana as he unleashed a violent strike. Zaon leaned back, barely dodging the blow but leaving the Soldier off balance. Instead of exploiting the opening, Zaon stepped out of range.

    ¡°Is the elf toying with his opponent?¡± Someone asked inside the pavilion.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, that kid doesn¡¯t move like someone without a class,¡± another voice replied. ¡°Well¡­ his opponent is a Soldier Class. It¡¯s no surprise the fight is stalling.¡±

    Minutes passed. Zaon hadn¡¯t thrown a single strike and the Soldier was becoming more desperate as Lord Nara yelled at him to finish the encounter quickly. The Soldier lunged, feinted, and pushed forward, but Zaon was always a step away from the tip of his sword. Compared to Firana, the Soldier from Team Nara was downright sluggish.

    I opened my mouth to tell Zaon to go into the attack but stopped at the last second. Zaon didn¡¯t work well under pressure. I reminded myself that this wasn¡¯t my fight. Zaon needed to find his own pace.

    ¡°Use your skills, stupid boy!¡± Lord Nara yelled from the sideline.

    The Soldier hesitated. ¡°But, sir¡­¡±

    ¡°Forget about the plan!¡± Lord Nara slammed his hand against the weapons rack, making the wood crack. That was the hand of a high-level combatant, not a wealthy merchant.

    Mana surged through the Soldier¡¯s body.

    ¡°Careful, Zaon!¡± I yelled.

    The Soldier used [Quick Step], his body turning into a blur and closing the distance between him and Zaon in a blink. Mana swirled around his broad longsword and struck with a swift diagonal blow. Just as I had feared, The Soldier was also using a fortifying skill on his longsword.

    Zaon blocked near the hilt, but even the leverage advantage wasn¡¯t enough. The blow bowled Zaon¡¯s sword out of the way. Zaon stepped away, but the Soldier smelled blood in the water. The Soldier used [Quick Step] again, placing himself in Zaon¡¯s blind spot.

    Zaon raised his sword over his shoulder just in time to block the Soldier¡¯s attack. The weight of the enhanced weapon made Zaon stumble and fall to the ground. The crowd roared.

    ¡°Zaon! They train for power! We train for technique!¡± I yelled.

    The elven boy rolled away and jumped on his feet just as the Soldier rushed him. This time, however, Zaon didn¡¯t block. Instead, he dodged and moved his sword out of the way. The Soldier put too much force into the blow because his foot slipped over the loose ground. The enhanced sword was more difficult to control. Momentum was a jealous mistress.

    I smiled. Wolf¡¯s strength had taught Zaon that sometimes avoiding the opponent¡¯s blade was better than binding swords.

    It happened in an instant.

    The Soldier lost his foothold, and Zaon seized the opportunity. Zaon swung his sword and landed a clean strike on his opponent¡¯s head. Then, instead of retreating, Zaon pushed forward and landed a second blow before the Soldier could raise his sword. Even then, after two successful blows, Zaon pressed the attack, closing the distance between him and the Soldier and preventing his opponent from building momentum with his enchanted sword.

    I held my breath as the swords bound in an uncomfortable position. They were too close to one another. If Zaon retreated, he would be in a disadvantageous position. Instead, Zaon grabbed the opponent¡¯s blade and used his own sword as leverage. A violent pull, and a moment later, the Soldier¡¯s sword flew from his hands and fell on the dusty arena with a metallic clank.

    The crowd was completely silent. Out of nowhere, Zaon broke three barriers and disarmed his opponent. The Soldier retreated, raising his fists, but Zaon didn¡¯t perform a follow-up attack.

    The Soldier¡¯s sword lay behind Zaon. There was no way he could retrieve it without losing his remaining barriers.

    ¡°There will be no pauses between barrier breaks,¡± the Master of Ceremonies said, reminding the contestants. ¡°The fight must continue even if one of the contestants has been disarmed.¡±

    Zaon looked at me, breathing heavily under the padded jacket. His blonde hair stuck to his face, and a drop of sweat hung from his nose. I nodded.

    ¡°Pick it up,¡± Zaon muttered, lowering his sword and wiping the sweat from his eyebrows.

    ¡°What?¡± the Soldier asked. ¡°You know you could go for my remaining barriers, don¡¯t you? The rules said so.¡±

    ¡°I know, but I won¡¯t attack an unarmed opponent,¡± Zaon replied, picking up the sword and offering the handle to his opponent.

    The Soldier grabbed it and raised his guard. ¡°It would¡¯ve been better for your team if you won already. They will hate you for giving me a second chance.¡±

    Zaon shrugged his shoulders and adopted the alber guard, with the point of the sword low, pointing at his opponent¡¯s feet. A guard that invited the opponent to attack. The Soldier¡¯s strategy, however, changed. Instead of obeying Lord Nara¡¯s angered commands, he assumed a defensive stance and waited for Zaon to take the lead. Zaon was a defensive fighter, so I feared that attacking would open him up to a riposte.

    My fears were unfounded.

    Zaon pressed the attack, fluttering around the Soldier and attacking with quick strikes aimed at his hands. It wasn¡¯t the flashiest fight, but Zaon¡¯s strategy was effective; by not engaging in a blow exchange, Zaon always remained a step away from the Soldier¡¯s counterattacks. By ignoring Lord Nara¡¯s commands, the fight became more balanced.

    For each barrier broken by the Soldier, Zaon shattered two.

    The Soldier used his last reserves of mana Quick-Step and landed a heavy blow to Zaon¡¯s shoulder, but the elven boy brushed it off and countered with a diagonal slash that broke the Soldier¡¯s last barrier. Zaon jumped back and raised his sword but the match had ended. The Soldier raised his hands, recognizing his defeat and the crowd burst into applause, whistling and yelling.

    ¡°The fight is over!¡± The Master of Ceremonies announced. ¡°Zaon from Lowell¡¯s Orphanage wins, with seven barriers left!¡±

    An ovation came down from the stands.

    Zaon saluted his opponent stiff like a 70¡¯s movie robot and walked back to the pavilion.

    ¡°You forgot to greet the Prince, Zaon!¡± I yelled from the bench.

    The kid jumped in place, like a startled cat, and ran back toward the VIP box. He made a deep bow and crossed the arena, still running, until he reached the pavilion. The crowd¡¯s ovation had turned into a light-hearted laughter. It was hard not to love the kid.

    As soon as Zaon reached the pavilion, Firana caught him in a headlock.

    ¡°You dirty showoff! How dare you steal my crowd!¡± Firana grunted, letting him go.

    Zaon looked me straight in the eye, his shoulders trembling like a leaf and fear washing over his face. ¡°Did I win, right?¡±

    I had to stifle a laugh. ¡°Yes, Zaon. You did excellent work.¡±

    ¡°Thank God,¡± Zaon sighed, dropping to the bench and closing his eyes.

    Ilya, Wolf, and Firana swarmed Zaon, but the boy didn¡¯t want to do anything other than hide his head on the ground. I smiled. He needed a moment to process what had happened and to let the adrenaline evaporate.

    The weight in my chest was lifted. My teaching methods worked back on Earth, but until that moment, I was ignorant of their real effectiveness in this world. That feeling was no more. The small voice that told me I was nurturing false hopes in the hearts of the kids disappeared.

    I glanced across the pavilion. Lord Nara was chewing out Zaon¡¯s opponent. His face was red, and the veins in his forehead seemed about to burst. The pavilion was in a state of shock. Lords joined heads and whispered, casting swift glances in our direction. Even those who knew me from the feast couldn¡¯t help themselves but try to find answers to the same question. How did an orphaned, classless kid like Zaon beat a Lv.9 Soldier?

    I grinned. They would have to keep guessing.

    We didn¡¯t have time to rejoice in Zaon¡¯s triumph because the Master of Ceremonies called the next round.

    ¡°Contenders, please enter the arena,¡± the Master of Ceremonies said. ¡°Ilya the Hunter versus Arel Nara the Warrior!¡±

 120 - The little gnome that could

    The spectators continued cheering and whistling even minutes after the fight had come to an end. Zaon had caught the crowd by surprise. He was going to be the talk of Farcrest for the rest of the week. The perfect underdog, classless, orphaned, a bit awkward even, coming up victorious against the tyranny of levels. But that was only part of the picture. Zaon had demonstrated the vast difference in skills between him and a combatant nine levels ahead of him.

    The victory put us seven points ahead, but what mattered the most going forward was the three points Zaon had lost. Team Nara¡¯s Soldier might not be half as a competent fencer as Zaon but his proficiency with Quick-Step had given him three undisputed points. The Soldier knew when to use the skill to reap the most benefit, and I assumed all our opponents would be the same going forward.

    The more skills our opponents had, the harder it would be for the kids.

    ¡°Contenders, please enter the arena,¡± the Master of Ceremonies¡¯ voice echoed over the crowd¡¯s roar. ¡°Ilya the Hunter versus Arel Nara the Warrior!¡±

    Despite Zaon¡¯s victory, I couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. The Warrior class had a better skill pool than the Soldier class. Ilya grabbed my hand, cutting my musings short.

    ¡°Something wrong?¡±

    I examined her face, but she just gave me a nonchalant wink and pulled me to my feet.

    ¡°Play along,¡± Ilya muttered as we walked to the weapons rack holding hands. ¡°Act as if you are choosing a weapon for me. Give me the same sword as Zaon.¡±

    Ilya was trying to fool her opponent even before the match started.

    I played along and walked Ilya to the weapons rack like a father dragging his daughter to the dentist. She took the bit about ¡®all war is based on deception¡¯ too seriously, but I couldn¡¯t blame her. Ilya had to gather every slight advantage she could if she wanted a chance in a world of average-height people.

    Her act worked because Arel Nara seemed to smell her weakness as soon as we reached the weapons rack.

    ¡°Have you lost your bravado, little Gnome?¡± Arel Nara said as he casually grabbed an arming sword with a broad blade from the rack. The boy had the same vulpine expression as Lord Nara, but unlike his lord, his yellow and black fencing uniform revealed his strong arms and legs.

    Ilya cowered behind me without letting my hand go. The System should¡¯ve given her the Actress or Spy Class.

    ¡°Just what I thought,¡± Arel Nara laughed. He had grabbed a round shield and an arming sword. ¡°It seems I won¡¯t need this,¡± he added, leaving the shield back on the weapons rack and strolling into the arena with a carefree demeanor.

    Lord Nara, who until that moment was furious due to the first combat, seemed to relax after seeing Ilya cowering behind me.

    ¡°Your sword is longer than his, Ilya. Aim for his hands and feet, and don¡¯t let him close the distance. Don¡¯t let him disarm you,¡± I whispered as I put the slim longsword in Ilya¡¯s hand. ¡°And don¡¯t let him get under your skin.¡±

    Ilya grunted.

    ¡°I already know, Mister Clarke! I¡¯m used to having the reach disadvantage and to that sort of comment. I know how to fight against stronger opponents, and he isn¡¯t half of a trash talker as Holst was,¡± Ilya said with an evil smile. ¡°I got this.¡±

    ¡°Teach him a lesson,¡± I replied with a smile.

    Ilya nodded and gave me her best ¡®I¡¯m-on-the-verge-of-tears¡¯ face before turning around and walking to the center of the arena. Despite her tailor-made uniform and the longsword on her shoulder, Ilya looked completely out of place, like a small bird caught in a storm. With a shaky smile, she stood before Arel Nara, raised her chin, and squared her shoulders. I made a mental note telling her to keep her acting shenanigans to combat.

    I returned to the bench, avoiding Elincia¡¯s glance. The Fortifier applied the barriers around Ilya¡¯s body. As before, the work wasn¡¯t bad; it was just sloppy on the edges. The difference would be too subtle to catch for anyone without a good grasp of mana detection. Even if I complained now, the Fortifier could brush me off, but that didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t brewing a plan.

    ¡°She¡¯s using that technique, uh?¡± Firana said.

    ¡°What technique?¡± I asked, sitting on the bench and patting Zaon¡¯s shoulder. The boy leaned back with a towel on his face, still trying to control his accelerated heartbeat.

    ¡°Shu has been helping Ilya with her acting skills.¡±

    I massaged my temples, worried. The news wasn¡¯t at all surprising. I was already familiar with the little harpy shenanigans. Shu might already be a genius of manipulation at the young age of seven, but I didn¡¯t foresee the little harpy teaching her dark arts to others.

    Arel Nara greeted the crowd, his perfect smile reeking of overconfidence. Then, he walked to the Prince¡¯s box with sluggish movements and bowed deeply. Arel Nara might be a braggart, but not a complete fool. He deliberately stalled combat as much as possible while Ilya trembled like a leaf with her longsword tight against her chest.

    The Master of Ceremonies let the performance continue for a few seconds, unaware of the fact the battle had already started.

    ¡°Combatants, to the center!¡± He finally announced.

    Arel Nara strolled back to the center of the arena, mindlessly swinging his sword and stretching his shoulders. Ilya remained still.

    ¡°The fight will end when one of the participants runs out of barriers. There will be no pause between barrier breaks. If you want to give up, raise your hand,¡± the Master of Ceremonies repeated the rules, looking at Ilya. ¡°On guard!¡±

    Ilya imitated Zaon¡¯s guard, the pflug, not giving her opponent a single hint of the skills she had on her sleeve.

    ¡°Fight!¡±

    Ilya stepped forward and swung at Arel Nara¡¯s shin. The boy raised his leg out of the way and countered with a jumping attack that landed on Ilya¡¯s chest. The girl fell on her back, but instead of going for the following attack, Arel Nara turned his back to Ilya and riled up the crowd.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Ilya used her sword to stand up. When she raised her guard, Arel Nara spun around, pushing her sword to the side. Ilya answered with a choreographed thrust, but Arel Nara dodged with enough time to get to Ilya¡¯s side and deal a powerful blow with the pommel of his sword.

    Ilya slammed the ground again, her uniform and face covered in dust. The crowd was ruthless, cheering for the strongest warrior. The underdog concept didn¡¯t seem to exist in this world, which wasn¡¯t surprising considering that underdogs, lesser Classes, had marginal opportunities to win against a more powerful opponent.

    Ilya was two barriers down.

    ¡°You chose the wrong Class, Gnome. Your kind belongs to a workshop, not the battlefield.¡± Arel Nara taunted Ilya. ¡°I don¡¯t know what lies your Caretaker whispered in your ears, so let me be clear. You are falling short of the mark.¡±

    Ilya separated her feet and adopted the vom tag guard, angering her opponent.

    ¡°You asked for it,¡± Arel Nara grunted as a wave washed over the Warrior¡¯s body, and with a mighty cry, he cast a fortifying spell.

    Ilya assessed the situation instantly and channeled her power but didn¡¯t use any skill. She remained vigilant. Arel Nara performed a jumping thrust followed by a quick slash. Ilya parried the first attack and ducked in time to dodge the follow-up.

    The crowd yelled for blood, but Ilya used her longer blade to keep Arel Nara at bay, aiming at his hand instead of his body. It was a clever tactic. She not only had the reach advantage, but a longsword packed the power of both arms, unlike the arming sword used with a single hand. Arel Nara burned his mana trying to break Ilya¡¯s defense, but the girl was used to fighting against Wolf and Firana.

    Being the ¡®worst¡¯ student had its benefits. During sparring, Ilya always fought larger, stronger, or more skillful opponents, and she had developed a system to make up for the difference in body span. Ilya¡¯s defensive style was perfect for zoning out aggressive opponents. Moreover, Ilya was a smart fighter.

    Arel Nara burned his mana to get a hit, but Ilya defended like a porcupine. The more Arel Nara approached, the more chances he had of getting stung, and he wasn¡¯t willing to lose a single barrier against Ilya. Not taking a shield was costing him dearly. Longswords had a bad matchup against an arming sword paired with a shield.

    Arel Nara attacked once more, unleashing a flurry of strikes. Ilya retreated, dodging and blocking, but the fortifying spell wasn¡¯t in vain. Arel Nara pushed Ilya¡¯s sword aside and seized the opening on the girl¡¯s defense. With a quick step forward, he secured a clean slash across Ilya¡¯s chest. The girl tried to riposte, but he retreated before she could hit.

    Ilya was three barriers down and hadn¡¯t broken a single one yet.

    Arel Nara¡¯s assault was relentless, and Ilya was starting to breathe heavily; dust and sweat covered her, and even her stance was getting sloppy at times. Ilya was a more skilled fighter, but Arel Nara¡¯s stamina was superior; a prolonged fight would only benefit him.

    ¡°Not that good without a bow, are you?¡± Arel Nara taunted. ¡°What are you going to do? Cast Piercing Shot with a sword?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the one running out of mana,¡± Ilya spoke for the first time in the combat.

    Her words were a slap against Arel Nara¡¯s face, who instantly interrupted the fortifying skill.

    ¡°You need four times your mana for that skill to have any effect in this fight,¡± Ilya taunted him. ¡°You should try something else. Quick-step? Puncture, maybe? No? Even a Level 5 Soldier should have two or three skills at their disposal. Don¡¯t tell me you decided to participate in the tournament with a single skill, please.¡±

    Ilya¡¯s taunt worked. Despite being three barriers down, she had made Arel Nara work hard for them.

    ¡°You asked for it,¡± Arel Nara said, channeling mana around his sword.

    Ilya raised his guard, with the hilt of her sword at eye level and the point of the sword aiming forward. Ochs. She braced for the attack, but Arel Nara remained still. Then, he let the sword go, but it didn¡¯t fall. Instead, the sword floated by his side, pointing menacingly at Ilya.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a Soldier. I¡¯m a Warrior,¡± Arel Nara grunted.

    The sword flew in a straight line like a bullet, but Ilya blocked it. What she didn¡¯t expect was Arel Nara running forward. The boy channeled mana and cast Iron Skin around his leg as he threw a high kick. Ilya leaned back, dodging by millimeters, but before she could counter against her unarmed opponent, Arel Nara¡¯s sword flew back at her, stabbing her shoulder blade and breaking the fourth barrier.

    Arel Nara smirked.

    ¡°Your choice, getting kicked or stabbed,¡± he said. ¡°Forget that. For a Gnome, getting kicked might be more appropriate.¡±

    Ilya smirked back. ¡°That¡¯s it? If you have any hidden skill, I warn you, this might be the moment to use it.¡±

    The arming sword came back to life, spinning and circling Ilya, threatening to attack at any moment. Ilya remained impassive. She had prepared a plan. Mana surged from her chest, and just as the blade launched forward, a thick vine shot from the ground. The sword pierced the vine from side to side, but before Arel Nara could yank it back, the vine coiled around the blade like a boa constrictor.

    Arel Nara strengthened his body and made a run for the sword, but Ilya stood in his way.

    ¡°Did you lose something, idiot?¡± She grinned as she thrusted.

    Arel Nara cast Iron Skin and blocked Ilya¡¯s blade with his forearm. The skill shrouded his barriers, preventing them from breaking, but the girl didn¡¯t stop. She weaved a series of attacks and feints in a single fluid movement. Arel Nara retreated, casting Iron Skin around his arms and legs to block Ilya¡¯s blows. Each time Ilya swung the sword, a chunk of Arel¡¯s mana was blasted into the air until the signs of Mana Exhaustion started to show. Ilya ran him down, and the boy¡¯s movements became erratic.

    In a desperate last attempt to recover his sword, Arel Nara channeled all his remaining mana into the blade and tried to overpower Ilya¡¯s vine; however, the girl effortlessly countered with her much bigger reserves. Sword and vine fought, but in the end, the vine imprisoned the blade against the ground.

    ¡°Your choice, surrender or get stabbed by a Gnome,¡± Ilya mockingly said.

    [Awareness] brought Ilya¡¯s words to my ears. A quick lesson in sportsmanship might be needed, but I decided to leave it for later. Ilya was making a statement. Not only was she a competent fencer, but she was also an intelligent fighter. The best part: she only used a fraction of her power.

    Arel Nara gestured to raise his hand, but Ilya smacked it down with her sword before he could completely raise it: one barrier down, nine to go. Arel Nara opened her eyes in surprise. Ilya pressed the attack, breaking barrier after barrier until Arel Nara was left with only one. The spectators changed sides the moment the tides turned, roaring every time Ilya penetrated a barrier.

    Arel Nara was trapped against the arena wall.

    ¡°I care very little about what you say about me, but I will not tolerate any ill comments against Mister Clarke. Idiot.¡± Ilya said, lowering her sword. ¡°You have two options now. You can surrender or make a further fool of yourself trying to retrieve your sword.¡±

    It had been a while since one of my students made me blush.

    Arel Nara unenthusiastically raised his hand and returned to the pavilion with his head down before the Master of Ceremonies could announce his defeat. Ilya retrieved Arel Nara¡¯s sword, or rather made the vine do it for her, and walked to the Prince¡¯s box. She performed a gracious bow and saluted the spectators with an innocent smile. I couldn¡¯t decide if the crowd was happy for Ilya or gloating at Arel Nara¡¯s defeat.

    Among the seats of the high nobility, Ginz leaned over the handrail with half of his body outside the box. A member of the royal army frantically grabbed him by the belt to prevent him from falling into the arena. Ginz would¡¯ve made a great English hooligan if he had been born in London or its surroundings. I couldn¡¯t help but share the feeling, but my position required me to maintain a certain level of composure.

    Ilya skipped toward Ginz and high-fived him before returning to the pavilion.

 121 - Ilyad

    Ilya greeted the crowd one last time before entering the pavilion. A warm sensation I thought I had lost in the past filled my chest. It was the same old sensation I felt when a ¡°bad¡± student aced an assignment and slowly realized they weren¡¯t ¡°bad¡± students after all. Ilya hugged Elincia and gave Firana a self-satisfied look. The fact the spark of rivalry had kindled between them was a testament to Ilya¡¯s level as a combatant.

    I smiled. Ilya wasn¡¯t the same girl I had met six months before, but, at the same time, she wasn¡¯t diametrically different. Some kids needed to be pushed in the right direction, and others only needed to be given an opportunity to shine. Ilya was a hardworking leader even before I arrived at the orphanage. She only needed the chance to prove herself in the world of combatant Classes, and she aced it. Her fight was a masterclass in strategy, and I couldn¡¯t give myself credit for anything.

    ¡°You did great,¡± I said, but Ilya locked me in an embrace that almost crushed my lower ribs. The scene reminded me of when I scored my first goal in a soccer match. It wasn¡¯t an important match, but the memory had followed me since then.

    Ilya let me go, her smile almost touching her ears. ¡°I studied the Book of Classes. I had a contingency plan against the thirty most common Basic and a dozen Advanced Classes.¡±

    ¡°So, that¡¯s why you taunted him to show his skills?¡± I asked, surprised. I assumed Ilya was trying to get under his skin to mess with his focus.

    ¡°I needed to know where and how to use my vines, especially without showing how many times I can use them this early in the tournament,¡± Ilya replied with a mischievous smile as she sat on the bench.

    I looked over the weapons rack. Lord Nara was livid. Zaon scored a seven-point lead, and Ilya added another six. Our team was thirteen points ahead, with only two combats left. The chances of throwing away the bracket were slim but not zero. The previous match-ups favored us, but the Archer Class was a hard counter to Wolf despite not being the best Class.

    The Master of Ceremonies called the next fight, and Wolf stood up. The kids wished him good luck, and Elincia gave him the usual kiss on the forehead before we walked to the weapons rack to gear up. Wolf tested a broader longsword before going for an even broader one. He could easily control the heavy swords designed for high-level combatant Classes.

    ¡°This will be a hard fight, Wolf. Try to close the distance between you and your opponent as fast as possible. Archers have long-range skills that don¡¯t require a bow,¡± I said, glancing at Team Nara¡¯s Archer. He was testing a rapier while Lord Nara frantically whispered in his ear.

    Archers had a wide assortment of ranged skills that might not be strong enough against high-level monsters but useful in a duel against a classless half-orc. Wolf nodded. His calm demeanor was the perfect opposite of Zaon¡¯s.

    ¡°Risha gave us a lesson on fighting long-range classes while you were recovering. Even if I lose a couple of barriers, I might be able to get in melee in three or four seconds,¡± he said as he examined his sword. ¡°You don¡¯t bring a bow to a swordfight.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t bring a bow to a swordfight,¡± I replied.

    Across the arena, the Master of Ceremonies was exchanging a word with a small group of royal aides. I used [Awareness] to read his lips, but the man quickly covered his mouth with a hand. Despite our somewhat secure position under the protection of the royalist faction, I couldn¡¯t help but feel unease. A poor orphanage wasn¡¯t supposed to beat a team of nobleborns, even if it was a new arrival to House Osgiria.

    The conversation between the officials was going to take some time.

    ¡°Are you excited about returning home, Wolf?¡± I asked. The kids were far enough not to hear our conversation. Wolf hadn¡¯t announced his departure yet.

    ¡°I miss the mountains, but I don¡¯t know anymore,¡± he replied, glancing at the bench where Elincia and the girls tried to get Zaon to drink some water. ¡°Lately, I have been feeling more human than an orc. I have been watching the south and the east, away from the Farlands, wondering what is over there.¡±

    Orcs were the masters of the mountain and forest. They had developed a culture that perfected survival in the Farlands, refusing the boons of the System and carving a place with their own hands. Humans in this world were the opposite. They accepted the System and went wide, raising kingdoms and pushing the Farlands away from their inner cities, bending nature to their designs.

    ¡°Mother never talked about my father, but I listened to my aunts and uncles,¡± Risha said. It was the first or second time he had brought up his father in conversation. ¡°I think my father left the tribes to see the rest of the world. He was a Scholar, just like you, Mister Clarke. I might be just like him.¡±

    Samuel Byrne, the owner of the cabin that brought me to this world and Wolf¡¯s father, might still be alive. His journals pointed in that direction, and even the System Avatar confirmed that theory when we first met. Samuel Byrne had been offered the same Runeweaver powers as me, meaning he wouldn¡¯t be hard to find if he were alive. Whether I liked it or not, a crumb trail of powerful enchanted artifacts wouldn¡¯t be easy to hide.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk it over with Elincia after the tournament. We will have all our cards then. There¡¯s no need to rush a decision,¡± I said. ¡°And being curious about the world isn¡¯t a bad thing. Many great men and women have devoted their lives to push the boundaries of what was known.¡±

    Wolf gave me one of his unusual smiles. ¡°That¡¯s good wisdom.¡±

    The Master of Ceremonies stood in the middle of the arena and called forth the participants.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry if you end up behind on the scoreboard; just try to break as many barriers as possible,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to maintain our advantage,¡± Wolf replied, shouldering his sword and entering the arena.

    Team Nara¡¯s Archer wielded a long rapier and a dagger in his offhand. It was not a strange combination by any stretch of the imagination, but how he wielded the dagger was weird. Instead of the usual five-finger grip, he pressed the handle between his thumb and middle fingers while his index rested over the blade.

    The Master of Ceremonies cleared his throat and presented the combatants. After Zaon and Ilya¡¯s fights, the crowd slowly tilted in our favor. Still, cheering for a group of orphans over a lord tied to House Osgiria rubbed some spectators the wrong way. Wolf didn¡¯t seem to care one way or another. He rolled his shoulders, stretched his arms, and saluted when the Master of Ceremonies called his name.

    Across the arena, Ginz almost fell over the handrail of the VIP box again. Some nobles were uncomfortable with his display of excitement, and others seemed entertained by it. Even if the nobles would bar Ginz from the VIP box, he was a hell of a great hype man. I made a mental note to increase his allowance for exotic crafting materials.

    The combat was about to start. Lord Nara stopped unleashing his rage against Arel and focused on the arena. The idea of offering him the surrender crossed my mind, but I quickly discarded it. I had enough with the anti-loyalist faction and Kellaren Odrac-Aias breathing down my neck without another personal enemy. Small animals had to go unnoticed to survive against bigger predators, but I doubted we were doing a great job in the stealth department. We needed to demonstrate we could bite back.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°Fight!¡± The Master of Ceremonies yelled, his voice magically amplified.

    Wolf shot forward just as the Archer channeled mana around his feet and jumped back. [Dash] was a watered-down version of [Quick-step]. Instead of an almost instant step, [Dash] allowed the user to increase their speed for longer. The Archer retreated almost at the same speed Wolf charged. I cursed. At the current rate, Wolf would need more than three seconds to cover the distance between them, which left him open to ranged attacks.

    As soon as the [Dash] skill ended, the Archer¡¯s dagger gleamed with a bright white light. He planted his feet on the ground and threw a phantom dagger that hit Wolf between the eyes. A barrier broke, but Wolf didn¡¯t slow down or even blink. The Archer cursed and activated [Dash] to spring away from Wolf.

    The distance between them had shrunk, if only slightly.

    As [Dash] ended, the Archer summoned a phantom knife. He was using the dagger in his hand as a medium to aim the skill. That explained the weird hand grip. The Archer threw the dagger at the same spot between the eyes, but this time, Wolf was prepared. He raised his sword and blocked the phantom dagger with the hilt.

    Wolf saved a barrier and gained another meter before the Archer used [Dash] for the third time. Despite the rough match-up, Wolf had the best mindset for this kind of combat. Orc stoicism was the right state of mind for a battle of attrition. The mana pool of a Level 3 Archer wasn¡¯t deep enough to cast repeated dashes and phantom blades.

    The third blade hit Wolf¡¯s leg, and the fourth his shoulder. The barriers shattered like blue-tinted glass, turning into fine dust before the shards could touch the ground. The Archer continued with the barrage. He couldn¡¯t cast [Dash] and summon the phantom daggers simultaneously, so he had to stop between dashes to attack. Wolf gained meter after meter until the Archer had to parry Wolf¡¯s thrust instead of throwing a dagger.

    ¡°You got me,¡± the Archer panted, planting his feet on the ground and extending his rapier. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with you, orphans?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wolf asked, keeping his guard up.

    ¡°The blonde elf. He is classless, yet he has a Lv.3 [Longsword Mastery] at least,¡± the Archer said, jumping to the side and trying for a quick thrust against Wolf¡¯s hands that missed by a sliver. ¡°I can understand the System blessing some of their favorite subjects even before they get a Class, but Lv.3? That¡¯s outrageous.¡±

    Wolf stepped forward, but the Archer dissuaded him from advancing with the point of his rapier.

    ¡°Zaon wishes he had a Lv.3 [Longsword Mastery]. He¡¯s Lv.2,¡± Wolf said, circling his opponent. ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°I have Lv.1 [Fencing],¡± the Archer replied. ¡°And there¡¯s no way the blonde elf is only Lv.2 [Longsword Mastery]. I have seen enough low-level fighters in House Nara to recognize a Lv.2 mastery.¡±

    Wolf attempted a feint, but the rapier stopped him. Rapiers were one of the scariest swords to face; it was almost like facing a poisonous viper. The blade''s reach and the trust''s swiftness were hard to fight around.

    ¡°Wolf! Focus on thrusting work! Avoid cuts at all costs!¡± I yelled from the sideline. A longsword user had to adapt to the rapier technique; otherwise, parrying would have been virtually impossible.

    Wolf adopted the pflug guard, one foot in front, knees slightly bent, and arms extended forward. A broad blade might not have been the right choice for this matchup. Despite Wolf¡¯s strength, thrusting didn¡¯t require the most muscle but the quickest blade.

    The Archer took the lead and jumped forward, arm extended. Wolf parried and took a step back to avoid the sword''s tip. Wolf regained the lost ground, pushing forward, but his opponent swiftly retreated. Then, the dance repeated back and forth, both combatants trying to find an opening while avoiding any risky maneuvers. The frantic steps kicked up dust until it was hard to see what was happening in the arena.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t told me what level your mastery is,¡± the Archer said, spinning the knife in his hand and adopting a traditional grip.

    ¡°I told you Zaon¡¯s level, though,¡± Wolf replied, thrusting and retreating before the Archer could counter.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± the Archer shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll try to guess.¡±

    Wolf thrusted, and his opponent deflected to the side. Then, instead of retreating, Wolf pulled his sword back before the counter and hit the Archer¡¯s arm. The fight continued; Wolf and his opponent fought cautiously, moving back and forth, trying to find the slightest opening in their defenses. Elincia squeezed my hand. The balance could tilt in any direction.

    The Archer broke one of Wolf¡¯s barriers but got caught in the retreat by Wolf¡¯s afterblow. I smiled. When Wolf scored, he was able to get out, but when his opponent scored, Wolf was able to capitalize on the temporary opening in his opponent¡¯s defense.

    ¡°He¡¯s using the secret technique!¡± Zaon said, back into the world of the living.

    ¡°He¡¯s just fencing normally,¡± Firana replied.

    ¡°In a duel with points, his opponent might be awarded the point in the last exchange, but this isn¡¯t a duel with points,¡± Zaon explained. ¡°Your opponent¡¯s defenses are open when he attacks. If you manage to counter fast enough, you¡¯ll score a point every time your opponent scores one. It¡¯s basic fencing, really.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a stupid secret technique,¡± Ilya pointed out.

    ¡°If it''s stupid but works, it¡¯s not stupid,¡± Zaon replied.

    Elincia raised an eyebrow. My old instructors always told us to continue fighting until the referee called the stop, not when we felt the opponent touched us. Some hits didn¡¯t count as points due to their lack of strength. If both hits happened very close to each other, none counted as points. My old instructors might have been over-competitive, but the honor system was overridden when a referee was present.

    ¡°It¡¯s not against the rules,¡± I pointed out.

    Elincia audibly rolled her eyes.

    Wolf and the Archer had similar skill levels, but Wolf took advantage of his opponent''s attacks to score points on his own. Barrier after barrier, the difference in the scoreboard decreased. Wolf managed to put his strength to work by binding his blade to his opponent¡¯s and somewhat forcing certain angles of attack. When the Archer tried to dodge, Wolf followed, and if he was too slow, Wolf managed to break a barrier.

    By the end of the fight, Wolf had one last barrier, while the Archer had two. The crowd might not be as excited as during Ilya¡¯s fight due to the lack of flashy skills, but this was the cream of the crop for the fencers. Several lords were lively commenting on the combat in the pavilion.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m ready to guess your mastery level,¡± the Archer said, sweeping the sweat off his forehead. ¡°Lv.2 [Longsword Mastery].¡±

    ¡°Warm,¡± Wolf replied. He didn¡¯t show any signs of tiredness.

    ¡°Lv.1? No way. I¡¯m Lv.1 [Fencing], and you are way better than me,¡± a confused expression was drawn on the Archer¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯ll make a good Warrior or Fencer.¡±

    Wolf grinned. ¡°I¡¯m not getting a Class. My people don¡¯t deal with Corruption.¡±

    The Archer went from confusion to surprise. ¡°Fair enough. It was a good fight, though.¡±

    ¡°Are you surrendering?¡± Wolf tightened his grip, standing in the balls of his feet, ready to parry.

    ¡°To survive as a shitty Class, you have to keep a couple of tricks under your sleeve.¡±

    A silver mana arrow materialized a few meters to Wolf¡¯s right side. The boy raised his sword to protect himself, but the Archer lunged at the same time. The arrow never shot, but the Archer¡¯s rapier broke Wolf¡¯s last barrier. Wolf¡¯s eyes shot wide open, but couldn¡¯t react in time.

    ¡°The winner of the match is Jan the Archer!¡± The Master of Ceremonies announced.

    The Archer¡¯s legs faltered and fell to his knees, prey of Mana Depletion. Wolf grabbed him by the shoulders and helped him to stand up. Together, they walked to the VIP box and saluted Prince Adrien before returning to the pavilion. Members of Team Nara grabbed their companion, and Wolf returned to us.

    ¡°He Ilya¡¯d me. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Wolf said.

    ¡°I would¡¯ve avoided Mana Depletion, unlike that amateur,¡± Ilya replied, not happy at all with the comparison. ¡°You should¡¯ve left him eating dust.¡±

    ¡°If we want to get the support of the nobility, we can¡¯t go around smacking them,¡± Wolf replied.

    Ilya pouted and muttered something along the lines of ¡®I¡¯ll do it again¡¯.

    Before I could congratulate Wolf for his performance, Sir Janus barged into the pavilion.

 122 - Suspicion

    Sir Janus burst into the pavilion. He had ditched his elegant black Imperial Knight suit for his old grease-stained beige fencing uniform. His beard, previously neatly trimmed, now resembled its usual bird-nest unkempt style, hiding the gruesome scar on his neck. The tournament aides tried to intercept him, but Sir Janus bulldozed through them like a buffalo charging across a cornfield.

    ¡°Move aside. I¡¯m a damn Imperial Knight,¡± Janus grunted as another pair of aides moved to cut him out. He, indeed, didn¡¯t look like an Imperial Knight. In fact, he seemed pretty much intoxicated.

    Sir Janus effortlessly knocked over an empty bench as he stumbled through the pavilion. Even the Master of Ceremonies lost track of his words and turned around to see what was causing the commotion. I assumed Sir Janus was searching for Captain Kiln, but to my surprise, he approached me. Meanwhile, the Master of Ceremonies called the final fight¡ªFirana versus Belya Nara, the daughter of Lord Nara.

    Firana sprung to her feet and walked to the weapons rack.

    ¡°We need to talk, Scholar,¡± Sir Janus mumbled, putting his heavy hand over my shoulder before I could follow Firana. He was totally intoxicated.

    Considering Firana¡¯s confidence was through the roof and the fact we had already secured a victory in the bracket regardless of the outcome, I guessed she wouldn¡¯t miss the last-minute pep-talk.

    ¡°I have a moment,¡± I replied, then asked Ilya to check on Firana in my place. With a nod, Ilya approached the weapons rack, but Firana signaled her to return to the bench. Despite Firana¡¯s gesture, Ilya wrapped her arm around Firana¡¯s neck and whispered a few words in her ear.

    I wondered if it was a threat or advice. I hoped it was the latter.

    ¡°Come with me,¡± Janus slurred, guiding me outside the pavilion under the noble teams'' glances.

    We walked around the Great Hall, passing through a dim corridor into a small cobbled yard where the guardsmen exercised away from prying eyes. Janus looked around, making sure we were alone. Suddenly, any signs of intoxication vanished from his face. I couldn¡¯t help but notice he hadn¡¯t brought Captain Kiln along with us. If this impromptu meeting was due to the last attack on the orphanage, I expected her to be present.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I should be in the arena overseeing my team,¡± I said.

    ¡°Did you know Darius Holst has a Silence Hex?¡± Sir Janus whispered.

    The question caught me off guard. The only people who knew about the Hex were Elincia, Captain Kiln, and me. I hadn¡¯t expected Holst to be flaunting the mark around. I examined our surroundings. We were alone, and even the roaring sound of the crowd had vanished.

    ¡°I saw the hex engraved in his flesh,¡± I replied, but before I could ask any questions in return, Janus continued with his interrogation.

    ¡°Did you tell Izabeka about it?¡± Sir Janus¡¯ tone became more urgent by the second.

    ¡°Of course I did. Don¡¯t you find it alarming? There is someone out there who wants me dead. Captain Kiln might be the orphanage¡¯s only real lifeline,¡± I replied.

    Sir Janus stroked his beard as he walked from side to side in the corridor.

    ¡°Do you trust high-borns, Robert?¡±

    For a moment, I was unsure what to answer. I trusted nobles just enough to take their word at face value. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have negotiated our place in the tournament with the Marquis and Prince Adrien.

    ¡°Captain Kiln wouldn¡¯t betray us,¡± I cautiously replied. I couldn¡¯t say the same of the Prince or the Marquis with complete certainty.

    Sir Janus nodded as if he vaguely agreed. His questions, however, were starting to make me nervous.

    ¡°Izabeka might be one of the few nobles with a little bit of honor left, but she is loyal to the marquisate,¡± Janus said in a hushed voice. He glanced around once more before continuing. ¡°I need your help, Robert. I think you and I might be standing on a snare.¡±

    I shook my head, puzzled by Janus¡¯ words. The orphanage enjoyed the royal family''s support, and the Marquis had even offered me a title if I won the tournament. We even had Risha and Astrid back at the manor protecting the kids. The orphanage couldn¡¯t be in a better position.

    Did all this have to do with the last attack on the orphanage? At first glance, the operation didn¡¯t seem orchestrated by someone closely connected to the high ranks of the nobility; the attackers were too weak and too sloppy. Even the Marquis had access to several level 40 warriors within the Guard and the Sentinels, and he was a low-ranking noble in the grand scheme of the kingdom.

    ¡°What does Holst¡¯s Silence Hex have to do with anything?¡± I asked, trying to unravel Janus¡¯ words.

    He shook his head, disappointed.

    ¡°Come on, Scholar, use your brain. Silence Hex is a high-level spell. Historically, nobles have used it after ordering their subordinates to commit unlawful acts, to clean their tracks,¡± Janus explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°I think the Marquis put the Silence Hex on Holst. Izabeka isn¡¯t stupid; she will connect the dots and realize that whatever Holst did, the Marquis ordered it.¡±

    An indirect order. The Marquis couldn¡¯t tell Captain Kiln that he had ordered Holst to attack the orphanage, but she could deduce it via the Silence Hex. For better or worse, loyalty was Captain Kiln''s most important trait, and her allegiance to the marquisate went further back than her friendship with the orphanage. The Kiln, Holst, and Abei families had roots in Farcrest since its foundation. It wasn¡¯t just blood that bound the families; it was history itself.

    ¡°Why are you telling me this now? Do you think Captain Kiln is going to betray us?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Captain Kiln would betray us. I think we are stepping on a trap, and if she realized it, she might be too loyal to warn us,¡± Janus said.

    His words weighed on my shoulders.

    ¡°Listen, Scholar. We are in the eye of the storm, but no matter what happens with the Farlands campaign or the new trade routes, nobles will still have to deal with each other. We, the lowly commoners, are expendable.¡±

    A tale as old as history.

    Suddenly, Janus surrounded himself with black mana and disappeared. Shadow Step. I looked around, but he was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°I¡¯m good at sneaking into places, hearing things. It has helped me navigate nobility affairs since I got my Advanced Class,¡± Janus said, standing a few meters behind me. ¡°I believe Kellaren Odrac-Aias has been working with the Marquis all this time. The Aias family has been a vassal to the Marquis of Farcrest for three generations, and I don¡¯t see Tauron letting that bond disappear. Too much wasted military power. If Kellaren proves to be a better investment than we are, our position in Farcrest hangs by a thread.¡±

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°But Kellaren is working with Lord Osgiria,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°And what makes you think the Marquis isn¡¯t playing both sides?¡± Janus interrupted me. ¡°If the Farlands campaign succeeds and a path into the Kingdom of Tagabiria opens, new commercial routes will appear. Farcrest will be the most important city in the kingdom, but it can be more. The Marquis could be happy and benefit from tariffs¡­ or he could assemble his own routes. And who is the most capable person to establish those routes?¡±

    ¡°Lord Osgiria,¡± I muttered. The man had the knowledge, the contacts, and the supplies to establish and monopolize the new trade routes. The Osgirians had already done that once by controlling the southern frontier.

    Janus¡¯ suspicions made sense. Even Captain Kiln admitted that a Silence Hex was a high-level spell, but at the same time, its mere presence was a powerful indicator that someone wanted to keep a secret. Captain Kiln¡¯s assurance that the Marquis wasn¡¯t a tyrant but a pragmatic person seemed weaker now. I had been inclined to believe Kellaren was behind all the incidents the orphanage had suffered, but Captain Kiln might not have been aware of his relationship with the Marquis.

    ¡°I¡¯m still not sure the Marquis is working with the Osgirians. That would be high treason against the royalist faction,¡± I said.

    Other than a vague plausibility, Janus¡¯ theory had many holes.

    ¡°The last attack on the orphanage didn¡¯t make sense,¡± I added. The Marquis was gaining popularity with the royalist faction because of me and the orphanage. Even now, we are beating Team Nara into the ground. So far, Prince Adrien seemed satisfied with my performance, which reflects well on the Marquis. Why would the Marquis risk all he had already accomplished with the royal faction?

    Janus nodded. ¡°It didn¡¯t make sense until I found the missing link. Firana,¡± he said, lowering his voice.

    A shiver ran down my spine.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± I asked.

    Far away, the crowd roared. The fight had started.

    ¡°Kellaren needs Firana to rebuild the Aias Mercenaries and bring them back to their old numbers, and you are the only one anchoring her to the orphanage,¡± Janus said. ¡°The Marquis tried to sabotage the orphanage for fodder for the royal army before. Now, he might be the one trying to kill you. He needs to sever the bond between Firana and the orphanage. If Firana takes charge of the Aias Mercenaries, the Marquis will have enough loyal and experienced manpower to escort huge caravans at a very low price before anyone else.¡±

    It made sense. Early investors always get the best returns. The Marquis controlled the Farlands with the Sentinels and defended the city with the Guard, but he lacked an armed wing to operate outside the frontiers of Farcrest. The new path between Ebros and the Kingdom of Tagabiria would change the inner politics of the kingdom forever, and I didn¡¯t doubt everyone wanted to take their part. The Marquis had been preparing the ground for the big moment for years, and he could turn his back on the royal faction if that benefited Farcrest the most.

    There was only one piece missing in Janus'' story.

    ¡°How does this affect you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Before the old Marquis picked me up, I was a street rat when Farcrest was a hellhole where criminals were sent to die, Robert. A bunch of newcomers will not want what I have built for myself,¡± Janus grunted. ¡°We can¡¯t touch the Marquis, but if we break the link between him and the Osgirian dogs, we will put him in a position that favors us.¡±

    Whether Janus was right in his assessment of the political situation or not, getting Kellaren out of the picture sounded like a win-win situation. Despite Kellaren being closely related to a series of crimes against royal troops, Captain Kiln¡¯s investigation wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Janus seemed like the kind of man who didn¡¯t care about working outside the law.

    ¡°Do you have anything we can use against Kellaren?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Just fragments of conversations and circumstantial evidence, I¡¯m not going to lie. But I believe Kellaren holds receipts of all the shady business he had conducted since the death of the Aias leadership,¡± Janus smiled. ¡°If we find those ledgers and letters, we could sever the tie between the Marquis and the Osgirians and strengthen the alliance between him and the royal faction.¡±

    So far, our survival strategy has been preparing our defenses and hoping for the best, but that will not work forever. It would only take one word from a powerful lord to wipe the orphanage out of existence. It might be time to take the offensive.

    The crowd roared again.

    ¡°I need proof,¡± I said.

    ¡°I only have my word. It¡¯s not like I can record conversations,¡± Sir Janus replied, looking around and lowering his voice until it was a little more than a whisper. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to believe me; frankly, I might be wrong. I hope I¡¯m wrong. But if my suspicion is right, we are in big trouble. Look, Robert, I¡¯m not asking you to betray the Marquis. I¡¯m just asking for your help to expose Kerallen.¡±

    I nodded. It seemed fair enough.

    ¡°I assume we are infiltrating the Odrac-Aias stronghold?¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes, we are infiltrating Kellaren¡¯s manor in the Southern District. The tournament is the perfect distraction. We should wait for further rounds when the stakes are higher, and the matches are more exciting. I will let you know,¡± Sir Janus said, turning around and walking towards the Great Hall. I did the same but in the opposite direction.

    Before I could turn the corner, Sir Janus stopped me.

    ¡°And tell the Aias kid not to show off. The better she performs the juicier the target she will be for Kellaren,¡± he said.

    That would be difficult.

    The situation remained almost the same. As long as I was useful for the royalist faction, the orphanage would be safe. However, I didn¡¯t expect the Marquis to be flirting with the opposite side, considering how close he was to the Prince. What worried me was Firana. Whether she liked it or not, she was an essential political piece on the board.

    I hoped Janus¡¯ was wrong, but at the same time, I knew it was a vain hope.

    I returned to the pavilion just to find the crowd going wild.

    A sandstone spike emerged from the ground, but Firana jumped out of the way, putting on an acrobatic show and falling light as a feather. Dozens of sandstone spikes and columns emerged from the ground. Stone debris was scattered around the arena as if a giant had decided to topple part of the Great Hall.

    Belya Nara kicked the ground, sending a two-meter solid sandstone wave toward Firana. The ground undulated under Firana¡¯s feet, but with the help of [Windrider], she jumped over the stone wave and used the sandstone spikes to propel herself toward Belya.

    The crowd roared.

    Belya raised her mace and blocked Firana¡¯s shortsword before unleashing a whirlwind of sand. Firana retreated to avoid the sand and waited until the spell lost power to lunge again. A slab of stone stood where Belya was a moment earlier. Firana stopped in her tracks, but the stone slab crumbled, revealing Belya¡¯s mace. The surprise attack almost got Firana, but the girl contorted in a seemingly impossible movement and cartwheeled out of reach.

    ¡°What¡¯s the score?¡± I asked as I sat on the bench between Elincia and Wolf. Ilya was standing on the edge of the arena, yelling instructions. She reminded me of the soccer coaches from the big European leagues.

    Elincia instinctively searched for my hand; her¡¯s was sweaty.

    ¡°Five barriers down each. Belya Nara is surprisingly talented. She hasn¡¯t stopped casting skills since the start of the combat,¡± Zaon replied, his eyes glued to the combat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let Ilya and Firana know you compliment other girls,¡± Wolf joked.

    Zaon shuddered and focused back on the combat.

    Firana circled Belya, looking for an opening, but the Nara girl was comfortable controlling the center of the arena where the sandstone spikes were sparser. Firana was forced to slither between the sandstone spikes, one eye on Belya and the other on her surroundings. Then, she disappeared. Belya Nara looked around, but Firana wasn¡¯t behind the sandstone spikes anymore.

    The nobles in the VIP box stood against the rail guard, burying Ginz in a sea of taller and more muscular bodies.

    Belya Nara looked up and summoned her defensive sand in a whirlwind, but Firana used Aerokinesis to disturb the spell before it could gather enough force. Firana landed feet first on Belya¡¯s shoulders, sending her to the ground. The barriers around her body protected her from the impact, but Firana seized the moment to slash one of her barriers. Belya cushioned her fall, turning the ground into fluid sand, and swung her rock-covered mace, but  Firana effortlessly pushed off her back and repositioned.

    ¡°Blind her! Stick her with the pointy end!¡± Ilya yelled from the sideline.

    ¡°You got it, boss!¡± Firana yelled back as she cast Aerokinesis with her foot and kicked a substantial amount of sand at Belya¡¯s face.

 123 - Results

    A thunderous roar reverberated through the sandstone stands, and the duel arena seemed about to explode. If Ilya, Zaon, and Wolf had sparked the crowd¡¯s interest, Firana brought them to the edge of ecstasy. The exchange of wind and stone spells had everyone on the edge of their seats. Firana jumped through the air using [Windrider] to use thin air as solid surfaces and dodge the barrage of stones. For a moment, I forgot about the Skills and the limitations imposed by the System. All I saw was two magicians using up to their last trick to get the upper hand.

    Firana landed and used [Windrider] to jump away from the stone spike emerging under her feet. She performed a backflip and landed softly, barely raising any dust, outside Belya¡¯s range. The synergy between her skills was surprising, considering she had only one week to grow accustomed to them. Sure, the System assisted the usage of skills, but Firana¡¯s movements were well beyond the basics.

    Belya used her Geomancer skills to shoot a swift stone missile. Firana dodged, and the projectile crashed against the protective barrier along the arena''s edges. The crowd ducked, but the barrier remained unscathed. Firana ignored the crowd¡¯s complaints and darted forward, zigzagging between the stone spikes scattered over the arena, but before she could approach enough, Belya hid in another sandstorm.

    Firana hesitated. The sandstorm obscured what happened on the other side, and getting close would have been risky. Suddenly, a stone missile shot through the wall of sand, hitting Firana directly in the chest. The crowd cheered as Firana hit the ground but quickly rolled away as a series of projectiles emerged from the sandstorm. She dodged, jumping between the stone spikes and using [Aerokinesis] and [Windrider] to change her direction mid-flight. The stone bullets crashed against the barrier, prompting a roar from the crowd.

    The sandstorm subsided, revealing Belya standing in the eye of the storm.

    I had to swallow my words. Advanced Classes were in a completely different league, even at lower levels. The strict hierarchy of this world made even more sense now. Belya and Firana had started the race well ahead of the rest and had a greater potential to develop down the way. At this rate, we would have to fight tooth and nail to carve our way to the finals.

    ¡°Focus, dammit!¡± Ilya yelled from the sideline.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing my best! I can¡¯t attack the sandstorm without going blind!¡± Firana replied, using the brief pause to catch her breath.

    ¡°It only lasts fifteen seconds, you airhead!¡± Ilya yelled.

    Firana wiped the sweat from her forehead and pressed the attack. Belya raised her stone-crowned mace, seemingly weightless in her hand, and he blocked Firana''s attack. The girl stepped back before the boulder could hit her barriers. The exchange was fast. Firana pressed the offensive to prevent Belya from casting her skills but had to keep her distance to avoid the mace. The fight was tight. Belya understood close-quarter combat well and was skilled enough to keep Firana at bay.

    Across the pavilion, Lord Nara covered his face with both hands, defeated. The bracket had already been decided in the previous combat, but that didn¡¯t hinder the crowd¡¯s excitement. Even the other members of Team Nara stood by the edge of the arena, cheering for her teammate. I had been so focused on the court¡¯s schemes that I had forgotten an essential aspect of the tournament. They were kids showing their recently obtained skills.

    The common folk rarely saw combatants using their skills. Not in a safe environment, at least. Unlike back on Earth, there weren¡¯t hundreds of shows all year round in Farcrest. The tournament would bolster the Marquis and the Prince¡¯s reputation in the surrounding area.

    I wondered how much protection the people¡¯s approval would give us against the Marquis if Sir Janus was right and the Marquis plotted with Kellaren and the Osgirians. There was a reason why the Marquis and the Prince invited commoners, and I thought it had to do with the soft power of the masses. Governors required civil peace to rule over an area, which meant the love of the people could serve as a shield against the Marquis.

    I made a mental note to consult with Elincia later. Maybe we could abuse the Alchemists Guild monopoly over potions to gain the hearts of the citizens of Farcrest.

    ¡°You are doing great, Firana!¡± I yelled from the bench, pushing my worries aside and focusing on the combat. Not everything was political agenda. My kids were taking their first steps into the world of adults, and they were doing great.

    Firana turned around and waved at me just to take a big stone projectile directly to the head.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t distract Firana. I¡¯m trying to make her win,¡± Ilya grumbled, giving me a stern look.

    Even Belya seemed worried about Firana because she dropped the flying boulder she was preparing, which gave her a moment to recompose. Luckily, the barrier had absorbed the impact. A moment later, Firana raised her guard, and Belya used geomancy to shower her with a wave of sand. Firana used aerokinesis to disperse the attack. Then, without warning, she jumped and attacked from above, taking Belya by surprise and equalizing the score.

    Elincia snuggled up next to me with a broad smile on her face.

    ¡°Did you expect a better performance?¡± I jokingly asked.

    ¡°I have to stop doubting you, Scholar,¡± Elincia replied near my ear. ¡°This is like a dream come true. Ilya got her dream class. Wolf is getting along with the other kids. Zaon is a great swordsman. Firana is happy.¡±

    I nodded, but even a dream could turn into a nightmare in a blink. I tried not to think about that and enjoy the show.

    ¡°I could go without Astrid and Risha, but nothing is perfect,¡± Elincia added with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°Be grateful they are holding the fort for us, or Nasiah would have to do it,¡± I joked back.

    Elincia grinned and focused on the fight. Firana had scored a clean hit with her sword and was now focused on dodging the mace. Belya couldn¡¯t cast more than one skill simultaneously, which gave Firana enough time to react. Either she summoned a sandstone spike, swung her mace, threw a projectile, or created a small sandstorm around her.

    Belya used her mace to kick a hail of stone fragments over Firana, but instead of dodging, she endured the attack and slashed Belya¡¯s chest. Both girls breathed heavily, barely holding to their weapons. There was a reason why rounds in boxing lasted only three minutes. Fighting drained stamina at an alarming speed.

    Firana smiled, and Belya grinned back; both were having a great time.

    ¡°How much more mana do you have?!¡± Firana grunted.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°Enough,¡± Belya replied with a smile, but the stones that wrapped her weapon slipped through the metallic surface, revealing an arming sword similar to Firana¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ll show you my titles later. My father told me I should reach level nine before the tournament, but I really needed that juicy [Geode Hunter] title.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you are a rock nerd. There¡¯s no way a normal person has so much mana,¡± Firana sighed.

    ¡°Minerals, they are minerals,¡± Belya replied.

    Firana rolled her eyes. In response, Belya dipped her sword in the ground and pulled it out covered in rocks. The stone spikes that hindered Firana¡¯s movement now created a cage around the girls and prevented Belya from retreating. The mana reserves of both girls were dangerously low. From that point on, every skill mattered, and even the slightest mistake could mean defeat.

    Firana attacked, but Belya¡¯s close-quarter defense was as good as her channeling skills. She made up for her lack of finesse with the sheer volume of the mace. In a normal fight, that weapon could split open the head of an armored soldier with a single well-aimed strike. Firana didn¡¯t seem concerned. She dodged by millimeters, trying to maximize her offensive options.

    Belya¡¯s style wasn¡¯t a secret. She attacked with her skills and defended with the stone mace. Her movements were predictable, but Firana didn¡¯t notice the patterns. Ilya almost pulled her hair by the sideline, trying to assist Firana. After a tight exchange, both girls ended up with their last barrier.

    ¡°Sandstorm!¡± Ilya yelled an instant before the whirlwind started forming around her feet.

    Firana shot a wind blow with her free hand. The skill was disturbed, but Belya smashed the ground with her mace, unleashing a rain of debris on Firana. She instinctively covered her face, although the barrier blocked any hit against her. The pebbles didn¡¯t have enough force to shatter it. Belya seized the lapse in Firana¡¯s guard and swung her mace.

    Firana grinned. It was a feint. Channeling the little mana she had left, Firana jumped over Belya¡¯s head, letting the mace cut through thin air.

    The crowd held its breath.

    Firana found support on Belya¡¯s shoulders and shifted mid-air to dive feet first directly against Belya¡¯s legs. Both girls rolled on the dirt, mace, and sword lost in the chaos. Firana tried to push Belya against the ground, but the girl wrapped her legs around Firana¡¯s abdomen, avoiding submission. The struggle continued, but none scored the upper hand. Their punches were too weak to break the barrier.

    ¡°I told you not to lose your sword! Goddamit! How many times?!¡± Ilya yelled.

    ¡°They look like a couple of drunks,¡± Wolf pointed out, but he was kind of a purist of unarmed combat.

    At least the crowd was down for a good brawl.

    Belya used her geomancy to recall her mace, but Firana caught her wrist before she could swing. Then, Belya dipped her free hand to the ground only to pull it out surrounded by stone. The crowd cheered despite the dust cloud obscuring the view. Firana dodged the blow aimed at her head and caught Belya¡¯s wrist, pushing it against the ground.

    Firana managed to push Belya down, but there was a stalemate. The moment Firana let go, Belya would attack with her mace or stone-covered arm. No matter how hard she tried to break free, Firana pinned her down with her arms above her head.

    ¡°Unless you want to try to break the barrier with a headbutt, I think this is a tie,¡± Belya panted.

    ¡°I can get away before you can swing,¡± Firana replied, breathing heavily.

    Both their faces were covered in sweat and dust.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have enough mana,¡± Belya grinned.

    Firana closed her eyes and focused, but her last strands of mana weren¡¯t enough to cast any spell.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to tie against a minerals nerd,¡± Firana sighed.

    ¡°If you give minerals a chance, I¡¯m sure you would like them. Geodes are very cool.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what a geode is¡­ but I guess it''s a tie.¡±

    Firana rolled away, letting Belya free, her chest going up and down as she tried to catch her breath. None of the girls moved, and the Master of Ceremonies had to approach to ensure they weren¡¯t continuing the fight.

    ¡°Fight is over! It¡¯s a tie!¡± The man announced with his magically amplified voice.

    Lord Nara exited the pavilion in a rage, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention. We had done it. Ilya, Wolf, and Zaon entered the arena and lifted Firana from the ground, trapping her in a tight group hug. Despite Lord Nara¡¯s absence, the rest of his team also entered the arena to congratulate our kids. Even the Warrior who had trash-talked Ilya was humble enough to acknowledge his defeat.

    Belya rummaged through her pockets and pulled out half a dozen geodes of rainbow colors.

    ¡°Kids surely make friends easily,¡± Elincia said as I offered her my arm.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I was a sore loser and a bad winner. If I were Ilya, I would be mocking them,¡± she replied, and I couldn¡¯t tell if she was joking or talking seriously.

    I guided Elincia into the arena as the Master of Ceremonies announced our victory. We were eleven points ahead of Team Nara despite half of our team being classless, and I couldn¡¯t be happier. The performance proved to the kids that their hard work bore fruit and reassured me that my teaching method was effective. All those months of hard work and those sleepless nights were worth it.

    ¡°Those were great fights, kids. I¡¯m very proud,¡± I said as Firana jumped into my arms with a wide smile.

    Even Zaon seemed to start accepting the fact we had won.

    We formed in the middle of the arena and saluted the crowd, my team to my left and Team Nara to my right. The crowd cheered, and I noticed a few chanted Firana¡¯s name. That wasn¡¯t going to be good for her ego. The Master of Ceremonies announced the next fight would take place after a short intermission.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go with them?¡± Elincia asked as the kids turned around and entered the pavilion.

    ¡°We flex now,¡± I replied, walking in the opposite direction.

    We crossed the arena, Elinica in her blue dress holding onto my arm until we reached the VIP box. Prince Adrien was waiting for us with a satisfied smile on his face. He moved his gold and green cape out of the way and leaned over the handrail to greet us. Everyone had to know this was a victory of the royalist faction.

    ¡°I hope our performance pleased Your Majesty,¡± I greeted with a bow. Despite how casual Prince Adrien was in private, we were on a social instance. Elincia did a graceful curtsy by my side, keeping her head low.

    [Awareness] informed me the other nobles in the VIP box lowered their voices to overhear our conversation.

    ¡°I am surprised, Robert, Elincia. I didn¡¯t believe there was such talent at Lowell¡¯s Orphanage,¡± the Prince laughed. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if I can say I¡¯m surprised after seeing your titles. Osgirians have a long way to go to procure Scholars of your experience.¡±

    I bowed, accepting the compliment, but I couldn''t overlook that he had used ¡®Lowell¡¯s Orphanage¡¯ instead of ¡®Rosebud Fencing Academy¡¯. After all, being beaten by a group of orphans was way more shameful than being defeated by an established fencing academy. I wondered if the Prince was behind the sudden change of name. I knew him well enough to know he would¡¯ve thought about that. The benefits were great, and the costs were minimal.

    After hearing Sir Janus¡¯ suspicions, I saw enemies behind every shadow.

    ¡°Some say Firana Aias is your best student, but I¡¯m more interested in Zaon. I see Imperial Knight material in him,¡± Prince Adrien said, causing a stir in the VIP box. ¡°How long until he gets his class?¡±

    The Prince¡¯s words caught me by surprise. I truly believed Zaon had unmatched bravery; he had jumped to the fight when the thieves attacked me, but I didn¡¯t expect others to look past his timid personality after only one fight.

    ¡°By the end of the week, Your Majesty,¡± I said.

    ¡°That is excellent news,¡± Prince Adrien said, lowering his voice. ¡°From now on, the competition will be harsh. You better prepare, Robert Clarke.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but read a second message between the lines.

 124 - Imperial Cadets

    Elincia and I watched the rest of the first round of eliminations from the comfort of a padded seat next to Prince Adrien''s throne. In front of us, and hidden from the spectators beneath us, there was a board full of the most exotic delicacies: grilled meats, bowls of fragrant nuts and dried fruits, fish cubes floating in different sauces, small roasted birds, steaming loaves of bread, and bowls of fresh fruit. A servant handed me a small plate with an even smaller metallic toothpick. I was at a loss for a moment, but Elincia poked a piece of meat with the little toothpick and brought it to her mouth, shielding her dress with the small plate.

    I imitated her. Despite being the Governess in a town far from important urban centers, Elincia was a master of table manners. Mister Lowell had prepared the orphans to rub shoulders with the upper ranks of Farcrest society, so they knew how to handle themselves in a situation like this. I pinched a piece of grilled meat, and a wave of familiar flavors hit me.

    I must¡¯ve put a face on because Prince Adrien laughed.

    ¡°Surprisingly good or surprisingly bad? Which one is it? ¡± Prince Adrien raised his cup of wine¡ªa shiny silver cup with golden decorations.

    ¡°It¡¯s good, perfect. It just reminded me of my homeland,¡± I said, appealing to [Awareness] to help me distinguish each flavor. It wasn¡¯t a tall order, but I didn¡¯t want to fumble my words in front of the prince. ¡°Salt, black pepper, rosemary, and a hint of oregano and turmeric, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±

    Prince Adrien looked at the old sommelier out of the corner of his eye, and the man returned a barely noticeable nod. I couldn¡¯t help but feel as if Prince Adrien was sizing me up in some unspoken way.

    ¡°Have you ever tasted black pepper and turmeric, Miss Governess?¡± Prince Adrien asked. His exchange with the sommelier passed almost unnoticed as the timing of the conversation was barely interrupted.

    Elincia shook her head. ¡°Black pepper is too expensive for a commoner to buy. Even wealthy merchants only buy it for commerce. It¡¯s my first time hearing about turmeric. I think I can taste it, though. The food is delicious.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pleased to hear that the food has met your expectations,¡± Prince Adrien said, picking a second piece of meat.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel I wasn¡¯t off the hook yet.

    ¡°You are an interesting fellow, Robert. For a caretaker, you have quite the palate. You don¡¯t seem used to interacting with nobility, yet you have better manners than some people in this room,¡± the Prince said, glancing at an old baron who stuffed his little plate with a leaning tower of fish and sauce. ¡°When Tauron told me about a local orphanage with enough kids of age to participate in the tournament, I expected something different, Robert. Farcrest is a tiny Skeeth pen for someone like you, no offense,¡± he added, looking at Elincia.

    ¡°No offense taken. I have avoided telling Rob how much he clashes with the environment here so he wouldn¡¯t flee to the capital,¡± Elincia pointed out with a polite bow. She carried on the conversation surprisingly well for someone with the [Bad Reputation] title.

    Prince Adrien laughed, although anyone could interpret his words as an invitation to work in the capital. I wondered if he still wanted me to be his Spymaster.

    ¡°I appreciate the compliment, Prince Adrien, but I don¡¯t understand why are you telling me this,¡± I threaded carefully.

    Prince Adrien hadn¡¯t offered me a deal without running a background check. He knew I was from far away, and I had landed in this place after a portal incident. That was why Prince Adrien decided to employ me; I lacked any allegiance other than to the orphanage. He knew, however, that I desired to remain at the orphanage.

    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not trying to poach you,¡± Prince Adrien laughed between sips of wine. ¡°Contrary to all the rumors and whispers, I didn¡¯t kill my brothers and uncles. Before becoming the heir, I was just the middle child of a powerful family, which meant I got the privilege to travel the continent, visit faraway lands, and meet interesting people. Listening to stories is kind of a hobby of mine, but after traveling so much, it is hard to find new ones. People are more similar than we want to admit.¡±

    I somewhat agreed with Prince Adrien. I hadn¡¯t kept track of how many times one of my students showed me a video of their orange cat causing feline mischief, but it was more than I could count with my hands. Yet every one of my students was unique.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your story?¡± Prince Adrien asked, glancing across the arena to the pavilion where my kids chatted with Team Nara and Istvan Kiln.

    ¡°I was an educator before arriving in Farcrest, so it only seemed logical to continue teaching on this side of the portal. Chance wanted me to meet Elincia before I could learn about the Imperial Library,¡± I said.

    Prince Adrien nodded as Lord Herran''s illegitimate sons and daughters comfortably beat a small team from the Jorn Dukedom. I naively believed our team would have the best point difference, but I was wrong. Team Herran scored fifteen points over their four matches.

    Prince Adrien gave a half-hearted applause after the Master of Ceremonies announced the end of the fight. He seemed more interested in my story because he turned around on his throne to face me as soon as the ceremony ended.

    ¡°Interesting. You knew about the Imperial Library, yet you decided to stay here. Any other Scholar of your capabilities would have decided to go to the Library and pursue a Prestige Class like Sage, Tactician, or Tinkerer,¡± Prince Adrien scratched his face with a pensive expression. ¡°Considering your decision to stay and the number of titles you have, I can only assume there must be schools for commoners with a sizable number of students in your homeland.¡±

    Prince Adrien''s assumptions hit the nail on the head, which was strange considering the kingdom''s educational philosophy: find the natural talent and have them level up as much as humanly possible. There was a reason why Holst paid so much attention to Firana but barred Ilya from attending his classes. Firana had the traits, the surname, and the natural disposition towards fencing. Those three characteristics were passed on to her by her family. In comparison, Ilya¡¯s talents didn¡¯t appear in her Character Sheet, so Holst hadn¡¯t bothered looking for them.

    ¡°Am I correct?¡± Prince Adrien asked.

    ¡°Y-yes. We have schools for citizens with hundreds of students,¡± I replied, not using ¡®thousands¡¯ to avoid revealing the city''s actual size.

    Prince Adrien smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad your nation is nowhere near my domain.¡±

    Public education required tons of resources and logistics, but I wasn¡¯t sure if that was what Prince Adrien meant.

    Before I could ask why, the Master of Ceremonies announced the next match. The Imperial Academy cadets led by Holst against Lord Gairon¡¯s team. I left my plate on the table and focused on the arena. This match was the first and only high-profile combat of the day. Lord Gairon, Lord Osgiria, and Lord Herran were among the three great dukes, and the Imperial Academy was the royal family''s elite armed forces.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The nobles around us stopped eating.

    ¡°The loser of the fight will have their reputation smeared, while the winner will get all the credibility,¡± Prince Adrien whispered, letting his cup on the table and leaning forward.

    ¡°Preceptor Holst is confident the cadets will win the tournament,¡± I pointed out as the Imperial Academy team entered the arena: three humans, one half-elf, and a harpy with yellow and gold feathers dressed in black uniforms. None of them seemed thrilled about being there. I remembered what Holst had told me. They were about to be expelled.

    ¡°We will see,¡± Prince Adrien replied.

    I wondered why the Imperial Academy hadn¡¯t sent their best cadets. If I had to guess, it was some sort of political mess regarding the high ranks of the Academy not liking the current heir to the throne. I was curious, but my sense of self-preservation was stronger this time. I preferred to stay away from any extra political intrigue.

    Both teams met in the center, and the aides carried the System Shrine Fragment wrapped in its copper nest. [Awareness] helped me distinguish the diminutive System prompts. Lord Gairon¡¯s team was a mix of martial and magical classes.

    Knight Lv.9

    Berserker Lv.9

    Duelist Lv.6

    Champion Lv. 7

    Aquamancer Lv.9

    A shiver ran down my spine. Those were a set of solid classes. Berserker, Champion, and Aquamancer were Advanced Classes, while Knight and Duelist were Basic Classes with outstanding attributes.

    The Imperial Cadets weren¡¯t as surprising.

    Sentinel Lv.6

    Fencer Lv.3

    Brawler Lv.4

    Monk Lv.2

    Illusionist Lv.1

    The cadet with the highest level was the harpy. She was only level six.

    ¡°Are they at risk of being expelled because they didn¡¯t level up enough?¡± I asked.

    Elincia told me that people usually reach level ten during the first year after obtaining their classes. Reaching level twenty took three to five years. Then came the dreaded first soft cap, which slowed the leveling process dramatically. It had taken Elincia about eight years to reach level 24, but she had to split his time between the kids, gathering materials, and advancing her class.

    The cadets seemed far from the desired level.

    ¡°I¡¯m prohibited from revealing the Academy methods,¡± Prince Adrien said, scratching his jawline. ¡°But¡­ I wanted to reward you for your help during the feast. After all, the dukes decided to stay at farcrest because of your¡­ investigative skills.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t hard to read between the lines; Prince Adrien begged me to ask. I wondered if the information was as valuable as adding a Transmuter to the ranks of the royalist faction.

    ¡°If Your Majesty is so kind as to indulge me, as a Scholar, I would love to know more about the Imperial Academy,¡± I said.

    Prince Adrien grinned.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say no after such a contribution to the royal family affairs. The Imperial Academy methods are a state secret, and cadets are subject to a Silence Hex for it, so don¡¯t go around broadcasting it,¡± he said as Holst and Lord Gairon chose the pairs for the match. ¡°During the first year, cadets are forbidden from leveling up. These cadets aren¡¯t at risk of expulsion because of their level but their performance.¡±

    The Prince fell silent. Despite the seemingly ordinary method, the puzzle pieces created a clear image in my brain. I understood why Prince Adrien was interested in Zaon and not Firana. The fact that cadets were forbidden from leveling up wasn¡¯t the crux of the matter, but what happened while they remained at a low level.

    I smiled.

    Any crafting and support class would understand it instantly. There were two ways of improving one¡¯s class: leveling and cultivation. Leveling improved stats, which for non-combat classes were pathetically low. Cultivation, on the other hand, improved the mastery of the class. For combatants, high stats reflected their combat prowess, so leveling was everything. Cultivation was an afterthought, considering they could brute-force almost any opponent with enough levels.

    What I did with the kids was the same as what the Imperial Academy did with the first-year cadets: cultivation. My heart rushed inside my chest. It made all the sense of the world. Commoners wouldn¡¯t bother grabbing a sword before getting a class because everyone believed it was a waste of time. The System wouldn¡¯t give them a better class because the measure was the content of their character, not their previous skills.

    Only a select group had the mindset to grind their skills to perfection and be accepted at the Imperial Academy. It took a specific personality type to achieve such a feat: obsessed, prideful, unwavering, much like Sir Janus. It was only logical that nobles made up almost all cadets; they were expected to perform to a certain level because of their upbringing.

    Beliefs were stronger than more people wanted to admit.

    That little piece of information was worth more than all the gold Ginz and I had been funneling out of the noble¡¯s pockets. It made sense for the royal family to keep it for themselves. That way, they could have a monopoly over the best warriors in the kingdom.

    ¡°That¡¯s Lord Gairon¡¯s son. Esteffen, sixteen years old, level nine Knight,¡± Prince Adrien pointed at the arena with his toothpick.

    Despite the cold day, Esteffen Gairon was a tall, muscular boy wearing a short blue and yellow robe and sandals. He had curly blonde hair, a turned-up nose, and perfectly aligned white teeth. He wielded a round shield in one hand and a short sword in the other. I couldn¡¯t tell if he wanted me to buy war bonds, join the Alliance, or the Boy Scouts.

    The Harpy Cadet stood with the boring expression of a teenager who was ordered to assist with a social event or a family gathering. The all-black uniform didn¡¯t help her to appear any less cranky. I couldn¡¯t help but see a grown-up version of Shu, with her long sunflower blonde hair and golden feathers. Her slender frame matched her weapon choice: a leather shield, a spear, and a short sword in her belt. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her wings as the Master of Ceremonies finished with the formalities.

    In the VIP box, the conversation died down, and the nobles focused on the arena. Nobody moved a muscle despite the Knight class being way better than the Sentinel class.

    ¡°Fight!¡± The Master of Ceremonies'' voice echoed.

    The Harpy Cadet reacted first. She grabbed the spear like a javelin and threw it, the tip gleaming with energy. The spell was so fast I couldn''t even notice the moment she channeled her mana. Esteffen raised his shield, but the spear cut through the metal like fabric. He tried to pull out the spear, but it was stuck. He had to get rid of the shield altogether. In an instant, the Harpy Cadet unsheathed her sword and, with a powerful wing beat, pounced over Esteffen.

    Before Esteffen could raise his guard, he was two barriers down. The boy¡¯s expression was tainted with fear as the Harpy Cadet continued with her attack. Her style was flawless. There was no delay between her thoughts and movements; it seemed like she let her body move by itself.

    Not even Esteffen¡¯s Knight skills were capable of saving him. He summoned a floating [Sacred Sword] and [Sacred Shield], skills similar to my mana blades and shield, giving him three different offensive and defensive options. The Harpy Cadet remained unfazed, dancing around the spells without losing a single barrier.

    The nobles were speechless. Only Prince Adrien and the army generals seemed to be enjoying the fight inside the VIP box. There was a reason why Imperial Knights had a quasi-mythical reputation. The difference was overwhelming.

    ¡°Esteffen Gairon doesn¡¯t have it,¡± Prince Adrien sighed. ¡°He will grow to be a Sacred Knight like his father, but he will ultimately be a level-slave.¡±

    The kid wasn¡¯t bad, but the Harpy Cadet was leagues better. I even doubted I was rival enough for her. Other than the piercing shot at the beginning of the fight, the girl hadn¡¯t used a single skill, but the combat was utterly one-sided.

    One by one, Esteffen''s barriers fell. The Harpy used her wings to jump back and forth and keep her balance during the swift exchanges. She even used them as extra support when Esteffen went on a gambling lunge against her face. The whole fight didn¡¯t last more than a minute or two, but by the end, Esteffen was covered in dust and sweat.

    ¡°Is she really at risk of being expelled?¡± I asked with a trembling voice.

 125 - Iron

    Chapter 125

    The mood in the VIP box was tense. Lord Gairon¡¯s team had suffered at the hands of the Imperial Academy team. Even the theoretically unfavorable matchups ended up with the cadets winning. By the end of the bracket, the cadets had won the four combats and were more than twenty points ahead of their rivals. Prince Adrien drank from his cup with a neutral expression. I didn¡¯t get why he wasn¡¯t happier with the result. If Prince Adrien wanted to project a strong armed force with serious odds of completing the Farlands Campaign, he was doing a great job.

    The skills of the Imperial Cadets weren¡¯t good news for us.

    ¡°This is bad,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we on the same team?¡± Elincia whispered back.

    ¡°The Marquis promised me to make me a noble if we won the tournament.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    The Marquis had deceived me. I was confident in my kids'' skills, but the cadets were on a completely different level; even the worst professional players were better than the best amateurs. When the Marquis offered me the deal, he must¡¯ve known about the cadet¡¯s team. He never intended to make me a noble; he just used that offer to gain my trust.

    I swallowed my rage as Sir Janus¡¯ suspicions echoed louder in my ears. The Marquis wasn¡¯t trustworthy. I needed to take the initiative and find protection elsewhere, but the orphanage had little to offer in its current state. There were several high-level alchemists in the kingdom, my ideas for crafting required lots of development still, and I wasn¡¯t going to reveal my Runeweaving skills to the world.

    My only available card was my skill as a teacher.

    ¡°May I ask a question, Your Majesty?¡± I asked. Prince Adrien nodded. ¡°If the royal family is aware of the ¡®cultivation¡¯ method, why hasn''t it become widespread?¡±

    ¡°Diminishing returns,¡± Prince Adrien replied without skipping a beat. ¡°This method works only on people with a certain mindset and becomes less effective as time passes. The Harpy Cadet will have a great advantage against rivals of similar levels due to her Lv.5 [Spear Mastery]. However, it¡¯s harder to make the jump between Lv.5 and Lv.6 than starting at Lv.1 and reaching Lv.5. In ten or fifteen years, the Harpy will be a Lv.40 Sentinel with Lv.6 [Spear Mastery], and Esteffen Gairon will be Lv. 40 Knight with Lv.5 [Swordsmanship]. By then, the difference in passives will be either negligible or covered by a movement or control skill.¡±

    I understood. The same ¡®problem¡¯ applied to life back on Earth, if it could be called a problem at all. Progress wasn¡¯t linear; there were bumps, roadblocks, and breakthroughs. It usually went fast at first, just to slow down. The higher a person''s skill level, the more challenging it was to keep improving.

    Prince Adrien pointed with his cup at the pavilion. ¡°In the long run, the result will be almost the same. Most of the kids you see down there will reach high levels and their respective soft caps, even if they take half a decade more. Noble families will spend fortunes on enchanted items to help their heirs level up. We spend money searching for the best candidates.¡±

    ¡°This is a game of efficiency, then?¡±

    I recalled big sports teams buying smaller ones just to have a wider range of scouts. As unexpected as it was, it seemed that looking for the next wonderkid was a thing in this world, too.

    ¡°Efficiency is part of our vision. Imperial Knights are ahead of the wave in terms of levels and skills, even if the System slows them down as they reach greater heights. They are better warriors sooner in their lives. But that¡¯s not all. The Imperial Academy is also a sieve,¡± Prince Adrien explained. ¡°Did you know you can harvest iron from a river?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes, I have seen people making tools from iron sand.¡±

    I didn¡¯t mention I saw it in a video on the Internet.

    ¡°The Academy serves to separate the iron from the mud, but, on rare occasions, we find something even more valuable. A small gold nugget,¡± Prince Adrien said, flicking his silver and golden cup with his finger and producing a clean sound. ¡°There are different kinds of geniuses in the world, Robert. One of these gold nuggets is worth a hundredweight of iron sand. The rules of the System do not bind them so easily. They can reach heights the rest can only dream of. I¡¯m talking about level sixty and beyond.¡±

    I had to agree with the Prince. Occasionally, among the sea of great scientists, artists, and athletes, one who broke the mold and challenged the fabric of our scientific or artistic understanding appeared. However, my work as a teacher wasn¡¯t centered on finding these elusive geniuses but on taking every kid, no matter their background, and bringing out the best in them.

    No good teacher would ever see their students in terms of mud and iron, yet an idea popped into my mind.

    ¡°Would you believe me if I say I can turn mud into iron?¡± I said. It felt terrible in my mouth to compare kids to mud, but to secure the future of the orphanage; I¡¯d rather be persuasive than ethically correct.

    Prince Adrien shifted his focus to me, suddenly interested in the conversation. With a hand movement, the prince called his sommelier and whispered something to his ear. A moment later, I saw magic surging from the old man¡¯s chest, and I felt as if the air pressure changed.

    ¡°That would muffle your conversation just enough not to draw attention, Sir and Madam,¡± the old sommelier said before returning to the background.

    Prince Adrien grinned.

    ¡°Turning mud into iron would be an interesting idea. Mud is plenty and useless, but a cart of iron is more valuable than a single gold nugget,¡± Prince Adrien said. ¡°If we can produce iron, the kingdom would benefit greatly.¡±

    I took that as my cue to explain myself.

    ¡°Mister Lowell, the orphanage''s founder, believed such transformation could be done, and I commune with the same idea. The commoner schools in my country are not meant to find geniuses but to help with every student''s personal development,¡± I explained, channeling my mana and projecting a small illusion of my old school.

    Hundreds, if not thousands, of kids walked through the corridors, jumping from classroom to classroom. The band was playing in the auditorium, the sports teams were practicing in the field, the student newspaper was having an editorial reunion, and the art club was painting with watercolors. I tried to condense everything into a single snapshot.

    Prince Adrien blinked in disbelief. Illusions were a great way to catch people off guard, but in the end, it was all a mirage, and Prince Adrien wasn¡¯t a bumpkin I could convince with mere fantasies from my mind. I needed solid proof that my methods worked.

    ¡°Preceptor Holst previously trained the kids of the orphanage, yet he excluded Ilya from practice sessions because of her physique and believed Zaon would be a Soldier at most,¡± I said, measuring my words. ¡°I¡¯m not saying Preceptor Holst¡¯s assessment was wrong. I¡¯m saying that in six months, I turned a potential Mender and a Soldier into this. Imagine what I could do in four years.¡±

    Or at least I helped them to reach their current skill.

    Prince Adrien closed his eyes as if he were making mental calculations. ¡°I am inclined to believe you, Robert, yet it sounds too good to be true. History has proven that we can¡¯t escape from the System designs.¡±

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Before I could add anything else to my defense, Prince Adrien called the sommelier and whispered something to his ear. Then, the man entered the arena and exchanged a word with the Master of Ceremonies, who walked fast into the participants¡¯ pavilion.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you mind if I ask Preceptor Holst some questions to verify your story?¡± Prince Adrien asked.

    Blood turned into ice crystals inside my veins. Elincia, who had been silently listening to our conversation, buried her nails into my arm. This was terrible news. Nobody wanted to admit their mistakes in front of their superiors. Holst could say we were wrong, that he saw Zaon and Ilya¡¯s potential from the beginning, and whether I liked it or not, he had way more credibility than Elincia and me combined.

    ¡°Did you want to see me, Your Highness?¡± Holst greeted with a deep bow.

    Prince Adrien jumped directly to the matter. ¡°Did you teach at the Lowell¡¯s orphanage before becoming a Preceptor for the Imperial Academy?¡±

    Holst looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± he replied. ¡°I taught at the local orphanage for a year or so.¡±

    ¡°Did you teach the kids participating today in the tournament?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Holst replied, giving me a knowing glance.

    ¡°What was your assessment of their abilities by the time you left Farcrest?¡±

    Elinica squeezed my arm, and I felt an iron ball where my stomach was supposed to be. Prince Adrien viewed me positively, but that could change if he believed I lied to take advantage of him. I shuddered at the imagination of the consequences.

    Holst remained unfazed.

    ¡°Firana Aias showed great potential and eagerness to progress, a good candidate for the Imperial Academy if her obligations as the head of her family wouldn¡¯t prevent her from assisting,¡± Holst said with a calm, almost robotic, voice. ¡°I deemed Ilya unfit to partake in my lessons, and I predicted she would become a lowly Class such as a Mender or a Farmer. Similarly, Zaon didn¡¯t show the ability, potential, or character to become anything other than a Soldier or an Archer. Although naturally strong, Wolf seemed too prone to participate in his orcish heritage. Like many other half-orcs, he will reject the System and return to the tribes. That was my appraisal as I left the city by the end of summer.¡±

    If Holst had appeared dressed as a cheerleader, it wouldn¡¯t have surprised me as much as his words.

    ¡°Are you aware one of the skills required to become a Preceptor is to measure the aptitude of potential cadets?¡± Prince Adrien asked, drilling him with his dark brown eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware that¡¯s part of the job description,¡± Holst calmly replied. ¡°I don¡¯t think I was wrong with my assessment. Zaon was painfully ordinary, and the gnome lacked any redeeming qualities to become a potential Imperial Cadet.¡±

    The sheer effort it took me to accept what my ears heard almost made my brain implode.

    ¡°Are you aware Zaon dominated his match despite being classless, and Ilya won against a rival twice her weight, right?¡± Prince Adrien asked. ¡°This is a major oversight.¡±

    It didn¡¯t go unnoticed to me that Prince Adrien seemed to suspect Holst despite his position within the Imperial Academy.

    ¡°With all due respect, Your Highness. You asked me about my assessment by the time I left the city, and my assessment was that. Other than Firana, the orphans were as unremarkable as any other urchin from the frontier,¡± Holst said with a self-sufficient tone. ¡°If you want my current assessment, I¡¯d say Firana and Zaon are serious candidates for the Imperial Academy. I¡¯d also advise the Marquis to integrate Ilya and Wolf to the Sentinels as soon as possible.¡±

    Silence fell upon us. Elincia¡¯s nails hurt my arm even through the padded fabric of the fencing uniform.

    ¡°Thanks for your input, Preceptor Holst,¡± Prince Adrien said, dismissing him with a hand movement.

    Holst bowed and turned around without saying anything else. An instant later, Elincia whispered something to my ear; however, my mind was in a rush. Another piece of the puzzle fell into place. Holst risked his position in the Imperial Academy, in front of no other than the crowned prince, without batting an eye. It would¡¯ve been easier to lie and say he played an essential role in educating the kids, but he didn¡¯t.

    Holst might be an awful teacher and a worse human being, but he wasn¡¯t a liar, which opened up interesting possibilities. If there was a way around the Silence Hex, I could get the truth about the attacks on the orphanage out of Holst. That information alone wouldn¡¯t save us, but maybe if I managed to get the Prince¡¯s support, I would have enough leverage to get justice.

    ¡°Noble families usually offer me expensive gifts and outlandish feasts. On the other hand, you first offered me a man who can turn antidotes into deadly poisons, and now you offer me a method to turn mud into iron,¡± Prince Adrien smiled, signaling the sommelier to refill his cup. He took a long sip and seemed to enjoy the taste for the first time in the day. ¡°You are a strange man, Robert Clarke.¡±

    I feared Prince Adrien was getting an incorrect reading of my offering. There wasn¡¯t a one-size-fits-all approach to education. No school was perfect, and researchers still devoted their lives to discovering and developing the best educational practices.

    ¡°I must point out that my methods have limitations, Your Highness. My current group has worked well under my guidance because of the discipline Mister Lowell and Elincia had been inculcating in the kids,¡± I pointed out as the silence extended.

    ¡°I understand. Imperial Cadets don¡¯t graduate overnight either, and many don¡¯t make it to the end,¡± Prince Adrien replied, pointing at the cadets resting in the pavilion.

    I nodded, relieved. Nobility wasn¡¯t particularly known for their patience, but Prince Adrien seemed to understand that certain processes took time. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I had met parents and government workers a hundred times more overbearing than him, and without a drop of royal blood despite what they liked to believe.

    ¡°I¡¯m comfortable teaching four classes of up to thirty kids each, but the orphanage would need renovations to sustain that amount of students¡­¡± I started saying, but the Prince shook his head and stopped me.

    ¡°That¡¯s too much,¡± he said, lowering his voice. ¡°Each year, the Imperial Academy accepts between thirty and fifty students depending on the quality of the applicants. Even if ten of your kids are accepted each year, it would create a ripple that other nobles could trace back to you. People will ask why so many students come from the same Fencing Academy, and you¡¯ll be in the eye of the hurricane.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to put the orphanage in that situation. Announcing there was a gold mine in your house''s backyard wasn¡¯t a particularly brilliant move. After my conversation with Sir Janus, my trust for nobles was tunneling into the floor, but the Prince understood something basic that many others ignored. The outcome of a game was more profitable in the long run when both parties benefited.

    ¡°I''d rather keep the orphanage away from politics,¡± I said.

    ¡°Good. I will announce that the royal family will become the patrons of the orphanage, which will come with a small salary for you and Elincia. Nobles always do this to gain popularity among commoners so nobody will suspect anything,¡± the Prince smiled.

    The money wasn¡¯t the important part. A royal sponsorship would keep anyone lesser than a duke from harming the orphanage.

    ¡°What should I do in return?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take a hundred apprentices until I figure a way to ¡®cadet¡¯ launder your students into the Academy without alerting the big houses. Even if the System leverages the terrain in the long run, Imperial Knights always have an edge,¡± Prince Adrien said as the Master of Ceremonies announced the end of the first day of combat. ¡°When I come up with something, we will escalate your school into what you show me with your illusions. Of course, the benefits will be shared accordingly. Do we have a deal? Robert? Elincia?¡±

    Elincia fought to find the words. I could feel her sweaty hands and her face blush with excitement. Imperial Knight was the highest rank a commoner could achieve in the Kingdom of Ebros. Sir Janus could even smack the ass of a baronet with his sword without legal repercussions.

    ¡°Your Majesty is too kind. I accept the deal,¡± Elincia said with a bow.

    Prince Adrien looked at me, but I couldn¡¯t accept it yet.

    ¡°I have one last requirement.¡±

    Elincia instantly slapped my shoulder, but I ignored her.

    ¡°I will not force any of my students to get a Combatant Class, nor should I force them to apply for the exams,¡± I said.

    Prince Adrien rose from his throne, glaring at me. I could almost see an immense storm of mana brewing in his chest. However, the vision lasted only a second. My throat was dry.

    ¡°Do you think anyone will refuse to become an Imperial Knight?¡± He asked with his usual nonchalant tone. Between living under the thumb of nobility and being a free citizen, there was hardly a choice.

    ¡°I do believe becoming an Imperial Knight will ensure a good future for my kids, but I will not force them to choose that route,¡± I said. ¡°If they want to become a Scholar like me, I will allow it.¡±

    Prince Adrien stifled a laugh.

    ¡°Then we have a deal, Robert Clarke.¡±

 126 - Prisoner

    Elincia stuffed her mouth with roasted meat before the tournament aides escorted us out of the VIP box. The first day of the competition was over, and half of the teams were eliminated. Other than Lord Gairon¡¯s team being defeated in the first round, there weren¡¯t any other upsets. The six teams representing the Ducal Families managed to qualify for the next round. The Marquis¡¯ team had also qualified with a narrow victory over the team of a Baron serving the Jorn Family. Istvan Kiln had drastically improved since his fight against Ilya, leading his team to victory.

    Meanwhile, jugglers performed a routine with yoga-ball-size fireballs in the arena. I let Elincia guide me as I glanced at the spectacle. I wondered if Prince Adrien wanted to gain the people''s approval on top of showing the nobles the strength of the royal faction.

    The crowd let out a whimper of surprise as the fireballs joined mid-air and turned into a fire dragon that hovered over the arena, throwing yellow and orange sparks from the mouth.

    Elincia squeezed my arm and hummed a happy tune as we left the VIP box.

    ¡°Why so happy? Our fights will become harder from now on. The Imperial Cadets will be a tough nut to crack,¡± I said as the dragon vanished.

    Elincia gave me a quizzical look.

    ¡°Robert Clarke, I swear to the System,¡± Elincia massaged her temples with a single hand. Then, she pulled my arm and kissed my cheek. ¡°The Royal Family patronizes us, you knucklehead Scholar! You are the one who should be happier!¡±

    Elincia was right. The kid¡¯s achievement was nothing short of extraordinary, and the Royal Family patronage opened many doors, but my brain was more focused on what was yet to come. I couldn¡¯t rest on my laurels, knowing the Marquis¡¯ intentions were shady at best.

    ¡°We might have a problem,¡± I said.

    Elincia sighed. ¡°Can it wait? I don¡¯t want to spoil the kids'' victory.¡±

    I nodded. It wasn¡¯t like the Marquis would attack us in the middle of the tournament; we were too valuable in our current state. Afterward, I wasn¡¯t so sure. We were on the way between Kellaren Odrac-Aias and Firana.

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait until we are back at the orphanage. It will be best to talk in private,¡± Elincia said as we entered the crowded pavilion.

    The tournament aides had brought a huge chalkboard and stationed it at the back of the pavilion. The teams gathered around as a Scribe drew the tournament brackets using [Magical Ink], and I had to stand on the tip of my toes to look over the battalion of huge redheads that was Lord Herran¡¯s Team. The Scribe channeled his mana, and white chalk-like words appeared on the blackboard. The effect was quite neat. I needed that skill.

    The Scribe paired the teams for the next round according to their scores. The Imperial Cadets, who had the best score, were paired with the worst-performing team in the first bracket. Team Herran came in second, followed by Team Jorn.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± Ilya asked. Even at the tips of her toes, she barely reached my shoulder.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied, trying to spy through the sea of noble heads. Most participants were taller than me, even though they were only fifteen and sixteen years old. I wondered if the System helped combatants to grow tall and strong.

    Wolf snatched Ilya and raised her over the crowd.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me,¡± Wolf grinned.

    Ilya gave him a soft, retaliatory kick to the side of the head and stretched her neck to peek over the crowd.

    ¡°Need more height?¡± Wolf joked, seemingly not afraid of a heel-kick to the face.

    ¡°If you want to keep your tusks, you¡¯d better hush your mush,¡± Ilya grunted. ¡°Oh, look! We are up against¡­ House Farcrest?¡±

    That was an unfortunate matchup, considering we both belonged to the royalist faction. The more teams we had in the later stages, the better the Royal Family would look in the eyes of the noble families. On the other hand, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little guilty pleasure in facing the Marquis¡¯ team. Ilya had already beaten Istvan before. From the surviving teams, they were one of the easiest matchups.

    And there was the fact the Marquis had refused to help the orphanage the first time I arrived in the city. It wouldn¡¯t be anything but poetic if we managed to eliminate them from the tournament. I shook my head, trying to erase the idea of personal vengeance, but my efforts were cut short when I saw Elincia¡¯s wicked smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to feel bad about kicking Baronet Tirno¡¯s son out of the tournament; he always used to donate a couple of silver coins,¡± Elincia grinned.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t joking when you said you were a bad winner,¡± I joked.

    ¡°I figured out you should know me as I am,¡± Elincia replied, giving me her best puppy eyes.

    I knew Elincia well enough to realize that beneath her jokes, she had a grudge against the nobility. It was not surprising. The City of Farcrest experienced an excellent economic boom while the orphanage sunk little by little. I couldn¡¯t blame her.

    My only regret was that we didn¡¯t have enough time to level up at the Farlands before the tournament. Seeing the Imperial Cadets fight made it painfully evident that we would need every possible advantage to win the tournament. The next round was three days from now¡ªjust enough to keep the city excited without interfering with productivity. As much as I hated to admit it, the Marquis was doing a great job of turning Farcrest into a growing trading hub.

    Captain Kiln and her team of guardsmen cadets cut short our conversation. Dressed in gray uniforms, the kids dragged her feet through the ground with defeated expressions. Duke Jorn''s team had defeated them in record time. I missed half of the match just because the prince presented me to a Count who was also a Scholar. The man didn¡¯t seem happy with the attention Prince Adrien was giving me. When I turned around, the Guard Cadets were already eleven points behind.

    ¡°Tough matchup. These maggots didn¡¯t have a chance,¡± Captain Kiln said with resignation.

    ¡°Yeah, I saw that. Unfortunate,¡± I replied, glancing at the defeated cadets. ¡°I¡¯m sure they will do a great job defending the city if you train them personally, Captain.¡±

    The cadets whimpered as if I had condemned them to eternal fire.

    Duke Jorn''s team leaned toward Classes like Assassin and Thief. I expected the nobles to comment on the team''s composition, but no one seemed to bat an eye. It was hard to believe there wasn¡¯t a stigma around those classes. The fact they stood silently in the corner of the pavilion, barely moving, didn¡¯t help them radiate a trustworthy aura. Lyra Jorn was a chatterbox in comparison to her relatives.

    ¡°You are up against Tauron¡¯s team next,¡± Captain Kiln said, drawing the conversation away from the defeat. ¡°Don¡¯t go easy on them because he¡¯s the boss here. If a Farcrest team can win the tournament, it¡¯s yours.¡±

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    [Awareness] told me her compliment was wholehearted.

    ¡°Thank you, Lady Izabeka. Your words are very kind,¡± Elincia said with a curtsy.

    The cadets laughed.

    ¡°Cut it, Governess, or I¡¯ll put a bounty on your ears,¡± Captain Kiln said.

    I watched the scene in silence, thinking about Sir Janus¡¯ suspicions. If the Marquis had turned his back on the orphanage, then Captain Kiln¡¯s hands were tied. As much as she wanted to help us, she was the Captain of the Guard and owed loyalty to the city. Her scar-covered skin was enough to know she had bled for Farcrest.

    ¡°Are you okay, Rob?¡± Captain Kiln asked.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine. We are going to throw a little celebration at the orphanage. If you find some spare time, you can crash at the manor,¡± I quickly said.

    Captain Kiln crossed her arms with a smile on her face. ¡°Excellent. I¡¯ll discipline these lowlifes, then I¡¯ll go. There better be good booze.¡±

    The cadets whined in silence as the teams abandoned the pavilion. Firana waved goodbye at the kids from Team Nara, and we all walked to the front yard, where our carriage was waiting for us. No one had invited us for an after-party, so I assumed we were free to go.

    Captain Kiln escorted us to the vestibule, but I wasn¡¯t ready to return to the orphanage. If Kellaren had both the Marquis and Lord Osgiria¡¯s support, the protection from Prince Adrien¡¯s patronage wouldn¡¯t shield us against a high-level covert attack. I needed to gather all the cards possible before it was too late.

    ¡°Go ahead with the kids; I need to meet someone,¡± I said as we reached the doors.

    Elincia glanced at me curiously but ultimately nodded. We kissed, making the kids cringe, and I waved as they drove away in the Skeeth-drawn carriage. The commoners leaving the Great Hall grounds moved to the side to avoid the Skeeth¡¯s pointy teeth. The festive atmosphere seemed spoiled by the black cloud hanging over my thoughts.

    ¡°Who are you meeting? Prince Adrien?¡± Captain Kiln asked as the two of us were left alone, and for a moment, I thought about asking her about Janus¡¯s suspicions.

    I refrained from doing so.

    ¡°I want to talk with Lord Vedras,¡± I said.

    ¡°He¡¯s under house arrest, you know?¡± Captain Kiln turned around and walked into the Great Hall. She signaled me to follow her with a head movement.

    ¡°I promise not to jailbreak him. I just want to ask him some questions,¡± I said as we climbed the staircase to the balconies. ¡°I want to know how to turn an Alchemist into a Transmuter,¡± I lied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even try it. I have high-level guards all around the perimeter,¡± Captain Kiln smiled as she put her fingers in her mouth and whistled.

    At the top of the staircase, a group of young guardsmen squared up, and Raudhan Kiln rushed to meet us. The guardsmen gave us furtive glances before scattering. My teacher¡¯s sense told me they weren¡¯t up to anything good.

    ¡°Escort Rob to Lord Vedras¡¯s chambers. Quick,¡± Captain Kiln ordered before turning around and getting lost around the corner. Her demeanor surprised me. Although Captain Kiln worked Raudhan like a mule, she wasn¡¯t usually so blunt.

    I decided to ignore Captain Kiln¡¯s demeanor for the time being; she probably acted not to blow Raudhan¡¯s cover.

    ¡°Your friends don¡¯t seem any good,¡± I pointed out as we walked towards the guest rooms. I had worked long enough with kids to know when someone was hatching a plan, and the guardsmen evidently were hiding something.

    Two royal soldiers guarded the door to the guest¡¯s quarters, but as soon as we approached, Raudhan showed them a badge, and they let us through. I wondered if the charm Captain Kiln had given me was enough to move freely around the Great Hall. Sir Janus¡¯ medal probably served only to visit him.

    Raudhan Kiln stopped in the middle of the corridor and looked both ways to ensure we were alone.

    ¡°Corruption has always been a thing among the Guard, but now someone is bribing the guards to look away. Like, literally. A guardsman on duty at the wall was paid seven pieces of silver to look away from the guest''s wing all night,¡± Raudhan whispered.

    Paid to look the other way sounded strange.

    ¡°Has anyone reported a theft? Anything important missing?¡± I asked

    ¡°None of the guests have reported anything. Most families have teams of personal Fortifiers to create a perfect barrier around their chambers all day,¡± Raudhan said. ¡°I thought it could be someone climbing the walls and listening inside, but why would someone do that with all the spying and surveillance skills available? You can be sure most nobles have a hefty set of countermeasures.¡±

    I nodded in silence. The case didn¡¯t make much sense unless a random joker with a heavy coin purse was fooling around at the expense of Captain Kiln and the Guard.

    ¡°What about an Advanced or Prestige Class with access to [Shadow Step]?¡± I asked. At least two individuals fell into that category: Sir Janus and Duke Jorn. I didn¡¯t think any of them had strong reasons to spy on other members of the nobility¡ªother than Sir Janus spying on Lord Osgiria, perhaps. But Sir Janus was smart enough not to leave traces.

    Raudhan shook his head. ¡°[Shadow Step] can¡¯t go through the Fortifier barrier. In fact, no transposition skill can. There¡¯s a saying: where there be Fortifiers and Sniffers, there will be civilization.¡±

    Raudhan ignored the fact that Prince Adrien had found a way to bypass the Sniffers. I wondered if we were halfway into absolute tyranny. With the help of Lord Vedras, the royal faction had the power to kill anyone despite the Sniffer¡¯s protection, and it only took someone who could bypass the Fortifier¡¯s barrier for no one to be completely safe from the Prince¡¯s ire.

    Without much more to discuss, we continued down the corridor.

    The guest¡¯s wing was bigger than I expected. It vaguely reminded me of the vestibule, with a vast inner garden illuminated by clumps of light stones, a fountain in the middle, and a set of double staircases on the opposite wall. Each section was delimited with the banners of the ducal families. Raudhan guided me to the section reserved for the Vedras Dukedom.

    The guards let us through the solid double doors without asking questions, and a Fortifier opened the barrier so we could enter the chambers of House Vedras.

    ¡°That was easy,¡± I pointed out. The guards couldn¡¯t have known if we carried hidden weapons or poisons.

    ¡°Lord Vedras is under arrest; the guards are a mix of his men, royal soldiers, and members of the Guard,¡± Raudhan explained as we got deep into the corridors.

    We bumped into some members of the low nobility who greeted us as if we were twice as important as we were. A few elves and half-elves dressed in yellow and green robes were among the Vedras'' ranks, which was strange considering almost all nobility was made up of pureblood humans¡ªother than the small army of illegitimate sons and daughters of Lord Herran. I wondered if there was an elf settlement near Vedras¡¯s holdings.

    Raudhan stopped at the corner and pointed towards the big oak door at the end of the hallway.

    ¡°That¡¯s Lord Vedras¡¯ room,¡± he said, signaling the guards at the door that I was okay to enter.

    I thanked him and turned the corner, but Raudhan grabbed my arm and put something in my hands.

    ¡°Tell the Caretaker I¡¯m eternally grateful,¡± he said. Before I could react, he turned around and returned from the corridor we had arrived from.

    I looked into my hand and found a small pouch. I hid it just as two half-elves could pass as Elincia¡¯s distant cousins walked down the corridor. We exchanged a quick greeting before I turned around and walked to Lord Vedras¡¯ room. The soldiers wore ceremonial green cloaks with a silver tiara and wooden staves instead of swords.

    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the Battle Scholar.¡± The oldest guard said.

    I stopped short, searching in the corners of my memory for the face of the man. [Awareness] came to my rescue. It was Chieftain Alton from the Sentinels. We last met in the Farlands when Elincia and I searched for herbs.

    ¡°Chieftain Alton, it¡¯s been a while,¡± I replied with a polite greeting.

    I didn¡¯t expect to find him outside the Farlands, cosplaying as a bodyguard of Lord Vedras.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve been gaining renown for these parts of the marquisate. I heard that your kids embarrassed some noble from House Osgiria,¡± Chieftain Alton said in his deep, raspy voice.

    ¡°Word travels fast,¡± I said, caught off guard. Although our fight was the first of the tournament, the first day of competition had just finished.

    ¡°Despite my age, I¡¯m the second strongest combatant of the marquisate, Scholar. A Marksman has a good ear, and people these days talk very loud,¡± Chieftain Alton laughed at his own joke. Then, suddenly, his expression turned severe. ¡°I¡¯ve heard many things since the feast, so I must ask you this. Do you really want to be trapped in the same room with the man you locked up?¡±

 127 - Advanced Alchemy

    Chapter 127

    I pushed the doors of Lord Vedras chambers open. The tall windows let light pour into the well-furnished room, casting white and silver glimmers on the glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Bookshelves and mosaics with scenes of a hunt covered the wall. I recognized the shape of the distant mountains in the background. The artist copied the landscape from the first valley after climbing the hill north of Farcrest.

    Lord Vedras sat at a long table under the main window, surrounded by copper and brass alchemic tools. Blue fumes emerged from a small stove, and the scent of cinnamon and anise filled the room. The presence of mana around the alchemy station was so intense I could see it with my naked eye. Currents of magic flowed across the room, forming multicolor whirlwinds and waves. Elincia¡¯s alchemy was child''s play compared with what Lord Vedras was doing in his makeshift workshop.

    I felt a chill in my bones. Despite being rooted in a crating class, Transmuter was a Prestige Class with high enough stats to rival Advanced spellcasting classes. [Awareness] didn¡¯t help calm my nerves as it showed me the Transmuter page in the Book of Classes¡ªtheir ¡®magic¡¯ stat was comparable with the one of a Flame Mage.

    I ignored the alarms inside my mind and stepped inside Lord Vedras¡¯ chambers, closing the doors behind me. The cards in my hand were limited. I had no leverage against Lord Vedras but hoped his hatred towards the Osgirians was enough. To deal with Kellaren, I would need all the help I could get.

    Lord Vedras raised his head and removed his goggles. The thick fumes from the brew obscured his expression, but I could tell he didn¡¯t expect me to visit. I stood, frozen among the whirls of mana, with my guard up.

    ¡°Rob?¡± Lord Vedras asked, his voice filled with surprise.

    ¡°Greetings, Lord Vedras,¡± I replied with a slight bow of the head.

    At least, his first reaction wasn¡¯t to throw acid vials.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the mess. I was testing new recipes,¡± Lord Vedras added, although his working area was much more organized than Elincia¡¯s. ¡°Please, take a seat while I deal with this.¡±

    I cautiously walked to the couch by the corner of the room as Lord Vedras snuffed the fire out with a hand movement. Then, the brass instruments moved on their own, forming a net row by the table''s edge. I sat on the couch before an ornate coffee table, wondering if that was a high-level Alchemist skill or a trick he had learned as a Transmuter. The surge of mana slowly died, and the show of lights disappeared.

    Lord Vedras rang a bell, and a young half-elf with blonde hair and silver eyes, dressed in simple green and yellow attire, entered the room and put a tea set on the table. She channeled mana into her hands and transferred it to the teapot until it started steaming. Then, she poured two cups and gave me a friendly smile before disappearing through a lateral door. The realization slowly sunk in. I definitely had a type.

    I glanced at the beautiful tea cup with concern. Having tea with a known poisoner wasn¡¯t high within my priorities. Lord Vedras put the bubbling potion he had been brewing next to the teapot and sat across the table. Despite the beautiful blue and purple whirls of mana, I had to refrain from fleeing.

    Mysterious Brew. [Identify]: ???

    Not even my enhanced [Identify] seemed capable of going through the potion.

    Lord Vedras sat across the coffee table and sipped from his cup. A blissful expression appeared on his face. Nothing seemed to indicate he was actually under house arrest. ¡°It¡¯s a special blend created by the Herbalists of Mariposa,¡± Lord Vedras said. ¡°You should try it.¡±

    Chieftain Alton¡¯s warning echoed in my mind, and Enric of Osgiria''s withered body appeared behind my eyelids. The infusion smelled great, but I avoided touching anything. Knowing the extent of Lord Vedras¡¯ skills, he might have tampered with the handle or the plate with contact poison instead of the tea itself.

    Mariposa¡¯s White Jasmine Tea [Identify]: Edible. A unique blend created by the Herbalists of Mariposa and brewed by the servant of a known poisoner. No sugar has been added. Relaxing effect. Diminishes the effects of [Mana Toxicity].

    Lord Vedras seemed to notice my reticence.

    ¡°What is the reason for your visit? I assume it¡¯s not something related to our common friend,¡± Lord Vedras asked.

    ¡°No, I am here of my own free will. I¡¯m curious about the Farlands Campaign, and I wanted the perspective of a non-combatant like me,¡± I replied, minding my words. I needed to know if I could exploit Lord Vedras¡¯ hatred towards House Osgiria, and, above all, I needed guarantees that the royal faction could win.

    Vedras sighed.

    ¡°I guess we are in the same boat after all,¡± he said.

    That was a way to put it. We both were tied to the royalist faction for entirely different reasons. Should I trust Lord Vedras? He wouldn¡¯t dare to poison me and draw the Prince¡¯s anger towards him, but I wasn¡¯t so sure. Lord Vedras had already risked an open conflict between houses to get revenge on Enric Osgiria.

    ¡°You are smarter and more pleasant than half of the nobles in this city, Rob, but we can¡¯t work together without trusting each other,¡± Lord Vedras said. I didn¡¯t expect him to set conditions, considering he was under house arrest. ¡°Drink the tea. It¡¯s not poisoned. I swear.¡±

    I looked at the steaming cup. The yellowy tea seemed like a perfectly cut citrine gem; its smell was delicious, but I didn¡¯t trust my [Identify] to go through the tricks of a Prestige Class. If it weren¡¯t for me, Vedras would¡¯ve gotten away with murder.

    I kept my hands to myself.

    Lord Vedras rang his bell, and the servant entered the room.

    ¡°Drink the tea,¡± Vedras ordered with a polite voice.

    The elven woman nodded and took a small sip, and her expression lit up. Then, she took a bigger sip before leaving the cup on the table. A moment passed, and the girl didn¡¯t turn into a withered corpse. The display didn¡¯t make me feel any more trustful.

    ¡°With all due respect, Lord Vedras, it could be a delayed-effect poison. Let¡¯s not ignore the fact you are under arrest because of me,¡± I said.

    Lord Vedras put his cup on the table and leaned back.

    ¡°Caution has never killed anyone, but I don¡¯t think you understand my position, Rob,¡± Lord Vedras said. ¡°Can you bring me that, Halessia?¡±

    The elven servant rummaged through a chest and grabbed a square package wrapped in white silk. She deposited it on the table and untied the knot. Inside, there was a pile of books and journals. Lord Vedras signaled me to take them without an explanation. I grabbed the journal, an old volume of worn-out leather and yellow pages, on top of the pile. The lettering was clean and stylized, but I had difficulties decoding the paragraphs. There were several words that I hadn¡¯t encountered yet in this world. Diagrams that made no sense at all. The only part of the page that wasn¡¯t muddled by technical language was a list of ingredients and ratios.

    I skimmed through the journal pages, recognizing the names of common plants and herbs Elincia used in her potions.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Recipes?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. The Vedras family has a long tradition of high-level Alchemists. Those are the recipes that I can disclose without causing a stir among my family,¡± Lord Vedras said, pointing at the pile of books. ¡°I thought you¡¯d appreciate such a donation to the orphanage.¡±

    I had no doubt Elincia would be jumping for joy after seeing the recipe books, but the sudden offering left me baffled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I admitted, going through the pile of books. The Vedras dukedom was well known for its alchemists and healers, and the knowledge within the pages had to be worth more than its weight in gold.

    What did I do to be worthy of such a gift?

    Lord Vedras seemed amused by the situation.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Thanks to your detective skills, I not only got away with my revenge, but I also got rewarded for it,¡± Lord Vedras said.

    Although I had obscured the events that led to Enric Osgiria¡¯s death from the public, I had done it for my personal gain, not to cover for Lord Vedras. My goal during the feast was to show Prince Adrien that I was a valuable asset to the royal faction. Sure, I felt sympathy for Lord Vedras and his vengeance. Enric Osgiria¡¯s strategic decisions led to the death of hundreds of healers and alchemists of House Vedras. He had chased glory in combat instead of guaranteeing the safety of the non-combatants under his command.

    ¡°Come on, Rob, your tea will get cold,¡± Lord Vedras said.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t get it,¡± I said.

    Lord Vedras exchanged an amused expression with Halessia, then leaned forward, dead serious.

    ¡°Do I have to spell it out to you? I killed the second most important member of the Osgirian family. In the worst case, that would result in war between the dukedoms and my premature death. Instead of hanging from the neck, I¡¯m going to marry into the royal family,¡± Lord Vedras whispered with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s not official. I still have to meet Prince Adrien¡¯s cousin and ¡®fall in love¡¯ with her so other houses don¡¯t suspect the truth of our union. The ceremony is set for summer this year. We also agreed on a big potions deal, so, if anything, I have to thank you, Rob.¡±

    Prince Adrien really wanted Lord Vedras as close to the royal family as possible if he was willing to risk angering the other dukes with such a union. It didn¡¯t hit me as a surprise, though. Lord Vedras'' skills were unique in the kingdom.

    ¡°Politics isn¡¯t a zero-sum game, Rob. Prince Adrien doesn¡¯t have me captive against my will. He is protecting me in case Osgirians realize I was behind the killing of Enric, and he isn¡¯t forcing me to collaborate with the royalist faction. Prince Adrien offered me a good deal despite having enough leverage to force me to do anything he said,¡± Lord Vedras said, lowering his head. Before I could realize it, he was bowing. ¡°Please consider the recipes as a token of appreciation and a declaration of my intentions.¡±

    ¡°Are you offering me an alliance?¡± I asked.

    The situation had taken a strange turn.

    ¡°Yes. After seeing your performance at the feast, I believe working together would benefit both of us,¡± Lord Vedras said. ¡°I¡¯d like to see a world where non-combatants aren¡¯t treated as second-class citizens, and I think your knowledge and influence over the Prince can help me achieve it.¡±

    I examined Lord Vedras¡¯ face, and [Awareness] told me he was being sincere.

    ¡°Also, if I wanted you dead, I would¡¯ve asked Halessia to throw a few drops of heart-stopping poison in your mouth during your sleep. She¡¯s my master of assassins,¡± Lord Vedras added, pointing at the elf woman beside me.

    I turned around. Nothing seemed to indicate she was anything but an ordinary servant.

    ¡°Hey,¡± she greeted me with a wink.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I replied.

    After everything I had seen, I couldn¡¯t help but believe Lord Vedras. During the feast, he had shown his contempt against combat classes, and we had hit it off just right. He was humble and offered us his friendship despite our social class differences. Even when Lord Osgiria showed me the cold shoulder, he stood by our table, signaling to the other low-rank nobles it was okay to stay.

    It wasn¡¯t a risk-free decision, but I had limited alternatives. I grabbed the cup and brought it to my lips. The tea was already cold, but the flavors danced inside my mouth, relaxing my body and mind. I feared I would get hooked on it.

    ¡°I would like to ask a favor,¡± I said, carefully choosing my words. ¡°There¡¯s a certain artifact I need to acquire without the owner noticing. The problem is that a powerful faction protects the owner, and the artifact might be under severe vigilance.¡±

    Vedras nodded in silence, but his face brightened as soon as I finished speaking.

    ¡°Would you like to brew a potion with me?¡± He stood and walked to the center table. The brass instruments moved on their own, lining up before him. Several compartmentalized chests lined in velvet came down the shelves, revealing small flasks of mana-infused ingredients.

    I sat across the table and channeled my mana. Following Vedras'' process was easy. After brewing for hundreds of hours with Elincia, intruding into an ongoing alchemical process was as natural as riding a bike. I created a protective barrier around the ingredients, leaving the environmental mana outside and the ingredient¡¯s mana inside. Lord Vedras¡¯ mana pool was greater than what I expected. It almost seemed like he had his own Fountain in his chest.

    ¡°You are very good,¡± Vedras commented.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing,¡± I replied.

    I didn¡¯t expect my visit to end up like this. Lord Vedras barely used his hands, leaving the tedious work of preparing and weighing the ingredients to tiny mana pincers connected to his mana pool. In practice, Lord Vedras had eight small hands doing the work of four alchemists simultaneously.

    Halessia observed us from the coffee table, and [Awareness] informed me she poured herself another cup of tea behind Lord Vedras¡¯ back.

    Lord Vedras brewed a mix of Etherbloom, Shadowmoss, and a Silverleaf with a base of more common plants. The mana shone to the point I couldn¡¯t use my mana sense directly on the potion. I had to focus to keep my barrier up. Whatever Vedras was brewing, it was beyond anything Elincia could do. The mere amount of energy required seemed dangerous.

    ¡°Truth is, I have another reason to help you,¡± Lord Vedras said. ¡°Grand Alchemist Lowell was my teacher at the Circle of Mariposa. I thought he had founded an Alchemy School here, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be an orphanage.¡±

    ¡°Mister Lowell was your teacher?¡± I asked, surprised.

    ¡°For a brief time only. I¡¯m not that old,¡± Vedras shrugged. ¡°My father wasn¡¯t a fan of Master Lowell¡¯s educational principles, which led to his departure. But I liked the man and his ideas. In the beginning, I wasn¡¯t a great Alchemist, truth be told, but he didn¡¯t give up on me.¡±

    I nodded. In a sense, Mister Lowell¡¯s ideas about teaching weren¡¯t far from mine.

    ¡°Look at me now, I¡¯m a Transmuter. Master Lowell changed my world,¡± Vedras smiled as he orchestrated his mana appendages. For a moment, all trace of the duke disappeared to leave only an Alchemist enjoying his powers, ¡°When we arrived at Farcrest, I hoped he was still alive, but it seems he succumbed to an incurable illness.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Mister Lowell died a decade ago. Before I arrived at the orphanage,¡± I replied. ¡°But why not reveal that earlier?¡±

    Lord Vedras¡¯ eyes jumped between the ingredients and my face.

    ¡°I thought you would appreciate a transactional relationship better than the desires born of emotion of a spoiled noble,¡± Lord Vedras replied, gathering the last traces of mana and bottling them inside the vial.

    It was good to know Vedras had a soft spot.

    The mana died down, leaving a small glass vial with a gray sparkling liquid floating in its interior. I used [Identify], and a System prompt appeared before my eyes.

    Invisibility Potion [Identify]: A rare potion that turns the user invisible to the naked eye for a limited amount of time. The user still casts a shadow and produces noise. No sugar has been added. Toxicity: Low.

    ¡°The effect only lasts for a couple of minutes. You will not be completely invisible to detection skills, but I hope it helps you retrieve the artifact,¡± Vedras grinned.

    ¡°What do you want in exchange?¡± I asked, but Vedras shook his head.

    ¡°Consider it payment for keeping Master Lowell¡¯s legacy alive. We will talk about implementing Mister Lowell¡¯s educational principles in the Vedras Dukedom on a later date,¡± Lord Vedras said.

    I grabbed the potion, breathing more calmly. Lord Vedras¡¯ endgame wasn¡¯t as dissimilar as Prince Adrien¡¯s desires for worthy Imperial Cadets. Both wanted competent individuals to bolster their ranks. However, Lord Vedras focused more on skillful non-combatants to improve his dukedom. It didn¡¯t sound half as bad.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving, then. The kids are waiting for me,¡± I said.

    Lord Vedras stood and guided me to the door while Halessia handed me the recipes.

    ¡°One last thing, Rob,¡± Lord Vedras said as we exchanged pleasantries. ¡°If Elincia wants to spend a season studying Alchemy, I can get her a place in the Circle of Mariposa. It¡¯s the least I can do for Mister Lowell¡¯s last disciple.¡±

 128 - Loyalty

    I was returning to the orphanage with the package Lord Vedras gave me under my arm and the Invisibility Potion inside my pocket. My mind wandered over the past few hours, and I couldn¡¯t help but think we were more alike than I initially thought. Vedras had thought that giving me knowledge was the better way to gain my trust. And he was absolutely correct. Knowledge was invaluable in the right hands.

    His last offering troubled me, though. On my way out of Vedras¡¯ chambers, I had asked Chieftain Alton about the Alchemist Circle of Mariposa. He told me it was the second biggest Alchemist covenant in the kingdom, just after the Alchemist Circle of the Imperial Library. Having Elincia travel to Mariposa for a season would mean significant progress on her Class mastery. Despite cheesing her way up to Lv.40, her titles needed much work to get up to par.

    I wasn¡¯t sure I could navigate life at the orphanage without Elincia by my side.

    Gray clouds covered the sky, and the festive atmosphere at the market soon dissipated. The Alchemists put their potions inside compartmentalized boxes while the tanners and tailors threw their merchandise inside their rucksacks to seek shelter in the nearby taverns and inns. I raised the collar of my jacket and quickened my pace. The small patch of Corruption on my chest tightened. It seemed it was going to rain.

    ¡°We better batten down the hatches, Mister Clarke! My joints are telling me rain is coming,¡± Corin appeared next to me. Her breathing was accelerated, her blonde hair was made a mess, and traces of wind magic surrounded her feet.

    ¡°Got messages to deliver?¡± I greeted her.

    ¡°Messages, letters, parcels, and more,¡± she proudly said, slapping her worn-out satchel.

    ¡°You could¡¯ve asked Ginz to craft one for you,¡± I pointed out. Half of Corin¡¯s wardrobe was handouts Elincia had forced her to take.

    ¡°A serious Courier has to buy their satchel and boots,¡± Corin said. ¡°Plus, if I go around flaunting a masterpiece crafted by Mister Ginz, people would notice. I would rather normal people tip me generously and Bandits to stay further away. I also want to save.¡±

    I nodded. A Courier wearing an expensive satchel might attract unwanted attention. Even after half a year of living in Farcrest, I still ignored many unwritten rules.

    ¡°What are you going to do with your savings?¡± I asked as we entered the Northern District. A group of royal soldiers were thatching the roof of an inn while a group of lightly dressed women looked from the street.

    Corin grinned.

    ¡°I¡¯ll save until I reach level ten or thirteen. If I get the right Skills early, I¡¯ll be able to expand my work area to the nearby villages. Then, I¡¯ll associate with a merchant and work as their procurement agent and saleswoman,¡± she replied, rubbing her hands.

    Without a Scry Ledger, merchants needed reliable eyes and ears around their influence area.

    ¡°And then?¡± I asked, just to satisfy my curiosity. Corin seemed to think bigger than Ilya and Zaon used to, but I couldn¡¯t just imagine what the endgame was for a resident of this world.

    Corin touched her lips in a thoughtful manner.

    ¡°I could marry Zaon, maybe. He seems like an alright guy. But I don¡¯t know, marrying might interfere with getting an Advanced Class, and for us non-combatants, it isn¡¯t all that easy,¡± she replied.

    I wondered if my girls would have something to say about Zaon¡¯s love life. They probably would. I ignored how relationships and marriage worked in this world, but I was fifteen when I met my ex-fiance, and that almost ended up in marriage.

    Was getting an Advanced Class the equivalent of ¡®focusing on one¡¯s career?¡¯

    Before I noticed, we arrived at the orphanage just as the first drops fell upon Farcrest.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have things to deliver?¡± I asked as Corin cleaned her boots on the doormat.

    ¡°Yes, I have several letters, none for you, though. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Corin replied, holding the door for me.

    I assumed Couriers had some sort of no-disclosure rule associated with their Class because she cut the conversation short and entered the vestibule. We walked the corridor to the kitchen. There were no kids in the backyard. As we advanced, music and the kids'' laughter reached my ears. For an instant, I forgot about Sir Janus¡¯ suspicions and the dealings with nobility.

    Firana performed some sort of tap dance in the middle of the kitchen with a wooden cup in one hand and a wineskin in the other. She opened her arms, and a long stream of wine landed flawlessly over her head and into the cup. The room fell silent as I stood in the doorway.

    ¡°I told you not to give the kids booze, Risha,¡± I sighed. ¡°They can¡¯t drink until they are twenty-one.¡±

    Risha raised his arms, palms forward.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, pal. I¡¯m the one who sings while drinking from the wineskin. The dance was all Elincia¡¯s idea,¡± Risha said with a mischievous smile.

    Elincia shrugged and gave me her best child-like apologetic look.

    ¡°I guess a dance won¡¯t hurt anyone,¡± I massaged my temples.

    The kids sat at the table, eating nuts, dehydrated fruits, cheese, jerky, and sausage while Zaon and Astrid played the lyre and the violin. Shu danced with Loki in the middle of the room while Elincia cooked her famous apple dumplings. I saw her adding a generous amount of honey to the mix.

    ¡°Take a seat, Corin. We are celebrating our first victory,¡± Elincia beamed.

    ¡°I have messages to deliver first,¡± Corin replied, digging into her satchel and pulling a stack of letters.

    Astrid stopped playing the violin and gave Zaon a gentle push to go.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t for me,¡± Zaon said.

    ¡°These are for Zaon,¡± Corin replied, separating three letters from the stack.

    Everyone gathered around the elven boy; privacy be damned. The first letter was signed by Baron Rusk. Zaon broke the seal and unwrapped the roll of parchment. The whole orphanage went through the letter except for those who didn¡¯t know how to read yet. It was an invitation to become a low-ranking officer in the Baron¡¯s personal guard.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Zaon raised his head, looking for an explanation.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m being poached?¡± Zaon stuttered.

    ¡°It seems so,¡± I replied, barely holding my smile.

    ¡°Oh, no. Can I tell them I¡¯m not interested? Would they be mad at me? How should I let them know? I don¡¯t have money to pay Corin to relay a letter,¡± Zaon grabbed his head with both hands.

    ¡°Worry not, Zaon. I can do it for free if it¡¯s for you,¡± Corin put a hand on Zaon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If you want, I can help you write a letter. I have Lv.2 [Calligraphy].¡±

    Sneaky girl.

    The other two letters were essentially the same. Another Baron and a Marquis of a small city on the border invited Zaon to join the junior ranks of their respective personal guards. The invitations fell upon Zaon¡¯s shoulders like bags of bricks.

    ¡°You can always tell them you are reflecting on your options, and you¡¯ll answer them after the tournament ends,¡± I said.

    Zaon let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I think I¡¯ll do that.¡±

    The kitchen burst into laughter as Risha and Astrid tried to make him understand how great his situation was. None of them had ever received such an offer, not even from the Marquis. Risha had been scouted for the Guard, but the pay was measly, and the chances to climb the ranks slim at best, so he had decided for the army.

    Then came the letters for the rest of the team. Ilya was invited to form part of the Rangers from several frontier marquisates, while several lords of the south tried to convince Wolf to join their guards. Orcs were rare further south, so it wasn¡¯t hard to guess they wanted him as an ornament or a curiosity.

    Finally, Corin gave Firana a fat stack of letters sealed with a dozen different colors of wax, some even adorned with ribbons and silver edges. Firana went through them with a satisfied expression on her face. Most of the letters were from low-level barons and marquises, although there were a couple of counts and viscount among the mix. Even nobles from the Osgirian territories sent invitation letters to Firana.

    ¡°So, are you going to say yes to anyone?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I feel I¡¯ll get better offers after the next round,¡± Firana replied smugly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d have the heart to leave if a certain Scholar admits I¡¯m his favorite student.¡±

    Ilya smacked her shoulder, prompting a generalized laugh.

    ¡°I have one last message,¡± Corin announced as she unrolled what seemed a royal edict. The decorations in this document went overboard. Even the paper looked expensive just by looking at it.

    Corin tried to maintain her severe and professional demeanor, but the edges of her lips betrayed her.

    ¡°My dearest Firana. It is with great confidence that I, Lord Pierce the Third, heir of the venerable House Glopfinger, present you this proposal of matrimony. Your skill and virtue with the sword are widely recognized by Ebros nobility, and it¡¯s only fitting that you join me in this noble union,¡± Corin said with a deep, rich voice that evoked a young and fierce prince. ¡°Our families¡¯ legacies demand such an alliance, and it is an opportunity you simply cannot refuse. I offer you not only my hand but the privilege of sharing in the splendor and power that accompanies the esteemed name of the Glopfinger family, blessed be by the System.¡±

    We exchanged a look of disbelief. Even Astrid, who remained expressionless most of the time, seemed shocked. Corin hadn¡¯t finished.

    ¡°I trust you will see the wisdom and certainty of this union, and I expect your acceptance henceforth. Delay is not consenting to this most advantageous arrangement, for our destinies are interlaced in fate and duty,¡± Corin couldn¡¯t keep her face straight anymore. ¡°Awaiting for your prompt affirmation. Yours dearly, Lord Pierce the Third, Heir of Glopfinger.¡±

    The room fell in silence, only interrupted by the rare crack of the firewood inside the stove and the thick drops that lashed against the roof.

    Firana was stunned.

    ¡°We are refusing,¡± I broke the silence.

    ¡°What? Why?!¡± Shu complained.

    ¡°They don¡¯t even know each other,¡± I replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s very romantic, don¡¯t you think? Firana has never spoken to Lord Glopfinger, but he is already in love with her.¡± Shu rested her head in her hands, her eyes dreamy.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s the opposite of romantic,¡± I replied. ¡°I will not allow Firana to marry anyone called Glopfinger. In fact, I forbid any arranged marriages with strangers that probably are thirty years older than any of you.¡±

    Firana collapsed in her seat.

    ¡°He proposed to me, and not even once he called me pretty¡­¡± Firana mumbled. ¡°Am I not cute?¡±

    Before I could say anything, Ilya got ahead.

    ¡°Not going to lie, chief. The situation is dire.¡±

    ¡°But you are a great swordswoman,¡± Wolf added.

    ¡°And a great friend,¡± Zaon said.

    I exchanged a quizzical look with Elincia just for Nokti and Virdian to jump forward.

    ¡°We believe you are pretty as a potato,¡± they said.

    Firana let out a last ¡®damned be the System¡¯ before bursting into laughter. It was my first time seeing a girl happy to be compared to a potato, but since I had arrived in this world, I had seen a lot of things I never thought possible. Elincia gave Firana a tight hug, and the party continued as if nothing had happened. I was happy to sweep the Lord Glopfinger matter under the rug.

    The party continued on a high note, with dances, games, and food. The relationship between Astrid and Elincia was still strained, but the presence of Risha and Ginz was enough to smooth the friction. Under the stern mask of the Zealot, Astrid revealed a teasing personality. She made a feint of taking me for a dance just for Elincia to jump in between us.

    Luckily for me, Risha was able to disarm any situation.

    The party didn¡¯t continue until late. The little kids were used to going to bed at nightfall, and the older ones were too tired to party all night. After my second cup of wine, I started to feel tired, so I announced my departure. I hoped Elincia would stay in the kitchen with the rest of the old orphans, but she said goodbye and followed me.

    Elincia dragged me through the doorway before the wave of spicy comments about nightly bedroom activities could follow us. I held her hand as we walked down the dark corridor. Our steps made no sound, and the sound of the rain was enough to conceal the sound of our clothes.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe the Royal Family will be our patrons,¡± Elincia whispered, snuggling to my side. ¡°We are set for life!¡±

    I hated to be the bringer of bad news, but I had to tell her about Sir Janus¡¯ suspicions. Maybe the Marquis was working with the Osgirians to betray us.

    ¡°I also made a deal with Lord Vedras,¡± I replied, pulling the Invisibility Potion from my pocket. ¡°We brewed this potion, and he gave me other things.¡±

    Elincia¡¯s eyes quite literally shone in the dark as she took the vial from my hand. Despite the lack of [Identify], she had the skills to appraise potions. I ignored what she was looking for inside the vial, but she seemed to enjoy herself.

    ¡°And he invited you to the Alchemist Circle of Mariposa for a season,¡± I said. ¡°Vedras was Mister Lowell¡¯s disciple before the foundation of the orphanage.¡±

    Elincia stopped and put the potion back in my hand.

    ¡°I can¡¯t. There¡¯s too much to do at the orphanage, and I am not going to leave the kids under Astrid¡¯s vigilance,¡± she quickly replied. What if they get sick or they get burnt by the stove? I need to be here to brew them a remedy.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect such a stubborn refusal.

    ¡°It¡¯s a huge opportunity,¡± I said, even if I was relieved with Elincia¡¯s response. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just think about it?¡±

    Instead of replying, Elincia put a hand over my mouth and signaled the vestibule. As we approached, protected by shadows, I heard two distinctive feminine voices. Firana and Corin. I thought both had left for bed already. They seemed to be arguing.

    ¡°We should leave them,¡± I whispered.

    Elincia tugged my arm and approached the half-closed door. A single dying light stone illuminated the vestibule, but my [Night Vision] was enough to distinguish the scene. Firana had her arms crossed over her chest, not in a defiant posture but seemingly protecting herself. Corin knelt before her with an intense look in her eyes.

    Firana hushed her, but Corin spoke nonetheless.

    ¡°If you wish to regain control of the family, I will follow you.¡±

 129 - A new rune

    Firana vehemently shook her head, almost like she was trying to convince herself Corin¡¯s words weren¡¯t real. If you want to regain control of the Aias Mercenaries, I will follow. Despite my initial surprise, [Awareness] told me the girl was being truthful. I could sense the concealed fervor in her voice.

    The light from the enchanted stones flickered as the magic ran out. The vestibule was covered in shadows, yet I could see Corin kneeling before Firana with an expectant look in her eyes. Yearning. Almost pleading.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you expect from me, but I will not become the next head of the family. The orphanage is my home, and this is my family. I am not an Aias anymore,¡± Firana whispered. Her words were almost lost under the patter of the rain against the roof.

    ¡°You are the Aias Family, Firana, not the captains or the mercenaries. You are Garel¡¯s daughter. Aias blood flows through your veins. Your hand is the only one who can wield the Aias Flaming Sword,¡± Corin angrily replied. ¡°Uncle Kellaren is amassing troops, almost as many as when Uncle Garel was alive. If you let him continue, you will not be able to stop him. He will usurp what¡¯s righteously yours!¡±

    Firana clenched her fists.

    ¡°Good! Kellaren can have his mercenary troupe if he wants. He can even use the Aias name if he wishes. I don¡¯t want it anymore!¡±

    Corin looked at Firana with disdain.

    ¡°Uncle Garel wouldn¡¯t have wanted his mercenary band being taken by an usurper! He worked hard to build up the Aias Mercenaries just like your grandfather before him,¡± Corin said.

    ¡°The Aias Mercenaries are just a bunch of sellswords serving the highest bidder! Any high-level combatant can surround themselves with warriors and soldiers and call themselves a mercenary band,¡± Firana replied.

    Corin counted to five before speaking again. She remained knelt but pointed her index at Firana¡¯s chest. When she opened her mouth, her words were a slap to Firana¡¯s face.

    ¡°Men and women all around the continent cower behind walls when monsters attack, but not the Aias. We light the fire of bravery in their hearts. We are not just a bunch of sellswords, Firana. We inspire others and keep the spark of the fight alive!¡± Corin said, raising her voice.

    Firana tried to silence her, but Corin was having none of it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what ¡®Uncle¡¯ Kellaren is planning with his Osgirian friends, but I know he is a thief, a thug, and a crook. He will use the name of the Aias family for his personal benefit, and in the end, our name will only be associated with evil,¡± Corin said with exasperation. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you for you to understand?¡±

    ¡°I understand, and I don¡¯t care!¡± Firana replied.

    Corin''s words stirred something inside me, and then it hit me. This seemed to be a recurring discussion. Unable to hold on in place, I barged into the room, startling both girls. Firana grabbed Corin by the flaps of her jacket and dragged her to her feet, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°We were just talking about¡ª.¡±

    ¡°About Kellaren Odrac-Aias,¡± I finished her sentence as Elincia entered the vestibule behind me. A hint of anger started to show in my voice as I understood Firana and Corin were keeping vital information for themselves. ¡°You were talking about Kellaren¡¯s plans. This isn¡¯t the first time you two have had this conversation, is it?¡±

    Corin remained silent.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t, sir,¡± Firana lowered her head.

    I massaged my temples and turned towards Corin. My face must¡¯ve started showing anger because the girl shrank under her cloak. I couldn¡¯t believe Firana had hidden something as crucial as Kellaren¡¯s movements.

    ¡°You said Kellaren is a thief and a thug. Why?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m an Aias. I will only respond to our leader,¡± Corin replied.

    I glared at Firana. She held my gaze for an instant before she prompted Corin to speak. My mind raced. Corin and Firana knew something I didn¡¯t, and in the game of politics, even the slightest piece of information was valuable¡ªeven more so if it had to do with the safety of the orphanage and my kids.

    ¡°My full name is Corin Odrac-Aias, the daughter of Kellaren¡¯s sister. I grew up at Uncle Kellaren''s headquarters. I said Kellaren is a thief because I¡¯ve seen and heard what business he has been doing under the guise of the Aias Mercenaries,¡± Corin said.

    I cursed. The clues had been under my nose all this time. Why wouldn¡¯t Firana tell me before? I turned to face her.

    ¡°And you thought this wasn¡¯t relevant enough for Elincia and me to know?¡± I asked. I¡¯ve never been so mad with any of the kids since I arrived at the orphanage, but this wasn¡¯t childish antics anymore.

    Firana recoiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to worry you. Uncle Kellaren can do whatever he wants with the mercenaries. I¡¯m done with that, and I don¡¯t want anyone in the orphanage to cross paths with him anymore.¡±

    As Firana spoke, anger left my body. Everything was my fault. I was the one who convinced Firana she could step aside from her duty as the Aias heir. I told her she had a choice when, in reality, that wasn¡¯t true. Firana¡¯s heritage will haunt her as long as Kellaren can profit from him. He was going to come after Firana whether we liked it or not.

    I was an idiot, but I left the self-deprecating thoughts for later. Now, I needed to draw a plan. Corin had said Kellaren was bolstering his numbers, which seemed consistent with Sir Janus¡¯ theory. If Janus was right, Kellaren wasn¡¯t strengthening the Aias Mercenaries to fight along the royal army but to serve the Osgirians.

    ¡°Rob? What¡¯s going on?¡± Elincia asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.

    I snapped out of my thoughts.

    ¡°The Marquis plans to transfer Firana¡¯s allegiance to Lord Osgiria,¡± I said.

    Firana stuttered, pale as paper. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to go with the Osgirians. I want to stay here. The Marquis can¡¯t do that.¡±

    Fear crept up her voice.

    ¡°Technically, he can, Firana,¡± Elincia said, equally worried. ¡°Your father was his direct vassal, and you are his heir. You must uphold his allegiance according to the kingdom¡¯s law.¡±

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    My words seemed to nuke the day¡¯s joy.

    ¡°We won¡¯t let him,¡± I said, my anger replaced with determination. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Firana. This was on me. I told you you have a choice, but I was mistaken.¡±

    Firana threw herself into my arms, hiding her face on my chest. Her shoulders trembled as she clutched my old jacket, trying not to cry. I didn¡¯t need [Awareness] to know she felt anger against herself, but above all, she was scared.

    ¡°Maybe I should marry Lord Glopfinger,¡± she sniffled. ¡°If I become Lady Glopfinger, the Marquis will not have power over me.¡±

    That might be legally correct, but I wasn¡¯t having one of my girls married to an unknown guy.

    ¡°That will not be necessary,¡± I reassured her. ¡°I¡¯m already working on bringing Kellaren down. Without him in the picture, the link between the Marquis and Lord Osgiria doesn¡¯t exist, and you will not be sent anywhere.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Elincia asked.

    I explained my conversation with Janus. He suspected the Marquis was playing both sides of the conflict; he supported the royal faction while plotting with Lord Osgiria to set up their own trade routes in case the Farlands campaign succeeded. The new trade routes would require heavy escorting, so they needed Kellaren¡¯s forces to guard the new caravans. However, the Aias Family was currently a vassal of the Marquis. For the transfer to work, Kellaren needed Firana as the family''s leader; otherwise, the group would crumble. The reputation and prestige didn¡¯t belong to him.

    ¡°What is Sir Janus planning to do?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°We are going to sneak into Kellaren¡¯s mansion and steal his ledgers,¡± I replied. ¡°We have Janus¡¯ [Shadow Step], Vedras¡¯ Invisibility Potion, and my illusions. Corin knows the manor¡¯s layout, and I can enchant a bag of flash grenades if things go south. Oh, and Loki would probably be a great support.¡±

    Only then did I realize Elincia wasn¡¯t happy with my rambling?

    ¡°You are not sneaking into Kellaren¡¯s den, Robert Clarke,¡± she said.

    Firana opened her mouth to protest, but Elincia shut her down before she could utter a sound.

    ¡°And neither are you, little miss,¡± Elincia put her hands on her hips and glared at us. ¡°I¡¯ll go. I¡¯m sneakier. I¡¯ve been roaming through the woods since I was twelve, hiding from Mister Lowell and the Sentinels.¡±

    An irrational fear got a grip on my chest. I¡¯ve almost lost Elincia twice, the first against the Stone Giant and the second against the Lich¡¯s undead army. I wasn¡¯t going to tempt fate a third time.

    ¡°You will not go anywhere near Kellaren,¡± I said, raising my voice. For an instant, I thought I sounded like my father¡ªunyielding, purposeful, reliable. ¡°You are the heart of the orphanage. We can¡¯t lose you. I can¡¯t lose you.¡±

    Elincia blushed.

    ¡°W-what does it make you think we can lose you?¡±

    ¡°I have defeated Black Wolves and Wendigos. Stone Giants can¡¯t even scratch me. I have whooped royal soldiers and buried a Lich under a mountain,¡± I replied, trying to sound as arrogant as possible. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Firana¡¯s eyes shone in the darkness.

    ¡°You can¡¯t even get the snake twins to stop smuggling potatoes,¡± Elincia mockingly said.

    It felt great that the girl I loved recognized how cool I was.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a man,¡± I raised my arms in defeat.

    Elincia went to our bedroom to retrieve a piece of paper and a pencil so Corin could draw the inner layout of Kellaren¡¯s manor. I sent Firana to sleep, arguing she had to be in top-notch condition for the tournament. The girl complained, but I assured her we wouldn¡¯t discuss anything else regarding Kellaren. Finally, she hugged us and went back to the sleeping quarters. I was left alone with Corin.

    ¡°Firana is young and inexperienced. Are you sure you want to follow her?¡± I asked.

    Corin glanced at the door where Firana had just disappeared.

    ¡°Firana will soar higher than most of us. She will reach heights we can only dream of. It¡¯s a matter of time,¡± she said. ¡°She was born to lead while the rest of us follow.¡±

    I examined Corin¡¯s face. She wasn¡¯t lying, but I still thought she was mistaken.

    ¡°Firana might not need followers but people to walk by her side,¡± I retorted.

    Corin shook her head. ¡°She will go where none of us can follow.¡±

    _____________

    Corin drew the map of the manor save for a few forbidden areas. It was better than nothing, but Kellaren¡¯s quarters were a large blank patch in the diagram. The documents we needed were probably hidden there. After leaving, I put a gold coin in Corin¡¯s hand and told her to drop her work as a courier to monitor the schedule of the guard shifts. She opened her eyes and returned the coin to my hand as if it burned hers. After some haggling, we settled for a few silver coins and the promise of free meals, which she already technically had.

    Allegiance doesn¡¯t have a price, she said.

    I sat on the stool and shed my shirt. Then, I grabbed the towel and the water basin and cleaned my neck and arms. Elincia appeared from behind the wooden screen, wearing her thin white nightgown. The faint light of the enchanted stones gave her an ethereal appearance, almost like a dryad or a moon spirit.

    Elincia took the wet towel and continued to where I had left off.

    ¡°Relax, your shoulders are stiff,¡± she said.

    Considering how things were going, a cardiac arrest or an aneurysm wasn¡¯t outside the realm of possibilities. For every problem we solved, two or three seemed more dangerous than the previous one. I almost missed the time when our greatest concern was selling our potions. However, with great risks come great rewards. Or so I hoped.

    ¡°Do you want me to brew something to relax?¡± Elincia asked, grabbing my hand and rubbing my forearm. The towel was coarse, like almost all the fabrics we use daily, but Elincia¡¯s touch was surprisingly tender.

    ¡°I need to be alert in case someone attempts to attack the orphanage,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°I could use a kiss, though.¡±

    Elincia grinned and wrapped her arms around my chest. ¡°I have a couple of those in-store. I don¡¯t mind giving them to you if you promise to unload some of your workload on the rest of us.¡±

    Elincia was right. There was a reason I had been gathering allies for the orphanage. Ginz already loved the kids. Nasiah warmed up to Elincia after Risha¡¯s return. Risha seemed to always fall on his feet regardless of the situation, and even Astrid was slowly getting used to life at the orphanage. Most kids considered her odd, and I couldn¡¯t blame them, but at least Zaon and Ilya reciprocated the feeling. It wouldn''t take long for the rest of the kids to imitate them.

    Before I could promise anything, Elincia grabbed my face and kissed me softly.

    ¡°Leveling up becomes harder when you are doing things right. No matter how difficult things are now after we weather the storm, the orphanage will be stronger.¡± Elincia said, wrapping me in a tight, almost painful, hug. ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed. We have a heist to plan, and I don¡¯t want to have you relying on Energy Potions.¡±

    I briefly caressed her ear and left the water basin aside. Not only did we have to deal with Kellaren and the Osgirians, but I also had to find a way for my kids to defeat the Imperial Cadets. There was also the matter of the System Avatar, but my arms were tied on that front.

    I was putting on my nightgown when someone slammed the door. The sudden sound made Elincia jump to her feet and reach for the long knife she had tactically hidden behind the bed.

    ¡°Open the door!¡± Astrid cried from the other side.

    I crossed the bedroom in a single leap and turned the key. Before I could turn the knob, Astrid pushed the door open and entered. Urgency and fear reflected in her eyes. She wore a white shirt, the buttons didn¡¯t match the right holes, her pants were nowhere to be found, and she only wore one sock. Her lower legs were more akin to a wolf than a human, with cream-colored fur and long claws.

    ¡°Paper, I need paper,¡± she softly muttered with a crazed voice as she rummaged through the desk. ¡°I need paper! Now!¡± She wailed.

    Before any of us could react, Astrid buried her claws in her forearm, drawing copious amounts of blood. Then, she drew a single symbol with her blood over the desk surface. Breaking free from my stupor, I approached and pressed a towel against her arm. Astrid didn¡¯t struggle.

    I recognized Astrid¡¯s scribble when my eyes fell on the table.

    A rune.

 130 - Guessing

    Astrid fought to ease her breath, her yellow eyes clouded by terror. I held the bloody towel against her forearm, but the ominous rune on the desk caught my attention. It wasn¡¯t like anything I had seen so far: a circle with protrusions of variable lengths inside and outside its perimeter. The shape of a rune had little to do with its effect, so I couldn¡¯t know its meaning.

    At least it was harmless. It took an Enchanter or a Runeweaver to power up runes, and a simple drawing wouldn¡¯t activate any effect. If Astrid had the power to enchant the rune, we would have already known its effect, but instead, it remained inert.

    Elincia pushed the bloody towel out of the way and poured half the vial on Astrid¡¯s arm. The wounds sizzled, making her wince. Then, Elincia put the vial against Astrid¡¯s lips and forced her to swallow. The wounds closed, leaving pale scar tissue behind. I knew Elincia disliked Astrid, but I thought that, at least, she could¡¯ve used a mid-rank potion to avoid leaving marks.

    Not that it mattered. We had more pressing matters than a slightly scarred forearm.

    I stuck my head out the door to see if the uproar had awakened the kids. The corridor was empty, and save for the sound of the storm outside, there was complete silence. No one seemed awake other than us three. That was a good sign. I closed the door and focused on Astrid. Other than the paleness of her face and the scars on her forearm, she seemed okay.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, anticipating the answer.

    ¡°System Quest,¡± Astrid gasped for air. Her forehead was beaded with sweat, and her sunken eyes revealed the excruciating pain she had been subjected to. ¡°I-I¡¯ve never felt a drive so violent. My brain was burning, and I knew I needed to put that thing on paper,¡± she added, pointing at the desk.

    Before I could start asking more questions, Elincia stood between me and the pantless wolf-girl and signaled me to turn around.

    As if I could focus on Astrid¡¯s assets with all the fuss going on.

    I turned around, facing the corner, and waited for her to supply Astrid with a change of clothes. The night was cold, and we couldn¡¯t afford to lose a fit combatant to sickness. I waited patiently as Astrid and Elincia argued about the clothing. Elincia¡¯s pants weren¡¯t adequate for Astrid¡¯s anatomy, and the dresses ¡®felt uncomfortable on the tail¡¯.

    Like cats and dogs.

    ¡°You can turn around,¡± Elincia said a minute later.

    Astrid wore Elincia¡¯s breeches just low enough for her tail to pop out, and I wondered if it would¡¯ve been better to send her to get dressed in her room. It reminded me of the low-rise pants girls used to wear over a decade ago.

    ¡°Tell me what happened, Astrid. From the beginning,¡± I asked.

    ¡°Same as always. I was about to get to bed when I felt a quest was coming, so I started dressing in case someone wanted to harm you,¡± Astrid said. ¡°I felt like the System burned my eyes from behind, and I knew I had to complete it outright. Then I ran here as fast as I could and wrote the damn thing on the desk.¡±

    I gave Astrid an apologetic look. If she had resorted to cutting her own arm instead of waiting twenty seconds for a piece of paper, then the pain must¡¯ve been unbearable. Even worse, the System probably had a reason to exercise such punishment. Somehow, I needed to know that rune.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the Zealot Urge could be this painful,¡± she added with a tired voice despite our rooms being only a few meters away.

    ¡°Did you have any visions?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°No. Damn, I really wanted to speak with the Man in Yellow,¡± Astrid replied, saddened as only a little kid who ¡®missed¡¯ Santa could.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have the opportunity eventually,¡± I replied, patting her shoulder.

    ¡°At least we have one clue. The rune has something to do with your Runeweaving ability,¡± Astrid replied, accepting sympathy. ¡°What do you think it does?¡±

    I glanced at the rune.

    ¡°We can always test it with [Runeweaver] debugger,¡± Elincia said, dragging a seat to the desk.

    Other than a few elemental runes and a handful of instructions, I knew very little about runes and the extent of their power. The existence of Light and Fire runes made me think there were other elements available; however, that didn¡¯t disavow the existence of more dangerous runes like Blindness. My reasoning was simple; if the System could give me night vision, it could also blind me.

    ¡°If this is a Quest from the part of the System that wants you out, then it might be dangerous,¡± Astrid said, scratching her ears. ¡°But I think it¡¯s not. This has something to do with the Man in Yellow.¡±

    ¡°If we are ¡®behind schedule¡¯, it¡¯s only logical that he would try to help us,¡± I said, wondering if the System Avatar had also bothered to put the rune''s effect in my Rune Encyclopedia.

    I summoned the old book with a thought, but to my dismay, there were no new entries. Of course, things had to be complicated. Figuring out the effects of runes was too complex to do without a frame of reference.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s give it a try,¡± I said.

    I took a deep breath and channeled my mana. Before me, the blue holographic testing area appeared. Astrid and Elincia exchanged a quizzical expression as they peeked over my shoulders. They couldn¡¯t see the skill. I ignored them and placed a small pebble from my stash inside the demarcated area. I engraved the rune on the pebble, and a moment later, the blue box turned yellow. The rune didn¡¯t work independently, but it wasn¡¯t dangerous.

    ¡°It¡¯s not an elemental rune. Otherwise, it could work as a standalone rune,¡± I announced, thinking about what to do next. Adding command runes was an idea, but I wasn¡¯t sure it would work considering the lack of discernible effect. Maybe the rune was a command itself.

    ¡°The Man in Yellow wants you to learn Runeweaving fast,¡± Astrid said.

    It wasn¡¯t a question, but I nodded nonetheless. According to the System Avatar, we were ¡®behind schedule¡¯, so it was only logical that he wanted to help with the process.

    ¡°So wouldn¡¯t this rune make you a better Runeweaver?¡± Astrid pointed out.

    Elincia seemed to agree.

    ¡°Like a breakthrough? I remember a bump on my mana pool when I got the [Copper Alchemist] title. It helped me speed up the brewing process quite a lot,¡± she said. ¡°A power-up rune, maybe?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure about Elincia¡¯s theory. A boosting rune would only work on runes I already knew and wouldn¡¯t help to broaden my Runeweaver knowledge. With access to enhanced runes, I could brute force most of my problems instead of developing the right combination. Fireball-pebbles sounded like an excellent addition to my arsenal, but I doubted the System Avatar wanted me to have such technology.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    I decided to give Elincia¡¯s theory a try.

    Light was the least dangerous of all my elemental runes, so I used that one. I focused on [Rune Debugger] and wrote a two-rune enchantment: Light plus Mystery Rune. It failed. I tried using the Light rune at the end, but the result was the same. It wasn¡¯t a viable enchantment.

    ¡°Negative,¡± I said.

    To clear up doubts, I tried most of the two-rune enchantments with the mysterious rune in different positions. I even added the mysterious rune to the beginning or end of known enchantments, but, as expected, the [Rune Debugger] only spat negative results. Despite my previous success, trial and error didn¡¯t seem like the right approach. With the other runes, at least, I had a hint about their functionality. Now, I was completely blind.

    Astrid nervously fiddled with her tail as I worked on the Rune Debugger. I felt terrible. She was the only one who had suffered the consequences of my slow learning pace. Still, cracking its meaning would take time if I didn¡¯t get any other leads.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Astrid, but this might take a while to decipher,¡± I said.

    ¡°I understand,¡± she replied, her voice quivering slightly. ¡°I will let you work in peace then. Good night.¡±

    Astrid turned around and walked to the door, and I noticed a certain stiffness in her movements. She was scared. Having the almighty System administering pain directly to one¡¯s brain couldn¡¯t be a reassuring experience, but I didn¡¯t know what to do to make it better. Elincia would refuse to share a room with her, and I wasn¡¯t in a position to guard her sleep in case of another event.

    ¡°Astrid, wait,¡± I said, grabbing a stack of paper and a charcoal pencil. ¡°Take this. If the System decides you must give me another rune, you will not have to cross the sleeping quarters looking for something to write on.¡±

    Astrid nodded and pressed the paper against her chest. ¡°Good idea,¡± she muttered before leaving.

    The silence hung over our heads until I heard the distant creak of Astrid¡¯s bedroom door. I dismissed the Rune Debugger and turned towards Elincia. There was the chance that Corruption was taking over the world as we spoke, but I also needed to address the relationship between Elincia and Astrid.

    ¡°You could¡¯ve used a high-rank potion on her,¡± I said, baffled by her decision.

    As much as she disliked Astrid, Elincia was the kind of person who went out of her way to help others, even with the slightest of difficulties. It seemed out of character to give Astrid a low-rank potion that would leave scars.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it because I dislike her. Did you forget what happened when the Assassin stabbed you? The potion didn¡¯t heal your wounds because you chugged Energy Potions as if there was no tomorrow and built up your potion toxicity to dangerous levels,¡± Elincia crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°I used a low-rank potion in case she needed more. Idiot.¡±

    That made a lot of sense. The toxicity buildup had almost cost me my life.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I jumped to conclusions,¡± I replied.

    For a moment, I felt like an idiot. Then I noted Elincia wasn¡¯t really mad at me. ¡°Now that I think about it, salve and bandages might have been enough,¡± she added with a playful smile. ¡°We are figuring things out.¡±

    ¡°I knew you were the mature one in our relationship,¡± I replied, pulling my chair back and extending my arm. Elincia walked into my hug and cradled my head against her. I appreciated her attempt to ease the mood, but it seemed the overtime death loop wouldn¡¯t free me any time soon.

    ¡°What do you think about the rune?¡± I asked.

    Even if Elincia¡¯s embrace was comforting, I felt lost. Deciphering runes was easier when I knew the effect of the enchanted item they were engraved in. Getting this one to work could take me weeks, if not months, and time I could be spending learning other runes.

    ¡°I guess it all comes down to what the System expects you to do, Spoon-ears.¡± Elincia pushed my head back and pulled the tips of my ears to mimic the pointy elf ears.

    ¡°The chubby man wants me to end the Corruption by editing the System¡¯s code,¡± I muttered. ¡°Hence, the rune should be able to speed up my learning somehow¡­ unless it¡¯s the opposite.¡±

    My goal was to learn the runic language and improve my skills as a Runeweaver, but maybe the mysterious rune didn¡¯t have anything to do with speeding up my learning of the runic language. Maybe the rune was meant to extend the time I got to learn.

    ¡°A weapon against corrupted monsters?¡± Elincia asked without hiding the excitement in her voice.

    ¡°That would certainly help us gain time,¡± I jumped to my feet and grabbed Elincia by the waist. Her enthusiasm was starting to infect me.

    If we worked under the assumption we were ¡®behind schedule¡¯ because the Corruption process had accelerated, then a weapon to keep it at bay made a lot of sense¡ªmore so if it was a weapon I could share with others.

    I felt a little more relaxed knowing that the System Avatar was working to prepare us before the problem exploded in our faces. However, distributing anti-corruption weapons among the warriors of Farcrest would blow up my cover as a Runeweaver. It was a better alternative to letting the city disappear, but I would also bury my plans of keeping a low profile.

    I pulled Elincia next to me, the thin fabric of her nightgown barely separating my hands from her soft skin. Her eyes sent an electrifying sensation through my body. Whether I liked it or not, Farcrest was my home now, and I would protect it as best as possible.

    ¡°If the mysterious rune is a weapon, I want a Cooldown Bow with Anti-Corruption Arrows,¡± Elincia said.

    I laughed. ¡°I thought we were having a moment.¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to set the record straight,¡± Elincia replied.

    We kissed, and I felt Elincia¡¯s eagerness through her touch. She pressed her body against mine and buried her fingers in my hair. However, after a minute, she pulled back.

    ¡°Green Moss Tea?¡± She asked. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long night.¡±

    ¡°I would love that,¡± I replied. It was going to be a long night indeed. We needed to figure out how to use the rune before the unknown deadline.

    Elincia put on her wool shawl and gave me a playful slap on my ass on her way out of the room. I could see the relief in her eyes, and I felt it too. The chubby man¡¯s warning was eerie at best, but at least we had something to work on.

    I pulled out a stack of paper and wrote down my thoughts to gain a clearer perspective. The chubby man wanted me to fix the bugs in the System and eradicate the Corruption. The fact that we were behind schedule could only mean that the Corruption rate was increasing. The mysterious rune could only be a way to diminish or attenuate such Corruption. Assuming the rune worked as a weapon against Corruption might make decrypting it possible.

    When Elincia opened the door, the smell of freshly made coffee filled the room. She put down the cups and sat across from the desk. I doubted the Green Moss Tea had any caffeine, but the familiar taste was enough to keep me awake.

    ¡°Do you think we should tell Captain Kiln?¡± Elincia asked as she sipped from her cup. ¡°If the Man in Yellow decided it was urgent to give you the rune, then a Corrupted monster might be prowling nearby.¡±

    I shook my head. Telling Captain Kiln would mean coming clean about my relationship with the System. She wouldn¡¯t believe me without solid proof, and I wasn¡¯t sure if I could trust her.

    So far, I had been avoiding the part Captain Kiln played in Janus¡¯ suspicion.

    ¡°Who do you think put the Silence Hex on Holst?¡± I asked.

    Elincia gave me a confused look. ¡°Whoever is behind the attacks on the orphanage?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but who has the resources to apply a Hex like that?¡±

    Elincia¡¯s expression changed from surprise to fear.

    ¡°The Marquis. He needed to fill his quota of recruits to the royal army. He used Holst to sabotage the orphanage and silenced him before sending him to the Imperial Library,¡± Elincia muttered.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a theory. I don¡¯t think the Marquis himself is sweeping the city searching for people to send to war, but it has to be one of his subordinates,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t think that person is Captain Kiln, but she is loyal to the Marquis. She will see the Silence Hex and know the Marquis is involved.¡±

    Elincia seemed saddened by the revelation. Captain Kiln had been the first adult to befriend Elincia other than me, and they were getting along just great. They even enjoyed time together when no official issue required her at the orphanage.

    I had already tried to warn the Marquis about a Monster Surge when the chubby man spoke to Firana, but he told me the Farlands were being strictly monitored to keep the noble delegations safe. If a Monster Surge were indeed coming to the city, they would know before anyone. Besides, the strongest people in the kingdom, including several Prestige Classes, were gathered in Farcrest. The town was well prepared for an attack.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not jump the gun,¡± I said. My heart told me Captain Kiln couldn¡¯t harm the orphanage, even indirectly, but I would rather follow my mind in security matters. ¡°And let the Sentinels do their surveillance work. They will know if a powerful corrupted monster is nearby.¡±

    Elincia looked at me with emerald eyes, and I felt my heart skip.

    ¡°Then get your Runeweaver fingers moving. I want to be the one to kill the next Corrupted Monster,¡± she said with a grin.

    That was the Elincia I had fallen in love with.

 131 - More Dead Ends

    The mysterious rune refused to yield. No matter the line of commands I engraved in the Rune Debugger, the skill always triggered the yellow signal. The attempt of enchantment wasn¡¯t dangerous but not useful either. I used the Effect-Trigger-Source formula of the light stones and the warm blanket, putting the mysterious rune in each position to no avail. The rune didn¡¯t respond to any of the trigger runes I knew, nor did it seem to draw energy from the mana source runes.

    I was walking in complete darkness.

    Elincia grunted and opened her eyes. Dawn broke over the mountains, and the first lights of the day reflected on the frosted ground. I poured my magic on the stones inside the brazier. They were my latest invention. Last night, when the embers on the brazier went out, I replaced the light rune in the lightstone enchantment with a fire rune, creating a rudimentary magical heater. Elincia was ecstatic with the warming stones and showered me affectionately after warming her hands for over half an hour.

    ¡°I think the command coded in the mystery rune doesn¡¯t work by itself,¡± I said, already awake. ¡°It might need other runes attached.¡±

    ¡°Like a special source of power?¡± Elincia said with a raspy voice. She threw an arm around me and cuddled to my side, fleeing from the cold wall.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I replied.

    Last night, after a couple of hours of work, we decided that staying up until morning wouldn¡¯t do us any favors. We needed to be strategic in juggling all our responsibilities, and being sleep-deprived would only diminish our performance. I squeezed Elincia against me, savoring our few minutes in bed before the daily chores overwhelmed us.

    ¡°I think runes work similarly to a language. Some words need other words to make sense at all. Think of the word ¡®give¡¯,¡± I explained. ¡°Someone gives something to someone. You need at least three other words for ¡®give¡¯ to make sense.¡±

    Elincia complained as she tried to bury her head in the blankets. Being taught about advanced runeweaving theory two seconds after waking up couldn¡¯t be pleasant. However, my brain couldn¡¯t move from the problem.

    ¡°I will give you shit if you don¡¯t let me sleep in peace,¡± Elincia replied, suddenly opening her eyes. ¡°Wait, you are right. An advanced rune might need more elements, just like the Action-Direction-Movement runes in Firana¡¯s cape!¡±

    Last night¡¯s crash course on Runeweaving seemed to be effective because Elincia instantly boarded onto my train of thought.

    ¡°I wonder how much it would take us to find the right combination of runes. If what you told me is correct, there are hundreds upon hundreds of runes out there,¡± Elincia said.

    I refrained myself from starting a combinatorics lecture.

    ¡°There might be another way, but it¡¯s a long shot,¡± I said. The idea had been plaguing my head for the last week. ¡°The System Avatar might appear during Zaon¡¯s ceremony just like it did during Firana¡¯s.¡±

    Elincia sighed. ¡°We will have to explain the situation to him.¡±

    I mindlessly played with her silver hair, thinking about Zaon¡¯s reaction. I didn''t want to tell a fifteen-year-old that Corruption was corroding the corners of the System and that the end of the world as we knew it was nigh. Firana had taken the news quite well, but she was the carefree type, unlike Zaon, who worried about virtually everything.

    ¡°When Firana learned about the System Avatar, she asked me if we were starting a cult,¡± I said, reminiscing about the situation. ¡°I wonder how Zaon will react.¡±

    Elincia giggled. ¡°He will be okay. Zaon has changed since you arrived at the orphanage. Other than his meltdown after his fight at the tournament, he has been doing better by the day.¡±

    With meltdown and all, Prince Adrien believed Zaon was Imperial Cadet material.

    The sun had risen, and we couldn¡¯t stay in bed any longer. I got up and washed my face. Elincia put on a thick woolen sweater, and we walked to the kitchen to kickstart the day. We celebrated the kid¡¯s victory only yesterday, but the weight of my problems already overshadowed our achievements. Astrid was already in the kitchen, warming her tail near the stove. She didn¡¯t look like she had rested much, and even the kettle''s whistle startled her.

    ¡°Any luck with the rune?¡± She asked as soon as we entered the kitchen.

    ¡°It will take us some time,¡± I replied. ¡°What about you? How are you feeling?¡±

    Astrid shrugged and tossed another piece of firewood into the stove. ¡°The System still wants me to protect you, so, for now, I can stay at the orphanage.¡±

    I took that as good news. I couldn¡¯t start to fathom how stressful it would be to live a life under the whims of the System, but I felt relieved Astrid could stay with us. We needed both allies and friends, and Astrid¡¯s loyalty toward the orphanage was enough for me to trust her fully.

    Astrid put a big pot on the stove and Elincia poured the milk and oatmeal while I set the table. Between our potion deal with Nasiah and Ginz¡¯s crafts, we had gathered enough money to meet our energetic needs and flavor things up. Seeing Elincia scoop a jar of honey felt, in a strange way, like a huge achievement.

    ¡°To think we used to have oatmeal soaked in water a few months ago,¡± I pointed out, trying to dispel the shadows of doubt and focus on our little victories.

    ¡°And beans, the ultimate food according to Scholars,¡± Elincia jabbed at me as she put a pot of milk to boil. ¡°Can you believe it, Astrid? This madman had us eating beans for a straight month.¡±

    Astrid had merged into the background like she used to. I ignored whether it was one of her beastfolk traits or a habit acquired during her years as a silent vassal of the System, but at times, it got on my nerves. Two distinct personalities lived at the same time inside Astrid: the orphan and the Zealot.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with beans?¡± She asked as a confused expression drew on her face.

    ¡°Come on, eating the same food for a month doesn¡¯t seem strange to you?¡± Elincia said.

    Astrid shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve never cared too much about food. Cooking gets in the way of my Quests, so I usually eat what I can scrap begging around.¡±

    Helping a Zealot was to help the System, so people used to offer food and accommodations to Zealots traveling the country. Before I could say anything, Elincia grabbed Astrid¡¯s face with one hand and pushed a spoonful of honey into her mouth. The beastfolk¡¯s face lit before returning to her usual stern expression; then, she pushed Elincia¡¯s hand away and retreated.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°Tasty, uh?¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Astrid replied, licking her lips.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to herd the kids to the kitchen. No fighting near the boiling pot!¡± I announced, hiding a smile.

    Elincia showed me her tongue.

    A part of me saw Astrid as one of the orphans despite her age. She might have traveled the kingdom completing Quests, but she had experienced very little of what life had to offer. Lately, I¡¯ve been thinking about how the System was the root of many of the evils of Ebros¡¯ society, yet I was there learning reweaving to help fix it.

    Those were ethical dilemmas for the future Rob. Now, I had to prevent Kellaren from taking Firana from me, check Zaon¡¯s mood, and try to guess what the mysterious rune was all about. I returned to their sleeping quarters and found Ilya already escorting the little ones out of the bedroom, her oversized nightgown dragged over the floor. A wide smile appeared on her face as soon as her eyes fell on me, and suddenly, my heart felt like it would explode.

    ¡°How is my favorite Hunter doing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Itching to kick Istvan Kiln¡¯s butt in the next round. You have to pair me with him, seriously,¡± Ilya replied.

    The little ones formed a line and hugged me one by one before continuing towards the kitchen. As always, Virdian shuffled slowly, in a zombie-like state, and Loki herded him as best as he could in Bernese. On the other hand, Nokti, Shu, and Ash were full of energy. The victory at the tournament had quickly infected everyone.

    Ilya knocked on Firana¡¯s door while I did the same on Wolf¡¯s and Zaon¡¯s. A moment later, the two were in the corridor. Zaon didn¡¯t reply, so I opened the door. The room was empty, and the bed was already tidied, but I didn¡¯t recall seeing anyone training early in the backyard. Risha was nowhere to be found either.

    ¡°That rat. I bet he is training in the ballroom,¡± Firana said, rushing into her bedroom and grabbing her sparring clothes. Before she could jump behind the wooden screen, I stopped her.

    ¡°Today, we rest, Firana. Have breakfast first and then meet me in the ballroom. We have things to discuss,¡± I said, examining their expressions. Firana showed no sign of being affected by last night¡¯s conversation. It was a good sign.

    The three kids nodded and walked down the corridor, chatting and messing around.

    Following Firana¡¯s suspicion, I crossed the western wing into the old ballroom. As soon as I reached the gloomy corridor that separated both wings, I heard the footwork and the sound of wood against wood of sword sparring. I peeked through the ornate door and saw Zaon fighting against Risha. The elven boy used a two-handed sword, while Risha had a short spear and a big round shield.

    They were only lightly sparring. Risha had spent almost a decade fighting in the Farlands, so he knew when to push the cadets and have them recover. I examined their movements. Risha''s style was particular, almost as if he was more used to defending than pressing the attack. Not that it surprised me. The Defender class had one of the highest defensive stats both in the physical and magical sides, while their attack stat was comparable with a Basic Class.

    The Defender Class suited Risha¡¯s personality. It was hard to imagine him wanting to hurt someone.

    Zaon attacked Risha¡¯s spear side, putting him in a predicament. If Risha blocked with the shield, he had to cross his arms, leaving him in an uncomfortable position to counter. If he used the spear to defend, his shield bash didn¡¯t have enough range to sneak a blow against Zaon. On the rare occasion Risha managed to parry, Zaon¡¯s pace was quick enough to get away from the spear¡¯s range.

    I had to blink repeatedly to convince myself the scene before me wasn¡¯t a mirage product of the few hours of sleep. Zaon seemed to be a completely different person. His shoulders were relaxed, and any sign of doubt in his intentions had disappeared entirely. It took a whole year for some of my old clubmates to learn to remain composed during sparring. The tournament fight had turned a switch on Zaon¡¯s mind.

    Before entering, I knocked on the door, and Risha and Zaon put down their weapons.

    ¡°Please continue. I didn¡¯t want to interrupt,¡± I said.

    ¡°When the big dog enters a room, the pups must shut up,¡± Risha replied, putting down his spear and leaving his shield against the wall. ¡°Plus, we were about to finish.¡±

    Zaon imitated him.

    ¡°Come on, Risha. The orphanage is your home. You grew up here. If anything, I am the guest. Don¡¯t treat me like I am the manor¡¯s lord,¡± I said, putting a hand on Zaon¡¯s shoulder as a morning greeting. ¡°Plus, you have twenty-five levels on me.¡±

    Risha sat on the window¡¯s ledge and shook his head.

    ¡°Elincia can¡¯t stop talking about you, you know? She told me about that time you shattered a mountain over a Lich¡¯s head,¡± Risha said.

    Zaon fumbled the water jug but managed to grab it midair with minimal losses. I didn¡¯t expect Risha to bring that up or Elincia to talk about it. Despite the feeling of unlimited power, I would rather keep those memories away. We had almost died.

    I wondered where Risha wanted to get with this conversation.

    ¡°That was a one-time thing,¡± I replied, brushing it off. ¡°And I didn¡¯t shatter a mountain. I channeled the heat of the rock towards a single spot, melting the stone above the Lich¡¯s head. The mountain shattered due to the expansion of the water trapped in the rock turning into ice.¡±

    My Scholar blabbing didn¡¯t seem to be enough to deflect the conversation.

    ¡°Elincia is my dearest grumpy little sister, Rob. I owe you for looking over the orphanage, but this¡­ I just can¡¯t imagine life without her around,¡± Risha said with teary eyes. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have gone away. I¡¯m sorry, Rob. I¡¯m sorry, Z.¡±

    Seeing a two-meter tall, mean-looking half orc at the brink of crying touched a nerve I didn¡¯t know I had. Yet, I understood Risha¡¯s feelings. Seeing the orcish spear piercing Elincia¡¯s calf made my heart stop, and I instantly knew I would rather have the Lich turning me into an undead abomination than see her dying.

    ¡°Come on, big boy, don¡¯t do this to me,¡± I replied. Ilya¡¯s spontaneous smile earlier had already weakened my defenses, and I was getting emotional too.

    Risha rubbed his eyes and sniffled.

    ¡°Right. Sorry. No one died, and we are all doing great now,¡± Risha said, standing and wrapping his arms around our necks. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for Zaon to turn fifteen to share a drink like adults.¡±

    I made a mental note to have a conversation with Risha about underage drinking. I made a second mental note to avoid telling Risha I had popped my first beer with my dad when I was thirteen. Some things better remained a secret. Risha patted my back, making my ribs creak.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I get all emotional when I think of how good of a fighter Zaon and Ilya have become,¡± Risha said.

    Zaon replied with a timid smile, and I jabbed at Risha¡¯s ribs. It felt nice to share a moment with the boys, but Risha¡¯s arm weighed as much as a young tree, so I got free of his grasp and pushed him away. Risha laughed and playfully elbowed my shoulder.

    ¡°Tomorrow is your big day, Zaon. Still keeping up with that dream of yours?¡± I asked, sitting against the wall. If Zaon¡¯s dream of becoming a Knight was initially a whim, now it seemed more like a reality.

    Zaon passed me the water jug, and I took a sip before passing it again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to become a Knight anymore,¡± he said, and the revelation caught me by surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, it would be nice to become a Knight, but I just want a Class strong enough to protect the ones I love.¡±

    Risha messed with Zaon¡¯s hair, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face. ¡°Are you talking about us, or are you talking about a special lady? That Corin kid was eyeing you pretty intently last night.¡±

    Zaon blushed.

    ¡°She¡¯s a good friend,¡± he replied.

    ¡°She¡¯s very pretty also,¡± Risha didn¡¯t let the topic die. ¡°But you have to be careful with those Couriers, Z. They can¡¯t stand in a place for long. It¡¯s in their Class to roam around the continent.¡±

    I kept Corin¡¯s secret to myself. The girl fancied Zaon enough to consider marrying him, but it was not up to me to reveal that. I leaned back and enjoyed the banter.

    Zaon tried to babble an excuse, but he was interrupted by Ilya entering the ballroom. Behind her appeared Wolf and Firana, both in their sparring clothes despite my instructions to take the day to rest. I sighed. At least they were full of energy.

    ¡°Here we are,¡± Ilya said. ¡°What do we need to discuss?¡±

    I took a deep breath. Kellaren¡¯s menace wasn¡¯t going to go anywhere. The kids were adults now, and they deserved to know the complete picture of the orphanage''s troubles.

 132 - Im an adult

    Ilya, Wolf, and Firana entered the ballroom. Although I told them we wouldn¡¯t be training, they wore their sparring clothing. At least their motivation was at an all-time high.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say no training today?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow.

    Wolf shrugged. ¡°It feels weird wearing anything else.¡±

    Ilya nodded in agreement. ¡°We better strike when the iron is hot. Istvan Kiln¡¯s team will be harder to crack than those Osgirian scrubs.¡±

    Only Firana remained silent, lost in her thoughts. It only took me a glance to know she hadn¡¯t told anyone about her predicament. Firana was strong. Even now, she tried to keep her problems from overshadowing the festive mood. Kellaren, however, wasn¡¯t going to extend that courtesy to us.

    It was time to update the kids on the orphanage¡¯s situation.

    ¡°Please take a seat. Today, I want to have a serious conversation with all of you,¡± I said, signaling the old dinner table we had dragged to the corner.

    ¡°I will go, then,¡± Risha said.

    ¡°Please stay. This has to do with all members of the orphanage,¡± I stopped him.

    He gave me a quizzical look but sat on the table.

    The kids had grown a lot since I first arrived at the orphanage. They were adults under Ebros¡¯ law. I remembered the first day I met them: Ilya, with her defensive demeanor; Wolf, indifferent about his companions; Zaon, doubtful of their own capabilities; and Firana, distrustful of the world. Now, they stood before me not just as orphans but as capable young adults.

    They looked at me with anticipation.

    ¡°So, why did you call us here?¡± Ilya asked.

    ¡°By tomorrow, you all will have a Class and will be adults in the eyes of the world, so this will be my last lesson,¡± I replied.

    The kids exchanged confused glances.

    ¡°But you said we weren¡¯t going to spar,¡± Ilya pointed out.

    ¡°This will not be a fighting lesson. You already learned most of what I had to teach in that regard, and I am proud of your progress,¡± I replied, looking at each one for a second as I chose the right words. ¡°This is a lesson on adulthood.¡±

    The ballroom fell in complete silence.

    ¡°I want you to know that you aren¡¯t adults because the System gave you a nice Class. Being an adult is more than the ability to kill monsters and level up. Being an adult means taking responsibility for your actions. From now on, whether you decide to stay at Farcrest, join a Guild, or try your luck at the capital, you, and only you, will be the one taking the reins of your life,¡± I said, going over the speech I gave to half a dozen groups before. ¡°You will be taking the shots. However, that doesn¡¯t mean you are alone in this. The orphanage will continue to be your home, and we are going to be here to support you.¡±

    My monologue was starting to sound like a graduation speech.

    ¡°You might already suspect this, but adults make mistakes, and you will make them too, but don¡¯t be afraid of stumbling as long as you learn a lesson at the end of the day,¡± I said, my eyes lingering on Firana. ¡°Just because you are adults now and have funny numbers floating by your names doesn¡¯t mean you must stop working on your skills. Progress only happens to those who try and keep trying, this is not the end of your learning journey, just the next chapter.¡±

    There was so much more I wanted to tell them, but I knew my words would fade away with time. I could only hope the work ethic and habits we had been practicing lasted longer than the memory of my speech. Looking at them, I was optimistic.

    ¡°You have been my first class in a long time, and working with you all during these months has been an honor and a privilege,¡± I smiled. They have quite literally changed my life. ¡°Thank you. I enjoyed it.¡±

    Firana raised her hand almost timidly.

    ¡°Does this mean we can call you Robert now?¡±

    The group giggled, and the solemnity of the situation evaporated.

    ¡°No. You will continue calling me Mister Clarke until you are eighteen years old or level twenty; what happens first,¡± I replied. Having former students calling me by my name never bothered me, but I didn¡¯t want to jeopardize my authority over the little ones. They were wild, and they copied everything Firana did.

    Firana looked around for support, almost offended by my reply; however, she got none.

    ¡°I respect Mister Clarke too much to call him Robert,¡± Wolf said, and the rest nodded in approval.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of respect. We are both adults now!¡± Firana explained.

    ¡°I¡¯ll eat a Green Slime before recognizing you as an adult,¡± Ilya said, jumping down the desk.

    For an instant, I thought she would challenge Firana to a duel, but instead, she walked up to me.

    ¡°As the team captain, I would like to thank you, Mister Clarke. I think I speak for all of us when I say we couldn¡¯t have reached this point without you,¡± she said, her words losing security as she went on. ¡°And thanks for believing me even if I was a Gnome.¡±

    Before I could notice, the four kids approached to thank me.

    Risha winked at me from the table, his eyes teary, but we didn¡¯t have time for a group hug or a crying session. I had worked well over twelve hours daily for the past months, and it seemed the orphanage would require me to pump those numbers. Winter was coming to an end, and the orphanage was at a crossroads.

    The graduation was over.

    ¡°Now that you are all adults, I have to tell you a few things Elincia and I have been keeping from you,¡± I said, and the kids immediately stopped fooling around. This was the hard part. ¡°We believe the orphanage has been systematically attacked since before my arrival. The death of the crops, the robbery attempt, the harassment by the Guard, and the attack on the orphanage, we believe there¡¯s one person behind all those attempts of sabotage. I¡¯m not going to sugarcoat it anymore. We are in real danger.¡±

    The ballroom seemed to freeze, and the festive mood disappeared in one fell swoop.

    ¡°However, we haven¡¯t been idle. Elincia and I have secured Prince Adrien''s support, so we believe there will not be any attempt of a direct attack on the orphanage,¡± I explained, measuring the kid¡¯s reactions. Even Zaon seemed to absorb the information calmly.

    Firana, on the other hand, fiddled with her fingers.

    I explained that the tournament wasn¡¯t just an event to raise the morale of the royal army but also a battleground for the kingdom''s political future. I told them about the trade routes, the factions, alliances, and our position in the conflict. They just listened without panicking until I reached the part I wanted to avoid the most.

    ¡°We believe Kellaren Odrac-Aias is behind the attacks. He has been trying to weaken the orphanage to take Firana away and restore the Aias Mercenaries to their former strength,¡± I said.

    Before I could continue explaining the situation, Ilya jumped forward.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°We will help. We are ready to fight¡ª¡± She said.

    ¡°No,¡± I cut her. ¡°If something happens, you will not interfere, and under no circumstance will you fight.¡±

    My words surprised even Risha.

    ¡°If he tries to take Firana, then we should do something. She¡¯s our companion. We can¡¯t just let him take her away!¡± Zaon pointed out.

    ¡°We are commoners, Zaon. Kellaren has the support of House Osgiria, and we can¡¯t attack a noble faction without suffering repercussions,¡± I replied, and the kids deflated in their seats. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t do anything. We just have to be subtle and tactful. We can¡¯t attack directly, but we can break the alliance between Kellaren and the Osgirians. Isn¡¯t it like that, Risha?¡±

    The half-orc grinned. ¡°Kellaren has a history of shady business, a kind of history that nobles wouldn¡¯t want to be linked to.¡±

    A smile appeared on Ilya¡¯s face as she connected the dots. ¡°So, where do we appear in this plan?¡±

    ¡°You will let me deal with Kellaren and only act if my plans fail,¡± I said. ¡°If something happens to me, I want you to ask Lord Vedras for help and relocate the orphanage to his dukedom.¡±

    It was a long shot, but Vedras shared the same dream as Mister Lowell. He might value the orphanage enough to take them under his wing and pull them far from the Marquis''s reach. However, in case we failed, there would not be an easy way out for Firana. Prince Adrien¡¯s protection only worked while I was alive because he wanted me to raise cadets for the Imperial Academy. Things would get ugly if Kellaren got me.

    ¡°If we fail, Firana will have to become the head of the Aias Family. Otherwise, the Marquis and the Osgirians will retaliate,¡± I explained.

    Ilya was going to argue, but Firana interrupted her.

    ¡°I am ready for that scenario, Ilya. I don¡¯t want the orphanage to suffer because of me. Besides, I¡¯m a Wind Fencer, I just need a couple of levels more, and Kellaren will not be able to touch me,¡± Firana said, puffing her chest to appear bigger than she really was.

    ¡°Even if this is the worst-case scenario, Firana will be alive, and Kellaren will not harm her as long as he needs her,¡± I said, turning to Risha. ¡°I wanted to ask you to join the Aias Mercenaries and protect Firana until she has enough levels to fend for herself.¡±

    Risha put his hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°You got it, boss.¡±

    Now that I have put the situation of the orphanage in words, the future doesn¡¯t seem that bad. Even if I were removed from the picture, the orphanage had a chance to remain operative, safe from the power play between the Marquis and the Osgirian faction. Even Firana will have a chance to survive. It wasn¡¯t the best outcome, but there was hope even if we lost.

    ¡°Life wasn¡¯t easy before my arrival, ladies and gentlemen, and it will not be easy going forward, but you are a capable bunch,¡± I said. ¡°This is my only request as your teacher. Keep the orphanage safe.¡±

    The kids nodded. Despite the grim appearance of the news, they remained confident.

    ¡°W-why are you talking like you were already dead?¡± Firana said.

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    ¡°I was explaining the worst-case scenario, which will not happen because Sir Janus, Risha, and I will unmask Kellaren¡¯s plot before the end of the tournament,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Are we working with Sir Janus now?¡± Risha asked, and I detected a hint of excitement in the half-orc¡¯s voice. Sir Janus was a celebrity, after all. The only commoner that managed to become an Imperial Knight.

    ¡°Sir Janus is interested in Kellaren¡¯s demise,¡± I replied. ¡°How is the investigation going?¡±

    Risha shook his head. ¡°Not particularly well. We have gathered a handful of victims, but Kellaren knows how to cover his tracks. Word got out, and we have been bombarded with fake victims.¡±

    It was expected. Kellaren wasn¡¯t going to go down so easily.

    ¡°We have a plan,¡± I replied.

    ¡°A plan? I¡¯m very good with plans,¡± Firana said.

    ¡°Firana, no. The only plan you lot will stick to is to rest for the next round,¡± I replied, turning towards the kids. ¡°The tournament is really important to the orphanage because the better we do, the more protection the royalist faction will give us.¡±

    The kids seemed disappointed, but after a bit of explanation, they understood their role was equally important. The topic of the conversation slowly changed towards the next round of the tournament. We were going to face the Marquis¡¯ team, and Ilya was the most excited of them all. It seemed her feud with Istvan Kiln wasn¡¯t going to be resolved any time soon.

    ¡°All right, everyone. Tomorrow is Zaon¡¯s special day, so go help Elincia with the preparations,¡± I said, clapping my hands.

    The kids begrudgingly abandoned the ballroom. Despite the fact I wanted to tell them about my runeweaver powers, I thought it would be too much to load on their shoulders in a single day. For now, I wanted them to accept the fact that the orphanage was in a dangerous spot.

    ¡°So, we have a plan,¡± Risha said when we were alone.

    I pulled a roll of parchment and spread it open over the desk. It was a small reproduction of the layout of Kellaren¡¯s manor, three floors high, with smooth walls and windows blocked with sturdy iron bars. The whole building seemed to be constructed to avoid outside interference, and it almost felt like a bunker.

    ¡°Enter, take important documents, and escape,¡± I said.

    Risha scratched his incipient beard as he examined the layout.

    ¡°Where did you get that?¡±

    ¡°Firana has allies among the Aias,¡± I replied, rolling the parchment and hiding it in my jacket. ¡°I want to scout the area beforehand. Sir Janus wanted to act by the end of the tournament, so we have a bit more than a week to prepare.¡±

    ¡°You got it, boss,¡± Risha said as he walked to the door.

    * * *

    While the orphanage prepared Zaon¡¯s birthday, Risha and I walked through the streets of Farcrest. Any trace of the pleasant temperature of the first day of the tournament had been replaced with the bone-chilling wind. The veteran guards outside the orphanage warmed their hands around a small brazier, their shoulders covered in thick cloaks. They greeted me with a nod and continued watching the street.

    There hadn¡¯t been any suspicious movement since the last attack on the orphanage, but the presence of the guards didn¡¯t feel as reassuring as before. If Sir Janus was correct, and the Marquis was secretly working with the Osgirians, then we couldn¡¯t count on the Guard to cover our backs.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for dragging you into this,¡± I said as we entered the maze of alleys that was the Northern District.

    ¡°I owe you,¡± Risha nonchalantly replied. ¡°And it¡¯s better than fighting monsters. How did you manage to beat the Lich, though? We had a good share of problems with undead, and they are not particularly easy to deal with.¡±

    ¡°I used unfiltered mana from the Fountain but got Corruption in return. Still got some, but as long as I refine Fountain mana before using it, I will be okay,¡± I replied.

    As much as I had to thank the Lich for showing me the Fountain, I would rather not encounter any undead ever again. I touched the old rotten wooden beam of an abandoned house to protect myself against bad luck. The last thing I needed was undead spirits floating over Farcrest.

    ¡°Did the System give you the [Daredevil] title?¡± Risha asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give him ideas,¡± I replied.

    Risha gave me a quizzical look, and we continued our way towards Kellaren¡¯s manor. We stopped in a dark alley near the Dizzy Wolf and piled old boxes and debris to climb to the roof of an empty house. Then, we crawled over the shingles and peeked over the ridge to have a clear view of the manor.

    The Osgirian banner waved over the main entrance, recruits trained in the front yard, and the security was thick. The only entrance in the wall was a guard post. The grounds were bigger than the orphanage¡¯s. From our point of view, it was hard to grasp the whole extent of the terrain, but at least we had a good view of the manor.

    ¡°The grove seems to be a good spot to enter. The trees will serve as cover, even if there are guards with [Night Vision],¡± Risha said, pointing further north.

    The Odrac-Aias forces were mostly humans, so I doubted a lot of them had access to night-vision traits.

    ¡°Sentinels will be a problem, but even they have problems detecting small war parties,¡± Risha said with a smile. ¡°Plus, we can throw them off with¡­ let¡¯s call it, an incident in the front gate. I think I can gather twenty rowdy royal soldiers on short notice.¡±

    I knew Risha¡¯s charisma was going to be valuable sooner or later.

    We moved to a second location, always staying at least a block away from the manor to check on the security. The outer wall was four meters tall and thick enough to withstand the charge of a Crystal Boar Matriarch. Then, there was a flat area between the wall and the manor with nothing to hide. Even the grove was separated from the manor by a broad patch of grass. It would be hard, but with Sir Janus¡¯ [Shadow Step], we would at least have a chance.

    ¡°I want to know what¡¯s on the roof,¡± I said. ¡°If there are hidden surveillance positions, we are cooked.¡±

    Risha looked around and clicked his tongue with displeasure. ¡°There aren¡¯t any taller buildings nearby.¡±

    ¡°I can help you with that,¡± a third voice said.

    I almost fell over the ridge into the street below, but I was able to hang on for my dear life without being noticed. Ilya peeked over the edge and pushed herself over the rooftop with the help of a vine. She was wearing a dark cloak that covered her whole body and a scarf that only showed her eyes.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t many Gnomes in Farcrest, so I¡¯m going incognito,¡± she explained as she summoned a small bird made of mana. It was one of her Spirit Animals.

    ¡°I told you to stay at the orphanage,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Robert. I¡¯m an adult now,¡± she replied, throwing the bird to the sky.

 133 - Zaons Birthday

    Elincia and I stayed up late, sitting at the desk and thinking about ways of deceiving Kellaren¡¯s guards. We counted on Sir Janus¡¯ [Shadow Step], Lord Vedras¡¯ Invisibility Potion, and my illusions as our primary strategy to move unnoticed through enemy territory. Still, it never hurts to have a backup plan.

    My Rune Encyclopedia barely had a dozen entries, making coming up with a helpful enchantment near impossible. Luckily for me, Elincia had a concerning talent for destruction. A hot pebble coated in oils could start a fire if strategically positioned near dry hay. A hot pebble positioned near curtains could cause the manor to be evacuated. A hot pebble coated in Char-root oils positioned down a chimney could drown the building in thick, black smoke.

    ¡°Tell me you¡¯ve never tried something like that,¡± I asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t get the Bad Reputation title for being a little angel,¡± Elincia replied.

    Every teacher knew that smoke bombs came back into fashion from time to time, but I didn¡¯t expect that trend to extend to Farcrest.

    ¡°I like my girls a little wild,¡± I sighed.

    ¡°Good,¡± Elincia replied, giving me a wink.

    What concerned me the most about Elincia¡¯s ideas wasn¡¯t their explosive nature but the fact they would leave a trail of enchanted pebbles. The heist had to be perfect, and we couldn¡¯t leave behind any clue that could lead Kellaren to us. The fact I was a Runeweaver had to remain a secret. I had enough orbiting the edges of the conflicts between nobles to put a neon sign aiming toward me.

    ¡°What about an unstable enchantment?¡± Elincia pointed out.

    ¡°That could be an idea,¡± I said, opening my hand and revealing the scar produced by stone splinters. During the last attack on the orphanage, I had rewritten the runes on a light stone to create a flash grenade. As a result, the enchantment had become unstable, and the pebble had exploded in my hand.

    An unstable hot pebble would leave no trace of enchantment other than useless pieces of stone, but I wasn¡¯t comfortable experimenting with explosives. I needed something more subtle, something that wouldn¡¯t alert the whole enemy headquarters. Something like the Invisibility Potion.

    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s something useful in Vedras¡¯ notes,¡± I said. My idea was to replicate the Invisibility Potion, even in a lesser form.

    ¡°He already gave you a high-level potion and an invitation for me. I don¡¯t think asking more for him is fair,¡± Elincia replied.

    Then, my mistake hit me. Elincia wasn¡¯t aware of Vedras'' gift. The pile of books had gathered dust on the corner of her desk. Elincia had probably assumed it was part of my investigation and avoided touching them. I closed my eyes and asked my father¡¯s spirit to grant me the wisdom I lacked.

    ¡°Do you love me, Elincia?¡± I asked.

    She crossed her arms. ¡°What did you do now?¡±

    ¡°I got you a gift,¡± I said, extending my arm and dragging the book pile wrapped in silk toward Elincia.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to pretend I didn¡¯t know this package had been sitting there for the past two days,¡± she pointed out as she untied the hemp string. An untitled journal appeared on top of the pile. ¡°Are you sure this isn¡¯t a gift for yourself?¡±

    Elincia looked at me with distrust.

    ¡°Look inside,¡± I replied.

    As Elincia passed the pages, her expression became increasingly more confused. Suddenly, she stood up, turning over the chair. ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°Recipes from the Alchemists of the Circle of Mariposa. A token of friendship from Lord Vedras,¡± I grinned.

    Elincia jumped over the table and covered my face in kisses.

    ¡°I love it, thank you very much,¡± Elincia grinned, her body long across the table.

    Then, she buried her face in the books and ignored me for the rest of the night while I worked on the runes. As fatigue won over us, Elincia¡¯s eyes started to close, but she refused to put the books down. After a while, she fell asleep, and I carried her back to bed.

    I put the light stones under a piece of cloth and laid down. Zaon¡¯s birthday was around the corner, and I wanted to be well-prepared for anything the System Avatar threw in our direction. I said goodnight to Elincia, closed my eyes, and sleep quickly overcame me.

    ______

    We wake up to the sound of a hatchet splitting wood. Elincia grunted and nabbed my pillow to cover her head. The sun barely emerged over the mountains. It was too early for the orphans to be up as they usually waited for us to call them for breakfast. Risha, maybe?

    Elincia pushed me with her knees, so I got out of bed to figure out who the early bird was. I powered the warming stones in the brazier and opened the window. A silver layer of frost covered the world. By the old shed, Zaon was cutting firewood.

    ¡°Someone had trouble sleeping,¡± I said, waving at the boy.

    Zaon put the hatchet against the firewood pile and waved back. His breath turned into clouds of steam as he smiled. With everything going on, I hadn¡¯t found time to prepare a birthday gift for him. I knew he wouldn¡¯t complain if I took a few days, but I felt guilty nonetheless.

    ¡°Do you think an enchanted sword would do the trick?¡± I asked as I changed my clothes. Firana had the Aias Sword, Ilya her Cooldown Bow, and Wolf the Wind Sling; it was only logical that Zaon had his own enchanted weapon.

    Elincia gave me a confused look.

    ¡°For Zaon¡¯s birthday,¡± I added.

    ¡°Oh. Zaon will love whatever you give him,¡± Elincia replied, stretching and grunting under the sheets. ¡°Really. All the orphanage is pretty much in love with you. Even Risha thinks you are a pretty cool dude.¡±

    ¡°Tell him I¡¯m happily taken,¡± I said, grabbing a wet towel and cleaning my body before getting in my day clothes.

    As soon as Ginz mastered the art of plumbing, I wanted to enchant a hot shower. I was sure Elincia would love the idea. I stopped fantasizing about modern appliances and put on my boots.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check on Zaon,¡± I said.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll be there in a minute,¡± Elincia replied. ¡°Or two.¡±

    I blew her a kiss and walked outside. The manor was silent, and not even the rats living in the attic made a sound. Since Astrid arrived at the orphanage, our rat problem had improved significantly. Her presence dissuaded any rodent presence, but I avoided asking questions about it.

    I exited the orphanage, and the cold air bit my face, so I rolled up the neck of my jacket.

    Zaon hummed the happy tune Elincia sang as he put a piece of wood on the chopping block. His calm demeanor and confident grip made me feel at ease. ¡°Relaxing, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead. ¡°We used bundles of sticks most of the time. Ilya and I went to the mountain path to collect wood for the winter while Elincia looked after the little ones. Buying firewood was a luxury.¡±

    I sat against the shed and watched the boy chop wood. Despite the news regarding Kellaren¡¯s intentions to take Firana away and the imminent Class Ceremony, Zaon seemed strangely serene. Nobody would believe that a few months back, he used to be such a jittery wreck that a simple sparring session put him on edge.

    ¡°Are you cold?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A little bit,¡± Zaon replied. ¡°The exercise helps.¡±

    I grabbed a small stone and rubbed the mud off the surface. I channeled my mana and wrote a simple three-rune enchantment. Fire-Gradual-Recharge. Then, I loaded the circuit with enough mana to warm the stone without overheating it and handed it to Zaon. The boy let out a sigh of relief as the stone warmed his reddened hands. Then, after a moment of bliss, he gave me a quizzical look. Most of the Scholar skills were common knowledge, and none allowed me to heat a stone.

    ¡°I have a small secret I haven¡¯t shared with you yet,¡± I said, summoning my Character Sheet and turning it around. The hatchet fell from Zaon¡¯s hand, making a dull sound as it hit the ground.

    ¡°A Runeweaver?! L-like Runeweaver Baram?!¡± Zaon stuttered.

    I laughed. Elincia¡¯s reaction had been very similar.

    ¡°I hope to become a legendary enchanter someday, but for now, I can do light and warming stones. I also enchanted Wolf¡¯s sling and a couple of Warm Blankets,¡± I replied.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Everyone at the orphanage assumed I had bought the enchanted sling from the same vendor as Firana¡¯s cape and Ilya¡¯s bow.

    Zaon¡¯s surprise died down as I told him about my deal with the System. It wasn¡¯t unheard of for people other than Zealots to receive quests, although it was a rarity. There have been few accounts of the System contacting regular people, and most cases were dubious at best. Zaon listened in silence. I told him about the System and the Corruption, about how it gave me the Runeweaver Class to fix the problems the Corruption was causing. Still, I avoided mentioning anything related to the System¡¯s true nature.

    Zaon remained composed during the story, asking a couple of questions here and there but mostly listening.

    ¡°A-are we starting a cult?¡± He asked as soon as I finished talking.

    ¡°Do you want to start one?¡± I replied.

    Zaon scratched his chin. ¡°That would make many people mad, so I would rather not.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because I want to warn you,¡± I said. ¡°Unlike Zealots, I have no direct communication with the System. The last time he contacted me was through Firana¡¯s Class Ceremony, so when Astrid helps you get your class today, the System Avatar might contact you.¡±

    A shadow of concern appeared on Zaon¡¯s face.

    ¡°It will not interfere with the Ceremony, but the System Avatar might ask you to relay a message to me. Like Corin does from time to time,¡± I quickly added.

    Zaon nodded. ¡°I guess I can do that.¡±

    He didn¡¯t seem very convinced.

    ¡°You fended off the thieves that wanted to harm me, Zaon! They were fifteen levels above you! Relaying a message will be a piece of cake,¡± I grinned.

    The kitchen windows opened, and the little kids greeted us. Zaon greeted back and put the hatchet back inside the shed. Then, we grabbed the firewood and walked back to the orphanage.

    ¡°I can see why the System chose you, Mister Clarke,¡± Zaon said as we reached the door. The lively sound of orphans came from the kitchen, and I knew everyone was waiting for the birthday boy to start the celebrations.

    The compliment caught me by surprise.

    ¡°I think the System had to settle for me,¡± I replied.

    ¡°But you are¡­ good. You always know what to do, and you don¡¯t get scared by anything, not even Corruption,¡± Zaon said.

    ¡°You helped me when the thieves attacked me, even if you didn¡¯t have a class yet. That¡¯s true bravery,¡± I replied.

    Zaon shook his head.

    ¡°You are getting it all wrong. I was terrified, and I puked in front of Sir Janus,¡± Zaon sighed as he closed the door behind us. ¡°Firana was the brave one in that situation. She drew her sword and jumped into the fight without hesitating. I froze for a moment.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡°Firana has a strange sense of danger. She was helpful, but she already had two levels in longsword mastery and one in fencing,¡± I said. ¡°You, on the other hand, were just starting to get the gist of it. Compared to Firana, you had to fight against your sense of self-preservation, which is a tall order. I believe you are as brave as Firana, if not more.¡±

    Zaon blushed, and a hint of the kid he was when I first met him appeared behind his blue eyes.

    ¡°The past is the past. Today, you should focus on enjoying your birthday,¡± I patted his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll like the System Avatar. He¡¯s a chill guy and wears khakis and a yellow polo shirt. Tell him I say hi.¡±

    Zaon smiled.

    ¡°Thanks, Mister Clarke.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you, Zaon,¡± I replied.

    As soon as we entered the kitchen, the little kids assaulted us, grabbing the firewood from Zaon¡¯s hands and dragging him to the table. They sat the elven boy on the head of the table and served him breakfast. Zaon had to take the spoon from Nokti¡¯s hand before the girl could hand-feed him. Only Wolf had been patient enough to let the smaller ones treat him like a baby.

    ¡°How is our little boy doing, Mister Clarke?¡± Elincia asked as I put the firewood by the stove. She seemed to be in a good mood.

    ¡°He¡¯s more worried about that time he puked in front of Janus two months ago. Probably no one else remembers,¡± I replied. ¡°Other than that, he¡¯s prepared.¡±

    Elincia smiled as she prepared the batter for Zaon¡¯s cake. ¡°That sounds like him.¡±

    I helped Elincia while the rest of the orphanage celebrated Zaon¡¯s birthday. I noticed that Astrid and Risha couldn¡¯t stop smiling. They probably never thought they would return to the orphanage for Zaon¡¯s fifteenth birthday.

    The breakfast continued as usual, with music, dances, and tasty foods to sweeten the moment. Even Loki abandoned his usual place at the corner of the kitchen, near the stove''s heat, to join the party. Firana wasn¡¯t happy when Zaon asked for vegetarian pie for lunch, but the birthday boy was the king for the day, so he had to accept it.

    The first incident of the day occurred right away. Astrid and Zaon were playing the harp and the fiddle when Shu dragged Loki, in his usual dog form, onto the dancefloor. Risha almost choked on his cup of milk as the Changeling turned into a duck to perform their dance.

    Using [Awareness], I pulled out my long list of mental notes. Telling Risha and Astrid that Loki was a Changeling remained uncrossed, so I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit responsible. Ginz patted Risha¡¯s back until he stopped coughing and reassured him that Loki had been part of the team for a while. Astrid asked questions, but no one had answers. No one knew why the Changeling had a soft spot for the kids, but everyone at the orphanage was slightly odd.

    Loki continued dancing with Shu without worrying about the commotion.

    For a moment, I forgot about all my worries and enjoyed the scene.

    When the kids finished their breakfast, Elincia expelled them from the kitchen and ordered them to dress up. After the initial reluctance, Risha convinced them they should dress up for the occasion in case Zaon wanted to play outside. The birthday boy was the king for the day, so that the little ones couldn¡¯t help but obey.

    Firana, Ilya, and Wolf led the little ones out of the kitchen.

    ¡°It seems it¡¯s time. Should we be going to the Great Hall?¡± Zaon asked.

    Astrid put her arm around Zaon¡¯s shoulders and slapped his back with her tail. ¡°I can save you the trip. I don¡¯t need the System Shrine Fragment for this.¡±

    Abei had told me only big cities had System Shrines. Even Fragments were rare, so only a handful of cities had them. Usually, Zealots traveled across the kingdom, visiting even the most remote hamlets so people could get their classes by their fifteenth birthday.

    ¡°A-all right, it wasn¡¯t like I needed a minute to prepare myself,¡± Zaon said.

    Without a warning, Astrid caught him in a tight hug. ¡°You are going to be alright, Z. I got your back. Just listen to the Man in Yellow before picking a class, and we¡¯ll breeze through it,¡± she said.

    ¡°T-t-the Man in Yellow? W-who is that?¡± Zaon stuttered, his body suddenly stiff like a board.

    Astrid gave me a killer glance. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell him!¡±

    I was sure I told Zaon that the System Avatar dressed yellow.

    Zaon laughed and poked Astrid¡¯s ribs. ¡°I was joking. Mister Clarke told me everything.¡±

    The joke didn¡¯t sit well with Astrid because she coiled her arm around Zaon¡¯s neck and squeezed. ¡°Oh, you little shit. How dare you make your big sis worry like that.¡±

    Risha and Ginz laughed, and I tried to put on my best smile, but my worries weighed on my shoulders. Part of me knew Zaon would get a good class. However, the mysterious rune had me nervous.

    ¡°Whenever you want, Zaon,¡± I said, knowing that wishing things were different wouldn¡¯t make any change.

    ¡°See you all in a moment,¡± he said, standing before Astrid and offering his hands.

    Astrid gave me a reassuring smile and grabbed Zaon¡¯s hands. Then, she channeled mana, and white sparks danced around her. It wasn¡¯t blue mana like mine, but pure white mana, directly from the Fountain. They closed their eyes, and the sparks ceased.

    Elincia hugged me, and I felt her heart beating like a hammer inside her chest. Mine wasn¡¯t any more calm. Seconds passed. Meanwhile, Risha opened the pantry and pulled out a cask of beer he had bought at the Dizzy Wolf after our surveillance operation.

    ¡°Everything will be alright,¡± Risha said, putting six cups on the table.

    Before I could point out that Zaon wouldn¡¯t be drinking, the trance finished, and they opened their eyes. Astrid gave Zaon a quick hug before forcing him to turn around. The boy looked at us with a slightly dizzy expression, but I couldn¡¯t tell if it was due to Astrid¡¯s hug or the trance itself.

    ¡°How did it go?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°I have a class!¡± Zaon announced, and the lack of urgency in his voice calmed me down.

    Just as it had happened with Firana and Ilya, the boy had a different appearance: more mature and self-confident. A wave of relief washed over me.

    ¡°Of course you got a class, silly,¡± Elincia sighed as she let go of me. ¡°Show us.¡±

    Name: Zaon, Elf (Light-footed, Keen Senses, Night Vision).

    Class: Sentinel Lv.1

    Titles: Kind Hearted.

    Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.2, Fencing Lv.1, Sentinel¡¯s Oath, Awareness.

    Skills: Steadfast Shield, Ghost Blade, Sonar, Second Wind.

    Risha went ahead of us and put a cup of mead in Zaon¡¯s hand. ¡°What is the deal with those skills?! Do you think you are an Advanced Class or something? And you dare get the same starting class as Sir Janus? You are out of line, kid.¡±

    Elincia pushed Risha away and gave Zaon a big hug. ¡°Sentinel is a good class. I think it suits you.¡±

    ¡°Congratulations, kid,¡± I said, touching Zaon¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Thank you, really,¡± Zaon said, a bit flustered by the attention. ¡°I will use my skills to help the orphanage and keep us all safe.¡±

    ¡°With that sweet tongue, it will not take long for you to land a girlfriend,¡± Risha said as he messed up Zaon¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Not without my blessing,¡± Astrid grunted. ¡°I will not let any opportunist skank get anywhere near Zaon.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Astrid, let the boy breathe. He needs experience before settling down,¡± Ginz added.

    We laughed and gave Zaon some space. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door, and we turned around in unison. Corin recoiled under our gazes but composed herself almost instantly.

    ¡°Do I interrupt something?¡± She asked.

    ¡°No, please, come in. We were just celebrating Zaon¡¯s birthday,¡± I replied.

    Corin entered the kitchen. She wore her usual courier uniform: high boots, breeches, white shirt, jacket, and cloak, with a leather satchel hanging from her side. Her dark blonde hair fell over her shoulders instead of her usual high and functional ponytail.

    ¡°Right! Zaon¡¯s birthday,¡± she said, digging into her satchel. She pulled out a small envelope and handed it to Zaon. Was she nervous?

    Zaon untied it to reveal a pretty hair fork made of bone.

    ¡°I saw it at the market and thought it could be useful for you. You know, for sparring and stuff¡­¡± Corin said, blushing.

    Risha grabbed Astrid¡¯s arm and locked it behind her back as surreptitiously as a two-meter-tall orc could do. No one else seemed to notice, though.

    ¡°Oh! I also have a message for Robert Clarke,¡± Corin said. ¡°There has been a change in the tournament brackets. Lowell¡¯s Orphanage will not face Team Farcrest. Your next rival will be House Herran.¡±

 134 - A change of plans

    The kitchen remained silent as Corin recited the message.

    ¡°Lowell¡¯s Orphanage will not face Team Farcrest. Instead, your next rival will be House Herran.¡±

    I froze in place. The happiness from Zaon¡¯s Class disappeared in a single swipe, and the feeling of helplessness invaded me. I couldn¡¯t remember the last time good news wasn¡¯t immediately followed by bad news. The reaction of the others was the same, and it seemed as if someone had drained all the happiness from the kitchen.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± I said. ¡°Lord Herran¡¯s team is a top performer, just like us. Why did they decide to pair us together? Shouldn¡¯t the best performers be paired with the worst ones?¡±

    By the end of the four combats, we had a comfortable eleven-point advantage, putting us near the top of the ranking, just behind the Imperial Cadets, House Osgiria, and House Herran.

    Corin apologetically shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m just the messenger. Prince Adrien and the tournament organizers made the decision behind closed doors, but I heard the reason was to avoid friendly teams knocking out each other.¡±

    I cursed. Once again, we were forced to play with the hand dealt, which wasn¡¯t a particularly good one. The matching against the Marquis Team was more beneficial. Their best combatant was Istvan Kiln, and Ilya had already shown she could stand toe to toe against him. On the other hand, the Herran Team scored a difference of fifteen points, and many of their members had Advanced Classes.

    The Herran Team would be hard to crack. Lord Herran was one of the strongest warriors in the kingdom, and his team was made up of his illegitimate sons and daughters. All of them must have, at least, the [Strong] trait.

    I rubbed my temples. Nothing made sense, even with Corin¡¯s explanation.

    No ¡®official¡¯ factions competed in the tournament besides the individual teams. The royalist and the ducal factions weren¡¯t official blocks of teams but an untold political rivalry, so our fight against the Marquis shouldn¡¯t have posed any problem.

    Moreover, the wording of Corin¡¯s message was also strange. She referred to us as ¡®Lowell¡¯s orphanage¡¯ instead of ¡®Rosebud Fencing Academy¡¯. I wondered if the change of name came from above. The Osgirians? The Marquis? The Prince? Holst? I didn¡¯t know who I could trust anymore.

    Maybe I was getting paranoid.

    ¡°What are we going to do, Mister Clarke?¡± Zaon¡¯s voice brought me back to the present. There was no hint of fear in the boy¡¯s face, just resolution.

    I smiled.

    ¡°We would fight to win, of course,¡± I said. ¡°The imperial cadets defeated House Gairon¡¯s team despite having Class and Level disadvantages. I don¡¯t see why we couldn¡¯t replicate their feat.¡±

    There was no reason to run away. Sooner or later, we would face a stronger opponent.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zaon, but we must work on your birthday,¡± I added.

    ¡°No problem, sir. I will gather the team,¡± he said, putting Corin¡¯s hair fork in his pocket and darting out the kitchen.

    Corin stood in the middle of the kitchen, unsure what to do.

    ¡°You are also part of the team, Corin. Go with Zaon,¡± I said.

    The girl nodded and crossed the kitchen like a bullet.

    As soon as Corin left, Astrid kicked Risha¡¯s shins and broke free from his grip.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to do anything to her,¡± Astrid complained. The kick didn¡¯t seem to make a dent in the half-orc physique. Astrid, on the other hand, limped to a chair.

    ¡°I just wanted to make sure. Corin is legit, and she seems to like Zaon,¡± Risha replied.

    Astrid grumbled a string of insults as she examined her foot. Pitch-black fur covered her leg up to the knee, and her feet were more akin to a wolf¡¯s than a person''s. I had a dozen questions about beast folk biology but saved them for later.

    ¡°I feel like I kicked an anvil,¡± Astrid grunted.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I used [Iron Skin], dear little sis,¡± Risha grinned.

    As a single child, sibling quarrels were unfamiliar territory for me, but I knew Risha and Astrid could continue for hours at a time. We had more pressing matters to attend to.

    ¡°Any news about the System Avatar?¡± I interrupted.

    Astrid raised her eyes and gave me a conflicted look.

    ¡°No sign of him but¡­¡± She stopped and looked around for prying orphans before limping to the door to close it.

    Astrid unbuttoned her blouse to reveal a black patch of Corruption the size of a coin under her collarbone. I was too familiar with that shape. The black tendrils dug into her flesh, forming a corona like a black sun. Elincia grabbed Astrid¡¯s shoulder and examined the Corruption.

    ¡°What happened inside? Was Zaon affected?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Zaon is okay,¡± Astrid quickly said as she touched the Corruption patch.

    From my own experience, I knew it felt like normal skin.

    ¡°Zaon took his sweet time, which is not strange when someone gets offered many good Classes or none at all. I have maintained the trance for much longer periods. People usually argue with the System when they don¡¯t get what they want, so it isn¡¯t Zaon¡¯s fault,¡± Astrid explained. ¡°This time, however, it became harder and harder to maintain the trance as if someone was putting pressure over my shoulders.¡±

    My mind raced. Was this type of malfunction the reason the System Avatar wanted me to fix the System?

    ¡°This isn¡¯t good,¡± Risha said, and Ginz nodded. They were pale, and even if they tried to hide it, a hint of panic appeared on their faces.

    ¡°I feel fine,¡± Astrid replied.

    Three bad news for every good one: Zaon had gotten a good Class, but we had to fight the Herran Family earlier than expected, there was no news about the mysterious rune, and Astrid had gotten Corruption, and we didn¡¯t know why.

    I approached Astrid and checked her eyes while feeding [Awareness] with a wave of mana. The skill collected all my medical knowledge, which wasn¡¯t much, and informed me Astrid¡¯s eyes looked healthy. So did her skin and mouth. Nothing was green or yellow or putrid, which was a good start. The most surprising part of the examination was that Astrid let me perform it without complaining.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to use [Identify] on you,¡± I said.

    Astrid nodded and stood still.

    Name: Astrid Lowell, Wolf Spirit Beastfolk (Night Vision, Keen Senses).

    Class: Zealot Lv.31

    Titles: Silver Zealot, Hundred Quests, The Mercy of the System, No Land Nomad, Sullen.

    Passive: Tracking Lv.5, Acrobatics Lv.5, Dagger Mastery Lv.4, Stealth Lv.4, Riding Lv.1, Zealot¡¯s Questlog, Unrelenting Stamina.

    Skills: System¡¯s Channeler, System¡¯s Sight.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Status: Corruption, Relieved Lv.1.

    I tried to focus on the Corruption status, but when I used Identify, half a dozen System Prompts charged with corrupted text exploded before my eyes. I pulled my mana and stopped the skill in case the broadcast could infect me.

    ¡°You seem healthy enough. As long as you don¡¯t go around using your skills, you will survive,¡± I said.

    ¡°A Zealot¡¯s Quest doesn¡¯t pause,¡± Astrid replied with a mocking grin.

    ¡°If you use your skills, there might not be a turnback,¡± I said, almost sounding like an angry father. ¡°I¡¯m talking seriously, Astrid.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also talking seriously,¡± she replied. ¡°Such is the life of a Zealot. When the System calls, I have to answer.¡±

    I massaged my temples. If Kellaren attacked us and the System compelled Astrid to protect me, then her Corruption would only grow. What worsened the situation was that we would be unable to avoid conflict if Kellaren decided to make a move. I scratched my chin.

    ¡°We have to ensure Astrid doesn¡¯t use her skills, then,¡± I said.

    ¡°Should we chain her in the basement?¡± Ginz asked. ¡°I know a blacksmith that¡ª¡±

    Astrid¡¯s tail bristled.

    ¡°No,¡± I stopped Ginz before he could finish the sentence.

    We had my shotgun, but I wanted Elincia to have a way of protecting herself. A rifle? Developing casings and rifling would take time and Astrid needed a way to fight right now. A musket? They took an eternity to reload, and they weren¡¯t particularly precise. A flintlock gun wasn¡¯t much more efficient.

    ¡°I need you to build a shotgun,¡± I finally said.

    I wasn¡¯t a fan of introducing firearms to this world, but the situation called for it.

    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you I¡¯ve already performed some attempts behind your back?¡± Ginz grinned.

    I massaged my temples. Ginz had constructed a barrel prototype to test his homemade shells before shooting them with the real shotgun, so it didn¡¯t surprise me he had gone a step further.

    ¡°Good. Just don¡¯t craft anything that could explode on Astrid¡¯s face. Time is of the essence, but safety is more important,¡± I sighed, knowing that Ginz¡¯s workshop was far from OSHA-certified.

    ¡°Safety! Wiser words ever said,¡± Ginz replied, but the glint of madness in his eyes and the thin white scars on his cheeks from the failed attempts didn¡¯t leave me at ease.

    If someone could fix Ginz, that wasn¡¯t me.

    I clapped my hands.

    ¡°Alright! Ginz, you go to the workshop. Risha and Astrid, you two are experienced combatants, and I need your help in the strategy meeting. Elincia, I need you to provide Ginz with Energy Potions. I want that bad boy working twenty-five hours a day,¡± I said. Everyone nodded and rushed to complete their tasks until I was alone in the kitchen. ¡°I will clean the plates, I guess.¡±

    As I collected the dirty bowls, a gloomy thought assaulted me. It was almost a revelation. What would happen if Astrid¡¯s Corruption wasn¡¯t an isolated incident? Hundreds of kids got their classes daily across the kingdom, and I wondered if the Zealots helping them were also getting corrupted. The world''s inhabitants didn¡¯t know how to live without a Class. The news of the faulty System would fly, and chaos would ensue.

    If that were the case, we would soon know.

    _______________

    We were already waiting outside when the ornate carriage stopped before the manor. I helped Elincia and Ilya climb on it while the driver secured the straps around the skeeth¡¯s heads. The skeeths hissed at each other, throwing bites and tail whips at anyone who dared come near. There was no doubt why the royal army preferred them over horses in war zones. The creatures were vicious, and only a high-level Beastmaster could keep them in check.

    We sat in the roofless carriage, Elincia, me, and Ilya on one side, Wolf, Zaon, and Firana on the opposite, and the driver stirred the skeeth to get us going. Risha and Astrid waved goodbye from the door, surrounded by the little ones and Loki, back in his dog form. Ginz had remained in the workshop, working on his prototype.

    After some discussion, we settled on the most straightforward mechanism possible. The design prototype was more like a musket without a flintlock mechanism than a break-action shotgun. It looked dangerous, to say the least, but it had very few moving parts. We had even decided to replace the mechanical trigger with an enchanted one. The enchantment served two purposes: if the firearm fell into the wrong hands, they would have a hard time replicating it, and second, Ginz would never know about the existence of slam-fire shotguns.

    The world was safer that way.

    As soon as the carriage entered the market, the crowd surrounded us. Luckily, the skeeth¡¯s presence was enough to make the pedestrians allow the carriage to keep moving. After the first round, our fame had significantly increased, and everyone in the market saluted us as we went through.

    Elincia happily greeted the crowd.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. Our strategy is flawless,¡± she said.

    ¡°I hope,¡± I replied.

    The carriage crossed the inner wall and the Great Hall yard as the spectators slowly walked through the gardens towards the arena. The attendance was greater than on the competition''s first day, and I wondered if they would fit in the stands. I sighed. The first round established the teams with real chances of winning the tournament, and now the brackets were more interesting.

    ¡°Do you think I can place a bet on ourselves?¡± Elincia asked, patting her dress and making the coins in her hidden pocket clink. [Awareness] told me she had at least eleven silver coins and the same amount of copper.

    ¡°That would be unsportsmanlike conduct,¡± I replied.

    ¡°[Awareness] says we pay three to one, though,¡± Zaon pointed out.

    It seemed we were the underdog yet again.

    ¡°I guess betting on yourself is not that bad if you don¡¯t try to alter the outcome,¡± I sighed. Extra money meant extra funds for potion and crafts development.

    The carriage stopped before the stone stairs, and the driver opened the small door. A group of attendants were already waiting for us near the entrance and guided us inside the Great Hall. As expected, the vestibule was empty except for a few low-rank nobles chatting in the corner. There was no sign of Corruption spreading through the continent, which meant Astrid¡¯s situation had to be unique. I hoped it was.

    I stayed alert in case we stumbled upon members of the Church of the System, but the corridors were equally deserted. The attendants were guiding us down the same corridor adorned with murals toward the fighter''s pavilion when Zaon stopped me. He seemed worried for some reason but didn¡¯t voice his concerns. The attendants gave us a quizzical glance.

    ¡°We will catch you in a moment,¡± I said.

    The attendants nodded and guided Elincia and the other kids through the door by the end of the corridor.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I whispered as we were left alone.

    Zaon squared before me. ¡°I would like to formally pledge allegiance to the Rosebud Fencing Academy.¡±

    For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary, Zaon. I already believe you are reliable and trustworthy. You don¡¯t need to pledge allegiance to anyone other than yourself,¡± I replied.

    Zaon blushed.

    ¡°N-no, It¡¯s for the skill. Sentinel¡¯s Oath,¡± he stuttered. ¡°If I pledge allegiance to the Fencing Academy, it will help me protect everyone instead of a single person¡­ I think. It was Ilya¡¯s idea. We stayed up late¡ª¡± Zaon froze.

    My last instruction yesterday was for the kids to get to bed early.

    ¡°How does that work?¡± I asked.

    The skill had piqued my curiosity. It might be what the orphanage needed.

    ¡°Sentinel¡¯s Oath is a detection skill. It allows me to find the recipient of the Oath and warns me if the person is in danger,¡± Zaon explained. ¡°Ilya believes that if I pledge an oath to an organization, I will be able to protect all the members.¡±

    Sentinel¡¯s Oath looked like a great skill in times of danger.

    ¡°I have the Headmaster title, so the System somehow recognizes the Rosebud Fencing Academy as an organization. It might work, but you should pledge allegiance to Elincia to protect the whole orphanage,¡± I said.

    Technically speaking, only my class and I belonged to the Rosebud Academy. And I wasn¡¯t sure about that either. A couple of days ago, I told the kids that was the last lesson so the System might consider them graduates.

    ¡°We can try it now if you can undo the Oath,¡± I said.

    It was worth the shot.

    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a penalty if both parties agree to break it up,¡± Zaon replied.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it, then.¡±

    Zaon nodded and closed his eyes. A silver aura appeared around his shoulders, forming a cloak, pauldrons, and helmet. The armor shimmered and vibrated, casting a silvery, almost phantasmagorical light on the corridor. Zaon opened and closed his hands, tasting the aura''s feel.

    ¡°I pledge this oath of protection upon the Rosebud Fencing Academy. I vow to defend the blood and honor of their members from man and monster alike. Upon my watch, no malice will touch them. I shall remain true to my word. Vigilant upon my watch. Steadfast in my service. Until the end.¡±

    The words flowed like a river, with no stutter or hesitation.

    ¡°I, the Headmaster of the Rosebud Fencing Academy, accept your oath, Zaon,¡± I replied, and the silver aura dissolved into a fine mist.

    A System Prompt popped before my eyes.

    Sentinel¡¯s Oath activated.

    I opened my Character Sheet, and in the Status section, there it was. [Sentinel¡¯s Oath]. Now, Zaon had access to my GPS location 24/7. I wondered what the limitations of the skill were, considering the kid was barely a Lv.1 Sentinel. Was my consent enough for Zaon to know the location of every member of the Fencing Academy?

    ¡°The Oath is active on my Character Sheet. Are the others part of the Oath?¡± I said.

    Zaon closed his eyes and focused, wrinkling his face. Then, after an instant, his eyes shot open.

    ¡°Miss Elincia is in danger.¡±

 135 - Leonard Herran

    ¡°Miss Elincia is in danger,¡± Zaon said.

    My blood froze. Zaon couldn¡¯t be right. Not a minute had passed since Elincia and the kids crossed the door into the fighter¡¯s pavilion, and guards were supposed to protect the place. However, Zaon seemed confident in his Sentinel¡¯s Oath. My feet were already moving before I could make any guesses about what kind of danger might have crept into the Great Hall.

    I opened the door with Zaon stuck on my heels, and we crossed the small garden patch at full speed. I barged into the pavilion and swept the room with my eyes. The groups of kids sat on their respective benches, waiting for the second round to start. Nothing in their demeanor suggested danger.

    By the further side of the pavilion, next to the chalkboard with the scores, Lord Herran put a hand on Elincia¡¯s shoulder. At that moment, I felt how Elincia siphoned my mana and moved Lord Herran¡¯s hand aside. Despite not being a violent movement, the contact threw a burst of blue mana sparks.

    ¡°Please, Lord Herran, this is not the moment for flirting,¡± Elincia said, her voice cutting like a cold scalpel.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard a no,¡± Lord Herran replied, pushing his abundant red hair to the side. ¡°What¡¯s so great about Farcrest anyway? Come with me to the Towers of Neskarath, and I will decorate your neck with gold and emeralds worked by the best jewelers on the continent.¡±

    I stepped forward, but Zaon grabbed my arm before storming into the pavilion. ¡°Lord Herran is over level fifty with a Prestige Class.¡±

    I eased Zaon¡¯s grip with a half smile. ¡°The Prince¡¯s dog can at least bark.¡±

    Elincia took a step back before Lord Herran could touch her arm.

    ¡°Ladies don¡¯t like pushy dudes, Lord Herran,¡± I greeted loud enough for the whole pavilion to hear.

    The conversation stopped.

    Lord Herran raised his head, and Elincia seized the moment to jump to my side. Just like I wanted, the attention of the nobles inside the pavilion fell upon us. I didn¡¯t expect to push Lord Herran with my current status, but not even a level fifty Prestige Class was free from peer pressure and public humiliation, and every experienced teacher knew how to work with both of them.

    ¡°And nobody likes meddling runts,¡± he replied, trying to save some face.

    Lord Herran towered before me; he was almost two meters tall, and his shoulders were twice as broad as mine. He wore a black and red fencing uniform, different from the opulent clothing of the other nobles, and his hardened hands seemed accustomed to wielding the heavy black axe on his side. Lord Herran wasn¡¯t one of those phony nobles like Lord Nara.

    ¡°Robert Clarke, Headmaster of the Rosebud Fencing Academy,¡± I introduced myself.

    Contrary to Earth, the nobles¡¯ power in Ebros came from their dynasty''s average Class and Level across the years. As a result, the relationship between nobles and commoners wasn¡¯t completely vertical but depended, to a certain extent, on the Class and Level of the individuals. Considering my recent achievements, I had some small leeway to piss on nobles. I just had to thread carefully.

    ¡°Ah, the caretaker,¡± Lord Herran smirked. ¡°A man should be able to provide for his family, but I¡¯m sure the royal sponsorship will help sort things out at your orphanage.¡±

    I grinned back. Lord Herran wasn¡¯t the complete musclehead I expected. He wanted to discredit me. It was a good strategy. The words of a lower caretaker shouldn¡¯t be able to sting a duke''s face.

    ¡°Malnourished kids wouldn¡¯t be able to reach these heights, Lord Herran. I assure you, we are a serious organization with aims toward excellence,¡± I replied, trying to keep myself up to his level. I decided to sprinkle the conversation with a dash of intrigue. ¡°Prince Adrien seems interested in the educational practices of the Kingdom of Connecticut, so I foresee a long-lasting association.¡±

    I needed to keep Lord Herran second-guessing how much he could push me around without summoning the Prince¡¯s anger.

    ¡°I think we can both agree that fortune favors the bold,¡± I said.

    ¡°You are certainly a lucky man, Robert Clarke,¡± Lord Herran said, looking at Elincia. ¡°What about a little bet? To test our luck, I mean.¡±

    I followed Lord Herran¡¯s eyes and made a supreme effort not to massage my temples. Didn¡¯t he have enough children already? Ginz had told me he sired between one and six each year, which made sense considering his team comprised five of his kids¡ªall strong redheads.

    The little self-control I had managed to muster was running dry.

    ¡°As long as we wager things of similar value, I don¡¯t see a problem,¡± I replied.

    Lord Herran smiled triumphantly as we left the rhetoric duel behind and entered braggart territory.

    ¡°If I win, I want the lady to visit Neskarath. Of course, I will accommodate her in the High Tower of Neskarath as a guest of honor, and I will ensure the servants meet all her needs,¡± Lord Herran said.

    I nodded, pondering on my response. My patience had run out.

    ¡°Well?¡± Lord Herran smirked.

    ¡°If I win, I want you to appoint me as your only heir,¡± I said, marking my words so everyone could follow the conversation. ¡°Then, I want your head on a plate. I think that would be enough.¡±

    Lord Herran¡¯s hand shot to his belt, but Captain Kiln grabbed his wrist before he could draw. The black axe pulsated with malicious intent.

    ¡°Think about what you are going to do, Lord Herran. You wanted to place a bet, and he replied with something of equal value,¡± Captain Kiln grunted, her bicep bulging and threatening to tear her uniform open.

    Red mana crept from Lord Herran¡¯s body, and he seemed to grow in size and presence; however, I remained unfazed.

    ¡°Let go, Kiln, this is between him and me,¡± Lord Herran said.

    ¡°Rob is protected by old imperial law, Lord Herran. If you want to demand satisfaction, he is entitled to a royal champion,¡± Captain Kiln grunted.

    ¡°Enough, Leo. Use the correct head for once. We don¡¯t want more trouble with the royals,¡± a tall redhead man who looked like a carbon copy of Lord Herran, although dressed in an opulent garb with golden stoles, crossed the pavilion and stood between us. His presence wasn¡¯t as oppressive as Lord Herran¡¯s, but he wasn¡¯t too far behind.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    The Herran genes were scary.

    Lord Herran pushed Captain Kiln aside and turned around. The nobles looked away as he moved through the benches, and I knew I had gotten off lightly. Lord Herran¡¯s clone gave me a quick nod and returned to his team.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get us killed one day, you need to stop running your mouth, Rob. Lord Herran is level fifty! Prestige Class!¡± Elincia slapped my shoulder. However, she didn¡¯t seem angry at all.

    I studied her face, but she looked away when our eyes met.

    ¡°I can¡¯t allow some pushy dude to pester you,¡± I said, but she didn¡¯t look in my direction.

    Captain Kiln sighed.

    ¡°If a fight started, we would¡¯ve won. Although, I would¡¯ve been obliged to reveal my secret technique,¡± Captain Kiln said, putting her heavy arm around my shoulder. ¡°You owe me, still. Coin, booze, or gambling games, your call.¡±

    Elincia sighed. ¡°Secret technique? What are you, a five-year-old?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t defeat a Forest Warden without a couple of aces under your sleeve, missy,¡± Captain Kiln replied. ¡°Now go. The Master of Ceremonies was waiting for you two to finish your stupid exchange to start the day. You¡¯ll pay me later.¡±

    I grabbed Elincia¡¯s hand and walked back to our bench.

    ¡°You need to stop making nobles mad, Rob,¡± Elincia whispered.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get it. It¡¯s in my blood. When the Brit¨C¡± I replied, but she put a hand over my mouth.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking seriously. Look,¡± Elincia pointed across the pavilion.

    Lord Herran had the Master of Ceremonies cornered against the weapons rack. The poor man shook his head, but Lord Herran was having none of it. After a minute of hushed discussion, they broke up, and the Master of Ceremonies entered the arena.

    ¡°Everything is alright?¡± Ilya asked as soon as we sat.

    ¡°Mister Clarke just defended Miss Elincia¡¯s honor from Lord Herran. It was awesome,¡± Zaon said before I could answer.

    ¡°Shu is going to love it when she hears about it,¡± Firana pointed out.

    ¡°Which she will not,¡± I interjected.

    Our conversation ended as the Master of Ceremonies started with the formalities of the competition. Once again, he eulogized the Marquis¡¯ grandfather, Stephaniss of Farcrest, and his work raising Farcrest from the ground up after a particularly nasty Monster Surge. In the meantime, more and more spectators filled the stands. [Awareness] told me that the Geomancers had raised two new levels that weren¡¯t there before. The Marquis and the Prince seemed to want everybody in the city watching the tournament.

    ¡°It seems we are going dead last today,¡± Firana said, pointing at the chalkboard at the back of the pavilion.

    ¡°That¡¯s better for us. The crowd will go home with the picture of our team winning,¡± Ilya replied.

    I examined the VIP box. Prince Adrien was sitting on the wooden throne in the front. Sir Janus was nowhere to be found, and I wondered if he would come to meet me again. We still had to discuss the details of the heist.

    ¡°For the day''s first match, Team Herran against Lowell¡¯s Orphanage!¡± The Master of Ceremonies announced, and the stands exploded with thunderous applause.

    I raised my head, confused. Across the pavilion, Lord Herran gave me a vicious glance. That explained the brief discussion with the Master of Ceremonies.

    ¡°Better for me,¡± Firana jumped to her feet. ¡°I hate waiting.¡±

    ¡°Stick to the plan and we will win,¡± Ilya replied, following Firana.

    Elincia gave me a little push, and I followed the kids into the arena. The crowd cheered as we exited the pavilion. Despite the cold and the dark clouds, all the city seemed to be there. At least it seemed like it wasn¡¯t going to rain.

    I found myself walking by Lord Herran¡¯s side.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve stayed silent, Scholar, and I would have even considered donating a bag of gemstones to the orphanage,¡± he said.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go against my nature, Lord Herran, and I think you can¡¯t either. We both do whatever we like, damned be the consequences,¡± I replied.

    Lord Herran grinned. ¡°More reason to get you out of the way.¡±

    We formed a line in front of the Herran kids, and the Scribes dragged the Shrine Shard to the middle of the arena. The Shrine had already revealed the kids'' Classes on the first day of the competition, but the organizers wanted to ensure everyone stayed within the designated level. I glanced at the enemy team. This time, we had come prepared.

    The Master of Ceremonies activated the orb.

    Jorvyn Herran, Berserker Lv.2

    Vigdis Herran, Snow Mage Lv.8

    Sig Herran, Pugilist Lv.1

    Kaeli Herran, Mountain Druid Lv.5

    Dreva Herran, Forgemaster Lv.7

    Firana Aias, Wind Fencer Lv.1

    Ilya, Hunter Lv.2

    Zaon, Sentinel Lv.1

    Wolf, Classless Lv.1

    I wondered what people did to get those classes.

    ¡°Team Herran ended the previous round with a better score, so they get to choose first,¡± the Master of Ceremonies announced. ¡°Which one will be your first contender, Lord Herran?¡±

    Lord Herran didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Jorvyn, you go first.¡±

    Jorvyn Herran, the Berserker, took a step forward. Jorvyn had inherited his father¡¯s muscular physique, bright red hair, and chiseled features. He was the only human of the bunch. Back on Earth, a school¡¯s wrestling coach would¡¯ve moved land and sea to have it in their team.

    ¡°Wolf, your turn,¡± I replied almost instantly.

    Our plan was straightforward. Wolf was our weakest member skill-wise, so I had to avoid getting him counter-picked and ensure he had a good matchup. Considering his lack of skills, Berserker and Pugilist were Wolf¡¯s most favorable opponents.

    ¡°Firana, you go now,¡± I said.

    No matter Lord Herran¡¯s pick, Firana¡¯s skill was enough to rise to the challenge.

    ¡°Dreva, you go against the Aias kid,¡± Lord Herran said.

    Dreva, the half-orc Forgemaster, stepped forward. Like her half-brother, Dreva Herran had curly, short hair in the color copper. Her tusks were stumpy, her build was muscular, and her eyebrows were as bushy as Wolf¡¯s. But, unlike Wolf, her skin was darker, like a layer of ash had adhered to her.

    ¡°Bummer, I wanted to fight Tusk-boy,¡± Dreva sighed.

    ¡°Just do as your old man says, kid,¡± Lord Herran scolded her, although his voice was warm.

    Forgemaster wasn¡¯t a bad matchup for Firana. However, Forgemaster and Berserker were Ilya¡¯s good matchups. At this rate, she would end up against one of the magical classes, and we wanted to avoid that at all costs.

    ¡°Who would be next?¡± The Master of Ceremonies said.

    ¡°Kaeli, you go next,¡± Lord Herran said.

    Kaeli was the beastfolk Mountain Druid. Considering the long ears and the antlers, she had to be a jackalope-spirit beastfolk. Kaeli was slimmer than her siblings, almost frail in comparison. Unlike them, her hair was darker, nearly brown. And she wasn¡¯t a good match for Ilya, but if I chose Zaon, then Lord Herran would counterpick the gnome girl. It was fifty-fifty. Ilya had the class advantage against a Pugilist but a disadvantage against a Snow Mage.

    ¡°Zaon, you go against her,¡± I said.

    Zaon nodded; we counted on his natural speed to counter the enemy spells.

    Only the last one remained.

    ¡°Ilya, you go last.¡±

    Lord Herran smirked.

    ¡°Vigdis, you go against the gnome.¡±

    Vigdis, the beastfolk Snow Mage, jumped forward. She was a fox-spirit beastfolk with bright orange hair and pointy ears. Unlike the other beastfolk I had met, black fur covered her arms up to the elbow.

    ¡°This will be funny,¡± Vigdis said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you fooling around, Vig. You promised you would take this seriously,¡± Lord Herran reprimanded her, and it sounded to me like they had had this same conversation half a dozen times already.

    The fox girl sighed.

    ¡°So be it. The first match of the second round will be between Jorvyn Herran, the Berserker, and Wolf the Half-Orc,¡± the master of ceremonies said, his voice echoing against the stands. ¡°Contestants, please go get your equipment. May the System bless you all.¡±

    We saluted the crowd and returned to our bench at the edge of the arena.

    Wolf put on his gloves in silence.

    ¡°Do as we planned, Wolf. Minimize your openings and try to exploit your opponent¡¯s attacks,¡± I said, grabbing his shoulders and locking eyes. ¡°And remember, you don¡¯t need to win. This is a team effort.¡±

    Wolf nodded and walked to the weapons rack. Out of nowhere, Ilya spanked him as hard as her little gnome hands allowed her. The slap echoed through the pavilion.

    ¡°What was that for?¡± Wolf asked as he rubbed his rear end.

    ¡°The funny little men that kick the ball always spank each other,¡± Ilya replied.

    ¡°They are not that brusque,¡± Wolf said.

    ¡°Well, I can try again if you want,¡± Ilya said, rubbing her little hands. ¡°I promise to be gentle.¡±

    Wolf rolled his eyes and walked to the weapons rack. Without ceremony, he picked the same longsword he had chosen for the previous fight¡ªa broad and heavy blade. Then, he took a deep breath and entered the arena.

    ¡°He¡¯s nervous. I needed to shake him up,¡± Ilya said when she noticed Elincia¡¯s look of disapproval.

    ¡°Really?¡± Elincia raised an eyebrow.

    Ilya looked into the arena with a worried expression.

    ¡°I think Wolf is worried he would drag us down because he doesn¡¯t have a Class.¡±

 136 - Berserkers

    ¡°I believe Wolf is worried he would drag us down because of his lack of Class,¡± Ilya said, her eyes fixed on the arena.

    I cursed myself. I had been too busy earning the Prince''s trust, coming up with countermeasures against Kellaren, and trying to decrypt the mysterious rune that I had overlooked the kid¡¯s mental state. After the first round, the orphanage¡¯s morale was at an all-time high, so I assumed the kids were doing just right. I realized my mistake too late. Firana and Zaon were easy to read, even if I wasn¡¯t trying, but Wolf was different. His stoic personality made him naturally harder to read.

    Then, I remember a conversation we had a few days ago. Wolf told me he felt less and less like an orc and more like a human, to the point that he was starting to doubt if he wanted to return to the tribes. Wolf suspected his father had left the tribes to travel the continent, and he felt the same curiosity. I didn¡¯t want to overstep my authority as his caretaker, so I didn¡¯t confirm his suspicion. That was Dassyra¡¯s call.

    I glanced across the pavilion. Wolf stood before the weapon rack as the Fortifiers applied the barriers. Nothing in his demeanor made me think he was insecure about his skills. However, I believed Ilya¡¯s assessment. She was keen and cared about the orphanage the most, second only to Elincia.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Zaon asked.

    ¡°Nothing. Wolf knows we respect his resolution to stay true to the orc tradition. Whether he decides to get a Class or stick to his choice, it¡¯s his call,¡± I replied, patting his back. ¡°You can always cheer him on, though.¡±

    Ilya gave me a mischievous look before cupping her hands around her mouth.

    ¡°Show them what a big snot can do!¡± Ilya yelled.

    ¡°We love you even if you look like a toad!¡± Firana joined.

    Zaon looked around, trying to figure out what to add.

    ¡°Green is an okay color, I guess!¡± he finally said.

    Wolf grinned and rolled his eyes. Even the Master of Ceremonies seemed to second-guess what he was hearing because he stuttered as he announced the combatants. Wolf and Jorvyn Herran stood in the center of the arena. Wolf wielded a broad longsword, while Jorvyn had dual axes. It was a strange choice of weapon, considering the sword was the dueling weapon for excellence among nobles.

    Jorvyn Herran raised an axe and saluted the VIP box. The crowd was getting excited.

    ¡°The rules are simple. The first combatant who breaks its opponent¡¯s barriers wins the round. There will be no breaks. If you want to give up at any moment of the fight, raise your hand,¡± the Master of Ceremonies said. ¡°On guard!¡±

    Wolf separated his foot and adopted the pflug guard. Jorvyn jumped in place, seemingly unconcerned by Wolf¡¯s sword pointing at his face. I wondered what his combat plan was.

    ¡°Fight!¡± The Master of Ceremonies yelled over the roar of the crowd.

    Jorvyn disengaged as soon as the Master of Ceremonies gave the start, and Wolf decided on a safe approach, taking small steps forward. However, Jorvyn kept the distance, always three meters away from the tip of the sword. The spectators started to show their discontent.

    ¡°The crowd is here for a fight, not whatever you are doing,¡± Wolf pointed out, advancing slowly. Despite his words, he refused to press the attack.

    ¡°Do I look like I care? I¡¯m the son of a Duke, not a circus clown,¡± Jorvyn calmly replied.

    Whistling fell from the stands.

    ¡°Let me guess. You¡¯re going to tell me the sad story about your life among twenty siblings?¡± Wolf taunted to no effect.

    Jorvyn Herran kept the distance as Wolf drew circles around him.

    ¡°More like fifty, actually. None of us legitimate, so you can guess the competition is fierce,¡± Jorvyn replied nonchalantly. ¡°Look, Wolf. I might be a Berserker, but I know this tournament is nothing but a twisted way of making politics. One House gains prestige, the other loses it. A pretender rises, the other falls from grace.¡±

    Wolf attempted a feint, but Jorvyn parried with his axes and stepped away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have problems arranging a tea date to talk about Herran heirdom later, but we should be fighting now,¡± Wolf pointed out.

    Jorvyn grinned while the crowd heckled. ¡°You have a sharp tongue for a commoner, but tea time will not be necessary. You have something I want, so I propose a transaction. Ten points in my favor, a flawless match. You just have to raise your hand and surrender, and in exchange, I will pay you ten pieces of gold for each point forfeited.¡±

    Wolf stopped pressing the attack and lowered his sword.

    ¡°A hundred pieces of gold is enough for a household to survive for a long time. I¡¯m not completely ignorant of the hardships of life at the border,¡± Jorvyn said.

    Wolf tried to surprise Jorvyn with a sudden lunge, but Jorvyn dodged.

    ¡°What I desire costs more than a hundred pieces of gold,¡± Wolf replied, advancing with a quick step and attacking with a flurry of thrusts.

    Jorvyn defended, channeling mana into the axes and using their handles to block and parry Wolf¡¯s strikes. After a minute of chasing, he managed to get away from Wolf¡¯s reach. Jorvyn must have a level one mastery because his movement was fluid and precise yet not creative.

    ¡°And what is that you desire? I¡¯m the son of a Duke. I think we can come to an agreement,¡± Jorvyn said.

    ¡°I want my friends to accomplish their dreams, and to achieve that, we need to win this round,¡± Wolf replied.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Jorvyn Herran wasn¡¯t pleased.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a cocky green one? If you wanted to win, you should¡¯ve accepted the blessings of the System,¡± he said, channeling burning-red mana into his arms and legs. ¡°Your orcish blood alone will not save you.¡±

    Wolf raised his sword. ¡°I know, but Mister Clarke¡¯s teachings might.¡±

    Jorvyn Herran pressed the attack, pushing Wolf¡¯s blade with one of his axes while trying to score a hit with the second. Wolf withdrew, taking advantage of the moments between hits to slip a sneaky thrust into Jorvyn¡¯s chest. The Berserker didn¡¯t shy away. Although his skills weren¡¯t as refined as Zaon¡¯s or Firana¡¯s, his combat experience was greater than that of the Nara kids.

    Jorvyn grinned with a savage glint in his eyes as he doubled the cadence of his blows. He swung his left axe in a wide arc, forcing Wolf to duck and step to the side. Wolf then raised his sword and countered with a quick lunge, but Jorvin¡¯s axe was already there to lock the blade. No matter how much he pulled, he couldn¡¯t recover the blade.

    Jorvyn seized the moment and kicked Wolf in the chest, sending him to the ground. Then he raised his axes and roared at the crowd, rallying them, giving Wolf a moment to roll away and jump to his feet. The spectators cheered, clapped, and trampled down the sandstone steps.

    ¡°Show me your strength, orc!¡± Jorvyn yelled, his voice echoing over the roaring crowd.

    Wolf doubted for an instant, and that was all Jorvyn needed to pass his defenses and connect a blow to the side of his body. Wolf stumbled. Then, Jorvyn threw a swing against his face. Wolf only barely managed to pull out of the range of the blade. Despite the heavy axe heads, Jorvyn¡¯s attacks were fast. Wolf tried to counterattack but struck solid iron. No matter what combination Wolf tried to thread, Jorvyn blocked and turned the tides.

    I frowned. Jorvyn wasn¡¯t a trained fighter; his footwork was sloppy, and the position of his axes was nonsensical, yet he always was in the correct position to avoid Wolf¡¯s attacks. It wasn¡¯t Jorvyn¡¯s technique that allowed him to corner Wolf, but pure instinct. A Passive, maybe?

    Wolf looked like a fish out of water. He seemingly couldn¡¯t go into the offensive despite being only a barrier down. It wasn¡¯t a matter of lack of opportunities. Jorvyn¡¯s form wasn¡¯t perfect, and it didn¡¯t take an expert to notice the openings in his defense. Wolf just wasn¡¯t taking the risk.

    If things continued that way, Wolf would slowly lose all his barriers without scoring a single point.

    Wolf attempted a lazy oberhaw, and Jolocked locked the blade with his axes for the second time during the fight. Next, Jorvyn channeled more mana into his body and kicked Wolf¡¯s stomach. The shockwave spread through the arena, and Wolf flew away like a ragdoll. Red sparks crackled around Jorvyn¡¯s feet. I recognized the skill. [Savage Blow].

    The crowd roared, and Wolf used his sword to stand up.

    ¡°Stick to the plan, idiot! We haven''t trained eight hours a day for you to fight like this!¡± Ilya yelled from the sideline. ¡°Stop whatever you are doing and stick to the plan!¡±

    This time, we had prepared for the fights, using the Book of Classes and Risha¡¯s experience in the army to develop a strategy for each matchup. Jorvyn was a Lv.2 Berserker. In round one, he revealed two Skills, [Savage Blow] and [Titanic Strength], and we believed he had one or two more tricks under his sleeve. Wolf had to use his natural strength to leverage Jorvyn¡¯s body-enhancing skills, but he couldn¡¯t do it if he kept fighting on the defense.

    ¡°You let a gnome boss you around?¡± Jorvyn grinned, his face covered in sweat.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get it,¡± Wolf replied, taking a deep breath and raising his guard.

    Jorvyn channeled his power. His eyes flared with red mana, although the effect was barely noticeable under the weak winter sun. Then, Jorvyn darted forward, unleashing a whirlwind of strikes. This time, however, Wolf remained calm and blocked the barrage, clenching his teeth and straining his arms to sustain his defense.

    Suddenly, instead of continuing with the blocking, Wolf stepped back, and Jorvyn¡¯s axes cut through the air, making him lose balance. Wolf then pressed the attack, hitting the back of Jorvyn¡¯s head and jumping away before he could retaliate. Strength alone wasn¡¯t enough without a skilled hand holding the weapon.

    ¡°Stick to the plan, stick to the plan,¡± Wolf muttered.

    They exchanged quick blows; Wolf¡¯s skill was enough to compensate for Jorvyn¡¯s enhanced movement. There wasn¡¯t a clear favorite. Jorvyn wasn¡¯t skilled enough to land his [Savage Blows] consistently and quickly burned through his mana reserves. Berserkers weren¡¯t known for their magic capabilities despite their skills passively burning mana. Wolf was lucky Jorvyn was only Lv.2; however, his stamina also faltered.

    The crowd cheered as the barriers were whittled down.

    Lord Herran yelled from the sideline, unhappy with Jorvyn barely getting the upper hand against a Classless half-orc. Jorvyn huffed as he retreated to regain his breath after a violent exchange of blows.

    Each was five barriers down, but the Berserker still had skills he hadn¡¯t shown.

    ¡°You are strong, I¡¯ll give you that. If there weren''t so many of us, I would recruit you for the Tower Guard,¡± Jorvyn said, channeling mana into his body. ¡°But a Classless individual can¡¯t win against a Berserker.¡±

    Red sparks cracked as Jorvyn¡¯s muscles bulged, and his eyes were covered in a red aura.

    The crowd went crazy.

    ¡°Careful, Wolf!¡± I yelled, recognizing the skill. [Battle Trance] significantly increased the user¡¯s strength, stamina, and pain resistance but burned a lot of mana. It wasn¡¯t the kind of Skill a low-level user could sustain for long.

    Wolf instinctively fell back, but Jorvyn crossed the distance in the blink of an eye. An untrained witness would¡¯ve believed Jorvyn had Wind Fencer skills because his speed seemed to defy the laws of physics.

    Jorvyn smacked Wolf¡¯s blade away with his right axe, connecting a roundhouse kick at Wolf¡¯s temple. The barrier shattered, and the crowd cheered, but Wolf didn¡¯t falter. Just as we planned, he set aside any pretense of defense and pressed the attack.

    Jorvyn jumped and kicked Wolf¡¯s blade aside, sacrificing a barrier to unleash a whirl of attacks. Wolf parried with the back of his hand, spending a barrier himself to get an opening. Instead of swinging, he grabbed Jorvyn¡¯s elbow and locked it under his arm, then, with a tug, he forced him to drop his axe.

    With little room to maneuver, Jorvyn struck with his knee in an attempt to get away. Another barrier fell. Wolf gritted his teeth and elbowed Jorvyn¡¯s head. Axe and sword fell to the ground. Wolf raised his fists and adopted the defensive stance of the orc¡¯s combat art. The flow of the combat suddenly changed.

    Jorvyn roared and charged, letting [Battle Trance] get a hold of his body. Wolf sidestepped and countered with a swift jab against the ribs, then another to his jaw. Jovyrn staggered, but despite the violence of the blows, he didn¡¯t fall. The fight would be over if it weren''t for [Battle Trance].

    Growling, Jorvyn swung his fists in wide arcs, but Wolf deflected the blow and stepped inside his guard, then delivered a powerful uppercut against his chin. Jorvyn¡¯s head violently snapped back. His knees bent as the red aura broke in a thousand shards of light. Like a puppet without strings, Jorvyn fell to the ground.

    Wolf raised his arms and let out a deep roar. Despite the barriers, he had a nosebleed.

    The stands erupted into cheers and applause, and I realized I had been holding my breath. Before I could react, Firana, Ilya, and Zaon entered the arena and surrounded Wolf. For an instant, I thought the half-orc population of Farcrest was going to invade the arena as their roars emerged through the loud sound of the crowd.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the fight is over! Jorvyn Herran can¡¯t continue, so his barriers are forfeit,¡± The Master of Ceremonies announced as two aides entered the arena and applied healing magic on Jorvyn.

    Elincia squeezed my arm as Wolf returned to the pavilion. The fight had been brutal. The Fortifier¡¯s barrier stopped piercing and slashing weapons without a problem, but it seemed to have trouble with bludgeoning attacks. Wolf¡¯s left eye was starting to swell.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked, examining his face.

    ¡°Orcs have a hard noggin,¡± Wolf replied.

    ¡°I can see that,¡± I smiled, touching his shoulder.

    Despite the relief on his face, I knew he had a lot to think about.

 137 - Forge

    I put a few drops of mid-grade Health Potion on a small piece of cloth and applied it on Wolf¡¯s bruised eyebrow. The Fortifier¡¯s barrier wasn¡¯t as efficient against blunt damage as it was against piercing and slashing, and Jorvyn Herran''s blows had reached Wolf¡¯s face. Across the pavilion, Jorvyn received similar attention, although his self-esteem seemed to have gotten the worst part of the beating. The noble kid pushed the healers away and covered his face with a towel. Lord Herran ruffled his hair before dismissing the healers.

    Wolf remained trapped in his thoughts.

    ¡°Dizzy?¡± I asked, bringing the potion to his lips.

    ¡°The barrier absorbed most of the force,¡± Wolf replied, drinking the rest of the contents of the vial. A swollen eyebrow and a nosebleed were a small price to pay, considering the strength of the blows.

    I patted his shoulder and smiled.

    ¡°Congratulations, Wolf. You are the first to steal points from Team Herran,¡± I said. In the last match, the Herran kids had steamrolled their opponents.

    ¡°I guess I did. Two points isn¡¯t much, though,¡± Wolf replied, more reflective than happy.

    ¡°One point of advantage is all we need to win the bracket.¡±

    I made a mental note to have a conversation later.

    After ensuring both combatants had recovered, the Master of Ceremonies returned to the arena and called for the second match: Firana against Dreva Herran, the half-orc Lv.7 Forgemaster. This match made me nervous, as the Book of Classes didn¡¯t have much information on Forgemasters, and the author couldn¡¯t even decide if they were a combat or a support class. Considering Dreva¡¯s presence in the tournament, I thought it was the former.

    ¡°Your turn, Firana,¡± I said.

    The girl nodded and used aerokinesis to get on her feet. Ilya didn¡¯t seem happy with the casual usage of mana but kept it to herself. I focused on Firana.

    ¡°Be alert of her fire attacks, and remember, she¡¯s probably as strong as Wolf,¡± I said.

    Instead of listening to me, Firana gave me a tight hug and skipped to the weapons rack. I understood Firana had complete confidence in her class, but I wasn¡¯t sure why she was so cheerful. The situation with Kellaren was delicate at best, but she didn¡¯t show signs of unrest¡ªat least not openly. I made a mental note to keep an eye on her.

    Whether I liked it or not, the tournament would end sooner rather than later, and with it, the resolution of our problems with Kellaren. I glanced at the blackboard. There were only three rounds until the final. If we won against House Herran, our next opponent would be House Osgiria or House Jorn.

    Firana grabbed a slim longsword and walked to the center of the arena. Dreva was already waiting for her. The half-orc girl wielded a hammer in her right hand while her left was empty. I wondered if she needed a free hand to cast her spells. Despite the Book of Classes listing blacksmith-related skills, Forgemasters seemed to have a close relationship with fire, and fire was dangerous.

    Firana saluted the crowd with a broad smile, enjoying the attention. The crowd replied with cheers and claps. It seemed Firana wasn¡¯t only popular among nobles. The number of invitation letters she got after the first round was worrying, and I foresaw the number doubling in the near future. Firana used her wind magic to raise a gust of sand, and the crowd roared. Locals had an advantage in all competitions, but Firana was taking it one step further. Dreva seemed to shrink in the middle of the arena.

    I asked myself if she was doing it on purpose.

    ¡°Combatants, raise your weapons!¡± The Master of Ceremonies said, taking a step back.

    Dreva Herran slapped her face and rolled her shoulders.

    ¡°Fight!¡±

    Firana moved like an arrow and hit Dreva in the chest before the orc girl could react. A barrier broke into a blue mist of mana particles. Then, with the same speed, Firana jumped back, away from Dreva¡¯s hammer, and landed like a feather at a safe distance. The crowd gasped in surprise, and even Dreva didn¡¯t seem to know what hit her.

    ¡°If you want to date our green guy, you¡¯ll have to get through me,¡± Firana taunted.

    Dreva came out of her confusion and channeled her mana. Her ashen skin gleamed as if rivers of magma flew through her veins. The temperature of her body rose, and the air rippled around her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think your green guy can handle the [Heart of the Crucible],¡± Dreva said, taking a deep breath. Her chest expanded almost twice her original size. Mana flew through her body, from her feet to her lungs, and [Awareness] set off alarm bells in my mind. Then, Dreva blew a huge flame that enveloped the arena.

    Firana disappeared under the bright red sea of fire, but a moment later, she emerged through the flames and landed behind her opponent. The barrier had taken most of the attack, but the edges of Firana¡¯s gloves smoked. Without skipping a beat, Firana pulled a ribbon from her pocket and tied her hair in a tight bum, getting a few laughs from the crowd.

    It was a wise move.

    Dreva¡¯s skin had turned bright red, and her eyes gleamed with an inner fire. Even if she was twenty meters away, I felt a dry heat against my face. Across the pavilion, Lord Herran glanced at the arena with a satisfied expression. These skills were beyond what we expected from a Forgemaster.

    Dreva spat another blast of fire, forcing Firana to dodge. The flames scorched the ground, leaving blackened trails in their wake, but Firana remained untouched. The first attack surprised her, but she was prepared for the follow-up. Dreva charged, using her fire spell to block Firana¡¯s retreat and forcing a close-quarter exchange.

    The air rippled as the girls exchanged blows. Dreva was strong, but Firana had the finesse to parry the hammer and dodge the flames. The combat remained balanced until Firana had to retreat; sweat covered her face despite the cold day. The arena had turned into a small inferno. Dreva feinted an attack but attacked with her [Flame Breath]. Firana¡¯s eyes shot open, but she managed to use her [Aerokinesis] to divert the flame in the last instant. Next, she jumped over Dreva, but when the girl was going to catch her mid-flight, Firana used [Windrider] to change her direction. The flame rose into the sky while Firana softly landed by Dreva¡¯s side, unleashing a flurry of strikes.

    Dreva channeled her mana and kicked a rain of molten rock. Firana was forced to channel mana to propel herself high into the air to escape the range of Dreva¡¯s flames. Firana used [Feather Fall] to land safely away from the molten rocks that covered the arena. She breathed heavily, her face dirty with dust and ash, and despite her mobility, she seemed to be on the receiving end.

    The temperature in the arena rose to the point that Firana couldn¡¯t come close to Dreva. The girl unbuttoned her padded fencing jacket, her shirt soaked in sweat, and used aerokinesis to push the cooler air from the arena''s edges under her clothes. Firana was having trouble breathing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take off your jacket! A shirt will not protect you from the flames!¡± Ilya yelled from the sideline.

    Firana gasped for air, unable to reply.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Our planning didn¡¯t cover a heat stroke in the middle of a harsh winter.

    Firana stepped back, almost to the edge of the arena. She breathed heavily; her forehead glistering, beaded by sweat, and rogue strands of hair stuck to her face. The temperature was rising, and the coliseum-shaped arena, almost like a crucible, helped to retain the heat. Firana was against time. She needed to get closer to score more points, but the heat near Dreva was unbearable.

    Firana couldn¡¯t move enough air to cool the arena at her current level.

    ¡°Firana, go in and out!¡± I yelled.

    The girl nodded and threw herself into the fight like an arrow. Dreva awaited her, hoisting her hammer like a baseball batter. Firana slid across the ground, ducking at the last moment to avoid Dreva¡¯s weapon. Seeing her prey bypass her defense, the orc girl spat her Fire Breath against the ground, surrounding herself in flames, and Firana had to retreat before getting caught in the attack.

    ¡°You need to go faster!¡± Ilya yelled.

    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Firana replied.

    The heat and the sprints were burning through Firana¡¯s stamina at an alarming rate, and the tailwind she was creating with Aerokinesis wasn¡¯t enough to beat Dreva¡¯s reaction time. The area of her flame burst was too broad. Firana needed an edge to cover the distance faster, but there was no time for trial and error.

    ¡°Firana! The air in front of you is slowing you down. Cut through it!¡± I yelled.

    ¡°I¡¯m already using Aerokinesis to push me forward!¡± Firana replied, dodging a barrage of firebolts.

    ¡°Try doing both! If anyone can, that¡¯s you!¡± I said.

    Firana nodded and lunged at Dreva. I couldn¡¯t see the air currents, but I could feel the mana streams swirling around Firana. The System didn¡¯t seem happy with Firana attempting to run two separate instances of Aerokinesis. Every time she tried to move the air in front of her, the air pushing forward wavered. She clenched her teeth, doing her best to juggle both instances.

    Dreva spat a wave of fire, and Firana had to dodge, missing Dreva by a meter.

    ¡°Firana got this, don¡¯t worry,¡± I said, not knowing if I was trying to convince the others or myself.

    I knew that casting multiple instances of the same skill was possible. My Mana Manipulation was proof of it. I could control a blade, shards, and a shield at the same time. Firana just had to focus and use the skill beyond the automated assistance of the System.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let the System use the skill for you! You have control over it! Use it with intent!¡± I yelled, drawing curious glances from the rest of the participants.

    Firana flashed a smile. My instructions followed the same principle as our training with [Longsword Mastery]. The skill engraved in the subject¡¯s brain followed a specific pattern. I had been training the kids to break those patterns into smaller pieces, threads of knowledge, and mix them in new combinations depending on their needs during the fights. True knowledge wasn¡¯t pure memorization but being able to use your knowledge to solve unique problems.

    Firana lunged. The mana currents opened a way before her while others pushed her forward. The crowd gasped as Firana seemed to disappear and reappear an instant later behind Dreva. I didn¡¯t expect her to get the feeling the first try. Firana swung and broke a barrier, and the next instant, she was out before Dreva could counter with her fire attack.

    The kids cheered from the sideline, but I was more worried about Dreva¡¯s reaction. The orc girl channeled even more mana into her body, and the arena''s temperature rose a few degrees. I unbuttoned the neck of my jacket and focused my mana sense. The amount of mana Dreva was channeling didn¡¯t make sense. Not even Belya Nara had that amount of mana, and she seemed to be some sort of mineral savant. I glanced across the pavilion. What kind of training had Dreva been put through?

    Lord Herran smiled.

    ¡°Try that again, little human. I dare you,¡± Dreva growled, her skin glowing red and yellow.

    Firana disappeared into a gust of sand, but this time, Dreva dropped her hammer.

    ¡°Careful!¡± I yelled, but the words died in my mouth.

    The barrier shattered, and Dreva caught Firana¡¯s longsword with her bare hands. Firana tugged, but the orc girl clutched the sword with an iron grip. A wave of heat radiated from Dreva¡¯s body and seeped into the edge. The metal turned red, then yellow, and finally white. Firana let go just as the blade melted through Dreva¡¯s fingers.

    Firana looked at the weapon¡¯s rack, but Dreva cut her retreat with Fire Breath.

    ¡°Crap,¡± Elincia muttered as Firana jumped away from the fire.

    I shared the feeling. Dreva still had six barriers, which meant we would end the fight four points behind Team Herran. It didn¡¯t look like a huge difference, but we weren¡¯t in a position to score more than one or two points in each fight. The Herran kids were at a completely different level than the teams disqualified in the previous round. If Firana lost, our chances of going to the next round would be slim at best.

    I stood to end the battle. Firana was too prideful to surrender; if the combat continued, she would only manage to hurt herself. Without a weapon, Firana had no way of breaking Dreva¡¯s barriers, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat against Dreva¡¯s red-hot fists was suicide.

    ¡°We¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not yet!¡± Firana yelled as she channeled mana around her fists. Chaotic wind currents surrounded her, forming and dissolving without rhyme or reason.

    ¡°What is she doing?¡± Zaon asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied.

    Not even my [Awareness] could shed light on Firana¡¯s goal, which was strange considering the Skill always had a theory, no matter how far-fetched. I activated my mana sense. Firana was doing something. Air swirled around her hands, but she had to bail out as Dreva cast [Fire Breath].

    Firana propelled herself up and landed at the opposite edge of the arena. Aerokinesis barely used mana. Unlike Ilya, who practiced ad nauseam to squeeze out the last drop of efficiency for her vines, Firana went by instinct. She used minute amounts of mana to create short wind tunnels and then used Windrider to surf them perfectly. No mana went to waste, no unnecessary movements, no sharp turns. But no matter how efficient Firana was, her mana pool was limited.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get Mana Exhaustion if you continue this way! The points are not worth it!¡± I yelled, but a part of me refused to stop the match. Part of me wanted to trust Firana despite the overwhelming weight of evidence against her. Without a weapon, she couldn¡¯t touch Dreva.

    ¡°I almost got it. I can feel it. Trust me!¡± Firana replied.

    Elincia made a gesture of standing up, but I stopped her.

    ¡°We have to stop this. Firana lacks self-control. Her Mana Exhaustion will turn into Corruption,¡± she hissed.

    [Awareness] did not give a vote of confidence either, but I silenced the skill.

    ¡°Trust her,¡± I replied.

    Firana dodged Dreva¡¯s firebolts for what seemed like an eternity, jumping, crouching, and rolling around. She was running out of mana and stamina, and her hair was completely caked in sweat. The part of my brain telling me to give her a chance was losing credibility until it was a mere afterthought. A firebolt hit Firana¡¯s shoulder, making her miss the air tunnel and drop to the ground. Luckily, [Feather Fall] cushioned her fall, but Dreva saw the opportunity and attacked.

    ¡°Got it!¡± Firana muttered from the floor with a wide grin.

    A sudden surge of mana enveloped her. She jumped up and, with a twirl, she dodged the rain of firebolts. The crowd went crazy, and even Dreva seemed surprised by the sudden recovery. Firana bolted forward with renewed energy, channeling the newfound mana into her hands. Dreva took a deep breath and spewed a wave of fire against Firana. My body froze.

    Firana wasn¡¯t dodging.

    In the last moment, the gusts around Firana¡¯s hands formed long blades, and with a single swing, the flames were sliced into small flares and sparks. The wind blades vibrated and quivered as Firana fought to keep them going. The spell depleted Firana¡¯s reserves at a dizzying speed, but she smiled as she covered the distance that separated her from her rival.

    Dreva swung her hammer and released short bursts of flames, going on an all-out attack, but Firana parried and dodged, contorting her body only like a Wind Fencer could. The fight turned into a smudge of currents of fire and wind mana, fire, and dust. For a moment, [Awareness] lost track of the battle.

    After a minute, Firana cleared the arena with a swing of her windblade.

    Dreva was kneeling on the ground, her skin back to her usual ashen green, but she wasn¡¯t defeated. She again grabbed the hammer and kickstarted her [Heart of the Crucible]. Her right arm lit, and her hammer became a white, crackling flame. Firana raised her guard, the integrity of her wind blade stuttering as her mana ran dry. The crowd was on the edge of their seats. No thought passed through the combatant¡¯s faces other than reaching their opponent. All would be decided in one last move.

    ¡°Stop!¡± The Master of Ceremonies yelled.

    An instant later, Sir Janus, Duke Jorn, and Prince Adrien blinked into the arena, grabbing Firana¡¯s arm and Dreva¡¯s hammer.

    The fight was over.

 138 - Mountain Druid

    Firana fell on Duke Jorn¡¯s arms, her face pale as paper. Before I could notice, I was running into the arena. The smell of soot filled my nostrils as I walked over the black patches of charred ground. Dreva Herran sat on the ground with the help of Sir Janus and Prince Adrien. I used [Identify] on Firana before I even reached the group.

    Name: Firana Aias, Human (Strong, Fast).

    Class: Wind Fencer Lv.1

    Titles: Aias Heir, Gifted, Currents Seer.

    Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.2, Fencing Lv.2, Acrobatics Lv.1.

    Skills: Aerokinesis, Windrider, Puncture, Feather Fall, Gust Blade.

    Status: Mana Exhaustion Lv.3

    I noticed Firana had a new title and skill, but I had no time to examine them. I let out a sigh of relief. Mana Exhaustion Lv.3 would take three or four days to recover, but I guessed we could cut that time in half with the help of Elincia¡¯s Mana Potions. In the meantime, she would be out of action. Or so I hoped. With Firana, one never knew what she was capable of.

    At least I knew where the sudden surge of mana came from; she must have gotten it in the middle of the fight. Duke Jorn carefully laid Firana down as the medical team entered the arena. She had lost all color, and her shoulders shuddered.

    ¡°Are you okay, kid?¡± I asked as the healers applied their magic.

    Slowly, the color returned to her cheeks.

    ¡°I had it in the bag,¡± Firana complained, trying to control the shiver in her arms.

    I was going to agree, but I bit my tongue. Duke Jorn, Sir Janus, and Prince Adrien had blinked into the arena to stop the final attack. They had seen something even the Master of Ceremonies had overlooked, and I wasn¡¯t going to doubt three of the most powerful combatants present.

    I grabbed Firana¡¯s hand. It was freezing.

    ¡°Right¡­ I feel better; you can scold me now,¡± she said.

    It pleased me to know Firana was conscious of her actions.

    ¡°That was reckless, but you fought with the heart, and most importantly, you fought with your head. And that makes me really proud, Firana,¡± I said to the girl¡¯s surprise. ¡°So, if you are smart, you will rest to be in top shape for the next round.¡±

    Firana grinned.

    ¡°You are not mad at me?¡± She asked.

    I massaged my temples. Mana Exhaustion Lv.3 wasn¡¯t a grievous penalty, but it wasn¡¯t something to brush away. In the Farlands, that level of Mana Exhaustion could mean the difference between life and death. Monsters wouldn¡¯t wait for her to recover, but I decided to wait for that lesson after the tournament.

    ¡°Miss Elincia will be mad at both of us, so be prepared,¡± I smiled. I could see her blaming me for passing through my recklessness to the kids. I made a mental note to act as a better role model.

    The Medic Leader interrupted my train of thought.

    ¡°We will carry the combatants to the infirmary so they can properly rest,¡± a middle-aged woman dressed in military garments said.

    ¡°But I want to see the next fight,¡± Firana complained.

    The Medic lady silenced her with a single glare.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t a Mana Potion improve the symptoms?¡± I pointed out while the healers helped Firana and Dreva stand. The orc girl also seemed to suffer from Mana Exhaustion.

    The Medic Leader gave me a quizzical look.

    ¡°Administering potions to strangers is frowned upon,¡± Duke Jorn said with his smooth and monotone voice. The man¡¯s presence was so weak I had forgotten he was next to me. ¡°Only Scholars, Healers, and certain merchants can identify potions. The rest of us can¡¯t tell the difference between a Health Potion and Ashthorn Poison, so we depend on trusted physicians.¡±

    I remembered Nasiah telling me something like that during our illegal potion operation.

    ¡°Or, you can use Detect Poison,¡± Prince Adrien intervened. He removed his cape and put it around Firana¡¯s shoulders before the Medic Leader guided the healer''s team into the pavilion.

    I signed for Elincia to join Firana. She gave me the thumbs-up and took Wolf with her. Lord Herran¡¯s brother jumped from his seat and put his cloak around Dreva¡¯s shoulders, calling the family healers to join the group. A moment later, the group disappeared into the Great Hall under the crowd''s cheering.

    ¡°Quite the youth we have, don¡¯t you think, Your Highness?¡± Sir Janus joined the conversation.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen a Lv.1 breaking a Fortfier¡¯s Barrier,¡± Prince Adrien replied with an entertained expression. ¡°I¡¯d say the Aias girl is well on track to dethrone you as the Hero of Farcrest, Janus.¡±

    Sir Janus shrugged. ¡°What can a Sentinel do against a Wind Fencer?¡±

    The familiarity with which they addressed each other seemed out of place.

    ¡°Do you know each other?¡± I asked.

    Sir Janus sighed as if the story embarrassed him.

    ¡°Janus was among the top of his class at Imperial Academy, so he had the privilege to be part of my late brother¡¯s guard before returning here,¡± Prince Adrien said with a mischievous smile. ¡°Word is he also acted as his spy, but, of course, those are pure gossip.¡±

    Considering Sir Janus¡¯ unrefined manners, it was hard to envision him at the royal palace. I wondered if the death of the previous heir triggered his return to Farcrest. Probably, I would never know.

    ¡°I was in charge of ensuring Prince Adrien wouldn¡¯t kill Prince Ranga,¡± Janus said.

    ¡°Which I didn¡¯t,¡± Prince Adrien pointed out.

    Sir Janus sighed yet again.

    During the feast, I learned Prince Adrien was the fifth in the succession line. Five deaths in a short period couldn¡¯t be suspicious in any other place, but Ebros¡¯ inheritance had more nuisance to it. Not only did the heir have to be the eldest son or daughter, but they also had to survive Baram¡¯s Cursed Runeblade. The ducal families upheld their power thanks to the strength of their bloodlines. The royal family, on the other hand, did it by being able to use the Cursed Runeblade.

    I wondered how strong the artifact was to confer authority over a kingdom. If I wanted to learn how to runeweave, I couldn¡¯t rely on magic items created by Enchanters. I might need to examine objects made by Runeweaver Baram, but I doubted the Prince was prone to loaning the kingdom¡¯s relic to a nobody like me.

    ¡°Shall we continue with the tournament?¡± The Master of Ceremonies interrupted us.

    ¡°Please,¡± Prince Adrien said, returning to the VIP box.

    Sir Janus followed him at a polite distance while Duke Jorn blinked back into the pavilion. I walked to the bench by the pavilion''s edge and sat between Ilya and Zaon. Despite the abrupt ending of Firana¡¯s fight, the kids were relaxed, which made me think I was the apprehensive one. Kids on Earth wouldn¡¯t go around spitting flames and conjuring blades from thin air. Luckily.

    ¡°You have to talk with Firana, Robert. She can¡¯t go around getting Mana Exhaustion as if it''s nothing, and she only listens to you. What if she has to fight for her life tomorrow?¡± Ilya said.

    Since our little escapade to survey Kellaren¡¯s mansion, Ilya had called me for my first name in private, at least when annoyed.

    ¡°I already have a lot on my plate. Maybe you should talk with her, Ilya. You know, because you are an adult now,¡± I poked her back.

    Ilya rolled her eyes. ¡°Are you always like that when you are not acting like a teacher?¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Annoying,¡± she replied without skipping a beat.

    I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°All teachers play a role in the classroom, and some of them get lost in the character. I don¡¯t want to be one of them, so I try to maintain the annoyance at a hundred and ten percent.¡±

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Ilya sighed. ¡°No clue why Firana likes you so much.¡±

    I had to stifle a laugh.

    ¡°I will talk to her, but giving all you have during a competition is a reason to be proud in my homeland, even if you lose in the end,¡± I said.

    ¡°Good enough,¡± Ilya replied. ¡°I also pretend to go all out.¡±

    The Master of Ceremonies walked to the center of the arena as soon as Prince Adrien sat on the wooden throne inside the VIP box. The intermission was short, and the spectators were still fired up by Firana and Dreva¡¯s performance. Only the young Fortifier who had been applying the barriers seemed dejected. To have a level one destroying your barrier probably didn¡¯t feel great.

    ¡°The last round''s winner is Dreva Herran, with two points in her favor!¡± The Master of Ceremonies announced.

    ¡°That¡¯s bull!¡± Ilya jumped on her feet, and Zaon had to stop her before she entered the arena.

    I looked across the pavilion. [Awareness] told me that Lord Herran was as confused as me. Most of the spectators weren¡¯t happy either, but the Fortifier assured that Dreva had broken the last of Firana¡¯s barriers just before the girl had attacked with her Gust Blade.

    After seeing uncountable parents making a scene in the Little League, I knew to act better.

    ¡°I guess we can¡¯t call the Replay Operations Center in New York,¡± I sighed.

    ¡°The what?¡± Ilya asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a baseball thing, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°Baseball?¡± Zaon asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you later,¡± I said.

    Despite getting a new title and skill, Firana wouldn¡¯t be happy with the outcome. With two points against, the score was back to zero, with one favorable and one unfavorable matchup yet to be fought. Zaon faced a Mountain Druid. The strategy was simple: he had to close the distance between them before the jackalope girl could score points with her spells. Zaon needed to end up with a positive difference, so Ilya had a score buffer for her fight against the Snow Mage.

    ¡°Participants, please enter the arena. Our next fight will be Kaeli Herran, the Mountain Druid, against Zaon the Sentinel,¡± the Master of Ceremonies announced.

    ¡°Your turn, Zaon,¡± I said. ¡°Give your all.¡±

    The boy nodded and walked to the weapon¡¯s rack. The tournament aides replaced the longsword Dreva had melted with a similar one, but Zaon stuck with a slimmer one, more fitting to his swift style. Meanwhile, an older Fortifier came down from the VIP box and applied the barriers over the competitors.

    The heat created by Dreva¡¯s [Heart of the Crucible] was quickly replaced with the chilling wind from the mountains.

    ¡°Why is it so cold? Shouldn¡¯t spring be nearby?¡± I said, button up my jacket to the neck.

    ¡°It seems spring will be late this year,¡± Ilya rubbed her arms.

    Zaon walked into the arena, followed closely by the jackalope girl. Unlike the other Herran kids, Kaeli didn¡¯t share Lord Herran''s muscular build. Her hair wasn¡¯t bright red but almost chestnut brown. Stubs of horns protruded from her long, straight hair, and her bunny ears were palm long. At first glance, Zaon nor Kaeli seemed out of place in the combat arena, but I knew not to judge people for their appearance.

    Both kids stood in the center, a few meters away, as the Master of Ceremonies repeated the rules.

    ¡°Excuse me, you forgot your weapon,¡± Zaon said.

    Kaeli shook her head with a smile. ¡°There wasn¡¯t any I liked, but I¡¯ll summon one. Thanks for asking.¡±

    ¡°N-no worries,¡± Zaon muttered.

    Ilya sighed as she rubbed her eyes, exasperated. Zaon¡¯s attempt to maintain fair combat was commendable, but Ilya didn¡¯t seem in the mood to understand. I focused on the arena.

    ¡°Fight!¡± The Master of Ceremonies yelled, his voice echoing against the stands.

    Zaon raised his guard, but the jackalope girl did not attempt to defend herself.

    ¡°Draw?¡± She asked as soon as Zaon took the first step forward.

    ¡°E-excuse me?¡± Zaon stopped short.

    Everyone at the arena seemed to be caught off guard.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight, so I¡¯m offering you to draw. We shake hands and call it a day, no sweat spilled, no sore muscles, no mana wasted, and we save energy for more important stuff,¡± Kaeli replied with a calm yet confident voice.

    Zaon opened his mouth, but he was stunned by the proposition. Before he could come up with a reply, Lord Herran yelled from the sideline.

    ¡°This is not what we agreed on, Kaeli!¡±

    The girl shifted to face the pavilion, ignoring Zaon, who slowly lowered his guard. She didn¡¯t look happy.

    ¡°Stop trying to control my life, Dad. I¡¯m an adult now!¡± Kaeli yelled back, her high-pitched voice barely reaching the Herran Team bench over the sound of the crowd. She showed her displeasure by stomping on the ground and crossing her arms over her chest.

    A vein on Lord Herran¡¯s forehead seemed to be about to burst.

    ¡°Kaeli Herran, you are the daughter of a Duke, and you have responsibilities for the family!¡± Lord Herran replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not your legitimate daughter!¡± Kaeli said, and Lord Herran recoiled as if he had received an arrow in his chest.

    ¡°You are pushing my hand, Kaeli! If you don¡¯t do as we agreed, I will tell your mother you made a scene in front of the people!¡± He replied.

    It seemed like Lord Herran used the magic word because a shudder ran through the girl¡¯s body, and her ears were thrown back. She jumped around to face Zaon.

    ¡°After further reflection, I think we should fight after all,¡± Kaeli said.

    ¡°When you are ready,¡± Zaon replied.

    As much as I disliked Lord Herran for trying to seduce Elincia, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit of sympathy for him. Despite being an idiot and a horndog, he seemed an all-right father, which I respected. The Towers of Neskarath must have a lot of rooms if Lord Herran housed the mothers of all his kids.

    Kaeli channeled her mana, and golden sparks fell from the palms of her hands and onto the ground.

    ¡°Kick her teeth out her mouth before she can cast anything!¡± Ilya yelled from the sideline.

    A vine emerged from the ground and wrapped around Kaeli¡¯s arm all the way up to her shoulder. Then, with a little tug, the girl unearthed the vine, creating a whip about three meters long. It was a strange election for a weapon. Despite their reach, whips were widely considered an inefficient weapon for a duel, as their area of effect was small, and they couldn¡¯t be used to block or parry. In this world, however, I feared Kaeli had magical ways of making it more effective.

    Kaeli spun the whip, and with a step forward, she attacked. Zaon ducked, and the whip cracked where his head had been an instant before. Despite not connecting, Zaon squinted, the sound seemingly disturbing his ears.

    ¡°Follow her arm, not the tip of the whip!¡± Ilya yelled.

    Zaon then pressed the attack, and Kaeli jumped back. Her movements were swift and precise. Her legs allowed her seamlessly long leaps, but the boy had his own [Light-Footed] trait to keep up. Only the whip cracking kept Zaon from narrowing the gap between them. The combat was balanced, but running forward was easier than jumping back, and slowly, Zaon gained terrain.

    Kaeli charged her whip with mana and spun it around herself so fast I lost sight of it. This time, Zaon decided to keep his distance, channeling more mana and feeding [Awareness]. For a minute, they examined each other. Kaeli made no effort to go on an attack, so Zaon charged.

    Kaeli countered. The whip cracked against Zaon¡¯s shoulder, and a barrier turned into a mist of blue particles. Zaon ignored it, focused on getting past the whip¡¯s effective range, but Kaeli pulled the whip, making it crack against Zaon¡¯s back. He was getting close. The boy lunged, but she channeled a violent mana surge.

    Kaeli¡¯s sleeve exploded as her arm shapeshifted, gaining mass and growing chestnut fur. She raised her ursid claws and stopped Zaon¡¯s sword. The boy¡¯s eyes shot open in surprise, and the crowd bellowed.

    Zaon retreated before Kaeli could counter, and she shapeshifted his arm back into the thin, girly arm of a fifteen-year-old. The Book of Classes listed Partial Shapeshifting among the Druid skills, but Risha and Astrid had told me it was unlikely a Mountain Druid who hadn¡¯t yet reached level ten could have it. We weren¡¯t prepared for it.

    ¡°I told you I needed no weapon,¡± Kaeli said.

    Our strategy was flawed. Kaeli wasn¡¯t weak in close-quarter combat as we had initially thought. By my side, Ilya bit her nails. Zaon would have to find another way to win the fight. If my [Awareness] didn¡¯t deceive me, Kaeli kept her whip away from Zaon¡¯s sword. I wondered if the boy noticed.

    As expected, Kaeli didn¡¯t move a muscle to attack.

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty neat,¡± Zaon pointed out as he cleaned the sweat from his eyebrows.

    ¡°I hate it. Fleas seem to love it, and I don¡¯t know how they manage to find me, but every time I go to the mountain, I get infested,¡± Kaeli replied, kickstarting her whip again.

    Zaon laughed, seemingly unconcerned by the two barriers he had lost.

    ¡°Mister Lowell had a potion to kill fleas, lice, and ticks. I think I could have Miss Elincia brew a couple of vials for you,¡± Zaon offered, following the whip with his eyes.

    ¡°I have tried that. I can¡¯t stand the smell of anti-lice potion; it¡¯s the Blue Fir Bark extract,¡± Kaeli replied with a gagging motion, her whip still flailing around her. ¡°Blame my mother¡¯s bloodline for my keen nose.¡±

    ¡°Astrid always complains about smells. She¡¯s a beast folk too, and she told me Mister Lowell made his potions odorless and flavorless for her,¡± Zaon pointed out.

    Kaeli gave him a suspicious glance, her ears stuck up.

    ¡°Are you trying to buy barriers?¡±

    ¡°N-no! I just think you would find it useful,¡± Zaon blushed.

    Ilya slapped her face, and I wondered if Zaon¡¯s [Kind Hearted] title was getting in the way of his [Awareness], forcing him to come up with solutions for the problems of everyone around him. Whether it was [Awareness] going on a tangent or not, helping others was in Zaon¡¯s DNA.

    ¡°I might be interested,¡± the girl said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Kaeli! He¡¯s trying to sweet-talk you! That¡¯s how boys get you!¡± Lord Herran angrily yelled from the sideline.

    Kaeli¡¯s whip stuttered, and Zaon seized the opportunity to rush forward. The girl quickly recovered the pace, but Zaon channeled his mana and used [Ghost Blade] to make his sword disappear. He had realized.

    Kaeli panicked and attacked, but the whip¡¯s body hit Zaon¡¯s blade, disrupting the tip¡¯s momentum and rendering the movement useless. The girl channeled her mana and shapeshifted her arm, but she wasn¡¯t sure where Zaon¡¯s blade was. Instead of defending, she attacked. This time, however, Zaon was prepared. He activated his [Steadfast Shield], and a silvery mana plate shaped like a heater shield appeared before him. Kaeli¡¯s claws bounced against the shield while Zaon snuck underneath and delivered two clean strikes against the girl¡¯s barrier.

    A moment later, Zaon was out of Kaeli¡¯s range with a broad smile.

    Kaeli closed her eyes and let her mana flow into the ground.

    ¡°A Mountain Druid can¡¯t fight on the plains,¡± she grinned back at Zaon.

 139 - A matter of distance

    ¡°A Mountain Druid shouldn¡¯t be fighting on the plains,¡± Kaeli Herran grinned as specks of golden mana emerged from the ground and formed a radiant halo around her.

    The ground trembled, and the sand liquified, but Zaon jumped back before getting caught. The hair on my neck stood to its ends as mana saturated the arena. I had felt this sensation before when the Lich used the freezing area spell back in the Farlands. The air quivered as Kaeli forced the environmental mana to change and bend to her will. The crowd also felt the disturbance because they suddenly became silent.

    Boulders buried ages ago by the elements emerged from the ground. Some were small, the size of my head, some massive, like cars, and even a couple of them, as huge as cargo trucks. Then, roots and vines followed, climbing over the rocks and giving life to small, gnarled trees and stumpy mountain bushes, making the surface uneven, full of nooks and crannies where to stumble. When the vegetative growth stopped, about half of the oval area was occupied by boulders and trees.

    There was no way a low-level Druid could channel so much mana, so I used my mana sense. The area spell was being sustained by the environmental mana and not by Kaeli herself, which meant Zaon couldn¡¯t stall it. I cursed. The change in the dueling area was terrible news for us. Most of my HEMA training assumed a flat combat surface and stable footwork, yet my trust in Zaon¡¯s skills was unbreakable.

    Zaon kept his distance, circling the transformed area, examining the new surfaces, the bottlenecks, and the dead ends. Kaeli couldn¡¯t force Zaon to enter, but the opposite was also true. She wasn¡¯t going to come down any time soon. They were in a stalemate.

    ¡°Do you like my remodeling?¡± Kaeli asked, using her vine-whip and a dash of mana to grab onto a tree and jump on top of a truck-sized boulder.

    ¡°I could see myself having a picnic there,¡± Zaon replied, examining the area.

    ¡°Picnic?¡± Kaeli asked.

    I noticed Zaon was using the English word.

    ¡°A picnic is when you prepare a basket of food and go to a picturesque place to eat it, usually accompanied by someone else. Oh, and you sit on a blanket,¡± Zaon replied, his eyes moving swiftly from boulder to boulder, memorizing the terrain.

    I could sense his [Awareness] working non-stop.

    ¡°So, a trip to the wilderness? Like a hunting trip?¡± Kaeli asked with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°No, a picnic usually lasts a day or an afternoon. You hang around, and then you return home,¡± Zaon explained.

    ¡°Why would anyone want to take their food to the wilderness where a monster or bandits can attack them? Don¡¯t people lower their guard when they eat? Wouldn¡¯t it be safer to eat at home? What about the bugs? What if you live in a big city? Wouldn''t it take time to go away and find a good picnic spot?¡± Kaeli let out a barrage of questions.

    Zaon scratched his cheek. The two were taking their sweet time.

    ¡°I guess picnics are for high-level people with lots of free time. It should be entertaining for someone who spends most of their time in the city,¡± he finally said.

    Kaeli nodded, her eyes lost in the crowd. ¡°It¡¯s a strange concept, but I don¡¯t dislike it. Getting away from the Towers of Neskarath for lunch when the forges work at full bellows sounds nice. The smell is too strong to eat in peace. We should¡ª¡±

    Lord Herran interrupted her before she could finish the sentence.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him! There¡¯s only one reason a boy would take a girl far from prying eyes! You are a slim girl, Kaeli, so you must elope with a sturdy man to keep the Herran bloodline strong!¡±

    The old adage seemed correct, that a thief believed that everybody else stole. At least Lord Herran wasn¡¯t giving Zaon flak for being a commoner or an orphan. I guessed it was part of Ebros'' culture to respect strength and potential.

    Kaeli turned around, her face red as a cherry.

    ¡°One more word and I will never, ever talk to you again,¡± she growled, her ears pinned back.

    Ilya signaled Zaon to seize the opportunity and attack, but the boy refused. Whether it was due to fair play or fear of retribution on Lord Herran¡¯s part, I didn¡¯t know. The boy was smart, though. Attacking when Kaeli lowered her guard would only leave Zaon as a treacherous scoundrel in front of the crowd. I made a mental note to follow his example and stop antagonizing nobles as long as they kept their hands far from Elincia.

    Lord Herran opened his mouth to reply, but Kaeli cut him off before he could spit out more awkward comments.

    ¡°I swear to the System I will surrender right now and give up my whole eight points if you say a word.¡±

    Ilya grinned and signaled Zaon to continue flirting. The signaling comprised a mixture of smooching and hugging her own shoulders while pointing at Kaeli. Zaon, once again, shook his head. [Awareness] helped me read his lips.

    I¡¯m not flirting, I¡¯m buying time. I have a plan.

    Meanwhile, Lord Herran raised his hands in defeat, and Kaeli turned to face Zaon.

    ¡°We should focus on the combat before my father starts with his bullshit again,¡± she said.

    ¡°When you are ready,¡± Zaon replied.

    It was good to see that not all the kids were obsessed with personal success and political gain. Watching a good-willed and respectful competition among all the court intrigue was refreshing. On the other hand, Ilya was seething because Zaon didn¡¯t take the opportunity to strike.

    Zaon continued circling Kaeli¡¯s territory, feeding [Awareness] more mana.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare enter!¡± Ilya yelled.

    We were back at square one. The fight was a stalemate, and the crowd was getting restless. Knowing Zaon¡¯s personality, there was a chance he would give in to social pressure. Even adults had trouble dealing with peer pressure, so I didn¡¯t expect Zaon to be immune to it at his young age, even less against a crowd of several thousand.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Whatever Zaon''s plan was, he had to hurry.

    Kaeli channeled her golden mana to the palm of her hands. Her vine-whip came to life, slithering down the boulder to grab a handful of small rocks. Was she going to sling them? My guess wasn¡¯t entirely correct. Kaeli poured her mana into the pebbles, making them pulsate with magic. Then, she grabbed one enchanted stone and weighed it in her hand.

    Zaon raised his guard and spread his feet, ready to dodge.

    Kaeli flicked the rock, and Zaon blocked it with his sword. However, the instant the pebble touched Zaon¡¯s blade, an explosion of sparks enshrouded him. The sword slipped from his hands and fell to the ground, almost like when Zaon parried one of Wolf¡¯s blows in the early days of our training. The crowd stood from their seats.

    A gravitational spell? Was the System powerful enough for something like that?

    Kaeli grinned and threw the next stone. Disarmed, Zaon cast [Steadfast Shield], but the silver plate shattered, barely diverting the projectile. Zaon cursed and dodged the third stone, which left a small crater in the sand. Kaeli continued with the barrage, enchanting and throwing her magic stones.

    Zaon retrieved his sword, dodging the attack and using [Steadfast Shield] when he found himself in a compromised position. I didn¡¯t expect Kaeli to be so proficient both in close-quarters and ranged combat. I used mana sense and noticed that Kaeli used a mix of personal and environmental mana to fuel her spell. Even if she didn¡¯t hit any stone, she slowly wore Zaon¡¯s mana down.

    Kaeli shot, and the [Steadfast Shield] deflected the stone in the wrong direction, hitting Zaon and making him stumble. The barrier absorbed the hit and shattered into the thin blue mist. Zaon was in a lose-lose situation. If he entered Kaeli¡¯s mountainous zone, he would be at a disadvantage, but if he remained outside, the girl would still break his barriers one by one.

    ¡°At this rate, Zaon will run out of mana first,¡± Ilya said, reaching the same conclusion.

    The boy seemed to realize his situation because, after his initial retreat, he darted forward directly into Kaeli¡¯s territory. Kaeli grinned as Zaon found refuge behind a giant boulder. She dropped the enchanted stones, causing a cascade of golden sparks, and used her whip-vine to swing across the terrain like a much thinner, feminine version of Tarzan.

    The fight turned into a game of cat and mouse.

    Kaeli chased Zaon down. His [Light-footed] trait was barely enough to keep him from the range of Kaeli¡¯s whip. The boy stumbled across the rough terrain, unable to stand his ground and fight back. The shortcomings of my teachings were evident. The German School of Fencing, and most martial arts back on Earth, depended heavily on footwork to deliver both attack and defense. In Ebros, the System shifted the paradigm. Firana could use thin air as a solid surface, opening a whole new dimension of movement, and Kaeli used her whip-vine as an extra limb to swing like a monkey across the rocky area.

    I realized that movement was overpowered, but it wasn¡¯t everything. Firana had trouble against static combatants like Dreva Herran and Belya Nara, but both girls had a broad arsenal of area denial and ranged attacks. Zaon had none of them.

    Zaon tried to climb a boulder to cut the chase, but Kaeli was faster and snapped one of his barriers. Seeing no way of escaping, Zaon turned around and charged, his movement hindered by the rocks and the vegetation. Kaeli, however, stopped chasing and disengaged, shooting her vine-whip at a tree protruding from the crevice of a rock and pulling herself on top of the massive boulders.

    Zaon retreated before Kaeli could summon her [Magic Stone], and the chase started again.

    ¡°Turn off your Ghost Blade! You are wasting mana!¡± Ilya yelled.

    If Zaon heard, he ignored her warning.

    The boy darted through Kaeli¡¯s domain, abandoning any attempt to engage in attack, but the terrain seemed perfectly designed for her to move around. Every tree was put there to help her swing with her vine-whip, while every rock and bush hindered Zaon¡¯s movement. Kaeli chased closely, like hunter and prey, which was ironic considering she was a jackalope-spirit beastfolk. Usually, the elves were the ultimate hunters of magic lands, not horned rabbits.

    As Zaon focused on traversing the terrain, Kaeli had a more difficult time connecting attacks. Minutes passed, Kaeli¡¯s whip shattering rock every time she missed the mark with her attacks. No matter how much he fled, Zaon didn¡¯t slow down. His endurance was surprising.

    Across the pavilion, Lord Herran looked at the fight with a satisfied expression. Kaeli crushed another barrier after the boy took a wrong turn, but the boy didn¡¯t bother to fight back. Even if it was a slow process, she had the advantage. While Zaon was trapped in the loose terrain, blocked by rocks and stumpy bushes, Kaeli used the knotty trees to swing and bypass the terrain hurdles.

    ¡°Zaon has to bring Kaeli to the ground somehow,¡± I muttered.

    Ilya jumped to her feet, but I put my hand on her mouth.

    ¡°If Kaeli hears, she will be wary. Zaon has to figure it out by himself.¡±

    Ilya nodded and mumbled something. I pulled my hand away. She gave me a confident grin and a thumbs-up.

    ¡°He will totally get it¡ª¡± Ilya started saying, but before she could finish the sentence, the crowd roared.

    Zaon pressed his back against the boulder. He had cornered himself in a dead end. Smelling blood, Kaeli wrapped her vine on a small tree and propelled herself at full speed. She was halfway through the trajectory between the boulders when the gnarled white tree snapped. The jackalope girl¡¯s eyes shot open as she flailed through the air.

    The girl slammed to the ground, and Zaon pounced. For an instant, the roles were reversed. Zaon scored a point, but Kaeli was quick to recover. She tried to escape, shooting her whip at the nearest tree. As soon as she pulled, the small tree broke.

    Zaon grinned.

    Kaeli looked around in confusion. The fracture at the base of the tree was clean save for the very edge of the bark.

    ¡°You did this!¡± Kaeli said, kickstarting her whip and adopting a defensive stance.

    ¡°And you are trapped down here with me,¡± Zaon said as a matter of fact.

    ¡°You can¡¯t even trash talk right!¡± Kaeli cracked the whip, but Zaon cast [Steadfast Shield] to block the attack.

    The fight continued on the ground, the boulders partially covering my view as the kids exchanged blows. Zaon was running down his mana reserves, and Kaeli quickly learned to be mindful of her attacks. She feinted and bluffed, forcing Zaon to cast an ill-timed [Steadfast Shield]. The barriers crashed down on both sides, but Zaon was still behind on score. Even without her capability to jump around the boulders, Kaeli was a good close-quarters combatant.

    Kaeli had a slight advantage as her feet seemed to hold onto the uneven terrain while Zaon slipped. They exchanged blows, trading spells and pushing their bodies to the limit for the slightest advantage. I was starting to see how Prince Adrien measured potential candidates for the Imperial Academy. Dreva had it, and so did Kaeli.

    Zaon was down to his last barrier but got used to Kaeli¡¯s timing and slowly started recovering lost ground. He used [Steadfast Shield] to prevent Kaeli¡¯s whip from gaining enough momentum to break his barrier, and his superior swordsmanship allowed him to sneak attacks through Kaeli¡¯s shapeshifting abilities. The score narrowed until Kaeli was only one barrier ahead.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a sword-swinging class to give me such a hard time,¡± Kaeli panted.

    Not even a drop of sweat fell from Zaon¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Yeah, on an even terrain, I would¡¯ve already won,¡± Zaon replied, and I wondered if that was his attempt at getting into Kaeli¡¯s head.

    As much as Ilya needed good sportsmanship lessons, Zaon needed a lesson on trash-talking.

    ¡°Funny thing to say when you are about to lose,¡± Kaeli replied, opening the gates of her mana pool and flooding her body with magic.

    Zaon darted forward before she could cast, but surprisingly, the girl didn¡¯t shy away. She let the vine whip go and leaped on Zaon, shapeshifting into a bear. Zaon¡¯s sword hit first, but Kaeli¡¯s claws pierced the last barrier. The crowd exploded, and the girl returned to normal. Her knees quivered; the complete shapeshift had depleted her reserves, even if she adopted her bear form for only a second.

    Before she could fall over, Zaon caught her in his arms.

    ¡°The winner of the match is Kaeli Herran,¡± the Master of Ceremonies announced.

 140 - Cold as Ice

    ¡°The winner of the fight is Kaeli Herran!¡± The Master of Ceremonies announced, walking into the center of the arena and stumbling on the stubby bushes.

    As Kaeli cut the connection between her skill and the environmental mana, the small trees and bushes dried up and withered in a matter of seconds. The boulders and rocks, however, didn¡¯t return underground. The girl clung to Zaon¡¯s shoulders as she was too weak to hold her own weight. She looked around in a panic and tried to channel her mana, but the skill whiffed in a trickle of golden sparks.

    ¡°I can¡¯t turn the arena back to normal,¡± Kaeli said, embarrassed.

    ¡°We will see what we can do, Lady Herran,¡± The Master of Ceremonies dismissed her worries and sent them back to the pavilion.

    Zaon helped Kaeli walk back to Team Herran¡¯s bench, the girl comfortably hanging from his neck. The complete shapeshift had exhausted her mana, but unlike Firana or Dreva, at least she could walk. Lord Herran looked happier when Zaon left her and turned around.

    Ilya was waiting for him, hands on her hips and a dissatisfied expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I got cocky. I never expected her to turn into a bear,¡± Zaon sighed.

    I caught the boy under my arm and patted his back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself. It would be foolish of us to expect you to beat a bear,¡± I replied, giving Ilya a quick warning glance. I knew she had strong opinions about Zaon¡¯s fight.

    The gnome girl sighed, getting the memo. ¡°You did well keeping the score gap low, but that doesn¡¯t excuse you from flirting with her during combat.¡±

    Zaon sat down and massaged his shoulders in an unsuccessful attempt to hide his blush. ¡°I wasn¡¯t flirting! I was assessing the situation! Mister Clarke always says every puzzle has a solution, so to win the fight, I figured I had to keep her grounded.¡±

    After seeing Zaon¡¯s fight, I doubted I could do much more for the kids, even if my coaching had brought them to a decent level. Magic combat was outside my field of expertise, and eventually, the basics of swordsmanship would not be enough for the kids to have successful fights. If they wanted to keep improving, they would have to find new mentors.

    ¡°Assessing the situation? You two were literally talking about bodily functions! How does that reflect on the orphanage?¡± Ilya reprimanded Zaon.

    ¡°We were talking about fleas!¡± Zaon defended himself.

    ¡°It¡¯s totally natural for a kid your age to be interested in talking to girls, Zaon,¡± I jokingly said, trying to dispel my worries.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m focused on winning the tournament,¡± he replied.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem so,¡± Ilya pointed out, crossing her arms.

    I noticed the girls were jealous of Zaon, like an overprotective older brother with their younger sister. It made sense in my mind. Zaon was kind-hearted to the point someone could easily trick him, but I thought the girls were ignoring his wits. I put a hand on Ilya¡¯s head. It wasn¡¯t the moment or the time to discuss Zaon¡¯s romantic life. We were a point behind, and Ilya¡¯s matchup against Herran¡¯s Snow Mage didn¡¯t favor us, as Ilya¡¯s lack of defensive spells left her open to the ranged attacks of a mage.

    Prince Adrien had already become interested in Zaon and Firana, but Ilya had comparatively passed unnoticed. She had gotten a few invitations from barons to join the ranks of their rangers, but that didn¡¯t exempt Ilya from being sent to the front. Considering our commoner status, we had two options to put off conscription: getting into the Imperial Academy or getting the Marquis to declare me a noble.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to put more weight on your shoulders, Ilya, but you need to win this fight if we want to go to the next round,¡± I said, locking eyes with her. ¡°Fight defensively. The Herran Kids have more tricks than we expected, and I don¡¯t want you to get caught.¡±

    ¡°You got the right gnome for the job, Robert,¡± Ilya replied, pushing my hand away from her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking seriously. We have surprised everyone here, but that isn¡¯t enough for us. We need a flawless victory, otherwise¡ª¡±

    ¡°Otherwise, we would end up in the royal army fighting in the Deep Farlands. The better we do, the more they will want to use us, but unless we reach the top, we will have a say,¡± Ilya stopped me.

    I smiled. ¡°You are too smart for the army, you know?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. I wonder if I will be good enough for the Imperial Academy,¡± Ilya shrugged.

    ¡°You are,¡± Zaon interrupted us. He blushed as we both turned our heads toward him. ¡°I sometimes feel I¡¯m trying to be something I¡¯m not, but you were always determined, reliable, and hardworking. If any of us should become an Imperial Knight, that should be you, Ilya.¡±

    Ilya cracked a laugh and punched Zaon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No wonder why girls like your skinny ass. Not everyone can pull those embarrassing lines with a straight face and sound credible. Not even Mister Clarke.¡±

    ¡°I try my best, but not all of us can be as charming as Zaon,¡± I pointed out.

    We laughed, and the atmosphere relaxed. There was nothing else much to do except trust in Ilya¡¯s strategist''s mind and the extra hours she had put on the sword. In the arena, the Master of Ceremonies briefly discussed with the aides before calling the next combat. It seemed that Kaeli¡¯s renovations were going to remain after all.

    ¡°Mister Clarke?¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Even if I get sent to the army, I feel like I¡¯m in control of my life. That wasn¡¯t a feeling I had before, so¡­ thank you,¡± Ilya said as a grin crept into her mouth. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to lose today. I will not play nice like a certain elf boy.¡±

    Ilya turned around and walked to the weapons rack where the old Fortifier waited for them. I wondered what kind of trick she would pull today. Whether my teaching methods had reached a limit, I couldn¡¯t ignore that each kid used the tools as they deemed fit. The German School of Fencing didn¡¯t account for magic vines, windwalking, or phantom blades, despite the kids naturally mixing their knowledge with their Skills.

    I laughed at how close I was to becoming a helicopter parent.

    ¡°What about you, Zaon? Do you think the Imperial Academy is for you now?¡± I asked him as Ilya examined the weapons on the rack.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°If Ilya goes to the army, I will go with her,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I figured out you¡¯ll say that,¡± I put my arm around Zaon¡¯s shoulders, remembering I promised Elincia I would take Ilya back to my world before conscription. It seemed it wouldn¡¯t be necessary, which was a great relief. The last thing I wanted was to be taken away from Elincia and the kids.

    The one who was in the greatest danger was Firana, and I wondered if the Imperial Academy would be enough to keep her away from her obligations as an Aias.

    Ilya picked the same slim longsword as Zaon and walked to the middle of the arena without even looking at her opponent. For a moment, I expected her to pull the same ¡®helpless gnome¡¯ trick as before, but Ilya wouldn¡¯t play the same trick twice. After defeating the Nara Warrior, the participants and the spectators already knew about her skills.

    Vigdis Herran wasn¡¯t like the Nara Warrior, though. The Snow Mage had the Herran genes; she was tall, and her straight red hair fell like a neat curtain over her well-formed shoulders. Two fox-like ears protruded from the top of her head, and a white-tipped tail poked out from under her cloak. Unlike the rest of her siblings, her face was inexpressive as a granite block. I thought she would be even considered good-looking by Earth''s standards if not for his uncanny lack of expression.

    Ilya saluted the stands, and the crowd cheered. It may be wishful thinking on my part, but Ilya seemed already to have a group of fierce fans among the spectators. Even if the underdog wasn¡¯t a popular ¡®trope¡¯ as back on Earth, Ilya had demonstrated during the first round that she was a ruthless combatant. How she disarmed and humiliated the Nara Warrior seemed to resonate with some commoners.

    Vigdis, however, showed no sign of being intimidated by the crowd.

    ¡°The terrain is going to remain as it is?¡± She asked, her voice as cold as her expression.

    ¡°We had no ruling saying the arena has to be reconditioned between rounds, so it will remain as it is until the end of Team Herran versus Lowell¡¯s Orphanage, Lady Herran,¡± the Master of Ceremonies replied.

    The organizers didn¡¯t anticipate that low-level kids would have the skills to change the landscape so severely, and neither did I. I expected it to be a fancy magic swordsmanship show.

    Ilya remained unfazed at the news, but I knew the gears of her brain were turning at full speed.

    ¡°Are you worried about being at a disadvantage against a gnome?¡± Ilya taunted.

    ¡°A gnome will never beat me, even if I surrendered half of my barriers,¡± Vigdis replied. Her voice remained as inexpressive as her face, but thanks to [Awareness], I noticed a hint of irritation.

    ¡°If you have a spine, you¡¯ll put your money where your mouth is. Use your snow powers to break five barriers,¡± Ilya said, raising her eyebrows.

    A shade of surprise crossed Vigdis''s face.

    ¡°Go on, I¡¯m waiting.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be suggesting a lopsided match,¡± Vigdis said.

    ¡°You were the one who suggested you needed only five barriers in the first place. I have no problem with a balanced match as long as you claw back your words,¡± Ilya replied with a self-sufficient smile.

    Before Vigdis could reply, the Master of Ceremonies came to her rescue.

    ¡°Let''s begin with the match. Please, take distance.¡±

    Vigdis turned around, but Ilya had one last word.

    ¡°You¡¯ll remember this day as the day you almost defeated a gnome. Mark my words.¡±

    The Master of Ceremonies scolded Ilya and threatened to take a point from her if she didn¡¯t take her position. Illya remained still and waited for Vigdis to turn around, then, after exchanging one last glance, she slowly walked twelve paces back as if I had all the time in the world.

    I knew that Ilya had never watched a football match, but for some reason, she was adept at the dark arts of shithousery.

    ¡°That was a bit mean,¡± Zaon said.

    ¡°It¡¯s part of the show,¡± I replied.

    The Master of Ceremonies¡¯ amplifying spell had caught Ilya¡¯s voice, and the whole arena heard her words. Other than the nobles inside the VIP Box, everyone seemed to enjoy the exchange, and the crowd even heckled the Master of Ceremonies while he scolded Ilya.

    Finally, the girls took their positions.

    ¡°Guards up!¡± The Master of Ceremonies said. ¡°Fight!¡±

    Our plan against the caster was simple: close the distance as fast as possible and engage in close-quarters combat to prevent them from casting. Ilya lunged, but the distance was enough for Vigdis to channel her mana and summon an ice sword. Vigdis parried Ilya¡¯s attack and countered it, but despite her superior reach, Ilya managed to escape.

    We expected Vigdis to have close-quarters capabilities, as the Herran Family was known for its warriors rather than its mages.

    Vigdis¡¯ blue mana sparkled in her hands, and an icicle materialized over her head. Ilya took another step back and raised her guard. The icicle shot forward, and I noticed the skill took time to speed up. Ilya casually parried with her blade. A moment later, she was engaged at close range, preventing Vigdis from summoning a second icicle. They exchanged lazy blows, testing the waters, but the treacherous ground prevented Ilya from displaying all her expertise.

    Unlike Zaon, Ilya had no mobility traits.

    Vigdis was the first to get a hold of the fight and channeled mana into her blade to increase the length. It was an intelligent move, considering Ilya¡¯s reach was naturally shorter.

    Ilya gritted her teeth. She had to maintain a greater distance to remain outside Vigdis¡¯ range. The more distance was between them, the easier it would be for Vigdis to cast. Ilya¡¯s swordsmanship was superior to Vigdis¡¯, but she couldn¡¯t chain a successful strike at that range.

    Vigdis used her extended range and natural agility to push Ilya back.

    ¡°Ilya is not casting,¡± Zaon pointed out.

    ¡°She¡¯s testing the waters,¡± I replied, hoping I was correct.

    Vigdis pulled back with the help of her beast folk agility and summoned half a dozen palm-sized ice shards. Ilya also retreated. If she couldn¡¯t prevent the spells, she would need enough space to dodge them.

    Instead of raising her guard, Ilya wove her mana into bright blue razor-thin strands and shaped them into arrows. It has been a while since I saw her [Mana Manipulation], and I was surprised to see how good she was at it. The arrows buzzed and sparkled as if they were full of energy, but in reality, it was just a visual effect.

    Vigdis hesitated to go on an exchange of barriers. The bluff had worked. The arrows crackled with energy, and, at the last moment, Vigdis dispelled the ice shards and raised an ice wall. The timing was perfect. An instant after the shield had been formed, Ilya shot her illusory arrows, each impact turning into an explosion of blue sparks.

    Vigdis reinforced the ice wall, but it was a mistake.

    Ilya took advantage of Vigdis¡¯s loss of line of sight over the arena and surrounded the ice shield. She lunged, stabbing Vigdis in the side. A barrier shattered, and the crowd roared, but Vigdis didn¡¯t let Ilya chain another blow and summoned an ice spike where the gnome girl stood.

    Beastfolk''s reflexes saved her.

    Ilya recognized the spell and jumped back, smiling. Our preparation was bearing fruit. [Ice Shard], [Ice Wall], and [Glacial Spike] were three of the most common spells of Snow Mages, and we had prepared accordingly.

    With those spells revealed, Ilya knew most of Vigdis¡¯ arsenal. Without wasting a second, Ilya summoned a vine and wrapped it around Vigdis¡¯ ankle. The beastfolk girl tried to pull back, but the vine pinned her to the ground.

    Ilya lunged again, using the length of her longsword to her favor. A glacial spike emerged from the ground and shot forward, but Ilya dodged with room to spare. [Mana Manipulation] might seem like a gimmick skill, but it also improved mana detection. Ilya knew where the attacks would come an instant earlier than the regular low-level person, and that advantage was enough to turn the tables.

    Ilya scored a second hit, and Vigdis had to unleash a series of glacial spikes to push Ilya back. When Vigdis had enough space, she froze the vine around her ankle and broke free. Expecting another glacial spike, Ilya stepped back, but the spell didn¡¯t happen.

    Vigdis continued channeling her mana.

    ¡°You are a slippery one, I give you that, but no more,¡± she growled as the ground around her froze.

 141 - Flawless

    The ground around Vigdis Herran froze. The layer of ice crept outwards, like the tendrils of a deep-sea creature, and Ilya had to retreat to prevent her feet from being caught in the area spell. Ilya walked past the boulders until her back hit the edge of the stands. The air in the arena grew colder, and I could see her breath forming small clouds. When the mana currents stopped, the icefield encroached on the whole arena.

    Ilya stomped the ice, followed by a satisfying crack sound. However, when Ilya approached the rocky area at the center of the arena, she slipped and fell to her knees. The further from the source, the weaker the spell was. Ilya buried her sword on the ice and used it as support, and even then, she stood with the balance of a newborn deer.

    Vigdis grinned like she had already won. She summoned a single ice shard the size of a dagger and, with the flick of her wrist, she launched it forward. Ilya parried but stumbled over the slippery ice and fell to the ground, defenseless. Vigdis grinned and summoned half a dozen ice knives, but this time, Ilya didn¡¯t have enough time to stand and raise her guard.

    Ilya rolled across the ground, using her hands and legs to dodge the barrage. Vigdis shot the knives one by one, with a slight delay between them, just enough for Ilya to dodge narrowly but not enough to get a foot on the fight. I clenched my teeth. Vigdis was toying with Ilya.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, gnome? The wendigo ate your tongue?¡± Vigdis mockingly said.

    Ilya remained on all fours, her sword lay abandoned on the ice a meter away, and her sight focused on the ice daggers. It seemed Ilya¡¯s words had bruised Vigdis¡¯ ego, but I didn¡¯t see a future when that led to a victory. The Book of Classes classified Hunters as a mixed class, half combatant and half support. It wasn¡¯t a bad class by any extent of the word, but it had a very specific niche compared to the rest of the combatant classes. Trapped inside the arena, Ilya was a fish out of water.

    [Piercing Arrow] and [Archery] were useless without a bow, not counting the fact that only a madman would bring one to a duel. [Spirit Animal] and [Mark of the Hunt] were detection skills without offensive capabilities, which rendered more than half of Ilya¡¯s skills useless in a duel. Even her [Tracking] passive was useless. I examined the arena. The boulders and rocks brought up by Kaeli¡¯s [Druid¡¯s Domain] could block the ice projectiles if Ilya could move on the frozen field. Her only way out was [Entangling Vines], but casting a spell for each step would be inefficient in the long run. Ilya had a near-perfect mana control, but her mana pool wasn¡¯t infinite.

    The situation was dire, but if someone could crack the solution to the puzzle, that was Ilya.

    ¡°Every problem has a solution, Ilya!¡± I yelled.

    Ilya muttered something I didn¡¯t get to hear, but [Awareness] allowed me to read her lips. You don¡¯t have to remind me. Green mana swirled around her eyes, and she cast [Mark of the Hunt]. An almost invisible string of mana linked Ilya to Vigdis. The Snow Mage didn¡¯t know it yet, but she was about to be hunted.

    Vigdis shot icicle after icicle without landing any hit. She enjoyed seeing Ilya struggle to move, but she didn¡¯t realize the battle was about to change. Ilya tapped into her pool and extracted bright strands of mana. Vigdis remained unaware. Ilya wasn¡¯t using a spell but a Passive.

    ¡°Stop messing around, Vigdis!¡± Lord Herran yelled from the sideline.

    He must¡¯ve noticed Ilya was plotting something.

    The sound of the cracking ice alerted Vigdis, and she jumped away before the vine could squash her. Vigdis swung her frozen blade, but the vine returned underground. My mana sense told me it was still there, waiting. When Vigdis turned around, summoning a dozen ice knives to finish the combat, Ilya had already disappeared into the mountainous terrain.

    ¡°How?¡± Zaon asked.

    ¡°Mana Manipulation,¡± I replied. Ilya had molded the mana into small spikes and adhered them to the soles of her boots. For what little [Mana Manipulation] could do, the skill was her saving grace.

    Ilya crossed the snow field and ducked behind a boulder by Vigdis side.

    ¡°Behind the rock!¡± Lord Herran yelled.

    Vigdis dispelled the ice daggers and shot a huge icicle in the general direction Ilya had been a second earlier, but the projectile didn¡¯t have the strength to make a dent in the rock. The ice at Vigdis'' feet cracked, and a second vine emerged from the depths of the earth, catching her by surprise. The vine smacked Vigdis across the back, shattering a barrier and sending her to the ground. Once again, the girl swung her ice blade, but the vine retreated underground like a moray eel.

    One by one, Ilya¡¯s vines emerged from the ground like the tendrils of a Lovecraftian god, smashing the ground and cracking the ice with anger. Vigdis dodged, contorting her flexible body to get away, but the vines grew by the dozens. She used her ice blade and her icicles to mow down the vines, but like a hydra, for each she cut, two more emerged.

    [Mark of the Hunt] allowed Ilya to sense Vigdis¡¯ position without having to peek and become vulnerable to the ice spells. The tides of the combat turned. Vigdis jumped, dodged, and rolled to defend her barriers but Ilya had turned the arena into her hunting ground. Panic stained Vigdis'' face as the vines pushed her around. She tried to escape the center area, but the vines blocked the path between the boulders.

    Despite the appearances, Ilya was only controlling half a dozen vines. When she retracted them underground, she dispelled them to conjure others near Vigdis. The effect was very credible.

    In a last attempt to regain a semblance of control, Vigdis violently channeled her mana. [Awareness] informed me she was trying to use a spell way above her level. The amount of mana was too big for a low-level mage. She was desperate.

    The atmosphere in the arena changed, and my memory threw me back to my first encounter with the Lich. The air seemed to freeze, the sounds became distant, and even the quality of the light seemed to change. The environmental mana flickered, a dense mist rose from the ground, and a chilling breeze made Vigdis¡¯ hair flutter. The wind raged, and a snowstorm broke into the arena. Suddenly, everything turned white.

    Zaon stood to his feet; his eyes gleaming with mana as he used a skill.

    ¡°Ilya is hiding in a crevice between rocks. I can see her with my [Sonar],¡± he said.

    A minute passed, and all I could see was a white wall. Then, just as abruptly as the storm appeared, the spell ended, leaving a neat layer of snow over the arena. Vigdis was pale, and her breath was hasty, but the storm hadn¡¯t touched her. Snow piled on the center of the arena up to her waist. The vines around her were frozen, and she broke them with a swing of her blade.

    Ilya was nowhere to be found, and for a moment, I feared the worst. The Fortifier¡¯s barrier didn¡¯t seem to offer great protection against heat and cold, and the padded fencing uniform was thick, but it wasn¡¯t high-mountain gear. The crowd remained silent but only the rustle of the wind against the boulders broke the stillness of the scene.

    Ilya suddenly emerged from the snow, coughing and laboriously pulling herself out. She mindlessly brushed the snow from her head and shoulders and glanced at Vigdis with a mischievous expression.

    ¡°You are not going anywhere this time,¡± Vigdis panted.

    The snow reached Ilya¡¯s chest, and any attempts to traverse it only made her sink more. The snow was too thin to walk on top and too dense for a slim gnome to plow through it. Despite being trapped, Ilya didn¡¯t seem worried.

    ¡°You talk too much,¡± Ilya replied, channeling her mana through her feet into the ground.

    The snow muffled the sound of the vines cracking the ice underneath, and the attack caught Vigdis by surprise. Vines emerged from the snow, hitting like the tentacles of a deep-sea creature. Other than her natural agility, the Snow Mage had no movement skills. No matter how much she tried to get away, vines blocked her path.

    Finally, the vines curled around Vigdis¡¯ arms and legs. She tried to cut them, but every time she lowered her guard, another vine appeared in her blind spot and smashed a barrier. The vines thrashed Vigdis around like she was a ragdoll, and her cold expression turned into one of pure frustration. Vigdis couldn¡¯t even cast her spells without the vines interrupting her.

    Ilya was ruthless, and her attack was overwhelming, but doubled down on the offensive. Only when the Master of Ceremonies ended the fight, she pulled her vines underground. The crowd exploded in cheers, waving their scarves and handkerchiefs while chanting ¡®Gnome!, Gnome! Gnome!¡¯. Ilya raised her arms in victory. No one could guess there was a little devil under her innocent smile.

    Ilya gave me the thumbs up, and I noticed my heart was beating fast. The little gnome crying in the cramped space between the old shed and the orphanage was no more. Ilya blew a kiss to the stands, and the crowd went crazy.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°With a perfect score and an overwhelming victory, the winner is Ilya the Hunter!¡± The Master of Ceremonies said, already infected by the excitement of the fight.

    Ilya jumped through the snow and ran across the arena. Of all the possible scores, that was the one I least expected. Ilya high-fived Zaon, and I had to gather all my self-control not to grab her by the arms and throw her in the air. I only lamented that the rest weren¡¯t there to see her victory.

    ¡°Firana is going to be so mad when I tell her,¡± Ilya grinned, her teeth chattering, her skin a deeper shade of blue than usual.

    I took off my jacket and put it on her shoulders, overwhelmed by happiness and completely out of words.

    ¡°Aren''t you going to congratulate me?¡± Ilya said, putting her hands under her armpits.

    I snapped out and blabbered an apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just a bit shocked.¡±

    Ilya giggled. ¡°I cause that reaction in people sometimes.¡±

    The Master of Ceremonies entered the pavilion while the Geomancers cleared the arena. The ground trembled, and the boulders sunk into the arena. Then, they plowed the snow to the edges, where a group of aides carried it out of the arena with levitation spells. Across the pavilion, Lord Herran was trying to soothe Vigdis. The girl hadn¡¯t taken the defeat very well.

    I sighed. That was the ugly face of competition: for each winner, there were a bunch of losers who worked just as hard. Even if it hurt right now, the defeat was going to help her grow in the long run.

    The Master of Ceremonies called us to the middle of the arena, and we formed before the Herran team. Wolf, Firana, and Dreva were still missing.

    ¡°The winner, with nine points in their favor, is Lowell¡¯s Orphanage!¡± The Master of Ceremonies announced.

    We bowed and returned to the pavilion under the cheering of the crowd. Other than Kaeli, none of the kids seemed too interested in a conversation with us. Lord Herran put his arm around Vigdis'' shoulder and walked with her, muttering something to her ear. No matter how curious I was about Lord Herran¡¯s paternal skills as the father of fifty, I suppressed [Awareness] from peeking into the conversation.

    Kaeli Herran approached us and walked next to Zaon.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have used my [Druid¡¯s Domain],¡± she sighed as we returned to the pavilion. ¡°I might have won my fight, but I doomed Vigdis.¡±

    She seemed really down due to her sister¡¯s outcome.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not that you knew what was going to happen. Sometimes, it¡¯s not our fault but the environment stopping us from showing all of our potential,¡± Zaon replied.

    He was using my lines.

    ¡°Yeah, if we would¡¯ve fought on an actual mountain, I would¡¯ve scored perfectly against you,¡± Kaeli elbowed Zaon.

    Instead of bowing down, Zaon countered.

    ¡°Let me get twenty levels, and no bear shape will beat me,¡± he replied.

    Kaeli laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll take your word.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, just get married, you two,¡± Ilya grunted.

    She was using Risha¡¯s lines.

    Kaeli jumped between Zaon and Ilya, putting her arms over their shoulders. Ilya wasn¡¯t thrilled with the contact and tried to push her away, but Kaeli drew her closer. ¡°You will be seeing me often from now on. I can¡¯t let an odorless anti-flea potion go away so easily; Alchemists just brew the same stinky garbage all over the kingdom.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the potion is done in a timely manner if that is the price of not seeing you ever again,¡± Ilya replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so protective of your brother. I only want to be friends with him,¡± Kaeli mockingly said as we entered the pavilion.

    Something in Kaeli¡¯s words must¡¯ve alerted Lord Herran because he left Vigdis and approached us.

    ¡°How old are you, kid?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Fifteen, sir,¡± Zaon replied.

    Lord Herran scratched his beard and squinted his eyes as if he were making complex calculations. ¡°Mmm¡­ elves are late bloomers, though. If, in three more years, you manage to get at least this tall and this wide,¡± he said, showing with his hands, ¡°I might consider welcoming you into the family.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure anyone in the orphanage other than Wolf could meet Lord Herran¡¯s size requirements.

    Kaeli¡¯s face turned into a tomato. ¡°Dad, I beg you¡­¡± she winced, one of her ears twitching, but Lord Herran was having none of it. Managing the suitors and arranged marriages of dozens of kids must be a hellish task.

    ¡°We must keep the bloodline strong for the future of our House,¡± he said.

    Then, Lord Herran turned to me.

    ¡°Congratulations on your victory, Caretaker,¡± he said, looking at Zaon and Ilya. ¡°There¡¯s always a piece of the father in the son, even if they are not related by blood.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for your kind words, Lord Herran. Your kids did an excellent job, they have great potential,¡± I replied with a bow.

    Without beautiful ladies around, Lord Herran seemed to be a pleasant guy.

    Lord Herran said his farewell, and Kaeli pushed him to the other side of the pavilion. I wasn¡¯t expecting Zaon¡¯s potential to be recognized by one of the three big dukes, but I wasn¡¯t expecting Ilya to win with a perfect score either. As much as I had high expectations, they had crushed them beyond my wildest dreams.

    ¡°Ilya won with a perfect score, and Zaon was recognized by a Duke. Firana isn¡¯t going to be happy at all,¡± I jokingly said.

    The rest of the tournament day was relatively short. More than half of the teams had already been eliminated, so by midday, the main event was over. Farcrest Team was beaten to the ground by Team Osgiria, and the Marquis wasn¡¯t particularly happy, but Istvan Kiln managed to scratch a personal win. Ilya wasn¡¯t happy either but for a completely different reason. She lamented that she wouldn¡¯t be allowed to beat up Istvan Kiln in front of the whole city herself.

    We watched a pyromancer¡¯s show while the tournament aides updated the chalkboard.

    I stood on the tip of my toes. Only four teams remained. In the left bracket, Imperial Cadets versus House Jorn, and in the right bracket House Osgiria versus Lowell¡¯s Orphanage. It couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. Whether the Osgirians were kicked out in the semifinals by an unknown orphanage or in the finals by the Imperial Cadets, the royalist faction would benefit the most. I wondered if this was Prince Adrien¡¯s doing.

    ¡°What are we up against?¡± Ilya asked, trying to look over the shoulders of the crowd.

    ¡°House Osgiria,¡± I replied.

    Ilya nodded in silence. She was probably thinking the same as me. A political hit to the Osgirians could harm their relationship with Kellaren and their plans for Firana.

    ¡°Do you want to watch the pyromancers or go home?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home. We have a fight to plan,¡± Ilya said, and Zaon agreed.

    The Marquis congratulated us for our victory, although he didn¡¯t seem pleased at all, and Captain Kiln guided us to the infirmary. I didn¡¯t read too much into the Marquis''s demeanor considering his team had been trampled down in front of the whole city. We entered the Great Hall. The infirmary was mostly empty. Dreva and Firana were standing on a bed, shoulder by shoulder, looking at a sliver of the arena visible through a small skylight located on the wall.

    Lord Herran¡¯s brother was sitting in the corner, with one eye on a book and the other on Dreva.

    ¡°Can we go see the fireworks?¡± Firana asked as soon as we entered. She had regained color, and she looked ready to roll, but Elincia shot her down, saying she had to return to the orphanage to rest.

    ¡°How did the combat go?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear?¡± I replied, wondering if the voice of the Master of Ceremonies didn¡¯t reach the infirmary.

    ¡°Architectonic magic. The room is magically isolated, just like the Towers of Neskarath. Otherwise, you¡¯d hear the foundries all day and night,¡± Dreva pointed out as she came down the bed.

    I remembered seeing the Architect Class in the Book.

    ¡°So?¡± Elincia crossed her arms, impatient.

    ¡°We won,¡± I grinned, and Elincia jumped into my arms, disregarding the presence of the kids, Captain Kiln, and Lord Herran¡¯s brother in the corner. A wave of relief washed through my body as Elincia squeezed me. I lived for those little moments.

    Ilya boasted all the way back to the entrance, reminding everyone that not only did she have the perfect score, but also was the only member of the team who hadn¡¯t lost a fight. Wolf, of course, didn¡¯t care too much, but Firana took it as a personal challenge. Elincia had to emphasize that no training was going to occur until her stacks of Mana Exhaustion were gone.

    ¡°How are things going?¡± Captain Kiln grabbed my arm, falling behind.

    Since Janus revealed his suspicions about the Marquis, I have kept communication with Captain Kiln to a minimum. I refused to believe Izabeka had anything to do with the attacks on the orphanage, but her allegiance to the marquisate put her in a difficult spot. I ignored how deep her loyalty towards the Marquis went.

    ¡°Things are going smooth so far, but we might need a miracle for the next round,¡± I replied.

    Captain Kiln gave me a scrutinizing glance, and I knew she was using her [Awareness]. Before she could say anything, a man emerged from a lateral corridor and stopped us. I recognized him as a courier, as he dressed the same as Corin. He pulled a letter from his satchel and handed it to me.

    ¡°It was paid in advance,¡± the courier said as I reached for my coin purse.

    ¡°Who sent it?¡± Captain Kiln grabbed the man¡¯s arm before he could fly off.

    I expected a low-ranking noble with an invitation for one of the kids.

    ¡°A housemaid, she didn¡¯t introduce herself. She was pretty, though,¡± the courier said with a naughty smile.

    Captain Kiln let the man go, and I looked at the envelope. It wasn¡¯t signed. After the first combat, the kids had received all sorts of invitations, but I had not gotten one for myself. It made sense, considering there was a weak correlation between instruction and skills in this world. Nobody believed the kid¡¯s performance was due to my coaching but their natural talent and the System¡¯s blessings.

    Teaching was a thing of Scholars for Scholars, after all.

    ¡°Open it,¡± Captain Kiln said. ¡°It gives me a bad feeling. Housemaids don¡¯t go around giving love letters, they usually send an older, more experienced maid as a middleman.¡±

    I opened the envelope and joined heads with Captain Kiln over the letter.

    Dear Robert Clarke. If you value those close to you, you will stop overstepping into our affairs. Commoners should not blend with nobility. Drop out of the tournament, otherwise, we would be forced to act. Not even your patron can protect you from a threat nobody can see. ¡ªA friend.

 142 - We have options

    Dear Robert Clarke. If you value those close to you, you will stop overstepping into our affairs. Commoners should not blend with nobility. Drop out of the tournament, otherwise, we would be forced to act. Not even your patron can protect you from a threat nobody can see. ¡ªA friend.

    My body froze, and my thoughts broke down. Weren¡¯t we winning? Wasn¡¯t the Prince¡¯s support protecting us from any attempt against the orphanage? I tried to open my mouth, but my jaw clenched. I reread the letter, hoping my brain was playing tricks on me, but no, the words remained the same. Such a blatant threat only meant one thing. Whoever sent the letter had the power to harm us whether I reported it to Prince Adrien or not, and only one faction fell into that category. The Osgirians.

    I fed [Awareness] with mana, and the skill forced my fears into a corner. The world seemed to stop as my brain went into overdrive. The implications of the threat flooded my mind in a purely rational manner. The sender wanted me to show the letter to the Prince, or at least they didn¡¯t care if I did. That could only mean two things. The sender had the power to act upon the threat, whether the Prince acted to protect me or not or, the sender anticipated another reaction from the Prince¡¯s side.

    To act so openly, the Prince¡¯s reaction had to benefit the sender. I racked my brain, searching for an answer. Why would someone draw the royalist faction''s wrath upon them? A hypothesis popped into my mind, but it was a long shot. After reading the letter, the Prince would not risk my well-being, and he would ask me to pull out of the tournament.

    While the Prince wanted me to put the ducal faction to shame, our deal regarding ¡®turning mud into iron¡¯ was more profitable in the long run. Our team has already shown the Great Ducal Houses could be beaten by a group of orphans, so the Prince could deem our job done. The Imperial Cadets were strong enough to deal with the Osgirian Team in the finals, so he didn¡¯t technically need our presence in the tournament anymore. If the Prince asked me to step down, I couldn¡¯t refuse.

    Did the Osgirians know about my secret deal with Prince Adrien?

    I could only assume they did. Otherwise, the threat made no sense.

    ¡°Vedras!¡± Captain Kiln grunted, pulling me out of my train of thought.

    I folded the letter and put it back in my pocket. Nobody in the Great Hall seemed to notice us. The messenger was long gone.

    ¡°That frog wants to poison you despite the fact you saved his sorry ass. The unseen threat mentioned in the letter is clearly poison, and considering how it is signed, he¡¯s poking fun at the fact you two hit it off during the feast,¡± Captain Kiln muttered.

    ¡°It¡¯s not Vedras,¡± I stopped her.

    Captain Kiln gave me a quizzical look, but I bit my tongue. I wanted to trust her, but [Awareness] told me it was risky. If Sir Janus was right, and the Marquis had a secret deal with the Osgirians, and there was a slim chance Captain Kiln was involved. The Captain of the Guard was the Marquis'' right hand, after all, and even if Izabeka wished no harm against the orphanage, she was still bound by duty and honor. Anything I told her could end up reported to the Marquis.

    I examined her expression, but my [Awareness] couldn¡¯t see through her. I closed my eyes, and the pictures of Captain Kiln playing with the little ones appeared before me. I refused to believe she pretended to enjoy it. Izabeka was more than a piece on Farcrest¡¯s political board. I wanted to believe her honor went deeper than her allegiance to the Marquis, even if it was an irrational thought.

    Maybe, feelings were a different way of rationality.

    ¡°We need to talk, Izabeka,¡± I said.

    ¡°You are scaring me. You usually call me Captain,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking with the Captain.¡±

    ¡°Damned be the day I met you, Robert Clarke.¡±

    Captain Kiln jumped on the carriage with us. Despite the anti-spying measures in the Great Hall, I would rather discuss the matters regarding the orphanage far from the Marquis¡¯ reach. Elincia clung to my side, and the kids bantered about their achievements in the tournament, unaware of the threatening letter. Even Wolf bragged about his fight against the Berserker and how he didn¡¯t need a Class to win.

    We reached the orphanage, and the little ones received us like war heroes.

    I let out a sigh of relief seeing everyone was safe.

    ¡°Anything strange?¡± I asked, stretching Risha¡¯s hand while the little ones swarmed the kids.

    ¡°Nothing to report, big dog. The little ones have been bouncing around all day long, and Astrid is exhausted,¡± Risha replied, examining my face. ¡°Something happened?¡±

    ¡°A threatening letter,¡± I whispered.

    He froze.

    ¡°Not just anyone can threaten us after the Prince announced his support for the orphanage. This is bad,¡± Risha replied, his face turning into a mask of concern.

    ¡°I know,¡± I sighed. ¡°Get the kids to the kitchen to have a snack. Then, bring them to the ballroom. We have to make a decision.¡±

    Risha nodded, and with Elincia¡¯s help, they herded the crowd into the manor and through the corridor. Risha had that particular charm little kids couldn¡¯t help but follow, loving, charismatic, yet firm. Maybe it was about his size. Captain Kiln and I remained in the vestibule. Whether my [Awareness] could read her or not, I needed to probe her.

    ¡°Izabeka, I need to know if you are keeping anything from me,¡± I said, catching her by surprise.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t told you about the investigation regarding Kellaren¡¯s fraud, but we haven¡¯t made progress. The more we dig, the more false victims appear. It¡¯s like someone is actively smudging out the investigation,¡± Izabeka said.

    I nodded. Risha had already informed me about the lack of advance on that front, including his suspicions about a third party moving strings from the shadows. I remained silent, examining Captain Kiln¡¯s expression in a failed attempt of [Awareness] to break through her poker face. She seemed a bit nervous.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Do you mean Darius¡¯ Silence Hex? I did confirm he had one, but it¡¯s impossible to know who put it there,¡± Captain Kiln finally said.

    I remained silent. I wasn¡¯t sure if this interrogation tactic was well known in this world like it was in mine, but it worked with little kids and was working so far.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think the Marquis did it, do you?¡± Captain Kiln asked. ¡°The hex has to be related to his work on the Imperial Library. Imperial Scholars are really jealous of their research, and Holst is the new guy there.¡±

    I expected Captain Kiln to advocate for Farcrest nobility whether she was involved in their dirty affairs or not.

    ¡°His hex isn¡¯t about the Imperial Library,¡± I shook my head. ¡°After the feast, Holst told Elincia he was in her debt because she saved Raudhan. Elincia asked him why he poisoned our crops before departing to the Imperial Library, and Holst replied it was to repay a favor. When Elincia asked to whom, Holst couldn¡¯t answer. The hex happened previously at his departure.¡±

    Captain Kiln froze as she realized who would benefit from the fall of the orphanage.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way Tauron did it. He is not a tyrant, he cares deeply about Farcrest. During Monster Surges, he is the first to lead the attack and the last to retreat. He had risked his life for our soldiers and the people inside the walls.¡±

    Despite what Captain Kiln believed, the proof was piling against the Marquis.

    ¡°What if sacrificing a few could save many? Don¡¯t the Sentinels risk their lives in the Farlands to keep the city safe?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s different. The Sentinels do it by their own will,¡± Captain Kiln replied.

    If Sir Janus¡¯ suspicions were correct, everything made sense. Kellaren, the Marquis, the Osgirians, and Holst were all connected under the same scheme. Every single one of them worked in subtle yet different ways to bring down the orphanage, and it was my fault the methods had become more violent. The more I succeeded in protecting the orphanage, the more extreme were the methods they used to bring us down.

    ¡°I¡¯m the Captain of the Guard. You can¡¯t accuse the Marquis like that in front of me, Rob.¡±

    Izabeka wasn¡¯t like them. Despite the vertigo in my stomach, I took the leap of faith.

    ¡°I invited you because there are things I haven¡¯t told you. Would you hear me out before making a decision?¡± I said.

    Captain Kiln sighed. ¡°I knew you were bad news the moment I saw you crossing the Great Hall doors. Now, I¡¯m afraid you are right.¡±

    ________

    Not an hour later, the whole orphanage was reunited at the ballroom, the threatening letter open over the long dinner table for everyone to see. I hated to be the bringer of bad news, but we had to play with the hand given to us. Elincia and Risha exchanged worried glances, Astrid remained away from the scene, by the windows, and Ginz paced through the ballroom. The older kids were by my side.

    ¡°We can¡¯t drop from the tournament. The more popular we get, the harder it will be for Kellaren to touch Firana. If we leave the spotlight, we will be dead in the water,¡± Ilya said. ¡°We must tell Prince Adrien.¡±

    I tended to agree with her, but her logic was flawed.

    ¡°Whoever wrote the letter must have enough strength to execute the threat whether we remain in the spotlight or not,¡± I said. ¡°The only one who can stand up to the Prince is the ducal faction, and I fear that he would force us to drop to avoid unnecessary conflict. Prince Adrien already got enough from us and he needs to maintain a semblance of peace with the ducal faction if he wants to continue with the Farlands Campaign.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying the Prince would forsake us?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t gain anything by picking an open fight against the Osgirians. Asking us to drop from the tournament is a small price for the kingdom¡¯s stability,¡± I replied.

    ¡°We should surrender, then,¡± Risha said.

    That option was also flawed.

    ¡°Surrendering will solve our current problems, but in the long run, winning the tournament and becoming nobility ourselves will be more beneficial,¡± I explained.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Captain Kiln said. ¡°By becoming nobility, you will only be deeper in the mud.¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Commoners and nobility have different rights and obligations. Everyone in this room except myself is a subject of the Marquis, and he can order all of you around as he pleases. The army needs more Alchemists? Elincia would have to travel to the front lines. The army needs more muscle? Risha will not be able to remain at the orphanage. The army needs combat engineers? Ginz will be building fortifications in the deep Farlands. The Aias Mercenaries allegiance is transferred to another lord? Firana will have to depart from Farcrest,¡± I explained. ¡°A noble, however, can say no to their lord under certain circumstances, or they can pay a sum of money to be left alone.¡±

    Captain Kiln raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be implying the Marquis is working with Kellaren and the Osgirians,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not implying it. We suspect that is the case,¡± I said. ¡°The Marquis has been preparing Farcrest to become a trade hub for the last eight years in the event the Farlands Campaign is successful. He isn¡¯t the only one trying to enrich himself. We believe Osgirians are preparing their own caravans with the help of the Marquis and the manpower of the Aias Mercenaries.¡±

    Captain Kiln laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are smoking, but I recommend you drop it. How did you come up with that bullshit?¡±

    ¡°Sir Janus told me. He wants to sever the relationship between the Marquis and the Osgirians to keep Farcrest¡¯s independence. To achieve that, he wants to remove Kellaren from the picture,¡± I replied.

    The smile on Captain Kiln¡¯s mouth broke.

    ¡°Crap. That weasel¡­¡± the woman muttered as she tied loose ends. ¡°That explains why Janus had been working non-stop on Kellaren¡¯s case. He has been sober and helpful since the feast, which doesn¡¯t sound realistic unless he has an ulterior motive.¡±

    Any doubt I had about Janus¡¯ theory disappeared.

    ¡°Crap, crap, crap,¡± Captain Kiln repeated. ¡°It makes sense. Everything.¡±

    It seemed Izabeka¡¯s trust in the Marquis was more feeble than expected. She squinted her eyes as mana swirled through her body. She overloaded her [Awareness] before speaking again.

    ¡°Kellaren knows about my relationship with the orphanage. It¡¯s not like we had tried to hide it. He must¡¯ve been undermining my authority with the younger recruits to limit my movements,¡± Captain Kiln muttered, her face suddenly pale. ¡°What if Kellaren and the Osgirians were the ones who tried to poison me during the feast? They tried to disband the royal army and get me out of the picture in one swing. An Osgirian Sniffer could let the poison through if instructed.¡±

    Just as I initially suspected, there were two independent poisonings during the feast.

    The ballroom remained silent as the pieces of the puzzle completed the picture, and the picture was dire. I closed my eyes, repeating my mantra. Every problem has a solution. However, I saw no good answers. If we dropped from the tournament, Firana would be in danger. If we continued, assuming we could win, the orphanage would be in danger. Firana or the orphanage. I shook my head. I wasn¡¯t going to choose. I wasn¡¯t going to sacrifice a kid to save the rest.

    ¡°There¡¯s another solution,¡± Firana broke the silence. ¡°I can become the head of the Aias family right now¡ª¡±

    ¡°We already discussed that, and the answer is no,¡± I interrupted her. ¡°As long as we have other options, you will not join Kellaren. He could easily put his crimes on your shoulders and then discard you.¡±

    ¡°But we don¡¯t have other options,¡± Firana retorted, expelling a gust of wind from her body. ¡°I will not stand idle when everyone is in danger!¡±

    ¡°We have options,¡± I stopped her. ¡°Ilya, Wolf, Zaon, and Firana, please leave. It would be safer for you if you aren¡¯t involved from this point onward.¡±

 143 - Essentials

    Spring was around the corner yet the day was even colder than the previous day. My mind wandered to the Heat Stones, but due to our guests, I couldn¡¯t use them to warm the ballroom if I wanted to keep my Runeweaver Class a secret. I rubbed my hands together, however, neither Captain Kiln nor Sir Janus seemed to feel the cold. Elincia had brought the small brazier, but it was barely enough to make the temperature more bearable.

    I had Corin call for Sir Janus first thing in the morning, and he had appeared at the manor not an hour later. Captain Kiln had spent the night at the orphanage, so everyone was reunited in the ballroom. Risha and Astrid were sitting by the windows, watching that no kid came nearby to spy while Ginz was in his workshop working on Astrid¡¯s gun. With the next round of the tournament in only two days, we had little time to decide what to do with the threatening letter.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t match with Kellaren¡¯s handwriting, but it¡¯s obvious this was written either by him. Otherwise, the sender wouldn¡¯t have signed it as ¡®A friend¡¯,¡± Sir Janus said as he examined the letter.

    ¡°Do you know Kellaren¡¯s handwriting now? Are you close to him or something?¡± Captain Kiln asked, arms crossed over her chest, and a defiant expression on her face.

    ¡°I spied for Prince Ragna for half a decade. I learned a couple of things,¡± Janus grunted back.

    Neither of them seemed happy with the presence of the other, but in times of crisis, I couldn¡¯t spare any allies. Janus wasn¡¯t happy with the decision to involve Captain Kiln in our plans against Kellaren, and she wasn¡¯t happy that Janus was spying on the Marquis.

    ¡°So, you are the one who is bribing my guards to look away from the guest room?¡± Captain Kiln accused him.

    ¡°Izabeka, please. I¡¯m no amateur,¡± Janus mockingly replied.

    The situation had turned even more hostile between them after Captain Kiln forced Janus to repeat the conversations he had been spying on verbatim. I just listened carefully. The Marquis had three private meetings with the Osgirians during the last couple weeks, two of them with Kellaren present in the room, where they had discussed the logistics of the new trade routes. While the Great Hall''s anti-espionage measures had obscured most of the conversation, Janus had enough leads to dig in other places. The movements of Farcrest''s treasure were harder to hide, and Janus knew who to tail and who to press to get answers.

    ¡°So, what do you think about the letter?¡± I asked, veering the conversation away from their personal problems.

    ¡°We could try to trace the origin of the paper and ink, but that would take weeks. Considering the quality, I say it is safe to assume this was written by someone wealthy, probably Kellaren or the Osgirians, so the threat must be real,¡± Sir Janus said as he examined the thickness and texture of the paper. Then, he put it back on the table and looked at me. ¡°Drop out from the tournament, you can¡¯t ensure the safety of the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°I think the same, Rob. You showed everyone the kids have potential, and I¡¯m sure we can work something with the Marquis to avoid the next conscription wave,¡± Captain Kiln said.

    For the first time in the day Janus and Izabeka agreed, which wasn¡¯t great news for me.

    ¡°Dropping out from the tournament will not stop Kellaren from going after Firana,¡± Elincia came forward. ¡°Zaon caught Prince Adrien¡¯s eye, and Ilya was the only participant to get a perfect score in the quarterfinals, so I think there¡¯s a possibility for them to go to the Imperial Academy. But, do you think Kellaren and the Osgirians will let Firana go and miss the opportunity to reform the Aias Mercenaries?¡±

    The ballroom fell in complete silence.

    ¡°If we expose Kellaren¡¯s crimes against royal soldiers, the Osgirians will have no choice but to cut ties with him, and the Marquis will keep his integrity intact,¡± I added, looking at Janus. ¡°We need to put our plans in motion earlier than expected.¡±

    The man scratched his hirsute beard with a doubtful expression.

    ¡°We might not have enough time. Even if we acquired the documentation, it would take days or weeks to work Kellaren out. And that doesn¡¯t even count the preparations for the actual heist,¡± Janus said, shaking his head. ¡°Abandon the tournament, Rob, we need more time to bring Kellaren down.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m with Janus, Rob. We are talking about a sizable mercenary force. This isn¡¯t something we can improvise,¡± Captain Kiln said.

    Elincia grabbed my hand. We had already gone through this discussion. It would be risky, but the perspective of sacrificing Firana for the well-being of the rest was even worse.

    ¡°The preparations for the heist are mostly done,¡± I said, putting out the blueprint of Kellaren¡¯s manor and a stack of parchment with a series of numbers compiled by Corin. ¡°This is the layout of the manor, and this is the routine of the patrols by area, time, and number of guards.¡±

    I spread the documents on the table and Janus¡¯ eyes shot wide open. He read the pieces of parchment and placed small markers on the manor¡¯s map. A minute later, we had a detailed visual representation of the objective. The western wing housed Kellaren¡¯s chambers, the officer¡¯s quarters, a private kitchen and dining room, a personal library, and the treasury of his mercenary company. The eastern wing had been refurbished to hold the barracks, a mess hall, the kitchen, and storage rooms. Outside, there was a building for non-essential storage and the stables.

    ¡°How in the everloving System? Even with advanced concealing skills, it could take months to compile all of this,¡± Janus muttered.

    ¡°We have an informant,¡± I said, pointing at the last piece of parchment of the lot. That one had the information of the manor¡¯s security during the tournament. With Kellaren outside the manor, the security inside the western wing and around the perimeter became lax, so the perfect time to strike was during the tournament.

    ¡°Typical of mercenaries,¡± Janus grinned.

    I stood and put my finger on the corner of the layout.

    ¡°The mole told us that the library belonged to the previous owner of the manor. No one uses it other than Kellaren, so there is a good chance it is unguarded. It¡¯s also the closest point to the western wall and only a corridor away from Kellaren¡¯s chambers,¡± I explained, tapping the library with my finger. ¡°I think that should be our breach point.¡±

    Sir Janus let out a long sigh before admitting it was possible to execute the heist during the next round of the tournament. Captain Kiln agreed, and we started to draw out plans. Our main concern was the Sentinels, but there were two ways of tricking their enhanced detection skills; attenuate one¡¯s mana pool, or hide among a group. After an hour of deliberation we settled for both. While I performed the tricks Sir Janus taught me to hide my mana pool, we assigned Risha the job of creating a diversion in the front gate. The half-orc smiled and left the orphanage saying he had to cash-out some favors.

    The whole plan had a huge weak point. The moment the kids appeared at the next round of the tournament, the orphanage would be in danger. We needed extra protection during the lapse of time between the kid¡¯s fight and the moment we could use the proof of Kellaren¡¯s crimes. Risha had friends in the army who could double as bodyguards for a reasonable price, but I wasn¡¯t sure it would be enough. When Corin appeared in the orphanage by midday, I sent her back to the Great Hall with a message for Prince Adrien.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Just as Risha had said, there was no better moment to collect favors.

    Hours passed, and our plans started to take form.

    After years of preparing events and presentations for school, I knew that things always moved slower than anticipated, but with the help of Captain Kiln, Sir Janus, and the other members of the orphanage, it seemed we would meet the deadline. I fed [Awareness] and put my mind to work. Elincia was locked in her room, studying Vedras¡¯ alchemy manuscripts and searching for anything useful. Risha was in the army camp, convincing his comrades to cause a stir outside Kellaren¡¯s manor. Astrid was looking over the kids, as her Corruption left her out of the operation.

    Hours passed with none of us moving from the long table in the ballroom.

    ¡°This is perfect, but did you have to tell her?¡± Janus grunted as he leaned over the blueprint. The more we worked and the more tired we got, the more hostile Janus and Captain Kiln were to each other.

    ¡°I can hear you, Janus,¡± Captain Kiln replied, but the man ignored her.

    ¡°We are conspiring against the Marquis, Robert. Forgive me if I question your mental sanity, but it doesn¡¯t seem wise to me to tell his right hand,¡± Janus pointed out despite we were hours deep in the plan and had already discussed a dozen different illicit actions.

    Janus had a point, though. I only decided to trust Captain Kiln due to my gut feeling.

    Before I could reply, Captain Kiln spoke. ¡°Do you think I want Farcrest under the Osgirian domain? My ancestors fought tooth and nail to reclaim the valley. I have bled for this city.¡±

    Janus sighed again; his cynical attitude clashed with Izabeka¡¯s honorable personality. ¡°So, only one patrol in the western wall. What do you think?¡± He said.

    ¡°You can probably do it in three blinks if Risha¡¯s diversion works. A crowd of twenty could be enough to obfuscate the senses of a Sentinel,¡± Captain Kiln replied, pointing at a section of the outer wall. ¡°Or you can take them down.¡±

    Despite not getting along at the minimum, Izabeka and Janus worked like clockwork.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want casualties. Too hard to clean,¡± Janus replied.

    ¡°Plans never go as planned,¡± Captain Kiln pointed out.

    ¡°Then you haven¡¯t seen an Imperial Knight in action,¡± Janus said as he put a small flag on the western wall of the manor. ¡°With my blink and Rob¡¯s illusions, it will be enough to outsmart the guards. And no, you are not coming. A small team will be difficult to detect.¡±

    Captain Kiln nodded and leaned back in her chair as she massaged her eyes.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the Marquis is under the bed sheets with the Osgirians,¡± she sighed.

    Janus laughed.

    ¡°That is politics for you, but if that makes you feel better, we are not conspiring directly against the Marquis but bringing down an asshole who wants to kidnap the Aias kid,¡± he said, stretching his back. After many hours of work, we deserved a short rest. ¡°Just pushing a troublemaker out of our turf, like we have done before.¡±

    ¡°You two have done this before?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Bandits, in the aftermath of the Forest Warden Monster Surge, but Farcrest used to be a lot smaller then. It¡¯s funny to think we went from fighting highwaymen to driving out a ducal family that might kill us all with a flick of the wrist¡± Janus added.

    Janus¡¯ sense of ¡®funny¡¯ was twisted, to say the least.

    ¡°I prefer fighting highwaymen, even a Forest Warden,¡± Captain Kiln whined.

    I nodded in silence, remembering Farcrest¡¯s history. The Forest Warden had almost destroyed the city when Captain Kiln was barely a teenager, but she had defeated the monster alone in the end. I stretched my back, and looked at the old ceiling, wondering how many stories Farcrest had.

    ¡°Do all Monster Surges have a powerful monster behind them?¡± I asked, rubbing my eyes. We had been planning the heist all morning non-stop, only taking breaks when the kids tried to peek into the ballroom through the windows.

    ¡°Not always. Some Monster Surges are only a wave of displaced monsters without a leader, and the big monster never comes near the city. Those are the funny ones. Lots of free experience for troops,¡± Captain Kiln replied, reclining in her seat. ¡°The Sentinels try to keep a buffer zone in between the Farlands and the inner valley, so not every displacement of monsters turns into a Monster Surge.¡±

    As she spoke, the door opened, and Corin entered the room. In less than a second, my mind shifted back into work mode. The girl closed the door and approached the table.

    ¡°Is the Prince going to lend us guards?¡± I jumped to my feet.

    The basis of my petition was weak, but I hadn¡¯t time to come up with something better. I asked for extra security, claiming there were shady people prowling near the manor, and hoping the Prince had a couple of idle hands. Corin¡¯s smile told me she had succeeded.

    ¡°Prince Adrien sent a Fortifier and two soldiers. They are already outside,¡± she said, proud of herself.

    I excused myself and exited the ballroom, not that Janus and Izabeka needed me to continue. I opened the front door and found a man dressed in gilded armor accompanied by two soldiers of lesser rank. His right arm was missing. I recognized him instantly. He was the high-level Fortifier who had brought Firana the Aias Sword and stopped my fight with Kellaren.

    ¡°Captain Garibal,¡± I greeted him.

    ¡°Robert Clarke, it¡¯s been a while,¡± he replied.

    I didn¡¯t expect him to remember me.

    ¡°Prince Adrien told me about your stalker problem. It¡¯s not strange considering your team¡¯s performance in the tournament when a rising star appears; everyone wants a piece,¡± Captain Garibal said.

    I silently thanked Corin for making this happen. In most cases, the way a message was delivered was even more important than the message itself. She had a great future as a Courier.

    ¡°Thanks for coming, Captain, even if it might be nothing,¡± I replied. I didn¡¯t expect Prince Adrien to send a high-rank Fortifier to guard the orphanage. My mana blades couldn¡¯t even scratch his barriers, and I was aiming for the kill with Kellaren.

    Captain Garibal raised an eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t play it down, Robert Clarke. Prince Adrien told me about your importance for the royalist cause, and he has a good eye for people.¡±

    I nodded and gave Captain Garibal and the royal soldiers a quick tour of the orphanage. After assessing the situation, the man told me one of the soldiers would watch the front along with Captain Kiln¡¯s guardsman, and the other would remain in the backyard near the grove. The three will rotate shifts so there would always be two of them around. Captain Garibal introduced me to the soldiers; one of them was a Sentinel, the other a Fencer, both in the high 30¡¯s. As much as I disliked having strange people around the manor, Captain Garibal struck me as an honest man the moment he put a foot in the orphanage.

    Two veteran Guardsmen, two royal soldiers, Risha and his army friends, Astrid and Elincia with shotguns¡ªit sounded like a great security body.

    ¡°Sir, someone is coming,¡± the Sentinel announced.

    We turned around just as three carts with their tall cargo haphazardly loaded on top appeared around the corner and stopped in front of the orphanage. It seemed like a circus had arrived in town, but less colorful. I was at a loss for words and I thought that maybe Nasiah had decided to start using the orphanage as a warehouse. Chests, furniture, bags, crates, and food sacks. [Awareness] told me that the cargo only lacked a tent to be a circus. I looked for crests or banners but I couldn¡¯t pinpoint the origin of the caravan or its purpose.

    Lady Lyra Jorn jumped down from the third cart and crossed the battered iron fence, followed by her bodyguard, a tall, blond man with a pale expressionless face dressed in all black. The girl stood before me and smiled.

    ¡°I heard you had a stalker problem, so I came immediately,¡± Lyra said.

    Captain Garibal and I remained in a slight shock.

    ¡°I-I know it¡¯s not much, but any wrongdoer would think twice before getting in the way of the Jorn family,¡± she added.

    I opened my mouth, but no words came out. The carts parked outside the manor, and a small army of servants started unpacking into the front yard. Captain Garibal and his soldiers respectfully moved to the side as the pile of crates and bags grew above their heads.

    ¡°Might I ask how many people are coming with you?¡± I finally asked.

    ¡°Just me,¡± Lyra said with an even wider, enthusiastic smile. ¡°These are just my travel essentials.¡±

 144 - No regrets

    Lady Jorn put her hands on her hips and looked over my shoulder. Her eyes examined the orphanage at the speed of light, absorbing even the slightest details. I noticed her eyes stopping over the shattered shingles from that time I shot my shotgun to drive away Raudhan Kiln and his ¡°henchmen¡±, but she remained silent. Her [Awareness] was feeding her all the small details of the manor¡¯s facade; the peeling paint, the worn out shutters, and the water stained corners. Whether she had a strong opinion about the state of the manor, she didn¡¯t mention it.

    ¡°Lady Jorn, what a pleasant surprise!¡± I said, forcing a smile.

    ¡°Just Lyra, please. I¡¯m a Scholar first and the daughter of a duke second,¡± she replied with an awkward bow, her dark hair falling like a messy cascade over her face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed people put their rank before their Class, yes.¡±

    Sending her away, however, wasn¡¯t a possibility despite having Izabeka and Janus conspiring to commit crime in my backroom.

    The Jorn servants unloaded Lyra¡¯s luggage in the front yard, and a small mountain of suitcases, crates, and bags rose to the point Captain Garibal was dwarfed beside it. The Fortifier greeted Lady Jorn with a deep bow and seized the moment to retreat to the sidelines before getting buried. I glanced at the ever growing pile. If this baggage train was Lyra¡¯s essentials, I didn¡¯t want to know how much else she had left behind in the Jorn domain.

    The sound of the movement must¡¯ve alerted the little ones because they peeked out by the side of the manor and entered the front yard. Astrid and Loki appeared at the end of the line, both surveying the newcomers with the same animalesque distrust. Just as the little ones glanced at Lyra, the girl examined them back.

    ¡°Did you get us another sister?¡± Shu asked, using her small wings to propel herself forward to avoid falling behind the group. When did she learn that trick?

    I must¡¯ve been too busy with the older ones during the last three months to notice.

    ¡°This is Lady Lyra Jorn, the daughter of Duke Jorn. She will be living with us for a season, so I want all of you to be respectful. She will be your new teacher,¡± I said.

    The kids looked at Lyra as if she were an exotic zoo animal. The Jorn Dukedom must have sounded like another planet for a group of kids who had never left Farcrest. Their attention, however, landed on the fact that they were going to have a new teacher. The little ones joined heads and whispered in silence.  Ash massaged his temples in frustration, and I could only imagine what they were discussing. After a moment of deliberation, Shu came forward and took a deep breath, puffing her chest.

    ¡°We decided we have enough teachers already, but she seems nice so she can live with us nonetheless,¡± Shu said, acting like the spokeswoman of the group despite being the fourth in age after Ash and the twins.

    Captain Garibal and the royal soldiers covered their smiles.

    ¡°What do you mean you have enough teachers?¡± I asked.

    Shu crossed her arms and squinted her eyes, letting me know she was in full business mode. "Miss Elincia is teaching us to write and read, Mister Risha is teaching us camping and survival, and Ginz is teaching us crafts. Our playing time has been severely reduced, so we can¡¯t fit another teacher into the current schedule right now.¡±

    I stifled a laugh. Of course the kids weren¡¯t used to the usual hours long school days most kids back on Earth were required to endure. Kids in Farcrest weren¡¯t required to do much until they were fifteen and acquired their classes, unlike in medieval times, where apprenticeships started when kids were around ten or twelve. At least Shu¡¯s communicative skills had improved since I arrived at the orphanage.

    ¡°I guess I have been going overboard with lessons,¡± I said. Back on Earth, schools doubled as a care service so parents could go to work in peace, which wasn¡¯t the case for us. ¡°Will it be okay if we replace some of Ginz and Risha¡¯s classes with Miss Lyra¡¯s?¡±

    The kids joined heads again, and Lyra gave me a confused look. After another minute of deliberation, Shu stepped forward.

    ¡°What would Miss Lyra teach?¡±

    That was a great question. Lyra was the only one who had received a formal education, and I wanted her to pass on some of those skills to the kids. Oratory and research skills would be useful to ¡®cultivate¡¯ their classes whether they become combatants or crafters. Scholars were the support of the support classes, after all, and I didn¡¯t mind the kids having some of those skills to help themselves and others.

    I scratched my chin. Oratory classes could be a barren subject for a group of small kids, so we better hide it behind a more interesting topic. I thought about what topics could benefit a group of children from the countryside the most. My plan was to help them turn into successful adults despite their Class, and in this world, successful adults tended to rub shoulders with the upper classes. The answer was kinda obvious.

    Lyra was the most cosmopolitan member of the orphanage.

    ¡°Miss Lyra will teach you stories from around the kingdom,¡± I said. ¡°It will be like the bedtime story hour, but in the mornings.¡±

    Shu gave me a suspicious glance. ¡°Just stories?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she will tell you stories and teach you how to tell them yourself,¡± I explained.

    The kids were surprisingly eloquent already, even the snake twins when they weren¡¯t busy talking potato-language, but there was always room for improvement. In the end, the credibility of a message depended more on the way it was communicated than the veracity of the content. It was a somewhat sad reality, but the form was as important as the content.

    After another round of deliberation, the kids concluded they were okay with a storytime lesson.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she too young to be a teacher, though?¡± Shu pointed out.

    My first impulse was to intervene, but I stopped myself. I wanted to see Lyra¡¯s reaction to a kid¡¯s verbal slip. If she was to impart lessons at the orphanage, I wanted to see first hand what her pedagogic approach was. My only benchmark for Imperial Library Scholars was Holst and I would rather avoid exposing the kids to high levels of stress in the classroom.

    ¡°I¡¯m old enough,¡± Lyra replied, her overly enthusiastic manners suddenly replaced by a solemn demeanor. ¡°My name is Lyra Jorn, I¡¯m a Lv.28 Scholar, educated in the Spire of Hjorlund and the Imperial Library. I¡¯m glad to meet you all, and I hope we can have fun together.¡±

    The kids greeted back, but their attention was quickly drawn by Lyra¡¯s luggage. It surprised me how tactful Lyra was with the kids. Astrid greeted the newcomers with a slight nod and followed the kids around the orphanage.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be more Holsty,¡± I jokingly said.

    Lyra looked away in a failed attempt to hide her awkwardness.

    ¡°I worked as a Guardian at the communal nursery before going to the Imperial Library. I was the youngest one ever and I was very good,¡± she said, defensively.

    I wondered how many people disregarded Lyra¡¯s ideas because of her age.

    ¡°Age has little to do with competence,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Right?!¡± Lyra¡¯s face seemed to light up.

    ¡°But experience is the best teacher,¡± I added.

    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, to learn from a more experienced Scholar, and get that experience myself,¡± Lyra replied with a wide smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m not that old,¡± I pointed out, feeling I had to slow down Lyra¡¯s expectations.

    ¡°And I¡¯m not that young,¡± she replied.

    As we sorted Lyra¡¯s belongings, she told me about her life in the Jorn Dukedom. Things weren¡¯t that different from Farcrest. Both settlements were next to the Farlands and protected by a mountain range in the north. The main difference was that the monster fauna in the Jorn Domain used the mountain and its extensive cave systems as their habitat and hideout. Monster raids were a common occurrence in the Stone City of Hjorlund, the main Jorn settlement carved in the slope of a mountain, so kids were raised in nurseries deep into the heart of the city, not by their parents but by Guardians.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    I wondered if the harsh environment determined the cold and silent demeanor I¡¯d detected in Duke Jorn and his team. We continued talking as the servants carried the luggage into the sleeping quarters. Life in the Jorn Dukedom was harsh but unlike the rest of the Jorn family, Lyra had chosen the Scholar life as a way of looking for ways to improve life in her family¡¯s domain.

    I guided Lyra to the sleeping quarters and picked a room between Ginz¡¯s and Astrid¡¯s, by the end of the corridor. The manor couldn¡¯t match the level of accommodations she had in Hjorlund or the Imperial Library, but I didn¡¯t detect even a hint of displeasure in Lyra¡¯s face.

    ¡°So, when do we start? I have many things I want to ask you. I have been working on some sketches I want you to see. You wouldn¡¯t believe it, but I¡¯ve been dreaming about the illusions you showed during the feast since then. The mix of mechanical and magical parts your craftsmen use is very clever.¡± Lyra said as she explored her new bedroom.

    ¡°I want to remind you I will not share the weapons of my country,¡± I said.

    ¡°Of course, of course, I wouldn¡¯t think of demanding the military secrets of your kingdom,¡± Lyra quickly replied, a bit embarrassed. ¡°My father doesn¡¯t agree with me, but I believe the problems of Jorn Dukedom can¡¯t be solved with brute force. Do you think we can adapt a flying machine for a single person to operate? If we are able to relay more complex messages in shorter time frames, we could use our strength more efficiently.¡±

    Lyra¡¯s brain worked faster than her tongue could put her thoughts into words, but as a fellow Scholar, I found it more endearing than annoying.

    ¡°We¡­ well, Ginz is currently working on plumbing. I would like you to assist him until the end of the tournament. Then, we will have more time to follow a line of investigation suited for your goals,¡± I said, making a mental note to keep the gunsmith part of Ginz¡¯s work hidden for the moment. Lyra was smart enough to realize the mechanisms on her own, but I hoped I had enough time to convince her that guns would bring as many problems as relief against monsters.

    ¡°I am in your care, then,¡± Lyra said, taking a deep breath and putting a saddle on her thoughts.

    ¡°For now, sort your things and get used to the pace of the orphanage, ok? Then, you can ask any of the kids to guide you to Ginz¡¯s workshop. Astrid might appear a bit surly, but she¡¯s a good girl,¡± I said, walking to the door. ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t let Ginz drag you into any strange projects. If you feel something is going to explode in the workshop, just run away. He¡¯s been leveling up a lot lately, and his mind is a bit¡­ clouded.¡±

    Lyra nodded eagerly. Crafters leveling up at a constant rate meant an environment rich in innovation and ideas, perfect for a Scholar to develop. I stopped in the doorway and watched Lyra pull out piles over piles of books from the suitcases, wondering why the Imperial Library had expelled her without an explanation. Her talent might threaten a Scholar in a high position, or her research might have struck a nerve with the established canon. Academy was a hyper-competitive environment back on Earth, and I was sure it was the same case here.

    I made another mental note to learn more from her time at the Imperial Library. if she was comfortable speaking about that.

    ¡°Lyra?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master Clarke?¡±

    ¡°Try to stay inside the manor¡¯s grounds until we deal with the stalker problem,¡± I said, as I wanted to keep Lyra away from the crossfire of our conflict against Kellaren.

    ¡°No one will dare put a finger on the orphanage as long as House Jorn breathes, plus Sir Garibal is kinda famous. Criminals will think thrice before attempting anything,¡± Lyra replied.

    I closed the door before me and walked out of the sleeping quarters. I rubbed my temples, thinking of a way of hiding the multitude of small enchanted items around the orphanage from Lyra. I leaned over the window, making peace with the fact all my secrets were on life support. The older kids were meditating in the backyard, guided by Ilya. There were only two days until the fight against the Osgirians, and other than focusing and resting, there was little else to do. Zaon seemed to detect my presence with his skills because he opened an eye and waved at me.

    I waved back, proud of them. Lord Herran¡¯s words came back to me. There¡¯s always a piece of the father in the son, even if they are not related by blood.

    ¡°No wonder why he gets all the girls, that sweet-talker,¡± I blushed in silence. His approval of my parenting-teaching methods had hit me on a soft nerve.

    I returned to the ballroom, where Captain Kiln and Sir Janus were polishing the details of the heist. At least they hadn¡¯t started a brawl. Even if they represented the polar opposites of Farcrest nobility, they both wanted the best for their hometown. Unfortunately for Kellaren, he wasn¡¯t part of their plans for the future of the city.

    Janus raised his head.

    ¡°Do you have visitors? I sensed two high-level individuals,¡± he asked, fiddling nervously with a small red marker.

    I understood his reaction. Nobody could find out about our plans. ¡°That should be Captain Garibal and Lyra¡¯s escort, probably. Lyra Jorn will be doing an apprenticeship with me for the next year, so she will be staying at the orphanage,¡± I explained.

    Janus raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°The second daughter of Duke Jorn?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Our plan better work, because I don¡¯t want to anger him,¡± I said.

    Captain Kiln and Sir Janus agreed. We continued examining Kellaren¡¯s manor layout, discussing the different scenarios we could find ourselves in. I showcased my [Minor Illusion], projecting doors, walls, and bookshelves. The more mana I put in the skill, the better resolution the illusion had. However, there was a limit. An overcharged illusion ¡®reeked¡¯ of mana, according to Sir Janus. To fool a Sentinel one had to find the sweet spot between visual definition and mana economy. Janus made me cast the spell a hundred times, calculating the perfect amount of mana required to fool his detection skills. Luckily for us, Janus¡¯ Basic Class was Sentinel, so we could test my illusions against the actual detection skills. Time had passed since I was on the receiving end of a difficult lesson, and Janus wasn¡¯t the gentlest instructor. Not that I expected anything else with everything on the line.

    The sun was setting when Sir Janus finally approved my illusions, my mana pool was running low, and I felt an annoying tug around the speck of Corruption on my chest. I closed my eyes and focused on the Fountain, plucking a few strands to replenish my reserves. The bright white mana slowly acquired a blue hue as it settled into my pool.

    Shortly after, Risha returned from his trip to the army¡¯s camp with good news. He had pulled some strings and cashed out a couple of favors, so a small group of soldiers would protest Kellaren¡¯s connection with the Aias Mercenaries outside the manor. Additionally, Risha convinced his closest army friends to stand guard for us, hiding in the building across the orphanage.

    As my abuelita used to say: sometimes, a million loyal friends are better than a million dollars. She also said you can always ask each one for a dollar later.

    ¡°When you have saved the life of everyone at least once, you have a lot of leverage,¡± Risha grinned.

    We were discussing Risha¡¯s distraction when Elincia entered the ballroom, carrying a tray with sandwiches.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to,¡± Captain Kiln said with a hungry smile.

    Elincia sighed and dropped in the chair next to me. ¡°Even the mighty captain of the Guard needs food to function.¡±

    Everyone grabbed a bite except Janus. I wasn¡¯t hungry either, but I forced myself to eat. We were standing on the razor¡¯s edge, and the mood in the room was gloomy. Our plan was good, and the timing of the tournament was perfect. Janus had experience getting into places undetected from his time with the late Prince Ragna, and I had the perfect skill set for the job. However, I had everything to lose.

    Elincia put two satchels of potions on the table.

    ¡°Health, Stamina, and Mana, three of each. You can tell them apart by the color of the cork. Blue, Red, and Green. The high-grade ones have three knots, and the low-grade ones have only one,¡± she said. ¡°Memorize the layout in case you can¡¯t use your eyes.¡±

    The color coding was obviously wrong, but I kept it to myself. I didn¡¯t feel like joking.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day,¡± Janus said. ¡°If anything changes, or your mole finds something useful, let me know. I¡¯ll be in the Great Hall acting like a regular Imperial Knight.¡±

    ¡°I also have to return. Can¡¯t leave Tauron alone with half of the upper crust plotting around,¡± Captain Kiln said.

    We rolled the manor¡¯s layout and cleared any traces of our plans. I escorted Janus and Izabeka to the entrance, where they exchanged pleasantries with Sir Garibal before leaving on foot. It seemed everyone above a certain level knew each other. Captain Kiln was a Lv.51 Knight, and Sir Janus wasn¡¯t far from breaking the fifties barrier himself.

    Farcrest suffered monster attacks regularly, yet there were only three people who broke level fifty: Captain Kiln, the Marquis, and Chieftain Alton. At first I thought level caps were a smart safeguard by the System to avoid super-high levels wreaking havoc among low levels, but now I wondered if it had more to do with the System¡¯s capacity to function properly. More high levels meant more mana usage, and more mana usage meant more chances to create Corruption.

    I returned to the sleeping quarters, wondering what made Izabeka, the Marquis, and Chieftain Alton different from the rest. The manor was in complete silence. I opened the door of the little ones¡¯ bedroom just to find them sleeping. Astrid was sitting in the corner, the storybook hanging from her languid hand. She must¡¯ve fallen asleep first because she had a blanket over her shoulders.

    Loki opened his eyes and gave me a deep, admonishing ¡®woof¡¯.

    I raised my hands in defeat and closed the door. A sudden feeling of discomfort got a hold on me. My brain knew from a logical standpoint, that I had to keep the kids safe. That was what adults, teachers, and good people were supposed to do. However, I felt a deeper drive that had little to do with logic and more with instinct.

    There was yet another solution to our problems with Kellaren: murder. Without Kellaren, Firana did not have enough grip to keep the mercenary company going. Without an experienced commander, the new mercenary recruits would disband. And without enough manpower, the Aias Mercenaries were as well as useless to the Osgirians.

    I walked back to my bedroom, nursing dark thoughts, but I didn¡¯t want to become a cold-blooded murderer. I wanted to be someone the kids could look up to.

    The bedroom was in complete darkness. The washed-away colors of my [Night Vision] made it seem almost like a dream. Elincia was waiting for me, lying on the bed, her nightgown highlighting her hips and legs. Suddenly, my heart felt lighter. The elves from Vedras¡¯ retinue couldn''t hold a candle to her. I didn¡¯t know if it was the faint freckles, the dark circles around her eyes, or that untamed gleam that sometimes shone behind her eyes, but there was something that put her light years apart.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Elincia asked as I sat on the bed by her side.

    ¡°Your freckles,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Why do Scholars have to be so detail-oriented?¡± She smiled, grabbing my hand and putting it over her heart. Her pulse was accelerated.

    Was she scared?

    ¡°I know it will be dangerous but¡ª¡±

    Elincia put her hand on my mouth and pushed me down on the bed. Then, she climbed on me and brought her face close to mine, her silver hair forming a curtain around us. There was nothing else in my world other than Elincia. My heart accelerated. It wasn¡¯t her legs against my sides, the nightgown sticking to her figure, or even her warm body pinning me down against the bed, but her emerald gaze. I wasn¡¯t before the caretaker but the wild spirit that yearned for the forest and the rivers on the other side of the mountains.

    ¡°Yes. I know it will be dangerous. That¡¯s why, even if it¡¯s on a whim, I don''t want to have any regrets,¡± she whispered.

 145 - Operation Weasel

    ¡°Focus, Caretaker,¡± Janus grunted, his voice muffled under a dark cloth.

    We were lying on the rooftop of a big, old house that occupied the entire block, covered by an old chimney occupied by a family of swifts. Across the street, Kellaren¡¯s manor rose like a lone peak among the stacked houses of the Western District. The houses seemed to fuse together over the dark alleys, turned into an amalgamation of add-ons and renovations. The tallest buildings reached four or five floors, and some even had roof gardens with gnarled grape vines. Unlike the Northern District, the Western District flourished with tidy streets and taverns with clear new windows.

    The wind brought the distant sounds of the tournament, and I wondered if the kids were already fighting. The semi finals would only host two official fights plus a handful of exhibition matches between eliminated teams and the usual show of elemental magicians, which meant we had little time until Kellaren and his guard returned to the manor. I fixed a black cloth over my mouth with a hood down to my eyes. Breaking into a house during the day instead of the middle night felt strange. Not that Sentinel skills cared about the presence or absence of light.

    I spied over the roof ridge. Risha¡¯s group meandered across the alleys like a pack of wolves ready for the hunt. They were as rowdy as I imagined them, every single soldier covered from head to foot in old rags just like Janus and me. We had a minute until Risha started banging on the gates of Kellaren¡¯s manor. I checked on my pockets. Everything was in place.

    ¡°It¡¯s starting.¡±

    Down on the cobbled street, Risha and the soldiers emerged from the alleys like undead from the mist and kicked the main gate, alerting the guards. More than twenty men and women surrounded the entrance, yelling for Kellaren and banging on the metal fence. Risha had more than enough strength to take down the iron gates, but the fact he didn¡¯t topple them spoke volumes about the control over his muscles.

    A dozen guards jogged down the drive with their pikes in the front, but neither Risha¡¯s men nor the guards dared to cross the barrier separating them.

    I interlocked my forearm with Janus, and we blinked.

    The rooftop I was lying on disappeared, and the ¡®down¡¯ direction suddenly changed. An instant later, we were standing at the base of the manor wall. My stomach churned, and my legs took an instant to realize I was standing and not lying prone anymore. Without warning, Janus blinked again. The world turned into a gray mesh of shapes, and we appeared in the meadow between the outer wall and the manor, a little further away from the library window than I expected. I had no time to look around, and when I opened my eyes again, I was inside a dusty library.

    Janus fell to his knees with a pained expression, making the old floor planks creak loudly. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as the sound echoed against the walls. The second blink had been too short, or Corin¡¯s layout was slightly off. We exchange a silent glance, waiting for the guards to open the door to check on the sound. My stomach wasn¡¯t doing me any favors after the blink. I hid my presence just like Janus had taught me and counted to a hundred. No alarm rang inside the manor. No sound of footsteps rapidly climbing to the second floor. No hail from the guards.

    Janus nodded, and we slowly moved through the old bookshelves towards the door. It was unlocked. Janus peered outside, using a small mirror and opened the door. As expected, the corridor of the officer¡¯s dormitories was deserted. Any guards not with Kellaren at the tournament must have been in the Great Hall. The rest must be busy with Risha¡¯s diversion. Even if there was a late riser, the minutes we waited in the library would be enough for them to run downstairs.

    We crossed the corridor, our footsteps muffled by the rug and reached Kellaren¡¯s chambers without bumping into anyone. I channeled my mana and projected a copy of the wall on our backs. An oblivious observer would see a regular piece of corridor. Janus knelt and took out his lockpicks. The door was locked by a sturdy metal padlock. He struggled against the lock for a minute until he gave up.

    ¡°It¡¯s enchanted,¡± Janus whispered. ¡°I need a distraction. I¡¯m going to pop it.¡±

    ¡°Below us is the treasury,¡± I whispered back, activating my mana sense and peeking into the runes. I let [Awareness] take a picture.

    ¡°We are not going through this door with the lock intact. The spell works like a Fortifier¡¯s barrier and prevents me from blinking inside,¡± Janus replied.

    Treasury guards wouldn¡¯t leave their posts even with Risha¡¯s group causing a scene. Any suspicious sound over their heads would alert them, and I wasn¡¯t sure I could disguise the sound of a breaking lock. Janus gave me a pressing glance, we were against time.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to count to three,¡± Janus whispered, wrapping the cloak around the padlock and pulling his knife. ¡°One¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait, no,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Two,¡± Janus channeled his black mana.

    I channeled mine.

    ¡°Three.¡±

    The sound of a muffled catfight covered the clank of metal against metal. We stayed still, straining our ears to hear even the furthest step. My heart hammered against my chest, and I could only hear the blood rushing through my ears. After a moment, Janus nodded and we entered Kellaren¡¯s chambers. The room was a hexagonal study, richly furnished with windows on three sides and a door that led to Kellaren¡¯s bedroom. The curtains were open, so I used a second instance of [Minor Illusion] to project a picture of the empty room in case someone looked inside.

    Janus signaled me to use less mana. Maintaining two instances of the skill using a precise amount of mana was challenging but not impossible. Curiously enough, projecting a stadium with twenty two soccer players and a ball counted like a single [Minor Illusion], but a piece of corridor and a window didn¡¯t.

    I examined the room using my mana sense and I found no traps, not magical at least. Janus¡¯ skills told him the same because a moment later, he started digging in the desk drawers. I stood still, forcing my mind to focus on the illusions. If I used too little mana, the skill would fail, but if I used too much, the Sentinels would detect it.

    ¡°Kellaren is preparing a legal process against you over Firana¡¯s guardianship,¡± Janus whispered as his eyes rapidly swept across the document.

    I crossed the room, my [Light Footed] trait helping me avoid the cracking boards. The documents looked official, with the signet of the Aias Family and everything. [Awareness] helped me give them a quick read. Kellaren requested the Marquis appoint him as Firana''s legal guardian in the absence of any other close family until she had the age and experience to lead the family. He appealed to the family tradition and the ties to Farcrest nobility to hold up the vows of loyalty made by Garel Aias, Firana¡¯s father.

    Despite the fact we were expecting Kellaren to use the Marquis influence to get Firana, I didn¡¯t expect a legal process. He never struck me as the legal type, and the orphanage had equally good arguments for Firana¡¯s guardianship. Elincia had been the one housing and feeding Firana despite Kellaren having a manor with servants in the city. Not to mention that Firana was technically an adult.

    Sir Janus went through the room almost with robotic precision, scanning a bundle of documents for only a few seconds before jumping to the next. The minutes passed like seconds. By now, Risha¡¯s forces outside undoubtedly had two options: become more hostile or fall back before Osgirian troops appeared. Either way we were running low on time. Janus crossed the vestibule and entered Kellaren¡¯s bedroom while I stood behind in the study; the less I moved, the easier it was to maintain both illusions. Corin had told us the important documents were on the small coffer under the nightstand.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Your mole is the best spy I¡¯ve ever heard of,¡± Janus whispered as he pulled a small coffer made of black metal from the space under the nightstand. ¡°You should introduce me to him.¡±

    ¡°My mole is only loyal to the Aias Family,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Shame.¡±

    I examined Kellaren¡¯s nightstand and found no trace of mana. Luckily, the coffer had no enchanted padlock. There was no way I could maintain three perfect illusions at the same time so another auditory distraction was out of question. Janus pulled his lockpick set and tinkered with the keyhole.

    ¡°How curious, it¡¯s already open,¡± he said, opening the lid.

    ¡°Wait¡ª¡±

    A loud explosion blasted forth from the coffer, leaving my ears ringing. My illusions wavered. Janus suppressed a howl of pain. Blood stained the rug as he held his wounded hand. Before I could identify the damage, he pulled a high-rank potion from the satchel, drank half of it, and poured the rest directly into the wound. I recognized the acrid smell of the explosive as one of the ingredients for Ginz¡¯s ammo. None of us could detect the trap because it wasn¡¯t magical.

    Several pairs of boots climbed the staircase.

    Before I could react, Janus grabbed the contents of the coffer and blinked away.

    I was alone.

    The metallic taste of fear covered my mouth as the sound of heavy boots and the commands of a captain filled the corridor. I had less than a second to come up with a plan. I opened the gates of my mana pool and fed [Awareness]. Time seemed to stop. The soldiers spread through the corridor as I pulled out the invisibility potion. I swallowed it in a single gulp. A part of my brain told me it tasted like marshmallows, but the sensation got lost in the sea of information I was processing. [Awareness] agreed with Sir Janus¡¯ directive; bloodshed had to be avoided at all cost.

    I let the window illusion fall and focused all my mana on the illusion of the chamber¡¯s door. The Invisibility Potion¡¯s mana swirled through my body, and a moment later, my limbs disappeared into thin air. A part of my brain told me it wasn¡¯t normal for limbs to disappear, but I ignored it. I needed to be quick. I dropped the illusion of the door and threw Kellaren¡¯s desk through the window.

    The guards swarmed the room, rushing the shattered window and looked down into the backyard.

    ¡°They are still inside, you idiots! I can feel them!¡± A Sentinel yelled, but I had already moved past the guards and into the corridor.

    Tendrils of mana crawled outside Kellaren¡¯s chambers, probing the surfaces and searching for the invisible intruder. The staircase was blocked, so I retreated to the library. I hadn''t noticed but the windows were barred. Not that I would trust [Light Footed] to survive a fall from a high second story. The tendrils of mana touched the door frame behind me.

    It was time for Plan C.

    I put my hand in my satchel and pulled out a rat.

    ¡°I need your help, pal. Look into my memories,¡± I whispered, hoping my invisibility wouldn¡¯t prevent Loki from acting his magic.

    Loki squeaked in protest, despite we had already discussed the plan.

    ¡°Come on. You already copied the Lich, didn¡¯t you? This can¡¯t be worse.¡±

    Loki squeaked again, this time more angrily. His body turned into a swirl of darkness and the next moment, standing before me, there was Lord Osgiria in the formal evening suit he wore during the feast. The copy was perfect to the last detail, the texture of his clothes, the oppressive aura, and the gesture of detached displeasure. Even after a quick examination with my mana sense, I couldn¡¯t find the difference with a real person. To notice the runes flowing through Loki¡¯s body, I had to dive deeper using my [Mana Mastery].

    ¡°I¡¯ll be glued to your heels,¡± I whispered. ¡°If you get discovered, turn into a rat and run away.¡±

    ¡°Damn beast!¡± Loki replied with Lord Victor Osgiria¡¯s voice.

    The sound of footsteps stopped.

    Loki slammed the door open and crossed the corridor flaunting his elegant black cloak. The guards froze, and the mana tendrils of the Sentinel retreated. Without skipping a beat, Loki stared down at the Sentinel until the man lowered his head. The other guards imitated him, terror in their faces. Lord Osgiria¡¯s presence was hard to withstand.

    ¡°How picturesque. It seems to me that even our Scribes would be on a better footing than you,¡± Loki said, mishmashing the lines Lord Osgiria had used during the feast.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir,¡± the Sentinel mumbled without raising his head.

    The corridor fell in complete silence.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a country that encourages its citizens to neglect their Class to pursue recreational training,¡± Loki sighed, and the disdain in his voice sent a shiver down my spine.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m very sorry, My Lord. We will get them,¡± the Sentinel stuttered as he stepped back. ¡°Move, you filthy rats! The intruder can¡¯t be far away!¡±

    The guards scattered, searching behind every door but maintaining a respectful distance from Loki.

    ¡°Damn beast,¡± Loki massaged his temples.

    The Sentinel bowed repeatedly before running downstairs with a detachment of guards. My heart hammered as cold sweat covered my invisible body. Only the cardio training of the last months separated me from cardiac arrest. The adrenaline rushing through my veins urged me to run, but my rational mind told me to stay behind Loki.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t ask questions,¡± I said to myself.

    Loki was smart, but for some reason, couldn¡¯t produce sentences of its own and even the copied ones seemed to follow certain rules.

    The Changeling walked downstairs at a leisurely pace and crossed the vestibule, glaring at anyone who dared come near. Loki opened the front door, crossed the terrace, and went around the fountain into the gravel path. No one dared to come nearby. Risha¡¯s group was still bashing against the fence, despite we were well past the expected deadline. The guards poked with their spears through the metal bars, and several soldiers had superficial wounds.

    ¡°Lord Osgiria!¡± a man by Risha¡¯s side yelled.

    The bashing suddenly stopped, and the soldiers'' expressions turned into fear and then panic. Those who a moment earlier threatened to ransack the manor unless their wages were refunded, stepped away from the gates. It only took one of Risha¡¯s companions to turn his back on the manor and run away for the formation to dissolve.

    Loki continued walking as the guards hailed Lord Osgiria.

    Only Risha and a handful of loyal soldiers remained behind. Their faces were covered by pieces of cloth, but their eyes were full of fear. I cursed Risha¡¯s loyalty. An open fight would destroy our disguise.

    ¡°Run away, you fool. Run away, you fool. Run away, you fool,¡± I whispered under my breath like a litany.

    Despite his mortal paleness, Risha remained stalwart. Kellaren¡¯s guards laughed as Risha¡¯s soldiers quivered like newborn puppies under the gaze of Loki. If Risha¡¯s loyalty got us killed, I was going to haunt him even in the afterlife.

    ¡°Damn beast!¡± Loki yelled, pushing the gates open and Kellaren¡¯s guards echoed his insult.

    For an instant, I thought Risha was going to pull a knife. However, in the last moment, his eyes shone with realization, and he fled into the maze of alleys.

    ¡°Should we chase, sir?¡± The guard asked.

    Loki kept going forward despite the questions from the Kellaren¡¯s mercenaries. As soon as I set foot on the street, my instinct won, and I ran behind Risha. I continued running through the maze of alleys until the adrenaline washed away and my legs faltered. I sat between a puddle of stinking water and a rotten wooden crate, panting.

    A moment later, Loki landed, or rather bounced against the cobbled path having adopted the shape of a fat condor he had used to attack Dassyra. Loki flapped his wings to regain balance and sat by my side while glaring at me. Without even cursing me out, he turned into a mouse and fell asleep. I tried to grab him, but my hands were shaking. I took a moment to compose myself before putting the Changeling back into my pouch.

    ¡°Thanks pal,¡± I said, trying to ease my breath.

    The distant roar of the crowd reached my ears. There was no turning back.

 146 - Scholar behavior

    Sitting in the dark alley, the sound of water dripping from the gutter banged on my hyper-sensitive ears. A distant cart rattling against the cobblestone, horse hooves hitting the ground, townsmen chatting and yelling. No sign of armed guards. I took a deep breath but [Awareness] came back to life with every small sound near me, searching for the slightest sign of trouble to the point even the scratch of a rat¡¯s paws against a dilapidated crate across the alley was enough to startle me.

    It wasn¡¯t time to stay put. I needed to meet Janus and prepare the last details for Kellaren¡¯s entrapment. We were working against time. With each passing second the chances of retribution increased and the threatening letter hung menacing over the orphanage.

    [Awareness] caught the sound of armor approaching, so I left the alley and headed to the Northern District, always hiding my presence. Whether it was a Guardsman or Kellaren¡¯s sellsword, I wasn¡¯t staying to find out. The lack of a quicker reaction from Kellaren¡¯s forces was proof of the confusion Loki had created.

    ¡°Calm down, Rob. They have no leads,¡± I muttered to myself.

    Kellaren mercenaries had no leads other than the fact Lord Osgiria left the manor on foot. They will eventually realize about the missing records, but they have no clues to tie the incident to the orphanage. I grinned and silently thanked the Changeling for saving my life yet again.

    I left the embrace of the alleys and headed to the Dizzy Wolf. No one turned to see me walk through the dilapidated streets other than a few street vendors trying to get rid of their overpriced junk. I reached the tavern and entered. Most of the usuals must¡¯ve been in the arena, because the place was almost empty. The old owner glanced at me from behind the battered counter, cleaning an already spotless glass.

    ¡°My companion rented a private room, he must be waiting for me,¡± I greeted him, my voice coming out more confident than I expected. My hands still trembled in the aftermath of the adrenaline rush.

    The innkeeper gave me a quick glance and I felt his scrutinizing eyes over me. I held my breath. After a moment, he concluded I was good enough for his establishment despite my dark, shabby clothes, and gave me a courteous nod.

    ¡°You should be a Mister¡­¡± he left the question floating.

    ¡°Underhill,¡± I replied.

    He raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Of course, Mister Underhill. This way, please. Lunch is already served. If you need something else to drink, ring the bell and one of my boys will come shortly,¡± the old man walked around the counter and guided me through a door in the back of the tavern.

    The door led to a short dark corridor with five doors. He pointed at the first on the left and returned to the main room. As soon as I entered the corridor, the muffled voices inside the room stopped. I opened the door and found Janus sitting at a small table with a middle-aged man. Janus contact, I guessed. Three plates of soup steamed before them, filling the room with the soothing smell of homemade stew.

    Janus signaled me to close the door. Then, he opened his hand, and his companion, a slender man with thick glasses and dressed in a plain tunic, deposited a silver coin in it. It seemed Captain Kiln wasn¡¯t the only compulsive gambler in the city.

    I closed the door behind me.

    ¡°Told you,¡± Janus said, examining the silver coin.

    Nothing in his demeanor revealed the fact he had abandoned me behind enemy lines not an hour earlier.

    ¡°How much does he know?¡± I asked as I sat at the table.

    ¡°He¡¯s trustworthy. Hates foreign nobles, loves Farcrest, and I¡¯ve been working with him for more than a decade. I also know his not-so-legal affairs with the Alchemists Guild accounting,¡± Janus said, putting his plate aside without even touching it. ¡°No need for introductions. The less you know about each other, the better.¡±

    Glasses gave me a quick nod and focused on his meal. When Janus told me about his contact during the planning phase, I expected it to be someone more shady. The man before me looked like a plain and boring middle-aged accountant with a perfectly forgettable face.

    I grabbed the spoon. As the excitement of the escape faded, annoyance started winning over me. It wasn¡¯t anger yet, but it was very damn close. I glanced at Janus across the table, expecting an apologetic gesture but the only thing I got was a wall of indifference.

    ¡°You could¡¯ve taken two seconds to grab me before blinking away. I barely got out of the manor alive,¡± I said with an accusatory tone.

    ¡°And I told you I would prioritize the mission over your safety,¡± he replied, pulling his left glove and showing his hand.

    The tip of his pinky was gone and tender scar tissue covered most of his ring finger. Elincia¡¯s high-rank potion must have saved him from losing that one as well. Even after the restoration, the signs of the original damage remained there. Janus put his glove back. Luckily for us, Ebros¡¯ forensics weren¡¯t advanced enough to use the blood left in the crime scene to tie Janus to the heist.

    ¡°Pain hinders the ability to cast skills, and I couldn¡¯t risk us getting caught,¡± Janus said, putting the stack of documents over the table.

    I raised my hands in surrender. For Firana¡¯s sake, completing the mission had priority and deep inside I knew I would¡¯ve done the same. I looked at the thick bundle of documents and a smile appeared on my face. We had the upper hand now.

    Glasses put his plate away, grabbed his suitcase and pulled out a pile of clean paper among other writing tools I didn¡¯t recognize. From a different pocket, he pulled ink and quill. Janus helped drag one of the lateral tables so Glasses had more space to work. Then, he pulled a glass cup from his cloak and put it upside down over the table. Suddenly, I felt as if my ears were clogged, like I was underwater and all sounds came muffled and distorted.

    Prince Adrien had used a similar gadget during our conversation in the VIP box.

    ¡°You never know who¡¯s listening,¡± Janus said despite the fact nothing tied us to the crime scene. ¡°Shall we start?¡±

    Glasses nodded, his face trapped in a permanent public-servant bored expression. ¡°How many copies do you need?¡±

    ¡°Hopefully, just one,¡± Janus replied.

    Glasses rubbed his nose bridge, where his heavy glasses set on his nose, suspecting what Janus was going to do with the copies. Then, he dipped the quill on the small ink container, channeled mana into the paper. With machine-like precision, he started copying Kellaren¡¯s ledger.

    ¡°Any Scribe or mid-level Merchant will be able to tell it is a perfect copy of the original. Kellaren will know we have the real deal and we can distribute it,¡± Janus said, noticing my curious glance.

    The creator of the System must¡¯ve been a huge nerd if he had considered notarized copies when he designed the Classes.

    ¡°But we aren¡¯t going to share the copies, right?¡± I resumed the conversation we had the day prior.

    I was of the opinion that the copies should be shared with the people investigating Kellaren¡¯s crimes but Janus had other ideas.

    ¡°The teacher loves slow and unreliable bureaucracy. Who would''ve guessed?¡± Janus said with a mocking grin. ¡°Listen and learn. We send a copy to Kellaren and threaten him with sending copies to Prince Adrien, the ducal faction, and everyone in between. Izabeka will tell the Marquis she had a breakthrough in the investigation, so he will cut ties with Kellaren too. Then, the rat will find itself cornered and will leave Farcrest to save his skin. Before the end of the day he will be gone. As easy as it gets.¡±

    Glasses continued working in silence.

    ¡°That¡¯s your plan? Let Kellaren leave without a punishment? He soiled the Aias name, and unless he¡¯s found guilty through legal means, Firana¡¯s reputation will be permanently tarnished,¡± I said.

    Cleaning Firana¡¯s name meant eliminating any hostilities against her from royal soldiers, and I wanted her to start her adult life in the best standing possible.

    ¡°I told you this already, Caretaker. Legal battles can get long and ugly and my plan is safer. Kellaren will lose everything he had been working on for the past decade. It doesn¡¯t get better than that,¡± Janus shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him. If he tries anything reckless I¡¯ll intervene, but mark my words; he will be gone by the end of the day to never set foot near Farcrest again.¡±

    I nodded, knowing I had little to hold onto. Janus was right. Kellaren had no winning hand anymore, and our connection to the robbery was nonexistent so I doubted he would seek retaliation against us. The pile of documents over the table was the dagger that severed the connection between Kellaren and the Osgirians. Lord Osgiria wouldn¡¯t risk employing a known criminal who stole from the royal family itself and angering Prince Adrien. Without Kellaren in the picture, the Osgirian influence in the area would decrease, the Aias Mercenaries would disband and the Marquis would have no use for Firana anymore.

    ¡°How did you get out, anyway? There were at least fifty guards around the perimeter,¡± Janus asked after a long silence.

    ¡°Vedras¡¯ Invisibility Potion and a bit of luck,¡± I lied. As much as Janus had helped the orphanage, there were things it was better to keep under curtains.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Luck is a strange skill,¡± Janus pondered, scratching his hirsute beard.

    Glasses finished the first copy. Other than the color of the paper and the worn out edges, there was no difference with the original. A faint mana signature glowed in between the paper fibers, and I assumed it was the seal of authenticity Janus had talked about before. Glasses reassured me the mana signature couldn¡¯t be traced back to him and Janus put the copy inside an envelope. An evil smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°Will it work?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Kellaren will be gone before nightfall,¡± Janus replied. ¡°Trust me.¡±

    _________

    There was nothing left to do but weather the storm, Kellaren had played his cards and we played ours and now we had to wait for the outcome. Whether he fulfilled his threats or fled the city was to be seen. I changed my clothes at the Dizzy Wolf for a more casual set and returned to the orphanage. Captain Garibal was sitting on a stool, guarding the front door. By his side there was a small table with a steaming kettle and a wooden cup. The sun was still high in the sky but a chilling wind fell from the mountains.

    ¡°How did the negotiations go?¡± Captain Garibal greeted me as I opened the battered iron gate.

    ¡°It was a hard nut to crack, but I managed to secure a good potion distribution deal for the spring season,¡± I replied with a smile. My alibi was simple. I was at Nasiah¡¯s shop negotiating an anti-vermin potion deal.

    Captain Garibal gave me a confused look. He wasn¡¯t used to my sayings.

    ¡°Nuts aren¡¯t that hard to crack,¡± he said, sipping from the teacup.

    ¡°They are for us Scholars. Minimal strength growth, you know?¡± I replied, opening the front door.

    The one-armed Fortifier shrugged his shoulders and entered the orphanage. As soon as I closed the door behind me, I felt a wave of relief. Risha¡¯s involvement with the heist seemed to remain unknown. There wasn¡¯t a sign of Odrac-Aias mercenaries around the orphanage. I entered the sleeping quarters and stumbled against Risha¡¯s muscular body. I rubbed my nose and took a step back.

    ¡°Dude, don¡¯t block the doorways. People are in a hurry,¡± I grunted as my eyes teared up. I felt as if I had hit a wall.

    ¡°You madman. You walked out through the front door!¡± Risha patted my shoulder and I felt my skeleton rattling under my skin. A moment later, however, his cheerful demeanor suddenly changed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you blink away with Janus?¡±

    ¡°There were complications,¡± I replied, walking around him and heading to my bedroom.

    Inside, I dug into my wardrobe and pulled out my fencing uniform. Even if the fight against the Osgirians had finished, I wanted to be there with the kids in case Kellaren tried to retaliate. I tried to convince myself that Kellaren had no way of knowing we were the ones responsible for the robbery, but [Awareness] didn¡¯t stop feeding me potential flaws to our plans.

    Risha followed me into my bedroom.

    ¡°Janus ditched you!¡± he said, a deep growl emerging from the depths of his throat.

    ¡°He told me the risks beforehand. The chest was trapped and he had to flee with the documents,¡± I replied.

    ¡°So, we won?¡± Risha sat on the bed, making the planks creak.

    I put on the fencing jacket and grabbed an old rapier with the hilt ¡®embellished¡¯ by Ginz.

    ¡°We have the documents. We¡¯ll see what we can achieve with them,¡± I replied, walking back to the doorway. ¡°Watch after the orphanage. I will go to the Great Hall to check on Elincia and the kids.¡±

    Risha winked and I left the orphanage knowing I was leaving the little ones in capable hands. The streets of the Northern District were empty but I followed the same path as the carriage in case Elincia and the kids were already on their way back. I didn¡¯t bump into them. The market was as crowded as ever but the mass of people walked up the street towards the Great Hall instead of stopping at the stores.

    Behind the black hulk of rock that was the Great Hall, a swarm of fireworks lit the cloudy sky and I knew the fights had already ended. The guards recognized me and guided me through the inner wall, across the front yard, and up the stairs. Stationed by the gardens, our skeeth-drawn carriage awaited. Elincia and the kids were still inside. I quickened my pace.

    Captain Kiln was waiting in the vestibule. Our eyes met and she let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°I figured you would arrive soon,¡± she greeted me and dismissed both the guards and the tournament aides that approached me. Then, she leaned over my ear and whispered. ¡°Everything is in motion. I already informed Tauron about a breakthrough in the investigation, so he must drop Kellaren sooner than later.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Where are the kids?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Safe. In a post-match gathering, invited by Prince Adrien,¡± Izabeka gave me an impish glance. ¡°If everything goes well, your greatest concern will be Glopfinger trying to marry Firana. I mean, he¡¯s probably making his moves right now.¡±

    A shiver ran down my spine and any trace of fatigue disappeared from my body.

    ¡°What are you waiting for! Get me to the party!¡± I said.

    Izabeka put her heavy arm over my shoulders and dragged me across the vestibule, up the stairs, and into a wide balcony of white guardrails and vigorous vines climbing over the walls. It was the same balcony where I saw Janus fight Lord Tirno at my arrival at Farcrest, but the city¡¯s nobility had been replaced with the jet set of the kingdom and the Great Hall¡¯s gardens with the tournament arena. I couldn¡¯t help but feel underdressed for the occasion despite several nobles dressed in practical military garments.

    My eyes fell on Firana. She wore a sleeveless lemon-green dress with silver embroidery and long white gloves to the elbow. Surprisingly enough, the color fitted her. Where did she get it from? It wasn¡¯t Captain Kiln¡¯s. Firana was talking with a little kid, not much older than Shu, but as soon as she saw me, her face lit up, crossed the room in a swirl, and leaped over me.

    ¡°I won! I mean, we won! But I won!¡± Firana said, squeezing me.

    A warm feeling filled my chest.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t surprise me, to be honest,¡± I hugged her back for a brief moment before pulling her away. After achieving her last title, Firana¡¯s mana pool had drastically increased. As happy as I was, I couldn¡¯t help being a bit concerned about her powers.

    ¡°Am I your favorite student now?¡± Firana grinned with a winning smile.

    Of course she was going to ask.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a favorite student, Firana. My job is to make all of you learn as much as you can, whether it is difficult or not,¡± I said with my best teacher¡¯s voice and she seemed to deflate. ¡°That said, I have enjoyed being your teacher very much.¡±

    Firana gave me a quick hug, ignoring the glances of the nobles. The little boy she had been talking to before my arrival examined me. For some reason, his eyes were filled with anger, or so [Awareness] informed me. A moment later, the little boy¡¯s butler guided him towards a small group of nobles dressed in bright outfits.

    ¡°Who''s your friend?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Lord Glopfinger. He¡¯s serious about the marriage stuff,¡± Firana sighed. ¡°I already told him I would be going to the Imperial Academy for the next three years. He said he would wait for me. I hope he doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Want me to scare him away?¡± I asked.

    Before Firana could reply, Ilya approached us. She wore a simple pastel pink dress with a cloak in the same tone over her head, and golden stoles on her shoulders. Despite her height, she didn¡¯t look childish but like a petite lady. I noticed she seemed a bit uncomfortable in the strange outfit.

    I channeled years of fatherly advice in a single sentence.

    ¡°That dress suits you,¡± I greeted her.

    Firana jumped between us.

    ¡°What about mine!?¡±

    ¡°You also look very cute,¡± I sighed.

    ¡°I know,¡± Firana replied, full of herself.

    Ilya massaged her temples but the shadow of a smile appeared on her face.

    ¡°Any suitors I have to drive off?¡± I asked, the results of the tournament getting buried in the back of my mind as I focused on the girls. I wondered if that¡¯s how it was to be a father of a teenage girl.

    Ilya rolled her eyes. ¡°Thankfully, no one wants to marry me. Half of the lords of the frontier invited me to join their ranger brigades, though.¡±

    ¡°Any offer that tempted you?¡± I said. Ilya had demonstrated she was too valuable to be drafted into the army, which was a supreme victory for the orphanage.

    ¡°I would rather protect the frontier here in Farcrest. I can keep things safe while Firana goes to the Imperial Academy,¡± Ilya shrugged.

    ¡°Oh, come on! We are going together,¡± Firana replied.

    ¡°Who says I want to go to the Imperial Academy?¡± Ilya said defiantly.

    My teacher¡¯s senses tingled and I knew something had happened during the match.

    ¡°You are dumb if you rather be a Sentinel over an Imperial Knight,¡± Firana countered. ¡°You¡¯ll be as famous as Sir Janus, and you will not have to obey any nobleman other than the King itself.¡±

    I was about to interrupt them when the glass door opened and a messenger dressed with the Aias Crest entered the room. Nobody seemed to pay the messenger any attention, but my heart skipped a beat. Among the Osgirian nobles, Kellaren emerged to meet the man who handed him an envelope. Ilya¡¯s rant died in my ears as my whole attention fell upon the scene. Kellaren seemed mad with the messenger interrupting the party but as soon as he opened the envelope and read the first pages, his face turned into a pale mask of fear. Kellaren put the papers back into the envelope, without caring to maintain them straight, and without bidding farewell, he abandoned the balcony in a rush.

    I exchanged a knowing look with Captain Kiln. That was the face of a man running for his life. We had the winning hand.

    I looked back at my girls and the urge to squeeze them in a hug almost got me.

    ¡°We will discuss your future later. But I think we have enough room to choose freely,¡± I said, patting Ilya¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The Imperial Academy will be lucky to have you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a gnome,¡± she replied.

    Zaon and Wolf were chatting with the other noble kids, but unlike Firana and Ilya in their exquisite attire, they were dressed in their fencing uniforms. I recognized Lord Herran¡¯s sons and daughters among the group. Kaeli Herran elbowed Zaon¡¯s shoulder while Belya Nara showed her geodes to anyone with a slight interest in geology. Occasionally, a low rank noble approached the kids to exchange pleasantries and, probably, a job offer.

    I made a mental note to keep the kids away from politics until they reached level twenty, at least. What they had in potential, they lacked in experience. Just as I said to Lyra, proficiency was important but experience was king, and I didn¡¯t want the kids to burn down so early in their lives. For now, I let them rub shoulders with the kids their age so I sent Ilya and Firana to watch over Zaon and Wolf.

    Things were going so well I felt scared.

    ¡°Kellaren got the documents,¡± Izabeka whispered as the girls left me alone. ¡°Did you tell Elincia? She¡¯s over there.¡±

    Near the corner, Elincia talked with Lord Vedras and his companion, the blonde elf called Halessia, his Master of Assassins. Both Lord Vedras and Halessia were dressed in matching green and silver attires, and their closeness made me think there was something else between them. My brain wasn¡¯t in a position to start making assumptions because my attention was quickly drawn to Elincia. Despite having seen her in the morning, I didn¡¯t realize how much I missed her.

    It had been a long day.

    Captain Kiln and I crossed the balcony but when I met Elincia¡¯s eyes, her face turned a deep red hue noticeable even under her blue veil. A stream of the scandalous memories of the night before filled my brain and I felt my blood rushing to my ears. We looked away, too embarrassed to maintain eye contact, a detail Captain Kiln¡¯s [Awareness] didn¡¯t overlook.

    ¡°No way you took so long,¡± Izabeka sighed, her voice painfully disappointed. She put her arm around my neck and squeezed. ¡°...usual Scholar behavior¡±

 147 - Small-time mathematician

    Chapter 147

    Nokti and Virdian stood on top of a chair, pressing their snouts against the kitchen windows. Breakfast had just finished, and the little ones had the morning free of lessons, so they were scattered around the orphanage. However, the snake twins refrained from joining the other kids in their games. Instead, they remained intensely focused on the backyard. Outside, Risha worked the ground and despite his pace, the twins exchanged a worried glance.

    ¡°Should we stitch a blanket?¡± Virdian asked in a whisper.

    Nokti¡¯s tail lay lifeless in her hand, away from the cold floor planks.

    ¡°For a blanket to work, you have to warm it yourself.¡±

    ¡°Should we sleep in the field then? Under the blanket?¡±

    I ate my gruel in silence as they argued about the health of the future potato farm. My motto was not to interrupt a student while they were thinking. Too many teachers expected instant answers when the best approach was to give them time to think and polish their ideas. The conversation between the twins, however, degenerated into a vicious circle of doubt and unanswered questions to the point they started to panic. At least their logic was sound. The colder the days were, the worse it would be for the crops, and spring refused to peek out.

    In fact, the days seemed to grow colder.

    I closed my eyes and focused on the environmental mana thinking that maybe someone might be using a subtle area spell. No matter how much I focused, the mana currents around the orphanage remained normal. ¡®Normal¡¯. Elincia was in her room crafting potions, Ginz was using some kind of fire-elemental spell, Firana was probably walking on the walls of the sleeping quarters, and Risha was using a self-buffing skill that surrounded his body.

    The feeling of the Lich¡¯s area spell was still too vivid in my memory, and I didn¡¯t detect anything similar. If someone was tinkering with Farcrest¡¯s weather, I would certainly notice. His evil presence was too distinct, too powerful to forget.

    When I opened my eyes, I found the snake twins hugging Lyra tightly. She wasn¡¯t much taller or stronger than them, so between the two she was completely immobilized. It was a strange sight. Lyra¡¯s elegant dark dress contrasted against the kids'' patchwork coats, yet none of the three seemed to notice.

    ¡°So you are telling us the potatoes will be okay?¡± Nokti asked.

    ¡°Yeah, in the worst case, we will delay the season, but the crop will grow healthy in the end. No winter can last forever,¡± Lyra said, with her usual matter-of-fact tone while fighting to push air out of her lungs. Then, she was about to proceed with a technical explanation about plant growth, but the kids squeezed her slender frame even harder, preventing her from uttering a word.

    I gave Lyra the thumbs up, and she replied with an uncomfortable smile.

    That was the kind of life I wanted. I wanted to worry about potato farms, patching leaks on the roof, and taking Elincia on dates. It seemed I was getting what I desired. Kellaren had left town and the remnants of his so-called Aias Mercenaries were in disarray. Izabeka had informed me that most of the sellswords were looking for work in the royal army or in the city guard while others just left town, looking for greener pastures. A heavy burden fell from my shoulders, maybe the biggest one to date. The orphanage was safe, Firana was safe, we had Prince Adrien¡¯s patronage, and we were somewhat famous among the lower echelons of the kingdom and Farcrest commoners.

    I glanced at the pile of letters on top of the kitchen counter. Since the match against the Osgirians, the amount of mail had grown exponentially and there wasn¡¯t a single baronet or viscount who hadn¡¯t invited one or several of the kids to their courts. Some of the offers were really good. There was a second pile beside the letters. Eggs, hams, cabbages, grain. The commoners had also started to make donations to the orphanage in hopes to enroll their kids in whatever we were doing.

    As useful as the donations were, I didn¡¯t forget that they hadn¡¯t helped when the orphanage needed it the most, and neither did Elincia. The commoners wanted to ingratiate themselves just because we were useful now, but we couldn¡¯t refuse the food with Risha and Astrid eating like they were going to hibernate any day now. In the end, we told the commoners that Lowell¡¯s Orphanage would open its doors during summer.

    Elincia was excited about resuming Mister Lowell¡¯s dream of educating the kids of Farcrest, but we needed to make preparations for that to happen. First, I wanted to put our resources into making life at the orphanage as easy as possible. Before that, we had to prepare for the last round of the tournament.

    Nokti and Virdian freed Lyra from their embrace and ran outside the manor to oversee Risha¡¯s work. In their words, everything had to be perfect for the ¡®greatest yield ever¡¯. I finished my breakfast and exited the kitchen with a smile on my face. It was time to do something I had been thinking about for a long time: cheese the System and get the kids some titles.

    ¡°Why so happy, Master Clarke?¡± Lyra asked as she caught up to me.

    ¡°Is there a reason not to be happy?¡± I replied, and Lyra instantly opened her mouth. ¡°Please don¡¯t answer. It was a figure of speech.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    The girl followed me across the orphanage, sketchbook in hand as always, waiting like a vulture for an idea to slip through my lips. Despite trying to appear more mature, she was as excited as the snake siblings were about potatoes. There was no reason not to give her a treat. I channeled my mana and projected a small lathe. I heard Lyra¡¯s charcoal pencil scratching against the paper behind me. Then, I cast a milling machine, a drill press, and a band saw. It wasn¡¯t hard to maintain four different illusions as long as they weren¡¯t perfect.

    ¡°I want to upgrade Ginz¡¯s workshop with tools to maximize the precision and efficiency of his Skills,¡± I explained. ¡°It might be a small delay, but they will allow us to produce new designs more easily. I only know the basics about these machines, so your first task will be to produce working prototypes.¡±

    Lyra scratched her chin with a thoughtful expression as she examined the illusions.

    ¡°I know Tinkerers at the Imperial Library are all about automation, but how are we going to power them up? I don¡¯t see us non-combatants exerting enough force to make them work manually, and the orphanage isn¡¯t near a river,¡± Lyra asked as she gave her sketch the finishing touches.

    ¡°Enchantments,¡± I replied. ¡°We will power them up with magic.¡±

    ¡°That will be expensive,¡± Lyra cut me. ¡°You might already know this, Master Clarke, but an enchantment with the strength to cut metal has to be exponentially more powerful than a Warm Blanket or a Light Stone. I¡¯m talking about a thousand gold coins more expensive, and we might need several for each machine.¡±

    I already expected that only the wealthiest families could afford high-level enchantments, but I couldn¡¯t reveal my Runeweaver class just yet.

    ¡°Then we try to use the minimum of enchantments and a lot of smart mechanical solutions,¡± I said, ¡°In my homeland, most machines are ultimately driven by a steam engine, for example. I already showed you one of those, and Ginz has a few more sketches.¡±

    Lyra would eventually realize I could make enchanted items, but before then, I wanted to turn her into one of us. As naive as Lyra seemed, I could see she was raised to conform to Jorn¡¯s principles of loyalty toward the community. Life in the Jorn dukedom had to be really harsh if the individuals were ready to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the community.

    Lyra was only seventeen years old, but she had traveled half the kingdom to assist the Imperial Library and help her hometown. I couldn¡¯t help but admire her determination. At seventeen, I was worried about partying and hanging out with my friends. It was hard not to trust her.

    We continued towards the ballroom.

    ¡°Lyra, I want you to join us today,¡± I said, changing the topic to a more pressing matter.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not a great fencer, Master Clarke,¡± Lyra replied. ¡°Really.¡±

    I could swear I saw flashbacks of Duke Jorn¡¯s private lessons in Lyra¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t going to spar today. We are going to prepare for the finals against the Imperial Cadets,¡± I said. ¡°Also, call me Rob.¡±

    Lyra gave me a quizzical look, but I couldn¡¯t tell her I intended to cheese the System without risking a four-hour-long discussion about its infallibility and the dichotomies of skills and levels. I pushed the ornate double doors and entered the ballroom. The kids were already doing laps and joint mobility exercises around the perimeter of the room. They stopped as soon as they saw us and formed up in the middle of the room.

    ¡°Good morning, kids. Today, we will prepare for the match against the Imperial Cadets,¡± I greeted them. ¡°We have seen what they are capable of, so to beat them, we will have to resort to our ability with the longsword, the Skills you have gathered along the way, and your innate capabilities. If we use all our resources, I¡¯m sure we can win.¡±

    Months ago, the kids would¡¯ve resisted the idea of winning against Imperial Cadets, but now, they were completely on board with my judgment.

    ¡°So¡­ Clarke Family¡¯s secret techniques when?¡± Firana asked.

    Ilya rolled her eyes but remained silent.

    ¡°Unfortunately, there will be no secret techniques, but Lyra will be joining us today as a student, so please don¡¯t be too harsh with her,¡± I said.

    The news caught them off guard.

    ¡°But you said¡ª¡± Lyra mumbled in panic.

    ¡°As we know, Lyra already is a very competent Scholar, so I will ask her not to answer any questions unless prompted,¡± I continued. ¡°Is that okay, Lyra?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, I guess I can do that,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± I clapped my hands. ¡°Welcome to Arithmetic 101. In this course, I will teach you how to solve everyday problems using basic math. Now, everyone, please grab a waxed tablet from the wardrobe and sit down. ¡±

    The kids exchanged confused glances but ultimately obeyed. Firana started doodling even before I voiced the first problem.

    ¡°How is this going to help us defeat the cadets?¡± Lyra raised her hand.

    The others seemed to have the same question because they put down their tablets and focused on my answer.

    ¡°Imperial Cadets are better swordfighters than us. They have more training hours and field experience, but they don¡¯t use Skills. Our best chance to mix our Skills with swordsmanship. The more skills we can use, the less the gap will be, so we need more mana,¡± I replied.

    Lyra understood instantly where I was going with the lesson.¡°They are not Scholars, though.¡±

    ¡°If they reach the level of a Novice Mathematician will they not receive the title?¡±

    It was a possibility, but I was willing to bet that the System would reward our effort and hard work. That was the essence of class cultivation. I was a Scholar, after all, but the System rewarded my training with the sword. The same happened with Elincia and her bow.

    Lyra doubted for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t know anyone who studied real math outside the Scribe, Scholar, and Sage classes. Even Merchants rely on the System to make calculations, so they don¡¯t really study. For us, reaching novice rank will take at least a year of arduous study.¡±

    ¡°Arduous? Study? Just end me already,¡± Firana winced.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    I raised my hand before she could continue.

    ¡°Despite popular belief, learning isn¡¯t that hard, Firana. You just need the right guidance, smart work, and confidence in your success,¡± I said with a reassuring smile. The kids themselves were proof of how far someone could go. ¡°Is there anything else you want to discuss?¡±

    Firana raised her hand. ¡°What about Wolf? From what I know, he doesn¡¯t have a Class or access to the System.¡±

    The kids turned their heads towards Wolf.

    ¡°I do have access to the System! My father used the System, so I inherited it,¡± he interjected before I could open my mouth. The revelation left me speechless. ¡°Orc Shamans can scrap it as long as I don¡¯t have a Class.¡±

    We all looked at Wolf as if it was the first time we saw an orc.

    ¡°What? That¡¯s how it works. How do you think you got the System?¡± He said.

    That was a great question, and Lyra almost jumped from her seat to answer.

    ¡°I assumed everyone got the System regardless of one¡¯s parents, but it makes sense now that you mention it. It is safe to assume the System appeared at some point in time, and its first users must¡¯ve made some sort of pact,¡± Lyra pointed out, pulling her sketchbook and scribbling down some ideas. I gave her a moment, but she continued writing, unfazed by our glances. After a minute, she realized we were waiting for her. ¡°Well, not that it matters right now. We should be focusing on Master Clarke¡¯s lesson.¡±

    Maybe Lyra was expelled from the Imperial Academy for derailing her Preceptor¡¯s lessons. The System was true regarding titles, and Lyra¡¯s first title was [Insufferable]. Even [Jorn Heir] came afterward. I couldn¡¯t help but envision a younger version of the girl sassing Duke Jorn and her teachers over a minor technicality of monster taxonomy.

    ¡°Anything else before we start?¡± I asked, hinting there shouldn¡¯t be more interruptions.

    Firana, of course, didn¡¯t take the hint and raised her hand. ¡°I¡¯m kinda dumb. Can I skip this lesson?¡±

    Ilya slapped her in the back of the head with a little more force than needed.

    ¡°Please, girls, we are in the classroom. Physical punishment is strictly forbidden,¡± I scolded them.

    ¡°She deserved it,¡± Ilya muttered.

    ¡°You are salty because you lost the match against the Osgirians,¡± Firana replied.

    Ilya jumped to her feet, and a grimace of annoyance appeared on her face.

    ¡°Enough, you two!¡± I stopped them before Ilya could retort. She was preparing verbal daggers. ¡°Before dinner, we were having a serious conversation, so don¡¯t make things worse for yourselves.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Firana muttered.

    I was aware of the tensions between the two girls after the last round, but I hadn¡¯t found the right moment to address them. They weren¡¯t great at talking to each other, but what fifteen-year-old was?

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get out of this one for free,¡± I said. ¡°Now, let¡¯s focus on today¡¯s lesson to kick some ass tomorrow.¡±

    If my theory was correct, the System measured the understanding of a certain topic to confer the correct title. This wasn¡¯t a matter of memorizing formulas but understanding the underlying principles. Maybe Lyra was right, and the System measured the progress of a Scholar differently, but we didn¡¯t lose anything trying. I glanced at my class. Elincia had taught them the basic arithmetic operations, so we weren¡¯t starting from zero.

    ¡°All of you know your numbers and how to add and subtract them, so none of this should be too hard with a little work,¡± I prefaced, setting my expectations at a reasonable level.

    I couldn¡¯t expect them to run before learning to walk.

    ¡°First problem. In a certain bakery, a berry cake costs two pieces of silver¡ª¡±.

    ¡°Can it be an apple cake?¡± Firana raised her hand.

    ¡°Yes, Firana. Any flavor you want,¡± I sighed.

    Why did I expect something different from the kids in this world?

    ¡°In a certain bakery, a berry tart costs two pieces of silver. Firana has one silver coin, and Ilya has one silver coin,¡± I said, casting an illusion of the girls, the money, and the cake. The effect was well received by the class. ¡°If they pool their money to buy the cake, how much cake should each one get to make things fair? Don¡¯t answer just yet.¡±

    I paused for a second, examining the kids'' faces. They got the answer almost instantly. It was pure simple logic, but it was the first step.

    ¡°Zaon?¡±

    ¡°Each one gets half of the cake,¡± he said.

    ¡°Perfect. Now, let¡¯s think of a bigger apple cake that costs three silver coins. Zaon has one silver coin, and Wolf has two. How should they divide the cake to share it according to the money spent?¡±

    This time, it took them a little longer but they answered correctly. We were up to a good start. If knowing how to calculate ratios was enough to become a [Novice Mathematician], the lesson wouldn¡¯t be long. As the lesson progressed, I presented harder combinations of coins and prices, and eventually, the kids inferred the method to answer correctly each time. They were ready for the next step.

    ¡°This is a tricky one,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s a special offer in the bakery, two cakes for the price of three pieces of silver¡ª¡±

    ¡°What a deal!¡± Firana interrupted.

    At least she was paying attention, and Ilya hadn¡¯t thrown any more slaps.

    ¡°As I was saying. Two cakes for the price of three silver. Ilya, Zaon, and Wolf have one silver each¡ª¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡± Firana said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t get any hypothetical cake until you keep quiet while others talk.¡±

    The kids giggled, and Firana sunk into her seat.

    ¡°As I was saying for the second time. Two cakes for the price of three silver. Ilya, Zaon, and Wolf have one silver each, so they pool their money to buy the cakes. How much cake should each of them get?¡±

    This time the answer didn¡¯t arrive right away. They turned to their waxed tablets and scribbled with the wooden styli. Lyra was the first to get the answer, but she refrained from voicing it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check the answers in three minutes. Don¡¯t rush it, and please don¡¯t try to just guess the answer because I¡¯ll ask for your thought process,¡± I said, walking through the ballroom and peeking through the windows while the kids worked. The little ones were causing a commotion with their games outside. ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°One more minute!¡± Firana said.

    ¡°One more minute, then,¡± I replied.

    I continued raising the difficulty level until the fractions required to solve the problems became increasingly esoteric to the untrained eye. I even added bronze coins to the mix, which at first confused the kids. However, step by step, the morning passed until they got a solid grasp of fractions, ratios, and non-integer numbers. Just to be sure, I asked a few questions in more technical language, and the kids were capable of performing the operations normally.

    None of them got any titles, so I assumed ratios and division weren¡¯t enough to grant [Novice Matematician].

    ¡°Good job, everyone. We were going to take a lunch break, but before that, I will give you the next problem so you can start thinking about it,¡± I said, and Firana shifted in her seat. ¡°Imagine that Firana and Ilya share a cake evenly in relation to the money spent. If Firana gets three-quarters of the cake, and Ilya has contributed two silver to the pool, how much did the cake cost?¡±

    The kids exchanged confused glances, but before they could start asking for clues, I spoke again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break now. You can talk to each other about the last problem if you want,¡± I said, sending them out.

    Firana darted through the ballroom door, using Aerokinesis to push herself forward. The other kids followed at a normal pace, although I noticed they were as eager to stretch their legs. Only Lyra remained behind, working on the last problem. I examined the kid¡¯s waxed tables. Firana¡¯s scribbles were as obscure as Olmec''s writing. Ilya¡¯s writing was tidy and organized. Zaon¡¯s was delicate, barely scratching the surface. Wolf, surprisingly enough, had the cutest-looking writing of the group. I made a mental note to not mention it out loud.

    Lyra put down her tablet.

    ¡°You look surprised,¡± I pointed out, and she blushed as if I had just caught her thinking something inappropriate.

    ¡°I mean, I knew Master Clarke was a good teacher with all those titles and stuff, but¡­ it took me a while to wrap my head around these concepts back at the Neskarath Spire. The kids understood everything with barely any theoretical explanation. They almost discovered the formula for themselves,¡± Lyra said, rushing her words. ¡°Again, it doesn¡¯t really surprise me but¡­ well, it might have surprised me a little bit. No insult intended.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it as a compliment,¡± I laughed, defusing the situation. ¡°The trick is to take small steps each time at first. Then, as they become more proficient, you can challenge them more and more. Keep things dynamic and challenging, but not stressful.¡±

    Lyra nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±

    An hour later, the kids returned, and we slowly started dipping our feet in the exciting world of linear equations. The little ones were playing around the orphanage, so Lyra used [Silence Dome] to create an area of silence. I made a mental note to copy the skill later. It could be really handy for doing things discreetly, like sneaking into bad guys'' dens and other things that required muffling sounds.

    I shook my head and focused on the lesson.

    The sun was getting low while the kids worked on the dreaded ¡®How many hours do two workers take to paint a fence¡¯ problem. If the System decided that wasn¡¯t enough to award the novice title, then I was giving up. The kids had the arithmetic level of a sixth or seventh grader, so there wasn¡¯t much more I could teach them with the time constraints. I closed my eyes and focused. Maybe a visual proof of Pythagoras Theorem would do the trick?

    I had to hold back the urge to feed them the solution. It would be easier, yes, but the System might not recognize the achievement as theirs. It was only a little step from the previous exercise, so I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Was the System programmed to detect this kind of shenanigans? Lyra managed to solve the problem rather quickly, but she was already a [Journeyman Mathematician].

    Minutes passed when suddenly Wolf¡¯s eyes lit up.

    ¡°That was easy,¡± he bragged, hiding his smile with a hand.

    I knew he was up to something, but I decided to wait. A minute later, Ilya put the tablet down, followed by Zaon. None of them voiced the answer, and Firana looked around, desperate to find any clue. The others, however, covered their answers with their arms.

    ¡°I give up. I feel like a gnome in a house full of high shelves,¡± Firana sighed.

    ¡°Welcome to my world,¡± Ilya grumbled.

    Firana was smart and analytical, but she used her brain best when it came to physical exercise. When it came down to thinking tasks, she gave up too quickly, even before she could draw all her potential. Part of being a good teacher was keeping students motivated throughout the year, and I know what levers and buttons worked with Firana.

    ¡°Wolf, cover Firana¡¯s ears. Zaon, you cover her eyes,¡± I said.

    ¡°Come on!¡± Firana said, but it was too late.

    Wolf was just too strong and no amount of struggling made him budge.

    ¡°You rascals got it, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked, and the masks over the kids¡¯ faces broke down.

    Zaon pulled out his Character Sheet.

    Name: Zaon, Elf (Light-footed, Keen Senses, Night Vision).

    Class: Sentinel Lv.1

    Titles: Kind Hearted, Novice Mathematician.

    Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.2, Fencing Lv.1, Sentinel¡¯s Oath, Awareness.

    Skills: Steadfast Shield, Ghost Blade, Sonar, Second Wind.

    ¡°I got the same,¡± Wolf said, although he didn¡¯t summon his sheet.

    Ilya¡¯s face was suddenly livid, and my heart skipped a beat. What could have gone wrong? It was just a title. With a movement of her hand, she turned her sheet, and I held my breath.

    Name: Ilya, Gnome.

    Class: Hunter Lv.2

    Titles: Governess¡¯s Little Helper, Giant Slayer, Small-time Mathematician.

    Passive: Mana Manipulation, Longsword Mastery Lv.1, Archery Lv.1, Tracking Lv.1.

    Skills: Piercing Arrow, Entangling Vine, Spirit Animal, Mark of the Hunt.

    Wolf burst into laughter, barely keeping Firana¡¯s ears covered as he convulsed in his seat. Zaon turned around, doing his best to remain silent, but Ilya didn¡¯t overlook his wide grin. It seemed that the System hadn¡¯t lost all its sass.

    ¡°That is strange,¡± Lyra pointed out the obvious as she furiously scribbled in her notebook.

    ¡°Strange things happen around Robert,¡± Ilya replied, not happy at all.

    Lyra raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Enough for today, everyone. Good job. You are free to go,¡± I said, and Wolf let Firana go. ¡°And as for you Firana¡­ I have a special deal. Complete the exercise, and I¡¯ll teach you the ultimate secret technique for Wind Fencers.¡±

    The other kids stalled their exit, listening in to the conversation.

    ¡°But you said there weren¡¯t secret techniques!¡± Firana countered.

    ¡°I lied, naturally,¡± I said. ¡°Do you really think I studied for two decades without learning anything about wind magic?¡±

    ¡°Give me half an hour,¡± Firana¡¯s eyes turned greedy. ¡°Dome me up, Lady Jorn!¡±

    As gullible as Firana was, at least she was motivated. Wolf, Zaon, and Ilya left us alone in the ballroom, and Lyra domed Firana so she could have a perfect environment. Outside the silence dome, I tried to mimic the skill with moderate success. Twenty-nine minutes later, per [Awareness], Firana jumped from her seat.

    ¡°Check it with your own eyes, Rob!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Mister Clarke,¡± I replied.

    Name: Firana Aias, Human (Strong, Fast).

    Class: Wind Fencer Lv.1

    Titles: Aias Heir, Gifted, Currents Seer, Novice Mathematician.

    Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.2, Fencing Lv.2, Acrobatics Lv.1.

    Skills: Aerokinesis, Windrider, Puncture, Feather Fall, Gust Blade.

    ¡°I had to go over previous exercises several times, but everything was there,¡± Firana said. It takes the two painters six hours to paint the whole fence! System be damned, but I¡¯m good at this!¡±

    Firana jumped to her feet and imitated Shu¡¯s little dance. Then she grabbed her long sword and signaled me to join her.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready for some secret techniques, teach. You wouldn¡¯t believe how much mana I have now. It would blow you away,¡± Firana said, blasting a gentle breeze in my direction.

    ¡°Alright, my dearest student,¡± I smiled. ¡°Grab a new tablet because this is Aerodynamics 101 just for you.¡±

 148 - Small problems, big problems

    Captain Kiln put a mountain of old dresses on Ginz¡¯s workbench and started sorting them. In one pile went those Izabeka owned before turning thirteen, and in the other went those who looked like circus tents. I grabbed a cute salmon evening dress from the left pile. In a single garment, there was enough fabric to make three dresses for Ilya. Even before getting her Class, Izabeka was a big kid.

    Every dress was as good as new. The pieces that weren¡¯t in mint condition showed the same wear patterns: loose fabric around the shoulders and frayed edges on the hem, almost like she had made some violent arm movements in them.

    Izabeka must¡¯ve misunderstood my expression because she got defensive.

    ¡°What? My dad hoped to marry me into nobility, so he geared me accordingly,¡± she said. ¡°Unfortunately, I was built like a hog, and his hopes finally died when I killed the Forest Warden.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t implying you were a pampered rich girl,¡± I replied.

    Izabeka rolled her eyes.

    In the meantime, Ginz selected the clothing to sew Elincia''s new dress. The old blue one, although perfect, had already been seen too many times. Izabeka had pressed the matter, and with Ginz¡¯s approval, they decided Elincia needed to renew her wardrobe. Of course, none of them asked for our blessing.

    ¡°Elincia has a nice figure, but we should avoid showing skin. Otherwise, we will have a small army of quarter-elves shitting on the floor soon enough,¡± Captain Kiln said with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°Luckily, Rob learned Silence Dome the other day, so at least any Rob-lings will come as a surprise. I hope they inherit Orcbud¡¯s brains, though,¡± Ginz replied as he examined the fabric of a green and golden dress.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up, I¡¯m kicking you to the curb, Ginz,¡± I sighed.

    Since Kellaren had abandoned the city, Izabeka was in a great mood. She usually crashed at the orphanage once a day to hang around and play cards. At first, Astrid wasn¡¯t happy, but she was getting accustomed to it.

    ¡°So, Thane Clarke, are you ready to swear fealty to the Farcrest Family?¡± Izabeka said.

    ¡°We have to win the finals first,¡± I replied, maintaining my best poker face.

    ¡°I wonder what your triumphant card will be this time. I can see in your face you have something up your sleeve,¡± Izabeka tapped on her scarred lips. ¡°It¡¯s not good for a Thane to hide things from their lord.¡±

    ¡°You hide many things from the Marquis,¡± I pointed out, throwing a small cape at her face.

    ¡°My job is to take some work off his shoulders,¡± Izabeka shrugged.

    ¡°And my job is to stitch up a dress, so please stop arguing and lend me a hand. It was your idea to play dress-up with Elincia, so you better help,¡± Ginz said.

    Begrudgingly, I started digging through the pile of dresses but didn¡¯t stick around long enough to see Ginz¡¯s progress. The finals were in the afternoon, and I had more important things to do than play assistant seamstress. I left Izabeka and Ginz alone and walked into the sleeping quarters. The kids had been working hard the past few days, so I gave them a few more hours of sleep despite it being a weekday.

    I knocked on their doors, and they came out. Everyone was already awake and dressed except for Firana. Her messy hair seemed to have been caught in a hurricane.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep last night,¡± she greeted me, closing her eyes and leaning against the wall. I thought she had fallen asleep again, but she opened her eyes a moment later and walked down the corridor like a zombie.

    Zaon and Wolf followed her, ensuring she didn¡¯t stumble into anything breakable.

    I stopped Ilya before she could follow the rest.

    ¡°We have to talk,¡± I said.

    ¡°I already apologized to Firana,¡± she replied, trying to slip away.

    Gnomes were built to scurry through small spaces, but I summoned a solid mana fence between her and the corridor¡¯s exit. Ilya tried to separate the bars, but the spell resisted her gnomish strength. With a long sigh, she gave up.

    ¡°This is borderline abuse.¡±

    ¡°For any complaints, go to Elincia.¡±

    ¡°Elincia is blinded by love,¡± Ilya said, stepping back from the mana fence and leaning against the wall, hands behind her back, eyes down the corridor. It was quite the defensive posture. It screamed, ¡®I don¡¯t want to talk.¡¯

    ¡°Elincia is too smart for that,¡± I replied warmly. ¡°Not that it matters. I¡¯m more worried about you. Something happened during the match against the Osgirians?¡±

    Ilya looked around, but there was nowhere to hide.

    ¡°You already know what happened. I lost.¡±

    Ilya¡¯s opponent was a Lv.8 Sword Dancer, yet she only ended the match down three points.

    ¡°A single defeat won''t determine your value, Ilya. You also have the best score of the team,¡± I said.

    Ilya sat down with her back against the wall and hid her face between her arms. I sat by her side, and she leaned against my shoulder. For an instant, Ilya was the tiny gnome hiding in the space between the manor and the old shed. When she raised her head, however, she seemed more pissed than sad.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about the match. It¡¯s about Firana,¡± she admitted.

    I knew what Ilya had to say, but I let her get it off her chest. I let her do the talk.

    ¡°Firana is different. Even at level one, she¡¯s way better than me, and the gap will only increase. No matter how much I work, I will never reach her,¡± Ilya said.

    The System was unfair by design, and so was life. More often than not, life forced people to play with an awful hand, and no mulligan was allowed. Some were born in wealth, others in the most abject misery. Some had a knack for numbers, business, or sports. Others were just lucky. For each success, there were dozens of failures.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be Firana,¡± I said. ¡°In fact, I would rather you stay as Ilya.¡±

    A smile tugged the edges of her mouth.

    ¡°You know what I mean.¡±

    I collected my thoughts in an instant.

    ¡°Yes. I understand. You want to have it easier. Every living human has thought about that at some point in their lives: If I were taller, richer, more handsome, or smarter, everything would be fine with my life,¡± I said. ¡°Honestly, they might be right. A thousand pieces of gold would be very handy right now, but it¡¯s just wishful thinking. You are Ilya from Farcrest, and no amount of wishing will change your situation. You might wish to be Firana, Captain Kiln, or that annoying elf from the Sentinels, but that thinking will not take you anywhere.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unfair,¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°Yes. It is, but it can¡¯t be changed. This is your dealt hand,¡± I replied.

    Ilya gave me a suspicious glance.

    ¡°You said that can¡¯t be changed, yet you are trying to change things around the orphanage. Hence, you believe it can be changed. Gotcha, Scholar.¡±

    I gave Ilya a soft bump on the shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to turn everyone into Firana¡ªGod help me if I were¡ªbut helping you to become the Ilya you want to be, a happy and accomplished Ilya,¡± I said, putting my arm around her shoulders and giving her a good shake. ¡°And, if Ilya becomes happy and accomplished, she will help the little ones also to become happy and accomplished.¡±

    Ilya rested against my side in silence.

    ¡°This is a secret, but Firana also wants to be more like you,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°I guess Firana isn¡¯t that dumb, then,¡± Ilya said, pushing my arm aside and jumping onto her feet.

    The moment passed.

    Ilya helped me get up, and we left the sleeping quarters. With only a few hours until the final match, I had no plans for lessons or training, just meditation and light exercise to prepare the kids¡¯ bodies and minds for the last test. The Imperial Cadets were stronger than anyone else, but with the kids¡¯ new titles, I knew we had a real chance of winning.

    ¡°Have you thought about your future after the tournament?¡± I asked.

    Ilya crossed her arms. ¡°I might apply for the Sentinels. That way, I will be safe from conscription. I will also meet other Hunters like me so I can get a real mentor.¡±

    ¡°Ah, very funny! You don¡¯t want to become an Imperial Knight?¡±

    The Knight title was the highest honor a commoner could achieve, and it even put them over several nobles in the kingdom¡¯s power ladder.

    ¡°I¡¯m more like Elincia. The big city is not for me, and it¡¯s not because gnomes and crowds don¡¯t get along,¡± Ilya shrugged. ¡°This is my home, and I don¡¯t want to be anywhere else.¡±

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°I hoped you would go with Firana and Zaon to the Imperial Academy if they get accepted. It would be a relief if you could look over them,¡± I said.

    Ilya stopped and frowned. ¡°You just told me I should follow my path, and now you guilt-trip me into following Firana and Zaon¡¯s steps? You can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    ¡°It¡¯s your call,¡± I said.

    ¡°It is, though?¡± Ilya snapped back.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trust in any other.¡±

    ¡°And I really, really need another mentor,¡± Ilya said, storming through the kitchen¡¯s door.

    __________

    The story about a group of local orphans getting into the finals of the Stephaniss Cup spread like wildfire. Everyone in the city and several small neighboring towns wanted to be part of history. During the last three days, the royal geomancers had expanded the arena, making it taller and wider to the point that it competed with the Great Hall. It was hard to see from inside the pavilion, but the arena seemed to overflow over the inner wall.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people out there,¡± Zaon mentioned.

    It wasn¡¯t a complaint but an observation. After three tournament rounds, he was getting accustomed to being in the spotlight. It was an advantage that we were the locals. The VIP box didn¡¯t seem as packed as in the previous rounds. The most influential nobles from the royalist faction remained there, but the ones from the ducal faction had decided to skip the match. Captain Kiln had told me they weren¡¯t happy about a bunch of commoners making it to the finals; it reflected poorly on their noble lineages.

    At least Lord Vedras seemed to be enjoying the situation. He chatted animatedly with the leaders of the Alchemists Guild despite his team being eliminated early in the tournament. I wondered if he planned to take advantage of Farcrest''s position in the new trade routes to trade the potions brewed by Mariposa¡¯s Alchemist Circle.

    The crowd cheered at the pre-match performance of the four elemental fencers, but I was barely looking at them. The group exited the arena and was replaced by a band of musicians dressed in the most flamboyant suits I¡¯ve ever seen. Nobles and commoners dressed in colorful ways, but the band took it to the next level. There wasn¡¯t a square inch that wasn¡¯t covered in sequins or small mirror pieces.

    Elincia grabbed my hand and pointed into the arena.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m finally seeing Bards play! Mister Lowell always used to talk about them,¡± she muttered, her voice overflowing with excitement.

    ¡°Are they good?¡±

    My question fell on deaf ears because the band scratched the song''s first notes. Despite the lack of amplification equipment, the sounds rang clear in my ears. But it wasn¡¯t just a song. There was magic in it. In the blink of an eye, the spell transported me to a different place. Dragons crossed the sky, beautiful and deadly dryads jumped from tree to tree with their evanescent bodies merging into the bark as if they were the same thing, and packs of hundreds of Black Wolves rushed among the trees.

    Elincia was still by my side, but everything else had disappeared. The arena, the spectators, the pavilion, and the kids were nowhere to be found. An illusion? It was too real. I could hear the sounds of the forest and feel the smell of wet earth, the warmth of the sun, and the smell of rotting fallen leaves. My heart skipped a beat when the wolves turned and ran in our direction, but before I could react, they passed through me like I was a ghost.

    ¡°Ah! You flinched,¡± Elincia mocked me.

    I poked her ribs. ¡°What are we looking at?¡±

    ¡°Just watch. It¡¯s my first time too.¡±

    The illusion transported us to a valley trapped between serrated mountain ranges I didn¡¯t recognize. A small group of humans lived in a wide, lush cave lit by green, blue, and yellow moss. The entrance was blocked with a tall palisade. It was my first time seeing such a scene, but I knew what was happening. The System kneaded my brain, and the information appeared in my conscience. I was seeing ancient, systemless humans. I understood their struggles, their nocturnal fears, and their lack of hope in a dangerous world.

    Not everything was wilderness, though. The illusion showed us orc tribes, elven outposts high in the trees, and vast harpy nests atop inaccessible mountains. Compared to the other races, humans were small rodents scurrying in the underbrush, careful not to make any noise and alert the bigger predators. We returned to the cave. In the deepest part, a circle of humans performed a magic ritual to hide the entrance. With their joint forces, they could barely move enough magic to maintain the spell. It was pitiful despite their effort. Even my Minor Illusions required more mana.

    Elincia tugged my hand and guided me through the cave. The most advanced piece of technology was a small loom. Gatherers collected the fruits of a hanging vine, while healers mixed herbs into primitive poultices. Older men and women looked over the kids while the warriors guarded the entrance. The warriors wore hardened wolf pelts and wielded stone and bone weapons, while the rest had simple tunics. The craftsmanship of the weapons was exquisite, considering the living standards. Maybe they were part of a more prominent tribe that broke up?

    The System kneaded my brain, and I knew rival tribes and monsters had wiped up the tribe. Despite the distance separating me from the events, I felt sad.

    We continued exploring, but there wasn¡¯t much else to see. There had to be twenty or thirty humans in total. In a corner of the cave, a wooden cage served as a prison for a single occupant: a chubby little man dressed in yellow rags. My heart skipped a beat. This time, I was the one dragging Elincia through the cave. In the palm of the chubby man¡¯s hand, smudged by blood and dirt, a mysterious rune shone with a faint blue gleam.

    ¡°Motherf¡ª¡±

    The Bard Song finished, and I returned to the contestant¡¯s pavilion. I looked around. Everyone seemed a bit disoriented. The crowd took a moment to recover from the experience; then they burst into applause.

    ¡°It was just like in the stories! The smells, the sensations¡­ I thought I was there,¡± Elincia laughed, squeezing my hand.

    ¡°What did we just see?¡± I asked, wondering if that was real or just an illusion created by the band.

    The Man in Yellow was there, though.

    ¡°A Bard¡¯s Song, duh,¡± Elincia mockingly said. Only a moment later did she realize her mistake. ¡°Oh, right. Sometimes I forget you are not from here. That was a Bard Song, the unique skill of Bards. What you saw was a scene from the past, just the way it happened. Bard Songs only show what happened, real events. Usually, nobles employ Bards to show the kingdom their feats and achievements, but in this case, they showed us Systemless humans.¡±

    The Bards bowed three times and left the arena.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think those were just Systemless humans. I think the System didn¡¯t even exist by then. The System Avatar was there.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Elincia said.

    The Man in Yellow had the mysterious rune engraved on his skin. Did he expect me to do the same? How did he expect me to realize I should do that? Although my experience with runes was short, I knew mishaps usually ended in explosions, and putting an unknown rune on my body wasn¡¯t high on my list of wishes. The mysterious rune had something to do with the beginning of the System; I was sure about it.

    The Master of Ceremonies'' voice interrupted my thoughts.

    ¡°Today, in this arena, the most talented youth of the kingdom will be decided! Please, give an applause to our finalist teams.¡±

    The crowd roared, and the ground trembled.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said, putting my worries aside.

    The rune will have to wait. This was a moment for the kids.

    Elincia stood behind, inside the pavilion, while I opened the march into the arena. By my side, Holst guided his team of Imperial Cadets. Their gray uniforms were unremarkable, but everyone in the arena knew their actual skill. We formed, and my eyes met Holst¡¯s.

    ¡°You proved me wrong again, Robert Clarke, but can you win the finals? My team is very motivated not to be expelled from the Imperial Academy,¡± he said.

    The Imperial Cadets remained unfazed.

    ¡°Let the kids speak for themselves,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Holst bowed.

    The aides carried the System Shrine into the arena. The opaque blue orb rested in its bronze and copper nest. No matter how much I looked into it, its depths remained dull, without a hint of the runes on its surface. The Master of Ceremonies activated the orb, and small System prompts with the kids'' names, classes, and levels appeared in front of them. The Cadets didn''t have the flashiest classes: Sentinel, Fencer, Brawler, Monk, and Illusionist. However, they had dominated the tournament.

    ¡°The Imperial Cadets have the best score, so they will go first,¡± the Master of Ceremonies said.

    That gave us a slight advantage.

    ¡°Mihli,¡± Holst said, and the harpy girl stepped forward. She had the same golden coloration as Shu, so her appearance threw me off. At least I knew adult harpies weren¡¯t as fragile as birds.

    ¡°Firana, your turn,¡± I said.

    Despite the Cadets'' future being in the line, Holst seemingly picked randomly. In less than a minute, the matchups were ready. Firana was against the Harpy Sentinel, Zaon against the Fencer, Wolf against the Monk, and Ilya against the Brawler. I didn¡¯t recall the Illusionist fighting a single match, but I wouldn¡¯t complain about easier matchups.

    We saluted and returned to the pavilion.

    ¡°Remember, Firana, the harpy probably has a level three Sword Mastery, if not higher. Try to stay away from her reach and only attack when you see an opening,¡± I grabbed Firana by the shoulders and forced her to look at me. ¡°Be careful with her spear. She will try to throw¡ª.¡±

    Firana grinned. ¡°I have mana to spare, Rob.¡±

    That was the part that worried me the most.

    Firana snuck a quick hug before skipping to the weapons rack. She picked a longsword and entered the arena. The harpy, as expected, chose a short spear and a sword. [Awareness] couldn¡¯t read her face. Despite the possibility of being expelled from the Imperial Academy, she didn¡¯t show a hint of nervousness.

    Both girls stood in the middle of the arena: Firana greeting the spectators and the harpy just standing there, tall and silent, waiting for the Master of Ceremonies to kick off the match.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hate me if you break a leg after you fall,¡± Firana said.

    ¡°Your Aerokinesis isn¡¯t strong enough to bring me down. I¡¯ve seen your fights.¡±

    Firana grinned.

    ¡°Combatants, to your positions!¡± The Master of Ceremonies yelled, and the girls retreated a few paces each. ¡°Raise your guards! Fight!¡±

    The harpy moved her wings and rose a meter off the ground. She always opened her fights with a spear throw from on high. Firana channeled her mana but let her opponent rise into the sky. When the harpy was two or three meters above the arena, Firana pulled an invisible rope.

    The harpy¡¯s face lost all color as she fell. In a panic, she moved her wings. She only managed to slow down her fall and forcibly slammed into the ground. When the dust settled, a hint of fear appeared on her face.

    ¡°You see, there¡¯s this invisible magic thing called density floating within the air. When you pull the density out of the air, you can¡¯t stay afloat,¡± Firana said, walking forward with a know-it-all grin. Then, she whistled a falling noise and a splat sound.

    The harpy jumped to her feet, but Firana was already upon her. They exchanged quick hits, but the harpy was still dizzy from the fall, and Firana pushed the spear away. With a diagonal swing, Firana shattered the first barrier.

    The crowd roared, Elincia squeezed my arm, and the kids cheered. We could do it. My heartbeat was a buzz. Being a spectator was difficult, but I could do nothing other than let the kids do their thing.

    ¡°You can do it, Firana!¡± I yelled.

    The Harpy Cadet dropped her spear and unsheathed her sword. ¡°Bring it on.¡±

    ¡°You better be ready, Chicken Wings,¡± Firana replied, raising her guard.

    Out of nowhere, a chill hit my face and a shiver ran down my spine. A pair of electric eyes appeared before me, cold with malice. I rubbed my eyes, and the image disappeared. The oppressive sensation, however, remained. I was sweating cold.

    The spectators rubbed their hands but remained focused on the combat as if nothing happened. The high-level nobles in the VIP box, however, exchanged confused glances.

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. I can feel it,¡± I muttered.

    Before Elincia could reply, the sound of bells enveloped the arena. The same bells that announced the arrival of the royal army. The crowd fell silent. Firana and the Harpy Cadet lowered their weapons and looked around. Ice clawed over the inner wall and into the arena like the hands of the undead.

    The Master of Ceremonies¡¯ voice echoed through the arena in a panic. ¡°Monster Surge!¡±

 149 - Forest Warden

    Icy tendrils invaded the arena, and the air froze to the point that it was painful to breathe. The crowd''s screams flooded my senses. Thousands fought to exit the arena through the western side. The crowd huddled together as the rime conquered ground, and the mass of people turned into a stampede that invaded the arena.

    ¡°Firana!¡± I yelled as the stampede wallowed her.

    A screech pierced my ears, and I felt my body getting numb as a sickly yellow mana surrounded me. Over my head, a flock of Undead Harpies flew in circles. I tried to move, but my vision darkened.

    ¡°Discharge mana!¡± Holst yelled across the pavilion.

    The spell constricted my mana pool, but I had magic to spare. With a blue flare, the binding spell disappeared, and my vision returned to normal. Most of the spectators were paralyzed or lay on the ground. The harpies dove into the defenseless crowd.

    Firana shot a wind gust from the tip of her sword, destabilizing the monsters and forcing them to scramble. The rime continued gaining terrain, reaching the unconscious bodies of the spectators who had fallen behind. Elincia siphoned my mana and released herself from the spell. Then, she grabbed my hand and dragged me to the weapons rack. She grabbed a bow and pointed at the harpies as mana surged through her body. The arrowhead shone bright, and like a tracer bullet, it stuck to a harpy¡¯s side. The creature screeched and turned towards us, seemingly unharmed.

    Undead Harpy Lv.12 (Corrupted).

    ¡°Damn undead,¡± Elincia said as she nocked the next arrow.

    Ilya appeared by my side and grabbed a small bow.

    A wave of Ice Wraiths soared over the inner wall into the arena. Zaon and Wolf remained paralyzed by the undead harpy spell, and so did the crowd. This was about to get ugly. I used Mana Manipulation and summoned my mana blade.

    ¡°Aim for the wing bones,¡± Holst calmly said, grabbing an arming sword and a wooden round shield. ¡°Or not.¡±

    Prince Adrien jumped down the VIP box with an old iron sword in his hand and strolled to the middle of the arena at a leisurely pace. Mana surged through his body, and the illusion surrounding the sword shattered. Where a moment earlier was an old piece of metal, now was a slender red sword with shining runes all over the blade. Energy pulsated from the weapon like it was a living being, but I had to look away and tone down my mana sense.

    ¡°Baram¡¯s Cursed Runeblade,¡± I muttered.

    Sensing the strength of the sword, Firana decided it was a good idea to move away. Energy crackled around the blade, sending red sparks and electric arcs all around the Prince. The hair on my arms stood on its ends as I watched the scene in awe. Ice Wraiths and Undead Harpies saw Prince Adrien still standing and pounced on him. They didn''t get to touch him. Prince Adrien raised the sword, and a storm of red and white lightning enshrouded the arena. The sun dimmed, the day seemed to become night, and the sword screeched.

    I tried to channel a shield spell in front of the pavilion, but my mana didn¡¯t react. Where there was a deep pool of mana inside my chest, now was a black hole. I focused. Mana Manipulation, Awareness, Minor Illusion, there was nothing there but a void as if someone had ripped the System away from my body and mind. Even Identify stopped working.

    Thunder exploded in the center of the arena, and every last trace of mana disappeared. When I opened my eyes, there was no sign of the undead monsters or the ice area spell, only Prince Adrien with the sword on high, the sleeve of his jacket torn apart, and the black tentacles of Corruption running under his skin. I blinked, unsure if my eyes were showing the truth, but the Corruption seemed to be ripped out by the sword before the Prince put it inside the sheath once again.

    [Awareness] set off all the alarms in my brain, but I ignored them. There were no monsters left, and the spell that kept the crowd paralyzed was lifted. The invasion hadn¡¯t finished yet. Undead Harpies and Ice Wraiths still soared through Farcrest¡¯s skies, and [Awareness] made me notice the distant sounds of combat. Royal soldiers entered the arena, and the Fortifiers cast a barrier around the inner wall.

    ¡°We need to return to the orphanage,¡± I said.

    ¡°A bunch of small monsters is nothing for Captain Garibal¡¯s barriers, so unless the main gates are overrun, the orphanage is safe. The most dangerous thing right now is the people,¡± Janus said, sword in hand and putrid viscera covering his arm to the elbow. He pointed his sword toward the exits where Guardsmen were helping the victims of the stampede.

    Where had he come from? I assumed he had blinked in.

    The orphanage was far from helpless. Thanks to the ¡®stalker¡¯ situation, we had two veteran Guardsmen, Captain Garibal, and a royal soldier watching over the manor. There was also Loki, Astrid, and Risha. I hoped Loki was awake. I knew Janus was right, but a part of me wanted to keep everyone together so I could look over them. Zaon and Wolf were vulnerable against the Harpy''s paralyzing screech, so it could be dangerous to take them to the streets. The Great Hall was the safest place for them at the moment.

    ¡°Go help the guardsmen, kids. If there is anyone gravely wounded, use this,¡± Elincia said, handing them her potion pouch.

    The kids nodded and Ilya guided them out of the pavilion. Over our heads, a flock of undead harpies gnawed on the Fortifier¡¯s barrier, but after a moment, they decided it was an impenetrable obstacle and flew away. The nobles in the VIP box were unfazed by the scene.

    Captain Kiln finished giving orders to a group of guardsmen and entered the pavilion.

    ¡°Why so pale, Rob?¡± She greeted me.

    ¡°Not fond of the undead,¡± I replied, unable to find the source of her good mood.

    ¡°Don¡¯t glare at me. This is just another Monday near the frontier,¡± she shrugged. ¡°The city is prepared for a small undead incursion, and there¡¯s the royal army outside the walls.¡±

    Magic arrows and spells crossed the sky into the flocks of Undead Harpies and Ice Wraiths. Whatever skirmish was happening outside the wall, it didn¡¯t look like a small incursion. Elincia, at least, seemed calm. She put the bow on her shoulder and watched the surroundings. The Fortifier¡¯s barrier was unscathed.

    Prince Adrien was chatting with the other nobles back at the VIP box, but I had a bad feeling. The Corruption spot in my chest gripped my flesh, and it wasn¡¯t because of the cold. It tugged me like the ring on my finger pulled me towards Elincia.

    ¡°The Lich is alive,¡± I said.

    Captain Kiln put one of her heavy hands on my shoulder and gently squeezed it. ¡°I understand you are worried about the kids, Rob, but it¡¯s just an incursion. It happens at least once a year. Even little kids know what to do.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Like forming a stampede?¡±

    In the arena, healers tended to the civilians hurt in the panic.

    ¡°They are trained to run indoors and close doors and windows, so I guess that was what they attempted to do,¡± Captain Kiln sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check on the orphanage, then. Don¡¯t let the kids get out of the barrier,¡± I said, grabbing a sword from the weapons rack and putting it in my belt.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Elincia replied, her mask of composure cracking.

    Captain Kiln squeezed my shoulder a bit more. ¡°The streets can be dangerous.¡±

    ¡°You said citizens are trained to get indoors. I think by now, everyone is locked under seven keys,¡± I replied. ¡°Besides, a couple of low-level flyers will not be a problem for me.¡±

    Captain Kiln let me go.

    Maybe, the Lich¡¯s electric blue eyes were only a trick of my mind due to the traumatic event. I tried to not think about it: Elincia getting struck by the orc spear, the Lich injecting Corruption into my body, the ceiling of the cave collapsing over my head. It had been too close of a call for all of us, and the memory still haunted me in my dreams.

    ¡°Let¡¯s remain vigilant. Even if it is just a small incursion, we shouldn¡¯t lower our guard,¡± I said, walking through the pavilion¡¯s entrance. Elincia followed.

    My fast pace alerted the kids, and they abandoned their jobs and jogged to meet me.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ilya asked.

    ¡°The orphanage. I¡¯m going to see if everything is in order,¡± I replied.

    ¡°We are coming with you,¡± Firana said.

    ¡°No, you are going to stay inside the barrier near Captain Kiln. The streets are dangerous.¡±

    The irony in my words didn¡¯t go over my head. My policy as a teacher was to be as fair and just as possible, but as a caretaker, the kid¡¯s safety was more important than anything else. I was about to continue my way when the ground trembled, and a vine slowly crept around my ankle.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Very funny, Ilya, but we don¡¯t have time for this,¡± I sighed.

    ¡°What? I agree inside the barrier is safer for us. I¡¯m not doing anything,¡± the girl replied.

    The vine gripped my ankle, and the thorns buried deep in my flesh. Firana unsheathed her sword and severed the vine. I grunted as I pulled it from my skin like the suction cups of an octopus¡¯ tentacle. The vine was rotten like the flesh of the undead.

    ¡°Undead plants? I muttered, but before I could get an answer, the ground trembled again.

    Hundreds of rotten vines emerged from the ground, some thin as whips, others thick as old trees. The vines slithered out of the ground, getting intertwined and forming strong muscle-like braids. I wasn¡¯t going to wait to see what undead abomination they were going to shape, so I summoned my mana blade and cut the nearest vine.

    I used [Identify].

    Undead Forest Warden Sapling Lv.15 (Corrupted). [Identify] Spawns of a dead Forest Warden brought back to life by a powerful wizard. Born from the very essence of the forest, the spawns of the Forest Warden will kill any living being their creator deems an invader. Run away, Rob. Don¡¯t give them the rune. Remember our deal. I need you alive. Weakness: Magic, Fire.

    A shiver ran down my spine. I didn¡¯t expect the System Avatar to engrave a note in an Identify prompt, but that had little to do with my reaction. If there was a Sapling, there had to be a Forest Warden like the one that destroyed Farcrest when Captain Kiln was still a youngster. I focus on the message. Who were ¡®them¡¯, and why did they want the mysterious rune? The answer instantly popped into my mind. The Lich and the Forest Warden. Was Farcrest prepared for a Monster Surge with two bosses?

    I ducked as a two-meter-tall Sapling tried to decapitate me with its vine arms and followed with a diagonal cut that cut cleanly through the body of the creature. As strong and durable as they were, they weren¡¯t fast at all. I followed up with several cuts to the lower body until the splinters lay down motionless.

    ¡°Everyone, stick together! Let¡¯s fall back into the pavilion!¡± I yelled as a small army of Saplings started taking shape.

    Across the arena, the vines covered the inner wall, making it crumble like a sand castle.

    ¡°Izabeka! That¡¯s a Forest Warden!¡± I yelled as Captain Kiln emerged from the pavilion and punched a Sapling into a fine mist of splinters.

    Holst followed nearby, his shield and sword shining white.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me! I recognize a Forest Warden when I see one!¡± She barked back. ¡°If one of those pieces of bark starts glowing red, run and don¡¯t look back.¡±

    I summoned a mana shield and pushed a small Sapling away for the kids. Other than Firana and her Gust Blade, I didn¡¯t think their attacks had enough piercing power to cut them down. Maybe Wolf could cut down one with an axe, but his lack of defensive capabilities worried me.

    ¡°What does red mean?¡± I asked over the sound of the battle.

    My fears were true. The younger guardsmen had trouble destroying the Saplings.

    ¡°Red means the true body is there!¡± Captain Kiln said. ¡°Remember the dryads from the Bard Song? The Forest Warden is similar. That slippery bastard is an elemental spirit that can jump freely from one body to another. Don¡¯t try to fight him on your own!¡±

    Izabeka went ahead, smashing Saplings with her bare hands. Mana shone around her arms like a silvery patina, multiplying her strength and hardening her skin. It was the first time I saw her let her fury control her.

    ¡°She lost a lot during the Forest Warden Monster Surge,¡± Holst said.

    ¡°Should you be telling me that?¡± I asked as Captain Kiln and the royal bodyguards made the Saplings retreat. Despite their number, Saplings were still low-level monsters, and every warrior above level thirty seemed to have an easy time dealing with them.

    Holst raised an eyebrow. ¡°I trust you will do what is best for Izabeka with that information.¡±

    The royal soldiers pushed the Saplings away, and the Fire Mages burned the vines wrapping the inner wall. The monster wave was under control, and the non-combatants were escorted into the Great Hall. It seemed there were no casualties and only a few wounded. We followed the retinue into the vestibule, where everyone was reunited. Despite the chaos outside, the nobles were having drinks and carefree conversation.

    As soon as we entered, the Marquis, Chieftain Alton, and the Dukes with their generals came to us. With them came a priest dressed in pure white. Only the Marquis seemed worried. Captain Kiln signaled us to stay silent, and the kids nodded.

    ¡°What are we dealing with?¡± Prince Adrien asked as soon as he was in earshot of the Marquis.

    Maybe it was my imagination but after using the Runeblade, he seemed more pale than usual.

    ¡°An Undead Forest Warden. The royal army has entered Farcrest and is pruning the Saplings. This is a true Monster Surge,¡± Chieftain Alton, still dressed as a Verdas soldier, replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I don¡¯t know how my Sentinels didn¡¯t catch it. The Warden¡¯s true body should have enough mana to be easily detectable. If the creature is attacking the Great Hall, it might already be inside the valley. Otherwise, it shouldn¡¯t have enough range.¡±

    The nobles exchanged a worried glance.

    ¡°I can defeat it, but first, I need to find it,¡± Lord Herran said, slapping the black axe in his belt.

    ¡°I will look for it personally. A level sixty monster can¡¯t hide that easily,¡± Duke Jorn said, his cold voice carrying over the noise of the vestibule.¡±Then you can kill it, Leonard, if you really desire so.¡±

    Everyone seemed pleased with the plan.

    ¡°This is unusual. An Undead Forest Warden shouldn¡¯t be able to control Harpies and Wraiths. In fact, a Forest Warden can¡¯t control anything other than its own Saplings,¡± Lord Osgiria pointed out.

    ¡°A Monster Surge with two core monsters is not possible, Victor,¡± Lord Gairon pointed out. Then, he realized that wasn¡¯t what Lord Osgiria meant. The temperature in the vestibule seemed to drop. ¡°There¡¯s no way someone is controlling the Forest Warden. It would require a level eighty monster with exceptional magic expertise to control a level sixty Forest Warden.¡±

    The blue eyes filled with malice appeared before.

    ¡°A high-level Lich, maybe?¡± I intruded on the conversation.

    Telling Prince Adrien and the dukes that I was able to catch a Lich by surprise and bury it under a mountain was out of the question. Not even Captain Kiln believed me at first, and she was a witness to the chunks of Corruption all over my body. Only after a lot of convincing she had given me the benefit of the doubt.

    Prince Adrien and the dukes turned around to look at me.

    ¡°The System would not let a high-level Lich run free so close to civilization. Corruption-spreading monsters are quickly dealt with by the Quest system,¡± the priest said.

    The group seemed to agree, except for Prince Adrien.

    ¡°You are telling the truth, aren¡¯t you?¡± He muttered, his [Awareness] measuring me to the most tiny movement of my facial muscles. No. He must¡¯ve had an even stronger skill than [Awareness]. It was almost like he could see directly into my mind.

    ¡°I came close to a Lich a few months ago. It cost me a lot of Corruption to get away, and I still have a little bit,¡± I said, pulling the neck of my jacket down to reveal the dark spot on my chest. To my surprise, it had turned into a small black sun, much like Astrid¡¯s.

    Prince Adrien fell silent, and nobody dared to utter a word. Even the nobles who weren¡¯t involved in the conversation seemed to catch the hint, and slowly, the whole vestibule quieted. Their nonchalant expressions were now tainted by concern.

    ¡°A Lich is easier to find and kill,¡± Lord Herran broke the silence, his boastful voice filling the vestibule. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are so worried. With the Runeblade and the Void Axe on our side, spellcasters have no chance. Even if they are high level.¡±

    Prince Adrien took a deep breath, like gathering strength to speak. Was the Runeblade so taxing to use? The amount of Corruption around his arm was worrying at first glance, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any trace of it. I looked at the old iron sword hanging from his belt. There was no clue about the enchanted blade, and my mana sense couldn¡¯t even detect a drop of mana.

    ¡°A Lich is indeed easier to kill,¡± Prince Adrien said. ¡°You know what to look for, Duke Jorn.¡±

    ¡°As you order, My Liege,¡± Duke Jorn said, and a moment later, he disappeared in a swirl of black mana particles.

    Then, Prince Adrien stretched his back and turned around. ¡°Isn¡¯t it great that the most powerful warriors of the kingdom are here to help Farcrest? Call me if something happens.¡±

    I could tell he was hiding something. Probably pain.

    The dukes ordered their generals, and the group dissolved.

    A moment later, I was walking through the Great Hall''s main door, followed by Elincia, the kids, Captain Kiln, and Holst. Izabeka knew I wasn¡¯t going to stay put, so she decided to tag along. The reason why Holst had joined was a mystery for everyone, but an extra sword could come in handy. The reports were positive. After the first wave, the royal army entered the city and cleaned the streets of monsters.

    We crossed the empty market without encountering any monsters. The cobblestone was crumbled where undead vines had emerged, and some houses were partially affected, but the presence of patrols of all colors and banners told me there were too few monsters for every combatant. It was a bad time to be an undead monster, yet, this was the most important spot in the city. It was only natural for patrols of every noble house to be nearby.

    The Northern District worried me the most. The presence of taverns and brothels in the area and the cheapness of a stay at least resulted in a constant presence of low and mid-level soldiers. I tried to convince myself everything would be okay.

    Zaon warned us about a monster''s presence in the vicinity, and we encountered a lone Sapling around the corner. Captain Kiln smashed it into rotten dust before any of us could react. Between Zaon¡¯s detection skills, Ilya¡¯s Spirit Animal and Firana running over the roofs, we reached the orphanage without delay.

    Risha and Captain Garibal greeted us from the entrance. The whole manor was surrounded by a protective barrier, and a crowd of non-combatants had gathered around the orphanage. I let out a sigh of relief and grabbed Elincia¡¯s hand. The cobblestone was cracked along the street, but the front yard was untouched. It seemed the barrier went underground too.

    Captain Garibal opened a hole in the barrier, and the kids crossed.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming?¡± Elincia stopped.

    ¡°I have work to do. Pending accounts with Forest Wardens.¡± Captain Kiln replied, dead serious. ¡°Be careful in there. There¡¯s always a second and a third wave.¡±

    Before saying anything else, she turned around and walked back towards the Great Hall. Part of my heart wanted to go with her, but I had to be there for the kids. I turned around to enter the barrier, but Holst stopped me.

    ¡°I was planning to say this back at the tournament but¡­¡± he signaled the surrounding destruction. ¡°Kellaren might be gone, but you¡ª¡±

    I sensed a surge of magic where Holst¡¯s Silence Hex should be, and he grimaced, clenching his jaw.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say a lot, but¡­ danger exists nearby,¡± Holst said, rummaging through his pockets.

    The man pulled out two pocket watches with slim furrows along the edges instead of hands and no numbers. He poured mana into them, and the furrow started glowing blue. Then, he handed me one and kept the other.

    ¡°It¡¯s a timer,¡± Holst explained, minding his words not to trigger the Hex. ¡°I can¡¯t talk, but you can meet me exactly six hours from now on the stairs towards the audience hall. It might¡­ enlighten you about the danger that exists nearby.¡±

    ¡°What is going to happen there?¡±

    Holst grimaced again, and his forehead became covered with sweat.

    ¡°For a fellow Scholar, you are an idiot,¡± Holst hissed through his clenched teeth. ¡°Be undetectable.¡±

    Without another word, he turned around and followed Captain Kiln into the maze of alleys.

 150 - Shadows in the night

    An Undead Harpy flew over the manor¡¯s roof. Its guttural shriek gave me goosebumps, and my back stiffened. They were a relatively low-level monster that I could easily chop in half with my mana blade, but my body reacted on its own. The putrid flesh and the void eyes reminded me too much of the Lich¡¯s undead army.

    Shu sat on the kitchen bench and patted my back.

    ¡°Miss Elincia told me this is your first Monster Surge, but don¡¯t worry, it happens from time to time,¡± the little harpy said with the same maternal tone she used with Loki.

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡°I guess we have lots of strong friends to help us, so there¡¯s nothing to fear,¡± I said, shifting in place to face her. ¡°Believe it or not, I saw Risha pick up a Crystal Matriarch once.¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± Shu said, her little amber eyes shining.

    ¡°Yes, way,¡± I replied.

    The stove crackled as Ash added another piece of firewood. The sky was cloudy, and a chilly breeze blew from the northern mountains. It was well past noon, and the day was dim and gloomy. Every now and then, the screech of an Undead Harpy broke the silence, and every time, the kids froze. Captain Garibal¡¯s barrier remained strong, and no monster stayed around for long.

    Astrid crossed the door, massaging the Corruption spot on her chest. From her hip hung the gun Ginz had built for her. The thick wooden frame and the wider muzzle gave it the appearance of a blunderbuss flintlock pistol, and her fingers were stained with the residue from Ginz¡¯s experimental shells.

    Elincia couldn¡¯t hide her jealous expression. The gun was quite stylish for a rushed piece of craftwork.

    Astrid sat near the windows and signaled Zaon to approach. ¡°Care to give me a shoulder massage, Z? I think I dislocated something.¡±

    I expected Elincia to pull out one of her alchemical remedies, but she remained unfazed.

    ¡°How are things outside?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The royal army has things under control. The Forest Warden gnawed on the outer wall, but it seems it retreated for now, and there¡¯s only a few undead still prowling around,¡± Astrid clenched her jaw when Zaon applied pressure on her left shoulder. ¡°Dammit, Zaon! That¡¯s not how you touch a lady!¡±

    ¡°I barely touched you!¡± Zaon defended himself.

    I elbowed Elincia, and she rummaged through her medicine pouch. A moment later, Astrid had an arm out of her shirt and a green, smelly cataplasm around her shoulder. Astrid wasn¡¯t happy with the smell because she pinched her nose and kept it that way as she grimaced. The little ones copied her between laughs.

    I let out a sigh of relief and hoped for a second wave not to come.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. This was only the first wave!¡± Shu said. Then, as if she had forgotten what she just said, she jumped down from her seat and started chasing the snake twins like she was a stiff zombie.

    ¡°They really know the drill, uh?¡± I said, looking at Elincia.

    ¡°They know there¡¯s a high-level Fortifier protecting the orphanage,¡± she shrugged.

    I silently thanked Prince Adrien for lending us Captain Garibal. The orphanage had enough firepower to fend off a few Undead Harpies, but the safest option was always not to engage. We had four members who had recently got their Classes, and I knew they were eager to put them to the test against real monsters.

    ¡°Can I go outside now?¡± Firana interrupted my train of thought.

    ¡°No, Firana. You can¡¯t go outside,¡± I replied before even my brain could fully process the question. I was expecting her to push the matter.

    Firana pouted. ¡°But if I kill an Undead Harpy, I¡¯ll probably get two or three levels! Astrid said things are under control, we just have to catch a stray one and beat it to a pulp!¡±

    Ilya seemed to agree despite her silence on the matter.

    Before answering, I searched through my memories. The fifteen-year-old me would¡¯ve been thrilled about hunting down zombies. The magic powers were only the cherry on top. I decided not to go too harsh on Firana, but Elincia got ahead.

    ¡°You¡¯ll start hunting Slimes, Giant Rats, and Blood Hawks like the rest of us!¡± Elincia interjected. ¡°A level fifteen undead is too much for any of you. They don¡¯t feel pain, and they aren¡¯t hindered by superficial wounds.¡±

    Firana sighed and threw her head back. ¡°What about a Black Wolf?¡±

    ¡°You will hunt Black Wolves when you hit level ten. Their hide is strong as iron, and unless you can pack a punch, you¡¯ll only scratch it,¡± Elincia said. ¡°Those are the house rules, and if you don¡¯t like them, look for another place to live.¡±

    The last part was a bit harsh, but Firana refrained from complaining.

    The little ones mocked Firana, chanting, ¡®You¡¯ll only scratch it¡¯.

    [Awareness] informed me there had been five minutes since the last Undead Harpy flew over the orphanage. I looked at Holst¡¯s timer. There was a bit more than an hour of mana into the contraption. I recognized the ¡®Gradual¡¯, ¡®Recharge¡¯, and ¡®Light¡¯ runes, which made sense considering the illuminated crevice surrounding the silver pocket watch. The other runes had to be the ones that determined the flux of mana matched the time set.

    It would make a good fuse for an explosive enchantment, but that was a project for future Rob.

    ¡°Miss Elincia, would you join me for a moment?¡± I asked.

    Elincia nodded and followed me through the kitchen door.

    ¡°They are going to K.I.S.S,¡± Shu muttered as we left.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say those things!¡± Lyra said.

    I wished Shu was right, but kissing was far on the horizon. My greatest worry was Holst¡¯s warning. At least her spelling had improved. I guided Elincia to the sleeping quarters where none of the kids could spy on our conversation. The corridors were cold, but the sleeping quarters were more pleasant thanks to a strategically hidden brazier with Warm Stones.

    We were alone.

    ¡°I have to go,¡± I said, pulling the mana timer out of my pocket. ¡°If Holst is telling the truth, Kellaren was only a part of the problem, and the orphanage is still in danger.¡±

    ¡°If he is telling the truth, that is,¡± Elincia reiterated. ¡°I don¡¯t trust Holst.¡±

    ¡°If Holst wanted to harm me, he would have called me into a deserted alley and not into the Great Hall,¡± I retorted.

    The more I thought about Holst¡¯s words, the more I feared he was right. The stolen documents revealed that Kellaren was the nexus between the Marquis and the Osgirians, but that didn¡¯t answer all the questions. Why would Kellaren want to poison Captain Kiln during the feast? Nowhere in them were any hints that Kellaren had any intentions of becoming the new Captain of the Guard. It was the opposite. Kellaren was going to pledge loyalty to the Osgirians and handle the security of the new caravans. He was going to be too far away from Farcrest to be Captain.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the Marquis put the Silence Hex on Holst,¡± I said.

    Elincia gritted her teeth. ¡°I know. The Marquis wouldn¡¯t want to poison Izabeka. Maybe one of the courtiers? Historically, Lord Tirno¡¯s family were the captains of the Guard until Izabeka¡¯s father. He might want to reclaim the position.¡±

    Generational quarrels between nobles were always an option.

    ¡°What about Janus? His nickname is literally ¡®the Weasel¡¯,¡± I pointed out.

    Elincia raised an eyebrow, incredulous. ¡°Sir Janus? Really? After everything he has done for us? He got us to the tournament, and we even know about his dirty business. I don¡¯t think he wishes us ill despite his¡­ questionable past.¡±

    That was a good point.

    ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t see Sir Janus being willing to put all the work of the Captain of the Guard on his shoulders,¡± Elincia added. ¡°With all the due respect Imperial Knights deserve, he¡¯s more of a drunkard than a hard-working strategist.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but agree with Elincia. Sir Janus seemed too comfortable with the status quo of Farcrest to attempt a climb through the city ranks. Not that he needed it either; as an Imperial Knight, he was already at the cusp, just below the Marquis.

    Elincia grabbed my hand and gave me a worried look.

    ¡°I know you have to go, but take Risha with you.¡±

    My first reaction was to accept, but Holst¡¯s warning haunted me. Be undetectable, he said. The greater the group, the easier it was to detect, and Risha wasn¡¯t, by far, the most stealthy member of the orphanage. I wondered if I should take Astrid, but the Corruption in her chest had me worried. It was better not to put her in a situation where she had to resort to her skills.

    I squeezed my brain.

    ¡°Holst plans to make the culprit confess, so we need stealth to overhear the conversation, and I¡¯m the only one in the orphanage with enough mana control to hide my presence,¡± I said.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°I could learn,¡± Elincia interrupted me.

    I pulled the enchanted timer. ¡°There¡¯s no time left.¡±

    Elincia grabbed my face and forced me to look into her eyes. ¡°If it happens that you need to do something stupid and dangerous, remember that I love you and that we need you here.¡±

    A smile tugged my lips.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t change this for anything.¡±

    Before I could lean for the kiss, Elincia dragged me back to the bedroom and prepared a small potion bag. She packed the usual: Health, Stamina, and Mana potions plus disinfectants and an arrangement of potions and ointments for several maladies. When I complained, she shut me down and said we didn¡¯t know what kind of undead I could bump into during the trip to the Great Hall.

    While Elincia was packing the potions, I grabbed a few pebbles from my stash and enchanted my version of a flash grenade. Holst had summoned me to the Great Hall, which was a huge advantage. If I got caught, I only had to run and hug the Prince¡¯s boots to be safe. I couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility of the culprit being the Marquis. Things would get nasty for the orphanage if that was the case, but we could always move to Vedras¡¯ domain.

    I wished I had more time to experiment with the runes.

    Elincia offered me the shotgun, but I refused. I had enough firepower with my mana blades, and she needed something effective against bigger monsters in case Captain Garibal¡¯s barrier failed. I crossed my fingers for that not to be the case.

    ¡°We will weather this storm,¡± I said.

    ¡°Of course we will,¡± Elincia replied, putting the potion bag in my hands and giving me a quick peck. ¡°You¡¯ll get the rest once you return,¡± she added with a mischievous smile.

    Without letting any of the kids see me, I left the orphanage. A cold breeze bit my face, and my breath turned into dense white clouds. I closed my eyes and let my mana sense sharpen. There was a subtle area spell over the valley, and the black clouds covering the sun didn¡¯t help to counteract it. A quick glance at the enchanted timer told me I had shy of an hour to get to the Great Hall.

    I pulled up the flaps of my jacket and threw the cloak over my head. Just as Astrid had reported, the Monster Surge had subsided for the moment. There were still a few patrols with the colors of the nobility going around, but no undead in sight. If the Lich had decided to reappear, he was going to stumble upon the surprise of a lifetime: the most powerful warriors of the kingdom were reunited in the city he decided to attack. I grinned. The damned undead deserved it.

    I moved through the Northern District¡¯s alleys to cut into the main market. My feet moved automatically over the familiar path while I focused on the small sounds around me. I fed [Awareness] extra mana just in case a Sapling spawned behind my back. While [Awareness] was in charge of the detection, my mind wandered. With Kellaren out of the picture, the list of suspects grew thin.

    Who benefitted the most from Captain Kiln¡¯s disappearance? Holst? He was already a Preceptor at the Imperial Library. Janus? The rank of Captain wasn¡¯t more prestigious than being an Imperial Knight. The Marquis? Why would he want to cut his right arm?

    In any other circumstances, I would¡¯ve suspected the poisoning was a false flag attack on herself, but Captain Kiln wasn¡¯t like that. She had nothing to gain either. She wasn¡¯t a noble, so she couldn¡¯t ascend to the throne, and she was already famous enough among the citizens of Farcrest. Ginz and Elincia adored her, and even Risha showed lots of respect towards her.

    The rustle of cobblestone against cloth brought me back to the present.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± I asked. If it was a patrol, I didn¡¯t want to get assaulted by mistake.

    Janus appeared around the corner, dressed in all black like the day we attacked the manor.

    ¡°You are very hard to detect, Caretaker. Maybe I taught you too well,¡± he greeted as a second figure entered the alley.

    Kellaren Odrac-Aias. His skin was pale, his hair caked with dirt, and a grimace of hate disfigured his face. It seemed he had spent the last week lost in the Farlands. The cloak over his shoulders hung by a thread and his riding boots were covered in mud.

    ¡°Told you I would serve it on a silver platter,¡± Janus said.

    Kellaren drew his sword and walked forward with the staggering step of a drunk. I channeled my mana. A blue flame surrounded my body, and a bright mana blade appeared in my hand. I let [Awareness] run wild, dispelling any superfluous thought from my mind. Even the surprise and anger disappeared as I put my whole attention on Kellaren¡¯s movements.

    ¡°Damn you, Scholar,¡± he muttered with a raspy voice.

    I used [Identify]

    Name: Kellaren Odrac-Aias, Human.

    Class: Warrior Lv.41

    Titles: Silver Warrior, Charismatic, Weasel.

    Passive: Riding Lv.5, Swordsmanship Lv.5, Interrogation Lv.7, Extortion Lv.6, Haggling Lv.4

    Skills: Rally Troops, Fearless, Iron Skin, Puncture, Armor Fortify, Taunt, Armor Break, Berserk.

    Kellaren channeled his mana, and a silvery aura surrounded his body. His Character Sheet hadn¡¯t changed since the last time we fought. Armor Break and Puncture worried me, as they could render my mana shield useless. Iron Skin and Armor Fortify might be able to stop my mana blade, but I was confident in my penetrating power. Silver sparks emerged from his body and his eyes turned pure white. [Awareness] announced he was going Berserk.

    I had almost killed Kellaren once, and I was willing to do it again.

    Before I could move, however, Janus used Shadow Step, and with a clean swing, he severed Kellaren¡¯s head. The silver sparks died, and his body fell lifeless into the cobblestone. A shiver ran down my spine as the head rolled against an old crate. So much for Iron Skin.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, just tying up loose ends,¡± Janus said, unfazed by the blood and gore. ¡°Regrettably, Caretaker, you died from your wounds after fighting Kellaren.¡±

    I pulled mana from the Fountain just as Janus blinked. [Awareness] couldn¡¯t follow the movement, and for an instant, I was blind. Then, he reappeared behind me and stabbed my mana shield. The Fountain mana held for a second before shattering, but it was enough for me to turn and block. Janus tried to blink away, but I noticed my currents of mana interrupted his spell.

    It seemed Janus hadn¡¯t lied when he told me blinking was a delicate matter.

    Before I could react, Janus kicked me in the chest and jumped back.

    ¡°Izabeka said you have the strength of a level forty, so I was curious about what you can do against me.¡±

    I summoned two flying mana blades and attacked. Janus blinked out of the path of the first one and hit the second when he rematerialized two meters off the ground. The mana blade shattered into fine blue dust. I guessed he had some sort of anti-spell skill but I sensed no surge of mana from his body. It was the raw mana he was pouring into his sword.

    ¡°You were working with Holst all this time!¡± I panted as I had a moment of respite. Even in a fight, my curiosity was greater than my fighting reaction.

    Janus let out a dry laugh.

    ¡°Holst is as smart as he is prideful, but that¡¯s his main weakness. I knew he would eventually rebel, and the moment he decided to escort after the fight, I knew he was scheming something,¡± Janus said. ¡°It was very bold on his part to believe two Scholars could beat me at my own game.¡±

    Janus blinked, and I pulled mana from the Fountain. The Corruption on my chest clung to my flesh like the jaws of a spider, but I ignored the pain. There was no time to process the mana. Janus crashed my shield with his sword, but a second one, made up with my own mana, was underneath.

    Janus¡¯ sword bounced, and I had an instant to counter. I pushed my [Swordsmanship] to the very extreme, but Janus was faster and stronger than anyone I had faced before. With a simple movement of his blade, he could push my whole arm away and his footwork was so swift my sword could only cut thin air.

    Janus blinked, and before [Awareness] could locate him, I felt the sting of iron on my shoulder and warm blood drenching my jacket. I groaned, but when I swung my sword, Janus was already outside my range. He didn¡¯t need to blink to get away. I looked at the timer. The blue line was almost gone. If Holst was as smart as Janus said, he would realize I was in trouble when none of us showed up.

    It was ironic to think my survival depended on the orphanage¡¯s bogeyman, but [Awareness] barred me from having any thoughts unrelated to the combat.

    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I asked, pulling mana from the Fountain and processing it into mine. My shoulder continued bleeding, and my arm lost its strength.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯m tying up loose ends. Your death has to look like the product of a fight,¡± Janus said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t deceive me. I know you are stalling the fight, but no matter how much you try to replenish your mana, I can drain it even faster.¡±

    I turned around to run away, but Janus blinked into the opposite exit of the alley.

    ¡°You are dying in this place, Caretaker.¡±

    We crossed swords. The only thing that separated me from complete panic was [Awareness] suppressing my emotions. Fighting Janus felt like trying to fend off a bear with bare hands. He wasn¡¯t just a great fighter, but he had superhuman strength and speed. My mana blades were too slow to catch him, and the mana shards weren¡¯t strong enough to harm him. I felt helpless.

    ¡°Why are you doing this? I¡¯m not going to reveal we raided Kellaren¡¯s manor. Your secret is safe with me,¡± I said.

    ¡°For a Scholar, you are very naive,¡± Janus lowered his sword and laughed.

    My heart was about to burst out of my chest.

    ¡°You are dangerous, Robert Clarke. You appeared in Farcrest, and six months later, you are the favorite of Prince Adrien. Not only that. You started working at the orphanage, and magically, there are two strong contenders for the Imperial Academy,¡± Janus explained. ¡°Let¡¯s say your mere presence is endangering my position as Farcrest''s prodigy.¡±

    I looked at the enchanted timer. Only a sliver of mana remained.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want your position or your fame,¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s irrelevant. You already caught the eye of the royalist faction, and so did Zaon and Firana. I can¡¯t allow that to happen,¡± Janus gave me a wicked smile. ¡°Zaon and Firana will slip away from the orphanage to search for you, I¡¯ll be waiting for them.¡±

    The timer was down.

    I loaded my flash pebble with mana and threw it at Janus'' feet. He blinked away. Then, I grabbed a second pebble and threw it up over the rooftops. I covered my eyes and hardened my defenses. Janus reappeared just as the first pebble flashed. It wasn¡¯t a direct hit, but he was blinded nonetheless. His face turned into a mask of anger as he covered his eyes.

    ¡°I can still sense you!¡± He roared.

    I expanded my mana shield while hiding my presence to hamper Janus¡¯ detection skills. He knew I was there, but his Sentinel skills weren¡¯t precise enough to outline my body. Janus used Shadow Step and broke my mana shield with a single swing of his sword but missed my body by more than a palm. My attacks, however, were useless as he could sense the danger and move away.

    The next pebble flashed on Janus¡¯ nose.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to skewer you!¡± Janus growled. ¡°You can¡¯t get away from me!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t. Every time I managed to come close to the exit of the alley, he used Shadow Step and forced me to retreat. I could only stall the combat, but that was everything I needed. Holst might be a bad person, but he wasn¡¯t an idiot.

    Janus rubbed his eyes, recovering her sight, and I threw my last pebble. I cast Stun Gaze, but the spell painfully bounced against Janus¡¯ magical defenses. I was running out of options.

    My heart skipped a beat when [Awareness] caught the footsteps. Heavy footsteps.

    Captain Kiln dashed through the hallway, sword in hand. In an instant, she channeled her mana, and a golden chain emerged from her palm. Janus tried to blink away, but I channeled my mana to interrupt the skill. The magical chain coiled around Janus¡¯ leg, disrupting the currents of black mana within his body and preventing him from using Shadow Step. Then, a second chain caught his wrist and a third his neck. Captain Kiln smiled triumphantly.

    ¡°You are supposed to be a mere Knight,¡± Janus gurgled, trying to ease the chain around his neck with his free hand.

    Izabeka tightened the grip with gusto. ¡°Do you really think I still have a Basic Class by level fifty? I¡¯m not a Knight.¡±

    Janus grinned.

    ¡°And I¡¯m not a Shadow Fencer, either.¡±

    Black mana swirled around his body, and he was gone.

 151 - Radiant Knight Kiln

    Janus sublimated into a mist of black particles, and the magical chains holding him down fell to the ground. [Awareness] enhanced my senses but anticipating Janus¡¯ point of exit was impossible. The chains coiled around my chest and dragged me near Captain Kiln just as Janus rematerialized by the opposite end of the alley. Despite the strength of the chains, they were gentle and caused me no harm.

    I used [Identify].

    Chains of Light. [Identify] The signature skill of the Radiant Knight. Allows to snare a foe with luminous shackles, rendering the captured foe incapable of casting spells and suppressing teleportation skills. Available for: Radiant Knight, Sacred Knight, Sword Saint.

    As kickass as the skill sounded, the description had to be wrong. Janus had slipped through the chain grasp with ease not a second ago. Then, I noticed that Captain Kiln¡¯s expression showed the same confusion as mine. Something wasn¡¯t right with Janus¡¯ teleportation skill.

    ¡°So, a Radiant Knight? Not bad for Farcrest¡¯s heroine, but a simple Knight would be more fitting to the protector of the rabble,¡± Janus said with amusement.

    The effects of my flash pebbles had passed, and he eyed us down like a pair of filthy stray dogs.

    Captain Kiln pushed her palm forward, and the chains shot forward. I noticed the huge amounts of mana flowing from her body and I almost had to shut down my mana sense to not get blinded. It was too bright. At the other side of the alley, Janus didn¡¯t try to dodge. Instead, as soon as the chains wrapped his arms, he just vanished.

    ¡°You are not supposed to do that,¡± Captain Kiln grunted.

    ¡°You are not supposed to bypass a Fortifier¡¯s barrier either, but here we are,¡± Janus smirked, turning into a mist of dark particles.

    The next instant, he was upon Captain Kiln¡¯s head. Janus swung his sword, but before the attack landed, a thick, golden dome surrounded us. The attack bounced. My mana barriers were wet paper compared to Izabeka¡¯s skill. Not only did the skill pulsate with mana, but also the strands were intertwined so close to each other that my mana sense couldn¡¯t see outside its boundaries.

    ¡°You were the one who tried to poison me during the feast. You bypassed the Fortifier¡¯s barrier and poisoned the cup!¡± Izabeka said.

    Janus smiled, full of himself, and gave us a mocking bow. ¡°Yours truly.¡±

    My mind worked at full steam. The woven barrier of several Fortifiers was supposedly impervious, and even the Prince and the Great Dukes were convinced about it. It was safe to assume they had spent lots of resources trying to bypass it, as the political gains of such a technique could be immeasurable. If none of the nobles had found a method to bypass the barrier in all those years, Janus had to have access to a skill never seen before. [Awareness] projected the pages of the Book of Classes into my brain. Shadow Fencers were already an Advanced Class, which meant Janus had ascended to the ultimate rank. Prestige Class. I went through the pages in a blink. Shadow Fencers usually turn into Shadow Stalkers, like Duke Jorn, but not even Shadow Stalkers had the skills to bypass the Fortifier¡¯s barrier.

    ¡°Careful,¡± I said, holding onto my wounded shoulder.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me.¡±

    Izabeka channeled her mana and attacked, but Janus danced around the light chains, his movements so nimble that it was hard to follow with the sight alone. He wasn¡¯t using any fortifying skill but showing his raw physical proficiency. I had already felt the difference in power during our short scuffle, but now I realized that Janus was toying with me. He dodged, jumped, and parried like the laws of physics didn¡¯t apply to him, light as a feather but with the strength of a rhinoceros. The chains moved as fast as whips and slithered like snakes, coiling around Janus¡¯ body but never managing to tie him down.

    Janus made it look easy, but his brain was processing more information than I could imagine and moving his body with millimetric precision.

    The chains smashed against the walls and ground, punching holes the size of wrecking balls through the bricks and cobblestone. Unlike Janus, Izabeka wasn¡¯t subtle at all, but maybe it was for the better. The greater the commotion we caused, the more patrols would come to see what was going on. Janus, however, seemed to understand that allowing witnesses wasn¡¯t his best bet because he stopped dodging and dashed toward us. Instinctively, I channeled my mana and threw two blades, but they merely bounced against Janus¡¯ dark aura.

    Izabeka pushed me behind her as the environmental mana quivered. Then, everything became pitch black, as if someone had suddenly stolen the sun. My eyes took a moment to get used to the darkness, and no matter how much I forced my mana sense or my Night Vision, I could only detect formless shadows. Janus was nowhere to be found, so I pushed my mana outside my body and conjured the thickest barrier I could muster.

    I wasn¡¯t Janus¡¯ immediate target.

    A gust of wind rushed to my right, and Izabeka let out a groan of pain. Her chains danced around us in a circular motion, but their light could barely scratch the darkness. Janus rushed between us, and despite the defensive aura she was exerting, he sliced Captain Kiln¡¯s leg. The wound was superficial, and I could only attribute it to the Radiant Knight''s high defensive stats.

    Izabeka swung the chains in a desperate attempt to hit Janus, but it was in vain. The darkness was too thick.

    ¡°Dammit, Rob. Use your head,¡± I muttered, feeling useless. If I wasn¡¯t going to catch Janus with my eyes, I could do it with my ears. ¡°You aren¡¯t a Shadow Stalker!¡±

    ¡°How keen,¡± Janus replied, his voice coming from every direction at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m something completely different.¡±

    Izabeka¡¯s chains crashed against the boundaries of the dark zone. It was solid, yet, for a fleeting moment, a small crack appeared, and the light of day cast the shadows away.

    ¡°Not even close,¡± Janus mockingly said. The delight in his voice was almost palpable. It wasn¡¯t the mere thrill of the fight but the fact he could finally share his master plan with another living being. ¡°When Prince Ragna made the first strokes to the plan of creating a highway between Ebros, across the Farlands, into the Elven Kingdom, I knew Farcrest had the potential to become the most important city in the continent. For a decade, I have been working with the Marquis to turn a backwater hamlet into a real city. From the price of potions to the number of recruits going to the Royal Army, I have been overseeing everything, and I will not allow an outsider to snatch the fruits of our labor from our hands.¡±

    Captain Kiln discharged a pulse of light, illuminating the alley for an instant. Janus grinned like a little boy, standing a few meters before us. It was a disturbing sight. Then, the darkness swallowed the world again.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early to reveal your evil plan?¡± I asked, trying to make time.

    Janus giggled, and the sound made my body freeze.

    ¡°I am one of the few blessed by the System who achieved a Prestige Class. You two are not going anywhere,¡± he said.

    Janus had us in the palm of his hand. He had convinced us to keep the whole ordeal hidden from Prince Adrien and Lord Vedras not because he feared an escalation of violence but to avoid loose ends. I should¡¯ve trusted my gut. Janus had used us from the very beginning, and even the invitation to participate in the tournament was part of his plan: to shame the orphanage in front of the nobles or to weaken the Osgirian faction, I didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°And what Class would that be?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Scholars¡­ curious to the very end,¡± Janus replied. ¡°I¡¯m a Void Jumper. There¡¯s no place I can¡¯t go, no chains that can restrain me, and nothing that can be hidden from me.¡±

    Captain Kiln touched my shoulder.

    ¡°There¡¯s no monster Chieftain Alton can¡¯t hunt,¡± she whispered. ¡°Near the pass into the Farlands, a kilometer south, there is a watchtower. He must be around there surveying the frontier. If someone can stop Janus, that¡¯s Chieftain Alton.¡±

    ¡°I can hear you two,¡± Janus interjected.

    Captain Kiln grabbed my shoulder and trapped me in a hug. Automatically, I cast Silence Dome, expecting her to tell me more details of the plan, but I was wrong. ¡°You have been a good friend, Robert Clarke,¡± she whispered in my ear. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    I had an idea about what could distract Janus long enough, but I was going to need a lot of mana. I let my mana barrier fall, and my blade disappeared. None of them were effective against Janus, after all. I just hoped he continued focusing on Captain Kiln because the moment he went for me, I was dead. Trying to bury those thoughts, I touched the wall and ran forward. Captain Kiln¡¯s defensive spell surrounded me but didn¡¯t interfere with my own mana.

    ¡°Bring it on,¡± I muttered.

    With thought alone, I drew a hundred runes over the bricks of the wall and the cobblestone of the road: Instantaneous, Light, Recharge. The enchantment was strong enough to blind a person in normal conditions, but the alley was barely lit with a dying blue light. My mana pool suffered a hit and a shiver took over my body, as I had to keep feeding the runes for them to work.

    ¡°What¡ª¡± Janus muttered just as Captain Kiln¡¯s chains smashed him against the ground, shattering cobblestone and the bedrock underneath.

    The magic shadows seemed to drown the light of the enchantments, but the ghostly light was enough for my Night Vision to work again. It was also enough for Captain Kiln to use whatever detection skill she had in reserve. Her irises glowed with a golden hue as her scar-ridden skin shined like a small candle in a storm.

    Janus grabbed the chains, his hand sizzling as the golden mana came into contact with his dark mana and pulled.

    I didn¡¯t expect Captain Kiln to be swept from her feet and sent to the ground. The Fencer evolution line was not characterized by its raw strength. A Knight had better strength growth than a Shadow Fencer, so I was expecting a Radiant Knight to have more physical force than whatever a Void Jumper was. But I was wrong. Janus pulled again, and Captain Kiln slid across the floor.

    Janus jumped to his feet; his sword turned into a swirl of darkness. Izabeka grabbed her shield with both hands and activated a defensive skill. The amount of mana she moved around was incredible but Janus¡¯ blade left a deep scratch in the iron. A few millimeters more, and he had cut it into two. They exchanged blows, Izabeka on the receiving end more than anything.

    I stood still, not knowing what to do to help other than staying out of the way.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°You are a fool, Janus,¡± Captain Kiln said, her armor falling apart and the cuts on her skin bleeding. ¡°Your legacy will be a cold, dead pile of gold, the fattened leeches you have been feeding all these years, and the corpses of those you have sent to their death in the Farlands. Nobody will remember your name.¡±

    Janus spat blood. ¡°Big words for a barren woman. Who will remember you after you are gone?¡±

    Izabeka grinned.

    ¡°Who will remember my name, you ask? A bunch of little orphans that believe my name is actually ¡®Captain¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What an embarrassing legacy,¡± Janus grunted.

    ¡°Get ready, Rob,¡± Captain Kiln dropped her shield and prepared a spell. ¡°And tell the little ones I actually have a secret technique.¡±

    Captain Kiln discarded her armor. The shredded piece of metal fell heavily on the ground, crashing into the cobblestone underneath. Janus tried to pierce the golden cocoon around her, but all his attacks were useless. Golden mana filled the alley, chasing the shadows away, and crackling arcs of electricity ran across the walls. I froze. Only the Lich and Prince Adrien¡¯s Cursed Runeblade had been able to generate so much mana.

    Captain Kiln clenched her teeth. Then, she grew. Her joints stretched, her muscles swelled, and her spine cracked as her bones grew to match the rest of her body until she towered above two and a half meters tall. Only her skin couldn¡¯t keep up with the transformation. The old scars covering her body opened again, showing raw muscle. An instant later, the wounds regenerated like she had chugged a health potion.

    ¡°You asked for it, Weasel,¡± Izabeka muttered as she threw her chains forward.

    Janus blinked past the attack and slashed Izabeka¡¯s tight, but his shadow blade bounced against her hardened skin. The thick golden chains followed like bloodhounds, only stopping when Janus disappeared but quickly resuming the attack afterward. The man dodged, jumped, and blinked like his life depended on it. Izabeka¡¯s strength had changed. She wasn¡¯t a regular human anymore, not even one enhanced by the System, but something more, and Janus knew it too.

    The chains hit the man, but even the damage of direct blows was mild in comparison to the slashes of the shadow blade. Izabeka was spending too much mana on her attack and defense, and I didn¡¯t see her chains dealing a decisive blow any time soon. Over and over again, Janus slipped through the cracks of Izabeka¡¯s attack and landed a powerful blow that shook the ground.

    ¡°Now!¡± Izabeka yelled, weaving the chains coming from both her hands and lunging at Janus.

    ¡°Pathetic,¡± Janus muttered and disappeared an instant before the impact. Then, he reappeared over Izabeka, and channeling a dangerous amount of mana around his blade, he buried the tip between her shoulder and collarbone.

    The chains hit the shadow barrier, sending a shower of sparks and making a hole the size of a Skeeth. The day of light invaded the dark area. Captain Kiln grabbed Janus¡¯ sword and pinned him in place. Instead of blinking away, he tried to recover his weapon.

    ¡°Run! Find Chieftain Alton!¡± Izabeka yelled, seemingly unfazed by the piece of iron deep into her body.

    Before I could react, a golden chain wrapped around my chest and threw me through the hole. The chilling cold bit my face. I was outside, rolling on the floor. [Awareness] helped me determine which direction was up, so I jumped to my feet, but the darkness barrier regenerated. The fact Janus didn¡¯t instantly chase me was proof enough that Izabeka was still alive inside. I forced myself to stick to the plan.

    Elincia¡¯s shared [Light-Footed] trait carried me through the city. Every time I meet a patrol, I send them in Captain Kiln¡¯s direction under the false excuse of Forest Warden Saplings coming out of the ground. None of the mid-level soldiers could ever harm Janus, but they were witnesses, and Janus couldn¡¯t kill them all without raising suspicion. I steeled my heart and ran towards the Eastern gate. Only [Awareness] and the vague hope Captain Kiln was safe kept me from panicking.

    I turned around the corner and bumped into a wall where it shouldn¡¯t be. I fell on my ass and massaged my nose. To my relief, it wasn¡¯t broken.

    ¡°Found him, Z!¡± The wall said.

    I recognized Risha¡¯s voice.

    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± I asked, looking around. [Awareness] told me we were alone, but I didn¡¯t trust the skill to detect a Void Jumper.

    ¡°I felt you were in danger, so Miss Elincia sent us both,¡± Zaon replied without stuttering once. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±

    I cursed my ancestors for my luck and the System for allowing fifteen-year-olds to have access to Classes.

    ¡°Janus is our man. He¡¯s targeting Zaon, Firana, and me,¡± I said as my mind rushed. ¡°Go back and stay close to Captain Garibal. I need to find Chieftain Alton.¡±

    I turned around and ran down the cobbled path. There wasn¡¯t time to lose, yet I heard the two sets of steps behind me. I stopped in my tracks.

    ¡°Do as I said,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not returning to the orphanage. If Janus wants me dead, I will not endanger the others,¡± Zaon said, matching my pace.

    I hated to admit he was right. Zaon and Firana were a risk for the rest of the orphanage.

    ¡°Come with me, Zaon,¡± I said. ¡°Risha, it¡¯s up to you to pass on the bad news. Tell Elincia. She will know what to do.¡±

    Risha gave me a painful look but ultimately nodded. ¡°You got it, Big Dog.¡±

    We split. Zaon guided me through the city, using his detection skills to avoid the rogue undead hidden in the alleys. The Eastern Gate was nearby. Out of nowhere, Zaon stopped me and put his finger against his lips.

    ¡°We have company,¡± he whispered.

    I prepared my mana blade without letting a single speck of mana come out from my body. I ruled out the possibility for our company to be Janus as Zaon couldn¡¯t detect him as a Level 1 Sentinel. Then, I heard the voices, and my blood froze.

    ¡°I swear my Spirit Animal saw them around here,¡± Ilya complained.

    ¡°An orc detection ritual wouldn¡¯t have missed them,¡± Wolf replied.

    I signaled Zaon to remain silent. We couldn¡¯t involve them. As long as they remained away from Janus, he would have no reason to kill them.

    Then, Firana, in her red billowy cape, landed in front of us.

    ¡°Found them!¡± She yelled and an instant later, Wolf and Ilya joined us.

    I looked around. There was no sign of Janus or other pursuers.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I angrily asked.

    ¡°I saw Zaon and Risha leaving. We are here to save you,¡± Firana said, proudly puffing her chest.

    My soul dropped to my feet, but [Awareness] told me this was all my fault. As usual, the skill was in the right. Classroom discipline has always been my weak point as a teacher. I wondered if things would¡¯ve been different if I had put my boot down since the very beginning.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to be here. Return to the orphanage right now! That¡¯s an order!¡± I said.

    ¡°We are adults, Rob,¡± Ilya replied.

    ¡°You are barely more than little kids with magic powers!¡± I snapped back, shutting down any complaints. ¡°Firana, Zaon, with me. Ilya and Wolf, you return to the orphanage and talk to Risha.¡±

    Ilya recoiled as if I had slapped her across the face.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. If Firana is coming, I will too,¡± the gnome girl said. Then, I noticed Byrne¡¯s shotgun strapped around her chest next to the Cooldown Bow. At least they hadn¡¯t been so careless to get out without a way of dealing with monsters. Did Elincia send them too?

    ¡°Give me that,¡± I said and grabbed the bag of shells from Ilya¡¯s hands. ¡°Janus has a Prestige Class, and he is trying to get us killed. I want you to be safe. Go to the orphanage, and if Janus appears, play dumb. He will not leave a blood trail.¡±

    This time, Ilya froze.

    ¡°I-I won''t abandon my family,¡± she stuttered.

    I massaged my temples. Damned be the gnomes and their loyalty. I took a deep breath and stopped for a moment to plan my next steps. Ilya and Wolf already knew about us. They wouldn¡¯t be safe even if they returned to the orphanage, as Janus could try to crack them. The key piece in this debacle was Chieftain Alton. Captain Kiln was right. If someone could hunt down a Prestige Class, it was another Prestige Class.

    ¡°Alright, Ilya. Use your Spirit Animal. We are looking for Chieftain Alton in the watchtower south of the pass into the Farlands,¡± I said as I resumed the march towards the Eastern Gate.

    Ilya summoned a small mana sparrow and threw it to the sky.

    A groan came from deep below, and the bells began to toll.

    ¡°The Forest Warden!¡± Zaon said.

    ¡°Run. We need to get out of the city,¡± I replied.

    Everything had turned to the worst. I channeled my mana and summoned my flying mana blades. Every time something similar to a root appeared near us, I slashed it down before it could turn into a Sapling. The kids hadn¡¯t enough strength to fend them off yet. Back in the arena, even mid-level warriors had trouble against them. The ground trembled as more and more roots emerged, sometimes blocking our path like solid walls, others just coiling around buildings. Soon I learned it was faster to ignore them.

    ¡°Patrols are gathering in the Western District, I think,¡± Zaon said.

    ¡°They are,¡± Ilya replied, closing her eyes and letting Wolf guide her through the street. ¡°There are several strange blooms growing from the roots.¡±

    Roots turned into Saplings before us, but Firana and I mowed them down. The flames from the Aias Sword roared in anger, and Firana did her best to keep the weapon under control. Ilya figured out that the monsters were gathering around the blooms, so our path was mostly clear. We exited the city and headed down the dirt road northeast of town. The farmlands were dead, and the ground was frozen. Tree-size roots had destroyed a windmill, and the whole area around the city was turned into an undead graveyard.

    We ran north, and shortly after, we reached the watchtower. Most of the royal army was inside the city as the Forest Warden wasn¡¯t coming from the Farlands but from underneath. I was worried about the other undead, but no Wraiths or Harpies had appeared yet.

    ¡°It looks empty,¡± Ilya said as I cut down a lone Sapling. She summoned a small white fox and sent them forward. A moment later, she shook her head.

    We climbed the ladder just to find an empty room.

    ¡°There¡¯s just Sentinel stuff. Cloaks, tents, preserved food,¡± Wolf pointed out.

    There was no indication of where Chieftain Alton had gone, but if I had to guess, he was in the city fighting the Forest Warden.

    ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a moment,¡± I said, returning to the ladder. ¡°Firana, we stand guard.¡±

    We climbed down, as we were the only ones equipped to deal with Saplings but all the roots around us seemed to be dead. I sat against one of the wooden columns and closed my eyes. What now? Trying to reach Prince Adrien? It wasn¡¯t a good idea. Janus had more value for the royalist faction. A person who could bypass a Fortifier¡¯s barrier would be a powerful ally, more powerful than the Caretaker of a rundown orphanage. I sighed and buried my head between my knees. Maybe I should¡¯ve taken the shotgun and gone to help Captain Kiln, but I couldn¡¯t change the past, no matter how much I wished for it.

    Firana sat beside me and leaned against my shoulder. Her silence worried me.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked.

    For a moment, I had let my weakness show.

    ¡°When I¡¯m with you, I know everything will be fine,¡± Firana replied.

    I used to feel like that when I was around my father, but he was gone now, and I was the only one standing between the kids and Janus.

    ¡°We have company!¡± Ilya yelled.

    I ran up the stairs. Down the road, a wounded Janus led a group of a dozen guardsmen, and they were already halfway between the city and the tower. Where was Izabeka? [Awareness] pushed that question to the back burner of my mind. I needed to focus on the imminent danger. If Janus managed to convince a group of guardsmen to follow him, that meant they didn¡¯t know Janus was an enemy. Captain Kiln might be dead. I cursed and checked my pocket. There was enough ammo to mow the group down, but then what? Let the Marquis give me the death penalty for killing the city¡¯s armed forces during a Monster Surge? No. I wanted to live a long life with Elincia and the kids.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Zaon asked.

    The sun set over the mountains, and a cold wave washed over the valley.

    ¡°Take everything you can. We leave in five,¡± I said.

    Without arguing, the kids readied their backpacks with the Sentinel¡¯s supplies. There was no doubt in their movements, just blind faith in my judgment. Five minutes later, our backpacks were loaded with everything we needed to survive outdoors. I looked at the kids, and a wave of pride hit me. I couldn¡¯t hope for a better company.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said.

    As the afternoon became night, Ice Wraiths poured down from the mountains, Undead Harpies filled the sky, and old skeletons raised from the earth, but instead of running to the safety of the city walls, we headed towards the Farlands.

 152 - In hide

    Chapter 152

    The Monster Surge got worse. Over the mountain range, a black storm cloud curled into a vortex and stationed over Farcrest. Dark and viscous mana particles charged the air and obscured the vision. I could barely see the outline of Ilya¡¯s back in front of me. The storm wasn¡¯t a natural phenomenon but an area spell¡ªtwo area spells, to be precise.

    I used Identify.

    [Black Storm]

    The spell, however, didn¡¯t discriminate friend from foe, and the undead were as blind as we were. Without being discovered, Ilya guided us into a cave in the stone wall. Her Spirit Animal was extra useful tonight.

    The wind swayed the perennial trees, and a chorus of rustles and cracks obscured my hearing to the point not even [Awareness] could isolate the background noise. If there was a Wendigo walking near the entrance of the cave, we wouldn¡¯t know until it peeked inside. We settled down in silence and rested our weary feet.

    The kids were exhausted, and I felt out of it, too. My mind, however, was running a thousand miles a minute, thinking of how best to protect the kids

    Calling our refuge a cave was too generous. The crevice went a couple of meters into the rock, but it was better than standing in the middle of the storm. I stood by the entrance, but the storm got worse, so I decided to return inside.

    ¡°Your blanket, Ilya,¡± I said after a moment of silence.

    The girl interrupted the contact with her [Spirit Animal], opened her eyes and rummaged through her backpack. The Sentinel¡¯s supplies were top-notch quality, but an enchanted blanket was better than a regular piece of cloth and a lot more useful in case of another area freezing spell. I focused on the fabric and channeled my mana, but the enchantment fizzled.

    Instinctively, I knew the problem. Enchanting a blanket would be trickier than enchanting a rock. The blanket, despite being a single object, was formed by thousands of little singular strands of spun wool threads. I doubted an Enchanter would enchant every single thread. Instead, they probably enchanted the whole yarn, and then a Craftsman would determine how many enchanted strands would end up in the fabric.

    I decided that one every fifth strand was enough, considering the chilling wind.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the time to start enchanting wool threads! There¡¯s a Monster Surge outside,¡± Ilya said. Despite her energetic voice, her slumped shoulders started to show signs of exhaustion.

    I didn¡¯t realize the implications of Ilya¡¯s words until later.

    ¡°He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight,¡± I said with a calm voice.

    ¡°Quickness is the essence of war,¡± Ilya retorted.

    ¡°The wise warrior avoids the battle,¡± I continued, wondering when I taught her more Sun Tzu quotes. It was during our sparring sessions, trying to fill the silence while they jogged in the ballroom. [Awareness] made it very easy to remember anything I had read in the past as long as I fed it enough mana.

    The wind roared, and the viscous dark mana blocked the already scarce light that entered the cave. My [Night Vision] was enough to see inside the cave, but the trait couldn¡¯t penetrate the storm. I scratched my chin, wondering what was the best way of keeping the cave safe. Ilya¡¯s [Spirit Animal] and Zaon¡¯s [Sentinel¡¯s Oath] were useful detection skills, but they were still low-level fighters, and I feared the skills wouldn¡¯t work against high-level undead. Kellaren and Janus had evaded my mana sense with ease, and only the rustle of their cloaks had set off my [Awareness]. Even then, I was feeding the skill considerable amounts of mana.

    I hoped the [Black Storm] kept us hidden like it had done while we crossed the mountain path into the Farlands.

    The silver lining was that Janus wasn¡¯t chasing us. The last thing Ilya¡¯s [Spirit Animal] saw before we left the effective range of the skill was Janus and the guardsmen retreating into Farcrest while wave after wave of undead fell from the mountain range and poured into the valley. For any unsuspecting observer, we were as good as dead. However, Lady Luck was on our side, and the [Black Storm] concealed our movements.

    The sun set over the mountains, and night fell upon the Farlands.

    ¡°What is the plan, then?¡± Ilya said, sitting on a small boulder. The oversized jacket made her look even smaller. There was no gnome-size equipment in the watchtower and no Sentinel around to file a complaint with.

    ¡°This is my first Monster Surge, so I¡¯m out of my element,¡± I replied.

    The plan I had formulated was straightforward: plow through the undead ranks until we find the orc tribes. I had an approximate idea of the locations of their outposts, and Wolf probably had his share of secret information. However, I wanted to hear the kid¡¯s ideas before making any decision. Whether I liked it or not, we had only one shot, and four out of five members of the party were underleveled. That was the hand dealt to us.

    ¡°I¡¯m open to ideas,¡± I said.

    Ilya dropped her head and rubbed her eyes.

    ¡°The chance of a bunch of level ones surviving in the Farlands is low. Surviving during a Monster Surge is zero. We are as good as dead. That¡¯s my input,¡± Ilya sighed.

    Her lack of faith bothered me, but I thought it could be the fatigue speaking.

    Firana wasn¡¯t having any of Ilya¡¯s self-loathing. She jumped to her feet, and I cast Silence Dome just as she opened her mouth.

    ¡°Chances? Don¡¯t talk to me about chances! You were supposed to be a Mender or some stupid crafter class. Zaon believed that his best shot in life was to become a Soldier. I didn¡¯t expect to be more than a Fencer. Now look at us! ¡±

    Each word hit like a hammer against the anvil, and Firana wasn¡¯t even halfway done.

    ¡°They said we couldn¡¯t do it; that fate doesn¡¯t smile at a bunch of orphans. But we did it. We worked hard, day after day, with the mud up to our knees and trained until our muscles burned. And even then, when we had nothing else to give, we continued pushing forward. Our success had nothing to do with chance, gentlemen. We defeated every single noble house in the Kingdom, and we fucking earned it! Odds mean nothing to us!¡±

    Usually, Firana wasn¡¯t the one keeping the group¡¯s harmony. She was the defiant one, the one who pushed things forward. I didn¡¯t expect such a demonstration of leadership, but her words were true from start to finish. Despite their bad initial hands, they had seized the opportunity and bent the hand of fate.

    Firana¡¯s radiant smile seemed to dispel the [Black Storm] as she put her hand over Wolf¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Even this brick-head learned which side to take the sword,¡± she grinned.

    With a single sentence, the tense atmosphere disappeared, and a smile tugged Ilya¡¯s lips.

    ¡°I understand you are mad at me, but I will not get a Class,¡± Wolf replied, pointing at the storm outside. ¡°Corruption and Monster Surges are literally the System¡¯s fault.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Mister Doom-and-gloomer, whatever your orc nanny told you,¡± Firana mockingly said.

    ¡°Wolf is right,¡± I said, and the cave fell silent. ¡°Corruption is the System¡¯s fault.¡±

    Firana and Zaon knew about the System Avatar. She had met him face to face, and I had revealed the truth to Zaon before his birthday in case the Avatar appeared before him during Class selection. I guessed it was the right time to tell them the whole truth.

    ¡°I have been keeping a secret from you, and I think the time to come clean has arrived. I¡¯m sorry for lying,¡± I said, picking my words carefully. Zaon already knew the full story. Firana only knew about the System Avatar. Ilya and Wolf were in complete darkness.

    ¡°Oh, we already know,¡± Ilya said. ¡°Zaon told us everything about the Man in Yellow and the Runeweaver. We noticed he was acting strange after his birthday, so we¡­ pressed him.¡±

    I looked at the elf boy.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Zaon muttered.

    I wasn¡¯t completely surprised. After teaching dozens of classes, I concluded that kids could be extremely keen and very convincing liars when they wanted to. Moreover, Ilya and Firana seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to Zaon''s affairs.

    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you, Zaon,¡± I sighed and turned around to face the rest of the group. ¡°Eventually, they would start asking questions about all the Light Stones and Warm Stones popping into the orphanage. I have to say that you scoundrels kept the secret very well.¡±

    Ilya looked away and crossed her arms. ¡°It¡¯s easy to forget that Mister Clarke isn¡¯t just a lame Scholar.¡±

    [Awareness] told me she was mad at me for keeping the secret.

    ¡°Mister Clarke is pretty cool all the time!¡± Firana jumped in my defense, which made me feel even more uncomfortable.

    ¡°I agree with Firana,¡± Zaon pointed out.

    ¡°He has that orc flair most can only dream of achieving,¡± Wolf interjected, half joking.

    I felt my face getting increasingly warm. While I appreciated their compliments, I was used to the opposite reaction from my students. Being the slightly odd and antiquated teacher had worked best for me, keeping kids at bay and preventing them from getting too comfortable. Sun Tsu¡¯s quotes, however, seemed to have the opposite effect on the kids of this world.

    It was the moment to turn the page and attend to more pressing matters.

    ¡°If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles,¡± I said. If they had further questions, I was sure they would voice them. For now, I could freely share the information I had. ¡°What do you think is the best course of action?¡±

    The kids exchanged serious glances, and all joking stopped.

    ¡°We need to get to the permanent settlements, but for that, we have to get deep into the Farlands. If we are lucky, we can find an outpost, but with the Monster Surge, I think all of them returned with the main clan,¡± Wolf said.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I had the same idea. A small group was at a disadvantage in the Farlands, and we needed the protection of the herd.

    ¡°Level up!¡± Firana jumped, her eyes burning bright. ¡°If we want to traverse the Farlands, we will need levels!¡±

    ¡°I doubt finding low-level monsters in this environment will be easy. Most of them should¡¯ve gotten out of the Monster Surge way,¡± Ilya replied. ¡°And before any of you mention Mister Clarke¡¯s manablade, he is too high level. He will leech all the experience.¡±

    The kids were reaching all the right conclusions except for one.

    ¡°When I became a Runeweaver, my level was reset. I¡¯m a mere level five right now,¡± I said with a mischievous smile.

    We were going to power level so hard the System Avatar would have to call all the rogue subroutines to put special restrictions on my name.

    ¡°Level five, uh? In that case, the leech shouldn¡¯t be too harsh,¡± Ilya grinned. Then she turned towards the other kids. ¡°We might gain levels more quickly than usual, but raw strength isn¡¯t everything. Don¡¯t forget the lessons Mister Clarke has been teaching us during all these months.¡±

    Firana rolled her eyes. ¡°You know how to drain the fun from everything, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Ilya opted to ignore her.

    The [Black Storm] raged, turning the cave¡¯s entrance into an impenetrable curtain. I enchanted a few Warm Stones, and we settled down in the deepest part of the cave. Unless a stray monster decided to search for refuge in the crevice, we were virtually invisible until daybreak.

    ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯ll take the first watch,¡± I said. The chance of being found was slim but not zero, and I was the best suited to take on monsters.

    The kids wrapped themselves in the Warm Blankets, and a moment later, they were sleeping. I was left alone with my thoughts and the sound of the storm. Captain Kiln was probably dead, and Janus was going to do everything in his reach to ensure we were dead. The ring in my hand tugged me toward Farcrest, toward Elincia. She couldn¡¯t know I was alive. It would arouse suspicion. I pulled the ring off my finger, the runes went out, and the connection was broken.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eli, but it¡¯s for your own safety,¡± I said, putting the ring in my pocket.

    Surviving the Monster Surge was only half of our fight. I also had to become strong enough to kill Janus. There wasn¡¯t another way out. I examined the shell pouch Ilya had given me. Among Ginz¡¯s prototype ammo, there was the bright red shell from Earth. The chance of a dud was less than one in a thousand. I wondered if a Void Jumper was nimble enough to dodge a gunshot.

    I put the shell in my pocket as a luck charm and vowed to make Janus regret betraying the orphanage. This was personal. I shut down [Awareness] and let the anger fuel my body. The world wasn''t going to turn for the better just because I wished to, but maybe I could bend its arm. The System had given me the power to force the change and I planned to start using it to the fullest.

    I summoned Rune Enciclopedia and Rune Debugger.

    ¡°If the world doesn''t give you time to learn how to walk, you better start running,¡± I muttered my father¡¯s words. I used to hate them. As a teacher, my job was to teach kids step by step. Now, however, I understood. Time was a privilege.

    I had new enchanted items recorded in my memory: Holst¡¯s Enchanted Timer and the Silence Dome Cup I saw Janus and Prince Adrien use. This was going to be fun.

    _______________

    I woke the kids as soon as dawn broke. Ilya jumped to her feet, hands on her hips, and her short brown hair turned into a bramble. She gave me a scolding look and chastised me for not waking her early for the change of guard.

    ¡°I drank a Minor Stamina Potion,¡± I said, trying to appease her rage. Despite being about half my age, and about three-quarters my size, Ilya had the poise of a grumpy old-school math teacher.

    The night had been fruitful, and my Rune Enciclopedia had several new entries. Holst¡¯s Enchanted Timer was fairly easy to crack. The Hourglass rune was a derivation from the Gradual rune. Gradual discharged mana according to the amount of mana in storage: the more mana in storage, the faster the discharge. That was the reason Light Stones lost luminescent power as time went by. Hourglass, on the other hand, discharged mana at a constant rate set by the enchanter.

    Then, the mana stored in the Hourglass rune fed a simple Light-Gradual subcircuit engraved in the circular crevice around the pocket watch. My greatest discovery, however, was that the spatial position of the runes determined the order of effect. The Hourglass rune fed two subcircuits: the one that showed the amount of time left and the one that indicated the moment the time ran out, in this case, a simple Vibration-Instantaneous enchantment that released a ¡®ping¡¯ when the mana was depleted.

    The Enchanted Timer was made from three different sub-enchantments. First: User, Recharge, Hourglass. Second: Detect, Stockpile, Light, Gradual. Third: Detect, Depletion, Vibration, Instantaneous. The initial recharge didn¡¯t set off the Light or Vibration runes but rather was triggered when the condition was fulfilled.

    I was totally working on a timed fire grenade as soon as I had time.

    Ilya¡¯s anger disappeared when I explained my discoveries and I knew that part of her still didn¡¯t accept I was a legendary Runeweaver. At least none of the kids seemed to look at me differently.

    We had a light breakfast of bread, jerky, and cheese before leaving the cave. The [Black Storm] had lost strength to the point it was possible to see beyond one¡¯s extended hand. Ilya summoned her Spirit Animals, a small fox, and a sparrow, and sent them forward. Then, we headed north through the dense forest. My mental compass helped us keep the path despite the mounts and gorges.

    ¡°I want to find a monster already,¡± Firana said.

    ¡°The retreat order has priority. Understood?¡± I reminded them.

    All the kids nodded except for Firana.

    We walked for hours without encountering any monster, which led me to believe the night had been difficult for Farcrest''s defenders. I fought against the impulse to put the Enchanted Ring back on and focused on the path ahead. We needed to make the most of the moments between monster waves. As we advanced, the terrain became increasingly rough, with huge roots blocking the animal trails and thick walls of bramble.

    I used Identify just to get an incomplete explanation.

    Roots of the Forest Warden.

    ¡°Halt!¡± Ilya muttered.

    We crouched behind a huge root. Ilya closed her eyes and saw through the eyes of her [Spirit Animal]. After a minute, she opened her eyes again. The skill consumed quite the amount of mana for a level two Hunter.

    ¡°There¡¯s an Undead Black Wolf nearby.¡±

    ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± Firana replied.

    ¡°We can go around if we walk five minutes to the west,¡± Ilya said, still ignoring Firana.

    I shook my head. We needed to get stronger, and a lone undead was the perfect prey.  ¡°We fight. Zaon and I will be on the frontline and attract its aggression. Firana will be right behind us. Ilya and Wolf, you are the backline. Remember, undead are immune to pain and fear, and small wounds will not slow it down. Be on guard until the very end. Understood?¡±

    The kids nodded. Zaon wrapped the small buckler from the Sentinel¡¯s stash around his forearm. Casting [Steadfast Shield] with a focus was easier and spent less mana. Our scarcest resource was time, so anything that saved us a short rest was welcomed. Zaon nodded, and we advanced on the frontline.

    Across a small clearing, a single Undead Black Wolf the size of a pony stood completely still, looking north. For an instant, I thought it was already dead, but the rustle of leaves made him turn around, giving us his side. It looked disoriented, as if it was waiting for orders.

    Undead Black Wolf (Corrupted) Lv.9. Magical Abomination. Man Eater. Kin Eater. [Identify] The dead body of a mature Black Wolf brought back to life by a powerful magician. Undead monsters maintain the characteristics of their living counterparts, but the senses of this creature have been dulled by decay. Weakness: Magic, Mana Drain, Fire, Shotgun.

    ¡°Ilya, Wolf, you two go first,¡± I whispered.

    We crouched behind the edge of the clearing, about thirty meters from the monster. Ilya nocked an arrow on her Cooldown Bow, and Wolf put a stone in his Wind Sling. They exchanged a glance, and Ilya charged the bow for half a minute before standing over the thicket. She aimed, channeling her mana, and the arrow tip glowed white. Then, she let the string go.

    The arrow blew a hole in the Undead Wolf¡¯s side. A living being should¡¯ve dropped dead instantly, but the undead creature turned toward us. Immediately after, Wolf jumped to his feet and spun the sling over his head. The wind enchantment accelerated the sling, and he shot. The pebble hit the Undead Wolf¡¯s shoulder, producing a loud crack. The monster, however, didn¡¯t slow down.

    ¡°Now!¡± I yelled, summoning my mana shield and entering the clearing.

    Zaon followed, his shield shining with a silvery aura. The undead monster rammed against us, jaws open. The hit made my skeleton shudder. Keeping the Crystal Matriarch in place hadn¡¯t been an easy task, but now I realized Risha did almost all the work. The wolf bit Zaon¡¯s shield and pushed us back over the slippery ground. It was way stronger than a normal Black Wolf, but I refrained from summoning my mana blade. The experience had to go to the kids.

    Firana jumped over our heads, the Aias Sword burning in her hand. Putting the whole weight of her body behind the blade, she stabbed the Undead Wolf through the back. The creature turned around without whimpering once, causing the sword to cut through its flesh. Before it could bite Firana, the girl jumped back to safety.

    The Aias Sword, having absorbed the monster¡¯s mana, burned bright.

    ¡°Careful, everyone! It¡¯s not over!¡± I yelled.

    The Undead Wolf stumbled to the side, and its legs faltered. One of its weaknesses was Mana Drain, but I didn¡¯t expect Firana¡¯s attack to be that effective. Suddenly, the fire around Aias Sword turned black, and Firana let out a yelp of surprise. Then, the Undead Wolf¡¯s ribcage exploded, showing a mass of bloody tendrils.

    My memory sent me back to the cave where I had fought the Lich.

    I channeled my mana, but before I could summon my mana blade, Firana used [Gust Blade] and showered the undead in a stream of fire. Behind us, Ilya and Wolf continued with their ranged attacks, smashing the creature¡¯s joints with arrows and stones. Meanwhile, Zaon and I stood our ground in case the monster decided to charge.

    The seconds extended like hours, but finally, the undead shrieked and fell to the ground, turned into a slump of burned flesh and ash. We exchanged a look of relief. For a mere level nine monster, it had endured quite a beating before going down.

    I didn¡¯t get to identify the black remains of the Corruption because putrid roots emerged from the ground and pulled the body underground. The carcass was gone. The Forest Warden seemed hungry.

    ¡°Anyone wounded?¡± I asked, but the kids shook their heads.

    Zaon carefully inspected his arms and legs.

    ¡°That was freaky,¡± Firana said, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

    ¡°I hope that plant doesn¡¯t steal our experience,¡± Zaon pointed out after finding he was unscathed.

    Despite the proximity of the monster¡¯s jaws, he remained composed during the fight. It made me a bit proud. The four kids had worked perfectly in synchronization, and Firana had found the precise moment to unleash her skills without hurting us.

    ¡°If that thing stole my experience¡ª¡± Firana grunted.

    ¡°Here it comes!¡± I said.

    Undead Black Wolf (Corrupted) slain.

    Level up!

    You have obtained a new skill.

    [Invigoration] acquired.

    I wasn¡¯t going to complain, but I would rather have a Runeweaver Skill instead of a Scholar¡¯s.

    ¡°If we continue this way, we will be level twenty in no time,¡± Firana grinned.

    ¡°Well, if you finished playing with the System, we should go. I would rather leave before those rotten roots start coiling around my ankles,¡± Wolf said.

    I could see the eagerness on the kid¡¯s faces. Leveling up, after all, felt really good, and for Zaon and Firana, it was their first time. Wolf was right, though. The Forest Warden''s roots looked strong and dangerous.

    ¡°Let¡¯s resume the march,¡± I said.

    We grabbed their equipment and walked north, leaving a scorch mark on the ground as the only indication of the fight. Going forward, the terrain only got worse. Roots big as school buses blocked the path, and the dense canopy of perennial trees prevented Ilya¡¯s Spirit Sparrow from relaying information from the sky. We tried to take a detour to the west, but the valley was slowly getting harder and harder to traverse. Ilya had the worst time of all of us, but she didn¡¯t complain once.

    ¡°What if we go through the mountains?¡± Wolf said.

    ¡°I want to avoid traveling in the open and get ambushed by a flock of harpies,¡± I replied.

    We stopped for a short rest. The orc tribes were to the north, so we hadn¡¯t much choice but to power through the valley. It hadn¡¯t passed a minute when, suddenly, Ilya raised her head.

    ¡°There¡¯s more undead nearby,¡± she whispered.

    With a nod, I put my waterskin down and packed in silence.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get another few levels,¡± Firana grinned.

    We moved in silence, surrounding a rotten bramble. Ilya stopped us behind a root high as a car. I peeked over, just to find a small group of Undead Wolves and Harpies. Behind them, protruding from the Forest Warden roots, there was a strange red and yellow bloom. A sense of unease invaded my body, but before I could turn around, the bloom opened.

 153 - Scion Pod

    The bloom opened, revealing a translucent red pod crossed by vein-like structures and filled with a cloudy liquid. My mana sense couldn¡¯t penetrate its surface, and it looked like a patch of void against the background of rich colors. Two Undead Black Wolves and two Undead Harpies stood guard around the pod, all under level five.

    I cast [Identify], but despite the [Consulting Detective] title I had gotten during the feast and its promised improved descriptions, the System prompt was lacking.

    Corrupted Immature Scion Pod.

    I ducked behind the root. Unless whatever eldritch abomination gestating inside the pod decided to pop out, the undead group would certainly give us another level. Wolf and his Wind Sling could ground the Harpies with a precise shot to their wings, and the Undead Black Wolves were only level two and three, respectively. It could be done even if I avoided picking up the kill. Around me, the kids already had their weapons in their hands. Despite the dopamine rush from leveling up, they were calm and focused.

    ¡°Let¡¯s avoid the Scion Pod,¡± I said. ¡°Wolf and Ilya will try to shoot down the Harpies. If they can¡¯t fly out of our reach, we will have an easy time dealing with them on the ground. Once grounded, Wolf will join us in close-quarter combat. Firana and Zaon, you two will join me in the frontline. Zaon, let me know if you are low on mana. I don¡¯t want to leech experience, but I will take the kill if things get out of control. Understood?¡±

    The kids nodded.

    Wolf and Zaon had a particularly bad matchup against the Harpies and their Paralyzing Screech. Still, I couldn¡¯t waste an opportunity for the kids to gain experience if I wanted them to survive. Going onwards, the challenges would only get harder.

    ¡°If you feel you are in danger, make the call. Pride will not earn you anything if you are dead. Remember, our goal is to return home alive,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    We silently climbed the car-sized root formation. Wolf and Ilya remained on top while we dropped as silently as we could. Adrenaline flowed through my body, and [Awareness] cleared my mind of any unwanted thoughts. My senses became sharper, and the passage of time seemed to slow down. At my left, Zaon¡¯s blank expression told me he was in a similar state. Firana rolled her shoulders and grinned, savoring the feeling of anticipation. They were like day and night.

    We slowly crept up on the undead monsters, [Awareness] telling me where to step to minimize the sound of our approach. Although the Undead were stronger versions of their living counterparts, their senses were dull, which was perfect for our ambush. Even without a Silence Dome around us, we stopped ten meters away without being discovered. The Scion Pod remained still without a sign of movement.

    I looked over my shoulder and gave Wolf and Ilya the thumbs-up. None of them would miss from twenty or thirty meters. Just like during our previous fight, Ilya nocked her arrow and aimed. She charged the shot for only a second before letting go. The arrowhead shone bright, and with a thud, it embedded in the harpy¡¯s shoulder.

    The other harpy reacted by taking off, but before it could use Paralyzing Screech, I cast my Stun Gaze. The spell shot from my eye and hit the Harpy squarely in the chest, freezing it in place. Wolf¡¯s shot whistled past my head and hit the stunned harpy in the elbow, shattering the bone. The other monsters noticed our presence, so I jumped over the thicket and summoned a wide mana shield to break the undead formation. I bent the shield in a concave shape to funnel them towards me.

    The worst part was the smell. None of the reanimated corpses were fresh.

    Mana crackled in my hands as I pushed back an Undead Wolf and a Harpy. They weren¡¯t smart enough to go around the barrier. Meanwhile, Zaon attracted the aggro from the other Undead Black Wolf. The boy blocked with his [Steadfast Shield] and steadied his stance to endure the wolf¡¯s thrashing. Firana encircled the beast, using her [Windrider], and stabbed its spine. The Aias Sword drained the beast¡¯s energy and turned it into flames.

    Black tendrils emerged from the wolf¡¯s wounds.

    ¡°Disengage!¡± I yelled as soon [Awareness] told me Ilya¡¯s bow was ready to shoot again.

    Firana jumped over my head into the safety of my barrier, and Zaon released his [Steadfast Shield], letting the creature bite thin air, and with a nimble jump, he stepped away. Ilya¡¯s [Piercing Arrow] blew a hole in the wolf¡¯s ribcage, destroying the Corruption tendrils before they could attack. I wasn¡¯t sure if the skill had an explosive feature integrated or if Ilya was overcharging the spell somehow, but the damage output was alarming.

    Zaon and Firana surrounded one of the grounded harpies. The monster scratched the air, but without its wings, it was barely a hazard. Taking turns to attack, they killed the monster without much problem, and no more corrupted tendrils appeared.

    ¡°Good job, kids! I¡¯m going to drop the barrier!¡± I yelled as the remaining Undead Black Wolf and Harpy huddled together in an unsuccessful attempt to break my barrier.

    ¡°I¡¯m low on mana!¡± Ilya yelled back.

    As I suspected, she was overcharging her spells.

    Suddenly, roots emerged around the bodies of the undead and dragged them underground. None of them showed interest in us or the last monsters and promptly disappeared after swallowing the putrid carcasses.

    ¡°Ignore them!¡± I said.

    We exchanged a quick glance, and I let the barrier down. The monsters fell forward, and an instant later, an arrow struck the harpy¡¯s shoulder, and a whistling stone blew a hole in its softened skull. Zaon moved by my side, his [Steadfast Shield] widening the area of his buckler so his arm was safe from the wolf¡¯s maw. Firana didn¡¯t make Zaon wait, and landing in the wolf¡¯s blindspot, she slashed its hind legs. A moment later, the fight was over.

    ¡°Good job, everyone,¡± I said as the roots absorbed the remaining carcasses.

    I gave the kids a quick look. Zaon¡¯s leather bracers were scratched, as well as his gloves, but the integrity of the armor seemed to hold. Firana had a small scratch on her left cheek, but I couldn¡¯t tell if it was due to the fight or a rogue bramble vine. I put a drop of the Minor Health Potion on a piece of cloth and applied it to the area.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch,¡± Firana complained, trying to move her head away.

    ¡°What did Miss Elincia tell us about leveling trips?¡± Ilya jumped the high root with Wolf¡¯s help and joined us.

    ¡°They are usually cut short by minor injuries,¡± Firana grumbled, finally standing still.

    The wound sizzled, Firana winced, and Ilya seemed pleased.

    ¡°Any level up?¡± I asked as I put the medicine back in the potion pouch.

    The kids shook their heads. A single low-level undead monster per head wasn¡¯t enough to make them level up anymore. Not that it was a problem. There had to be hundreds of monsters prowling around. Getting to level ten took normal people about a year, but it was faster near the Farlands and even faster if monsters decided to attack your town. During Ilya¡¯s First Hunt, it took us three days to kill a single monster. Adding the difficulty of putting together a team with similar levels, it was no surprise people progressed so slowly.

    Seeing everyone was healthy, I turned around and examined the Corrupted Scion Pod. It was bigger than I initially expected. The red and yellow petals prevented me from seeing anything but the tip of the pod, but after the fight, the process was complete. The pod was an elongated sphere as big as a gnome filled with cloudy orange liquid and strange vein-like formations.

    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± I asked.

    Ilya shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t recall any mentions of this kind of thing during the Forest Warden Monster Surge.¡±

    ¡°We should smash it,¡± Firana said.

    Wolf put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Have you seen what happens if you smash a Snare Jumper egg sac?¡±

    ¡°You get Snare-Jumped,¡± Zaon said, but no one found his joke funny.

    [Identify] still didn¡¯t give me a detailed explanation of the Corrupted Scion Pod, and I wondered if it was because the Forest Warden was too high-level.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I finally said. It was better to avoid trouble until the kids leveled up a little more. ¡°Saplings don¡¯t yield experience, so destroying the pod probably doesn¡¯t.¡±

    Firana begrudgingly obeyed. We grabbed our backpacks and resumed the march north. The weather worsened, and it started snowing. Our progress was painfully slow as the root system grew in size, and brambles, hard as steel, had seized the forest bed. My mana blades were useful to mow the brambles but the roots were too hard and thick. Ilya had a particularly hard time traversing the terrain due to her height and the size of her backpack. Sentinels didn¡¯t have gnome-size backpacks either, so Ilya was trapped with a human-size one.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Are we approaching the Forest Warden¡¯s tree trunk?¡± Zaon asked after a while. Considering the size of the roots, I also believed we were approaching the origin of the root system.

    ¡°My Spirit Sparrow didn¡¯t detected any giant trees stretching into the clouds, but the Black Storm blocked the vision. Should I summon it again?¡± Ilya said.

    I stopped her before she could use the spell. Ilya¡¯s Spirit Fox had been running ahead of us for hours. Ilya¡¯s mana reserves were too low already due to the constant usage of [Spirit Animal] and the Piercing Arrows. If we found more monsters, which we certainly were going to, I wanted her to have a means of defending herself. I wondered if I should feed her one of the Mana Potions, but I decided not to and save it for an emergency.

    ¡°Save mana for combat, Ilya. We have to go north nonetheless,¡± I said, looking at Wolf. ¡°Unless there is another way to reach the tribes?¡±

    Wolf¡¯s expression softened into a thoughtful frown.

    ¡°We can go west, but it will be a two-day detour, and even then, I can¡¯t say it will be devoid of roots.¡±

    Two extra days on the road meant twice the chance of finding powerful monsters, and if the Lich was out there, the risk wasn¡¯t worth it. Even with my current powers, I felt my chances of winning were slim. This time, playing around with Corruption was out of the question because I needed my mana pool to runeweave for the System Avatar¡¯s mission.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a rest,¡± I said.

    ¡°I can continue, really,¡± Ilya replied.

    ¡°What do you mean? My feet are killing me,¡± I said, sitting down and taking off my boots.

    The kids sat around me in a tight circle. To the north and west, a root system the size of a house blocked the path, and a huge pine sheltered us from the snow, so we were as covered as possible. The roots were nurturing the Corrupted Scions; there was no doubt about it, and I wanted to be far north in a cozy orc tent when they hatched. To achieve that, we needed speed, and so far, Firana had been the only one equipped to traverse the rough terrain.

    ¡°Firana, give me your boots,¡± I said.

    Surprisingly enough, she obeyed without complaint. I grabbed the boots and examined the soles. They were a sturdy pair, perfect for long periods in the Farlands and perfect for enchanting. I summoned my [Rune Encyclopedia] and [Rune Debugger]. The kids looked at me like I was crazy at first, but after a quick explanation, they were amazed. Runeweaving, after all, was a thing of legend.

    Having my eyes stuck into an invisible cube made me self-conscious, so I used [Minor Illusion] to create the equivalent of the [Rune Encyclopedia] and the [Rune Debugger] working area. The kids looked in awe, and even Ilya, who remained vigilant, peeked over every now and then. My theory was to engrave a similar enchantment as the one in Firana¡¯s cape. If I changed the Absorption rune for the Recharge or Hourglass rune, I might muster enough mana to mimic Firana¡¯s [Aerokinesis].

    Creating a secondary enchantment to manage landings would require hours, if not days of development, so for the moment, I had to trust the kid¡¯s sense of self-preservation while using the boots. After a few attempts on the [Rune Debugger], I prepared myself to enchant the boots. It was my first time runeweaving a seven-rune enchantment, and I knew it would take a huge chunk of my mana pool. Wolf¡¯s Wind Sling had only five runes, and it had been a blow to my reserves.

    Luckily, my mana pool was almost full.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s all or nothing,¡± I said, tapping into the Fountain to slowly recharge my reserves as I poured my mana into the boots. I did it as slowly as I could. Instinctively, I knew there was a threshold I shouldn¡¯t cross, or the enchantment would fail. I thanked the System for kneading the information directly into my brain. As much as cheat as a the process was, it was coming in handy.

    I stood still for twenty minutes, slowly pouring mana into the circuit. I lost track of time as I put all my focus on the process. Then, the circuit was closed, and the enchantment glowed with a faint green and golden hue. I smiled as no prompt or symptoms of mana depletion appeared.

    ¡°Alright, Firana, put them on and try to jump on top of that root. It works just like your enchanted cape,¡± I said as I preemptively recharged the runes. ¡°Just be sure to aim downwards.¡±

    The girl gave me a confused expression. ¡°I mean, I appreciate it, but I don¡¯t need enchanted boots to jump that high.¡±

    ¡°Mister Clarke wants you to test if the enchantment is safe, you airhead.¡± Wolf rolled his eyes. ¡°If something goes wrong, you can always use your aerokinesis to soften the landing.¡±

    Firana put on the boots with a wide smile on her face.

    ¡°Let it be clear that Mister Clarke gave me an enchanted item crafted by him before all of you,¡± she said, jumping to her feet and firmly strapping the backpack to her waist.

    Wolf opened his mouth to reply but decided it wasn¡¯t worth it. He looked at his sling and smiled. His hunch was correct: the Wind Sling was also my work. We exchanged a knowing glance but our attention was quickly drawn by Firana.

    ¡°Start slowly! I don¡¯t exactly know how much magic you need to use,¡± I said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister Clarke. I have a perfect understanding of airdynamics,¡± Firana smiled.

    Before I could tell her that the correct word was aerodynamics, Firana activated her boots and shot upwards. Using Firana as the guinea pig was a wise decision because the girl flew three meters over our heads before landing like a feather in the same spot. She seemed pleased with the experiment.

    ¡°I think these are more efficient than my aerokinesis,¡± Firana said.

    With a running start, Firana jumped on the root I had pointed to. She used just the right amount of mana, and her landing was flawless. It seemed like the videos of people jumping from a high platform into an elastic jumping bed. Then, Firana dropped and activated the boots just as she touched the ground, nullifying the fall.

    ¡°It requires a bit of practice, but you can also soften the landing,¡± Firana said despite the fact she had done it on the first try.

    I felt the System prompt before it popped.

    New recipe achieved!

    Updating Rune Encyclopedia.

    Jumping Boots have been added to the recipe list.

    I opened the Rune Encyclopedia and noticed a violet marker midway through the pages. With a mere thought, the pages moved to the Recipe List section. The Warm Stone, Light Stone, Flash Bomb, and Blanket of Warmth were already there despite the lack of prompt. Those were recipes I had performed before getting access to the Rune Encyclopedia, after all. Afterwards, there was Robert¡¯s Wind Sling and, finally, the Jumping Boots.

    I examined the Recipe List.

    Recipe List: No more forgetting the right rune order. Familiar enchantments are also easier to enchant. [Identify] The Recipe List provides the Runeweaver with a record of all their past successful enchantments. Known recipes require 5% less mana to engrave. Depends on the Runeweaver¡¯s rank.

    ¡°Nice,¡± I muttered, rubbing my hands like a filthy fly. ¡°So, who¡¯s ready for some Air Clarkes?¡±

    Despite the kids not understanding, my pops would¡¯ve been proud of that one.

    I had enough mana for another set of boots, so I did Ilya¡¯s. I could¡¯ve done a third pair, but I needed to keep my mana pool at a healthy level in case we found a bigger foe. I enchanted in silence, letting the System guide me through the process. The [Identify] text in the Recipe List was interesting because it hinted that Runeweavers had ranks just like Scholars and Alchemists. I wondered what I should do to achieve the Bronze Rank and what benefits it would give me. [Silver Scholar] only gave me a boost in mana, but so did every one of my Scholar Titles.

    I needed to unlock more runes and more recipes.

    Firana and Wolf helped Ilya to get accustomed to her enchanted boots. At first, she used very little mana, just enough to raise a few centimeters above a regular jump. Then, she started to get the gist of it, and as long as there was someone on top of the root to help with the landing¡ªthe backpack heavy was enough to throw her off balance sometimes¡ªshe managed herself.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue,¡± I said. ¡°We still have a few hours of light before sunset.¡±

    We continued in silence at a better pace. The snow barely piled up, but if the weather worsened, we would be in trouble. Firana teased Wolf, telling him to give up his orc roots and become a Geomancer. Wolf rejected her again and again until Firana got bored. I could tell that Wolf, despite his calm and composed demeanor, was actually nervous.

    ¡°Orcs are hardy people; a bunch of undead shouldn¡¯t be a problem for them,¡± I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure Dassyra and her warriors are keeping the Monster Surge at bay.¡±

    Wolf just nodded.

    After a while, Ilya¡¯s Spirit Fox found a huge root facing north.

    ¡°We can walk on top like it is a highway.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°That would be handy,¡± I replied.

    The snowfall didn''t seem to get any worse, but it had started to pile up, hiding crevices and cracks on the uneven terrain. The root was as tall as I was, so Firana jumped on top and helped us lift our equipment. Then, we helped each other climb over it. Last was Ilya, who activated her Jumping Boots with a little too much mana and almost jetted by if not for Wolf catching her mid-flight.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting better, I swear,¡± she grumbled as the orc boy put her down.

    ¡°Mistakes are part of the process,¡± I reminded her for the thousandth time since my arrival at the orphanage.

    ¡°I know,¡± Ilya sighed, straightening her clothes. ¡°It¡¯s just embarrassing.¡±

    The path over the root system dramatically improved our pace. The surface was so broad that two or three of us could walk side by side without falling to the ground. If the root continued straight to the north, we would leave the valley behind by the evening. We found another small group of undead guarding an immature scion pod, but we were able to ambush them from above and finish them quickly. This time, Zaon and Wolf were trapped by Harpy¡¯s Paralyzing Screech, but Ilya and Firana finished the fight before they could be hurt.

    The fight gave the kids one level each, leaving Ilya at level four and Firana and Zaon at level three. They swore they were starting to feel faster and stronger, but it probably was the pleasant feeling of leveling up. Despite not having a Class, Wolf¡¯s Wind Sling let him be as effective as the others. Enchanted items were a giant advantage at low levels. No wonder it was so easy for the wealthy and the nobles to kick-start their Classes.

    After the fight, I noticed the kids running low on mana, so I ordered them to stop casting spells for a while¡ªIlya couldn¡¯t help but summon her [Spirit Animal] to look ahead, and Firana used her [Aerokinesis] to clean the patches of snow from the root. We continued until the sun was about to set, and we started to look for a place to spend the night.

    ¡°Come on, Wolfie, become a Geomancer and build a nice refuge for us,¡± Firana teased him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her,¡± Ilya interjected with a mocking grin. ¡°She probably misses her weird Geomancer girlfriend. Belya Nara was her name?¡±

    Firana rolled her eyes. ¡°Mister Clarke! Ilya is bothering me again¡ª¡±

    Suddenly, the root vibrated as if someone was hitting the surface with a jackhammer. It wasn¡¯t the kind of movement a plant could make. [Awareness] honed my senses, but I couldn¡¯t detect anything out of the ordinary. Against my orders, Ilya summoned her Spirit Sparrow and sent it flying forward. However, the answer came from Zaon.

    ¡°Bees!¡± The elven boy yelled.

 154 - Not the bees

    Dozens of bees skittered over the root system, but unlike those at home, these were the size of big dogs, and they didn¡¯t seem happy about our presence. Their elongated bodies were covered in black and orange fur except for their abdomens, which looked like shiny black armor plates. They had sharp, black eyes, strong legs, and knife-like stingers. On top of their bodies were two pairs of beautiful translucent wings that weren¡¯t strong enough to fly but allowed them to jump short distances, much like chickens.

    Juvenile Mana Stinger Swarm Lv.1. Magical Beast. [Identify] Juvenile Mana Stingers are peaceful monsters that frequent lush areas of the deep Farlands. If an intruder is in their territory, they will not stop until the threat is expelled or killed. Weakness: Wind, Fire, Shotgun.

    [Awareness] counted thirty-two bees slowly crawling their way toward us. My first reaction was to summon my mana shards and mow down the cluster of bees, but [Awareness] stopped me. If I leveled up faster than the kids, I would end up disrupting their leveling. The greater the level difference was, the more experience I would leech away from them. I wondered if the best course of action was to retreat.

    ¡°It seems we found an experience pi?ata,¡± Firana grinned.

    ¡°They outnumber us six to one, though,¡± I replied.

    Ilya pulled her bow and nocked an arrow. ¡°We will be okay as long as they don¡¯t stab us in the throat. Mana Stingers are an easy source of experience, and low-level combatants dream of finding a swarm during their first raids.¡±

    ¡°At least they aren¡¯t Snare Jumpers,¡± Zaon said, grabbing his sword and shield.

    I nodded, trusting Ilya¡¯s assessment. The more we leveled up, the better our chances of survival would be in the long run. The stingers were barely bigger than a Swiss army knife, and our hardened leather jackets were probably enough to block lethal attacks in the off case we got overwhelmed.

    ¡°Same strategy! I¡¯ll block the front. You deal with those who manage to pass by,¡± I yelled, channeling my mana and summoning a mana shield. The terrain favored us, as the root only allowed a certain amount of bees to walk on top.

    Wolf grabbed his round shield and sword instead of his Wind Sling, and Firana lit her enchanted sword. The swarm crashed against the mana shield, pushing me back. Despite their size, the bees packed quite the punch. The crash sent several bees to the ground, but they climbed back up past the barrier with their hook feet. I drew my sword, but Firana and Zaon were already there to cover me.

    A bee jumped on Zaon, but he smacked it with his shield.

    Ilya used her enchanted boots to jump over my head and shoot at the swarm. The arrow penetrated a bee¡¯s armored abdomen, but the creature continued pushing against my shield. As Zaon, Firana, and Wolf fended off the first wave of stray bees, the swarm figured out my barrier was an impenetrable obstacle. The bees retreated and walked around the root. I tried to extend the mana barrier on both sides, but the further from me it went, the harder it was to keep its integrity. Unlike the undead, the Mana Stingers were smart.

    ¡°Bees coming from the east!¡± I said as the monsters crawled and skittered past my barrier.

    Firana used [Aerokinesis] and pushed back the cluster, but the Mana Stingers held onto the root with their hook-like feet. [Awareness] counted seven bees already past my mana barrier. Wolf alone was fighting against three of them. He cut the first one clean in half and kicked the second bee several meters away. Not even Firana, with her enchanted sword, could deal with the armored chitin so easily. The third bee clung to Wolf¡¯s shield and jerked its abdomen, trying to stab him.

    ¡°Ilya! Help!¡± Wolf grunted as he tried to keep the shield away from him while fending off another bee.

    Ilya drew her longsword and smacked the Mana Stinger off Wolf¡¯s shield.

    ¡°Don''t get caught, Zaon!¡± I yelled.

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    I focused on keeping the bulk of the swarm away from the kids while they fought those who managed to climb up the sides of the root. Ilya¡¯s assessment of the situation was correct; Mana Stingers were easy to deal with. Still, I focused on the kids in case any of them was about to be overwhelmed. The corpses piled up, and I didn¡¯t notice the dying bee near my leg until the stinger penetrated my boot and my skin. Reflexively, I kicked, and the bee fell over the edge. It didn¡¯t hurt as much as I thought it would, so I focused back on the kids, but they had their individual fights under control. Despite the terrifying size of the stinger, the sting wasn¡¯t anything to write home about.

    Then my mana barrier wavered, and the next moment I suddenly lost control over my mana.

    You have obtained (Mana Disruption) Lv.1. Temporary.

    I didn¡¯t get to inquire exactly what that was before more than twenty bees pounced on me. I jumped back just as Firana used [Aerokinesis] to blow the airborne Mana Stingers away. Then, I slashed the head of the nearest monster. It had been a while since the last time I had a fight without a barrier or even my mana blade, but I felt strangely light. [Light Footed] synergized perfectly with [Swordsmanship].

    ¡°No more barrier, team!¡± I yelled. ¡°Zaon, with me. Ilya, Wolf, guard the rear. Firana, you are free to move, but don¡¯t hog all the kills.¡±

    The kids gave me a quick ¡®Yes, sir,¡¯ and I focused on the monsters before me. We were fortunate that Mana Stingers weren¡¯t as strong as Black Wolves, nor fast as the Slime¡¯s acid spit, and their fluffy bodies weren¡¯t enough protection against a sharp-edged metal sword. I jumped back and forth, mowing down monsters as Firana adopted a more defensive stance, blowing away any Mana Stinger that attempted to jump us. The fight continued in a delicate balance of offensive, dodging, and retreat. As much as I loved the small and fluffy bees from Earth, these ones wanted me dead.

    Despite not exchanging a single word, Zaon and Firana fought in perfect sync. Zaon¡¯s awareness of his surroundings allowed Firana to blast her spells without fear of friendly fire, and she took advantage of the openings. The Aias Sword burned brightly in the gloomy forest, yet she held back from incinerating the whole swarm. I left the vanguard to them, and I fell back to help Ilya and Wolf. One by one, we killed the Mana Stingers until all that was left was a pile of corpses around us.

    ¡°That was intense,¡± Zaon said, cleaning the sweat from his forehead.

    Juvenile Mana Stinger Swarm slain.

    Level up!

    A pleasant sensation overran my body, and I almost forgot I had been stabbed in the calf. Two levels in a single day was no small feat for a regular System user. I was now a level seven Runeweaver Scholar, and for some reason, My body felt lighter and stronger than usual. The Book of Classes had no information about Runeweavers, so I had no idea what the Class Growth could be. Maybe it was just the placebo effect, and I had the same terrible growth as a Scholar. Only time would tell.

    ¡°Status?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Got stung on the forearm,¡± Zaon said, examining a small cut on his leather bracer. ¡°Well, it is more of a graze than anything.¡±

    ¡°All good around here,¡± Firana said.

    ¡°Mana Stingers can¡¯t cut orcish skin,¡± Wolf pointed out. Even if [Awareness] detected just a hint of dishonesty in his voice, Wolf was the one least affected by Mana Disruption as he had no skills. Save from a few scratches, he was unscathed.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Ilya sat on the root. ¡°They got me in the leg, damned bees,¡± she grunted.

    I knelt before her and examined the wound. It was a small cut on her thigh, just below the hem of the hardened leather jacket. The riding breeches hadn¡¯t been enough protection against the bladed stinger, but the wound was small, barely a couple of centimeters long.

    Firana knelt by my side with a worried expression. ¡°Take off your pants. We need to apply some Health Potion to that.¡±

    Ilya gripped her belt as if her life depended on it. ¡°I¡¯m not taking my pants off!¡±

    ¡°Come on, Ilya. There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of. I¡¯m sure you have a nice pair of legs,¡± Firana pulled them down. ¡°Receiving medical care is more important than your stupid Gnomish pride. You could bleed out!¡±

    Firana¡¯s concern was heartwarming, considering the rocky relationship between the girls.

    ¡°Ilya can drink the potion,¡± I interrupted their struggle.

    I put a few drops on a piece of cloth and applied it to Zaon¡¯s wound. The skin sizzled, and the cut healed almost completely. Then, I applied a salve and wrapped it with a bandage. Meanwhile, Ilya emptied the vial, and a moment later, the wound on her leg was gone. We were one potion down but in peak form for the next fight. I examined my [Mana Disruption], and I learned the status would be following me for another hour. Ilya¡¯s spells were also down, and Zaon and Firana were running low on mana. I made the call to wrap up fighting for the day. Fighting was dangerous if we weren¡¯t in peak condition, both physically and magically.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get down. I don¡¯t want another swarm attacking us before we get our spells back,¡± I said.

    We climbed down the eastern side of the root and walked away from the combat zone in case more Mana Stingers appeared again. Thirty Juvenile Stingers were manageable, but we needed a couple more levels to deal with anything more developed. We traveled east, moving away from the root system and approaching the steep mountain range that separated us from Farcrest¡¯s valley until we found a notch under a boulder trapped by the old roots of a pine.

    The kids sat down against the natural wall, exhausted. Three fights in a single day had brought them close to their limit, but the experience had been excellent. Ilya was right about the Mana Stinger Swarm, as their Mana Disruption skill shouldn¡¯t be a hindrance for a low-level warrior with limited mana and very few skills. If we managed to bait more swarms, the kids would reach level ten in a week instead of a year.

    I used [Identify] on my Mana Disruption status. It had turned from Temporary to Receding, so I knew it would last a few more minutes.

    ¡°So, how do newbies normally level up around here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Without magic items, for starters,¡± Zaon jokingly said.

    The kids were more than used to my seemingly obvious questions.

    ¡°Here near the border? You get a group of eight to ten low-level combatants to explore the nearby valleys where monsters are weak,¡± Ilya explained. ¡°Sometimes, tracking down monsters takes several days, and the experience is diluted between all the participants, so the yields are minuscule most of the time. It¡¯s a slow process, and it is also expensive because of all the equipment you need. After the first ten levels, you are fairly safe on your own as long as you don¡¯t go too deep.¡±

    ¡°Or you can go the Captain Kiln route and level up thirty times in a single week during a Monster Surge!¡± Firana added.

    The mention of Izabeka stung my heart, but I just nodded in silence.

    ¡°Nobles and high¨Cborn ladies have it easier with their ridiculously powerful enchanted items,¡± Wolf said, elbowing Firana.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hate the player; hate the game,¡± she replied. ¡°Being an Aias has given me more problems than anything.¡±

    The wind howled, and we remained silent, listening for any sign of monsters.

    ¡°It is over Firana. Kellaren is dead. Janus killed him,¡± I said. The whole situation was far from the outcome I wanted, but Firana¡¯s link to the Odrac-Aias Mercenaries was severed for good.

    After a while, Zaon opened his mouth.

    ¡°I used to look up to Sir Janus,¡± he said. ¡°Can you imagine it? A poor boy from a backwaters town fights his way up the ranks of the guard and eventually turns into an Imperial Knight and works for Prince Ragna himself. It was like a fairytale.¡±

    The other kids nodded in silence. Zaon overlooked something important in Janus¡¯ story. The previous Marquis had become Janus¡¯ sponsor after noticing his talents. Janus himself had told me during one of our first conversations, but I also understood the commoners'' need for having their own heroes.

    ¡°In a decade, kids will be saying the same about you, Zaon,¡± I said, and the boy blushed. ¡°Prince Adrien was of the opinion you have a good chance of getting into the Imperial Academy.¡±

    Zaon stuttered. ¡°He was probably being polite.¡±

    ¡°Nobles have a good eye for useful people,¡± I replied, remembering the pile of invitation letters that we got after each fight at the tournament.

    Like piranhas smelling blood in the water.

    ¡°Let¡¯s rest for today. We are not in shape for another fight,¡± I said, despite the fact there were a few hours of daylight left.

    ¡°He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight,¡± Ilya nodded approvingly.

    We set camp in the snow-covered forest. The Mana Disruption disappeared shortly after, and I could use my skills again as the cold wind blew down from the mountains. The old pines and the rock formation provided some degree of protection against the weather, but the enchanted blankets and the Warming Stones were the MVPs of the day. A group of low-level combatants would¡¯ve needed twice the amount of equipment to survive a trip in this weather.

    I warmed my hands with an enchanted stone and examined my Character Sheet.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Runeweaver Scholar Lv.7

    Titles: Out of your League, Hot for Teacher, Consultant Detective, Confidant, Classroom Fiend, Researcher of the Hidden, Favorite Teacher (98), Father Figure (2), Master Tutor, Headmaster, Silver Scholar, Delinquent Reformer (5), Stalwart Mentor (7), Making the Difference, Role Model, Expert Mathematician, Expert Physicist, Adept Historian, Adept Linguist, Journeyman Biologist, Novice Chemist, Novice Orator.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Mastery, Awareness, Master of Languages.

    Skills: Identify, Stun Gaze, Intimidate, Minor Illusion, Runeweaver Encyclopedia, Rune Debugger, Silence Dome, Invigoration.

    Despite looking down on [Invigoration], the skill would allow me to halve my sleeping time without affecting my overall performance. I grinned. Four extra waking hours meant four extra study hours without abusing the few Stamina Potions I had left. We also had to be careful with the fights we picked going further. There was a single High-Grade Health Potion left after tending the kid¡¯s wounds and my own after Janus¡¯ attacks.

    ¡°From now on, we will only fight if we can ambush our enemies,¡± I said.

    ¡°What if they ambush us?¡± Firana asked.

    ¡°Then you try to kill them as fast as possible. Don¡¯t think about spreading experience. Just prioritize our safety,¡± I said. We still had room to wiggle regarding our levels. I noticed Firana had been holding back the firepower of the Aias Sword, so if she leveled up slightly faster, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to sound reckless, but I think we should take advantage of the Stinger Swarms. They are a good source of experience despite being level-one monsters,¡± Zaon pointed out.

    An evil grin appeared on Ilya¡¯s face. The girl sat beside me and put a hand on my shoulder. Before she could even utter a word, I knew what her plan was.

    ¡°We know how to trigger the Mana Stingers attack, and we know they aren¡¯t undead,¡± Ilya said. ¡°If Mister Clarke disturbs the swarm and sits under his barrier, we can wait until the bees are exhausted, and then we clean them up!¡±

    The kids rubbed their hands, probably imagining all the levels they¡¯d get.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Mister Clarke would be a great bait,¡± Firana added.

    ¡°The finest of them all,¡± Wolf interjected.

    I sighed, seeing how greedy they had become. It was understandable. ¡°Maybe tomorrow. Now, go to sleep. I will wake you up four hours before dawn.¡±

    The kids chitchatted for a minute with their blankets up to their noses before exhaustion won over them. When they were asleep, I summoned my [Rune Debugger] and my [Rune Encyclopedia] and started tinkering with the long list of runes I still hadn¡¯t uncovered. Mental images of Captain Kiln haunted me. I could only imagine how it should¡¯ve felt to be betrayed after a lifetime of hard work to protect the city she loved.

    [Awareness] tried to block my feelings so I could focus on runeweaving but I didn¡¯t let it. I wanted to feel it. Izabeka deserved at least one person crying for her death. Knowing Janus, he must¡¯ve twisted the tale to make it seem like the monsters were responsible for her death. I let anger fuel my determination, and I got absorbed into the runeweaving process.

 155 - Swarm

    The night was harsh; the snowfall had left a meter of snow, and we could barely get a moment of rest. The forest seemed to ¡°move¡±. The Forest Warden¡¯s roots spread under our feet like the appendages of a deep sea creature while endless flocks of Wraiths, Undead Harpies, and Blood Hawks passed over our heads. Their screeches tore the calm of the night sky, and even after they disappeared far south and east, we couldn¡¯t sleep.

    The monsters missed us, but the night couldn¡¯t have been so good for Farcrest.

    I threw my worries away and sat alone in the middle of a bus-sized root. Our priority was to level up, and the Mana Stingers were the perfect target. Suddenly, the bark trembled, and a small army of Mana Stingers seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Fifteen Juvenile Mana Stingers skittered over the root, moving their wings menacingly. A buzz filled my ears, and I noticed two giant bees flying in the rear of the formation. Their elongated bodies resembled the ones of wasps, with slim waists and a vicious stinger overflowing with a bright blue substance. Their bodies were covered in shiny black and orange exoskeletons, and their wings spanned three meters on each side of their bodies.

    Mature Mana Stinger Lv.5. Magical Beast. [Identify] Mature Mana Stingers are strong yet peaceful monsters that protect lush areas of the deep Farlands. If an intruder is in their territory, the Swarm will send increasingly stronger patrols to deal with the threat. Their stinger contains a powerful poison that interrupts the mana channels of their victims, preventing them from using magic. Weakness: Wind, Shotgun.

    The buzzing grew louder, and the vibration seemed to go through my bones as the swarm moved closer. The Juvenile ones moved in sync, their tiny legs tapping against the bark and occasionally jumping with their underdeveloped wings to cross the distance between roots. I grabbed my sword but didn¡¯t draw. The experience was for the kids.

    ¡°At least they aren¡¯t spiders,¡± I sighed, summoning a mana barrier around me.

    Although small, the juveniles were still dangerous in numbers, and the stingers of the larger ones seemed deadly. I forced myself to focus and stick to the plan. The Juvenile Mana Stingers clashed against the barrier, but this time, I was prepared and pushed my mana into the barrier to counteract their added force. The Mature Stingers hovered above them, glaring at the scene with smart eyes. My mana barrier, although sturdy, had a huge weakness: piercing magic. During the attack on the orphanage, the Assassin had almost dried my mana pool by continuously breaking my mana shield.

    I glanced over my shoulder. The kids were hidden behind the thicket, waiting for the bees to exhaust themselves. We had no plan against the Mature Mana Stingers, but I trusted Ilya to solve the problem on her own. Level five was considered low level, but one could never underestimate the strength and durability of insects. The ¡°base stats¡± of the Mature Mana Stingers could be a lot higher than a level five human.

    The Juvenile Stingers pressed harder, clicking their mandibles against my barrier but barely scratching it. The buzzing was deafening, so any attempt to communicate with the kids would be in vain. I shifted my stance, planting my feet firmly on the root. The Mature Stingers were an unknown element in our equation, and knowing Ilya¡¯s personality, she was probably racking her brains to devise a new plan. I needed to give her information.

    I opened a hole in the mana barrier and shot a mana shard. The Mature Mana Stinger suddenly turned and dodged with the speed of a dragonfly. I cursed under my breath. They were faster than I had anticipated. [Awareness] informed me that the reaction speeds had something to do with how an insect¡¯s nervous system was wired. I wasn¡¯t going to spend resources digging through my memories for that piece of information, so I shut [Awareness] down.

    I shot another mana shard, just to make sure the first wasn¡¯t a fluke, but the Mature Mana Stinger dodged with ease.

    Meanwhile, the Juvenile Stingers continued bashing against the mana barrier while the Mature Stingers hovered a few meters above, waiting. I shot again, focusing on how the monster twisted and turned in the air. I shot a small barrage. Streaks of blue light sliced through the air, but none came close to hitting. I released another barrage, aiming slightly ahead. The Mature Stinger shifted in the air and dodged, keeping its distance.

    Minutes passed until the attacks of the Juvenile Stingers became sluggish.

    ¡°Regrettably, Mister Bee, your pattern is predictable,¡± I said.

    A boulder cut through the air. The Mature Stinger dodged to the right, but it didn¡¯t notice the arrow hidden in the shadow of the stone until it was too late. The Piercing Arrow hit the Stinger¡¯s head, making it explode in a rain of chitin and viscera. It had been a beautiful shot, even at just twenty meters of distance. The Mature Stinger¡¯s body dropped with a sickening thud, and the remaining Juvenile Stingers hesitated, their movements erratic as they tried to find the new enemies.

    Firana and Zaon jumped over the thicket and activated their Jumping Boots to avoid the accumulated snow. Firana unleashed the power of the Aias sword, and a sea of flames surrounded my mana barrier. A third of the Juvenile Stingers were turned to charred husks in the blink of an eye. Zaon landed by my side. He scanned the battlefield and engaged the nearest Stinger.

    Wolf and Ilya tried to shoot down the remaining Mature Stinger, but the monster now knew their location and managed to dodge. Instead of counterattacking, the Mature Stinger turned around and dived between the root system to avoid being targeted.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting away!¡± Firana said, absorbing the mana from the remaining Juvenile Stingers to recharge the Aias Sword.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Wolf, Ilya, with me!¡± I yelled, chasing the fleeing monster.

    The Mature Stinger darted through the maze of roots, its iridescent wings turning into a blur. I pushed myself harder, and my body reacted. Despite the rugged root under my feet, [Awareness] informed me I was running faster than I ever had. I focused on the enemy. The shimmering orange exoskeleton sharply contrasted against the colors of winter, so it was easy to follow. We couldn¡¯t let it flee. If it got away, it would surely return with reinforcements, and we couldn¡¯t afford a direct confrontation with a whole swarm.

    Wolf and Ilya were close behind me. I heard their ragged breaths against the cold air. Despite his tanky build, Wolf was very nimble, and his powerful legs allowed him to give long and secure strides. Ilya, for her part, was abusing the Jumping Boots to keep up the pace.

    ¡°Duck!¡± Wolf yelled.

    I slid on my knees over the snowy surface just as the pebble shot over my head. The Mature Stinger dipped at the last moment, the pebble mowing off one of its antennae. The creature screeched in pain but picked up speed and navigated through the small spaces between the roots like an arrow. Wherever the Stinger guided us, the root system became increasingly twisted and tangled.

    ¡°Rob! Decoy!¡± Ilya stopped, knocking an arrow and drawing the string.

    The Mana Stinger moved further and further away.

    ¡°Decoy left!¡± I replied, channeling my mana into a single projectile and shooting it slightly offset the center of mass of the Mature Stinger.

    The monster dodged right, just enough to let the mana shard miss and disintegrate into small blue mana particles. Ilya predicted the movement, however, and her arrow found its mark and pierced through the Stinger¡¯s exoskeleton. The creature¡¯s wings faltered. It wasn¡¯t a fatal blow, but it was enough. Its flight became erratic, and after grazing a protruding root, it fell.

    I sprinted forward, channeling my mana into my sword. The blade gleamed with an electric blue light. I leaped over a thick root and buried my sword between the creature¡¯s wings. The chitin cracked, and the Mature stinger let out an ear-splitting screech, damped by the layers of snow. The Stinger twitched one last time before laying still on the ground.

    Mature Mana Stinger slain.

    Level Up!

    ¡°Good job,¡± I panted, pulling my sword from the body. ¡°We got it.¡±

    Wolf grinned, wiping the cold sweat from his brow and putting one of his huge hands on Ilya¡¯s petite shoulders. ¡°Thank me later. Without me, you wouldn''t have been able to knock it down.¡±

    Instead of replying, Ilya signaled us to shut up. She dragged her feet through the snow and climbed up the root system. Then, she signaled us to follow. My blood froze. Past the root formation, to the north, hundreds of yellow and red blooms covered the valley. The whole area was loaded with mana to the point it felt oppressing in the chest. Dozens of monstrous bees tended to the blooms, ignoring the undead monsters encroaching on the area. Both the dead and the living were working together to nurture whatever was inside the cocoons.

    Mana Stinger Soldier Lv.20

    Mana Stinger Overseer Lv.33

    A shiver ran down my spine. The Soldiers and the Overseers were bipedal humanoids with opposable thumbs¡ªthe Soldiers even carried crude bone weapons. The only saving grace was that they kept their insect facial features. I clutched my shotgun but remained hidden.

    ¡°Why aren''t the undead attacking the Stingers?¡± Ilya whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to know the same,¡± Wolf replied.

    ¡°Let¡¯s regroup with the others. There are too many monsters for us,¡± I said, and we silently turned around.

    We returned to the combat zone, plowing through the snow instead of walking on top of the roots. Attracting the swarm''s attention wasn¡¯t an option. To my surprise, we had chased the Mature Mana Stinger for almost a kilometer. As we retraced our steps through the snow, I kept an ear out for any signs of pursuit, but other than the rustle of clothing against the snow, the valley was silent.

    I checked my Character Sheet to find nothing out of place. I was still a Lv.8 Runeweaver with my usual mana-boosting teacher titles. There were no physical-enhancing passives or titles, which could only mean that the growth ratings of the Runeweaver Class were superior to those of Scholars.

    If Ilya was correct, Lv.10 presented the first barrier in a combatant¡¯s development.

    When I first fought Raudhan Kiln, he was a level 12 Fencer, and his physical capabilities were comparable to those of a professional athlete. I had won because my superior [Swordsmanship] and [Awareness] were working together, but in purely physical combat, he would¡¯ve won easily. I couldn¡¯t help but grin. Even as a Lv.8, my body felt light, and my arm was strong.

    Maybe I had misunderstood my Class, and Runeweavers were some sort of mixed combatants.

    We reached the thicket where Firana and Zaon were waiting. They were laughing under an old pine, which had served as an umbrella against the snow. I could tell they had leveled up. If I had kept the score correctly, they would have already been level four, while Ilya''s score would have been level five. Juvenile Mana Stingers were truly golden honey for newbies.

    ¡°We have to take a detour. It seems we found the center of the root system, and the whole thing is filled with blooms,¡± I said, keeping my voice steady. ¡°There are dozens of high-level Stingers and Undead. They were¡­ tending the blooms together.¡±

    Firana¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°The undead doesn¡¯t work with anything. They just kill and destroy.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they are being controlled? There¡¯s a lot of literature about low-level undead being controlled by more powerful magical creatures,¡± Zaon pointed out.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± I said. ¡°I think the boss of the Monster Surge is controlling the undead and the Forest Warden. I have fought against him before. We almost didn''t get out alive.¡±

    Ilya sighed and turned around, watching into the thicket. ¡°Do you hear something strange?¡±

    I thought I heard the sound of a blowgun, but not even [Awareness] could give me confirmation.

    Ilya flinched.

    ¡°Mister Clarke?¡± She muttered, holding tight to her stomach. ¡°I think I¡¯m bleeding.¡±

 156 - Mana Stalker

    Ilya collapsed, her back hitting the snow with a soft thud. She reached down with trembling fingers and clutched the black dart embedded in her stomach. Her face twisted in pain, and her eyes widened with shock.

    ¡°Take cover!¡± I rushed to her side, grabbing her by the jacket and dragging her behind the pine trunk. The dart was thin, with a serrated body, and coated in a dark substance. I didn¡¯t need to be an expert to know it was poisoned. Ilya¡¯s breaths weakened, and her skin paled.

    Wolf and Zaon took cover behind the tree, but Firana remained exposed, trying to determine where the attack had come from. Zaon jumped out of cover and tackled Firana just as a second dart cut the air and ended up embedded deep in the bark. They crawled back, covered in snow and dirt.

    Wolf knelt beside me, his Wind Sling ready to shoot. ¡°Where did that come from?¡± He hissed, scanning the trees.

    My heart rushed as I looked around. The dense thicket blocked my sight, and not even [Awareness] could catch the culprit. I focused on my mana sense. The world''s colors faded away. The roots pulsated as they absorbed mana from the ground and transported it towards the stem. The vortex over Farcrest looked like an evil beacon against the sky. Wolf was a small speck of pure-white mana, Zaon looked like a silvery column, Firana was a bright red torch, and Ilya was fading away. Then, I briefly caught a slight trace of corrupted mana floating between the trees.

    ¡°Stay alert,¡± I whispered to the others. Then, I turned my attention to Ilya. ¡°Hang in there. Don¡¯t move.¡±

    I knew we had to take the dart out, but it was going to be painful. With my bare hand, I could feel the hundreds of microscopic barbs all over the surface. Pulling it out could also damage Ilya¡¯s body. I rummaged through my potion¡¯s pouch for the last Health Potion we had¡ªhigh grade¡ªa get-out-of-jail-free card. Or rather, a cheat-death-once card.

    ¡°Drink,¡± I said, putting the vial against Ilya¡¯s lips.

    Ilya moved her head away, and her eyes shut in pain. ¡°I¡¯m not drinking our last potion.¡±

    ¡°Zaon, can you see anything?¡± I asked over my shoulder.

    Zaon¡¯s eyes narrowed as he scanned the forest. ¡°Nothing. I can¡¯t sense it either.¡±

    ¡°Wolf, come here. We need to pull the dart out,¡± I said.

    Wolf nodded and shifted closer. He was on edge, his muscles tense and ready to react to the slightest sound. Ilya barely held herself upright, even with the pine against her back. Her skin had gone from pale to ashen. She gritted her teeth, fighting to stay conscious.

    ¡°Patch me up, and let me rest. Save the potion for later,¡± Ilya said, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps, and her arms losing strength.

    I pulled a bunch of bandages we had raided from the Sentinel¡¯s watchtower and handed them to Wolf.

    ¡°Put pressure on the wound as soon as I pull out the dart,¡± I said.

    Wolf grabbed Ilya¡¯s shoulders to keep her steady.

    With a sharp motion, I pulled the dart free. I felt the barbs tearing through flesh as it came out. Ilya let out a weak, muffled cry, and her body tensed in pain, if only for an instant. Blood gushed from the wound. Wolf pressed the bandages against the wound as I tipped the vial to Ilya¡¯s mouth. Despite the pain, she tried to refuse, but I pulled her head back and forced the vial through her lips. At first, she gurgled, but after noticing I wasn¡¯t pulling back, she swallowed the potion.

    I opened my mana sense and saw how the potion traveled through Ilya¡¯s body, knitting the edges of the wound together and stopping the bleeding.

    ¡°Dammit, Robert. We are out of potions,¡± Ilya grumbled, but Wolf prevented her from standing. The Health Potion was working its miracle.

    We were out of potions, and the attacker was still out there, but I couldn¡¯t let Ilya die.

    Zaon moved closer. ¡°We need to move. Not even my [Sonar] can detect it.¡±

    Just as I nodded, I felt a subtle shift in the environmental mana. I focused on the thicket. There it was again. Corrupted mana slithering between the trees like a smoke trail. It was getting stronger, more concentrated. I considered our options. The kids weren¡¯t ready to fight against a high-level enemy.

    ¡°I will draw the attack. You run to the ridge over there; it will give you better cover than this pine,¡± I said, pointing to the east. There were thirty meters between the pine and the depression on the forest bed. Even with Ilya in tow, Wolf could cross the distance in a few seconds.

    ¡°But you are only level eight!¡± Firana complained.

    ¡°Captain Kiln said I have the strength of a level forty,¡± I replied, pulling an antidote from the potion''s pouch and giving it to Wolf. I hoped Elincia¡¯s multipurpose antidote was enough to fight the dart¡¯s poison, but the best outcome was not to be wounded.

    I caught the Corruption in the air.

    ¡°Firana, be on guard. If the enemy is a flyer, I might need your help to ground it,¡± I said, channeling my mana and forming a solid shield over my left arm. ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    The kids nodded.

    I jumped out of cover, shield high in front of me. I scanned the forest. The diffused trails of Corruption were visible to my mana sense. Whatever had shot the dart was coming close. I got the impression of hearing the buzz of insect wings, but the sound disappeared as soon as I detected it. I fed [Awareness] with more mana, and my perception of time slowed. I took everything in¡ªthe wind speed, the rustling of the leaves, the boots shifting against the snow. My brain burned like someone had shot a molten nail through my skull.

    Then, I saw it¡ªa quiver of leaves, a strange reflection of the sunlight, and the lancets flying at me.

    ¡°Go!¡± I yelled, and Wolf and Zaon jumped from cover with Ilya in tow.

    My shield shattered. The first lancet impaled the palm of my hand, and the next two lodged in my forearm, one near the wrist and the other just below my elbow. I ignored the pain¡ªor rather let [Awareness] suppress it¡ªand unleashed a barrage of mana shards. Trails of blue light crossed the forest like the tracers of a Gatling gun. The shards mowed young trees and branches, but the invisible monster was too far for my attack to be effective. The more the shards moved away from me, the more energy they lost until they dissolved into thin air.

    I clenched my teeth as I realized I couldn¡¯t reliably hold the shotgun with my wounded arm.

    The barrage had dissuaded the monster from attacking. My left arm numbed down, and I seized the moment to drink the antidote. The monster¡¯s invisibility wasn¡¯t perfect. My [Awareness] locked on the warped light around the edges of the figure. I ran forward, my mana shards gaining strength at each step.

    ¡°Firana! Bring that flyer down!¡± I yelled.

    Firana jumped from behind the pine and propelled forward with [Aerokinesis]. The invisible creature shifted in the air, but Firana turned, almost crashing against a tree as she dodged the lancets. [Awareness] told me that Firana hadn¡¯t seen the attack coming; she even dodged into the attack. She went by pure instinct. Firana bumped against the tree but jumped back to her feet. Then, she channeled her mana and ripped the air from under the monster¡¯s wings, creating a low-pressure zone.

    Predicting the drop, I aimed my mana shards and hit the invisible monster. The invisibility spell wavered, and patches of black chitin appeared where before there wasn¡¯t anything. The creature¡¯s shape became clearer¡ªa humanoid, slender frame covered in a glossy black exoskeleton, a thin wasp-like waist, and two sets of oversized translucent wings. The creature¡¯s abdomen ended in a black lancet, just like the one I had embedded in my arm. A viscous, dark liquid dripped from the holes the mana shards had pierced on the chitin.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Mana Stalker Lv.22 (Corrupted). Magical Abomination.

    My arm throbbed with pain. The antidote seemed to kick in, but my fingers felt numb. Luckily enough, the poison didn¡¯t interfere with my mana pool. I channeled a barrage of mana shards and pressed the attack, laying waste to the forest vegetation. The creature, however, was quick and took cover behind a tree. The bark exploded, but the tree was a centennial pine.

    ¡°Keep it grounded!¡± I shouted.

    Firana focused, and I could feel the currents shifting. She twisted her hands, her eyes were closed, and I noticed the strands of pure white mana traveling her body. Firana wasn¡¯t just casting a spell like the other System users I have met. She was meditating, weaving the mana, and forcing the System to bend to her desires. Maybe Ilya was right, and Firana was just a genius.

    The Mana Stalker screeched, its wings fluttering wildly as it tried to lift itself again. Firana pulled the air with each wing beating, preventing the creature from creating any lift. It wasn¡¯t an easy feat, yet Firana kept it grounded.

    I dashed forward, ignoring the pain. I had to finish it now. As far as I knew, the whole Swarm already knew about our presence. I closed the distance, and the creature¡¯s black eyes, full of rage, focused on me. It tried to contort its abdomen forward, but the lancet hit the ground.

    The Mana Stalker was only a threat if airborne.

    With one swift motion, I swung my mana-charged sword downwards. My blade cut through the air, leaving a bright blue trail. The Mana stinger twisted its body to avoid a direct hit, but with a quick frontal step, I buried the sword in its abdomen. The creature shrieked, and the sound seemed to pierce the sky. Then, I stepped to the side and slashed its wings.

    The creature thrashed wildly, its hook-like hands cutting the air centimeters away from my face. My body felt responsive, and I pulled away before it could even touch me. Unlike with undead, wounds hindered the movement of living creatures. Completely absorbed in the fight, I found an opening and quickly slashed at the creature¡¯s leg. Unlike movies, a debilitating hit could determine a fight as much as a killing blow.

    The Mana Stalker fell to the side, using its hands to regain some sort of balance. A vortex of wind and fire suddenly roared by my side, hitting the creature. The screeching died, replaced with a low, gurgling hiss. A moment later, the monster collapsed, and its limbs curled inward like a dead spider.

    ¡°Know your place, trash!¡± Firana grinned.

    The Mana Stalker¡¯s corpse smoked.

    The pain returned. I was bleeding a lot, so I raised my hand over my head and asked Firana to retrieve a clean bandage. The girl darted between the trees, surfing through the wind tunnels she had created until she was out of sight. I pulled my belt and applied a temporary tourniquet. We were out of Health Potions, and removing the lancets would tear my flesh, making the wound even worse. I wondered if I should cut the protruding ends and leave the rest inside.

    I moved my fingers, but my ring finger didn''t respond.

    ¡°Four out of five, not bad,¡± I clenched my teeth.

    Despite the pain, my mind wandered. My dad used to make fun of me for having my ten fingers back when we went camping. I smiled. A tendon injury the product of a fight against a human-sized mutant bee was marginally cooler than an axed finger bone. Suddenly, everything felt unreal. System, magic, monsters, fantasy races. I was too lost in the sauce already to notice how strange everything really was. Only the memory of my father, a pragmatic man who stopped believing in Santa at the tender age of five, brought that feeling back.

    I sat down on the snow.

    The effect of the antidote began to dissipate. The trees curved like spirals, and the ground seemed to tilt until vertical. I knew it wasn¡¯t the case, and I was just suffering sensory poisoning. The Mana Stalker was my complete counter: piercing attacks plus poison. Luckily, I had Firana with me.

    I wondered why she was taking so long.

    ¡°How is that saddle doing for you?¡± The Mana Stalker asked, squatting near my head. Its eyes were turned into two orbs of electric blue¡ªthe Lich. I couldn¡¯t move. ¡°I gave you a gift, Wizard. I freed you from the boundaries of your mana pool. I gave you your freedom.¡±

    I tried to speak, but my tongue felt like a dry piece of cloth covered in sand.

    The Lich-Stalker extended its hooked hand to touch me, but it stopped just above my chest. Its voice sounded like glaciers clashing against each other. Puzzled. ¡°What did you do, Wizard?¡± The Lich-Stalker examined me, not with its eyes. ¡°You met him. What a shame to see a man of your capabilities leashed like a dog.¡±

    The same old speech from when we met for the first time. Did the Lich really believe I had a talent for magic, or was it trying to recruit me for its army of the dead? I did collapse a mountain over its head, so maybe I was. I closed my eyes and hoped for the illusion to go away.

    ¡°Get your hands off my teacher!¡±

    A fire stream landed cleanly on the Lich-Stalker''s thorax. The smell of burning chitin hit like a punch to the nose. I wasn¡¯t hallucinating. Firana knelt by my side, the Aias Sword burning in her hand.

    Undead Mana Stalker slain.

    Mature Mana Stinger slain.

    Juvenile Mana Stinger slain

    Level up!

    Level up!

    Level up!

    You have obtained a new skill.

    [Rune Identification] acquired.

    That skill should¡¯ve been granted ten levels ago, but I wouldn¡¯t complain.

    Firana kicked the Mana Stalker¡¯s head away from its shoulders for good measure. ¡°Are you okay, Mister Clarke?¡± She was pale, and her sword hand trembled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t think it would return as an undead so quickly.¡±

    I sat down with my arm still in the air. The blood had caked around the lancets surprisingly fast. Despite feeling quite light-headed, my mind raced. If the Lich was behind the attack, this was definitely not a ¡®normal¡¯ Monster Surge. The Lich was spreading Corruption on purpose. But why?

    ¡°Mister Clarke?¡± Firana called.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright, Firana. And thank you for saving me again,¡± I said, standing on my feet while ignoring the pain of the lancets through my arm. She blushed. ¡°Did you level up?¡±

    Firana beamed, seemingly forgetting about the life-and-death experience. Low-level combatants had no business defeating a monster twenty levels above them, so experience gains were handsome. With no high-level combatants to leech experience, I expected Firana to level up as much as I did. No. I hoped Firana would level up as much as I did. If my wounds got worse, she would be the one carrying the others across the Monster Surge.

    ¡°Level eight already,¡± she grinned as we approached the ridge where the others were hiding. Suddenly, her smile dropped. ¡°We are out of potions.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It seems we are in a pickle, but I can still fight with my right hand,¡± I replied, but my words didn¡¯t seem to reassure her. In regular leveling expeditions, a wound like this would mean a premature return to civilization, but we didn¡¯t have that privilege.

    I sucked it up and continued walking, trying not to show the pain I was experiencing. At least the ¡®leveling-up high¡¯ helped to keep the pain at bay, but the sensation wouldn¡¯t last long. I wondered if having [Awareness] shut down my sense of pain would be a good solution, but the most logical part of my brain told me that pain was essential to ensure the survival of the individual.

    We reached the ridge. Ilya was lying down on the ground. The wound had closed, but her skin was still too pale.

    ¡°And now we need a potion. Who could¡¯ve seen that coming!¡± She grunted.

    It was good to see her so lively.

    ¡°Should we pull the lancets?¡± Zaon asked.

    ¡°It will tear the skin and worsen things. The barbs might even damage the muscles, the nerves, or the tendons. We must cut the ends and keep the area as clean as possible until we reach the tribes,¡± Wolf replied, drawing glances. ¡°What? Orcs have lots of knowledge about anatomy. We teach our kids useful things even before they turn fifteen.¡±

    His assessment was correct as far as my knowledge went.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have anything for infections. We have antiseptic ointment, but I don¡¯t think we can put this inside the wound,¡± Wolf said, checking the potions pouch. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be pessimistic, but we are running against time. We have a few days before the fever strikes and a couple more until the more serious sepsis symptoms appear.¡±

    I had a bad feeling that the Lich wouldn¡¯t let me be now that it knew I was around.

    ¡°I have bad news,¡± Ilya said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m combat-ready. I don¡¯t think I can even walk straight.¡±

    Not only were we a combatant down, but also our best scout.

    ¡°And there are a whole lot of bees and undead monsters to the north,¡± Firana said. ¡°If we don¡¯t have time for a detour, the only option will be to plow through the middle. The Juvenile Mana Stingers and their poison will become very deadly very quickly. If I can¡¯t use my skills, I don¡¯t think I can fight against anything stronger than a Slime.¡±

    Forcing our way through was an option, but Firana was right. It would be risky. It only took a single Juvenile Mana Stinger to erase my [Mana Manipulation]. Even another Mana Stalker would be deadly if we were ambushed. Besides, Wolf would have to carry Ilya in tow, reducing his combat capabilities. At best, we had three and a half combat-ready members out of five.

    There wasn¡¯t a good answer.

    ¡°Your chances will improve if you leave me,¡± Ilya said defiantly.

    ¡°Please, stop talking nonsense,¡± Zaon frowned.

    I hadn¡¯t seen Zaon so angry before. In fact, I hadn¡¯t seen him angry at all. Before Ilya could reply, he covered her mouth with a hand. Still, no new ideas popped into my mind. Even Firana remained silent.

    ¡°Screw it. We ball,¡± Wolf sighed, closing his eyes. Out of nowhere, a gold and green aura surrounded him. I knew what kind of crazy things people did after saying ¡®we ball¡¯, but before I could stop him, it was done.

    Wolf had gotten a Class.

 157- Orc triage

    Chapter 157

    Wolf took the plunge and embraced the System. A green and golden aura surrounded him, traveling across his limbs and energizing dormant mana channels. Before any of us could react, the aura disappeared, and Wolf was bound to the System. He blinked, confused. From his perspective, minutes passed inside the trance, but for us, it had only been a second.

    ¡°Wolf, you¡­¡± Ilya muttered, but her words died against the cold wind.

    Wolf turned around and summoned his Character Sheet. For an instant, his eyes focused on the invisible prompt. Then, like he probably had seen done for years, he turned the prompt around, and it became visible. There was a sad note on his face, yet he tried to suppress it. Wolf wasn¡¯t supposed to get a Class. Not until he cleared his mind. Not until he could meet his people again.

    The System Prompt eerily floated before us.

    Name: Wolf A¡¯Dassyra, Half-Orc (Strong, Sturdy).

    Class: Healer Lv.1

    Titles: Stalwart, Novice Anatomist, Novice Mathematician.

    Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.2, Diagnosis Lv.1.

    Skills: Regeneration, Stupor, Shape Mana, Healer¡¯s Compendium.

    Ilya sat on the ground and leaned against the ridge, her arm around her stomach where the Mana Stalker had wounded her. The girl was so pale she could¡¯ve camouflaged against the snow. The health potion worked on her wounds, but the poison still hadn¡¯t disappeared. I felt relieved, yet her expression told me she felt the complete opposite.

    A Healer was precisely what we needed, but the price Wolf had to pay was too high. The orc tribes wouldn¡¯t accept someone with a Class. Orcs simply didn¡¯t deal with Corruption. Ilya opened her mouth to voice her concerns, but Wolf got ahead.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything. If we don¡¯t make it through the Monster Surge, it won¡¯t matter what I did or did not,¡± he said, turning to me. His eyes landed on my arm and gleamed with the subtle glint of golden mana. ¡°If we remove the lancets, I will be able to close the wounds and prevent an infection. I¡¯m afraid your tendons are damaged beyond what I can repair right now.¡±

    The kids exchanged a worried glance.

    ¡°Fine for me. I¡¯m not a leftie,¡± I said, shoving my worries aside and extending my wounded arm for him to examine it more easily.

    Wolf gave me a grateful nod.

    ¡°Zaon, I will need your help. Please hold Mister Clarke¡¯s arm while I remove the lancets,¡± he said, channeling his mana and covering his hands in a faint green aura.

    [Awareness] told me that Wolf was using [Shape Mana] to avoid touching me directly with his dirty hands. I wondered if the System had instructed Wolf how to perform his duties. Having information directly downloaded into the brain was quite handy. We used a fallen log as an operation table. I extended my arm over the bark, and Zaon held it down. Then, Wolf undid the tourniquet and used [Shape Mana] to replace it with a green band.

    ¡°I will not be using [Stupor]. The skill will slow you down, and we need to be alert right now,¡± Wolf warned me. ¡°Please bear the pain.¡±

    ¡°Do what you have to do,¡± I replied, using [Awareness] to abstract myself from the pain. I focused on Wolf¡¯s mana instead. He grabbed the lancet with a steady hand and took a deep breath.

    Firana covered her eyes, and as if that wasn''t enough, she also turned around.

    ¡°On second thought, we don¡¯t have to pull,¡± Wolf said, letting the lancet go. ¡°We can push and avoid the barbs doing more damage.¡±

    I ignored whether that was the System¡¯s knowledge poured directly into Wolf¡¯s head or whether Wolf was more intelligent than the average fifteen-year-old. He pushed the end of the lancet, and it sliced through my arm with almost no resistance. I clenched my teeth, thanking fate for not having a lancet hit any of my bones. Blood gushed into the wound as the scab was torn apart, but the magical tourniquet worked better than expected. Wolf worked quickly, and his hands were steady, although I was his first-ever patient.

    Zaon kept a firm grip on my arm, and a moment later, the first lancet was out.

    ¡°Almost there,¡± Wolf said, using [Regeneration] on the wound while moving on to another lancet.

    Strands of magic began weaving a mesh over my wounds, sealing the jagged edges and helping the tissue to heal the damage. The warmth of the healing magic seeped into my arm. Unlike Elincia¡¯s potions, which worked like an instant cauterization of the wounds, Wolf¡¯s magic was gentle and soothing. The pain retreated and was slowly replaced by a relaxing sensation.

    ¡°The wounds are closed, but the damage to the muscle might take a while. I don¡¯t know if my magic is strong enough to affect your tendons,¡± Wolf said, pensive. Then, he channeled his mana again, and a tight mana band wrapped around my wrist and elbow, immobilizing my arm. ¡°Your body will heal better if you avoid moving the arm too much. Don¡¯t worry; the spell will come off as soon as you apply a bit of mana.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but notice [Shape Mana] working very similarly to [Mana Manipulation]. However, as Wolf walked away from me and sat against the ridge, the mana restraints kept their original strength. I sighed, relieved that the immediate danger was over. I flexed my fingers tentatively, testing my new range of motion. My ring finger didn¡¯t move a millimeter, and my arm felt stiff, but at least all my other fingers worked fine.

    ¡°Thank you, Wolf,¡± I said, failing to find the right words to express my gratitude. Single-handedly, Wolf had saved the expedition. I knew the cost was high, and I didn¡¯t know if the orc tribes had any exceptions to the no-System rule. Wolf didn¡¯t seem ready to discuss it.

    My father would know what to say.

    I shook my head. Wishful thinking wouldn¡¯t get us anywhere. Life near the border was full of sacrifices, and even if the orc tribes shunned Wolf for accepting the System, he made the only right decision. In difficult times, some people need compassion, while others need encouragement. I thought I knew what kind of person Wolf was.

    I approached him and put my hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°It takes courage to fight monsters, but it takes much more to burn the bridges heading home,¡± I said, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You are a splendid man, Wolf, and I¡¯m proud of you.¡±

    Wolf blushed. ¡°You refused to return home to look after us. It¡¯s only fair we are willing to make the same sacrifice.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have much going for me back on Earth, and now neither did Wolf among the Tribes. Years may have passed since he put a foot on orc territory, but his mother was there, waiting for him. And now her only son was a System-user. I would have a lot to explain to Dassyra when we met again.

    I let Wolf go, and he checked on Ilya. There was little he could do with his current powers. The High-Grade Health Potion was still taking effect, countering the poison. After using his [Diagnosis] for a solid minute, he said Ilya would return to normal in a day or so, after the remnants of the poison disappeared.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    When Wolf concluded his diagnosis, Firana jumped on him and wrapped her arm around his neck. ¡°You are still leagues away from Mister Clarke, so don¡¯t try to go around acting cool!¡± Firana grinned.

    As usual, she was being too candid.

    Wolf blushed for the second time in the day, which was a rarity for him. ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, you are,¡± Ilya interrupted him. ¡°You are trying to act cool.¡±

    ¡°Wolf is kinda cool, though,¡± Zaon pointed out, but he was met with hostile glances from the girls.

    Wolf sighed. ¡°Cut it out, I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ve been using too much mana.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we should call it a day,¡± Ilya added from her place against the ridge. ¡°I am not in any position to fight.¡±

    They laughed, but Ilya was right. We needed to find a safe place to regroup and recover strength before pushing forward. Now that I confirmed the Lich was behind the Monster Surge, reaching level ten wouldn¡¯t do the trick. We needed more firepower.

    Suddenly, the environmental mana shifted ominously, and the [Black Storm] regained strength. Far to the south, the vortex over Farcrest flashed with lightning. It wouldn¡¯t be a good night for the city''s defenders.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get going. We need to find a place to weather the storm,¡± I said.

    The kids grabbed their things and got ready to continue. I examined the forest, trying to guess what the best path was. North wasn¡¯t it. The valley was covered in those strange blooms in that direction, and there were more monsters than we could handle. I was deep in thought when the System Prompt popped before my eyes.

    New title acquired!

    Favorite Teacher (99): Going to school isn¡¯t that bad with you on the whiteboard.

    Reward: Slightly Increased mana pool.

    New title acquired!

    Role Model (2): You are the man people look up to (for some reason).

    Reward: Increased mana pool.

    Was the System Avatar sassing me again? Not that it mattered. If Wolf had seen me as his role model, I would have had to improve and live up to expectations. We gathered our things and set off to the east. The root system had to be weaker near the mountain slopes, and the presence of monsters lighter.

    ¡°Mister Clarke?¡± Wolf asked after a few minutes of walking. I broke formation to approach him. He was carrying his backpack plus Ilya¡¯s, yet he didn¡¯t seem bothered by the extra weight.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.

    Wolf looked around to ensure no one was watching. ¡°The System Avatar spoke to me during the ceremony. He told me to give you these. In secret.¡±

    Wolf channeled his mana and wrote a series of numbers in the air. I memorized them.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± I asked, expecting an explanation about the numbers or the mysterious rune he had sent me through Astrid.

    ¡°No. Just the numbers,¡± Wolf said. ¡°I thought you would recognize them.¡±

    At first glance, the numbers didn¡¯t tell me anything, so I made a mental note to check on them later. I had to focus on guiding the march. Without Ilya¡¯s [Spirit Animal], we were half-blind. Zaon¡¯s [Sentinel¡¯s Oath] was perfect for detecting most dangers but wouldn¡¯t help us navigate the forest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the present. I don¡¯t want another Mana Stalker jumping on us,¡± I said, and Wolf agreed.

    I used my old memories from the trip with Elincia to navigate through the forest. Back then, we traveled on the mountainside to avoid the wolf packs. With the Ice Wraiths and the Undead Harpies patrolling the skies, I wanted to avoid the open ground, but at the same time, we needed to circumvent the root systems and the blooms. There was no safe haven in the Farlands, but the line between the forest and the mountains seemed our best bet.

    The terrain was more treacherous than I remembered, and I wondered if the Forest Warden had something to do with that. The jagged rocks and uneven ground hidden under the snow make every step harder than the previous. As the [Black Storm] intensified, the dark mist clung to us like a second skin. We had little time before advancing became impossible, but thanks to [Awareness], I had a mental map of the area drawn on my brain. We hugged the mountainside, keeping just within the tree line.

    Outside the forest, flocks of dozens of Ice Wraiths and Harpies crossed the mountains towards Farcrest. I recognized other monsters. There were undead eagles as big as the light aircraft I had seen during an air show when I was little, winged serpents, and spirits seemingly made out of whirlwinds.

    The only comforting thought was that we weren¡¯t the main objective of whatever the Lich sought in the area.

    The forest itself wasn¡¯t much safer. Despite making a sharp detour to the east, the Juvenile and Mature Mana Stingers patrols only increased. My greatest fears were beginning to become real. The core of the root system seemed to be precisely in the path between the valleys. If that were the case, no detour would keep us away from the monsters.

    Zaon¡¯s eyes darted between the forest shadows and the mountain peaks, his [Awareness] seemingly working overtime. The only saving grace of the path we had chosen was the light snow. Our steps were almost entirely silent. Whenever we encountered a patrol, we took cover behind the rocks that had rolled down from the mountains and waited for them to go. In the rare case that the patrol was small, I let the kids ambush them.

    After the fight against the Mana Stalker, the level-ups had become increasingly rare. Wolf quickly rose to level three, but the rest remained stagnant even after a hefty patrol of a dozen Juvenile Mana Stingers. My arm throbbed, immobilized against my body. It wouldn¡¯t prevent me from fighting, but I needed to let the kids catch up to me in levels. The Mana Stalker had given me three extra levels and two to Firana. We were getting ahead of the rest, and I didn¡¯t want to leech precious experience.

    We moved quickly between fights, leaving the place before the Swarm reinforcements arrived. Luckily for us, Firana and Zaon had good movement skills, and Ilya was so light she could be easily carried. She wasn¡¯t happy with the fact she was missing experience, but the poison still dulled her body and her senses.

    ¡°We should take a break. It will become too dangerous if we continue,¡± I said.

    Not only were the kids'' mana reserves running low, but the [Black Storm] got worse as the sun went down in the sky. As dusk approached and Ilya recovered her ability to use mana, she summoned her [Spirit Animal] and found a good hideout next to a rock formation covered in trees. We left our backpacks against the rock and clung together between the roots. The accumulated exhaustion of the last days could be seen in their faces, yet their spirits were high. It was probably all the leveling they had been doing.

    ¡°Man, I¡¯m leveling up so fast! I feel strong!¡± Firana said.

    ¡°I feel like the heir of a noble house using all sorts of enchanted items to level up quickly,¡± Wolf joked around.

    Ilya and Zaon were of the same opinion. A good Class and powerful enchanted items made the first few levels a walk in the park. This situation would be a sentence to death for a group of Soldiers and Archers armed with regular weapons. However, there was another component to the equation. Although competence was a world on its own, even the best athletes fumbled easy wins if their mental game wasn¡¯t on point. Fortunately, the kids seemed confident in facing the dangers of the Farlands.

    ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯ll take the first guard,¡± I said, and even though there was still half an hour of daylight left, they obeyed. We had to take advantage of the lapses in the Monster Surge to rest.

    I examined our luggage. We still had food for a few days, but the lack of game worried me. [Awareness] hadn¡¯t picked the presence of birds or animals since we entered the Farlands. I wondered if non-corrupted Mana Stingers were edible, but that would be our last resort. After the fight against the Mana Stalker, the vision of the monster bees unnerved me. It was better to reach the tribes before we ran out of food.

    The kids dozed peacefully.

    I used [Minor Illusion] to draw the numbers Wolf had given me. Nine digits. It didn¡¯t look like a set of coordinates, not that I had a map to navigate. I didn¡¯t even know where the equator was in this world. Was it even a sphere?

    A date and time didn¡¯t make sense, nor did a phone number. In any case, my cell phone was dead at the orphanage, and there weren¡¯t any cell towers nearby. A password? For what? I examined the numbers. Curiously enough, the string of digits started with a zero, meaning the zero was necessary. If it weren¡¯t, the System Avatar would¡¯ve deleted it. What did a leading zero mean?

    I had two clues: a set of numbers and a mysterious rune. The [Rune Debugger] showed me that the rune didn¡¯t work in any combination I put it in, and the numbers made little sense to me. I was at a loss.

    ¡°If I were the System Avatar, what would I want me to do?¡± I asked.

    The answer was obvious: fix the System. The Avatar told me the System was contained in ancient crystals similar to the System Shrine Fragment in Farcrest. If my hunch was correct, the mysterious rune had to be related to the fixing process, and the series of numbers had to be coordinates where the faulty crystal resided. It made sense. Despite the Corruption, the System Avatar guided me in the right direction. Now, I needed to know what that direction was.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous. I knew only a dozen runes, and I was sure that wasn¡¯t enough to fix the System. A shiver ran down my spine as the realization hit me. I had a mysterious rune, but now I also had a new skill. [Rune Identification]. It couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. I almost tripped over my own mana as I opened the [Rune Debugger]. I drew the mysterious rune. Then, I used [Rune Identification].

 158 - Access Rune

    Access. Special Rune. Rank I. [Identify]: A set of credentials issued by Admin001 with the purpose of accessing the System¡¯s back end. For the love of all that is holy, Robert Clarke, don¡¯t lose it, or we will all be in hot water.

    The last snippet added to my worries. I was far from ready to tinker with the System¡¯s code. There was too much at stake. One wrong rune and the fabric of society would collapse; without the System¡¯s support, Farmer¡¯s yields would be halved, Alchemists couldn¡¯t brew potions, Craftsmen¡¯s skills would be gone, and combatant''s power would disappear. I tried to collect myself. Regardless, before making any edits, I would first need to find the physical location of the crystals where the System was stored.

    Having access credentials felt like having a suitcase with nuclear codes shackled to my wrist. Not only was it dangerous for the world, but for me. Nobles would move the sea and the mountains to achieve the power to modify the System at will. My only safeguard was that few selected people knew I was a Runeweaver, and even among them, only Elincia and Astrid knew my mission was to fix the System. As long as it remained a secret, no one would lust after my powers.

    Well, there was another individual who now knew about my new Class. What did you do, Wizard? You met him. What a shame to see a man of your capabilities leashed like a dog. The Lich realized that something in me had changed. Did he find out I was a Runeweaver? Did he know Runeweavers could edit the System? I shifted nervously against the cold stone of our hideout.

    One way or another, I needed to get stronger.

    I summoned my [Rune Encyclopedia], but instead of the familiar old tome, a System prompt popped before my eyes.

    Fractalis System initializing¡­

    Checking the contents of the foreign soul¡­

    Foreign Soul Robert Clarke detected¡­

    Corruption detected, initializing security settings¡­

    Failed to initialize security settings¡­

    Initializing emergency security settings¡­

    Special access granted¡­

    Initialization complete.

    The prompt disappeared. I didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, but it was still night. The [Black Storm] raged. There was no sign of undead monsters in the sky, so I assumed Farcrest had weathered the attack. I didn¡¯t feel any significant power-up, unlike the previous times the initializing screen assaulted me. No new elements had been added to my Character Sheet, and my mana pool remained the same size. I thought it had passed. Then, it came like a tidal wave.

    New title acquired!

    Iron Rank Runeweaver: Title awarded to those who have dipped their toes in the art of runeweaving.

    Class Reward: Enhanced understanding of materials. Enhanced knowledge of runes. Rank I enchantments require less magic.

    The information was kneaded into my brain to the point I felt nauseous. An intense migraine bashed my brain against the walls of my skull. The information was violently shoved in, filling the gaps in my runeweaving learning. I lost track of time, but by the end of the process, I felt like a Stone Golem¡¯s punching bag. I blinked repeatedly, trying to focus the scene before my eyes, and after a moment, the kid¡¯s silhouettes regained clarity. The old [Rune Encyclopedia] tome floated before my eyes, inviting me to open it, and so I did. I opened the rune section and found newly added text beside each entry instead.

    Fire. Elemental Effect Rune. Rank I.

    Light. Elemental Effect Rune. Rank I.

    Wind. Elemental Effect Rune. Rank I.

    Gradual. Trigger Rune. Rank I.

    Instantaneous. Trigger Rune. Rank I.

    Absorption. Energy Rune. Rank I.

    User. Condition Rune. Rank I

    The list went on with the fourteen runes I already have mastered. My initial guess about the nature of the runes wasn¡¯t far from the mark, although seeing it on paper helped me sort my ideas. The existence of the Condition runes was a novelty, as I initially thought there were only three types of runes: Effect, Trigger, and Power Source. I picked the fire rune and appraised it using [Rune Identification].

    Fire. Elemental Effect Rune. Rank I. [Rune Identification]: This rune is the symbol of the destructive and purifying force of the flames. Affinities: Iron, Stone, Obsidian. Mana threshold: 300.

    The description was too dramatic, but I ignored it and focused on the numbers. While I was aware I was freehanding the enchanting process, the existence of a metric caught me off-guard. The information about the System usually lacked concrete numbers, and even the Class Growths in the Book of Classes were constructed on a comparative basis.

    Mana threshold: 300.

    The System Avatar hadn¡¯t even worried about using a unit of measurement. I shook my head. Rookie mistake. Not using units would be a reduction of two marks. I wondered if using [Identify] on the [Rune Identification] text was too meta. I had nothing to lose by trying and was starved for information. When I used [Identify], a second prompt overlapped with the Rune Encyclopedia.

    Mana threshold. [Identify]: The measurement of how much mana a rune can exert. Commonly referred to as ¡®maximum rune power¡¯ or ¡®maximum enchantment power¡¯. The greater the rune¡¯s rank, the higher the mana threshold.

    Setting a limit for the runes¡¯ power seemed an excellent failsafe against absentminded Runeweavers. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit relieved that I wasn¡¯t going to destroy the fabric of reality if I accidentally heated a pebble to Plank temperature. Not that I currently had that amount of mana.

    I wondered how this ¡®mana threshold¡¯ translated into the enchanted item.

    The class reward talked about enhanced understanding of materials.

    I glanced at Zaon¡¯s boots and used [Identify].

    Wind-Shot Boots. [Identify]: Wind-infused boots that can create small air currents at the user''s discretion. Enchantment threshold: 340/290. Status: Degrading.

    That was new. I sorted the new information. Runes had a mana threshold, the power they could exert. On the other hand, items had an enchantment threshold. I guessed that was about how much rune power the item could hold before getting damaged by the enchantment.

    Enchantment threshold. [Identify]: The measurement of how much mana power an item can hold. High-quality items have a higher enchantment threshold.

    My hunch was correct. We had been lucky that the rune power on the boots only slightly surpassed the enchantment threshold. Zaon and Firana had their own means of improving their movement, but the boots breaking in the middle of a fight would be a death sentence for Ilya. I glanced at the pile of Warm Stones in the middle of our hideout.

    Warm Stone. Enchantment threshold: 70/500. Status: Stable.

    The Fire rune had a power of three hundred, but the Warm Stone¡¯s enchantment threshold was only seventy. It made little sense. I wondered if the total rune power was so low because of the material affinity of the Fire rune. I summoned my [Rune Debugger], grabbed an unenchanted pebble, and put the Fire-Gradual-Recharge on it. The [Rune Debugger], as expected, glowed green.

    In the upper right corner, a box with the number seventy appeared. I pushed more mana into the pebble, and the number rose, but no matter how much power I used, I couldn¡¯t surpass the 180 mark. I learned two things. Material affinity seemed to halve the threshold requirement to engrave the elemental rune, and the threshold listed on the rune was the maximum possible power. Still, I could use less than three hundred rune power if I wanted a not-so-hot enchanted pebble.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    I set the pebble aside and examined the enchanted items available. I used [Identify].

    All the enchanted boots were slightly above the enchantment threshold, but none of them showed signs of being worn out. Not yet, at least. The Warm Blankets were below the enchantment threshold due to the low power of the Fire enchantment. I focused on Firana¡¯s sword.

    Aias Sword. Enchantment threshold: 5000/5000. Status: Stable.

    ¡°Damn,¡± I muttered.

    Compared to my enchanted items, this was a masterpiece.

    A threshold of five thousand was way above whatever I could currently enchant. There were seventy-two runes in the Aias Sword, of which I only recognized eight¡ªfire, instantaneous, absorption, recharge, user, activation, and direction. I could probably set up a crude fire-spitting weapon with those runes alone, but the Aias Sword had much more to unveil.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be that easy,¡± I said.

    I used [Rune Identification]. Instantly, several rank-I runes lit up and became entries in my [Rune Encyclopedia]. Vampiric, Insulation, Reinforcement, Bind. Finally, the System Avatar gave me the tools to runeweave properly. I rubbed my hands as my mind raced. The more runes I had, the more combinations I could produce.

    Vampiric. Effect Rune. Rank I. [Rune Identification]: This rune represents eternal hunger. Affinities: Iron, Bone, Hemp Fibers. Mana threshold: 1000.

    Insulation. Effect Rune. Rank I. [Rune Identification]: This rune symbolizes the division between elements and the boundaries of magic. Affinities: Leather, Marble, Paper. Mana threshold: 50.

    Reinforcement. Effect Rune. Rank I. [Rune Identification]: This rune represents integrity and durability. Affinities: Iron, Wood, Stone. Mana threshold: 200.

    Bind. Effect Rune. Rank I. [Rune Identification]: This rune represents the unyielding link between entities. Affinities: Iron, Silver, Gold. Mana threshold: 100.

    A part of me was extremely curious about how runes like Vampiric and Reinforcement would appear in the System¡¯s code, but I quickly pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the ingredients at my disposal. Mana Drain was a common weakness for magical creatures, so a Vampiric Sword could be useful. Reinforcement would be great for the boys¡¯ shields and to improve the slight protection given by the light leather armor we were wearing. The rune that caught my attention the most, however, was Bind.

    The problem with producing enchanted items en masse was the possibility of them landing in the wrong hands. I had the power to make powerful items, but I also had the responsibility to prevent those items from being used by the sort like Sir Janus. If the creator of the Aias Sword managed to bind the weapon to Firana¡¯s bloodline, then I could do the same with my enchanted items. I grinned. I could even create the ultimate gun lock and handpick those deserving of Ginz¡¯s firearms.

    A part of me wanted to share my knowledge with the world. Guns would make the initial levels a walk in the park and prevent useless casualties among low-level kids. However, another part of me wanted complete control. After Janus¡¯ betrayal, I couldn¡¯t leave any loose ends.

    I summoned the [Rune Debugger] and started playing with the new runes. The small box in the upper right corner informed me about the power of the enchantment. Most of the trigger and condition runes had values under a hundred. The only outlier was the Hourglass rune, but not even the specialization of the rune raised the number to over two hundred. Most of the enchantment power was determined by the effect rune. Vampiric and Fire were the two most expensive runes, followed by Wind, Light, and Vibration.

    The boots we had taken from the Sentinel¡¯s Watchtower had a Mana Threshold of three hundred. The rest of our clothing was around the same number, but leather generally could hold more enchantment than fabric and metal more than leather. The sword I had taken from the stash sat at a comfortable 1200 points of endurance, so a Vampiric enchantment was possible. Just like the other Sentinel items, the sword was top-notch quality.

    The Aias Sword had at least three sub-enchantments. Vampiric to drain mana from monsters, Fire to set the blade ablaze and fling fire storms, and Bind to recognize its rightful user. It also had a support enchantment where Insulation and Reinforcement were allocated. I guessed that part of the enchantment was to prevent the sword from melting or breaking. Seventy-two runes were quite the runeweaving job, but I could probably simplify it into the low twenties. My rendition would not be as strong as the Aias Sword, but a low-strength replica still would be deadly in capable hands. And Zaon was one of the most capable swordsmen I¡¯ve ever met.

    I wondered if Firana would get mad at me for plagiarizing her sword.

    Probably not. Like Elincia, Firana seemed to think too highly of me.

    I focused back on the [Rune Debugger] and tried a simple Vampiric-User-Recharge string. The square area turned yellow, meaning the enchantment was faulty but wouldn¡¯t explode on my face. Did Vampiric even require mana? Common sense told me the rune would power itself on contact with something drainable, but, as a general rule, all runes required mana to function. I tested a few more versions of the spell and settled for Vampiric, User, Instantaneous, and Recharge. So far, so good, but I was at a loss when it came to putting two effects into the same enchantment. I had the Vampiric part, and now I needed to add the Fire part. How did the enchanted item know which one to trigger?

    [Rune Identification] refused to tell me what advanced logic gates the Aias Sword had. I had access to the Detect rune from Holst¡¯s Enchanted Timer. The bastard had tried to warn me about Janus, but I had been too blind to realize. I had been too biased against him to notice.

    ¡°Focus, Robert,¡± I muttered.

    The Enchanter Timer detected when the circuit was full of mana. I could use Detect-Stockpile like in the Enchanted Timer to unleash a powerful attack after the sword was fully charged. The downside was that a powerful attack wasn¡¯t desirable in every situation. Indoor fireballs were dangerous, and friendly fire wasn¡¯t friendly at all. I examined my options. The Billowy Cape detected movement and, more importantly, the user¡¯s intent. It seemed too simple to be real. Were there even punctuation signs for enchantments? Sentence grammar?

    Examining the Aias Sword, I didn¡¯t find anything similar to punctuation.

    Something about the magic of this world bothered me. The whole issue of the intent seemed too convenient. The System knew when I wanted to cast [Rune Debugger] or [Rune Encyclopedia]. The Billowy Cape knew when to make the fabric flap. The runeweaving process knew how intense I wanted the Light Stones to be.

    ¡°What is magic in reality?¡± I asked.

    Even during my fight against the Lich, when I let the Corruption demolish the walls of my mana pool, and I was free from the System, the magic¡ªthe Fountain¡ªknew I was trying to gather the thermal energy trapped inside the mountain in a single point over the Lich¡¯s head. I remembered that feeling of complete control. Magic simply bowed to my will.

    ¡°Enough of philosophical rambling,¡± I said to myself.

    The [Rune Debugger] gave me the green sign. The Vampiric part of the enchantment was the simple four-rune string, and the Fire part was a modification of Firana¡¯s Billowy Cape enchantment. I hoped it worked as intended. The box in the upper right told me the enchantment power was way above 1200: the Vampiric and the Fire runes had already added up to 1300. Luckily, both runes had an affinity to iron, so when [Rune Debugger] calculated with the affinities, the enchantment power barely reached a thousand. As I had room to spare, I added the Reinforcement rune for good measure. The [Rune Debugger] area remained green.

    Iron was becoming my favorite enchanting material.

    I took a deep breath. The enchantment was longer than the seven-rune Wind-Shot Boots, but I hoped the discount from [Iron Runeweaver] was enough. After all, I was using only first-rank runes. I channeled my mana and opened the gates. The sword drank greedily, but I maintained the flow to the minimum. While the conscious part of my brain managed the enchantment process, another partition of my mind meditated, purifying Fountain Mana to replenish my mana pool. Despite slowing down the process as much as possible, the output was greater than the input.

    I poured mana into the runes for what seemed an eternity, although my inner clock told me only an hour had passed. The forest was in darkness, and only the faint glow of my mana illuminated the hideout between the stones and the roots. Across the pit with the dying Warm Stones, a pair of blue eyes gleamed in the darkness.

    ¡°Mister Clarke?¡± Zaon whispered.

    ¡°You still have fifteen until the shift,¡± I replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get back to sleep,¡± he apologized.

    The last strand of mana entered the sword, and the circuit was completed.

    New recipe achieved!

    Updating Rune Encyclopedia.

    Leechflame Sword added to the recipes tab.

    I smiled as a cold shiver ran down my spine. My mana reserves were dangerously low, but I was on a roll, and the success-induced adrenaline rushed through my veins. I still had to figure out how to use the Bind rune, but a single extra flaming sword in the world wouldn¡¯t be as threatening as a gun.

    ¡°Zaon?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, Mister Clarke?¡± The boy replied, opening his eyes.

    ¡°Happy Birthday,¡± I said, tossing the sword.

    Zaon¡¯s elven reflexes acted, and he caught it mid-flight. Then, he spied on Ilya to ensure she was still sleeping. Throwing sharp things wasn¡¯t on the list of allowed behaviors at the orphanage. Zaon pulled the sword a few centimeters out of the sheath as Ilya remained asleep. His eyes opened wide, and I grinned.

    ¡°It¡¯s enchanted,¡± he muttered. ¡°What does it do?¡±

    ¡°I took inspiration from a certain flaming sword,¡± I smiled.

    ¡°No way!¡± Zaon smiled back at me. He seemed to melt in bliss under his Warm Blanket as he cradled the sword between his arms. An instant later, however, he perked up, alarmed. ¡°Firana might not be happy about me copying her style.¡±

    ¡°Or, she will be happy to have matching swords,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°I wonder,¡± Zaon sighed. ¡°Girls are an enigma to me.¡±

    Ilya opened a single eye. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s because we speak in complete sentences.¡±

    ¡°Do you, though?¡± Zaon sighed again.

    I made a titanic effort not to laugh.

    There were still three hours until daybreak, so I closed my eyes and left the kids to keep watch. Tomorrow would be an important day. They had to know about the Lich.

 159 - Beyond the boundaries

    The world was completely still. The first rays of the sun emerged from behind the eastern mountains, the sky was clear for the first time in weeks, and the cold air seeped through my Warm Blanket. I refueled the Warm Stones in the middle of our hideout. The natural stone wall blocked the freezing wind from the snowy mountains, and the dense foliage covered us from any flying undead prowling around. In any other situation, the calm would have been reassuring, but a silent forest felt dangerous.

    Not even the birds chirped.

    I put a battered pot on top of the Warm Stones and boiled water. Wolf handed me the food sack, and I prepared the first warm meal since we left Farcrest. Oatmeal and raisins weren¡¯t what I considered an appetizing breakfast, but it was what we could scavenge from the Sentinel¡¯s Watchtower. The kids ate in silence. Ilya had regained her color, and her [Spirit Animal], a white and blue fox, scurried around our hideout with renewed vigor.

    ¡°How are you doing, Wolf?¡± I said.

    ¡°My mana reserves are full again,¡± he replied without taking his eyes off the oatmeal.

    Wolf still avoided the topic of accepting a Class. I couldn''t tell whether it was because he wasn¡¯t ready to talk about it or because he didn¡¯t want to be a hassle. Making the right decisions wasn¡¯t always easy. Even if he downplayed the issue, he had saved the expedition, and having a Healer allowed us to take riskier fights. We had to plan how to move forward.

    I ate a spoonful of gruel while I sorted my thoughts. The whole situation was out of the ordinary. Monster Surges were either waves of monsters displaced into the continent or a stray powerful monster stumbling into civilization. I didn¡¯t think the Lich fell into either of those categories. Unlike stray monsters, the Lich was intelligent. He must have a reason to attack Farcrest.

    Knowing the reason behind the Lich¡¯s attack might give us the edge to survive. I tried to recall our first meeting, but the afterimage of his electric-blue eyes shone behind my eyelids. A cold sweat covered my body, and the image of Elincia being hit by the rusty orc spear sent a shiver down my body. I knew I wasn¡¯t completely over that experience, but I doubted there was a certified therapist in Ebros. I hardened my resolve and dug into my memories. It was a matter of survival. [Awareness] brought me back to the cave.

    The Lich had offered me a deal.

    There are bigger and meaner things out there in the Deep Farlands. Things that could kill even an immortal like me. I¡¯m offering you power. I ask you for loyalty.

    ¡°I know the monster behind the Monster Surge,¡± I said, breaking the silence.

    The kids raised their heads.

    ¡°The Forest Warden is a spirit. You can¡¯t just meet something like that,¡± Ilya replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the Forest Warden. It¡¯s a Lich.¡±

    Ilya, Zaon, and Wolf paled, but Firana instantly jumped to her feet, grinning. ¡°Great, we just need to stab his weak caster ass and send him back to the realms of death,¡± she said with a cheerful tone.

    Ilya massaged her temples.

    ¡°Liches are high-level corrupted magicians, just like Wendigos. There¡¯s no setting where we can ¡®stab his ass¡¯. Not even Mister Clarke could do it,¡± Ilya said matter-of-factly. ¡°No offense,¡± she added, looking at me.

    Firana was going to reply, but I interrupted her.

    ¡°Ilya is right. I don¡¯t think I can defeat the Lich. Remember when I got the Corruption? Well, that was the result of my fight with the Lich, and it ended as well as it could,¡± I said.

    The kids nodded with grave expressions.

    ¡°How did you even escape?¡± Ilya asked.

    I guessed the kids had to know the truth.

    ¡°The Lich¡¯s Corruption shattered the barriers of my mana pool and exposed me to the Fountain, so in a sense, I got my current powers thanks to him. The rest was pure luck,¡± I explained. ¡°Loki saved me. I assume he turned into someone who appeared in the Lich¡¯s memories, which seemed to throw him off. Thanks to the Corruption, I used magic without the help of the System and made the mountain collapse on the Lich¡¯s head.¡±

    The kids started throwing questions, and I answered them all. The more they asked, the more their expressions turned into surprise. They knew about the Fountain thanks to the teachings of the Church of the System, but they were ignorant to the fact that it was just under our mana pools. They closed their eyes and meditated just like I had taught them, but none seemed to be able to detect it. The walls of their mana pools prevented them from doing so, for better or worse.

    Just in case, I strictly forbid them from experimenting with Corruption.

    ¡°Casting magic beyond the System''s boundaries sounds useful. Imagine using skills you don¡¯t actually have!¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°Orcs can do magic without the assistance of the System, but I¡¯ve never heard about making mountains collapse. We use wards to protect our territories and detection spells to locate prey. We can even make trees walk, boulders move on their own and summon rain or clear the skies, but that usually requires a circle of several shamans,¡± Wolf pointed out.

    As I suspected, the System allowed people to perform magical feats they couldn¡¯t otherwise. I remembered the Bard Song before the tournament finals. The performers showed us a time when humans didn¡¯t have the System. They hid in caves like rats, at the mercy of magical predators. Maybe we weren¡¯t supposed to grasp the powers of the Fountain like the System did.

    The kids continued talking about the Lich and the System, but I drifted out of the conversation. I closed my eyes as the puzzle pieces fell into place. Fountain. System. Corruption. Everything was linked into a single picture that slowly became clearer. The System was the intermediary between humans and the Fountain. It allowed us to perform magic feats impossible for ancient humans. Corruption was the byproduct of the System¡¯s inability to process enough Fountain mana. The System Avatar wanted me to edit the System code to fix the faulty processes that created Corruption. There were other Runeweavers before me. Runeweaver Baram was a mythical figure who created powerful enchanted items. Was he an agent of the System Avatar? Did he perform any fixes during his time? If he did, he failed. Byrne was also a Runeweaver, but Byrne refused to fix the System. Why? Did he follow the orc philosophy of not dealing with Corruption?

    Was the System Avatar even telling me the whole truth?

    My worldview had changed after Janus¡¯ betrayal. I always tried to assume people had no hidden ill intentions, but now I couldn¡¯t live making such assumptions. The System Avatar might be lying, or worse, he could be wrong. Maybe this world¡ªthe Fountain¡ªwasn¡¯t compatible with the System, and as long as it existed, there would be Corruption.

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°There are bigger and meaner things out there in the Deep Farlands,¡± the Lich¡¯s voice echoed in my mind.

    There was always a slight probability of the System doing more harm than good.

    ¡°How do orc shamans channel mana?¡± I asked.

    Wolf shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics, but rituals are group efforts. A lead with a circle. It¡¯s not something a single orc can do. There¡¯s no Corruption involved. Ever.¡±

    I nodded. The ¡®safe¡¯ amount of Fountain Mana had to be leagues lower than we experienced with the System, so multiple individuals had to put their mana together to perform a spell. It matched with what the Bard Song during the tournament finals had shown us¡ªthe human ritual to hide the cave¡¯s entrance.

    Wolf shifted, uncomfortable.

    ¡°We have another method of using magic, but I don¡¯t think I can talk about it,¡± Wolf said.

    ¡°You spilled the beans already,¡± Ilya said.

    Earth¡¯s slang was sticking around the orphanage.

    Wolf sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to talk about this, so please, keep it a secret. In certain cases, orcs can channel great amounts of mana on their own. When we face a dangerous opponent, our warriors can enter a Combat Trance to increase their strength and speed. Like the superheroes from Mister Clarke¡¯s illusions.¡±

    ¡°And there isn¡¯t Corruption involved?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Wolf shook his head. ¡°When the Trance ends, the warrior dies. The Trance kills them and burns their bodies to ashes.¡±

    I felt my stomach churn. Orcs thrived through the ages in the Farlands, but the price to pay for exceeding your natural limits was death. Maybe the ancient humans didn¡¯t have a way of channeling the powers of the Fountain other than with group rituals. That was why they lived in fear, cornered against the world''s magic fauna, while orc tribes and other magical races prospered. It wasn¡¯t just the difference in physical ability but their capability to harness magic.

    ¡°Wolf, don¡¯t ever try to enter the Combat Trance, no matter the enemy,¡± I said.

    Wolf sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not like I know how. Warriors are taught to do so, and it seems unlikely they would teach me now.¡±

    We fell into an uncomfortable silence.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Dassyra will understand,¡± I said.

    ¡°I hope so,¡± Wolf replied.

    We finished our breakfast and washed the bowls with our waterskins. A clean spring was nearby, so the water wasn¡¯t a concern. Food, on the other hand, grew scarce.

    ¡°My best guess is that the Lich wants to create undead warriors from Farcrest¡¯s combatants, so our goal remains the same. We need to reach the tribes, and with Wolf as a Healer, I think we can break through the monster¡¯s wall.¡± I said, getting ready to depart.

    A faint smile appeared on Wolf¡¯s face. There was a silver lining to Wolf¡¯s Class situation. Orcs hated the System, but they were also highly pragmatic, and among all classes, Healer was one of the most useful ones regardless of the level. I also smiled. The Healer Class fitted Wolf¡¯s personality very well. Under his serene demeanor, he was a huge softie, and medics require a strong will to withstand the rigor of the profession while being compassionate to the sick.

    We buried the Warm Stones and left our hideout. The forest remained silent despite the sun peeking over the mountains. Ilya summoned two instances of her [Spirit Animal], a fox and a sparrow, and sent them to scout ahead. We walked on the boundary between the forest and the mountains where the Forest Warden¡¯s root system was weaker, but the young trees still hid us from any airborne undead. My legs felt strong against the snow-covered ground, and my backpack was light over my shoulders.

    We were an hour deep into the path when Ilya signaled us to stop.

    At first, I didn¡¯t detect anything out of the ordinary. Only thanks to [Awareness] did I notice the footprints on the snow. There were two sets of them. I realized why I hadn¡¯t detected them. They weren¡¯t proper footsteps but slight depressions in the snow. The boots'' owners either weighed less than a kilogram or had the skill to allow them to leave no marks.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± Ilya whispered.

    ¡°Is it?¡± Zaon replied, stepping past Ilya into the untouched patch of snow.

    Despite the heavy backpack on his shoulders, Zaon¡¯s boots barely sunk into the snow. I tried to do the same, but mine dug deep. Maybe the racial trait was stronger on pureblood elves than half-elves like Elincia.

    ¡°That¡¯s creepy,¡± Wolf pointed out.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s [Light-footed],¡± Zaon said, but not one of the kids found his joke entertaining.

    ¡°An elf must have been nearby, maybe a Sentinel. Do you think they can help us?¡± Ilya said.

    Elves weren¡¯t entirely unheard of in Farcrest, although Zaon was the only pureblooded elf I had spoken to. Most of the population were humans, and there were several half-orcs. Harpies, gnomes, orcs, and half-elves weren¡¯t as common, but it wasn¡¯t surprising to bump into one of them either.

    ¡°It must be a Sentinel. The blizzard happened after the start of the Monster Surge, so I doubt a non-combatant would travel north right now. Let¡¯s ignore it. If they don¡¯t want to be found, we would only waste time chasing them.¡± I replied. A part of my brain feared Janus had his hands deep into the Sentinel¡¯s ranks.

    Ilya nodded, and we continued to the north and east. A few minutes passed, and Ilya stopped us again. On the slope of the mountain near the forest line, a lone undead harpy perched on top of a pointy rock. Its wing was bent at a strange angle. I assumed it was part of the undead attack force that besieged Farcrest during the night. It must¡¯ve collided with another harpy or wind spirit and ended up grounded.

    ¡°I recognize free experience when I see it,¡± Firana said with a melodic tone.

    Undead Harpy Lv.11

    After the last fight, Ilya and Wolf fell behind in their experience, and a grounded Lv.11 Hapry was an excellent opportunity to close the gap. However, the reigning silence worried me. The wind was still, and a single screech from the creature would be heard across the valley.

    ¡°Do you think you can kill it before it shrieks?¡± I asked.

    ¡°My Lv.1 [Archery] allows me to aim perfectly under twenty-two meters. Even at thirty meters, I¡¯m mostly accurate. And that¡¯s before this bow,¡± Ilya replied, giving a soft slap to the Cooldown Bow.

    ¡°I¡¯m confident in my aim at that distance, even without fancy passives,¡± Wolf added.

    It was set, then. We hid behind a tree while Ilya and Wolf moved silently over the snow. The Harpy was facing southwest, so they took a wide detour to position behind the monster. The foliage covered my view, so I could only guess their position. I trusted Ilya and Wolf to find the perfect shot. Minutes passed in silence, and I tried to ease the tension in my body by entering a state of semi-meditation. Firana and Zaon gripped their swords.

    Ilya¡¯s arrow flew like a white tracer and punched through the harpy¡¯s neck powered by [Piercing Shot]. Not an instant later, Wolf¡¯s stone crushed the monster¡¯s head. The undead body went limp and fell on the snow with a silent thud. Not a single sound emerged from its throat.

    ¡°I must admit that was a nice shot,¡± Firana said, easing the grip of her sword.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to tell Ilya,¡± I replied, and Firana nodded.

    We were walking towards the spot from where the arrow appeared when Ilya appeared behind the thicket, pointing to the sky. I followed her finger through the foliage and saw three little dots flying near the top of the mountain. [Awareness] told me there were Blood Eagles, who seemed to be diving toward us, fast.

    ¡°I sense it! We are in danger!¡± Zaon said.

    ¡°How did they find us?¡± Firana asked.

    I turned around to the Undead Harpy¡¯s body. There wasn¡¯t a clean line of sight between the rocks and the mountain tops. A gloomy idea popped into my mind. What if the Lich sensed when one of his undead was killed?

    ¡°We have to get out of here,¡± I yelled. ¡°Into the forest! Now!¡±

 160 - Mature Scion Pod

    The Blood Eagles dove upon us like arrows against the clear sky. [Awareness] sharpened my eyesight. Opaque, worn-out chestnut feathers covered their bodies. Despite the signs of decay, their beaks and talons were deep crimson, like they had dipped in fresh blood. Their eyes were hollow, and patches of putrid flesh were visible between the plumage. On their backs, Undead Orcs clung to their feathers, weapons drawn.

    We ran across the thicket, but the eagles were faster. They flew over our heads, almost grazing the trees, and airdropped their cargo. Two tall, muscular, and dead orcs towered before us. Their clothing vaguely evoked those of the Inuit: thick-pelt hooded coats, trousers, and tattered boots once adorned with multicolor wool braids. Their eyes were as hollow as the ones of the Blood Eagles, and despite the advanced decomposition state of the corpses, they moved with the fluidity of a living elf.

    Undead Orc Lv.11

    Undead Orc Lv.9

    The timing was too precise to be an accident.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the one on the left! You take care of the one at the right!¡± I said, pulling the shotgun strap over my shoulder and handing it to Wolf. Then, I put a handful of shells in his pocket. ¡°Ilya doesn''t have great close-quarters capabilities. Make sure to protect her.¡±

    Wolf checked both barrels with a swift movement and nodded.

    I tossed my backpack to the ground and unsheathed my sword. Mana surged through my body, surrounding the blade and giving it a vibrating blue hue. Leveling up felt good, but having a strong body felt even greater. The undead orc followed me with his hollow eyes as I parted ways from the kids. He raised his thick sword, almost a machete, and showed me his fangs. Dassyra was scarier.

    With the corner of my eye, I saw Firana using [Aerokinesis] to jump over the orc¡¯s head. Without hesitation, she discharged the Aias Sword''s flames on her opponent''s putrid flesh. The heat hit my face. The attack wasn¡¯t enough to kill the undead orc, but it gave Ilya and Wolf an opening to shoot. With a thud, the [Piercing Arrow] buried a few centimeters into the orc¡¯s chest while Wolf¡¯s slingshot bounced against his skull, shattering a piece of bone.

    I sidestepped as my opponent tried to slice me in two vertically. The orc¡¯s rotten muscles bulged as the beast mindlessly fought against inertia and followed up with a lateral cut. [Swordsmanship] took over my mind. The world around me slowed down. My eyes darted from side to side, absorbing combat information: my foe¡¯s movement, the position of his body, the shapes of the soil, protruding roots, angles, distances, trajectories. Before making a single movement, I knew the outcome of the fight.

    The orc roared, but his intimidation tactics were useless. His movements were too predictable to be afraid of. Fencers back on Earth were leagues above a mindless undead. I moved away, and the orcish blade shattered the tree bark behind me, leaving his defenses wide open. Pushing against the ground under my feet, I shot forward. With a single blue flash, I cut through flesh and the orc¡¯s head fell to the ground.

    Across the clearing, Firana used [Aerokinesis] to dodge the undead orc¡¯s attack. The thick sword drew an arc and shattered the ground, throwing debris everywhere. Zaon seized the moment and stabbed the monster¡¯s side. The vampiric sword drank from the orc¡¯s magic, momentarily weakening it. Before the orc could retaliate, Zaon stepped back and raised his guard. The opening created by Zaon lasted a mere second, but it was enough for Wolf and Ilya to sneak in another volley. Ilya¡¯s arrow pierced the orc¡¯s knee, and Wolf¡¯s slingshot hit straight in the center of its chest.

    The undead orc faltered. Despite not feeling pain, its body was too damaged to move normally.

    Firana parried a blow, using the strong side of her sword against the opponent¡¯s weak. She seemed almost bored. The orc¡¯s physical strength was useless without the proper leverage. Then, Firana countered, slashing the orc¡¯s arm but barely cutting through the iron-like skin.

    Zaon channeled mana from his Leechflame Longsword, and a red aura surrounded the blade. Like a kickstart explosion, a flame appeared around the sword. Zaon recoiled, but the fire didn¡¯t harm him. The orc turned, but Zaon had already moved to surpass his defenses. Zaon must¡¯ve noticed slashing wouldn¡¯t do the trick because he pushed forward and buried the flaming sword deep into the orc¡¯s ribcage. Then he channeled the sword¡¯s fire mana, burning it from the inside. Flames shot from the orc¡¯s mouth and eye sockets, and the creature let out a last angry roar before falling to the ground.

    Zaon wiped the sweat from his forehead. His expression was almost empty, and I knew [Awareness] was running haywire in his mind. He lowered his sword only after realizing the burnt corpse was done for good. At any other time, I would¡¯ve found the scene downright horrific, but I was far from Earth. Zaon didn¡¯t seem bothered by the undead body either.

    ¡°What was that!¡± Firana said.

    ¡°An undead orc. The Lich must have turned them,¡± Zaon replied, dead serious.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that,¡± Firana said, hitting Zaon¡¯s sword with hers. A cascade of sparks fell to the ground as the two mana-charged swords collided.

    I approached the kids, ignoring the discussion between Zaon and Firana.

    ¡°Are you okay, Wolf?¡± I asked. The orc boy had remained far from close combat, so I knew he was physically sound. Mentally, though, I couldn¡¯t tell. Wolf crouched beside the undead orc¡¯s body.

    ¡°These aren¡¯t my tribesmen. Their clothing is different, their tattoos don¡¯t make sense, and they have four tusks instead of two,¡± Wolf said, examining the orc¡¯s face. ¡°I think the Lich might have traveled far and wide to raise his army. These orcs aren¡¯t from anywhere nearby.¡±

    I remembered Dassyra¡¯s arm tattoo: vines, the moon, stars, a deer, a wolf. I made a mental note to ask her about the meaning of her tattoos when we met and shoved that memory aside. I focused back on Wolf. It didn¡¯t seem affected by the fight against the undead orcs.

    Firana jumped into the conversation. ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let¡¯s focus on the important part. I want to know why Zaon has an enchanted sword! How am I supposed to become a famous fencer if every other orphan in Farcrest has a flaming sword!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The idea of every orphan in Farcrest having a high-level enchanted weapon was outrageous considering the rarity of enchanted items. I contemplated the possibility of doing so, but a surge of enchanted items would draw curious eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± Firana said. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to settle my trademark already with the Marquis being a high-level Flame Fencer.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we are having this conversation,¡± Ilya massaged her temples.

    ¡°What else did you expect from Firana?¡± Wolf interjected.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°Nothing! And I¡¯m still disappointed!¡± Ilya said.

    Firana trapped Zaon in a headlock and started a discussion about the right to use flaming swords.

    Undead Orc slain.

    Level up!

    A pleasant sensation enveloped my body. I felt faster and stronger, and my muscles were more responsive. Before, [Swordsmanship] and [Awareness] had been carrying my fights thanks to the improved reaction times and decision-making. Now, the accumulation of twelve levels was starting to show in my speed and strength. It was hard to get a good point of comparison in a world full of magic beasts, but I knew I was reaching the threshold of highly trained athletes.

    There was a good reason why the people of this world didn¡¯t hone their skills like the humans back on Earth. The growths provided by the System were exponentially greater in comparison. In a few days, I had reached the level of physical fitness that would take years to achieve back home while following strict training regimes.

    I focused back on the kids. Firana seemed to start liking the fact she had matching swords with Zaon. I wondered if the high from leveling up had softened her. Not that it mattered. She wasn¡¯t selfish to the point of making a real scene about Zaon¡¯s sword. She was selfish enough to push me to enchant more trinkets for her, though. My gut told me she was one black mask away from becoming a vigilante.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going now that the undead has lost track of us,¡± I said, grabbing my backpack. Despite being just as full of heavy camping items, it felt far lighter than before. The kids nodded. I wouldn¡¯t stay put to find out if the Lich still wanted me for his army of the dead.

    Ilya sent her [Spirit Animal] ahead while we spied on the mountains. The Undead Blood Eagles were nowhere to be found, but I didn¡¯t count them out of the equation. At least the undead¡¯s senses were dull compared to living beings, so if we couldn¡¯t see them, they probably couldn¡¯t see us back.

    We continued walking north, but after not too long, the mountain range twisted west, funneling us into the forest and near the Forest Warden¡¯s root system. The Forest Warden¡¯s roots grew in size to the point they abandoned the rich forest bed and dug into the mountain slope. Using the roots as highways would mean alerting the Swarm, but avoiding them would mean leaving the cover of the forest and traveling in the open. I glanced at the sky. There were no signs of airborne undead, but they might be hiding in the thousands of rock formations along the slope.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Ilya voiced my same concerns.

    The sky had clouded, and the environmental mana trembled. The [Black Storm] was about to intensify. The area spell crept upon my skin like hundreds of ants, and I had to tone down my mana sense not to go crazy. Ilya seemed to suffer the same discomfort because she recalled her [Spirit Animal]. It was too early in the day to stop, and we were too close to the core of the root system. We might have to plow through into the next valley, whether it meant alerting the monsters or not.

    ¡°Look! They are moving,¡± Zaon whispered, pointing into the forest.

    Dark roots extended around us, digging into the ground like they were searching for something. They unearthed an old bird carcass and dragged it back into the depths of the forest. Whatever they nurtured in the crimson pods couldn¡¯t be any good. However, we couldn¡¯t push forward without making a decision. Remain in the forest and risk alerting the swarm with their high-level Mana Stalkers and Overseers, or travel on the mountain paths in sight of the undead.

    Before I could ask the kids for their opinions, the ground trembled. The movement intensified, and not even [Light-Footed] allowed me to remain on my feet. I fell to my knees. A root, wide as a school bus, emerged from the ground and rose like a strange monolith into the sky. Pulsating crimson pods hung from the sides in clusters. The multicolor blooms surrounding them had already withered, leaving only the eerie fruit behind.

    Something moved inside one of the pods.

    Mature Scion Pod.

    ¡°Run¡ª¡±.

    The magical presence hit me like a freezing wave. I couldn¡¯t move. I examined my Character Sheet and saw a Lv.1 [Paralyzed] status. It couldn¡¯t last long. The pod pulsated, and the occupant pushed against the elastic walls. The cloudy liquid prevented me from seeing it clearly, but I recognized a human hand pressing against the wall. The pod wall broke, and the occupant fell along with the fluid, landing somewhere behind a bramble clump.

    ¡°Please, be dead,¡± I muttered, but my prayers fell on deaf ears.

    The creature was humanoid only in shape. It had white, bark-like skin, with pieces of shining green chitin on its arms and legs. Its arms were too long for a human, and its bony fingers ended in vicious claws, much like the Wendigo¡¯s. Its torso was covered in a hard bark armor. Its face was slender like an elf¡¯s but wasn¡¯t entirely humanoid. Protrusions of a dark, opaque material formed a natural helmet around the creature¡¯s head, crowned by majestic antennae. From its back, it unfolded a set of iridescent green wings, like the ones of a monarch butterfly. As it straightened, I noticed the creature was almost two meters tall.

    Humanoid Chrysalimorph Lv.38. Magical Abomination. [Identify]: The Chrysalimorph is the grotesque culmination of the Forest Warden¡¯s attempts to harness the perfect physical body. Weakness: None.

    ¡°Wolf!¡± I yelled, snapping out of my daze.

    Wolf shouldered the shotgun and pulled the trigger. The Chrysalimorph staggered. The slug shattered the outer chest armor, but the creature remained unfazed. [Awareness] threw me back to my fight against the Wendigo. Two shots at point-blank range had been barely enough to damage it. Wolf shot again, the slug barely penetrating the shattered armor. Green blood flew through the cracks, but the creature was far from dead.

    The Chrysalimorph vanished. In the blink of an eye, it closed the distance between us and barreled into Wolf. The Chrysalimorph¡¯s shoulder slammed into his chest and hurled him several meters into the air.

    My body moved on its own, channeling mana into the blade of my sword and aiming at the creature¡¯s neck. The blade bounced against the Chrysalimorph¡¯s armor, barely leaving a scratch. I pushed mana into my [Awareness], and time seemed to slow. The creature threw its claws at me. Ilya¡¯s [Entangling Vines] emerged from the ground and wrapped around its ankles and wrists, but the Chrysalimorph uprooted them without apparent effort. I sidestepped, but I couldn¡¯t dodge it in time. My leather jacket was turned to shreds¡ªthe Reinforcement enchantment being nearly useless¡ªand the monster¡¯s claws ripped my skin.

    [Awareness] drowned the pain. It was a superficial wound.

    I channeled my mana into a dozen blades buzzing with power, but before I could land a hit, the Chrysalimorph beat its butterfly wings and retreated. I wasn¡¯t going to give it a moment of respite. With the kids around, I had to show it I was the only real threat. I pushed my mana to the limit. The spot of Corruption on my chest clung to my flesh, but I knew well enough not to surpass a certain level. The mana blades dashed and spun around the Chrysalimorph, following its crooked flightpath.

    I dusted off my old skills and used [Intimidate] and [Stun Gaze] upon the Chrysalimorph. Our level difference was too high for them to work. The spells bounced off, sending molten needles through my brain, but they were enough to enrage the creature. The Chrysalimorph screeched, and a long, black stinger emerged from the palm of its hand. Alarms went off in my brain, telling me to run away as my mana sense caught the energy currents within the monster. I ignored them all and pushed forward.

    My Mana Blades surrounded the Chrysalimorph, but they weren¡¯t enough to dent its armor. The more the creature moved away, the weaker my spell became. The Chrysalimorph wings buzzed as it darted through the gaps in my attack. With my peripheral vision, I saw Wolf trying to aim the shotgun, but the Chrysalimorph was too fast and smart to give a clean shot.

    The Chrysalimorph stopped retreating and dashed at me, shoulder first. I dispelled the mana blades and raised my shield. The shield cracked but absorbed enough energy to prevent any injuries. I staggered and transferred my mana to the blade of my sword. [Swordsmanship] seized my body, and I lunged faster than the untrained eye could see. My mana blade grew far beyond the boundary of my sword. Without a physical body, it was light as a feather.

    The Chrysalimorph might be faster than me, but human fencers could still be swift. My muscles were strained to the limit as my nervous system worked on overdrive. The opening between the shattered armor plates was barely a few millimeters wide, but it was enough for me. The tip of my mana sword found the weak flesh under the armored exterior. Then, I copied Zaon¡¯s technique, but instead of unleashing a firestorm inside my opponent, I reshaped my mana sword, turning it into a porcupine.

    Mana needles shot in every direction, tearing muscle and organs from inside.

    The Chrysalimorph let out a weak screech and fell to the ground.

    Then, the remaining crimson pods pulsated.

 161 - Bark Avatar

    The pods throbbed. Vague figures moved inside the cloudy liquid. I tried to use my mana sense to see through the crimson membrane but couldn¡¯t see inside. The environment mana stung my skin like tiny grains of sand in a storm. Under my mana sense, the root-monolith where the clumps of pods hung shone like a lighthouse. Pure mana rushed through the roots into the pods. There were hundreds of them, some the size of a human, others barely larger than an apple¡ªready to hatch.

    Before I could move, a System prompt appeared before my eyes.

    Chrysalimorph slain.

    Level up!

    Level up!

    Level up!

    New skill acquired: [Foresight]

    Knowing what was coming, I braced for the impact. The System kneaded [Foresight] directly into my brain. I felt disoriented and nauseous. No matter how many skills I obtained, the process was as uncomfortable as ever. The sensation only lasted an instant and disappeared like it never happened. Another System prompt popped into my face.

    Foresight: An improved version of [Awareness], tailored towards Scholars who enjoy fighting. Allows the user to predict the attack patterns of their rivals. Prestige Class Requirement.

    This was the second Prestige Class Requirement I acquired. The same piece of text appeared when [Mana Manipulation] turned into [Mana Mastery]. Despite the requirement, I felt no further power-ups. Prestige Classes were extremely rare and hard to achieve, and no book had a comprehensive guide to achieve them. Maybe I still needed more requirements to progress.

    I dismissed the prompts. Only an instant had passed since the first one. [Foresight] seemed to work the same way as [Awareness]. My brain was flooded with information about the imminent dangers of the pulsating pods and possible escape routes.

    ¡°Follow me!¡± I shouted, grabbing my backpack and running north.

    The closest pod broke, and the creature fell on the soft ground. I didn¡¯t look back, but the sound alone told me the pod''s occupant was much smaller than the Humanoid Chrisalimorph. The ground trembled as the root system twisted beneath our feet. More and more splashes of pods bursting reached my ears. Firana and Zaon led the way, followed by Ilya, Wolf, and me. The valley narrowed as we reached the northern border. The path couldn¡¯t be more than an hour of walking ahead, but the root system prevented me from seeing ahead.

    ¡°They are upon us!¡± Ilya yelled, looking over her shoulder.

    I raised my head and saw a hawk with the same white bark-like skin and green chitinous wings of the Humanoid Chrysalimorph. The bird seemed too heavy to fly, but its body boiled with mana, leaving a sparkly green mana trail like an airplane¡¯s aerobatic smoke. The scene would¡¯ve been beautiful without the monsters trying to kill us. Firana tried to use [Aerokinesis] to drag down the monster but barely managed to disrupt the trajectory.

    Avian Chrysalimorph Lv.13. Magical Abomination. [Identify]: A creature nurtured by the Forest Warden in their failed attempts to create a worthy body for possession. Weakness: None.

    Ilya nocked an arrow and pulled the string without stopping. The Cooldown Bow accumulated power. The Avian Chrysalimorph dove upon us, talons forward, and at the last moment, Ilya turned and released the arrow. The monster must¡¯ve been inside her [Archery] range because, despite the rushed shot, the arrow hit the mark. The monster¡¯s bark-like skin shattered, and it fell to the ground with a piercing screech, green blood gushing through the cracks in its armor.

    We didn¡¯t stop to confirm the kill.

    ¡°I¡¯m running out of arrows!¡± Ilya said, using her enchanted boots to keep up with us. We had been carefully recovering as many arrows as possible, but the Cooldown Bow and [Piercing Shot] weren¡¯t too kind with the shafts.

    We ran down the slope, using the maze of roots as cover. Wolf tended to my wound while we ran. He applied [Regeneration]¡¯s green mesh on the furrows the Humanoid Chrysalimorph had left on my skin, and the bleeding stopped almost instantly. I examined the wound. The claws should¡¯ve penetrated deeper. I couldn¡¯t wholly dodge the attack, and humans lacked the thick skin of a badger. I decided to leave that mystery for later.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a monster running on top of the root system.

    Lupine Chrysalimorph Lv.17.

    I cursed. Unlike their fleshy counterparts, chrysalimorphs didn¡¯t seem to have trouble running long distances. This wasn¡¯t a race we could win by attrition. Wolf shot his sling without stopping to aim, and the pebble barely cracked the Lupine Chrysalimorph¡¯s armor. They were sturdier than anything we had faced before.

    The monster jumped down from the root and blocked our path. Firana darted forward, her sword shining with a silvery gleam. [Puncture]. I grinned. No matter how well-armored chrysalimorphs were, we had options. Firana¡¯s [Puncture], Ilya¡¯s [Piercing Arrow], and the sheer strength of Wolf¡¯s Wind Sling could break the monster¡¯s bark-like armor and allow regular attacks to do damage. Firana pierced the monster¡¯s armor and jumped back before the Lupine Chrysalimorph could bite. Zaon and I summoned our shields and reinforced the frontline. Wolf and Ilya had enough time to prepare a volley.

    The armor cracked, and green blood flowed through the cracks, but the Lupine Chrysalimorph seemed unfazed, much like an undead. We were wasting time. I channeled mana into [Foreseight], and the skill showed me the kill. I summoned half a dozen mana swords and skewered the creature through the cracks from the kid¡¯s attacks.

    To hell with worrying about levels. We had to get away fast, but using the root system as a highway would summon the Swarm. A single attack from a Mana Stinger would be lethal. We couldn¡¯t get Mana Poisoning now, or the army of chrysalimorphs would quickly kill us.

    ¡°We need to get out of the forest,¡± I said, but it was easier said than done.

    The monsters flooded the clearing, and I pushed the kids through the thicket, using my mana blades to cut through the sea of brambles surrounding the root system.

    Vulpine Chrysalimorph

    Lupine Chrysalimorph

    Avian Chrysalimorph

    Cervine Chrystalimorph

    Insectoid Chrysalimorph

    The monsters started to gain on us. Luckily, there were no Humanoid Crysalimorph among them. I channeled my mana, and the world slowed down. [Foresight] predicted the monster¡¯s paths, angles of attack, speed, and reaction times. There wasn¡¯t a single prediction, but many, vibrating and overlapping like a glitched picture of a videogame. I wasn¡¯t looking at the future but at a sea of probabilities. My brain was overloaded, and I felt like someone had pushed red-hot needles into my brain. Predicting multiple opponents was like herding cats, but the battle was far from lost.

    Small fry wouldn¡¯t stop me. [Foresight] had something [Awareness] lacked: a killing instinct. Despite being unable to predict every monster¡¯s movements, I knew the path to kill them as efficiently as possible. Unlike human foes, the monster¡¯s defenses were wide open.

    The Lupine Chrysalimorph pounced. Even before it touched the ground, I cast [Stun Gaze]. Our levels were equivalent, and the creature turned stiff as a board. The effect only lasted a second, but it was more than enough. The kids reacted without a command and went on the offensive. I focused on the next opponent. My mana blades impaled the Avian Chrysalimorph as the creature tried to claw my face, and Wolf sliced the Vulpine Chrysalimorph in half¡ªno, he crushed the armor and smashed the creature¡¯s body with a single hit.

    Wolf had inherited Dassyra¡¯s arm.

    We opened a path and climbed the slope while more and more Chrysalimorphs appeared: winged wolves, six-legged stags, hybrid bears, magic-spitting lizards, and even a strange twin-headed hippogriff, every single one of them covered in white skin and reinforced green chitin. We fought, using every one of our tricks. I was bitten, struck, and thumped, but we gained terrain, always moving north.

    I lost count of the chrysalimorphs we had brought down, as most of my focus went to keeping the kids safe¡ªor at least as safe as possible. Although strong, my defensive skills were short-ranged, and I couldn¡¯t be everywhere simultaneously. Zaon helped me protect the girls, but consequentially, he got the worst of the attacks. [Steadfast Shield] was a powerful skill, but Zaon was still a low-level combatant.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    A human-sized Saurian Chrysalimorph with a slimy twin jaw jumped on my back, and I fell to the ground. The creature must have a concealing skill because [Foresight] didn¡¯t pick upon it despite its size. The lizard''s claws burrowed through what remained of my hardened leather jacket and into my skin. I tried to turn, but the creature held me down. I raised a mana shield around my neck just as it chomped me. Its mouth smelled like sap.

    I heard the bark cracking, and Wolf tackled the Saurian Chrysalimorph from my back. An [Entangling Vine] wrapped around the creature¡¯s neck, and Firana and Zaon gave a perfectly coordinated killing blow, piercing its neck and releasing a firestorm inside its armor. I jumped to my feet. We had no time for respite. An Avian Chrysalimorph dove like an arrow and clawed Ilya¡¯s shoulder. The reinforced jacket absorbed most of the attack, yet blood ran down her arm. I raised my mana shield and blocked the rest of the Chrysalimorph¡¯s flock while Wolf tended to her.

    Despite my efforts to keep the kids safe, the Chrysalimorphs slowly wore us down. My crowd control capabilities were limited against this many monsters, and Wolf¡¯s mana reserves were low. He was overusing [Regeneration]. I saw the strain on his face. It was beyond physical fatigue and not something one could fight with will alone.

    ¡°Something big is coming!¡± Ilya shouted.

    A Lv.30 Chrysalimorph Boar-Bear broke through the thicket like a small bulldozer. It was too high-level for the kids. I channeled my power and cornered it with my mana blades. Its bark was hard, but my mana blades could dent even the toughest materials. I pushed more mana into my blades, and the boar-bear recognized me as the spellcaster. It ignored the blades and charged at me. The kids dispersed. The Chrysalimorph Boar-Bear crashed against my barrier. Sparks of blue mana flew everywhere, scorching dead ferns and melting snow. I felt the impact through my bones. Fangs and tusks like daggers closed around my barrier, and Zaon and Firana seized the moment to unleash a torrent of fire on the monster. Even if it wasn¡¯t enough to kill it, it was enough to create an opening.

    Dispelling the barrier, I channeled all the mana into my sword and sliced the Boar-Bear¡¯s head off with a single swing.

    ¡°Above!¡± Ilya shouted, sword in hand. Wolf¡¯s curative mana wrapped her shoulder, but her eyebrow had been cut during the last skirmish, and her face was covered in blood.

    Over our heads, a flock of Blood Eagles dove from both sides of the valley. I cursed. We were getting overrun. Zaon and Firana weren¡¯t in much better shape. Their jackets were torn to shreds, and their bodies were covered in minor cuts and bruises. Even Wolf, who was naturally more sturdy than the rest of us, was scraped up.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to level up so many times,¡± Firana grunted, igniting her sword.

    The Blood Eagles dove into the forest but they weren¡¯t aiming for us.

    ¡°Focus,¡± I said, but the onslaught of Chrysalimorphs ended as soon as it started. We killed a few more beasts, and the forest fell completely silent.

    I gave Wolf one of the Mana Potions, and he promptly tended to our wounds. Cuts and scratches were covered in the curative mana mesh, preventing bleeding and accelerating the healing process. The wounds from the fight with the Humanoid Chrysalimorph were healing, but Wolf would need several levels before his healing powers matched Elincia¡¯s potions.

    The root system moved to recover the carcasses of the Chrysalimorphs. Firana raised her sword and unleashed a fire torrent, but the roots were unscathed. We could not prevent the Forest Warden from recycling the bodies. I just hoped the second iteration of the Chrysalimorphs wouldn¡¯t be stronger than the first.

    I closed my eyes and purified mana from the Fountain to replenish my reserves.

    ¡°If I find the Forest Warden, I¡¯m going to burn it to a crisp,¡± Firana said, sitting on the ground by Zaon¡¯s side. She also closed her eyes and leaned against the tree, exhausted.

    ¡°You can¡¯t burn a spirit,¡± Ilya replied, looking over Wolf¡¯s shoulder.

    Wolf grabbed Ilya¡¯s head like a basketball to keep her still and applied [Regeneration] on her brow. Her head looked comically small under Wolf¡¯s hand. She huffed but stayed still.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for the Forest Warden to possess a body, then I¡¯ll burn it to a crisp,¡± Firana said, tapping her temple.

    ¡°Or you can burn its true body,¡± Zaon pointed out. ¡°You just have to find it.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s find the orc camp first,¡± I interrupted.

    The kids nodded in silence and grabbed their things. We were close to the path between valleys. Zaon¡¯s backpack had been destroyed during the fight, so we decided to drop anything that wasn¡¯t essential and rearrange the important things. We left most of the cooking utensils to make space for Zaon¡¯s blanket and lighten the load.

    ¡°We are close,¡± Wolf said.

    Traversing the next valley would be a lot easier without the root system blocking every path.

    ¡°This is strange,¡± Ilya said as we were about to leave. ¡°We killed a lot of Chrysalimorphs. Shouldn¡¯t we get a few levels at least?¡±

    The System prompts were nowhere to be found.

    I had a bad feeling.

    ¡°The fight isn¡¯t over,¡± I said, putting my backpack down and unsheathing my sword. I used [Foresight] to examine the thicket, but no monster was nearby. Even the Undead Blood Eagles who had dived near us had disappeared without a trace.

    My mind rushed. A Saurian Chrysalimorph waiting for the right moment to pounce on us? No. Any monster should¡¯ve had plenty of time to attack while Wolf was tending our wounds. Whatever was out there was just observing us. Waiting.

    ¡°Zaon, take my backpack and get ready to run,¡± I said.

    My [Foresight] didn¡¯t pick up on anything, yet my instinct told me something was there.

    ¡°My [Spirit Animal] doesn¡¯t see any monsters,¡± Ilya whispered.

    ¡°[Sentinel¡¯s Oath] isn¡¯t warning me of any danger nearby,¡± Zaon added.

    I shook my head. My father always told me to trust my gut. Even if [Foresight] sharpened my senses and sped up my thoughts, the skill was part of the System and was governed by its rules. Depending on the System''s inner mechanics, a higher-level concealing skill could easily nullify my [Foresight]. I spied through the old pines just to find more forest.

    ¡°Greetings, Wizard.¡±

    A slim figure appeared where I just had my eyes on¡ªgreen chitin over white bark-like skin, long blonde hair that fell straight like a gold cascade, and delicate androgynous features.

    Elven Chrysalimorph Lv.??

    Only one person had called me ¡®wizard¡¯ since I crossed the portal in Byrne¡¯s cabin¡ªthe Lich. A shiver ran down my spine, and, in an instant, I was covered in cold sweat. My arms locked in place, and I almost dropped my sword. Two electric blue eyes shone through the cracks in the elven chrysalimorph¡¯s facial armor.

    ¡°Run,¡± I said.

    ¡°The one with the butterfly wings looked more dangerous,¡± Firana casually replied.

    Panic surged up my throat, but I projected to the last drop of my teacher¡¯s authority, and my voice hit like a whip.

    ¡°Run! Find the tribes!¡± I shouted, and Firana recoiled like I had slapped her across the face. The kids quickly recovered from the surprise, grabbed their backpacks, and disappeared through the thicket in less than a second.

    The Lich didn¡¯t chase. Instead, he came forward, his steps making no audible noise despite walking on dry twigs and exposed gravel. Not even my [Foresight] registered his existence.

    ¡°That was unnecessary, Wizard. I can be a very reasonable person,¡± the Lich said, stopping a few meters away.

    My mind was numb.

    ¡°What do you want? I already defeated you once,¡± I said.

    The Lich shook his head. ¡°You didn¡¯t defeat me. You just destroyed my body. You see, after our fight, I found the remains of an old Forest Warden. Just enough to reanimate it, so I thought it could be a great chance to get something different,¡± he said, examining his hands.

    I channeled mana around my sword. I only had to destroy the Lich¡¯s new body and get on my way. An Elven Chrysalimorph couldn¡¯t be much more durable than a Humanoid Chrysalimorph.

    ¡°That would not be necessary,¡± the Lich said, raising a hand. His cold voice came out dangerously annoyed. ¡°As I said before, I¡¯m a very reasonable person. Our last meeting could¡¯ve been a lot smoother without that little glitch of yours making a scene.¡±

    Glitch. The Lich¡¯s wording caught my interest. He had used the term in English. I doubted they even had a word for ¡®glitch¡¯ in the local language.

    ¡°What do you mean calling Loki a glitch?¡± I asked.

    Despite the chrysalimorph¡¯s face being a rigid mask of bark, the Lich seemed entertained. ¡°Loki. What a suitable name for a mischievous creature. A bit on the unimaginative side, though,¡± the Lich said, looking at me directly in the eye. ¡°Yes. You want to run, Wizard, but you are too curious.¡±

    A monster born in the Farlands had no business knowing why Loki was a suitable name for a Changeling.

    ¡°You keep calling me a wizard,¡± I said.

    The Lich¡¯s laughter made me freeze. ¡°You are not a Scholar, as the System suggests, Robert Clarke, in the same way, I¡¯m not a Lich. That¡¯s just the label the System thought fitted me the best. You are a wizard, like me.¡±

    The Lich knew too much about the System just to be an intelligent monster. But he had a point. During our confrontation in the cave, I used magic¡ªnot skills, but actual magic. I forced the world to change according to my will. I transferred the energy of the mountain to a single point and melted the cave¡¯s ceiling on the Lich¡¯s head. The System wasn¡¯t involved at any point in the process, yet I was the strongest I had been since I arrived at Ebros. The amount of mana I could control was leagues above the strongest mana blade I could summon.

    I wondered if I could put on the same performance one more time.

    ¡°So, what now?¡± I said. ¡°Do you still want me to become one of your subordinates?¡±

    The Lich took a step closer.

    ¡°The situation has changed, Robert Clarke. If I turn you, I fear our chubby little yellow friend might strip you of your skills. I would rather you give me that Access Rune while you live.¡± The Lich smiled without a mouth.

 162 - Vessel

    The Lich¡¯s threat lingered against the silence.

    If I turn you, I fear our chubby little yellow friend might strip you of your skills. I would prefer you give me that Access Rune while you live.

    The Lich getting my Access Rune would be disastrous for Farcrest and the kingdom. However, the only thing I could think about was the underlying mystery. The existence of the System Avatar was supposed to be a secret, even for the Zealots. The System was supposed to be a mindless, bodiless presence that permeated all living things and existed to protect the people from the monster of the Farlands, not a chubby man dressed in khakis.

    ¡°What are you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I just told you. I¡¯m a wizard,¡± the Lich replied, his cold voice echoing through the forest. ¡°Now, if you please. I need that Access Rune. Corruption is growing at an alarming rate, and I plan to survive.¡±

    Instinctively, I channeled mana into my sword. The blade shone with a blue hue. [Foresight] hijacked my brain and fed me everything I needed to know about the surroundings. The world turned gray as the skill discarded the superfluous information. I could only assume an Elven Chrysalimorph inherited the nimbleness typical of elves but with the defensive advantages of the chitinous armor.

    A crown of green mana surrounded the Lich¡¯s head. Arcs of blinding mana scorched the bark of the pines and the dried ferns. My heart raced, and cold sweat covered my forehead. I felt a void in my stomach, like that one time a hurricane surprised my parents and me during our holiday. I felt overwhelmed by the power of the elements, and now, the same feeling has reappeared. I wasn¡¯t before a mere undead but a walking natural disaster.

    The Lich¡¯s mana signature was different from what I remembered. Even its color was different¡ªgreen and gold instead of the freezing blue. The monster examined his hands and stretched his new body. He jumped up, almost weightless, and fell like a feather. He was more agile than Zaon.

    I wanted to lunge and end the fight as fast as possible, but I remembered my coach''s words: don''t risk everything in your first attack; measure your opponent first. I took a deep breath, recalling all the tips and tricks I had been teaching the kids. I was going to need it.

    The Lich shaped his mana into a long, vibrant blade.

    ¡°What a curious body,¡± he said.

    The Lich lunged first, stretching his body to stab my head. [Foresight] showed me the Lich¡¯s trajectory a millisecond ahead of time. I leaned back, the Lich¡¯s sword passing barely a centimeter away from my eyes, then sprang forward and stabbed his windpipe. A normal human would¡¯ve been dead, but the bark-like skin protected him from actual harm. Chrysalimorphs didn¡¯t have nostrils, so I wasn¡¯t sure if my attack would¡¯ve been effective, even if it pierced the armor.

    With a sidestep, I disengaged.

    Despite the chrysalimorph¡¯s stony expression, I knew he was confused. No one expected a Scholar to be so nimble. Not even the undead.

    [Foresight] showed me a phantom of the Lich an instant before he moved. The vision gave me enough time to react. I parried the green mana sword, producing a burst of sparks. Then, with a swift counter, I hit the Lich¡¯s wrist, where the armor was weaker. I penetrated the bark-like skin but failed to sever the hand. The next moment, I was out.

    A thin stream of blood dripped onto the ground.

    ¡°Swordsmanship? You are a Scholar,¡± he said.

    I was a Scholar, a teacher, an amateur HEMA practitioner, the ¡°worst half¡± of a great woman, and the caretaker of a dozen riotous orphans. Scholar was just the class the System gave me.

    ¡°You are from Earth, aren¡¯t you?¡± I said, putting enough distance between us to avoid any surprise attack.

    ¡°I wonder if my memory still goes far back.¡± The Lich raised his guard and attacked.

    I didn¡¯t waste mana on a shield. I could foresee his attacks. The Lich quickened his pace as he got used to his new body. I parried and sliced his forearm¡¯s armor. His fencing was precise but unimaginative. As long as we continued dueling, I was at an advantage. The Lich tried to stab my hand, but [Foresight] showed me the killing blow. I dodged and aimed for the Lich¡¯s heart, but my mana blade bounced on the chitinous armor.

    I dodged, parried, and countered. The memories of the Lich¡¯s body carried him through the fight. His mana blade buzzed like a high-voltage wire, and I had to tone down my mana sense so as not to be blinded. A single touch would cut me to shreds, but [Swordsmanship] and [Foresight] kept me a step ahead. The Lich tried hard to get me. His feet barely touched the ground, and his elven frame was deceptively strong. With every second that passed, he became faster, getting used to his new body.

    My back hit an old pine. I stepped around just as the Lich¡¯s sword pierced the bark, almost cutting down the tree. The fight was dragging, and I was losing ground. The old pine cracked and leaned to the side. The Lich retreated, and I seized the moment to get away.

    I rolled over an old rotten log and grabbed a handful of pebbles. I drew the runes without taking my eyes off the Lich. Eleven-rune enchantments took me a good part of an hour, but I didn¡¯t plan to enchant anything that complex. A single-use item would suffice. I engraved Fire, Instantaneous, Hourglass, and Detect. Then, I compressed as much mana as I could inside the pebbles. Luckily, the stones had an affinity for Fire runes. I prayed that I wouldn¡¯t blow up my fingers.

    My win condition was to damage the Lich¡¯s body beyond usage. Without arms, he would be unable to wield the sword, and without feet, he would be unable to flee. I just hoped the fuse¡ªHourglass¡ªworked correctly. The enchantments drained my mana pool, sending a shiver down my spine. Using my mana pool was faster than purifying mana from the Fountain, but it chunked my reserves.

    New recipe achieved!

    Updating Rune Encyclopedia.

    Makeshift Conflagration Bomb added to the recipes tab.

    I ignored the ¡®makeshift¡¯ part.

    The Lich jumped over the rotten log, and I retreated to the other side of the clearing. He seemed in no rush to chase me around. I grabbed a decoy pebble, charged it with mana, and threw it. The Lich raised his sword and mindlessly cut it in half. I wondered if the Lich would notice the difference between a mana-charged pebble and an enchanted one. I grinned. My makeshift incendiary grenades might be more effective than I initially envisioned.

    I grabbed an enchanted pebble and charged the Hourglass rune. Based on Holst¡¯s Enchanted Timer, I calculated a second and a half worth of mana. [Foresight] told me it was enough, but I wouldn¡¯t trust my fingers on a non-organic intelligence. Fencing was okay because I was, ultimately, in control. Explosives were a completely different business.

    The Lich prepared to lunge, and I shot the pebble.

    As expected, the Lich cut it in half. The enchantment, however, didn¡¯t seem to like that. I raised my mana shield. The runic circuits backfired, and the pebble exploded, sending shrapnel deep into the bark armor. The explosion could¡¯ve killed an average person, but the Lich only staggered and grunted.

    ¡°Good. Your lack of powerful enchanted trinkets had me worried. For a moment, I thought our chubby yellow friend had given you a more mundane mission,¡± the Lich said.

    I threw two enchanted pebbles, but the Lich avoided touching them this time. The pebbles fell at his feet. One and a half second fuse had been too generous. A moment passed, and the enchanted pebbles exploded in a fireball. The heatwave hit my face, and I thanked the gods that I hadn¡¯t messed up the enchantments of the Warm Stones. I wanted my orphanage as free of explosions as possible.

    ¡°Enough tricks,¡± the Lich said, emerging from the firewall. His voice felt like two glaciers clashing against each other.

    The fireball slowly died, leaving scorch marks on the ground and smoky brambles around the Lich. The shrapnel had caused more damage than the flaming explosions. Still, the damage was piling up no matter how sturdy the chrysalimorph¡¯s body was. Deep grooves covered the armor around the Lich¡¯s hands and wrists, and cracks formed in the chitin on his arms and shoulders. I just needed to push a little more to disable him.

    I kept my guard up, wondering why he hadn¡¯t used any spells yet.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to understand this body,¡± the Lich said to himself.

    The Lich¡¯s mana sword vanished, and he raised his fists. Unlike Wolf practicing his punches against the grove trees behind the orphanage, the elven chrysalimorph looked almost underwhelming. I raised my guard, nonetheless. Swords always won against fists, but my opponent was a high-level undead with an armored body and no pain receptors.

    Alarms went off in my brain as the Lich used [Quick Step]. I dodged to the side, and the armored fists grazed my shoulder. With a single blow, my shirt was reduced to rags. The Lich launched forward, and I raised the mana barrier. He was swift, almost invisible to the naked eye, but [Foresight] helped me keep up with the movements. I could see his phantom figure an instant ahead, but that wasn¡¯t enough to escape his attack.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    I countered, aiming at his hand, but he surrounded his fists with a thick green mana barrier. My only saving grace was that my sword was longer than his arms, but even with that advantage, my attacks were shallow compared to the violence of his blows. The Lich suddenly quickened his pace. Whoever was the body''s original owner must¡¯ve been a skilled brawler because, with each passing second, the Lich unlocked new tricks. The fight turned, and I was the one getting cornered.

    I couldn¡¯t afford to get wounded, so I fell back. I noticed that no matter the state of combat, the Lich wasn¡¯t aiming at my head. He wasn¡¯t going to risk killing me before getting the Access Rune. I adopted a lower guard that was more suitable to defend from body blows.

    The Lich jabbed thin air as I retreated. He stepped to the side and bypassed my sword. I was about to raise my mana shield, but the phantom created by [Foresight] diverted¡ªa high kick from the left or a right hook. It was a coin flip. The elven chrysalimorph¡¯s body was too fast, even for all my skills working together. I decided to block the hook.

    I called it wrong.

    I raised my mana barrier an instant too late and felt my arm cracking under the kick¡¯s pressure. The ground moved away from my feet, and I was sent flying through the thicket. I crashed against the rotten log. The hit made my lungs collapse. I fought for air, my vision becoming blurry. [Foresight] silenced the pain, and I knew what went wrong. I should¡¯ve attacked instead of defending.

    The Lich stopped a few meters from me while I used the rotten log to stand up. ¡°Give me the Access Rune, and I will spare you.¡±

    My sword hand was intact.

    ¡°A single kick isn¡¯t enough to make me yield,¡± I replied.

    ¡°I thought so.¡± The Lich channeled his mana, and the [Black Storm] raged.

    Viscous black mana rose from the ground and blew through the trees. Disrupting my senses was a good idea, but it was noon, and the [Black Storm] barely darkened the forest. There was enough light to detect anything within a couple dozen-meter radius. I was so focused on the Lich before me that I didn''t expect the roar behind my back. I jumped to the side just as a monster landed on the rotten log, reducing it to splinters.

    Orcish Chrysalimorph Lv.?? (Vessel of the Undead Forest Warden).

    A two-and-a-half-meter-tall orc covered in green chitinous armor rose before me. His arms and legs were as thick as the pines surrounding the clearing. Unlike the undead orc we had encountered earlier, this one had only two tusks. It must¡¯ve been a member of Wolf¡¯s tribe whose body was captured by the root system.

    The orc barreled towards me. I jumped out of his way, and the pine behind me was turned into splinters. The old tree smashed against the ground, creating a natural wall between me and the Lich. The orc chrysalimorph, however, had already turned around and eyed me with ill intent.

    I cursed and summoned two mana blades. There was no setting where I would let that thing come near me. If the Lich¡¯s kick had rattled my bones, the orc chrysalimorph was going to turn me into red porridge. My swords spun around the orc¡¯s head like mosquitoes annoying an old elephant. No matter how much mana I pushed into the spell, the green chitin remained unscathed.

    The Lich jumped over the fallen pine. In a fight, one versus two was a death sentence. I needed to run. I darted to the left, but the Lich was faster and blocked my path. I turned right. The orc chrysalimorph came forward, and green and gold mana lit his skin from underneath the chitin. I looked over my shoulder. The root system, barely visible through the [Black Storm], blocked the way north. I wasn¡¯t going to add the Swarm into the equation.

    ¡°Crap,¡± I muttered.

    I needed a plan. Urgently.

    The orc swiped me from my feet with a single blow of the back of his hand. [Foresight] saw it coming, but I was too slow to react. My mana shield absorbed most of the blow, but I was sent flying like a ragdoll nonetheless. My bones cracked and rattled like I was a maraca. I¡¯ve never been run over by a car, but I thought it should feel the same. Feeling dazed, I jumped to my feet and pressed more mana into my sword. The spell quivered, losing definition around the edges.

    I drew three runes on the blade: User, Absorption, and Reinforcement.

    New recipe achieved!

    Updating Rune Encyclopedia.

    Makeshift Reinforced Sword added to the recipes tab.

    I had no time to ponder the meaning of ¡®makeshift¡¯ because the Lich charged at me. It was a feint. The orc approached by my blind spot, but [Foresight] saw him coming. I tried to flee, but the Lich and the orc synchronized perfectly. I barely blocked the orc¡¯s blow using three mana swords, but the attack left me open to a barrage of jabs from the Lich. The bark fists dug into my body. My mana barrier saved my life. Barely. I stumbled, using my mana swords as a defensive measure. However, a kick from the orc shattered the swords and the barrier and launched me like a bullet across the clearing.

    The fallen pine cushioned my landing. More and more alarms went off in my brain. One of my fingers was bent at an odd angle, but that was the lesser of my worries. I was bleeding, my muscles felt like liquid jam, and my ribs caused an uncomfortable pressure against my chest. My mana pool was the only part of me that remained at a safe level, but I couldn¡¯t find a way to use it efficiently. The chrysalimorph¡¯s bodies were too hard to penetrate, even with my mana blade at maximum power, and my enchantments were still fairly basic. Not counting the fact that offensive runes had a power limiter imposed by the System.

    Even a full-powered Fire rune wasn¡¯t enough to damage the Lich.

    ¡°As I said, this is how our fight will be,¡± the Lich said. ¡°I¡¯m a reasonable person. Give me the Access Rune, and I will spare you for now. I know you have one.¡±

    I closed my eyes and focused on the Fountain. I was transported into my mana pool. The dark interior was instantly set alight by the runes covering the walls. I couldn¡¯t understand them. Not even [Rune Identification] allowed me to know their names. I couldn¡¯t use any skill there, as if the System had suddenly stopped working. I ignored the runes. I needed to access the Fountain.

    I had entombed the Lich once. If I could use true magic again, I might be able to do something. Anything. I tried to recall that sensation of power, of authority over magic, but a section of the wall lit up, preventing me from accessing the Fountain. My Corruption was almost completely healed. The walls of my mana pool were up and working again, save for small slits between runes. I saw the bright sun floating in the middle of nothingness, but I couldn¡¯t do anything to break through.

    I opened my eyes and raised my hands.

    ¡°I¡¯ll join you,¡± I said.

    A piece was missing, and only the Lich could give it to me.

    I might use my mana beyond the System''s limits and create Corruption myself, but I couldn¡¯t ensure that the right section of the wall would get corrupted. One misstep and I could compromise my ability to do magic altogether. I could shatter the saddle, but nothing ensured I could ride the horse afterward. If things took the wrong turn, I might be turned into one of those early humans with barely a touch of magic. And that would be a death sentence.

    ¡°I¡¯ll join you,¡± I repeated.

    The Lich laughed, and the cold sound made me freeze in place. ¡°I will not make the same mistake twice, Wizard. Don¡¯t get me wrong. I would love to turn you into my servant, but the risk is very high. I know what you can do.¡±

    I raised my mana shield just as the Lich punched me in the gut. I bent forward, gasping for air. [Foresight] dampened my pain response, but being breathless was different. I coughed.

    ¡°The rune, please. Carve it in my hand,¡± the Lich said.

    I had to spit blood to speak clearly.

    ¡°Runes don¡¯t like to go on bodies,¡± I replied.

    ¡°The System doesn¡¯t like you to put runes on bodies. Runes can go on bodies. I used to have one,¡± the Lich said.

    I remembered the visions of the Bard Song. The System Avatar, or his original self, was trapped in a cage. There, he had carved the Access Rune in the palm of his hand.

    ¡°What are you going to do if I carve the rune?¡± I asked.

    I needed to make time.

    The Lich sighed. ¡°Curious as ever. With an Access Rune, I will find a System Crystal and make a few adjustments. Don¡¯t you happen to know where the nearest one is, do you?¡± The Lich looked at me with his electric blue eyes, and I felt a wave of frozen water hit my chest. I couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°You do. Tell me.¡±

    I had the System Avatar''s mysterious number, but I could hardly call it a set of coordinates. Not that I would ever allow it to fall on the Lich¡¯s hands. He stood before me, waiting for an answer.

    ¡°Where is the System Crystal?¡± He demanded.

    I spat blood. ¡°Up your asshole.¡±

    The orcish crysalimorph punched me. My face struck the humid ground. It took my brain a moment to stop bouncing inside my skull and another second to figure out where I was up and down. The orcish crysalimorph grabbed me from the rags of my shirt and pushed me against the fallen pine.

    My existence hurt.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I mumbled. My left eyelid swelled to the point I could barely see. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. But you have to promise you¡¯ll let me go, and you¡¯ll keep your undead away from my orphanage.¡±

    The orcish crysalimorph lowered his fist.

    ¡°I promise,¡± the Lich said.

    ¡°Swear it,¡± I replied.

    The Lich raised his hand, his thumb on the pinky and his other fingers up. ¡°I swear on my honor. Is that good enough for you, brownie?¡±

    I nodded and spat a mix of saliva and blood. ¡°Give me a second. My vision is still shaky.¡±

    I used the branches to straighten up. I rummaged through my potion pouch¡ªluckily, all vials remained intact¡ªand shugged a stamina potion and a mana potion. It felt like a shot of caffeine directly into my hypothalamus. The Lich allowed me to continue, seemingly recognizing the potions.

    ¡°Extend your hand, and don¡¯t move until I say so. It¡¯s my first time putting a rune on an animated being,¡± I said.

    The Lich obeyed.

    At first, the System refused to imprint the rune, but as per Lich¡¯s orders, I forced my way over the System¡¯s intent. I worked deliberately slow. Despite knowing about the System Avatar, the Lich knew nothing about runes. I suppressed a grin. No one with the slightest knowledge of the drawbacks of enchanting would allow an enemy to runeweave on their bodies.

    ¡°This is my first time engraving the Access Rune. You might want to give it some mana to see if it worked,¡± I said. ¡°Or don¡¯t. I already kept my part of the deal. Now, let me go.¡±

    I tried to walk past the Lich, but the orcish chrysalimorph pushed me back against the pine log. The Lich examined his hand, but I knew he couldn¡¯t see the rune, just like he couldn¡¯t tell ordinary magic-charged pebbles from my makeshift bombs. He, at least, sensed my mana flowing into his hand and doing ¡®something¡¯.

    ¡°The rune is there. Give it mana, and it should react,¡± I said.

    ¡°I had an Access Rune once. I know what to expect,¡± the Lich said. ¡°Remember, Wizard. Even if you set me on fire or freeze me from the inside, this body will not die. And if you betray me, I will not be so kind to your orphanage.¡±

    My mouth was dry. Maybe my plan wasn¡¯t as foolproof as I expected. The Lich channeled his mana into the rune, and I raised my mana shield. The circuit misfired. Two runes couldn¡¯t occupy the same space. Uncontrolled mana surged up the Lich¡¯s arm, crackling and sizzling.

    ¡°Damned wizard!¡± The Lich yelled as his arm exploded, and a mana wave shook the forest surrounding us.

    Seizing the moment of confusion, I started to runeweave on my own body.

 163 - French Cuisine

    The Lich¡¯s arm exploded. My mana barrier stopped the shrapnel. Beneath the hardened chitin and bark-like skin, muscle and bone protruded from the wound and green blood spurted to the ground. I couldn¡¯t tell if the Lich felt pain but he stumbled back, speechless. Maybe he was merely shocked by the violence of the explosion.

    Maybe the smart move was to give him the Access Rune, but I had sworn to protect the orphanage. After Janus¡¯ betrayal, a harsh realization had settled in. I needed to be in control. I couldn¡¯t let others decide the future of the orphanage, and of all those who desired control, I trusted the Lich the least. No matter his pretty words, he was still an undead abomination.

    This wasn¡¯t a fight I could win without taking a gamble. I channeled my mana but the System refused to obey. I knew I had to override it despite [Foresight] yelling in my ear about what a bad idea this was. The lancets of the Mana Stalker had damaged my left hand¡ªmy ring finger had lost its movement, and the rest felt stiff¡ªso even if the enchantment backfired, I wouldn¡¯t lose much. In the worst-case scenario, it would explode, and I¡¯d die a painful death. I tried not to think about it.

    I engraved the Vampiric rune on the palm of my hand.

    The orc chrysalimorph swung at me, but I anticipated the attack. Despite the sheer strength, the undead were painfully predictable. I sidestepped, jumped on the orc¡¯s back, and clung like a hungry mite. I buried my fingers into the chrysalimorph¡¯s black eyes and activated the rune. It felt like grabbing burning coal.

    The chrysalimorph¡¯s mana crackled as flashes of green and gold light blinded me. The skin on my hand turned to ribbons as the foreign mana shot through my body. Arcs of mana damaged my arm in slow motion. I engraved a Reinforcement rune on the back of my hand and a Recharge rune up my forearm. I felt how my hand hardened, almost like I dipped it in liquid concrete and let it dry. It worked. The Recharge rune served as a buffer and absorbed the mana before it could harm me, but the rune was quickly filling.

    If my guess was correct, undead weren¡¯t susceptible to wounds and exhaustion because their bodies were merely vessels for their true beings. Physical wounds didn¡¯t affect them naturally. However, mana drain would. Despite [Identify] being unable to show me the full description, all the other undead we encountered had a mana drain weakness.

    The orcish chrysalimorph roared and flailed its arms, trying to get rid of me, but its movements were slow and erratic.

    ¡°Jackpot,¡± I muttered.

    The chrysalimorph¡¯s mana felt like a thousand needles against my skin. I tried to channel it into a mana blade, but the chrysalimorph¡¯s mana refused to bow to my will. The System must have had a failsafe that prevented its users from using other people¡¯s mana. Even the environmental mana was out of bounds. The Aias Sword, however, could drain mana and turn it into a spell. I needed to carve another rune to use the chrysalimorph¡¯s mana, but I still had nothing strong enough to damage them. The Fire rune only scratched the Lich¡¯s armor, and it was my most powerful one.

    I pulled more mana from the chrysalimorph¡¯s body. The Recharge rune was almost full. The magic circuit was overflowing. I needed to avoid a misfire, or I would end up like a charred piece of coal.

    ¡°Obey me!¡± I shouted.

    The green and golden mana arced through my body, burning my skin. I aimed at the Lich and discharged the mana. A storm of lighting exploded from my fingertips and the smell of ozone burned my nose. The sky above the forest darkened as bolts shot outward in every direction. Trees burst into flames, rocks exploded into splinters, and the forest was laid to waste. A thick arc of lightning hit the Lich, leaving a smoldering mark in his armor. I gritted my teeth and poured more mana into the storm. The energy ripped through me, tearing my muscles and threatening to cook me alive. I had no time to carve more Reinforce or Insulation runes. The ground trembled beneath me as the orc chrysalimorph became a hollowed out husk.

    My vision blurred, and the edges darkened as I pushed my body to its absolute limit.

    With a final surge, I directed every ounce of lighting toward the Lich. The crackling bolts struck his body, shattering the bark-like skin. The creature shuddered violently, his bright blue eyes oozing poisonous hatred as the energy coursed through his elven chrysalimorph body. He took a step forward. Then another. His skin crumbled like old dried-out leather, but he pushed forward. Desperation clawed its way up my throat, but at the last moment, the glow of his malevolent eyes disappeared, leaving an empty vessel behind.

    My arms lost strength, and I fell from the orc chrysalimorph¡¯s back into the humid ground.

    I felt feverish. Fading away. The pain was a distant reminder I was still alive. The forest was silent, but I thought it might be due to hearing loss. I tried to focus my eyesight without success. The orc chrysalimorph was a white and green mountain lying on the ground. A few meters away, in the middle of the clearing, the Lich¡¯s body remained still, the bark skin open and breaking up in several spots. No one moved.

    [Foresight] informed me I was wounded, bleeding even, but I couldn¡¯t move. For a moment, I thought I had burned out my nervous system, but I could still feel pain. It was distant, but it was an old familiar feeling. Almost soothing. My sight darkened.

    Something moved in the corner of my vision. A figure entered my field of view, threading gently, almost like a fawn trying not to alert any predators. The figure was dressed in beige and green, and I nearly missed it against the background. It pulled its cloak back, revealing a cascade of silvery hair.

    ¡°Elincia,¡± I muttered, but no sound came out of my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±

    Another figure entered the clearing¡ªa second elf¡ªand they crouched over the Lich¡¯s body. They exchanged words, but my ears couldn¡¯t make sense of them. I felt like I was inside a water bubble. I couldn¡¯t see, and I couldn¡¯t hear. I could barely breathe. My vision darkened, and my field of view reduced to the size of a quarter. I was sinking, and I wasn¡¯t sure I could resurface.

    The figures stood and approached me. They turned the orc chrysalimorph over, but the creature remained dead. A slight sense of pride filled my chest. I wanted to know how many combatants in Farcrest could deal simultaneously with two high-level monsters. I could probably count them with the fingers of a single hand.

    ¡°He¡¯s alive!¡± The voice came to me distorted.

    ¡°After all of that?¡± The other person said, examining my vitals. ¡°He is alive! Should we kill him? You saw what he is capable of. He might be dangerous.¡±

    I decided to call him Asshole Elf for the time being.

    Elincia clicked her tongue and put her war hammer aside. When did Elincia get a war hammer? She was more of a bow girl. ¡°He freed Evindal, we can¡¯t let him die.¡± She rummaged through her potion pouch.

    ¡°Hurry up, I¡¯m kinda dying down here,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡±

    Elincia put something against my lips, but it wasn¡¯t the bitter liquid I had expected. She opened my mouth and put a soft bolus inside. Then, she pressed my jaw, and a sweet juice dripped down my throat. I almost choked, and I was too weak to cough even, but it ultimately passed down.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve given him the baby bird treatment,¡± Asshole Elf said.

    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Hallas,¡± Elincia replied.

    Yes, Hallas, shut the fuck up. I thought as I fell unconscious.

    ______________

    I woke up to the hushed voices of the elves. When I opened my eyes, everything seemed too bright. After a moment, I noticed it was daytime, and the sky was blue again. Dozens of minor pains assaulted me, but the healing bolus seemed to work like a high grade potion because there was no trace of the burning sensation around my left hand.

    Hallas was sitting beside me. His skin was pale, almost luminescent. His cheekbones were high and sharp, and his jawbone was narrow, although unmistakably masculine. His eyes were black with a tint of purple, and his hair was long and silvery.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, human. We had to cut it,¡± Hallas said.

    Elincia¡ªthat wasn¡¯t actually Elincia¡ªslapped Hallas on the back of his head.

    I raised my head to find my arms and legs in the right place. My left arm and most of my chest were wrapped in bandages. My right hand was also bandaged, but at least my fingers felt responsive. I let my head drop again, alleviated. I was alive, and my limbs were still attached to my body. I called that an absolute win.

    I laughed, but it was decidedly painful. ¡°Good one, asshole.¡±

    ¡°See? He gets the joke,¡± Hallas said.

    ¡°He might be a warrior but don¡¯t assume things,¡± Not-Elincia said.

    The resemblance was uncanny, although Not-Elincia was distinctively more elvish than my Elincia. Her skin was smooth, without the faint freckles and the little wrinkles around the eyes product of years of looking over a dozen rowdy orphans. Her nose was slender with a slight upward tilt, and her lips were almost as pale as her skin. The eyes, however, were the same almond-shaped pools of bright emerald.

    ¡°I think he likes you,¡± Hallas said.

    ¡°It happened that she looks just like the girl I like,¡± I replied, using my good elbow to straighten up. I overestimated how ¡®good¡¯ it was. The orc chrysalimorph¡¯s mana had traveled up my left hand and through my chest before shooting from my other hand.

    ¡°You have the same eyes.¡±

    Not-Elincia glared at me, more surprised than offended. ¡°Are you hitting on me?¡±

    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m a taken man,¡± I said.

    ¡°And rejected by the human you just saved. You can¡¯t make this shit up. I¡¯m starting to think the problem is you,¡± Hallas jokingly said.

    Not-Elincia clutched her war hammer. The head of the hammer was a detailed fist grabbing a spike, and the iron shaft had delicate filigree that resembled vines and leaves. It was stylish, although it seemed too heavy for her elvish frame. [Foresight] warned me not to mention it.

    ¡°Shut it, Hallas,¡± Not-Elincia said, crouching beside me. Under the cloak, I saw the glint of shining armor adorned with the same filigree. It looked expensive. She bowed. ¡°I¡¯m Pyrrha Snowdrop, from the Elven Kingdom of Tagabiria. We deeply thank you for releasing Evindal from the Warden¡¯s control.¡±

    ¡°Evindal?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Evindal was careless. He got himself killed and let the Forest Warden steal his body before we could give him a proper burial,¡± Hallas said, bowing his head. ¡°I¡¯m Hallas Edelweiss, and I too, thank you for your assistance. The idea of one of us walking as a puppet to the Forest Warden repulses me.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Raise your heads. You shared your medicine with me. I¡¯d say any debt is settled,¡± I said. They didn¡¯t seem to be bad guys, but I couldn¡¯t help but be a bit wary of anyone traveling the Farlands during a Monster Surge. Given their equipment, they weren¡¯t normal travelers but soldiers.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    I felt the System prompt before it appeared.

    Lupine Chrysalimorph slain.

    Vulpine Chrysalimorph slain.

    Cervine Chrystalimorph slain.

    Insectoid Chrysalimorph slain.

    Avian Chrysalimorph slain.

    The list continued for a while, but no elven or orcish chrysalimorphs appeared. Despite destroying their bodies, the Forest Warden and the Lich remained alive somewhere. Several months passed between my first fight against the Lich and his return, so I hoped it was the same this time. The System prompts cascaded before my eyes, and I gained three more levels despite killing more than twenty monsters with similar levels to mine. Progression was starting to slow down. I was two levels away from hitting the Lv.20 softcap.

    Leveling up felt nice, and it almost washed away the terrors of the fight. Almost.

    A thought crashed through my consciousness. The kids. I stood on my feet. Despite dealing with the Lich and the Vessel of the Forest Warden, the kids probably still had to fight with undead or animalistic chrysalimorphs. I had to make sure they were okay.

    ¡°It''s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Robert Clarke, a Scholar. If you ever visit Farcrest, you can stop at Lowell¡¯s Orphanage for tea,¡± I said, putting my sword in its sheath and shuffling north. The elves watched me in disbelief as I left, but I ignored them. Although they were pleasant, they hadn¡¯t jumped into the fight to help me.

    I channeled a bit of mana. The Corruption in my chest didn¡¯t react. That was good news. The damage of the corporal runeweaving had been merely physical, which could be fixed with magic and potions. I wondered if I was forever stuck with the Vampiric rune on my left hand, but I didn¡¯t dare to activate it. My arm was too wounded to put more strain on it. Any further experimentation would have to wait.

    ¡°Robert Clarke! Wait!¡± Pyrrah caught up to me.

    Her voice was different from Elincia¡¯s. More melodic and ethereal. Almost like a small water stream and the accompanying bird song. Still, I preferred Elincia¡¯s sassy voice.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have any gear,¡± she pointed out.

    ¡°I will be meeting my companions soon,¡± I replied.

    I continued walking while Hallas and Pyrrah dragged back and exchanged hushed words. [Foresight] recognized some of them. They seemed to be discussing my powers, ignorant that I could hear them. Humans weren¡¯t known for their keen senses, after all.

    ¡°He said you look like his girl. Use that. Convince him,¡± Hallas hissed.

    ¡°What? I haven¡¯t flirted with anyone in thirty years, Hallas! I¡¯m not qualified for that! I¡¯m a warrior, not some courtier!¡± Pyrrah replied.

    ¡°Evindal would¡¯ve done it without complaint!¡± Hallas said, exasperated.

    ¡°Don¡¯t guilt trip me!¡±

    ¡°Then do it! We will have no chance against the Forest Warden, and we can¡¯t risk the humans getting a seed!¡± Hallas massaged his temples. ¡°You are charming, Pyrrah! Just don¡¯t be too much of yourself. Tone it down a bit and he will fall for you. I swear.¡±

    Pyrrah groaned in resignation and caught up to me in an instant. I acknowledged her presence but remained silent. [Foresight] was focused on picking any sign of the kids while I still had to decide what to do with the elven pair. My old self might have jumped headfirst to help them with the Forest Warden, but the more cynical part of myself advised caution.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Pyrrah chuckled awkwardly.

    I heard Hallas slapping his face a few meters behind us.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I replied.

    It didn¡¯t seem like the kind of answer she expected.

    ¡°So, you like hiking? I heard this part of the forest is great at this time of the year,¡± Pyrrah said.

    I raised an eyebrow, it wasn¡¯t like I was in the Farlands for pleasure and Pyrrah seemed to realize her mistake.

    Pyrrah stammered. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not great after almost being killed by the Forest Warden. Without the monsters, the peace and the silence of the forest can be great. I can be very silent and peaceful.¡±

    My eyes fell on the war hammer.

    ¡°Please ignore it.¡± She tried to hide it beneath her cloak. ¡°It¡¯s not like I like to smash things. I¡¯m a huge fan of reading, actually. I read a lot of books all the time. Scholars read a lot. We can read together one of these days. Maybe?¡± She mumbled.

    Hallas fell to his knees, and Pyrrah blushed crimson. If I extended my hands, I could probably feel the warmth radiating from her face. She kept her gaze on me, nonetheless.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t read anything in quite a while, have you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t,¡± Pyrrah lowered her head, admitting defeat.

    My cynicism might have increased during the last week, but I felt a hint of pity for her. It had nothing to do with her sharing Elincia¡¯s face. The dating world was as cruel as the Farlands, and I couldn¡¯t help but appreciate her effort, even if she was trying to fool me.

    ¡°Can I start again?¡± Pyrrah asked.

    ¡°What would you say if I let you start again?¡± I replied out of curiosity.

    She scratched her chin. ¡°I¡¯d invite you to catch frogs with me in the marsh. Their legs are luscious.¡±

    ¡°Would you bring the hammer?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes?¡± She squinted, trying to guess the right answer. ¡°No. Of course not! I mean. Who do you think I am¡­ yes?¡±

    Hallas whined, and I started to realize why Pyrrah wasn¡¯t particularly popular among elven males. At least the conversation had given me enough time to come up with a negotiation strategy. Although not a foe, I couldn¡¯t say for sure that they were allies. Hallas even suggested killing me after the fight. Our relationship was merely transactional. They wanted my strength, so I needed to demand something of a similar value.

    ¡°Pyrrah is joking,¡± Hallas pushed his way between the two of us.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is at least one human interested in roasting frog legs¡­ somewhere out there,¡± I sighed, trying to be supportive. ¡°I heard your conversation. You want to kill the Forest Warden.¡±

    Hallas recoiled and put his hand on the grip of his knife.

    ¡°You have a wonderful hearing,¡± he said, pushing Pyrrah behind him.

    ¡°Is it your turn to try to flirt with me?¡± I said. ¡°Because I also heard you talk about Forest Warden seeds.¡±

    Hallas stepped back like a cornered cat.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall mentioning anything like that.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned that they couldn¡¯t fall on human hands. What¡¯s the deal with them?¡±

    Hallas held my gaze for what seemed an eternity, not letting his knife go. ¡°That is a secret I can¡¯t share, but let me assure you, Forest Warden seeds aren¡¯t used for nefarious purposes. We aren¡¯t the reason the Forest Warden decided to appear here and attack you.¡±

    Hallas didn¡¯t lie. The reason the Forest Warden appeared was the Lich reanimating it. I wondered if the seed had something to do with the medicine bolus they had given me. I remember it was sweet and fruity, although I didn¡¯t get to see it. A Forest Warden seed sounded like something that could sprout a powerful magic tree.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know you aren¡¯t behind the Forest Warden¡¯s appearance, and I will not harm you if you don¡¯t harm me,¡± I said, showing the palms of my hands.

    Hallas let out a sigh of relief. [Foresight] told me his aggressive demeanor was due to fear and I could see in his eyes he didn¡¯t want to pick a fight with me. He let go of the knife.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that seed is very important and very valuable. So, if you want my help, you will have to pay the right price.¡± I continued. ¡°In advance.¡±

    Hallas patted his jacket and the unmistakable sound of coins reached my ears.

    ¡°Good elven silver minted with the delectable face of our king, a whole pouch,¡± he said.

    I recognized a good door-to-door salesman when I heard one. However, I had little use for silver right now. I wondered if I could get another [Sadistic Haggler] status out of the negotiation.

    ¡°Unless you can turn those coins into a sword, silver is useless in the Farlands,¡± I replied. ¡°I want that medicine you used on me. Half of it. I will promise I won¡¯t sell it or even reveal its existence if necessary.¡±

    The elves exchanged a glance, however, Hallas spoke before Pyrrah could open her mouth.

    ¡°We can¡¯t defeat the Warden without Evindal, Pyrrah, we need him if we want to complete our mission. Even if that means sharing the grapes.¡±

    Pyrrah wasn¡¯t happy but Hallas pulled a pouch from under his cloak and showed me six almost perfectly round crimson fruits. I couldn¡¯t help but notice they were the same color as the Scion Pods. He put three of the red fruits in a separate pouch and offered them to me. I examined them.

    Holone Grapes. [Identify] Alchemy ingredient. Brewing ingredient. Cooking ingredient. Edible. Named after the famous gardener Holone Bloodthorn, the Holone Grapes have powerful medicinal properties and can cure even the most grievous wounds. Magic Concentration: High.

    Interesting. Having a powerful curative item without needing an Alchemist or a healer class seemed extremely useful. I wondered if the Forest Warden seed had anything to do with these Holone Grapes. The color of the fruit at least matched with the color of the pods, but it could also be a complete coincidence.

    Hallas stretched out his hand. ¡°So, we have a deal?¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°I said half, not a quarter.¡±

    Pyrrah was startled and almost fumbled her Holone Grapes pouch as she tried to get a grasp of it. A moment later, I had two more Holone Grapes, for a grand total of five, and several apologies. I dismissed their worries with a wave of my hand and focused on the grapes for a moment. If I could save a couple and bring them back to Elincia, maybe she could make a super high-rank potion. Maybe even an original recipe. However, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use them if one of the kids were wounded. The most important part of my mission was to bring everyone back safely.

    ¡°We have a deal,¡± I said with my best salesman smile. ¡°Now follow me.¡±

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Pyrrah asked.

    ¡°I need to find my team,¡± I replied.

    Hallas seemed hesitant. ¡°Would they ask us for extra payment?¡±

    I shook my head, which did not reassure Hallas at all.

    ¡°Do any of you have a detection skill? My team must be traveling north, there are four of them, one is an elf, so his footprints might be hard to catch,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± Pyrrah said, kneeling on the mud and putting her hands together like she was praying. She was the spitting image of Elincia, so I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit of sympathy towards her. Maybe I was just bad at telling female elves apart. Orcs back at Dassyra¡¯s camp also seemed all too similar to me.

    Pyrrah sang a song and I noticed the mana moving through her body. She wasn¡¯t using a skill, but doing real magic. It was beautiful. The next moment she opened her hands a flutter of white butterflies flew to the sky leaving trails of silvery particles. The spell was similar to Ilya¡¯s [Spirit Animal], but it felt completely different.

    ¡°They will tell me if they see something,¡± Pyrrah said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± I replied.

    We traveled north for an hour. The Forest Warden¡¯s root system became smaller and thinner as we abandoned the valley. Hallas had a spell that compelled the ferns and brambles to move aside as we passed. The plants uprooted themselves and walked away. It was strangely cute. I felt like Moses crossing the Red Sea. There was no sign of chrysalimorphs or undead, which meant the Forest Warden and the Lich were gone, at least momentarily.

    A white butterfly perched on Pyrrah¡¯s finger and she raised it near her ear.

    ¡°There¡¯s a group ahead. Four of them,¡± Pyrra said.

    All the exhaustion of the day suddenly washed away and I rushed through the forest. I crossed a clump of ferns without even waiting for them to move to the side, and emerged into a wide animal trail. My heart drummed inside my chest. Until this moment, I hadn¡¯t realized how much I loved the kids. They weren¡¯t just my students but my family. Nothing had prepared me for what I saw. Firana hung from a pole, hands and feet tied together, carried by Wolf and Zaon. Ilya led the way.

    ¡°Is that how you treat your classmate? This isn¡¯t The Lord of the Flies,¡± I said.

    The kids jumped and Firana almost ended up on the ground.

    ¡°She was hell bent to turn around and fight, so we had to¡­ adopt some countermeasures,¡± Ilya casually explained.

    ¡°Are you okay, Mister Clarke? Are you wounded?¡± Firana asked, her face upside down.

    I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Please, untie Firana.¡±

    The boys lowered the pole, almost apologetically, and let the girl go. Then, they rushed at me and trapped me in a tight group hug. My ribs complained. Their eyes were bloodshot, almost like they had been crying until not so long ago. How long was I out? If it hadn¡¯t passed a day, the Holone Grapes must¡¯ve been stronger than I expected.

    ¡°This is your team? They are kids,¡± Pyrrah said behind me.

    ¡°Are they all yours? How many wives do you have?¡± Hallas added with a grimace of disgust. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to the presence of kids or the mention of a harem.

    Questions showered upon me left and right, but before I could start answering, Zaon raised his voice above the shouting match.

    ¡°Someone is coming!¡±

    We turned around just to see a squad of orcs emerging from the thicket. It still surprised me how silent they were, considering their hulking bodies. They surrounded us with their weapons high. Despite the spears and cleavers, their presence was great news. We were in orc territory at last. I let out a sigh of relief as I recognized the one in the front, or [Foresight] recognized it for me. He was one of Dassyra¡¯s warriors back at the orc outpost.

    ¡°Little One?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Handy Assistant?¡± The mountain of an orc replied, but his eyes promptly jumped to the side. ¡°Wolfie?!¡±

 164 - The boy is back in town

    The pack of orcs guided us through the Farlands, always going north. We followed the same path I had taken with Elincia during our herb-gathering expedition, but instead of going west and sticking to the mountain, we turned to the east, deeper into the Farlands. Little One guided us through hidden paths through the forest and the mountains. Soon, I realized the orcs had a road network. Some roads were wide enough for carriages, and others were little more than animal trails.

    We covered more distance in a single day than we had in an entire week. From time to time, Little One stopped and whistled. His calls were always answered with similar whistling. There weren¡¯t permanent structures along the roads, but I noticed concealed surveillance stations¡ªmere wooden platforms¡ªnear the treetops.

    I wondered how many orcs were out there.

    After a while, Little One dropped his guard and focused on speed. Until then, we had traveled silently, attentive to the slightest changes in the wind and suspicious sounds from the thicket. No undead, chrysalimorph, or even stingers intercepted us. The Monster Surge receded, and the orc lookouts had noticed the change. I hoped my victory against the Forest Warden and the Lich gave us enough time to settle.

    Wolf, however, grew restless.

    ¡°We are getting close to Umolo,¡± Little One said.

    ¡°Many of us have Classes,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°The tribe will honor Chieftain Dassyra¡¯s decisions even if you accept the System,¡± Little One shrugged.

    The answer didn¡¯t reassure Wolf.

    Little One guided us up the rocky hill between the mountain ranges, and when we reached the top of the road, the orc settlement appeared before our eyes. Rising from the rock was Umolo, a walled citadel cut in the mountain¡¯s slope. A grid of tents extended like a fan into the valley from the inner wall. At first, I thought it was a war camp, but I was wrong. Wide roads separated each district and allowed the flux of carts and people around the settlement. Each district had its colors and symbols. The mountain behind the citadel had been cut into terraces, and farmers tended to the winter crops as far as the eye could see.

    Umolo wasn¡¯t a tribe but a city. Diagonal roads cut through the grid of tents, connecting wells and fountains. There were markets, workshops, plazas, and stone fortifications, but other than the permanent buildings, everything looked like nomad settlements struck together. At least five hundred orcs had to live within the stone walls, and another thousand camped outside.

    ¡°Umolo, the Cradle City,¡± Little One said with a grimace of displeasure, and we continued walking down the slope.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I said. Unlike Farcrest, with its broken streets and putrid puddles, Umolo was clean and organized, almost like a color wheel in the middle of the Farlands.

    ¡°Umolo only swells this much when danger roams the forests,¡± Little One replied. ¡°Umolo is not a city for warriors but for the sick, the old, and the scared. Don¡¯t let the Greyfangs hear you saying something like that, though.¡±

    It didn''t take an anthropologist to know that hiding behind walls did not align with the values ??of the orcs.

    ¡°Who are the Greyfangs?¡± I asked. I needed to know what to expect from Umolo.

    Little One let out a long sigh.

    ¡°Greyfangs are the guardians of the city, the descendants of Umolo and his tribe. Don¡¯t mess with them. They are the elite among the elite,¡± Little One said, but he silenced me before I could continue asking questions. ¡°Don¡¯t ask more. We are close to the city, and there are ears everywhere.¡±

    Our group descended the rocky path into the plains. There were ten of Dassyra¡¯s scouts, the four kids, the two elven warriors, and me. We were quite the troupe. I trusted Dassyra to shelter us, but I didn¡¯t count on this many tribes being pent up in the same place. Even if Dassyra wanted to help us, others might be more reluctant to accept System users inside the walls.

    Not an hour later, we reached the city. Umolo¡¯s wall was made of stones of various sizes and shapes, all fitted together like a massive puzzle. Some of the rocks had to weigh hundreds of tons. Even with the orcish strength in the equation, the construction seemed impossible. The wall was built to last. Not even the assault of an Iceshard Matriarch would make a dent in its surface.

    As we approached, I noticed the remnants of a massive battle.

    Squads of warriors piled mountains of undead monsters while orc lumberjacks were cutting the remnants of Forest Warden roots. Despite their muscular bodies, they were having trouble. Several Shamans were blessing the axes to cut through the more hardened parts of the root system.

    ¡°An undead attack?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. Last night was difficult. Not only undead but Saplings and Hornets too,¡± Little One replied.

    The amount of monster corpses was astounding.

    We continued walking along the wall under the curious glances of the orc workers. A detachment of orcs clad in full metal armor guarded the gates. The iron plates were thick as a finger, several times heavier than what medieval knights wore to battle. Their helmets resembled demonic orc faces, with tusks curling over their heads. They wore gray wolf pelts draped over their shoulders. Their cleavers were so thick and heavy that they seemed to be able to cut a horse in half without much effort.

    The armored warriors towered over their fellow orcs; none were less than two and a half meters tall. There were at least thirty of them. Such a unit would¡¯ve wreaked havoc during the human middle ages.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The Greyfang captain broke from the formation. His voice sounded like a rock falling into the deepest gorges. It echoed inside my rib cage.

    ¡°Chieftain Dassyra¡¯s son and his bodyguards from Farcrest,¡± Little One replied, pulling the banner of the teal moon.

    The Greyfang captain examined us, his eyes shining through the slits in his helmet. Wolf remained still, enduring his glance. Then, the Greyfang captain turned towards Hallas and Pyrrah. ¡°The elves aren¡¯t from Farcrest. They are wearing royal armor. Where is your Gilded?¡±

    Hallas stepped forth and performed a courteous salute, unfazed by the Greyfang¡¯s presence. Hallas was a tall elf, but the Greyfang captain almost quadrupled him in bulk. Pyrrah shifted nervously.

    ¡°Our Gilded fell battling the Forest Warden, but our assignment remains: eliminate the Forest Warden. We joined forces with the human warrior Robert Clarke and defeated one of its Vessels not a day ago.¡±

    His words seemed to catch the Captain''s attention.

    ¡°So, the Forest Warden is producing vessels already,¡± he said.

    With a wave of his hand, two armored soldiers broke from the formation and disappeared behind the gate. Then, he turned to me and laughed deeply, like a mountain splitting in half. He pressed his fingertips against his forehead in some sort of ceremonial salute.

    ¡°Umolo smiles at the mighty. The gates of the city are open for Chieftain Dassyra¡¯s son. Open the gates!¡± the Captain said; however, the armored soldiers didn¡¯t break formation. ¡°As per our treaties, the warriors from Farcrest can rest and heal their wounds, but they can¡¯t stay. We don¡¯t deal with Corruption.¡±

    The gates opened, and the Greyfangs let us through. I felt their glances stuck to my back until the gate closed behind us. I let out a sigh of relief, and for the first time in days, I let the exhaustion enshroud me. My shoulders felt heavy, but we still had a long way to go to Dassyra¡¯s camp.

    Up close, the city was even more impressive. Tents stretched in all directions, with their work benches and drying racks tidily arranged before them. Everything was like Dassura¡¯s outpost but multiplied by a hundred. Multicolor banners and flags marked the districts where orcs of the same tribe camped. As the orcs cleaned the mess from the Forest Warden¡¯s attack, we walked down the road. There were whole blocks that had been reduced to rubble by the root system and huge tents where healers tended the wounded warriors.

    ¡°I should help them,¡± Wolf muttered.

    ¡°We will have time for that later. Let¡¯s settle down first,¡± I replied.

    The words of the Greyfang captain still echoed in my mind. We don¡¯t deal with Corruption. Still, Byrne had spent a lot of time in Dassyra¡¯s tribe, and he was a Scholar. If the orc society had exceptions to the rule, we would have to exploit them somehow.

    We traversed Umolo to the north. The grid system allowed us to cross the city in a few minutes. The orcs cast curious glances at us but let us through. Tents needed patching, weapons required fixing, and there were more wounded than healthy orcs. The northern part of the city seemed to have received the worst part of the attack. Wolf walked behind me, almost making the group drag.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Wolf,¡± I said near his ear.

    ¡°I know this was my idea, but I shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± Wolf replied.

    ¡°Dassyra is your mother, and these are your people regardless of your Class,¡± I said. ¡°No matter what happens next, this was our safest and best bet. We did what we had to survive, Wolf.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get us a place here. Not with a Class,¡± Wolf said without much conviction.

    ¡°If something goes wrong, I¡¯ll take care of it. Don¡¯t worry.¡± I patted her back.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    The orc¡¯s demeanor changed when we entered the area with the teal moon banners. Many stopped working to greet Little One, offering drinks and snacks. The orc troop dissolved instantly as the scouts joined their families and friends. Little One, however, refused the hospitality and guided us to the center of the camp. About half of the tents had been affected by the attack, and the wounded warriors were being tended in the streets.

    I put an arm around Wolf¡¯s shoulders and pulled him forward. We reached the center of the camp, a square with a well near the corner. Four tents, bigger even than those that served as workshops, dominated the square. Little One explained they were for the tribe''s leader and their Chieftains. It was hard to estimate the size of Dassyra¡¯s tribe without an aerial shot, but I guessed there had to be between three and four hundred individuals.

    I hadn¡¯t realized that more and more orcs were following us to the central plaza until I turned around. [Foresight] captured their murmurs. The news about Dassyra¡¯s son returning to the tribe had spread like wildfire. Still, there wasn¡¯t a festive atmosphere. Everyone was tense, as if they expected something to happen.

    ¡°Chieftain Dassyra! Your blood has returned!¡± Little One yelled over the murmur of the crowd.

    I put a hand over Wolf¡¯s shoulder. A moment later, Dassyra emerged from the tent, dressed in an ornate warrior outfit, with a wolf head over her shoulder and a long cloak, the teal moon imprinted in her leather armor. Her expression was stern, as if she were facing the enemy army. I looked around. The orcs retreated to the sides of the central square. Her eyes finally fell upon Wolf.

    ¡°My blood has returned, but is it strong enough to become the blood of the tribe?¡± Dassyra said the words almost like she had memorized them. Then I realized what was happening. It wasn¡¯t a typical greeting but a ceremony.

    ¡°Chieftain, allow me to test his arm,¡± Little One said, stepping forth.

    The silence could be cut with a knife.

    ¡°No,¡± Dassyra said, undoing the knot of her cape. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±

    A murmur rose as the orcs cleared the main square of crafting tables and materials crates. No order was given, but everyone understood what they needed to do. A group of old female orcs pushed us, foreigners, to the side as gently as an almost two-meter-tall grandma could, but I remained by Wolf¡¯s side.

    ¡°Did you know this would happen?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been preparing myself,¡± Wolf replied with his usual stoic voice. ¡°I¡¯ve been learning from you, but the more I learn, the less prepared I feel. After the fight against the chrysalimorph, I realized how weak I am.¡±

    More and more orcs gathered around the square.

    ¡°Do you require a weapon?¡± Little One interrupted us.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Wolf replied.

    Another wave of murmurs rose from the sidelines. [Foresight] caught snippets of the conversations. They expected Wolf to fight hand-to-hand against Dassyra. The crowd opened, and a line of blacksmiths entered the square. They offered their weapons to Wolf, but he dismissed them until he found what he was looking for¡ªa heavy longsword with a broad blade. The weapon hadn¡¯t been created with a human-size user in mind, yet Wolf raised it without trouble. I noticed the sword was a dull ceremonial weapon, but it was heavy, and it could do damage in the right hands.

    I stood before Wolf and locked eyes with him.

    ¡°Dassyra uses wide and heavy blows. She has a strong arm but you¡¯ll have enough time to react,¡± I said.

    Wolf gave me a confused glance.

    ¡°She tried to kill me once,¡± I explained, downplaying the matter. ¡°There will be no skills, magic, or tricks during this duel, Wolf, just swordplay. You are at an advantage on this battlefield. Show them your strength.¡±

    Wolf nodded, and I retreated to where the kids and the elven warriors were waiting.

    ¡°What is happening?¡± Hallas asked, somewhat panicked.

    ¡°Wolf is the Chieftain¡¯s son. It seems orcs have some sort of initiation ritual, but there shouldn¡¯t be problems for us. He¡¯s prepared for this fight,¡± I replied as more and more orcs gathered in the square. There had to be two or three hundred of them. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me what a Gilded is, Hallas, and that sounds very important. I don¡¯t want secrets while we work together.¡±

    Hallas shuffled, uncomfortable, and the metallic glint of his armor poked through his green cloak. He feared me. And with good reason.

    ¡°Evindal was our Gilded Soldier. What you call a System user. Pyrrah and I were his squires. We were supposed to help him cultivate his levels, funneling experience without leeching,¡± Hallas explained, recovering part of his natural sass. ¡°But alas, we failed our mission and he died. It¡¯s a shameful ordeal if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°You two don¡¯t have a Class?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course not! Only the soldiers of the Order of the Gilded have Classes. We pick only a few talented ones so as not to spread unnecessary Corruption, unlike you people,¡± Hallas replied, massaging his temples. ¡°Establishing a trade route with you humans is a mistake, I always say, but our king never listens.¡±

    Pyrrah hit Hallas on the arm.

    I ignored them. It seemed humans were the only sapient species who blindly accepted the System. Everyone else seemed concerned about Corruption except for the inhabitants of Ebros. The System Avatar would have to answer many questions the next time we met.

    Wolf and Dassyra stepped into the main square, and the orcs started to get excited. The beating of the drums reached my ears as the crowd chanted a song in a language I didn¡¯t recognize. The solemnity of the ceremony was quickly replaced by shouting and whistling. In orc society, survival was everything. Every one of the individuals worked like a greased cog inside the bigger machine the tribe was. Wolf had lived for too long among humans, and they had to ensure he wouldn¡¯t endanger the tribe. Wolf was being tested.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got this Wolf. Beat her up!¡± Zaon yelled, trying his best to be heard over the crowd''s roar.

    ¡°Dude, that¡¯s Wolf¡¯s mother. Show some respect,¡± Ilya elbowed him.

    Zaon blushed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wolf¡¯s mom! I didn¡¯t mean it!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s prepared? Orc Chieftains are chieftains for a reason,¡± Hallas said.

    ¡°Do you have an elven camp where we could stay?¡± I replied, and my voice came sharper than I wanted.

    Hallas recoiled and shook his head. I tried to search for any kind of deception in his eyes, but [Foresight] couldn¡¯t get through him. The elven pair had more secrets than what I was comfortable with, but they could be useful against the Forest Warden and the Lich. They knew stuff, and Scholars needed information to design a plan properly.

    I focused back on the improvised arena.

    ¡°Raise your sword and fight, new blood. Show the tribe you are one of us!¡± Little One said.

    Wolf adopted the ochs guard, with both hands over his head and the tip of the sword pointing forward. The tribe laughed. No orc had never seen something like that. The ochs might seem strange at first glance, but it threatened a thrust or a powerful cut.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a dance class, Wolf, square up,¡± Dassyra said, her cleaver resting lax in her hand.

    With a sudden burst of energy, Wolf lunged forward. Dassyra was caught by surprise, and the dull sword hit her in the middle of her chest. She let out a sharp gasp, stumbling backward as the force of the blow knocked the wind out of her lungs. Her padded armor had absorbed most of the force, but Wolf hadn¡¯t held back. Dassyra clutched her chest and narrowed her eyes in frustration.

    The laughter turned into murmurs. Several orcs theorized that the Chieftain was going soft because she faced her son, but none dared voice their concerns above the level of a murmur. Dassyra couldn¡¯t afford to lose face before the tribe, but this was Wolf¡¯s introduction letter.

    ¡°Show them your strength, boy!¡± I yelled from the sideline.

    Dassyra was livid. Her knuckles paled as she tightened the grip around her machete. ¡°That¡¯s all you have, my son? Tricks?¡±

    Wolf didn¡¯t react. His face remained a mask of stone. I couldn¡¯t tell what was happening in his mind. Wolf adopted a slightly centered pflug guard. A versatile guard. Dassyra pressed the attack. Despite their huge bodies, orcs were nimble. She feinted to the left but attacked from the right, putting the weight of her body behind the swing. Wolf blocked, but Dassyra was already chaining in a second attack.

    Orcs loved vertical and horizontal attacks.

    Wolf was prepared. He stepped back and parried the blow, using the leverage of his sword to his advantage. The clash of metal rang over the sound of the drums. Dassyra pressed harder, her cleaver coming down with brutal force. Wolf fought defensively, absorbing and redirecting the blows with his blade. Dassyra was faster and more cunning, but Wolf was disciplined in his defense and pragmatic in his attacks.

    The crowd''s voices rose as Dassyra pressed the attack. She might seem to have the advantage, but Wolf wasn¡¯t fleeing. He was setting the trap. In terms of skill, Wolf was way above her. He led her to believe she had the advantage, and the moment Dassyra prepared to deliver the final blow, Wolf closed the trap.

    The magic wasn¡¯t in the blade but in the movement of his feet.

    Wolf sidestepped, letting her momentum carry her forward. Before she could recover, Wolf pivoted and brought his sword in a powerful strike. The blade hit Dassyra¡¯s exposed side, sending her stumbling to one knee. Wolf was about a head smaller than his mother, yet he had complete control over the fight.

    The crowd gasped, and even the rhythm of the drums faltered. Wolf didn¡¯t press his advantage. Instead, he stepped back. His hands trembled. I couldn¡¯t read his face. Wolf was stoic and hard to read, but now, he wasn¡¯t himself. Something was slightly off. His blows had been too violent. I just hoped he didn¡¯t do anything reckless.

    Dassyra growled and straightened her back.

    ¡°You have inherited our strength, my son¡ª.¡±

    ¡°But he can¡¯t stay.¡±

    The orcs fell to their knees as a hulk of a warrior with a face covered in old scars emerged from the main tent. It was the Warchief. Hallas and Pyrrah knelt, but the kids and I remained on my feet. The old orc climbed down the steps of his elevated tent. His fingers were covered in rings, and his cloak was made of the golden fur of a monster I didn¡¯t recognize. His presence was even more intense than the ones from the Greyfang warriors. By his side, an old shaman dressed in a rich teal robe walked slowly.

    ¡°Wolf, son of Dassyra. You are strong, and your strange art deadly. However, you have accepted the taint of Corruption. There is no place for you among our tribe,¡± the Warchief said, his voice echoing across the square and beyond. ¡°As per our treaties with the Marquisate, you can stay at the camp until your injuries heal. Then, you should leave.¡±

 165 - Amenities

    The Warchief looked down on the main square. His hair was gray, yet it fell in abundance over his shoulders like a white lion¡¯s mane. His face was covered in old scars and wrinkles, and his left tusk was broken and replaced with a silver tip, but his body still had the vitality of an adult orc. Golden rings covered his fingers, and the golden pelt of a strange beast covered his shoulders.

    The other orcs revered him.

    ¡°Wolf, son of Dassyra. You are strong, and your strange art deadly. However, you have accepted the taint of Corruption. There is no place for you among our tribe.¡± The Warchief¡¯s words echoed throughout the orc camp. ¡°You can stay at the camp until your injuries heal. Then, you should leave. Any complaints, Chieftain?¡±

    Dassyra kept her head low, and I couldn¡¯t see her expression. If she had any complaints, she didn¡¯t voice them. The Warchief gave me a fleeting glance, acknowledging my presence, and returned to his tent. When he disappeared inside, the orcs scattered and returned to their tasks. The ceremony was over. Wolf¡¯s display of swordsmanship had been in vain, and our time in Umolo was limited.

    Wolf''s expression remained impassive, but I knew a storm was raging inside him. It wasn¡¯t [Foresight] that told me, but a hunch. My first reaction was to approach and comfort him, but I stopped myself. Seven years have passed since Dassyra left Wolf at the orphanage. For seven years, Wolf dreamed about the moment of the reunion, but nothing was like he had expected: he returned and showed his worth, yet the Warchief branded him as an outsider.

    Wolf followed Dassyra to her tent. My hopes about the private reunion going better weren¡¯t high. Seven years was a long time.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you your lodging,¡± Little One said. ¡°Please don¡¯t wander far from the tribe¡¯s district. I¡¯m sure Chieftain Dassyra will want to know why you are here during a Monster Surge.¡±

    I nodded. Dassyra was our only ally and our key to survival.

    Little One gave us a short tour through the camp. Umolo was designed to shelter the tribes in case of a disaster. In addition to the warchief lodging in the main square, there were three permanent buildings: a public bath, a barn, and an underground refuge. I didn¡¯t expect Umolo to have a water system, but Little One told us that the city was the product of hundreds of years of effort for survival. Disease ran rampant during medieval sieges, so having a sanitary system was a great addition to a city designed to hold a large population during dangerous times. Little One told us the water system was relatively new compared with the rest of the settlement, having been built only a few decades ago. The citadel and the terraces was at least four hundred years old, but the original settlement was even older.

    I looked at the stone citadel dominating Umolo. The fortification stood defiant over the valley, but what caught my attention was the arched bridges ascending into the mountain. [Foresight] recalled an old memory and projected it into my eyes. Roman aqueducts.

    ¡°Those aren¡¯t bridges. Those are aqueducts! You are bringing clean water from the mountains,¡± I said.

    ¡°There are no better stoneworkers than the orcs from Umolo,¡± Little One said with a hint of mockery.

    Stone structures didn¡¯t go along with the nomadic tribe''s lifestyle, and Little One seemed to look down upon the orcs of Umolo.

    I let [Foresight] examine the exposed sections of the aqueducts. They looked suspiciously Roman, with tall arcs of masonry similar to the Aqueduct of Segovia. The sight was breathtaking, yet something felt odd. Orcs were mostly nomads, and the permanent population of Umolo had to be a fraction of what it was now. Such aqueducts seemed overkill for the population''s necessities; they seemed almost out of place.

    ¡°How many orcs live in Umolo?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Umolo is a big tribe. Around seven hundred orcs live here permanently, mostly farmers,¡± Little One said, vaguely pointing at the terraces cut in the mountain.

    Aqueducts were overkill for a population of seven hundred living in an already water-abundant place. Umolo and the Greyfangs had their share of secrets, but I had neither the energy nor the time to unveil them. The Access Rune was a target on my back. Our time at Umolo was finite, and I needed time to plan our next steps.

    A group of orc laborers dressed in simple undyed tunics finished setting up a tent and scattered without saying a word. I couldn¡¯t help but feel like the tribe was a hivemind. They were too pragmatic, too efficient, and too clean. Maybe that was what it took to survive in the Farlands without a Class.

    Little One guided us inside. The tent was spacious, with a skylight in the center that doubled as a chimney for the cooking station in the center. In a corner was a cask of clean water, a bag of an elongated grain similar to rice, and a dark crimson brick of what I could only identify as pemmican. In the opposite corner was a wooden screen and a water basin. Our luggage, or what was left of it, was already inside. Sleeping bags were lined along the wall¡ªone for each of us¡ªwith a set of clothes neatly folded by their side.

    ¡°It¡¯s child clothing, but¡­ you know,¡± Little One said.

    The smaller adult orc had to be about a palm taller than me.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we could fit into anything else,¡± Ilya finished the sentence for him. She was pissed. However, I knew Ilya¡¯s anger wasn¡¯t aimed at the orc but at herself. She blamed herself for Wolf¡¯s situation.

    ¡°Rest well,¡± Little One said, lowering his head to pass through the entrance. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when Chieftain Dassyra is ready to meet you.¡±

    I approached the beds and grabbed the orc''s clothing. It was made of a thick, rough fabric made to last. Then, I realized I hadn¡¯t changed clothes in a week. Ilya was faster. She grabbed the smaller set of clothes and cloistered herself behind the wooden screen.

    ¡°Do you want to check out the orc baths, Hallas?¡± I asked. I wasn¡¯t particularly eager to share a bath with him, but I thought I could make him talk if I separated him from Pyrrah.

    Hallas grimaced.

    ¡°Not a fan of sharing a bath with a bunch of green brutes. I¡¯m going to patrol the wall,¡± Hallas replied, taking his bow and leaving the tent. He stopped in the doorway. ¡°And you, Pyrrah. You are going to cook something. The monsters can attack any moment, so we must be prepared. Understood?¡±

    Pyrrah dropped her clothes, grumbling. ¡°Aye, aye, Captain.¡±

    Ignoring the fact I almost got an unwanted bath partner, I grabbed the clothes and walked to the public baths. It was better this way. I needed a moment alone with my thoughts. I strolled through the camp, and not five minutes later, I was outside the stone building. Without [Foresight], I would¡¯ve ended up lost.

    An ancient orc with a hunched back at the entrance gave me a clean towel and asked if I needed new bandages. I accepted his offer. It¡¯s been a day since the elves patched me up, and I hadn¡¯t dared to look underneath the bandages. The orc nodded, and I entered the stone baths. There was a small partition in the center and four lines of wooden stools faced bronze faucets. Skylights illuminated the room, but the gray stone made it look dark and narrow, as if it were underground. It lacked Light Stones. I touched the walls. They were perfectly vertical, cut from a single piece of stone.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    To my dismay, there was no caldarium, only faucets. Orcs didn¡¯t seem the sort that enjoyed long baths. I guessed they were too pragmatic for such activities.

    ¡°Do you know how to use them, young warrior?¡± The old orc asked.

    I turned the faucet¡ªthey worked just like the ones back on Earth¡ªand a thin stream of water fell into the drain on the floor. The water was cold, but after a week without a shower, it was everything I needed. Carving a Fire rune on the bronze faucet crossed my mind, but my common sense advised me against magical vandalism. The old orc then hung a basket with ointment and bandages on a rack, gave me a bundle of aromatic herbs, and left the room. There was no division between stools, but the bath was empty except for me.

    I closed my left hand, and every single finger obeyed me. The Holone fruit had repaired my damaged tendons, but my body was far from recovered. I still felt like the Iceshard Matriarch had ran over me. I removed the bandages to find deep scars along my arm. Burn marks covered my fingers¡ªnot fashionable ones¡ªand purple and green bruises followed the trail of the mana from my left arm across my chest and into my right arm. Luckily, my right hand was fully intact despite the mana lighting.

    The Holone Grapes intrigued me. Unlike Alchemist potions, they weren¡¯t the product of a System Class, yet they worked miracles. And without toxicity! Like orcs, elves had ways to create kingdoms without the assistance of the System. Introducing those methods to Ebros Kingdom might be a permanent fix to Corruption. The Lich¡¯s words echoed in my mind. Bigger and meaner things live in the Deep Farlands. Even if I managed to steal the secrets behind the Holone Grapes, I doubted any human would surrender the powers of the System for the greater good.

    I washed my body, deep in thought.

    Fixing Corruption was one of my lesser problems. The Lich knew about the Access Rune, which meant I had a target painted on my back. My mere presence in Umolo threatened the orc tribes and everyone around me. I had hoped the tribes would protect the kids while I dealt with the Lich and the Access Rune, but the Warchief¡¯s orders crushed that hope. There was no place for the kids other than by my side.

    I closed my eyes, letting the water wash the accumulated filth away.

    Until now, all my victories had been the product of chance. The Lich underestimated me for a second time, but I doubted that would happen again. I needed control. Runeweaving on the fly might not be enough to net a victory next time, and I didn¡¯t want to pull another stunt like carving runes in my own body again. I examined my hand. The Vampiric Rune was fading away. I let out a sigh of relief. It was a small victory, but I would take it.

    My best bet was to use [Rune Identification] on the enchanted ring and Ilya¡¯s Cooldown Bow and hope I could scrape some useful runes.

    The bathroom door opened, and I heard heavy steps against the rock¡ªan orc. Little One, maybe? I turned my head to find Dassyra wrapped in a towel as big as a carpet. She sat on the stool behind me, so we were back to back. She turned several faucets.

    ¡°Your elven friend seems very interested in you. He has been creeping around the baths since you entered, but don¡¯t worry, my men are securing the perimeter,¡± she said, her voice drowned by the water running. ¡°Is he trustworthy?¡±

    ¡°No. Not trustworthy,¡± I replied as soon as I recovered from the surprise. ¡°But he isn¡¯t a threat either. I thought they might be useful if I had to fight against the Forest Warden.¡±

    ¡°Good call. Elves have capable warriors,¡± Dassyra said, putting her towel to the side and leaning into the faucet. ¡°Wolf updated me about your situation. You are deep in skeeth shit, Rob. Janus played you well, and I know the System gave you a mission.¡±

    I sighed. It was even worse than that, and I felt terrible for putting the orc tribes in the line of fire between me and the Lich.

    ¡°The Lich is chasing me, Dassyra. I have an Access Rune. It allows its user to modify the System. If the Lich gets it, the whole kingdom might be in even deeper skeeth shit,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you modify the System to give you a Lich-killing skill?¡± Dassyra said.

    The way she casually waved off my problems almost made me laugh. ¡°The Lich will search for me and use all the resources available to get me. Umolo is in danger, and no, I don¡¯t have some magic Lich-killing skill. I don¡¯t want to touch the System and break it.¡±

    ¡°Well, Robert. The more enemies, the more honor for the tribe,¡± Dassyra replied, and I knew she considered that particular matter closed. ¡°If you join my scouts, I can give you two weeks in Umolo. After that, I don¡¯t think I can keep disobeying Warchief Callaid¡¯s orders¡­ unless a leadership change occurs.¡±

    I knew Dassyra was smiling.

    ¡°I¡¯m not here to stage a coup,¡± I replied, wondering how serious she was about the ¡®leadership change¡¯.

    I shoved those thoughts aside and focused on more pressing matters. Two weeks to get stronger and improve my runeweaving wasn¡¯t the worst deal I had accepted. Since college, working with impossible deadlines was second nature to me. Besides, something in Dassyra¡¯s voice told me she had something planned. I didn¡¯t ask and decided to enjoy the cold water.

    ¡°How did the meeting with Wolf go?¡±

    ¡°Awful,¡± Dassyra replied. ¡°He told me you were more of a parent to him in half a year than I was in the last seven, which I probably deserve. He then left to tend to the wounded warriors. Still, I¡¯m happy. You have made him strong. Wolf is growing into a fine orc.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit guilty.

    ¡°The laws of the tribe are wise. There is no place for the weak in the Farlands, so half-blooded orcs should be left with humans until they gain their orcish strength. They stand between two worlds, so it¡¯s better to let them choose freely. Seven and a half years in the tribes. Seven and a half years with humans,¡± Dassyra said.

    ¡°Wolf couldn¡¯t choose,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°He did, and he chose well. If Wolf had left his friend Ilya to die, I wouldn¡¯t have accepted him in the tribe,¡± Dassyra replied, her voice dropping. ¡°The Farlands have become more dangerous in the last decade, and I¡¯m unsure about the future of the tribes. We have lost many warriors, but Warchief Callaid is as prideful as he is stubborn and refuses to make Umolo our permanent home.¡±

    I noticed a hint of sadness in her voice.

    After a moment of silence, I spoke again. ¡°Aren¡¯t you mad about Wolf¡¯s Class?¡±

    ¡°Samuel Byrne taught me to see things from another perspective. We orcs put the tribe over the individual, but I realize that¡¯s not the only way of living,¡± Dassyra shrugged. ¡°Even now, after the tribe rejected him, he is healing our wounded warriors. We reject the System, but we never seem to reject the fruits of other people¡¯s sacrifice.¡±

    An idea popped into my mind.

    ¡°You don¡¯t object to using items created by System users then?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. We are open to trade with the people of Farcrest if the winter kills our crops or we are in dire need of weapons. Warchief Callaid even has a few enchanted rings,¡± Dassyra said. ¡°Why?¡±

    I grinned. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just an idea.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I like where this is going. Byrne used to say the same.¡± Dassyra wrapped herself in her towel. ¡°Get ready to fight, Rob. If you want those two weeks, you better show the tribe you can carry your weight. And they aren¡¯t easily impressed.¡±

    Dassyra left the bath, and I waited a few seconds before getting dressed. The idea was taking shape in my mind. I asked the old orc if I could take the basket with the bandages and ointment, and he nodded as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I took a step outside, and Ilya appeared behind the basket of pelts. The orc''s clothing was too big for her, making her look even smaller than she was.

    ¡°Is Wolf¡¯s mother mad at me?¡± She asked, defeated.

    ¡°Nobody is, Ilya. Don¡¯t beat yourself over it. It¡¯s not like you could avoid the Mana Stalker hitting you,¡± I said, patting her shoulder.

    She didn¡¯t seem convinced.

    ¡°But Wolf¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wolf wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to return to the tribes. He¡¯s like his father. Curious. He wants to see the world, far and wide,¡± I said. ¡°And the world needs good healers now more than ever.¡±

    Ilya nodded and gave me a quick hug.

    ¡°So, what now?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Now, we prepare to kill every monster between us and the orphanage.¡±

 166 - Settling

    ¡°You are a smart girl, Ilya,¡± I said as we walked to the well in the main square.

    ¡°And you are about to ask me something outrageous, right?¡± Ilya raised an eyebrow as she struggled against the orc-sized bucket. She sighed. ¡°Scholars are all the same.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Even after all these months, Ilya was the same distrustful gnome, but she was right. I was about to ask her something outrageous. Ilya let out a groan and balanced the empty bucket on her head. In hindsight, she might not have been the best water-gathering partner, but I wanted to talk to her privately. Ilya was the most judicious member of the group, and our next steps were crucial.

    I leaned against her and whispered. ¡°Use [Spirit Animal] subtly and tell me if Hallas or Pyrrah is following us.¡±

    Ilya nodded and hid a small mana sparrow behind an orc food basket as we turned the corner. The creature hopped behind a tent and flew away. After a moment, Ilya closed her eyes and shook her head.

    ¡°They are inside the tent, eating. I can see them through the skylight,¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°Good,¡± I said. It was too early for the elves to know all our secrets. ¡°Listen, Ilya. The orcs gave us two weeks. What do you think I should do with you four going forward?¡±

    Ilya pondered for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s an outrageous question.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°You are twice our age and our caretaker. You should know better.¡±

    Now, we were playing hot potato, which was understandable. The answer to that question would decide our fate. It was a burden too heavy for a fifteen-year-old kid, yet we were doing this together, and I trusted Ilya¡¯s insight.

    ¡°If it were up to you to decide, what would you do?¡± I rephrased my question.

    Ilya hit my leg with her bucket. Still, she frowned, deep in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stroke your ego, but your fight against the Elven Chrysalimorph was something else. You can survive out there regardless of the monsters,¡± Ilya said, ¡°But you have us in tow. We can¡¯t return to Farcrest or stay in Umolo for long. We are the problem, ultimately.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t say you are the problem. Your survival is,¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same. Even if we get another ten levels, we cannot face monsters like the Orc Chrysalimorph or the Lich.¡±

    I nodded. Leveling wouldn¡¯t solve all our problems with the Lich searching for us. We reached the central square, and Ilya threw the well bucket down the well. I approached the crank, but she got ahead and started turning it. Her biceps bulged. Was she in such a form before?

    ¡°What level are you now?¡± I asked.

    Ilya grinned and turned her character sheet. The orcs around us didn¡¯t seem happy with the blue square floating in the middle of the air, but we ignored them, and they didn¡¯t raise any complaints. As long as we were guests, we were part of the tribe.

    Name: Ilya, Gnome.

    Class: Hunter Lv.10

    Titles: Governess¡¯s Little Helper, Giant Slayer, Small-time Mathematician.

    Passive: Mana Manipulation, Longsword Mastery Lv.1, Archery Lv.2, Tracking Lv.2, Quickshot Lv.1.

    Skills: Piercing Arrow, Entangling Vine, Spirit Animal, Mark of the Hunt, Mana Arrow.

    ¡°I guess I fixed my ammunition problem,¡± she shrugged, yet her face radiated pride.

    [Mana Arrow] was a huge acquisition for an archer cut off from supply lines. Still, I expected Ilya to be at a higher level. We had killed dozens of Chrysalimorph beasts with levels ranging between ten and twenty. The experience leech had become more acute. I was almost at level twenty already. I examined Ilya¡¯s character sheet. A level ten was the rough equivalent of a well-trained athlete.

    The ability to flee unwanted encounters was extremely valuable, even if she lacked firepower. Ilya huffed as she poured water into her own bucket. She was definitely stronger. That was, at least, a thirty-liter bucket built for orcs to handle.

    Ilya continued. ¡°Without the Cooldown Bow and the enchanted items, we wouldn¡¯t have survived. I haven¡¯t seen many Hunters in action, but a ten-second charge can rival a Piercing Arrow from a level fifteen or twenty,¡± she said, throwing the well bucket back down the hole. ¡°Enchanted equipment feels awfully like cheating, but that¡¯s our trump card. We need to figure out how to fight effectively. If we can figure out a way of fighting without endangering ourselves, we might be able to fight stronger opponents.¡±

    I had reached the exact same conclusion, yet part of me hated it.

    ¡°A few months ago, I would¡¯ve done everything in my power to prevent you lot from fighting monsters,¡± I pointed out.

    Ilya raised an eyebrow and handed me one of the buckets. ¡°You can¡¯t even see a kid scraping their knees without running to help them. I thought Elincia was apprehensive, but you get the crown.¡±

    Ilya filled the second bucket, and we returned to our tent. She was right. We needed to find a new way of fighting. Firana and Zaon had an excellent synergy during combat, primarily due to Zaon knowing when to retreat to leave space for Firana¡¯s attacks. Wolf and Ilya¡¯s timing with their range attacks was also near perfect. Even when we didn¡¯t have the advantage of surprise, our fights went relatively well. Small fry weren¡¯t a problem for us, despite our levels.

    I closed my eyes and let [Foresight] guide me through my memories. Everything was within reach, yet there was a quality leap between raw information and an actual good idea. I learned that from my old students back on Earth. Assignments about creation, evaluation, and analysis required more than raw information. Some students didn¡¯t perform well on those assignments even when I let them use their books and phones.

    I realized something. The fact our formation was nearly flawless prevented me from seeing the broader picture. Frontline and backline were the natural consequences of different fighting styles. Close-quarter combatants had to be in front to be effective, while archers and healers should remain in the back to provide support. Zaon¡¯s Sentinel Class was good with shields, while Ilya¡¯s Hunter Class worked better at a distance. Clear roles being a fundamental part of every effective army in human history wasn¡¯t just a coincidence.

    However, against a more powerful enemy, I couldn¡¯t have Zaon and Firana on the frontline and leave Ilya and Wolf defenseless in the backline. A sufficiently powerful enemy would ignore the roles and plow through our formation, and we only had one shotgun with less than a dozen shells. Centering our strategy around it would only work in the short term.

    Roles. Spacing. Engagement. The kids¡¯ classes could be a hidden pitfall.

    ¡°Ilya?¡± I asked. ¡°Did I mention how lucky I am to have met all of you?¡±

    ¡°Now you are being cheesy,¡± Ilya grunted. The water bucket¡¯s size was a greater hindrance than its weight. ¡°Did you think of something? I don¡¯t want to sound pressing, but we only have two weeks.¡±

    Our tent was a few meters away, so I lowered my voice. ¡°I have a rough idea, and I might be able to prevent you from fighting stronger monsters.¡±

    Ilya stopped, almost tipping her bucket. ¡°Oh, come on! We are not kids anymore! I thought we had already been through this!¡± She approached my ear and spoke through her teeth. ¡°You are a Runeweaver! This is the stuff of legends! There is no way you leave me out of this!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Despite the fact I had never seen it that way, Ilya was right. My powers and my mission were a thing of legend for her.

    ¡°Do you want to save the world, or do you just want your name being sung for the centuries to come?¡± I jokingly asked.

    ¡°Every girl wishes to be famous at some point in their life,¡± Ilya replied with utmost seriousness.

    I hoped my deeds remained unsung. That would allow me to retire and live a quiet life. For the time being, Ilya¡¯s insight had given me an idea. I put my water bucket in her free hand and patted her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to make us a team of legends. I have to meet Dassyra. Keep an eye on the elves.¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°If you say it like that, it¡¯s not exciting at all.¡± Ilya sighed and dragged the buckets inside while I turned around and returned to the main square.

    Our combat plans had two pitfalls. The first was to assume our Classes determined our combat roles. The second was to assume we were a squad of five. With a bit of tugging, I might form a platoon, and a platoon might have a much better chance against the Lich. However, that would depend entirely on Dassyra and her warriors.

    Two tall orc warriors guarded Dassyra¡¯s tent. After running around the camp for a while, I could tell which orcs were ¡®tall and strong¡¯ and which weren''t. Even the ¡®weak¡¯ ones could probably split me in half any day of the week. Unlike the heavy iron breastplates of the Greyfangs, the guards¡¯ armor was made of hardened leather, padded linen, and pelts. They let me through before I could even voice my affairs at the chieftain¡¯s pavilion. I crossed the doorway to find a richly decorated space with multicolor cushions and beaded ornaments hanging from the walls. Next to the firepit, Little One stirred a pot. He greeted me with a nod.

    Dassyra appeared from behind a wooden screen. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you so soon.¡± She had shed her chieftain attire and wore a simple linen shirt.

    ¡°I brought gifts,¡± I replied. Gifts that could destroy the power balance within the tribe.

    Dassyra inspected my hands. They were empty. ¡°Well? Where are those gifts? You can¡¯t just trick a chieftain and leave unscathed,¡± she jokingly said.

    Dassyra didn¡¯t know about my enchanting powers. It seemed Wolf hadn¡¯t told the whole story. If it was due to loyalty towards me or distrust towards Dassyra, I couldn¡¯t tell. It would be better to show her rather than explain. I closed my eyes and carved a simple reinforcement enchantment on my shirt. Reinforcement only required a two hundred mana threshold, and the linen shirt met the conditions. Barely. Then, I unbuttoned the garment and put it over the table.

    ¡°You have put on some muscle since the last time, Scholar. That¡¯s a good thing. You used to be a twig the last time we met,¡± Dassyra pointed out.

    ¡°Fencing against Wolf requires strong arms,¡± I replied, pointing at the table. ¡°Now, stab the shirt.¡±

    Dassyra arched an eyebrow and signaled Little One to do it. The giant orc sighed and cleaned the knife he was cooking with. Then, he shifted to the small table and raised his arm. The motion was just strong enough to pierce the fabric. However, when Little One raised the knife, the shirt remained unscathed. They exchanged a look of surprise, and Little One tried again, this time with more strength. The guards peeked into the tent to see what the commotion was about, but Dassyra dismissed them. Little One gave progressively stronger attempts until the shirt finally gave in.

    ¡°Should we try with a proper piece of armor?¡± I asked as I put my shirt back on. It had a small cut near the breastbone, but nothing I couldn¡¯t fix.

    Dassyra stumbled upon herself to grab an old leather cuirass from the wall. One enchantment later, Dassyra stood in the middle of the room, feeling invulnerable, while Little One failed to stab her through the armor.

    Dassyra looked at me with hungry eyes. ¡°I want this spell even on my warrior¡¯s underwear.¡±

    ¡°You got it,¡± I replied. ¡°But I need something in return.¡±

    ¡°Anything,¡± Dassyra said.

    ¡°I need you to kidnap someone.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to bring Elincia here?¡± Dassyra asked.

    Elincia was safer at the orphanage for now, and she was needed there. I had a different person in mind.

    Ginz had abandoned the orphanage when it most needed him, so I guessed he still had some atonement to do. A quick trip into the Farlands should complete his penance. Sure, adding a non-combatant to our retinue left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I needed control, and for that, I needed Ginz¡¯s creations.

    However, I couldn¡¯t let Janus know. We needed to stage Ginz''s retrieval so that it looked like a regular crime.

    ¡°No. Ginz, the craftsman. He lives at the orphanage. I need you to ransack his workplace and bring everything here. It has to look like someone broke inside,¡± I said. I couldn¡¯t just ask for help without Janus suspecting, and I knew he would have an eye on the orphanage until he saw my dead body. Nobody could suspect. Not even Elincia. Ignorance was the only safeguard I could give her now. ¡°How fast could we get him back here?¡±

    Dassyra put her hands on her hips and gave me a glance of disbelief.

    ¡°Four days.¡±

    Four days in transit would give Ginz ten days to work until our deadline. I hoped orcs had some stimulants because we would be tight on time. Still, I knew Ginz could go on for days at a time when he obsessed over one of his creations.

    ¡°Four days sounds great. Bring me the armor, then. I can do about ten pieces right away,¡± I smiled mischievously.

    Dassyra returned the smile and yelled at the guards at the entrance. She poured a bowl of stew into my hands and sat by my side. Then, she gave me a playful tug.

    ¡°If you ever offer this power to other chieftains, I¡¯m going to hang you from the wall,¡± she laughed. ¡°How did you get this power? Scholars aren¡¯t supposed to be enchanting stuff.¡±

    I took a sip of Little One¡¯s stew. It had a pleasant, hearty flavor.

    ¡°Enchantments use the same runes as the System. I have to learn the runes to fix it,¡± I explained. Dassyra seemed to accept my words at face value. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it sound weird to you?¡±

    Dassyra lowered her bowl and shrugged.

    ¡°Byrne Samuel believed the System was man-made, and I tend to think the same. Every race has its way of grasping magic. We have our rituals and the warrior¡¯s rage. Elves have their magic gardens. According to rumors, Gnomes channel their magic into specially crafted crystals. I always assumed humans struck gold with their beloved System,¡± Dassyra said.

    My heart skipped a beat. Dassyra ignored Byrne¡¯s real identity, and I couldn¡¯t keep it a secret. I just hoped she would take it well.

    ¡°About Byrne, I think he might¡ª¡± I said, but Dassyra stopped me.

    ¡°He left fourteen years ago. He¡¯s dead.¡±

    I understood the unspoken words.

    ¡°Yes. He is,¡± I said.

    We ate in silence until the guards arrived with a pile of leather armor and a pile of underwear. Dassyra wasn¡¯t joking. I remember reading about how the introduction of protective masks for hockey goalkeepers helped them improve their performance due to the feeling of safety. I wondered if it was the same in this case. I wasn¡¯t interested in the relationship between an orc warrior and their bulges, so I didn¡¯t ask.

    ¡°What about weapons? I¡¯m sure you can make weapons, and my warriors are loyal to me,¡± Dassyra said, seemingly forgetting about Byrne. She was ravenous for enchantments.

    ¡°Weapons can fall in enemy hands too easily, even if the warrior in question resists,¡± I said.

    The Bind rune might be the answer, but I still needed to learn how to use it.

    I continued enchanting the orc armor. The Reinforce enchantment was cheap in terms of mana, so I could engrave the runes at a good pace. However, I had options. The Trigger Rune determined how the Reinforce Rune effect would work. A Reinforce-Gradual-Recharge enchantment would work similarly to a Light Stone; the effect was more potent at first, but it dimmed with time and required a recharge at the end of the cycle. Reinforce-Gradual-Absorption, worked like the Warm Blanket; it didn¡¯t need recharging, but the overall effect was weaker despite the fact I engraved a full-power Reinforce rune in the magic circuit.

    If I added the User-Activation string to the Reinforce-Gradual-Recharge enchantment, the armor kept the stored energy longer, requiring fewer recharges over time. I considered adding a Vampiric Rune so orcs could recharge the enchantment with monster mana; however, the leather armor had a lower enchantment threshold, and the Vampiric Rune had very high requirements.

    I examined my options. A five-rune enchantment required much more mana to engrave, but it would keep the orcs safer. I decided to use the User-Activation-Reinforce-Gradual-Recharge string going forward instead of the Reinforce-Gradual-Recharge.

    For the underwear, I used Reinforce-Gradual-Absorption. Orcish underwear had a measly 200 enchantment threshold, so I informed Dassyra it would degrade over time. She nodded and observed the enchanting process like a kid eyeing a Mall Santa.

    Arming Dassyra¡¯s warriors was only one aspect of my plan. I still had to devise a new strategy for the kids. That¡¯s where Ginz came into play. Undead were weak against the Vampiric rune, so even if I had no other rune capable of damaging a high-level monster, we could always drain them. The Vampiric rune would work regardless of the kids¡¯ levels.

    I grinned. While the Forest Warden remained alive, the Lich had access to infinite Chrysalimorph bodies. I had to pull Firana and Zaon from the frontline while giving Ilya and Wolf some sort of defensive countermeasure. Armor and ranged weapons. The answer against high-level enemies could be turning our group into a fire team. I sighed. Ilya would love the idea. Firana would probably hate it.

    ¡°Okay. Ten pieces of reinforced cuirasses, ten pieces of padded armor, and ten pieces of magic underwear ready,¡± I sighed after a few hours of work.

    Dassyra smiled. ¡°I want my ten best warriors equipped right away!¡± She said, and the guards took the armor away without asking a question about what had transpired inside.

    While hidden from the elven surveillance, I summoned my Rune Debugger. I needed to figure out how to use the Bind Rune before Ginz arrived at Umolo. If I experimented with enchanted firearms, I would better have control over who could use them. I tried simple strings of enchantments containing Bind in the Rune Debugger, but all came faulty.

    I used [Rune Identification].

    Bind. Effect Rune. Rank I. [Rune Identification]: This rune represents the unyielding link between entities. Affinities: Iron, Silver, Gold. Mana threshold: 100.

    The information wasn¡¯t particularly illuminating, but the word ¡®entities¡¯ caught my attention. What if the Bind Rune needed an argument to work correctly? I had no good answer to that question. If the Bind rune required an argument, the Aias Sword should have a Bind-Aias string somewhere in the enchantment. ¡®Aias¡¯ had to be a rune, somehow.

    Suddenly, the sound of a deep horn rose above the noise of the camp.

    ¡°We are under attack,¡± Dassyra said, grabbing her enchanted armor from the rack.

    It was too soon. After defeating the Lich and the Forest Warden, I expected a few days of peace. I dispelled the Rune Debugger and walked outside.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Dassyra asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let the experience go to waste,¡± I replied, running towards the wall and using my Wind-Shot Boots to climb to the top. I also needed to know what Greyfangs were capable of. Just in case.

 167 - Ghoul

    The sound of the horn came down from the citadel. All movement in the camp stopped. Everyone held their breath. The horn blew for the second time and the tension broke. Some orcs of the Teal Moon tribe rushed to the entrance of the underground refuge, while those who were fitted for combat escorted them. No undead came down from the sky; however, I felt an eerie sensation coming from the forest.

    I left Dassyra¡¯s tent and walked in the opposite direction of the orc crowd. I was ready to push my way through with my mana shield, however the orcs moved in an orderly fashion despite the pressing sound of the horn. When I reached the wall, I used my Wind-Shot boots to jump to the top. The environmental mana quivered, and a thick mist emerged from the forest and poured into the plains¡ªan area spell. I knew that feeling, but it was too early for the Lich to return.

    The gates of Umolo opened, and several orc war parties formed a defensive perimeter around the camp outside the walls. Dassyra and her warriors tailed the group. They were wearing my enchanted armor.

    Why didn¡¯t the orcs from the outer camp enter the city? There was plenty of space inside Umolo. Fighting in the open plains was a tactical mistake, but I had no time to ponder the orc¡¯s tactics. I ran along the wall until I was above the gates, at the point closest to the forest. Greyfang archers prepared bows and arrows. Their bows were taller than them, and I didn¡¯t need [Foresight] to know their enormous draw weights.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t they enter the city?¡± I asked, pointing at the orcs camping outside.

    ¡°Only the tribes of the pact can enter the Cradle City,¡± an orc archer replied, scouting the forest line about half a kilometer away. The mist obscured the view.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you make an exception?¡±

    ¡°They can join a tribe of the pact if they please.¡±

    Shadowy figures moved inside the mist to the south. I sighed in relief. The monsters seemed to be coming from the side opposite the outside camp. They would need to go through several war parties to reach the non-combatants.

    ¡°Draw!¡± The orc captain shouted, aiming his arm to the mist.

    The orc archers turned to the south. They took a deep breath and nocked their arrows. The bows creaked. I looked down to the plains. The monsters hidden among the mist were still four or five hundred meters away. There was no way the arrows could reach them.

    ¡°Shoot!¡± The Greyfang captain shouted, and the archers released their arrows.

    The snapping of bowstrings almost deafened me. Heavy arrows crossed the sky and penetrated the mist. The distant screech of the undead filled the valley. When my ears stopped buzzing, I noticed the fog continued creeping closer and closer to the walls. I used my mana sense, but the fog wasn¡¯t natural and blocked my attempts to look through it. I squinted my eyes. Something big was moving behind the white wall, but it was impossible to distinguish what it was. The archers shot a second volley.

    Firana suddenly landed by my side, startling me.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± She asked.

    There was no sign of the other kids.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I replied.

    ¡°Ilya sent me to see what was going on,¡± Firana said, puffing her chest with pride. ¡°Pyrrah didn¡¯t want us to go outside, but I snuck through the skylight.¡±

    Before I could answer, the gate opened, and a squadron of fifty Greyfangs clad in iron exited Umolo. The Greyfang captain, an orc with a gray wolf pelt on his shoulders and bone ornaments hanging from his belt, raised his hand, and the warriors spread in a checkered pattern. They roared defiantly, like they were inviting the monsters to attack.

    ¡°Should we help?¡± Firana said.

    ¡°Steal the glory of a Greyfang, and you¡¯ll be hanging from the wall in no time,¡± the orc archer I had struck conversation before said.

    The mist covered the Greyfangs up to their knees. As the shadowy figures approached, they prepared their heavy cleavers. Firana grabbed my shirt as we peeked over the parapet. From the mist appeared a man dressed in battered plate armor wielding a pike. Undead. On his chest was the crest of the impaled wolf in red and black.

    ¡°A guardsman!¡± Firana said.

    Mana surged through the undead guardsman¡¯s body.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± I yelled.

    The undead guardsman used [Quickstep]. The Greyfangs didn¡¯t react fast enough. The shining pike pierced through a Greyfang¡¯s armor and buried deep into his neck. [Puncture]. The two nearest orcs attacked the guardsman, smashing through the armor like paper, and the formation closed around their wounded companion, but it was too late. More and more figures emerged from the mist.

    Undead System-users.

    The Greyfang leader roared. Mana surged from his body, and a gust of wind cleared the mist. A disorganized army of undead human soldiers stood before Umolo. I recognized their emblems. The impaled wolf of Farcrest, the red eagle of Jorn, the lush tree of Vedras, the blue olive branches of Gairon, and many more crests of minor nobles. They were all members of the royal army.

    ¡°Was that [Aerokinesis]?¡± Firana asked.

    The fog closed again, but the Greyfang leader pushed the wind again with a hand movement.

    ¡°That is [Aerokinesis]!¡±

    ¡°But orcs don¡¯t use the System,¡± I muttered.

    The battle raged. The Greyfangs pressed the attack, shooting magic icicles and stone spikes. However, System-users weren¡¯t pushovers, and the undead countered the attack with their own tricks. Blades and shields shone as the undead army fortified their weapons and bodies, but the orc cleavers were strong, and human armor wasn¡¯t enough to block their brutal swings. The battle surged.

    Orcs had a hard time countering movement skills. Luckily for the Greyfangs, the undead were only low-level combatants, so the orc¡¯s elemental spells gave them the upper hand. I couldn¡¯t help but think there was something wrong. That was clearly System magic. The magic of the elves was different. Their mana was pure Fountain magic, unlike my [Mana Mastery], which used mana processed by the System. The difference was subtle, but my mana sense was keen.

    ¡°Orcs aren¡¯t supposed to use the System,¡± I said.

    ¡°The tribes of the pact don¡¯t deal with Corruption,¡± the orc archer replied.

    My eyes didn¡¯t lie. They were using skills. Did they discover an alternative way of harnessing Fountain mana without the System? I glanced at the battlefield. No. That was System magic. I had no doubt. The fog pushed against the walls, and more shadowy figures slithered under the misty veil. The Greyfangs were getting surrounded by the undead when two orc squads abandoned the northern side of the wall and moved towards the gate to help them. The Crimson Sun and the Teal Moon.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have to protect Dassyra¡¯s warriors,¡± I said.

    ¡°Me?¡± Firana asked.

    ¡°Yes, we will need your [Aerokinesis],¡± I said, standing on the parapet. The fall was long, and I wasn¡¯t sure the Wind-Shot Boots were enough to cushion the landing. ¡°I might need help with the landing.¡±

    The girl nodded and found a place under my arm. There was no time to find a ladder. I clenched my jaw, and we dropped from the top of the wall. My stomach churned, but after the initial acceleration, Firana¡¯s [Feather Fall] slowed our speed. We reached the bottom unscathed. I let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°That was funny,¡± Firana said, drawing her sword.

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t,¡± I replied, trying to ease my heart rate.

    Giving magic powers to a risk-prone fifteen-year-old wasn¡¯t the most brilliant move on the System¡¯s part.

    Firana cut the fog wall in half, and we ran towards the Teal Moon warriors. They had reinforced the Greyfang¡¯s flank and were fighting against Farcrest¡¯s undead guardsmen. To my relief, the enchanted armor was relatively effective against piercing spells. Seeing us approach, Dassyra¡¯s warriors opened their formation to let us through.

    ¡°Do you understand now why using the System is a bad idea!¡± Dassyra yelled as she blocked a guardsman''s pike and cut them in half with her war cleaver.

    ¡°I was dragged into this!¡± I replied, pushing mana into my sword. ¡°Can you get this fog away from us, Firana?¡±

    The girl nodded.

    I expected a violent wind gust. Instead, she slowly moved her hands, creating a gentle breeze. At first, nothing happened, but after a moment, the fog started circulating towards the forest line, out of the plains, like a receding tide. Was Firana getting more subtle? Maybe the System wasn¡¯t all that wrong, and wind magic was the best element for her. The mist retreated, revealing more enemies.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Archer!¡± I yelled, pushing through the orc line and raising a mana shield as broad as [Mana Mastery] allowed me.

    A burning arrow hit the barrier to my right, and the explosion of sparks blurred my vision. An arrow volley flew over our heads and hit the faraway targets the mist had been hiding. I looked over my shoulder. Firana remained in the center of the orc formation, pushing the fog away. I signaled her to stay put, and she nodded back.

    It was time to farm some levels.

    ¡°Handy Assistant, what are you doing?!¡± Little One yelled.

    I chased the undead archer, but a guardsman blocked my way.

    Undead Soldier Lv.14 (Corrupted). [Identify] The reanimated body of a Soldier Class human. The Undead Soldier lacks free will and follows the simple commands of a powerful wizard. Death had dulled their senses, but the lack of fear and pain make the Undead Soldier an unrelenting opponent. Weakness: Fire, Mana Drain, Shotgun.

    The Undead Soldier used [Quickstep] and aimed his spear at my heart. [Foresight] anticipated the movement. Time seemed to slow around me, and I saw the shortest path for the kill. [Swordsmanship] overcharged my muscles. With a swift sidestep, I cut the spear shaft before it could reach me. Then, following the momentum, I decapitated the monster with a clean swing of my sword. The exchange lasted only a second, but my eyes were already scouting the battlefield for my next opponent.

    Undead Warrior Lv.20.

    The Vedras¡¯ crest shone on the warrior¡¯s battered breastplate. The monster hoisted a rusted, chipped maul. Mana pulsated around the weapon, sending silvery sparks to the ground. Again, [Foresight] showed me the shortest path for the kill. The undead creature swung the maul, but I was already past its defenses. The undead channeled its mana and cast [Iron Skin]. Its body gleamed with a protective aura, but my mana blade cut through it like a hot knife against butter.

    I raised my shield to block the Undead Archer¡¯s [Fire Arrow]. I dashed across the battlefield, but the monster showed no sign of fear. Instead, it stood its ground and loosed a rapid burst of arrows. [Quickshot]. The arrows, however, bounced against my mana shield.

    The archer¡¯s leather armor was no match for my mana blade, and after a swift cut, the monster lay on the ground cut in half.

    Before I could locate my next opponent, a screech came from the forest. A shadow dashed through the fog among the trees. My blood froze as [Foresight] pulled old memories. It sounded just like the Wendigo.

    ¡°Rob! Return to formation!¡± Dassyra shouted behind me.

    I didn¡¯t realize I had drifted so far from the orc line.

    I had no time to fall back.

    A quadruped, misshapen monster with a body covered in black, leathery skin jumped over the thicket. Its head was unnaturally huge, and its maw was as wide as a shark¡¯s. Strands of fabric and flesh hung from its serrated teeth. White protrusions of bone protected its face, giving it an eerily humanoid appearance.

    ¡°Ghouls!¡± Dassyra yelled.

    The orcs closed ranks into a compact formation.

    Ghoul Lv.42. Magical Abomination. Man Eater. Monster Eater. [Identify] Once a mighty warrior, high concentrations of magic corrupted its body and mind, turning it into a bloodthirsty monster that roams the Farlands with the sole purpose of consuming the flesh of its victims. Weakness: Shotgun.

    No weakness other than ¡®shotgun¡¯ was a bad sign.

    The Ghoul charged at me, its powerful front legs making the ground tremble. I sidestepped at the last moment and sliced at the creature¡¯s side. However, my sword barely left a scratch on the thick, leathery skin. I was thrown back to my fight against the Wendigo. The creature¡¯s defenses were too high, even for my mana blade. More Ghouls appeared from the forest, and the Crimson Sun orcs retreated to the gates.

    The war parties who were defending the outer camp also retreated and only Greyfangs and Dassyra¡¯s Teal Moon tribe remained outside.

    I cursed.

    The Ghoul took a sharp turn and charged again. A magic arrow fell from the sky and stuck in its shoulder. It was a flesh wound, but it was enough diversion for me to retreat into the orc formation. On top of the wall, Ilya waved her hand. [Foresight] calculated the distance. It had been a clean two-hundred-meter shot.

    ¡°We have to retreat!¡± Dassyra said.

    ¡°What about the orcs camping outside the walls?¡± I replied.

    The Ghoul grabbed the Undead Warrior¡¯s maul and charged against our formation. I cursed yet again as I didn¡¯t expect the creatures to have thumbs. The orcs braced themselves, my enchanted armor enduring the creature¡¯s assault. The defensive wall barely held, and their cleavers only scratched the Ghoul¡¯s skin. Realizing their attacks were in vain, the orcs tried to subdue the Ghoul by grappling it, but the beast was stronger. A dozen orcs were the bare minimum to keep a single Ghoul at bay. Dassyra had sixty warriors, so our hypothetical limit was five Ghouls.

    My thoughts might have called bad luck because more and more Ghouls emerged from the mist.

    The Greyfangs weren¡¯t much luckier than us, although their spells seemed more effective than regular weapons. They closed formation but didn¡¯t retreat inside.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to protect the outer camp,¡± I said, signaling Ilya to move through the wall to the north. The girl understood my message and disappeared behind the parapet.

    I jogged along the wall with Firana in tow while the Ghouls crossed the plains, chasing down the retreating orcs. I counted at least twenty beasts. The Lich might be sending their best troops, but like Wendigos, Ghouls could be felled. We abandoned the epicenter of the fight. The way orcs fought¡ªin clusters of warriors of the same tribe¡ªseemed to catch the attention of most Ghouls.

    An idea popped into my mind. The Ghouls were the perfect monster to test new strategies. They were sturdy enough for our old tactics to be useless, yet they weren¡¯t strong enough for the kids to be in real danger with me nearby. I scanned the battlefield. Most of the Ghouls were focusing on the Greyfangs.

    In the worst case scenario, I could slow down the monsters to give the kids a chance to flee.

    I hadn''t realized it earlier, but the outer camp might be our ticket to survival.

    ¡°Firana, I need you to get the others,¡± I said.

    ¡°Are we fighting?¡± She asked.

    ¡°We are going to try something different,¡± I replied.

    A moment later, Firana propelled herself to the top of Umolo¡¯s wall.

    The outer camp was in turmoil. Groups of poorly armed orc warriors tried to stop the undead soldiers and protect the non-combatants, but unlike the Teal Moon tribe, they weren¡¯t a cohesive unit. The orcs of the outer camps weren¡¯t a single tribe but dozens of small ones without clear leadership. I jumped in to help.

    I reached the southern side of the camp, where a single Ghoul was going on a rampage. I channeled mana into my sword until it turned blinding white. The Ghoul sensed my magic and jumped away, leaving the orcs alone. The improvised weapons had barely dented the monster¡¯s body, yet a dozen orcs lay dead around it.

    The Ghoul glanced at my mana blade. Unlike the other undead, the creature was intelligent. Its eyes showed a glint of malice before it turned and rushed into the camp. I cursed as I followed the trail of destruction.

    After a minute of chase, the Ghoul turned a corner and crashed against a makeshift barricade made of carts and pieces of wood. A few orcs had organized a defensive bottleneck, but their presence attracted the monsters. Without tribal warriors protecting the outskirts, low-level undead were seeping into the camp. The undead royal soldiers proved to be too much for the orcs. The System gave them a huge advantage, even with a few basic skills.

    I threw a mana sword at the Ghoul, but the spell shattered against its skin.

    The creature climbed the barricade, but Dassyra¡¯s warriors appeared out of nowhere and knocked it down. The Ghoul clawed and thrashed around, but the dozen orcs grappled it down. The respite lasted a moment because the Ghoul managed to push them away. The orcs weren¡¯t fighting but herding the monster away from the non-combatants.

    [Foresight] showed me the kill and I ran through the orc formation.

    ¡°Rob, for the love of the ancestors, wait!¡± Dassyra shouted behind me.

    The Ghoul turned and pounced, probably thinking I was the easiest target. Technically, I was. Time slowed down to a snail''s pace. The monster moved a millimeter each second. [Foresight] showed me the monster¡¯s trajectory. The window before the claws turned me into meat strips was only a few instants, but it was enough. Mana surged through my muscles. My sight blurred until only a tiny speck was clearly visible¡ªmy target. Every single trace of mental power went to a single movement.

    Time returned to its normal pace. The Ghoul extended its claws. I sidestepped and buried my sword in the creature¡¯s eye. The blade pierced through the skull into the brain. I let the sword go, and I was out, unharmed, like a matador.

    Then, I remembered I was supposed to breathe.

    Despite the damage, the Ghoul stumbled and clawed for a minute before falling dead. I expected some cheering, but the orcs around me were pale. Scared.

    ¡°That was¡­ impressive,¡± Dassyra said as I retrieved my sword. Then, she snapped from her surprise. ¡°Take the civilians and create a defensive perimeter around the wall.¡±

    I grabbed a piece of tent and enchanted a Light Rune on it. ¡°Use this as a beacon.¡±

    The gates of Umolo opened, and more Greyfangs poured into the plains.

    No other orc tribe decided to participate in the battle.

    ¡°Warchief Callaid is going to be so mad. The glory will be all for us,¡± Dassyra grinned, taking the shiny fabric from my hands and tucking it into a pole. Then, she turned to her warriors. ¡°Gather the non combatants! Create a defensive perimeter against Umolo¡¯s wall and kill the undead!¡±

    The orc squad worked like a hivemind and they started gathering the civilians. On the flip side, there were only sixty of Dassyra¡¯s warriors for the thousand orcs living in the outer camp. I hoped the beacon was enough to attract those away from earshot.

    ¡°You are a good man, Rob. You put the others first, just like Byrne Samuel,¡± Dassyra said.

    ¡°I¡¯m protecting the outer camp to get their favor before we get kicked out from Umolo.¡± I shrugged off her compliment. ¡°This is about survival.¡±

    Dassyra raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You speak like a true orc now.¡±

    Ilya¡¯s Spirit Animal¡ªthe little sparrow¡ªlanded on my head, and a moment later, the group of kids appeared through the tents. They were ready to fight, and Wolf even had the shotgun strapped to his chest. Before exchanging greetings, I lined them up and enchanted their clothes with the Reinforcement Rune. I wasn¡¯t expecting them to engage the Ghouls directly, but it was better to be prepared if things didn¡¯t go according to the plan.

    ¡°We will try a different way of fighting,¡± I said as the kids gathered around me. ¡°I want you to avoid engaging with the enemy.¡±

    ¡°How am I supposed to stab them then?¡± Firana asked.

    Zaon looked at me, curious. He had the same question. Sentinels and Fencers were frontline Classes, after all.

    ¡°You won¡¯t stab them. I want you to attract the monster¡¯s attention and give Ilya and Wolf a clear shot without engaging in close quarter combat.¡±

    The kids exchanged a surprised glance.

    ¡°I know we talked about changing our fighting style, but Firana is our strongest damage dealer. I don¡¯t think she should act as our support,¡± Ilya pointed out.

    ¡°We will use this strategy only against monsters like the Elven Chrysalimorph and the Lich. Against the small fry, you can fight as you normally do,¡± I explained, and the kids nodded. I expected a bit more resistance. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the center of the formation. If you ever feel you are in danger, use me as cover.¡±

    Ghoul howling came from the north side of the camp.

    ¡°I¡¯d like a few theory lessons first,¡± Zaon sighed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t engage. Flee if you feel threatened. Use Mister Clarke as cover. That¡¯s all the theory you need,¡± Ilya replied, grabbing her Cooldown Bow. ¡°You are literally an elf. You can use your twinkle toes and the enchanted boots to flee. We are prepared for this.¡±

    ¡°I guess we are,¡± Zaon replied, drawing his sword and rolling his shoulders.

    Something had changed in him since we entered the Farlands.

    ¡°Alright, team.¡± Ilya raised her voice. ¡°Mister Clarke had always been there for us since he arrived at the orphanage. Now, he has the tall quest of fixing the System. Let¡¯s show him he can count on us.¡±

    The kids cheered and we followed the Ghoul¡¯s howling.

 168 - Bind

    The gunshot drowned out the sounds of the battle. The slug shattered the Ghoul¡¯s mask, and blood trails fell through the cracks. Wolf kept the shotgun shouldered but pulled back at the last moment. The window had closed. A fireball hit the Ghoul¡¯s side, catching its attention. The creature looked around in confusion until its eyes met the Aias Sword. Just as the Ghoul charged toward Firana, Ilya¡¯s magic arrow struck its hind leg. The Ghoul roared in distress, dazed and thrashing the hazardously built tents of the outer camp.

    Near Umolo¡¯s gates, the Greyfangs fought against the bulk of the undead army. Spells crossed the sky as the orc elite unit decimated Ghouls and Undead Soldiers. The fact they were using System magic was an afterthought. [Foresight] poured all my focus on the fight in case I had to jump in, but the kids had the Ghoul locked in a vortex of attacks.

    Ilya put another arrow in the Ghoul¡¯s hind legs, but the creature charged at Firana. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, but Firana used her [Aerokinesis] to dodge. Zaon and Ilya pushed forward, trying to catch the monster¡¯s attention. The new formation worked better than I had expected. The kids fought in sync, keeping the Ghoul within their strike zones while avoiding engaging in close-quarters combat.

    No matter how strong the Ghoul was, it was harmless if it couldn¡¯t reach us.

    Ilya overcharged a magic arrow. The Ghoul¡¯s hind legs were turned into a pin cushion. The attack caught the creature¡¯s attention, but Hunter was a swift Class. Ilya sped through the camp¡¯s derelicts away from the Ghoul while Zaon and Firana poked it with their fire spells. The undead creature faltered and roared as more oil-like blood poured from the shotgun wound in its face.

    When she was at a safe distance, Ilya charged an arrow and shot, hitting the Ghoul¡¯s forehead.

    The strategy was effective, but it could be better if we used weapons tailored to the task.

    The Ghoul fell, but the kids maintained their distance.

    I channeled my mana to give it the final blow. The Ghoul clawed the air as I approached, like [Foresight] had warned me. I dodged the blow and buried my sword through the cracks of the bone facemask. The creature was dead.

    The area spell subsided, and the mist retreated to the forest like the wounded tentacles of a deep sea monster. The Greyfangs controlled the battle at the gates, and Dassyra¡¯s warriors patrolled the orc camp, searching for stray undead. It seemed the battle was nearly over. I looked at the Ghoul¡¯s body. Its pitch-black skin and bone mask were identical to a Wendigo. Such was the destiny of System users who lost to Corruption. A shudder ran down my shoulders as I pondered how close I had been to turning into a corrupted monster.

    Hallas and Pyrrah appeared from behind an orc tent. [Foresight] told me they had been observing the fight from a safe distance. I still had to see what the elven warriors were capable of.

    We gathered around the Ghoul.

    ¡°Is it dead?¡± Hallas asked.

    Ilya crossed her arms. ¡°Yes, and no thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°It seemed to me you had everything under control,¡± he replied.

    In their position, I would¡¯ve stayed hidden. Hallas and Pyrrah weren¡¯t System Users, so they must be below Zaon in terms of strength and agility. Still, they must have combat experience. Their task, after all, was to funnel experience towards their Gilded Warrior. Considering the quality of their weapons and armor, they weren¡¯t mere fodder.

    ¡°What kind of adult lets kids do the dirty work? You could¡¯ve at least helped,¡± Ilya said. She wasn¡¯t fond of the elves like she wasn¡¯t fond of me when I first arrived at the orphanage.

    Hallas sighed. ¡°Is she always like that, little brother?¡±

    Zaon examined Ilya¡¯s expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m not comfortable answering that question,¡± he said after a moment of meditation.

    Rookie mistake.

    Ilya punched Zaon¡¯s arm, and Hallas and Pyrrah seized the moment to escape.

    [Foresight] announced the battle was over.

    Dassyra¡¯s warriors set a defensive perimeter around the camp while the non-combatants cleared the destroyed tents. Many warriors were wounded; however, my enchanted armor had passed the trial by fire. The orcs who wore my armor were safe, although more exhausted than those who didn¡¯t. Dassyra and Little One had worked them to the bone.

    I felt the summary of the fight approaching.

    Undead Soldier slain.

    Undead Warrior slain.

    Undead Archer slain.

    Ghoul slain.

    Ghoul slain.

    Level up!

    Level up!

    New Skill acquired: [Mirage]

    I¡¯ve learned not to complain about the System boons, but two levels were too little for killing three undead soldiers and two Ghouls that were double my level. Were the Greyfangs leeching experience? I glanced over my shoulder. They were using System magic, after all.

    It wasn¡¯t my job to expose their practices, and most of all, I didn¡¯t want to shorten our stay at Umolo. I focused back on the prompt. Despite not seeming a very scholarly skill, [Mirage] was on Holst¡¯s character sheet during the royal feast. I used [Identify].

    Mirage: An improved version of [Minor Illusion] unlocked by those Scholars capable of controlling tremendous amounts of mana with utmost precision. Prestige Class requirement.

    Mirage was my third Prestige Class requirement. I massaged my temples, deep in thought. [Mana Mastery] and [Foresight] were also Prestige Class requirements, and both skills were utterly broken. I hoped [Mirage] was it too.

    I made a mental note to test the skill later.

    The orcs eyed the Ghoul¡¯s dead body with fearful expressions as they cleared the rubble. Despite the fact that an orc was walking around gathering the undead bodies with a handcart, nobody seemed willing to dispose of the Ghoul.

    ¡°What now?¡± Firana asked.

    Before I could answer, Dassyra appeared through the tents and approached us.

    Wolf excused himself and said he would tend the wounded warriors.

    ¡°Umolo Almighty¡­ you killed it. The first wasn¡¯t a fluke,¡± Dassyra said, surprised. Her face was covered in sweat, dirt, and blood. I guessed it wasn¡¯t hers.

    The kids exchanged proud glances.

    ¡°I¡¯d ask for fifty more armor pieces, but I guess you are exhausted,¡± Dassyra joked.

    I felt reasonably energetic despite fighting two Ghouls and several undead. The kids weren¡¯t in much worse shape. However, I wanted a moment to ourselves.

    ¡°It was a hard fight,¡± I said.

    Dassyra was understanding.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you escorted back to the tribe. We will clean up outside, and I will let them know it was your idea to protect the outer camp,¡± Dassyra said, vaguely pointing at the orcs around us.

    I thanked her.

    A minute later, Little One, with half a dozen warriors, guided us back to Umolo. We stopped first to collect the Ghoul corpses and hauled them inside. I asked what those were for, and Little One just grinned. We paraded the Ghoul corpses through the main road, with Little One occasionally stopping to remind the onlookers how everyone ran ¡®with their tails between their legs¡¯ except for Chieftain Dassyra from the Teal Moon tribe.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    The orcs were green with envy.

    The warriors from other tribes replied with obscene gestures, fueling Little One¡¯s contempt even further. [Master of Languages] archived several ¡®potentially obscene¡¯ words under the ¡®Orc Slang¡¯ tag. Little One stressed that a group of foreigners had defended Umolo, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel awkwardly conscious we were part of the parade along the Ghouls. Firana and Ilya, however, jumped into the victory wagon and greeted the crowd.

    After a while, we took a sharp left turn and headed to our camp.

    The orcs from the Teal Moon tribe gathered in the main square to see the trophy haul. Little One had been harsh with the other tribes. However, with the warriors of the other two Teal Moon war chiefs, he was straight abrasive. I thought Little One would start a fight, which was a bad idea. There were only six of Dassyra¡¯s warriors against a hundred. The situation de-escalated when Warchief Callaid emerged from his tent. He had no words when his eyes fell upon the Ghouls.

    Little One gave me the biggest shit-eating grin.

    Warchief Callaid let out a grunt and returned to his tent. At this point, I wasn¡¯t sure if Dassyra was cultivating her fame or just making enemies. Finally, Little One gathered his men and turned around, leaving us with the Ghouls in the middle of the square.

    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going to happen with these?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You killed them. They are yours,¡± Little One replied, getting lost among the curious crowd.

    I massaged my shoulders. Three orcs were required to drag a single Ghoul. There was no way I could dispose of them in an expeditious manner. I looked at the kids. They shrugged their shoulders.

    ¡°May I recommend a solution, Handy Assistant?¡± The old orc that worked in the bathhouse emerged from the crowd. ¡°Our leather workers might be able to craft armor with the hide of these beasts. The leather from two Ghouls might be enough for you little people.¡±

    I grinned. Conventional weapons could barely scratch the Ghoul¡¯s skin. They would make great armor. Orc workers, however, wouldn¡¯t be able to cut the leather. Unless I helped them, the corpses would be worthless.

    ¡°That would be nice, sir,¡± I said.

    The old orc whistled, and a small army of craftsmen dragged the Ghoul carcasses into a big tent that served as a workshop. We followed. I expected to have to haggle the price, but the old orc said that Dassyra¡¯s guests needed armor, and the leather workers jumped head-on to the task, no questions asked. They didn¡¯t request a portion of the materials or any payment.

    As expected, their tools made no dent in the Ghoul¡¯s skin. For the next few hours, I was used as a living knife while Ilya acted as a punching machine. Her [Mana Arrow] was enough to pierce small holes in the hide.

    The leather workers took our measurements and kidnapped a young orc, about the size of Wolf, to measure his piece of armor. The young orc was stitching a shirt when the craftsmen appeared out of nowhere and dragged him into the workshop. He seemed to accept his fate and was released¡ªalmost kicked out¡ªafter the measurements were taken. Ilya couldn¡¯t stop laughing.

    When it was time to cure the leather, a Shaman entered the workshop, and we were expelled.

    ¡°I guess they don¡¯t want to share their crafting secrets,¡± Zaon said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m starving.¡± Firana nodded.

    We returned to our tent. Wolf was already there, waiting for us. He fed the embers of the fire pit and put the cauldron with the leftovers of Pyrra¡¯s soup on top of the flame. I made sure no frog legs were floating in the food.

    ¡°How did things go, Wolf?¡± I asked.

    Despite the fact our combat was clean, triage work put a different weight on the medic¡¯s shoulders. Wolf seemed in a good mood, but he was very good at hiding his feelings.

    ¡°Our warriors didn¡¯t suffer any lasting wounds. They reject the System but aren¡¯t against receiving medical care.¡± Wolf grinned. He summoned a System prompt and showed us his last title. [Field Medic]. ¡°There were a lot of wounded among the orcs of the outer camp. I stabilized as many wounds as possible, but their Shamans are doing the bulk of the work.¡±

    The idea of sharing my Holone Grapes with the wounded orcs had never crossed my mind, but I had found myself having selfish thoughts recently. My enchantments could save hundreds of lives, yet I was reluctant to share them with strangers. Even the idea of helping the outer camp was born from our need to find a safe place after we were booted from Umolo.

    I wondered if I was changing or if I was like that from the beginning.

    Wolf put two bowls aside for the elves and told us how embarrassed he felt when Dassyra recognized his efforts in front of the warriors. It was good to hear Wolf was starting to warm up to Dassyra. We ate and laughed, forgetting about the undead and Ghouls. The soup was starchy and hearty, and even if it was way duller than Little One¡¯s soup, it filled my stomach with a few spoonfuls. Having a warm meal and a roof over my head felt great.

    The sun fell behind the mountains, and the kids wore orc pajamas. None were the correct size, which sparked another round of laughter. Ilya could fit another four gnomes inside her pajamas.

    When we settled, Firana and Zaon prepared tea.

    ¡°What are your thoughts about the fight, Ilya?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We need different weapons. The enchanted swords would run out of magic without a monster to stab, and the shotgun has only a handful of shells,¡± she replied.

    Zaon put the mugs of steaming tea and asked. ¡°Should we learn how to use slings?¡±

    I shook my head. Even an enchanted sling had its downsides. It required wind up to shoot and a fair amount of space to use effectively. We needed something that could be used on the run or with minimal delay. And above all, something that couldn¡¯t be used against us.

    ¡°What would happen if I grab the Aias Sword?¡± I asked.

    Firana peeked over Zaon¡¯s shoulder. She was focused on making braids with his hair. They weren¡¯t turning out very well.

    ¡°If I grab the Aias Sword, what would happen?¡± I asked again.

    She pondered for a moment. ¡°You¡¯ll burn your hand. It¡¯s much like touching hot metal. If you try to use it, your entire body will burn. Or so I¡¯ve heard. I¡¯ve never seen it with my own eyes, but I¡¯ve seen people getting scalded.¡±

    Then, Firana told us how her father used to leave the Aias Sword around the old Aias Manor for unsuspecting guards to burn their hands. She said it was to create consciousness about the dangers of the weapon, but I wasn¡¯t so sure about it. Ilya also believed that Garel Aias just liked to mess with his mercenaries. Maybe Firana had inherited more from her father than she wanted to admit.

    Despite the turn in the conversation, Firana¡¯s spirits stayed high.

    ¡°The Bind rune seems to turn the enchantment against undesired users,¡± I pointed out, wondering if that was the raw effect of the rune or if there was more enchantment to it. Maybe the sword¡¯s history would have relevant information. ¡°How did your family get the Aias sword?¡±

    ¡°I know that one!¡± Firana jumped, pulling Zaon¡¯s hair.

    She closed her eyes tightly, trying to remember. Her eyebrows almost touched. Nobody seemed surprised Firana couldn¡¯t recall something so fundamental about her family history.

    ¡°The Aias Sword was a gift of the royal family! It was created by dwarven blacksmiths and the scales of a dragon or something like that¡­ or it was the heart? Maybe it wasn¡¯t a dragon but a wyvern. A red one, probably.¡± She scratched her chin.

    Ilya slapped her face and took the floor.

    ¡°The Aias Sword was made from the scales of the Deep Magma Worm that attacked the royal capital about a century ago and given to Oudin Aias as a reward for protecting the kingdom. Legend says the sword was quenched in his blood so nobody else could wield it. Everyone knows that. Literally,¡± Ilya said with an exasperated tone. ¡°That was the beginning of the Aias Mercenaries, Firana! You should know that!¡±

    ¡°Hey! A wyvern is basically the same as a scaled worm,¡± Firana replied. ¡°And I¡¯m sure it was Boudin Aias, not Oudin Aias.¡±

    ¡°It was Oudin. Boudin isn¡¯t even a name,¡± Ilya sighed, increasingly angry.

    ¡°Nah. It was Boudin.¡±

    ¡°It was Oudin.¡±

    ¡°Boudin.¡±

    ¡°OUDIN!¡±

    The girl''s fight faded into the background. The Aias sword might have been crafted by dwarves using the scales of a Deep Lava Worm, but I was sure its powers came from an enchantment, not from the materials used. Just like the scales, the blood quenching might be a narrative resource.

    I¡¯d be damned if the Bind rune didn¡¯t require blood to detect their rightful user.

    ¡°Blood. Not very imaginative, my friend,¡± I sighed.

    ¡°Who isn¡¯t very imaginative?!¡± Ilya snapped back at me.

    Firana had triggered her good.

    ¡°The creator of the System,¡± I replied, looking for something sharp. My sword had seen better days, and its edge was all jagged. After a quick [Foresight]-assisted search, I found a set of knives hanging from the wall.

    ¡°The creator of the System¡­ you mean the Man-in-yellow?¡± Ilya asked.

    The kids joined heads as if we were talking about arcane secrets.

    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that. The Man-in-yellow is just some ordinary dude who was very good with runes,¡± I pointed out.

    Ilya rubbed her temples. ¡°He created the System! He¡¯s not some ordinary dude! He¡¯s possibly the most important human in history!¡±

    ¡°He did look ordinary, though. A bit too chubby and with a small, thin mustache,¡± Firana pointed out.

    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t,¡± Ilya replied.

    ¡°Firana is right. He was a bit¡­ underwhelming,¡± Wolf said.

    The kids got into another fight, but [Foresight] blocked out the sound. I summoned the Rune Debugger and focused on my spoon. I wrote a simple Light-User-Instantaneous-Recharge circuit. It would allow the spoon to shine when activated, and more importantly, it wouldn¡¯t blind anyone. I attempted to place the Bind rune in several positions, but the Rune Debugger only turned green when I put it in the first position.

    I channeled my mana and engraved the runes on the spoon. However, upon completion, the circuit didn¡¯t ¡®close¡¯. Usually, the circuit pushed me away as soon as I finished with the runes. I figured Bind wanted blood. I pricked my forearm¡ªI didn¡¯t feel like stabbing my fingers or the palm of my hand¡ªand a drop of blood fell on the spoon, leaving a dark crimson mark. I wondered how much blood it would require. Oudin Aias allegedly had to quench the whole sword in blood.

    The circuit suddenly closed.

    The kids watched in silence as blood dropped on the spoon.

    ¡°I swear there is a good explanation for this,¡± I said as the next drop fell.

 169 - The sign of a madman

    Ilya and I sat outside the tent, sipping tea from our enchanted mugs. Besides fighting the occasional wave of undead, there wasn¡¯t much to do in Umolo, so I focused on enchanting. Carved in the mug''s base was a Fire enchantment. With a little bit of mana, we could warm up the contents without the need to start a fire. There was a difference between the things I could enchant and those I should. At full power, I could make a Fire rune to boil water, but it wouldn¡¯t be safe to touch, and wood wasn¡¯t the safest material for engraving fire runes. However, as long as I kept the Mana Threshold¡ªthe enchantment power¡ªbelow 50, Fire runes were harmless.

    There was more to power graduation than I initially thought. The enchantment behavior drastically changed according to the Mana Threshold used. The Fire rune, at its maximum power, 300 Mana Threshold, released a basketball-size fireball or a slightly smaller fire vortex. At 100 Mana Threshold, the Fire rune could turn metal or stone into a cooking surface. At the 50 Mana Threshold mark, it could make warm clothing.

    I could ¡®underpower¡¯ enchantments before getting [Rune Identification]¡ªI enchanted my Warm Stones hot enough not to burn down the forest¡ªbut having a visible numerical value made the process easier to follow and reproduce. It helped, especially when I wanted to keep the enchantment below an item¡¯s Enchantment Threshold.

    The daggers we had scavenged from the Sentinel¡¯s watchtower had an Enchantment Threshold of 600. Although finely crafted, the daggers couldn¡¯t fit a Vampiric-Fire enchantment without degrading over time. I had considered turning the kid¡¯s weapons into Leechflame Swords, but that worked against our new fighting style.

    ¡°Vampiric arrows or blowgun darts seem to be the best options,¡± Ilya said out of nowhere.

    I couldn''t stop thinking about the problem either.

    It was the fourth day since our arrival at Umolo, and my attempts to make an anti-Chrysalimorph weapon had fallen short. Luckily, no Chrysalimorphs had attacked Umolo, but it was only a matter of time. The longer the Monster Surge went on, the more bodies the Forest Warden could turn.

    ¡°Maybe we should settle for Vampiric Arrowheads and distribute them among Pyrrah, Hallas, and you,¡± I said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust them,¡± Ilya grunted.

    The matter of the Forest Warden Seed had come up again, and the elves swore they wouldn¡¯t use it for nefarious purposes, but that was all we had¡ªa promise. I suspected the Seed was related to the Holone Grapes and the secret methods elves used to exploit magic. Ilya thought the same. We couldn¡¯t tell how they¡¯d act after obtaining the Seed, and Vampiric Arrowheads were the quintessential mage-killer weapons. We couldn¡¯t risk them turning them against us.

    We could technically bind the arrowheads to prevent Hallas and Pyrrah from using them, but that raised another set of problems. For starters, orc arrowheads didn¡¯t have an exceptionally high Enchantment Threshold, so wasting space in a Bind enchantment would weaken the Vampiric effect.

    Ilya channeled mana into her cup, and the tea inside steamed again.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to get everyone else¡¯s bow skills up to par, the blowgun¡¯s range is laughable, and we don¡¯t have access to your so-called rubber,¡± she said.

    A slingshot would¡¯ve been nice, but I had no idea how to make vulcanized rubber.

    ¡°It seems we are in Ginz¡¯s hands,¡± I said.

    ¡°Not a thing I wanted to hear early in the morning,¡± Ilya replied, sipping her tea. ¡°I might have forgiven him, but that doesn¡¯t erase the fact he left us after Risha and Astrid disappeared.¡±

    Distrustful as ever.

    ¡°I wonder if I¡¯m also listed in Ilya¡¯s Huge Book of Grudges,¡± I jokingly said.

    ¡°You have been shattering my childhood dreams lately, but you are in the clear for now,¡± Ilya replied. ¡°Do you think Ginz could make us guns?¡±

    ¡°I hope so.¡±

    The conversation died, and we sipped the tea in silence. Now that I had access to the Bind rune, I was ready to create more dangerous weapons. Suddenly, a loud crash came from inside the tent. Ilya and I jumped to our feet and rushed inside. Wolf was lying on the floor with a wooden bucket on his head. He grunted and rubbed his lower back.

    Firana laughed on the floor, curled into a ball.

    ¡°It came loose,¡± Zaon announced.

    Bind¡¯s effect also varied wildly depending on the Mana Threshold. At maximum power, the rune served to identify its rightful user. However, from 1 to 99 Mana Threshold, the rune just ¡®glued¡¯ items, almost like a magnet. Wolf applied [Regeneration] on his back. A 99 Mana Threshold Bind enchantment could support Wolf¡¯s weight for a few minutes before failing. In practical terms, I had discovered magical superglue. I would wait for Ginz¡¯s input before deciding how practical the binding effect would be for crafting.

    ¡°Swinging was a bad idea,¡± Zaon said.

    ¡°I was limit-testing,¡± Wolf replied.

    I couldn¡¯t decide if the Rune¡¯s variant effects were genius or just spaghetti code in action, but one thing was for sure: I had a blast enchanting stuff for the kids. Firana wanted instant-drying socks, so I combined the Wind with a low-power Fire rune. The enchantment worked most of the time, leaving the socks nice and warm in a few seconds.

    I tried to activate the Fire and Wind runes separately so that the enchanted socks would double as warm and instant-drying socks, but it was one way or the other. While I tried to devise a convenient power source for the socks, I discovered I could combine the Absorption and Recharge runes. Absorption gathered environmental mana and stored it inside the Recharge rune. Still, the process was so slow that a standalone Recharge rune was a better pick for most mana-intensive enchantments. Absorption-Recharge worked well with the instant-drying socks because it was an enchantment needed once or twice a day.

    I wasn¡¯t making progress with everything, though. Ilya¡¯s Cooldown Bow hadn¡¯t revealed any new runes. The runes it used had to be too high of a level for me. The lack of an elemental rune in the Cooldown Bow caught my attention. It wasn¡¯t the wind that propelled the arrow forward, but it seemed like the bow drew kinetic energy from somewhere.

    It didn¡¯t take an expert to realize the potential of such a rune.

    On the bright side, the Twin Rings had revealed something interesting.

    Force. Elemental Rune. Rank I. [Rune Identification]: This rune represents the primal magic energy. Affinities: Bone, Iron, Silver. Mana Threshold: 1500.

    Guide. Effect Rune. Rank I. [Rune Identification]: This rune represents the essence of insight and direction. Affinities: Tin, Gold, Paper. Mana Threshold: 100.

    Link. Effect Rune. Rank I. [Rune Identification]: Copper, Pewter, Wood. This rune represents the unseen connection between faraway entities. Affinities: Mana Threshold: 100.

    The Force rune ignited my interest, but I only dared to use it in its weakened form. It was similar to the Wind rune, although its range was shorter and the blow much stronger. After some experimentation, I concluded it had the same effect as wrapping a blunt weapon, or even my fists, in mana.

    The Link rune allowed me to entangle the effects of an enchantment across two objects; however, the strength of the enchantment seemed to be capped. So far, my most powerful invention was the Linked Mugs. It required four times as much mana as two self-heating mugs and couldn¡¯t be activated separately, so it was far from efficient. But it worked.

    The Guide rune was the most underwhelming of the set. When used in a circuit with Link and an elemental rune, it pointed towards its ¡®twin¡¯ using the elemental rune as the signal. I thought of enchanting a complex communication device, but all my attempts had failed so far.

    ¡°Stop fooling around and eat your breakfast. I want everyone ready if monsters attack,¡± I said, turning around and exiting the tent.

    Several wooden bowls had appeared on a workbench by the side of the tent.

    ¡°They did it again,¡± Ilya said, standing beside me.

    Since the day after the first Ghoul attack, orcs have given us gifts and offerings. They¡¯d leave wooden bowls with spices, flowers, charms, and small carved animals outside the tent. All of our needs were already covered. However, the offerings had little to do with basic sustenance.

    ¡°They call Wolf the Thunder Warrior,¡± Ilya said.

    Wolf had become the de facto shotgun user since we arrived at Umolo. He had shot it only a few times, but the sound was impossible to conceal, even on the battlefield. Orcs were keener than I initially credited them for, and the stories of the ¡®thunder weapon¡¯ spread like wildfire.Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Wolf has become quite the celebrity,¡± I said.

    A System user who fought without using skills was a strange sight.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure some of these are for you,¡± Ilya said, grabbing a bowl of spice and bringing it near her nose. She sneezed. The sound was cute, like a tiny mouse, but I didn''t mention it.

    Although orcs didn¡¯t have inner commerce¡ªthey just shared their stuff to optimize the group''s survival¡ªthey still showed gratitude with gifts.

    My enchanted armor had emboldened Dassyra¡¯s warriors. Warchief Callaid and the other chieftains weren¡¯t pleased with Dassyra¡¯s daily haul of trophies. However, they were wise enough to keep their warriors within Umolo walls when undead System-users appeared. Orcs were too pragmatic to risk their lives in a losing fight, and no amount of competition would get them to make a rash decision. Survival always came first.

    Ilya examined the offerings, stalling her stay outside the tent.

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The Greyfangs seem to be interested in Wolf,¡± she said, handing me a bowl with the tusk sigil of the Umolo elite warriors.

    We all had noticed, but they hadn¡¯t tried to contact him yet. I grabbed the bowl and examined its contents. It was cinnamon. I wonder if it had a special meaning in orc culture or was just a fragrant ingredient for infusions.

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust them,¡± Ilya said, lowering her voice. ¡°They are using elemental skills, and nobody seems to bat an eye. I thought orcs hated the System.¡±

    ¡°Dassyra says those are temporary Shaman blessings, but I¡¯m not convinced either. System magic is different from natural magic,¡± I whispered, and Ilya gave me a curious look. ¡°The System is, in essence, a middleman between the Fountain and the users. Raw Fountain mana is harmful in huge quantities, so we can naturally manage small amounts only.¡±

    I pulled a strand of pure white Fountain mana and turned it into a small knife.

    Ilya nodded in silence, absorbing the knowledge.

    ¡°The System refines raw Fountain, allowing us to use pre-recorded skills that otherwise we couldn¡¯t summon, like your [Mana Arrow] or Zaon¡¯s [Steadfast Shield],¡± I explained.

    This time, I pulled a blue strand from my mana pool and shaped it into a comb.

    ¡°The mana the Greyfangs use is System processed mana, without a doubt.¡±

    Ilya put the cinnamon bowl back on the workbench and channeled her mana into a bright blue arrow. [Mana Arrow]. Then, she tried to do the same using [Mana Manipulation]. The outcome was almost the same. However, after a couple of meters, the [Mana Manipulation] arrow dissolved into nothing.

    ¡°The Man-in-yellow must¡¯ve been really smart to come up with all the skills by himself then,¡± Ilya said, rekindling the discussion of a few nights before. She was determined to defend the System creator¡¯s honor.

    ¡°The Man-in-yellow cribbed a lot. Hunter, Warrior, Knight, and Healer are archetypes back home. I guess Zealot is kind of novel. He might have wanted to avoid the most common religion-related archetypes.¡± I could almost pinpoint the games and books he used as inspiration.

    Ilya sighed. ¡°This is so lame. I preferred when the System was a thing of myth and legend. Classes and Skills used to look so cool. So mysterious.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. I was also disappointed when I realized Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and Narnia weren¡¯t real. Sometimes, I wished to have inherited my mother¡¯s faith in religion, but unfortunately, I was born a cynic like my father.

    ¡°This world still has a bigger secret than the System,¡± I said. ¡°Beyond the boundaries of our mana pools is the Fountain¡ªa magical presence with the strength of a thousand suns. That¡¯s the true source of magic, and I can¡¯t even start guessing why it exists or how living beings can draw energy from it. Something like magic, like the Fountain, shouldn¡¯t exist. It¡¯s a bit scary if you think about it.¡±

    Ilya looked at me straight in the eye and groaned.

    ¡°I should be less grumpy.¡±

    I couldn''t understand why she had reached that conclusion.

    ¡°You make everyone feel nice with a few words, and I can¡¯t say I have the same effect on people, so maybe I should try to be less grumpy,¡± Ilya said, somewhat embarrassed. She hid behind her mug, sipping the leftovers of the tea.

    Her words caught me by surprise.

    ¡°Well, Ilya, you are like an onion. You have several layers, which is more than you can say about many people. To reach your charming side, they must suffer the irritating and quarrelsome layers first,¡± I jokingly said.

    Ilya choked on her tea, but before she could reply, an orc warrior approached us.

    ¡°Chieftain Dassyra wishes to see you,¡± he said, and without even waiting for an answer, he left.

    I grinned. It was the fourth day of our stay at Umolo, which meant my delivery was due. ¡°Want to tag along, Miss Onion?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You are asking for a whole chapter in my Huge Book of Grudges, Robert Clarke,¡± she laughed. ¡°And yes, I want to tag along.¡±

    ____________

    Ilya strolled to catch up to my pace. Life at the Teal Moon tribe camp was strangely peaceful. Orcs plowed the plots between tents while others repaired tools and weaved summer clothes. They were too pragmatic to be worried. The sight was almost idyllic, and it would be if waves of undead hadn¡¯t attacked the walls every day.

    Dozens of orc scouts went in and out of Umolo daily, and the chieftains believed the Monster Surge was receding. I wasn¡¯t so sure that was the case. However, my warnings didn¡¯t seem to worry Dassyra. I blamed the effectiveness of my enchanted armor. The silver lining was that Dassyra¡¯s people were preparing for an extended stay at Umolo, although I couldn¡¯t say if my assessment had influenced her decision.

    We crossed the main square, and Dassyra¡¯s guards moved aside.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I called out, but there was no one inside.

    In the middle of the tent was a big burlap sack. Suddenly, Ginz¡¯s head emerged from the hole, looking around in confusion. The whole kidnapping thing had been a cover-up, but I was starting to think orcs missed the idea. Ginz¡¯s eyes shot open as he saw me. He wasn¡¯t happy.

    ¡°Tell me I¡¯m dead. Please, for the love of everything that¡¯s good, tell me I¡¯m dead,¡± the Craftsman said, defeated.

    My hopes for a heartwarming reunion crashed down.

    ¡°You are very much alive, and you still have lots of work to do before dying,¡± I grinned, loosening the burlap sack.

    Ginz refused to come out, his face red in anger. ¡°I hate you so much, Robert Clarke. Do you know how scared I was when two orcs appeared out of nowhere in my workshop? They put me inside a sack, Rob! A burlap sack! Risha even gagged me first!¡±

    ¡°How is Elincia?¡± I asked, ignoring Ginz¡¯s tantrum.

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s great. She¡¯s already over you. She found a better-looking Scribe and got married a week ago. An upgrade, if you ask me. In fact, nobody misses you, and the whole orphanage is in a better place without your shenanigans,¡± Ginz growled. His eyes trailed over my shoulder. ¡°Oh. Hi, Ilya.¡±

    ¡°Hi, Ginz,¡± she replied, more amused than anything.

    Knowing everyone was doing well back at home took a weight off my shoulders.

    ¡°Ok, Ginz, things go as follows. I¡¯ve pissed off a powerful undead magician, and now he and his army of high-level monsters are after me. We need weapons, and we have ten days until we get kicked out of the orc¡¯s city,¡± I said.

    Ginz pulled the burlap sack over his head and curled into a ball.

    ¡°Should I?¡± Ilya asked.

    I nodded.

    She grabbed the sack from the bottom and, planting her feet firmly on the floor, tugged it with all her strength. Despite Hunter¡¯s relatively low strength growth, Ilya was far from the flimsy gnome I met months ago. The sack flew, and Ginz fell with a thud, still curled into a ball. He wasn¡¯t done with his rant.

    ¡°How could you do this to me? There is a Monster Surge outside, and I¡¯m crafting class! I will die here just when the royals start noticing my creations. My fame! I want my life back!¡±

    I ignored Ginz¡¯s grievances and looked at the orcs¡¯ backpacks. The metal glinted like solid gold as soon as I opened them. I counted at least seven barrels. I reached and pulled one out. It was cold and smooth, a little heavier than I expected. And it was our ticket back to Farcrest.

    ¡°You have outdone yourself,¡± I said, genuinely surprised.

    Ginz got on his feet and stretched his back.

    ¡°Each one of us dealt with your disappearance the best we could,¡± he replied, dragging a table to the center of the room next to the firepit and arranging his materials.

    I felt guilty about leaving the orphanage in the dark.

    ¡°What happened that day? Are the other kids safe?¡± Ginz asked.

    ¡°We are doing good,¡± I replied but Ilya interrupted me.

    ¡°Rob almost died. Twice. He doesn¡¯t listen to me when I tell him he has to be careful!¡±

    Ginz let out a long sigh.

    ¡°Bad weeds are notoriously hard to kill,¡± he said. ¡°I want to know everything.¡±

    Ilya caught Ginz up to date as we sorted through the backpack. [Foresight] alerted me of a crumpled piece of paper beside the table leg. It must¡¯ve fallen from the backpack, so I knelt to retrieve it. I smoothed it out just to find a message written with almost illegible handwriting. You shouldn¡¯t have taken off the ring. Elincia is going to kill you¨C-R. I smiled. Risha must¡¯ve recognized the orcs who kidnapped Ginz. They must have been relatives. I wondered how much the orcs explained to get Risha on board. At this point, Janus¡¯ suspicions must¡¯ve worn off, or so I hoped.

    I grabbed the enchanted ring from my pocket and examined it, wondering if I should put it back on.

    ¡°Hey, blockhead, I¡¯m talking to you,¡± Ginz said.

    I jumped up, startled, and hit my head against the table.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Sulfur, fire beetle glands, powdered slime core, powdered flare crystals, dragonfire fruit oil. I need all of those things to produce ammunition. And paper. And primers. And slugs, if you want slugs,¡± Ginz said, his professional attitude back.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting better at enchanting. I was hoping to use magic instead of explosives this time around,¡± I replied.

    Ginz rubbed his temples. ¡°Barbaric. I can¡¯t believe you want to turn my babies into magical abominations. Where is the elegance? The grace? The all-natural explosions?¡±

    ¡°Come on, Ginz. We are trying to save the world here,¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°Right. What is the plan?¡± He asked.

    I channeled mana and used [Mirage]. A simple rifle floated before our eyes, but I wasn¡¯t expecting that level of definition. I could even see the sun''s reflection on the barrel and the direction of the grain in the wood. Ilya reached at the illusion, and for an instant, I thought she would pick it up. Her fingers, however, clipped through it.

    ¡°We need a design that is as simple as possible¡ªbody, chamber, and barrel. The firing mechanism will be operated with Runes,¡± I said as the illusion shifted to an exploded-view.

    ¡°Man, I love this,¡± Ginz said, his eyes shining with greed.

 170 - MDBC

    Ginz¡¯s fingers gleamed with mana. The iron ingot in his hands heated until it became soft like putty. He tore off a small portion of metal and molded it into a short cylinder. Then, he squashed it and started again. Three times, Ginz kneaded the iron until he was satisfied with the result. He summoned a mana caliper out of thin air and measured the base diameter before working the tip. Ginz¡¯s eyes were lost in space as if he were looking at an invisible System prompt, and he grinned. Finally, he doodled a rough sketch on one of the few pieces of paper.

    Ilya and I leaned over the table, but it was hard to make sense of the drawing.

    Ammunition. [Identify] A projectile made of iron. Enchantment threshold: 200.

    The enchantment threshold of the bullet was too small to accommodate a Vampiric rune, even with the iron affinity.

    ¡°Ginz?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Cooking,¡± he replied.

    Ginz grabbed a Ghoul bone the orc craftsmen had prepared. He measured with his mana caliper and cut a piece with a tiny mana scalpel. ¡°It has a high toughness rating, but I doubt it will survive a shot. I could build a crumpling metal case to prevent the bone from shattering, but it will take time.

    If the bone shattered, the Vampiric enchantment could misfire and render it useless.

    I shook my head. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to spare. Penetration power isn¡¯t our goal. We can reduce the bullet speed as much as necessary to preserve the enchantment,¡± I replied. ¡°I can even add a Reinforcement spell if necessary.¡±

    Too many variables were at play: enchantment threshold, material resistance, bullet speed, material availability, and production speed.

    ¡°Dude, I understood the assignment. Now let me cook,¡± Ginz said. ¡°The Ghoul bone is our limiting agent. We can only produce bullets of a certain size. The iron tip should improve ballistics, and we can add a cap at the bottom so the force is applied evenly. That should help prevent unwanted explosions.¡±

    For the next hour, we worked on a testing bench.

    I devised a Force-User-Direction string for the ¡®trigger¡¯. I guessed that if I optimized the direction of the force, the enchantment would need to be less powerful. I enchanted a circular metal cap and used Bind to stick it to the test barrel. It wasn¡¯t clear what would happen if Ginz welded an enchanted trigger to an unenchanted barrel. Malfunctioning enchantments were prone to explosion, so I chose the safest way.

    While I worked on the enchantment, Ginz prepared the prototype bullets.

    ¡°Before you two shoot anything, let¡¯s ensure nobody will be harmed,¡± Ilya said.

    I exchanged glances with Ginz and knew neither of us had considered safety.

    ¡°I¡¯ll enchant the tent¡¯s wall,¡± I said.

    ¡°We should aim up, so in the worst case, the bullet would end outside the city,¡± Ginz added, promptly changing the configuration of the table.

    Ilya massaged her temples.

    After a while, we had everything ready. The barrel¡¯s trigger-cap had a Force-User-Direction string fueled by a Recharge-Instantaneous power source. I toned down the Force rune to a 300 Mana Threshold out of 1500 just to be sure nothing would explode. Theoretically, the ¡®explosion¡¯ wouldn¡¯t exert perpendicular force on the barrel, but the theory usually failed to describe real-life events with a hundred percent accuracy. I doubted there was much theory behind runeweaving, for starters.

    Ginz¡¯s bullet was a cylindric section of bone around three centimeters long with a diameter of about half a centimeter. A metal cap seamlessly merged into the bottom of the bullet. He hadn¡¯t yet added the ballistic cap. It was heavier than I expected.

    Ghoul Bone Ammunition. [Identify] A projectile made of the bones of a Ghoul. Enchantment threshold: 300.

    The Enchantment threshold was surprisingly high for such a small piece, but the bullet would be useless if the trigger enchantment didn¡¯t work.

    We strapped the barrel onto the testing table. In front of the muzzle, we settled a layered safety net: my mana barrier, my shirt, Ginz¡¯s shirt, an old rug, and the tent¡¯s wall¡ªevery layer enchanted with the Reinforce rune. Ginz loaded the bullet from the front and pushed it down with a stick, and we hid behind a second mana barrier on the off chance the bone bullet ricocheted.

    Everything was ready.

    ¡°Does your Reinforcement spell work?¡± Ginz asked.

    ¡°Activate the trigger enchantment,¡± I replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust your enchantments. You do it.¡±

    Ilya hid behind Ginz.

    I approached the barrel and channeled my mana into the circuit. I fed [Foresight] as much mana as I could. Time slowed down around me. Then, with a mere thought, I activated the trigger enchantment. A burst of blue sparks emerged from the muzzle, and an instant later, the bullet broke my mana shield, hit Ginz¡¯s enchanted shirt, and fell to the tent¡¯s floor.

    Nothing exploded. In fact, the shot was surprisingly silent, which made sense considering the lack of gunpowder.

    ¡°The bone is sturdier than I thought. It didn¡¯t completely shatter,¡± Ginz said as he picked the bullet up from the floor.

    A few fault lines crossed the bone, and I wondered if that would be enough for the Vampiric enchantment to misfire and explode. In the worst case, I could decrease the Force rune strength. With the lack of rifling, I expected our combat range to be at most a hundred meters. However, the lack of accuracy wasn¡¯t the only factor. More distance would mean we would lose the ability to communicate. The weapon had to be reliable within a hundred meters. Everything else would be overkill.

    ¡°The bullet might require a Reinforcement rune, but that would deduct enchantment threshold I¡¯d otherwise use for the Vampiric rune,¡± I said.

    Ginz and Ilya nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Does the Vampiric rune even work if the bullet doesn¡¯t stick? The Aias Sword and the Leechflame Sword have to stab a monster to drain their mana,¡± Ilya pointed out.

    ¡°We should test that,¡± I said, working towards the testing area.

    ¡°We will not shoot you,¡± Ilya interrupted me.

    ¡°We won¡¯t?¡± Ginz interjected.

    I laughed. I wasn¡¯t eager to get shot with an experimental weapon, but I was willing to take one for the team. Still shirtless, I went outside and dug in the ground until I found a suitable pebble. Then, I enchanted a Vampiric-Recharge-User-Instantaneous string. I kept the Vampiric rune at a low mana threshold, as I didn¡¯t want to lose all my mana in a single test.

    Back inside the tent, I gave Ilya the enchanted pebble.

    ¡°Activate the enchantment and hit me,¡± I said. Similarly to the bullet, the pebble would be in contact with me for an instant before falling to the ground.

    Ilya smirked. I had forgotten that ten levels had doubled her strength. The pebble hit me in the chest, making me recoil. Before even feeling pain, a shiver ran down my spine as the enchantment drained mana from my body. The sensation was unpleasant, but [Foresight] caught the enchantment in slow motion. The pebble had continued draining from my mana pool even after the pebble bounced.

    I rubbed my chest.

    ¡°Was it necessary to use so much force?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That was for almost dying against the Chrysalimorph,¡± Ilya replied with a fiendish grin. ¡°Also, the faster the throw, the shorter the contact. Probably. It was for science.¡±

    Ginz nodded approvingly.

    ¡°We might as well do a set of ten¡ªno, a hundred throws! Otherwise, the sample would be too small,¡± he said.

    Ilya recovered the pebble and charged it with mana. The tent''s curtain door opened before she could throw it, and Dassyra appeared in the doorway. She was covered in blood, and there was a deep gash in her armor, but she was unharmed. It wasn¡¯t her blood. Considering the lack of alarm, the monster incursion must¡¯ve been mild. Her eyes glazed our testing bench in confusion. Ginz and I were still shirtless. That didn¡¯t hinder Ginz¡¯s charismatic merchant persona.

    ¡°You must be Chieftain Dassyra. Pleased to meet you. I¡¯m Ginz the Craftsman, at your service,¡± he said with a well-practiced bow. ¡°No wonder why our Wolfie has a really strong arm.¡±

    Dassyra smiled and bowed back.

    Was Ginz flirting with her? She checked all the boxes for the craftsman¡ªtall, strong, mature. I expected him to go on an angry rant about the legality of kidnapping people. Instead, he guided Dassyra to the testing table and explained our work in his best door-to-door salesman voice.

    Ilya made a gagging gesture.

    Ginz was totally the kind of teacher who flirted with students¡¯ moms.

    ¡°How much would it cost to acquire one of those?¡± Dassyra asked, her eyes shining with greed as he examined the barrel. I wondered how long she had been spying on us.

    ¡°We are not planning on mass-producing them,¡± I replied before Ginz could answer. ¡°They are a survival tool we will use until we return to Farcrest. Then, we will destroy them. If nobles find out about guns, a dozen Januses would be knocking on our door, and I don¡¯t plan on drawing more attention to the orphanage than necessary.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Dassyra sighed. ¡°If you don¡¯t want them to get your stuff, you could shoot them.¡±

    That was a very orcish solution to a problem that required way more finesse. Still, having a dozen guns hidden in the attic sounded like a great contingency plan if things took the wrong turn. I had promised myself not to be helpless anymore and would use every tool in my repertoire to keep up my word.

    ¡°Shame. We could¡¯ve taken a few hundred golden pieces for each shooty gun and repeat business for the ammo.¡± Ginz said.

    Dassyra raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you going to let Rob tell you what to do?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t believe she was trying such underhanded techniques.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, when Robert first arrived at the orphanage, he was concerned about raising his voice in front of the kids. He then ran an illegal potion operation under the Marquis''s nose. Now, he is a kidnapper, and it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if he¡¯s planning murder as we speak. I¡¯m not taking any chances.¡±

    Ilya chucked the unactivated vampiric pebble at Ginz, making him flinch and swallow his words.

    ¡°They are too dangerous, Dassyra,¡± I said. ¡°Imagine what this can do if it falls into the wrong hands.¡±

    To my surprise, Dassyra nodded. ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I understand that not only the System can create Corruption. Power also corrupts. That is basic orc knowledge. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll tell my warriors to keep their hands to themselves.¡±

    I let out a sigh of relief.

    Dassyra gave me an approving nod and said something along the lines of ¡®That¡¯s the orc way¡¯. I hadn¡¯t realized how much illegal stuff I had been doing lately. Luckily, Farcrest didn¡¯t seem to have laws against nepotism because otherwise, my dealings with Prince Adrien also fell on the list of not-so-legal stuff. Undermining the ducal authority couldn¡¯t be legal.

    I wondered if I was being a good enough role model for the kids.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look so dejected, Caretaker. Elincia likes bad boys,¡± Ginz said.

    ¡°Shut it,¡± I replied, grabbing my shirt from the testing area and putting it back on.

    Dassyra removed her armor and left it on the back of a chair.

    ¡°I have news from outside the wall,¡± she said. ¡°The orcs from the outer camp are organizing. They have chosen a circle of leaders and want to meet you.¡±

    I grinned. Our display of power had bore fruit sooner than expected. Orcs rejected the System but were pragmatic at heart, so I expected them to bend the rules in the name of survival. It was a rough estimate, but the five of us had the same combat performance as twice the number of orc warriors, and we could defeat those monsters impervious to regular weapons.

    ¡°I¡¯ll meet them by the end of the week,¡± I said. I¡¯d continue helping them in the meantime, but the more we waited, the more they would be prone to meet my demands.

    Ginz didn¡¯t seem happy with the news.

    ¡°You got in trouble for meddling in noble affairs, and now you are trying to do the same with orcs? Unbelievable,¡± he said.

    ¡°Orcs don¡¯t have nobility,¡± I replied, grabbing Ginz by the shoulders and pushing him back to the working bench. ¡°And we need the safety net of a community. We will be kicked out of Umolo in ten days, so we need them as much as they need us. And don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m planning to ship you back at Farcrest by then.¡±

    Ginz seemed to relax.

    We continued working on the enchanted rifle prototype. Thanks to Ginz''s high-level Craftsmanship, our initial testing had been promising, but we needed a weapon capable of working indefinitely with little maintenance. Our final product had to be reliable and durable. Iron wasn¡¯t the best material to keep out in the open, but it was the best we had without a Blacksmith, and orcs had very limited access to alloys due to their nomad customs. Plus, iron had an affinity to the Force rune.

    Ginz tested several different bullet configurations.

    After a while, Firana, Zaon, and Wolf appeared at Dassyra¡¯s tent. They were happy to see Ginz there, but Ilya pushed them outside before they could slow our work. Dassyra blew Wolf a kiss before they were thrown out. [Foresight] caught part of their conversation outside the tent. They left to see if the orc leatherworkers had finished the Ghoul armor.

    ¡°They have grown,¡± Ginz pointed out.

    ¡°I wonder,¡± I replied.

    In a week, they had acquired a year¡¯s worth of experience.

    Ginz crafted a good number of different bullets¡ªsome made of bone alone, others a mix of bone and iron. There were bullets with metal tips and others with cases around the bone, but I warned Ginz against making an overly complex design. I wanted each kid to have enough ammunition if our stay in the Farlands exceeded my expectations.

    As far as I pushed [Foresight] to scout my memories, I couldn¡¯t find anything to help us with mixed-materials bullets. My gut told me to sacrifice speed to prevent the bone part of the bullet from shattering, but I wanted to avoid excessive drop. Were faster bullets more precise even? Testing would tell us.

    While Ginz worked on the bullet prototype, I enchanted more ¡®triggers¡¯ following the Force-User-Direction formula but adjusting the Force rune threshold. The weaker, with a threshold of ten, the strongest, with as much as the iron pieces allowed me.

    By noon, we had everything ready for a proper field test. Thanks to his skills, Ginz completed days worth of work in a few hours. The extent of the System¡¯s power surprised me even after months of living in Farcrest. Without the System, not only would warriors be unable to fight monsters and keep the frontiers safe, but the whole economic system of Ebros would crumble in a week.

    After Little One had prepared a simple lunch, Dassyra called her warriors, and we packed the working bench for a field test. The kids must¡¯ve been busy with the orc leatherworkers because we exited Umolo without alerting them. Ginz wasn¡¯t happy with leaving the wall, but the presence of Dassyra¡¯s warriors calmed him enough to be dragged outside. No monsters were in sight, and only a small detachment of Greyfangs guarded the entrance.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a wuss, Craftsman. I¡¯ve seen Rob put a sword through a Ghoul¡¯s eye. You¡¯ll be fine as long as we tag along,¡± Dassyra said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the things he has put me through,¡± Ginz replied.

    I didn''t remember anything particularly dangerous and didn¡¯t bother to have [Foresight] summarize it.

    We walked north on a small road along the mountainside until Umolo was out of sight. Dassyra¡¯s warriors helped us set the table facing the mountain about a hundred meters from a naked stone ridge and then scattered around to watch the surroundings. None of them seemed particularly curious about our endeavor.

    ¡°Let¡¯s use the strongest trigger first.¡± Ginz grinned. ¡°For science.¡±

    ¡°For science.¡± I grinned back, pulling a metal cap with a Force enchantment well above the material¡¯s enchantment threshold. We had a few spare barrels, and I wondered what a full-strength Force rune could do.

    Force Iron Shooter. [Identify] An enchanted iron shooter. Enchantment Threshold: 949/210. Status: Degrading.

    I was surprised the System allowed me to enchant so far above the object¡¯s enchantment threshold. That was a full-power Force rune, even if the mana threshold had been cut by half due to the rune''s affinity with iron. I activated the Bind rune and stuck the cap to the barrel. In my mind, I heard Ilya¡¯s voice warning me against the dangers of a misfiring enchantment.

    ¡°We should get behind something solid,¡± I said.

    Dassyra nodded, and with a long whistle, she called the warriors. A moment later, they dragged a massive boulder near the test bench. A meter of solid rock seemed like good protection. I summoned my mana shield on top, just to be sure.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± I asked.

    Ginz and Dassyra nodded. I peeked over the boulder and channeled my mana into the enchanted trigger. Then, I activated the enchantment.

    The explosion of blue sparks blinded me, and the detonation echoed against the mountain, a lot weaker than the shotgun but still louder than our first attempt back in the tent. We emerged from behind the boulder like a tribe of Neanderthals seeing lighting for the first time. My heart raced like the first time I launched fireworks with my father. We laughed.

    The bullet was nowhere to be found, probably reduced to shreds, but the barrel and trigger had survived without apparent damage. I identified the enchanted trigger.

    Force Iron Shooter. [Identify] An iron shooter whose enchantment had been permanently destroyed. Enchantment Threshold: 0/0. Status: Exhausted.

    The circuit was dead.

    ¡°That was exciting, but let¡¯s test a trigger with a quarter of that strength,¡± Ginz said.

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Dassyra replied.

    I put the exhausted trigger in my pocket and grabbed the next. After an hour of testing, the most promising result was a low-power trigger with a tenth of the strength of the original¡ªabout 150 Mana Threshold out of 1500. On testing, the bullet still flew faster than the eye could follow, but it was weak enough not to shatter the Ghoul bone. We continued testing the rest of the triggers until we reached the 25 Mana Threshold trigger, just to be thorough. The drop of the 25 Mana Threshold trigger was too steep, even at a hundred meters, and the bullet was slow enough for a high-level combatant to dodge. The only advantage of the slower trigger was that it was harmless. Against all my recommendations, Dassyra tested it against one of her warriors. The bullet left a small red mark on the warrior¡¯s abdomen, but he didn¡¯t even recoil.

    Dassyra could channel mana, but just enough to feed the enchantment a couple of shots.

    Before sunset, we had selected both the trigger and the bullet design¡ªthe 150 Mana Threshold Force Iron Shooter and an elegant bullet of iron and bone that seemed to fly more accurately than the rest.

    ¡°Now, we need about four hundred rounds by Sunday. Is that good for you?¡± I said, examining the bullet. The body was made of bone with a metal cap to improve ballistics and a metal butt to make the force exerted over the bullet uniform. The bond between metal and bone was almost seamless, and when I used [Identify] on it, the skill recognized the bullet as a single object.

    I channeled my mana and engraved the enchantment on the bullet.

    MDBC Bullet. [Identify] An enchanted bullet made of iron and the bones of a Ghoul, designed to combat monsters with impervious defenses, reanimated undead, and corporeal spirits. Enchantment threshold: 700/700. Status: Stable.

    ¡°MDBC?¡± I asked myself. I had played enough vehicle shooters during my teenage years to have an educated guess. ¡°Mana Draining Ballistic Capped?¡±

    New recipe achieved!

    Updating Rune Encyclopedia.

    MDBC Bullet added to the recipes tab.

    We were breaking down the testing site and preparing to return to Umolo when [Foresight] tingled my brain¡ªa strange shift in the forest behind us. Something had bypassed the orc¡¯s vigilance. I turned around and examined the forest line.

    ¡°I know you are out there, Firana! Come out!¡± I called, grabbing the test barrel and loading the enchanted bullet. ¡°If you don¡¯t come out, I¡¯m going to shoot you! It¡¯s going to hurt!¡±

    Ginz put a hand on the barrel. ¡°What are you doing? You can¡¯t shoot Firana!¡±

    I pushed his hand out of the way.

    ¡°It¡¯s not Firana. She would¡¯ve come out. Getting caught is part of the joke for her,¡± I whispered, aiming into the bush and channeling mana into the bullet. I felt the enchantment coming alive. ¡°You better cover your eyes!¡± I shouted at the mysterious figure.

    Someone moved through the forest, away from us. [Foresight] instantly showed me the trajectory. I fed the trigger, and with a small burst of blue sparks, I took the shot. The bullet found its mark, and the runner fell into a clump of dead ferns.

    ¡°Rob! What in the everloving System!¡± Ginz pulled the barrel out of my hands.

    ¡°Relax, it¡¯s the weakest trigger. At worst, our friend there has mana exhaustion now,¡± I replied as the orcs surrounded the whining intruder.

    A moment later, the warriors dragged Pyrrah out of the bushes. She was shivering, but other than that, she wasn¡¯t harmed.

    ¡°Did you kidnap Elincia too? And then shoot her?!¡± Ginz said in a panicked, high-pitched voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s not Elincia.¡±

    I used [Identify].

    Pyrrah Snowdrop, Elf. [Identify] An elven warrior from the Kingdom of Tagabiria, previously the squire of Gilded Warrior Evindal. Her favorite weapon is the hammer. She likes to hunt frogs in the marshes. Doesn¡¯t read a lot. It¡¯s been a while since she was on a date, with good reason. Elincia¡¯s lookalike. Status: Mana Exhaustion.

    The bullet worked better than I had expected. Pyrrah was virtually out of commission.

    ¡°So, what an elven spy was doing in the thicket,¡± Dassyra asked, shedding her relaxed demeanor and turning into the stoic chieftain.

    ¡°I was asked to deliver a message,¡± Pyrra said, failing to control her chattering teeth.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see how delivering a message involves spying on us,¡± Dassyra replied.

    I had a feeling that this wasn¡¯t the first time Pyrrah was caught spying today. She tried to respond, but the shivers were too strong. Instead, she extended her hand, a silver coin with the emblem of the Greyfangs carved on it. Dassyra¡¯s eyes shot open.

    ¡°The Greyfangs were looking for you. They want Wolf to join their ranks,¡± Pyrra said.

 171 - Frogstone

    Chapter 171

    ¡°The Greyfangs want Wolf to join their ranks,¡± Pyrra said, her voice quivering under the influence of mana exhaustion. For a moment, I saw Elincia worried for the kids, but the illusion only lasted an instant. Pyrrah was concerned, but I wasn¡¯t sure if her concern was aimed at Wolf.

    The warriors stopped packing the testing equipment and focused on the conversation. Pyrrah shivered. Her face was pale, almost translucent, but her teeth stopped chattering. I expected to feel regret for shooting Elincia¡¯s lookalike, but the only thing I felt was a vague sense of pride because of the bullet¡¯s effectiveness.

    ¡°Why would the Greyfangs want a System user to join them? Wolf has been healing orcs from every tribe, and it¡¯s no secret he has a Class,¡± Dassyra said.

    Pyrrah seemed to shrink before her. ¡°The Greyfangs say they can scrub the System from Wolf¡¯s mind. That¡¯s all I know,¡± she replied.

    Dassyra grabbed Pyrra¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°They can scrub the System from Wolfie?¡± Dassyra asked.

    My mind went on overdrive. Not in all the time I spent at Farcrest did someone mention the possibility of scrubbing the System. It was strange. With all the pressure surrounding Class acquirement, anything that allowed people to reroll their pick would be highly sought after. The Greyfangs had one too many secrets for my liking.

    No matter how much Dassyra and the other orcs denied it, the Greyfangs were using System spells, and now they have a way of scrubbing the System. Dassyra let out a nervous laugh. Then, the realization hit me. She wasn¡¯t worried, she was relieved.

    ¡°You want Wolf to accept,¡± I said, but I couldn¡¯t help but sound accusatory.

    ¡°Of course I want him to accept! I want Wolf to be part of the tribe and the next Chieftain, and you won¡¯t tell him what to do, Robert Clarke,¡± Dassyra replied with a dangerous voice. Her words hit me like a slap to the face. Despite ¡®understanding¡¯ Wolf¡¯s class choice, Dassyra had clear priorities.

    The orc warriors slowly put down the bags and backpacks.

    [Foresight] showed me the paths of their attacks even before they grabbed their weapons. The skill burned through my mana pool like fire through gasoline. Luckily, my mana pool was far from shallow. There was only one possible outcome to a fight, which wasn¡¯t positive for the orcs.

    The warriors remained still, waiting for Dassyra¡¯s orders.

    ¡°It seems to me you are the one trying to tell Wolf what to do,¡± I calmly replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m his blood.¡± Dassyra turned to me.

    ¡°Do you even know if the scrubbing process is safe? The System is ingrained in people¡¯s brains. It changes our way of thinking, of learning. Are you sure Wolf¡¯s mind would be okay afterward?¡± I asked.

    Dassyra made a hand signal, and the orcs continued packing the testing equipment. The tension in the atmosphere disappeared. However, our discussion was far from over.

    ¡°You are right, Robert Clarke. This is Wolfie¡¯s decision,¡± she said. ¡°For that reason, you are forbidden from talking to him. He will be staying with me from now on. If I catch you talking with him, I will ensure you and your kids are kicked out of Umolo.¡±

    I had to count to ten not to snap back. Dassyra was acting on her emotions alone. A part of me couldn¡¯t help but understand her. She had been waiting for too long to have her son back just to find he would never be accepted in the tribes. I took a long breath. Wolf¡¯s Class was his decision, but we had the duty to guide him away from danger and harm. I couldn¡¯t stay idle. The scrubbing could be dangerous, but while we were in Umolo, we were in Dassyra¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Fair,¡± I said. ¡°I will not approach Wolf if he doesn¡¯t approach me. But if he asks for my opinion, I will tell him exactly how much I ¡®trust¡¯ the Greyfangs.¡±

    Dassyra stretched her arm, and we shook hands. She wasn¡¯t gentle, but the Runeweaver Class had good strength growth, and I could keep up with the handshake without being crushed. Ginz watched the exchange with terror on his face.

    We returned to Umolo in silence. The atmosphere was awkward. We arrived at the Teal Moon camp after the sun set over the mountains. Guided by torches, the orc warriors left the bags outside our tent and left without saying a word.

    ¡°I wonder if the day will come when you won¡¯t anger whoever is in charge,¡± Ginz said.

    ¡°Dassyra is scared of losing Wolf like she lost Byrne, but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s right. Someone had to tell her,¡± I replied, dragging the bags inside.

    [Foresight] sent a ping to my brain. I turned. Pyrra took something from her pocket and put it in her mouth. A moment later, her Mana Exhaustion seemed to disappear. A mana version of the Holone Grapes? I decided not to push the matter. Now that our relationship with the orcs was tense, elves were our only other option.

    The kids were already sleeping inside the tent. Wolf was nowhere to be found, so I assumed Dassyra had sent a scout ahead to get him. I wonder what kind of conversation they were having. I smiled. Despite being unable to approach him myself, no part of our deal said the kids couldn¡¯t.

    Hallas was still awake, waiting for us by the fireplace. Only embers were left, and his eyes shone like silver ponds in the darkness. After a quick introduction, Ginz retired to a corner to make bullets under the magic light of one of his skills. Hallas curiously watched him but couldn¡¯t figure out what he was crafting until Pyrrah told him about the shooting incident. She had recovered the bullet. It hadn¡¯t shattered even after hitting her armor.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned not to spy on guys doing guy¡¯s stuff?¡± Hallas scolded her.

    ¡°A good squire has to have an eye on their Gilded at all times,¡± Pyrrah replied.

    Hallas covered his face with both hands and mumbled something about Evindal.

    ¡°Anyway. I heard something interesting. The Greyfangs said they could scrub the System off the orc kid, Hallas. Do you think they¡ª?¡± Pyrrah said in an urgent tone but was promptly interrupted by her companion.

    I grinned. Subtlety wasn¡¯t her strong point.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Do you think they¡ª?¡± I prompted Pyrrah to finish the sentence. If the elves knew anything about System removal, I wanted to know. Pyrrah scrambled her words. She wasn¡¯t a great liar either.

    ¡°Do you think they can erase the Class from a System User? That¡¯s what she meant to ask,¡± Hallas said, covering her back.

    I was getting tired of this game of chase. So far, I have put up with their secrets because they seem harmless. However, with Wolf¡¯s well-being at stake, I couldn¡¯t let their leash loose. Janus had taught me a thing or two about lies and deception¡ªit was better to have the winning hand by the end of the game.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit stressed at the moment, Hallas, so if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t tempt fate,¡± I said. ¡°We agreed to work together, so let¡¯s speak frankly for once. I need to know everything about Class scrubbing.¡±

    The elves exchanged glances, but it was clear that Hallas was the senior squire. The weight of the decision fell upon his shoulders. However, Hallas wasn¡¯t the kind of person who gambled without knowing he had the upper hand. I grinned. He knew very little about me, while I had the most precious piece of information. They were desperate. With Evindal¡¯s death, they could not eliminate the Forest Warden, no matter how pressing their mission was. The secrets of their race were at stake. They were so desperate that they had allowed me to see the outlines of their true power. It wasn¡¯t hard to see the relationship between the Holone Grapes and the Forest Warden Seed. They might be able to fool others, but I would be damned if they weren¡¯t grafting the Forest Warden root system with more innocuous tree species.

    I wondered if I should use that information for leverage.

    Ginz raised his head and blew the bone dust from the bullet. ¡°I¡¯d start talking if I were you, elf. You don¡¯t know what Rob is capable of if the kid¡¯s safety is at stake.¡±

    Hallas¡¯ expression hardened.

    ¡°Are you threatening us, craftsman?¡±

    ¡°Bitch, I¡¯m trying to save your lanky ass,¡± Ginz replied, leaving the bullet on the table. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand your situation, so I¡¯ll explain. You, my knife-eared friend, are way far from home, so you better start cooperating and stop acting like a bitch because no army of tree-huggers will come to bail you out. Do you think we''ve come this far by playing by the rules? That a single handshake will save you? Think, Hallas. Think about how easy it would be for Rob to get the truth out of you. Don¡¯t force his hand. Don¡¯t be a fool.¡±

    I had forgotten how much of a loudmouth Ginz could be, but his words had the expected effect. Hallas¡¯ brow was covered in sweat. He had seen me fight against the Chrysalimorphs and was aware of my powers. It only took a word to remind him that those powers could also be used against people.

    Pyrrah put a hand on Hallas¡¯ shoulder.

    ¡°There is a way of scrubbing the System off people even after getting a Class,¡± she said. ¡°I was wondering if the orcs stole our methods to do it.¡±

    ¡°You can do that? Is it safe?¡± I asked, taken by surprise.

    Pyrrah nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s how we select our Gilded. Our warriors accept the System, and if their assigned Classes are weak, the Gardeners remove them. I was a Marsh Hunter, Hallas a Warrior, so we didn¡¯t qualify to become Gilded,¡± she explained, ashamed. ¡°The process is safe, but the reason why they erase the Class right away is unclear. It might be because it''s easier or safer, or they might want to prevent us from tasting the power of the Class. In any case, I don¡¯t trust the Greyfangs, and I think it would be best for Wolf not to join them.¡±

    I opened my mouth, but I was out of words. I wasn¡¯t expecting her to bring Wolf¡¯s well-being to the discussion. For a moment, I forgot Pyrrah was the one in front of me and not Elincia.

    ¡°Hey! Re-rolling your warriors is cheating,¡± Ginz said.

    ¡°Well, excuse me, I wasn¡¯t aware there were rules for this,¡± Pyrrah replied.

    Ginz then turned to his work, and the elves focused on me.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the deal with these things? When it hit me, I felt like all my magic was stolen from me,¡± Pyrrah said, holding the bullet in her hand. ¡°Does this have something to do with Teal Moon warriors mowing monsters at the same rate as the Greyfangs?¡±

    Pyrrah was more perceptive than I thought and a better diplomat than Hallas. We have been using Ilya¡¯s [Spirit Animal] to keep an eye on the elves while I enchanted armor for Dassyra. Hiding our trail was nearly impossible with Dassyra¡¯s orcs rampaging throughout the battlefield, however. The ripples of my enchanted armor couldn¡¯t be hidden. Still, I just learned Hallas and Pyrrah had a bad eye for enchanted items.

    Cooperation went both ways. As much as I wanted to know the elves¡¯ secrets, I didn¡¯t want to burn any bridges. I grabbed a pebble from my pocket and wrote a Light-Gradual-Recharge enchantment. It was brighter than the usual Light Stone at the orphanage, almost like an LED lamp. I had to squint my eyes to look at it directly.

    ¡°Hold this over the water, and it will attract night insects. The insects might help you lure the frogs out,¡± I said, putting the enchanted stone on Pyrrah¡¯s hand.

    New Recipe Achieved!

    Updating Rune Encyclopedia.

    Frogstone added to the recipes tab.

    New title acquired!

    The most important of the unimportant things: Title awarded to those Enchanters who use their skills to fill those tiny spaces in people¡¯s hearts. [Identify]: A title designed to help Admin#001 cultivate his mana pool.

    Reward: Increased mana pool.

    Her eyes shone in awe like those of a kid at Christmas, but Hallas quickly snatched it from her hand.

    ¡°You are not a Scholar. You are an Enchanter!¡± Hallas said.

    ¡°I¡¯m a teacher, technically, but that¡¯s semantics,¡± I pointed out.

    Hallas massaged his temples. ¡°During that fight, you used enchanted items to fight the Chrysalimorphs, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    I pulled back my left sleeve. The scars from the fight had cut deep into my flesh. After the Holone Grapes, Wolf¡¯s cares, and the orc Shaman¡¯s rituals, the scars had healed and matured, yet the sight was still grotesque. Like lighting, the mana had sought the path of least resistance. Hallas grimaced.

    ¡°I enchanted my arm with a vampiric spell and drained the energy from the Chrysalimorph¡¯s body,¡± I explained, channeling my mana into a bright blue knife. It buzzed like an angry insect. Hallas leaned back. ¡°I have enough mana to perform this kind of trick, and I¡¯m a fairly competent swordsman. You saw what I can do during the fight against the Ghouls.¡±

    I dispelled the mana blade.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t chicken out. We were waiting in case you needed help,¡± Pyrrah pointed out, but not even she seemed to believe her words. ¡°Also¡­ can you enchant another one of these in case I lose the first?¡± She added, showing the enchanted pebble.

    Hallas sighed.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen any hint of the orcs stealing our secret techniques, so it¡¯s safe to assume they developed their own way of doing it,¡± he said, changing the subject. ¡°I don¡¯t trust the Greyfangs either, but we are their guests, so I recommend caution.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t agree more. Luckily, I had two of the best agents a spymaster could wish for. The bad part was that both were sleeping. I checked the kids in the corner of the room. [Foresight] told me they were actually sleeping.

    ¡°Not much we can do now. Let¡¯s keep the Greyfangs at arm¡¯s length and recharge batteries for the second part of our journey. Tomorrow, I want to see what you two can do in a fight. If we are going to kill the Forest Warden, I want to know what my team can do,¡± I said, looking at the elves.

    Hallas and Pyrrah agreed, and we got into our sleeping bags. The orcs had even brought one for Ginz. I couldn¡¯t complain about the Teal Moon tribe''s hospitality. Even after four nights at Umolo, the bedroll and the pillow felt like the ultimate luxury. I closed my eyes and tried to relax, but my [Invigoration] told me I still had four hours before feeling sleepy.

    ¡°Robert Clarke?¡± Pyrrah whispered from her sleeping bag.

    Ginz and Hallas were between us.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°What are batteries, and how do I recharge them?¡±

    ¡°Just sleep.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    My mind wandered, and [Foresight] fed me a stream of information¡ªthe sounds outside, the breathing pace of my roommates, and dozens of rune combinations. It was almost midnight when I heard someone shifting. Everyone except the two of us was sleeping. I raised my head and found Pyrra¡¯s eyes still shining in the darkness. She seemed confused until I signaled her to return to bed. Only then did she realize I could also see in the darkness.

    Instead of lying down, Pyrra crawled next to me.

    ¡°I have a girlfriend,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°Gardener Almighty, I know! I¡¯m not that needy to chase every man of age,¡± she replied. ¡°I need to show you something. I think the Greyfangs are cheating the System, and I found a clue.¡±

 172 - Elvish Social Awkwardness

    I threw a cloak over my head and followed Pyrrah outside the tent. The camp was in complete darkness. Guards were stationed near the main square, outside the chieftains¡¯ tents, and around the camp. Most of the night watchmen were posted on the wall, in case of a night raid. We slipped unnoticed through the Teal Moon camp.

    Orcs couldn¡¯t see in darkness, and they didn''t have System detection skills. I couldn¡¯t confidently say the same about the Greyfangs. So far, I¡¯d seen them using offensive spells, so it was only logical that they had access to support spells.

    ¡°Are you sure this is safe?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this all week long, just stay close to me,¡± she replied.

    Pyrrah guided me to the aqueduct. We climbed using a service ladder¡ªfoot-sized notches in a pillar¡ªand headed toward the citadel. I glanced at Umolo. Unlike Farcrest, the orc settlement was neat and organized. Orc tents extended in all directions, and I could only tell apart the tribes by the banners and flags waving over the roofs. Maybe it wasn¡¯t their strength that allowed them to survive the Farlands, but their discipline.

    ¡°Hurry,¡± Pyrrah said.

    The citadel stood like a white fortress over the valley, its white walls reflecting the moonlight and making it contrast against the farming terraces. We followed the aqueduct uphill until we were past the inner wall. Pyrrah signaled to stop. Underneath was an inner garden guarded by several iron-clad Greyfangs.

    Unlike the camp, the citadel was tightly guarded, but I couldn¡¯t tell if they were protecting it against monsters or from intruders. Orcs trusted each other with their lives, even those of different tribes. Why would the Greyfangs be so zealous with the citadel?

    Pyrrah signaled down, and we dropped on a rooftop. Even without Passives¡¯ assistance, her steps made no sound. I followed. [Foresight] counted at least twenty Greyfangs around us. Their armor was crafted to be silent, but the manufacture wasn¡¯t perfect and my ears caught their rattle even if they were outside my field of vision. We walked on the ledge, clinging to the wall. My feet barely fit on the thin walkway, but [Light Footed] made miracles even with my human balance.

    The orc masonry was simple yet flawless, almost like they had power tools.

    I wondered if they used the System to build the citadel.

    Pyrrah stopped and listened to the night. A squad of Greyfangs exited the building beneath us. Invisible strands of System mana clung to their bodies, not quite like an aura like Zaon¡¯s [Steadfast Shield], but almost there.

    The orcs got lost among the stone alleys and we climbed to the third floor. We were on top of the citadel. The main building had a thin ledge and a domed roof pierced by several skylights. My suspicion of System-powered construction increased.

    We walked the ledge until we found a hole in the wall with a small platform hanging towards the inside¡ªprobably the stand for a never-built statue. I peeked inside but Pyrrah pulled me back. The room wasn¡¯t empty.

    ¡°This is it,¡± Pyrrah said.

    A blue System Crystal, much like the one at Farcrest, floated in the center of the room. Ten orc shamans sat along the circular wall with their eyes closed. Faint trails of mana emerged from their heads and connected them to the Crystal. Before each shaman, there was a Greyfang warrior sitting cross-legged. The scene reminded me of the ancient humans of the Bard Song, sitting in the depths of their cave, weaving a group spell to hide the entrance.

    ¡°What are they doing?¡± I whispered.

    Other than the faint connection, the mana of the Crystal remained still.

    ¡°I was hoping you could tell me,¡± Pyrrah replied.

    The backdoor opened. An old orc dressed in an exquisite red robe entered the room. Behind him, eight aides dragged a tied orc. The captive orc was dressed in a simple tunic without the marking of any of the tribes. If I had to guess, it was a member of the outer camp. He was terrified, but no matter how much he struggled, the mana-charged rope around his wrists didn¡¯t budge.

    A criminal?

    ¡°I don¡¯t like where this is going,¡± I said.

    ¡°Wait for it,¡± Pyrrah said with a grave expression on her face.

    The prisoner was thrown before the Crystal, and the shamans started muttering a spell. Specks of pure white mana surrounded them, barely enough for me to detect it. It was about the same amount of mana Pyrrah and Hallas used to cast their non-System spells. The specks of mana formed another thread and connected the captive to the Crystal.

    The eight aides pinned the orc to the ground, which seemed excessive considering the binds and the gag. The old orc in a red robe came forward. He must have been the leader of the shamans. He channeled his mana and touched the captive¡¯s forehead. I had to look away as a wave of mana hit me. The captive orc grunted under his gag as currents of pure Fountain mana emerged from his body. The aides fought to keep the captive pinned as his muscles bulged and power surged through his body.

    ¡°That¡¯s an orc Combat Trance,¡± Pyrrah said, seemingly oblivious to the connection between the Crystal and the shamans.

    Wolf told us the trance was supposed to be one of the secret methods orcs used to channel great amounts of mana. The trance multiplied the warrior''s speed and strength; however, it always resulted in the warrior¡¯s death. Raw Fountain mana surged through the orc, but the aides didn¡¯t falter. After a moment, Corruption tentacles started encroaching on his body.

    The shamans and Greyfangs sitting along the wall remained unfazed.

    Black tendrils emerged from the captive orc¡¯s chest and extended through his body, covering every inch of his skin until only his head remained untouched. I was well familiar with that process. It looked just like the spread of the Corruption after my first fight against the Lich. This time, however, the Corruption didn¡¯t stop at the neck and continued its way up.

    The orc turned to a deep shade of black much like the Wendigo or the Ghoul, even darker than the patches of Corruption on my body. The faint mana thread connecting the orc to the Crystal also turned black. The Corruption reached the System Crystal. In that moment, the shamans used their magic. Instead of the neutral white ¡®natural¡¯ mana, blue System mana surged from the Crystal, powering the spell. Bright, multicolor auras enshrouded the Greyfangs and seeped into their bodies, lodging in their chests like artificial mana pools.

    ¡°They are glitching the System with Corruption,¡± I muttered.

    When the Corruption covered the captive orc, the aides stepped back and flames exploded from his eyes until he remained motionless on the stone floor. The aides who had pinned him down dragged the body outside the room, as if nothing happened. The System Crystal gleamed for a moment, and the connection was cut.

    A shiver ran down my spine.

    ¡°Speaking of not dealing with Corruption,¡± I muttered.

    Pyrrah was pale.

    The Greyfangs, now with their mana pools refilled, abandoned the room and the next group of warriors replaced them. The aides appeared from the backdoor with the next sacrifice and pinned him to the ground. The lead shaman forced the Combat Trance on the unfortunate orc and the ritual repeated.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s nothing we can do,¡± I said.

    Pyrrah agreed.

    We retraced our steps and climbed the aqueduct to exit the citadel. Our night vision and silent step gave us an edge over the orc guards, and a few minutes later, we were back at the base camp. My heart raced and the faint speck of Corruption in my chest itched.

    We sat on a bench in the main square.

    ¡°You are very sneaky for a human,¡± Pyrrah said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a gift from a special someone,¡± I replied.

    ¡°The girl that looks like me?¡±

    I nodded. Neither of us seemed eager to comment on the orc ritual. Since I¡¯ve arrived in this world I have seen ever-increasing amounts of death, yet the orc¡¯s execution left a foul taste in my mouth. One thing was certain: I wasn¡¯t letting Wolf anywhere near the Greyfangs.

    ¡°We should sleep¡­¡± Pyrrah bit her tongue. ¡°Not together, I mean. Each one in their own sleeping bag. Separately.¡±

    Pyrrah seemed to deflate.

    Despite their physical resemblance, Pyrrah and Elincia¡¯s personalities couldn¡¯t be more different. Elincia wasn¡¯t a natural born leader, she admitted to being severely unprepared¡ªand reluctant¡ªto become the governess at the orphanage, but she had stepped forward and sailed into the storm. Elincia was comfortable in her skin. Pyrrah, on the other hand, seemed to be constantly walking on eggshells.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to put on an act,¡± I said.

    ¡°But what if I say something inappropriate?¡± She replied.

    I wondered what the social punishment was for saying inappropriate things in elven society. Pyrrah wasn¡¯t socially inept by any metric. On the opposite. It seemed she was overcorrecting herself. Was it a lack of experience talking to guys? The elven kingdoms might be more strict when it came to manners than the Ebros Kingdom.

    ¡°If you say anything weird, I will let you know and we will laugh it off,¡± I said.

    Pyrrah didn¡¯t seem convinced.

    ¡°Just to be clear, I respect your relationship with your elven girl and I won¡¯t do anything to get in the way,¡± she said, fidgeting with the Frogstone.

    I wondered if elves were hardcore monogamists, but I had no time to dig into that topic. Pyrrah had made the decision of showing me the Greyfang ritual, but I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around the reason behind her actions. Our relationship was tense and our last conversation hadn¡¯t smoothened the rough edges.

    ¡°You waited for Hallas to be asleep to take me to the citadel,¡± I pointed out.

    Pyrrah shrugged.

    ¡°I have known him since he was a kid. He would¡¯ve been opposed, but with the Greyfangs recruiting Wolf, I thought you should see that,¡± she said. ¡°You understood what they were doing, didn''t you?¡±

    The elves were truly blind to magic.

    ¡°They seemed to be using Corruption to cheat the System. You didn¡¯t notice all the mana that was circulating through the room?¡±

    Pyrrah shook her head. Then, she formed the ¡®ok¡¯ sign with her hand. For a minute, she stood still, channeling mana. Then, she summoned a pure white lens inside of the ¡®o¡¯. She looked at me through the lens. She shrieked.

    ¡°That¡¯s an absurd amount of magic!¡± Pyrrah said, examining me from head to toe. Then, she blushed and stuttered. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to ogle.¡±

    ¡°There is no sin in looking, I guess¡­ as long as you are respectful,¡± I replied.

    ¡°I was being respectful,¡± Pyrrah reassured me.

    ¡°I know,¡± I sighed.

    Pyrrah fidgeted with her Frogstone. She was on eggshells again and I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for her. Despite the reluctance Hallas had to share information, she had decided to show me the Greyfang¡¯s true face and I couldn¡¯t be more grateful. She was an unsuspecting ally, but a welcomed one.

    I grabbed a pebble and enchanted another Frogstone.

    ¡°What would you do regarding the Greyfangs?¡± I asked, bringing the conversation to a safer topic.

    ¡°I would leave as fast as possible. Playing with Corruption never ends well, and we are not in a position to force the Greyfangs to change their ways,¡± she replied.

    Dassyra wouldn¡¯t allow us to leave now that she thought she had a chance to get Wolf out of the System. Even if we managed to escape, it was too early for us to leave. We needed Ginz¡¯s guns and ammo before we could return to the Farlands.

    I handed the second Frogstone to Pyrrah and her eyes shone.

    ¡°Thank you, Pyrrah, you are a good person. I won''t forget this,¡± I said. My father taught me kindness was paid with kindness, but I wasn¡¯t sure Pyrrah was prepared for more praise. She blushed. ¡°Go to bed, I¡¯ll try to shove some sense in Dassyra¡¯s head.¡±

    Without saying more, Pyrrah returned to our tent.

    As she disappeared around the corner, I felt a hint of guilt. I wasn¡¯t planning on waking up Dassyra in the middle of the night to convince her Greyfangs betrayed the orc ways. I glanced at the citadel and summoned [Mirage]. A moment later, I was but a shadow.

    I ran up the aqueduct, across the citadel wall, and down the rooftops.

    The domed room with the System Crystal was empty. There were Greyfang guards outside every entrance, but the doors were closed. I dropped through the hole in the dome, activating the Wind-Shot Boots just as I reached the stone floor. Traces of System mana remained in the air.

    The Crystal was almost my size, with rich blue veins and an opaque core. I activated my mana sense. It was alive. Hundreds of runes danced over the surface. I tried to use [Rune Identification] on them, but the skill simply wouldn¡¯t work.

    I had no clear plan. My first instinct was to destroy the Crystal. I could sever the connection between the Greyfangs and the System, but I wasn¡¯t sure if their Class scrubbing method was related to the Crystal. Destroying the Crystal wouldn¡¯t ensure Wolf¡¯s safety and it would raise suspicion. Out of all the camps, only System-users had the skill to sneak past the Greyfang guards. The kids and I would be the main suspects and we had no safety net to retreat into.

    Shu¡¯s wise words came to my mind.

    ¡°It has to look like an accident.¡±

    I might have the right tool for the job. The Access Rune.

    The orcs certainly didn¡¯t know what they were doing. If I changed the runes, they wouldn¡¯t know why their glitch stopped working either. The Access Rune raised two options: I could fix the error and leave no trace of my involvement or I could mess with the code to render it useless. The first option¡ªfixing the glitch¡ªhad a minuscule problem. I had no clue how to fix a System Crystal. I didn¡¯t even know if the problem was fixable or just the natural outcome of one of the System¡¯s subroutines. I was the equivalent of an intern with a month worth of experience in the programming language and there was no senior programmer to guide me through the intricacies of not setting the whole system on fire.

    There was no way the Man in Yellow had written the System Code in the Crystals. He was smart enough not to leave the code out in the open where a natural disaster or a malicious actor could destroy them. I guessed the System Crystals were some sort of proxy or a relay or terminal, so if I destroyed one, it wouldn¡¯t affect the System overall. The Farcrest Crystal Fragment was already shattered and no-one seemed to have problems with their Classes in the city.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve majored in computer science,¡± I muttered, channeling my mana and preparing myself to engrave the Access Rune on my body. I stopped myself. ¡°If I¡¯m going to do something wrong, this is the moment for a System prompt,¡± I added, looking at the ceiling.

    Nothing happened.

    Was I even doing the right thing?

    Before engraving the rune on my flesh, I brushed my fingers against the crystal, and the next moment I was transported somewhere else. The stone walls became rugged and jagged, and changed in color. The dome disappeared and the ceiling dropped. Glowing fungi grew in the corners and it smelled like soil and humidity. Holes in the ceiling let shy rays of light in. I was in a cave.

    I caught a movement with the corner of my eye but whoever was there escaped before I could focus on them. [Foresight] wasn¡¯t working. I wondered if it was a wild animal or a monster. I tried to summon my mana blade without success. Then, I tried to identify the mushrooms. The skill didn¡¯t respond. Was I back on Earth?

    I cursed.

    For the first time in a while I was forced to rely on my own intuition rather than in [Awareness] or [Foresight].

    The dirt under my feet had been compacted and the weeds cleared, forming a trail into the cave. There were no feces or animal remains. I looked around, capturing the little details. As my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, I noticed tool markings on the ceiling and walls. The skylights were perfectly set to catch sunlight, so I assumed they were artificial.

    We were barely under ground level, so I crossed out the possibility of being in a mine.

    Even without [Foresight], I had an idea where I was.

    I followed the passage until I emerged into a wide cave.

    A circle of humans sat on a platform of stone, weaving a spell. Gatherers and hunters delivered their haul. Butchers prepared animal meat to be dried. Farmers collected fruits from the vines hanging from the walls. Weavers worked on their rustic looms. Armed guards protected the concealed openings in the rock. Everyone was wearing ragged, almost primitive clothing.

    Almost fifty humans worked on the settlement yet not a single one noticed my presence. I knew where I was. In the corner of the cave I found confirmation to my suspicion. A chubby man dressed in khakis was sitting inside a bamboo prison.

 173 - A blast from the past

    The Man in Yellow sat cross-legged behind the bamboo bars. His yellow shirt was smeared with mud, the left sleeve was torn, and his tortoiseshell glasses were crooked. His arms were scrapped as if he had been dragged through the dirt. The beginning of his adventure in this world had not been smooth. He had arrived in a dangerous world where humans weren¡¯t the dominant species but mice hiding in caves, and the System wasn¡¯t a thing yet.

    Two warriors guarded the bamboo prison, seemingly unaware their prisoner was tinkering with runes. I approached. To my surprise, it wasn¡¯t the Access Rune that the Man in Yellow was engraving on his skin.

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t my favorite teacher,¡± a familiar voice came from behind me.

    I turned around to find the System Avatar in the middle of the cave, his shirt spotless and his body healthy. Thick Corruption lines showed under his skin, almost like oil ran through his veins instead of blood. It wasn¡¯t a reassuring sight. The Avatar¡¯s silence, Astrid¡¯s Corruption, and the Lich''s rise didn¡¯t augur good news.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I am a copy of the consciousness of that guy behind bars, so technically, I¡¯m not alive. As a System subroutine, I¡¯m starting to accumulate errors,¡± the System Avatar said, his tone unsettlingly devoid of feelings. ¡°The code is hanging from a thread. The Zealot Quest routine is about to crash, and the Safety subroutine is flagging healthy parts of the code as errors. Corruption is snowballing, and I¡¯m not sure the System will see the end of the next decade.¡±

    Still, he sounded defeated, unlike the previous time we had met.

    The humans in the cave continued working without paying attention to us.

    ¡°A decade is plenty of time to fix whatever is failing. I can learn how to properly runeweave. I just need guidance,¡± I said. The words automatically came to my mouth. So far, I¡¯ve been trying to guess the rules of runeweaving the best I could, but I needed a teacher. I needed a solid foundation from which to construct my knowledge.

    The System Avatar gave me a sardonic smile.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Robert Clarke. It¡¯s not just about runeweaving. The System processes the mana of millions of users. Hundreds of thousands of users cast skills every second. The amount of Fountain mana the System transforms into safe, usable mana is immeasurable. Even if I guess how to inject runes into your Rune Encyclopedia, you wouldn¡¯t be able to touch the System without the mana currents burning you to ashes,¡± the System Avatar said. ¡°We need time for your body to get used to the true strength of runes.¡±

    I knew the System Avatar had been withholding information, but I wasn¡¯t expecting that.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we shut down the System for a day for repairs?¡± I asked.

    The System Avatar laughed.

    ¡°Come on, Robert. I¡¯m not that stupid. I created the thing, and I know everything about it. Like the human brain, the System isn¡¯t built to shut down,¡± he said. ¡°I need you to be skilled enough to move through energy currents without dying while channeling similar amounts of energy to engrave the runes. Like fixing a nuclear plant while it''s working.¡±

    I massaged my temples.

    ¡°Couldn''t you tell me that from the beginning?¡±

    ¡°Would it have changed your answer?¡±

    Probably. I glanced at my left arm. Channeling mana through my body wasn¡¯t something I was eager to do ever again.

    ¡°Why did you give me the Access Rune and that weird set of coordinates if I¡¯m so unprepared to fix the System?¡± I asked.

    The System Avatar sighed.

    ¡°Forget about it. Maybe I was wrong from the start. Creating the System was a mistake. No matter how much we push back, humans can¡¯t stop nature. Without the System, Corruption will slowly disappear. Sure, people will have no Classes to fight the already existing Corruption, but some will survive.¡±

    Logically, that was a sound solution. To eliminate Corruption, one had to eliminate its source. I looked around. The living standards of ancient humans were far from good. If the System stopped existing, we¡¯d be sentencing Ebros and all the other human kingdoms to ruin.

    Suddenly, the realization hit me.

    ¡°That was Byrne¡¯s solution,¡± I said. ¡°He refused to fix the System because he wanted to destroy the source of Corruption.¡±

    The System Avatar raised his hands like saying, ¡®You caught me¡¯.

    ¡°Byrne wanted to introduce key technologies before the System''s collapse, create a haven, save a few thousand, and ensure the survival of our species,¡± the System Avatar said. ¡°But playing defensively never worked for humanity. I know what life was like before the System, and no haven is safe. No matter what you do, this world is too cruel for humanity to thrive.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but think of the ramblings of a dying man.

    ¡°Look.¡± The System Avatar pointed out one of the holes in the ceiling.

    An instant later, a red wyvern slipped through the hole and dropped into the lair near the mage¡¯s circle. I tried to identify it out of instinct, but the skill didn¡¯t respond. Before anyone could react, the monster caught a magician and crushed it with its maw. Chaos ensued. The guards jumped the beast, wielding their spears, but it took only a tail flick to send them crashing against the jagged walls.

    Just like the System Avatar had said, there was no true safe haven in this world.

    I expected the red wyvern to clear the human settlement, but a lightning bolt hit the drake, blowing a hole through scales and muscle. The bamboo cage was reduced to splinters, and specks of pure-white natural mana fluttered around the Man in Yellow¡¯s hands. Then, a second drake entered the cave. The Man in Yellow created a lighting ball in his hand and threw it, blowing the monster¡¯s head off.

    ¡°Despite my looks, I played a lot of baseball,¡± the System Avatar pointed out, satisfied with the act of his past self.

    A rune gleamed in the palm of his hand.

    ¡°How long had you been in this world when that happened?¡± I asked, surprised. The amount of mana he could channel was outlandish, even by my standards. That wasn¡¯t the tame blue System mana I was used to, but wild Fountain mana.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°A few days? My first contact didn¡¯t go as well as yours. I blame the culture of that time. They believed I was a spy sent by the elves or the orcs,¡± the System Avatar said.

    The scene continued. The sound of a horn broke the silence, and the warriors rushed towards the entrance while others helped the wounded. The Man in Yellow followed. Outside, between the treetops, a flock of wyverns drew circles above our heads. I¡¯ve never seen so many monsters gather together. Hundreds of dragons darkened the sky.

    The human sentinels panicked, but the Man in Yellow remained calm.

    ¡°For the record, that wasn¡¯t my first time seeing that flock,¡± the System Avatar pointed out.

    ¡°The Farlands were a wild place, uh?¡± I pointed out.

    The scene was breathtaking.

    A black dragon with a wingspan like a small plane darted through the wyvern flock. The trees around us creaked and shattered, and the human sentinels who weren¡¯t holding to anything were sent flying against the rock. The black dragon landed a few meters away from the entrance. A woman dismounted from its back. She was dressed like an office worker: a navy cardigan, a pencil skirt, and loafers.

    ¡°Your dragons killed two people inside the cave, Rebecca,¡± the Man in Yellow nonchalantly said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not Rebecca anymore. You will call me Beck, Queen of Dragons, from now on, Jeremiah,¡± the woman said, pissed.

    I raised an eyebrow, looking at the System Avatar. I just noticed he had been avoiding telling me his real name all this time.

    ¡°Call me Jeremy, and I¡¯ll nerf every single one of your skills, Rob,¡± the System Avatar replied.

    Meanwhile, the woman named Rebecca walked up to the Man in Yellow. She was shorter, but the black dragon at her back gave her a poise that was hard to mimic.

    ¡°We should be looking for a way back to Earth, not terrorizing random people with a horde of dragons,¡± the Man in Yellow said.

    The woman broke into hysterical laughter. It wasn¡¯t hard to see that something was wrong with her head. She laughed for a long minute, holding onto the black dragon beside her to avoid falling. She wiped a tear from her eye.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not going to return to Earth. Nobody will. From now on, you and your tribal friends will serve me; we will expel those green skins from the lowlands, and everything in this valley will be mine,¡± she said.

    The Man in Yellow remained unfazed.

    ¡°Come on, Rebecca, this is not okay. You are not like this.¡±

    ¡°You always lacked vision, Jeremiah. When was the last time you got a promotion? Oh, wait, you haven¡¯t, despite being one of the older hires in your department,¡± Rebecca grinned.

    Her eyes were the ones of a crazy person, and the Man in Yellow seemed to be aware she was about to burst.

    ¡°Remember the Conflict Resolution Training, Rebecca.¡±

    That seemed to trigger the woman.

    ¡°Kill him, Umbra.¡±

    The black dragon roared, but the Man in Yellow was faster. He pointed his finger at the woman, and a lightning bolt hit her in the chest through her cardigan and blouse. The woman fell flat on her back, and the dragon seemed to wake up from a trance. Above our heads, the wyverns screeched and charged into each other.

    ¡°In my defense, she was from human resources,¡± the System Avatar said. ¡°She wasn¡¯t the worst of the lot, though. Corporate America doesn¡¯t attract the most virtuous people.¡±

    ¡°How many more came here with you?¡±

    The System Avatar closed his eyes in deep focus.

    ¡°A hundred and twenty-six, mostly from HR, sales, legal, and marketing. I was on-site turning on a projector, which three different department heads had assured me was already plugged in. I was in IT, evidently,¡± the System Avatar snapped his fingers, and the world stopped moving like we were trapped in the frame of a movie.

    The smoke from Rebecca¡¯s wound remained still, and a hint of guilt appeared on the Man in Yellow¡¯s face. Still, I understood he was already used to the sight of death. Something told me that a hundred and twenty-six humans with magical powers trapped in a high-stress environment couldn¡¯t end well.

    ¡°How did you get into this world?¡± I asked.

    The System Avatar shook his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There was a high-pitched beep and a bright light, and the next thing I knew was that a chunk of our office building had been transported to the middle of a forest.¡±

    The world moved under our feet. Forests and hills became a blur as we traversed kilometers and kilometers in a single instant. We stopped before a cubic section of a corporate building in the middle of a shallow lake. Chairs and desks had rolled through the windows of the tilted monolith. There were fax machines at the bottom of the lake. Paper and shards of glass were everywhere. Everything inside the third floor was turned to ashes.

    I didn¡¯t know why the System Avatar was showing me that.

    ¡°It took them about a day to realize they had magic powers. I thought we could survive: we had a fire guy, a girl who could create water, and even someone who could create food out of dirt. At first, we abided by the company¡¯s organizational chart, but the emergence of powers turned the tables,¡± the System Avatar said. ¡°The fire guy blew up everyone on the third floor. Rebecca from HR briefly controlled the minds of everyone in her department. An invisible guy from sales went on a stabbing spree. There were simply too many warlords for so few lackeys. I didn¡¯t want to fight, so I fled to the forest, where the local humans caught me.¡±

    If the System Avatar had footage of that period, he didn¡¯t show it. I felt like we were going on a tangent, but my curiosity got the best of me.

    The world moved beneath my feet, and we returned to the human hideout. There must¡¯ve been a time skip because the landscape had changed. The forest had been cleared and replaced by farmland. A high stone wall surrounded the area, and the settlement population had skyrocketed. The Man in Yellow held a stone hoe. He had shed his khakis and bowl cut, his shoulders had broadened, and his blonde hair hung off his back like a lion¡¯s mane.

    I wondered why the System Avatar wouldn¡¯t use that version of his past self.

    ¡°Only half of us otherworlders survived the first week. After a few months, we realized there was no way back to Earth. About thirty of us allied and helped to defend the human settlement from monsters. We were like superheroes. We could control great amounts of Fountain mana, but that made us far from immortal. It took a single slip for a wyvern to snap your spine in half, and our local allies weren¡¯t near strong enough to assist us.¡±

    There was another time skip.

    The settlement continued growing. Its inhabitants were not just humans anymore. Orcs, gnomes, and beast folk joined its ranks, probably searching for safety against the wilderness. There was a burg, a marketplace, a second wall, and more farmland. A river had been diverted and now crossed the walled city from side to side.

    ¡°The years passed, and our numbers dwindled. We lost a few companions each year. Despite our powers, the wilderness always had something in store for us. Dragons, banshees, mind controllers, or just sickness. It was clear that the settlement would disappear without us,¡± the System Avatar said. ¡°We decided to use my runes to create the System. That way, even after our deaths, humans and other species had a chance to thrive.¡±

    The scenery changed. We were inside a building. The room was wide, with a circular table in the center. I counted eighteen chairs occupied by men and women and a few more empty. There was no leader, but all the glances were focused on the Man in Yellow. Runes written on paper were scattered over the table. It vaguely reminded me of Byrne¡¯s cabin, although [Foresight] was deactivated, so I couldn¡¯t compare them.

    ¡°This is where we created the System. Fifteen years of development, it started as a simple program to create a ¡®party¡¯ of four, and it grew from there. The Power module was one of the easiest to figure out, as our connection to the Fountain was tight. Then, we had to decide how people would use the Fountain mana. We weren¡¯t keen on giving people full control, so we decided to create Classes and Skill pools,¡± the System Avatar said.

    The scene before my eyes rushed, days and nights of constant work. I saw the passing of seasons through the windows. As time passed, their numbers dwindled until only nine remained. However, after the eleventh winter, their numbers grew to ten.

    ¡°Stop it,¡± I said.

    The scene froze. A man with straight black hair, pale skin, and blue eyes, dressed in a long red tunic, leaned over the Man in Yellow¡¯s shoulder, pointing at the paper sheet.

    ¡°That¡¯s Alex from R&D. He escaped from the office building during the first night, and we didn¡¯t reunite until years later when he heard about our city,¡± the System Avatar explained.

    I wasn¡¯t paying attention to his words anymore.

    A shiver ran down my spine.

    ¡°I know that man. He¡¯s the Lich.¡±

 174 - Pre-System Magic

    ¡°I know that man. He¡¯s the Lich,¡± I said.

    The System Avatar suddenly intruded into my memories, and it felt like acquiring a new skill. My brain was pressed and squeezed, flattened and built again. I wanted to puke, and I would do it if I were in my actual body, but everything around me was just a vision of the System. The sun disappeared, and stone walls grew around us. We were inside a cave. The ceiling was five or six meters above our heads, but we weren¡¯t all that deep. The light of day entered the cave from the entrance.

    We were in the cave where I first fought the Lich.

    ¡°The System can read your memories, remember?¡± the System Avatar apologetically said.

    ¡°I know,¡± I replied as the scene around me slowly became sharper. Memories seemed to need time to load. ¡°My brain was scanned when I first arrived, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    The System Avatar nodded.

    ¡°I wrote a rune that triggers a mind-reading spell. The rune inputs information into the System, telling it you want to cast a skill. Passives, like your [Swordsmanship], work with a continuous hypnosis spell feeding information directly to your mind,¡± the System Avatar explained as my memory loaded. ¡°Your [Intimidation] skill is an interesting one. After a level check, the System casts a mind-control spell on the target, implanting fear in their brain and erasing it when the skill ends.¡±

    I nodded, fighting against the nausea. The System wasn¡¯t anything but runes and spells following a certain logic. The revelation didn¡¯t come as a surprise, considering the amount of Fountain mana the people from the System Avatar¡¯s office could use.

    I wondered why they had so much power compared to the natives of this world.

    There was something the System Avatar wasn¡¯t telling me.

    If otherworlders had so much power, my Class might be a leash instead of a help.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I said. ¡°Does that mean I will have to learn true magic to fix the System?¡±

    The System Avatar shrugged.

    ¡°If we ever get to that point. First, we need to deal with the Corruption snowball.¡±

    Days and nights passed in a second.

    The next moment, I was standing in the middle of the cave, blocking the Lich¡¯s path. It wasn¡¯t actually me, but a memory. The Lich stood before me, his hand stretched forward, touching my chest. Black tentacles of Corruption moved under my skin. The Rob from the memory tried to yell, but no sound came from his mouth. I was getting converted into a Corrupted monster. Then, at the very last moment, Loki jumped out of my pocket. With a black whirl of mana, he turned into the man of the Avatar¡¯s memory¡ªAlex from R&D.

    How dare you!

    The Lich yelled directly into my brain.

    ¡°How dare you!¡± Loki replied, channeling a sea of flames from the palms of his hands.

    Primal mana flowed through my hands as the Corruption severed my contact with the System.

    Give it back!

    Then, I performed true magic. The ceiling melted, and the System Avatar paused the memory. He approached Loki and examined his human form: black, straight, long hair, pale skin, and blue eyes, dressed in a red tunic.

    ¡°This is Alex from R&D, but why?¡± he muttered.

    Then, the realization hit me.

    ¡°The Lich isn¡¯t asking me to give back his powers, because I¡¯m not using his power. I¡¯m using the Fountain,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s asking Loki to return his appearance, his body.¡±

    The System Avatar was in shock.

    ¡°Gag me with a spoon. You turned yourself into an undead, Alex¡­ no, it must be a coincidence. He would¡¯ve never. The Changeling must¡¯ve been born in the late development stage and saw our memories. There¡¯s no way Alex turned himself into an undead,¡± he muttered.

    Despite the System Avatar¡¯s denial, I knew the Lich was the man from his memories.

    ¡°It¡¯s him. The Lich recognized the runes. He knows who you are,¡± I said with a severe tone. ¡°Fast forward to our last encounter, a few days ago. He mentioned you and wanted me to give him the Access Rune.¡±

    The System Avatar cursed.

    ¡°If you knew all of this, why didn¡¯t you mention it earlier!¡± he yelled, all traces of his cold, machine-like demeanor gone.

    ¡°You were having a mental breakdown!¡± I shouted back.

    A wave of nausea hit me. The scene changed to my fight against the Lich in the Chrysalimorph¡¯s body. Behind a fallen tree, I saw Pyrrah and Hallas cowering like baby owls during a thunderstorm. They were horrified. In the middle of the clearing, beside the fallen pine, the Lich ranted about the bigger and meaner things prowling in the deep Farlands.

    ¡°Oh my God. This is worse than I expected,¡± the System Avatar said. ¡°The Access Rune is dangerous, but this is even worse. Alex knows every single nook and cranny of the System. He could dismantle the System in a single day if he wanted. He could make changes¡­¡±

    I massaged my temples.

    ¡°That scene has been in my brain for months now. Why didn''t you notice before?¡± I grunted.

    The System Avatar glared at me, offended.

    ¡°Well, sorry for respecting your privacy,¡± he said sharply. ¡°Do you even know how many hours my living self spent convincing everyone not to add a subroutine to zap anyone with the slightest murderous intent? Because it¡¯s not that hard. The System can be a slave collar with very few changes. Look at the Zealots!¡±

    I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.

    ¡°Let¡¯s think. This might be our only chance to get in contact in a while,¡± I said. I needed to know more about my enemy. ¡°The Lich can use true spells like you and the HR woman. Am I right?¡±

    The System Avatar nodded, understanding the intentions behind the question.

    ¡°Alex could animate puppets. It was very useful in and out of combat, but he never explained how he created them. After the initial fiasco, sharing information about our skills became taboo,¡± he said. ¡°The puppets acted like Alex, as if they inherited part of his personality.¡±

    Puppets. It made sense he turned into a Lich. His bodies I¡¯ve met weren¡¯t the real ones but fakes.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t find his real body, we can¡¯t kill him,¡± I said.

    A devilish grin appeared on the System Avatar¡¯s face. ¡°He¡¯s using a node as a hideout. I know it. I smell foul play. There¡¯s no way so much Corruption appeared in such little time.¡±

    ¡°A node?¡± I asked.

    System technicalities were outside my range of expertise.

    ¡°The System has four levels. The centralized code connecting to the Fountain, transmission nodes in charge of computation, proxies serving as a bridge, and the end users,¡± the System Avatar said, still grinning. ¡°Technically, the example is wrong, but it is the best way to visualize it. What¡¯s important is that we cast powerful camouflage spells to cloak the nodes. Users and non-users can¡¯t find them. The System blocks the users, and the non-users don¡¯t have strong enough spells to dispel the mirages. However, the Access Rune will allow you to find them.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    I grinned back. The Lich would pay for everything he had done to me and the kids.

    ¡°So, which node are we looking for?¡± I asked.

    ¡°There are dozens of nodes in the area, but one has been malfunctioning a lot more than the others,¡± the System Avatar said. ¡°Remember the set of coordinates I gave you? The zero represents the starting point, where I gave the coordinates to your orc student. The next three digits are an angle. East is zero degrees, north ninety degrees, and so on. The rest is the distance between you and the location, in meters, of course. I¡¯m not a barbarian.¡±

    I closed my eyes and remembered the number¡ªnine digits¡ª012768012. Our target was sixty-eight kilometers and twelve meters northwest of the position Wolf had received the coordinates. Without [Foresight] assisting me, it was hard to do the mental math, but as soon as the System Avatar let me go, I could subtract the distance from the starting point to Umolo and figure out where to go from there.

    ¡°Do you think you could¡¯ve decrypted it without my help?¡± the System Avatar asked with a smug smile.

    ¡°It would¡¯ve taken me less than a day. Not many sets of coordinates work if you don¡¯t have a map.¡± I replied.

    The memory around us trembled, and I knew our reunion was coming to an end.

    ¡°The security subroutine?¡±

    The System Avatar nodded. ¡°Killing the Lich and getting rid of the Corrupted node might give us enough time¡­ you are still on board with my plan, right? You don¡¯t feel like pulling a Byrne?¡±

    I raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, man. You don¡¯t seem to be putting much effort into it, and I am a technology junkie. I¡¯m sure a load of guns will solve the whole Corruption matter.¡±

    The System Avatar wasn¡¯t happy with my answer.

    ¡°You know I can¡¯t boost you if that¡¯s what you¡¯re hinting at. I¡¯m not in control of almost anything, really. Other than these pockets of memory hidden in the proxies, I cannot edit the code.¡±

    I scratched my chin, deep in thought. If the System Crystals worked as the bridge between users and nodes, he might be able to code something I needed. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be helpful to combat the Lich, but I was confident in my ability to kick his ass without any external help.

    ¡°I want to give Wolf a chance to live the life he intends. The Greyfangs offered to scrub the System from him, so I assume this Crystal can do that,¡± I said.

    The System Avatar nodded. ¡°I can write a suspension subroutine. Give me your hand.¡±

    The Avatar¡¯s hand closed around my wrist like a steel pincer. Then, the pain blinded me. I felt like someone had pressed a red hot branding iron against the palm of my hand. He let me go, and I pulled back. I examined the area, but the rune disappeared without a trace.

    There was no sign of damage.

    ¡°It will only work once, so be careful,¡± the System Avatar said. ¡°Please, Robert, kill that rat.¡±

    The vision trembled, and everything went black. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the System Crystal room in Umolo citadel. It was night, and I knew not a second had passed since I brushed my fingers against the crystal. The crystal, however, lost its color, and its surface turned opaque, just like it had happened with the one in Farcrest.

    [Foresight] activated again, and a flood of information streamed into my brain. It took me a moment to regulate the amount of mana of the skill. I had a lot of thinking to do.

    I used the wind-shot boots to propel myself into the ceiling platform and exited the room. Without being seen, I returned to the base camp. I examined my hand. The rune was barely visible, even after sharpening my mana sense to the extreme. Now, I needed the opportunity to talk to Wolf.

    _____

    Breakfast was more active than usual.

    ¡°No. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m doing that,¡± Ilya said, smashing his bowl against the table in protest.

    We were sitting on the floor next to the fire pit, having breakfast early in the morning. The seven of us were cramped around the small table, eating rice pudding. Hallas clung to me, trying to put space between himself and Firana. The girl gestured with her spoon, throwing slimy rice grains all around.

    ¡°I volunteer! I¡¯m a very good negotiator,¡± Firana said, jumping in place.

    ¡°Bullying Zaon into sharing his food isn¡¯t negotiating, Firana. This is Ilya¡¯s job,¡± I said, stopping her before Ilya could seize the moment and bail out.

    Firana groaned and rolled her eyes.

    The orcs of the outer camp wanted to meet me, but I was too busy enchanting bullets with Ginz to negotiate with them. I had a secret weapon, though. My loyal second in command. Ilya.

    ¡°This is not going to end well,¡± Ilya said, massaging her temples.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if things go south. You just need to make an appearance. We will not stay at Umolo for long. We will go on a trip as soon as we finish with the weapons,¡± I announced.

    The group was caught by surprise.

    ¡°I know where the Lich¡¯s original body is hidden. If we want to stop the Monster Surge and return home, we must destroy it. And, most importantly, if the Lich is gone, the Forest Warden will die too,¡± I said, glancing at the elves.

    They nodded, eager to get going.

    ¡°So, what should I offer them?¡± Ilya asked, leaving her bowl aside and putting the cloak over her shoulders.

    ¡°Defensive items, like enchanted armor and shields, but don¡¯t go overboard. Enchanting ammunition is our priority,¡± I replied. ¡°Remember. Our goal is to make friends, not servants. Treat them fairly, but don¡¯t let them push you around.¡±

    Ilya nodded and took Zaon with her.

    With the cat out of the bag, it wasn¡¯t necessary to keep hiding my runeweaving skills. I had promised to give Hallas and Pyrrah enchanted armor as a ¡®consolation prize¡¯ after my refusal to enchant guns from them. They seemed satisfied with the outcome, but they hadn¡¯t seen the true strength of fire weapons yet. That was a problem for the future Rob. For the moment, the elven duo was cooperative.

    I had a lot of work to do, so I put my bowl down and sat in the corner of the room to continue with the bullet enchanting. Ginz worked at a surprising speed, and after a night of work, we had almost a hundred bullets ready. We would need several times more for a long trip.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go patrol the wall,¡± Hallas said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go too,¡± Pyrrah said, giving me a knowing look.

    They were going to spy on the Greyfangs.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a mission for me?¡± Firana asked just to quickly add, ¡°A mission that doesn¡¯t involve washing dishes?¡±

    Ginz laughed. ¡°Washing the dishes from time to time won¡¯t kill you.¡±

    Firana showed him her tongue.

    ¡°I have a mission for someone with your skills. Dassyra doesn¡¯t want me to contact Wolf, but I need you to pass him a message,¡± I whispered. Without Ilya¡¯s spirit animal, I wouldn¡¯t know if the elves were spying on the Greyfangs or ourselves. Despite wanting to trust them, I couldn¡¯t, not after Janus¡¯ betrayal.

    Firana looked at me, confused.

    ¡°Tell Wolf the Greyfangs aren¡¯t trustworthy, but if he wants, I can get rid of his Class,¡± I said.

    Firana didn¡¯t even ask how I could remove someone¡¯s class and darted out of the tent.

    It was Ginz who asked, shifting away from me as if I was a venomous snake.

    ¡°You can do that?¡±

    ¡°I met the System Avatar last night and asked him for a one-time favor,¡± I replied. ¡°I have bad news. We have to hurry with the bullets. If we don¡¯t kill the Lich, Corruption will get out of control and break the System sooner than expected.¡±

    Ginz held a Ghoul bone shard before his eyes, scanning for imperfections.

    At this point, he seemed used to such news.

    ¡°Do you think we should live like orcs and elves? Without the System, I mean. I¡¯ve been thinking, and maybe errors are unavoidable. As a craftsman, sometimes you don¡¯t realize the failures in the materials until later,¡± Ginz asked as the bone cracked between his fingers.

    Byrne had reached the same conclusion. The System was faulty by design, and the only way out was for it to disappear, even if the current generation would have to pay for the Corruption debt of their parents and grandparents.

    ¡°Would you renounce your Class?¡± I asked.

    Ginz grinned. ¡°In a couple more years, at this rate, I will be a Prestige Class¡ªthe only Prestige craftsman in Farcrest. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to renounce that. I don¡¯t know if anyone would renounce their Class. I know, though, that if a hobo like you comes out of nowhere saying the end of the System is near, nobody will.¡±

    I laughed. Ginz had a point. The Classes weren¡¯t just tools, but people¡¯s identities and the reflection of their worth and efforts. It would require generations to create a paradigm shift, and time wasn¡¯t on our side.

    We continued talking for hours as we crafted the bullets, and I realized how much I missed the orphanage.

    After a while, Ginz sighed.

    ¡°The creator of the System made a mistake. After seeing the illusions of your homeland, I believe humans aren¡¯t supposed to do magic at all,¡± Ginz said. ¡°Maybe our greatest gift was creativity, and the System killed it before we could use it. With the System in place, we didn¡¯t have the necessity of inventing anything.¡±

    I had the uneasy feeling Ginz was about to enter his mad inventor arc.

    ¡°Technology can be used to commit heinous¡ª¡±

    Suddenly, the ground trembled, and the specks of environmental mana quivered.

    An area spell?

    It didn¡¯t feel as such.

    ¡°Stay here,¡± I said, grabbing the enchanted leather jacket and jumping outside the tent.

    My gut told me this wasn¡¯t a regular earthquake.

    Before I could go far, a bright light from the horizon blinded me. Not even the stone wall protected me. I covered my eyes with my arm. The world was saturated with mana. Even with a high-level mana sense, I saw nothing but a bright haze wrap it all up.

    After a moment, the light receded, and I opened my eyes.

    Beyond the horizon, a tree rose hundreds of meters into the sky.

 175 - Kids with guns

    Chapter 175

    Far into the forest, the mysterious tree stood like a silent colossus dominating the valley. The canopy stretched wide, casting a massive shadow on the mountainside. It wasn¡¯t a species I¡¯d seen before, but it looked vaguely like an oak. The leaves were green despite the winter season, with strong secondary branches that could host a whole village.

    I gazed in awe. The tree was far behind the hills, yet it rose over everything. It was hard to guess its size without a known landmark, but it easily exceeded four hundred meters. At first, I just stared, letting [Foresight] run the trigonometric calculations, but my brain slowly realized something wasn¡¯t right. Trees didn¡¯t just spawn out of thin air, and they certainly didn¡¯t spawn in the direction the System Avatar had sent me.

    Hallas and Pyrrah appeared out of nowhere. They were out of breath, and their faces were dangerously pale. I smelled terrible news.

    ¡°We have to move, Robert. The Forest Warden isn¡¯t just nurturing Chrysalimorphs. It is creating a true body,¡± Hallas said, his voice agitated. ¡°We have to burn it down before it¡¯s complete.¡±

    Pyrrah fidgeted nervously.

    ¡°Please,¡± she said.

    I shook my head. ¡°We are not ready,¡± I said.

    Despite working long hours, we were still far from our ammo goal.

    ¡°This is not a matter of readiness. When the Forest Warden obtains its true body, none of us will be able to face it and survive,¡± Hallas retorted.

    ¡°If we enter the wilderness unprepared, we are also as good as dead,¡± I replied.

    Hallas continued with his diatribe, but I ignored him. I headed toward the outer camp. There was no sign of a monster attack, but I wanted to ensure Ilya was safe. The elves followed me, but my silence discouraged further pleading. The answer was final. I wasn¡¯t taking the kids into the wilderness before we had enough ammo to survive a long stay.

    The Greyfangs watched us go through.

    The outer camp was paralyzed. The orcs had stopped their work and instead watched over the horizon, trying to make sense of the colossal tree. As they saw us approaching, they greeted us with a polite bow and allowed us to pass without opposition. After pushing out several monster incursions, we were moderately famous among the outer camp, and every time we stepped out of Umolo, they tried to load us with gifts and offerings.

    Orcs had a strict karma system. They avoided trade, yet they seemed to have a sixth sense to measure and repay favors. The same had happened with the Teal Moon tribe. It wasn¡¯t Dassyra¡¯s goodwill that bought us time inside Umolo but the fact we safely escorted Wolf back home through a Monster Surge.

    It was a strange system, but it worked well for them.

    We were walking toward the center of the camp when Ilya¡¯s [Spirit Animal] landed on my head. The girl appeared a moment later, followed by Zaon and a short orc warrior. I wondered if their escort was a half-orc. The warriors of the outer camp typically wore cheap linen and leather armor. However, this one wore a mail coif that covered their head and shoulders, chainmail armor, pauldrons, a helmet, and a human-size arming sword in his belt.

    I could barely see his eyes through the coif and helmet.

    ¡°Did you see the tree?¡± Ilya asked.

    ¡°I think everyone saw it,¡± I replied, looking at the half-orc. It was strange to see an orc wearing head protection. ¡°What¡¯s the situation in the camp?¡±

    ¡°There is no sign of monsters, but I think it¡¯s too early to tell. That thing has to be about two days of travel from here,¡± Ilya said, leading the way back toward the gate.

    [Foresight] had reached the same conclusion. If my calculations weren¡¯t faulty, the Forest Warden tree was about sixty kilometers northwest of our position, near the location of the Lich¡¯s true body.

    ¡°What do we know about the tree?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I already told you. The Forest Warden is a spirit, yet it has a true body. That tree is the medium to grow it,¡± Hallas grunted. ¡°We will not just have to face the Chrysalimorphs, and the spawns of the Warden¡¯s Tree!¡±

    ¡°So, monsters are coming,¡± I asked.

    ¡°Most probably,¡± Hallas replied. ¡°And we should be going before this place is overrun.¡±

    ¡°We should help the outer camp,¡± Zaon interrupted him.

    I grinned. A wave of monsters might be what we needed. The kids needed levels, and the enchanted guns were almost ready. I reached level twenty-one during the last attack, but the kids were still around level ten. No matter how many monsters we killed, the Greyfangs seemed to leech our experience. If we wanted the experience, we might need to intercept the wave before the Greyfangs could engage.

    ¡°Let¡¯s return to the tent first,¡± I said. ¡°Our decision will depend on Ginz¡¯s progress.¡±

    The elves nodded, and we hurried toward the gate.

    Behind us, the orc¡¯s chainmail jingled.

    Ilya turned on her heels.

    ¡°Enough, you can return now,¡± she said, annoyed.

    ¡°I must ensure Honored Ilya returns safely to Umolo,¡± the warrior replied. His voice was juvenile. He must be a young half-orc like Wolf. The size matched. He was barely taller than me, and not much more muscular.

    Ilya grunted, but no matter how many times she rejected the company, the young orc kept his word. Honored Ilya had to return safely to Umolo. I softly elbowed Ilya with a grin on my face.

    ¡°A fan?¡± I whispered.

    ¡°A nuisance,¡± she replied.

    I wondered what happened during the negotiations.

    ¡°Ilya took your words to heart. She knocked their socks off,¡± Zaon added, only to be shot down by a single glance from the girl.

    The young orc warrior bowed and returned to the outer camp as soon as we reached the gates.

    ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for a mission report,¡± I said, giving Ilya a mischievous smile.

    The girl returned an irritated grimace.

    ¡°Everything turned out fine. Orcs seem to have a favorable view of us despite our Classes, and we should be focusing on that damned tree,¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to hear the details.¡±

    Zaon nodded.

    The orcs had greeted them with suspicion. Those orcs who hadn¡¯t seen Zaon and Ilya in action assumed they had weak physiques and doubted their capacity to protect the camp. The elders of the camp proposed a friendly sparring match. Zaon was paired with a young orc, and Ilya was paired with the armored half-orc because there was no adult closer in size to the gnome girl.

    Ilya had been astute enough to order Zaon not to use any skills. It had been a smart call, and the elders were surprised when both won their respective matches. After the fight, Ilya even went full-on pedagogic mode and scolded the armored warrior. Footwork wasn''t the orc''s forte. They relied on their powerful arms and backs to cleave their opponents.

    Ilya gave quite the show and even taught some swordsmanship basics. By the end of the reunion, the elders understood that, unlike most System users, Ilya had earned her skills through her own effort. However, before they could reach an accord, the bright explosion cut the negotiations short.

    As Ilya had succinctly said, everything turned out fine.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Good job, you two,¡± I said, proud. ¡°Did you find out why they refuse to become part of a tribe of the pact and gain access to Umolo?¡±

    ¡°Strong tribal identities,¡± Ilya said. ¡°Orcs are pragmatic, but becoming part of another tribe is like asking them to move into another person¡¯s living room and play by their rulebook. They would rather maintain their autonomy, traditions, and norms. Did you know tribes have their private language, which they use only to talk to other tribe members?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know that.

    The outer camp wanting to maintain distance from Umolo¡¯s tribes might be advantageous. I didn¡¯t trust the Greyfangs, and my relationship with Dassyra was still strained. There had to be a thousand orcs in the outer camp. Befriending them would give us a powerful ally as long as they could tolerate the traces of the System. I felt like I was starting to understand them. After all, the warrior¡¯s trance was just a fringe usage of Fountain Mana and it created Corruption in a controlled manner. Much like elves, they didn¡¯t oppose the System''s usage entirely.

    Firana and Wolf were waiting for us outside the tent. Wolf spoke first.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the scene my mother made, Mister Clarke,¡± Wolf said.

    I gave him a firm hug.

    ¡°Parents always make a fuss,¡± I jokingly said.

    He laughed, ashamed.

    Ilya pushed us inside the tent. ¡°Let¡¯s leave Wolf¡¯s mommy issues for later. We have a monster tree growing in our backyard,¡± she said.

    ¡°Good call, Small-time Mathematician,¡± Wolf replied.

    Firana and Zaon laughed, but unlike the kids, Hallas and Pyrrah were pale and jittery. [Foresight] told me they still had a secret regarding the Warden¡¯s Tree. No. Hallas was keeping the secret. Pyrrah was just playing along. Too bad for him, [Foresight] made me highly sensitive to facial and body cues.

    I¡¯d have to ask her when Hallas was away.

    Ginz sanded a wooden stock¡ªa doppelganger of the M1 Garand¡ªwith a mana cloth. On the workbench, there was already an assembled rifle. The advantage of enchanted guns was that we saved the pain of designing and producing a firing mechanism. No moving parts meant we needed only a barrel, a chamber, a stock, and a few screws.

    ¡°With a coat of varnish, these will look sleek,¡± Ginz greeted us.

    I examined the first-ever enchanted rifle. The weight settled in my hands, and a strangely comforting feeling encroached on me. I wasn¡¯t a gun nut. If anything, loud noises weren¡¯t my thing, yet the weapon felt reassuring. I shouldered it. The stock was comfortable. The only weirdness was the lack of a trigger, yet Ginz had carved the stock with a grip and a resting spot for the finger.

    ¡°You have to enchant the firing mechanism, but otherwise, it¡¯s ready,¡± Ginz said. ¡°I¡¯d have the next one in a minute.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Ginz. You are the best,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh, yeah? Tell me more. I¡¯m sure the true Elincia will be thrilled when she hears you compliment me more than her,¡± he replied.

    The mere mention of Elincia stung my chest.

    Despite the imminent danger, the kids laughed. We may be so used to dangerous situations that we were utterly desensitized. The elves, at least, didn¡¯t share our mood. In times like these, it was better to keep them busy.

    ¡°Can you two watch over the outer camp? I don¡¯t think monsters will come soon, but I want an eye on them just in case,¡± I said.

    The elves nodded and left the tent.

    I sat at the workbench and disassembled the rifle to access the shooter. Ginz helped me extract the shooter, a metal piece detached from the barrel. Then, I outlined the enchantment. It was short compared to the Wind-Shot boots, so that it wouldn¡¯t require much mana.

    ¡°I need blood,¡± I said.

    ¡°Whose blood?¡± Firana replied, pulling a knife.

    Her willingness to answer my request was nothing short of worrying.

    I enchanted the Force-User-Direction-Bind string. I poured my mana into the enchantment. It didn¡¯t require much, as I purposely underpowered the Force rune. A minute later, the enchantment brimmed with mana, but it didn¡¯t close.

    ¡°I need your blood to bind the weapon to you,¡± I explained.

    Firana pulled her knife.

    ¡°Just a drop!¡± I quickly added as she raised the weapon with a glint of madness in her eyes.

    Firana pricked her thumb. A drop of blood fell on the metal shooter, and the circuit closed. Only Firana could use the weapon, but unlike the Aias Sword, the enchantment wouldn¡¯t harm people trying to trigger the spell. I still hadn¡¯t figured out how to do that.

    ¡°Shu would¡¯ve loved this,¡± Ilya pointed out.

    ¡°She¡¯s a natural-born cultist, isn¡¯t she?¡± Wolf added.

    Speaking about the orphanage made me feel nostalgic.

    Firana grabbed the rifle and shouldered it.

    ¡°Look me in the eye and tell me I don¡¯t look cool,¡± she said.

    ¡°You look very cool,¡± I said.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t stroke her ego,¡± Ilya sighed as Firana grinned, lost in her thoughts.

    I examined the weapon.

    Clarke&Ginz Smoothbore Blaster. [Identify]: A bound enchantment-triggered weapon designed and fabricated by the Craftsman Enzio Ginz of Farcrest.

    ¡°Ginz is your surname!¡± I pointed out, ignoring the System¡¯s naming convention.

    The revelation came as a shock.

    ¡°Yes, name¡¯s Enzio, but there was another Enzio in the orphanage already, so everyone called me Ginz,¡± Ginz replied nonchalantly.

    Nobody had called Ginz by his first name in the seven months I lived in the orphanage. At least the kids were right to call him ¡®Mister Ginz¡¯ during the crafts lessons. The situation reminded me that I still had much to learn from the residence of the orphanage.

    That wasn¡¯t, however, the last surprise of the day.

    ¡°I have something for you all,¡± Firana said, jumping behind the wooden screen.

    I glanced at Wolf, looking for a hint about Firana¡¯s surprise, but the boy diverted his eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit nervous. Firana thrashed behind the screen, casting wind gusts that pushed the tent¡¯s walls. The girl jumped out a moment later, wearing the finished Ghoul leather armor.

    ¡°Nice pecs, dude,¡± Ilya giggled.

    Firana struck a pose, flaunting the muscled cuirass with faulds down to the knee. The design was elegant and intimidating. The male pectorals seemed out of place against Firana¡¯s beaming face, but it was better than the alternative.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve asked for boobs,¡± Firana said.

    ¡°Boob armor is no good,¡± I replied matter-of-factly.

    We all tried the armor. Despite its hardness, it was surprisingly comfortable. The lack of pauldrons made moving easy, and the faulds weren¡¯t as cumbersome as I expected. The armor came with a set of padded linen gambeson to use underneath, as well as Ghoul leather braces, but no helmets. I wondered if the lack of headgear was an honor thing or if orc skulls were just that resistant.

    I enchanted the armor with a Reinforcement-Insulation spell while we waited for Ginz to finish the stocks. The Ghoul armor had such a high enchantment threshold that it felt terrible to waste enchantment space with a simple Reinforcement rune. Not that I had any other runes to add to the mix. I silenced my inner perfectionist and continued enchanting.

    ¡°The armor doesn¡¯t do me justice. I¡¯m more ripped than this,¡± Wolf joked.

    Despite my plight with Dassyra, the orc boy seemed in a good mood. I expected everyone to be more nervous, considering the Warden¡¯s Tree appeared out of nowhere, but their spirits were high, and even Ilya was playing along. The kids had a good synergy in and out of combat.

    Finally, Ginz finished with the wooden stocks, and after a few enchantments, every kid got a rifle. They looked like a proper fire team. A part of my brain complained about arming kids with more guns, but it was that or risk death. The rifles were much safer than the shotgun, so I convinced myself it wasn¡¯t all that bad.

    Ginz prepared a few practice bullets, and we went to a remote part of the base camp, where the wall hit the mountain, to test the weapons. They had already mastered gun safety, but only Wolf and Ilya had experience shooting.

    I used [Mirage] to cast an illusory wall around us to keep the practice a secret.

    Even without my explicit input, Ginz had added an iron sight, and after an hour, the kids started hitting the illusory targets consistently. Ilya was the best shooter by far, followed by Wolf, Zaon, and Firana. Illya¡¯s bow skills translated to guns to a certain extent. Combat would be different, but at least I had an approximate measure of their proficiency.

    ¡°Halt!¡± I yelled, and the kids lowered their guns.

    Pyrrah dropped from the wall. Her boots shone white with Fountain mana, and her fall slowed until she graciously touched the ground. [Mirage] worked better than I expected. She was less than a hundred meters away but couldn¡¯t see us.

    I cut the skill and called for her.

    ¡°Monsters are coming in our direction! We have a few hours before they arrive,¡± she announced agitatedly. The attack was coming faster than I expected. ¡°The orcs are already informed, but it seems the Greyfangs have no intention of fighting outside the walls anymore. Dassyra¡¯s warriors seem eager, but I don¡¯t know if Warchief Callaid will allow them outside the wall without the Greyfang''s support.¡±

    Pyrrah took a deep breath, her eyes wide open in fear.

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    A couple of hours was enough time to put together a defense.

    ¡°Do you know what kind of monsters are coming?¡± I asked as I started walking back to the Teal Moon camp.

    ¡°Chrysalimorphs, most certainly. Saplings, Spriggans, and Gloomcrawlers, maybe. They are not as scary as Chrysalimorphs, so they shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you,¡± Pyrra said.

    ¡°What about the orcs?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A small group of Spriggans and Gloomcrawlers could kill several orcs. An army of them could wipe out the outer camp, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to break the wall,¡± Pyrra said.

    It wasn¡¯t Umolo that was in danger. Depending on the Lich¡¯s forces, I could endanger the kids if I took them outside the walls. No matter our equipment or levels, if the monsters outnumbered us, we would be in a losing position. Not even the best swordmaster could defeat three opponents at the same time.

    ¡°We are ready to fight. We drew this here, so we should help the outer camp.¡± Ilya¡¯s voice brought me back to the present.

    Zaon nodded. ¡°I agree. They can¡¯t do it on their own. I¡¯d say we help them¡­ if it is a vote.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in, but Wolf has to ask his mom for permission to go out and play,¡± Firana grinned.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll just disobey curfew. You will need me in case you scratch your knees,¡± Wolf replied.

    I wondered if that was Wolf¡¯s admission of wanting to keep his Class.

    As we walked back to the tent, I felt ashamed. I¡¯d been treating the orcs of the outer camp as a means to an end. My father would¡¯ve been disappointed. I was disappointed in myself. Luckily, the kids had shown me the right thing to do.

    ¡°We will go to the outer camp to prepare the defenses. Ginz, you stay here and continue crafting. Firana will come to collect any extra ammo before the attack,¡± I said. Then I turned and grabbed Wolf¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I have a mission for you. I need you to convince Dassyra to help us.¡±

 176 - Free orcs

    Chapter 176

    As soon as we arrived at the outer camp I had a bad feeling. The camp was in disarray, which was uncharacteristic for orcs. However, as much as I examined our surroundings, there was no sign of monsters.

    Ilya guided us to the central square. It seemed to be an orc custom to have a clear space in the center of their camp. We encountered the elders giving orders to their subordinates, but there was no semblance of unity. Each tribe seemed to be securing its area, disregarding the overall camp. Just like the tribes inside the walls¡ªtogether but not mixed.

    Ilya¡¯s fan approached us, his armor jingling. He stood out like a sore thumb with his chainmail armor and closed helmet. I noticed urgency in his step.

    ¡°Shamans said monsters are coming. Honored Ilya and friends should return to the walls. Soon, it will not be safe here,¡± he said, his voice muffled beneath the helmet and the mail coif.

    ¡°We know! We are here to help you pile of green mold!¡± Ilya replied.

    Whatever the young orc warrior had done, it had deeply upset Ilya.

    ¡°What is the situation?¡± I asked.

    The orc shifted his attention to me.

    ¡°And you would be?¡± he asked with a hint of suspicion.

    ¡°Robert Clarke, Ilya¡¯s teacher,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Oh! Revered Robert Clarke, allow me to be your guide. The elders and the chieftains would like to meet you,¡± he said, doing three clumsy bows.

    Ilya rolled her eyes.

    The camp lacked unity. The orcs had cut down trees to build makeshift defenses. However, each tribe had tried to secure its plot of land, resulting in incomplete palisades scattered around the camp. If a battle broke out, the blockades would be a nuisance for our own warriors rather than an effective defense. The palisades created blindspots, detours, and indefensible bottlenecks.

    Orcs were used to skirmishes in the open, not full-fledged sieges.

    [Foresight] predicted that monsters would wipe out the camp if we didn''t do anything.

    ¡°This doesn''t look good. I thought they had agreed to cooperate,¡± Ilya whispered.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a cooperation problem. It¡¯s a leadership issue,¡± I replied.

    My knowledge about camp defense was from an old encyclopedia with color illustrations of a Roman castrum. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was better than whatever the orcs were doing.

    The armored half-orc went ahead and announced our arrival. I noticed I still didn¡¯t know his name. [Foresight] told me asking Ilya would only piss her off further.

    ¡°Revered Robert Clarke, Honored Ilya, and his entourage,¡± the half-orc shouted, his voice cracking. He caught the elder¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Robert Clarke, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± an old orc said. His hair and beard were completely white, yet his wrinkled body was still muscular, at least for human standards. His eyes were still sharp. ¡°We would love to continue the negotiations, but we are busy at the moment. This is an orc¡¯s matter.¡±

    The elders greeted us but instantly turned away, entangled in a heated discussion. They had made it clear our input wasn¡¯t required at the moment. The warriors escorting the elders seemed more interested in me. Some of them must¡¯ve seen us in action.

    I scratched my chin. I¡¯d been in teachers'' councils more chaotic than this, but I was never expected to take the initiative. As an outsider, there was little chance they would consider my advice, much less my orders. Still, I had to try.

    ¡°At this rate, the entire outer camp will be wiped out,¡± I said, raising my voice.

    The elder¡¯s argument subsided, but before I could develop my point, an orc chieftain came forward. I didn¡¯t recognize his emblems. Just like the tribes inside the walls, the tribes of the outer camp had their symbols. However, there were hundreds of small tribes, so it was hard to remember them all. The warrior had a red hand stamped on the chest. An elder wearing a robe with the same markings tried to stop him, but the warrior was having none of it.

    It seemed our fame hadn¡¯t reached every corner of the camp.

    ¡°We will hear what Robert Clarke has to say,¡± an elder said.

    I slowly bowed, buying time to let [Foresight] soak in the scene.

    ¡°You have the numbers, but you are working like ants of different nests. This isn¡¯t a skirmish. You can win with your usual tactics. This is a siege. And unless you treat it like one, you will lose,¡± I said, ignoring the angry chieftain.

    My words seemed to ruffle feathers, but I had chosen them with that purpose. The elders whispered. Some seemed to agree with me, while others fought back. The chieftain whom I was ignoring was fuming. He broke up from the group and headed toward me.

    Ilya¡¯s admirer got in the way, but he was pushed aside like a ragdoll.

    I grinned. Orcs were pragmatic when it came to domestic affairs but prideful when it came to relations with other tribes.

    ¡°No one calls the Red Hands ants,¡± he said, pulling out his cleaver.

    The elders, unfazed, moved to the sidelines.

    Ilya¡¯s admirer got up. ¡°Let me fight for you, Revered. Chieftain Mur is a strong warrior.¡±

    ¡°If Chieftain Mur wants to fight, I¡¯ll oblige,¡± I replied.

    I couldn¡¯t help those who didn¡¯t want to be helped, but maybe a little display of strength would change their minds. I had to be fast, though. Monsters were approaching Umolo as we spoke.

    The kids stood by the elders, and I drew my sword. The orcs around us stopped working to watch us fight. The Red Hands seemed especially invested in the bout. I counted two dozen of them. It wasn¡¯t a big tribe like the Teal Moons, yet Chieftain Mur appeared to have a powerful voice in the elder council.

    Despite Chieftain Mur¡¯s size, I felt no pressure.

    I raised my sword, and Mur attacked. [Swordsmanship] took control of my brain, and my body moved on its own. [Foresight] showed me Mur¡¯s future movements like a ghost ahead of his path. A sluggish ghost. He was way slower than Dassyra, and the orc sword technique was easily predictable. It was designed to be effective against monsters, not other swordsmen.

    I parried, preparing my body for the shockwave, but it never came.

    Mur¡¯s cleaver bounced away, and [Foresight] showed me the shortest path for the kill¡ªheart, throat, eye. I wasn¡¯t looking to kill him. I shifted my sword, and mustering all my strength, I buried the pommel deep into his liver. At first, the attack seemed ineffective, but a second later, Mur crumbled, groaning in pain.

    Twenty levels must¡¯ve given me more strength than expected because Mur remained on the ground, squirming like a worm. It took me a moment to break out my astonishment. I raised my sword and pointed to the nearest Red Hand warrior.

    ¡°You, fight me!¡± I said, but the warrior stepped back. ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡±

    I pointed at a chieftain of a different tribe, but he looked away.

    Mur still groaned, clutching to his stomach.

    In medieval battles, most casualties occurred when formations broke. If we wanted to survive, we needed a strong frontline. I wondered if a display of strength was enough to buy their goodwill. It had worked with Dassyra.

    The elders joined heads.

    ¡°Chieftain Mur is one of our best warriors, Robert Clarke. If you were an orc, you could¡¯ve been a Warchief, but you are not. You are a human, yet you didn¡¯t use System magic¡ªjust like Ilya the day before,¡± an elder said. ¡°We have seen you fight and we are grateful for your help and interest, but we can¡¯t trust outsiders. Many times strangers came with gifts, and every single time they were poisoned. Everything comes down to a single question. Why are you so eager to help us, Robert Clarke?¡±

    I realized I was overlooking an important orc custom. Despite their lack of commerce, the orc social order was all about favors and rewards.

    ¡°I promised to kill the Forest Warden. I want to take command of the defense force to destroy its army,¡± I said, and the elder¡¯s face brightened. Karma. ¡°Let me take temporary command, and I will provide a hundred pieces of enchanted armor for those warriors who decide to join me on the frontline. After the fight, you can keep them as a token of appreciation.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    The elders nodded in agreement.

    ¡°The wildlands have become increasingly dangerous as years passed, and now there¡¯s no moon a warrior isn¡¯t sacrificed to the Trance,¡± the elder said. ¡°We are not tribes of the pact, so maybe our answer isn¡¯t in tradition but in new ideas. What is your plan, Warchief?¡±

    I grinned. Warchief had a nice ring to it.

    I channeled my mana and summoned an aerial view of the camp.

    ¡°I want a ditch and a blockade on the perimeter. The first five rows of tents have to go so that we have at least thirty meters of clear space for the defensive forces,¡± I explained, moving the pieces like a general. ¡°Wood alone will not endure the charge of a monster army, but we can prepare the terrain to have the numbers advantage. The blockades will work as bulwarks, funneling monsters through narrow gaps in the wall. If we control the number of monsters that are active in the fight, we can control the tide of the battle.¡±

    The elders deliberated, and after a minute of pushing and pulling, they agreed on the number of enchanted armor each tribe would receive. A few tribes pulled back from the deal, but most were on my victory wagon. We headed to the outskirts of the camp and I projected my vision of the defenses. To improve efficiency, each tribe would be in charge of a section, so I color-coded the illusion so everyone knew what and where to do it.

    The elders and chieftains directed their workers. Everyone brought the palisades and spike barriers they had been setting around their plots of land. [Foresight] told me we had enough to put up a solid defense.

    The orcs dismantled the camp''s first layers, reducing its overall area and, therefore, its perimeter. In a little more than an hour, hundreds of orcs excavated a deep ditch. Each orc had the strength of a small excavator. For the finishing touch, pikes were buried along the ditch. Monsters would have a hard time getting into the camp from the sides.

    Our main defense was set facing the forest¡ªfour sturdy bulwarks created three crevices in the camp. In my experience, monsters were too intelligent to crash into the pikes; they would try to enter through the gaps in small groups, giving our formations the numbers advantage.

    The chieftains stationed the bulk of our forces by the openings, and I went around the place enchanting their leather armor. I noticed they had been repurposing the metal armor of the undead soldiers, attaching small plates to their armor. Any little extra defense would help. Luckily for me and my mana pool, the Reinforcement enchantment was a short string, and my [Iron Runeweaver] helped me save mana on low-rank runes.

    Seeing how efficient orcs were was both amusing and surprising.

    As the orcs worked, the kids shifted nervously, seemingly unsure of what to do with their bodies. It was their first time participating in a proper battle, so I had them sit on the ground so they wouldn¡¯t get in the way of the builders. To Ilya¡¯s horror, the young half-orc warrior sat with them, alleging he had to keep them safe.

    Pyrrah was standing on the bulwark, scanning the forest with her spirit animal.

    ¡°They work fast,¡± I pointed out during a recess from enchanting armor.

    ¡°I¡¯d love it if Wolf put this much effort into doing dishes,¡± Firana replied.

    ¡°You only want him to do your work,¡± Zaon pointed out.

    I sat on the ground, and Ilya shifted away from the young orc. He didn¡¯t seem invasive or pushy, so it was hard to know why she disliked him so much. In fact, he barely spoke if not prompted. I decided to probe him.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Kara,¡± he replied, his solemn voice muffled by the armor layers. ¡°My father was a Guardsman in Farcrest, and my mother was a warrior of the Deep Moss tribe. I vowed to continue with my father¡¯s legacy to protect our people.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile. That was quite the introduction. So far, I was disappointed by the lack of vows and oaths in this fantasy world, but Kara was quickly making up for it. Unapologetically lawful. Maybe that was the reason Ilya hated him. She disliked excessive people.

    He wore a gambeson, helmet, gauntlets, and a mail shirt. The breastplate with the crest of the impaled wolf, however, was missing.

    ¡°That¡¯s your father¡¯s armor, Kara?¡± I asked.

    The chainmail jingled as he nodded.

    ¡°The breastplate was damaged in a fight against an Iceshard Matriarch, and the metalworkers of my tribe aren¡¯t great, so I left it in my tent. I assumed Umolo¡¯s blacksmiths could fix it, but I¡¯m not allowed inside the walls.¡± Kara explained, dejected.

    Ilya rolled her eyes.

    [Foresight] didn¡¯t pick even a hint of deception in Kara¡¯s voice, and so far, I haven¡¯t detected any red flags. However, Ilya wasn¡¯t usually surly over nothing.

    ¡°You are a half-orc, aren¡¯t you? Have you ever thought about going to Farcrest and becoming a Guardsman?¡± I asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of guardsmen in Farcrest already and very few among the tribes,¡± Kara replied instantly, as if he had the answer ready before the question.

    That was a good answer. I had done a similar assessment when I first arrived in this world. There were a lot of Scholars in the Imperial Library but very few at Lowell¡¯s orphanage. In the end, it was the right decision.

    I glanced at Ilya, asking the question with my eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have lots of armor to enchant, Rob?¡± Ilya asked, annoyed.

    The orc warriors seemed to orbit our little group, throwing glances at me.

    ¡°Give me your knife, Ilya,¡± I replied. ¡°I''ll enchant more armor when I finish with our equipment.¡±

    The girl reluctantly accepted, knowing it would give me a few more minutes to chat with Kara. I outlined the same enchantment as in Zaon¡¯s Leechflame Sword, although with a quarter of the strength to meet the dagger¡¯s mana threshold. I decided not to add a Bind rune because of the lack of space. One more Leechflame Dagger wouldn¡¯t change the world¡¯s balance.

    ¡°How old are you, Kara?¡± I asked as I enchanted.

    ¡°Old enough, Revered,¡± he replied.

    I¡¯ve heard that line once before. I wondered if Lyra Jorn was doing okay. I hoped the little ones wouldn¡¯t give her a hard time without me around the orphanage. I shook my head. I had to focus on the upcoming battle. I gave Ilya her knife back, and the girl ignited the blade. The orcs gasped at the sudden flame.

    Firana and Zaon already had flaming weaponry, so I had no more excuses to continue interviewing Kara.

    ¡°Are you going to fight?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m a warrior. I hope to learn something from Honored Ilya and you, Revered. It would be an honor,¡± Kara replied, his voice sounded more juvenile the more excited he was.

    My newfound fatherly instinct told me Kara would be a great son-in-law.

    ¡°Give me your armor. I¡¯ll put a reinforcement spell on it so it won¡¯t break in combat,¡± I said.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t,¡± Kara said.

    ¡°I insist.¡±

    Kara removed his helmet, the mail coif, and the padded coif. His hair bun fell apart and a cascade of wavy ruby hair fell over his shoulders.

    ¡°Skeeth manure! Kara is a girl!¡± Firana exclaimed.

    Kara gave her a questioning look. ¡°Of course I am. Kara is a girl''s name.¡±

    Kara¡¯s cheekbones were high, and her facial structure was strong but she was unquestionably a half-orc girl. Shy tusks barely protruded from her mouth. Her voice sounded marginally more feminine without the padded coif and the chainmail, but it was hard to say if it belonged to a boy or a girl. Orcs had a naturally deep voice.

    Zaon was as surprised as Firana. Ilya, not so much. I was even more lost than before.

    Kara mindlessly searched the ground for the hairpins to redo her bun.

    I was about to say something when Pyrrah crashed into the group, almost falling in the center of the circle.

    ¡°The monsters entered the valley. Gloomstalker riders. They are coming in fast,¡± she gasped for air.

    Gloomstalkers were Skeeths made out of roots, similar to Saplings and Spriggans.

    ¡°How long?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The first wave should be here by dusk,¡± she replied.

    I enchanted Kara¡¯s helmet and armor and got on my feet.

    ¡°Pyrrah, alert the chieftains. Ilya, keep an eye on the valley. I will finish with the preparations.¡±

    The defenses were almost done. The ditch was nearly two meters deep, crowned by a thick wall of spikes pointing outside the camp. Any monster that attempted the jump would be impaled. The spiked wall caved into the central bulwarks, triangular sections of reinforced walls constructed to fuel the monsters inside our kill zone. Orc archers already manned the elevated platforms.

    There were three gaps in the wall, each two meters wide, so one or two monsters could enter simultaneously. Inside, the first line of combat awaited: a hundred orcs with enchanted armor plus another hundred for support. Even if the monsters broke the first combat line, there were another two hundred warriors on the second line, waiting to reinforce the first line in case of a break. The last hundred orcs reinforced the flanks in case monsters tried to break into the camp from the sides. Reinforcing the flanks were the laborers and craftsmen. They wore makeshift armor, rustic weapons, and hunting bows.

    I continued enchanting as dusk approached.

    There was no sign of Wolf and the Teal Moon warriors yet.

    After a while, the kids couldn¡¯t stay still and started following me through the camp.

    The conversation suited me well.

    ¡°I studied how to command an army with my father for about three weeks, and I can safely say our center needs more girl power,¡± Firana grinned.

    I wondered if Firana ever got nervous.

    ¡°You lot are ranged combatants now¡ªI don¡¯t want to see you anywhere near the frontline,¡± I said. Our place in the army was the elevated platforms with the archers. ¡°Focus on big targets and weaken them before they enter our defenses. Ghouls, Chrysalimorphs, and anything you consider too much for an orc.¡±

    The warrior I was enchanting the armor for frowned.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t such a thing as ¡®too much¡¯ for an orc,¡± he mentioned.

    ¡°If you run away like a scared Iceshard Boar I¡¯ll shoot you in the back,¡± Ilya snapped at him.

    He snorted.

    Ilya¡¯s bad mood was reaching critical mass.

    ¡°Can I have a word with you, Ilya? In private?¡± I asked.

    Zaon pushed Firana away from us, and Kara obediently followed.

    ¡°You too,¡± I said to the orc warrior.

    ¡°Korg won¡¯t say a word,¡± he replied but ultimately left.

    I turned my attention back to Ilya. [Foresight] told me she was pissed. My training as a teacher hadn¡¯t prepared me to deal with teenage girl¡¯s feelings in the wake of a battle against magical monsters.

    ¡°Did something happen between you and Kara?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s stupid,¡± Ilya replied.

    ¡°It matters to me, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something stupid if it upsets you,¡± I said with my best sympathetic teacher¡¯s voice.

    ¡°I mean it. It¡¯s stupid,¡± Ilya sighed but after one of my puppy-eyes looks, she caved. ¡°The thing is, during our diplomatic visit, I fought against Kara and won. She complimented me, and I was happy because boys don¡¯t usually compliment me. You can see how that assumption turned out.¡±

    [Foresight] told me if I said the wrong word, I was dead.

    ¡°Your feelings aren¡¯t stupid, Ilya,¡± I said. ¡°But I don¡¯t think Kara deserves the flak.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Ilya sighed. ¡°She¡¯s a bit overwhelming, though. Like Firana but on the complete opposite end of the spectrum.¡±

    I finished enchanting the orc¡¯s armor. A quarter of my mana pool was gone before the first monster appeared. The builders were finishing the last reinforcements for the bulwarks. A thousand lives depended on the success of my strategy, yet I felt at ease.

    ¡°You will be the squad leader, Ilya. If the bulwarks fall and the battle gets out of control, retreat to the top of the wall. Firana¡¯s [Aerokinesis] and the Wind-Shot boots should be enough to get you there,¡± I said.

    Ilya nodded.

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a ranged combatant. I will lead the front line.¡±

 177 - Gloomstalkers

    Ilya scanned the forest line from the top of the wooden platform. Although she looked minuscule next to the orc archers, her black armor and long enchanted rifle gave her a fierce appearance. Zaon remained seated, back against the parapet, and eyes closed. I couldn¡¯t hear him, but his lips moved fast as he recited a litany. Hallas and Pyrrah channeled their spirit animals, following the track of the monster wave.

    Firana stood next to me, humming a song. She had brought Ginz¡¯s last-minute bullets. I enchanted them in silence. There were around two hundred bullets per rifle. It seemed a lot, but such an amount was next to nothing in a prolonged firefight.

    The sun was about to set.

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste ammo on small targets,¡± I said.

    ¡°I know. You already told me twice,¡± Firana replied.

    Around us, the chieftains encouraged their warriors. Each tribe had unique pre-battle traditions. Some chanted battle songs and performed ritual dances similar to the Maori haka, while others had their shamans bless them. Some tribes remained in complete silence, in a state of meditation.

    I put my hands on Firana¡¯s shoulders and made her look at me. As usual, she was the one who worried me the most. I had come to accept that some kids gave more work than others. Zaon and Wolf had their gripes, but at least they were cautious. Firana blinked, curious.

    ¡°Follow Ilya¡¯s command. If the wall gets overrun, don¡¯t fight. Grab Ilya and retreat to the wall,¡± I said, worried.

    The chaos of a broken formation was even more dangerous than the enemy itself if the stampede was made up of three-hundred-pound orcs.

    Firana nodded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to charge on my own. My father managed to instill a tiny bit of martial discipline in me,¡± she said.

    Firana rarely spoke about Garel Aias, but when she did, she sounded like she was talking about a distant figure, someone she barely knew. It had taken me a long time to realize some kids only needed attention. A person who says ¡®I recognize you, and I see you.¡¯ Firana was one of those kids.

    ¡°If I need help down here, I will call you,¡± I said.

    Firana seemed surprised. ¡°Really?!¡±

    ¡°I wouldn''t trust my back to anyone else,¡± I replied, giving her the bag with enchanted bullets.

    Firana gave me a blissful smile and skipped toward the archer¡¯s platform.

    At least one of us was completely calm.

    I walked to the center of the formation, where I expected most monsters to crash. My role in the battle was simple: mow down as many enemies as possible to lighten the load on the flanks. The triangular wooden structure before me awaited to break the monster waves. On top, a squad of orc archers looked into the forest. What worried me the most was the night. Unlike elves and beastfolk, orcs didn¡¯t have good eyesight in darkness, and the enemy vanguard would reach the camp by dusk.

    The orcs greeted me as I walked through their ranks until I heard a familiar voice.

    ¡°Warchief Revered Robert Clarke?¡± Kara said.

    ¡°Yes, Kara?¡±

    ¡°I noticed you lack a proper escort,¡± she shyly said.

    I signaled her to come with me. The safest place on the battlefield was on top of the platforms with the elves and the kids. The second safest place was probably by my side.

    ¡°¡®Warchief Revered Robert Clarke¡¯ is too long to say during a fight. Just call me Rob,¡± I said.

    Kara nodded.

    Before I could say anything else, Hallas¡¯ voice rose above the camp, and the orcs closed ranks.

    ¡°Gloomstalker!¡±

    From the forest, a sole Gloomstalker rushed the camp. It looked just as Pyrrah had described them¡ªa lizard-like creature the size of a horse, made from roots and bramble with teeth made of clean amber. Above the archer¡¯s platform, Ilya raised her hand, and Zaon and Firana lowered their rifles. The Gloomstalker jumped over the ditch and got impaled on the spiked wall. Still, even with the spikes piercing its body, the creature continued struggling until a group of orcs armed with axes finished it.

    A moment later, more Gloomstalkers poured into the valley and rushed our fortification. Some ended up impaled in the spike wall, but they quickly realized that wasn¡¯t the correct path. Without a sound, they simultaneously turned into the central bulwarks and slipped through the gaps one by one.

    The frontline orcs were waiting for them.

    The Gloomstalkers entered the camp, but the orcs surrounded them ten to one before they could run deep. My gambit was working. The half-siege allowed the orcs to use their swarm tactics on the monsters without getting surrounded.

    Axes and cleavers tore the wood apart, but the Gloomstalkers countered with spiked tails and sharp teeth. The battle intensified. My enchanted armor withstood the attacks, minimizing the damage.

    ¡°Warchief Revered Robert Clarke!¡± Kara yelled.

    A Gloomstalker ignored the orcs¡¯ taunts and rushed us.

    Gloomstalker Lv.26. (Corrupted). [Identify] A spawn made of mana-loaded roots. It will attack any living being deemed an invader by the Forest Warden to protect the Warden¡¯s Tree. Weakness: Fire, Drain.

    Despite the creature¡¯s speed, [Foresight] allowed me to see the world in slow motion. This would¡¯ve been a challenge a week ago, but now, the monster wasn¡¯t anything but a tiny pebble that I wouldn''t feel even under the terrible footwear in this world. I channeled my mana into a sword and sliced the creature before it even reached us. I felt the root¡¯s resistance, but the beast wasn¡¯t near sturdy enough to withstand my attack.

    Kara babbled, unable to string a sentence together.

    The Gloomstalkers continued to attack the center, and I cut each of them down before they could reach our frontline. I tried to keep my powers to the minimum in case the battle extended through the night. Some monsters attacked the flanks, but our formation resisted. With the corner of my eye, I saw Firana using the Aias Sword to kill a rogue Gloomstalker who had tried to jump the ditch into the archer¡¯s platform. The kids still hadn¡¯t shot a single bullet.

    The first wave of Gloomstalkers abated, and there was silence. The tension remained. The sun fell over the ridgeline, and the mountains cast a shadow over the valley.

    A screech broke the silence. Gloomstalkers poured from the forest like a flash flood, sweeping away everything in their path. The creatures hit the bulwarks and gathered in the funnels, pushing and pressing to enter the camp. Orc archers dipped their arrows in a yellow liquid and used the torches to set them ablaze.

    Riding on the backs of the Gloomstalkers, a new type of enemy appeared. At first, I thought they were Chrysalimorphs, but my skill identified them as Spriggans. The Spriggans were humanoid monsters created from the same roots as the Saplings and Gloomstalkers. One of their arms was a broad wooden shield, and the other was a braided-root spear. Their lower body blended into the Gloomstalker''s back.

    ¡°Shields!¡± the chieftains yelled, and a line of shielded orcs advanced to the front as one of the Spriggans rode into our trap.

    The Spriggan¡¯s spear gleamed with golden mana, and with a single swing, the thick board shields were reduced to splinters and orcs were sent to the ground. An orc attack force surrounded the Spriggan, but the Gloomstalker wiped them away with its tail. Fighting a Spriggan and a Gloomstalker simultaneously was trickier. While the Spriggan raider attacked from the right, the Gloomstalker defended the left.

    The orcs stuck to their tactics, attacking like a wave and rotating when the monster would try to counter. It was effective. Despite the Spriggan¡¯s hardness, the root structures collapsed under the orc cleavers. There was a problem, however. The time they took to kill a single Spriggan allowed another two to enter the kill zone.

    We were quickly getting overwhelmed. Our win condition was to maintain a low number of monsters engaged with our frontline at any time.

    A Spriggan charged into the camp and attempted to skewer me, but I cut its lance with my blade. With a nimble movement, I turned the monster into wood chips. The center gap was the only section keeping the monsters'' flow at bay. I grabbed Kara by the gap between her helmet and mail and pulled her close to me.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Tell the archers to ignore the Gloomwalkers and focus on the Spriggans,¡± I yelled over the battle¡¯s roar. ¡°Burn them before they can enter the camp.¡±

    Kara sheathed her sword and sprinted through the chaos toward the leftmost platform, ignoring friends and foes. The tail of a Gloomstalker almost hit her head, but she rolled, seemingly disregarding the weight of her armor. Not even the Spriggan¡¯s attack slowed her down. She was swift.

    A part of my brain added a bullet point to my to-do list¡ªscold Kara and tell her to be more careful¡ªbut the idea was quickly buried by another Spriggan wanting to turn me into a skewered scholar.

    While I mowed the monsters before me, [Foresight] helped me keep the half-orc girl on my radar. Kara climbed the stairs to the archer¡¯s platform and pointed at the monster¡¯s jammed between the bulwarks. A moment later, Pyrrah jumped over the spike wall and through the gap to reach the next platform and spread the order. A Gloomstalker jumped, trying to catch her with its maw, but the creature missed by a few centimeters.

    The orc archers changed their targets and focused on the Spriggans.

    Everything was chaos.

    Ilya, Zaon, and Firana shot their first rounds. Zaon and Firana shot the Spriggans going into the left gap, barely a few meters from their position, while Ilya shot the monsters entering the rightmost gap. I grinned. Ilya realized she had to ignore the monsters going through the center gap. Those were my prey.

    With the archer''s support, the tide of the battle turned. Burned Spriggans were more frail, while the ones hit by the MDBC bullets couldn¡¯t use their golden mana to fortify their attacks, allowing the orcs to bring more cleavers than shields to the encounter. The orc warriors quickly dealt with the weakened Spriggans. The strategy was working. The monster''s presence inside the camp couldn¡¯t reach critical mass.

    The sky darkened, and I felt a mana surge behind my back. Dozens of balls of light the size of eggs emerged from the ground and rose above our heads, illuminating the battlefield with a ghostly white glow. The orcs didn''t seem surprised, so I assumed it was the work of their shamans.

    The shaman¡¯s light was far from being floodlights, but it was enough to keep fighting.

    Kara returned to my side and drew her sword. Her bravery was commendable. The center gap was the most uneventful of the three, as I killed the monsters as soon as they entered. Eventually, a Spriggan fortified its body with mana and shielded my attacks, allowing some Gloomstalkers to sneak inside. The orc vanguard swiftly engaged them.

    The half-orc girl had barely touched a single enemy.

    ¡°Their numbers are dwindling!¡± Kara yelled.

    [Foresight] told me no more monsters had emerged from the forest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break,¡± I panted.

    It had been over an hour since the start of the battle, and my mana reserves were low. I signaled the chieftains I was going to retreat, and they quickly covered the gap I left on the formation. They seemed eager to put their warriors to use. Kara followed me into the rearguard, and an old orc offered us water and jerky. I dipped the ladle in the casket and drank. The water was cold and fresh. Kara drank after me. Then, we sat near a campfire. The temperature dropped quickly as soon as the sun set behind the mountain. I pulled my boots and socks off and put them near the fire. Soon, they started to steam.

    I was covered in sweat.

    Healers and shamans tended wounded orcs, but the casualties were minimal.

    A flash of fire lit the sky, and [Foresight] told me Firana had incinerated a lone Gloomstalker that had attempted to climb the pike wall. Despite being only forty meters from the battle, seeing what was occuring on the frontline with a green wall of orcs in between was hard. Ilya raised her hand, and Zaon and Firana lifted their rifles. A moment later, the sounds of the battle subsided, and the warriors dealt with the last Gloomstalkers.

    I silently hoped this was the end of the battle.

    Pyrrah darted to the campfire, ignoring the water orc.

    I waved my hand at her. ¡°Good job with the bow up there.¡±

    Pyrrah¡¯s legs suddenly lost coordination, and she almost tripped over. I made a mental note not to compliment her near any fire source.

    ¡°I stepped on a hole,¡± she excused herself, but [Foresight] told me the terrain had been flattened for the tents. Pyrrah cleared her throat. ¡°The first monster wave is over, but more monsters are coming, and they are fast.¡±

    ¡°More Gloomstalkers?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ªa strange mist is covering the forest, and my spirit animal can¡¯t see through it,¡± she replied.

    Strange. I hadn¡¯t detected any disturbance in the environmental mana that pointed toward an area spell. I wondered if the mist was the Lich¡¯s doing or the Forest Warden¡¯s.

    ¡°Notify the chieftains. Tell them they should prepare for a long fight,¡± I said.

    Pyrrah nodded and turned away.

    As usual, I felt the System message before it appeared. The prompt rapidly scrolled through all the monsters I had killed before slowing down on the part I cared about.

    Gloomstalker slain.

    Gloomstalker slain.

    Spriggan slain.

    Gloomstalker slain.

    Spriggan slain.

    ¡­

    Level up!

    Level up!

    Level up!

    You have obtained a new skill.

    [Magical Ink]

    I glanced at the prompt, puzzled. [Magical Ink] was one of the most basic Scribe and Scholar skills. According to the Book of Classes, it even came integrated into the Class on level one. I was at level twenty-four, counting the last three level-ups, far from ¡®low levels¡¯, so the skill caught me by surprise. I used [Identify].

    Magical Ink: Allows the caster to conjure enchanted ink. [Identify]: Magical Ink provides the Scribe with a broad set of tools to perform its job. From invisible, permanent, or multicolored ink to magical signatures, Magical Ink allows the Scribe to prepare a variety of legal documents, swift transcripts, and flashy newsletters.

    Not the most exciting description. Was the System running out of skills to give me? Was I supposed to squid-ink my way of sticky situations? Sighing, I closed my eyes and meditated to replenish my mana reserves. After a few minutes, I stood and returned to the frontline. I felt something coming. Luckily, the orcs were still in position.

    Kara escorted me in silence.

    The moment of respite was short. A thick black smoke creeped out of the forest. Even with my keen mana sense, I couldn¡¯t see through it. Still, I didn¡¯t have to wait long to see what awaited us. A Lupine Chrysalimorph with white bark skin and green crystal eyes dashed through the open ground between the treeline and the camp. This one was different from the animal form Chrysalimorphs I had seen before. Green crystal shards had grown over its body, creating colored stripes brimming with mana. Archers shot a barrage, but the monster dodged. The few arrows that managed to connect bounced off its hardened skin.

    Adrenaline surged through my body, but [Foresight] forced me to focus.

    ¡°Don¡¯t trust its size! They are stronger than a Gloomstalker!¡± I shouted.

    The chieftains echoed my message.

    I doubted the siege plan for a moment. Should I leave the camp and fight the Chrysalimorphs in the open? Before I could decide, the Lupine Chrysalimorph crossed the central gap and pounced at my neck. I instinctively summoned a mana barrier and pushed it back. Then, I summoned two flying mana blades and attacked the creature. Its bark skin was stronger than I expected. My magic swords bounced, leaving small furrows on the creature¡¯s surface.

    ¡°Back off, Kara!¡± I shouted.

    Something wasn¡¯t right.

    Lupine Chrysalimorph Lv.41. Magical Abomination. [Identify] The Chrysalimorph is the grotesque culmination of the Forest Warden¡¯s attempts to harness the perfect physical body. Weakness: Drain.

    No wonder I couldn¡¯t cut it. The creature had three times the level of the previous Lupine Chrysalimorphs I¡¯ve fought. After our brief clash, the Chrysalimorph seemed to lose interest in me and turned to the nearest orc warrior.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± I said, channeling my mana and casting [Stun Gaze].

    As expected, the spell bounced, but it managed to enrage the monster.

    I dispelled the flying blades and focused all my mana into my sword. With my left hand, I drew my dagger and wrote a simple Leechflame enchantment. [Foresight] pinged my brain. More monsters swarmed the plains¡ªGloomstalkers, animal Chrysalimorphs, and undead trailing the swarm.

    The Lupine Chrysalimorph pounced at me. I stepped forward, drawing a gash on the monster''s side. I sidestepped, the claws almost grazing my skin, and buried the Leechflame Dagger through the wound. Mana flowed from the Chrysalimorph¡¯s body.

    ¡°Now!¡± I yelled, and the orcs near me pounced on the weakened Lupine Chrysalimorph.

    As expected, a significant part of the creature¡¯s resistance came from the magic within, and the orcs¡¯ axes and cleavers chopped it down.

    ¡°Kara, go tell Ilya to focus on the Chrysalimorphs with green stripes,¡± I panted, but I grabbed the edge of her chainmail before she could run away. ¡°Don¡¯t cross through the battlefield. Take a safer path.¡±

    ¡°Can do, Warchief Revered Robert Clarke,¡± Kara replied.

    The new monster wave clashed against the bulwarks, but the structure held. Gloomstalkers and Lupine Chrysalimorphs poured into the camp. I pushed mana into my sword and focused on the high-level targets, but the creatures split through the gaps, and we were pushed back. The Chrysalimorphs were swift and smaller targets that orc tactics couldn¡¯t quickly deal with. The area of engagement grew, and the ball of monsters approached a critical mass.

    A few Lupine Chrysalimorphs jumped the piked wall through the flanks, wreaking havoc in our formation. Before I could decide whether to remain on the frontline or retreat to help the flank, Ilya jumped down the platform and snuck through the sea of orcs. My heart skipped a beat. As soon as she had a clear sight of the monster, Ilya kneeled, shouldered her rifle, and took the shot. The bullet hit the Lupine Chrysalimorph in the side and shone brightly as it drained mana from the beast.

    The battle stabilized as Zaon and Firana''s shots weakened the high-level Lupine Chrysalimorphs. They had trouble getting clean shots into the further, rightmost gap. Only Ilya was proficient enough, and she was helping the left flank. I decided to rotate.

    [Foresight] fed me information about my surroundings as I focused on the monster before me. Casualties increased, but reinforcement promptly filled the gaps in the formation. There was one problem. The reinforcements didn¡¯t have enchanted armor. With each passing minute, the integrity of the frontline weakened. Over the forest line, more and more monsters poured into the valley.

    If the battle didn¡¯t end soon, our forces would be overwhelmed.

    My thoughts seemed to invite bad luck.

    Suddenly, the ground trembled, and a thick root emerged just a few meters away from the forest line. Hundreds of monstrous bees emerged from the depths. My heart seemed to freeze.

    Mature Mana Stinger.

    Mana Stinger Soldier.

    Mana Stinger Overseer.

    ¡°Kara!¡± I yelled, but the girl was nowhere nearby.

    The pike wall would be ineffective against Stingers.

    With a single swing of my sword, I beheaded a low-level Chrysalimorph and looked around. I needed to warn the flanks. Orcs didn¡¯t use mana, so that the Stinger venom would be less effective against them, but the sheer number of monsters worried me. If the archer platforms got overwhelmed, we would lose support against Spriggans and high-level Chrysalimorphs, and the formation would fall.

    I grabbed a random orc by the shoulder, but before I could utter a word, a dented lancet pierced their chest.

    ¡°Mana Stalkers!¡± I shouted, but the chaos of the battle drowned out my voice.

 178 - Teal Moon Warchief

    The orbs cast light on the battlefield as the Mana Stingers poured from the hole in the ground. The black and orange insect wave marched into the camp, but a mass of Gloomstalkers, Spriggans, and Chrysalimorphs crowded the bulwarks as they tried to penetrate the barrier. The Mana Stingers spread out around the flanks. They reached the spiked wall in an instant and used their hooked legs to climb the wood.

    Hundreds and hundreds of Mana Stingers climbed the eastern wall. My heart skipped a beat. I expected a few monsters to be capable of bypassing the wall, but not so many.

    The Mature Mana Stingers were the size of mastiffs, with shiny black armor and stingers the size of swords, but they weren¡¯t the worst news. Mana Stinger Soldiers rose above the mass of bees, thrice the size of a Mature Mana Stinger. The Soldiers were covered in a layer of protective silver mana and had huge mandibles capable of cutting wood like cotton candy.

    We needed to reinforce the flank.

    ¡°Kara!¡± I yelled, but she was nowhere nearby.

    I heard the sound of a blowgun and an orc dropped with a lancet buried in their chest. I cursed, turning around and scanning the battlefield for the Mana Stalker. Now, I was the proud owner of [Foresight], and the monster¡¯s stealth skill wasn¡¯t enough to hide it from me. Five Mana Stalkers hovered above the sea of bees. Five orcs had already been killed by their lancets.

    Mana Stalkers were my priority target.

    ¡°Chieftain, take the lead!¡± I shouted over the sound of the battle.

    The orc chieftain, a mature orc with a blue hand stamped on his chest, nodded and rallied his warriors.

    I used my Wind-Shot boots to jump to the rightmost archer¡¯s platform. Before the Mana Stalkers could shoot again, I channeled my mana and used [Magical Ink]. It was a gamble. A high-pressure stream of bright yellow ink shot from my fingertips and smeared the flying monsters.

    ¡°Flyers!¡± I yelled, pushing the orc¡¯s arms in the right direction.

    The Mana Stalkers realized they had been detected too late. The crack of the bowstrings deafened me, and the next moment, the Mana Stalkers dropped from the sky.

    I glanced over the battlefield from the vantage position.

    More and more Mana Stingers emerged from the ground. Faced with the sea of Gloomstalkers and Chrysalimorphs, the wave of Stingers turned to the east. Our killing zone was too small to contain so many monsters.

    The left side of the camp was getting overwhelmed. Mana Stingers couldn¡¯t fly, but their wings were strong enough to carry them several meters into the camp. Orc spearmen tried to halt the climbing stingers, but it was an exercise in futility. There were too many. Once the Stingers reached the top of the wall, it was impossible to stop them.

    Not only were we getting flanked, but also surrounded. If the battle continued, the Stingers would reach the civilians and perform a pincer maneuver on our frontline, and the game would be over.

    Ilya returned to the archer platform after clearing the Chrysalimorphs on the eastern flank. Firana shot down the left gap, which was closest to the platform. Zaon shot down the middle gap, and Ilya, who was the better marksman, shot down the rightmost gap. Luckily, the crowd of monsters was so packed the Chrysalimorphs were practically static targets.

    Ilya aimed at a stripped Chrysalimorph and took the shot. The enchanted bullets absorbed the monster¡¯s mana, weakening it. Some shots exploded after the bullet overcharged, but it was a rarity. The Chrysalimorph skin was too hard, and the bullets were rarely embedded in their bodies.

    With Ilya back, the frontline regained its precarious balance.

    Using the Wind-Shoot Boots, I jumped to the center platform where most archers were stationed. The gap was about twenty meters.

    ¡°Focus on the front! Ignore the Mana Stingers!¡± I shouted before jumping over the gap.

    A Gloomstalker tried to get me, but I was too high.

    I landed on the left platform. The kids ignored me and continued shooting the high-level Chrysalimorphs.

    ¡°Pyrrah, Hallas, come with me. We need to reinforce the flank,¡± I said.

    The elves nodded, and we dropped to the ground. With Hallas to my left and Pyrrah to my right, we crossed the battlefield to support the flank. The flying Stingers had forced the orcs to retreat several meters into the camp. If the flank retreated a bit more, the backs of the frontline would be exposed.

    I channeled a barrage of mana shards, pushing back the Stingers and clearing the upper section of the spiked wall. I saw Pyrrah and Hallas reaching for their pouches from the corner of my eye. Thinking no one saw them, they brought the small red fruits to their mouths, and a faint red aura surrounded their bodies. Elves weren¡¯t good at detecting magic, so they probably didn¡¯t know I could detect the change.

    ¡®Not a Holone grape,¡¯ I thought.

    We broke into the Stinger swarm.

    Pyrrah and Hallas moved like arrows through the sea of insects, dodging lancets and mandibles alike. Suddenly, their blows were strong enough to pierce even the hardest chitinous armor. Whatever they had eaten, I needed a few.

    [Foresight] forced me to focus on fighting. The Mana Stingers had low killing power, but they were an extremely good matchup against me. A single sting and my whole mana pool would be useless. I pushed more mana into my flying blades and mowed down the swarm.

    Despite my lack of orders, Pyrrah and Hallas kept stray Stingers away from me. I understood why. I was their new Gilded, and their duty was to keep me safe until I reached a high enough level. They couldn¡¯t get Classes, and they were forced to power-level others. I smiled bitterly as I shattered the Stinger¡¯s armor.

    Pyrrah overstepped, and a wave of Stingers fell from the wall over her head. [Foresight] predicted the movements of every monster and ally on the battlefield, so I was prepared. I jumped forward and pulled her from the cloak just as my mana blades cut through the low-level bees.

    ¡°T-thanks,¡± she muttered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get him killed too!¡± Hallas yelled from behind us, his armor covered in insect blood.

    The ground trembled under my feet as a Mana Stinger Soldier rammed against the wall. The bee¡¯s heavy cavalry had finally reached our defenses. The Soldier stepped back to gain momentum and headbutted the wall. The ground trembled, and the spikes cracked. I wasn¡¯t expecting a living battering ram. I channeled my mana into a long blade and pierced the Soldier¡¯s head through the gaps in the wall, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the attack. More Soldiers tried to breach the wall in several spots.

    I had to kill them before they could tear down the barricades.

    I powered my Wind-Shot Boots, but before I could jump outside the camp, Pyrrah clung to my waist like a kid throwing a tantrum.

    ¡°Don¡¯t. It¡¯s dangerous,¡± she said, her eyes wide open.

    A few meters away from us, the wall exploded into a rain of splinters, and the Soldiers flooded the camp.

    ¡°Breach!¡± an orc chieftain yelled.

    The warriors formed a defensive perimeter around the hole in the wall, but the Stinger Soldiers were several times stronger than regular Mana Stingers. The orc¡¯s cleavers bounced against the silvery mana layer, leaving minor marks on the chitin. I used [Stun Gaze], and the Soldier froze in place, but other Mana Stingers climbed its body and poured into the camp.

    The Stingers breached the wall two more times. I cast [Stun Gaze] again to keep the Soldiers from moving. At least I could give the orcs a moment to kill the small fry first.

    My mana blades mowed down many of the oncoming Stingers, but the orcs were being pushed back.

    I couldn¡¯t be everywhere.

    ¡°We have to bail, or we will get trapped in the chaos as soon as the flank collapses,¡± Hallas said.

    ¡°The flank will not collapse,¡± I replied, pushing increasing amounts of mana outside my body. However, my words were only wishful thinking. Due to the breaches, the wall had lost integrity, and broad sections collapsed.

    The ball of monsters pushed us into the camp.

    Suddenly, the swarm parted, leaving a clearance around us, and a humanoid bee entered the hole in the wall.

    Mana Stinger Overseer Lv.38. Magical Beast. [Identify]: Overseers are in the upper echelons of the colony, just below Nobles. These monsters can command armies of Mana Stinger to protect their territory from intruders and use their magic to defeat powerful opponents. Weakness: Shotgun.

    I shot a mana blade as soon as the prompt disappeared, but the Overseer raised a barrier and my blade burst into blue sparks. Then, with a single jump, the creature kicked Pyrrah out of the way like a ragdoll.

    Pyrrah landed on her back, several meters away, gasping for air.

    ¡°Stay away,¡± I said as Hallas stood between the overseer and me.

    The Overseer drew a sword and entered the camp. The weapon gleamed with a red hue of mana. [Foresight] warned me about the danger. That wasn¡¯t a normal blade. The Overseer turned into a shadow and lunged at me.

    I blocked, but as soon as our weapons collided, the mana surrounding my blade lost shape and turned into a blue mist.

    ¡°Anti-magic?¡± I muttered.

    I was pushed back. The Overseer¡¯s sword felt like a concrete block while I couldn¡¯t fortify mine. [Swordsmanship] and [Foresight] kept me in the fight, but going on the offensive was impossible. I tried channeling mana shards, but the Overseer¡¯s barrier shattered them. Not even my flying blades were effective against it.

    The fight was a stalemate, but as we were entangled in combat, more Mana Stingers breached the camp. I needed to end the fight quickly.

    I sidestepped and aimed at the Overseer¡¯s neck. The creature¡¯s reflexes were almost instant, and it blocked my attack. Even with [Foresight], I couldn¡¯t land a killing blow. It wasn¡¯t a matter of skill but raw physical capabilities.

    The Overseer stepped forward and stretched out its sword, trying to stab my face, but, to my surprise, the blade fell short of my prediction. Pyrrah clung to the Overseer¡¯s heel, her dagger barely scratching the gaps on the chitinous plates. The Overseer screeched and got rid of her with a backhand blow.

    Pyrrah spat blood and pounced on the Overseer''s ankle, clinging as her life depended on it. I read her lips¡ªfor the frogs. The Overseer raised its hand, but Hallas jumped on the monster and performed a flying cross armbar, the red aura raging around his body. [Swordsmanship] pushed me forward. The Overseer raised its free arm in a last attempt to block, but my blade pierced its palm and neck. My muscles bulged, and my jaw clenched. I pushed mana into my blade and fought the anti-magic spell, and with a single swing, I beheaded the monster. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    I panted as a shiver ran down my spine. I didn¡¯t expect a Stinger to give me such a hard time, but anti-magic was my weakness. Without my magic, I was just a swordsman with cat-like reflexes. I helped Pyrrah to get up, but her body felt like a stringless puppet. Her red aura was dissipating.

    Hallas wasn¡¯t in a better shape.

    ¡°We have to go, Robert,¡± he said. ¡°The field is lost.¡±

    I scanned the battlefield. The Mana Stingers had breached deep in our defenses and the backline was divided between the Gloomstalkers and Chrysalimorphs sieging the front and the Stingers pushing the flank. Our line stretched to the point where laborers began engaging in combat. The right flank was also bleeding warriors to the frontline.

    ¡°Robert, please, we have to go,¡± Pyrrah begged.

    ¡°No,¡± I muttered, my brain working in overdrive. ¡°Not yet.¡±

    I channeled my mana blades and walked toward the nearest opening in the wall. We might have a chance to hold if I closed the bug hole. There were three hundred meters behind enemy lines and a thousand monsters in between, but there was a chance.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Pyrrah said.

    ¡°No, you won''t,¡± I replied, grabbing the Overseer¡¯s sword.

    It was enchanted with just the right enchantment to counter my skills.

    Hallas interrupted my train of thought.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get us wrong, human. We don¡¯t care about these orcs. We just need you alive to kill the Forest Warden,¡± Hallas added, reaching for his pouch. He pulled another of the cranberry-like fruits and ate it. Red mana surged through his body again. ¡°Let¡¯s close the bug hole.¡±

    I nodded and summoned ten mana blades. It was above the amount I could control comfortably, but I wasn¡¯t looking for precision. I jumped into the sea of monsters, my blades spinning around my body like a blender. Despite Pyrrah¡¯s intention to stick by me, I needed space to use my skills. My blades cut monstrous bees by the dozens. Mature Mana Stingers didn¡¯t pose a problem, but the Soldiers had mana barriers, and their heads had thick chitinous armor.

    Another Overseer screeched, and a Soldier changed paths to intercept me.

    My body ached, and my brain felt like it was about to explode. I pushed my way through the gap on the wall. The monster corpses piled around me, making it hard to advance. On the front side, the orc archers were being sniped by Mana Stalkers. Without archer support and their fire arrows, the Spriggans ran rampant through the camp. I couldn¡¯t advance any faster. There seemed to be no end to the flood of Mana Stinger Soldiers.

    Our defense hung from a thread.

    I prayed for Ilya to give the order to retreat.

    Then, the gates of Umolo opened. I looked over my shoulder. Wolf stumbled onto the plains, clutching his stomach. Dry blood covered his face, and half his body was wrapped in his green healing mana. With his good arm, he used his longsword as a clutch. Slowly, he approached the battle.

    The Mana Stingers seemed to detect the weakened target.

    I cursed.

    ¡°Hallas, go for the kid!¡±

    The elven warrior ignored my orders and continued shooting into the sea of monsters.

    ¡°Pyrrah!¡± I yelled.

    Out of nowhere, Teal Moon warriors exited Umolo in droves, their flags and banners fluttering against the night sky. Battle cries engulfed the plains as the warriors ran past Wolf. Three hundred Teal Moon orcs clashed like a tidal wave against the swarm of monsters. They pushed the Stingers back, and a minute later, they formed along my sides.

    ¡°Situation?¡± Little One appeared from the orc crowd.

    ¡°We kill the monsters,¡± I said, gasping for oxygen.

    ¡°As you heard, slime brains! We kill the monsters!¡±

    The Teal Moon warriors created a defensive wall while the flank troops cleared the camp. When the Teal Moon warriors stabilized the defense, I used the Wind-Shot Boots to climb the wall and ran back to the frontline. With the help of [Foresight], I showered the Mana Stalkers with bright, magical ink, and the orc archers that remained in their posts quickly shot them down.

    I examined the battlefield, looking for the kids.

    Ilya, Firana, and Zaon had abandoned the eastern platform as Mana Stingers had overrun it. I let [Foresight] guide my eyes, and I found them on the center platform with a squad of archers, still providing support against Chrysalimorphs.

    Dozens of orc bodies with barbed lancets protruding from their bodies piled near the gaps in the bulwark.

    I jumped to the eastern platform and cleaned it of Mana Stingers. Then, I regained my position as anchor in the center of the formation. I shot hundreds of mana shards as my blades danced around me, purifying Fountain mana at the same time as I used my skills.

    I lost track of how long I fought, but the frontline finally stabilized.

    My body ached, and the world around me seemed to fade away.

    ¡°Warchief Revered Robert Clarke? Are you okay?¡± Kara grabbed my shoulders and sat me down on the dead body of a Chrysalimorph.

    ¡°Situation?¡± I asked.

    A warrior slammed into a Gloomstalker, and the creature collapsed a few centimeters from me. Kara was unfazed. I was too tired to care. The battle continued, but I could barely keep my back straight.

    ¡°The Teal Moon warriors pushed the monsters away from the flank, and no more Stingers are coming out of the ground. If nothing bad happens, the battle will be won,¡± she said.

    ¡°The kids?¡±

    ¡°They are fine.¡±

    I closed my eyes and meditated to replenish my mana pool.

    ¡°Help me walk. I need to check on Wolf,¡± I said.

    ¡°As you please, Warchief Revered Robert Clarke,¡± Kara replied.

    Despite looking as weary as I was, Kara put my arm over her shoulders and lifted me. I gave an unsightly view, but the orcs didn¡¯t seem to care. Kara guided me to the eastern side of the camp, where the Mana Stingers had breached the spiked wall. The Teal Moon orcs were helping the wounded and retrieving the bodies of the fallen orcs.

    ¡°Wolf!¡± I shouted.

    The boy tended to the wounds of the fallen, although he didn¡¯t look much better.

    ¡°Mister Clarke, I¡¯m sorry for the wait!¡±

    Wolf came to meet us, but his escort closed ranks and blocked our path. They were Teal Moon orcs but weren¡¯t Dassyra¡¯s warriors.

    ¡°Move, you slime brains,¡± Wolf grunted.

    ¡°But, Warchief¡ª¡± a muscular warrior almost as tall as Little One muttered, but he was cut short by Wolf¡¯s order.

    ¡°When I say move, you move.¡±

    I¡¯ve never seen Wolf talking in such an authoritative manner, not even with the little ones.

    I exchanged a glance with Kara. Finally, the warriors obeyed and formed a defensive perimeter around the three of us. I couldn¡¯t help but notice them casting suspicious glances at the orcs of the outer camp. Despite the lack of monsters near the eastern flank, they stayed on their toes.

    A closer inspection revealed the extent of Wolf¡¯s wounds¡ªan ugly cut on his scalp above the ear, a dislocated shoulder, and a gashed thigh, minor wounds aside. I pulled a Holone Grape and put it in Wolf¡¯s hand. The Teal Moon warriors eyed the transaction with suspicious eyes.

    Wolf ate the Holone grape without asking questions, and his face lit up.

    ¡°Wow, this is tasty,¡± he muttered.

    Then, the healing effects hit him. The green mana was expelled from his body as the skin and tendons healed, and the bones returned to their original place. Unlike Elincia¡¯s potions, the Holone Grape didn¡¯t seem to sting. Wolf moved his arms in wide circles and jumped on his previously wounded feet.

    ¡°What¡ª¡± Wolf asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s your turn to answer,¡± I cut him off. ¡°What happened?¡±

    He tried to pull a Firana and avoid my eyes, but I wouldn¡¯t let him go. Nothing made sense. Dassyra had around a hundred warriors at her disposal, not three hundred. Even if Wolf convinced her to help, that didn¡¯t explain the wounds and the deference of the Teal Moon warriors.

    ¡°What happened? Why are those orcs calling you Warchief?¡±

    Wolf cleared his throat.

    ¡°Warchief Callaid gave the order to remain inside the walls¡­ so I challenged him to a duel and killed him.¡±

    I was left speechless, and not even the mental boost of [Foresight] allowed me to form a coherent sentence.

    ¡°You killed the Warchief of the Teal Moon tribe,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Wolf replied. ¡°Thanks to your training and guidance.¡±

    ¡°Do you understand that was stupidly risky?¡±

    ¡°I did what you would¡¯ve done¡­ but in an orc fashion. I¡¯m an orc, Mister Clarke. I¡¯m not upset. I did what had to be done to ensure the survival of my tribe.¡±

    I massaged my temples. Maybe I wasn¡¯t a very good role model after all.

    ¡°Elincia is going to kill me.¡±

    ¡°Not if she doesn¡¯t find out,¡± Wolf grinned.

    I laughed. She was going to find out whether we liked it or not. I rummaged through the pouch and pulled my last Energy Potion. I uncorked it and drank. Despite no more monsters coming from the forest, the battle still raged, and I wanted to avoid any more casualties.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said. ¡°And good job, Warchief.¡±

    Wolf grabbed his rifle and followed.

    ¡°You too, Kara!¡±

    The girl nodded.

    The Teal Moon warriors pushed the flank and reinforced the frontline. There were only three hundred of them, but they fought like they were a thousand. With [Foresight]¡¯s assistance, it was easy to detect the difference in skills and tactics among the warbands. Teal Moon warriors were way stronger and more skilled than the average orc of the outer camp.

    Wolf climbed the archer¡¯s platform and sniped the last Chrysalimorphs with Ilya and the kids.

    His escort almost had an aneurism when Firana hit the back of Wolf¡¯s head as a punishment for the delay.

    As the number of monsters dwindled, and when only a few Gloomstalkers and Undead Wolves remained, the elders approached the frontline.

    ¡°Warchief Clarke,¡± the old orc who had given me his vote of confidence was the first to speak. I didn¡¯t know his name. ¡°What are we going to do with the Teal Moon tribe? We are not prepared to pay a tribute for their assistance. We abandoned our territories with only the things we could carry on our shoulders¡ª¡±

    I raised my hand, and the orc elder closed his mouth.

    ¡°The Teal Moon Warchief is my student. He will not ask for tribute,¡± I said.

    The elders joined heads and whispered.

    ¡°Are you sure, Warchief? Some forms must be respected.¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°We will figure that out afterward. But trust me, no tribute will be paid,¡± I said. ¡°Nothing that a sparkle of nepotism won¡¯t solve.¡±

    The elders exchanged confused glances but, in the end, seemed to trust my words.

    I planned to renounce the Warchief title as soon as the battle ended. I wasn¡¯t built for politics. At most, I could manage a dozen-kid orphanage as long as the Governess was cute. Leading a thousand-orc tribe was out of my reach.

    I led Kara to battle. There were only a few monsters nearby, and not an hour later, there wasn¡¯t a living monster left.

    The screams of anger and pain were replaced with cheers and songs as the army gathered in the center of the arena. Out of the five hundred warriors of the free camp, there were almost ninety dead and twice the amount of wounded¡ªnot a terrible outcome considering the enemy numbers.

    The orcs seemed to have the same opinion.

    ¡°We did it! We saved the camp!¡± Kara threw her hands in the air.

    ¡°Yes, we did,¡± I replied.

    The kids waved at me from the eastern platform. Besides a few scratches and notches in the Ghoul-leather armor, they were safe and healthy.

    Pyrrah touched my shoulder. Dry blood covered her nose, mouth, and chin. The Overseer had smacked her good.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see more monsters. I think we are safe until dawn,¡± she smiled.

    I nodded. That was good news.

    ¡°Thank you for having my back during the fight, Pyrrah. I couldn''t have done it without you,¡± I smiled, glancing at the blood covering her face.

    Pyrrah blushed, scrambling to find the right words. ¡°And I thank you for thanking me. No! I mean¡ª¡±

    A commotion reached my ears. I scanned the camp but didn¡¯t find the origin of the sound. The orcs didn¡¯t seem to detect anything out of the ordinary. Despite the mistrust between tribes, Teal Moons and free orcs seemed to work together just fine.

    ¡°Did you hear that, Pyrrah?¡±

    ¡°Trouble in Umolo?¡±

    Pyrrah summoned her spirit animal, but the bird barely took shape before disappearing in a white mist.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m out of magic,¡± she said, embarrassed.

    I had to remind myself she wasn¡¯t Elincia.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It must be a rogue monster. What happens inside isn¡¯t our problem,¡± I reassured her.

    Hallas, Pyrrah, and Kara escorted me to the central platform. The elders had the situation under control, and I didn''t want to interfere with their orders. I sat on the edge of the platform and surveyed the camp. Half of our forces were out of action. We could reinforce our defenses, but if the Lich or the Forest Warden possessed the body of a Chrysalimorph, we would be in trouble. There was only so much orcs could do against high-level monsters.

    The other option was to leave Umolo and hope the Lich would focus on me. If I destroyed the Lich¡¯s true body, the battle would end once and for all. I was counting on the kids to help me, but Wolf¡¯s situation worried me. A war chief couldn¡¯t just leave their tribe, and I didn¡¯t think his position was temporary like mine.

    Would the Teal Moon tribe siege the Lich¡¯s lair with us?

    The commotion inside Umolo walls continued.

    The archers posted along the wall had disappeared.

    I waved my hand to catch the kid¡¯s attention. The platforms were only about twenty meters away. Firana waved back. Before I could tell her to peek over the wall, the gates opened, and a single figure sprinted towards the outer camp. Despite the darkness surrounding us, I could see as if it was noon. It was Ginz with a heavy backpack bouncing over his shoulders.

    ¡°Rob!¡± he yelled, out of breath. ¡°We have to go! Like, right now!¡±

    ¡°What is he saying?¡± Hallas asked.

    The spot of Corruption in my chest tightened, clutching my flesh with its tiny tentacles. My body temperature dropped, and my lungs collapsed. I couldn¡¯t breathe. A cold voice like glaciers colliding, spoke into my ear words I couldn¡¯t understand.

    Suddenly, the Umolo citadel exploded, and a black spire rose into the night sky.

 179 - Breach

    Chapter 179

    The citadel exploded, and blocks of stone showered all across Umolo. A chunk of the citadel hit the wall near the outer camp, and the rain of rock and dust obscured my view of the night sky. I covered my eyes. Debris fell on the outer camp, but other than a few collapsed tents, nobody was wounded.

    The tiny patch of Corruption on my chest dug into my flesh.

    The Black Spire rose like a thorn from the mountainside.

    ¡°The Greyfangs are going nuts! They are attacking the base camp!¡± Ginz emerged from the cloud of dust, coughing.

    I had a bad feeling.

    I powered my Wind-Shoot Boots, but the mana felt unstable, so I canceled the spell before it could misfire.

    Wind-Shot Boots. [Identify]: Wind-infused boots that can create small air currents at the user''s discretion. Enchantment threshold: 340/290. Status: Degrading.

    ¡°Firana! Get me to the wall!¡± I shouted.

    The girl dropped from the eastern platform and ran by my side until we were before Umolo¡¯s wall. The block of the citadel had made the wall partially collapse, so the jump wasn¡¯t as high as usual. Firana put her arm around my shoulders and used [Aerokinesis]. She propelled us over the rubble and on top of the wall.

    I let [Foresight] scan the city.

    My [Night Vision] allowed me to see everything.

    Skirmishes had erupted along the camp. Greyfangs and Umolo Orcs attacked the tribes. Something wasn¡¯t right. I strained my mana sense. The world lost its colors until only the trails of environmental mana remained. The Black Spire burned like an effigy in the night, its tentacles of mana threatening to swallow the world. Hundreds of black mana threads emerged from its surface, connecting to the Greyfang heads.

    Mana surged through their bodies as they launched spells left and right. Magic users weren¡¯t an opponent common orcs could face.

    ¡°Puppets,¡± I muttered.

    Ginz was right. We had to go.

    ¡°Firana, tell the elders the Greyfangs have fallen to Corruption. Tell them to break camp. We are leaving Umolo. I don¡¯t think that is something we can destroy,¡± I said, pointing at the Black Spire.

    The girl took a running start. Mana swirled around her legs, and she took off with a crack like thunder. A violent gust pushed my hair back. Firana was suspended in the air, and for a moment, I couldn¡¯t tell if she was jumping or flying. She landed a hundred meters away on the archer¡¯s platform.

    Could she control that much mana before?

    Prompts from the battle appeared before my eyes, but I dismissed them. I had no time to waste. I needed to probe how strong the possessed Greyfangs were. I dropped into the city and rushed toward the Teal Moon camp. The power of [Mirage] surrounded my body, and I became a shadow.

    Enraged Greyfangs assaulted the nearby Purple Lotus camp.

    A fireball illuminated the night sky, and a squad of Purple Lotus orcs was sent flying against the tents. I peeked over the corner. The Greyfang¡¯s skin had turned black, overrun by Corruption. Even their eyes were like obsidian.

    I was unsure how my mana barrier would react against their spells. As my mana barrier wasn¡¯t a proper Skill, I couldn¡¯t just identify it. I needed to minimize the risk. The effect of the Energy Potion would wear off eventually, and I would be out of combat.

    A crazed Greyfang plowed through a tent and scanned the camp. Purple Lotus warriors appeared from the south, half a dozen of them. Mana surged through the Greyfang¡¯s corrupted body, and a flying icicle shot faster than my eyes could follow. A Lotus warrior was skewered, but the rest managed to cover the distance between them and the Greyfang. The fight, however, didn¡¯t tilt to their advantage.

    The Greyfang¡¯s skin was hard as Ghoul leather, and its movements were nimble as an elf¡¯s. [Foresight] pinged my brain, pressing me to run away. I felt the same way when I faced the possessed Chrysalimorphs. I decided to trust my gut. There were more Greyfangs in Umolo than we could deal with, even with the Teal Moon tribe''s help, but to flee, we needed supplies and accommodation for more than a thousand orcs.

    I missed last week when I was in charge of only four kids.

    The Purple Lotus warriors struggled to subdue their opponent, even if they were five to one. Their weapons barely scratched the Greyfang¡¯s skin.

    One of the warriors stepped back. He opened his hands to the sky and closed his eyes like he was praying. Out of nowhere, a surge of raw Fountain mana blew away the destroyed tents. I understood what was happening a moment too late. The Purple Lotus warrior burned like a wick.

    The Warrior¡¯s Trance.

    The tide of the battle changed. The trance warrior was as fast and strong as the Greyfang; however, his defense didn¡¯t seem to increase. It took only a single opening for the Greyfang to chop off the Purple Lotus orc¡¯s arm, but that didn¡¯t dissuade the warrior. Something was out of place. The Purple Lotus Warrior attacked with a flurry of mana-charged attacks, but the barrier around the Greyfang remained intact.

    They exchanged blows faster than the regular eye could follow until the Fountain mana disappeared and, like a spent lightbulb, the light inside Purple Lotus Warrior went out.

    Although he was wounded, the corrupted Grayfang remained standing.

    I sharpened my mana sense. The thread connecting the Greyfang to the Black Spire supplied him with a constant stream of mana. Then, I looked inside of me. My mana pool was already half-depleted from the fight against the monster wave, and I wasn¡¯t sure I could wage an extended battle against the Greyfang.

    [Foresight] pinged my brain.

    The Overseer''s enchanted sword was hanging from my waist, inside the sheath.

    I drew the sword, and my mana sense caught a red hue.

    Anti-Magic enchantment.

    The Greyfang unleashed a barrage of fireballs on the Purple Lotus warriors.

    I jumped out of my hideout and sneaked into the Greyfang¡¯s back like a shadow. [Swordsmanship] took control of my body, and [Foresight] showed me the closest path to the kill. I aimed at the thread connecting the Greyfang to the Spire, but my sword only cut through air.

    I cursed.

    Changing course before the Greyfang could detect me, I chained an attack towards his neck. The Black Spire overcharged the shield. My sword hovered a millimeter away from the Greyfang¡¯s skin. Black sparkles shot out in every direction, leaving dark marks on the tents and the ground. The orc turned around, his glassy eyes black as night. [Foresight] sent an unequivocal message into my brain. Danger.

    I panicked and fed the enchanted sword half of my remaining mana. My body trembled as a freezing wave hit me¡ªmana exhaustion. The Greyfang channeled a fireball in his hand, and the heat seared my clothes.

    [Foresight] screamed in my ear.

    Run. Run. Run.

    I sidestepped and, with a swift movement, stabbed the Greyfang¡¯s eye.

    The sword broke the barrier, but the orc managed to slam into my chest before falling to the ground. I landed in a tent, feeling like a car had just hit me. The Greyfang was too fast even for [Swordsmanship] to allow me to adopt defensive maneuvers.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    The Greyfang was dead, but my fears were confirmed.

    I grunted as I got on my feet and stumbled towards the Teal Moon camp.

    The infinite mana shield would be a problem as long as we were in the range of the Black Spire¡ªif it even had a limited range. One way or another, we weren¡¯t in a position to fight.

    When I was halfway through Umolo, Ilya¡¯s [Spirit Animal] landed on my head, and a moment later, the four kids were around me.

    ¡°The outer camp is preparing to march,¡± Wolf said. ¡°There are still three hundred Teal Moon non-combatants in here. We need to get them out. Chieftain Dassyra is preparing a safe passage, but we can¡¯t catch the Greyfang¡¯s attention.¡±

    I nodded.

    When we reached the camp, the Teal Moon orcs were already packing their bags. Our tent had been turned into a pile of tight-knotted sacks. I didn¡¯t expect them to have the work so far along.

    ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a better messenger than Corin,¡± Firana said.

    While I was fighting the Greyfang, Wolf already had the camp in motion. In a single afternoon as a Warchief, he was already more effective than most politicians.

    Luckily, the Teal Moon camp was in the corner of Umolo, and the fighting hadn¡¯t reached it yet. I climbed the roof of the bathhouse. The Greyfangs spread over the base camp, wreaking havoc despite the difference in numbers.

    ¡°Ten minutes, and we are going! Leave anything you can¡¯t carry!¡± Wolf yelled from the top of his lungs, just below me.

    ¡°Leaving Umolo will mean the Teal Moon will leave the pact,¡± Little One pointed out.

    I could barely hear their conversation.

    ¡°The pact is already broken,¡± Wolf replied. ¡°Umolo will not survive the night.¡±

    The Teal Moon orcs obeyed. They worked fast and methodically, like firefighters in an emergency. Every single one of them knew what to do. Tents, tools, and supplies were loaded in carts, and a caravan walked down the wall to the main gate. Only what was destroyed by the citadel¡¯s explosion was left behind.

    ¡°You just had to play with Corruption, you idiots,¡± I grunted as I scanned the battle between the tribes of the pact and Umolo¡¯s corrupted warriors.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we doing the same with the System?¡± Ilya asked.

    I hadn¡¯t sensed her approaching.

    The System was a huge gamble. Orcs and elves knew it. None of this would''ve happened if they had shared their methods since the beginning, yet I understood why they kept their secrets. The Warrior¡¯s Trance and the Holone Grapes weren¡¯t just defensive measures but weapons of great power. Sharing them with rival settlements would be a massive security risk.

    The orcs of the outer camp didn¡¯t use the trance during combat, which made me think that even they didn¡¯t know how to trigger it.

    ¡°Did we cause this?¡± Ilya asked.

    The concern in her voice was almost palpable.

    ¡°No. This is the Lich¡¯s doing. Worsened by the Avatar¡¯s mistakes, worsened by lack of information, and worsened by greed,¡± I replied, putting a hand on her shoulder.

    Watching the distant fighting made my stomach sink.

    I wondered if the situation had a solution at all.

    How much time had passed since the System was created? The whole world seemed to have forgotten about its origins. For the people of the kingdom of Ebros, the System just existed to protect them from the Farlands. It would be impossible to convince them to abandon it.

    ¡°We should be going,¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s cover the retreat.¡±

    I was surprised to see that where the Teal Moon camp once was, there was now an empty plot of flattened land. The Orcs were so disciplined that, at times, they even seemed robotic. Still, I didn¡¯t expect them to pack everything in a few minutes.

    The Teal Moon warriors entered the city and created a path for the caravan to exit.

    No Greyfangs had reached the gates yet.

    A few meters ahead, Wolf was having a discussion with Zaon.

    ¡°...this is an orc¡¯s problem,¡± Wolf said.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we help them, though?¡± Zaon replied.

    ¡°Not this time,¡± I interjected. ¡°Let¡¯s take the Teal Moon tribe and the orcs of the outer camp far from this mess. It¡¯s as much as we can do.¡±

    I was the only one who could stand toe to toe against the Greyfangs, and I didn¡¯t trust the draining bullets to deplete the Greyfang¡¯s armor as long as they were connected to the Black Spire.

    I glanced at Umolo one last time before crossing the city gates.

    The Black Spire stood defiant, dominating the valley like a monument of death.

    I hoped Farcrest was doing better.

    A long caravan headed east under the light of torches and magical lights. Orcs didn¡¯t have draft animals, but that didn¡¯t prevent them from moving heavy carts at a surprisingly fast speed.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked.

    As far as I knew, Umolo was the only permanent orc bastion.

    ¡°Chieftain Dassyra knows a place hidden among the mountains. Only three entrances, one of them recently collapsed¡ªit¡¯s easy to defend,¡± Wolf replied.

    I knew where Dassyra was taking us¡ªMister Lowell¡¯s secret farming spot.

    ¡°Will the caravan be able to get through the forest?¡±

    ¡°We might not have walls, but we have roads. This is our territory. When the monsters come, we step back to let them through. If they decide to stay, we hunt them down,¡± Wolf replied. ¡°Mobility is survival, and we have taken precautions to travel fast.¡±

    I nodded.

    Orcs were nomads, but they weren¡¯t primitive at all.

    Fifteen hundred orcs walked into the woods in complete silence. We took the rear of the caravan among a few Teal Moon warriors. The forest drowned the sounds from the battle we left behind. Nobody followed us, and the path was devoid of monsters.

    Wolf¡¯s position as a Warchief had me worried.

    After an hour of marching, I dared to speak again.

    ¡°Wolf?¡± I whispered.

    The Teal Moon warriors glared at me as I approached the orc boy.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t things too smooth with the tribe?¡± I said, pointing at the caravan.

    Wolf gave me a sad smile.

    ¡°Oh¡­ if I mess up, they are totally killing me. For now, I have Chieftain Dassyra and Chieftain Oro¡¯s support, so there¡¯s no discussion to have,¡± he said, his voice quivering.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to you,¡± I replied, glancing at the Teal Moon warriors.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Wolf laughed nervously. ¡°The enchanted armor you gave our warriors helped a lot. It isn¡¯t just useful but shows your interest in the tribe¡¯s survival. Old orc ladies loved that you helped protect their sons and daughters.¡±

    ¡°I guess old ladies have a lot of soft power.¡±

    The caravan continued traveling through the forest. To reach the entrance to Lowell¡¯s secret gathering spot, we had to leave the Umolo¡¯s valley for the east, turn south around the mountain range, and then west. It would take us only a few days, but I was sure the Lich wouldn¡¯t show us that much courtesy.

    A lot could go wrong, and Wolf¡¯s neck was on the line.

    ¡®Baldwin IV was only thirteen when he was crowned king of Jerusalem. Wolf can do this.¡¯

    The thought didn¡¯t bring me much peace.

    ¡°Warchief Revered Robert Clarke!¡± Kara said, crashing my train of thought.

    The girl slithered through the carts and under the glance of the Teal Moon warriors. The chainmail didn¡¯t seem to slow her down.

    ¡°Kara, the battle is over. Please, drop the honorifics,¡± I greeted the girl.

    ¡°Well, regarding that¡­ the elders are pleased with the current state of affairs, so they decided to extend your appointment as Warchief.¡±

    The news felt like a bucket of cold water. I closed my eyes and saw the vivid image of my father raising his eyebrows and saying something about manhood and responsibility. When I opened my eyes, Kara was still there, awaiting an answer.

    ¡°Good. Tell them I¡¯m sorting things out with the Warchief of the Teal Moon tribe,¡± I said. ¡°Umolo has fallen, and it¡¯s time for a new alliance.¡±

    Firana jumped forward.

    ¡°Are we starting a cult?¡±

    ¡°Stop trying to make the cult happen, Firana,¡± Ilya replied. ¡°It¡¯s not going to happen.¡±

    ¡°You take the fun out of everything,¡± Firana sighed.

    ¡°Cult leaders usually don¡¯t live to see old age,¡± Zaon pointed out.

    We continued walking for hours, and with the sunrise, we abandoned the valley through the eastern pass. I thought we were stopping for a rest, but the stoppage was due to a stuck cart. A moment later, the caravan continued.

    As we reached the highest part of the pass, I sat on a rock. The Black Spire towered menacingly to the west. The Warden¡¯s Tree didn¡¯t evoke a more jolly feeling, but at least it wasn¡¯t a solid Corruption turd.

    Slowly, it set in on me. The world was changing faster than its people could catch up to. Even if it was just a coincidence, I was in the position of choosing the course of history.

    I wondered if I should make the decision.

    I had regained my confidence as a teacher, but I wasn¡¯t deranged enough to believe I had all the correct answers. The Avatar believed the System¡¯s Corruption problem was fixable. Byrne believed the opposite. Orcs rejected the System. Elves partially used it but refused to share their secrets. None seemed wrong, but none seemed right either.

    ¡°Do you even want to be a Warchief, Wolf?¡± I asked.

    The boy shook his head.

    ¡°Even after all this misadventure, I¡¯m still unsure what I want. I didn¡¯t get a Class because I wanted to. I didn¡¯t slay Callaid because I wanted to, either. I did it because it was necessary,¡± he said.

    I felt a surge of pride but did my best to hide it. It was a good answer¡ªsimple, even. Even if it was hard, ugly, or painful, someone had to do it. Maybe it was the same for me. I didn¡¯t want to choose other people''s destiny, but this time, it was necessary.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about a new order of loyal warriors,¡± I said.

    ¡°All orc warriors are loyal to the tribe,¡± an orc scout standing nearby pointed out. ¡°Korg is only saying,¡± he added, shrugging.

    Loyal not to the Warchief but to the tribe.

    ¡°Ginz?¡± I asked. ¡°You better prepare those magic hands. We have a lot of work to do.¡±

    The Craftsman gave me a mischievous glance.

    ¡°Aye, aye, captain.¡±

 180 - One tribe

    The orc caravan walked for two days without stopping for rest. The Energy Potion carried me through the first day of marching, but the effect dissipated by the second night. I must¡¯ve collapsed in the middle of the road because when I opened my eyes, I saw I had been loaded into a cart with the wounded. Kara walked by the cart¡¯s side, casting worried glances at me. It was still night, and [Foresight]¡¯s inner clock informed me that only a few hours had passed.

    Thanks to [Invigoration], I needed only four hours of sleep, so I played it cool and resumed walking.

    The Teal Moon tribe led the caravan along the hidden road through the western face of the mountain range until we reached the caves. It wasn¡¯t the same entrance that Elincia and I had used back when the Lich¡¯s freezing spell almost turned us into popsicles. My inner GPS told me we were northwest of the hidden valley, while Elincia had guided me through the east. The collapsed passage must have been on the northern side.

    With only two narrow entrances to defend, the tribe would be okay if a monster army appeared.

    Traversing the cave system took the caravan another day. The caves only allowed one cart to enter at any time, so the rear of the caravan had to wait. Luckily, there were almost no monsters in the area. When we finally reached the inner valley, the camp was already up.

    I noticed a clear partition where the Teal Moon camp started.

    ¡°Together but not united,¡± I muttered to myself.

    Most orcs must¡¯ve been resting inside the tents because the camp seemed empty. As resilient as they were, orcs still needed rest. However, as soon as we exited the cave system, Dassyra and the other two Teal Moon Chieftains approached Wolf.

    ¡°The guests can¡¯t stay¡ª¡± the third Chieftain, whose name I ignored, started to say.

    ¡°I will deal with that later. I need rest.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    Wolf¡¯s character drastically changed when he dealt with his chieftains. Any trace of the half-orc boy that crumbled to the pressure of the little ones disappeared. Instead, I saw a stoic leader¡ªand a cunning one.

    ¡°A healthy brain requires seven to nine hours of sleep to function properly. Lack of sleep impairs problem-solving, focus, and decision-making, Chieftain Sennay. I will rest now,¡± Wolf cut him off, wandering into the Teal Moon camp.

    The chieftain looked at Wolf with a puzzled expression. It was the same expression I evoked in kids when I used too many technical words in my classes.

    ¡°He¡¯s using your confusion spells against the chieftains,¡± Ilya pointed out.

    Wolf played his part to perfection, but he was still in danger. He was young, practically a foreigner for the tribe, and had too much to prove. Still, he did a marvelous job keeping the complaints to a minimum. Once they snowballed, it would be hard to stop them.

    I signaled Ginz and the kids to gather around me.

    ¡°I need you to look after Wolf while I figure things out with the free orcs. We might have escaped the Lich¡¯s forces for now, but the tension remains high. Wolf is being tested as we speak. One misstep, and he is out,¡± I whispered. ¡°I want you to accompany him everywhere. I want you to watch his back even when he¡¯s taking a leak.¡±

    Firana giggled, probably thinking about making Wolf¡¯s ¡®sprinkle time¡¯ impossible.

    ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought our Wolfie would become such an important figure,¡± Firana said, hardly hiding her mischievous smile.

    Ilya rolled her eyes.

    ¡°We saved you from your abusive uncle, and now Wolf is in charge of a band of six hundred orcs. What¡¯s next? Zaon being kidnapped by a dragon?¡±

    Zaon shuddered.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t summon Murphy on me.¡±

    ¡°You are talking like Mister Clarke now.¡±

    Zaon blushed.

    ¡°Enough banter,¡± I cut them off. ¡°Go watch over Wolf and tell him I will try to buy the goodwill of the tribes. Tell them to be prepared for news.¡±

    More than anything, Wolf needed allies to stabilize the situation. So far, he had Dassyra¡¯s loyalty, but I couldn¡¯t say the same for Callaid and the chieftain¡¯s men. Even if the warriors from the outer camp weren¡¯t as strong as the Teal Moon warriors, five hundred swords would ease the tension on Wolf¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Let¡¯s protect our green princess,¡± Firana said.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t let the chieftains hear you calling Wolf that,¡± Ilya replied.

    ¡°What about me?¡± Ginz asked as the kids walked to the Teal Moon camp.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to tempt the elders with guns. Prepare three to give them a taste.¡±

    As soon as we departed, the elders from the outer camp invited me to the central tent on their side of the camp. For the past two days, I¡¯ve been talking on and off with the chieftains and elders of the tribes. As pragmatic as orcs were, they were also curious. It almost felt like a job interview, with the caveat that I had already gotten the job.

    I told them about child psychology, group behavior, leadership, early education, the common good, and everything else I¡¯d learned at university. I told them about how different things were in practice. No book had taught me how to follow the individual lives of hundreds of kids year after year, about all the improvisation, about knowing when to pull and when to push. I even made it sound like I was a guy who knew exactly what was going on.

    It was unclear if they were satisfied with my answers. My life was the opposite of the orc warrior experience.

    The elders guided me into the main tent with Kara and Pyrrah as my escort. Hallas decided that assisting an orc meeting was below him, so he went to scout the valley. He was more worried about the Warden¡¯s Tree than petty politics.

    Kara opened the beaded curtain that acted as a door, and I entered the elder¡¯s tent.

    The tent was made of thin fabric that let the light through. In the center was an elongated fire pit, like a Viking great hall. On each side of the fire pit was a low table with a dozen cushion-seats each. Elders and chieftains took their places on the floor until only the head was empty.

    Elder Kormak, the old orc who had supported me from the beginning, signaled for me to sit. I obeyed, but despite my place of honor, I couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. Kara sat to my right, slightly behind me, and Pyrrah to my left.

    Elder Kormak asked for silence. He had been the one who had talked with me the most, so naturally, I had also inquired about his life. He led the most prominent tribe in the outer camp, the Falling Leaves. Over the years, he had gained renown among the northern tribes due to his martial prowess and wisdom. He liked to joke, saying age had shrunk him, but he was still above six feet tall. He never liked the idea of a fortified city, as permanent settlements attracted monsters, and he was reluctant to join Umolo¡¯s pact.

    Time proved Kormak right, but the old orc was still a riddle for me. I could tell he was smart.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue our conversation, Warchief Clarke,¡± Elder Kormak said. ¡°I think we were talking about tradition.¡±

    The elders and chieftains fell silent, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel that this was a test.

    ¡°Tradition helps people not to stumble upon the same rock twice,¡± I said.

    A few orcs agreed. Others remained indifferent.

    ¡°Tradition can also force people to stumble upon the same rock over and over again, or worse, tradition might be blind to the new rocks on the way,¡± Kormak replied with a smile. ¡°Even a fool can see that times change. An observant person can see the direction of the changes. But only a smart leader can determine the optimal way to steer the carriage.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t hard to guess where the conversation was going. I was able to set a defense for the camp, but the orcs wanted to know if I could ensure the tribe¡¯s future survival.

    I decided to push back.

    ¡°So, the Greyfangs decided to change the nomadic tradition and build Umolo, but they are idiots for doing it?¡±

    ¡°Tradition must evolve, yes, but Umolo was a stupid idea,¡± Kormak shrugged.

    ¡°And appointing a foreign System user as your Warchief is a smart idea?¡±

    Kormak shrugged again.

    ¡°We¡¯ve noticed things. Since your arrival, the Teal Moon warriors started killing Ghouls like mice. So I say getting you on our side was a brilliant idea.¡±

    I nodded. The more I talked to Kormar, the more I understood the orc mind. Orcs had a sole moral imperative: survive. What helped them survive was considered good, and what endangered the tribe was considered wrong. Their tradition was to have no tradition other than actions and ideas that helped their people thrive in the Farlands.

    Appointing a foreigner as a Warchief wasn¡¯t out of the question.

    Elder Kormark spoke again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. A decade ago, we wouldn¡¯t have let a System user anywhere near our tribe¡­ but things had changed. Monsters are more vicious, and surges are more common than ever. If you want to survive, you must move fast,¡± he said. ¡°So, Warchief, where are we going now?¡±

    The council examined my reaction, trying to determine whether I was about to have a brilliant or stupid idea. I felt Elder Kormak had driven me into a corner, but I couldn¡¯t tell why.

    ¡°I have a lot of ideas that probably can¡¯t be done,¡± I replied.

    Kormak must¡¯ve misunderstood my words because he shook his head.

    ¡°Fortifications are useless against the most powerful monsters. They might give the illusion of safety but are mouse traps in the end.¡±

    As cool as a star fortress was, I wasn¡¯t planning to build one. The problem of the small tribes was their lack of unity. Not even the strongest wall could keep the Lich and his army outside. However, a sprinkle of leadership was all it took to get the outer camp to work as a unit and successfully defend against the monster horde.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    A sprinkle of leadership and a handful of enchanted weapons and armor.

    ¡°I might not have the right solution,¡± I said.

    My mind raced.

    ¡°We don¡¯t need the solution. We need a solution,¡± Kormak replied.

    The orcs looked at me as if they were expecting something. Then, the realization hit me. Kormak knew what the only solution I could offer them was. Guns. I grinned. He had put me in the position of Warchief to force my hand and freely give what I had to offer. I was no stranger to this trick before. The school where I used to work had the idea of appointing kids as discipline delegates. It was an awful idea. Still, I nominated the most rebellious kids in the grade to force them to act as expected of a delegate.

    The future of the tribes was a new weapon to fight against high-level monsters, but the last thing I wanted was for my guns to be used in a stupid power conflict between tribes.

    I grinned. Kormak thought he controlled the situation, but ultimately, I held all the power. I used [Mirage] to cast a hundred orc army in the center of the room. The illusion moved. Each orc was armed with Force rifles, MDBC bullets, and Wind-Shot boots.

    Kormak might believe he had me in his hand, but I saw through his tricks.

    ¡°This is a mobile attack force specialized in dealing with high-level threats. The enchanted rifle shoots mana-draining bullets at a speed of two hundred meters per second. They are very accurate and extremely difficult to dodge. The Wind-Shoot Boots would allow the attack force to remain safe, out of the reach of monsters. Factoring the weight of a regular orc, we need Ghoul Leather to ensure a non-degrading enchantment, but these boots will allow them to traverse rough terrain and obstacles up to three meters tall,¡± I said, making things up as I went on. I had no idea about the actual speed of the rifles or how high I could shoot an orc into the sky with a wind enchantment.

    [Foresight] helped me read the room. My presentation had the expected effect. The elders exchanged greedy glances.

    ¡°A rifle for every ten orcs would do the trick. As it is a non-lethal weapon, we still need warriors to kill the weakened monsters.¡±

    I let the silence float in the room.

    ¡°How are we going to distribute these so-called rifles?¡± Chieftain Mur asked.

    The question wasn¡¯t directed at me.

    ¡°The more warriors, the more rifles a clan should receive,¡± a chieftain from Kormak¡¯s tribe replied.

    They argued for a minute before speaking again. It took a moment for them to stop negotiating the amount of rifles for each tribe. Maybe there was a reason orcs didn¡¯t have merchants. They were vicious negotiators.

    ¡°You won¡¯t have to distribute them,¡± I said, silently apologizing to Wolf for what I was about to do. ¡°The rifles will go to Warchief Wolf and the Teal Moon tribe. If you want to survive, I¡¯d recommend joining them.¡±

    I expected the room to burst into chaos. I channeled a slim mana barrier along my body in case things got physical. However, nobody pounced on my throat. Did my proposal make sense to them?

    ¡°You are asking us to shed our identities, Warchief Clarke,¡± Kormak said.

    ¡°Tradition can force people to stumble upon the same rock over and over again.¡±

    ¡°What if the Teal Moon tribe doesn¡¯t accept us?¡±

    ¡°They will if they want the rifles.¡±

    Kormak grinned.

    ¡°Ah, a new pact has been born. It seems that there will be a wedding.¡±

    ¡°A wedding?¡± I asked.

    ¡ª-

    And a wedding there was. I never heard the orcs making so much noise. The inner valley buzzed as the news spread through the camp. The organization of the event was easier than I expected. Elder Kormak grabbed my arm and guided me to the Teal Moon camp. As we broke into Wolf''s tent, the warriors looked at us with the usual suspicion. Not five minutes later, Wolf, Dassyra, Oro, and the rest of the chieftains listened to my proposal¡ªa unified tribe of orcs with guns.

    In the light of the last battle, everyone was prone to endorse my ideas. The kids had single-handedly defused the Chrysalimorph¡¯s threat, so Wolf had little convincing to do on his side of the camp.

    ¡°How are we going to distribute the rifles?¡± Chieftain Sennay asked, to no one''s surprise.

    Dassyra gave him a murderous glance, but Wolf raised his hand to impose silence.

    ¡°If Warchief Clarke wishes so, I¡¯ll personally distribute them,¡± he said, searching my eyes for confirmation.

    I winked at him. Wolf had the right idea. The free tribes would search for Wolf¡¯s favor, strengthening his position as a Warchief and providing cohesion to the new tribe.

    After a bit of back-and-forth, the matter was settled. The lack of bureaucracy refreshed my soul. To officially recognize the union, the elders of the free tribes brought their banners before Wolf, and dozens of old orc seamstresses knit them together.

    Not an hour later, elders and chieftains gathered every bachelor and bachelorette of their respective tribes. Meanwhile, the older orcs prepared a bonfire, and the orc kids gathered flowers, feathers, and vines to braid into crowns and bracelets.

    I could barely keep up with the orc¡¯s pace.

    Two days ago, we were fighting for our lives.

    ¡°Will they agree to get married?¡± I asked as Kormak gathered his tribe¡¯s soon-to-be grooms and brides, and the orc kids adorned them with their creations.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they?¡± the elder asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Love, for instance?¡±

    ¡°Oh, they will be making much love very soon.¡±

    My complaint went over Kormak¡¯s head, and he dismissed me with a hand movement to oversee the preparations for the party in peace. It seemed I had already lost my Warchief benefits.

    Amidst the chaos, I closed my eyes and put my thoughts in order.

    As much as I wanted to stay in the camp, I had pending issues with the Lich.

    Even at that moment, the Forest Warden must be growing stronger.

    ¡°Rob. I was looking for you.¡±

    I turned around to find Dassyra. She wore her usual chieftain attire, ornate leather armor with the Black Wolf pelt over her shoulders and a cleaver hanging from her belt. She seemed ready for the wedding. We hadn¡¯t talked since the impasse regarding Wolf¡¯s Class.

    We walked silently up the water stream to the stepped waterfall where Spirit Fox¡¯s Tails grew like bad weeds. I recognized the place. Elincia and I met our first Undead Black Wolf there shortly after saving Dassyra from the Ice Wraiths.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it bring memories?¡± Dassyra asked.

    It felt like a whole life had passed.

    ¡°We were on a better footing back then,¡± I replied.

    Dassyra removed her boots and dipped her feet in the water. She let out a long sigh. It had been a long walk from Umolo. I did the same, standing a few meters away from her just in case.

    ¡°Can you really erase Wolf¡¯s Class?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I called in some favors with the admin, but Wolf hadn¡¯t told me he wants to get scrubbed,¡± I said. ¡°It might not be necessary, though. Even with his Class, he is the Warchief now.¡±

    ¡°He is,¡± Dassyra sighed.

    It seemed Wolf was still giving her the cold shoulder.

    ¡°How did you manage to convince the chieftains?¡±

    I understood that Kormak and the free orcs overlooked my Class to get the guns, but Wolf lacked such leverage.

    ¡°Chieftain Oro has three half-blooded daughters in Farcrest, and he dreams of them returning to the tribe. He wanted to set a precedent,¡± Dassyra said with a sad smile. ¡°Humans have something that turns us orcs into emotional creatures. Don¡¯t get me wrong, we cherish our pureblood children, yet we secretly mourn for those who decide to live among humans.¡±

    I nodded in silence.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the size,¡± Dassyra grinned. ¡°Half-blooded kids are so small and cute.¡±

    This time, I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Wolf was my height already and showed no signs of being done growing. The only cute thing about him was his calligraphy and his patience with the little ones.

    Dassyra looked at the waterfall, lost in thought.

    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been an ass despite the fact you saved my life and helped Wolf to become the man he is now.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but blush a little bit. I wasn''t good at receiving compliments despite Elincia showering me with them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it¡­¡± I said. Then, I noticed I had been overlooking an important detail. ¡°Wolf won¡¯t get married, right?¡±

    I searched for Dassyra¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°He can get married if he wants, but I doubt showing special favor to one of the new tribes would be wise,¡± Dassyra said, just to quickly add. ¡°...and I would rather Wolf marry for love, not politics.¡±

    It seemed Byrne couldn¡¯t erase all her orc-ness after all.

    The last time we talked about him, Dassyra told me not to mention him, so I didn¡¯t bring him up.

    ¡°Are you going to get married?¡± I asked.

    Dassyra gave me a mischievous grin and splashed me with cold water.

    ¡°Is that a proposal?¡±

    ¡°Generally, I don¡¯t sleep with my student¡¯s moms¡­ or legal guardians.¡±

    ¡°Generally? Did you sleep with a student¡¯s mother?!¡± Dassyra raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, right. The Governess. The sexual tension between you two was unbearable.¡±

    ¡°Man shall not live by bread alone.¡±

    Dassyra splashed me again.

    The sound of drums came from the camp. When Dassyra stopped laughing, she guided me back. The celebration had already started, and the bonfire burned high. Orc kids ran around, having seemingly forgotten about the hardships of the past few days. There wasn¡¯t much food besides Umolo¡¯s barley-rice, but orcs cooked killer soups even with few ingredients.

    Kara ran at me as I entered the bonfire circle.

    ¡°Revered Chieftain Robert Clarke, I was looking for you. Elder Kormak wants you to act as the best man of one of our warriors.¡±

    I looked around. Like a high school dance, the Teal Moon bachelors and bachelorettes stood on one side of the dance floor while the free orcs stood by the other.

    ¡°What should I do?¡± I asked.

    Do I have to do it?

    ¡°As an experienced member of the tribe, you have to help your junior find a suitable partner,¡± Kara said, putting a red handkerchief in my hand.

    ¡°And what is this for?¡±

    ¡°Dancing.¡±

    The next moment, I sat beside an orc three heads taller than me who had shoulders as wide as the orphanage¡¯s ballroom door. Each orc had an older member of the tribe supporting them. Unfortunately for Korg, I had no idea what made an orc lady a good marriage prospect. Still, the elders seemed satisfied with my participation in the ritual.

    An hour had passed, and only a few couples had formed. Most just chatted, testing the waters, while others¡ªthose who clicked¡ªdanced around the bonfire. The most adventurous bachelorettes even tried to court Wolf, but Ilya was there to crush their aspirations.

    The little gnome seemed to enjoy sending orc girls flying.

    ¡°What about that lady over there, Korg?¡± I pointed to a cute orc girl with long black hair and big eyes who had exchanged glances with us a few times. She seemed interested, although her godmother slapped the back of her head every time.

    ¡°Her nose is funny,¡± Korg replied reluctantly.

    Fair enough. Her nose was a bit crooked, probably broken at some point in her life, but so were the noses of about half the tribe.

    ¡°What about that one, the one with the feather dress? Don¡¯t tell me she doesn¡¯t have a killer body,¡± I just wanted to get this over with.

    Korg gave me a confused look.

    ¡°Do you want my kids to be ginger or something?¡±

    I rubbed my temples.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t make a move, you¡¯ll end up alone.¡±

    ¡°Korg would rather die than have ginger kids with crooked noses.¡±

    ¡°Broken noses can¡¯t be inherited!¡±

    I wanted to kick him into the bonfire.

    The worst part was that several Teal Moon girls had cast interested glances at Korg.

    ¡°Look, buddy, I won¡¯t waste the afternoon trying to convince you to talk to the girls. You are on your own,¡± I finally said.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t a good matchmaker anyway!¡± Korg yelled as I walked by the bonfire to the table where Ginz, Pyrrah, and Hallas sat.

    Hallas was restless but didn¡¯t voice his complaints. During the caravan voyage, he reminded me repeatedly that we should be traveling to the Warden¡¯s Tree instead of escorting the orcs to safety. My response was the same every time. I couldn¡¯t leave Wolf¡¯s side.

    I haven¡¯t inquired about the kid¡¯s current levels, but I had leveled up five more times during the last fight. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if they already reached level twenty. We were more prepared than ever to face the Lich and the Forest Warden.

    Pyrrah, at least, seemed to be enjoying the party, drumming on the table at the rhythm of the music.

    ¡°Come on, blondie, have some fun! There will be time to die horribly at the hands of a monster later,¡± Ginz elbowed Hallas¡¯ shoulder.

    Orcs drank a lightly fermented barley drink, but Ginz was flyweight.

    It was far from enough to get an average person drunk, but better than water.

    ¡°Ginz is right. Take it easy today. We will depart tomorrow,¡± I said, grabbing a mug.

    The drink was rich and zesty.

    ¡°Tomorrow! You should have said it before!¡± Ginz screeched, jumping on his feet. ¡°No time to party. I have to craft more bullets¡­ and no, I won¡¯t travel with y¡¯all. I won¡¯t be your crafting road companion. I¡¯m having the orcs return me to Farcrest!¡±

    I wondered why everyone was acting so difficult today.

    Pyrrah was trying to strike up a conversation with me when Firana appeared out of nowhere.

    ¡°I got a handkerchief. Let¡¯s go dance!¡±

    At least one of us wasn¡¯t worried about what tomorrow would bring us.

 181 - Progress

    Chapter 181

    The Lich¡¯s forces were starting to recover. Undead and Chrysalimorphs patrolled the Farlands. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what they were looking for¡ªthe Access Rune.

    I used [Mirage] and [Dome of Silence] and turned us into silent shadows. I could conceal everyone in a two-and-a-half meter sphere radius while keeping my mana regeneration above the skill-draining rate. However, keeping seven people inside the spell area took more work than expected. We had decided to avoid the orc''s hidden trails in case the Greyfangs retained enough consciousness to know about them, and the rugged terrain wasn¡¯t doing us any favors.

    We were a needle hidden in a haystack, but the Lich wasn¡¯t dumb enough not to expect us. Our best weapon wasn¡¯t stealth but our levels. In total, I had gained seven levels during Umolo¡¯s siege. It didn¡¯t seem like a lot, considering the dozens upon dozens of monsters I killed. However, I could tell the difference in power. I felt like I could kill a bear with my bare hands and run as fast as a horse.

    It was undeniable that a Runeweaver¡¯s growth was superior to a Scholar''s.

    I summoned my character sheet.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Runeweaver Scholar Lv.31

    Titles: Out of your League, Hot for Teacher, Consultant Detective, Researcher of the Hidden, Headmaster, Favorite Teacher (99), Golden Scholar, Iron Runeweaver, +15 others.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Mastery, Foresight, Master of Languages.

    Skills: Identify, Magical Ink, Silence Dome, Invigoration, Stun Gaze, Intimidate, Mirage, Runeweaver Encyclopedia, Rune Debugger, Rune Identification.

    I had unlocked all the basic Scholar skills plus Stun Gaze and Intimidate, which weren¡¯t listed in the Book of Classes. Neither skill had been used very effectively so far, as my level was too low and my enemies were too powerful. However, with my current level, they might be the cherry on top of my [Foresight] and [Swordsmanship] combo. The strategy might not work against monsters with question mark levels, but it was a good safety net against mid-level foes specialized in armor piercing. Abusing [Mana Mastery] would still be my primary way of doing damage.

    ¡°No patrols ahead,¡± Ilya announced as her small flock of sparrows spoke to her ear.

    Pyrrah looked crestfallen. All she could summon was a single spirit bird whose shape wasn¡¯t as detailed as Ilya¡¯s sparrows.

    ¡°You are doing your best, little buddy,¡± Pyrrah whispered as the spirit bird disappeared.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to waste,¡± Hallas interjected. ¡°The Lich knows we are looking to kill him. We should drop the stealth and gain as much distance as possible.¡±

    Since we left the hidden valley, he had been restless. No. Even before, in Umolo, he pushed for speed over preparation. I had shot down his pleas, but he hadn¡¯t relented. Before I could push him to talk, Pyrrah jabbed his shoulder.

    ¡°The Warden¡¯s Tree isn¡¯t going to mature in a week. Even to reach its current state, the seed must¡¯ve been dormant for years.¡±

    Hallas clicked his tongue and used his animating spell to part the thicket. Brambles and ferns uprooted themselves and walked to the sides with lazy movements. As we passed, the plants returned to their original position, covering our tracks.

    ¡°Did Farcrest have problems with a Forest Warden two or three decades ago?¡± Pyrrah asked.

    ¡°We did, actually,¡± Ilya replied.

    ¡°See? They must have killed the body but missed the seed,¡± Pyrrah patted Hallas¡¯ shoulder.

    He didn¡¯t seem reassured at all.

    I understood that was my moment to attack.

    ¡°Do you have something you want to share with the class, Hallas?¡± I put a bit of [Intimidation] on my words, and my voice sounded more dangerous than I had expected.

    His lapse in concentration interrupted his spell, and the bushes stopped moving. Several emotions appeared on his face: fear, remorse, and indecision. He took a deep breath and looked me directly in the eye.

    Another elven secret?

    ¡°Evindal had a Seedling.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t expecting him to be so direct.

    Pyrrah laughed.

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Why would Evindal have a Seed on him? Only Gardeners¡ª¡±

    ¡°Evindal was a Gardener¡­ and a Gilded,¡± Hallas interrupted her. ¡°The trade route between our kingdoms will be open soon, and the king wants full control of the area. He didn¡¯t send us here to spy on the Royal Army. He sent us here to establish an outpost, so¡­ if the Warden¡¯s Tree emerged from Evindal¡¯s seed, someone must¡¯ve sped up the process.¡±

    No wonder why Hallas had been so jumpy since we met.

    If the schedule had been turned from decades to weeks, we could expect the Warden¡¯s Tree to fully mature any day now. The kids seemed to understand the implications.

    ¡°That¡¯s the kind of information you tell your companions, asshole,¡± Firana said.

    ¡°Do you understand why the timing is important?¡± Zaon pointed out.

    Firana cleared her throat. ¡°No, but it sounds dangerous.¡±

    If the situation weren¡¯t so tense, I would¡¯ve laughed.

    ¡°It means the Warden¡¯s Tree could mature and produce the Warden¡¯s True Body before we expected,¡± I said, glaring at Hallas. ¡°You tell us that now because you are afraid we are walking into the lair of a powerful monster. Am I wrong?¡±

    Hallas raised his hands in defeat.

    ¡°It was a secret mission. Foreigners weren¡¯t supposed to know.¡±

    ¡°You were planning to sow a Warden seed in our backyard?!¡± Ilya asked, horrified. ¡°Do you want to kill us?¡±

    Hallas shook his head.

    ¡°It would¡¯ve ultimately benefited you, I swear. With the proper care of a Gardener, the Warden¡¯s Tree would not generate a body for the Forest Warden to possess. Meanwhile, the trapped Warden would serve as a deterrent against other monsters.¡±

    The kids looked at me. It took me a moment to digest everything he was saying.

    ¡°Are you telling me your people use a vindictive spirit to pacify an area and then use its soon-to-be body to create the Holone Grapes and other strengthening fruits?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Hallas muttered.

    The System generated Corruption, the Warrior Trance cost the orc its life, and the Holone Grapes required the control of a violent and territorial spirit. There may be no good way of harnessing magic at all.

    I scratched my chin. The new information was worrying, but I couldn¡¯t tell if it changed anything. Ginz worked day and night, barely sleeping, to craft our rifles. We still had to escape from Umolo¡¯s reach and guide the orcs to safety. There was little to no time to spare. Even the wedding was essential to cement Wolf¡¯s position as the Warchief of the Teal Moon tribe.

    At least, Hallas had done well in telling us before reaching the Tree.

    ¡°Whether or not the Forest Warden gets a new body, our plan remains the same. We enter the Lich¡¯s lair, then destroy the corrupted proxy and any monsters standing in the way,¡± I said. ¡°The whole kingdom and the orc tribes are depending on us. This fight will determine if Corruption snowballs out of control.¡±

    Hallas remained tense.

    ¡°Are we cool, Robert Clarke?¡±

    ¡°As far as we know, the origin of the Forest Warden is pure speculation,¡± I replied. ¡°However, if this makes things more difficult, we might ask for an extra payment. Don¡¯t forget we have a deal.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Hallas nodded, and a heavy silence loomed over the forest.

    ¡°We should hang him from the ankles and let the monsters eat him. This betrayal can¡¯t go unpunished,¡± Wolf pointed out.

    It took me a moment to realize he was joking. He was doing his Warchief impression.

    The kids laughed, but Pyrrah remained silent. She hadn¡¯t been aware of Evindal¡¯s true mission. Seeing Elincia¡¯s face shrouded in sadness broke my heart, but I knew this wasn¡¯t a problem for me to deal with. It was between Pyrrah and Hallas.

    I focused on the facts.

    Our strategy remained the same.

    There were still a few days of travel until we reached the coordinates. If the System Avatar was correct, we should find the Lich¡¯s true body on the site of the corrupted proxy. Once there, killing the Lich should be a walk in the park if each kid managed to land two or three shots. On my belt, I had a Leechflame Sword and the Anti-Magic Sword. There was no better equipment to deal with a spirit.

    We walked until noon before stopping to rest. Hallas forced the fern clump to clear a circle around us, and we sat on the ground. We left the backpacks aside¡ªexcept for the elves, each of us carried over fifty kilograms of equipment¡ªand ate a few strips of salted meat. Despite the Warden¡¯s Tree being only a few days away, we were prepared for a long journey.

    ¡°How many times did you level up, Ilya?¡± I asked.

    The rifle¡¯s potency was as important as the kid¡¯s capacity to remain out of the monster¡¯s reach.

    Ilya summoned her character sheet and turned it around.

    Name: Ilya, Gnome.

    Class: Hunter Lv.17

    Titles: Governess¡¯s Little Helper, Giant Slayer, Small-time Mathematician, Survivor.

    Passive: Mana Manipulation, Longsword Mastery Lv.1, Archery Lv.2, Tracking Lv.1, Sharpshooting Lv.1.

    Skills: Piercing Arrow, Entangling Vine, Spirit Animal, Mark of the Hunt, Magic Arrow, Forest Cloak.

    There were several ¡®staples¡¯ of the Hunter Class missing, such as [Hawk Eye], [Flare], [Trueshot], and [Explosive Arrow]. The System had seemingly decided to give Ilya the more magic-focused skills. Considering her natural inclination towards mana manipulation, it made sense. Hunter¡¯s magic power, however, was mediocre.

    According to the Book of Classes, Hunters had good Speed growth, followed by average Strength. Sadly, Strength was a dump stat for Ilya as the Cooldown Bow and the enchanted rifle didn¡¯t require any.

    Firana peeked over my shoulder.

    ¡°Sheesh, that¡¯s a sweet personal sheet, but let me show you something really impressive.¡±

    Name: Firana Aias, Human (Strong, Fast).

    Class: Wind Fencer Lv.17

    Titles: Lady Aias, Gifted, Currents Seer, Novice Mathematician, Novice Physicist.

    Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.2, Fencing Lv.2, Acrobatics Lv.3.

    Skills: Aerokinesis, Windrider, Puncture, Feather Fall, Gust Blade, Cyclone Kick, Wind Parry.

    ¡°Let me inform you that I have one extra skill and one extra title,¡± Firana said, full of herself.

    ¡°Please, I have two more passives, and Lady Aias isn¡¯t a real title.¡± Ilya was annoyed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any Lv.3 passive, though.¡± Firana taunted further.

    ¡°I bet you don¡¯t even know what Wind Parry does.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m an idiot? It obviously parries things¡­ using wind.¡±

    The girls continued arguing until Wolf pulled his character sheet.

    Name: Wolf A¡¯Dassyra, Half-Orc (Strong, Sturdy).

    Class: Healer Lv.13

    Titles: Stalwart, Teal Moon Warchief, Novice Anatomist, Novice Mathematician, Heartbreaker, Bronze Healer, From the Brink of Death(2), Field Doctor(1), Patchwork Professional.

    Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.2, Diagnosis Lv.2, Surgical Precision Lv.1, Sanctuary.

    Skills: Regeneration, Stupor, Shape Mana, Healer¡¯s Compendium, Purify.

    ¡°Nine Titles by level thirteen, you can cry now,¡± Wolf said.

    The kids leaned over my shoulders to watch.

    ¡°Heartbreaker? Really?¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°I turned down a lot of ladies during the wedding party.¡±

    It seemed orcs were pragmatic even in their pursuit of love.

    ¡°Bronze Healer doesn¡¯t count. You get that for free with your Class,¡± Firana said, triggering a three-sided argument.

    Ilya seethed.

    Unlike the other kids, Zaon wasn¡¯t eager to publicly show his character sheet. While the three were arguing, I discreetly approached him. My teacher¡¯s sense was tingling.

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m level sixteen. With the Windshot Boots, I should be able to keep up with Ilya¡¯s movement speed. I also got [Quick Step] and [Bulwark], so I can cycle between speed and toughness,¡± he said, shuffling awkwardly.

    I examined Zaon¡¯s face, and he quickly looked away. His level and number of Skills didn¡¯t seem to be an issue. I forced [Foresight] to dig into my memories and pull the last time Zaon had shown me his character sheet.

    It had happened when I taught them basic arithmetic. He had four passives: [Longsword Mastery], [Fencing], [Sentinel¡¯s Oath], and [Awareness]. The passives weren¡¯t the problem, as he had one more than Firana and the same number as Wolf, and [Awareness] was borderline broken.

    The issue must be his Titles.

    Despite Zaon¡¯s progress, the System must not have recognized his efforts as title-worthy. He hadn¡¯t been at the brink of death like Ilya, nor had he become the warchief of an orc clan like Wolf or the heir of a famous mercenary family like Firana. He was just a regular guy who worked day after day with his head down without a huge event in between.

    In the classroom, the same happened with grades and scores. A student could improve in all aspects, but tests did not necessarily reflect that. Sometimes, change took more time to crystallize.

    ¡°[Bulwark]?¡± I asked.

    Zaon thanked me with his eyes for changing the subject.

    ¡°[Steadfast Shield] creates a defensive barrier, but the force of the impact still affects me. [Bulwark] should help me to hold my ground,¡± he explained.

    Firana got bored of arguing with Wolf and Ilya and jumped into the conversation.

    ¡°Do you think [Bulwark] can stop Wolf?¡±

    ¡°Maybe?¡±

    I cut the conversation short before Firana could push Zaon to show his character sheet. Sensitivity wasn¡¯t the girl¡¯s forte.

    ¡°We have rested long enough. Let¡¯s go,¡± I said.

    We grabbed our backpacks, and the ferns returned to their original position as Hallas focused his spell on the front. A moment later, there was no sign we had been resting there. I let [Foresight] scan the treeline but detected nothing unusual.

    Ilya¡¯s [Spirit Animal] found nothing, so we set off.

    Zaon suddenly grabbed my arm. At first, I thought he detected danger, but his expression was serene. I let the others get ahead until we were just the two of us.

    ¡°Identify me,¡± he whispered.

    I used the skill, and Zaon squirmed when [Identify] hit him.

    Name: Zaon, Elf (Light-footed, Keen Senses, Night Vision).

    Class: Sentinel Lv.16

    Titles: Kind Hearted, Novice Mathematician.

    Passive: Longsword Mastery Lv.2, Fencing Lv.1, Sentinel¡¯s Oath, Awareness.

    Skills: Steadfast Shield, Ghost Blade, Sonar, Second Wind, Nimble Step, Bulwark.

    I examined the character sheet. Sentinel was an equilibrated defensive Class with a wide arrangement of detection and support spells. Among the ¡®sword and shield¡¯ combat Classes, it had the best magical attributes and the second-best Speed below Fencer. Its Endurance was comparable to that of a Knight, the most powerful basic Class, and its Strength was similar to that of a Fencer.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let the lack of Titles get into your head, Zaon. Humans created the System, so it is faulty and biased by nature,¡± I said.

    Zaon shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my personal sheet that bothers me. I genuinely feel like I¡¯m stuck. The others are doing crazy stuff, and I¡¯m just¡­ myself.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and Zaon blushed even more deeply.

    ¡°Let me show you something.¡±

    Channeling my mana, I used [Mirage] to summon Raudhan Kiln¡¯s character sheet. I had identified him when he first tried to mess with the orphanage just after my arrival. [Foresight] helped me recollect the memory to the very last detail.

    Name: Raudhan Kiln, Human.

    Class: Fencer Lv.12

    Titles: Farcrest Nobleborn, Big Game Hunter, Reckless.

    Passive: Fencing Lv.2, Shield Mastery Lv.2, Riding Lv.5.

    Skills: Ghost Slash, Puncture, Nimble Step.

    ¡°This is what a regular person¡¯s character sheet looks like, and we all know [Farcrest Nobleborn] and [Big Game Hunter] don¡¯t count. I mean, he probably went hunting a few times with Izabeka, and the System threw him a bone,¡± I jokingly said.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be showing other people¡¯s personal sheets,¡± Zaon pointed out, although he seemed invested in the illusion.

    Raudhan was three or four years older than the kids, but all he seemed to care about was his Riding passive. Was he secretly a horse guy?

    ¡°If he didn¡¯t want to get [Identify]¡¯d, he shouldn¡¯t have tried to harass the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°But in the end, it was all a ruse.¡±

    Zaon didn¡¯t feel better.

    I dispelled the illusion. Competitive people like Firana might find solace in being ahead of the curve.

    Then, it hit me. No amount of perspective would make Zaon change his mind because his troubles came from within. He was blind to all the progress he had made in the past months. On a logical level, he knew he had improved, but he didn¡¯t see that improvement as the fruit of his effort, and as such, he thought it wasn¡¯t in his control.

    It was a foolish thought but not less real than a fact in Zaon¡¯s mind.

    I wasn¡¯t equipped to perform therapeutic interventions, but I knew a few strategies to deal with difficult emotions.

    ¡°Every time you feel this way, I want you to close your eyes and take a deep breath,¡± I said. ¡°I want you to imagine a staircase. At the bottom is the Zaon that was a year ago. Now, imagine each step is an achievement or action that led you here, no matter how small. Think about it. Visualize it. We have time.¡±

    Even if he didn¡¯t see his progress at first glance, I could tell a dozen things from the top of my head. The daily training, the fight against the thieves, the tournament, the week they were in charge of the orphanage, the bravery he had shown since we entered the Farlands, his Class, and the fact he caught the attention of Prince Adrien and even a possible invitation to the Imperial Academy.

    Zaon had proved himself wrong. He used to believe he would be a lowly Soldier, yet we were marching toward the lair of a high-level monster. I was sure his [Awareness] was feeding him the exact information he needed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the fact you put a spell on Corin.¡± I joked.

    Zaon¡¯s eyes shot open, her face red as a beet.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°She said she would marry you.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be saying people¡¯s secrets!¡± Zaon blurted.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she wanted me to relay the message.¡± I grinned. ¡°It¡¯s the duty of the older members of the tribe to play matchmaking for the younger ones. Elder Kormak taught me that, and he seemed very old and wise.¡±

    Zaon sighed, still blushing.

    ¡°Did she really¡ª?¡±

    Before he could complete the question, Firana landed between us.

    ¡°Greyfangs ahead. Should we avoid them?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I replied. ¡°We need practice before facing the final boss.¡±

 182 - Vagabond

    We hunkered down behind a fallen tree. A hundred meters down the forest slope, past a rocky creek, three Greyfang warriors stood unnaturally still. Their coal-black skin made them look like charred stone golems. A subtle magic barrier covered them all over their hardened skin.

    ¡°A faint strand of mana is coming from their heads,¡± Ilya whispered.

    ¡°You can see it?¡± I asked.

    A self-satisfied smile appeared on Ilya¡¯s face when she saw my surprised expression. The connection between the Greyfangs and the black spire was faint, almost invisible, and I didn¡¯t recall seeing any new detection skills in Ilya¡¯s repertoire. Her smile widened. There was a correlation between [Mana Manipulation] and the ability to detect mana, and Ilya was a natural.

    I smiled back at her.

    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Hallas interrupted my train of thought.

    ¡°The Lich is controlling the Greyfangs. If they find us, the Lich will know our precise location.¡±

    Hallas dismissed my words with a sigh.

    ¡°The connection between undead and their master isn¡¯t that strong¡ª¡±

    ¡°The Greyfangs are alive,¡± I cut off Hallas before he could finish. ¡°The Lich used to be a human magician specialized in puppetry. We must assume his connection with the Greyfangs is much more intense than with undead.¡±

    Hallas clicked his tongue.

    ¡°If that¡¯s true, killing them won¡¯t be easy.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Zaon raised his hand.

    ¡°C-can we save them?¡±

    I would like to know that as well. During my last confrontation with a Greyfang, I attempted to cut the connection between them and the black spire without success.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if they can be saved, but I¡¯d like to avoid fighting them. They aren¡¯t monsters. I won¡¯t risk a stray spell hurting any of you.¡±

    The kids nodded, and we set off.

    Ilya''s [Spirit Animal] allowed us to go around the Greyfangs undetected. The orc warriors remained motionless, like unpowered automatons. I wondered if that was a sign of the Lich¡¯s current power or lack thereof. Raising the black spire at Umolo couldn''t have been cheap.

    We found more Greyfangs scattered in the valley. Most of them were motionless and alone, but occasionally, we found one who was relocating. I marked their positions on my mental map of the Farlands. As we walked towards the Warden¡¯s Tree, I added more markers until I noticed a pattern. The Greyfangs were forming a grid.

    At first, I thought the Greyfangs were looking for us, but then I realized they weren¡¯t sending out scouting parties. They were simply creating a barrier around the Warden¡¯s Tree. I grinned as I realized the Lich couldn¡¯t control every Greyfang simultaneously.

    We had a window to cross the valley without being detected.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stick to the western side of the valley,¡± I said.

    The terrain was tricky to navigate. The slope was steep and uneven.

    ¡°Lady Aias never turns her back on an opponent. We should go through,¡± Firana jokingly said.

    The terrain didn¡¯t hinder her pace.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have the opportunity to flex your levels very soon. Right now, we need speed. Pyrrah, Hallas, give me your boots.¡±

    Elven footwear was high quality, so the enchantment threshold was enough to fit all the runes of the Wind-Shot Boots. After a few minutes, the rune string closed, and the enchantment was complete. The process was considerably faster and cheaper after getting [Iron Runeweaver].

    Pyrrah gave small, excited claps as I returned her boots.

    ¡°It will take some time for you to get used to them, so for now, you¡¯ll travel in pairs,¡± I said. ¡°Hallas, you go with Wolf. Pyrrah, you go with me¡­ with Firana.¡±

    Pyrrah, in her usual fashion, deflated like an old balloon left to the sun. I knew that expression very well. It was the ¡®I didn¡¯t get paired with my high school crush during the field trip¡¯ face. Hallas had to be the worst wingman out there. He struck me as the kind of guy who couldn¡¯t even bother moving a finger for his friends.

    I made a mental note to introduce Pyrrah to Risha. Risha had hundreds of acquaintances in the army, so, logically speaking, at least one had to dig Pyrrah¡¯s style. At least she could get some experience dating¡ªor simply talking to a man.

    I sighed. I had gotten too involved with the elves despite trying to maintain a strict business relationship.

    ¡°Push magic into the boots, and the spell will propel you perpendicular to the sole¡¯s angle. Understood?¡±

    Firana squeezed Pyrrah¡¯s hand with a maniac glint in her eyes. After the first few hesitant jumps, we cruised through the forest. The elves didn¡¯t take long to get used to the Wind-Shoot Boots. Hallas let go of Wolf first, probably to keep his honor intact. Pyrrah took longer to let go, although I couldn¡¯t tell whether it was due to her initiative or Firana¡¯s. The girl seemed to have a blast dragging the poor Pyrrah over the crevices in the rocky ground.

    Ilya¡¯s [Spirit Animal] kept us from running into any Greyfangs.

    The lack of any other monsters caught my attention. I expected the Lich to be more eager to obtain the Access Rune. We completed the first day of travel without experiencing any area spell, no monster army came to meet us, and no squad of Mana Stalkers or winged Chrysalimorphs hunted us down. Either the Lich was weakened after I destroyed his chrysalimorph body, or he was setting up a trap.

    The sun set, and we stopped to rest. Hallas wanted to continue traveling, but I ignored his complaints. Wolf, Ilya, and Firana lacked night vision, so continuing during the night was out of the picture. Using enchanted stones or [Mana Manipulation] to illuminate the path would turn us into an easy target.

    We set camp in a depression on the mountain slope, covered from the wind and prying eyes on the forest.

    Despite our heavy backpacks, we had traversed about half the way to the Warden¡¯s Tree. [Foresight] told me we had covered almost thirty kilometers from dawn to dusk, and none of us seemed particularly tired.

    Hallas lit a small campfire, and Ilya cooked a simple meal of the orc¡¯s barley-rice, tubers, and salted meat. Then, she pulled a small spice rack from a small pocket of her backpack.

    ¡°Oh? Kara gave that to you?¡± Firana poked at her.

    ¡°It would be rude not to accept an offering like this,¡± Ilya shrugged before turning towards me. ¡°And before you ask, I apologized for my behavior. Kara accepted it, and I invited her to the orphanage in case she wanted to improve her sword skills. Happy?¡±

    ¡°Happy.¡±

    When the pot boiled, Ilya served the stew in our wooden bowls. One hidden advantage of combatant Classes was the ability to carry a lot of equipment without getting tired. The seasoned soup tasted great, and for a moment, I forgot we were walking towards the lair of a monster.

    Firana, Zaon, and Wolf fooled around while Pyrrah mindlessly fidgeted with a frogstone. Since Hallas had revealed Evindal¡¯s secret, an invisible wall had been raised between them. Pyrrah hadn¡¯t been aware they were carrying a Warden¡¯s Seed.

    I wondered how Prince Adrien and the Marquis would react to the news that the elven kingdom wanted to set up an outpost in their backyard. I felt strange thinking about court life. Three weeks ago, I was waist-deep into the kingdom¡¯s politics, and my greatest concern was preventing the kids from being conscripted into the army for the final push through the Farlands.

    Everything had changed.

    I shook my head, trying not to think about home.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go over our battle plans,¡± I said.

    ¡°Again?¡± Firana rolled her eyes. ¡°We already practiced a lot.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any margin of error, so yeah,¡± I said, but to spice things up, I used [Mirage] to summon a mock battlefield with an orcish chrysalimorph and the four kids. With the help of [Foresight], I could calculate the speeds of the kids and the monsters to create realistic combat scenarios.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°Alright, I like this more,¡± Firana smiled.

    We reviewed battle plans until late into the night. The kids stuck to our tactics, and most fights developed similarly. Surround the monster, open a shooting line, and retreat. Hit and run. Rinse and repeat. Mana was a limited resource, and we were fighting a war of attrition. We had the mobility, the armor, and the firepower. My only concern was a stray bullet hitting one of the kids. The projectile wouldn¡¯t be lethal even against naked skin¡ªalthough a nasty bruise was a given¡ªbut the Mana Exhaustion would knock them out of combat.

    I had a solution to that problem.

    ¡°Give me your jackets and your shirts,¡± I said.

    ¡°You are too comfortable asking people to take their clothes off, Robert,¡± Hallas pointed out.

    ¡°Last time, I gave you a pair of enchanted boots. I¡¯ll give you something better this time,¡± I replied, grabbing Wolf¡¯s jacket. ¡°I¡¯ll enchant a low power Reinforcement spell with an Insulation layer. That should help you survive an MDBC bullet.¡±

    Pyrrah grimaced.

    The only problem with the Reinforcement enchantment was that it reduced the flexibility of the garments, so I tried to keep it to the minimum.

    ¡°We have to survive,¡± Wolf said, unbuttoning his shirt. ¡°Mister Clarke still owes my people a hundred enchanted rifles, and Firana owes me like twelve dishwashings.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Firana jumped.

    Everyone laughed except for Hallas.

    ¡°Oh, we are totally surviving this,¡± Ilya said. ¡°I have to return home and fill the pantry with venison and poultry. Also, Firana owes me ten dishwashings.¡±

    ¡°Stop it!¡± Firana turned to Ilya and threatened her with a finger.

    ¡°What about you, Zaon?¡± Wolf asked.

    ¡°I¡­ I want to enter the Imperial Academy,¡± he said hesitantly. ¡°And Firana owes me like fifty-seven dishwashings.¡±

    Firana opened her mouth to complain but closed it without uttering a word.

    ¡°Well¡­ that one might be true,¡± she said after a moment of thought. ¡°I guess I have to return alive to repay all those times Zaon did the dishes on my behalf.¡±

    We continued chatting while I enchanted the garments. Our spirits were high. After all, fighting monsters and pushing Surges back into the Farlands was the norm for the people of Farcrest. When I was ready, and the cold wind blew from the mountains, I sent the kids to bed and took the first guard shift.

    I fed the campfire and sat atop a rock outside our hideout. From the vantage point, I could see everything. Not an hour into my shift, a minor skirmish broke by the valley''s eastern side. Not even [Foresight] could help me perceive the details of the combatants, as they were smaller than ants at this distance, but some heavy spellcasting was happening. Fireballs and flashes of light illuminated the eastern slope, and a few trees were set ablaze.

    I wondered if there were the remnants of Umolo orcs fighting Greyfangs.

    After a few minutes, the combat ceased and darkness wrapped around the mountains. I couldn¡¯t tell who won. For the next hour, nothing happened.

    I pulled out the anti-magic sword and identified it.

    Mage Killer. [Identify]: ??? Enchantment threshold: ???/??? Status: Stable.

    I re-identified it in case the Corruption from Umolo had hindered the System¡¯s normal functions, but nothing changed. Then, I used [Rune Identification], but the result was similar. A long list of interrogation symbols with the usual runes scattered along the string: User, Activation, Absorption, Instantaneous. There was nothing new to add to my Rune Encyclopedia. It was strange, but it wasn¡¯t glitched. It only lacked values.

    At least I could wield it.

    Things were going to end very soon.

    I remained vigilant for half the night and then woke the elves to take the second shift. I warned them about the skirmish and pulled out my bedroll. As soon as the [Invigoration] bonus disappeared, I fell asleep.

    ***

    The next day was equally uneventful.

    Pyrrah and Hallas had spotted a few skirmishes on the opposite side of the valley. They agreed it had to be the remnants of the orc tribes seeking retribution against the Greyfangs. Wolf also agreed. The Greyfangs had put every orc tribe in peril, so they were considered a threat to survival, and as such, they had to be eliminated.

    By noon, we crossed the northern pass. The Warden¡¯s Tree appeared behind the hills like a colossus, rising seven hundred meters into the sky.

    ¡°It reminds you of home, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Hallas asked as we stopped for a short rest on top of the pass.

    Pyrrah heard Hallas¡¯ words but didn¡¯t respond.

    The elves must have the sickest tree house in this world.

    Vigorous branches extended in every direction, each one thick enough to harbor a small village. At first, I thought the leaves of the Warden¡¯s Tree had white spots, but after another hour of trekking, I noticed I was wrong. Flowers the size of houses were slowly starting to open here and there. On the center of each flower was a crimson-red Chrysalimorph pod. A shiver ran down my spine. Hundreds¡­ no, thousands of flowers adorned the Warden¡¯s Tree.

    ¡°O-on second thought¡­ we need the orc army,¡± Hallas stuttered and turned around.

    I grabbed his shoulder while Firana grabbed the other, preventing him from retreating.

    ¡°Oh, no. You are not going anywhere,¡± I said between my teeth. ¡°We will burn that thing down before a single Chrysalimorph can hatch.¡±

    Hallas struggled, but I barely felt his efforts. I hadn¡¯t realized how strong I was. Hallas felt like a toddler trying to escape from a parent¡¯s grip. If I put real strength on my hand, he couldn¡¯t escape. I could even hurt him. The idea made me queasy, so I pushed him away.

    ¡°You can¡¯t burn a Warden¡¯s Tree,¡± Hallas said, fixing his clothes.

    ¡°It was a figure of speech. Let¡¯s move. You first. There¡¯s too much at stake to chicken out.¡±

    Firana pushed Hallas onto the trail. I could tell she had been practicing her cultist role.

    ¡°This is the part when you tell me not to be too harsh with him,¡± I said, looking at Pyrrah.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve put him in a chokehold or something.¡± She adjusted the straps of her backpack and followed behind the kids down the rocky pass.

    The Warden¡¯s Tree stood like a silent witness of our exchange.

    ¡°Keep your guard up. We don¡¯t know what awaits us,¡± I said, catching up.

    The kids clutched their rifles, bullets in the chamber, and enchantments charged, ready to shoot at command. Ilya and Wolf took the left flank while Firana and Zaon covered the right. Hallas and Pyrrah walked in the front while I overlooked the formation. We walked down the slope, and the forest became more dense.

    We found the first Greyfang an hour after noon.

    Ilya raised her hand and crouched behind the thicket. We followed. A mana sparrow landed on her shoulder and whispered in her ear.

    ¡°A hundred meters in that direction,¡± she said, confused. ¡°I think it is dead.¡±

    If an orc warband was hunting Greyfangs, they hid their steps very well.

    We spread out, creating a half-moon shape, fingers on the metaphorical triggers. The trees made a green wall all around us, and only a minute later, I had a clear sight of the Greyfang. I straightened up. There was no sign of mana around the body. The warrior was dead.

    ¡°Wolf, with me,¡± I said, crossing a clump of dead ferns.

    The Greyfang was an absolute unit of an orc: more than two meters tall and built like a buffalo. I wondered if they put something in Umolo''s water to make them grow so much. Wolf turned the body over. It was a her.

    Her skin was black as coal, the product of Corruption. However, what caught my attention was her armor. A thin cut went through the metal. Her right arm was twisted, and the bone fractured in several spots like something had constricted it.

    ¡°This is a slashing wound,¡± I muttered, pointing at her chest.

    Wolf removed her armor to reveal the wound: a deep slash from shoulder to hip. The skin was burned around the edges. It was undeniably a sword wound, but I had seen the orcish cleavers bounce against the Greyfang¡¯s corrupted skin.

    Wolf must¡¯ve seen something I didn¡¯t because he turned the corpse to reveal an exit wound. A hole was in the orc¡¯s back, and the armor plate was charred.

    ¡°Zaon, did you lose your flaming sword?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, Mister Clarke. I have it right here,¡± he replied, patting the sheath of his sword.

    I had seen the orcs Warrior Trance, but flaming spells didn¡¯t seem part of their repertoire.

    ¡°An enchanted weapon or a System user,¡± Wolf said.

    I glanced at the wound. The Greyfang skin was resistant; even my mana blade had trouble cutting it. Only a Combat Class with a high offensive stat could cause such a wound. Farcrest had only two high-level individuals who had business in the Farlands¡ªChieftain Alton of the Sentinels or Janus.

    My mind rushed. It didn¡¯t make sense for Janus to be in the Farlands killing corrupted monsters.

    I remembered a conversation with Captain Kiln months ago. We discussed my true power level. Izabeka had gone on a tangent and had told me about Farcrest¡¯s most powerful warriors. She told me the Marquis was the strongest, a level fifty-four Flame Fencer. Then came Chieftain Alton, a level fifty-three Marksman. In third place was herself, a level fifty-one Knight. She had lied to me. Izabeka was a Radiant Knight.

    There were several other high-level warriors in Farcrest: Lord Herran, Lord Gairon, Duke Jorn, and Lord Osgiria. However, it didn¡¯t make sense for them to be here, risking their lives. Not even the Marquis would be allowed to leave Farcrest without a leader.

    There was only one person in the whole city who had a reason to be here.

    Alton and his Sentinels might have decided to solo the Forest Warden and stop the Monster Surge.

    ¡°Keep your eyes peeled,¡± I said.

    Not twenty minutes later, we found a second dead Greyfang. We quickened our pace. After an hour, we had found six bodies, all with the same type of wounds: scorched stabs and mangled limbs.

    Wolf set the time of death between midnight and dawn.

    ¡°The skirmishes we saw last night must¡¯ve continued here,¡± Pyrra pointed out.

    Whoever had been hunting Greyfangs had seemingly cleared the path for us.

    The Warden¡¯s Tree grew to consume even more of our vision as we came close. The branches covered most of the sky. I could almost envision an elven city built on the canopy. Despite the roots protruding from the ground, no Mana Stingers appeared to prevent us from approaching the Warden¡¯s Tree.

    I was starting to get nervous when Ilya broke the silence.

    ¡°There is someone nearby. I think they set camp by the Warden¡¯s Tree. I can¡¯t get close without getting detected,¡± she said, closing her eyes and using her [Spirit Animal] to see.

    ¡°Prepare your weapons, but be careful. It might be Chieftain Alton,¡± I said.

    The kids nodded.

    As we reached the base of the Warden¡¯s Tree, we adopted the half-moon formation. The root system had mowed the surrounding trees, so there was a perimeter without vegetation. The whole area seemed devoid of any vital energy.

    A cloaked figure was sitting next to a campfire between gigantic roots.

    We shed our backpacks. Ilya and Wolf stuck with me while Firana and Zaon climbed the root system to aim from a vantage point. The figure was trapped between the Warden¡¯s Tree and the root system. It was a dead end, but only a madman or a mighty warrior would camp at the base of a Warden¡¯s Tree.

    I pushed Hallas and Pyrrah behind me and drew my sword.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± I raised my voice.

    The cloaked figure got up. A sword hilt protruded from their cloak.

    ¡°Using orphans as soldiers? How low have you fallen, Robert Clarke?¡±

 183 - Survivor

    Chapter 183

    The cloak fell back, revealing a familiar face.

    ¡°Izabeka!¡± I raised my voice, but my body froze.

    It couldn¡¯t be. Janus had chased me into the Farlands, which meant Izabeka had been defeated. Janus wouldn¡¯t let a witness live.

    I examined her face. There was no sign she had been turned into undead: no mortal paleness, no putrefied meat, no unnatural stiffness. The campfire sputtered. Undead didn''t light bonfires either.

    ¡°You died,¡± I said.

    ¡°And you underestimate how hard it is to kill a level fifty warrior,¡± she replied with a self-satisfied expression.

    A void settled in my stomach, and my knees were weak. There was no doubt it was her. Suddenly, the void was replaced by a wave of relief. She was alive.

    ¡°Keep the hug to yourself. We have bigger troubles to deal with,¡± Izabeka said, pointing at the Warden¡¯s Tree. However, she couldn¡¯t escape Firana¡¯s embrace. The girl shot from the top of the root system and clung to the woman¡¯s neck. I expected Izabeka to push Firana away, but the girl retreated on her own, shaken.

    ¡°Captain¡­ your arm,¡± Firana mumbled.

    [Foresight] pinged my brain. Izabeka¡¯s left sleeve hung like a flag on a windless day. She put her cloak over her shoulder and raised her arm. Or what was left of it. Izabeka¡¯s arm had been severed well above the elbow.

    ¡°I¡¯m not learning to play the fiddle any time soon,¡± she jokingly said.

    ¡°Janus?¡± I asked.

    Her eyes flashed with anger.

    ¡°Yeah. That weasel took my arm and almost took my life, but the next time will be different.¡±

    I sheathed my sword, and the elves relaxed.

    ¡°Is she a friend of yours?¡± Hallas asked.

    I made the proper introductions, sparing the part where the elves tried to settle an outpost a few kilometers from Farcrest. We sat around Izabeka¡¯s campfire and prepared a meal. It was well past noon, and we hadn¡¯t stopped to rest since dawn. Izabeka examined Pyrrah from head to toe, but she didn¡¯t make any comments other than giving me a dirty look.

    ¡°How did you survive?¡± I asked as the elves unpacked the cooking equipment.

    I recognized the orcish hand behind her clothes and utensils but couldn¡¯t imagine how she escaped from Janus.

    Izabeka leaned back and chewed a piece of salted meat.

    ¡°Janus defeated me. No matter what I did, I couldn¡¯t keep up with his speed. I hit him hard, though, and I think I broke his leg. After you escaped, Janus realized he couldn¡¯t continue toying with me. He cut my arm and left me bleeding in the alley. He must¡¯ve thought he killed me,¡± Izabeka explained.

    The kids leaned forward like they were listening to a Christmas fable from the funny grandpa.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t tell us how you survived,¡± Ilya pointed out.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it,¡± Izabeka said, focusing on her piece of salted meat.

    ¡°Come on!¡± Firana pressed her.

    Izabeka grimaced.

    ¡°You won¡¯t believe me, really,¡± she said, but the kids were on the edge of their metaphorical seats, and pleading kids was Izabeka¡¯s weakness. ¡°Well¡­ I was bleeding out on the ground. I thought it was over. Then, as Janus chased after Rob, roots emerged from the cobbled alley, wrapped around me, and dragged me underground. I thought I would suffocate, but again, it¡¯s hard to kill a level fifty warrior. The roots took me, and I was pulled inside a red container. Then, I lost consciousness. I don¡¯t know how long I was inside that red pod, but I was alive and above the ground when I woke up. I broke the walls, and I was healthy again. Naked and armless, yes, but healthy. I met a small orc tribe, and they gave me clothes and other stuff. When the Warden¡¯s Tree appeared, I decided to come to kill the monster, and then I found all of you here. Crazy, uh?¡±

    I nodded in silence. Izabeka¡¯s story was consistent with what we have seen. The root system tried to use her body to create a spawn. I examined Izabeka¡¯s face. Even her older scars seemed better. At least there was no sign of white bark armor or emerald crystalline formations.

    I noticed Chrysalimorph pods and Holone Grapes had two things in common: their crimson color and healing properties. It couldn¡¯t be a coincidence.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit ambitious on your part to face a Warden alone?¡± Hallas pointed out.

    Izabeka grinned.

    ¡°I already did once. I was barely more than a kid back then, but I like to think experience is more valuable than youthful strength.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. A Warden isn¡¯t a monster that a single human could kill,¡± Hallas replied. ¡°You must¡¯ve merely weakened it.¡±

    This time, Izabeka raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Age getting to your ears, tree hugger? I killed it. Destroyed it. I found the heart of the root system, cut the bark, shattered the core, and burned the seed,¡± she said. ¡°I think I did a good job. The System awarded me with several levels.¡±

    Hallas¡¯ face went pale.

    Even if Izabeka had killed the previous Warden, we were before Evindal¡¯s seed powered by whatever growth-enhancing spell the Gardeners used. I exchanged glances with Pyrrah, and we both realized what was at stake. A ¡®fast¡¯ seed could create Chrysalimorphs faster than expected, and the branches were overloaded with fruit.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to eat. We have to enter immediately,¡± Hallas said.

    ¡°Enter? Last time I checked, trees don¡¯t have doors,¡± Izabeka replied.

    Hallas froze. His little secret was slowly getting leaked outside the elven kingdom. In any other situation, I¡¯d have had more tact, but Hallas had proved to be an unreliable ally.

    ¡°The elves brought a Warden¡¯s Seed, and the Lich got a hold of it,¡± I said.

    ¡°Why would they even do that?!¡± Izabeka was bewildered.

    ¡°As far as I know? They build their cities and many other nifty things with Warden Seeds,¡± I replied, my [Foresight] connecting dots in my brain. ¡°You said ¡®Enter¡¯. Elven cities aren¡¯t in the canopy¡­ they are inside the trunk, right?¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect Pyrrah to challenge Hallas¡¯ silence.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. The Gardeners can prepare certain seeds to create a city. As a result, the trunk is mostly hollow, like a silo. You just have to plant it and wait for the city to grow,¡± the elven woman said, her face full of defiance.

    Hallas gave her an irritated glance.

    I updated Captain Kiln on the rest of the situation. I told her about the Lich spreading Corruption, my encounter with the elves, the fall of Umolo, and the location of the Lich¡¯s true body. She remained silent and only interrupted me to ask a few questions. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°And you decided to bring a bunch of kids to fight not just one but two high-level monsters?¡± Captain Kiln asked.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you, like, very young when you killed the other Forest Warden?¡± I countered.

    ¡°That was different, I¡­¡± Izabeka muttered, unable to find the words. ¡°Well¡­ yes, I was very young. But I bet you lot aren¡¯t even level twenty!¡± She added, turning toward the kids.

    They instantly got defensive.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look down on us!¡± Firana said. ¡°While you¡¯ve been sleeping in your monster cocoon, we fought with all our might against the forces of evil! We are not just the kids you once met, Izabeka.¡±

    Captain Kiln rolled her eyes.

    ¡°A single Gloomstalker could sweep your mercenary ass from the playground, kid.¡±

    Firana grinned.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we have a secret weapon. Robert?¡± she said, pointing at me.

    I was caught off guard. ¡°Do you want me to say something?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Come on! Tell her about our secret weapon!¡±

    I sighed. It would be faster to show her.

    ¡°Give me your jacket, Izabeka,¡± I said.

    ¡°You are too young for me, Scholar,¡± she replied, amused.

    The kids exchanged a mischievous look and leaned back, waiting for Captain Kiln¡¯s reaction. I enchanted the jacket with a Reinforcement spell. Radiant Knights had no access to [Identify], yet Izabeka¡¯s eyes shot wide open when I returned the garment. Maybe it was [Awareness] or just the natural ability to detect magic of those with deep mana pools, but she instantly detected she was holding an enchanted item.

    ¡°You are not normal, Robert Clarke.¡± Izabeka massaged her temples. ¡°Did you get a Prestige Class? No¡­ you can¡¯t be above level thirty-five, and Scholars don¡¯t turn into any Class with enchanting skills. What in the everloving System did you do, Robert?¡±

    I let out an awkward laugh.

    ¡°I got something like a side-grade, but that¡¯s not important right now,¡± I replied. I wasn¡¯t going to blow Izabeka¡¯s mind with the whole story about the System Avatar just before an important battle. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on recovering our strength before entering the Warden¡¯s Tree.¡±

    Izabeka accepted my words at face value and put on her enchanted jacket. Using a sole hand was still awkward for her, but she refused Zaon¡¯s help. Then, she beamed at me.

    ¡°As a fervent follower of the Church of the System, I¡¯m ready to accept anything you have to give, Robert Clarke. I want the whole package,¡± Izabeka grinned like a kid on Christmas day. ¡°And you still owe me a detailed explanation.¡±

    Despite Hallas¡¯ worries, we rested for an hour. After entering the Warden¡¯s Tree, there was no assurance we would have time to rest, so it was better to enter fresh and ready to fight.

    While the kids prepared a proper meal, I enchanted a whole set of armor for Izabeka: Wind-Shoot Boots, self-drying socks, Reinforced Trousers, a Glowing Knife, a Leechflame Cutter, and an Insulation Linen Shirt. Izabeka was so strong already that any increment in attack and defense would be marginal at best. At least she was happy.

    I tried to focus on the fight ahead, but it was difficult with the kids swarming Captain Kiln. For them, Izabeka wasn¡¯t just the cool aunt who came to visit the orphanage from time to time. She was also a legend of Farcrest. She was probably the closest thing to a superhero in this world, and they were eager to tell her about their recent exploits.

    The scene brought me back to the orphanage. To the old stove in the kitchen, the worn-out chairs, the cozy atmosphere, and Elincia. I was just three steps away from returning to my dream life: the Warden, the Lich, and Janus.

    ¡°Let¡¯s break camp and end this nonsense,¡± I said after a moment.

    Hallas let out a sigh of relief. Not once had he tried to apologize to Pyrrah, but it wasn¡¯t a problem for me to solve. I hoped their quarrel didn¡¯t pose a problem during combat.

    A minute later, we were walking around the Warden¡¯s Tree.

    The entrance of an elven city was always facing the sunrise. We had reached the Warden¡¯s Tree from the south, so we had quite a distance to go.

    There was an eerie silence around the tree. I would have preferred a pack of Gloomstalkers raining on us.

    ¡°No human has entered an elven city in the past hundred years. Be grateful,¡± Hallas said as the root system opened into a plain devoid of vegetation.

    Towering above us, the city gates seamlessly merged into the living bark. It was an imposing sight. The round edges were lined with intricate patterns of leaves and vines, similar to the decorations of Pyrrah¡¯s armor. The shifting light filtering through the canopy tricked the eye into believing the decorations moved and slithered over the bark.

    The gates parted slightly, revealing the hollow inside.

    ¡°Where are the other elves?¡± Izabeka asked.

    ¡°There are no other elves out here, just the two of us,¡± Hallas replied.

    Izabeka didn¡¯t seem happy with the answer.

    ¡°That design alone would require a month¡¯s work of a small army of artisans.¡±

    Hallas shrugged.

    ¡°Evindal, the Gardener, carved the city in the seed beforehand,¡± Pyrrah said, glaring at Hallas. ¡°Only a seasoned Gardener could engrave such fine detail. I¡¯m talking about someone with at least fifty years of experience in gardening.¡±

    The final part was undoubtedly a dig at Hallas.

    I wondered how long Pyrrah had been Evindal¡¯s squire without knowing his true identity.

    We stopped before the doorway. A chilling wind came from inside, and the spot of Corruption on my chest dug its tiny claws into my skin. At last, we were in the place of the mysterious coordinates.

    I turned around and faced the kids.

    ¡°I know I¡¯ve already asked more than a teacher should ask from his students, and I apologize for that. I won¡¯t be disappointed if any of you decide to pull out of this adventure,¡± I said, my eyes moving from face to face. ¡°If someone is unsure of their ability to fight, speak now. You have my permission to skip this exercise.¡±

    The kids remained silent, clutching their rifles.

    ¡°Wolf, you should return to the Teal Moon tribe,¡± I said.

    The boy gave me a confused look.

    ¡°Is this a test?¡±

    Technically, it was an evaluation, but I didn¡¯t say that.

    ¡°You are their Warchief. Corruption will worsen from now on, and they will need someone smart to guide them.¡±

    Wolf, in his usual fashion, didn¡¯t answer right away. He closed his eyes for a moment, looking inside. When he opened them again, I noticed no trace of doubt in his body language.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t fight now, the tribe will suffer later. My predecessor failed to see that, and he paid the ultimate price,¡± Wolf said. ¡°I will fight.¡±

    I nodded and shifted toward Ilya.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the place for a gnome to be.¡±

    ¡°When I finish hunting down the last monster inside, it will be,¡± Ilya replied, her voice full of confidence.

    There was no arrogance in her words.

    ¡°Zaon. Your indecision will get us killed,¡± I said.

    The boy opened his mouth to reply but stumbled upon his words, almost proving me right. I was the first to recognize that Zaon had changed since we first met. He had overcome many of his flaws and reached milestones he believed impossible, yet part of the old Zaon refused to let go. That devious little voice that whispered in his ear that he wasn¡¯t up to the task was still there. No matter how often I complimented him, I couldn¡¯t make it disappear. That was something only Zaon could do.

    ¡°I-If I mess up, I¡¯ll make sure not to drag anyone down with me, I guess¡­¡± he said hesitantly.

    That wasn¡¯t the answer I needed. If Zaon were going to fight with mental shackles around his legs, I would rather leave him behind for his own good.

    Zaon looked around, but the other kids avoided his glance, not wanting to interfere with his decision. Then, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He remained in that position for a long minute.

    Suddenly, his face lit up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. I know I¡¯m far from perfect, and messing up is a real possibility, but if I fail, it will not be due to my indecisiveness,¡± Zaon said. ¡°I¡¯ll do it because I want to do it. I¡¯ll do it because I have to do it. I¡¯ll do it because only I can do it. I¡¯ll do it because I won¡¯t be able to live with myself if something happens to any of you, and I wasn¡¯t there to help.¡±

    I smiled.

    ¡°That¡¯s the correct answer, Zaon.¡±

    The boy blushed and fixed his gaze on the tips of his boots. His lips, however, twitched into a shy smile¡ªa smile directed to himself.

    ¡°Alright, people. I¡¯m not one for long speeches, so I will keep this brief. For months, we have unknowingly been preparing for this moment. Each of you has earned the skills for the job through effort and work, so I¡¯ll say this: trust your abilities and your companions. You have walked all the way here, and you¡¯ll make it through.¡±

    I glanced at the group with pride.

    ¡°We¡¯ll make it through,¡± Ilya corrected me.

    ¡°We¡¯ll make it through,¡± I conceded.

    Firana raised her hand.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me anything?¡±

    ¡°Because I already knew your answer when I said adventure,¡± I replied, to Firana¡¯s dismay. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The grand archway led into a plaza framed by a fence of braided roots.

    Bioluminescent moss hung from the walls, showering the hollow tree with a pale green light. [Night Vision] made it look like it was midday. I raised my head. The city hung over us like an intricate maze of platforms, balconies, tents, and walls. Bridges of green translucent resin connected one level to another¡ªif the vertical separations could be called levels at all. More than a silo or an apartment complex with a recursive structure, the elven city was an organic mishmash of elements. It was like the insides of a clockwork tower combined with an Ewok citadel.

    I noticed I was holding my breath.

    The air was thick with the scent of sap and varnish. The whole scene seemed taken from a child¡¯s book, yet I couldn¡¯t shed the feeling of something breathing on our necks.

 184 - Elven City

    The kids shifted nervously. The elven city was too silent for a monster¡¯s lair, and the wooden platforms and resin pathways suspended over our heads created too many blind spots. I expected Gloomstalkers and Mana Stingers to rain down from the ceiling the moment we set foot inside the Warden¡¯s Tree, but the welcoming committee was nowhere to be found.

    I still couldn''t shake the feeling that someone was watching us.

    ¡°Either this is a trap, or we killed every monster in the Lich¡¯s army during the siege,¡± Ilya said.

    ¡°The Warden must be dormant. Let¡¯s go. We have to find the Cloister before it awakens,¡± Hallas said, jumping a vine fence and leading the way through the plaza.

    Across the plaza was a staircase sculpted out of pale wood and multicolor resin. Bioluminescent lights cast a rainbow over the steps and handrails.

    ¡°Stop,¡± I said as [Foresight] warned me of danger.

    Crimson Scion Pods were on the base of the staircase, hidden inside closed buds. The kids reflexively aimed, and Captain Kiln gave me a confused look.

    ¡°Those are Chrysalimorph pods. Nasty things.¡±

    I activated my mana sense, and the rainbow of colors disappeared. Strong mana streams flowed through the walls, converging in a single point suspended above our heads¡ªthe Warden¡¯s Cloister. The Chrysalimorph pods, on the other hand, were dead. Upon closer inspection I noticed I could see through the crimson membrane.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing inside them,¡± I announced.

    The citadel trembled, and the suspended platforms rocked above our heads.

    We froze and looked up, but nothing came slithering down. Instead, the air inside the hollow tree seemed to freeze, and a familiar figure appeared on top of the stairs¡ªa cloak with two electric-blue eyes. Like a spider spreading out its legs, ice encroached on the staircase.

    A crack of thunder rang out as a bullet cut between the Lich¡¯s eyes. The cloak, however, was empty, and the shot splintered harmlessly against the wall. The attack had been ineffective.

    I raised my hand to stop any follow-up shots.

    ¡°I guess we know now who shot first,¡± the Lich said, his voice sounding like cracking ice. ¡°This is your last chance, wizard. Hand me the Access Rune, and I might let your multicolored band walk away.¡±

    There was no expression inside the cloak, but I felt the Lich¡¯s anger.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already destroyed your body twice, Alex. I don¡¯t see how this time will be different,¡± I replied as I scanned the citadel. I detected only one source of mana, which meant the Warden and the Lich¡¯s true bodies were probably hidden in the same place.

    The Lich was set aback at the sound of his name.

    ¡°Our chubby yellow friend told you,¡± the Lich said, this time in English.

    ¡°I know two things about you. You are a competent puppeteer, and you should¡¯ve been dead for a long time,¡± I replied.

    The Lich¡¯s laughter was unnerving.

    ¡°You know why I call you a wizard, don¡¯t you?¡± the Lich said, entertained. ¡°You are aware of our true power, and yet here you are, still a slave to the System.¡±

    I remembered the sensation of power when I melted the cave above the Lich¡¯s head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to that thing,¡± Captain Kiln put a hand on my chest and pushed me back.

    Captain Kiln channeled her mana, and a golden chain emerged from her severed arm. The Lich, however, didn¡¯t react to the provocation.

    ¡°Listen to me, wizard. Jeremiah lied to you. He didn¡¯t give you the power of the runes as a gift. He sealed your true powers and set upon you on a mission destined to fail,¡± the Lich said. ¡°You know the truth. You know how deceitful he can be. Join me. Give me the Access Rune, and I will make you a king. I will rule on this side of the mountains, you will rule on the other, and together, we will fight the monsters of the inner Farlands as countrymen.¡±

    I put my hand on Captain Kiln¡¯s arm, and she let me go.

    ¡°I would rather take my chances alone. Dealing with undead would set a bad example for my students,¡± I said, channeling mana.

    The Warden¡¯s Tree trembled again, and the currents of mana intensified.

    ¡°You will regret it when the gnome dies in your arms,¡± the Lich screeched.

    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± I replied.

    Orchish Chrysalimorphs dropped from above us in the elven city.

    Orcish Chrysalimorph Lv.27

    Orcish Chrysalimorph Lv.28

    Orcish Chrysalimorph Lv.32

    Orcish Chrysalimorph Lv.35

    The kids moved before the monsters could touch the ground. The MDBC bullets hit the Chrysalimorph¡¯s bulking bodies, and mana was stripped away from them. Then, as we practiced, the kids activated the Wind-Shot Boots and retreated.

    [Foresight] injected information directly into my brain. The Orcish Chrysalimorphs were faster than their size suggested. However, [Foresight] detected a slight sluggishness in their movements. The MDBC bullets worked.

    I channeled my mana and engaged the Lv.35. The creature grew a cleaver from its bark-like skin and tried to behead me. It was too slow. [Foresight] slowed time as [Swordsmanship] filled my brain with timing, angle, and distance information. The cleaver cut a centimeter away from my cheekbone. The recovery time of the Chrysalimorph¡¯s attack was quicker than any human combatant, but I was even faster. I jumped on the Chrysalimorph¡¯s back and stabbed its shoulder blade. My sword bounced off, but I left a deep notch in its armor.

    ¡°The kids!¡± Captain Kiln shouted in panic as her radiant chains constricted the Lv.32 Chrysalimorph.

    I noticed she was having trouble keeping the monster at bay. I blocked my Chrysalimorph¡¯s attack, and its strength sent waves through my body. A cascade of sparks left charred marks on the ground. The creature felt no fear or sense of self-preservation, which made it even more dangerous.

    ¡°They got this! Trust!¡± I shouted back.

    Ilya ran around the plaza with a Chrysalimorph on her heels. The Wind-Shoot Boots gave her the boost she needed to stay out of reach. Reaching the plaza¡¯s fence, the girl jumped four meters into the air, twisted, and shot from her hip. The bullet hit the Chrysalimorph¡¯s chest, draining more mana and slowing it down.

    For an instant, the Chrysalimorph even seemed disoriented.

    Ilya landed on her feet and got away from the monster. That gave Wolf a clear view to take his shot. The bullet shattered against the Chrysalimorph¡¯s shoulder, and a mana explosion sent the creature to its knees. The sparks scattered, revealing deep cracks in its armor.

    Without giving the Chrysalimorph a moment to recover, Pyrrah snuck behind its back, her body gleaming with a reddish aura, and swung her war hammer. The hit sent shards of armor and resin to the ground, but Pyrrah didn¡¯t stop. She repeatedly battered the weakened Chrysalimorph until its armor fell to pieces, revealing its fleshy interior. When the Chrysalimorph turned to catch her, she activated the Wind-Shoot Boots and fled at the last moment.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Meanwhile, Firana and Zaon gave the same treatment to the fourth monster.

    Captain Kiln pushed more mana into her radiant chains and finally shattered her Chrysalimorph¡¯s armor. Despite having ten levels over the Chrysalimorph, the chains weren¡¯t as effective as the piercing capability of my mana blade.

    I focused on my battle. Dodging my opponent¡¯s blow, I found an opening on its defense. With a second lunge at the weakened armor, I opened a gap. Without giving the monster an instant to react, I shoved my sword through the bleeding crack and unleashed a mana storm.

    I scanned the citadel. There were no signs of more Chrysalimorphs, and the Lich¡¯s projection was nowhere to be found. Ilya threw her Leechflame Dagger to Pyrrah so the elf could finish the Chrysalimorph, while Firana did the same to her¡¯s with her Aias Sword.

    A moment later, the fighting was over.

    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Ilya asked. She had a scratch on her face, but Wolf attended her immediately, and the redness disappeared. The fight had been flawless.

    ¡°The Lich isn¡¯t wasting mana on more Chrysalimorphs,¡± I said.

    Was the Lich¡¯s attempt to negotiate a sign of desperation?

    ¡°Where is Hallas?¡± Pyrrah suddenly asked.

    I was so focused on searching for monsters that I hadn¡¯t noticed he was missing.

    I had a bad feeling.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡±

    The stairs took us to the first floor of the elven citadel. It wasn¡¯t technically the first floor because platforms and suspended bridges didn¡¯t exist in rigid planes but as clumps of structures. The platform was an elegant pavilion with a high ceiling and a firepit surrounded by vine-braided benches. Four bridges connected the platform to other structures.

    I let [Foresight] scan the surroundings and saw Hallas¡¯ shadow walking over a green resin bridge twenty meters above us. The elven city curled and twisted, so it was hard to tell where he was going, but there was only one point of interest inside the Warden¡¯s Tree.

    ¡°Is he a coward?¡± Captain Kiln asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s looking for the Cloister,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Hallas is not a Gardener. He can¡¯t seal the Warden¡¯s Core,¡± Pyrrah replied.

    Something was wrong. Hallas had stated that he needed my strength to deal with the Warden. Why was he going solo?

    ¡°Firana, get me onto that bridge. Pyrrah, guide the rest up.¡±

    Firana put a hand around my waist, and we shot up beyond the normal range of the Wind-Shoot Boots. The floor left my feet, and adrenaline rushed through my veins. We overshot the bridge by a few meters, but Firana activated [Feather Fall], and we landed softly. Hallas was still a few meters above us.

    ¡°Hallas! Don¡¯t do anything reckless!¡± I yelled.

    Hallas ignored us and used his Wind-Shoot Boots to jump from one platform to another. For a split second, I saw Hallas'' body directly, and I noticed a black thread coming from his head. I blinked but when I looked again, he was already gone.

    We jumped to the next platform. Despite not having a definite confirmation of the Cloister¡¯s location, all the mana in the Warden¡¯s Tree gathered in the same spot.

    ¡°Over there!¡± I pointed out¡ªa hundred meters above our heads was a solid platform apart from the rest of the citadel.

    [Foresight] warned me of the danger an instant before the attack. I pushed Firana behind the bridge¡¯s parapet. An icicle crashed against one of the thick support vines where our heads were a moment earlier. The vine snapped, and the bridge shook and tilted. On the ceiling of a room complex carved on the wall, an underdeveloped Orcish Chrysalimorph glared at us with electric blue eyes.

    The Lich had taken a new body.

    Enchanted icicles flew in our direction, so I ducked behind the parapet and pushed Firana¡¯s head down.

    ¡°On my signal, go for Hallas, but don¡¯t engage in close-quarter combat. With the enchanted fruit, they are strong. Use the rifle if he tries to do something stupid,¡± I said.

    ¡°How will I know if he¡¯s trying to do something stupid?!¡± Firana replied.

    ¡°Trust your gut.¡±

    Firana nodded.

    I jumped over the parapet. The icicles crashed against my protection, but I raised one new barrier for each destroyed layer. Mana flowed wildly through my body as the barriers drained more and more magic. Then, I channeled my mana blades and shot them forward, forcing the Lich to drop behind the building.

    ¡°Now!¡±

    Firana shot up like an arrow into the cover of an upper-level bridge.

    I scanned the nearby platforms and detected a hint of black mana. The Lich was sitting on the floor behind the wooden building. The leg of his Chrysalimorph¡¯s body twisted at a strange angle. The body hadn¡¯t completely developed, and the armor was a thin translucent layer over the orc¡¯s original body. The sight was disgusting, and [Foresight] suppressed my desire to vomit.

    The Lich tried to channel an icicle, but the spell dissolved into thin air.

    ¡°You are running out of mana,¡± I said.

    ¡°And you are running out of time,¡± the Lich replied defiantly. ¡°Say thanks to your elven friends for the gift.¡±

    The Chrysalimorph¡¯s eyes turned white, and like a puppet without strings, it crumpled to the ground. The Lich was gone.

    The Warden¡¯s Tree shook even more violently than before, and with a mighty crash, the resin bridge collapsed. I leaned over the edge. Captain Kiln¡¯s chains wrapped around the group, creating a defensive shell as the bridge pieces rained down. The spot of Corruption in my chest pulsated.

    I ran over the fallen bridge and jumped onto a platform. The vines that kept the citadel suspended above ground creaked. [Foresight] scanned the landscape. The regular path was a wide spiral going upward. I had no time for that. I jumped over the void and clutched a vine. I pulled myself up until I reached a platform a few meters under the Warden¡¯s Cloister. The jump was just above the range of the Wind-Shoot Boots.

    ¡°Firana!¡± I yelled, but the grumble of the shaking citadel drowned my voice.

    I sprinted towards the outer wall and buried a mana blade deep into the tree. Then, I planted a second mana blade and a third and used them as steps to reach the upper platform. The stunt drained a good chunk of my mana, but I was finally there.

    The tremors only got worse.

    In the center of the platform, a green pod the size of a house was embedded into a nest made of wood, vines, and white petals. Firana hit the pod with her [Gust Blade], but the sword bounced against a mana barrier. Thorny vines shot from the pod¡¯s nest, but Firana twisted in the air to dodge them.

    ¡°Where is Hallas?!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Firana replied as she landed.

    I blocked the thorned vines with a single swing of my sword and scanned the platform. The pod had so much magic swirling inside that it blinded my mana sense. Unlike the other Chrysalimorph pods, this one wasn¡¯t empty.

    ¡°Hallas!¡± I called as the vines tried to coil around me.

    I drew the Mage Killer sword, but the vines had so much mana that the anti-magic effect couldn¡¯t overcome their barriers. I jumped back, trying to get some space, but the attack was relentless. The vines shattered my barrier and cut my skin. The Ghoul skin armor protected me from critical damage.

    [Foresight] pinged my brain. The leaves and the roots of the Warden¡¯s Tree absorbed the last speck of environmental mana and fed it to the pod. I used [Identify].

    Corrupted Immature Warden¡¯s Pod.

    I let out a sigh of relief. Whatever was inside the pod wasn¡¯t ready. The petals hadn¡¯t even withered, and despite the raw amount of mana, the concentration was still too low. It felt like the Immature Scion Pods we had found days ago.

    ¡°We still have time! Shoot the pod. We can¡¯t let it collect more mana. I will cover you!¡± I said.

    Firana nodded and sheathed her sword. With a swift movement, she put a bullet in the chamber and shouldered the rifle. A swarm of vines shot toward her, but I raised a series of small mana barriers. Mana was violently siphoned out of my body, as the vines were as strong as Orcish Chrysalimorphs.

    Firana took the shot. The bullet snuck through the gaps in my barrier and the wooden nest to hit the pod. She loaded the next bullet, shouldered the rifle, and closed her right eye. The girl didn¡¯t even turn to follow the vines that crept on her side. Her trust in me was absolute.

    Sensing the danger, more and more vines moved to defend the Warden¡¯s Pod. The vines took human form and detached from the nest. The newly created monsters surrounded us.

    Thorned Sapling Lv.35 (Corrupted) [Identify]: Spawns of an Undead Forest Warden created to protect the Warden¡¯s true body. Deadlier than their regular counterparts, the Thorned Saplings are connected to the Warden¡¯s true body. Weakness: Fire, Water.

    ¡°Keep shooting! They are small fry,¡± I said as I summoned a swarm of mana blades to engage several Thorned Saplings at the same time. However, despite their mid-level, the mana from the original vines gave them as much protection as the Chrysalimorph¡¯s armor.

    There were more than a hundred of them.

    ¡°I¡¯m running low on ammo!¡± Firana yelled.

    The Warden¡¯s pod was losing more mana than the Tree could provide.

    ¡°We are doing great! The others will be here at any moment!¡±

    A Thorned Sapling swung a wooden axe at Firana¡¯s head, but I shot forward and blocked the attack. The girl loaded the next round without skipping a beat. Then, I took my Leechflame Dagger, buried it in the creature¡¯s chest, and expelled a stream of fire directly inside its ribcage. Smoke blinded me as the Sapling burst into flames.

    Firana¡¯s [Aerokinesis] cleared our sight line as I threw the blazing Sapling away.

    ¡°Hallas!¡± Firana said as the smoke dispersed.

    The elven warrior was standing on top of the Warden¡¯s Pod. A thin black thread emerged from his head. He was being controlled.

    ¡°Hallas! Snap out of it!¡± I shouted.

    The Thorned Saplings closed around us.

    ¡°I¡¯m trusting my gut,¡± Firana muttered as she raised the rifle and aimed at Hallas. Then, she shot. The bullet hit Halla¡¯s shoulder, but the effect was dampened by the Insulation Shirt I had enchanted in case of a stray bullet.

    I cursed.

    Hallas put his hand in the enchanted fruit pouch.

    Firana shot again, but the bullet only grazed Halla¡¯s head.

    A thin thread of blood flowed down his jawline and onto his chin.

    Hallas extended his hand and let the enchanted fruit fall into the Warden¡¯s Pod, but instead of bouncing off the mana barrier, the fruits fell through into the foggy green liquid.

    The Lich¡¯s voice echoed inside my head.

    Time¡¯s up.

 185 - Statused

    All around me, the Thorned Saplings withered. The green pod throbbed, and the mana wave immobilized me as if I had fallen into a frozen lake. A shadow moved inside the hazy liquid. Mana currents swirled around the Warden¡¯s Cloister, visible even to the naked eye.

    Hallas collapsed and his body rolled off the pod, but the vines cushioned the fall. His face had the paleness of death, yet [Foresight] told me he was still alive. Whether the Lich had taken advantage of his state of mind or his mental weakness, the damage was done. Whatever was inside the pod was about to awaken.

    Suddenly, the temperature dropped, and the pod froze over. The shadow inside became trapped in a crystalline prison. I pulled Firana behind my back just as the pod cracked. My instincts told me to run away, but I suppressed them and raised my barrier around us. With a loud crack, the pod exploded.

    A claw covered in black scales emerged from the cracked pod, and the foul stench of death made me recoil. Then, the rest of the creature hatched¡ªthe body of a snake, tall as a house, forged by shards of onyx. It had a wide jaw covered in sharp teeth, vicious claws like icicles, and hypnotic electric blue eyes.

    Corrupted Forest Warden Lv.?? (Possessed).

    The black dragon spread his wings.

    Firana clutched to my back, trembling like a leaf. My mind and body were numb.

    He opened his jaw.

    ¡°You are out of time, wizard,¡± the Lich said, speaking in English.

    Sparks crackled on the sides of the dragon¡¯s mouth. The environmental mana quivered, and [Foresight] set off every alarm inside my brain. I reinforced my mana barrier as the dragon spat his frozen breath over the platform. I braced for the impact. The barrier siphoned mana from my reserves so violently that it felt like a gut punch. A quarter of my remaining mana disappeared in an instant.

    Firana didn¡¯t wait for instructions. She grabbed my waist and jumped out of the way as my barrier shattered. We landed on the roof of a pavilion a few meters below. A thick layer of ice covered the entire platform of the Warden¡¯s Cloister.

    ¡°Rob! What in the everloving System was that?!¡± Captain Kiln called from the resin bridge below us.

    I didn¡¯t get to respond.

    The dragon crawled over the platform¡¯s edge, mana sparks flickering around his mouth. I channeled a mana blade, but he was out of the range of my attack. I needed to get closer.

    ¡°Prepare to jump,¡± I said, holding Firana¡¯s shoulders.

    The girl propelled us high as the dragon showered the pavilion with ice breath. We landed on an arch bridge just above Captain Kiln and the others. The sight of the dragon did not intimidate them.

    ¡°As we practiced!¡± I shouted.

    The kids readied their rifles as the dragon dropped to the frozen pavilion in the center of the elven citadel. Still, instead of shooting, they retreated through the labyrinthic bridges out of the ice-breath range.

    ¡°You too,¡± I told Firana.

    The girl hesitated for a moment but ultimately obeyed. Using [Aerokinesis], she jumped across the gap and landed atop a bedroom complex. The inner diameter of the Warden¡¯s Tree was about a hundred meters, so we could only put so much distance between us and the dragon.

    Luckily, the Lich remained focused on me.

    ¡°Be careful with his breath attack!¡±

    Izabeka channeled her mana and wrapped her body with a radiant aura. Something was wrong with her. During the fight against Janus, her chains were stronger and packed with more mana.

    ¡°This is the end of your story, wizard,¡± the Lich said. ¡°Surrender the Access Rune.¡±

    I ignored his taunt and examined my surroundings. I needed to get closer, but the terrain played against me. My mana blades had limited range, and my other skills wouldn¡¯t affect a super-high-level monster. The shotgun had been hanging lazily from my back throughout the trip into the Farlands, but its time to shine might have arrived. I snapped it open and put two of Ginz¡¯s shells in the chamber.

    I only had a couple of shells left.

    Izabeka used her chains to climb the bridge to an upper level. The Lich seemed to detect the threat because he turned his head away from me as the radiant chains wrapped around his wings. Izabeka pulled, and the chains tightened.

    Time slowed down. I aimed at the dragon¡¯s head and pulled the trigger. For a moment, a cloud of acrid smoke blocked my view. I snapped the gun open again and chambered my two last shells. [Foresight] assisted my aim, so every single slug hit the dragon¡¯s head even if I couldn¡¯t see. However, when the smoke cleared, my soul dropped. The slugs had barely scratched the facial scales.

    The dragon turned to me. Mana surged from his chest and up his throat.

    As the freezing breath hit the bridge, I jumped down the ledge to a pavilion¡¯s roof. Shards of resin rained over my head, making the pavilion¡¯s roof collapse under my feet. I landed on my back, and the blow forced the air out of my lungs. For a moment, my vision blurred. The shotgun left my hand.

    Above my head, Captain Kiln tried to restrain the dragon. The radiant chains sparked against black scales as their mana fought each other. I painstakingly stood up and, between coughs, exited the collapsed pavilion. The kids shot a barrage, but the Lich was faster and raised an ice barrier. The MDBC bullets ricocheted off.

    ¡°You brought this upon them, wizard,¡± the Lich said. He pulled Izabeka off balance and pushed her off of the platform with a tail lash.

    The dragon crawled his way to the center of the Warden¡¯s Tree, on top of the tallest tower, and unleashed his frost breath into the elven citadel. The other kids scattered, but Ilya stood behind, still aiming. She took a shot, but the draining enchantment barely dented the Lich¡¯s mana reserves. The frost breath hit the building she was standing on, just a few meters away from her. Ilya speed-reloaded and unleashed four consecutive shots, each hitting the same spot.

    Ice crept up the wood, but just as it was about to freeze Ilya¡¯s boots, Pyrrah tackled her out of the way. Elf and gnome rolled down the roof and fell on the ledge at the base.

    I cursed. Our strategy didn¡¯t cover gigantic dragons with unlimited mana.

    ¡°Ilya, retreat! It¡¯s no use!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°I still have fifteen rounds!¡± Ilya replied.

    Captain Kiln swung with her chains and landed on a lower level. Her face was covered in blood, and her reinforced jacket had been ripped to shreds.

    If we didn¡¯t defeat the Lich, Corruption would snowball out of control, but I wasn¡¯t sacrificing the kids in a senseless fight.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Ilya!¡± I yelled, but the dragon¡¯s roar drowned out my voice.

    I climbed to the central tower¡¯s roof and drew the Mage Killer. Captain Kiln followed my lead, using her chains to climb the demolished structures. The Lich shifted away from me, but it was a feint. His tail attacked my blind spot, and [Foresight] slowed down time. I fortified my body with a mana barrier and blocked it with my sword. A shiver ran down my spine as my barrier siphoned mana. Not even Chrysalimorphs packed such a punch.

    Captain Kiln channeled her radiant chains and, with a swift movement, almost like a dancer, she shackled the beast''s tail.

    I focused on the claws.

    I pushed mana into the sword, and the blade grew far beyond the edges of the metal. A huge monster required a colossal weapon. The edges of my vision darkened as I focused on my target. I moved faster than any human from Earth, aiming at the dragon¡¯s legs. Captain Kiln matched my movements and attacked with her radiant sword.

    My sword clashed against the black scales, but the mana density around them was enormous. Even with the Mage Killer enchantment, I barely left a mark on the monster¡¯s body. Captain Kiln didn¡¯t seem to have more success on the other side.

    ¡°Did you think I would hand you a weapon capable of killing me?¡± The dragon opened his mouth, although the words echoed directly in my mind. ¡°You sided with the wrong ally, wizard. I want you to know it was the Avatar who sent you to your death. Those puny enchantments won¡¯t even scratch my new body.¡±

    I clenched my teeth as I blocked the dragon¡¯s next attack.

    A part of my brain knew the Lich was right. The runes the System Avatar had used during the vision of the past far surpassed what I was capable of. He had admitted to giving me low-power runes until I grew used to enchanting. I was playing with mere construction blocks.

    The dragon broke Captain Kiln¡¯s chains and curled around me. I activated the Wind-Shot Boots and jumped high, just as the serpent''s body closed. The dragon opened his jaw, and I saw the mana particles gathering in the back of his throat. I cursed. Unlike Firana, I couldn¡¯t maneuver mid-air. I activated my Wind-Shot Boots, but all I managed to do was to mess up my center of gravity.

    ¡°For a Scholar, you have very few tricks up your sleeve,¡± the Lich mocked me as he prepared his magic attack.

    Suddenly, Captain Kiln¡¯s chains wrapped around the dragon¡¯s neck, diverting the frozen breath just enough for it to miss me. The trim of my cloak was frozen solid. Then, the chains shattered into a rain of golden sparks. Captain Kiln was hunched over; her chest heaved heavily, and her shoulders trembled. It was too early for a Lv.50 combatant to be mana-exhausted.

    I landed on the dragon¡¯s shoulder and snuck in a swift attack as it thrashed against the tower roof.

    The kids continued shooting from afar, but the MDBC bullets barely lowered the Lich¡¯s mana pool.

    ¡°Izabeka! Eat this!¡± I yelled, pulling a Holone Grape from my pouch.

    Captain Kiln grabbed the fruit and ate it without asking questions. The healing effect coursed through her body, erasing the wounds and scratches.

    ¡°Prepare to give it the killing blow!¡± Captain Kiln shouted from across the platform.

    ¡°This body has no weakness,¡± the Lich laughed.

    Captain Kiln removed the shreds of her leather armor and again exerted golden mana. Then, she roared. Her shoulders widened and her arms bulged. Her skin tore. For a moment, I saw red patches of muscle, but her golden aura healed the wounds before even a single drop of blood could fall. Captain Kiln grew over two and a half meters in a painful metamorphosis. A cluster of chains dropped from her severed arm while her sword seemed but a dagger in her able hand.

    The dragon still towered above us.

    Captain Kiln shot forward, the chains wrapping around the dragon¡¯s wings. The creature tried to slither from the restraints, but the radiant chains were faster, squeezing the snake''s body down to the wooden platform.

    I channeled more mana into my sword until it buzzed like a swarm of bees. Still, I failed to see the dragon¡¯s weak spot. [Foresight] studied all the possible courses of action but discovered nothing promising. I couldn¡¯t see the way for the kill.

    Meanwhile, chains intertwined in the shape of an arm as Captain Kiln jumped on the dragon¡¯s neck, trapping him in a leglock. Her fingers dug into the ridges of his jaw, searching for leverage. The Lich roared in defiance, his eyes oozing with anger, but Captain Kiln gritted her teeth and pushed. Her arms strained, biceps bulging like basketballs, as the dragon thrashed. Her knuckles paled under the pressure, and drops of blood dripped through her fingers. With a primal roar, Captain Kiln forced the dragon¡¯s jaw open.

    [Foresight] pushed me forward before I could even comprehend the scene. The Mage Killer gleamed with blue and red mana. The dragon¡¯s mouth gleamed as he prepared a breath attack, but the Wind-Shot Boots shot me forward like an arrow.

    I lunged, burying the sword deep in the roof of the dragon¡¯s mouth. Ice crept down the blade. My hands burned like I had put them in boiling water. [Foresight] drowned out the pain, and I pushed forward until I was elbow-deep inside the dragon¡¯s mouth. Then, I exerted all the mana I could muster.

    The creature roared in pain.

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡ª¡± Captain Kiln grunted.

    I pulled back my hands just as the dragon¡¯s jaw snapped. The Mage Killer broke, and the enchantment misfired. I tried to raise my mana barrier, but the reaction was faster and the sword shards exploded in my face.

    The Lich roared as the radiant chains shattered. Captain Kiln lost her grip and fell to the ground like a ragdoll. Slowly, the mana abandoned her body, and she returned to her normal size. She moaned in pain. The change couldn¡¯t be anything but painful. At least she wasn¡¯t bleeding.

    The world spun around me, but I dragged Captain Kiln away from the Lich as he thrashed around the platform. Bright blue blood dripped through his scales, freezing everything it touched. I could feel the hatred in his eyes as he tried to dislodge the blade from his mouth.

    Captain Kiln shivered by my side. The signs of mana exhaustion were unmistakable, yet [Radiant Knights] were one of the martial classes with the best magic stats. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she muttered.

    I knew something was wrong with her, so I used [Identify].

    Name: Izabeka Kiln, Human (Strong).

    Class: Radiant Knight Lv.51

    Titles: Captain of the Guard, Giant Slayer, Blood of the Giants, Folk Hero, Big Softie, Adept Orator, From the Brink of Death(7), Field Doctor(12), Field Surgeon (1).

    Passive: Gambler¡¯s Eye, Card Count, Dice Detection, Awareness, Riding Lv.6, Swordsmanship Lv.6, Spear Mastery Lv.5, Shield Mastery Lv.6, Interrogation Lv.2, Extortion Lv.1, Brawling Lv.4, Coercion Lv.1, Heavy Armor Mastery Lv.6, Archery Lv.2, Tracking Lv.2, Acrobatics Lv.1, Mana Manipulation, Knight¡¯s Oath, Radiant Oath, Unrelenting Stamina.

    Skills: Intimidate, Mark of Valor, Quick Step, Ghost Blade, Puncture, Radiant Chains, Radiant Aura, Bellow, Hero¡¯s Heart, Taunt, Shield Bash, Guidance, Regeneration, Purify.

    Status: Crippled. Mana Exhaustion(Mid). Mana Toxicity(Mid).

    I examined the Crippled status.

    Crippled. Permanent Status. [Identify]: Greatly reduces the recipient¡¯s mana pool. Diminish the effectiveness of combat Passives. Diminish the damage output of Skills. At this point, it is better to retire.

    My mind raced as I dismissed the prompts. The Crippled status wasn¡¯t a real status at all. Why would her mana pool be reduced because she was missing an arm? Then, the pieces fit. It was an arbitrary debuff designed by the System''s creators to force wounded warriors to retire. I cursed. The intentions were well-meaning, just like preventing little kids from getting a Class, but in practice, the status probably killed more warriors than it saved.

    Captain Kiln knelt beside me.

    ¡°Retreat! We will cover you!¡± Ilya shouted as she aimed the rifle.

    The four kids were spread across the elven citadel, shooting from vantage points as we had practiced.

    The Lich spat out a shard of the Mage Killer and roared. We had only kicked the hornet¡¯s nest.

    ¡°Everyone, get out of here!¡± I yelled.

    The kids obeyed except for Ilya, who kept shooting in a last attempt to weaken the beast¡¯s mana.

    Suddenly, the spot of Corruption on my chest clung to my flesh as a dense black fog fell from the dragon¡¯s maw. A moment later, the lower levels of the elven citadel were engulfed in darkness, and only the Cloister and the central tower emerged from the fog. I heard bullets whistling, but none of them hit the beast.

    The fog suppressed my mana sense.

    ¡°Ilya! Retreat!¡± I yelled, but it was too late.

    With a claw swipe, the dragon cut the vines holding the upper structures.

    The platform where Ilya was standing collapsed, and she disappeared into the darkness. [Foresight] scanned my surroundings, but I couldn¡¯t locate anyone.

    ¡°Ilya!¡± I shouted, but no one responded.

    ¡°I told you she would be the first,¡± the dragon turned to me, his claws leaving deep furrows in the wood.

    My mind raced. Holone Grapes. I still had a few. If I could find Ilya, I would be able to heal her. The Lich wouldn¡¯t let me. I had to eliminate him. I had done it before.

    ¡°What now, wizard?¡± the Lich laughed.

    I channeled my mana to cover my body in Vampiric Runes but stopped at the last second. There was a Rune I hadn¡¯t used yet. I activated it and hoped for the best.

 186 - Ancient

    Chapter 186

    After Janus¡¯ betrayal, I swore to be less naive; however, I didn¡¯t count on Hallas letting the Lich control his body and feeding the Warden with the Holone Grapes.

    Perhaps it was the Avatar¡¯s fault for giving me subpar runes to fight against the Lich. My father¡¯s words echoed in my mind. You can¡¯t blame others for your own mistakes. I had been overconfident, and now I was wagering our future on a hail mary. Maybe, just maybe, if I lost my Class, I would get a power similar to the Man in Yellow and his office colleagues.

    ¡°You never learn, Robert,¡± I whispered as the scrubbing rune meant for Wolf activated in my hand.

    I hoped my hunch was right.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± the Lich¡¯s voice trembled.

    A bright light blinded me, and when my vision cleared, I was inside my mana pool. The place was dark and peaceful, like an underwater cavern. The round walls were covered in blue glyphs. The only trace of Corruption left was the slim cracks on the bottom of the mana pool. White rays of light from the Fountain streamed through the fissures.

    Suddenly, a string of runes flashed bright red. The System flooded my mind with information. Red meant danger. My brain was kneaded, just like when I acquired a new skill. This time, however, no prompt appeared before me. Instead, I knew I could stop the process anytime with a single thought. I didn¡¯t. The System complained, but the orders inscribed on the scrubbing rune had priority and the program obeyed.

    My mana pool trembled, and the runes on the wall lost their shine. I felt like someone had plucked a hair directly from my brain. I closed my metaphorical eyes, but it took me a moment to overcome the uncomfortable sensation. I had grown over-reliant on the ability of [Foresight] to dampen my pain.

    The sensation struck again, multiplied. A hundred needles pierced my brain. Being torn from the System felt like cello strings being cut with a knife. The recoil hit my body, and the walls of my mana pool started to fade. I was confused.

    Above, there was nothing but pure blackness.

    Then, I started falling.

    I moved my arms, trying to stay afloat, but no water was around me. The runes disappeared into nothingness from top to bottom, and the walls turned into dust. Then, I saw the Fountain in all its magnificence, a small white sun suspended in nothingness, and I continued falling. I tried to yell, to swim away, but I had no body.

    The seconds passed as panic got a hold of my existence. The Fountain wasn¡¯t a tiny sun anymore but a roaring planet occupying my entire field of vision. I even tried to close my eyes, but I had no eyelids.

    The Fountain touched me and I burned. My whole being felt like I was thrown into a vat of boiling metal. Then, a presence appeared near me. I turned, expecting to see the System Avatar, but only found the Fountain¡¯s endless white.

    ¡°Hello. Who are you?¡± a soft, unfamiliar voice asked.

    The pain intensified, and the next moment, I was standing on the platform on top of the elven city. The phantom pain followed me for an instant before disappearing like it was never there. The dragon¡¯s roar resonated through my chest.

    ¡°No! What have you done?!¡±

    There wasn¡¯t anger in his voice, just frustration. Then, the realization hit me. Without my connection to the System, I had no Access Rune he could steal.

    My body felt sluggish, and my mind slow. I had grown accustomed to [Foresight]¡¯s support. What seemed evident now was obscured. I couldn¡¯t read the dragon¡¯s movements, and it was safe to assume I had lost the resilience of my thirty-one levels.

    I was a sitting duck, but the feeling of true magic was there like a limb I had forgotten existed until now. Primal mana flew through my body without causing any harm. It was pure, violent. Nothing prevented me from using it as I wanted: no brakes, safety switch, or automated skills. I felt the heat of every object inside the Warden¡¯s Tree as small vibrations. I felt like I could touch them.

    ¡°Where is my rune!¡±

    Mana swirled around the dragon¡¯s mouth.

    The magic came to me so naturally that I barely had to think about it.

    The Lich spat his frozen breath upon me. I drew an imaginary bridge between the breath and the ceiling of the Warden¡¯s Tree. Captain Kiln jumped between me and the dragon¡¯s attack at the last moment. Instead of the frozen wave, a warm gust of wind struck us. It smelled like dog breath, but we were unarmed.

    The dragon-Lich blinked, confused.

    Long icicles grew from the ceiling.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to die for me, Izabeka,¡± I said, surprisingly in good spirits. Doing real magic felt even better than leveling up. It was almost like stretching one¡¯s legs after a fourteen-hour flight.

    Without [Master of Languages] acting as an intermediary, the words felt strange in my mouth.

    ¡°Screw off, Robert,¡± Captain Kiln grunted, feeling her body. There was no sign of ice. ¡°What the hell was that? I thought he had us.¡±

    The answer was on the ceiling, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to explain. I felt like I had more adrenaline than blood flowing through my veins.

    ¡°I''ve come to kill the Lich and chew bubblegum, and the entire kingdom of Ebros is out of bubblegum,¡± I replied.

    Fountain mana surged through my body. Fire required heat, an oxidizer, and fuel. I gathered heat at a single point, but before I could figure out how to add fuel, my hand caught fire. I was startled. The fuel was Fountain mana.

    ¡°Remember, we are inside a tree,¡± Captain Kiln pointed out.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably fireproof,¡± I replied.

    I had no skills without the System, so I had to use my imagination. Fireballs were the first thing that appeared in my mind, so I focused on the image of a fireball¡ªa big one.

    ¡°I need you to cover me. Right now, I have the endurance of a Lv.1 Scribe,¡± I said, rummaging through my pouch and retrieving a Holone Grape.

    Captain Kiln ate the fruit, but the effect wasn¡¯t as powerful as the first time. Her physical wounds healed, but I could tell she was still exhausted.

    The Lich broke from his confusion and lunged at us.

    Captain Kiln¡¯s radiant chains coiled around the dragon¡¯s neck, but they weren¡¯t enough to stop him. Without [Foresight], my movements were sluggish. I couldn¡¯t even resort to [Mirage] to hide. Luckily, the Wind-Shoot Boots worked even with Fountain Mana.

    I jumped from the central tower and landed on the roof of a half-collapsed pavilion. I channeled Fountain mana and threw my first-ever fireball. Surprisingly, I could control it even after it left my hands, so I aimed at the Lich¡¯s head.

    The explosion echoed across the Warden¡¯s Tree. The Lich roared in pain but shrugged off the attack and darted in my direction. Captain Kiln pulled the chains like a gladiator fighting a lion. However, the Lich buried his claws in the edge of the central tower, tearing a section and throwing it in my direction.

    I covered my head with my hands, but the impact never came.

    Zaon stood before me, blocking the debris with his [Steadfast Shield]. Despite the size of the shards, his feet remained firmly planted on the floor. He was also using [Bulwark].

    ¡°I told you to run away!¡± I shouted over the dragon¡¯s groan.

    ¡°I know, but I decided to stay! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Zaon replied. ¡°[Sentinel¡¯s Oath] told me you were in danger!¡±

    I smiled and ruffled Zaon¡¯s hair, careful not to set him on fire.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    The Lich smashed the central tower, sending debris flying, but [Steadfast Shield] kept us safe.

    Through the black mist, I could see the kids'' heat signatures. Firana was trying to dispel the black fog while Ilya channeled a dozen small sparrows. If I had to guess, it was part of the System¡¯s program not to allow me to see through the dragon¡¯s mist.

    ¡°I will count on you to keep me alive, Zaon,¡± I said, channeling Fountain Mana.

    ¡°You bet I will¡­ probably,¡± the boy said as he reinforced the silvery barrier between me and the dragon.

    Without [Foresight], my thoughts flowed like a river of mud. Physical damage and fireballs wouldn¡¯t cut it. The scales of the Lich¡¯s dragon body were too resistant. I understood why Hallas worried about the Forest Warden attaining its true form. The creature was almost invulnerable, save for its mouth, and I doubted I could sneak a fireball inside it.

    I closed my eyes. Instead of my mana pool, I encountered the Fountain. I pulled a massive chunk of mana by willpower alone and transformed it into a bright thread. No matter how much I pulled, there seemed to be no end to the power I could retrieve.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± The soft voice from before spoke from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little busy right now,¡± I replied, using up to the last ounce of mental focus to tame the streams of energy.

    ¡°Okay. That¡¯s fine.¡±

    I ignored the voice, not knowing if it was real or if my imagination was playing a prank on me, and opened my eyes. Arches of light came from my body, scorching the wooden surfaces. Zaon¡¯s hair stood on its ends. An arch hit him on the back, making him recoil. Luckily, the Insulation Rune on his shirt absorbed most of the blow. I needed to get rid of the energy quickly.

    ¡°Wizard!¡± the Lich¡¯s voice resonated through the Warden¡¯s Tree.

    Heat obeyed me like I was its only master. During our first fight, I had gathered the heat trapped in the rock into a single point above the Lich¡¯s head. Back then, I was against the clock as Corruption soared through my body. Now, I had a better grasp of what was happening. I could connect two points and transfer heat, regardless of the thermal balance or distance.

    As flashy as fireballs were, they weren''t the most effective use of my powers.

    The dragon pulled Captain Kiln¡¯s chains, his claws almost covering the stretch between the central tower and the pavilion. Zaon pushed more mana into his [Steadfast Shield]. His shoulders trembled, but he stood between me and the beast.

    ¡°Wizard!¡± the Lich bellowed in anger.

    With a single thought, the ice covering the roofs of the elven city melted, and the Lich¡¯s scaled arm instantly froze.

    ¡°Firana!¡±

    The girl shot through the fog. Her eyes fell on the dragon¡¯s extended arm, and without a second of doubt, she used [Aroekinesis] to change direction. The Aias Sword caught on a gust of fire. She spun like a bullet, slicing the dragon¡¯s scales. Cracks appeared in the beast''s armor.

    Out of nowhere, a flock of sparrows emerged from the fog. Then a single shining arrow pierced the Lich¡¯s arm from side to side. The frozen scales cracked.

    Firana landed on the wall of the central tower and propelled herself forward. With one last blow, the dragon¡¯s arm shattered into thousands of tiny frozen shards. The Lich roared in pain. Having a living body had its downsides. Pain was one of them.

    ¡°I will kill you! I will turn you into my puppet!¡±

    Without giving him a moment of respite, I channeled my mana and froze the Lich¡¯s shoulders, dumping the heat into the city. Slowly, the beast¡¯s movement came to a stop, and a relieved expression appeared on Captain Kiln¡¯s face. The Lich struggled against the radiant chains in one last desperate attempt, but it was too late.

    I poured rivers of mana to drain every speck of heat from his body.

    ¡°You are making a mistake, wizard! Corruption can¡¯t be stopped any more than you can stop the sun from rising every day!¡±

    I froze the Lich¡¯s dragon head, and he slowly turned into an ice sculpture until his mana signature ceased to exist. The black fog disappeared, leaving behind a destroyed city. Suddenly, everything was silent. It was done.

    We exchanged a look of relief. The Warden¡¯s true body was destroyed, but we still had work to do. We needed to find the Corrupted System Proxy.

    I jumped into the central tower. Firana and Zaon had a few scratches, but nothing serious. A moment later, Ilya, Pyrrah, and Wolf joined us. Ilya leaned against Pyrra to walk. The girl was injured, but Wolf¡¯s regeneration powers already covered her wounds. A wave of relief washed through my body. The Ghoul armor had proved to be lifesaving.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think I have really bad luck. Every time we get into a fight, I get smacked,¡± Ilya said.

    Firana put an arm over her shoulders, making the gnome girl grimace.

    ¡°You spent all your luck meeting someone as incredible as me.¡±

    Ilya rolled her eyes but smiled in the end.

    As the kids argued about Ilya¡¯s luck, Pyrrah approached me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to sound pushy, but we need to retrieve the seed,¡± she said.

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t the seed sprouted into all of this?¡± Wolf asked, signaling the citadel around us.

    Pyrrah shook her head. ¡°When the Forest Warden dies, a new seed is created, and the cycle restarts. No matter how many times you kill a Forest Warden, if you don¡¯t destroy the seed, it will return.¡±

    I wondered if that was still the case, considering the Lich had usurped the Warden¡¯s body.

    ¡°The seed should be inside the body,¡± Pyrrah pointed at the dragon ice statue.

    We had to crack it open.

    ¡°Who wants to hit the pi?ata?¡± I asked.

    Without the System, I didn¡¯t have the strength to do it.

    Captain Kiln sat on the floor, exhausted. ¡°I already killed one of these before.¡±

    Ilya shrugged. ¡°I almost dislodged my shoulder shooting the bow, and the thing almost has no draw. I pass.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m technically a non-combatant Class,¡± Wolf said. ¡°What about Zaon? He hasn¡¯t landed a hit on that thing yet.¡±

    Firana sighed, but ultimately, everyone agreed.

    Pyrrah offered her war hammer to the boy.

    ¡°Hit from the waist!¡± I shouted as the boy approached the dragon.

    Zaon wasn¡¯t having a particularly good time with all our eyes on him. Still, he channeled his mana and swung at the dragon¡¯s chest. The cracks widened, and the upper body collapsed. The inside was made from roots and vines, much like the Gloomstalkers and Spriggans. Zaon hit again, and a perfectly cut System Crystal emerged from the beast¡¯s belly. It was almost two meters tall and a meter wide, much like the one at Umolo.

    I approached. Deep streaks of Corruption crossed the Crystal, and the runes were blackened and distorted. Suddenly, I felt the Lich¡¯s presence intruding into my brain. Old insecurities resurfaced. I saw myself as a lost man stumbling through life with a dead-end job, alone and aimless. However, I didn¡¯t give in to panic. I knew it was the Lich trying to get under my skin, quite literally, and most of all, I wasn¡¯t that man anymore.

    After meeting Elincia and the kids, I had found my way.

    ¡°Be careful. The Lich is still alive inside the Crystal,¡± I said.

    ¡°I can feel it. It¡¯s a faint voice,¡± Zaon said with a grimace.

    Before I could say anything else, Captain Kiln channeled her radiant aura and hit the Crystal, but her body suddenly froze before her fist could connect. She tried again with the same result. Her fist stopped a centimeter above the surface of the Crystal.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do it. Something stops me,¡± she grunted.

    The kids didn¡¯t have better luck.

    The Crystal must have been safeguarded against System Users.

    Pyrra and I tested our weapons. We couldn¡¯t leave the slightest mark. Then, I tried to freeze and melt it, but it was useless. The Crystal seemed to be protected by a magic even superior to mine.

    If nothing else, the System Avatar had made sure the physical parts of the System didn¡¯t break down even in the most extreme environments.

    The Lich had chosen an excellent vessel for his soul.

    My mind raced. I had to prevent him from turning any of us into puppets. I couldn¡¯t let this win get away from my hands, but the Access Rune seemed to be the only way to solve this puzzle. I needed my Class back.

    ¡°Izabeka, take the kids back to the orc camp. Don¡¯t stop until you stop hearing the Lich¡¯s words. His powers are weakened, so his skills shouldn¡¯t have as much range,¡± I said.

    Captain Kiln stood up laboriously.

    ¡°What about you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°This will require my runeweaving skills, so it might take me a while to figure out,¡± I casually replied.

    Captain Kiln rubbed her temples. ¡°A Runeweaver? As in Runeweaver Baram? Really? Crap¡­ that explains the enchanted stuff.¡±

    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll explain everything in detail after we finish with this.¡±

    Captain Kiln groaned and looked into the sky for a bit of patience. Then, her demeanor changed from the affable old aunt to the city guard''s captain. ¡°Alright, cadets! You heard the man. Let¡¯s get moving.¡±

    Pyrrah and the kids grabbed their things and prepared to leave, but Ilya stayed put.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to solve this if the Lich turns any of you into a puppet,¡± I said with my best teacher¡¯s voice.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take the same path we used to get here, so if you finish early, you can catch up to us. Don¡¯t leave us hanging¡­¡± Ilya said, and before I could say anything, she caught me in a hug and didn¡¯t let go.

    Firana instantly jumped in.

    I was so damn glad everyone was alive.

    After a minute of reassuring the kids I would be okay, I was left alone.

    To get back the Access Rune, I needed to contact the System Avatar. So far, I have met him three times: once inside my mana pool and twice after touching the System Crystals. I thought about touching the Lich¡¯s Crystal but feared it would backfire. The streaks of Corruption worried me, so I left that as a last option.

    My mana pool didn¡¯t exist anymore, yet I could still access the space where it used to be. I wondered if the System Avatar was there, waiting for me. If I were him, I would try to get in contact as fast as possible. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My thoughts disappeared, and as I entered a state of meditation, my consciousness was transported.

    The Fountain burned like a white sun in the middle of the void.

    There was no sign of the System Avatar.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I asked.

    I swore I heard a voice before, but it might have been the burning pain or adrenaline rush. No, the voice had spoken to me twice¡ªIt couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    A shiver ran down my spine. It wasn¡¯t the System Avatar.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked.

    The soft voice remained silent, almost like it was thinking about the answer.

    ¡°I¡¯m old, and I¡¯m dying.¡±

 187 - Fountain

    ¡°I¡¯m old, and I¡¯m dying,¡± the soft voice said.

    The Fountain burned like a sun in an underground cave. Occasionally, mana flares shot from the Fountain¡¯s corona. It didn¡¯t seem like it was dying.

    ¡°Are you the Fountain?¡±

    ¡°I am who I am, but outsiders like you have called me that before.¡±

    The soft voice drifted like it was about to fall asleep, and the presence weakened. I looked around and scanned the void. There was no one other than the Fountain and me.

    ¡°Are you still there?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always here.¡±

    The System Avatar had conveniently skipped the part where the Fountain was a sapient being. A shiver ran down my spine as a part of my mind refused to acknowledge the Fountain was alive. I could accept the existence of elves, orcs, and gnomes, yet this was too bizarre.

    I had to focus. If the System Avatar was keeping secrets, I would conduct my own investigation behind his back. My mind raced, although without [Foresight], my thoughts felt painfully slow.

    ¡°Are you sick? Is the Corruption affecting you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sick. Like the dwellers of the surface, I have a limited time. Death is only natural. That¡¯s all I know. I won¡¯t discuss matters I''m unfamiliar with.¡±

    No matter how much I pressed it with questions about Corruption, the presence remained silent. Whether Corruption was the consequence of the Fountain¡¯s age or just a natural occurrence of using System magic, I couldn¡¯t tell.

    I decided to change the subject.

    ¡°What will happen when you die?¡±

    This time, the Fountain seemed entertained.

    ¡°Does anyone know what occurs after death?¡±

    I shook my metaphorical head.

    While the Fountain didn¡¯t seem omniscient, at least it didn¡¯t seem to be an angry god of the depths. If anything, it seemed happy to talk.

    ¡°Did you create this world?¡±

    ¡°The world was already there when I was born. I¡¯ve seen everything and anything under the sky. Things got boring until you outsiders appeared. But then, they all died. I was happy when the portal opened. Since then, I¡¯ve been looking at you and the other outsider very closely.¡±

    ¡°The other outsider?¡± I asked, but the voice slowly faded away. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t fall asleep!¡± I shouted, like an ant yelling at an elephant.

    No matter how much I yelled, I got no answer.

    Magic was alive. Under the System''s surface, a whole new world of magic with different rules and laws was hidden. My gut told me the System Avatar knew about the Fountain¡¯s personality all along. That little yellow rat would have to start answering my questions if he wanted me to remain on his team.

    Now, I only had to find him.

    I still needed the Access Rune to destroy the Corrupted Proxy.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡± I said, but I got no response.

    The next moment, I was back at the Warden¡¯s Tree. The Corrupted System Proxy lay at my feet, oozing with a dark aura. The Lich¡¯s presence tried to reach my mind, but he was too weak to be a nuisance.

    Maybe the System should¡¯ve assigned me the Juggler class, as I have been dealing with far too many problems simultaneously. I examined the Corrupted Proxy. So far, every time I touched a System Crystal, I encountered the System Avatar. Would this be the same?

    I didn¡¯t notice Hallas approaching until it was too late.

    The elven warrior pushed me to the ground and pressed against my throat with his forearm.

    ¡°Where is the seed?¡± he grunted, his eyes bulging with fear.

    I tried to push him back, but without the System I was back to having the strength of a regular guy. Still, months of swordsmanship training had given me a sizable amount of muscle. I coiled my legs around Hallas¡¯ body and pushed, freeing my throat. I took a deep breath.

    ¡°Calm down. I don¡¯t have the damn seed,¡± I grunted, pushing Hallas to the side and rolling away.

    ¡°It is imperative to retrieve it,¡± Hallas replied, jumping to his feet.

    ¡°Believe me, after this shitshow, I know.¡±

    Hallas crawled across the platform and started digging through the dragon''s frozen remains. I joined him. Although time seemed to pass at a slower rate during the visions inside the Crystal, I wasn¡¯t eager to leave my body alone with Hallas. I stirred the ice shards with my boot¡ªfrom Hallas¡¯s description, the Warden¡¯s Seed was the size of a basketball¡ªbut I found nothing but frozen vines and cracked scales.

    Hallas turned to the Corrupted Crystal, but I stopped him before he could lay his hands on it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that. The Lich lives inside.¡±

    ¡°The seed must be inside,¡± he replied, agitated.

    In the center of the Crystal, where the Corruption was densest, there was an area my eyes couldn¡¯t see through.

    ¡°Just give me a moment to come up with something,¡± I said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a moment,¡± Hallas replied. ¡°I must bring the seed back before your kind can find it.¡±

    I massaged my temples, trying to come up with something that didn¡¯t require giving the Lich an opportunity to get a new body. My options were limited, but just like Hallas, I would rather have the Crystal destroyed before a scouting party from Farcrest arrived. The fewer explanations I had to give, the better.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end this Corruption bullshit,¡± I said. There was only one way of putting an end to this madness. ¡°Hallas, check the Cloister again while I work on the Crystal.¡±

    The elven warrior reluctantly agreed and, channeling his mana, summoned vines as a staircase to the upper level.

    I touched the Crystal, and the next instant, I was elsewhere.

    The dim light of the sun snuck through dilapidated shutters, and my eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness. I was inside a stone room with a circular table in the center. The place seemed to be abandoned. The wood was rotten, and moths ate away at the curtains.

    I recognized the place. It was the room where the Man in Yellow and his coworkers met to create the System. I walked to the door, but a voice stopped me.

    ¡°Hello, wizard.¡± A man with long black hair and blue eyes was sitting in the shadows in the corner.

    I reached for my sword, but my belt was empty.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get so worked up. It¡¯s not like we can beat each other in this place,¡± he calmly said. ¡°This isn¡¯t the real world, but rather a reality ripple created by our memories. If you met the Man in Yellow, you¡¯ll know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    The Lich glanced at me. There was no malice in his eyes.

    ¡°Are you the same¡ª?¡± I started to ask.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the one you froze to death a moment ago. Unlike Jeremiah, I don¡¯t have a homologous personality coded into the System, just the original me,¡± the Lich said.

    I sat on a rotten chair across the room. I didn¡¯t trust that he was telling the truth, so I kept my guard up. He seemed more interested in the room, although he didn¡¯t leave his seat.

    ¡°This place brings up memories. It¡¯s been a millennium since I was here,¡± the Lich said with a mischievous smile. ¡°But alas, the first version of the System wasn¡¯t stable enough.¡±

    Without [Foresight], I couldn¡¯t tell if he was telling the truth. Still, my interest was piqued. Back on Earth, we have records of events and people who lived five thousand years ago. In this world, however, there didn¡¯t seem to be any archeological record of the System''s early days or its origin. Not even folk stories or myths seemed to touch on those topics.

    ¡°This place used to be the most prosperous city on the continent. The Man in Yellow didn¡¯t tell you why nobody remembers it?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Jeremiah gathered a group of locals and created a haven. Soon, thousands of people lived here under our protection, but of course, we don¡¯t live particularly long lives. Hence, Jeremiah decided to create the System to protect the future generations,¡± the Lich said.

    That was what I saw during my last meeting with the System Avatar.

    ¡°A large part of the System consists of making the user see and feel things beyond their senses. Jeremiah¡¯s runes weren¡¯t really good at doing that, so we reanimated Becky from HR to use her mind-control powers,¡± the Lich grinned. ¡°It worked for a while. Until it didn¡¯t. I prefer not to go into the details, but the massacre was brutal. There was no one left to tell the story of this city. We committed many mistakes along the way, but the Man in Yellow told you about all of them, right?¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    He hadn¡¯t.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a reason to believe you,¡± I replied.

    Still, a part of me told me the Lich wasn¡¯t lying.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you believe me,¡± the Lich said. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t have the Access Rune, you¡¯ll not be able to kill me. So let¡¯s wait until our chubby friend shows up, and you can ask him directly.¡±

    The Lich closed his eyes and relaxed in the chair.

    Minutes passed, but the System Avatar didn¡¯t show up.

    ¡°What about you?¡± I asked. ¡°How did you end up as an undead monster?¡±

    The Lich opened an eye. His sclera was of a sickly yellow hue.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t in my plans to die, not after being transported into a world of magic, so I left the project,¡± he replied. ¡°My travels made me understand the dangers of this world. Ebros and the other kingdoms are a small pocket of safety, and outside dangers are starting to seep inside. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s reprehensible for someone to want to survive, so I turned myself into this.¡±

    The room suddenly trembled. The vision was coming to an end, but the System Avatar was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°It seems our chubby yellow friend would rather stick his head into the sand than come greet us. Don¡¯t fool yourself. You might believe he¡¯s your ally, but he will do what he does best: use you and leave you high and dry.¡± the Lich grinned as stone dust fell over our heads.

    The vision trembled, and chunks of the ceiling fell, crushing the round table.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here when they arrive, so do me a favor and kill me,¡± the Lich said as the vision distorted beyond recognition. ¡°Farewell, Wizard.¡±

    The world turned white, and when I opened my eyes, I saw I was back at the elven citadel. The System prompt appeared before I could process the Lich¡¯s words. One thing was for sure: the System Avatar was avoiding me.

    Greetings, Robert Clarke.

    You have acquired Magic.

    To recover the blessing of the Fractalis reach the mana inside you.

    ¡°Show yourself, coward!¡± I yelled at the ceiling.

    I had a thousand questions for the System Avatar, but the prompt remained unchanged.

    I knew I couldn¡¯t refuse the Avatar¡¯s offering. To slow the spread of Corruption, I needed to destroy the Proxy, and to do that, I needed my Class and the Access Rune back. The System Avatar knew he had me by the reins. However, accepting the System meant he would have access to my memories. He could edit the contents of my mind, and I wasn¡¯t sure I trusted him anymore.

    Greetings, Robert Clarke.

    You have acquired Magic.

    To recover the blessing of the Fractalis reach the mana inside you.

    ¡°Goddamit¡­¡± I muttered.

    I reached for the small bubble of System mana inside my chest.

    Fractalis System initializing¡­

    Checking the contents of the foreign soul¡­

    Checking past experiences¡­

    My life flashed before my eyes¡ªthe happy early years of my life, thrashing my parent¡¯s apartment with the mom¡¯s dog, the death of my parents, and my first years as a school teacher. Elincia, the orphanage, our illegal potion operation, the dates behind the children''s backs, the tournament, and everyone I had met in the past year¡ªeverything condensed into an instant.

    Initialization complete.

    Foreign Soul Robert Clarke is now subject to the Fractalis System.

    Session information recovered.

    I got on my knees and emptied my stomach on the floor. A prompt appeared between me and the puddle of vomit.

    Our mission remains the same.

    Good luck, Rob.

    ¡°I hate you so much,¡± I grunted.

    I made a mental review of my Class.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Runeweaver Scholar Lv.31

    Titles: Out of your League, Hot for Teacher, Consultant Detective, Researcher of the Hidden, Headmaster, Favorite Teacher (99), Golden Scholar, Iron Runeweaver, +15 others.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Mastery, Foresight, Master of Languages.

    Skills: Identify, Magical Ink, Silence Dome, Invigoration, Stun Gaze, Intimidate, Mirage, Runeweaver Encyclopedia, Rune Debugger, Rune Identification.

    Everything was back in place¡ªeven the Access Rune¡ªbut my connection to the Fountain had disappeared. Sighing, I channeled mana and wrote the Access Rune on the Corrupted Proxy.

    The rune gleamed, and a prompt appeared before my eyes.

    Checking credentials¡­

    Admin001 access detected¡­

    Would you like to activate the developer tools?

    ¡°Yes,¡± I muttered.

    Dev tools unlocked¡­

    ERROR DETECTED.

    Lockdown mode activated¡­

    Would you like to activate the diagnostic tool?

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Diagnostic tool subroutine activated.

    Please wait.

    1%

    I diverted my eyes. I was thrown back to when I was a lowly employee at the law firm, barely more than a gear in a huge machine

    Diagnostic complete.

    Purging corrupted code.

    1%

    The Corrupted Proxy slowly turned into a fine blue dust, and the Corruption dissolved into the air. In the center of the Crystal was a dry body in a fetal position, clutching to an elongated seed. There was no trace of life in the body.

    Purge subroutine completed.

    ERROR DETECTED

    Illegal credentials detected.

    Erasing illegal credentials.

    ¡°Of course¡­¡± I muttered.

    I¡¯d been played. The System Avatar didn¡¯t trust me enough to give me a permanent Access Rune.

    Lich Lv.?? Slain.

    Level Up!

    Level Up!

    Level Up!

    ¡­

    The prompts rushed through my eyes, and I reached level forty-two a moment later. I ignored the Lich¡¯s mystery level, but after living for thousands of years, he must¡¯ve been the greatest experience pi?ata in existence.

    I breathed a sigh of relief. The silver lining was that the immediate vector of Corruption was dealt with. We had gained precious time for fixing the System. Still, the whole deal with the System Avatar left a bitter taste in my mouth. Whether I liked it or not, the livelihood of the whole continent was on the line.

    With the Monster Surge dealt with, it was time to go home.

    I glanced at the seed between the Lich¡¯s arms. Hallas was nowhere to be found.

    Corrupted Warden¡¯s Seed.

    I wasn¡¯t going to let him get away with it. I closed my eyes and focused on my mana pool. The stone walls had returned to their usual position. The cracks in the bottom were still there, and I could see the Fountain in the distance.

    ¡°I wondered if¡­¡± I muttered.

    I grabbed a strand of pure Fountain mana and recalled the sensation of performing true magic. The sensation was still there, numbed by the System clutching to my mind. I focused. A flame jolted to the Lich¡¯s body, instantly catching fire. The flames roared.

    Hallas peeked over the Cloister edge.

    ¡°What are you doing, human!?¡±

    He dropped from the upper platform as the seed turned to ash. He tried to stomp out the embers without a trace of respect for the human remains. However, the seed was beyond saving. He glared at me, eyes full of hatred.

    ¡°You can¡¯t win every fight,¡± I said, but I didn¡¯t know if the message was directed at Hallas or myself. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    We descended from the elven citadel in silence. Hallas knew better than to pick a fight with me. Even with his empowering seeds, I was way above his power level, with or without the System.

    At the gates of the elven citadel, we found our backpacks. They were covered in dust, but it didn¡¯t seem like any rubble had fallen upon them. The elven citadel was far from habitable. Half of the platforms were either destroyed or hanging from a few vines. There was no bridge left standing.

    We left the Warden¡¯s Tree behind and headed south, retracing our steps.

    As we reached the western side of the tree, Hallas stopped.

    ¡°Our deal is settled. I¡¯m returning to my homeland,¡± he said.

    I stopped.

    ¡°What about Pyrrah?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not my problem, and I have news to relay. If you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± Hallas replied, turning around and walking towards the forestline.

    ¡°Hallas!¡± I yelled, and the elf looked over his shoulder. ¡°You are a shitty friend!¡±

    Hallas turned back and got lost among the foliage.

    Saving the world wasn¡¯t half as glamorous as I initially expected.

    I activated my Wind-Shot Boots and raced around the Warden¡¯s Tree, past our camp at the base, and through the path we had taken close to the mountain. I moved quickly. The endurance and stamina of forty-two levels felt great. An hour later, I caught a glimpse of the group traversing a hill. They must¡¯ve seen me too, because they stopped the march.

    Pyrrah came to meet me.

    ¡°Hallas?¡± she asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s on his way back to Tagabiria,¡± I replied apologetically. ¡°The seed has been destroyed.¡±

    Pyrrah sighed, her emerald eyes glued to her boots. Then, she puffed out her chest and secured the straps of her backpack to her waist.

    ¡°I have to go,¡± she said.

    Her decision surprised me.

    ¡°Hallas doesn¡¯t deserve your friendship, Pyrrah. There is a lot to see on this side of the Farlands,¡± I said, but she stopped me.

    ¡°I have to make sure he tells the story as it happened. For the future of our peoples,¡± Pyrrah said. There was no trace of awkwardness in her words. ¡°Also, there seem to be no marshes on this side of the Farlands, so I wouldn¡¯t feel at home.¡±

    We laughed.

    Pyrrah said goodbye to the children. In the meantime, I grabbed her hammer and enchanted a simple Force-Wind string using the Wind-Shot Boots as a base. With a drop of blood, the weapon would be linked to her, and nobody else could use it. Her eyes gleamed when I gave her the hammer back. It would help her reach her homeland safely.

    ¡°Well, if you ever happen to pass by Farcrest, ask for Lowell¡¯s Orphanage. You¡¯ll always be welcome,¡± I said.

    Pyrrah nodded shyly and extended her hand. Instead of shaking it, I caught her in a hug.

    ¡°Thanks for protecting the kids for me. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice,¡± I said.

    When I let her go, her face was red as a beet.

    The kids laughed and also hugged her. A moment later, Pyrrah was waving at us from the base of the hill.

    ¡°Pyrrah! One last thing!¡± Firana yelled, her [Aerokinesis] carrying her voice far away. ¡°How old are you!¡±

    Pyrra cupped her hands around her mouth.

    ¡°Don''t tell the Gardeners, but I¡¯m only fifty-nine!¡±

    None of the kids seemed particularly surprised.

    ¡°You are too old for Mister Clarke!¡± Firana shouted.

    Down the hill, Pyrrah laughed and waved one last time before disappearing into the forest. Then, the kids surrounded me like they were waiting for something.

    ¡°Congratulations, class. We saved the world¡­ for now,¡± I said.

    ¡°You mean Farcrest?¡± Captain Kiln said.

    The kids exchanged complicit glances.

    ¡°No, Izabeka. This was a Quest given by the System. Each one of you might have saved thousands of lives, even if no one ever finds out,¡± I said, looking at the kids. ¡°This is the result of your discipline and your bravery. Remember this feeling for the days to come.¡±

    I felt the prompt before it appeared.

    New title acquired!

    Favorite Teacher (100): Going to School isn¡¯t as bad with you at the whiteboard.

    Class Reward: Slightly increases mana pool(100).

    Congratulations! Favorite Teacher has reached a prestige threshold.

    New title acquired!

    Classroom Overlord: A title for those who had conquered the hearts of countless students.

    Class Reward: Unlocks the Teacher¡¯s Log Skill.

    The System kneaded my brain, making space for the new Skill. For some reason, the process felt more painful than ever. White spots of light appeared before my eyes, and for a moment, I thought I would faint.

    The kids looked at me with worried expressions.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I got a new title.¡±

    Teacher¡¯s Log: Your students'' status is within hand¡¯s reach. [Identify] Teacher¡¯s Log allows teachers to follow their student''s progress, educational goals, grades, and motivation levels in a single and convenient grimoire. Prestige Class requirement.

    Before I could test the skill, another prompt assaulted me.

    Prestige Class Requirements: 4/4

    Minimum Level Requirement: 42/40

    Class Cultivation Requirement: Golden Scholar achieved.

    Prestige Class Unlocked: Runeweaver Sage.

 188 - Reprisal

    Chapter 188

    Firana pushed forward and executed a surprising diagonal slash. Our blades clashed. Firana aimed a wind-blow at my leg, but I foresaw her movement before she even used the skill and countered with one of my own. The wind bursts collided midway, canceling each other out.

    With the corner of my eye, I saw Zaon trying to flank me. I stomped on the ground, and a sandstone spike emerged between Firana¡¯s feet. The girl jumped back, drawing a wide arch into the air. I stomped again, my mana flowing into the ground. High-speed debris rained down on Zaon, but he blocked it with his [Steadfast Shield].

    Zaon shot forward, and I ducked at the last moment. A wind current held my back and pushed me back to my feet just as Firana lunged at me. I parried her blow, but she locked hands with Zaon just as I countered, and the boy pulled her out of my range.

    Firana and Zaon panted, covered in sweat.

    ¡°Enough,¡± I said, raising my hand. ¡°That was good.¡±

    The kids hadn¡¯t just leveled up, but their ¡®combat intelligence¡¯ had also improved. Zaon was making great use of his [Awareness], always ready to bail Firana out of a disadvantageous position or go on the offensive at the slightest opening. He had lost the fear of making mistakes, and his movements were more confident and deliberate.

    Wolf, Ilya, Kara, and Captain Kiln sat by a felled tree. Their clothes were covered in dust and sweat. We had been sparring and limit-testing my new Class for the past three hours, but I still felt fresh. The same couldn¡¯t be said about the rest of the group. Kara was the only one who stayed lively despite being literally pulled through the dirt several times.

    ¡°I can still go on,¡± Firana said.

    ¡°You are running out of mana,¡± I replied, sheathing my sword.

    Firana exchanged a mischievous grin with Zaon, and they used the Wind-Shot Boots to lunge forward. I grinned. I didn''t need [Foresight] to see her intent. Crossing my arms, I raised an ice wall between us. Zaon and Firana parted ways, trying to surround me, but I was prepared. Pillars of stone emerged from the ground, forcing Firana¡¯s [Acrobatics] to the limit. The girl writhed like a ferret, seemingly defying gravity.

    Zaon attacked head-on. I channeled a fireball, but he blocked it with his [Steadfast Shield]. The explosion blinded me momentarily. Zaon appeared through the smoke, sword thrusting forward. The tip almost touched my black Ghoul armor.

    A jet of cold water shot from the ground, hitting Zaon¡¯s wrist and sending his sword flying. I thought it was over for a moment, but Firana executed a flawless somersault and unleashed her sword with a forceful blast of wind.

    I narrowly avoided the edge, and was surprised to see Zaon catch the pommel mid-flight. He aimed at my chest, but just before the sword could touch me, I surrounded my hand in ice and grabbed the blade. Zaon yanked to reclaim the sword, but his hands slipped through the handle, and he fell on his backside.

    The ice around my hand melted, and I pointed the sword to Zaon¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Do you surrender?¡±

    Zaon raised his hands.

    ¡°Firana?¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± the girl replied, lying on the floor like a starfish.

    ¡°Good. Knowing when to retreat is an art in itself,¡± I said, stretching my back and burying the stone pillars back into the ground. A minute later, there was no sign of excessive spellcasting on the clearing.

    I smiled, satisfied with the sparring session. The kids had improved a lot since we left Farcrest. Each of them was a serious contender, but they turned into a menace with Zaon by their side. Surprisingly enough, Zaon and Wolf had been the ones who almost brought me down. Despite not being a combatant Class, Wolf could imbue his fists with [Stupor]. He had grazed my shoulder, and my whole arm had become numb for a moment.

    I channeled my Character Sheet.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Runeweaver Sage Lv.42

    Titles: Out of your League, Hot for Teacher, Consultant Detective, Researcher of the Hidden, Headmaster, Classroom Overlord, Golden Sage, Iron Runeweaver, +15 others.

    Passive: Lv.5 Swordsmanship, Mana Mastery, Foresight, Master of Languages.

    Skills: Identify, Magical Ink, Silence Dome, Invigoration, Stun Gaze, Intimidate, Mirage, Runeweaver Encyclopedia, Rune Debugger, Rune Identification, Minor Aerokinesis, Minor Pyrokinesis, Minor Geokinesis, Minor Hydrokinesis.

    Sage was one of the two Prestige Classes of the Scribe evolution line, the other being Tactician. The Book of Classes didn¡¯t go into detail on any of them, as Prestige Classes seemed to be shrouded in a cloak of secrecy. Sage, however, was marked as a non-specialized spellcasting support Class. I could use elemental magic to attack, but the power of my skills was capped.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day,¡± I said. ¡°Good job everyone.¡±

    The kids jumped to their feet and walked to the creek. With the Lich gone, spring had entered the valley. The days were warmer, and the forest began to be reborn. Monster presence was low, so the Teal Moon tribe planned their return to their usual territories.

    ¡°Kara! Don¡¯t learn anything Firana tries to teach you!¡± I shouted as they got lost in the thicket. The half-orc girl was too naive and eager to learn for her own good.

    A moment later, I was alone with Captain Kiln. After I had told her the truth about the System, Captain Kiln had been in shock for a whole day.

    The System was created by a group of men and women from another world¡ªthe same world I came from. Then, the System Avatar, who is a copy of the personality of the lead developer of the System, turned me into a Runeweaver and asked me to fight against the ever-growing Corruption so the System doesn¡¯t implode.

    The revelation had been quite the blow to her beliefs. I couldn¡¯t blame her. The truth about the System went against everything the inhabitants of Ebros presumed, yet I had ¡®proof¡¯. Scholars simply didn¡¯t turn into Runeweavers without the influence of the System.

    This was the first time we were alone since I told her.

    Despite hiding it very well, [Foresight] told me she was restless.

    ¡°Good fight¡ª¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°The System isn¡¯t going to implode, right?¡± Captain Kiln asked with the same fear of a middle schooler asking if the sun would explode.

    I held my laugh.

    The kids had handled it better.

    ¡°The System isn¡¯t going to disappear any time soon,¡± I replied. Maybe it would be better for everyone if it did. I didn¡¯t say that part out loud. ¡°We destroyed the Corruption vector, so we have time to fix it.¡±

    Captain Kiln grabbed the waterskin from my hands.

    ¡°So¡­ what now?¡±

    That was a great question. The System Avatar had told me I would need decades to learn everything there was to know about Runeweaving. With the Lich gone and considering the lack of communication from the Avatar¡¯s side, I guessed the timeframe remained the same.

    ¡°We need to return to Farcrest first,¡± I said.

    Cultivating my Class in the Farlands seemed nearly impossible. I needed to examine several enchanted items to fill my Rune Encyclopedia and eventually get access to superior runes.

    ¡°Janus will be thrilled to see us back.¡± Captain Kiln clenched her hand around her sword.

    We exchanged a glance, and even though we had not voiced it, we knew what the other was thinking. Janus had to die. However, it was easier said than done. Janus wasn¡¯t just a powerful Prestige Class, but the secret right hand of the Marquis with strong ties with the Osgirians. It was still difficult to fathom that Janus had been pulling the strings from the shadows all this time.

    ¡°We can always appeal to the Prince. What Janus and Tauron are doing is nothing short of treason,¡± Captain Kiln said.

    I understood that she wanted to go all out, leaving nothing but scorched earth. After all, she had given her life for the city just to be betrayed by those she swore to protect. However, if we did that, we would label the entire city as traitors.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a way to not involve the Prince?¡±

    Captain Kiln looked beyond the horizon, deep in thought. Suddenly, her face lit up.

    ¡°Even if there¡¯s a new Captain of the Guard, I am still a Farcrest thane. I can challenge him to a duel,¡± Captain Kiln said, her words oozing malice.

    ¡°I saw your Character Sheet, Izabeka. You have a rather nasty debuff,¡± I pointed out, trying to sound diplomatic.

    Captain Kiln¡¯s eyes fell on her missing arm.

    ¡°A warrior only retires when the fight is over.¡±

    I understood the sentiment.

    ¡°And our fight is to fix the System,¡± I said. ¡°There will be a lot of work to do at the orphanage, and I don¡¯t think I will be able to cultivate my Runeweaving skills while working full-time as a teacher.¡±

    Captain Kiln¡¯s glance got lost among the trees.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a caretaker, Rob. I¡¯m a warrior, and fighting is what I do.¡±

    Career changes were a rarity in Ebros.

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to become a caretaker,¡± I grinned. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to become the Marquis¡¯ political counterweight.¡±

    Captain Kiln blinked repeatedly before opening her mouth.

    ¡°Rob, no.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to overthrow the Marquis. Think about it. We know his dirty secrets, so as long as we have a modicum of credibility in the court, he will not act against us,¡± I said. ¡°We will be left alone, the royalist faction will not know he¡¯s a traitor, and the city will become an important trade hub and prosper.¡±

    Captain Kiln thought about it for a moment.

    ¡°It might work. Tauron will dispose of Janus as soon as he sees him as a risk for his plans, and we will prevent the city from falling into chaos,¡± she muttered. ¡°But we have to be sure we can eliminate Janus. He is at least Lv.47, but he might be faking his actual level just like he did with his class.¡±

    I nodded. Janus not only had at least five levels on me, but he was also a pure combat class.

    With the Monster Surge over, quickly leveling up beyond LV.42 was impossible, so we had two options. Stay with the orcs and travel deep into the Farlands, or force the conflict while the Prince remained in the city. Both options had their advantages and drawbacks.

    Staying with the orcs was safer, but unless we found a monster with ¡®question mark levels¡¯, leveling beyond the soft cap of Lv.40 would be a grueling task. Leveling up after reaching level forty could take years. Captain Kiln had spent more than a decade and fought through several Monster Surges to reach Lv.51.

    I wasn¡¯t going to stay away from the orphanage for years. And given my presence in the Farlands hadn¡¯t exactly been covert, without a Monster Surge hiding us, evidence that me, the kids, and Captain Kiln were out here would eventually make it back to Farcrest. That could result in Janus making a move before we did.

    On the other hand, publicly denouncing Janus for the murder attempts was equally risky. The Marquis was Janus¡¯ accomplice, and we couldn¡¯t afford such a scandal. Janus and the Marquis had been working to turn Farcrest into a trade hub for a decade, and it was evident they would use any tactics to carry out their plan.

    If we moved quickly, we could catch Janus off guard. He didn¡¯t know I had gained tens of levels and had become a Prestige Class.

    ¡°You¡¯ll challenge him to a duel, and I will be your champion,¡± I said.

    Captain Kiln sighed, knowing it was the only way.

    ¡°Can you win?¡±

    ¡°I have tricks upon tricks up my sleeve.¡±

    * * * *

    We marched to Farcrest with a squad of five hundred Teal Moon warriors behind us. The Monster Surge was over, and the forest had started to regain its life. The songs of the birds filled the silence, and small critters skittered away from our path as soon as they detected us. There was no sign of monsters, but we found a few Greyfangs. Their skin was still black as coal with the mark of Corruption, but they didn¡¯t seem to be under mental control. Just like the red squirrels, the Greyfangs avoided us.

    The Teal Moon Warriors seemed very eager to fight for Wolf.

    My feet itched to power the Wind-Shot Boots and race toward the orphanage. I fidgeted with the enchanted ring. Even if I should be focusing on the upcoming fight, my thoughts were with Elincia.

    The Sentinel patrols spotted us before we crossed the mountainous path into Farcrest Valley. No matter how crafty orcs might be, concealing five hundred of them from a System user with detection skills was nearly impossible.

    I pulled the hood over my head and blended into the group.

    Not an hour later, we climbed the slope and exited the Farlands.

    The valley between the mountains and the city was laid waste. The farmlands, mills, and barns were destroyed. Withered Warden¡¯s roots clutched to the city walls like the fingers of a drowned man reaching for a plank, and the army camp was gone.

    The city had weathered the storm.

    ¡°Soldiers are forming outside the walls,¡± Ilya announced.

    ¡°Shall we send a messenger, Warchief?¡± Kara asked, her chainmail jingling under her cloak.

    The half-orc girl had insisted on coming with us despite not being an official Teal Moon warrior.

    ¡°Tell Little One to assemble a team and announce my arrival. The new Warchief of the Teal Moon tribe wants to renew the vows of friendship,¡± Wolf said.

    The conversation died as we descended the mountainous path. The human army waited for us. The golden stag fluttered along the impaled wolf. I let [Foresight] examine the scene. There were about five hundred royal soldiers and the same amount of guardsmen. Several nobles tagged along, probably too curious about the sudden visitor to remain inside the walls.

    When we reached the cobbled path, Little One and his orcs returned.

    Farcrest had been informed of our arrival.

    The sound of battle horns reached my ears. I hoped it was a greeting and not a challenge. Dassyra signaled the warriors to sound the horns back. We advanced in the usual checkered formation orcs used to hunt monsters. I expected the orc army to stop a hundred meters away or so, but we didn¡¯t stop until we were just a stone''s throw away.

    I could see the expressions of the human soldiers under their helmets.

    Tension was palpable.

    Behind the double line of soldiers, Prince Adrien sat on top of his horse, surrounded by a squadron of Skeeth riders. The Marquis rode a black steed. I recognized more familiar faces. Lord Osgiria, Lord Herran, the High Priest of the Church of the System, and finally, the one I was looking for. Janus.

    ¡°It¡¯s showtime,¡± I said.

    I walked past the orcs, and the soldiers'' attention fell upon me. They exchanged curious glances. Isn¡¯t that too small to be an orc? The whole army focused on me. Behind the soldier formation, the Marquis whispered something in Prince Adrien¡¯s ear. Then, I pulled my cloak back.

    ¡°Janus! Come out, you coward!¡± I shouted, my voice echoing against the city walls.

 189 - Sunless Sky

    I stood before the Ebros soldiers. The golden armor of Prince Adrien¡¯s elite troops gleamed under the spring sun. By their side stood the Farcrest Guardsmen wearing tunics with the colors of the Marquis¡ªred and black¡ªabove their chainmail. Behind the soldiers, the nobles exchanged confused glances. I was supposed to be dead.

    Janus paled as the Marquis whispered something to his ear.

    ¡°Robert Clarke, you are under arrest for the murder of Izabeka Kiln!¡± Janus shouted. The man wasn¡¯t wearing his simple black and grey fencing uniform but the gilded red armor of the Captain of the Guard. ¡°Guards, detain him!¡±

    So that was the lie he had used to cover for Captain Kiln¡¯s sudden disappearance. That explained why he and a detachment of guardsmen had chased me into the Farlands. The whole city believed I was responsible, and I had fled the crime scene.

    The guardsmen pointed their halberds forward and closed into me. They were veterans. I used [Identify]. Every single one of them had Advanced Classes, around level thirty-five. It was a good sign. The veteran guardsmen were loyal to Captain Kiln.

    Prince Adrien remained still behind his men, waiting for the scene to unfold.

    I grinned. The stage was perfect.

    Captain Kiln emerged from the orc ranks.

    ¡°Weapons down, maggots! I don¡¯t remember ordering anyone to detain this man,¡± she barked, her messy gray hair fluttering in the wind. Despite her ragged clothes, her dignified presence left little doubt of her true identity.

    The guardsmen froze, their halberds dropped, and their faces looked like they had seen a ghost. One of them even started sobbing. Even Prince Adrien seemed confused; however, we couldn¡¯t allow a royal inquiry.

    ¡°Janus the Weasel, I have come to return the favor. Only blood will resolve this matter!¡± Captain Kiln¡¯s cloak slipped over her shoulder, revealing her wounded arm. ¡°As it is my right as Farcrest¡¯s Thane, I challenge you to a duel.¡±

    A murmur ran through the troops. Prince Adrien''s bodyguards closed their ranks between them and the Farcrest nobles as every pair of eyes fell upon Janus. He was struck, shrunken like a nocturnal vermin under the sun. The truth was poison for liars.

    I exchanged glances with the Marquis, and a flash of recognition passed before his eyes. The winner would determine who knew about his betrayal. If Janus won, everything would remain the same, but if we won, we would have the Marquis by the leash. Either of the two was better than losing everything, and the Marquis seemed to realize that.

    ¡°I allow the duel,¡± the Marquis'' voice rose above the murmur of the guardsmen.

    Prince Adrien glanced at me, trying to piece the puzzle together. In response, I offered a polite bow. The less he knew, the better for Farcrest and the orphanage.

    The Teal Moon warriors, royal soldiers, and Farcrest guards stepped back and formed a wide circle. The murmurs grew louder. [Foresight] caught snippets of conversation. Did Janus try to kill the Captain? Shouldn¡¯t the Marquis incarcerate Janus? Why are they dueling?

    The support of the guards leaned towards Captain Kiln. Janus was a legend, the only commoner who rose to become an Imperial Knight, but Captain Kiln had bled shoulder to shoulder with the guardsmen.

    ¡°Robert Clarke will be my champion,¡± Captain Kiln announced.

    The guardsmen parted ways, and Janus walked into the circle.

    ¡°How does it feel, Janus, to have everybody see you for what you truly are?¡± I asked. ¡°Everyone here knows you''re not who you pretend to be. Even as we speak, rumors are spreading throughout the city. They''ll question whether you truly attempted to kill their beloved Captain, and they¡¯ll see her arm. Where are you going to run away then?¡±

    Janus remained silent, but no matter how much he pushed his acting skills, my [Foresight] could see through his facade. He was hesitant.

    Abei entered the circle, followed by a middle-aged man dressed in a green robe with the royal crest on the chest. Only a month had passed since the last time I¡¯d seen the Scholar, yet he seemed older than I remembered.

    ¡°I will serve as the witness for the duel in Tauron¡¯s place,¡± Abei announced. ¡°Judicial duels don¡¯t usually have restrictions unless both parties agree. Would you like to set any conditions? Incapacitation clause, maybe? Rendition?¡±

    I shook my head. Only one of us would leave the duel arena alive.

    Abei sighed in defeat, like he was seeing his sons fight each other.

    ¡°A proper duel it is,¡± he said with a serious expression. ¡°Please, get ready.¡±

    I cast off my jacket, secured the straps of my black leather armor, and adjusted my leather gloves. I checked my pockets. Everything was in place: the enchanted pebbles, the Holone Grapes, the Leechflame Dagger, and a backup orc dagger strapped to my boot. I doubted myself for a second. The shotgun and the enchanted rifles might be useful, but the combat area was barely ten meters in diameter, and Janus could cross that distance with a single teleport. Stopping to aim would be a liability, and he could tank it using a skill. It was better to stick to the plan.

    A blue barrier covered the circular area as I prepared myself, and the man in the green robe guided Abei outside the arena. I walked six steps toward the mountains while Janus did the same toward Farcrest. On the other side of the barrier, the kids clung together like ducklings without a duck mom. I turned and focused on Janus.

    The barrier was sealed shut. Nothing would escape until one of us was dead.

    The sounds from outside the barrier came in distorted.

    ¡°You can run away whenever you like, Janus, but I can¡¯t say the nobles will be happy with a murderer who can pass through Fortifier barriers,¡± I said with a grin.

    Janus was still at a loss for words, his brain trying to make sense of the repercussions of our sudden appearance. Our plan was working. Trapping a Void Jumper was impossible, yet we had engineered the situation to keep him in place.

    Janus finally opened his mouth.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t change anything. Whether the city hates me is irrelevant. Tauron needs me, and the rest will fold when they realize I¡¯m a Prestige Class, ¡± Janus said, blinking rapidly like he had just snapped from a bad dream.

    He drew his sword. It was different from the cheap iron sword he used to carry.

    Mastercraft Orichalcum Sword. Enchantment threshold: 3000.

    ¡°When I kill you, they¡¯ll forget all about you, and that little orphanage will be nothing but a memory yet again.¡±

    ¡°If,¡± I said.

    Janus grinned, entertained.

    ¡°You are dangerous, Robert Clarke, but inside this barrier, you don¡¯t have the protection of Prince Adrien. You forfeited your greatest advantage, and the chance of talking your way out has passed,¡± he said, testing his blade with his thumb. ¡°I recognize your [Mana Manipulation] is strong, but in the end, you are still a weak and squishy Scholar.¡±

    I drew my sword.

    Neither of us saluted.

    ¡°May the best fighter win. Fight!¡± Abei shouted from outside the barrier, his voice amplified by a spell.

    Janus disappeared, leaving behind a screen of dark mana particles. The crowd gasped. He closed the ten meters between us in the blink of an eye and thrust his sword towards my chest. [Foresight] showed me the projection of the movement. I parried and countered with a precise diagonal swing, but Janus easily dismantled my attack. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Movement skills like [Quick Step] increased movement speed for a short duration. However, Janus¡¯ blink allowed him to move almost instantly. The crowd noticed the difference.

    ¡°Do you hear them, Caretaker?¡± Janus said. ¡°They know I¡¯m better than them. That''s all that counts when monsters appear.¡±

    We exchanged quick blows. My mana barrier blocked any hit my sword wasn¡¯t fast enough to catch. Janus moved back and forth like the tides, always ahead of my movements but unable to land a killing blow. He was reading me just like [Foresight] read his movements.

    Janus accelerated the pace, but I kept up. I had to slow him down before he unleashed his real speed. Using [Mirage], I created two perfect copies of myself in an attempt to obfuscate his detection skills. Janus stepped back, sensing something was wrong. The illusion was perfect in every sense.

    The three blades crackled with bluish mana.

    Sensing the danger, Janus disappeared.

    I opened the floodgates, and [Foresight] drank mana like a man lost in the desert. A shiver ran down my spine as a chunk of mana was torn from my mana pool. Time slowed down to a crawl. The black mana particles froze mid-air. Then, with the corner of my eye, I saw a tear in reality slightly above my head. Janus emerged from the portal, his sword over his head, ready to kill me in a single strike.

    My brain burned. I couldn¡¯t enter slow-mode every time he blinked¡ªthe strain was huge¡ªbut I had a plan. Half of the pebbles inside my pouch shot out just as I wrote the first runes. Janus cut the first, but several others stuck to his armor and cape. Then, the enchantment circuit closed, binding the pebbles to the armor and cape. They shone with a weak light.

    The world sped up again. Janus attacked faster than I could react; his blade gleamed with dark mana. My mana barrier shattered, and I felt the prick on my chest, barely piercing my skin. The Ghoul armor protected my vital organs. I kicked the ground before he could chain a second attack, and a forest of stone spikes emerged around me. Janus jumped back, and I pushed the attack. We exchanged blows, more and more stone spikes emerging from the ground as I advanced.

    Janus blocked my sword with ease and dodged most of the stone spikes. The ones that managed to hit didn¡¯t hurt him, though his armor was dented and battered in several spots.

    Janus tore off his left shoulder pad, confused. Then, he disappeared. For an instant, I lost the mana signature of the enchanted pebbles, but at the next moment, they reappeared behind me. Janus was sneaky, almost invisible to my mana sense, but the pebbles shone like lighthouses. [Swordsmanship] and [Foresight] moved my body, but Janus was faster than me. I managed to block a killing blow, but he still grazed my left arm.

    I used my Wind-Shot Boots to thrust at full speed. The [Mirage]s moved with me. Janus hesitated for a split second. My sword hit his naked shoulder, but it felt like I had just hit a concrete wall. My sword, even with the mana coating, bounced. My defense was wide open. Janus grinned, his eyes full of malice. In a panic, I used [Aerokinesis]. My body spun mid-air, just like I¡¯d seen Firana doing, and I buried my boot in his side. It also felt like kicking a concrete wall.

    Captain Kiln was right; high-level warriors were extremely durable.

    Janus stumbled back.

    The combat extended for minutes and minutes to no end. I shot Mana Draining Pebbles, but after the first few hits, Janus learned to destroy them. My Ghoul armor was turned into a pincushion. Janus was agile like Firana, but his arm carried the force of a dragon. He blinked around me, unleashing a flurry of attacks against my mana shield. [Foresight] drained my mana pool as I countered his attacks. Soon, my body was covered in minor cuts, but I felt no pain. Anything outside the Fortifier¡¯s barrier disappeared from my conscience. All that existed in my world was Janus and me.

    I needed to slow him down, but I had run out of Mana Draining Pebbles.

    Combining [Geokinesis] and [Hydrokinesis], I turned the ground into a deep and soft mud. I remained afloat thanks to the stone pillars under my foot. Janus sunk to his knees, the weight of his armor pulling him down.

    Janus grinned, and mana swirled around his feet. Then, he pulled himself and stood atop the mud pool like solid ground.

    ¡°I can walk on walls, Caretaker. You will need something better than cheap tricks,¡± he mockingly said as he disappeared into a curtain of black mana particles.

    My mana barrier was draining energy at a worrying pace. Each one of Janus¡¯ blows was the equivalent of the charge of a dozen Ghouls. His teleportation skill, however, required a lot of mana. I examined his face. Black circles had appeared under his eyes.

    My mana pool was still my biggest advantage.

    ¡°Running out of juice, Janus?¡± I gasped for air, pulling strings from the Fountain and slowly replenishing my mana pool. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have put me in the same forest as a Monster Surge Boss. You fumbled it, Janus, and now everybody sees you as what you truly are. The lies are over.¡±

    Suddenly, blackness surrounded me like someone had turned off the sun. The only light source was the Bind-Light pebbles stuck to Janus¡¯ armor.

    ¡°What are these things?¡± he grunted, trying to tear them off. The Bind rune kept the pebble stuck to the metal. ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. Where we¡¯re going, these will be useless.¡±

    A burst of mana erupted from Janus¡¯ body. I raised my mana shield. Captain Kiln wasn¡¯t the only one with a secret technique that put a lot of strain on the body.

    ¡°Do you know the secret to killing high-level combatants?¡± Janus clenched his jaw in pain. ¡°You don¡¯t let them use their skills.¡±

    The ground parted, and we fell to a place without sky. I landed in a shallow pool that extended as far as the eye could see. The water was freezing cold. Fragments of the world fell with us: pieces of armor, my cloak, and a bunch of dirt that clouded the water. The water barely reached my ankle. Under the water, there was perfectly leveled solid stone. Here and there were vestiges of old ruins. The place reminded me of my mana pool, a flooded underground cave, but we weren¡¯t floating in nothingness. In the sky, there was a single faint white star.

    I clutched my sword and used [Hydrokinesis] to cast Janus into an ice prison, but the skill didn¡¯t obey. The water remained undisturbed.

    ¡°Surprised?¡± Janus grinned, noticing my failed attempt.

    The Bind-Light stones had slipped from his armor.

    My Wind-Shot Boots were offline.

    There wasn¡¯t a single speck of environmental mana.

    I pulled mana from the Fountain, but the power felt weak and distant. I looked up into the sky. A sense of intense dread got a hold on me¡ªthe sole white star in the infinite void couldn¡¯t be the Fountain, right?

    ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked, holding back the urge to cast a weak fireball. I had to keep it a secret until the last moment.

    Janus opened his arms.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Nowhere? No matter how far you go, this place remains the same. Hard stone, fresh water, and ruins too old to make any sense of them, but what is inside this place is irrelevant. What is important is that you can¡¯t use your skills here,¡± Janus said meditatively. ¡°Say, Caretaker, do you think you are a better fencer than me without your [Swordsmanship]?¡±

    Without a warning, Janus lunged. Our swords clashed. My blade was pushed to the side. Even without the System, Janus was stronger than me. Following the flow of the movement, Janus moved his sword in an arch as he tried to bypass my blade and hit my face. I didn¡¯t see the attack coming. I grabbed Janus¡¯ sword with my hand, and the blade bit through my leather gloves. Pain exploded in my brain. I tried to stab him, but my blade was tangled with his.

    The fight became chaotic. We struggled for control of the position, locked in an awkward grapple. Without the System, there was no more ¡°fantasy swordsmanship¡±; there was just the struggle for survival. Janus was taller than me, and he was built like a bear. Janus¡¯ blade slashed my hand as it slipped from my grasp.

    In a desperate attempt, I let my sword go and channeled the little Fountain mana I could grasp. I grabbed Janus¡¯ forearm and transferred heat into the metal. Janus howled. He let go of his sword and pushed me away then fought to untie the knots of his bracers. The swords got lost in the muddy water.

    I charged shoulder-first into Janus¡¯ stomach. We both fell. Disoriented, I reached for my boot and pulled out the orc dagger. I tried to channel more Fountain mana, but there was nothing to draw from. Janus was already on his feet, dagger in hand. His forearm boiled with blisters.

    We got closer. I swung at Janus¡¯ stomach, but he stopped my arm with the palm of his hand. He swung at my eyes, but I leaned back, letting the knife cut through the air. Janus put too much force in the blow, and he slipped. I seized the opening and aimed at his neck. Janus raised his hand to block, and my knife ended up embedded in his shoulder.

    I clenched my teeth. It wasn¡¯t a killing blow.

    Janus grinned as his blade pierced my skin and muscle.

    I stumbled back, and I lost hold of my knife. Janus approached me, a malicious smile on his face. I tried to push him back, but my arms felt as heavy as cinder blocks. I fell to my knees. Then I saw the blood coming out in torrents. I clutched my stomach, trying to make sense of the scene. It wasn''t possible. Blood was supposed to remain inside. I searched for a Holone Grape, but Janus cut my belt and threw away my knife and the pouches.

    ¡°Don¡¯t rush¡­¡± Janus grunted. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy watching you die.¡±

    Blood came through my fingers. My vision was beginning to blur.

    Then, we were back in Farcrest. The sun was blue, and the spring breeze caressed my face. [Foresight] came back online. Alarms went off in my brain¡ªa timer. I was dying. Cauterize. I couldn¡¯t focus. [Pyrokinesis] didn¡¯t respond. [Foresight] gorged on my mana, and time slowed. Every single cell in my body was fighting to live; my heart rate slowed, my capillary vessels contracted, and hundreds of other survival mechanisms were triggered. The System wanted me to survive at all costs, but it only delayed the inevitable.

    Janus fell on his knee, his shoulders shaking due to Mana Exhaustion.

    I only needed a minute.

    My backpack was still there. I crawled and grabbed Byrne¡¯s shotgun. The chamber was empty. I had used the last of Ginz¡¯s shells on the Lich. Then, [Foresight] threw one last idea into my conscious mind. I searched my pocket and pulled out a bright red shell¡ªthe shell I had been saving for Holst. I felt the plastic under my skin and put it inside the chamber.

    Janus recognized the threat, and his eyes shot wide open. He tried to blink, but he was out of mana. I didn¡¯t trust my aim.

    I used [Stun Gaze].

    Despite any level differences, he didn¡¯t have the mana to resist. The skill grasped him harder than his incipient mana exhaustion. Janus turned into a statue.

    I pulled the trigger. The bang deafened me.

    The rain of lead hit Janus at four hundred meters per second. He remained still, like an old oak. Then, blood poured through the holes in his armor, mouth, and nose. Without uttering a single sound, Janus fell flat on his face.

    The orphanage was finally free.

 190 - Thane

    Chapter 190

    I woke up to the warm spring breeze and the softness of Elincia¡¯s bed. The sun was high in the sky. The room smelled like lavender, old books, and soap. I took a deep breath. After a month of roaming the Farlands, I thought this was the smell of heaven. Being alive felt great. It was the third time I had cheated death, and I hoped it would be the last. I wasn¡¯t a superstitious person, but deep down, I knew there wasn¡¯t going to be a fourth time.

    I stretched my back and pulled the blankets to my feet. I looked down my shirt¡¯s neck to find a fresh pink scar on my stomach where Janus had almost gutted me. I felt no trace of pain or discomfort. On the night table were a few empty vials. The bitter taste still lingered in my mouth. By Elincia¡¯s desk, wisps of vapors still rose from her concoctions. Her work was recent.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to kill high-level people,¡± I muttered.

    My mind drifted to my fight against Janus and that strange place without sun. An empty sky with a sole white star, still water, and ruins old beyond recognition. I recalled the feeling of standing in that space. A world as old as time, just like the void in which the Fountain rested. Could it be that the Fountain was actually a physical object?

    I closed my eyes and accessed my mana pool. The stone walls covered in runes were back up. Beams of light sneaked through the gaps on the bottom. The Fountain raged like a sun, preventing me from seeing the void that lay behind it.

    Suddenly, I felt sick. I wasn¡¯t sure I was up to discovering any more world-class secrets, at least not for a lifetime or two. I opened my eyes back to Elincia¡¯s bedroom and focused on the small things. The old bookshelf with Mister Lowell¡¯s personal collection, the chest with Elincia¡¯s belongings, the brass alchemy tools on the table. The silver lining was that our problem with the mysterious person sabotaging the orphanage was finally over.

    Elincia was nowhere to be found, nor was the enchanted ring.

    I got out of bed and changed from my pajamas to simple attire: leather boots, riding pants, and a wide-sleeved shirt. I fastened my belt and secured the straps of a black leather sheath with a short rapier. The weather was good, so I left my jacket on the rack. We were a month into spring, but the weather was just now returning to normal.

    When I opened the door, I almost bumped into Elincia.

    I looked down at her.

    ¡°Did you shrink?¡± I asked. She seemed an inch or two smaller than I remembered. Her eyes were lower than I remembered.

    For an instant, she was at a loss for words, but she quickly regained her usual poise.

    ¡°Did you hit a growth spurt?¡±

    Elincia jumped on me, wrapping arms and legs around my body. I opened my mouth to speak, but she pressed her lips against mine. I realized how much I¡¯d missed her. Despite all the risks I had taken during the last weeks, I couldn¡¯t imagine any scenario where I wasn¡¯t with her. Being back home felt great, but it felt even better to know how much Elincia had missed me as well. Just as I was going to get handsy, [Foresight] caught small steps from the corridor.

    ¡°So romantic,¡± Shu said.

    The little ones swarmed me.

    ¡°Did you fight a dragon?!¡±

    ¡°Did you miss me?¡±

    ¡°How many Wolfs are there in the Farlands?¡±

    ¡°Is everyone green out there?¡±

    ¡°Where are our presents?¡±

    ¡°Why did it take you so long?¡±

    ¡°Did you find the Great Potato?¡±

    The kids asked faster than I could answer. Elincia leaned back against the wall and smiled as she watched me struggle to get on the same page as the kids. I could handle a dozen Gloomstalkers at a time, but I was quickly overwhelmed by just four children. When the questions concluded, I heard Shu¡¯s Monster Surge theory: the monsters had attacked Farcrest because Holst had returned to town. The explanation was extremely convoluted, and not even [Foresight] could follow.

    After a few minutes, the kids lost interest in me and left the sleeping quarters.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t lost the touch,¡± she pointed out.

    ¡°It¡¯s only been a month,¡± I replied, although it felt like a lifetime.

    Elincia grabbed my hand and brought it to her face. She closed her eyes, and a blissful expression appeared on her face. Almost like she had taken a weight off her shoulders.

    ¡°Ilya told me everything,¡± Elincia said with a mischievous smile. ¡°Everything you put them through.¡±

    ¡°I swear I had it under control,¡± I replied. ¡°Most of the time.¡±

    ¡°Sure you did.¡± Elincia elbowed me, but her expression changed into pain as soon as her elbow impacted my arm. She squeezed my biceps. ¡°Did you get an iron arm while I wasn¡¯t looking?¡±

    ¡°I got a few levels,¡± I replied, stroking her hair. ¡°You can touch. I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Elincia raised an eyebrow and clung to my arm.

    ¡°More than a few levels from what I was told, Mister Man of Steel. You did a good job, Rob, from start to finish. There is nothing you could¡¯ve done better.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know it until then, but I needed to hear those words.

    It was great to be back.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for taking off the ring. I thought Janus would¡­ inquire if he noticed anything strange,¡± I said.

    Elincia closed her eyes and leaned against my shoulder. She spoke with a sweet voice.

    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t do it without a good reason. Janus often stopped by the orphanage for a week after your disappearance. He asked many questions,¡± Elincia said, taking a deep breath. Then, I felt how she siphoned mana out of my reserves. She tugged at my mana pool until I felt a slight shiver. ¡°If I wanted to know you were alive, I could¡¯ve drained your mana, but I figured that you¡¯d need it more. I knew you were alive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you are a little mad at me,¡± I said. Taking a bunch of low-level kids into the Farlands during a Monster Surge wasn¡¯t the most responsible thing to do. Even I knew that.

    Elincia leaned back and looked directly into my eye.

    ¡°Have I ever been mad at you?¡±

    ¡°I could think a couple of times from the top of my head,¡± I replied.

    Elincia smiled and elbowed me again, this time aiming at my ribs. I grabbed her by the waist and lifted her. She was light as a feather. We kissed.

    ¡°How long was I out?¡± I asked.

    Elincia looked through the window.

    ¡°Three hours?¡±

    My heart skipped a beat. Considering the amount of blood I¡¯ve lost, I expected to be out for a few days. Elincia gave me a smug grin.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to take all the credit, but I¡¯ve been able to replicate several of Mister Lowell¡¯s potions,¡± she said. ¡°We have to write Lord Vedras a letter of gratitude for the recipes and the journals.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we just meet him at the Great Hall?¡± I asked.

    Elincia shook her head.

    ¡°The royal army is already leaving. When the Monster Surge stopped, the nobles and their armies marched northeast to the frontline. Prince Adrien wants to complete the campaign this summer.¡±

    Alarms went off in my brain.

    ¡°Where is Captain Kiln?¡±

    ¡°She should be in the Great Hall, I guess,¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°I need to go,¡± I said, kissing Elincia¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°The kids can still be conscripted,¡± I replied. ¡°I need to make sure the Marquis keeps his word.¡±

    We had two ways to avoid conscription: getting the kids into the Imperial Academy or performing well in the tournament. We had reached the finals; however, it was the Marquis¡¯s opinion that counted. I regretted not using more precise wording for our deal. We had actively sabotaged his deal with the Osgirians, and there had been a lot of money involved. Before the Marquis could do anything rash, I wanted to put my cards on the table. Offer him a new deal.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back for dinner.¡±

    Elincia nodded.

    I crossed the sleeping quarters with long strides and reached the vestibule. The old white paint peeling in the corners greeted me. Everything was the same. Before I could get to the door, Corin stopped me. She wore her usual courier attire, and her leather bag showed signs of heavy use.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°I have something for you, Mister Clarke,¡± she said in a professional voice. She stuck her hand in her bag and pulled out a thick stack of paper, which she extended to me.

    Unlike the stacks of letters we had received during the tournament, these were addressed to me. To the excellent Master Robert Clarke¡­ it would be an honor¡­ extend an invitation¡­ court¡­ marriage¡­ Prestige Class¡­ honor. It seemed half of the kingdom wanted me to become either their courtier, their bodyguard, or their son-in-law.

    ¡°Elincia will answer these for me,¡± I said, putting the letters back in Corin¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Will do,¡± she said. ¡°And welcome back.¡±

    Corin skipped her way into the orphanage, her coins pouch jingling heavy in her belt. Smart girl. Her clientele had grown in my absence.

    I opened the front door. In the front yard, Ginz was directing a group of porters around the orphanage. The bulky humans and half-orcs were carrying heavy crates. Ginz turned around. A bulging purple and green bruise surrounded his left eye.

    ¡°Be careful with Elincia. She didn¡¯t like that we kept your escapade into the Farlands a secret,¡± he greeted me. ¡°Kinda miss the orc tribes.¡±

    I put my hand on Ginz¡¯s shoulder.

    Everything remained the same.

    ¡°Thanks, my friend, for keeping the secret,¡± I said. ¡°What are all those things?¡±

    ¡°A few things for the workshop, nothing spectacular,¡± Ginz said. ¡°We received our royal allowance, so Lyra pushed Elincia to buy a couple of necessities for the workshop.¡±

    Half a dozen porters carried the crates into the backyard. There were even more crates waiting in the cart. ¡°Necessities¡± seemed to be a great stretch of the word. Ginz seemed to be creating a whole warehouse.

    ¡°Remember we promised a hundred rifles for the Teal Moon tribe,¡± I said, walking to the haphazardly tied entrance gate. We should save a few silver coins to fix it. ¡°I¡¯ll be back for dinner. Tell Lyra I say hi!¡±

    Ginz gave me the thumbs up and followed the half-orcs into the backyard, yelling instructions.

    I entered into the labyrinthic streets of the Northern District. The roots of the Warden¡¯s Tree had torn down several buildings. The streets were either ruined or blocked. Laborers cleared the paths while mercenaries and guardsmen used their skills to chop at the remaining roots. Regular metal tools weren¡¯t up to the task. Some of them seemed to recognize me, but they quickly looked away.

    The main street wasn¡¯t in much better shape. The cobbled path was destroyed, and only a handful of stalls were open to business. [Foresight] caught snippets of conversation as I walked up the road. Spirits were high. Most of the damage caused by the Monster Surge was merely material. The royal army had done a great job protecting the city.

    I reached the inner walls without anyone stopping me.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to meet the Marquis,¡± I said to the guard at the lateral entrance.

    ¡°R-right away, sir,¡± the man stuttered and opened the service gate. ¡°This way, sir.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know where all the deference came from.

    We crossed the front yard. The royal soldiers were making preparations to depart. The skeeths were munching on the bushes of the gardens, although they weren¡¯t eating the leaves but seemingly destroying them for the pleasure of doing so. As we reached the staircase, the guards at the entrance rushed to open the door and greeted me.

    ¡°Good afternoon, sir.¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon, sir.¡±

    We entered the vestibule. The courtiers had disappeared. A well-dressed aide came to meet us. He paled as soon as his eyes fell upon me. Then it hit me. The word of my duel against Janus must¡¯ve spread like wildfire. I had just killed an Imperial Knight. Although I hadn¡¯t been born into nobility, my strength alone put me above most of the population, noble or not. I was both an asset and a danger.

    ¡°S-sir?¡± The aide said.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to meet the Marquis,¡± I said, softening my voice to avoid pushing him into a nervous breakdown.

    ¡°This way, sir,¡± the man stuttered.

    The guardsman bowed and exited the vestibule, seemingly relieved to pass the baton to someone else. The aide guided me through the Great Hall. The white canvas and the clumps of light stones had disappeared with the rest of the decoration. The place had returned to its usual sober aspect. Butlers and maids prepared the travel equipment of dozens of nobles. Vedras¡¯s people were nowhere to be found.

    A girl¡¯s voice rose above the chaos.

    ¡°Mister Clarke!¡±

    I turned around to find Belya Nara dashing at me. The girl was wearing a black-and-white travel dress¡ªthe colors of the Osgirian dukedom. On her shoulder hung a purse decorated with tiny multicolored beads that stood out against the sober dress.

    ¡°Lady Nara,¡± I greeted her.

    She stopped short and made a curtsy, seemingly remembering the formality requirements.

    ¡°Is Firana back home?¡± Belya asked.

    ¡°Yes, she is,¡± I replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if I meet her? I want to say goodbye.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t see any problem if Lord Nara¡ª¡±

    Before I could finish the sentence, she put a green geode in my hand ¡®as a gift¡¯ and darted through the entrance. A moment later, a group of servants with the Nara crest embroidered on their chest entered the vestibule, searching for something. Or someone.

    ¡°Shall we continue?¡± the aide asked.

    I put the geode in my pocket, appreciating that Belya was in a rush. We resumed the way. Only a month had passed since my last visit to the Great Hall, but everyone reacted to me like I was someone completely different. The courtiers moved away like I was some eminence from a faraway country, and even Lord Tirno gave me a slight bow when I passed by his side. Despite being only a baronet of a small fief, Tirno was nobility, and I was nothing more than a somewhat famous commoner.

    ¡®And a Prestige Class,¡¯ I reminded myself.

    The aide guided me up the staircase into the audience room. The massive oak doors were shut, and a detachment of honor guards guarded the corridor. I was going to tell the aide to ask for Captain Kiln, as she would probably get me inside without problems, but the guards moved to the side as we reached the top of the staircase.

    The doors opened. The Marquis sat on the throne, overseeing a small afternoon gathering with the remaining nobles. Lord Nara stood by the tall windows with the Osgirian troup¨¦. Lord Herran and a small army of his redhead progeny occupied the center of the room. Prince Adrien spoke to his advisors while young noble women fluttered around the group, trying to get his attention. There was a table with food and drinks, but the occasion could barely be called a party. The atmosphere in the room was tense, as if they had been arguing a minute before my arrival.

    Captain Kiln was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°Announcing, Master Robert Clarke, Headmaster of the Rosebud Fencing Academy!¡± the aide said.

    Suddenly, I was the center of attention. I bowed if only to maintain the appearance. I entered the audience hall and walked directly to the throne. The Marquis tensed, knowing I was aware of his dealings with the Osgirians. He shifted on the throne, trying to determine my intentions. Other than my word, I had no proof of any wrongdoing. The documents from Kellaren¡¯s safe were in Janus¡¯ possession the last time I saw them. Getting a hand on them would be great to keep the Marquis under control, but that could wait. The kids came first.

    I stopped by the staircase under the throne.

    ¡°What business do you have here?¡± The Marquis asked between his teeth.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to inquire about our agreement,¡± I said, not loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

    The Marquis grunted.

    ¡°Your kids are exempt from conscription, as promised. Now get out of my sight; your presence isn¡¯t required in the Great Hall anymore,¡± he said, dismissing me with a disdainful hand movement.

    The Marquis¡¯ guards and the low-level nobles shifted uncomfortably. I didn¡¯t want more problems, so I ignored the condescending treatment and bowed goodbye. However, I couldn¡¯t ignore the Marquis¡¯ hateful eyes. Regardless of my Class, he was still the lord of Farcrest and had power over Elincia and the kids. A shiver ran down my spine as [Foresight] resurfaced an old memory.

    But remember, Robert Clarke. Serve me well, and I¡¯ll give you everything you need. Betray my city, and I¡®ll take everything you love.

    The doors burst open, and Captain Kiln stormed into the room, followed by a retinue of guardsmen. It took me a moment to realize the guards wanted to stop her but didn¡¯t dare touch her. Captain Kiln was fuming, and her expression was that of stone. She stopped before the throne and threw a piece of parchment to the Marquis¡¯ feet.

    ¡°What does that mean, Tauron?¡±

    The Marquis signaled an aide to pick up the parchment.

    ¡°Izabeka Kiln, your services as Captain of Farcrest¡¯s Guard are no longer required. You are relieved of your duty. Marquis Tauron of Farcrest,¡± the aide read out loud.

    The floor seemed to plummet under my feet. Without Captain Kiln among Farcrest''s higher ranks, the position of the orphanage was weakening. I hoped she would be a counterweight to the Marquis¡¯ anger until I could think about something to remedy the situation, but I didn¡¯t foresee this outcome.

    ¡°I can¡¯t have a cripple as the captain of the guard, cousin,¡± the Marquis said. ¡°I want to make this clear. You will either accept my judgment or be banished from my city.¡±

    I glanced at Captain Kiln. We had little power without the documents tying the Marquis to the Osgirians. Our words alone would only dent his credibility and complicate our situation. Izabeka Kiln was still a thane, even without his title of captain, but I didn¡¯t have the same political protection, and neither did the kids.

    The Marquis smiled with satisfaction.

    Izabeka was going to raise absolute hell, but I stopped her. I saw a way out.

    ¡°Can you announce the result of the tournament,  My Lord?¡± I asked.

    The Marquis was puzzled.

    ¡°Monsters attacked before the finals could be completed. The tournament ends in no contest,¡± the Marquis said.

    I held my breath.

    Prince Adrien emerged from his retinue.

    ¡°The Aias kid scored a single point against Cadet Mihli. Firana used her wind magic to bring her down, and then she shattered her barrier.¡± Prince Adrien¡¯s voice filled the audience room. ¡°If anything, the combat ended twenty to nineteen in favor of the Rosebud Fencing Academy. And, if I recall correctly, the winner would be determined by the number of barriers available by the end of the match, and we can safely say that the match is way over. Congratulations, Tauron. I¡¯d say this is a victory for Team Farcrest!¡±

    The room burst into applause.

    The Marquis was livid.

    ¡°I¡¯m not turning that Scholar into a noble,¡± he mumbled, his voice drowned out by the chatter filling the room.

    Only those who were close to the throne were able to hear.

    Izabeka took a step up the stairs. The guards froze.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t, I will ensure everyone knows, from the Gray Mountains to the Azure River, that you swore over the city and broke your promise,¡± Izabeka whispered. ¡°Do you think my fame will suddenly disappear because I¡¯m not the captain anymore, cousin? I will make governing hell for you. Who would stop me? The Guard? The men and women I¡¯ve been training for a lifetime? Unlike Rob, I don¡¯t have a husband or children you can threaten.¡±

    I put my hand on Izabeka¡¯s shoulder and summoned my Character Sheet¡ªsans the Runeweaving stuff¡ªfor the Marquis to see. He was surprised. It was not every day a new Prestige Class was born.

    ¡°We can be friends or enemies. It¡¯s your call, Lord Tauron,¡± I said while the other nobles ignored us and cheered the tournament results.

    The Marquis leaned back, examining his position. I was a Prestige Class, a one-man army that every noble in the kingdom would want to have among their ranks. I looked over my shoulder and briefly met Prince Adrien¡¯s eyes. He gave me a subtle, almost imperceptible nod.

    The Marquis rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. In the end, he was more pragmatic than arrogant.

    ¡°I have an announcement to make,¡± he said half-heartedly, and the room fell silent. ¡°For his contributions to the city, I name you, Robert Clarke, the ninety-eighth Thane of Farcrest. My aides will complete the proceedings at a later date.¡±

    The lack of ceremony for the announcement caught everyone off-guard. People clapped, but everyone understood the Marquis wasn¡¯t pleased with the announcement. I accepted it with a deep bow. Maybe his contempt was a blessing in disguise. I didn¡¯t want to participate actively in court intrigue anymore.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you forget something, cousin? Thane is a landed title,¡± Izabeka grinned.

    I surely would love to own land.

    A fiendish grin appeared on the Marquis¡¯ face.

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess it¡¯s been a while since a thane stepped foot in Whiteleaf Manor.¡±

 191 - Landlord

    Chapter 191

    Whiteleaf Manor was three hours by foot from Farcrest. The old cobbled road turned east through a path between steep hills into the Farlands, went low into the valley, and climbed the western hill into the hamlet¡¯s main building. The ruined manor, now overgrown by weeds and bramble, was located on the slope of the hill, dominating the small valley. Hidden among the wild plants were twelve oaks with white leaves.

    The Marquis had given me a plot of land in the middle of the Farlands with no workers to develop the land or soldiers to protect the valley. I grinned. Of course, the Marquis believed he was getting back at me. He didn¡¯t know Whiteleaf Manor was the perfect place to study Runeweaving.

    I had grand plans for the place.

    Risha pulled out a machete and started cutting the army of brambles that had invaded the cobbled path, and some sections had been destroyed by Warden¡¯s roots. He was making good progress, but it would take a while.

    I channeled my flying mana blade and mowed down the path.

    ¡°Showoff.¡± He grinned.

    After a few minutes, we reached our destination.

    My blades opened the path up to the manor''s facade, or what was left. Nature had regained its dominion. The windows were gone, and the masonry was cracked and ruined. There was so much greenery it would have been difficult to spot from a distance. Whiteleaf Manor must¡¯ve been built at the same time as the orphanage because they shared a similar style: two wings in a U-shape encompassing a spacious backyard.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the story of my new crib?¡± I asked as my mana blade mowed the front yard. I would not have hated doing the gardening as a teenager if I had access to a mana blade.

    Izabeka gave me a confused look.

    ¡°Two hundred people used to live here before the Forest Warden¡¯s Monster Surge,¡± she said. ¡°That was thirty years ago. The Warden¡¯s Roots overran this place, so the old Marquis surrendered it. Farcrest was much smaller back then, and we didn¡¯t have the manpower to clear them.¡±

    I nodded. The roots of the Forest Warden were as hard as steel, and they were impossible to deal with without skills.

    ¡°You fought the Forest Warden in this valley,¡± I said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to brag, but I did it on my own, unlike a certain Scholar who needed a whole squad of helpers,¡± Izabeka replied.

    Thirty years ago, the Forest Warden¡¯s Monster Surge didn¡¯t produce a Warden¡¯s Tree or a Warden¡¯s true body. Still, Izabeka had fought an army of Saplings, Gloomstalkers, and living vines to make her way into the center of the root system and destroy the Warden¡¯s Seed.

    ¡°I think we should rest a moment,¡± Lyra Jorn said, panting from the effort.

    As much as I insisted that this was a dangerous trip, Lyra couldn¡¯t overlook the chance of recovering books from a library sealed thirty years ago¡ªif any had survived the elements.

    We reached the building''s facade. I tested the keys, but the lock crumbled into orange dust. We pushed open the old wooden doors to reveal a huge vestibule with six lateral doors and a double staircase on the opposite side. The building was bigger than the orphanage. It smelled like rotten plant matter.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check if any monster decided to make the manor its lair,¡± I said.

    We cleared the floor together. There were signs of animals using the manor as a hideout, but nothing bigger than a fox. A family of owls didn¡¯t seem particularly happy with our presence. That was infinitely better than monstrous spiders.

    Since the end of Lich¡¯s Monster Surge, monsters were slowly returning to the valleys, so this was our best chance to create a defensive perimeter. The Marquis employed two hundred and fifty Sentinels to keep a buffer area between the city and the inner Farlands. Lyra Jorn estimated we would need at least seventy trained soldiers to keep an eye on the two paths that connected Whiteleaf Manor to the inner Farlands.

    The Marquis didn¡¯t know I had way more available forces.

    I looked at the sky through a hole in the ceiling. It was almost noon.

    The reinforcements would be here soon.

    Lyra Jorn examined the old map Abei had provided us.

    ¡°There should be a river down the road and an iron mine on the slope of the eastern mountain. Near the northern pass, there should be a peat deposit in the lowlands¡­ and if I¡¯m interpreting this smudge of ink correctly, there is also a coal mine around there,¡± Lyra said, her brow frowning as much as possible. ¡°If you can get this place up and running, it has great potential.¡±

    It was no secret why the Marquis hadn¡¯t re-developed this land. The initial investment cost in clearing the Warden¡¯s Roots and setting up a secure perimeter was enormous. Having an extra seventy Sentinels on the payroll plus all the combatants needed to clear the old Warden¡¯s Roots would clash against the Marquis¡¯ attempts to turn the city into a trade hub. The Marquis was more interested in developing the infrastructure and the area¡¯s stability to allow a healthy flow of goods than regaining farmland and a few mines.

    ¡°This will also be a good place to test our prototypes,¡± Lyra added with a mischievous grin.

    Lyra Jorn was set on turning Whiteleaf Manor into the most technologically advanced settlement in the kingdom. Her intentions weren''t totally pure, though. During our welcome party, after one and a half glasses of cider, she revealed that her ambitions weren¡¯t only aimed at helping the Jorn settlements in the north, but also to spite the Scholars of the Imperial Library.

    ¡°What do you think, Risha?¡± Lyra said, showing Risha the map.

    The half-orc leaned over the girl¡¯s shoulder. The difference in size was comical.

    ¡°It looks like a smudge, but that clearly says coal,¡± Risha said.

    In the month I had been out in the Farlands, Lyra had integrated into the orphanage without much trouble. Despite the difference in social class, Mister Lowell had prepared his students to rub shoulders with the nobility. Not only did Risha know how to read and write, but he also had a handle on sciences, art, and economics. In a sense, Mister Lowell had been a lot more ambitious than Elincia and me.

    To the kid¡¯s dismay, we expanded the orphanage¡¯s syllabus. The children now had three lessons in the morning and practical training in the afternoons. The morning lessons usually covered arithmetic, history, natural sciences, and crafts. Ginz quickly became the kids¡¯ favorite ¡®morning teacher¡¯ because his class was the least boring. In the afternoons, they learned fencing, riding, and survival techniques.

    We didn¡¯t have enough money to buy a horse, but Lyra Jorn had convinced her father to leave her one of their mountain horses. Lord Jorn couldn¡¯t say no to his daughter. The horse had a gentle temperament and was great with kids as long as Loki remained inside the manor.

    Lyra had accepted the fact we kept a Changeling as a pet surprisingly fast. Astrid, on the other hand, was still unnerved by the creature. It didn¡¯t help that Loki, from time to time, adopted the appearance of Astrid¡¯s younger self.

    Once cleared, we exited the manor, and Risha lit a fire to prepare lunch.

    ¡°I was the best cook back in the army,¡± Risha said. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what I can achieve with two stones and a bit of barley.¡±

    Lyra Jorn looked at the pot worriedly, but Risha didn¡¯t use rocks or barley. Prince Adrien had given us a few hundred gold pieces to keep the orphanage going for a year. His advisors almost had an aneurysm pulling so much gold from the coffers, but we were set regarding our food supply for the foreseeable future.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Risha pulled salted meat, orcish rice, spices, and fresh vegetables and prepared an exquisite stew. He might very well be the best cook in the army.

    After lunch, Izabeka and Lyra entered the manor to scavenge for books and valuables.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to do some gardening,¡± I said, rubbing my hands.

    Risha gave me a curious look.

    ¡°When you reach a certain age, gardening becomes a pleasure,¡± I pointed out.

    Using [Mana Mastery] was like stretching my legs after a day in front of the desk. I channeled a two-meter-long mana blade and made it spin like a lawnmower. Careful not to damage the White Oaks, I cut down the weeds and bramble surrounding the manor. Risha looked from the side, examining an old outline of the manor¡¯s grounds and warning me to avoid cutting important landmarks. We uncovered an old well, the barn''s foundations, the stables, and what was left of the mill. We also found a spacious cellar, a bakehouse, and a brewery. After thirty years, there were few usable remains besides the well and the foundations.

    After an hour, the manor grounds were mostly cleared. Using a bit of [Aerokinesis] and [Mana Mastery], I gathered the plant material in big piles, and the place started to look better.

    ¡°A Prestige Class doing lawn work? Now I¡¯ve seen everything,¡± Lyra Jorn said.

    Risha and Izabeka laughed.

    I cleared the path down the hill into the old hamlet and used my [Geokinesis] to patch the cobbled road. The original builders had done a great job, as the path remained almost intact. The hamlet, not so much. Besides the stone mill by the riverside, no building had survived the Warden¡¯s Monster Surge. The root system had destroyed even the roads.

    Even thirty years later, the roots remained solid as steel.

    My blades crackled with mana as I went down to business.

    Behind me, over a slope, Lyra examined her map and guided me through the areas that needed to be cleared first. I don¡¯t know what kind of education she had forced herself to go through, but she had formulated an urbanization plan to maximize efficiency in record time.

    First, I cleared a square of twenty meters on each side of an old well and flattened the terrain. That would be the only landmark of the old hamlet we would reuse. The residential buildings would go on the western side, closer to the river and the manor. There would be a new path that connected the hamlet directly to the main road, skipping the manor altogether. The farmlands would be down the east to take advantage of the soft slope to improve irrigation.

    I worked all afternoon under Lyra¡¯s watchful eye. Izabeka gathered the pieces of the Warden¡¯s Roots on the center square. When I tried to cut a thick root into a plank, the root shattered and crumbled like sandstone. I hoped Ginz would find a use for them, because otherwise it would be hard to discard them. Meanwhile, Risha chopped firewood from the dead trees I cut down.

    We cleared a livable area in a few hours. Who would¡¯ve thought that three high-level warriors made an excellent gardening team?

    When the sun was about to set, a small sparrow made out of blue mana landed on my head.

    ¡°Our guests are here,¡± I announced.

    Half an hour later, Wolf and Ilya appeared from the recently cleared road, followed by a retinue of almost a hundred orcs. Wolf seemed glad to see us, but the gnome girl had dark circles around her eyes and a pissed-off expression.

    ¡°Are these the volunteers?¡± I asked.

    Wolf nodded.

    ¡°The first wave. I have two hundred more in wait. Many others will follow when they see what we are doing.¡±

    After the Umolo incident, most of the Teal Moon orcs decided to stick to their old semi-nomadic lifestyle traditions. The orcs from the free tribes didn¡¯t show such reluctance, as their traditions differed. Some tribes were so small and controlled such tiny territories that they lacked the resources to maintain several mobile outposts.

    Lyra Jorn guided the orcs into the residential area and instructed them to set up the tents. Her [Insufferable] title started to show, but I understood her. Lyra Jorn might be a self-made genius. She pushed herself to perfection more than anyone else, hence the unflattering title.

    ¡°How are things going with the tribe?¡± I asked, leaving Lyra to fend on her own.

    Wolf shrugged.

    ¡°Smooth. I appointed two more chieftains to manage the newcomers. Five is our lucky number, so the elders are happy.¡± He sighed. ¡°Chieftain Dassyra and Chieftain Oro are doing most of the work. After Umolo, they are open to change, so they accept whatever I tell them, but I don¡¯t know how long it will be until their goodwill runs out.¡±

    Ilya rolled her eyes.

    ¡°He¡¯s being dramatic,¡± she said. ¡°Kara has been helping arrange more marriages. Wolf is getting rid of Callaid¡¯s men in exchange for farmers and laborers. These hundred greenskins? All of them Wolf¡¯s people now. Everyone wants to be under the Warchief¡¯s command.¡±

    Exchanging soldiers for farmers was a dangerous move. Each Chieftain had as many warriors as they had laborers in their ranks. One of the most important pillars of orc society was the balance between the Warchief and the Chieftains.

    ¡°Do you want to stop being Warchief?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They won¡¯t let me,¡± Wolf replied. ¡°The Monster Surges are becoming more frequent, so we are their only path to survival.¡±

    Ilya rolled her eyes yet again.

    ¡°Wolf is being a drama queen. The orcs love him. Wolf could force them to change the teal moon to a flashy pink chicken, and they would cackle happily.¡±

    Wolf massaged his temples, embarrassed.

    ¡°We should bring another hundred orcs as soon as possible,¡± Ilya said. ¡°With so many marriages, everyone is making babies. You don¡¯t know how hard it is to sleep in the Teal Moon camp at night. In nine months, this place will be overrun with little green snots.¡±

    Wolf didn¡¯t seem especially happy with the tribe growing so fast.

    ¡°I will go help Lyra,¡± Wolf said, ending the conversation.

    The orcs weren¡¯t happy with Lyra telling them how to install the tents.

    ¡°That was interesting,¡± Ilya said as soon as Wolf was out of earshot. ¡°He acted all high and mighty while we dealt with the orcs. It was only when you appeared that Wolf showed his doubts. He trusts you.¡±

    I felt flattered.

    ¡°What about you? Have you thought about what you want to do going forward?¡± I asked.

    Ilya crossed her arms, pensive.

    ¡°I was thinking of applying to the Sentinels,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m a bit below the required level, but Captain Kiln¡­ Lady Izabeka promised to put a good word for me with Lord Alton. She says I¡¯m on the same footing as recruits, and my skills are extremely useful for the job.¡±

    Joining the Sentinels wasn¡¯t a bad option. It was an honorable endeavor, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel very proud of Ilya¡¯s decision.

    ¡°If you need time to decide¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fifteen. I don¡¯t want to be a burden for the orphanage.¡±

    I raised my hands in surrender.

    ¡°You¡¯re the opposite of a burden, but if that¡¯s what you want to do, go for it. Lord Alton would be lucky to have you in his lines.¡±

    Ilya was pleased with my words.

    ¡°I will think about it,¡± she said with a mischievous smile. ¡°I heard you need hands around the orphanage. Word is the Governess and the Caretaker will be very busy going on dates and picnics from now on.¡±

    I was about to open my mouth, but Lyra called my name. Another plot of land needed to be cleared before the end of the day. Sighing, I channeled my mana blade and started cutting the roots. Neither my noble title nor my Prestige Class could save me from work. Still, I smiled. Life was good.

    Ilya called my name.

    ¡°If you want to take my older sister on a date, you have my permission!¡±

    * * * *

    With the first light of the day, we returned to Farcrest. Making Whiteleaf Manor habitable was an entertaining project, but awakening by Elincia¡¯s side was even better. The orphanage was busy with the influx of new orphans, but for the first time in years, the orphanage had enough hands to deal with everything.

    I couldn¡¯t erase the smile from my face.

    As soon as I arrived at the orphanage, I was taking Elincia on a date.

    The guardsmen greeted us when we crossed the city gates. We were a picturesque bunch¡ªa noble-born lady, the ex-captain of the Guard, a high-level army veteran, the Teal Moon Warchief, a Prestige Class, and a gnome. Nobody questioned our presence in the city.

    When we reached the orphanage, we found Corin sitting at the entrance.

    ¡°I got a message for you, Mister Clarke. Urgent mail,¡± she said, pulling a fat envelope from her bag.

    I looked at the envelope with curiosity. Lately, I¡¯ve been getting a lot of mail¡ªinvitations for dinner and tax-related matters¡ªbut nothing as bulky as that.

    I noticed the royal crest.

    I wasn¡¯t expecting a message from Prince Adrien.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing serious,¡± I said, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. Royal envelopes weren¡¯t a thing I could just ignore, like the pleas of other low-level nobles wanting to have brunch with me. I had little desire to deal with more intrigue.

    Elincia was in the kitchen, stirring a pot of fruit for preserves. Over her green dress, she wore a beige apron stained with fruit juice. She wore a high ponytail, and her brow was covered in sweat. Despite the open window, the kitchen was very hot.

    She instantly detected my worried expression.

    ¡°What happened, my love?¡±

    I showed her the envelope.

    ¡°Open it.¡±

    I summoned a mana dagger and broke the seal. Inside were four smaller envelopes with the same royal seal and a short letter addressed to me. I grabbed the letter.

    Mud to Iron, Robert Clarke. Mud to Iron.

    -Prince Adrien.

    The four letters were addressed to Zaon, Ilya, Wolf, and Firana.

    Elincia dropped the ladle and took off her apron.

    ¡°No way¡­¡± she muttered, squeezing my arm.

    Ilya grabbed her letter and opened it with shaky hands.

    ¡°What in the everloving System?¡± Ilya muttered as her eyes darted through the lines. ¡°I-It says I¡¯m an Imperial Cadet now.¡±

 192 - Gift

    Chapter 192

    The letter slipped through Ilya¡¯s fingers. Her hands trembled, and she had to take a deep breath to remain calm. I could almost hear her heart hammering against her chest.

    ¡°There must be a mistake. I¡¯m not Imperial Cadet material,¡± she muttered.

    I grabbed the letter from the kitchen floor.

    By the command of His Imperial Heir, Prince Andrew, Duke of Abria.

    To Ilya of Farcrest.

    With the Imperial Council''s approval and recognition of your remarkable performance during the Stephaniss Cup, it is our privilege to extend an official invitation to join the preliminary Cadets selection course at the Imperial Knights Academy.

    Beware. The preliminary Cadets selection course is intentionally designed to test each recruit''s limits. Failing to meet the Academy¡¯s standards will result in immediate termination. No lenience will be granted regardless of the candidate''s background. Only half of the recruits are expected to complete the first semester, but those who approve the preliminary evaluations will be accepted into the three-year Cadet course.

    Your admission comes with the following provisions:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Accommodations at the cadet¡¯s barracks. Lodging outside the Imperial Academy is strictly forbidden for cadets in the first and second years.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Access to the Academy¡¯s training facilities, including the Academy¡¯s armory, Imperial Library, and Combat Arenas.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Sanctioned uniform and amenities. Servants and retinues are forbidden from the Academy¡¯s grounds.</li>

    </ul>

    You are to report to the Imperial Academy gates no later than the third month of the third quarter, bearing this letter as proof of invitation. Failure to appear will forfeit your place in the course.

    May the light of the System guide your decision.

    Yours in service,

    Sir Gwan Astur.

    Grandmaster of the Imperial Academy.

    Elincia caught Ilya in her arms and lifted her off the ground. The girl tried to fight her off, but twenty levels on her Hunter Class weren¡¯t enough to counter Elincia¡¯s love.

    ¡°What do you mean you aren¡¯t Imperial Cadet material? You beat Vigdis Herran fair and square!¡± Elincia snuggled her with tears of happiness in her eyes.

    ¡°Okay! I was wrong! Now let me go, Elincia. Put me down!¡± Ilya grunted, pushing back with her hands.

    Becoming an Imperial Cadet was something regular orphans wouldn¡¯t even dare dream about, yet the letter in my hands said the opposite. I let the girls have their minute and focus on the letter.

    The emphasis on the program''s failure rate didn¡¯t go unnoticed. If half of the cadets don¡¯t pass the first semester, only a fraction will graduate by the end of the three-year program. It wasn¡¯t hard to read between the lines. They were looking for a very specific profile of a person, which wasn¡¯t strange for military high positions, but I knew the secret of the Imperial Academy. They were looking for a warrior who could win in any situation¡ªregardless of the Class, levels, or skills¡ªthrough wits and preparation alone.

    Zaon stopped at the doorway, confused by the scene.

    ¡°Why is Miss Elincia hugging Ilya?¡± He asked.

    I handed him his letter, doing my best to hide my smile.

    ¡°Congratulations, Zaon.¡±

    The boy opened the letter, and his eyes darted through the lines.

    ¡°This has to be a mistake,¡± he muttered.

    The same reaction as Ilya. I grinned and squeezed his shoulder. I noticed he had gained muscle since we left Farcrest a month ago.

    ¡°It is no mistake. Your name is up there,¡± I said, pointing to the letter¡¯s opening.

    The commotion naturally attracted the little ones, and a moment later, everyone at the orphanage knew about the good news. Firana spun around the kitchen, almost putting out the fire on the stove. Wolf¡¯s reaction was more sober, but still, he couldn¡¯t stop smiling.

    I felt like I was walking in a dream.

    Astrid was crying in the corner while Zaon tried to calm her down. Risha lifted Ilya over his head as the girl accepted her fate. The little ones didn¡¯t seem to understand what was happening but still cheered while Firana used [Aerokinesis] to throw them one by one near the ceiling.

    After a while, things calmed down, and everyone looked at me as if they were expecting me to give a speech. My tongue got stuck, and I couldn¡¯t find the right words. I just asked a question nobody had thought of asking yet.

    ¡°So¡­ do you want to take the challenge?¡±

    The kids looked at me and nodded in unison.

    ¡°Damn right,¡± Firana said. ¡°We are taking the Imperial Academy by storm.¡±

    Elincia¡¯s expression suddenly changed. There were only three weeks until the start of the Cadet¡¯s selection course. We were already in the second month of the third quarter, and the trip to the royal capital took two weeks, which left us a bit more than a week to get everything ready.

    ¡°We need to go shopping,¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°For the party?¡± Shu asked.

    Nobody had said anything about a party.

    ¡°A party sounds very good,¡± I replied.

    ***

    As we walked through the market, my mind wandered.

    A week had passed since the fight against the Lich and my encounter with the talkative Fountain, but the System Avatar still hadn¡¯t contacted me. I had tried to contact him by touching the Shrine Fragment at Abei¡¯s chambers to no avail.

    After killing the Lich and destroying the local source of Corruption, I thought the System Avatar would recover part of his authority over the System. Maybe he did, and he was just avoiding me. I decided to believe the latter.

    With the Lich¡¯s Corruption out of the way, we had likely returned to the original schedule: I had a decade to master runeweaving. After my Class promotion, the amount of magic I could control also increased, so I had a good feeling I was on the right track to master the System¡¯s superior runes.

    There was still an issue I had to deal with before devoting myself to runeweaving.

    ¡°Do you think this is enough?¡± Elincia said, vaguely pointing at our shopping cart.

    ¡°They are going to the Imperial Academy, Eli, not war. The Imperial Academy will provide everything they need to survive,¡± I reminded her.

    Behind us, Virdian and Ash pulled a small handcart stacked with our shopping bags. Nokti and Shu happily rode on top of the cart. For years, going shopping was a rarity at the orphanage, so leaving the little ones behind today was impossible. At least they were behaving extra well.

    ¡°We should buy them better clothes. I don¡¯t want nobles to harass them,¡± Elincia said.

    We had spent good gold on well-crafted tunics, breeches, and traveling cloaks so the kids would be presentable on their arrival. Additionally, we had bought kilos of alchemy ingredients so the kids would travel with a stacked pouch of potions. Just in case.

    ¡°The Academy will provide them with uniforms. They will be dressed just as well as their noble counterparts, and they will have each other,¡± I pointed out.

    Elincia bit her nails.

    ¡°What if they are invited to a ball?¡±

    ¡°They are Imperial Cadets. They will be dressed as such,¡± I replied. ¡°Izabeka told me.¡±

    Elincia sighed.

    Across the market, white smoke came out of the forge¡¯s chimney. We approached. A short and burly man with a long brown beard manned the smithy. The swords we acquired during the tournament were serviceable but weren¡¯t at the level of the Imperial Academy. The kids needed something special.

    ¡°Master Clarke,¡± the man greeted me as I entered the shop and instantly dropped what he was doing. He seemed as glad as he was frightened by my presence. The mere fact that I commissioned his work gave his shop a lot of prestige, yet my powers were no different than a walking bomb. People outside the orphanage treated me as such.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The blacksmith pulled out a set of four longswords with ornate basket hilts that resembled a vine. At first, I wasn¡¯t sure about the design. All my life I have used longswords with simple straight crossguards, but after testing it, I realized it was just as comfortable. I examined the result. The work was marvelous¡ªpractical and beautiful in equal parts. I pulled out my coin pouch to pay, but the blacksmith stopped me.

    ¡°I can¡¯t accept payment, sir,¡± the man said.

    Since my promotion, vendors have been refusing to accept payment. Elincia explained that keeping a Prestige Class around during a Monster Surge was priceless, so merchants and nobles tried to ¡®convince them¡¯ in unofficial ways. Still, I didn¡¯t want to be indebted to anyone, so we devised a plan to deal with merchants: only one freebie per store.

    ¡°We accept your gift,¡± I said, grabbing one of the swords. Then, I put the rest of the payment over the counter and picked the remaining three.

    The blacksmith bowed and collected the money.

    A moment later, we were back in the streets.

    ¡°What else?¡± Elincia asked, examining our haul and preventing the little ones from playing with the swords.

    ¡°I¡¯d say we are done here,¡± I replied, placing a kiss on top of her head.

    The kids protested our expression of affection with their usual ¡®eww¡¯s and ¡®yuck¡¯s. Elincia ignored them and kissed me. We took a roundabout for the old market north of the main street, and I spent a few bronze coins on sweet pumpkin bread for the kids. Elincia munched her treat with a worried expression.

    ¡°The kids fought a Monster Surge not ten days ago,¡± I reminded her.

    ¡°Yes, but you were there. Now they will be on their own,¡± Elincia replied.

    ¡°Out of all fifteen-year-olds I¡¯ve met, these had to be the most trustworthy. And I have met a lot of fifteen-year-olds.¡±

    Elincia grumbled but accepted my words.

    We returned to the orphanage for lunch. Everyone was busy. Zaon and Ilya were sparring with Izabeka in the backyard while Corin watched. Astrid and Wolf were looking after the orphans near the farm plot. Risha was preparing the food. Ginz, Firana, and Lyra were nowhere to be found.

    We had just finished unloading the cart when Firana suddenly landed in the front yard with a glider strapped to her back. A moment later, Lyra and Ginz appeared through the door. I exchanged a confused expression with Elincia. I wasn¡¯t aware of any prototypes regarding flying machines.

    ¡°What did I say about kids jumping from the roof?¡± Elincia said.

    Lyra Jorn froze.

    ¡°Firana isn¡¯t technically a kid anymore?¡±

    Elincia looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I got the memo. Showing Lyra flying machines might have been a mistake. Firana, however, seemed to be having the time of her life. She ran across the backyard before Elincia could stop her and took off with a push from [Aerokinesis].

    Lyra cleared her throat.

    ¡°Such a machine should fix our connectivity problems in the Jorn Dukedom. We could cut the messenger¡¯s travel time by up to ninety percent with a few of those. I swear, this experiment is instrumental to my land¡¯s safety.¡±

    Elincia massaged her temples and entered the manor carrying the alchemical ingredients we had just bought.

    I followed her.

    ¡°I told you it was fine,¡± Ginz said as I passed by their side.

    Understandably, Elincia was stressed. She entered her room, sat on her desk, and kindled the alcohol burner. I snuck to her back and hugged her from behind.

    ¡°Don''t lecture me,¡± she said.

    ¡°I wasn''t going to do it,¡± I replied, kissing her neck.

    ¡°Stop it! The kids can see us through the window,¡± Elincia giggled.

    After messing with her for another minute, her mood seemed to improve. The best thing we could do was prepare everything and enjoy the last days with the older kids around.

    I let Elincia go and carried the longswords to my half of the desk.

    Quality Longsword. [Identify] Enchantment threshold: 1800.

    ¡°What should I enchant here?¡± I asked.

    I wanted to make something special for the kids as a ¡®graduation present¡¯.

    Elincia stopped cutting Dire Cress roots.

    ¡°Nothing flashy. Nothing elemental. Even with the royal money we got, enchanted weapons aren¡¯t technically affordable for us. People will ask questions, the word will spread, and I don¡¯t want criminal bands targeting the kids,¡± she replied.

    I nodded. Secrecy was still one of our best resources regarding my runeweaving skills. After inquiring with Izabeka, I learned that Enchanters weren¡¯t just a rare Class but essential members of a noble¡¯s retinue. There were less than a hundred Enchanters in the kingdom, and only a few could create something remotely similar to a Leechflame Sword. The news of an Enchanter providing orphans with flaming swords would undoubtedly spread like wildfire on the courts.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame. The sword¡¯s threshold is enough to put a full-power Vampiric-Fire-Reinforcement enchantment,¡± I said.

    Elincia threw the Dire Cress into a boiling glass vase and gave me a tired look.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you got the Runeweaver Class, and you still manage to complain. Just be grateful you don¡¯t have to spend weeks enchanting a simple reinforced sock like the rest of the Enchanters.¡±

    I grinned.

    The people from my world didn¡¯t just settle for anything. We always wanted more. Maybe that was the reason behind our success as a species. But I had no time for useless philosophical ramblings.

    ¡°I guess reliable things don¡¯t have to be complex,¡± I sighed in defeat.

    Elincia stopped smashing petals on the mortar and extended her hand across the desk. I grabbed it, and she let her mana flow through me. With any other person in the world, it would¡¯ve felt strange. Intrusive, even. I playfully tugged her mana, carefully not to give her Mana Exhaustion. Despite her forty levels as an Alchemist, my mana pool was orders of magnitude bigger.

    ¡°You are so silly sometimes.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°I like it,¡± Elincia said.

    ¡°You better,¡± I replied with my best offended tone.

    I was probably the only person on the continent troubled because I couldn¡¯t enchant an ¡®even more powerful¡¯ flaming sword. Elincia was right. Maybe the swords didn¡¯t need a flaming spell. The power wasn¡¯t in the blade but in the kid¡¯s hands.

    Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. That was Izabeka¡¯s knocking.

    ¡°Come in!¡±

    Just as I suspected, Izabeka entered the room with a sack on her shoulder. Without the stress of overseeing the City Guard, Izabeka had rejuvenated; she looked a decade younger.

    ¡°Good to find you two with your pants on. I got the things you asked for, Robbie,¡± she said, making Elincia blush like a beet.

    Izabeka drew an ornate dagger with an enormous ruby embedded in the gilded guard. The piece was more decorative than practical, but the edge was as good as new. Then, she pulled her sword and hit the dagger¡¯s edge. An explosion of white sparks blinded me for an instant. The dagger''s edge was still perfectly sharp, unlike the sword, which had a small dent.

    After our incursion in the Farlands, I knew how fast swords became dull.

    Elincia gave me a quizzical look, but I was too focused on the new enchanted items.

    ¡°This is perfect,¡± I said.

    ¡°Wait, I have two more,¡± Izabeka grinned.

    Elincia kicked my foot under the desk.

    ¡°Did you ask Izabeka to show you Farcrest¡¯s enchanted treasures?¡±

    ¡°Of course I did! I need to learn more runes,¡± I replied. Then, I turned to Izabeka. ¡°Did you ask the Marquis for permission? Nevermind. Don¡¯t answer. I don¡¯t want to know.¡±

    Elincia groaned to the sky and mumbled something about responsibility.

    Izabeka pulled out a sword. It wasn¡¯t as ornate as the dagger, but it was still a solid piece of craftsmanship. ¡°Ink it, baby.¡±

    I didn¡¯t think about it twice and smeared the blade with bright red [Magical Ink]. Then, swiftly, Izabeka cut the air, and the ink splattered on the floor. I examined the blade. Not a single speck of ink was left behind.

    I made the ink disappear before Elincia raised her arms due to the stained plank.

    ¡°That was smooth,¡± I said.

    ¡°Smooth? That was sexy as hell,¡± Izabeka replied before grabbing a shield from the sack. ¡°You are going to love this one.¡±

    Without further explanation, Izabeka threw the shield through the open window.

    Elincia stood up to watch but had to duck as the shield returned to Izabeka¡¯s hand at full speed. Elincia clung to her chair like a startled cat. A lock of hair fell over her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear,¡± Izabeka said, leaving the shield on the table. ¡°I¡¯m going to pour myself a cup. You have an hour before I return those to the Great Hall. Happy working, you two!¡±

    The petals had dried in the mortar, so Elincia discarded them and started all over again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get caught with half of Farcrest¡¯s armory in my bedroom, so you better hurry up,¡± Elincia sighed.

    I used [Rune Identification]. Most of the runes were already in my [Rune Encyclopedia]. All the usual suspects were there. User. Direction. Activation. I grinned when the new ones popped as System prompts.

    Attract. Effect Rune. Rank I. Affinities: Lodestone, Iron, Wax. Mana Threshold: 300.

    Repel. Effect Rune. Rank I. Affinities: Lodestone, Copper, Silver. Mana Threshold: 300.

    Edge. Effect Rune. Rank I. Affinities: Steel, Glass, Diamond. Mana Threshold: 500.

    ¡°Nothing flashy,¡± I reminded myself.

    I grabbed a bunch of my trusty pebbles, summoned the [Rune Debugger], and started enchanting. Everything around me faded to the background, safe for the occasional tug on my mana pool from Elincia. It was barely a distraction, considering our feet touched under the desk.

    After a few attempts, I discovered that Attract required Activation, User, and a Direction rune to work like in the enchanted shield. With pebbles, the direction it flew wasn¡¯t critical, but the direction of a flying sword was important. I didn¡¯t want the point flying to the kids¡¯ hands at full speed.

    Repel required a similar string for activation. Otherwise, it passively repelled anything that came near. The strength of the enchantment was minimal compared to Force or any of the elemental runes. I wondered if the Repel rune could be used to create a mechanical detection system. I made a mental note to check that idea with Lyra when she eventually discovered I was a Runeweaver.

    The Edge rune baffled me for a while. In practice, it had a similar effect to a strong Reinforce enchantment, but it only seemed to affect items designed to cut things. Compared to other runes, Edge was strangely specific. I had to remind myself that runes were a creation of the System Avatar. It was expected that some of them were general and others very particular.

    After an hour or two, I designed the final enchantment: A reinforced, edge-strengthened, self-cleaning, recall longsword. I would¡¯ve loved to have one during my combat with Janus when I lost my sword in the muddied water.

    I leaned back and stretched my back.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna enchant them?¡± Elincia asked through the fumes of her potions.

    It smelled spicy.

    ¡°I want to use the Bind rune, so I need their blood to enchant them. You know the saying. Even better than a sharp sword is a sword that can¡¯t be used against you,¡± I replied.

    Elincia rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you just made that up.¡±

    A significant part of being a teacher was making stuff up as lessons occurred.

    Suddenly, I had an idea.

    Summoning my mana, I channeled a small scalpel and engraved Firana¡¯s name on the blade. It was a small detail, almost invisible if one didn¡¯t focus, yet it seemed the right thing to do for a ¡®graduation¡¯ present. This wasn¡¯t just a graduation sword but Firana¡¯s graduation sword.

    ¡°What does that say?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°Firana, in cursive. Your man is just that old,¡± I replied, handing her the sword.

    Elincia smiled as she examined the inscription. Then, she moved her potions to the side and leaned on the table as long as she was. Our faces were very close.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but all these little things you do make me like you even more,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m a very detail-oriented person,¡± I whispered back.

    A happy tune reached the bedroom. I recognized Zaon¡¯s fiddle, although the movement of the bow sounded more confident than before.

    ¡°Would you like to come with me to the party, my lady?¡±

    ¡°That would be delightful,¡± Elincia replied, planting a kiss on my nose.

 193 - Cadria

    Chapter 193

    I was used to kids growing up. Graduations have been a yearly staple since my days as a teaching assistant. However, a part of me wanted the older kids to remain at the orphanage for a few more years. I didn¡¯t voice my feelings so as not to make the kids change their minds regarding the Imperial Academy¡ªFirana, more than anyone else, would want to accommodate my wishes¡ªbut Elincia quickly detected something was wrong with me.

    ¡°You did enough,¡± Elincia said, her head resting on my chest and her silvery hair spread out on the blanket. ¡°You put things in motion, and now it is up to them to finish the job. It¡¯s their lives, Rob. They have to live them.¡±

    The room was dark, and the orphanage was silent.

    Logically speaking, I agreed with Elincia, but these were my kids.

    ¡°You set them to be free, which is the greatest gift you can give a commoner. Nobody, person or monster, would dare mess with an Imperial Cadet. They will be free from the Marquis or any other noble trying to use them as pawns,¡± Elincia continued. I stroked her hair. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what Mister Lowell wanted from the very beginning. Raise a generation of commoners that could be at the same level as nobles.¡±

    I closed my eyes.

    ¡°They are so young,¡± I said.

    ¡°People grow fast if the circumstance requires it,¡± Elincia replied, smiling like she wasn¡¯t just talking about the kids. ¡°Let¡¯s get off the bed. It¡¯s almost morning.¡±

    As always, there were always a lot of things to do.

    I kissed the top of Elincia¡¯s head and dropped my feet to the cold floor. The new wooden bathtub was full, so I powered the enchanted metal plates near the bottom, and a moment later, the water steamed.

    Elincia had quickly changed her mind about her ¡®revitalizing¡¯ cold baths.

    I undressed behind the wooden screen and entered the tub. The water was perfect. My body relaxed, but my mind remained restless.

    With the kids going to the Imperial Academy, I had a new source of anxiety. What if any of them failed the selection course and were expelled early? Traveling to an unknown place with such little notice could dent the kid¡¯s performance, which could mean the difference between success and failure in such a competitive environment.

    ¡°Worrying in the tub is strictly forbidden,¡± Elincia said, peeking over the screen.

    ¡°Should we send Risha with them?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Close your eyes.¡±

    I heard Elincia¡¯s clothes rustle. She pushed me to the front and entered the tub behind me.

    ¡°Can I open them?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Elincia rubbed my back with a damp towel and shampooed my hair. The smell of chamomille and Moon Laurel filled the room.

    ¡°Are you sure the orcs didn¡¯t feed you Skeeth''s testicles or something like that?¡± Elincia asked, touching my shoulders.

    ¡°Contrary to popular belief, non-magical testicles don¡¯t improve your strength,¡± I replied.

    ¡°I will remove Skeeth''s testicles from the menu then,¡± Elincia giggled.

    Mister Lowell¡¯s old shirts, which once fitted me like a tent, now suited me perfectly.

    I had grown a couple of inches in the month I spent at the Farlands. I found no better explanation than the System conditioning the body to withstand the strength of a high-level combatant and not get injured by the slightest swing of the sword. I hadn¡¯t confided with anyone, but being able to lift Elincia from the ground with little effort had been a massive boost to my self-esteem.

    After consulting with Abei, I learned that despite the fact that Sage wasn¡¯t a physical Class, their strength and speed were comparable to those of basic martial combatants such as Brawlers or Warriors.

    Elincia rinsed my hair.

    ¡°The kids will do fine,¡± she said, resuming the conversation. ¡°I¡¯ve been the Governess for a decade, and I¡¯ve never been so sure of something. They have more discipline than many adults I know.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Elincia¡¯s optimism was contagious. The kids would do fine no matter what challenges they faced. Feeling better about the whole ordeal, I turned around and kissed her.

    ¡°Turning is forbidden!¡± Elincia said, planting her hand over my eyes.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to shampoo your hair?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure!¡± Elincia replied. ¡°We have to send the kids off today!¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t soak too much,¡± I laughed, grabbing a towel and exiting the tub.

    I got dressed in my usual simple clothes. As I walked down the corridor, the first rays of the sun appeared behind the mountains. The kitchen was deserted. I put firewood into the stove and summoned my [Pyrokinesis]. Magic seemed to break the laws of thermodynamics, but that was part of its charm.

    I prepared gruel with fresh fruit and honey. Using my [Mana Mastery], I summoned extra hands to cut the loaves of bread and spread butter over them. Then, I put them on the stove for the butter to melt. In the meantime, with a different set of mana hands, I broke two dozen eggs and scrambled them. I boiled milk and prepared herbal tea with Elincia¡¯s infusion.

    Slowly, the orphanage arrived at the kitchen. The new kids shyly sat near the corner while the old-timers walked around like the lords of the place¡ªmost of them, at least. Nokti and Shu pushed Virdian into the kitchen. As usual, the lizard kid was sleeping on his feet. Ash made sure none of the newcomers used the seats of the old-timers.

    I focused on preparing the food. The human mind wasn¡¯t designed to operate three sets of hands, but [Foresight] made it possible. I pushed my skill to the limit and summoned a fourth set of hands to set the plates. The kids laughed and giggled before the show of flying plates and forks.

    Most new kids were orphaned during the Lich¡¯s Monster Surge and needed something to cheer them up. I was in the middle of my mug-juggling routine when the ¡®super senior¡¯ kids¡ªAstrid, Risha, and Ginz¡ªentered the kitchen.

    ¡°Mister Lowell was a better juggler. He could juggle like eight mugs,¡± Astrid pointed out smugly, dodging my mana hands and sitting near the stove.

    ¡°I know what you are trying to do, Astrid. I¡¯m not falling for it,¡± I replied.

    I had already fallen one too many times for Astrid¡¯s taunts.

    The beastfolk woman gave me a childish grin and shrugged.

    I placed the plates on the table and served breakfast just as Elincia and the older kids entered the kitchen. Ilya rolled her eyes at my circus act. Dressed in their new clothes, they looked more like adults and less like the kids I¡¯d met upon my arrival in the city. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a hint of nostalgia, but I shook my head. Keeping the spirits high was part of a teacher¡¯s job.

    ¡°Wolf, Zaon, I didn¡¯t want to bring this up, but I think it¡¯s necessary,¡± I said as I walked between the tables, serving scrambled eggs. ¡°You are a pair of handsome lads, and ladies are going to be all over you in the capital, but please, focus on your studies.¡±

    Zaon choked on his milk, prompting the laughter of the little ones.

    ¡°Also, if you land a girl, you¡¯ll have to wait for Shu¡¯s approval before making it official,¡± I added. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Shu?¡±

    The little girl nodded.

    ¡°Loki has to like her too.¡±

    ¡°Loki!¡± Loki said in agreement.

    ¡°You heard it, Z. Only mistresses allowed,¡± Risha laughed from the other side of the kitchen.

    Zaon blushed.

    None of the girls seemed particularly happy about the prospect of Zaon getting hit on.

    Breakfast continued in relative peace. There can only be so much peace with more than two kids bouncing around. Still, it felt like the end of an era at Lowell¡¯s orphanage. A few months ago, we were eating watery soup, and now we were sending kids to the most prestigious organization in the country. I made sure to enjoy every moment.

    We were cleaning the dishes when the coachman¡ªa merchant friend of Nasiah¡ªcalled the door.

    It was time.

    The kids grabbed their backpacks¡ªcrafted by Ginz for the occasion¡ªand we walked them to the entrance. The ornate guard of their graduation longswords shone proudly under the morning sun. They looked like Imperial Cadets already.

    The coachman told us he would depart in five minutes, so goodbyes ensued. Astrid, Risha, and the little ones cried. Lyra and Ginz hid their emotions better, but I could tell they were moved from a mile away. Elincia ensured they had everything¡ªclothes, money, weapons, potions, toothbrushes, emergency money, invitations.

    For the next three years, they would be away from home.

    ¡°A last drop of wisdom, Mister Clarke?¡± Ilya asked. She was radiant.

    I had a thousand things to say, but we had no time.

    ¡°Trust the process. Even if you fall behind, the match doesn¡¯t finish until the bell rings,¡± I said.

    Firana approached, having said goodbye to everyone but me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± she said. ¡°What bell are we talking about?¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Wolf put a hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°It means not to give up until the very end.¡±

    Firana grinned, although her eyes were red and her nose runny.

    ¡°In that case, I will not give up even after the bell rings. Isn¡¯t that right, Zaon?¡±

    ¡°That might be illegal in many sports¡­ but yeah, I get the idea,¡± the boy corrected himself before summoning Firana¡¯s anger.

    The coachman signaled with a head movement he was ready to go.

    ¡°Write often¡ª¡± I said, but the kids interrupted me by pushing a group hug. They squeezed me well, even through my forty-something levels of strength. ¡°¡ªand take care of each other.¡±

    Elincia placed one last kiss on each of the kids'' foreheads, and they climbed the carriage. There was nothing more that hadn¡¯t been said. Elincia clutched to my arm. The horse hooves clattered as the carriage set in motion. The little ones chased them down the street, and we waved goodbye until the carriage disappeared around the corner.

    ¡ª

    The trip was uneventful, save for a few low-level monsters.

    The carriage took two weeks to reach the Imperial Capital. They climbed a hill, and suddenly it was there. Cadria. At first, the orphans thought it was a mountain whose top had been cut off, but then, as the carriage advanced down the hill, they realized it was their destination.

    Cadria¡¯s walls rose a hundred meters into the sky. Outside the walls, small clumps of houses were scattered around the valley, and a patchwork of crop fields, orchards, and grazing land extended as far as the eye could see. A river as bright as polished silver split the city in two. Hundreds of boats floated downstream, loaded with people and goods from the eastern and northern lands. Even more vessels floated towards the south, to the Osgirian and Herran dukedoms.

    ¡°A million people live in Cadria. Can you imagine it?¡± Firana said, leaning over the edge of the carriage.

    Zaon grabbed the hem of her shirt just in case gravity betrayed her.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way you know that,¡± Wolf pointed out.

    ¡°Believe it or not, I used to pay attention to Holst¡¯s lessons,¡± Firana replied, almost tipping over the edge.

    The road approached the capital from the northwest. Two statues guarded the gates, portraying men in long robes holding stone slabs¡ªfamous Scholars of the Imperial Library. A small line of carts and carriages awaited for the toll attendants to check their cargo. Most of the crates had the crest of the Vedras Dukedom and the Alchemist¡¯s Circle of Mariposa.

    ¡°Not much traffic. We are lucky. Most of the commerce from the Herran Dukedom arrives from the southern gate,¡± the coachman said.

    A mountain range separated the Herran Dukedom from the royal territories, so they had two options to send their metals to the capital: through the northern pass by Vedras territory, or through the south, which was a longer trip through Herran territory.

    The carriage traversed the paved road. Peasants tended to the fields on both sides of the road. Firana greeted each of them, earning herself more than a few confused looks along the way.

    ¡°Who are those people?¡± Ilya asked, pointing at a group of young men and women dressed in the same robes as the statues. The group was fighting against a bramble plant with hand-sized berries. Their attires weren¡¯t appropriate for the task. They were struggling.

    ¡°Imperial Library apprentices,¡± the coachman replied. ¡°Herbalists or Alchemists by the looks of their robe. If you meet people dressed in robes, check the hem of their sleeves. That would tell you who they are. Green for Alchemists and Herbalists. Red for Scribes, Scholars, and Diplomats. Blue for crafting Classes. Yellow for magical combatants. If you see stoles or shoulder guards, bow deep and stay out of the way until they are gone. Archivists are as powerful as Imperial Knights.¡±

    The kids nodded.

    The cart slowed down as it approached the wall and parked on the side. A toll attendant dressed in blue and gray approached. Two guards followed closely behind.

    ¡°Cargo manifest?¡± The attendant said with a nasal voice.

    The coachman pulled a folded letter with the Alchemist¡¯s Guild seal and handed it to the toll attendant. After reading the document three times at a snail¡¯s pace, the attendant examined it physically and magically. Everything was in place.

    ¡°Good. Everything looks in order. You must pay the customs fee before moving forward, and if the passengers are to spend the night in the city, they must pay the passage toll,¡± the attendant announced with an annoyed voice.

    The coachman handed the man a payment note from the Alchemist¡¯s Guild.

    Once again, the attendant examined the note. He clicked his tongue with displeasure.

    ¡°You are short by two pieces of silver. Fees for mercenaries are different from non-combatants, and I remind you, attempting to commit fraud is punished with incarceration,¡± the attendant said with a smug grin. ¡°Next time, if you want to avoid the fee, you should hide the swords. I will be merciful, though, for the right price.¡±

    The coachman waited until the attendant finished.

    ¡°Imperial Cadets are exempt from the combatant fee. We can call the Imperial Knight on gate duty if you want to confirm their invitations.¡±

    The attendant pulled back like the coachman had slapped him across the face.

    ¡°T-that won¡¯t be necessary. Everything is in order. You can go through the door.¡±

    Without another word, the coachman urged the horses forward, and the carriage passed through the gate. The walls weren¡¯t just tall but had a width of twenty or twenty-five meters at the base. Traversing them was like entering a cave.

    ¡°That was intense.¡± Zaon sighed in relief.

    ¡°If anyone asks you for money and threatens you with calling the guards, tell them to do it,¡± the coachman said. ¡°In the best case, you will avoid paying the bribe; in the worst, you will be a few copper poorer and have an annoyed guard breathing on your neck, but Imperial Cadets have a lot of leeway. You are a precious asset here.¡±

    The carriage emerged from the other side of the wall to a busy street. It was nothing like Farcrest. A labyrinthine market extended as far as they could see. Colors and aromas never sensed before assaulted the kid¡¯s senses. Crates towered like buildings. The call of merchants rose above the clattering of the horses. People moved through carts and carriages like a multicolor sea. Warehouses, workshops, taverns, and guilds walled the place.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m lost already,¡± Zaon pointed out.

    ¡°This is¡­ something,¡± Ilya replied.

    The coachman scared scalpers away as the carriage crossed the street to the branch office of Farcrest¡¯s Alchemist Guild. He quickly unloaded the cart and exchanged credit notes with the clerks before continuing to the city''s center.

    ¡°It¡¯s like cities within a city,¡± Zaon muttered as they crossed another walled section.

    This time, they had to show their invitation letters to be allowed forward.

    ¡°As a rule of thumb, the closer to the center of the city, the safer it is,¡± the coachman said as they crossed communal gardens. The earthy tunics were quickly replaced by flowy silk and gold embroidery. ¡°Try to avoid the margin districts until you have a good understanding of the city. It¡¯s easy to get lost inside.¡±

    Ilya snorted.

    ¡°If you get lost, just get away from the walls. Isn¡¯t that easy?¡±

    The coachman looked over his shoulder.

    ¡°What walls?¡±

    The kids raised their heads. The hundred-meter walls were nowhere to be found. Even when they emerged at the end of a street of tall buildings into another communal garden, the walls had seemingly disappeared.

    ¡°They turn visible only if you come near, but if you see them, turn around. You are already in a bad spot,¡± the coachman laughed.

    After an hour of slow advance, the carriage reached its destination.

    ¡°That is a city within the city,¡± Zaon said.

    The Imperial Academy rose like a colossus in the middle of the city. The kids couldn¡¯t decide if it was a castle, a manor, or a cathedral surrounded by groves, meadows, and ponds. Carriages and pedestrians climbed a ramp towards the main building: a white giant with an ornate facade and white marble towers scattered seemingly in disarray. In the center of the building, a bluish dome peeked out from between the towers.

    ¡°The blue egg is the ballroom,¡± the coachman said. ¡°That¡¯s where the important stuff happens.¡±

    ¡°A ballroom in a military training center?¡± Ilya asked.

    ¡°A ballroom to dance with swords, as they say,¡± the coachman replied. ¡°About what happens inside, I don¡¯t know very much. The Academy is very secretive with their affairs.¡±

    Finally, the carriage reached the courtyard and stopped. The kids grabbed their luggage and climbed down.

    ¡°This is as far as I can take you. I will be staying in town for three days. If you want to send a letter back home, find me at the Alchemist¡¯s Guild,¡± the coachman said, turning the carriage around. ¡°Good luck, Cadets. Make everyone back at Farcrest proud.¡±

    The carriage went down the ramp and merged into the traffic.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Ilya said, leading the way.

    A bored second-year cadet dressed in a black fencing uniform asked for their invitations and let them into the courtyard.

    ¡°Go to that building. You will be processed there,¡± the cadet said, pointing to a two-story building with white walls and blue roof tiles. Near the entrance were a group of young men and women dressed in robes with red hems¡ªScholars.

    Scattered around the courtyard, several noble families said goodbye to their sons and daughters. There were no commoners other than the four orphans. Ilya led the way to the white building under the attentive eyes of the nobles. They didn¡¯t recognize anyone from the tournament.

    ¡°Are you new Cadets?¡± a young Scholar with long brown hair and an ungainly complexion departed from his clique as the kids approached.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ilya replied.

    The Scholar smiled with an absentminded expression.

    ¡°This way,¡± he said. ¡°The Imperial Library is in charge of processing the new cadets. You know how military guys are. They leave all the boring work to us non-combatants.¡±

    The lanky Scholar guided them inside, rambling about work quotas and bureaucratic efficiency. The place was soberly decorated with paintings of dignified people none of the kids recognized. Very few people were inside, mostly Scribes and Scholars carrying parchment and scrolls from one room to the other.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he remind you of Mister Clarke when he first arrived at the orphanage?¡± Firana whispered.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Ilya whispered back. ¡°He¡¯s a bit gone.¡±

    ¡°And lanky,¡± Wolf interjected.

    ¡°Lanky and all, Mister Clarke beat you fair and square, Firana,¡± Zaon said.

    Firana looked over her shoulder and snuck out her tongue.

    The Scholar guided them upstairs, across a thick wooden door, and into an empty waiting room. He knocked on a door and snuck his head inside. After a short exchange, he turned around and signaled them to enter.

    ¡°Good luck to you, friends,¡± the Scholar gave them a goofy smile before he returned from where they had arrived.

    The room was spacious, with bookshelves covering the walls and a massive desk in the middle. A man in his fifties with his silver-streaked hair neatly combed back sat behind the desk. Unlike the other Scholars, the man carried an air of authority. The kids instantly knew he wasn¡¯t a mere non-combatant but a high-level one. The man wore a Scholar robe with heavy red stoles.

    The kids detected the stoles and saluted with a deep bow.

    ¡°Good afternoon, cadets. I am Samuel Byrne, Archivist of the Imperial Library, and I will guide you through the initiation ritual. Give me your invitation letters, and we shall start,¡± he said as an apprentice Scholar, a girl with huge round glasses, seemingly appeared out of nowhere to collect the letters.

    The Archivist examined the seals for a second before nodding in satisfaction. In the meantime, the apprentice approached with a small System Shrine Fragment and, in silence, verified the kid¡¯s identity. The old man wrote down a few lines on a massive book.

    ¡°As you might know, the Imperial Academy goes to great extents to guard its teaching methods,¡± he said. ¡°A Silence Hex will be applied to you, but worry not; other than talking to outsiders about our teaching methods, you should not have problems conducting a normal life. Please sign this document if you consent.¡±

    The apprentice distributed the contracts among the kids.

    ¡°It¡¯s not painful at all, just a bit uncomfortable if you try to push the matter,¡± the Archivist reassured them before suddenly asking, ¡°You know how to read, right?¡±

    The kids nodded.

    The document detailed the rules of the Silence Hex. If they weren¡¯t prepared for it, they wouldn¡¯t have traveled for two weeks across the kingdom. The assistant stood by their side with four golden needles.

    Ilya picked the first one and put a drop of blood on the page. Instantly, a bright light enveloped her. It only lasted a second, like when she gained a new skill. The System fiddled with her brain to set the new rule, and the sensation disappeared.

    Firana, Zaon, and Wolf followed.

    ¡°Congratulations. You are officially Imperial Cadets. I will have someone escort you to the barracks. The Quartermaster will tell you what class you are assigned into and everything else you need to know,¡± the Archivist said as he wrote something down on his ledger. ¡°I warn you, talent isn¡¯t enough to complete the cadet¡¯s program. Even the best isn¡¯t enough sometimes.¡±

    The kids bowed, and the assistant guided them outside.

    Firana stretched her back with a huge smile.

    ¡°Man, I can''t wait for it to start.¡±

    ¡°Let''s keep a low profile,¡± Ilya replied, although a satisfied smile was drawn on her face.

    ¡°Are you okay, Wolf? You seem rather pale,¡± Zaon said, putting his hand on Wolf¡¯s forehead. ¡°Are you sick?¡±

    Wolf gently pushed Zaon¡¯s hand aside.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s get settled and show them what the graduates of the Rosebud Fencing Academy are made of.¡±

 194 - The Cabin in the Woods

    A world away, lost among the Berkshires, was a small cabin with moss-covered shingles, a porch, a chimney, and a shed on the side. There was nothing outstanding about the cabin other than the fact such a simple house belonged to an old eccentric millionaire. The interior was as unremarkable as the outside, save for a minor detail. Hundreds of paper sheets written in an otherworldly language covered the dining room table.

    The writing belonged to the common language of the Kingdom of Ebros, and after a year of lessons with a quite attractive teacher, I could read it just as well as plain English. Fifty-eight sheets of parchment and cheap commercial paper were completely readable¡ªforty-two on the table and sixteen on the floor. Another sixty-seven were partially covered. A lot more were completely hidden in the piles of paper.

    I tried to move the first layer of paper, but my hand went through it like a ghost. The room around me was only a memory. The original place was a world away, where I wouldn¡¯t dare go for fear of losing my way back to Farcrest.

    Earth didn¡¯t feel like home anymore, even with all its decadent luxuries, such as streaming services and door delivery.

    I opened my eyes back at the orphanage. Stacks of paper laid before me, one for the notes written on parchment, another for the ones written on commercial paper, another for the incomplete records, and a last one with reconstructions¡ªa year¡¯s worth of work.

    I have learned three things. Byrne was brilliant. He worked with the Man in Yellow for a long time before pulling out. And he created the portal in the cabin¡¯s basement. I hadn¡¯t figured out how Byrne came to Ebros initially, but it was safe to assume all his subsequent travels between worlds had been the work of his own mind.

    I stretched my back. The bad news was that the part of Byrne¡¯s documentation that showed how to create a portal back to Earth was covered in a blanket of mostly non-sensical scribbling. I got glimpses of it, but not enough to form a solid theory, even with Lyra¡¯s investigation skills.

    Using [Mirage], I recreated the moment she realized I was a Runeweaver. I zoomed into her face¡ªpriceless. Then, the questions came. Then, the vindication. Lyra wrote the research that had cost her place at the Imperial Library. Verbatim. From the top of her head: Runeweaver Baram¡¯s historical artifacts and the inability to equate runeweaving techniques to Prestige-level enchanting.

    Lyra had flown too close to the truth.

    Ebros Scholars believed the Runeweaver Class was a natural progression from the Enchanter Class. Much like Scholars evolved into Sages or Tacticians depending on specific requirements, Enchanters evolved into Arcanists or Runeweavers. Lyra believed that Runeweaver wasn¡¯t the next step on the Enchanter evolution line, but an entirely new Class with a unique technique incompatible with Enchanter and Arcanist¡¯s enchanting.

    Lyra¡¯s discoveries must¡¯ve triggered a security subsystem tasked with keeping the System¡¯s true identity a secret. Zealots received the Quest and showed up at the Imperial Library, and the next day, Lyra was expelled. All things considered, things could¡¯ve gone a lot worse for Lyra. Astrid avoided the subject, but I knew she had killed people on System Quests.

    There was a silver lining in the whole issue, besides that Lyra was safe and happily living at the orphanage. Byrne¡¯s research gave me the tool I needed to inject my code into the System.

    Technically speaking, I wasn¡¯t modifying the System, but rather the runes inside my mana pool. Like regular coding, my mana pool was mainly constructed from classes and functions. I couldn¡¯t edit functions, which were probably coded in the Source Crystals, which I started calling the physical core of the System. However, I could edit the parameters and attributes of the local instances of certain classes.

    In practice, I could change the color of the System prompts and, more importantly, edit my skills. System Skills weren¡¯t anything more than a list of instructions. For instance, [Minor Geokinesis]¡¯s target had to be a mineral. How did the System exactly know what a mineral was? I couldn¡¯t tell. The System called some sort of detection function during the cast, but that was a black box on its own. However, I could get creative.

    I closed my eyes and dove into my mana pool.

    The runes and glyphs that seemed so alien before were an open book now¡ªfor the most part. I looked for my [Minor Geokinesis] and read through the variables until I found the cast target. Despite being a simple change, the hairs on the back of my neck prickled. A simple mistake, and I could set the target to myself and turn my own bones into pikes, just like those Belya Nara used to attack Firana during the tournament.

    I changed ¡®mineral¡¯ to ¡®wood¡¯ and opened my eyes.

    ¡°So far, so good,¡± I said.

    A sudden ping startled me. On the wall, a bluish-grey light turned on.

    Lyra Jorn required my presence. I looked at the enchanted pocket clock attached to my jacket. I was late for our meeting.

    I jumped to my feet, gathered all the documents in their respective binders, and put them into the enchanted safe. The whole room was thief-proof, but an extra layer of protection wouldn¡¯t hurt. Our biggest security asset wasn¡¯t the enchanted protections or the alarm systems but the fact nobody had a reason to be near the manor.

    I walked to the door, but before turning the knob, I had an idea.

    I channeled the modified [Minor Geokinesis] skill and aimed at the door. The wood seemingly turned into clay, creating a hole in the middle of the door. I stepped outside before restoring the wood to its original appearance. Other than a slight fracture line, there was no sign of the metamorphosis.

    ¡°Hard work pays off,¡± I muttered with a smile.

    The manor seemed deserted.

    I entered the western wing and crossed the ballroom into the old kitchen, where Ginz¡¯s workshop was located. The place hadn¡¯t changed much other than in size. Prototypes were scattered around the working benches, tools hung from the walls, and piles of raw materials were stored piled up to the ceiling on shelves and boards.

    ¡°Come on, magic man! We don¡¯t have all afternoon!¡± Ginz rushed me.

    I sighed. My Prestige Class and nobility title evoked little respect within the orphanage¡¯s grounds.

    ¡°We are indeed behind schedule,¡± Lyra added.

    ¡°You can¡¯t rush art,¡± I replied, rolling up my sleeves and examining Ginz¡¯s gadget. It looked like the pedal-powered washing machine, but its purpose was far more sinister.

    I closed the enchantment circuit a minute later, and the machine came to life. The gears turned, and the churning mechanism inside the canister stirred the mixture. Exhausted, I sat on the nearest chair. Ginz and Lyra were tireless when it came to enchanted gadgets. It didn¡¯t help that I had to deal with a hundred different affairs in Whiteleaf Manor on top of teaching classes.

    ¡°If this works, it would be a game changer,¡± Lyra said, her eyes fixed on the contraption.

    I wasn¡¯t so sure.

    My eyes wandered through the workshop as the machine worked. Ginz and Lyra had been creating prototypes at an astounding rate. I even questioned if either of them had slept for the past year. Half of the gadgets lying around had been designed to help the Jorn dukedom with their connectivity problems.

    The Jorn dukedom was the northernmost territory of the kingdom, an area shredded by jagged mountains and with little room for agriculture. Unlike Farcrest, whose mountain range served as a natural barrier against the Farlands, monsters in the Jorn dukedom were adapted to life in the mountains. It was hard to mobilize an army across the mountains to defend the hundreds of settlements along the range, so Monster Surges displaced a vast portion of the population and claimed many victims.

    Lyra¡¯s people were hardy and had survived thanks to their warrior discipline, but Lyra¡¯s dream wasn¡¯t just to survive but to see the Jorn territories flourish.

    Without Firana around, the flying machine experiment was shelved for safety reasons. Still, with my blessing, Lyra had sent a working prototype to the Jorn dukedom with a hundred-page document on operating it.

    Ginz fed the machine with mana, and for forty minutes, the gears turned. Then, he activated the killswitch, and the enchantment released its mana in the form of harmless blue sparks.

    I wasn¡¯t entirely sure if the machine we had just created would help with the Jorn struggle.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch it with your greasy hands,¡± Lyra said, pushing Ginz away from the gadget.

    Since we started tinkering with gears, chains, and moving parts, Ginz¡¯s hands were permanently stained with Gray Thorn Oil, giving them an ashen appearance. The oil was harmless and even served as a hair conditioner in the absence of something better. I had pressed Elincia to produce a few commercial batches, but she wasn¡¯t in the business of making beauty products despite the demand for them¡ªshe called herself a serious Alchemist.

    Lyra opened the lid, and steam flowed from the opening. With greedy eyes, she grabbed a scoop of the white content.

    ¡°This will change everything.¡±

    Lyra brought the spoon to her mouth, and her eyes lit up.

    ¡°Bloody Corruption¡­ this is great!¡±

    I grabbed a scoop of ice cream for myself and savored it. It needed more honey, but the taste of berries was very pleasant. Most importantly, it felt like ice cream. Elincia was going to love it. I put a big spoonful in a mug.

    ¡°I¡¯m clocking out,¡± I said. ¡°Make sure to clean everything. We don¡¯t want Stonemason Ants skittering around the manor.¡±

    Ginz tried to take a pinch of ice cream with his oily hand, but Lyra smacked him away. They dismissed me like I was a lowly servant and got into a physical struggle for the ice cream.

    I let them be.

    I went out through the windows and into the backyard.

    Elincia¡¯s alchemy workshop had outgrown the desk in her bedroom, so we had built her a new working place in the backyard. Elincia¡¯s new workshop was an octagonal gazebo with a wooden frame, tall glass windows, and enough space to house her new distillation tools and the hundreds of magically sealed maceration jars. Attached to the gazebo was a greenhouse where she grew rare alchemical ingredients. Next to the greenhouse was the ¡®chillarium¡¯, used to grow winter species during summer.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    I entered Elincia¡¯s workshop through the open window.

    ¡°Got something for you,¡± I announced my presence.

    ¡°One moment,¡± Elincia replied, her voice muffled by the leather protective gear.

    High-level concoctions were potentially dangerous, and more than once, we had to incinerate Elincia¡¯s clothing after a few drops of potions splashed her. During one of her attempts to make a legendary potion, Elincia had created a mixture that wouldn¡¯t stop freezing everything around the vial. She took the vial to the backyard, and I had to use [Pyrokinesis] for three hours straight to prevent the lawn from freezing until the effect vanished.

    I was the only one whose working area would pass an OSHA inspection.

    Elincia was usually mindful, but there were times when she got a tad too lost in the sauce. Sometimes, I wondered how society thrived in Ebros with all those reckless high-level combatants and supports running around. My Earthly sensitivities towards safety were hard to bury.

    Elincia used the tongs to leave a bubbly red vial on a safety rack designed by Ginz. Then, she took off her leather ¡®hazmat¡¯ helmet. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, and her forehead was covered in sweat. She looked as pretty as someone could be inside a cumbersome leather hazmat suit.

    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked, pointing at the bubbly potion.

    Despite the lack of a heat source, the boiling didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°Insect repellent,¡± Elincia said.

    Lately, monstrous insects had arrived at the Farlands. The Teal Moon orcs weren¡¯t happy. Man-made structures were Stonemason Ants¡¯ favorite chewing toys, and they were surprisingly sneaky for dog-sized ants. We had a worrying collapse in the iron mine a few days ago, but Lyra¡¯s inspection was inconclusive. Thanks to my ¡®tyrannical¡¯ security measures, there were no fatal victims, but as a result, our monthly quota of iron was behind schedule. The orcs blamed the insects for the incident.

    ¡°What do you have there?¡± she asked, eyeing my ice cream mug.

    I grabbed a spoonful and fed it to Elincia. Her eyes widened in panic.

    ¡°Guack khe huck!¡±

    Cold foods, other than freezing water in winter, weren¡¯t a thing in Ebros. It was strange, considering they had ice magicians and freezing potions available. I guessed they weren¡¯t good at coming up with alternative uses for spells and potions outside what the System determined an item was for.

    ¡°Let it melt!¡± I said before Elincia could spit.

    Elincia¡¯s panicked expression slowly turned to bliss.

    ¡°Ice cream!¡± she shouted.

    Ice cream, along with carbonated drinks and cheese puffs, was one of the mythical foods from my homeland. I¡¯ve been hyping it up for months, and I was glad the result was enjoyable.

    Elincia opened her mouth, demanding more.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be with the kids?¡± Elincia asked, taking off the hazmat suit. Underneath, she was wearing her usual Renaissance-esque beige dress. Not even all the spare money flowing through our coffers made her get something better.

    ¡°Izabeka is tenderizing them,¡± I replied, feeding her more ice cream.

    Not everything was rosy around the orphanage.

    The new kids lacked the discipline of the orphans raised in the Lowel¡¯s orphanage. Working with Firana, Ilya, Zaon, and Wolf had been a pleasure compared to my new apprentices. Most of them didn¡¯t even want to attend the lessons, and not even the presence of an almighty Sage could change their minds. Discipline had always been my weakness as a teacher, but we had the right person for the job: the ex-captain of the city guard.

    ¡°Any word from our graduates?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°Nothing so far,¡± I replied.

    It had been three weeks without a letter from the kids, which wasn¡¯t unheard of, but they usually wrote once a month. Wolf¡¯s handwriting was still the most pretty of the four, but the others were improving.

    ¡°They are probably busy with fieldwork. It¡¯s almost summer, so they must fight monsters or escort construction crews out there.¡±

    Elincia nodded. More than a year had passed since the kids left the orphanage, and we were getting used to trusting them. The letters had been positive so far, although sparse in details.

    ¡°So, do you want to go for a walk to the river now that the day is so pretty?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Did you check the repairs on the mine already?¡±

    I cursed under my breath. Ginz¡¯s ice cream machine had taken most of the afternoon off my schedule. The worst part of being in charge of a hamlet was all the inspections I had to perform. Lyra and Ginz were of great help, but I was the man in charge when it came to potentially dangerous monsters.

    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m expecting an order from the Alchemist Guild tomorrow,¡± Elincia replied. ¡°The day after tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°The day after tomorrow,¡± I said, sitting on the window ledge.

    ¡°I will prepare my swimsuit then,¡± Elincia said.

    I blew her a kiss and returned to the manor to put the ice cream mug in the sink. We had a proper sink now, with a potion-purified cistern and water disposal system.

    After dropping the mug, I exited the kitchen and walked down the path to Whiteleaf Manor. The orc watchmen greeted me as I passed by. I took the low pass by the riverside and observed the hamlet. Orcs worked the ground and manned the workshops. Most of them were ex-members of the free tribes who didn¡¯t have problems with a more sedentary life. Teal Moon warriors remained in their original territories, deep into the Farlands. Still, we heard from them almost weekly as messengers brought news about monster activity in the nearby valleys. The hamlet thrived.

    The twelve white oaks of Whiteleaf Manor greeted me when I reached the top of the road.

    Izabeka yelled at the top of her lungs from the shadow of one of the white oaks while the orphans did laps around the manor¡¯s grounds. The blue and gray Rosebud Fencing Academy¡¯s uniform made her look like a mean drill sergeant. We didn¡¯t have a strict dress code, but Izabeka was just more comfortable in uniform.

    Astrid and Loki observed the kids sitting against one of the white oaks. Unlike Izabeka, Astrid wore a fashionable short cloak and a loose robe with treacherous folds. I knew for a fact that she had at least a dozen daggers and other nasty surprises hidden up her sleeves. Tendrils of Corruption still crept up her neck and arms, barely visible through her clothes.

    ¡°Ladies. I assume here¡¯s the venue of the beauty pageant?¡± I greeted them.

    ¡°So lame.¡± Astrid rubbed the bridge of her nose.

    Izabeka sighed, keeping her drill sergeant demeanor.

    Tough crowd.

    ¡°Care if I borrow Ash? I have to go to the mines,¡± I said.

    ¡°First taking kids to the Farlands, and now into a mine? You never cease to surprise me, Robert Clarke,¡± Izabeka said.

    She shouted Ash¡¯s name as the orphans passed through the front yard. The boy parted from the group and approached us under the jealous gaze of his classmates. Izabeka untied her belt and threw it to the boy.

    ¡°Escort Rob to the mines,¡± Izabeka ordered.

    Ash tied the belt with the sheath around his waist.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Shu, Notki, and Virdian waved at me before following the group around the manor. We had a dozen orphans between the ages of ten and fourteen undergoing my special training regime to become an Imperial Cadet. Of course, none of them knew that was the program''s goal. I had made it clear to Prince Adrien. Only those who wanted to become an Imperial Cadet would undergo the exams.

    ¡°Want to come with us, pal?¡± I asked.

    Loki lazily opened his eyes just to turn his back to me. His reaction wasn¡¯t a surprise. For the past year I¡¯ve been using his help to study runeweaving almost daily. Loki was probably sleep-deprived by Changeling standards.

    I led the way to the stables, Ash following close behind, and we grabbed two mountain horses.

    ¡°How are lessons going?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They are lazy and fickle. Even Shu is more hardworking than half of the new ones,¡± Ash replied, pulling the reins and leading the horse down the cobbled path. He was catching Lyra¡¯s big words.

    I followed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so harsh. Most of them grew up in completely different circumstances,¡± I said, trying to sound diplomatic, although Ash had a point.

    New orphans weren¡¯t as easy to work with. Some came from criminal backgrounds; others had families until not long ago and found the communal life at the orphanage difficult to get accustomed to. The city guard even threw the ones who were too young to be incarcerated into the orphanage. Very few of them remained more than a week before leaving.

    The older the kid, the harder it was for them to adapt to orphanage life. It was considered common knowledge that one couldn¡¯t cheat the System to get a better class. For them, all the lessons and practice were useless.

    Still, Elincia convinced many of them to give us a chance, even if only for the roof over their heads and three warm meals a day. She was a way better governess than I could ever be.

    ¡°Those who arrived just after the Lich¡¯s Monster Surge have progressed a lot,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Those are alright, I guess,¡± Ash shrugged. ¡°They know we are serious business.¡±

    I smiled. Ash was quite opinionated¡ªjudgmental even¡ªbut he wasn¡¯t wrong. After witnessing the feats of the oldest kids, he tried twice or thrice as hard. Ash could deny it as much as he wanted, but he also tried to help those falling behind.

    ¡°You are doing a good job, Ash,¡± I said. It was scary how fast a kid could progress when they took things seriously.

    ¡°I know,¡± he replied.

    Astrid was waiting for us on the bridge. As we passed by, she climbed on my horse, not because she preferred me as her travel partner but because Bucko was the only horse that allowed Astrid to ride him. Beastfolk had a difficult relationship with wildlife.

    Bucko was also the only horse who hadn¡¯t thrown me off.

    Astrid leaned against me, looking backward.

    ¡°Izabeka told me about the ants. I thought you two could use reinforcements,¡± she said.

    The only visible weapon on her was the sword hanging from her side.

    Ash and Astrid got along quite well, considering their somewhat brusque personalities.

    I made a mental note to feed them ice cream later.

    The mines weren¡¯t far from the manor. We traveled the compressed-dirt road west by the riverside. Old orcs smoked on pipes on the side of the road, waiting for the younger ones to finish their work. They invited us to smoke with them, but I declined, blaming the mine incident. Besides, Astrid hated the smell of smoke, and Ash was too young to smoke orcish tobacco.

    We passed the sawmill, where a couple of orcs kept an eye on a massive log while the saw squared the edges. The waterwheel lazily turned, powering the vertical saw. In the courtyard, a squad of young orcs debarked the recently cut logs that flowed downstream. Most of the construction materials produced in the hamlet were used to erect new workshops, barns, and warehouses. The rest went to Farcrest to be sold by Nasiah or exchanged for other materials and finished products.

    Little orc kids splashed in the pools formed by the river. They waved at us as we passed through.

    To maintain a low profile, we tried to trade with Farcrest as little as possible. Still, the Marquis was too focused on the imminent opening of the trade route with the elven kingdom to keep an eye on my ¡®poor¡¯ fief. The fact that orcs were frugal helped us hide that we were growing at an accelerated rate.

    Not an hour later, we reached the iron mine. Steel rails crossed the road and led to the warehouse by the river. There, the ore was loaded into rafts and transported through a tributary of the main river to the furnaces. The furnaces, kilns, and quarry were placed away from the hamlet to hide our activity and prevent the dust and smoke from annoying the residents.

    We guided the horses up the mountain.

    The orc tribes had little metal to work with, so a good chunk of our production was used for crafting weapons, armor, and tools for those still living in the Farlands. The leftovers were used to craft tools and to feed Ginz¡¯s insatiable hunger for materials.

    We reached the mines. The site was guarded by a detachment of Teal Moon warriors with rifles hidden under their cloaks. Little One was talking with a group of orc miners. As soon as they saw me approach, the group broke off, and the elite warriors came to greet me. In the end, only those orcs with a talent to control magic had been selected to be part of the firing squad.

    ¡°Master Clarke,¡± Little One said with a smile. ¡°The fixes are ready, and the work has resumed. We hadn¡¯t found signs of Stonemason Ants.¡±

    The pit boss, an orc as big as Little One, nodded.

    ¡°The miners are restless. They say they hear skittering inside the walls, which is preposterous. You can¡¯t even hear your own words with all the hammering.¡±

    Lyra¡¯s magical jackhammer had been celebrated among orc miners. Though instead of halving their working hours, orcs doubled the iron production. Everything for the survival of the tribe, they said.

    ¡°They hear skittering?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Probably their imagination. We are not made to be underground, but we will if that¡¯s what it takes to help our brothers and sisters,¡± the pit boss said.

    I exchanged a glance with Ash. He nodded, and we got off the horses.

    ¡°I will inspect the repairs,¡± I said.

    The pit boss grunted and showed us the way. Unimaginative people were great at some positions, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

    ¡°I have a bad feeling about this,¡± Astrid said as we approached the mine¡¯s entrance.

 195 - Ants

    ¡°I don¡¯t want it!¡± Astrid said, covering her head with both hands.

    ¡°You have to use it,¡± I replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s uncomfortable!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s mandatory!¡±

    I had lobbied for the usage of safety helmets since the opening of the mine, and I wasn¡¯t going to let an obstinate beastfolk woman undermine my efforts. Orcs wouldn¡¯t even use helmets to fight against Crystalboar Matriarchs, and forcing them to use the helmets to mine had been near impossible. Despite my influence, the orcs only obeyed Wolf and the Chieftains.

    Astrid dodged the safety helmet.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling Elincia you are being a crybaby,¡± I said.

    ¡°Fine!¡±

    Astrid folded her ears like an aggressive cat and softly put the helmet on her head.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that hard, was it?¡± I asked.

    Ash secured his helmet, and we entered the mine. Clumps of light stones illuminated the way¡ªall of our enchanted items were hidden among the orc tribes or locked inside Lowell¡¯s manor. Above our heads, thick wooden beams supported the rock ceiling. A pipe made of flax and resin pumped fresh air into the deepest corners of the mine, powered by a huge hamster wheel and a bellow.

    The air-pumping system was one of my favorite non-enchanted creations.

    Orc miners saw us walk down the main drift. It pleased me to see everyone was using their breathing masks. Without Wolf around to give the direct order, I had to use alternative methods to convince them, such as showing them a pair of lungs with silicosis. I had never seen lungs with the disease, but they didn¡¯t have to know that. Instead, I used the picture of one of those anti-smoking campaigns I had seen during high school. The illusion had been as horrible as it was effective.

    We reached the sector where the beams had collapsed. Other than a hole in the ceiling where the material came loose, there was no sign of the incident. The debris had been cleared, and the beam had been replaced.

    ¡°Where are the damaged beams?¡± I asked.

    ¡°In the warehouse,¡± the pit boss said.

    I made a mental note to check them afterward. Technically speaking, I wasn¡¯t there for a forensic examination but to check the repairs. I let my skills analyze the area for weak spots or flaws in the construction. There were none I could detect. After building a few hundred meters of tunnels, the orc¡¯s work was spotless.

    ¡°What do you think, Ash?¡±

    The boy looked around.

    ¡°This has to be the cleanest mine in the kingdom. There¡¯s no place for ants to hide.¡±

    I let my mana sense take over my eyes. I detected traces of mana, but those could be attributed to the magical jackhammers or the orcs themselves. Despite my magical creations requiring little magic to be activated, the enchantments still moved significant amounts of mana stored inside the circuits.

    ¡°Something feels odd,¡± Astrid said.

    My mana sense had a huge weak spot: it was tied to my [Mana Mastery], so it was susceptible to System-based stealth skills. Sure, it took a lot to hide something from a high-level Prestige Class, but it wasn¡¯t impossible. I decided to trust Astrid¡¯s gut.

    The pit boss didn¡¯t seem happy with Astrid¡¯s words.

    ¡°There is nothing wrong with my mine. Beastfolk see the end of the world behind every flock of birds taking off,¡± the pit boss said matter-of-factly.

    Astrid was too busy sniffing around to feel offended.

    ¡°Did you get something?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I wonder,¡± Astrid replied.

    We continued our mine tour with the excuse of greeting the miners while Astrid sniffed around. The iron veins were reddish-brown and extended like sheets into the stone. In some areas, the vein went almost parallel to the ground, making it easy to mine. The initial prospecting report made by a high-level Geomancer also indicated a rich deposit underneath the mine, but we weren¡¯t technologically ready for shaft mining yet.

    After a few minutes, we reached the deepest part of the mine. The ventilation pipe yawned at regular intervals, pumping air into the tunnel. Orcs equipped with magical jackhammers mined the ore. The sound was deafening, but not as loud as a pneumatic jackhammer. With a sign from the pit boss, the miners stopped working. All of them were using cotton and wax earplugs. They seemed happy to see us.

    Suddenly, Astrid tugged my sleeve with urgency.

    ¡°Look,¡± she said, pointing at the corner of the tunnel.

    ¡°It¡¯s stone,¡± Ash replied.

    ¡°The layers on the rock don¡¯t match!¡±

    On the wall opposite the iron vein, near the corner where the light stones barely illuminated, was a square of the wall whose strata didn¡¯t match the rest. It seemed like someone had cut a square section, taken it out, turned it ninety degrees, and then put it back.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± Ash said.

    ¡°Strange indeed,¡± I replied.

    I channeled my [Geokinesis] to extract the square section.

    The rock didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°A moment, please.¡±

    I accessed my mana pool and changed [Geokinesis]¡¯s target attribute back to stone. Then, I channeled my mana and pulled the disturbed rock from the wall to reveal a deeper hole underneath. Suddenly, the stench of death filled the mine.

    ¡°That smells like a monster nest,¡± Astrid pointed out.

    I nodded.

    ¡°I want everyone outside the mine right now. Seal the entrance,¡± I said, peeking into the hole. A natural cave opened on the other side of the wall. ¡°Bring me the first aid kits.¡±

    The miners quickly obeyed.

    ¡°Are we going in?¡± Ash asked, covering his nose.

    ¡°You are going back with the miners,¡± I replied.

    Ash wasn¡¯t happy.

    ¡°Come on! This is a teaching moment, a field trip. Besides, I¡¯m taller than Ilya when she first went into the Farlands, and I have these,¡± Ash said, shoving the magic wands into his belt.

    I didn¡¯t want Ilya¡¯s height to be the gold standard of risky expeditions. However, Whiteleaf Manor was technically located in the Farlands, and accidents like this could happen even with all the security measures in place. It might be better for Ash to start getting experience dealing with monsters.

    ¡°Give the kid a chance,¡± Astrid said with a mischievous grin. ¡°I¡¯m sure a Prestige Class, a malfunctioning Zealot, and a Classless kid are enough to deal with any monster living down there.¡±

    I rubbed my temples. [Foresight] caught Astrid winking at Ash.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± I said.

    The orcs dragged the ventilation hose into the hole while the pit boss collected the first aid kits from the emergency booths along the mine. I opened one of the leather bags and retrieved a potion.

    Lungwort-Night Lily Safebreathing Potion. [Identify] Alchemy potion. Effect: High. Toxicity: Low. Allows the user to breathe safely in the harshest conditions. Smells like fresh pine. Minor antitoxin effect.

    If something lived inside the caves, it was safe to assume air was breathable; however, I wasn¡¯t risking my life over a rogue pocket of hydrogen sulfide. I drank the potion and grimaced. Elincia¡¯s potions were getting more bitter by the year.

    Ash and Astrid pulled similar potions and drank them.

    We grabbed the enchanted flashlights and tied the first aid kits to our backs. Ash lacked [Night Vision], and having a source of light was always better. The colors were clearer that way.

    I jumped down the hole and used [Aerokinesis] to cushion the fall. Astrid and Ash dropped behind me, and I caught them with the skill. Then, I used [Geokinesis] to seal the hole behind us, leaving only the ventilation hose inside the cave section. I didn¡¯t want anything skittering through our backs and into the mine.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to warn Elincia we have a situation,¡± I said, touching the yellow stone on my bracelet. Across the valley, Elincia¡¯s twin bracelet should¡¯ve received the signal. The twin bracelets worked similarly to the enchanter rings but shared a light pattern instead of a tug. Green meant a non-dangerous delay. Yellow meant dangerous but under control. Red meant dangerous and out of control.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    A moment later, my bracelet buzzed twice¡ªmessage received.

    ¡°Do you have to report every step you take?¡± Astrid asked as we walked into the cave.

    ¡°Information is worth a thousand swords,¡± I replied. ¡°If this is more than we can quickly clear out, I want everyone back into the shelters as soon as possible.¡±

    Astrid sighed.

    ¡°Brother, you are a Sage. No monster in a hundred kilometers can scratch you. Have some pride!¡±

    ¡°I have weaknesses like any other person,¡± I replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there to cover you in case an ugly elven girl hits on you,¡± Astrid grinned.

    Ash stifled a laugh.

    The cave grew as we advanced into the mountain. Above our heads, stalactites reached down like bony fingers. Around us, stalagmites had been crushed out, forming paths wide enough for the three of us to walk shoulder to shoulder. Water flowed through the bottom of the shaft, ten meters below us, and the walls were covered with bioluminescent moss¡ªbut there was no sign of the source of the smell.

    ¡°Bandits or monsters?¡± Ash asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied.

    The displaced block of stone made me think of bandits.

    With the first elvish delegations crossing the trade route, Farcrest had started getting unwanted attention. Whiteleaf Manor looked like an excellent target, considering its distance from the city.

    Upon Lyra¡¯s request, I had dispatched several orc squads to survey the mountains for hidden monster lairs. They found nothing unusual: a few Roc Harpy nests, a massive Crystal Matriarch with her Crystal Piglets, and some Blood Eagles. There had been no sign of insects or burrowers.

    Other than the crushed stalagmites and the smell of putrefaction, nothing indicated that it was inhabited.

    The cave went deeper than I expected.

    ¡°I think we can rule out bandits,¡± Astrid said.

    Suddenly, [Foresight] caught a movement in the darkness.

    Stonemason Ant Lv.7. Magical Beast. [Identify] Stonemason Ants are smart creatures who prefer dark and humid places to establish their nests. These creatures are extremely territorial and will dismantle any structure created by rival nests. Weakness: Light, Wind.

    The ant was the size of a small dog with gray chitinous armor and tiny mandibles. It had two little black eyes on each side of the head, and its back had the same appearance as the cave floor, perfect for camouflage. For a Lv.7 monster, it was way less intimidating than a Black Wolf. The ant turned its head towards us and moved its feelers for a moment before returning to lazily munch on the rock.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem aggressive compared to the other monsters I¡¯ve met,¡± I pointed out.

    Astrid approached the Stonemason Ant and poked its abdomen with the tip of her sandal.

    The ant looked over its shoulder and let out an angry chirp.

    ¡°Sheesh, girl, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Astrid said.

    The ant turned around, insulted, and focused back on its work. Behind the Stonemason Ant, a dozen more nibbled on the stalagmites, turning them into fine dust. They noticed our presence but didn¡¯t seem to care.

    ¡°Do you think they snuck into the mine?¡± Ash asked.

    Looking at their work, they didn¡¯t seem responsible for the disturbed stone square.

    ¡°One way or another, these will become a problem if they keep expanding their territory,¡± Astrid pointed out. ¡°Should we clear them out?¡±

    ¡°I kinda feel bad for hurting a creature that isn¡¯t actively looking to kill me,¡± I said.

    Astrid rubbed her eyes.

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t it surprise me you said something like that? What¡¯s next? Building them a nest in our living room next to Loki¡¯s nap bed?¡±

    Before I could answer, the ground trembled, and a piece of ceiling fell not far from us. The Stonemason Ants scattered as an army of brown ants rushed into the cave. The newcomers were bigger than the Stonemason Ants, with long serrated mandibles and bodies covered in Corruption streaks.

    Corrupted Woodcarver Ant Lv.12. Corrupted Magical Beast. [Identify] Woodcarver Ants use their jaws to cut down trees and build floating wooden nests in the middle of lakes and rivers. These creatures are generally peaceful but attack those who approach their nests. They are great swimmers. Weakness: Light, Wind.

    The Woodcarver Ants pounced on the Stonemason Ants, crushing their bodies. The Stonemason Ants, with their small mandibles and delicate legs, weren¡¯t equipped to fight back.

    ¡°We should help the Stonemasons!¡± Ash said.

    ¡°Okay, but if they mistake us for enemies, don¡¯t hesitate to attack,¡± I said.

    Astrid grinned, and before I finished the sentence, she took a magic wand with a slime core from up her sleeve and summoned a cutting wind blade. Corruption only reacted when Astrid used mana from her mana pool. Using pre-recharged enchanted items didn¡¯t seem to affect her.

    The Corrupted Woodcarvers noticed our presence and charged at us.

    Ash flicked his wand and a fireball the size of a fist hit the closest ant. Yellow and orange sparks exploded in every direction like a firework. Despite the chaos, Ash kept his cool, always aiming at the nearest enemy and scouting our surroundings to avoid getting surrounded.

    Astrid shot towards the ant army, jumping from stalagmite to stalagmite like a circus acrobat while she unleashed a storm of wind blades on them. It was quite the sight. I could almost guess how deadly she was during her Zealot days.

    Out of nowhere, a block of granite flew towards me. Instinctively, I raised a mana barrier, and the projectile shattered into a hundred pieces. Alarms went off inside my brain. Someone was using System Mana in huge quantities.

    ¡°I think we have our stone-slinger culprit,¡± I said.

    A lone ant stood under the hole in the ceiling, its body covered in dark mana.

    Corrupted Woodcarver Leader Lv.1???3???. Corrupted Beast. [I?d?en?t?i?f?y]. ???

    The prompt disappeared just as another block of granite hit my mana barrier. The corrupted text sent a shiver down my spine, but I quickly recovered. The Corrupted Woodcarver Leader¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t seem strong enough to penetrate my mana barrier. The monster was only Lv.13, after all.

    ¡°Astrid!¡± I called the beastfolk girl. ¡°That¡¯s our target!¡±

    ¡°Aye, aye, Captain!¡± she replied with a fiendish smile on her face.

    Astrid focused on the Woodcarver Leader, but her wand fizzled before she could attack. The only drawback of my enchanted wands was the limited mana storage. That didn¡¯t seem to hinder Astrid¡¯s eagerness to fight. With a swift movement, she pulled out four daggers from the folds of her robe.

    The Woodcarver Leader realized its attacks wouldn¡¯t hurt me and switched targets.

    Astrid dodged the granite blocks, jumping and balancing her body over the stalagmites. Her movements made me wonder if her [Acrobatics] was corrupted like the rest of her Character Sheet. My gut told me it wasn''t. Astrid moved like a dart, dodging ants and stone shards like she was in bullet time. With a graceful movement, she threw a knife and hit the Woodcarver Leader between the eyes.

    Meanwhile, the Stonemason Ants were making their last stand around a crevice by the end of the cave.

    ¡°Let¡¯s help them,¡± Ash panted, his forehead covered in sweat.

    Although the boy had unlocked [Mana Manipulation] at only thirteen years old, his mana pool was barely enough to activate my Blazing Wand a dozen times. Even if the spell was powered by the mana stored in the wand, he still had to ¡®flick the switch¡¯.

    I put a hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°You did well, Ash. I¡¯ll finish it,¡± I said.

    I activated [Geokinesis]. Sharp stone spikes emerged from the ground and impaled the remaining invading Woodcarver Ants. A moment later, the shrieking and screeching of the combat ceased. Behind us, the Woodcarver Leader lay dead with a dozen daggers embedded in its head.

    ¡°Careful, they might be hostile towards us,¡± I said, but the Stonemason Ants worried more about bringing down my stone spikes than attacking us.

    ¡°Not the smartest creatures, uh?¡± Astrid said, stretching her back.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked.

    Astrid elbowed my arm and grinned.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, man. Stop worrying for a second!¡± she said. If anything, her Corruption had been a blessing in disguise. She was free from the System¡¯s hand. ¡°How about you, Ash?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I smoked a couple of them,¡± the boy said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

    Astrid¡¯s arm coiled around my neck as she poked my ribs with the tip of the drained wand. In any other situation, I would¡¯ve been content with the outcome. Ash maintained his cool during his first encounter with real monsters, while Astrid showed she could fight even with all the Corruption flowing through her body. However, the corrupted text of the Woodcarver Leader¡¯s prompt haunted me.

    ¡°Look!¡± Ash said.

    Two bigger Stonemason Ants appeared from the hole in the wall. Like the others, they glanced at us and focused on their jobs. The two ants grabbed the bodies of the fallen combatants and dragged them into the hole from where they had appeared.

    Janitor Stonemason Ant Lv.9. Magical Beast. [Identify] Janitor Stonemason Ants are responsible for cleaning the nest and preventing infections from proliferating among the workers. They use their feelers to detect rotting organic matter. Their senses are twice as powerful as a dog¡¯s. Weakness: Light, Wind.

    ¡°Shall we see where they are taking the bodies?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Old Abei would love to know everything about the habits of Stonemason Ants,¡± Ash replied.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t call Master Abei that.¡±

    Astrid grinned.

    We followed the Janitor Ants down a corridor with more Stonemason Ants. As we went further, the smell of rot and decay increased. Finally, we found out where the smell came from. The Janitor Ants dragged the bodies into an isolated chamber full of dead bodies. Most were old Stonemason Ants, but there were also Woodcarvers and other small animals that found their demise in the caves. I sighed in relief when I encountered no orcs among the death.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think these ants are carnivorous,¡± Ash pointed out.

    ¡°Me neither,¡± I replied as I examined the gravesite.

    The bodies of the old Stonemasons glittered under my flashlight.

    Carcass of a Stonemason Ant. [Identify] A deceased old Stonemason Ant. The protruding structures on its body are formed by the accumulation of undigestible minerals.

    I approached the graveyard and scratched one of those lumps from the back of the dead ant. The chitin cracked down under my fingers, but the lump remained. It was the size of a chickpea. I examined it.

    Topaz. [Identify] A silicate mineral made of aluminum and fluoride. Has a high affinity with fire enchantments. Enchantment Threshold: 1000.

    ¡°Maybe we can coexist with these magnificent creatures,¡± I said, looking around. The mineral deposits on the ant¡¯s backs weren¡¯t just gemstones, but iron, copper, and other useful minerals like lead and tin. ¡°With a bit of ant repellant, we can totally coexist.¡±

    Astrid sighed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t come back crying when they chew on your precious railroad tracks.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Astrid. How can you not like them?¡± Ash asked, petting a passing Janitor Ant. The ant stopped and happily moved its feelers like a dog moved its tail. ¡°They like head rubs.¡±

    Astrid tried to pet the Janitor Ant, but the creature chirped angrily before skittering away. Astrid sighed, defeated. Beastfolk had a difficult relationship with wildlife, after all.

    ¡°Less petting and more working,¡± I said.

    After gathering a pouch of semi-precious gemstones and metals, we left the Stonemason Ant nest and searched for more Corrupted Woodcarvers. We examined the old tunnels for the next hour but found nothing besides old ant battlefields. We had killed every single corrupted monster. As the effects of the Safebreathing potion ran out, we returned to the mine.

    ¡°It seemed it was just an isolated incident. Just a few ants waging war against each other,¡± Astrid said, in a very good mood.

    I nodded, but the Woodcarver¡¯s corrupted text occupied my mind.

    Corruption had slowed down, but it hadn¡¯t yet stopped.

    ¡°Send a message to Elincia and tell her today we celebrate,¡± Astrid said, putting an arm around Ash¡¯s shoulders and messing his dark hair. ¡°Ash just won his first battle against monsters. Let¡¯s take the kid for a drink!¡±

    ¡°No drinks until he¡¯s eighteen,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°But I guess we can arrange a small party.¡±

    I pushed my worries away. As Astrid said, this had to be an isolated incident¡ªjust a rogue monster with corrupted text. If the Corruption situation were that bad, I¡¯d get a message. After all, bad news travels fast.

 196 - Not the problem I expected

    The orc miners celebrated our return like we had just slain a dragon. Astrid and Ash stopped to enjoy the attention while I snuck around the group to talk to the pit boss. I told him about the Stonemason Ant nest near the mine and recommended abandoning the northern tunnels until Elincia¡¯s ant repellant was complete. Even after telling him about the deposits of precious gems and metals on the old ants'' exoskeleton, the pit boss wasn¡¯t happy with the new directive.

    After almost two years living among orcs, I learned a few things about their culture. For starters, bluntness wasn¡¯t considered disrespectful as long as it was the most efficient way of communication.

    I sighed.

    ¡°You will stay away from the northern section. That¡¯s an order,¡± I said.

    The pit boss grunted.

    ¡°Understood. We will move to the southern section, but I will keep a few eyes on the northern drift,¡± he said, gathering his workers.

    The orcs returned to the mine, and I signaled Astrid and Ash to get the horses.

    Little One and his firing squad waved goodbye as the horses walked along the railroad path.

    Only when I was out of earshot, I spoke again.

    ¡°When I identified the Woodcarver Leader, the text on the prompt was corrupted,¡± I said.

    ¡°You are reading way too much into it. There has to be a million corrupted monsters with corrupted text out there in the Farlands, far from Scholar¡¯s identification powers,¡± Astrid shrugged, using me as a backrest. ¡°Monsters have spells, sometimes.¡±

    I may be seeing signs where there were none.

    ¡°What do you think, Bucko?¡±

    The horse snorted.

    ¡°See?¡± Astrid said. ¡°You have to relax, Rob. Maybe make three or four roblings with Elincia in the meantime. Didn¡¯t the System guy tell you you have a decade to learn runeweaving?¡±

    The System Avatar had said that.

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t contacted me since we defeated the Lich,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Then everything continues as planned,¡± Astrid said. ¡°Think about it. He would have found a way to contact you if there had been bad news. He already did once.¡±

    The last time the System Avatar contacted me with bad news, Astrid had become corrupted. He hadn¡¯t worried about the consequences for her as long as I acquired the Access Rune. Now, Corruption covered Astrid¡¯s body from feet to shoulders. It wasn¡¯t a perfect black coat like the skin of the Greyfangs, but tentacles of Corruption constricted her body. At least she wouldn¡¯t turn into a corrupted monster any time soon.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to¡ª¡±

    ¡°I will kill you,¡± Astrid cut me off. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a Zealot anymore. If Corruption is what it takes to keep the Questlog silent, so be it.¡±

    Bucko snorted.

    There were sections of my mana pool I couldn¡¯t yet understand, but I hypothesized a delete function was hidden inside. Corruption wasn¡¯t the best solution to Astrid¡¯s problem, but I didn¡¯t want to weigh her with a promise I couldn¡¯t fulfill.

    I looked over my shoulder.

    ¡°What?¡± Astrid asked.

    ¡°Give me your wand,¡± I replied.

    She dug into her hidden pockets and gave it to me. The Gustblade Wand was a copy of the wind wand Nasiah had in her store for self-defense. Ginz made it. The wand was thirty centimeters long, made of white oak wood and a slime core. The slime core was enchanted with an underpowered Gale Rune. Unlike the Wind-Shot Boots, which required user mana, the Gustblade Wand had a Storage Rune that powered the effect. Astrid only had to use tiny amounts of mana to activate the User Rune, and the enchantment did the rest. The mechanism was perfect for non-combatants and classless people. The only downside was that someone else had to recharge it.

    Bucko slowly walked by the river path while I recharged Astrid¡¯s wand.

    The sun hovered above the western mountains. The orc farmers had called it a day and bathed in the river while the older orcs looked over the kids. In the sawmill, the workers continued peeling logs.

    ¡°Y¡¯all work too much!¡± Astrid yelled as we passed by.

    The workers laughed but continued working.

    ¡°Maybe you work too little,¡± Ash, who had been silent all the journey, said.

    ¡°This is my first recess in a decade, and I plan to laze and leech as much as possible,¡± Astrid replied, leaning back against me.

    Despite her words, Astrid worked as much as Elincia and Risha. Ginz didn¡¯t count because he was an addict to crafting. He could spend days without sleeping in order to bring his ideas to reality. Lyra¡¯s presence had only worsened his condition.

    We crossed the bridge and climbed the hill. The old white oaks appeared in our view first, their lush branches like a white blanket against the sky. Izabeka and the kids had finished their training, because no one was around to greet us except for the Teal Moon warriors armed with enchanted rifles guarding the perimeter.

    With so many new kids running around, the occasional visitor looking for potions, or merchants arriving at the manor¡¯s entrance, it was better to keep my runeweaving endeavors away from the main house.

    Astrid and I led the horses to the stables while Ash entered the manor to join dinner with the other orphans.

    ¡°Go eat something. I will take care of the horses,¡± I said.

    Astrid remained in the stable doorway so as not to alarm the animals.

    ¡°Thank you for your work, Bucko,¡± I said, scratching the horse¡¯s mane.

    Bucko snorted and drank water. Then, without waiting for me to guide him, he turned around, entered his preferred stall, and closed the door behind him.

    ¡°He clocked out,¡± Astrid pointed out.

    After stalling Ash¡¯s horse, we walked the path by Whiteleaf Manor¡¯s side, up the hill and past the grove, into Lowell¡¯s Manor. In practice, Whiteleaf Manor was the main building of the orphanage, where the kids had their bedrooms and classrooms. Lowell¡¯s Manor was the teacher¡¯s residence.

    It took half a dozen Earth Magicians and Geomancers, and a crate full of mana potions, to move the manor outside Farcrest and across the marquisate. For a whole day, the city stopped to see the manor being raised above the walls and down the other side. The second part of the trip was more straightforward. We just put the manor on a huge stone platform and rolled it over cylindrical stone pillars. By the end of the voyage, structural damage had been minimal, and it only took a few gold coins to hire a squad of builders to repair everything.

    That was the first time I had gotten [Mana Exhaustion] since my promotion to Sage, so I promised myself not to attempt it again.

    Lowell¡¯s manor was empty.

    ¡°Everyone must be in the dining room,¡± I said.

    I left the pouch with the gems and minerals in Elincia¡¯s bedroom, and we returned to Whiteleaf Manor. The construction crews had become rich at our expense, but Whiteleaf Manor had become operative in record time. The original construction was still in good condition despite the passage of time, so most of the work was done on the roof.

    Magical constructors weren¡¯t just efficient but extremely entertaining to watch.

    We entered Whiteleaf Manor through the main entrance. The vestibule was unrecognizable compared to how we encountered it two years ago. New stone tiles covered the floor, the walls were plastered and painted white, and most of the beams had been replaced by new ones. The double staircase was also renewed. Ginz crafted the new handrail with the silver roots of the old Forest Warden. The style was organic, and the natural silver color of the roots gave it an elegant appearance. In the center of the staircase, Elincia hung the crest of the Rosebud Fencing Academy: the rose and the sword in blue and silver. Next to it, smaller in size, she hung the crest of the Kiln family: the black shield with a red flame.

    The left staircase led to the classrooms. Whiteleaf Manor had twice the surface area of Lowell¡¯s Manor and was two stories tall, so we had rooms to spare. Each teacher had a classroom, except for Ginz, who had two¡ªone for teaching and one for storing materials. Ginz¡¯s classroom was open for kids who wanted to spend time after class. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The right staircase led to the sleeping quarters. We kept the same general housing strategy as before. The youngest kids slept in the communal room, and the older ones had individual rooms. However, we had so many kids that we had to set up shared rooms for everyone between ten and fourteen years old. Only those who were a year away from getting a Class had a private bedroom.

    The kitchen, scullery, pantry, servants'' quarters, and dining room were on the first floor, clumped together in the western wing. The eastern wing had a library, study room, drawing room, ballroom, gallery, music hall, and conservatory. Most of it was open for the kids to use. To Lyra¡¯s dismay, no one showed much interest in the library. At least the little ones enjoyed her storytelling events, although most fell asleep after the first thirty minutes. Lyra had a nice reading voice.

    In practice, we spent most of the time at Whiteleaf Manor and only returned to Lowell¡¯s Manor to work on our personal projects or sleep at night. Izabeka and Astrid were the only ones who had their rooms in the main building. Izabeka was the warden, and Astrid was there to oversee the little ones.

    Now that I thought about that, Astrid had been pushing the ¡®robling spawning¡¯ matter not just with words but also with acts.

    I sighed. At least Astrid and Elincia were getting along great.

    As we passed outside the study, a group of new kids approached us.

    ¡°Headmaster! Miss Elincia told us there was an emergency and we should stay inside. Is everything alright?¡±

    Elincia had started introducing me as the headmaster, so the name had stuck with the new ones. The original members of the orphanage still called me Mister Clarke.

    ¡°A few dozen Woodcarver Ants invaded the mine, but Miss Lowell and I dealt with it. Everything is under control,¡± I explained.

    The kids sighed in relief.

    Despite all the luxuries and commodities, we were still technically in the Farlands. Farcrest kids had grown up under the constant menace of monsters from the north and the west, so they were conditioned to fear the wilderness. Many were still a bit scared of being outdoors, but the strong presence of orcs in the hamlet across the bridge helped soften the transition. The fact that Izabeka was the hero of the people also helped a lot.

    In the city, people called us crazy for moving the orphanage to the jaws of the Farlands.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stay up late, kids. Tomorrow, you will be training with me,¡± I said as a goodbye.

    The kids exchanged excited glances, but I didn¡¯t get my hopes high. I was significantly less demanding than Izabeka, and the kids knew it. They wanted an easy lesson, not the teachings of the legendary Prestige Class. Everyone was making significant advances, but we still had yet to encounter a generation as bright as our first graduates.

    Astrid and I continued walking toward the dining room.

    ¡°Say it again,¡± Astrid said after we left the kids behind.

    I gave her a confused look.

    ¡°Miss Lowell?¡±

    Astrid¡¯s goofy smile went from ear to ear.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make it weird, or I¡¯m telling the kids to call you Astrid,¡± I said.

    ¡°Come on! Don¡¯t be like that!¡± Astrid elbowed my ribs. ¡°Miss Lowell. It has a nice ring to it, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    I rolled my eyes but couldn¡¯t help but feel happy for Astrid. Despite all the time we spent together, we didn¡¯t discuss her dreams and aspirations much. I knew she adored Mister Lowell, so it wasn¡¯t hard to guess she was in the place she wanted to be.

    ¡°About the roblings¡­¡± Astrid pointed out, but I interrupted her.

    ¡°We have enough kids running around.¡±

    ¡°Come on. Mister Lowell always said ¡®the more the merrier!¡¯¡±

    Astrid continued poking fun at me until we reached the dining room.

    The dining room was a rectangular hall with white walls and a high ceiling crossed by oak beams. Three sturdy tables made by orc carpenters ran parallel in the center, each flanked by an assortment of different stools, chairs, and benches. Only one of the three original chandeliers had endured the passage of time well enough for Ginz to repair it. The chandelier nested clumps of light stones that cast warm light over the room.

    Luckily, nobody questioned the amount of light stones in the orphanage. As Farcrest grew, one could find them on sale in the main market.

    Elincia was perched on a ladder, recharging the light stones while the kids took their positions around the tables. Ash was sitting near the head of the table, surrounded by orphans who listened to his adventure in the mine.

    Elincia climbed down the ladder and came to greet us.

    ¡°How many times have we talked about making Astrid fight monsters?¡±

    The answer was more than a few, but Astrid rarely obeyed my commands, and I wasn¡¯t usually in the mood to boss the teaching staff members around. Astrid did whatever she wanted most of the time. Despite the lecture being aimed at me, Astrid jumped to her defense.

    ¡°I¡¯m not useless! I can fight perfectly fine with these,¡± she said, showing the wands hidden up her wide sleeve.

    Elincia grinned and gave her an affectionate nudge.

    ¡°When are you going to listen?¡± she jokingly asked.

    ¡°Says the one who notoriously ignored Mister Lowell¡¯s orders,¡± Astrid retorted.

    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m a very tame and obedient governess. I always obey what the Headmaster has to say.¡±

    She didn¡¯t.

    Elincia and Astrid laughed. Although I never said it out loud, they were more alike than they wanted to admit. Maybe that was one of the reasons they never got along when they were younger. Now, they get along great¡ªand it wasn¡¯t just because Astrid looked after the little ones, allowing Elincia to sleep continuously all night long.

    ¡°The ant outbreak is under control, but we might still need the repellant,¡± I said before explaining to Elincia about the Stonemason Ant grave and the metal and gemstone deposits on their backs.

    Elincia sighed.

    ¡°Is it safe? Having a nest so close to the hamlet, I mean.¡±

    ¡°The ants let Ash pet them, so I guess they are pretty tame,¡± Astrid said.

    I clenched my teeth, bracing for the impact.

    Elincia¡¯s eyes shot wide open.

    ¡°You let Ash do what?!¡±

    Across the diner room, Ash slid down his chair and hid among the orphans.

    Luckily, Risha appeared through the service doors in the back of the room, carrying a cauldron full of barley, peas, and carrot soup. Two old orc ladies followed with bread baskets, butter bells, and jugs of water. The smell of herbs and spices washed away the phantom smell of the ant nest.

    We employed a total of three orc housemaids to help with the chores around the orphanage. Orcs weren¡¯t keen on receiving money as payment, so they named a few items each month, and we acquired them at Farcrest. Lately, jewelry had become trendy among orc ladies, but in previous months, they asked for spices, iron nails, liquor, cheese, woolen cloth, and weaving tools.

    Izabeka¡¯s call echoed across the manor, and the orphans who had been left behind appeared in the dining room.

    Elincia and I helped Risha and the orc ladies serve dinner. The older kids eyed their bowls with ravenous hunger. Izabeka¡¯s training regime had that effect on people. After everyone had their food, we sat in the corner of the first table¡ªthe teacher¡¯s corner¡ªand poured our bowls. Fighting off the ants had worked up my appetite.

    The orc housemaids rarely ate with us. Orcs weren¡¯t used to the decibels made by twenty-something orphans gathered in the same room. Today was the exception. Maybe the older kids were too tired and hungry to make the usual fuzz, but dinner was calmer than normal.

    ¡°The calm before the storm,¡± Izabeka joked. ¡°Tomorrow, they will be unruly.¡±

    ¡°I hope not,¡± I said, turning to Risha. ¡°How is everything going on the northern pass?¡±

    Risha grabbed a piece of bread from the basket.

    ¡°No big monsters in sight. A herd of Stone Golems left the western mountain and headed north, but they caused no trouble,¡± he said. ¡°A flock of Roc Harpies has been eyeing the peaks near the quarry, but I doubt they will settle down. Too much noise.¡±

    I was going to ask about the harpies when my bracelet buzzed. I thought it was Elincia trying to catch my attention, but it buzzed again. Risha fell silent. We exchanged a worried glance. Then, the bracelet buzzed for the third time.

    Three buzzes meant trouble.

    The detection pins I had scattered along the valley caught a strong magic signal.

    ¡°Risha, with me,¡± I said, leaving my bowl on the table. ¡°The rest, stay here.¡±

    Nothing weaker than a Lv.30 martial Class spell could disturb my detection pins. I couldn¡¯t tell what pins had been disturbed without the main panel at Lowell¡¯s Manor. My bracelet didn¡¯t stop buzzing.

    We exited the manor just as a group of cloaked figures landed on the high road.

    A gust of wind made my shirt flutter.

    A wind mage?

    The Teal Moon warriors clutched their rifles but kept them hidden.

    ¡°Did you invite anyone?¡± I asked.

    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be guests until Elincia¡¯s ingredient delivery tomorrow morning,¡± Risha replied.

    One of the cloaked figures greeted us as they walked down the road. They weren¡¯t regular travelers. The group leader was wearing a black cape with a yellow hem. It wasn¡¯t a traveler''s cloak but a fine dress piece. The other two travelers wore armor under their cloaks. [Foresight] told me the three of them were high-level combatants. The skill didn¡¯t catch a sign of aggression.

    ¡°That¡¯s the uniform of the Imperial Library,¡± Risha whispered to my ear. ¡°I remember them from my time in the army. Yellow hem means he¡¯s a magical combatant.¡±

    My stomach got queasy. Bad news traveled fast, and high-level combatants were the fastest in the kingdom.

    ¡°Good afternoon, gentlemen,¡± the robed man said. He looked vaguely like a fox, but his voice was deeper than I expected¡ªpure business. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Mister Robert Clarke. I was told he had a residence in Farcrest, but we found nothing but an empty plot when we reached the address. The neighbors told us we could find him here.¡±

    I took a step forward.

    ¡°That would be me,¡± I said.

    The man examined me. My dust-stained shirt and the simple riding pants weren¡¯t something a Prestige Class should be wearing. Still, the man with the vulpine features seemed to accept my words at face value. He pulled a scroll from his pouch and handed it to me.

    I examined it. The wax seal showed an owl carrying a rosemary twig. I didn¡¯t recognize it. The seal was overloaded with mana and only broke when I matched the amount of magic¡ªa simple yet useful tick. Anyone under level thirty would¡¯ve failed, which protected the scroll from most of the population. The scroll extended on its own.

    To Robert Clarke of Connecticut.

    We kindly request your presence at the Imperial Knights Academy to discuss an important matter concerning your son and daughter¡¯s Cadet activity. Please visit at your earliest convenience, not after the third month of spring.

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

    Sincerely,

    Sir Gwan Astur, Grandmaster of the Imperial Knights Academy.

    I reread the letter thrice in case I missed something.

    ¡°What is this about?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, sir,¡± the man said. ¡°I¡¯m just Wind Mage from the Library. I was told to deliver the letter as fast as I could.¡±

    I turned and handed the letter to Risha. He read it in silence.

    ¡°If they sent a Wind Mage instead of a regular Courier, this has to be serious.¡±

    I glanced at the letter, wondering who had gotten in trouble.

    One thing was clear: my daughter had to be Firana.

 197 - Breaking the Law

    Chapter 197

    After sending the orphans to bed, we gathered in Elincia¡¯s bedroom and rummaged through the stacks of letters the kids had sent over the past two years. The kids sent letters every month or every other month, depending on how busy they were. Sometimes, we got a group letter, but more often than not, each wrote a personal one. In two years, we¡¯d collected more than fifty letters.

    We read the letters from newest to oldest, expecting to find a clue as to why Lord Astur summoned me. There were none. No trouble, complication, or even a small source of irritation was mentioned. Even Firana seemed too busy with lessons and training to have enough time to get in trouble.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a fake?¡± Elincia asked, pointing at Lord Astur¡¯s official letter.

    ¡°It¡¯s genuine,¡± Lyra replied, examining the seal for the tenth time. ¡°And I¡¯m sure this is Lord Astur¡¯s writing, which is strange. Usually, it¡¯s a Scribe who writes his letters. I always aspired to that position¡­ but that¡¯s irrelevant to the matter at hand.¡±

    Lord Astur was Lyra¡¯s crush from the Imperial Library and the reason why she had received her [Crush on Mentor] title.

    I dismissed Lyra¡¯s blushing and focused on the letter.

    We kindly request your presence at the Imperial Knights Academy to discuss an important matter concerning your son and daughter¡¯s Cadet activity.

    The letter''s content was rather sparse. However, ¡®Cadet activity¡¯ didn''t necessarily have negative connotations. I wondered if the kids were even in trouble.

    ¡°Are parent-teacher conferences a thing in the Imperial Academy?¡± I asked.

    Lyra scratched her chin, deep in thought.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a few angry parents demanding meetings with teachers, but everyone in the Imperial Academy is already an adult, so parents are generally outside the process,¡± Lyra said, handing me the letter. ¡°This is unusual. Parents aren¡¯t a relevant cog in the process. If you get in trouble, you are on your own¡ªunless you belong to one of the three big ducal houses, I guess.¡±

    The bedroom fell into silence.

    ¡°Maybe they aren¡¯t in trouble,¡± Astrid pointed out. She was sitting on the bed. ¡°Maybe the lord grandmaster wants to congratulate you.¡±

    Risha sighed.

    ¡°If Lord Astur wanted to congratulate Rob, he would¡¯ve done it in the letter,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sound like a harbinger harpy, but the kids totally did something they shouldn¡¯t have done.¡±

    I read the letter for the hundredth time. Son and daughter.

    If I could tell who the two kids in question were, I could take an educated guess.

    ¡°Who do you think Firana dragged with her?¡± Izabeka asked.

    ¡°Why do you assume Firana is to blame?¡± Elincia snapped back.

    ¡°Come on, sweetie. We know the kids. Ilya wouldn¡¯t get in trouble even if someone tried to set her up, so the daughter has to be Firana. On the other hand, Zaon is a good egg, and Wolf is as loyal as a dog. They wouldn¡¯t refuse Firana¡¯s pleas even if she requested something¡­ against the rules.¡±

    Izabeka¡¯s assessment was painfully accurate.

    Whether the kids were in trouble or not, I saw no solution but to attend the meeting. I wasn¡¯t in a position to refuse the Grandmaster of the Imperial Academy, and I had to figure out what trouble the kids were in.

    ¡°I will depart tomorrow,¡± I said, interrupting the conversation. ¡°If I hurry, I will be back before the beginning of the summer.¡±

    Elincia gave me a worried glance, but it was Ginz who spoke.

    ¡°You will have to be careful, Rob. Prestige Classes are a scarce currency. If they discover your runeweaving bullshit, they will not stop until you are under their control,¡± he said.

    I nodded. Identity checks were a common thing in the high spheres. Luckily, I hadn¡¯t had to submit to any of those since I got the Runeweaver Class, but I wasn¡¯t sure to what extent I could hide my true Class from high-level System Users.

    ¡°Lyra,¡± I said. ¡°Identify me.¡±

    The girl nodded, and Elincia and Risha stepped away from me. Most Classes had detection skills, but only the Scholar line and a few others could access people¡¯s Character Sheet. Mana surged through Lyra¡¯s body, but the skill bounced against me, and Lyra closed her eyes in pain. Lyra was in her low thirties, so she wasn¡¯t a pushover to any extent.

    ¡°I can¡¯t break your innate magical defense,¡± she said.

    Elincia gave Lyra a mana potion, and we repeated the test. No matter how much mana Lyra pushed into the skill, she couldn¡¯t bypass my defenses. She pushed herself to the limit, and I felt the intrusion for an instant, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Ultimately, the result was similar to my [Stun Gaze] bouncing off high-level monsters. Lyra sat down, prey to nausea. Her face was green, and her brow was sweaty.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Thanks, Lyra,¡± I said.

    The girl gave me a thumbs-up. Elincia gave her a remedy for the dizziness, and Izabeka helped her walk back to her bedroom.

    There wasn¡¯t much else to discuss.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. We all have to be up early tomorrow,¡± I said.

    Risha and Ginz walked to the door, deep in thought.

    ¡°I can go with you. I know the capital like the palm of my hand,¡± Astrid pointed out.

    ¡°I would rather you stay at the orphanage, Astrid. Our main goal is to give the orphans a good environment, so let¡¯s focus on that. They depend on us,¡± I replied. ¡°I will return as fast as possible.¡±

    Astrid and Risha nodded.

    We said our goodnights, and the group exited the bedroom until only Elincia and I were left. We sat on the bed, looking at the letter from the Imperial Academy. I couldn¡¯t help but feel something was suspicious about it, but I couldn¡¯t turn my back on the kids.

    ¡°At least your secret is safe from anyone level thirty and below,¡± Elincia said, standing up and collecting the old letters.

    That ruled out eighty percent of the population¡ªmaybe more. However, what worried me were the remaining twenty and the identification artifacts like the System Shrine Fragment. They wouldn''t let me go if they realized I was a Runeweaver.

    Elincia put the kid¡¯s letters away and unbuttoned her blouse, deep in thought.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I said.

    I had an idea.

    Elincia grinned.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to get naked? That¡¯s new.¡±

    At least her sense of humor stayed intact.

    I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°I wanted to ask you out, but if you want to go naked, I won¡¯t object.¡±

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°Now? The sun is down,¡± Elincia asked, confused.

    ¡°Yes, now.¡±

    ¡°Should I put a jacket on?¡±

    Elincia exchanged her dress for her ¡®adventurer¡¯s attire¡¯: high boots, tight riding pants, and a leather jacket. Then, she threw a short cloak over her shoulders. I handed her a fabric scarf to protect her face from the cold. It was going to be a windy adventure.

    ¡°Enjoying the show?¡± Elincia asked as she adjusted her belt.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t imagine,¡± I replied. ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    Elincia nodded. She looked just like the first time we met.

    I opened the window and invited her over. It was dark as a wolf¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Elincia asked.

    ¡°To break the law,¡± I replied with a mysterious smile.

    ¡°Exciting.¡±

    I picked Elincia up and channeled my mana. She held on tight to my neck, and we took off. [Minor Aerokinesis] sent us high above the manor. We stood suspended in the air for a few seconds and landed on the bridge down the manor¡¯s path. Not the progress I expected.

    I closed my eyes and entered into my mana pool. A moment later, I was surrounded by a circular wall covered in runes. I located the section that activated [Minor Aerokinesis] and edited the skill parameters to increase the power output.

    ¡°Why did we stop?¡± Elincia asked, her heart beating against her chest.

    ¡°I was adjusting my [Minor Aerokinesis],¡± I replied.

    Elincia stiffened in my arms.

    ¡°Adjusting how¡ª?!¡±

    I didn¡¯t give her time to finish the sentence, and I shot us high into the sky. Green and turquoise mana sparkled around my feet as I pushed the skill to the limit. Elincia screamed, her hair fluttering wildly. My mana pool complained about the sudden discharge, but I had mana to spare.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve brought the camera!¡± Elincia shouted above the whistling wind as we reached the jump¡¯s peak.

    We still had a few pictures left in the cartridge.

    I adjusted the landing to avoid a tree, and we fell as light as a feather.

    Elincia laughed, although my brain brought darker implications to my spell usage. Technically speaking, I could fling a person dozens of meters into the air. The more I used high-level magic, the more I understood how dangerous high-level System Users were. Elincia didn''t seem to have the same apprehensions.

    ¡°Higher,¡± she said.

    ¡°Higher it is,¡± I replied, channeling even more mana.

    Arcs of magic crackled around me, but we were far from the hamlet, and no one could see us.

    Elincia howled as we soared through the Farland''s skies above the sea of trees.

    I squeezed her body against mine and enjoyed the trip.

    The regular path from Whiteleaf Manor to Farcrest required a huge roundabout around the mountains, but [Minor Aerokinesis] avoided that problem. We took the direct route, and half an hour later, we landed on the farmlands north of Farcrest. I put Elincia down, but her legs trembled too much to stand.

    ¡°Jokes about spaghetti legs are strictly forbidden,¡± Elincia said, taking a deep breath.

    I gave her a moment to regain strength.

    ¡°When does the law-breaking start?¡± Elincia asked as she caught her breath.

    ¡°Now,¡± I replied, casting [Mirage] and [Silence Dome] around us.

    An invisibility sphere surrounded us. If my hunch was correct, we were invisible to anyone except a select group of high-level Sentinels. [Mirage] was guzzling mana at a worrying pace. We only had a few minutes of invisibility.

    Elincia jumped into my arms, and I sent us above the outer wall. The guardsmen detected the sound of [Minor Aerokinesis], but after a quick inspection of the empty farm plot, they blamed the wind from the mountains. [Foresight] showed me a suitable landing spot, and I steered using the wind. We landed on top of a two-story workshop inside the city.

    ¡°Run,¡± I said, grabbing Elincia¡¯s arm and heading toward the Great Hall.

    We used [Minor Aerokinesis] sparsely, just to cover the gaps between buildings.

    ¡°You are in very good shape for an Alchemist.¡± I taunted Elincia.

    ¡°Elven blood runs strong through my veins,¡± she replied.

    It was a shame the pastry shops were closed. We might¡¯ve tried a tavern, but I didn¡¯t trust my ability to jump our way back into the manor under the influence of alcohol.

    We reached the inner wall well past midnight. Farcrest was sleeping, but there was still movement on the Great Hall¡¯s grounds. Porters carried crates and loaded carts while crews of workers returned to their houses after weeks away from home. The royal army was about to break into Tagabirian soil, and the Marquis was extending the royal road to connect both kingdoms¡ªwith Farcrest in between, of course.

    Adrenaline rushed through my veins. I would be in big trouble if Lord Alton were in the Great Hall. He had been Farcrest¡¯s only Prestige Class until my promotion. He started as a Hunter, got the Advanced Class Ranger, and finally turned into a Marksman a few decades ago after defeating the boss of a Monster Surge. If there was a person who could catch me, it was him. However, Lord Alton spent most of his time inside the Farlands with his Sentinels.

    We circled the outer wall, jumping from roof to roof.

    ¡°Do you have an idea where we are going?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± she replied as we landed a big jump. [Light-footed] helped a lot. ¡°We are sneaking into Abei¡¯s studio.¡±

    We lined up with the Scholar¡¯s Tower on the eastern side of the Great Hall and jumped over the wall directly into the Great Hall¡¯s roof. Elincia pressed her face against my chest so as not to yell. We landed softly, and no alarm went off. Underneath us, porters and guardsmen continued with their routines. I let the illusion drop, and the cloak of darkness around us disappeared. A shiver ran down my shoulders.

    ¡°There¡¯s an open window over there.¡± Elincia pointed to the Scholar¡¯s Tower.

    Her eyes gleamed in the darkness.

    ¡°Good. I planned to melt the lock,¡± I replied.

    We jumped on the tiny balconette outside the window. We would have fallen without [Light-footed] helping us balance on the small surface, but luckily, we shared the skill. Elincia pushed the window open with her foot, and we entered Abei¡¯s study.

    I hadn¡¯t stepped foot into Abei¡¯s chambers for half a year, but everything remained the same. Tall bookshelves were placed perpendicularly to all the opposite walls, while wide desks were placed under the windows. The strange brass solar system had been disassembled and rested on a table in the corner.

    There was no Scholar or Scribe in sight.

    We used a desk as a stepping stone and dropped to the floor.

    My hunch was correct. It took a high-level combatant to detect my presence. Veteran guardsmen were usually in their lower 30s, with a few outliers about to reach Lv.40. I couldn''t tell whether we had met one of the higher ones, but it was safe to assume I could pass unnoticed to everyone below Lv.40.

    The room looked bigger without the Scribes running around.

    Elincia pulled back the fabric covering a table, revealing the Shrine Fragment embedded in its copper nest. The Fragment''s surface was bright blue, but its core had remained dull since I first touched it. My hand graced its surface, but the System Avatar didn¡¯t appear. I wasn¡¯t expecting him to.

    ¡°This has to be our strangest date,¡± Elincia pointed out.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t a date unless we make out,¡± I replied.

    Elincia grinned.

    ¡°Do you know how to operate the Shrine Fragment?¡± I asked.

    ¡°These things are usually foolproof,¡± Elincia replied, pouring a bit of mana into the shattered orb.

    The Shrine Fragment gleamed.

    ¡°Put your hand above it,¡± Elincia said.

    I obeyed. Like the first time I entered the Great Hall, I put my hand over the orb, and my Character Sheet appeared before my eyes. The gizmo didn¡¯t give me time to try to hide my Class or my shared ¡®race¡¯ traits.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human. (Light-Footed, Night Vision)

    Class: Runeweaver Sage Lv.44

    Titles: Out of your League, Hot for Teacher, Consultant Detective, Researcher of the Hidden, Headmaster, Classroom Overlord, Golden Sage, Silver Runeweaver, +15 others.

    Passive: Lv.6 Swordsmanship, Lv.1 Polearm Mastery, Lv.1 Riding, Mana Mastery, Foresight, Master of Languages.

    Skills: Identify, Magical Ink, Silence Dome, Invigoration, Stun Gaze, Intimidate, Mirage, Runeweaver Encyclopedia, Rune Debugger, Rune Identification, Minor Aerokinesis, Minor Pyrokinesis, Minor Geokinesis, Minor Hydrokinesis.

    I grimaced.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go around the capitol showing that,¡± Elincia sighed. ¡°Runeweaver Sage is just the main offender, but there are other strange things. [Light-Footed] and [Night Vision] aren¡¯t human traits. [Runeweaver Encyclopedia], [Rune Debugger], and [Rune Encyclopedia] are as telling as your Class. You will have to avoid System Shrines at all costs.¡±

    I examined the prompt one last time before removing my hand.

    There was a lot to fix. I closed my eyes and dived into my mana pool. The runes greeted me like old friends. I located the section designated to racial traits. Unlike skills, [Light-Footed] and [Night-Vision] lacked parameters I could edit. The section was comprised of an identification, a name, and a function call. Identifiers and functions operated on the System side, so I couldn¡¯t edit them.

    I selected the name section instead and left it empty.

    My mana pool didn¡¯t crumble, and I could still see in darkness when I opened my eyes. I summoned my Character Sheet. [Night Vision] and [Light-Footed] were nowhere to be found. With a wide grin, I did the same for my Class, Titles, and Skills. [Runeweaver], [Silver Runeweaver], [Runeweaver Encyclopedia], [Rune Debugger], and [Rune Encyclopedia] were all gone. Invisible.

    I erased [Intimidate] and [Stun Gaze] for good measure.

    It was better to pass as someone weaker and keep a few tricks up my sleeve.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± I said.

    ¡°Here? How adventurous,¡± Elincia jokingly said as she powered the Shrine Fragment.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Sage Lv.44

    Titles: Out of your League, Hot for Teacher, Consultant Detective, Researcher of the Hidden, Headmaster, Classroom Overlord, Golden Sage, and +15 others.

    Passive: Lv.6 Swordsmanship, Lv.1 Riding, Mana Mastery, Foresight, Master of Languages.

    Skills: Identify, Magical Ink, Silence Dome, Invigoration, Mirage, Minor Aerokinesis, Minor Pyrokinesis, Minor Geokinesis, Minor Hydrokinesis.

    Elincia froze like a deer before a sixteen-wheeler.

    ¡°Before you freak out,¡± I said. ¡°This is just a visual effect.¡±

 198 - Fox-face

    Chapter 198

    Elincia was still sleeping while I prepared my backpack. [Invigoration] halved the amount of sleeping time I needed, so I was well-rested even after our nightly escapade. Dawn had already broken, and Elincia softly snored with the blankets up to her chin. She looked comfy, and for a moment, the desire to go back to bed almost got me.

    I grabbed another change of clothes and put it in the backpack. There wasn¡¯t much I needed¡ªor wanted¡ªto take with me.

    Much like any other crafting Class, Enchanters followed strict recipes provided by the System. Only seasoned, high-level Enchanters experimented with original enchantments. My enchanted items would stick like a sore thumb, so I favored non-enchantment equipment.

    I took off my Notification Bracelet and left it on the desk. It wasn¡¯t like I could use it in the capital. The effective range was about seventeen kilometers, and the connection with the detection pins and other bracelets was lost outside that range. My only connection with the orphanage would be the Twin Ring.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± Elincia grunted behind me.

    Her eyes were sleepy, and her hair was messier than usual, probably due to last night''s wind-jump traveling. She looked vaguely like a banshee¡ªa very cute one.

    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I dreamed about rollercoasters,¡± she replied, sitting on the bed and rubbing her eyes. ¡°Let me help you.¡±

    I knew there was little I could say to convince her to stay in bed, so I let her rearrange my backpack. She noticed the bracelet on the desk.

    ¡°The capital is far away, huh?¡± she said as she folded a shirt.

    ¡°I wonder if I could cut the trip in half using [Aerokinesis],¡± I pointed out.

    Elincia grinned.

    ¡°Lord Vedras won¡¯t be happy if a Prestige Class scares every farmer between Farcrest and the capital. Take Bucko. Don¡¯t stray from the royal road. He will take you there safely.¡±

    Elincia grabbed a potion pouch from the chest and filled it with a few Health Potions and other handy stuff. I still missed the Holone Grapes I lost years ago during my duel against Janus. My old potion pouch had ended up lost in the parallel dimension. Elincia then grabbed a smaller potion pouch and put six potions inside.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡± I asked.

    ¡°These are specially crafted for horses. They are probably safe for human consumption, but don¡¯t test your luck,¡± she replied.

    The Swiftness Potion would make Bucko faster for a short period. Great for urgent escapades in case low-level bandits attacked me. The Endurance Potion was a Stamina Potion that had to be administered beforehand and would allow Bucko to travel for a day without stopping. The third potion was a Hoof Regeneration Tonic in case Bucko¡¯s hoofs got damaged.

    ¡°So¡­ no great demonstrations of magic in public?¡± I asked, hooking the potion pouches to the backpack.

    ¡°Your [Aerokinesis] can blow out a village, so be mindful,¡± Elincia replied.

    The thought of sending a person flying assaulted me last night during our escapade, but I¡¯ve never thought about blowing up a whole village. I probably could.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem very concerned about my powers,¡± I pointed out.

    Elincia gave me a smug glance.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even hurt a Stonemason Ant, but that doesn¡¯t mean other people know,¡± Elincia said. ¡°You are technically a Combat Class now. You better pick up the etiquette quickly.¡±

    ¡°I will keep that in mind,¡± I replied.

    Everyone was up early in Lowell¡¯s manor, so we crossed the orphanage¡¯s grounds to Whiteleaf Manor through the grove. Elincia put a candle on Mister Lowell¡¯s gravestone and asked him to protect me during the trip.

    The people of Farcrest incinerated their deceased to prevent the body from turning into undead, so the gravestone was just a memorial.

    Inside Whiteleaf Manor, Astrid, Izabeka, and the orc ladies prepared breakfast while the kids slowly dropped into the kitchen. The news about my departure spread like wildfire. The older kids complained, not because they would miss me but because my absence meant Izabeka was in charge of their training sessions. Shu and Nokti seemed more excited about my trip than the average kid. As expected, they instantly asked for gifts and souvenirs. I couldn¡¯t say no to them, so I added a bunch of random trinkets and oddities to one of my many mental lists. In exchange, I made them promise to study twice as hard and obey Elincia in everything she said. The kids accepted the terms, although I knew only half of them would comply.

    Despite Lord Astur¡¯s letter, breakfast had a festive tone.

    Traveling to the capital was quite an event, after all.

    After breakfast, Elincia packed food for the trip, and the whole orphanage accompanied me to the entrance. Risha was already waiting for me with Bucko by his side. He grabbed my backpack and secured it on Bucko¡¯s rump. Jorn Mountain Horses were shorter than regular horses but a lot stronger, so the extra weight didn¡¯t make a dent in Bucko¡¯s mood.

    ¡°Bucko is faster than a loaded cart, so you should be able to complete the trip in ten days,¡± Risha said.

    In the best-case scenario, I¡¯d return in less than a month.

    Izabeka and Astrid gave me a few tips on traveling. They told me what towns to stop in to rest, what places to avoid to make the journey more efficient, how much to pay for accommodations, and what to do if Bucko got injured. After a while, they sounded more like worried aunties than my friends. Although it was my first time traveling so far away from Farcrest, I wasn¡¯t nervous in the slightest. Elincia, on the other hand, was restless.

    ¡°If the kids are really in trouble, I will ask Prince Adrien for help. I¡¯m sure he will not ask for my soul in return for a favor,¡± I jokingly said.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you against nepotism?¡± Elincia replied.

    ¡°We¡¯re not related, so it¡¯s not nepotism. It¡¯s business.¡±

    Elincia gave me a tight hug and a goodbye kiss, ignoring the kids'' disgusted reaction.

    ¡°Write as soon as you arrive, and tell the kids we miss them so much,¡± she said, giving me the last-minute instructions. ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t forget to interrogate them. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a lot they haven¡¯t told us in the letters. Check if any of them has landed a boyfriend or a girlfriend. If they did, make sure they aren¡¯t shady.¡±

    Astrid covered Elincia¡¯s mouth with her hand.

    ¡°Enjoy the trip, but avoid the Imperial Library. They have ten million books, and we know how much of a Scholar you are. You won¡¯t be back in a year,¡± she jokingly said.

    ¡°And remember, no bird-watching,¡± Ginz added with a mischievous grin.

    Elincia mumbled something under Astrid¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back before you can miss me,¡± I said.

    After a dozen hugs and handshakes, I grabbed Bucko¡¯s reins and was on my way. Everyone waved their hands from the manor¡¯s entrance. It felt strangely good.

    Elincia managed to get free from Astrid¡¯s grip and ran down the path to give me one last kiss. I leaned to Bucko¡¯s side, and she hung from my neck, her feet detached from the ground. The horse complained as Elincia pressed her lips against mine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything crazy,¡± she said as she dropped to the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Scholar. The craziest thing I¡¯d do is to stay up all night reading,¡± I replied.

    Elincia gave me one last smile before the path turned into the mountains, and I lost sight of the orphanage.

    ****

    It has been a while since the last time I was alone.

    Since my arrival at the orphanage almost three years ago, I hardly had time alone. Someone was always around: I worked with Ginz and Lyra in the workshop, went for drinks with Risha and Astrid, sparred with Izabeka, or simply looked after the kids. Even while locked in my studio, working on my enchantments, I could hear the kids playing nearby.

    Bucko took me through the steep mountain path, into the valley, and across Fracrest¡¯s streets. We exited through the southern gate, dodging carts and stagecoaches. Farcrest was experiencing a renaissance. Smelling the influx of riches from the elven kingdom, workers and craftsmen from the nearby towns and cities arrived in droves. In many regards, leveling up a combat Class was more simple. Leveling up and cultivating a crafting class required an enormous amount of materials, creativity, and dedication.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    I noticed several carts loaded to the brim with crates with the Vedras sigil.

    Lord Vedras seemed to be taking advantage of its proximity to Farcrest.

    Bucko guided me down the road, snorting at the passing carts. Two hours into the trip, we stopped by an affluent of the Azure River to rest. I refilled my waterskin and poured a few drops of Elincia¡¯s Water Purifier Potion inside while Bucko drank directly from the stream. Then, I let him graze while I sat under a tree by the roadside. Carts and travelers passed by, ignoring me. My beige traveling cloak and my simple attire made me look unremarkable. Even Bucko looked painfully ordinary next to the tall and elegant horse breeds of the Vedras Dukedom.

    Bucko seemed to detect my impolite thoughts and snorted in my direction.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, buddy, mountain horses are beautiful too,¡± I said.

    Suddenly, [Foresight] pinged my brain. Three travelers had abandoned the road and were walking directly towards me. It took me a moment to recognize them. It was the fox-faced messenger and his two bodyguards. The robe of the Imperial Library set him apart from the other travelers. The yellow hem told me he was a magical combatant.

    The group was traveling on foot.

    ¡°Robert Clarke?¡± Fox-face greeted me with a sly smile.

    ¡°The messenger,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t introduced myself. I am Joan, Adept of the Imperial Library¡¯s Magicians Circle, and hopefully soon-to-be Preceptor,¡± he said with the nonchalant tone of those who found a certain irony in rank systems.

    Lyra had instructed me on the ranks of the Imperial Library. The lower rank was Novice, reserved for new apprentices. After two to four years of instruction, a Novice was recommended for promotion to Adept. Most people at the Imperial Library ended up on that rank. Adepts were graduates, but most remained at the Library as part of the Preceptors¡¯ research teams. Only those Adepts who showed outstanding contributions to their discipline and great personal potential became Preceptors. The Preceptors were the professors of the Imperial Library, and most also had personal workshops with tens of apprentices or led research teams. Preceptors were the real deal. Above the Preceptors were the Archivists, the leaders of the different disciplines, and above the Archivist was the Grand Archivist, the leader of the whole Imperial Library.

    ¡°I presume you are traveling to the capital?¡± Joan asked. ¡°If so, we can travel together. The more, the merrier¡­ and the less chance for bandits to slit our throats.¡±

    Gallows humor. I liked it.

    ¡°I¡¯m traveling mounted. I might be too slow for you,¡± I replied, pointing at Bucko.

    The horse seemed to take offense at my words.

    Joan blinked, perplexed.

    ¡°You know we arrived at your orphanage using magic? I was sure nobody was watching when we landed at the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°Scholars have a good mana sense. It comes with [Mana Mastery],¡± I shrugged.

    Joan laughed.

    ¡°I guess we can take it slow and enjoy the landscape. Astur will find another annoying task for us if we hurry back,¡± he said.

    The guards nodded, mumbling something about guard duty.

    ¡°Glad to have company,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t so worried about having company, but this was a good opportunity to get some information about the Imperial Academy. Joan seemed talkative enough to answer my questions.

    I grabbed Bucko¡¯s reins, and we hit the road.

    Joan was a Lv.31 Wind Mage originally from Mariposa, in the Vedras Dukedom. He belonged to a family of Alchemists, but had known he didn¡¯t have the patience required to brew since he was a kid. When Joan turned fifteen, he refused the Alchemist Class and became a Mage. His father wasn¡¯t happy. Joan then joined a mercenary group that operated to protect the eastern border. After the mercenary group was wiped out during a Monster Surge, he was scouted by a group of magicians from the Imperial Library. He was offered a place as a Novice in the Magical Combatants Course, the Magicians Circle. Then, his nightmare began.

    ¡°To say the Imperial Library is competitive is an understatement. For the past five years, I feel like I¡¯ve been scraping by,¡± Joan sighed as he continued his rant. ¡°My classmates scared me, and the Preceptors scared me even more. But I got promoted to Wind Mage and finally became an Adept, although now I¡¯m barely more than an overpriced courier.¡±

    ¡®College¡¯ students seemed to have the same gripes on this side of the portal.

    ¡°Better than spelunking with nosy Scholars,¡± a guard mentioned. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the ants, but I can¡¯t stand spiders. No offense.¡±

    Amen.

    Both guards were dropouts from the Imperial Knights Academy. The Library was keen to hire dropouts to bolster their manpower. Non-combatants usually require protection or extra muscle for their field trips, often both. The guards had been escorting Scholars and Alchemists around the kingdom for over two decades. Joan, as an Adept, had even participated in teleportation experiments. One time, he was teleported a hundred meters above the city. Only his [Feather Fall] allowed him to survive, but there was only so much acceleration the skill could negate.

    I drew two conclusions from our conversation. First, the Imperial Library selected the continent''s brightest minds and then selected those who stood out. Second, the System might actually unplug a section of the Scholar¡¯s frontal lobe. Considering the guards¡¯ stories, the Scholars of the Imperial Library were the opposite of risk-averse. Maybe that was only true for the Scholars born on this side of the portal.

    Joan was very talkative, and for the next three days, he told me every single one of his gripes with the Imperial Library, from his failed romantic partnerships to the brutal exams, the abuse of Stamina Potion among students, the best places to drink in the capital, and what areas to avoid.

    On the night of the third day, we stopped at a road inn owned by a married couple. The inn was famous in the area because the husband was a Brewmaster. Despite the fame, the establishment wasn¡¯t particularly attractive to the eye. The floor was spacious with furniture as old as time itself. The light stones embedded on walls and pillars gave washed-out light like old street lamps. I didn¡¯t know enchantments could age. I covertly examined them and noticed the enchantment was fading, which was strange considering that even Farcrest¡¯s enchanted ¡®relics¡¯ were in top-notch condition even though they dated back to the city''s foundation.

    As old as the building was, everything was spotless.

    My attention shifted to my travel companions as they signaled me to sit down.

    ¡°What do we order?¡± I asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s no menu,¡± Joan said, raising four fingers.

    The innkeeper, a man tall as a bear with a huge belly, filled four tankards, and his wife made them float across the room. Joan brought the tankard to his mouth as soon as it touched the table. The two guards imitated him. For my part, I stopped to examine the contents. It has been a while since I¡¯ve seen such a foamy beer. The beer at Farcrest was usually flat and too bitter to have any recognizable flavor.

    I took a sip, and the flavor hit me like a runaway pumpkin cart on a downhill roll. The flavor was simple yet delicious. It might be the best beer I had in my life. Covertly, I froze the bottom of the tankard. The second sip was even better.

    ¡°So, Robert, what takes you to the capital?¡± Joan asked as he put his tankard down, empty.

    It had been three days of travel, and all they knew about me was that I was named Robert Clarke, was the caretaker at the local orphanage, and that thanks to my contributions to the city, I attained the title of Thane. Joan had been busy talking about himself the entire time, which was a feat on its own. I could summarize my whole life in an hour.

    ¡°I was summoned to the Academy,¡± I replied, trying to avoid going into details.

    ¡°But you aren¡¯t a combatant, are you? You said you are a teacher,¡± Joan said, calling for another round.

    ¡°One of my old pupils might have gotten into trouble. Third-year Cadet,¡± I explained.

    Joan scratched his chin, deep in thought.

    The guards also seemed interested in the turn of the conversation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how exactly a third-year Cadet can get into trouble. By that point, the weeds have been mown, and your chances of graduating are very high. If you survive two years, the Academy starts treating you like an actual human being,¡± Joan said, deep in thought, his face suddenly turning more fox-like.

    The guards nodded in approval. One had lasted six months in the Academy, while the other lasted a whole year. Both agreed that third-year students were treated more like Imperial Knights than Cadets, and Imperial Knights had a lot of benefits.

    ¡°For a third year to get in trouble, they¡¯d have to maim another cadet or something like that,¡± one of the guards pointed out.

    A shiver ran down my spine, but Joan raised his hand. He looked at me with his vulpine eyes and smiled.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not about your pupil, Robert Clarke. Maybe it¡¯s about you,¡± Joan said. ¡°Who summoned you?¡±

    My reluctance to share personal details clashed with my curiosity. Underneath his guise of a jokester, Joan had a keen mind and knew all the details about life in the capital. If I had to guess, he¡¯d cheated on every single one of his exams and tests.

    ¡°Grandmaster Astur summoned me,¡± I finally said.

    The tankard slipped from Joan¡¯s fingers, almost spilling its contents.

    ¡°Saint Baram! You must be a hotshot Scholar!¡± Joan said.

    ¡°I have expertise in both Maths and Physics.¡±

    Joan gave me a grin of delight as if he had just solved an impossible puzzle.

    ¡°Grandmaster Astur is a Radiant Paladin, but he has the rank of Archivist due to his contribution to the study of optics,¡± he said, drumming on the table. ¡°Be careful, Robert. Astur is one of the most powerful men in the kingdom. No one ever tells him no.¡±

    The conversation shifted to more mundane topics as the rounds came by.

    By midnight, Joan and the guards decided to detour south into Vedras territory to visit a famous brothel. As curious as I was about how a magical brothel operated, I declined the invitation. Joan teased me, but I gained the guards¡¯ respect for my choice. Both were married with kids.

    Joan paid the tab, and the group got up.

    ¡°I feel bad for leaving a Scholar traveling alone. It would weigh on my mind if bandits attacked you. Your students would miss you,¡± Joan said, rummaging through his pouch. ¡°Let me give you money to hire a proper escort.¡±

    I tried to decline the offer, but Joan was relentless. He was one of those annoying drunks, so no matter what I said, he shot me down and pushed the silver coins across the table. Still, I felt guilty for making him worry. Eight silver coins weren¡¯t exactly pocket change.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be necessary,¡± I said for the tenth time. ¡°I can take care of myself.¡±

    ¡°I insist! Don¡¯t be stubborn, we are basically best friends!¡± Joan shouted, his eyes cloudy by the alcoholic vapors.

    The innkeeper glared at us.

    We were making a scene.

    I was sober enough to know we were about to get booted out. I didn¡¯t want to get kicked out since I wanted to revisit the inn on the way back to get some of the beer for Elincia.

    Sighing, I summoned my character sheet and turned it around.

    ¡°I can take care of myself, see!¡±

    Joan paled.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry if I offended you, sir,¡± he muttered, his demeanor suddenly changed. He bowed deep, almost hitting his face against the table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for inviting you to a brothel, sir. That was completely out of place.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Foxface, we are basically best friends,¡± I said.

    Although slightly annoyed, I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The guards joined an instant later, and the atmosphere relaxed. The innkeeper gave us an approving nod, and Joan cleared his throat.

    ¡°Who would¡¯ve guessed? It seems Robert has been looking after us this whole time,¡± he said.

    After promising to get together for a drink in the capital, Joan and the guards left the inn, and I asked the keeper for a room. I didn¡¯t know how Joan and the guards could travel with so many beers inside their bellies. Drinking and wind spellcasting didn¡¯t seem to be a wise combination, but then again, my modern sensitivities usually clashed with the life in Ebros.

 199 - Greatest Teacher Clarke

    By the fifth day, I left behind the green pastures of the Vedras dukedom and entered the hilly passage that connected the northeast region to the royal territories. As we climbed the hills, the scenery changed from lush farmland to dry tundra grass and short, stumpy shrubs with thick leaves. Herds of hundreds of sheep grazed on the slopes like white and black patches against the yellow grass.

    Vedras Dukedom and Farcrest Marquisate were located in the northeast region of the kingdom, a remote place with little political relevance, cut off from the rest of the kingdom by the hilly area between the Farland Range to the north and the Blacksmoke Mountains to the south.

    The Blacksmoke Mountains were a stark mountain range shrouded in mist and smoke from the hundreds of small settlements on their slopes. The range split the central and eastern regions in an almost perfect vertical line. The Herran territories were East of the Blacksmoke Mountain and south of the Vedras dukedom. West of the Blacksmoke Mountain was my destination, the royal capital. Cadria.

    A chilling wind fell from the mountains, so I had to put on my jacket.

    Bucko seemed to enjoy the weather and the rugged terrain.

    Since there wasn¡¯t much to do, I used the silent hours of travel to experiment with rune injection. The royal road was hard to miss, and Bucko was more intelligent than most of Farcrest¡¯s nobles, so I let him navigate. For hours at a time, I entered a meditative state while Bucko pushed forward, preventing me from sliding to the side.

    I put my thoughts in order.

    Titles had three parameters: name, identifier, and function. The name was the string of letters shown on System prompts and Character Sheets. Changing the name had no impact on their effects. The identifier seemed to be some sort of serial number; I didn¡¯t understand its function. The identifier returned to its original value no matter how many times I tried to change it. Finally, the function was a single rune that recalled a particular effect. The function was entirely managed by the System''s back end, so it was impossible to modify it with my current powers. The risk of recalling a dangerous function made me cease my attempts to edit it.

    I tried to duplicate [Favorite Teacher], hoping to increase my mana pool for free, but my attempts didn¡¯t bear fruit. The information about the stacks of [Favorite Teacher] must be stored elsewhere because as soon as I finished the duplication process, the Title returned to its original form, and the duplication was erased.

    Tinkering with Titles was a dead end.

    For now.

    Passives had the same parameters as titles: displayed name, identifier, and a single-rune function. I changed the name of [Polearm Mastery] to [Acrobatics], but it didn¡¯t seem to have any discernible effect. My brain wasn¡¯t kneaded, and I didn¡¯t feel more agile.

    I opened my eyes and tried to get off Bucko with a swift single movement like Astrid did every time we went riding. My attempt, however, had the grace of a crippled elephant. Bucko looked at me with quizzical eyes as I mounted again.

    ¡°Why do you have to be so judgmental?¡± I asked.

    After two days on the road alone, talking to Bucko didn¡¯t feel strange at all.

    The horse snorted, like apologizing, and pressed forward through the path between the hills. Despite the rugged terrain, the road was as good as in Vedras territories. The royal family had the right idea to keep the kingdom well-connected.

    I hadn¡¯t made any progress experimenting with Titles and Passives, which left me with only one option. Skills.

    I opened my Character Sheet. My Scholar skills were serviceable as they were, and I decided not to touch my Runeweaving-related skills, just to ensure I could runeweave my Skills back to a usable state even if I messed up my code. I eyed my elemental skills: [Minor Geokinesis], [Minor Hydrokinesis], [Minor Pyrokinesis], [Minor Aerokinesis]. The ¡®minor¡¯ denominator still rubbed me the wrong way. The skills had artificial limitations, preventing me from using my vast mana pool to its full extent.

    I didn¡¯t have grand plans for any of my elemental skills, but removing the limitations sounded like a good idea. I had already done it with [Minor Aerokinesis].

    Of the four elemental skills I had gained with my Class promotion, the one I liked the most was [Minor Geomancy]. The skill was convenient for working the land and creating roads and buildings. Most importantly, the skill didn¡¯t require me to carry a giant water gourd on my back, and the risk of setting things on fire was minimal.

    I closed my eyes and located the runes of [Minor Geokinesis] in my mana pool. Unlike the Passives and Titles, the skill had dozens of parameters. Every single one was local information, meaning they could be edited.

    I examined the parameters. The numerical values alone made little sense; however, after using the elemental skills in their native form for two years, I had an approximate idea of their meaning. [Minor Geokinesis] allowed me to control minerals in a two-meter range, which was enough to build roads and shelters and even defend myself in close-quarter combat. However, keeping an attacker away seemed like a reasonable way to improve the skill, considering my lack of movement skills. I extended [Minor Geokinesis] range to manipulate material further away, increased the cap on mana input, and lowered the cooldown to cast more frequently.

    After tinkering with the numbers for a while, I noticed each parameter had a minimum that couldn¡¯t be lowered further. I wondered if that had anything to do with the System¡¯s limitations or if it was some safety measure. Adding a negative number in the mana input might have catastrophic results, so I limited myself to reasonable values.

    For now.

    I decided to leave an upper limit to the amount of mana input of the skill as a safety restriction. I didn¡¯t want to spend all my mana on a single accidental casting and get [Mana Exhaustion] in the middle of a fight.

    To add the finishing touches, I lowered the projectile spread parameter and increased efficiency, precision, and the number of parallel skill instances. There were still several parameters I didn¡¯t touch, but I thought I had already improved the skill enough to match my mana pool.

    It was time to test.

    I opened my eyes and led Bucko to the edge of the road before channeling my mana. I chose a rock about a meter from us and made it float. It was hard to explain definitively, but the skill felt more responsive. I dropped the rock and picked another two meters away. The mana needed to lift the rock more than doubled, but it still felt easy. I repeated the test several more times. My range had increased from the original two meters to ten. However, lifting a rock ten meters away required a ton of mana.

    ¡°I might be crazy, Bucko, but I think the intensity of the spell follows the inverse-square law,¡± I said, scratching my chin. Maybe it was just a matter of leverage. ¡°I guess you wouldn¡¯t get it. You are a horse, after all.¡±

    Bucko shook his mane. He might not understand physics, but he was good at detecting when someone insulted him.

    ¡°You¡¯d be a great senator, Bucko.¡±

    For the next hour, I juggled up to eight stones. Juggling might not be the best word to describe it because I was manipulating each of the rocks at the same time. Bucko complained each time I dropped a stone out of his vision range.

    It had been a while since I had encountered another traveler. The hills prevented me from seeing further along the road, and the place was sparsely inhabited compared to Vedras¡¯ meadows. Only herds of sheep and goats seemed to inhabit the place. From what I had heard, travelers preferred to cross this section of the road in caravans, so they waited for the first lights of the day to depart together.

    I didn¡¯t have the luxury of waiting a day.

    Suddenly, a figure appeared over the hills to my right. They wore a frayed cloak, simple clothes, and a staff. I assumed they were a shepherd¡ªa young one. The figure ran down the slope in a panic, slipping on the wet, tall grass and scraping their hands on the rocky patches, just to crawl back to their feet. The figure noticed my presence and waved their hands to catch my attention.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Monster! Please!¡±

    Regardless of the distance, the shepherd¡¯s voice was unmistakably feminine.

    I cued Bucko to speed up, and a moment later, the girl jumped the stone parapet and hid behind Bucko¡¯s body. Her hands and knees were bloody due to the falls, and her eyes were wide open. Blonde hair covered in dirt fell out of the cloak. She couldn''t be older than Firana.

    I glanced over the hills, but there was no sign of monsters.

    Yet.

    ¡°Sir! You have a sword! Please, my brother is fighting Mountain Wolves,¡± she said hastily, reaching for her pouch. ¡°I have money. It¡¯s not much, but please, save my brother; he just turned into a Soldier.¡±

    The jingle of silver and bronze reached my ears.

    The girl pushed the pouch against me, but I moved her hand away.

    The sight of blood almost got me, but [Foresight] told me she was lying. The girl was a great actress, but a great actress was needed to fool people with detection skills.

    I channeled my mana sense, and the world''s colors faded. Beyond the hills were no Mountain Wolves but many sheep and three sources of mana strategically positioned in an ambush position just beyond the ridge. I couldn¡¯t tell their levels, but they couldn''t be high level if they targeted a lone traveler in poor clothing. Still, I kept my guard up.

    I got off Bucko and told him to graze by the opposite side of the road.

    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± the girl said, keeping up the character. ¡°My brother is over there,¡± she added, signaling towards the ambush.

    I looked at both sides of the road. There were no other travelers nearby. The bandits must¡¯ve been scanning the area from the highest hills to pick lone adventurers and poorly guarded carts. I sighed. One way or another, I was going to get jumped. I would rather it be on my terms.

    Adrenaline rushed through my veins.

    Fighting humans was different from fighting beasts.

    ¡°Do you have a Class?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir, I¡¯m a Shepherd,¡± the girl replied.

    She was telling the truth. I recalled the Book of Classes. Shepherds were the classic support Class: E-rank physical and magical attributes with a slight advantage in speed and endurance over the regular non-combatant. Harmless by any measure.

    ¡°Let me see your wounds,¡± I said, grabbing her cloak.

    The girl had a small knife on her belt.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but my brother¡­¡± she said, pulling back.

    ¡°Stay here. I don¡¯t want you trapped in the crossfire,¡± I said.

    I drew my sword and walked up the hill with the girl closely behind me, wondering why they had decided to target me. Did I look that weak? Since my arrival at Farcrest, I had grown a couple of inches and put on several pounds of muscle. I sighed. Maybe it was my clean shave. I wondered if I should grow a beard.

    The terrain was treacherous, so I channeled my mana and put spikes on the soles of my boots. When I was about to get to the ridge, three men jumped out. Time slowed. to a crawl as I used [Identify].

    Soldier Lv.21

    Archer Lv.18

    Lancer Lv.13

    Their Character Sheets were open before my eyes, and I wasn¡¯t sure if any of them could even hurt me. Penetrating skills worked well against my mana barrier, but the sheer difference in level was enough to counter the bad matchup.

    My body moved on its own, and I parried the Soldier¡¯s attack without effort. His rusted blade gleamed with magic, but my strength alone was enough to push him to the side. I dodged the Archer¡¯s lunge and blocked the Lancer¡¯s spear. The terrain worked in my favor because the inertia sent them sliding downhill.

    ¡°You said he was a weakling,¡± the Soldier grunted.

    ¡°I saw him at the Brewmaster¡¯s place! His companions called him a Scholar!¡± the Archer replied.

    I grinned. He must have left before the escort money incident at the end of the night.

    The Lancer was the only one who seemed to understand the difference in our strengths because he clutched his spear and adopted a defensive stance. He was the youngest of the bunch. His level suggested he couldn¡¯t be much older than seventeen.

    ¡°Lancer isn¡¯t a bad Class. You can aim higher than highway robbery,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Shut up, moneybag!¡±

    Students had called me worse.

    ¡°You need to step up your intimidation game,¡± I said.

    The Lancer stepped forward and tried to stab my neck. His feet gleamed as he used [Quick Step], but [Foresight] showed me the direction of the attack, like a phantom of the Lancer ahead of time.

    I parried, not even resorting to my mana blade.

    Compared to Izabeka, this wasn¡¯t even a warm-up.

    In a panic, the Lancer used a defensive skill, and a silver bubble encroached on him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste mana, you dunce,¡± the Soldier said. ¡°Let¡¯s attack together. He can¡¯t parry us all.¡±

    Obediently, the Archer and the Lancer surrounded me.

    [Foresight] had no blind spot, but I had no intention of letting them near me.

    I lifted a dozen rocks and pebbles from the ground and made them spin around me at high speed. The rocks whistled as they orbited me, and the Archer stepped back. There wasn¡¯t a way in without getting hit. With a movement of my hand, I extended the orbit of the rocks, catching the Archer by surprise. The stone hit him square in the jaw, and he fell like a broken doll.

    I didn¡¯t let the Soldier and the Lancer react. Geokinesis was too fast for them. The Soldier raised his shield imbued in mana, but a swift sequence of stone impacts turned the wood into splinters. It took a small pebble to the jaw to send him to sleep.

    The Lancer reacted in panic and covered himself in the silver bubble. His defenses absorbed my stone projectiles, sending stone splinters over the tall grass. Unfortunately for him, the roadside was littered with rocks, and I had mana to spare. The silver bubble flickered as the small pebbles depleted his mana reserves.

    Finally, the barrier shattered. The Lancer tried to run away, but a pebble to the knee made him stumble. Before he could fall, a surgical stone hit his jaw, and he dropped like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

    I examined the battlefield. The only wound was the Soldier¡¯s broken arm.

    [Foresight] pinged my brain, and I surrounded myself in a mana barrier.

    The girl jumped on me, trying to stab me with her utility knife.

    It was useless, although it took her several seconds to realize my shell was unbreakable. I let her get tired. In the meantime, I summoned three mana hands and dragged the unconscious bodies to the road. The girl followed me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill them,¡± I said, adopting my best villainous voice. ¡°But their survival will depend on your actions.¡±

    The girl shuddered like a scared deer.

    They had messed with the wrong Scholar.

    I channeled my mana and pulled out a block of solid granite from the ground. Extending the range of my geokinesis was paying off already. There was a considerable distance between the surface and the harder strata. I raised the block of granite and hollowed it out. Then, using my mana hands, I put the Archer into the stone cocoon and closed it without a seam. The girl screeched. Then, I tore out a section so only the face was left exposed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I left enough space to wiggle and tilted it slightly backward so they¡¯ll be comfortable. We don¡¯t want a case of positional asphyxia,¡± I explained as I crafted the second ¡®granite maiden.¡¯

    After a few minutes, three monoliths with swollen human faces stood by the side of the road. They were impossible to miss. Then, I turned.

    ¡°Listen carefully. This is what will happen now,¡± I said, locking my gaze on the girl. ¡°Humans can go three days without drinking water. So, if they are left on their own, they will die. You can try to rescue them. Many people travel these roads, and you can ask them for help, but I don¡¯t recommend that. Do you see those words? It says they are bandits and murderers, and I can¡¯t vouch for other traveler¡¯s actions.¡±

    The girl nodded, panic-stricken.

    ¡°There is a second option. A few hours down the road, there is a village. You can ask the guards for help. They will have the skills to release them, but you will have to accept the consequences of your crimes and abide by this land¡¯s law,¡± I said. ¡°What are you going to choose?¡±

    The girl tried to reply, but her voice didn¡¯t come out.

    ¡°You must speak clearly, or nobody will understand you,¡± I said, citing my fourth-grade teacher.

    ¡°The second,¡± she finally said.

    ¡°Smart.¡±

    The girl turned around slowly like she was in front of a tiger.

    Then I remembered she also tried to stab me.

    ¡°Stop,¡± I said. ¡°Take off your cloak and your belt.¡±

    The girl froze, but after making the ground tremble around her, she obeyed.

    The coin pouch, the knife, and the cloak were left on the ground.

    Maybe a little scare would fix her ways.

    I channeled my mana and flung her into the sky.

    The girl probably weighed half as much as Elincia, so she flew higher than we did in our nightly escapade. I looked up. The girl flapped her arms as she turned into a small dot against the cloudy sky. [Foresight] informed me she had reached two hundred and fifty meters before starting to fall. Her scream got louder as she approached the ground. I channeled a considerable amount of mana to create a wind cushion. The girl slowed down rapidly until she came to a stop, hovering a few centimeters from the ground. Then, she dropped.

    The girl tried to get away from me, crawling, but her body trembled too much.

    I crouched by her side.

    ¡°What did we learn today?¡±

    ¡°I-I will behave,¡± she said, her teeth chattering, making her words almost unintelligible.

    ¡°Good,¡± I said, standing up. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your coin pouch and your cloak. It¡¯s going to be a cold night.¡±

    I missed the orphanage already.

 200 - Cadria

    ¡°Bucko! Those aren¡¯t mountains!¡±

    The white walls of the Royal City of Cadria appeared behind the hill, elegant and smooth as if carved in a single white block of stone. From afar, the walls looked just like the northern mountains in the background, but as we approached, I noticed a silvery mana barrier covering the walls from top to bottom and into the earth. I couldn¡¯t imagine how much mana would¡¯ve taken to enchant the whole thing. Farcrest seemed like a kid¡¯s first attempt at a sand castle in comparison.

    ¡°Ninety¡­ no, a hundred and twenty-five meters tall!¡± I muttered as [Foresight] helped me with the calculations. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. This was precisely what a magic world needed: ridiculously high enchanted walls, impregnable fortresses, and magic schools.

    Bucko remained unbothered by the majestic sight. Instead, he seemed more interested in the pumpkin patch by the side of the road. I had given Bucko one of Elincia¡¯s Energy Potions for the last stretch of the trip, so we hadn¡¯t stopped to eat since the morning.

    In the middle of the pumpkin patch, a young man, barely more than a teenager dressed in the black tunic of the Imperial Library, examined the pumpkins with a critical eye. The hem of his tunic was forest green, which meant he was part of the Nature Circle. The lack of markings made me think he was a novice. His attire hindered his work.

    There was another item a magical world needed: magical giant pumpkins. I examined them.

    Cahdan Gourd Grafted Giant Pumpkins. [Identify] Giant Pumpkin plants grafted into the root system of a Cahdan Gourd. Botanical Experiment.

    Silver and blue mana flowed through the stems into the fruits.

    ¡°Nice pumpkins,¡± I said as I passed by the young man.

    He raised his head and wiped his brow, leaving a dirt trail across his face. Black circles surrounded his eye. Still, he smiled. He had short, blonde hair, just as pale as his skin. His jaw was comically square, with a strong neck and calloused hands.

    ¡°Thanks, they are a handful,¡± the novice said as Bucko sniffed a pumpkin near the stone parapet. The boy quickly pulled the pumpkin away from Bucko¡¯s mouth. ¡°I¡¯d recommend caution. These are not ready for consumption yet.¡±

    I pulled the reins, and Bucko complained.

    ¡°What do they do?¡± I asked.

    My question caught the man by surprise.

    ¡°You can tell they have magical properties?¡±

    ¡°I have a good eye,¡± I pointed out. ¡°And you are a member of the Imperial Library, so I assume you are experimenting with pumpkins.¡±

    The novice rubbed his temples, bringing even more dirt to his face. Then, he slapped one of the pumpkins like he held a personal grudge against it.

    ¡°I am creating a new variety of pumpkin to grow in the ultra-cold weather of the northern lands. I grafted these into the stem of a Cahdan Gourd, but the results have been¡­ subpar. People avoid Cahdan Gourds because they don¡¯t usually like to get their teeth turned into icicles.¡± The novice sighed. ¡°Man, I wish the Preceptor would¡¯ve rejected my project. At this rate, these pumpkins will cost me my place in the Circle. Father will kick me out if I return home before becoming an Adept¡­ and I¡¯ve run out of time.¡±

    The novice was panicking like a Ph.D. student whose investigation was going nowhere. Venting to strangers was only the first sign that things were going south fast. Thanks to [Foresight], I could see his anxiety level rising by the second.

    I cleared my throat.

    [Foresight] sometimes felt like an invasion of privacy.

    The boy resembled the people from the Jorn Dukedom, except for his bulky frame and expressive eyes.

    ¡°Have you tried Orc Barley and Winter Lily?¡± I asked, examining the grafting point of the pumpkins. It was perfectly seamless. ¡°I assume you are talking about the north-west because the north-east doesn¡¯t get cold enough to need experimental foods. Your productive season is shorter, sowing in winter is impossible, and you have little available land due to the rough geography. In that case, Orc Barley is better than squash because you¡¯d be able to crunch an extra production cycle each season, and you can plant high-density crops in reduced spaces.¡±

    The novice was set aback, and it took him an instant to recover.

    ¡°That might work, actually. Winter Lily doesn¡¯t freeze people¡¯s teeth unless you distill its essence, and barley is a better match for the lily¡¯s physiology. And if I were to¡ª¡± he said but stopped mid-sentence. ¡°Is it okay for you to share your ideas with me? This could be an important breakthrough.¡±

    I shrugged.

    ¡°Ideas are a dime a dozen,¡± I said. ¡°Also, mixing a flower with a grain might be harder than mixing two types of squash, and I don¡¯t know how viable it is to cultivate Winter Lilies, so it will probably be a lot of work in the long run.¡±

    With [Foresight] assisting my mental processes, not having ideas was almost impossible. I withdrew mana from the skill and sent it to standby. The downside of [Foresight] was that I hyperfocused on tangential matters. I needed to get going. After all, the kids were more important than pumpkins.

    ¡°Grafting isn¡¯t that hard. The Preceptors of the Nature Circle create new variations every year, so as long as the grafting is stable enough to last a season, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± the novice said, pulling a small notebook and writing with a graphite pen. ¡°May I ask your name, sir?¡±

    ¡°Robert from Farcrest, and this is Bucko,¡± I said.

    The novice examined the horse.

    ¡°A mountain horse, it reminds me of home. I am Ralgar from Krigia, Herbalist. I am pleased to meet you,¡± the novice introduced himself.

    Bucko held out a hoof expectantly but snorted when he realized Ralgar wouldn¡¯t reciprocate the gesture.

    Krigia was one of the poor dukedoms in the northwest corner of the kingdom, neighboring the Jorn dukedom. My assumptions about his food situation were accurate. The Kigria dukedom shared the mountainous region of the Jorn. Few valleys were suitable for large-scale agriculture, so they depended on Gairon grain whenever a Monster Surge interrupted a farming season.

    Hearing Ralgar speak about his homeland was like hearing Lyra talk about hers. Both seemed equally excited about using their skills to improve the lives of their countrymen. Even if he didn''t look like it, Ralgar had to be one of the most promising Herbalists of his land if he was accepted at the Imperial Library.

    Suddenly, Ralgar paled.

    Three young horse riders dressed in fencing clothes approached. The one in the middle had the crest of the white pheasant embroidered on his chest. Considering the quality of his clothing, he was a noble. His hair was the same tone as Ralgar''s, although his features were more delicate and his frame slimmer. Still, his broad shoulders and strong arms revealed he was a seasoned warrior.

    The group stopped by the opposite side of the pumpkin patch and dismounted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this,¡± Ralgar said. ¡°Please, stay out of it. These are family problems.¡±

    The noble and his retinue crossed the pumpkin patch through the middle without caring where they stepped.

    ¡°Are you a noble, Ralgar?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± he replied, turning around and going to meet the newcomers.

    Despite the distance, [Foresight] helped me pick fragments of the conversation.

    ¡°Father instructed you to focus on alchemy, not whatever this is,¡± the young noble said. His face was inexpressive, but a shadow of annoyance crossed his eyes.

    ¡°People need to eat¡ª¡±

    Before Ralgar could finish the sentence, the young noble slapped him across the face. Ralgar stumbled and fell to his knees over a pumpkin. The orange stains on his robe frosted.

    ¡°Father instructed you to focus on alchemy,¡± he repeated the same sentence in a monotone voice.

    ¡°Message received, Malkah,¡± Ralgar said, rising to his feet.

    Blood was dripping from the wound on his lip.

    Malkah vaguely reminded me of Sellen Jorn.

    ¡°What are you looking at, old man?¡± one of Malkah''s followers said, pointing his finger at me.

    I wondered if combatants power-tripping over non-combatants was the norm around here.

    The companion didn¡¯t take my silence kindly and stomped through the pumpkin patch.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that is a wise idea, young man,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk back to me, serf.¡±

    Using geokinesis, I rotated a circular patch of ground around the young man, forcing him to do a one-eighty. He tried to turn around, but the platform was too unstable, and he fell to the ground. Grunting, he stood and tried to reach me, but I turned the ground beneath his feet into a conveyor belt.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Bucko seemed entertained with the scene.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Malkah finally said, still not showing a hint of emotion.

    His companion stopped fighting against my conveyor belt and, covered in dirt, followed his master across the farm. They jumped on their horses and returned to Cadria.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for ruining your pumpkins,¡± I said, searching for a small vial of Healing Potion in my pouch. I handed it to Ralgar.

    The patch I had used geokinesis on was beyond repair. Malkah and his goons'' trail of destruction was ten times bigger.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I wasn¡¯t going to continue with the pumpkins¡­ and that was the funniest thing I¡¯ve seen in a while,¡± Ralgar said, drinking the potion. The wound on his lip closed in an instant. Even the black circles around his eyes seemed to improve. ¡°I thought you were an Alchemist or a Scholar, not a Geomancer.¡±

    The conversation turned somber, although he didn¡¯t want to discuss the encounter. Instead, Ralgar thanked me for the potion and asked one last favor: to use my geokinesis spells to plow the plot. I obliged. The plot was relatively small, and it only took me a few minutes to turn it back into farmable land after Ralgar retired most of the smashed pumpkins.

    Ralgar wanted to keep me informed about his project, so we exchanged mail information.

    ¡°Is this your first time in Cadria?¡± Ralgar asked as I prepared to leave.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Be careful with Imperial Cadets¡­ they are not the most amicable bunch of all,¡± he said. ¡°It isn¡¯t just Malkah and his friends. It¡¯s the norm.¡±

    Alarms went off in my brain.

    In their first letters, the kids reassured us that their assigned groups were tight-knit and supportive. I shook my head. They couldn¡¯t have been lying to us from the very beginning. Or could they?

    ¡°Are you sure it isn¡¯t just them, Ralgar?¡±

    ¡°If the Novices and Adepts of the Imperial Library are competitive, the Imperial Cadets are straight-out psychopaths. It takes a completely different wiring to survive the training at the Academy. Anything that hinders their success, they cut off, even people.¡±

    The kids had already survived two years at the Academy, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious.

    I said goodbye to Ralgar and urged Bucko to advance.

    The road towards Cadria was flanked by small patches of land manned by Novices dressed in simple black tunics. Most of them had the green hem of the Nature Circle, but a few had the red hem of the Academic Circle¡ªScholars, after all, were the support of the support classes. I didn¡¯t stop to see what they were experimenting with, but it caught my attention that everyone was working in teams except for Ralgar.

    Along the ¡®experimental plots¡¯, unending grain and alchemical ingredients farms covered the valley as far as the eye could see. Herds of cows, pigs, and sheep were grazing on the fertile land. A few Novices were working with alligator-looking baby Skeeths without much success, all things considered. Their robes were chomped and torn apart.

    The wall grew as I came closer to the city. Two statues of old men dressed in the robes of the Imperial Library flanked the gates, and dozens of carts filled with goods waited by the side of the road for the toll operators to check on them. I advanced through the traveler¡¯s line, but other than the merchants, there wasn¡¯t a great influx of people at the eastern gates.

    Suddenly, [Foresight] caught someone pointing at me from the guard booth, and an instant later, six guards in full armor, heavy, surrounded me. The one with the cape and the fancy pin had to be the captain.

    ¡°You attacked an Imperial Cadet,¡± the captain said without ceremony, his smile crooked at a strange angle due to the scars on his face. ¡°Bad idea, traveler,¡± he added, snatching Bucko¡¯s reins from my hands.

    Behind the guards, Malkah¡¯s companions exchanged a wicked smile. Malkah was nowhere to be found.

    I put my hand in my pouch and took Grandmaster Astur¡¯s letter. I handed it to the captain, with the Academy¡¯s seal in front, wondering what was stronger: a Cadet¡¯s accusation or the Grandmaster''s summoning. I made my bet.

    ¡°Grandmaster Astur summoned me,¡± I said. ¡°My name is Robert Clarke. I came from Farcrest Marquisate as fast as possible¡­ despite the setbacks,¡± I added, looking over the captain¡¯s shoulder at Malkah¡¯s companions.

    The captain¡¯s face changed as his eyes went through the letter. Giving me back Bucko¡¯s reins, he suddenly became very accommodating.

    ¡°Willow, Osprey, get horses and escort Lord Clarke to the Academy!¡± The captain yelled. ¡°You, maggots, return to work. Nothing to see here.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Captain,¡± I said with a slight bow.

    No hard feelings.

    The man bowed back and went on his way to hassle the merchants.

    A half-gnome woman with a smile as wide as her face and a tired-looking, tall bearded man who had seemed to accept that he would be a gate guard until the end of time broke from the line. They grabbed two horses from the boot and approached me from each side. Their horses made them stand half a meter above me, so maintaining eye contact was awkward. I wondered which one was Willow and which one was Osprey.

    Bucko wasn¡¯t happy.

    We set off.

    ¡°Are you famous, mister?¡± the half-gnome woman asked, removing her helmet and hanging it on the saddle. Her short brown hair reminded me of Ilya, although her skin had a violet hue instead of light blue.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a Scholar,¡± I replied.

    Malkah¡¯s companions stepped in our way.

    The horses complained.

    ¡°He assaulted me! You should imprison him.¡±

    I rolled my eyes. A wise man would¡¯ve accepted defeat and saved some face.

    ¡°Kick rocks, kids. This is Astur¡¯s guest. Want me to tell the Grandmaster you are holding his visitor back? Or would you prefer to tell him yourself?¡± the half-gnome woman said, cueing her horse to continue walking.

    Malkah¡¯s companions jumped to the side, their heads low like a beaten dog.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± the woman said.

    I felt the noble¡¯s glares stuck to my back as we crossed the gates. The walls were so thick that it seemed we had entered a cave. I expected it to be more damp, but the passage was spotless, and it smelled like lavender.

    ¡°You should treat Cadets better, Willow. They will eventually become Imperial Knights,¡± the bearded man said.

    ¡°You know how hard it is for a half-gnome to become a guard, Osprey? I can¡¯t let people push me around, and those twerps aren¡¯t going to become Imperial Knights,¡± Willow replied. ¡°Wanna bet?¡±

    Osprey didn¡¯t look like a bird of prey, but rather a tired bear awakening from hibernation.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t call the Grandmaster by his first name either,¡± Osprey sighed, ignoring the bet.

    ¡°Come on, he won¡¯t know,¡± Willow said.

    We emerged through the other side of the tunnel to a wide street packed to the brim; it was three times as broad as Farcrest¡¯s market, yet there was no space for anyone else. The cognitive shock was too much for me to handle, so I had to tone down [Foresight] so I didn¡¯t get a migraine. Osprey and Willow opened a path for me to ride, safe from the carts and carriages that plagued the street. People moved to the side but ignored us.

    I was entertaining myself looking at the stalls and stores when, among the plagued streets, [Foresight] detected a group of pickpocketing urchins. They walked like shadows among the crowd, targeting unsuspecting victims while pretending to beg. I followed them with my eyes. They were skillful. Neither Osprey nor Willow noticed the operation that was happening below their very noses.

    One of the urchins¡ªI wasn¡¯t sure if they were a girl or a boy¡ªsnuck between Bucko and Osprey¡¯s horse.

    ¡°Might you spare a coin, kind sir?¡±

    ¡°Come on, kid. Begging is outlawed,¡± Osprey said halfheartedly.

    ¡°Please, sir, it¡¯s for my sister. She¡¯s sick!¡±

    [Foresight] told me the urchin was lying. Stealing right beside two city guards was beyond daring, but at least they weren¡¯t trying to stab my back. Over the past two years, we have received a dozen little pickpockets from Farcrest¡¯s streets. I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for them. Some were beyond our help, but most were smart enough to change their ways.

    ¡°If I give you a silver coin, would that prevent your friend from trying to steal my luggage?¡± I joked.

    The urchin gave me a confused glance but swiftly signaled for their accomplices to scatter. Osprey and Willow stayed unaware. The acting was on point.

    ¡°T-that¡¯d be mighty generous.¡±

    ¡°Be careful,¡± I said, handing them the promised coin.

    A moment later, the urchin disappeared into the crowd.

    ¡°You are too generous, mister. If they need money, they can plow the fields and clean horse shit,¡± Willow pointed out. ¡°The System knows I shoveled enough shit for a lifetime.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Lord Clarke, not mister,¡± Osprey pointed out. ¡°And you totally stole from people.¡±

    Willow mindlessly picked her nose.

    ¡°My sister was sick.¡±

    An hour later, we crossed a second wall, leaving the chaos of the markets behind. Suddenly, I was in a neighborhood of small manors with vineyards, fountains, and hanging gardens. The air was fragrant, the cobbled streets were neatly swept, and the buildings looked brand new¡ªlike someone had painted them shortly before my arrival. Even by earthly standards, this was beyond luxurious. The noise of the vendors and scalpers was replaced with the tickle of running water and the occasional chirp of birds.

    As we advanced, the buildings became fewer but grander. There weren¡¯t two identical buildings, almost like the projects of mad architects. Painted decorative statues of men and beasts adorned the boulevard with their stern marble faces. Gilded domes gleamed on top of the bell towers, and banners with the royal crest fluttered from the balconies.

    I felt out of place.

    My simple, travel-worn attire stood like a sore thumb. I expected someone to notice my presence, but no one cared. It seemed like I was invisible. [Foresight] told me something was wrong. I looked around to find the source of danger, but nothing was unusual in the bucolic inner city. Willow and Osprey exchanged an entertained glance. It took me a moment to notice the walls had disappeared. Their mana signature was still there, but the solid stone was as translucent as air. I could see the eastern road going uphill, the farmland, and the mountains far into the north.

    ¡°You should stay in the inner city unless you count on an escort, Lord Clarke. If you see the wall, turn around; it pains me to say it, but the outskirts aren¡¯t completely safe at night,¡± Osprey said.

    After half an hour, we reached the heart of Cadria. The royal palace, tall and white as the walls, dominated the inner city from the top of a hill. More than a palace, it was a stronghold with high walls and towers merging into a single, surrealistic building of blue roofs¡ªa city within a city within a city.

    I smiled. Magical-looking buildings were just what I was missing.

    The Imperial Academy was built on top of a neighboring hill. It was a colossus of a building, part castle, part manor, and part cathedral. A ramp made of stone arches led to the main building, while dozens of steep stairs connected it to the gardens and meadows. A blue dome like a massive sapphire crowned the white facade of the main building.

    Whiteleaf Manor looked like a shed in comparison to the Academy.

    We climbed the ramp and reached the outer wall.

    The iron gates were closed except for the ones in the center.

    An aide dressed in the Library¡¯s robes approached us.

    ¡°Lord Astur¡¯s guest,¡± Osprey said before Willow could speak.

    The aide bowed and invited me to descend from my steed.

    Bucko seemed pleased to be called steed.

    ¡°This is as far as we can accompany you, mister. Put a good word for us with Astur,¡± Willow said as she turned her horse around.

    ¡°Please be careful,¡± Osprey bowed and followed her.

    His words stuck with me, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy.

    After ten days of travel, I finally reached my destination. However, anxiety gave way to excitement. It¡¯d been two years since I saw the kids, and I was dying to see how much they had grown under the severe training of the Imperial Knights.

    The picture of Malkah appeared before my eyes, but I shook my head. There was no way the kids would turn into anything like him.

    The aide examined the letter.

    ¡°This way, sir. Lord Gwan Astur will meet you immediately.¡±

 201 - Lord Grandmaster

    I followed the aide into the main building of the Imperial Academy.

    My eyes wandered through the place. The corridors were crowded with students dressed in black robes and martial clothing. Novices and Cadets. Behind each door was a classroom in the form of an amphitheater with a capacity of a hundred students. Some teachers wore the Library¡¯s robes, others elegant suits and dresses or simple military attire.

    The Academy¡¯s curriculum was a mystery to the outside world, but the surroundings spoke to me. The number of books, parchment, and quills each student carried around made me think the academic aspect of the Cadet¡¯s formation was just as strict as the physical preparation. The presence of Novices also pointed in that direction.

    Imperial Knights weren¡¯t just super-specialized club wielders.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± I whispered to myself.

    The letters we received at the orphanage didn¡¯t mention the kids'' classes. The Silence Hex also prevented them from writing down sensitive information, and we didn¡¯t push them to talk about anything in particular. Maybe we should have. I just realized the actual extent of the things we didn¡¯t know about the kids'' daily lives.

    Ralgar¡¯s words still echoed in my mind.

    Imperial Cadets are psychopaths.

    We exited the main building, and the aide guided me through a gallery overlooking the courtyard. Some students hunched over books on the picnic tables and gazebos while others sat in groups under the shadow of the trees by the corners. Everything seemed normal, almost like a regular university¡ªanother clue. The Academy seemed to understand that rest was as important as hard work. Most stress must be concentrated during exam season, and those falling behind wouldn¡¯t be resting in the backyard.

    I fed [Foresight] with mana and scanned the student faces. None of my kids were in the courtyard. Most students were young, between fifteen and eighteen, but a few were in their early twenties. The Cadet course lasted three years, and those who endured the process were knighted. I wondered if the older ones were teaching assistants.

    Across the yard was a building that resembled a clump of greenhouses¡ªa massive gilded metal structure with glass windows and a blue dome. The glass was opaque, but I could see hints of figures moving inside.

    A white manor stood by the side of the dome, connected to the main building by a long corridor. The place reminded me of Versailles. The walls were white and decorated with golden patterns. Windows stretching from floor to ceiling let the sunlight pour in torrents. Statues held plates full of multicolor lightstones. The ceilings were painted with natural and mythological motifs, and even the tiles on the floor were a work of art.

    Despite the decor, the atmosphere was oppressive.

    [Foresight] told me I was in danger.

    The aide paled. I quickly noticed the streams of mana flowing around us. The room was so dense my mana sense could barely see anything beyond a few meters. At first, I thought it was a concealing spell, but then I realized it was the presence of the people around us. We came across a woman with tan skin, and the alarms in my brain went off. The amount of mana rushing through her body was terrifying. The aide pressed against the wall, trying to put as much distance as possible between him and the woman.

    I restrained myself from using [Identify] on her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Lord Astur. His control is near perfect. You won¡¯t feel the slightest discomfort.¡±

    The aide opened a door for me, and we entered a waiting room decorated just like the corridors. There was a tea table with metal chairs that imitated vines. Paintings of famous men and women I didn¡¯t recognize covered the walls. Opposite the windows was a map of the kingdom carved into a massive wood slab. The path between Ebros and Tagabiria was open on the map, meaning it was either brand new or a couple hundred years old.

    The room wasn¡¯t empty. Around the tea table, three middle-aged men dressed in black robes with ornate stoles were having a heated discussion. Sitting on the couch, encompassing two seats, was a mercenary with a long beard. Near the windows, two tall and muscular men wore the colors of House Osgiria.

    ¡°Wait here,¡± the aide said.

    The atmosphere was oppressive. Mana swirled around the Osgirian knights, almost visible to the naked eye. I toned down my mana sense, but the sensation of being inside the same room as a violent predator remained. A question drilled through my brain. Could any of them defeat me?

    The aide returned a minute later.

    ¡°Lord Clarke, the Grandmaster will receive you right away.¡±

    The mercenary jumped to his feet.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting an hour for an audience!¡±

    The Osgirian knights shifted in place, their faces far from pleased.

    ¡°That¡¯s Lord Astur¡¯s wish,¡± the aide said, signaling me to approach.

    I gave the mercenary a quick apology and entered a small antechamber with a liquor cabinet and a pair of chairs. Massive oak double doors with reinforced iron bands loomed before me. Was Lord Astur protecting his study from a battering ram? The aide opened a smaller utility door near the wall.

    ¡°Are you aware of appropriate etiquette?¡± the aide asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t put my elbows on the table,¡± I replied, entering the room.

    After ten days on the road, my patience was running low.

    Lord Astur¡¯s chambers were as refined as the rest of the building. The walls were covered in bookshelves. Planetary systems rested behind showcases. Half a dozen bronze telescopes rested under the windows. A collection of swords and polearms hung from the wall behind the desk at the back of the room. It was the room of a warrior and a scholar.

    Lord Astur set his quill aside and smiled. I understood why Lyra had a crush on him. His curly blonde hair framed his delicate and sharp features. His skin was smooth, without a single scar, and his silver eyes seemed to look through me. All his body seemed to give off a faint golden light. I wondered if traces of elven blood ran through his family tree.

    Before I could notice, I was doing a deep bow.

    ¡°Ignore the formalities. You know who I am, and I know who you are. Come, take a seat. You must be tired,¡± Lord Astur said.

    Even his voice was pleasant.

    I sat across the desk.

    I fed [Foresight] mana, but Lord Astur was a blank piece of paper. I couldn¡¯t read him. He examined me from head to toe before speaking.

    ¡°So, this is the famous Robert Clarke. I was dying to meet the person who managed to charm Adrien. The royal pup has traveled the continent further than anyone. He doesn¡¯t fall for just anybody,¡± Lord Astur said, amused. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sound rude, but at first, I didn¡¯t understand all the fuss about this Scholar from a distant marquisate. Then, I met your son and your daughter.¡±

    I was on guard.

    ¡°Are they in trouble?¡± I asked.

    Lord Astur raised an eyebrow and grabbed a stack of documents.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Trouble? Firana has been consistently among the first in her class, and Wolf is a born leader despite his Class,¡± he said, pushing the files across the desk.

    I read the headings: Firana Clarke and Wolf Clarke. Now I understood why he thought they were my biological children. This begged the question of how they managed to legally change their surnames. Did the System honor whatever civil registry they had in Ebros?

    ¡°Just to be clear. They aren¡¯t in trouble? They aren¡¯t going to be expelled?¡± I asked.

    Even good students got in trouble from time to time.

    Lord Astur laughed, seemingly genuinely entertained.

    ¡°I guessed you were a strict father, but come on, cut them some slack. They are two of my best students. I would fight any instructor that wanted to expel them. Their potential is enormous.¡±

    I breathed in peace for the first time since I got the letter. I felt a little bit of pride, even. However, my calm lasted an instant before turning into suspicion.

    ¡°If the kids aren¡¯t in trouble, why am I here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°To discuss their activity and their performance, just as the letter said.¡±

    Lord Astur rose and opened a hidden door behind his desk, pulling out two crystal cups and a bottle of an amber liquid. He poured generously and handed me a cup. The smell of hard liquor reached my nose. Lord Astur raised his cup. I barely touched the glass.

    ¡°Where do you think the kingdom''s strength comes from, Robert?¡± Lord Astur asked, retaking a seat.

    The people waiting outside wouldn¡¯t be happy with the tangent.

    I decided to humor him and get through this once and for all.

    ¡°Unity. A kingdom is strong if everyone rows in the same direction,¡± I said without giving it much thought.

    Inner conflict could plunge a place like Farcrest into chaos. Everyone had to work to keep the city safe from the Farlands, from the most humble farmer to the strongest combatant. Monster Surges were too dangerous to waste resources elsewhere.

    Lord Astur shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about philosophy, Robert Clarke,¡± he replied.

    As he seemed to enjoy listening to his voice, I waited for him to continue.

    Lord Astur channeled his mana, and an army of little people appeared on the desk. There were a hundred of them. The detail of their clothing was nearly perfect. I could barely tell it was an illusion.

    ¡°These are the people of Ebros, our strength, you might say, but a third of them are kids without a class, powerless and unproductive,¡± Lord Astur said, pushing thirty-three little illusions aside. ¡°We have sixty-seven left, but fifty of them are trapped between Lv.1 and Lv.29 and will never surpass Lv.30.¡±

    The realization slowly crept over me.

    ¡°A level twenty isn¡¯t weak by any measure,¡± I said.

    ¡°How many level twenty warriors do you think you can take in a fight?¡±

    I tapped the glass, deep in thought.

    The answer was obvious.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think a level twenty can hurt me as long as I have mana to defend myself,¡± I finally said. The fight against the Shepherd girl and the three bandits had been painfully easy. Even if there were a hundred, I could have easily dispatched them.

    ¡°Exactly! Eight out of ten people can¡¯t even hurt you. Do you think the kingdom¡¯s strength comes from them? Surely not,¡± Lord Astur said, pushing the little figures aside. Only a small group remained. Seventeen figurines. ¡°Then, we have those between levels thirty and forty¡ªsixteen out of every hundred people. With swarm tactics and an advantageous position, they might defeat a lone Lv.40, but the trade would be extremely inefficient. A Lv.50 can probably deal with a hundred Lv.30s.¡±

    Lord Astur pushed the sixteen figurines to the side.

    At the table, only one little person remained.

    ¡°This one person, Robert Clarke, can defeat the other ninety-nine. The strength of a kingdom is the small group of those above level forty. Unfortunately, only a few can reach those heights,¡± Lord Astur said. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    There was a problem with Lord Astur¡¯s logic. A single high-level warrior could deal with tens or hundreds of mid and low-levels, but a single high-level warrior couldn¡¯t be everywhere. During a Monster Surge, raw numbers were required to defend a city. High-level warriors dealt with the high-level monsters, while the low-level warriors dealt with the low-level monsters.

    ¡°A single warrior can¡¯t defend a city from a Monster Surge, my lord,¡± I pointed out.

    Lord Astur shook his head like he was talking to a little child.

    ¡°Monster Surges aren¡¯t the greatest menace to our kingdom, Robert Clarke,¡± he said, pointing at the little person that symbolized those above level forty. ¡°Other nations are. More precisely, the high-level combatants of other nations. Monster Surges are comparatively cheaper to deal with. They can be stopped by the remaining ninety-nine.¡±

    The last part rubbed me the wrong way. Thousands of orcs had died in the previous Monster Surge, and so did hundreds of guardsmen, even with the support of the royal army.

    ¡°The marquisates deal with the Farlands while we deal with the rival kingdoms here in the capital,¡± Lord Astur said.

    I didn¡¯t like the direction the conversation was going, but I couldn¡¯t just stand up and exit through the door.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see how this connects to Firana and Wolf¡¯s Cadet performance,¡± I admitted.

    Lord Astur offered me more liquor, but my glass was full.

    He leaned forward, and for an instant, instead of the Grandmaster of the Imperial Knights Academy, I saw the Wendigo, the Lich, and Janus.

    ¡°It is rare for siblings to become Cadets, Lord Clarke. It is even rarer for the two of them to pass with flying colors in their first and second year. Not even Lord Herran can attain that accomplishment, and he sires between three and six new redheads yearly,¡± Lord Astur said, smiling at his joke. ¡°You are special, Robert Clarke. Your children not only possess potential, but also know how to fully utilize it. That¡¯s rare. More often than not, potential gets wasted.¡±

    Lord Astur assembled all the little illusory figurines, and the one representing the Lv.40 population turned red.

    ¡°I know why Adrien likes you and why your kids perform better than the others. It took me a while to realize. You have a knack for bringing out people''s talent,¡± Lord Astur said with a winning smile.

    He wasn¡¯t wrong, but he wasn¡¯t entirely correct. Education wasn¡¯t about talent. When Ash first grabbed a sword, he was marginally more skillful than a caveman with a club. After two years of intense practice, he was well on his way to surpassing Firana¡¯s fencing, even at a younger age. It wasn¡¯t a matter of talent but of time, discipline, and a bit of guidance. Most top performers have been practicing since they were kids, whether in a competitive environment like sports or non-competitive environments like art. A good teacher had techniques to help their students progress.

    I didn¡¯t correct Lord Astur¡¯s mistake.

    Still, I felt like the walls were closing in on me.

    ¡°It pains me to say this, but our methods at the Academy aren¡¯t perfect. Every year, dozens of talented Cadets fail. Imagine how powerful the kingdom would be if we tapped in that wasted talent,¡± Lord Astur said, moving his hand over the table. Another little person turned red¡ªtwo red ones among ninety-eight blue ones.

    My mind raced.

    ¡°I already have a deal with Prince Adrien,¡± I said.

    ¡°And Prince Adrien is on a diplomatic mission,¡± Lord Astur replied.

    Your lifeline is a hundred kilometers away.

    A shiver ran down my spine. Even if he didn¡¯t mention it, Astur had a leverage I couldn¡¯t fight against. Firana and Wolf were still Cadets. A word of the Grandmaster would suffice to make their last year a living hell, or even worse, lead to expulsion.

    I emptied my glass and returned it to the table. Whisky. My father would¡¯ve loved it.

    Astur had me against the ropes, but the kids only needed one year to graduate, and Prince Adrien had to return to Ebros sooner or later. Astur¡¯s advantage was only temporary. I could dance to the tune of his song until it was my time at the piano.

    I sighed.

    The very thought of spending a year away from the orphanage hurt my soul, yet the idea of teaching at a magical school began to take hold in my mind.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about my fees,¡± I grinned.

    ¡°Your fees?¡± Astur asked, trying to sound surprised.

    [Foresight] caught a crack in his facade.

    ¡°You want me to teach at the Academy, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. I just didn¡¯t expect you to agree so easily.¡±

    I made a supreme effort not to roll my eyes, and we exchanged a glance of recognition. We both knew he would use the kids against me if necessary.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk fees, then. You won¡¯t expect a Prestige Class to work for free, right? I might be the Caretaker of an orphanage, but I do that job for free to honor my father¡¯s memory and because I¡¯m good friends with the Governess,¡± I said, summoning my Character Sheet and turning it around.

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Sage Lv.44

    Titles: Out of your League, Hot for Teacher, Consultant Detective, Researcher of the Hidden, Master Tutor, Headmaster, Classroom Overlord, Golden Sage, Confidant, Favorite Teacher (102), Father Figure (2), Delinquent Reformer (5), Stalwart Mentor (7), Making the Difference, Role Model, Expert Mathematician, Expert Physicist, Adept Historian, Adept Linguist, Journeyman Biologist, Journeyman Orator, Novice Chemist.

    Passive: Lv.6 Swordsmanship, Lv.1 Riding, Mana Mastery, Foresight, Master of Languages.

    Skills: Identify, Magical Ink, Silence Dome, Invigoration, Mirage, Minor Aerokinesis, Minor Pyrokinesis, Minor Geokinesis, Minor Hydrokinesis.

    Lord Astur looked flabbergasted.

    ¡°The duration of the contract will be one year, renewable by the end of each term. I don¡¯t want to get in trouble with the royal family, so I¡¯ll require a unilateral dissolution clause,¡± I said with a wide smile. ¡°Oh, and I want to teach a fresh batch of first-year Cadets. I want to figure out how good of a teacher I can be.¡±

 202 - Hexes

    Chapter 202

    Lord Astur¡¯s fingers tightened around the armrest of his chair. The wood creaked under the strain, but just before it could splinter, his grip eased and a slow breath escaped his lips. Astur poured himself another glass of whiskey and leaned back. He remained silent, measuring me. However, I understood him better than he understood me.

    Joan had warned me that nobody in their right mind would refuse Lord Astur, but I now understood why. Astur couldn¡¯t see beyond the System. He saw himself as one in a million¡ªone of the rare few with the power to push the kingdom in the ¡®right¡¯ direction: a leader, a guide, a savior. To him, everyone else was meant to fall in line and pave the way to his ideals, just like Janus.

    I sighed.

    Janus was smarter; he¡¯d had me dancing in his hand without me even knowing.

    Astur¡¯s method lacked nuance because of his power. I could see a ripple effect, each small concession followed by a greater demand, and sooner or later, the self-serving prophecy would become true: nobody refused Lord Astur. Folding to Astur¡¯s wishes here would lead to even greater trouble.

    Astur¡¯s gaze bore into me, but I wasn¡¯t the low-level Scholar who had arrived in this world anymore. I had a better hand this time, and [Foresight] had found a crack in his facade.

    ¡°Is something wrong with my request?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You are a subject of the crown, Robert Clarke. You are not in any position to negotiate. Your children¡ª¡± Lord Astur started, but I stopped him before he could finish.

    ¡°I remind you, Lord Astur, that you brought me under the false pretense that my children were in trouble, and I harbor no doubt you will use them against me if I decide not to humor your offer; you almost did. Still, I¡¯m willing to overlook that¡­ encroachment and focus on the pragmatics of the matter. You need someone who can bring the talent out of the new cadets, and I can provide that service. Let¡¯s negotiate.¡±

    Lord Astur clenched his teeth, his affable visage suddenly gone.

    ¡°What were your demands?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Same salary as your senior faculty, complete access to the Imperial Library, and a fresh batch of first-year Cadets,¡± I said. ¡°Additionally, I need a hundred pieces of gold as a bonus to hire security for my state at Farcrest during my absence. There are Wendigos in the area.¡±

    Lord Astur drummed his fingers on the table.

    ¡°You ask for gold, yet with a single word, I can send you and your kids back to your backwater town with nothing but your clothes,¡± his voice came out cold as ice, revealing his true self.

    I leaned back on the chair and grinned.

    He was bluffing. He needed me.

    ¡°You and I aren¡¯t so different, Lord Astur. We have explored many avenues just to find the best teaching method, but you haven¡¯t found it yet, have you?¡± I said. The irony wasn¡¯t lost on me. Usually, the villain was the one using that line. ¡°You have all these powerful Imperial Knights at your disposal, but you haven¡¯t discovered what makes them triumph where others failed. You called that elusive quality ¡®talent,¡¯ something that can¡¯t be imitated nor created, but let me enlighten you. Your logic only seems right in appearance. You are so obsessed with searching for that ¡®one percent¡¯ of powerful warriors that you have trapped yourself. You are seeking answers in the wrong place.¡±

    Lord Astur gave me a look of hatred.

    ¡°The reason you are not going to raise a finger against my kids is because you need me and I can deliver,¡± I said. ¡°You won¡¯t have a new pawn, Astur, but I¡¯m willing to work with you under my own terms. Tit for tat. Easy as it goes.¡±

    The crackling mana behind Astur¡¯s eyes dimmed.

    I won.

    ¡°I will have my scribe draft the contract,¡± he growled. ¡°Leave. Classes start tomorrow.¡±

    Without saying more, I got up and walked towards the exit. Joan was right. Nobody said no to Lord Astur. Still, even if he didn¡¯t get things the way he wanted, at least he would get results.

    Cadets were completely different from orphans. They were here at the Academy of their own volition and would do anything to survive the first year. I wondered how far I could take a class that was a hundred percent eager to learn from the start.

    Astur saw the Imperial Knights as a weapon of war, but the perfect soldier was the one who yearned for peace.

    ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be funny if I gave Astur a class of pacifist Knights?¡¯

    I was trapped in the capital for a whole year, but I grinned. Izabeka would have the laugh of her life when I told her that I had just fleeced the Grandmaster of the Imperial Academy for a hundred pieces of gold.

    However, there was another reason why I wanted to work at the Imperial Knights Academy. Something that had nothing to do with my children, or the pedagogic practices of the Kingdom. Even if Astur was wrong, he had a point. If things got ugly with Corruption, I¡¯d better have a lot of high-level friends, and what better place to find them than the cradle of the most powerful warriors in the kingdom?

    The aide stood as soon as I crossed the door.

    ¡°I will guide you to the teacher¡¯s quarters, Lord Clarke.¡±

    I froze.

    ¡°How did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Knowing is part of the job, sir.¡±

    I made a mental note not to underestimate the Academy¡¯s support staff.

    The aide guided me back to the main building of the Academy. The orderly row of classrooms was only the tip of the iceberg. The deeper we went, the stranger the place became, to the point [Foresight] was the only thing keeping me from getting lost. Without the constraint of non-magical building techniques, the architects had let their creativity go crazy. Space optimization wasn¡¯t a concern: I saw long winding corridors, crooked stairs, irregular rooms, and inner balconies overseeing halls and vestibules.

    It reminded me of Escher¡¯s drawings.

    ¡°These are the teacher¡¯s quarters. Cadets are forbidden to go past this point,¡± the aide said as he put an old key in the keyhole and pushed the wooden door open.

    We entered a common hall with old couches, a stained table, opaque window panes, and a soot-covered fireplace. Hidden near the corner was a staircase that led to an elevated balcony with bookshelves against the walls. The place looked old compared to the white and golden facade, like people actually used it to live.

    ¡°The men¡¯s bedrooms are to the left, and the bathroom is at the end of the hall,¡± the aide said as we climbed the spiral staircase.

    The elevated balcony led to two corridors. We turned left. There were five doors on each side. Each door had a powerful spell on it, preventing me from sensing through the walls. The aide used an old key to open the last door to the left.

    The room was rather humble compared to Astur¡¯s chambers¡ªbed, wardrobe, nightstand, and desk. The walls and floor were naked stone. Still, everything was in a better state than the orphanage when I first arrived at Farcrest.

    The aide pulled out a ring with a single key and handed it to me.

    ¡°It will open all the doors you are allowed to cross,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t lose it. It¡¯s a hassle to create a new one. Only the Fortifier who set the wards can do it, and he¡¯s been a bit¡­ absentminded lately. Things of age.¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    The aide crossed the room and opened the window. A warm breeze entered the room. Across the gardens was a structure that vaguely reminded me of Bruegel¡¯s Tower of Babel. I recognized the building from Lyra¡¯s description. The Imperial Library.

    ¡°Paper and quills are on the desk, towels in the wardrobe, and extra blankets under the bed. The wardrobe sometimes locks itself, but a light strike should unlock it,¡± the aide continued, disregarding the vistas. ¡°If you need supplies, you can ask the warden, but I recommend you get them yourself. The prices inside the inner wall are ridiculous, if I may be frank. Breakfast is at six in the great hall, lunch at midday, and supper by the sunset. If you are hungry or late for a meal, you can try your luck with the kitchen personnel, but I don¡¯t promise anything. Instructors don¡¯t have a curfew, so as long as the key allows you to enter a door, you can wander as much as you please.¡±

    The aide straightened out the wrinkles in the bed and signaled me to make myself at home. [Foresight] indexed the information even if I was a bit distracted.

    ¡°Do you have any questions, sir?¡±

    ¡°About my class schedule¡­¡±

    ¡°It will be handed to you soon. ¡±

    Considering classes started tomorrow, I needed to start planning my lessons.

    ¡°Where are the third-year Cadets? I have someone to greet.¡±

    ¡°The Third-year Cadets should return to the Academy tomorrow. Field trip.¡±

    Bummer. I wanted to see the kids as soon as possible.

    ¡°That¡¯s all. Thank you,¡± I sighed.

    The aide nodded and walked to the door. He stopped before he crossed the doorway.

    ¡°Should I make an appointment to receive additional luggage, sir?¡± he asked.

    I remembered Lyra¡¯s procession of three carts full of her ¡®essentials.¡¯

    ¡°Only the backpack I brought with my steed,¡± I said.

    ¡°I will make sure your belongings are delivered here. Your mount is already quartered in the stables,¡± the aide said, closing the door behind him.

    I lay in bed, processing the last hour. I wouldn¡¯t be Astur¡¯s favorite employee, but he wasn¡¯t going to come after my neck any time soon, which was an improvement from the last time I angered nobility. I closed my eyes, thinking about the System Avatar. There was a third reason why I accepted Astur¡¯s ¡®invitation.¡¯ I needed information, and the only place where I could find it was the Imperial Library.

    I needed to write a letter.

    Quality paper and ink were inside the desk drawers.

    Dearest Elincia,

    As expected, I got in trouble. The stories of my legendary teaching skills have traveled fast and reached the capital. Lord Astur asked me to teach at the Academy, and fearing he might retaliate against the kids otherwise, I agreed. I will be here for a year until the kids graduate. Then, I will take them home. The kids aren¡¯t in trouble. Firana and Wolf are two of the best students in their class. I still haven¡¯t met any of them. They will return to the Academy tomorrow. I will send you another letter then.

    If you want to contact me, send the letters to the Farcrest Alchemists Guild office here in Cadria. Don¡¯t send any letters to the Imperial Academy. If something happens in Farcrest, I will return with no delay. I can fly there in a couple days, probably.

    Yours truly.

    Rob.

    PS: Tell Risha to take care of my lessons. The kids won¡¯t survive Izabeka¡¯s regime.

    PPS: I miss you already. Cadria is really boring without you around.

    I put the letter in an envelope and left it on the desk. I had to prepare myself for the start of classes. However, before I could even grab a towel, someone knocked on my door. When I opened it, I found a young man wearing a simple black robe.

    ¡°I bring your contract, Lord Clarke.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect the document to be ready so fast. The scribe gave me the scroll, and I read it. All the clauses I had asked for were there, clear as day. There were a few clauses against acting against the Academy and the royal family, but nothing outlandish. If anything, the contract was barebones compared to those I¡¯ve seen in the law firm back on Earth.

    When I reached the payment details, the scroll almost slipped through my fingers¡ªa thousand gold pieces a year. Prince Adrien¡¯s yearly contribution to the orphanage was a tenth of that sum.

    ¡°Are you a Novice?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯m a Scribe of the Academic Circle. First year.¡±

    ¡°How much do you get paid?¡±

    The Scribe was confused by my question but replied nonetheless.

    ¡°Two pieces of silver a week, sir. It¡¯s good money.¡±

    I was paid a hundred times more. Even the earnings from the mines and the stone quarry paled against an Imperial Academy instructor. I had underestimated how important it was to the kingdom to produce Imperial Knights.

    With the contract came the Silent Hex. I expected a creepy magician to engrave the sigil on the back of my tongue with some eerie, rusted equipment, but the hex was merely a scroll. I examined it for a moment and felt the mana surging through the fibers. Covertly, I copied a few runes into my ¡®potentially useful runes¡¯ mental list. After ensuring everything was on point, I signed. I felt no pain nor even slight discomfort.

    ¡°Did it work?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It always works, sir,¡± the scribe replied.

    I opened my Character Sheet. The Silence Hex was In the Status section. I covered my smile with my hand. If I had to guess, the Silence Hex had a nice patch of runes inside my mana pool¡ªrunes I could edit.

    The scribe pulled out a small coin pouch and handed me nine gold, two silver, and three bronze coins.

    ¡°The warden will take care of your payment from now on. If you want alternative payment methods, you should ask him,¡± the scribe said, collecting the documents and putting them into his sash. Then, he pulled out a single sheet of paper and handed it to me. ¡°Your schedule, sir. Thank you for your time. If you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±

    Without another word, he bowed and exited my room. I wasn¡¯t going to get used to that level of deference any time soon.

    Unlike the school schedules back on Earth, this only had a list of the important dates. Two selection exams were held throughout the first semester, the first a month from the start of the school year and the second near the end of the term. There was something called an ¡®exhibition¡¯ in between the selection exams, but I wasn¡¯t sure what that was about. There was no indication of what the exam would be about either.

    I massaged my temples. This place needed urgent educational reform.

    Then, came a list of squads and their instructors. My name was near the bottom. Squad 27: Martial Instructor - Thane Robert Clarke of Farcrest. Magical Instructor - Talindra of Mistwood.

    I bit my nail. A second instructor complicated things. For starters, my training time would be halved, and with a few exceptions, high-level people weren¡¯t notably easygoing. I wondered if this Talindra was going to make my life miserable. As a new teacher, I had little leverage against a senior faculty member other than my Class. Ultimately, a classroom worked similarly to a laboratory: the more variables I had under my control, the better learning experience I could provide.

    ¡°Fingers crossed,¡± I muttered.

    I put the schedule inside the desk drawers and left the room.

    Before the classes started, I wanted to explore the academy and get a new set of clothes. A teacher¡¯s appearance determines, to a great extent, how students perceive them. I walked down the corridor wondering if I should go for a martial or a more casual appearance.

    When I reached the bottom of the spiral stairs, I noticed the common room wasn¡¯t empty anymore. A dozen men and women turned their heads to look at me. Most wore casual clothes: richly dyed surcoats and tabards, jewel-engraved swords and knives, fluttery tunics, and high-quality breeches. Only a few wore fencing attires. Despite the occasional white hairs and wrinkled faces, they all looked fit and energetic¡ªhigh-level warriors.

    I could recognize a teacher¡¯s lounge blindfolded.

    ¡°Hey! Aide! I told you to bring us something to drink!¡± A woman with tanned skin and dark hair shouted across the room. She wore a flashy pink, violet, and green tabard, with a thick longsword in the belt. It was the same woman we bumped into outside Astur¡¯s chambers. She didn¡¯t recognize me.

    I looked at my attire. The aide wore better clothes than me.

    The woman snapped his fingers.

    ¡°Are you slow or something? Go tell the kitchen gnomes to send up a few casks.¡±

    The woman¡¯s words gave me an idea about my first day''s apparel.

    I wondered what would happen if I presented myself in ¡®alternative¡¯ clothing before my new students. Most of them would probably be sons of nobles who expected an Imperial Knight as a martial instructor. They would show resistance at the sight of a mere thane. Maybe I could force that conflict to settle my authority quickly. I had only one month before the first selection exam, after all.

    When I returned to the present, the woman was standing before me.

    ¡°Are you toying with me, kid?¡± the woman grunted, mana crackling around her fists.

    I totally had to grow a beard.

    Before I could clear the misunderstanding, a familiar voice echoed through the room.

    ¡°Be careful, Ghila, he bites.¡±

    The chatter subsided.

    I looked over the woman¡¯s shoulder. Sitting on a chair under the window, Holst raised his eyes from his book. It had been two years since I¡¯d seen him last, but he looked the same: skin pale as parchment, long black hair tied in a high ponytail, sharp features, and his trademark look of disdain. Holst.

    ¡°Darius,¡± I greeted him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not pretend we are besties. Just call me Holst,¡± he replied, leaving the book on the table.

    I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Do you know this man, Holst?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°Regrettably, yes. If I¡¯m not mistaken, he is the instructor that was missing in the martial roster,¡± Holst said.

    Ghila looked at me from top to bottom.

    ¡°He¡¯s not an Imperial Knight! Not even a Preceptor! He doesn¡¯t belong here,¡± the woman complained.

    The way she ignored me was starting to get under my skin.

    Holst shrugged like it wasn¡¯t his problem.

    ¡°Please, be my guest and try to kick him out,¡± he smiled as he made himself comfortable in the old, padded chair. ¡°I warn you, though. This is the man that killed the Weasel.¡±

 203 - Knight-killer Clarkes first day

    Chapter 203

    ¡°This is the man that killed the Weasel,¡± Holst said.

    The chatter had quietened when Holst¡¯s first chimed in, but now it completely died. The woman in the flashy tabard, who was a few centimeters away from my face, jumped back like I had the plague.

    ¡°Everyone knows the Weasel was a fraud,¡± the woman stuttered. ¡°He was just Ragna¡¯s pet, you know, to show people he treated nobles and commoners alike. Right? That¡¯s why the Weasel left Cadria after Ragna kicked the bucket. Right?¡±

    The room remained silent.

    Janus was more famous¡ªor infamous¡ªthan I expected.

    ¡°You see, Ghila, Robert Clarke takes things personally when it comes to mistreating his students,¡± Holst continued. ¡°Did I tell you that four of Clarke¡¯s students are currently studying at the Imperial Academy? You better have treated them well, or I can¡¯t vouch for your well-being.¡±

    Did Holst have an actual sense of humor?

    Half of the mana signatures of the room disappeared, while the other half increased¡ªplay dead or fight back. I rubbed my temples. Holst had to be a genius joker to trigger the flight-or-fight response in a bunch of Imperial Knights.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be lightening the mood at the Imperial Library, Holst?¡± I asked.

    In the corner, a group of black robes laughed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been a martial instructor for a while now,¡± Holst replied. ¡°Lord Astur asked me to take a new cadet squad this year on top of my regular class. I assume he asked you the same, considering you are here.¡±

    Before I could answer, a man in the sleek Imperial Knight black dress uniform stepped forward. The silver chains keeping his cape in place jiggled against the embroidered pauldrons. His hair was gray like a cloudy day, and deep creases ran across his forehead. His eyes, however, were sharp and energetic, as if he had just graduated from the Academy.

    ¡°Did he really kill the Weasel?¡± the veteran knight asked.

    ¡°He did, Rhovan,¡± Holst replied.

    Other than Holst¡ªand Ghila mistaking me for an aide¡ªnobody had spoken directly to me even though the initial fear had passed. Every teacher had seen this dynamic in classrooms before: the passive observers aligning with the existing power structure. Everyone was mimicking Ghila and Rhovan¡¯s reaction, which meant those two had to be the group''s leaders.

    ¡°Was Janus a fraud, Holst?¡± I asked.

    Holst grinned.

    ¡°That¡¯s the thing, Robert Clarke. Nobody knows.¡±

    I scratched my chin. Janus could bypass a Fortifier¡¯s barrier and strip away his victim¡¯s connection to the System, rendering them completely defenseless. He was the perfect assassin. It was no surprise nobody knew how effective he was.

    ¡°A Knight Killer teaching at the Academy. Astur really has lost his mind.¡± Rhovan turned to face me. His hostility felt like a thousand needles against my skin.

    Everyone seemed to be holding their breaths; the atmosphere in the room felt like a storm about to break. For me, Janus was a criminal, a murderer, and a plotter. I had overlooked the fact that I had killed one of them, criminal or not. Behind Rhovan, there were four other Knights in uniform.

    I expected a hostile classroom but not a hostile teacher¡¯s lounge.

    ¡°You think you can just walk in here and pretend nothing happened?¡± Rhovan said.

    I met his gaze.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to pretend.¡±

    One of the other Knights scoffed. Another crossed his arms, shifting his weight slightly as if waiting for the right moment to pounce. Rhovan, however, grinned, realizing he didn¡¯t need to fight to win the encounter.

    ¡°The Weasel might have been a fraud after all,¡± he said as he passed by my side. ¡°I warn you, Robert Clarke, you can fool some people some of the time, but not all people all the time. I will rejoice when the Academy sees you are nothing but a pretender.¡±

    The other Knights in uniform followed.

    As expected, the remaining instructors ignored me.

    ¡°Well, wasn¡¯t that lovely,¡± Holst broke the silence.

    I watched the door swing shut behind them. The tension lingered like the smell of blood, but after a moment, groups formed, and everyone continued talking like nothing happened. One thing was for sure: I wasn¡¯t invited to any of them.

    Holst leaned back on his chair, arms crossed, studying me with mild amusement.

    The encounter considerably soured my mood.

    ¡°Unless you plan on running, you might as well get comfortable. Not with them, though,¡± Holst said just loud enough for anyone to hear.

    Everyone ignored us.

    ¡°Is this how it¡¯s going to be?¡±

    ¡°Probably, but you are still standing, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    I raised an eyebrow, wondering if I just misheard. Was Holst, of all people in the world, pep-talking me? Had the world gone mad?

    Holst raised his hands.

    ¡°Okay, I admit it, I stole that phrase. The thing is, they are traditionalists. Rhovan and his lot think the Academy should only be taught by Imperial Knights. They would hate you whether you killed Janus or not. That was their way of saying you don¡¯t belong.¡±

    It was good to know that killing an Imperial Knight was a minor offense.

    Holst grabbed his book and walked to the door. ¡°Not all Imperial Knights are like them. Some don¡¯t care, and some are pretty interested in you. Look at Ghila. She has been glancing at you this whole time.¡±

    I suddenly noticed Ghila¡¯s eyes fixed on me. [Foresight] hadn¡¯t seen it. She jumped like a startled cat and looked away. I sighed yet again. I have been in many crazy teacher¡¯s lounges before, but this was straight-out surreal.

    ¡°We all have something in common, though. We take the instruction of the next generation of Imperial Knights very seriously. It¡¯s our pride, so prepare yourself for steep competition,¡± Holst said, walking to the exit. ¡°You won¡¯t have allies, only rivals.¡±

    I nodded in silence.

    Before Holst could open the door, I stopped him.

    ¡°Thanks for the heads-up back then.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Holst replied, crossing the doorway. ¡°I did it for Farcrest.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t the welcoming party I expected, but at least it had become clear that I wasn¡¯t a pushover from the sticks.

    Classes started tomorrow, and I still had to make preparations. A teacher had three primary weapons: their voice, brain, and appearance, and my wardrobe was severely lacking.

    I left the room and asked a lonely cadet how to get to the stables. He examined me, trying to measure the level of respect he should show. To save us the embarrassment, I told him I was a new instructor. His demeanor drastically changed. Not only did he give me instructions, but he also guided me outside the main building to a corner of the courtyard, where several carriages awaited their passengers. Only when a coachman asked me where I wanted to go did I realize they were reserved for instructors.

    The cadet bowed and returned to the main building.

    ¡°How did you know I was a teacher?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our job to know,¡± the coachman replied. ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    I thought for a moment.

    ¡°I need a new set of clothes before the classes start,¡± I said, before remembering the aide¡¯s recommendation. ¡°Outside the inner wall.¡±

    ¡°As you command, sir,¡± the coachman said, flicking the reins. ¡°I know just the right place.¡±

    * * *

    I kicked the wardrobe, and the door opened. Considering how worn out the runes were, I guessed someone had tried to enchant it many years ago. As a result of the enchantment, the door was weakly bound to the frame, but the effect disappeared as soon as a small gap was created between them. The enchantment looked more like spaghetti than actual readable lines.

    Behind the wardrobe¡¯s door was a mirror. I looked at my reflection: soft leather boots, breeches, and a loose white shirt, just like the ones that had belonged to Mister Lowell. The main piece of my attire was a short blue mantle tied around my shoulders by a silver string brooch. On the back of the mantle, the tailor had embroidered the Rosebud Fencing Academy insignia¡ªthe rose and the quill. I ran my hand over the embroidery. The threads were smooth, and the dye was rich.

    A knock on my door startled me.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Lord Clarke?¡± a voice called.

    I instinctively straightened and adjusted my mantle before opening the door. A young aide with tired eyes stood there. His expression was rigid, almost like he had encountered a rabid dog on his way to my room. Being around many high-level warriors and their dangerous auras all day must be tiring.

    The aide extended a small memorandum with a single line¡ªCabbage.

    Classrooms at the Imperial Academy had names. Some names dated back hundreds of years, from when the Imperial Academy was new. Back then, Cadria was the capital of a greater empire composed of Ebros and two other neighboring kingdoms, hence the Imperial. Other names changed every year. Classroom Cabbage was one of the latter¡ªa classroom without a history for a squad of average cadets.

    The most promising cadets were personally recruited by the best instructors; the rest were assigned randomly to the remaining squads.

    Rhovan had been the martial instructor of Squad Hawkdrake for the last twenty years and had a reputation for producing some of the best Imperial Knights in the kingdom. He had been Lord Astur and Prince Ragna¡¯s instructor, among many other highly regarded figures in the kingdom. And he disliked me.

    Things were going to be difficult.

    I took the memo and left the teacher¡¯s quarters.

    The Academy was a chaos of students running from side to side, opening doors, and sticking heads into the classrooms just to apologize and continue the search for the right one.

    The instructors seemed equally confused.

    Only a tiny fraction of the instructors lived in the teacher''s quarters. Most instructors and Preceptors resided within the inner wall and traveled to the premises by carriage. The ones who lived at the Academy usually came from humble backgrounds or faraway towns. I was curious as to why Rhovan stayed at the teacher¡¯s quarters, considering his importance at the Academy. However, there was only so much the aides knew, and I didn¡¯t want to raise suspicion by digging further.

    Classroom Cabbage was one of the amphitheater-shaped classrooms I had seen the day before. I peeked through the door. Twenty-four cadets dressed in black fencing uniforms already waited inside. Their overlapping conversation reached my ears without rhyme or reason. Laughter burst in a corner. A few cadets gestured wildly, locked in a heated debate. Chairs scrapped against the floor. Old acquaintances were meeting again.

    I smiled. That was the kind of classroom I remembered from Earth. I looked around the corridor. Except for a few stragglers, most cadets had already reached their classrooms. There was no instructor in sight. Was Talindra late?

    Suddenly, [Foresight] caught a tiny voice from the front of the classroom.

    ¡°Please, be quiet.¡±

    The cadets ignored the request.

    I opened the door a bit more. A woman dressed in an elegant black robe with a green hem stood behind the podium¡ªthe uniform of the Nature Circle. Her curly ginger hair fell on her shoulders like ivy tendrils, each lock curling and twisting like it had a life of its own. I couldn¡¯t see her face.

    ¡°Students, please. The lesson has already started.¡±

    The chatter only grew louder.

    Talindra wasn¡¯t late. I was. Still, I remained outside, watching the scene unfold.

    [Foresight] picked out what the cadets were saying.

    If we ignore her, she might leave.

    Or cry.

    Ugh, I don¡¯t want the Cabbage Lady to be my instructor.

    We are going to get fucking expelled if we don¡¯t get a real instructor.

    Don¡¯t worry. I can make my father transfer us to Hawkdrake Squad.

    Man, I bet she looks great without the robe.

    I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. My hopes of a class of super-motivated students crashed down in flames. It wasn¡¯t my first time witnessing students bullying a teacher. The last time I saw it happen was a long time ago when I was two or three years into my teaching career. [Foresight] played the memory behind my eyelids. I¡¯d found a substitute teacher crying in the bathroom during recess, but I wasn¡¯t brave enough to help her. I thought it would be embarrassing for her, so I stepped back in silence, and she left before I could bring it up. I was so stupid back then. However, that mistake helped me be more attentive to my students. I still felt a hint of guilt.

    Talindra didn¡¯t seem to have experience managing a classroom.

    I channeled a bit of mana into my hand and slammed the door open, almost ripping it off the hinges.

    ¡°Good morning, cadets,¡± I said, projecting my voice to reach even the furthest corner of the classroom.

    The chatter suddenly died, like someone had sucked the atmosphere out of the room.

    I gave Talindra a friendly smile, but she was too stunned to notice.

    ¡°Before starting, let¡¯s set a few base rules,¡± I continued without skipping a beat. ¡°First of all, the moment you cross the doorway, you will lower your voice, take a seat, and prepare your material. If you are not mentally prepared to attend a lesson, you are free to stay outside and take your conversation to the gardens. Second. Showing respect towards your classmates and your instructors is paramount. I won¡¯t tolerate disrespectful behavior whether I¡¯m present or not. You will behave like a proper cadet as soon as you enter our classroom. Understood?¡±

    There were a few shy answers, but the vast majority looked at me like I was crazy.

    ¡°May I know who you are?¡± A tall kid with curly blond hair and an upturned nose said. He had the poise of a high noble. I could tell by his body development he was older than the rest. He must¡¯ve delayed his examination and wasn¡¯t happy with my performance.

    ¡°Great question. For those who haven¡¯t realized, I¡¯m your martial instructor. My name is Robert Clarke, but you can call me Mister Clarke or Instructor if you prefer,¡± I said.

    I couldn¡¯t help but notice an unhealthy amount of disdain from the group surrounding the tall blond cadet.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t an Imperial Knight. Why should we obey you?¡± he said. ¡°If we want to survive the first selection exam, we need to have the best instructor the Academy can offer, not whatever this commoner fest is.¡±

    That was an excellent point. Selection exams were no joke. Half of the cadets didn¡¯t survive the first semester.

    ¡°If this class is not to your liking, you are free to leave,¡± I said.

    The kid was taken aback.

    ¡°Leave? No. I¡¯m not leaving anywhere. Do you know who I am?¡±

    I looked at him for a moment.

    ¡°I actually do,¡± I said, scratching my chin. ¡°I saw you two years ago during the tournament at Farcrest. You are the son of Lord Gairon, Esteffen. You were sixteen back then.¡±

    Esteffen Gairon paled.

    I remember Team Gairon¡¯s bracket against the Imperial Cadets. I was sitting by Prince Adrien¡¯s side in the VIP box. Prince Adrien had told me Esteffen didn¡¯t have what it took to become an Imperial Knight. Then, the harpy cadet had swept the floor with him, ten barriers broken against zero, and considering his reaction, Esteffen seemed to remember that event rather vividly.

    ¡°You have come a long way, Esteffen, and I understand your demand for the best instructor available,¡± I said. Despite his behavior, I wouldn¡¯t out his shameful memories in front of the whole classroom. No teacher should. ¡°Raise your hands if you have heard of Basilisk Squad?¡±

    Out of the twenty-four students, twenty raised their hands.

    I had devised a little plan to make things easier for Talindra and me¡ªmostly Talindra.

    ¡°Those of you who believe they can survive the Basilisk Squad¡¯s teacher, keep your hands up.¡±

    Half of the hands went down, some begrudgingly, others rather quickly. At least they were honest. Basilisk Squad was infamous for dropping students even before the selection exams. Most of the top squads did, which served to pad the approval-to-failure ratio when the selection exams came.

    Aides knew a lot. Coachmen knew even more.

    ¡°I have a proposal. I¡¯m a close friend of Preceptor Holst, so if you don¡¯t want to be part of Cabbage, I will ask him to accept you into Basilisk,¡± I said.

    Holst would accept. The more cadets in his squad, the more chances he would have to find top performers. He had a lot to win from the exchange, and in the worst case, I would owe him a favor.

    ¡°Keep your hands up if you want to be transferred to the Basilisk Squad,¡± I continued. ¡°Think about it. I won''t drop anyone before the first selection exam, but there is a good chance Preceptor Holst will.¡±

    Some hands went down, but in the end, seven remained up. Among them, Esteffen Gairon and his little group. A lot less than I expected.

    ¡°Alright. I will talk to Preceptor Holst after classes. If he doesn¡¯t accept, you will be welcomed back to Cabbage, and we will go along as if nothing happened. For now, you aren¡¯t part of the squad. You are dismissed.¡±

    The group of cadets left the room with satisfied expressions on their faces. Holst, after all, was regarded as one of the best martial instructors despite his short time at the Academy. He would turn them into diamonds if they had the endurance to survive his class.

    In the corner of the room, a group of cadets whispered in a state of panic.

    We should take the offer and leave.

    Father didn¡¯t order me to transfer to another squad.

    Come on, Malkah. He will demolish us when he realizes it¡¯s us.

    I recognized them instantly. It was the group of cadets who had tried to get me in trouble with the city guard¡ªthe ones who had destroyed Ralgar¡¯s freezing pumpkins. Malkah remained unfazed by his friend''s pleas. His expression was hard as stone.

    ¡°Another familiar face! Mister Malkah of Krigia, it¡¯s good to see you and your friends again,¡± I said. ¡°How is Ralgar doing?¡±

    Malkah¡¯s followers exchanged a glance of sheer terror.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t spoken to Ralgar since yesterday,¡± Malkah replied matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to take my offer? Considering what transpired yesterday, you might feel more comfortable with a different instructor,¡± I said.

    Malka¡¯s followers pleaded with him to reconsider. The rest of the class began wondering why I inspired so much terror in so many students. I could see it in their faces.

    Malkah seemed slightly confused with the whole situation.

    ¡°Is there a problem with Cabbage Squad? Will I be unable to become an Imperial Knight if I remain here?¡±

    ¡°There is no problem with Cabbage Squad,¡± I replied.

    Other than the name.

    ¡°Then I see no point in transferring,¡± Malkah said, his voice lacking any inflection.

    I glanced at Malkah¡¯s friends. They were terrified, yet remained by Malkah¡¯s side like two loyal dogs. After Esteffan Gairon¡¯s departure, no one else asked for a transfer to Basilisk Squad.

    With all the basics covered, I turned towards Talindra.

    She flinched.

    ¡°Would you like to take it from here?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, please. No problem,¡± she stuttered.

    I sat down at the teacher¡¯s desk. The truth was, I had no clue how to proceed and no one to ask for help. The instructors had avoided me since my encounter with Rhovan, and Ghila and Holst weren¡¯t in the teacher¡¯s quarters after I visited the tailor.

    Talindra cleared her throat. His voice came out just as weak as before, but at least the cadets were silent now.

    ¡°Good morning, everyone. Congratulations on getting accepted at the Academy. My name is Talindra of Mistwood. I¡¯m a new Preceptor at the Imperial Library and will be your magical instructor for the duration of the year,¡± Talindra said, slowly gaining confidence. ¡°If you are curious, I am a Lv.47 Silvan Witch. My basic class was Herbalist.¡±

    Herbalists usually turned into Alchemists.

    The Book of Classes didn¡¯t mention the Herbalist to Silvan Witch line.

    Talindra explained the meal schedule and the curfew. I already knew that part, so I let my mind wander. Talindra didn¡¯t look like a high-level spellcaster. She was a bit on the thicker side; her expression was soft, and her eyes were compassionate. Although her facial features were unconventional¡ªwith wide-set eyes and bushy brows¡ªshe was undoubtedly attractive.

    Her lack of presence wasn¡¯t due to anything about her appearance, but that her presence was simply too weak. It was hard to describe, but high-level people could fill the room alone with their presence alone. When a high-level warrior entered a room, there was no doubt they were a high-level warrior. Talindra, on the other hand, seemed like a low-level Herbalist. She didn¡¯t even look the cadets in the eye despite having thirty or more levels on them.

    Suddenly, Talindra pulled a scroll from her sleeve.

    ¡°Now, with the important part,¡± she said, lifting the scroll for everyone to see. ¡°This is the reason why you were given the Silence Hex.¡±

    It took me a moment to realize what the scroll was.

    ¡°Another hex?¡± A cadet with a mousey face asked.

    [Foresight] instantly pinged my brain. I recognized her. She was the urchin who had tried to rob me the day I arrived at Cadria. Only after a moment, glancing at me, did she realize that her voice had given her away.

    Talindra seemed to be happy that the cadet had correctly identified the scroll.

    ¡°Yes! This is another hex, but not any hex. This is the secret of the Academy¡¯s success.¡±

 204 - Yvain Osgiria

    ¡°This scroll will turn you into a great Imperial Knight,¡± Talindra happily said, holding the scroll above her head.

    The parchment radiated a faint trail of mana, but hexes were deceitful. Regardless of the amount of mana, the effects could be really powerful. Without going any further, the Silence Hex could restrain even a high-level warrior¡¯s body.

    The cadets exchanged excited glances, and for the first time that day, a glimmer of hope appeared on their faces.

    ¡°This scroll contains a Restrain Hex,¡± Talindra said. ¡°Upon activation, your powers will be sealed.¡±

    The glimmer of hope disappeared, and a hushed murmur rose from the back rows.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed!¡± Talindra quickly added. ¡°It is completely safe. To activate the hex, you must select the target level and the duration of the effect. Your level, mana, skills, and passives will be toned down to match¡ª¡±

    A girl stood from her seat. Her straight white hair fell like a curtain over her shoulders, and her black uniform was one size too big for her slender frame. Instinctively, I checked the girl¡¯s ears. They were round like mine. She wasn¡¯t an elf, and yet she had a mystical aura.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t sealing our powers dangerous? What if we must use our skills while the hex is active?¡±

    Talindra lost the trail of her words, and that was all it took to unsettle the cadets.

    ¡°T-there are safety measures in place. You can break the hex by shouting a passphrase,¡± Talindra explained as she loosened the scroll¡¯s knot.

    The cadets shifted in their seats. Their expressions told me everything I needed to know. Kids immediately drew conclusions about which teachers were trustworthy, and Talindra was losing them. Beliefs were powerful beasts, and the belief that a teacher wasn¡¯t up to the task predisposed the kids not to take the lessons seriously. Credibility alone could make or break a class.

    Talindra untied the roll, revealing several sheets of paper. She put one in front of every student.

    ¡°The Restrain Hex will allow you to learn to use your existing skills before achieving new ones,¡± Talindra said.

    Not quite the use I was going to give them

    I grinned. Sealing the cadet¡¯s powers was just what I needed for my teaching style to thrive. The pass rate for the first semester was about fifty percent. I wondered if I could get that number close to a hundred percent. My eyes wandered over the classroom. The cadets looked at the Restrain Hex like it was a skeeth turd sandwich.

    The white-haired girl sat, defeated.

    Just like the Silence Hex, the Restrain Hex seemed unavoidable.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your schedule,¡± Talindra continued. ¡°One month from now, you will have your first selection exam. Until then, your schedule will focus on practical lessons with M-mister Clarke and me. Those who approve the exam will be allowed to continue with the program. Those who fail will be expelled,¡±

    Talindra let the words float in the room.

    ¡°Look around you. Half of you will not pass, so I beg you to give your best and push yourselves to the limit. You will have only one chance.¡±

    Nobody seemed particularly confident. Not even those of a noble upbringing, who had been competing with their family members for a place in their dynasty since the moment they learned to walk. Talindra¡¯s words had the opposite effect that she expected. Although she wasn¡¯t factually wrong, she sounded hopeless.

    Classroom management wasn¡¯t her forte.

    I wondered if she was new to this.

    ¡°Any questions before we start with today¡¯s lesson?¡±

    ¡°What is the selection exam about?¡± the white-haired girl asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret, even to us instructors,¡± Talindra replied apologetically.

    The girl was confused.

    ¡°They will test us, but they will not tell us what the test is about?! This is unfair! How are we supposed to become Imperial Knights if we don¡¯t even know what to do?¡± she asked with utmost gravity. ¡°How do we know your lessons are useful? The older cadets told us both of you were new instructors!¡±

    Many more cadets joined her unrest. Malkah was the only one who remained composed during the conversation. He was almost like a statue. The class was reaching the point of no return¡ªjust where I wanted it to be.

    Talindra tried to reply, but she was out of words.

    ¡°Mind if I take it from here?¡± I asked, standing from the desk and walking to the front of the platform.

    Talindra was startled, as if she had forgotten I was sitting behind her.

    ¡°S-sure. No problem,¡± she stuttered.

    ¡°Can I have a hex scroll?¡±

    Talidra nodded, handing me a sheet of paper with a trembling hand.

    The wording of the Restrain Hex was as simple as the Silent Hex I had signed the day before. The Restrain Hex, however, had empty spaces to fill the details of the effect¡ªlevel, duration, and passphrase. I wondered how that information was translated into runes. I made a mental note to check on it later.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, miss?¡± I asked, pointing at the white-haired girl.

    ¡°Leonie,¡± she replied reluctantly.

    No surname. Commoners usually stated their place of birth, but she didn¡¯t act like one. Was she keeping her lineage a secret on purpose? I shook my head. She was probably thinking I was merely singling her out.

    ¡°Leonie, we don¡¯t know the precise contents of the exam, but they are implied by the date,¡± I asked.

    The girl looked at me in confusion. I gave her a moment to think. I could almost see the gears turning inside her skull. Just an instant passed, and her eyes lit up.

    ¡°They are testing something that can be taught in a month¡­¡± Leonie began, but she quickly shook her head. ¡°No! They would tell us if they wanted us to learn something in a month. They are testing something we have from before! Something that can only be tested on short notice¡­ They are testing our ability to improve.¡±

    I smiled.

    ¡°My thoughts exactly. The first test will be about adaptability; those who can¡¯t improve fast enough will be expelled.¡±

    A cadet''s initial improvement could be a good indicator of their overall potential. Cadets with low potential would improve slowly, while cadets with high potential would improve faster. I could see the reason behind the test, but ultimately, it was deeply flawed. Such a test rewarded competitive personalities to the detriment of the steady workers.

    Instead of interrupting me, Leonie raised her hand.

    ¡°Is it okay for you to tell us the contents of the test? The Academy wanted to keep it a secret, after all.¡±

    I shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯m a firm believer that a teacher shouldn¡¯t test something they didn¡¯t teach. Besides, I¡¯m not here to send you back home. I¡¯m an instructor, and I¡¯m here to help all of you pass the exam.¡±

    Leonie nodded approvingly.

    I had one in the bag already.

    Others, however, didn¡¯t seem to believe my words. I understood them. In their heads, power and skill were all about levels, not something one could achieve locked inside a classroom unless you were a Scribe or a Scholar.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°Leonie, if you were in charge of the exam and your goal was to put the cadets in an extreme situation to test their adaptability. What would you do?¡±

    Leonie closed her eyes, deep in thought.

    ¡°I will have them level up against a wide variety of monsters,¡± she said. ¡°Although that sounds dangerous¡­ and contradicts the usage of the Restrain Hex.¡±

    A shy hand rose behind her. It was the girl with a mousey face and messy hair who tried to steal from me during my first day in Cadria. I made a mental note to talk to her after class. I couldn¡¯t have an Imperial Cadet stealing from the merchants at the market.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, miss?¡±

    ¡°Kili,¡± she replied.

    I nodded for her to continue.

    ¡°If I had to put cadets in an extreme situation, I would restrain their Personal Sheets back to level one. They would have to learn on the fly without access to their skills,¡± she said. ¡°Everyone knows Lv.1 is the most dangerous of all. You have barely any resources, so you must get creative.¡±

    That was precisely what I wanted to hear.

    I wondered if she had learned that lesson in the streets.

    ¡°Take your quills and write on the hex scroll. To prepare yourselves for the Selection Exam, for the next month, you will all be Lv.1 again,¡± I said, clapping my hands.

    Seventeen cadets were in the room, and I only had won over two. Leonie and Kili were the only two on board with my ideas, and Kili likely only followed my lead because she was scared of me revealing her secret. As expected, my announcement wasn¡¯t well received by everyone.

    A boy with black curls and an angular face spoke above the murmurs.

    ¡°I will not return to level one. We are supposed to become Imperial Knights. How will we get stronger if we can¡¯t use our skills to their full extent? Excuse me if I sound harsh, but neither you nor the woman are Imperial Knights. You don¡¯t even have experience teaching at the Academy. How are you supposed to know what¡¯s best for us? The exam is only a month from now. We don¡¯t have time to play around low levels.¡±

    Most of the cadets agreed.

    I expected someone to challenge me openly.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, sir?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yvain Osgiria, son of Lord Enric Osgiria, second in line to the throne of Ortheon Tower, Duelist Lv.10,¡± he said.

    My heart skipped a beat. Lord Vedras killed Enric Osgiria during the feast at Farcrest. This was the son of the man whose cause of death I had falsified to gain Prince Adrien¡¯s favor. Reality struck me like a tidal wave. Because of me, the boy would never know the real reason his father died, nor would he find justice against the perpetrator. Vedras was too valuable for the royalist faction.

    I used [Foresight] to push those thoughts aside.

    ¡°Yvain, the only way to be prepared for the unexpected is to have solid bases,¡± I said, looking around the classroom. I was going to drop a bomb. ¡°The truth is the System is a crutch. Regular people let the System control their powers, but there is another way. I want to teach you how to fight without that crutch so you can make the most of your skills.¡±

    The room fell into silence.

    ¡°The System a crutch? This is ridiculous. I am reporting this to Lord Astur,¡± Yvain said, getting on his feet and walking to the door.

    It was time to throw the bait.

    ¡°I can prove it. I can prove the System is slowing you down.¡±

    Yvain stopped.

    ¡°How?¡±

    I raised the Hex above my head so everyone could see the piece of paper and completed the blank spaces with my [Magical Ink]. For one hour, I would be a Lv.1 Sage.

    ¡°If I can defeat you at Lv.1, would you believe me?¡± I asked.

    The classroom glanced at me with alarmed expressions.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t forfeit your powers, would you? What if someone sneaks inside and uses the hex to harm you while you are level one? You will be defenseless!¡± Yvain was horrified.

    That was a good point. I could break the hex anytime, but some attacks would be faster than I could yell the passphrase¡ªPineapple Juice was kind of a mouthful. I turned around, and my eyes fell on Talindra. She shrank on her chair.

    ¡°Miss Talindra will keep me safe,¡± I said.

    ¡°Do you trust her that much?¡± Leone interjected.

    ¡°I¡¯m asking you to trust me. Wouldn¡¯t it be hypocritical if I didn¡¯t trust her?¡±

    Talindra looked distressed, as if someone had suddenly handed her a newborn baby. I didn¡¯t give her time to complain.

    ¡°What do you say, Yvain? Are you able to defeat a Lv.1?¡±

    ¡°I respect a man who puts his honor where he puts his mouth,¡± he replied.

    The cadets exchanged expectant glances.

    ¡°I-I will prepare the arena,¡± Talindra said. ¡°Cadets, please stand by the door.¡±

    Mana surged through Talindra¡¯s body. The room trembled, and the stands and stage retracted into the wall. The chalkboard rotated, and a series of cabinets with glass covers appeared. The cabinets contained training equipment and a first aid kit with enough potions and bandages to bring a platoon back to health. What did instructors do with the cadets here?

    I had no time to feel awe because Yvain entered the arena.

    ¡°Mask, gauntlets, and sword,¡± I said, opening the cabinet and pulling out a training sword.

    Masterwork Starkwood Practice Longsword. Enchantment threshold: 2000.

    I swung the sword a couple of times and rolled my shoulders while Yvain got his equipment.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to use a mask?¡± He asked.

    ¡°You are not going to touch me,¡± I replied, walking to the center of the combat zone.

    The cadets exchanged amused glances. Sparring without safety equipment was a massive no, but I needed to put on a show for the cadets. A bit of retaliation for Yvain was also in order. If I wanted to keep a disciplined classroom, I couldn¡¯t have him calling Talindra ¡®woman,¡¯ even if it was technically correct.

    I grabbed my dagger from my belt and pricked my thumb. Then, I pressed the drop of blood against the scroll. The hex was way less dramatic than I expected. Shy blue sparks emerged from the scroll''s surface, and I felt a strange pressure on the chest where my mana pool was located. Suddenly, I felt like I was moving through a sea of gelatin.

    ¡°How does it feel?¡± Leonie asked from the sideline where the cadets were sitting.

    ¡°Sluggish.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t the first time I lost my powers, yet during the past two years, I had grown accustomed to them. Without [Foresight], I felt like someone had put a set of blinders on me. My spatial awareness returned to ¡®normal¡¯ levels. I couldn¡¯t follow the exact position of everyone in the room anymore. The insight into the cadets'' expressions slowly disappeared until I could barely tell what they were thinking. The skill was still there, but I couldn¡¯t feed it enough mana to get the most out of it.

    For an instant, I panicked.

    What if the hex interacted weirdly with my rune injection?

    Name: Robert Clarke, Human.

    Class: Sage Lv.1 [SEALED]

    Titles: Out of your League, Hot for Teacher, Consultant Detective [SEALED], Researcher of the Hidden [SEALED], Headmaster, Classroom Overlord [SEALED]. 16 others [SEALED].

    Passive: Lv.1 Swordsmanship [SEALED], Lv.1 Riding, Mana Mastery [SEALED], Foresight [SEALED], Master of Languages.

    Skills: Identify, Magical Ink, Silence Dome, Invigoration, Mirage [SEALED], Minor Aerokinesis [SEALED], Minor Pyrokinesis [SEALED], Minor Geokinesis [SEALED], Minor Hydrokinesis [SEALED].

    My character sheet wasn¡¯t revealing any of my secrets, and a  quick examination of my mana pool told me everything was right. The hex didn¡¯t inject runes into my skills but wrote a new parameter inside each instance. The new parameter seemed to call a function from the System itself. I couldn¡¯t edit it. When I opened my eyes, I sighed in relief.

    ¡°This feels nostalgic. Kinda reminds me of when I was a Lv.1 Scholar,¡± I said, stretching my arms and testing the new depths of my mana pool. I did not have much to work with.

    Yvain cleared his throat.

    ¡°Rules?¡±

    ¡°Only one rule. Try to get me. I won¡¯t use offensive or defensive skills, only my weapon mastery,¡± I said.

    Malkah¡¯s stooges laughed, but the rest remained silent¡ªa hard crowd.

    ¡°I will do the same, then,¡± Yvain replied, raising his sword as a salute. ¡°I don¡¯t need more to defeat a Lv.1.¡±

    The kids at the sideline were starting to get heated.

    I saluted back and raised my guard. Unlike Firana when we first dueled, Yvain examined my stance before separating his feet and raising his sword¡ªa low guard. Yvain was the son of an Imperial Knight, and he probably got coaching from his father. I couldn¡¯t underestimate him.

    ¡°Whenever you want,¡± I said.

    Yvain attacked, testing the waters. I pushed his blade aside almost dismissively. His arm was heavier than mine, but my swordsmanship was superior. My heart raced. [Foresight] wasn¡¯t predicting Yvains movements. I felt like someone had taken my sight and left me stumbling through an unfamiliar environment.

    I was on my own.

    During the past two years, though, I haven¡¯t been idle. Izabeka, Risha, and Astrid were the best training partners I could wish for. My [Swordsmanship] had advanced to Lv.6, but the knowledge was safely stored in my head, not the System.

    We tested each other¡¯s strengths. Yvain was skilled, but he had a long way to go.

    I pressed the offensive. Yvain blocked my blows and tried to put more space between us. I didn¡¯t let him. I stepped forward, keeping an eye on his hands. Yvain¡¯s style was gentlemanly, with solid footwork and no hidden tricks, just straightforward fencing. He didn¡¯t even try to go for my unprotected face.

    I wondered if Enric Osgiria had taught him.

    Firana had tried harder to smack me.

    I tested Yvain¡¯s style for another minute until I started seeing the patterns of his weapon mastery taking control of his body. If I had to guess, he had a Lv.2 [Longsword Mastery]. To Yvain¡¯s misfortune, the ¡®movepool¡¯ of a low-level mastery was highly predictable.

    Like Firana two years ago, he was letting his [Longsword Mastery] do the job.

    Having memorized his movements, I timed Yvain¡¯s next strike. Our blades clashed, and I pushed forward, the hilts grinding against each other and preventing him from linking another swing. I grabbed Yvain¡¯s sword and used my wrist to seize control of the position. Then I twisted, turning the momentum against him.

    Yvain was taken by surprise but didn¡¯t let go of his sword.

    I violently bent my body. The soles of Yvain¡¯s boots left the ground. For a short, glorious moment, he flew through the dueling area before his back smacked against the wooden floor.

    Yvain let a faint growl as the air left his lungs.

    I threw his sword to the side and faced the cadets, who looked at me in awe.

    ¡°First lesson of the Rosebud Fencing Academy: you don¡¯t need the System to be a good sword fighter.¡±