ã€ŠControl Comes from Withinã€‹


 Prologue

    ¡°Would you like to sign up for our membership rewards program?¡± the middle-aged woman behind the counter asked me.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m good, thank you,¡± I told her, as I grabbed the plastic bag with my energy drinks and pretzels in it, and folded the receipt she handed me into my back pocket.

    She nodded at me and faintly smiled as I turned and left the convenience store, the bing-bong of the automatic doors sounding behind me. A slight buzz in my pocket drew my attention as I shifted the bag to my other hand so I could pull out my phone. Checking the newest message made me sigh, both out of relief and exasperation.

    Great, I thought to myself. Another tutoring request. There was nothing overtly bad about tutoring jobs, besides the somewhat meager pay that seemed inversely proportional to the amount of work it required. Honestly, editing and translation work might be better. At least I can do that from home, in the comfort of my sweatpants.

    Sadly, I knew I would have to accept the job if I wanted to make rent this month. Which meant dealing with curious and vitriolic kids, not to mention the concern and suspicion of their parents and the time needed to devise a lesson plan and syllabus, on top of everything else I had to handle. Oh, and the upcoming deadline for the project I was working on that I had to meet by tomorrow morning, in roughly eleven hours or so.

    I sent a message back, accepting the tutoring job and mentioning my fixed rates. Unfortunately, the app I was using to find job offers, that basically acted as an intermediary, only permitted payment upon the completion of a job and with the acknowledgement of both parties. Apparently, it was to prevent frauds and con artists from taking advantage of the app, but there was more likely another motive there, one that I was too tired and apathetic to think of.

    I could feel yet another headache building up, so I started making my way to the pharmacy while I massaged my forehead with my empty hand, hoping that maybe this time the medicine would alleviate it for long enough that I could at least finish my current job. I put my phone away and tried not to think about the possibility of my headache being a precursor to something worse.

    The headaches had gradually been getting more persistent over the years, ever since I was ten, and every doctor I had been to said there was nothing wrong with me, despite the plethora of tests I was subjected to and had to pay for, out of pocket.

    Oh, but I should definitely go back if the symptoms flared up again. After all, you can¡¯t put a price on being healthy.

    Or at least, the people who don¡¯t control the so-called ¡®healthcare¡¯ industry can¡¯t put a price on it, I bitterly added.

    It had been a while since I had a few days to truly relax, so I pledged to take some time off after my current workload was finished. The old fallback of binging on whatever recommended webnovel or series popped up on my ¡®For You¡¯ feed was a good way to just enjoy something while turning my brain off. Honestly, this last-minute rush was becoming something of a habit, as my procrastinating became more and more prominent. Stopping the habit would need me to be serious, which I had a problem doing. No matter what happened to me, I just¡­couldn¡¯t take life seriously.

    Oh, there were moments, like now, with having to deal with the urgent issue of rent, where I became a bit more anxious, but in general, I just didn¡¯t care. About anything. Any dreams or ambitions I once had were obliterated, and the process of finding new ones only to have them crushed over and over again was painful.

    So I stopped.

    I gave up. And somehow, that idea took hold and gradually became the cornerstone of my existence. I was just¡­aimless. Going through the motions. Living day to day because I was told to. And I didn¡¯t have an issue with that, because I couldn¡¯t see a purpose to it all.

    At times, the thought of doing something more¡­permanent¡­crossed my mind. A short drop and a quick stop, as they say.

    But I never acted on it. It was always just a¡­concept. A dusty cardboard box in the back of my mind that I rarely opened up.

    The changing of the traffic lights and the resultant honking of horns brought me out of my mind and back into the real world. I strolled through the intersection and was just turning the corner onto the sidewalk of the next street, when the glare of the setting sun reflected off a glass window and blinded me, making me flinch and cover my eyes reflexively. ¡°Son of a ¡­¡± I cursed.

    I took a couple seconds to rub my eyes and blink rapidly to try and get rid of the giant phantom sun silhouette that appeared when I closed my eyes.

    Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t the only one blinded by the glare.

    No sooner had I gotten my vision to normal than I felt someone bump into me, followed by a high-pitched yelp.

    ¡°What the hell! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    A woman wearing some weird cross between a poofy ballroom gown and a revealing swimsuit was on the ground, presumably the source of the bump I just felt, her hair and makeup done in what I could only assume was a legitimate attempt to imitate a baboon. She took her heels off as she picked herself up, taking out her phone to look at her face, presumably to check that her ¡®look¡¯ was intact.

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    Once she finished, she turned to me with a glare on her face.

    ¡°So? You gonna apologize or what?¡± she asked me angrily.

    ¡°...Me? I¡¯m sorry, but-¡± I started to say, as she interrupted me.

    ¡°You¡¯re sorry? So you¡¯re admit you¡¯re wrong! Then give me some money as compensation right now, or I¡¯ll call my lawyer and sue your ass until you wish you were dead!¡± she threatened me, loudly and without any rationality.

    Honestly, even if she did sue me and somehow manage to win what little I owned, it would most likely be significantly less than what the legal fees would cost her. Somehow, I got the feeling she wouldn¡¯t much appreciate my informing her of that.

    I looked around for any witnesses to try and quickly invalidate her, but there were very few people in sight, one of the reasons I chose this time of day to go out for snacks. My introvert tendencies to only go outside at statistically improbable times of interacting with other people had apparently backfired on me unexpectedly.

    Turning back to her, I said, ¡°Look, you¡¯re fine enough to threaten me. I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am, but I have to go. Have a good night.¡±

    I started to walk past her to go home, but quickly approaching was a human goliath. I stopped in shock at seeing someone like that, all norms of polite society and political correctness gone out the window as my eyes took him in.

    Seven feet tall, bald, and wearing a black formal suit and tie that barely managed to conceal his bulging muscles, the behemoth jogged past me and half-kneeled to talk to the woman. ¡°Okay, I got it. Sorry for making you wait, babe. We better hurry if we wanna be fashionably late like you said,¡± he said to her, his voice bass-deep and a bit gravelly as he kissed her on the top of her head.

    ¡°Baby! You¡¯re finally here!¡± she exclaimed in relief. ¡°That guy pushed me down and tried to assault me! He was about to run away!¡± she pointed at me as she whined at him.

    ¡°What?!¡± I shouted.

    The indignation of the accusation pushed aside the shock I felt at seeing the tall guy.

    What the hell is wrong with her? I didn¡¯t do anything like that!

    Before I could even form my next thought, I was on the ground, lying on my back with the wind knocked out of me. The unexpected pain, coupled with the blow I didn¡¯t see coming, ensured that I couldn¡¯t do anything to stop the tiny foot that began to repeatedly stomp on my stomach and groin, or the fist that alternated between obliterating my face and my ribs.

    I tried to go in the fetal position, curling up to at least cover my head with my hands, but the giant hands coming my way put a swift stop to that. All it took was a quick grasp of both my hands and a slight pressure, then my wrists crumbled and cracked. I swear I could feel the bones disintegrate inside me. A reflexive scream of pain escaped my mouth before someone decided they didn¡¯t like that and a blow from the side of my head made me bite my tongue, shutting me up quickly.

    It only took a few seconds and a false accusation to give me a complete makeover. One second I was just a random guy, statistically average at five feet ten inches and slightly overweight, and the next I was a lump of tenderized meat consisting of bruises, broken bones, and a probable concussion.

    I struggled to draw breath, tears, sweat and blood rolling down my face. The pain was¡­overwhelming. Excruciating. I couldn¡¯t even think of anything, the pain that I had become demanding every bit of my attention. One of my eyes was swollen shut, and the other was nearly there as well, a tiny sliver all that I could see out of. I couldn¡¯t think of a single body part that didn¡¯t hurt. Even the tiny spasms of my muscles made the pain worsen.

    I was brought out of my introspection by the voice of that bitch who started everything.

    ¡°Hey, everyone! It¡¯s Lady in Red, back again! If you¡¯re surprised that I¡¯m streaming again so soon, you¡¯re not the only one! I was just on my way to the charity gala, looking fine if I had to say, when all of a sudden, some SAVAGE attacked me! I was almost graped by this disgusting, ugh, when my boyfriend saved me! Say hi to the viewers, baby!¡±

    ¡°Hey, guys, I was just doing what a real man should. Anyway, link to my channel is in the - ¡°

    ¡°Yeah, so anyways, here¡¯s the creep who thought he could get away with molesting me in broad daylight! I think we can get this guy cancelled by tomorrow if someone can find out who he is.¡±

    A bright light blinded what little vision I had, and even the small instinctive movement to close my eye sent another twinge of pain through my head.

    ¡°I just wanted to remind all my female subscribers who watch me to be safe at night! Assholes like this,¡± she stopped talking long enough to kick me again, ¡°are the reason people feel the need to take away women¡¯s rights. If you want to¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t tell if I tuned out the rest of her words, or if I legitimately fell unconscious. All I knew was that the next thing I heard was a standard outro used by streamers and content creators worldwide and the sound of a truck passing by.

    Even if I somehow live through this, my life is basically over. Medical bills plus me likely being crippled plus the death of my reputation, not that anyone knows me, plus whatever else the world wants to throw at me, means I¡¯m toast. Heh heh, at least the headache is no longer the worst pain I¡¯ve ever felt, I thought to myself grimly, my lip curling upwards by itself.

    ¡°Are you smiling, asshole? How about I give you something to really smile about?¡± the goliath¡¯s deep voice brought me out of my thoughts. Somehow my assailant mistook the curling of my lip for a smile. And he did not like that.

    I wasn¡¯t exactly a fan of what happened next.

    There was no warning. Just a flash, a loud pop, and a searing pain near my kidney. My throat had long since turned raw from the countless attempts to scream, and the sad excuse of a sideways roll elevated my pain further than I thought possible.

    And yet again, a certain someone decided they didn¡¯t like that.

    ¡°Go to hell, you piece of shit,¡± the goliath said, his voice steady, as if physically dismantling me took less effort than a typical workout. A wet glob landed on my neck, followed by another.

    ¡°Yeah, asshole, that¡¯s what you get for messing with me!¡±

    The declaration was followed by a final small kick to the stomach that nearly killed me. I gurgled a wad of spit and blood as I tried to scream, but only managed a pathetic whimper.

    ¡°Come on, baby, we should go now. We don¡¯t want to be too late to the party,¡± the woman said nonchalantly, slightly gasping for breath.

    The click-clack of her heels and the resumed conversation between the two let me know they had walked away from me.

    Leaving me to die.

    I was never a particularly emotional person. I usually concealed my feelings behind a mask of indifference and apathy, as I had learned the hard way that expressing your feelings rarely had a positive outcome.

    But as I lay there with the lifeblood draining out of me, pain blanketing me like a blazing cocoon, I felt anger like never before. Who knew it would take literally dying for me to dispel my apathy towards life? The irony brought a ghost of a smirk to my face, causing another stab of pain.

    My penultimate thought before dying was hope that the outdoor security camera I recognized had recorded the incident. With any luck, those two would die in jail.

    My last thought before I died was, I swear if I live through this somehow, I¡¯ll kill those two.

    As fate would have it, I did manage to eventually fulfill that goal, but it took a long, long, time before that happened.

 Chapter 1

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake? Good, good. Don¡¯t try moving just yet. And¡­you¡¯re moving already..¡±

    An old man¡¯s voice woke me from what I was sure would be my eternal slumber.

    I struggled to open my eyes¡­until I didn¡¯t. My eyes, which I remember being practically swollen shut, opened completely normally, without any pain I had been expecting.

    I sat up from where I laid on the ground, eyes and hands going over every place I was sure had been injured, checking for signs of damage. My body was pristine, or at least, restored to how it was before I encountered that macho asshole and his manipulative girlfriend. My injuries were non-existent, and everything felt normal. Even my perpetually constant headache was gone.

    So why did I feel like something was wrong?

    I turned to where I heard the old man¡¯s voice come from, and I saw nothing, and nobody else except for myself. In fact, all I could see was that I was in a transparent dome of some kind¡­at the bottom of the ocean.

    There were giant fish and sea creatures swimming past the clear upside-down bowl that surrounded me, but nothing was entering. The ground I was lying down on had clumps of seaweed scattered around, and even a few upturned crabs and lonely mollusks were visible. I could even spot a single pearl. The smell of saltwater and fish was less pungent than I thought it would be.

    Somehow, there was even enough light to see, although common sense told me that the bottom of the sea should have been pitch-black. It was like I was in an aquarium, only aquariums didn¡¯t have shrimp the size of a bus. Or jellyfish with multiple eyestalks.

    What¡­. how¡­...

    I couldn¡¯t think properly. I was stunned into silence, and I¡¯m fairly certain my brain stopped working for a second or two. I didn¡¯t understand anything about¡­. anything.

    If I had to guess, I would say¡­. I couldn¡¯t make any sense of the situation.

    What exactly happened? I remember buying stuff at the convenience store, that asshole couple, then nothing. And now I¡¯m here.

    I was brought out of my memory reconstruction session by the same voice, only now it was neutral. And bored. And¡­something else my mind couldn¡¯t pick up on in my disoriented state.

    ¡°Well, you appear to be healthy enough to ignore me. Now, ask whatever questions you have. And do so quickly.¡± The voice was speaking without any urgency, but he told me to ask¡­quickly? The contradiction bothered me, but I had more pressing questions, and I wanted answers.

    Whether or not his words were true or false was an issue for later. All I could do was hope I would have the chance to verify everything later.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? And where am I?¡± I asked quickly, just as the old man¡¯s voice said to.

    ¡°So, getting the obvious issues out of the way first. Simply put, this is not your world.¡±

    I heard the words, registered them in my brain, and after a few moments of a dial tone sounding out in my head, everything suddenly clicked.

    I¡¯m dead. I¡¯m definitely dead, that asshole killed me and now I¡¯m dead and in heaven. Or hell. The afterlife? Whatever it is, I¡¯m definitely dead.

    ¡°Okay¡­you know what. That actually makes sense. So, am I in heaven or hell? Or purgatory? Do I qualify for reincarnation, maybe? Or is there some other afterlife possibility I¡¯m not aware of? Wait, it can¡¯t be reincarnation cause this is still my same body¡­¡± My voice was light and carefree, all of my worries melting away as I felt relief.

    I lived a pretty decent life. I wasn¡¯t exactly a paragon of virtue, but I wasn¡¯t some hardened killer either. My lifestyle, using the term generously, revolved around minimizing human contact and staying indoors as much as possible. My life was, for the most part, consumed by two things: trying to make money, and my downtime which consisted of consuming as much media as possible to try and create a spark of feeling something. That didn¡¯t exactly leave a lot of time for going out and committing crimes, which sadly, also failed to induce any major emotion within me the one time I attempted to.

    If I could get into purgatory, I would honestly count that as a win. Shame on me for not adhering to holy texts, but hey, I wasn¡¯t exactly religious, and it¡¯s not like there was a lot of evidence for it, so you couldn¡¯t blame me for ¨C

    ¡°It seems I should have been more specific. You didn¡¯t die. Well, perhaps you technically did for the briefest of increments; after all, those were some rather nasty injuries I found on you. But no, you¡¯re still alive. Healthy and safe as can be,¡± the voice stated. ¡°Although, you¡¯re going to have to work on your combat prowess if you wish to survive here.¡±

    ¡°Who are you, anyway? It¡¯s a little annoying to keep referring to you in my head as ¡®the old man¡¯.¡± I asked him.

    ¡°Sigh, you may address me as Khime,¡± he said.

    ¡°Well, you can¡­wait. Did you say I didn¡¯t die?¡± The incredulity in my voice was clear.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± he replied.

    And just like that, all those worries I had let go of rushed back to me, leaving me more anxious than I would have thought.

    I was confused. Confused, angry, tired, frustrated, afraid, and¡­hungry. Maintaining a polite facade as I usually did would be nothing new for me. When all these emotions were bubbling just beneath the surface? Then it became a bit too much for me.

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    ¡°Alright, just rip the band-aid off. Tell me everything. I don¡¯t care anymore.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot. You must ask the questions that you deem necessary. Unsolicited information is prohibited,¡± the old man ¨C Khime ¨C said.

    ¡°Prohibited? By who?¡± I asked curiously.

    I definitely focused on the wrong point there.

    ¡°I cannot say. Ask something else, or prepare to begin ¨C ¡°

    ¡°Okay, okay! Just wait a second!¡± I took a second to try and organize my thoughts. The situation was difficult enough without the added pressure of some arbitrary time limit, not to mention the tempest of emotions swirling within me.

    I was alive¡­somehow. And on another world¡­which meant this Khime was somehow connected to my being here, whole and healthy. Well, healthy for me. And of course, there was the obvious issue.

    For the most part, people are selfish. They act to further their own goal or cause. That meant Khime, for all his supposed apathy, wanted something from me. Something he couldn¡¯t accomplish himself. After all, you don¡¯t resurrect or near-resurrect someone and pull them through space unless you need them for something.

    ¡°Um, where am I? You said this isn¡¯t my world? Then what world is it? And where in, or¡­under this world am I located right now?¡± I asked, trying to be specific.

    For all intents and purposes, I was alone, in a strange situation, and lacking any type of context. I needed detailed information if I wanted to have any semblance of rational decision-making. So I pushed my emotions aside as best as I could, and tried to focus on gathering information.

    Also, the quicker I could get through this game of twenty questions, the quicker I could, hopefully, eat.

    ¡°This world has no name, as such. You are approximately twelve kilometers, or seven miles deep beneath the surface of the ocean. This specific area is relatively close to the southern coast of this continent, which is referred to as the Western or Human continent by the natives of this world.¡± Khime replied.

    ¡°WAIT! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,¡± I held my hands forward, waving them back and forth, trying to get this guy¡¯s attention, disregarding that I couldn¡¯t see him. ¡°You said Human continent. Does that mean there are humans here? And other intelligent species besides humans?¡± I asked, reading between the lines.

    ¡°That is indeed so. There are five primary continents populated by major races in this world. As I¡¯ve just stated, the Western continent is populated mostly by Humans. As a human yourself, you no doubt know what your own species is like. Oh, there may be minor biological and spiritual differences between you and the humans here, but as far as I can tell, nothing should prevent you from reproducing should you wish to.¡±

    If this world¡¯s women are even remotely similar to the ones back home, that is most certainly not the case.

    ¡°The Eastern Continent is home to the Elves, the race most attuned to nature and the least likely to welcome foreigners. The Elves are somewhat insular, preferring to limit their interactions with outsiders. Their population is also the lowest when it comes to pure numbers among the major races.¡±

    ¡°The Southern Continent, and the largest in terms of area, is the domain of the beastfolk, who possess a combination of animalistic and human traits. Well, just picture an animal head on a human body, and that¡¯s what most of the beastfolk look like. The variety of their communities is endless: sharks, wolves, tigers, eagles. If you can think of an animal, there is probably a tribe of that species of beastfolk somewhere. The beastfolk place importance on physical strength and the cultivation of their bodies, which has led to a warrior ethos and the exaltation of fighting ability.¡±

    ¡°The Central continent is, as the name suggests, located centrally between the others. It hosts all the races previously mentioned, acting as a gathering spot for various activities. No native race lives there, being populated mostly by merchants and the like.¡±

    ¡°Finally, the Northern continent. This continent is where the base beings known as the voranders reside. Voranders can appear in many forms, shape and size be damned. But in every one of their monstrous forms, they are blacker than coal, than the night sky, than the most enduring shadow. They are entities who only seek to sate their urges as immediately as possible. Those urges are oftentimes met at the cost of the other races¡¯ wellbeing. Their instincts drive them to eat, defile, and kill, just like plenty of other lifeforms, only they take enjoyment in witnessing their victims¡¯ more visceral feelings: despair, rage, fear, grief.¡±

    ¡°The majority of the voranders are confined to the Northern Continent, after the other races sealed them away many ages ago. But various spawning grounds exist throughout the world where voranders hide in the shadows and multiply without end. Unlike the other races, and even the less intelligent beings such as animals and beasts, the voranders have the lowest capabilities in performing any applications based on essence, or any magic in general. In fact, I would go as far as to say that their ¨C¡±

    ¡°STOP! HOLD UP! WAIT! JUST WAIT!¡± I loudly interrupted Khime¡¯s monologue, too impatient to disregard what I just heard,

    ¡°You said magic is a thing here? Magic is real?! As in spells, and wands, and throwing fireballs and lightning from my fingertips? Is that how I got here?¡± I asked.

    If magic were real, that was¡­colossal. It overshadowed the entirety of my being merely with its existence.

    There was a long moment of silence after I spoke, and I got the impression that Khime wasn¡¯t what most would call patient. Probably best if I reduce the interruptions from now on. Yet another rule to abide by.

    ¡°Boy, I will not tell you again. You may ask your questions, but otherwise, let¡­me¡­.speak.¡±

    Khime¡¯s voice had no neutrality or laziness in it when he said those words. In fact, it brought to mind a point I had ignored thus far: I didn¡¯t know who exactly he was, what he was capable of, or what his role was, if he had one, in me being here in a different world.

    But, heeding his words, as it seemed very prudent to do, I simply made a mental note to ask those questions later on, if the opportunity arose.

    ¡°Now, then,¡± Khime resumed his speech. ¡°The voranders are the common enemy of the other three races, which has led to various battles and skirmishes being fought at any given time. The Central continent is often used as a gathering point to hold discussions on the state of vorander activities and how best to reduce the threat they pose.¡±

    ¡°Now, you may ask your next questions, boy. Though I would advise doing so one by one.¡± Khime regained his apathetic tone, his earlier¡­dissatisfaction¡­.completely gone.

    I thought of everything I had just been told, and realized that, despite the lengthy monologue delivered to me, I still didn¡¯t know enough to even know what I needed to ask.

    But there was one question that was of immediate concern. It came to the forefront of my mind and escaped my mouth just when my stomach grumbled loudly, echoing in the underwater dome.

    ¡°Can I have something to eat? I swear I¡¯m dying of hunger.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Hunger is a good incentive to keep you motivated and productive.¡± The apathy of his words was undercut by the amusement his words had.

    He¡¯s definitely doing it on purpose. Petty bastard.

 Chapter 2

    I eventually got enough knowledge dumped on me that I needed a moment to parse through it all.

    Khime didn¡¯t tell me how I was brought to this world, but he did say there was a reason why. As for what that reason was? He refused to tell me. Prohibited, he said. And when I followed up by asking what his role in bringing me here was? I got the same answer again.

    ¡­.Fine, future-me could deal with it later. Moving on, I asked the next question I had: how we were able to communicate.

    ¡°It is a magic spell. A¡­gift, you might say. You hear our language as you would your own. In turn, the denizens of this world will hear your speech as the language they know. It was done to prevent, or at least mitigate, any chaos resulting from miscommunication.¡±

    Another answer that led to more questions. Yet, Khime had made it abundantly clear that I was on a time limit with regards to any questions I could pose. Whenever I asked about anything related to the time limit, he would shut me down with the expected responses: prohibited, irrelevant, are you being stupid on purpose, you know I can¡¯t tell you now hurry up and ask something else boy.

    Oh, but he did reveal that he ¡®skimmed¡¯ through my memories while I was healing, only for necessary purposes, of course. It was important that he have a grasp of my baseline knowledge, he stated, so he could provide context in addition to any answers to my questions.

    The slight anger I felt at having my mind violated was only matched by the shock that magic could apparently let one read memories. It was just another bit of knowledge to be stored for later.

    Which brought me to the basics of the world I had learned.

    Every day here lasted about 24 hours long, give or take a few seconds. That part, at least, was familiar. The rest¡­not so much. The calendar in this world had 8 days per week, 5 weeks per month, and 16 months in a year. Doing the math told me that every year had a whopping 640 days. I guessed they didn¡¯t have leap years or daylight savings here, and I wasn¡¯t going to try to introduce it, since I barely understood the necessity of it, or the mechanics of how it all worked anyway.

    The next thing I asked about was currency. In response, appearing out of thin air and landing in front of me, was a leather pouch with a string tying it closed.

    Probably used magic to summon it, I thought.

    The pouch autonomously untied itself and upended its contents onto the ground, revealing some coins and a shiny blue stone. The coins were all the same gray shade of iron, but in three different shapes: a square, triangle, and circle. Oddly familiar symbols to me, but I highly doubted that a certain company would follow me to this world and sue its people for copyright infringement.

    The square was the lowest denomination, then the triangle, and finally the circle was the highest. 40 squares were worth one triangle, and 16 triangles were worth one circle. There was another coin above the circle called the orb that represented one hundred circles, but that was rarely used, and Khime didn¡¯t think I needed to see one to understand its significance.

    Finally, the blue stones, while not hard currency, were condensed essence, containing the natural energy of the world that made magic possible. In my mind, I was trying hard to not surrender to the temptation just to call essence ¡®basically mana¡¯.

    The mana, I mean, essence stones could be used in a variety of ways, primarily for magical purposes, but mages, the people who used essence actively in their daily lives, traded them for magical resources at times, making them a sort of unofficial currency, at least among mages.

    As for any political knowledge¡­Khime confessed he rarely kept up to date with that kind of information. Politics rarely accomplished anything, he said, even when entrusted to the competent and well-intentioned. Not to mention each race had a slightly different method of governance that became needlessly complex the more you looked into it. There were nobles and commoners, tribal chiefs and elders, council members and judges, kings and emperors. and taxes. That was the extent of what he told me regarding politics.

    How utterly helpful.

    Although I agreed with him that politics, or at the least bureaucracy, was low on the list of priorities for a functional civilization.

    When I asked if there were any religions or religious figures relating to gods, he had an odd expression on his face as he said no, but that there was a certain¡­understanding¡­in place. Some cultures placed importance on revering their ancestors, but not to the point of deifying them. But for most of the people of this world, they had come up with a set of¡­sins, Khime called them, for lack of a better word. And I could already piece together the source of these sins.

    Apparently, the voranders were attracted to evil and malice, in nearly any form, as it was acknowledged they themselves were evil incarnate. So if a peaceful settlement suddenly came under attack from a horde of voranders, odds were high that somebody did something evil that drew them there. And that specific evil would be added to the list of things not to do, hence, sin.

    A man commits murder? Draws in voranders.

    A woman cheats on her husband to spite him? Draws in voranders.

    A boy avenges his father¡¯s murder by killing the perpetrator? Doesn¡¯t draw in voranders.

    Slavery in nearly any form? Lots of voranders, such that all the areas with slaves, or at least slavers, were annihilated. To this day, the descendants of the original proponents and patrons of slavery were ostracized and scorned.

    The lines were blurred at times, but basically, if you lived as morally as possible, you wouldn¡¯t be the cause of a vorander attack. I noted that intent seemed to be a key factor in what moral lines could be crossed or not without incurring the ire of the monsters.

    So yeah, there was no official religious system. Apparently the threat of being eaten alive or killed slowly while your city burned around you kept people on the straight and narrow. I was a bit skeptical, but to be fair, fear could be a damn good motivator.

    The next relevant question I had was regarding how information like that was conveyed. How did people know who attracted voranders with their actions? Especially when society stretched across continents.

    What I heard in response only further confirmed the possibilities of magic.

    A magic formation, created and put into place ages ago when the majority of the voranders were sealed in the Northern continent, spanned across the entire world. It had multiple functions, the primary one being recording the first victim of any vorander attack as well as the action that drew them there in the first place. After recording the victim and their sin, the recordings would be displayed to every other settlement across the world. And just like that, another sin would be added to the list.

    So this world had a global monitoring network that was always watching everyone. Fantastic.

    Even if the sinner somehow survived the attack, they would probably kill themselves out of shame. Or someone would assist them if need be, Khime said nonchalantly.

    As he continuously informed me, I had very little time left before I could no longer pose questions, but I just had a few more that I hadn¡¯t asked yet.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°So, can I learn magic now?¡± If there was any silver lining to be gleaned from everything so far, it was that magic was real. GODDAMN MAGIC existed here! Martial arts were all well and good, but magic¡­ I longed for it. I really, really, wanted it.

    It represented something to me.

    Power. Security. Safety. A deterrent against attackers. I had never needed a source of security so badly in my life. Lives? That whole ¡®technically died but not really¡¯ thing only reinforced my point further.

    The sensation of being unjustly pummeled and then shot was one I would never forget, and one I looked forward to repaying. Once again, the foundation of my being, my indifference, crumbled a bit more, replaced with a smoldering desire for power.

    While Khime admitted he was an accomplished mage, as evidenced by his healing of my battered body, his efforts were concentrated more on research than any practical combat application, which I wanted to focus on. As such, he would be a suboptimal teacher. At least, according to him.

    Although he did offer an alternative.

    ¡°Just go to any decent city and you should be able to enter an academy. I believe they hold the most expansive collections of knowledge and information in the Human continents. Everything from the morality of taxes and the most common spells that backfire to notes on vorander dissection can be found in the academy libraries. You can learn magic there, safely and with proper guidance,¡± Khime replied.

    ¡°Ugghh, is there any way I could learn some magic right now? At this moment?¡± I groaned, amending my statement to be more specific. I had learned over my lengthy Q-and-A session that specifics yielded better answers.

    ¡°Yes, and yes.¡± Khime said smugly.

    A flash of hope sparked within me, then fizzled out.

    ¡°You won¡¯t tell me what it is, will you?¡± I asked in a deadpan tone.

    ¡°Oh good, you¡¯re finally displaying some mental acuity.¡± Khime said in amusement.

    I got angry enough to let him know. Screw the consequences.

    ¡°You said I was brought here for a reason. I¡¯m guessing that reason involves me actively living life? Walking, talking, moving around? And for some reason, you can¡¯t do it? Well, it would be a real shame if I just, I don¡¯t know, didn¡¯t do that.¡± I said calmly, fake yawning to highlight my point.

    Right now, I didn¡¯t care even if my suspicions were right and Khime did turn out to be a god.

    I had leverage, and I knew it. And if there¡¯s anything I¡¯d learned about negotiating from my years of binging a glut of fictional media, it¡¯s that whoever had the leverage could set the terms of a deal.

    ¡°Man, it would be rather unfortunate if I, through an unexpected and coincidental series of events, turned out to be rendered unable to do whatever it was I was brought here to do. What if I was crippled horribly or, even worse, died, because I couldn¡¯t use magic to defend myself? That would be an utter travesty! Oh, the waste of resources it would be! Imagine committing time and energy to a project only to have it crash and burn due to a mistake that could have been easily rectified.¡± I shouted with a theatrically airy and unconcerned tone, implicitly threatening someone who was probably vastly more powerful than I was.

    I unveiled the slightly insane side of me that was fine with mutually assured destruction, if it got me what I wanted. I was banking on the fact that Khime had a reason for saving me, and that reason was important enough that he couldn¡¯t outright kill me. Even if I guessed wrong and he did kill me, at least I would die with a functional body, which was more than I could say for the last time.

    A few moments of silence followed my monologue, the old-sounding man likely weighing his options, after which¡­

    ¡°Sigh, I swear you youngsters are too spoiled nowadays. Fine, brat, you win. Come here and get your free magic spell.¡± Khime¡¯s voice was bitter.

    But I didn¡¯t care. I would be able to actually do magic!

    A black circular portal with a white rim surrounding it appeared in front of me. It was the size of my hand, but it radiated power. I looked forward to the day I could do something like that. I walked up to it, not sure of what to expect.

    I saw the silhouette of a hand and a flash of white before I went blind, not dissimilar from the glare of sunlight that led to me being here. As I recoiled, trying to regain my vision, I felt a finger push on my forehead, and all of a sudden, I was¡­somewhere else.

    The best way to describe the experience was like re-watching an hour-long video I saw years ago, except it only took a second. The knowledge was already there, I just had to jog my memory a bit to access it. Only it wasn¡¯t my memory.

    I felt an influx of information rushing through me. And just like that, I had a magic spell. Not a bad start for only being in this world for a few hours.

    I came to my senses, blinking my eyes to readjust after that magical flashbang thing, and I reviewed the magic spell I was shown.

    ¡°So, taming. Not exactly what I had in mind, but not bad. Would I be correct in assuming that you used this spell to tame those animals, then, Khime?¡± I asked, pointing to the various creatures that were occasionally circling the undersea dome I found myself in.

    Khime replied, ¡°Yes. And now you have the knowledge of how to do so as well.¡±

    For the first time since I¡¯d ¡®met¡¯ him, Khime¡¯s voice turned excited, and gleeful.

    It didn¡¯t suit him.

    ¡°It appears our time is up! Now, boy, I¡¯m sure you still have mountains of questions for me, but I did warn you that time was limited! You should have asked the necessary questions instead of moaning and whining about your empty belly! So, off you go! Onwards, to a new chapter of your life! Or is it technically a chapter of your new life? Either way, you¡¯re not my problem anymore, boy. Go on!¡±

    Then, as the being that I tentatively assumed was a god finished berating me, one of the animals, an orca, that was swimming outside of the dome¡­swam inside. In the air. Without suffocating. It floated there for a moment, then looked at me and rushed towards me as it grabbed me in its mouth, making any resistance I could offer futile.

    What happened next, some might describe as a beast majestically swimming to the surface with grace and poise, despite the unwieldy burden it was carrying. I would describe it as being crushed to near-death, both by the pressure of the water rushing all around my head and feet, and the force from the animal¡¯s weirdly toothless mouth pressing against my torso. That experience lasted about ten seconds before I was ejected from the water, none too gently, onto a sandy beach.

    My coughing fit was rather short as I reacclimated myself to the surface pressure, tasting the salty air of the ocean spray. Aren''t the bends supposed to kill you if you ascend too quickly or something? I didn¡¯t feel like I was dying, but maybe it was a gradual process. If it was, it¡¯d be too late for me to deal with, and if not, then it was a non sequitur.

    The orca looked at me, its mouth still open, when all of a sudden, Khime¡¯s voice blared out of it. Like a megaphone on the highest possible setting.

    ¡°It was¡­interesting, meeting you, boy. Unfortunately, it is probable that our paths will cross again sooner or later. One last gift, so you don¡¯t die before completing your task. And no, I can¡¯t tell you what it is.¡±

    Out of the orca¡¯s mouth flew a rucksack half my size. As it landed next to me, the orca let out a low rumbling wail, no pun intended, then dove beneath the waters again.

    As I laid on the beach, the rucksack lying next to me, I thought to myself. What the hell is the task I¡¯m supposed to complete? How do you expect me to do something without telling me what it is!

    Now that there was no distraction, my emotional tempest resumed its churning, various feelings making themselves known in my mind. So now I had a bare minimum of knowledge of this new world, an admittedly kickass magic spell, and a rucksack full of, what, basic supplies? But no food.

    And I was still hungry. Borderline starving.

    Which was the last straw in making me do something I hadn¡¯t done in a long time, probably years.

    I emoted.

    I cursed everything and everyone I could think of: the petty manipulative woman who was the impetus to my death, her simple-minded boyfriend who had no compunctions about basically killing me, that old man who had no respect for privacy as he perused my memories like a children¡¯s book, and any gods that were out there that let events play out as they did. I raged, screaming at the sky, shouting my frustrations and curses into the wind.

    And sometime during my emotional outburst, I remembered that despite my opportunity to ask questions to the person who could have been the one who brought me here, I had somehow not asked how to get home, or even if it was possible.

    ¡ª----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Khime recalled his pets back to his side, their task completed. That boy was the most irritating thing he had seen in some time. But he had an inkling of what lay in store for him. Well, he would either rise to the challenge, or be struck down. At the end of the day, all the boy would be was another data point.

    Unless, of course, he miraculously managed to complete the task he was given.

    But what were the odds of that?

 Chapter 3

    My screaming eventually gave way to two lonely tears slowly falling from the corners of my eyes, and I cried. I figured my circumstances allowed for it.

    For a good two minutes, I only felt a slight wetness run down my cheeks. I silently wept for a bit until I truly thought about all the emotions I was feeling.

    Anger at that asshole couple that basically killed me. Fear of this world and how¡­different it felt to be here. The confusion at the unanswered questions that sat at the forefront of my thoughts. The excitement at being able to learn goddamned magic. The equal parts relief and trepidation at finding myself alone once again. The apathy that I had once enveloped myself in was rapidly melting away, and I had no idea what would follow in its wake.

    I sat there on the beach while the sun reached its zenith, the merciless heat relentlessly assaulting me, yet another motivator for me to get moving.

    Probably best to get a move on, I thought to myself, but first let¡¯s see what the old man who was definitely not a god decided to throw my way. I opened the thin leathery strip that tied the rucksack closed, and took out all the contents to inspect them.

    A small but familiar pouch containing various amounts of each coin, with the exception of the orb, and four essence stones. A small sheathed dagger, barely the length of my hand, with a slightly curved blade made of some kind of bone. A hooded full-length black robe that had a sash around the waist to tie it closed. A waterskin filled to the brim with what I assumed was clean drinking water, based on a preliminary sip. That was it. That was all I had to my name.

    Well, it could be worse. That I have to rely on charity irks me a bit, but it can¡¯t be helped. What other options are there?

    I put the robe on, thinking it would help me look less out of place by covering up my very American looking hoodie, jeans and t-shirt, then threw everything else back into the rucksack and tied it closed, setting the bag so it hung on my back and the strap laid on my shoulder, crossing my chest diagonally. It wasn¡¯t a perfect fit, jostling slightly as I walked back and forth testing it out, but it was the best I would get.

    ¡°Whew, well, I¡¯m not gonna get food staying here. It¡¯s unlikely I can get any fish this close to shore,¡± I said to myself out loud, ignoring my lack of knowledge about marine wildlife or fishing.

    Getting food was my most immediate concern, and hence the most important factor in getting me up and moving.

    Damn that Khime for being right.

    I slowly made my way around the beach, looking for a road or signs of civilization; failing that, at least a river or stream where people or a settlement would most likely be nearby. I was walking along the coast thinking it wouldn¡¯t be long until I hit a port town or maybe a fishing village, but the terrain killed that idea when it changed abruptly from soft sands to high, impassable cliffs. I doubted anyone could make that climb, rocky and steep as it was. So I traveled inland, the sea at my back.

    The sands of the beach gradually gave way to grassy shrubs, brambly bushes and ankle-high grass. Solitary trees roughly twice my height dotted the landscape, appearing every so often.

    While I was reluctant to get rid of any of my possessions, I was tempted by the heat into letting go of my hoodie. I was sweating from the muggy and humid climate, and rolled sleeves were only capable of doing so much. Having to wipe the sweat dripping down my forehead every few seconds was becoming increasingly annoying, giving me flashbacks of having to do the same thing in summer camps as a child.

    If I continued to lose water at this pace, forget starving, I would likely die of dehydration before then, even taking into account the water I had. If I couldn¡¯t find a settlement soon, I would have to sleep outdoors, which I wasn¡¯t at all confident in surviving. Khime mentioned the voranders were a global threat, but who knows what else he didn¡¯t mention that was also capable of tearing me to shreds?

    With a slightly increased pace, I continued walking for a few hours until I finally saw something that made me tear up for a second time that day: a dirt path and what looked like wheeled tracks to the side.

    Finally! All that¡¯s left to do is to follow this path, get a room at whatever passes for a motel here, then head to an academy. Or is it the academy? Khime wasn¡¯t too specific about that part. To be fair, I was needling him with questions for hours. Whatever, anyways, the goal is in sight. Only question now is left or right? Looks like the infamous decision-making strategy ¡®heads or tails¡¯ will be making its debut in this world.

    I untied my rucksack to get a coin from the leather pouch, but I was interrupted by a booming voice.

    ¡°HOLD THEM OFF, MEN! BOWMEN, FIRE AT WILL! GHOSH, GET OFF YOUR ASS AND KILL THESE ANIMALS!¡±

    The hand that was reaching for a coin went towards the bone dagger instead. Just in case. I cautiously got my things in order, and headed towards the rising sounds of battle. My only intention was to observe, and maybe tag along with them to their destination if they survived the fight. By the sounds of it, men were fighting a group of animals and holding their own. I sure as shit wasn¡¯t ready for combat, and what the hell could I possibly bring to that fight that they weren¡¯t capable of doing themselves? I was, yet again, unsure of what to do.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    On one hand, my stupid idiotic conscience and morality wouldn¡¯t let me walk away from a situation where my intervention could play a decisive role. Also, traveling with these guys, if I could somehow manage to let me come with them, would let me journey in relative safety to a decent settlement.

    On the other hand, I was alone on an alien planet with too many things that could mark me as an outsider. What if I said the wrong thing or asked a basic question that even a child would know the answer to? What if my mannerisms or clothes were somehow instantly identifiable as wrong, and they attacked me? There were too many doubts for me to be sure of my safety if I just went up and approached them.

    As the sounds of combat became increasingly louder, I got closer and closer to the battleground until I finally laid eyes on it. I hid behind a cluster of bushes, crouching down to minimize the chances of being seen. However I approached them, I didn¡¯t want to do it during or immediately after they had been attacked. They¡¯d probably assume the worst, or at least I would in that situation.

    I saw four large wagons, each pulled by some kind of bovine animal. The wagons were surrounded on all sides by men in armor who were killing giant rats at least 2 feet tall. Archers stood behind the front-line warriors, shooting down the rats whenever they saw an opening.

    Finally, I saw an actual, honest-to-god mage shooting mini boulders at the rats, leaving tiny craters and crevices filled with crushed rat viscera everywhere. The battle seemed just about over as far as I could tell, when ¨C

    ¡°YOU, OVER THERE, STAND UP!¡± That booming voice I had heard earlier was now shouting at someone. Most likely one of his men who slacked off during the fight. I assumed they were hired guards protecting the group of wagons, and I was a little curious what the procedure was for insubordin¨C

    ¡°YOU IN THE BLACK ROBE, BEHIND THE BUSH, SHOW YOURSELF NOW OR I ORDER MY MEN TO ATTACK!¡±

    Shit, this isn¡¯t how I wanted this to play out. Though at least I know that the translation spell is working.

    I slowly got up from my vantage point behind some bushes, arms raised over my head in what I really hoped was the universal gesture of surrender, then very, very, slowly walked towards the armored guards.The guards were going around the field, finishing off any wounded rats, and burning the corpses that remained.

    They all had vaguely European features, but I took it as a good sign that I wasn¡¯t immediately cut down based purely on my skin color, which was much darker than theirs.

    One of them, extremely tall and wielding an impressive spear along with bloodied armor, approached me. If I had to guess, this was the owner of the booming voice and the leader of the guards. He was accompanied by three of his men, their weapons free of their sheaths, ready to impale me at a moment¡¯s notice. Thankfully for my eardrums, the leader wasn¡¯t as loud now that he was close up.

    ¡°So. Who are you, and what are you doing here, kid?¡± The leader asked me, his baritone voice somewhat reminding me of my roided-up murderer. Hopefully, this guy would be more amenable to peaceful dialogue than that muscled freak.

    ¡°I was just down the path when I heard you yelling and decided to see if I could help. But by the time I got here, everything was pretty much over. Then I wanted to see if I could ask for directions to the closest city, but I thought you might not be too¡­receptive¡­to someone who just showed up right after a battle. So, I was going to leave, and that¡¯s when you called me out. So¡­yeah. That¡¯s it,¡± I said somewhat lamely.

    I was trying to paint myself in a positive light, and everything I said was true. Shit, what if that mage from before had some truth magic or some spell like that? Until I knew more about the capabilities of magic, I was definitely going to be more measured in my words and actions. I could also admit to myself that I was in dire need of safety, and these people seemed decent enough, at least when it came to combat, if not character.

    ¡°Drop your bag, kid.¡±

    I slowly took off my rucksack, hoping against hope that they wouldn¡¯t steal any of my meager possessions. One of the leader¡¯s men went through it, listing out the contents for the leader to hear.

    ¡°Waterskin, halfway full.¡± I was trying to preserve my water, just sipping from it when the heat got to be too much. Which was the entire day.

    ¡°Coin purse, enough to get by for a few days. Four stones, as well. A bone knife, tier 3 at most. That¡¯s it, Captain.¡±

    The man finished his report, leaving everything on the ground, and returned to his former position. The leader, pinching the bridge of his nose, sighed loudly. ¡°Either an innocent, or the shittiest excuse for a bandit I¡¯ve ever seen. Alright kid, looks like you¡¯re coming with us. Mother knows I can¡¯t handle a dead kid on my conscience. Grab your stuff.¡± The men followed their leader back to the wagons, sheathing their weapons as they did so.

    I grabbed my things, threw them in my rucksack, then jogged a bit to catch up to them. Walking slightly behind them, I asked the leader, ¡°What do you mean, dead kid? I¡¯m ¨C¡±

    He shook his head and responded without turning around or stopping, ¡°Kid, how are you still alive if you¡¯re this stupid? We¡¯re right at the border of a tier four and a tier three region. Of course there¡¯s things that could kill you, weak as you are, when they¡¯re drawn to the higher density. Anything in their way will get torn to pieces. And that definitely includes you. Oh yeah, you never did tell me your name, kid.¡±

    I could hear the unspoken question.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­. Rhaaj.¡±

    Ever since I could remember, I¡¯ve been sick and tired of telling everyone how to pronounce my name. Every new teacher that took attendance for the first time mangled my name in their own unique way. Seriously, it¡¯s just ¡®raw¡¯ and then the ¡®juh¡¯ sound, like the first part of Roger. Or dodge, but with an ¡®r¡¯ in front of it. I swear, mothers can be a special kind of evil sometimes, naming their children whatever they want without any thought to the kid¡¯s feelings.

    Although I¡¯d gladly take my name over something like Porsche or Rubella or something with numbers in it.

    ¡°Seriously? Your mother named you after a beast of burden?¡± The leader asked incredulously, pointing to the animals pulling the wagons. Laughter burst out of the mouths of the guards around him, as they loudly speculated on the identity of my father and what role he played in my naming.

    Maybe I should have chosen a new name for myself to go with this new world.

 Chapter 4

    We¡¯d been on the path for a few days, my traveling companions and I.

    At first, I was paranoid that they would just rob and kill me at any time, but then I remembered Khime telling me about vorander behavior, and how they were effectively deterrents against crime and sin. I let my guard down a bit after that, hoping the men would be moral enough, or at least, afraid of the voranders enough, that they would be decent people.

    The boredom and silence eventually overcame their discipline, and they started to loosen up on the second day, telling me a bit about themselves. They were guards protecting this batch of trade goods meant for Khobadaar, a tier 3 city. Their loud-during-combat leader, named Elius, had signed a contract or something to guard the convoy while it made its way through various settlements. The merchants themselves were sitting in the wagons with their goods, not really interacting with me beyond a simple nod or wave of recognition.

    Usually, all the guards had to do was fend off any wild animals or the extremely rare bandit attack. Again, plenty of questions gnawed at me, like why were bandit attacks so rare or why they had to burn the bodies of the dead rats, but I kept them to myself, not wanting to rock the boat and all that.

    There must have been something about me that made people pity me here. I kept getting sympathetic looks from the men when I took out what was left of my remaining water. They eventually shared their travel rations with me, some hard bread and jerky along with enough water to fill my waterskin, just as I was about to run out. They even lent me one of their spare weapons, a shortsword that was the length of my entire arm, for the duration of the journey, and even showed me some basic stances and combinations with it.

    Now, I was never the most athletic guy. But I never really thought about my health or fitness that much since I got here, until I realized I wasn¡¯t getting too out of breath even after a couple back-to-back practice spars with the guards.

    Then I thought a bit more about what I had physically been doing recently: walking for hours almost nonstop from that beach to the dirt path, walking over half a day and not panting for breath every five minutes, somehow getting by on sips of water for a whole day and not collapsing from hunger, enduring rather physically demanding combat practice with the guards. I had even lost some belly flab.

    The feeling of ravenous hunger that was so pervasive and overwhelming only a few days ago had withered, almost to the point of being able to ignore it.

    The most likely culprit for my transformation? Essence. I couldn¡¯t think of another logical alternative for why I had changed so noticeably, and so swiftly.

    That would also explain why the guards seemed so physically superior to me as well. Maybe growing up in an essence-rich environment improved their bodies somehow? I didn¡¯t know. Yet another question I couldn¡¯t ask anyone, for fear of being outed as an alien and killed.

    The lack of knowledge felt¡­almost crippling. I was basically an overgrown toddler.

    Wait, is that why the people seem like they¡¯re pitying me? They think I¡¯m¡­shit. Shit, shit, shit! This is why I need to hurry up and find an academy. The academy¡­. Fuck! I know what I mean! If only this convoy would move faster!

    Wait, hold on. I stopped my train of thought abruptly as I remembered something that could be relevant: the time difference. Apparently, this planet has 640 days in a year as opposed to my 365, so lifespans are¡­cut in half? So the average person dies at forty while looking like they¡¯re in their eighties? Or do they¡­Khime did say there were biological differences¡­I guess it¡¯s something else I need to look into.

    ¡°Contact, north! One bull type, non-aggressive! Seems like it¡¯s just an animal!¡± One of the men on watch announced. A solitary animal was rather rare, or so I had been told. Something must have drawn it or pushed it here for it to wander the border area.

    But I recognized the opportune moment when it stumbled into me.

    Before it got too close to where we were making camp to stop for the night, I called out to the guard not to stop it yet, then to Ghosh, the earth mage. ¡°Wait a second, don¡¯t kill it yet! Hey, Ghosh, do you think you can restrain that bull?¡±

    Ghosh was the complete epitome of sloth. According to what he had once told the other guards, he had ¡®surrendered to his own laziness¡¯, only acting when necessary or called upon or sometimes both, a stark contrast to the other, more disciplined men under Elius. I honestly respected him, as he somehow managed to get by doing what looked to be the bare minimum. He laid on his bedroll in the wagon, and wouldn¡¯t even respond to tell me no, his silence an answer in itself.

    So¡­ I sweetened the deal. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a stone.¡±

    ¡°Haaa, payment first,¡± he spoke succinctly, yawning as he gestured towards me with his hand. I pulled out one of the blue stones from my coin pouch within my rucksack and held it between my thumb and index finger, perfectly visible for him to see, then threw it towards his position, where his fist rose up to catch it. That got him up and moving.

    Khime wasn¡¯t too specific as to the value of an essence stone, but even if I was getting ripped off on this deal, I would still count it as a profit if I could manage to successfully tame a beast.

    Ghosh yawned dramatically before saying, ¡°It¡¯ll only last a few minutes, so make it quick, whatever you¡¯re doing.¡± He started approaching the bull as I followed after him. I hadn¡¯t told anyone I knew a taming spell, so I was sure to shock everyone when, or rather if, I did it.

    Some of the men questioned what I was doing, but I just told them I had a plan and to wait. I had some amount of trust due to my young age, apparently. Even so, the bull wasn¡¯t the aggressive type, and the guards closer to it were still on alert in case it decided to attack unexpectedly.

    Ghosh lifted his hands, whispered some words I couldn¡¯t hear, then the next thing I knew, the bull was held in place mid-stride, struggling to break the earthen stone locks clamped around its hooves. The bull tried to bash its restraints with its horns, tilting its head to get a better angle, but the horn proved weaker than its bindings.

    I rushed in front of it, standing only a few meters away, and closed my eyes, trying to recall the technique Khime injected into my brain. According to it, I had to whisper some nonsensical sounding words and emphasize certain vowels, then push the essence within me to the beast, binding it to my will, focusing on my intent to do so. That whole intent part wasn¡¯t too detailed, but I interpreted it as desire, or will.

    So, I whispered the words I was meant to, taking extra care to emphasize the syllables I needed to, and then I felt a¡­movement, a shift, a tug in my essence. Essence I didn¡¯t even realize I had inside of me.

    Until that moment, essence to me was somewhat of an abstract concept. It crystallized into stones, it was apparently denser in certain regions than others, it was the natural energy of this world, capable of great and powerful magic.

    But as the last of the syllables left my mouth, that shift in my essence allowed me to connect to it on the most personal level I could imagine. It distracted me greatly, but I somehow managed to push the feeling aside, focusing on my objective.

    For the briefest of milliseconds, I felt a connection open. I had a good guess what it was, and I acted on it. I wanted that beast to listen to me, to have it under my control, and do my bidding. I kept my thoughts on that desire coming true.

    And just as the connection was about to close, it opened up again into something more permanent, a tunnel, a link, a bond; two entities bound together by something mysterious and ethereal. I didn¡¯t need to open my eyes to know that the bull was tamed. I mentally, or maybe magically, told it to calm down, and I could feel it obey me.

    Before I could celebrate my first successful magic spell, however, I was assaulted by cheers and whooping, calloused hands slapping my back and ruffling my hair, praising me for a job well done and questioning me why I hadn¡¯t told them before. My eyes took in the sight of the guards surrounding me, shock and jubilation writ on their faces.

    Ghosh, true to form, had already started to return to his bedroll after undoing the earthen clamps on my newly tamed bull. I even spotted Elius on the outskirts of those around me, giving me a nod and a smile, before he yelled at me with his combat voice to tell them what I was planning next time I tried a stunt like that.

    I finally allowed myself to express my joy, my first real step towards power in this world, as I hollered and howled with everyone else.

    ========================================================================

    Ghosh laid on his bedroll for a while, trying to move the goods underneath him into a more comfortable position. Before he could feel the sweet embrace of sleep, his thoughts turned to the unfortunately-named boy, Rhaaj. The kid was rather impressive with his taming spell. Already whispering a spell, successfully taming an animal, and on the first try at that?

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    On average, going from reciting spell chants out loud to whispering chants took a few years. Even he himself took nearly two years to cross that bridge. And as had been noticed, the boy was young. Too young. His affinity for either taming or nature magic had to be immense if he was capable of that. Ghosh tried to remember to keep an eye on the boy going forward, but before the thought could take hold, he was sound asleep, comfortable in his dream.

    ========================================================================

    After the shock of me doing magic and the novelty of a newly tamed animal died down, the watch was peaceful for the rest of the night. According to the spell Khime gave me, any creature tamed using this spell can sustain themselves using my essence, both passively and actively, in addition to their usual diet.

    So, throughout the day I would send some of my essence to my bull via the bond. In return, I received a general feeling of contentment from him. Even when I didn¡¯t send my essence, I could sense him eating somehow. Maybe it was gorging on the environmental essence, or maybe I emitted essence passively, and the bull was taking advantage of it? It was another question I had no answer for, which further annoyed me.

    I kept the bull beside me during the journey, somewhat reluctant to attempt riding it. I had heard the guards complain loudly and frequently about the pains of mounted travel and how it was nearly never worth it to sacrifice the future generation in exchange for saving some time.

    There was a discussion amongst the guards on what the bull¡¯s name should be. But after receiving and dismissing plenty of suggestions, I just decided to go with the simplest one I could think of: Bully. If he (I double-checked, just to make sure there was no weird magic or biology at work) could get strong enough, the name would be fitting. He also represented my first reliable source of safety in this world.

    As we got closer and closer to our destination, the men, myself included, became more relaxed. Khobadaar was only two days away, the forward scouts reported. There were no bandits or animals targeting us, and the weather was as good as it would get for this season. Even the path had slowly changed from a worn-out dirt path to a properly paved road, wide enough for three of the convoy¡¯s wagons to travel side by side.

    So of course, life decided to screw with me right as I was getting comfortable.

    ¡°VORANDERS! VORANDERS! VORANDERS!¡± The lead guard screamed at the top of his lungs, bashing his sword and shield together, rousing the camp from the last vestiges of sleep. Everyone was wide awake within moments, hurriedly equipping themselves with arms and armor, trying their damndest to ignore the terror flooding through their minds.

    I rushed to stand up from my sleeping position on the ground, clutching my borrowed shortsword, only wearing that flimsy robe that offered no protection whatsoever, Bully by my side. From what I recalled of my conversation with Khime, voranders were basically evil given life. They would do whatever they felt like in the moment.

    And at the moment, it seemed like they wanted to kill us. Or eat us. Or kill us and eat us. Maybe eat us, then kill us? Trying to understand a being comprised solely of malevolence and chaos was idiotic to the utmost. The rambling I was going through in my head managed to slightly distract me from the fact that I might die violently and painfully in the very near future.

    There was no time for fancy tactics or stratagems. Elius ordered the vanguard to form up behind the wagons, hoping to use them as a crude blockade. Losing the goods might cost them some coins, but everyone, even the merchants, was willing to make that trade if they could live to see tomorrow. The archers, and a pale-faced and sweaty Ghosh, were on top of a hastily constructed earthen pillar, providing them a better vantage point for their projectiles.

    I was behind the vanguard but ahead of the pillar, nearly at the end of the vanguard¡¯s left wing, where the enemies seemed to be less concentrated. A mercy from Elius, who just told me to try not to die, said without a single iota of levity in his voice.

    The calm before the storm was most definitely not calm. Everyone was shouting something, some people were adjusting the straps on their armor, I could hear Elius¡¯ booming voice shout something but I didn¡¯t register it. The soldiers were chanting something, but I never heard it. All I could register was the wave of voranders sprinting towards us.

    Their description as mindless monsters didn¡¯t seem so apt to me when they were approaching us with the rising sun at their back, effectively blinding us. However, they were coming at us in the daytime when the light would get increasingly brighter, eliminating the natural advantage they would have in darkness, as their pitch black skin would offer them greater camouflage. I honestly couldn¡¯t tell if they were intelligent or not, the two points contradicting each other.

    They looked similar to goblins portrayed in fantasy stories: pointed ears, short stature, skinny limbs, somewhat humanoid appearance. They held no weapons, but I felt their teeth and nails, and perhaps even their stench, would be enough to triumph. They were snarling and growling, all manner of sounds escaping from them, promising a violent end.

    Then after an eternity of waiting, they were upon us.

    I had no time to consider an aversion to killing, or the sanctity of life or anything like that. My fight or flight response was triggered, and I committed to fight. Right now, it was kill or be killed. And I sure as shit did not want to be killed for maybe a second time.

    I was relatively lucky. I only had to face them one at a time, with Bully guarding my more vulnerable left side. As the first one came at me, I gripped the shortsword in my right hand, and the bone dagger in my left, ready to engage. I let out a scream as I lunged and thrusted the shortsword right into the monster¡¯s eye. Before I could even pull it out, I was beset by the next one, and had to let go of the weapon completely as I rushed to awkwardly fend it off with my offhand dagger. There was no time for me to consider anything else as it jumped at my face, its clawed hands pointed straight at me, and its eyes wide in anticipation. I dodged to the left and swiped with the dagger, leaving a shallow cut on its right shoulder that made it howl in outrage.

    I punched it in the nose with my empty right hand, then ran past it to retrieve my shortsword while it was momentarily stunned. A quick stab to its back, and it collapsed. I only had a moment to breathe as the next enemy approached, black saliva dripping from its mouth as it let out unintelligible roars.

    And just like that, I was baptized in the fires of combat.

    The voranders just kept coming. No matter how injured they became, or how hopeless their prospect of survival, they didn¡¯t stop attacking until they were put down for good. Even if their limbs were hacked off, they crawled forward, snapping their teeth in intimidation. The monsters had no self-preservation instinct, throwing themselves at me with all the abandon of a crude predator, falling onto my weapon if it meant they could get closer to tasting my succulent flesh.

    As I became more familiar with their attack patterns, if they could be called that, I slowly realized they weren¡¯t that hard to deal with individually. It was their swarming tactics that were the real problem, as it became increasingly rare to fight them one-on-one. Being swarmed by multiple enemies was when I took wounds.

    The first time brought me closer to death than I would have liked. An inadvertent twist was all that separated my neck from being gouged out by a vorander¡¯s teeth. I hadn¡¯t even sensed it until I heard the gnashing of its teeth close to my ear. Usually, the monsters could be counted on to make some type of noise, but this one went off-script and deviated from what I could only assume was its inherent nature in order to land a blow on me. Chaotic did seem an apt descriptor for a creature that strayed from predictions. The wounds themselves didn¡¯t hurt that much, at least initially, but as the fight dragged on, I felt less mobile and incapable of quick decision-making, and my fledgling fighting style became more defensive, as I only took pitiful swings when I was sure the blows would connect.

    In the rare moments when I had a breath to relax, I could see nearly everyone else fighting a slew of the monsters. Everyone was either fending off three or four of them at a time, and I didn¡¯t see any human bodies yet. I took that to mean no one had died so far.

    I somehow managed to kill twenty voranders just by waving my shortsword around, but there were plenty more on the way, and I could already feel myself flagging. My kills were not without cost, as I had plenty of wounds all over me, draining my already limited stamina, and sending familiar twinges of pain throughout my body.

    I could barely see the evil pricks, as rain began pouring down in sheets without any warning, but I blindly swung my blade, knowing I would at least take another one down. One of them did indeed go down, but it took my weapon with it, grabbing the blade while it was still inside its body and somehow corroding it. I lost my grip on the handle, my palms slick with sweat and blood, and the weapon was lost to me.

    Yeah, I¡¯m calling it. Time for a tactical retreat. No way I¡¯m throwing hands with these fucking devils. At the very least, I can get behind the pillar and have Ghosh knock out a few of them.

    Thunder boomed down around the battlefield, drowning out every other sound for a few seconds. There was no lightning, and the visibility was so poor, I couldn¡¯t even determine where the pillar was.

    I was knocked out of my line of thought by the sight of three voranders running towards me, glee visible on their faces as their tongues hung out and their eyes dilated expectantly. Bully impaled one on his horns and trampled another under his hooves, leaving one free to charge at me.

    I was terrified and in pain, my heart frantically pounding in my chest, desperate to kill this thing that wanted me dead.

    Desperate to just live.

    But I had no weapon, no armor, no Bully to protect me. He was too busy trying to keep another fresh group of monsters off of himself, and too far away to reach me in time. I didn¡¯t even have that bone dagger, as it was embedded in a monster¡¯s chest somewhere, lost in the mound of tiny bodies.

    I was tired and wounded, the combat finally pushing my body past the point of endurance. I fell to one knee, shakily trying to stand, and failing to rise, my legs dropped to the muddy field soaked in blood and rain and who knows what else.

    Just as the sun began to peek out from behind the clouds, I saw the eyes of the monster only a few inches away from me. They were black, just like everything else about it, but they reminded me of another set of black eyes. A set of black eyes that were looking at me at that very moment, afraid of what they might see.

    But I saw a glimmer of hope. A chance of survival.

    I was desperate and the outcome was nearly a foregone conclusion, a million to one shot, but when the alternative was death? I would take those odds any day. Yeah, the house might always win, but you never push your luck against someone with nothing to lose. After all, a cornered beast is the most dangerous.

    I whispered the words of power that I was gambling on to save my life, no attention given to how I pronounced them. I blasted my essence without any semblance of control at the being in front of me, and my desire to just live was so strong, it overshadowed every other feeling and sensation.

    Even the sight of the vorander inexplicably disappearing right in front of me.

    Or the cries of the victorious men, overjoyed to find themselves still amongst the living.

    And the feeling of raindrops gradually washing away the blood and sweat of the carnage surrounding them.

    But not the feeling of a link slowly fading away, dwindling into non-existence, one of its tethers gone forever.

 Chapter 5

    Bully died during the final moments of the assault.

    He was torn to pieces, strips of flesh hanging off him, entrails in the dirt, one of his own horns ripped off and stabbed in his flank. He slew countless voranders, probably more than some of the guards managed to. He was an ideal tamed animal, just calmly staying in the background until it was time for combat. He was probably the first being here that I could be truly unguarded with.

    And now, that being was gone forever.

    Elius, even exhausted and ready to move on, offered to have a small funeral ceremony for him before the corpses were burned, but I declined. There was nothing that needed to be said.

    In the end, I only knew him a few days, and he served his initial purpose: he protected me as long as he could. I didn¡¯t want the men to see possible tears and give them more reasons to call me a kid.

    Thankfully, I finally found an answer to one of my questions. People here burned the bodies of anything that died so they didn¡¯t attract those damned voranders, or any other wandering predators. Roasting something from a successful hunt was only done behind city walls, where the smell couldn¡¯t spread and attract other wildlife. It seemed like hard rations prepared beforehand were the best the guards could eat while on the road.

    The rain slowed down a few hours after the battle ended. The bodies were burned as soon as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, but the men took care to keep Bully¡¯s corpse away from the voranders. I appreciated the gesture.

    Miraculously, none of the guards or merchants died. Even the rhaajes were alive and kicking, well enough to pull the wagons despite some flesh wounds they had sustained, which were promptly treated. More than half of the goods being transported were crushed, covered in blood or guts, or rendered unusable during the fight, but everyone felt it was a small price to pay for living.

    The rest of the trip to the city was solemn. Nobody spoke too often or too loudly, there were no more encounters of any kind, and even the local wildlife seemed to be subdued. What should have been a cheerful and joyous return to civilization was a gloomy and dull affair, the mood of the group at odds with the tranquility of the atmosphere.

    Some people were coming to terms with how close they had come to dying, while others were happy to be alive and simultaneously mindful of trying not to annoy the more introspective of the group with their unwelcome cheer. The wounded were healed as much as the limited supplies allowed, and I was fortunate enough to be among that number, as I had some herbal ointment dabbed onto my various cuts and bite marks. It stung at first, a bit like isopropyl alcohol, but gave off a cooling feeling as time passed.

    Close to mid-afternoon, we finally entered the city that was our destination. The walls of Khobadaar were amazing, a light blue color reflecting the day¡¯s now cloudless sky. Each brick was the height of a man, and standing at its base near one of the city¡¯s gates, I couldn¡¯t see the top of the wall even after craning my neck as far back as I could.

    We were let in without any fuss, no entry tax or ¡®voluntary¡¯ donation collected by the gatekeepers. It was here I decided to split from the rest of the group.

    I thanked them for everything they did. I even tried to repay the cost of the shortsword I borrowed that got corroded somehow by that vorander. Elius waved it off, saying I needed the coin more than they did.

    I thanked them once again, waved goodbye, then left, alone again. I wasn¡¯t in the right headspace to take in the sights and sounds of a fantasy city, so I decided to just get some rest first before deciding on a course of action.

    I approached one of the city guards (conveniently armed with a baton and a gleaming metallic chest plate the same shade of blue as the city walls) and asked for directions to the cheapest inn. He pointed out a building standing in the shadow of the wall, the gate I came through within sight of it.

    The hanging wooden sign over the building¡¯s entrance had a helpful illustration of an overflowing mug atop a side profile of a bed. I couldn¡¯t read the words underneath, which made my already gloomy mood even worse, but they did appear to be printed somewhat neatly, implying a certain amount of care and wealth on the part of the owner.

    Heading inside, the interior of the building seemed to match the exterior. Everything was made of wood: the doors, walls, floorboards and ceiling, the chairs and tables. Even the cutlery was wooden, which shouldn¡¯t have surprised me but did. There was something like a bar at the back, with doors on either side, possibly leading to a kitchen or back room. On the right side was a simple-looking staircase, leading up. Judging from the outside, the inn had two floors above this one.

    I made my way to the left wall, where a homely looking middle-aged woman was writing in a rather large book behind a¡­ wooden countertop. The scratching of the quill on paper mixed with the fact that someone was using a quill to write made me pause for a moment before I got my bearings and came up to her.

    ¡°Hi, um, do you work here?¡± I asked glumly.

    Cut me some slack. I was in a different world, and operating on different societal norms. And I was just a wee bit traumatized from the events of a few hours prior.

    A slight chuckle and a shake of the head was what she responded with. ¡°Of course, child. Do you imagine many women my age have enough free time to sit in an inn at midday?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never really thought about it. And honestly, I don¡¯t really care that much.¡± I replied halfheartedly.

    She paused in her scratching, looking up at me for the first time. It felt like she was appraising me, searching for something. I couldn¡¯t tell whether she found it or not as her face went neutral and she said in a businesslike manner, ¡°Rooms are 12 squares a week, 8 for academy students, 10 for graduates. You get 3 meals a day, morning, noon, and night. Tea and juice are free in the mornings and on weekends. Do not tip the staff, including me. I¡¯m serious on that last point. Now, what¡¯ll it be, child?¡±

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    Her emphasis on that last word was¡­forceful. Authoritative. Like a mother who didn¡¯t care that her child had been bullied at school, as long as he showed the proper respect at home. This was someone who revered discipline, and someone I definitely did not want to anger, purposefully or otherwise.

    While I figured she probably knew something about the academy, and I did need more info on it, I didn¡¯t think I was in the right state of mind for that conversation. I swallowed and licked my lips, more nervous than before, as I answered.

    ¡°Put me down for 2 weeks for now, please.¡± I slid a triangle from my coin pouch onto¡­. next to¡­her book. She made a note in the giant book she had been writing in previously, in what I guessed was a guest ledger, then asked, ¡°Name of occupant?¡±

    I sighed, already expecting the smirk or laugh, as I stated, ¡°Rhaaj.¡±

    She just shook her head again as she continued to scribble on her book.  ¡°Your mother never gave you a chance, did she? Head up the stairs, top floor, fourth door on the right. Welcome to the Three Tea Trees Inn. Enjoy your stay.¡± She slid my change along with a wooden room key across the desk, then politely smiled at me.

    I¡¯d spoken to enough women in my life to recognize dismissal. I grabbed the key and coins, heading up the stairs. I found my room and unlocked it, dropping my rucksack on the floor. I took off my shoes and the dirty robe that was somehow still mostly intact, then closed the door and fell onto the bed, mentally tired and wanting to sleep, despite the time.

    But sleep eluded me. Because I had been feeling a strange sensation lately; its presence was simultaneously concerning and confusing. Something that felt very familiar yet foreign.

    A tamer link.

    And there was only one thing I could think of that I used the taming spell on recently.

    Okay, calm down. It¡¯s probably not as bad as you think. It¡¯s literally under control, so nothing should go wrong¡­ right? Then again, the last time I thought nothing could go wrong, someone died.

    Smacking my face hard with both hands multiple times, I tried to ignore that line of thinking.

    Focus. Okay, just¡­try it once. Just one time and then you can sleep. Lord knows I won¡¯t sleep if I don¡¯t at least try to answer this question.

    With reluctance and a very small amount of effort, I pulled on the link, expending some essence to widen the connection.

    And something responded.

    In front of me, popping out of thin air, was the goblin-esque vorander that I legitimately believed would kill me a few hours ago. It looked just as I remembered it.

    Only, it was kneeling, on both knees. Its arms were extended flat on the ground, its head touching the floor in what looked to me like the kowtowing position. But what I immediately noticed was its behavior: it was silent and unmoving. Through the link, I could feel its intent. What I felt made me more skeptical of their description as mindless savages.

    It was awaiting my order, and it wouldn¡¯t move until I explicitly told it to.

    I couldn¡¯t handle it. I retracted the essence keeping the link active, and just as it did before, the vorander disappeared. I really wanted to scream in frustration, but remembered my surroundings and did my level best to suppress any impulse to shout aloud. My fists were clenched, and I was gritting my teeth. I couldn¡¯t understand.

    Where did it come from? Is it the same place it went back to or somewhere different? What is causing this? Is it me? The spell itself? The vorander? Khime¡¯s technique never said anything about the beasts it tamed disappearing. He went on and on about the dangers voranders presented to all life, and I don¡¯t think he would do that if he himself had a technique capable of taming, and thus controlling, them. Even now, I can still feel the link to that thing. It¡¯s still in that position, waiting for me to tell it to do something.

    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I gave in to my impulse. I grabbed the pillow on the bed and covered my face with it, screaming into it, ¡°WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?¡±

    ¡°SHUT YOUR MOUTH BEFORE I SHUT IT FOR YOU!¡± The voice coming from the room next door was just as louder as Elius¡¯, if not greater. The voice went silent after I stopped my muffled scream. Apparently, the cheapest inn near the gate had a reputation for peace and quiet that I had unknowingly disrupted.

    I tried to calm down, turning to an exercise I hadn¡¯t done in a long time: meditation. My parents were avid proponents of basically anything Indian in origin, extolling the culture to a degree of fanaticism. They acted as most fanatics did, highlighting and emphasizing the positives while downplaying or outright denying the negative consequences. Yoga and meditation were at the top of that list. The endless immersion and downright reverence I was expected to show in ¡®my culture¡¯ became grating at times, and eventually, I just stopped doing anything related to it altogether.

    But I needed to calm down, and this was the quickest way I knew of.

    I sat on the floor, as the bed was just a tad too lumpy for me, with my legs crossed and my hands loosely resting on my knees, palms up.

    Ugh, the lotus position, how long had it been since I did this, and I can still recall everything.

    Focus.

    I closed my eyes and started to breathe in through my nose. What I smelled was terrible, and I immediately vowed to take a bath as soon as possible.

    Gathering my focus again, I breathed properly. A deep inhale through the nose, holding it for one second, then a slow, controlled exhale through the mouth. Deep inhale in, hold, slow exhale out. Breathe in, hold, breathe out. Keep your focus on the idea of nothing. Lose yourself in it. Breathe in, hold, breathe out. Breathe in, ¨C

    I honestly can¡¯t tell if this world likes me or not.

    My breathing exercise was interrupted when I felt essence flow into me, keeping pace with my breathing. A thin layer was surrounding me when I inhaled, it would enter my body somehow when I held my breath, and exhaling sort of integrated the fresh essence into my being, somehow merging with the essence already inside me.

    I felt numb. Not in a pins and needles, my foot fell asleep, kind of numb. More like the shock of endless revelations was gradually having less of an impact. I was building a tolerance for it, I guess, was the most accurate way to describe it.

    I knew I was¡­uninformed¡­ about nearly everything in this world. Continuing my path like this, aware of my deficiency, would likely put me in a bad spot sooner rather than later. Above all, I was trying not to stick out, and those efforts had failed monumentally. I needed to know what I didn¡¯t know.

    And so I would take the advice of Khime, who did fill me in on what could be the utter basics of this world. It was annoying how vague he had been about it. But I would follow through nonetheless, regardless of my past experiences with academia.

    I was going to join the academy. Or if there were multiple, whichever academy was closest. Whatever, I knew what I meant. I was going back to school, as unappealing as that sentence sounded.

 Chapter 6

    I got up the next morning, wide awake as soon as I opened my eyes. As I did a few morning stretches to loosen up my muscles, I made a mental note to buy a notebook or journal, so I could write down all the questions I had and would most certainly have in the future. I also needed to buy some new clothes, and food, and a lot of other things, which brought me to my biggest hurdle:

    Money.

    I had very little cash on hand after reserving a room and luckily some complimentary meals for the next two weeks. So at least I was covered on that front for a while.

    Probably another of Khime¡¯s ¡®motivation¡¯ tactics. Stingy old man, only giving me enough for a few days.

    But, no matter what, I needed a job, no, a steady wage, to be able to afford a somewhat decent lifestyle in this city before I could join the academy.

    There¡¯s probably an admission fee for the academy, isn¡¯t there. Better to factor that in too. And if I need to buy supplies, that¡¯ll set me back even more. I¡¯m assuming magic items are more expensive than non-magic ones. Heh, it¡¯s funny how quickly circumstances change. If this were before, I would have waited until the last minute before doing anything. Now I¡¯m actually¡­eager?...to do things right away. Might as well get started then.

    With a vague plan in mind to secure employment, I tied my black robe around the filthy jeans and t-shirt I was wearing, grabbed my rucksack, and headed down to the inn¡¯s ground floor, locking my room as I left.

    I didn¡¯t see the woman from last night, who I assumed was the owner, but there were a couple of people, who seemed like employees, wiping down tables and chairs. I approached the bar in the back, hoping to get a quick meal before I left.

    The person behind the bar counter, a middle-aged man, noticed me and turned to ask me, ¡°Good morning. What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°Can I get the¡­morning meal¡­and whatever juice you¡¯ve got. And some water.¡± I didn¡¯t want to say breakfast, and not have them understand it. This whole translation thing still felt wonky to me, presenting yet another set of questions I couldn¡¯t have answered. Also, I wasn¡¯t totally sure exactly what kind of juice was being served.

    ¡°Sure, just place your key on the counter,¡± he said as he took out what looked like his own key, hung on a string around his neck.

    I placed my key on the counter, straight-faced like I knew what was going on, and waited. After a few seconds, the part of the counter where my room key was placed started glowing faintly, like a backlit LED keyboard. Then a couple lines of text, which I couldn¡¯t read, appeared next to them.

    Wait, I couldn¡¯t read them?

    Why isn¡¯t the translation ability or spell working? Didn¡¯t Khime say I would be able to understand everything that people¡­said¡­motherfu-

    ¡°Enchantment must be low on stones. Alright, looks like you¡¯re good for two weeks with basic meals. Let me just do - that,¡± he tapped his own key against mine, then a symbol on the text changed, ¡°and you¡¯ll get your meal in a bit.¡± He tucked his key back under his shirt and went to one of the back rooms, presumably the kitchen.

    I carefully controlled my expression throughout the process, only widening my eyes a bit at the glowing, but otherwise I thought I had progressed immensely over the course of a few days in not looking like a total idiot when it came to new things. At this point, it was just more motivation for me to learn about the common practices here.

    Within five minutes, the server came back out with a tray, a plate and two cups on it, everything wooden. He placed it on the counter, unloading the dishes in front of me. ¡°One morning set of meat and greens, one water, one fresh eetle juice.¡±

    Really, eetle juice? There¡¯s no way this will work¡­

    ¡°Eetle juice, eetle juice, eetle juice.¡± I whispered.

    Nothing happened.

    I waited a couple seconds, looked around, and still nothing. Really, what was I expecting? Should I be relieved or worried that nothing happened? And what does it say about me that a part of me expected something to pop out?

    The server just looked at me, a professional smile still on his face. ¡°Thanks for this,¡± I said. I was about to tip him out of habit, when I remembered my dwindling funds, and the warning I got last night from the owner¡¯s welcome speech.

    Curious, I just decided to ask the server, as I figured this had to be something harmless.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why can¡¯t I tip you?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°Ah, that rule. The owner believes that tipping is an unhealthy practice, only encouraged by cheap and predatory merchants who would rather profit than ensure their workers get paid properly. It reflects poorly on her ability and reputation when one of her workers receives a tip, as it implies she is either unwilling or unable to do so herself, both of which are undesirable outcomes for her and this establishment.¡± The waiter was thorough in his explanation, and the logic made perfect sense to me. I was a total advocate for abolishing tipping practices back home. At least here I wouldn¡¯t be guilted into giving up more of my pitifully low reserves.

    ¡°Well, thanks for the service, anyways.¡± I replied. He nodded at the compliment, the small professional smile still on his face.

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll just be in the back room if you need anything else. Or you can call any of the other staff. I¡¯ll leave you to your meal, then.¡± He nodded his head once more, then left to the back room again, other workers taking his place behind the bar counter.

    The meal itself was fine. The meat tasted similar to chicken, and the ¡®greens¡¯ were a mix of vegetables, some kind of cousin to broccoli, and an almost yellowish asparagus. The eetle juice  was a knock-off version of coffee, and the water was as normal as could be.

    Fed and ready to start the day, I got up to start looking for a job, deciding to start with the owner of the inn. Of course, I hadn¡¯t seen her yet, so maybe she hadn¡¯t gotten up or maybe she wouldn¡¯t be here today. I just went to the next possible person: one of the workers. I looked at the bar again, to ask whoever was back there.

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    A really young kid popped up, cleaning the counter that was nearly at the height of his forehead. He had to stand on a stool to reach the area furthest away from him. He couldn¡¯t have been more than five or six years old. Then I remembered the time difference. One year here was nearly twice as long as what I was used to, so this kid must have been younger than I originally thought. I guess technically he was the same age no matter what, but ¨C

    He noticed me looking at him, put away the cleaning rag, and asked in an adorable attempt at professionalism, ¡°What do you need from me, mister?¡±

    ¡°Hey, kid, how are you working here? I mean, how are you allowed to work here?¡± I asked, curiosity and a hint of concern creeping into my tone. This seemed like child labor, something that definitely irked me, if not outright crossed my bottom line, and I got a little pissed off at the owner who seemed like a decent enough lady, if slightly imposing.

    He just looked at me and said, ¡°My sister helped me. She said the pay was decent for the conditions listed.¡±

    Listed?

    ¡°Listed where?¡± I asked.

    ¡°At the¡­Workman¡¯s Society. She said the task was safe, paid well, and would let me get experience,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Workman¡¯s Society? What¡¯s that?¡± I asked again.

    This time, I knew I messed up because the kid, as all kids were prone to doing, spoke with brutal, unfiltered honesty.  His face lit up and he smiled the innocent smile that kids everywhere had when they were showing off.

    ¡°Mister, you¡¯re from a village or something, right? That¡¯s why you don¡¯t know, right? My mommy said only villagers and idiots don¡¯t know about the Workman¡¯s Society. Wait, are you a villager? Or are you an idiot? You don¡¯t seem like an idiot, but I¡¯ve never met one. Or a villager. Mommy said villagers don¡¯t come to cities too much. She also said¡­¡±

    As he kept parroting what his mother told him about villagers and idiots, I was trying damn hard not to reveal how mortifyingly embarrassed I was. It was probably best if I just played along until I could get some form of answer from him. Despite the awkwardness, I tried to push through and interrupted his rant.

    ¡°Kid, kid! Look, you¡¯re right, I¡¯m a villager, okay? Just, don¡¯t tell anyone. Can you just tell me about this Workman¡¯s Society?¡± I decided it was better to be thought of as a villager than an idiot, although my own idiocy was a matter of contention.

    His eyes widened and his smile grew even wider, a pure thing that I honestly couldn¡¯t get mad at because he didn¡¯t even know what he was saying¡­I hoped. He looked at me like a rare animal in a zoo, something exotic and foreign, which to be fair, I was.

    ¡°Sure, mister! Mommy is always telling me it¡¯s better to help people than hurt. Or the you-know-what''s will come.¡± He whispered as he said that last sentence, like it was expected that even villagers should know what he was referencing. I actually had a good idea what he was talking about, so I just nodded along, a somber look on my face to match his serious tone.

    Oh, he¡¯s probably talking about the voranders. Do people not say their name out loud, or is it just kids? Does saying their name out loud actually attract them? I don¡¯t think that was the case for the attack last night. Besides, how would that even work?....Right, magic.

    ¡°So, first of all, where is this Society place? What does it look like?¡± I asked him, trying to lighten the mood.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s near the center of the city. Just walk down the main road and it¡¯s the big shiny yellow building. Lots of people know where it is. They come and go every day, sometimes a lot of times in one day.¡± He replied.

    ¡°And how does it work? I mean, how did you end up working here?¡± I asked again.

    ¡°Um, I didn¡¯t do anything, but my sister helped me get signed up. She used a big word. Reg¡­reg¡­reg-something,¡± he muttered.

    ¡°Registered?¡± I offered.

    ¡°Yeah! That!¡± The kid¡¯s face lit up again in recognition as he continued his speech. ¡°She said that to be able to accept tasks, you need to be regi-starred. The people there ask you a lot of questions about yourself, kind of like you mister! Only they ask what is your name, how old are you, and a bunch of other ones. I think my sister said that if I want to do harder tasks, I need to take a test, but I didn¡¯t need to do that for this task. Then after you answer their question, they give you a magic card! Look, this is mine!¡±

    He pulled out what looked like a metal credit card with softened and rounded edges. On it was a picture of his face, a goofy smile plastered on top, and a bunch of other things, but again, I couldn¡¯t read them. The text was glowing faintly, again. I assumed it worked like a driver¡¯s license or identification card, something noting down his personal details.

    I handed it back to him, and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s cool. Hopefully, I can get mine today too.¡± I said.

    ¡°You can! They always let people join! That¡¯s their saying, their um, what word was it? Mono¡­mollo¡­motto! Yeah, motto! Their motto is something, I don¡¯t remember, but my sister said it means anyone can join!¡± Excitement and eagerness once again shone on his little chubby face.

    ¡°Mister, you could just go there and ask them yourself. They talked to me and told me everything when I asked them questions. Oh, are you scared? Is it because you¡¯re alone? It¡¯s okay, they¡¯re really friendly, they even gave me some sweets at the end! My mommy says too many sweets are bad for me, but after dinner my sister always says sweets go to a different stomach, so I just gave them to her! She likes sweets a lot, but she can¡¯t eat them too much. You know, because mommy told her not to. My mommy and big sister always fight over sweets too, but I don¡¯t get it. Do you get it? Does your mommy like sweets too, but say they¡¯re bad for you? Hey mister? Mister?¡±

    I didn¡¯t hear his tirade on sweets, tuning it out. I was taken aback and just stopped when he asked if I was scared because I was alone.

    Wisdom from the mouths of babes.

    The kid¡¯s words resonated with me. Deeply.

    I was scared. And I was alone. More than I¡¯d care to admit. More than I¡¯d let myself admit. More than I could accept.

    I thought I had a better handle on this, dammit.

    It seems my late-night meditation was a little less effective in calming me down than I thought.

    Maybe the kid¡¯s right. Maybe I am an idiot after all.

    That was the whole point of this, wasn¡¯t it? To stop being an idiot? And money and a job were the first step on resolving that particular recurring issue. I just took a deep breath in and out, and tried to calm down. It worked a little. Enough for me to notice the kid looking at me and asking me something.

    ¡°Sorry, kid, what did you say? I didn¡¯t hear you.¡±

    ¡°....I asked if you wanted me or my mommy to come with you. We can do it later or tomorrow, just not right now since everyone is working. Even daddy works now too! He wasn¡¯t working for a while, but now he is again! He hurt himself working and had to stop for a while, but now he¡¯s better! He even said it was the best thing that happened since he could play with me and mommy more! He plays with me in the morning, but he plays with mommy at night. And he¡¯s always smiling and laughing a lot. I like it when daddy is laughing, because then mommy is laughing too, and sometimes they both play with me, so then I laugh! My sister doesn¡¯t smile or laugh as much, even when someone is playing with her, but mommy said that happens sometimes to girls. I asked her how come, but she just laughed a lot and wouldn¡¯t tell me. Daddy and sister don¡¯t play with each other a lot because they both work, but that¡¯s when mommy teaches me things! She teaches me about the numbers, and letters, and Mother¡¯s Breath, and that¡¯s when she teached, I mean, taught, she taught me about villagers! She said some villages don¡¯t even have names! I asked her how come, and she said ....¡±

    The kid rambled on for a while longer, and I let him, knowing that at this point, trying to stop him was a futile effort. It was honestly nice just to unwind a bit from the stress that my life had become and listen to him.

    Kids. They really do make you smile without trying.

    How long will that innocence last until the world beats it out of him?

    The errant thought was so loud, I turned my head side to side, thinking someone whispered it in my ear. I didn¡¯t think that. Where did that even come from? That was just¡­spooky. Another deep breath in and out didn¡¯t help dispel that feeling. I can only think of one other distraction from feeling anything: work.

    I got to my feet, intent on leaving. I interrupted the kid¡¯s tangent on¡­something, and said my goodbyes. ¡°Alright, kid, thanks for everything. You¡¯ve been really helpful. I¡¯ll see you later, okay?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Are you going to the Workman¡¯s Society now, mister?¡± I nodded my assent, and he smiled again. Seriously, the kid had a good heart.

    ¡°You never told me your name, kid. What is it?¡± He might be good-hearted, but I got the feeling he was a bit young to be well-versed in subtlety or implicit questions.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Gillen, mister. What¡¯s yours?¡± He said.

    I sighed internally this time, ready for the shock.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Rhaaj.¡± I said reluctantly.

    ¡°Rhaaj? Isn¡¯t that one of those, um, working animals? Mommy said that animals are okay to be -¡± He was interrupted by a head from the kitchen poking out.

    ¡°Gill, we need you in the kitchen now.¡± One of the other workers said.

    ¡°Okay, uncle! I¡¯m coming! Bye, mister Rhaaj, I have to go do my work now! I hope you do whatever it is you want!¡± Gillen said.

    I waved goodbye to him, watching him trundle along to the kitchen. I was a little inclined to speak to his parents, as they seemed like good people, if a little desperate to earn money that they sent their son to work while so young. But my anxiety held me back.

    Well, that aside, I felt I was informed enough to go to this Workman¡¯s Society and at least try to apply for a job there.

    Shit, is reading one of the qualifications to work? It shouldn¡¯t be, right?

 Chapter 7

    I was walking along the main road, a straight road that bisected the city starting from the north gate until the southern gate, my eyes on the lookout for a big shiny yellow building. I asked one of the guards for directions, and he gave me the same directions as Gillen did. Trust, but verify. The kid was helpful, but I just wanted to be sure.

    On the way, I saw plenty of things that looked interesting and caught my eye. And I was far more receptive to them than I would have been the previous day.

    Something resembling a medieval hot dog cart was selling skewers of some kind of meat to passersby. A store with a crier out front proclaimed his store¡¯s wares were imported from a tier 1 city. Some people who had an air of importance about them, as they rode armored bicorns and wore shining full plate armor, rushed past pedestrians on their mounts.

    A pet store with a veritable medley of creatures had children and adults alike scrutinizing them. Some of the animals, I noticed, weren¡¯t caged or contained in any way, just lying down or relaxing on the floor. The uncaged beasts drew more attention than the caged ones for some reason. The beasts didn¡¯t attack or react in any way to customers approaching or even touching them. Are they selling tamed beasts as pets? It made sense to me. I would probably visit it later once I had enough funds.

    Soon enough, I laid eyes on the Workman¡¯s Society building. It really was exactly as described. A big, yellow, shiny building. It stood three stories tall, towering over the other buildings adjacent to it. For a second I thought it was only yellow due to the sun reflecting on it, but no, it really was just that yellow from every angle, all the time. The shininess I attributed to some kind of magic, as evidence would seem to indicate most things magical either glowed, shined, or otherwise lit up in some way.

    It bore similarities to a modern-day corporate office, with large marble doors open in the center of the ground floor, and the shiny surface almost reminding me of glass. There was an emblem to the left of the doors, of a stylized depiction of a man and woman standing across from each other and clasping each other¡¯s forearms, in camaraderie or something akin to it. On the right side of the doors were more unreadable, glowing lines of text. It was a shorter sentence, I guessed, as it only seemed to be made of a few words. Likely their motto.

    I was cautiously hopeful that things would turn out okay here. It was close to a feeling of ¡®I can manage to not totally screw this up¡¯. Which surprised me as I had never been that optimistic before. Enough stalling. Just do it, and try to minimize how much you stand out.

    I walked in, and was stunned once again by what I saw. If the inn I was staying at had a wooden motif, this building most definitely had an earthen one. The walls were like limestone, but condensed to the point it looked almost metallic. The floor was almost a carbon copy of the roads outside, that same concrete-looking substance smoothed out, only a slightly brighter shade. There were tables and chairs organized neatly in a corner of the massive floor, at least a hundred of each made from literal sandstone. Employees, easily recognizable due to their yellow outfits and an emblem on their chests that matched the one plastered on the building¡¯s exterior, were standing behind a large black marble countertop at the back of the floor, partitioned into different sections, similar to a cubicle or cage that a bank teller would use.

    There was a grand staircase behind the counter that presumably went up to the higher floors. On both the walls, on the parts of them closest to the employee area, were large cork boards, with a multitude of papers pinned to them. I couldn¡¯t make out what they said from here, nor would I be able to even if I got closer, but they looked like bounty posters. There was a large picture at the top, then some text under it.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± One of the employees had walked up to me while I was lost in the view, too absorbed to notice.

    I tore my eyes from the walls and looked at the woman. She was roughly my height, and maybe a bit older than me, mid-twenties at most? That damn time difference¡­she probably thought of herself as only¡­thirteen, if my mental math was correct? Maybe fourteen? I would have to adjust my frame of reference.

    Her brown hair and eyes were very¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say familiar, but she just had one of those faces. Something about the shape of her nose and cheekbones¡­

    ¡°Sigh, you don¡¯t know me. I¡¯ve never met you before.¡± she said in an almost angry tone.

    ¡®What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°If I had a square for every person who said I looked familiar to them, I would be able to buy this whole city. Look, I don¡¯t know what it is about me that makes people say that, or think it. I¡¯ve heard literally everything. Eyes, ears, nose, one moron even mentioned my hips. My mother looks almost exactly the same as me, and people never come up to her and say those kinds of things. I mean, really, I¡¯m just trying to ¨C¡± She stopped mid-rant as she collected herself, using my schtick of closed eyes and deep breathing, before she opened her eyes and looked at me again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. It¡¯s just¡­really, really, annoying how often it happens. So, once again, how can I help you?¡± She asked me, her professionalism shining through as the earlier remnants of her frustration melted off her face, replaced by the ubiquitous smile of customer service workers.

    ¡°Um, yeah, I¡¯d like to register. As a new¡­worker?¡± I asked hesitantly. She nodded and smiled.

    ¡°Of course, right this way.¡± She motioned for me to follow her and we went across the room, all the way to the staircase going up, and down.

    ¡°Is there a lower floor? I couldn¡¯t tell from outside. Or inside for that matter.¡± I asked her.

    ¡°There is, but it¡¯s mostly storage.¡± She answered with a non-answer, something I was very adept at doing. I noted it as something potentially important, but it wasn¡¯t immediately relevant at the moment

    We headed up the stairs to the next floor. It was nearly identical to the ground floor, only the  staircase opened up at the opposite end, above where the building entrance was on the ground floor. Another staircase was on the other end of the floor, again dividing a countertop of faux bank teller cubicles, where it probably led to the top floor.

    We headed to a cubicle on the far end of the counter. There was nobody else there, except for her and me, so she didn¡¯t lead me here out of privacy.

    Idiot. This is probably her cubicle.

    She laid a metallic card on the counter, and a divider rose up, letting her through. After she sat down, the divider fell down, merging perfectly with the countertop. I didn¡¯t even react at the casual display of magic. I assumed her card acted as an employee ID, similar to the one Gillen had shown me, only hers was for accessing employees-only areas. She got out a quill and some paper, then started writing.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get you registered. I¡¯ll just ask for your personal details and you tell me as much as you wish. Just for transparency, the more you tell me, the better it is for you when you¡¯re taking tasks. And of course, if you have any questions, just ask, and I¡¯ll do my best to answer you. Are you ready?¡± she asked me, that professional smile on her face.

    Seriously, does everyone in this city take smiling lessons or something?

    ¡°Yeah, sorry, just, can I have your name?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Ennin. And what a fitting question, as it¡¯s the same one I need to ask of you.¡± she replied.

    Shit. Here we go again.

    ¡°It¡¯s Rhaaj.¡± I said quietly.

    She paused in her writing, looking up at me, the smile still on her face. And while it was still professional, it became far wider and more genuine, until at last the dam broke, and her shoulders shook as she covered her mouth to cover up her snorting laughter.

    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said as she wiped a tear from her eye, ¡°I¡¯m not laughing at you, it¡¯s just, this is the first time I¡¯ve met someone like me. You know, someone who has to deal with annoying comments everyday because of something outside their control. It¡¯s just nice to meet a fellow sufferer, I guess.¡±

    ¡°...Sure, I guess,¡± I hesitantly replied.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s start over. Name, we covered that, age?¡± she asked.

    I had enough time while I was walking on the way here to determine my age here via math, converting from Earth days to¡­this unnamed planet¡¯s days.

    ¡°14.¡± It was weird to think of myself as a teenager, but hey, math doesn¡¯t lie. I even double-checked my work.

    ¡°Race?¡±

    ¡°...Human. Is it not obvious?¡± I asked, a little panicked.

    ¡°It is, but I still need to ask. It¡¯s part of the standard set of questions for newcomers. The questions are actually standardized across every branch, in every continent.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Where were we, ah, birthplace?¡±

    Shit. A hurdle already. Just go with the villager story. At least Gillen claimed it made sense for a villager to not know anything. That¡¯s my cover story from now on, then.

    ¡°Uh, my¡­ village¡­ didn¡¯t really have a name,¡± I said awkwardly. I was hoping to pass off my awkwardness as belonging to a country bumpkin compared to a world traveler.

    ¡°Tier 7, or tier 8?¡± she asked in response, no pause in her reply.

    The fact that it worked, apparently, threw me a little bit. But not as much as the term ¡®tier¡¯ being used again, and in a context I hadn¡¯t deduced yet. I knew there was a tier 1 city, my bone dagger was tier 3, and apparently, villages were either tier 7 or 8. The tiers could go from worst to best, or best to worst. Hell, for all I knew, there were no permanent tiers at all. Rather than spend any more time pondering something I had no knowledge of, it was better to just find out as soon as possible. Might as well go for broke with the whole village idiot persona.

    ¡°Um, what are tiers?¡± I asked quietly and nervously.

    That got her attention. She looked up at me from her paperwork, her eyes wide.

    Did I mess up? Shit, shit, shit. How bad is it? Should I just run out of here? Can I still ¨C

    She sighed and went back to her paperwork, shaking her head as she did so. ¡°Tier 8, then. I¡¯m amazed you managed to make your way to a tier 3 city in one piece. Well, as for your question, I¡¯d advise against asking things like that to other people. A lot of citizens look down on villagers and townies. Not me,¡± she said in a panic, ¡°my uncle retired and moved to a village in the south, but plenty of other people.¡± Then she started lecturing me on various cases of discrepancies between the social classes, and some gossip about how treatment varied depending on a number of factors.

    Something about the way she spoke was familiar. Mixed with her looks, it annoyed the hell out of me that I couldn¡¯t place how or even if I knew her.

    And then it clicked, and I was embarrassed that it took so long for me to connect the dots.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, raising a hand to interrupt her monologue of how her uncle would always bring gifts from the village whenever he would visit her family. ¡°Are you related to that kid Gillen?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You know my brother?¡± she screamed, astonished.

    I started chuckling in relief. She was familiar to me. She looked like Gillen, if he were older, female, and taller. But it was just something about the shape of their faces that matched. The bridge of the nose, or the eyes. And then their manner of speaking. That was definitely a common trait, probably passed down from their mother, if Gillen¡¯s stories held any truth.

    I tried to stifle my laughter so I could reply. I stopped and breathed deeply, trying to calm myself.

    ¡°I¡¯m staying at the inn near the west gate where he¡¯s working. So you¡¯re the sister who fights with mommy over sweets, huh?¡± I asked teasingly.

    ¡°I swear that little brat has a tickle torture session headed his way tonight. So you really do know him?¡± Ennin asked me.

    ¡°He helped me out, told me a bit about how only villagers and idiots don¡¯t know about the Workman¡¯s Society, and I suppose I fall into both of those categories.¡± I reached up and scratched the back of my head in embarrassment. She just sighed and took it in stride.

    ¡°Well, given your background, it makes sense you don¡¯t know about tiers. We¡¯ll just come back to that topic after we finish up the process. Let¡¯s just get this over with first, then I¡¯ll answer any questions you have on anything. Let me see, name, age, race, birthplace, ahh here it is. Affinities? You know what those are, right?¡± Ennin asked me.

    ¡°No, sorry. But, I do know a taming spell.¡± I said excitedly.

    ¡°Taming? That''s something, but not the most sought-after ability of workers. Well, we don¡¯t have an affinity board here, so I¡¯ll just put down ¡®unknown¡¯ for now, then you can update it later. Next is¡­I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t have any combat training? Weapons, magic, anything besides taming?¡± she asked.

    I just shook my head. The few spars with the convoy guards using a shortsword wasn¡¯t worth that much in the grand scheme of things.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have combat training, but I''ve killed a couple voranders. Just outside the city, actually.¡± I said morosely. Thinking back to yesterday put me in a bad state of mind, so I stopped remembering and just focused on Ennin¡¯s face, looking at me with concern.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I nodded.

    ¡°Have you told the guards? They need to be informed whenever an attack happens.¡± she said hurriedly.

    ¡°Someone else told them, I think,¡± I said. Elius or the merchants had probably informed the guards, if that was the protocol.

    I just shook my head, trying to move on. ¡°Anything else you need to ask me now?¡±

    ¡°Erm, I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t have any formal education?¡± she asked. My head shake was enough of a response for her. It¡¯s not exactly like I can show them my high school diploma or undergrad degree. ¡°Then I think we¡¯re finished. If you could just place your hand here,¡± she said, pointing out another metal card on the counter, her notes next to it.

    I placed my hand as directed and after I felt a tiny pick like a needle drawing blood, an actual drop of my blood fell onto the card.

    What happened next was amazing, as the card glowed red, then that transparent blue-white I had seen from other enchantments. After that, a picture of my face appeared on the card, as if it was taken with a high-definition camera, along with my name, race, age, and every other detail Ennin had just asked me. And how did I know that?

    Because all of a sudden, I could actually read it.

    ¡°SONOFABITCH! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!¡± I was on my feet and hysterical. The staff, Ennin especially, were startled at my outburst, flinching or falling off their chairs.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?! Why did you scream?¡± Ennin asked me after she recovered.

    I definitely couldn¡¯t tell her that I was illiterate until twenty seconds ago and that I had probably grown a few gray hairs over how stressed I was trying to determine how long it would take for me to learn how to read, or whether it was even possible.

    ¡°Sorry, I just¡­I¡¯ve just ... .never ... .seen... .that kind of magic before¡­¡±I said lamely, and somewhat louder than usual.

    Village idiot trope to the rescue.

    She just closed her eyes and sighed again. ¡°Well, try and get used to it, because there¡¯s plenty of magic and magical effects that you¡¯ll be seeing from now on. Speaking of which¡­¡± She pointed to the card that I was staring at.

    I looked at it properly as I picked it up. It did look just like the one that Gillen had shown me earlier. Only, mine had my personal details on it. I turned it over, and saw a bunch of what I could now recognize as 8¡¯s next to various symbols. A sword, basket, quill, barrel, and a stylized depiction of wind, along with many other ones.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you could explain what these mean right now?¡± I asked her, pointing at the symbols on the back of the card.

    ¡°I really want to, but the morning rush is about to start, and it gets pretty crazy down there. Do you mind if we do it later?¡± I could tell she wasn¡¯t just brushing me off, the increasingly loud noises coming from downstairs proving her point.

    ¡°Sure, whenever you¡¯re free.¡± I offered.

    ¡°You¡¯re staying at the Teahouse, right? The inn by the west gate? I¡¯ll come over later and we can talk it out, I promise. I need to pick up Gill anyways, so it¡¯s not a problem.¡± She practically ran down the stairs, holding my hand, dragging me down with her. We were following after her colleagues on this floor who had already headed down while we were talking.

    As we got to the ground floor, I saw a scene of utter chaos. To say it was a free-for-all wasn¡¯t too far from the truth. There was a mix of people in front of the cork boards assaulting each other with both words and blows. People were biting, screaming, punching, kicking, and doing nearly everything short of using weapons on each other. I saw one old man accidentally get elbowed in his, ahem, delivery mechanism, falling to his knees and quivering on the floor behind the rest of the combatants.

    The morning rush proved to be more than just a bit crazy.

 Chapter 8

    I managed to get out of the Society building with just a few bruises, and all things considered, I got off lucky. If that melee was a regular thing that happened every day, I would need to wake up a bit earlier to get ahead of it. I felt somewhat bad for the employees there like Ennin who had to deal with the aftermath, probably cleaning up blood and teeth. Among other things¡­

    I was expecting the registration process to take up the whole day, maybe having to stand in long lines, or go from one department to another, but I was pleasantly surprised. Altogether it took maybe, half an hour? Although most of the explanations, like how to actually apply or even do jobs, were skipped over and postponed.

    Now that I unexpectedly had some free time on my hands, I decided to just make my way back to the inn. I turned around, looking at the front of the Workman¡¯s Society building, and the emblem and motto depicted there.

    Now that I was somehow capable of reading it, I could appreciate Gillen¡¯s, or more likely his mother¡¯s or sister¡¯s take on how it meant anyone and everyone could join. The motto simply said, ¡®For the People¡¯. Succinct, easy to understand, but with layers to it if one was willing to look deeper.

    On my way back to the inn, an idea popped into my head and I immediately acted on it. I approached one of the city guards and asked if there was a bathhouse nearby. He said there was one for commoners on a side street off the main road, right on the next corner. It was only a few streets away from the inn, so I made it a priority to visit it regularly, provided I had enough coin. I probably reeked of sweat and dirt, and aimed to fix that as soon as possible.

    The bathhouse was somewhat modest compared to the Society building that drew one''s attention; it was only a single floor, but wide enough to occupy space meant for seven normal sized buildings. Its construction was reminiscent of the buildings in the anime Attack on Chitin with the tiled roof and small windows everywhere. I approached the entrance, a large archway with two attendants on either side sitting behind a podium. The man on the right seemed to handle any entrants, and the guy on the left waving off those exiting.

    I approached the man on the right, and saw a sign I hadn¡¯t noticed before hanging from the roof above and behind him. In large letters, it said the entry fee was one square per person, entry was free for children under five every eighthday (or maybe it was eighth day, I couldn¡¯t tell), and private suites were a triangle.

    I handed the attendant a square, which he took from the podium as soon as I dropped it, and he gave me a square wooden token with the number 144 on it. I was about to ask him about what it was when he said in a bored tone, ¡°It¡¯s the key for a storage locker. Open it with the key, put your stuff in, close it with the key. Now hurry up, kid, other people are waiting.¡± He shooed me off again, so I just nodded in thanks, moving into the building.

    I walked down a small hallway connecting the entrance with the main building, and the resulting sight was, well, what one would expect of a bathhouse. Half of the building was an open bathhouse, emphasis on open. There was no roof, nor were the genders separated into different areas. It was just a large rectangular pit full of water and people, along with grime and dirt and whatever else washed off people¡¯s bodies. Shallow stairs lined the rim of the bath, allowing some elderly folks to sit down there, and the majority of people to walk into the interior. The sight of the¡­muddied¡­water made me hesitate, but then I saw something magical: a white line, faintly glowing, passed from one end of the bath to the other.

    As it did, it looked like all the dirt and muck was eliminated upon contact with the line. Once the line passed, the people continued bathing as usual. It seemed like a regular feature, as I heard one person complaining that it took too long for the enchantment to clean the water and the bathers simultaneously.

    The other half of the building must have been the advertised privacy suites that cost a triangle. The communal bathing pit was stopped by an opaque wall, with maybe twenty doors leading further inside. But on the far left side of the bath was something that contributed even further to the ¡®open¡¯ concept here: toilets.

    Now, I had been in this world for a good week now, with most of that being on the road. While I was traveling with the convoy guards, I just did my business off the side of the road, out of earshot whenever possible, or behind some bushes if not. The situation demanded it.

    But this? This was borderline nightmarish for me. The growing need to relieve myself warred with my desire for privacy while performing my ablutions. In the end, biology won over psychology, and I heeded the call of nature among other men and women, who were chatting with each other while doing so. I just did what I had to and got out of there as quickly as I could. I learned that the cleansing enchantment in the bath pit was also applied to the toilets, and I vehemently thanked every god in existence.

    The aforementioned storage lockers lined the walls, partially built into them. I put everything I had on me into my locker and closed it with the key. The wooden key itself had a large cord tied through it, likely meant to be worn on the neck while bathing. I put it on, then got into the bath,  awkwardly smiling or nodding back to the people around me.

    I stood there for a while, just letting the heat of the water relax my body, ignoring the social discomfort. It was a good temperature, the perfect amount of heat without being scalding. With no soap, shampoo, or towels, I rid myself of the dirt as best I could in a short time.

    Feeling, and smelling, much cleaner than when I had entered, I got out of the bath, putting my dirty clothes back on again and grabbing my rucksack. That would be my next priority: getting some decent clothes. I left the bathhouse, giving my wooden token to the guy on the exiting side of the building¡¯s archway who took it from me and placed it with a bunch of others in a basket.

    Sometimes a hot bath and a hot meal are enough to change your perspective.

    I don¡¯t know where I heard it, but the quote seemed apt enough. I made my way to the inn for a meal, unsure whether they would be serving lunch yet. The sun seemed pretty high in the sky to me, but I couldn¡¯t tell if it was noon yet or not.

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    As it turned out, lunch was being served. There were a few guests already eating in the inn as I entered, devouring their meals quickly before heading off to their own destinations. I went to the bar again, ordering lunch and water. No juice for me this time.

    It brought a smile to my face when the server tapped his card against mine, and I could read the text displayed there. It may have just said ¡®meals: 45¡¯, but it was enough to make me smile. The food was pretty good, too. Some kind of sandwich, an oversalted meat pie, and creamy soup.

    Now, everything I could do was taken care of. I wanted to minimize my expenses as much as possible, so I couldn¡¯t buy anything I needed yet, like clothes. I had a grand total of 2 circles, 2 triangles and 24 squares on me. While I was tempted to just spend the circle on some items right now, it was probably better in the long run if I saved up.

    I assumed Ennin would come here later in the day so we could talk. . That meant I had some free time right now. She called it the Treehouse, right? Given that the inn was named the Thirty Teas or something like that, I figured it was a nickname referencing the wood theme that the inn was playing up.

    I went up the stairs to my room, locking the door as I did so. The smell of my clothes was more noticeable now that I had bathed, and I resolved to find out how people cleaned them. Or maybe I was meant to clean them in the bath itself? I wasn¡¯t that focused on other people while I was in there. I¡¯d try it out next time I went there and see if I was allowed.

    I sat on the floor, and tried to decipher what I could about the increasingly weird situation.

    I couldn¡¯t read until my blood interacted with my Workman¡¯s Society ID card. Me and Khime, ugh, I mean Khime and I, were able to understand each other¡¯s speech without any prior experience, but that could potentially be chalked up to his translation spell and mind-reading. Assuming it¡¯s the same language in spoken and written formats, then the common factor is me. Not my blood, as convincing as that assumption might be, but me specifically. There must be something about me that gave me the ability to read without learning it. But there¡¯s something else that¡¯s weird that I never stopped to think about.

    When I was on the road, the guards could spot the voranders coming from a decent distance away, enough to prepare. But last night, I summoned that goblin vorander and nobody noticed. Somebody should have noticed, right?

    And I get the feeling that voranders aren¡¯t meant to be tamed in the first place. Which begs the question, again: what is different about me that allows me to do this? And for that matter, where did the vorander go when I tamed it, or dismissed it?

    Another thing that makes no fucking sense. I really need to buy that notebook. Okay, focus. Focus. FOCUS.

    Summon the vorander, give it a drop of your blood, see what happens, then dismiss it. If someone notices, dismiss it immediately and act shocked. I really don¡¯t want to find out how vorander tamers are treated here.

    I took a deep breath in, then a deep breath out. I tugged on the singular tamer link I felt, and the vorander popped out from thin air. It was still and silent, but kneeling on one knee now, like a peasant being knighted by a king, its head down and eyes closed. I took out my bone knife and poked the tip of my finger so a drop of blood came out, then I dropped it onto the vorander¡¯s head, seeing if anything would occur.

    After a few minutes of waiting¡­. nothing happened. It seems like my blood didn¡¯t affect it in any way. I ordered it to open its mouth, and I flung another drop of my blood into it. Still nothing. I even hesitantly sensed its intent, trying to see if maybe there was any way the change was subtle, but there was no reaction.

    I sighed, contracting the link, as once again the monster disappeared into thin air. I could sense it through the link, as it leeched off my essence to sustain itself, but I couldn¡¯t tell where it was or what its surroundings were like. I stopped focusing on the link, and it went dormant, becoming a passive sensation instead of an active one.

    So, blood is not the be-all, end-all for my oddities. Maybe it¡¯s a catalyst for something else? Well, mark it down for something else to research at the academy.

    I couldn¡¯t think of anything else I was capable of experimenting with at the moment, so I tried to resume my meditation breathing exercise that improved my essence somehow. The improvement was incremental, but my gut feeling, again, was that it would be helpful in the long run, so I stuck with it until I heard a knock on the door.

    ¡°Hi, um, mister¡­ villager? It¡¯s Gillen, from before. You asked me a lot of questions, do you remember? I was¨C¡±

    I got up and opened the door, eager to cut off any verbal momentum the kid would otherwise build up.

    ¡°Hi, Gillen. And yes, I do remember you. We spoke in the morning, and you helped me out a lot. Thanks again for that. Now, why did you come to my room?¡± I knelt down as I replied, just so we could talk face-to-face.

    ¡°My sister is downstairs, and she told me that she talked to you today and helped you regi-star. She told me to come and ask you if you two could talk now. She was a little angry that I told you about her and mommy fighting over sweets, so she tickled me until I couldn¡¯t breathe and  then said she¡¯s gonna do it later when we go home. Why would she be angry that I told you that?¡± He paused for breath in his monologue, and I seized the opportunity.

    ¡°How about we go downstairs and you can ask her yourself?¡± I asked him, as I got up from my kneeling position to lock my room, walking towards the stairs.

    We walked down to the main room, and I saw Ennin in a corner talking to a woman that could have been her older sister. It¡¯s probably her mom. She did say that they looked alike, but geez. Ennin noticed Gillen and I walking down the stairs and waved us over. Her mother saw me and smiled, turning to Ennin and whispering something that made her blush. They engaged in a whisper-shouting debate for a few seconds before Gillen and I got to the table. Ennin was about to say something before her mother just shouted over her, standing up to greet me.

    ¡°Well, hello there, young man! It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you! I¡¯m Evelyn, and you already know my kids. Now, I¡¯ve been told your name is Rhaaj? Sigh, I truly pity your father, to have wronged his wife so badly she named you so. You know, my husband once told me he overheard a noble lord and lady in an argument, threatening to name their firstborn after a,¡± she paused and looked around before whispering, ¡°vorander.¡± She shuddered and resumed her speech at a normal volume. ¡°Apparently, the man was a degenerate philanderer, meeting with over a hundred women! One hundred! How she tolerated it, I have no idea!¡± Evelyn kept going on for a bit, and I could tell that getting off-topic and going on tangents were indeed common familial traits among the three.

    ¡°Yes, hi, my name is Rhaaj, and I was hoping to ask Ennin some questions while she had some free time. I hope I¡¯m not keeping you from anything.¡± I turned to ask Ennin.

    ¡°No, not at all, please, sit! My mother just came to pick up Gillen before they left.¡± She waved off my concerns and gave her mother a pointed stare. Apparently, the message was conveyed as Evelyn picked up Gillen, holding him on her hip.

    ¡°Of course, darling! You two have your little talk. Rhaaj, just know that you¡¯re welcome at our home whenever you wish. Ennin, sweetie, don¡¯t stay out too late.¡± She said her goodbyes then left with Gillen, and I could hear him asking his mommy how come something, then their voices trailed away as they walked further and further.

    Ennin chose a good time and place for our talk. It was past sunset, so the inn was nearly empty, the employees at their stations, the guests either in their rooms or out in the city. We were seated at a corner away from the stairs, the entrance, and the bar, making it less likely for us to be overheard, and thus exposing the extent of my ignorance.

    Now, I didn¡¯t totally trust Ennin. Hell, I barely knew her, but I didn¡¯t need to trust her to get some basic info. The other, more sensitive topics could wait until I reached the academy.  It was finally time for some answers.

    I wouldn¡¯t be a ¡®village idiot¡¯ for much longer. Well, at least when it came to basic knowledge.

 Chapter 9

    ¡°Let¡¯s get the most important question out of the way first: Do you want anything to eat?¡± She chuckled to herself, then shook her head.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry, I couldn¡¯t help myself. Okay, I¡¯m serious now. Go ahead. Ask your questions.¡± She was more serious now, so I asked what I thought was an innocuous question to start things off.

    ¡°How do you wash your clothes?¡±

    ¡°...In the bathhouse?¡± she replied questioningly. Then she noticed the disparity between my skin and my clothes. ¡°From now on, you can wash anything in the bathhouses. Clothes and shoes included. Ah, but don¡¯t bring your tamed beasts in there. Sometimes they cause a fuss. In that situation, it¡¯s better to use a private suite.¡±

    ¡°Actually, why is the private suite so expensive? A triangle? Is that even affordable for most people?¡± I asked, instantly going off-topic.

    ¡°Sigh, you haven¡¯t been here long, but a triangle is pretty easy to make if you do consistent work under the Society. One person can earn a triangle in about a week, maybe two, even if they take normal tasks.¡± She almost shook her head again, but stopped partway.

    ¡°So, how does the whole Workman¡¯s Society thing work anyways? With the tasks? Oh, and the tiers. We never got around to that.¡± I said.

    ¡°Haaaa, well. Okay. Tiers are, how do I put this, ways of organizing nearly everything. For example, regions with the lowest known density of essence are classified as tier 8 regions. In a tier 8 region, there simply aren¡¯t enough resources, natural, manpower, or anything else to support large settlements. So any settlement or community built in a tier 8 region is called a village. Like yours. What separates a tier 7 and tier 8 region is again, essence density, population, and the available natural resources. Settlements in a tier 4, 5, or 6, region are known as towns, the one that comes before village. Then settlements in any tier 1, 2, or 3 region are known as cities. I don¡¯t know how the custom started, but eventually, people began to call other people from different settlements different names. Villagers come from villages. Townies come from towns. And citizens come from cities.¡±

    She stopped and ordered a couple juices, both for her. I waited for her drinks to arrive, and for her to slake her thirst, before I continued my questions.

    ¡°So, someone told me I had a tier 3 knife. How about that?¡±

    ¡°Well, just like regions and settlements, everything else can be broken down into various tiers. Nearly everything belongs to a tier. Your knife is tier 3, which means it has magical effects attached to it, and it was made from parts filled with essence from at least a tier 3 or 4 region. That system is used for everything. Weapons, armor, beasts, plants and herbs, ores, tools, practically everything.¡± She stopped again to sip her drink.

    ¡°So tier 8 is the lowest tier something can possibly be, and tier 1 is the highest, and therefore the best?¡± I asked.

    She nodded, continuing to sip her drink. I thought about it a bit, and it seemed like a decent enough system for classification. It did remind me of something I just saw. I took out my Workman¡¯s Society ID card and showed her the back.

    ¡°So, these are all tier 8. Meaning, the lowest possible. How do I improve them, and what do the symbols mean?¡± I asked.

    Her eyes lit up, then gestured for the card. I passed it to her, and she pointed out each symbol.

    ¡°Okay, so first things first. You can¡¯t lose this card. I mean, it is possible for you to leave it somewhere and forget where it is, but if that happens, you just come to the Society building and give us a drop of your blood. Then, thanks to an old blood magic spell, we can tell you exactly where it is,¡± she said proudly.

    My eyes twitched at the mention of blood magic, given my attempt to use blood somewhat magically less than an hour ago, but I tried to keep my expression under control. I just nodded for her to continue, somewhat surprised that there was a magic spell that could track things using blood.

    ¡°Now, these symbols,¡± she said, pointing to the back of the card with the symbols on them.

    ¡°Every one represents a different type of task. Tasks are classified by tier, but also by the nature of the work involved. So, if you see a task with this sword symbol on it, it means the task involves hunting or killing something. The sword represents combat ability. The next one down is the basket, representing gathering or collection. A collection task might ask for you to pick up ten plants, or pick two hundred berries. Basically, find something and bring it back. Now, what¡¯s the next one¡­ah, the quill. These tasks require comprehension of different subjects in education. For example, accounting for a small business requires you to have a decent grasp on mathematics and penmanship. Or doing inventory in a warehouse, where all you need to do is count all the different types of each product, and properly itemize them.¡±

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    Again, she paused to sip her drink, finishing it off and moving to the next one.

    ¡°Then the barrel. It represents manual labor. As in tasks that only need you to move your muscles somehow. You might be asked to transport goods from the city gate to a storefront, or move things from one area of a noble¡¯s estate to another. Maybe dig graves for the ashes of the fallen. Carry barrels of wine from a vineyard into storage. The list goes on.¡±

    ¡°And here is the last symbol, Mother¡¯s Breath. Or essence, as the mages deem it. Tasks with this symbol attached to them can involve anything magical. And I do mean anything. A mage might ask you to assist or participate in an experiment. You might be called upon to be a sparring partner for a mage who developed a new type of combat spell. If you¡¯re very lucky, or unlucky, the academies sometimes ask for volunteers for some of the events they hold. Your taming spell on its own isn¡¯t too valuable, but if you were to learn some kind of nature spell, you could likely take up tasks in pharmacies, or some other such place.¡±

    Finally, the perfect segue!

    ¡°The academy! Yes! How can I join?!¡± I asked excitedly, unable to disguise my excitement at my first real lead.

    Her eyes widened, and she choked on her drink, coughing and spluttering. She waved me off when I got up to help, and she cleaned herself up without assistance. I must have really shocked her for that kind of reaction to occur.

    ¡°You want to join an academy? Why?¡± she asked me.

    ¡°....I was told that if I wanted to learn more, I should join an academy.¡± I replied to her.

    ¡°I mean, you¡¯re not wrong, it¡¯s just that joining the academy is expensive. And somewhat¡­difficult. I¡¯ve heard commoner students complain about the treatment they receive from noble students. It¡¯s not even like the noble students are all one collective group either. I heard a group of tier 3 nobles mistreated a group of tier 4 nobles, because their families were subordinates.¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait,¡± I held up both my hands to get her to stop. ¡°What are the tiers for nobles?¡± I asked.

    Ugh, politics. The aspect of life I hated the most, but which could monumentally screw me over if I didn¡¯t handle it properly.

    ¡°Um, wait, let me think. I think¡­. What was it again?.....How did it go¡­¡± Then she hummed a song to herself, quietly singing out the lyrics to herself. ¡°Baronet, Baron, Count, Viscount. Earl, Marquis, then, Duke and Archduke. King!¡± It was a bouncy song, probably taught to children, but I got the ranks from it. However¡­

    ¡°Um, that song has nine tiers. Aren¡¯t there usually only eight?¡± I asked.

    She nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, but the King doesn¡¯t count. The King or Queen is above the tiers, as they say. And then there¡¯s something complicated about how the Archduke title only goes to relatives of the royal family, but I can¡¯t remember it right now,¡± she said.

    ¡°How did you learn all this stuff? I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t go to an academy?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°No, my parents hired an etiquette tutor for me. That¡¯s another type of task, you know. If you¡¯re skilled enough in a certain field, you can take tutoring or teaching tasks. Ooh, that reminds me. We didn¡¯t talk about assessments yet, right?¡± she said.

    ¡°No,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Well, I think you asked before how you can raise your tiers? Those eights on the back of your card go up in one of two cases: you either do enough tasks of a certain tier, or you take an assessment, in the Society, that shows your competence in that area. So, let¡¯s say you complete fifty tier eight gathering tasks. You¡¯ve shown the Society that you¡¯re competent in that area, and you¡¯re eligible to take a higher-tier task. Well, I say higher tier, but your tier can only go up by one tier each time. Naturally, it goes the other way too. If you don¡¯t complete tasks well, or fail to complete them, your tier can decrease. Now, let¡¯s say eventually you become a tier 1 combatant and a tier 3 laborer, which are represented by the¡­?¡± she asked me leadingly.

    ¡°Combatants¡­the sword, right? And laborer tasks, the barrel?¡± I responded.

    She nodded and continued her explanation. ¡°Let¡¯s say that happens. Even if you retired and never did another task in your life, you would be recognized as a tier 1 combatant and a tier 3 laborer. People might ask you to tutor their kids, like what happened to me, or nobles might offer you a job in their household. The Society ensures that the workers have the requisite skills they need to complete tasks. And we try to make sure that nobody posts any malicious tasks, or refuses to pay after having a posted task completed well. Anyone who acts in bad faith with the Society is blacklisted from using our services and reported to the local authorities. So people generally conduct themselves properly, workers and employers both, when it comes to the Society.¡±

    I felt like I had a good grasp on what the Workman¡¯s Society was now: It was basically a middleman. The company, or Society in this case, crowdsourced the manpower to the public. The workers get a decent wage doing whatever the contractor asks for, the contractor gets their task completed, and the company takes a fee for connecting the two.

    ¡°So I can just take tasks from that board and then hand them in when I¡¯m done?¡± I ask.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little bit more complicated than that. You take the task, make sure you¡¯re eligible for it, then you can either go do it, or check with the staffers if there¡¯s any additional information. Once you complete the task, you need to bring back proof to the Society. So, for hunting tasks, you¡¯d bring back the corpse of whatever you killed. For gathering tasks, you¡¯d bring back a hundred berries or whatever. For some tasks, you need a signature from the poster or whoever is overseeing you do the task. Let¡¯s say you do a laborer task, the poster would give their signature proving you did the task properly.¡±

    ¡°Now, if they don¡¯t give their signature? That¡¯s where things get tricky. If you think you did the task properly, the Society can investigate and determine whether the poster was malicious or not by not signing. If the poster was found to be wrong, you can receive a small bonus on top of the posted payment for that task, paid by the poster. If you did, in fact ,not complete the task properly, you don¡¯t get paid, you probably have to pay a fee for wasting Society resources, and your tier might go down. Hold on, let me just,¡± she licked her lips and finished off the rest of her juice, then ordered a water afterwards.

    ¡°I think I understand it all better now. Thanks for telling me everything.¡± I said.

    She nodded and smiled slightly, then said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. Really, it¡¯s part of my job. So, what do you think you¡¯re gonna do next, Rhaaj?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna apply to the academy. It¡¯s literally the only thing I can think of. I don¡¯t think you understand how crippling my lack of knowledge feels to me. Also, magic.¡± I said, smiling a bit at the end.

    She smiled too, just telling me, ¡°Well, be careful, alright? I know you already know this, but the city, not to mention the academy¡­they¡¯re just too different compared to your village. It¡¯s practically like a different world.¡±

    ¡°That it is. That, it most certainly is.¡±

 Chapter 10

    I asked Ennin some more minor questions after that: good shops to buy well-made clothes and other goods, washing etiquette in the baths, just some trivial details that would make day to day living a bit easier. Before she left to go home for the night, she did mention that the details on academy enrollment would be available later that week, both in the Society building and the city center. I¡¯d probably just check at the Society building, as it was closer to the inn. Finally, we said our goodbyes and she went back home, echoing her mother¡¯s invitation to drop by their house whenever I felt like it.

    Now that some of my questions on the mundane issues had been answered, all that was left was getting answers on the magical issues I had. To do that, I needed to join an academy. To do that, I needed to¡­ well, I didn¡¯t know what the requirements were for joining, but I¡¯d find out soon. Later in the week, apparently.

    So that left me with some time to start doing work and earning money. My short term goal: earn enough money to buy the things I wanted: new clothes, new shoes, a new rucksack or satchel, a notebook or journal, a quill and ink, maybe a new weapon? That was just off the top of my head. My long term goal: join an academy and learn enough magic to profit off it, then travel the world in luxury, or at least comfort.

    I was in a damn magical fantasy world! It¡¯d be a shame to not take advantage of the situation and enjoy myself as much as possible. I had a rare opportunity to broaden my horizons, and I would definitely take it. If possible, I¡¯d travel all over the world, and see what this world had to offer. The food, the music, the sights, hell, maybe there would be some cool ancient ruins or something like that. Whatever I wanted to do, it would all start tomorrow, when I started working.

    I was an official worker now. Or was it a workman? Ennin used the terms interchangeably, so both were correct, probably? I went to the bartender/waiter and ordered my evening meal, a roasted meat that tasted like duck, and some of the not-asparagus I had tried in the morning. And some kind of blue, sweet, citrus-y smelling fruit for dessert.

    The dinner was so filling that I went straight to bed and fell asleep immediately. I woke up a bit before sunrise, the window in my room still dark. I rubbed the dirt and crust out of my eyes, then remembered what today was. And what happened nearly every morning.

    I slapped my face with both hands, twice, to make myself more alert, then moved quickly. I grabbed my rucksack, put on the black robe that covered my t-shirt and jeans, laced up my boots, then headed out, locking my room door.

    I ate as fast as I could without choking, not even taking note of what I was eating. It seemed like the kitchen was working at all hours, luckily for me. I rushed out of the inn, heading straight for the bathhouse.

    There were torches lining the streets, fulfilling a similar role to modern streetlights, only these seemed to be suspended balls of fire in the middle of the roads. They were muted, but bright enough that people could see where they were going without crashing into anything.

    Even now, there were still people lined up to use the facilities at the bath. After paying the entry fee, once again, shame warred with urgency, and urgency won out.

    When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

    I stuffed my belongings in a locker, then quickly did my business. Afterwards, I entered the bath, having taken out my stuff from the locker, and proceeded to clean everything as much as I could. The white magical line that cleaned the bath made its way from end to end, but I got out before it could appear a second time.

    I sprinted towards the Workman¡¯s Society building, trying not to run too fast and sweat away my efforts to clean myself. There were very few people inside, and even some of the employees were stifling a yawn. I made my way to the task board near the back right corner of the room, and perused the tasks on display.

    Looks like I beat the morning rush. I¡¯m gonna have to wake up at this time everyday, aren¡¯t I? Well, I guess I¡¯ll find out if an essence-enhanced body can beat the human need for sleep.

    The tasks looked a bit like official forms. The name of the poster, the task they wanted completed, the offered payment, an empty space that would fit a signature at the bottom, it was all presented in a sequential manner. Some tasks had pictures at the top, of animals or plants, but what drew my attention was that the pictures were in full color. Probably magic.

    I saw some tasks could only be taken as a group. Of those group tasks, some specified the group had to be a team that worked well together and were familiar with each other, and some left it vague, and I guessed that meant any group of random strangers could do those tasks.

    I looked for a solo task that I could do, preferably a laborer or gathering one, and saw a few. I took two: one requesting three hundred berries from the nearby forest south of the city, and another one requesting an assistant to do scut work in a tier 5 restaurant from midday to midnight. I made my way to the counter, holding the pieces of paper.

    ¡°Hi, is there any additional information I should know about either of these tasks?¡± I asked an elderly man standing behind the counter. He took the pieces of paper, tasks, and looked them over. Then he said, ¡°No, you¡¯re good to go. The description of the berries are right there, along with likely locations. The forest to the south is only an hour¡¯s walk so you should be fine. And the restaurant has garnered some minor attention, probably why they¡¯re looking for new help. Card, please.¡±

    I handed him my Workman¡¯s Society ID card, and he placed both it and the tasks on a metallic board where they were scanned for a second, similar to the white cleansing line at the bathhouse, then he handed the tasks and my card back to me.

    ¡°You¡¯re a new blood, right?¡± he asked me. I assumed that was slang for newbie and nodded,

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to have a basket for that berry collection task, now would you?¡± he asked, smiling deviously.

    Shit. I saw the basket symbol, but didn¡¯t make the connection. I just assumed it was¨C

    ¡°We lend equipment to newcomers their first month, just to get you on the right foot,¡± he said, as he bent down below the counter to grab at a woven basket, handle and all. He put it on the counter. ¡°Go on, kid. And be careful in the forest. Beasts and other things have been known to show up at times, though the outer ring is almost always safe. Now, off you go.¡± He nodded towards the door, gesturing for me to leave, a kind smile on his face.

    I nodded, said thanks, grabbed the basket, and headed towards the city entrance. I put my card and the tasks in my rucksack, almost sprinting as I rushed back to the west gate. It was easier to reach the forest from that side, as I remembered a branching path heading south from the main road outside.

    The restaurant task says it starts at midday. It¡¯s probably better if I show up a bit early. So just before noon. Figure it takes an hour to get to the forest, an hour and a half to get back factoring in fatigue and the weight. It¡¯s roughly six? Six thirty right now? So I¡¯ve got about three hours to pick all the berries I need or I don¡¯t get paid for this.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    I had to wait in line to exit the city, the guards checking everyone out, before I could start slowly jogging towards the dirt path that led into the forest. I couldn¡¯t flat out sprint as that would leave me with no energy to actually do the task. Just a bit of a curve to the left, and the path meandered around the city walls to eventually lead into a grand forest. I had just been told that it was mostly safe, but I kept my bone knife on me anyways, just in case.

    The sight of the trees only stunned me for a few moments, as I continued jogging towards the forest while following the path. The trees were tall, and I could recognize some of them by the trunks, as their wood was used in the interior of the inn. But for the most part, it was a sea of green, with odd patches of blue, red and even yellow standing out in isolated pockets.

    I could hear the wildlife, chirping birds fluttering overhead and the squeaking of chipmunks or some other rodent scurrying around. The path was cleaner than I expected, ostensibly cleared out by the city or other workers. Further in, I could see the path abruptly become partially covered, taken over by vines and shrubs, ankle-high grass and bushes getting in the way.

    I checked the task once more, noting the likely locations where the berries I needed could be picked. One location was next to the patch of yellow trees I noticed from the forest¡¯s edge. Slowly making my way there, I kept my knife out in my left hand, while balancing the basket in the crook of my left elbow. I kept my right hand free to pick the berries, which I could see already, their lime green color almost blending in perfectly with the half-green, half-yellow bush they hung from.

    It only took me about fifteen minutes to pick all the berries, as there must have been nearly a thousand on that bush alone. I picked them individually, as the task stated that the stems were unneeded, but it was still an easy, if slightly monotonous task. I picked a few more, overcounting by fifty just as a margin for error. Better to overperform than underperform, especially on the first day.

    I was spooked when I noticed a couple of bushes shaking and rustling, and the sounds of twigs or branches snapping, and I turned around in circles, the basket on the ground, my knife at the ready. I had no idea how to use it besides the obvious advice of ¡®stick ¡®em with the pointy end¡¯, but if it came down to it, I would attack once then run. My last experience with combat wasn¡¯t exactly a confidence booster.

    I kept rotating for a few minutes, keeping my eyes and ears open, and nothing happened. Well, it made sense. I was still near the edge of the forest. I could even see the path from where I was. The worker at the Society building even told me that the outer ring of the forest was almost always ¨C

    A beast showed up just then.

    Safe. Shit.

    It was a deer. An injured deer, with blood and wounds marring its¡­green hide. An injured deer with green antlers. That was limping towards the bush I was picking berries from, just a minute earlier. It definitely noticed me, as it stared straight into my eyes, its electric blue eyes meeting my plain brown ones. Then it continued to the bush and started eating berries, one by one.

    I was tempted to try and tame it, as it seemed¡­not harmless, but preoccupied. It clearly didn¡¯t see me as a threat, which was rather astute of it. Whatever caused its wounds were either too far away or already killed by it. And nothing else was in the vicinity, according to my admittedly limited senses.

    Shit, just go for it. Worst case scenario, I die violently. And it¡¯s not like it would be the first time that happened, right?

    I whispered the nonsense words once more, gathered my essence, and launched it at the deer, still munching on the berries. There was no tiny connection I needed to hold open this time. Instead, the connection just formed. Just like that, no resistance at all. And suddenly I could feel another tamer link with this beast in front of me. When my essence came in contact with it, it bowed to me once, lowering its head nearly to the ground, then continued to munch on the berries.

    I sighed, wiping the sweat off my brow. Cool. I was honestly expecting something freaky to happen again. Glad to know it doesn¡¯t happen every ¨C

    ¡°Graah! GraahgragragrahGRAHH!¡±

    A fucking vorander showed up. Only it wasn¡¯t goblin shaped. It took the shape of a black-furred werewolf, standing eight feet tall on its hind legs, and blood dripping from its mouth and claws. What the fuck! Where did it come from? Shit, the knife!

    I raised my knife, ready to defend myself, and I saw it run on all fours towards me, the deer turning around to see its assailant once more. It was too fast, and it was heading for my left side, leaping off the ground, mouth open and slavering to bite at my neck or face.

    I panicked.

    I jumped backwards a few feet, and the deer kicked at it, catching it on the side and making it trip. My poorly planned retreat caused me to stumble on a bush and drop my knife, just a few inches from the vorander¡¯s mouth, and it scrabbled on the ground to reach me.

    I panicked even more.

    I screamed and launched my essence at it. I wasn¡¯t even thinking clearly. I didn¡¯t chant or gather my essence properly. I just wanted it to stop, and blindly reacted.

    And the monster stopped.

    Its eyes were wide open, black pools of death looking at me. Its mouth was still leaking saliva and blood, a disgusting stench wafting off of it. Then it got into a familiar position, kneeling on one knee, its head lowered in supplication.

    And I felt a link form for the second time that day.

    I was breathing hard, my chest rising and lowering rapidly, my lungs heaving for breath again and again. The adrenaline was making my head throb, I couldn¡¯t focus on anything, my heart was beating too fast, I could feel every nick and scratch I had gotten¨C

    And then it all went away.

    The deer was looking at me, its eyes locked onto mine. Its antlers were dimly glowing, and I could feel its essence affecting me. Not healing me, but more along the lines of temporarily reducing the pain of the tiny scrapes and cuts I had gotten.

    Magic. It had to be.

    And that one second of eye contact rejuvenated me. I wasn¡¯t healed fully, but my breathing was normal, and my mental state returned to what I was considering normal. I wasn¡¯t panicking or in fear. I breathed deeply, trying to exert some measure of control over both my body and mind.

    A sensation that would not last too long.

    I had once again tamed a vorander, and just like last time, I wasn¡¯t trying to. I wasn¡¯t thinking when I did it. I hoped it would do something.

    And it did.

    The vorander was kneeling in front of me, while the deer ignored it and kept munching on the berries. And the wounds on the deer¡¯s body were slowly healing. The bleeding had stopped, and the wounds themselves were slowly getting smaller.

    It¡¯s eating the berries, and using it to heal itself? And so quickly at that?

    ¡­¡­..Can I do that?

    Now, I wasn¡¯t in the business of eating unknown, untested berries, but it seemed a shame not to try. After wrestling with the dilemma for a bit, I settled on a middle ground: I would save a few berries for later, seeing if anyone could tell me the effects of consuming them before I did so.

    I didn¡¯t have a separate container for the berries. And I didn¡¯t want to risk them getting crushed in my rucksack or my pockets.

    I looked at the vorander and the deer, remembering a mysterious aspect of using the taming spell. I dismissed the vorander by closing the link connecting us and it disappeared, most likely going to the same place my first tamed vorander was at. I then dismissed the deer using the same method¡­and it also disappeared.

    I could feel its confusion, but otherwise, it seemed okay. The only feelings I could detect from the voranders were fear and obedience. They were afraid, and they would obey me, but they weren¡¯t obeying me out of fear, however contradictory that sounded.

    I attempted something I had only tried once before with Bully. I tried to ask the deer magically, or mentally, or telepathically, if it was in the same place as the voranders. My eyebrows jumped up as I received a feeling of confirmation. It saw two vicious monsters, one of which attacked it. The animosity was somehow gone between both parties, however.

    Probably due to my taming them. Now that I have a somewhat reliable form of communication, let me see if I can¡­.

    I recalled the deer, opening up the connection, and it appeared in front of me once more, then started munching on the berries again. I thought this guy could sustain himself on my essence. Ah well, he¡¯s probably just eating to heal himself. Now, let me put my theory to the test.

    I placed my rucksack on the deer¡¯s antlers, so it was hanging from them. ¡°Don¡¯t drop it, okay?¡± I asked him, seeing if it would respond to verbal prompts in addition to the magical one. The deer nodded once then snorted, and continued to eat the berries. I dismissed the deer again, and the rucksack was gone along with it.

    Wait, don¡¯t get too excited yet. Confirm that it worked first.

    I asked the deer over our connection whether the bag was still on its head, and it replied affirmatively.

    Hell yeah! I have an inventory, bitches! Oh yeah!

    ¡°WHOOOO! Oh yeah, uh huh, yeah yeah, yes yes yes, uh, how you like me now!¡± I celebrated by whooping and break dancing badly, fist-pumping and screaming. Then I remembered where I was. In the middle of a forest that had already proved itself unpredictable. Yeah, time for me to skedaddle on out of here.

    I grabbed the basket full of berries, and since I was still unsure how many were left after the whole incident, I picked a lot more and just put them in. Then I summoned the deer again to retrieve my pack, before I dismissed him again, receiving a pout and an aggressive snort in return. I had to return to the city and complete my other task, but I also had to tell someone about the vorander that came from the forest in broad daylight. Once again, I had more questions and no answers.

    Basically par for the course at this point.

 Chapter 11

    The journey back to the city was uneventful. I kept the deer in what I was referring to as my ¡®beast space¡¯. I wasn¡¯t seen leaving the city with a tamed beast, and it¡¯d put me in an awkward position if I came back with one so soon after I left. The beast space wasn¡¯t a feature of the taming spell, and if I was seen banishing and summoning my tamed beasts at will, I had a feeling I¡¯d be locked up in a lab somewhere and tortured, or maybe just dissected, so people could figure out how to exploit or obtain that ability.

    I waited in line to enter the city, the guards just watching the waves of people coming and going. I needed to turn in the berries and complete my task, but I also needed to report to someone about the vorander that showed up in the forest.

    I decided it was better to turn in the berries first; maybe they needed to be used while still relatively fresh? I power-walked down the main road, entering the Society building. It seemed that the morning rush was almost over, as most people were either at the task board or the counter. I tried to avoid the little scuffles going on between a few stragglers, then waited in line for the counter.

    Finally, I reached the counter and turned in the basket of berries and the piece of paper with the task information. The worker recognized the basket, and said he had to reclaim it and verify the contents before marking the task as complete.

    I nodded in understanding, and he went to a side room taking the basket and task paper with him. I stood to the side so other people could do their business. After a few minutes, he came back and verified everything was correct. Then he handed me the reward, three squares, and said I could use the basket the next time I took another collection task.

    Now for the awkward part.

    I then told him how I saw a vorander in the forest while I was doing the task. The shock on his face as I said the word vorander was almost¡­comical. I might have laughed if I didn¡¯t think I was gonna die a short while ago. He brought me behind the counter and told me to tell him what happened, leaving nothing out.

    Now, obviously, I couldn¡¯t tell the whole truth. I omitted the parts about me taming it and the deer accidentally. Instead, I said the vorander came out of nowhere and the deer killed it before running off, and that I froze before running off after it died. I didn¡¯t leave out anything else. I told him where I saw it, roughly what time it was, and what it looked like. Anything I thought could be relevant.

    He told me that normally, dangerous tasks pay better than safe ones, but the vorander showing up was a rare occurrence, and so I wouldn¡¯t be compensated, as the poster had no idea of knowing beforehand. He¡¯d report it to the guards who would investigate soon and said the guards might look for me if they had additional questions. And just like that, barring any questioning from the guards, the incident was over.

    I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s it. I thought it would be a bigger deal, a vorander appearing extremely close to a city. But after ages of dealing with them, the locals probably had procedures in place to handle these types of situations.

    So, I had done what I needed to do. Now I had some time before I needed to go to the restaurant where I¡¯d be working in the afternoon and evening. I didn¡¯t smell bad enough to warrant taking another bath, so I just decided to check out the location of the restaurant. Better to spend some time now getting familiar with the route there, than arriving late cause I got lost.

    On the way there, while I checked the location of the restaurant on the task sheet, I figured I could afford better, less Earth-like clothes, now that I had some confidence in my ability to earn regular money. Right now when people saw me, they saw a slightly overweight guy covered in a black robe in what was probably mid-summer. Granted, other people were wearing robes, but they usually had theirs open, showing whatever clothes they wore underneath.

    So I headed to a tailor recommended by Ennin. It was on a side road, away from the west gate and the area of the city with the bathhouse and inns. This seemed like a mercantile district, offering goods of all kinds. The smell of various spices hit me as I passed by the open door of one shop. A group of ladies were seated outside a bakery, chattering away while eating pastries and sipping tea. I heard the clang of metal on metal, as I walked past an actual blacksmith, a store full of weapons and armor attached to what I assumed was his forge.

    For now, clothes were the priority, despite the childish part of me that wanted to look at every single storefront. I noticed the tailor shop Ennin mentioned was empty of customers, which didn¡¯t bode well for the shop¡¯s wares. I went in anyways, if not to buy anything, then to at least check the prices, when I noticed that there were no readymade clothes available. Anywhere. There were just rolls of different materials in myriad colors.

    There were samples of the styles of clothing that could be made, but they were images. Magic photographs of various styles and colors on a collection of clothes rotated on the store¡¯s walls like some kind of slideshow.

    A worker came out and after I inquired how long it would take, he informed me that fitting for a set of clothes could take up to two hours, and the clothes themselves wouldn¡¯t be ready for two or three days.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    I probably didn¡¯t have two hours, so it seemed like getting new clothes would have to wait a bit. I bid farewell to the employee, then made my way to the restaurant where I¡¯d be working.

    The scut work at the restaurant was simple but boring. Peeling vegetables, cleaning tables and chairs, taking the trash, which they held in cloth bags, to a nearby public incinerator, which was officially supposed to be powered by a team of fire mages, but in reality, everything ran off of an essence stone. The owner was nice enough to give us a dinner break around sunset, so that helped. Also, I didn¡¯t have to do any actual service work, like interacting with diners, so there were a few silver linings.

    At the end of the night, I got my requisite signature from the owner, marking my task as complete and satisfactory. I wondered if the Society was even open at this hour, and decided to check just in case. To my alarm, it was open, if understaffed. I turned in the task and received my reward, six squares. I was too tired to worry about whether the job was worth it or not, and just made my way to my inn, where I collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep in minutes.

    I developed a routine that I stuck to over the course of the week: wake up before sunrise so I wouldn¡¯t be mobbed by workmen in the morning melee fighting over tasks, take a bath, do as many tasks as I could in a day within reason, then collapse in bed. I got my meals when I could, and I found out that having essence in my body minimized the amount of food I needed to function properly.

    I could lift heavy boxes all day and be sweating and panting, but not be hungry in the slightest. It was a blessing and a curse. Just one more thing I would need to adjust to, in this new world.

    On the weekend, when I woke up, I did my meditative breathing exercise which improved my essence. I believed essence was stored in the body somewhere, and doing the breathing exercise enhanced some aspect of it. Maybe my total capacity was increasing, or maybe the rate at which I could regenerate essence after expending it (on spells) was going up. In any case, I felt that the exercise was improving me in some fashion, so I kept at it.

    ========================================================================

    Finally, the day I was looking forward to arrived.

    I stood in front of the Workman¡¯s Society building, showing up only after the morning melee was over. I was taking a break from working today, having netted a decent sum over the past few days, and in need of some mental relaxation. On the door of the Society building was a notice stuck to it that said, ¡®For details regarding enrollment to the Academy, inquire inside with a worker.¡¯

    There were less people inside than I would have thought. The morning melee was over, explaining the low number of workers, but surely some other civilians would be eager to join the academy, no? Knowledge is power, and all that?

    Evidently, there was a good reason for the low number of people interested in enrolling. I asked one of the workers about the academy enrollment, and he gave me a slip of paper half the size of task sheets, each side just under half a meter.

    In a style of calligraphy that seemed overly formal to me, the details about enrolling for the academy were written neatly. And while the brushwork was aesthetically pleasing, the contents it revealed were¡­less so.

    At least the accepted age range for applicants was somewhat logical, fourteen to nineteen.

    But the affinity test, which determined what magical affinities one had, cost three triangles?

    Registration for new students cost two triangles?!

    Room and board was five triangles, and food and drink cost seven triangles!

    And tuition fees for every year cost eight circles for commoners! And for every tier of nobility, the price increased by one circle.

    There was a postscript under the section detailing fees that said commoners could accept sponsorship from nobles. So what, nobles paid the fees for commoners, and the commoners after graduating repaid that debt by¡­working for the nobles? Yeah, no. I had thankfully managed to escape the quagmire of student loans in my world, and I wasn¡¯t gonna actively endorse that here. Though I could see how the locals might accept those terms, if there were no other options.

    At the bottom of the paper was the time and place where the registration for new students would take place: the city center, in the first week of spring. Which was ten months from now.

    Well, at least I had enough time to raise the funds. Hopefully.

    I was standing as still as a statue in the Society building, shocked by the cost of everything. And I noted that, while the cost of the things listed were exorbitantly high, at least from my perspective, there were also likely to be things that I needed which were not listed. Equipment. Clothing. Supplies. All things that I would need to account for.

    Totalling everything up, and adding a generous amount as a safety net, the amount I needed that I considered safe was¡­fifteen, maybe sixteen circles. Of which I had three.

    So I needed to earn thirteen circles in ten months. The pessimistic side of me did the math and converted that to 8,320 squares. In just ten months. Averaging eight hundred squares a month, or twenty every single day?

    Was that even possible?

    It was a good thing I had already bought some of the things I needed: clothes, boots, a pencil and notebooks (quills were too expensive), even my own personal basket for collection tasks. Taking into account my already minimal expenses, I wouldn¡¯t be able to spend much on other luxuries. In fact, I vowed not to spend more than was absolutely necessary.

    My plans to take the day off collapsed in the face of this new information, and I needed as much money as I could get. The morning melee was over, which meant all the good tasks were taken. Sighing out loud, I checked the task board anyways, seeing if there was anything left I could do.

    To my surprise, there was.

    And while I was now desperate for money, I didn¡¯t know how it would be perceived that I had taken the lone task that nobody else wanted to do.

    I grabbed the task sheet off the board and headed to the counter. I placed the sheet on the counter and asked one of the workers if there was anything I needed to know about it. She looked at the task, then looked at me, her eyes wide as she went back and forth multiple times.

    ¡°You¡¯re really going to do this?¡± she asked incredulously.

    ¡°Sigh, I need the money.¡± I responded.

    ¡°But, do you really need it that much? You¡¯re willing to do this? I mean, the poster has been waiting for someone to accept the task for a while now, even though they¡¯re increased the reward multiple times, but, well, there¡¯s a reason nobody has taken it. Can you¡­handle it?¡± Her voice was full of concern, and disbelief.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really have a choice. It pays well, right?¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes, it pays well. But there¡¯s always a chance something could go wrong! It might affect you for the rest of your life! And you¡¯re certain you have to do this?¡± I just nodded. ¡°I hate that I¡¯m saying this, but it¡¯s official policy, and I have to. The Society will not be held responsible for any negative effects resulting from performing this task. Just, take care of yourself, alright?¡± she finished.

    I took the task sheet back from her hands, and made my way to my next job:

    Acting as a test subject for experimental, untested potions and concoctions.

 Chapter 12

    Being a glorified lab rat wasn¡¯t all that bad, in hindsight. The healer who posted the task was polite and respectful, albeit somewhat.¡­passionate, over the course of the day.

    I did wonder how healthcare worked here. There were no clerics or priests who channeled divine magic to heal lost limbs or anything like that, despite the repeated insistence of RPG¡¯s and fantasy novels. People mostly just went to healers, who were a combination of modern doctors utilizing surgical procedures, and medieval apothecaries that used herbs and other natural substances. Some healers utilized different branches of magic to help in their duties, but they were more costly than the so-called ¡®mundane¡¯ or non-magical healers.

    Healers, pharmacists, and doctors all referred to the same person or profession, but most people just stuck to calling them healers for simplicity.

    The healer who posted the task looked somewhat older, maybe in his sixties with a short white goatee and liver spots on his hands and head. At first, he needed a subject for testing a variety of herbal pastes. I got cut with a small blade multiple times on my left arm (I insisted on my non-dominant arm) and he applied several poultices to each cut, seeing which one was most effective and how long it took to see the best effects.

    While that was going on in the background, he asked for a cup of my urine to determine¡­something. I was pretty creeped out, but I tried to be as professional as possible, keeping my mind on the reward I¡¯d receive after this.

    The healer, who went by Vulec, pumped me so full of liquids, I was full to bursting within an hour. He went on and on about the importance of the kidneys and how their internal makeup was a fascinating something or other. I tuned him out after he dunked a cup into the ¡®chamber pot¡¯ I had just pissed in and came back with it full.

    Maybe it was because I was a first-timer, or he genuinely had no other experiments, but for the rest of the day I wasn¡¯t needed for any more testing. I basically just worked as his assistant, doing menial jobs; grinding herbs with a stone mortar and pestle, organizing his notes, and cleaning surfaces with some kind of chemical solution similar to bleach.

    Eventually, the day ended, and he signed the task sheet, after he had thoroughly cleaned his hands, at my insistence. I got out of there, eager to get my pay, and practically sprinted towards the Society building. I turned in the task to the same woman who talked to me about it in the morning. She was shocked that I came back in one piece. I didn¡¯t know if her disbelief was due to me or the reputation of the healer.

    Either way, I got my well-deserved reward: Forty squares. A full triangle for a day¡¯s work of weird medical testing. I honestly didn¡¯t know if it was worth it or not, or whether I should do it again, as Vulec had made it clear that he and his colleagues would post tasks looking for volunteers frequently.

    I had gotten off easy this time. But the workers told horror stories of people becoming disabled, losing limbs or being unable to eat, as a result of ¡®assisting¡¯ in experiments. As much as I needed the money, there were some lines I couldn¡¯t cross. I couldn¡¯t trade in my well-being for stacks of money. That path led to a slow, wasting death, unable to even die of your own will.

    I had to temper my greed with common sense, or I would go the way of the dodo.

    Well, overall today was a success. I had earned two day¡¯s wages in a few hours, and there were still plenty of hours left in the day. I headed to the task board to see what else I could do.

    ========================================================================

    Before I was unknowingly sent to this world indirectly by a bald psychopath and his entitled girlfriend, I had heard people rant endlessly about the negative aspects of office work. Oh, you could get sued for harassment at a moment¡¯s notice even if you¡¯re not at fault, they said. Your boss can make you work overtime and not pay you for it. Wages were low for the rank and file, but obscenely high for the executives. You could get fired for something you said twenty years ago.

    Except for maybe that last one, I could now commiserate with all of those statements.

    I worked my ass off in the months leading up to springtime and the academy enrollment, and I came across nearly every terrible workplace situation possible. I picked nearly a thousand berries in the dead of night and didn¡¯t get paid for them, as the poster claimed they had already lost their efficacy by the time I delivered them, despite the task sheet requiring them to be picked within a certain time frame. A team of mercenaries almost beat me up when the beast they were hunting dropped dead right in front of me from one of their arrows while I was searching for herbs in the forest. A noble woman accused me of indecently touching her while I was working on her husband¡¯s estate, moving furniture.

    That one pissed me off, and I almost lost my cool, but thankfully her husband was nicer than a certain bald neanderthal, and he said not to worry about it, as she was just acting out. He even paid me a couple squares (off the books, of course) to forget about it.

    In every situation where I could conceivably lose my pay, the Workman¡¯s Society stepped in for me after I reported the circumstances. Seeing as I didn¡¯t do anything in the first place, the accused parties all paid out of pocket for their misconduct.

    And by the first week of winter, I had in my possession a grand total of twelve circles.

    I did break my vow of not spending money on anything besides the inn, food and drink, and frequent baths. I bought ten sets of clothes, one for each day of the week and two backups.

    Each outfit consisted of a shirt, pants, and underwear that looked like a smaller version of a Scottish kilt, but without the traditional colors and pattern. They were all muted colors, and nothing was purple, which I learned from the tailor was a color that was reserved for royalty to wear.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Culture lesson aside, I was closer to my goal of sixteen circles by the beginning of spring, and I had found a few lucrative jobs to help me bridge the gap.

    The first one was basically being a training dummy, and practice partner. The city guards were always looking for both new recruits, and the best methods of training them for genuine battle conditions. So my role in that process was to get pummeled by the veterans, so they would know the limits of how forceful they could be, then get sent to the healers on site, who had to fix the recruits up in as short a time as possible. The job was painful, but the healers were well-trained, and used a combination of magic and herbalism to heal me up, reducing the pain swiftly.

    The next job was acting as a quasi-caretaker of the city cemetery. Nobody wanted to do that job either, though I was never told the reason why, nor was there an obvious reason. The job consisted of taking care of the grounds, watering the grass, cleaning headstones if they were present, and the two parts of the job I disliked: digging actual graves and incinerating bodies for cremation.

    Apparently mages could do everything faster and more efficiently, but it seemed that no self-respecting mage would debase themselves by doing such a job.

    The worst part was the actual cremation, when the family of the deceased would show up with a body, and it was placed in the magically-powered incineration chamber. The bawling and endless tears shook me the first few times, but I eventually got callous enough that at some point, it just became a minor annoyance.

    The last job was utilizing my taming spell to capture animals in the forest and sell them at pet stores. I was only willing to face weaker animals, to not risk injuring myself and being unable to work later, but the pay was still good.

    This was definitely the job that gave me pause, as actually breaking a tamer bond was something I had never done, before I was shown how to. After the first time presenting the beast I had tamed, the pet shop¡¯s owner told me the process of how to do it.

    That feeling of snapping was different from what I felt when Bully died, the slow fade into oblivion. After the bond was broken, another tamer, or worker in this case, would immediately tame it, as the bond breaking was disorienting for both tamer and beast, leaving no chance for the beast to resist.

    The tasks paid enough that I could move past my personal feelings on it, but it was still food for thought. And it tasted¡­slimy.

    The pet store was also where I got a lecture on the proper terminology regarding taming, which I confirmed never came with a separate space to store them, gaining me odd looks that day. My background as a ¡®villager¡¯ was revealed to the workers after I continued to ask rudimentary questions, and they were nice enough, if a bit condescending, while explaining things to me.

    Animals were the basest of lifeforms with low intelligence and no ability to utilize essence. Creatures were one step above animals in the hierarchy, using the environmental essence to strengthen their bodies, but were still incapable of performing actual magic. Beasts were the top of the totem pole, showing intelligence that could range from that of a toddler to an adult human. Their bodies were intentionally enhanced with essence, and they were capable of using essence to create their own magic spells, like the deer that ¡®healed¡¯ me.

    There was one term, however, that only applied to one type of entity. And using it in any other context was considered an insult, as the two were basically synonymous with each other.

    The term ¡®monster¡¯ could only refer to voranders. If you called anything else a monster, and people heard you or knew about it, it was considered a taboo. Even people who got into the most heated of arguments where words turned into blows never slandered each other as ¡®monsters¡¯, maintaining that last shred of civility.

    Supposedly, according to the friend of a cousin of the pet store owner¡¯s sister¡¯s tutor, the last person to call someone else a monster died over a hundred years ago. The cause of death?

    A goddamn vorander attack on the entire town. Apparently, willingly calling someone else a monster was considered a malicious enough act that it drew in voranders like moths to a flame.

    The pet store workers also said that taming spells were categorized in the branch of nature affinity magic, so it was near certain that I had nature affinity. I still didn¡¯t know what that meant specifically, but it wouldn¡¯t be relevant until I joined the academy, that is, if I managed to scrounge up enough coins.

    ========================================================================

    The guards never approached me about my encounter with the werewolf-looking vorander in the forest, but I heard through Ennin that they had found a vorander spawning ground somewhere in the center of the forest and burned it down, without harming the rest of the forest. Apparently that was the only way they could ensure no more monsters showed up from there ever again.

    It did seem to be true, as I had never seen another one in the forest or anywhere else closeby after that day. I went into the forest frequently while doing tasks and performing various jobs, so I had firsthand experience.

    I even thought about taming some of the wildlife just so I could have them on hand, as it were, in case I ran into any emergencies. But then I would get hit with thoughts of Bully dying, and I hesitated.

    If I wanted to be a tamer that commanded wildlife, then I would need to become the type of person I always disliked: unfeeling, cold-blooded, callous, disregarding life, placing no importance on subordinates, and ruthless. Well, just because I already had some of those traits didn¡¯t mean I wanted to fully commit to living like that. I doubted I could just become that type of person overnight, and if I half-assed it, I would probably be wracked with pain and guilt, emotional trauma and doubt eating away at me.

    Then there was the secondary problem. Supposing I did tame a bunch of critters and kept them in my beast space, if I ever used them, I couldn¡¯t be anywhere near other people. Anyone who saw me summon a bunch of animals and beasts out of nowhere would become very suspicious of me, and it would probably take me down a road where I ended up crucified; either ostracized and exiled from civilization, or just straight up killed out of fear I was connected somehow to the voranders.

    And then came the tertiary problem. If, hypothetically, I was forced into a corner and had to unleash my stored beasts, and somebody or many somebodies saw me, I would probably end up having to kill them. As they would, referencing problem two, be either suspicious of me, afraid of me, or willing to kill me. none of which would bode well for me.

    Which brought me full circle to problem one: doing any of those actions, which I would be the principal cause of, required me to have a heart of stone and ice. Cold-blooded in the most vicious way imaginable. And even if I thought it was possible for me to do that, I had enough self-awareness to know that I couldn¡¯t live with the consequences.

    I considered myself a fairly normal and sane person. Well, as normal and sane as the circumstances allowed me to be.

    Sure, I could ignore the wailing of widows when I was working at the cemetery. I could be apathetic to the suffering of people half a world away. I could even, after some mental gymnastics, convince myself that taming young animals and selling them wasn¡¯t trafficking endangered species, as there were plenty of beings of a multitude of species that I had seen in the forest.

    Those were all actions that people in my old world had done, and while they may not have been completely moral, they didn¡¯t bother my conscience so much that I couldn¡¯t go on.

    But, intentionally turning myself into some kind of unflinching, power-hungry, dominator just didn¡¯t sit right with me. I would be basically be turning myself into that fucking bald asshole. An ambitious, greedy, shitbag who did whatever he wanted, uncaring of the consequences. That was something I knew I couldn¡¯t live with.

    So I breathed deeply, calming myself down, and put aside my ethical conundrum, focusing on the goal of gathering the fees for the academy.

    In any case, putting aside my shelved plans to rule the world with an unending army of beasts, I didn¡¯t know how many beasts could even fit in my beast space. At the moment I only had three: the green deer and two voranders. I couldn¡¯t enter the space myself, despite repeated attempts, and I couldn¡¯t get an estimate of how big it was, so it ultimately ended up as another question with no answer.

 Chapter 13

    I dropped by Ennin¡¯s house a few times when I found myself free or unable to work. Her family¡¯s house was modest but comfortable. Gillen was young enough that his mother, Evelyn, taught him the fundamentals, until he reached the age where he needed tutors or schooling. Apparently, the academy wasn¡¯t the only educational institution.

    There were schools for commoners that taught the basics of reading, writing, mathematics, literature and history. The schools were considerably cheaper than the academy, and located in various cities and towns, Khobadaar being one of them. Evelyn told me about everything over a cup of tea the first time I dropped by, and also revealed that she planned to send him to the local school when he turned five.

    Gillen was the same chatterbox I remembered, monologuing better than any teacher ever could, even when the subject was something he only tangentially knew about. He was curious about how far I had progressed as a workman. So, at his insistence and pleading, we compared our Society cards, and the tiers on the back.

    I still had 8¡¯s on most of them, but in the laborer and gathering categories, I had reached tier 6, and in the essence category, I had reached tier 7. The taming jobs fell under the essence category, which was why it rose by one. I was a little surprised that Gillen¡¯s card had a 7 in the laborer category just from working at the inn. He said he was learning a lot when he worked, but he forgot a lot too, so it all evened out, making me chuckle when he explained it to me.

    Ennin worked most days at the Workman¡¯s Society, and she was already saving up for a place of her own. There was nothing like the ¡®out at eighteen¡¯ custom that my world had, but apparently she had her eye on a certain property, and the cost was astronomical, at least for a commoner.

    She and her mother were overly polite with each other while I was over, but that came to an end when I presented my official greeting gifts: sweets and pastries from a tier 3 bakery. That was when proper etiquette turned to verbal jabs and barbs between the mother-daughter pair, and ended in fork fencing matches above the sweets, Gillen and his father cheering them on. I regretted inadvertently causing what looked like a semi-regular recurring conflict, but a small part of me was glad that they felt comfortable enough around me to show me their normal selves.

    I also finally met GIllen and Ennin¡¯s father, Ganturo. He usually took hunting and combat jobs, as he was a certified tier-two combatant. He even showed me his Society card, and the little 2 next to the sword was inspiring. He was all too eager to regale me with stories of his battles, until Gillen spilled the beans about my supposedly being from a village.

    Then Gan, as he insisted on being called, bombarded me with questions about the living conditions there, and how I was adjusting to city life. I was reminded that his older brother had settled down in a village a few years ago, after being injured on a job. Gan was familiar with the pros and cons of village life, having visited his brother¡¯s village house, and I did my best to pretend like I just wanted to put my ¡®pitiful¡¯ past behind me, dodging as many questions as I could.

    The adults were shocked when I told them about my plan to enroll in the academy. Evelyn had heard plenty of unsavory rumors about how commoners were treated, and Gillen seconded his wife¡¯s opinions, citing multiple ¡®accidents¡¯ he had seen between two students on the academy¡¯s training grounds. That was when I learned he sometimes instructed students there when there were no other jobs available.

    I was put off by what I heard, but I was still resolute in my goal of enrolling. They wished me luck with strained smiles on their faces whenever I mentioned it.

    Visiting their house managed to insert some semblance of socializing into the slog of work that my life had recently become. I never really made friends with other people while I was working.

    The guards who bashed me with their weapons and the healers who fixed me up were too preoccupied with their duties to even attempt befriending me. The pet store employees were friendly enough, but my mind was tempestuous when I was at that store, handing over animals to be sold.

    And I counted myself fortunate that I never befriended the city lord, who was the owner of the cemetery and the highest ranking noble in the city. Befriending him, or even attempting to, would probably see me fined or jailed for audacity or shamelessness, or socially leeching off him.

    I was never lonely in my quest to get money, surrounded as I was by coworkers and beasts, but I felt alone. And dispelling that feeling, even if it cost me an hour or two, despite my tight budget, was priceless.

    ========================================================================

    My first winter here was less brutal than I was used to. I had been expecting endless snowfall, or maybe an endless downpour of freezing rain, but I was wrong on both counts. Winter almost felt like an extension of autumn, just with more wind and less sun. I couldn¡¯t tell if the days were getting shorter or not, but according to the timepieces, the difference would be insignificant if there even was one.

    They had sundials here. Sundials.

    Granted, the most accurate ones had a magical component to them, but the fact that sundials were a thing here floored me. I was excited for a minute, until I stopped and thought about it.

    I knew that despite something from my world showing up here, it didn¡¯t mean someone else from Earth had been here before me. It was possible for the same idea to occur to different people. Didn¡¯t Newton and Leibniz both discover calculus around the same time?

    So while the temptation to believe someone else from Earth had been here was strong, I looked at the evidence and decided¡­I was better off not knowing. I could tell that if I went down that theoretical rabbit hole chasing the truth, I probably wouldn¡¯t find any answers. And even if I did, it wouldn¡¯t change anything about my situation.

    So, in a maddeningly familiar mental action, I put the issue aside and looked for more tasks to do.

    Only, the availability of tasks dried up. The usual slugfest that occurred every morning in the Workman¡¯s Society was nowhere to be found, as winter reared its cold and windy head. According to the Society workers, winter was the least busy time for them, as most things just¡­.got done.

    People finished up what they needed to do earlier in the year, and barring any emergencies or unexpected situations, anything that needed to be handled was taken care of without external help, e.g. me and the other workmen. I didn¡¯t know if this was something unique to Khobadaar or not, but I didn¡¯t like it. How can you just not have any work that needs doing?

    And while the people here may have been used to it, I wasn¡¯t. I needed something to do to earn money for the academy fees. And with no tasks being posted, I was short on money-making opportunities. Even my three standbys were less active than usual.

    The guards were consolidating a training regimen for the recruits, as were their healers. The cemetery saw less activity than usual, as people didn¡¯t travel much or go out at all due to winter¡¯s arrival, leading to less deaths. And while the pet store was always on the prowl for marketable animals and creatures, the beings in question were hidden away, maybe hibernating, or migrating.

    All of which put a damper on my plans to get the coins I needed.

    In desperation, I asked Ennin whether there were any tasks that needed to be done. ¡°Are you absolutely sure there¡¯s nothing left?¡±

    She looked up at me from her seat behind the counter in the Society building, shaking her head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing, Rhaaj. I know you need the coin, but there really is nothing. Unless¡­you want to assist the healers again?¡± She asked.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°No thanks, I learned my lesson the last time.¡± I snorted and vehemently shook my head.

    ¡°Then there¡¯s really nothing I can do. Unless¡­just how desperate are you?¡± She asked me leadingly.

    ¡°Why? Wait¡­are you telling me that there is actually something worse than being cut up for money?¡± I asked her, surprise evident in my tone.

    ¡°That depends on your definition of worse. There¡¯s plenty of old and widowed people that are willing to pay for, ahem, how do I say this politely ...companionship.¡± She said, wiggling her eyebrows, a slight smile on her face.

    ¡°You¡¯re joking. Aren¡¯t there, you know, places, for that kind of thing?¡± I hadn¡¯t seen any of those types of services being offered anywhere in the city, but I wasn¡¯t exactly looking, being a bit preoccupied with my mad scramble for cash.

    ¡°Maybe in tier two or tier one cities, but here? Here, things are a bit more¡­direct, shall we say. I¡¯ve heard whispers that the city lord is looking to set up an establishment like that, but until he does, we¡¯ve got to do things by ourselves. So, are you interested?¡± Ennin asked me, smiling all the time.

    I was desperate¡­but not that desperate. But it did pave the way for a different train of thought, which I asked about to Ennin.

    ¡°So, seeing as there aren¡¯t official tasks for that sort of thing, are there any other tasks in a similar category? Something for the desperate and money-chasers?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, ahh, driven as always, aren¡¯t you? Well, there is one task, but I¡¯m warning you now: no matter how you look at it, this is just as bad as helping out the healers. Maybe worse¡­¡­you¡¯re going to do it regardless of what I say it is, aren¡¯t you?¡± she said flatly, staring me down.

    ¡°No I¡¯m not! Well, maybe, but I was at least gonna hear you out first.¡± I defended myself, if somewhat lamely.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said, sighing and shaking her head in defeat. ¡°Well, the good news is it¡¯s an ongoing task, so you can do it every day, if you think you¡¯re able to. The bad news? The work is dangerous, as in deadly. I¡¯m not joking, Rhaaj. You seriously might die if you¡¯re not careful with this one. At least with the healers you¡¯re not far from them in case of an accident.¡± Her voice got more and more stern with each sentence, highlighting the importance of what she was saying.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Ennin. Just give it to me.¡± I said.

    She handed me a small slip of paper the size of my hand, as opposed to the full sheets of paper that the tasks were normally written on. I looked at the writing and was confused. How was this considered deadly? Sure it was disgusting, but what, would the smell kill me?

    ========================================================================

    I fell to the ground on my hands and knees, the handcart tilting back with its full weight. I didn¡¯t want to touch the ground more than necessary considering what was on it, but I needed a minute to catch my breath.

    The task on the slip of paper said that I would be doing maintenance and upkeep on the commoner¡¯s bathhouse.

    In reality, I was shoveling and transporting human waste from the bathhouse receptacle to the farm outside the city.

    It turned out that the magical white line that cleaned everything and everyone in the baths didn¡¯t eliminate the waste, it just pushed it downwards into a storage tank. And me and six other unfortunate souls had the privilege of moving all of it, bit by bit, into handcarts, and dragging those carts through magically created tunnels that ran beneath the city into the giant megafarm adjacent to the city¡¯s north wall.

    When I saw what the task was, I made preparations by dumping a cup of juice from the inn onto a rag and tying it around my face, covering my nose and mouth. I also bought a cheap pair of gloves and made sure to minimize the amount of open skin. Regardless of how I looked, I wanted to minimize my chances of infection as much as possible.

    Ennin wasn¡¯t kidding when she said the work would be dangerous. There was waste everywhere, making hygiene an impossible luxury, and the tunnels were crumbling in places, overdue for whatever magic needed to be done to re-harden and solidify them.  Moreover, the tunnel connecting the bathhouse and the farm was uneven ground, bumps and divots constantly getting in the way.

    But the real killer was the tunnel itself. Sometimes, someone would step on a bad patch of dirt, breaking their leg or ankle. If that happened, we would try to carry them either to the bathhouse or the farm, depending on which was closer, and let them wait for a healer. It was also possible to slip and fall, and land with the contents of the handcart falling on you. But the worst was when the walls collapsed out of nowhere.

    The guys and I were on our last run from the bathhouse to the farm, our carts full, save for the one guy who had gotten injured and was sitting it out, waiting for a healer to arrive. We were still mindful of the tunnel¡¯s conditions. But being mindful doesn¡¯t help much when a section of the wall collapses on you without warning.

    I was in the middle of the tunnel, and emerged relatively unscathed, just a few smaller pieces of rocks and dirt that fell on me. But two of our number were under the collapsed section. We tried to dig them out, scrabbling with our hands and shovels, but it was pointless.

    They died from the impact, or at least that¡¯s what it looked like. Their bodies were mangled, compared to what they looked like before. All of us sat there for a bit, the smell of shit and piss surrounding us, the smell of juice long gone and replaced by sweat and other smells.

    We finished the job, then left the bodies there. The bathhouse staff would move the bodies to the cemetery and inform the families of the deceased.

    I got my reward: one triangle. And it felt bitter to me. If there was a risk of death or danger, shouldn¡¯t the pay be better? Hell, two people died! If the task was known to be deadly, then why the fuck was the reward so low? Above the injustice I was feeling for myself, I felt equally bad for the guys who died and their families. They sure as shit died on unfair terms, and if anyone could attest to that, it would be me.

    It crossed my bottom line. And, despite my nature, a tiny flame of anger began growing on its own inside me, pushing me to take action.

    I wanted to punish the person responsible.

    I asked Ennin who owned the bathhouse, and why the task paid so little for what seemed to be something commonly known as dangerous. She said it was owned by the city lord, and it was a public service, hence the low prices. She also said that others had complained about the pay, but nothing ever happened as a result.

    I wouldn¡¯t, no, I couldn¡¯t let this go.

    I asked her if she knew how to get in touch with the city lord, or any nobles in general. She advised me against complaining, saying that it would bring me trouble if I did.

    In the end, she gave in, after hearing my argument for needing to see it through. She told me her tutor was a noblewoman, and she knew the address of her estate. She would write a letter of introduction, and the rest would be up to me.

    I met the noblewoman the very next day, after a good and thorough bathing session. Dressed as formally as possible, wanting to leave a good impression, I went to the estate of Countess Ryfellin, Ennin¡¯s introductory letter in a side pocket within my cloak.

    After being shown in by a servant, I came face to face with Ennin¡¯s tutor, the countess. She read the letter I presented her with amusement, then asked me what my business was with her.

    I told her everything that happened the previous day, including the deaths and my private thoughts on the matter, as well as a guess that I had. To show my sincerity and seriousness, I kneeled and saluted her the way I had seen the guards saluting the city lord, whenever he deigned to visit us with his presence. My anger outweighed any pride I might have had.

    She laughed at my attempt at etiquette, but took my words more seriously.

    ¡°You may stand, boy. Oh, fetch some tea for us, will you, Frieda dear?¡± The lady asked, her maidservant rushing off.

    I stood awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed. Thankfully, the tea arrived soon, and I was saved by the distraction. The countess was busy mixing her tea just so, and after taking a sip, she finally put me at ease.

    ¡°Now, boy, I don¡¯t doubt your¡­commitment¡­to this issue. But I am skeptical of your speculations, as you put it. It may very well be that you are correct, in which case, I must ask you. Why do you believe your unfounded claims are true? Asserting this theory of yours would make you an enemy of a noble, which, while not a crime, might see you shunned from more than a few social circles. Are you so sure of your own, as you¡¯ve admitted yourself, guesses, that you would commit to this course?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I am,¡± I replied instantly, without hesitation.

    There were a few consequences I cared about, but only one took priority.

    ¡°If I, or you, I suppose, pursue this, will it affect my joining the academy in any way?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°No, silly boy! Haha, the academy may be the playground for those noble brats, but the staff don¡¯t care a whit about politics, at most they make sure that no unexpected heirs pop up within their walls,¡± the countess replied.

    ¡°Then I don¡¯t care. Let the dice fall as they will. I doubt nobles are fighting over the chance to introduce themselves to a mere commoner,¡± I said, gesturing to myself. ¡°As long as the one responsible is punished, that¡¯s enough for me¡­my lady,¡± I said nervously.

    ¡°Oh, darling, you¡¯re in dire need of a tutor yourself, though I suppose that is the impetus for all this, isn¡¯t it?¡± She took another sip of her tea, savoring the flavor. It may have been bad manners for me not to drink as well, but I honestly didn¡¯t care. Then again, this woman was a potential ally in an uphill struggle I was endeavoring on. I blew on the tea, then took a small sip of it, tasting berries.

    ¡°It¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lady Ryfellin asked with a faint smile on her face at my expression.

    ¡°In any case, your theory does have some merit to it, so I can ensure that the city lord hears of it. But, you realize you are asking for a favor from a noble? Did that girl tell you nothing of her studies?¡± I heard her ask me.

    ¡°...Ennin? No, she only told me that getting involved with nobles would bring me trouble.¡± I said, unsure how Ennin suddenly became relevant.

    ¡°That girl, always boiling things down to their simplest,¡± the lady said, shaking her head. ¡°But, no matter. Let me give you a free lesson on noble conduct, then. Asking for a favor from me puts you in my debt, little one. Repaying this debt, well, it would be rather crude of me to do so now, but rest assured, I will collect on this debt in the future. I may need you to procure a magical item for me, or perhaps your knowledge or expertise will be useful in one of my businesses.¡±

    ¡°But this debt will be honored, little one. To the best of your ability when I call for you. Do you agree to these terms?¡± She asked me.

    I could hear the weight her words were meant to have, but honestly? This was one loan I was perfectly fine with. Doing the right thing now and making a connection with a noble lady? Perhaps a long and prosperous business relationship ensuing as a result?

    The countess Ryfellin may have been superior to me in etiquette, but at the end of the day, I would be profiting more than she would. And sure as shit, I¡¯d be profiting more than a certain noble bastard, if my suspicions were right.

    Only time would tell if I was proven right or a pariah.

 Chapter 14

    I was sitting in my room at the inn, blankly staring at the coins in my hand.

    Five circles. I was holding five circles as a result of my talk with the countess.

    Only a week had passed since we spoke, but that was apparently enough time for the countess to speak with the city lord, apprise him of the conditions of the bathhouse, and for the city lord to launch an audit and investigation into the bathhouse. Somehow, the man had been unaware of the state of such things.

    Sure enough, my guess was right. The tunnels were in such a dangerous and faulty state because they weren¡¯t magically repaired. And why were they not magically repaired?

    The noble in charge of the city¡¯s finances was embezzling from the budget. Apparently, he had been doing so from multiple city-funded projects, all of which were in various states of disrepair.

    And why did I guess that someone high-up had committed embezzlement? For two reasons. Firstly, because it was noticeable enough that people knew about it but reporting it to the authorities accomplished nothing or got them in legal trouble, which implied that someone with influence was involved. Secondly, well, it was a little embarrassing, but misuse of funds was a frequently used plot device in nearly all forms of media I had read or watched. As a result, I became a bit¡­zealous when the situation occurred in front of me in real life.

    Ennin¡¯s mother, Evelyn, had offhandedly mentioned the guilty noble to me once, though I had no idea who he was at the time; he was the philandering noble who had allegedly been¡­meeting¡­with over a hundred women. The guy was probably funding his lifestyle with the funds meant for public works projects, the selfish bastard.

    As a result of the investigation, that noble was dismissed, charged with malicious negligence and a litany of other minor crimes, and jailed, and now he was awaiting execution. His assets were seized and a portion was redistributed to the victims who suffered from his actions. The families of those who died working under the tunnels received a fair amount, as did anyone who worked or was injured while working there.

    Including me.

    Seeing as how I was the one who brought up the issue in the first place by reporting it to Countess Ryfellin, the city lord held a small ceremony for me, acknowledging my ¡®righteous spirit¡¯ and ¡®dedication to my fellow man¡¯. A few words in front of the populace, both nobles and commoners, and the ceremony was over.

    Afterwards, the city lord clapped my shoulder, telling me he appreciated the diligence I showed. He was more down to earth than I expected. He confessed he needed to dress up the language to put on a show for the people.

    He also told me that he was developing a better system to ensure nothing like this ever occurred again, and he hoped I maintained my noble character, handing me a small sack of coins. Then he and his entourage left before I could say anything, and I was standing there with more money than I thought I deserved.

    In reality, I just wanted the asshole responsible for the deaths to suffer. And I got what I wanted. I felt a surge of vindictive pleasure at the thought of the guilty party suffering the consequences of his actions.

    Countess Ryfellin even admitted after the ceremony that she and her husband received benefits from this whole incident as well, which I guess was an acceptable byproduct, as they helped facilitate events.

    But five circles? For reporting embezzlement? Not even, for accusing a noble of embezzling. My hunch turned out to be right, and exposed a misdeed, so I was rewarded. The logic made sense, but¡­something was just¡­off. I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it, no matter how much I thought about it, so I just shelved it again, deciding to write it down in my notebook of unanswered questions.

    As I sat there in my room at the inn, I stared at those five circles that represented my reward. More importantly, they represented something else.

    I now had enough money to pay for the academy, at least for the first year.

    I didn¡¯t know how many years people usually studied at the academy for, but if the costs for the subsequent years were similar, I¡¯d need to start saving up. Were there banks here? Something to look into. I¡¯d rather have my money securely deposited away than have to carry my full net worth in a leather pouch that jingled when I walked. And while I could use my beast space as a portable bank vault, I¡¯d rather check out if it was possible for my money to gain interest in a bank first.

    For now, I had accomplished my short-term goal. I could afford to relax for a few days. So I drifted off to sleep, lying on my bed with my shirt off despite the winter chill, content with my lot in life.

    ========================================================================

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    The next morning saw me bundled up in thicker clothing, bought expressly for the purpose of enduring the increasingly chilly winter winds. I sat on the ground floor of the inn, chewing on a particularly juicy piece of meat as I thought about my plans for the immediate future.

    I had enough money for the academy, but what I lacked was knowledge, and experience. I could either keep accruing money until the enrollment date, or I could start filling in the gaps of my knowledge, which could bite me in the ass sooner rather than later. Frankly, the only reason I hadn¡¯t committed any social taboos I was unaware of was probably because I barely interacted with anyone during my time here.

    And so began my journey to hire an etiquette tutor. And I had a rather good idea on where I should start.

    ========================================================================

    ¡°Again.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I whined.

    ¡°Again.¡± a voice tougher than steel replied.

    ¡°Haah, fine ¨C I mean, very well. The rains in Gurvayne stay mainly on the plain. The rains in Gurvayne stay mainly on the plain. The wheat in the street is for the feet, not to eat. The wheat in the street is for the feet, not to eat.¡± I intoned in a monotone voice, trying my best to articulate as instructed.

    I was surely blessed when I discovered that Lady Ryfellin, Countess of the Town of Ephoxhall, had found within her busy schedule a suitable period of time, every day, for her to grace me with the most fundamental of knowledge that was required for a poor and unfortunate soul such as myself to not suffer the humiliations of embarrassment and ignorance, those most silent of killers. Killers of reputation and face, which I learned, was a huge, HUGE, deal over here.

    I went to the Society building thinking of hiring an etiquette tutor to teach me what I wanted to know, starting from the absolute basics, when Ennin saw what I was doing, and insisted I study with her esteemed ladyship, Countess Troia Ryfellin. Ennin said that the countess¡¯ methods were harsh but effective, as evidenced by Ennin¡¯s completely refined conduct that let her pass for a noblewoman if one looked past her clothes and obsession with sweets. I was swatted on the arm when I accidentally vocalized my thoughts, further proving my point.

    I was reluctant to study with the countess, as I didn¡¯t want to taint my grand plan of having her be my future business partner with her seeing me inept and awkward as I tried to improve my stature.

    But Ennin was quicker than I was, scheduling an appointment for me before I could say anything. She even paid for it out of her own pocket, saying that if I wanted to pay her back, I should do so after the first lesson ended.

    My hands were tied by the guilt trip Ennin sent me on.

    Which is how I found myself reciting tongue twisters and turns of phrase for hours on end, while an amused looking countess and her husband sat at a dining table sipping tea and reviewing some documents, interrupting me with the thwack of a wooden ruler on the table whenever I made a mistake. Which was often.

    My lessons on enunciation and projection were the first things I learned, as apparently, ¡®my clothes were appalling, but I could at least learn to speak properly, even if I didn¡¯t have any coin for suitable clothing¡¯.

    So I learned to speak proper ¨C properly. After my diction was deemed passable, I learned the proper forms of address for nobles.

    As a commoner myself, it was expected that I bow at the waist with my head down whenever addressed by or speaking to a noble, but apparently the academies were full of too many nobles and commoners interacting together that the rule was thrown out for convenience. Well, the academies seemed pragmatic, if nothing else.

    The academies must have been older than I thought, as it seemed that the rule about not bowing gradually extended outside the institution. At first it spread just to the tier one and tier two cities that the academies were located in, then to the other cities that had academy graduates, then to various tier four and tier five towns, until finally, the whole ¡®bowing at the waist as a form of supplication¡¯ thing was thrown out altogether.

    Now if any noble spoke to me in the street, or anywhere else, all I had to do was lower my head, place one hand on my chest and one hand behind my back, bent at the elbow. Then I could respond to their questions or statements.

    Doing anything else was considered a breach of etiquette, which made sense, but wasn¡¯t a dealbreaker for me, as my primary ambition wasn¡¯t to integrate myself with the lords and ladies of high society. If I offended a noble unknowingly, the countess explained that I would most likely be forgiven as commoners weren¡¯t expected to know the mannerisms of nobility anyway.

    After speech lessons and forms of address, the countess said that as her student, I had to know her full and proper title if others inquired about it. I was skeptical of this one, but went along with it, as I was frankly not in a position to say otherwise.

    Doing so correctly gave her face, and doing so incorrectly lost her face, which she explained to me was like a mixture of reputation, prestige, respect, honor, and influence.

    What, is face-slapping an actual thing here? Am I gonna see some young master pop up and demand I bow before him or he¡¯ll leave me without a grave? Shit, does that really happen here?

    All I got in response when I posed the question was a noble couple whose calm facade completely cracked as they broke down in what I was sure would be considered vulgar laughter to the point of tears.

    In any case, it was a good thing I was taking these etiquette lessons, as I figured it was better to have this info and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

    The lessons were short, only lasting a month (one full month, which was forty days here!), in which the countess exerted all her efforts into turning me from an ignorant villager, which she heard about via Ennin, who was clueless about even the most basic things to someone worthy of at least a measure of respect, who could hold their head high and proclaim that they must have expended a lifetime¡¯s worth of good fortune to have the illustrious Countess Troia ¨C

    Yeah, sarcasm wasn¡¯t appreciated here, as the countess raised an eyebrow and gave me a dead-eyed stare whenever I tried to be funny. Although the count and maidservants did snicker a few times when I went full satire mode.

    Eventually, the lessons ended, as the countess and her husband the count had to visit their domain, an area to the southwest of Khobadaar, and inspect the surrounding lands. They wouldn¡¯t be back until sometime in the second month of spring, well after the enrollment date would pass. I said my goodbyes to both of them, thanking them for taking care of me. The goodbyes were reciprocated in a proper manner, as befit a noblewoman of the countess¡¯ standing.

    And just like that, I had a bit over two months until I could theoretically join the academy. Well, whatever academy came here.

    During my lessons, the countess answered one of the questions I had ever since I was introduced to this world. She explained that originally, there were four academies, each located in a different tier one city. Over time, the founders wanted to reach out to more young seekers of knowledge, and so built affiliated academies in different tier two cities. Eventually, it reached the point where the academies in the tier two cities searched for new students in the surrounding tier three cities. Such as Khobadaar.

    Gradually, the towns and villages heard of these academies and created their own institutions of learning that were appropriate for their regions, leading to schools popping up across the continent, increasing the flow of knowledge.

    Speaking of knowledge, now that I had as much as I could acquire before I joined the academy, it was time to get back to work. I could always use some pocket money while at the academy, and the fees for the second or third years wouldn¡¯t pay for themselves.

 Chapter 15

    ¡°You¡¯ve improved rather quickly, darling! This is much better than your previous work!¡±

    Once again, I found myself at Gillen and Ennin¡¯s home, all of their family members present.

    Finding something to do during my free time was a bit challenging for me. I felt homesick, as I missed the convenience and ease that was offered by the Internet. Every possible option was available at the click of a button. Unlimited movies, television shows, games, novels, entertainment was a never-ending fountain of possibilities.

    I couldn¡¯t exactly hang out with friends since one, I didn¡¯t have that many, and two, the ones I did have had different schedules from me, so we couldn¡¯t coordinate and hang out regularly, e.g. Ennin. Honestly, I should have probably felt proud of myself for even making a friend as an adult, even if the process was a bit¡­passive¡­on my end.

    There were bookstores here, but I didn¡¯t even want to browse their wares, as it was likely I would be tempted to splurge, and I needed to hold onto my savings for the academy.

    Just as I was feeling stuck over what I could do, I thought of something I had somehow forgotten: writing.

    In some goddamned mysterious mystical bullshit way, I could converse with the inhabitants of this world extremely fluently. And after an equally incomprehensible and puzzling series of events, I somehow became able to read. But I had never had to write before, and I realized that only a few weeks before the academy enrollment began.

    When I wrote down whatever questions I had that I wanted or needed answers to, I wrote them in a notebook in English, in my own handwriting. And I discovered, to my chagrin, that English and this world¡¯s native language appeared as two different languages to me. Somehow, I had believed that, similar to when I spoke or read something, whatever I wrote would automatically translate whenever I would need to write something. But that turned out to not be the case. Anyone who saw whatever I wrote in English would see my writing as incomprehensible squiggles, just as I saw this world¡¯s letters.

    I experimented a bit with the ¡®translation software¡¯, for lack of a better term, to see if I missed something. Writing in English was business as usual, no hiccups. But when I copied the symbols on my Workman¡¯s Society card, writing them in a spare notebook, the symbols themselves appeared as they normally did, in the linear yet oddly curvy letters of the alphabet, before they switched to English in my eyes.

    The change was almost instant, maybe taking a second between writing it down fully and the letters swapping to English in my vision. If I tried really, really, hard, I could extend that time to two seconds, but it was useless in the grand scheme of things. I even tried using my blood to write, recalling how I was able to read suddenly when it came into play, but the blood proved to be pointless this time around.

    Until I remembered something Khime, that bastard probably-god who pulled me here, showed me. When he injected the memory of how the taming spell worked into my brain, I remembered that the most important part of the spell was the intent behind it. Whenever I used the taming spell, I didn¡¯t have any intent when I did it so much as desire, thinking to myself, ¡®I want this creature or animal to submit to me¡¯.

    While I went about my daily life in this city, I would occasionally hear snippets of conversation about spells. There were plenty of mages in the Workman¡¯s Society, and all over the city, but they didn¡¯t stand out from the common man, except maybe they seemed a bit more refined. But more to the point, what I had heard and pieced together, was that intent seemed to be an important factor in the success or failure of a spell.

    Following that logic, if I could harness my intent, would it affect the translation spell in a manner I desired if my intent was strong or pure enough?

    I was a little scared of tampering with the spell, as it was the only thing that made communication viable. But if a magical spell, that someone who was most likely a god gave to me, could be broken by something that a clueless idiot did, again like me, then they might have to give up their godhood.

    So, convincing myself that the spell was not so fragile that it would break with the slightest tampering, I tried to channel my intent while writing. I thought to myself, this spell will work as I will it to. It will only translate when I say it will. I focused on my desire to have the spell keep all its capabilities, except that I would dictate when it worked or didn¡¯t work.

    Which is how I found myself in Ennin¡¯s family home.

    My intent modification of the translation spell worked after only three tries, and so I began practicing writing, knowing I didn¡¯t have long before the enrollment date arrived. Gillen found me practicing in the inn, and the next thing I knew, I was being coached by Evelyn in basic writing alongside Gillen.

    ¡°Wow, Rhaaj, I can actually read your writing now! Remember at the start, Mommy kept saying your letters looked like a horse!¡± Gillen exclaimed.

    ¡°Horrific, baby, horrific,¡± Evelyn corrected him patiently.

    ¡°Yeah, horse-sif-fic. But now it looks like mine! Mine isn¡¯t horse-sif-fic, though, right mommy?¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°No, baby, your writing is very, very good!¡± She said, pinching and rolling her son¡¯s cheeks while he giggled. After she got tired of that, Evelyn turned to me and asked, ¡°Rhaaj, darling, while your writing is much more legible now, did you not practice penmanship or calligraphy with Lady Ryfellin? I thought you had studied under her? Surely she would have covered the fundamentals?¡±

    ¡°She covered the basics regarding proper conduct and speech, as that was my biggest concern at the time, but I only realized my writing...problem¡­after she had already left, and by then, it was too late. Or at least, that¡¯s what I thought until little Gillen here ran into me! Isn¡¯t that right, Gill?¡± I said, ruffling his hair and smiling.

    ¡°Oh! Right! He was just sitting by himself writing the letters, Mommy! And you said me or Ennie should bring him home whenever he was free, so I did!¡± He said, looking proud.

    ¡°You are so good, baby!¡± She said, kissing Gillen all over his face. ¡°Now, if only your sister could bring someone home as well,¡± Evelyn muttered.

    I coughed and blushed, ducking my head down, a bit embarrassed at what I just heard. I may have been on good terms with Evelyn and her family, but I didn¡¯t want to butt into their private affairs.

    At least, not without being as polite as possible while also satisfying my curiosity. It took losing the Internet entirely for me to understand the allure of gossip. It was the main form of entertainment for the lower and middle classes.

    ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry for asking something so¡­crude¡­Madam-¡± A pointed glare interrupted what I was about to say. ¡°I mean, Evelyn.¡± She relaxed her face and smiled again, nodding for me to continue. ¡°But, does Ennin not have any, you know, suitors?¡±

    ¡°Oh? You wouldn¡¯t happen to be asking due to an¡­interest in that position, now would you?¡± She asked me, a faint smile on her face.

    ¡°What?¡± I was confused. Until the realization of what she said dawned on me, and I rushed to defend myself.

    ¡°NO! Ahem, I mean, no. With all due respect¡­Evelyn¡­I see her more as a friend. Just a friend. Also, I plan to travel after I finish my studies, and I think Ennin has a different path she wants to take in her life. And,¡± I said somewhat nervously, ¡°You all have helped me so much since I came here. I already owe you plenty, and I feel like doing¡­that, would just be taking advantage of the kindness you¡¯ve all given me, to Ennin especially. So, I¡¯m sorry, Evelyn, but I must respectfully decline.¡± I bowed my head, to convey my seriousness.

    While I was not averse to romance in general, I had never had the best experiences in that area. Maybe later, when I figured out the craziness that was my life, I could look into it, but for now? I needed to see how far I could go, literally and figuratively. And while it was true that me and Ennin had a vibe, it wasn¡¯t romantic. At least, not for me.

    Evelyn maintained her straight face for a few seconds, until she broke down in laughter, almost tearing up.

    ¡°Oh, darling, I was kidding! It was a joke! Oh, the look on your face! And that speech! So serious!¡± She waved me off, laughing the entire time, relieving the tension. I was a bit worried that she actually wanted me as her son-in-law, and I panicked, maybe slightly overreacting.

    ¡°Well, in any case, that girl will settle down when she¡¯s ready to, and not a day sooner, regardless of what her father or I have to say on the subject.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s settle down, mommy? And why did Rhaaj yell out before?¡± Gill made his presence known, curious as ever.

    ¡°Mummy will tell you later, baby. Go on, back to practice. And you too, Rhaaj. Enough of this playing around.¡± Evelyn went back into ¡®mom mode¡¯ and I let go of the levity of two seconds ago, resuming my writing drills.

    ========================================================================

    Tomorrow was the big day.

    I would be able to join the academy in less than twenty-four hours. I still didn¡¯t know the name of the academy, but I figured it wouldn¡¯t be that big a deal. An institution as important as the academy would most certainly have someone to spread their name.

    I laid on the bed in my room at the inn, staring at the wooden ceiling, hands behind my head.

    I was capable of speaking, reading, and writing the language here. I was rather proud of my achievement, not only of learning a new language, somewhat on my own which I thought I would be incapable of, but also of not completely messing up the translation spell, and managing to change it to fit my desire, or intent as it were.

    I had enough money to cover all the fees, quadruple-checking with the academy notice, while having enough pocket money to last, at the bare minimum, a few weeks. I owned enough clothes and supplies to last two weeks without having to wash them. I had two days worth of packed meals and a full waterskin in my satchel, the most I could get from the inn¡¯s kitchen without it going bad. There was supposedly a preservation spell that was meant for similar situations, but no one at the inn knew it.

    The one thing I had never bought was a weapon. I never did any combat or hunting tasks, so I didn¡¯t see the need to buy one. The city itself was very safe, with crime being nearly non-existent, not counting the embezzler, so I didn¡¯t need a weapon for protection either.

    I still had the bone knife that I started my journey with in my pack, and that seemed to be enough for now.

    I also had a mostly empty beast space, only filled with the two voranders, the goblin and the werewolf, and the green deer that had an actual healing spell in addition to the anesthetic spell it used on me during our first encounter. Hopefully, I would get some answers regarding the mechanics of that taming spell at the academy.

    One of my notebooks was filled with questions about magic, both specific to me and on general subjects. Those I wrote in English, in case someone else saw them.

    Somehow, the black robe that covered me up my first few days was still in one piece, if extremely frayed and torn on the edges. A tailor had examined it when I wore it while visiting their store, and she noticed the enchantment on it. She was unsure what it did, but it raised the value of the robe significantly.

    So the robe I thought of even now as ratty yet functional turned out to be valuable. Funny how things turned out. Especially when a certain someone neglected to inform you of what was in the pack that they threw at you from an orca¡¯s mouth.

    Someday, I would get strong enough and slap Khime. That would be my long-term goal. A powerful motivator, if ever there was one.

    I closed my eyes, putting my thoughts of petty vengeance aside, relaxing as I subconsciously sunk into my breathing meditation, feeling the essence travel through me, both within and without. I drifted off to sleep eventually, truly relaxed and calm, looking forward to what the next day could bring me.

    I woke up as I normally did, well before sunrise. The early morning was still icy, despite it being technically spring. I loaded my rucksack and satchel onto my shoulders, double checking I had everything on me, then closed the door to my room. I turned in the room key to the owner, who sat at what I called the reception counter, and officially checked out of the inn.

    She shooed me off, and I headed to the bathhouse. I had already said my goodbyes to everyone I could think of, and all that was left was to head to the center of the city after bathing. Once I got myself squeaky clean, having purchased and liberally used heaps of herbal powder that acted as soap, I walked to the city center, ready to start the next chapter of my life.

    Just as the first rays of the sun peeked out from the east, I could see the faux-streetlight torches begin to darken, and I saw a crowd of people milling about at my destination. It was obvious that everyone was here for the academy.

    With any luck, my experiences with education would not repeat themselves in another world.

 Chapter 16

    Nothing happened.

    For a few hours, everything continued as it usually would. Housewives and maids poured buckets of water to clean the front of their houses. Guards patrolled the city streets, on the lookout for vagrants or petty criminals. Merchants were setting up their wares in wooden stalls or opening their shops.

    I and what looked like several hundred other people were waiting in the center of the city, in the inaccurately named ¡®city square¡¯ despite it being circular. Most were prospective applicants, but there were a good number that I recognized as parents or guardians, talking with their children before sending them off to study. I noticed a few people who stood out from the crowd, both literally and figuratively.

    At the edge of the city square, a group of six or seven people with a skin tone approaching olive stood in their own group, eschewing interaction with the surrounding crowd. Their hair was braided in complex knots, and their clothes had earthy color tones, full of different shades of greens and browns. For as long as I had been in Khobadaar, I couldn¡¯t say that I had seen anyone with a skin tone like mine, but those people were the closest.

    It took two hours of waiting, and there was still no indication anyone from the academy had come.

    Then I saw it.

    A silhouette, appearing out of nowhere, was backlit directly by the morning sun, blinding anyone who looked at it or its vicinity. It stayed there for a few minutes, while the people were gasping, whispering, or cursing, reacting to a clearly magical presence making itself known.

    Then it descended, with all the speed and subtlety of a meteor. I was expecting a plume of dirt and stone to rise up as the figure made a crater upon landing, and so I braced myself for the impact, until I realized whoever was up in the sky was putting on a show, and probably liked the attention.

    That said, crash landing or landing properly would garner attention equally, so I assumed the worst, crouching on the ground, covering my head with my hands, and my eyes closed.

    ¡°Now! To the good people of¡­what was this city called again, Hamer?¡± The voice I heard was loud, but the person who spoke did so softly, such that every syllable was clearly heard. It was like he was using a megaphone or bullhorn to amplify his voice, only there was no static or tinny quality to it.

    He must have landed without a fuss, as I didn¡¯t hear any crash of broken bricks, or see a cloud of dust rise. I got up from my crouching position on the ground, trying to ignore the looks facing my direction. I couldn¡¯t even see the speaker, as there were too many people crowded together.

    ¡°Ah yes, Khobadaar. Wonderful city. Wonderful indeed. Now, none of you care about my banter or small talk. We, all of us, have gathered here today, to determine which of you will be among the new batch of students this year in the honorable Jyvra Academy. So, let¡¯s get started. Hm, how to do this¡­what¡¯s that, Hamer?¡±

    There was a brief lull as the speaker was listening to that Hamer person, while the rest of us were waiting on them. It wasn¡¯t long before he resumed his speech. ¡°This is why we at the academy value forging bonds of teamwork and fellowship. You see, I was unable to come up with an effective solution and Hamer proposed that -¡±

    The speaker¡¯s voice was cut off, and a different person began speaking, having the same volume as the previous one did.

    ¡°My sincere apologies, everyone, we¡¯ll have everything sorted out soon. For now, I request all commoner applicants to move to the south side of the square, while those of nobility proceed to the north side. More instructions will be forthcoming, and thank you for your cooperation.¡±

    The silence following the speech was broken as the crowd was divided into nobles and commoners. I saw that there were far, far more noble applicants than commoners. There were thirty people total, including me, on the commoner side of the square. The other hundreds of people standing opposite to us were nobles.

    Hundreds.

    I thought about the class divide, and the wealth disparity that would occur as a result, then somehow my train of thought led me to wonder how profitable teaching at the academy was, taking so many circles from all these people? And this was just one batch in one city. The academy teachers must have been living extremely well.

    Finally, the noise, mostly coming from the noble side, died down as the second speaker started up again.

    ¡°Thank you for your patience, everyone. We will proceed with the enrollment now. To all the prospective students, simply line up, single file, in front of the stalls we¡¯ve arranged and follow the instructions given to you by the staff. If you have any doubts, feel free to ask the monitors, all of whom are wearing the blue and gold robes of the academy staff. I would also ask the parents or caretakers of applicants to stand aside for now. You may speak with your children if an issue arises, otherwise I¡¯d ask that you stand further away.¡±

    While the speaker wrapped up the instructions, the crowd turned to face the quickly erected stalls made of exquisite-looking wood, each having two or three staff members sitting behind them, while a device that looked like a flat board made of gleaming metal sat on the surface in front of every staff member. There were two stalls on the commoner side, and twelve on the noble side.

    Where did they even come from?

    I stood in line waiting for about twenty minutes pondering possible answers to that question before it was my turn.

    ========================================================================

    Goludanis had a faltering smile on her face, trying to be polite while enduring the utter monotony of the task she was assigned to.

    That boor of a man kept obsessing over ¡®his entrance¡¯, having devised twelve different methods of introducing himself to the crowd, each showier and more flamboyant than the last, not to mention more costly. Luckily, Hamer was assigned to their group to rein him in as much as possible, reducing the already noticeable burden on the others. Even that idiotic charade of hiding the staff behind light screens was unnecessary. Why would anyone care about the entrance of the staff when that¡­clown, admitted on multiple occasions that his entrance had to be as eye-catching as possible?!

    Thankfully, the addition of Hamer in their group meant they only had to leave from the academy that morning, as his comprehension of space spells was top-notch and provided a very convenient alternative to the usual method of travelling. If it were done the old way, their group would need a fleet of either flying creatures or carriages to travel from city to city, organizing and cataloging wayward children and utilizing each city¡¯s ancient teleportation formation to send them to the closest academy.

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    Her musings on the enduring works of the ancients were shuttered when the next hopeful kid approached her, looking nervous and excited, as academy newcomers usually did.

    ¡°Please place your dominant hand on the affinity board, right here.¡± She said politely, repeating it for the fifth time.

    The boy nodded, and as his affinities were being determined, she saw him try to control his facial expression, revealing a brief smile and a glint in his eyes before they returned to aloofness. It looked like he was mesmerized by the affinity board, but¡­there wasn¡¯t all that much to look at.

    Sure, it was shiny, but the metal plate was only used as the base material due to its high essence conductivity. It was bisected by a carved line in the middle, so it looked similar to an open book. The testee placed one hand on the right side, causing the board to glow dimly, while the left side had an essence stone powering it and the resulting information displayed beneath it.

    She read off the boy¡¯s affinities and attributes for his benefit, as she usually did for the commoner applicants. It was likely the first time they were interacting firsthand with any type of magical device, and she wanted to share in that moment, even if only a little.

    It also had the added benefit of adding some variety and something approaching excitement to the banality that the majority of this day consisted of.

    ¡°So, you are fourteen. It¡¯s always good when applicants adhere to the age rule. Now for the more important parts. It appears both your essence capacity and conductivity are above average, which will be useful when casting spells. And you have two affinities! Multiple affinities can be either a boon or bane, so think carefully before selecting your classes in the future. And your affinities are, nature and blood!¡± She said carefully.

    ¡°Forgive me, but could you explain what that means, exactly?¡± The boy asked her. His speech was more formal than she expected, displaying a sense of initiative that rarely showed up in commoners, as he had clearly enlisted the services of a tutor before applying. That mindset would no doubt be an asset in the academy, if he could maintain a hold on it.

    ¡°Yes, of course. Well, the least important part, at least for you, is your age. We receive numerous prospective applicants every year who fall outside the established age range, claiming all sorts of reasons they should be admitted as a special case. In the end, the age rule is there for a reason, and seeing as your age is acceptable, there are no issues on that point.

    ¡°Next, the foundation for all magic. Your essence capacity and conductivity. Capacity refers to the total amount of essence you are able to contain within your body. You expend the majority of your essence when casting spells, and can recover essence through a variety of methods. Your above average conductivity signifies that you are able to attract and retain essence at a rate above the majority of students, another advantage in your favor.

    ¡°Finally, your affinities. As I said, you have two of them: the nature affinity, and the blood affinity. Now, there is no such thing as fire essence or water essence, despite what the novelists would have you believe. Elemental essence is a dangerous fiction that only helps writers sell stories, and poisons the minds of future mages. All essence is¡­neutral, for lack of a better term. The essence in the air, in the water, under our feet, even within us, is utterly pure. Surely you¡¯ve heard others refer to essence as Mother¡¯s Breath before?¡± She asked him.

    The boy nodded back, the blank expression on his face quickly wiped away by a more confident one. He was obviously lying. Had he never heard the term before? How was that even possible?

    While she would love to dig deeper into that particular mystery, she had a job to do, unfortunately.

    ¡°Well, Mother¡¯s Breath became the epithet for essence due to its properties of being pure and ever present, a gift from the world to all her children. Now, while essence itself is pure, it can be used in myriad ways. Every so-called ¡®element¡¯ that you¡¯ve heard or read about consists of a single branch of the totality of magic. Fire magic, light magic, water, wind, rock, blood, nature; essence can be used in a multitude of spells belonging to different categories. These categories are what we call affinities.

    ¡°Well, to put it simply, your essence will be most efficient when performing blood or nature magic. Not that casting spells from other branches is impossible, they¡¯ll just be more difficult compared to those two, in your case. As for what spells are in those branches, it¡¯s for the best if you learn that from your professors at the academy.¡±

    ¡°So, does that answer your questions?¡± She finished, again, as politely as she could.

    ¡°Yes, it did, and thank you for the explanation.¡± The boy responded, about to salute to her, until he stopped himself, simply giving her a nod in appreciation. It was clear the boy wanted to display noble etiquette, but he was unsure of her nobility, leaving him no other recourse but to act as an ignorant commoner, implicitly asking for her pardon if she were a noble.

    The boy was odd, there was no other word for it. His conduct was at odds with his lack of knowledge, painting a contrast that was, well, odd.

    But she pressed on regardless, trying to ignore his¡­oddity.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯re all done with that, we can proceed with your registration. So, do you have any official identification with you? Anything with your personal details will do.¡± Goludanis had to proceed a bit faster, as answering the boy¡¯s questions took some time.

    She went as quickly as she could, copying the details from the boy¡¯s Workman¡¯s Society card into a different magical device.

    She was inwardly shocked when he paid for everything himself, counting out a small stack of circles and a triangle onto the table. Most commoner applicants had a noble sponsoring them, and so she had become accustomed to speaking with a representative of the noble in question, or seeing a note signed with the noble¡¯s official seal. It was rare for a commoner to be both able and willing to pay the various fees presented by the academy by themselves.

    She gave the boy a slip of paper containing all his relevant details, then told him to wait for further instructions. Finally, she thanked him for showing an interest in the academy, then sent him on his way. The odd boy thanked her, then left, and so began another repetition of the cycle with the next applicant.

    And it wasn¡¯t even midday yet.

    ========================================================================

    My registration was done, and all fees were paid upfront. I was a student of the academy now. Technically, I wasn¡¯t a real academy student, as apparently there was more paperwork I had to do within the campus grounds, but for all intents and purposes, I was an academy student.

    I was told to wait for all the other applicants to finish their registration before more instructions would be given. So I waited. And waited. Until, finally, the gods took pity on me, and the wait was over.

    The last noble finished sometime after noon, marking the end of the day¡¯s boredom. I could barely make out yet another silhouette in the sky, shouting at everyone assembled in the square.

    ¡°Now, then. You¡¯ve all completed your registration, marking you as unofficial academy students. However, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to wait a few days until we can depart for the academy.¡±

    The crowd, well, only the nobles really, were making noises of complaint and dissent. Some people had confused looks on their faces, waiting for the speaker to explain. But the speaker quickly followed up.

    ¡°Why the angry faces? I¡¯m sure the official notice we sent out months ago informed everyone that registration would last a week. Surely you didn¡¯t think you would just be personally sent to the academy as soon as you finished? Oh, children, children, children. Do you have any idea how ridiculously expensive teleportation formations can be? The stones alone cost more than my annual salary. No, we, all of us, will only leave for the academy once the time period for registration lapses completely. Were you perhaps unaware that various prospective applicants have to travel quite far to reach us here? Be that as it may, now you know. Until then, you may all return to your estates or residences.

    ¡°Remember, registration officially ends in one week, an hour after sunrise. Be here by that time with your registration slips, or you won¡¯t be allowed onto the academy grounds. And children, do not mistake my vivacity for weakness, or worse, tolerance.¡± Those last words had a certain weight to them that made some people stumble and fall over as they heard it. Others were clutching their chests, trying to recover their breath properly.

    ¡°Now, off you go. Unless you wish to stay here for the next week.¡±

    The silhouette faded from the sky, and the speaker¡¯s voice died out. Slowly, the square emptied out, everyone returning to their residences. The academy staff stayed where they were, sitting in their stalls, or walking around the square.

    I returned to the inn, feeling lost despite finding myself in familiar territory. I was expecting to be at the academy by now. But, in hindsight, that one week rule did make a certain amount of sense.

    After recalling the countess¡¯ explanation on the history of the academies and their growing expansion, it made sense that they wanted to continue expanding by recruiting students from further and further away. They got more money and good PR, so it was a good move for them.

    So, I kept my registration paper safely stored between the pages of one of my notebooks, tucked into my satchel, while I rebooked a room at the inn I had left mere hours ago.

    Looks like I really had nothing to do this time, I just had to wait for one week.

    ¡°Rhaaj! You¡¯re here! Why, why are you still here?! You told us all you were going to the cad-dummy! Did they say you can¡¯t go in? It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry! Mommy and daddy can teach you instead! And then you can play with us every day! I¡¯ll go tell mommy right now!¡±

    And before anyone could react, a young boy ran out from his job of wiping down tables to inform his mommy that his villager friend would be playing with them every day.

    ¡°Well? Go on, boy. Might as well explain why you¡¯re still here to his parents. Mother knows how that child will tell it to them. Your room will be here when you come back.¡± The owner glanced up from her ledger, gesturing for me to go after him.

    So I left the inn and walked to Gillen¡¯s house, and within a few minutes, I could hear Evelyn laughing as she listened to her son recounting what happened, or at least, what he thought happened.

 Chapter 17

    When I was first told about the academy, I didn¡¯t have high hopes for it.

    The level of technology I had seen so far in society was pre-industrial revolution, with magic acting as a substitute for some inventions, such as the streetlamps that turned out to be magically powered glowing moss, or taming spells that essentially rendered leashes irrelevant.

    All of which led to me having relatively low expectations for the academy.

    Of course, those expectations were blown away once I actually saw the campus. Hell, even before then, I was astounded.

    At the end of the registration week, the academy staff had all the newly accepted students gather in the city square once again, and cluster together to fit within a meticulously drawn out teleportation formation. It would take everyone from our current location, the tier 3 city of Khobadaar, and my home for the better part of eleven months, to the tier 2 city where the academy was located, Jyvra City, named after the academy, which itself was named after one of the founders of the original four academies.

    By the time I could react, the process was over. I was standing in Khobadaar¡¯s city square, my personal space being violated on all sides by random strangers, then I blinked, and I felt an almost familiar feeling for a millisecond, before I noticed I was somewhere else.

    ¡°Now, children, if I could have your attention for just a moment, I¡¯ll let you get back to staring wide-eyed at the city after I¡¯m finished. What now, Hamer?.....Ugh, fine, fine, very well. You all have two minutes to look around like mindless animals before I continue.¡±

    The speaker, who I learned from one of the staff was actually one of the professors at the academy, was impatient, but nobody waited for his permission before taking in their surroundings.

    The blue city walls I had grown accustomed to seeing were gone, driving home the fact that I was no longer in Khobadaar. In their place, I saw¡­nothing. There were no walls in sight. I only saw buildings that were somewhat shorter than the ones in Khobadaar. The tallest building was only two stories tall, colored a familiar yellow shade, with a recognizable emblem: the Workman¡¯s Society.

    I couldn¡¯t point out any other noticeable landmarks in the city, but the view was even more stunning, and dare I say breathtaking, once I turned around and saw the academy for the first time.

    ¡­Glass.

    Every building was made of glass. Some were different colors, but every single building looked like it was made out of glass. I was slightly worried that the temperature inside would become unbearable, as spring had arrived, but hopefully, whoever designed them took that into account. A few of the buildings were transparent, as expected, but the majority of them were opaque, and there was one that had certain sections that were translucent.

    The few people I saw roaming around were wearing what looked like high-end clothing, but it didn¡¯t seem like there was a set uniform, so that was a plus in my book.

    The campus grounds were amazing as well. There was no gate or fence acting as a boundary, but I could somehow sense that the essence felt¡­different¡­in the general vicinity. Whatever it was, the academy was probably the reason behind it.

    There were curated trees and flowers everywhere, lining the numerous marble walkways and footpaths. The plants were all pruned to a certain height, providing shade to those beneath them without obscuring the view of whoever was looking outwards from the buildings.

    I could see a section of a large colosseum-like building, which was probably some kind of arena or stadium. It stood out as the one building not made of glass, but of¡­some white material I couldn¡¯t identify.

    ¡°All right, that¡¯s enough! Now, boys and girls, I will start introducing this prestigious establishment and those of you too enraptured or too dense to follow me and pay attention only have yourselves to blame.¡±

    As soon as he stopped talking, he began walking past the area where the essence felt strange, and into the more immediate vicinity of the academy campus.

    I and plenty of the other students followed after him, not wanting to miss out on anything. I took a glance behind me, and saw several students still milling about, apparently too caught up to even realize they had been left behind.

    Look, I considered myself a decent person, and normally I might have gone back for them, but like the guy said, it was their fault for not paying attention.

    We were taken on a tour around the academy, with our guide pointing out the various buildings and their functions: the eatery (mess hall/cafeteria) was located in the southmost building, the gardens were in the east, the barracks (which I translated to dorms) were the tallest buildings. Classrooms were in nearly every building. There was no bathhouse, as every student¡¯s room in the barracks had a private bathing space.

    Now, that was something worth a pretty penny. Or square, in this case.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    There were training grounds all around the campus dedicated to various activities: some physical, and some magical, but all of them had official looking equipment and supervisors monitoring and maintaining them.

    There were two administrative buildings, where we would go if we encountered any problems or questions that came up.

    And then the tour was over, our guide having run off at the first chance, flamboyantly ending his time with us with several loud bangs like firecrackers and a glimmering in the air, like a mirage, before he disappeared.

    Somehow I found myself at the very back of the line to see the clerical staff. Apparently this was the part of registering where we turned in our unofficial acceptance papers and registered as proper academy students.

    The administrative building was a hive of movement, workers carrying paper around from one place to another, stamping and signing various forms. They were probably dealing with the influx of new students. I counted myself lucky my experiences with administration were minimal, as dealing with paperwork for a living seemed soul-crushing and endlessly monotonous, backed by testimony both from my old college friends and Ennin, who said the sheer boredom of doing the bureaucratic nonsense that was filling out forms was only matched by the craziness of every morning free-for-all, the mad scramble to get the good tasks.

    Finally, it was my turn to finish my registration, and after a few minutes, I had my assigned sleeping quarters at the barracks, and a student card marking me as a first-year student at Jyvra Academy. It was similar to my Workman¡¯s Society card, just slightly bigger, about the size of the average smartphone, roughly the size of my hand. It was a black metallic card, with my personal details (my age, race, appearance, etc.) on the front, and two sections on the back.

    The top part was a map of the academy, shown from a bird¡¯s eye view. It was too small to be of any help with directions, although it strangely had a texture to it. Below it was my schedule for classes, which apparently started tomorrow. That was fast. I guess there was no grace period, between joining and classes starting, to let us acclimate.

    There was also a line underneath the class schedule that just read ¡®Points: 0¡¯.

    What, was this like Harry Potter and we got points for doing good things, and had points revoked for bad things? Well, they had the concept of zero here, but hopefully they didn¡¯t have the concept of negative numbers yet. I didn¡¯t want to somehow owe points.

    With all the new students having left to do their own things leaving me alone, I decided to visit the barracks, aka my sleeping quarters, aka my dorm.

    The barracks were the most conspicuous of all the buildings I had seen thus far, due to their towering height, which made them the tallest buildings around, and the customizations some students had done to their windows.

    The barracks themselves were colored green, the same green tint that some windows had when the light was angled a certain way, but that green was interspersed with windows that were different colors, or that had messages or drawings on them. One particular window had strobe lights shining outwardly, red and blue rays of light pulsating.

    Walking into the building felt normal. There was nothing to indicate that I was stepping on glass, no ominous cracking or shattering even when I tried jumping up and down on the stairs leading up to the main door.

    There was a small entryway before I came into a long hallway, running from left to right with doors every few feet. A staircase, also made of glass, led to the upper floors. Next to the staircase was a huge paper with enormous letters written on it. Ah, it was a notice for the newcomers to¡­synchronize their student cards with their room locks? With a drop of blood?

    Okay, before I get lost in another endless swamp of questions, let me just do what it says first and see how many questions get answered.

    I checked my barracks assignment on my student card, and went up to the next floor, searching the doors for the correct room number among the dozens on this floor. I found it after a few minutes, and saw a metal circle next to the door.

    So this is what they meant by synchronize.

    I placed my finger on the metal circle, and a tiny prick later, the circle blinked red and the door opened. My hand flinched reflexively from the blood being drawn, even though I was expecting it.

    Wait, does that also mean¡­

    I took out my student card and looked at the map on the back, noticing the textured feeling had a very similar look to the metal circle next to my door. I put a different finger on the coarse part of the map, and the same thing happened: it flashed red for a second.

    And in the space of a heartbeat, the useless tiny map became far, far more useful.

    An illuminated projection of the map was displayed in the air in front of me, and it was coming from the card itself. It was also much more practical, as now the map was at a usable scale. Touching any of the buildings let me see a short summary of that building¡¯s function, where certain classes were located, and where staff offices were. Surprisingly, the map also had a red square at my location, dimming and brightening in intensity in a regular pattern. It was basically a magic GPS.

    If I were a paranoid man, I would postulate that the academy management had essentially placed trackers on every single student and could determine our location in a heartbeat, but it was a good thing I wasn¡¯t paranoid.

    Probably better to keep that particular tin foil hat on. It¡¯s not paranoia if they¡¯re really out to get you.

    Putting aside the worrying possibility of Big Brother watching my every move, I entered my room, and saw that, once again, the academy blew my expectations out of the water.

    The room was well lit, despite the lack of visible light sources. There was a comfortable bed taking up half the room, complete with sheets, pillows, and a comfy mattress, and the other half had a table and chair, meant for a single person¡¯s use. There was a part of the wall near the headboard which opened up that acted as a dresser.

    The best part was the fully equipped private bathroom that was next to my bed, with a sink, mirror, chamber pot, tub, and magical showerhead. Everything looked like an upgraded version of the private suites in the bathhouse, which I only managed to visit once.

    I dumped most of my stuff on the table, only keeping the essentials on me as I went out.

    I left the room, locking the door as I did so. Testing out the mechanism, I noticed that I could either open the door by pressing my finger against the circle, in which case it would take a bit of blood from me, or I could just press my card against it.

    Yeah, I think I¡¯ll stick with swiping my card. Why would they even make that blood one an option? Aren¡¯t they worried about too much blood loss among the students?

    It was just about late afternoon by the time I finished everything and settled in, and my stomach was making rumbling sounds, so I headed to the eatery, looking forward to the meals here. Following the map on my student card, I quickly reached the eatery, and was immediately hit by a wall of various fragrances that all implied amazing flavors: herbs, spices, oils, fruits, everything I could smell was fantastic.

    The food was, if possible, even better than what I had smelled. There was a veritable cornucopia of dishes, and everything I tried was sumptuous. I am not ashamed to say I pigged out there, ignoring the occasional looks and giggles thrown my way.

    Finally, the feast came to an end, marking the perfect end to an amazing day.

    I slowly made my way back to my room, and slumped onto my bed. The mattress was soft and inviting, and the lights had somehow dimmed to match the setting sun outside. It was a question for another day. Now was the time to sleep.

    My first day at the academy ended on a perfect note, covered in soft sheets, with a full belly.

    Tomorrow would no doubt be just as fulfilling.

 Chapter 18

    After several months of relentless task-taking, I had become accustomed to waking up at the crack of dawn, or even a bit earlier. Taking in the view from the window, I could see the silhouettes and outlines of Jyvra City¡¯s skyline, using the term generously.

    I yawned and wiped my face, rubbing my eyes clear of the dirt and crust.

    Getting ready took no time at all, as my private bathroom was only a few feet away from my bed.

    Dressed in decent clothes, I had everything I thought I would need for the first day of classes in my shoulder bag: quills and spares, inkpots and ink bottles, five notebooks, reams of loose paper, and my bone knife, which I always kept on me as a precaution, despite not knowing how to use it properly.

    Everything else was either in my beast space or hastily folded in the dresser.

    Eager to start, I walked to my first class which was¡­etiquette.

    Ugh, well, I can¡¯t honestly say I¡¯m looking forward to it. Reliving the teachings of the illustrious Countess Troia Ryfellin, Lady of¡­.yeah, now that she¡¯s not here, it sounds a little creepy instead of the sarcastic tone I¡¯m going for.

    Regardless, I just have to suck it up and deal with it, as this falls under the category of ¡®it¡¯s better to know it than be caught lacking¡¯. I just hope the other classes are more interesting.

    The classroom buildings were separated by their general subjects. The etiquette classroom was located in the same building as other social, literary, artistic, and generally noble-themed topics. There was a separate building for each branch of magic, and plenty of attached sheds or warehouses next to each of them.

    I entered the etiquette classroom, thankfully located on the ground floor, and took a center position on one of the sides among the rows of desks. The class had a maximum of fifty students, judging by the number of available seats.

    As time passed, more and more students arrived. I could recognize most of them as commoners, with roughly ten to fifteen being nobles of some sort. Finally, five minutes before the appointed start time of the class, a mature noblewoman walked in.

    She had a bright smile on her slightly lined face, matching the bright raiments she was clothed in, white and blue, like a single cloud in the sky. She looked around the classroom, apparently judging or making her own preliminary analysis of everyone, then nodded to herself.

    ¡°A pleasant morning to all of you, students, on this fine day. You may address me as Lady Olyn Degrachaff or Professor Degrachaff within the confines of the academy, as I believe that title holds far more importance than any other I hold,¡± she said, her diction utterly immaculate.

    She held eye contact with everyone for a fraction of a second as she spoke, yet I felt as though every student would believe that she was speaking to them directly. It was an interesting engagement technique.

    That feeling dissipated abruptly as somebody asked her a question.

    ¡°Forgive me, Professor, but what is your rank? I ask only out of curiosity, and so I may follow the appropriate standards.¡± The one who spoke was definitely a noble, evidenced by the smug tone in his voice. He didn¡¯t raise his hand or make any indication he wanted to ask a question, something the Countess told me was basic, and expected of most, if not all, nobles at the academy.

    Maybe he thought he could breeze through the class somehow if he was a higher rank than her? Either way, he had to be part of a high-ranking family to honestly believe he could use his family¡¯s influence like this in the academy, and against a teacher no less.

    Whatever he was thinking, the Countess would have reprimanded him for poor manners. As interrupting a lady was rather rude, it could be somewhat forgiven if he was of a higher tier than her, I mean, she. Still weird how that grammar works.

    What was less forgivable, however, was the implication that he would treat her poorly if she were lower ranked than him.

    Implying that lower tiered nobles were inferior to those higher solely based on their tier, and so afforded less courtesy.

    A notion which she swiftly disabused him of.

    ¡°The one who spoke just now, stand up.¡±

    Her previous sunny demeanor evaporated, replaced by the stern, hard, austere bearing I had seen on the Countess during my own etiquette crash course with her, whenever she needed to correct my mistake.

    The young man stood at his desk, a few inches shorter than her. He looked a bit nervous, but probably still thought he had the situation in hand, that smug smile still on his face. The lady made her way from the front of the room to his desk, the clack-clack of her shoes tapping on the glass floor, and began questioning him.

    ¡°Now, what is your name, young lord?¡± she asked,

    ¡°...Fior Demulinn, eldest son and heir to Duke Demullin of Spring Mountain City¡­my lady.¡± His last words were clearly said unwillingly, but he spat them out.

    ¡°So, young lord Fior. If I were to assume that you had lessons in etiquette prior to today, would I be correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lady.¡±

    ¡°And your father, the honorable Duke, surely has, or had I suppose, within his coffers enough funds to appoint a suitable tutor for you and his other children?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± he said, offended. As if it wasn¡¯t clear that he came from anything but money.

    Then without any warning, she slapped him. Twice on each side of his face, alternating left and right, barely a moment¡¯s pause between the blows.

    He still stood, but only because she was holding onto him by the collar. He fell half-conscious from those four strikes, and blood leaked out of his mouth as he tried to say something and failed, gurgling nonsense syllables.

    Finally, she released her grip on him, dropping him back onto his seat. He was only supported by the back of his seat, while those around him were either staring at him or the lady with shock in their eyes.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°Once again. For the clarification of everyone present, and our young lord Fior here, let me reintroduce myself. Within these halls you may address me as Professor, or Lady, Degrachaff. I had hoped that no¡­unpleasantness would occur, but it seems the quality of tutors is lower than expected,¡± she said, throwing an unpleasant look at Fior.

    ¡°As for my address outside the academy? Well, in any case, you will find out one way or another. My full title is archd ¨C¡±

    Gasps, murmurs and muffled whispers filled the room in an instant, with most of the commoners looking dumbfounded or confused, and the majority of nobles speaking to their neighbors about this development.

    The most polite, or perhaps the most level-headed of the students, immediately kneeled, heads lowered as they tried to lower themselves into the proper position, despite the arrangements of close desks making it awkward. I counted myself extremely lucky that I had enough presence of mind to react, and not just do nothing, like the rest of the commoners,

    ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t this interesting?¡± The severity of her voice lowered as I heard her inflection change, and the tapping of her shoes grew louder. Something interesting? What could possibly be more interesting than an member of the goddamn royal family making themselves known¨C

    ¡°And who might you be, boy?¡±

    Shit.

    She was talking to me.

    With as much grace as I could muster, and trying to ignore the thought that this woman could legally kill me via any number of means if I offended her, knowingly or not, I answered to the best of my ability.

    ¡°This one is but a lowly commoner, Your Grace. My name is¡­Rhaaj, and I find myself humbled that a person of your esteem would deign to speak with one such as I.¡±

    The one thing that I absorbed from the Countess¡¯ lessons more than any other?

    If in doubt, shut your mouth¡­.or kiss their ass to the extreme while making yourself out to be a pebble on the side of the road, unimportant and not worth any time or attention.

    ¡°Hahaha, oh, this day continues to surprise me! A commoner with enough forethought to properly study etiquette, and a noble brat using his family''s status as a maul! How utterly unexpected!¡± The archduchess was no doubt giggling at the absurdity of the scene that had played out in front of her.

    ¡°Now, child, you said your name was Rhaaj?¡± Apparently, my time in the limelight wasn¡¯t over yet.

    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯ve embodied your namesake rather well, haven¡¯t you? Working tirelessly to better yourself.¡±

    ¡°...you honor me, Your Grace.¡± I said.

    A few moments of silence tortured me while I waited for her to continue. The uncertainty of the situation was killing me. Just like she might kill me if she wants to. No, you haven¡¯t done anything to her, there¡¯s no reason for her¨C then again, she doesn¡¯t need a reason to kill me. She could literally do anything she wants, and ¨C

    ¡°Rise, Rhaaj, academy student.¡±

    At her command, I rose from the ground, and while my back may have been straight and my head facing forward, I sure as hell was not going to make eye contact with her. That was a one-way ticket to dying again, considering her station.

    ¡°All of you, take a look at this classmate of yours. A commoner with enough foresight to study etiquette, with enough ability to provide for his own education, and composure exceeding that of the nobles present here.¡±

    As she spoke, the nobles who were initially whispering amongst themselves throughout the events curtsied or kneeled, getting out of their seats and awkwardly trying not to bump into those around them.

    I wondered how she knew I could provide for myself, alluding to how I paid for the academy fees, but I didn¡¯t have time to think too hard about it as she kept talking.

    ¡°Etiquette is the name we have given to the set of rules and behavior that elevate, dignify, and separate us from other animals and beasts. Without it, civilization falls apart, society collapses, and all manner of evil descends upon us as we return to our primal roots. Some of you may be wondering why one such as myself is teaching here. It is precisely because of my bloodline that I find myself here. Let me teach you all your first lesson as students of this academy.

    ¡°Nobility is not a weapon to be used maliciously against those lower than you, despite what young lord Fior and others might believe. It is a status implying that the one bearing it is capable of embracing a more refined way of living. To most nobles, their status should be a burden: a marker that they are responsible for the well-being of those under their care, commoner and noble alike. Yes, nobles have increased privileges. Luxury, wealth, authority.

    ¡°But all of those privileges are contingent on two things: competency¡­.and virtue. Should either of those qualities be found lacking in any member of the nobility, I encourage you to report them to the proper authorities. For the commoners here, a notice to the Workman¡¯s Society should be enough. Simply state your desire to lodge a complaint against the noble you believe is unfit for their position, and the Society will inform their relevant superiors. That motto of theirs is not just for show.

    ¡°In fact, correct me if I am wrong, but you played an active role in a recent case of injustice, did you not, young Rhaaj?¡± she asked me.

    She knows. How the fuck does she know?!

    ¡°You are correct, Your Grace, though you overstate my involvement in the matter.  I merely reported what I believed to be suspicious activities to my tutor, and I¡¯m given to understand that it was she and her husband who informed the city lord, who then brought the perpetrator to justice.¡±

    ¡°Ah! You see, what did I tell you? Competency, and virtue. Traits I hope to engender in this class. You all may return to your seats. As for you and you,¡± she pointed out two random students, ¡°escort young lord Fior to the infirmary. He may be unable to attend the rest of the day¡¯s classes, but such is life.¡±

    The students she pointed to lifted Fior between them, supporting him out of the room as the rest of us returned to our seats.

    ¡°Some of you may be wondering why I¡­educated¡­.the young lord so vigorously. My actions were done for two reasons, and rest assured, he will hear them from me soon enough. One of which I have said previously but will reiterate: in not so many words, he believed his father¡¯s status would shield him from repercussions and allow him to behave as he wished, a convenient shield and sword to be wielded. The second reason?¡±

    The lady paused for effect, as the students leaned in, entranced by both her voice and her words.

    ¡°One does not call into question the nobility of royalty, knowingly or otherwise.¡±

    That sentence, every single one of her words was¡­heavy. My eyes widened, and I¡¯m confident others grew nervous even knowing they did nothing wrong. That was just how profound the truth of her words was.

    It was like a predator marking its territory. A predator didn¡¯t care if you knew you were trespassing or not, only that a challenge had been issued. And apparently, this predator felt she had been issued a challenge.

    ¡°Once again, we arrive at the main subject of this class: etiquette. In time, I will instruct you on the proper behavior expected of you: your demeanor, your elocution, and all other aspects of your conduct. And by the time this class is over, you will be respectable members of society capable of conducting yourselves accordingly. But for now, our lessons start at the foundation: tiers.¡±

    And so the first etiquette lesson began. The archduchess went over the basics of the tiers of nobility, even mentioning the little bouncy upbeat song that Ennin had used when introducing them to me for the first time, and the rights and responsibilities of nobles. She summarized what topics would be covered over the course of the year, and ended the lesson on a high note; that while punishments were administered to those who behaved poorly, so too were rewards given to those performing at or above expectations.

    It was good to see that she was capable of using the carrot in addition to the stick.

    At least, that was my thought before she called me out at the end of the class.

    We were in the hallway just outside the classroom as she spoke to me, and while I may not have knelt due to the numerous students moving all around, I lowered my head, as befit my lack of rank.

    ¡°At ease, child.¡±

    I lifted my head, nervously wondering why she had wanted to speak to me privately.

    She looked at me with a smile on her face, and an almost mad gleam in her eyes. She wanted something from me, I could tell. Which meant I had the absolute tiniest amount of leverage.  But unlike what happened with Khime, I couldn¡¯t use the threat of mutually assured destruction or a similar ¡®lose-lose¡¯ scenario, since now I actually had an attachment to living.

    ¡°You are just marvelous, little Rhaaj! Tell me, how do you feel about the academy?¡± she asked me.

    ¡°Forgive my audacity, my lady, but may I be blunt?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh, by all means, speak freely! Hold nothing back!¡± she exclaimed.

    It¡¯s not like my motivation was some big secret, unlike the other secrets I had, and if confiding some personal truths to a royal could build some semblance of trust, I wouldn¡¯t mind opening up a bit. What I did with that trust was a matter for another day, when I had a better grasp on her agenda regarding me.

    ¡°It¡¯s too soon for me to tell. Ever since I had heard about the academy, I wanted to join. Knowledge is¡­vital to me. I can¡¯t function without it. I hated the feeling of being too stupid to know how stupid I really was. That vulnerability¡­.it ate away at me, and I wanted, no, needed to get rid of it. I heard a phrase somewhere that resonated with me.

    ¡°Knowledge is power. If I wanted knowledge, I would be wanting power. And I was sure that joining the academy without a sponsorship would make me stand out to those in power. I had somehow convinced myself that the academy would be, frankly, dangerous for me to attend. I had the preconceived notion that most nobles would be like young lord Demullin. No offense, my lady.¡± I hurriedly said.

    ¡°None taken,¡± she smirked. ¡°Knowledge is power. Fascinating. I would love to speak with whoever you heard that from. But¡­well, I speak on behalf of the academy when I say we always value the perspectives of commoners more than the nobles who come here, considering how rare it is for someone unsponsored to enroll. I can assure you, this is a safe learning environment. Oh, you might earn some bumps and bruises on the practice yards, but those are part and parcel of studying here, at least if you wish to pursue any physical courses later on.

    ¡°As for anything else? Know that you have my personal guarantee that nothing untowards will befall you. If you feel aggrieved even after today, come find me. You have my word that I will do everything in my power for you to feel that you can study in peace here.¡± she said.

    ¡°Thank you, Lady Degrachaff, for your kindness,¡± I said with as much formality as I could muster.

    ¡°Think nothing of it, child. Now, your next class should be starting fairly soon. Off you go,¡± she dismissed me with those words, and I nodded, returning to the same classroom I had left, and immediately the silence turned into whispers and murmurs, before finally full-blown conversations erupted, and I was approached by a gaggle of students asking me why the archduchess wanted to speak with me.

    Thankfully, I was saved from the impromptu interrogation by the arrival of the next teacher, and the start of the next class.

    Hopefully, not all the lessons would be taught by a royal with an interest in me.

 Chapter 19

    The following two classes were tame in comparison to the first one. The second class, literature,  introduced the class to various forms of prose and poetry, improving reading comprehension, and analyzing other forms of literature such as books or plays. The more mundane tasks would also be covered, such as how to properly write a letter or official report, or properly filing various legal documents.

    Our literature teacher was thankfully not a royal, but just an older noble gentleman. The class seemed at least a bit interesting, as it would refer me to more works of possibly decent entertainment.

    The third class of the day was history and geography. The professor, a young noblewoman maybe in her thirties, summarized it in one sentence: ¡®I¡¯ll tell you the names and dates of things that happened, and I expect you to know ¡®em all by the end of the year.¡¯

    At the very least, she was succinct. A trait that might not be the best fit for a subject requiring lengthy explanations, but, hey, who was I to question the hiring methods of the academy?

    Finally, the last class of the day and the one I was looking forward to the most arrived:

    Introduction to Magic.

    Needless to say, I hoped that I could answer some of my burning questions here; if not, then at least I would be pointed in the right direction, or given a solid foundation to search by myself.

    Typically, there was a few minutes¡¯ break between classes for students or staff to reach their respective classrooms. The first three subjects were all taught in the arts and literature building, so my class simply stayed in the same room, as apparently, all first-years were handled that way.

    The intro to magic class, obviously being magic themed, was held in one of the buildings dedicated solely to magic. It was a quick trip, and our class reached the correct classroom well before the start of the period.

    However, our teacher was nowhere to be found.

    So we waited.

    And waited.

    And eventually, some people couldn¡¯t wait in silence any longer and started talking about who liked whom, and who had an engagement already, and had they seen this play. I tuned out all the chatter, none of which was directed at me.

    I had made myself perfectly clear to everyone after I was accosted by the entire class after Lady Degrachaff spoke to me in the morning. I didn¡¯t want to be bothered, and it seemed like some people took ¡®bothered¡¯ to mean spoken to at all. Whether people were being deliberately exclusionary or just taking my words at face value was up for debate.

    Either way, I was basically alone for the first day.

    The professor didn¡¯t walk in until the class was half-over, and I was more than a bit surprised at his tardiness, and his state of¡­drunkenness?

    Is this guy hungover? And he showed up to class like that? Or¡­is it possible this is all an illusion? Maybe he¡¯s testing our magical perception or something like that?

    He was at most in his mid-thirties, with something that looked an awful lot like dark tinted sunglasses covering his eyes. There was a magic spell visibly hovering around him, a pair of mini-tornadoes covering his ears. And he was holding a metal flask of some hot liquid, steam wafting off it.

    He waved his hands, and instantly, the room was much darker. The class quieted down at the display of magic, and he approached the board at the front, writing his name with the chalk.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Without using his hands.

    The chalk eventually spelled out ¡®Lord Shuubert¡¯ in huge looping letters, the professor sipping from his flask while that happened in the background.

    After that, he¡­well, it wasn¡¯t an introduction so much as a¡­request?

    It was clear this was no magical illusion to test new students. He was truly hungover, and the stench attested to that.

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming all of you are part of the new incoming class, here for Introduction to Magic, as quite frankly, I don¡¯t care enough to go through the entire attendance roster and check.  Today will be an unofficial break and I¡¯ll start the coursework tomorrow, so for now, just shut up and be quiet. Study, make out, kill each other; I don¡¯t care what you do, as long as you do it silently.¡±

    And with that, he fell into his seat at the front and just laid there, unmoving.

    Nobody did anything for the rest of the class. Nobody spoke or even whispered to each other. The professor, if that was the sleeping man in the front of the room, continued to sleep for the duration of the class, his snoring punctuating the silence occasionally.

    The only interesting thing was that his spells continued to be active even after he fell asleep.

    I doodled in the back of my notebook for the rest of the hour, until the class ended and everyone rushed out of the room as silently as possible, leaving the professor sleeping there alone.

    I was torn on whether or not I should wake him up, but decided against it, not wanting to draw any more attention to myself.

    The first day was an emotional¡­not rollercoaster¡­.maybe waterfall? Whatever, it started high and got lower as the day progressed. The highs of the morning and the shock of the archduchess¡¯ presence was matched by the waning enthusiasm of each successive teacher for the other subjects.

    Overall, my first day at the academy averaged out to be relatively normal.

    And, evidently, it turned out to be an indicator of how relaxed the classes would be.

    For the rest of the first week, every professor was thorough in the subjects they covered. The first week of etiquette, for example, covered the broad differences between each noble tier. In literature, we were taught the proper way to write formal letters. History started off at the very beginning, the formation of the world and its continents, which was apparently millions of years ago.

    And intro to magic, despite the laissez-faire attitude of the professor, was equally thorough, with the professor actively teaching, describing the known schools of magic and giving examples of spells in each category.

    There were hours allotted for self-study every so often, and one of the teachers would just supervise the class as we reviewed the subject material.

    Most of my teachers in the past either sped through the syllabus, covering everything at an insane pace so they had bragging rights and could plead for extra funding, or they moved at an excruciatingly slow, nearly glacial pace.

    I had no idea the middle ground I was looking for would require me to go to another world. But the pace wasn¡¯t the only thing I didn¡¯t expect.

    The school day was roughly four hours long, each class taking up an hour with a few minutes break in between. With the last class ending at 12:30 in the afternoon, the rest of the day was free. The archduchess explained that the schedule was set leniently for the first-years, to help them adapt to academy life, but from the second year onwards, there would be a total of six classes per day, instead of the four we had now.

    Another environmental change I had to adjust to was that the week was longer than I was used to, six days of classes and the two weekend days off. The longer week was offset by the short duration of classes, so I viewed it as a net positive.

    They didn¡¯t even name their days of the week, just calling them first-day, second-day, etc. I vaguely remember Khime telling me that the world was young during his welcome speech, but I didn¡¯t realize how young it was, despite the world itself being millions of years old, if their culture hadn¡¯t progressed to that point yet. Even their months weren¡¯t named, with people referring to them as the first month of summer, or the second month of spring, etc.

    I was struck by the dissonance of the worlds I knew, both large and tiny changes here and there affecting me. There were no bells to announce the start or end of classes, and there were no cases of overt bullying that I could notice. Teachers and students could be found socializing after classes, and there were no textbooks to study from, the teachers apparently disseminating their class subjects without referencing source materials.

    The library did prove somewhat useful in that regard, giving me context for some of the issues raised in class that I had no background knowledge of. But overall, it was limited in its utility. The library was divided by year, meaning the books on magic that I wanted to look at were only accessible to second-years or above.

    At the end of every month, each class was tested on the subjects covered. Most tests were written, with short-answer or essay type questions. Some tests had a practical or verbal component. The etiquette test had a practical section where a student would act according to a situation presented by the professor, such as accidentally bumping into an old friend who was now a lower tier, or two commoners presenting a petition before a noble.

    The practical section of the intro to magic test was easier in my opinion, as we only needed to state the effects of various spells, solely based on their name, and demonstrate proper hand gestures for some basic spells we were taught, such as the ¡®flashlight¡¯ or ¡®clean drinking water¡¯ spell.

    Those weren¡¯t their actual names, but it was more effective for me to remember them like that.

    Eventually the result for the first month¡¯s tests came out, and the teachers introduced us to the concept of points, enlightening me on the purpose of that little section of my student card I had unknowingly ignored for the past month.

 Chapter 20

    Points were the exclusive currency of the academy. You could be drowning in circles and it wouldn¡¯t get you anything useful in the academy, unless you were dealing with administrative or clerical issues.

    Points were awarded for one of four reasons: good conduct or exceeding expectations during class, making contributions to the school (outside of donating money, which was considered a separate ¡®accomplishment¡¯), academic achievement (such as performing well on assessments e.g. tests and exams), and community service.

    Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t a total Harry Potter-type situation, with houses and all at the end of each year. Instead, points were used to purchase goods made exclusively at the academy, or hire an academy member to assist you somehow, such as providing private tutoring, helping in experiments, or collaborating on certain projects.

    There was an unofficial uniform that could only be bought with points, for example. The older students who could afford it said it came with multiple enchantments that were customizable, such as being able to change the size, color, and even smell.

    Naturally, points were relatively scarce to reflect their value, and even though I scored objectively well, above ninety percent in all my classes, I was only awarded a paltry amount of points. I vaguely wondered if it was possible for points, like any other currency, to suffer from inflation, where prices rose and income stayed the same.

    Until I overheard an older student tell someone in passing that points could be accrued throughout the years, and it was best to hold onto them until the last possible moment, as the good things tended to be expensive, and you could buy most things off-campus, anyways, if you really needed something.

    Of course, I wouldn''t take everything at face value, so I confirmed everything with a clerk at the administration building. And after verifying everything I knew about points, I walked away a bit lighter, knowing I could just put them out of my mind for a while as I would let them accumulate in the background.

    And accumulate they did.

    ¡°Mulvan Delly, congratulations for receiving the lowest number of points thus far this year. Your point total is 85, setting a new record for fewest points awarded as a first-year.¡±

    The headmaster was addressing all the first-years in the arena outdoors, which could comfortably hold fifty thousand people, though it was nowhere near even half-capacity. The staff were seated behind him as he spoke, showing various levels of alertness. While Lady Degrachaff was giving her full attention to his words, Lord Shuubert, as he insisted on being called, was nodding off rhythmically, his head bobbing up and down as he battled with the seductress known as sleep.

    ¡°Dofro Ginba, 100 points.¡±

    ¡°Qinda Nistie, 148 points.¡±

    And on he went, announcing those students with the lowest points. Apparently it was a motivational tactic to shame the poor performers into improving through social humiliation.

    Which he outright stated at the beginning of the gathering.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯re finished with the dunces,¡± he said, eliciting giggles and snickering from the students, ¡°let¡¯s proceed to the other end of the scale: the dedicated. These are the students with the top results this year, and as such, they have displayed their diligence and willingness to learn. We at the academy believe that while punishment has its place, rewards are equally as effective.¡±

    ¡°Now, when I call your name, come up to the stage and receive your reward.¡± He pulled out a piece of paper, reading out from it and looking into the crowd.

    ¡°Ranked twelfth in this batch, Orma of Jyvra City, step forward.¡±

    A commoner. I didn¡¯t know other unsponsored commoners were in my batch.

    Since this was the first time all of the first-years were gathered in one place, I could see the entire ratio of commoners to nobles. While I was marginally familiar with those who enrolled with me in Khobadaar, I knew there were plenty of other cities that had registered newcomers as well, and I predicted that commoners would be the minority. And just as expected, nobles outnumbered commoners nearly thirty to one, highlighting the gap.

    And from my very, very rough visual estimate, I guessed that the academy received a batch of nearly seven thousand newcomers this year.

    In etiquette lessons, we were taught that while nobles were addressed with their title in front of their name, commoners were addressed as belonging to their place of birth or residence. As I was ostensibly from Khobadaar, people would address me as such. Another answer I got in the etiquette classes was how to identify sponsored commoners, i.e. those commoners who had their tuition paid for by a noble, in exchange for working for them in the future.

    The sponsored commoners usually wore something associated with the noble house to mark them, such as a pin or hat, glove, scarf, anything really, as long as it had the house¡¯s symbol or colors on it.

    And judging by her appearance, Orma of Jyvra City apparently did not belong to that group.

    As she approached the stage with the teachers on it, she looked¡­meek. Like she was walking to a guillotine instead of being rewarded. Her shoulders were hunched, her eyes were darting around, and she kept fidgeting with her hands, all classic signs of nervousness.

    I feel you, sister. If that were me up there, I¡¯d be just as nervous. Well, maybe a bit less so, considering I¡¯m a bit more indifferent to all of this than you, but hey, I get it.

    ¡°Orma of Jyvra City, as one of the top performing students this year, with a total of 366 points, the academy awards you an additional 40 points, as well as the opportunity to study with a renowned composer and lyricist.¡±

    As soon as the final sentence was read out, it was like the girl was injected with dopamine. She transformed from a meek little mouse to a bright sunflower, a beaming smile plastered on her face. She bowed and thanked the headmaster profusely, after which he dismissed her, calling forward the next students.

    The top students were called out one by one, and it quickly became clear that while each student received points, they also received a personalized reward, something they were passionate or curious about. Lessons from accomplished professionals, rare materials or products, the custom rewards encompassed a wide array of fields and topics.

    And finally, the moment I was waiting for arrived.

    ¡°Ranked third in this batch, Rhaaj of Khobadaar City, step forward.¡±

    My name echoed throughout the arena, drawing raucous laughter that was quickly stifled, along with plenty of glares filled with envy and disdain.

    A commoner that outperformed nobles not being well-received, who could have possibly seen that coming?

    In any case, I walked up to the teacher¡¯s stage, presenting my usual ¡®slightly apathetic but still honored to be here¡¯ attitude that I had worn at nearly all times at the academy.

    The headmaster glanced at me briefly before returning to his pre-written speech.

    ¡°Rhaaj of Khobadaar City, having garnered a total of 519 points, the academy hereby awards you an additional 85 points. Moreover, you are given the opportunity to study under two experts in their field, a pair of tier one tamers.¡±

    Once again, I was shocked. I hadn¡¯t told anyone about my interest in taming. At most, I had raised one or two questions in class, and having gotten less than satisfying answers, I searched the library for answers to my queries. Again, I was limited in my ability to search, restricted as I was by the first-year limitation. No doubt, studying under a pro tamer could be helpful, and tier one¡¯s at that, but the question remained¡­

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    The headmaster smirked when he saw my face, gesturing for me to walk back down.

    I snapped out of it and copied what everyone else had done, thanking him while giving a salute, then went back to my seat within the crowd.

    How did he know?......tracking? Some kind of secret magical surveillance?

    Wait¡­

    I slowly pulled out my student card, looking at the back. The row labeled ¡®Points¡¯ now showed ¡®604¡¯, having updated since I last saw it a few hours earlier that morning. More importantly, there was a blood magic GPS imbued into it that I had been rightfully paranoid about, until I forgot about it.

    Well, not anymore.

    Yeah, I¡¯m cranking up the paranoia to 100. From now on, until proven otherwise, I should assume I¡¯m under constant surveillance, audio, video, the works.

    While I was lost in my thoughts, the headmaster continued handing out prizes, the top two positions belonging to two bookish nobles I wasn¡¯t familiar with.

    ¡°And with that, I¡¯ll conclude this year¡¯s gathering. To those of you who have done poorly, I advise you to dedicate more time and effort to your studies, even outside of lessons. To those of you amongst the top, maintain that drive. I urge you not to become complacent with your current position, but to continue striving, to always improve, or at least, keep the fire burning within you that pushes you further. Dismissed.¡± The headmaster took a look at the crowd of first-years, nodded, then left the stage and the arena. The teachers followed him, and finally, the students poured out.

    <hr>

    ¡°Well, that went about as well as expected.¡±

    He glanced around the room, his colleagues either nodding their assent or waiting stoically for the meeting to continue.

    ¡°Shuubert, wake up dammit!¡± He pounded on the table, startling awake the perpetual partygoer and functioning alcoholic.

    ¡°Wha-what¡¯s happening?¡± The introduction to magic teacher looked around, dazed and confused. The man was a major pain in the rear, but the grievances he brought on a daily basis were matched by the donations accompanied by his research, and their results.

    So the headmaster simply made do as best he could.

    ¡°Shuubert, if you fall asleep again, I¡¯ll go back on our deal. Is that what you want?¡± The headmaster threatened.

    That got him wide-eyed and awake.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that! You swore if I took the last period every day, I¡¯d get the early class on Sixthday! Ugh, if it weren¡¯t for that flowery fowl who calls herself a royal, I could have an entire additional day to my weekend!¡± he shouted.

    ¡°Oh? You have a problem with my first-year¡¯s lessons being scheduled in the morning?¡± Lady Degrachaff may have presented a stern yet nurturing appearance to the first-years, not counting that one fool, but outside of the classroom, she was just as quick to discard etiquette as a common sailor.

    She had apparently gotten herself deep into debt investing in her friends¡¯ failed business ideas, and her family sent her here to work it off. It wouldn¡¯t do for a member of royalty to be seen as a failed investor, even if they belonged to a branch family and not the main line. Better she be presented as a dutiful royal, enlightening the new generation with the wisdom of those who stood at the top.

    Which made it his problem when the far-removed, barely blood-related cousin to the current king got into disagreement with the other members of his teaching staff.

    ¡°So what if I do? What, you gonna sic the royal hounds on me? Give it a try, princess.¡± Shuubert scoffed, waving his hand dismissively.

    ¡°I have a better idea, Lord Popsemout. How about we¨C¡± she was interrupted by the scream that came out of her rival.

    ¡°For the last time, it¡¯s Shuubert!¡± He sent a spell her way, which she quickly blocked and dissipated. The royal cousin struck him where it hurt: his surname.

    Lord Shuubert¡¯s ancestor was apparently known for being fertile, which led to his entire line having to bear the apt yet humiliating name of Popsemout when the king of that era granted him lordship.

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡±

    The headmaster raised both his hands, activating the array which stopped the use of magic in the room. The two combatants were standing across from each other, their wands drawn and looking livid, until they felt the flow of essence abruptly stop.

    ¡°Now, if the two of you are finished, can we get back to the end of year assessment? Or would you prefer a more physical altercation?¡±

    The two uttered their apologies to the headmaster, feigning contrition and conciliation for the moment, while shooting pointed looks at each other whenever their gazes met.

    Sighing to himself, the headmaster proceeded with the original purpose of the meeting: assessing the progress of the students.

    ¡°We¡¯ll start with the first-years. While the dunces are just that, it¡¯s good that there appear to be fewer and fewer of them each year. We can hold remedial lessons for those in need of it during the winter break.¡±

    They hammered out the details for the remedial lessons, determining which topics needed to be covered, and which were important enough to review multiple times. The students had increased in both quantity and quality, having many more than expected as a result of their expansion policies, and those that were accepted were of a higher quality than in previous years.

    Across the board, the majority of students performed better than in previous years, no doubt due to the influence the academy had in the establishment of other educational institutions across the continent.

    ¡°Now, the elites of the first-years. Four of the top twelve were commoners, proving the effectiveness of our policies. If we look at the batch as a whole, most commoners placed somewhere in the upper half, with only a few outliers, most likely the sponsored ones.¡±

    ¡°Should we¡­.¡±

    A round of suggestions was put forth by most of the teachers, offering possible avenues to improve commoner outreach and integration. Eventually, the meeting reached one of its more exciting sections: discussing promising candidates for scholarship and transfers.

    ¡°Citizen Orma is an excellent choice, given her enthusiasm for music composition, although¡­being a native from Jyvra City, it might be better for someone less accustomed to the academy to receive it. Perhaps as a lower-priority candidate.¡± one teacher said.

    ¡°Prenaria Gashly, third daughter of Baron Gashly of Rictius Meadow, ranked¡­.fifty-eighth in this batch. Rather good, all things considered. Perhaps her?¡± another teacher proposed.

    ¡°I¡¯m quite certain I know the perfect candidate. At least for the top spot.¡±

    All eyes turned to Lady Degrachaff, as her hand rose in the air, accompanied by a small smirk on her face as she turned to glance gloatingly at Lord¡­Shuubert, who was watching the proceedings with detachment.

    ¡°Citizen Rhaaj of Khobadaar. Not only was he ranked third, only being edged out by those two ducal heirs, he is a rare breed. And I do mean that in both the literal and metaphorical sense, despite his name.

    ¡°You see, young Rhaaj, despite registering in the tier 3 city of Khobadaar, despite his attention to detail and voracious appetite for knowledge, despite his ability to provide for his own tuition without a sponsor¡­was born in a little, backwater, hole-in-the-ground¡­.village.¡± She said the last word with emphasis.

    And it caused a reaction that caused her smile to grow even wider.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°How is that possible!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying! There¡¯s no way!¡±

    ¡°Ahem.¡±

    The headmaster¡¯s cough ended the outburst of the staff, as they returned to their previous state of propriety, and he questioned the royal further.

    ¡°Lady Degrachaff. Olyn. Would you mind explaining to us how you found out this information? With all due respect, while I do not doubt your word, this matter has a large impact on both the student in question, and his potential benefactors.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Lord, forgive me, Headmaster Lewyinlook. While I admit my first source was the gossip mongers of the capital, I know the rumor mill is hardly a reliable source of information when dealing with something so sensitive. So after delving into the mire of bits and pieces I heard about, imagine my surprise when I learned that a promising student at the academy had apparently been working to gather the funds needed for tuition nearly a full year before enrolling. Working day and night, taking odd jobs and even those we disdain, maintenance and crematory jobs,¡± she shuddered at even mentioning them, ¡°all to fund his education.¡±

    ¡°And of course, who was it that confirmed this nugget of truth? One of my old friends, who happens to have an estate in the same city young Rhaaj registered in, as well as the Head Workman of the Society branch in the same city. Being a royal member does come with privileges every now and then.¡± she said, ending her story.

    ¡°And, your friend? They are?¡± the headmaster asked, ignoring the mention of blatant bribery.

    ¡°The good countess Ryfellin. Perhaps you would remember her as Lady Troia Wordsome, headmaster,¡± she responded.

    ¡°Wordsome¡­it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard that name. Is there anyone who doesn¡¯t know the story of that house? It would appear your source is credible. Forgive my doubt, Lady Olyn.¡± He said, slightly inclining his head.

    ¡°And that¡¯s not all! Did you know our young candidate has had multiple encounters with voranders?¡±

    The meeting was then hijacked by the technically-royal family member, as she regaled the teaching staff with the story of a boy picked up by a trading convoy and who had had multiple scraps with humanity¡¯s oldest enemy, managing to survive every time.

    It would appear her sources were both accurate and widespread, if she could manage to piece together someone¡¯s past only knowing their name.

    It took another hour before the selection of candidates was finalized, and the discussion of second-years could begin. The annual meeting to determine scholarship candidates was yet another of those activities that fell under the category of boring but necessary.

    The headmaster¡¯s pounding headache grew more intense as he thought of the work he needed to finish before tomorrow¡¯s end-of-year ceremony for the second-years. And just as quickly, it lessened as he thought of his frankly ridiculous salary, and the incoming donations from noble parents.

 Chapter 21

    A few days after the end-of-year ceremony, everyone who had been named during the ceremony, both the dunces and dedicated as the headmaster so eloquently put it, were called into the administration building to meet with the headmaster in his office. No reason was given, just a time and place to show up at.

    All the dedicated students showed up early, patiently waiting outside the office for a while before the dunces arrived in one big clique, talking and laughing as they sauntered up the hallway.

    Somehow they all wore looks of disdain¡­or contempt? Whatever it was, they were united in their viewpoint of looking down on the dedicated. It was an odd position for them to take, but those were the ways of the jealous. ¡®If I can¡¯t have it, it¡¯s no longer valuable.¡¯ Disguising envy with scorn, the tactic of somebody trying to have the last word in an argument and thus be right. The commoners among the group also had expressions matching that of the nobles, confirming my thought that their families were all associated with each other outside the academy.

    Ignoring them, I tried to talk to the other students there with me to provide a distraction, and somewhat reluctantly, got to know the other ¡®dedicated¡¯ students. Everyone was polite enough, even if the nobles were a bit haughty. While my academic ability was enough to gain me some recognition, a lack of birthright prevented them from truly socializing with me.

    All things being equal, I was fine with that.

    The other commoners and I got along relatively well, and I had no problems fraternizing with them. The main topic of conversation were the upcoming ¡®internships¡¯, I guess you could call them. Everyone was looking forward to studying under the pros in their field of interest.

    Except for one of the students, who had or would very soon receive a rare smithing material. I wasn¡¯t that familiar with the crafting disciplines, outside of the basics covered in the intro to magic classes, but apparently the material he was awarded was extremely efficient when it came to dispersing essence, and he had tentative plans to incorporate it into a shield.

    After everyone had assembled, the door to the headmaster¡¯s office opened and we were all called in. The dunces went in first, and I and the other dedicated students followed behind them.

    Entering the headmaster¡¯s office, I felt like it gave off the feeling of low-key arrogance. Everything was subtle yet exquisite, to the point that even I could tell that everything was expensive without being gaudy. Even the size of the room was huge, large enough to fit a hundred people. The wall behind the headmaster¡¯s desk was a single pane of glass, displaying a stunning view of the grounds beyond the academy, a large sprawling forest and a lake just before the horizon. Just like most of the other academy buildings, the floor and walls were opaque somehow, while the view was spectacular, a transparent window overlooking a natural vista.

    Nothing was overtly screaming ¡®Silence, you idiot and bow down before your superior¡¯, but in conjunction with everything else, that was how the room made me feel. And, evidently, I was not the only one to have that feeling.

    The room turned silent as I walked in, the dunces having been stifled by the room¡¯s appearance. The headmaster was reviewing a stack of papers on his desk, the scratching of his quill the only audible sound in the room. After he finished, he set aside the papers, and took a look at everyone in front of him.

    Sighing, he rubbed his temple as he asked, ¡°Who was the last person to arrive? Anyone?¡±

    We all wore confused expressions on our faces as we looked around, unsure of both the answer and the relevance of the question.

    ¡°I¡¯ll answer for you, since all of you either don¡¯t know or don¡¯t care to tell me.¡± He consulted a metallic plate, which looked similar to the affinity board I had seen during my enrollment, before he continued. ¡°Oh? In what I¡¯m sure was a coincidence, every single student with poor performance came here at the same time. Together. And late.¡±

    ¡°Headmaster, we ¨C¡±

    ¡°Quiet. I honestly don¡¯t care,¡± he said, holding up a hand to stifle the one speaking. ¡°Haaa, did none of you attend any etiquette lessons this year? Or did a member of the royal family somehow forget to impart to you the significance of showing up on time? Wasn¡¯t there a saying she taught you in class? Young lord Everett, you should know what I¡¯m referring to.¡± the headmaster said, looking at one of the students.

    Nodding his head, he replied, ¡°Yes, headmaster. Arch-, ahem, Lady Degrachaff taught us the phrase I believe you¡¯re describing. ¡®Being early means you¡¯re on time, and being on time means you¡¯re late, and being late is unacceptable.¡¯ It was meant to describe how wasting another person¡¯s time is considered rude, as you are indirectly showing that your time is more valuable than theirs, as they are unable to proceed in your absence.¡±

    Everett was one of the two people who scored above me, and I could see why. While I understood the lesson as well, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to summarize it as succinctly or fluently.

    Well, that and I was somewhat average when it came to history and geography. The unfamiliar names and terms took a while for me to get used to.

    The headmaster nodded, proceeding with his speech. ¡°So, for blatantly showing up with no respect for my time, all those who arrived late will have twenty points deducted. And do not even think of complaining! Perhaps your behavior will improve after your winter lessons.¡±

    And just like that, the dunces were handed the schedules for their remedial lessons, which would be held over winter break. One by one, they all received their schedules, endured a personalized rant from the headmaster, and were then sent on their way. Some held back tears, some failed to hold them back, and some were stoic and unflinching, taking the reproach without comment. But one thing was certain:

    There were no smirks of disdain anymore.

    After the troublesome half of the students left, the atmosphere of the room lightened up a bit, the headmaster muttering to himself about bad seeds and leaning back in his chair, relaxing much more.

    ¡°Sigh, now that that¡¯s done with, I can move on to the better part of today¡¯s meeting: apprenticeships.¡±

    With a much kinder tone, the headmaster, whose name I only learned at that very moment, via his nameplate, was V. Leywinlook, handed each of us our own schedules for our apprenticeships. The last two months of winter were designated as the academy¡¯s only vacation, with most students free to do as they wished, either returning to their homes, or staying at the academy.

    While the bottom and top scorers were both made to stay behind for the break, the dunces had to attend remedial lessons, while us dedicated were able to ¡®apprentice¡¯ under select experts. It was giving us early exposure to subjects that could potentially be covered later on, depending on our choices.

    Yep, the second year of the academy let us choose elective classes depending on our interests. The headmaster only mentioned it briefly before moving on.

    The pros we would be learning from were either alumni of the academy or instructors in other academies. It was explained to us as having a one-on-one class with a guest lecturer, which I was fine with, or a two-on-one in my case, as I was meant to learn from a pair of tamers.

    After being given our schedules and having a few minor questions answered, we were dismissed from the headmaster¡¯s office and returned to our dorms ¨C barracks, they¡¯re called barracks here.

    Shaking my head, I thought about the situation a bit.

    The only reason I was looking up taming in the library was to see whether the taming spell could mutate somehow, as it did for me with the beast space, and if it had ever happened before. To my disappointment, I never found anything beside the most common methods of taming and the types of bonds one could have with their tamed. And while that was somewhat useful, it didn¡¯t shed any light on the unique situation I found myself in. Nor did I believe that asking pro tamers about it would be helpful, outside of exposing one of my secrets and landing me in trouble.

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    So yeah, this ¡®apprenticeship¡¯ under a couple of tamers was effectively a waste of time for me.

    ========================================================================

    ¡°I swear, the academy¡¯s letting in too many lowborns nowadays!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Paedro, your father¡¯s only a count, what do you know? I¡¯m the one who got slapped on the first day! And I didn¡¯t even do anything wrong!¡±

    ¡°Fyor, you lower the intelligence of everyone around you when you talk. Just be glad we¡¯re only taking remedial lessons and not¡­correction lessons.¡±

    The nobles and their entourage of subordinate lowborns were walking back to the barracks, arguing about who had it worst in their group and whether or not complaining to their parents would accomplish anything.

    Well, the nobles were discussing the issue loudly. The commoners following behind them were the sons and daughters of servants in the noble¡¯s households. The agenda devised by the nobles was for the commoners to branch out and make connections with other people outside of their usual social circle, but that idea was derailed immediately as soon as the noble heirs accompanying them were given a speck of control, freed from the watchful eyes of their parents, as they threatened or coerced the commoner students into essentially acting as their lackeys, running errands for them or other, in the eyes of the nobles, ¡®minor¡¯ tasks.

    That these minor tasks made the commoners¡¯ academic performance decline was a non-issue. Why would it matter to the next generation of noble lords and ladies if their followers were doing poorly? If anything, it was a good thing for them, as it kept the lowborn in their place where they belonged: below the nobles.

    When in public, the commoners acted as their noble ¡®employers¡¯ demanded, wearing haughty expressions or acting however they were told to, but in private, they were exhausted, running around doing various laborious jobs, getting pocket money for the nobles, or desperately trying to salvage their gradually worsening academic life.

    It didn¡¯t help that the academy turned a blind eye to the situation, as the commoners never asked for help, and the staff had their own reasons for not getting involved.

    ¡°You, what¡¯s your name, again?¡± One of the nobles turned around and pointed at one of the group¡¯s female followers randomly. The person being pointed at quickly curtsied and said, ¡°My name is Ulna, my lord.¡±

    Nodding, the noble said, ¡°Huh, Ulna, what kind of name is that? Actually, forget it, I don¡¯t care that much. From now on, you have a new job. Come to my barracks after dinner tonight and I¡¯ll tell you about it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± she said, her posture still deferential as she retreated to the group of commoners.

    The nobles laughed amongst themselves as they continued walking, while the few commoner girls next to Ulna held her hands surreptitiously, discreetly trying to comfort her as she held back tears, desperately hoping that she wouldn¡¯t be made to do something irreversible.

    ========================================================================

    ¡°It¡¯s disgusting. We can at least all acknowledge that point, right?¡±

    The headmaster and every senior member of staff, along with the heads of every department and a certain archduchess, were gathered in a conference room to discuss the problem that never seemed to go away:

    Entitlement. More specifically, the entitlement of the noble students.

    And the royal cousin was making her thoughts on the matter quite clear.

    ¡°I refuse to believe that my esteemed colleagues have not addressed or at least deliberated on this issue before. How can such rampant¡­ vanity and conceit proliferate in these glorious halls?¡± Lady Olyn said, her voice rife with anger.

    ¡°As you know, Lady Olyn, this is a delicate matter. While everyone, commoner or noble, has basic rights, the upper class has always viewed their¡­privileges¡­as innate as their rights,¡± the headmaster claimed, rubbing his face in exasperation.

    This issue was a constant thorn in the side of every academy since its inception: how to enforce decent behavior among noble students when there were no consequences for their egregious actions.

    ¡°We can¡¯t simply ban it outright?¡± one instructor asked.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work. Eventually, those brats would complain to their parents and leave the academies altogether. They might accept it for a time, but they¡¯d make a fuss doing so. I can already hear them clamoring. ¡®Nobles have rights as well! What¡¯s wrong with a noble making requests of their household staff? They¡¯re always free to ignore any requests they¡¯re not capable of doing.¡¯ Pfft, as if those children have any say in how they¡¯re treated. It¡¯s disgraceful.¡± one of the female department heads shouted.

    ¡°We could refuse to admit nobles altogether for a certain time period. See how that affects them.¡± another staff member proposed.

    ¡°No.¡± The headmaster dismissed it immediately. ¡°The founders made a vow when they created the academies that nobody would be forbidden from enrolling due to their status. I do not intend to be the first to break the spirit of that vow.¡±

    The will of the founders was not something to take lightly. The teacher who proposed it flushed and apologized for his indiscreet remark.

    The headmaster continued, ¡°We also can¡¯t raise the fees for select students, as that would also constitute discrimination, nor can we purposefully lower their scores, although quite frankly, they seem to have no troubles doing that on their own.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying even if I approached the king directly¨C¡± Lady Olyn said.

    ¡°His Majesty could create a law forbidding the mistreatment of commoners tomorrow, and the only result would be nobles protesting, refusing to comply or, Mother forbid, retaliating.¡±

    The headmaster pushed on, ¡°All the academies have tried different solutions throughout the years. Separating the commoners from the nobles. Staggering their classes so they don¡¯t interact often. Mild punishment. Someone had the inspired idea to raise taxes for those brats¡¯ parents, and he was released from service the next day, as he should have been. The academy was meant to be a place free of the politics and environment of the outside. You all know the combat classes start from the second year until the fourth, and the training grounds are full of opportunities for those little¨C¡± he stopped himself before he could cross the line.

    Silence reigned over the room for a few seconds as they all tried to come up with any viable solution on how to solve this problem, or at least reduce the frequency at which it happened.

    If this continued, commoners in general would see a decline in both performance and enrollment, ultimately going against the wishes of the original founders of the academy.

    In the worst case scenario, the academy or the entire city could be attacked by a monster horde, and yet another rule would be added to the Commandments, that list of rules to abide by unless one wanted to see the inside of a vorander¡¯s mouth up close.

    ¡°Is it¡­maybe if¡­¡± one voice muttered.

    The owner of the voice, a teacher¡¯s assistant, was looking at the floor, his head in his hands, hunched over, whispering to himself. His neighbors stared at him until he suddenly stood up, grasping the large circular table in front of all of them.

    ¡°Headmaster! I have an idea I think might work!¡± he said.

    ¡°Alright, get on with it, man. Wait¡­who are you?¡±

    ¡°I just recalled something that I think could be applied to this situation! Imagine this, you¡¯re on the battlefield, your comrades are either dying or fighting for their lives against the enemy, leaving you alone to deal with whatever is coming for you. You¡¯re outnumbered, outmatched, fatigued. You wouldn¡¯t go down without a fight, would you? This battle is lost, and everyone knows it. But you would surely do your absolute best to take as many of those savages with you to the Mother¡¯s Embrace!¡± he exclaimed at the top of his voice.

    ¡°What are you even talking about, man?¡±

    ¡°Self-sacrifice. Giving your life for a worthy cause.¡±

    The room, which had a few whispering among themselves, now became silent.

    ¡°You¡¯re not asking us to die, are you, lad?¡± the headmaster asked jokingly.

    ¡°Ah, no, forgive me, headmaster. I only meant that we have been looking at this from the wrong point of view. Instead of thinking of how to make them stop, we should have been thinking about not giving them the opportunity in the first place.¡± the assistant head replied.

    ¡°So, your solution is¡­¡± the headmaster prompted.

    ¡°We stop taking in donations. If that fails, then we stop enrolling students entirely.¡±

    His declaration was met with silence, followed by scornful laughter, then quiet murmuring.

    Donations made up more than 70% of the academies¡¯ budgets, so a proposition to stop accepting them was¡­nothing short of financial suicide.

    ¡°Let me see if I have this right.¡± the headmaster said, massaging his forehead. ¡°What was your name, lad?¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry, headmaster. I¡¯m Quis Levidna. You¡¯ve¡­probably heard of my mother.¡± he said, turning a bit embarassed at the end, his face turning red as he said it.

    ¡°You¡¯re Ynta¡¯s son?¡± he cried out, eyebrows jumping up in shock. ¡°How ¨C, no, never mind, we can talk about that later. Just, explain your plan to me ¨C I mean, us, but this time with more details.¡± the headmaster waved him on, urging him to proceed.

    And so the staff listened as they heard the young assistant explain his plan with slightly more details.

    As they heard more and more of his speech, which they initially ridiculed internally as absurd, they gradually became convinced of the feasibility of his plan.

    ¡°And you said this idea was inspired by a student?¡± another department head asked him.

    ¡°Yes. I recalled a certain answer to one exam question that stuck out to me due to how¡­incongruous it was.¡±

    ¡°Well, at the very least, we¡¯ve made some progress, exploring new avenues. I¡¯m willing to try it, just to see a couple of those old foxes squirm,¡± the headmaster chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll reconvene in a week¡¯s time. For now, you¡¯re all dismissed. Keep thinking of possible ideas in the meanwhile.¡±

    It was only the second meeting of the day, but the headmaster¡¯s headache had already returned.

    Thinking of the potential cut to his revenue stream did not alleviate it.

 Chapter 22

    Lord Shuupert, despite his predilections for alcohol and partying, was a decent teacher. Like clockwork, he would be late and hungover on the first day back after every weekend, and would dash from the classroom as soon as the bell rang marking the start of the weekend, at least for him. And yet, despite all that, he was thorough in disseminating the information he needed to.

    In his classes, he covered a variety of topics at a reasonable pace, while also clarifying any questions from students and ensuring that the majority retained that knowledge even after he moved on from a certain topic.

    He covered the branches of magic, which were the different elements like fire and water, different spells from each branch, notable figures who made significant contributions to magic, and gave an overview of different professions that consistently used magic, for example enchanters, tamers, and magesmiths.

    He also discussed focuses ¨C the tools used by mages to channel their magic more efficiently. The more popular examples included wands, staffs, orbs and gloves. Natural materials such as wood, stone, or sand were manipulated and shaped into a form suitable for the wielder to use by a craftsman. But theoretically, any mage could use anything as their focus as long as it was attuned to them, via a blood magic spell created centuries ago for that express purpose. These tools provided an extra ¡®oomph¡¯, as Lord Shuupert put it, to any spells cast with them, giving the user slightly better results than if they had performed the spell freehand.

    Then he went on a tangent, ranting that a focus was entirely unnecessary and a crutch to a true mage, as any self-respecting and capable mage didn¡¯t need external tools to channel essence as long as they had a decent conductivity and at least a basic breathing technique, not to mention the hours of practice needed to properly execute spells.

    It was rather funny when he immediately course-corrected, citing the syllabus and telling us how to identify compatible focuses and materials that could be used to make one.

    But despite everything covered in his class, I never learned anything that answered my questions about why my taming spell produced such abnormal effects, as he didn¡¯t give any in-depth answers and I wasn¡¯t inclined to ask him such specific questions.

    I struck out again at the library, as I never found out any useful information. My upcoming apprenticeship with the pro tamers could potentially help, but, again, I didn¡¯t want to take the initiative to ask them flat out, as asking the question itself might be taboo, or have unfortunate consequences for me.

    I never got the chance to find out if it would be helpful or not, as I was called into the headmaster¡¯s office two days before the apprenticeship would start.

    ¡°They¡¯re dead?!¡± I screamed. ¡°How is that possible? What happened?!¡± I threw decorum out the window when I heard the news.

    ¡°Sigh, why don¡¯t you take a seat first?¡± the vice head said, gesturing to an open chair.

    The headmaster was preoccupied with other matters, so the vice head acted in his stead in sharing the news with me.

    ¡°The authorities have confirmed their deaths, and while you don¡¯t necessarily need to know, I feel you can handle the truth. Although¡­.can I ask that you keep this to yourself? I¡¯d rather not have the entire academy sent into a panic,¡± the vice head asked me.

    I nodded in agreement, which he nodded to in response.

    ¡°How far along did Shuupert get in your class?¡± he asked me.

    Frowning, I replied, ¡°How far along? I think he covered everything in the syllabus. The branches of magic, basic spells, focuses, professions. What are you ¨C¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯ve read your file. Ah, just so you know, the academy keeps records of all its students¡¯ performances. You seem like a smart lad, if slightly unlucky. If I said they died to bandits, would you believe me?¡± he posed.

    ¡°No, of course not.¡± I said, almost instantly. ¡°From what I know, bandits only appear in lower tiered regions, and are driven more by desperation and hunger rather than greed. Even if there were bandits in a tier 1 or 2 region, which I highly doubt, they would either be¡­.¡± I trailed off as I pondered the implications.

    Bandits in a tier 1 or 2 region wouldn¡¯t last long. By definition, they were commoners who attacked others for money or food, and typically, such people would never have any combat training. They would either die out to hunger, patrolling squads of knights, or stray beasts. I mean, theoretically, they could also die to a ¨C

    No. You¡¯re shitting me.

    I lost all control of my face as my expression gradually turned to one of ponderance, and finally disbelief, as I realized the crux of the matter.

    ¡°That look on your face tells me you¡¯ve guessed it, or at least part of it. They were originally coming from our parent academy in the east when they were ambushed. As a precaution, the security in the surrounding area is being tightened, and scouts have been sent out to look for the perpetrators,¡± he said, as if he was reporting the incident to me.

    ¡°Did you know that students are allowed to transfer between academies?¡± he asked me, reverting to a nonchalant tone as he bounced around between various seemingly unrelated topics. I shook my head slowly. ¡°Top students of the branch academies can move to a tier 1 campus, while the bottom students of tier 1 academies can be transferred here or to other tier 2 campuses. It is rare, but it happens every once in a while. There is a certain¡­risk¡­in transferring up, which is why we prefer to only let students transfer if we feel they can handle that inherent danger. So tell me. Do you think you can handle it?¡± he asked me, looking me straight in the eyes.

    Voranders. He was referring to those asshole monsters. The gift that kept on goddamned giving.

    While I was doing my research on taming in the library, I came across a piece of information that seemed innocuous at the time, but was becoming increasingly relevant.

    While the tier of a region denoted its essence density, it correspondingly denoted the danger level. More essence meant more opportunities for growth, in nearly every area. And there was one specific race that took advantage of this fact more than any other. Goddamn monsters.

    Tier 1 and tier 2 regions, due to their higher density of essence, were magnets for the monsters. They bred quickly there, more so than in other regions, and as a result of this increase in numbers, they frequently assaulted settlements, killing plenty of people every time.

    And among those settlements were the tier 1 academies, hence the vice head¡¯s allusion to danger. Apparently, it was possible for a monster horde to break through the city¡¯s defenses and rampage every so often, which was why the academy awarded points to anyone who helped repel the monster waves, as they were colloquially called.

    That¡¯s what they meant by community service.

    Anyways, in my research on taming, I found out that multiple people had tried taming voranders both during and after the past monster waves, and it never ended well. Some people went feral, attacking anyone in sight until they were put down. Some just straight up died, blood and grey matter leaking out of their orifices.

    But worst of all were those who became possessed. They took on the characteristics of the vorander they attempted to tame and basically became human/vorander hybrids. They either killed themselves in a fit of insanity or actually left with the remnants of the vorander hordes to their breeding grounds, with them never being seen again.

    In short, nobody in the history of the world had managed to successfully tame a vorander without any consequences.

    Until I came along. Though I could recognize that I was an outlier and not the usual standard. At all.

    I was still thinking about it when he asked me, then all of a sudden, his serious demeanor shattered as he started laughing, chuckling and shaking his head in amusement.

    ¡°Oh, never mind, never mind. Put it aside for now, boy. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I just couldn¡¯t help myself. Well, we can discuss the transfer issue later,¡± he said, brushing it aside. ¡°Regarding your reward, the headmaster has authorized one of two options for you. You may either receive an additional 150 points, or a collection of tomes regarding taming, all penned by researchers and various experts in the subject. You should know that most of their contents will be covered in the following years¡¯ curriculum, should you choose the corresponding elective class,¡± he said.

    I actually did know that. Starting from the second year, instead of the core classes, students could choose elective classes of their choice. I had already decided to pick the classes for my affinities, blood and nature magic, as well as taming and healing. I wasn¡¯t planning on being a doctor, but knowing some first aid, or this world¡¯s equivalent, was a good idea.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the points, then.¡± I said to the vice headmaster.

    ¡°You should have them by the end of the day. That¡¯ll be all. Dismissed.¡±

    I got up from my seat, nodded respectfully at him, then went back to my room to figure out my plans for the winter break.

 Chapter 23

    ¡°See anything you like?¡±

    The question was accompanied by a slap on my back, and my suspicion turned to certainty as I turned to see who spoke.

    As expected, it was my unofficial partner, Zinia. We first met when I started doing tasks at the Workman¡¯s Society near the academy. I still had plenty of pocket money to spend, thanks to my tight budgeting the year before, but I needed something to do on weekends that wasn¡¯t schoolwork. With the social circles of nobles effectively closed off to me, and the other commoner students engrossed in their studies, socializing wasn¡¯t an option either.

    ¡°Nothing special.¡± I replied casually, returning her slap with one of my own. She took it in stride as we scrutinized the board for a suitable task or two.

    While I was accustomed to waking up early in Khobadaar so I could take the ¡®good¡¯ tasks, I wasn¡¯t used to having company, aside from the Society employees there. But ever since the first time I came to the Jyvra City branch of the Society, I was no longer the only workman there at that hour.

    Zinia, the skinny tramp, always fought with me over the good tasks, and we often alternated snatching them up before the other person could get their hands on it. Eventually, we came to an agreement to just do them together and split the pay evenly.

    As a result, we became friends¡­or at least, close to friends. Enough for us to exchange our life stories (I naturally withheld my true origins) and realize we had basically the same trajectory, except that while I was rushing to get money to join the academy, she needed to make sure her family could eat every day.

    The orphanage where she grew up was underfunded and overcrowded, a common plight of welfare institutions everywhere. And to my surprise, its effects weren¡¯t caused by another corrupt noble, as the city lord himself made regular visits to inspect the various public works around his city. Zinia even claimed she had spoken to the man on more than one occasion when he stopped by the orphanage and held miniature feasts, and according to him, he paid for them out of his own coffers.

    A noble like that truly put to shame the embezzler I accused, but that was only to be expected of someone whose last name was Jyvra. Yep, the city lord and his noble house were descendants of one of the original academy¡¯s founders. Well, technically speaking, they were only an offshoot of the main line, but delving any further than that became politics, something I vehemently wished to avoid. The house was held in high regard by nearly everyone, local or otherwise, as throughout the centuries, they had rigidly adhered to the ideals of their honored ancestor: integrity, diligence, compassion.

    Of course, compassion had very little to do with the task we found ourselves doing that morning.

    ¡°Push it towards the corner!¡± I yelled.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying, but it keeps¡­running¡­around¡­me!¡± She shouted in between blows.

    A group of rats somehow managed to make a nest in the shared wall between a bakery and a tavern, and Zinia and I decided to face them together. It took the better part of the morning just to get the supplies needed, but we were on the verge of completion. The only rat we hadn¡¯t dealt with was scurrying on the tavern floor, weaving and dodging between us and the furniture.

    ¡°On the right, box it in!¡± I shouted at her.

    ¡°My right is not your right!¡± She hurriedly screamed back at me, dashing around the floor.

    ¡°Cover your area!¡±

    ¡°You cover yours!¡±

    ¡°Haa! Yes! Got it! Finally!¡±

    We stood there triumphantly covered in sweat, cages filled with rats surrounding us, while we were thanked by the elderly tavern owners before we were promptly kicked out for being too loud.

    With the last rat safely caged, we could finally turn in our tasks, yes, tasks. Plural.

    In addition to the rat extermination task, Zinia noticed another task that could be completed in tandem: capture a group of animals for research purposes.

    A small part of me was worried that the rats would be used for painful vivisection or something similar to that, but I saw another task that put my thoughts into perspective: capture live animals to be fed to tamed pets.

    All things being equal, I¡¯d rather the rats be researched on than chewed and spit out. Spending some time at the pet store to buy cages that could hold the rats felt a little dishonest, but I never committed to the other task, and the whole issue was mostly me guilt-tripping myself for no reason.

    By noon, Zinia and I had a grand total of eight squares each, the fruits of our labors.

    ¡°So, do you want to keep going, or¡­?¡± I asked her. On weekends, she preferred not to overwork herself, just so she had a bit more energy to deal with the kids at home, as well as all the chores that needed to be done in a building housing nearly thirty people.

    ¡°I should probably head home. You know, you don¡¯t need to ¨C ¡° she managed to say before I interrupted her.

    ¡°We¡¯ve had this talk a hundred times. I don¡¯t mind, and you shouldn¡¯t either. Now come on, let¡¯s see if Ed managed to finally climb that tree without Lady Pell finding out.¡± I turned around and started walking in the direction of the orphanage, shutting down the conversation, and making Zin chuckle at the thought of her little brother.

    For some reason, Zin got it into her head that she was taking advantage of me when I first offered to help with some of the chores around the orphanage. I honestly didn¡¯t mind, as I¡¯d much prefer the company of orphans to that of snooty nobles or book-centric commoners. At worst, the kids would ask questions with brutal honesty, which I knew how to handle from months of dealing with Gillen.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    While the work itself wasn¡¯t much to talk about, it was a small price to pay for something approaching normal social interaction, something I grew to see the value of.

    We were just turning the corner as a small park came into sight: trees ten feet tall surrounding a grassy field, with rows of flowers on the edges of the walkways, and benches placed in each corner. A small child was nearly at the top of one of the trees when a shrill voice shouted out, ¡°Young man, come down from there this instant! Edward! Come down at once!¡±

    A small sigh escaped Zinia¡¯s mouth as she turned to me with a wry smile. ¡°I think you¡¯ve been spending too much time here if you know my brother that well.¡±

    A few minutes later, Ed was on the ground, clothes dirtied, and enduring a lecture from Lady Penelope, who had previously insisted I call her Pell. The young noblewoman had graduated from the academy a few years prior and was performing community service as part of her family¡¯s obligations to the city.

    Once the lecture was over, Lady Pell quickly returned to the orphanage, mercifully located only a few steps away from the park¡¯s edge. Zinia and I stood to the side while Ed was being lectured, but now we stepped in to take over.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Zin asked.

    With a couple small nods and a sniffle, he responded, ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s always yelling at me. It¡¯s not fair.¡± He wiped away a couple tears before they could fall.

    ¡°She¡¯s just scared you¡¯ll hurt yourself. She doesn¡¯t want anything to happen to you. What if you broke your neck and died? What if your legs cracked and you couldn¡¯t walk anymore?¡± Zin said quietly while she wiped the dirt off his hands and clothes.

    His small face frowned as he said, ¡°That won¡¯t happen. I''ve fallen plenty of times and nothing ever happened.¡±

    ¡°Zin, why don¡¯t you go inside and check on the others? Let me talk to him.¡± I offered.

    She nervously looked between the both of us, finally deciding to nod in assent and turning toward the orphanage.

    I sat on the ground, cross-legged as I looked at Ed¡¯s small face, that frown still on it.

    What would I do if this was Gill? Honestly, I¡¯d just rat him out to his mom, but that isn¡¯t exactly an option here¡­

    ¡°Ed. Let me ask you something. Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?¡± I asked him.

    He turned to me, the frown replaced by a look of joy. ¡°Yeah! I want to be a mage! Making rock walls whenever I want, or sending that Lady woman up high in a wind storm! Or maybe a fire mage, so the rooms are always warm at night, or a water mage so we don¡¯t have to keep dragging our clothes to the water house to wash them¡­¡± He started muttering as he kept talking, getting quieter until I could only hear whispered mumbles like ¡®enough food¡¯ or ¡®sheets¡¯.

    ¡°So, a mage, huh? You know, I¡¯m something of a mage myself. In fact¡­can you keep a secret?¡± I asked him, as an absolutely reckless and poorly-conceived idea took hold of me. He nodded so much, I thought he was in danger of his head falling off. I turned around, looking for any witnesses, then dragged Ed off to the small alley between the orphanage and the adjacent building.

    ¡°I¡¯m about to show you something, but you have to promise you won¡¯t tell anyone, okay?¡± I whispered to him.

    He nodded again, an eager gleam in his eyes, and a wide smile plastered on his face, any trace of the earlier contrition from the lecture completely gone.

    With a tiny amount of effort, I summoned the green deer to my side. For the most part, it slept while it stayed in my beast space, as there was really nothing else for it to do. I only had the opportunity to let it get fresh air whenever a task took me out of the city, which wasn¡¯t often enough, according to the deer. As the beast appeared from out of nowhere, the boy covered his mouth with his little hands before his eyes widened to the size of plates and he started jumping up and down, doing a little dance. Finally, he ran up to the magical beast and started petting it.

    I was about to mentally ask the deer if it was alright being touched by the kid, but a green tongue licking Ed¡¯s face and eliciting giggles answered that question for me. The boy was starstruck by the beast, as he kept petting it and letting out small exclamations every few seconds. ¡°Wow,¡± and ¡°So cool¡± were the most common.

    ¡°He¡¯s awesome, huh?¡± I asked Ed.

    ¡°He¡¯s awesome,¡± Ed parroted back to me mindlessly, still petting the deer¡¯s legs, the highest part of it he could reach.

    ¡°The first time I met him, he was almost dead.¡±

    ¡°What? Dead? No! Why?¡± Ed shouted in outrage, stopping his petting motions long enough to turn and yell at me.

    I got up close to his face as I made eye contact and said one word, ¡°Monsters.¡±

    His face paled, and he looked terrified before I kept talking. ¡°This cool deer, that you think is awesome, almost died to monsters. It wasn¡¯t hurting anyone or anything. It was just peacefully living in the forest until a monster decided to attack it.¡±

    ¡°NOO!¡± The little boy¡¯s shout was loud enough to draw attention, but nobody passed by our spot. He clung to the deer as if the act could protect it somehow.

    ¡°Ed. I want you to listen to me. Really listen. This deer is stronger than you, and it still almost died to a monster. You care about your brothers and sisters, right?¡±

    He nodded in response like his life depended on it.

    ¡°You love them with all your heart?¡±

    Another rapid series of nods.

    ¡°Would you do anything to keep them safe?¡±

    He kept nodding, enough that some sweat started beading on his forehead and falling down.

    ¡°That is how people feel when you do things like climb tall trees or play with stray animals in the street. They don¡¯t want you to die or get hurt.¡±

    He looked at my face, and tears started falling from his reddened eyes, though he wasn¡¯t wailing or bawling. He was listening to me, even if the meaning was somewhat lost on him.

    ¡°No matter how you feel, Lady Pell truly doesn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to you. Neither does Zinia or your other siblings, or even me. We all just want you to be safe. If you want to climb trees or wrestle with animals, you can do it when you¡¯re a grown up. Look at Zinia. She does all kinds of things while she¡¯s working, climbing, running, jumping.¡±

    He nodded in response, a single sniffle accompanying the movement.

    ¡°Me, and your sister Zinia and even Lady Pell, we want you to be safe and happy. That is the truth. But safety comes before happiness. If you wanted to stick your head in the fire because you¡¯re cold and it looks fun, should we let you?¡±

    A single shake of the head and a small, ¡°No.¡± came in response.

    ¡°And if you¡¯re climbing a tree because Lady Pell was being stupid, and you wanted to run away, should we let you?¡±

    A frown and an even smaller, ¡°No,¡± came out of him, as his eyes were glued to the ground.

    ¡°Ed, we all want you to be happy. But you can only be happy if you¡¯re alive. And to be alive, you need to be safe. And being safe means that, no matter how much you might hate it, listening to the grown-ups.¡±

    A couple nods were all I got as he kept sniffling, wiping his face with his dirtied sleeves. I took the moment he was distracted to send the deer back to my beast space, a feeling of disappointment entering my thoughts.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, I forgot about something while I ¨C you know what, it¡¯s been a long day for you. How about we go inside and get some lunch, okay?¡± I asked him, a small and tentative smile on my face.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    With that, I picked him up and held him on my hip as I walked through the doors of the orphanage, wiping my feet as I did so.

    One meal of thin watery soup and a couple hours of cleaning later, I was on my way out of the orphanage when Zin walked me to the doors, as she always did.

    ¡°I might have gone a bit hard on Ed while I was talking to him,¡± I confessed to her.

    ¡°What did you say to him?¡± she asked me, her tone curious instead of the judgment I was expecting.

    ¡°Something along the lines of the world is a dangerous place and we don¡¯t want you to die just yet?¡± I offered awkwardly.

    ¡°Mother¡¯s mercy, Rhaaj. He¡¯s not even six!¡± She half-shouted at me.

    I raised my hands in capitulation as I said, ¡°I know, I know, I may have crossed a line or two. You should probably talk to him later.¡±

    She shook her head as we reached the threshold. ¡°Next time, leave the talking bits to me. Just stick to cleaning and chores.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, my lady.¡± I said.

    All I got was a roll of her eyes as she waved me off, my attempt at playing noble having lost its ability to fluster her long ago.

    What was I thinking, making a speech like that? Was I even thinking?

    Well, if there was ever any doubt about my parenting skills, there sure wasn¡¯t anymore.

    I headed back to the Society, eager to distract myself from thinking too much yet again with the promise of work.

 Chapter 24

    Last night was¡­amazing. I had no idea you could even do that! You have to show me again! I didn¡¯t even know you could get invincibility frames just by going through the grass!  And what was that trick with the boost pads, where you ¨C

    Knock knock knock.

    Honey, how do you like your coffee? Cream and two sugars! You know black is the best way to have it, right? Chocolate mousse? Sure, no problem, how about we ¨C

    Knock knock knock knock.

    Oh, that¡¯s probably the concierge, don¡¯t move, I¡¯ll be right back.

    Knock knock knock knock knock ¨C

    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m up, I¡¯m up, stop pounding on that damn door already.¡±

    I half-rolled out of bed, stumbling towards the door, the ecstasy from the quickly fading remnants of my dream replaced by a simmering annoyance at whoever was on the opposite side of the door.

    As I pulled the door open, I came face to face with a stern-looking woman, her eyes looked me over and some form of disapproval crept onto her face.

    ¡°You are Citizen Rhaaj of Khobadaar, first-year student?¡± she asked in a harsh tone.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s ¨C¡± I involuntarily let out a long and protracted yawn. ¡°What do you want?¡± I managed to ask her in my half-asleep state, as I lazily scratched the back of my head.

    ¡°Your presence will be required in the headmaster¡¯s office in two hours. Correction, one hour and fifty-three minutes,¡± she amended her statement while looking at a card that looked similar to my own. ¡°Do not push the limits of the headmaster¡¯s tolerance,¡± she said, her tone dripping with something like disdain, as she discarded her official tone for something more personal. ¡°I hope for your own sake, you do not present yourself as slovenly as you do now. You may not care about face, but looking like this disgraces yourself, and more importantly, the academy. If there¡¯s one thing the academy has too much of, it¡¯s lowbo¨C¡±

    She stopped talking abruptly, as she turned around to leave, but not without leaving a final warning.

    ¡°The headmaster¡¯s office, two hours. Do not be late, student Rhaaj.¡±

    I watched her go with heavy eyes, as I yawned once more before stretching my arms and returning to my room. All it took was a quick wash of my face and I was somewhat alive again. Looking at my face in the mirror above the sink, I could see dark bags under my bloodshot eyes.

    Well, doesn¡¯t that just make for a great first impression.

    I looked out the window and noticed how late it was. Although the sun wasn¡¯t visible, hidden by grey clouds and a slow cascade of snowflakes, it was bright enough that I could tell the sunrise had long since passed. It was rare that I woke up so late, but the combination of my lack of progress with the taming research, and the subsequent distraction that was me taking any task I could, led to me pulling an all-nighter for no good reason. Hence my late wakeup and¡­what did that woman say? Slovenly appearance?

    Well, that was easily rectified.

    One morning routine later, and I was showered, shaved, and dressed to impress. I got the feeling that my summons to the headmaster¡¯s office was regarding a somewhat serious matter, so I dressed a bit more formally than I would have liked. Even if it turned out to be not the case, there was nothing wrong with changing my usual outfit once in a while.

    Shiny leather boots that came up to my knee, long silk pants that ended at the top of my boots, and a light green tunic with floral designs around the shoulders. I didn¡¯t have a full-length mirror, but what I could see from the smaller one in the bathroom looked rather well put together.

    All my Earth clothes were safely tucked away in my beast space. Whatever else they were, they were the only things I had left of my home, and I didn¡¯t want to see them lost or destroyed due to a moment of carelessness.

    With everything ready, I got my usual satchel full of notebooks, quills and ink, and headed to the headmaster¡¯s office. I had my student card hung around a string on my neck as it rested near my chest. And a book on combat theory from the library in my bag. I needed something to do to pass the time, and reading it would at least be considered somewhat productive.

    I made my way to the administration building, taking the stairs to the headmaster¡¯s office on a higher floor. I waited outside the door alone, as there was no one else nearby, student or staff. I sat down on a nearby bench and settled into a comfortable position while I started skimming through the book.

    Strength. Speed. Control. Balance. Should any aspect be absent, the likelihood of dying increases accordingly.

    ¡­.

    Combat, like the march of time itself, is indifferent to the suffering of any individual. Victory or defeat are oftentimes decided before a blade is even drawn. Combat is ever changing and dynamic, whether it is two ants biting the other over a leaf, or two armies slaughtering each other for whatever cause their leaders proclaim. The Western Continent is fortunate in that we have not suffered under many wars, outside of the earliest records of our ancestors, tribal nomads clashing against one another. It is possible our ancestors knew that war was capable of bringing forth nothing but calamity, and sought to distance themselves from it, seeking a less violent way of resolving conflicts.

    ¡­.

    The Great Enemy, fell beings whose true origins remain unclear, brought with them only death and suffering. For all that our ancestors eschewed war, they recognized its necessity when their survival was threatened.

    ¡­.

    Footwork is key, as maintaining proper form ensures balance. As the weapon being wielded can vary, so too do the stances you must hold. The stances are simple enough to learn, but like most things, they require repetition to truly understand and utilize them properly.

    ¡­

    Allies can betray you at pivotal moments. The sword in your hand can shatter from a wayward blow. Your armor can be pierced by a well-timed arrow. Even the weather can shift unexpectedly. In combat, take nothing for granted. Even a shift in the arrangement of pebbles on the ground can lead to the death of a dragon. And you are no dragon, now are you?

    ¡­

    For those with leaner builds, it is suggested that speed be their primary focus as their forms are more suited to it, and hence their choice of weapons should complement that focus. Daggers, shortswords, or more exotic weapons such as the whip or khopesh are considered viable options.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Naturally, those of bulkier stature should similarly capitalize on their strength, ¨C

    ¡°Student Rhaaj, you may enter now,¡± a pleasant sounding voice informed me. I looked up to see a young woman wearing the academy¡¯s staff uniform standing just outside the door to the headmaster¡¯s office, holding it open for me.

    I put my book away, and got to my feet, eager to find out why I had been summoned. I had only taken a few steps into the office when the door shut behind me, the woman on the other side of the door standing in front of it. Maybe she¡¯s standing guard? Though I don¡¯t see the need for it¡­

    The interior of the headmaster¡¯s office was as subtle as ever, but unlike the last time I was here, there were far fewer people. I was the only student, and sitting across from me were the headmaster, the vice head whom I had met before, and surprisingly enough, the woman who so rudely woke me up this morning. The two heads were going back and forth while consulting a piece of paper, and the stern woman took one look at me, squinted, then promptly ignored me in favor of going through some documents in front of her.

    The headmaster¡¯s desk had magically been stretched out so that it was long enough to comfortably seat all three of them on one side, leaving a single chair on the other end for me.

    ¡°We can resume our discussion later,¡± the headmaster whispered.

    The vice head surreptitiously glanced in my direction before he responded, ¡°...Fine, fine, later then.¡±

    The headmaster nodded, and rearranged the piles of paper on the desk until a single one landed in front of him. He continued looking at it for a few moments until his attention fell onto me as he said, ¡°You may be seated, student Rhaaj.¡± I took the invitation to sit, and instantly noticed the quality of the chair matched that of the rest of the room. It was just comfortable enough to make me distracted for a moment.

    ¡°You may begin now, Lady Erita,¡± the headmaster said. At his prompt, the stern woman, Lady Erita apparently, brandished a quill and after holding its tip in an inkwell for a few moments, lay it on the paper in front of her.

    ¡°Now, student Rhaaj. Your academic performance this past year has been exemplary, truly surpassing most expectations of students, and thus you have qualified for an academic scholarship, as well as the possibility of transferring,¡± the headmaster started saying.

    The stern woman¡¯s quill was writing in front of her, transcribing everything the headmaster had said so far.

    ¡°Regarding the scholarship, your fees henceforth would be reduced by half, but only on the condition your performance remains among the top fifty students of your year. Would you accept such a proposal?¡± headmaster Leywinlook asked.

    ¡°I would, absolutely. With such a scholarship, I wouldn¡¯t need to spend as much time working to pay for the fees, and I could use that time to study instead,¡± I said. I was telling them what they wanted to hear, but in all honesty, it depended on how difficult the materials would be. If it was harder than expected, then sure, I¡¯d need to study more. If it turned out to be easier than I thought, then, well, I hadn¡¯t figured that part out yet, but the option remained.

    ¡°Good, good. Moving on, then. As I¡¯ve recently been made aware,¡± the headmaster said, giving a sharp side look to the vice head, ¡°You¡¯ve been informed about the possibility of transferring from our campus to our tier 1 parent academy. Is that correct?¡±

    ¡°...I was only aware of the possibility, headmaster. From what I recall, transfers occur¡­infrequently.¡± I responded, a small bubble of anticipation swelling within me.

    ¡°Indeed, indeed. However, you have met and I daresay, exceeded the criteria needed for a student to transfer. That infrequent occurrence is now a very possible option for you,¡± he said.

    A transfer to the tier 1 academy meant better¡­everything. Books, clothes, taming opportunities, materials. It was a no-brainer.

    Well, except for that one glaringly obvious issue.

    ¡°Headmaster, one of the qualifications for a transfer wouldn¡¯t happen to be combat ability, would it?¡± I asked somewhat nervously. I didn¡¯t want to transfer, only to get sucked into fighting those monsters every day.

    ¡°Ability? No. No matter how much talent or training you have, your combat ability is never enough for that first time. But talent can be replaced by effort and time, and training is a constant if you¡¯re wise enough to understand its necessity. No, student Rhaaj, combat ability is not one of the criteria we judge for. But willingness? Now, that¡¯s an entirely different animal. And all of us in this room know you most certainly have that.¡±

    ¡­I knew they knew, but the question remains, to what degree? If they knew everything, I¡¯d probably be dead or locked up, so the worst hasn¡¯t happened yet, but¡­

    ¡°Forgive my interruption, headmaster, but I¡¯m not familiar with what you¡¯re referring to.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help it. A small snicker escaped my lips, and the stern woman whose lips were pursed tightly looked at me with if not hatred then a massive amount of dislike on her face.

    ¡°Student Rhaaj, compose yourself. Lady Erita, the student sitting before us has survived multiple encounters with the Great Enemy ¨C¡± The vice head took over explaining before he was interrupted.

    ¡°WHAT?! Impossible! This, he¡¯s just¡­¡± She screamed in shock and also ¡­in denial?

    Who even is this woman? I assumed she worked for the academy, but if she doesn¡¯t know about my past like the head and vice head do, then who does she work for and what is she doing here?

    The pieces clicked together as an increasingly clear memory of earlier that morning floated to the front of my mind. The next words that came out of my mouth were dripping with irony.

    ¡°You can say it again, my lady. You¡¯re not even wrong. I¡¯m just a lowborn, filthy, peasant.¡±

    At those words, she jumped to her feet with more anxiety than the situation called for. She whipped her head toward the other two staff members, her eyes bugged out and her voice insistent. ¡°Headmaster, he¡¯s lying! I¡¯ve never done or said anything even remotely close to what that student said!¡±

    ¡°Sigh, student Rhaaj, would you be so kind as to hand over your student card?¡± The headmaster requested politely, his hand outstretched.

    Despite my confusion, I played along and took my card off my neck and handed it to him. The next thing I knew, he was poking it repeatedly until I heard a familiar scene play out.

    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m up, I¡¯m up, stop pounding on that damn door already.¡±

    ¡°You are Citizen Rhaaj of Khobadaar, first-year student?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s ¨C¡± A long yawn punctuated the sentence. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    From there, the recording (what else could it possibly be?) kept playing back the dialogue of a few hours prior until it reached the pivotal moment.

    ¡°You may not care about face, but looking like this disgraces yourself, and more importantly, the academy. If there¡¯s one thing the academy has too much of, it¡¯s lowbo¨C¡±

    The recording immediately stopped as silence reigned throughout the room.

    For my part, I was just glad my paranoia was proven right, even more so that it apparently screwed over a biased and prejudiced elitist.

    The headmaster shook his head before speaking in a deceptively calm tone. ¡°Lady Erita, I would strongly suggest you stay silent for the remainder of this meeting. We will discuss today¡¯s events with Lord Jyvra personally. Know that you have shamed yourself, the academy, and your patrons. Now, sit down and shut up.¡±

    A vaguely familiar scene replayed itself, as the lady was sent stumbling back into her seat while clutching her head and groaning.

    ¡­.Right, when they picked me up from Khobadaar, that performer guy did the same thing.

    I made a mental note to write an actual note about the ability, and to research it later. If I could learn to use it in the future, I would.

    ¡°Now, back to the matter at hand. Where was I?¡±

    ¡°His willingness, headmaster,¡± the vice head replied impassively.

    ¡°Yes, yes, willingness. Naturally, there is a certain amount of risk in transferring. Am I correct in saying that the academy can rely on your willingness to fight should the need arise?¡± the headmaster continued.

    This was likely the inflection point where my choice would significantly impact my future. I balanced the pros and cons of the situation, and while I knew what choice I would make, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of regret.

    As a great person once said, ¡°The best way out is always through.¡±

    With that in mind, I replied, ¡°Of course, headmaster. At the very least, if the situation was that dire, I doubt retreat would even be an option.¡±

    ¡°Splendid! So, once more, for the official record. Student Rhaaj, do you accept transferring to our tier 1 parent academy, with all the rights and responsibilities befitting a scholarship student?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said honestly, thoughtlessly deciding to inject a little bit of fun into the proceedings, ¡°I, student Rhaaj of Khobadaar City, being of sound mind and body, and without duress from any third party, honestly swear to uphold the conditions previously stated as befitting my status as a transfer and scholarship student.¡±

    There were a few moments of quiet before an unexpected voice spat out, ¡°Where the fuck did someone like you learn to talk like that?¡±

    ¡°Speak like that, Lady Erita. Speak. Honestly, I¡¯m beginning to wonder which of us is the noble and which is the lowborn peasant.¡± I replied vindictively.

    The scratching of the quill stopped as the last words left my mouth, its owner¡¯s face twisted by anger.

 Chapter 25

    ¡°So, you¡¯re really leaving, huh?¡±

    ¡°...Yeah, I guess.¡±

    I was telling most of the people I had grown close to about my departure. It wasn¡¯t that long of a list, but I didn¡¯t let that bother me as much as it should have. Although, I was putting off this last goodbye because I thought it would be the hardest.

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll come back?¡± she asked me quietly.

    ¡°...I honestly don¡¯t know. Even if I do, it will probably take years just to be able to,¡± I replied.

    Zinia and I were on the roof of some building, sitting on the edge while we spoke, our legs dangling off the edge and slowly moving back and forth. We were in the midst of our task of spreading a powdery bird repellent on every possible inch of the property, when I asked her to take a break and broached the subject.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to find another partner like you,¡± she said quietly, staring at the admittedly bleak winter view of the city. ¡°But it¡¯s even harder saying goodbye to a friend.¡±

    ¡°Zin ¨C¡± I turned to look at her, only to be surprised by a soft pressure on my lips taking away the words I had prepared. That pressure disappeared instantly as we simply stared at each other, a look of shock and denial on her face that probably mirrored my own.

    ¡°I was aiming for your cheek, you, you, you¡­that was my first kiss¡­¡± Any steam she was building up was discarded as the realization struck her and bade her whisper.

    I took it in stride. If it were a normal day, I would have joked about what happened to lighten the mood. Instead, I acted with more tact than I usually would have.

    ¡°Mine too,¡± I said, as I turned away from her and gazed out towards the city.

    The remaining work passed by quickly, neither of us in the mood for our usual banter. Once the job was done, and it came time for the actual goodbye, all that happened was a simple exchange of words, and that was it. From then on, our paths diverged.

    As callous as it sounded, I could see myself never coming back to Jyvra. Besides Zin and her siblings, I had no real attachments to this place. And, as much of an asshole as it made me sound, I couldn¡¯t put whatever goals I had on hold just to hang around them.

    As I considered my plans for the future, my thoughts jumped from one possibility to another. Graduation from the academy was the first thing that popped up. I assumed that, just like on Earth, having a degree would provide some kind of benefit. Beyond that were tentative plans to travel to the other continents. I had never travelled or vacationed that much back home, outside of a couple disastrous family trips in my childhood. Now that the opportunity presented itself, why wouldn¡¯t I jump at it?

    Then, my mood suddenly soured, as thoughts of travel made me think of Khime. I hadn¡¯t forgotten who brought me here, nor his cryptic and mysterious task that he bestowed on me, which was simultaneously of paramount importance and vital secrecy. I had pondered what it could possibly be, but without any concrete evidence, or even flimsy evidence, I didn¡¯t know what to do.

    So, as I usually did, I cursed out that probable-god in the safe confines of my mind and focused on my newest short-term goal: getting ready for the transfer.

    Frugality had been such a cornerstone of my way of living, not just recently but ever since my childhood, that I felt both emotionally lost and slightly guilty when it came time for me to make even the most reasonable of purchases. Clothing was the biggest expense I had, as most of my other necessities were covered by the academy, such as food, a place to stay, and arguably most importantly, bathing.

    Throughout the year, I had purchased dozens of sets of clothing, made out of whatever materials the tailors recommended. The dominant, frugal part of my brain screamed at me to choose a different fabric so the costs would be less. The timid yet insistent part of me that was sense or logic whispered that if expenses were to be justified anywhere, it was with clothing. And so it was that I found myself with a tiny mountain in my beast space filled with tunics, pants, underpants made of the softest fabric I could ask for, formal outfits if the circumstances demanded them, four fur-lined winter coats, and a collection of boots of varying colours and heights.

    Besides clothes, I had also made some smaller purchases that had never occurred to me before. A wooden chest to hold some of my belongings in public. A basket of my own for collection tasks. A few cages of varying sizes to transport temporarily tamed animals. Then there were the one-off tools, things I had used once and promptly forgotten about: a shovel, spade, gloves, a sewing kit complete with needles and thread, a small hammer, and other similar bits and pieces.

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    I never bought any weapons, as I had never had a need or desire for them. The majority of my time was spent safely ensconced in the academy, and the few rare times a job took me out of the city, it was always in the periphery. My bone dagger was always at hand, in case of emergencies, but that was the only concession I had made. With me moving to a tier 1 region, though, I would need to rethink my choice. Merely having a weapon close at hand wouldn¡¯t be enough, a certain amount of competence would be needed to accompany it.

    Thankfully, I was made aware that classes from the second year onwards were entirely electives, meaning I only had to attend the classes whose subjects I chose. Regretfully, the half-days I had grown fond of were now over, as that was a temporary measure meant only to acclimate first-years to the new environment of the academy. I was informed that my schedule would be set once I decided on my electives, which for the sake of convenience, would be delayed until I reached the tier 1 academy.

    I also had a veritable banquet¡¯s worth of food in my beast space. It was meant to be another safety net, a backup measure in case something disastrous happened during a teleportation and I arrived in the middle of nowhere, cut off from civilization. That, of course, led to a small argument with the green deer, which I really needed to name at some point, with the beast demanding access to more food on a regular basis, despite its ability to subsist off my essence passively. I gave in, despite my seemingly petty concerns about money, as I could see that saying no here and now would be the first step on a road that made me more utilitarian towards my tamed beasts than I would prefer. I had negotiated for feeding it every other day as long as it didn¡¯t touch my emergency food reserves.

    Oh, but the voranders didn¡¯t get any food for themselves. They wanted it, but they were living just fine off my passive essence, and their inexplicable fear towards something made them incredibly compliant whenever I was made to communicate with them.

    Finally, after double checking that I had everything ready, with most of my things safely sitting in my beast space and a plausible amount of my possessions locked securely in a wooden chest on the floor of my room, I waited for the few hours it took for the message I had been anticipating to arrive.

    Maybe the tier 1 academy would have some answers about the oddities perplexing me, or at the very least, they could point me in the right direction. I was eager to find out.

    ========================================================================

    ¡°So how long will it take?¡± a feminine voice softly asked.

    ¡°I brought them down to two months. Old Paso wouldn¡¯t go any lower than that. I¡¯ve told you about him before, right? We were in the same division together, back in the day, and he owed me a bunch of favors from that time. He wanted me to stay for six months, and we had our usual back and forth game. Sometimes I think he lives for those arguments. That man could use a wife to keep him company,¡± a tall, well-muscled man replied as he gently ran a small comb through his wife¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Company, huh? Is that all you think we do?¡± she asked him coyly.

    ¡°I mean, among other things¡­¡± he said softly.

    As he gently lowered himself to reach his wife¡¯s mouth, a loud knocking sound and a panicked child crying disturbed whatever semblance of mood there was.

    ¡°Mommy, mommy! Help!¡±

    Sighing to no one in particular, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and a wry glance back before turning to open the door. ¡°What is it, baby?¡± She picked her son up off the floor and into her arms. He was getting heavier than she expected. It was a sobering realization that made her cherish these fleeting moments all the more.

    ¡°Sniff, sniff, there, there was a, a, a, sniff, a lot of little black things! And, and, sniff, they, they were running away from the sun, and, and mister Rhaaj the villager was there too! Mommy, they were¡­ I think they were monsters!¡± Gill cried out, panic and fear written all over his face. His body was pale and clammy, and sweat covered his forehead, to say nothing of the tears and snot running down his face.

    ¡°Gillie boy, it¡¯s okay. It was just a nightmare,¡± Ganturo assured their son as he softly patted the little boy¡¯s head. ¡°You know the monsters can¡¯t get inside the walls, right, buddy? And mister villager, I mean, Rhaaj, he¡¯s safe in the academy, there¡¯s no monsters there,¡± he quietly said.

    ¡°Your daddy¡¯s right, baby. There¡¯s no monsters, everything is okay,¡± she gently said as she started rocking him back and forth.

    But to their surprise, he kept insisting.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong! I saw them! There, there were a lot of them, a lot, like a lot! And, sniff, and there were, um, sniff, those, those, guard people were there too! And there was a magic man too! He kept making rocks and throwing them at the monsters! And, he made a really big rock to stand on, and, and. Oh! One of the guards people, he, he had a really loud voice, and, and he said some not-word. I don¡¯t know what it means, but he said it and then everyone else said it. It was like oh, oh-sen, oh-sen-ear ¨C¡± Gill kept sniffle-talking as his voice gradually began to soften and lower.

    ¡°Osenir?¡± Ganturo asked sharply. ¡°Osenir, you¡¯re sure that¡¯s what they said?¡± He asked, a bit more harshly than intended. At least, it better not be, Evelyn thought to herself.

    All they got was a quick nodding in response, but apparently the action and the retelling had exhausted him, abruptly sending him back into the arms of sleep. Evelyn saw that her boy was truly asleep, then took him to his bed and laid him down, covering him with the blanket as she did so. She laid a single kiss on his forehead, and gently pushed his hair aside before she left. A quick glance at the other end of the room showed her daughter peacefully sleeping, blissfully unaware of what happened.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± Evelyn asked her husband back in their room, her tone promising that he would not like her response if he failed to give a proper answer.

    But the implicit threat was wasted on him, as he paced back and forth in their small bedroom, an odd look in his eyes that told her his mind was somewhere else entirely. All she caught were muttered phrases he whispered occasionally. ¡°How¡± and ¡°This isn¡¯t¡± were chief among them.

    ¡°Ganturo!¡± She said forcefully, bringing him out of his thoughts and his pacing. ¡°What is going on?¡±

    It took him a moment, but he collected himself and slowly pulled her so they were both sitting on the bed. Finally, after a few deep breaths, he replied, and his words threatened to send her into hysteria.

    ¡°I think¡­I think Gill might be a mage.¡±

 Chapter 26

    ¡°Again, I apologize for the inconvenience, student, but the work will be done when it¡¯s done. If you would please return to your seat, I will inform you when it¡¯s finished.¡± A stern middle-aged woman with cold eyes politely rebuffed me, shooing me away from her station.

    I had been waiting for nearly two hours, and my paperwork was still being processed. What, did the higher density of essence make people lazier or something? The only reason I was even waiting in the administration building instead of my new dorm room was because my room still hadn¡¯t been assigned to me. That was only one of the things I had to wait for, along with my new class schedule and the update on my student card to reflect my transfer. I had been assured the points were valid across all campuses, and I had a larger than expected amount that I wasn¡¯t exactly keen on losing due to a clerical error or some other such bureaucratic nonsense.

    It turned out that I wasn¡¯t the only one who transferred campuses. One of the ducal heirs who scored better than I did, as well as a respectfully polite but noble young lady both performed well enough to transfer as well. I didn¡¯t really know either of them that well, and it was unlikely that I would be able to quickly forge a new friendship with either of them, even if I wanted to.

    Of course, it bears mentioning that their paperwork was done in a flash. Why wouldn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not like this is the first bit of maltreatment I needed to endure. Hell, compared to that delusional streamer chick and her violent muscle-freak of a boyfriend killing me, this is downright passive.

    Shit, universe, I didn¡¯t mean it! I take it back! I don¡¯t want to wait in lines more than I have to! In fact, I¡¯d rather take the pummeling over the waiting! At least I can rush through the pummeling by taunting the guy over and over again, and then it¡¯s a quick death. Although, I¡¯d rather not be shot again if possible, that was just ¨C

    ¡°We¡¯re ready for you now, student Rhaaj.¡±

    As I marched up to the counter to finish up this god-awful registration process, the stern woman looked down at something as she organized a sheaf of documents in her hand.

    ¡°For some reason, your student card wasn¡¯t affected by the spell to update your new transfer status, so we¡¯ve had to issue you a new one. Your class schedule and points are all there, reflected on your new card, so you don¡¯t have to worry about those. And your dorm assignment has also been added to your card. You only need to bind it and bring up the map to see the location of your room. Now, is there anything else you need assistance with?¡±

    ¡°Nope, that¡¯s it. I mean this in the most respectful way possible, but I sincerely hope we never cross paths again.¡± I told her in all seriousness, as I all but rushed to get out of there and into my new bed.

    ¡°As do I, student Rhaaj.¡± I heard behind me.

    Huh, who knew that mean-looking lady had a sense of humor?

    The layout of the academies was identical; in fact, I¡¯d wager nearly everything about them was the same, from the location of the buildings, to the plants and trees on the walkways¡¯ peripheries, and even the glass-like material the buildings seemed to be constructed from. The only real difference was probably in the quality of books that could be found in the library.

    I flipped my newly issued student card over, which looked identical to my previous one, and pressed my index finger against the raised bump on the back. After a tiny pinch, the card flashed red and a little mini-map of light popped up in front of me. According to it, my new dorm, dammit I mean barracks ¨C actually, you know what, nobody ever refers to them as barracks anyways, people only call them their rooms, so I¡¯ll just keep calling it my dorm, was in a different building.

    Some kind of party was going on, students were mingling and carrying some kind of drink, although I couldn¡¯t detect any traces of alcohol. I squeezed past people as politely and gently as I could while rushing towards my room, carrying my wooden chest with both hands in front of me like a shield. The ground floor wasn¡¯t too bad, all things considered. But by the time I reached my floor, the top floor, I was panting for breath. The constant movement of people around me, the slight forward and backward motions, made me feel I was in a river, only I had no paddle and was at the mercy of the currents.

    The top floor was far less formal, as I saw scenes that would be familiar to most college attendees. Alcohol was most definitely present as there were isolated pockets of couples kissing, hooting and hollering of male students engaged in contests of strength, loud declarations and confessions of all kinds, and more than one person passed out next to a pool of vomit.

    I ignored all of that as much as I could, avoiding anything that looked to ensnare me, and made my way to my room, at the far end of the hallway. There was a taller student close by, who had a good four inches on me, standing in front of a closed door marked ¡®Tunnel¡¯. He was the first person I¡¯d seen who shared a similar skin tone to mine, and he was waving a wand in front of him, doing something with lightning, or electricity more specifically, as sparks kept dancing in front of him.

    As I was about to enter the door, he spoke to me, and his voice was about what I expected, deep and rich. ¡°Where do you call home?¡±

    ¡°...What?¡± I asked, turning slightly to face him.

    ¡°You clearly hail from the South. It¡¯s quite rare to see ones like us so far east. So, where do you call your home? It is possible we have some mutual acquaintances,¡± he said, while still focusing on the dancing sparks in front of him.

    ¡°....Nudool,¡¯ I said hesitantly. That was the name of the village Gillen and Ennin¡¯s uncle retired in, and from what I could recall, it was somewhere in the southwest of the continent. It was the only name I could offer, as it was clear this guy was trying to be friendly, and I didn¡¯t have it in me to just shut him down. I also didn¡¯t know the names of any other settlements in the south, as I had never needed to before this exact moment.

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    ¡°Nudool, Nudool¡­¡± he said, going over the name in his mind, ¡°Is it part of Lord Ryfellin¡¯s domain?¡±

    ¡°You know the Ryfellins?!¡± I asked in amazement.

    ¡°Not personally, I¡¯m aware of who they are, that¡¯s about the extent of it. Do¡­do you know them? As in, you¡¯ve actually met and spoken with them?¡± he replied in amazement no lesser than my own, the surprise causing the sparks at the end of his wand to fizzle out and die as I commanded his attention entirely.

    ¡°I mean, technically, yeah, but it¡¯s not that big a deal. I had some etiquette lessons from Lady Ryfellin when I was first starting out. I didn¡¯t even know she was staying there until one of her previous students introduced me,¡± I responded. ¡°Oh, apologies for the late introduction, I¡¯m Rhaaj.¡±

    ¡°...this one is named Su¡¯jiif. You are common-born, yet you are well-acquainted with nobility¡­¡± He shook his head only to say, ¡°The Mother truly cares for you.¡±

    With how long I had been in this world, I had enough context to piece together what his vague statement meant. The locals viewed the world as their Mother, and essence was dubbed ¡®Mother¡¯s Breath¡¯ by most non-mages; something about the Mother protecting her children, I didn¡¯t really care about the dogma. To say the Mother cared about me was just him implying I was lucky. And he wasn¡¯t even that far-off.

    ¡°Perhaps.¡± I replied, trying to end the conversation. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll see you later. Which one is your room?¡±

    He pointed to the one directly opposite from mine. ¡°It seems fate is pushing us together.¡±

    ¡°Guess so. Good night, then.¡±

    ¡°And to you as well, friend.¡±

    And with that parting exchange, I finally entered my dorm room, collapsing on the bed for a few minutes, before I kicked off my boots and stripped myself of everything but the proto-boxers I had on. Despite all the buildings being constructed of glass, they insulated heat pretty well, which meant regardless of the season, the temperature was the same slight amount of heat that was just enough to be comfortable.

    The next thing I knew, I was gradually woken up by intermittent thumping sounds coming from my door. Judging by the level of ambient light in the room, it was roughly sunrise, which pitilessly crushed any half-formed thoughts of indulging in a few more minutes of sleep. I rolled out of bed, and straight onto the floor, which hurt much less than I thought it would. Groggily rising from the floor, I threw on the first robe I could find to cover myself, so I could go yell at whoever was making those noises so early in the morning.

    Wrenching open the door caused a couple who were very literally romantically entangled to fall into my doorway. The disorientation only stunned them for a moment before they quickly and eagerly resumed their activities. I had to shout at them repeatedly before they got out of my room and apologized sheepishly, having enough sense to look embarrassed as they did so.

    With that taken care of, I figured I may as well start the day, the siren call of my bed fading away into oblivion. I didn¡¯t look around the previous day, but this room was practically identical to my previous one, if slightly larger by a few feet in every direction. I took the time to shave, as I hadn¡¯t done so in a while, and wet my face to start the process. The perfumed oils helped a bit, but it wasn¡¯t even remotely close to the shaving cream I was used to.

    The bath helped me wash away any lingering fatigue from yesterday¡¯s teleportation and subsequent paperwork mishap, leaving me in a much better mood. I chose my usual go-to outfit, a light green tunic and a pair of dark brown pants, to wear today. All I was missing was a little curved green hat, and an annoying fairy that screamed ¡°Hey, listen!¡± every two seconds, and I¡¯d be right at home in a Ninteendo game. The flash of nostalgia made me both chuckle and sigh in homesickness. I bottled up those feelings and stowed what I needed into my shoulder satchel, as I headed to the cafeteria to chow on some breakfast before my first class started.

    I hastily shoved what I could into my mouth, as the abundant quantities of food I was used to surveying were being grabbed at by last night¡¯s partygoers, as every nine out of ten people I saw in the cafeteria were either clutching their heads, had familiar magical mini-tornadoes swirling around their ears, or were facedown on tables, their plates of food ignored. I was just about to head to the counter and see if there was any eetle juice, when someone sidled up to me.

    ¡°Good morning, friend Rhaaj. It brings me joy to see another who rises with the sun.¡±

    Su¡¯jiif was standing next to me, holding a tray with his own food, and gesturing to the open seat at my table. ¡°May I join you?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± I was slightly wary of him, as any obviously wrong statements on my part could instantly reveal my lack of knowledge to him and threaten to reveal my secret, but so far he hadn¡¯t been too nosy, so I decided to just play it by ear. I was a master of ghosting friends in my previous life, and it would be child¡¯s play for me to do so again.

    ¡°Forgive my imposition, but I¡¯m curious as to which classes you¡¯ve registered for, and if we have any in common. Would you mind telling me?¡± the tall man politely asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but¡­are you even a second-year? Your magical knowledge seems far too advanced for that,¡± I asked. His little experiments from last night were well beyond what a fresh second-year should be capable of.

    ¡°A second-year!¡± He shouted out, making me flinch in surprise. ¡°My apologies, but I happen to be a fourth-year. I was under the impression you traveled here to compound the social benefits of the fourth year in a tier 1 institute.¡±

    ¡°Social benefits? What are you talking about?¡± I asked, a perplexed expression on my face.

    ¡°The academy¡¯s main purpose is to impart knowledge to those who enter its domain, this is true, but this is only the case until the fourth year. Once one has completed their third year of studying, you are presented with the option to leave the academy early. However, doing so comes with its own disadvantages. The fourth year is when students begin researching subjects within their field of study. Some do so with the intent of pursuing an official teaching position at an academy following graduation, as that is one of the requirements of being an academy professor. However, researching is a¡­protracted process, and depending on your chosen subject of interest, some collaboration or consultation with others may be required. And if said consultation results in closer relations between two or more parties even outside the academy, who is to say there is no purpose in spending one more year before finally departing?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I made a non-committal noise to buy some time so I could consider Su¡¯jiif¡¯s words, as he returned to his food and picked at it.

    So the fourth-year was either about research or making connections. Nobles probably got their kids to form bonds with others outside their cliques, to draw them in and used that relationship to springboard onto their parents. Commoners might do the same, but likely to a far lesser degree. No doubt there were different factions with competing interests, grappling behind the scenes for control of the kingdom or some other such nonsense. I guess politics was never truly inescapable, even here.

    But this new piece of information meant it was all but certain I would skip the fourth year. Researching was¡­a bit of a dead-end for me so far. It was true that my efforts were stymied by my lack of access, but I had at least another two years to find some answers. Even if that weren¡¯t true, I wouldn¡¯t want to research any topics sensitive to me out in the open, where any drifting pair of eyes might find something¡­telling.

    As for making connections¡­yeah, that was a complete waste of time. My tentative plans to travel around the world didn¡¯t require mingling with the so-called elites. If anything, I wanted to get further away from human politics. If the elves or beastmen had a better system of governance, or at least one that didn¡¯t so obviously draw a line between the haves and the have-nots, I wouldn¡¯t mind settling down there.

    Well, that was all years in the future. I had time to change my mind if I wanted.

    Just then, a very unpleasant and unexpected sensation of heat emerged from the pouch around my neck. I took out the source, my student card, and looked at it, flipping it back and forth, before the mini-map popped out and the tiny icon representing me was blinking rapidly, with a line between my current location and where I assumed my first class was.

    ¡°Ah, it appears classes will begin soon. We can discuss the topic of your classes another time then, Rhaaj. We may be in different years, but I can still offer some advice, slightly outdated though it may be.¡± And with that, Su¡¯jiif nodded at me, then left the cafeteria, presumably to¡­do research, apparently.

    And with that, I made my way to the first class where I could finally learn some actual magic.

    Blood magic.

 Chapter 27

    ¡°It appears some of my students place more importance on celebrating the beginning of spring than arriving to my class on time. Well, no matter. All of you sitting here chose to be punctual, and those I wish to admonish are, sadly, not present for me to do so. Something to be discussed in the future.¡±

    The thin and lanky bearded professor that was speaking had a small goatee which he was stroking as he slowly paced around his table in the front of the classroom. A few seats in the front row were conspicuously empty, marking the absence of some of last night¡¯s revelers. I had no doubt they would regret their decision in the future.

    ¡°For now, let us turn our attention to what¡¯s truly important and the main reason all of you are here. Blood magic.¡± The professor turned his back to the students, facing the yellowish chalkboard. With a few hand gestures and a flick of the finger, a stream of blood rose from his table and rained onto the chalkboard, staining the board messily at first, but soon enough, the blood merged and flowed onto the board as though written by an invisible hand, leaving enough blood that a very legible ¡®Professor Alinis¡¯ was left behind.

    A few of the students clapped and cheered, but the professor raised a hand, and the noise quickly died down. Turning back to the students in their silence, he began speaking. ¡°What I have just demonstrated for you, apart from my name, is a glimpse of the things one can do with blood magic, should you possess the right aptitude and mindset. For example, those of you walking the path of the warrior can use blood on the battlefield,¡± And he manipulated the blood into the shape of a longsword, grasping it firmly and cleanly slicing an empty seat into two halves, ¡°as a literal weapon. Those walking the path of the healer can sense the maladies and various ailments in a patient¡¯s blood and body, or even your own, if you find yourself ill and without a healer at hand. You, the silver boy, in the corner,¡± he pointed to someone in the back of the room, ¡°You have some affliction in your eye, do you not?¡±

    The silver boy, whose hair was white as chalk, stood up and nervously replied, ¡°Yes, professor. I, I...the healer said that ¨C¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mother save me. Here, hold still, and try not to squirm.¡± The professor strode to the silver boy¡¯s desk and placed a hand on his head, and within seconds, the boy gasped loudly, then thanked the professor profusely, which he waved off, telling the boy to sit down.

    ¡°Next, those who choose the scribe¡¯s path. A contract written in blood, signed in blood, or even using a bloody thumbprint, is more binding than one written in ink, and the effects are magnified further when written by a blood mage. Those who attempt to renege on a blood contract face far harsher consequences than its terms state. Finally, for those of you who think yourself artisans and enchanters, you need only look at your student cards to see an inspired application of blood magic.¡±

    With those words, nearly everyone took out their student cards and examined them. Naturally, I knew what he was referring to and didn¡¯t look at mine, but apparently I was in the minority.

    ¡°For those of you who have somehow managed to remain unaware of what I refer to, you have my sincere condolences¡­and contempt. I only hope you display more intelligence in the time we have together than you have for the past year. And for those of you who are aware, know that you show more promise in this field than those dunces you have the misfortune of calling your classmates.¡± he finished snidely. The class was silent throughout all of his speech, astounded by his abilities, or maybe his demeanor.

    I liked him.

    ¡°Unfortunately, any practical lessons will have to wait until most of you can show that you possess at least a minimum of theoretical knowledge. So, gather your books and quills, and then we can discuss what blood is, and where it comes from. As ludicrous as it sounds, blood is actually produced within one¡¯s bones, which have been found to be ¨C why aren¡¯t you all writing this down? All of this will be covered in the monthly assessment!¡±

    The rest of the class passed in a flash, as Professor Alinis described what blood was, its role in the body, and how it was created in the bones, aka bone marrow.

    Sadly, the next class was not nearly as entertaining as blood magic had been.

    ¡°Shi shi, everyone, or as it would translate in the Human tongue, good morning!¡±

    All second-years were required to study a foreign language, and I chose the Beastfolk tongue as my elective. I figured it was the most populous continent and I¡¯d eventually travel there, so why not get the lingo down in advance?

    I was unsure if the translation spell would work on the Beastfolk language or any others for that matter,, but if it didn¡¯t, I would still be able to communicate when needed. If the spell did end up working¡­then I¡¯d effectively be wasting time and effort.

    Meh. it was a moot point. Future-me could deal with it if it became a problem.

    Our professor was a beastfolk herself, though she seemed like a¡­mixed-blood? I really couldn¡¯t think of any polite way to put it. Hybrid sounded bad, so did half-blood or half-breed, not to mention mongrel or chimera or any other fantasy term.

    ¡°Miss, are you a real beastman?¡± One bold, or perhaps simply ignorant student asked her.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to remind the class to address me as Professor, and yes, I am a real member of the  beastfolk. Beastmen, hah! As if man and beast lay together and their offspring all happened to be male!¡± The small looking professor ranted. She seemed slightly different from what I could recall of Khime¡¯s description of the beastfolk. Her appearance was almost entirely humanoid, save for the two floppy rabbit ears atop her head, and the v-shaped leporine nose in the center of her face. She was wearing baggy trousers that seemed comfortable, and a form-fitting robe with intricate designs. Her clothing practically screamed ¡®foreigner¡¯.

    ¡°To the young student standing up, I recognize your confusion, and apologize for my outburst, warranted though it was. You all should address me as Professor Tu, like the word too. My mother is a human, while my father is a Beastfolk of the rabbit tribes, resulting in my¡­confusing¡­appearance. However! I was born and raised among my father¡¯s tribe, and all who see me know me as such, from the elders of my tribe to the children of other tribes, and even traveling merchants of other races. So, yes, I am very much a real Beastfolk.¡± Her usually light voice had a weight to it that commanded respect. It was similar to what the headmaster had done with his voice at my transfer meeting, but less violent and aggressive.

    The female student who posed the question sat in her seat, a fierce blush on her cheeks as she tried not to draw any more attention.

    ¡°Now. You all chose this class because you wish to learn the language of the beastfolk, or as we know it¡­¡± she conspiratorially lowered her voice to a whisper and beckoned everyone closer, making most of us lean forward, ¡°...dragonspeak.¡±

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    There was a brief moment of shocked silence before a few students began loudly badgering her about dragons. Were they real? Had she seen one? Were they common in the beastfolk homeland?

    A snap of her fingers, magically amplified, put a quick stop to that. Professor Tu wore a serious expression as she continued, ¡°Dragonspeak is easy to learn¡­if it is your first language. But it is hard to fill a cup that is already full, especially if the one holding it does not wish to fill it. And so it falls to me to ensure you all have at least a basic understanding of the beastfolk language before the year is through. So, everyone, take one of these sheets then pass the rest back, and we can get started on our first lesson: characters. The Beastfolk tongue has over twenty thousand characters, but good news for you all, most Beastfolk are illiterate! As long as you know the most common two to three thousand, you can hold a basic conversation with most Beastfolk. So, looking at your reference sheets, the first one is shi. Um, you in the red robe, why don¡¯t you come up and try to draw it on the board¡­¡±

    The rest of the class proceeded in a similar fashion, the professor calling students up to draw the characters and pronounce them correctly as they did so, to reinforce the sound each character had. Her assignment for the next class was to be familiar with the first five hundred characters¡­by writing them fifty times. Each. I was really looking forward to that.

    My next class, General Combat, was just as dry as beastfolk language class, or dragonspeak class as I and everyone else would call it, if in a different way.

    At least, at the beginning.

    The instructor, who was most definitely not a professor, made us all march out to a training ground and run laps. For the entire hour. In whatever we were wearing. With all our bags, purses, satchels, or rucksacks on us.

    I was most certainly one of the better off ones, as I usually wore comfortable and breathable clothes. Some of the others, a few of the girls specifically, kept stumbling and falling down into the grass and dirt, their pretty clothes ruined, at least in their eyes, and their sandals broken or snapped. Most of the class was able to run for a good while, at least until the instructor called for us to stop, and the majority of us broke down, lying down on the ground and taking deep heaving breaths or sharp and panting ones. I had some stamina, but that endurance I recalled having on my first day on the beach was all but gone, and I was panting like a dog along with the majority of the class.

    By some coincidence, I ended up running alongside two other students, twins by the looks of it. Our running got in the way of introductions, but once we collapsed on the grass, we exchanged names.

    ¡°Hey, pant, I¡¯m, pant, Rhaaj, pant. You, pant, brothers?, pant.¡± I managed to get out.

    One of the brothers made an attempt to kick me but was too drained and couldn¡¯t connect with me.

    ¡°I¡¯m a, pant, girl, pant, you idiot, pant. Cough, cough. I¡¯m, pant, Riddis. The, pant, the guy over, pant, there, pant, is, pant, my brother, pant, Or, pant, Orddis, pant.¡±

    Ordiss wiggled his arm in what could only generously be called a wave. I nodded to him, the closest I could get to reciprocating. As everyone was catching their breath on the ground, the instructor yelled out to all of us, his volume reminding me of Elius, the guard I hadn¡¯t seen in some time.

    ¡°You will all address me as Sir Yalmaar! If any of you call me Professor or Professor Yalmaar or Lord Yalmaar, basically, anything but Sir Yalmaar, the entire class will run laps that day! Oh, stop your whining, you big babies! As far as I can tell, most of you don¡¯t know the first thing about combat, which is why you¡¯re all gonna be running laps for a good long while! Anyone wanna prove me wrong? You, southie boy! What¡¯s your name?¡±

    Nobody responded after a second, which only made Sir Yalmaar angry.

    ¡°Southie boy, with the green tunic, brown pants, dark skin!¡±

    Shit. Still trying to catch my breath, I got up and stood up as much as I could, my hands on my knees, basically hunched over. ¡°Yes, Sir Yalmaar?¡± I said breathlessly.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you respond the first time I called you!¡± He said aggressively, getting into my personal space.

    ¡°I, I didn¡¯t know who you were talking to, Sir Yalmaar.¡±

    ¡°Well, alright. You¡¯re young, which means you¡¯re stupid, and you¡¯re tired, which means you¡¯re extra stupid. I¡¯ll give you one chance for forgiveness. Tell me something useful about combat, and all your friends can lie down on the ground like a bunch of worms for the rest of class.¡± He shouted, an inch away from my face.

    I could have just spouted some random shit from a book, like footwork is nothing without balance, or don¡¯t let your shield block your line of sight to the enemy, and I might have gotten off fine. But instead, I actually thought back to my one real combat experience, and¡­whatever I felt, it wasn¡¯t positive. I had a feeling this drill sergeant guy wouldn¡¯t accept anything vague.

    I was thinking about maybe quoting Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War, weighing the odds I¡¯d say something too profound or outlandish, and having to answer awkward questions I had no easy answer to.

    But whatever I meant to say was deleted from my brain, as something I had no intention of telling anyone fell out of my mouth before conscious thought took hold.

    More to myself than him, I whispered the word I¡¯d only heard before.

    ¡°Osenir.¡±

    And in the blink of an eye, the drill sergeant was gone, and a kindly uncle took his place, his hands on my shoulders and his eyes as wide as one could get as he held me straight and looked me in the eyes.

    ¡°Mother¡¯s mercy,¡± he whispered. ¡°Shit. Kid, are you alright?¡±

    His words lit a fire in me, full of rage and pain. How the fuck would anyone be alright after that? His tone was full of concern, and I hated it. And I could tell from the look in his eyes, he knew it.

    ¡°Shit.¡± he said again. ¡°Sorry, kid.¡±

    Turning away from me, he yelled out to the students, ¡°Looks like you worms got lucky! Keep lying on the grass until class is over. For those of you too weak to make it to your next class, get a friend to carry you. If you don¡¯t have friends, too bad, suck it up.¡±

    The rest of the class only had about five minutes to recover before they staggered and stumbled to their next class, everyone in various states of disarray. The twins waved to me as they left, and I responded with my own half-hearted wave back, struggling to contain the fire that was still blazing within me, white-hot and threatening to burn me alive if I didn¡¯t do something about it.

    A cold and metallic grip on my upper arm prevented me from going to my next class. I turned around only to see the cause of this entire thing in his full plate armor, Sir-fucking-Yalmaar. It was obvious he knew what I went through, and what I was going through, and I hated it.

    I should have been grateful there was somebody I could talk to, to confide in about what happened. We had apparently lived similar experiences, and there was a certain knowledge in that. That you weren¡¯t alone. That others had been where you were, and would without a doubt stand where you once stood.

    But I didn¡¯t care about any of that. All I cared about was not succumbing to the inferno blazing inside me, triggered by this man¡¯s words and stoked by my memories.

    It was hard to keep my mask on at that moment. The mask of civility and politeness, of pretend smiles and an illusory sense of caring about random people. The mask that concealed my true self, and my inner feelings, which polite society told me to reject completely. With as much will as I could, I doused the fire within me with something I had long thought of as my ally. With as much indifference as I could muster, I stamped out the fire, then its embers, and metaphorically froze the remains.

    And finally, in a supreme act of will, I managed to wrench the mask back on as I said to the soldier holding my arm, ¡°Yes, Sir Yalmaar?¡±

    ¡°Kid, I know it hurts. Mother knows I¡¯ve been where you are. If you wanna talk ¨C¡±

    I twisted my arm out of his grip before he could go any further, ¡°I appreciate your good intentions, Sir Yalmaar, but I¡¯m fine. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have to get to my next class before I¡¯m late.¡±

    Walking away from him right then was short-sighted and petty. I didn¡¯t accomplish anything. I didn¡¯t hurt him. If anything, I hurt myself.

    But the cold winds of my indifference snuffed out that spark of pain before it ever had the chance to ignite.

    I didn¡¯t have to imagine what the consequences of letting that spark grow would be. I knew what would happen, and it was something I wanted to avoid at all costs. The aftermath was never pretty.

    I made my way to my next class: healing.

    I finally had proof the universe had a sense of humor.

 Chapter 28

    I slowly walked out of my first healing class, still dazed by the events of the past hour.

    Any thoughts of Sir Yalmaar were promptly extinguished as I entered the empty classroom at a sprint. So far, being late or absent to any of my classes had some easily avoidable aftereffects I didn¡¯t want to have to deal with.

    The completely empty classroom, that was lacking¡­everything. Students, teachers, desks, tables, chairs. It was just a totally empty classroom.

    I peeked inside and saw more of the same, then double-checked my student card to make sure I hadn¡¯t gone to the wrong room. Nope, that blinking icon representing me was in the right place.

    Finally, after a few minutes of hesitant waiting and to my immense relief, other students began trickling in, none of whom I recognized. As someone I vehemently hoped was the professor ambled in, I relaxed a bit more. He, or she, I couldn¡¯t really tell at that point, leaned against the wall next to the doorway, and waited silently until the class officially began, marked by the heat emanating from my, and I¡¯d assume everyone else¡¯s, student card.

    At that point, there were a few students outside that were frantically dashing towards the classroom when they very noticeably and abruptly crashed into the empty space of the doorway. The first student had it the worst, as he collided with the empty air and broke his nose before the two behind him rammed into his back, pushing him up against the¡­empty, solid air? Invisible wall? Whatever the case, they all soon fell onto the floor, tangled up as they struggled to stand.

    A single snap from the nonchalant androgynous teacher pulled everyone¡¯s attention. They slowly walked up to the invisible wall, which somehow allowed sound to travel through it, despite seeming solid enough to crash into.

    ¡°You three¡­should consider yourselves extremely fortunate. Time is crucial for all healers, students or otherwise. If someone dies because you were late, you will feel pain far more severe than this. On account of this being the first day of classes, I will, however begrudgingly, tolerate your tardiness. But only. This. Once. Is that understood?¡±

    And from the other side of the ¡®wall¡¯ came the responses, ¡°Yes, Professor!¡±, ¡°Understood, Professor!¡±, and ¡°Yeth, Profethor.¡± The one with the broken nose gingerly held his sleeve up to his nose to stem the bleeding.

    With their acknowledgement, the three were able to walk into the classroom, the ¡®air wall¡¯ apparently dispelled.

    ¡°You, come here.¡± The professor gestured towards the guy with the broken nose, as he nervously approached. ¡°Yeth, Profethor?¡±

    The professor laid a hand on the student¡¯s face for a few seconds before he stumbled back, and silently flinched. When he stood up again, he was visibly shocked, as he carefully touched his nose.

    His non-broken nose.

    ¡°That should be enough. Remember to eat plenty of food later on. Your body needs the nutrients. Inform me if there are any lingering pains or other effects.¡± the professor said.

    ¡°Yes, Professor!¡± the student said clearly.

    ¡°Enough distractions,¡± the professor said, walking to the back of the room, everyone¡¯s attention either on them or the guy whose nose was broken then healed in a matter of minutes.

    ¡°Healing. It is simultaneously simple and difficult. Those of you who proceed to become professional healers will likely deal with minor issues: fevers, coughing fits, broken noses.¡± At that, some students glanced over to the boy with the healed nose before turning back. ¡°All of which are easy enough to deal with. On the other hand, should any of you end up having to bear the burden of joining the battlefield as a healer, you will likely curse yourself for choosing to study healing, me for teaching you how to heal, and likely the Great Mother herself for placing you in such a situation.¡±

    A few tense moments followed that proclamation.

    ¡°Battlefield healing is¡­painful. And not in the physical sense. You will see people die for all sorts of reasons. The worst is when you do everything you possibly can and still fail. Not everyone is cut out for such work. But not everyone has to be.

    ¡°The soldier who needs his arm reattached is just as deserving of healing as the blind elder whose cane left a splinter in her palm. It is not foolish to recognize one¡¯s limits by working as a civilian healer.  What is foolish is ignoring those limits and forcing others to pay the price. Regardless of your disposition, the purpose of this class is for you to learn enough about healing that you do not cause undue harm to any would-be patient. With that in mind, let¡¯s begin.¡±

    ¡°Professor, there aren¡¯t any tables or chairs.¡± one student called out while raising her hand.

    The professor looked at her blankly for a few seconds before clapping a hand to their forehead, ¡°Of course, the table! My apologies, everyone. Just one moment, please.¡±

    And just like that, they reached into an inner pocket and withdrew something small before throwing it into the center of the room.

    The small thing turned out to be a seed, as it grew larger and more mature in the span of a few heartbeats, before turning into a large round wooden stump, with roots that stretched out from its bottom and rose into the air before forming dozens of makeshift legless chairs that surrounded the stump, with even intervals between all of them.

    ¡°Quickly take a seat so we can proceed with today¡¯s lesson. There should be enough space for everyone.¡± Some of the students approached the root chairs with disdain, grumbling while they did so, while others sat normally, seeing nothing worth complaining about. Eventually, once everyone was seated, the professor jumped onto the stump, startling the ones closest to them.

    ¡°How many of you know what the most important part of the body is?¡± They asked the class at large.

    ¡°...The heart?¡± One girl timidly volunteered.

    ¡°Close, but not quite. If a heart stops beating or is wounded in some way, it is difficult to fix but not impossible. Good try, though. Anyone else?¡±

    ¡°The eyes, or skin. Without eyes, you¡¯d be blind, and without the skin, everything would fall out of you.¡± One boy arrogantly said.

    ¡°Skin is important, but not to the level you¡¯re thinking of, young man. And nothing would fall out, as you stated. Your muscles and other organs would simply be exposed to the elements and would have less protection from outside influences. Eyes, I¡¯ll grant you they are important, but only because everyone is too dependent on sight as their primary sense. Once you become strong or wise enough, you¡¯ll realize that sight is only one of many senses at your disposal. Though I wouldn¡¯t attempt healing an eye unless you clearly know what you¡¯re doing. Any more ideas?¡±

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°The brain?¡± I said, somewhat hesitantly.  Was there some obvious reason nobody else had said it before? Was the brain not the nerve center of the body in this world? Did their lungs or, god forbid, essence somehow do something even more vital than the brain¡¯s functions that I was familiar with? It couldn¡¯t be that everyone here didn¡¯t have the basic knowledge that the brain was ¨C

    ¡°Correct! And why is that, student?¡± the professor asked me.

    Are you serious! I knew science wasn¡¯t as advanced here, but this is too much! People don¡¯t even know what the brain does?! Okay, focus, I need to say something logically, without introducing any of Earth¡¯s knowledge.

    ¡°...If you cut off the heads of most things, they¡¯ll die quickly, if not immediately. Logic says surviving without a head, or what¡¯s in the head, is impossible. As far as I know, the only important thing in the head is the brain.¡± I said.

    Seriously! That¡¯s what you came up with? Cutting off heads? God you¡¯re stupid. DIdn¡¯t you go to college?!

    Shut up, it was the best I could come up with on the spot. And you know my degree was in ¨C

    ¡°A bit morbidly stated, but correct nonetheless.¡± The professor said, ending my internal bickering with myself.

    ¡°For example, without a brain, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do this.¡± The professor clapped their hands and slowly turned into a woman, their hair growing longer and their chest filling out slightly.

    ¡°Or this.¡± The female figure slowly morphed into a man with albino-looking skin and pure green hair, a bit taller than the androgynous figure the professor had at first.  ¡°Or even this.¡± The green-haired albino man gradually changed into a reflection of me, only distinguishable from me by the voice and clothes.

    ¡°So, what have you learned from this?¡± he said while perfectly replicating my voice, thoroughly freaking me out.

    ¡°...Can you go back to the woman?¡± One idiot asked.

    A painful-sounding slap followed that bold request as the professor changed back into their androgyne form, and most of the class laughed, chuckled, or snorted at the requester as he rubbed his cheek while staring at the girl next to him with a frown. Her face was a mixture of embarrassment and anger which spoke to some level of relationship between the two, as did her decidedly unforgiving eyes and crossed arms.

    ¡°While I could heal you of that pain, I think it better you learn the lesson the young lady was trying to teach you, young man,¡± the professor said with a hint of amusement. Rotating back to the others, ¡°What I was attempting to demonstrate to you all was that the body¡¯s fundamental capabilities lay dormant within most sentient beings. Some things grow back naturally over time, hair, skin, nails, teeth. Others require intervention from external forces, such as organs or limbs. With the addition of essence, things become simultaneously easier and more difficult¡­but we have a long way to go before I even touch on the concept of essence-based methods of healing. So, students, note-taking time, get out what you need.¡±

    As the students took out paper and quills, the timid ¡®heart¡¯ girl asked the question I was curious about.

    ¡°Um, professor, you still haven¡¯t told us your name¡­¡± she nervously asked, her hand raised.

    Once again, the professor slapped his hand to his forehead, ¡°Ugh, I keep forgetting! This damn¡­¡± They whispered that last part, then straightening up, they continued, ¡°You can call me¡­Teacher Passen. Yes, yes, there are others similar to me you call professor, but I am more than a professor while I am here. Suffice it to say elves don¡¯t have professors in the homela¨C¡±

    ¡°I knew you were an elf! I saw one at the port two years ago!¡±

    ¡°Hunckis, shut up! Can you stop bragging about your family¡¯s boat all the time?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an elf?!¡±

    ¡°Can all elves do that transforming thing that you can?¡±

    ¡°Are you a half-elf?¡±

    I could only cover my face in secondhand embarrassment as a bunch of idiots reacted so poorly, I was ashamed to even be associated with them. Did these kids have no sense of propriety or restraint? Or even common sense?! Obviously the teacher was older, smarter, and more skilled than them, not to mention backed in some way by the academy. How could they possibly think that it would be acceptable to just blurt out whatever they wanted without any thought to the consequences?

    As I thought about it, I realized most of the students in my other classes had some type of outburst in front of the professors¡­Was there just less discipline among the students this year, or was I somehow stuck with the ones that were the loudest and most annoying?

    ¡°...Class is dismissed. Everyone get out. Except¡­you.¡± The teacher all but shouted, his sudden dismissal taken as a reprieve by most of the class. Their joyous faces were just more proof that they were idiots.

    More importantly, the profess¨C teacher¨C had a long and pale finger pointed straight at me.

    ¡­What could I have possibly done now?

    The students gleefully collected their things, discussing the latest gossip about their newest professor and the reveal of his race as they hurriedly exited the room. A few of them, almost certainly the commoners, milled about at the tail end of the group, waiting for the others to leave first before they left.

    Leaving me alone with this elf, who wanted me to stay back for some mysterious reason.

    ¡°Yes, teacher?¡± I asked¡­him¡­politely.

    He crouched on the stump, looking at me with an odd expression as he kept tapping his cheek, evidently lost in thought. I could handle silence. It was a familiar companion. Even uncomfortable silence wasn¡¯t that troublesome for me. But this¡­inspection and intense scrutiny was a bit much for me.

    ¡°Teacher Passen, what did you want with me?¡± I asked, leaning back to try and create some space between us. Unfortunately, the root chair only went back so far, and I only ended up with a few inches of breathing room before he spoke again.

    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with your soul,¡± he casually said, his voice barely above a whisper as he continued to angle his head to look at me from different perspectives.

    ¡­My soul.

    My soul had something wrong with it.

    ¡­And he figured it out just by looking at me.

    This guy is a goddamn monster. Whether he¡¯s the Einstein of healing, has something insane like soul perception, or some exclusive elvish ability, he¡¯s too talented to be here. Which begs the questions¡­why is he here¡­and what does he want with me?

    He continued on, his voice completely different from the polite but clipped tone he assumed during the class, ¡°Your soul¡­it¡¯s¡­well, I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s doing, but it¡¯s affecting your body somehow. Your head specifically.¡±

    Son of a thrice-damned bitch.

    My headaches.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had headaches ever since I was a kid, and they just kept getting worse over time.¡± I blurted out impulsively.

    For a long time, I thought the headaches were an early sign of cancer or maybe a brain tumor. But it turned out to have something to do with my soul, something I doubted even existed until a few minutes ago?

    ¡°Yes¡­it¡¯s¡­odd¡­¡± Passen¡¯s voice had an almost reverent tone to it as he kept staring at my face. Finally, he pulled himself away and shook his head a few times before addressing me again. ¡°Your soul shows signs of scarring, which is¡­rare, to say the least. But perhaps more worrying is that the scar seems to be¡­regressing.¡±

    ¡°...What does that mean for me, exactly?¡±

    Was my new life on a timer? If I had less time than I originally anticipated, I would have to move up my travel plans. I didn¡¯t mind dying again, but preferably it would be far in the future, peacefully and in my sleep. And I sure as shit wanted to see some magical waterfalls or something before I died. Again.

    ¡°I truly cannot say. While I do consider myself well-versed in the healing arts, the study of the soul is much more¡­complex. All I can tell you is that eventually, your soul scar will deteriorate, the original wound will once more revert to its previous condition, and the effects you felt prior to that will manifest once again. You said headaches?¡± At my nod, he pondered for a moment before pressing on, ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m sorry, young man, but I honestly do not have a solution for you. For what it¡¯s worth, you have at the minimum a few decades before any symptoms will relapse. After that¡­¡±

    The words he didn¡¯t say hung in the air, ruining the bad mood I was already in and making it worse. I didn¡¯t need to know I had a death clock ticking away at my second life. I was perfectly fine in my ignorance.

    ¡°As your teacher, and more importantly as a healer, you have my word that I will not divulge your condition to anyone else without your permission. This I swear on the Great Mother, the stars above, and the land below.¡±

    He gently placed a hand on my head, slightly rubbing my hair, before retracting it.

    ¡°...Thank you for informing me, Teacher Passen.¡± I glumly yet politely told him as I got up to leave, walking towards the exit.

    ¡°Young man,¡± he called out to me, prompting me to turn around.

    ¡°Death comes for us all. But that is what makes life worth living. And should you desire it, you may speak with me. About anything. Consider it a consolation for my diagnosis,¡± he bitterly smiled.

    I nodded to him, then proceeded to walk out of the room, somehow in a worse state of mind than after the previous class.

    ¡­At least it was time for lunch. There was no¡­way¡­that anything bad or unexpected could go wrong during lunch.

    I hurriedly strode to the wooden handrail near a massive stairway and knocked on it three times, hoping I hadn¡¯t just jinxed myself.

 Chapter 29

    To my relief, lunch was a peaceful affair, with no surprises or unexpected revelations crashing into me out of nowhere. Both food and company distracted me from the newfound diagnosis of my mysterious soul affliction.

    I had just entered the cafeteria when I noticed a pair of twins eating at one of the tables, a couple other people seated beside them. One of the twins made eye contact with me, and promptly waved me over. I picked some food off the counters in the back and loaded it onto my tray, and walked towards them, eager for a distraction.

    The twins were the same ones from my general combat class, Riddis and Orddis. Even when I was staring right at them, the differences were trivial enough that it was hard to tell them apart, so I went off their clothes, as one was very obviously wearing some kind of skirt. That was probably Riddis.

    At least I hoped it was.

    Once I arrived at their table, I was immediately inducted into their friend group. The two were children of some count in the far west, but they placed less importance on status than other nobles would. The other students in their friend group were in similar situations, as they were mostly the younger children of lower nobles with a few commoners as well. To my surprise, the shy ¡®heart¡¯ girl from my healing class was there too, whose name I learned was Venaca, third daughter of a baronet.

    Once all the niceties of formal introductions were over, which included the expected exaggerated reactions once everyone learned my name, there was barely any time left before the next class started. The twins told everyone they would host a small gathering, consisting only of the people at the table, on the first weekend, just so everyone could get to know each other better.

    The lunch break helped take my mind off of the bizarre events of that day, as I proceeded to my next class: nature magic.

    The mini-map on my student card eventually led me to a medium-sized garden outside the main administration building, where a large group made up mostly of girls was admiring the vibrantly colorful flowers in the plots of soil and ignoring the less aesthetically pleasing plants like the climbing vines supported on upright poles, or the small yellowish weeds with ridged edges.

    ¡°Does anyone know where the professor is?¡± one of the male students in the back asked. ¡°Yup, class just officially started.¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not our fault they didn¡¯t show up yet. What else can we do besides wait here and admire these lovely flowers blooming before us? The plants aren¡¯t that bad either, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, just¡­control yourself, Digsby. Don¡¯t forget about your betrothed back home.¡±

    Great. So the class is split between vapid girls who are entranced by flowers and young horny noble heirs and sycophants. And people wonder why I have so few friends.

    Thankfully, my self-deprecation ended when the professor made themself known in a rather flashy method¡­by tunnelling up out of the ground and shooting a good fifty feet in the air before slowly descending to the ground.

    ¡°Good afternoon, everyone! I¡¯m Professor Rhubadesh, and as you can see, I am a¡­¡± With a flourish of the short cape she wore, she proceeded, ¡°Nature mage!¡± Her hands were outstretched above her head in an odd pose, as she laughed maniacally, her magenta hair and rosy complexion tying in with her muddy and dirtied clothing to give off a feeling of a vibrant flower nurtured by the earth and vividly living according to its nature.

    ¡°So! You all have to sit through some boring lectures later on, blah blah blah, and yeah that sucks, ¡° the professor said, her joy momentarily shriveling before blazing forth again, ¡°but, I figured, today is such a lovely day, and we have an entire year to do all that boring stuff, so why not come outside and see what real nature magic is like?¡±

    The medium-statured woman was so enthusiastic, it was almost infectious. The girls who were captivated by the flowers barraged her with questions about specific flowers or possible spells to make plants grow quicker, while the boys focused more on the tunnel-launch-jump she performed before and asked about that.

    ¡°Alright, alright, I can see you¡¯re all just as excited as I am, so let me do the fun things first, then if there¡¯s still time, I¡¯ll try and go over some of the boring things at the end.¡±

    Shooing away the pack of girls who surrounded her, she crouched down near the garden and quite literally stopped and smelled the roses, which took a good five minutes on its own, before she moved on and examined one of the yellowish weeds, firmly uprooting a bunch of them, before turning around and presenting them to the class.

    ¡°Now, first question, do any of you know what this is?¡± she asked the class in general.

    One of the girls practically bounced up and down as she responded, ¡°Ooh! Ooh! I know! It¡¯s the Victim¡¯s Tongue!¡±

    ¡°Excellent, dear! And I assume you know what it does as well?¡± the professor¡¯s exuberance matching the student¡¯s.

    With a nod of her head, she said, ¡°Before it¡¯s mature, it kills any bugs or tiny pests that bite into it, but once it completely develops, it can be used as a paralytic. I know it can be made into a tincture and paste, but I think¡­I think it needs something else before it can be used in a potion?¡± she asked questioningly.

    ¡°You¡¯re correct on all counts, dear! Wonderful! Yes, Victim¡¯s Tongue is a common weed that grows all over the eastern half of our kingdom, and to answer your question dearie, its complementary ingredient in alchemy is ashbell roots. Without the roots, using this weed in alchemy will likely cause the end product to have caustic properties, a dangerous proposition at best. You can all take this as your first lesson. If you see bright colors in nature, be extremely wary. Plants, animals, mushrooms, anything that is obviously drawing attention to itself is likely toxic, and those bright and beautiful colors signal to predators that eating them is not worth it.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, professor?¡± one of the boys raised his hand in doubt.

    ¡°Yes, darling?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to offend, but what exactly does nature magic do? It¡¯s just, I only heard about it when I was taking the affinity test, and I¡¯m still not sure what it¡¯s capable of, besides affecting plants,¡± he apprehensively finished.

    ¡°It¡¯s no bother at all, think nothing of it!¡± the professor said, waving away any perceived offense, ¡°You¡¯re all here to learn, and what point would there be in learning if you already knew everything?¡±

    ¡°But, to answer your question, nature magic is easy to explain. Like many other branches of magic, nature magic allows one to interact with and manipulate nature. In fact, some suggest that nature magic is the first magic, and all others were derived from it. Here, I¡¯ll show you an example,¡± she said, as she magically incinerated the weeds in her hand, and wiped the ashes off her hands.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Now, nature magic is capable of doing many things, the most famous of which is affecting plants,¡± she said, gesturing to the garden and the numerous flowers and other plants within. As she held her palm to the flowers, one of them grew higher and larger, first by inches as its petals curled outward and expanded in size, then by feet as the stem poked further up and started reaching the height of the students¡¯ waists, until finally its original form could no longer be determined, as a gigantic monstrosity loomed over them, towering over even the adjacent building¡¯s full height. The flower looked menacing in its current state, as the roots jutted out of the ground, displacing all the other flowers, and the thorns were a dangerous combination of thin, sharp, and long.

    All the students were startled by the flower¡¯s growth, as they were in various states of shock, but by then, the professor gestured once more, and the flower winded itself downward, slowly spiralling in the soil as it shrunk, the thorns withdrawing into the stem, and the petals withering to their original size, as once more the flower regained its initial form. At least until the flower slowly withered and died, tilting sideways before losing its color and drooping onto the soil, a dried out husk compared to its former self.

    ¡°That is but the most basic form of nature magic, affecting plants. With enough knowledge, you can do much more complex things. Changing size is only one aspect of plant manipulation. Does anyone know of other aspects of nature magic?¡±

    A few seconds of silence passed before I offered, ¡°Taming?¡±

    ¡°Correct, well done darling!¡± She looked inordinately pleased at my answer, though that was likely her being glad the silence was cut off. ¡°Taming creates a bond between the mage and the animal, though depending on the method used, the nature of the bond will differ.¡±

    At those words, I asked, ¡°Would you mind explaining the different methods, professor?¡±

    ¡°Of course, dear! Technically, the mundane methods of taming can be attempted on any entity, feeding them their favorite foods, or spending time with them, but the bonds will likely end up fragile and without near-constant vigilance on the tamer¡¯s part, the bond will break down fairly quickly. There are multiple types of magical bonds that you can attempt to forge, but I¡¯d suggest choosing the one most suited to your personality. The bond of equals ensures neither party is above the other. Both listen to each other, and both respect the other¡¯s wishes. If the tamer wishes for the animal to do something, it may or may not comply. Likewise for the animal.¡±

    ¡°The bond of domination is one of subservience, where the tamer is in full control of the tamed. The tamed has no say in their actions, and follows any and all orders given to it. I would caution against forming this type of bond, as a domination bond is difficult to break, but short-lived. If any of you have dreams of dominating a dragon and riding it for the rest of your life, think again!¡± She snorted and cackled at the thought, as some students no doubt had their idle daydreams shattered at her words. She wiped a tear away from her eye as she pressed on, ¡°We only have a few minutes left, so I¡¯ll finish this up and we can continue next class.¡±

    ¡°Besides those two, nature magic can also be used for two other areas, broadly speaking: terrain manipulation, and weather control. Like with any other subject, the scope is limited at first, but expands as your mastery and control improve over time and with experience.¡±

    ¡°Alright, everyone, that¡¯s it for today, we¡¯ll continue next class.¡± Professor Rhubadesh had dismissed the class so abruptly, some of the students were still nodding along to what she was saying. It took a few tries but she finally got everyone to move on to their next class. As I was one of the first to leave, while I walked away from the upturned garden, I heard from behind me a female voice screaming in a shrill tone, ¡°ARE YOU DEAF? MOVE ON YOU LOUTS!¡±

    I chuckled as I headed to my first taming class, looking at the trees that crossed over the marble walkways and wondering what they were capable of with the aid of nature magic.

    Oddly enough, my taming class had less students than any of my other classes, a mere five people, me included. The professor, a lithe and tan-skinned man who wrote, ¡®Professor Imin Vanyriel¡¯ on the chalkboard, was unperturbed at the sight of so few prospective students, but I noticed a slight twitch of his eye that hinted at repressed anger.

    Unfortunately, that repressed anger expressed itself immediately as he gathered a stack of books from his desk and practically threw them on each of our desks before running out the door, only stopping to look back and shout once, ¡°Read those guides while I¡¯m gone! And don¡¯t forget to introduce yourselves!¡±

    After a few minutes of silence passed, it was obvious nobody there was one of the posh nobles, as nobody took charge or demanded obeisance, or made some ridiculous demand of the others.

    ¡°Should, should we do introductions first, and then read, or¡­¡± one girl asked.

    I shrugged, my apathy in full control. Despite the ¡®coldness¡¯ of it, ironically, it felt like a warm blanket to me. Comfortable, familiar, dependable.

    ¡°Might as well,¡± a blue-haired girl said. ¡°I¡¯m Marsha Mystour, but you can call me Marsha.¡± The girl, Marsha, looked at the first girl who¡¯d spoken and nodded in her direction, gesturing for her to speak next.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you all. I¡¯m, I¡¯m Clora,¡± she said quietly, almost whispering. Luckily the room was small and there weren¡¯t many of us, so her voice was audible.

    The introductions went on organically.

    ¡°Tyrithen, of Clouded Meadow.¡± A golden-haired and light-skinned boy said.

    ¡°Jissa Layn, eighth daughter of Earl Layn of the Ismet Archipelago.¡± She had her auburn hair braided in an intricate hairstyle which ended just below her shoulders.

    ¡°Rhaaj, of Khobadaar City,¡± I politely introduced myself. To my surprise, nobody laughed or even blinked at my name. There was no quivering of the lip or deep gasp or a cough covering up a snort. I guess these people had better manners than I expected.

    ¡°Well, now that we all know each other, we might as well start reading. Unless any of you have a better idea?¡± Marsha asked.

    After a round of looking at each other and shrugging or shaking our heads, we all turned to the book in front of us: A Tamer¡¯s Field Guide to the Most Common Companions of the Human Kingdom by Lehem Swillion.

    The rest of the hour was mind-numbingly tedious. Although I had a veritable encyclopedia of potential animal companions to peruse, the author was such a failure of a writer that he only gave a general overview of each animal or beast, while most of the book used hyperbolized poetry to describe each animal¡¯s habitat, or he endlessly praised his ancestors for the knowledge they passed down to him, and venerating his noble house as the preeminent authority on taming.

    By the time I read ¡®the illustrious House of Swillion has no equal in the field of taming¡¯ for the fifth time, I jerked my head up and asked, ¡°Is House Swillion actually well-known for taming?¡±

    ¡°Pfft, hahaha! No, it¡¯s not. In fact, there is no House Swillion anymore.¡± Marsha said, as she composed herself from her outburst.

    Jissa continued on with a small smirk on her face, ¡°It¡¯s something of a joke among the older and more established nobles, but this book was the House¡¯s last attempt to gain some measure of respect after it was discovered they were engaged in tax fraud, smuggling beasts from the beastfolk tribes, and plenty of other crimes.¡±

    ¡°This all happened hundreds of years ago, and the King of that time had much less tolerance than our current ruler, so once he was made aware of the house¡¯s crimes, he deployed soldiers to take them into custody so they could stand trial.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, I love this part, do you mind if I¡­?¡± Marsha asked Jissa questioningly.

    Sighing, Jissa just gestured with her hand for Marsha to proceed. Taking that as her cue, Marsha told the tale of how the king¡¯s soldiers, once they reached the domain of the Swillions, found an outbreak of all manner of animals, creatures, and beasts attacking the humans they were bonded to. Apparently, the Swillions had sold the smuggled beasts and animals as bribes to their subordinates, not realizing there was a group of Shifters among them.

    ¡°Wait, what are Shifters?¡± Tyrithen asked curiously, engrossed in the story.

    ¡°Oh, right, sorry. Shifters are beastfolk who can transform into the appearance of their bestial ancestor while retaining their sapience and intelligence,¡± Marsha said, ignoring how Tyrithen, Clora, and I all visibly reacted to that, ¡°Supposedly, only elder beastfolk are capable of doing it, but all I know is that it¡¯s an advanced technique and the details are impossible to find out for any non-beastfolk. So, where was I¡­Oh, right, the shifters! So, the shifters had allowed themselves to be captured along with the other smuggled beasts, and once they arrived in the Swillion¡¯s territory, they somehow communicated to all the other captured beasts to break their tamer bonds at the same time, then they retaliated. Hard.¡± Marsha finished.

    Jissa continued on, ¡°By the time the king¡¯s soldiers arrived, the shifters had killed everyone responsible. And I assume you can all guess what happened next,¡± she ended morosely, her tone indicating the story did not have a happy ending.

    Anyone could figure out what happened next: they were hit by voranders. By the look on everyone¡¯s faces, they had worked it out as well.

    ¡°And then?¡± Clora asked, both fascinated and frightened.

    ¡°Then the surviving shifters demanded reparations from the King, who eventually compensated them for their losses in order to avoid war, and razed the remnants of House Swillion to the ground¡­not that there was much left.¡±

    A heavy silence hung over the small room, as everyone contemplated the well-deserved fall of House Swillion.

    ¡°So¡­why is the book a joke?¡± I asked, unable to see the humor.

    ¡°Oh, well, the idiot who wrote it barely paid any attention to the animals he was meant to be studying, and in the end he died because of it. It¡¯s just ironic, if a bit¡­bleak.¡± Marsha said.

    ¡°But if this book is such trash, then why are we even reading it?¡± I followed up.

    Nobody could give a satisfactory answer before class ended, not even the professor, who sprinted in by the end of the class and held the door frame to stop himself from collapsing, as he heaved and panted for breath, his face ruddy from exertion.

    To my, and probably my fellows¡¯, exasperation, he was too blinded by his anger to notice the covers for the books he meant to hand out were the same color as the useless trash we had wasted an hour reading.

    What a fitting end for my first day.

 Chapter 30

    As I laid my head onto the soft and downy pillow, my stomach full from a hearty dinner, and a breathable silk robe wrapped around me, I thought about the tumultuous first day I had.

    The different magics I had seen, the welcome revelation that not all the noble students were pompous jackasses, the fact that non-humans were working as professors, my provisionally-labelled ¡®friends¡¯, the matter of my soul and what that meant for me going forward, and¡­the one thing I had delayed thinking about all day.

    Or rather, the one word.

    Osenir.

    Even saying the word in my head brought forth memories of that first battle, where I decided that I didn¡¯t want to die again, a feeling that had ebbed and flowed as time progressed.

    ¡°Kid, I¡¯m cutting you slack cause you¡¯re an idiot, but next time, don¡¯t ask someone what it means. Ever.¡± The fatigued baritone voice of Elius resounded in my head as I thought back to the aftermath of that battle.

    The guards were burning the bodies of the slain monsters by throwing them all into a small mound and igniting it, but I was staring into the lone wooden pyre that had a single body laid atop it. In my effort to hold back tears through distraction, I asked him about the chant that he and his men started shouting right before the battle.

    ¡°It¡¯s the name of the second human king. Osenir was considered a champion of the common people, where his father, the first king, was a tyrant, killing anyone who crossed him, or anyone he thought crossed him. He was a ruthless and cruel man, whose only redeeming quality, at least according to the legends, was that he united the wandering nomads and established the framework for the kingdom.¡±

    ¡°It happened ages ago, so nobody knows the details, but the king eventually became such a bad ruler that his son deposed him, and was forced to kill him. The people were grateful that he was gone, but the man¡¯s death invited another kind of misery. These damned savages,¡± he spat towards the other pyres, ¡°It was one of the first times they attacked en masse. The new king had barely held a blade before, and these vermin were endless, but he rallied his people to defend, and sure enough, they won. The stories say he was blessed by the Mother herself, as he cut down waves of enemies with every swing of his sword. Who knows how it started, but supposedly, someone important was about to die, and they cried out his name in desperation, and despite the fact that the king was no mage, he¡¯d miraculously appear in front of them, just before saving them from a terrible death.¡±

    ¡°Every single time, when they cried out his name, he¡¯d save them, somehow. The casualties were high, and the bodies were piled tall enough to make mountains, but they managed to survive. And it was all thanks to Osenir.¡±

    The man stood next to me, as we both stared into the flames.

    ¡°...How did he do it?¡± I asked quietly. At that time, I didn¡¯t give a shit how he did it, I just wanted a distraction from my own thoughts, none of which were productive or helpful.

    ¡°Who knows? Some say the Mother couldn¡¯t bear to see him die, some claim he burned his soul for power, some even doubt it was him at all. But it doesn¡¯t matter. Osenir, however great he was, died long ago. We can only save ourselves when it comes down to it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­we say his name to remind ourselves¡­that there is a seed of greatness inside each of us.  That hope is a powerful weapon if you can wield it properly. To never give up, despite how dark things may seem or how easy it would be to do so. That if you are going to die, die well, knowing your actions made a difference. And¡­to beseech the Mother to take pity on us, as she did to her favored son.¡±

    ¡°...It¡¯s only meant to be said before a battle or during one, out of respect and honor for the first man who was called a hero. It¡¯s a bit of an open secret, but for the most part, only soldiers and knights will know the name, which is how you can tell when someone¡¯s been through the same shit you have.¡±

    The flames were blazing and crackling, steadily burning through the bodies in their midst, as the guards began to wearily march alongside the carts, the terrified merchants sitting within too frightened to comment on the loss of their goods in the attack.

    I closed my eyes as I mentally returned to the present. A gentle nudging sensation from within me drew my attention, as I fed essence through my one real tamer link to the green deer.

    Deerie is¡­just bad. Verdant¡­verdis¡­verdix? No, I¡¯d crack up every time I called him out.

    Naming my second companion was a long overdue task, and one I was happy to cross off my mental list of things to do. That it distracted me from overanalyzing the more serious events going on was just a happy coincidence.

    Greenie, no. Doe, a deer, wait, that¡¯s literally a female deer, idiot. Alright, what else, what else¡­forest, deer, healing, beast, what else comes to mind when I think of it ¨C

    ¡°Mint.¡±

    ¡­What.

    That last thought was not mine, which was creepy enough on its own, but considering the object of my thoughts¡­I reached out to the primary suspect.

    ¡°Can you hear me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been able to hear you, dolt,¡± the other voice in my head responded,

    Great. Attitude from my beast companion. Exactly what I needed right now.

    ¡°That is what you call sarcasm, yes?¡±

    ¡­Are you kidding me?!

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not ¡®kidding you¡¯ as you seem to be fond of saying.¡±

    ¡°Seriously! You can just read my mind now! What the actual hell!¡± I exclaimed aloud, to which thankfully, the deer didn¡¯t respond.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°I believe this is a consequence of your growing abilities rather than any action undertaken on my part,¡± he nonchalantly thought to me a few seconds later.

    Okay, first things first. Do you already have a name? I thought, trying to ignore the total absurdity and weirdness of the situation, and focus on the trivial details.

    ¡°No, I have no name. But the name Mint seems to fit me.¡± the deer smugly thought.

    ¡­Do you even know what mint is?

    ¡°Yes. You once thought that your friend could use a mint, and when I connected to your thoughts on that word, the feelings I was able to perceive were a mixture of an unnatural white leaf that you use after eating, a cooling tingle, and some profound human ritual where you insert the feathery stick inside your mouth and ¨C¡±

    Okay, okay, and for your information, it¡¯s called brushing. God, I miss brushing. My old dentist would cry tears of joy if he could see my teeth now.

    ¡°...So, my name is Mint now, yes?¡± he confidently replied, ignoring my rambling thoughts.

    Mint, mint. It¡¯s not a terrible name, but it¡¯s lacking a little something¡­

    Peppermint, spearmint ¨C

    ¡°Spear! You said spear mint? As in a combination of a weapon and herb? Fascinating! I elect spearmint as my new name!¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t I supposed to be the one choosing your name?¡± I grumbled to myself.

    Alright, fine, you win. As your tamer ¨C

    ¡°Contractor.¡± For the first time, his voice had a weight to it that would not be ignored. ¡±You did not tame me, young one. You subdued me in a moment of upheaval and, however gently, forced me into your service.¡± the deer rebuked me.

    ¡­Look, I¡¯m sorry, ok? That wolf thing was trying to kill me, and I didn¡¯t know if you were dangerous either, and I was just trying it out.

    ¡°It is in the past, young one, and no matter how much you might wish otherwise, nothing can change that now.¡± In hindsight, it was obvious that whatever bond we had, it didn¡¯t start out on a positive note, and I made a mental note to myself to start rectifying that.

    ¡­Then, as your contractor, I hereby name you Spearmint, First Beast Companion to the idiot named Rhaaj  Achaarya.

    And as I mentally spoke those words, I felt a slight buildup of pressure within my lower abdomen¡­before I quickly released it, a tiny high-pitched pfft sounding out.

    Do you feel any different now that you have a name?

    ¡°Only relief in that you will no longer refer to me as the deer or the green deer. It was agonizing having to listen to you refer to me as such so many times.¡±

    Well, I¡¯m happy for you.

    ¡°I can clearly feel that you¡¯re not.¡±

    ¡­Goodnight, Spearmint, I thought, wanting to quickly put an end to this conversation.

    ¡°May your rest be peaceful, contractor.¡± his smug voice responded, his intonation indicating to me that he was clearly aware of what I was doing.

    With that, I narrowed the link between us until it returned to its passive state, just enough for the deer ¨C Spearmint ¨C to feed off my essence.

    I was tired even before that mental conversation, and doubly so afterwards. I could have attempted communication with the other residents of my beast space, but¡­I really didn¡¯t want to. They were literal monsters. Who knew how those talks would go, or if they were even capable of rational thought?

    That was a problem for future-me. Let that guy deal with it once he had more energy and was in a better headspace.

    I held my forearm above my closed eyes in an attempt to sleep. Before I drifted off, I was simply glad that not all my thoughts were audible to Spearmint.

    That would get awkward and embarrassing quickly.

    The next morning pulled me out of my sleep just in time to see the sunrise, barely peeking over the horizon, as a small visible orange semicircle half hidden beneath the clouds slowly made itself known.

    Out of sheer habit, I started stretching and got ready to go to the Workman¡¯s Society, nearly halfway through my morning hygiene routine, before my mind started functioning properly and I recalled a relevant fact.

    My scholarship means I no longer need to scramble for pennies, dammit, I mean squares, anymore.

    It didn¡¯t mean I would stop doing tasks, just that I would need to do less to cover the cost of my tuition. Oh, and I couldn¡¯t forget about my rainy day fund, the money I jokingly referred to that was safely tucked away in my beast space. At last count, it was something like¡­thirty-eight circles? Maybe thirty-nine? I¡¯d have to keep better track of my budgeting going forward, but even if I was kicked out of the academy right now, I¡¯d still be able to live a comfortable life.

    Well, for however long it takes for my soul problems to regress, at least.

    The somber thought was quickly swept away as I looked forward to breakfast. I wasn¡¯t hungry, but food provided nearly as much of a distraction as work at times.

    Once I was ready for what was sure to be a riveting second day of classes, I exited my room, and faced the door marked ¡®Tunnel¡¯ that stood a few feet away from me. I had meant to ask Su¡¯jiif about it, but somehow the timing never quite worked out.

    No sooner had the thought occurred to me than¡­

    ¡°Ah, well met, young Rhaaj.¡± The door in front of my room opened, revealing a disheveled Su¡¯jiif who was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. His hair stuck out in different directions, and his eyes were bloodshot.

    ¡°Are you sick? No offense, but you seem¡­out of sorts.¡± I asked.

    Yawning, he replied with, ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with my research. The, yawn, the similarities between lightning and fire are fascinating once you, yawn,  once you discover the bonds between¡­¡± And just like that, he drifted off in the middle of his sentences, still standing up, if slightly swaying a little.

    Poking him lightly, I asked, ¡°Hey, Su¡¯jiif?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Yes, I¡¯m awake. Forgive me, I¡¯m just¡­why did I come out again?¡± he asked himself, looking around the mostly empty hallway.

    ¡°I think you should take a break. Maybe a nap before you get back to your research?¡± I proposed to him.

    ¡°That, perhaps¡­¡± Trailing off, he closed his door again, leaving me alone once more.

    I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not sticking around for the fourth year if that¡¯s what I have to look forward to.

    I shook my head, ignoring the interaction I just had as I turned to the door marked ¡®Tunnel¡¯, and had to slide it sideways, as there was no knob or handle. The door opened to reveal a long and empty vertical shaft with a strong wind blowing down from the ceiling. As I peeked downwards, I saw the glass floor and a formation etched around it.

    As I knew from my intro to magic class, formations were basically a single spell that took effect over a large area via permanent means, such as etching or carving the necessary runes into the surroundings, and were usually powered by essence stones, but could be powered by people if it was required. The terms formation and array were used interchangeably, despite the obvious misunderstandings that were possible when using the term ¡®formation¡¯ in the military.

    I didn¡¯t see the purpose of the Tunnel, so I decided to try it out. It had to have some purpose, and I was curious what it was. Worse case scenario, the glass would break my fall.

    I peered over the edge again, and before I could develop any second thoughts, I got a running start and leapt into the vast emptiness spread-eagled with my limbs outstretched, before the wind pushed at my back and gravity dragged me further downwards. The first three seconds were terrifying, but in the blink of an eye, before I could even think to brace for the impact, a rush of wind blew into me, slowing my descent considerably and letting me reorient myself to land standing up on the glass floor, which was somehow extremely soft. I tested it incredulously by pushing my foot down as hard as I could, but the floor sank in a few inches before slowly rising back to its current position.

    It took a minute to regain my bearings, but soon enough I noticed the only door there and walked through it, pulling it aside. I had emerged on the ground floor, as the rooms I could see all had a nameplate that started with zero.

    If the Tunnel took me down, does that mean¡­

    To confirm my suspicion, I walked all the way to the other end of the hallway, where an identical door marked ¡®Tunnel¡¯ stood. Opening it revealed a familiar scene, as an empty glass floor with carvings on it greeted me. Looking up, the sight of a long vertical shaft met my eyes.

    If this pushes me up, where would I land once I reach the top?

    As it turned out, the academy had considered that problem already. No sooner had I stepped onto the glass floor, when the formation activated and a gust of wind blew me up, just as quickly as I had previously come down, Once I approached what I thought would be the fourth floor, a blast of wind pushed into me and flung me sideways, almost throwing me right into the closed door.

    As I caught my breath, I took a moment to reflect on the round trip I unexpectedly sent myself on. I¡¯d prefer taking the stairs over this magical half-functioning pseudo-elevator any day. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t just jump back down and reach the ground floor as the wind would just push me back up. I gathered myself, again, as I steadily headed to the other end of the hallway, where my ride down awaited me.

    One more time wouldn¡¯t be the end of the world.

 Chapter 31

    ¡°So, have you done Passen¡¯s assignment yet?¡±

    ¡°I just finished it two nights ago! Having to list the differences between the anatomy of the three races was so ¨C¡±

    ¡°Did you hear Ephriniem is getting expelled? Apparently he and a certain someone were too rambunctious in their late-night ¨C¡±

    ¡°What did you think of the latest designs made by Madam Tourberry? The needlework is elegant, of course, but I¡¯m not sure if the embroidery is recreat ¨C¡±

    ¡°Then I punched him in the face while our blades were locked! Of course, Sir Yalmaar said in a real fight I would probably lose an arm like that, but a win¡¯s a win, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to learning more about pacting! Once I go back home, I¡¯ll bond with something scary and scare my little brother as soon as he wakes up! Oh, don¡¯t give me that look, Unemii, I know what you¡¯ve done is at least ¨C ¡°

    The cacophony of voices washed over me like a scratchy blanket, but I put up with it as I usually did. The snippets of conversations I managed to overhear didn¡¯t bring up any topics too relevant to me, so I was content to simply follow along until something interesting caught my ear.

    The park where I found myself was acting as the current venue for the Gafft twins¡¯ weekly gathering. It was too casual to be called a banquet, and too formal to be considered a party. There were no invitations, so anyone could come or go as they pleased, so long as they knew someone at the gathering and their temperament was more or less aligned with the twins¡¯.

    At first, the gathering only consisted of Riddis, Orddis, a few of their close friends and myself, but as time passed it ballooned up to nearly eighty people. Thankfully, there were never that many people present at once, as schoolwork took precedence, but if I ever found out that too many people would be attending, I¡¯d find a reason not to go, citing an assignment or studying as the reason. I had no desire to be the wallflower at the party who only knew a few people¡­again.

    That part of my life was over and done with.

    ¡°So Rhaaj, have you settled on a weapon yet?¡± A voice drew me back to the conversation.

    Orddis and a couple other guys were discussing something combat-related, and I had tuned them out. It wasn¡¯t anything I hadn¡¯t heard before, just combat theory and little tips and tricks to maintain your stamina.

    ¡°Sorry, what?¡± I asked politely.

    ¡°Your WEAPON!¡± Tyrithen half-shouted at me all too happily. The other commoner boy from my taming class had fit in well with the group, judging by his exuberant tone and the bright smile he wore. ¡°Have you chosen one yet? Most of us have at least settled on a certain type by now, though you and Fied here are the only ones who haven¡¯t ¨C¡±

    Before he could get another word out, a chorus of high-pitched whines echoed out across the city, drowning out every other sound. As soon as the first sound echoed out, everyone stopped talking as faces went slack, jaws dropped, and eyes widened in fear, or perhaps shock.

    I had learned during my first week at the academy what that sound meant:

    Monster attack.

    I was dreading the possibility of this day ever arriving, and now it had.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    To their credit, the twins recovered quickly and corralled everyone together, herding the students back to the academy and making sure everyone returned safely, as that was the safest spot for them in case of emergencies. A part of my dread melted away as the burden of responsibility was shouldered by two people who apparently knew what to do.

    It came creeping back as I rushed to my designated assembly point, moving through the students and faculty calmly walking to their proper place. Most students and staff would be safe within the academy, as it was literally built to fend off hordes of attacking monsters. As a student, I too should have been sheltered by the academy¡¯s walls, but as a transfer student, I had an obligation to fulfill. I alternated between jogging and walking as I made my way to the administration building, the meeting point for anyone who volunteered to fight, a group I begrudgingly found myself a part of.

    There was a cluster of individuals milling about in the vicinity of the admin building¡¯s entrance. A stereotypical armored knight was standing on the steps to the building shouting out instructions to the people assembled there.

    ¡°Everyone, please remain calm! Once all combat personnel have arrived, you will be divided into your own teams, each led by an instructor!¡± A series of beeps interrupted the man speaking as he continued, ¡°Your student cards will show you where to meet with your team, head there at once as soon as possible.¡±

    Before he even finished speaking, I felt my student card heat up near my clavicle, as it hung around my neck on my makeshift leather necklace. Taking it out let me see that my team was meeting in a nearby training ground, in sight of where I currently stood.

    Once I reached the training ground, I was met by a stony-faced Teacher Passen, other professors, and a litany of nervous students that looked like new LARP-ers in their mismatched sets of armor. I recognized some students from my healing class and other teachers that were probably part of the healing department.

    ¡°Good, the last one¡¯s arrived. Take whatever weapons and armor you need from the cache,¡± Teacher Passen said to me as he nodded to the side, where a large open shed filled with equipment was emptied out. There were numerous racks of different types of weapons on the left, and crates with every kind of piece of armor on the right. At that moment, I was grateful that I knew what I needed, as Sir Yalmaar had made us memorize how to properly wear a set of armor.

    Taking into account what I knew of the battlefield, I would prioritize speed over defense, so I elected to wear leather armor rather than full plate. Helmet, chest protector, pauldrons, greaves, and vambraces all provided my body a decent amount of protection without having to sacrifice speed. Thankfully, there was no need for me to tie anything closed, as every armor piece had tiny pieces of metal sewn on the inside that were magnetized and stayed closed until sufficient force was used. The best sets were personalized with a blood magic spell that bound the armor to you and wouldn¡¯t open unless you undid the enchantment, but of course those were too expensive.

    As I secured my last vambrace, I turned to the rows of weapons laid out for me to choose from. Unfortunately, my decision here wouldn¡¯t be as easy as my selection of armor was, and my time was quickly running out.

    I had some experience with the shortsword, so I hesitantly grabbed one that was sheathed, pulling it out and checking the blade for any obvious signs of damage before affixing it to my waist as I continued perusing the other arms. A spear was the obvious choice for anyone untrained, which I did consider myself being, despite the six months of general combat classes I had taken. But it was likely that I wouldn¡¯t have enough space around me to effectively wield a spear, so I discarded that as an option.

    A bow and arrow would be ideal for me, as I could stay out of the fight and still contribute to it, but to my everlasting regret, I was a shitty archer. I knew some spells that could shoot projectiles, sure, but my dream of imitating a certain emerald-hooded bowman was shattered when I failed to hit a practice target even once, and that was after needing numerous attempts to even draw the bowstring far back enough.

    ¡°Hurry up kid! It¡¯s not like you¡¯re meeting with the king!¡± The unfamiliar voice berating me only added more pressure to my decision, as I looked through the various weapons. I grabbed the closest thing to me, a metallic mace whose head had concentric rings with serrated edges on it. I swung it around a few times to get used to the weight, and decided it was light enough for me to use. I held it firmly as I rejoined the group of students.

    ¡°Now that everyone¡¯s ready, we can proceed.¡± The stranger who¡¯d chided me glared in my direction before continuing, ¡°You¡¯re all part of the healing squad, so most of you will be hanging back and assisting the healers with their job, boiling water, fetching bandages, things like that. Some of you will be runners, carrying the wounded and dead out of the battlefield. Some of you will be guards, protecting the runners while they run back and forth. Ideally, each team of guards and runners would have an instructor or senior student for additional coverage, but there¡¯s not enough bodies to go around as it is. If you¡¯re lucky enough to have someone like that, thank the Mother. If not, you better hope nothing too bad happens to you out there.¡±

    ¡°Paso!¡± A professor yelled at him.

    ¡°What? They can handle it! Kids, if you really can¡¯t take it and get too scared, you can run away. I mean, I don¡¯t know if cowardice is part of the Commandments or not, but I think it should be.¡±

    ¡°Paso!¡± A third professor harshly shouted at him.

    ¡°Haa, fine! Kids, if you wanna run away from your duties and live to see tomorrow while being known as a coward for the rest of your life, step over here.¡± As he pointed to the side, waiting for anyone to accept his offer, a few students looked at each other, their expressions clearly showing that some of them were tempted to take the deal.

    Before they could, Paso resumed his speech, ¡°Good. Now that all of you have decided to stand with honor on the battlefield, we can move out. Remember, if you¡¯re ever in doubt, you get your orders from your professors. The city guards are their own unit, same goes for the army. Let¡¯s move out. Second-years with the elf, ¡° his comment drew a piercing glare from Teacher Passen that was entirely ignored, ¡°Third-years with the midget, fourth-years with me.¡±

    And just like that, I found myself headed towards my first school-sanctioned battlefield.

 Chapter 32

    As the highest ranking person for our division, Sir Paso had us take a ¡®comfortable pace¡¯ through the empty streets of Svenia City which had been placed under lockdown, so we could reach the encampment on the city¡¯s boundary in good time without being exhausted.

    It would have been good logic¡­if Sir Paso was aware that his definition of ¡®comfortable¡¯ meant ¡®just barely doable¡¯ for the rest of us. The majority of the instructors had no problem maintaining the half-sprint for the approximately one hour it took for us to reach the encampment from the academy, but most of us students were heaving and puking our guts out before we even reached the hard-packed earthen walls of the encampment.

    Thankfully, I was not among that group, as I was out of breath but not to the point of collapsing on the ground in weariness. I had my foresight to thank for my improved stamina, as running laps during general combat class and starting an exercise routine had improved my endurance greatly from what it was six months ago.

    ¡°All of you should know that the reason Svenia has no walls is due to the presence of the defensive formation laid around the city. That formation is the strongest and last line of defense the city has. It¡¯s our job to make sure those monsters don¡¯t get the chance to test it out.¡± Sir Paso declared, his voice somber as we walked through the encampment.

    ¡°Do your duty. Listen to your seniors. Don¡¯t die. And don¡¯t give in to fear.¡±

    With that profound final message, he exchanged a few more words with the instructors before heading off and leaving us near the first aid area, navigating the encampment¡¯s field of tents like he was born there.

    ¡°Alright everyone, to your professors!¡±

    I and the other second years, roughly ten or so whom I recognized as being in my healing class, circled Teacher Passen, whose eyes were closed as he stood with his hands atop a plain, unadorned wooden staff. Once he somehow discerned everyone was present, he opened his eyes, addressing us. ¡°Most of you will be in the healer¡¯s tents as aides. Three of you will act as guards, and two will be runners. I¡¯ve been informed that the city guards can spare two men to act as your guards, but they may be called away if the need arises. The runners will be two third-years, and the guards will be another third-year, Desnae, and Rhaaj.¡±

    As he spoke, he pulled the two of us to the side, apart from the other students.

    ¡°The mages have already cleared the area outside the city, so there¡¯s nothing for you to trip over. They should be building fortifications and trenches now, so if you get separated from the others somehow, make your way back to the walls or one of the towers. If you don¡¯t see anyone in need of rescue, come back here and help the other healers.¡±

    ¡°Do either of you have any questions?¡± He asked, looking both of us in the eyes one last time before sending us off to our posts. There was no response, the weight of the situation too heavy for words. ¡°Then you¡¯re to wait here for now. After the battle starts, form up behind the barrier and wait for the signal to start running. The sentries in the towers will relay the location of the wounded to one of the guards, and they¡¯ll inform you.¡±

    And then it was Passen¡¯s turn to leave us, grasping our shoulders, before he spoke with the other students. Not long after, the majority of the healing students were ushered into various tents and buildings as three other students approached my position, likely the third-years.

    The third-years introduced themselves to us, Enandel, Wetoile, and Javorn Dia, all of whom were well-built and athletic looking in their armor. They explained that their, and now our, jobs were relatively safe, as the wounded would either be still fighting, in which case we¡¯d have the frontline to protect us, or staggering to the backlines anyway, so the job was almost ridiculously simple for the points they were receiving in exchange.

    Points were nice and all, but I¡¯d have to be alive to use them. I couldn¡¯t be as cavalier as the others, despite their prior experiences.

    Desnae, my partner and a noble student in my healing class, was standing just out of my line of sight behind me. I only noticed her standing there due to her high-pitched sneeze. She was looking aloof about everything, though her facade of nonchalance was betrayed by the shaking of her hands. We were never close to each other in class but I figured now was as good a time as any to bridge that gap. I wouldn¡¯t want lives to be lost because we didn¡¯t know how to address each other. She was fine with me calling her Des or by her last name, Wysog, but I¡¯d stick to Des. The conversation died down as the others readied themselves or tried to calm their nerves. I was distracting myself by looking around and observing the scene before me.

    From our position near the healers¡¯ tents, I could see the land that would be the battlefield. The monsters were approaching the city from the northeast, and so that area had been smoothed and flattened until it resembled a dry and arid desert. There was a large river that meandered around the east side of the city before it continued on and eventually reached the eastern coast, but the earth mages had apparently diverted the river to the battleground, creating a thick tributary and another obstacle for the enemies to contend with.

    The sky was dark and grey, storm clouds being generated at the behest of nature spells to be used as yet another weapon. Tall, tall towers were erected just outside the edge of the city¡¯s defensive formation, archers stocking their quivers in every visible opening. In the distance, I could see Professor Rhubadesh conversing animatedly with a group of other women about¡­something.

    Finally, I felt it.

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    The ground started shaking, immediately escalating from its normal steadfast and stable nature to earth-shaking vibrations that threatened to pull down anyone caught unawares to their knees. ¡°To your stations! To your stations! To your stations!¡± The order came from above, magically amplified to reach the ears of everyone it needed to. Guards, professors, and students were all running about, heading to their posts before the battle could commence. Apparently, the army wouldn¡¯t be called in unless whoever was in charge felt that the situation required reinforcements. As we were one of the four cities closest to the capital, they would reach here extremely quickly, but I knew that in combat, every second mattered.

    ¡°You guys ready for your first rescue mission?¡±  Enandel said to us cheerfully, his smile at odds with the gravity of the situation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve done this plenty of times. Stick with us, and nothing will go wrong.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel that he had just doomed all of us to a terrible fate.

    We took our places at the rear of the massed fighters, ready to dive into the fray as soon as we were needed. The guards at the vanguard had their shields outstretched and interlocked with their neighbours'' shields, spears extended outward to meet the enemies. The academy fighters were at the rightmost flank, where the fighting would theoretically be the least concentrated. Scouts mounted on flying creatures were returning from the north, ready to provide aerial support despite their low numbers. The defensive formation shimmered, rippling in the air as it received enough power to become visible.

    At first, the change was practically unnoticeable, just a tiny dot in the horizon. Then, it extended out to the right and left into a thin line, a dark spot slowly but surely lengthening outwards. Finally, the line grew closer and darker, thicker and larger than before, more compact and visible as details of its composition began to show themselves.

    I couldn¡¯t even count how many there were. All I knew was that what seemed like a manageable number of monsters had rapidly transformed into something resembling an ocean of blackness. All manner of sounds escaped from them, creating a tumultuous avalanche of noise that grated on the ears. Snarls and howling interspersed with roars and barks to create something¡­unholy.

    There was no uniformity at all in their appearance, save for the ubiquitous black that was present in all of them. There were mutated versions of common animals and freakish-looking behemoths that looked like an amalgam of various animal parts mashed together.

    Giant worms that twisted forward and spiralled as they moved, apes with six arms and shark teeth, a lizard with no eyes and seven tongues darting from its singular mouth. That was all I could see from my position at the back, and only because those were the largest ones.

    Thankfully, I couldn¡¯t see any flying monsters, though whether there were none to begin with or if they were simply lurking out of sight was a matter of contention.

    The army of monsters first attacked with sound as they stopped on the opposite side of the river, unleashing an almost palpable wall of their various growls and screeches.

    ¡°HOLD FAST! STAND TALL!¡±

    An unknown commander¡¯s voice rose above the racket the monsters were making, attempting to inject a dose of courage into the combatants.

    But there was no more time for raising morale, as the army of darkness inevitably began its approach. Some leapt across the river in a single bound, some swam through the river¡¯s waters with no issues and emerged sopping wet on the closer shore, some were picked up and launched by the larger of their brethren, crashing on the other side without any visible injuries.

    It might have been funny were it not so serious.

    Their prey in sight and within reach, the monsters picked up speed, sprinting and dashing with all the celerity their limbs could provide, rushing towards the feast right before them when all of a sudden ¨C

    ¡°NOW!¡±

    Lightning descended from the storm clouds onto the soaked and dampened monsters, electrifying them and turning them into ashes. The white columns were like a heavenly decree that none could resist as they instantly spasmed from the initial strike before collapsing on the ground, leaving no doubt as to their condition.

    The earth rose up in a wall covering the entire breadth of the battlefield as it pushed the encroaching monsters away like a broom, before swiftly falling down and pulverizing anything underneath.

    A tornado formed in the middle of the horde and restrained hundreds of bodies in its grasp, as it cycled and contorted, before violently flinging them skywards and ensuring they crashed to the ground in a broken heap, gravity making sure their only remains were mangled corpses and twisted limbs.

    The waters of the river twisted and churned, quickly turning into a massive vortex that eviscerated all that foolishly entered its maws.

    The black blood of the fallen voranders slowly flowed out of their corpses before all of it was manipulated into separate streams that joined with others and rose into the sky, forming a large whirlpool which floated above the battlefield. In the blink of an eye, the whirlpool spun like a top, rotating faster than the eye could follow, before it deconstructed itself into countless spears and they rained death onto humanity¡¯s oldest enemy.

    With the mages¡¯ first strikes, the area surrounding the vanguard had been scoured clean. But despite the effectiveness of the spells being flung around, they couldn¡¯t last forever, and finally, the battle shifted to one of individuals clashing for survival.

    ¡°HOLD THE LINE! HOLD THE LINE! HOLD THE LINE!¡± the commander shouted vigorously, his voice a beacon of certainty in this ocean of chaos for his subordinates to cling to.

    I heard the first clash before I saw it. The squelch of bodies throwing themselves onto the spears of the defenders. The thump as the front ranks shook them off their weapons onto the ground. The clinging and clanging of metal as fellows inadvertently bumped their shield into their neighbour¡¯s side. But most of all, I could hear the excitement in the monsters¡¯ voices, as their sounds of frustration changed to ones of unmasked glee and frenzy.

    The archers in the closest towers finally began loosing arrows into the mass of enemies, their arrows guaranteed to land a hit when there were so many bodies packed together. Their rate of fire was impressive, as a full row consisting of hundreds was downed in a few seconds.

    But for every enemy slain, there were more to take its place. The dark tide of monsters still stretched from here to the horizon, a black carpet that promised death. In their haste to reach the city faster, their ranks broke into chaos as they attacked each other tooth and claw for the chance to bite off the tempting meat that was waiting for them.

    The carnage only escalated, as blood, water, rain, and sweat all fell onto the land and formed a muddy slurry that threatened the peoples¡¯ balance as their feet slipped or slid unexpectedly. The monsters acted without any strategy or reason, but what they lacked in brains, they made up for with brawn. Their claws were the equal of the best forged swords, as they rent armor and tore gashes into skin. The mages had intentionally targeted the largest monsters with their spells so the guards only had to deal with the relatively smaller species. That wasn¡¯t to say the fight was easy, only that the worst case scenario had been averted.

    Finally, the call to action reached my ears, sending a twinge of fear through me as I heard the words I had been dreading.

    ¡°Healer! We need a healer!¡±

 Chapter 33

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± Wetoile said, her voice firm as she polished her gauntlets till they were gleaming like mirrors.

    Gee, thanks. I¡¯m instantly cured.

    ¡°Have you realized that your sarcasm is prone to expressing itself when you come under stress?¡±

    Not now, Spearmint.

    ¡°Sigh, very well. I¡¯ll leave you to your upcoming battle. One final thing, do try not to perish. Finding another den as suitable as this would be difficult, in the event you do end up falling.¡±

    That¡¯s it, no food for you today.

    ¡°But you promised a sweet from the bake ¨C¡±

    I tuned out my companion¡¯s annoying voice and tried to focus on what was actually happening around me.

    ¡°Your job is not to fight, it¡¯s to protect us,¡± Enandel said, turning away from the battle and looking straight at Desnae and me. ¡°Us three have the hard part of the job: actually finding and bringing whoever¡¯s wounded back. All you have to do is keep the little vores off of us.¡±

    ¡°Vores?¡± Desnae asked.

    ¡°The monsters. There¡¯s only so many ways to refer to them,¡± Enandel stated as he started counting off his fingers, ¡°Monsters, voranders, the Great Enemy, the fallen. The point is it¡¯s shorter and less of a hassle. And besides, what sounds scarier, a vore or a vorander? If you get used to calling them vores, eventually you¡¯ll think of them as a plague or natural disaster, you know, something beatable, instead of something evil that can end the world.¡± he declared, casually regarding plagues and natural disasters as something beatable.

    Finally, the call to action reached my ears, sending a twinge of fear through me as I heard the words I had been dreading.

    ¡°Healer! We need a healer!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s our signal. Remember, Desnae¡¯s up front with us, Rhaaj in the back with Jav. Whatever happens, stick together.¡± Wetoile said, apparently giving orders now. Her eyes closed for a moment before they opened again, urging us all towards the battlefield. ¡°To the right flank, follow me.¡±

    All my equipment was ready. I just needed to watch the backs of my team. Squad? Nobody ever told me our designation. For all I knew, we were just some random unit.

    That didn¡¯t matter anymore as my rambling ended as soon as I crossed the barrier of the defensive formation. My senses were immediately assaulted by the stimuli of the battlefield. My ears were practically deafened by the grunts and shouts of the defenders and the various animal noises of the enemies. The smell threatened to knock me out or make me vomit with how rank and putrid it was. I could taste the blood in the air, the faint tang of iron that rose up from the endless number of bodies that lay unmoving on the ground.

    ¡°Rhaaj, hurry up! Let¡¯s go!¡± Wetoile looked at me. I took one moment to gather myself and followed the rest of the team.

    The backline where we currently were was relatively peaceful, but that atmosphere died quickly as we dashed forward, as we had to practically fight our own side to get to the wounded, pushing and shoving the mass of bodies at the rear like it was a Black Friday sale.

    ¡°Got him!¡± Enandel cried out, as he threw the wounded student onto his shoulders in a fireman¡¯s lift, the others surrounding him. I kept my eyes peeled for any stray attacks headed our way, but luckily none arrived. We pushed our way back to the rear, and dashed to the healers, as Enandel literally dropped his cargo onto a cot, ready for the healers to do their job.

    ¡°Another one near the guards. Let¡¯s go!¡± Wetoile said, as she hurried back to the front, the rest of us following in her wake.

    For the rest of the day, I escorted my team as we did our best impression of an ambulance, carting off the wounded or dead off the battlefield and into the impatient arms of the healers. It was harrowing when the person who was only reported to be injured ended up dead before we got there, but there was no time for grief or any other emotion.

    The third-years, despite their levity, had a solid grip on the situation. Wetoile took command and urged us forward, always keeping us busy enough that there was no time to dwell or fixate on what could have been. Enandel, for all that he had to physically lift and carry the majority of the wounded, kept a smile on his face the entire time, though I did begin to question his sanity at one point. Javorn, who remained mostly silent, did his part as well, nudging me in the side whenever we needed to push through, or lobbing an overhead spell onto the monsters whenever the opportunity presented itself.

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    Desnae and I did what we could to help but our contributions were far overshadowed by what the others did. Despite being labelled as guards, we never had to fend off more than a handful of attacks, and all of them were promptly dealt with. The biggest threat I had to deal with was when the top half of a goblin-type vorander, its entrails spilling out, feebly scratched at my boots on the ground, its sharp fingernails barely alerting me to its presence. A quick thrust of my shortsword ended that ¡®threat¡¯.

    As we ventured out more and more, I could hear how the battle was progressing. The mages stopped performing large-scale attacks and focused on targeting the largest monsters, low grumbles and small explosions marking their time of death. The scouts on their aerial creatures would occasionally fly low, close to the battlefield, and pepper a row of enemies with their projectiles, both mundane and magical. When I heard a stampede of hooves gallop from one end of the battlefield to the other, I could tell that the battle was nearly over if the guards thought it was safe enough to mount up and clean up the remaining enemies.

    Before I knew it, we were back in the healers tents, helping with the actual treatment of the wounded. Running around to get bandages and tinctures in the bustling encampment was a welcome change of pace from running around and collecting bodies that were barely clinging to life.

    All said, at the end of the day, it was a complete victory for mankind. The city still stood. The battle had somehow been won, the enemies completely wiped out and the hopeless situation overturned.

    In the aftermath, the academy healers were recruited by the guards to help attend to their wounded as well, which had me running around for a bit longer, but it was a worthy cause so I kept my mouth shut and lugged around bloody sheets to be burned and crates of herbs to be ground into a healing paste. After assisting the healers, I was pressed into helping gather the bodies of the enemies into a massive pile for them to be burned. Revisiting the site of the battle was an almost cathartic experience as I was able to see the corpses piled as high as a mountain. The mages were working to restore the area to how it looked before the attack, replanting seeds and raising a better path out of the city than the one that had been quickly wiped out.

    By the time I was allowed to go back to the academy, night had long since fallen, and I was dead on my feet, despite my improved stamina. I had followed the other students to a random training ground and threw my armor into the crates marking each type of piece. I pulled off my mace and shortsword, throwing them into the pile of weapons that needed to be repaired before the next battle.

    There was to be a speech or something the following morning, but I was barely able to follow along as the professor went over the details. All I heard was that the information would be sent to my card and I stopped actively listening after that, desperate to just head to bed and sleep for as long as I could. I trudged along the path to the dorms, my eyelids already starting to feel heavier. I was in no state to be walking, so I flung myself into the Tunnel to the fourth floor with barely any thought. Once I rolled onto the right floor, I only stood up long enough to open the door to my room before falling to the floor in exhaustion, too tired to even take off the sweaty and dirt-stained clothes I was wearing. I only had a moment of clarity to think about how sleeping on the floor would probably be bad for my back, before my eyes involuntarily closed and I drifted off to the warm embrace of sleep.

    ========================================================================

    ¡°Report.¡±

    ¡°The number of enemies killed amounts to a little over a hundred thousand. None survived or retreated. As for casualties on our side, the guards only said it was less than thirty. I couldn¡¯t get a specific number, you know how their commander is. None of the staff were lost, though a few will need to spend a couple weeks recovering in the infirmary. As for students, we lost¡­three.¡±

    ¡°...Three students, and thirty guards¡­for a hundred thousand enemies. As much as it pains me to say it, it would be a worthwhile trade¡­if those damn things didn¡¯t multiply like roaches. Sigh, make sure the families receive their compensation, and award all the volunteers their points by tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yes, headmaster.¡±

    ¡°Was there anything else?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­not sure if it has any relevance, headmaster.¡±

    ¡°Out with it, man! It¡¯s too late for this back and forth nonsense! Just tell me and I¡¯ll decide if it¡¯s relevant or not!¡±

    ¡°After the battle, the scouts reported traces of a spatial spell in the enemy¡¯s breeding grounds once they flew back. They couldn¡¯t determine the origin point or who the caster was, as too long had passed since the spell was cast.¡±

    ¡°Sigh. Fantastic. Very well, I¡¯ll bring it up with the council. Get some rest, Okarot.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. Good night, headmaster.¡±

    ¡°Good night, Lambert.¡±

    Once his second-in-command retreated from his office, the headmaster swiveled in his chair to face the transparent window-wall. Everything outside was pitch-black, but that was easily remedied with a simple night vision spell. As soon as the headmaster¡¯s vision was able to pierce the veil of darkness, he stood up and walked closer to the window-wall, the transparent pane of glass that took up an entire wall of his office and allowed him to see outwards.

    He first checked on his students. The majority who had fought were either in bed, sleeping, crying, or distracting themselves with a partner. He sighed internally at the unpleasant conversations he would have to have with those indulging in their indiscretions, but he would let them be, at least for tonight. As callous as it sounded, losing a student, while tragic, was not nearly as bad as losing a professor. He didn¡¯t even want to think about how badly human-elf relations would be affected if they lost Passen to a monster horde.

    Turning slightly, his gaze next fell onto the infirmary. It had seen every professor stop by at some point, with only a few needing more than a night to recuperate. Thankfully, all of them would recover with time, even the worst injuries made manageable by the quality of their healers. The students laying in the infirmary were perfectly fine, at least in the physical sense. They had been ordered to stay overnight so their mental states could be monitored. It was a known phenomenon of the mind where combat or extreme stress could cause the one affected to lash out randomly, either at others or themselves. It was best to keep the amount of incidents to a minimum.

    Sweeping over the rest of the academy grounds saw a few professors patrolling. It had been centuries since the last incursion happened, but it wouldn¡¯t do to have the monsters unexpectedly appear and rampage within the academy.  The fallout would be¡­well, whoever survived likely wouldn¡¯t live long enough to regret it.

    Before he could head to bed, the headmaster had one final task to perform. He looked in the direction of the monsters¡¯ breeding ground, the pit. His spirit practically begged to destroy the black abyss that exuded a sense of wrongness, even from here, leagues away. It was similar enough to other breeding grounds he had seen, the shriveled plant life, the water transformed into sludge, tiny eggs small enough to escape enhanced vision that contained a remnant seed of the savages.

    What captured his attention was the location of the spatial spell that Lambert had mentioned. There were just enough remnant traces of essence for him to discern its location. As if it was waiting for him to notice it¡­before the final remnants dissipated into wisps. It manifested in the air. And as the scouts had reported that this particular nest had no aerial enemies¡­

    The headmaster turned back around, grabbing a crystal plate out of his desk.

    The other members of the council needed to be informed that there was someone, or worse, something, capable of manipulating the monsters into attacking.

 Chapter 34

    Honor. Valor. Dedication. Sacrifice. Commitment.

    The words went in one ear and out the other.

    Every student and member of staff was gathered in the academy¡¯s arena, its seats full for the first time since I arrived. The headmaster, displaying a sense of either understanding or reluctance, had delayed his speech by one day to allow everyone to rest and recuperate from the battle. In that same spirit, he cancelled all classes for the following week, permitting those who wished to return to their families to briefly do so.

    Now, however, he stood atop a dais and was delivering what I¡¯m sure was a passionate speech about¡­something. I stopped listening as soon as I heard the word ¡®perseverance¡¯. To me, that word translated to ¡®you¡¯ll be expected to do that again¡¯.

    My ¡®ambulance duty¡¯, as I had referred to it in my mind, truly wasn¡¯t as harrowing or grim as my other experiences with the monsters. It helped that there were others who did the lion¡¯s share of the fighting and my own role was relatively insignificant. I¡¯m sure that those in the vanguard would have felt differently though, as they had to rebuff the advances of death multiple times.

    My eyes drifted to the seats behind the headmaster, where the other staff members and instructors were quietly chatting amongst themselves as the headmaster quoted some famous general from a thousand years ago. I had heard through the grapevine that Professor Alinis was recovering in the infirmary, as he had overexerted himself during the battle, something about the conflict of energy when affecting vorander blood with his essence. It was too advanced for me to follow, but the gist of it was that he would be laid up for at least a week. As soon as my eyes drifted to Teacher Passen, he looked straight at me and nodded towards the headmaster, wordlessly gesturing for me to pay attention.

    All he got in response was my roll of my eyes as I shook my head and kept looking at the instructors. He was lenient with most of his students out of class, but strict whenever we were in the classroom.

    Finally, I saw Ganturo talking with Sir Yalmaar, and that made sense to me. They were both fighters, so they were probably reminiscing about some old battle or something. I kept perusing the staff as I saw that old administrator lady who I had to deal with on my first day here. That paperwork snafu would not be soon forgotten, at least, not by ¨C

    Wait. Ganturo?

    Why is he here?!

    I turned back to where I saw Ganturo and he paused his conversation with Sir Yalmaar to subtly nod and wave at me, a grin on his face. I nodded back, and he quickly resumed his conversation.

    ¡°Take this time to recover, both your body and spirit. If there is anything the staff can assist you with, do not hesitate to call upon us. We are all in this together.¡±

    Finally.

    The headmaster had ended his speech and began walking out of the arena, the staff members following after him, and the students waiting until they had left before filing out themselves.

    No sooner had I reached the massive exit of the arena than I was pulled to the side by a thick and muscled arm.

    ¡°Um, ow.¡±  I managed to let out once we had reached an area less crowded.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve handled worse wounds before, haven¡¯t you?¡± Ganturo said, his voice full of delight despite his apathy toward the numbness in my upper arm.

    ¡°Not really. Forget all that, what are you doing here?¡± I asked him, confusion written on my face as I slowly stretched out my shoulder to regain some feeling in it.

    ¡°Sigh, well, you remember I told you I sometimes worked at the academy as an instructor when I got injured?¡± I nodded, as I did recall him saying something along those lines. ¡°Well, I got injured, and part of my pay for working here is getting my injury treated. Although it¡¯s only for two months, I wouldn¡¯t have come if I didn¡¯t need to.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not serious, is it?¡± I asked. If he was fine enough to be walking around, it probably wasn¡¯t that serious, but it didn¡¯t hurt to check.

    ¡°Not with the treatment I got this morning. Man, the healers here really put to shame the ones back in Khobadaar, don¡¯t they? All it took was five minutes for my wounds to go from painful to nonexistent.¡± He twisted his core, his body rotating above his hips in demonstration. ¡°It¡¯s like it never happened.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. So, how¡¯s everything back home? Everyone¡¯s alright?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°Actually¡­about that¡­¡± he trailed off.

    When he didn¡¯t immediately say they were fine, my mind went to the worst case scenario.

    ¡°What happened?!¡± I asked him louder than before, a slight panic bleeding into my voice.

    ¡°Oh, sorry! I probably should have phrased that better. Everything¡¯s fine, nothing happened,¡± he assured me, putting a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Sorry about that, it¡¯s just¡­there¡¯s something I need to ask you, and I need you to tell me the truth.¡± Ganturo said, his mouth twisting into an awkward grimace.

    Could he have found out something that blew up my villager cover story?

    That was the only thing that came to mind, until he asked me something I definitely wasn¡¯t expecting.

    ¡°Have you ever fought monsters before?¡± He asked, the earlier cheer replaced by seriousness.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Yeah, a couple days ago.¡± I said honestly. ¡°They attacked the city. Didn¡¯t you hear about it?¡± I said, my eyebrows raised questioningly.

    He waved it off, ¡°Not that. I meant, have you ever fought them before that? It would have been before you left for Jyvra City.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­I have.¡± My mind was in turmoil as he continued. What was the point of this?

    He exhaled, looking up at the sky before closing his eyes and asking, ¡°And while you were fighting¡­was there ever a rock pillar nearby? Maybe made by a rock mage?¡±

    My brain short-circuited and fizzled out as my eyes went wide and I stopped breathing. It took a couple seconds for me to process what just happened, but I was no closer to understanding the why of it. Hypothetically, he could have crossed paths with Elius or that lazy mage, and they could have told him about that encounter. But why would they?

    And more to the point, if things were that simple, he wouldn¡¯t have asked me like this.

    ¡°How could you possibly know that?¡± I half-whispered, as I saw Ganturo lower his head and look back at me, his eyes opened again. His expression was difficult for me to read, but it seemed like he had made a decision somehow. His voice when he finally replied was also firmer than it had been previously, and I got the distinct feeling I wouldn¡¯t like what he had to say.

    ¡°Rhaaj, you know how we feel about you. You¡¯re almost like a little nephew to me and Evelyn, and Gill and Ennin both care about you a lot. But this is a family matter. Blood family. I can¡¯t tell you how I know what happened to you, but you have my vow that, despite how it looks, this has very little to do with you. I¡¯m asking you to set aside any questions you might have about this, and just let it be. Can you respect my wishes about this?¡±

    This was a side of Gan, no, Ganturo, that I hadn¡¯t seen before. Where before stood an almost uncle, always laughing or smiling about something, there now stood a warrior, no, a father and husband who was politely but definitively drawing the line between family and friend, and making it crystal clear which side of the line I fell in.

    His arms were crossed, and his mouth set in a firm line as he awaited my response. There was really only one answer I was able to give. Though it pained me more than I thought that it had to be said at all.

    ¡°You have my word that I will respect your privacy on this. I promise I won¡¯t raise any questions about¡­what happened here today.¡±

    He searched my eyes as I spoke, and apparently satisfied with my answer, reverted back to the almost uncle I knew him as.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, but I can¡¯t take any chances with this, Rhaaj. Not when it¡¯s my family at stake.¡± He said, as he let out a long exhale.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I understand.¡± I said in understanding. ¡°Family comes first.¡±

    ¡°So!¡± His smirk once again adorned his face as he addressed me, ¡°We¡¯ve got two months together before I have to head home. You know what that means.¡±

    ¡°Sigh, sparring?¡±

    ¡°Sparring!¡± Ganturo agreed, already swinging his arms like we were about to fight then and there. ¡°Have you decided on what kind of style or weapon you want to use?¡±

    ¡°Not really. All I see are the downsides of each weapon. The spear? Great for poking, bad against armor. Warhammer? Needs two hands and leaves me too open for counters if I fail to connect with the target. Daggers? Nice, now I need to get up close and smell that foul stench they give off.¡±

    Ganturo cut me off, ¡°We¡¯ll start with the longsword. It¡¯s the most common starting point, and what most people use. Then, once you find out how you move in combat, your little quirks or whatever else you prefer, we can make adjustments.¡±

    ¡°I guess.¡± I said halfheartedly.

    The rest of the day was spent accompanying Ganturo around the campus, though it seemed like he was more familiar with it than I was, despite the many months I had been there. We traded stories in the cafeteria, him telling me about his family, and me sharing the relevant parts of my education with him, as in, the combat-related events.

    ¡°So, have you ever fought a monster horde like that before?¡± I asked him, as I finished off a sandwich.

    Ganturo dismissed the premise of my question entirely, waving his hand like he was swatting away a mosquito. ¡°Bah, I¡¯ve heard about what you went through. That wasn¡¯t a true horde, just an angry pack of displaced imps. A tiny little skirmish from what I can tell. Real hordes are in the millions. That¡¯s when the blood really starts to flow!¡± He claimed, downing a pint of some liquor.

    ¡°When the enemy is numerous enough that they blot out the sky, then you can say you¡¯ve faced a horde. Till then?¡± He shrugged. ¡°This is all just training.¡±

    I was a little surprised at how casually he dismissed the threat the monsters posed. ¡°But people actually died during the attack. Not just guards, either, but students too.¡± I said.

    ¡°Sigh, and as awful as that is for their families, it¡¯s a trade any leader would make for the survival of the rest of their troops. Actually think about it for a second, Rhaaj.¡± He paused to wipe his mouth with the back of his sleeve. ¡°Now that this city¡¯s combatants, both the guards and the academy students, have some combat experience, won¡¯t they be better prepared the next time it happens?¡± he posed to me.

    ¡°...Is that why there were no reinforcements from the army? Because they wanted us to have experience?¡± I asked incredulously.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t speak on the thoughts of the local commander, but that was probably a factor for it, yes.¡±

    ¡°...And you said that a real horde would be in the millions?¡± I asked rhetorically as my voice grew despondent at the thought of a battle many orders of magnitude larger than the one I just experienced.

    ¡°As bad as you think that last battle was, it¡¯ll be even worse if you ever have the misfortune of fighting in the battlefields in the north. That¡¯s where the real fight is. Millions of monsters, enough to have you seeing black in your dreams. The Wall of the World, stretching leagues out to cover the entire northern coast of the Elvish continent. The healers killing themselves out of despair, as the wounded die despite their best efforts. The sudden news that the soldier you shared a meal with on your first day died in an ambush¡­¡± Ganturo¡¯s voice trailed off, and for the first time since I met the man, I could see the scarred soldier that he was, as the facade of the father and husband faded away¡­but only for a moment before he regained control and sadly smiled at me.

    He shook his head before continuing. ¡°The point is, things can get bad. But despite all the horrors and disasters we might face, if we don¡¯t fight, worse things will happen to the people who stand behind us.¡± He clapped a hand on my shoulder as he kept speaking. ¡°Never forget that while you might be here to learn how to fight, you should never forget your reason for doing so.¡±

    I mulled over his words even after we parted ways. While walking back to my room, I accidentally bumped into someone, my thoughts distracting me from fully paying attention to my surroundings.

    ¡°Sorr¨C¡± I began to say to whoever I bumped into, before an invisible force pushed me off the path with such force I fell to the ground and rolled a few times before my momentum died out.

    It was so sudden and unexpected, there was no time for me to react. I coughed out a piece of soil and some blades of grass that got in my mouth, before standing up to brush the dirt off my clothes and look at who had pushed me.

    A group of noble students had continued to walk along the path, completely disregarding what just happened to me. They were chatting loudly, making no effort to lower their voices despite the subject matter.

    ¡°Ugh, you¡¯ll have to throw out your coat now, Bydon. Who knows where that lowborn¡¯s been?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mala. I noticed him coming my way and activated the repulsion spell before he could ruin it. Look, do you see any dirty spots on it?¡±

    ¡°You were lucky this time, Bydon. Your next outfit might not be so fortunate. Can you imagine it, fifty stones gone to waste, because a lowborn didn¡¯t get out of the way in time?¡±

    ¡°Have you heard that the academies are about to implement some new reform policy? And about peasants, of all things! Do they even need any more help? They¡¯ve already been allowed to sully the good name of the academies with their filthy presence! Is that not enough for them? What else could they possibly want?!¡±

    Their voices grew lower and imperceptible as they got farther away.

    I had been lucky thus far, in not meeting with any real elitists, but it seemed that luck was turning around.

 Chapter 35

    1744 points.

    I hadn¡¯t even realized how many points I had been accruing, but they had accumulated to such a degree while I wasn¡¯t even paying attention.

    I had received a whopping six hundred points as a result of my ¡®community service¡¯. The rest were gathered due to my performance on the monthly assessments, which I never bothered to look into.

    In the aftermath of the monster attack, I had become something of a minor celebrity in my friend group. I was one of the few people they knew who had assisted with the defense, and so I was beset on all sides by requests to recount every detail of what occurred that day.

    As I was attempting to be more sociable, I acceded to the requests people had of me, sharing my experience with them. For many of them, it was the first time they were subject to such an attack, and they spent the majority of the time during the attack safely holed up in their dorms or in a classroom, whimpering and frightened. Hearing about my perspective on the battle might have been just an entertaining story for some of them, but for the few who wished to truly know what the battle was like while being reluctant to voice their desire, the tale could have been enlightening as to the true conditions of combat.

    Of course, there were others in the academy who had assisted with the battle as well, and some tales were shared more frequently than others, but the strangest thing kept happening.

    Somehow, people who were never present for the battle found themselves the heroes of the stories being passed around, while others, like myself, were disdained and scorned as bitter and jealous glory hounds and attention seekers.

    And the oddest coincidence? Somehow, in what I¡¯m sure was a completely natural set of circumstances, the heroes of the stories were all noble youths. There was absolutely no way anything untowards was happening behind the scenes. Of course not, perish the thought.

    Riddis and Orddis, whom I saw on a nearly daily basis, tried to distract me from the disparaging comments being said about me and the other commoner volunteers with all the possible purchases I could make with my stash of points.

    The academy set, the official name for the outfit created by the academy, cost nine hundred points. The material was made of a blend of plant fibers and silk, but it had multiple enchantments sewn into it that bestowed different effects onto it. Not only was it capable of automatically adjusting its size to the wearer, it could also change colors or even become multiple shades similar to camouflage, repel moisture such as sweat or rain, and was even capable of making minor repairs if one fed essence into it.

    An ¡®unending¡¯ water canteen, which turned out to be just a regular canteen enchanted with a  couple water formations and powered by an essence stone, cost one hundred eighty points.

    A tent that was capable of repelling insects and had its own perimeter alarm was three hundred thirty points.

    Weapons of all kinds were available for purchase, but I still hadn¡¯t decided what exactly my fighting style would be, and so I put off buying any weapons for later.

    A personalized and custom set of armor with all the latest enchantments only cost eight hundred points, but I¡¯d probably only buy something like that at the end of my time at the academy.

    Finally, the rarest item, which cost one thousand five hundred points, and required three months advance notice before purchasing.

    A spatial ring, which probably broke the laws of physics, as it could contain a dorm room¡¯s worth of items, according to the testimonies of other students who had bought one, while limited to the shape and size of a normal ring around the finger. Measuring it out myself, the total was just under five thousand cubic feet.

    Now, for most people, I could see how this could be a life-changing, earth-shattering, almost heavenly treasure.

    For me? At best, it would act as a smokescreen for my beast space.  Spending so many points on something that would be a decoy seemed a bit¡­well, I didn¡¯t need to listen to the frantic and hysteric screams of my frugal side to know that it would ultimately be a colossal waste of resources.

    In the end, there was nothing urgent I needed to buy that instant, so I postponed any purchases, and just flipped through the catalog of rewards, listening to the rest of my friend group clamor about what they were looking forward to buying.

    ¡°Have you done Professor Vanyriel¡¯s assignment on your ideal companions yet, Rhaaj?¡±

    I turned away from the rest of the group who were animatedly discussing the possible rewards on our lunch table, and looked at Venaca, who had questioned me.

    She had integrated with the rest of our friend group well, though it did take her a while to open up and become less formal around us. Much more so for me than everyone else, even the higher nobles, and while I was confused as to why, I didn¡¯t particularly care enough to ask her straight-up, which would only end badly for me.

    ¡°Yeah, I finished it last night. All things considered, it wasn¡¯t too bad. One for defense, one for scouting, and one for travel.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Sigh, I wish I was lucky enough to have three bonds at once,¡± she exclaimed wistfully.

    As we learned in taming class earlier in the year, everyone had a set limit of how many tamer bonds they could keep control of. It was something innate to each person, and there were a number of factors that affected it, but the most important two were one¡¯s essence capacity and mental fortitude.

    A simple test of taming tiny rats let everyone in class know how many bonds they could maintain. The professor and I could both hold three, while for most other students it was two, and Venaca was the sole person in class who had one. Thankfully, the professor taught us a relatively less painful way of breaking bonds, and so we weren¡¯t all stuck with rats for the rest of our lives. Being the person with the lowest bond capacity in class must have been a sore spot for her, but the fact that she was opening up about it showed that she was starting to be a bit more, well, open about things.

    ¡°Zha, remind me to inform my father about the declining quality of the academy in recent years,¡± a haughty female voice rang out behind us, with a quiet ¡°Yes, my lady,¡± following up after her.

    Turning around, I saw a familiar group. A group of about ten students, a few of which I remembered being present a few weeks ago when I was intentionally pushed to the ground like a piece of lint. The ¡®noble heroes¡¯ of the academy, who had apparently mastered time magic, because of course that was a real thing here, as they had magically been in two places at once on the day of the attack. At least, according to some witnesses who recalled a few of their number pulling out their hair and whining about the lackluster defenses of the city.

    ¡°What do you think of these, Bydon?¡± An average looking brown-haired boy asked one of his companions. ¡°Nobles and commoners, all bunched together like a bunch of snakes, deciding who to strike next.¡±

    A comment like that? It was like they were intentionally giving me a signal to jump in. Of everyone at the table, I was probably the one who cared the least about possible political ramifications, though the academy had attempted to separate themselves from political matters. Politely accepting their invitation, I stood up and faced the one who had spoken.

    ¡°It¡¯s whom. Whom to strike next.¡± I said nonchalantly.

    ¡°What?¡± More than one noble looked at me in confusion, though a few in the back glared at me, whom I wholeheartedly ignored, as I proceeded to acerbically dismantle the one who had spoken first.

    ¡°Did you never learn proper grammar? The difference between using who and whom? Subjects and objects? Parts of speech? Sigh, it seems the quality of tutors must be declining if these are the results of their teachings.¡± I shook my head in mock disappointment as I heard the muffled laughter and giggles coming from my friends behind me.

    A few of the nobles blushed in embarrassment, while the number of glares I received increased,  and a short blond girl who had a sour expression as soon as I began speaking marched right up to me and smirked.

    ¡°So. you¡¯re the foolish commoner who claims to be a hero. Dark skin from the south. Clothes at least a year out of fashion, and hanging with riffraff like the Gafft¡¯s and¡­who is that? Some bastard daughter of a baron?¡± She pointed straight at Venaca, who had reverted to her previous state of being a timid mouse, and kept her eyes glued to her feet, physically hunching in on herself as if that would protect her from the words headed her way.

    ¡°Look at her! She doesn¡¯t even have enough noble pride to defend herself! And you expect everyone to believe someone like you actually contributed to the city¡¯s defense while carousing with trash like that?¡±

    By now everyone in the cafeteria was paying attention to the little confrontation playing out in front of them, as conversations halted and shouts turned to whispers. Everyone in our friend group had risen out of their seats to stand next to me, providing some support. A few of the girls were next to Venaca, quietly trying to comfort her and whispering words of encouragement.

    ¡°Know your place, young lady.¡±

    Riddis had spoken directly to the little blond, who whipped towards her as her eyes bulged out while maintaining a polite distance from her.

    ¡°What did you just say to me?¡± she whispered out, barely restraining her anger, as her fists were visibly clenched and her face was ruddy.

    ¡°It is not your place to discipline any student here. This may be a place of learning, but that doesn¡¯t give you the right to criticize anyone as you wish.¡± Riddis said, her voice no less angry, but far more controlled than the blond in front of her.

    ¡°I am ¨C¡± the blond began speaking before being interrupted by Riddis.

    ¡°I know who you are. But in these walls, who you are doesn¡¯t matter. Only how you behave,¡± and Riddis displayed a faint grin as she continued, ¡°Or are you claiming your father is so powerful, he can command the academy?¡±

    The academy, although created by the four founders and named in their honor, was backed by the royal family. More specifically, the king. And as I had learned through both gossip and lectures, the king and those of his faction were attempting to fully separate the internal affairs of the academy from the politics of the outside world.

    Riddis had given this blonde girl enough rope to hang herself with. Now that she had brought the academy¡¯s name into it, and by proxy the king, acting willfully and thereby challenging the king¡¯s prestige would only see the group of noble students punished, or perhaps they or even their families would face worse consequences.

    And by the look on her face, the blond girl knew it, as she spat out something close to a threat.

    ¡°My name is Uraia Xurety, first daughter of Duke Xurety of the Azure Coves. I swear on the pride of my noble house, I will not forget what happened here today¡­and neither will you.¡±

    Leaving those parting words behind, she and the rest of her compatriots retreated from the cafeteria, as our two groups exchanged silent yet hate-filled glares at one another before they walked out of sight.

    A few moments full of tension passed, before the bystanders returned to their conversations and meals, no doubt discussing what just took place.

    I took that as my cue to head off the lingering unpleasantness before it became too troublesome to deal with. Sitting back down in a relaxed manner brought most of my friends¡¯ attention to what I was doing.

    ¡°Well, that was exciting. So, how much were those flying metallic constructs you were talking about? Two hundred points?¡± I asked dramatically as I browsed the rewards catalog, pointedly ignoring Venaca holding back tears as two other people were consoling her.

    I just did what I hoped other people would do if our roles were reversed.

    The rest of our table sat down and followed my lead, just quietly offering Venaca a smile or nod or a pat on the shoulder as they passed her by and continued our discussion of purchases.

    I wasn¡¯t as embroiled as most of the other students were in noble gossip, but I had heard enough to have a basic understanding.

    Bastards, or illegitimate children, were an uncommon occurrence, as their birth involved infidelity, an act just on the cusp of something that could herald a vorander attack. That didn¡¯t mean people never cheated, just that it was a lower rate than it should have been. At the best of times, illegitimate children faced persecution and scorn from society and most members of their family, but their coming here to the academy meant they knowingly walked into a lion¡¯s den where the majority of people would push them down solely due to their status.

    That was just how much the academy could change someone¡¯s life. They were willing to endure ridicule and gossip and bullying in order to secure a better future for themselves. If anything, it would be harder for them than it would be for commoners, as the majority of bastards were nobles, meaning they had some reputation and standards to uphold and live by.

    It was similar to my own goals, though what they were working towards was probably more permanent than my own goals were. Where I merely wanted to fit in and not seem like a clueless idiot every time I opened my mouth, they were hoping to move past the stigma associated with their birth and gain some measure of respect and acceptance from the community.

    It was worthy of respect, if they could fulfill that goal.

 Chapter 36

    ¡°Remember everyone, registration for the Founder¡¯s Festival ends at noon tomorrow! If you haven¡¯t already signed up, make sure you do so before the deadline!¡±

    Professor Tu¡¯s voice rang out throughout the classroom, and her announcement also marked the end of the final class that Friday, as students gathered their things and left the classroom, talking amongst themselves about the upcoming festival.

    It wasn¡¯t actually Friday, but Sixthday just didn¡¯t have the same emotional connotations I associated with the beginning of the weekend.

    Of course, this particular weekend was an important one, as these two days were the final ones before the last monthly assessment of my second year.

    The monthly assessments were cumulative, meaning they tested everything that had been taught in class up to that point. For some subjects, this method proved easier than others.

    The magic subjects, for example, focused more on the practical aspects of casting different spells than the theoretical aspects, and so, as long as the underlying principles were understood, achieving a good score in those subjects was relatively easy.

    The subjects I struggled in the most were healing and general combat. Simply put, I couldn¡¯t cheese them with the same level of instinctive understanding that I had for the other classes.

    When it came to healing, Teacher Passen ensured that everyone¡¯s foundations concerning anatomy were as solid as stone. Of course, that meant the majority of what I needed to learn required memorizing the anatomy of all three races, humans, elves, and beastfolk, as well as pathology and diagnostics. Thankfully, there was no healthcare or pharmaceutical industry, which meant I didn¡¯t need to memorize the names and side-effects of hundreds of pills.

    But I did have one of my long-standing questions answered as a result of studying.

    It turned out that humans here aged at the same rate as humans from Earth, until you accounted for the presence of essence. Once that was factored in, humans here lived nearly twice as long, with the average lifespan being in the seventies. In this world¡¯s time. Meaning humans here outlived Earth humans by¡­a frankly ridiculous number. And essence only further widened the difference by slowing down the visual aspect of aging, which meant wrinkles, loose skin, and other age-related effects hit humans later in life, and with less of an impact on them.

    That all helped me to wrap my brain around how humans could look like they were older than they actually were, until the scale reversed, and you had fifty-year olds looking like they were in their twenties.

    Theoretically, this meant that introducing essence to my body would allow me to live longer, but I would have to see if anything unexpected would occur as a result.

    Back on topic, I also had trouble with general combat, as there was nothing to memorize, unless you count the endlessly repetitive weapon forms Sir Yalmaar had us do for nearly three months straight. Fighting was never my strong suit, and it showed in class.

    I was physically capable of doing whatever exercises we were made to do: sprinting, crawling, squats. None of those posed too much of a challenge, as my body had finally acclimated to the improved tier 1 essence, which I found out was the reason for my inconsistent physical performance.

    Actual combat things on the other hand, were much harder for me to master. Sparring took up the majority of most classes, and I usually ended up on the ground with my ass handed to me. That¡¯s not to say I was necessarily bad at fighting, just that I sucked compared to most everyone else.

    And unfortunately, no amount of studying could somehow make me better in combat, despite what the authors would have me believe.

    In the end, it came down to my indecisiveness. If I could settle on a fighting style, or at least a weapon, I could move forward and make some actual progress. But everything just seemed like a bad option to me.

    In the end, I approached Sir Yalmaar about it, in the hopes that he could give some feedback about what I should choose, or at least how to choose. I had apologized for my outburst to him in that first class that same week, and it was completely water under the bridge.

    ¡°Sigh. Kid, you¡¯re making this harder than it needs to be. If you¡¯re on the battlefield, you might not always have your preferred weapon. You think it makes that much of a difference what you choose? Sure, some weapons have specialties, but in most cases, they all do the same thing. Just pick whatever you feel comfortable with.

    ¡°I mean it. Go pick them up,¡± he pointed to the unlocked shed next to the training ground we were standing in. ¡°Mother knows you¡¯ve tried all of them at least twice. Just choose the one that¡¯s the best for you.¡±

    ¡°...That¡¯s it? There¡¯s no¡­I don¡¯t know, army method for choosing weapons?¡± I asked.

    Barking out laughter, ¡°Kid, are you joking? In the army, you get a spear, a shield, and a longsword. Then a couple months of basic training, and that¡¯s it. You¡¯re sent to the frontlines, and you fight or die. Now get moving, I¡¯ve got things to do after this,¡± he waved me off, dismissing me.

    Opening the doors to the shed revealed all the various equipment that had been used this past year. Further back were the weapon racks I had been looking for.

    I repeated my actions for what felt like the thousandth time, picking up each weapon, swinging it around, and putting it back. As I spun the latest weapon in my hand, I analyzed what I knew about it. The trident had the same drawbacks as the spear, with the additional negative of being a purely piercing weapon, as it was poor for slashing or cutting. It being two-handed also meant I wouldn¡¯t have a hand free for a shield or to shoot off a spell in a hurry.

    Magic combat was easier than this weapons business, that was for damn sure.

    Sigh, in the end, it¡¯s gotta be blunt damage, huh.

    Blunt damage would always have some impact as long as they connected, as opposed to piercing weapons which could miss entirely or slashing weapons which could end up leaving the opponent with just a graze.

    What was that saying¡­keep things simple, something something, don¡¯t make it more complicated than it needs to be, idiot.

    Walking out of the shed with my choices drew the attention of Sir Yalmaar¡­and Ganturo, who had apparently been nearby and stopped to chat.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡°Finally! So, which is your main, and which is your backup?¡± The gruff voice of Sir Yalmaar questioned me.

    ¡°Mace as the primary, bastard sword as the secondary,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Ganturo chimed in, adding his perspective. ¡°Fairly common, as weapons go, so you shouldn¡¯t have trouble getting them repaired. And a mace is mighty effective for bringing down those towering behemoths. But why the bastard sword? A longsword would have better reach, why not that?¡±

    ¡°Sigh, don¡¯t let him get started, Gan,¡± Sir Yalmaar dramatically exasperated. ¡°Something about the perfect combination of balance, reach, and weight. I¡¯ve heard that point hundreds of times by now, and I swear it popped up in my dream sometime.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Ganturo looked unconvinced, but shrugged and moved forward anyway. ¡°To each his own. All you need is time and experience and you can make any weapon work for you. Speaking of which.¡±

    He gestured to the middle of the training ground, and I rolled my eyes as we met in the middle and took up stances for sparring.

    ¡°Left foot back a bit. And keep your elbows high. And always keep your eyes on the enemy. Now, care to count us down, oh mighty knight?¡±

    Sir Yalmaar¡¯s response was a roll of the eyes before a bored ¡°Five, four, one,¡± escaped his lips.

    Of course, I got smacked around and ended up sprawled on the grassy field in about five minutes, but it was progress. Better than the thirty seconds I had lasted my first few days.

    ¡°Well, maces aren¡¯t meant to defend anyway, might as well put up a shield or shield spell when you need to block for real,¡± Ganturo said as he scratched his cheek, not a hair out of place or a drop of sweat to be seen. ¡°You can at least do the shield spell, right?¡± he asked me.

    I responded by bringing my left hand up and within a few seconds, a pale white rippling outline of a tower shield appeared in my grasp, completely tangible and able to withstand physical attacks. Oh, and it was made entirely of essence.

    ¡°Any reason you chose a beastfolk design over the human one?¡± Sir Yalmaar asked me, his eyebrow raised.

    I sighed internally at the comment. I had inadvertently made another discrepancy that revealed my ignorance of this world, and could only try to do damage control now.

    ¡°A book somewhere said these are better for blocking, while the typical rounded shields are better for parrying,¡± I said randomly, quoting some forum comment as I stood up from the ground, holding the shield in my left hand, its weight negligible.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about all that right now. For now, focus on your weapons. The overhead blow, the side swing, how much of a follow-through each hit requires, which grip is the best for you. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re going for the one-handed style?¡± Ganturo said.

    ¡°I just¡­prefer the one-handed weapons for some reason.¡± I said lamely. It wasn¡¯t a reason, or even an excuse, just my opinion.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. It takes years to get good with any weapon. At least you¡¯ve narrowed it down a bit, and that provides focus. Now, the sword.¡±

    Needless to say, I ended up walking to my dorm room covered in half-healed bruises from the following spars. I had learned enough healing spells to deal with minor injuries like bruises or small cuts, and I liberally used them whenever the need arose.

    As I entered the building, I wisely made the decision to use the Tunnel to skip walking the flights of stairs that led to my floor. Once I reached my room, however, I noticed a group of students gathered around my door, excitedly talking about something.

    Of course, it was five or six of my friends who were apparently bored enough to come hang out here instead of somewhere more suitable. And once I entered their line of sight, the comments came at me like a rain of arrows.

    ¡°Hey, Rhaaj, hurry up and open the door! I really need to use the lavatory!¡±

    ¡°We need to talk about the Festival!¡±

    ¡°Did you buy any furniture like we said you should last time?¡±

    ¡°Did you get robbed or something? Why are your clothes so dirty?¡±

    ¡°What took you so long? We¡¯ve been waiting out here for ages!¡±

    Pushing through the mini-crowd, I swiped my student card to open my door, and everyone rushed inside like it was a Black Friday sale and there was only one item remaining, with one bouncing individual pushing ahead while attempting to keep a tight grasp on his

    Seeing my room essentially commandeered by the boisterous people I had become friends with put a little smile on my face. It wasn¡¯t that long ago I thought that I wouldn¡¯t fit in, and now I was part of the rotation for whose room became a meeting spot after class.

    ¡°What was that you were saying about the festival, Timek?¡± a voice from the back shouted out.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, I heard from my friend¡¯s cousin who¡¯s an aide in the clerk¡¯s office that they¡¯re giving more points than usual for the events in the Founder¡¯s Festival this year.¡± Timek replied, stretching his lean and wiry arms above his blue-streaked hair, his most prominent feature denoting him as a bastard son of some noble house that lived by the east coast. I recalled him explaining to the group before that full-blooded members of his house had completely blue hair, a trait passed down by generations of his ancestors as a result of living so near an abundant source of water essence.

    ¡°Any particular reason for that?¡± I asked. I had signed up for a few events, as it was a good opportunity to earn more points outside of studying and defending against monsters, but I would still sign up for a couple more if the incentive was tempting enough.

    ¡°No idea,¡± Timek shrugged, ¡°All I know is that someone up high and majorly important made the decision. Do what that knowledge what you will,¡± he finished, leaning against my dresser.

    The Founder¡¯s Festival was an annual celebration held in the kingdom¡¯s capital during winter that was a combination of a typical festival with carnival games and food stalls, a state of the union address by the king or a member of the royal family, and a tournament between the four different tier 1 academies in various subjects. The Founder¡¯s Festival was originally meant to display to both the royals and the public the state of the youth who had been learning under the original founders, and their growing proficiency in their chosen fields, but over time it mutated into a public battle for which campus was most deserving of an increased budget and lesser restrictions.

    The rumors and gossip of the noble students was sometimes more educational than the history books of the library.

    Naturally, I had signed up only for the few events I felt comfortable enough to compete in: blood magic, nature magic, and taming. Anything else was a gamble at best, and despite the bedrock that was my indifference, I had no desire to be publicly humiliated.

    ¡°What about you, Teroa? You signed up for anything?¡± Sheenai, a commoner girl from my beastfolk language class asked.

    ¡°Just blind fighting and the obstacle course.¡± Teroa said as she blew a strand of hair out of her eyes, like those were typical events someone like her would register for.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit shor¨C¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the obstacle course like?¡± I interrupted before that final sentence could be completed.

    I had seen Teroa kick a guy in the nuts on the training ground once when he called her short. She mercilessly brought him down to her level and cheekily asked him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    That was when I learned Teroa was a fierce fighter when unarmed and angry. Putting a weapon in her hands was just asking to be decimated.

    And I had no desire to see a similar scene of brutality play out in my room. All my stuff was here.

    Teroa shifted her narrowed eyes from Timek, who had wisely stopped speaking once he remembered what she was capable of, to me and answered my question. ¡°I saw it a few years back. The competitors all start on one side of an arena, and the nature mages change the terrain to something challenging, a canyon or jungle or something. Then the competitors have to race across the arena while avoiding or dealing with the obstacles. Ah, it¡¯s a no magic event, so only physical stuff is allowed. It¡¯s basically a more complex race, and I really wanna see if I can do it.¡± She had an eager gleam in her eyes at the thought of winning¡­or maybe it was just from participating in an event like that.

    ¡°And blind fighting? You¡¯re just meant to¡­fight blind?¡± Sheenai followed up.

    Teroa nodded, pushing her green locks out of her eyes as she sat on the edge of my bed. ¡°Yep, pretty much. Again, no magic, so it¡¯s fists only. Tournament event, one-on-one, winner by knockout or ring out. The winners for all the tournament events get something special, or at least, they did last time I saw it. I remember one of the past winners got a flying construct that looked like a set of bird¡¯s wings.¡±

    The discussion turned to the Festival as we talked late into the night about the festival, its upcoming exhibition matches that would include the professors and other staff members, the fact that group events were only open to third years and above, and the possibility of earning points for a good enough performance.

    As we kept talking, I gradually forgot about the dull ache from my half-healed bruises. The conversation meandered between subjects until someone brought up the assessment and how they would rank at least top three in the class. That caused a frenzy as everyone else started panicking and ran back to their rooms or the library to study in the little time they had left.

    Ah, cramming. A staple practice of students across the stars.

    I kicked Teroa out of my room once her false bravado and grandstanding drew everyone away. I was grateful to her for getting everyone out so I could sleep, but not enough to let her stay the night.

    Who knew where that road would lead?

    I applied the healing spell for my bruises once more before turning in for the night, eager to get a good night¡¯s rest.

    I had a lot of cramming to do before the final, and only a few days to do it in.

 Chapter 37

    ¡°Next!¡±

    The clear yet stern voice rang out in the testing hall, ushering me out of the line I had been waiting in for the past fifteen minutes, and into another room filled with three professors seated behind a long table, all of whom were equally unfamiliar to me.

    I approached the proctor who had spoken, the unfamiliar professor on the far left, with my student card in one hand and my completed answer papers in the other.

    The final monthly assessments were more stringent in this campus than they were in the tier two campus. To make a long story short, there were numerous monitors patrolling the classroom as students completed the first half of their assessments, the written portion. Once they were completed, students went to the doorway and waited to be called into an adjacent room where the practical portion of the assessment would be conducted. Once both parts were handed in, the test was considered over.

    Some subjects didn¡¯t have one of the portions, so that section was left out during testing, but it was used for most subjects.

    Such as the first one I had to undergo, blood magic.

    ¡°Now, show us some basic manipulations. With your own blood, if you would,¡± one of the professors asked.

    Manipulation was the foundation of nearly all fields of magic, and I felt I was competent enough to receive a good score here. It was a matter of contention whether it was easier to manipulate blood that was already spilled in the surroundings or one¡¯s own blood, but I was capable of doing both after nearly a year of education on the topic.

    Granted, my blood did have a tendency to act¡­wonky¡­at times, but dealing with that issue became simple once I realized my control over my own blood was much better than external sources, as long as I clearly held my intent in my mind while casting.

    With that in mind, I laid my right palm over my left elbow, thankful that I remembered to roll up my sleeves for this. After a few seconds, I raised my palm, loosely grasping a thin twirling stream of blood between my thumb and index finger, a microscopic hole just above the crook of my elbow.

    The blood was still flowing out of my vein, but once I had drawn the needed amount, I closed the hole via blood magic, more specifically, by inducing a tiny blood clot. If this were a real-life scenario, I would use a healing spell to close the tiny cut, but for the purposes of this test, I had to stick to blood magic for everything.

    Now that I had a good amount of my blood in hand, I stretched it out, moving it around into a single shape, solidifying certain parts until it resembled a small circular shield that I held in my left hand while the remainder became a set of tiny needles that I held between the fingers in my right hand.

    ¡°How confident are you in your marksmanship, student¡­Rhaaj?¡± the professor on the right asked, looking at my test paper for my name.

    ¡°Not at all, professor.¡± I replied honestly, as he smiled at my reply.

    ¡°Wonderful. Then let¡¯s have you launch a few of those needles at this target,¡± he said, drawing his wand out and with a flick of the wrist, created a round stone target with a bullseye in the center that was hovering in mid-air. The target was about the size of a human torso. It was in a slow but constant cycle of moving up and down, oscillating between the two positions with only a few inches between the two extremes.

    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready, student Rhaaj,¡± he prompted.

    I nodded and changed the shape of the needles so they were as thin and sharp at the tip as possible. Throwing them all up in the air, I pointed at the target and one by one, they all flew from their position above my head to the target.

    Most of them landed in the central area of the target, save for one that was at the very top and just barely managed to dig into it.

    It wasn¡¯t pretty, but I displayed an adequate level of control, and I was confident it would be enough to get me a passing score.

    ¡°Well done,¡± the first professor said, making some notes on the paper in front of them. Turning to the other two, they held a short conversation in whispers before turning back to me. ¡°Now, we¡¯ll move on to the sensory portion of the assessment. Somewhere in this room, there is a jar of blood. Your task is to inform us of where it is without moving from your spot.¡±

    That was annoying, but not hard for me to accomplish.

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    I twirled my finger in a circle numerous times to recall all my blood into a puddle near my feet, before surrendering control over it. Closing my eyes let me focus on my next task, as I held out my right hand, palm out, and felt the room for a few seconds before answering, ¡°It¡¯s in the ceiling? How is that fair?¡± I accidentally exclaimed as my eyes opened of their own accord.

    ¡°Well done, student Rhaaj,¡± a professor said, ignoring my little remark. ¡°Now, write a simple contract stating that you have not cheated during any portion of this assessment. Doing so without a quill will give you additional marks,¡± she said.

    A piece of parchment flew into my hand as I caught it, ready for the easiest and most fun part of the exam, as this was where I could be cavalier and aloof without having to worry about consequences.

    I drew all the blood that I had pooled on the ground, and shaped it into a tiny facsimile of a fountain pen as I held it in my right hand and began writing down a few sentences onto the parchment.

    I, Student Rhaaj of Khobadaar City, second-year student at Svenia Academy, undertaking the practical portion of the monthly assessment regarding blood magic in the fourth month of autumn, do hereby promise to all observing entities, present and future, that I have not intentionally performed any acts that could be construed as cheating. Should my words or deeds be false, may my blood betray me from this moment forward.

    If, however, I have been found to have acted in an upright and honest manner while undergoing said assessment, the signatory parties agree that such integrity and diligence is to be rewarded, in the form of a single payment of ten points.

    The ¡®contract¡¯ wasn¡¯t a real contract. There were no terms or conditions, no offer or anything similar, it was just a simple statement of fact.

    One whose bindings extended beyond the realm of legality.

    The more specific and severe the contract was, the stronger the blood contract became. Adding in all those little details meant the blood contract could, somehow, become more powerful than it should have been, and would enact its own penalties even if they weren¡¯t outright stated within.

    I walked over to the table where the professors were seated and handed the contract to the one in the middle, a smirking woman with a brown ponytail and differently colored eyes. As she took it from me and read it through, she chuckled before showing it to the other two, who chuckled as well after quickly skimming through it.

    ¡°Personally, I wouldn¡¯t mind signing this out of sheer amusement, but unfortunately, none of us here are authorized to award you any points today, student Rhaaj,¡± she declared, the smirk still present on her face.

    I sighed and shook my head, before I realized what that would imply and panicking, looked up at the professors who were still chuckling at me.

    ¡°Relax, student Rhaaj. It¡¯s not the first time a student¡¯s been so¡­cheeky.¡±

    I sighed again, this time out of relief.

    ¡°It seems this marks the end of your practical. Unless, you care to attempt for extra marks?¡± the heterochromic professor asked me.

    ¡°I suppose¡­¡± I answered hesitantly.

    ¡°Then, here is your final task. Manipulate my blood, if you can. Be warned that I will contest your control and will retaliate if you give me the opportunity, though I will keep my proficiency to about your tier.¡± she said.

    I raised my eyebrows at the challenge.

    The extra task seemed like a safety hazard to me, but then again, I assumed everyone present was more accomplished in blood magic than I, and even I knew how to do some healing via blood magic.

    ¡°Are there any restrictions?¡± I asked.

    ¡°None. But if you can do so without moving from your spot or chanting, that would merit more marks from us,¡± the professor who hadn¡¯t spoken yet said, a tall and quiet man who seemed like the stereotypical mage.

    ¡°What about the possibility of pain or injury, professor?¡± I asked.

    Snorting, she replied, ¡°Please. We¡¯re all well-versed in blood magic and even more so in healing. If you¡¯re able to inflict permanent damage on me while being a second-year, you would be the next Dierden Red-Arm!¡± she said, referencing one of the most renowned blood mages of all time, who became famous due to his ability to cut off his opponents¡¯ hands and feet with precision while being leagues away from their location.

    ¡°Very well, then I¡¯ll begin now.¡± I said, setting aside any doubt I felt and focusing on completing the task before me.

    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, clearing my mind as best I could, before sensing the professor¡¯s blood, running through her arteries and veins, reaching her heart before travelling to different parts of her body. There was also a tiny amount of blood that I wished I hadn¡¯t sensed, but I deliberately ignored that in favor of the main circulatory system running in her body.

    I stretched out my hand and concentrated on moving a small amount of blood to the surface, replicating what I had done before by attempting to move a small amount of blood from the vein near her elbow to just above her skin.

    I managed to latch onto a small portion, about ten milliliters, before I felt my control wavering, an unpleasant sensation reaching through the connection and into my mind, attempting to dissuade me from intruding any further. It was a jumble of feelings, the antennae of an insect repeatedly brushing over my face, a pit of quicksand slowly dragging me to its depths, an unlit tunnel that promised fear and despair in its abyssal maws¡­

    I ignored it, which I didn¡¯t even know was possible, and brought the ten milliliters under my control from her veins up to the surface of the skin, and drew a small, red smiley face emoji. clearly visible against the back of the professor¡¯s hand. As I released my control, the sensation disappeared like it was never there.

    I took another deep breath, clearing my mind again, and opened my eyes, knowing I had accomplished the task.

    What met my gaze was the sight of one professor being practically accosted by the two seated on her sides. She simply stared at the little smiley face on her hand as the other two were barraging her with questions that she paid no heed to.

    Finally, she looked up at me and said in a faint voice, ¡°Your control is¡­impeccable, student Rhaaj. In light of your performance, you will receive the maximum amount of marks I can award you.¡± Then she did something that would be considered rude if we were peers, but that I had to endure due to the disparity. She wordlessly cast a wind spell that blocked all sound around her, as she began conversing with the other two professors.

    Apparently, there was a lot to unpack, as it took nearly five minutes before the wind sphere came down and the tall professor told me, ¡°You have performed above what could be expected of you, student Rhaaj. All of us here hope that you will continue to pursue blood magic in the coming years, as it would seem your aptitude for it is remarkably high. You may leave now.¡±

    I must have done better than I thought if they¡¯re saying that.

    Picking up my bag, I nodded to the three of them and walked out of the testing room and in the direction of the cafeteria. As I did, I could hear a voice call out, ¡°Next!¡± yet again from behind me.

    I was confident that I could do well in blood magic, and the professors seemed to agree with me. Now I just needed to keep my lunch down and get through one more exam, before I would need to cram for the test that would be held in two days.

    I checked my schedule and saw that my next test would be another easy one.

    Nature magic.

 Chapter 38

    ¡°You have one hour to complete the written half of this assessment. Once you are finished, raise your hand and a monitor will escort you outside to perform your practical. Any signs of cheating, misconduct, or any sort of malfeasance will be handled to the fullest extent of the rules. You may begin¡­now!¡±

    I flipped over the question paper, my hand hovering over the empty answer sheet that was waiting for me to fill it.

    The first question made me wonder if I had studied too much, or if the academy had a lower bar for learning than I did, as it was entirely too easy.

    The second question caused my eyes to widen, as it was far more difficult than the first question.

    And the third question made me chuckle as it was only tangentially related to nature magic at all.

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">What is nature magic capable of, broadly speaking?</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">The Great Enemy, for all that they are a blight upon the world, have been massively constrained to the Northern Continent for millenia due to the Grand Barrier of the Ancestors. What role did nature magic play in constructing the Barrier and its cousin, the Wall of the World? Enumerate at least three contributors who were vital to the construction of these two creations, as well as their major contributions to the overall effort.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Under what conditions is the Bheruvian seed unable to sprout and mature? Describe the process by which any limitations, natural or otherwise, would be dealt with.</li>

    </ul>

    I jotted down the answers as they came to me, recalling the incident where a certain professor was winking obviously when asked if the subject covered that day would be on the assessment.

    Nature magic is said to be the first magic from which all others branched out. In general terms, it has numerous capabilities, including but not limited to: elemental manipulation, terrain manipulation, plant growth and decay, controlling naturally found poisons, toxins, and venoms, taming beasts, weather manipulation, and enhancing sensory abilities¡­

    The Grand Barrier of the Ancestors is often lauded as the pinnacle of what true magic is capable of. One of its functions is limiting the strength of the monsters contained within through the use of nature magic. The ¡®life layer¡¯ as it was dubbed, was the result of three people working in conjunction. The Lord of Life, an elder of the elves whose name is lost to time. Agrafein the Merciful, a member of the exalted Dragon tribes of the beastfolk, who possessed an uncanny aptitude for both space and nature magic. And the man whose name is immortalized in the highest title afforded to human nobility: Duuk of Clan Gurtwuud, who sacrificed the remainder of his life to act as an anchor for the Grand Barrier, ensuring no monster could cross its bounds while he was tied to it.  These heroes are heralded as the¡­

    The Bheruvia plant has no seeds, reproducing through spores instead. Ensuring the soil where it grows is fertile is easily accomplished by¡­

    The rest of the exam continued in a similar manner, with the questions varying in difficulty as they progressed. Only one question truly stumped me, but that was because it truly was stupid. Who knows when the first case of rashes occurred as a result of using a poisonous leaf to wipe? Why did that even matter? And who approved putting that question on the final test?

    Shaking my head to clear the passing thought in anticipation of the upcoming practical, I raised my hand, waiting for a monitor to escort me outside. I didn¡¯t have to wait long before one approached and silently gestured for me to follow, as I grabbed my bag and threw my quill and inkwell back into it as I headed outside.

    The practical assessment was held behind the magic building where the written tests were held. I and the monitor, a fourth-year student who only volunteered for the position due to the points it rewarded, made our way to where a panel of five teachers stood chatting amongst themselves, none of the seriousness of exams anywhere present. Though that might have been due to the presence of a certain magenta-haired professor who was exuberantly discussing something with the others.

    The normally empty grassy field was stocked with numerous collared animals and rows of potted plants, no doubt meant for the practical.

    ¡°Ahem.¡± The monitor let out a rather loud cough to draw the attention of everyone before returning to the classroom.

    ¡°Ah, sorry about that, young man. Would you¡­?¡± The professor gestured for me to come closer, and I did, handing him my answer papers once I had done so.

    ¡°Ah, Rhaaj! I thought I recognized you! How are you?¡± Professor Rhubadesh asked me all too cheerfully.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Professor, thank you for asking. If you don¡¯t mind, can we proceed with the practi¨C¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, the assessment! I knew I was forgetting something! Alright, what does he need to do, again?¡± She turned to her colleagues in confusion, who took over from her in overseeing my performance.

    ¡°Manipulation, sensing, plants, and taming, in that order please, student.¡± A smiling man said as he looked at me. ¡°Go at whatever pace is comfortable for you, though I must inform you that taking too long will merit a deduction of marks,¡± he apologetically stated, as if I didn¡¯t already know.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    The assessment proceeded as smoothly as the blood magic one had, though there were no stares or pointing or hastily erected wind walls for privacy. All manipulation was easy if you knew how to replicate the initial sensation, so that¡¯s what I did, trusting my instincts. Sensing was a mite harder, but not enough to be noteworthy. Plant manipulation, growth, and decay were easy enough, but communicating via plants was something I feared I¡¯d never be able to do well.

    Taming was as easy as breathing, though I eschewed using Khime¡¯s spell in favor of the academy-taught one, albeit without the chanting, which I had largely not needed to use in any of my casts.

    In hindsight, I performed well enough to pass, but in the moment, I couldn¡¯t help obsessing over every perceived mistake I made before they dismissed me and I rushed to the library to study.

    My upcoming exam would be even easier, and I would only have to study half as much as I usually would. Dragonspeak, more formally known as the beastfolk language, would be the easiest exam for me, mainly because I had ¡®hacked¡¯ the translation spell once again.

    I simply imagined a little ¡®on-off¡¯ switch connected to the spell that had a label called dragonspeak. The first time I tried it out in class, I nearly caused a scene as I heard Professor Tu say, ¡°Krygoasd, sho hello apinu! Veluthd, er geth micuy ra good morning!¡±

    Needless to say, I had become more adept and less squeamish when it came to tinkering with the translation spell. Now, I just had to imagine the entire thing as a switchboard with different on/off switches for each language I knew. There was one for English, French, beastfolk, and what I was calling ¡®Vorander World - Human¡¯.

    This world had no name, and while it may have started out as a joke at first, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to come up with a more apt name, so it stuck.

    Getting back on track, to pass the beastfolk language exam, all I had to do was ensure the switches labelled ¡®English¡¯, ¡®Vorander World - Human¡¯, and ¡®Vorander World - Beastfolk¡¯ were all turned on so I could understand them all at the same time. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t add a switch for ¡®elvish¡¯ and just immediately know how to speak it. I would have to put in the work and have at least a rudimentary understanding of the language in order for it to function, according to multiple tests.

    The written test was where I had trouble, despite the translation spell working perfectly fine. A lot of the characters had counterparts that looked similar, but had vastly different meanings. Thankfully, as Professor Tu reassured the class multiple times, it was mostly an oral language, with much of the written aspect being entirely ignored, even by the beastfolk themselves.

    The practical assessment was a joke, and I displayed an uncharacteristic amount of self-control in restraining myself when I had to manually adjust the mental switches on the translation spell on the fly in order not to burst out in laughter.

    General combat only had a practical aspect, and I¡¯d like to think I performed¡­adequately.

    It felt almost identical to most classes run by Sir Yalmaar in the later half of the year. Running laps, running through a random obstacle course, which was made with the help of a nature mage, weapon drills, techniques, stances, forms, combinations. These were things pounded into every student¡¯s head over and over again until they became second-nature.

    Sparring was where I likely did the worst, comparatively. Students were put into random pairs and made to demonstrate their combat skills. I dodged more often than I blocked, which somehow counted against me, but I was never knocked to the ground by anyone, even if it was close a couple times. My mace and bastard sword saw a decent amount of use, as did my magical tower shield, which I stuck to for consistency despite any questions that may have arisen as a result.

    Eventually, the sparring ended, and I stumbled back to my dorm, in desperate need of a shower.

    Thankfully, I had two whole days in which I could cram for the final exam: healing.

    The library, which was usually as barren as a ghost town, was overflowing with students, every seat and bit of floor space completely occupied as many attempted to learn a year¡¯s worth of curriculum in a few nights.

    I headed back to my room as soon as I saw the silent yet overwhelming ocean of bodies in the library. My time was better spent poring over my notes than attempting to use the library while it was filled to bursting.

    There were no social gatherings during the two weeks that exams were held, for which I was truly grateful. I already had enough on my plate at the moment.

    Finally, the date of the last assessment arrived.

    I slung my shoulder bag across my chest as I headed out of my dorm room and saw the locked door in front of me. Su¡¯jiif, and some of the other fourth-years, had decided to do some field research outside of the academy while the majority of students were making the campus borderline unlivable.

    I put him out of my mind and pulled out my notes on healing again, trying to memorize the diagrams of every internal organ and their functions in the short walk over to the classroom.

    In the end, there was no reason for me to worry.

    The written test wasn¡¯t hard, it just had tedious sections. Like having to draw and re-draw the circulatory, skeletal, and muscular systems all overlapping each other while undoing any errant mistakes.

    The practical test, if it could be called that, was just as easy, if not more so.

    Usually, other professors would oversee the practical assessments to deny any claims of partiality or favoritism, but Teacher Passen had apparently pulled some strings in order to perform that role for all his students.

    His teaching philosophy was that spells can always be learnt later. But knowledge must be the foundation upon which everything else bloomed, or else magic would fail to produce any results. He prioritized theory over practice, and so the practical assessment only saw him asking everyone to do the minor spells that he felt we could handle without causing harm. The spells for closing a small scratch, healing bruises, and scabbing over a small wound were all demonstrated as he injured himself repeatedly, out of his own volition, so that students could demonstrate the spells for him.

    I asked him after I finished as to why he would do such a thing. He replied that it wasn¡¯t a big deal as he was the most qualified to judge their expertise, fix any unintentional damage, and that this was the most expedient solution once he turned off his sense of pain.

    I asked him how to do that, and he rolled his eyes, saying it would be covered next year.

    Finally, all my exams were finished, and I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the results until they arrived, which wouldn¡¯t be until after an arguably more important event finished.

    The Founder¡¯s Festival.

 Chapter 39

    ¡°Presenting Her Royal Highness, Queen Loithren of the Kingdom of Elpis! His Highness, Crown Prince Judwin! Her Highness, First Princess Olyria! And Her Highness, Second Princess Mazhaan! Kneel before the presence of the royal family!¡±

    The voice of the court steward rang out throughout the city, amplified by formations, as it informed everyone in the capital that the royal family was about to be present. In what must have seemed like a choreographed event to an onlooker, nearly everyone went down on one knee as soon as they heard the order. Merchants, commoners, nobles, students, everyone regardless of status knelt and remained silent, as logic, fealty, and honor demanded.

    A few moments passed where the only sound was that of the wind blowing and birds crowing, until finally¡­

    ¡°Why awe they awl knee¡¯ing, Mama?¡± a childlike voice rang out in the same volume as the steward¡¯s.

    A patient voice replied, ¡°Because they respect us, baby.¡±

    ¡°But, why?¡± the childish voice asked.

    ¡°Because we help with their problems and protect them from dangers,¡± the voice that could only belong to the Queen patiently responded, dumbing down the answer so the child could understand.

    ¡°Like with they¡¯uh sweets?¡±

    ¡°Like with their sweets.¡± And a wet smooching sound followed by a high-pitched feminine giggle resounded throughout the city, eliciting all kinds of reactions, mostly from the commoners, but it seemed to endear the queen and the little princess to the people.

    ¡°You may rise.¡± the queen said, reverting to a courtly and proper tone of voice that one would expect from a queen, rather than the mother that she was a few seconds ago.

    ¡°All rise and give thanks for her grace!¡± the steward shouted out.

    Shouts of, ¡°Thank you, my queen,¡± and ¡°Much gratitude, Your Highness,¡± and similar statements erupted from the people of the capital as they rose to their feet. A select few within the capital had the privilege of seeing the royals in person, but the majority had to turn their heads skywards to look at a projection of the queen and her children, moving in realtime.

    Queen Loithren had freckles, and a beauty mark just under her jaw. Those were the first things I noticed about her. If anything, they only highlighted her beauty, understated yet obvious.

    But the more I looked, the more she seemed like a real queen. Long black hair whose roots were slowly turning gold, standing just under two meters tall, her spine as straight as an arrow, her hands were gently laid one over the other while resting on her simple white gown.

    She held herself with immaculate conduct, and I¡¯m sure Countess Ryfellin would be crying tears of joy and appreciation if she could see the queen¡¯s posture. For all that she was a mother to her children, she was the queen to the kingdom as well. Even from this far away and through a projection, she seemed to possess an aura of authority that complemented her status.

    Turning to see the other royals, I saw that they had inherited some of their mother¡¯s features, as all of them had flowing black hair and the same shade of ice-blue eyes that the queen did. Their father¡¯s genes won out in other areas, as they all had a slightly paler skin tone than the queen, as well as a slightly thinner nose.

    The second princess, Mazhaan, was being tended to by her older sister, the first princess Olyria, as the little girl was being held on the older one¡¯s hip while her older siblings were softly patting her hand or stroking her hair.

    The queen¡¯s speech drew my attention back to her as she spoke, ¡°First, I offer my thanks to the ancestors, without whom none of us would be here today.¡±

    ¡°We give thanks to the ancestors.¡± the crowd intoned. I silently mouthed nonsense words when I noticed what was happening, but it was pointless.

    ¡°Next, I give my thanks to the Mother, who has made sure that my family and my kingdom have emerged stronger than they were last year!¡±

    ¡°We give thanks to the Mother,¡± the crowd, including me, said aloud. I was getting the hang of it.

    ¡°And finally, I thank my husband, the king, for his continued work in ensuring peace, improving living conditions, and honoring the time-tested bonds of friendship with our friends across the sea!¡±

    ¡°All hail the king!¡± the crowd shouted. I fumbled it and said, ¡°We give king,¡± before I just gave up and shut my mouth before anyone could notice. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, and besides, it¡¯s not like there was anyone watching.

    ¡°And thank you all for being here, to celebrate the Founder¡¯s Festival once more, as another year has passed!¡± the queen jubilantly cried out.

    The crowd clapped and cheered as if their presence was some big achievement. I had to restrain myself from rolling my eyes, as I¡¯m sure that wouldn¡¯t go over well.

    ¡°I know most of you are eager to eat the fruit and meat from our friends overseas,¡± the queen said, which received a round of cheers, ¡°and some of you only want me to finish so you can run to the nearest alehouse,¡± which prompted another round of even more boisterous cheering. As the queen looked on and transformed her regal smile to an indulgent one, ¡°I¡¯m sure you all have been waiting long enough. So go! Your queen commands you! Eat, drink, and carouse! Enjoy the warmth of the hearth as the year approaches its end!¡±

    ¡°But before you end up passed out on the floor, do you have anything to say to me?¡± the queen asked, her bearing having changed almost entirely from a distant queen to an intimate mother.

    ¡°Happy Festival Day!¡± the city exclaimed at the top of their lungs.

    ¡°And a happy festival day to you all as well! Now go and enjoy yourselves, or I might start another speech again!¡± the queen jokingly said.

    A round of clapping and cheering followed, as I could see the queen turn to her children, who were all as excited as the crowd, and inflict some combination of kissing, hugging, patting their head or pinching their cheeks before they ran off accompanied by a squadron of armored guards.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    The projection cut out, and the people around me began walking and immediately started bumping into each other, pushing and shoving others aside so they could move faster. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would probably be part of that crowd, running to be in line to try the fresh meat imported from the beastfolk tribes or a fruity beverage that contained berries from the elves.

    Thankfully, I had a couple of veterans who had visited this specific battleground before.

    ¡°So, we¡¯re clear on the division of labor? Me, Rhaaj, Teroa, and Tyrithen will hit the sweets and meats. Orddis, Jissa, Timek, and Euchles will get the snacks and drinks. Actually, I think it¡¯d be easier if I just¡­¡±

    As Riddis fiddled with some ink and a piece of parchment, I reflected on how I had gotten here.

    Everyone who had signed up for an event in the festival would be escorted to the capital via the academy¡¯s teleportation formation. Groups of students each accompanied by a member of staff went through and came out the other side. I had never gotten a clear reason why some people suffered more from the disorienting and nauseating effects of teleporting, other than merely aptitude, which wasn¡¯t exactly satisfying.

    We landed in a building owned by Svenia Academy, which was part of a compound large enough to house nearly six hundred people altogether. I wasn¡¯t sure of the exact number of students competing, but I had heard that all four tier one academies sent their students to compete in the tournament events every year, and there was a hard limit to how many students could sign up per academy.

    Well, the tournament events were in a few days, and in the meantime, my friends and I were here in the capital now, ready to enjoy the festivities.

    There were some events that would be held exclusively for academy students, but they would be taking place tomorrow or the day after. Someone heard there would be an auction or something, others heard that the king would meet with certain high-performing students privately. There were plenty of rumors flying around, and I would just have to wait to see what actually happened.

    ¡°Here you go!¡±

    Riddis¡¯ shout brought me out of my thoughts and back into the present, as she handed everyone a piece of parchment with one of two phrases written on it, ¡®sweets and meats¡¯ or ¡®snacks and drinks¡¯.

    ¡°Is all this really necessary?¡± Jissa asked, the most recent addition to our little circle of comrades. ¡°Do you really think we¡¯ll forget what to buy?¡± she asked doubtfully.

    ¡°You never know what might happen! Besides, the instructors are busy with their secret meeting so we might as well take this chance to explore the capital a little!¡± Riddis exclaimed.

    ¡°It¡¯s hardly a secret meeting when they told us that ¨C¡±

    ¡°Ahh-dah-dah!¡± Riddis shouted while covering my mouth, throwing propriety out the window. ¡°We¡¯re wasting daylight standing around and arguing when we could be chowing down on delicious meat! Remember, once you run out of money, come back here and we¡¯ll split the goods equally. Now, hop to, everyone!¡± She pointed out the door and barked in a faithful impression of Sir Yalmaar shouting during classes.

    The rest of the day was a whirlwind of activity as I found myself sprinting, weaving through crowds, pausing to look at entertainers and performers, and secretly partaking in whatever roadside stalls looked good enough to try out. My friends were just as unrestrained as everyone else, the infectious mood of the festival affecting us like a tangible force.

    I even snuck a couple foreign fruits to Spearmint, who didn¡¯t much care for them, while the others were preoccupied with a game reminiscent of hopscotch.

    Our little group only reunited with the others in Teroa¡¯s room well after the sun had set, the magical lamps that I was used to seeing were replaced by hovering and glowing balls of soft orange light that rotated around the capital in a set pattern, illuminating the city while also providing a light show of sorts.

    What followed after was the most fun I¡¯d probably ever had in my entire life. Food, games, genuine laughter, conversation that wasn¡¯t vapid or overly serious, friends. I had everything I could ever want, everything I had convinced myself that I didn¡¯t need and was better off without.

    So why did I feel so convinced that it was all temporary?

    What was stopping me from truly enjoying myself and beginning to let go of something that had been the core of my personality for nearly my entire life, my apathy?

    Was I so afraid that I would lose what I had that I subconsciously clung onto my indifference like a blanket? While it was comforting to know that I would never have to face that kind of pain again, living life like this would also mean I would never truly be able to experience the best of what life had to offer.

    Was that something I could live with? This¡­isolated existence, even while surrounded by a group of friends?

    How do you know they are truly your friends? Perhaps they have their own agendas for approaching you. Can you confidently say that you know what lies in their hearts? Are you even aware of your own motives for befriending them?

    That thought, which truly came out of nowhere, struck me like a bolt of lightning.

    I ignored the joke that Jissa had just made and retreated into the corner of my mind while automatically nodding along to the conversation with a half-smile on my face so my mentally checking out wouldn¡¯t be noticed.

    Even within my own mind, I was almost ashamed to admit that I spoke to myself, despite having done it for so long. Different voices with different personalities and opinions helped sometimes with¡­various things, but I never thought it was detrimental. Awkward, embarrassing, or maybe even bordering on insane, sure, but not a process that would actively harm me.

    In fact, it was so obviously not my own thought, as it was directly opposed to what I was thinking, that it could only have originated from one possible source.

    Spearmint¡­what did you just say?

    ¡°I said nothing, contractor. Why do you ask? Now that you¡¯ve opened the connection, I¡¯d ask that you give me another of those fruits, what did you call them, small water melons? The juices are sour at first, but that sweet flavor that comes afterwards is truly delightful.¡±

    Are you telling me that you didn¡¯t just share your thought about the nature of my friends with me?

    ¡°No, that would be foolish and a waste of time in the extreme. I have learned that you will do what you will do, regardless of my input on the topic, in the course of our time together. For the most part, I have no opinions on your actions, so long as they do not harm me. Your fledgling herd is yours to deal with. Yawn, forgive me, contractor, but I believe I will need to sleep soon. The teleportation you warned me about seems to have had an effect on me.¡±

    Are you hurt?

    ¡°No, but,¡±  a long bleating and snorting sound that I could somehow understand as a yawn interrupted, ¡°I do feel slightly tired. I will be sleeping¡­¡±

    And that was all he had to say before falling asleep.

    Do you feel better now, believing you can trust the little beast within you?

    ¡°Hey, are you okay, Rhaaj? You look all sweaty and a bit¡­nervous,¡± Tyrithen, who was closest to me, said as he put his hand on my shoulder.

    The gesture was probably meant to be comforting, but I just couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was the slightest, tiniest, slimmest possibility that it was a calculated action that was part of a larger plan to endear himself to me.

    So I rose unsteadily from the ground, thumping my leg to get the blood moving again as it had fallen asleep, before I manually did so with magic.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s probably just the teleportation catching up to me. I think I¡¯m going to turn in for the night, sorry everybody.¡± I stated.

    ¡°Sigh, well, feel better man, okay? You want some water or something? Maybe some ice?¡± Tyrithen offered.

    I shook my head and waved off the concerns and questions headed my way. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just need to lie down, sorry guys. I¡¯ll see you in the morning,¡± I said, as I walked out of the room as fast as I could and headed to my own bed to lie down.

    Now that I thought about it, I had escaped from the room so I could attempt to do something about the weirdly intrusive and manipulative voice in my head that wasn¡¯t mine, but all of a sudden, I did feel tired enough to sleep, like I had just run a hundred laps and recited exam answers at the same time.

    I opened my room door, locking it behind me, and only took a moment to take my boots off with my feet, before I collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep within moments.

    When I woke up, I found myself in the basement of my childhood home, a tall deer with a brilliantly verdant coat and electric-blue eyes looming over me.

    ¡°Are you able to explain this, contractor?¡±

 Chapter 40

    ¡°What. The actual. Fuck. Is going on right now!¡± I shouted hysterically.

    I shot to my feet as I took in my surroundings and noticed that I was standing in a nearly identical recreation of the basement in my childhood home. The house itself was destroyed to make way for a parking lot nearly a decade ago, but the details were exactly the same as I remembered them.

    The fake wooden panelling on the walls that were showing signs of peeling. The ugly, dark grey, shag carpet that covered the entire floor. The light switch that never worked when the space heater was turned on. The pencil marks on the wall that marked the increasing heights of me and my siblings. The angular, metallic file cabinet that stood in the corner and contained all my parents¡¯ tax receipts.

    But for all the similarities I had observed, the incongruencies were what let me know I wasn¡¯t dreaming, or that I had somehow been flung through time, which was a possibility I could no longer discount.

    Like the fact that there was no crappy CRT television on a tiny stand with my old game console plugged into it. Or that the door leading upstairs to the rest of the house didn¡¯t exist.

    Or that, in addition to the green deer that was sitting on the carpet beside me, there were two voranders obediently kneeling before me, and piles of supplies scattered haphazardly around the room.

    ¡°What the fuck is going on right now,¡± I whispered to myself. The evidence only pointed to one logical conclusion.

    How the fuck had I arrived in my beast space while I was asleep?

    ¡°That seems to be a common sentiment.¡± A deep voice said musingly.

    Sighing, I turned to my companion and asked him, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have any idea what¡¯s going on?¡± It was unlikely he knew, but I had to check, if only to remove the possibility.

    ¡°No. I am just as uncertain as to this change as you are. Before I woke up, there was nothing here. Your ¡®beast space¡¯, as you so eloquently called it, was just a shifting river of colors in a  perpetual noon. This¡­man den, was what I saw when I opened my eyes.¡± Spearmint stated, his mental voice conveying how much he disapproved of the change.

    ¡°Were there any changes with¡­¡± I nodded my head at the two still-kneeling voranders, who had maintained that position since I woke up.

    My companion shook his head as he said, ¡°Outside, they may have been chaotic brutes, but in here, they are quiet and restrained. There is something about this space that compels them to obey you. That has held true since the day you subjugated them.¡±

    His assurance wasn¡¯t as assuring as he meant it to be.

    ¡°Do you feel something compelling you to obey me too?¡± I asked hurriedly.  That was new information, and likely part of the change that occurred as I slept.

    He tilted his head side to side in an oddly human-like manner before responding, ¡°Yes, and no.¡±

    Seriously, man?!

    ¡°It is difficult to describe. I am aware that there is something about this space that is creating that effect¡­but I do not feel it myself.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t feel it yourself,¡± I restated.

    ¡°I only know that the effect is there. I do not know any more than you do what is causing it, where it comes from, or anything else. Oh, that¡¯s not entirely true, now that I think about it,¡± he backtracked.

    ¡°Yes! What do you know?¡± I asked excitedly, eager to get a lead on this mysterious compulsion that was somehow selective.

    ¡°I know that it has been present since my arrival.¡±

    And just like that, my theory that the space was affected somehow by the voranders was burned to ashes.

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°How long has it been since our initial encounter? Months? Well, in any case, I have felt that effect since that day, but it appears to have no effect on me, or perhaps it affects me in other ways? Or perhaps it is attempting to affect me but I happen to be immune? I cannot say for certain which is true, but my instincts tell me it chooses not to affect me.¡± Spearmint offered.

    I clenched my fists in anger.

    Just when I was beginning to really live life, this happened. A monkey wrench of unpredictability and chaos was thrown into my life that threatened the foundation of my decision making, my knowledge base.

    In the end, I couldn¡¯t ignore the intrusive voice that came and went through my head like a phantom. There had to be a connection. The timing was just too perfect. Wherever the aberrant thought came from, it likely played a part in changing the beast space, bringing me inside, and the compulsion effect that, according to Spearmint¡¯s testimony, only affected my tamed voranders.

    Heh, maybe they know what¡¯s going on.

    It was unlikely to yield anything of worth, but I wanted, no, needed to understand what was happening here, lest the unknown factors began affecting me negatively and in a way I couldn¡¯t control. And if detective shows had taught me anything, it was that you don¡¯t ignore possible witnesses to a mystery, regardless of your distaste for them. I had delayed communicating with them for long enough.

    I approached the voranders slowly, taking small steps, before I stood about two meters in front of them. Hiding the apprehension I felt, I asked them aloud, ¡°Can either of you understand me?¡±

    I heard a growl and a snarl in response, which was roughly what I was expecting, when ¨C

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    Holy¡­shit¡­fuck¡­

    I¡­couldn¡¯t handle the enormity those sentences brought me, and to say I was shocked would do a disservice to the word. I thought I had gotten a good handle on dealing with the unexpected, but this¡­this was something I couldn¡¯t have been prepared for.

    I fell back on my breathing technique to calm myself as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in through my nose.

    Inhale. Hold it. Exhale. Wait.

    Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Wait.

    I repeated the process until I had some semblance of control over my emotions again. I opened my eyes and saw the voranders kneeling before me.

    Let¡¯s try this again.

    ¡°Have, have you always been able to understand me?¡± I asked quietly.

    This time, the response was a doubled, ¡°No, Master.¡±

    Stolen novel; please report.

    I sighed in relief. At least I had proof from the primary source that the voranders were always vicious and instinctive in the outside world, instead of the controlled and obedient beings they were in my beast space.

    As much as I would appreciate diving into all the mysteries and unknowns surrounding voranders, I was more concerned with the beast space and its recent changes.

    ¡°Do either of you know when this beast space changed?¡±

    ¡°I do, Master.¡±

    It was the werewolf monster who responded, the goblin one remaining silent.

    ¡°Tell me what you know.¡± I ordered.

    But instead of telling me mentally, as it had been doing, it somehow showed me what happened from its perspective.

    Spearmint was playing around, butting heads with an imaginary enemy in the center of the beast space, a multicolored kaleidoscope of all shades of colors without lights or shadows, but with enough brightness to see everything. Soon, he stumbled and laid on the ground, falling asleep quickly after.

    Then, the shifting colors paused in their movement, and a barely noticeable hole came into existence, and it grew larger and became more apparent, the scenery behind it fizzling out of existence. The hole expanded further and further, until finally, it encompassed the entire area, easily recognizable as the basement I was familiar with.

    It was hard to tell how much time had passed, but nothing happened for a good while, until suddenly, I saw myself, still sleeping yet appearing out of thin air on the carpeted floor.

    And then the vision receded and I was staring at the kneeling werewolf again, my sight once more attached to my own perspective.

    So now I knew that I hadn¡¯t consciously entered the beast space, which also meant the odds were low that I could consciously exit it.

    Sigh, why does everything have to be so mysterious and complicated? Can¡¯t the universe just make things simple for once? I mean, how hard would it be to just¡­explain how everything works? But no, of course not, then I¡¯d be ¡®robbed¡¯ of the ¡®precious experience¡¯ of figuring everything out for myself all the fucking time.

    Seriously, who decided that I couldn¡¯t just enter and leave whenever I wanted? Is that so hard to do?! For fuck¡¯s sake, it¡¯s my beast space, it¡¯s my life, it should be my FUCKING DECISION!

    WHY CAN¡¯T I JUST LEAVE WHEN I WANT TO?!

    And as I stood there, clenching my fists with my eyes shut and attempting to suppress my anger, I opened my eyes and punched the wall in what was definitely an earnest attempt to break my hand, and NOT me lashing out in a moment of half-controlled rage.

    The reverberation from the impact travelled through my knuckles, and as I reflexively shook my hand to get rid of the pain, I subconsciously used a healing spell on the bones in my hand.

    I turned around to see if I could ¡®summon¡¯ Spearmint out of the beast space and hitch a ride with him, but turning around let me see a familiar view.

    I was once more, somehow, in my room at the academy compound. Yep, there were my boots that I had quickly taken off last night, lying discarded on the floor.

    Honestly, I was even more pissed off that I was back than I had been when I woke up in the beast space.

    ¡°What the FUCK is going on?!¡± I shouted aloud, completely forgetting where I was. A part of me still thought I was in the beast space, and I forgot to restrain myself as I usually did.

    So naturally, the reaction that resulted was¡­

    A barrage of knocks on my locked door, and ¨C

    ¡°Hey, idiot, are you okay in there? Open the door! What was that shouting? Hey, this isn¡¯t funny!¡± a concerned voice exclaimed.

    ¡°Rhaaj! Open the door now or I¡¯ll get a professor!¡± an equally worried voice with a slight quiver shouted out.

    There it was.

    I covered my face with both my hands before running them up through my hair and settling down again. Time to act stupid again. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard.

    It¡¯s good to see that at least you¡¯re self-aware.

    MOTHERFUC¨C

    ¡°Rhaaj, seriously, stop messing around and open the door!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯m getting a professor, Ord, you wait here in case ¨C¡±

    I scrambled towards the door and undid the latch before wrenching the door open violently, interrupting the frantic conversation between Teroa, Riddis, and Orddis, who were all in varying stages of concern.

    ¡°Ow! Will you stop that!¡± I shouted, rubbing my elbow after Teroa hammered her fists into my arm repeatedly.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for making us worry, you madman!¡± Teroa said as she was almost on the verge of tears.

    ¡°She¡¯s right, you know. We thought you were, well, we didn¡¯t know what to think. You stumbled out of the room last night, then you just started screaming this morning and you wouldn¡¯t respond to us calling for you! What happened to you, Rhaaj?!¡± Riddis exclaimed.

    ¡°Seriously, man, are you sick or something? Do you need to see a healer?¡± Orddis asked, much more collected than the other two, but still concerned.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, I just¡­had a nightmare.¡± I said, as I thought about the reappearance of the phantom voice just a second ago and what it could mean.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± Teroa and Riddis both said in unison, their eyes practically boring into me, prompting me to reflexively take a step back from them, with Orddis looking at them oddly.

    ¡°What? No, I¡¯m not!¡± I blurted out.

    ¡°Are you gonna tell me what¡¯s wrong, or do I need to bring out the gauntlet?¡± Teroa asked threateningly, cracking her knuckles like she was warming up for a serious fight. Her moist and reddened eyes made her look even more fierce than she usually did.

    Now, I could see this going in one of two ways.

    Option One. I don¡¯t say anything, or I lied and they didn¡¯t believe me.

    Teroa would get physically violent, Riddis would go along with whatever she did, and Orddis would be torn between getting help to make sure they didn¡¯t go too far and sticking around to see what happened.

    I wasn¡¯t a fan of Option One.

    Then, there was Option Two, where I told them the truth and they still attacked me for not telling them sooner.

    I wasn¡¯t a fan of Option Two, either.

    So, I went with Option Three: Distract them with a different truth and hope it subdues them.

    ¡°Sigh, fine, just¡­come inside first, alright? I¡¯d rather keep this a secret from most people.¡± I said resignedly.

    All it took was one glance and a single nod between the girls, and Teroa rushed off down the hallway, while Riddis dragged me into the room, with Orddis following behind us, shaking his head.

    ¡°Sis, can you at least pretend to act with some dignity?¡± Orddis mockingly said.

    ¡°Shut up, Ord. Are you telling me you don¡¯t want to know what¡¯s going on with this guy?¡± She shot back at him, giving him a look that made him raise his hands in surrender.

    He would¡¯ve responded, but a full plethora of people barged into my room, making themselves as comfortable as possible in the small room, claiming chairs or the side of my bed for themselves to sit in.

    Teroa closed the door once everyone was inside, looking straight at me.

    ¡°I figured you wouldn¡¯t want to tell¡­whatever it is, more than once, and we would have told everyone eventually anyways. This way, it¡¯s just skipping a few steps,¡± she said as she crossed her arms.

    Most of my friend group was here. Teroa, Riddis and Orddis, Sheenai, Jissa, Tyrithen, Timek, Venaca. Everyone was mostly quiet, waiting for something to start.

    So I enacted Option Three, despite my irritation at having a larger audience than expected.

    ¡°I¡¯m dying.¡± I stated, without any preamble.

    I could see nobody believed me. A roll of the eyes here, a smirk there.

    ¡°Brother, you could have picked a better excuse than that. Seriously, what¡¯s going on with you? Teroa just ran into our room and said you¡¯ve got some big secret to tell us.¡± Timek said, confused.

    ¡°Seriously. I¡¯m dying.¡± I said, trying to seem as truthful as possible.

    ¡°Look, you better tell us all now the truth, or ¨C¡± Riddis started saying.

    ¡°I¡¯M DYING OKAY! FOR FUCK''S SAKE, JUST LET ME TALK!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs, the lock that suppressed my anger just barely coming loose.

    I had always been well-behaved around my friends, even if I was quick to drop propriety and become casual as soon as doors were closed. So seeing people react as they did, eyes widened, gasps and whimpers, flinching back, it was¡­well, there was no good way to describe it.

    It felt like taking a breath of fresh air after escaping a garbage dump that reeked of toxic and nauseating stenches.

    I let the silence sit for a second before I continued, ¡°Ever since I was little, I¡¯ve had these headaches. They would flare for a few minutes before going down, but they would happen more and more as I got older. Then, Teacher Passen noticed something wrong with me on the first day of classes.¡±

    ¡°Passen is the elf, right?¡± Timek asked quietly, seemingly accepting that I was being truthful and coming to terms with that revelation.

    ¡°He¡¯s the healing instructor for, look, it doesn¡¯t matter. The point is, he said there was something wrong with my soul and I don¡¯t have a long time before it goes¡­boom,¡± I said as I mimed an explosion with my hands.

    People were processing the bomb I had just dropped on them in their own way. The majority were staring at the floor while peeking looks at me. A few were reciting some prayer, as I could hear the word ¡®Mother¡¯ being used often.

    ¡°You¡¯re not lying, are you?¡± Teroa asked me despondently, as she sat hunched against the wall, her tear-streaked face looking at mine.

    ¡°Believe me, I wish I was,¡± I said in an uncharacteristically serious manner.

    ¡°Do¡­do you know how long you¡¯ve got left?¡±  Venaca quietly asked me, not meeting my eyes.

    ¡°Not long. At least a few years,¡± I replied evasively. In my defense, I wasn¡¯t lying. I mean, does anyone know when exactly they¡¯re going to die?

    ¡°Then we¡­are not going to waste any more time.¡± a voice said from near the floor.

    And the next thing I knew, I was back on my bed, struggling for air as a short and aggressive commoner girl pinned me down, her lips locked against mine, the taste of salt mixing with that of her lips.

 Chapter 41

    ¡°Our next item is a tier 2 sword forged by the renowned blacksmith, Master Kurife! Its blade has been imbued with both growth and shrinking enchantments, as well as the ability to make minor repairs to itself! Bidding starts at fourteen circles!¡±

    The auctioneer¡¯s introduction sent a few of the bidders into a polite yet determined frenzy, as they immediately began calling out bids for the item, the waving of their numbered paddles accompanying their shouted bids.

    As I leaned back in the soft wooden-backed chair, I let the shouts and exclamations of the patrons wash over me as I unknowingly recalled how I arrived here.

    After being unexpectedly pinned down and kissed by Teroa, I managed to get away from her before she could take things even further. The¡­feelings I was anticipating from the physical contact were less¡­overwhelming than I expected, but it was still a noteworthy demonstration of my ability to restrain myself. It was within my power, both magically and physically, to force her to stop, but doing so would turn her even more aggressive, and even at the best of times, she tended to be¡­mercurial.

    I managed to push her off me and rolled off the bed, the momentum inadvertently sending me to the floor. Before I could even say a word in explanation, her eyes were wide in disbelief, and once again, tears began silently flowing down her small face. She took my unwillingness to be kissed in my bed in front of everyone as a signal to cry even more, and it was at that point she completely broke down, bawling almost like a baby.

    Our group of friends, at least the ones who were assembled in my room, were divided into two at her sobbing.

    The girls took Teroa back to Riddis¡¯ room to console her and¡­do whatever girls did here to raise their moods instead of eating ice cream, while the guys were told in no uncertain terms to stay away from them for at least a day. I received a few glares and a couple grimaces from the girls before they left that told me how they felt I handled the situation.

    I was half-squatting on the floor of my bedroom, having rolled off the bed to escape from Teroa¡¯s grasp, with three other guys standing around and looking awkwardly at the girls locking the door to their room, when Timek asked, ¡°You okay, man?¡±

    I stood up and brushed off my clothes, shaking my head while saying, ¡°Yeah, I just¡­I think I could use a distraction right about now.¡±

    Tyrithen clapped his hands together, ¡°Alright! Then let¡¯s explore the festival! Food, plays, games, there¡¯s loads of things that we can do, right?¡± His eagerness was clearly masking his discomfort with what had just happened, as I had never recalled him being that outgoing before.

    Orddis sighed, ¡°I heard that there¡¯s an auction taking place in about an hour. The plays and food can wait till after. We¡¯ll¡­wait in the lobby while you get ready.¡±

    And the next thing I knew, I found myself in an auction house, listening to the auctioneer¡¯s sultry voice cry out ever-increasing numbers for the different goods, her melodious words audible even over the din of bidders clamoring for their items.

    To no one¡¯s surprise, the auction was more of an event to ¡®broaden my horizons¡¯ and see what was out there rather than something to actively participate in. The auction house had waived their usual entry fee for customers for the duration of the festival, but the high prices practically guaranteed that any winning bids would come from a noble. Even Orddis and Timek, who had been given spending money for the festival, were prevented from purchasing anything of quality, as the local nobles of the capital spent their money like water.

    True to form, the final items of the auction were the most eye-catching, the egg of a wild land dragon, whose parents were estimated to be at tier 1, and an ancient amulet that was capable of teleporting the wearer twice before breaking. The chance to bond with a dragon of any variety was worth more than money, as was the ability to buy a life-saving item with multiple uses.

    It was at that point that I remembered that orbs were a currency as well, much like the legendary and elusive hundred-dollar bill, that represented the pinnacle of wealth, as nobles began bidding in multiple increments of orbs.

    Even Orddis, whose father was a count, had never seen that much money being thrown around on a single transaction.

    By the time the final bid was called, I was in a familiar state of total shock, and the cries of outrage and indignation from the losing bidders were barely a whisper to my distracted brain.

    There was another denomination above orbs?

    What was the point?! What could possibly be that expensive to justify such wealth?!

    ¡°Hey, Rhaaj, do you want honey or herbal candies?¡± Orddis¡¯ voice pulled me back into the real world, where I found myself sandwiched between my friends as we stood in front of a stall offering hard candies with a plethora of different flavors. Evidently my shock had made me unresponsive and they had seen fit to pull me away from the end of the auction, and into a place where my brain had no issues accepting what was occurring in front of it.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t we just in the auction house?¡± I asked, looking around at the busy streets and the packed stalls lining the sides.

    Orddis rolled his eyes before Timek said, ¡°That was almost twenty minutes ago, man! Now focus! Ooh, look, they¡¯ve got a¡­what is this flavor, actually?¡±

    ¡°Bittermelon from the south, young customer! Part of the gifts from our beastfolk brothers across the sea!¡± the old stall owner announced.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try one of those, and¡­hey, you okay?¡± Timek asked, stopping his perusal of the stall¡¯s offerings long enough to look in my direction.

    ¡°Yeah, I just saw a bookstore that looked interesting,¡± I replied, my gaze still fixed on the bookstore at the nearby intersection. ¡°Here, you guys take this,¡± I said as I turned around and handed them a separate pouch with about fifteen triangles inside, a veritable mini-fortune for me, ¡°Get a bunch of snacks and we¡¯ll pig out in a bit. I¡¯m just going to head over there for a little,¡± I said, pointing to the bookstore with a display on it that said all products were 70% off for the festival.

    ¡°You sure, man? I think we should ¨C¡± Tyrithen started saying.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s cool. You take your time in there, and we¡¯ll come get you when we¡¯re done, alright?¡± Timek interrupted him, getting a nod from me in response.

    I saw Timek and Orddis drag away a confused Tyrithen down to the next stall in line, and watched them go off until Timek turned back and winked at me. I was grateful that at least he seemed to be understanding of my desire to be alone right now.

    Even I couldn¡¯t explain where this desire for solitude came from, or why it struck me so profoundly, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to analyze myself that deeply and figure out the pros and cons and all the other consequences of indulging my whim. If anything, I had learned that suppressing my feelings was only a temporary measure, and while doing so may have been the first step on the path to gaining true control over my feelings, the fact that there were further steps in that process implied that I might as well listen to my feeling, even if there were no concrete reason to do so.

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    I nodded back to Timek, mentally appreciating his observational skills, and headed to the bookstore, moving through the throngs of people in the streets and letting the flow push me in its general direction. The bookstore was a corner building that only had one floor, but was clearly well cared for, its thin stone roof regularly cleaned and its wooden walls newly lacquered, the bright shades of brown showing the level of attention the owner gave.

    The bookstore¡¯s interior was equally clean and maintained, its small size lending it a cozy feel that would be absent in larger establishments. There were rows of bookshelves arranged throughout the room with enough space to comfortably stroll between them. Scrolls were arranged on one side of the room, while books took up the other. The counter in the back was manned by an older couple who were reading a book together, their attention split between the enormous bound book they were reading and each other, one or the other giggling or making some comment every so often.

    I had been to a few bookstores during my time in both Jyvra City and Svenia City, but this one was likely the best cared for store I had been to. Bookstores found more traction among commoners than the nobles, for the most part, leading to less time being spent on their appearance and more on keeping a full inventory. This was because most books that sold well were geared more towards entertainment than anything else, with the more serious works such as literature or non-fiction or most things academic being kept in the hands of the noble families or the academies. Copyrights also weren¡¯t a thing, so anyone could plagiarize and straight-up carbon copy the words if they had the materials and time to do so.

    In what wasn¡¯t startling to me at all, the gossip I had overheard in the social gatherings at the academy were beginning to discuss the possibility of introducing some type of law to introduce copyrighting published works, allowing authors (cough, cough, mostly the nobles) to properly be compensated for their works without copies floating around that wouldn¡¯t earn them any coin. Of course, the majority of commoners didn¡¯t care about the legitimacy of their books as long as it was compelling, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for nobles.

    But that was all a tangent. The point was that this store was impeccable in both its available goods and its appearance. Browsing the side with books let me read the covers and I noticed that there were a wide array of subjects. The majority of novels were for entertainment, sporting titles such as, ¡®The Beastly Baron and His Homely Housekeeper¡¯, ¡®Sword of the Mother: A Tale of the Heroes of Ages Past¡¯, and ¡®A Cruel Count and His Many Crimes¡¯. Romance novels, in particular, seemed to be popular, with how empty those particular sections were.

    The scroll side of the store was obviously less popular as it contained multiple rolled-up scrolls that comprised a single work. For the most part, there was no difference whether an author chose to use scrolls or books as their medium, other than convenience. But purists, like the author of ¡®Treatise on the Importance of Essence in Early Stages of Childhood Development¡¯ preferred scrolls simply because books were a more recent invention, only becoming mainstream in the last hundred years or so.

    I wasn¡¯t looking for anything in particular. In fact, I didn¡¯t even know what I was doing here, other than it being a convenient place that my friends were unlikely to follow me into, so I went to the counter, interrupting the elderly couple who were whispering in each other¡¯s ears, and just asked them for a recommendation.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said, getting their attention, ¡°Do you have any materials concerning the beastfolk?¡±

    I was curious about the beastfolk in general, and taking into account my plans to travel there post graduation, getting as much info about them as possible seemed like well thought-out preparation.

    It¡¯s not like I just blurted out the first thing I could think of, like the origin of those melon candies I was just looking at. That would be stupid and impulsive of me, and I had definitely shown growth in suppressing those two emotions within me. Absolutely.

    ¡°And a happy founder¡¯s festival to you too, young man,¡± the old lady said to me, a slight frown on her face.

    Seeing her reaction, her husband, at least that¡¯s who I assumed he was, took pity on me and beckoned me closer, stage-whispering to me, ¡°You should wish her a happy founder¡¯s festival first, customer. Then we can talk about business,¡¯ he winked at me, putting a hand on his wife¡¯s hand and gently grasping it.

    He was right. What were all the etiquette lessons I took for, if not to avoid being an idiot in public, especially in situations like this?

    Mentally reprimanding myself, I proceeded to apologize by slightly lowering my head, ¡°I apologize to both of you for my bluntness. You are correct. I wish you both a happy founder¡¯s festival, as well as peace and prosperity for the many years yet to come,¡± I finished.

    At my admission of wrongdoing, the woman¡¯s frown reversed itself as she politely smiled at me, ¡°That¡¯s better. Now, you seem like you¡¯ve come from a far way aways, haven¡¯t you?¡± she said, her smile wider than it was before.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a student at Svenia Academy, and my friends and I came here for the tournament,¡± I said.

    At that, her eyebrow raised. ¡°Oh? You seem to be adjusting to the new environment rather well,¡± she said conversationally.

    ¡°I suppose¡­¡± I replied hesitantly, unsure of where she was going.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll give you the same advice I give to all students: learning isn¡¯t all about books and assessment. You need to ingrain the knowledge you¡¯re given, rather than the facts they spit at you in those glass cages.¡±

    ¡°You said you were looking for materials on the beastfolk?¡± the old man asked, heading off his wife, who looked like she had more to say about the academies.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I responded.

    ¡°Anything specific, or just something to pass the time?¡± he continued.

    ¡°Ideally, I¡¯d like maps of the beastfolk and elven continents, but I¡¯d guess things like that are rare and kept in the hands of nobles.¡± I offered.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± he tapped his finger on the table, before informing me, ¡°Wait right there, I might have something for you in the back.¡±

    As he slowly got off his stool, he headed deeper into the store behind the counter, leaving me with his wife, who started grilling me about the state of the academy and the quality of the instructors there.

    As I kept talking about my academy life, it became apparent to me that the elderly woman I was speaking with had no issues when it came to talking about the problems at the academy, at least the ones the administration wouldn¡¯t, or couldn¡¯t, fix.

    ¡°And the instructors! In my day, the instructors were all accomplished and learned experts, not these wishy-washy noble brats who¡¯ve barely set foot in a library, not to mention the blatant corruption and nepotism!  Ignoring a student in need because they aren¡¯t a noble? The entire IDEA behind the academy was to uplift those who couldn¡¯t do it themselves! And now those old and wrinkled deans or headmasters or whatever else they¡¯re calling themselves convince their faculties that damned politics actually has a role to play in the academy?!¡±  She paused for breath, and I was legitimately concerned that she might have a heart attack or a stroke or something and die. I might have some foundation in healing, but I wasn¡¯t confident in doing something so soon, and besides, ¨C

    ¡°I found it in the back! It was hiding behind a series of anthologies! Here we go!¡± he laid a large and thick book onto the counter, an audible thud sound rising from the impact.

    ¡°And, what exactly is this?¡± I asked, pointing to the heavy-looking book. It was clearly old, as time, or vermin, had eroded the edges of the covers, and the colors had faded nearly entirely.

    It had an odd smell similar to vanilla, but aged more.

    ¡°This, young friend, is an absolute treasure if you are considering travelling beyond these shores! It is one of very few remaining diaries detailing a young merchant¡¯s time exploring the other continents, before the Wall was erected. In those days, travel was easier and safer, the seas were less congested with monsters, and teleportation costs were barely given consideration! Young heirs would often travel before settling down, exploring distant lands and bonding with our non-human friends. Such traditions died down long ago, but this diary contains an accurate account of the merchant heir¡¯s travels throughout all the continents, save for the northern one, of course.¡± The old man said, gently wiping the cover with a clean rag he held, dislodging the dirt from it and making it just a tad more presentable.

    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± I said, as I looked at the book, or more specifically, the cover. It was a green sheet of thicker material, sheepskin or something similar, with an unfamiliar emblem on it: a golden blooming flower beside an anatomically accurate drawing of a heart, both of which were encircled by various weapons. ¡°And how much might this cost?¡±

    The old man smiled at me, ¡°Two triangles should be enough.¡±

    I almost lost control over my expression, but I managed not to raise my eyebrows or let my jaw drop or show any other expression of shock on my face. With what I knew about books, which admittedly wasn¡¯t a lot, something like this would cost at the bare minimum a circle on account of its age. Its degradation may have knocked a square or two off the price, but that wouldn¡¯t be much.

    I was slightly suspicious of such obvious goodwill, but I quickly stifled that suspicion and just accepted that they were nice people. I knew there was no reason for the old couple before me to display such generosity to a stranger, but¡­maybe that¡¯s just who they were? Hell, for all I knew, the book was cursed (which, unfortunately, was a real thing here) and they were trying to offload it onto me.

    Regardless, I decided to take their words at face value, reaching into a coin pouch and dropping the stated amount, along with a little something extra.

    I could afford to spend a little more when it came to repaying strangers, though it was hard to put a price on kindness.

    ¡°For your troubles. Thank you for this, and happy founder¡¯s festival once again,¡± I said, as I nodded to them and made my way out of the shop, the heavy-looking book deceptive in its appearance. It weighed about as much as an individual piece of paper, and I kept a tight grasp on it, deciding to stick it in my beast space after I reached somewhere more private.

    With my emotions less turbulent, I felt ready to rejoin my friends for the rest of the day, allowing a small amount of optimism to affect me as I looked forward to eating something exotic, or at the very least, cheap and tasty.

 Chapter 42

    ¡°On this day, nearly three thousand years ago, four heroes came together, to realize their dream. A dream of the future, where children could¡­¡±

    The queen¡¯s magically amplified voice echoed out across the city, as her image was once again projected into the sky. She spoke of the founders and their shared dream to create a place of learning for their descendants and the following generations after them. I tuned out all the flowery bits that she was embellishing, and only took note of four names, the founders themselves who had an academy named after each of them.

    Svenia Jyvra, human mage.

    Kortun Lesh¡¯maer, elven archer.

    Baloun ¡®Black Fist¡¯, beastman of the Monkey Tribes.

    And Obella Cloud, a beastfolk of draconic lineage, and the only founder rumored to still be alive.

    Four insignificant soldiers who met by happenstance and all wanted the same thing: to give those who came after them a chance to thrive and prosper, without having their opportunities snuffed out by the most persistent of foes: greed, fear, envy, and pride.

    They pooled their resources and created the framework for the academy, with their heirs and comrades taking up the mantle after they passed. Now the academies represented a better future for all who walked through their walls.

    I could think of a few bullied kids off the top of my head who would disagree with that statement, your queenliness.

    Blah, blah, blah, friendship and teamwork, holding hands now and forevermore, bonds of fellowship, yeah, yeah. The queen was throwing out a bunch of pretty words which I mostly ignored, until I finally heard what I was waiting for.

    ¡°...and with that in mind, I hereby commence this year¡¯s student tournament!¡± she shouted regally.

    Whoops, cheers and claps followed her pronouncement, as the populace were finally celebrating a long-awaited event: the academy¡¯s tournament.

    As Her Highness so eloquently stated just a moment ago, the tournament was originally meant to be a proof of concept, a showcase to the nobles who provided funding and the fortunate commoners who were granted entry, that the students who had trained under the founders experienced vast improvements in their respective fields.

    Time had warped the meaning of the tournament, as expected, and now it was something similar to the World Cup or the Super Bowl, just a game that people liked to gamble on. Yeah, the winners and runners-up got some prizes, but they were paltry trinkets compared to the increased budgets that the academies themselves received.

    I was, thankfully, given permission to mingle with Teroa once more, even if it did take nearly two days for her to come to that decision. I shook my head at the obstinacy of women universe-wide, and wasn¡¯t sure Teroa¡¯s decision would prove to be a good thing for me.

    In any case, our halved friend group was reunited and made whole once more, but Teroa stayed a considerable distance away from me, even after I apologized and she seemingly accepted in an uncharacteristically subdued voice.

    I suppose she was still working things out.

    Regardless, the tournament had commenced, and that meant we were able to watch our peers and seniors from the other academies participate and demonstrate their skills.

    According to the schedules that were handed out, the mundane events would occur first, taking up to a week depending on the competitor¡¯s results, before the instructors would perform some exhibition matches just to ¡®wow¡¯ the crowd, as it were, before the tournament ended with the magical events,

    There would be a closing ceremony, where students with exceptional performances were lauded, and then the tournament would be officially over. It was rumored that if you were talented enough, the royal family would summon you to discuss working for them after graduating, but¡­judging by the expression on Riddis¡¯ face when she told me, I couldn¡¯t tell if she was being honest, or just getting some minor vengeance on me for Teroa¡¯s sake.

    At least she had stopped glaring at me.

    There were plenty of events to watch, and none of us were competing until almost a full week later, so we decided to watch the first few events, and headed to the disgustingly large stadium on the outskirts of the city. The path leading to the stadium was packed full of people, as everyone was making their way there. I was almost puzzled by the absence of concession stands and canopied tents selling merch¡­until I decided that some things were better left on Earth.

    The stadium was¡­gigantic, an earthen construct that could seat at least three hundred thousand, with projection screens showing the interior to those on the outside. A comparatively small ring of empty space encircled the stadium which allowed people who weren¡¯t fortunate enough to find a seat inside, to at least view the stadium remotely via the projection.

    To say the stadium was loud would be an understatement. Fans cheering, the blows from competitors, musical interludes from a performing troupe somewhere closeby, all the commotion and noises meshed together to create a tidal wave of sound that, ironically enough, prevented me from hearing anything, despite how much volume my friends used to scream their questions at me.

    I only had to endure the nearly tangible wall of sound for a few minutes before the next event started. We had arrived in the middle of some kind of sprinting event, and once that was over and done with, a much more entertaining event was held:

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    The obstacle course for fourth-years.

    Now, of course I was aware that the tournament had different brackets set up for each year, but what I wasn¡¯t expecting was that the fourth-years would be so¡­muscled. The competitors¡¯ physiques, both male and female, would rival any Olympian from Earth, as they stood in their starting places in the stadium, waiting for the field to change for the event.

    The large empty area of the stadium was quickly transformed by a group of mages who changed the grassy field into something resembling Ninja Warrior, an obstacle course with multiple hindrances for the competitors to contend with, though I did note the lack of the iconic warped wall.

    Instead of an audio cue for the students to begin, there was a countdown on standby projected into the sky, waiting for the judges¡¯ go-ahead to start.

    The screen that said ¡®Please Wait¡¯ changed to a 3, then 2, 1, and finally a red ¡®Start¡¯ that the competitors all understood as their cue to rush forward.

    They dashed from their starting line to the obstacles, and began clearing them with ease, making it look effortless to the masses. They swung from a set of monkey bars to a rope they had to climb up on, then dodged swinging hammers that came at them while they attempted to cross a narrow bridge. Pillars shot up from recesses in the ground and threatened to shoot them into the sky, and they had to leap over actual hurdles without coming in contact with any of them.

    The contestants all completed the event, but the fastest to do so, and hence the winner, was a lean and wiry youth who barely looked twenty. He received a medal, some academy points, and a pair of boots that I assumed were somehow enchanted.

    The obstacle course was thrilling to watch, the fourth-year students surpassing my expectations of them. I was under the assumption that since the fourth year was primarily devoted towards research, their physical or magical training would decline in quality. But the competitors I had just witnessed proved me wrong.

    All the events would proceed by age bracket, so the events for fourth years would be up first, followed by the third years, and finally the second years.

    The mundane events for our seniors were fun to watch, even if there wasn¡¯t much to glean from the competitions. Perhaps the most educational of the events were the weapon-specific events, where the contestants were only allowed to fight with a specific weapon, sword, axe, spear, etc. At first, I thought the shield-only event would be more of a gag thing, just something to provide some comic relief in between the more serious matches, but it was the most brutal. Every¡­single¡­attack¡­went for the head. People only used the shield to bash their opponent unconscious in the first few seconds, then followed that up by ramming the shield¡¯s edge into their mouth and banging down. Hard.

    Needless to say, there were healers on standby waiting to fix up those too injured to stand on their own. And judging by the practical skills they showed, I¡¯d presume they were either fourth-years or actual professionals.

    The fourth and third-year brackets for the mundane events took a total of two weeks to finish up. The only reason they took so long was the weapon-specific tournaments, which usually had anywhere from dozens to hundreds of competitors, depending on the weapon, which meant the weapon tournaments were held in a single-elimination style, with the winner moving forward.

    My friends, or occasionally the nearby audience members, would sometimes shout out the names of the winners and their achievements, but I didn¡¯t recognize most of them, though I did have enough social sense to shout in exclamation or surprise when it was non-subtly hinted that I should be aware of who the competitors were.

    The only person I recognized was Wetoile, from my ambulance duty at the city defense. She placed second in the gauntlet event for third-years, and stood proud and tall in the stadium despite missing a few of her teeth and having either cracked or broken her rib.

    Finally, the time arrived for the mundane events for second-years.

    In what I considered either a massive show of faith or acting on insider knowledge, Riddis and Jissa bet an insane amount of money on Teroa winning the blind fighting competition. I hadn¡¯t made any bets thus far, and regardless of the feelings between Teroa or I, I wasn¡¯t going to start gambling now. Not to mention, there were a lot of people who, at the very least, seemed competent enough in the event as well.

    But of course, fate found a way to make me regret my previous words.

    ¡°And the winner in the blind fighting event for second-years is Citizen Teroa of Grentz!¡±

    I clapped along with everyone else, even as I saw the victor look cautiously in my direction, then immediately look in a different direction once we made eye contact.

    Sadly, she was eliminated midway through the obstacle course due to a careless misstep, but she was in a much better mood that night when she saw the towering pile of winnings our friends won thanks to her previous result.

    A mini-feast was held to celebrate her victory (and commiserate her ¡®unfair¡¯ loss, but nobody wanted to provoke her by bringing it up) that lasted the night. She was much more composed than I recalled her being after she ambush-kissed me.

    It was better to see her like this, smiling and making good-natured jokes, than wallowing in despair.

    After all, you¡¯re something of an expert when it comes to wasting your life in despair, aren¡¯t you?

    Shut up, asshole. You don¡¯t get to affect me anymore.

    Are you certain about that?

    Yes.

    And for the first time since I heard it, the mysterious voice in my head went silent.

    I had finally come out on top without it getting a rise out of me, and that, more than anything else, put me in a better mood when I went to bed that night.

    Now that the tournament was half-way through, it was time for the more flashy events to take place: the magic-based competitions.

    And I only had two weeks to get myself in the best shape for it if I wanted the best prizes.

    ========================================================================

    ¡°Where is he?¡± The woman¡¯s voice was hurried and anxious as she entered the inn, almost at a sprint compared to her usually steady pace.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the worker trailing after her said, her breath frantic and uneven. She had her hands on her knees to prevent herself from falling over, and was taking sharp breaths to combat the rapid rise and fall of her chest. ¡°The boss just sent me to fetch you once it happened,¡± she said, nearly panting for breath.

    ¡°Calm down, Evelyn. I put him to bed on the second floor after he collapsed,¡± the owner said as she walked out from behind her stand, her normally neutral expression gone, and replaced with one of compassion.

    ¡°He collapsed?!¡± Evelyn shouted out. ¡°Take me to him, now!¡±

    ¡°Evelyn,¡± the owner said, as she gently put her hands on Evelyn¡¯s shoulders, ¡°I know you¡¯re worried, but your son needs a mother who¡¯s calm and in control, not one panicked and half-mad. Calm yourself.¡± The owner kept her voice firm yet gentle as she spoke. ¡°You can go back to your duties,¡± she said to her side, dismissing the worker who had fetched Evelyn from her house.

    The two women then went up the stairs to the second floor, and the owner unlocked the room where her youngest worker was resting in.

    The boy had frozen in place in the middle of a sentence, his eyes glassy as he abruptly stopped talking. He was unresponsive to everyone and everything, no matter how many times they called out his name or gently touched him. After his short-lived paralysis that lasted a few minutes, while the workers were contemplating running out and getting a healer, the boy collapsed suddenly, shaking in spasms with his limbs almost locked in place.

    Finally, he stopped moving after a few seconds and his eyes mercifully closed, hopefully letting the boy rest in the embrace of unconsciousness. His breathing was shallow during the¡­episode¡­but had resumed its normal pace by now. He was covered by the blankets, a small water-soaked cloth resting on his forehead to cool his fever.

    His mother took one look at the boy before she burst into silent tears and began cuddling up right alongside him, kissing his head and gently rocking him back and forth in her arms, whispering quietly in his ear.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be outside if you need me,¡± the inn¡¯s owner said, deciding to give the family members some privacy.

    A quiet, ¡°Thank you,¡± from Evelyn let her know her message was gratefully received, and she stepped out into the hallway, lightly closing the door behind her.

    Sighing to herself, she quickly walked back downstairs and informed one of her workers to fetch a healer for the boy, before heading back to stand outside his room.

    Whatever was going on with little Gillen had her nearly as worried as his mother. That little boy was innocent as only the young could be, and his general demeanor endeared him to most people at the inn, even if his words sometimes accidentally caused offense.

    She didn¡¯t want anything untoward to happen to that little boy.

    He didn¡¯t deserve it.

    No matter what he was going through.

 Chapter 43

    We are expected to reach the border of the Vole tribe by nightfall. My escorts claim that all the beastfolk tribes are friendly and welcoming towards strangers, and to seek shelter with them is not an imposition or considered rude. If anything, turning away from them could be considered insulting, and perhaps reasonable grounds for conflict should the offense be deemed large enough.

    The days are becoming longer, and each sunrise reminds me of my darling fianc¨¦e Lavinaia, her golden hair streaked with orange and pink. My father approves of our union, as does her mother, and I could not be more grateful to the Mother that neither of us are nobles, or we would surely face issues in our upcoming wedding. Only another year of travelling and scouting out suitable locations for outposts, and then we will be wed upon my return.

    I expected some teasing about my upcoming marriage from the beastfolk when I broached the subject, but not outright pity or disapproval! Both the baboon and hyena tribes we crossed paths with claimed that every capable man should have multiple mates, or else he wouldn¡¯t be considered a real man.

    I respect their strength of arms, but in matters of the heart, I must vehemently disagree with them. The love between my darling and I is like an eternal, ever-burning ¨C

    Sighing, I closed the book and put it back into my beast space.

    Turns out I could do that now with just a thought, without having to manually call out any of its residents and get them to courier it inside. Just another aspect of my ability that tempted me to rage in frustration at times.

    But I was slowly getting better at managing that feeling. Case in point, I would ignore thinking about that any further and focus on my most recent acquisition.

    The merchant¡¯s diary that I had purchased from the bookstore was entertaining. Parts of it read like a horny teenager, with the author listing out all of his fiancee¡¯s qualities and debating which one was the most entrancing, while the other part was what I had actually bought it for.

    Descriptions of the beastfolk tribes in the southern continent, their customs and appearances, their general lifestyle, the central pillar of their culture being martial might. In fact, the beastfolk had a tournament that seemed similar to the one being held now for the Founder¡¯s Festival. Granted, theirs was called ¡®The Thundering¡¯, so named for the sounds of continuous blows landing, and it was held every ten years instead of annually, but the fact that there was even any similarity suggested some persuasion on the part of the beastfolk lineage founders.

    What was more captivating was the description of the elven lands.

    While I hadn¡¯t fully read through the entire diary, the beastfolk lands could be considered normal, or at the very least, resembled biomes I had heard of. The majority of the continent seemed like a grassy plain, with a notable desert in the southeast and a few mountain valleys that held isolated communities. There was also the archipelago in the ocean between the beastfolk and elven continents that contained waypoints for teleportation formations as well as supplies for those unfortunate enough to lose their vessel at sea for any reason.

    The elven lands, though, seemed to meet my expectations of a fantasy landscape.

    Flying islands that acted as enormous nests for either dragons or dinosaurs.

    Forests filled with enormous trees that were literal treehouses which could shelter entire settlements.

    An extensive cave system that was almost another world in its own right, as it contained multitudes of different subterranean species.

    Not to mention the Wall of the World. It was a more recent addition, being constructed after the diary was written, but it was the equivalent of the pyramids in Giza or Machu Picchu, a wonder of the world.

    Unfortunately, while it was no doubt an impressive feat of skill and worth seeing, the only way I would be able to see it was if I were fighting. A surprising number of my instructors at the academy had been there, and all of them attested that the view was apparently not worth it. A field of black as far as the eye could see. The concentration of voranders there was apparently so high, their presence had affected the terrain permanently, making the battlefield treacherous. Pits of poison, fog that could blind you if you carelessly entered its domain, areas of pure blackness where you would be robbed of all your senses.

    Needless to say, it wasn¡¯t my first choice for a tourist destination.

    But apart from the Wall, I was looking forward to seeing what the other continents had to offer, both in terms of environments, cultures, and peoples. It was something of a global misconception that humans were an offshoot of one of the monkey tribes, when in reality, each of the races were descended from ancestor races that had since gone extinct.

    According to a legend described by an elven elder in the diary, elves were descended from sprites, essence that had somehow gained sapience in addition to a physical form, humans were descended from giants, and the beastfolk were the descendants of dragons.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Of course, nothing during my time at the academy corroborated any of that. More likely than not, it was either a conspiracy theory to give the modern people a bit more oomph in their ancestry, or it was the honest truth and time had effortlessly changed the fact into a myth, as it was prone to doing.

    I shelved my thoughts on the diary and decided to get ready for the day. I made my way to the communal bathroom at the end of the hall and washed up before others could intrude on me, putting on my fresh clothes after bathing.

    I ate breakfast in the ground floor lobby, grateful that there were chefs who could make academy-quality meals here as well, while I waited for the rest of my friends to get ready. I carefully took the diary out of my¡­well, ¡®beast space¡¯ was no longer appropriate, but I took it out anyway after meticulously ensuring no one could see me doing so, and gently held it open so I could read it while eating.

    I secretly sent some of my food to Spearmint for him to chew on while I remembered, having received some less-than-happy comments from him about the frequency of receiving actual meals.

    Taking a bite of a meat-filled pancake, I picked up where I left off, skipping through a few paragraphs detailing Lavinaia¡¯s features.

    The hometrees of the elves were a sight to behold, with entire families in one tree large enough to encompass them all, but the tents and caves of the beastfolk have their own charm as well.

    Naturally, this is an almost unfair comparison, as the elves are far more gifted at utilizing Mother¡¯s Breath than the beastfolk or even humans, but the beastmen have their own methods for creating homes.

    The most common form is of course the tent, held up by poles and complicated knots and a cloth covering the top to keep out rain or dust. I would say all beastmen know how to use tents, as the majority wander for a time before settling down in their tribe¡¯s lands.

    Next are, unfortunately, caves. When natural caves are available, the beastfolk will check and make sure that there are no predators or other dangers within before claiming it for themselves. Caves are temporary resting stops, the equivalent of an inn in human lands.

    And finally, the most rare of beastfolk dwellings: the ash houses.

    From what my beastfolk acquaintances have told me, an ash house is only capable of being built by the strongest and most skilled of beastfolk, the last one being made over fifty years ago. It is a point of pride for the creator and their entire tribe when an ash house is made, and rightly so.

    As I understand it, an ash house requires the beastman to accumulate essence, continuously and without rest, for one entire week. At the end of that week, they will vent the collected essence deep into the ground by unleashing the strongest punch they are capable of, such that a pillar of liquid fire shoots out into the sky, and the land itself shatters, turning the surroundings into a crater. The erupting fires from the depth shoot out, and the beastman must ensure all of it stays within the perimeter of the crater. They must quickly use their bodily strength to harden the ground fire before it liquifies, using it as a base. After the eruption of fire, ash and other gases will follow, and the beastman must achieve perfect control in order to combine their remaining essence with the ash and gases into a protective dome, covering the crater entirely.

    They say that to see a true ash house is breathtaking, as the ash and ground fire merge to create an almost impenetrable dome that can house at least fifty people, large for a family or three, but small for a tribe. It is not the size of the building that draws attention, but rather its existence itself.

    For one to create an ash house demonstrates control, awareness of himself and the environment, and unassailable judgment. While it is true that the beastfolk revere martial might,  anyone able to form an ash house is lauded just as much as the most accomplished warrior, for control is just as significant as power in their eyes,

    I closed the book, the thump of its pages thudding together reminding me how much of it I hadn¡¯t read yet. I discreetly put it in my inventory and finished eating, taking a sip of a sweet herbal tea.

    An ash house seemed¡­impractical to me, but who was I to criticize beastfolk traditions? Granted, it did seem implausibly difficult to create one, not to mention both the strength and control needed to pull it off. And the lava! At least, that¡¯s what the ¡®ground fire¡¯ seemed to be referring to. People actually¡­created miniature volcanic eruptions and lived on top of the blast site? While it was an enormous feat, I would think that the gases and lava and other debris would render the area inhospitable at best. Then again, as I had learned repeatedly, I couldn¡¯t count on my knowledge from Earth to be true here. Different world, different rules.

    But one thing was for certain.

    I was definitely exploring both of the other races¡¯ continents once I had graduated. Maybe even as soon as the third year ended; the fourth-year full of research and socializing didn¡¯t seem all that worth it to me, not to mention that ticking time bomb in my soul that was counting down even as I pondered its existence.

    I was pulled out of my musing by Riddis and Orddis sitting down next to me as they plopped down trays piled full of food. The conversation was light as they scarfed down breakfast, and more members of our little entourage trickled in over time. As the food gradually faded, we finally started talking about our upcoming events.

    The fourth, third, and second years had all finished their mundane events, and now it had circled back around for the second-years¡¯ magic events.

    The other magic events were about what I expected. Tests of concentration, seeing who had the highest mastery and innovation for each element, as well as combat prowess. The blood magic events for the upperclassmen had shown me new avenues to explore, not to mention I had some ideas which were inspired by the glut of media that I once revolved my life around.

    I was looking forward to the taming event. The competitors were presented with a list of objectives to perform, and they had to use the available creatures to perform said tasks. The winners also got to keep whatever they had tamed at the time of the final event, Naturally, there were some advanced techniques the upperclassmen showed off that I wouldn¡¯t try to emulate any time soon, like merging with their beasts or sharing senses, but that wouldn¡¯t stop me from getting first. I was never a particularly prideful person, but I doubted there would be anyone close to my level in taming.

    I couldn¡¯t say the same thing for nature magic, unfortunately, but hey, you can¡¯t win them all.

    ¡°You ready?¡± Teroa asked me with a smirk, bumping her elbow into the side of my ribs as she did so. The fact she was talking to me again of her own volition meant she was, mostly, back to her normal self again.

    ¡°Of course. I got this,¡± I replied confidently, smacking my hand onto my chest in a gesture of assurance.

    Rolling her eyes, she responded, ¡°Alright, no need to get a swelled head about it. Everyone, let¡¯s head out!¡± she yelled back at the rest of our group.

    Time for me to see how I stacked up on a public stage.

 Chapter 44

    ¡°Are the competitors ready?¡±

    The announcer¡¯s voice boomed with all the intensity of a megaphone as it crashed onto the ears of everyone in the stadium. There were fewer people in the audience now compared to the beginning of the festival, but that was only to be expected. After seeing fourth-years slinging spells around, only a step away from being recognized as true mages, as well as the professors showcasing their spellcasting abilities and their mastery over the elements, seeing the third and second-years was akin to watching children hitting each other with sticks.

    Thankfully, the festival was just about winding down, with only a few more events left to finish before it concluded.

    And, yes I was ready for this blood magic event.

    All the events with the same theme had the same format, which meant this event of blood magic for second-years would be run almost identically to how it was run for the third and fourth years. Naturally, that meant I and all the other competitors knew what to expect.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get this event underway! We¡¯ll start off with the trial of senses! Competitors, please wear the ring of darkness and, solely using blood magic, determine how many constructs there are in the designated area!¡± the announcer shouted out.

    My competitors and I, numbering roughly fifty or so, stood in the grassy field of the stadium as we saw pitch-black rings appear before us, fading into visibility and hovering in midair. There were tiny runes etched into the surface, but their size prevented me from reading any of them. I collected the one before me and put it on, and instantly, I was in a black box.

    All of my senses were gone. Sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste, even the more subtle ones like balance and temperature, were all gone, giving me the perception of floating in an infinite box of nothingness. The sounds of the announcer, the slight chill from the winter wind, the grass on the ground tickling the bottom of my ankles, everything vanished as soon as I put on the ring.

    Luckily, I didn¡¯t have to endure the sensation for too long, as a pale circle revealed itself to me, a number of faint red circulatory systems gradually becoming more distinct and numerous the longer I looked at them. Finally, once I noticed the outlines seemed to stop showing themselves within the circle, I counted them all up, a whopping seventy-five.

    It was obvious that the judges were somehow selecting a portion of the audience members and isolating them from the others for the purpose of this test.

    I still couldn¡¯t feel any part of my body, but I was able to sense my own blood, so I repeated a previous method and carefully drew out about eighty milliliters from the vein in my elbow, and gently brought it out of my body, creating a tiny scab over the hole to reduce the chances of infection. Finally, I manipulated my blood into floating, creating two floating numbers that read, 75.

    I maintained its shape for about five minutes, according to my mental count in my head, when my senses returned to me, disorienting me, and probably everyone else, with how quickly they resumed their normal function.

    It was funny seeing the previous participants in this event fall to the floor and clutch at their ears in the fetal position, but when it happened to me, it was decidedly less funny, as the ringing in my ears and the persistent shadow spots in my eyes could attest to.

    ¡°And it appears we have a number of competitors eliminated, according to the judges! Thankfully, there are still¡­twenty-nine of you left, so we¡¯ll continue on to the next portion! If I could request our lovely assistants to remove the eliminated participants from the field,¡± the announcer shouted. At his request, two mages manipulated the grass into wrapping around the losers and carrying them to a separate area out of sight. It must have sucked to be them, still stuck in that abyss without senses, and once they woke up, they were informed that they lost the event.

    Good thing that wasn¡¯t me.

    The remaining participants were arranged into a circle with gaps between each student, as we waited for the announcer to proceed.

    ¡°Onto the next section, healing!¡± I smirked to myself. I had a bit of an edge over my opponents, seeing as I had actually taken the healing class. This trial would probably be easier for me than others. ¡°Competitors, only using blood, attempt to heal the being before you as best as you can! You have until the sound of the bell to complete your task! Scores will be awarded based on your elapsed time and the effectiveness of your healing! Your time begins¡­now!¡±

    As he finished speaking, the ground opened up before us, and a number of small pedestals rose before every participant. Atop each one was a wounded being. Some were humans, some were animals, and some were beastfolk.

    I also noted one small detail that was common to all of them:

    None of the ¡®patients¡¯ were bleeding. There were no cuts or lacerations on any of them. The ones I could see had various bruises, a broken arm, one was even blind, but there were no obvious injuries to be treated. Did the judges really expect second-years to be capable of healing these non-blood related ailments? Even the final monthly assessment wasn¡¯t this hard.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    That made it a bit harder than I expected it to be, but I wasn¡¯t ready to give up just yet and hopefully, my own patient wouldn¡¯t prove too challenging,

    Turning to the creature in front of me, I saw a grey bicorn standing in place on the pedestal while barely moving. It snorted once and shook its head back and forth before returning to its previous state of non-movement.

    It was obvious what was wrong with it, as one of its hind legs was barely touching the floor, a small but noticeable protrusion jutting out of it. Horseshoes were rendered redundant with essence strengthening all parts of its body, but some debris had managed to lodge itself into the bicorn¡¯s foot despite that.

    I bent down and plucked some shoots of grass into my hand, keeping it ready for the bicorn. As I approached at a normal pace, neither too fast nor too cautiously slow, I slowly stretched out my left hand, offering the blades of grass to the wounded creature.

    It wasn¡¯t too skittish, and unhesitantly took a chomp out of the grass, eating everything in my hand in one bite, munching and chewing while I slowly approached its flank and started petting its side, gently brushing it with my hand in the same direction.

    Once I felt it was relaxed enough around me such that I could proceed, I closed my eyes and focused in on the creature¡¯s blood, its heart near the base of its legs, its veins and arteries running through its legs and tail. I decided to use my own blood for this, as using its blood would likely make it less cooperative. Using the blood I already had out, I fashioned it into a small rounded knife, and took the creature¡¯s injured limb between my legs, holding it with my knees. Surprisingly, it didn¡¯t struggle or make any protesting actions, other than maybe a few spirited flicks of its tail.

    Taking that as implicit agreement, I started paring away around the piece of stone in its hoof. The further down I got, the more of the offending piece I could see. It looked like a shiny piece of quartz, albeit one that was unnaturally jagged. Once I had pared enough of the surrounding area away, I changed the shape of the blood knife into a set of pliers, and pulled out the rock, teasing it from right to left as I did so.

    Even while pulling out the stone, the bicorn was well-behaved, and I managed to successfully remove the stone without any major issue. Ideally, I would use something to wash out any smaller pieces I couldn¡¯t see, and wrap it up after applying something similar to an antibacterial, but constrained as I was by blood magic, I fashioned the pliers into a small covering and secured it to the base of the bicorn¡¯s hoof, wrapping it up in a solidified blood construct made to look like gauze.

    By the time I was done, the bicorn had its leg gently on the ground and decided to thank me for my efforts by snorting right in front of my face, leaving small traces of wetness all over my face and head. I quickly wiped myself with my sleeves, trying not to freak out over how unhygienic that was, and reminded myself to take a shower after this event was done.

    I took one last look at the bicorn and noticed there was the beginnings of a blood clot forming in one of its arteries, something that was easily rectified. I laid my hand on its neck and gently but surely broke down the clot, returning it to its component pieces. A final check, and I didn¡¯t see anything else I could fix. There was a small tear in a ligament near its front right leg, but it was beyond my ability to heal.

    Satisfied with what I had done, I continued to pet the doubly-horned horse as I gazed around the stadium at my fellow competitors. Most of them were still working on their patients, but there were two that I saw were finished as well, and our eyes met. The closer of the two, a green-haired girl who was chatting with the beastman she had just healed, smiled and nodded at me before she continued to speak with her patient.

    The second one was far less cordial, an athletic-looking blond guy wearing glittery clothes that were just blue enough to not be considered purple, and hence, he was just barely considered to be not committing a crime. Everything about him spoke of arrogance, though I¡¯m sure that if he were asked, he¡¯d claim that it was noble pride instead. His sneer as we made eye contact, his roll of the eyes  and turning his back to me after I waved at him ironically, all led me to believe he was one of those ¡®nobles first¡¯ types.

    Soon enough, the trial ended with the sound of a bell being struck, small and high-pitched. The announcer immediately followed it up with, ¡°And that marks the end of the healing portion! Contestants, please step away from your patients while the judges deliberate!¡±

    Everyone took a few steps back from the pedestals and patients while a group of five went around the circle of patients one by one, and determined whether or not the competitors could progress in the event or not. Some of the judges looked at certain patients and made minor fixes to their treatments, explaining to the students what they had done wrong, while others just nodded or shook their heads.

    Eventually, the judges finished their¡­judging¡­and after a hurried session of whispering, sent one of their members to the announcer, who belted out the results.

    ¡°The judges have informed me of their decisions, so let¡¯s see the results! Remember everyone, those who pass will receive an ¡®O¡¯ above their heads, while those failed will receive nothing. Now, let¡¯s see who will progress to the combat portion of this event!¡± he finished.

    The judges shot out green blood, something I wasn¡¯t familiar with but that my blood sensing ability confirmed was blood, and it paused over certain people, taking an agonizingly long time to change into an ¡®O¡¯.

    I received the passing mark, as did the two who had finished before me, and a handful of others. Those who didn¡¯t pass had the usual expressions on their face: anger, sadness, disappointment, but they kept their calm and quietly exited the stadium with a group of escorts.

    ¡°And then there were twelve! Ladies and gentlemen, what do you say we proceed to the best part of any event: the combat portion!¡±

    The announcer¡¯s attempt to hype up the crowd was met by the din of the audience cheering and clapping, with a few whistles occasionally piercing through. While the mood was still up, he pressed on, capitalizing on the momentum, ¡°Then let¡¯s move on to¡­the¡­tournament!¡± Another wave of cheering and howling met his statement.

    ¡°Seeing as we have an imperfect number of participants, we¡¯ll proceed with the usual format until the final three. Once we¡¯re left with the final three contestants, they will each face the other two once. Whoever manages to land two victories will be considered the winner! Should all of them tie, the judges will determine the winner by their skills! Now, let¡¯s get started!¡±

    To hurry things along, the judges decided to hold two matches at the same time, so four people were fighting at once. My match was up last, so I got to see the others fight before I went up. The other competitors were all skilled, but the matches either ended lightning-fast, with one person using an unexpected move, or turned into a slow and boring stalemate where the two just traded blows without showing any particularly effective or useful techniques.

    Eventually, the judges declared the winner of each match, either by knockout, ringout, or in the case of a draw, by who performed better.

    Finally, it was time for my first match.

 Chapter 45

    My first opponent was an average looking girl: brown hair, eyes, clothes. She was about as nondescript as you could get. I couldn¡¯t tell if she was a noble or commoner, or something in between. About the only thing I could confirm was that she was human, which didn¡¯t say much. Ironically enough, I would probably remember someone like her who didn¡¯t stick out that much, so she was likely from another academy.

    ¡°Competitors, are you ready?¡± Instead of the announcer commentating on each fight, a judge would preside over each fight to ensure fairness and that no rules were being broken, as well as determining the victor of each bout.

    My opponent and I both nodded at the same time, and the judge said, ¡°Begin!¡±

    She already had some blood out, and started chanting while quickly making some hand gestures, giving me Naruto flashbacks. It had been so long since I used chants or hand gestures to cast spells in my specializations that I almost forgot other people had to do them.

    I wordlessly drew the blood I had used in the healing section, which I had kept wrapped around my wrist like a bracer, and manipulated it into a circular shield covering me. From there, I broke off a small piece to create some needles, and flung them at her, aiming for her midsection.

    While she was still chanting and stationary.

    The look of shock on her face as they headed toward her was satisfying, as it meant she stopped chanting, leading to her spell fizzling out and producing nothing. The judge usurped control over my needles before they could connect and said, ¡°Student Rhaaj of Svenia Academy is the winner! Student Elsbain, please leave the competition area.¡± It took her a second to react, but soon enough she bowed slightly towards me, a gesture I reciprocated, before she left the stadium.

    After she was out of earshot, the judge looked at me with a harder gaze than the one he had a moment ago and said, ¡°Student Rhaaj, you either need to work on your aim or your control. One of your needles was headed for your opponent¡¯s liver. Judging by your knowledge of healing, I don¡¯t believe I need to say more.¡± Shit, he¡¯s right.

    I was only concerned with making sure my needles connected, which is why I aimed for her center of mass, but I hadn¡¯t stopped to think about what would happen if the blows actually landed somewhere vital. I nodded to the judge and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do better next time.¡± I honestly meant it too.

    Being an unintentional killer was probably worse than being an intentional killer.

    The judge considered me for a moment, before he nodded at me and gestured for me to wait by the edge of the area for my next match to start.

    I had barely walked over to the edge of the stadium when a different judge called me up to compete, my opponent already standing there and waiting.

    He was seriously geared up, wearing an enchanted set of armor that covered almost his entire body. The original plate armor was a bronze alloy, but it was only barely perceptible with the blue glow of the runes overshadowing it and turning the armor into a darker shade of blue. The person within the armor had his arms crossed as he saw me approach, his sneer clearly expressing his disdain for my mundane clothing compared to his.

    Even as I stood a full foot taller than him.

    ¡°Student Pencoit of Baloun Academy, are you ready?¡± the judge asked, getting a nod from the obviously noble student.

    The judge turned to me and asked the same thing, ¡°Student Rhaaj of ¨C ¡°

    ¡°Hahahaha! Seriously?! Your parents actually named you Rhaaj? Bahahaha! It¡¯s like they were hoping you¡¯d be useless! Bahahaha!¡± Student Pencoit doubled over in raucous laughter, hugging his stomach as he cackled like a villain.

    ¡°Student Pencoit, control yourself!¡± the judge said, and as he spoke, the armored noble immediately stopped laughing and his face went pale, sweat visibly dropping from his forehead as he stumbled back and slowly stood upright, the very words the judge spoke physically forcing the student back.

    There it was again, that¡­force voice technique. I had seen a few people use it by now, and it still remained an elusive mystery to me. I couldn¡¯t even research it in the library as I didn¡¯t know what it was called.

    But I had someone I could ask about it standing right in front of me. I made a mental note to ask the judge about it after the match.

    Turning back to me, the judge asked, ¡°Student Rhaaj of Svenia Academy, are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Actually, is that even allowed?¡± I asked the judge, pointing at the armor set the noble had on.

    ¡°Sigh, while it is¡­unbalanced, the rules do not forbid competitors from using equipment they have purchased prior to the event. Although I will add, young Pencoit,¡± the judge turned to my opponent and said, ¡°This is an event to showcase blood magic, not your ability to spend wealth. If you activate any of your offensive enchantments, you will be immediately disqualified, and I will make a personal recommendation to your instructors that you receive disciplinary lessons. Am I clear?¡± he sternly questioned, to which the noble nodded vigorously.

    ¡°Now, if there is nothing else, are you both ready to begin?¡± he asked again, looking between the two students in front of him, getting nods in response, before saying, ¡°Then¡­begin!¡±

    As the judge rose above the combat area for a better vantage point, my opponent had regained his earlier swagger, the nervousness from the judge¡¯s technique completely gone. ¡°You don¡¯t belong here, peasant. The only place you belong is in the dirt, like the ¨C¡±

    And in the middle of his sentence, he tapped his left hip, the bronze armor instantly manifesting a red-blood sword in his right hand as he charged straight at me, his sword held at the ready.

    Is¡­is that supposed to be a sneak attack?

    I was incredulous that he would attempt one given the conditions of the field. There was a good fifty feet of empty ground separating him from me, as we stood on opposite ends, and I had enough time before he reached me that I was able to calculate how long it would take for him to reach my position if his armor didn¡¯t have any other tricks.

    Four seconds.

    In combat, four seconds was practically an eternity.

    By the look of unrestrained glee in his eyes, Pencoit wasn¡¯t expecting me to be able to react to his charge. He probably thought I¡¯d given up as I showed no signs of chanting or hand gestures.

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    It was a fortunate thing, then, that I had outgrown such methods months ago.

    His armor was a massive variable that I couldn¡¯t account for, so even landing blows was in question, as I had no idea of its capabilities. Winning by knockout was unlikely, which left the ring-out as the only viable method.

    I had made a preliminary plan by the time he closed in on me, drawing a bit more blood from myself than I already had out. My timing would need to be precise for this to work, so I took another step back, edging closer to the boundary of the small arena.

    Right when he was a step away from me, he unleashed a crazed battlecry and swung his blood sword in my direction, a diagonal chop aiming for my shoulder. I pivoted my feet, twisting my body as his swing missed me by inches, and shaped the blood I had concealed behind my back into a heavy, two-handed warhammer, taking the extra second I needed to condense as much blood as tightly as possible into the broad side of its head.

    Before Pencoit could reorient himself, I firmly grasped my blood hammer and swung at his back with all the force I could muster. The hammerhead managed to connect with him, and although some runes lit up, their effects didn¡¯t stop me from sending him tumbling out of the mini-arena and into the grass, his face completely buried in the dirt, and earning me the win by ring-out.

    Huh, I wasn¡¯t planning on being ironic, but the universe must have a sense of humor if HE¡¯s the one in the dirt now.

    ¡°I declare the winner by ring-out to be Student Rhaaj of Svenia Academy!¡± the judge shouted, before slowly descending from the sky and landing in front of me. ¡°Student Pencoit, please exit the stadium before the next match.¡±

    ¡°NO! NO! NO! NOO!¡±

    A manic and almost inhuman shout broke out from the mouth of the armored student who was on all fours on the ground, pounding his fist onto the dirt, before his senses returned to him and he began standing up as quickly as his armor allowed him to.

    ¡°THIS CAN''T BE HAPPENING! I REFUSE TO LOSE LIKE THIS!¡±

    He rose to his feet, his eyes unnaturally bloodshot and widened to the point he barely looked human. He pointed at me as he screamed out in denial, arguing his superiority and convincing no one.

    ¡°THIS, THIS THING DOESN''T DESERVE TO WIN! ONLY I DO! ME!¡±

    He had snapped. There was no other way to describe it.

    He was going to do whatever he wanted and damn the consequences. As long as he felt good at that moment, who cared what followed after?

    The judge approached Pencoit and tried to use his force voice technique to subdue the unruly student, but the runes on his armor lit up in response, negating its effects.

    ¡°Student Pencoit, you should ¨C¡± the judge began to say before being interrupted.

    ¡°NO! YOU DON''T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!¡±

    With madness completely taking over his eyes, coupled with the glow of his armor as he activated another of its enchantments, the young noble seemed almost demonic as he instantly materialized a real, tangible, non-blood construct spear above his shoulder and, without any input from him, it autonomously launched itself straight towards me.

    With no warning.

    No hesitation.

    And from six feet away.

    There was no time for me to do anything but react.

    So I did.

    For the majority of the event, I had kept a stream of blood wrapped around my left forearm in between, and sometimes even during, the different trials. It was easier to keep the blood out in preparation for the next section, rather than having to draw and store the blood over and over again. I had dissipated my blood hammer and reverted it back into its normal liquid form, where it resumed its place on my forearm, before all this craziness happened.

    The blood around my forearm arranged itself into a facsimile of a hoplite shield, a convex circular form, that protected the majority of my upper body, where the spear was aimed at. The density of my shield wouldn¡¯t fully stop its momentum, but I was trusting that the angle at which it struck the shield would cause it to be deflected away from me.

    Naturally, I should have expected that the rich boy wasn¡¯t just launching a piece of mundane wood and metal at me.

    It pierced through my shield effortlessly, ignoring the blood like it wasn¡¯t even there, before it subtly but unmistakably angled upwards, such that the spearhead would lodge itself somewhere near my throat.

    I had even less time to react than before the crazed asshole threw the spear, and I had no time to consider the consequences of my actions as I did something¡­impulsive. Though in my defense, it had worked before.

    I shot out some essence from my core right as I tried to rotate sideways, hoping to reduce the chance of the spear hitting something vital. It was hard to determine the effectiveness of my movement, as the spearhead grazed the underside of my chin, leaving me panicking for a moment at the stinging pain and the blood dripping onto the ground, before I stopped the blood flow and immediately scabbed it over with blood magic, chanting a healing spell for cuts a few seconds later.

    I patted my head, torso, and the rest of my body to make sure there weren¡¯t any other injuries before I felt I was physically alright.

    I turned around, expecting to see the insane noble charging at me, but was met with the sight of a furious-looking judge magically restraining an even more furious and demented student, his entire body thrashing and struggling to break free from invisible restraints that prevented any major movement. Fortunately, whatever spell the judge had cast had also managed to stop Pencoit from speaking. He probably had more to say, judging by the murderous look in his eyes and the incessant mumbling I could barely hear, but I highly doubted he¡¯d be saying anything of note.

    ¡°Forgive me for my tardiness, student Rhaaj,¡± the judge said to me, even as he kept his eyes trained on Pencoit''s writhing spasms, ¡°It has been¡­years, since anyone has caused such an incident at the festival. For a student to do something so¡­¡± he trailed off, his fierce glare speaking volumes more than any of his words possibly could.

    ¡°Do you need a healer?¡± he asked me.

    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I think. I feel a little dizzy, but I think that¡¯s normal, considering¡­everything. Wait, do you think there was poison on that spear?!¡± I half-shouted uncertainly, the adrenaline making me more jumpy than usual.

    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s best if you see a healer now,¡± the judge said to me. ¡°The competition can wait.¡±

    I nodded at him and left the arena as fast as I could, but I heard the announcer¡¯s voice booming again, drowning out the sounds of the boo¡¯s and jeers of the crowd. Apparently, they weren¡¯t too happy that someone had basically attempted murder during the festival, and it seemed they weren¡¯t the only ones who shared that sentiment.

    ¡°Everyone, you have seen with your own eyes a student performing an act of violence and dishonor. I want to assure everyone, first and foremost, that student Rhaaj, the victim of this incident, is perfectly fine and is being tended to by healers as we speak, as he demonstrated quick thinking and remarkable magical ability.¡±

    His technically inaccurate statement was met by a wall of clapping. There were no cheers or whistles, as there had been for the majority of the festival, but only applause.

    It was a sign of respect, though I felt my actions weren¡¯t particularly worthy of it.

    I walked through a tunnel that eventually led outside of the stadium, but there was a healer station right by the exit, where participants who lost left the competition. I had barely stepped into the healing tent when I felt a soothing effect take hold of me, reducing my heart rate and subtly influencing me to relax. It was likely the result of a formation, which I had learned in class was common among military healers. A healer dressed in a white robe rushed over to me and dragged me to one of the empty cots there, dozens more arranged in orderly rows.

    ¡°It¡¯s the ambushed kid!¡± the healer shouted, right before a team of healers surrounded me on my hospital bed, I mean, cot.

    I was barraged with questions about how I felt, my physical condition, my mood, and plenty of other things that seemed to have tangential relations to my general health. I answered their questions to the best of my ability before the healers began examining my body, using various spells and tools to diagnose the effects of my latest fight, if you could call it that.

    Projected on the far wall of the tent was a live feed of the competition going on in the stadium, which clued me in as to how the healers knew what happened to me. The judges were letting the other competitors rest while I was in the healing tent, putting the competition on hold until I returned.

    The queen herself had made an appearance, informing the public that the guilty party would be disciplined and punished to the fullest extent possible, and that the law applied to everyone equally.

    I was mostly left alone at that point, as the healers treating me were standing to the side and whispering to each other, arguing over what I was suffering from. The relative peace and quiet let me replay what had just happened.

    A spear launched at me by a sore loser of a noble brat, who positively screamed ¡®spoiled rich kid¡¯ and who had likely never been told no before.

    My reflexive attempt to make a blood shield that had no effect whatsoever on the spear¡¯s trajectory.

    And the most important and unexplainable part of what happened today.

    I had once again shot out some of my stored essence at something that placed me in imminent danger, and as had happened previously, the targeted item was sent to my inventory, or subspace, or whatever I had called it before.

    What are the odds nobody saw me vanish the spear?

 Chapter 46

    I was now much more knowledgeable than I was in my first battle against the voranders, when I had first done the same maneuver of instinctively shooting out essence. But unlike before, I now knew that just discharging essence accomplished nothing. Even with a combination of intent, will, and effort, nothing would happen, besides some essence going to waste. I remember in my first year, Professor Shuubert demonstrated that exact action in class once, and explained how essence needed chants and hand gestures to direct it into a spell that would make use of it.

    Naturally, that wasn¡¯t the whole truth, as one could eventually reach a state of proficiency with an element or a specific spell that eliminated the need to chant or gesture, but that method took time and experience, along with a high affinity for the element in question.

    This was a likely cause for my effortlessness in casting spells related to my specializations of blood magic, nature magic, and taming. Healing spells still required me to chant, as did the one fire spell I knew, the torch spell that created a hovering flame above one¡¯s hand.

    But all of that failed to explain why, when I launched essence at something threatening my life, it ended up in my inventory. I could close my eyes and, with just the intent to do so, see what was in my inventory.

    Spearmint was peacefully sleeping, as per usual. The two voranders, after I had spoken to them, had convinced themselves that, since they weren¡¯t dead yet, they had some role left to fill, and took to relaxing when I wasn¡¯t around, lying on the floor.

    And the newest addition sat atop the pile of my belongings in the corner: the spear.

    ¡°You¡¯re completely fine,¡± one of the healers said, drawing me out of my inspection of my subspace and back into the real world, ¡°There¡¯s no poison or toxin in your system, or any magical effects that we can detect. Your bout of dizziness was likely stress-related and not an effect of any injury.  You¡¯re fine to continue competing if you wish to. Just remember to drink some hot water later, the winter chill might give you a cold if you¡¯re not careful, ¡± she finished saying.

    I got up from the cot and assured her I would, in fact, drink some hot water, before she dismissed me and turned back to watch the projection of the stadium, where the announcer was already informing the audience that I had already ¡®recovered¡¯ and was able to proceed.

    The walk through the tunnel back to the stadium was short, but the cheering I heard as I stepped onto the grassy center and fell under the scrutiny of the audience made the one minute walk feel ten times as long.

    The rest of the competition passed in a blur. I vaguely remember flashes of the two battles I had, making tripwires that sent my opponents to the ground and covering them in blood-red nets to trap them. My prize for winning was a Copper Blood Elixir, which increased the concentration of copper in my blood, and allowed me to exert a small amount of control over the blood¡¯s temperature.

    The judges politely insisted that I drink it in front of them, to reduce the chance of theft or any other crime. I¡¯m sure I made a weird face as the bitter and metallic drink went down my throat, judging by the audience¡¯s reactions.

    The judges all shook hands with me and the other two finalists, the three of us bowed to each other as tradition and respect required, and the blood magic event was finally considered over. My friends were easy to spot, a pair of excited guys hopping up and down while the rest tried to calm them down and stop drawing attention to themselves. A few of my more daring friends had apparently made a small fortune betting on my victory, leading to a lot of hair ruffling and claps on the back. They offered to split it with me, and I accepted after the usual niceties of declining back and forth a few times. It was hard for me to say no to easy money.

    We started walking back to the academy compound to rest, and the physical and mental fatigue that I ignored earlier both hit me as we made our way through the busy streets. I now regretted signing up for the nature magic event as well, as I only had one night to recuperate and prepare before the event began. If it had any similarities to the upperclassmen¡¯s version, I would be engulfed in a massive free-for-all between all the competitors, where the last four contestants received prizes.

    I was less drawn to the thought of the potential prizes, and more towards the siren call of my soft and inviting bed, despite it being late afternoon. I bade my friends goodnight, and the next thing I knew, morning had arrived, judging by the room¡¯s ambient light.

    I sighed to myself, reluctant to get out of bed, and begrudgingly threw the sheets covering me off to the side. I had less time than I preferred to get ready and be at the stadium, so I hurriedly showered and changed before downing a mug of blended herbs, fruits, and vegetables that was infamous for tasting revolting yet being unhelpfully healthy.

    I drank three cups of honeyed tea to rid myself of the taste before I ran to the stadium, thankful that the event was being held this early and hence, making the usually congested streets less busy.

    In a surprising turn of events, there were more participants competing in the stadium than there were audience members watching. The organizers apparently made a blunder with the timing, setting it too early, so they decided to just accept the blunder. Thankfully, there would be no announcer blaring commentary for this event, and the audience was totally fine with that.

    The nature magic competition was far more exciting than the blood magic one, minus that last little incident, as it held true to form, and did away with rounds of testing different aspects of nature magic. Instead, everyone was thrown into a massive free-for-all and the last person standing would be declared the winner, with the final three, oh the judge just said four, people standing would be declared runners-up and receive prizes.

    For this to not be a massive waste of time, I had to get one of those prizes and thus, rank in the final four. Oh, the second through fourth placed participants would receive a potion of their choice from those available, while the winner would receive¡­

    A traditional elven bow, with all the customary enchantments and an accompanying quiver.

    And the judges would ensure that the winner bound it to themself in front of them, so I couldn¡¯t even sell it if I wanted to.

    Dammit. If I were a better archer, I¡¯d definitely be incentivized to get first. Looks like I¡¯m fighting for second to fourth place, then.

    My enthusiasm dipped at the realization, but it was a cold truth that I¡¯d get more use out of one of the potions than the bow.

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    Once the judges finished explaining the few rules of the event, the common sense ones like no intentionally attempting to kill or cripple anyone or acting dishonorably like that lunatic who attacked me, they transformed the stadium completely, turning the terrain from a grassy field into a dry and barren wasteland. The soil was cracked from the lack of moisture, and there was no vegetation in sight.

    How were we supposed to use the most prominent aspects of nature magic, plant control, without any plants around?

    ¡°Nature magic is far more than simply growing flowers and extracting poisons,¡± the oldest of the judges said. ¡°Life will not always be so kind as to give you what you need. Sometimes, you must adapt to the situation at hand, and make the best out of what you have. Now, the competition will begin in eight, seven¡­¡±

    Shit, he was counting down already?!

    I had no idea what to do.

    In the other versions of this event I had seen, the fields were changed to a sandy beach and a savannah with sparse trees and tall grass.

    In this¡­near desert, there was barely any opportunity to demonstrate ¨C

    No, the judge was right, I had to adapt.

    Terrain manipulation.

    ¡°Three, two, one¡­begin!¡±

    Now, it was something of a debate on whether or not nature magic was the first magic, as some argued that all elements were a part of nature and were thus derivative, while others claimed that nature magic was merely an inspiration for the other branches of magic and built off its principles instead.

    There were no purely offensive spells in the school of nature magic, so you couldn¡¯t just cast a spell that shot pollen or poison at someone.

    But if it could be argued that nature magic was the first magic, then it followed that all the other branches were considered offshoots, and thus, part of nature magic as well.

    Which is why the majority of students were flinging all kinds of spells from the other branches at each other, and the judges made no move to stop it, instead just floating in the sky and wearing expressions of¡­disappointment?

    Terrain manipulation was key here, even if everyone else was technically casting nature magic spells.

    I was on the periphery of the wasteland, and just dodged any projectile headed in my direction while running around and trying to avoid doing anything too aggressive. The field was filled with shouts of chanting and fireballs, lightning bolts, water droplets, and earth spikes breaking against the hard dirt as they missed and hit their targets.

    The judges swooped down constantly as they pulled out those who they deemed too injured to continue, and interfered when a spell looked too dangerous, before admonishing the caster and giving them a warning.

    I continued to jog around the outer edge of the field, avoiding nearly everyone as I observed how the number of competitors continued to trickle down from the nearly two hundred that had started to a much more manageable number, around ninety or so.

    And something that should have been predictable but still surprised me was the almost natural development of factions, as groups slowly increased in size while people sought safety in numbers. Apparently, they had set aside the issue of what would happen after one faction lost.

    There were two factions, to be more specific.

    And it was pretty obvious who was in each faction.

    After all, one side of the wasteland was far more noble than the other.

    And, in what I¡¯m sure was the universe playing a prank on me, I somehow ended up behind the noble faction, their group separating me from the commoner faction on the other side of the field. Tactically, this would be a decent place to ambush them from, if I was capable of casting offensive spells at them right now.

    Which I was not. I had very little experience with the other branches of magic, and the few spells I did know were decidedly not attacking spells.

    And the second phase of the prank revealed itself, as a few nobles finally noticed me standing behind them and were about to act on it¡­when unexpectedly, a path was cleared that split the nobles in half, a long mound of upturned rock spikes dividing the group in two as the commoners entered the gap, sandwiching themselves between both halves of the noble faction.

    ¡°Oi! Are you with us or against us?¡± a visibly commoner boy shouted at me, to which I replied, ¡°I¡¯m on your side, asswipe,¡± with a roll of the eyes.

    ¡°Ha, looks like you are,¡± he replied, before fending off a water lance launched his way with a fiery blade.

    Not sure about how smart it is to defend against water with fire. All that steam would blind everyone around, not to mention the¡­temperature¡­

    And just like that, a lightning bolt of inspiration struck me, an absolutely mad and impossible idea worming its way into my brain and demanding to manifest itself into reality through me.

    ¡°Can you keep me safe for a few minutes?¡± I shouted at my unnamed comrade. ¡°I¡¯ll try to do something big, but I need to focus for a bit!¡± My voice conveyed the excitement I was feeling at the thought of successfully pulling off my idea.

    ¡°What are the ¨C¡± he ducked and rolled to avoid a lightning bolt, before sending back a fireball at his attacker. ¡° ¨Codds that you can do this?¡± he finished asking me, his eyes peeled for any more incoming attacks.

    I replied honestly, and with an inexplicable smile on my face, ¡°At best, one in ten.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we have any strategy right now. A few minutes, you said?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Five minutes at most. After that, you can give up on me if nothing happens. You can use me as bait if you want,¡± I offered. If I couldn¡¯t execute my plan, I¡¯d be a sitting duck anyway, plus I wouldn¡¯t have done anything in the event to warrant getting a prize, in which case I¡¯d rather spend my time sleeping.

    ¡°Haha! Has anyone ever said you¡¯re mad?¡± he asked me, laughing all the while.

    ¡°Just the voices in my head,¡± I replied. Whether I was being honest or sarcastic was up to him.

    ¡°Ha! Of course they do!¡± He turned around to lock eyes with me, his tone deeper and more stark than a moment ago. ¡°Five minutes. No more.¡±

    ¡°Five minutes,¡± I agreed, nodding to him.

    I immediately sat down cross-legged on the ground, not in the mood to waste any time. I quickly began chanting and gesturing to cast one of the few utility spells I knew, the spell of silence, which manifested as a pair of mini-tornadoes swirling around my ears, and blocking out all sounds.

    Most of my acquaintances knew it best as something that helped with hangovers, but it was also incredibly useful for blocking out any distractions when attempting to concentrate.

    I took deep breaths as I closed my eyes, aiming to slow down my heart rate before I began my breathing technique. I would need a lot of essence for what I was about to attempt, so I began collecting it through my breathing, ignoring the outside world as best I could and focusing solely on the task at hand.

    Power and control. Both would be needed for what I was about to try, but it wouldn''t be wrong to assume that the amount required would scale with the size¡­right? Theoretically, it was possible. In practice?

    Well, I was about to find out.

 Chapter 47

    ¡°Mama, mama,¡± her youngest uttered, tugging at the edge of her dress to draw her attention. ¡°Wha¡¯s that man doing?¡± she pointed out one of the participants in the stadium, who appeared to be performing a breathing technique¡­in the midst of the pandemonium revolving around him.

    ¡°He¡¯s just tired, baby, so he¡¯s closing his eyes and resting,¡± she said softly, gently patting the tiny hand still attached to her dress.

    ¡°I¡¯d wager I¡¯m far more tired than him. May I be excused to close my eyes and rest as well, Mother?¡± Her son¡¯s cordial tone did little to hide his frustration, if he had resorted to even asking such a question. He was usually far more subtle and amusing when he became irritable, oftimes not reacting at all, but last night¡¯s conversation with his father had apparently pushed him past the line of subtlety and into forthright petulance, not to mention the necessity of rising before the sun to oversee the latest in a long line of spectacles, each of which was practically identical to the last.

    The result was that she and her children, save for her youngest who always went to bed early, were a combination of bored and sleepy, something that never boded well.

    Even if she were bored, it was practically second nature for her to wear a mask of polite interest at all times, especially during moments when she''d rather be literally anywhere else.

    Though, now that something mildly interesting was pointed out to her¡­.

    ¡°Olyria,¡± she said, calling her oldest daughter to her side, ¡°That student, the southerner doing his breathing technique.¡±

    Her daughter narrowed her eyes as she focused on the projection of the stadium, more specifically, the student she had pointed out, before responding. ¡°He¡¯s the same one who was involved in that¡­incident, correct?¡±

    The mere mention of that episode was enough to drive the queen into a well-deserved rage. The nobles had always been above the common people, and for good reason, but now their very nobility would be called into question if their heirs had attitudes like that. It was unfortunate, but it appeared the boy¡¯s malice was not unique to him, and was just the latest symptom of the condition plaguing the kingdom called noble privilege. Preventative measures would have to be taken to strangle the threat before it poisoned even more generations, and she was not looking forward to the outraged patriarchs and matriarchs of the noble houses rebuking her for inflicting a collective punishment on them all because of one boy who had lashed out.

    Turning her mind back to the present, the queen nodded in response. ¡°I do believe they are one and the same, yes. Have your friends heard anything about him?¡±

    Her eldest daughter was an avid gossipmonger and was well-informed about the goings-on in the capital. At times, the queen was unnerved at how her circle of friends and associates sometimes exceeded the capabilities of the kingdom¡¯s official intelligence agents.

    Perhaps, once she had accumulated a bit more experience and grown up, Olyria could be entrusted with overseeing that department. It would be a better use of her time than a political marriage to some oaf, locked away in some garden save for the occasional tea party.

    ¡°Actually, it was Aunt Olyn who ¨C ¡° Olyria began to say.

    ¡°Who¡¯s On-toe-lin, mama?¡± Mazhaan cutely interrupted, completely butchering the name of her wayward cousin-in-law.

    ¡°She¡¯s your father¡¯s sister, baby,¡± she said, ¡°Hush, baby, mama needs to talk with your elder sister.¡±

    ¡°Mmm,¡± her youngest mumbled, turning back to the pretty lights and flashes of color erupting all over the projection.

    Olyria whispered in her ear, informing the queen about this southern villager and his almost contradictory existence. The boy had an almost unbelievable list of accomplishments, yet tried not to draw attention to himself, not knowing his very existence drew attention.

    ¡°...and he¡¯s befriended the heirs of the more moderate nobles in the academy,¡± her daughter concluded.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­.¡± the queen resisted the urge to tap her fingers on the armrest of her chair. It was a sign of contemplation that her etiquette tutor had long ago chastised out of her, claiming her political rivals would see it as a sign of a weak mind.

    ¡°Keep an eye on any rumors about him going forward. I have a feeling about that one,¡± she commanded.

    ¡°Yes, mother.¡± Olyria bowed her head in deference, as was only proper, before returning to her seat and observing the children at their playing.

    Suddenly, the queen¡¯s sense of danger spiked, and her calm facade cracked and broke, as she felt the essence in the arena swirl and gather at an unprecedented rate.

    ¡°Guards, inform the judges to be on alert.¡± she ordered, as one of her men rushed to relay the order. ¡°Have them ready to evacuate the spectators if necessary, and keep a few men free to turn on the barrier.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, the barrier is ¨C¡± one of her guards began to caution her before she interrupted him.

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    ¡°I know what it is. I will not take any chances when it comes to the lives of my people or my children.¡± She fixed her stare on him until he bowed and heeded her command.

    ¡°Mama, what is it? Why awe awl the nights running?¡± Mazhaan asked, and she almost envied her youngest and the blissful ignorance she lived in.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, baby. Just keep watching the game. Something fun is about to happen,¡± she said, placing a kiss on her baby¡¯s forehead to placate her.

    ¡°Fun?¡± As she predicted, Mazhaan instantly turned back around and began bouncing in her seat, her eyes glued to the projection in anticipation of the fun thing about to happen.

    What happened¡­was far from fun.

    Legendary was more appropriate.

    No sooner had the essence reached a concentration that almost rendered it solid, than a majority of it was firmly grasped and¡­pierced into the land, lancing further and further down like an arrow flying towards its target. She could hear the sound of the ground cracking from here, despite the distance between the palace and the stadium.

    The few seconds of silence were almost agonizing, as the queen debated switching on the barrier or not, when finally, the purpose of the veritable spear of essence was made clear.

    And an expression of rage made its way uncontested onto the queen¡¯s face.

    Is he mad?

    A pillar of lava shot out of the ground, and the instigator of this¡­idiocy took control of it, rapidly dispersing the lava and merging it with the remnants of the collected essence and the gases in the air to form a structure the queen had only seen artistic renditions of.

    Where before there was a flat and barren wasteland, now stood a brownish-black dome surrounded by a moat full of lava, which caused half the competitors to surrender out of fear, or perhaps just good sense.

    ¡°Captain,¡± the queen said, barely restraining her anger as she summoned her guard captain.

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± he said.

    ¡°When the festival ends, bring that¡­fool¡­before me. I would have words with one so¡­capable,¡± she ordered, her words dripping with venom.

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± her guard replied, before returning to his post.

    ¡°Mama, mama, how did you know?¡± It was a poor time for her youngest to pull at her, but children rarely understood the concept of priorities until they matured. Even worse, she was praising that madman who had just done something with no thought to the consequences of his actions.

    ¡°That man, he, he, made the fame go boom! And he made the spikey¡¯s! And that little house! Can you do that?¡± she asked, her joy and wonder at the magic on display thankfully overshadowing her attention to the one who had performed it.

    ¡°Perhaps your father can, for your birthday,¡± she compromised, hoping her youngest would forget about it when the time came.

    Only the Mother knew if she would be able to handle two diplomatic catastrophes in quick succession, and with a race that already had tenuous relations with theirs.

    ¡°Children, stay here. I need to have a word with your father.¡± she said, adjusting herself before she abruptly left the viewing balcony, the projection screen showing that foolish southerner being eliminated from the competition due to a boulder knocking him out.

    She walked through the halls of the palace and headed past the throne room and her husband¡¯s council chambers. Her husband needed to be recalled from the northern coast and made aware of what had happened in his absence.

    There had been few sightings of their enemies approaching from the north, and the threat of a very real diplomatic crisis took precedence over a job that could be done by thousands of soldiers.

    Once more, it seemed the king needed to clean up after one of his subjects had made a mess.

    ========================================================================

    The crown prince, heir to the throne and the next ruler of the kingdom, lounged in his cushioned seat as he took in the sight of the latest competition winding down. The participants were awarded their prizes, and he smirked uncontrollably when he saw the ignorant southerner handed a potion bottle.

    When the beastfolk tribes found out what happened today, and they would find out eventually, the elder¡¯s council would demand to meet with him, to see him themselves. After that, there were only two possible endings for the little villager.

    Brotherhood¡­or burial.

    It had been a long time since a human was afforded the privilege of joining the tribes in anything but name, according to the history books, but supposedly, the outsider would be truly accepted in their society, a reward as vague as it was unhelpful.

    Perhaps he could arrange to ¡®accidentally¡¯ bump into him on the street, and take his own measure of the man?

    ¡°Win-win, look, lighting!¡±

    Mazhaan¡¯s tugging interrupted his planning, and he pulled her out of her chair and into his own, hoisting her onto his shoulders in a decidedly un-princely fashion.

    ¡°Can you see better from up there?¡± he asked, tickling her as he did so.

    ¡°Stop it, stop it!¡± she managed to say between giggles, ineffectually swatting at his hands.

    ¡°You know mother will scold you once she hears of this,¡± his younger sister said, though he noted she didn¡¯t tell him to stop.

    ¡°I know. It¡¯s fine. I just want to enjoy these few moments we have together before duty pulls us apart,¡± he said somberly.

    The three royal siblings watched the lightning competition and the fire competition before Mazhaan fell asleep, necessitating the call for the guards to escort the youngest princess back to her room.

    They only had to endure three more of these children¡¯s games before the festival would be considered over, and then they could return to their normal days of fending off proposals, poring over the legal code, combat training, and¡­whatever Mazhaan did for fun.

    Perhaps they could bake a cake together?

 Chapter 48

    It was official.

    I felt regret at my decision to compete in nature magic.

    Yes, I had made an ash house, which was no easy feat, and leveraged its construction to dominate the noble faction and the majority of the other participants, but I got taken out by a boulder?! Seriously?!

    Whoever launched it at me probably felt jealous of what I had done and decided to enhance their pebble into something much larger.

    My head still hurt, even hours later, and after the healers assured me there was nothing wrong. And all that for a potion that would increase my affinity to nature magic, something I already had a high affinity for? And, let¡¯s not forget, since there were no hard numbers, the increase ranged anywhere from one percent to a hundred. Not to mention, I had to endure three variations of the same lecture from the judges, my friends, and the academy professors about how ill-conceived and recklessly dangerous my little stunt was.

    The judges said no competition could possibly justify the amount of essence I had collected, and that doing so again would constitute treason, as they had been told to inform me by the queen herself, who wasn¡¯t exactly pleased with what I had done, according to them. Half my friends were shouting at me for doing something so unnecessary and wasteful, while the other half wondered why I had never done that before. And the professors warned me that my actions would have consequences, and to be ready for whatever would come, though one of them did hang back afterwards to praise my level of control.

    Hence, my regret.

    And I had one more event to push through before this festival would end.

    The majority of students had returned to their respective academies as the festival was in its final phase, and the natives of the capital, who were once excited and enthusiastic to enjoy all that the festival had to offer, were now complaining about the shameless leeches from outside who were still here. I had no clue what the taming event would be like, as the organizers had made select events such as taming have different themes. The fourth years just had to straight up battle each other. The third years had to do an obstacle course that took them around the entire capital. There was no obvious pattern to be gleaned from those two that I could apply to my own event.

    At the very least, this was the last event our academy had students competing in, so I could leave once the event was over. The academy would handle the journey back, as the professors would teleport students back in batches of twenty, and a few would stay a day or two longer to observe any notable competitors from the other academies.

    The only students I could remember from the other academies were obviously the noble who attacked me, the other two finalists from my blood magic event, and the guy I¡¯d asked to cover me in the nature magic event. I never asked for his name, and he was eliminated shortly after I made the ash house. Some asshole tripped him and was about to send him face first into the ground, with a bed of spikes ready to meet him, when the judges came and pulled him out.

    I had just over an hour before my event started, so I washed up and had a light breakfast, collecting the ingredients to make a couple sandwiches. Even my friends had lost their enthusiasm for the festival, if their being subdued and almost indifferent was any indication. Frankly, I wish they¡¯d be like that more. It¡¯d be much more quiet that way.

    As per usual, we headed to the stadium for my final event, the once-packed streets now resembling a ghost town.

    Everyone had gotten at least one prize during the festival, so it wasn¡¯t a total waste, but overall, I had mixed feelings about my experiences here. I even began to think that I wouldn¡¯t come next year, though if I knew what the prizes were in advance, I could change my mind yet again. It took a few minutes, but eventually all the participants arrived in the stadium for the taming event, bringing the grand total up to¡­twenty-seven. Was there some reason taming wasn¡¯t that widespread? Or was my perspective skewed from years of Pok¨¦mon and other anime?

    Meh, it wasn¡¯t worth finding out the actual answer. People liked what they liked.

    I tuned back in as the judges started their spiel. They informed us all of the general rules, which I¡¯d heard¡­three times now, but it felt like a hundred. And apparently, the taming event would be a¡­list of tasks to complete?

    All the participants turned to the far side of the stadium as one of the judges said, ¡°You all will be given a list of tasks to perform. You must do each one and in the proper order. Whoever finishes all of them first will be the winner, and will receive a spatial bracelet that can store food for your tamed companions.¡±

    His announcement silenced the participants, who likely never expected to be able to win a rare spatial item. Calling the space affinity rare was the understatement of the year. The more exotic affinities of space, time, and gravity were so uncommon it beggared belief. Similar to the other elements, it was theoretically possible to perform spells of those branches, even if one didn¡¯t possess the same affinity, but it was much harder to cast any spells without the corresponding knowledge and understanding.

    I did perk up once I heard about the prize, as it could provide somewhat of a cover for my inventory if I wanted to quickly withdraw or store something.

    ¡°Unfortunately for whoever is declared the winner, the bracelet is still subject to the flow of time, so don¡¯t go thinking you can just store a week¡¯s worth of food in there and then forget about it. The organizers have also decided to extend their generosity to the rest of you, and award everyone else something as well. Those who finish second through fourth will receive a new alchemical sedative powder, which will calm any wild animals you encounter, a useful tool when attempting to tame new companions. Those placing fifth through tenth will receive a saddle for any single companion you have now or in the future, available only while you remain a student. And those finishing lower than tenth but above the bottom four will receive a pair of enchanted goggles that provide far sight.¡±

    Excited whispering broke out among the students that knew each other, and the judges indulged them for a minute before proceeding. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll all stand on the line here, we can continue. Remember, every task must be accomplished and in the order listed. You may not form teams or lend your companions to anyone else. And anyone who touches another participant will be immediately disqualified.¡±

    As he reiterated the rules, a small army of animals was herded into the stadium by the rest of the judges. Some of the animals were collared, and some were caged, but all of them were submissive and obedient. It was clear that they were meant to be used for this event, and that slimy feeling I thought I had repressed made itself known once again, as I contemplated the ethics of tamer practices. ¡°Now, it¡¯s first come, first served, so whoever tames their companion first is the one who should use it,¡± the first judge said again, as the beasts were placed around the entire stadium in a haphazard manner, strewn around the floor in no discernible pattern.

    ¡°Five, four, three, two, one¡­begin!¡±

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    As the countdown ended, the opposite side of the stadium was covered in a projection, displaying a list of tasks to perform.

    Simultaneously, a row of archery targets that had the appearance of chiseled stone rose up from the ground, seven targets on thin and narrow posts that stood about six feet tall. An obstacle course was also magically created from the ground, and included large hoops and hurdles, a line of thick poles, an earthen tunnel that curved and twisted, and two concentric circles filled with water.

    A few participants had already started sprinting towards the closest animals, hoping to tame them first and then read the list of tasks.

    But karma had other plans.

    The first task made me chuckle.

    <ol>

    <li> Do not step off the line until a judge says go.</li>

    </ol>

    Now, I¡¯ll be the first to admit that my memory isn¡¯t the most reliable, but I¡¯m fairly confident the judge counted down and then said ¡®start¡¯ or ¡®begin¡¯, and not ¡®go¡¯. And just like that, three people were out.

    ¡°Sigh, you all should leave the stadium now,¡± the judge said, shaking his head at the overeager participants who were now eliminated.

    I read the rest of the tasks first before proceeding, just out of caution.

    <ol start="2">

    <li> While mounted on your tamed companion, locate the young Biven cub somewhere in the city, and return to the stadium with one of its hairs as proof. Submit it to a judge in order to proceed to the next task.</li>

    </ol>

    <ol start="3">

    <li> Establish and break tamer bonds with five creatures by yourself without succumbing to backlash. </li>

    </ol>

    <ol start="4">

    <li> After taming a suitable companion, shoot magically summoned projectiles at the targets while riding your companion. To proceed to the next task, your spells must make contact with the target while you are in contact with your companion. For this task only, you may use spells of other elements as projectiles.</li>

    </ol>

    <ol start="5">

    <li> Guide your companion through the gauntlet of obstacles without touching it or casting spells. To proceed to the next task, you must use only verbal or mental instructions.</li>

    </ol>

    <ol start="6">

    <li> Break the bond between a rival competitor and their tamed companion five separate times. Return to the starting line with at least one intact bond to receive your prize.</li>

    </ol>

    This would be too easy, even with my little unintentional handicap of me waiting at the line a few extra seconds. I was capable of doing everything on that list, though the mounted marksmanship could prove to be a little troublesome. I glanced up at the list again, focusing on the species of the cub.

    Bivens were notorious for exuding a natural odor that was alluring and irresistible to other creatures.  They only learned how to control the gland that secreted their signature smell once they grew up, and learned to use their natural scent to manipulate prey into traps. Cubs didn¡¯t leave their parents until they had matured, and the ones that left earlier found themselves in a predator¡¯s digestive tract.

    Naturally, this first task was testing our knowledge of various animals. The obvious answer was to choose a companion that was speed-oriented, to cover as much ground as possible with celerity. The right answer was to choose something with excellent olfactory capabilities. I passed a few students who stood in front of flying snakes and wind wolves, attempting to tame them, but I searched for something that was more¡­efficient. It was like I was back in the pet store I once worked at, with rows of cages and collared animals looking idly at me while I kept browsing.

    Finally, I found what I was looking for, and silently cursed fate for putting me in a position to be mocked. The blue gyr, an azure-colored creature with two curved horns and a bovine appearance, stood roughly at my shoulder-height.

    I could practically hear the ¡®rhaaj riding a rhaaj¡¯ jokes from here.

    Taming the collared creature took barely a thought, and it lowered its head to me before kneeling down onto the ground for me to mount it.

    The stadium had multiple entrances and exits, but there was only one large enough to allow the menagerie of animals ingress and egress from the field. I urged my mount forward, and we made our way through the capital, while I did my damnedest to keep the easily distractable gyr focused on the task at hand.

    Finding the biven cub was easy, as it was located in an open-air pen and my mount picked up its scent like a bloodhound, made easier by the fact that there were less distracting smells from food stalls than I remembered. I plucked a few of its hairs from its flank and kept them firmly grasped in my hand before turning around to leave.

    Getting back to the stadium was significantly harder, at least at first. My current location was¡­somewhere in the capital, and I hadn¡¯t memorized the route I took. My gyr didn¡¯t have a scent to lock onto, so I couldn¡¯t utilize its greatest asset. And running around aimlessly in the capital sounded like a colossal waste of time. So I cheated, by asking for help.

    Hey Spearmint, I need you to ¨C

    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching for the past hour, I already know,¡± he said resignedly. ¡°Take the path on the left, no, the other left! Now go straight until you see that lady selling flowers. Then¡­¡±

    With my beast companion guiding me back, I made good time returning to the stadium, where I saw a few people trying to wrestle their tamed animals into submission. One student, who I had no doubt was a noble, had his arms and legs wrapped around a winged serpent that was thrashing around and trying to dislodge him from its snout. He kept alternating between vehemently pleading for it to submit, and trying to threaten it using his ineffectual lightning spell, which caused zero reactions from the winged serpent, except maybe wriggling a bit more actively.

    The rest of the event was¡­boring. It was just too easy, as there was little challenge for me, and nobody else was even close to finishing by the time I had. Making and breaking tamer bonds was child¡¯s play, especially now that I had created my own version of breaking bonds that didn¡¯t trigger a backlash.

    The mounted archery challenge was more difficult, as it took me a few tries to get used to the rocking and bumping of my mount while simultaneously aiming for the targets that seemed smaller while I was riding past them. I had to change mounts a few times, eventually settling on a bruyer, a centipede looking thing, as it had less jerky motions when moving forward, even with me on its back. It took a bit longer than the other challenges, but I finished it as well, my blood shaped into arrows for better aerodynamics.

    The animal obstacle course was a joke. In descending order, beasts had the highest level of sapience, followed by creatures, who had the mentality of a young child, and animals, who were limited to simple concepts and mere sentience. When forging a tamer bond, the tamer and tamed animal could share rudimentary thoughts, depending on the type of taming method used. This connection also bypassed any language barrier, and allowed for flawless communication of ideas between the two. Again, it depended on the type of spell or taming method used.

    Naturally, this meant that sending a beast through the obstacle course would be easier than attempting to do so with an animal or creature, as it would be more receptive to my instructions about guiding it. There were few beasts among the veritable zoo in the stadium, but I found one that was amenable to my request. I even asked beforehand this time.

    The ungul, a goat with both horns and tusks, was acclimated to mountainous terrain, so the little tunnels and divots of the man-made obstacle course were laughably easy for it¡­her¡­to traverse.

    I legitimately heard her chortling in my mind as she went through it and I stood by the side, pointlessly describing what she would need to do, at least if she were less intelligent or sure-footed, for the sake of appearances and so the judges didn¡¯t notice anything conspicuous.

    I let her accompany me while I moved on to the last task of breaking the bonds my fellow competitors had painstakingly forged with their own companions. I didn¡¯t want to be accused of unfairly targeting any specific individual, so I went around the stadium and chose to be an asshole to a few random participants. Funnily enough, all of my victims, ahem, I mean¡­ah, fuck it, there was no point lying to myself. I only chose nobles, who stood out to me due to their general demeanour, their fancy-schmancy clothes, and their house emblem that was invariably located in a visibly prominent and noticeable place.

    In the end, I won first place, which was no surprise. I bound the spatial bracelet with the judges ensuring nothing went wrong, and my opponents, especially those whose bonds I broke, looking salty and ready to settle debts.

    I breathed a sigh of relief as I met up with my friends and started walking back to the compound. Now that this pseudo-assessment masquerading as a festival was over, I could get back to the less stressful environs of the academy, and now that I was a third-year, maybe I could look into that section of the library for the litany of questions I still had.

    In an unlikely turn of events, no other incidents befell me before I was whisked back to the familiar grounds of the academy grounds via the teleport formation, alongside eighteen other students and an instructor.

    Waving a weary goodbye to my friends, I headed to my dorm to sleep, feeling both physically and mentally drained, ready to put the festival behind me.

 Chapter 49

    I stood before the gates of the royal palace, dressed in the cleanest and most expensive clothes I had, with my hair trimmed and my face clean-shaven. I had my newest companion, a sloth-like creature I had named Slacker, snoozing peacefully on my back, its arms intertwined around my neck to prevent itself from falling off. I had decided beforehand that it would be better not to wear any arms or armor to this¡­summons, as it would likely send the royals the wrong message, not to mention I had to surrender any weapons on me to the guards in the entrance hall, making it a moot point.

    And in my breast pocket, I had a rolled-up and encased certificate of maturation from one Svenia Academy, stating that Citizen Rhaaj of Khobadaar City had successfully completed all courses, and was now eligible to be called a mage. The back had a cumulative list of all the classes I had taken over the three years, as well as the final grades, something that was meant for any future employers to reference.

    My third year was almost completely spent on my academics, as I minimized the amount of time I spent socializing and doing tasks for the Workman¡¯s Society. I had enough money to live comfortably, thanks to both my earning money via completing jobs, and the gambling I had sponsored. I gave my friends what I considered an expendable amount of funds, and handed it to them during the festival to gamble with, which I hadn¡¯t competed in. The prizes were lackluster, and my time was better spent learning more than visiting the capital again.

    So, long story short, my friends had made bets with the money I fronted them and managed to almost triple my initial amount. Which meant I no longer had money problems. I did finally discover that there was a bank, but it only consisted of one building in the capital, and it was exclusive to nobles, so I took to storing my money in my inventory, where it would not accumulate interest or passively make money for me. If nothing else, that was the safest place for it.

    And speaking of safety, now that I had graduated, I finally, finally, had some iota of general knowledge about this world, enough that I wouldn¡¯t out myself as a foreigner, technically world traveller, when I opened my mouth.

    My third-year classes, as well as my free time spent in the library, had a part to play in that. Blood Magic II, Nature Magic II, Advanced Taming, and Survival were all much more useful classes than their prerequisites, as they provided more specialized and hence useful knowledge than the second-year classes, which provided the foundation for that understanding.

    I was now a much more versatile mage, as I could do things with blood I didn¡¯t think possible. Such as changing the temperature, pressure, or oxygen content of blood, binding mundane or enchanted objects with my blood to make them more potent, absorbing blood from other people or beasts and using it as my own, and most importantly, controlling another¡¯s blood¡­while it was still in their body.

    Nature magic didn¡¯t let me down either, despite my initial hesitation on the subject. I could now travel underground, sinking into the ground and moving through the dirt and rocks like a fish in the water. I also learned to communicate telepathically with plants, though the results were always better the older the plant was. I finally learned how to manipulate the weather in a small area, so the skies were mine to command as well. And I could collect and store sunlight and moonlight within plants, either for later use for myself or the plants themselves.

    There was only one mandatory class for all third-years, and it was appropriately called Survival. That was probably the most helpful class I¡¯ve ever taken in my entire life, lives, hands down, as the class taught everyone some things that were just considered common sense.

    A few examples of what we learned included how to fix a broken wheel on a carriage or cart, how to tie dozens of different kinds of knots and what situation to use each one in, lighting a fire without magic, reading maps, telling the time using only the celestial bodies, using spells that one has no affinity for, and how to fight in areas void of essence, which were rare but deadly.

    But my favorite class, of course, was taming, as I learned how to do things that would dramatically increase the odds of my survival. I could now share senses with any beast under my control, and I could pact with them. The poorly-named act of pacting referred to the merging of the beast and the tamer in both body and mind. I tried it with Spearmint as soon as I was confident I could do it without any complications, and the results were stunning.

    I had gained a coat of green fur all over my body, green horns sprouted from my head, and I had a vastly improved sense of smell, something that made me vomit the first time I caught a whiff of my unwashed voranders. I was also able to cast any spell that Spearmint was able to, which was another boon of the merger. One aspect of the pacting was that Spearmint and I were also telepathically connected during the merger, which meant any thoughts of one party were instantly shared with the other, a bit similar to my regular tamer link with him.

    I had never attempted to pact with the voranders, and I¡¯m fairly certain I never would, unless it was a life-threatening situation where I had exhausted all my other options and the universe had the proverbial gun to my head forcing me to.

    I also cashed in all my points prior to graduating, and received a bunch of goodies and equipment that I chucked into my inventory. It was all valuable and most definitely worth saving up for.

    In summary, I was now much more confident in surviving this world.

    Or at least I was, until I was informed by the headmaster that the king and queen had summoned me to the royal palace.

    And now here I sat, in a waiting room off the grand hallway, sipping on tea and wondering what I had done to garner interest in the highest-ranked nobles in the land, who could execute me if they so wished.

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    And no one would bat an eye, after all, the royals were beyond reproach.

    Was it political? Maybe they had heard of a ¡®villager¡¯ graduating and wanted to use me as propaganda to promote enrollment?

    Or was it something less pleasant, like them somehow finding out that I had accidentally ¡®tamed¡¯ a vorander corpse while defending the city, and it had refused to stay dead once it entered my inventory, making me something of an unwilling necromancer?

    Or¡­had they somehow found out that I was an otherworlder? Time and space affinities were real, if mysterious, and who knows what information a time or space mage could pick up from me? For all I knew, I was involuntarily giving off energies that shouted out, ¡°I¡¯m from Earth!¡±

    I was overthinking it. Probably.

    Maybe they were just really impressed with my grades and wanted to offer me a job? Perhaps as the royal beast tamer?

    The door quickly opened, revealing a finely dressed red-haired woman wearing a conservative black dress that barely avoided the floor, and an expression that practically screamed neutrality and indifference, leaving me nothing to glean from her face. She glanced at me once before politely asking, ¡°You are Mage Rhaaj, formerly of Khobadaar, and graduate of Svenia Academy?¡±

    I nodded to her as I rose from my seat, ¡°Indeed. Would you be so kind as to inform me of your name?¡± As my time at the academy was primarily spent on magic classes, I was eligible to be called a mage in an official capacity, giving me yet another designation. The overly polite tone was just expected, especially as I was about to meet with the royals. Any brownie points of politeness I could score with this lady might help in the future. She nodded back to me, giving me a scrutinizing look for a mere second, before saying, ¡°You may call me Lady Uranth. Your presence is required by the king and queen. Follow me.¡±

    She waited for me to approach before guiding me through the castle, staying two paces before me at all times despite her smaller stature. We briskly walked through opulent hallways decorated with priceless paintings and lifelike portraits of what I assumed were long-dead royal ancestors, passing by groups of patrolling guards and plenty of other personnel who maintained the palace.

    Our walk took no longer than five minutes, partly due to a run-in we had with a minister¡¯s son who had never seen someone with dark skin like mine before, and with all the grace and poise one could expect of a child, pointed me out loudly and excitedly to his father, who bowed and apologized to me profusely, after gently scolding the little kid who couldn¡¯t be expected to know what restraint meant. I waved him off, and I continued to follow in Lady Uranth¡¯s footsteps.

    We eventually made our way outside to a walled garden containing a multitude of plants that I could almost hear due to how healthy and vibrant they were. The crown prince and queen were talking with the oldest princess¡­Olyria, I think her name was. I recalled the sight of her consoling the second princess, Mazhaan, during the festival. That gentle expression I remembered her wearing directly contrasted with the her of today, with her clenched jaw and furrowed eyebrows visible even from here. Whatever they were talking about, she wasn¡¯t a fan of it.

    As we approached, a complement of guards barred our way before the crown prince gestured for them to let us through with a wave of his hand.. Once they withdrew from the path, they stood at the ready, one hand always on the hilt of their sword or firmly grasping a spear, in anticipation of any attack.

    Lady Uranth led me up the stairs of the gazebo to where the royals were sitting around a table, a full cup of tea in front of each one. Judging by the lack of steam, they had neglected their drinks for so long they had gone cold, implying a long and contentious debate.

    Something that would almost certainly put them in a foul mood, which didn¡¯t bode well for whatever it was I was here for.

    Lady Uranth curtsied while I knelt before the royals. The crown prince, who I noticed seemed to be the calmest of the three, reacted first. ¡°You may go about your duties, my lady,¡± he said, dismissing her from the venue and leaving me alone and at the mercy of three royals.

    ¡°You may stand, Mage¡­Rhaaj, was it?¡± the crown prince asked.

    ¡°Yes, your highness,¡± I said crisply, as I slowly rose from my position on the ground, now able to make eye contact with them. Now that my status as a mage preceded that of a villager or student, there was no need for me to avoid their line of sight.

    Though I still felt like I should, regardless of what the law had to say. ¡°The fact that you know my name greatly honors me, your highness,¡± I responded.

    He snorted. ¡°Mage Rhaaj, we¡¯re aware that you recently graduated from the academy, so let me give you a lesson about the real world that you evidently haven¡¯t learned already. When royalty is aware of your name, honor is not always involved.¡±

    He let me draw whatever conclusions I could from that statement for about five seconds, examining my expression for any signs of weakness, before smirking and relaxing back in his high-backed chair. ¡°Of course, your statement is technically accurate for today¡¯s matter, so you have nothing to fear. That is, unlike you dislike tents,¡± he said cryptically.

    Why would I dislike tents? Or fear them?

    I couldn¡¯t make sense of his last comment, but I had no time to reflect on its meaning before I heard the sound of the guards¡¯ armor clanking, and saw the three royals in front of me rise from their seats and bow or curtsy, depending on their gender.

    I also heard a loud, boisterous man¡¯s voice laughing at something coming from behind me and growing increasingly louder. I inferred who was approaching from everything thus far, and turned around while dropping to my knee, my face parallel with the ground while I knelt.

    ¡°All right, it¡¯s just us here, no need for all this. Rise, rise, everyone. Ah, and who is this young man?¡± The deep baritone voice gave the impression of a majestic lion, and though he said for everyone to rise, I felt I wasn¡¯t included in that statement.

    ¡°This is the man who was unjustly assaulted by a noble heir, lit the spark that caused an interracial incident, and demonstrated an inconceivably high affinity for taming¡­all in one month, father,¡± the princess stated, having spoken in my presence for the first time, both succinctly and alarmingly accurately.

    ¡°Ah! I remember now, the fellow who made the ash house last year, yes, yes!¡± the king jovially said. ¡°You may rise as well, young man,¡± the king commanded, which I obeyed unquestioningly this time.

    As I did, I saw the king for the first time, and what immediately drew my focus was the fact that he was barely clothed, a transparent vest technically covering his top half, while a rough pair of linen pants covered his bottom half. I would presume that he was training or doing something physically demanding, which prompted him to dress so lightly, even in the midst of winter.

    ¡°Now,¡± his jovial tone slowly melted away as he downed the freshly poured tea before him, replaced by a slightly more serious one as he met my eyes purposefully, ¡°let¡¯s talk about the consequences of your actions, shall we?¡±

    A small smile just wide enough to not constitute a smirk adorned his face, and I could instantly tell.

    I wouldn¡¯t like what he had to say.

 Chapter 50

    One year earlier, immediately after the Founder¡¯s Festival concluded¡­

    ¡°You expect me to wait,¡± the queen said, her frustration magnified by the fact that her husband wasn¡¯t as frustrated as she was.

    She could see that he kept his armor on, including his helmet, while speaking with her. Though he wasn¡¯t truly speaking with her, as both of them were utilizing a paired set of projection orbs that worked over long distances, allowing for communication even while they were on other ends of the continent. Its only downside was its limited window of availability, when certain stars were aligned properly, which meant the majority of their conversations held this way were brief.

    She knew she was distracting herself with minutiae to suppress her anger, or she¡¯d lash out at the king, unfairly as well, as he was off in a fort to the north, his last stop on the tour around the areas most often assailed by their Enemy. That he was accompanied by a legion of the army meat little; his duty was to ensure the well-being of the kingdom and its subjects, and that meant sometimes he had to personally see that the borders were secure.

    ¡°Has anyone died from his actions?¡± the king asked, while his gaze was fixed on something in the distance, the orb only showing his face.

    ¡°Not yet, but things may progress that way if we don¡¯t quash this before it becomes too ¨C¡±

    ¡°Then it can wait until my return,¡± the king said, and by his tone, the queen knew her husband had issued her a command. In her heart, it rankled that he could do that, but her mind asserted that it was his right and she had no grounds to complain.

    ¡°House Pencoit¡­have they taken any actions against the boy yet?¡± he continued to ask her.

    She shook her head. ¡°They¡¯ve decided to attempt mediation, though the youths are grumbling about it.¡±

    ¡°And the envoys from the tribes? Any word on their reactions?¡± he asked her, his voice calm even in the face of possible retaliation from the beastfolk.

    ¡°You and I both know what they¡¯ll push for. We have to send him off or they¡¯ll cry dishonor and cite all the past nobles who¡¯ve offended them as evidence,¡± she proposed.

    It was for the best for everyone if they just sent the boy on his way. From what she¡¯d heard from her daughter, the boy wanted to travel. Some nonsense about seeing the world. She scoffed at the idea. What, did he imagine he was a noble heir from thousands of years past! The seas and skies were far more dangerous than they were in that era, though the connections of teleporting formations did help to alleviate the burden of travel considerably.

    The boy would be handed off to the beastfolk, who would judge his character and determine whether his creation of the tiniest ash house in history was an affront to their culture and their heroes, or if it was simply a misguided and confused youth attempting to emulate the legends of old, one who was in need of guidance.

    That the boy had no attachments to the kingdom was a double-edged sword for them. If the tribal elders failed him, his loss would not cause too much distress at home, perhaps some curious children whining, but that could all be easily managed. If he passed, however, he would be honored and revered in a manner few humans ever had.

    And none of that honor would bleed over to the kingdom that raised him, as there was nothing and no one to bind him to the kingdom. For all that informants were adept at their job, even they were hard-pressed to produce results when looking into nameless tier 8 villages too isolated and poor to withstand anything other than a light breeze. There was no paperwork or documentation about his birth or residency in the village, nor were there any people there that recalled someone of his description, or who his parents were. That the village had been savaged by locusts a few decades prior, leading to a mass migration from the loss of harvests, did not make their job any easier.

    For all she knew, the boy didn¡¯t even come from that backwater. Perhaps he simply fell out of the sky one day and decided to join the academy. There was nothing proving otherwise, after all.

    ¡°In that case¡­we will be the ones to send him off. I¡¯d imagine the sight of the royal family taking the trouble to do so would remain in his memory for a long time, don¡¯t you, dear?¡±

    ¡°...Perhaps,¡± she conceded.

    ¡°You said he was adept with both blood and nature magic. Was there anything else he excelled at?¡± the king inquired.

    ¡°Taming,¡± the queen responded at once. ¡°From all accounts, the boy is a natural tamer. The judges claimed that during the competition, he was more interested in the beasts than the prizes,¡± she recalled. ¡°Though why anyone would not show interest in any spatial item is beyond me.¡±

    ¡°Taming,¡± the king sighed, ¡°The Mother seems to be throwing this child into a pit of trials. What are the odds that the elders do not strike him down for the ash house? And what are the odds that they view his taming as something harmless? And what then, are the odds that he returns to the kingdom, if he survives all that?¡±

    The way he spoke, it was almost as if this boy¡¯s departure was something he lamented. If that was how he felt, perhaps she would have to reconsider her own stance.

    ¡°Perhaps the council might ¨C¡± she managed to say before the king cut her off.

    ¡°No,¡± he stated, turning to look straight into her eyes, their gazes meeting as she saw the everpresent fire burning within his eyes, that same fire that had drawn her to him at first. ¡°The council only convenes when the world itself is in peril, not for some minor case of questionable honor.¡±

    ¡°The possibility of war does not concern the council?¡± she asked incredulously, steadfast in her belief that if war were to break out between the two races, as it almost had so often in the past, it would draw in their mutual Enemy on an unimaginable scale, an outcome nobody desired to see. And the beastfolk most certainly would go to war if they perceived the kingdom to be harboring a criminal from justice, and slighting their honor even further.

    ¡°If war were to occur, the council would step in only when one side went too far.¡± he said callously and with such certainty that she knew it to be true.

    Even as a member of the council, the king did not have the authority to dictate its course of action. The council itself stayed out of politics, but she had hoped this incident and its possible consequences would be enough to give them a reason to intervene. She had been informed of the latest news from the council, her husband sharing so he could gain her counsel, so she was aware that the monsters were gaining in both strength and numbers, their rate of spawning increasing over the years.

    He had already deployed one legion to patrol the northern coast, and another to the Wall, to aid in the never-ending battle that seemed to spew misery and death every day.

    The statement shocked her at the¡­indifference he was suggesting, which caused them to grow silent as they each considered their own thoughts.

    ¡°Then¡­we send the boy?¡± the queen asked.

    ¡°We send the boy. It is¡­unfortunate, but necessary.¡± the king confirmed. ¡°Perhaps if he returns, we could offer him a position as the royal tamer?¡±

    The queen rolled her eyes. ¡°If we did, Mazhaan would be more fascinated by him than the new animals he would bring in.¡±

    The rest of their conversation revolved around their children and how they were each progressing, until finally the orb died out, cutting off their farewells.

    Present day¡­

    ¡°So, young man, let¡¯s begin with the lesser reason why you¡¯ve been summoned here,¡± the king said, making it clear to me that I was called to the palace for more than one reason. ¡°Last year, a member of House Pencoit ambushed you in public, which you dealt with remarkably, by the way. I¡¯ve seen the projections. Good reaction time too,¡± the king said casually.

    ¡°Thank you?¡± I said hesitantly.

    He nodded. ¡°As a result, that particular young man is under house arrest, and has been stripped of any ability to use magic in the future. The patriarch of said house, however, has additionally offered to provide you with compensation, in hopes that you take no further action against them or the other members of their house.¡±

    I was stunned when I heard that my attacker could no longer use magic. Thankfully, I had gained a bit more control over my expressions, and no longer let it show on my face as much.

    ¡°I would gladly accept anything the patriarch decides to offer me. Though I must ask, if only out of self-preservation. Does the entire house share the attitude of my attacker, or is it just that the tree produced one bad apple?¡±

    ¡°That is none of your concern, young mage.¡± the queen coldly stated, rebuking me for my nosiness.

    I bowed my head in apology and rose again, subconsciously affecting a neutral expression on my face.

    ¡°We will convey your words to the patriarch, though I doubt he will receive them in time to be relevant. Now, onto the next and more significant matter.¡± The king said, not pausing or allowing me to ruminate on his cryptic choice of words.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°You¡¯re obviously aware of what an ash house is, young mage, not to mention how to make one, even if it was a bit crude. But do you know what it means to the beastfolk?¡± the king asked me.

    ¡°From what I understand, those who create ash houses are treated with the utmost respect and become something similar to a hero, your majesty,¡± I said, recalling what the merchant¡¯s diary said about them.

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but there¡¯s more to it than that now,¡± the king said, shaking his head. ¡°Do you know why they are treated as heroes? Let me be more specific. Do you know why beastfolk who manage to create ash houses are seen as heroes or legends?¡±

    ¡°Father, if I may?¡± The princess raised her hand, drawing everyone¡¯s attention as the king nodded to her and gestured for her to proceed.

    ¡°Mage Rhaaj. I¡¯m going to assume you have the common knowledge that elves are the most gifted when it comes to manipulating essence, followed by humans, and then the beastfolk. I¡¯m also assuming that you¡¯re aware that everyone has different affinities, which are determined at birth. Do you know which affinities the beastfolk tend to have?¡± she asked me.

    ¡°I would presume they are random, just as they are with humans, but your question leads me to believe I¡¯m wrong about that,¡± I said. For all the time I had spent in the library in the last year, I hadn¡¯t looked up common affinities of the beastfolk, nor elves for that matter. Though I did stumble onto a book that claimed older elves could manually rotate between affinities, although that ability was limited to the base affinities of water, ground or rock, fire, and wind.

    I truly believed that the word ''earth'' was reserved for a very specific planet, and not something that applied to every planet¡¯s soil, dirt, sand, or rocks.

    ¡°Every single beastfolk has two affinities: something random, as you¡¯ve stated, and rock. This fact holds true for all beastfolk, past, present, and future. Every¡­single¡­one.¡± she said.

    ¡°Now, you know that beastfolk are the worst race at controlling essence. As I¡¯ve just informed you, you also know that beastfolk are predisposed towards rock magic, as they¡¯re guaranteed to possess the affinity. And you also know that it takes a remarkable amount of control and concentration for a beastfolk to make an ash house,¡± she said slowly, and I could feel the trap spring around me from the way she spoke, condescendingly and arrogantly.

    ¡°Would you like to speculate as to why there are no ash houses made by elves or humans? At least, until you decided to make one, publicly and thoughtlessly, at the time of year when it is nearly guaranteed that envoys from the other races would be present and witness it?¡±

    And as she managed to sneer audibly while keeping it off her face as she said those words, I felt the truth hit me like a blow to the head.

    It was only difficult for beastfolk to create an ash house, which was why they lauded those who could do it. Those of the other races who did so¡­.were probably seen as mocking the beastfolk.

    ¡°Thank you for that summary, daughter. You may return to your duties now. Oh, and check in on your sister. She was calling for you this morning,¡± the king ordered, as the princess flinched in response, more likely at her dismissal from the conversation than the rebuke at being with her sister, but I didn¡¯t devote any more of my attention to what she was doing anymore.

    I was far too concerned with what was in my immediate future. A future that was looking entirely unstable.

    ¡°So, I take it from the look on your face that you understand how the beastfolk might be less than thrilled with you at the moment. They could argue that you made a mockery of their heroes and ancestors¡¯ greatest accomplishments while fighting children. Although, seeing as you¡¯re practically a child yourself, they might give the smallest amount of leniency. Even if you claimed ignorance, it would just make matters worse, as that would be the equivalent of saying that even an ignorant child is capable of doing what their heroes did.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± I said, interrupting the king, which under normal circumstances would be wholly unwise, but my future looked bleak enough as it was, and I was in no mood to entertain any subtlety or doublespeak anymore. The guards tightened their grips on their weapons as I spoke, but the king looked completely unbothered. This was likely a new experience for him, as I imagined the king hadn¡¯t been interrupted in a long time.

    ¡°Yes?¡± he asked me calmly, his mood at odds with the queen, who put her teacup on the table a bit too hard when I made my interruption.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± I had thrown away any veneer of propriety, as the royals seemed to actually take pleasure in the manipulation of words that triggered emotional responses in their subjects.

    If the beastfolk were unhappy with me, they could have me. If they really wanted to kill me¡­I wouldn¡¯t mind. I couldn¡¯t stop them, at least not alone, and the attitude of the royals made it clear they weren¡¯t going to stick up for me.

    There was also the fact that I had a grim fate waiting for me, hovering just over my head until the right time. My soul had a timer on it that was counting down to a likely unfortunate outcome for me, if not outright death, so the prospect of death at the hands of the beastmen wasn¡¯t the worst that could happen. I would just plead ignorance and beg for, if not a painless death, then at least a quick one.

    The king smirked. ¡°I must say, I do relish the infrequent occurrence of bluntness. Even I tire of the veiled threats hiding behind polite smiles all the time.¡±

    ¡°You have to leave,¡± the crown prince said, his statement causing everyone¡¯s heads to turn towards him. He had largely ignored the entire conversation thus far, so why had he now decided to jump in?

    ¡°You¡¯re not dead yet, Mage Rhaaj, so don¡¯t act like it. That being said, the beastfolk have spoken of their¡­desire, to meet you, to judge your character and determine whether you deserve death for your actions or not.¡± Through all of that, the prince never once looked at me, keeping his eyes fixed on some gardener tending to the plants some distance away. ¡°And considering what they might do if we refuse them¡­well, even you can figure out what the best course of action would be in our stead.¡±

    Yep. They would hand me over to avoid a war coming to them. How utterly stupid.

    I sighed and shook my head. ¡°Their honor is a fragile thing indeed, if one child playing games can shatter it in his ignorance.¡±

    The crown prince turned to me and smirked. ¡°And isn¡¯t that the Mother¡¯s truth, though I wouldn¡¯t repeat that in the company of beastfolk.¡±

    I turned back to the king and queen, who were smiling and grimacing at our conversation, respectively. ¡°So? How long do I have before they take possession of me?¡±

    The king barked out genuine peals of laughter, clutching his stomach before he responded. ¡°Minutes at best, young one,¡± he paused once he saw my eyebrows shoot up. ¡°What? I¡¯ve held them off for a year already! You should be grateful I allowed you to graduate at all and didn¡¯t surrender you the day it happened!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m overflowing with gratitude right now,¡± I said, the sarcasm returning to my tone like it never left, despite the years of letting it sit unused in my brain, collecting dust.

    A guard hurried in from behind us and rushed to the king¡¯s side, saluting him before whispering in his ear and running back out of the garden.

    ¡°It appears our friends from the south are waiting for you, little Rhaaj. If the Mother sees fit to embrace you, remember that you were ultimately responsible for what happened.¡± The king said, his mirth still present on his face as he dismissed me with a wave of his hand.

    The guards dragged me from the gazebo until I wrenched my arms out of their grasp and started walking by myself, though that action did cause my ¡®escort¡¯ to grow by an additional two guards. Were they meant to be preventing me from running away? Now?! In the royal palace?!

    The walk through the palace felt far shorter to me this time than it had when I was first called in, probably due to nerves. Now, I felt almost a detached sense of peace. I didn¡¯t have to worry anymore about being found out as an otherworlder, or saying something obviously out of place, or offending the wrong noble.

    Wiat, did beastfolk have nobles? I knew they had elders and tribal chiefs, but was there an actual nobility present? God, I hoped that was just a human thing.

    We finally reached the gates, though the guards didn¡¯t leave my side until I was officially past the gates and face to face with a small company of beastfolk. They were a mixture of different species, some familiar to me, and some decidedly unfamiliar.

    In the lead position was a humanoid panther, followed by two wolfish men, a group of reptilian faces that I had trouble distinguishing apart from their scale colors, and a shorter person resembling a spider, judging by the multiple eyes on its humanoid face and the extra two pairs of chitinous arms.

    I turned to the panther man and recalled my lessons on the beastfolk language, dragonspeak, and briefly debated whether it was a good idea to let them know I was capable of speaking their language, before deciding the duplicity wasn¡¯t a good call in the long run. If they ever found out, they would be angry with me about the deception, whereas if I was upfront about it, it might prove I was more honorable, something they were apparently in doubt about.

    Granted, I wasn¡¯t the biggest believer in honor, but I did have a tiny voice in my head called my conscience, and I mostly acted in accordance with my conscience.

    I bowed to the panther man with my right hand over my left, keeping both palms open and facing downwards, while I said in the beastfolk tongue, ¡°Greetings, friends, and a good day to you.¡± A polite greeting between strangers, which couldn¡¯t possibly go wrong or backfire on me.

    To a man, they were all startled as I heard a collection of hisses, gasps, growls, and clicking, which I interpreted as shock and hopefully not outrage.

    The panther man looked down on me, standing a full foot taller than me, as did most of the others, save for the spider guy. It seemed like he was testing me as his yellow feline eyes bore into mine for far too long, before he offered a shallower bow back to me, his bottom hand closed into a fist to signify his status as a warrior.

    ¡°I bid you good day, little brother. You speak our tongue well for a human. It bodes well for you,¡± he said in a deep voice. ¡°We are aware of your situation, and the elders will likely approve of your knowledge of our tongue, as it speaks to your desire and ability to learn.¡± His tail, which I hadn¡¯t noticed until now, began swishing slowly from side to side as he spoke, which I took as a good sign.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t keep the elders waiting any longer. Shall we?¡± I gestured for us to proceed, and we moved forward, walking through the capital, where I would probably be taken to the beastfolk continent.

    Sure enough, they say be careful what you wish for. I had the opportunity to travel and visit a different continent, even if the visit would be cut short once I was.

    But despite the coinflip that my upcoming trial or judgment seemed to hinge on, I couldn¡¯t help but have a smile on my face.

    After all, I had an army of companions accompanying me everywhere I went.

    If the elders decided that I deserved a long, drawn-out, or painful death, I would make sure that it would be the last thing they ever did, secrets and consequences be damned.

    I mean, who could react to a vorander appearing out of nowhere and eating their face?

    You¡¯ve finally embraced your entire being, then?

    The phantom voice had been with me, annoying and tormenting me, for a long time. But no longer.

    Yes, I have. I thought to myself. And, fortunately, that doesn¡¯t include you.

    And with a mere thought, I felt the voice cry in pain as I strangled it, crushing its existence until there was no trace of it anymore, scouring any lingering traces of its being in its hiding place:

    My soul.

 Interlude 1

    The manor door he had been knocking on opened after only a moment, and he locked eyes with someone he had not expected to see. Evidently, the man who had answered the door was experiencing a similar shock, as it took them both a second to return to normalcy.

    Ganturo bowed at the waist to greet his superior. ¡°Good morning to you, Count Ryfellin,¡± he said politely.

    The count shook his head in mock disappointment before replying teasingly. ¡°And here I thought we¡¯d moved past such petty formalities¡­commander.¡±

    Ganturo showed a small yet sad smile at the use of his former title, a surge of memories rising forth that he quickly stopped. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been a commander. Anyways, why have you come back to Khobadaar? I was under the impression you and Lady Troia were inspecting your lands out west and wouldn¡¯t be back for some time.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come inside first, then we can talk,¡± the count said, inviting his former military commander into his estate. They walked to a side hall with two couches facing each other, a table with various refreshments and beverages laid atop it. ¡°I was just heading out when we ran into each other. Please,¡± the count said, gesturing for Ganturo to sit, which he did. He rang a bell that summoned a maid, who was dispatched to brew a fresh pot of tea for them. Afterwards, he turned back around to face his guest with a genuine smile on his face.

    ¡°Now, how have you been? How are Evelyn and the children?¡±

    Ganturo had never taken formal etiquette lessons, he hadn¡¯t had time for it since he joined the army, and afterwards, he had already picked up the essentials from his comrades on the battlefield. Still, he could recognize what his former subordinate and old friend was doing: using small talk to soften him up before bringing up the main topic of why he was here.

    It just so happened that his opening question was the main reason he had come here.

    ¡°I¡­sigh, I need your help.¡± Ganturo admitted, his face downcast as he couldn¡¯t continue to look at his old friend¡¯s face. Pride and shame warred in his mind at what he was about to ask for, yet none of that mattered in the face of his children¡¯s safety and well-being.

    ¡°Of course. What is it? Is there someone at the academy troubling you? Was it some noble brat? Or¡­is it Ennin? Ah, I see. She found someone, but you want me to look into the boy and make sure he¡¯s not hiding a bastard or a slew of other women. Well, it¡¯s not impossible, but it will take some time,¡± the count rattled off reasons as they came to him, showing his willingness to help.

    It grated at Ganturo¡¯s mind that he was about to take advantage of that goodwill.

    He raised his face to see the noble before him, someone who truly deserved and lived up to the title he had won. If he was going to ask for something of this magnitude, the least he could do was look the man in the eye as he did so.

    ¡°I wish to enter your service as your retainer, or for House Ryfellin.¡± Gan spit out the words as if saying them faster would make them less awkward.

    After a few seconds of silence as the count processed the information, he asked in a quiet voice, ¡°Why.¡±

    ¡°I need your protection,¡± he said.

    That, apparently, was not something the count had been expecting.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Protection? From what?¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­Dax, if I tell you, I need your word you won¡¯t tell anyone else. This is serious. You know me. You know I wouldn¡¯t ask you for something like this if I had any other choice,¡± Ganturo called out his old friend by his name, the stress making him less formal.

    Daxian cracked his knuckles as he thought it over, a habit he evidently hadn¡¯t dropped in over ten years, weighing his old commander¡¯s character against the magnitude of the favor he was requesting¡­until he finally reached a decision.

    ¡°Very well, you have my word. I swear to the Mother and my ancestors that I will not reveal the contents of this conversation to anyone you do not approve of. May I be struck down if I am false.¡± The words eased the tension in Ganturo¡¯s mind, at least enough for him to share the details.

    He tried to get rid of his nervousness, but it persisted no matter what he did, so he did his best to ignore it and move on.

    ¡°Gillen has the time affinity.¡± He said it sternly, his anger at the undeserved fate inflicted upon his son bleeding through into his words and his face, not to mention his fists.

    Though none of that compared to how taken aback Daxian was. He was frozen in place, so shocked he hadn¡¯t even blinked.

    Gan decided, ironically enough, that time was more important than propriety right now, so he reached over and lightly slapped the man who could theoretically have him executed.

    Daxian rubbed his cheek as he muttered, ¡°Time affinity¡­¡±

    Ganturo rolled his eyes at how flustered his old friend was, though to be fair, he had been in a similar state when he first had the news confirmed.

    ¡°Daxian. Daxian. DAXIAN!¡± he yelled, finally drawing the other man out of his trance.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Sigh, are you willing to have me as your retainer?¡± Ganturo asked again.

    ¡°Yes¡­yes, yes! By the Mother¡¯s grace, time affinity! And your son! He¡¯s bound to be a powerful mage once he¡­¡± he trailed off as the realization finally hit him. ¡°Is he¡­already casting?¡±  he whispered, not daring to believe something so unlikely.

    ¡°That¡¯s the other reason why I came to you. It started nearly a year ago, just things showing up in his dreams. I reached out to the people he saw, just to check, and sure enough, they confirmed the events he described actually happened. Then he started fainting at random times, shaking and spasming, and sleeping for days on end afterwards, describing people and places I¡¯ve never even heard of! He¡¯s a child! Children don¡¯t just randomly cast spells without even accumulating essence! It¡¯s impossible! And when I think of what the nobles might do to us if they ever find out! And now he¡¯s¡­¡± Ganturo clenched his fists at how much his son had to endure, before releasing them again, trying to focus on the immediate problem.

    ¡°I¡­no, Gillen needs help, medical help. The kind of help that healers around here can¡¯t offer. I¡¯m guessing you know at least one healer who¡¯s trustworthy and skilled enough to be able to help him.¡±

    The two men locked gazes again, before Ganturo rose from his seat¡­and kneeled before the count. This was his last resort. If this didn¡¯t work¡­he didn¡¯t even want to imagine what might happen to his son.

    ¡°My lord. I¡¯m begging you. Please¡­please¡­do not condemn my son to an early grave, or something worse.¡± His voice was full of emotion as he spoke, the words coming out in a near whisper, and he began to wonder if perhaps he had made a mistake. Maybe it would have been better if he had ¨C

    A soft hand grasped his shoulder, firmly clenching it before it released its hold on him. And when he heard the count¡¯s voice, it was softer than he imagined it would be.

    ¡°Please, Gan, stand up, there¡¯s no need for this.¡± He spoke calmly, having since recovered into a state where he could speak coherently.

    The two men stood together, the commoner just barely looking down on the count.

    ¡°I hope you realize you¡¯re going to be running errands and travelling quite a lot from now on. From what I¡¯ve heard, pregnant women need quite a bit of tending to.¡± Daxian¡¯s voice regained its teasing lilt to it, but Gan nearly broke down once he focused on the implications of the first sentence.

    Ganturo embraced his old friend fully, doing his best not to shed tears.

    ¡°Thank you, my lord, truly. I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± He began spewing words of gratitude, before his brain caught up with him and realized the implications of the count¡¯s second sentence.

    ¡°Your wife is pregnant?!¡± he half-yelled, forgetting where he was and his new station.

    Unfortunately, his new lord¡¯s lady barged into the room at precisely that moment and shouted, ¡°You lout! I told you not to tell anyone!¡±

    Her husband looked entirely unapologetic, a wide smile on his face, as he began to explain the situation to his newly-irritable wife.

 Interlude 2

    On this day, winter had decided to unleash its fury on the capital in the form of a relentless and bone-chilling wind that bypassed any protection offered by warm clothing. Thankfully, the royal palace was well-insulated and enchanted to provide the comforting warmth that only magic, or a well-lit fire, could provide. The king and queen were busy, and were not to be disturbed for any reason for the next few hours. The maids and servants who usually tended to their section of the palace at this time of day wisely chose to perform their duties elsewhere, though a few guards remained close by, either in the slim chance that an emergency occurred, or if the monarchs required something for their meeting.

    All of those factors combined meant that Olyn Degrachaff, Jyvra Academy professor and wife of the most exemplary marquis this side of the kingdom¡­ was stuck babysitting.

    She rolled her eyes as her youngest niece shoved the small beetle in her face, or at least attempted to, and began describing its qualities to her, as if she couldn¡¯t spot them for herself. Though she was being somewhat uncouth, having forgotten how younger children could be at times.

    She thanked the Mother that the ones at the academy at least had a modicum of restraint.

    ¡°Aunt Olyn, what do you think?¡±

    Her older niece¡¯s face turned towards her, her face showing well-concealed anticipation at the answer. For all her denial, the girl was becoming more and more like her mother with every passing day, both in appearance and demeanour. Even the way they kept their hands folded together was identical.

    ¡°Darling, why don¡¯t you play with your pets over there? I¡¯ll come over once your sister and I are done talking,¡± she said to little Mazhaan, softly tousling the girl¡¯s already silky-soft hair, who had already moved on from the beetle and onto a¡­why was there a spider in her hands?!

    ¡°Okay, On-toe-lin!¡± The little girl giggled while trundling off and covering up her mouth, turning an action that would be considered cute by most into something almost nauseating, as she had forgotten the spider was still in her clutches and held it practically on top of her mouth.

    ¡°Sorry, dear, what were you saying?¡± She turned back to Olyria, the sight of the spider having emptied her mind of their prior discussion.

    ¡°Have you heard anything about Marquis Beld¡¯s bastard son? He¡¯s been making waves in certain circles, something about farming, and I wanted to see if you had heard anything that I hadn¡¯t. That vile harpy ¨C¡±

    Olyn interrupted her niece before she said something that made her the subject of gossip. Even in the palace, there was always someone listening. Who knew when the right set of lips could be bribed or threatened into revealing something they shouldn¡¯t?

    ¡°I have, in fact, heard of that Beld boy,¡± she said conversationally. She lowered her voice as she leaned in to pour herself a fresh cup of tea, ¡°Watch your words, Ria. Everywhere.¡±

    As she returned to her former position, she kept talking. ¡°Apparently, he¡¯s discovered some new method for farming grains that almost doubles their yield, and it works non-magically as well. There¡¯s even some who claim his father, the good duke, is debating whether or not to legitimize him.¡±

    ¡°A bastard turning into a noble heir¡­it sounds like something out of one of those cheap romance novels,¡± her niece said scathingly, taking a sip of her tea.

    ¡°Oh?¡± She smiled. ¡°And how exactly do you know what is inside those cheap romance novels, my dear?¡±

    The girl nearly choked on her tea as she coughed incessantly, her cheeks turning a bright red that had nothing to do with how hot the tea was. She cast a pleading look to her aunt, which Olyn rolled her eyes at.

    ¡°You were fortunate no one else was around to witness such an amateur blunder, girl. Be grateful I¡¯m not going to hold this over your head,¡± she said, taking another sip of her tea and rendering mercy onto the poor girl.

    Olyria sighed in relief. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Olyn.¡±

    ¡°Though speaking of cheap romance novels¡­what has been going on with our little villager turned mage?¡±

    ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t remind me,¡± the girl¡¯s mood, which had just turned to something good, immediately swung back down, as her grimace resembled someone who had just unsuspectingly taken a bite out of a lemon.

    ¡°That fool did something impulsive and now father keeps complaining about how it set a bad precedent for the future.¡±

    ¡°Impulsive? He didn¡¯t seem the type when I knew him,¡± Olyn said doubtfully.

    ¡°The idiot made an ash house at the festival.¡± the girl deadpanned.

    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s rather odd¡­¡± She trailed off as she was lost in thought.

    ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s likely we¡¯ll never him again, and father said it was ultimately a good thing, in the end. His attitude made it clear he doesn¡¯t respect nobles, which is why father decided it was best to be rid of him, and gave him over to the beastfolk.¡±

    ¡°Sigh, what a shame. I made quite a bit of money when he transferred to Svenia Academy. I should look into sponsoring more promising youths. One percent of tuition fees is worth the risk. But, it¡¯s too bad about that young man. I was looking forward to seeing what other surprises he was capable of,¡± Olyn remarked.

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    ¡°Enough about him,¡± Olyria said. ¡°Who do you think would be a better match for Judwin, the third daughter of the¡­.¡±

    ========================================================================

    Elsewhere in the royal palace¡­

    The king stood in front of a large slab of natural glass, the edges lined with reflective gems and etched with runes too small to be seen by the naked eye. The slab was as wide as he was, and dwarfed over his height by nearly five feet. Their legends claimed it was originally used by the giants, but any evidence of such tales had been lost to time. Unlike the volcanic glass that turned the academies into a final point of retreat and a stronghold against the monsters, this glass was formed naturally over time from lightning strikes endlessly hitting some far-off elven shore for years at a time.

    His queen stood to the side, out of view of the slab, and did some last-minute touch-ups to her face, magically straightening her teeth, though she was never seen by anyone other than him. She claimed it was a part of her process, and he decided to leave well enough alone. She was there merely in an advisory role, though she would be eligible for his seat in the event of his death, as all the advisors were, to maintain the chain of communication.

    The gems in the slab began to glow, lighting up its edges, before they all dimmed to a softer brightness, and the king saw that he had once more been projected to the council chamber, his vision taking in the same surroundings he had seen scores of times.

    The slabs projected whoever stood in front of them (as well as their senses) into a nondescript stone cave, whose location was unknown, and hadn¡¯t been found even after thousands of years.

    The projections of most of the other council members began to appear as well, though most of them were far more lax about it than he was. While decorum said they should remain standing for the duration of the meeting, over the years, most of them had begun to sit or lie down during the council meetings.

    While the function of the council was to end any threats to their world prematurely, in truth, they had never had an incident that required their intervention, at least, not while the king was a member. Their lack of purpose had no doubt led to the loosening of traditions.

    They normally met once a year on the winter solstice, via their projections, though they could call an emergency meeting if a truly dire situation arose. For the most part, they tried to avoid mentioning political matters, though time had worn away those considerations, and now they merely used the council meetings to discuss any sensitive topics that could not be trusted to messengers or formations.

    ¡°Anything urgent to discuss?¡± one of the elven elders asked to the room at large.

    When nobody responded to her inquiry, she moved on.

    ¡°Very well. As it has been, the Wall continues to stand, though the number of reinforcements the monsters have received in recent years is¡­slightly concerning.¡± she mentioned calmly.

    ¡°Have they manifested any new abilities or base forms?¡± the patriarch of the crow tribe asked.

    ¡°None that we can tell, but they may just be keeping them concealed from us. Be on the lookout during your battles. Nobody wants a second coming of Valathen,¡± the elven elder said, citing the worst disaster in history.

    The tamer Valathen, having attempted to tame an injured vorander, was instead driven mad and ran off with them instead, where he lived among them for ten years and was believed dead before emerging in public again, this time standing with an army of voranders as it rampaged throughout the western half of the elven lands, spilling rivers of blood and

    Tens of thousands died, including civilians, as a result of his actions, but he was eventually slain at a high cost. It took the efforts of a renowned time mage to discover what he had done while living among the monsters. The time mage shared the man¡¯s memories as he saw them through a projection, and what Valathen had done had changed voranders forever.

    Somehow, the monsters had learned the secrets of taming through Valathen, allowing the monsters to dominate and breed with any beasts they believed would add to their strength, leading to the monsters gaining the appearance and features of various beasts.

    As if they weren¡¯t formidable enough already.

    The king agreed at the subtle reminder. Nobody wanted a repeat of an incident like that.

    ¡°How fares the effort to clean up the seas, Elder Mong?¡± The elven elder directed her question to the turtle-headed beastfolk.

    ¡°Poorly, as it always has. The sea tribes insist they are capable of handling the problem themselves, yet they report high casualties and request more supplies every time the subject is broached.¡± He shook his head in disappointment.

    A different elven councillor spoke up, weighing her words as she spoke them. ¡°If nothing changes, do you believe the matter of the seas will require the intervention of the Progen ¨C¡±

    ¡°No.¡± A deep voice resounded out.

    All those in attendance turned to the projection of a reptilian beastfolk, though his features were veiled by shadows and his voice unnaturally low. He was clearly obscuring his identity magically, though it could be argued the act was necessary.

    After all, what if the wrong person were to discover who exactly this person was, who could speak to the last true dragons alive?

    ¡°The Progenitors have made their intentions clear. They will not act unless the Barrier falls, or an equally large threat appears.¡± The reptilian beastfolk said.

    Although the identity of the dragonkin (a ridiculous and needlessly pompous title) was not known to anyone, the other council members were well known to each other, as each one had been afforded a seat on the council due to their expertise in their specific field, whether that field was politics, education, magic, or martial might.

    ¡°I seem to recall informing the council, in the recent past no less, about finding remnant traces of spatial magic in a destroyed spawning ground. Surely collaboration between monsters and an unknown perpetrator is cause for their insight, if not their involvement?¡± the headmaster of one of the academies put forth.

    But it seemed the dragonkin was not of the same mind as him.

    ¡°My statement still stands. The Progenitors believe we are capable of dealing with most issues, and will not stunt our development by coddling us and cleaning up every mess that occurs.¡±

    ¡°You would sacrifice the lives of innocent children in the name of growth?¡± another headmaster whispered, this one having recently replaced her predecessor due to old age and its accompanying illnesses.

    The dragonkin sighed before continuing. ¡°It is unfortunate but necessary that the weak give way to the strong. Perhaps your time would be better served teaching your students more potent magics than sending them to die pointlessly, or whining about the consequences of your own actions.¡±

    It was a hard truth to hear, and an even harder one to accept, but he was right. The strong justified their own existence, proving themselves more worthy of resources and investments than the weak and indolent. The king believed that everyone deserved a chance to  demonstrate their qualities, if only so that no stone was left unturned, but once a person had used up their chance, that was the end of any leniency given to them.

    The newly instated headmaster and council member apparently did not share the same views as the dragonkin, as she began cursing at him profoundly and proficiently.

    ¡°If there is nothing else, we can end today¡¯s meeting here,¡± the elven elder said.

    The majority of the projections winked out of existence at her words, leaving only two still in the chamber.

    ¡°Be honest with me, King Elpis,¡± the elephant beastfolk said. ¡°Does that boy possess honor or not?¡±

    Even the mention of that boy mage put the king in an irritable mood. It was one thing to be casual and informal, and the king had even enjoyed the novelty of someone speaking to him like that, but outright disrespect? That could not be tolerated. It was why he had changed his mind about attempting to keep the boy bound to the kingdom. The king could see it in his eyes.

    That boy, no, that young man cared nothing for politics or the kingdom. He barely kept up the pretense that he was interested at all. He wanted something else, though he had no idea what exactly that was.

    ¡°Is that not what his upcoming trial is meant to determine? I have no doubt you will find your own eyes far more compelling than my tongue. Enjoy the rest of your day, Chief Phuon.¡±

    And with that, the king¡¯s vision reverted from a dank cave to a thick slab of glass leaning against an empty room, his wife standing to the side.

    Even through the enchantments and the thick stones of the palace walls, he could feel the barest breeze of the winter chill. The slab¡¯s functionality required it be placed as far east as possible, which meant the winds were at their fiercest in this room.

    He turned to his wife slowly, and she read his expression in but a moment.

    They would be warmed up soon enough.

 Interlude 3

    Detective Johnson looked at the two pieces of human filth spasming on the marble entryway and was glad they had resisted arrest. He would have preferred to use his own taser, but Officer Mendez was a quicker draw than he. The kid was probably looking forward to it, too, judging by the way he was hopping up and down.

    Taking out his handcuffs, he forced the tall bastard¡¯s giant wrists into them, specially requisitioning a comically large pair for this particular suspect.

    ¡°Corey Bouley, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can, and will, be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney and to have an attorney present for any questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights as I have said them to you?¡±

    He wouldn¡¯t get anything usable out of Bouley or his girlfriend now that they were a blubbering, drooling mess, but at least he could add resisting arrest to the list of charges. He said his piece, just so the bodycams would have it on record, and enlisted the officers with him to stuff the both of them into the back of their cruiser.

    The law was the law, and it had its place, but his job would be so much easier if he didn¡¯t have to deal with damn criminal defense attorneys. Those two would definitely hire some high-priced bigshots from one of the big law firms, and he knew he would be buried in depositions and paperwork for at least a year or two before those two ever saw the inside of a courtroom.

    But, for all that he grumbled and moaned about the annoyance, at the end of the day, it was worth it, as he reminded himself of the kinds of things they had done and covered up.

    Extortion, assault, battery, vehicular manslaughter, and the big guy had even stumbled into smuggling fentanyl across the border.

    And of course, the brutal assault and near-murder of that unlucky kid in his 20¡¯s, which a terrified yet resolved shopkeeper had given them footage of.

    The first time he had seen the footage, he was shocked at the lengths Bouley was willing to go to, all on his girlfriend¡¯s insistence. But he was even more shocked when the footage showed the body just¡­disappearing into thin air.

    Dozens of people had been over that site by now, looking for anything to explain it. Their department¡¯s CSI¡¯s were stumped, as were the forensic analysts from the lab and even the Feds when they caught wind of it.

    The body, and there was no doubt in anyone¡¯s mind that it was a body, had just disappeared, though a judge had ruled that the tape was admissible and was grounds for further investigation.

    But all the legal proceedings in the world couldn¡¯t wipe the smirk off Johnson¡¯s face.

    Those two were bound for prison and, try as they might, no attorney could disregard the mountain of evidence the police had collected. Despite their willingness and zeal for engaging in a criminal lifestyle, they weren¡¯t exactly criminal masterminds.

    Two years later¡­

    ¡°On three counts of murder in the first degree, I find you guilty, and hereby sentence you to ¡­¡±

    ¡°On thirty-seven counts of aggravated assault, I find you guilty, and sentence you to¡­¡±

    ¡°On two counts of tax evasion, I find you guilty and sentence you to¡­¡±

    ¡°On sixteen counts of possession of illegal substances over ten pounds, I find you guilty, and sentence you to¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Bouley, if you have anything to say, now is the time to say it.¡± the judge said impassively.

    The courtroom was practically empty, except for him, the judge, the four bailiffs, the stenographer, and his attorney. Corey had at least wanted some cameras at his trial for more publicity, and he was even thinking of trying to swing one of those true crime documentaries for himself. He remembered reading a tweet about how ladies loved criminals, some psychological shit or something, it was too complicated for him, but then those dreams died when they connected one of his suppliers to a terrorist cell, and now the courtroom was empty of all ¡®non-essential personnel¡¯ as he became known as a national security threat,

    This courtroom was his last stop before he got shipped off to some federal lockup somewhere.

    He didn¡¯t even get the chance to tell Ellie goodbye.

    And these dickwads expected him to say something?

    ¡°I ain¡¯t wasting my breath on the likes of you. You can bet your ass I¡¯m gonna kill you in your next life. All of you,¡± and he glared at everyone in the room just to make his point.

    ¡°Bailiff, please take the defendant into custody,¡± the judge declared, his tone so full of boredom, it was like he heard threats like that every day.

    Maybe Corey had lost his touch after two years of house arrest.

    ¡°My apologies, Mr. Bouley, but it appears our time together is at an end,¡± his attorney said as he collected some papers into his briefcase and snapped it shut. ¡°If you truly wish to, you can attempt to appeal the court¡¯s decision, but I¡¯d advise against it. There¡¯s just too much evidence against you, not to mention the possibility of the feds getting involved with possible terrorism charges ... .Make your peace, Mr. Bouley. You don¡¯t have that much longer left. Do you want me to pass on a message to Ms. Cordson?¡±

    Ellie¡­

    ¡°Tell her I¡¯ll find her eventually.¡± His attorney nodded as he patted his arm before leaving the courtroom. Thousands of dollars wasted, just like that.

    And it looked like he would be getting wasted soon, too.

    Eleven months later¡­

    He was finally getting out of this hellhole, some damn supermax prison in the middle of Colorado. He thought about escaping at first, but it was impossible.

    Cameras, motion detectors, laser beams, razor wire fences, attack dogs, it was all just too much.

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    This was the end of the line for him.

    Everything about the place was shit. The food was shit, the beds were shit, even the tiny four-inch windows were shit, as he barely got to see the sky. Seeing the sun meant the day was good.

    He tried to lose himself in working out, as he had before in his life, but he was never allowed outside for long enough to get a good workout going.

    Winter was bad, especially in the hole, the solitary confinement unit that was maybe eight feet by ten. The guards weren¡¯t exactly big on fairness, and he found himself thrown in there multiple times for no reason whatsoever.

    The first time he lashed out, he got caged, and he had no desire to repeat that experience ever again. Stripped to nothing, made to stand in a tiny box and hosed with pressurized water in the middle of winter, if that wasn¡¯t torture, nothing was.

    When one of the guards propositioned him, he almost exploded and nearly tried to kill the man, but he leashed his temper and let out a quiet no.

    The big man hadn¡¯t liked that, so he unleashed his full arsenal on Corey. Pepper spray, a taser, a damn baton, and a fucking dog that clung to his leg like a steak, leaving him with a permanent limp that the damn infirmary couldn¡¯t do anything about.

    But he had endured, and now he was finally getting out of here, and the best part?

    He got to do it lying down.

    The day of his departure, he was strapped to a gurney, and his limbs were restrained by chains and leather straps and plenty of other things to keep him from attempting to escape.

    But they were wasting their time. He was looking forward to leaving.

    Dying. He closed his eyes, and stopped lying to himself. He didn¡¯t mind dying if living meant more of this.

    There was a tiny prick, and he felt himself falling asleep¡­it was about as good an ending as he would get.

    Until he felt pain.

    Massive amounts of pain. So massive he was ripped from dreamland and thrust back into the real world, his muscles burning and his heart pounding, as he began convulsing mindlessly.

    Just then, when the pain nearly became too much for him to handle, Corey heard a voice in his head. And it wasn¡¯t his, cause it was a girl¡¯s, no, a woman¡¯s voice.

    As she spoke, he got the sense she was old, like, really old. She just gave off that vibe, even though he could only hear her voice.

    But the most important part was that the pain was gone, and so was he. He was floating in some dark space thing that he couldn¡¯t describe well. It looked like the night sky but without any stars.

    ¡°Ooh, you look like a decent prospect! Hello, convict. And what exactly happened to you, to land you where you are now?¡± she said excitedly.

    ¡°...Who are you? How are you talking in my head? And why is the pain gone? Are you doing that?¡± Corey asked. His mind was racing with questions, but the woman was already a step ahead of him.

    ¡°For now, I¡¯m your savior. If you need a name to call me, hmmm¡­you can call me Ira. So tell me, little criminal. If I offered you freedom, right here and right now, along with more power than you¡¯ve ever dreamt of, would you be willing to take it? Or would you rather die and put an end to the suffering?¡±

    ¡­She was baiting him. He wasn¡¯t a rocket scientist or anything, but he was smart enough to know she wanted him to do something for her.

    And why the fuck wouldn¡¯t he?! Freedom, and power? Who the fuck would say no to that?!

    ¡°Can you do that? I want what you said. Freedom and power.¡± he replied eagerly, throwing away his desire to die that was so strong only a few seconds ago.

    ¡°The better question is, why should I give that to you? What can you offer me, little criminal, that I might want?¡± she said leadingly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you my soul. That¡¯s what devils and demons want, right? After I die, you can have my soul and do whatever you want with it, as long as you give me what you said before,¡± he offered.

    Only a demon was capable of doing something like this, and it¡¯s not like he had any use for his soul. What had it ever done for him while he was alive? He might as well use it to get himself a  ¡®get out of jail free¡¯ card.

    ¡°By the laws set forth in the Charter of the Ancients, I, ********, offer freedom from this little prison and a portion of my abilities to the human¡­what¡¯s your name, human?¡±

    ¡°Uh, Corey Bouley.¡±

    ¡°To the human named Corey Bouley, in exchange for his soul after his death, offered willingly and without  external influence. I ask the Charter to stand witness as the pledge is upheld.¡±

    And before he knew it, Corey was back in the real world, listening to the nurse on his right panicking about the muscle mass interfering with finding a vein, and some other science shit, when the pain erupted worse than before, turning into unbearable agony and making him wonder if he had hallucinated or made a mistake, when the pain¡­transformed.

    All of a sudden, the pain was¡­part of him, while being separate from him. His whole body felt different. The pain from his leg was gone, as were the million other bruises and cuts he¡¯d gotten in his time here. He felt stronger, like he was¡­just more.

    ¡°I have given you a tiny fraction of the power I wield, but it¡¯s up to you to find your freedom. I can only do this much,¡± she said.

    And as she stopped speaking, all of his restraints burst apart, metal and leather and a hard plastic snapping and fraying, giving him free movement again. He kicked the male nurse, who was probably gay if he actually chose to be a nurse, and was still holding the needle that almost killed him.

    He kicked the guy until he was sure the nurse was dead.

    The prison guard was frozen in shock, and Corey took the opportunity to knock him out with a right hook, and followed up by drawing his pistol and shooting him in the chest twice.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, little criminal. All you have to do is think, and you can make your enemies feel the kind of pain you just went through. I mean that literally. Just point your hand at them and think about it, and they¡¯ll collapse to the floor, screaming in agony.¡±

    The lady demon seemed to be getting off on watching him kill people, but hey, he didn¡¯t care if it was her kink or whatever.

    Especially when her promises came true, as any guards he saw collapsed in agony once he pointed his hand at them, and he was free to kill them afterwards.

    The absolute best part was the sun, shining in the sky despite the cold of winter and the wisps of clouds threatening to cover it up.

    It was all worth it.

    He looked around the prison yard, the carpets of bodies and pools of blood around him in every direction, and figured he should kill that prick who wanted to screw him too.

    But he wouldn¡¯t stop at the assholes who ran this place. There was a judge for him to torture, not to mention his useless attorney, and the cops who arrested him.

    And he had to kill Ellie too. He said he¡¯d find her eventually, and he meant it, now more than ever before.

    After his lawyer told him she narc¡¯d on him to reduce her sentence, he nearly went ballistic and almost tore through the metal chains around his wrists and stomach.

    But now he didn¡¯t have to worry about consequences anymore.

    Now he could do whatever he really wanted.

    As he made his way to the warden¡¯s office, stepping on the neck of the closest guard, he realized something that made him laugh. He had been right before, that today was the day he would leave this prison.

    He had just been so very wrong about how it would go down.

 Interlude 4

    ¡°Now do you believe me?¡± the alluring voice asked her.

    Ellie nodded vigorously, too stunned by¡­whatever the hell that was.

    She had just been going about her day, ordering Uber Eats and doing her damnedest to forget that she was in Witness Protection, when the mystical voice of an invisible woman sounded out in her head. At first Ellie thought maybe she was going mad, or someone was playing a prank on her, until the voice¡¯s owner did something¡­she couldn¡¯t explain what happened, but now she was willing to believe the owner was someone with magic powers or something similar to that.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± she nervously asked, hesitant to even question someone who had demonstrated the kind of capabilities she had.

    ¡°I think the better question is, what do you want from me?¡±

    ¡°I think¡­I want you to protect me¡­for the rest of my life. Can you do that?¡± she asked.

    The sound of laughter rang out in her head, and even though Ellie wasn¡¯t attracted to women, she felt an undeniable pull towards the sound of that laughter. Like finding out what the person who just made that fairy-tale perfect laughter sounded like.

    ¡°Oh darling, you¡¯re hysterical! Really, perhaps you¡¯re more suited to be a jokester than a whore!¡±

    ¡°I am NOT a whore!¡± Ellie vehemently shouted.

    ¡°Oh? Perhaps you have a different understanding of the word than I do. You offer beauty, false promises, and nothing else, and in exchange, you take as much as you can from men without invoking their wrath. Does that sound about right?¡±

    ¡°Shut up! You have no idea who I am, or what my life¡¯s been like! You can¡¯t just come in here and judge me! You¡¯re not a god!¡± she yelled.

    ¡°Are you certain of that, little shrew?¡± The woman¡¯s voice, once pleasant and carefree, turned harder than steel in an instant, all levity evaporating.

    And Ellie remembered what the person was capable of, and finally started to fear for her life, as prey did when it met a predator.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it, please don¡¯t kill me, I¡¯ll do whatever you want!¡± she begged, her fear lowering her voice to a whisper, as she slid against the wall and ended up on her knees.

    ¡°Oh, stop whimpering, little whore. For one such as I, your life has little value to it, as does your death. Though you are correct on one account. I¡¯m not a god. At least, not yet,¡± she said, and the powerful woman spoke with assurance, as if her godhood was only a matter of time.

    ¡°Now¡­I want you to truly think about my next question. What do you truly desire? What does your heart yearn for above all else? What can you not live without?¡±

    This time, Ellie listened to the powerful being who was an almost-god, and thought about the questions.

    What did she want?

    Money? It was nice, essential even, but she could always find ways to get it herself.

    Love? She nearly snorted at the thought. Love was pointless, no, it was downright poisonous and painful. Her ex rotting in prison and scheduled to die any day now was a perfect example of how love could go wrong. She never wanted to feel that particular type of pain again.

    World peace? ¡­Yeah, no, she wasn¡¯t Mother Teresa. People could go fuck themselves for all the help they¡¯d given her.

    Power?

    Hmmm, it depended on what kind of power though. Oh!

    ¡°Can you offer me immortality?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Hahaha, you certainly don¡¯t dream small, little whore. No, that is beyond my ability. Immortality must be earned, unlike other things.¡±

    ¡°Then, what exactly can you offer me? Is there a catalog or something?¡± Ellie asked.

    ¡°How about you tell me what you want first, and we¡¯ll work from there?¡± the demigod countered.

    Ellie had never had great experiences with the vaunted female intuition, but she could tell something was¡­off with this supposed demigod.

    Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t in a position to do much about it. The only reason she hadn¡¯t been killed yet is that the demigoddess thought she wasn¡¯t worth her time.

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    ¡°Then, I want power. The power to stay safe no matter what. The power to make people do as I wish whenever I want. The power to not feel pain, of any kind, ever again.¡±

    ¡°And what do you offer in return for this¡­gift?¡± the near-goddess asked.

    ¡°My loyalty. I¡¯ll,¡± Ellie gulped nervously before she continued speaking, ¡°I¡¯ll be your servant or, or your slave¡­¡± She thought that if she could be part of the woman¡¯s group of followers, she might be better protected.

    ¡°Nice try, but I already have more servants and slaves than I know what to do with. Not to mention the amount of time and resources it would take to get you properly trained! No, offer something else,¡± she said imperiously.

    ¡°My beauty?¡± Ellie half-asked.

    ¡°Sigh, that will fade with time, little whore, unless you happen to be a secret daughter of the ****** bloodline. Tch, these damn restrictions¡­Besides, I¡¯ve been called beautiful myself on several occasions. I hardly need your beauty to bolster my own.¡±

    Ellie didn¡¯t know what happened, but she wasn¡¯t getting anywhere like this.

    She had offered things that she thought the woman would accept, but she had been wrong every time.

    Wait, wasn¡¯t this practically a deal with the devil? A mysterious and powerful stranger offered whatever you want in exchange for your soul?

    ¡­Would she accept her soul as payment?

    ¡°How about my soul?¡± she offered.

    A few seconds of silence followed her proposal, until the powerful woman chose to speak once more.

    ¡°Do you even know what your soul is worth, little whore?¡±

    ¡°Does it matter?¡±

    Another eternity of silence ensued, when the woman spoke up yet again.

    ¡°Very well.¡± the woman said, before a subtle yet all-encompassing sensation surrounded Ellie completely.

    ¡°I, ********, in accordance with the regulations set forth in the Charter of the Ancients, hereby offer the minor boons of protection, resilience, and seduction to the little whore¡­what did you say your name was?¡±

    Ellie tried to speak up before and object to the seduction part, but found herself unable to move or react in any meaningful way, until the woman addressed her directly, and her full legal name spilled out of her mouth without her consent. ¡°Eleanor Rigby Irene Cordson.¡± She always hated that her parents named her after an old Beatles song. They weren¡¯t even alive in the sixties!

    ¡°In exchange for these boons, the little whore Eleanor Rigby Irene Cordson, offers her soul willingly and without external influence or undue pressure. I request the Charter to stand witness as the pledge is upheld.¡±

    And within the span of a few seconds, Ellie changed from a prisoner in all but name, to something¡­more. Something that transcended mere humanity and touched upon a higher concept.

    Something powerful.

    The power didn¡¯t make her stronger or faster, or even smarter for that matter, but she felt¡­more of everything. Like there was a tiny fire in her heart, enhancing every part of her on its own.

    ¡°Congratulations, little whore. You¡¯ve taken your first step on the path to greatness. You should be able to feel your soul now, and you¡¯ll find my gifts for you in there. Play with them as you will, but don¡¯t take too long. Your world is about to change, and if you want even the faintest chance of falling under my protection, you¡¯ll need to be of use to me.¡±

    Ellie felt the soft fuzziness inside her that was her soul, and the three¡­things that were hovering there. Just looking at them made her feel more secure.

    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± she said eagerly.

    Three years later¡­

    ¡°How many acolytes have you found so far, ******?¡±

    ¡°Sigh, only twelve. You?¡±

    ¡°Thirty. I¡¯ve glimpsed their culture, and I must say, I expected more to be willing.¡±

    ¡°And this business with devils and souls, do you know who came up with that?¡±

    ¡°Haha, it hardly matters! Whoever instilled that idea among them deserves a gift of the highest order! They¡¯re practically throwing their souls at us! And human souls have such a¡­specific sensation.¡±

    ¡°I know exactly what you mean. Chaotic, yet ordered. Fickle, yet resolved. They¡¯re just so¡­contrary, without falling apart. I love it!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we only have a small window before others find this place and the masses begin to awaken as well.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know, you don¡¯t have to be so tiresome about it!¡±

    ¡°Apologies, little sister. It¡¯s just, the chances of finding proper subordinates is growing more and more difficult, and the stress of the quotas we need to meet¡­not to mention, I heard some rumors that someone already Seeded a human ... before we discovered this place.¡±

    ¡°What?! How is that possible? There was barely any mana for the world to sustain itself when we came! Seeding a human before then would be impossible with the pitiful levels of ambient mana, not to mention it would probably kill whoever was hosting it, as they wouldn¡¯t be able to feed it their own mana.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an interesting topic of conversation, but it is just a rumor. Ooh, there¡¯s another one about to end himself! I need to go, but I¡¯ll see you later!¡±

    And like that, the two friends separated once again, their recruitment efforts taking priority over socializing.

    After all, without a god overseeing the populace, Earth and its surroundings were ripe for the taking, at least until more powerful entities took notice of the amount of activity going on and made their own claims on the newly awakened masses.

 Interlude 5

    After an endless day¡¯s travel from the capital to the easternmost port city, they were finally in the sky and on their way home.

    It had been hundreds, if not thousands, of years since any coastal settlements were built with seaworthy vessels in mind. It was unfortunate that monsters were capable of spawning underwater as well, but their initial invasion of the seas had rendered most ships useless, unable to withstand the fury that only voranders could create.

    Thankfully, the elves had created a solution that had helped solve the transportation crisis:

    Sky ships.

    They were crafted from the enormous trees that grew in the elven lands, and magically reshaped and resized until they resembled a bird with its wings outstretched, a shape they insisted on, and enhanced with the maximum amount of protective and auxiliary formations that each ship could safely utilize.

    Nowadays, the only seagoing vessels one could see were tiny fishing barges that only dared to tread the shallowest of waters in hopes of catching whatever fish were nearby. Port towns and coastal cities evolved from storing and maintaining seaworthy vessels to handling their larger and more relevant cousins, the skyships.

    The skyships were only half a solution, however. The formations that powered them, while necessary, were also expensive, and thus not realistic to be used for constant long-distance travelling.

    That was where the web of teleportation formations came into play.

    There were numerous islands and landmasses that dotted the seas between the continents, and any island that met the necessary requirements were used to host a spatial formation. Eventually, chains of formations that covered the entire sea were established, which meant skyships only had to travel part of the distance instead of the entire way.

    Going from one teleportation formation to another until they reached the mainland was tedious, and nauseating, not to mention time-consuming, but it truly was the best solution at hand. Beasts couldn¡¯t be expected to haul passengers through the skies or the seas, not to mention both routes weren¡¯t always safe to travel through.

    Afon was just distracting himself with the logistics of their travels, so he didn¡¯t have to think any more about their¡­ ¡®guest¡¯.

    The young man they were tasked to escort back to their homeland was¡­disturbingly similar to what he thought of as a beastkin. The elder that was in charge of this task had suggested that the human not be left alone for too long, lest he reveal himself to be a villain and attempt to flee or assault them. With what he knew of the young human mage, it seemed unlikely, but¡­ it was better to err on the side of caution.

    The human mage did the same things for the two days they were on the skyship. He woke up an hour before sunrise, performed a complex breathing technique that drew in essence to his body like a carcass drew in scavengers, and went on to do some¡­odd, but repetitive movements of his body. Jumping up and down like a frog, pushing himself up and down against the floor, nearly squatting on the floor before standing up again only to do it over and over, there were dozens of them.

    After that, he moved on to weapons training. The young man only had a single shortsword, crafted in the human style, and he even asked permission to go through his forms before Afon allowed it, curious to see how well-trained the mage was. He hadn¡¯t been an envoy for long, and had infrequent interactions with humans outside of their yearly festivals, but he had heard that mages tended to favor learning spells over honing their bodies, while warriors and knights did the opposite.

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    Unfortunately for the young mage, it seemed to be true.

    He looked like a cub who had just been handed a blade for the first time. For all that he repeated his sets of movements, swinging and thrusting, adjusting his footwork when he noticed an error, he clearly had little affinity for the weapon, as he made mistakes that even an amateur would not.

    It seemed like he was attempting to walk the path of the spellblade, utilizing both magic and weapons in combat, but his training was clearly not good enough.

    After training, he would take out a large book and flip through its pages, staring at the words as if they held all the secrets of the world within them. When Skarl, the younger of the two wolf tribe cousins, approached him and asked what the book was about, the human mage smiled and began describing it.

    A merchant¡¯s diary from thousands of years ago.

    It was clearly out of date, as Skarl took great pleasure in correcting him whenever he read out a part of the book that was incorrect, though they all laughed when he rolled his eyes at the author describing his lover for the tenth time.

    The human would only stop reading during mealtimes, when he pocketed half of his food, storing it in his pack for a ¡®midnight snack¡¯. Humans had odd turns of phrase at times.

    Between lunch and dinner, he stared out at the sea, though there was very little to look at beside the endless pale blue waters and the occasional island or whale breaching the surface.

    After dinner, the human did some movements for unarmed combat, which were equally as appalling as his blade skills, until he performed his breathing technique once again before falling asleep.

    He had a routine, which spoke to discipline.

    He understood the value of history, with how fixated he was on that age-old book.

    He knew he had to improve, which was why he kept training despite the lack of results.

    And, not wanting to cause further offense, the human asked if he should continue to speak in their tongue once they reached the mainland, or whether the elders would find fault with him. He realized the boy had a poor memory and was not being obtuse deliberately, so he repeated the words he had spoken earlier, that it would likely be seen as a good sign.

    It was obvious the boy was being sincere, both through his words and his actions.

    Humans had been known to conceal darkness within them, but this little human thus far had shown great respect and humility, qualities he had found most human nobles he interacted with were lacking. It was possible the human was faking his contrition, but from how easily he got flustered when asked about his lovers, he doubted the boy was capable of that.

    If it were up to him, Afon would declare the human innocent of any wrongdoing regarding the ash house. The human, Rhaaj, had claimed he was ignorant of how significant it was when he did it, and Afon was inclined to believe him.

    The man was a terrible liar, after all. He hadn¡¯t won a single dice game thus far.

    Unfortunately, his words and his support would mean very little to the elders deciding his fate. He was an envoy, which was barely a step above a messenger. Anything he said would likely bring more trouble to Rhaaj instead of tipping the scales in his favor. His brothers from the different tribes were of a similar mind to him, when he brought up the topic. Yet their collective support would still not be enough to sway the elders¡¯ minds.

    Rhaaj the human was walking to a possible death with peace on his face and in his heart.

    If nothing else, that earned the respect of those meant to escort him there.

    It also meant that despite his terrible swordsmanship and small frame, the human had the true makings of a warrior.

 Chapter 51

    My time on the skyship was mostly spent reading.

    Yeah, the first time I saw it, I was impressed with the feat of magical engineering, but it was basically just a magical knockoff version of a blimp or early airplane. Shaped like a bird with wings extended outward, it was completely wooden and only had two decks to it. The crew were a mix of all three races, and each one handled a different area. The elves were responsible for navigation and steering, the bird tribe beastfolk detected any beasts or turbulent air currents in the vicinity, due to their superior senses, and the humans dealt with powering the ship by transmitting their essence to it via the essence stones. It was, from what I could sense, mainly propelled by wind magic, though the wings allowed it to glide for long periods of time, and more wind spells were used to stabilize the altitude so nothing went flying off everytime it turned.

    Despite the ¡®advanced¡¯ piece of technology, though, it wasn¡¯t anything I hadn¡¯t seen before, and like I said, I mostly spent my time reading. I stuck to my daily routine even now, as I had ingrained the habit into my mind a while ago, and I only read through the merchant¡¯s diary while I was being watched.

    Whenever I took the time to look out at the unsurprisingly monotonous sea view, though, was when I could read from my personal collection of books. I had painstakingly copied as many books from the academy library as I could during my time there. I had to brute-force learning water manipulation without the affinity, which took a while but was worth it in the end. I figured there was no such thing as a copyright, and plagiarism wouldn¡¯t be a big deal if I was a whole continent away, so why not do it? The cost of normal ink was too high for me to use it on every book, so I used whatever alternatives were available to me: colorfully dyed water, blood,  both animal and my own, and a cheaper version of ink made of soot, water, and animal fat. The paper wasn¡¯t nearly as bad, especially since my repeated bulk orders elicited a price discount.

    I now had my own library in my beast space-slash-inventory, and I took every chance I could to peruse something there while my escorts assumed I was sea-gazing.

    Though, my ability to do so was a recent acquisition. Very recent.

    As in, I think I gained the ability when I finally managed to extinguish the phantom voice that had been harassing and infiltrating my thoughts for so long. I became aware of it almost at once, but I only tested it my first night on the skyship before sleeping.

    I was able to project my consciousness into my beast space, while my body remained in the outside world, and nobody could even notice the difference. I got the impression that if I experimented or trained with it more, I would eventually be able to split my focus and see both my beast space and the outside world at the same time, but there was a long way to go before I reached that point.

    For now, I looked braindead when I was mentally in my beast space, which had led to some awkward conversations with the others aboard the ship. I tried to pass it off as me just being slow to recover from the ¡®majesty of the sea¡¯, and most just took it in stride.

    Naturally, books weren¡¯t the only addition to my beast space.

    I had hundreds of outfits piled up with every piece of clothing that I could get my hands on. Of course, my wallet took a hit, but it was definitely a worthwhile series of purchases.

    Shirts, tunics, pants, trousers, boots, sandals, jackets, coats, robes, underwear, socks, gloves, I had it all.

    Where I spent less money was on weapons and armor.

    If I ever got into a combat situation, like with that asshole that ambushed me, I would default to using magic as my primary weapon, most likely blood magic. Theoretically, I could hold a parrying weapon or a shield in my left hand, but¡­magic would serve just as well, and the extra weight would make a difference. I still wasn¡¯t the best at combat, whenever I sparred or trained with my friends, and that held doubly true when I was limited to mundane weapons.

    That didn¡¯t mean I was useless with a sword, just¡­next to useless. I seriously thought my shortsword/shield combo was viable for me, but it still didn¡¯t work out long-term, and I found myself stuck on the same problem of finding a suitable weapon for myself.

    All my pondering on weapons and armor didn¡¯t dissuade me from buying what I could, though I spent more on cheap, easily replaceable pieces of armor than the few racks of weapons I did have lying around. My best armor was of course bought with my academy points and it was just exemplary, as it had multiple enchantments and was blood-bonded to me, so even if someone killed me, they wouldn¡¯t be able to use it.

    Where I saw the most change was in the¡­zoological¡­additions to my beast space, which slowly expanded in size to accommodate all of them. I got over my hesitation over the whole ethics of taming, and just decided to go along with it. For better or worse, I had this power, and ensuring it reached its maximum potential was more important than my personal feelings.

    Hundreds of animals.

    Dozens of creatures.

    A handful of beasts.

    And scores of voranders. Unfortunately, not all of them were living. However, that didn¡¯t mean they were useless to me, no, quite the opposite.

    Nope, some of them had been ¡®tamed¡¯ by me while they were on the very brink of death, and that somehow meant that once they appeared in my beast space, they died ... .and then were reanimated.

    And not by me.

    So I now had undead voranders that I could unleash on someone if they pissed me off too much.

    I had to find out the extent of the change, so I attempted to tame other fully dead entitites, but it never worked on any of them, so my fears that I was a budding necromancer were, ironically, put to rest.

    That didn¡¯t change the fact that I had undead voranders in my beast space that I definitely couldn¡¯t show to anyone.

    Oh, and in my rush to review everything I had acquired, I had forgotten something else that infuriated me.

    Being deported out of the kingdom and sent to the beastfolk lands meant all my money was worthless, as they had a completely different currency system there.

    So yeah, the piles of money I had stumbled into through gambling were now just dull pieces of iron.

    Yet another reason for me to hate the king.

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    ¡°Are you alright, little brother?¡± a deep voice asked, bringing me out of my beast space and my ruminating.

    I turned to my left side and saw Afon, the panther-man who was the leader of this little band of envoys. He had been nothing but respectful to me, despite the circumstances, and I returned the courtesy. As I learned in my beastfolk language classes, calling someone brother or sister was a term of respect or friendship, though it didn¡¯t help that the same word was used for literal brothers and sisters.

    ¡°Apologies. I was just thinking of the nature of change and how it arrives whether we wish it to or not.¡±

    He narrowed his eyes, though I could tell he wasn¡¯t upset with me, as his tail continued to swish back and forth at a steady pace. ¡°Do you often consider such¡­profound truths in your thoughts?¡±

    I smiled at his response, taking extra care to ensure it didn¡¯t come off as a smirk. ¡°Hardly, I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m a simple man. But, as the world has repeatedly shown me, life isn¡¯t fair. Simplicity often isn¡¯t enough to live a life of peace and happiness.¡±

    He considered my words before replying with a smirk on his face. ¡°Well, now I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re a liar or not.¡±

    I shook my head in amusement as I turned back to the sea, the conversation dying out as the two of us simply took in the sight of the rolling waves and the sparse islands. It was a rare amicable silence that reigned over our time watching the waters.

    Though that silence was eventually broken by loud shouts, as the crew were informing everyone of an incoming obstacle on our trajectory.

    An obstacle made of pitch-black, dangerous, and violently sadistic bodies. The voranders had shown up. They were soaring towards us and would be on us in less than two minutes.

    ¡°Should I assist in the defense, Brother Afon?¡± I hurriedly asked him. I could kill anything that got too close with my blood magic, but I didn¡¯t want to interfere if the crew had their own methods for handling these situations.

    His eyes gleamed as he looked at me and squeezed my shoulder. ¡°This is not the time for boasting, so be honest. What magics can you perform?¡±

    ¡°Blood and nature, and a few water spells I know of.¡± I replied quickly.

    ¡°Use your blood spells for now. Though, try not to damage the ship.¡± He said, before rushing off to find someone else.

    I quickly drew some of my blood and shaped it into dozens of needles, a shield with serrated edges, and a small length of chains. I could use them to restrain or choke out any enemies that approached me. I had the idea to use the shield as a buzzsaw if I could rotate it quickly enough to cut through limbs.

    Judging by what I could see, the horde was about two hundred bodies in total. If I timed it right, I could clip their wings and tame them without anyone seeing. I had done it before in previous monster waves, though I would have to keep an eye out for the vaunted beastfolk senses, said to be far superior to a human¡¯s.

    There were barely any souls aboard the ship, so everyone who could be spared for combat was on the upper deck, weapons or spells at the ready. I counted ten crew members, eight envoys, and me.

    Great, we were outnumbered ten to one and had nowhere to retreat to. If we fell back to the lower deck, the monsters would have free reign on the upper deck and could corrode or destroy it entirely if left unchecked. With skyships being the only viable mode of intercontinental transport, losing this one would be a huge blow in more ways than one.

    Not to mention the possibility of death.

    The voranders looked like distant cousins to birds, as they had feathered wings and sharp talons, but I spotted other features as they dove on us, tentacles and extra mouths, multiple tails that were more appropriate for a snake than a bird. There was even one that had a scorpion stinger the size of my body.

    As they descended, I was struck with another bolt of inspiration and reshaped most of my blood, leaving only the shield in its original form, into a pair of blender blades as large as I could make them without compromising their integrity. Without any hesitation, I started rotating them in the air, sending them above us to meet the enemy.

    Most of the horde avoided it, but I snagged at least twenty before they realized how lethal it was and swerved away. I quickly drained them of their blood and superheated it to the point it was boiling. With precision, I reformed them into needles and launched them at any targets that were unoccupied.

    The other combatants on the ship were engaged with their own opponents, and more were headed my way soon enough. Combining my ability to sense blood with my ability to launch blood projectiles made me a lethal magical marksman, at least, the voranders would think so.

    In the few moments I was free to look around, I noticed how the others fought.

    The elves were all armed with wooden bows that glowed a faint white, a magical effect I had never seen before. As they drew their empty bowstrings back, arrows formed from thin air into essence projectiles. I had learned the hard way that for everyone except me, launching pure essence had the same effect as a physical blow, with some minor burning or freezing occurring sometimes. The elves¡¯ arrows mimicked physical arrows, save for one effect that was different.

    I had never heard voranders scream in pain like that when they were shot by mundane arrows.

    Turning away from the ungodly screaming caused by the elves, I saw the group of envoys fighting as a unit. The wolf brothers, Skarl and¡­his brother whose name I never learned, were clawing and biting at any monsters that flew into their ranges. Their natural weapons were covered in a thin brown layer, which I assumed was an earth spell to ward off side effects of biting into monsters.

    The four reptilian envoys used a variety of weapons, a spear, shield, greataxes, and a ¨C

    A glass trident. The same kind of glass that I was familiar with, as it was used for all of the academy¡¯s buildings.

    I set aside the matter of the weapon¡¯s composition for later. The envoys mostly fought in melee, using their essence-covered body parts and weapons to great effect. The spider guy¡¯s bite was paralytic, as I saw him chomp on three monsters in quick succession, wait a few seconds for the venom to take hold, and finish them off with a stab of his legs, or were they arms?

    The few that had their wings cut down fell into the sea, their fate unknown. I only managed to snag one into my beast space without being detected, and even that was a risky endeavour.

    I kept the shield-saw spinning around me and my immediate vicinity, splitting apart anything that got too close. For enemies out of my immediate range, I either burst their blood while it was still in their bodies, or siphoned off the blood from the corpses, turned it into spears or arrows, and flung them at whatever was still snarling.

    The battle lasted just a bit over three hours, the sun about to set on the field of corpses and blood. Amazingly, only one person had died in the battle, a human of the ship¡¯s crew. There were injuries and wounds on almost everyone else who had survived. I only had a small nick on my back that was easily dealt with thanks to a minor healing spell.

    I offered to heal everyone else, and most of the others accepted with a grateful smile and a sigh of relief. The envoys gave me nods of recognition, and I returned the gesture. It was a small act to engender a bit more goodwill in them, even if it ended up being pointless.

    The elves, however, politely declined my offer, and I saw why, as their healing vastly outstripped my own efforts.

    The post-combat burning of the bodies was conducted in a different manner than I was accustomed to. The elves and the surviving human mages levitated all the bodies and mashed them together into a giant sphere hovering above the waves. Once I mopped up the blood and added it to the pile, the bodies were set ablaze, the ashes falling into the sea, and the ship looked like it had not just gone through a battle.

    I went down to the lower deck to rest in one of the small hammocks hanging from the ceiling, a pair from the envoys following behind me. I ignored the fact that their role was to spy on me and closed my eyes, hoping to rest my body while my mind had some undisturbed reading time until dinner.

    I just hoped that the first island of our chain of teleport formations was close by.

    The sound of beastfolk snoring was thunderous.

 Chapter 52

    We disembarked from the skyship around midnight of that same day, as we arrived at the first island of many in this ocean that was used to support a teleportation formation. The process was explained to me by one of the reptilian envoys while we walked towards the nondescript building.

    We would essentially ¡®jump¡¯ from island to island, utilizing each island¡¯s formation to travel to the next one, until we reached our destination of the northern coast of the beastfolk mainland.

    I did not anticipate a good time ahead, as the combination of little sleep mixed with repeated use of spatial formations that were nausea-inducing, meant I would arrive in a particularly bad mood.

    Not exactly a great first impression to give off while you were on trial.

    The chain of teleports didn¡¯t give me or my stomach too much trouble, unexpectedly. I hadn¡¯t exactly had a hard time with them before, but I figured teleporting multiple times in quick succession would knock me on my ass like it hadn¡¯t before. It was a pleasant surprise that I handled it better than I thought I would.

    It took an entire day, a full twenty-four hours, to reach the final island. Most of that time was spent waiting for essence to recover. The mages that stayed on each island and guarded the formation were usually enough to power the teleporter by themselves, but as we had a larger than normal group, it took more essence to fuel each teleport¡¯s activation. It was apparently the norm for passengers to offer some of their own essence to power the formations, but beastmen were exempt from that rule nearly all the time, as they quite literally weren¡¯t built for it.

    So yeah, I was drained in more ways than one as we reached the final island, and the fact that we had to take what looked like a wooden raft, made up of logs lashed together, didn¡¯t help raise my mood.

    I raised an eyebrow at the shelled duck that was lashed to the raft, which two bird-headed beastfolk were petting as they waited for us.

    ¡°Brother Afon,¡± I called out as respectfully as I could in my sleep and essence deprived state, ¡°Is taming a common practice here?¡±

    ¡°Taming?¡± The panther-headed beastfolk asked me in confusion, before looking at the ducks and their¡­owners? Riders? He turned around to answer me, ¡°They are bonded. You have not heard of bonding in your human lands?¡± I shook my head in denial.

    He continued to explain while the others boarded the raft. ¡°Beastkin have limited potential with essence, you know this. So we use our essence much more¡­frugally, than humans or elves, and instead draw upon a different well of power: our souls.¡±

    I froze once I heard that beastfolk, or beastkin more accurately, used their souls regularly. It implied a high level of familiarity that was absent in the human kingdom. I quickly doused the hope that I could find someone who could determine what was brewing in my soul, the time counting down to something I doubted would be beneficial for me.

    If I could find someone to help, great. If not¡­well, everyone had to die someday.

    ¡°While humans may tame many animals throughout their life, we beastkin only bond with one. Whoever we bond with, they become our friend and family, our closest companion and our most loyal ally. We walk through life together, never to be separated.¡±

    While that was more¡­poetic, than I expected, it explained what I had seen, and simultaneously made me nervous. If taming wasn¡¯t common here, then I would make the educated guess that it would not be seen as a good thing. I couldn¡¯t even show them Spearmint or any of my other companions to illustrate my ability to do so, as that would reveal the existence of my beast space, something I would rather not see happen.

    The trip to the mainland only took about two hours, as we were in relatively safer waters and the ducks maintained a steady pace the entire way.

    I had known the terrain would be mostly grassy plains, so I wasn¡¯t surprised when I saw them stretching out endlessly in all directions, the sea finally behind us. We had made landfall a few hours before sunrise, so the sky was only lit by the faint glow of the stars, the moon nowhere in sight.

    The mild temperate climate was a welcome relief from the chill and blistering cold of the human kingdom, and I surmised it would only grow warmer as we continued to travel further south.

    ¡°Come on, little brother.¡± Skarl, the barely shorter of the two wolf-headed beastkin, said to me as he thumped my shoulder. ¡°The nearest village is four leagues away, so you better keep up with us if you want to sleep on something that¡¯s not grass or hard dirt!¡±

    ¡°He is crude, but not incorrect,¡± one of the scaled reptile-like beastfolk said in a characteristic hissing voice. We had never exchanged words beyond simple greetings, so I inferred he preferred staying away from me.

    ¡°You are soft, used to soft and fine comforts, and a soft lifestyle. If you are judged worthy, you will be remade into something harder. Better for you to experience it earlier, no?¡± He grinned, showing his narrow tongue and sharp teeth, and I nodded along, unsure if that smile was meant to inspire fear or¡­something else.

    ¡°Enough. Weil, Driss, you take the lead. Skarl, Tsol, on the flanks. Cuul, Mohl, at the rear. Zanth, with me and the human in the center.¡± Afon had taken command of the envoys, assigning roles for each person and position. I also learned everyone¡¯s name finally, though there was a fifty-fifty chance I messed them up anyways.

    ¡°The journey might be difficult for you, but there is no other way. If you fall behind, keep heading south until you reach a small river. Follow it west half a league, and you should be able to see the tribe¡¯s patrols. They will send word to us, and someone should allow you inside.¡±

    I thought it was a bit¡­mean-spirited to make me run roughly ten miles as soon as I arrived in beastfolk lands, but maybe they truly ran around as a viable method of transportation. Their magical abilities may have been stunted, but their bodies'' physical prowess made up for it. I was tempted to fall back out of sight and pull out one of my tamed creatures so that I could ride to the village, but that was just my laziness talking.

    I could handle ten miles easy. I just preferred not to.

    And that was without mentioning the possibility of wild animals attacking me.

    Welcome to the beastfolk continent, I guess.

    Every one of my escorts had better bodies than me, and not in the sense of them being stronger and faster. I quickly realized everyone had night vision, or at least, they could see in the dark better than I could. Now, there was a magical spell to counteract the problem, but it still irked me that they had natural night vision and I didn''t.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    I took a few seconds to cast the nature spell, nightsight, and now my pupils had dilated much more, to the point that the once overwhelming darkness became different shades of grayscale.

    I could, theoretically, form a rudimentary stone wagon by magic and propel myself that way, but I figured it was better to play by their rules while I was with the envoys. I was already headed to a trial for disrespecting beastmen culture, and I didn¡¯t want to compound the charges further and prove my guilt, so to speak.

    I also knew that asking one of them to carry me or do something similar would be crossing the lines of polite behavior. I would indirectly be telling them that they were beasts of burden, which, if the diary was accurate, was grounds for them to kill me. Immediately. I stopped thinking of ways to get out of the run and accepted my fate.

    As I expected, everyone overtook me within minutes, though I could make out the outlines of their bodies as we all continued running towards our destination. I lost sight of them within an hour, and followed the directions Afon gave me as best as I could.

    I focused on maintaining a steady pace and avoiding any pebbles or small divots in the ground that might trip me up. I had to take multiple breaks along the way, either to drink water or catch my breath, but I eventually saw a flag atop a tall wooden pole, fluttering and snapping in the wind.  It was a good thing, too, as my stomach had been rumbling for the past fifteen minutes. I had been served a thick, hearty stew on the skyship, but I was looking forward to getting a proper meal in me. Beastfolk hospitality was no joke.

    The flag depicted a lizard head in profile, its head facing sideways and its scales blue in color against the white of the flag¡¯s material. It was extremely simplistic, but I supposed they were limited by what was on hand.

    As I gazed up at the tribe¡¯s flag, I heard heavy footsteps, no, the steps belonged to something bigger than a humanoid. Two blue-scaled lizardmen mounted on agile salamanders approached me at speed, one on each side of me as their mounts hissed their tongues at me. I put my hands up in surrender, as I figured exchanging greetings was unlikely to go over well while I stood on the outskirts of their territory, as a stranger in the night.

    They spoke from atop their mounts, their tones curious yet wary. Neither of them were armed, but their giant salamanders were more than enough to pose a threat to me if they wished.

    ¡°A human, alone, at the edge of our home. Were we expecting any human guests, brother?¡± the one in front of me asked his colleague.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The chief never said anything¡­.should we run back and ask him?¡± his friend responded.

    ¡°Peace, friends.¡± I said, startling them both with my speech, or perhaps it was the fact I was speaking their tongue¡­moderately fluently. ¡°I was travelling with a group of envoys from the coast, and got separated from them on the way here. Their leader is named Afon, a panther tribesman, he can vouch for me,¡± I said.

    ¡°You speak our tongue, human cub?¡± the one behind me asked incredulously.

    I slowly swiveled to keep them both in my field of view as I responded, offering them a polite greeting along with the accompanying hand gesture. ¡°I studied your tongue in the human lands, from a woman of the rabbit tribes. She taught me everything I know about dragonspeak.¡±

    At that, both of them went silent¡­before bursting into honking laughter that made me flinch. I wouldn¡¯t have expected a reptilian species to make a sound that resembled a goose.

    ¡°Dragonspeak, he says,¡± the one on my left said, as he tried and failed to restrain his laughter. ¡°No one still calls it that¡­except for maybe the dragons.¡±

    ¡°Our teachers played all kinds of tricks on us to keep us interested in studies. It¡¯s good to see that human cubs can be tricked just like us.¡± the one on the right said with a wide smile, which caused me just as much discomfort as the last time a lizardman smiled at me.

    ¡°What did you say your friend¡¯s name was, little human?¡± he said after a few minutes of chuckling to himself.

    ¡°Afon. A panther tribesman.¡± I responded, in equal parts frustration that they were laughing at me, and bewilderment that Professor Tu had evidently used a child¡¯s trick, to great success, to retain her class¡¯s attention.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go look for him. Uvil, you stay here with the human,¡± he said, before urging his mount back to the village, the tents easily visible with the faint rays of sunlight showing through.

    ¡°Tch,¡± the lizardman named Uvil clicked his tongue. After a minute of staring at each other, he dismounted and began stroking the head of his salamander, while making occasional glances in my direction from time to time.

    I reached around my head for topics of conversation, and hoped that what I had recently learned wouldn¡¯t be too controversial if I mentioned it.

    ¡°Are the two of you bonded?¡± I asked Uvil, making sure to get the pronunciation right.

    His glance towards me lasted a second longer than the previous one, as he made eye contact with me, before replying, ¡°Yes. You know of bonding as well? Did your rabbit teacher tell you about that?¡±

    ¡°No, Afon mentioned it to me once we arrived here.¡±

    I was about to say more, and maybe get his opinion on taming to probe how the average person felt about it, when the previous guardsman returned, or at least, one riding the same mount did.

    ¡°He speaks the truth. A team of envoys is escorting him to the council.¡±

    ¡°The council?!¡± Uvil asked incredulously. ¡°Why is a human being brought to the council?¡±

    I sighed and told them. ¡°I¡­may have made a small¡­ash house¡­¡± I mumbled the most important part subconsciously, but they still picked up on it, and their reactions were not what I expected.

    They stared at me like I was a ghost. No words were spoken, no movements were made. The three, well, five of us if you counted the mounts, were standing in silence as the sun finally rose and turned the sky pink and orange.

    Uvil finally found his voice as he quietly said, ¡°You¡­you speak the truth?¡±

    Knowing how much beastfolk loved, and revered, this sort of thing, and seeing as how it wouldn¡¯t be permanently harmful to me, I sliced my open palm with my finger, the tip of it sharpened with blood magic. Tiny droplets of my blood fell onto the ground, and I controlled the flow so I wouldn¡¯t lose too much.

    ¡°I swear on my blood, to the Mother, and to the sun and moon above. I, Rhaaj, human mage, created an ash house in the human kingdom with my own strength.¡±

    With blood oaths carrying the weight they did, I expected my statement to trigger some sort of response in the two guards.

    Instead, Uvil¡¯s friend looked at me and said in that same shocked tone he used before, ¡°Your mother named you after a beast?¡±

    As I was laughed at, once again, by guards who were hearing my name for the first time, I wanted to reach back in time and smack my former self for not choosing an alias when making that first introduction with Elius and the caravan guards. Who would have expected that the same word was used across two languages for the exact same beast of burden?

    I suppressed a sigh as I healed the cut on my hand, collecting the blood that had fallen on the ground and sending it to my beast space. Waste not, want not, and all that.

    The two of them herded me forward to the tribe, snorting and chuckling all the way.

    Welcome to the beastfolk continent.

 Chapter 53

    I could hear sounds of activity coming from the vast city of tents arrayed before me. The guards escorted me inside, and I came face to face with my first genuine beastfolk tribe.

    This particular tribe was composed of lizard-like humanoids, who had blue scales, reptilian bodies and tails, and human-looking hands, as they possessed enough scaly fingers and opposable thumbs that allowed them to form a closed fist.

    The females, who were on average shorter than the males, were either tending to the absolutely massive amounts of beasts they had, which were corralled together behind the tents, working on sewing clothing or leather armor, cutting pieces of meat and throwing them into what I hoped was a communal cooking cauldron, or waking their children and sending them out to play.

    Most of the tribesmen only wore thin robes or leather pants, preferring to eschew clothing altogether. The natural protection provided by their scales was likely enough for them.

    While I was engrossed in studying as much as I could at the academy, the various books I read always emphasized how much the beastfolk lived with nature. It was a trait they adopted from the elves, who led a similar lifestyle, but I supposed I just realized how true that statement was.

    They lived like an ancient tribe of nomads, with very little that I could point to that would mark them as civilized. I could even see someone taking a dump and covering it up in the distance! But while I was wrestling with the culture shock, I made sure to keep in mind to respect their culture. If I said or did the wrong thing, they might inform this ¡®council¡¯, who could then decide that death was too good for me.

    That was something to be avoided at all costs. Under the right conditions, living could be far, far worse than death.

    We passed through the circular arrangement of tents, towards the one that had a flag installed at its top, waving back and forth even in the intermittent winds. The breeze also revealed that while the tents were covered in some kind of fur and hide to provide additional warmth, they were actually made out of leather, as the color, texture, and smell enlightened me as to their material.

    We passed at least a hundred people on the way, until I finally saw a sleeping Skarl and¡­Tsul, or Tsol, whatever his brother¡¯s name was. They were both sleeping outside the large tent, which I presumed belonged to the chief of this tribe. The leather flaps were apparently very good at blocking out sounds, as I couldn¡¯t hear the faintest whisper escape from the tent.

    Uvil and his fellow patrolman went inside, and a short while later, they allowed me in. ¡°We¡¯ll see you later¡­Rhaaj.¡± They both snickered as they slapped my shoulders and padded away, turning back the way we had come.

    I cast a minor healing spell on myself, the lizardman¡¯s casual strength being too much even for my essence-enhanced body, before I took a deep breath, and with my ability to remotely sense blood, I felt eight bodies within, one of which was extremely small, possibly a baby.

    I entered the tent, ignoring the irrational nervousness that crept up on me, and was met with the sight of the envoys sleeping on the right side of the tent, their limbs and tails tangling with each other into a pile of limbs. Afon was the only one possibly awake, as he looked to be meditating and¡­he was performing his own breathing technique, as I could sense the movement of essence entering his body from the environment.

    The chief and¡­someone I assumed was his wife, were sitting cross-legged on the ground, crouched over a small bundle of furs that made trilling noises, and I surmised that was their infant child.

    The chief noticed me first, as his wife continued being preoccupied with her back turned to me. He said nothing as he got up and went to the left side of the tent, which was dominated by a firepit and a collection of wooden cutlery, though I could spot a quill and some papers spilling out of an oiled leather satchel.

    The chief considered me for a moment, narrowing his eyes and at times, raising the ridge where a human would have eyebrows. Finally, he seemed to have come to a decision as he said to me, ¡°Welcome, young human.¡± His voice was far deeper than the other two, and I could tell he was much older than them.

    ¡°You are the first human we have sheltered in a long time. Your,¡± he nodded towards the envoys across from him, ¡°protectors, have informed me of the purpose of your journey, and I must say, you do not seem like the typical human.¡±

    I bowed and made the appropriate gestures at him as I continued to stand in silence. In beastman culture, meeting a chief, any of them, demanded respect in many fashions. Basically, it would be better if I didn¡¯t speak, eat, sit down, or do anything without the chief giving me permission. Naturally, I couldn¡¯t be expected to know some of these unspoken rules of etiquette being a human, but it was better to abide by them if one was aware of them.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± he uttered. ¡°You said you were taught by a rabbit tribesman? I shall have to send her tribe a gift for producing a student so¡­.humble.¡± I absorbed the fact that he was aware of that, then realized that I had said so to the guards almost half a kilometer away¡­.and he had heard me.

    Like I said, beastfolk senses were no joke.

    He motioned for me to sit down, which I accepted while declining my head in respect. I sat as everyone else did, cross-legged on the ground, the soft rucksack I was pretending contained all my possessions laid beside me.

    ¡°You may speak, young human. I know you have questions. If you ask politely, I might even decide to answer some of them,¡± he chuckled, though I felt no malice in it. For all that he was an old and wise warrior, he really just gave off the vibe of an old, retired grandfather.

    I still wouldn¡¯t dare to treat him with anything but respect.

    ¡°Would the chief allow me to eat before we continue? I have a ¨C ¡° My stomach chose that moment to rumble again, and I would have blushed in embarrassment if I were capable of it, though the slight grimace on my face did not go unnoticed.

    The chief glanced at me and smiled. ¡°Hunger is nothing to be ashamed of, young human. Shua, a bowl for our guest,¡± he said, and his wife got up and went outside the tent, coming back in a minute with a wooden bowl filled with some kind of soup with chopped up vegetables and a thick green watery base.

    I gratefully nodded to Shua, the chief¡¯s wife, before receiving the bowl in both hands, and lifting it up to my lips, taking a small mouthful of the salty soup. Beastfolk cuisine wasn¡¯t something I was familiar with from my time in the academy, so I was appreciative of the simple meal, though my hunger may have had something to do with it.

    Once I finished the bowl and set it aside, the chief¡¯s wife took it from me and headed out once more while telling him, ¡°I¡¯ll check on the herd,¡± to which he nodded.

    ¡°So, you wished to ask me something, young mage?¡± he asked, to which I nodded.

    ¡°Yes, chief. Forgive me for my ignorance, but ... how do you view taming? I know beastfolk have their bonds, but I was curious about your opinion of the¡­human form of it.¡±

    The chief exhaled as he closed his eyes, evidently thinking about my question. He sat like that for at least five minutes, completely still, before he opened his eyes once more and responded.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°You ask a difficult question, young mage. Taming¡­.in the olden days, before the Wall was created, before our ancestors died to erect the Great Barrier in the north, taming was seen as an evil thing. A human mockery of bonding, where beasts were enslaved and forced into a life of servitude.¡± I would have squirmed if he was aware of how close that description fit my ¡®taming¡¯ spell, but I kept my cool, not giving anything away.

    ¡°Now, though¡­.I will simply say that taming is only a tool. What matters the most is how you use that tool. Where one sees a lake as a way to quench their thirst, another might view it as a way to drown their enemies. Of course, there are always those who bring dishonor to such practices. Even to this day, human poachers buzz around our land like flies, hoping to make off with uncommon beasts, only seeing the possible riches in selling them off and ignoring that their actions are kidnapping in the eyes of beastfolk and elves.¡±

    His words made me recall an old conversation about shifters, beastfolk who could take on the appearance of their bestial ancestors, perpetrating a massacre on a community of humans who had tamed far too many beasts for their liking. Even now, hundreds of years later, human-beastfolk relations were somewhat strained, which is probably why the king chose to give me up completely. He probably thought the beastfolk would see it, me, as a sign of goodwill.

    ¡°That your first question is about taming and not your trial¡­..you are either confident in yourself, or assured of your judgment.¡± the chief said.

    I smiled at his non-question. ¡°Either way, I have nothing to fear.¡±

    ¡°You do not fear death?¡± the chief asked curiously.

    ¡°There are only two certainties in life: death and taxes.¡± I said, paraphrasing Benjamin Franklin.

    That made both the chief and Afon, who had been listening in to our conversation, chuckle and shake their heads at my declaration, which they seemed to agree with, as I faced no words of denial.

    Afon spoke up from where he sat, ¡°Thank you for the food and shelter, chief Un¡¯wa, but we must move on soon. We must leave tomorrow morning if we are to reach the city at all this month.¡±

    ¡°So soon?¡± I asked him.

    He nodded at me, ¡°You need time to recover from the journey, not to mention the chances of attacks are lower during the day.¡±

    ¡°Attacks from who?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not who. What,¡± the chief said, making me turn back to him. ¡°Did you not know? There are far more wild beasts here than in your human lands, and they will pounce on you if they see you as easy prey. You will need strength to cross these lands unharmed.¡±

    Figures. It¡¯s like this whole place is stuck in the days of Gengis Khan, but without any horses or warfare. Well, that¡¯s not exactly true. There¡¯s only one war going on, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s gonna kill ten percent of the world¡¯s population. Unless the monsters develop new abilities or manage to break through the Wall or the Barrier, which is so unbelievably impossible, it¡¯s not even worth mentioning.

    ¡°In any case¡­I was taught that giving gifts during one¡¯s first meeting is customary, but sadly, I have very little to offer besides my magic,¡± I said to the chief.

    The chief fixed his gaze onto me as he asked, ¡°What magics are you skilled in?¡± I could tell by the tenor of his voice he was interested.

    ¡°Blood, and nature.¡± I said, to which he politely nodded. ¡°I also know some healing spells if anyone is injured or sick.¡±

    He stopped nodding once I finished speaking, and turned to me once more. ¡°Healing, you said?¡± I nodded in confirmation. ¡°And¡­how¡­familiar are you in your knowledge of beastkin bodies?¡±

    ¡°My teacher was an elf, and he ¨C¡±

    ¡°An elf! Then there¡¯s no trouble at all! Little brother,¡± he changed how he addressed me, ¡°I would ask that you heal those in our tribe who are suffering from some illness or injuries.¡± The mere mention of an elf was enough to smother any doubt they had about my capabilities, though I was unsure how they knew I wasn¡¯t lying. Maybe they figured I wouldn¡¯t dare boast about something that could be easily verified? Or maybe they thought I just wouldn¡¯t lie to a chief? Whatever the case, it was good that he accepted my offer. It would at least buy me more goodwill with this particular tribe, another act of kindness that I suspected the envoys would inform the council members about.

    I was tempted to ask the chief if that would stay within the parameters of ¡®living with nature¡¯, but¡­it was shortsighted and possibly rude, and it was on the verge of disrespect, something I was trying to avoid.

    I simply nodded at his request, bowing slightly in my seated position.

    ¡°Then we will have you as guests until your departure in the morning. For now, eat and rest. I know your travels must have made you weary. We can discuss other matters once you wake up.¡± He nodded at me before leaving the tent, leaving me alone in the tent with the other sleeping envoys and Afon.

    ¡°Sleep,¡± Afon said to me, ¡°or meditate if you wish. We must make haste to reach the council before spring.¡±

    ¡°What happens in spring?¡± I asked stupidly, the answer coming to me a moment after I had asked.

    ¡°The Thundering, our¡­festival, I suppose you would call it. It is similar to your human festival celebrating your heroes in the winter, only ours has less food and games, and is focused entirely on combat skill.¡±

    I nodded along like I was hearing the information for the first time.

    ¡°Despite how tired I am¡­I have become accustomed to sleeping at night. I will go and see to those I can heal now. Excuse me,¡± I said, and Afon nodded to me as I left the tent, immediately noticing that the tribe was bustling with far more activity.

    Now, who should I ask about where they keep their sick and injured?

    As it happened, the very first lady I asked told me.

    ¡°Why would we keep all our sick together, human hatchling?¡± she asked. ¡°That would just make them all get worse and die sooner!¡± She shouted at me like I had suggested she swallow battery acid and molten mercury.

    Her shouting had drawn attention to us, and I was trying to avoid any kind of bad reputation right now.

    After I bowed and apologized profusely for my ignorant comment, on account of me being a human, of course, she settled down and told me something that had me struggling to maintain a calm face.

    Families kept their sick and injured in their tents, as far away from everyone else as possible. With how resilient the beastfolk constitution was, there was usually little to worry about, but when a beastfolk got sick¡­ they got sick.

    I was starting to regret choosing not to sleep, but I couldn¡¯t back out now. So it was that I trudged into, out of, and around, the scores of tents that had some kind of patient for me to look at. Most of the afflictions I had to fix were minor things, cuts and scrapes from people falling off their mounts or being knocked to the ground hard during spars, the occasional broken or displaced joint or bone.

    There was only one real illness that needed my intervention, a badly healed puncture wound that had tiny debris particles inside, and the warrior, who insisted he was fine and didn¡¯t need any human healing, had trouble with his shoulder¡¯s range of motion. A few quick spells later, and he was bowing and shaking and my hand, grateful that he could properly fight again as he began swinging his shoulder in every conceivable angle. I did my best impression of a stern healer as I strongly suggested to him that he rest for at least two days to let the muscles heal. He pouted and his tail drooped as he walked away, looking like a teenager whose crush just told him no.

    I worked throughout the day, and eventually, people grew satisfied with the level of ability I had shown and began making requests of me, asking me to visit their tent, as their family member was wounded. Fights almost broke out over whom I would visit first, but thankfully the blows were limited to being verbal in nature, as I got fed up and threatened to not heal anyone if they didn¡¯t calm down. In the end, I just herded everyone together as I went from tent to tent, looking like a mother duck with her ducklings following behind.

    Eventually, after receiving well-wishes and statements of gratitude and friendship, I stumbled back to the chief¡¯s tent, where I collapsed onto the ground, too tired to notice there was no mattress, pillow, or blanket. After my eyes fluttered and shut, I was out and embracing unconsciousness to the fullest, looking forward to a night of dreamless sleep.

 Chapter 54

    True to his word, Afon had me and the other envoys up at the crack of dawn, and we were packed and ready to go within the hour. The chief sent us off, giving our group a number of parting gifts: food and water for three days, a pair of salamanders that they bred for use as mounts, and a collection of curved knives that I recognized as teeth.

    After my little healing spree, the tribe had apparently decided to repay me with gifts of ill-fitting clothes that had leather undersides and disturbingly, an outer layer of blue lizard scales. I was a little put-off by the bundle of clothes made of their shed skins, but I took it in stride, bowing and thanking the chief for the gifts. Everyone exchanged farewells, and then we were off once more, racing towards the council with haste.

    Our group now had mounts, and the additional speed they provided would see us reaching the council in roughly one month. I was aware that Vor World (yeah that wasn¡¯t the official name, but the planet didn¡¯t have a name as far as I knew, so that was what I referred to it as, in the safety of my mind) was much larger than Earth, but there was a difference between learning something while safely ensconced in the comfortable chairs of the library, and personally racing across each mile of the endless plains of the world¡¯s largest continent.

    As a famous person whose name I couldn¡¯t recall once said, there was a difference between knowing something, and knowing something.

    Speed was our main priority, and with that in mind, Afon unilaterally declared that the slowest and worst runners among our group would be the ones riding the mounts. I expected more grumbles and maybe a hiss or a growl of dissatisfaction, but everyone abided by his decision, as Cuul and Mohl, two of the reptilian beastfolk, had one salamander to themselves, while I sat behind Zanth, his spidery limbs thankfully curled forward and nowhere close to mine. The bumping and jostling of the salamander¡¯s sprinting made me bounce up and down a few times, but the ridges of its scales had enough space for me to get a good grip with my fingers and latch onto them during times of turbulence.

    Many people complained about soreness and chafing while learning to ride, and that their first time caused their inner thighs to chafe and bleed, and their butt to throb with pain for hours afterwards.

    I felt none of that, and that was even including the fact that there was no saddle or padding on the salamander¡¯s back. Once again, I mentally patted myself on the back for improving my original breathing technique, and modifying it to improve my general physical capabilities.

    We left the territory of the blue-scaled lizard tribe in a few hours, and began trekking across the vast grassy plains, the four envoys who were non-mounted and relying only on their own legs to keep up doing an admirable job of maintaining a steady pace. They were always behind our mounts, but they were never out of sight.

    That lasted until those of us in front were ambushed.

    We were four days into our journey, the sun well into the sky, when colossal earthworms and moles, badgers and pangolins quietly flanked us and had us four surrounded in the space between heartbeats. I counted at least eighty animals and a handful of creatures, but thankfully there were no beasts.

    ¡°Human, use your magics to keep them away!¡± Zanth clicked at me, his teeth gnashing every time he spoke. ¡°We hold until the others can reach us, understand?¡± He had no weapons to arm himself with, but he was preparing for battle nevertheless, as he jumped off the mount. Thirty feet away, Cuul and Mohl had dismounted as well, and were drawing their weapons from their backs as they faced the pack, their backs to each other.

    ¡°Yes!¡± I shouted. Defense was the priority, but nature magic would be harder to work with here. Every animal around us could burrow through the ground, disrupting any efforts I made to prevent their movements. Still, I would do what I could. I got off the mount as well, in case it lost control and ran off in the chaos that was headed for us.

    The animals were circling us, searching for the weakest prey or the one that would give them the least trouble.

    Not on my watch.

    I quickly pulled up a circular stone fence that surrounded us, ten feet tall and with sharp spikes on the top. With my blood sense, I searched underground for any forces lying in wait, but there were none. So the animals here were all we had to deal with.

    Easy.

    I stretched my hands out, palms facing the horde that was finally leaping over the stone wall, and sensed their blood. It was much harder to replicate spells in battle conditions than in a testing room, but I steeled my nerves and focused on the blood. All the sources of it. One was jumping from body to body, delivering swift bites that delivered paralytic venom into bloodstreams. Two more had their claws outstretched and were biting or swiping into whatever got close.

    Everything that jumped over the walls to get at us had received at least minor wounds, and that was what I capitalized on. I felt all the blood inside the stone fence, and just¡­pulled. With an improved level of will and control, I had segregated my allies from my foes, and drew out the blood that I sensed was inside a body that wanted to attack me. What followed was gory to the extreme.

    Blood erupted out of every hole that the animals had, and only a few let out cries of pain and howls of disbelief as they fell to the ground, making a disgustingly goopy, multi-colored mess of blood, viscera, and body parts. It was probably difficult to make sounds when there was no blood pumping in your body.

    I formed blood needles from the blood-soaked ground, and jabbed them into every brain I could feel, double-tapping the enemies and ensuring they were finished off. The grass was dyed red in an instant, and the stone fence had splatters on it that wouldn¡¯t look out of place in a crime scene. My tentative allies, the envoys accompanying me to the trial that would determine my fate, finished slaying the creatures they were engaged with, and took an impassive look around at the carnage I had wrought.

    In the initial confusion, our salamander mounts had run amok, doing their best to survive by avoiding everything that targeted them. Now, Zanth and the others had gotten them under control, letting them eat the bodies that were trying to eat us, not a minute ago. The irony was not lost on me.

    The battle couldn¡¯t have taken more than ten or fifteen minutes, but Afon and the others behind us hadn¡¯t regrouped with the four of us yet. I took the opportunity to collect all the blood that had spilled, picking out any brain matter or muscle fibers and discarding them,assembling it into a sphere above my hand, and compressing the sphere until it resembled a maroon marble. I also slightly heated it up until I was sure that physically touching it wouldn¡¯t immediately give me an infection.

    Zanth nodded at me to approach him, and I could see they were cutting the bodies into short strips of meat, or chunks. Here in the beastkin continent, it was literally a ¡®eat or be eaten¡¯ type of mindset, the law of the jungle. I couldn¡¯t help much with the ¡®food¡¯ preparation, so I was made to haul the bodies closer to where they were cutting them up.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Should we not check on the others?¡± I asked Zanth, as he was closest to me.

    ¡°If they don¡¯t come back in an hour, we will send someone,¡± he said, dismissing my concerns. For all that I was in two minds about my escorts, I didn¡¯t want them to die if they didn¡¯t deserve it. Now, one might argue that if they died in an ambush, they deserved it. I didn¡¯t have that opinion.

    Luckily, my worries were unfounded, as four figures came into sight soon after, the stone wall being reduced to pebbles earlier. Afon and the others were all unscathed, if slightly winded. Apparently, they had been waylaid by a similar ambush at the same time that we were. Afon posited that the animals saw our separated pack as an opportunity for some easy meat, a notion he swiftly disabused them of.

    This battle illustrated his earlier comment about needing to travel with speed in a new light. If we were held up by constant beast assaults, our travel time would increase even further, and we might not reach the council before spring.

    So, once again, Afon made a series of unilateral decisions. We would travel together from now on, rotating between who got to ride the mounts, except for me. I would have tamed one of the creatures that attacked us and used that as a mount, but that wasn¡¯t as big a concern as survival when the attack happened.

    The safest way to travel would be to take shelter with every tribe on our way to the council, as tribes made a point of regularly clearing the areas around their territory. The added safety meant we¡¯d face less attacks, but according to Cuul, or Mohl, that would add at least another two weeks.

    For now, we made haste, heading straight towards our destination, riding until the sun went down. Once night fell, we were lucky enough to stumble upon a small grove of trees, an elven addition to the landscape. Elves often planted trees when they roamed the beastfolk continent, placing seeds of whatever plant seemed most appropriate for future visitors.

    And the wisdom of the elves was upheld once more, as Zanth informed us these trees released a subtle repellent scent that only beasts could detect. We would be safe sleeping within the copse of trees for the night.

    It would be easier if the beastfolk had more cities and towns populating their lands, but that just wasn¡¯t how they lived. As far as I knew, there were only three cities in the entire continent, though none of them matched the scale of cities in the other continents. There was a city in the north, a sort of trading hub for the visiting humans and elves who had used the teleport formations to enter the beastkin lands. The capital city, the closest approximation it had, was in the very center of the continent, the heart of the beastfolk tribes, where important business was conducted. And their final city was in the southernmost reaches of the continent, near the pole.

    Oddly enough, the south pole became dangerously hot the closer you got to it, while the north pole had the snow and ice and accompanying freezing climate that I believed all poles should possess. There were rumors of an ancient city in the desert, but I neither cared nor desired to determine if that rumor had any truth to it. If I could go the rest of my life without feeling the heat and humidity of a tropical sun, I would do it. I much preferred the cold over the heat.

    We left just before daybreak, and I carefully plucked a few seeds from the beast-repelling tree, placing them into my beast space to be used later. With my proficiency in nature magic, I could quickly enhance the seed¡¯s growth and create the same tree if I needed to, though it would only last two-thirds as long as a naturally-grown one would. I needed more practice if I wanted to increase the longevity of seeds grown that way.

    We faced no more attacks that day, perhaps due to the residue from the trees. Unfortunately, that was the final time we were able to travel a full day uninterrupted. Every day after that, we faced at least one attack from animals. The majority of attacks were either from a single large animal, or multiple small ones. Packs like the first one we faced were rarely seen, and we quickly dispatched anything that got in our way.

    I did ask Afon whether I should tame whatever attacked us next, so we would have more mounts and thus more speed, but he denied my request, though he never gave a good reason why, which I questioned in my head. The others were complaining that the rate of beast attacks had gone up drastically recently, a troubling sign. I suggested that perhaps the increasing rate of monster attacks was the cause, but they shot my idea down as soon as they heard it.

    For the most part, monsters in the beastfolk continent tended to create nests in the seas rather than on land. That¡¯s not to say there were no monsters on land, because there were, but for some reason, monsters just preferred the seas. Perhaps it was because there were less predators capable of killing them, or perhaps it was an undiscovered environmental factor. Or maybe voranders just really liked swimming. Whatever the reason was, the envoys believed the two groups'' increased rates of assaults were unrelated.

    That theory provided little comfort as we faced unprovoked attacks from creatures on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times in the same day. According to Weil, who had the best senses among the group, we had avoided going anywhere near beast dens, where animals and such made their homes, so there should have been no good reason for the high frequency of attacks.

    Finally, after almost two weeks of travel, Afon decided we needed to resupply at the nearest tribe. Our stores of water were running low, and everyone declined when I offered to summon some using nature magic. Ironically, the tribe we were closest to was one that had one of its members sitting on the current beast council, the ruling body that would decide my fate and my status. I recalled what I knew of the beast council while the others deliberated on which direction to travel in.

    The council, in theory, ruled over the entire beastkin lands, making major decisions for the whole of the population. The most important member of the council was the Beast King or Queen, who was selected from the pool of chiefs of every tribe in the continent. Naturally, there was some long process to determine who held the throne, but for the most part, it wasn¡¯t hereditary. As with many other things, the beastfolk had plagiarized their system of governance from the elves, as the two races were closer to each other than the humans, even going back to the beginning of recorded history.

    I had no idea how the group decided what direction the nearest tribe was. There was no consulting of maps, or use of magic, or even a momentary pause for them to utilize their famed beastkin senses.  There was only a short round of conversation, and we were off once more, heading¡­southeast, judging by the position of the sun.

    ¡°Weil,¡± I said, getting the attention of my fellow rider, ¡°how do you tell which direction the nearest tribe is in? There are no landmarks, and I didn¡¯t see you look at any maps.¡±

    ¡°Once again, you are wrong, little Rhaaj,¡± he said, clicking his tongue and shaking his head in mock disappointment, a trait he admitted he picked up from his time spent among humans. It irked me how that gesture proved annoying no matter what species was doing it.

    ¡°There are landmarks, just not obvious ones like you humans have. You see that hill?¡± He pointed out a small lump in the ground. Calling it a hill was somewhat overstating things, but I noticed what he was referring to, and so I nodded. ¡°That hill denotes a boundary between two tribes. Going this direction will lead us to the horned wolf tribe, while the other direction leads to the howling mouse tribe. Small things that might seem insignificant to you humans are enough to serve as distinctions for us beastkin. Blades of grass bent the wrong way, a rock standing straight when it should be flat on its side, a plant that has less fruits than it should for the current season.¡±

    I stopped asking questions as I absorbed the information, and realized that I would probably never be able to navigate the land as they did, which meant I was stuck with relying on old maps and the stars to know my position.

    It took less than two hours before we were met with a group of mounted guards, though this group consisted of anthropomorphic wolves with horns on their foreheads, riding some kind of multiple-tailed canines. Cuul and Mohl stepped forward to speak with them, Afon giving them a chance to talk for once. They kept turning around and looking in my direction, but we were eventually allowed passage to the tribe.

    The rational part of me realized that this tribe was home to a council member here, and so I would have to tread with caution to not give off a bad impression. I would need to conduct myself with honor and dignity, not to mention respect.

    The irrational part of me would have killed everyone and their mothers if it would earn me a hot meal, a shower, and an actual bed. I was already fighting the urge to sleep as we approached civilization, a welcome sight from the endless fields of green.

    What was less welcome was the large group of horned wolves standing at the entrance to their village, led by a horned wolf that was taller, more muscled, and had more grey furs in his coat. He stood with his arms crossed, though thankfully there were no weapons drawn.

    As his amber eyes met mine from two hundred feet away, any thoughts of sleep were quickly chased away.  That was the most unwelcome look I had ever seen on someone¡¯s face.

    And it was directed at me.

 Chapter 55

    The horned wolf chief was at the head of a group of ten other wolves, and they all stood in a precise arrangement of two straight lines, which formed a barrier blocking entry into their encampment for me and the envoys.

    But I got the impression it was mostly for me.

    And the fact that he was so publicly disdaining me told me that my chances of a positive verdict from the council were likely slim to none.

    It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just go to the council, hear their bullshit reasons for why I should be dead, and then turn the tables on them. Nobody would expect me to carry around a tiny army of beasts and voranders with me. Maybe I should scour the beast continent for more creatures to add to my collection? Yeah, what I¡¯m planning might be no different than poaching, but the difference is that they started it by declaring me their enemy. Hell, this asshole doesn¡¯t even know who I am!

    Any further musing in my head was brought to a halt as the small group of wolves split into two columns, lining the main thoroughfare of the tribe. They stood straight, but they were relaxed as they did it, so it wasn¡¯t overly respectful. The chief took a few steps towards me, before he stopped and motioned for me to approach with his index finger beckoning me forwards.

    The envoys and I urged our mounts forward, maintaining a slow pace as we steadily drew closer to where the chief stood placidly.

    We dismounted and bowed politely before him, the envoys included. I suppose a council member was higher up in the beastfolk hierarchy than a normal tribal chief, and hence, deserving of more respect?

    Wait¡­.are we literally bowing before authority here? Oh god, I even knelt to that dickwad, the king! Holy shit¡­.I¡¯ve been admitting my inferiority to everyone I¡¯ve ever bowed to! How have I not realized that before now?! I mean, I rationalized it as something to do to avoid being killed offhand, but I never considered the implications¡­

    The thought almost made me sick, but I refrained from reacting outwardly, maintaining my posture until I heard a deep and gruff voice say, ¡°Rise.¡± Every one of us rose at the chief¡¯s words, noticing that his arms were uncrossed and held behind his back, his elbows sticking out at an odd angle.

    He approached the envoys first, sending them all inside after a short conversation, the mounts following in their wake obediently. Then he came to me.

    The horned wolf tribe¡¯s chief stood at least a foot taller than me, so I had to crane my neck upwards just to see his face. His fur, along with the rest of his tribe¡¯s, was mostly green, with gold and grey showing through in certain spots. From our positions so near each other, less than a foot separating us, he absolutely radiated danger. It wasn¡¯t magical, or even physical.

    It was instinctual. On some level, the lizard brain part of my cerebellum or prefrontal cortex or whatever had recognized this being as a superior predator. He gave off a sensation of being watched by a predator, and my fight or flight response was triggered. Naturally, I couldn¡¯t make either of those moves, but it was hard to fight my body¡¯s natural response mechanisms.

    So I went with the option that most people didn¡¯t know about.

    I froze.

    I just kept eye contact with him, not daring to look away or lower my gaze. If I did, he would see it as a sign of weakness, and pounce on me like a juicy steak ready to be devoured and ¨C

    ¡°Alright, boy, you can relax now,¡± he said with amusement.

    The feeling of palpable danger dissipated, and the horned wolf chief seemed just like any other beastfolk that didn¡¯t have a predator aura. My breath, which I had subconsciously been holding, released, and I breathed normally. My fists unclenched and my legs threatened to turn to jelly. I hadn¡¯t realized how much of an effect¡­his action¡­would have on me.

    ¡°We can talk out here, if you prefer, but I imagine you¡¯re tired and hungry from your travels, and we can talk just as easily over a bowl of something warm,¡± he said.

    I clasped my hands together without bowing, and lowered my head the minimum amount that I felt I could get away with, without causing him to feel I was showing disrespect.

    He shook his head before patting my shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go, human pup. I think you¡¯ll like what I have to say.¡±

    I would like what he had to say?

    The pieces clicked together as the little hamster wheel spun in my mind, connecting the dots and sparking a faint ember of something.

    They thought I was innocent.

    That was the only conclusion I could draw from the information at hand.

    The barrier of wolves preventing me from entering¡­was actually a honor guard, or an approximation.

    The chief meeting me at the entrance personally¡­.wasn¡¯t a public statement that I was unwelcome, but something else, perhaps an attempt to observe me under pressure, if his danger aura trick was any indication?

    And the fact that he was speaking to me informally¡­.I could just be reading into his words, but if I were deemed innocent, I would be given a status equivalent to a diplomat. Something like diplomatic immunity for all my actions would be granted, and I would be treated with respect and warmth no matter which tribe I visited.

    It was possible I would be treated like a genuine beastfolk.

    That was an outcome I was looking forward to. The lizard tribe, not to mention the envoys, were polite and respectful with me most of the time, save for the occasional teasing. But there was always a¡­distance between me and them, that wasn¡¯t present when beastfolk interacted with each other.

    If I was being honest¡­I longed for that sense of acceptance and community.

    For a home.

    At the end of the day, I never wanted to be burdened with power or responsibility. My biggest dream was retiring early, living a simple life with a wife and kids in the suburbs, and just generally not having to worry about anything too major.

    With a fair bit of difficulty, I brushed aside lingering thoughts about my once-dream, and tried to lower my expectations, in anticipation of what the chief would tell me. Perhaps it was true that he had something good to say to me, but it didn¡¯t necessarily have to be about the trial. Maybe the king had died, or maybe they had found Khime¡¯s washed up body on the shore with a note on which afterlife he was in so I could slap him whenever I wanted for all eternity.

    Maybe I was about to marry a beastfolk princess, in hopes of bridging the fraying relationship between humans and beastkin? I wasn¡¯t a furry, so I wasn¡¯t sure that would qualify as good news, though.

    I followed behind the chief, the wolves who were assembled in lines at the entrance nodding to me or clapping my back or shoulders as I passed them. There was one who was about my height, which made me assume it was a female, that pressed her snout onto my cheek and licked me, before running off in a different direction.

    I was stunned for a moment, and was just glad that my first kiss happened with a human, and not some beastkin who happened to be faster than me.

    The tribe was friendly to me as I passed through their tents, offering nods or waves or a bark, in one child¡¯s case. It was a marked improvement over how I had been treated at the lizard tribe before I healed everyone. I returned the nods and waves as I gradually grew closer to the largest tent in the tribe, which had a flag atop it, of a horned wolf, again in profile.

    I entered the tent, and was met with the sight of a much more furnished dwelling than the previous chief¡¯s tent I had been in. The envoys were conspicuously absent, as was anyone else besides the chief. He sat while tending to a fire pit dug out from the ground, adding herbs and pleasant smelling ingredients to an oddly white-green kettle.

    Oh damn, that¡­is that jade?

    The oft-referenced substance was commonly viewed as one of the most beautiful natural materials in the world, rivaling gems and pearls and other shinies. I noticed that while the kettle was made of jade, so too were the pair of cups beside him. On his circular table carved out of wood, four clawed feet supporting it from the base, were documents stacked at least an inch high. Next to them were wrapped sticks of charcoal, a precursor to the pencil, that he used as a writing implement.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    The ground was covered in soft furs, though of a different color than his tribe¡¯s, implying they were valuable or difficult to acquire somehow. In fact, nearly everything in this room spoke to the owner¡¯s high status. Being one of the members of the council must have landed him some decent perks.

    He motioned for me to sit across from him as I entered the room, so I did as requested and crossed my legs, sitting comfortably on the padded ground as the chief kept his focus on the jade kettle. Finally, once he felt it was appropriately warm, the chief removed it from its place above the fire with his bare hands, without giving any consideration to the possibility of being burned.

    Two cups of tea were poured, one for each of us, as he handed me one of them. A sweet-smelling, borderline intoxicating scent emanated from it as I held the uniformly warm cup in my hands.

    Neither of us made a move to drink yet, and we both knew why.

    There was a beastfolk custom that when ate or drank privately with a tribal chief, the visitor would offer a polite salute, wishing the chief something along the lines of good fortune, or may you live a long life, or may the Mother smile on you, another way of saying good luck.

    I wasn¡¯t saying anything out of pettiness and perhaps resentment at the general way I had been treated thus far.

    The chief wasn¡¯t saying anything as he didn¡¯t need to, and probably to gauge whether I was aware of the custom about what to do or not, and he would likely solidify his opinion of me based on my next action.

    I could argue that the beastfolk had brought me nothing but trouble, and while it was rude of me to not offer what was effectively a clink of our glasses and a polite, ¡°Cheers!¡±, it was equally rude for the beastfolk to essentially kidnap me and judge me by their laws and customs, with the possibility of death being on the table.

    Of course, that argument would just devolve into a shouting match between who felt slighted more, and whose honor had been more besmirched, and who had the bigger dick¡­it would lead to nothing productive and would only be a giant headache for all parties.

    Now, that being said, I still didn¡¯t want to bow my head to someone who claimed to have authority over me.

    But I could bow in respect of the man¡¯s strength, as he had earned it and come by it honestly.

    I lifted the cup in front of me and said, ¡°May the tribe never know what it means to be weak,¡± inclining my head as I did so.

    He lifted his brow before his cup followed suit, as he intoned in his deep, rich voice, ¡°May the Mother grant you mercy,¡± before taking a sip from his cup.

    I mimicked him as I lifted the cup to my lips, imbibing the tea that tasted just as sweet as it smelled. For a moment, all was right with the world, as I lost myself in the pleasant aftertaste of mint.

    Then reality reared its ugly head once more, as the chief introduced himself.

    ¡°Torr of Clan Veek, Chief of the Silver Horned Wolf tribe, greets the human mage Rhaaj,¡± he said.

    I replied with my own greeting, not surprised at all that he knew about me. ¡°This one greets the chief, and thanks him for offering shelter to a guest.¡±

    A few moments of silence passed as we drank from our cups¡­until the chief broke it with his words.

    ¡°You are a child, in more ways than one,¡± the chief said with a smile on his face.

    ¡°And yet, that reason is a poor defense against claims of besmirched honor, the cause of which I was wholly ignorant of,¡± I retorted, the peace granted by the tea completely gone.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± he said, the small smile still on his face. ¡°Regardless of the circumstances, none of that is relevant anymore.¡±

    His smile melted as he assumed a more serious tone. ¡°I can inform you now that the council has found you innocent of any intentional or malicious wrongdoing on your part, and is willing to make amends for dragging you from your home, by sending you back if you wish, or offering reparations if you choose to stay.¡±

    That was something else I had been suspicious of. After all the trouble of getting me here, the council was just¡­letting me go? There had to be more to it than that.

    I voiced my doubt to the chief. ¡°Forgive me for being blunt, but I must know. Why?¡±

    He considered me for a few seconds before replying. ¡°Did you know that there are dragons still living to this day?¡±

    Dragons?

    ¡°What do dragons have to do with anything?¡± I asked, puzzled.

    ¡°There are pale imitations of dragons scattered throughout the world, sea serpents and land wyrms, flying snakes and feathered lizards. But none of them were alive when the world was born, when the Mother granted life to the tiniest denizens of the land and sea. None of them were alive when the Ancestors sealed the vile fiends within the northern lands.¡±

    ¡°And none of them have enough influence to order the council to declare you innocent.¡±

    So, I get the sense these aren¡¯t your typical dragons. But what¡¯s important is that the dragons either know I¡¯m innocent¡­.no, that¡¯s not the case. Knowing my luck, the dragons want me to do something for them, and I can¡¯t do that if I¡¯m dead. So, they told the council to let me off the hook. But the question remains¡­

    ¡°But¡­why would the dragons¡­vouch for me? I¡¯ve never met one, and I don¡¯t know any of them,¡± I said, unsure if he even had an answer.

    Chief Torr sighed as he said, ¡°The dragons rarely get involved in worldly matters, like this mess. They concern themselves with protecting the world, rather than the individuals in it, and they are a mystery to most, even to the council.¡±

    ¡°What about the Beast King?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Him,¡± the chief turned his head and waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Anyone who sits on that throne is burdened for the rest of their years, and sadly, that burden does not include conversing with elder dragons.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that the council no longer wants me, and I¡¯m free to do as I like?¡± I confirmed.

    ¡°Within reason,¡± the chief replied, taking up a no-nonsense type of tone.

    ¡°So¡­what now?¡± I asked. My recent days had been fully consumed by the thoughts of this upcoming trial and the resultant verdict. I would either be hailed as a true friend to the beastfolk for the rest of my life, or I would be deemed an honorless cur who spat on tradition and deserved to be executed.

    There was a very, very, small part of me that wanted them to try and kill me, just so I could flip the script on them and see how they liked it. Granted, I knew that would effectively be declaring war on the entire continent, or perhaps even the world, but¡­there was always a feeling of ¡®why not¡¯.

    Which is why I quashed that belligerent part of me whenever it popped up, as I wasn¡¯t particularly fond of being cited in history books as the mad human who wrongfully slaughtered innocents while pursuing a non-existent sense of vengeance.

    Now that there was no reason for me to be here, I felt like I had no purpose.

    ¡°Now?¡± the chief let out a barking laugh. ¡°Now the dragons have their eyes on you, boy. I¡¯d wager they¡¯ve been watching you longer than you know, if they declared you innocent. If you feel like wasting the rest of your life fruitlessly, you might attempt to meet with the dragons yourself and ask them why they intervened. I understand you¡¯re a healer, as well?¡± I nodded to his question.

    ¡°Perhaps you might travel the land, offering to heal the tribes you stay with. Perhaps you can use your magic to create things we beastkin haven¡¯t thought of yet. Now, you get to choose what you do. And yet¡­you still seek direction. As I said¡­¡± he shook his head and sighed, ¡°A child.¡±

    I nodded again and again in response to his statement as I withdrew into my mind. He was right, in a way. I could fake being a mature and respectable, hard-working and contributing member of society. If I really pushed myself, I could even be one some days. But I yearned for a life free of responsibility, so much so that I had crafted my life, and the one before it, around being self-sustaining. Knowing how to heal meant no more expensive trips to a doctor who would just write me a prescription for a pill and charge hundreds of dollars for it.

    Being skilled in combat meant I could take care of myself if I ever fell into a dangerous situation. It was lucky, really, that I had a nature affinity, as that let me tap into all kinds of magic that I could use to make my quality of life just a bit easier, once I found someplace to settle down.

    I didn¡¯t think that would be here, though. From the little I had seen of the beastfolk continent, it didn¡¯t seem like somewhere I¡¯d want to live long-term. Not to mention the lack of suitable mates. Elves, though¡­there was potential there. I had very limited knowledge of the elven continent, save for Teacher Passen and the few descriptions that described the various types of terrain. Maybe somewhere in the elven continent would be ideal for me? The beastkin, despite how much they attempted to emulate the elves¡¯ way of living, had an almost¡­xenophobic attitude.

    However, any thoughts of leaving for the elven homeland would have to be put on hold for a while. My original desire, before I got caught up in all this council nonsense, was to travel and see the world. Why would I intentionally miss out on the continent with the most diverse group of animals?

    ¡°I do believe I know where I¡¯m headed next,¡± I said confidently.

    ¡°Oh?¡± the chief replied, sharpening his claws by rubbing them against each other. ¡°Well, I wish you safe travels then. I would see you off, but my time is scarce, and today happens to be an exceptionally busy day.¡±

    I suppressed the roll my eyes wanted to do, simply nodding at the blatant lie. ¡°Of course. Then I beg the chief for his pardon, as I find myself suddenly in need of supplies for a long journey.¡± I got up and made a minor bow before exiting the tent without being dismissed, another act of impropriety from a beastfolk point of view.

    It was more annoying than anything that the main currency of the beastfolk were favors and trades. If I wanted food, water, clothing, or anything else, I would have to leverage my healing skills to obtain what I needed.

    I wasn¡¯t lying, though. I did need supplies if I wanted to check out the vast desert that dominated nearly the entire southern half of the continent.

 Chapter 56

    By the time the moon had risen, I was on my way southwest, headed out of the territory of the silver horned wolves less than a day after I had arrived there, and moving in the direction of the coast.

    I had decided to leave the same day for multiple reasons. One, the chief and I didn¡¯t exactly get along, and seeing as how he was both a tribal chief and a member of the beast council, I couldn¡¯t very well get comfortable in the home of someone who was just barely not considered to be a political enemy. Secondly, I wanted to be free of my escorts. The envoys had accompanied me for a fairly long time, and I wanted to be able to move by myself without adhering to a literally inhuman pace or receiving strongly worded suggestions not to use any magic. Thirdly, I felt I was capable of safely travelling at night. Without anyone to object to my use of magic, I could simply hollow out a small cave underground and sleep undisturbed.

    Finally, and most importantly, I wanted to be able to use my beast space and the contents within.

    I could pick any creature or beast and its speed would be enough to eclipse my own, thus I had a veritable buffet of options for a mount. Plus, if the one I was currently riding got tired, I could switch it out with a different one that was rested up. If I got in a fight, ambushed by monsters or feral beasts, I could bring out my own helpers and even the odds. I could also just sleep in the beast space if I suffered from nightly attacks on a regular basis, though I was in two minds about sleeping in there.

    Before I left, though, I said goodbye to the envoys. They didn¡¯t require an explanation from me about what I would do next. As far as they were concerned, anything that happened to me from now on was my own fault and I deserved it. They were to return to their tribes and new envoys would be selected to take up their former posts. While it wasn¡¯t exactly a tear-jerking goodbye, they all wished me well as we parted ways.

    Unexpectedly, Chief Torr also stopped me before I left, as he had forgotten to give me something. He threw a two-toned bracelet made of fused iron and jade at me and said it was a token that would prove my status as a friend of the beastkin, something I would have been presented with if my trial was held and ruled in my favor. The dragons calling it off threw a wrench in the works, and as his tribe was the one I had visited first, he was burdened with having to do it in this manner, without ceremony or pomp. He even formally gave me permission to use magic in their lands, not that I needed it, but he did sigh in exasperation and walk off without answering when I asked if that meant I could create ash houses now. I took that to mean yes. Technically, he didn¡¯t say no.

    With all my last-minute goodbyes over with, I began running out of the tribe¡¯s domain, waiting until I was at least two days away before I interacted with my beast space in any way.

    I was on my way to the coast as I wanted to see if marine beast attacks were less common than land-based ones, and the possibility of adding some aquatic animals to my collection was too good to pass up. If there were any coastal tribes I coincidentally ran into, I would see if they had sushi or some kind of dried seaweed similar to nori, as the craving for those hit me the moment I thought of them in my brain.

    The first night was spent in complete peace, as I followed my plan and created an underground cave to sleep in. The soil was marginally softer than the grass and dirt aboveground, but it had its own problems, such as the increased number of insects and the general dampness. The reduced likelihood of attacks was worth it, though. I even rubbed a few of the leaves from the beast-repelling tree on and around me.

    As I attempted to sleep on the damp ground, I reflected on what the chief had said. I took the intervention of the dragons very seriously. Beastkin senses being what they were, I couldn¡¯t discount the possibility that nobody was watching me right now. And if, as the chief claimed, all beastkin were descended from dragons, I had to assume that draconic senses were even more amazing and all-encompassing.

    There was just no way to know how much they knew about me. When had they developed an interest in me? Was it when I landed on the shores of the beastfolk continent? Was it when I was on the skyship or using the teleport formations? Could their senses reach the human kingdom? Or maybe the entire planet?

    The point was, I had no way to know. All I knew was that the dragons intervened. Maybe searching for them wouldn¡¯t be a terrible idea, if they were already inclined to help me once. But it would be a long search, as nobody knew where the dragons lived. Not even the Beast King, who only interacted with one of their intermediaries, and even then, it was extremely rare.

    If the dragons wanted to talk to me, I had no doubt they would be able to find me. For all I knew, one of them was watching me right now!

    Regardless of whether or not I was being monitored, I would stick to my original plan. Head to the coast, grab some sea beasts, then make my way along the coast to the desert and cross that off my bucket list. Thankfully, this wasn¡¯t a video game where I needed to unlock 100% of the map. As long as I caught some beasts unique to the desert and visited any points of interest, that would be enough for me. After my desert travels were over, I would head to the capital ¡®city¡¯ to watch the great tournament of the continent, the Thundering. It was the only large event I knew of that would draw attention from the entire continent, and even beyond.

    Nothing stopped me from sleeping unmolested throughout the night, as I woke up dry and cool, the chill from the morning less potent than I assumed it would be. Spring was just around the corner, which meant the Thundering was approaching quickly as well. It looked like I would have to postpone seeing the tournament until after I finished my tourist vacation in the desert. The tournament was held every year, to my knowledge, so I could easily make the next one.

    My journey to the coast was relatively peaceful, as I had only been attacked twice while the sun was out, and once during the night. For a trip that took nearly two months, that was phenomenal and unprecedented for me. My route had me pass through the territories of two tribes, who were relatively smaller in both population and status compared to the silver horned wolves.

    The first tribe was some kind of pig tribe that rode massive warthogs and wielded giant bone clubs. The bracelet I showed them, the one that supposedly displayed my status as a friend of the beastfolk, was just an eye-catching trinket to them, but nothing worth any attention.

    So, the wolf chief was either lying, or these pig-men didn¡¯t know what it meant, which was totally possible.

    They offered me food, water, and shelter, adhering to the beastfolk custom for guests. I stayed with them for only a day before I left, healing the few of them that were sick or injured, and leaving with a warthog mount of my own as a gift.

    The next tribe I encountered was a species of otters that spat venom at their foes.

    Literally.

    I came upon a group of their patrols mounted on animals that bore a resemblance to them, as they were in the midst of being pelted by a flock of birds that constantly dove at them and flew in circles around them, evading their mistimed and poorly aimed attacks while peppering the riders and their mounts with strikes from their wings, beaks, or talons.

    Now, I was in a bit of a dilemma when I saw the scene playing out in front of me.

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    There was a stupid, stupid, custom among the beastfolk of not interfering in fights, which included giving aid. It was so ridiculously idiotic that I was sure the person who came up with it secretly hated beastfolk and wanted them all to die in combat.

    Theoretically, I could help them and claim ignorance, being a stupid human and all that, but it wouldn¡¯t earn me any goodwill for saving their lives, which were in danger if I didn¡¯t make a move on the birds.

    But while I was deliberating, it seemed like the decision had been made for me.

    One of the otters noticed me, as I was clearly visible on my mount less than a quarter-mile away, a dark spot against the blue sky and green grass. Unfortunately, while his attention was on me, a bird took the opportunity while he was distracted to cut his throat with its outstretched wing, and I could sense blood rushing outward through the laceration.

    That marked the beginning of the end for the otters. The birds, some kind of hawk, redoubled their efforts as they harassed the otter beastfolk, Their second wave of attacks caused a few hawks to go down, but the otters were outnumbered and outmaneuvered, unable to bring their strength to bear against airborne foes.

    To a man, they all died, save for one otter mount that was on the brink of death, wounds gushing blood onto the formerly pristine grassland. The hawks descended from the sky once more to feast on the bodies of their conquered foes, unaware that there was something else capable of killing them within the vicinity.

    I dove underground once I realized which way the tides were shifting, just barely poking my head out to see the final moments of the skirmish. The victors were pecking at the freshly-slain bodies, savoring the hard-won meal as they cawed and shrieked.

    There was no reason for me to risk being ambushed and caught unawares by them, so I encased myself in the ground, rendering any attempts by the birds to reach me moot. This was almost an ideal situation for me to test out a technique I hadn¡¯t attempted before, due to my doubt about its viability.

    I was capable of using blood magic in numerous ways, but I had never tried using an opponent¡¯s blood as a medium in order to manipulate their bodies. More importantly, I hadn¡¯t named such a technique yet, and I had narrowed down the options to ragdolling, blood puppetry, marionette, and meatbagging.

    Meh, I¡¯d see if it worked first. The name could come after.

    As I laid down in the small chamber of soil and dirt, I worked quickly, as there was a limited amount of air for me. I reached out with my blood sense, the circulatory systems of the avian creatures revealing themselves to me. I could feel the hearts beating, the blood traveling through the body while avoiding the wings, oddly enough, and even a few small scrapes and cuts leaking blood onto the ground, a remnant of the battle they had just undergone.

    I focused on my intent, holding a clear image in my mind of what I was trying to accomplish, and conveying that desire to the essence both within and around me. The hawk closest to me began squawking and screeching as it sensed my magical intrusion, flapping its wings to gain altitude from the unknown threat. Unfortunately, its legs weren¡¯t properly bent, as the blood burst out of the vessels closest to the talons and prevented it from properly taking off.

    The next muscles to be crippled were its chest muscles connected to its wings, which were now immobile. The screeching eventually became a constant annoyance, like a splinter in my mind despite being underground, so I ended the experiment and just burst its heart from within. I unexpectedly discovered that the bird could live for almost five minutes without its heart, so that was a¡­data point¡­.

    Sadly, the rest of the birds flew off once one of their comrades died to something they couldn¡¯t detect, the bodies they were consuming now lying on the grass with strips of flesh torn off and entrails hanging out.

    I would have to try again, but maybe with something less¡­avian, next time. I emerged from the dirt and soil, nature magic brushing off any sediment stuck to my skin or clothes, and looked at the pile of dead bodies. The best thing for me to do would be to burn the bodies, to prevent any monsters or other beasts from snacking on them, so I opened a small pit in the ground, and pushed all the bodies inside. I only knew of a few fire spells, and ¡®Torch¡¯ would be the most appropriate one for this poor man¡¯s excuse for a funeral.

    Beastfolk didn¡¯t have funerals, instead they had something akin to a wake. If a friend or loved one died, those who knew them would mourn their passing and celebrate their life, sharing stories about them. Oddly enough, I had never heard of what beastfolk believed happened to them after they died. In my entire time on this world, I hadn¡¯t heard of things like heaven or hell, nor reincarnation, so I was curious what most people thought would happen.

    I could have searched for the otter tribe, who were bound to be somewhere closeby, and informed them of what happened to a group of their warriors, but they would find out eventually, with or without me. Then I felt the bracelet on my left wrist jangle against my forearm. The one that marked me as a friend to the beastfolk.

    Dammit. Even I¡¯m laughing at how naive I am.

    It was possible the bracelet didn¡¯t mean a damn thing. But if it were real, I couldn¡¯t just walk away without doing nothing, even though it would be so much easier. I lamented how much simpler my life would be if I didn¡¯t have a conscience weighing me down sometimes.

    I left the bodies to burn, as I summoned my warthog mount from my beast space, where I left it before the altercation with the birds began. I didn¡¯t have any skills in tracking, but it wasn¡¯t too hard to spot the divots and bare patches of grass in the rough outline of paw prints headed in a single direction.

    It was nighttime when I entered the otter tribe¡¯s domain. Two guards were patrolling the perimeter, and they looked almost identical to those beastkin I had seen fall to the hawks earlier. After a polite exchange of greetings, I passed on the news of their brothers¡¯ deaths, as well as the locations of their bodies, in case they wanted them. Once the guards got over the shock of a human speaking their language, they took the other news rather well. Their moods were downcast as they learned of their comrades¡¯ fates, but they accepted it quickly, thanking me for informing them and saving them some time. It was somewhat rude of me to enter the tribe¡¯s domain and not visit the chief, but the tribe was already further inland than I would have preferred, so I left soon after, citing urgent business, a vague statement that worked as an excuse just as well here as it did on Earth.

    The sea drew ever closer as my mount trundled along. It was chosen for its stamina rather than its speed, but it wasn¡¯t long before I smelled the salty spray of the ocean, and the unmistakable scent of fish mixing with it. The terrain abruptly transformed from flat grassy plains to sandy slopes, before the ocean was once more in sight, the sun just about to reach the horizon, painting the normally blue waves an orange that was¡­transcendent.

    On the very edge of the range that my blood sense could perceive, I noticed something disturbing the idyllic view, however. There were numerous forms containing blood swimming towards the shore at ridiculous speeds. They were either rushing towards me or fleeing from something else behind them, and given that I probably registered as a dot to their eyes, I would wager they were running from something. Metaphorically speaking.

    More and more bodies joined them, creating a tidal wave of bodies that was fast approaching my position. The reason for their frantic dash became apparent soon after, as a vast head with reptilian and aquatic features broke the ocean surface to bite at something. Something black in color, and just as enormous as the reptilian head that bounded after it.

    A sea serpent was battling a vorander, and their blows were creating aftershocks that rippled out from the point of impact, to the point where I could feel the ground shudder beneath me, threatening to topple me over.

    More and more bodies were racing towards where I stood on the beach, with no one else in sight to offer aid or even run away and ¡®promise¡¯ to bring reinforcements. While the incoming creatures were running away from something that could end their lives without even noticing, it was unlikely they would ignore my presence, as I had learned by now that beasts rarely passed up the chance to dine on something that looked like it would offer little challenge.

    I was about to summon some of my beasts from my beast space when the appearance of the serpent head flashed through my head. It was possible that the sea serpent was related to the dragons, as it was the closest thing to a dragon that I had ever seen, which meant it was possible it could contact them.

    Contact them, and inform them of a peculiar human who pulled out an army of enslaved beasts from thin air and needed to be killed immediately to free the poor creatures that had been trapped.

    I was tempted to run, or dig underground and hide, but there was no way I would get far enough to avoid pursuit in the little time I had left. So my only option was to stand and fight. I ignored the warthog that had carried me here; whether it lived or died was up to fate. I wouldn¡¯t bring trouble to myself by storing it in my beast space if there was a chance the sea serpent could sense it. If it got too hairy, I would absolutely not hesitate to retreat into my beast space, but not before then.

    In the seconds I had left before the tide of enemies approached, I set the field as much as I could to get any advantage possible. I had faced enemies in similar numbers, while defending the academy, but never alone, and never without some kind of backup plan.

    How did that one saying go? Men make plans, and God laughs?

    If Khime was laughing at me right now, my next plan would definitely involve slapping him until it no longer felt satisfying.

 Chapter 57

    I had twenty seconds at most before I had to unleash the spell I was holding onto in my mind. For some inexplicable reason, my brain chose now of all times to recollect what I had learned about essence and spellcasting. Maybe I was subconsciously searching for a solution out of this problem that I had overlooked somehow?

    Essence was somewhat simple to manipulate once you knew the framework of its mechanics. The essence in the environment was purely neutral, so a water spell wouldn¡¯t necessarily consume less essence if there was water nearby. Before casting, one had to determine whether the spell would create water from essence or manipulate any existing water.

    Depending on the type of spell being cast, essence would either magically transform into the desired element or summon it from another plane of existence, which was the most debated topic of the mage community, or it would reach out to the existing elements and manipulate them instead. Obviously, manipulation was easier than creation, as it drew less essence from a caster¡¯s individual reserves, and allowed them to manipulate the elements directly, though their personal essence was still required, if in smaller amounts.

    Personal essence acted almost like a carrier signal of intent and will, which was the most important factor in casting spells, being doubly true in my case. All the craziness of my taming spell and the beast space had been kickstarted by nothing but my meager-at-the-time reserves of essence, and my intention to live, though the how and why of it all still eluded me.

    I sincerely hoped I would live long enough to get questions to those answers. I knew why I was rambling in my mind, looking for a distraction from the wall of bodies about to rain down on me.

    Fear. I didn¡¯t want to die, at least not like this.

    Death was inevitable for everything, an indisputable fact of life, which is why I had such a hard time accepting that I could die to forces outside my control. If I had to die, I wanted to do it on my terms, as a way to wrench a tiny piece of control back into my hands. But it was all just bluster and a facade. I had absolutely no control over how I died the first time, and I had no doubt that my final death would be¡­unexpected. Hell, I could even be six feet under in the next five minutes.

    But if I was going to die today, I would make damn sure to take my pound of flesh from whatever did it.

    Or more accurately¡­my pound of blood.

    I tore my gaze from the sky, where dark clouds were swirling and gathering together, lending an air of foreboding to the area, and looked at the horde of animals all stampeding towards me. There was no order to their frenzied dash away from certain death; some ran, some slithered, others dove under the sand and went underground, where I lost track of them soon after, my attention focused on the surface and the slaughter that was about to happen.

    Five seconds at most; that was how long I had before I would either be trampled, or chomped on, or otherwise forced to a gruesome death. The sounds of the hissing and warbling horde got too loud and made me lose my concentration, causing me to accidentally lose control of the spell I was preparing, and trigger it early.

    The sky, which had been growing darker since my spell¡¯s inception, turned blindingly white, unleashing a bolt of lightning that arced through the beach and collided with the ocean¡¯s surface. Anything even remotely wet was instantly electrocuted, my extra essence ensuring that the lightning didn¡¯t stop until I deemed enough of the horde dead.

    Unfortunately, my last-second fumble meant that, while the electricity had enough power to kill everything it came into contact with, its range was less than optimal.

    I had cleared out maybe thirty percent of the closest animals near me, their bodies spasming and smoking even as some of them clung to life. I had no time to go through and double-tap all of them, so I ensured their deaths in the quickest way I knew of:

    By ripping the blood from their bodies.

    With barely a thought, the blood of every electrocuted being on the beach broke out of whatever bodies were restraining them and surged free, tearing out of limbs and skin, faces and hearts. The dying whimpers made me think of my own death, and how powerless I was at that time, and now I was doing the same thing to these ¨C

    I bit my tongue hard enough to draw blood. I could wallow in memories and be introspective later. Right now, I had to survive.

    There were at least fifty liters of blood for me to work with, and I started by molding a few of them into caltrops, dotting the beach with them to impede whatever crossed the surface. I could have gone with the spinning helicopter blades again, rotating them at high speed and clearing out everything, but I spotted enough glowing shells and scales to know that wasn¡¯t a guarantee of success. I wasn¡¯t the only one capable of using magic here.

    I saw nothing in the remaining horde that could fly or had wings, so I hastily shaped half the blood into a small square platform, compressing it enough so it would support my weight. With one quick glance at the horde, that began sprinting in my direction once it seemed I wouldn¡¯t repeat my trick with the lightning, I levitated the platform into the air¡­while I was still standing on it. Thankfully, my control and affinity with blood were high enough for me to attempt such a thing, otherwise I would have definitely tested its feasibility in safer conditions.

    I rose into the air slowly, but quick enough that nothing attempted to bite me or send any attacks my way. Hate-filled eyes looked up at me before continuing their dash into the mainland, content with ignoring me, if it meant saving their own lives.

    Unfortunately, that was where they encountered my next obstacle: caltrops, spike strips, and pitfalls with blood-red stakes at the bottom.

    The blood constructs proved no challenge to create, but arranging them was another matter. I had to simultaneously hollow out numerous pits and place the blood-constructed spears at the bottom, while also scattering the caltrops and spike strips in a large enough area to affect most of the creatures. Seeing as I had no materials on hand to conceal the pits, I had to keep their top layers of sand intact with nature magic, while gaps of air separated them from the bottom of the pits.

    It was an unprecedented use of magic as I had used two schools of magic almost at the same time to form numerous traps. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t clap myself on the back quite yet, as the shrieks of pain erupted from the beasts who had my traps lodged in their bodies. The caltrops and spike strips were effective at stopping the beasts from continuing their sprint inland, and the smaller creatures that fell into the pits quickly bled out. The larger ones either ignored them entirely or the spears had less of an impact on them than I would have hoped.

    By now, another few hundred of the beasts were finished off, and there were less than half their original number, though it was possible I was inflating the number as the remaining beasts were all larger and in better shape than the ones I had downed thus far. They looked pristine, and I could tell these were the older beasts and creatures, likely to possess vast amounts of essence and possibly even sentience. None of the turtles or eels or shelled birds looked pleased at my standing so far above them, but another ground-shattering tremor put their priorities back in order, as they rushed for the grasslands that could offer better shelter from the two titans battling for supremacy in the sea.

    I had to maintain the blood platform¡¯s integrity as I sat down on it, mentally tired from all the spells and quick thinking I had just done. The remaining beasts eyed me warily from the ground, but I disregarded them as I tried to relax. If I really pushed myself, I could maybe tame one or two of the beasts in the back of the horde, which were already gaining speed as they moved through the grassy plains of the continent, but¡­.

    I couldn¡¯t run myself ragged for something the beastfolk were capable of dealing with on their own. Yeah, I had the stupid beastkin friendship bracelet or whatever, but I had already done my part by reducing what they would have to deal with. This couldn¡¯t possibly be the first outbreak of sea creatures that the tribes had faced. They could handle it; like I said, beastfolk senses were no joke.

    My mind slowly unwound from the stress of the past hour. They never tell you how exhausting casting multiple spells in quick succession is in the academy. No, it was all about setting a good foundation, and learning the basic skills to enable you to make your own discoveries one day, far into the future, when you¡¯ve ¨C

    ¡°Motherfucker!¡±

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    I lopped off the head of the snake that bit me, as it wriggled about even after its death. It came from nowhere and bit me when my guard was down, and I could feel the left side of my body going numb.

    I mentally sensed the snake¡¯s venom traveling through my bloodstream, and tried to isolate it, stopping the flow of blood around my kidney area. I had no time for delicacy or a sterile environment, so I encapsulated all the venom in a layer of blood, and forced it out of the vein by rapidly ejecting it from my skin. the numbness quickly wearing off and letting me feel the pain of my self-inflicted wound.

    I gasped as I doubled over, lying prone on the blood platform¡­until it lost its cohesion and reverted to a puddle of blood, sending me straight to the sandy beach from thirty feet up.

    I tried to reach out and reform the blood platform, but my brain just wouldn¡¯t cooperate so soon after ripping a new hole in my stomach. I fell through the air, wondering if I was about to die, when my shoulder hit the ground first, and I heard an audible crack that was accompanied by a lance of pain through my left shoulder.

    Though I wasn¡¯t in the greatest physical condition of my life, I wasn¡¯t dead yet, and I took that as a serious victory after the rapid chain of events that just occurred. The body of the snake that bit me ended up falling onto my leg, four inches long and the same color of the yellow-brown sand. It either flew up to me, or camouflaged itself as I was forming the blood constructs and waited for me to finish. Either way, it was dead now. I would have spat on it if I could feel my face¡­

    Wait¡­why can¡¯t I feel my face? I can¡¯t move my left arm, either! No! I got rid of the venom as quickly as possible! I didn¡¯t miss any of it, I¡¯m certain!

    I roved through my bloodstream, checking for any traces of venom that I had missed, and came up empty. There was either nothing there or it was too small for me to detect. Theoretically, I could transfuse clean blood into myself while flushing out all of my own blood, thereby ensuring there were no toxins left¡­but I wasn¡¯t an idiot. That would require precision, skill, and understanding that I currently did not possess. Even at the best of times, attempting something like that would be insane. Doing it now, in the aftermath of my reenactment of the Battle of Thermopylae, would make me a certifiable lunatic.

    I couldn¡¯t move my body, but I could still sense the blood around and on me that had once been my platform. I could make something like a gurney or a stretcher and seek shelter with the closest tribe. It was possible they were fending off the remnants of the sea beasts, but I needed to heal, and that required food, water, medicine, and a clean environment, something lacking in this beach that was covered with bodies to the point that sand wasn¡¯t even visible.

    I started moving the blood around me into a rectangular form, reshaping it into the platform shape I was familiar with, when I lost control of that too. I couldn¡¯t move my body, and now I couldn¡¯t use essence, either. Was this another effect of the venom, a slow-acting paralytic that inhibited me from ¨C

    ¡°Stop struggling, human.¡±

    I would have turned to see who spoke, but my paralyzed body prevented me from doing so. Whoever it was, their intentions couldn¡¯t be anything good if they were showing up after my battle like this, when I was more vulnerable than a baby. At least a baby could cry or shit itself.

    I tried to clench my fist but was denied even that small movement.

    I didn¡¯t have to wait long to see who had spoken, as their wet, glistening fur shimmered in the afternoon sun, unveiled by the clouds that had dispersed after I called upon them.

    I heard heavy steps squelching atop the bodies I had left lying on the beach, and the unmistakable swishing of a tail going back and forth. The fact that the voice had called me human, and that they were heavy enough to need a tail to support their balance¡­.

    My suspicion turned to certainty as I saw a scaled pseudo-crocodile enter my range of vision. I was currently lying on my side, my likely-broken shoulder on the ground, so his full reptilian body was visible from where I was. His body was a deep blue, bordering on black, but it was no vorander I saw; there was too much¡­gloating¡­in his expression for it to be anything but a beast.

    His snout was stubbier and more curved than a crocodile¡¯s, and he had six legs instead of four, but the teeth I caught a glimpse of as he spoke looked dangerous enough that I didn¡¯t care what he was, as long as he left me alone.

    A hope that was about to be dashed to pieces as I heard it speak.

    ¡°All my people tried to do was seek shelter, but you couldn¡¯t simply let them be, could you, little human? No. You had to interfere, like every other human with their¡­intentions.¡± He spat the word like it was a curse, his disdain for humans obvious.

    ¡°And now, because of you¡­thousands will never know what tomorrow holds.¡±

    The croc paced around me as he spoke, relishing his victory. I was too caught up trying to figure out a way out of this to pay any attention to his words. There was one option, but I would have to be extremely lucky¡­.or unlucky, for it to work. Either way, it would likely involve a great deal of pain.

    If I was able to, I would have shuddered at how quickly I had gone from fearing pain to treating it as a mild annoyance. Maybe the thing in my soul was affecting my brain.

    Not the time, idiot.

    ¡°Do you require my assistance, contractor?¡±

    Not right now¡­but maybe in thirty seconds. I¡¯m about to bring you a new friend to play with.

    ¡°That boorish fellow? He¡¯s far too old for us to be friends.¡± Spearmint said, from within my beast space, his meaning reaching me rather than the words themselves.

    ¡°What would you do in my place, human hatchling, if it were your spawn and mates fleeing for their lives from a power that rivals the dragons of old?¡± the crocodile was speaking at the same time as Spearmint, and it was irritating that I couldn¡¯t goad it into attacking me so I could enact my plan. I was never good at following two conversations at once, which is why I always turned on subtitles when watching anything.

    ¡°But they will not be alone in their deaths. You will follow after ¨C¡±

    ¡°I believe this one is more suited to be a piece, rather than a player, as you would say, contractor. ¡°

    ¡° ¨C and it will not be quick, or painless. No, you have earned a far more ¨C¡±

    ¡°Should I jump out and trample him? His scales may be strong, but they¡¯re no match for my horns.¡±

    I would have sighed if I could. He wasn¡¯t even referring to his antlers, but to actual conical drill-shaped protrusions on his sides and neck. They were little spearheads that just...popped up one day, with no explanation. Spearmint even said they weren¡¯t natural for others of his kind, and was as puzzled as I was at their appearance, though that didn¡¯t stop him from bragging about the new opportunities they provided him.

    ¡°Do not fear death. It comes for us all, in the end. Yours just happens to be standing beside you, waiting for me to eat your heart.¡± Finally, the croco-beast had stopped his monologuing, and was about to sink his teeth into me.

    All according to plan.

    I only had one option available to me: bring the croc into my beast space the moment he came into contact with me. Before the battle, I had considered whether or not the massive sea serpent or the vorander it was battling, or even the elder dragons, could detect me entering the beast space, but if I had to choose between my life or my secrets, my life would always come out on top.

    That meant I couldn¡¯t just enter my beast space alone, as I had no idea if or when I would be done healing from my injuries, and I didn¡¯t think disappearing from thin air in front of a magic beast that wanted me dead would be the best move. He would likely infer I used spatial magic to escape, and it was possible he would just wait on the beach for me to come out. I couldn¡¯t say that he wouldn¡¯t do it, so¡­he was coming along with me.

    Plus, the fact that he was entering my beast space meant that he would fall under my control¡­in theory. I had never brought anything inside without it being tamed first, so I was gambling a lot today, but even if he retained his free will, I had an army that could kill him in my place.

    As he finally stopped pacing around me, he nudged me with his foot, pushing me onto my back and keeping a foot on my chest. The extra weight did not help with my injuries, as I felt like I could barely breathe with my lungs being squished.

    He was about to bite into me when he noticed the surroundings had changed, turning around abruptly, and thankfully removing his foot from my torso to do so.

    ¡°Where is, no¡­no! I ¨C¡±

    That was all he managed to say before my gamble paid off, and the crocodile¡¯s personality turned to that of an automaton. He simply lowered his head to me, as I saw his head dip, and waited in place without moving or uttering a word. The beast space had tamed him for me, though it was more¡­aggressive about it than previously. Another of its features I had ¡®unlocked¡¯.

    The mystery of the space¡¯s growth could wait. I was bruised and bleeding, numb and in pain, all at once. But most importantly¡­I was alive, and safe. I had enough food and water for¡­too long, honestly. Now all I had to do was heal, and hope neither the massive sea serpent nor its monstrous foe took notice of me when I left the space.

 Chapter 58

    The venom from the snake that ambushed me was potent, and it took a long time for me to be confident that I had expelled any traces of it in my system, even after spending hours scouring my internal organs for any particulates that looked suspicious. Unfortunately, the venom¡¯s effects, combined with the initial bite, caused considerable nerve and muscle damage in my torso. I had heard firsthand from doctors on Earth that damaged nerves took a long time to heal, and whether they could heal was always in question.

    It took two months for me to recover to my previous physical condition, and the last two weeks of that were just me being cautious. I only had to actively cast a few healing spells the first few days, and those did the majority of the work, while I just had to lie down and let them do their magic, no pun intended.

    The entirety of my recuperation was spent reading novels, trying not to die of boredom, and meditating, trying to gain some sense of inner peace that had, thus far, eluded me for my entire life.

    I definitely saw some improvements to my breathing technique, as I could more acutely sense the ethereal energy entering my body before it went dormant, merging with the rest of my personal reserves. The fact that essence was accessible or present in my beast space was puzzling, but I just accepted it as a part of the space. Treating it as another mystery to solve would drive me crazy, and I spoke from experience on that matter.

    It was a bit nostalgic, doing nothing but lazing around for months while I recovered, and I largely ignored my ¡®roommates¡¯, as they didn¡¯t really bother me too much. I had been moving at a fast pace recently, both literally and figuratively, and taking the time to slow down, even if it was involuntary, helped me to decompress. This downtime helped me recognize that a bit of a break every now and then was a good thing overall. Completely devoting your focus to one thing would eventually lead to burnout if you couldn¡¯t meet the unrealistic expectations of an overworked mind.

    I made sure that everything affected by the venom was functioning properly before exiting the beast space. I swung my limbs in every direction, stretching every muscle I could think of, and sensed my body¡¯s internal workings. My physical capabilities were restored to their prior state, and I was in control of my body once more.

    I took a deep breath before leaving. This place, for all its mystery and limited square footage, was something of a mobile base now, practically a second home. The temptation of just¡­staying there, it called to me. That old demon known as sloth had reared its fat head, enticing me with promises of relaxation, and nesting in a comfortable spot without having to interact with anyone. It was practically an introvert¡¯s paradise, just without the internet and food on demand.

    I resisted the temptation, my desire to explore winning out over the siren call of the comfort zone. Maybe that would be a better name for it than the beast space. I strapped a carved tooth knife onto my belt, just in case. My boots were tight, my clothes were breathable, and I was as healthy as I could be. It was pointless to procrastinate any more.

    I stepped out of the beast space cautiously, with a ring of blood needles at the ready, and gazed upon an idyllic, picturesque view of an untouched beach. There were no clouds in the sky, nor were there bodies anywhere in sight. I felt trace amounts of blood in the sand, but the tides had washed most of it away, returning the area to how it looked before my arrival.

    I did feel a tremor jolting through the ground, though it was far less jarring than it had been months ago. If those two titans were still battling each other somewhere farther away, it implied one of them ran away. After all, did the terrain really matter when your body was hundreds of feet tall? That they were still fighting was bad, in the general sense that the voranders needed to be eliminated and all that, but I didn¡¯t know if I wanted the enormous sea serpent to emerge the victor. If it sensed my entering or exiting the beast space, it was possible that it would grow¡­curious.

    And I didn¡¯t want to find out what an age-old beast looked like when faced with someone who wouldn¡¯t reveal their secrets.

    Spring was in its final days, as the temperature was considerably warmer than it had been earlier. As such, my plan to visit the desert would have to wait, probably until winter, when the hot weather would be marginally more tolerable. I could still wander the coast, looking for marine animals to tame, though that idea was much less appealing now. Maybe it would be better if I just went to the capital directly? If I rode fast enough, I could reach it in time to see the Thundering tournament, and that was something I had been looking forward to during my recuperation.

    In the end, I had to prioritize secrecy over desire, as moving fast enough to reach the tournament would require me to constantly switch out fresh mounts from my beast space, something that would not go unnoticed, as there were no roads on this continent to help explain why someone could travel that fast.

    So, with a tentative plan to follow the coast until something more interesting drew my attention, I began walking south, heading in the general direction of the continent¡¯s only desert.  It only took me two days before I came across something that caught my eye, and while some may have called it interesting, in an academic sense¡­.I was not one of those people.

    Walking on the shore with the seas to my right and the mainland on my left, I entered the outer reaches of a lagoon, large coral reefs in the ocean visible from where I stood on the sand, the perfectly crescent moon-shaped body of water sublime in its appearance.

    What was less sublime was what I noticed happening on one of the small landforms near the coral reefs on the seabed: a vorander, having taken on the appearance of a scaled leopard, was stabbing its fangs into the neck of a struggling¡­Loch Ness monster? The creature beneath it was making futile attempts to flee, but the monster¡¯s weight effectively pinned it down. The creature¡¯s broad and flat body, four webbed limbs, and long neck would normally make it seem graceful, but at that moment, the creature was just¡­desperate, and it was obvious why. It was dying slowly, or maybe it was already dead and just hadn¡¯t accepted the fact yet.

    Whatever the case, I couldn¡¯t just move on and ignore it when I heard an unexpected female voice sound in my head.

    ¡°You, human, I beg you, kill me now! I beg you!¡±

    There was no time to think. I was already somewhat inclined to kill the monster, but the beast¡¯s pleas for death touched me in a way I had never felt before, and I couldn¡¯t wait any longer if I wanted to end its suffering.

    I didn¡¯t know how to respond verbally, so instead I used my actions to convey my intent. With a flick of the wrist, a thin tendril of seawater rose from the ocean like a transparent tentacle. It wound around the monster¡¯s head, choking it and attempting to crush its neck all at once, before it slumped to the ground, brain matter and blood leaking out of its orifices. It kept twitching even after its death, so I made a novel magic construct to end it: a water blade. The blade kept stabbing and slashing, my nature spell allowing me to manipulate it freely, until the monster was cut to ribbons, black viscous blood leaking from its body.

    I turned to the beast who had been forced to experience being eaten alive, and met its eyes. It was still injured, and¡­I noted the desperation hadn¡¯t left its eyes. It didn¡¯t look at me, but I heard a voice once more, much weaker than it had been merely minutes before.

    ¡°Please¡­kill me¡­quickly¡­I beg you¡­human¡­¡±

    Wheezing gasps of air followed that dire request, and I felt obligated to try and heal it, even if it wanted to die. I had even spoken aloud in the hopes that it could understand me, ¡°I can heal your body, you don¡¯t have to die.¡±

    But¡­.

    ¡°No¡­..I need¡­to die¡­please¡­shame¡­guilt¡­beg you¡­kill¡­plea ¨C¡±

    There was no point in listening any further. It ¨C she ¨C was set on dying, but I could make sure it was painless. Even her words seemed like they required herculean amounts of effort for her to get out, and if I didn¡¯t ¡®help¡¯, it would grate on my conscience. Teacher Passen, my elven healing professor at the academy, had predicted that if one became a healer, they would eventually be confronted with the situation I was in now, and so I did what he said was the best thing for everyone.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    I killed someone who could have lived, but was determined to die, leaving me with a burden that would only grow heavier the more I thought about it. I did it as painlessly as possible, casting spells for a pain-killer, a mood relaxer, and a sleep inducement. She closed her eyes before dying, but I thought I saw the desperation shift into something more¡­peaceful.

    I ignored the part of me that said I could have saved her by using my taming spell, as I felt that would be almost worse than death. She said she felt guilt, and shame, and it was to such a degree that she would rather die than attempt atonement. That she was capable of such emotions also spoke to her age, and experience, which meant she had, at the very least, lived a long life. Taming her would mean she had to live with those memories for a long time; it would be cruel and unnecessary.

    I had to burn the bodies, though each one for a different reason, but my blood sense alerted me to something approaching from beyond the lagoon, and in the ocean proper. It was small, and felt¡­abnormal, somehow. There was something off about its blood, but I couldn¡¯t get a proper sense of what was wrong with it.

    It swam close enough to the little island that it soon launched itself out of the water, torpedoing through the air, and crashing onto the small piece of land headfirst, its tiny head stuck in a small indent in the ground. It wriggled its tiny body, attempting to wrench free of the sandy prison. It would have been cute¡­.if I hadn¡¯t seen its face once it surfaced.

    Because it was a nauseatingly similar face to one I had killed. Its body was equally familiar, and I felt the urge to throw up bubbling unpleasantly in my gut.

    A broad and flat body, with a tiny spiked shell on its back, and four webbed limbs that resembled paddles¡­.not to mention, the long and narrow neck that some would call graceful. And its head¡­.a black leopard¡¯s face, with black scales covering its blue fleshy body. It licked the body of the dead female that resembled it, nudging it with its head when that failed, and finally, biting into it, too weak to break the skin.

    My stomach churned, and I vomited into the sea, unable to hold back any longer. The separate pieces of information that seemed unrelated all clicked together once the little¡­.thing came into view.

    The female beast begging for death, muttering about shame and guilt. The vorander lying almost completely atop her, preventing her from escaping. The features of the baby sea creature.

    It was a hybrid¡­a hybrid of a beast, and that goddamned vorander.

    I had felt rage before, but never like this.

    Neither one of the two beings I had killed deserved death. One should have lived a longer life of peace and happiness, and the other deserved to be tortured and castrated and healed in an endless cycle until it begged for death.

    I had to calm down, but it was so hard with the fire burning within me.  I knew that I didn¡¯t have all the facts at hand to judge the beast. Maybe she was a mass murderer, maybe she was a cannibal or a vicious prankster that enjoyed biting off limbs of unsuspecting humanoids. The point was, I had no idea what kind of life she lived¡­.but I know she didn¡¯t deserve the end that came for her.

    I looked at the little hybrid ¨C chimera. The chimera was still attempting to bite into its mother¡¯s flesh, and growing increasingly angry at every failed attempt. I was tempted to just kill it¡­.and every debate about abortion I had heard came flooding through my mind.

    The child is innocent, one side of me said.

    It¡¯s a goddamn monster trying to eat its mother, the other part of me retorted.

    It didn¡¯t choose to be born, the first side replied.

    Really? So it gets to wreak havoc like all the rest of its kind?! The second part cried out.

    I don¡¯t have the right to kill it.

    And what about all those beasts you killed a couple months ago? They were just trying to live, but oh no, you couldn¡¯t have that. The ¡®great hero¡¯ had to be all responsible. Did you have the right to kill those beasts? Didn¡¯t you kill them regardless?

    They would have attacked innocents.

    And so will this one, if you give it the chance.

    I don¡¯t want more blood on my hands.

    You¡¯ve only killed beasts so far, self-righteous dipshit. Say that again after you become an assassin or a soldier.

    I couldn¡¯t make the decision, so I settled for the middle ground.

    I tamed the baby chimera, sending it straight into my beast space¡­..though it retained its personality, as it began tapping the ground with its feet, yipping at the other voranders and beasts it spotted, walking up to each of them and giving them a sniff or lick before moving on.

    Well, it was a chimera, maybe the first one to ever exist. It made sense that it was different from all those that came before it.

    I burned the bodies of the hybrid¡¯s¡­parents, using some of my older clothes as fuel to get the fire going. For all that the torch spell had its uses, there were times I wished I didn¡¯t know it. The sun had set by the time the bodies turned to ashes, and I felt far worse than I had when I thought a crocodile beast would kill me.

    I kept moving along the coast, eager to get as much distance as I could from that place before sleeping. No, I would forgo sleep for at least a day. I needed something that would distract my brain from dwelling on that nightmare fuel in my dreams. Maybe I would come across a tribe of exotic beastkin that resembled turtles, or crabs, or sharks, or eels?

    I did see beastfolk that resembled axolotls in the far distance, and forced myself to take shelter with them for the night. They were friendly as soon as they saw me, even bringing up my bracelet that I had completely forgotten about, the one that declared me a true friend to the beastkin. I would have been shocked that they recognized it, if my emotions allowed me to feel anything but guilt and disgust.

    So I did what I always did: pushed down my feelings and assumed a mask of neutrality. The axolotl beastkin weren¡¯t mounted, and for good reason. Their mounts were aquatic. The tribesmen looked so similar to the mounts they bred that I had trouble differentiating the two, though I soon noticed that the mounts all had four limbs while the sapients stood erect on only two.

    I was escorted to the tribe¡¯s chief, who held a feast in my honor to welcome me, a selection of seafood dishes laid out in front of me. The feast was a large affair, held for the whole tribe, as they brought out wine from somewhere, as well as some type of maracas and drums, dancing along to the thumping beat that accompanied the food.

    The seaweed was saltier and slimier than I was used to, but it fulfilled one of my cravings nevertheless. The wine was disgusting, but I soldiered through it and put away a full jug, belching and laughing uproariously.

    I even partook in the celebrations myself, hoping to drive away the bad memories with some fake good ones. I didn¡¯t know any of the steps to the dance, but nobody pointed it out. I even busted out the worm, a move I hadn¡¯t done in years, which showed how desperate I was.

    I slowed my heart rate down before I got too worked up, the mere mention of the word sending me back to that lagoon.

    I asked to be excused from the festivities, as they clearly hadn¡¯t worked to uplift my mood, and the chief¡¯s wife agreed, ushering me along into an empty tent that belonged to one of their guards who had the night shift. I caught the chief kissing another axolotl while his wife watched, and I decided to meditate, with an additional horrifying image burning its way into my mind.

    I took deep breaths and did different poses, hoping some combination would work to calm me down, but all my efforts were in vain. It seemed like I would be having a sleepless night full of experimenting with magic.

    That might distract me from thinking about the rape victim who had begged me to kill her, and my lack of hesitation at doing it.

 Chapter 59

    The axolotl beastfolk were respectful and friendly towards me, providing me with a novel experience I was mostly unfamiliar with in my time with the beastkin. The other tribes I had visited immediately distanced themselves from me on account of being human, which I felt was eerily similar to how some human nobles did their best to stay away from commoners. I was always treated with respect, but it was the cool, polite, type of respect, offered only so that the tribe could maintain their claim of being gracious hosts, even to humans.

    The axolotls were different, in that regard. They were mostly isolated, living on the southwest coast far from populated areas. There were only two tribes they traded with, one of whom was an aquatic race of penguin beastfolk, and the other was a desert fox tribe, who lived on the very edge of the inhospitable desert, despite what their name would suggest. The isolation of the axolotls gave them a worldview that was unpolluted by societal norms, in which they acted according to their conscience, a lifestyle I fully agreed with.

    They were close and intimate without being disrespectful, which became borderline overbearing at times, but I knew they were well-intentioned, so I never declined their offers of eating, or accompanying them on patrols, or sitting around the night¡¯s fire for dinner with the chief. I couldn¡¯t offer them much, save for my healing abilities, which were rendered almost completely useless in the face of their natural regenerative capabilities. All beastfolk had bodies that could heal relatively quickly, but the axolotls could cut off a limb and have it regrown within a few hours. Their regeneration didn¡¯t fully develop until they matured into adults, so I still healed any cuts or scrapes their children got, though it felt like they accepted my offer so I wouldn¡¯t feel superfluous.

    The general mood of the tribe was positive, as they lived simple lives and looked forward to what the next day would bring. My¡­feelings, on the incident, which I did my best to block out, flashed into my head at random times, and I did my best to ignore them, as there was little else I could do, something I felt was starting to become familiar to me.

    That changed on the morning of the third day after I had met the axolotls.

    I had woken up to the sound of an insistent low-pitched buzzing, which turned out to be two tribes whispering amongst themselves. The axolotls had been visited by the desert foxes, who were conducting their monthly trade of supplies, when the worldwide surveillance formation activated, showing a display of someone sprinting.

    I had almost forgotten about the great formation, despite its importance to the world, but that was no longer possible. Seeing a frantic and wounded minotaur-looking beastfolk running for his life, only to be ambushed by a pack of voranders, taking the appearance of giant mongooses, made me ingrain the image into my memory. The ¡®screen¡¯ went back and forth repeatedly, showing his initial crime that drew the monsters to him: abandoning his comrades.

    The minotaur guy was on a battlefield, and in the background, one could make out a large wall that stood at least three hundred feet tall. It must have been the Wall of the World, where the defenders from each race battled against the voranders that spawned between the Elven continent, where the Wall was established, and the Northern continent, the birthplace of voranders encircled by the greatest barrier the world had ever seen.

    The minotaur guy was fighting against the monsters, but after taking a wound to his back, he started acting odd: crouching down and rocking back and forth in the fetal position, clutching his head, shaking involuntarily. Finally, he succumbed to whatever was affecting him and ran away, leaving his comrades who had just been shielding him while he had his episode.

    It was depressing to watch, as they all died shortly after, their shock at the minotaur¡¯s actions rendering them unable to react when a humanoid vorander  came from nowhere and slashed at all of their bodies in seconds with its clawed hands. The minotaur was quickly swarmed by another pack, and he didn¡¯t even make the slightest effort to resist, looking almost glad to be dying. The scene kept playing until his death, when it rewound and showed the initial crime again, playing the two in a loop until it winked out.

    The axolotls and desert foxes were discussing the minotaur¡¯s actions, and how it affected them. Everyone was whispering, so I only caught snippets of conversations. Phrases like, ¡°shamed our entire race¡±, and ¡°dishonor on his family¡± were common ones.

    Somehow, his actions had brought shame not only to himself, but to his family, his tribe, and the entire beastfolk race. They all claimed responsibility for producing an individual that would abandon his ¡°battle-brothers¡± in the midst of combat.

    I personally had my own views on honor, and while I thought it was¡­distasteful, for him to do what he did, it was a rational action, from my point of view, to run away from something that stood a good chance of killing you. Then again, he had signed up to fight against them, knowing full well he could die. That added an entire layer of complexity to the argument, but it boiled down to the fact that¡­yeah, overall, it was a bad move.

    Better to go down swinging.

    After the axolotls and desert foxes finished their trade, I was introduced to the members of the fox tribe, who were glad to meet me, as I clasped forearms with each individual, a sign of respect that I appreciated them doing. Even for them, the desert was a danger zone void of any but the hardiest of lifeforms. The foxes weren¡¯t the only tribe that bordered the desert, but of their neighbours, none dared to venture inside, especially in the spring and summertime. The heat alone would kill them, to say nothing of other dangers.

    Therefore, when I proposed building them an ash house, they were stunned. First, at the fact that I had the capability and permission to build one, and secondly, at how nonchalant I was about it. I suppose I was a bit indifferent to it, especially considering I had never actually made one that was full-scale, but I knew what to do. I just had to do it for longer. They eventually agreed to my proposal, of course, as their environment was in dire need of the supposed kind of shelter an ash house could bring.

    The axolotls were also stunned when they learned that I could build an ash house, though they declined when I offered to also create one for them. They had everything they needed, the chief said. Ash houses were meant to give shelter to those who needed them the most, not to act as decorations.

    Logic and logistics both suggested that it would be simpler if I traveled with the desert fox tribesmen back to their home, instead of following after them at a later date, which led me to leave from the axolotl tribe shortly after, exchanging goodbyes and gifts and promises to return. The desert foxes I travelled with were a small group of twenty, small enough that they could move with speed, but large enough to have a sense of security while on the move.

    Their mounts were not foxes but large bobcats, able to safely carry two people at a time. The bobcats were the fastest mounts I had been on yet, as it only took two days to reach the desert fox tribe.

    Their tribe had made their home just outside the border of the desert, but was slightly inland and thus further removed from the dangers of the coast and sea. It was a familiar heat that draped around me, the relentless and unforgiving type of heat that only a sub-tropical sun in summer could provide. The land was surprisingly fertile, as it was essentially a strip of grassland sandwiched between the sands of the beach, and the sands of the desert. Somehow, the terrain had given rise to a completely arable land, as the foxes were harvesting fruits off trees, their orchard bearing much fruit, and a small legion of bobcats were being fed from the land¡¯s bounty, feasting on some kind of bean, though there were plenty of slabs of meat mixed in.

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    The heat was unbearable to me, and I just wanted to do what I promised and get out, despite the hospitality the desert fox tribe displayed. I had never been a fan of hot temperatures or climates, and a different world hadn¡¯t changed that.

    I was escorted to the chief¡¯s tent, scaled lizard skins draped atop them to keep off the heat, where the chief¡¯s wife was present, nursing a child. She invited me in, explaining that her husband was off hunting in the desert, searching for monsters or other possible dangers, and exploring just a tiny bit more every time he went in.

    ¡°Have you made an ash house before, young human?¡± she asked politely, smiling at me.

    I nodded to her, ¡°Yes, chieftess. I was¡­foolish, when I was younger, and sought to create one without considering the implications such an act brought with it.¡±

    She kept her smile on as she responded, ¡°It seems humans and beastkin are much the same in that regard.¡±

    I chuckled at her answer when the chief suddenly barged in, dried blood covering his snout and hands as he looked straight at his wife, not noticing that I sat in his blind spot.

    ¡°Len, where is the human? Rafta said he could make an ash house, and we might need one if the desert keeps ¨C ¡°

    He was interrupted by a slender finger pointing behind him to his left, the smile still on her face clearly conveying her amusement. As the chief turned around and saw me, I stood and bowed to him, ¡°I offer my greetings to you, chieftain of the desert fox tribe. This one is called Rhaaj, and humbly asks for food, water, and a tent for a few days.¡±

    He looked between me and his wife a few times, before his wife burst into laughter, a high-pitched squeal between a purr and a cough, and exited the tent, leaving behind some words as she did so. ¡°Forgive me love, but I just couldn¡¯t resist at the thought of what your face would look like.¡±

    The chief took her departure as the signal to initiate our conversation. ¡°Sit, sit,¡± He waved me down, so I sat once more, this time across from where he sat on the floor, the tent bare of any furnishings.

    ¡°I understand you¡¯ve offered to construct an ash house for us, young¡­Rhaaj, you said your name was?¡± I nodded. ¡°I would appreciate such an act, as would my tribe, but I must ask, if only to assure my people later. Are you confident in building one?¡±

    ¡°You can rest easily, chieftain. You have my word that I know how to make it. I¡¯ve constructed one before, and I¡¯m far more familiar with the process now. I can proceed first thing in the morning, after I¡¯ve had some time to rest from the journey. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware that us humans have much worse bodies than the beastkin do.¡±

    He closed his eyes for a moment, clearly considering my words, before looking at me with a small smile on his face. ¡°Then we shall have to return your generosity with a gift of our own. A feast, perhaps? Or would you prefer one of our mounts for yourself? They¡¯re bred for the sands, but can adapt to the plains well enough.¡±

    I interrupted him before he could propose any more possible options. ¡°Forgive my bluntness, chieftain, but I cannot take anything from you save what I truly need.¡± Then I summarized what had happened so far with everything regarding the ash house and the beast council.

    And all it did was cause him to laugh.

    ¡°After all that, the dragons just let you go? Oh, I don¡¯t know whether to envy you or pity you, young human.¡±

    ¡°Pity me?¡± I frowned. ¡°Are the dragons known for being indifferent to humans?¡±

    The chief shook his head. ¡°Not only humans, but to nearly everyone that isn¡¯t their kin. Dragonkin, the name of descendants who carry the blood of dragons, are the only proof we have that the dragons are still around. If the council claims the dragons are aware of you¡­.well, let¡¯s just say I¡¯m unsure whether or not it¡¯s a good thing that you¡¯ve drawn their eyes to you.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± I grumbled to myself.

    ¡°Well, all that dragon business can wait until later. You go and rest. From what I¡¯ve heard about ash houses, you¡¯ll need it.¡±

    I nodded and bowed to him once more, before leaving the tent.

    The next day, the chief had gathered all his tribesmen to watch as I began the process of creating an ash house. After all, being able to witness the creation of an ash house was a monumental event in any beastkin¡¯s life, doubly so when it was a human doing it. I respectfully advised him to watch from a distance, as it would be somewhat dangerous in the area around me. He declined, as did the rest of the tribesmen, and I could only hope they would retreat if things got out of hand.

    It had been a relatively long time since I made that mockery of an ash house in the capital, and I knew, in general terms, how to create one on a proper scale. Ash houses, at their core, were essentially giant domes that could shelter hundreds of people. The one I made was only meant to hold maybe two, or three? I don¡¯t exactly remember my thought process nor the events of that day, only that it was an impulse I gave in to.

    I would have to act much more thoughtfully today than I had in the past. And so I began meditating first, clearing my mind of superfluous and distracting thoughts. I went over the process, step by step, and made sure I hadn¡¯t left anything out or misremembered anything important. Once I was sure I could move forward, I began creating the ash house. Essence was accumulated temporarily within my body until I felt I had reached my limit, and I shunted all of it into the planet¡¯s crust, my fist encased in a rocky gauntlet for protection.

    Cracks broke out across the ground, as gases and debris escaped their underground confines through the vents I had unwittingly created. A plume of lava erupted out of the ground, and I quickly took control of it, manipulating it with my nature magic into an even circular disk spinning high overhead. Luckily, there was a river nearby, so I introduced some of its waters to the lava, hardening the surface until the mixture formed something approaching obsidian, with the natural gases and my own essence adding structure to the formless blob of black stone. It took longer than expected, nearly two hours, but the finished product spoke for itself.

    I decided not to change too much about it, as the addition of the water could already be seen as an unnecessary change, so the ash house looked about as accurate as the depictions of it in my books said. A nearly jet-black dome of stone, with a hardened base to prevent anything from burrowing from underneath or any natural pressure vents from building up too much and releasing everything inside. It was larger than I thought, at maybe a hundred feet tall and two hundred wide, able to comfortably house¡­..maybe fifty or sixty at most? It was underwhelming, for sure, when considering the population of the desert foxes was at least a hundred and fifty, but I couldn¡¯t exactly tear it down and make an improved one.

    By the looks on their faces, however, it was clear that ny misgivings I had about the ash house were solely in my head, as all of them displayed their reverence for what I had done in different ways. Some fell to their kness, crying. Some thanked the Mother for granting them this gift, and some came up to me personally and squeezed me tighter than any hug should have been.

    Needless to say, I was drained from my efforts, and the chief, once he had recovered, thanked me profusely by offering his daughter¡¯s hand in marriage, which I politely declined. A feast was non-negotiable, and would be held in the night as thanks, which I acquiesced to.

    As the foxes entered the new structure, examining the bare stone dome and planning who would have the privilege of staying inside, I sat near its entrance, leaning against the ash house¡¯s outer wall, eager to get out of the hot sun. Summer was almost here, which meant the Thundering tournament drew closer.

    In the end, I had to postpone going till next year, or maybe even the year after that. I was more interested in seeing the desert, despite it being a natural death trap. Maybe I could ask the chief to accompany him on his next foray within? I doubted he would decline my request after what I had just done for him and his tribe. The structure would stand for at least three hundred years, as its materials and the environment would both keep it well preserved, unless an unlikely earthquake happened and brought it low.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll explore the desert first,¡± I said to myself aloud, believing no one else would take heed of my words, or give them any importance.

    I was wrong.

 Chapter 60

    The ash house remained an object of fascination and wonder for the desert fox tribe for nearly the entirety of my stay with them. Somehow, they got it into their heads that they shouldn¡¯t be the only ones to be able to see it. And so, the next time a trading group was sent to their neighboring tribes, they would share the news and invite everyone to come and bear witness to the extravagance within the desert fox lands.

    The amount of praise, gratitude, respect, and tears I had to face every time someone looked at me made it all uncomfortable, as I was endlessly assailed by someone who hadn¡¯t managed to thank me yet, in their own special way that made me glad I wasn¡¯t compelled to agree politely to whatever they offered me.

    I¡¯ve said it before, and I¡¯ll say it again. I¡¯m not a furry.

    Marriage and adoption proposals notwithstanding, my time with the foxes was more relaxed and sedate, similar to my time with the axolotls, only here the temperature was higher and thus, worse. Everything else though, was just as pleasant as could be. Meat, vegetables, a sweet wine that they brewed from their own produce, I had it all. I had gotten used to bathing in public, so cleaning myself off in the river wasn¡¯t a big deal for me, though the feeling of finally being clean was amazing. Trying to wash up in the ocean was a pointless endeavour, as salt and sand would stick to your skin afterwards.

    The atmosphere was one I enjoyed, but I felt like I had to move on. I was self-aware enough to know that if I found a place comfortable, I would just give up, stop trying, and relax there, wiling away my days doing nothing. I doubted the chief would give me his blessing about roaming the desert, but I had to ask. If they had any maps, or knowledge of the land they could share, it would go a long way in my travels.

    And just as I expected, the chief was dumbfounded when I brought up the topic.

    ¡°Why would you want to go into that deadland?! There¡¯s nothing to see there! Plus, the sun is far more unforgiving in its depths rather than our home here! The desert is filled with all kinds of dangers, quicksand, predators, lack of water. No, I¡¯m sorry, brother Rhaaj, but I can¡¯t allow you to go in by yourself. Your life is more precious than you know.¡±

    A cynical thought came to me, but I didn¡¯t speak on it, as doing so would put a crack in our relationship that would be difficult to mend.

    He doesn¡¯t want me to die so I can keep making ash houses for the beastfolk.

    It was an uncharitable thought, but it drove into my mind like a splinter, refusing to budge. I kept my mask of politeness on my face as I replied courteously to his warning.

    ¡°I apologize, Chief Vahl. You are right, curiosity is not something worth dying for. Thank you for informing me of the perils.¡± I bowed my head to him while clasping my hand, a display of respect¡­.that I begrudgingly felt. Yeah, I could have held a grudge against him for not going align with what I wanted, but that would have been petty and immature.

    And I was trying to move past such descriptions.

    He sighed a breath of relief at my words. ¡°I know you want to see the world. You¡¯re young, and the continent is rife with opportunity. But, speaking as an elder, I¡¯d advise you to visit the elven lands if you wish to see sights that will amaze you. That is where the true magic of the world happens.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been to the elf lands?¡± I asked him incredulously.

    He nodded as he crossed his arms. ¡°Some choose to visit the elven lands in their youth, as a xi ren sien tuu. The Thundering offers notable fighters the chance to visit as well, and most who visit choose to stay and fight beneath the shadow of the Wall. I was the chief¡¯s son, and expected to lead the tribe after him, so I only saw the inside of their classrooms, but¡­.believe me when I say, everything the elves create is beautiful. Everything.¡±

    ¡°I suppose I¡¯m going to the elven lands, then.¡± I said.

    I had always intended to visit the elves¡¯ homeland one day, but the fox chief¡¯s words only managed to solidify my desire. While I could admit that the beastkin continent had its own natural sort of beauty to it, there wasn¡¯t much in the way of variety. It was mostly grassy plains, a smattering of rivers, the coast, which I had mixed feelings about, and the inhospitable desert. There were rumors of valleys nestled in rings of mountains somewhere, but no one I had spoken to knew of such landmarks.

    Maybe it was time to cut my sightseeing trip on this continent short and head over to the elf lands. I did want to see their giant tree houses, plus¡­.

    Who knows what kind of other¡­.opportunities¡­would present themselves there?

    The only factor I could see being an issue were the dragons. They had intervened in my life in a major way, and I found it unlikely they would simply allow me to gallavant as I pleased. After all, could I really afford to discount the possibility that they weren¡¯t watching me at this very moment?

    It looked like I would have to reach out to the dragons somehow. The other council members would be unlikely to offer their aid, as I¡¯m guessing most if not all of them wanted me dead. The only leads I had were rumors about where the dragons lived, and rumors weren¡¯t exactly the pinnacle of accuracy. Would I really have to travel the entire continent searching for them? And who¡¯s to say the dragons were even on the continent? For all I knew, there could be a dragon¡¯s den at the bottom of the ocean, or on the moon, or in a separate dimension.

    ¡°Sigh, hey dragons, if you¡¯re listening, I don¡¯t appreciate all this ¡®hiding in the shadows¡¯ bullshit. Just come out and face me if you really want me to do something for you.¡±

    Life wasn¡¯t so kind as to grant me a reply, but I didn¡¯t expect one.

    My time with the desert foxes came to a close soon after, as the adulation of the crowd became overwhelmingly discomforting to me. I was presented with the usual gifts of food, water, weapons, clothing, and mounts, and they still didn¡¯t think they had done enough to repay me. We parted on good terms as I left their territory and headed northeast, circling around the desert¡¯s edge before exploring the rest of the continent.

    Or at least, that was the plan.

    I was barely two days out from the foxes¡¯ domain when I felt yet another tremor, an aftershock of the battle between the sea serpent and its dark enemy. The battle had been ongoing for months, and that there was still no clear winner was disconcerting. The shockwaves from the titanic battle disrupted many animals that would have otherwise gone unnoticed, and sent the more meek-minded scurrying even further away from the aftershocks. It was difficult to pinpoint the exact location where the battle was taking place, but it had to be somewhere in the seas to the south, otherwise the monster would have evaded the sea serpent¡¯s assault by simply falling back to the continent.

    The shockwaves also dislodged the beasts and creatures that made the surroundings of the desert their home, and seeing as how I wasn¡¯t in the mood to repeat my feat of standing alone against a tide of beasts, I had to hide in my beast space when I sensed beasts approaching the vicinity.

    It was the third time I had had to hide in my beast space, but right before I would have entered¡­I was standing in the middle of a crowd, beastfolk of all types around me, talking about¡­the tournament?

    I was startled at what had just happened, as I struggled to come up with a good explanation for my current circumstances. Just a moment ago, I was in the southwest of the continent, about to hide from the incoming beasts of the desert in my beast space, when I¡­appeared¡­in a city where beastfolk were discussing a tournament and how so-and-so of Clan Whatever was a prodigy with the maul, or how the humans and elves had imported their own food and were running low on certain exotic herbs or spices.

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    I wasn¡¯t exactly a genius, but I didn¡¯t need to be Sherlock Holmes to know that I had been teleported across the continent. There was only one real suspect who would have any motive for portaling me this far, as well: the dragons, or one of their agents working according to their will. Evidently, they had decided to make themselves known to me, which suggested they were watching me, and had been doing so for some time.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t funny, asshole!¡± I screamed into the air, ignoring the shouts of exclamation as people reacted to the unexpected sight of a mad human in their midst, screaming into the sky.

    It irked me that they could just do that, without any regard for what I wanted¡­.but what did my protestations matter in the face of a dragon born at the beginning of the world? If I ever came face to face with a dragon, I would either be extremely respectful, or downright pissy. Either way, the dragons would control my fate, so what did it matter if I was rude to them or not?

    I walked away from the crowds and looked for a relatively quiet place where I could be alone, hesitant to use any magic in the midst of the city where people could mistakenly assume I was attacking them.

    I doubted all the friendship bracelets in the world could solve that problem for me.

    The city wasn¡¯t at all how I had imagined it in my head. The merchant¡¯s diary that described the continent was more detailed about the people and tribes rather than the cities, which were only briefly mentioned, so seeing the city in person was a novel experience¡­despite the sour mood I got when I thought of how I had arrived here. And plus, how was it that nobody noticed me just appearing out of nowhere?

    Everything in the city was natural. The buildings, if one was being charitable enough to call them that, were either huge tents constructed in the same style most beastfolk used, or structures composed of unprocessed tree trunks, boulders, stones, and woven reeds coming together to create a facsimile of a beaver dam of natural materials.

    There were two structures that stood out to me immediately, however. One was an enormous ash house, at least five times larger in radius than the one I had built for the foxes. The other was an arena that looked similar to the one in the academy, and although its shape and the materials appeared to be the same, it was far larger in size, spanning at least eight football fields. The two megastructures were on opposite ends of the city, and it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine why.

    Staying faithful to their way of life, there were no roads at all, only hardened and packed dirt paths that people used as walkways. The ¡®buildings¡¯ all had an official purpose, but anyone looking for an inn or tavern would have to make do with the tents set up outside the city, as I could see an almost entirely separate city of tents ringed around the two megastructures and the other ¡®buildings¡¯.

    I did note the presence of quite a few elves, though humans seemed to be more uncommon. An appropriate indication of how the two races treated the beastfolk, if the gossip passing through the rumor mills of the academy had any truth to them.

    I had no plans for being here at this time, and I was resolved to only visit the city next year, or perhaps not at all, possibly heading straight for the elven continent instead. Now that I was here, however implausibly, it would behoove me not to take advantage of the opportunity. After all, there seemed to be places that offered food and drinks every ten steps, so why not take a break from the maelstrom of current times and just, let go a bit?

    I must have eaten at least a kilogram of food, considering the way my stomach bulged and the drowsiness I felt that typically accompanied a large meal. There was no time to sleep, though, as the beat of drums fittingly thundered throughout the area, followed by everyone rushing in one direction with carefully controlled haste. It seemed the drums signaled the beginning of the next event in the tournament.

    As I noted before, the arena was colossally enormous, dwarfing over the ones in the human capital and the academy, and it seemed capable of seating at least ten thousand, if not more. The massive open field in the center would allow multiple fights to take place simultaneously, and while beastfolk senses may have been able to take in multiple fights at once, I and my pathetic human eyes and ears were limited to watching singular fights on an individual basis.

    The fights were brutal and bloody, as the beastfolk excelled in close quarters combat and had stronger and more resilient bodies that could withstand the punishment being doled out to them in every swing of the weapon, though not all weapons required swinging. In fact, there were many beastfolk who eschewed using weapons at all and preferred to strike with their bodies directly.

    Fists were the most common bludgeoning tool, but headbutting, tail whipping, and body slams were just as popular. The next most used weapons were those fangs, claws, or stingers, and tongues that were either dangerous in their own right, or had a natural poison or venom within them. Finally, the body parts used by specific species were put on display, as some type of bird-man used the edges of his wings to cut an X-shape squarely into his opponent¡¯s chest, though they both seemed capable of continuing the fight.

    The fights were divided by age, and there were a plethora of categories, such as free-for-alls, melees that wouldn¡¯t look out of place in a beast tide, or weapon-specific matches, such as who was the best ¡°tail¡± user, or less prestigiously, ¡°flail¡± user.

    While it was entertaining seeing the warriors just bashing their bodies against each other, my interest was drawn to the weapon-users, as those matches were where I could possibly pick up a few things. I had still not found a suitable weapon for myself, and I was starting to think I had developed some kind of odd mental block towards the choice.

    The fighters below me had none of that hesitation, as they moved with a surety of purpose that I was envious of, each step made with the knowledge that it was the right one, and each stance lending itself to part of a greater whole. Everyone fighting had trained for years, and for some, it was their entire life. If you sucked in combat, odds were you wouldn¡¯t live very long in the beastfolk continent. The lands were untamed, and active efforts had to be taken to clear a territory of threats and dangers. So was it any surprise that the beastfolk held a reputation for being the race that produced the strongest fighters?

    The battles going on in the arena only served to prove that point. In every event, all the combatants bore some wounds or injuries. Blood flowed from cuts and limbs were twisted unnaturally, fragile body parts were bitten or clawed off and bruises were more common than grass in the plains. Yet the only difference between the winners and losers was that the winners had the willpower to stand up despite everything.

    Perhaps that was the secret to their strength, unshakeable will? If so¡­.then I found it unlikely that I would ever come close to their level of physical prowess. I would probably be better off sticking to magic anyways, but there was always that quiet thought that popped up intrusively. What if I was in a situation where I couldn¡¯t use my magic? How would I fight then?

    It was a question I had no answer for.

    The drums once again sounded out their rhythmic beats, and the crowds began to exit the arena, an hour before sunset. As I got up and let the crowd push me forward, I contemplated on whether or not I should even stay to watch the remainder of the tournament. I would have to seek shelter for the night with an unknown tribe of strangers, as the many, many eyes precluded me from staying in my beast space. Thankfully, the climate was more moderate here than near the desert, despite it being summer. The cool evening breeze was a welcome relief from the heat of the south, and I was at least somewhat grateful, if still mostly pissed off, at the person who teleported me without my consent.

    I had just turned onto a narrow offshoot of the main path, and saw that the buildings were left completely unattended, the entrances unmanned and completely open, though thievery was likely unheard of here. The breeze once again caressed the back of my neck, the sensation a pleasant one, when it died out unexpectedly. I could still feel my clothes swaying gently, but my head was ¨C

    ¡°Don¡¯t move, human.¡±

    A deep, guttural, and scratchy voice spoke from behind me, as a long steel blade was held against my neck, preventing me from stepping forward. I was¡­being robbed? When I had just thought to myself that robbery was a near impossibility? What were the odds of that?!

    Slim to none.

    In fact, now that my attention wasn¡¯t wholly consumed by the blade at my neck, I glanced at the hand wielding it. Tiny scarlet scales, smaller than any scale should have been, covered the hand grasping the blade, a natural gauntlet of armor.

    Another inconsistency occurred to me: I should have felt someone approaching me from behind, or from any direction, with my blood sense. It was a passive sense and didn¡¯t require any input from me, being a product of my natural affinity with blood magic. That someone had snuck up on me meant that they didn¡¯t have blood, they could somehow hide themselves from me, or maybe¡­.

    Maybe they were gifted in a rare type of magic that my blood sense wouldn¡¯t be able to penetrate: spatial magic. And given that I had just been teleported by persons unknown¡­.

    ¡°What can this insignificant human do for the dragonkin?¡±

    The blade fell from my neck as its owner sheathed it, and I turned around to see who my ¡®assailant¡¯ was. Scarlet scales covered their entire body, though I saw that they chose to wear a green robe that matched the color of the common grass. A thick tail protruded from the bottom of the robe and lay on the ground unmoving. Narrow leathery wings jutted out from their back, and were the height of their entire body. The two horns atop their head were small, and curved upward from the area between their eyebrow ridges and the scalp.

    The draconic face examined me just as I had done, and before I could react¡­.she?...grabbed me, and we were soon teleported somewhere else, the familiar tang of the ocean teasing my senses once more.

 Chapter 61

    ¡°Would it kill you to give a little warning next time?¡± I shouted out while facing the waves, the dragonkin responsible for the spatial displacement somewhere behind me. Once again, the teleportation was immaculate, and though there was no accompanying nausea, headaches or disorientation that were typically associated with spatial magic, there was also no visual indication that space had been manipulated besides the obvious change of the surroundings. I was jealous of that kind of power, as it could truly be a life-saver one day, but there was a zero percent chance that¡­she¡­would teach me.

    I presumed that it was a she, as there was a lack of musculature that one would expect from a male of the species, though that didn¡¯t make me feel any safer. After all, in most species, the females were more aggressive and dangerous than the males.

    The dragonkin narrowed her eyes at me, yellow-amber pupils glinting in the evening light, as her hands crossed in front of her chest. She stood nearly half a foot taller than me and looked down on me in every way possible, as her words would soon indicate.

    ¡°I owe you nothing, man-child,¡± she spat out, her words almost literally dripping with venom. ¡°You will accept what happens, or I will rend the flesh from your bones and eat it while you watch. I understand you have some experience in healing? That is good news for me. It means I can push you into the endless cycle of pain, torment, begging for death, and healing. And when your mind breaks, and the agony overwhelms you¡­.then I will give you a¡­warning.¡±

    I cannot emphasize enough how much stress that last word held. Just barely thinking about it, I was more afraid of pain than death. At least with death, you were one and done, but pain¡­.if someone had enough resources, time, and imagination, they could make pain last a long time. And this dragonkin¡­did not seem to be lacking in any of those.

    I faced her while doing my best to conceal the utter terror I felt from her words. She had made one thing abundantly clear: she didn¡¯t care about me. That meant¡­something. But I wasn¡¯t exactly inclined to question her on why she was here. Even if she wanted something of me, she would eventually ask regardless of whether or not I prompted her.

    She simply took in the view of the sea and sky, ignoring me as completely as I was attempting to ignore her. We stood like that for so long that the sun had risen and set multiple times, and, in the absence of any movement or instructions from the dragonkin, I returned to my regular routine of meditating, performing my breathing technique, and working on my magic. I couldn¡¯t work on the combat forms I knew as that would require a weapon, which would require me to enter my beast space, and I was certain that divulging its existence would not be beneficial for me.

    I caught fish whenever I ate, as circumstances demanded, skewering and roasting them over a small fire, but the dragonkin never so much as looked in their direction, the appetizing smell of freshly cooked food a non-factor to her.

    Finally, after three days of awkwardness, with her standing as still as a statue and only occasionally blinking while I did what I would have normally done, she turned to me at last, taking a deep breath before staring at me pointedly. I was currently doing my best to dry out seaweed and reshape it into the more modernized and papery version I was familiar with, but I was having limited success¡­to put it mildly.

    The fact that I had basically given up and taken to wrapping dehydrated seaweed around fish, making a kind of proto-sushi roll, and stuffing my face with it when she turned to look at me, did not give off a great impression.

    ¡°Are you finished?¡± she asked rhetorically. I paused to finish off the last piece in my mouth and swallowed the salty snack before saying, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful. Then bring me into your inner world.¡±

    ¡°...What?¡± I asked her, hoping against hope that she wasn¡¯t referring to what I thought she was.

    She approached me with her eyes narrowed, like I was prey and she was a predator. She may have had her arms behind her back, but I could feel the proverbial claws slipping around me, ready to bleed me out if I didn¡¯t acquiesce to her demands.

    ¡°Do not think me a fool. You know of what I speak. I can see it in your eyes. Bring us there now. Do not make me ask again.¡±

    She knew about my space. Who else knew?

    ¡°I will, it¡¯s just that, the last time I brought¡­someone¡­.inside, they became¡­nearly brain-dead,¡± I said. I could have risked not telling her anything, and seeing if the space¡¯s subjugation effect would work on her, but there were just too many ways that could go wrong.

    What if it didn¡¯t work, and I hadn¡¯t told her? She¡¯d be much more pissed off than she currently was, and I didn¡¯t want to see what an angry, well, angrier, dragonkin looked like. And then if it did work on her, I highly doubted the other dragons would be too pleased that I had enslaved one of them, and that was a one-way ticket to eternal torture.

    ¡°You¡¯re referring to that sea beast?¡± she asked, once again rhetorically, though the fact that she knew about it¡­.

    ¡°How long have I been watched?¡± I whispered, more to myself than her.

    ¡°Too long, manling,¡± she snarled. ¡°I think you will find I am much more resilient than a mere beast, or do you believe otherwise?¡± she challenged me.

    ¡°No, no, of course not,¡± I rushed to say, immediately capitulating before her implied threat of force. ¡°Um, then, I need to be touching you for it to work,¡± I said.

    She narrowed her eyes even further at me, before finally laying a single claw on my neck, poised to cut my carotid artery perfectly. I would have commented on it or at the very least, made some kind of grimace if I didn¡¯t think she wouldn¡¯t act on her threat.

    So, with no small amount of trepidation, I took a deep breath in a futile attempt to calm down, and moved us both into my beast space.

    In the blink of an eye, the surroundings had changed once more, the quiet sandy beach replaced by an almost equally silent 90¡¯s-era basement, save for the sounds of snores and quiet breathing from hundreds of tamed beings. My supplies were in a corner, as neat as I could make them, with my sleeping place not too far away. A typical beastfolk tent with a bedroll atop sheets laid out on the floor stood near where we appeared, as I preferred to just drop into bed as soon as possible.

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    The dragonkin simply took it all in as she had at the beach, though she was far more alert, her muscles tensed for any signs of duplicity. She only gave a cursory look at the tent and my supplies, but I could actually hear her breathing stop once she took in the sight of all those I had tamed. Animals, creatures, beasts, voranders.

    ¡°By the Elders,¡± she whispered, as she looked at one of the reanimated voranders, flying over to it and examining it up close, though she never laid a hand on it. Her eyes went over its entire form as though she could determine its secrets. Once she had finished her inspection, she moved on to the undead voranders, then the ones that were still alive, before proceeding to the rest of the beasts.

    Most of them were asleep, as I had ordered them to be, though a certain emerald-colored deer was snoring loudly, and providing some lightheartedness that broke the initial tension of the situation.

    The dragonkin maintained a mostly neutral expression the entire time she was exploring my beast space, and if she ever felt a compulsion or any similar effect, she never showed any sign of it. That, at least, answered the question of whether I could ¡®tame¡¯ people by just grabbing onto them and bringing them into my space.

    As always, it was hard to judge how much time had passed, but eventually, she stood apart from anything else and took deep breaths, before she suddenly stopped and placed her clawed hand on my shoulder once more. ¡°Take me to the outside,¡± she ordered, and I willingly did as she asked.

    The sun¡¯s position indicated that we had been in my beast space for a little over an hour, though it felt longer to me, with the dragonkin¡¯s implicit threat hanging over my head the entire time. Now that we were outside once more, she resumed taking deep breaths with her eyes closed, though her wings extended and contracted in time with her exhalations.

    Now that the cat was out of the bag, I simply retrieved a book from my beast space and began reading while I waited for her to finish. If she were to kill me for enslaving innocent beasts¡­well, at least I wouldn¡¯t die wondering what happened to the Beastly Baron and his mischievous maid.

    Barely five minutes had passed when she spoke, and although her voice was quiet, I could hear every word. ¡°Do you know why you still walk this world, man-child? Because one of the most powerful beings alive did not want you dead. And when he was asked to provide a reason¡­.he did not give one, at least, not a proper one. ¡®It will do you no good to know,¡¯ he said.¡±

    She turned to face me, though I was pointedly looking at the waves crashing upon the shore instead of at her face, as she continued speaking. I sincerely hoped she wouldn¡¯t question me about why I thought the dragons had intervened in saving my life. I wanted to know just as much as her, if not even more.

    ¡°And then there is you. A human, though unlike most humans I have seen and spoken to, your presence is enough to rouse a Progenitor from their slumber, which is no small feat. Although there is something¡­different¡­about you, it is not my place to judge you for your actions, despite every part of myself screaming at me to put an end to your life right here and now.¡± I swallowed in discomfort as I processed that statement internally, glad that she wouldn¡¯t just kill me out of hand.

    ¡°So, you will tell me everything about yourself,¡± she said, causing me to whip my head around to look at her in astonishment, ¡°-- and once I have heard enough to determine your character, we will¡­proceed accordingly.¡±

    No, no, no. No, no, nonono. This can¡¯t be happening.

    ¡°To clarify, honored dragonkin ¨C¡± I began to say.

    ¡°Reela,¡± the dragonkin said, presumably telling me her name without giving any indication of gender, a minefield I was only too familiar with.

    ¡°Honored Reela, you want me to tell you everything about myself, from the day I was born, until today¡­without leaving anything out?¡± I asked her, to confirm what she wanted.

    She made a dismissive gesture with her hand-claw. ¡°You can leave out the minutiae. I don¡¯t particularly desire to hear what you ate or expelled every day, nor who you mated with or any other triviality. But,¡± she fixed me with a gaze that had steel and fire in it, ¡°do not leave anything out. Do not attempt to lie, or obscure the truth from me. I will know if you do, and you do not want to test me. My patience is already thin from merely interacting with you. So do us both a favor and tell your tale without any falsehoods.¡±

    Was I really about to tell my life story to some random stranger, simply because she threatened me?

    ¡­Without a shadow of a doubt. If I were going to unload my entire biography onto someone, I would have preferred a therapist or at the very least, someone who would show some hesitation at the thought of killing me, but we don¡¯t always get what we want in life.

    Going through with this would mean she, and almost certainly the other dragons, would know everything about me. My otherworldly origins, the existence of Khime, the enigma that was my beast space, thought that secret was pretty much toast. A brief moment of madness overtook me, where I considered retreating into my beast space and just hiding out there forever. I had books, and food and water. I could hide out for a time.

    But I had a suspicion that the dragons were far more patient than I was, and that the moment I stepped out of my beast space, I would be whisked away somewhere, where the questioning would not be nearly as polite as this one was. That wasn¡¯t even considering the possibility that Reela would be able to enter the beast space herself with her spatial magic. I would be well and truly fucked over if that scenario played out like I thought it would.

    So I breathed in deep, the essence filling me without conscious thought, as the act was so ingrained into me by this point, and began speaking.

    I told the scarlet-colored dragonkin my life story, though I had forgotten some parts in the middle, and she made no reactions to any of it. My childhood was nothing remarkable, and the same held true for my adolescence. After high school and college, I recounted the early days of lazing about in my parents¡¯ basement for months while waiting for someone to call back and tell me I had gotten the job. Eventually, I transitioned to my own place, barely squeaking by on rent, and that continued until my eventual¡­destruction.

    I still didn¡¯t know if I died or not, and the uncertainty bothered me more than it should have. In the end, it didn¡¯t really matter, but the question still remained. The events surrounding my death and awakening were told far more in detail than those that preceded it, and she showed no reaction or hint of recognition when I brought up Khime or the fact that I had been transported across worlds. I told her about my early struggles with getting enough money for the academy, and my time studying there, as well as all the ways that my beast space had ¡®evolved¡¯, for lack of a better word. Through it all, she showed no reaction, simply listening as I spoke about my life.

    I did appreciate that she hadn¡¯t interrupted, as I somewhat sped through the parts that were embarrassing, or that I didn¡¯t look on fondly. Having to walk down memory lane wasn¡¯t the greatest of experiences for me, and I was somewhat grateful that I wasn¡¯t being forced to scour through details for any questions she might have had. I never added in any of my opinions or inner thoughts unless they were relevant to how events transpired, simply narrating the sequence of events as they occurred. If she was displeased with my style of storytelling, she made no sign of it.

    Finally, I had caught up to the present, my time in the beast continent being largely summarized as ¡®travelling¡¯, and finished speaking, as I waited for my audience of one to decide my fate.

 Chapter 62

    The scarlet-scaled dragonkin Reela was meditating, though her pose differed greatly from my own, as she hovered in the sky, her wings flapping every so often to maintain her altitude. All she had said before flying off was a short, ¡°Do not leave this place,¡± and she immediately took to the skies. Apparently, my story was troubling enough that she required time to settle her mind. I would have thought that the dragonkin would be more mentally resilient, or was I underestimating just how jarring my tale was to her? It was possible that the revelation of other worlds or the possibility of a world without magic could have been shocking, but ¨C

    ¡°I have received word from the elders,¡± she said, as she abruptly appeared in front of me, teleporting rather than flying down. I only barely flinched this time, becoming more accustomed to her abruptness.

    ¡°Wait, so you didn¡¯t need to meditate after listening to what I said? The story of my life didn¡¯t require you to recenter yourself?¡± I asked rhetorically, stupidly disregarding what she said, as she didn¡¯t even dignify my idiotic query with a response, instead pushing through with her own point¡­though I did notice she rolled her eyes before speaking.

    ¡°In their boundless wisdom,¡± she said, gritting her teeth as she did so, ¡°the elders have decided that you are to be placed in the custody of the dragons, to ensure you do not bring harm to yourself or others through your¡­abilities.¡±

    I took a moment to process her words, though I couldn¡¯t help but jump to the worst possible scenario immediately. ¡°...and by custody, you mean ¨C¡±

    ¡°I mean that from now on, I have to look after you, damnable human whelpling,¡± she snarled. Sighing, she shook her head, ¡°How did my life come to this? Saddled with an outworlder during my prime years¡­¡±

    She only took a few moments to self-pity before turning back to me, her previous ferocious manner absent. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re wasting time.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°And here I thought you were at least somewhat intelligent, human,¡± Reela said dejectedly. ¡°But it seems my hopes were too high, and I need to spell it out for you. From now on, I¡¯m your guardian, overseer, warden, babysitter, whatever word you wish to use. I¡¯m basically responsible for your life from now on.¡±

    ¡°What! That¡¯s ¨C¡±

    Her mood swung once again, as her eyes narrowed, and she was surrounded by a formless yet suffocating pressure that prevented me from speaking. ¡°Do not think for a single moment that you are losing anything in this arrangement. Whatever your thoughts are, you get to receive protection and training, while I have to postpone all my plans for a family and ensure you don¡¯t go enslaving the whole world accidentally.¡±

    ¡°Look, I get that ¨C¡±

    ¡°Silence.¡±

    That one word had the weight of the world behind it, instantly driving me to my knees, then straight to the ground. I couldn¡¯t breathe. The pressure was overwhelming, and I legitimately thought she was going to kill me out of anger. If I were capable of breathing, sand would have entered my nose and mouth, but as it was, I couldn¡¯t even do that. I tried to do something to show that I would abide by whatever rules she wanted me to follow, but my body was completely immobile. I could feel blood start to pool beneath my face, and that was never a good sign.

    A tiny wheeze escaped my lips, and the irritated dragonkin dispelled whatever she used on me, turning back to face the sea as I was able to move once more, coughing and sputtering before savoring the sensation of breathing normally. The lizard-brain part of me was still quivering in fear, wanting nothing more than to run away before such a terrifying predator.

    I wiped the blood off my face as my thoughts began running once more. The idiotic and curious part of me was trying to figure out when exactly I could get her to teach me that technique, as I had seen multiple people doing it thus far, yet none of them showed such proficiency with it as Reela just did.

    I had barely recovered when Reela turned to me and said, ¡°Rhaaj. From now on, you are under my wing, which, unfortunately, means that others will see you as my disciple, regardless of what the truth may be. So I might as well turn their lies true.¡± She closed her eyes and began inhaling, the essence in the vicinity somehow condensing before flying into her.

    A deep breath punctuated her words, followed by a small stream of flames, as I witnessed dragon¡¯s breath for the first time, albeit a very small and¡­odd version. I had never seen multi-colored flames before.

    She began speaking with her eyes still closed, startling me. But what truly shocked me was that I couldn¡¯t understand a single syllable coming out of her mouth¡­yet I understood the meaning. To my knowledge, the translation spell that Khime had ¡®gifted¡¯ to me so long ago was still functioning perfectly.

    And yet¡­

    Reela was making a pledge with the world as her witness, all in order to take me as a disciple. Something that was apparently lightyears away from being a mere student, based on the words she was using¡­.that I could somehow comprehend. The gist of it was that I would keep her secrets and follow her teachings, while she would do her best to nurture and safeguard me.

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    At one point, she paused in her recitation and I thought she was done, until her very aggressive voice spoke in my head. Say your name and that you accept the terms of the vow, dimwit.

    As much as I loved having autonomy, there wasn¡¯t really any other choice.

    I spoke aloud, ¡°I, Rhaaj Achaarya, do accept the terms of the vow.¡± As soon as the words left me, waves of something rippled out from me, resonating with Reela and something else I couldn¡¯t identify. Within a few moments, the waves had settled down and were replaced by something similar to the usual tamer bond that I had with my tamed beasts, only this was far more complex and cryptic. My gut instinct told me that this wasn¡¯t harmful, at the very least.

    ¡°You can rest today, but your training starts tomorrow.¡± Reela said nonchalantly, ignoring what had just occurred. I could tell from the way her wings and legs were bent that she was about to take off.

    ¡°Wait, I have questions about ¨C¡± I started to say, before she took off, pushing off with her legs and flying into the sky, sending clouds of sand into my eyes and mouth, pushing me into a coughing fit.

    We can speak like this from now on, Reela¡¯s voice said in my mind, though it seems you won¡¯t be able to initiate any conversations with me until you have a better grasp on your soul.

    Great, I thought to myself. Another voice in my head I have no control over.

    So, what exactly is our relationship now? Disciple and¡­mentor? Actually, how was I able to understand that language you were speaking before? I didn¡¯t fully understand the details, just the general things, not to mention I had to accept the terms without fully understanding them?! What kind of ¨C

    Enough with the questions already, she replied. I¡¯m setting a new rule from now on. You can ask me three questions a day, no more.

    Seriously? I exasperatedly thought.

    Yes, and that does count as one question, she said smugly. How I could infer her emotions was likely due to the vow, but the specifics of it were beyond me. Though I will take pity on you just this once.

    Our relationship, such as it is, has changed from today onwards. You have all the pieces, but you¡¯re lacking some of the finer points. As your mentor, I have to protect you from threats that you can¡¯t deal with by yourself, and do my best to help you grow, which for you means we¡¯ll be focusing mostly on combat. As my disciple, you will do your absolute best to follow my teachings, within the limits of your abilities, for the duration of our time together.

    I was capable of doing that. If anything, it would just be like going back to school, just with one teacher. And the only subject was combat. And I wouldn¡¯t be able to run away even if I wanted to. I didn¡¯t know if Reela or anyone else would be able to teleport into my beast space, but I most assuredly did not want to find out the hard way. Speaking of which¡­

    Not that I mind it, but why are you so much more¡­casual, around me now? Is it just because of the vow?  I asked her.

    Yes and no. The vow itself can¡¯t change anything, it¡¯s simply an agreement of terms between two parties. Since we¡¯ll be together for a long, long, time, I figured it was better to be genuine from the start. Now I don¡¯t have to worry about maintaining my image like the elders do, which is so annoying. That¡¯s why I had to be so aggressive to you before, since we didn¡¯t know if you were a threat or not.

    Yeah, I really appreciated that sword you had at my neck, I thought to myself.

    Enough chatting, now go to sleep. I promise you¡¯re going to need as much energy as possible for tomorrow, she said ominously.

    Time seemed to pass by in a flash, as I was woken up by a loud and unforgiving dragonkin voice shouting in my head to get out of my beast space. I hurtled back into the outside world and came face to face with my new mentor.

    ¡°Before we can get started on any meaningful training, I need you to be receptive, body, mind, and soul. And that means¡­.¡± she trailed off.

    ¡°That means¡­what?¡± I followed up obligingly, doing my best to stifle a yawn.

    ¡°It means that unless you¡¯re much, much more mind-addled than I thought you were, you won¡¯t like what comes next,¡± Reela said with a smile, something that immediately erased any lingering drowsiness and put me on edge. ¡°So, my disciple, this is the first task I have for you.¡± She had already teleported us to a different part of the coast, this one untouched by the sun¡¯s rays.

    We appeared on the edge of the shoreline where the sand met a natural grove, trees and other flora surrounding us. It was still dark, but I could make out vague shapes on the very edge of the water, as well as grunting and¡­speech?

    ¡°Oi, careful with the goods! Those things are worth fifty of you!¡± A voice whisper-shouted in the human tongue. I quickly cast the spell for night vision, and the darkness faded, revealing a scene I had only heard about¡­and the purpose of my presence there. Scores of men were moving around a wooden barge, carrying cages and traps filled with all sorts of beasts and animals, where they would be sold to human nobles. The silence was likely a result of some enchantment, neutralizing any cries or roars that would give away their position. Dozens of men and women also stood in a perimeter with their weapons drawn, scanning for any incoming threats.

    While the humans were storing their packed cages onto the barge, they were also leaving just as many empty cages on the beach, an act I found puzzling but was ultimately irrelevant. I turned to my mentor and her eyes met mine. Her voice, which only I could hear through our mental link, was more chilling than I had ever heard it, as she confirmed my suspicion.

    Your first task, disciple, is to kill those filthy poachers.

 Chapter 63

    As soon as I heard the words, I felt an odd sensation in my mind. The urge to do as I was ordered was strong, a persistent, niggling bite that wouldn¡¯t relent, like the worst kind of itch. I had never been magically compelled before, and the feeling of being made to follow orders was almost repugnant to me.

    I did recognize the irony, me bemoaning the fate of being compelled to do something when I had ¡°tamed¡± countless beings. But I was in almost the same position as the ones I had tamed: submit or die. Being on the opposite side of it wasn¡¯t a great feeling.

    I grit my teeth and locked eyes with my draconic mentor. I refused to believe that she was unaware of what I was experiencing.

    ¡°I have some things to say to you after this is over,¡± I said angrily via our mental link.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You will do as I say, or you will lose the ability to do anything. Now go slaughter those kidnappers. Oh, and no using anything in your little space,¡± Reela said, her words just as irate as mine. The urge reasserted itself at her instructions, and only loosened once I had taken steps to do as told.

    I quickly burrowed underground using nature magic, taking care to conceal any traces of my existence from the criminals on the surface. Maneuvering beneath the ground until I was directly below the barge took a few minutes, but I worked as silently as possible, taking care not to displace too much dirt, lest the vibrations put the poachers and their security on edge.

    My blood sense was actively feeding me information on the positions of every being above me, even the caged beasts, whom I could tell were scurrying around in their cages, banging against their walls in a vain attempt to break free. There were fifty humans in total, the majority doing the work of moving the cages around, while only fifteen or so seemed like combatants, based on their formation and stances. Ideally, I would be able to finish them all in one strike, but it would be prudent to have a contingency if the situation got out of hand.

    My¡­mentor¡­preventing the usage of my beast space cut off a lot of my usual tactics that I would use for a large group like this, so I hastily created some blood needles as a backup weapon. For my main mode of attack, I¡¯d probably need to go with something large¡­or incredibly small.

    Before I could deliberate any more, I could tell via blood sense that the poachers had finished their business on the mainland and were about to depart. With less time than I would have liked, I zeroed in on all the human blood above me, mentally separating it from the sources of beastly blood, and concentrated on extracting it. I could either go for stealth or speed, but the situation required speed more. Finalizing my plan, I concentrated on all the human blood, which was slowly but steadily moving northwards, and starting to pick up speed.

    Focusing on my targets and my method, I concentrated, taking deep breaths in an attempt to physically calm down my mind by working on my body. Right at the point where the poachers would be out of my range, I finally let loose a geyser of essence, enveloped all the sources of human blood I could¡­and pulled.

    Where before I could sense multiple individuals moving around, now the only living things on the barge were those in cages. Fortunately for me, the barge lost its momentum when its operators decompiled, meaning I only had to cross a short distance to reclaim all the caged beasts, though traversing upwards through sand and saltwater was a bit uncomfortable.

    ¡°You may use your space again for now. Return here as quick as you can,¡± Reela said to me mentally. I was swimming to catch up to the barge, until I climbed aboard and saw the results of my spell. Blood and guts pooled on the deck, not a single person in sight. Well, not a single living person, that is. I collected all the blood in my space, as it was all ammunition I could use if the need arose. A few wind bursts later, the barge, the caged beasts, and I were back on the sandy shore, the scarlet dragonkin already standing out in the open.

    The beasts were frantically trying to escape throughout the whole episode, but they quickly calmed down when they saw the dragonkin. It was annoying having to open each cage and crate individually, as there were nearly a hundred of them, but it helped that the beasts quietly and voluntarily assembled in front of the dragonkin once they were freed. My mentor spoke a few words to them that I was too far away to hear, then they were teleported away. The itch of the compulsion completely faded, marking the end of this little misadventure that improbably only took a few hours.

    My earlier anger about the compulsion was still in the forefront of my mind, but it gradually settled down to a simmer from the white-hot wrath that it was before. At the end of the day, there was nothing I could do about it, other than accept it and move forward. Reela was standing ahead of me, clacking her claws together as I walked up to her.

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    ¡°Well, that wasn¡¯t completely terrible. But you have some bad habits and major changes to work on before you¡¯re ready for real combat,¡± she said offhandedly. ¡°So, how do you feel?¡±

    ¡°Hungry and annoyed?¡±

    She barked out a laugh. ¡°Well, if you really want, you can have something to eat, though I wouldn¡¯t recommend it. What I meant was how do you feel after killing humans for the first time? It is your first time, right?¡±

    ¡­Huh.

    I really tried to process the fact that I didn¡¯t feel much from killing fellow humans, and what that said about me as a person, but I just¡­didn¡¯t care. I didn¡¯t feel nauseous, like the first time I had to fight off the voranders, nor did I feel sorrow at crossing some arbitrary moral boundary. I didn¡¯t even feel anything close to fear or trepidation at slowly turning into someone that I wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize. All I felt at that moment was anger.

    Anger at the dragons as a whole, who unilaterally decided that for the sake of the world, I needed to be leashed.

    Anger at the scarlet dragonkin in front of me, for taking entirely too much pleasure in seeing me struggle against my metaphorical leash.

    Anger at the poachers and the king, who were just overall assholes that made my life harder.

    But mostly, I was angry at myself. At the end of the day, everything was my choice. If I were smarter, or more cautious, or more paranoid, I probably could have avoided getting into this entire situation in the first place. Sure, there were external factors, but I was simply reacting to whatever situations the world threw at me without cultivating a sense of foresight to determine the effect of my actions. I was shortsighted and didn¡¯t think things through.

    In short¡­.I was too passive.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I curtly replied, closing my eyes to try and gain some semblance of control again.

    ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re acting too calm for someone who¡¯s been through what you have,¡± she said. After a moment of silence, she continued. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re doing this the hard way.¡±

    I opened my eyes at her declaration, almost afraid of what was to come as I saw that unrelenting reptilian face. ¡°I¡¯m begging you to let me rest first.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she mercilessly countered. ¡°I want you as desperate as possible. I need to break you before I can fix you. While I might not be the best of mentors, you don¡¯t seem like the easiest of students, either. Not to mention that you don¡¯t even need to rest right now. Trust me, you¡¯ll want to be as angry as possible for this.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but shudder internally when I saw the almost predatory gleam in her expression, and I didn¡¯t need mastery of foresight to know that I had an unpleasant experience lined up for me. It also didn¡¯t help that I felt the vow take effect as soon as I heard Reela say the words ¡®trust me¡¯, making me feel more inclined that she was trustworthy. It was unsettling and unpleasant, and simply keeping the effect at bay was a constant mental struggle.

    ¡°For what you¡¯re about to face, you can use anything in your space, no limits, but you can¡¯t hide in there if things get hard. I¡¯ll be watching the whole time, but don¡¯t rely on me to save you. I don¡¯t want you to get used to having safeguards. Oh, and¡­try not to die, alright? It would make me look bad if I got known as the fool who let her first student die on the first day of training.¡±

    Before I could even form a question to ask her, she snapped her fingers and I felt myself being teleported once more. I was becoming more familiar with the sensation every time I experienced it, and I had the vague feeling that there was something I could interact with, but the feeling died out as soon as I reached my destination and looked at my surroundings.

    Any anger I felt at Reela for dropping me here without a moment¡¯s notice was immediately suppressed, as I genuinely feared for my life, and did my best to not vomit at the smell.

    My first instinct to dive into my beast space was suppressed by the vow, and my blood sense alerted me to just how many beings were nearby. Before I could be attacked, I unleashed hundreds of voranders from my beast space, commanding them to form a perimeter around me, slaughtering and butchering whatever was in my vicinity. Cries and roars immediately filled the air, as I began erecting stone walls around my position¡­.only to realize that my nature magic had nothing to utilize. I took a perfunctory look at the environment for something to use, but held little hope.

    Despite the sun being out, the area was devoid of warmth, as the canopies of dead and blackened trees covered the sky, their gnarled roots doing their best to spread out and cover the cracked and brittle soil, any nutrients having been plundered long ago. Bodies and carcasses of all kinds of animals were strewn about everywhere, in various stages of decay. In the distance was also a deep hole in the ground where unholy screeches and noises could be heard, though I did my best to shut it out, knowing what I knew about my current ¡®training ground¡¯.

    I was in a goddamn vorander nest.

 Chapter 64

    There was no time to think. Endless waves of voranders assaulted my position, and the only things keeping them at bay were the voranders from my beast space, circling around me like a living wall. The thick stench of blood clung to me like a second skin, irritating me even further than the enemies that never seemed to stop coming. I focused on my surroundings, looking for any unique monsters that might be troublesome, but I proved lucky in that regard, as the waves of non-stop enemies were basically cannon fodder.

    Hence, my assault from ¡®within¡¯.

    Whenever it appeared that my living barricade of tamed monsters would be overrun, I directly and violently ripped the blood right out of them, a visceral sense of satisfaction rushing through me each time. The pool of blood at my feet grew thicker and murkier by the second, as I did my best to suppress my gag reflex while I moved the blood next to my head like a sphere of ammunition. While my tamed army bought me time, I was doing what I could to lessen the numbers surrounding my location.

    There was a bit of mental feedback from each of my tamed that allowed me to differentiate them from the wild monsters that were mixed in with them, but I didn¡¯t have enough control to accurately discern the difference in such a chaotic battlefield. It was all I could do to scythe through the rear ranks of the voranders with blood constructs from my relatively defensible position.

    No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than I felt a spike of pain lance through my shoulder. The pain immobilized me, preventing me from reacting beyond a simple scream that tore at my throat, forcing me to my knees. I could feel the projectile still inside me, radiating death. Unfortunately, my shoulder pain was quickly eclipsed by something sharp piercing into my arm repeatedly, enveloping me in a sea of agony. I tried to pull the blood of whatever was snacking on me, but the thing kept preventing me from casting by drilling down into my arm every time.

    My tamed voranders wouldn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t abandon their position. If they left the frontlines to help me, they would quickly be overwhelmed, their retreat unprotected. I was certain that the goddamn dragonkin was watching from somewhere, but I didn¡¯t have much, if any, faith in her. Certainly not enough to leave my life in her hands. Thankfully, there was someone more reliable I could call on.

    A green set of antlers pierced through the monster that had almost reached my internal organs, providing me some much-needed relief as I listened to its cries of pain instead of my own, for once. I finally had a moment to spare. It was a herculean effort to roll onto my back, but I managed to do it while the sounds of Spearmint stomping on my attacker faded in and out.

    The painkiller spell quickly took effect, and a numbing sensation spread throughout my entire body soon after. The pain was still present, but muted to a level where I wasn¡¯t reduced to a sniveling mess. I desperately wanted, no, needed to retreat to heal, and was about to do so when all of a sudden ¨C

    ¡°No retreating, disciple. Get back up and finish them off. You¡¯re more than halfway done.¡±

    Any hope of a peaceful coexistence with that asshole of a dragonkin was shattered when I felt the vow¡¯s effects bind me, a surge of hatred clouding my thoughts.

    ¡°I thank all the stars and ancestors I don¡¯t have to listen to that dragonkin," Spearmint said, our link making us both aware of the other¡¯s feelings, both his relief and my frustration towards my ¡®mentor¡¯.

    ¡°And tell that little fawn not to bother helping if he¡¯s that slow. He needs to work on his speed. If he hasn¡¯t improved by the next time we meet¡­¡± Reela¡¯s voice came down like a bolt from the heavens, threatening untold destruction on my first companion.

    ¡°Thanks for the help, buddy, but you¡¯d better get back inside. That dragonkin said you¡¯re too slow.¡± I appreciated his quick response when my life was on the line, but the threat of the dragonkin instilled a large dose of terror into him.

    There was no hesitation as he let out a braying sound in fear, immediately bowed his head to where he assumed Reela was watching from, before sprinting back into the beast space.

    I tried to get up, but twinges of pain shot through me every time I made an attempt. I was almost certain that I was bleeding internally, not to mention the damage to my back, shoulder, and arm, and I would have preferred to have a safe environment to heal myself, but orders prevented me from doing so. I had to make do with slowing down the blood flow in the affected areas and basically slapping a magical band-aid on all my wounds. It wasn¡¯t pretty, and it wouldn¡¯t even hold for that long, but it was all I could do in the moment.

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    I turned back to see how the fighting was going, and things were about as I expected. Nearly a third of my forces were decimated, no doubt while I was getting nibbled on. I had some thoughts on the nature of my taming ability, but they would have to wait till after the battle.

    Since she hadn¡¯t forbidden it, I simply released twice as many tamed voranders from my space as I did the first time, unleashing them on the feral monsters that were closing in on me. I made sure to include some winged species this time, and ordered them to scour the skies and the deadened canopies of the trees for any other monsters.

    I was confident that the dragonkin would stop me from simply overwhelming the monsters with numbers next time, as that wouldn¡¯t exactly be teaching me anything, and she was ostensibly my teacher, at least in name. Still, I needed the quick win so I could heal. The only thing I had learned so far under Reela¡¯s dubious tutelage was that my situational awareness could be better, and that my blood sense wasn¡¯t infallible.

    And that I couldn¡¯t trust dragons, or their kin, when my life was at stake.

    I tried to improvise some type of seismic sense with nature magic, similar to my blood sense, but there was no way I could do that. I would need the specific affinity for something that precise, and unfortunately, I was limited in what affinities I had access to. Still, I did my best to keep my senses on the lookout for any other enemies, though most of that focus was spent on looking overhead. My mind couldn¡¯t help but drift, as my ¡®guard¡¯ had now swelled to a much larger number, giving me a sense of security.

    I could somewhat understand why none of the sapient races had taken direct action against these vorander nests, if the rest of them were similar to this one. The environment itself was actively in their favor: dark, muggy, humid. There was, rightfully so, a feeling of danger all around, as well as the feeling of being watched, which by itself could trigger a person¡¯s fight or flight response. I hadn¡¯t laid eyes on them yet, but what I assumed were the now-empty breeding pits themselves reeked of unnatural chemicals, and I could hear the characteristic sound of sizzling as something corroded, even in the distance and through the din of the fight.

    The battle seemed to be coming to a close, as I could only discern sounds of combat from further away, though there were plenty of bodies between my position and the rest of the fight. As I usually did, I pulled all the blood into the air, forming an impossibly large sphere, heating it until it boiled to remove any infectants, and sent it into my beast space for later use. I checked the surroundings for any enemies left over, having learned my lesson from the battle against the sea beasts. I couldn¡¯t detect anything that hinted at possible ambushers, though I still kept ten voranders around me for protection.

    While my army was mopping up the remnants of the enemy, I collected all the vorander corpses, both those that had fallen for and against me. My mind was too weary to think of the reason why, but it was possible the space would work its necromancy magic again on the dead bodies. Even if it failed, the monster meat would be good enough as a food source for my living voranders.

    Any thoughts of resting were dashed as soon as I heard Reela¡¯s voice from next to me. She must have teleported over once the battle was done.

    ¡°That was pathetic,¡± she declared. My anger spiked even more at that casual statement. ¡°But, I suppose that¡¯s only to be expected for a half-trained human like you.¡± She paused to look me over, even poking me once with her tail, which elicited a cry of pain and a glare from me, before continuing.

    ¡°Sigh. I was hoping that you¡¯d make more progress by yourself, but it looks like I¡¯m gonna have to spell it out for you. Don¡¯t worry about the nest, either. I¡¯ve cleansed dozens of them, and before long you will too. In the meantime you better get to healing. Looks like you¡¯re as fragile as the rest of the humans on this rock. What a shame. Seems I need to add defensive spells to the lessons. Oh,¡± she paused once more. ¡°All combat restrictions are lifted for now. You can go back to your little space and heal up. But, don¡¯t take too long. If I start to think that you¡¯re delaying your healing just to get out of ¨C¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I got it. Just tell me when I need to come out, but until then¡­¡±

    I waved her off, pulling myself into my beast space so I could properly rest without the dragonkin breathing down my neck every second.

    I deeply regretted not spending money on proper armor, as it would have helped soften the blows that were currently making themselves known.

    Well, you know what they say. Regret is how you know you¡¯ve grown from the past.

    Unfortunately, any chances at acquiring armor would have to wait until I reached the elven lands, if I was ever allowed to go there. I assumed I was persona non grata in the human continent, thanks to the king, and any beastfolk armor would assuredly be too large for me to wear.

    I willed my clothes off, and the space complied, removing them from my body and materializing them next to me. I cast the painkiller spell once more, almost enjoying the numbing sensation spreading, then started the delicate process of healing all the damage that had been caused by my negligence.

    And that bird monster¡¯s talons.

 Chapter 65

    I was exhausted, spread-eagled on the ground and oblivious to the filth and grime covering me. My lungs worked overtime as I struggled to breathe, the need for oxygen overpowering my disgust at the ubiquitous stench unique to vorander nests. I pulled myself into my space with a thought, and relished the privacy and security it would bring me.

    In the past month, my dragonkin mentor/handler Reela had thrown me into seven vorander breeding grounds, today¡¯s being the most difficult, as there were more and more restrictions placed on me each time. At first, I thought I could handle it, as she only forbade me from using voranders as reinforcements, as I did the first time. So I just assembled an army of them beforehand and wiped out the nest that way.

    Then she limited my usage of them to a hundred. Just to be clear, each nest had at least thousands of monsters in them, if not more. A hundred was nowhere near enough to ensure my safety, regardless of the enemy¡¯s numbers.

    And yet somehow, it got even worse from there.

    From reducing the numbers of reinforcements, to banning them outright, then to limiting the amount of essence I could use. Not the number of spells, but the amount. If my reserves were  full before fighting, I wasn¡¯t allowed to dip below thirty percent.

    Then fifty percent. And now sixty percent.

    I didn¡¯t even know it was possible to measure one¡¯s reserves so specifically, as I had simply been going off my instincts, which limited my measurements to full, about half, and empty. Of course, the detailed measurement was a minor benefit compared to the hours of slaughtering and fighting for my life I had to endure, followed by the days of rest and recuperation. To top it off, I definitely wasn¡¯t letting my body recuperate for the recommended amount of time after a serious injury. Despite all the work I had done, my bones were probably one good smack away from collapsing like the stock market.

    It was like I was grinding for experience points in a game, only I wasn¡¯t leveling up or getting gold. Well, I was getting the vorander corpses as ¡®loot¡¯ in a way, but it didn¡¯t exactly feel commensurate with the effort I had put in to acquire them. I was nearly at the end of my rope.

    Reela hadn¡¯t even taught me anything, despite proclaiming herself as my ¡®mentor¡¯. She was just so irritating, as she claimed herself superior to me in all aspects, yet did nothing to help me in any way. The absolute worst part about it all was that she had said ¡°stop complaining¡± a couple nests ago¡­so now my conversations with her were far quieter, though no less frustrating.

    Logically, I knew that she was not trying to kill me. That fucking world oath or blood vow, or whatever it was, prevented her from outright killing me, or leaving me to die. Logically, I was aware of that. But most days, it just felt like she was trying to provoke me into attacking her, stoking my rage by placing me into increasingly perilous scenarios.

    What did she want out of it? That was the question, one to which I had no answer. All I knew was that if I had to do much more of this, I just might snap, blood vow be damned. And all the deep breathing, meditation, and calming exercises in the world would do nothing to stop it.

    ¡°Finished yet?¡± The unwelcome voice sounded out in my mind, intruding on my thoughts yet again. I was tempted to hide out in my space and stop responding to the damn dragonkin, but I did not want to push the boundaries of her restraint just yet. If I did end up hiding away, and found out that Reela could straight-up teleport inside without my consent, well. There probably wouldn¡¯t be much of me left to regret my actions after that.

    Once again, I suppressed the rage that threatened to overtake me and responded normally. ¡°I need another two days to fully heal,¡± I responded. By now, any pretense of formality had dissolved, and we both had an unspoken agreement to address each other casually. If I actually had to call that damned red lizard ¡®Master¡¯, I would seriously consider offing myself.

    ¡°You have two hours,¡± she said, flippantly ignoring the reality that the human body needed time to heal.

    If only I had a dragon¡¯s rate of regeneration, then I wouldn¡¯t need to listen to her unreasonable demands, I idly thought to myself as I went through the familiar process of burning my unsalvageable clothes and disinfecting all my wounds. Actually, even if I did, she probably wouldn¡¯t even let me heal between fights. Dear god, that¡¯s how dragons train, isn¡¯t it, just one nonstop slaughter after another. That red dragonkin asshole probably went through training like that, and now she¡¯s doing the same thing to me. Yeah, great job, except for the one tiny fact that, oh let me think, oh right¡­I¡±M NOT A GODDAMN DRAGON!

    Before my anger could morph into wrath, I suppressed it and pictured a mental image that helped to calm me down recently: Reela, devoid of her innate draconic protections like scales or wings, running in an endless loop with voranders at her back, incessantly chasing after her and occasionally managing to bite her every once in a while, provoking her into needing to keep running for her life. For all my anger towards her specifically, and the dragons in general, I hadn¡¯t yet reached the point where I needed to imagine someone being literally tortured.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    The scene in my head made me smile¡­but it also helped me figure out what I needed to do. Instead of simply fuming angrily after every interaction with Reela, I needed to acknowledge and channel my anger into something more worthwhile. A line from some novel flashed through my head. His anger was white-hot, and so it used him, while my anger was cold, and so I could use it instead.

    I somehow needed to tame my anger, ironically enough, and make it work for me, instead of waiting for the inevitable explosion that would happen if I only continued to suppress it without any further plans.

    I was showing signs of growth. Instead of simply suppressing my emotions, which had become almost second nature to me by now, I had to control them, truly control them, and make them work for me. Perhaps when I grew older, I would reflect on this moment and wonder how I could have missed something so obvious, but maybe it was precisely because it was obvious that I missed it.

    I let myself drift off into unconsciousness as my thoughts began to fade, a plan for some kind of emotional training already melting into my subconscious as my eyes grew heavier and I descended into the recesses of sleep.

    As soon as I looked at the surroundings, I immediately knew that I was in a dream. I was familiar with the concept of lucid dreaming, but it had never happened to me, or at least, I had never remembered it happening.

    I was floating in midair, nothing but white in every direction. I looked down to see what form my body took in this dream, but I looked the same as I ever did, the same old plain and boring human. In fact, I could somehow touch myself, though my sense of touch was lessened, for some reason. On a whim, I poked my fingernail into my forearm, and I felt pain.

    That struck me as odd. Wasn¡¯t there some study done that said it was impossible to both feel pain or die in your dream? Your brain didn¡¯t know what death was, and so couldn¡¯t simulate the experience in a dream, but pain was supposed to be equally impossible to feel within a dream. Or¡­maybe, this wasn¡¯t a dream?

    Well, I was naked and floating in midair in a pure white space that seemed to go on for eternity. If this wasn¡¯t a dream, then what was it? I hadn¡¯t suffered any major head trauma, so there was no way I was hallucinating. Was it possible I had been teleported somewhere? Could it be Khime? He was capable of spatial travel, after all, though I somehow felt that it wasn¡¯t him. Besides, why would he teleport me naked?

    I immediately stopped that line of thought and began to search the area for any clues.

    There was nothing in sight, just the same shade of white in every direction. There was no source of light nor shadow anywhere, yet I had no difficulty seeing. I instinctively tried to use my blood sense and came up with nothing.

    Wait. I could use essence here? The realization made me stop short. Had I ever had a dream where I used essence? To my annoyance, I couldn¡¯t recall, thanks to the nature of dreams being harder to remember in detail.

    I tentatively tried to pull some blood from myself and failed. I could still feel my cache of essence, so that wasn''t the issue. I would have tried a nature spell, but there was nothing for me to manipulate with it.

    Although, if there¡¯s no other option, I could try to¡­

    I had an idea a long time ago, that since I was capable of moving blood, I should be just as capable of moving water. After all, water made up roughly half of all blood, the rest being plasma and some other things I couldn¡¯t remember. Unfortunately, reality was not so accommodating. Only my nature affinity allowed me to manipulate water. Combining my nature and blood affinity did nothing except waste my time, and earn me a lecture from a passing instructor who reprimanded me, saying that complex spells, as in spells utilizing multiple affinities, should be done on a smaller scale at first, especially when a student was attempting it.

    So, now that I had an opportunity to make another attempt in a relatively safe environment, I took it. I couldn¡¯t manipulate my own blood, as my previous attempt had shown, but nature spells weren¡¯t quite ruled out just yet.

    As odd and superfluous as it sounded, attempting to manipulate the water in my blood via my nature affinity was the safest option, as any organs were a no-go, and even something like my urine or sweat wasn¡¯t an option, but since I couldn¡¯t exactly feel those, trying to play around with something I was unsure was present was dangerous. Granted, the same could be said for my blood, hell, even for my whole body, but out of all the options I could come up with, this seemed the most viable to try out.

    I focused on the action I had done hundreds of times by this point, attempting to draw out the blood from the artery in my elbow, though with the small modification of attempting to do so with my nature affinity, or a nonexistent water affinity.

    You can do this.

    I centered myself and took a deep breath ¨C

    ¡°Welcome, aspirant.¡± The deep voice bellowed, startling me and instantly making me wish I was clothed, before I went on guard, uselessly raising my fists. Without essence or weapons, I was unbelievably vulnerable, but I would make a stand if I had to. Worst case scenario, I would explode all the essence in my core, go to my space, and ¨C

    ¡°If you are listening to this message, then you have taken the first steps to consciously walking the path of control. It pleases me to know that my search for a successor already bears fruit, though I advise caution. A long and harrowing road awaits you if you desire to assume the mantle of the Deity of Control.¡±

    ¡­What?

 Chapter 66

    ¡°What the hell?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but blurt out. The things I was hearing made no sense whatsoever.

    The message continued without pausing or acknowledging my interruption, leading me to believe it was some kind of recording.

    ¡°By now you should have realized that you are no longer in the physical realm, but rather within a projection, or representation, of your soul. The details will no doubt be more cumbersome than your minds can handle, but suffice it to say that your souls are the safest place to store information that is best kept private.¡±

    The old man¡¯s voice was¡­rough. Low-pitched and steady, yet tired. It sounded like he just wanted to finish recording whatever this was and get to bed. The Deity of Control, as he called himself, must have been going through some hard times.

    ¡°And make no mistake, this will be kept private. I have taken steps to prevent coincidences and malcontents, but those of you who seek to inform your overseers or demigods of my existence will find themselves sorely regretting such thoughts right¡­now.¡±

    SIlence reigned for nearly a minute, as I was left wondering what the hell an overseer or demigod was, at least, in the context with which the Deity mentioned them in. Assuming everything I had heard so far was the truth, that meant there were deities and demigods somewhere. Were there really such powerful existences somewhere out there in the wider world?

    ¡°Now that the troublemakers have been dealt with, I can get back to the main focus of this message: your qualification to receive my inheritance. Those of you who have survived thus far have demonstrated an affinity for control, and not in the sense of the typical affinities for mana.¡±

    Wait, mana was real?! Then what the hell was essence?!

    ¡°Or you possess a tenacious soul capable of withstanding the influence of my Seed. By now, you should be aware that your mana is more responsive to your will, while the less gifted among you are no doubt experiencing odd coincidences or unexplained phenomena while casting spells. In any case, the next stage begins now.¡±

    ¡°All of you should be feeling some degree of pain in your soul, a byproduct of my Seed¡¯s presence. Those of you able to reach the Seed will qualify for the next stage of the process, earning the right to receive a technique suitable for your stage of power.¡±

    ¡°I eagerly await our next encounter.¡±

    The man¡¯s voice cut out, and I was left floating in the white abyss of nothingness that I now knew to be my soul, pondering the implications of what had just happened.

    First off, mana was real, and from what little I knew of it, was different to essence. Which begged the question, what was the difference, and where did essence even come from? As far as I knew, I wouldn¡¯t even be able to access mana, unless the Deity of Control somehow changed things, which was unlikely as he was almost certainly dead, or why else would he look for an inheritor to everything he had?

    Next was the fact that I was a potential recipient to the inheritance of a god, or godlike being. I seriously hoped that there wouldn¡¯t be some battle royale style tournament to decide the ultimate winner at the end of it all. I was curious about how many candidates there could possibly be, but for my sake, the fewer there were, the better.

    And finally, the thing I thought was the most relevant at that moment:

    The Seed.

    Whatever it was, it was placed there in my soul by the Deity of Control, and was responsible for my headaches, which were a side effect of the soul damage it was causing, not to mention it was responsible for me believing I had a much more limited lifespan than I had previously thought. Thinking back, my headaches had started when I was a kid, so somehow, he had put the Seed in me over ten years ago, and it had festered there ever since.

    I could tentatively assume that I had a regular lifespan now, though the Deity¡¯s message somewhat implied that might not be true if I failed to reach the Seed in a timely manner. Reaching the Seed was a priority, as I would receive some kind of technique, not to mention, doing so would apparently help with my¡­control affinity? I shook my head at how complicated things had become, and tried to focus on moving in the direction I wanted.

    And immediately came upon a stumbling block.

    I had no idea where the Seed was, what it looked like, how to find it, or how far away it was.

    I could float around in the vicinity by moving my arms and legs, akin to swimming, but I couldn¡¯t significantly propel myself any further. There was also the small issue of the surroundings being an endless white space, making it impossible to determine how far I had traveled beyond my rough mental estimates, and even then it would likely only be a few inches.

    There had to be a better way. This was a soul, after all. It couldn¡¯t be infinite. If only there were some kind of soul magic¡­though something that esoteric was likely in the hands of the elites ¨C

    Like the dragons.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    It was a wild thought, but I couldn¡¯t help but think that under different circumstances, the dragons would be willing to share any knowledge of soul magic they were aware of. As far as I was aware, the dragons were the oldest living species, and there were even rumors that some elder dragons still lived, those who were alive when this world¡¯s civilization was in its infancy.

    If the dragons were either unable or unwilling to tell me about soul magic, my next best source would be the elves. I had always planned to visit the elven continent one day. Maybe Reela would take pity on me and let me travel there.

    Pssh, yeah right. That asshole dragonkin showing mercy is about as probable as the Seed magically appearing in front of me.

    No sooner had the thought occurred to me than I was immobilized by a searing pain, bypassing my body entirely and solely focusing on my mind or soul, robbing me of any semblance of rational thought. I clawed at my own face, curling up like a shrimp and convulsing reflexively, the pain turning me mad, bypassing regret entirely and making me wish I was dead so the suffering would just stop.

    I was no stranger to pain, but luckily, or unluckily depending on your perspective, I had mostly only experienced physical pain. Physical pain was unpleasant, but it could be dealt with. This¡­soul pain? It surpassed any torment I had felt in my entire life, and I had been chewed by a vorander with acid in its fangs. It defied description, originating from nowhere yet affecting my entire being. Having no physicality, I couldn¡¯t even black out or use a spell for a similar effect. All I could do was endure it until it passed,

    It could have lasted a second or a year, but eventually, the pain vanished, disappearing like it was never there. The memory of the sensation was too raw and visceral for me to do anything other than lie there, staring into space, as I slowly came to grips with the reality that the pain hadn¡¯t killed me. Ironically enough, I had finally achieved something that I never had before, despite years of making attempts.

    My mind was truly and completely empty.

    ¡­But if that was what I had to experience to achieve that state of mind¡­.yeah, no, I would probably just stick to meditating.

    I knew I was still alive as my mind instantly began throwing out random idiotic thoughts like, ¡®I¡¯m glad Reela doesn¡¯t know soul magic, or she definitely would have used something like that on me¡¯ or ¡®If only there was a way I could share pain through any of my mental connections, then I could just transfer the pain to my tamed beasts or that red dragonkin and I¡¯d never have to go through that again¡¯.

    My characteristic rambling was brought to a halt as my eyes were drawn to something¡­ impossible. Something that I should not have been seeing, and yet was hovering before me.

    Something divine.

    A formless, colorless blob that alternated colors and shapes every second, all while giving off a massive presence that I had only ever felt once before, when I had briefly come into contact with Khime. One second, the thing was a blood-red cube, before it inexplicably morphed into a green sphere, and again into an azure diamond, then a black staff, a brown sword, a purple quiver, a teal eyeball¡­it constantly shifted its form, pulsating and rotating, never maintaining its appearance for too long. As soon as I saw it, I knew what it was, without a shadow of a doubt. There was nothing else it could possibly be, leaving only a single possibility.

    The Seed.

    Somehow, by some absolute miracle, the Seed had manifested in front of me, saving me time I would have otherwise spent floundering around in my soul realm, making incremental progress at best. Was it constantly moving, and just happened to cross paths with me? Was it even capable of moving? Had I somehow affected it?

    ...Fuck, I had affected it, hadn¡¯t I?

    It was vague, as the incident of the soul pain had effectively obliterated my short-term memory, but hadn¡¯t I thought to myself that I wanted the seed to just appear before me, or something like that? Had it actually done so in response to my thoughts? More importantly¡­was this something the Deity of Control had foreseen, or not?

    It was possible that I would be instantly vaporized if I touched the Seed, having somehow bypassed the challenge set by the Deity. It was also possible that what I had inadvertently done was a legitimate method of completing the challenge, and I was worrying over nothing. But the fact that my fate would be decided on a coin flip left me profoundly unsettled, especially after experiencing that horrid soul pain.

    I hadn¡¯t even realized that I was already upright, when I decisively placed my hand on the Seed, a soothing feeling emanating from it upon contact. Regardless of whether I lived or died, why waste time?

    The Seed paused its movements, remaining static in its current form, a gold ingot, as the aged voice of the Deity of Control sounded out once more.

    ¡°Congratulations on being the first to reach the Seed, aspirant. Your methods are irrelevant as you have achieved the task set before you ¨C¡±

    Geez, you couldn¡¯t have mentioned that earlier? I seriously thought I might die.

    ¡° ¨C And in doing so, have proven your ability and desire to walk this path. In light of your accomplishment, you are eligible to receive two suitable techniques for you, one of your own choosing, and one of mine. However, I must warn you. In receiving these techniques, you will be affiliated with me in the eyes of the various pantheons and their associates, ranging from the highest peaks of the Heavenly Crowns, to the lowest depths of the Dark Abyss. While my influence on your growth may be subtle, it will endanger you should others discover it.¡±

    ¡°And so I offer you the choice to willingly walk away from this path. Opportunity and danger often go hand in hand, but you may pursue a simpler life if you feel you are not suited for such perils. State your desire, and know that you have the freedom of choice, a gift very few truly cherish.¡±

    The message stopped, presumably so I could drop out if I wanted to¡­

    But I had already made up my mind, and unflinchingly made my declaration to the Seed.

    ¡°Gimme everything you got, old man,¡± I said, instantly regretting my words as soon as they left my mouth.

    ¡°So it shall be.¡±

    And like a decree from the heavens, I felt a pressure descend upon me, freezing me in place as I was gifted techniques from a god.

 Chapter 67

    When I returned to consciousness, I found myself lying down in my beast space, where I had fallen asleep before my foray into my soul projection, or the soul plane? Dream world? Whatever it was, I had returned to normal¡­although there was one peculiarity I immediately took notice of.

    The healing spells I had cast on myself were still active, numbing the pain of my most recent injuries and working to repair the damage that had been done both internally and externally. I hadn¡¯t learned how to cast a spell that would autonomously sustain itself, so the only explanation for the spells still being active was that no time had passed. I could have written off the whole thing as some sort of fever dream¡­if not for the fact that I had proof of my encounter with the Deity and his Seed in my soul, which strangely enough, showed no signs of having experienced tortuous pain not long ago.

    Firstly, I had been bestowed a technique called mesmerism, though my modern inclination recognized it as a form of hypnosis. Simply put, I could alter the state of mind of any being to make them more susceptible to my suggestions. It was described as a training spell, though it had more ominous applications as one¡¯s proficiency with it increased. I already had some ideas on what to do with it, but my focus was mostly on the second thing I had received.

    Information.

    More than any spell or technique I could think of, I had the most appreciation for the trove of knowledge I had been given. On one hand, it did irk me a bit that the Seed somehow decided that I was too stupid to go without all this foundational information, but on the other hand... .I couldn¡¯t deny that I really needed it. It was almost like a library¡¯s worth of things the Deity considered general knowledge was shoved into my head, ready for me to access it anytime I desired. It reminded me of the Internet with how accessible and vast it was, putting me in a better mood at having a source of information at hand.

    The trove had already proved its usefulness by explaining that mana was the most widely known source of power and energy in the universe, and perhaps even beyond, and that there was no such thing as essence, almost conclusively leading me to believe there was something suspicious about this entire world, having absolutely no mention of mana from anywhere.

    The trove also had more immediate practical applications, as it suggested methods to break the vow between me and Reela without being discovered, how to actually revive deceased entities and become a full-fledged necromancer, and even how to begin obtaining other affinities, something I saw as necessary if I wanted to fully utilize everything I had been given.

    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t all good news.

    Searching for ways to acquire mana proved to be less than fruitful. While essence was good at what it did, there had to be a reason mana was so prevalent and ubiquitous. Plus, I would rather use a spell that was designed to be powered by mana rather than essence¡­with mana. The Deity¡¯s projection message had implied that the odd phenomena occurring around me were the results of my lack of control, and while I couldn¡¯t refute that, I also couldn¡¯t help but think that the presence of essence had to be a factor as well. There was a possibility that, in using essence, I had been trying to drive a diesel car with gasoline, leading to..well, everything weird that had been going on. The appearance of my beast space, my ability to tame voranders, as well as their odd power to resurrect upon death while in the space, they all seemed like accidents that could have been avoided had I only been exposed to essence or mana alone.

    My thoughts on the mystical were temporarily set aside as I glanced down at my body, taking in its appearance. Jagged scars and scabbed-over puncture wounds littered my body, the most recent injuries I had accumulated undoing half the work I had already finished. The outside was far better than my internal situation, where veins and arteries only continued to function due to the help of essence. My intestines and lungs had the most damage done to them over time, and they would resemble swiss cheese, had I not been diligently applying healing spells every day when I found the time.

    My attention was drawn to my body as the last of my healing spells faded away, my skin mimicking rough leather with how coarse and bumpy it felt. The steady rise and fall of my lungs, the almost inaudible thump-thump of my heart pumping blood, the ever-present tension in my muscles¡­it all felt both new and familiar to me, like looking at an old photo. I knew that I would be fully healed within two weeks, but I had the slightest suspicion that it would be less than that by about¡­eight hours? There was no source for that little guesstimate, but if I had to make an educated guess¡­

    On a whim, I drew some blood from a vein, and resumed my experiment that I had, understandably, stopped in my soul projection. I tried to separate the water in my blood.

    Theoretically, I should be able to do it.

    And then I did it, without any further mental pep talk or convincing. Without any thought, really.

    One moment, there was a drop of blood hovering before me, and the next, the drop had split into two parts, one the recognizable shade of blood, and the other being a slightly yellowish water. I added it to my collection of blood and bridged my hands underneath my head as I laid down, crossing my feet.

    I really shouldn¡¯t be surprised at this point. Wait, was that because of¡­

    I searched the trove of basic knowledge, and quickly found what I was looking for. What I had just done with the blood was not due to me unknowingly performing the mesmerism on myself. The mesmerism required an active attempt to create a change in the mindset of the target, and that remained true whether it was used on oneself or an outsider. And yet, that was not what I had done. The trove had no answer for me.

    It was almost, no, it was definitely worse to have no answers to a mystery even after receiving the magical equivalent of an encyclopedia, rather than groping around in the dark blindly. At least without a reference, there was nothing to disappoint yourself with. I let out a long sigh at my frustration, and let it go. Regardless of how it worked, the fact that it had should have been a cause for celebration.

    ¡°Get out here, we need to talk,¡± the voice of the dragonkin Reela spoke into my mind, summoning me back out into the real world.

    I clenched my fists before unclenching them, vowing to take out all my anger towards my ¡®mentor¡¯ on the next voranders I would be facing, as I gingerly stood up and put some clothes on before exiting out of the space with a thought. I was in the center of the vorander nest, or rather former vorander nest, as the surroundings had completely changed to the point that they were unrecognizable from their prior state. The dead and withered trees, whose leaves were once stiff and blackened, were now as vibrant and healthy as any other tree. The ground, previously cracked and brittle, now had a layer of grass shoots growing atop it, the soil¡¯s vitality returning again. Even the vorander pits, once filled with nothing but toxins and acids, was now a watering hole for the local wildlife, encouraging growth for the surrounding areas. While I had never seen vorander corpses burning afterwards, they were conspicuously absent whenever I looked for them. In any case, the vorander nest was now on its way to regaining its former vivacity, no longer a scar and blight on the environment.

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    I had seen such scenes before, as Reela took charge of the restoration efforts after I was done clearing them, and while I may have been left speechless and slack-jawed the first few times, I simply looked around and took it in before walking over to my mentor, who was sitting on a thick tree branch, a few feet above the ground, her tail dangling lifelessly over the edge. As soon as I approached, I noticed an immediate change, as I sensed her blood with far more clarity and precision than I had in the past. My perception had somehow improved, and it didn¡¯t take a genius to guess the reason for it.

    Once she noticed my presence, the dragonkin turned her head in my direction. ¡°How are your wounds?¡±

    ¡°In a perfect world, I would rest for two weeks straight, but I think we both know that¡¯s not gonna happen.¡± I had long since lost any respect for my mentor, who appeared to have no clue how to teach someone, and with it went any semblance of formality, feigned or otherwise.

    She turned to me and half-shouted in an octave higher than her normal voice, ¡°Look, it¡¯s not my fault, okay? I¡¯ve never trained a human before, not to mention how weird you are being an outworlder, and your freaky taming thing,¡± She jumped off the branch and landed in front of me, a small gust of wind ruffling my clothes. ¡°Not to mention the elders keep saying not to ask questions about you, and how am I supposed to train someone without asking questions? And don¡¯t get me started on that annoying blue-tail who keeps trying to seduce me, and the monsters in the north getting stronger than we thought¡­¡±

    She rambled on for an uncomfortably long time, and while I will be the first to admit that I was somewhat biased against her, it sounded like she had a lot to deal with outside of me and was only now able to vent a little. While she had been in a bad mood ever since I met her, I just attributed her aggression and hostility towards me as frustration at being asked to babysit a human, not¡­whatever this teenage rant was about.

    Wait¡­is she actually a teenager? Or the dragon equivalent?

    ¡° ¨C and the guardians have noticed some weird blob monster beyond the world¡¯s borders, ¨C¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± I interrupted her, and she actually acknowledged me by stopping, something that would have shocked me had I been cognizant of it. Instead I needed to know her age right now, because if I had been tormented all this time by what amounted to a teenager, or worse yet, an actual child, my anger towards the dragons would increase beyond what it already was.

    ¡°How old are you?¡¯ I asked her, none too politely.

    There was an uncomfortably long pause before she spoke. ¡°Why does that matter?¡±

    I sighed and pushed down the impulse to raise my voice. ¡°Just¡­tell me.¡±

    Another long pause followed, and she turned away from me, her tail curling around her leg as she quietly responded, so faint I could barely make it out. ¡°Ninety-seven.¡±

    ¡°Mother fucker,¡± I involuntarily cursed. ¡°You¡¯re not an adult yet, are you? You¡¯re a damn teenager!¡±

    She swung back towards me, her face on the verge of tears. ¡°I am not a child! I¡¯m basically grown up as it is! What does a tiny three years matter, anyway? And who are you to call me a child?! You¡¯re not even fifty yet!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at my predicament.

    The situation was simultaneously worse and better than I thought it was. Sending a child on the cusp of adulthood to watch over a potentially dangerous outworlder was an objectively poor decision on the part of the dragons¡­unless they had a reason for being so flippant.

    If I tried to break the vow connecting me and Reela, right here and now by using a spell from the trove, would it be noticed? I still had no idea about the capabilities of adult dragons, but I couldn¡¯t discount them detecting my usage of mana, even if they had never come across it before.

    Oh, and I couldn¡¯t forget about Khime, the person or god or mana user who brought me here by whisking me across the universe, or perhaps even multiple universes. He definitely seemed interested in me for some reason, and wanted me to fulfill his nebulous goal that he couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t mention. He probably had an eye on me whenever I wasn¡¯t in my beast space.

    Weighing the pros and cons, it was too risky to try anything mana-related out in the open. For the time being, any and all mana experiments would have to be done in the safety and privacy of my beast space. As far as I knew, nobody could teleport inside, as Reela had tried and failed to do so once, when I hadn¡¯t responded as quickly as she would have liked. And despite only having a sample size of one, I felt confident I could use the mesmerism technique on myself to bolster my space¡¯s defenses.

    ¡°Are you even listening to me?¡±

    The high-pitched voice brought me back to the present, where my teenage dragonkin mentor was glaring at me with her hands on her hips.

    ¡°Sigh, we need to talk,¡± I said as calmly as I could.

    ¡°I said that first! And we still haven¡¯t talked about that yet! So just shut up and let me talk first,¡± she yelled, apparently still in her ranting mode, as her voice retained its high pitch.

    ¡°The elders have called me back to my home, which means you¡¯re coming with me,¡± she got close enough to me that I could see her narrowed eyes and caught a whiff of jasmine coming off her, ¡°But let me make one thing clear. You don¡¯t do anything, anything, without my approval, especially that taming thing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry princess, but that¡¯s not happening.¡± I backed off to regain my personal space¡­only for her to rush at me and grab my collar.

    ¡°How did you know I was a princess? Who told you?¡±

    I felt a sense of relief and vindication at her scream. It was impossible that a dragon princess was going around unaccompanied or unprotected, proving that I was right not to take action in front of her.

    ¡°Jesus, calm down, will you!¡± I shouted as I locked eyes with her¡­and she immediately let go of me and backed away.

    Oh fuck me.

    Her eyes had gone glassy, and I instantly knew I had fucked up. That ¡®unexplained phenomena¡¯ nonsense had reared its ugly head once again. How the fuck am I supposed to interact with anybody when shit like this can happen? And more importantly, what am I supposed to do now? Well, I know what to do, but it¡¯s gonna look really bad to anyone watching.

    I grabbed her wrist and brought her into my space before any dragons that were watching could kill me in an attempt to undo Reela¡¯s¡­hypnosis? Whatever, I could just mesmerize her and everything would be back to normal.

    I hoped.

 Chapter 68

    ¡°...Do you need to rest?¡± a voice timidly asked me.

    ¡°Sigh, no, I¡¯m fine,¡± I responded wearily.

    ¡°...What about food or water?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    We were flying through the skies, the plains and grassland of the beast continent stretching below us like a verdant tapestry. Reela naturally had her wings to propel her, while I rode on a two-headed winged serpent, wondering if I had made a mistake, or more likely, an unintended consequence.

    Reversing my unintentional mesmer on Reela proved to be a simple matter. All it took was a quick trip to my beast space, for safety reasons, a quick consulting with the Trove on how to undo it, and a simple utterance of what I wanted. Ironically, the Trove stated that she would be more susceptible to future orders now that I had done it to her once already, though the fact remained that I was substituting essence for mana, and that it occurred without my intent.

    Control yourself. I slapped my cheeks hard, the pain a minor thing compared to the agony that was soul pain, but it helped focus me regardless.

    Too much had happened without my consent. Doing this properly was the first step to gaining some agency in my life.

    ¡°You will forget that I mesmerized you. You will act normally, as though nothing odd has happened¡­but you will reflect on your actions and strive to be more understanding of others, especially your newest¡­disciple,¡± I spit out the word as I got the last laugh over my mentor. Just try and throw me into a vorander nest now.

    I had to do something to make up for how she treated me. So what if I made her slightly nicer?

    She shook her head a few times, like a dog jumping out of the water, and her eyes regained their clarity.

    One awkward apology later, and we were out of my beast space and flying to the heartlands of the beast continent, where the dragons made their home. Apparently, the dragon lands were protected against spatial magic, so intruders couldn¡¯t enter. Reela hesitantly explained that she wasn¡¯t powerful enough to teleport us all the way into the dragon lands from here, and that if she tried¡­she would be fine, but I would likely be disintegrated. We took off soon after that little bombshell.

    It seemed like the mesmerism had worked properly, as Reela had forgotten the whole episode, so I chalked that up as a win, something I desperately needed. Thankfully, there were no dragon bodyguards waiting for me once I had undone Reela¡¯s hypnosis, and I didn¡¯t know what to make of it.

    Was I jumping at shadows that didn¡¯t exist, making up everything in my head? Or were there actually dragon bodyguards around that I simply couldn¡¯t sense? The paranoia was distracting¡­and unnatural. I liked to think of myself as mostly cautious, but I was never so outright paranoid, referencing conspiracy theories as evidence and wearing a tinfoil hat. Granted, my caution had skyrocketed once I came to this new world, but that didn¡¯t fully explain why I had contrived some imaginary threat in my head and acted as though it was real. What I was most afraid of was not being right,,,but that someone had induced my paranoia. I could deal with omnipotent dragons that surveilled the entire world. All I had to do was hop into my beast space and keep moving around. But someone who could affect my mind without my knowledge? That was far more terrifying.

    The irony of creating a boogeyman to explain my paranoia was not lost on me, but I couldn¡¯t find it in myself to laugh at that.

    As the winds buffeted around us, I lamented the absence of windshields and grabbed a pair of well-crafted goggles out of my space, latching them onto my face so I could at least see properly. The sun was on the verge of setting, giving an orange tint to the untamed sea of grass below us. Here and there, beastfolk tribes could be seen, going about their daily life as dots on the ground, while a pack of wild creatures on the cusp of evolving to beasthood and sapience were roaming in search of their next meal. Thankfully, there were no ominous black patches indicating vorander nests anywhere in sight, or else Reela might have suggested I go take care of it.

    We stopped once night fell, so I could get some proper sleep, Reela and her new personality accommodating my need to recuperate. I still hadn¡¯t fully healed, after all, and she had given her assent when I asked to stop for the night. She found a tree to lie against, while I laid on the ground, a bedroll appearing beneath me.

    Not five minutes passed before the silence was broken.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°...Do you hate me?¡±

    Seriously? Are you THAT insecure now?

    ¡°...I¡¯ll tell you if you answer one of my questions,¡± I evaded.

    ¡°Very well,¡± came the response from Reela.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t any voranders swarm us after I killed those poachers? I know you teleported us out of there pretty quick, but we should have seen or felt something,¡± I asked.

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    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nothing. Voranders won¡¯t approach dragons, or dragonkin.¡±

    I waited a beat for her to follow up, and when nothing happened, I prompted her again. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that complicated,¡± she refuted. ¡°Dragons are apex predators. Voranders just¡­recognize that, on a deep level. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t go into all those nests with you, otherwise all of them would either swarm me trying to protect their home, or they would flee and make a new den somewhere else.¡±

    At least that explained why there was no alarm or protection spell around our little encampment. That was great. Just what I needed to hear. Turns out the dragons, the undisputed strongest race on the planet, were basically immune to the voranders¡¯ evil detection, leaving them free to pillage and plunder as they wished. Now the question was, why hadn¡¯t they done so already?

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t hate you,¡± I assuaged her feelings, even if some might argue that I was the aggrieved party this whole time and any hatred I might feel was justified. ¡°Now try to sleep, if dragons are even able to.¡±

    ¡°Dragons can sleep! It¡¯s just hard to wake up, so we don¡¯t do it that often,¡± she feebly protested, while also confirming that dragons on this world had long sleep cycles.

    I slowed my breathing down as I closed my eyes, letting go of all the tension in my muscles, and mimicked how I breathed while sleeping. The next thing I knew, I felt something sharp poking me in the hip every few seconds, prompting me to wake up.

    A night of nothing but pure, uninterrupted, restful sleep. When was the last time I had that?

    ¡°Can we start moving now, or do you need anything?¡±

    The transition between sleeping and waking, combined with Reela¡¯s general thoughtfulness, half-convinced me I was still asleep until I pinched myself and subsequently remembered the events of the previous day.

    We had jumped around the southwestern part of the continent for my ¡®training¡¯, but Reela, and presumably myself as well, being summoned to the dragon lands meant we had to traverse some familiar terrain. It only took a few more days of traveling before I came across a landmark I had seen before, and then¡­

    ¡°Mentor,¡± I said begrudgingly.

    ¡°Yes, Disciple?¡± Reela had returned to her more normal mode of speaking, reminiscent of when we first met, but she insisted we put on a facade of civility and respect. Apparently, it wouldn¡¯t do either of us any good if we acted so informally with each other in the presence of any elders, who were almost certainly going to cross paths with us. Because heaven forbid the weird human get any strange ideas about thinking himself equal to a dragon, even a bit.

    I put up with it despite my feelings, but something more pressing urged me to speak.

    ¡°With all due respect, why do the dragons live in the desert?¡±

    She turned to me and her eyebrow ridge arched up. ¡°Obviously, so no one would bother us. For someone who claims to be intelligent, you tend to ask the strangest of questions.¡±

    That comment alone made me tempted to mesmerize her again, but I repeated my new mantra to myself.

    Control yourself. Control yourself. Control yourself. You may not be able to control how the world reacts to you, but you can control how you react to the world.

    We swiftly crossed the border of the desert, where the grass of the plains slowly merged with the coarse sands of the outer edges, until finally not a single plant could be seen as the golden yellow sands overtook the entire landscape. Despite winter¡¯s approach, the sun had reached its zenith and turned the desert and its skies into an oven, reminding me of how hot summers could be in the southern hemisphere. Sweat poured from me in sheets for hours before Reela signaled that we should descend.

    As we landed and I adjusted my clothes while wiping the sweat from my face, I couldn¡¯t help but be jealous of Reela once again. Her draconic constitution meant that extreme temperatures weren¡¯t an issue for her, and her fire affinity allowed her to actually be stronger in the desert.

    I stored my winged serpent back into my space as I looked around, this section of the desert indistinguishable from the rest of it. Sure it was a bit rockier, as I could make out a few hand-sized stones in the area, but there was nothing else notable about it. The desert itself was void of any essence for some reason, but I quickly attributed that to the dragons, as another layer of defense against any intruders. The essence void would have been more debilitating to me had I not been exposed to mana beforehand. By this point, any inexplicable events that happened to me could either be explained by the Deity¡¯s Seed or¡­.no, that was the most likely culprit.

    My musings were cut short as Reela walked up to an empty space and held out her hand while a series of growls and hisses escaped her lips. Then she oddly turned to me and placed her other hand on my shoulder, followed by another set of growling and screeching. The next thing I knew, we were shifting through space¡­only it felt as though I was moving in slow-motion.

    I could feel space ripple around where Reela had held out her hand, and essence completely enveloped her body before moving towards me, using her hand on my shoulder as a bridge. Once the essence covered me as well, the surroundings grew darker and brighter at the same time, as though I could see two separate planes of existence occupying the same space. Swirling galaxies and massive supernovas obscured my vision, while the darkness of outer space threatened to swallow me. I felt something turn towards me before I felt myself being judged, some ancient and primordial being capable of both destruction and creation, before time resumed its normal speed and I was whisked away. Gravity lost its bind on me as I entered a spatial tunnel and was overwhelmed by what I felt. Even attempting to recall what I experienced proved impossible, only that it felt¡­right.

    Unfortunately, the sensation passed sooner than I would have liked, as I felt solid ground beneath me once more. But before I could get my bearings or even open my eyes, I felt something sharp and rigid poking into my throat and my chest, threatening to kill me if I moved any further. I couldn¡¯t even voice my irritation as that would make me liable to stab myself with whatever was poking me. A bright light similar to the reflection of the sunlight off the desert sands blinded me, and once my sight returned after a few blinks, I saw something that instantly put me on edge.

    No less than six dragonkin resembling Reela were clutching spears, two of which were the ones rendering me immobile, while the rest were slightly further back yet still had their weapons out and pointed at me. I saw two holding what looked like lightsabers and the rest wielded an odd hybrid between a taser and a trident, with lightning sparking off the edges of the prongs. My blood sense revealed four more behind me in the same state of combat readiness, and I was hesitant to even attempt to enter my space like this, though I would make the attempt if pushed.

    I felt another gargantuan existence locking onto me, though slightly weaker than the previous one, though there was no judgment involved this time, merely¡­curiosity? Before I could even try to explain myself or ask for Reela to intervene or even think about entering my space, I fell into unconsciousness, only hoping that if I died, it would be less painful than the last time.

 Chapter 69

    I had woken up in plenty of weird situations and odd ways, but this time had to be in the top five, at least. I was in a reverse starfish position, with my limbs splayed out at odd angles, only I was laying on my stomach, with my neck twisted to the left, and my cheek against something coarse and cold.

    Oh, and I was naked. No clothes, no shoes, no soft silky underwear that protected me from rocks and pebbles digging into my butt as I tried to move around.

    Darkness surrounded me, preventing me from even making out any details about the environment. My extremely underdeveloped and ignored nature magic let me feel that I was in contact with the earth, but somehow I couldn¡¯t manipulate it at all, my nature affinity unresponsive beyond any basic sensory capabilities I had neglected to familiarize myself with for months, if not years.

    My blood sense, on the other hand, revealed that there were three bodies roughly fifty feet away from me. Two were upright while one was kneeling on their heels. While I doubted anything sexual had taken place while I was unconscious, I was still a bit hesitant to walk out and talk to someone while nude.

    Use your damn brain, you idiot. I said to myself. You have clothes in your space. What, did the dragons drop you on your head or something?

    Well, that could very well be the case. Regardless, it was better if I did as¡­I¡­said, and took stock of the situation before speaking with whoever was holding me captive, apparently. The same was true of accessing or entering my beast space.

    So, what do I know? Reela and I were summoned to the dragon heartlands, though I don¡¯t remember why. We entered the desert, and Reela did something so we could make our way into the dragon lands. I felt like I was being judged by something¡­ancient. Twice, technically. Then I found myself at the wrong end of weird weapons.

    Was there a lightsaber or was I just hallucinating that?

    I was fairly certain the weapons I briefly saw were more advanced than what I had seen in the human continent, though that shouldn¡¯t have come as a surprise, even if it did.

    Then I was knocked out somehow and now I¡¯m here, naked, cold, and hungry.

    No. Not somehow. I knew what affected me.

    Soul pain. It was faint, and nowhere near as potent as what I had experienced before, but there was no mistaking it for anything else. Moreover, whoever had done it was unbelievably skilled, using just the right amount of power to affect my body how they wished.

    Were those moments of feeling judged some type of soul magic, then? If that was the case, I felt much more apprehensive about being near the dragons. The Deity claimed that the soul was the best place to store anything secret, and as I felt another presence approach my little cave, I thought that maybe that would be tested very soon.

    The newest arrival conferred with the others outside my cave for a few minutes while I leaned up against the back of the cave wall, brushing away any pebbles that might annoyingly dig into my unprotected skin. I heard an ominous thud as something impacted one of the walls outside, but I didn¡¯t hear a single word being exchanged. Not long after, the small mystery was solved as a voice in my head spoke to me, increasing my suspicion even more.

    ¡°Young man, I understand you bear some ill will towards us dragons.¡± The speaker was as audible as anyone else who had mentally spoken to me, the connection between us created and traversed in an instant. What that said about his proficiency with soul magic, well, it probably didn¡¯t bode well for me. ¡°From what my descendants have said, you seem rather pitiful, yet I cannot allow anyone who might be a threat to enter our home.¡±

    ¡°I understand¡­elder?¡± I hesitantly replied, unable to refute him or any other dragons thinking of me as pitiful.

    ¡°Then answer my questions honestly.¡± He continued, taking my address to him in stride. ¡°Know that I can discern the truth of your words, and do not think yourself clever using omissions or half-truths. Such paltry tricks only waste both our time, and simply make you more suspicious in my eyes. Now, do you wish harm on all dragons?¡±

    ¡°No, definitely not.¡± I replied truthfully. I may have been pissed off at the leadership and Reela, but I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to commit genocide on their entire race.

    ¡°Then you wish harm on some dragons?¡± he countered.

    I sighed internally, knowing I couldn¡¯t get away with it. Maybe if I could stop time and mesmerize myself into being able to have perfect control over my thoughts and emotions, I would have a different answer. Unfortunately, it seemed like I could only roll the dice and see where they landed.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Which of the dragons, specifically, do you wish harm upon?¡± He followed up.

    ¡°Reela¡­and whatever ancestor or elder decided to make me her disciple.¡±

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    He paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°Why should you wish harm upon Reela?¡±

    ¡°The first time we met, she held a sword to my neck and threatened to kill me. Then she made me take some kind of blood oath or world oath, that basically made me her subordinate under the threat of torture or death. Next, she made me kill a bunch of human poachers without any consent from me. Now, I don¡¯t mind killing, let alone poachers, but to take away my freedom in doing so made me unbelievably angry. After that, she threw me into vorander nests for the sake of training. Goddamn fucking training! Are you serious?! Do all dragons train like that? Or is that just what she went through and then thought that was the only way to do it? Oh, and don¡¯t even get me started on the lack of recovery time! How do you expect anybody, let alone someone who doesn¡¯t have access to healing spells, to be alright within a day after having fucking acid blasted into their body?! Then the ¨C¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡± My interrogator became weary all of a sudden, and I got the sense this was somehow familiar to him. That ticked me off even more, but I didn¡¯t want to push my luck by pressing the issue.

    ¡°And what of the others? The ones who, as you say, made you the disciple of Reela? Are your grievances with them simply an extension of the¡­numerous ones you hold against her?¡±

    ¡°Basically. I mean, whoever it was put that princess in charge of someone else¡¯s life and neglected to tell her that humans need time to heal after suffering wounds. God, it¡¯s like ¨C¡± I quickly stopped thinking before I made a rash generalized statement about all dragons being so arrogant that they forgot about the limitations of other species. I was already in hot water, no need to make it worse unprompted.

    ¡°You may come out now, young man.¡± The dragon elder said, after deliberating on my statements for a few minutes.

    ¡°You don¡¯t happen to have any clothes I could wear, do you?¡± I asked hesitantly. Sure, they probably knew about my space, and a normal person would assume that I had a decent amount of supplies in there including clothes, but I wasn¡¯t above getting a freebie from them if possible.

    ¡°Oh, yes, clothing. We do have some garments for humans available. Though I must warn you against attempting to open your¡­beast space, was it? You will find the outcome of doing so beyond unpleasant.¡± He warned me.

    I couldn¡¯t feel anything special about the cave, but that didn¡¯t exactly mean much. Who knew how advanced the dragons were? If I tried, I could still feel my space, and I could even see inside it, but either way, it was probably best if I did as he said. I got to my feet, still a bit shy about appearing nude in front of strangers, before ignoring those feelings and walking forwards where I could sense people ahead of me. At the entrance to my cave were two torches, providing some much needed light in my dark cell. Two dragonkin with golden brown scales were facing me, each one holding one of those taser tridents. Reela was to the right of them, with her head down and kneeling on her heels like a servant from ancient times.

    And standing before them was an elder dragon, though he currently took the form of a black-scaled dragonkin. I had no idea how I knew he was a dragon and not a dragonkin, but he was one of the strongest beings I had ever seen, radiating an aura of power and wisdom. Even standing there unclothed and unarmed, he seemed like a wise sage who lived on a mountaintop while delving into the secrets of the universe and the vicissitudes of life.

    As I came closer to him, practically at the mouth of the cave, I walked into an invisible wall and bonked my head, staggering back and cursing before casting a cooling spell to dull the pain. When I got my bearings back, nobody was on guard at my casual use of magic, which I noted for later. They could likely still take me down even if I went all out, well, not including everything in my space, but it was better to at least make an attempt at diplomacy.

    The elder dragon¡¯s eyes opened as I gazed in his direction, and I felt myself tremble unconsciously at the pressure contained in such a simple action. ¡°You may wear these robes if you wish,¡± he said to me telepathically, pulling out a set of folded clothes from a ripple in space ¨C his own spatial pocket. With no effort, the clothes were sent through the solidified air barrier and landed in my outstretched hands. I put the tunic, pants, and robe on, only to find them automatically adjusting to my size and preference, leaving just enough room to be comfortable without being too tight.

    The mystery of the clothes had to wait, though, as the elder looked at me once more with that heavy gaze, the connection between us barely noticeable. ¡°Are you willing to learn from other dragons if they use similar methods to what you have experienced before?¡±

    ¡°I ¨C¡± I reflexively answered out loud before doing so telepathically. ¡°I would prefer not to, but if there is no other choice, then I will.¡±

    ¡°And if Reela were to use¡­gentler methods, would you consent to remaining her disciple?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I answered immediately this time. I was really only thinking of what it would cost to break that world oath and what the repercussions would be.

    ¡°Then it seems you and my descendant have more to learn from each other than you might believe. Now, one final query before you may join us properly.¡± He walked right up to the barrier, and without any hesitation, walked through it before holding his clawed hand to my chest and rendering me immobile without any use of essence whatsoever. ¡°Do you accept living among the dragons, keeping our secrets, and knowing that succumbing to any desire to harm any of us, will lead to your immediate demise?¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± I couldn¡¯t help the relief that flooded my mind at his words. He may have meant it as a threat, but I took it as an assurance that they wouldn¡¯t draw out my death. Honestly¡­I could tell there was definitely something wrong with me when that was my reaction to a death threat.

    The elder pulled his hand back, but not before scratching my forehead with one of his wickedly sharp claws, leaving no pain or physical wound, but a¡­beacon? Whatever he did placed something in me to automatically receive mental messages instead of having to create the connection manually every time. I could sense other similar beacons in Reela and the guards, though theirs were less refined. Then there was the fact that I was able to determine the beacon¡¯s function without any explanation, something that would have unnerved me had I had the mental attention to spare for it.

    ¡°Then welcome to the land of the dragon, young human. It seems we have much to speak of, including, what was it¡­oh yes,¡± he pointedly stared down at me and revealed a terrifying smile full of teeth that I wanted nowhere close to me, ¡°my poor judgment in appointing my descendant as your mentor.¡±

 Chapter 70

    ¡°I, I ¨C¡±

    Just as panic began to be overtaken by fear, the elder dragon restrained his aura and relaxed his smile, his eyes revealing a gleam that was hard to ignore. Amusement.

    ¡°Oh, you can relax, boy, I¡¯m not going to eat you. I simply needed a laugh after all that serious business.¡±

    I felt like I was experiencing whiplash from how quickly the elder¡¯s attitude did a complete reversal. Was this normal for elders, or was there something about this one specifically?

    ¡°And you may address me as Elder Dusk, though I feel you are more suited to colloquialisms than formalities.¡±

    ¡°And¡­if I may be so bold ¨C ¡°

    ¡°You may,¡± Elder Dusk interrupted, his grimacing smile still plastered on his face. If our roles were reversed, he would probably call me cheeky for doing something like that. I wondered if all dragons had the potential for irritating me, or if maybe I was just easily riled up.

    ¡°May I ask why such treatment was necessary? I can¡¯t think of anything I might have done to warrant such¡­attention.¡±

    The Elder¡¯s eyebrow ridge raised. ¡°You felt that gaze upon you, did you not? Not the brief one, that was just me. The one that made you feel like a grain of sand standing up to the might of the sun.¡± I nodded. ¡°That is our first line of defense and one of our greatest secrets, but suffice it to say that the barrier can detect malice from any outsiders seeking entry, and alerts those within to their presence. I was simply curious to see how badly my descendant performed as a mentor to engender such feelings within such a short time. Now, come along, young human. I¡¯m sure you have questions, and as someone bearing some responsibility for your situation, I will provide any answers that I¡¯m able to. Reela, with me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder.¡± Reela¡¯s voice, both expected and unexpected, sounded out through the connection, lending merit to the beacon theory.

    The invisible air barrier dispersed, allowing me to exit the cave and follow behind Elder Dusk just as Reela did, though I was careful not to step on his tail which he had unwound and dragged along the floor.

    ¡°Are you capable of flight, boy?¡± the Elder asked, as we walked along a large earthen tunnel, the small entrance area where we were teleported to on the far right.

    ¡°No, Elder Dusk.¡±

    ¡°Sigh, yet another task to take care of. Very well then, the boring way it is. Reela, attend to whatever chores your father asks of you for the next two days.¡±

    ¡°...Yes, Elder.¡± The meekness Reela had displayed was overshadowed by something I had never heard from her before: respect. This had to be that natural, instinctive hierarchy thing she had mentioned before, unable to rebel against someone above her. Thankfully, I had no such shackles. My problems were completely external and not baked into my DNA. Well, that I knew of. Who knew how far the Seed in my soul had expanded its roots?

    There are some questions I¡¯m probably better off not knowing the answers to.

    We had reached the end of the tunnel, where the ground ended in a cliff a few feet away before revealing an impossible vista of epic proportions. The sun and moon were about to intersect in the sky, on the verge of an eclipse. But the land below was what truly amazed me. A giant continent stretched out, as if I was standing among the clouds and peering down at a geographical map. I could see unique biomes such as deserts and tundras, as well as rivers and mountain ranges that spread over great distances.

    And most of all, I saw dragons. Dragons of every color imaginable flew in the sky. The largest, and I surmised the eldest, were usually accompanying numerous smaller dragons. When one of the smallest dragons faltered or actually failed to fly properly, the larger dragons would smack them with a tail or wing.

    Atop the backs of a few dragons were dragonkin, more humanoid in size and shape, though all of them bore some marks of their draconic lineage. They were too fast and distant for me to make out clearly, but I could have sworn I saw a pure human riding atop a smaller dragon, their whoops and roars clearly audible even through the humdrum of the ¡®air traffic¡¯ around them.

    Perhaps my interest was too obvious, as the Elder spoke. ¡°Flying lessons will have to wait for you, young human. For now¡­¡± As he gestured, he drew my attention to something I had experienced but never seen so distinctly.

    A portal.

    It differed from teleportation formations, or the teleport spell Reela used for me often, or even the instant shifting of space I had experienced. This was clearly a rip in space, with a large garden visible on the other side, along with a natural lake and some draconic looking beasts ambling around.

    Barely realizing what was happening, I stepped through the portal, that tingly feeling of familiarity I had associated with spatial travel passing through me, and was instantly surrounded by draconic beasts of all sizes, some of whom decided to start licking me like a dog. What¡¯s more, I was barraged with a multitude of voices in my head at the same time.

    ¡°A new friend!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this? It smells funny!¡±

    ¡°Where are your wings, or your scales? You don¡¯t have a tail, too!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a human! The Elder talked about them before!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a human, it¡¯s an alien from the stars!¡±

    ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s my friend from now on!¡±

    ¡°Why is it your friend? Everyone can take turns playing with him!¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m the oldest! And the Elder said the oldest is in charge!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m the strongest!¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡±

    Finally, the two-pronged assault of licking and mental shouts died down as the beasts formed up into a straight line ten feet away from me, standing silently as the Elder stepped through the portal and closed it behind him.

    ¡°This is my descendant¡¯s disciple, and you are correct Tavia, he is human.¡±

    ¡°I told you so! I was right!¡± the boisterous shout declared, just as a drake, resembling a large komodo dragon with scales the palest of pinks, lashed her tail at one of the wyrms, an albino anaconda that had spindly limbs that could only generously be called legs after they grew for a few more years.

    ¡°I¡¯m still older than you!¡± a childlike voice retorted as the wyrm began to wrap itself around her legs, threatening her balance.

    ¡°Enough.¡±

    The elder¡¯s voice was whiplike, ending their spat before it could go further, as the two returned to their positions, standing upright at attention and without speaking.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°Since both of you seem to like talking so much, you can study languages for the next four days.¡± While the two troublemakers looked like they wanted to protest, they held themselves back, an unexpected show of restraint from what seemed like the dragon equivalent of children.

    ¡°Yes, Elder.¡± They helplessly intoned in unison.

    ¡°Now, as I was saying, this is¡­oh, you never told me your name, did you?¡± The elder turned to me.

    ¡°Forgive me, Elder Dusk. My name is Rhaaj.¡±

    ¡°Just so,¡± the elder said, slightly inclining his head to me before turning back around to his charges. ¡°Rhaaj will be joining all of you for lessons from now on. Though keep in mind he is much weaker than all of you, so be mindful around him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± the draconic beasts chanted, their attention slowly turning from the elder towards me.

    ¡°Now, all of you can play for the rest of today while I attend to some business, except for you, Orgrim,Tavia. Fly over to the language caves and tell the instructor I sent you there. Rhaaj, do your best to make friends with the others. I will return shortly.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder.¡± While the two beasts that were singled out were despondent, the others were relieved that they had escaped punishment.

    ¡°Rhaaj, you may eat and drink anything the others do, everything here is safe for consumption. If you truly need something, ask your mentor for help. We will speak more once I return.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    The dragon snorted, apparently amused at my cheek, before he changed forms, shifting into a massive black dragon, with a wingspan of at least two hundred feet and standing at least thirty feet tall. Elder Dusk unfurled his wings before billowing dust and a tiny windstorm assaulted those below him, as he shot into the air and soon became nothing more than a dot on the horizon, flying off to parts unknown¡­leaving me with a small pack of young and curious beasts whose inhibitions seemed to disappear along with the elder.

    ¡°Little human, I¡¯ll be your first friend, okay?¡± The pale pink drake said as she gingerly wrapped her tail around my arm, taking the elder¡¯s advice to heart. ¡°I¡¯m Tavia, don¡¯t forget me. I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can!¡± She licked me before running off. Her partner in crime, Orgrim, turned to me and said, ¡°Hmph, well she might be your first friend, but I¡¯m his first male friend! That means I win, so take that! Oh, you are a male, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a male,¡± I replied, already exhausted at this level of conversation.

    ¡°Oh good! Then I¡¯ll see you in a few days, friend human!¡± Orgrim said before crawling entirely too fast for someone with a body like his with such stumpy legs.

    With the two seemingly loudest ¡®kids¡¯ gone, the rest of the pack seemed more amenable to interacting with me.

    ¡°Hi everyone, I¡¯m Rhaaj.¡± I introduced myself again, as being called human, or little human, or friend would quickly get annoying. I¡¯d gotten enough of that while on the beastfolk continent. If the elves referred to me as anything other than my name if and when I made my way to the elven continent, well. It would be a good test for my newly discovered self-control.

    ¡°I¡¯m Dorro.¡±

    ¡°Hi, you can call me Zabil.¡±

    ¡°Squinia.¡±

    They all introduced themselves to me before approaching me much more cautiously this time, though in the end, they all somehow naturally formed a semicircle around me. Now that I wasn¡¯t barraged by all of their limbs and voices simultaneously, I could see that there were only eight of them. I guess the confusion of the sudden mosh pit of limbs and colors that jumped me before rendered me stupid for a moment.

    ¡°Do you want anything, Rhaaj?¡± Dorro asked.

    ¡°Actually, I do want some water, now that you mention it, and some food would be nice, too,¡± I mentioned, before they all perked up and exchanged glances before Dorro took the lead.

    ¡°Then we can go to the lake! There¡¯s lots of water and berries there, and if you want to hunt anything else, you can!¡±

    And just like that, we were on our way to the lake, heading south judging by the position of the sun, though I distinctly remembered there being an eclipse a few minutes ago, which was conspicuously not the case now. The mystery sang to me for a moment, like a siren¡¯s song seductively whispering in my ear, before I simply ignored it and thought to ask the elder about it upon his return.

    The kids were energetic and curious, asking me all kinds of questions, only some of which I had an answer to. I mean, no matter how they whined or pleaded, I wasn¡¯t going to tell them how humans reproduced. Let their parents have that talk with them, not some stranger from a different species. That aside, though, they were just as ignorant and rambunctious as any human child would be, save for the fact that they were capable of combat¡­.with small animals, at least. Those who had wings flew, while the rest either slithered, crawled, or walked. Sometimes, the fliers would take on a passenger or two, but not for long. When I asked why not, they responded that the elders didn¡¯t want them to get used to having someone by their side all the time. In battle, anything could happen, and their most reliable ally was themselves. I briefly wondered at just what kind of education these baby beasts were receiving, before deciding it was none of my business and continuing along the path.

    The garden where we departed from seemed to be just one section of this¡­place we were in. The garden was an area that, while beautiful, was obviously curated and well-attended to. The path we were taking, on the other hand, was far more wild. Flora and fauna of all types were abundant, creating an atmosphere of untouched nature in the near-jungle that we trekked through. There were no carnivores or truly dangerous beings around, though we did chance upon a plant that resembled a venus flytrap. It was as if someone intentionally created an environment to reflect the outside world, as I had read that the elven continent had the most woodlands and jungles of the main continents.

    After a few hours, the jungle slowly thinned out into a wide open plain, with a shimmering lake in sight and various animals drinking from it in peace. The plain was identical to those of the beastfolk continent, down to the sporadic groves of trees and the wandering herds of animals.

    ¡°Rhaaj, Rhaaj! The lake¡¯s over there!¡± One of the kids, a young sea-blue wyvern named Eurig shouted.

    ¡°We can catch the fishes!¡± Another one joined in.

    ¡°Fishes are boring, we should look for the shocky ones! Those are funny looking!¡±

    ¡°Nuh uh, the flat fishies are the weirdest ones! Their faces are all mushed together!¡±

    The banter lasted until we got to the lake, at which point I sat on the edge of the lake and dunked my legs into the water, lying down on the soft grass and closing my eyes, simply taking the peaceful environment¡­.for about two seconds, before the voice in my head started up again.

    ¡°Hey Rhaaj! Look at this!¡±

    ¡°Hey! This is a new fish! I¡¯ve never seen it before!¡±

    ¡°Rhaaj, look what I can do with my tail in the water!¡±

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so cool, Baxen!¡± I said, having gotten up to see what was going on in the lake. The kids were messing around in the water, swimming and splashing each other with their various limbs. Occasionally, one or two would dive down and retrieve something for me or others to look at. There were corals, jades, clam shells, and blobfishes. Yeah, that last one was hard to fake smile at, but I endured the sliminess and did it anyway, prompting more underwater dives.

    I had picked a few berries from the jungles, not trusting the texture of anything else without cooking it, to sate my hunger, and found the taste tart yet sweet. The water had a slight sweetness to it as well, but it was crisp, for lack of a better word. Like the water was just¡­more.

    Eventually, I jumped into the lake, relieving some of the tension that had been weighing on me for¡­a while, and just played with the dragon kids. We had a belly flop contest, played freeze tag, and tried out Marco Polo, which was a massive flop as they all had good senses due to their lineage, but overall it was just a nice little break that I got to enjoy.

    Sadly, the fun times had to end at some point, as we made our way out of the lake and started the journey back to the garden, only for Elder Dusk to intercept us halfway through, the familiar sensation of a portal closing behind him.

    ¡°Alright, whelps, back to your parents. Rhaaj and I have some business to discuss,¡± Elder Dusk stated. I swear I would have heard the phrase ¡®aw man¡¯ and ¡®dang it¡¯ if this were Earth, but I was content to receive a chorus of groans and ¡®really¡± from the kids. After assurances that we would see each other again, the kids left, leaving me and Elder Dusk in the middle of the jungle, the tension ratcheting back up as I felt I would finally, finally, get some answers.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have this conversation somewhere quieter, shall we?¡± And with a flick of his wrist the scenery changed, as the lush jungle was replaced by a cave glimmering with precious metals, gemstones, and all manner of treasure, both natural and created.

    ¡°Now. What do you wish to know first?¡±

 Chapter 71

    Thoughts and questions alike swirled within my mind, eager to make themselves known, but the decadence of the cave, if it could even be called that, drew my immediate attention.

    I only called it a cave due to the rocky ground, but the treasures that piled up prevented me from even seeing the walls or the ceiling. Luminescent stones, essence stones, were hovering in the air to provide some illumination, which allowed me to see in detail just how diverse the elder¡¯s assets were. Masterfully crafted pieces of woodworking, slabs of marble in all the primary colors, a longsword with a dragon¡¯s head as the crossguard. But above all, shiny metals took up most of the space, Meteorites of gold, aluminum, silver, and copper were plentiful, and every now and then a rare twinkle revealed a precious stone lying in wait. Diamonds and rubies were the most prominent, followed by sapphires and a single emerald that I could spot. The least in number were the manufactured pieces, including weapons and armor. I would have called them artifacts simply for the aura they radiated, but they were relegated to less prominent positions and were clearly not the main focus.

    If I wasn¡¯t assured that the elder knew himself to be superior to me, I would have thought this to be a show of not only wealth, but power as well. After all, all these treasures had to come from somewhere.

    ¡°Now. What do you wish to know first?¡±

    Elder Dusk¡¯s words brought my attention back to him, as he transformed back into his true draconic form, stretching his wings out and yawning before settling his entire body onto the treasure trove, wriggling around until he found a comfortable position to lie down in. I pulled out a chair from my space absentmindedly and tried to arrange my thoughts into some semblance of organization. In the end, I decided to just go chronologically.

    ¡°You don¡¯t mind if I speak informally, do you?¡± I thought it prudent to at least get some type of approval for my actions that someone like Elder Dusk might see as audacious for someone with my level of power.

    ¡°I have no objections, but be aware that not all elders are so affable in how you treat them. Now then, with that out of the way, what questions do you have for me?¡±

    ¡°Do you know someone named Khime?¡±

    ¡°Khime, Khime¡­.I don¡¯t believe so, no. While I have met a great many beings, that name is not familiar to me.¡±

    While it was possible the elder was lying to me, whether they knew each other or not was, ultimately, irrelevant. The only reason I asked was to see if they could contact each other and maybe get some answers from Khime instead. After all, he was the reason I was even in this world to begin with.

    ¡°Is essence capable of affecting someone¡¯s behavior? As in, will its mere presence or absence affect how one thinks and acts accordingly?¡±

    ¡°....how interesting. Yes, it does have that effect on some beings. In response to your next question, yes, the specific element matters. Earth makes one more resilient and stubborn, while fire induces anger and resentment. Water improves one¡¯s way of thinking, oh how would you humans say it¡­¡­hmm, flexibility is the closest word I can come up with, while wind increases one¡¯s levels of tolerance. I would hope that you can see a certain pattern forming, Rhaaj.¡± the dragon intoned.

    Indeed, When it was pointed out so blatantly, those effects seemed to practically characterize the races that lived in each continent. I had a hypothesis that being exposed to essence of certain elements may have interfered with my thought processes, which was why I sometimes made rash decisions without thinking too deeply, perhaps even a tad bit impulsively, but maybe I was simply overthinking. Maybe I was always impulsive and the situations I was in just precluded me from acting rationally.

    ¡°Are dragons the ancestors of all beastfolk?¡± I asked next.

    ¡°Yes, of course. Is this not common knowledge in the human world?¡± the dragon responded.

    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s something of an old legend that each of the races are descendants of some mythical race from ancient times. Titans, faeries, dragons. There are no living examples, save for dragons, who are reclusive at the best of times, so no one has really put much stock in something that seems like an old story made up to make themselves look more important.¡±

    ¡°Sigh,¡± the elder¡¯s mental sigh was accompanied by a physical one, as I felt a cold gust bellow at me. ¡°You are not wrong in your assessment of our kind. We have our reasons for our isolation, but I had not thought the effects to be so impactful that the modern world has forgotten their roots and their histories.¡±

    The elder paused for a few moments before continuing his speech. ¡°Those races you described, titans, faeries, dragons. We refer to them as the Progenitors, the first beings who lifted themselves up out of the mire of ignorance and gained true intelligence, becoming truly alive. They too had their own monsters to combat, and though their strength was great and mighty, their numbers were simply too few to sustain themselves in a prolonged war. They died out after a few generations, with dragons having lost much of our numbers since that era. By all accounts, the dragons of the past were far stronger and more wise, discovering the truths of the world that we can only catch mere glimpses of today. Alas, we are but shadows of their greatness, a legacy stuck between the past and the present.¡±

    I wanted to change the topic, as I could see this was something the Elder was¡­emotional about, but I let him wallow in it for a bit longer before resuming my questioning. If he wanted to sit in the gloom for a bit longer, I wouldn¡¯t deny him¡­.up to a point.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°When did the dragons become aware of me?¡± I asked, once I felt enough time had passed that I could move on.

    ¡°...we noticed a fluctuation in the planet¡¯s barrier as soon as you arrived on this world. We took note of you, and made sure you weren¡¯t a vorander or a different kind of monster, and simply let you be. Had you not done something that drew attention to yourself, we would have been content to let you live your life however you saw fit. Unfortunately, things don¡¯t always happen as we wish, now do they?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more,¡± I glumly agreed. ¡°Then why did you forgive me for my supposed crime and mark me as a friend to the beastfolk? I don¡¯t understand.¡± All that business with the ash houses seemed like it happened so long ago, but it only felt like that since so much had happened with my ¡®training¡¯ since then. If the ash houses were essentially the pride of the beastfolk, why didn¡¯t I just receive an immediate execution, or a trial? From their point of view, it would have been simpler and faster, with much less fuss involved.

    ¡°For better or worse, you are simply a¡­visitor, in this world. I can say with almost absolute certainty that, barring any unforeseen encounters with peril, you will leave this world one way or another. When that time comes, we dragons would rather prefer you have no malice towards us.¡± The elder spoke with conviction, which meant he had some grounds to speak of the future with such certainty. Time magic was real¡­I think. Well, soul magic was real, so who¡¯s to say what elements and concepts didn¡¯t have a branch of magic attached to them? Hell, there could be some kind of magical internet that I just didn¡¯t have access to since I lacked the right affinity¡­.or the right knowledge. Before I could go too far down that rabbit hole, I brought myself back to the present, remembering something that seemed trivial at the time, but might have been more important than I knew.

    ¡°So, I take it that dragons are something like the protectors of this world? Reela mentioned some odd monster from space that you all were fighting.¡±

    ¡°Sigh, that foolish child needs to learn discretion sooner rather than later. Yes, you are correct in that dragons have taken up the role of this world¡¯s guardians, protecting it from threats that come from beyond its borders.¡±

    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you eliminated the voranders? Surely if all the dragons are so strong, wiping them out wouldn¡¯t be that hard. It¡¯s almost like you want them to¡­oh fuck.¡± I cursed, feeling far more unsafe than I had been a moment ago. ¡°You want them here for some reason, don¡¯t you? Holy shit, no wonder they¡¯re still around. You¡¯re allowing them to do what they do! Holy fuck!¡±

    Voranders were, if not accepted, then tolerated, by the dragons. Yet, it seemed contradictory. Hadn¡¯t I just spent months ¡®training¡¯ against the voranders and eradicating their nests? Why would the dragons permit their presence on this world on one hand while also supporting the other races in their fight against the monsters?

    The elder¡¯s giant head swiveled to face me, his eyes narrowed in complete focus. ¡°There is knowledge, boy, and then there is wisdom. What you think you know is but one part of a greater truth, which I will not divulge to you. There are some things you truly do not wish to know, and this is among them. Now move on to your next question or I will.¡±

    Sweat fell from my back like raindrops and my teeth chattered involuntarily as I instinctively froze up in fear. I struggled to think of anything with a gigantic dragon head taking up my entire field of vision, but something popped up that I hoped was mild enough in comparison to the previous topic.

    ¡°Is it possible to gain affinities later in life that you are not born with?¡±

    Once more, silence followed my question, making me slightly nervous before the elder dispelled that notion with his answer. ¡°Yes.¡± No follow up or explanation came after that, leaving me unsure if that topic was equally taboo, or if it was just a bleed over from previously.

    Nevertheless, I forged onwards. ¡°Is soul magic real?¡±

    ¡°...Yes.¡± The silence this time was far shorter, as the elder was more forthcoming, yet he revealed his bemusement in his tone. ¡°How do you not know this? You have been using it to tame all those beings.¡±

    WHAT?!

    Okay, let me back up a second. I remember the first time, the very first time, I ever tamed something was¡­oh god, what was that bull¡¯s name? Bully! Okay, so I¡¯m fairly certain I used Khime¡¯s taming spell to tame Bully. That was all I knew at the time. Then there was that battle with the goblin voranders, where I accidentally tamed one just with my essence. The same went for Spearmint, and the werewolf vorander that was trying to eat him. Now, given the nature of soul magic, and that it seemed like a sensitive subject, at least right now, it was probably better if I didn''t press the issue. My curiousity was practically eating me alive, but I tamped it down and decided to ask about a pet theory I had regarding the elements.

    Well, I guess I knew my next question.

    ¡°Can essence have affinities? Is there such a thing as fire essence, water essence¡­.or soul essence?¡±

    The elder¡¯s head, still staring at me head on, slowly transitioned to a smile. One that was even more terrifying than in his more humanoid form, as his fangs were each the size of my entire body.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Right as I was about to expand on that subject, a dragon flew in from somewhere and hovered in the air, staying aloft by flapping his wings, sending a torrent of dust and debris my way. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t as large as the elder¡­but it was large enough to create a mini tornado.

    ¡°Elder Dusk, a matter on the border requires your presence!¡±

    The elder got up, and it was evident that he was reluctant to deal with whatever matter required his presence, but he did it anyway, the very image of duty. ¡°Very well. Inform those present that I will be there shortly. As for you,¡± he said, considering me with his gaze, ¡°...wait with the others. You need lessons more than anything else right now.¡±

    And with that pronouncement, the two dragons phased out of reality while I was teleported back to the garden, with no one else in sight.

    ¡°I still had questions, dammit!¡± I pointlessly shouted into the sky, before the elder¡¯s final words caught up to me. I shuddered at the thought of lessons with the elder. After all, I had seen what his descendant thought lessons should be like. If the first lesson was how to survive in a vorander nest, I would seriously consider just hiding away in my space for a while.

 Chapter 72

    ¡°Today, we will be learning about the elements.¡±

    Elder Dusk was in his true dragon form with the rest of his students arrayed in front of him. The draconic beast kids were there, of course, along with myself and surprisingly, Reela. She was relieved of whatever duties had been foisted onto her and ordered to accompany me from now on. Apparently, she was being punished for her ¡®mishandling¡¯ of her disciple, as an elder put it. I felt that the dragons were focusing on the wrong point here, but evidently, the princess irresponsibly endangering her disciple¡¯s life was a minor issue compared to the fact that she let her first taste of freedom and power go to her head. As such, some reeducation was in order.

    Hence, the grumpy scarlet dragonkin by my side.

    ¡°This is such a waste of time,¡± she couldn¡¯t help but grumble.

    ¡°Firstly, what ARE the elements?¡± Elder Dusk asked, uncharacteristically ignoring her outburst.

    ¡°They¡¯re the things that make up the world we live in,¡± Zabil answered.

    ¡°They make up everything, not just the world,¡± Tavia compounded.

    ¡°Water, earth, fire, air,¡± one of the other kids said.

    Elder Dusk turned to me and asked. ¡°And you, Rhaaj? What are the elements to you?¡± I always hated being put on the spot when a teacher called on me unexpectedly in class. It didn¡¯t help that all the other kids turned to look at me with the gleam of wonder in their eyes. Apparently my novelty hadn¡¯t worn off yet, as their eyes were filled with expectations.

    ¡°Elements are¡­.forces of nature that we can communicate with by using our essence.¡± I offered.

    ¡°Hmm¡­well said,¡± he replied, ¡°If not entirely accurate.¡± At this point, he turned back to face everyone.

    ¡°The elements are the basic components of existence, and while some are obvious, such as the basic four of water, earth, fire and wind, others are less so. Who can tell me some of the more hidden elements?¡±

    ¡°Space!¡±

    ¡°Time!¡±

    ¡°Life!¡±

    ¡°Death.¡± Surprisingly, Reela chose to offer her opinion, even if it was somewhat halfheartedly.

    ¡°Blood,¡± I chimed in, even if my voice was lost among the others¡¯ shouts. I heard all kinds of elements besides the so-called ¡®traditional¡¯ ones, but some of them would have made my eyes pop out had I not been doing my utmost to control myself. Wood and metal made sense, as did sand and poison. But gravity, emotion, and faith were just¡­out there, for me. I guess after countless years, the dragons were aware of such ephemeral natural laws, even if I had no clue what faith magic would look like.

    Soon enough, Elder Dusk raised his claw and everyone fell silent. ¡°You all know the names of the elements, but what they are and what they are capable of would take a lifetime to explain. It is for this reason that we encourage you all to choose to specialize in only a few elements. Once your proficiency has grown to an acceptable standard, you can branch out and attempt to learn more about any others that interest you.¡±

    ¡°Elemental affinities are determined by your bloodline and lineage. However, the more¡­conceptual¡­of the elements can only be grasped with observation and study. So while you may be talented in certain fields, helped in part by your forebears, the path to power requires long studies of the world around you.¡±

    ¡°Your assignment for this week is to decide on the first element you wish to specialize in and tell me by next class. If you have any questions, you may ask me or your parents. Does everyone understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder Dusk,¡± everyone said in unison¡­save for me, who nodded.

    ¡°Then you all may get ready for physical training.¡±

    Cute roars and howls filled the air as the dragon kids were unable to restrain their fervor, their mental shouts as loud and passionate as their mental ones.

    Thankfully, the physical training that Elder Dusk endorsed was much more palatable than his descendant¡¯s. It was basically playtime for the kids, as they got to fly, run, swim, or crawl for the next two hours, some form of tag breaking out as they all chased each other beyond the boundaries of the garden and into the next biome over, a wide open field.

    My physical training, while not as carefree, was just as laidback though, and I had no problem sticking to it.

    ¡°I can just do whatever I want?¡± I asked incredulously.

    ¡°While I would not claim myself ignorant when it comes to humans, your physical growth and training regimens fall somewhat outside my particular area of expertise. I would hope that, having been in this world for some time now, at the very least you would possess some knowledge of methods to improve your body¡¯s performance.¡±

    ¡°...I think I can manage for a few days, but ideally I would be using a few different pieces of equipment. I don¡¯t suppose there are any skilled earth dragons nearby to create what I need?¡±

    ¡°You are familiar with the type of tools you would need? Their basic dimensions and shape?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Why?¡± A mildly concerning thought came to mind as I tried not to let the possibility of what I was imagining would occur show on my face.

    ¡°Just bring any memories of these tools to the forefront of your mind. If there are multiple instances where they were used, that would be more helpful.¡±

    ¡°...Soul magic?¡± I asked to confirm. I took the snort that came out of his mouth as evidence that my conjecture was right. He had already displayed some soul spells before, during my interrogation, which I still hadn¡¯t gotten over, but the fact that he could do it without physical contact meant his proficiency with it was higher than I would have thought.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I wanted to make a threat against the elder not to poke around too deeply, but it would be about as intimidating as a chihuahua barking at a meteor. If he was going to root through my memories, all I could do was hope that he could only focus on the forefront of what I was thinking of and trust in my soul¡¯s ability to defend itself. As accommodating as the Elder had been, I did not want to find out what would happen if he discovered the Deity¡¯s Seed.

    I resigned myself to something unpleasant as I tried to remember memories of working out on Earth. The various gyms I had been to in my life, with the array of equipment that was in them coming to mind. The dumbbells were the first thing I thought of, followed by the ellipticals and treadmills. Then came the sit-up bench, the chest press, the leg press, the bench press, and others I had used or tried at least once in my life. While I had no idea how they were made, the materials and whatever software they were programmed with being beyond me, I knew how they strained the muscles, and that was what I tried to recall, the burning feeling of my muscles as I tried to get in one more rep before calling it quits. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t help but remember the people there as well. My friends from school, the other gymgoers in my adult life, the awkward encounters with random strangers as I asked them to spot me.

    Something threatened to crack inside me, and I smothered that rising feeling before it could do anything. Control yourself. As a certain princess was fond of saying, the past is in the past.

    I was brought out of my memories when the ground shook and I was briefly thrown into the air by a few inches, stumbling when I landed. What I expected was in front of me, as I saw some basic equipment like the dumbbells on the ground along with various bars and weights to attach to their ends, though the more technological machines were absent. All in all, I had enough things to workout with, as long as Elder Dusk managed to recreate the weights correctly. Trying and failing to move hundred pound stones around didn¡¯t seem like a good workout¡­for now. Surely the dragons had some idea of how to use magic to enhance physical performance, right? I mean, if humans could figure it out, the dragons had to have done so, and probably by a larger margin and with more efficiency. I strode up to the various pieces of exercise equipment and tried them out as the elder watched me, seemingly no worse for wear after peering into my mind and recreating what he saw from scratch. All it did was increase my desire to learn soul magic, not the freak show that was going on with whatever I was doing.

    ¡°I take it these tools will suffice?¡± he asked, getting a nod in response from me. ¡°Then they are yours while you are here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I offered my gratitude to him. Even if I was displeased with the process, I couldn¡¯t argue with the results.

    ¡°Now hurry up, you only have two hours til the children come back.¡± he chided me, prompting me to do some preliminary stretches before trying out the equipment. As I picked up a dumbbell marked 15 lbs in each hand, I felt that the weight was correct, or close enough that I couldn¡¯t tell the difference. I started bringing each one up to my shoulder before letting it drop back down again, going through the correct form as far as I could remember.

    The workout was surprisingly relaxing, and I got to see Reela being chided by Elder Dusk for her previous methods of ¡®training¡¯ me. She took it well, and with the mesmer placed on her, she would likely be more carrot and less stick in future training sessions, even away from the Elder¡¯s watchful eyes.

    The workout ended before long, and the elder concluded today¡¯s lesson by reiterating the assignment on choosing an element for the kids before sending them home, but not before each of them remembered me and somehow managed to touch me with various body parts before saying their farewells and heading back to their parents, leaving me alone with Elder Dusk and Reela.

    ¡°Rhaaj, you may stay with Reela if you wish, as she is responsible for you, but if you prefer your own residence, you may stay in the cave at the foot of the mountain,¡± Elder Dusk said, gesturing to the huge peak that was roughly a mile away. ¡°Food and water are available there, as are the necessary furnishings for humans.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, Elder Dusk, I think I¡¯d prefer my own place.¡± Even if Reela was, for lack of a better word, rehabilitated now, I still didn¡¯t want her near me. Weeks and months of bad thoughts don¡¯t just go away on their own.

    ¡°Very well. You may take tomorrow to rest, but I expect to see you here the day after for lessons. He is your responsibility, Reela, and I trust that you will treat him as a proper disciple from now on?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± Reela respectfully replied, and before I could get a word in, the elder vanished, popping out of existence without any need for a portal.

    A few seconds of awkward silence passed before I asked. ¡°Is anyone else around?¡±

    ¡°You can speak out loud if it makes you more comfortable when it¡¯s just the two of us,¡± she said, the sound almost alien to me after so many conversations occurring solely mind-to-mind.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re responsible for me, huh?¡±

    ¡°...yeah.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go to the mountain cave and see what it¡¯s like before this gets any more personal.¡± I stated, and she followed along beside me as I took out a winged serpent from my beast space, the two of us flying towards the mountain. In no time at all, we had reached a prominent cave entrance at the base of the mountain, with a wide yet shallow pond beside it. I deposited my beast as Reela contracted her wings before we both walked inside, only a few feet of bare tunnel separating the main living space. It was a step up from the cold and dark cave I was first kept in, for sure. A miniature sun hung thirty feet in the air in the hollowed out cave. I recognized formations on the walls, though I had no clue what their function was, and there was no food or water in sight. There was an extremely large bed in the middle of the cave, along with a table and chair to the side, with something resembling a closet on the farthest wall. Opening up the closet revealed eight sets of clothes identical to what I was currently wearing, so there was that, at least.

    ¡°Um, where¡¯s the food?¡± I asked, turning to Reela. I seriously hoped I wasn¡¯t expected to hunt in order to eat.

    ¡°Over there,¡± Reela pointed to a formation on the right wall, making me wonder if I had damaged her brain when I mesmerized her. ¡°Wait, have you¡­oh, right, human.¡± She shook her head before walking up to it and holding her hand in the middle of the formation, causing it to slightly glow, before she said, ¡°Meat and vegetables for three, and something sweet.¡± Within a minute, three humongous bowls filled with meat and vegetables showed up on the table, along with a smaller bowl filled with fruits. These were obviously dragon-sized portions, but it looked like I wouldn¡¯t starve while I was here. It was probably prudent to keep some of that in my space for later. I hadn¡¯t looked in my space in a while, but my food stores had to be getting low.

    And¡­the dragons had voice-activation technology. Neat. ¡°And water?¡± I asked, wondering which formation I¡¯d need to use, only for Reela to point outside.

    ¡°The pond? Seriously?!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but wonder at the thought process of whoever designed this place.

    ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s so close by?¡± Reela asked rhetorically.

    In any case, my basic needs looked like they¡¯d been accounted for, so I simply shoved down whatever awe I felt at the conditions and took one of the bowls for myself, throwing a piece of raw yet oddly tasty broccoli into my mouth.

    ¡°So, this is kind of a dumb question, but how come nobody else speaks aloud here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The whelps don¡¯t know how to, and the elders prefer communicating with soulspeak. Apparently it¡¯s easier than having to remember the rules for each language and all their intricacies. I don¡¯t know about the human language, but the beastkin tongue is hard enough that I feel they have a point about that.¡±

    I chewed on the meat I had taken while I thought about what she¡¯d said before asking, ¡°And what¡¯s soulspeak?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the language of the soul,¡± she said in the most unhelpful way possible. Thankfully, it seemed like she got the hint when I didn¡¯t follow up, as she continued. ¡°You¡¯ve cast spells with and without intent, right? It¡¯s like that. Some elder a long time ago developed a way to create soul threads for communication. I don¡¯t really remember the details, but basically, they found out how to let souls communicate regardless of the distance, or any barriers. But it requires intent to function. Otherwise it won¡¯t work properly.¡±

    ¡°Soul threads?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what they¡¯re really called, I just can¡¯t remember the name right now, okay?¡± She paused as I kept chewing before pushing on. ¡°And it¡¯s probably best if you don¡¯t use your space around the kids¡­.or even in general.¡± Although it would be a bit of an inconvenience, she wasn¡¯t wrong. It would be hard to explain why things or living beings appeared out of nowhere around me¡­though I would use it if the situation called for it. I nodded before plowing through the rest of my bowl, and heading to the pond to get some water, before walking back and using the bowl I had just eaten from to scoop out some water instead.

    ¡°Do you want the right side of the bed, or the left side?¡± My eyes went wide at the question before I got ahold of myself and just told my mentor to take the bed, as I¡¯d be sleeping in my space.

    And thus began my cohabitation with my dragonkin mentor, an arrangement that would continue for years.

 Chapter 73

    "l can feel your excitement from here, whelp." a voice harshly sounded out in my mind.

    "Apologie--"

    "Just put your veil up so I can get this over with in peace," the oddly-translucent dragon before me growled, prompting me to utilize my newest technique and shroud my core in pure essence, reducing the effects my body and soul had on the environment, and apparently Elder River as well. This was my first lesson on soul magic, and I had no intention of pissing off, however unintentionally, any dragon elder knowledgeable in soul magic.

    It had been a long time since my first lesson with the dragon kids, and my knowledge had improved by leaps and bounds thanks to the continuous lessons. While it might have been the teensiest bit annoying being with curious kids all day, every day, the amount of things I learned offset that by such a wide margin that it wasn''t even fair comparing the two. Elder Dusk was knowledgeable about various topics beyond magic, even if that was what received most of my attention. Magic lessons were almost always lectures on theories with the occasional demonstration sprinkled in, but that took nothing away from their effectiveness. For some reason, I could recall the lessons'' contents easier than I could in the Academies, even weeks or months later.

    I had some background in identifying creatures thanks to my earlier studies in beast taming, but Elder Dusk found it more worthwhile to show the class certain species'' patterns, habits, and vulnerabilities instead. While I couldn''t argue that the information wasn''t useful, I kept wondering why all the lessons had a tinge of being looked at through the lens of combat. Even when discussing the various biomes and environments of the world, he brought up methods for maintaining mobility, when to stay aloft (which I retained but couldn''t utilize due to my lack of wings), and when to take advantage of the terrain. History seemed to be the one topic that wasn''t geared towards combat, but that didn''t mean it wasn''t eye-opening.

    I knew dragons were around for a while, but I never knew exactly how long that had been, until the Elder told the class that the earliest dragons evolved from some form of lizard and the first dragon retained memories of that time even after rising to sentience and then sapience, centuries later. So basically, since the beginning of the world. As if dragons weren''t overpowered enough, they had practically photographic memories and could retain knowledge for decades or centuries.

    When it came to the physical aspects of combat, the kids were allowed to simply play around, even if Elder Dusk interjected with a few helpful tips here and there, while I was mainly relegated to exercising and doing weapon drills. My indecision on a choice of weapon was met with a swift knock to the head and a glare of disapproval from the elder, along with a lecture that, at the end of the day, it didn''t really matter. I would have pouted, even against my better judgement...but the bump on my head really hurt. I ended up choosing a sword, as it was the most versatile...and the most fantasy-esque. The Trove in my soulspace had a few foundational techniques related to swords as well, which helped cement my decision.

    Regardless, I would still use magic as my main weapon, as Elder Dusk took charge of the magical aspect of learning combat, and emphasized the important of spells over physical might. Even when it was pointed out, it hit home much more clearly when a dragon, renowned as the apex of strength, told me that magic was superior to muscles. Even then, neglecting my body would lead to nothing good, as it was the base upon which my spells would be used. When the time came, I demonstrated my use of blood magic, and the Elder deemed it ''passable'', moving on to other elements.

    That''s right, elements, plural.

    After being plagued by indecision, hesitation, and endlessly spiraling thoughts of negative consequences, I finally decided to just throw caution to the wind and perform the mesmerism technique on myself in the midst of the dragon lands, knowing there was at least one person proficient in soul magic....and my attempt paid off. Massively.

    Because not only did I gain a water affinity...I also gained affinities for the four component elements of the nature element: fire, earth, and air. To top it off, the affinities were at the same level as my blood affinity, meaning they were all high. Of course, while this was a grand achievement, there was the small problem of being unable to ask for help about developing them, as that would involve revealing what I had done to at least one elder, which was impossible if I wanted to stay alive and not be experimented on. Thankfully, the Trove came through when I needed it, displaying some preliminary spells of those elements, which I studied when I was alone.

    After enough time had passed, I felt it was safe to reveal to Elder Dusk that I had other affinities as well, though when the time for awkward questioning came up, such as why I had never bothered developing them before, I spouted some nonsense about how I wanted to specialize in one element, as stretching myself too thin in multiple directions would leave me mediocre in many fields rather than exceptional in a single one. Thankfully, he bought my explanation, though not without chastising me for neglecting to mention it sooner, as he could have provided more relevant instructions rather than broad, sweeping generalizations.

    The entire time, I did my best to control my body''s reactions to make it seem like I wasn''t overly nervous, as I recalled Elder Dusk was proficient in soul magic and had somehow made use of it when I first arrived here during my interrogation. Luckily, he wasn''t able to determine that I had gained new affinities, or he would have been far less accommodating. As it was, the time had come for magic lessons to be more specialized, and upon asking for a teacher in soul magic, Elder Dusk was willing to ask if any would take up the task of teaching me. Apparently, his expertise laid in death magic, which should have been obvious from his black scales.

    And now I was before a true soul magic specialist, Elder River, as a result of Elder Dusk''s efforts. Reela was undergoing some kind of leadership seminar, and while I was glad to be rid of her, I was equally apprehensive about being placed under her ''leadership'' once more. All I could do was hope that she would be a better mentor in the future...and that I wouldn''t have to mesmerize her again.

    The veil technique that I was working on was a soul spell meant to reduce the impact of one''s soul in the area by dampening the passive fluctuations and emotions that were naturally given off. In combat, it was used to prevent being tracked and located, but it was also used to prevent random thoughts from being heard while communicating soul-to-soul, as the dragons did. Elder River, being proficient in soul magic, was somehow able to detect my soul''s fluctuations from a good distance away even without contact, something Elder Dusk required.

    "Are you done dreaming yet, or would you like me to wait even longer for you to finish?" the voice dripping with sarcasm.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "Sorry, Elder River," I quickly said.

    "Hmph," he adjusted his gargantuan body, crossing his front feet over each other and laying his head atop them. "I don''t care what little tricks you may have picked up, but if you''re going to learn from me, that means you forget everything you think you know about soul magic. When it comes to the soul, you know nothing, understand?"

    "Yes, Elder."

    "In that case, we can start. First lesson, your soul and your body are dependent on each other. Actually...you haven''t formed a core yet, have you?"

    "No, Elder." A core? A core what?

    He sighed. "Then it looks like forming a core is the real first lesson." He paused to look at me, scrutinizing something about me, or maybe everything. "How well do you know your body, human?"

    "I''m familiar enough with it, Elder," I hesitantly said, unsure where this line of questioning was going.

    "That''s good enough for me. If anything goes wrong...well, let''s just hope nothing goes wrong." I was immediately on edge and did my utmost prevent my unease from showing, visibly or otherwise. "The first step in making a core, is knowing what a core is, and what it does, or rather, what it''s meant to do. It''s been a while since I''ve seen humans, but you still use all those chanting and silly movements before casting spells, no?"

    "Yes, Elder River. They said it is necessary in order to achieve the correct mindset for casting."

    "Ha! Is that so? I see humans remain true to themselves even after centuries. Well, that may be the case for humans, but for dragons and you from now on, all that chanting and gesturing nonsense is just that. Nonsense. Once you have your core, you''ll find that magic comes much easier to you." The elder paused for a moment and sniffed at me, giant bursts of air nearly pulling me to my feet. "You can use multiple affinities, boy?"

    "Yes, Elder." I saw no point in hiding something like that from him, as he could, and likely just had, sense the particular inclinations in my soul that corresponded to affinities.

    "Then doing it here is just fine. Ideally, you would create your core in an area rich with whichever element you align with, but you got lucky, as my abode is abundant with them. Now, get in whatever position if comfortable for you." I followed his instructions and assumed my meditation posture, legs crossed with hands on my knees, palms up. "Now, draw the essence into yourself, slowly but consistently." Thinking to myself that this would be easy, as I had done that exact thing thousands of times by now, I performed my breathing exercise, feeling the essence enter my body...and came across a new problem.

    While it was true that essence could be elementally aligned, I only recently gained awareness of that fact, and so up until that point, I believed and felt that all essence was neutral, leading me to completely fill my reserves up roughly within a day. I only had blood and nature affinities for a long time, and so I only needed blood and nature essence. Now, though, I had unlocked four additional affinities, and drawing in all the separate types of essence meant that I would have less to use when the time came to cast spells. After all, I only had so much space available to use --

    A tiny poke in my mind brought me out of my thoughts, though I continued to pull in essence. "Stop thinking, boy, and just act. Your body can''t do its job properly if your mind is distracted. Just breathe, and focus on the essence around you, and within you. Oh, and you might as well drop your veil as well. No point in making things harder for yourself."

    He''s right, idiot. Control yourself. I chided myself mentally, before closing my eyes again and taking deep breaths, disassembling the essence construct that was the veil technique.

    I wiped my mind clean of all thoughts save for drawing in essence with each breath, barely noticing movements as I gradually felt the tiniest slivers of sensations. Miniscule fireworks, microscopic puddles, an imperceptible shift in the ground, the hair on the back of my neck standing up. Recharging, as I called it, was a dull process...before today. Now, I could feel the essence in a way that was almost...intimate. Tiny swirling particles, each with their own unique spark, approached me like a moth drawn to flames, before entering my nose, and travelling through my body towards my lungs, before melding into my cells and becoming part of me. I could feel the urge to be distracted by unnecessary thoughts come and go, and continued the process, completely different than what it was in the past. I lost track of time as the elements converged within my body, spreading out ever so slowly beyond the confines of my lungs.

    Once my lungs reached the point of saturation, I nudged the essence to a different target, the closest being my rib cage. The bones were more receptive to essence than my lungs, and soon enough, I had to nudge the essence once more, this time to my --

    No. I had to save my heart for last.

    I acknowledged the instinct for what it was and forged on. The intestines were next, followed by my stomach, kidneys, liver, and gallbladder. I included my appendix as well, even if it was vestigial, before carefully shifting my focus to my brain.

    It would be nice if I had a lightning affinity too. The traitorous, impulsive thought made itself known before I could stop it, and sure enough, I began to feel miniaturized static shocks within my throat, prompting me to delicately saturate my brain stem and spine with essence before proceeding to the brain. Nothing immediately noticeable happened, so I disregarded my newly unlocked lightning affinity and continued with the process, taking more care to control my thoughts. My eyes showed no signs of change once I was done with them, so I moved onto the rest of the sensory organs in a steady pace, not wanting to rashly quicken my pace and waste everything I had done so far.

    Once I felt all the major organs were completed, I moved on to the muscles, starting from the head and working my way down. Nerves, blood vessels, bones, and skin were done in order, before I reached the place most central which I instinctively knew would be my core. The heart, each of its beats promising life...would carry not only blood, but another substance as well.

    If infusing my entire body took one hour, then the heart alone must have taken six. It was almost resistant to accepting the essence, yet I overcome its reluctance, subtly imbuing the disparate elements into each cell and tissue that made up my most pivotal organ.

    Once the final particle of essence merged with my body, I felt exactly the same, if a bit more awake than I was at the start. Thankfully, Elder River chose that moment to provide me more instructions.

    "So you''re finally finished, huh? Then it''s time to move onto the next step, making your core. Don''t get distracted by my words, boy, keep accumulating! As I was saying, now that your body is rife with essence, you can create your core. Make it wherever you want, but it HAS to fit in your body, so don''t go trying anything clever. Smarter dragons than you have tried and failed to make half-external cores, and it never worked." A poking sensation punctuated his words, starting out dull and noticeably becoming sharper with each moment. Still, it was nothing compared to soul pain...until the sensation became increasingly frequent. "Oh, you''re already at that stage? That makes things easy. Choose an element, I don''t care which, and lock it in the place where you want your core. Don''t worry about multiple affinities or anything else, just keep your focus on one element and ignore the rest. You''ll know when to stop. I''ll see you once you''re done, boy."

    The poking had become full on stabbing by now, and was rapidly approaching the threshold for soul pain as I tried to calmly perform according to the elder''s directions. My conscious and unconscious mind simultaneously chose to gather blood essence within my heart, making me nauseous on top of the rising level of pain. I added each new particle of blood essence to my heart, only stopping to acknowledge the pain every so often, as it delayed me every time I did so.

    Once more, my instincts screamed at me, and I obeyed them without question.

    I CAN''T FEEL PAIN NOW.

    The stabbing, piercing, lancing pain wicked away to nothing, leaving me unbothered as I aggregated blood essence, slowly establishing a red sphere that swelled to encapsulate my heart. All at once, I was overwhelmed with a draining sensation that left me sick to my stomach as I violently threw up my breakfast and lunch all over the elder''s floor.

    "Hmm...not bad. Clean all that up and then you can play with your new core, whelp."

 Chapter 73

    "l can feel your excitement from here, whelp." a voice harshly sounded out in my mind.

    "Apologie--"

    "Just put your veil up so I can get this over with in peace," the oddly-translucent dragon before me growled, prompting me to utilize my newest technique and shroud my core in pure essence, reducing the effects my body and soul had on the environment, and apparently Elder River as well. This was my first lesson on soul magic, and I had no intention of pissing off, however unintentionally, any dragon elder knowledgeable in soul magic.

    It had been a long time since my first lesson with the dragon kids, and my knowledge had improved by leaps and bounds thanks to the continuous lessons. While it might have been the teensiest bit annoying being with curious kids all day, every day, the amount of things I learned offset that by such a wide margin that it wasn''t even fair comparing the two. Elder Dusk was knowledgeable about various topics beyond magic, even if that was what received most of my attention. Magic lessons were almost always lectures on theories with the occasional demonstration sprinkled in, but that took nothing away from their effectiveness. For some reason, I could recall the lessons'' contents easier than I could in the Academies, even weeks or months later.

    I had some background in identifying creatures thanks to my earlier studies in beast taming, but Elder Dusk found it more worthwhile to show the class certain species'' patterns, habits, and vulnerabilities instead. While I couldn''t argue that the information wasn''t useful, I kept wondering why all the lessons had a tinge of being looked at through the lens of combat. Even when discussing the various biomes and environments of the world, he brought up methods for maintaining mobility, when to stay aloft (which I retained but couldn''t utilize due to my lack of wings), and when to take advantage of the terrain. History seemed to be the one topic that wasn''t geared towards combat, but that didn''t mean it wasn''t eye-opening.

    I knew dragons were around for a while, but I never knew exactly how long that had been, until the Elder told the class that the earliest dragons evolved from some form of lizard and the first dragon retained memories of that time even after rising to sentience and then sapience, centuries later. So basically, since the beginning of the world. As if dragons weren''t overpowered enough, they had practically photographic memories and could retain knowledge for decades or centuries.

    When it came to the physical aspects of combat, the kids were allowed to simply play around, even if Elder Dusk interjected with a few helpful tips here and there, while I was mainly relegated to exercising and doing weapon drills. My indecision on a choice of weapon was met with a swift knock to the head and a glare of disapproval from the elder, along with a lecture that, at the end of the day, it didn''t really matter. I would have pouted, even against my better judgement...but the bump on my head really hurt. I ended up choosing a sword, as it was the most versatile...and the most fantasy-esque. The Trove in my soulspace had a few foundational techniques related to swords as well, which helped cement my decision.

    Regardless, I would still use magic as my main weapon, as Elder Dusk took charge of the magical aspect of learning combat, and emphasized the important of spells over physical might. Even when it was pointed out, it hit home much more clearly when a dragon, renowned as the apex of strength, told me that magic was superior to muscles. Even then, neglecting my body would lead to nothing good, as it was the base upon which my spells would be used. When the time came, I demonstrated my use of blood magic, and the Elder deemed it ''passable'', moving on to other elements.

    That''s right, elements, plural.

    After being plagued by indecision, hesitation, and endlessly spiraling thoughts of negative consequences, I finally decided to just throw caution to the wind and perform the mesmerism technique on myself in the midst of the dragon lands, knowing there was at least one person proficient in soul magic....and my attempt paid off. Massively.

    Because not only did I gain a water affinity...I also gained affinities for the four component elements of the nature element: fire, earth, and air. To top it off, the affinities were at the same level as my blood affinity, meaning they were all high. Of course, while this was a grand achievement, there was the small problem of being unable to ask for help about developing them, as that would involve revealing what I had done to at least one elder, which was impossible if I wanted to stay alive and not be experimented on. Thankfully, the Trove came through when I needed it, displaying some preliminary spells of those elements, which I studied when I was alone.

    After enough time had passed, I felt it was safe to reveal to Elder Dusk that I had other affinities as well, though when the time for awkward questioning came up, such as why I had never bothered developing them before, I spouted some nonsense about how I wanted to specialize in one element, as stretching myself too thin in multiple directions would leave me mediocre in many fields rather than exceptional in a single one. Thankfully, he bought my explanation, though not without chastising me for neglecting to mention it sooner, as he could have provided more relevant instructions rather than broad, sweeping generalizations.

    The entire time, I did my best to control my body''s reactions to make it seem like I wasn''t overly nervous, as I recalled Elder Dusk was proficient in soul magic and had somehow made use of it when I first arrived here during my interrogation. Luckily, he wasn''t able to determine that I had gained new affinities, or he would have been far less accommodating. As it was, the time had come for magic lessons to be more specialized, and upon asking for a teacher in soul magic, Elder Dusk was willing to ask if any would take up the task of teaching me. Apparently, his expertise laid in death magic, which should have been obvious from his black scales.

    And now I was before a true soul magic specialist, Elder River, as a result of Elder Dusk''s efforts. Reela was undergoing some kind of leadership seminar, and while I was glad to be rid of her, I was equally apprehensive about being placed under her ''leadership'' once more. All I could do was hope that she would be a better mentor in the future...and that I wouldn''t have to mesmerize her again.

    The veil technique that I was working on was a soul spell meant to reduce the impact of one''s soul in the area by dampening the passive fluctuations and emotions that were naturally given off. In combat, it was used to prevent being tracked and located, but it was also used to prevent random thoughts from being heard while communicating soul-to-soul, as the dragons did. Elder River, being proficient in soul magic, was somehow able to detect my soul''s fluctuations from a good distance away even without contact, something Elder Dusk required.

    "Are you done dreaming yet, or would you like me to wait even longer for you to finish?" the voice dripping with sarcasm.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    "Sorry, Elder River," I quickly said.

    "Hmph," he adjusted his gargantuan body, crossing his front feet over each other and laying his head atop them. "I don''t care what little tricks you may have picked up, but if you''re going to learn from me, that means you forget everything you think you know about soul magic. When it comes to the soul, you know nothing, understand?"

    "Yes, Elder."

    "In that case, we can start. First lesson, your soul and your body are dependent on each other. Actually...you haven''t formed a core yet, have you?"

    "No, Elder." A core? A core what?

    He sighed. "Then it looks like forming a core is the real first lesson." He paused to look at me, scrutinizing something about me, or maybe everything. "How well do you know your body, human?"

    "I''m familiar enough with it, Elder," I hesitantly said, unsure where this line of questioning was going.

    "That''s good enough for me. If anything goes wrong...well, let''s just hope nothing goes wrong." I was immediately on edge and did my utmost prevent my unease from showing, visibly or otherwise. "The first step in making a core, is knowing what a core is, and what it does, or rather, what it''s meant to do. It''s been a while since I''ve seen humans, but you still use all those chanting and silly movements before casting spells, no?"

    "Yes, Elder River. They said it is necessary in order to achieve the correct mindset for casting."

    "Ha! Is that so? I see humans remain true to themselves even after centuries. Well, that may be the case for humans, but for dragons and you from now on, all that chanting and gesturing nonsense is just that. Nonsense. Once you have your core, you''ll find that magic comes much easier to you." The elder paused for a moment and sniffed at me, giant bursts of air nearly pulling me to my feet. "You can use multiple affinities, boy?"

    "Yes, Elder." I saw no point in hiding something like that from him, as he could, and likely just had, sense the particular inclinations in my soul that corresponded to affinities.

    "Then doing it here is just fine. Ideally, you would create your core in an area rich with whichever element you align with, but you got lucky, as my abode is abundant with them. Now, get in whatever position if comfortable for you." I followed his instructions and assumed my meditation posture, legs crossed with hands on my knees, palms up. "Now, draw the essence into yourself, slowly but consistently." Thinking to myself that this would be easy, as I had done that exact thing thousands of times by now, I performed my breathing exercise, feeling the essence enter my body...and came across a new problem.

    While it was true that essence could be elementally aligned, I only recently gained awareness of that fact, and so up until that point, I believed and felt that all essence was neutral, leading me to completely fill my reserves up roughly within a day. I only had blood and nature affinities for a long time, and so I only needed blood and nature essence. Now, though, I had unlocked four additional affinities, and drawing in all the separate types of essence meant that I would have less to use when the time came to cast spells. After all, I only had so much space available to use --

    A tiny poke in my mind brought me out of my thoughts, though I continued to pull in essence. "Stop thinking, boy, and just act. Your body can''t do its job properly if your mind is distracted. Just breathe, and focus on the essence around you, and within you. Oh, and you might as well drop your veil as well. No point in making things harder for yourself."

    He''s right, idiot. Control yourself. I chided myself mentally, before closing my eyes again and taking deep breaths, disassembling the essence construct that was the veil technique.

    I wiped my mind clean of all thoughts save for drawing in essence with each breath, barely noticing movements as I gradually felt the tiniest slivers of sensations. Miniscule fireworks, microscopic puddles, an imperceptible shift in the ground, the hair on the back of my neck standing up. Recharging, as I called it, was a dull process...before today. Now, I could feel the essence in a way that was almost...intimate. Tiny swirling particles, each with their own unique spark, approached me like a moth drawn to flames, before entering my nose, and travelling through my body towards my lungs, before melding into my cells and becoming part of me. I could feel the urge to be distracted by unnecessary thoughts come and go, and continued the process, completely different than what it was in the past. I lost track of time as the elements converged within my body, spreading out ever so slowly beyond the confines of my lungs.

    Once my lungs reached the point of saturation, I nudged the essence to a different target, the closest being my rib cage. The bones were more receptive to essence than my lungs, and soon enough, I had to nudge the essence once more, this time to my --

    No. I had to save my heart for last.

    I acknowledged the instinct for what it was and forged on. The intestines were next, followed by my stomach, kidneys, liver, and gallbladder. I included my appendix as well, even if it was vestigial, before carefully shifting my focus to my brain.

    It would be nice if I had a lightning affinity too. The traitorous, impulsive thought made itself known before I could stop it, and sure enough, I began to feel miniaturized static shocks within my throat, prompting me to delicately saturate my brain stem and spine with essence before proceeding to the brain. Nothing immediately noticeable happened, so I disregarded my newly unlocked lightning affinity and continued with the process, taking more care to control my thoughts. My eyes showed no signs of change once I was done with them, so I moved onto the rest of the sensory organs in a steady pace, not wanting to rashly quicken my pace and waste everything I had done so far.

    Once I felt all the major organs were completed, I moved on to the muscles, starting from the head and working my way down. Nerves, blood vessels, bones, and skin were done in order, before I reached the place most central which I instinctively knew would be my core. The heart, each of its beats promising life...would carry not only blood, but another substance as well.

    If infusing my entire body took one hour, then the heart alone must have taken six. It was almost resistant to accepting the essence, yet I overcome its reluctance, subtly imbuing the disparate elements into each cell and tissue that made up my most pivotal organ.

    Once the final particle of essence merged with my body, I felt exactly the same, if a bit more awake than I was at the start. Thankfully, Elder River chose that moment to provide me more instructions.

    "So you''re finally finished, huh? Then it''s time to move onto the next step, making your core. Don''t get distracted by my words, boy, keep accumulating! As I was saying, now that your body is rife with essence, you can create your core. Make it wherever you want, but it HAS to fit in your body, so don''t go trying anything clever. Smarter dragons than you have tried and failed to make half-external cores, and it never worked." A poking sensation punctuated his words, starting out dull and noticeably becoming sharper with each moment. Still, it was nothing compared to soul pain...until the sensation became increasingly frequent. "Oh, you''re already at that stage? That makes things easy. Choose an element, I don''t care which, and lock it in the place where you want your core. Don''t worry about multiple affinities or anything else, just keep your focus on one element and ignore the rest. You''ll know when to stop. I''ll see you once you''re done, boy."

    The poking had become full on stabbing by now, and was rapidly approaching the threshold for soul pain as I tried to calmly perform according to the elder''s directions. My conscious and unconscious mind simultaneously chose to gather blood essence within my heart, making me nauseous on top of the rising level of pain. I added each new particle of blood essence to my heart, only stopping to acknowledge the pain every so often, as it delayed me every time I did so.

    Once more, my instincts screamed at me, and I obeyed them without question.

    I CAN''T FEEL PAIN NOW.

    The stabbing, piercing, lancing pain wicked away to nothing, leaving me unbothered as I aggregated blood essence, slowly establishing a red sphere that swelled to encapsulate my heart. All at once, I was overwhelmed with a draining sensation that left me sick to my stomach as I violently threw up my breakfast and lunch all over the elder''s floor.

    "Hmm...not bad. Clean all that up and then you can play with your new core, whelp."

 Chapter 74

    Thirty-six times.

    Thirty-six times, I had to suffer through matter making its way out of my mouth, burning all the while. This wasn''t the first time I had puked my guts out, but it had never been so violent, and so...thorough.

    Bile mixed with the remnants of my previous meals into a disgusting slurry, and I quickly washed the affected area before collecting the contents in a water bubble, compressing the whole thing, and encasing it in layers of earth and blood. If necessary, it could serve as a makeshift stink bomb. It was certainly pungent enough, the acidic stench lingering thanks to the lack of wind...which I promptly reminded myself I was capable of doing something about, and summoned a few gusts to air the place out, before setting the stink bomb aside to put in my space later.

    "Have you noticed anything different about yourself, whelp?" Elder River considered me, his eyes roving over my entirety even after asking.

    "I''m not sure..." I did feel a bit more alert than usual, but that didn''t seem like something that would warrant the elder''s attention. Oddly enough, I felt practically the same to how I was before. With a bit of focus, I could feel my heart beating, the reliable thump-thump, thump-thumps of my...core organ? Organ core? Well, whatever the term, it was working as intended, just like the core. It had the aura of blood around it, simultaneously capable of delivering life and death as it remained frozen, surrounding my heart like a little red force field.

    "When you were creating your core, how bad was the pain?" The elder questioned, pulling my attention back to him.

    "Almost unbearable," I replied after a moment''s hesitation. Mentioning my trance-like state and my instinctive mesmerizing to negate the pain would only be detrimental for me, but it was true that before doing so, the pain I felt was approaching the boundary of the soul pain I had felt previously.

    "Well, that is good news for you. That pain you underwent was the consequence of strengthening the connection between your body and soul. The higher the pain, the stronger the connection. And now that the connection is strong enough, it can withstand the presence of a core." I hadn''t noticed it before, but it seemed to be true. Hadn''t I just used water, earth, and air magic almost reflexively? And with the same level of control that I had with my blood magic? That represented a massive boost to my combat potential, not to mention my general survivability.

    "Your core not only connects your body and soul more tightly, it also acts as your source of power, storing essence and allowing for greater power and control. Additionally, you will find that restoring essence will come easier to you. Try it out for a bit, and then we can proceed with your lesson."

    The dragon''s words were filled with nothing but truths, as I quickly verified them through a couple minor tests. Blood and nature spells performed better than they ever had. The basic four of water, earth, fire, and air were just as responsive as my other affinities, to say nothing of my recent and unintentional lightning affinity. In the moment, I had the fleeting thought that a lightning affinity might be nice as it might enhance my thinking speed and memory, and perhaps even my reflexes and dynamic vision, but sadly none of those seemed to have been enhanced. Regardless, it was another avenue for me to pursue, so I created a few sparks between my thumb and index fingers, changing the white color to purple, and inadvertently making me smile at fulfilling a childish fantasy.

    "Now, then, if you''re done playing around, we can resume our lesson." Despite my physical state being in top condition, my mind felt overwhelmed with the new changes and wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep. Sadly, Elder River''s time was more valuable than mine, so I listened to him speak about the soul, and the connection between it and the body, and why my body needed to be borderline oversaturated with essence so it could tolerate having a core inside it, as well as the additional factor of compatibility.

    Thanks to the essence, my body would be able to perform better physically from now on, though it wasn''t a massive change, roughly around one-fourth. While I was curious about how they arrived at such a specific number, I was more curious about the fact that somehow, despite being a clearly magical energy, essence only improved existing functions of the body.

    In other words, it couldn''t extend my lifespan, nor provide a convenient yet gradual upgrade to my soul or my mental capacities. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Thank God I know mana exists. There was some information about mana in the Trove, and the few articles I had looked over implied that mana was capable of doing all that and more, making me wonder once more where the hell essence came from, and why mana was absent on this world, as it was apparently supposed to be literally everywhere. The lesson came to an end when both our stomachs grumbled simultaneously, though the sound of mine was utterly dwarfed by the elder''s, which was reminiscent of thunder, as I could feel its vibrations in my bones.

    "Oh, and before I forget, you owe me a favor, whelp." The elder said right as I reached the threshold of his cave. As I turned to look at him in confusion, he continued. "Don''t give me that look. Do you think all that essence you used to make your core is easy to get? If I have to work to get it, then so do you. We can do this again when I''m bored. Alright, no need to linger anymore. And tell Dusk that you can use the illusion field for training from now on."

    And just like that, he flapped his wings, creating a gale that swept me off my feet and sent me tumbling through the air...only to pass through a portal that hadn''t been there a moment before, as I rolled onto soft grass and small flowers.

    "I take it your time with Elder River was fruitful?" Elder Dusk''s amused voice rang out in my mind, as I saw his dragonkin form a few feet away, sipping tea besides a marble slab that acted as a table, replete with snacks and sweets, some of which were completely natural, and others that had clearly been made in the human world.

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    "I can''t exactly deny that, but does he have to be so...abrupt? I mean, would it kill him to just let me walk out on my own? And what was with him telling me I owe him a favor? He can do anything I can, and I''m guessing a lot more beyond that." I slowly got up, brushing off the dirt and grass that clung to my clothes from my impromptu tumble, and made my way to the chair next the elder.

    "Ah, you''re actually mistaken on that front," Elder Dusk said, the side of his lips slightly curling up. "If he truly disliked you, he wouldn''t have bothered suggesting more lessons, would he?" He paused to take another sip of his tea, leaving me to ponder that statement before resuming. "As for the matter of the favor...well, River wouldn''t like me saying this, but trading favors is how he determines which students are worth teaching. He must have seen something in you that interested him. As for his...personality...well, I did warn you that not every elder would be as polite as I am."

    An entire plate of snacks flew towards him and tilted in mid-air as food tumbled down his gullet without stopping for him to chew, as I let his words distract me from the unusual method of eating I was witnessing. My first instinct was that it wasn''t good news that an accomplished soul mage was taking an interest in me, but it could turn out to be good news. From what I could infer, Elder River didn''t have many students, so perhaps he was interested in making me something of his successor? Then again, I''m sure that if another dragon curious or even compatible with soul magic showed up in the future, he wouldn''t hesitate to discard me. Draconic pride and all that.

    "Oh, and he said to tell you I can use the illusion field for training?" I added, remembering his last words before my unsightly tumble through the dirt. At that, Elder Dusk momentarily stopped chewing before swallowing everything in his mouth and wiping his mouth with a napkin, oddly mindful of human etiquette before getting up.

    "Well, at least you''ll have something to do in your free time. Come on, then, let''s go take a look at it. And you''d best put your veil up, Rhaaj. I don''t have to be adept in reading souls to feel your curiosity blanketing you."

    Immediately after I had the veil surrounding my mind up, I was whisked away, the background changing to a forest, though this particular location was devoid of trees, as I took a glance around and noticed we stood on the lip of an enormous crater, with a radius of at least a mile. At the bottom were dozens of dragons and dragonoids lying stationary on the ground, though three dragonkin stood by on the side, watching an illusory light screen that I couldn''t help compare to a computer screen.

    Elder Dusk walked forward and spoke to them, the hierarchy of dragons on clear display as there was a lot of bowing and nervous twitching from the other party, before he turned to me and beckoned me forward with a claw. I only heard the tail end of their conversation as I approached, the beacon implanted in me allowing me to hear and speak to anyone in range, as summarized by Reela.

    "Two hours, no more. Is that clear?"

    "Yes, Elder Dusk!" They both said in unison, clearly apprehensive about interacting with an elder. Maybe it was being an outsider, or the unorthodox way I had entered their society, but I just didn''t respect the elders the way the other dragons did. Sure, they were strong and could kill me before I could even think of resisting, but I didn''t really revere them that way. If anything, I resented them for how they treated me. Then again, they had been alive for who knows how long, it was probably a small miracle that they even remembered that I was worth paying the slightest sliver of attention towards.

    "Well Rhaaj, now that you have a core, and more importantly permission from Elder River, you''re eligible to use the illusion field for combat training, seeing as how you have more practical experience with it than the other whelps. Given that this is your first experience with it, I''ve instructed the monitors to limit your time to a few hours, but if your soul seems capable of enduring the strain then you can stay longer if you wish to during future visits."

    "This way...please," one of the so-called monitors said, the shorter of the two dragonkin that Elder Dusk was speaking with, as she gestured with a tilt of the head, leading me to a small yet sizable empty clearing that looked just like any other patch of land around, although it was clear this wasn''t for an adult dragon to use, as each of the ones I had seen on the short walk were in enormous spaces that could fit their entire bodies. Once we reached the empty space, she stared at me for a second. "Right, you''re a newcomer! All you need to do is lie down and relax your mind. You''ll start feeling sleepy soon, so don''t resist that feeling, then you just need to make your choice and start fighting!"

    I followed her instructions, lying down in the empty space and immediately feeling a wave of drowsiness hit me, though in more of a head-pounding way rather than a ''I will literally die if I don''t close my eyes and sleep'' kind of way. I didn''t resist it all, despite my unease, but it still took another three waves of rising intensity before finally succumbed to whatever was happening and blacked out. When I woke up, I quickly realized that I actually hadn''t woken up. In fact, my surroundings seemed eerily similar to my soul realm and my body was replaced with a transparent outline, all of the tiny sensory input from the real world absent in the pale blue world I found myself in. I would have suspected I was in someone else''s soul realm if I hadn''t heard it referred to as an illusion field before.

    My pondering was short-lived, as a disembodied female voice said, "Choose your terrain." leaving me without any further explanation. Elder Dusk did say this was for combat training...

    "Jungle," I said into the ether, a hot and humid jungle materializing around me just as my senses returned to me and I felt the temperature rocket up to unbearable levels matching that of the desert. Within moments, sweat began dripping down my face, and I saw that the outline that had replaced my body was slowly filling in, once again providing me with the normal sensations I would expect to find around me in a jungle.

    "Choose your enemy," the voice continued. God, what is this, Smash Bros? There wasn''t even a list of options to choose from!

    "Human." A squad of faceless human soldiers, armed and armored, showed up in front of me, their weapons at the ready as they marched in place.

    "Beastfolk." I continued, the human soldiers disappearing and a wolf tribe I hadn''t seen before popping up, mounted on their beasts and ready to fight. Just to see if it worked, I said the names of a few different tribes, and each one was displayed briefly until I moved on to the next. If I wanted to face singular or multiple enemies, I had to specify how many. Honestly, it was pretty detailed, if not exactly user-friendly.

    "Elves." I said, the giant beastfolk army before me vanishing and being replaced by a group of elves. Tall, pale, long hair, wearing naturally sourced clothes and weapons, the elves were androgynous and objectively attractive.

    "Dragons." I tried saying, and to my surprise, a group of adult dragons towered over me, their sizes enough to send a shiver down my spine, even if they lacked that aura of dread that real dragons possessed. I was curious about this whole ''illusion field'', when it had to be utilizing some type of soul magic rather than any illusion, but the issue of the time limit brought me back to my senses, and I decided to take it a bit more seriously.

    "Voranders." I said, only for a prompt and unexpected response to pop up.

    "Select tier."

    ...Shit.

    Of course the voranders had different tiers. Why wouldn''t they? "Tier 1," I dejectedly said, with an outline of a group of voranders that I hadn''t seen before appearing in front of me for a few seconds. After a confirmation prompt, the announcer declared the beginning of the training, and the jungle sprung to life all around me, insects buzzing, birds chirping and screeching, unidentified animals hooting and adding to the cacophony of noise that surrounded me. My body looked as I expected it to, even if there was a slight hint of transparency to denote the unreality of the situation. Without any weapons, I tried casting all the magics I was capable of, finding them just as responsive as they would be in the real world. And before I could think of tracking down the voranders, a tremor in the ground made me shuffle backwards as a hideous purple-black mouth chomped in the place where I had just been, a vorander head burrowing out of the ground and shrieking in my face.

    And thus marked the beginning of my experiences with the dragon version of virtual reality.

 Chapter 75

    Blood blade formed along the edges of my arms as the vorander on the ground helplessly wriggled before turning into motes of light that twinkled and dissipated in the air. More shrieks followed as the ground trembled again, and my blood sense alerted me to four bodies approaching me from my left. My newfound air affinity came into play as I propelled myself into the air without any support right as the voranders came charging into view, bellowing and howling to announce their presence as I lifted them all into the air, their attempts to resist doing nothing but annoying me...before I let go of them, with a singular earth spike impaling their heads as they landed, their bodies fighting desperately to hold on before I swiped their throats, decapitating them and watching them disappear like their tunnelling ally did.

    I slowly descended to the ground, my unprotected feet squelching in the wet soil and making me wish my avatar could have boots equipped. My senses told me there were no more enemies in the vicinity, so after a mixture of water and air washed away the scent of vorander blood and sweat, I followed the tracks left by the deceased voranders, thinking they might lead back to the enemy spawning point. In the real world, how much intelligence a vorander had was always a gamble, as I had seen some displays of forethought that a vorander mind shouldn''t have been capable of, while also witnessing idiotic behavior that directly contradicted their reputation of being cunning. Either way, following the tracks left behind seemed as good a course as any to find the remaining enemies.

    The simulated jungle didn''t miss many details that I could see, managing to accurately reproduce the environment in its entirety. Sight, sounds, smells, no sense was left wanting as the surroundings seemed as realistic as they could be. Even my own bodily processes were reproduced to an alarming degree, though that may have been the soul magic in play.

    It seemed the voranders had all spawned in the same area, as I smelled them before my senses picked up on them, twenty-five, no twenty-six voranders, all fighting each other to tear off strips of meat from a fallen beast, something at least thirty feet long and very much dead. If I were to face this situation in the real world, I would pick them off one by one, draining the blood from each vorander on the periphery before making my way to the ones in the middle. Most of them would be too preoccupied by the feast before them to notice a few among their number dropping dead, and vorander intelligence being what it was, they would likely assume whatever was dead had been killed by one of the stronger ones currently biting off chunks of flesh and bone.

    However, seeing as this was training, I decided to try out some new tactics with my new and improved core.

    An hour later, I knelt beside a small mound of vorander corpses that were slowly disintegrating and disappearing, blood splatter and withered vines covering the ground entirely as I breathed heavily. Despite the infusion of essence to my body, it seemed the massive boost in performance I was expecting failed to live up to expectations, as I still grew tired after a short period of exertion. Granted, my stamina lasted longer than usual, and my muscles didn''t burn as much, but it was still slightly underwhelming. If the illusion field was capable of recreating my body to this extent, then my physical functions in the real world were likely to produce the same results.

    My magical capabilities, however, were noticeably higher than I thought. In terms of responsiveness, how quickly essence travelled from my core to my surroundings, and how quickly I could exert control over the essence in the environment, there was a marked improvement. I was also able to select which element I would use faster. Normally, there would be a small delay between me choosing the element, and the element becoming active from my reserves of essence. Now that delay was miniscule to the point of being negligible, it was microseconds at most.

    When it came to the number of elements I had at my disposal, the list had gotten shockingly lengthy. Blood, nature, fire, water, earth, air, lightning, and something that I suspected was a latent spatial affinity that I would have to explore in private. In theory I was compatible with all of them and could use any of them with the same proficiency as the one I was most comfortable with, blood. In practice...I had just created my core, and so while my blood spells may have been slightly boosted due to the fact that my core was comprised of blood essence, the rest of my arsenal needed to be developed over a long period of time to prevent any overlaps and get the most out of the variety that lay before me. Thankfully, developing spells wasn''t exactly a difficult endeavor, as I had a plethora of fictional works to draw inspiration from. Fireballs and lightning bolts were easy enough, but I wasn''t imaginative enough to come up with something that would turn all the blood cells in a body cancerous, or subtly changing the electrical signals in a brain to disorient a foe and leave them incapable of trusting the evidence of their senses.

    The jungle around me began disappearing just as my breath returned to an even level, and I opened my eyes to see the same dragonkin monitor that had introduced the illusion field to me in the middle of poking my arm with the tip of her claw, a blush creeping across her face as she realized that I was awake and cognizant of her actions.

    "I''m so sorry!" She hastily retracted her finger and backed away while rushing to explain. "I was just curious about you, since we don''t get a lot of humans here, and you were occupied and I thought it wouldn''t be a big deal and -"

    "It''s fine," I cut her off as I saw Elder Dusk approaching me from afar. "I don''t mind, just trim your claws first if you''re gonna do that in the future. As a general rule, humans are soft and can''t handle dragon claws, or fangs...or scales. You know, it would probably be for the best if you just didn''t touch me." While I wasn''t trying to upset the monitor, who seemed relatively young based on her mannerisms, I also wasn''t that keen on getting poked by sharp claws. I could easily see a scenario where she accidentally sliced my arm in half while I was in the illusion field and got traumatized as a result.

    Thankfully, Elder Dusk interjected before I needed to, as he flew over to where I was getting up from the ground. "Hmm, perhaps you should be more mindful of your actions, little one. I think a lesson on human culture should help you remember how...fragile humans can be if treated without consideration."

    "As you say, Elder!" The girl bowed before him until he nodded, which she somehow sensed as she rose and returned to her post without doing anything else, accepting her punishment without a word of complaint or protest.

    "If you wish to come here in the future, you may do so with Reela, as she should be able to do so by now." The elder said without turning in my direction, glancing at his fellows still in the illusion field.

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    "Elder Dusk," I began to ask, "Why is this called the illusion field instead of...something more accurate, or something related to soul magic?"

    He actually sighed and shook his head, probably the most human thing I''d ever seen from him at that point. "Don''t remind me. Its name was the result of a compromise between the elders and the team that developed it. Suffice it to say that they were reluctant to change the name of their creation, until...certain words were exchanged." He finally turned to me as he spoke. "In any case, just be glad its name is short and to the point. After all, nobody would refer to something by its more specific name if it took an hour just to say it all."

    With the opening of a portal beside us, he brought the conversation to a close as we stepped through, returning to my shared cave dwelling with Reela, though it seemed she was gone for the moment. I knew she was taking lessons on her own, and Elder Dusk had hinted that the two of us would be working more closely in the future, hence the somewhat aggressive approach to teambuilding he took for us.

    "Any strain in your soul from the illusion field?" He became much more informal when it was just the two of us, though he sometimes switched back and forth after convening with his fellow elders, or speaking with his elder status to other dragons or dragonoids.

    "None that I can feel," I responded. Even if I had just undergone creating my core, my soul still felt nothing even close to pain. "Does that mean I can use the illusion field for longer next time?" Even with all the flaws and lack of user interface, the illusion field was still more engaging than the lessons and experimenting I was otherwise occupied with.

    "Hmm...for now, stick to two hours per session, with one session every three days. If you feel fine even after one month, then you can increase your time spent within."

    "Elder Dusk, there''s an emergency! Elder!" a loud and anxious voice yelled into both our minds as a pale yellow dragonkin flew into the cave looking weary. I could hear sizzling coming from something eating away at his scales, and there were deep cuts and missing fingers that said he came directly from a battlefield. "There are new anomalies that -" The injured dragonkin clammed up as soon as he noticed my presence, before dismissing me entirely and turning his full attention to the elder. "The council is calling for you at once, elder."

    "Sigh, very well. Rhaaj, reflect on your performance in training today before you rest. Remember to recover before doing anything else, your soul is still somewhat fragile from today''s exertion." After leaving me with that advice, the elder turned back into his true dragon form and took to the air, rustling my clothes and raising a cloud of dust. The dragonkin sneered at me before taking flight as well and following the elder.

    It seemed like Elder Dusk was being called to duty more often than usual. It wasn''t uncommon for someone to interrupt one of his lessons, citing something urgent he needed to address. I didn''t want to speculate, but was there something more urgent than the voranders that needed to be dealt with? That messenger mentioned new anomalies, so presumably it was either something I was unfamiliar with, or a type of vorander that required the presence of dragons to suppress.

    Well, whatever it was, I was safe in my little cave. The only mildly dangerous threats here were when the draconic kids got too excited after I mentioned some stories from Earth and they did their best to recreate them...and when Reela hurled insults at annoying teachers or someone who proposed to her, or any of her fellow students who teased her for being a princess. The dragons had no king, per se, as the council of elders ruled over them all with equal stations, but being the firstborn daughter of the firstborn son of the elder placed her pretty high up on the hierarchy totem pole, and there were plenty of dragon teenagers who were content to drag her down if they could.

    Evidently, bullying wasn''t limited to Earth, or even humans for that matter.

    I let the idle thought disappear as I ordered some food, my stomach rumbling after being devoid of nutrients for too long, and I demolished the meal that appeared before me, only pausing to drink some water I had collected beforehand. For some reason, the water I created from essence didn''t taste that great compared to the real deal, even if it would do in a pinch. Still hungry, I wiped my mouth with my sleeve before ordering more dishes from the formation, and just as my second meal shimmered into existence on the table, so did Reela. It was easy to forget that she was accomplished in spatial magic when I became accustomed to the elder portalling me around everywhere.

    "So, any news on this emergency that called your grandfather away?" I tried to speak aloud whenever I could, afraid that I would totally forget how to talk once I left the dragon lands and their unique method of communication. Reela was amenable to my suggestion and spoke with me whenever possible, though she said she needed the practice, as she wasn''t fluent in human just yet. I switched up what language I spoke to her just to annoy her sometimes, but she would retaliate by using soulspeak from then on. It was at times like that I was tempted to just give in to the devil on my shoulder and mesmerize her again, but that felt like a slippery slope to tread.

    The scarlet dragonkin flopped onto her bed, which she had custom-made to be softer and larger than my own, before groaning. "Who cares about that! Nithellyn just said he would speak to my parents about formalizing our union! We don''t even have a damn union! That little blue-tail has barely spoken to me since I''ve come back and he thinks he can slither into the good graces of the elders like this? He will wish he was dead by the time I''m done with him..."

    I created tiny wind walls around my ears to muffle the sounds of my ''mentor'' whining about her social life. Well, at least she had a social life to complain about. I spent all my time with her, her grandfather, or a bunch of kids. To compound the issue, my loyal companion Spearmint had gone catatonic since I entered the dragon lands, entering a kind of pseudo-coma where he didn''t respond to me at all despite the lack of any visible issues. And my legion of voranders that resided in my space, well, they didn''t exactly make for the greatest conversationalists.

    I felt a lack of vibrations, and knew that Reela had stopped her rant, prompting me to ''unplug'' myself, as it were. I placed the empty dishes in front of the formation where they first appeared and they quickly returned to where they had come from, the formation glowing as it retracted them.

    "Have you tried out the illusion field?" I asked her offhandedly.

    "Sigh, duh," she responded, making me wonder where and how she picked that up, "But it gets boring after a while. There''s only so many combinations you can take on before it gets repetitive. It would be better if I could use it with other people, but the creators said they''re still working on it, and that was twenty years ago. At this rate, I''ll be dead before they come out with their next big --"

    Something wet and sticky connected with the back of my neck, and I had no time to react before I was forcefully plunged into unconsciousness, finding myself in my soul realm once again, the Seed floating beside me and letting me know this wasn''t something caused by the illusion field. Just as I was questioning what had happened and began trying to return my consciousness to my body, my focus was drawn by an unnaturally white blob flying towards me.

    A transparent cube of air boxed it in, answering the question of whether or not I could use the elements in my soul space, and prevented it from moving any further....until it started charging at one of the walls and I felt raw emotions emanating from it. I backed away as a spider-web of cracks appeared on the side closest to me, and the white blob flew at me once more....before I stopped it in mid-air with a continuous lightning bolt, as it involuntarily twitched and danced in pain, going one step further when it was on the brink of destruction so I could truly end whatever threat this thing was.

    "SURRENDER." I undid any shackles that restrained me as I let the alien blob feel the full force of my Control, my taming power brought to bear against its unprotected and vulnerable self. It lacked the capacity to even comprehend the meaning of resistance, to say nothing of the damage I had inflicted upon it. Sure enough, its aura changed within seconds, and I promptly sent it to my beast space, thinking I''d have to rename it eventually if I picked up lifeforms like that in the future, or I''d have to stick to referring to it as my inventory.

    Without any obstructions, my consciousness returned back to the real world....just in time for a small red fist to rocket me through the air and affix me to the wall of the cave like a stuffed deer head, the wall itself keeping me in place. I barely had time to register the look of surprise on Reela''s face, as well as the surrounding damage to the cave''s interior, before I was once more rendered unconscious and my eyes closed of their own accord.

 Chapter 76

    I would officially be an idiot if I couldn''t deduce that the mysterious white blob had somehow hijacked control of my body when it knocked me unconscious and sent me to my soul space. The fact that it had manifested within my soul space also suggested that it had some capabilities when it come to the soul, even it if was instinctual. But right now, all of that was a footnote compared to the tapestry of injuries that made up my body. I was getting better at ignoring physical pain, having been baptized by the sheer agony that was soul pain, but numerous broken bones, burns, and deep lacerations had their own unique quirks that made them hard to ignore...especially as I was still firmly lodged in the cave wall, physically unable to move.

    "Are you really him?" Reela said, still on guard against me and wearing an all-too-familiar expression of contempt and eager aggression, her claws extended and flames billowing out of her mouth.

    "Yeah, it''s me, now can you -"

    "Prove you''re him."

    "Sigh," the exhaling brought about a tiny jolt of pain in my chest and throat, my condition worsening the longer my injuries went untreated. "How do you want me to do that?" I asked her before coughing uncontrollably, acknowledging that it was probably necessary to confirm I was still me. Well, that I wasn''t being controlled by the white blob thing.

    "Bring me into your space." She demanded.

    "Isn''t it possible for that thing to do it too?" I asked her, playing devil''s advocate even if that wasn''t the smartest move I could make.

    "Just do it." She cautiously approached me and wrapped her tail around my neck, leaving me just enough room to keep breathing. As if that weren''t enough of a threat, she held a claw up to my eye, almost making contact with my eyelid. "No tricks, or this goes through an eye and you die, outsider."

    With a thought, I pulled us both into my inventory, and I managed to land on the soft bed that was awaiting me. Unfortunately, human-made beds weren''t built to withstand a dragonkin''s weight, scales, or magical heat, and it immediately broke down and crumbled, the sudden and unexpected drop giving me yet another bruise on the back of my head. Thankfully, Reela seemed to accept that I was in control of myself and untangled herself from me, getting up and looking over at the voranders before collapsing to the floor and lying down spread-eagled.

    "Hurry up and heal yourself, there might be others who have been controlled by those things," Reela said anxiously, her concern for others, excluding me, on full display. In any case, she was right, there could be more of those things to deal with outside. Any questions about them could wait until the situation wasn''t so urgent.

    Now that my longtime bed had been reduced to nothing but timber and burnt sheets, I gingerly rolled over before immediately declaring myself an idiot and levitating myself with air magic, sweeping the remains of my comfortable bed into an empty space to be dealt with later. Healing spells lit up my body like a miniature fireworks show as they did their magic, and I noticed their effectiveness had increased as my injuries were reduced to a manageable state. Ideally, I would have more time to rest...but when things ever been ideal recently? Making a note to myself to find a more effective spell to heal broken and fractured bones, I stood up, stretching my limbs and stress-testing my body to check for any hidden wounds I had missed.

    "Are you ready?" Reela was waiting on me, looking impatient as I responded.

    "Just give me one second....ah, there it is. Alright, we can go now." While I wasn''t sure if those white blobs connecting to someone''s head was a necessity or a preference for them to take over a body, it didn''t hurt to safeguard against that with my new helmet. Well, I called it new as I had never used it before, but it was technically years old by now. The important bit was that it protected the entire head and neck, only leaving the eye slits as possible points of vulnerability.

    "Tch, fine, let''s go now." Reela walked over to me and grabbed my hand unflinchingly, urging me to bring us outside.

    "Wait, how did you know that it was really me when we came in here?" I asked her, unable to follow her thought process.

    "Really?! That''s what you''re focusing on right now! Ugh, if the voranders noticed you weren''t yourself than they would have attacked and so would I, now can we go out now? Please?!"

    It was her earnest use of the word please that did it for me, as my mind sent both of us back to the outside world, where our shared cave matched the state of my bed. Claw marks everywhere, scorch marks on the wall and droplets of blood nearly everywhere. Most of the furniture needed to be replaced...though I couldn''t help but notice that one singular thing managed to survive the brawl that had taken place here unscathed.

    All of that was put in the back of my mind as Elder Dusk teleported into our midst in his dragonkin form....and he wasn''t alone. Two other elder-level dragons, judging by their auras, accompanied him and were staring at us. Well, mostly on me. I only had enough time to notice they both seemed slightly familiar before I was trapped in a field of darkness, unable to sense anything outside, though I could hear the conversation taking place not far away from me.

    "Is he back to normal, child?" One of the unnamed elders asked.

    "Yes, Elder Song. I made sure before calling for you."

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    "Hmm. Dusk, you know him best. You should do it."

    "Bah, how could he do it? This is a matter of the soul, not of familiarity! Boy, are you hungry?"

    I couldn''t even form a response, as all three of them were blasting their auras at full force, letting me and everything in the vicinity know that they stood before an apex predator, a being at the very pinnacle of power. I had gotten used to being casual around them, but this was a stark reminder that they were only holding themselves back out of...choice? If they wanted everyone weaker than them to feel like insignificant worms, there was no problem doing so.

    I was wholly paralyzed, not by any spell, simply sheer terror. If my mind was capable of rational thought, I would have recognized that the elders'' presence was related to the white blob creature and they were investigating something. However, rational thought wasn''t a luxury I could afford at that moment. All I could do was listen to my instincts...and not do anything that might make the predators in front of me see me as anything but trivial and unworthy of attention.

    "Ah, he''s frozen stiff! The hard way it is..." And with that ominous pronouncement, a bowl filled with something I couldn''t identify that smelled delectable was shoved into my mouth. When I tried to protest, that was when I felt a spell used on me, as I became magically paralyzed and could do nothing but let the semi-solid food slide down my throat, unable to properly chew or appreciate it once it reached my stomach...only for the meal I had just been force-fed to be regurgitated up onto the floor.

    I felt the spell holding me in place melt away as I buckled to the floor, only supported by my hands and knees as I began convulsing from the palpitations of my abdomen, the sludge that was just inside my stomach now on the floor inches from my face.

    "See, he''s fine! Now, where''s the corpse of that --" I quickly brought out the tamed blob from my space before the elder could subject me to anything else and was relieved when it remained docile.

    "Interesting...seems like we''ll be seeing more of each other in future lessons, whelp."

    It was at that point that I had enough strength to look up and take a good look at who it was that was speaking to me. It was difficult to differentiate between individuals of the same dragonoid species, as the only distinguishing features were the colors of their scales, their clothes when they chose to wear them in their dragonkin forms, and their intangible and invisible auras. Given that some dragonoids could change the colors of their scale when they wished to, it was hard to identify with any real accuracy who I was speaking to at any given time, which was probably why my social circle was so miniscule. Even taking all of those factors into account, I had no idea who this elder was...until the green-grey scales turned transparent and the raging aura calmed down into something more subtle and muted. By the time I had figured it out, a noticeable smile had stretched across his face, almost in confirmation of my suspicion.

    Elder River?!

    "You need to work on your veil, whelp! You can''t keep your thoughts so unguarded all the time, to say nothing of your emotions! Dusk, get some free time soon so you can whip this youngling human into shape!"

    "Sigh, why bother with all this playing around, River? Just take the boy in formally and be done with it," Elder Dusk''s exasperated voice responded, the other elder who I was unfamiliar with turning in my direction for a moment before returning to Reela.

    "Seeing as our goal is accomplished, we should be on our way, no?"

    "Yes, yes."

    "...Tread lightly, human. Do not mistake our indifference towards you for approval. Your presence here is tolerated, nothing more. Were it not for the --"

    "Song."

    That one word from Elder Dusk had the other elder who was berating me for no reason stop partway through, though she did half-snarl in contempt as she walked back to where the other two elders were waiting for her.

    "For now, both of you should stay here until this is dealt with. If any of those others appear once more, call for me and I''ll handle it." With those last instructions, Elder Dusk and the others blinked out of existence as they were teleported away from our cave.

    Free of the presence of the three terrifying elders, I collapsed onto the ground, exhaustion overtaking me despite doing nothing to warrant it. With a thought, a small ball of water washed away my vomit and was launched into the distance, landing somewhere in the grass outside. The cave smelled slightly better now, but the debris and broken pieces of furniture needed to be tossed out and replaced before it could be considered livable. Collecting the scrapped pieces took no time at all, as Reela, in an unexpectedly masterful manner, incinerated everything that was considered trash in a gout of flames, without affecting the surroundings at all.

    "What was that...sludge?" I asked rhetorically.

    "Something the elders created to test if you were in control of yourself. If you had eaten it without any reaction, they would have known that you were being controlled. Since you spat it all up, they knew you were yourself." When I turned to look at her in amazement, she turned away, focusing on the work. "Elder Song explained it to me just then." I sighed at how ingenious the elders had to have been to create a litmus test for possession already, given how short a time period they had to react, then turned my attention back to Reela''s ongoing impersonation of an arsonist.

    While I was curious as to how she could be display such control over her flames here and not while fighting the blob that controlled me, I knew pursuing that line of inquiry would be fruitless, if not leading to a world of retribution, so I dropped the matter and used a combination of wind and water magic to clean out the place, leaving the cave practically sparkling, save for the literal princess bed that had been shifted outside for the meantime. The cave was bare, but I had slept in worse before and Reela barely felt the difference, so we made do while we waited for word from Elder Dusk about what was going on.

    Four days of sheer boredom followed, and once again I had a painfully unbearable craving for the internet. How often had I mindlessly scrolled through short form videos, or browsed useless posts, or read trashy machine-translated xianxia novels just to piss away my time? Sadly, until I could find a way back to Earth, my time with the internet was over, and I only had memories of stories to tide me over. Reela, showing far more maturity and patience than I had ever seen from her, went into something of a meditation trance for the entire duration, hovering a few feet off the ground while only beating her wings every few minutes, something that defied common sense which she had no intention of explaining.

    When we did receive an update, it was not from one of the elders but the dragonkin messenger who first informed Elder Dusk of the emergency. He was the only other person I had seen in days, and I was almost hungry for some social interaction. Unfortunately, he ignored me entirely and only spoke to Reela.

    "I have been sent to escort you to the elders," he said after bowing to her, causing her trance to end as she gently landed on the ground, opening her eyes and staring at him before nodding.

    "Where to? I can shift us --"

    He interrupted her. "Apologies, but spatial travel is banned for the moment. We can only proceed by flight and time is short."

    "I see." She used the mentor-disciple telepathic connection exclusive to us to talk to me unnoticed after flying off with him.

    "Stay on your guard. If I don''t respond to you in two hours, come find me. This might be an ambush."

    "...You think this guy is possessed?"

    "I don''t know. Just be ready for anything, and hope that I turn out to be wrong." She went dormant, and the connection turned passive.

    I had healed considerably in the four days of rest, and I was practically in top condition, ready for any fight. I had practiced a bit with my newest affinities, and while I wouldn''t rely on them in a battle, using them for distractions wouldn''t be too much of an issue. I just hoped that I wouldn''t have to try out my newest spells against a dragon. Possessed or not, that could only end badly for me, no matter how the fight turned out.

 Chapter 77

    "I take it he wasn''t possessed, then?"

    "Shut up and just pay attention," an embarrassed Reela mind-whispered to me, before turning back to the commotion going on ahead of us. Her paranoia turned out to be unfounded, as the messenger turned out to be completely in control of himself and not taken over by the white blob, a statement corroborated by Elder Dusk who was already present and violently arguing on a raised platform with what looked like twenty other dragonkin.

    After all that ruckus, I had been summoned to a high-level meeting involving the elders and other important figures of dragonkind, though my appearance seemed to mark the end of the proceedings as the majority of dragons flew away from the open field where the meeting was held right as I arrived. Oddly enough, despite being within sight of the remaining dragons, which seemed to only consist of other elders, Reela, myself, and that arrogant messenger, I couldn''t overhear any of their conversation, something I assumed was done intentionally.

    "Do you have any idea why I''m here?" I asked Reela, curious as to why my presence was necessary.

    "The aliens are more threatening than we assumed, and your power has been proposed as a potential solution, if only temporarily. Some wish for you to tame the aliens so they can be examined and their weaknesses discovered."

    My mind instantly rejected the notion. I didn''t want the most powerful race in the world to have even more power, even if that would come after the current threat was dealt with. For all their claims about being the pinnacle of the world, I hadn''t seen any proof that dragons were able to resist the temptation of more power better than any other race. In fact, if I were given the chance, it would probably be better if I just killed any of those aliens I came across, to remove the possibility altogether.

    Dragons were already the strongest beings on the planet, they didn''t need more power. Beastfolk preferred relying on their own strength and eschewed external means, for the most part. I couldn''t see them utilizing these parasites. The same was true of the elves, who were rather isolationist and kept to themselves the majority of the time. But humans, who already had a history of enslaving other races? Yeah, it was better for everyone if these aliens were eliminated with extreme prejudice and not viewed as a tool to gain more power.

    Holy...these things are just living tamer collars, aren''t they? All you''d need to do is tame one, send it after your enemy, and watch them succumb to the parasite in moments. Yeah, we need to get rid of these things quick.

    "Before I even try and untangle that mess, you mind explaining how the aliens are more threatening?"

    "...I shouldn''t be telling you this, so keep it to yourself, alright?" I simply looked at her and she rolled her eyes in response. "Fine, you do have plenty of experience keeping secrets, I guess. A group of those aliens have bypassed the defenses and entered the northern continent. The voranders have been tolerated, but remaining passive and watching these two invaders combining their prowess is simply a calamity waiting to happen."

    That was...bleak. Voranders were bad enough on their own, and given my own experience with the alien blob, I could safely say that they were a very real danger as well. Them landing on the northern continent, which was all vorander territory, was a bit of a ''cloud with a silver lining'' situation. While it was undeniably bad news that the voranders would essentially be getting a power-up, at the very least, none of the other races would be the ones who succumbed to the alien threat. Fighting parasitized versions of any of the other sapient races, or god forbid, a dragon, would be...disheartening, to say the least.

    "What other abilities do these aliens have?" She glanced at me, raising an eyebrow ridge in query, something she definitely picked up in her own classes since her return. "If all they could do was control bodies, it wouldn''t elicit this level of crisis." She nodded, and was about to speak when a different voice answered my question.

    "They drain their host''s soul of life force for short-term power, accelerating the host''s death, and assume control over the body afterwards." Elder River interjected from his position on the platform. "They may possess other abilities, but we haven''t found anything else in the short time that we''ve been aware of them."

    Right, and the other elders can''t just go out and eradicate them all since they''re needed on defense in case any other threats attempt to take advantage of the chaos and worm their way in as well.

    The argument between the elders seemed to be heating up, as I could feel the essence around them flaring up before retracting, an action that told me their emotions were affecting them in a way that shouldn''t have been possible, given the vast experience had with controlling themselves. Were things truly that dire to evoke such emotion?Stolen story; please report.

    "There are layers to this, boy," came Elder River''s voice out of nowhere, grabbing my attention. "You just need to do as you''re told, and leave everything else to us. Oh, and keep working on your veil. If I can sense your feelings from here, your thoughts aren''t too hard to guess either."

    I awkwardly nodded and smiled as he rejoined the conversation, leaving me to my thoughts, which incidentally caused me to question Reela. "Actually, why are you and that messenger guy here too? What role are you meant to play in all this?"

    "Ugh, don''t remind me. I''m only here for two reasons, to watch over you, and to observe how decisions are made among the elders." I glanced at the dragons ahead of us who were getting very close to each other''s personal space. Claws and fangs were on the verge of being bared, something I felt Reela had enough experience with. "That colossal mountain of pride is Tuvir, a descendant of one of the other elders who''s in my generation. His parents have brought up the idea of having us be mates, and my father is considering the idea, which is why I see him everywhere I go, trying to get closer to me, even acting as a courier. It''s just so...ugh."

    "And that bluetail you mentioned before? Another prospective mate?"

    "Not anymore, thank the ancestors. If I had to deal with two like him, I''d go mad." She glanced at Tuvir, who instantly noticed Reela''s gaze on him and stared back at her intensely until she simply gave up and closed her eyes.

    I didn''t have long to think about the similarities between human and dragon courtship before the elders simply disappeared, leaving an empty space where they stood a second before. Even Reela''s annoying suitor was taken, leaving me and her alone...until an exasperated Elder Dusk teleported back to our side and sat down, for once acting like a tired old man as he closed his eyes and did nothing, staring into the sky. I let him be, giving him space to deal with whatever consequence he was dealing with as a result of this most recent incident.

    "I...I have lived my life knowing that the greatest strength of dragonkind is our unity, a weapon far more trustworthy than any spell or claw. That is why we retreated from the world so long ago, to prevent needless deaths and work together to create a way of life that our ancestors and our descendants would be proud of." He looked at me, and his face was a blank mask...save for a slight wet spot on the corner of his eye.

    Huh. Dragons are capable of crying. Did I know that?

    "In response to this trespass, the council has decided to increase our security measures on all fronts, which includes mandatory training for those of age, more frequent patrols....and...removing any and all outside influences." It took a moment for me to understand, but I felt my stomach drop when it did.

    Ah. As in me. It does sting a bit, having them lump me in the same category as those alien parasites, but...that''s pretty much par for the course when it comes to high and mighty dragons, isn''t it.

    "How much time until -"

    "Now."

    "Bastards. Oh, that slipped out accidentally, didn''t mean to say that! Then, do I at least get some food and water? That desert on your doorstep isn''t exactly known for its hospitality."

    "Wait, they''re...kicking out Rhaaj?! But why? He didn''t even do anything! That''s not fair!" Reela pleading on my behalf did genuinely touch me, but it was in vain. I was getting kicked out and that was that. Maybe that''s why they brought me here in the first place, to see if they could somehow use my Control ability for themselves. In the end, the reason didn''t matter, whether it was really out of paranoia, xenophobia, discrimination, racism, elitism, or like they said, to protect themselves. I really regretted handing over the tamed parasite to them now, seeing as I was getting kicked out in exchange. I do feel a tiny smidgen of anger, but...I have a feeling the dragons are their own worst enemy, regardless of what lurks out there beyond the stars. All that pride and self-righteousness contained in this tiny little pocket dimension, egos are bound to clash and spark. Who knows, maybe in the not-too-distant future, that spark might turn into a little flame that leads to infighting and civil war. Or maybe I''m just rambling and overthinking to cover up the fact that I''ll be alone again.

    "Let''s get going, then, shall we? I''ve got a couple plans I''m already behind on, given how long I''ve been staying here."

    "No..." Reela''s soft whimpers went unacknowledged, a meaningless protest...and a thoroughly unnatural rebellion against her draconic instincts to obey the hierarchy. A passing thought to implant a suggestion in her mind came and went, and Elder Dusk pushed my chest before I knew what was happening.

    A searing pain where he touched me threatened to split me in two, sending me convulsing to the floor, roaring in agony. It was even worse than before thanks to the presence of my core, which only barely managed to hold itself together. After the bout of torment that could only be soul pain, I felt my wrist become lighter as I lay quivering on my back, only seeing the illusory blue sky of the dragon lands. "Your status among the beastfolk has been rescinded, as has your bond with my descendant. From this point forth, you are no longer welcome among the dragons, and will be treated as an enemy if you are seen in these lands again."

    I only had enough time to barely make out Reela beside me, her shaking hands and knees just managing to hold her up, before I felt myself teleported. A glimpse of the surroundings told me we were in the entrance hall where I had first arrived months ago, when I felt space warp twice more. The scenery changed rapidly, just enough for me to recognize a flash of golden yellow, and then a nondescript field of green grass and blue skies. I could feel the lower ambient essence, and I knew I was in the outside world once more.

    My status and accompanying token identifying me as a friend to the beastkin was taken. More worryingly, the bond between me and Reela signifying our mentor-disciple bond was severed, something the world itself allegedly bore witness to, and which had been destroyed in a matter of moments. Yet another testament to the power of dragons.

    I pulled myself into my inventory, and instantly felt better, disregarding the reason why in favor of making a plan to get out of the beastfolk continent entirely. This deep in the beastfolk continent without that token, I would likely be deemed a poacher purely on account of being human. How is it that I keep offending these important people by virtue of simply existing? At this rate, I''ll find myself unwelcome in the elven continent as well. Although, there is one place that welcomes anyone, regardless of identity.

    The greatest battlefield on this planet, where thousands die every day. A forested jungle corrupted by the presence of voranders and turned into the stinking cesspool of misery and blood, a veritable hellscape.

    Well, before I go straight to the worst option, I might as well see what the elves have to offer. After all, according to a certain someone, I''m bound to leave this planet sooner or later. Might as well see the sights before I head out.

    I can take stock of my supplies for the trip later, but first...sleep.

 Chapter 78

    I had enough supplies to last me, at the very least, a month. Maybe longer if I rationed it, but I didn''t see the need to do that just yet. For now, the plan was to make my way from the southern part of the continent where I assumed I was, all the way to the north end. From there, I would travel northeast until I reached the elven continent, where I would do...something. I would cross that bridge when I got there, but for now the priority was travelling quickly and as discreetly as possible.

    Being effectively exiled from the continent meant that I had to minimize the chance of encounters with any beastfolk I saw, who would likely mark me as a poacher more than anything else. If any fights had to happen, I didn''t want to be the one to start them.

    But, that doesn''t mean I''m not going to finish them. If the dragons are going so far as to call me an enemy, then can they really blame me if I act like one? Whoever heard of an enemy sparing those that attacked them first? At the very least it would mean more bodies in my little army, which was looking a bit low in numbers. Two thousand was a deceptively small number when it came to available troops.

    All the political stuff aside, I would follow the coastline until I reached the primitive port town in the north and try to buy passage on one of the elven ships that occasionally came to trade. The scattered islands around the sea that housed the teleportation formations were probably not an option for me, given that my passage wasn''t registered, and they had logs of all upcoming visitors. Well, that, and it was expensive as hell from what I''d heard.

    If buying passage aboard any elven ship didn''t work, I would have to traverse the sea myself, a daunting task at best. I still hadn''t forgotten that gargantuan ocean beast that I witnessed before. That behemoth surely wasn''t the only one of its kind, and even if I struggled to imagine what other horrors were lurking in the depths, I had no doubt that they were there. The skies were just as bad, if only because the main threats had all outgrown sleep. Their bodies literally didn''t need it anymore due to their sizes. The last option was to attempt to sneak aboard a ship, but that meant possibly making an enemy of elves if I was found, the one race that hadn''t marked me as unwelcome. Hence my reluctance.

    It was at times like this that a space affinity would be useful. Teleporting would solve all these little logistical problems, and I would be less dependent on other modes of transportation. I could even feel something I suspected was a spatial affinity growing within my soul, but for some reason, it had yet to truly awaken.

    I released a small fox into the surroundings, looking through its eyes to make sure there was nothing out of place, before moving myself out beside it. The fox went back in as a six-legged horse came out, ready for me to ride. Thankfully, I''d had the foresight to buy a saddle somewhere, so I was up on the horse in moments and galloping east towards the closest beach at speed.

    For a while, things were alright. I was making steady progress and had reached the coast within a week without coming across anything troublesome. A few wild creatures attacked, but a single pulse of essence mixed with my intent to Control made light work of them.

    Things changed on my fourth day on the beach.

    Barely two hours had passed since I came out of my inventory and saw a sight I wasn''t expecting. I had traded my horse for a winged serpent to avoid the sand, and so I was treated to an aerial view of a grand battle. Two tribes of beastfolk were fighting a small legion of voranders, both sides numbering at least a thousand. While the scale was slightly larger than what I had seen in the past, what truly sent me for a loop was the fact that the voranders were fighting in formation.

    They never did that. Ever.

    The voranders were all some category of semi-aquatic, but the more defensively oriented monsters were at the front lines while those with natural projectiles were in the rear, arcing their attacks towards the beastkin that were fighting. They were still demonstrating the ferocity they were known for, just with much more cohesion than I had ever seen from them before. There were still gaps in their formation that a few well-placed spells could exploit, but these particular beastfolk either lacked such capabilities or were holding their trump card back for some reason. Every beastfolk was capable of performing minor earth and nature magic, but none of them were doing so now, to my surprise.

    And then I saw something equally shocking.

    Twenty or so beastfolk in the rear began slaughtering their comrades without mercy or hesitation. Cries and screams from the back lines went unnoticed by those in the front, as members of the same tribe began cutting their kin down without any weapons, biting at necks until blood flowed freely, gouging eyes out with their sharpened claws, ripping off arms and breaking bones like it was second nature. And while the massacre in the back went unchecked, those at the front fared no better, as voranders tore them apart with their own ranged support. While the attacked beastkin tried to talk their ''confused'' comrades down, it was all in vain, as the number of casualties rose ever higher.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    It was all over within an hour. The beastkin were completely wiped out save for the traitors, while the voranders had lost two hundred at most out of their thousand-plus army. When a small group of the monsters approached the treacherous beastkin, there were no signs of conflict. Instead, they were simply added to the back of the army while the voranders formed a perimeter around the dead beastkin for some unknown reason.

    I had a short internal debate on whether or not to intervene, before deciding to just attack the whole group and sort it out later. Even if any dragon somehow was aware of what had just happened, the fact that they did nothing spoke volumes about their new and improved isolationist policy. And if any of them tried to attack me for it later...well, I''d never tried subduing a dragon before.

    And Reela didn''t count. I didn''t actually try to mesmerize her, it just kind of happened.

    With the mental conviction that I was doing the right thing, I started attacking from my place in the sky, unleashing lightning blasts on the mostly damp and wet voranders, testing out my new affinity. White lightning streamed from my hands to the monsters on the ground, travelling a few hundred feet in a matter of moments and striking their targets accurately. While they were only paralyzed and not killed, it gave me enough time to rip the blood from their bodies and turn them into nothing more than puddles of blood with bits of burnt meat strewn around.

    My strike did not go unnoticed, as the voranders and beastkin turned their heads as one to look at me before they began arranging themselves into a dense circular formation, the more vulnerable members of their group in the middle of the circle while those with natural protections remained on the outside. Those with projectile attacks began launching them at me, but I simply urged my beast higher up, out of the range of their attacks, before raining down more lightning on them.

    Their formation made it even easier for me to deal with them, ironically, as the lightning split off and shocked all those who were damp, wet, or standing on the wet sand, which was all of them. Any lightning bolts I threw affected multiple targets at once, stunning them more often than not, leaving me time to try out new affinities. I was curious to test out how well my experience with blood translated to water, and I just happened to have an ocean of the stuff right there for me to use.

    Long story short, electricity plus water equals easy fight.

    After it was all over, I flew down and inspected the bodies, but couldn''t find anything to explain the odd activity I had seen...until I found the first clue. A suspiciously colored claw. While most of the dead beastkin had black claws, one of the traitors had a single claw that was white. And soft. It didn''t take too long for me to verify that every corpse on that beach, including the voranders, had some kind of body part that was a very specific and suspicious shade of white. In fact, the only outliers were the ones that were being protected in the middle of the formation.

    How the hell have those parasites done so much this fast?

    It hadn''t been that long since they were first discovered, and in that small span of time, they had not only arrived on the northern continent, they had also somehow multiplied rapidly enough to spread to the other side of the world, infect suitable hosts, and devise strategies to infiltrate their ranks. Maybe the dragons were right to close themselves off.

    I still had no idea how the parasites communicated with each other, but knowing about them made it clear that the infected were guarding the dead bodies so they could add to their number. I was a little jealous of that, as I couldn''t tame dead things; only those on the verge of life and death would be more susceptible to my taming, but in the end, the target would have to be alive to be eligible. Necromancy was still a ways away for me, or at least it was until another accident occurred.

    Seeing as there was nothing else useful, I burned the bodies, courtesy of my new fire affinity, and continued making my way north, on the lookout for more battles. I couldn''t just go around indiscriminately taming everything I saw, but if I came across another situation that seemed like it involved the parasites, well, I wouldn''t turn down the opportunity.

    For better or worse, I never came across any other infected while I slowly made my way north. Winter was just starting to make itself known, but thankfully its effects were blunted in the southern part of the world, mainly manifesting as colder nights and slightly shorter days. My sleeping in the inventory made dealing with the weather negligible, though more than once, strong winds from the ocean blew my mount off its course. I couldn''t help but think about how the parasites would act if they managed to infect all the denizens of the sea. They were a major fighting force that were often disregarded, but seeing as the voranders had managed to establish nests in the sea, there was nothing from stopping the parasites from doing the same thing. I could just imagine a scenario where the parasites infected every being on the planet other than the dragons, who were cooped up in their realm. At that point, the world would be well and truly doomed. After all, the dragons were self-appointed protectors of this world, but that protection only extended to threats from outside its bounds. Now that a threat had made its way in, would they still be as passive as they were now, or would they eventually try to reclaim the world from its extraterrestrial invaders?

    Regardless of what happened, it had little to do with me. My only goals now were to get to the elven continent, work on some spells for my newest affinities, and maybe visit the Wall if I had time. That place seemed to be the embodiment of the phrase ''no risk, no reward''. Yeah, it was dangerous, but it was also a source of bodies I could tame, one that hadn''t run dry for centuries, and that could boost my power quickly and immensely. Of course, I had to be careful not to fall into the trap of overly relying on my tamed. They were an external source of power, one which could die out, be hijacked by a superior mage, or otherwise become unavailable to me. Increasing my own strength was the most reliable, even if it took longer and was harder in comparison.

    I stopped my inner monologue once I noticed the coast was finally curving to the left. I had reached the northern coast, and now all I had to do was make my way to the closest port town and hope that an elvish ship was either present or would be soon.

 Chapter 79

    "Alright, it''s time to go home now, little one."

    "Anything new happen since I was gone?"

    "Fish are hard to come by nowadays, seems something''s got ''em spooked."

    "I overheard some humans in the market saying that there''s some problem with their army."

    "Who cares about stupid humans, I heard that an actual dragonkin is clearing the land of those foul spawn!"

    "What!"

    "Where did you hear that from?!"

    Any other discourse was completely disregarded once news of a dragonkin got out. I nudged the tamed rat acting as my eyes and ears to slink into a nearby alley to prevent it from being crushed accidentally as a wave of gossipmongers rushed toward the one who had spoken about the dragonkin.

    The short journey to the port town, unimaginatively-named Trader''s Bay, was uneventful, though the bustle of the town more than made up for it. The beastfolk as a whole didn''t have a fixed currency, so transactions between two parties were either done by exchanging goods or services, or the promise of goods or services. However, this led to an obvious issue when it came to trading with the other races, who each had their own currencies. While humans used coins of different metals to denote their value, elves used the same concept just on wooden tokens, each carved with a number denoting their worth.

    All of this was to say that the town was a clusterfuck of shouting, as each and every deal had to be agreed upon with both parties walking away satisfied, or more likely walking away from the deal altogether. There was no currency exchange, so the value of what was being offered was decided upon by the seller and buyer. Even if the prices seemed fair in the foreign countries, if the beastfolk found it too difficult to trade for, they''d walk away rather than let themselves be swindled. At least, the more experienced ones did. I saw more than one naive beastfolk trade animal goods exclusive to their tribes for a fraction of their true worth, and receiving what would basically be junk in the human lands. The human merchants were only too happy to conduct such deals, even if it meant they''d lose future business the next time they came. The relation between elves and beastfolk, on the other hand, was much more comfortable, with some elves willing to go so far as to visit distant beastfolk tribes in order to secure a deal.

    The market was the most boisterous part of town, but it wasn''t the loudest. That honor went to the fishing section, where seafood was being dumped, transported and butchered, loudly and at decibels that could shatter glass. How people were unaffected was a mystery to me. The smell wasn''t as bad as I''d expected, seeing as I was in the residential part of the town furthest from the actual docks, but that could have just been a side effect of sharing senses with something over a distance.

    The town was a chaotic mess, and while it was unlikely that I would be recognized, and subsequently punished by local authorities, I wanted to minimize any interactions I had with both the beastfolk and the humans present, hence my scouting with the tamed rat. For the moment I was staying in a beastfolk-run inn after healing the owner''s daughter of a persistent fever. The act had bought me a week of lodging, during which I hoped to hear news of an elven ship docking or leaving. Unfortunately, my search was fruitless thus far, and I was wondering if I needed to walk the docks myself to ask directly. There were elves selling their wares just like the other races, but I had no idea how to go about securing passage for myself on one of their ships. Not to mention that even asking would be considered odd at best and criminal at worst. I could always mesmerize a random elf and work my way up their chain of command, but with what I knew of the elves'' high compatibility with essence, they might be able to detect it, although the fact that the dragons never noticed Reela''s change was a point in favor of trying it out.

    There were some guards walking around town, but for the most part, they ignored whatever duties they might have had to drink and chat with residents they came across. The one time I had seen them do anything remotely close to guard duties was when a beastfolk and a human merchant got into a heated argument, with the beastfolk giving in to his anger and throwing the first punch, or tail whip more accurately. The guards promptly detained the human, who protested as loudly as his injuries allowed him to, and took him to a building that looked like the guard''s headquarters. From there, he was thrown into a cell and actively ignored, at which point I made sure that any plans I concocted from that point on accounted for the guards'' movements.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    My attention then turned to finding the elves in the city, and seeing if I could overhear when they were departing or if they had any news of other elven ships arriving soon. To my surprise, all the elves I could locate, numbering about thirty, were staying in an inn across from my own on the other side of the street. Fortunately, it seemed that they couldn''t detect any abnormalities with my little animal scout, even if there was one heart-stopping moment where one elf looked straight at the beady-eyed rat in the cracked wall before dismissing it, and continuing on with her conversation...which brought up another issue I had neglected in my haste.

    I couldn''t speak elvish.

    It wouldn''t be an issue here, but I would have to learn to speak it once I got to the continent, yet another reason to be annoyed. All the elves I observed spoke the language of the beastfolk while out and about in the town, but to my consternation, they switched to elvish when in their own rooms, meaning my eavesdropping was rendered useless. Maybe it was my desire to leave the town as soon as possible, but I couldn''t think of a better plan than approaching one of them after the market closed the next day and broaching the subject. In the beastfolk tongue, no less.

    Whatever, worst case scenario, I mesmerize them all and bide my time on their ship once they point it out to me.

    I laid down on the bed and tried to sleep, but my mind kept imagining all the different ways my ''plan'' could go wrong. What could I do to handle this situation? Was I even sure that there was a situation, to begin with? Elder Dusk had evicted me so quickly that the exact terms of my ''banishment'' were left vague, and it was possible that the dragons wouldn''t even enforce their ruling if I stayed in the continent for a few days longer than expected. Then again, they weren''t exactly thinking rationally right now, being in crisis mode and hunkering down in their realm for a while.

    Should I explore the town myself?  It wasn''t like there were dragons walking around in the market, and it was possible I was overreacting to everything. Being able to shapeshift or disguise myself would be useful right about now, even if it was basically a non-option. I recalled one of the first lessons I had at the academy where a certain elven teacher body-morphed into various genders and body shapes, and found myself wishing I could do the same thing.

    Wait... I pulled my attention to the Trove, stored within the Seed in my soul, and searched for transformation, illusion, and disguising techniques that I could use. Sadly, the Trove was more a starter guide than an encyclopedia, and only made references to techniques like that. Even worse, I assumed they all utilized mana. Given the problems and kinks I was having with essence, I chose to wait before using any of those techniques. Even the most basic illusory technique required a light-affinity, which seemed to be one of the few affinities I was not in possession of. Right now, I was operating under the premise that affinities were unaffected by what energy was used to interact with them, but if that turned out to be false, I would have to do some serious thinking about which one was worth more.

    Actually, scratch that. Hands down, mana is more important than these other affinities. I''ve gotten by so far only using blood, and I doubt it''ll be a problem in the future. Even if it is...I can probably induce other affinities into myself again like I did this time.

    And with that, I fell into an uneasy sleep, dreaming of beastfolk guards hanging me upside down and pummeling me in the town''s jail cell for the crime of being human, while elves laughed at my plight from the doorway, calling me a worthless fool before they sailed away, leaving me stranded forever.

    I woke up in a cold sweat, emphasis on the cold. Winter had made its way south, and there was an undeniable chill in the air. I threw off the blanket and yawned as I got up to stretch, the details of the dream fading as I wiped my eyes. Before I could go in my space to clean up, I heard a soft series of knocks on the door. Maybe it was the inn''s owner again, offering breakfast? The dinner last night was warm, if nothing else, and I could use some of that heat right now.

    What I saw when the door opened wasn''t the middle-aged fox beastkin, or his rambunctious daughter, but two elves, who took one look at me before nodding at each other and nonchalantly walking right past me as I stood there like an idiot with the door still open and my eyes bugged out.

    "Excuse me, but would you mind closing the door? We have something we''d like to discuss with you." The soft yet audible voice jolted me out of my stupor and made me turn around to look at the elves, one of whom was sitting on the corner of the now pristine bed, the other one standing behind her. I quickly shut the door and was about to speak when the elves shared another look, communicating somehow, and a dark violet barrier spread out and encapsulated the entire room.

    "Now we can be sure no one is listening." The seated elf said. She looked roughly my age, but elves were well-known for their longevity and deceptive appearance. Both of them could be centuries older than me for all I knew, but once again I was focusing on the trivial to distract from the big picture. Two unknown elves had waltzed into my room right as I woke up and had put me in a barrier that prevented eavesdropping. They were clad in traveling clothes but weren''t visibly armed, though to be fair, weapons would probably only hold them back. And yet, despite their behavior...I oddly didn''t feel in danger. Suspicious as hell, sure, but not in danger. They were speaking in the human tongue, so I did the same.

    "May I ask why the two of you accosted me in such a manner? I''m almost certain nothing about me warrants the use of such measures."

    "Had this happened a few months ago, you would be correct, but, well. That is not relevant to you. What matters is why we came to see you. We''d like you to accompany us to our homeland and join the battlefield against the great monster army."

    "And why would I do that?" I replied with doubt. If it weren''t for that little caveat, I would be more than willing to go with them, but the timing of it all seemed almost too perfect. Coincidences have been known to happen, but this didn''t seem like one. At least, until the next words came out of her mouth.

    "Because we can teach you about your spatial affinity."

 Chapter 80

    ...Huh. I was skeptical of them at first, but now things made more sense. Just as beastfolk were recognized as having the best senses, elves were known for being masters of essence, completely attuned to the energy even without any training. I had heard rumors that they could change affinities at will, but that wasn''t exactly a reliable source of news. For an elf to sense my fledgling spatial affinity wasn''t the most outlandish thing in the world. Then again, they could just be some kind of swindlers or con men. Elves were just as prone to crime as any other race. Might as well show some caution.

    "I can guarantee that you''re lying, seeing as I don''t have a spatial affinity. Now take down this barrier or get ready to die," I said, as I formed a blood needle in each hand and took a defensive stance, acting more cautiously than I usually would. If I just straight-up accepted their deal, no questions asked, that would probably raise some questions in their mind. Questions that I could do without. The better option by far was for me to act reluctant and make them work to convince me. That way, any suspicions they had about me would be misconstrued as hesitation about the overall situation, rather than anything specific that stood out.

    "Wait! We mean you no harm!" The elf seated on my bed hastily got up and tried to assuage me, even as the one who stood behind her remained fixed in place. "You may not believe me, but it''s true that you have a space affinity! I only thought, seeing as you''re clearly -"

    "Clearly what?"

    "N-nothing! Malin?" She turned to her companion, who simply shook his head and remained where he was. She was obviously distressed, but his refusal made her even more nervous. "I, um, well, d-don''t you want the opportunity to make a difference in the world? T-to win honor and glory for yourself and your family? To do your part to end the threat that has been plaguing the world for generations? You only need to come with us and you can fulfill the dreams of our ancestors, that the world might one day know peace."

    I sneered at her propagandized speech, something I regretted immediately but committed to for the sake of the role I was playing, spitting on the floor. "No offense lady elf, but ambushing someone in their room, trapping them in a barrier, and then preaching about honor and glory isn''t exactly the most honorable or glorious thing, now is it?"

    The male elf, Malin, smirked at my words while the female elf blushed slightly and was on the verge of floundering even more, at which point he took over the conversation. "That''s enough, boy. You can drop the act. Just come with us and we can deal with everything else later."

    I fought the urge to tense up as a sliver of panic found me. I wasn''t about to play along with him, even if he had found me out somehow. "I don''t know you. I don''t trust you. Why the hell should I go with you?"

    He sighed and walked up to me, gently pushing the younger elf girl out of the way. "Boy, don''t make this harder than it has to be. You''re right that you can''t trust us yet. But...I don''t mind pulling out your secrets right here and now, but it''s better for everyone that you come with us." I went on edge when he said that, but, again, it could have been some kind of ploy to make me assume he knew more than he did in order to get me to lower my guard.

    Then I heard his voice in my head and I knew that he at least wasn''t bluffing about one thing. "Or do you want to stay here forever and get picked off by some overeager dragonkin?"

    ...Dammit.

    If he knew how to communicate the draconic mind-speech way, something I still didn''t totally understand, and he knew that i was capable of doing so as well, then he could piece together enough about me to make things difficult. I was hoping that my little act would last longer, but if I was still being offered a ride away from here despite that, I would take it.

    Sighing dramatically, I relaxed my stance even while I still held onto the blood needles as the male elf patted my shoulder. "Don''t worry, kid. It''s not like we''re dropping you off at the Wall tomorrow. You still need training, knowledge, and most importantly, time."

    "Wait, what''s going on? Malin, what did you do?" The elf girl was visibly confused about what just happened, and for good reason. As far as I knew, the mind-to-mind communication that dragons employed utilized essence, yet the elf girl showed no reaction to it, hinting that there was more to it under the surface. But all that could wait for later. Right now, my priority was getting out of this continent as soon as possible.

    "It''s fine, young miss. I just used a little technique to convince the lad that we''re trustworthy. Isn''t that right?" he asked me, that amused smirk still on his face.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    I rolled my eyes, not seeing the need for propriety in the oddly casual atmosphere. "Yeah sure. So, now that you convinced me to come with you-"

    "You''re coming with us?!" The elf girl shrieked in surprise.

    "- do you mind explaining the need for the barrier?" I finished, ignoring her little outburst, directing my question at Malin, who seemed like he had more information.

    "Let''s just say your spatial affinity is valuable, and leave it at that."

    I nodded, even if it wasn''t the answer I wanted. "So when do we leave?" I was fully expecting them to leave today, or tomorrow at the latest by how straightforward they were in their approach -

    "Next week."

    I had to hold back from cursing until the older elf Malin patted my shoulder, laughing the whole time. "It''s not that bad, kid. One week won''t kill you."

    "No, one week won''t kill you. Let''s just say that the sooner I get out of here, the better."

    "Alright, fair enough." Malin said, taking my assertion in stride. "If the situation actually needs it, we can hide you, but for now, just keep doing what you''ve done so far. Sometimes it''s better to hide in plain sight than to scramble around for something better, eh? Right! Now that we''ve gotten all that out of the way, maybe now is the right time for introductions? You already know my name is Malin, thanks to the young miss over there. Young miss, you should be..." he trailed off while looking at her, slightly tilting his head to me until her eyes widened and her mouth made an actual ''O'' shape before she formally curtsied towards me.

    "Yes! Ahem, it''s a pleasure to meet you, my name is Elovere, twelfth daughter of Quillith Aschel, lord of the Spectral Isles."

    Jesus, twelve daughters? Does this guy have a harem or something?!

    "Would you give me the honor of knowing your name?"

    I was getting mentally drained from this whole encounter, so I simply performed a shallow bow with my right hand on my heart, dispelling my blood needles. "Rhaaj of Khobadaar City. Commoner." Debating the pros and cons of keeping up a fake persona was too much for me at the moment, so I just decided to be myself and let the chips fall where they may.

    "Oh! Apologies! I assumed you were a noble since you''re alone, and the costs for sea travel are not insignificant. Oh, I didn''t mean to offend you! There''s nothing wrong with being a commoner! If anything, you''ve proven that hard work and determination can overcome birthrights and, and..." She flailed around, trying to appease my imaginary wrath, when Malin patted her on the head.

    "It''s all right, young miss, he''s not offended, are you boy?" He nodded as I shook my head. "Though it seems you need another lesson from your tutors if one introduction from a commoner is enough to unnerve you," he teased.

    She blushed before he revealed that he was joking, and then we got to the details of their unorthodox recruitment. Apparently, the war was getting worse as the voranders acted unusual, displaying better strategy and tactics overall, something I attributed to the alien parasites but which they made no mention of. The royals and nobles were now looking for those with high talent to join in the war in some capacity. It was still early, so nothing had been finalized, but ideally those with better talents would be recruited to make more of an impact. After an unspecified period of training, recruits would be integrated into the army, during which time contributions could be traded in for perks. I wasn''t interested in the minutiae of it all just yet, but there was one point I refused to budge on.

    No vow, oath, or pledge would bind me or prevent me from leaving. I didn''t care what rewards were offered, or what promises were made. My freedom was paramount. Having experienced soul pains more frequently than I would like, I could say with confidence that I wanted no part of it.

    While their word wasn''t the most credible thing, they made assurances that they would mention it to their superiors, who would in turn discuss it with me when the time came. Besides that, everything had been worked out. When they left for their home, I would be going with them, and once we arrived, I would stay with Elovere''s family for now, seeing as, technically, she was the one who recruited me.

    "So, with that out of the way, can you take down the barrier now?"

    "Can do," Malin said airily, and the barrier disappeared in a heartbeat, a testament to his skill. He adopted a more somber tone as he spoke. "What we talked about stays secret, alright? For both our sakes."

    I nodded. "Yes, I understand."

    He smiled. "Good. Then we should be on our way, right young miss?"

    "Yes, you''re right, I think it''s time we took our leave. We will see you in a week''s time then." She curtsied and left my room, waiting at the doorway for Malin to follow, who was still telling me goodbye.

    "Here, take this," he said, handing me a small wooden bracelet. "There''s a small tracking enchantment on it. If we don''t see you in a week''s time, we''re going to assume something went wrong and come running to it. So keep it safe and close by, yeah?"

    "Sure." He smiled and patted my arm, and then they were both gone.

    I locked the door before collapsing on the bed, overwhelmed from the lucky encounter. Before I could even eat breakfast, the solution to my problems fell into my lap. Now what was I supposed to do? I tightened the bracelet to my left wrist, and a small shing sound came out of it, barely perceptible, but enough to let me know it was active. Now I had some insurance in case things went wrong. Given all the secrecy surrounding our little meeting, it was safe to assume that they knew about the parasites. But their behavior also suggested that said parasites had not only moved from infecting voranders to people, but also that they were so widespread that they warranted such security measures.

    It was worrying if that truly were the case. It meant that the dragons'' paranoia was justified, that the elves somehow had a intelligence gathering network that spanned continents, and that the rate these parasites reproduced was astronomical. If they outnumbered the sapient races of this planet, there could very well be a day when they took over the world entirely. If or when that time came, I wanted to be as far away as possible.

    Which was why I needed to learn how to ''unlock'' and properly utilize my spatial affinity. If I could teleport...well, I would teleport to some other world, one that wasn''t as infected as this one could be.

    But before that, I needed to complete my morning routine. Breakfast awaited.

 Chapter 81

    For the first day after my meeting with the two elves, I holed up in my room, only coming out for meals and hygiene.

    By the second day, I convinced myself that I was overreacting to the situation. Dragons weren''t on the hunt for me, there was no alien parasite in the city, and there were no humans in the town who knew me and wanted me dead for insulting the crown or some other equally unlikely reason. I walked out of the inn, the hood on my cloak covering my face, and made my way to the market....until I made awkward eye contact with a random beastkin and both of us held our gaze long enough for me to see that their pupils dilated, at which point I speed-walked back to the inn, taking numerous side roads and alleys on the way, before I locked myself in my room and retreated into my space.

    ...It''s possible that I have a paranoia problem.

    Maybe it was for the best that I just waited patiently in my room until the date of the meetup arrived. I got out of my space once I remembered the tracking bracelet Malin had given me, not wanting it to go haywire or malfunction as a result of being in my space, and landed in my room once more. I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes, letting my mind wander to try and distract myself. Some light meditation got me into the right mindset and I relaxed, thinking about everything and nothing. It took me some time to realize, but I had to make a major decision with regards to my life.

    How did I want to live it?

    Taming, controlling, and conquering everything and everyone I could that acted against me? Honestly...that wouldn''t be the worst idea in the world. At least, once I had the power to back it up. I had no doubt that the Deity of Control was a formidable figure in his day, and he must have been capable of much more than simple taming.

    Or alternatively, I could use my growing Control abilities as an auxiliary tool, supporting and enhancing my magical skills. Even now, I could feel my essence-baptized body and my core were fully within my control. My body was responsive like never before, and I would go as far as to say that I was at peak physical performance. The only cloud in this silver lining was the prospect of one day having to form a mana-enhanced physique, something that, according to the Trove, would be a rigorous and delicate process.

    Speaking of the Trove, perhaps there were some things that I could learn now that I found myself with some free time? I would have to be cautious and keep my practice limited to my space, but simply learning about new possible techniques could expand my horizons, as they say. My mind dove into the Trove, the ocean of rudimentary information in the Seed hiding in my soul, and began perusing.

    The most common affinities of mana and 50 basic spell models for each one? That seemed worth checking out, as I could see how official spells should look compared to the academy''s and my self-created versions.

    How to prevent unwanted, deliberate, or targeted teleportation? Apparently, I had to anchor my soul to the dimensional fabric of reality and...oh, it needed a spatial affinity to work, of course.

    The most dangerous organizations and gods in the cosmos? Hmm....I would need to read that eventually, but it wasn''t exactly urgent.

    Necromancy! Oh, this looked promising! Spiritual containment field, mhm, death affinity helpful but not necessary, of course...hey! It actually used principles of domination instead of taming? Interesting, I should give that a try on the next vorander or parasite I come across.

    Introductory Exercises on Soul Strengthening? Oh yes, this was it. Maybe I could finally learn to make my soul impervious to pain one day.

    Learn to sense your soul. If one wishes to shed their mortal shell and achieve divinity, knowledge of the soul will be immensely useful. Each and every soul is unique, and while the callous merely see souls as expendable sources of energy, those with true vision know that souls are capable of far more than that.

    The first step to sensing your soul is to breathe in mana. Those with mana cores will find it easier, but all mana is stored in the soul even if it does pass through the body on its way in and out. Focus on the sensation of mana (for those starting out, using your natural affinities is recommended, or mana stones of the necessary element) entering through your body and settling in your soul. Repeat the process until the path, direction, and speed become familiar to you. By now, you should have a faint understanding of the size of your soul.

    After completing 100 initial repetitions, attempt to pull in mana using inlets besides your primary channel. As every person is unique, the number of openings differs, but you should attempt to do so using at least 10 different secondary openings, as it will increase your familiarity with your physical form. The more repetitions that are performed, the more your soul will be strengthened, although using the same opening or pathway for too long will give diminishing returns. For best results, associate each opening with a pathway and alternate between them after 20 repetitions.

    ...yeah, I got this.

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    Given what I knew about the similarities between essence and mana, there shouldn''t have been any issues doing the exercise with essence, but out of caution, I limited my first attempt to the barest wisp of essence I could isolate, barely inhaling and feeling it enter my nose and travel down my throat, ignoring all my body''s bones, muscles, and arteries to fall directly towards my core, where it promptly disappeared, absorbed by my core before I could sense any reaction from my soul.

    Trying again with a larger sample yielded much more clear results, as I sensed the essence enter my core, slightly filling it but with plenty of space left before the next step could be taken. I furrowed my brows, as my soul wasn''t involved in the process at all. I tried again, using three different sizes of essence I could before arriving at a hard truth:

    Essence was incapable of strengthening my soul.

    Forget strengthening it, essence could barely enter it, which made no sense, as I had used it in my soul space to control the alien parasite that attacked me. Was essence just inherently worse compared to mana in this regard? I kept repeating the exercise with different variations until I fell asleep, but my efforts proved useless, as my soul remained in the same state it was in initially.

    After waking up and trying again for half the day, I had to give up on it and accept that this method of soul strengthening didn''t work, or it wasn''t compatible with essence. Regardless of which it was, I moved on and set about improving my newest affinities, referencing the articles in the Trove as I worked on basic spells for each one.

    When it came to the four basic elements, they each had their own unique quirks due to their nature, but I managed to form half-decent spells for each of them, though there were some exceptions. Fire Ball, Water Ball, and Earth Ball were simple enough, although wind required too much essence, compression, and time to form a ball. It just wasn''t worth the hassle. In the same vein, Wind Blades and Water Blades, crescent moons of their element, were easy to form, while Fire Blades lost their cohesion after being launched, and earth resisted the shape of the spell altogether, reverting to a loose ball most of the time. Making a wall of each element was easy, and even usable in combat, as I had reduced the time to make them to one second. With a ball, wall, and blade form for each element, I moved on to my next element: lightning.

    Its projectile form of a bolt was more in line with its nature than a ball or blade, so I stuck with the Lightning Bolt as the main ranged attack. And though I practiced making a Lightning Wall, I couldn''t foresee any use for it, unless I wanted to be safe from mosquitoes or other pesky insects. After playing around with raw lightning, limited to a few sparks in my hand, I remembered that, according to a decent amount of fictional works, lightning could be used as both a powerful offensive element, or as a utility and control type, paralyzing enemies with high voltages. So far I had only been using lightning offensively, so I began making progress on its other uses.

    I obviously couldn''t train spells with such destructive potential in the close quarters of my inn room, so at night I went into my space to train, leaving my tracking bracelet on the bed as I did so. Every morning when I woke up, I put it on before cleaning up, just to get into the routine of it so I used up less time actively thinking about it.

    Finally, the expected day arrived, and a knock on the door, as well as my blood sense, alerted me to the presence of my...employers? Bosses? Coworkers? Well, whatever our relationship was, it was starting today. Malin and Elovere looked the same as they had a week ago, though Elovere had traded her travel-worn cloak and loose pants for something more form-fitting and...elegant.

    "Good morning...Rhaaj. It''s good to see you again."

    "Likewise, my lady." I replied, exchanging head nods with Malin afterwards.

    "No please, none of that here, I beg you! You have no idea how stifling it is maintaining decorum and propriety all the time back home, especially when I have to attend court! This is one of the few times in my life I don''t have to be so proper, and I want to make the most of it!"

    "Aren''t we leaving today?" I asked bluntly.

    "Don''t remind me. We still have to endure the ceremony with the two chiefs of this town before we can depart, and then my vacation will be over. And who knows when Father will let me have another one!"

    "Ahem, as entertaining as this little chat is, we should probably get moving young miss," Malin gently urged.

    "Yes! Right! Are you ready to leave?" She asked me.

    "Whenever you are."

    "Good! Even though we know our ship is due today, the exact time is still a bit subject to change, sea travel being what it is. We figured that rather than knocking on your door and dragging you aboard when the ship came, it would be prudent for you to stay with us for the day. I hope you don''t mind," Elovere said, the tone and tenor of her voice making it quite clear that it was a request.

    "I don''t mind at all. Lead the way."

    On my way out of the inn, I offered some beastkin products in my space to the owner, thanking him for letting me stay. He insisted that such payment was too much, while I insisted he take it for putting up with me. We danced around the issue back and forth until he finally gave in, and I waved farewell to him, the elves flanking me as I followed Elovere to their place...the inn across the street.

    Thankfully, there was no awkwardness involved as the owners of the two inns were relatives by marriage, a story I had to endure as the elves left me in the common room before tidying up their room, or so they claimed. I had some food while I waited, and the owner of this inn, a chatty grey-furred wolfkin told me about his wife''s genius strategy to place two inns next to each other. I silently wondered if they were beginning to discover the concept of monopoly as the owner waxed about his wife and brother-in-law''s intelligence when thankfully Malin rescued me from having to feign polite interest anymore.

    Their room was on the ground floor, though it seemed to have been rarely used, judging by how pristine it looked. Beside one of the beds was a wooden door that swung upwards, revealing a set of soft stone stairs that led underground. In what had to be unbeknownst to the owner, they had softened the earth and created a sizable underground room containing two rows of twenty beds each. If this room were on the surface, it would take up at least three buildings'' worth of space. Twinkling lights were suspended in the corners and ceiling of the room, while tiny plant sprouts were budding from cracks in the walls, adding a touch of color to the otherwise drab bunker.

    "If we''re leaving soon, where is everyone?" I asked, the room void of anyone save my two escorts and myself. I was ignoring the obvious questions, such as why they felt the need to create an enormous subterranean bunker, or why the beds had no pillows, or where the beds and mattresses came from, in favor of focusing on what was relevant to me.

    "Finishing up whatever business they need to, though a few are on the docks keeping an eye out for-"

    Malin was cut off as he turned around, staring at an elf that had just arrived, who completely ignored my presence and saluted him before reporting. "Father, we''ve made contact. They say they''re four hours out."

    "Excellent. And our comrades?"

    "Already on their way back."

    Malin turned to me, a wide smile plastered on his face. "Looks like you''re in luck, kiddo. Just a couple hours and then you''ll never have to see this place again."

 Chapter 82

    If it were up to me, I would have simply walked aboard the elves'' ship, entered my space, and hid there for the duration of the journey, regardless of how it would be viewed by others. Unfortunately, if I wanted to unlock my spatial affinity, I needed help from Elovere, more specifically, her family, which meant I needed to do things their way, which even more unfortunately for me, meant following their orders...for now.

    I could go along with their plans until I got what I wanted. Everything else that happened in between, I just had to push through.

    All of that boiled down to the fact that their ideas were prioritized over mine, which meant I would be posing as a noble youth travelling around the world, which I knew from experience actually existed. While intercontinental travel was prohibitively expensive, there would always be people with more money than sense who enjoyed bragging about how much money they, or more accurately their parents or family members, had spent to sponsor their travels.

    Even if my contact with nobles other than my small circle of friends was limited, I had ears, and it seemed like every academy was full of youths who liked to brag about their unearned wealth.

    "...shouldn''t take too long. They''re both free by sundown if that''s fine with you, my lady, and they''re simply proposing an exchange of gifts and a short speech." The only elf in the room I didn''t know was still making his report to Elovere, though I only caught the tail end by the sound of it.

    "What do you think?" She turned to the side, asking for Malin''s opinion, but he simply shook his head.

    "Young miss, if something this small is causing you problems, then quite frankly you need more tuition." His words made her visibly anxious as her face paled, until she wordlessly cast a spell on herself, getting rid of all traces of nervousness and transforming into the prim and proper version that was on her before. When she replied to the reporting elf, her tone was far more calm and assured.

    "Tell them we accept, but we''re on a strict schedule and need to leave the moment the ceremony is over. A crowd is fine, but one hundred is the absolute limit. If any of them are dissatisfied, we can add in a few more gifts on our next trip."

    "Yes, my lady." He bowed before leaving as promptly as he''d arrived, without any sight or sound marking his passage.

    "So, who was that?" I asked while there was a lull in the conversation. I was less concerned about the particulars of the arrangements being made than I was about the people I''d be spending most of my time with.

    "Oh, that was Yole, my adjutant. He''s one of my escorts along with Malin and a few others," Elovere replied airily.

    "Is that something you find odd?" Malin asked, noting the expression on my face.

    "Just...he''s your son, right? I would think that you''d want him in a safer profession." I was fairly confident I would never have kids for the foreseeable future, seeing as I was too irresponsible and selfish, but if I did, I''d prioritize their safety over anything else, a sentiment Malin apparently didn''t share.

    Malin began laughing uproariously, clutching the wall for support while he wiped away a tear. "Oh, kid, how about you stick to being a kid and leave the parenting decisions to the adults with actual experience, alright?" I tried not to let the condescending tone affect me as he kept speaking. "And besides, safety is an illusion. Better that he gets some practice defending himself and others now while I''m by his side than alone somewhere with no one to help him when he needs it."

    ...I hadn''t considered that. Welp, if anything, that just goes to show that I''m not cut out for parenting.

    "If you''d like, you can rest here until the rest of our party returns," Elovere offered.

    "I guess I will, but...if you don''t mind me asking, have you recruited anyone besides me on this trip?"

    "No. In fact, the details of the recruitment drive are still being decided on, so officially, we can''t accept any recruits yet...but, I do remember that the first person to register will receive some manner of bonus, so, there''s that to look forward to!"

    I was glad that she had appealed to my materialistic nature instead of sticking to ideals this time, as it did motivate me a bit more to follow through, even if it was a bit of a blatant attempt at misdirection. If I had to cede a bonus that I had rightfully earned, technically speaking, due to bureaucracy of all things....that could very well be what tipped me over the edge and ignited the powder keg of suppressed emotions I kept buried inside me.

    While I sat down on the foot of the nearest bed and began fiddling with water magic, Malin and Elovere began conversing about diplomacy and other topics I had no interest in for a few minutes, before she laid down on the bed across from me and crossed her arms over her modest chest. The next thing I knew, a tiny white whirlpool manifested above her head, a swirling vortex with a palpable suction force pulling in the nearby essence, before its flow reversed, and essence was ejected out of it in a similar manner. It was all happening too rapidly for me to sense what elements were being affected, but at the very least I could tell that the water droplets in my hand had disappeared like dust in the wind as soon as she started, and that all my affinities were...resonating would be the closest term, with whatever Elovere was doing.

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    Malin walked over to me, a soft hand landing on my shoulder as my eyes threatened to pop out of my skull. "Sorry about that. I should have warned you that her practice would affect yours."

    I gulped audibly. "Hey Malin, just out of curiosity, how common is this...whatever she''s doing?"

    "It''s a special technique that only our family can use, so don''t go thinking about getting your hands on it. Even if you wanted to use it, you wouldn''t be able to. It requires an elf''s constitution to function properly. As for how common it is...well, that''s hard to explain."

    "...can you try?"

    "Haha! Ah, I like you kid! Don''t ever lose that sense of humor!" Malin exclaimed while vigorously patting me on the shoulder. "Well, like I said, what she''s doing is something exclusive to our family, but there are other families with similar techniques. In our family alone, there are six others with a similar proficiency as hers, but as far as other families go, who knows? Could be hundreds, maybe more."

    "And how many elven noble families are there in your country?"

    "None. I know you humans love your hierarchies, which is amusing considering everything about your race and the state of the world, but elves don''t have nobles as you know them. We have families that take up leadership roles, true, but our way is more akin to the dragons, with a council and elders making most of the major decisions." He smiled at the puzzled look that made its way onto my face despite my best efforts. "You''re not the first person to enter their home, and you won''t be the last." As he walked away, I accepted that Malin had an annoying habit of making vague statements without following through on them. I took a deep breath and moved on.

    I laid down on the bed and tried to get some rest before we departed, while Elovere''s silent yet still somehow distracting display of magical prowess continued across from me. While I tried to rest with my eyes shut, my mind was in my space, organizing everything I had in there.

    My ''quarters'' where I slept was now in a corner of the room, although judging by the large gaps of empty space, it wouldn''t be a corner for much longer. My everyday apparel was laid out here in a mess, clothes, boots, sachels and bags, coats, anything meant for daily use was kept here. I would need to buy new furniture and some shelves to organize everything, but for now, all my clothes were folded and stacked together, courtesy of my ability to exert full control over my space. My battle-related equipment was all in another corner, comprised of a few backup weapons, various pieces of armor, and accessories that would supposedly help in casting spells, none of which I was likely to use. I was coming to terms with the fact that my physical attributes would probably never win me a fight, but I had to keep at least some kind of weapon on me, even if only to serve as a distraction in my opponent''s mind.

    Then there were the residents in my space, the voranders and various beasts I had tamed. While the voranders were unmoving, waiting to be called upon, the other animals were sleeping on the floor, laid down haphazardly as body parts crossed over each other without any of them noticing or waking up. Even a certain antlered companion of mine was snoring while laying on his back, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. There wasn''t much I could do about them, so I let them do as they wished.

    All the trash and waste that had accumulated since I''d last cleaned up were dispelled with a single thought, vanishing into the ether. I had no idea where it all went, and was just glad that cleaning up in here was so easy. On a whim, I tried to see what else I could effortlessly change about my space and went with something low-impact for the first time: a subtle but definite scent of vanilla. I grinned as the change was instantly noticeable, the grime and stink of consistent living without any maintenance washed away and replaced with the much more pleasant scent of vanilla that I was familiar with.

    I couldn''t help but take in a deep breath, even as my body in the real world mirrored the act. The comforting scent nearly overwhelmed my nose despite my lack of a physical presence in the space, and I was tempted to just lie down and bask in the good feelings. In the end, my curiosity overpowered the temptation and I continued switching scents, starting with the most common ones I could remember, and eventually reaching the realm of things I''d only come across once or twice before. The space seemed to be capable of reproducing any scent I''d experienced before, though it hit a wall when it came to things I''d never personally sensed which made sense. I set the scent to lavender and moved on to the next sense, taste.

    Reproducing tastes was a bit of a mixed bag, as the space was capable of letting me experience any past tastes, but not any of the food that came with it. I wrote the idea off as a loss and continued with my testing, trying my best to shove down my disappointment at not being able to materialize food whenever I wanted.

    Manipulating the surroundings was just as easy as the previous tests revealed, and with nothing but intent my childhood basement was transformed into my college dorm, the room at the beastfolk inn I had just vacated, Elder Dusk''s enormous cave, an empty parking lot, and the beach where I''d washed up on this world. Each background had its own unique texture and feel that perfectly mimicked what the real thing felt like, the only difference being the sky, as it lacked the sun, moon, and stars, and was just a multicolored twinkling kaleidoscope. I tried to manipulate the sand on the beach into a sandcastle, just to see if I could, but while the attempt failed, I felt my earth affinity being...tugged.

    Could I?

    Though my intent alone had failed, once my earth affinity was brought into the mix, the result was a different story. The loose grains of sand were now a waist-high sandcastle, complete with all the features I had envisioned, even a little moat surrounding it. Even though I should have been gratified by the result, the process somehow struck me as off. If the space, or I, was capable of changing everything according to my desires, why would my magic be needed all of a sudden? It conflicted with what I knew about the space, which admittedly was not that much, but it still seemed off-putting in a way I found hard to describe. In need of a change of scenery, I quickly changed the beach into a parking lot outside my local mall, the neutral location doing its job of lifting my mood.

    Moving on to the next test, I found that I could replicate any noise I''d heard before which only meant one thing to me at that moment: I could finally listen to the songs from Earth!

    Oh damn! Taking it a step further, if I combined everything I''ve done, with these tests, wouldn''t that mean that...

    It took but a moment for a glowing white screen to pop up in front of me, the audio perfectly in sync with the images on the screen.

    "There''s a hundred and four days of - "

    "He told me you killed him!"

    "Kaizoku ou ni ore wa naru!"

    "Look for the, bare necessities, the simple -"

    "Oh! Right there! Right there! OH god yes -"

    The screen died as I realized I could perfectly replicate anything I had seen.

    Anything.

    A light pat on my shoulder brought my attention back to the real world as I saw Malin standing over me.

    "It''s almost time to leave. You okay kid?" he asked.

    "Yeah, I just...thought of a new technique."

    "Hmm. Good job. Anyways, you should get ready soon, we''re leaving within the hour." I hopped to my feet, noticing the beds in the underground bunker were almost completely occupied, and gathered what little possessions I had on hand, ready to pose as a noble youth with bad luck hoping to bum a ride from the benevolent elves.

    Anything to get my mind off the fact that I could now view po-

    Nope. Don''t even say it. Just focus on your little act.

 Chapter 83

    "What is a human doing with them?"

    "Why would the elves travel with a human?"

    "You haven''t heard? That human is one of their nobles and..."

    "Tsk, that human grenihksnch should thank the Mother for the grace of the elves."

    "Damn humans, we''d all be better off without them!"

    "Quiet! Keep your voice down if you don''t want to get kicked out of the ceremony!"

    The elven ship had finally arrived at the dock, and after resupplying, was finally ready to set sail again, this time with me and another company of elves aboard. Before leaving, however, I had to endure some kind of ceremony where Lady Elovere, as I had been politely but firmly instructed to address her, would give them gifts or something?

    Oh, and there was the non-issue of the crowd insulting me under their breath in hushed whispers and quiet tones. Every so often, I''d overhear a new word which made me guess they were using some rather colorful descriptors for me. But still, what did I care if they insulted me? They didn''t know anything about me, and after today it was unlikely I would ever see them again. Their comments might as well have been the squawking of birds or the wind rustling the grass, just empty background noise. After a few minutes of Elovere exchanging greetings with the leadership of the town, the ceremony began. The mayors of the port town had assembled the maximum number of people they were allowed to, and had corralled them all by the dock where the elven ship was anchored. After a short speech where they thanked the elven delegation for their continued show of camaraderie and brotherhood, they introduced Elovere as she turned to face the crowd.

    All the whispers stopped as she stood before them all, her hands outstretched like that landmark statue of Jesus Christ in Brazil. Even if all I could see of her was the back of her head thanks to where I stood on the dock, along with the rest of the elves, I had to admit she seemed far more distinguished and stately now. So far it seemed like it was a coinflip whether she''d be composed or anxious when faced with pressure, but I guess the odds were in her favor right now.

    Sadly, I couldn''t feel much of anything as the ceremony was entirely in elvish and I didn''t understand a single word of it. Yet. This was one of the situations that highlighted a limitation of my Control abilities. While it had happened in the past, I couldn''t just say to myself, I fully understand all forms of elvish now, and expect for it to magically come true.

    See? It was still gibberish.

    After comparing each instance where I spoke something into existence, I came to the conclusion that there had to be some basis in reality for what I was saying. While the ability allowed me to skip some steps in the process, it still had to be something I was capable of doing. The same held true for other impossible demands like, ''all the voranders and alien parasites are dead now'', or ''there will never be racism in this world ever again''.

    I focused on the ceremony once more as I felt the essence around us moving in a familiar whirlpool motion, slowly growing in size until it encompassed everyone present. For a brief moment, there was a feeling of suspense, akin to looking down from a tall building, until I felt...lighter. I could see with more clarity, my senses had improved, and a few aches and pains I had accumulated that I had left unchecked were completely gone, leaving me at the peak of health.

    I could see that this was a normal occurrence for the elves, judging by their lack of reaction, but the beastfolk were easy to read, as their gratitude was plastered on their face, their eyes widened in pleasant surprise. Some even prostrated and kowtowed to the one responsible, who graciously took it all in stride and regally waved before dispersing the crowd, who were obviously eager to obey their benefactor, even if it meant they''d spend less time in her presence. Once it was just the elves and me hanging on, the young elven lady surprisingly maintained her demeanor as she told Malin, "I expect to depart as soon as possible."

    "Of course, young miss," Malin bowed his head as the elves backed up to the edges of the dock, making room for a passage for Elovere to walk onto the ship. I debated on whether or not I should do so as well, before deciding against it. Nobody had told me to do so, least of all Elovere, so I saw no reason to. That decision left me standing awkwardly in an empty space with elves on either side and two walking steadily towards me, but seeing as one was suppressing a giggle and the other rolled their eyes, I figured I wasn''t in too much trouble for any perceived disrespect.

    "Just walk behind us," Malin whispered as he passed me, and I followed them both aboard the gangway onto the ship, noticing the other elves were following in lockstep behind us. There were about twenty crew members running on the ship''s main deck, making adjustments to set sail, and the addition of the fifty elves behind me only seemed to add to the chaos.

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    The ship resembled the one I had taken to reach the beastfolk continent in the first place, if slightly more advanced. While both models seemed to be made out of the same type of wood, this one had eschewed the bird-like design and adopted a more typical sailboat-esque appearance, with a mast and sail in the middle of the main deck, likely powered by air magic when needed. The pair I was following led me to a door on the rear side of the ship, which led to a narrow staircase then an even narrower passageway with doors on both sides.

    "The young miss''s cabin is here, mine is beside it, while yours is...I suppose the one across from mine," Malin said, looking around at the available rooms. "Now, for the most part, you''re free to walk around the ship, but I''d suggest staying in your room for the most part, seeing as not everyone can speak with you. Someone will get you for meals, but other than that, we''ll leave you alone until we reach our destination. Anything I left out, young miss?"

    "Hmm, nothing comes to mind. Oh! You don''t need to mind all the formalities that the others do, like that arrangement earlier. Although you might be a recruit later, for now you''re our guest, so just relax and enjoy the ride. I doubt you''ll get much free time if you do get accepted, so make the most of this leisure time while you can."

    Elovere and Malin exchanged a few more words before she retired to her cabin, and he strode back upstairs, leaving me alone in the hallway. I slid open the door to my room and saw that some kind of spatial magic was at play, as the dimensions of the room were clearly at odds with the rest of the ship. I was expecting something narrow and thin, but the nearly three hundred square foot room met my expectations and then some. A bed, dresser, wardrobe, chest, desk, table and chair were all present in the room, and were of such high quality that it left me wondering if I could take them for myself if they weren''t bolted down.

    Setting aside my covetous thoughts, I tried to organize my priorities for this new ''job'' of mine. As some kind of recruit, I would be expected to fight the voranders and likely the parasites which I didn''t mind, as quite frankly I needed the experience, but if the situation ever looked irreparable, I would hightail it out of there. With that said, I also needed to learn about my burgeoning space affinity and why it refused to manifest like all the others, something I hoped Elovere or her family would be able to help me out with.

    As soon as I learned how to teleport, though, any obligations to help were completely optional. Even if the higher-ups wanted me to contribute more or for longer than I felt comfortable doing, whether that be by the carrot or the stick, I would find a way out of it, so long as I had access to space magic.

    I didn''t even notice when we took off, as I had fallen asleep almost immediately upon landing on the bed, but an insistent pounding on the door made me bolt upright and scramble to open it, revealing a familiar yet blurry face in front of me. I could make out some type of derision on the face and once I had wiped my eyes a few times, I recognized it as belonging to Malin''s son, whose name escaped me at the moment. Whether his scorn was due to my being human, shamelessly tagging along with them for free, or my disheveled state, I couldn''t say. It didn''t help that I had just woken up and my brain was only now realizing that fact.

    "I''ve been instructed to inform you that we''ll be landing in two hours, and that the kitchen staff have packed up their equipment but left a meal for you at the request of the young lady. Now, if there''s nothing else." he began turning to leave before I shouted out.

    "Wait! Yeah, um, hi, sorry, what was your name again?"

    "...Yole."

    "Right, Yole. Uh, I just wanted to thank you for informing me."

    And to my surprise, he nodded at me before turning on his heel and walking up the staircase to the main deck. It was nice of Elovere to instruct the kitchen to leave a meal for me, though once my faculties returned, I was slightly startled at how quickly time had passed. I had either slept for days on end, or this ship was capable of breaking the sound barrier and travelling at speeds well over Mach 2.

    Honestly, either explanation was possible, so I decided to just not think too much about it, heading topside to wash my face. For all the comforts aboard the elven ship, there was no running water, so I had to soak my face in magically created water then toss it overboard. The sight of my little bubble whizzing by and falling at supersonic speeds was a real eye-opener, as I saw how fast we had to be moving, though I couldn''t feel any turbulence or irregular movement indicating high speed. Like the only other ship I had travelled on, the elven ship seemed capable of both air and sea travel, if more advanced in many ways, such as defense. The ship must have formations protecting it.

    A field of magic I had only minimal knowledge of, enchantments and formations both dealt with runes, an entirely different language than any other spoken across the world. Given that I had my plate full at the academy studying other topics, I never saw the need for learning about runes or their applications when my focus was on utility and immediate use. Well, that and the pull I felt towards taming.

    Hopefully the elves would have a more favorable view towards taming than the beastkin and dragons. I could use more beings in my space.

    While I stood transfixed by the amount of work that had to go into creating a piece of technology like this, Elovere brought me out of my daze with a poke to my arm. Seeing her accompanied by both Malin and Yole was odd, but we exchanged pleasantries and she brought me over to the kitchen when my stomach grumbled in the middle of her sentence.

    As Yole had said, the kitchen was closed and only two elves were left to watch over the equipment, though the meal they had packed for me was delicious, and I was glad to see that the trope about elves not eating meat was purely fictional.

    Once I had finished eating, Elovere, or Lady Elovere as tradition, circumstances, Malin and Yole all demanded, informed me again that I would be staying with her family for the foreseeable future or until arrangements were made for the other recruits once the program was properly developed. While I would have a modest stipend after receiving approval from whoever was in charge, likely one of her family''s elders, for now I would have to contribute somehow to justify my staying with them. Or if I wished to seek accommodations in the city nearby, that was fine as well, so long as I remained in the vicinity and could be contacted swiftly.

    Yeah, I had no issue trading some dignity for better lodgings. Besides, I wasn''t exactly inclined to try and make my way in a city where I didn''t even know the language, or had any money on me. Better to take the offer while it was there. With my agreement to her proposal, Malin said that I would likely stay in the guards'' barracks for now, which I was more than fine with.

    No sooner had the preliminary details been hashed out than a crewman shouted, grabbing the attention of the elven party before me as I heard people repeat the same thing, echoing across the entire ship. I didn''t need to speak elvish to know what he meant.

    "We''re landing."

 Chapter 84

    "...and once again, I apologize, but without approval from the elders or head, this is the best accommodation we can provide for you on such short notice."

    "It''s fine," I waved off his apology. "Although...Elo-, ahem, I mean, the young lady mentioned that such hospitality was contingent on me contributing in some manner?"

    "Ah, yes, of course. Given the sudden nature of your arrival, however, I feel it prudent you only concern yourself with resting for the time being. Any talk of compensation can wait till I receive word from -"

    "The elders or the head."

    "Precisely," he smiled at me. "Unfortunately, duty calls, but until your status is finalized, for the time being, you are a guest here, not a recruit. As such, the grounds are free for you to explore, though I would ask that you refrain from making any disturbance, and from leaving the city should your presence be required. Additionally, the formation by your bedside will summon a member of staff should you need assistance."

    "Thank you Lorring."

    "Of course." With that, the old elf inclined his head toward me before flying away to see to the rest of his duties.

    As I looked around at the luxurious room that had been deemed ''substandard'' by the head of the household''s chief of staff, I couldn''t help but think about how perspectives could be skewed by environments. From the elven ship to the palatial estate and the gilded furnishings in my ''subpar'' room, everything so far had surpassed my expectations. Not only was I allowed to stay in the head''s estate as a guest rather than in the guards'' barracks, any talk of compensation seemed to be deferred until Lord Aschel or his house''s elders had their say.

    And of course, to make matters more complicated, his house''s elders weren''t the same elders who essentially ran the country, even though the same word ''elder'' was used to describe two different positions, and -

    Calm down. I took a deep breath and wiped away my burgeoning rant like wiping crumbs off a table, and chose to focus on my conditions again.

    The room itself had everything I could want, including a private bathroom, a formation to control the temperature, and an actual essence-gathering formation that increased the available essence in the room. Granted, it was only enough to double the natural concentration, but that in itself was a huge step up from what I was used to. Although, now that I was thinking about it...was the essence that concentrated in the dragons'' land or not? Little details about the place were beginning to fade from my mind like a dream, and I suspected it was yet another defensive measure that had been imposed on me.

    Given that Elovere was basically a noble, I wasn''t surprised when the ship landed directly within their estate, but it was a shocker to see that their estate was atop a floating island.

    An actual floating island.

    I hadn''t been able to see it from any other perspective, but it was supposedly hovering above the tallest tree in the region, which itself was host to most of the population of its surrounding city. When Elovere told me her father was lord of some isles, I simply assumed she meant they were regular islands at sea, not these massive land fortresses that hovered a good mile above the skyscraping tree.

    I had to wait for approval from the higher-ups, but once I got it, a lot of things were headed my way. Learning elvish, which I honestly wasn''t stoked about but apparently needed, a decent stipend, more magically-oriented training that I needed for my new affinities, and most importantly the unlocking of my spatial affinity. If my elemental affinities were compared to seeds, then the spatial affinity was a seed embryo that lacked...something. The affinities I had manifested were all on the same level as my natural ones, which suggested that my spatial affinity would be high as well...if the elves here were capable of following through on Elovere''s pledge to help me properly use it, that is.

    I began pulling in essence, taking advantage of the room''s improved concentration, and lost track of time in the simple action of breathing in the pure energy. I could feel my core and my heart involved in the process, and the improvement before I had created my core was noticeable, but I eventually let go of the thought and fell into the repetitive cycle of inhaling and exhaling, feeling the essence slowly yet steadily follow the path of my breathing. I was pulled from the practice by a gentle yet insistent knocking at the door, which I realized I had neglected to close. As I opened my eyes, a slender elf dressed in skin-tight camouflage stood at the threshold of the room, waiting for me.

    "Forgive me for the disruption, but the twelfth young lady and the madam have invited you to breakfast."

    "Thank you," I nodded to him. "Would you mind waiting a few minutes while I freshen up? I''d rather be shown where the dining room is than have to stumble around lost for hours."

    "Of course."

    I stretched for a minute and realized that I had meditated throughout the night without any adverse effects. Perhaps I was finally seeing the results of integrating my body and core together? Regardless, I hurried to clean myself up, taking a quick five minute bath and changing into clean clothes before following the servant to the dining room, doing my best to stifle the awe I felt at the sheer opulence I saw in the various hallways of the Aschel estate.

    The dining room was just as exquisite as the rest of the...manor? Villa? Whatever it was called, it wasn''t an exaggeration to say that its overall aesthetic was an almost overwhelming display of wealth. A long table dominated the majority of the room, and I could make out two young ladies chatting at the far end of the table, one of whom turned towards me right as I entered the room.

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    "Tseiner, inform the kitchen to start bringing out dishes. Our guest must be hungry."

    "Yes, my lady." The elven servant who''d escorted me walked through another door, leaving me in the presence of two nearly identical women, one of which was Elovere and the other was presumably her mother, though it was unsettling that I couldn''t tell the difference, even though one had already spoken. The only clue I had to go off of was that they were wearing differently colored outfits.

    "Well, come sit, we don''t bite," the one I took to be Elovere''s mother said. I took the seat across from her, though my mind was turning towards what elven cuisine was like rather than observing any etiquette. Besides, even if my human etiquette was applicable here, I doubted that anything bad would happen so long as I wasn''t overtly attempting to insult anyone.

    "Good morning, ladies," I inclined my head towards them.

    "Good morning, Rhaaj."

    "And a good morning to you, young man."

    Well, that was one mystery solved. The one on the left was Elovere, and the one on the right was her mother.

    "Forgive me, but I wasn''t told your name, madam."

    "Hmmm....." She was tapping her finger against her cheek, neither answering me nor providing a reason for her silence.

    "Mother?"

    Sighing, the madam turned to her daughter. "Dear, I know you said to treat him like a friend -"

    Wait, what?! I barely know her! Why would she say something like that?

    " - and until a decision has been made, I can''t give my approval. Even still, I think you know my stance on this." She turned to me with an vacuous smile that seemed off, given how expressive Elovere''s face usually was. "Young man, I can tell you have your own goals and motives, which is fine and perhaps even necessary, but I have my doubts that they are good for my daughter. I hope you can appreciate my position. After all, a mother worries for her children."

    I didn''t particularly care that I wouldn''t receive an endorsement from her to be Elovere''s friend. If anything, I was annoyed that I still didn''t know her name. My motive for being here was the spatial affinity. Anything else was tangential.

    I did my best to imitate the empty smile she wore. "I don''t mind one bit, but, just for my own edification....my being human has nothing to do with it, does it?"

    The madam''s smile never changed, yet it went from empty to threatening in the blink of an eye. "Young man, please do me the courtesy of not assuming the worst about me, or that I would forbid my daughter from associating with someone based on something as inherent as race. We are not dragons."

    Heh, the irony.

    I was saved from having to explain myself by the arrival of breakfast, and the minor spat was forgotten as I gorged myself on the delicious foods being served. The lord''s opulent taste evidently extended to his palate as well, as I couldn''t find a single dish that was objectionable. Even the breaded locusts, while visually off-putting, were sweet enough to make me disregard their appearance.

    The two ladies excused themselves after eating, and I was spared from having to interact with Elovere''s mother anymore. With the aid of one of the staff, I was escorted to the library, though she remained by my side. Ostensibly, it was to provide me with any assistance, but I couldn''t help the sneaking suspicion that the madam may have played a part in my new ''attendant''.

    I chose to focus on the library and its disappointingly small collection of works. Well, there were plenty of elven tomes, but I couldn''t quite read them yet, and the small collection of scrolls written by humans or beastkin were random items that seemed to have no value beyond their age. After all, who cared that a lunar eclipse happened several centuries ago, or that two lizards of different species managed to breed? How did that have any relevance today?

    After exiting the library, I decided that my time would be better spent working out lest I get rusty, so after asking my attendant to lead me to the training grounds, I was once more escorted through the labyrinth of hallways and passages that was the estate, and ended up at an empty field with weapon racks on one side, and a small viewing platform on the other.

    "Are you serious?" I muttered under my breath. Even the training weapons here were of a high quality. I grabbed a sword and shield, swinging them to get a feel for their weight before running laps around the field, carrying both of them as I did so. After running a few laps, I did some bodyweight exercises before taking up the weapons again, this time going through the basic forms I recalled from the academy. Slashes and thrusts were done repeatedly, always with my shield held high. Shield bashing was difficult to practice without an opponent, but I could at least perform the motions. Once I started to get tired, I looked around and asked the attendant, who''d been watching from the side all this time, "Do you mind sparring with me?"

    "Not at all," he replied, walking towards the weapon rack before pausing. "Are there any weapons you wish to train against specifically?"

    "No, nothing like that. I''d rather just have a partner than a stationary dummy." With that said, he took up two daggers and stood across from me.

    "On your mark."

    I set my stance and looked at him. "Ready...go!"

    He was much faster than I was, and the edge of my shield barely managed to stop his slashes, dull thwacking sounds resounding throughout the field as wood met wood. Each of my strikes was expertly parried or deflected, and I felt the points where his blades got through my defense sting more than it should.

    An enchantment, maybe? Well, it''s softer than a vorander bite, that''s for sure.

    I kept my eye on his shoulders, watching for that tension that betrayed movement, and responded as swiftly as I could, interposing my shield between the strikes I saw coming. Unfortunately, those were few and far in between. It was somehow an unspoken rule that neither of us would use spells, so I had no method for distracting my opponent or shooting projectiles at them, splitting their focus. If this were a real fight, I''d have more options, but as it was, I was far too reliant on my magic to win fights, a glaring weakness that I''d have to correct sooner rather than later.

    As we continued to trade blows, I was able to repel the incoming attacks more frequently, but even doing so accomplished nothing but turning the fight into a battle of attrition, one that I would lose thanks to what I suspected was inferior endurance and stamina. Once I was far enough back, I called an end to the spar and fell to my knee, gasping for breath. In contrast, my partner was just as relaxed as before the fight, even if I could see sweat beginning to stain his clothes before he magicked it away.

    In between gasps I asked him, "What''s your name?"

    "Tseiner."

    "Right, Tseiner. When it comes to the people on the estate, where would you rank yourself in terms of strength?"

    He finally smiled, the first display of emotion I had seen from him since my arrival. "Do you honestly think the lord would employ weaklings to protect his family and home?"

    "...you make a good point."

    We waited there for a while before he perked up. "I''ve just been informed that lunch is about to be served."

    I rose to my feet at the mention of the delicious food before my motivation was slightly dulled. I''d need to shower again, wouldn''t I? And I''d have to play polite with Elovere''s mom again, which dampened my enthusiasm even more. Regardless, I made my way to my room as quickly as I could.

    The food was just that good.

 Chapter 85

    "Again," I said through labored panting, quickly casting a rejuvenation spell before the next bout to restore a portion of my stamina.

    I grabbed my sword from where it had fallen in the dirt and adjusted my grip before hoisting my shield up to its proper height and changing my stance.

    Without any fanfare or countdown, three projectiles whizzed towards my head. One I blocked with my shield, the other I parried with my sword, and the last I dodged by turning my head. Four shadowy figures entered my range of view, but my senses told me only three of them were real while the last was a fake made of magic. In a perfectly coordinated assault, the three beings rushed me at the same time, cutting off any escape routes and limiting my movements.

    That didn''t mean I was powerless, though.

    I jumped to the left, and thanks to a slight boost from blood magic, landed further than I normally would, putting me within reach of the final attacker. A quick slash of the sword and they were ''out'', revealing the three figures behind me, only now they had lost the protection of the illusion mage. Still, it didn''t seem like that would be a hindrance to them as they all thrust their weapons at different parts of my body, causing me to backstep in response, only for an unexpected projectile to crack on my forehead.

    "Ow!" The split-second of unexpected pain was enough for me to be surrounded, as three elves had their weapons at my neck, bringing an end to this practice session. I couldn''t help but sigh as I lowered my arms and thanked the staff for assisting in my training.

    As it turned out, all of the staff in the Aschel estate were talented combatants, even when removing their natural magical prowess as a factor. This, of course, led to me asking them to act as sparring partners whenever they had the time, which was quite often. Naturally, I wasn''t so foolish as to believe that I could take on multiple foes at once, especially when magic was taken out of the picture, but I needed to get used to dealing with multiple foes, as I doubted the voranders on the battlefield would be polite enough to line up one at a time for me to take on.

    It had been nearly two weeks since I had arrived, and in that time, I had done very little besides sparring and accumulating essence. I had run into a few of the other members of the Aschel family during my stay and found out to my surprise that the lord did in fact have a harem, each of whom had produced children, some of which were unfortunate enough to bump into me. Literally.

    I apologized multiple times to both the kid and his mother, but I felt my words lost some of their sincerity when spoken by a translator.

    After that incident, I decided to limit the amount of time spent outside my room...and to walk more slowly when approaching corners.

    Thankfully, it seemed my stay here would be coming to an end soon, as I was told that the elders and the head of house would be meeting today, and my acceptance into whatever recruitment program they were creating would be decided upon. I was glad that things finally seemed to be moving forward, as I was growing increasingly impatient to unlock my spatial affinity.

    However, I never imagined that the lord himself would show up in person right as I was putting away my training weapons. Given that every elf present showed some sort of deference to him as he walked towards me, it wasn''t that difficult to guess his identity. Well, that and his outfit, which matched the extravagance of his house. For some reason, he had a thin goatee and mustache framing his mouth, and I couldn''t help but note how odd it was that I hadn''t seen elves with facial hair before.

    My musings on elven genetics were cut short as he stood before me, almost six feet tall yet possessing a presence that belied his height. For a moment, he did nothing but size me up, until he spoke with a deep voice.

    "You''re selfish."

    He spoke the beastfolk tongue, which hinted at his awareness of my fluency. He was also needlessly rude. Then again, that was one of the privileges of power. Even if he wasn''t anywhere near Elder Dusk levels of danger, he still seemed like someone I wouldn''t want to fight.

    "Isn''t everyone?" I replied, both genuine and smug.

    He smirked in return. "We''ll talk more in the evening. For now, though, I''m curious to see how much you''ve learned getting smacked around by my staff these past few days. Take your stance."

    I stopped myself from swallowing as I retrieved the wooden sword and shield I had just set down, and walked back to the center of the training field. Lord Quillith, thank god some of the servants said his name just now or I would have forgotten it, stood with his hands behind his back, looking in the direction of the estate.

    "It''s beautiful, isn''t it?" he asked.

    "Even if I said no, that wouldn''t change your mind," I answered.

    He turned around to face me. "Good. You have nerve. But, you''ll need more than that if you want my approval."

    "On your mark?" I asked, ceding the countdown to begin to him.

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    "On your mark. But before that," he held up a hand for me to wait and I soon realized why. Within moments, the terrain changed, the evenly cut grass field transforming into a muddy bog, puddles of water dotting the area, with withered tree stumps and mist scattered throughout the land. Finally, the lighting in the surroundings changed from the brightness of late morning to the dull glow of evening, reducing the visibility even more.

    "Now we can start." He said, though I couldn''t even see him with all the obstacles in the way. As far as I could tell, Lord Quillith had terraformed a radius of about two hundred meters into this bog of blindness, and for what?

    "Start," I called out, just wishing to end this already and go take a shower. I had discovered how to adjust the pressure and temperature of water long ago, as it was very similar to what I did with blood, and while it required me to manually control the water rather than leaving it to the formations, it was always good for relieving me of mental strain and -

    A nick across my waist drew a drop of blood.

    "Careful, boy. Distractions are death in battle." No sooner had he spoken than another nick appeared, this time just above my ankle.

    I held my weapons at the ready, turning in place to try and catch a glimpse of him, but I couldn''t make out anything. Even my magical senses told me nothing. I couldn''t stand in place and just let him whittle me down, nor could I hastily move in any direction when there could be a trap waiting for me.

    Even if there was an unspoken agreement not to use magic during the duel, I''d rather lose having done what I could rather than regret my inaction. Besides, I refused to believe that guy wasn''t using magic when he sliced me.

    I vibrated the earth around me, causing small tremors but not doing much more than that. I had hoped that my earth sense could detect any unnatural weight anywhere in my range of detection but sadly I had no such luck.

    "Freeze." With a shortened chant, the temperature dropped precipitously in a wave radiating out from my position, eliminating the fog and turning the top layer of the nearby puddles into ice.

    It also had the added effect of revealing a person''s exhalations, which I saw the lord wasn''t expecting, as he froze in place, no pun intended, when I sent a swarm of ice needles towards him. Sadly, they were all deflected and repurposed as they changed into a puddle of water midair that acted as a mobile shield for Quillith.

    "Hmm, not bad." He deigned to compliment me before changing the terrain once more, only this time the effect was far smaller, as the ground beneath my feet sucked me in like quicksand only faster, leaving me with only my arms and head above the surface before the pulling sensation died down.

    "Really! That''s how you want to win against me?" I asked in exasperation.

    He raised an eyebrow as he began walking towards me, the terrain already returning to its original pristine state. "You saw me change the ground. Why would you think I wouldn''t make use of such a tool?"

    "Fine, fine, you win already. I admit my defeat. Elves are better than humans, I''m a lowly peasant mongrel that doesn''t know my place, and I would be lucky to someday attain even a fraction of your strength. I should be honored to even be breathing the same air as you. Now, if I could beg for a bit of your benevolence and ask that you let me up so I can take a bath?"

    My ''submissive'' rant only made him stare at me with an almost dispassionately scrutinizing look that left me more uncomfortable than I already was. Wordlessly, I was jettisoned out of the ground and landed on my stomach facedown in the soft dirt. By the time I could looked up, he was already walking away, an entourage of servants trailing after him.

    Sighing to myself, I got to my feet and magicked away as much dirt from my clothes as I could before traipsing back into the house to take a proper shower. I lay in the gilded bathtub for a long time, letting the droplets of water patter down on my tired body as I wondered if I had just thrown away my only chance at unlocking my spatial affinity.

    He can''t be that petty, can he? Did I even do anything to offend him?

    Well, even if he kicked me out today, I would manage somehow. I could always find somewhere near the human continent and settle down there. I had stumbled upon an illusion technique in the Trove that basically created a mask over my face, or my whole body if necessary, and it would prevent anyone from recognising me. Granted, it required one to have the light affinity, but gaining it didn''t seem like it would be a challenge for me...unless light was in the same situation as space in that it needed some kind of trigger or condition to be unlocked.

    You know what, even if it causes me to lose some opportunities or sends me to an early grave, I don''t think I''ll ever be willing to give up on my autonomy. I can pretend to submit to someone stronger for a while, but eventually, I''ll snap. Or I''ll say something sarcastically and blow my cover. But regardless of the cost, I have to stay true to myself. If I ever change the parts of myself that I value, eventually I''ll turn into someone I can''t recognise, and I''ve seen enough movies to know that usually doesn''t end well.

    I stopped the water flow and got out of the tub, drying myself off with a gentle stream of warm air before I threw on some clean clothes that also received the warm air treatment, and meditated. Doing some repetitive actions where I wouldn''t have to think too much sounded exactly like what I needed.

    Sadly, it seemed that the slight sensations I got from the essence moving through my body and entering my core were enough to prevent me from achieving that blissful yet rare state of detachment that bordered euphoria. Still, I kept at it so that I could count the day as being at least a little productive.

    I had already tried to split my focus while meditating in an effort to have my consciousness relax in my space rewatching old films and tv shows while my body mechanically performed my breathing technique, but sadly it didn''t work out as I wished. Doing it that way cause the essence to disperse meaninglessly without even approaching my core, so I either needed a greater level of focus, improved awareness or my body, or a better breathing technique like the vortex one that Elovere had.

    Shortly after my session, I was called to dinner and escorted to the dining room. As soon as I entered, I could see that it was packed full of people unfamiliar to me, but it was easy enough to make an educated guess who they were considering who sat at the head of the table, looking just as pristine as when he''d ''sparred'' with me that morning.

    Lord Quillith was seated at the head of the table, while six elven women were seated to his right. A mixture of men and women sat on his left, but given that there were fifteen people, the same number of his children as I''d learned earlier, their identities quickly became obvious.

    "Are there any other guests that we''re waiting on, or may we begin now?" The lady to Lord Quillith''s immediate right haughtily said.

    "The dishes will be out soon, my lady." One of the servants bowed before entering the kitchen, returning only moments later at the head of a small army of staff laden with cutlery, tableware, and enough food to feed everyone in this room ten times over.

    I ate well as the tides of conversation washed over me, the only spectator in a room full of participants. Whether it was intentional or not, though, everyone spoke in elvish, and I only managed to make out a few words here and there, certainly not enough to guess what was being talked about. A few of the younger children were pointing at me and saying something loudly that caused the older ones to suppress a laugh or a twitch of their lips, and I got the sense that it wasn''t the most charitable statement ever made, but it wasn''t something I cared enough about to inquire. The lord seemed to converse with every one of his family members at least once, and I got the impression that mels like this were a special occasion given how eager they were to have his attention, even for a short while.

    As the meal begin winding down with the last of the desserts taken away, the women and children began to file out of the room, all of whom paid respects to the head of the house before leaving. Elovere did look at me strangely as I waited for everyone to exit first, but I read it as her being confused at my politeness, which I would have done by was forced to do so unwillingly

    When I tried to leave, I found out that my attempts to leave my chair were in vain, as something prevented me from standing up...or speaking, when I tried to politely ask why he did so.

    After everyone was gone, Lord Quillith looked at me before pouring another drink for himself, all done magically, of course. He alternated between looking at me and taking sips of his drink, until the cycle was finally broken when he pulled a piece of parchment from out of thin air and slid it all the way across the table to me, where I could read it.

    "Sign that, and then we can talk about getting you that space affinity you seem to be so desperate for."

 Chapter 86

    God, I''m so excited I could scream! I finally get to unlock my space affinity, and all I had to do was sign that contract? Ha! Best deal ever!

    The elders and the head of the house, that being lord Quillith of the Aschel family, had finally discussed my involvement in their program to recruit young elites to help in the war. It was a bit worrying that I would be deemed an elite based solely on my spatial affinity that they would unlock for me, but I wasn''t complaining.

    And yeah, the contract they wanted me to sign was mostly fair, if slightly in their favor, but that wasn''t what made me so deliriously happy. Food, weapons, training, accommodation, and clothing would all be provided upon signing, with the possibility of better options available depending on my performance. I would also receive a minor stipend but considering I would spend most of my time at the frontlines, that wasn''t particularly relevant to me.

    The only thing that tipped me over the line was one tiny clause, hidden in the middle of the agreement, that more or less said that I would be an indentured servant for the Aschel family for the remainder of my natural life if I survived after the war was over.

    I needed all the self-control I had cultivated to not immediately explode or reveal anything on my face when I read that.

    And while I would technically be getting paid as a servant, any and all supplies that I made use of during the war would be considered as the family loaning them out to me, to be taken into account once my indenture period began, likely as a higher interest rate...one that I could never reasonably be expected to pay off in a human''s natural lifespan.

    So, when faced with something that I saw as a slavery contract, or one step away from it, what did I do? I signed the contract with my blood, as required, with the lord even promising that I wouldn''t regret the decision I made today.

    Well, what he and the rest of his elves didn''t know, and wouldn''t until the war was over, was that I used a little technique from the Trove to ensure I wouldn''t be bound by the terms of the contract, even with the additional aspect of my blood being used.

    In fact, if my blood wasn''t called for, I would be way more screwed, as they had no way of knowing that I could control my blood even after it was on the page, thanks to the Trove technique of nullification.

    Essentially, any agreement between multiple parties required some kind of medium, in this case, the contract, and a binding agent, my blood.

    If the agreement wanted to bind me to its terms, it would do so using my blood, which was connected to me deeply on multiple levels beyond the physical (or so I had learned). The nullification technique allowed me to block those connections, and once mastered, would prevent them from forming in the first place without any other signatory party being aware of it.

    Well, unless they were a high-level god or something like that, but considering that ''god'' was such a rarely used word on this planet, I found that possibility unlikely.

    So when the elves looked at the contract later, they wouldn''t find any problems with it. In fact, they''d probably laugh about the foolish human that unknowingly signed away his future. Little did they know I wasn''t planning on following through.

    It was a bit of a shame, actually. I quite liked the Aschel estate and its calm vibes. Too bad its leaders were a bunch of malicious pricks. If I had the opportunity after the war, I would control them all, but for now I was looking forward to finally, finally, finally getting my spatial affinity unlocked!

    God, tomorrow couldn''t come fast enough!

    I tried to meditate, but my excitement was a difficult thing to wipe away. It felt like I was on the verge of Christmas, a promotion, and my birthday all at once.

    Writing off meditation as a lost cause, I fell into bed, tossing and turning until sleep finally found me.

    And once I woke up, a servant informed me that I would be staying in the barracks from today onwards...after I opened my space affinity, which was scheduled for after breakfast.

    I was almost manic in my desire to speed through the day, but past experience had taught me that heightened emotions would only get in the way, so I quickly got a handle on my enthusiasm and shoved it down until I felt confident in maintaining a neutral expression without a smile or smirk breaking through it.

    The chief of staff personally escorted me to the ship before it took off, with only a handful of crewmen to man it on its journey through the skies. I wasn''t sure if I''d ever return to this estate, but if I did...well, it would be a lot more chaotic, that''s for sure.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    I finally got a glimpse of the city below the floating island, and it was about the same view as I would expect from a plane, if a bit more magical. Below the underside of the floating island and the great canopy of leaves from the central tree supporting it, the city extended out without walls to denote its borders, with farmlands clearly noticeable due to their differently colored crops and marked boundaries. I could see beast taming was at least somewhat common here, as elves rode winged creatures across the sky, so that was one doubt I had that was taken care of. But besides that, it just looked like any other city.

    The scenery quickly changed as the ship swiftly gained speed, until the only things I could distinguish were the tops of trees as we flew past, the occasional field or lake, and the sun.

    Finally, we reached our destination as I felt the ship slow down and lose altitude, gently landing in the middle of a massive bullseye painted right beside the border of the beach.

    "We''ve been instructed to drop you off here, Rhaaj," one of the crewmen said to me as the gangplank began descending for me to disembark.

    "Do you have any instructions to take me anywhere else after this?" I asked.

    "No."

    Sighing, I said, "That''s too bad. Well, take care of yourself and I''ll see you around, yeah?"

    I walked off the ship and waved goodbye to the crew, the last of the people who I knew spoke a language I did, and watched them leave as fast as they''d arrived. Before I could wonder about what would happen next, a team of well-dressed elves in heavily-enchanted protective gear rushed towards me with wide eyes and creepy smiles on their faces.

    Zealots.

    I knew their type and could pick them out instantly, obsessed and immersed in their religion and their god, and too ''devoted'' to see anything but what they wanted to. I wasn''t expecting to see any fanaticism here, but it shouldn''t have come as a surprise. Where there was free will, there were bound to be people looking for something greater than themselves to believe in.

    The leader of the team, an older elven woman, took charge and greeted me. Or at least, I think she greeted me, given that she didn''t speak human or beastkin, and I only heard her say my name at the very end of her sentence. Unfortunately, only one person among them spoke beastkin, and he only knew a few general words and phrases.

    What followed was awkward exchanges of pantomiming, pointing, gesturing and shouting as I was led into an underground tunnel that led to a wide facility that stretched out into the sea. It was an enormous transparent dome with layers of compressed and solidified air protecting it from the seawater and its inhabitants.

    When I was pulled along to the center of the dome, I saw that the elven woman I had designated the leader grab my shoulders and led me around until I stood in a marked circle, at which point she smiled and said something softly to me, patting me on the arm as she did so. Once she stepped back quite a distance, I waited for them to begin....until I felt a tingling beneath my skin and looked around me, seeing the faces of the four elves gleefully shouting as they loudly exclaimed...something.

    My heart began beating slower and slower, and I felt the tingling feeling inside me connect to something around me, an almost imperceptible shaking.

    Vibrations.

    As the tingling grew stronger, my other senses began to fall away, until I was no longer in that underwater dome, but in a field of pure whiteness. I had no form, even as I ''looked'' down at where my hands would be, and I could see nothing, hear nothing. In fact, if it weren''t for the absence of the Seed, I would say that this was my soulspace.

    But despite the lack of my senses, I could feel something, only it wasn''t the usual tactile sense that my body was familiar with. It was my magical sense, the one that made me aware of the essence around me, that let me sense the movement of the magical energy. I felt sensations that I had experienced before but lacked the ability to make sense of.

    Ripples.

    Waves.

    Tunnels.

    And most of all, vibrations.

    The tiniest of movements caused echoes that rippled around the source, making me aware of movements I I had no idea even existed...until now.

    And just like that, I was in the underwater dome once more, standing right where I remember -

    Why was I kneeling on the ground?

    And why was I so hungry?

    And what was that heading towards me?

    Ah, it''s the floor. I''m falling. Hopefully, this won''t be too painful.

    And with no time to anticipate that I would be falling unconscious in a room full of zealous strangers, my head met the floor and I blacked out.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------

    "I don''t suppose any of you know any healing spells?"

    "Should we ask for a healer to be sent over?"

    "No. From what I gathered, that human isn''t worth that much to the family, or else they wouldn''t have left him here all alone and unaccompanied by one of their people. There''s no way they send a medic for someone like him."

    "For now, take him to your bed and clean him up as much as you can, Nia."

    "But my bed is -"

    "Now, Nia!"

    "Tsk, fine."

    "Someone will have to monitor him until he wakes up, and some food and water wouldn''t go amiss either."

    "I''ll watch the human!"

    "Peen, you just don''t want to do any actual work, do you?"

    "I can''t hear you, I''m busy watching this human and making sure he doesn''t die or anything!"

    "Sigh, Olid, would you mind fetching some snacks from our pantry? Our guest will likely be hungry if and when he wakes up."

    "Yes, leader."

    "It''s just us here. You don''t have to be so formal."

    "I know." After a brief smile, he turned away. "I''ll see if there''s anything safe for humans in our kitchen."

    Having assigned her subordinates to their tasks, Ranva approached the sound-sending formation on the wall and tried to conceal her excitement, but as always, it came out unbidden, a fact that her superior picked up on, despite only hearing her voice through the formation.

    "IT WORKED! BY THE MOTHER, IT WORKED! WHO IS THIS HUMAN? WHERE DOES HE COME FROM? YOU HAVE TO LET HIM STAY HERE, PLEASE, I BEG YOU -"

    "Calm down, Ranva."

    "HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN WHEN I JUST WITNESSED A SPATIAL AFFINITY BLOOMING WITHIN A HUMAN RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES!"

    The tired voice on the other end sighed in exasperation. "You''ll have the opportunity to answer all your questions...after the war is over. That human is now a military asset, and the elders have already laid claim to him."

    She clenched her fists in frustration. The human was right there in front of her, the answer to all the questions she had, and perhaps more than that. His existence alone was proof that several theories she had discarded in the past would need to be revisited. But she was no fool. Offending the elders was how she landed here in the first place.

    She could wait a few years for answers. It was time enough for her to conduct several experiments.

    "Fine. I just thought you''d like to be aware of the fact that your military asset fainted after his affinity bloomed."

    A moment of silence followed before the voice spoke again. "Is he still alive?"

    "For now," she replied.

    "Then do as you''ve been told. Get him awake and send him over as soon as possible."

    "Understood."

    She withdrew her supply of energy to the formation, ending the conversation, as she turned around and began doing as instructed, gathering reagents and referencing manuals in preparation for the next step of her work. Maintenance was half the reason she was here.

    The teleportation formation always took a long time to prime, and it had been a long while since she''d received authorization to activate it.

 Chapter 87

    "Ugh, dammit," I couldn''t help but mutter in response to the slight headache, even as a hand gently yet firmly held me down and prevented me from getting up from the thinly covered bed I was laying on.

    The elf seated next to me had a confused look on his face, even as he asked me something, before calling for the guy who spoke beastkin. Well, when I say ''spoke'' I was being generous. The guy only knew about twenty words.

    Still, it was enough to get the point across.

    "Water?" asked Olid, I think his name was.

    "Water, and food," I replied slowly, miming eating something as he nodded and quickly brought over a plate filled with various cuts of meat, roasted till they were almost burnt, but I wasn''t in any condition to complain, as he helped me sit up, leaning back against the headboard. With a plate of food in front of me, and my hunger making itself known, I started out taking small bites until I gradually ate more and more until I practically inhaled whatever was before me.

    Once I had finished sating myself with a large gulp of water, the interrogation began, or at least tried to begin, as I heard my name used repeatedly with lost of questioning tones thrown around.

    Thankfully, I couldn''t understand any of it so I wouldn''t have to explain anything. I never thought I''d be grateful for a language barrier, but hey, sometimes things just work out like that.

    Finally, once it became clear they wouldn''t get answers right now, I was left alone to recuperate...and for me to bask in the fact that my space affinity was finally unleashed, and I could feel its passive effects already.

    For starters, I could feel everything within a few inches around me, a spatial sense. The moisture in the air, the wood used in the bedframe, even the movement of essence. I was aware of it all in a way that was difficult to describe, like I had just acquired a new limb and was only know figuring out how it worked.

    My musings were cut short as the leader arrived, her sorrow unmasked and clearly visible on her face, as she slowly helped me up and guided me back to the place where they induced my spatial affinity into being.

    Olid was there to provide answers, thankfully, acting out everything as he said it, leaving me to gather any meaning that I could from him.

    "Rhaaj, warrior, house."

    ...okay, what?

    Rhaaj warrior house. Warrior house...barracks? Now?! Are you serious!

    My expression at least indicated that I had some form of understanding and they all nodded or waved at me, as I felt a familiar sensation take hold of me, but that I could appreciate in a far better manner now that I had the ability to properly sense what was going on.

    I was being teleported, only now, my space affinity let me feel what was happening along the way. It was...astounding, feeling the connection to the invisible yet ubiquitous element that surrounded me...that surrounded everything. Even if I could feel what was happening, though, I still didn''t have the knowledge to understand the process.

    The closest thing I could equate it to was falling down a tunnel without gravity pulling you down.

    I was whisked away and just as quickly returned to solid ground. As soon as I landed, I heard a rough voice shout in beastkin, "Out of the way boy!" Believing whoever spoke was talking to me, I quickly walked towards an empty corner in the room I found myself in, one that was filled with people moving from one place to another. People of all races were present, going about their day in a way that only seemed to add to the chaos of the area.

    Small hand-sized formations on the wall lit up and dimmed down as the people beside them jotted down words before handing them off to couriers who snatched them all and stuffed them into a satchel before they ran out of sight with the sheaf of papers. Other teleportation formations in the room saw constant use, as people and packages were sent to and fro, with everyone following some kind of order that prevented any accidents from happening.

    "You, over there, why are you here?" a tall human man in dented plate armor shouted at me, the same one who yelled at me earlier, judging by his voice. I walked towards him, assuming he was in charge here, while trying not to interfere with the flow of people moving around.

    "Uh, my name''s Rhaaj. I was recruited by the Aschel family as one of their elites," I said. "Some kind of elite recruitment program?"

    "Aschel? Isn''t that one of the elven lords? Why is a human fighting under a --? No, it doesn''t matter. We need every body we can get. Bastards are getting smarter by the day."

    "Right...sir," I replied.

    "For now, just stay put. I''ll send a runner to the command tent to ask about your situation. Actually," he paused, giving me a scrutinizing glance, "you''re a mage, right?"

    "Yes, sir." I replied.

    "You know anything about enchantments, formations, runes?"

    "No sir."

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    "Shame, the formations need maintenance every so often and while there''s less glory in the rear, there''s less of all that death and destruction going around, am I right?"

    "Yes sir." Did this guy just try and sideline me? And was he doing it out of goodwill, or something more malicious?

    "Us humans have to stick together, right?"

    "Yes sir." So he was a bigot, got it. As long as it didn''t cause problems, I couldn''t care less what this guy''s tendencies were.

    "Sir, may I ask why you''re speaking in beastkin? And how you do it so fluently?" I questioned him.

    He rolled his eyes. "I''m not that smart. It''s a," he dropped his voice and looked around the room before speaking much more softly. "It''s some kind of enchanted device. Made by some team of genius elves somewhere secret, so don''t ask me how it works, but it allows whoever wears one to understand and speak a different language. It takes time for it to work, though, and for some reason they decided to use beastkin tongue for the first versions instead of human or elvish, but it''s still a pretty handy little thing. The headaches are a bitch to deal with, though."

    Huh.

    "Is there any chance I can get one for myself, sir?" I asked him hopefully.

    "For now, it''s restricted to ranked officers only, but I''ve heard whispers that mass production is coming soon, so you can look forward to that. Let me get a runner first and then we can talk about your situation," he said, as he flagged a passing courier and sent him off to headquarters, or wherever it was the leadership was.

    We stood there chatting for a while, as the knight introduced himself as Sir Levitt. This busy little corner was actually considered part of the rear camps, and despite my first impression, I was informed that today was actually a slow day. Hence, why Sir Levitt here was willing to shoot the breeze with a recruit like me in the middle of the day.

    He mostly dealt with logistics, which was a fancy way of saying he oversaw this teleportation hub and authorized all the personnel and supplies that moved through it. This particular hub connected to many others to form a communication network, but it was limited to the scope of the battlefield and its surroundings. The higher-ups were doing some shuffling around, according to Sir Levitt, and shifts and posts had been changing for a bit over a month, which I took to be their response to the appearance of the alien parasites.

    The war had already dragged on for years, nearly decades, and introducing the possibility of spies or traitors this late in the game could only be bad for morale, not to mention the obvious effect of the possibility of losing.

    But that wasn''t something I had to worry about. As far as I knew, I just had to get through training and then kill every vorander I could lay eyes on.

    The runner that was dispatched returned with a folded message that he handed to me, surprisingly, after which he was dismissed and resumed his other duties.

    "So, everything cleared up for you?" Sir Levitt asked after giving me a minute to read through it.

    "Let''s just say I''d rather fight on the walls than follow through on these...orders," I muttered.

    "You do know the walls are the easiest position to defend, right?" he asked with amusement.

    "Eight weeks of training, after which I''ll receive my assignment."

    "Sure, training sucks in the beginning, but once you get over the second day, it''s -"

    "And my unit is entirely made of nobles," I deadpanned.

    The knight was silent for a while before he burst out laughing.

    "Oh, man! You''re lucky! Seeing noble brats whipped into shape firsthand? Damn, I''d pay to see that!" At a confused look from me, he expanded on his reply. "If you''re thinking that the nobles will just do what nobles do, you couldn''t be more wrong. All training officers are retired veterans with years of honorable service behind them...meaning each of them has the same influence as a duke." He grinned at me, and I could tell that Sir Levitt held no love for nobles himself in that smile.

    "Permission to leave, sir?" I asked.

    "Hmm? Why are you talking like that?" he asked in confusion.

    "Isn''t that how you''re supposed to talk in the army?"

    "I think you''ve read too many novels," he shook his head.

    After a brief farewell, Sir Levitt told me to care of myself before giving me directions to the barracks, where I had to report to my training officer.

    I nodded goodbye to him as I made my way out of the deceptively large building I was in, and looked around for a signpost or a map of the area. Unfortunately, nothing so convenient popped up, so I followed the directions I was given as closely as I could.

    When I passed the third ''blue tree with an arrow in it'', however, I had to admit that I was lost and asked for directions. Thankfully, there were plenty of people on this well-trodden dirt path going both ways that I could ask. I considered myself lucky that it only took four tries to get a decent answer, the first three either scoffing and moving on or too busy to notice me.

    Finally, I reached my destination, the unimaginatively-named ''Barracks 48'', though a closed gate blocked my view of most of it. The two sentries at the gate were suspicious of me at first, until I showed them the orders I had been given, at which point they settled down and pointed out which building I was to report to.

    The barracks was apparently the name of the not-so-little compound I was in, as a giant empty field dominated the majority of the area in a wide circle that stretched at least as long as a football stadium, with wooden buildings situated on the periphery. None of the buildings were labelled or marked, so if I hadn''t been told which building to go to, I would still be wandering around confused instead of heading to the quartermaster.

    Supply Depot 48. Why is this numbered too? It''s not like there''s 47 other depots in this exact compound that could be mistaken for this one.

    The supply depot was a squat wooden building that, according to my earth sense, extended deep underground. Three women sat on stools behind a counter that was built into the wall, with an array of formations and multiple doors with staircases behind them on the wall opposite. It reminded me of a bank counter, or the Work-

    "If you''re not here for official business, then get out," one of the women intoned.

    "Sorry. I was ordered to report here, I think," I pulled out the paper I had been given with my orders on it and showed it to the lady in the middle, who seemed like the one in charge.

    "Rhaaj, huh? That has to suck. Wait a bit, I need to check the inventory." She said, as she hopped off the stool and placed her hand against one of the formations for a few seconds before walking down one of the staircases and emerging a few minutes later. It felt odd receiving some kind of affirmation about my name after so long, but I didn''t have long to think on it as a pile of objects and weapons were heaped onto the counter.

    "Everything you need is right there. Three sets of uniforms, one pair of standard boots, shield, spear, and sword. Helmet and chestpiece are good, and...that should be it. Oh, let me see your orders again?" she asked, and I flipped the paper around so she could see. "Your sponsors are willing to pay for any other equipment you might need, which is mad -"

    You don''t know the half of it.

    "- and means you can ask for whatever gear you need, or we can requisition it if it''s out of stock."

    "Cool. Thanks for...everything," I said, storing everything in my space and hoping to pass it off as having a spatial storage item, walking towards the exit before turning around. "Sorry, but which of you is the quartermaster? Just so I know?"

    "Her," the lady who helped me pointed to the woman on the far right, who had fallen asleep and was napping with her head atop her arms on the counter.

    "By the way, I''m Alli, that''s Ennie," she pointed to herself and her friend on the left before pointing at the sleeping quartermaster, "And that''s Duja. She''s the highest ranked officer here, and she has the authority to deny any requests for equipment, so remember to be nice and respectful to her in the future."

    "Thanks for the reminder. I''ll see you around, then."

    Heading to the dormitory next, I was surprised by how clean it looked, both on the inside and out. Every surface was gleaming and polished despite being made of wood, and I could see no traces of mud or dirt on the floor, despite the conditions of the field outside. Wooden lockers were on each side of the wall upon entering and if the number was any indication, I would have forty or so people in my unit.

    There were no bunk beds in sight, for which I was grateful, but the rows of twin-sized beds pushed against the left and right walls, with just enough room to maneuver between them, gave off the feeling of someone trying to stuff as many bodies inside the room as possible.

    There were personal possessions dumped atop a few of the beds, but I didn''t know if I was free to choose my own or if they were assigned somehow.

    Besides the dorms, about thirty steps away was a cordoned-off area with sheets propped up and covering the insides and trenches with water next to them.

    Are those supposed to be the baths? They''re not even separated by gender, oh wait, yeah, there''s a divider, okay. Well, it is the army. It''s not exactly fair to compare it to the academy or the Aschel estate.

    "Considering how you''ve been wandering around the barracks for the past ten minutes, should I assume you''re one of my recruits?"

    A man stepped out of the bathing area, pushing aside one of the sheets and magically dried himself before looking straight at me, still in the nude. He looked like a grizzled warrior, with scars and burn marks scattered across his body, well-defined muscles that implied a lot of training, and an aura that had just the barest hint of bloodlust. His stubbled silver hair showed his age, but if anything, that only went to show how adept the man was at surviving.

    "Well, kid? You gonna answer me or just stare at my sword all day?"

    And that''s how I met my training officer.