《The Heir Apparent [Reincarnation LitRPG]》


 Chapter 1 - [System Initialized]

    Summer, 615 CA


    The first thing I remember was opening my eyes.


    The light was bright, and it took my vision several seconds to adjust to the strange, flickering orange light surrounding me.


    My body felt good, all things considered. I didn¡¯t feel any fatigue or lingering injury, but I couldn¡¯t seem to move my neck. My fingers and toes moved freely, but they only responded after a significant delay.


    Someone shouted excitedly in a language I didn¡¯t understand. The language sounded to me like it was from continental Europe, but I knew enough German and French to know that it wasn''t one of those two. Had I woken up in a Dutch hospital? I turned my eyes toward the source of the sound and saw a man in his thirties dressed in a strange, anachronistic outfit. The man¡¯s clothes were antiquated, as if they were from the Victorian era. The man in strange clothing reached toward me, and I suddenly felt myself lifted into the air. What? He lifted me like I weighed nothing at all.


    My eyes turned toward the force that had lifted me up into the air, and I saw that the man was holding me up in his massive hands. I saw my own body; it was small, naked, and pudgy.


    Ah.


    I didn¡¯t survive the accident. The infantile body that I presently inhabited served as proof of that. Somehow, my consciousness had been transported into the body of an infant.


    I surveyed the scene. The man holding me up must have been my father. He had jet black hair, unnatural red eyes, and striking good looks. Though the man¡¯s features were alien to my sensibilities, there was an undeniable charismatic presence to the man that I could not deny.


    To the other side of my small body was the woman who I inferred was my mother. Sweat had beaded on her cheeks, and bags had formed under her eyes, but she smiled weakly when I looked at her. She had reddish-brown hair and skin that was a shade tanner than the man¡¯s.


    The man passed me over to the woman who cradled me in her arms. It wasn¡¯t an altogether unpleasant experience, all things considered. The woman spoke to me in that foreign language. Every word she said was completely lost on me. I heard the two words "Thale Feldrast" used together in conjunction a few times, and I figured that must have some meaning.


    <hr>


    After being passed around and manhandled for several infuriating hours, I laid in my crib and thought about my situation. They had placed a diaper and onesie upon my small, vulnerable body. I was clothed, which was somewhat of an improvement.


    Turning my eyes toward the edge of the crib, and there I saw a small girl staring at me. Curious red irises belonging to a little girl that couldn¡¯t be older than four years old watched me over the lip of my crib. Her hair was the same color as that of the woman who had held me in her arms so recently, and her eyes were the same unnatural color as the man¡¯s. Considering that she had the features of my mother and father, I could only assume that she was my sister. The girl had long hair that stopped at her neck. Instead of growing downward, her hair grew outward, giving her a kind of "mop top" hairstyle.


    The girl smiled at me. Her smile radiated trust and purity, and it made all the suffering in the world seem strangely distant. As I looked at the young girl, a memory flashed through my mind. It was a memory of this same girl, but she was twenty years older and bleeding to death on the ground.


    With a quivering hand and eyes filled with dawning realization, she reached up toward a man with glowing red eyes and black hair. The man''s expression did not flicker as his sister''s eyes closed for the final time.


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    The girl from my memory was named Miriam Feldrast, and she was an NPC from an MMO that I had played in high school called [Ferrum Online]. The memory faded from my mind, and the little smiling girl remained. The resemblance between the two was uncanny. It was very easy for me to imagine this little girl growing up into the woman from the memory. In reality, however, that was impossible. Miriam Feldrast was a video game character. She was a level 50 Priestess who was killed by her brother after being injured by the player''s party. What was the name of her brother? It was tough for me to remember. Oh, that''s right. It was Count Thale Feldrast, a level 70 Archmage.


    I was struck by a wave of realization. My mother and father kept saying "Thale Feldrast." In [Ferrum Online], Thale had piercing red eyes and jet-black hair like the man who held me. I raised my hands until I could see them without moving my head. The small pale orbs hanging in my vision were the hands of Thale Feldrast.


    I thought of how Miriam¡¯s story went. Unlike Solana, the younger sister never turned against Thale. Miriam remained completely loyal until the moment Thale slit her throat.


    I had been reborn into a video game.


    The game was called [Ferrum Online], and it was one of the only video games I had ever played to completion. I had beaten the game in its original build, but I had never played the follow-up expansions. I was in medical school when the last expansion came out, and I couldn¡¯t dedicate any time to it. There was one thing I knew about the expansions, however. Five years after the beginning of the game, an entity known as Lothar the Judge would appear from space and attempt to end the world. On some servers, he was successful, and those servers were deleted. Lothar would appear in the year 640 CA. Thale Feldrast was born in 615 CA, so I knew that I had 25 years until Lothar¡¯s appearance. That was, of course, assuming that I could even make it to 640 CA, considering that the original Thale Feldrast died in 635 CA.


    I briefly considered what tools were available to me. Thale Feldrast was the son of Armond Feldrast, the Count of Northwind. Due to the nature of inheritance laws in the Northern Realms, that made me the Heir Apparent to the Realm of Northwind.


    In terms of drawbacks, I remembered that Thale Feldrast suffered from a weakened constitution and a frail body. He had to walk with a cane, and his desire to fix his ailing body drew him to dark magic. By the time the players fought Count Thale Feldrast in [Ferrum Online], he had committed unspeakable acts and transformed himself into a monster that could only survive by consuming the souls of the innocent.


    When I shook myself out of my reverie of deep thought, I realized that I had been staring directly at Miriam for thirty seconds. She said something in a terrified, faltering voice that I did not understand. Miriam kept speaking, and her words became more fearful with each word. She took a few steps back, and I had to strain my eyes to track her. As I followed her eyes with my own, I saw that she was crying. With tears in her eyes, she fled from the room.


    Armond Feldrast came into the room a few minutes later. He had a smile on his face, and Miriam was hiding behind his leg. As he approached, the man spoke soothingly to Miriam, and she responded in a timid voice. I thought of how trusting she was, and how betrayed she looked when Thale cut her throat with all the mercy of a farmer slaughtering a prized cow. Many things in [Ferrum Online] were preventable, but Miriam¡¯s death wasn¡¯t one of them.


    My father scooped me up in his arms and sat down on a nearby chair. I found myself at about head-height with Miriam who regarded me with fearful eyes. My father said something in that same soothing voice.


    I figured I should do something to calm her. With one pudgy hand, I reached out toward her. Miriam reached forward as if to shake my hand, and I grabbed one of her large fingers with my hand. She smiled happily, her red eyes beaming.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I tried to say in English, but the sound came out as a baby¡¯s meaningless babble.


    Miriam giggled, and my father let out a hearty laugh. Less than a minute later, I had been returned to my crib.


    My father said some words as he grabbed Miriam by the shoulder and led her away from my crib. Armond Feldrast was smiling, and Miriam¡¯s eyes were locked on mine. She waved a timid hand at me, and I raised my hand back in an approximation of a wave.


    Without warning, white text appeared in the center of my vision. The text was generated from left to right as if it was being typed out on a computer.


    System Initialized

 Chapter 2 - [Observe]

    The white text hung ominously in the air for a few seconds before it faded away. Then, in the same manner as the initial text had been created, four more lines of text appeared, completely blocking my vision.


    Talent Acquired: [Observe]


    Talent Acquired: [Hellfire]


    Trait Acquired: [Intelligent]


    Trait Acquired: [Sickly]


    Talents? Traits? Those were the names used by the game to describe unique attributes that certain characters were born with. It was impossible to learn a Talent or Trait. You were either born with them, or you weren¡¯t.


    Seeing the lines of text in my vision jogged my memory of Thale¡¯s character sheet. I had read his wiki page, and I knew what all of the information in front of me meant.


    Before I could start thinking about the meaning behind the lines of text that had just disappeared from my vision, something else caught my attention.


    A man''s voice rang out in my head. It spoke in the same vaguely European language that Armond and Miriam used. The voice did not sound malicious. It sounded desperate.


    ??????? ?? (skydda henne)


    As the voice spoke, several inscrutable runic symbols appeared at the top of my vision. Unsure of what to do, I tried to send a message back. I formed a sentence in my mind, and I willed it to be sent to the other entity inhabiting this infant¡¯s brain.


    I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying. Do you speak English?


    The voice came again. This time, it was quieter.


    ???? (behaga)


    Who are you?


    There was no response. I mentally called out a few more times to no avail.


    I tried to shake my head to clear it, but my infant neck muscles would not move. Instead of lingering on the voice, I decided to consider the lines of text that had just appeared in front of me.


    Just like the original Thale Feldrast, I had the Talents known as [Observe] and [Hellfire]. Talents were distinct from Traits in that Talents were explicitly supernatural abilities that people were born with.


    [Observe] allows the user to gain information from any creature. This Talent can be used at different levels. When utilized at level 1, this Talent allows the user to learn the target¡¯s name. At higher levels, this Talent can be used to gain additional information about the target. The user must have a direct line of sight to the target to use [Observe]. Any [Character] with 5 or more levels will be able to detect when this Talent has been used on them, what level it was used at, and who used it on them. Certain simple wards and magic items can be used to prevent the use of this Talent.


    That¡¯s the description of the Talent that I had read when I played [Ferrum Online]. As far as Talents went, [Observe] was not that impressive. About one percent of all people could use it, and the culture of Ferrum had adapted to this fact. In the original game, anybody with levels in a Class knew when they were targeted by [Observe]. The original Count Thale Feldrast, like most nobles, wore a magic ring that prevented him from being targeted by that Talent.


    My mother entered the room while I was thinking about the words that had appeared in my vision. She walked into the room weakly, supported by a teenage girl wearing a maid¡¯s uniform. The girl couldn¡¯t have been more than thirteen.


    I focused my gaze on my mother and willed [Observe] to activate. Immediately, new text appeared at the top of my vision.


    [Observe, Lvl. 1]


    Name: Tabitha Sellack Feldrast


    My mother¡¯s name was Tabitha Feldrast. Considering that I was completely dependent upon her for survival, confirming her identity was probably a good idea. I turned my eyes toward the maid and activated my Talent.


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    [Observe, Lvl. 1]


    Name: Melissa Thorn


    I had definitely never seen this girl when playing [Ferrum Online]. Though, she would be thirty-three by the time the game was set to start. Either way, ¡°Melissa Thorn¡± was a very common name in the Northern Realms. ¡°Melissa¡± was a very common name for women, and ¡°Thorn¡± was essentially a placeholder name in this part of the world. The surname ¡°Thorn¡± was most commonly used when parentage was uncertain.


    Tabitha Feldrast sat down on a chair near my crib. She reached into my crib and grabbed my entire hand in her fist. Her complexion was just starting to regain a little color, and she smiled brightly at me.


    Winter, 616 CA


    Six months passed without incident. They must have been the most boring months of my two lives. The only activities I had the capacity to engage in were nursing, sleeping, defecating, learning Common using the words said by people near me, and using [Observe] on people.


    One small saving grace was that the System recognized me as a [Character], so I could at least make use of my Talents. Most children were not considered [Characters] until their [Intelligence] score hit 8 or, in the case of low mental acuity, they turned 15 years old and thus legally became adults. Once a child became a [Character], they would immediately gain a level in a [Class] such as noble, commoner, adventurer, or merchant. A non-[Character] did not have a [Class].


    Most children were first recognized by the System as [Characters] somewhere between 10 years old and 15 years old. Children not recognized as [Characters] could not use abilities granted by the System, but they had the advantage of being immune to many types of System-enhanced attacks.


    [Observe]: Lvl. 1 ¡ú Lvl. 5


    By the time my body had developed enough to crawl, I had learned enough Common to follow most conversations and increased [Observe] to level 5, though I was careful to only use my Talent on children and other people who I was sure didn''t have Class levels. I would prefer that my identity not be revealed until I was strong enough to survive an assault by someone who believed I was a demon possessing an infant''s body.


    A fireplace glowed comfortably in front of me, and I sat upright atop a comfortable woolen rug. To my right sat Solana and Armond. They were both staring intently at the fire in the center of the fireplace. Several lit braziers lined the walls of the room, giving the room ample light. As I watched my father and sister, I turned a small brass cup over in my hands. Mother and the maids thought that it was my favorite toy, but I just played with it to increase my manual dexterity. It wasn¡¯t working too well so far.


    ¡°You can do it, Solana,¡± Count Armond Feldrast said in a reassuring voice as my seven-year-old sister squinted at the fire.


    My eldest sister had inherited our father''s black hair, and our mother''s green eyes. Her hair was tied back in a short ponytail, and she was wearing a casual blouse and riding skirt. In the Northern Realms, it would be seen as scandalous for the daughter of a Count to dress so casually. Solana never acted like a "proper" noblewoman in [Ferrum Online], so I didn''t think she would care much about such a scandal.


    Seeing Solana with her hand outstretched to a burning fire caused a new memory to flash before my eyes. A woman in a long scarlet dress slowly turning in the center of a frantically twirling ring of fire. Four powerful adventurers armed with swords, bows, and magic tried their hardest to wound her, but the inferno burnt the arrows, fizzled the spells, and drove the melee fighters back. When one of the adventurers attempted to circle around behind her, she effortlessly altered her attack and forced him back. It was one of the hardest fights in the early game.


    I turned my red eyes toward Solana and activated my Talent.


    [Observe, Lvl. 5]


    Name: Solana Feldrast


    Class: None


    HP: 4


    MP: 5


    Fortitude: 5


    Strength: 4


    Agility: 8


    Intelligence: 6


    Willpower: 5


    Charisma: 6


    Talent: [Hellfire]


    Solana was trying to utilize her Talent, and she had been trying for more than a year. Considering her stats, I knew what her problem was. Her [Intelligence] score was simply too low. She didn¡¯t have the presence of mind or strength of will to activate [Hellfire]. It was understandable, though. Almost no one had high enough [Intelligence] to use their Talent before they were ten-years-old.


    ¡°Ugh! ??? (avfall)! I can¡¯t do it!¡± Solana shouted in annoyance. I had not previously heard the second word she said.


    ¡°Language!¡± Armond chided his daughter. ¡°But¡­¡± he sighed and put a hand on Solana¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll get there eventually. I¡¯m sorry; I¡¯m asking for too much. And... uh... just between you and me,¡± the Count leaned in to whisper conspiratorially to Solana, ¡°I couldn¡¯t use [Hellfire] until I was thirteen years old.¡±


    As my father spoke, I started to frantically crawl away. It sounded like their conversation was ending, and I didn''t want Armond to carry me back to my crib just yet.


    ¡°Really?¡± Solana giggled.


    ¡°Yes, your grandfather thought I was faking,¡± Armond laughed at his own joke. ¡°Even if you never learn how to use your [Hellfire], know that I¡¯ll always be proud of you, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Dad,¡± Solana said with a smile. I heard rustling fabric as Solana hugged Armond.


    The two of them stood up from their seats by the fire as I crawled under a dresser in the hallway.


    "Now, where did Thale go?" Count Armond Feldrast asked as he stepped out into the hallway.


    "Melissa might have come and got him," Solana suggested.


    After a long period of silence, Armond said, "You''re probably right. Come on, let''s get some ????? (bakverk) from the kitchen."

 Chapter 3 - [Hellfire]

    When I finally heard the footsteps of Armond and Solana Feldrast disappear at the end of the hallway, I squeezed myself out from under the large dresser.


    The hallway was a large structure made of stone, and long ornate rugs adorned its center. I crawled onto one of these rugs and sat there with my arms crossed, deep in thought. That was the first time in my new life that I had ever been allowed such freedom, and I knew that I had to make use of this opportunity.


    Burning brass braziers were built into the wall at five-meter increments. The flames that burned at the center of these braziers had not lessened at all since the moment I had arrived in Ferrum six months ago, so I had a guess as to how the braziers worked.


    With my mind¡¯s eye, I reached out to grab the flame burning at the center of that brazier. The flame promptly became several times brighter as the spark of Hellfire within reacted to my Talent.


    [Hellfire] allows the user to summon forth an ever-burning flame. At a range of up to 3 meters, the user can create a small mote of permanent flame that cannot be easily extinguished. At a range of up to 30 meters, the user can move the fire, alter its size, or erase it entirely. Any alteration of the portal other than translocation will require the user to expend mana. [Hellfire] grants the user significant fire resistance.


    [Hellfire] was an incredibly powerful Talent that could only be used by a select few noble families in the Northern Realms. In [Ferrum Online], most NPCs with [Hellfire] relied entirely on their Talent, much to their detriment. The original Thale Feldrast had become exceptionally dangerous because he had expanded his magical capabilities beyond the mere usage of his Talent.


    Focusing on the flame that burned in the center of the brass brazier, I attempted to move it. For the first two attempts, the flame would not move. On the third attempt, I stuck my tongue out the side of my mouth in concentration and strongly visualized the flame moving upward. The Hellfire spark heeded my command on the third attempt, and an unnatural orb of roiling fire raised up above the brazier as if it was supported by an invisible string. I moved the Hellfire spark toward myself until it floated less than a meter away from my outstretched hand. I could feel a pleasant heat radiating off it.


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    As expected, I had minimal issue utilizing my [Hellfire] Talent. Any person with the intelligence of an average adult could utilize their Talent without difficulty, and [Hellfire] was no exception.


    After a moment''s consideration, I thought of [Hellfire]¡¯s secondary ability: fire resistance. In the game, the nobles of the Northern Realms who attacked with Hellfire would never hurt themselves with their own flame.


    With a small, clumsy hand, I pulled my cuff back to my elbow. It was hard with my significantly lowered agility, but I was able to pull it back after a few seconds of fumbling. Though I had gained some level of mobility, I was still an infant. The cuff receded back, revealing the vulnerable pale arm underneath.


    I crawled forward and carefully stuck my hand into the flame. Even as my fingertips were engulfed in the flames, I barely felt any discomfort. My entire hand had disappeared into the avaricious flames before the feeling had gone from soothing to mildly uncomfortable. I quickly retracted my hand from the fire. My hand was slightly discolored as if I had dunked it in a tub of hot water, and there was no sign of damage.


    The fire that emanated off a Hellfire spark was just normal fire. It was the core of the Hellfire spark that was dangerous to me. It was only the very core of the flame that posed a danger to my fire-resistant body. I mentally reached out and imagined the flame becoming smaller, and the flame followed my command.


    I willed the flame to become smaller to the point where it would disappear completely, yet the flame remained. It was only with a concerted exertion of will that I was able to snuff the flame out completely. Once the Hellfire spark was gone, a piercing headache filled my brain.


    Next, I had intended to create a Hellfire spark of my own, but I thought that another mental hit like the one I had just taken could knock me out completely. Instead of continuing my experimentation with [Hellfire], I decided to start exploring the Feldrast family house.

 Chapter 4 - [House Feldrast]

    After a dozen meters, the hallway terminated into a large entrance foyer. The room must have been more than ten meters high and twenty meters across. Everything in the room was adorned with some scarlet decoration. Red tapestries hung from the walls, red carpets lined the floors, and red drapes hung from the windows. At the back of the room just above the stairs and across from the main entrance hung a large, unfurled banner of a yellow salamander on a scarlet background: the symbol of House Feldrast.


    The last time I had seen that symbol, it was flapping in the wind above a small army of mind-slaves and rotting zombies. The original Thale Feldrast had experimented extensively with dark magic by the time the game had started, and this fact was apparent in his military force. He had flayed the minds of his soldiers until all that remained were husks which felt nothing but blind loyalty and murderous rage. When those mindless soldiers were inevitably killed, Thale would reanimate their destroyed bodies into zombies that were incapable of even those two emotions.


    I found the original Thale¡¯s methods distasteful. While there was nothing necessarily wrong with necromancy, his usage of it was dangerous. I would know, my main account in [Ferrum Online] was a necromancer. A powerful mage could control about a dozen undead at once. If the mage were to summon too many undead, however, they would be able to break out of their mental shackles. The undead would revert to their natural, violent state and start attacking everything near them. Necromancy was the magical equivalent of an oil spill. If you didn¡¯t clean it up, it would destroy everything for miles.


    No tool was necessarily evil, but Thale used his tools in an evil way. I promised myself that on my mission to defeat Lothar and save the world, I would not utilize those methods if they weren¡¯t necessary.


    I crawled to the other side of the foyer. It was much too early for me to be using the stairs, so I used the pathway that ran just beneath the banner of House Feldrast. As I crawled, I spotted a man dressed in gambeson armor and wielding a sword sitting on a chair near the main entrance. I did not know the man¡¯s name, but the crest of House Feldrast was printed on the tabard he wore over his gambeson.


    Looking beyond the guard for a moment, I saw a thick blanket of snow. This was common in the Northern Realms. A permanent layer of snow coated the ground for most of winter in this part of the world. Life in the Northern Realms was tough. The harvest season was short, powerful monsters roamed the deep forests between the cities, and outlanders from the Barren Wastes frequently attacked. It was only the abundance of Hellfire that allowed the people of the Northern Realms to reliably survive the winter.


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    Luckily for me, the guard was too busy staring at the front door to notice me. I snuck past the entrance foyer into a hallway opposite the one I had just entered. Just as I entered the hallway, I heard footsteps approaching from its far end. I frantically backtracked and squeezed myself under a small display cabinet that had been pushed against the wall next to the family banner.


    ¡°Thale! Thale! Where are you!?¡± Melissa shouted as she ran down the hallway and exited into the main foyer. I saw as the hem of her skirt and white slippers passed by my hiding spot.


    Melissa saw the guard and shouted down to him. ¡°Sir Walter! Have you seen Thale!?¡±


    ¡°No, I have not,¡± the guard said gruffly. ¡°Is he missing?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Melissa said. ¡°He was with the Count, and now no one can find him!¡±


    ¡°I will begin looking immediately,¡± Sir Walter said sternly. A moment later, I heard the harsh sound of steel boots against wood as he ran off.


    Oh, calm down, Walter. I had just escaped adult supervision a few minutes before. It wasn¡¯t like I could open the doors to the outside or reach the knives on the upper shelves.


    ¡°I hope he¡¯s okay,¡± Melissa said to herself once Walter had left. A moment later, she ran toward the hallway that I had come from.


    I felt a bit bad about the worry I was causing. All things considered, though, I figured that there were extenuating circumstances that made my escape more understandable. I had just been subjected to six months of grueling boredom, and this was my first opportunity to get a real grasp on my situation. Plus, this would be a good learning experience for everyone. The maids and my parents would learn that I wasn¡¯t necessarily in danger just because I had disappeared.


    I squeezed my small body out from under the display case. It was lucky for me that the furniture in the hallways and foyer had legs rather than flat bottoms. There was just enough space under the display case for me to fit underneath. I crawled down the hallway and entered the first door I saw. There was a door about twenty meters down the hallway and to the left that was ajar. I suspected that Melissa had left it open when she was searching for me.


    The heavy door opened once I leaned my whole weight upon it, opening it to reveal a library that was almost the size of the foyer. Several long mahogany bookshelves stretched from one side of the room to the other. Each bookshelf contained four individual shelves, and the shelves were absolutely stuffed with books. There must have been hundreds of books in that room. The ancient tomes beckoned me, each a treasure trove of priceless information.


    A shabby work desk and chair had been placed in the corner of the library. From the ground, I could see a slip of parchment hanging over the edge. Writing material! I crawled over to the furniture and grabbed the table by the leg. Even with my abysmal strength, I could still manage to move the table slightly. I shook the table as vigorously as I could, and the equipment atop it slid off.


    I reached for the objects that had fallen off the top of the table. In my small hands, I victoriously held a slip of parchment and a fountain pen.

 Chapter 5 - [A Stark Realization]

    With tools in hand, I thought about what I was going to do next. I had one slip of paper, so there was a limit to what I could write down. In my heart of hearts, I wanted to just start writing English words on the page until both sides were completely filled, but that would be a mistake. To begin with, I didn¡¯t know when I would get another chance to write down my thoughts, and it would probably freak my parents out if their baby started writing notes in a language that no one on the planet spoke.


    After thinking about it for a minute, I grasped the fountain pen in my fist and brought it down toward the paper. With broad, clumsy strokes, I wrote two lines at the top of the paper.


    ??????? ?? (skydda henne)


    ???? (behaga)


    If my memory was to be believed, these were the runes that had appeared in my vision when the unknown voice had spoken to me on that first day. I still had no idea what it meant. By that point, I had picked up enough Common that I would probably understand what the voice had said if I were to hear it again. Unfortunately, I could not remember the words at all. I had always been much better at remembering things I had seen than things I had heard. If I didn¡¯t write down someone¡¯s name immediately after hearing it, I would completely forget it. [Observe] was a real blessing for me, then. Once I had gleaned someone¡¯s name with [Observe], I wouldn''t forget it easily.


    Leaning back to really appreciate my work, I saw that most of the slip of parchment was still empty. It would have been a waste to leave it there, I thought. I tapped the pen to my head as I considered what else I should write. An idea came to me, and I started scribbling once more.


    Once I was done, the structural formula for amoxicillin had been scrawled across the rest of the page. It had a complicated structure, so there was no space left on the slip of paper by the time I had finished scribbling. Amoxicillin was an antibiotic within the penicillin family. It was used to fight infections, and I had prescribed amoxicillin a thousand times throughout my career.


    Penicillin revolutionized medicine on Earth when it was invented. If I could figure out how to synthesize it in Ferrum, it would do the same here.


    The benefit of transcribing amoxicillin in this form was that, to the average Ferrum denizen who knew nothing of organic chemistry, the structural formula looked like a child¡¯s random scribbling.


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    Realizing that there was still a back to the slip of parchment, I flipped it over. I figured that I should write another structural formula. It was possible that I could forget these formulae in the coming years, so it would be good to write them down when my memories of Earth were still fresh.


    My hand started scribbling before I fully realized what I was writing. When my hand stopped moving, I looked down and realized what I had drawn. Upon the paper, I had drawn the structural formula for sarin gas.


    A stark realization washed over me as I looked down at the structural formula. For all the sins committed and damage done by the original Thale Feldrast, I was capable of much worse. I thought of the dozens of deadly poisons and chemical weapons that laid in wait within the darkest corners of my mind. Poisons that could kill without leaving a trace, drugs that could transform the most devout monk into a slavish addict with one hit, and chemical weapons that could kill thousands of men within minutes all existed within my mind. The worst part of it all was that, if my memory of transmutation magic was accurate, all these terrible weapons could be synthesized with an arcane symbol and a few magic words.


    Blinking the images of potential futures away, I refocused my young eyes on the slip of parchment in front of me. The structural compound for sarin was offensively simple, so there was plenty of space left on the paper for me to draw another compound.


    I held my pen back, however. The reality of the terrible tools I could create with a few chemicals and a few magic words had put me in a contemplative mood. I placed the cap back on the fountain pen and hoisted my infant body into a seated position.


    Two lines of text and two hexagonal drawings had been written upon the parchment. I crossed my arms in front of me, closed my eyes, and wondered how my parents would react if I were to show them this piece of paper. By showing this, I would be skirting the line between precocious genius and demon-possessed baby in their minds.


    The lines of text were explainable as mimicry. My caretakers would assume that I had seen the words and written them down without knowing what they meant. In fact, that was exactly what I had done. This course of action would also be the quickest way for me to learn what those words meant. An adult would surely read the text out loud if they saw it.


    Developmentally speaking, however, a child wouldn¡¯t start doodling until they were at least a year old. I would be about six months early. To a developmental specialist, this behavior would be strange to say the least.


    With those thoughts in mind, I decided to hide the parchment for the time being. I would just have to come back and decipher the words on the page once I had learned the alphabet.


    I carefully slid the piece of paper behind the cover of the most boring-looking book I could find on the bottom shelf. Once I had finally managed to return the book to its shelf, I sat back and stared at the capped pen I held in my hand like a highly valued treasure.

 Glossary - [First 20 Chapters]

    Characters


    Beck Blackstone: Bully of Thale Feldrast.


    Josiah Canopus: Favored knight of Lord Riomed Koravin.


    Armond Feldrast: Current Count of the Realm of Northwind and father of Thale Feldrast.


    Bernadetta Feldrast: Younger sister of Thale Feldrast.


    Merrick Feldrast: Brother of Thale Feldrast.


    Solana Feldrast: Older sister of Thale Feldrast.


    Tabitha Sellack Feldrast: Mother of Thale Feldrast and wife of Count Armond Feldrast.


    Thale Feldrast: The protagonist and point-of-view character of the Heir Apparent.


    Walter Goldshod: Favored knight of Count Armond Feldrast.


    Nina Koravin: Only daughter of Lord Riomed Koravin.


    Riomed Koravin: Current Lord of Sableton.


    Melissa Thorn: Maid within the Feldrast household.


    Eadric Vanta: Knight of Count Armond Feldrast.


    Places


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Barren Wastes: The frozen wasteland to the north of the Northern Realms. The outlanders, a group of largely non-aligned tribal barbarians, live in the Barren Wastes. In years of particularly cold winters, the outlanders are forced by factors outside of their control to raid and pillage settlements in the Kingdom of Etronia.


    Kingdom of Etronia: The kingdom that dominates the northern half of the continent of Rubigo. The Northern Realms are a collection of fiefdoms within Etronia. Power is maintained in this kingdom by various congenital Talents that are passed down by blood. [Hellfire] is the congenital Talent that allows the Feldrasts and other noble families within the Northern Realms to maintain their power base.


    Northern Realms: The collection of fiefs in the Kingdom of Etronia that border the Barren Wastes. These realms bear the responsibility of protecting the rest of Etronia from outlander incursions. The people of these realms rely on the [Hellfire] Talent for warmth in the winter and protection when it is necessary. The Northern Realms are relatively poor compared to the rest of the Kingdom of Etronia due to the short growing season and dangerous surroundings.


    Realm of Northwind: The realm governed by House Feldrast. The capital city, Northwind, is a frequently used pit stop for those who wish to venture into the Barren Wastes. There are only three settlements worth mentioning in the Realm of Northwind: Sableton, Cairnhollow, and Northwind. About forty thousand people live in the Realm of Northwind, and more than half of them live in the three major settlements. The rest live in small unnamed communities that dot the roads between the three cities.


    Town of Sableton: A small town within the Realm of Northwind. The town is officially governed by Lord Riomed Koravin, though his role is mostly advisory in practice due to the fact that the current Count of Northwind permanently resides in Sableton.


    City of Etron: The capital city of the Kingdom of Etronia. This city is named after the great hero Etron, who fought to save the world of Ferrum during the Great Calamity more than six hundred years ago. The royal family of Etronia are descendants of this hero, and their congenital Talent was inherited from him. It is said that the Talent commanded by the royal family is the only Noble Talent stronger than [Hellfire].

 Chapter 6 - [Lord Riomed Koravin]

    With capped pen in hand, I started to move away from the shelf. I would have left the library without incident, but I saw a certain symbol out of the corner of my eye. It caught my attention, so I turned my head in its direction. I recognized it from [Ferrum Online]. The symbol was that of an equilateral triangle inside of a circle.


    As with all magic, the arcane circle was the building block of transmutation. This magic circle would be used for a three-point reaction wherein the elements involved would be denoted at each angle of the triangle.


    I quickly withdrew the book on transmutation magic out of its alcove on the shelf. There were two types of magic that I wanted to learn first, and transmutation was one of them. Once I had managed to get my small arms around the book¡¯s leather cover, I realized that the huge tome was almost as big as me. I considered opening the book and trying to read its contents, but I knew it would be pointless. I still knew nothing about the written form of Common.


    Just then, I heard frantic footsteps coming from the hallway. The sound was coming from the opposite direction of the way Melissa had gone, so I knew she hadn¡¯t turned around.


    The adventure was over, it would seem. It was time for me to once more play my part in the great play of Ferrum.


    Preparing to re-enter my perpetual confinement, I gripped the transmutation textbook and fountain pen tightly in my hands as I rolled onto my side, mimicking a clumsy baby. A moment later, Tabitha threw open the door to the library and looked inside. In the center of the library, I was innocently rolling around on the ground.


    ¡°Oh, there you are, Thale!¡± Tabitha Feldrast said with relief in her voice. ¡°I was worried about you.¡±


    My mother easily lifted me in her arms. I kept a tight grip on the spoils of my adventure, and they came with me as I rose into the air.


    ¡°What¡¯s that you¡¯re holding, Thale?¡± Tabitha Feldrast asked. After a moment, she lifted the book from my hands and read the title aloud. ¡°Introduction to Transmutation Magic? Oh, I see. You¡¯re a little mage, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    As she spoke, we walked through the hallway. By the time she was done speaking, we had reached the main foyer. It would have taken me four times as long to travel the same distance.


    I felt my lips curl into a grin as I thought of the library and all the knowledge contained within. Once I learned to read, I would decipher all the information on magic held in that library. My journey to defeat Lothar could start much earlier than I expected due to this treasure trove of information that was so close at hand.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    At the top of the stairs, my mother¡¯s pace suddenly stopped, and she looked down at me with shock on her face. After a moment, the shock transformed into glee.


    ¡°Thale! You¡¯re smiling! How wonderful!¡± Tabitha Feldrast said with a broad smile. She quickly descended the stairs while using her other hand to move the hem of her skirt out of the way of her feet. ¡°Everyone! I''ve found Thale! He¡¯s okay!¡±


    Within less than a minute, everyone residing permanently in the Feldrasts¡¯ home arrived in the main foyer. The maid, the guard, my two sisters, my mother, and I gathered within the front room of our house. All told, there were six people within the foyer, yet the room still seemed to be sparsely populated.


    All the adults in the room seemed tired but relieved that I had been found. It wouldn¡¯t have been good if they had lost the next Count of Northwind less than a year after his birth.


    ¡°Was Thale in danger?¡± Miriam asked, her wide red eyes fixed on me.


    ¡°No, no, not at all,¡± Armond said as he patted Miriam on the head. ¡°We just lost track of him for a few minutes. It¡¯s fine. Babies do that sometimes.¡±


    As he was talking, Armond snuck a worried glance at his wife out of the corner of his eye. He seemed concerned that she would blame him for my disappearance.


    ¡°Guess what, dear!¡± Tabitha said happily. ¡°When I read the title of this book out loud, Thale smiled!¡±


    Armond¡¯s expression perked up. ¡°That¡¯s great news! I was worried that he would never smile.¡±


    Hold on. I hadn¡¯t been smiling? Crap, that was an oversight on my part. I hadn¡¯t been a particularly ¡°smiley¡± person in my past life, and I had forgotten to fake one every so often. As I looked between my two parents, I could tell that it had been a significant source of stress for the two of them. They must have been concerned that I had a developmental disorder.


    ¡°How about it? Can you smile for daddy?¡± Armond said soothingly to me as he moved his face within a meter of mine.


    I moved my lips into a smile, though I could tell the smile didn¡¯t reach my eyes. I had never been much of an actor. I was great at hiding my emotions, but I was terrible at faking them.


    My father smiled back at me. It seemed as though he was about to say something, but he was interrupted by the sound of knocking coming from the front door.


    Sir Walter placed a hand casually on the scabbard of his sword as he walked over to the door. The guard peered out through the small glass pane built into the door before turning back to us and saying, ¡°The honorable Lord Riomed Koravin has arrived, though he doesn¡¯t have an appointment. Should I let him in?¡±


    ¡°Of course you should let him in,¡± Count Armond said with a faint hint of annoyance in his voice. ¡°He¡¯s a friend, and it¡¯s freezing out there.¡±


    Walter opened the door, allowing Lord Riomed Koravin into our home. His was a name I recognized from [Ferrum Online], but I knew more information about the baby he carried in his hands: Nina Koravin. Though, in [Ferrum Online], she was better known as Nina Feldrast, Countess of Northwind and wife of Thale Feldrast.

 Chapter 7 - [Sickly]

    Lord Koravin had short blonde hair and light hazel eyes. He wore an ornate fur coat that was covered with a light dusting of white snow. A sword was strapped to his belt, and he gently carried a small bundle in his hands. Based on the design of the sword, I knew that it had been magically enchanted to a significant extent. Something like that would cost about 500 Etronian gold coins, the average yearly income of 50 normal people.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Riomed!¡± Armond Feldrast said happily. ¡°It must have been freezing out there. Here, let me help you heat up.¡±


    Armond pointed a single gloved finger straight up into the air, and a flame appeared a few centimeters in front of it. He summoned a Hellfire spark with such ease. If I had tried to do the same thing, it would give me a headache for several minutes. Count Armond Feldrast walked up to Lord Riomed Koravin and held the flame such that they could both feel the heat.


    ¡°Thank you, Armond,¡± Riomed said, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m here to present the next Lady of Sableton.¡± Though Riomed¡¯s words had a formal diction, he delivered his words with the cadence of familiarity. Clearly, he just wanted to show his daughter off to an old friend.


    I knew a lot about Lord Riomed Koravin, because he was still alive by the beginning of [Ferrum Online]. Lord Koravin was the leader of Sableton and a level 40 Magic Knight. Once the original Thale Feldrast had taken control of the Northern Realms, Riomed Koravin led the rebellion. He was also the first named NPC to be killed by Hellfire.


    Lord Koravin pulled back some of the fabric to reveal an infant¡¯s face. The child couldn¡¯t be more than two weeks old. Her eyes were closed, and a few strands of blonde hair had already started growing on her scalp. Her skin was pale, and she was shivering slightly.


    [Observe, level 5]


    Name: Nina Koravin


    Class: None


    HP: 1


    MP: 1


    Fortitude: 1


    Strength: 1


    Agility: 1


    Intelligence: 1


    Willpower: 1


    Charisma: 1


    Talents: [Lie Detection], [Doppelganger]


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    Wow, her Talents were almost as powerful as my own. There were two Talents in Ferrum that altered everyone¡¯s behavior: [Observe] and [Lie Detection]. When activated, [Lie Detection] would allow the user to know when someone has told a lie, unless the liar had a ward or magic item specifically against it.


    Whereas most nobles wore a Ring of Mind-Shielding that prevented their minds from being targeted by [Observe] and other forms of mind magic, most did not wear the ¡°Liar¡¯s Ring,¡± because wearing one meant you intended to lie. To adapt to [Lie Detection], most nobles merely wouldn¡¯t lie. Naturally, the nobles of Ferrum found plenty of other ways to be deceitful.


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Armond said. He directed his next sentence to Nina. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll be working with you when your dad kicks the bucket in twenty years.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Riomed interjected with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m still four years younger than you. What makes you think you¡¯ll outlive me?¡±


    ¡°We Feldrasts are favored by the Goddess; She would never allow for me to suffer an early death,¡± Armond said with an impish smile.


    Everyone in the room was silent for several seconds before Lord Riomed Koravin exploded into raucous laughter. Walter and Melissa looked on in confusion, and Tabitha lightly swatted him on the arm, though she was grinning slightly.


    Wiping tears away, Riomed said, ¡°You know, Armond. Blasphemy is still frowned upon, even in the Northern Realms.¡±


    Even though his words implied a harsh rebuke, Riomed¡¯s tone made it clear that he fully supported and enjoyed Armond¡¯s joke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Miriam said with a frown. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    Armond¡¯s expression suddenly tightened up as if he had just been caught telling a dirty joke in front of a child. ¡°Well¡­ uh¡­ I¡¯ll explain it to you when you¡¯re a bit older, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Miriam said with a smile.


    <hr>


    Months passed.


    Melissa and my mother started reading Introduction to Transmutation Magic to me when I sat in my crib. Through various happy and sad intonations, I was able to convince Melissa to hold me on her lap when she read the book to me. With that, I began to slowly gather information on the written form of Common.


    The process was somewhat slow due to two factors. The Common alphabet was phonetic, unlike English. The unfamiliarity of the language slowed me down. A certain letter always mapped on to a certain sound. For example, my first name, Thale, was written with only three letters: ??? or Th-ae-l.


    The other factor slowing my progress was sickness. Less than two weeks after Lord Koravin¡¯s visit, I came down with a fever. It became very difficult for me to move while I was sick, and the racking cough I had developed caused me to occasionally cough up blood.


    Based on the symptoms, I knew that this wasn¡¯t some deadly disease that I had contracted. The problem wasn¡¯t the disease, it was the Trait I had gained at birth: [Sickly].


    [Sickly] is a highly detrimental Trait that prevents the person afflicted from developing their body to any significant extent. [Sickly], like the less detrimental Trait [Frail], causes all the afflicted person¡¯s physical stats to be halved. In addition, [Sickly] also doubles the harmful effects any diseases, maladies, infections, poisons, or venoms have on the afflicted person.


    That Trait was my biggest problem. [Sickly] was a significant detriment to any character in [Ferrum Online], and it was next to impossible to remove. It wasn¡¯t an illness. It was a mere quantification of my own weak body.


    I knew of one solution to my [Sickly] Trait. The original Thale Feldrast had solved the problem of his weak body by transforming himself into an undead. He had figured out a method of retaining his intelligence as a magically animated zombie, though it left much to be desired. He had turned himself into a lich, and he could only retain his intellect if he consumed an innocent soul once every ten days.


    Needless to say, I would need to think of a different solution.

 Chapter 8 - [Lothar, the God of Judgment]

    The illness finally passed after more than two months. Once it was gone, the constant sense of exhaustion and occasional bout of pain did not subside. It didn¡¯t kill me, but it certainly didn¡¯t make me any stronger. At times, the only thing preventing me from taking drastic action was the knowledge that Thale Feldrast survived to adulthood.


    By the point that I had come down with the illness, I hadn¡¯t done anything that the original wouldn¡¯t have done. If the illness was truly lethal, then the original Thale Feldrast would have died before the game started.


    I was soon able to stand and walk around on my own, though the process was very tiring. If I were to walk from one side of Feldrast Manor to the other, I would be out of breath by the time I reached my destination.


    Between bouts of illness and thousands of other events I had to deal with, I had learned to read Common just before my second birthday.


    [Observe Lvl. 5 ¡ú Lvl. 7]


    Most of my early childhood passed like that. I spent several years voraciously poring through the books in the library, practicing basic transmutation magic, and sitting through boring lessons on etiquette with my mother and diplomacy with my father. Though I resisted mightily, the lessons sank in, and I soon found myself always eating with the right fork and bowing when dictated by custom. Something about the child¡¯s brain I inhabited caused the noble education to really stick.


    Soon after my fifth birthday, I was forced to go to school with other wealthy children in the town. I was able to alleviate my boredom somewhat by advancing through the curriculum as fast as possible. Within a year, I had convinced the teachers and my parents to advance me up to the 5<sup>th</sup> year of education, which meant I was halfway done with that pointless Medieval curriculum they were determined to put me through.


    Through all of this, the memory of the two lines and structural formulae written on a scrap of paper faded. It was only when, soon after my sixth birthday, my family was just about to leave on a trip outside of town that I remembered to check that book once more.


    Spring, 621 CA


    It was the morning of a big day, and the other residents of Feldrast Manor were frantic with preparation. Armond was looking over the legal documents to make sure everything was in order, Melissa and my two sisters were loading the carriages, Walter was looking after the horses, and my mother was busy watching the fourth and final Feldrast child. He was too young to go on the trip, so he and my mother would stay behind.


    Everyone was busy, so there was no one to stop me from wandering around the manor. I immediately walked over to the library in my small formal attire and specially made cane that I had to lean against when I stood for too long. The clothes they had jammed me in made me look like a miniature version of my father.


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    Once I had arrived at the library, I immediately looked for the book in which I had hidden the drawings I had made more than a year before. Now that I could read the book, I knew that its title was History of Foreign Influence in Yomotsu.


    The book could be pertinent at some point, I thought. I suspected that my journey would eventually take me to Yomotsu, though it was on the other side of the world. The trip to Yomotsu from the Northern Realms was incredibly dangerous, and it would take several months to make it there even if everything went well.


    I slipped the piece of parchment out of the book¡¯s cover. Those two lines of text were still written at the top of the page. Slowly, letter by letter, I translated the runes into their approximate English equivalents and wrote the letters down with the fountain pen I produced from my pocket. I had maintained a death grip on the pen for long enough that my parents just let me keep it. Sorry, Walter. Once I was done transcribing, I moved my head back from where I had placed the parchment on the ground and read the sounds out loud.


    ??????? ?? (skydda henne)


    ???? (behaga)


    ¡°Protect her, please,¡± I said out loud in Common. My own voice surprised me. Though the voice had the pitch of a young child, it carried the tone and cadence of an adult.


    I briefly considered the implications of the words as I hid the scrap paper back in its original hiding place. The voice spoke to me the first time I had seen Miriam. My first guess would be that ¡°her¡± meant Miriam in this context, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. I had already met five people who ¡°her¡± could potentially refer to.


    Soon after, I returned to the entrance foyer with a book under my arm. It was called the Tale of Lothar the God of Judgment. The book had many colorful pictures and little information.


    There was no one in the foyer when I arrived, so I just sat on the ground and waited. I looked around the large red room and noticed that someone had installed a large mirror since the last time I had been there.


    In the mirror, I saw a rather severe looking child. Cold, intelligent red eyes looked back at me. Perhaps it was because I knew an adult¡¯s mind resided behind those eyes, but I got the sense that the toddler was inspecting me, collecting information and looking for anything he could use to his advantage. No matter how much I tried to conceal it, my true nature could be seen in my eyes.


    [Observe, Lvl. 6]


    Name: Thale Feldrast


    Class: Noble


    Level: 3


    HP: 4 (2+2d6-6)


    MP: 94 (14+2d10+8+60)


    Fortitude: 3


    Strength: 2


    Agility: 3


    Intelligence: 18


    Willpower: 15


    Charisma: 10


    Talents: [Hellfire], [Observe]


    There it was: my second biggest problem. I had been aware of my unnaturally high MP, [Intelligence], and [Willpower] for about a year by that point. On my tenth birthday in about four years, a mage was going to show up and use [Observe] on me unless I did something to stop it. My Talents would be revealed, but so would my [Intelligence] and [Willpower]. These stats were incredibly high for a fully grown adult, let alone a ten-year-old.


    I shook my head to free myself of those thoughts as Melissa and Walter arrived in the foyer. I had more than five years to solve the problem. Everyone who lived in Feldrast Manor had arrived in the foyer within a few minutes.


    ¡°Okay, everyone,¡± Armond said as he entered the foyer. ¡°Everything¡¯s ready. We¡¯re off to Etron.¡±

 Chapter 9 - [The Kings Executioner]

    Within minutes, I was sitting in a carriage with Armond, Solana, and Miriam. The carriage was enclosed, and there was just enough space inside for four people to sit alongside their luggage. Walter and Melissa sat in the box seat at the front of the carriage, and Walter held the horses¡¯ reins.


    A single rider rode next to the carriage. Atop the horse was a knight who I didn¡¯t recognize. He wore chainmail and a tabard bearing House Feldrast¡¯s family crest. The knight was young, but he seemed confident.


    Feldrast Manor was built on the outskirts of Sableton, the second biggest settlement in the Realm of Northwind. We had long left the city behind when Miriam asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t Mom coming with us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Mir,¡± Armond said with a smile. ¡°She¡¯s watching Merrick right now, so she can¡¯t make the trip.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think the King wants to see you, Dad?¡± Solana asked directly.


    ¡°Uh¡­ well¡­¡± Armond tried to hide his true feelings with a smile, but his face told a tale of barely suppressed fear. ¡°Officially, the King has requested that I attend court in my capacity as the King¡¯s Executioner, though I suspect he really wants to check on the status of the [Hellfire] Talent.¡±


    ¡°Uh, Dad?¡± Solana tilted her head. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Executioner? Like the guy who wears a hood at hangings?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Armond chuckled lightly. ¡°The King¡¯s Executioner is a bit different from a normal executioner. Anyway, I¡¯m sorry. I forgot who I was talking to. I¡¯ll try to put it into simpler terms. Basically, I think he wants to see the three of you.¡±


    ¡°Us?¡± Miriam looked terrified. ¡°Why would¡­?¡±


    Suddenly, the carriage came to a lurching stop.


    ¡°Sir,¡± the knight riding next to the carriage began to shout, ¡°we¡¯re being¡­!¡± The man¡¯s shouted sentence ended in a rasping gurgle as some fast projectile impacted against his chest, and he fell off his horse.


    I heard several projectiles impact against the roof of the carriage. From outside came the sound of dozens of horses galloping and several swords being drawn from their sheaths. Fear gripped my heart as I realized we were surrounded by dozens of well-armed men. It was much too early! I couldn''t do anything to stop them at my age!


    ¡°Outlanders!¡± Walter shouted from the front seat where we couldn¡¯t see him. As he said this one word, the sound of him drawing his sword from its scabbard rang out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Armond said firmly. ¡°Stay and protect the children. I¡¯ll deal with them.¡±


    As Count Armond Feldrast spoke, the light within the carriage suddenly became significantly brighter. In the corner of the inside of the carriage was a spherical brazier. I realized that a mote of Hellfire must have been contained within the brazier, and it was reacting to Armond¡¯s rage.


    I looked into my father¡¯s red eyes, and his expression terrified me. The affable man who had been sitting there a moment ago was gone, replaced by this manifestation of cold rage. Fire burned behind my father¡¯s eyes, and the thin veneer holding it back was starting to chip.


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    The door to the carriage opened, and Armond stepped out. The laughter of barbarians from the Barren Wastes heralded Count Armond¡¯s departure. Upon seeing a noble exiting from the carriage, they halted their attack.


    ¡°Giving up already, nobleman?¡± asked one of the outlanders. He spoke with a heavy accent and carried a large two-handed axe against one of his shoulders. This outlander seemed to be the leader. He dismounted from his horse and stepped up to Armond Feldrast.


    All told, there must have been about thirty outlanders in that group. Five stood in the back with their bows at the ready, ten had stayed atop their horses in a loose circle around the carriage, and the remaining fifteen stood between the carriage and archers with their weapons drawn.


    ¡°You dare attack me so close to my own home!?¡± Armond shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°My children are with me, you Nyx-damned savages!¡±


    ¡°Nobles always act like they¡¯re untouchable until¡­¡± the leader of the outlanders tried to say. Before he could reach the end of his sentence, he was engulfed in a twisting inferno. He didn¡¯t even have time to scream.


    ¡°Silence, cur!¡± Count Armond Feldrast spat as the leader¡¯s blackened corpse fell to the ground.


    In the same instant that he killed the leader, Armond had created three other Hellfire sparks. Two of the Hellfire sparks shot toward the carriage like arrows and morphed into a cyclone of flame. Starting at a point a few meters away from the carriage, a protective circle of Hellfire surrounded us.


    Solana got to her feet, and she took a few steps toward the cyclone of fire. She seemed to be intent on helping Armond in the fight. I knew the fire would not hurt her, but I was afraid that she could get hit by an arrow or cut by a sword.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I called out to Solana.


    ¡°He might need my help,¡± Solana said with tears in her eyes. She held her hand out, and - with great effort - she was able to create a Hellfire spark in the palm of her hand.


    ¡°He¡¯s okay,¡± I said, gesturing for her to look at the fight.


    A cyclone of flame like the one surrounding the carriage also surrounded Count Armond Feldrast. Dozens of arrows flew at him, but they were all burnt to cinders before they could reach their target.


    An outlander charged screaming toward my father with his sword raised. Count Armond Feldrast locked his red eyes upon the man for a second, and that was all it took. A Hellfire spark struck the man, and he burst into flames before he could get anywhere close to the cyclone.


    Several outlanders attempted to run away, but they were hunted down by viciously buzzing bolts of fire. An instant before they impacted, the Hellfire sparks expanded suddenly, creating a shockwave that killed the outlanders instantly.


    One of the outlanders that attacked my father was quite a bit larger than the others. He seemed to be more than eight feet tall, and he wielded a greataxe as a one-handed weapon. Armond hit this large man with a Hellfire spark directly, but it did not have the same effect as it did on the others.


    The large man existed at the center of a raging inferno for several seconds, and he emerged out the other end with severe burns. Any normal man would have been burned down to the bone by such a conflagration. The man was able to close to melee range with Armond, and he swung his greataxe hard at the Count.


    ¡°No!¡± Miriam shouted, covering her eyes.


    Armond jumped backwards away from the large man¡¯s strike, dodging it by a few centimeters. Armond¡¯s defensive cyclone of flame disappeared as he quickly converted that one Hellfire spark into a form with which he could use to attack. The bolt of Hellfire struck the large man in the chest. Less than a second later, two more bolts struck the man in the back. Armond had utilized some of the Hellfire sparks he had left on the battlefield to attack the man.


    The large man lurched forward with blood dripping out of his mouth and black scorch marks covering his body. Then, a Hellfire spark that had been used minutes before to incinerate a fleeing outlander flew at the large man and detonated against his skull. With a crash, the giant outlander fell to the ground, and the battle was over.

 Chapter 10 - [Lingering Morality]

    Dozens of charred corpses laid dead on the ground. Small brush fires had formed along the ground wherever the outlanders fell upon dry grass. Of the thirty outlanders who had been alive mere minutes before, only two still drew breath. Like hundreds of people before them, they were cut down by the King¡¯s Executioner.


    Two of the outlanders had fallen to their knees begging for their lives, and they were left intact. Four Hellfire sparks loomed over them malevolently. The Hellfire sparks occasionally twitched from side to side as if to tell the surviving outlanders that Armond could still control them. Two bolts of Hellfire swiftly circled the battlefield at a range of about twenty-five meters away from Armond.


    At the center of the scene of carnage was Count Armond Feldrast. He was breathing heavily from the exertion of the fight, and his sleeves had caught fire.


    Back in the carriage, Solana and Miriam were cheering. Miriam applauded, and Solana shouted in support.


    ¡°He did it!¡± Solana cried out as she fell back into her seat. ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried,¡± she said to Miriam and me. ¡°Outlanders are nothing compared to a noble.¡±


    ¡°I sure hope I can use [Hellfire] one day,¡± Miriam said in awe.


    As my two sisters spoke, my eyes were locked on the charred corpse that used to be the outlanders¡¯ leader. It was true what they said. A human killed by fire looked like an overcooked steak. Armond had burnt the leader so thoroughly that I could not make out any of the corpse¡¯s features. The hair, eyes, tongue, and skin had been completely burnt off. The only echo of humanity remaining in that corpse was its teeth. The blackened skull had opened in an approximation of a death wail, and I could see dozens of half-melted teeth within.


    On some level, I knew that such things happened all the time on Ferrum, but the lingering morality of my old life told me that it was wrong. No matter how just and righteous, no one man should have the power to incinerate thirty other humans with a thought.


    I looked down at my own small hands. That same power was engraved upon my flesh and bones. If I wanted to, I could kill a man just as easily, and one day, I would be forced to cross that line. I thought of the quest that was laid out in front of me, and I was very much aware that I could not complete it as a pacifist. I would have to kill, and I would have to become very good at it.


    Armond patted at his flaming arms with the indifference of a man who could not possibly be harmed by mundane fire. The flame slowly inched up his sleeve, revealing completely unharmed arms underneath.


    Melissa stepped toward the protective circle of fire surrounding the carriage. As she stepped forward, the flames parted just enough for her to step through. A moment after she had left the protective circle, the flames knitted back together into a single cohesive mass.


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    ¡°Aqua!¡± Melissa cried out once she had reached the Count.


    A ball of water appeared out of thin air within the palm of her hand. An instant after the water ball appeared, it flew forward and splashed lightly against one of Armond¡¯s arms. The fire on that arm began to sputter and fizzle as Armond rubbed the water into the few remaining embers that burnt upon his sleeves.


    ¡°Well done, Melissa,¡± Armond said with a smile. ¡°I see that you¡¯re keeping up with your magic lessons. It¡¯s only a matter of time before you¡¯ll be able to serve Northwind as a mage rather than¡­¡±


    There was a blur of movement from the direction of one of the surrendering outlanders which was immediately followed by a flash of bright light. It happened in an instant, and I wasn¡¯t looking in that direction at the time, so I didn¡¯t see what happened. When I looked at the injured outlander, however, I could make out what happened.


    One of the surviving outlanders was screaming and clutching the blackened remains of her hand. The woman¡¯s burnt hand had fused to the blade of a knife. The destroyed hand gripped the blade as if it was about to be thrown.


    Armond¡¯s expression instantaneously transformed from paternal pride to venomous disdain in an instant as he turned toward the female outlander. ¡°Fool!¡± Armond sneered. ¡°Do you still not know who I am?¡±


    As he spoke, Count Armond Feldrast walked up to the injured woman and lifted her to her feet by the collar.


    ¡°I d-don¡¯t know who you are,¡± the injured woman said with tears running down her face. ¡°That was Hellfire, right? Y-you¡¯re a noble of the Northern Realms, right? W-why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Why am I here!?¡± Armond shouted, offense clear in his voice. ¡°My home in Sableton is only a few miles away!¡± Armond pointed back in the direction we came from.


    ¡°Sableton?¡± the outlander said in shock. ¡°Y-you¡¯re him¡­ Armond Feldrast.¡±


    ¡°Now you understand the gravity of your sins,¡± Armond said a moment before he dropped the wounded woman to the ground. ¡°I am Count Armond Feldrast, the King¡¯s Executioner. I led the armies at Fulvang when we crushed the Rose Rebellion, and I am the one who forced the Red Hand Tribe out of the Northern Realms. I did all of this to assure a peaceful existence for the people of Northwind, yet you¡¯re here interfering with that peace.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry,¡± the outlander begged. ¡°We didn¡¯t know we were so far south. The ??? (kor) were slow to leave their hibernation, so we thought¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care why you¡¯re here,¡± Armond snarled. ¡°If I receive a single report of outlanders attacking the citizens of my realm, I will make the slaughter of Halvar¡¯s Pass look like a day at the park! Do you understand me!?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, sir,¡± the injured woman started to crawl backward. ¡°What are you going to do to us?¡± Terror was clear in her voice as she spoke.


    Armond took a few steps toward the outlander before tearing the knife out of her hand. She screamed in pain as the dead skin fused to the knife was torn away. ¡°To you? Nothing. I¡¯m letting you run away.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Shock appeared on the female outlander¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yes. You will go back to your tribe and tell them of what happened here. Take your destroyed hand back as evidence, and tell the others that the same will happen to them if they do not leave the Northern Realms immediately.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes sir,¡± the female outlander said, and she fled from the King¡¯s Executioner as fast as her legs could carry her.

 Chapter 11 - [Sableton]

    As the female outlander ran away, the other surviving outlander rose to his feet uncertainly.


    ¡°Not you,¡± Armond said as several Hellfire sparks converged upon the outlander. Armond¡¯s voice rang like a funeral bell as he spoke. ¡°I only need one person to deliver a message. You¡¯re my prisoner.¡±


    The circle of fire surrounding the carriage subsided at that point, and two Hellfire sparks zipped toward Armond. The fire was immediately reduced to embers once the Hellfire was retracted. The grass beneath the circle of fire had been burnt so thoroughly that the fire was not able to spread.


    Solana and Walter stamped at the remnants of the fire until the path between Armond and the carriage was completely free of embers. As they worked to put the fire out, I heard groaning emanate from the fallen knight.


    I climbed out of the carriage and knelt next to the man. An arrow was protruding from his chest. The chainmail had done little to stop the arrow, and it had pierced a few centimeters into his chest.


    My mind immediately went into triage mode. I looked closer at the wound, and I could still see a piece of the arrowhead sticking out from the man¡¯s chest. If my memory of the shape of the outlander¡¯s arrows was correct, the arrow hadn¡¯t penetrated deep enough to hit any of the man¡¯s internal organs. I suspected that the arrow must have hit the man¡¯s rib. He would survive the wound without medical attention as long as he didn''t get an infection.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother with me, little lord,¡± the injured knight said through a pained smile. ¡°Go be with your father.¡± Based on the man¡¯s tone, I could tell he thought he was going to die.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Solana and Miriam hugging my father.


    ¡°I knew you could do it!¡± Solana said happily.


    ¡°I was so scared!¡± Miriam said through tears.


    Walter began to approach the others, but I stopped him with a beckoning gesture. I shouted, ¡°He¡¯s alive!¡±


    <hr>


    Soon thereafter, we were back on our way to Sableton. The injured knight¡¯s horse fled once Armond started throwing fire around, so our convoy had two too many people to transport. By that point, we were less than an hour outside of Sableton, so we were able to return to the city within a few hours.


    Walter walked outside of the carriage with the prisoner whose hands were bound by a rope. The prisoner¡¯s battleaxe and knife were stored inside of the carriage with the other luggage. The injured knight was slumped against one of the seats, clasping a rag to his wound. Count Armond Feldrast had taken the reins, and he was the one who led us back into town. Four Hellfire sparks trailed behind the carriage like lanterns hanging from a boat at night. They would twitch occasionally whenever Armond had to alter their trajectory.


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    The amount of mental acuity it must have taken to do that astounded me. I had spent much of the past few years experimenting with my [Hellfire] Talent, and I could just barely control two Hellfire sparks at once. Simultaneously controlling four Hellfire sparks while still being able to drive a carriage must have required an unparalleled level of focus.


    When we eventually arrived back in Sableton, the commoners who saw the carriage slowly approach started to whisper conspiratorially to one another. A Count driving his own carriage was improper, and the Hellfire sparks trailing behind suggested a great danger.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Are we at war again?¡±


    The Count heard their words just as well as I did, and he shouted for anyone nearby to hear, ¡°Someone call the guards! We have a prisoner!¡±


    The prisoner was carried off to a jail cell, and the knight was brought to the local church. Not many people followed the teachings of Nyx in the Northern Realms, but there was still a small church in Sableton. The local church also functioned as a hospital of sorts. None of the clergy in Sableton were Priests, but they all tried to follow Nyx¡¯s teachings of non-violence and helping the sick.


    I soon found myself back in Feldrast Manor. Armond disappeared into his office with Lord Koravin and the leader of the town militia. I tried to eavesdrop on their conversation, but the door was closed. I could only hear the muffled sound of Armond occasionally shouting at the top of his lungs.


    Soon after Armond left his study, those of us who had been in the carriage when it was attacked met up back in the foyer.


    With great effort, Armond put on a cheerful smile before he said, ¡°Sorry, kids. There¡¯s been a change of plans. I¡¯ll go to the capital with Sir Walter, and you guys will stay here, under the protection of Lord Koravin.¡±


    ¡°Aww¡­¡± Solana complained. ¡°But I wanted to see the capital.¡±


    Count Armond knelt so that his head was at the same height as hers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sol. It¡¯s just that the roads are too dangerous right now. If we¡¯re attacked by stronger outlanders, I¡¯m not sure if I could protect you.¡±


    ¡°I can protect myself,¡± Solana pouted. She scrunched up her face, and a Hellfire spark appeared in her hand. ¡°See?¡±


    Armond laughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you can.¡±


    The Hellfire spark zipped into Armond¡¯s hand where it was promptly extinguished.


    ¡°Hey, no fair!¡± Solana said.


    ¡°Please just stay here with Melissa and run to Riomed¡¯s house if we¡¯re attacked, okay?¡±


    After a moment of hesitation, Solana sighed and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Miriam clung to Armond¡¯s leg and said, ¡°Won¡¯t the King be mad that we¡¯re not going?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Armond said with a tight smile. ¡°Unfortunately, he¡¯ll just have to learn to live with it.¡±


    Lastly, Armond turned to me, his oldest. ¡°Thale, you¡¯ll be the man of the house while I¡¯m gone. I need you to protect your mom and sisters while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    Ha, really funny. Though, Armond¡¯s words caused alarm bells to go off in my head. He was dead in 635 CA. I wondered if this trip to Etron was his cause of death. If he was to die on his trip to Etron, there was nothing I could do about it. I would just have to move my plans up very significantly.


    ¡°Yes, Dad,¡± was all I could say.


    By the time night fell, Armond and Walter had once again left Sableton.

 Chapter 12 - [The Key to Altering My Fate]

    One of the guards from Lord Koravin¡¯s retinue was assigned to guard Feldrast Manor. He had graying hair that stopped just before his shoulders, and an old, faded scar marked his cheek.


    I sat on the top step of the foyer, staring at the new guard. My chin rested on my hand as I racked my brain trying to remember where I had seen him before. I slapped my fist against the palm of my hand as I suddenly remembered.


    This man had appeared in the last cinematic of the players¡¯ first journey through the Northern Realms. The last time I had seen the man¡¯s face, he had interposed himself between Lord Riomed Koravin and the wrathful Count Thale Feldrast.


    The players had just escaped from Sableton and fled into the Barren Wastes when Count Thale Feldrast appeared at Lord Koravin¡¯s front door. In my memory, the man standing guard by the door charged at a young man with pale skin and glowing red eyes. The Count muttered an incantation, waved his staff, and the knight was blown aside by a monumental gust of wind.


    Lord Riomed Koravin raised his magic sword to strike at Count Thale Feldrast. The sword in Riomed¡¯s hand began to glow a vicious red, and he dropped it to the ground. The heat of the sword caused the wooden floor below to catch fire.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, old friend,¡± Count Thale Feldrast muttered quietly, ¡°but I must punish traitors.¡±


    Hellfire sprang from Count Thale Feldrast¡¯s hand, and Lord Riomed Koravin was reduced to a scorched husk.


    As Koravin Manor burned behind him, the Count stared maliciously at the snow-covered fields surrounding Sableton. He would kill the adventurers for forcing him to execute one of the few people he had ever liked, even if it was the last thing he ever did. Their deaths would not be as merciful as the one he had given the Lord of Sableton.


    My vision of a potential future ended. I was painfully aware that, if I did nothing to resist my fate, that was what I would become. It was time for me to grab the reins of fate and yank my path in a different direction. Deciding to put my plan into action, I descended the stairs and walked toward the guard standing watch.


    I pulled on his pant leg and, once I had caught his attention, I asked, ¡°Hey, mister. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The gruff older man tried to soften his features unsuccessfully when he said, ¡°I¡¯m Sir Josiah, my Lord.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Sir Josiah. I¡¯m Thale,¡± I said, reaching out my hand with a smile.


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    Josiah shook my hand and said, ¡°Very nice to meet you. I doubt I¡¯ll live long enough, but I hope to serve you one day.¡±


    You¡¯d be surprised, old man.


    ¡°The knight that was injured by the outlanders. What was his name?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sir Eadric Vanta, my Lord,¡± Sir Josiah said with a confused look on his face.


    I scrunched my face up in an approximation of worry. ¡°I¡¯m really worried for Sir Eadric. He was wounded protecting us, and he¡¯s alone right now in the church. Could you take me to see him?¡±


    Sir Josiah grimaced and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He scratched his face. ¡°My orders from Lord Koravin were to protect Feldrast Manor. I¡¯d be abandoning my post if I brought you to the church.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll just go by myself!¡±


    With no hesitation in my steps, I started marching toward the door.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Josiah shouted at me after I walked four steps. He groaned in annoyance and scratched his scalp in contemplation. He knew that, in order to stop me, he would have to physically restrain me. If my read on him was correct, Josiah wouldn¡¯t risk the potential retribution he could face from manhandling a noble child. Armond was already in a sour mood, after all.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Sir Josiah groaned. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the church. Just make sure we¡¯re back within an hour.¡±


    The walk to the church was about two hundred meters long. I had to stop a few times when I got out of breath. Despite this, it was good to get out of the house for once.


    The town of Sableton looked a lot better in person. The houses were built in a charming late-medieval style. The roofs were all slanted to prevent snow build up, and all the walls were thick to allow for additional insulation.


    The only things in Sableton that struck me as out of place were the lamp posts that lined the streets. Tall lamp posts on each side of the cobbled street projected light even during the day. I reached out mentally, and the feedback informed me that a spark of Hellfire burned at the top of every lamp post.


    When we reached the church, I immediately recognized it. A large building proudly displayed a winged staff symbol. I recognized this symbol as that of Nyx, the Medial of Healing. It was frequently used by people who believed Nyx to be the one true Goddess. Within the logic of Ferrum, however, that belief was provably false. Off the top of my head, I could think of five other entities who had just as much a claim to godhood as Nyx.


    In fact, the fans of [Ferrum Online] really didn¡¯t like to use the term ¡°god¡± when referring to entities like Nyx or Lothar. The term ¡°medial¡± was much more common on the forums. ¡°Medial¡± was used to describe entities that resisted classification. Though it would be incorrect to classify Nyx or Lothar as ¡°human¡± or any other mortal species that existed on Ferrum, it would also be incorrect to call them gods. By the end of a typical [Ferrum Online] campaign, Nyx would be dead. It seemed inaccurate to use the term ¡°god¡± to describe entities that could be killed so easily.


    Sir Josiah had already finished opening the large double doors to the church by the time I was done daydreaming. I really had to cut down on that. We walked in, and Josiah was able to quickly convince a nearby cleric to let us into the back.


    As Josiah spoke to the cleric, I reached into the alcove built into the back of one of the pews and removed a copy of the Book of Nyx. I couldn¡¯t stop a devilish grin from appearing on my face as I looked down at the book.


    In my hands, I held the key to altering my fate.

 Chapter 13 - [Healing Magic]

    Holding the Book of Nyx in my hands, I approached the cleric standing near the pulpit.


    ¡°Is it okay if I bring this book with me when I talk to Sir Eadric?¡± I asked in the most innocent, unassuming voice I could muster.


    The cleric, a balding man wearing a long black robe, reached down and patted me on the head as he said, ¡°Of course. It¡¯s never too early to begin your journey of faith.¡±


    The cleric¡¯s face betrayed a sense of pleased confusion. He had certainly never expected a Feldrast to step inside his church. The Church of Nyx was only able to operate within the Realm of Northwind because Armond was rather accepting of the Church as far as Feldrasts were concerned. Most other nobles of the Northern Realm had a burning hatred for the Church of Nyx, especially those with the [Hellfire] Talent.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said in a sing-song voice as I tucked the large book under my arm.


    Sir Josiah and I walked past the main congregation space of the church and entered the sick room. I produced a handkerchief from my pocket and held it over my face. It wouldn¡¯t be particularly effective at protecting me from airborne pathogens, but it was better than nothing.


    The sick room held rows upon rows of simple wooden beds. The wooden roof was low, and the room was dimly lit by two Hellfire lamps. There must have been about three dozen beds in that room, but only five were presently occupied. One of the patients was coughing heavily, and I made sure to stay as far away from him as possible.


    The patients were spread as far apart as possible. Even with their primitive understanding of medicine, they knew that sickness could spread from person to person. In fact, that was why the sick room existed in the first place. If those with respiratory illnesses were quarantined, fewer people would get sick. This was the extent of their medical knowledge, however. They still believed that most symptoms were merely an excess of certain humors in the blood.


    Sir Josiah pulled up two chairs for us to sit next to Sir Eadric¡¯s bed. I climbed up onto the chair and opened the Book of Nyx on my lap. With the Book used to hide my hands, I subtly pulled out a pen and a folded-up piece of parchment from my pocket.


    My eyes frantically scanned page after page of the Book of Nyx. I accidentally dropped my handkerchief to the floor in my haste. I knew that my behavior would seem incredibly strange to the two knights, but I was willing to risk raising their suspicion of me. One of the most useful tools in Ferrum was at my fingertips.


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    ¡°Hey, little lord,¡± Eadric said with a smile.


    ¡°The young master wanted to come down to pray for you,¡± Josiah said. ¡°I guess he¡¯s looking for the right prayer.¡± Josiah chuckled.


    Unlike other types of magic, the secrets to healing magic were all contained within the Book of Nyx. Healing magic was, without question, the easiest kind of magic to learn. Priests with sufficient faith and mercy would frequently unlock the power of healing magic with no outside tutelage. It was said that everything you needed to become a priest of Nyx was held within that book.


    Most people could not become priests, however, for one simple reason. Every act of violence, direct or indirect, permanently reduced someone¡¯s ability to utilize healing magic. Every person on Ferrum was born with 100 healing potential. Bruising someone reduced your healing potential by 10, maiming someone reduced it by 50, and killing someone reduced it by 100. There was no exception for self-defense, and there was no exception for childhood mistakes. Almost all children had squandered their healing potential before awakening to the System in their teenage years. Only saints and those raised in an incredibly secluded environment were able to maintain their healing potential for any significant amount of time.


    One day, I would have to kill. I knew that. At that point in my life, however, I knew that my healing potential was still at 100. This was the rare example where being an infant put me at an advantage.


    There were twelve forms of healing magic. On Ferrum, these were called the [Twelve Prayers]. Each [Prayer] did something different. For my purposes, I knew that I would only need the first three [Prayers].


    The Book of Nyx was split into twelve parts, and each part began with one of the [Twelve Prayers]. While Josiah and Eadric talked, I frantically scribbled down the first three [Prayers]. Each [Prayer] was about a line long, and my clumsy hands were still not used to writing in Common, so it took me a while to write down the three Prayers.


    Just as I was finishing writing down the [Third Prayer], Josiah stood up from his chair and said, ¡°Well, Thale. I think it¡¯s about time we head back. Your mother and sisters will start to get worried that I¡¯m not there.¡±


    I folded the paper back up and moved it back to my pocket using the Book of Nyx as cover. Hopefully, Nyx did not frown upon sleight of hand inside her places of worship.


    I climbed down off the chair and hobbled over to Sir Eadric. I placed my hand on his body and chanted, ¡°May Nyx heal your wound!¡±


    This was, of course, not one of the [Prayers].


    Eadric smiled genuinely and Josiah chuckled at my words.


    ¡°Thanks for caring,¡± Eadric said. ¡°It means a lot to me.¡±


    ¡°I need to look after you!¡± I said, injecting my words with a child¡¯s authenticity.


    Sir Josiah brought me back to Feldrast Manor. Luckily for him, no one had noticed his absence.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep our trip between the two of us, okay?¡± Josiah said, putting a finger to his lips.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, smiling and happily nodding my head up and down. I had gotten a bit better at faking the behavior of a child over the years.


    I was more than willing to keep Josiah¡¯s secret in return for the useful information I had acquired during our trip.

 Chapter 14 - [The Third Prayer]

    It took me two days to learn how to use healing magic. I decided to start off with the [Second Prayer], which was used to heal physical injuries. I intentionally burned myself on my own Hellfire, creating a small black circle on the center of my palm. If a normal person had grabbed a Hellfire spark, their whole hand would be destroyed.


    I focused on the burn in the center of my palm and recited the second line on my folded-up piece of paper. ¡°Those who do as the Goddess commands shall enjoy great rewards in the eternal kingdom of Elysium.¡±


    The incantation was a mouthful, and nothing happened to my burn. I must have recited the Prayer a hundred times. Each time, I said the Prayer in a different way, and I tried to exert my will just like I did when I lit or extinguished a Hellfire spark.


    After hours of effort, frustration started to take over. It was so easy when the priests in [Ferrum Online] used healing magic. They just recited the words, and their target would be healed. This was supposed to be the easiest kind of magic to learn. I had never heard of a priest having difficulty learning how to use healing magic. It always just came naturally to them.


    Perhaps, Nyx could tell that I was not a believer, I thought. I didn¡¯t believe that Nyx was a god; I knew too much about her true nature. Sure, she was certainly different from anything else in this universe, but a group of ten max level players could kill her without much difficulty.


    On the second day, I leaned against the wall of my room and decided to take a break. My crib had been replaced with a simple wooden bed, and a desk and chair had been set up against one of the walls.


    I thought about the words used in the [Second Prayer]. The sentiment was incredibly similar to the one in the Christian Bible. I thought about the nature of the afterlife as I said the words out loud contemplatively, ¡°Those who do as the Goddess commands shall enjoy great rewards in the eternal kingdom of Elysium.¡±


    Would I be welcomed into Elysium when I died? Unlikely. Nyx frowned highly upon any form of killing, and it seemed highly unlikely that I would be able to escape the mortal coil without getting my hands dirty.


    I remembered the facts of magic that I had learned all those years ago as Vinzadir the Necromancer in the Academy of Hinnom. What did the Rector say? ¡°Magic is the composed of two phases: Initiation and Expression.¡± That was it. Magic was Initiated in the core and Expressed in the lungs or hands.


    When I used [Hellfire], there was no Expression of any spell formula or incantation. It was all Initiation. When I sent mana out through my hands without Expression, it came out as fire. If a normal person were to Initiate but not Express, they would create a minor magical effect such as a weak light or force.


    That must have been my problem. I was so used to using [Hellfire] that I automatically sent my mana into my hands after Initiating the [Prayer]. I had to send the mana upward into my lungs and treat the words of the [Second Prayer] as the Expression of the mana.


    I took a deep breath, Initiating the [Prayer] and sending mana outward to my body¡¯s extremities and said, ¡°Those who do as the Goddess commands shall enjoy great rewards in the eternal kingdom of Elysium.¡±


    A warm feeling could be felt on the palm of my hand, and the burn mark there disappeared completely. It was like I blinked, and the burn was gone.


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    I smiled at the evidence of my advancement. Just like that, I became a priest.


    The next day, I was able to convince Sir Josiah to take me to see Sir Eadric once again. As we walked to the church, Josiah¡¯s expression was dour. He didn¡¯t need to say anything for me to know that something had gone wrong with Eadric.


    When we got to the sick room, Eadric¡¯s skin had become unnaturally pale, and unhealthy bags had formed under his eyes. Once we had reached the side of his bed, I could tell based on the smell that infection had set in. I didn¡¯t have to look beneath his bandages to know that his wound was gangrenous. The smell of dead flesh made it clear to me.


    I had to stop my anger from showing up on my face. Since the infection showed up so long after the initial injury, it must have been caused by the unsanitary conditions of his treatment. This never would have happened if whoever treated him had washed their hands and sterilized their bandages. It made me wonder how many people died each year because the physicians of this world didn¡¯t understand germ theory.


    ¡°Josiah,¡± Sir Eadric said with an angry look in his tired eyes. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have brought him here.¡±


    ¡°At least let him say goodbye,¡± Josiah said with a sad look in his eyes. ¡°You owe him that much.¡±


    ¡°A dying man is not a suitable sight for a child!¡± Eadric enunciated weakly.


    Josiah opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. ¡°Sir Josiah,¡± I said with a calm authority that was completely incongruous with my physical age. ¡°Could you please step outside for a moment? I wish to [Pray] for Sir Eadric.¡±


    A shocked expression appeared on Josiah¡¯s face, but years of mental conditioning caused him to follow the order given to him by a noble of higher social standing. ¡°Yes¡­ my Lord. I will give you some time to pray.¡±


    As Josiah left the sick room, I could tell that my statement had surprised the two knights. No normal six-year-old would speak with that tone of voice; even they knew that. I was willing to raise suspicion on myself at that moment, however. If it meant saving a life, I would reveal my true nature to those two knights.


    Allowing my natural scowl to replace the blank childlike stare that I had adopted for the past several years, I looked at the injured man in front of me.


    ¡°I understand if you¡¯re angry with me, Thale,¡± Eadric chuckled weakly. He seemed to interpret my expression as a child¡¯s anger. ¡°I couldn¡¯t protect your family. Your father was forced to fight the outlanders all by himself. I-I¡¯m a failure, and I¡¯m going to die a failure.¡± Tears started to stream down his face as he spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry,¡± I said evenly. ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    Weakly but without hesitation, Eadric moved arm toward me, and I grabbed him by the wrist.


    ¡°Please tell no one of what¡¯s about to happen,¡± I said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Eadric asked.


    I didn¡¯t answer his question. Instead, I started to speak the [Third Prayer], which was used to remove infection. ¡°Do not seek revenge against your own people, and love your neighbor as yourself.¡±


    The [Third Prayer] was the Expression through which my mana took form in the real world. It felt as if I was pouring my willpower into a hole, and I stopped once that hole was filled.


    ¡°Did you just¡­?¡± Eadric asked once more. His eyes lit up, and a smile creased his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet,¡± I said, clearing my throat. I recited the words to the [Second Prayer]. ¡°Those who do as the Goddess commands shall enjoy great rewards in the eternal kingdom of Elysium.¡±


    Once I was done, a twinge of pain appeared just behind my eyes. The two Prayers must have used up most of my mana. I stumbled backward a step and pinched the bridge of my nose between two fingers.


    Sir Eadric suddenly sat up in his bed. A moment ago, he had one foot in the grave. At that moment, however, he looked like he could immediately get out of bed and run a marathon.


    He jumped out of bed wearing only his underwear and bandages, saying, ¡°It¡¯s a miracle! I¡¯m cured!¡±


    I silently looked him directly in the eyes and put a finger over my own lips.


    Without hesitation, Sir Eadric dropped to one knee and said, ¡°You have saved my life and thus have my eternal loyalty. Upon my honor as a knight, I will keep your secret until the day I die.¡±


    I let out a sigh of relief. At least I could trust him to keep his mouth shut.

 Chapter 15 - [The Next Few Years]

    Months passed.


    [Observe Lvl. 7 ¡ú Lvl. 8]


    My father returned from the capital two months later. He was uninjured, though he did not want to talk about his meeting with the King.


    Soon after Armond returned from the capital, Merrick was allowed to roam free around the house. Unlike me, he was born healthy, and his mobility was not hampered by a frail body. After undergoing a few tests, I determined that Merrick was a normal child who was not an adult reincarnated into the body of an infant.


    There was something special about Merrick Feldrast: he was one of the main characters of [Ferrum Online].


    There were four ¡°backgrounds¡± you could choose when you made a character. If you chose the Noble background when creating your character, you would play as the youngest son or daughter of the Feldrast family.


    In the novelization of [Ferrum Online] released eight years after its launch, the Noble character was given the name ¡°Merrick Feldrast.¡± He - along with the Outlander, Merchant, and Farmer - went on a world-spanning adventure that took them to all three continents of Ferrum and took three novels to complete. I heard some of my friends talk about the novels a few times, so I knew how Merrick¡¯s story ended. After a harrowing battle, Merrick Feldrast slew his brother with a blade blessed by Nyx herself and became the new Count of Northwind.


    If I could manage to prevent him from becoming my enemy, I knew that Merrick Feldrast would become a great ally in the coming years. His birth, ultimately, was uneventful, and nothing significant happened for several more years.


    Soon after my seventh birthday, Miriam underwent the Ceremony of Observation. Though the Observer noted that she had prodigious [Willpower] and above average [Intelligence] for her age, she did not have a Talent. About 50% of commoners and 25% of nobles were born without a Talent. Miriam put on a brave face, and Armond demanded the Observer check again. Almost as an afterthought, the Observer mentioned that Miriam¡¯s healing potential was still at 100.


    When she didn¡¯t think anyone could hear her, Miriam cried herself to sleep.


    I lived at Feldrast Manor without incident for the next few years. In this time period, I learned basic sorcery and transmutation magic using the books in the library, mastered my use of Hellfire, and wrote down my plans to save the world.


    Spring, 625 CA


    It was almost my tenth birthday. I had grown significantly and gained much more freedom of movement, but the frailty of my body was still a problem.


    I walked alone through the forest near Sableton, leaning on a cane and panting in exertion. I wasn¡¯t injured anywhere, but I needed to use a cane if I was going to remain standing for more than ten minutes. The little outpost I had built in the woods was less than 200 meters away from Feldrast Manor, but it felt like I was running a marathon whenever I made the trip.


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    As I walked, I thought of the Ceremony of Observation that I would be soon undertaking. The results of the Ceremony would certainly be non-standard, but I had spent the past few years subtly hinting that I was not a normal child. I had allowed my speech patterns to slowly shift back to their natural state, and I had graduated from Ferrum¡¯s version of ¡°high school¡± when I was just seven years old.


    I passed a slow-moving creek as I walked. I looked at my reflection and was deeply unsettled at what I saw. Every time I looked into the mirror, the person looking back at me more closely resembled the man who destroyed the minds of thousands of innocent soldiers and killed his own sister in cold blood.


    [Observe, Lvl. 7]


    Name: Thale Feldrast


    Class: Priest


    Level: 5


    HP: 13 (5+4d8-12)


    MP: 214 (14+4+16+180)


    Fortitude: 4


    Strength: 3


    Agility: 4


    Intelligence: 18


    Willpower: 15


    Talents: [Hellfire], [Observe]


    Healing Potential: 100


    My physical stats were still lousy, but my MP was certainly impressive. During my significant experimentation with Hellfire, transmutation magic, and elemental magic, I had exhausted my mana every few days. Among the players of [Ferrum Online], this was called mana training. Any person on Ferrum could get their mana reserve into the triple digits if they were to undergo Mana Training for a year. This was why just about every noble in [Ferrum Online] had between 100 and 120 MP.


    I knew my MP would reach 100, but I was surprised that I had broken 200. Usually, Mana Training started to have diminishing returns once you reached 80 MP. I had nearly reached 250 MP without utilizing any other more complicated and expensive methods. I suspected that this was due to my early start. I had started experimenting with Hellfire before I was a year old, so I probably benefited from the neuroplasticity of my infant brain.


    When I used [Observe] on myself, the result of my mana training was quantified far to the right of my MP score. The bonus was listed at +180, which would be added in addition to the mana bonus I received from any [Class] levels. Though 180 mana wasn¡¯t enough to cast late-game spells, it represented an early advantage that would help me later.


    On the side of the road was a small wooden sign which had a message written on its side in a clumsy child¡¯s handwriting. ¡°Upon order of Thale Feldrast, this area is off limits!¡±


    ???? ???? ?? ??? ???????? (fuljand befaln av Thale Feldrast)


    ??? ???? ?? ?? ?????? (detta omrad vara bort grans)


    When I had set that sign up more than a year ago, I had hoped that it would prevent any commoners from accidentally finding my hideout. I knew that the commoners of Sableton wouldn¡¯t do anything to catch the ire of a noble, even one that was nine years old.


    All the sign did, ultimately, was cause Nina Koravin to start showing up at my hideout. She would frequently sit around and try to talk to me while I was doing research into transmutation magic. It was particularly annoying, though I wasn¡¯t completely unsympathetic.


    The rules of propriety cut both nobles and commoners alike. Nina and I were ¡°high nobles,¡± meaning we were within the line of succession of a landed title. It would be improper for either of us to hang out socially with children of a lower social class. There were only nine high nobles in Sableton. In a very real way, Nina was the only kid my own age that I was allowed to hang out with. It was no wonder why the original Thale ended up marrying her. She must have been his only friend.


    I arrived at my hideout with another book under my arm. As expected, Nina Koravin was waiting for me with her back to the hideout and her head pointed down at the pages of one of my books.

 Chapter 16 - [The Hideout]

    Nina Feldrast had blonde hair just like her father, and her hazel eyes were so bright that they almost seemed to be the same color as her hair. Her back was to a small stone structure that I had built using transmutation magic more than a year before. I didn¡¯t understand the mechanics of hinges well enough to make a door out of stone, so the entrance to the hideout was an empty threshold.


    Considering that it was built by an eight-year-old, I¡¯d say the hideout was relatively high-quality. It was five meters from end to end, and the ceiling was two meters off the ground. It was more than big enough for two children and the significant amount of equipment I kept stored there. The structure had thin empty windows that were enough for ventilation but not enough to let the cold air in. In the winter, I kept a Hellfire spark permanently burning off to one corner for warmth.


    ¡°Nina¡­¡± I said, and she looked up from the book with a start. The book was Introduction to Elemental Magic. I thought about asking her to leave, but there was some benefit to having a person to whom you could speak your ideas out loud, even if they were incapable of fully understanding. ¡°I¡¯m on the verge of a breakthrough with my research. Would you care to assist me?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Nina said with a gap-filled smile, ¡°but I want to show you something first. Here, look!¡±


    Nina reached her hand out toward me with her fingers splayed. She said, ¡°Aqua.¡±


    The next thing I knew, my head was absolutely drenched in water. Nina had just used the spell [Water Ball] and had lightly flung a palm-sized orb of purified water at my head. The people of Ferrum looked down on [Water Ball] as the weakest sorcery, but I found it absolutely amazing. Unlike the creation of water through transmutation magic, [Water Ball] created matter from nothing. The spell just created water and flung it. This violation of the most fundamental law of physics was more impressive than anything else I had seen on Ferrum.


    ¡°Well done,¡± I said with authentic surprise as I casually ignited a spark of Hellfire over my head in order to dry myself off. I was amazed. It was astoundingly rare for a five-year-old to hit 8 Intelligence. ¡°Learning that spell at such a young age is really impressive.¡±


    Nina pouted slightly at my lack of a negative reaction. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been able to use [Water Ball] for several months now.¡±


    I was able to cast [Water Ball] three years before, but that was neither here nor there.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ different,¡± I said, scratching my cheek in embarrassment. I certainly didn¡¯t like the prospect of competing against an actual nine-year-old.


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    ¡°Huh,¡± Nina said thoughtfully. ¡°You¡¯re telling the truth.¡± She seemed surprised as she spoke. ¡°How are you different?¡±


    Crap. She had learned how to use her [Lie Detection] Talent. I had no idea how to answer that question honestly without revealing too much about myself, so I decided to use the oldest tool in the politician¡¯s toolbox: changing the subject.


    ¡°Have you told Lord Koravin that you can use [Lie Detection]?¡± I said, trying my hardest to look like I wasn¡¯t bothered by Nina¡¯s earlier question.


    ¡°No, net yet,¡± Nina said with a smile. ¡°I want to see if I can get some useful information out of Mom and Dad before I tell ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Bad idea,¡± I said shortly. ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t want to pry into any secrets your parents are keeping from you. When an adult keeps a secret from a child, they¡¯re usually keeping it for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Buzzkill,¡± Nina muttered as I stepped into the hideout. She followed me in.


    The interior of the hideout was filled with heavy tomes and specially made laboratory equipment. Various types of beakers had been placed on a wooden table, and about a dozen small metal disks inscribed with arcane runes laid strewn about on the ground where I had previously thrown them in anger.


    My research into transmutation magic had been more difficult than I had initially expected it would be. The books on transmutation found in the Feldrast family library only went up to elementary-level techniques. Most transmutation magic was focused on changing the macroscopic structure of an object. The typical example of the discipline was transmuting an iron ingot into a knife.


    My goal was to use transmutation magic to synthesize the complex organic molecules found in the various drugs that made modern medicine possible. It was a difficult process that had taken me many years of work and subtle manipulation to develop, but I had finally reached the point where I believed I could finally synthesize a drug. I had borrowed more than 2 gold pieces from Sir Eadric and subtly convinced many of the tradesmen of Sableton to create custom-made tools for me.


    ¡°You know,¡± Nina started to say, ¡°I¡¯m the second youngest person ever to awaken to their magic potential in Sableton.¡± The implication in the statement was clear. She would hold the record if not for me.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said offhandedly.


    ¡°You need to stop freaking me out by telling the truth,¡± Nina said, pointing a finger at me. Despite the obvious absurdity in her statement, she was being completely genuine.


    ¡°Stop using [Lie Detection] on me,¡± I said, smiling.


    I placed my book amongst the pile of other books and produced my leather-bound notebook out of my pocket. The notebook served the two purposes of holding my eight-step plan to save the world and holding my notes on Transmutation Magic. I turned to one of the simpler structural diagrams in my notes and tore the page out.


    The most important piece of equipment in the hideout was a small wire-lattice structure made from sterilized iron. The structure was in the shape of a hollow cylinder with a diameter of 25 centimeters and a height of one meter, placing the top of the structure just beneath my chin. The wire lattice flared out at the top to hold a spherical object.


    As I had done dozens of times before, I placed a round glass flask at the top of the structure and placed two of the metal disks into small alcoves built into the wire structure. The equipment had been set up. All that was left at that point was to add the ingredients and the mana.

 Chapter 17 - [Four-Point Reaction]

    ¡°How about this?¡± Nina said, continuing our conversation from earlier. ¡°I promise to not use [Lie Detection] on you, and you promise to not lie to me.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± I said, not really paying attention. My eyes were locked on my opened notebook, and my thoughts were focused on the experiment. I would have to keep the organic structure locked firmly inside my mind during the entirety of the experiment.


    ¡°Pinky promise,¡± Nina demanded from outside my field of vision.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I held an outstretched pinky in the direction of Nina¡¯s voice.


    She held my pinky in her own and said, ¡°I promise to never use [Lie Detection] on Thale Feldrast for as long as I live¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm hmm,¡± I said while clumsily turning the pages of my notebook with one hand.


    ¡°And¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± I turned my eyes away from the notebook for a moment, saying, ¡°I promise to never lie to Nina Koravin.¡± I hoped that wasn¡¯t binding in some way. You never knew how magic would manifest in Ferrum. ¡°Is that good enough?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± Nina smiled.


    ¡°Good,¡± I lightly placed my notebook on the seat of a nearby chair. ¡°Now, Nina. Please bring me the scale, water, and charcoal.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    While my assistant retrieved those three things, I brought two glass beakers from the pile of equipment that had been set aside on the wooden table. Once Nina had placed the large brass scale upon the ground, I started my measurements.


    In transmutation terms, I would be doing a four-point reaction. With the books I had available, it was the most complicated transmutation circle I knew how to make. Usually, when using transmutation magic, at least one of the points on the reaction would determine the product¡¯s shape or size. I realized a few years ago, however, that this wasn¡¯t necessary. If all the necessary elements were present in a pure form, you could use every point on the circle to denote an element you wanted to work with.


    The elements I was working with were marked on the four points of the Transmutation circle. They were Carbon, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, and Oxygen.


    I dumped two beakers full of purified water into the flask. A moment later, I dumped a beaker filled with pure elemental carbon into the water and ignited a spark of Hellfire just under the flask. Considering the vow of non-violence I had imposed upon myself, that was the greatest use of Hellfire I could have at the time.


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    The water soon started to boil, and I began stirring the murky mixture inside of the flask with a glass rod. The plan was for Carbon to be derived from the charcoal, Hydrogen and Oxygen to be derived from the water through a separately maintained hydrolysis reaction, and Nitrogen to be derived directly from the air. Natural air was 78% Nitrogen, after all.


    ¡°Do you remember the rule for the experiments?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. If you start to smell almonds, run!¡± Nina said, mimicking the emphasis I had placed on my words the first time I had told her.


    At its core, this new form of transmutation magic I was creating was the forced connection of atoms. I was basically just slamming atoms against one another and hoping it would create the compound I wanted. A major downside of this was that, if I lost focus for a moment, I could accidentally mix Carbon and Nitrogen together in great quantities, creating Cyanide gas.


    ¡°Make sure you follow that rule,¡± I said. ¡°Especially today.¡±


    A worried look colored Nina¡¯s expression, indicating that I had instilled the correct amount of fear within her.


    I placed one hand on each of the small metal disks. This process placed my hand within the outer shell of the flame. If not for my fire resistance, my hand would have received third-degree burns.


    I held the structural diagram for the compound I wished to create as I funneled mana into the two transmutation circles. The indentation in the iron disks began to glow as they were powered by my flowing mana. One circle gave me command over the four elements contained within the flask, and the other reduced the water into its constituent Hydrogen and Oxygen elements.


    Mentally, the process of transmutation was an inverted version of healing magic, sorcery, or the use of [Hellfire]. The arcane circle inscribed on the iron disc was the Initiation, and the formula I held within my mind was the Expression. My mana had to move in a cycle, moving from the discs to my core and back to the burbling clump of charcoal that the transmutation was acting upon. It was a complicated process that was only possible due to years of practice.


    Over the next three minutes, I continued to send my mana into the reaction while maintaining the structural formula of the end product in my mind. I only stopped the reaction once the mixture within the flask had transformed from a liquid into a mud-like slurry. After giving the mixture a few minutes to cool down, I strained it through a filter to remove any liquids.


    When everything was said and done, I was left with a black powder-like substance sitting within a snuff box. By nature of the reaction, I could not remove all of the charcoal. If the reaction had worked at 100% efficiency, the powder would be pure white. As it was, I wasn¡¯t particularly worried. Charcoal was safe to ingest. Though the excess Carbon would give the product a sickly-sweet flavor, it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal.


    Other than that, the reaction had gone exactly as I had planned. I couldn¡¯t be sure yet, but I was pretty sure that I had been successful. A broad smile appeared on my face as I looked down at my completed product.


    ¡°Eureka! I¡¯ve done it!¡± I shouted as I threw my arms up in the air victoriously.


    A part of me wanted to cry. Many years of research had finally bore fruit. I had brought a new school of magic into Ferrum and taken the first step on my journey.


    ¡°Eureka!¡± Nina said, unsure of what the word meant.


    This first drug I had created would not necessarily make Ferrum a better place. It was not a painkiller or an antibiotic. No, it was a drug that I knew would be very profitable for myself and any merchant who was fortunate enough to work with me. It was a drug that I knew any scholar would pay out of the nose for.


    On Earth, it was called Adderall.

 Chapter 18 - [Not For Kids]

    A large portion of my brain initially resisted the idea of synthesizing and selling Adderall. In the old world, selling such an addictive drug would cause me to lose my medical license and probably face criminal charges. In this world, however, the rules were entirely different. It would be impossible for me to ¡°do no harm.¡± No, I would have to make do with merely minimizing harm and maximizing the benefit I was going to bring to this world.


    My plan was first to sell two drugs that I was absolutely certain would sell like hotcakes in Ferrum. Then, once I had established a significant foothold in the market, I would start to produce drugs that could actually help people like beta blockers, painkillers, and antidepressants. I was able to justify the sale of Adderall within my own mind by promising myself that I would never sell the formula for the creation of the ¡°focus-drug¡± for as long as I lived.


    The truth was that I hadn¡¯t yet figured out how to make antipsychotics and antibiotics, however. The form of Transmutation that I had just invented - which I hadn¡¯t yet named - would only work with Carbon, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, and Oxygen. All forms of antibiotics and antipsychotics that I was aware of contained either Chlorine or Sodium. Even if I knew how to utilize five or six-point Transmutation circles, I had no idea how to use those two elements in my reactions. In their pure elemental forms, Chlorine is a poisonous gas, and Sodium reacts explosively with water.


    Inside of a little wooden box, I held about 50 grams of the black powder that I had just created. Considering the purity of the product, I figured that about half a gram would be the approximate healthy dose for the average person. I had already prepared a wooden mold and dowel back in my room in order to create easily digestible pills.


    I slapped the wooden box shut, hiding the black powder held within.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s it,¡± I sighed in relief and wiped the excess sweat from my brow. Unlike most others, I couldn¡¯t claim that it was the heat of the flame that was making me sweat.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Nina said, closing the book that she had just been reading. The book was the Story of Lothar, the God of Judgment. ¡°Hey, Thale. You¡¯ve been working on this drug for a while now. What does it do?¡±


    ¡°It helps you focus,¡± I said, stepping out of the hideout with the wooden box under one arm. ¡°Come on.¡±


    ¡°Focus?¡± Nina asked, following me out of the hideout. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It would allow you to get all of your chores done without getting bored,¡± I put simply. I intended to sell this product, so I had prepared a few phrases ahead of time.


    ¡°Wow, that must be some powerful magic,¡± Nina said. ¡°Can I use it?¡±


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    ¡°No, it¡¯s not for kids,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t comfortable with the idea of children using my illicit and highly addictive drug.


    ¡°And what about you?¡± Nina asked, annoyed by my answer. ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna use it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m probably going to use it once as I test, maybe,¡± I said. ¡°I need to make sure it works as intended.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just unfair,¡± Nina sulked.


    A memory entered my mind. I saw Nina Feldrast standing beside Thale as her childhood home burned to the ground. Though Thale¡¯s face expressed sadness and regret, Nina¡¯s face was a portrait of jubilation. Her father, the traitor, had finally been eliminated. His lands would naturally be inherited by his only child: Nina. With this, Nina and her husband would gain a tighter grip on Sableton, that perennially rebellious fief. Soon, there would be nothing that could stop them.


    Nina Feldrast had been a prodigy second only to Thale. In fact, she had surpassed her husband in mind and illusion magic. The fight against her had been more annoying than difficult. It was skippable, thankfully. If the players had convinced Solana to join their side, Solana would fight Nina in their stead. There was only so much that illusion magic could do when you just lit the entire battlefield on fire.


    Lost in thought, I slipped slightly as my cane slid against a wet stone. Nina reached out a hand to steady me, but I waved her away with a smile. To think that my state could be so wretched that a nine-year-old would think to aid me.


    I wondered how the little girl in front of me could grow into such a contemptible villain. How had the same happened to Thale? Certainly, the [Sickly] Trait afflicting Thale wasn¡¯t enough to justify the widespread use of necromancy, slavery, and summary executions.


    We passed the sign I had placed on the side of the trail. There was no fence around the ¡°off limits¡± area, so anyone that approached the hideout from a different direction would not even see the sign.


    As we walked, I inhaled heavily and took a moment to enjoy that fleeting moment of youth. I looked over to Nina and thought for a moment about the future. I could, if I wanted, spend the rest of my life using the original Thale as a template. I could go to the Academy of Hinnom with Nina in six years and marry her a few years after. It would be a fine, modest life that most men would kill for. I could wait for my father to die in six years and spend the rest of my life ruling Northwind as a fair and cunning ruler, never turning to necromancy but never overcoming my physical limitations.


    I could live the rest of my life in peace... all fifteen years of it. I would be twenty-five when Lothar appeared. It would be a short life, but it was much more than I deserved. Adding in the forty-five years of my first life, I would be well into retirement at that time.


    A bare second passed where I looked at Nina, and I considered giving up on my mission. No, there were millions of people on Ferrum. If I had the knowledge to prevent their deaths, then I had the duty to prevent them. Duty. That word had haunted my dreams for more than one lifetime.


    Without warning, a spasm went through my hand and a terrible, grating headache pounded against my skull. As if possessed, my hand shot forward a few inches as if it wanted to touch Nina''s face. My other hand moved forward a second later and grabbed my possessed hand by the wrist.


    Panic flowed through my mind. Was I being attacked by some outside force? I hardened my resolve to fend off any further attacks and regain control of my hand. An instant later, the spasm in my hand stopped, and I regained control. The pain in my head stopped, and I stopped feeling like I was under attack by some outside force.


    "Are you okay, Thale?" Nina asked me for the second time in ten minutes.


    "Yes," I lied.

 Chapter 19 - [Illusions]

    I leaned my body against a nearby tree to gather my thoughts as Nina looked at me with large, concerned eyes. Though I tried to put some distance between her and myself, she bridged that distance while trying to get a better look at my visage. To someone else, I looked like I had just been grasped by a fit of lightheadedness.


    This alien force trying to influence my movement filled me with fear. If this outside force was able to gain access to my Talent, it could turn anything within thirty meters of my body to ash within seconds.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need to rest for a moment,¡± I said. ¡°You can go on ahead if you want.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Nina said with her cheeks puffed out angrily. ¡°You¡¯re sick with something. I won¡¯t just leave you in the forest while you¡¯re like this.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, leaning back against a tree as I spoke. The possessing force had not yet returned, but I wanted to keep all of my senses focused on defending against that force if it were to return. ¡°While we¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you show me your other Talent?¡±


    ¡°How did you know about that?¡± Nina asked, disappointment obvious in her expression.


    In response, I gestured to my eyes and said, ¡°We both have two Talents.¡±


    ¡°It must be because we¡¯re both nobles,¡± Nina said with a smile.


    There was some truth to her statement. Both she and I had Noble Talents, which were hereditary abilities that were common among the ruling families of Rubigo. Noble Talents were typically much more powerful than normal Talents, and the nobility used these abilities to strengthen their power base.


    ¡°Sure, I can show you my [Doppelganger] Talent. Dad has already shown me how to do it,¡± Nina said.


    [Doppelganger] was the Noble Talent of several noble houses. Of the three regions of Etronia, each had one house with the [Doppelganger] Talent. These three houses were all secondary to another more powerful house. In the capital city of Etron, House Arcturus, a royal family with the [Doppelganger] Talent, served as one of the royal family¡¯s closest allies.


    Nina walked in front of me and spread her arms out wide as if preparing to do a magic trick. Her expression tightened in concentration, and a blurry figure appeared next to her. This figure resolved and sharpened until it was completely indistinguishable from the little girl standing next to it.


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    ¡°There,¡± Nina said, a self-satisfied smile coloring her expression. Her smile was mirrored perfectly on the doppelganger. ¡°You can¡¯t tell the difference, right?¡±


    I could differentiate between the two but only because of the direction of her voice. If she didn¡¯t speak and I didn¡¯t see the doppelganger¡¯s creation, I would have been completely unable to differentiate the two.


    The experience was quite unsettling, actually. My old world was filled with illusions, and I was confident in my ability to distinguish reality from fiction. Unlike the illusions of my world, the one in front of me was visually perfect.


    Unconsciously, I checked the places where a visual AI would make a mistake. I looked at the illusion''s hands, eyes, and clothing. Yet, even with a sober and searching eye, I could not find any mistakes in the illusion. If the illusion was created by an AI, it was far too advanced for me to find a visual mistake.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± I said. It would typically take an illusionist decades to create a perfect moving illusion, but Nina was a master of illusions at nine years old.


    That was the nature of Noble Talents. Talents were engraved upon the blood and bone of their users, and they could use their Talents without any training. In the same way that [Hellfire] made me an expert pyromancer with little effort, [Doppelganger] made Nina a master illusionist.


    Like [Hellfire], Nina¡¯s Talent also came with secondary ability. Those with the [Doppelganger] Talent naturally took on the personality traits and quirks of those they spent a significant amount of time around. This was why House Koravin and House Arcturus were such indispensable and loyal followers. The scions of House Koravin would start to resemble the scions of House Feldrast over time, and it was the same with House Arcturus.


    For the first time, it occurred to me that Nina was probably mirroring me in the same way she mirrored Thale in the original timeline. She was miraculously intelligent for a nine-year-old, and that could have been the result of my own unnatural intelligence. In the original timeline, Nina¡¯s fall to evil was frequently attributed to her mirroring Thale¡¯s deteriorating morals.


    The thought unsettled me greatly. By my presence, I was causing an actual child to be more like me. I imagined what Nina would be like in a few years. At that rate, she would be a dour academic with difficulty forming close relationships by the time she was fifteen years old.


    With such thoughts plaguing my mind, I got to my feet with a smile. Trying to look healthy and unconcerned, I held the box filled with powder out to Nina and said, ¡°All right. I¡¯m ready to go, but I would like for this box to get to my home as soon as possible. Do you think you could go ahead and bring it there?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Nina said, happy to be useful. I briefly thought about how those with the [Doppelganger] Talent were probably the most agreeable people on the planet. ¡°Should I wait for you to get there?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± I said, waving my hand. ¡°I have some errands to do.¡±


    Nina ran off toward Sableton with the box of the miracle powder held in one hand. After running a few dozen meters, she turned and waved back toward me. I smiled and returned the wave, though my internal thoughts did not match my expression.


    Once she disappeared behind the tree line, I started slowly making my way toward the town. As I walked, I pondered the unknown force that tried to influence my body and the nature of Nina¡¯s Talent.

 Chapter 20 - [2 Gold, 35 Silver, and 11 Copper]

    Within a few minutes, I had reached Sableton. The town was bustling with activity now that the planting season had finally started. People were happy to finally leave their homes after the long winter, and hundreds of people lined the streets, smiling and laughing uproariously.


    I walked through the market set up in the center of town. Several shop owners waved to me as I passed, and I waved back. The prices of various items were written in paint on the side of large wooden signs.


    1 apple pie: 10 copper pieces


    500 grams of charcoal: 1 copper piece


    1 bag of candy imported from Sondrith: 3 silver pieces


    Breeches for summer use: between 75 copper pieces and 5 silver pieces


    1 whole roast pig: 2 silver pieces


    1 chainshirt: 60 silver pieces


    1 longsword: 25 silver pieces


    1 magic ring: 10 gold pieces


    All the prices I saw around the market drew to my mind the memory of the economy of [Ferrum Online]. In Etronia, goods were bought and sold using coins. These coins came in copper, silver, and gold denominations. One gold piece was worth 100 silver pieces, which were in turn worth 100 copper pieces. For reference, people on the forums always said that one copper piece was worth an apple. This meant that one Etronian gold piece was worth 10,000 apples.


    By mid-game, the player almost entirely dealt with gold pieces. The only way to upgrade your gear beyond the basic longsword and chain shirt was to pay exorbitant amounts of money for magic items. To upgrade a character¡¯s gear beyond the base mundane level, the player would need about 100 gold pieces.


    The life of an adventurer was an expensive one. I once calculated the total value of my necromancer¡¯s gear near the end of the base game, and I realized that the gear cost more than 100,000 gold pieces. To put that in perspective, the Realm of Northwind brought in about 40,000 gold pieces per year from all forms of taxation. I learned that fact the previous year when Armond was trying to tutor me in leading a fiefdom.


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    The exorbitant price of being an adventurer was the reason that I had spent the past several years inventing a new form of transmutation magic. The two drugs I intended to synthesize first would certainly sell well, and I could use that money to fund the start of my expedition. Making money was step one on my eight-step plan to save the world.


    As I thought about the nature of Etronia¡¯s economy, I heard rapidly approaching metal boots impacting against stone. I turned and saw the quickly approaching Sir Eadric Vanta, knight of House Feldrast and my current financial patron.


    Eadric must have been in his early twenties at that point. Thinking back on it, I realized that he couldn¡¯t have been older than seventeen when he was shot with an arrow while protecting us. He was still just a kid.


    Physically, Eadric had light brown hair and green eyes. I had heard once that the Vanta family was closely related to my mother¡¯s family, the Sellacks. His and Solana¡¯s green eyes probably came from the same source. On my mother¡¯s side, he and I probably shared great-grandparents.


    In fact, I could probably say something similar about every noble in the Northern Realms. It was said that the nobles of Ferrum were the descendants of heroes who were active during the Fourth Calamity, which was more than six hundred years ago. It would be safe to assume that all nobles in a certain area share some ancestors.


    ¡°Hey there, Thale,¡± Eadric said, smiling. He was holding a wicker basket filled with food and toiletries. Melissa must have sent him out to go grocery shopping. ¡°How¡¯d the experiment go?¡±


    ¡°It went well,¡± I said without stopping. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be able to pay you back sooner than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± Eadric said with a meek expression on his face. ¡°You¡¯ve already saved my life. This is just my way of paying you back, just a little bit. Plus, I don¡¯t even know how much I¡¯ve lent you.¡±


    ¡°I owe you 2 gold, 35 silver, and 11 copper,¡± I rattled off easily. That number had been in my mind for a while. As soon as the money started coming in, my first task was to pay the knight back. Two gold was not a small amount of money for anyone, and I hated being indebted to people.


    ¡°Oh, was it that much?¡± Eadric scratched the back of his head, pretending to not know how much I owed. He definitely knew. It was impossible to lend someone the Ferrum equivalent of thousands of dollars and then forget.


    ¡°Yes, it was, and I promise to give that money, with interest, back to you within a year.¡±

 Chapter 21 - [Echoes of Melancholy]

    Sir Eadric shook his hands in a gesture of denial as a look of fear appeared on his face. ¡°If you plan to get the money from your father, then I¡¯ll have to refuse payment. I¡¯m already being paid a salary by Count Armond; it would be terribly improper for me to take more money from him.¡±


    ¡°You insult me, Sir Eadric,¡± I said with a wolfish grin. Among the other denizens of Sableton, I still changed my way of speaking slightly. Eadric was different. He had seen my true face before I was even seven years old. He knew something was wrong within this child¡¯s brain and he had come to accept that fact. ¡°I intend to earn those three gold pieces by selling the product that I was able to develop with the help of your generous contribution.¡±


    We soon arrived back at Feldrast Manor. I waved to Eadric as we split up on the outskirts of the property. Eadric left to enter through the back entrance while I moved toward the front entrance.


    As I walked through the large garden in front of the manor, I heard my mother talking. A trellis covered in hanging vines separated the two of us, so I could hear but not see her.


    ¡°You know,¡± Tabitha Feldrast said, ¡°I was rather pleased that Merrick cried often when he was a baby. He was so expressive; I always knew what he was thinking. Did you know that Thale barely ever smiled when he was a baby? And he never cried. You know¡­ he was always much more advanced than all the other kids. I guess he just never saw any need to cry.¡± Tabitha laughed at the absurdity of the statement, and her voice was joined by two others. One of the voices was my eldest sister, Solana, and I did not recognize the other.


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    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing that Thale¡¯s smart?¡± This statement was expressed by the voice I didn¡¯t recognize. Based on the context of the situation, the voice could only have belonged to Ethel Koravin, the wife of Riomed Koravin. ¡°All of his teachers say he¡¯s a genius. He¡¯s the only one that can compete with my Nina, you know. I, for one, am happy that the next Count is showing signs of greatness so early.¡±


    As she spoke, the speaker¡¯s identity became more and more clear to me. Yeah, that was definitely Aunt Ethel. I hadn¡¯t heard her speak very often, but I distinctly recalled her tendency to put her foot in her mouth. She frequently spoke more than she should and often ended up offending those to whom she spoke.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Tabitha said. ¡°I know that I should feel happy for him, but¡­ Well, I just feel like he never had the chance to be a kid.¡±


    Ironically, she was completely correct. I was not a kid, and I had no particular desire to live through a second childhood. I certainly did not want to relive Thale¡¯s childhood. I knew how that turned out.


    As I thought about the utter monster Thale turned into, I was struck by a surge of melancholy. He must have been a normal kid tortured by an ailing body and the unexpected deaths of two parents. He was only sixteen years old when he became the Count of Northwind, and he was only twenty years old when he died. Considering that I was forty-five when I died, the old Thale was still basically a kid to me. It was such a shame that so much potential could be squandered like that.


    I physically struck myself in the forehead.


    What? That wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t feel strongly about the tragedy of the original Thale Feldrast. I was honestly more emotionally affected by the death of Miriam. She had never done anything wrong; she had never hurt a fly, as evidenced by her healing potential. Yet, the original Thale Feldrast threw her away like yesterday¡¯s trash. No, the feeling I felt toward the original was not melancholy. Something within my mind was affecting my emotions and thought processes.


    I dispelled the echoes of melancholy from my brain and stepped into the garden.

 Chapter 22 - [A Business Proposition]

    As soon as I entered the garden, I saw that Tabitha, Solana, and Ethel were sitting together at a table out in the sunshine. We¡¯d all been cooped up indoors for several months, so the people of the Northern Realms were looking for any opportunity to get some sun.


    My mother and Ethel looked the same as always, but the past few years had changed Solana significantly. She was seventeen at the time, and her training to become a lady of the court was complete. All that was left for her at that point was a political marriage to one of House Feldrast¡¯s allies, which she naturally resisted. In the original timeline, she was able to stave off marriage and loss of much of her freedom by acting as a regent that functionally ruled the Realm of Northwind while he studied in Hinnom.


    Like Armond and me, Solana¡¯s skin was unnaturally pale. The fire resistance conferred by the [Hellfire] Talent prevented one¡¯s skin from tanning naturally, so many of the highest nobles in the Northern Realms had paper-white skin.


    Solana¡¯s jet-black hair hung below her shoulders, and her emerald eyes always seemed to carry a hint of belligerence. Until my parents were certain that the lineage was secure with the birth of Merrick when she was ten, Solana was trained in governance. It only made sense for her to harbor some resentment toward me. Yet, it was rare for Solana to direct any of her anger my way. She was smart enough to know that the loss of her birthright was not my conscious choice.


    ¡°Hey, Thale,¡± Solana called out with a smile as I entered her view. ¡°Would you like some tea?¡±


    ¡°No thanks,¡± I said. I had always been more of a coffee guy. Unfortunately, coffee only grew naturally in the southern reaches of Caligo: a continent that had only been discovered thirty years before. A bag of roasted coffee beans cost three gold pieces in the Northern Realms. ¡°Do you know where Nina is? I need to get a package back from her.¡± Ethel would probably have some idea where Nina would be.


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    ¡°Oh, she just came running through her holding a small wooden box,¡± Solana said. ¡°That must be the package you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Nina wasn¡¯t in Feldrast Manor, but she left the wooden box with Sir Walter. Upon retrieving the box filled with powdered Adderall, I immediately began walking toward the home of the richest man in town: Sendrick Grimhold.


    I was allowed into Sendrick¡¯s office within minutes. Apparently, the line, ¡°The next Count of Northwind has a business proposition,¡± was appealing or strange enough to catch his attention.


    Sendrick Grimhold dressed modestly, considering the wealth of resources he had at his disposal. He wore a plain blue tabard, beige breeches, thick leather boots, and a woolen cap. His outfit was basically Ferrum¡¯s equivalent to a T-shirt and jeans.


    I knew from my memory of [Ferrum Online] that Sendrick was the head of a veritable trading empire. Dozens of merchants throughout the continent of Rubigo worked for the Grimhold Guild. In the early game of [Ferrum Online], the Grimhold Guild was by far the most reliable way to acquire anything the players would need on their adventures.


    Though they didn¡¯t hold a monopoly on any one market, you could bet that an agent of the Guild would be present wherever there was a profit to be made. Considering that the Guild took a 20% cut on any profit made by a subsidiary merchant, I knew that its total yearly profit was more than 100,000 gold pieces.


    I had recently sped up my production of the focus-drug so that it would be completed before Sendrick Grimhold left town. His presence in Sableton allowed me to move my plan forward slightly faster than expected.


    ¡°So, you wanted to speak to me, Lord Thale Feldrast?¡± Sendrick Grimhold said with a professional smile plastered across his face. I could tell he suspected this was all a huge waste of time, but my proximity to such a powerful position meant he wouldn¡¯t readily risk offending me.


    ¡°I have a product here¡­¡± I said, placing the wooden box on the table between us, ¡°that will change the world of Ferrum forever.¡±

 Chapter 23 - [A New World of Productivity]

    Sendrick¡¯s smile tightened noticeably. I could tell that I had annoyed him.


    ¡°With respect, Lord Thale, you¡¯d be surprised by how many times I¡¯ve heard that sentence,¡± Sendrick said, chuckling quietly to cover up the momentary lapse in his calm demeanor. ¡°How will your product change the world?¡±


    ¡°Please feel free to drop the formalities, Mr. Grimhold,¡± I said, matching my expression to Sendrick¡¯s. ¡°I would be more than happy to speak to a man of your standing as an equal.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I will, Mr. Feldrast,¡± Sendrick said, his smile taking on a hint of authenticity for a moment. ¡°Your vocabulary is quite advanced for a nine-year-old.¡±


    ¡°I read a lot,¡± I said in a demonstration of the kind of deception frequently used by nobles. My statement would not have activated [Lie Detection], because it was technically the truth. I did read a lot, but that wasn¡¯t why my vocabulary was so advanced. If Sendrick connected the dots incorrectly, that was his choice.


    ¡°To answer your question,¡± I cleared my throat in preparation for the coming spiel, ¡°my product will change the world by opening a whole new avenue of productivity with scholars and nobles alike. By ingesting a mere pinch of this black powder,¡± I opened the wooden box, revealing the charcoal powder within, ¡°you¡¯ll experience several hours of focus that you¡¯ve never experienced before. I know that you¡¯ve been trying to break into the Hinnom market for a few years now. Trust me, this product will make all the students and scholars there love you.¡±


    With an extremely doubtful expression on his face, Sendrick leaned in toward the opened wooden box. I had engraved the first rune of the Common alphabet, ?, on the side of the box with a knife. Sendrick pressed one finger into the powder, and his finger came away with flecks of charcoal attached.


    ¡°If what you say is true, then this powder would be quite the product,¡± Sendrick said, closely observing the powder on his finger. ¡°But, with respect, this just looks like charcoal to me.¡±


    To not allow the doubt fester in the air, I spoke immediately. ¡°You¡¯re very perceptive, Mr. Grimhold. Yes, I used charcoal as the binding agent when I synthesized this compound. Don¡¯t worry, though. The purified charcoal that I use is completely free of any potentially harmful toxins.¡±


    Sendrick still looked doubtful, so I continued speaking, ¡°All I ask is that you try it out. Just take some of the powder like this,¡± I gripped a small amount of the powder between my index finger and thumb, ¡°and you¡¯ll experience a new world of productivity.¡±


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    I placed the powder on my tongue and made a big show of swallowing. I knew from the beginning that this would be necessary if there was any chance that Sendrick would try the focus-drug. All I had to do was get Sendrick to ingest some of the powder, and I knew he would be convinced.


    I looked at Sendrick, silently pleading that he would take the offer. It was a hard sell, I knew. In my old life, if a nine-year-old came by and told me that eating some charcoal would help me do my job better, I¡¯m not sure that I¡¯d do what the child said. I was banking on Sendrick¡¯s profit motive. Ambition and a sixth sense for finding new ways to turn a profit had propelled Sendrick to new heights of wealth, and I was betting that he would not allow even the slightest possible opportunity to pass him by.


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Sendrick said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve eaten worse.¡±


    I let out an imperceptible sigh of relief as Sendrick took a pinch of the focus-drug and ingested it.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Grimhold,¡± I said. ¡°Trust me, you won¡¯t regret this. By the way, I plan to make one more drug that I think you¡¯ll be interested in.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Sendrick asked, grimacing as the sickly-sweet charcoal hit his esophagus. ¡°What does this other drug do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a cure for impotence,¡± I said evenly.


    Sendrick choked for a moment and turned to me. After an instant of silence, he began laughing loudly. ¡°Now that would be a product! Bring me a legitimate cure for impotence, and I¡¯ll make you a very wealthy man!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I intend to,¡± I said with a smile. Sendrick¡¯s smile was infectious, and it put me in a good mood, even though I knew that he was laughing at the absurdity of my statement.


    ¡°You¡¯re really not a normal child,¡± Sendrick laughed.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°The focus-drug should start working within the next hour, and it should wear off within eight hours. I¡¯ll let you get back to work, and I¡¯ll come back tomorrow to talk more about forming a business agreement.¡± I lifted myself up from my chair, steadying myself with my cane.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Sendrick wiped the tears from his eyes. ¡°Even if the products don¡¯t work out, we should still work together. I like your spirit, kid. If there¡¯s anything you want to learn about business, I¡¯d be happy to show you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks a lot, Mr. Grimhold,¡± I said with authentic gratitude. He still didn¡¯t believe for a second that the focus-drug worked, yet he was still totally willing to work with me.


    Sendrick leaned forward with his hand outstretched, and I shook his hand.


    <hr>


    Standing just outside the building that held Sendrick Grimhold¡¯s office, I immediately used the [Fourth Prayer] on myself. This prayer was meant to cure poisons, and I was fairly certain that it would recognize any drug that altered the mental state as a poison.


    Quietly, I chanted, ¡°Do not be afraid or terrified, for the Goddess goes with you; She will never leave you nor forsake you.¡±


    Nothing happened immediately, but I could feel a portion of my mana expended by the spell. The [Prayer] must have neutralized the Adderall in my system. At that time, I didn¡¯t want to go about the rest of my day with an altered mental state.

 Chapter 24 - [How Many Years?]

    I stopped to look at the Guild Hall for a moment before I started walking back to Feldrast Manor. The Guild Hall was the biggest building in Sableton, standing at three stories tall and about a hundred meters across. Four smaller shops could easily fit within the interior of the Guild Hall.


    The inside of the Guild Hall was made up of a handful of offices for the merchants and higher-ranked officers working within. Most of the floor space within the Guild Hall was used for storage. Fundamentally, the Grimhold Guild was engaged in the sale and transportation of goods, so they required a significant amount of storage space.


    Architecturally, the Guild Hall was nothing special. It was a squat stone building with wide wooden doors on the ground level to allow for wagons to enter easily. The streets surrounding the Guild Hall were constantly covered in a layer of mud tracked in by the constant foot traffic and waste expelled by the various beasts of burden used by the Guild. I tried not to step in anything as I left the Guild Hall.


    Most nobles looked down on the Guild. The high-level officers took little effort to project an air of propriety, despite their wealth. Some nobles believed that anybody with significant wealth was burdened with the ¡°noble obligation¡± to remain dignified whenever possible. Sendrick Grimhold disagreed.


    Personally, I held a great respect for the Guild. They showed that, through ambition and hard work, even those of low birth could become successful in Ferrum. Sendrick Grimhold built an empire from nothing. I respected that a lot more than any King or Duke who merely inherited his empire.


    The Guild Hall slowly disappeared behind other shops and houses as I hobbled my way toward Feldrast Manor. I soon reached a stretch of town that was mostly undeveloped. Near the center of Sableton was a square plot of land three hundred meters on each side that just contained trees, grass, cobblestone paths, and infrequent benches. This area was frequently used by the children of Sableton.


    Off to one side of the park was Miriam. A smile appeared on my face as I started to walk toward her. It was only a hundred-meter walk, but I was completely winded by the time I reached her.


    "H-hey, Thale," Miriam said to me with a shy smile. For as long as I had spoken Common, she had suffered from a persistent stutter. Her stutter typically appeared at the beginning of conversations and whenever she was in an unfamiliar or uncomfortable situation.


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    Breathing heavily, I sat down and pushed through my next sentence. "Hello. How are you?"


    "Well, school has been difficult ever since Dad moved me ahead a year," she said airily with her eyes pointed off in the distance. "I''m not nearly as smart as you, Thale."


    The education system ended at the age of fifteen when the people of Ferrum were considered to be adults. If a student showed extraordinary aptitude, they would usually finish their education in the Academy of Hinnom to the south. Solana was a middling student, and Miriam was relatively advanced. It seemed as though high expectations had been foisted upon Miriam due to her relation to me. I had finished ten years of mandatory education in two years, and there was an expectation among the teachers that the siblings of such a prodigy would benefit from an increased workload.


    "What are you working on now?" I asked, feeling as if her increased workload was partially my fault.


    "Algebra and the history of the Cataclysm," Miriam said. "History is really interesting, but I just can''t understand quadratic functions." With an embarrassed expression on her face, Miriam looked at me and said, "C-could you help me?"


    "Quadratic functions?" I said with a smile. "Now you''re speaking my language." As I spoke, I withdrew my journal from my coat pocket and started drawing a graph. "You see... ? is the function''s horizontal value, and ? is the function''s vertical..."


    After about an hour of explanation, several pages of my journal were marked with simplistic quadratic diagrams, and Mir was able to explain the logic behind binomials and trinomials. Happy that she was starting to understand these concepts, she smiled happily.


    "Wow, it was so easy when you explained it," she said. "It makes me jealous. Math, science, history, Common. It all comes so easily to you. I wish I was a genius."


    The idea of actual children being compared to me once again filled me with guilt. Any moderately educated adult in my shoes would operate on the same level. To me, none of this was a challenge. It was all just a chore that I dealt with as quickly as possible.


    "Please don''t call me that," I said, trying to pass off my annoyance at the unearned title as gracious humility.


    "Oh, right, I forgot," Miriam said. "I''m sorry."


    "It''s nothing," I said with a smile. "It''s just..."


    My sentence was cut off by a voice echoing through my mind. This was a voice that I had heard once before at the moment of my birth.


    Protect her.


    The voice spoke in a perfect copy of the original statement. It was as if no time had passed at all.


    What? Where am I? Is she...? By the gods... How many years has it been?


    In that moment, I realized that the outside force that had tried to take control of my body and the voice I heard in the moment after my birth were one and the same. After almost ten years of sleep, that entity which had been there from the beginning had returned, and I did not know whether the entity was friend or foe.

 Chapter 25 - [Rage]

    As the voice in my head spoke, Common runes flashed across my vision just like when the System communicated with me. Unlike this new voice, however, the System communicated in my native language of English.


    Confusion and fear filled my mind. The emotions did not originate from me, so I knew that these negative emotions came from the voice. Not only did we share a mind, but we also shared emotions. The voice must have been the source of those flashes of emotion I had been experiencing that day.


    Where am I? Are we still in Sableton? Who are you?


    The voice could not read my thoughts, that much was clear. Even as I considered my own situation, my thoughts were not shared with the source of the voice, and I did not receive any of its thoughts. That was definitely for the best. The one thing I valued above all other things was the privacy of my own mind. If I had to share my thoughts with another, that would certainly be unacceptable.


    The same force from earlier once again tried to take control of my body, but I was ready that time. My body did not move at all as ethereal, clawing hands scraped against my consciousness. Yep, the attempted possession was coming from inside my mind rather than outside. In the coming years, I learned that this actually made possession easier to resist. I knew the source of the psychic attack, so I just had to put up a defense between me and the source of the voice.


    Answer me, damn you!


    For a bare instant, the force trying to worm its way into my mind increased before disappearing entirely. I could tell that this burst of force exhausted the source of the voice, and I would not be in danger of any further possession attempts in the near future.


    Rage filled my mind. This surge of emotion was far stronger than any other I had felt previously. This was the anger of someone who had much experience with the emotion. Though I could easily resist the more obvious attempts to wrench control of my body away from me, I could not prevent the rage from affecting me. My lips curled into a snarl, and a roiling heat filled my chest. The fire burning eternally within my body surged as it was fed by that bone-deep anger.


    Return my body to me, demon!


    Just then, all the pieces fell into place. The original inhabitant of this body was a powerful Archmage, and time magic was not unheard of in the world of Ferrum. In fact, the game''s respawn system was often justified with in-universe time loops. Just like I had done when I responded to the voice the first time, I formulated a message in my mind and sent it to the other entity in my mind.


    It all makes sense, now. You''re him, Count Thale Feldrast.


    A brief feeling of annoyance and surprise made it clear to me that I was correct. Instead of responding to my statement, Count Thale Feldrast continued to shout, and the rage suffusing my body became greater.


    Begone from my mind!


    As the rage within me reached a fever pitch, three loud cracks rang out behind me in quick succession. Miriam and I turned toward the source of the sound to find that three of the brass braziers atop the Hellfire lamps had exploded. In their place were three large Hellfire motes that had each expanded to about a meter in diameter.


    Though I only acted unconsciously, my Talent was resonating with the nearby sparks of Hellfire. Certain emotions increased certain Talents, and rage greatly increased the power of the Hellfire Talent.


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    Miriam screamed, and I threw my hands in front of my face to protect myself from flying brass shards.


    "I''m sorry! I''m sorry!" Miriam pleaded, afraid that she had somehow angered me.


    Stop it, Thale! You''re going to hurt her! Didn''t you do enough of that in your old life!?


    The rage completely disappeared from my body and was replaced with a muted feeling of regret. With my emotional state suddenly calmed, the Hellfire motes instantly returned to their normal size.


    You''re right. I killed her.


    The voice was suddenly much weaker. Most of the emotion in the voice was gone, and its volume had decreased significantly.


    I''ll probably just...


    I couldn''t make out the rest of the sentence because the voice had faded so much that I could no longer hear it. The voice had returned to its long slumber; the same that it had been in for the past ten years.


    Turning back to Miriam, I noticed that tears were falling down her cheeks. I grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a hug as I extinguished the three naked flames floating in the air. It would be easier to rebuild the Hellfire lamps without a mote present.


    "It''s okay," I said to console her. "I''m not angry. I just lost control of my Talent for a second."


    Sitting on that park bench, I held Miriam until she stopped crying. All the while, she did not know that her murderer resided within my mind.


    <hr>


    That night, I was approached by Melissa. She told me that Armond wanted to talk to me in his study. Preparing myself for whatever punishment Armond might have for me, I stepped into the home office of the Count of Northwind.


    The walls of the study were covered with bookshelves, large glass windows, maps, Hellfire braziers, and economic diagrams. Near the floor of the study were various locked chests and a single fireplace. In the center of the room was a single large table. Three chairs had been placed next to the table, and large piles of parchment sat atop it.


    The top of the table also held envelopes, a lit candle, an inkwell, a fountain pen, and a signet ring of House Feldrast. Some of the envelopes were sealed, and they bore the salamander crest of our house. Armond must have been engaged in official business before he called me in.


    Armond somehow managed to look exactly like the adult Thale Feldrast while also looking completely different. Despite his pale skin, Armond looked healthy. He had an athletic build, and his clothing was tailor-made to not impede his movements. His black hair hung down to just below his shoulders, affording him a somewhat wild look that did not detract from his noble features. Despite his regal bearing and expensive clothing, Count Armond Feldrast looked like he could just as easily be a middle-weight boxer. There was a strength and vigor to the man that the adult Thale Feldrast completely lacked.


    I hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but Armond wore a single red earring on his right earlobe. Gems were frequently enchanted with magic in [Ferrum Online], so I wondered if the garnet in Armond¡¯s earring had some kind of magic effect.


    ¡°Come in, Thale,¡± Armond said. ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    As my father instructed, I sat down on the chair opposite Armond''s own. This was the chair that visiting diplomats and minor nobles would sit upon when meeting with Armond.


    "I hear that you destroyed three Hellfire lamps. Is that true?" Armond asked, putting strong emphasis on the number of lamps destroyed.


    "Yes," I said, looking down at the floor. "I lost control of my Talent for a second. I told one of the guards as soon as possible."


    Armond chuckled quietly and ruffled my hair with one hand. "Trust me, I''ve lost control of Hellfire many times before. I just wish you would have come to me with this immediately. Everyone in town knows what happened by now."


    "Sorry," I said quietly, annoyed that I was being treated like a kid.


    "Solana''s blown out Hellfire lamps before, but only one or two at a time," Armond said. "What I''m really interested in is the number of lamps you blew out. Can you really affect three Hellfire sparks simultaneously?" By the time Armond had finished his sentence, a wide smile had formed on his face.


    "Yes?" I said, my confusion turning the simple statement into a question. To provide evidence, I snapped my fingers, and three motes of Hellfire appeared floating above my head in a triangle pattern. A moment later, the small sparks transformed into three rings.


    "Wow," Armond said, pride obvious in his voice. "I didn''t have this much control of Hellfire until I was well into my twenties. What else can you do?"

 Chapter 26 - [The Full Extent of My Frailty]

    After more than an hour of performing the [Hellfire] equivalent of party tricks for Armond, I went to sleep. He wanted to see how far my control of my Talent had progressed, and he was beyond impressed. I knew that Solana could barely control two sparks at once even though she was seven years older than me. If I wanted to, I could have exerted control on four sparks at once, but the accuracy of my control would deteriorate significantly.


    It was a real shame that Solana would be unfavorably compared to me from that point forward, I thought. I had kept my level of mastery over [Hellfire] a secret before then for that reason. Her brother, seven years her junior, had a control over the Feldrast family Talent that was incomparably more advanced than her own.


    The only person not impressed by my level of mastery over [Hellfire] was me. It was only natural that a middle-aged academic would reach this level of mastery within nine years. Compared to me, the people of Ferrum were barbarians. They didn¡¯t know about electricity, germ theory, relativity, central plumbing, or a thousand other modern inventions. Their reliance upon magic had stunted their innovative spirit. They could light their streets and heat their homes with magic, so they never needed to truly innovate.


    The people of Ferrum would probably never undergo the industrial revolution; at least, not in the same way. Yet, there was a nobility to that. Modern conveniences begot modern problems back on Earth. Would the invention of modern technology truly benefit the world of Ferrum?


    <hr>


    I spent much of the day out doing chores with Solana. Once every month, somebody with the [Hellfire] Talent had to go around and relight any Hellfire sparks that had been extinguished accidentally.


    Without outside intervention, Hellfire sparks burned forever, even underwater. If somebody were to strike a spark with some sufficiently sized object, however, it would be extinguished. The millimeter-wide core of the Hellfire spark burnt at a temperature roughly equivalent to that of the sun, so this process invariably destroyed the object. Even I would be lightly burned by touching the core of a Hellfire spark.


    Some way or another, sparks were frequently destroyed. Every house in Sableton had at least one spark, and more wealthy domiciles would have two or three. I suspected that there must have been about a thousand Hellfire sparks in town. Inevitably, accidents would happen.


    I sat on a bench, trying to catch my breath. There were twelve stops on our route, and we were almost at the last stop. We had been walking off-and-on for about two hours, and I had to sit out one of the stops.


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    As I looked up at the clear blue sky and thought about the morbid wheezing sound that I made whenever I inhaled or exhaled, I thought about how the rest of my family was unaware of the full extent of my frailty.


    I had been covering up my symptoms with healing magic. Whenever my body ached too much, I would use the [Second Prayer]. Whenever I felt myself start to get sick, I would use the [First Prayer]. Armond was unaware that a minor cold could take me out of commission for a month, and a short walk around town could put me on the verge of asphyxiation.


    It was better that way, ultimately. If the fullness of my weakness was revealed, then Armond or Tabitha might limit my ability to leave Feldrast Manor. Though I enjoyed staying cooped up all day from time to time, doing so with regularity would seriously hamper my ability to put my plan into motion. I couldn¡¯t store my transmutation equipment in Feldrast Manor, and I¡¯d need to be alone to handle the more complicated parts of my plan.


    While I sat there on that bench, I reached into my pocket and withdrew the reward given to me by Armond the previous night. Holding it up to the light, I held in my hand an Etronian gold coin. Armond gave it to me to ¡°compensate me¡± for the time I¡¯d waste relighting the sparks around town.


    That was the first time I had ever held a gold coin in my hands. The money I borrowed from Eadric was requested in increments measured by silver pieces. The largest amount I had ever asked to borrow at once was thirty silver pieces when I had to pay the local blacksmith for building the superstructure of my transmutation apparatus.


    From my modern perspective, the coin looked amateurish, like some hand-made souvenir you¡¯d buy when overseas. It was stamped on each side, and the center of the stamps were slightly misaligned. The coins must have been stamped by hand, giving it a primitive look that didn¡¯t quite fit my idea of a proper currency. Since the machine for automatically stamping coins had not yet been invented, all coins I had seen up to that point had that same imperfection.


    On one side of the Etronian gold coin was an image of Azure Palace, the primary seat of governance for the Kingdom of Etronia. The King would deliver declarations from this place, and the House of Lords would gather there whenever matters of finance had to be handled. Officially, Count Armond Feldrast was a member of the House of Lords, but he had handled such matters by proxy ever since I had been born.


    On the other side of the coin was a side profile of King Theophrastus III of House Polaris, the current king of Etronia. The image on the coin depicted him as a young man in his early twenties, but the mold had been created long ago. King Theophrastus was almost seventy when I held that coin in my small hand. He had been the king of Etronia for the past fifty years, and he would remain king for another twelve. I would never forget this fact, because I knew his death would be the impetus to start a great and terrible war, the likes of which Ferrum had never seen before.

 Chapter 27 - [The Death of King Theophrastus]

    In [Ferrum Online], the death of King Theophrastus plunged Etronia into a succession war that split the country into three pieces. The King had many more children than originally thought, and some were only revealed after his death. Two of the King¡¯s children had equally valid claims to the throne, and the third child was supported by the Etronian noble with the largest army in the Kingdom. This civil war caused a border dispute with the Kingdom of Mitrikova to the south, which eventually evolved into a full war between the two countries.


    The border between Etronia and Mitrikova was incredibly hard to cross. An unnavigable mountain range split the continent of Rubigo in half, and these mountains served as the border. There were only two ways to travel between the two kingdoms. On was a single valley that could be defended by a single well-fortified castle. The other was a thirty-mile-wide stretch of land on the coast that was controlled by the neutral country of Hinnom.


    Even though the two kingdoms were of equivalent power, and Etronia was distracted by a civil war, Mitrikova could not gain an advantage. The valley between the two kingdoms was too easy to defend, and Mitrikova dared not provoke the wrath of Hinnom. That was the state of things when the game began in 635 CA.


    I looked at the small, pale hand that held the coin and wondered: how was a six-year-old supposed to stop that from happening? By that point, I had not thought of a plan that would likely work and did not involve a copious amount of political assassination. Simply saving the King¡¯s life would not work. His death was listed as ¡°age related,¡± and he was seventy-seven at the time. I suspected that no amount of medical intervention would extend his life by more than a year.


    Even if I were to assassinate everyone involved in the succession war, I wasn¡¯t sure that would work either. The civil war was a result of certain structural problems with the succession laws and social problems within the nobility of Etronia. It was the physical and political power of the King that was currently holding the Kingdom together. King Theophrastus was probably the strongest [Character] in the world currently. Without an equivalently powerful political leader to hold Etronia together, I suspected that the Kingdom would fracture one way or another.


    I sighed and returned the gold coin to my pocket. I must have been thinking for more than ten minutes, and my breathing had stabilized. A door creaked open off to my side, and Solana exited the house she had entered several minutes previously. She was speaking happily with the elderly couple living there, and she held a small metal box in her hands.


    ¡°Oh, dear, we¡¯re sorry for making you come all the way out here,¡± the old woman said with a sad smile. ¡°I was boiling water over the spark when - wouldn¡¯t you know - the whole bucket came crashing down. The hook attaching it to the fireplace broke, and now that old bucket has a hole right through it.¡±


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    ¡°We¡¯re happy to help,¡± Solana said with a smile, prompting me to raise a hand in recognition. I slowly got to my feet and started walking over to the house. ¡°It¡¯s our obligation to help the people of Northwind wherever we can.¡±


    Solana was dressed very differently that day compared to the day before. Her long black hair was tied back in a tight ponytail, and her clothing was as light as she could get away with. She wore a gray riding skirt, which looked to me like exceedingly baggy pants, and a thin white blouse. I knew that Solana dressed this way for ease of movement because no amount of clothing would cause her to overheat. In contrast to her outfit, I dressed in unseasonably warm clothes because I felt more comfortable in them.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± the old woman frowned. ¡°We didn¡¯t think young Thale would have to come out because of us. That poor boy should be inside.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything, but my internal monologue was not favorable to the old woman at the time. I could handle myself, I thought, though all evidence pointed to the contrary.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ma¡¯am,¡± Solana said with a smile. ¡°Thale can handle himself. He just needs to take a break every so often.¡±


    I silently thanked my sister.


    Within a few minutes, we were able to extricate ourselves from the conversation with the elderly couple. We sat on one of Sableton¡¯s many benches, and Solana silently peered inside the small metal container that the old couple had just given her. Inside were about a dozen assorted cookies. The cookies were sugar, chocolate chip, and oatmeal.


    ¡°Do you want one?¡± Solana held the cookie tin out toward me.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, grabbing an oatmeal cookie with no hesitation.


    ¡°Really? Oatmeal?¡± Solana said with an upturned eyebrow as she grabbed a chocolate chip cookie.


    ¡°I like oatmeal,¡± I said simply.


    ¡°You even eat like an old man.¡± Solana giggled behind the back of her hand.


    This statement prompted a deep sigh from me. With my eyes pointed contemplatively toward the cobbled street, I said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you have to be compared to me. If I had never been born, you would be the most advanced [Hellfire] user of our generation.¡±


    My statement was true, of course. Even when controlled for age, Solana¡¯s control of [Hellfire] was stronger than the original Thale¡¯s. Whereas the original Thale¡¯s focus was split between half a dozen schools of magic, Solana focused entirely on [Hellfire].


    ¡°Thale¡­¡± Solana said sadly. Suddenly, I felt a hand grab me by the shoulder, and my head was rotated in Solana¡¯s direction. Her green eyes resolutely bore into my own. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that. I don¡¯t resent you, and I¡¯m sorry if you feel that way. Honestly, I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re a genius. If father¡¯s inheritance must pass to someone else anyway, I¡¯m happy that it¡¯s going to someone like you.¡±


    Solana grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a hug. It was only after the fact I realized that my face was tightened in an expression of pain.

 Chapter 28 - [The Guild Hall]

    Solana and I quietly ate the old couples¡¯ homemade cookies while we sat on that bench.


    ¡°Can you really control three sparks at once?¡± Solana asked, breaking the silence. She was smiling as she spoke, and her voice carried a tone of impressed shock because of her acute awareness of the difficulty of using Hellfire.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said after swallowing a mouthful of oatmeal cookie. Without another word, I shot three Hellfire sparks simultaneously into the sky. After a moment, the three sparks transformed into small, flaming circles, like the flaming rings at a carnival. We would just need a lion to jump through them, and the image would be complete.


    It had taken me more than a year to figure out how to form circles with Hellfire. You had to elongate the core into a long, millimeter-thick line to form the spark into different shapes. Actually maintaining the shape of the circles was somewhat similar to plate-spinning. The shape would naturally degrade if I didn¡¯t focus on it for more than five seconds, so I would have to manually reshape each of the three circles within that time frame.


    My mind went back to Armond¡¯s fight with the outlanders. He had to manually maintain the protective circle he had formed around us, even as he killed the thirty outlanders single-handedly. It would be no overstatement to say that our presence on the battlefield halved his combat effectiveness. Yet, even with such a significant handicap, he made the battle look easy.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, Thale!¡± Solana smiled widely. ¡°When I was your age, I didn¡¯t even know I could use Hellfire!¡± Her good-natured attitude astounded me. If I had been in Solana¡¯s shoes, I would certainly have resented my much younger and much more skilled sibling.


    The three sparks disappeared simultaneously as if they had never been there. I smiled, immensely grateful for the loving family that I had been born with, and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± After a moment, I continued, ¡°We have one more stop. I think we should get to it.¡±


    Solana sprang to her feet, and I stood a moment later. ¡°Yep!¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°Our last stop is the Guild Hall! Let¡¯s go!¡±


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    Oh, right. Solana¡¯s statement reminded me that I had to talk to Sendrick Grimhold before the day was over. I had intended to talk to him as soon as we were done, but this presented me with the perfect opportunity to go a bit earlier than expected.


    ¡°How about I take this one by myself?¡± I said with a smile. ¡°You handled the last stop, so I¡¯ll handle this one.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Solana asked, looking at me out of the side of her eye.


    ¡°Absolutely!¡± I said, trying to exude a youthful energy that did not come naturally to me.


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± Solana said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you back at the manor, then.¡±


    <hr>


    Two of the Hellfire sparks within the Guild Hall had been extinguished over the past month. This was to be expected, ultimately, as the Grimhold Guild was constantly filled with people hurriedly bringing goods in and taking goods out.


    I told the receptionist, a young woman named Gertrude, that I was there to re-ignite the extinguished Hellfire sparks. With a single raised eyebrow, she let me into the Guild Hall. As I passed, I saw as she handed a small scrap of paper to a young man, and the man left in a hurry.


    I passed several fast-moving employees of the Grimhold Guild as I approached the first of the two extinguished Hellfire sparks. When I reached my destination, I saw a brass brazier that did not contain a spark. Despite the evidence of an accident occurring, the brazier and the stone wall it was built into seemed completely undamaged. Any damage must have been repaired before I got there. Whatever people said about the Grimhold Guild, they never said it was inefficient.


    A spark of Hellfire sprang from my hand, filling the empty brazier with a mote of flame. I used my pen to place a checkmark next to the second-to-last item on the list given to us by Armond. There was just one more spark that had to be replaced, and it was on the third floor. I sighed heavily and turned toward the nearest staircase.


    Once I turned my head, I perceived the smiling face of Sendrick Grimhold. This time, however, his smile was not one of professional courtesy. No, his smile was that of a wolf that had just spotted a potential feast.


    ¡°Greetings, Lord Thale,¡± Sendrick said. ¡°I see that you¡¯ve once again decided to grace our humble guild hall.¡±


    I was immediately aware that the drug had worked. When Sendrick looked at me, he saw an opportunity for great profit. Excellent. That was exactly the reaction I wanted to induce from him.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Grimhold,¡± I said. ¡°Right now, I¡¯m here to replace some of your extinguished sparks. Do you care to join me?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sendrick said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, but I knew that he wouldn¡¯t have given me such preferential treatment unless he saw a potential business opportunity.

 Chapter 29 - [That Distasteful Institution]

    The two of us started walking toward the staircase to the upper floors. As we walked, Sendrick said, ¡°Your father is incredibly generous, replacing extinguished Hellfire sparks for free. If I¡¯m not mistaken, he¡¯s the only one in the Northern Realms that doesn¡¯t charge for Hellfire spark replacement. In any settlement other than Sableton, the nobles will charge anywhere from ten to fifty silver pieces to replace a single spark.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± I said, looking toward Sendrick for a moment. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡± I tried to keep my talking to a minimum as we walked up the stairs.


    ¡°Oh, yes, it¡¯s quite expensive to maintain a guild hall under such circumstances,¡± Sendrick said seriously. ¡°With all the bulky items we must transport frequently, we lose a spark or two every month. Forty silver a month over a dozen guild halls really adds up, you know? Your father¡¯s generosity is a big part of why I built such a large guild hall in Sableton.¡±


    It annoyed me slightly that a middle-aged man could deliver a soliloquy while walking up two flights of stairs without missing a beat, whereas I could barely breathe by the end of the first flight.


    ¡°Why are you¡­¡± I took a few deep breaths, ¡°telling me this?¡±


    ¡°Well, if we¡¯re going to be business partners, then I might as well start your training now. You see, generosity can be the best strategy from time to time. You might think that being cold, calculating, and ruthless is always the best strategy when it comes to business and politics, but that¡¯s far from the case.¡± We reached the top of the staircase, and I leaned against a wall, breathing heavily as Sendrick spoke. ¡°Your father is a good man, and, well, forgive me for saying so, but that is a rare commodity among nobles.¡± I nodded in agreement. ¡°Good men are predictable; good men always uphold their end of the bargain, even without the threat of monetary loss if the bargain is broken. The businessmen of Rubigo know that your father is a good man, so they are eager to do business in Northwind. Over the past twenty years, the Realm of Northwind has experienced unparalleled economic growth¡­ all because your father is a good man. Do you understand me?¡±


    Finally able to catch my breath, I said, ¡°How are you so sure that my father is a good man?¡± The image of thirty dead outlanders briefly flashed through my mind. ¡°Isn¡¯t his title ¡®the King¡¯s Executioner?¡¯¡±


    Sendrick smiled at my question. ¡°It¡¯s quite simple, really. He¡¯s done several things throughout his governance of Northwind that were unprofitable. He did those things not because he could turn a profit, but because it was the right thing to do.¡±


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    ¡°What things?¡± I asked, genuinely confused. My father¡¯s rule of Northwind before my birth was a big blind spot for me.


    ¡°Well, his first act as Count of Northwind was to abolish slavery within the Realm. He criminalized the trade of slaves in addition to their transportation,¡± Sendrick explained.


    Slavery, that distasteful institution. I knew that I would encounter it from time to time once I left Northwind. Within the logic of the game, the legal status of slavery was commonly used as shorthand for the moral alignment of the area you were in and more specifically the leader of that area. Slavery was legal in about half of Etronia since the local liege of each fief decided the laws on such matters. The original Thale invited the slave merchants back into Northwind within months of his father¡¯s death.


    ¡°I get the point,¡± I said with a wave of my hand, stopping Sendrick from listing other examples. ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s better to project the image of a ¡®good man.¡¯ I don¡¯t see why you feel the need to teach me that, however. Being ¡®good¡¯ should come naturally to someone my age.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, it should¡­¡± Sendrick said, leaving the rest of the sentence unspoken. Something about me worried Sendrick, clearly. Whatever he saw in me that prompted him to say, ¡®being a good person is the right move, sometimes,¡¯ was beyond me.


    I replaced the extinguished spark on the third floor while Sendrick stood beside me. ¡°Quite the Talent,¡± he said. ¡°Do you want to take a seat in my office so that we could continue our conversation from yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I said, happy to get past Sendrick¡¯s earlier statement. Seriously, what did I do to put his guard up like that? Did he see something in my eyes that no one else saw? Whatever. All that matters is that he¡¯s still willing to work with me.


    We soon reached Sendrick¡¯s office, and I once more found myself sitting across from the richest man in Etronia. At his seat, Sendrick leaned toward me, interlaced his fingers, and rested his head on his hands. ¡°To begin with, I have to say that yesterday was the most productive day of my life. I¡¯ve never been able to sit down and fill out paperwork for four hours straight without stopping. Though, I did have some trouble talking to people while I was using your focus-drug. It¡¯s a minor concern compared to what it did for me.¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d be sold as soon as you took it,¡± I said with a calculated smile of my own. ¡°It is potentially addictive, however, so you should probably be careful with overuse.¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s addictive,¡± Sendrick laughed. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t become addicted to being a better employee?¡±


    Sendrick cleared his throat to get his excitement back under control. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m thinking we¡¯ll be able to sell this stuff to the students and scholars at Hinnom for - at minimum - a silver piece per gram.¡±


    I let out a low whistle. If he could really sell my focus-drug at such a price, then a kilogram of it would cost ten gold pieces.


    ¡°How much of it could you sell?¡± I asked.


    Without hesitation, Sendrick answered. ¡°As much as you can make.¡±

 Chapter 30 - [Two Priests]

    Negotiations were short, and we came to an agreement within a few minutes. I only had two stipulations: everyone who used the focus-drug would be warned that taking too much at one time would result in death, and it would not be sold to children. Though Sendrick frowned when I stated my second stipulation, he agreed to both without hesitation. In terms of payment, we agreed that I would end up with 10% of all sales of my new drug.


    Other than focus-drug, we had no name for it at the time. I would rather not call it ¡°Adderall,¡± since such a name would remind me of what I was doing. I was essentially a drug dealer, handing out prescription medication like it was expensive candy. In my defense, I could have been a lot worse. The chemical formulae for meth, cocaine, and heroin were all still banging around inside of my mind.


    If I had wanted to, I could have gotten this world addicted to some of the most terrible drugs ever conceived. Even with my relatively flexible morality, that was off the table. With Adderall, at least, the population would be pushed in a vaguely good direction. It would increase productivity, certainly.


    I agreed to let Sendrick name the product; I just asked that my name not be mentioned in any way. I didn¡¯t want an amphetamine-addicted wizard to come knocking on my door in a few years. Before I had even left his office, Sendrick came up with the name that would come to define the product of my new type of transmutation. He called it, ¡°Miracle powder.¡±


    Beyond that, I agreed to bring a kilo of the miracle powder to Sendrick once a week. That was probably the most I could produce with my current set up. Eventually, I would scale up my lab, and the only thing limiting production at that point would be my own mana reserve. At the time, I suspected that I would max out at five kilos per week.


    As I said goodbye to Gertrude, my thoughts turned to my healing potential. I was pretty sure that the warning on the box would be enough to stop me from catching the baleful attention of Nyx.


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    My knowledge of the specifics of healing potential loss was mostly limited to an old story I heard when I first played [Ferrum Online]. According to the story, many years ago, there were two priests. Each of them forged a sword and then sold their sword in the town square. One priest sold his sword to a mercenary, saying, ¡°This sword will help you defend your family.¡±


    The other priest sold his sword to a hunter, saying, ¡°This sword can be used to carve up animals once you have killed them with your bow.¡±


    Both the mercenary and the hunter then went on to use the swords to kill many people, some innocent and some guilty. Over the coming years, the first priest became despondent as his ability to use healing magic faded bit by bit. The second priest, however, was perfectly fine. Though the hunter went on to kill many innocent people with the sword, it resulted in no divine judgment to fall upon the second priest¡¯s head.


    The difference between the two priests was intent. The first priest intended for the mercenary to use the sword in a way that Nyx deemed unacceptable. Even though the actions of the two priests were indistinguishable, the intention of the second priest saved him.


    I believed I was the second priest because I didn¡¯t intend for the focus-drug to harm anyone. In addition, I was pretty sure that Nyx wouldn¡¯t recognize ¡°causing addiction¡± to be a ¡°violent¡± action. Nyx took a strong stance against specifically physical harm, and not necessarily any action that makes someone¡¯s life worse. Raising taxes won¡¯t hurt your healing potential. It was theoretically possible that my healing potential could be hurt if someone were to overdose on the focus-drug, but I just had to rely on the warning on the box to prevent that from happening.


    I walked through a relatively undeveloped part of town on my way back to Feldrast Manor. My breathing became heavy halfway through a long stretch of empty space, and I had to sit down on a bench to catch my breath. Thinking back to my meeting with Sendrick, I opened my notebook to the structural diagrams of the drugs I intended to synthesize in the future.


    Imagining the many types of miracle powder that I could make and the many people I could help, I flipped through the pages of my journal with a smile. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I turned to see a hooded man dressed in long gray robes standing just a few centimeters behind me. He stared down at my journal with a piercing gaze.

 Chapter 31 - [Beltane Ostara]

    ¡°Interesting use of transmutation magic,¡± a voice from beneath the hood said.


    Like a startled cat, I jumped up from the bench I had just been sitting on. Most of the man¡¯s head was covered by a concealing hood. Even without being able to see the man¡¯s head, however, there was still much to perceive.


    Just about every finger of the man¡¯s hands was covered in silver or brass rings, and each ring had a fine jewel inlaid within its metalwork. A small silver bracelet hung from his left wrist, and a foot-long wand sat in a small leather holster at the man¡¯s side. Both the staff and the wand were fashioned out of a dark wood.


    In contrast to the expensive jewelry worn by the man, his outfit was astoundingly dirty, and his skin was covered in a thin coating of grime. It seemed to me like he had not bathed or washed his hands in weeks, yet his jewelry must have cost several dozen gold pieces.


    The mage wore a necklace from which hung five rubies, and several talismans hung from his belt. It was difficult to tell at a distance, but the talismans and magic foci were completely covered in runes carved into the wood.


    My experience from [Ferrum Online] made me immediately aware of what that man was. He was a War Mage. Every seemingly meaningless piece of jewelry or esoteric talisman the man carried on his person served an important combat purpose. His equipment reminded me of the necromancer character I played back on Earth.


    I knew that the man was powerful, but I didn¡¯t know who he was, so I made a snap decision.


    [Observe, Lvl. 7]


    Name: Beltane Ostara


    Class: War Mage


    Level: 25


    HP: 153


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    MP: 259


    Fortitude: 12


    Strength: 10


    Agility: 15


    Intelligence: 20


    Willpower: 20


    Charisma: 8


    Talents: [Lie Detection], [Observe]


    Healing Potential: 0


    The man¡¯s name was Beltane Ostara, and there was absolutely no way I could take him in a fight. Back in [Ferrum Online], army units would often deploy with war mages. They were a level beyond typical mages that could only use 2-Point sorceries and 1-Point illusions.


    I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender a moment before two words escaped Beltane¡¯s lips, ¡°Level seven¡­?¡±


    Crap, I had almost forgotten to read his Talents. Beltane had the [Observe] Talent, so he knew the significance of what I had just done. It took a year of consistent training to use [Observe] at level 5, and it took several years to reach a level beyond that. I was only able to use [Observe] at level 7 after many years of training.


    ¡°Lord Thale¡­¡± Beltane said, his voice a mixture of naked shock and respect, ¡°you¡¯re even more impressive than I was led to believe.¡±


    He knew who I was, but I wouldn¡¯t let that rattle me. ¡°You were watching me. Why?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve caught my attention, Lord Thale. I heard about you all the way back in Hinnom, and I¡¯m here now in the Northern Realms for several reasons, one of which is to serve as the Observer on your seventh birthday,¡± Beltane said.


    ¡°Those are a lot of big words, Mister,¡± I said, though my cold tone of voice belied my awareness of the situation. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying.¡±


    ¡°Right, you¡¯re right,¡± Beltane chuckled quietly. ¡°You¡¯re just a normal nine-year-old who can use [Observe] at level 7. That makes a lot of sense to me.¡±


    Beltane Ostara has targeted you with [Observe, Lvl. 9]


    This line of text appeared at the top of my vision as soon as Beltane had finished speaking. There was nothing I could do to stop Beltane from gleaning an unacceptable amount of information from me. A small part of me started to resent the [Observe] Talent, and I decided I would need to acquire a Ring of Mind Shielding as soon as possible.


    ¡°A normal nine-year-old with¡­ Nyx above¡­ eighteen Intelligence?¡± Beltane gasped in surprise.


    ¡°Fine¡­¡± I sighed heavily. This guy was a serious problem for me. I certainly couldn¡¯t handle him physically, but perhaps I could handle him with political influence. If he was working in Northwind, he would have to be working for Armond. Perhaps I could subtly push Armond toward exiling him. ¡°I¡¯m a genius. Congratulations, you¡¯ve unveiled my great secret. What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from you,¡± Beltane said with a wry smile. ¡°No, I want to teach you.¡±

 Chapter 32 - [Court Mage of Northwind]

    A few minutes later, Beltane and I were walking down one of Sableton¡¯s many cobbled roads. Beltane had let his hood down, revealing a man with dark blonde hair and an easy smile. A thick growth of stubble coated Beltane¡¯s face, giving him a savage look that would be improper in the presence of an Etronian noble. As we walked, Beltane smiled and waved at every villager we passed.


    In contrast to Beltane, my face was an edifice of displeasure and irritation. Using [Observe] on Beltane was the wrong move. Beltane¡¯s use of [Observe] was completely justified, since I used the Talent first. I had assumed that he didn¡¯t have [Observe]. Even among mages, only 10% of them had that Talent. I just happened to meet one of the few people in Ferrum who happened to share a Talent with me.


    ¡°So, let me get this straight,¡± Beltane said, continuing the conversation, ¡°you¡¯re a priest with the [Hellfire] Talent?¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± I sighed. ¡°You knew that as soon as you used [Observe] on me. Why are you here, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Because [Hellfire] is the best Talent in the world when it comes to dealing damage,¡± Beltane said, completely ignoring my question.


    ¡°I disagree,¡± I said without explaining further. There was no doubt in my mind that [Time Stop] was the best offensive Talent. Come to think of it, all the Talents that involved the manipulation of space time could probably give [Hellfire] a run for its money. ¡°Answer the question.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here for several reasons,¡± Beltane said with a smile. ¡°One of which is to act as the Observer for your Ritual of Observation.¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯ve heard of me,¡± I said like a police officer interrogating a suspect. I didn¡¯t want to give Beltane the chance to move the conversation on to something else. ¡°What have you heard?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that?¡± Beltane chuckled. ¡°I just heard that the first son of Count Armond Feldrast awakened at five years old. It¡¯s rare for a child to awaken before their thirteenth birthday, but I¡¯m sure you knew that. A five-year-old awakening is unheard of. I was sure that the rumor was just baseless propaganda meant to make the nobility look good, but - well - I was just proven wrong.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± I grimaced. Something about that disheveled man¡¯s stupid face really pissed me off. ¡°So, you¡¯re here because I caught your attention? At absolute best speed, it¡¯s a twelve-day journey to Hinnom, and most of those roads aren¡¯t safe. There¡¯s no way an intelligent man like you would make that journey based on a rumor.¡±


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    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me, that¡¯s good,¡± Beltane said. ¡°Most people in this world aren¡¯t trustworthy. Half of the people on the roads nowadays would kill you for a silver piece. You¡¯re right, the rumor about you had little influence on my journey. I¡¯m here because King Theophrastus has appointed me the Court Mage of Northwind.¡±


    Who did he think he was? Court Mage of Northwind, my ass. My father didn¡¯t need a Court Mage. Armond¡¯s control over magic was better than anything this phony magician could conjure up. He must have been lying in order to¡­


    God, it was happening again. That must have been the third time in two days. I didn¡¯t even realize that the anger wasn¡¯t my own until it started leading me in an illogical direction. Thale¡¯s emotions were radiating off his soul so powerfully that I felt them as if they were my own.


    Beltane Ostara¡­


    Thale¡¯s voice hissed threateningly, as if he had just spotted a predator hiding in the bushes. It was almost as if he was warning me of some threat that I had not yet noticed.


    You need to stop that, Thale. When you feel strong emotions, I¡¯m affected as well.


    As expected, Thale completely ignored my statement.


    My mentor. He was the source of every nightmare I visited upon the innocents of this accursed world. Do not listen to anything he says, demon.


    Beltane Ostara was the original Thale¡¯s mentor? That was certainly news to me. Thinking about it, someone must have taught Thale magic other than [Water Ball] and [Mold Earth]. Wait, what did he say at the end?


    What? I¡¯m not a demon, Thale.


    There was no response.


    God! Either stay asleep or stick around long enough to tell me something useful!


    Mentally slamming the door on my psyche, I drew my attention back to the present. With the disappearance of Thale¡¯s voice, the anger in my mind also subsided. I just hoped that it wouldn¡¯t happen again soon.


    I stopped walking and turned to Beltane, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been too suspicious of you. I was just startled by your sudden appearance. How about we get a fresh start. I¡¯m Thale Feldrast,¡± I said, holding my small hand out for Beltane to shake, ¡°Heir Apparent to the Realm of Northwind and Lord of Gwynedd. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    Beltane took a few more steps before realizing I had stopped. With a smile, he wiped his dirty hand off on his robe and shook my hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Lord Thale. You may call me Beltane Ostara, Third-Class War Mage and Silver-Rank adventurer.¡±


    The key to the second part of my plan had just fallen right into my lap. As my hand grasped Beltane¡¯s, my smile matched his. In the absence of a clear plan to prevent the War of Thorns in ten years, my goal was to accrue as much power as I could as quickly as possible. I would gain monetary power through my deal with Sendrick, I would gain magical power through my apprenticeship with Beltane, and my position as a noble assured that I would have political power in spades.


    A path forward was starting to form, and I intended to take it.

 Chapter 33 - [Future Sight]

    Beltane and I soon reached the front entrance to Feldrast Manor. We were about to turn into the garden in front of the manor when I said, ¡°Hey, are you going to talk to my father looking like that?¡±


    Beltane suddenly halted as if he had suddenly realized the state of his outfit and general hygiene. He looked down with a somewhat embarrassed look before saying, ¡°Yeah, is that not a good idea?¡±


    ¡°I assume you haven¡¯t spent much time in the presence of Etronian nobility?¡± I stated with the cadence of a question.


    ¡°Not exactly, no,¡± Beltane scratched his cheek. ¡°The leaders of Hinnom are particularly pragmatic when it comes to matters of appearance.¡±


    ¡°Well, my father isn¡¯t,¡± I said. Good man he may have been, but he still strictly abided to noble standards of propriety. ¡°He¡¯ll understand if you take a day to clean yourself up.¡±


    Just as Beltane started to reach for a pouch at his belt, I grabbed the only thing in my pocket and flipped it in the war mage¡¯s direction. With a much greater dexterity than I would usually expect from a mage, Beltane caught the object in his grasp. Curiously, he looked down at the object, seeing a single Etronian gold coin shining back at him.


    ¡°Consider it a down payment on my future lessons,¡± I said before he could remark on the gold coin.


    Beltane let out a low whistle before he said, ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t know nobles gave their kids such generous allowances.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s what you need to do: go to the Smoldering Flame Inn, ask for a room and a bath, keep most of your supplies in the room, buy some nice clothes from the local tailor, and then come talk to my father.¡± As I spoke, I pointed in the general direction of the stores to which I was referring. The Smoldering Flame Inn was near the market in the center of town, and the tailor was near the river.


    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Beltane said, smiling. ¡°You¡¯re a weird kid, you know that?¡±


    ¡°I am aware,¡± I said without an expression on my face.


    <hr>


    Beltane didn¡¯t return to Feldrast Manor that day. The sun was low in the sky when we parted, and I suspected that the tailor was already closed. It was probably better that he become somewhat accustomed to Sableton before he met with my father.


    The next day, I was reading a book under an old oak tree in the front yard while Merrick and Walter sparred nearby. Sparring is perhaps the wrong word. It would be more accurate to say that Merrick would try to tap Walter¡¯s knees with a small wooden sword, and Walter would casually parry Merrick¡¯s attempts with a thick tree branch. Since Merrick was seven at the time, he was humorously outmatched against the grizzled war veteran.


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    I tried to focus on my book, The History of Hinnom, but the fight in front of me kept diverting my attention. The miniscule wooden sword held in Merrick¡¯s hand was originally bought for me, but my frail constitution and general disinterest in sword-fighting resulted in its disuse.


    Whereas I took after our father, Merrick Feldrast took after our mother. He had light brown hair, green eyes, and slightly tanned skin. The tan was an early sign that he had not inherited [Hellfire], but this fact was not dispositive. It was theoretically possible to inherit [Lesser Hellfire], which did not confer fire resistance. Naturally, I had already used [Observe] on my little brother, so I knew the truth. Just as Merrick¡¯s wooden sword cracked against Walter¡¯s wooden branch, I targeted Merrick with [Observe].


    [Observe, Lvl. 5]


    Name: Merrick Feldrast


    Class: None


    HP: 5


    MP: 4


    Fortitude: 9


    Strength: 12


    Agility: 10


    Intelligence: 6


    Willpower: 7


    Charisma: 12


    Talent: [Future Sight]


    I noted with annoyance that Merrick¡¯s physical stats were much higher than mine, even though my physical development was much further along than his. It was especially annoying knowing that my physical stats would never again be greater than Merrick¡¯s. In the novelization of [Ferrum Online], Merrick eventually became a Swordmaster who enhanced his already prodigious physical abilities with a [Skill] known as [Battle Aura]. After being cast out of his home by Thale, he traveled the world as the de facto leader of a four-man adventuring party. By the time he returned home, he was strong enough to shape the world in his image.


    The original Merrick was shaped by his background and his Talent. The death of both his parents before he was fourteen years old instilled in him a desire to prevent others from suffering in the same way. The same event instilled in Thale a desire to enforce his will upon the world so that he could never be hurt again.


    Merrick¡¯s Talent, [Future Sight], sounded a lot better than it actually was. Without extensive combat training, the only advantage [Future Sight] conferred was the ability to occasionally catch glimpses of future tragedies. [Future Sight] was less useful than one would think because the visions granted by this Talent would alway come true. The person with the Talent would be powerless to prevent their vision from occurring. Somehow, the original Merrick Feldrast was able to find a combat application for [Future Sight], but I didn¡¯t know how he did it.


    After several minutes of wood cracking against wood, Tabitha exited the manor and stepped into the garden. She witnessed Merrick breathing heavily, holding his sword in a low guard. Standing next to Merrick, Walter was completely unphased by the physical activity. His branch was low to the ground, prepared for another one of Merrick¡¯s attacks.


    ¡°Merrick!¡± Tabitha Sellack Feldrast called out in a disapproving tone. ¡°Stop bothering Sir Walter!¡±


    Upon hearing my mother call out, Walter turned to her, completely taking his eyes off Merrick.


    ¡°Lady Tabitha,¡± Walter said with a bow of his head.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Merrick called out as he swung hard at Walter¡¯s shin.


    Without ever looking at Merrick, Walter sidestepped the attack. Just as Merrick had fully committed to his swing, Walter disappeared completely from his vision. Merrick¡¯s momentum carried him several steps forward, where he fell onto his hands and knees.


    ¡°Merrick¡¯s been no trouble at all,¡± Walter said, a rare smile motivating his expression. ¡°He¡¯ll be a fine knight one day.¡±

 Chapter 34 - [Purple Lightning]

    Tabitha looked over to Merrick with an expression that contained both pride and disapproval. For the first time, I noticed that Tabitha wore a single red earring on her right ear. It was a perfect match to the single earring worn by Armond. I was certain that the two earrings were paired. I did not, however, know whether the earrings served some magical property or if the pairing was merely for sentimental reasons.


    The missed strike immediately forgotten; Merrick ran up to Tabitha with a wide smile on his face. ¡°Did you see that, Mom? I almost hit Walter!¡±


    ¡°Merrick¡­¡± Tabitha said, ¡°you¡¯re not supposed to attack when your opponent¡¯s not looking. Knights don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Mom,¡± Merrick frowned, ¡°I forgot.¡±


    ¡°Just make sure not to do it next time.¡± Tabitha smiled as she knelt next to Merrick and placed a hand on the top of his head.


    ¡°I promise,¡± Merrick said. ¡°When I grow up, I¡¯m going to be Dad¡¯s greatest knight! And when Thale¡¯s in charge, I¡¯ll work for him!¡± Merrick turned to me and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Thale!?¡±


    <hr>


    A memory flashed through my mind: the original Thale¡¯s death. In the dead of night, on the roof of an ancient castle, Merrick faced an entity clothed in shadow. The creature standing before Merrick had long since ceased to be a man. The only distinguishable features of this partially-corporal being held together by nothing but dark magic and the souls of the innocent were two glowing red eyes peering out of a cloak of darkness and a single thin arm holding a staff made of ancient black wood.


    The other three adventurers in Merrick¡¯s party had fallen to the ground and were near death. Even Merrick himself had sustained a laceration that had managed to cut through his enchanted armor. The legendary Cloudrazor trembling slightly in his hands, Merrick breathed heavily, though the entity standing before him showed no signs of injury or exhaustion.


    ¡°Surrender, brother,¡± a chill voice emanated from the undead creature. ¡°Join me. Together, we can take over Etronia; we can make it strong enough to survive what¡¯s to come.¡±


    ¡°After everything you¡¯ve done, everyone you¡¯ve killed, I would never join you!¡± Merrick shouted. His hands steadied as his fear transformed into hatred. Miriam¡¯s blood still covered Merrick¡¯s hands and arms.


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    ¡°So be it,¡± Count Thale Feldrast said. Somehow, his rasping, undead voice carried a hint of melancholy.


    In an instant, a web of purple lightning filled the sky as one of the runic sigils on Thale¡¯s staff was lit in a bright silver light. Wherever the purple lightning struck, the stone masonry was instantaneously transformed into molten rock. In a blur of motion, Merrick dodged out of the way of the magical fusillade, moving at a speed impossible to track by the human eye as he frantically dodged the arcane lightning.


    The other three adventurers fled the fight as Thale¡¯s arcane lightning reduced the castle below to bright orange magma. Unable to immediately kill Merrick, Thale supplemented the purple lightning with bright yellow Hellfire. It seemed as if all available space within thirty meters of Thale was filled with deadly, high-level magic.


    Miraculously, Merrick was able to spot a path through the arcing lightning and melting rock. For a fraction of a second, there was a small hole in Thale¡¯s defense. With perfect precision, Merrick crouched low to the ground and launched himself at Thale like a missile. Merrick landed a meter in front of Thale, and it was over with a single strike.


    Cloudrazor struck the shadow creature in the chest, destroying the arcane orb that served as its core. The cavalcade of deadly offensive magic ceased, and the cloak of shadows covering Thale¡¯s body melted away, revealing the thin humanoid form beneath. Though his cheeks were sunken, and his flesh was a pallid gray color, Thale Feldrast still appeared mostly human. He had only been a lich for a few months, and his flesh had not yet completely wasted away.


    Slowly, Thale reached up and touched the long, deep cut that had formed in his torso. After a moment, he realized that his core had been destroyed.


    Thale laughed. It was a cold, hollow sound. ¡°You are strong, brother. Perhaps you¡¯re strong enough to protect this world alone. Perhaps¡­ perhaps none of this¡­ was¡­¡±


    The energy left his body, and he fell to the ground. Surrounded by a destroyed landscape, with his eyes pointed to the sky, Thale died.


    <hr>


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Merrick,¡± I said after a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    It would be no overstatement to say that my little brother was the ¡°Hero¡± of the original Ferrum. After killing Thale, he went on to kill the King of Demons on the continent of Saxum. I didn¡¯t know how my knowledge of [Ferrum Online] would change the world, and I didn¡¯t know if there was anyone else like me running around. Either way, Merrick was an important piece on the board. He would either be an indispensable asset or a fatal liability.


    ¡°Hopefully, you won¡¯t serve Thale until you¡¯re much older, Merrick,¡± Tabitha smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fun, though, won¡¯t it, Thale?¡± Merrick asked me, wide-eyed. ¡°You¡¯ll run the Realm, and I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    I gave a smile that didn¡¯t reach my eyes. ¡°I sure hope so.¡±


    A moment after I spoke, a man¡¯s voice called out from the garden¡¯s entrance. ¡°Hello? Excuse me, is Count Armond Feldrast here?¡±


    I turned toward the source of the sound. There, I saw the approaching form of Beltane Ostara.

 Chapter 35 - [Shield]

    Looking at him, it was immediately clear that Beltane had taken my advice. He was dressed in finely tailored clothing that wouldn¡¯t look out of place on a noble. He wore a thick double-breasted coat, under which was a pristine white dress shirt. Beltane¡¯s dark red trousers were made of a good material, and he even wore new boots. Most importantly, he was clean. Clearly, he had made good use of the Etronian gold piece.


    Beltane did not carry his staff or wand, but he still wore most of his jewelry. His fingers were still covered in many garish rings, and the bracelet he wore on his left wrist was inlaid with many arcane runes. On his neck, Beltane wore a silver chain necklace from which an amulet hung. I vaguely recognized the rune on the amulet to be the symbol of a pagan god worshiped in southern Etronia, though the god¡¯s name escaped me.


    Walter stepped toward Beltane, placing himself between the newcomer and three of the people he was sworn to protect. ¡°Hello, stranger,¡± Walter said in a polite but firm tone. ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    I decided to not mention my recognition of the newcomer. It would be better for everyone if our earlier meeting was never mentioned again.


    ¡°I am Beltane Ostara,¡± the man said with a slight bow to Tabitha, ¡°the Court Mage appointed to the Realm of Northwind by King Theophrastus III.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Walter mused with clear doubt evident in his voice. He looked Beltane up and down with a critical eye. ¡°Well, you¡¯re certainly dressed like a Court Mage. Do you bear the King¡¯s seal? I request that you produce the King¡¯s missive.¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡± Beltane chuckled uncomfortably, ¡°I must have left the missive in my bag at the inn.¡±


    I had to stop myself from groaning audibly. Beltane was clearly not much of a Court Mage. He should have known he would have to show the letter to prove his identity. That was the distinction between war mages and Court Mages, apparently. War mages were little more than educated soldiers; their occupation didn¡¯t require them to have a good grasp on court politics. I would have expected the King to send a man who was a bit more educated on such matters, however.


    ¡°If you do not have evidence of your identity, then I cannot allow you to come any closer,¡± Walter said firmly. His hand came to rest lightly on the handle of his sword. ¡°You¡¯ll have to go back to the inn and come back with the King¡¯s missive.¡±


    Beltane sighed heavily. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± He began to turn around. ¡°Sorry about that. I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes.¡±


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    Beltane began to leave the garden, but his departure was interrupted by a man¡¯s voice emanating from the manor. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Count Armond stepped out of an open door into the garden. ¡°I recognize this man. You were at Fulvang, were you not?¡±


    Armond addressed his last sentence to Beltane, who said, ¡°Yes, my lord. We met briefly at the strategy meeting on the eve of the final battle. I¡¯m surprised you remember me.¡±


    ¡°I try to remember those talented enough to distinguish themselves, despite humble beginnings,¡± Armond said with a smile. ¡°Sir Walter, this man is a true son of Etron. He was the only one able to dispel the wards on the walls of the Ebon Keep. If not for him, I might not have been able to reach Duke Cyphus in time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± Beltane said with a deep bow. ¡°I hope to serve you well.¡±


    Armond stepped forward with a laugh, slapped Beltane on the shoulder, and said, ¡°We¡¯ll have a feast to celebrate your arrival, Mr. Ostara. Come in, we have much to discuss.¡±


    <hr>


    A week later, I was approached by Beltane while I was producing more of my focus-drug in the hideout. He was dressed in his traveling clothes once more, and he carried his arcane foci. His hood was drawn back, revealing the sand-colored hair underneath.


    Beltane entered the hideout quietly, ducking his head as he entered. I didn¡¯t bother trying to hide my transmutation set-up. It would be impossible for me to hide my research from him for any significant amount of time.


    ¡°A two-tier, four-point transmutation reaction¡­¡± Beltane mused quietly as I pointedly ignored him. ¡°That¡¯s really advanced and¡­ unorthodox. There¡¯s not much need to use a two-tier reaction unless the primary circle has more than five points.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know that. Transmutation was handled automatically in-game, so the only building block my research had was the book on elementary transmutation I found in the library.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem very surprised,¡± I said as I removed the flask containing charcoal-slurry and placed it on a nearby table.


    ¡°I¡¯ve come to accept that everything you do is unorthodox,¡± Beltane smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably a healthy perspective to have,¡± I said seriously. ¡°Why are you here?¡± My tone was not accusatory when I asked the question. I was fairly certain I knew why Beltane was there, and I wanted to know if I was correct.


    ¡°Your father has agreed to let me tutor you,¡± Beltane confirmed my suspicion. ¡°I have been asked to spend three hours a week teaching you magic.¡±


    ¡°Three hours a week?¡± I turned to the war mage, disappointment evident on my face. I had hoped to spend much more time on magical education since I was being forced to spend forty hours a week learning things I already knew. At least I¡¯d be learning something interesting during those three hours.


    ¡°There¡¯s not really any reason to spend more than that amount of time on magical education, anyway,¡± Beltane said, sensing my disappointment. ¡°I guess there is something you don¡¯t know.¡± He smirked. ¡°The vast majority of a mage¡¯s research is spent in private study. The primary purpose of our meetings will be for me to point you in the right direction. The rest of your training will be independent. I will simply tell you which [Spells] you should learn, and you¡¯ll learn them on your own.¡±


    ¡°What [Spell] should I learn first, then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Beltane paused for a moment. ¡°You already have offense mostly handled because of your Talent. How about this? I¡¯ll teach you my very favorite spell: [Shield].¡±

 Chapter 36 - [Scutum]

    Minutes later, we were walking through the forest. Our pace was slow, so I could walk comfortably with my cane. As we walked side by side, I was struck by how much larger Beltane was. He couldn¡¯t have been more than 180 centimeters tall, yet he towered above me.


    Looking at Beltane, I was struck by a strange feeling of foreboding. Underneath the friendly exterior, there was something wild and dangerous. Even when bathed and well-dressed, Beltane had the bearing of someone who would never fully acclimate to civilized society. He seemed much more comfortable in the woods than in a castle.


    I suspected that King Theophrastus had appointed Beltane to be our Court Mage because of the relationship between him and Armond. If you were to ask me, I would say that the King¡¯s decision was a mistake. Beltane was a good mage - my Observation gave me significant evidence of that - but he was a poor court officiary. A man like him would inevitably start to chafe against the gilded chains of courtly intrigue and soon break away.


    ¡°Before our first lesson starts,¡± Beltane began to say, ¡°I need to determine what kind of student you are, so I have ask you a few questions. What do you know?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I thought for a moment, ¡°not much. I know basic sorcery, intermediate¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Beltane cut me off. ¡°You are a¡­ unique student to say the least. I need to know the extent of your intellectual gifts if I¡¯m going to be an effective teacher.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I was taken aback. That wasn¡¯t the kind of question I thought I would have to answer. ¡°Well, that could take a while. Do you mind if we sit down for this?¡±


    <hr>


    I spent the next hour talking. By the time I had started winding down, I had drawn a map of Ferrum in the dirt, and I was using it as a diagram to help organize my lecture.


    Broadly, the map of the world I drew included the three continents of Ferrum: Rubigo, Saxum, and Caligo. Rubigo and Saxum were vaguely rectangular and connected via a narrow passage at the top, giving the two continents an appearance reminiscent of a pair of lungs. Caligo, on the other hand, was far south-east of the twin continents, and it was much more circular than the other two. Perhaps it was just the way I had drawn the diagram, but the continents together looked like the organs of some immense creature. Rubigo and Saxum were the lungs, and Caligo was a kidney.


    ¡°Rubigo and Saxum connect here, in the Barren Wastes. The passage is only traversable during the winter, and it¡¯s named ¡®Halvar¡¯s Pass¡¯ after High Chief Halvar, the outlander who briefly united the many outlander tribes.¡± I paused for a moment, trying to move on to my next point.


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    ¡°Halvar¡¯s Pass connects Etronia to Sondrith in the west. South of Sondrith are about a dozen smaller nations, most notable of which is Yomotsu, which is the homeland of the samurai. Beyond that, I know that there are many other intelligent races in the world. A handful of these other species are afforded certain rights; they are colloquially called ¡®demi humans.¡¯


    ¡°I know that elves, beastfolk, and some fiends fall under the demi human umbrella. Goblins, orcs, ogres, and about a hundred other intelligent life-forms are typically killed on sight. They are considered ¡®monsters¡¯ as far as the laws of Ferrum are concerned.¡± I finished my spiel and waited for Beltane to speak once more.


    Beltane scratched his chin, frowning. ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s a lot. You sound like a human library. Everything there is to glean from a book, you seem to understand it. Your life experience is a little lacking, though. You¡¯re not a ????? (varelse), are you?¡±


    The word Beltane used in that question was not translatable to English. The word could refer to the many soulless spirits of knowledge that wandered Ferrum, silently hoarding information on instinct alone. It could also refer to a type of greater demon native to Saxum that spent its entire immortal existence gaining information and perfecting its ability to utilize magic. The closest word in English would be ¡°daemon.¡± Generally, the word meant ¡°neutral or malevolent knowledge entity.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not a daemon,¡± I said with a slight chuckle. As I spoke, I looked up at Beltane. It was only after I was done speaking that I noticed the intense look in Beltane¡¯s eyes. Without realizing it, I had given too much away.


    As soon as I finished my statement, Beltane¡¯s expression returned to a friendly smile. I suspected he had used [Lie Detection] on me, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°Of course, of course,¡± he said. ¡°Daemons are incapable of showing emotions, anyway.¡±


    I opened my mouth with the intent to mock Beltane for his foolish assumption, but the lingering concern in his eyes stopped me. Instead, I asked, ¡°How, exactly, am I lacking in life experience? I¡¯d say I¡¯m pretty sophisticated for a nine-year-old, thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°You mentioned that orcs and goblins are ¡®considered¡¯ monsters,¡± Beltane said without batting an eye at my remark. ¡°They¡¯re not ¡®considered¡¯ anything. They are monsters. If you had ever met a goblin, your tone would be very different.¡±


    I was about to give a retort but stopped short. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve never met a goblin. What are they like?¡±


    While I had certainly never met a goblin in person, I had killed thousands of them in [Ferrum Online]. They were your typical low-level mob unit that attacked you on sight and died en masse. There were no goblin NPCs, despite them supposedly being a sapient race.


    ¡°Monsters operate differently than humans or animals,¡± Beltane said seriously. ¡°They¡¯re smart enough to create and use weapons, but they never evolved the pro-social behaviors that allow other intelligent species to form a society. Even the friendliest goblin will kill and eat you with absolutely zero thought. They exist outside of our understanding of good or evil, because they simply never invented morality. If you see a monster, kill it on sight. That¡¯s the only way to stay alive in this world.¡±

 Chapter 37 - [Glass Cannon]

    The true danger of Ferrum only really started to sink in at that moment. I was aware - conceptually - that Ferrum was filled with dangerous creatures that would kill you without a second thought. In the game, walking through a forest would usually result in a dozen dead monsters. In practice, however, I had spent nearly the last ten years in the peaceful environment of Sableton. My life had been almost entirely isolated from the danger of the outside world, and that had made me forget that Ferrum was, at its core, an MMO. It was built, fundamentally, on a foundation of violence.


    ¡°Monsters are really that bad, huh?¡± I said with a tone of concern in my voice.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Beltane said. He clearly did not want to linger on his experiences with the monsters of Ferrum any longer.


    ¡°In my experience, learning new [Spells] has been really difficult. Is there any way to speed up the process?¡± In an attempt to change the subject of conversation, I asked a question that had been on my mind ever since Beltane had mentioned it.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Beltane said. ¡°Certain Traits lower the amount of time required to learn a new [Spell], and you can learn [Spells] instantly if you have enough [Experience].¡±


    Beltane was giving me a post hoc justification for the RPG system at the core of Ferrum. Because [Ferrum Online] was a video game, the creators had to tie a Mage¡¯s magical advancement to killing monsters. You couldn¡¯t reach max level in [Ferrum Online] by just reading books and practicing spells at the Magic Academy; you had to go out and complete quests.


    ¡°I assume a mage would have to kill monsters in order to gain [Experience],¡± I said. ¡°Do you know why that is?¡± I wanted to hear how people in the world of Ferrum justified this game element in-universe.


    Beltane frowned. ¡°No one¡¯s entirely sure why practicing magic in stressful situations and gaining [Experience] makes you learn spells faster. Some suspect that gaining [Experience] is akin to exercising your brain, thus making it more able to withstand the minor trauma of learning a new spell. In your case, you¡¯ll be able to learn spells 30% faster, and you¡¯d gain [Experience] from healing people.


    He was referring to my second Trait, [Intelligent]. I was unaware that Traits could be perceived via [Observe], but Beltane had managed it.


    The [Intelligent] Trait grants its benefactor a 30% increase on anything involving the Intelligence stat. Mana reserve, mana conductivity, and spell acquisition speed are all increased by 30%. [Intelligent] is a greater version of the [Quick] Trait and a lesser version of the [Genius] Trait.


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    At character creation, the players were given eight points to put into Talents and Traits. NPCs were generally created with less attribute points, and I knew that Thale was created with six attribute points. I knew that [Intelligent] was worth +3, [Sickly] was worth -4, [Hellfire] was worth +5, and [Observe] was worth +2.


    I really was the pinnacle of the ¡°glass cannon.¡± Ten attribute points had been committed solely to making me as great a mage as possible, but it came with a steep downside. Any amount of physical activity sapped my energy. Walking up a flight of stairs would nearly kill me. By all accounts, I should have been quarantined in Feldrast Manor, and I was only barely able to maintain my current level of activity with healing magic.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Beltane said after I spent thirty seconds deep in thought. ¡°Let¡¯s get to our first lesson: the [Shield] spell.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± I said. My voice carried a child¡¯s excitement for the first time in a while.


    ¡°The concept is simple, but the execution is complicated, like all magic,¡± Beltane began. ¡°You just mentally reach out and grab the fabric of reality. When you pull on this ¡®fabric,¡¯ it hardens in response, creating an impenetrable barrier.¡±


    I had never heard the [Shield] [Spell] described that way. It was used in the game to create an instantaneous effect that negated a single attack. The specifics of its function were previously unknown to me, but I knew that basically every war mage in Ferrum knew the spell.


    ¡°You cast it like this.¡± With his palm outward, Beltane pointed an outstretched hand away from me. ¡°I don¡¯t typically use the incantation for this spell. Please excuse me if my delivery isn¡¯t perfect.¡±


    After taking a moment to prepare himself, Beltane chanted a single word in the Ancient tongue, ¡°Scutum!¡±


    An opaque, circular wall formed in the space in front of Beltane. After an instant of existence, it morphed into a concave, lens-like shape. Looking at the shield, it was only natural to describe it as a shield that had been formed out of space itself.


    ¡°Now, the Shield cannot be moved once it is created. In a battle, there¡¯s no reason to keep it up for longer than a second. Summon the shield, block the attack, drop concentration. That¡¯s how this spell is meant to be utilized.¡±


    I clapped my hands in appreciation of the display I had just seen, and Beltane gave a deep bow with a broad smile on his face.


    ¡°You said you don¡¯t usually use the incantation,¡± I said. ¡°How do you bypass it?¡±


    ¡°Right, that,¡± Beltane said, stroking his beard. ¡°You see, the Expression of the spell doesn¡¯t necessarily need to be verbal. It can also be written. I¡¯m not carrying all this stuff around for my health, you know. Incantations are carved on every square centimeter of my staff and wand. As long as I¡¯m in physical contact with the wand, I can use the engraved words as my [Spell¡¯s] Expression rather than have to use an incantation.¡±


    Beltane continued. ¡°I¡¯ve inscribed ??????? (scutum) on my bracelet. Observe.¡±


    He held his right wrist out as if he was presenting his bracelet. The runes inscribed on his silver bracelet began to glow a bright silver, and an opaque shield once again appeared before him.


    ¡°This is called a shield bracelet,¡± Beltane said a moment after he dropped the shield. ¡°If you want to survive as a mage for long, you¡¯re going to need one.¡±

 Chapter 38 - [How Does Magic Work?]

    ¡°So, I was wondering,¡± I began, looking up from the notes I was taking and cutting off Beltane¡¯s lecture, ¡°how does magic work, exactly? You keep mentioning Initiation, Expression, arcane circles, and incantations, but I don¡¯t think I fully understand how they all connect.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Beltane said, looking up at me in surprise, ¡°I assumed you¡¯d already know all that. Okay. How about this?¡±


    Beltane walked over to some sand and began to draw a large circle with the end of his staff. As he drew the circle in the sand, he said, ¡°Fundamentally, magic is the transformation of mana - the natural energy that suffuses all living things ¨C into something that is useful for the caster. Typically, we call these things [Spells]. To cast a [Spell], you typically need to Initiate and Express it. This is not always the case, and you can sometimes cast a [Spell] without an Expression at all.


    ¡°But first, I need to explain what Initiation and Expression are, exactly. Initiation is the process of sending your mana from your cores to your points of Expression, which are your hands and lungs.¡±


    Like a student at a lecture hall, I raised my hand. Beltane stopped talking and pointed to me, at which point I said, ¡°Excuse me, cores? I assumed mana would all just be held in one place.¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Beltane said with a smile. ¡°Every person on the planet has two mana cores: upper and lower. The lower core is larger, and it holds your mana reserve. The upper core is smaller, but you can only use mana in your upper core to Initiate spells.¡±


    ¡°How much smaller is the upper core?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s typically about ten-times smaller than the lower core, and it takes about ten seconds to refill. Good question. You¡¯ll need a firm bedrock for later. Anyway, Expression turns the mana from your upper core into [Spells]. Expression comes in the form of incantations or transcriptions. These transcriptions, usually inscribed upon wands, allow you to cast within a heartbeat of the [Spell¡¯s] Initiation. Staves, on the other hand, are typically used to empower certain schools of magic when used to Express a [Spell].¡±


    I knew how staves and wands were used before Beltane described them to me, but I wasn¡¯t going to interrupt him just as he was reaching his stride.


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    ¡°As you know, you need to hold the image of the applicable arcane circle in your mind when you Initiate a [Spell], though even this step can be bypassed with certain tools. These arcane circles are the basis of all magic, which is why the power of various [Spells] are typically listed as 1-Point, 2-Point, et cetera. For example¡­¡± Beltane gestured to the circle he had just drawn in the sand. A single water rune had been marked on the edge of the circle.


    ¡°The sorcery known as [Water Ball] is Initiated with a circle like this and Expressed with the incantation, ¡®Aqua.¡¯¡± As Beltane said the incantation, he simultaneously fired a sphere of water out toward the creek next to which we were sitting. ¡°Such [Spells] require a minimum of 1 mana to cast, but they can be empowered to 5 mana. Naturally, [Spells] become more complicated as they get more powerful.¡±


    Beltane drew a line across the circle, connecting it to the other side. Once his line in the sand reached the other side of the circle, he marked that side with a wind rune. ¡°This is the arcane circle for the 2-Point sorcery known as [Water Cannon]. When you reach 2-Point sorceries, that¡¯s when you reach [Spells] that can actually be used in combat. 2-Point sorceries require 5 mana to cast, but you can use up to 10 mana without breaking the circle¡¯s structural integrity. Aqua tormentum.¡±


    A small sphere of water appeared a few centimeters to the right of Beltane¡¯s ear. Half a second later, a stream of water fired off toward a nearby tree. For a second, it was as if an extremely powerful water jet was being fired over Beltane¡¯s shoulder. The tree that Beltane aimed at was completely covered in water, and a deep hole had been gouged deep into the tree¡¯s wood. The hole in the tree was eerily similar to a bullet wound.


    Without missing a beat, Beltane drew two more lines, creating a triangle enclosed within the circle. Where the two lines connected, he inscribed an earth rune. ¡°Finally, we have the most complicated [Spell] that I can cast: a 3-Point sorcery. Water, wind, and earth runes together make the sorcery known as [Acid Arrow]. Such sorceries require 15 mana but can use up to 30 mana. Fuga acidum sagitta.¡±


    The same tree that had been struck by a blast of high-pressure water a moment before was struck by a condensed blob of acid that expanded significantly upon making contact. Steam began to rise off the wood, and ¨C within moments ¨C the acid had cut through half of the tree. As I watched, the tree leaned dangerously before crashing to the ground with a mighty boom.


    ¡°The greatest sorcerers can use 9-Point sorceries, which can use hundreds of mana to cast, or so I hear. Do you have any questions?¡±


    Naturally, I did, and Beltane spent the next two hours answering my questions until Solana came to the creek to drag me back to the manor.

 Chapter 39 - [Happy Birthday]

    Summer, 625 CA


    I spent the next few months learning new spells from Beltane and practicing them by myself. Learning the [Shield] spell was tough, but I managed it over the course of four tutoring sessions with Beltane. It was only after I was able to reliably cast [Shield] that Beltane told me students at the Academy usually only learned [Shield] in their third year of study.


    After learning [Shield], I learned how to cast [Lift Object] and [Catapult]. All three of these spells involved spatial manipulation, and I suspected that Beltane taught me these spells to give me experience in non-elemental magic. Altering non-elemental facets of the world was more complicated than conjuring fire or turning water into ice.


    Using [Shield], [Lift Object], and [Catapult] required you to interface with space itself. Usually, it was quite difficult for a denizen of Ferrum to comprehend this ¡°fabric of reality¡± that overlaid the entire universe, but its existence wasn¡¯t news to me. On Earth, this ¡°fabric¡± was known as space-time, a four-dimensional manifold that could be bent by the presence of large three-dimensional objects, creating gravity.


    By interacting with the space-time continuum in different ways, you could create different effects. By ¡°grasping it tight,¡± you¡¯d create a shield. By ¡°pressing down on it,¡± you¡¯d create an extremely localized gravitational field that could be used to lift objects. By ¡°pulling on it,¡± you could build up some potential energy and fling an object at high speeds.


    Though Beltane never told me exactly what kind of magic I was learning, I knew that it was called ¡°Distortion Magic¡± on Ferrum. It was believed by the population of Ferrum that these spells interfaced with the ¡°arcane fabric¡± that acted as the source of all magic, though they were incorrect. It would be more accurate to call it ¡°Gravity Magic.¡±


    The months before my birthday went by in a flash. For the first time in my second life, I had to use my brain. I never had the chance to utilize all my mental faculties when I was doing my Transmutation research due to the immensely slow speed of the required metallurgy. With Beltane as my mentor, I could move on to the next sticking point as soon as I reached a breakthrough in my training.


    A few times during those months, I was struck with terrible headaches comparable to the migraines I suffered in my old life, and the headaches would not go away with healing spells. When I asked Beltane about them, he told me that the headaches were the result of esoteric strain.


    Soon enough, it was my tenth birthday. Half of the town showed up to witness my Ritual of Observation. Everyone with any level of social standing was present at the ritual. It seemed that everyone wanted to learn the capabilities of the next Count of Northwind.


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    The ritual had to be held outside due to the large number of people that showed up, and I spent much of my time sitting on a chair placed on a small stone foundation in the center of the garden. Standing for longer than thirty minutes straight was impossible for me, so the chair was necessary. Luckily for me, it was standard practice for the child to sit in a chair and speak to well-wishers for the duration of the Ritual of Observation.


    Dressed in expensive tailor-made clothes that were far too warm for the weather, I sat in a chair as dozens of people milled about in our front garden. Solana and Miriam were sitting on chairs that they had brought from inside the house. It was a nice gesture. They didn¡¯t want me to feel awkward that my frailty prevented me from socializing with the others. The gesture was unnecessary, however, as I had no desire to speak to most of the people living in Sableton.


    ¡°So, Thale,¡± Solana began to say, ¡°are you excited to finally know your attributes?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I lied. It would certainly be interesting to witness everyone¡¯s reaction to my stats and mana reserve, but I had known my own abilities for more than half a decade by that point.


    ¡°Well, we already know that you¡¯ve inherited [Hellfire],¡± Solana said, prompting a jealous look from Miriam, ¡°but it¡¯ll be really interesting to see your [Intelligence] and [Willpower], don¡¯t you think?¡±


    A moment after choking down a pastry, Miriam said, ¡°I bet he¡¯s got suuuper high Intelligence. Like¡­ 14 or 15.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Solana said. ¡°He¡¯s smart, but he¡¯s not that smart. Most adults only have 10 Intelligence.¡±


    Thank you for the setup, sister.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± I said. As I spoke, I tried to sound like a child that was anxious about the results of a test.


    Two blonde figures emerged from the crowd and began walking toward me and my sisters. After a few seconds, they resolved into Lord Riomed and Nina Koravin. Before Beltane had arrived in Sableton, they were the only two blonde people in town. On the continent of Rubigo, blonde hair was incredibly rare outside of the Etron region.


    Etron, one of the heroes of the Great Calamity, had bright blonde hair. The royal family of Etronia are the direct descendents of Etron, and they inherited his bright hair color. It was my understanding that House Koravin was an offshoot of House Polaris. I suspected that Riomed Koravin was technically in the line of succession for the Kingdom of Etronia, though he must have been behind more than a hundred others.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Lord Thale,¡± Riomed Koravin said with a wide smile as he approached. He held a wooden case in one of his hands.


    Slowly, I began to lift myself from the chair. I was just about to reach for my cane when Solana helped me up with an outstretched hand. I quietly said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to stand,¡± Lord Riomed said. ¡°We are of equal rank, officially.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only natural to stand when your equal stands, Lord Riomed,¡± I said with a somewhat strained smile. Technically, I was the Lord of Gwynedd, a self-governing hamlet between Sableton and Northwind. The title was historically given to the Heir Apparent of Northwind, though it carried no real privilege or obligation. The people of Gwynedd probably didn¡¯t even know who their lord was.


    ¡°I appreciate the courtesy,¡± Riomed smiled widely. He held the box he held toward me and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver your gift from the people of Sableton. We think you¡¯ll really like it.¡±

 Chapter 40 - [The Wand]

    I looked closely at the small box Riomed held in his hands. It was about the length of an adult¡¯s forearm, and it was about as thick as a shoe box. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would have thought that Lord Riomed had bought me a nice pair of shoes.


    The box caught my attention. I had no idea what it was, and the fact that it was being delivered by a high noble ensured that its contents were expensive. I knew that it was customary for a child to receive two gifts on the Ritual of Observation: one from the community, and one from the parents. I wasn¡¯t expecting much, though. Presumably, they would get me something that a typical nine-year-old would appreciate: something expensive but with little utility.


    There were hundreds of things I wanted in the world of Ferrum, which was why I had entered into a partnership with Sendrick. Everything I wanted could only be bought with gold, so I certainly didn¡¯t expect anything useful to be contained within that box.


    ¡°Can I open it?¡± I asked, looking carefully at the gift in Lord Riomed¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Riomed said.


    I reached forward and carefully removed the top from the wooden box. Inside was a long cylindrical object that was about a centimeter in diameter and twenty centimeters long. The object had been shaped out of some kind of dark wood, and two short inscriptions had been engraved into the object¡¯s exterior.


    ????: Laevo


    ?????: Jacto


    They were the incantations for [Lift Object] and [Catapult]. My jaw fell open as I realized that I was looking at a mage¡¯s wand. Something like that would have to cost around twenty-five Etronian gold pieces. Even for a rich man like Lord Riomed Koravin, buying an engraved magic wand was a major expense. It was much too extravagant a gift to waste on a child.


    I carefully plucked the wand from its case. It was clearly meant for an adult man, so it seemed comically large in my hand.


    ¡°Is this what I think it is?¡± I asked no one in particular.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Riomed said, his smile starting to show teeth. ¡°Beltane came up with the idea for the gift. The Alchemist in Northwind gave us an especially good deal, and many of the townspeople helped raise enough money to pay for the engravings. There¡¯s still enough space on the wand for four more inscriptions, so you¡¯ll be able to add them as you learn new spells.¡±


    I had to resist mightily to stop myself from crying. Perhaps I had been far too dismissive of the ¡°NPCs¡± who weren¡¯t directly related to me. They had shown themselves to be capable of adapting to the changes I had brought to their world. I truly believed it was impossible, but they managed to get me the perfect gift. It was as if Lord Riomed had looked into my mind and found exactly what I needed at that exact moment.


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    ¡°It¡¯s perfect¡­¡± I said, gratitude clear in my voice.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Lord Riomed said. ¡°Try it out.¡±


    There was a stone off to one side of the garden. Visualizing the incantation strongly in my mind, I waved the wand in the direction of the stone. One of the engravings lit up, and the stone lifted up off the ground as if it was suspended by a long, invisible string. Based on my mana conductivity, I knew that I could use [Lift Object] on anything that weighed less than about four hundred kilograms. Lifting the stone would be more than enough to show my knowledge of the [Lift Object] spell, however.


    Riomed let out a low whistle. It seemed like he didn¡¯t really believe I could do magic until he saw me cast the spell. ¡°I tried to learn distortion magic a long time ago,¡± he said. ¡°It just never really clicked for me. In a million years, I never would have guessed that someone could master Source Magic before their seventh birthday.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the gift,¡± I said sincerely. ¡°I¡¯m going to use this for the rest of my life.¡± This second sentence wasn¡¯t hyperbole or deception. I truly believed, in that moment, that I would carry that wand for the rest of my life.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that. I look forward to seeing that wand sitting on the armrest of the throne of Northwind,¡± Lord Riomed said.


    The throne of Northwind was in the Granite Castle where Thale made his last stand against the heroes of Ferrum. Officially, it was Armond¡¯s seat of power, but he had not stepped within the City of Northwind in more than a decade.


    After I thanked Riomed a few more times, Nina approached and tried to get my attention. At that point, however, Beltane left the interior of the manor and entered the garden. He moved with a purpose, and his expression was blank. This was the sign that the ritual had begun in earnest.


    Lord Riomed gestured for Nina to step away, and she departed with an expression of annoyance. As she left, I vaguely heard her say that she wanted to show me something ¡°really cool.¡±


    Under one arm, Beltane held a thick leather-bound tome. In his other hand, he grasped a pen. After looking down at the equipment in his hands and making sure that everything was in order, he looked over at me for a fraction of a second. I was supposed to be seated when Beltane used his [Observe] Talent on me, so I was still getting back to my seat when a pop-up appeared at the top of my vision.


    Beltane Ostara has targeted you with [Observe, Lvl. 5]


    I wondered for a moment why he had even bothered using [Observe]. He had checked my attributes at least once a week over the past three months, so I was sure he had already memorized all of them.


    After using [Observe], I sat down in my chair. Everyone had stepped back about ten meters, and Beltane paced in a circle around me three times. His eyes were locked on me the whole time. I had been told to keep my eyes forward so as not to interfere with the ritual, but it all seemed a bit absurd. [Observe] could be used instantaneously. If it really took so long to use, the Talent would be much less useful.


    Once he had finished his third rotation around me, Beltane opened the large tome he had brought. He spent about thirty seconds writing something down in the large tome. As soon as he was done scribbling, he cleared his throat and began speaking.

 Chapter 41 - [Eighteen Intelligence]

    ¡°Thale Feldrast,¡± Beltane said loud enough for everyone present to hear. ¡°Priest.¡±


    A series of gasps filled the garden. It was incredibly rare for a child to attain [Class] levels before their tenth birthday. In my case, however, it wasn¡¯t that strange. All I had to do to attain the priest class was to abstain from violence for a few years. The handful of children who were able to awaken before the Ritual of Observation were usually of the priest, noble, or commoner [Class].


    The shock was probably the result of the townspeople¡¯s awareness of the Feldrasts¡¯ relationship with the Church of Nyx. My ancestors had been forced to flee from the Holy Nation of Sondrith centuries before due to the Church¡¯s belief that the [Hellfire] Talent was the result of a pact between the Feldrast Dynasty and the forces of Hell itself. My ancestors were forced to make the crossing at Halvar¡¯s Pass, and many of them died. This, naturally, caused some resentment among the inheritors of [Hellfire].


    ¡°Health, eight. Mana¡­¡± Beltane paused for a moment, as if he had to make sure the number he wrote on the page was correct, ¡°two hundred and fifty-one.¡±


    The surprise surrounding that piece of information was much more palpable and much more understandable. A typical mage would have between one hundred and two hundred mana. The only people that one would expect to have more than two hundred mana were Archmages and exceedingly experienced war mages like Beltane.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Armond, who was standing close to Beltane, asked. He stepped forward and peered over Beltane¡¯s shoulder to see what he had just written down. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. That would mean his mana reserve was more than double mine.¡±


    I had never used [Observe] on Armond, but that sounded about correct. If you were to frequently cast spells but never make any particular effort to increase your mana reserve, it would top out just above one hundred.


    ¡°I am merely repeating what my Talent has shown me,¡± Beltane said. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, there¡¯s still more to say.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Armond said as he stepped back toward the crowd.


    Beltane cleared his throat before saying, ¡°Fortitude, three. Strength, three. Agility, four. Intelligence, eighteen. Willpower, fifteen. Talents, [Hellfire] and [Observe].¡±


    ¡°Did he just say eighteen?¡± A disbelieving voice came from the crowd.


    Beltane snapped the tome shut and turned to Armond. With the cadence of someone who had spoken this sentence a hundred times before, he said, ¡°I swear upon my honor that these are my legitimate observations of the individual seated before me.¡±


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    In the shocked silence that followed Beltane¡¯s declaration, he silently stepped back into the manor.


    All at once, the garden exploded into excited conversation. Some expressed disbelief and stated the need to get a second opinion. Others spoke happily about how I would be the greatest spellcaster since Mitrikov. The sound annoyed me, but I forced my face into an expression of shock.


    After several minutes of dealing with people congratulating me, I retreated to the shade of an old oak tree that was situated off to one of the garden¡¯s corners. Thankfully, Nina was the only one who had followed me over to the tree. In my hands, I held the wand given to me by Lord Riomed.


    The ritual itself meant very little to me. I knew my own attributes. The whole ritual was almost entirely for the edification of my family and the townspeople. The wand, however, meant quite a bit to me. It was my first step toward being a true mage. My mind blazed with the possible spells I could engrave on the wand¡¯s empty spaces. I could engrave [Wind Knife] or [Fly] on the wand. Perhaps, depending on the speed I learned new spells, I could engrave even more advanced spells on the wand.


    I wondered how difficult it would be to learn enchantment magic. The school of magic used to create and upgrade magic items was jealously protected, and people said that it took a lifetime to master Enchantment. ¡°Alchemist¡± was one of the most prestigious occupations on the planet. Even the biggest cities of Etronia and Mitrikova would rarely have more than one Alchemist.


    I pointed my wand at a few small stones on the ground and gently lifted them into the air. There was something especially satisfying about magically lifting objects into the air without having to say a word.


    ¡°Was there something you wanted to tell me, Nina?¡± I asked after putting a rock back down on the ground.


    ¡°It seems kind of silly now,¡± Nina said sadly, looking down at the dirt. ¡°Your two hundred mana and eighteen [Intelligence] is a lot more interesting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not nearly as impressive as you think¡­¡± I muttered quietly enough that Nina couldn¡¯t hear me. ¡°How do I put this?¡± I spoke out loud. ¡°The truth is, I¡¯m different from normal children, Nina. There¡¯s no reason for you to compare yourself to me, I¡¯m¡­ different.¡±


    ¡°Will you ever tell me how you¡¯re different?¡± Nina asked with an annoyed tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t,¡± I frowned. ¡°What did you want to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Beltane has been teaching me spells,¡± Nina said, the annoyance quickly disappearing from her voice. ¡°He said [Lift Object] was too advanced for me, though.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I was always surprised at the absurd rate of Nina¡¯s advancement. ¡°What [Spells] has he taught you?¡±


    ¡°Just one,¡± she said. ¡°He taught me the [Fire Bolt] spell. You wanna see?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°Ignis!¡± Nina called out the incantation, and a small mote of fire appeared near the palm of her hand. With her face scrunched up with effort, she held her hand out toward the sky, and the Fire Bolt flew upward.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± I said with genuine excitement. That was a tough spell for adults to learn.


    ¡°See?¡± Nina said with a broad smile. ¡°Now I can use fire magic, just like you.¡±

 Chapter 42 - [Ten Years Before]

    That night, I had to answer hundreds of disconnected questions at the dinner table. I was able to answer their questions with deflections and half-truths. I was soon able to make an excuse to retire to my room for the night but not before I promised to show off my healing magic the next day.


    Before I left, I was informed that Tabitha would present my second gift the next day. It was apparently ¡°unlucky¡± to present both gifts on the same day. Everything other than me, even Miriam, hinted with little subtlety that the gift would be good.


    All of the excitement and socialization of the day weighed heavily upon me, and I collapsed onto my bed without changing into my pajamas. I had only been face down upon my small bed for a few moments before my consciousness began to fade. As my vision darkened and my thoughts started to deaden, my mind strangely started to turn toward my old life.


    Something about the day¡¯s events made me think about the man I had used to be. In that old life, I was always lauded for my intellectual achievements. There was a joke among my family that I was a brain surgeon. While I had performed brain surgery twice, it was only because the patients would have died before an ¡°actual¡± brain surgeon could show up. One of them even survived the surgery.


    Everyone always acted like I was some kind of demi-god. They all treated me like I couldn¡¯t possibly have any problems of my own. How could a trauma surgeon be unhappy with his life?


    I was well into my thirties when I realized that I was completely alone. I had always been an extreme introvert and would openly state my desire to be left alone. By the time I was thirty-five, all my old friends had taken the hint and gave me what I wanted. Both of my parents were dead before I was forty, and my siblings had all moved far away. There were a few short-term girlfriends, but they soon saw the disdain I held for most living things.


    No matter how hard I tried, my old self could always bleed through into my actions. The prideful, self-centered person I used to be could stick his head out. No, I could not allow the old me to take control. The people here legitimately loved me, and I would not let anything get in the way of that.


    I promised myself that, when I awoke, I would give my family the attention they deserved. I was going to stop this world from killing Armond and Tabitha. I was going to keep my family together¡­ as soon as I woke up.


    The light disappeared from my vision completely, and I fell asleep.


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    <hr>


    Las Vegas, Ten Years Before


    When my vision refocused, my body was covered in powdered dust and cracked concrete. With my mind still rattled by the room¡¯s collapse, I blurrily took stock of what had just happened. There had been some kind of earthquake, and part of the ceiling collapsed.


    Where was I? It took me a moment to remember. I was in a casino in Las Vegas called the Cagliostro. I had decided to take my first vacation in more than a decade. Clearly, that was a mistake.


    Physically, a great weight was pushing down on my back, and I felt a strong piercing pain in my lower-right abdomen. Blood was trickling down my face. I must have hit my head. My glasses were knocked off in the collapse. Looking around briefly, I noticed that the shattered concrete that had fallen upon me was adorned with twisted rebar. I had most likely been pierced by one of these pieces of iron rebar.


    I tried to shift my shoulders to remove some of the weight from my lungs, and I found that I could move with little difficulty. Whatever stone had landed on my head was light enough for me to move. For a moment, I considered trying to free myself, but the pain in my side made me think otherwise. It would be a bad idea to move it without seeing it first.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I shouted loud enough for everyone on the casino floor to hear. ¡°I¡¯m trapped under some rubble! Help!¡±


    A woman with a slight limp approached me. She wore the clothes of an office worker, though they were covered in a thick layer of dust that made her look like she had been at ground zero of a major volcanic eruption.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± the woman asked once she saw me trapped under the rubble.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, unaware whether that was a lie or not. ¡°I could remove the rubble myself, but I think a piece of shrapnel has pierced me in the area around my right kidney. Could you remove some of the rubble so that I could feel around the area?¡±


    The woman frowned, fear evident in her eyes. ¡°Are you sure you should move if you¡¯ve been stabbed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a doctor,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s important that I get on my feet as soon as possible. Once I¡¯m up, I¡¯ll be able to start treating anyone else that¡¯s wounded.¡±


    ¡°Okay, if you¡¯re sure,¡± the woman said with a distinct lack of certainty in her voice.


    Piece by piece, the woman removed the chunks of concrete that laid atop my back. At one point, she reached for the chunk that I believed was the source of the terrible stabbing pain, so I said, ¡°No! Not that one.¡± I quickly calmed the tone of my voice. ¡°Please remove all the pieces of rubble other than that one. That¡¯s where I was pierced.¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡± the woman shouted in fear, almost falling in her attempt to pull away from the chunk of concrete.


    The other pieces of rubble were quickly removed, and only the one laying on top of my lower-right abdomen remained. With a surgeon¡¯s precision borne of years of experience, I snaked my hand back to the source of the pain. After a few seconds of exploratory movement, I realized that the piece of rubble was not connected to whatever was causing the pain in my side.


    I pushed the chunk of concrete off my back, and I slowly lifted myself to my feet. Looking down at my stomach and lifting my shirt, I saw something that created a pit in my stomach.


    On the right side of my abdomen, just above my pelvis, a jagged piece of iron rebar jutted out, glistening with dark red blood.

 Chapter 43 - [The Cagliostro]

    All things considered, it didn¡¯t hurt that much. Perhaps it was because of the head wound. Perhaps it was because I was heavily concussed at around the same time I had received the wound. Either way, the pain was not debilitating.


    The woman screamed audibly, causing some of the people nearby to turn toward us. Slowly, I turned my head and tried to get a good look at my back. As I expected, the rebar jutted out my back in about the same place as the front. A small circle of blood had formed around the wound, but I could not see any active bleeding. The piece of rebar must have largely stemmed the bleeding while I was trapped under the rubble.


    As I looked at the rod of pig iron that had impaled my side, the pain started to grow. Yep, it was definitely the adrenaline that had staved off the pain while I was under the rubble. Like a cartoon coyote looking down at the drop below, I only felt the pain once I fully comprehended the full extent of the damage.


    I grit my teeth to stop myself from groaning in pain. I tried desperately to distract myself with triage. If I was going to survive this, I would need to undergo significant surgery. If the rebar did not hit my kidney directly, it had hit some of the important veins and arteries surrounding that organ. I would not be able to perform such significant surgery on myself. The piece of rebar would have to stay in place for the time being.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± I said in the calmest voice I could muster. ¡°Could you pass me my glasses?¡± As I spoke, I pointed to my pair of glasses that had fallen to the ground.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My glasses,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t see very well without them. I¡¯ll need them if I¡¯m going to treat the wounded.¡±


    With shaking hands, the woman retrieved my glasses and handed them to me. After placing them upon the bridge of my nose, I said, ¡°That¡¯s better.¡±


    I started walking around the casino floor. As I walked, I looked for several things. I searched for an exit, looked for any medical supplies, and briefly considered the state of the most injured people.


    The area I found myself in was about a hundred meters by thirty meters. Dozens of tables for blackjack and roulette filled one side of the casino floor, and the other was packed with hundreds of slot machines. Previously, there had only been two escape routes, and both had collapsed when much of the roof fell.


    About a third of the room was completely caved in. It was my understanding that there were several floors above the casino floor that held hundreds of hotel rooms. Thousands of tons, and hundreds of corpses, were certainly pressed against the roof above. Occasionally, I heard shifting stone and falling dust, suggesting that the collapsed building above had not yet settled.


    There were a few first-aid kits attached to the uncollapsed walls of the casino floor, though none of them contained painkillers or sutures. If I were to fully apply my medical training, I would need more advanced surgical supplies.


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    As I walked around the casino floor, I briefly took stock of the most injured people. Years of experience had trained me how to determine a patient¡¯s status at a glance.


    Without slowing my pace, I was able to get a good understanding of the extent of the injuries. Not including myself, there were about two hundred people in the room, and nearly half of them were injured in some way. About two dozen of the injured would require medical attention, and three of the injured could not be saved no matter what I did. Five of the injured could be saved with extensive medical intervention, but there was no way I would be able to provide the required medical care to all of them. If only one of them was injured in such a way, I could save that patient.


    I would have to focus my efforts on the twelve people who required non-extensive medical intervention. If everything went well, I could probably keep those twelve alive until rescue came. In order to maximize the number of people I could save, I would have to leave eight severely injured people to die.


    This cold-hearted medical calculus was called ¡°triage.¡± It was the nature of my occupation to save as many people as possible. To do that, sometimes you had to cut some patients loose. Sometimes, I had to make the patient comfortable and simply wait for them to die. I had done it hundreds of times throughout my career.


    After a few minutes of searching, I found a small ¡°nurse¡¯s office¡± that was attached to the casino floor. With a heavy sigh of relief, I quickly began raiding the partially collapsed medical room. I retrieved some surgical supplies and swallowed a mouthful of painkillers with little hesitation. I looked down at my hands, which were trembling from the pain.


    To hide the trembling from the woman who had followed me into the small medical room, I snapped two surgical gloves onto my hands. The painkillers would lessen the pain within an hour, and I could spend that time on preliminary treatment. Once the pain was gone, I would be able to begin direct surgical intervention where necessary.


    ¡°Hello, everyone! I¡¯m a trauma surgeon, and I will be around in a few minutes to treat anyone who is seriously wounded! I will be with you shortly, just hold on!¡± I shouted for everyone on the casino floor to hear me.


    ¡°Do you need some help?¡± The woman looked at the rebar impaled through my kidney as she spoke to me. ¡°I was an EMT when I was younger. I can probably help assist you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate the help. Thank you,¡± I said with a tired smile. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Liz,¡± the woman said simply.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Liz,¡± I said. ¡°My name is¡­¡±


    A deafening sound filled the casino floor. It was the sound of shattering stone masonry and creaking iron latticework. Large chunks began to fall from the ceiling, and the cacophonous rumbling sound only continued to get louder as the seconds ticked past.


    Everyone on the casino floor screamed in abject terror. For a moment, I thought we were experiencing an aftershock, a secondary earthquake after the first. Once I realized that the ground underneath my feet was not shaking, I knew that was not the case. No, the sound was caused by the collapse of the structure above us. The Cagliostro had given up. It had already died, and it was now merely falling to the cold ground below.


    The surgical tools fell from my hand. There was no longer any use in resistance. I turned my eyes up toward the shattered roof above, and I accepted my fate. An unnerving sense of calm filled me in the half-second before that apocalyptic force landed upon my head. Perhaps, I thought, the afterlife would be peaceful.

 Chapter 44 - [Orcs]

    I jerked upright in bed, awoken by the memory of my death. A half-choked scream escaped from my lips as I was startled awake. Heavy droplets of sweat covered my skin, and my heart was beating like I had just run a mile. It hadn¡¯t been just me that died in that casino. Including the hotel above, several hundred people died at the Cagliostro. Did all of them end up in Ferrum? Was it just me here?


    In that moment between sleep and reality, a terrifying thought occurred to me. Was the world of Ferrum that I was experiencing a mere hallucination? Was I still standing there, waiting for the ceiling of the Cagliostro to strike my head and flatten me like a bug?


    I placed a frantic hand to my abdomen, now significantly smaller than it was in the dream, and felt around for the rebar impaling my side. There was nothing, no pain and no evidence of a metal shard ever piercing my body.


    I let out a sigh of relief. There was no reason to believe that the past ten years had been a long hallucination existing entirely within my dying mind. It was frankly absurd that I entertained the possibility for even a moment.


    The memory of the Cagliostro made me wonder if any of the other victims of that terrible earthquake had made their way to Ferrum. Would I run into Liz if I traveled the world for long enough?


    Would I prefer it if other people from Earth made it to Ferrum? That certainly was a thought. Though it would make my status as a Reincarnate less special, I would certainly appreciate having some support on my quest to prevent a major war in Rubigo and save the world from the God of Judgment.


    As I considered the implications of my dream, I noticed that a small line of text had appeared at the top of my vision.


    Skill Acquired: [Triage]


    A moment after I read the line of English text, it disappeared. I gained a new [Skill]? That was the first one I had gained since I arrived on Ferrum.


    It was funny in a cruel way. The word ¡°triage¡± haunted me throughout my entire career as a physician. To me, it represented the point when you had to simply let a patient die. When I dreamt, I was followed by the faces of those who I left to die.


    What is [Triage]?


    I formulated and sent a message just like I did when I spoke with that ghost with whom I shared a brain. Unlike [Hellfire], [Observe], [Sickly], and [Intelligent], I had no idea what [Triage] did. This new [Skill] wouldn¡¯t be helpful if I didn¡¯t know how to use it.


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    With little fanfare, a paragraph of text filled my vision completely. The font was large, so I couldn¡¯t see anything else until it faded away.


    [Triage] allows its user to immediately perceive and understand all injuries, diseases, and maladies affecting a single person. [Triage] can be used on any creature that is alive or has been dead for less than three days. The target of the [Triage] Talent must be less than two meters away from the user.


    I asked the question as a shot in the dark. I had no idea that the System would respond to my questions. It made me wonder if the System would answer any of my other questions. I wondered if it would answer any of the questions I had about Lothar or King Theophrastus.


    Regarding the content of the message, I immediately realized the incredible utility of [Triage]. The game recognized a ¡°malady¡± as a form of extreme mental illness. The fifth and eleventh [Prayers] were used for curing maladies. Sometimes, I knew, maladies were the result of a congenital illness, and [Prayer] could only temporarily suppress the malady¡¯s symptoms.


    Beyond that, I would have to test [Triage] out to determine the scope of its power. If someone¡¯s appendix were about to burst, would [Triage] inform me of the problem? I was unsure of how the Talent would manifest, as well. If someone caught Tuberculosis, would [Triage] tell me the name of the disease, or would it merely tell me that the patient had contracted a respiratory disease?


    I was just about to ask a few more questions to the System when I noticed the faint, frantic ringing of bells in the distance. There were only two bells in town: the one by the church and the one on the watchtower. There was no reason for any bells to ring that late at night. Something was wrong.


    I sprung out of bed, temporarily forgetting that this new body of mine should not move that fast. A slight twinge of pain emanated from my core, and I had to slow down. The body I had in my dream, middle-aged and impaled, was much more mobile than the child¡¯s body I was trapped within.


    Slowly, I lifted my cane from the place where it had fallen when I fell into bed. Just as I began to walk toward the door to my room, a familiar voice began to speak within my mind.


    By the gods below, it¡¯s already happening!?


    Thale started to speak, but his words were not paired with a surge of some strong emotion. That had not happened before.


    What¡¯s happening?


    Demon, how old are we?


    Great, he was calling me ¡°demon¡± again.


    This body just turned ten years old.


    I¡¯ve been asleep for ten years!? What did you do to me!?


    That had been the most he had spoken at once. I was starting to prefer it when he was asleep.


    I didn¡¯t do anything to you. Also, I¡¯m not a demon. Now, tell me what¡¯s happening!


    They¡¯re coming¡­


    The edge to Thale¡¯s voice suddenly softened. He was fading quickly.


    Who!?


    A single, quiet word played in my head, and the same word appeared in runic script at the top of my vision.


    ???


    Orcs.

 Chapter 45 - [Turning Point]

    Orcs were attacking Sableton.


    It didn¡¯t make any sense, but I had no reason to doubt Thale¡¯s warning. The closest orc village was more than a hundred miles away, and they were exceedingly insular. In [Ferrum Online], the wilderness of the Northern Realms was populated with undead and outlanders, not orcs. The monstrous races primarily spawned in Mitrikova and the southern reaches of Etronia.


    By and large, orcs were usually fought near the end of the early game. Enemy progression throughout [Ferrum Online] looked something like this: slimes ¡ú giant spiders ¡ú orcs ¡ú undead ¡ú outlanders ¡ú demons. The Northern Realms were generally thought of as ¡°undead¡± territory due to the works of Count Thale and his cadre of irresponsible necromancers.


    It was incredibly rare to run into enemies that weren¡¯t native to that area. If a player were to run into demons when traveling through Mitrikova at level 5, they¡¯d be instantly killed. Though, it wasn¡¯t necessarily unheard of for monsters to travel between regions. Sometimes, high-level monsters would invade a lower-level region, but the players would be given enough warning to leave long before the incursion arrived.


    Thinking about the strangeness of orcs in the Northern Realms, I exited my room and began walking as fast as my small legs could carry me. As I walked, a message appeared in my vision.


    BE ADVISED


    That was the first time the System had ever communicated with me in all capital letters. A deep fear seeped into my bones as I watched and waited for the next message to arrive.


    YOU HAVE REACHED A TURNING POINT IN YOUR JOURNEY


    If there was any doubt about the significance of the events unfolding at that moment, it was dashed by that message. I had reached a ¡°turning point.¡± There was no doubt in my mind that my actions for the foreseeable future would have a significant impact on the rest of my life.


    My breathing became ragged as anxiety and worry filled my body completely. If I had not learned years before how to operate well under pressure, I would have knelt in that moment and spent the next few minutes hyperventilating.


    I looked down, checking my equipment. I was not prepared to go into battle this early in my life, and my equipment made that clear. As I walked through the hall, the only items with any utility I had were my wooden cane, Lord Riomed¡¯s wand, and my leather notebook.


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    I could rely on [Hellfire] to bring me through a small fight against weak enemies. If I were to run into an Orc Captain or, God forbid, an Orc Chief, I¡¯d be dead. One hit would be more than enough for any orc to kill me instantly.


    With that thought in mind, I withdrew my wand from my pocket and held it firmly in my hand. I¡¯d have to rely on [Shield] to keep me protected if a fight were to break out. With my right hand, I would wield the calamitous force of [Hellfire]. With my left, I would stave off the wicked blows of the monstrous horde.


    Still, I would rather not fight. If I were to run into a party of your average orcs, I figured I¡¯d have a 90% chance of survival. They would die, certainly, but one of them could always get a lucky hit on me. When my life was on the line, a 10% chance of death was way too high.


    In addition, monsters counted as ¡°animals¡± for the purpose of loss of healing potential. If I were to kill an orc, I would instantly lose 10% of my healing potential. There was no doubt that, if I were to unleash Hellfire at full-throttle, my healing potential would not survive the night.


    When I reached the entrance foyer, I saw Sir Walter Goldshod frantically hooking his scabbarded sword into the sword frog hanging from his belt. He saw me looking down at him from the second floor, and he said, ¡°Stay where you are, Lord Thale! Orcs have been spotted just outside of town!¡±


    As I slowly walked down the stairs toward Sir Walter, I said, ¡°Let me come with you. I¡¯m a Priest, as you saw. I can heal the wounded.¡±


    Walter¡¯s expression looked conflicted. He stopped for a moment, unsure of what to do, before a man¡¯s voice cut through his uncertainty. ¡°If Thale wishes to join us, then he shall.¡±


    Count Armond Feldrast appeared in the foyer from one of the doors on the first floor. ¡°He¡¯s the only priest in Sableton. We would be foolish to turn down his request.¡±


    Solana Feldrast appeared from a few feet behind Armond. She wore brown trousers and a thick shirt made for gardening. Absent clear battle attire, that was probably the best outfit to wear into combat. ¡°I¡¯m going, too,¡± she said. ¡°You can¡¯t stop me, Dad.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± Armond said with a hint of sadistic glee in his voice. I realized quickly that he didn¡¯t dread the coming battle, he relished it. ¡°It¡¯s not every day you get the chance to use Hellfire upon living subjects. It will be an excellent opportunity for you.¡±


    What a world I had found myself in. Solana was merely seventeen, and I was merely ten. On Earth, allowing children on the front lines was inhumane. Here, however, it was a fact of life. On Ferrum, you had to be able to fight, or you died.


    Sir Eadric Vanta and Melissa Thorn appeared in the foyer. After the battle with the outlanders, Eadric had eschewed his chainmail in favor of the much more mobile gambeson armor. Melissa was dressed in much more casual clothing than she usually wore, and she carried a leather-bound tome in one hand. She had become an amateur mage over the past few years, and she could probably help in the battle somewhat.

 Chapter 46 - [Monstrous Voices]

    Looking up at the approaching forms of Melissa and Eadric, a thought occurred to me. If everyone present were to head out toward the orcs invading from the east, then only non-combatants would be present at Feldrast Manor. If any number of orcs were to break through to the manor, then Tabitha, Miriam, and Merrick wouldn¡¯t be able to defend themselves at all.


    ¡°Father,¡± I said, quickly. I tried to imbue as much authority into my voice as possible but had little success. ¡°Some of us should stay here to protect Mother and Miriam.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing,¡± Armond said with a supportive nod. ¡°Melissa, Eadric, you two shall stay here.¡±


    Eadric looked disappointed by this order, though Melissa was relieved.


    Something Armond said stuck with me, however. He mentioned that he had planned to leave Melissa and Eadric at the manor, anyway. I was still following the path tread by the original Thale. If I wanted to avoid whatever tragedy Thale tried to warn me about, I would have to jump off this path.


    ¡°I apologize profusely, Sir Walter,¡± I said as I turned my head towards him.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Walter asked, confused.


    [Observe, Lvl. 7]


    Name: Walter Goldshod


    Class: Arcane Knight


    Level: 45


    HP: 589


    MP: 180


    Fortitude: 24


    Strength: 22


    Agility: 20


    Intelligence: 14


    Willpower: 13


    Charisma: 9


    Talent: [Danger Sense]


    Healing Potential: 0


    ¡°Level seven¡­¡± Walter sputtered in disbelief.


    Armond looked over in confusion. After a moment¡¯s consideration, however, he realized what had just happened. ¡°You¡¯ve been practicing in secret, eh?¡± he said to me, chuckling. ¡°It¡¯s always good to keep some of your cards close to your chest.¡±


    Thinking about the attributes I saw when I used [Observe] on Walter, I was amazed. All his physical attributes were above twenty, and his mental attributes weren¡¯t bad either. That was the first time that I had used [Observe] on a high-level warrior, and I was starting to understand how they were able to keep up with mages.


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    To match the reality-warping power of Ferrum¡¯s many pure spellcasters, knights like Walter had to train their bodies to superhuman levels. Twenty was the maximum that a human should be able to theoretically achieve, but Walter surpassed that. Through the use of rare elixirs and magical augmentation, it was possible for a warrior to increase his physical attributes beyond twenty.


    In combat, Magic Knights like Walter could further augment their bodies with mana. Depending on his skill with [Battle Aura], Walter could add up to fifteen points to his physical attributes at will. If he wanted to, Walter could focus all his Aura on increasing his strength and do truly cataclysmic damage.


    ¡°Father¡­¡± I began with the most serious tone I could muster, ¡°could Walter stay here at the manor?¡±


    A look of acute confusion appeared on Armond¡¯s face. He spent a few seconds in deep thought, trying to figure out my line of thought. One good thing about my father was that he quickly accepted my intelligence. He would not dismiss my suggestion without first giving it consideration.


    ¡°Why do you suggest this?¡± Armond asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure that even Sir Eadric would agree that among the two of them, Sir Walter is the superior warrior.¡±


    ¡°The main attack could be a distraction,¡± I said, not allowing any hesitation to enter my voice. ¡°If this is the case, then we need to have a powerful warrior here to defend Mother and Miriam. Please, Father. If the orcs reach the manor, Eadric and Melissa won¡¯t be able to stop them.¡±


    In all the information I knew about Thale Feldrast, his mother wasn¡¯t mentioned once. A brief line of flavor text mentioned that Armond died when Thale was sixteen years old, but that was only because he was the previous liege of the Realm of Northwind.


    I could tell that Armond was a hair away from rejecting my proposal, but the tone of my voice gave him pause. As I spoke, I realized that my voice was desperate. Images of Tabitha¡¯s death flashed through my mind, and I was terrified that these images would soon manifest into reality.


    Looking over at Tabitha and Miriam, who had arrived while I was speaking, Armond sighed and said, ¡°You make a good point, Thale. Just know that you owe Sir Walter for taking from him this opportunity for glory.¡±


    Turning to Sir Walter, Armond said, ¡°I charge you, Sir Walter Goldshod, with the protection of my wife and child. Sir Eadric Vanta,¡± as an afterthought, Armond turned to the younger knight, ¡°you shall accompany us to the front line.¡±


    Walter nodded his head, maintaining a studiously neutral expression. Meanwhile, Eadric stepped forward wearing an expression that spoke of anxious excitement.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go,¡± Armond said, calmly rolling back his sleeves as he strode toward the front door.


    Our party of four exited the manor. Sir Eadric stood at the front with his gleaming iron sword drawn. Though he did not have the experience of Sir Walter, he was still a knight. I was confident that he would not die instantly if he were to cross blades with an orc. If he were to be fatally injured, I could simply heal him before he died.


    Once we left the manor, we were immediately met with a wave of sound emanating from the center of Sableton. We could hear the wailing screams of the townspeople and the guttural screaming of monstrous voices.


    Gripping my wand tightly, I followed closely behind Solana. Eadric was in the front, and Armond stood in the back. The two of them must have had some experience when it came to small-scale combat. The middle of the group was the safest, which was why Priests typically stood in the center.


    ¡°Eadric,¡± Armond said in a commanding voice, ¡°bring us to the Guild Hall. We will regroup up with Lord Riomed and Beltane before attacking the larger group of orcs.¡±


    Sir Eadric did as Count Armond commanded, and we soon reached the Guild Hall. The cacophonous sound of fighting became louder as we approached the largest building in town.


    We turned a corner, revealing the central square of Sableton. Corpses littered the ground, some orcs and some townspeople. Near the main entrance to the Guild Hall, several people were fighting against the invading orcs.


    At the center of the fighting was an avatar of death. Cloaked in amorphous shadow, it waved its staff of dark wood and several orcs fell to the ground, bleeding from wounds with an unknown source. There was only one person this could be: Beltane Ostara.

 Chapter 47 - [Pillar of Fire]

    The scene before me was chaos. About a dozen townspeople had formed around the shadowed form of Beltane, and nearly twenty orcs surrounded them. As I watched, an orc swung at the shadow, but the sword passed through harmlessly. I knew this spell, it was called [Shadow Form]. It was a commonly used defensive illusion spell that allowed the caster to surround himself in illusory shadow. Any caster that used [Shadow Form] would seem to be much larger than he really was, making it particularly difficult to hit him.


    While Beltane¡¯s cloak of shadows caught my attention, the creatures he was fighting also drew my gaze. That was my first time seeing a monster in person, and the experience was uncanny. There was something about the almost-human appearance of the orcs that created a deep sense of unease within me.


    To describe the orcs in a sentence, they were green pig-like humanoids. They were bipedal, but their legs were reverse-jointed. It was as if they had only recently evolved the ability to walk on two legs. Their movement was unnatural due to their strange legs. They seemed to canter rather than walk, and their locomotion was much more vertical than a human¡¯s.


    The most uncanny aspect of the orcs was the long pig snout that sprouted out of an otherwise-human face. Two thick tusks jutted out from beneath their bottom lips, and their skin was an unhealthy dark green color. They were, quite frankly, disgusting.


    Though their lower appendages had hooves on their end, their upper appendages had human-like hands. Evolution would not naturally create a beast like this. The only explanation for the appearance of these creatures was that some wicked medial interfered in their natural evolutionary process.


    The orcs wore ragged slipshod armor on their body. Some wore leather armor, and some wore chainmail. Most of the orcs wore a haphazard mixture of whatever armor they could scavenge off humans they had killed. In their jagged, humanoid hands, they held poorly made weapons of all kinds. Most of them carried clubs or maces, but one or two had brought rusted swords.


    Beltane¡¯s wand glowed silver for a moment, and the orc that had just swung at him was struck by some unseen force. Carried by its momentum, the orc twirled through the air, spewing bright crimson blood from a huge horizontal gash that had just appeared on its chest.


    That spell was probably [Wind Knife], a sorcery that just about all war mages knew. As one could probably guess, [Wind Knife] produced a thin blade of compressed air and shot it at the target. The spell was incredibly close range, as the wind could not maintain such compression for more than five meters. The attack was invisible, however. With an arcane focus, one could hit an unsuspecting warrior with [Wind Knife] before he even knew what hit him. At close range, one could expect a war mage to use this spell.


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    ¡°Step back!¡± Count Armond shouted at the people fighting against the orcs. As he spoke, he raised one outstretched palm toward the fight.


    With the moment of peace bought by Beltane¡¯s spell, the townspeople were able to take a few steps back. As he stepped backward, Beltane dropped his [Shadow Form] spell, allowing for Armond to get a better shot.


    Some of the orcs turned their heads toward the newcomer. A few managed to take a step toward us, and some raised their swords, but they were able to do no more. In that instant, Count Armond Feldrast prevented them from ever moving again.


    Four streaks of flame shot forward at the speed of a crossbow bolt. Each streak of Hellfire reached an orc and detonated with the force of a frag grenade. More than half of the orcs were killed instantly by Armond¡¯s fusillade, and the rest were burned severely as the four sparks of Hellfire flared into a single gargantuan fireball that instantly vaporized everything within a ten-meter radius.


    I was terrified for a moment that Armond¡¯s flames could not be contained. The size of the explosion was such that I was certain it would spread to the townspeople. I was wrong, however, and the excess flames coiled unnaturally upward rather than outward. Armond must have redirected the flames after the blast. A massive, blazing pillar of fire briefly lit up the center of Sableton. The pillar spread far above the Guild Hall. I was certain that people thirty miles away could see it.


    Suddenly, I understood what Beltane meant when he said that [Hellfire] was the best offensive Talent in the world.


    The pillar of fire disappeared after a few seconds, replaced by a thin haze of smoke that covered my vision and filled most of central Sableton. I coughed slightly and waved the smoke away from my mouth as I looked at my father.


    A sadistic look had filled Armond¡¯s eyes as he looked out at the destruction he had wrought. A delighted smile graced his lips, and sparks of Hellfire made his eyes shine like rubies. As large, smoldering cinders began to fall from the sky like rain, Armond laughed a bit louder than was proper for a count before saying, ¡°I¡¯ve still got it!¡±


    I was reminded of my father¡¯s title: the King¡¯s Executioner. It was only natural that a man with such a blood-soaked title would be capable of such violence.


    The display made it clear to me that I was nowhere near Armond¡¯s level when it came to control of Hellfire. I had started to think that, since I could control three sparks simultaneously, I was approaching him in skill level. This was not the case. The idea of controlling so much flame simultaneously seemed insane.

 Chapter 48 - [Blood Magic]

    ¡°No fair!¡± Solana in an annoyed voice. ¡°You killed all of them!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Count Armond said with a smile. ¡°I felt like showing off a little.¡±


    Looking up at the cinders that were descending with an alarming frequency, I said, ¡°We need to do something about the falling embers. Some of these could start a fire in the village.¡±


    ¡°No need to fear,¡± Armond wagged a finger at me. ¡°I have a plan for that.¡±


    The three nobles in the group moved toward the entrance to the Guild Hall. As we walked, Eadric fell back a few steps to put down any burning orcs that were still alive after Armond¡¯s attack.


    After braving the heavy smog that separated us from Beltane, we reached the small group of townspeople that had just been fighting against the orcs. Other than a small amount of smoke inhalation, they were completely unharmed.


    The townspeople looked at Count Armond with awe as he approached. If he was not already his liege lord, they would have knelt and pledged their unwavering loyalty to him at that moment. Where fear and despair had been a moment before, there was gratitude and hope.


    ¡°Well done, my lord,¡± Beltane said, relief clear in his voice. He gave a slight bow to Armond.


    ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± Armond said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you had things handled here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡± Beltane wore a weary smile as he spoke. ¡°Though, I was not confident that I could have escaped that fight completely unscathed. My options for dealing with large groups are limited.¡±


    As he spoke, Beltane unconsciously pressed a hand to his side. He flinched slightly as his hand contacted his abdomen.


    ¡°Are you wounded, Beltane?¡± I asked, seeing the pained look in his eye.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Lord Thale,¡± the War Mage said. ¡°One of the orcs kicked me after I hit it with a Wind Knife.¡±


    Without another word, I stepped forward and touched Beltane¡¯s arm. ¡°Those who do as the Goddess commands shall enjoy great rewards in the eternal kingdom of Elysium.¡±


    As I recited the [Second Prayer], I poured my mana into the words. A moment after I was done with the recitation, the tightness in Beltane¡¯s expression loosened, and he let out a sigh of relief.


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    ¡°Perhaps the Church of Nyx has its uses after all,¡± Armond said darkly. He cleared his throat, changing gears to the next topic. ¡°Beltane, I have a request for you. We¡¯re going to be throwing around a lot of fire tonight, could you call down a rainstorm for us?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Beltane said without hesitation. He looked up to the sky, squinting to perceive any nearby rain clouds. ¡°I can do it, but the rain won¡¯t start for at least thirty minutes. It will take a while to summon the clouds.¡±


    ¡°Then get started soon, please,¡± Armond said, a small amount of concern entering his voice. ¡°We should extinguish any wildfires before they get a chance to start.¡±


    ¡°As you command, my lord,¡± Beltane said with another bow of his head.


    ¡°I have one last question,¡± Armond began. ¡°Where are they keeping the wounded?¡±


    ¡°Here at the Guild Hall,¡± Beltane answered quickly.


    ¡°Good,¡± Armond said. ¡°Thale shall remain here and heal the wounded while Solana, Eadric, and I go to Koravin Manor. Once all the best warriors in town are in one place, we¡¯ll attack the main group of orcs directly.¡±


    Sir Eadric, who had just returned his sword to its sheath, said, ¡°That sounds like a plan.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s¡­¡± Armond said, but he was cut off by Beltane.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir,¡± the War Mage interrupted. ¡°I have a request. I would be much more useful in combat if I could utilize my entire arsenal of spells. Please permit me to use necromancy and blood magic for the duration of the fight.¡±


    ¡°Blood Magic¡­¡± Armond¡¯s nose was wrinkled with disgust as he spoke. He clearly did not approve of such magic. ¡°Fine,¡± he said with an annoyed expression. ¡°You may use whatever forbidden magic you wish, but only on the orcs. I will not permit you to turn humans into zombies. Make sure any undead are killed and any blood runes are destroyed before the sun rises tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± Beltane said with a deep bow.


    With a slight grimace, Armond turned in the direction of Koravin Manor. As they walked, I heard Solana ask, ¡°What¡¯s blood magic?¡±


    Once they were out of earshot, Beltane bit down hard on his thumb, causing a thick trickle of red blood to start pouring down his hand. With no hesitation or expression of pain, he drew an arcane rune on the back of his hand. The rune was simple. It was an inverted triangle with perpendicular lines going through the two faces of the triangle that were pointing downward.


    ¡°Sanguis fluere tereb et secar,¡± he chanted calmly in the Ancient tongue. As he spoke, the rune drawn in blood glowed a bright red color, causing him to groan in pain. When the incantation was complete, the blood was gone, leaving only a dark burn on the back of Beltane¡¯s hand.


    The expression on Beltane¡¯s face was remarkably like the one Armond had when he blasted the orcs. It was a look of pride in one¡¯s own half-forgotten skill. I could tell that Beltane had not used Blood Magic in a long time, and using it once more filled him with pride.


    ¡°You know Necromancy and Blood Magic?¡± I asked, pulling Beltane out of his moment of reverie.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah,¡± Beltane responded. It was almost as if he had forgotten that I and a few townspeople were still there.


    ¡°Where did you learn those two schools of magic?¡± I asked. Unlike my father, I did not view any form of magic as evil. They were merely tools, like dynamite. Dynamite was originally used for mining purposes. It only took on a malevolent reputation when people started using it for war. It wasn¡¯t the tool that was evil.

 Chapter 49 - [Call Storm]

    ¡°Hinnom,¡± Beltane answered my question with a meek scratch of the back of his head. He turned toward the townspeople within earshot as if to suggest that it wasn¡¯t the right time to speak on such matters.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Beltane continued. ¡°I have to call down that rainstorm.¡±


    Beltane spent the next full minute working on some esoteric ritual. He used his wand to draw an arcane circle in the mud as he chanted in the Ancient tongue. In the game, [Call Storm] was cast instantaneously, so I knew nothing of what, precisely, Beltane was doing.


    While Beltane worked on his ritual, I healed the wounded townspeople that had congregated within the Guild Hall. There were about a dozen wounded people, and they were all healed within five minutes. It was somewhat insulting to my previous profession that someone in this world could just say some magic words and even the deadliest wounds would disappear.


    As I crouched down next to the first injured townsperson, I focused for a moment on their wound. After a few tries, I was able to activate [Triage].


    Injury: Deep cut to the back of the lower-left torso. Multiple perforations to the small and large intestines. Damage to the inferior mesenteric artery. Patient will bleed to death within thirty minutes.


    It was strange. The System spoke differently when I was using [Triage]. It used medical vocabulary that one would expect a doctor to use in an emergency room. I appreciated the efficiency with which the System delivered the information to me.


    With the use of healing magic, I didn¡¯t really need to use [Triage]. The [Second Prayer] worked automatically. I didn¡¯t need to point the [Prayer] in any particular direction for it to work.


    I stepped out of the Guild Hall after everyone was healed, and Beltane was still working on calling down a rainstorm. The arcane circle he had drawn in the mud was glowing silver, and his chanting in the Ancient tongue had reached a fever pitch. To my eyes, the spell more closely resembled some pagan ritual than the sober academic process that I expected from long-form spells.


    A few seconds after I had started watching Beltane, he reached one grasping hand high into the air, shouting, ¡°Mater terra, benefic haec homines pluvia!¡±


    A chill raced over my skin, and the hair on my arm stood on end. Beyond that, however, nothing happened. The arcane circle stopped glowing, and Beltane stumbled slightly, grasping his head in pain.


    I walked up to him and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


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    ¡°Yeah,¡± Beltane answered shortly. ¡°It¡¯s just the effects of mana drain. [Call Storm] uses up a Hell of a lot of mana. I think I used up more than half of my mana reserve all at once with that one.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± I said thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of mana for a spell that honestly doesn¡¯t look that impressive.¡± I delivered this line with a smile, attempting to lighten the mood somewhat.


    Leaning against his staff, Beltane chuckled slightly and said in a good-natured tone, ¡°Conjuring a rainstorm from nothing is pretty impressive, if you ask me. Maybe you¡¯re just hard to impress. Do you have any idea how much water is dropped when it rains?¡±


    ¡°A lot, probably. Are we sure that [Call Storm] actually does anything? Even if it does start raining, you might have just gotten lucky.¡± As I spoke these words, it was clear to anyone listening that I was being facetious.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Lord Thale,¡± Beltane said, holding his hands up in a symbol of mock surrender. ¡°[Call Storm] isn¡¯t a real spell. It¡¯s all just a big conspiracy to get nobles to pay charlatans like me for fake weather magic.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± I asked, turning my head a few degrees and allowing my mouth to fall open in shock.


    Beltane started laughing in earnest, and I followed suit a few seconds later. After a few seconds of inopportune laughter, Beltane said, ¡°You seem rather comfortable, considering that you just witnessed me use Blood Magic. Has your father not taught you to fear forbidden magic?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t see anything necessarily evil with the manipulation of blood,¡± I said.


    ¡°Eh, well, ¡®evil¡¯ is just a word used by people to justify their fear of the unknown, anyway. What the people of Etronia consider evil is wildly different to what the people of Yomotsu consider evil.¡±


    Before I could respond to Beltane¡¯s philosophical argument, I heard a loud, droning sound from the west. It took me a moment to recognize the sound, but once I did, my good mood instantaneously evaporated.


    From the west came an orcish war cry. We had thought that the only group of orcs was to the east, but it turned out we were surrounded. Armond had disappeared to meet up with Lord Riomed Koravin. The orcs would be upon Beltane and I before Armond would have a chance to return.


    As that horrifying realization dawned on me and the smile disappeared from my face, I was not concerned for my own safety. Feldrast Manor was to the west. The orcs would reach Tabitha, Miriam, and Merrick before they reached the Guild Hall. The orcs had probably reached the manor already.


    Fear quickening his step, Beltane approached one of the mostly intact orcs and pressed his palm to its chest. ¡°Mortua bestia, ad vitam.¡±


    Beltane¡¯s voice echoed unnaturally as he chanted those words. When he completed the incantation, the orc jerked unnaturally and began to move. Its eyes had transformed into a pure black color as if blood had seeped in and completely coated its eyeballs. As it lifted itself into a seated position, a strange black liquid flowed from the orc zombie¡¯s eyes like tears. Beltane imbued two more corpses in such a fashion before the orc raiders from the west turned a corner and saw us.


    Seeing half a dozen living orcs turn the corner, Beltane said in a clear, commanding voice, ¡°?? ???, ??? ??? (ga dit, doda honom).¡±


    Whatever language he spoke, it was not Common, and it was certainly no language from Earth. The language had a harsh pronunciation, and it sounded like Beltane was delivering an oath as he spoke.


    Beltane¡¯s command had a clear effect on the zombies. With the efficiency of mindless automatons, they moved forward and engaged the attacking orcs in fierce hand-to-hand combat.

 Chapter 50 - [Protect Her]

    The zombies were slowed by their undead nature. As they reached the orcs, scything blades cut into the zombies¡¯ unresisting flesh. Though they were cut to the bone, none of them fell to the ground. A moment after the zombies were struck, they attacked the living orcs with reckless abandon. Though their timing was poor, the zombies attacked with even more force than the orcs. Their deaths had removed the natural limitations that living creatures had when exerting their strength.


    As the zombies attacked the orcs, any blow that made contact was lethal. A zombie¡¯s club struck an orc in the midsection, causing that orc to spit half a liter of bright red blood and fly back three meters. The zombies made no move to defend themselves from the vicious onslaught of the monstrous tide.


    They focused entirely on pulling their weapons back and striking at one of the many targets standing in front of them. Even the process of attacking harmed the zombies; they attacked with so much power that they tore their own muscles away from the bone with each strike.


    Though each zombie was greater than each orc, the zombies were significantly outnumbered. The orcs quickly realized that single lethal strikes would not be enough to kill a zombie, so many of them gathered around each zombie and beat down on it until it stopped moving. It would take about five orcs working in concert for about thirty seconds to finally kill a zombie.


    One by one, the zombies fell. Some were felled by a tide of green skin, and one was rendered unable to fight when its arm fell off after a particularly powerful attack.


    ¡°Mortua bestia, ad vitam!¡±


    A few meters away from the battle, Beltane knelt next to a fallen orc. This one was much more damaged than the ones Beltane had already raised from the dead. Half of its body had been completely blackened by Hellfire, and one of its arms had been destroyed. Despite the damage, the orc shambled to its feet and stared dumbly at the ongoing battle.


    ¡°??? ???, ??? ???!¡± Beltane shouted at the zombie, passing it a charred handaxe. In the back of my mind, I recognized the first half of Beltane¡¯s statement. I had heard that phrase before. It was a line of dialogue used by orcs whenever they passed something to another orc. Beltane was speaking Dahk, the language of orcs and goblins.


    I barely registered the battle as it was occurring, however. As Beltane knelt to raise another zombie, I could only think about the red light rising from the west. Something in that direction was on fire, and I wondered if it was Feldrast Manor.


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    ¡°I need to get to the manor,¡± I muttered dumbly to myself, though the sound was drowned out by the screaming of orcs and the sound of steel cutting through flesh. ¡°I need to protect them. I need to protect her.¡±


    I tried to move toward the manor as fast as I could, but it was as if I was moving in slow motion. Everything on the battlefield moved much faster than me. I was merely a slow child surrounded by adults moving at full speed. From my seven-year-old perspective, they moved like speeding cars.


    From my peripheral vision, I perceived a blur of green approaching from the side. I turned and saw a lone orc charging in my direction. It was only a few meters from me, and its sword was raised high in the air. I had three, maybe four, seconds before it would kill me.


    In the half-second I had to respond to the threat, I raised my hand to the orc and considered my options: [Shield] or [Hellfire]. I could stop the orc in its tracks with [Shield], but that would not solve the problem. Conjuring a Shield would merely buy me an extra second or two. The orc would strike the shield before going around and hitting me from another angle.


    No, [Hellfire] was my only option. I had to put the orc down if I was going to survive. I gritted my teeth as a mote of Hellfire appeared in my palm. My healing potential would simply have to take the hit. As I prepared to bathe the orc in a river of flame, the problem before me was solved.


    There was a bright silver light and a sharp breeze. A blade of concentrated air struck the orc hard in the chest, and its approach towards me was altered. With a great gash in its chest, the orc fell at my feet, and I was sprayed in foul-smelling orcish blood.


    ¡°Pay attention, Thale!¡± Beltane shouted at me as he entered my view. ¡°Now is not the time to be zoning out!¡±


    ¡°B-but,¡± I said, looking at the fire rising in the west, ¡°I need to get to my family.¡±


    With the immediate threat dispensed, my thoughts once more went into turmoil. Despite the imminent danger to me and Beltane, I simply couldn¡¯t focus. Perhaps it was because of my lack of experience. Perhaps it was because of my child¡¯s brain. All I could focus on was the danger the rest of my family was in.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get to Feldrast Manor, I promise!¡± Beltane grabbed my shoulder and roughly shook me. ¡°But first we need to save ourselves!¡±


    As Beltane spoke, only two of his zombies were still standing. By the time his sentence was over, it was clear that one of the zombies would be non-functional in seconds.


    ¡°O-okay,¡± I said, trying my hardest to focus on the situation. ¡°What do you need me to do?¡±


    ¡°Focus on defense while I focus on offense,¡± Beltane said, releasing my shoulder and returning to his feet. ¡°Luckily for us, orcs are terrified of fire. Move your Hellfire close to them, and they¡¯ll back away. You won¡¯t have to burn any of them.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. I just had to survive this fight, I told myself. After this, I would go to Feldrast Manor, and help protect my family. Yes, yes. Walter was with them. Sir Walter would be able to deal with a few orcs. They would be fine, I was sure of it. At least, that¡¯s what I told myself.

 Chapter 51 - [Create Zombie]

    From my left hand, another mote of Hellfire sprang. As I had done a hundred times before, I used the two Hellfire sparks to form a large circle of roiling flame. This time, however, I formed the circle of fire a meter in the air instead of on the ground. I also limited the strength of the fire, making the band of Hellfire resemble a writhing, yellow snake. The defensive band of Hellfire only required the use of two sparks, so I was able to exert much more control on the flame.


    By the time my defensive band was up, only one of Beltane¡¯s zombies remained. Half of the orcish horde focused on the surviving zombie, and the other half approached Beltane and me. As a dozen orcs approached us, the band of Hellfire flared up like a threatened prey animal. The sudden conflagration interrupted the orcs¡¯ charge, and they stopped in their tracks before any of them were burned.


    Beltane grabbed my shoulder and led me to one of the orcs he had killed a few minutes before. As soon as the dead orc was within the circle of fire, Beltane knelt and transformed it into a zombie. With a command from Beltane, the zombie charged forward. The band of fire split as the zombie rushed past.


    With the help of my Hellfire, we regained the initiative. We soon reached a point where Beltane was creating zombies faster than the orcs could kill them. The zombies would kill the orcs, giving Beltane more bodies to create more zombies.


    This was the power of Necromancy. As long as you didn¡¯t run out of mana and your zombies killed at least one enemy before dying, they were a renewable resource. Fights would quickly become a positive feedback loop in your favor.


    This positive feedback loop was why Necromancers often used their powers irresponsibly. It was very tempting to create more zombies than you could control, and simply allow them to sow chaos among the enemy.


    Within minutes, the battle was over. The orcs were defeated by the steady tide of powerful, unfeeling zombies. Once silence descended once more upon the battlefield, my band of Hellfire receded, and Beltane grabbed his forehead in pain.


    All that remained on the battlefield were Beltane, me, three dozen orcish corpses, and five inert zombies. Beltane bore an expression of acute pain, as if he was suffering from a terrible migraine.


    ¡°Too much¡­ mana¡­¡± Beltane said, squinting in pain. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ all out.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t surprised. He had used [Call Storm] once and [Create Zombie] ten times. Those spells were incredibly mana intensive. This was incredibly bad timing for him to run out of mana, however. I still had to get to Feldrast Manor, and he was the only person present with enough power to fight through another horde of orcs.


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    ¡°Is there anything you can do to regain mana?¡± I asked, already knowing the answer.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Beltane said with a pained expression. As he spoke, he slowly removed one of his many rings. ¡°It will take me out of commission for a few minutes, but I can do it.¡±


    ¡°Get to it, then,¡± I said, my voice harsher than I intended. ¡°I¡¯ll move ahead to Feldrast Manor. You can catch up after your Mana Revival.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bad idea,¡± Beltane said with a frown, ¡°but I see that I can¡¯t stop you. Just promise me that you¡¯ll choose your life over your healing potential.¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± I said as I started walking toward Feldrast Manor. ¡°I am ready to violate the oath of nonviolence if necessary.¡±


    As I turned the corner on my route back home, I heard Beltane¡¯s voice from where I had just come. He was screaming in pain, as if some torturer was pulling the nails out of his hand. Mana Revival was an extremely painful process. The mage undergoing it would be rendered completely unable to do anything for sixty seconds by the torturous, all-consuming pain.


    Miraculously, I did not run into any more orcs on my walk to Feldrast Manor. I reached the front garden within about ninety seconds. As I walked, conjured rain began to fall from the sky. It started as a light drip and turned into a steady drizzle within seconds.


    As I turned the corner into the front garden, all my worst fears were confirmed. Much of the garden was torn up by dozens of heavy feet striding in unison. Near the door, more than a dozen orcish corpses littered the garden where roses and lilacs had been an hour before.


    The orcs had all been killed with some long-bladed weapon. They had clearly all met Sir Walter out here and immediately met their end. One of the orcs was lying in the threshold to the manor, preventing the door from closing.


    I walked through the open door and found a dozen more orcish corpses inside. Many of the corpses laid in a semi-circle in the center of the main foyer. The whole room was stained a dark red, which stood in contrast against the light red of House Feldrast.


    I looked around frantically, terrified that I would find a human corpse among the dozens of dead orcs. With a sigh of relief, I saw that the only things littering the floor were orcish corpses, blood, guts, and weapons.


    Sir Walter must have stopped here for a while to hold off the orcs. It was not a last-stand, at least, as Walter¡¯s body did not lay amongst the invaders.


    The trail of orcish corpses continued up the stairs, however, so they must have made it deeper into the manor. I slowly made my way up the stairs, making sure to step over any fallen corpses as I did so.


    I walked down one of the second-floor hallways. Another dozen orcs laid dead on the ground, and many laid in a semi-circular pile about half-way through the hall. After this semi-circle, the trail of corpses suddenly stopped. A smile formed on my face as I looked around seeing only orcish corpses on the ground.


    My smile disappeared just as I turned the corner into another hallway. I took a few steps into this hall before seeing a figure slumped off to one side of the hall.


    With his sword still in his hand, Sir Walter sat with his back to the wall. Blood pooled below him, and his hand laid against a deep wound in his midsection.


    At a glance, I could tell that he was already dead.

 Chapter 52 - [Husk]

    I frantically approached Sir Walter and knelt down. He had been cut in the abdomen, but he was covered in countless other injuries. He had been pressing his hand to his stomach wound before he had lost consciousness. As I looked closer, I saw that some of Sir Walter¡¯s intestines had spilled out of his stomach wound.


    Injury: Deep cuts to the abdomen, chest, and left leg. Large and small intestines completely bisected in several places. Femoral, mesenteric, and pulmonary arteries severed. Lungs and heart shut down 174 seconds ago. Soul left the body 114 seconds ago.


    Soul? [Triage] could measure a person¡¯s soul?


    Whatever. I shook the doubt out of my head. Walter had been dead for less than three minutes. People had been resuscitated after much longer. I could still save him, I was sure of it.


    I grabbed Walter¡¯s body and pulled him down onto his back. If his heart had really stopped, I would have to perform CPR to get his heart beating again. As I pulled Walter down, I thought about what Prayer I should use. Before that point, I had been using the [Second Prayer], but I decided I should use the [Eighth Prayer] to heal Walter. The [Eighth Prayer] was about half as efficient as the [Second Prayer], but its incantation was much shorter, and it could be used from ten meters away.


    ¡°May Nyx repay you for what you have done!¡± I chanted as fast as I could.


    I felt my mana make a connection with Walter¡¯s body, and I began to pour my mana into the void left by Walter¡¯s wounds. I could tell when I started that the void I had to fill was much larger than ever before. Sir Walter had been completely torn apart by whoever had done this.


    Within a few seconds, all of Walter¡¯s wounds had been healed, and a minor headache furrowed my brow. That was the first time in my life that I had felt the deleterious effects of too much mana use. I had never used that much mana all at once before.


    As I moved to start doing CPR on Walter¡¯s body, I realized that there was no trail of blood leading to him. He must have suffered those wounds where he had fallen. If he had been injured in such a way somewhere else, he would have left a thick blood stain on the stone floor.


    I started chest compressions. My hands quickly became tired, but I continued the process for about a minute. I did as I was trained to do: chest compressions and rescue breaths about every twenty seconds. Adjusting my body so frequently quickly started to exhaust me, so I started doing only chest compressions after a minute or so.


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    Two minutes after I started CPR, Beltane came sprinting into the hallway. He was running at full speed when he turned the corner and saw the scene in front of him.


    ¡°Oh, thank the gods, you¡¯re alive,¡± Beltane sighed loudly. ¡°I ran into a dozen orcs on the way over.¡±


    ¡°Help me!¡± I shouted at Beltane with the authority of a trauma surgeon in an emergency. ¡°Walter¡¯s been seriously injured!¡±


    Beltane ran to Walter¡¯s side. As he ran, I noticed that he was followed by five orcish zombies. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s medicine,¡± I said shortly. ¡°His heart stopped. I¡¯m compressing it rhythmically to restart it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Beltane said without questioning me further. ¡°What do you need me to do?¡±


    ¡°I need you to breathe for him,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t have the stamina to compress his heart and¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Beltane said, looking closely at Walter¡¯s face. He placed the back of his hand in front of Walter¡¯s mouth. ¡°You can stop.¡± Beltane spoke with a grim tone.


    ¡°Why?¡± I said, terrified of what Beltane¡¯s answer would be.


    ¡°He¡¯s breathing,¡± Beltane said, though his voice certainly wasn¡¯t happy.


    Great, I thought at first. In all circumstances, CPR had a less than 50% success rate. Even when CPR was successful, it usually took ten minutes to work. CPR working after just two minutes was a very good sign for Walter¡¯s long term survivability.


    The fact that CPR worked so quickly was probably the result of the healing he had undergone. His heart was perfectly healthy, and I just had to return it to sinus rhythm.


    Something was off, though. I had used CPR successfully before. In those circumstances, I knew to stop because the patient started moving. Walter had been resuscitated, but he didn¡¯t move. This paired with Beltane¡¯s grim tone caused me to be filled with dread.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.


    Beltane snapped his fingers in front of Walter¡¯s face, and his eyes opened. I looked in Walter¡¯s eyes, and there was nothing there.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen this before,¡± Beltane said, darkly. ¡°You¡¯re a really good priest. Too good, actually.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I said, the truth slowly dawning on me.


    ¡°You fixed him. Well, you fixed his body,¡± Beltane said, scoffing slightly. ¡°His soul is gone. When the heart stops, the soul leaves exactly sixty seconds later. There¡¯s no way to get it back. He¡¯s a Husk now.¡±


    A pervasive feeling of cold filled my entire body. Walter was dead. Nothing more could be done for him. Even with all my medical training and all of the magic at my fingertips, I couldn¡¯t save one man.


    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± Beltane shook his hand in front of my face. ¡°We¡¯re not done yet. We still need to secure the rest of your family. Come on, we¡¯ve wasted enough time here.¡±


    Numbly, I got to my feet. There were still four people unaccounted for in the manor, and the only people close enough to save them were Beltane and me. I shook my head, trying not to look at Walter¡¯s inert form.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Beltane said, patting me on the back. Together, the two of us ventured deeper into the manor, unprepared for the horrors lurking inside.

 Chapter 53 - [Twelfth Prayer]

    Beltane grasped his staff in two hands as if he intended to use it as a bludgeoning weapon. The zombies behind us slowly lurched forward as we walked.


    ¡°???? ???? (fortga framat).¡± Beltane gave the command to the zombies, and they moved ahead of us. We continued walking, following the zombies further into the manor.


    After several seconds of silence, Beltane said, ¡°Whatever killed Sir Walter, it wasn¡¯t an orc. No orc on Rubigo or Saxum could overpower a level 45 Arcane Knight like that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, not fully understanding what Beltane was saying.


    ¡°His mission was to protect Countess Tabitha. Any knight in that situation would fall back the moment he wasn¡¯t in a favorable situation. From the moment Sir Walter was wounded to the moment he died, he did not move from that spot. He must have been killed within seconds. Whatever killed him was significantly stronger than he was.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± I said, trying to keep the fear out of my voice. ¡°How are we supposed to beat something that could kill Sir Walter so easily?¡±


    Beltane laughed darkly. ¡°Our only chance is Blood Magic,¡± he said, holding up the rune burnt into his hand. ¡°If we run into the killer, our only chance for victory is if I can pierce its skin with a blood lance. Once I¡¯m inside of its body, I can destroy it from the inside out.¡±


    I looked over at Beltane for the first time since we split up in the middle of town. Thick, black veins could be seen on all his exposed skin. Dark circles had appeared under his eyes, and his irises had turned an unnatural gold color. These were the effects of Mana Revival, and they would remain for at least a week.


    Mana Revival required the user to essentially flood their body with a huge amount of artificial mana contained within an expensive gem. The process was very painful, and it could only be used once a week. It had its downsides, but every War Mage frequently used Mana Revival. Running out of mana in the middle of a battle meant death, and War Mages would do anything to get back into the fight.


    After a few more steps, we saw a humanoid figure in the darkness of the hallway. In the back of my mind, I realized that someone or something had been destroying all the Hellfire sparks in the hallway.


    As we got closer, we saw that the figure was laying on the ground. Blood had started pooling under the figure¡¯s body, and a single leather-bound book had fallen out of the body¡¯s hand.


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    The body belonged to one of the maids working for House Feldrast: Melissa Thorn. She had been cut in the back, and blood still flowed freely from her wound. Her eyes were still open, and her mouth was open in surprise.


    I knelt down next to her, willing [Triage] to activate.


    Injury: Deep diagonal cut to the back. Severe damage to spinal cord. Left kidney and right lung punctured. Several major arteries have been punctured. Patient will die of blood loss within five minutes.


    Malady: Patient is in shock.


    She was alive! I did not hesitate for a second before I chanted the [Eight Prayer]. ¡°May Nyx repay you for what you have done!¡±


    Melissa¡¯s wounds healed as I poured my mana into the conduit created by the [Eighth Prayer]. Within seconds, the bleeding stopped, and her wounds were closed. Despite the healing to her physical body, her eyes remained open, and her face was a rigid mask.


    She was in shock. Based on the information given to me by [Triage], I knew that the System recognized shock as a malady. I had to use the [Twelfth Prayer] to remove Melissa from her state of shock.


    ¡°May those who mourn be lifted to safety,¡± I said, chanting the [Twelfth Prayer].


    With this, Melissa¡¯s eyes fluttered closed, and the slight trembling that had overtaken her body stopped. I reached forward and pressed my fingers to her neck. Her pulse had returned to a healthy pace expected from someone who was asleep.


    ¡°She¡¯s okay,¡± I said, letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°She¡¯s just asleep.¡±


    ¡°Good job,¡± Beltane said, slapping me lightly on the shoulder. ¡°You were able to save one of ¡®em.¡±


    Without further discussion, Beltane used his staff to lift himself to his feet and started walking further into the manor.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to take Melissa with us?¡± I asked Beltane. ¡°She knows intermediate-level Elemental spells.¡±


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Beltane said without slowing his step. ¡°She¡¯ll just slow us down. Considering what we¡¯re up against, anyone under level 30 would just be a liability.¡±


    That statement did not fill me with confidence. I asked, ¡°Why am I here, then?¡±


    ¡°If not for your control over Hellfire, I¡¯d make you wait at the entrance to the manor,¡± Beltane said. ¡°As it stands, you¡¯re necessary if we¡¯re going to win.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Whoever did this is clearly a sword master,¡± Beltane said. ¡°Based on the fact that he only deployed after Count Armond was pulled away from the manor, I suspect that he didn¡¯t want to fight against a Hellfire expert. Maybe, just maybe, you can distract this sword master long enough for me to hit him with a blood lance.¡±


    There was a blur of movement to our right. I knew from experience that the only thing in that direction was a table and empty wall. An intense feeling of danger filled my body, and a mote of Hellfire appeared in my hand. Simultaneously, Beltane turned toward the movement, his staff glowing a bright silver.


    The bright lights of our prepared spells shone upon the source of the movement. There, crawling out of a previously unseen compartment in the wall, were Merrick and Miriam.


    I let out a sigh of relief as my two siblings ran forward with tears in their eyes and hugged me. I barely had time to extinguish my mote of Hellfire before they reached me, and I was nearly knocked over by the force of the two children¡¯s momentum.


    ¡°Thale!¡± Miriam and Merrick cried as they latched to my body. Miriam was larger than me at that time, so the hug was all-encompassing.

 Chapter 54 - [Countess Tabitha]

    ¡°Thank God you¡¯re okay,¡± I said, the relief I felt causing me to thank a God that did not exist on Ferrum. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Merrick spoke first. ¡°We were being chased by a knight dressed in red when Mom put us here and told us to be very quiet.¡±


    ¡°We heard Walter and Melissa screaming,¡± Miriam said, crying. ¡°Are they okay?¡±


    I was about to say something, but Beltane spoke first. ¡°You two need to get out of the manor, quickly. Melissa is asleep over there,¡± Beltane pointed back in the direction we came. ¡°Wake her up, and she¡¯ll bring you to the front entrance. You¡¯ll run into Walter; don¡¯t try to wake him up. Wait at the entrance until I or your Dad come back, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Merrick said, his expression resolute even though tears were still streaming down his face. In that moment, the hero he would one day become shone through.


    As the two children ran back the way Beltane and I came, Beltane asked, ¡°Just to make sure, there¡¯s no route for the knight to circle back around to the front entrance without first running into us, right?¡±


    ¡°Past here is the master bedroom,¡± I said. ¡°This is the only hallway that leads there.¡±


    At that moment, we reached the entrance to the master bedroom. The ceiling had partially collapsed where the door to the bedroom had previously been, and the route into the bedroom was completely blocked by rubble.


    A deep sense of foreboding entered my body. Some part of my brain told me that I wouldn¡¯t like what I was going to see inside of that room. My breathing became unsteady as I looked at that pile of rubble.


    ¡°Is there any way out through the master bedroom?¡± Beltane asked.


    ¡°N-no,¡± I said, the fear causing my breathing to falter. ¡°The only way out is through that door and a second-floor window.¡±


    ¡°We need to get in there,¡± Beltane said through gritted teeth. ¡°You blast it open; I¡¯ll cover you.¡±


    With Beltane and the zombies standing in front of me, I pointed my wand at the pile of rubble. Steadying myself for whatever I¡¯d find inside of that room, I poured my mana into the [Catapult] spell. My wand glowed silver for a moment, and the rubble exploded inward with a loud crash.


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    After a few seconds, the dust cleared, revealing that my spell had opened a large hole in the rubble. We could now pass through the door into the bedroom.


    ¡°?? (aka)!¡± Beltane shouted this simple command to his zombies, and they ran into the room without hesitation. They disappeared from our view and into the bedroom. My teeth started chattering, and I started wheezing as several seconds passed without any sound.


    ¡°Countess Tabitha?¡± Beltane said with his back to the wall next to the large open hole. ¡°Are you in there?¡±


    There was no response.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Beltane mouthed to me without making any sound. He held up three fingers and started slowly counting down. The moment the final finger touched his thumb, Beltane charged forward into the room at full speed. The rune on his hand glowed an eerie red color, and some of the blood around his thumb started to writhe unnaturally.


    I followed a half-step behind Beltane with motes of Hellfire in both of my palms. The two of us charged into the bedroom, prepared to face the Red Knight.


    Inside of the bedroom, we found nothing but silence and inactivity. I almost ran into one of the zombies that had come to a complete stop a few meters into the bedroom. Peering around the large form of the dead orc, I witnessed a scene of desolation.


    Cold air blew in through a shattered window, causing askew sheets to flutter lightly in the wind. A heavy mahogany dresser had been cut completely in half by some superhuman force. The bed had been destroyed by a single powerful strike, causing bird feathers to cover much of the floor. Deep gouges had been cut into the wall, telling the tale of a struggle.


    There, at the far end of the room, laid my mother¡¯s dead body. A broken shortsword rested near her hand, and dark red blood poured from a bone-deep wound she had taken at the wrist. Her only other wound was a small puncture right to the sternum. Blood poured heavily from this chest wound, and I knew what had happened even before [Triage] told me.


    Injury: Deep cut to the right wrist. Deep puncture to the chest. Patient¡¯s heart and lungs were bisected. Lungs and heart shut down 405 seconds ago. Soul left the body 345 seconds ago.


    Six minutes. She had been dead for just six minutes. If I had been just a little faster, if my body was slightly less useless, then I might have been able to save her.


    I fell to my knees as my mother¡¯s blood further stained my clothes. I thought I was so damn smart. I thought I could beat fate by just changing a few factors in my life. All I had to do was become a priest and make a few decisions that the original Thale wouldn¡¯t make, and everything would be different. How could I be so stupid?


    Ever since the start, I had been no different from the original Thale. In the original timeline, Armond must have left Walter with Tabitha anyway because Eadric was already dead. I should have known, but the chaos of the event blinded me to the truth.


    I should have known that there would be more at play than just a few orcs. Count Armond himself would be more than enough to defeat an orcish incursion. Tabitha could only have been killed by a much greater force unforeseen by Armond or the original Thale.


    Tears began to fall down my cheeks. In that instance, I realized something. In this version of Ferrum, that was the first time that Thale Feldrast had ever cried.

 Chapter 55 - [Full-Throttle]

    For the first time since I arrived at the bedroom, I looked at my mother¡¯s face. On Walter¡¯s face, I saw the resolve of a dying soldier. On Melissa¡¯s face, I saw the fear of an unprepared civilian. On Tabitha¡¯s face, however, I witnessed an expression of serene relief. It was as if she had died without regrets. In her last moments, I thought, she must have been relieved that, at least, her children would be safe.


    You¡¯re so useless.


    Without warning, a venomous voice filled my head. This was the first time that Thale had spoken with such clarity.


    You¡¯re just as useless as me. Even with ten years of preparation, you couldn¡¯t save her.


    Shut up.


    I responded weakly. I wasn¡¯t in the right headspace to come up with a good response.


    If I was in control, I could have saved her. But no, you had to come along and steal my body from me.


    I¡¯m not here intentionally.


    Is that right? Well, if you don¡¯t want the body, then give it to me.


    Leave me alone, Thale.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t left yet.¡± Beltane shook me from my stupor. ¡°I can still see him from the window.¡±


    Beltane¡¯s words pulled me to my feet. If the Red Knight hadn¡¯t left yet, then everyone in Sableton was still in danger. As I stood, I looked one last time at the woman who had been my mother for the past seven years. Much as I would hate to admit it, Tabitha meant a lot to me, and seeing her dead on the ground made it hard for me to think clearly.


    Within seconds, the grief I felt transformed into nothing more than blinding, murderous rage. He was still in Sableton. The man who had robbed me of one of the few people in the world who could ever love me unconditionally was still within range of my Hellfire.


    If I were to fight him, I would most likely die. I knew that. He killed Sir Walter, a veteran arcane knight, with little difficulty. What could a weak priest and a war mage hope to achieve against such a powerful adversary?


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    I walked to the shattered window. Through the shattered glass and broken timber, I saw a single man in knight¡¯s armor staring back at me.


    The Red Knight wore a beaked helmet that completely covered his head. He wore iron sabatons, vambraces, pauldrons, and couters, though the rest of his body was covered in chainmail. He held a blood-stained sword in one hand, though he did not carry a shield. Over his chainmail, he wore a crimson tabard with the symbol of the Church of Nyx emblazoned on the center. Over his shoulders, he wore a red cape that was the same color as his tabard.


    As Beltane and I stared at the man, he looked back at us without any sign of emotion. It was as if he was waiting for us to see him. A moment after the Red Knight made eye contact with me, he turned his back and started slowly walking away from the manor.


    Rage filled my body, and I placed my foot on the windowsill in preparation to jump. I would not allow this opportunity to pass me by. Before I could jump, Beltane placed a hand on my shoulder, arresting my momentum.


    ¡°Wait. You¡¯ll just hurt yourself if you jump,¡± Beltane said.


    ¡°What do you suggest we do, then, Beltane!?¡± I shouted at the man standing behind me. ¡°I¡¯m not just going to just let him run away!¡±


    As I spoke, Beltane flicked his wand. There was a brief flash of argent light, and my body suddenly felt weightless. Without warning, Beltane grabbed me by the coat and dragged me out through the window. The two of us floated through the air for a few seconds before a powerful wind pushed us down to the ground.


    Just as fast as it came, the feeling of weightlessness disappeared, and I found myself on the ground. Moments after my feet touched the ground, the heavy sound of an unresisting corpse crashing against the dirt ground emanated from behind me. I didn¡¯t turn to look at the zombies; my eyes were locked squarely on the knight standing in the middle of the street.


    The Red Knight stood less than thirty meters away from me, and his back was turned to me. Years of practice made me acutely aware of one thing: he was within range of my Hellfire.


    A mote of blazing fire appeared in the palm of my hand. The anger filling my body caused the flame to burn much brighter than I intended, and my sleeve promptly caught fire.


    Something held me back, however. As I looked at the retreating form of the Red Knight, I did not sense weakness. Rather, it seemed as if the knight was asking me to attack him. It was as if his exposed back was nothing more than a single extended feint.


    Even with the Red Knight¡¯s back turned toward me, all my senses warned me of a terrible, looming danger. Despite this warning, I knew I had to attack. This was the greatest advantage I would have if I was going to attack the Red Knight at all. If I did not take that opportunity, I would have no choice but to simply let the knight leave.


    No, that was not an option. I had to attack his exposed back. If I did not attack him at that moment, if I did not take the opportunity to avenge my mother, then I would be forsaking everything she meant to me. Doing nothing was not an option.


    I reached deep into the well of Hellfire that burned in my core. I reached for all the anger, the rage, the despair that this man had instilled in me, and I poured all of it into the fire burning in my hands.


    For the first time in my life, I released Hellfire at full-throttle.

 Chapter 56 - [Intent to Kill]

    With the intent to kill roaring through my mind, I unleashed a sea of Hellfire in the middle of Sableton. Everything between me and the Red Knight was instantly vaporized. The rain falling from the sky was turned into a silver mist as the temperature was instantly raised above boiling. The Red Knight was standing in the middle of a five-meter-wide road, and everything on that road was engulfed in flames. At this level of output, I was not in control of the fire. The flames struck the buildings on the side of the road, twirling upward like hungry, grasping hands from Hell itself.


    The fire was upon the Red Knight in seconds. As the flames approached, the Red Knight turned at an almost casual pace and interposed his cloak between himself and the Hellfire. The flames struck the red cloak and harmlessly diverted away from the knight. Like a waterfall striking a heavy stone, the stream of fire spread out in a cone of unaffected space after contacting the Red Knight.


    There was some enchantment on that cloak. It was as if my fire was allergic to the red material of the knight¡¯s vestment. Upon contact with the cloak, the Hellfire was immediately extinguished.


    The instant that I had an unobstructed view at the Red Knight''s face, I peered deep into the Red Knight''s visor and activated [Observe].


    [Observe, Lvl. 6]


    Nothing happened. Either he was wearing an Anti-Observation Ring, or I simply coudn''t get a good look at his eyes. The visor covered his whole face, and the small slit through which he saw was cloaked in shadow. It was very possible that his eyes were simply too concealed for me to activate my Talent.


    Two more sparks of Hellfire roared into existence over my shoulders. A moment later, they flew toward the knight. As the two new sparks charged toward the knight, a lance of blood rocketed toward him at a much greater speed. I didn¡¯t see if the blood lance hit, but Beltane¡¯s sharp oath a moment later informed me of everything I needed to know.


    When the two flaming missiles were halfway between me and the Red Knight, they began spraying cones of flaming death at the knight¡¯s position. The attack more closely resembled a napalm strike than anything else. The two sources of Hellfire began to circle the Red Knight, obscuring his body entirely in a curtain of obscuring fire. As these two Hellfire sparks moved to engulf the Red Knight in fire, Beltane launched several blood lances at him. Every time it seemed that a blood lance was about to make contact with the Red Knight, he adjusted his body just enough that the beam of concentrated blood missed.


    When the Red Knight was completely obscured behind the fire, I moved the Hellfire spark in my hand forward. As the Hellfire spark moved, it continued spraying a steady torrent of orange flame at the knight. The houses to both sides of the road had caught fire. A small voice in my brain hoped that no one was inside those houses, but that voice was completely overshadowed by the voices screaming for revenge.


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    After a few seconds, the spark of Hellfire reached the massive sphere of flame that had completely engulfed the Red Knight. With Beltane next to me, I took slow, steady steps toward the flaming orb in the center of town. I clenched my two small fists together as I willed the sphere to condense.


    The sphere of Hellfire grew much brighter as it shrunk. Within seconds, it was brighter than the sun on a hot summer¡¯s day. As the sphere crushed down on the Red Knight with the power of a raging star, Beltane shot several blood lances at the knight.


    There was no way the blood lances would reach the Red Knight through the flame, however. The heat in the center of the sphere had long since surpassed the boiling point of blood. As a rough approximation, I would say that the sphere had reached a temperature equivalent to that of molten rock. At such a temperature, rock turned to liquid and water turned to gas.


    The Red Knight¡¯s cloak would not protect him from the heat of the Hellfire, I thought. At these temperatures, the blood in a man¡¯s body would instantaneously boil and the skin would melt. I pictured the Red Knight¡¯s body melting inside of his armor, and a venomous smile appeared on my face.


    Suddenly, I lost control of the Hellfire sparks surrounding the Red Knight, and the sphere of fire disappeared. Standing in the center of a moat of molten rock, the Red Knight stood completely unharmed. His sword was half raised, and he slowly returned the blade to a resting position once he saw me.


    Shining on the knight¡¯s cloak was a bright orange arcane circle, and another arcane circle shone on his helmet. The circle on the Red Knight¡¯s cloak was a [Ward of Fire Resistance], and the circle on the knight¡¯s faceplate was some kind of sorcerous ward that involved air. The [Ward of Fire Resistance] granted the Red Knight¡¯s body the same resistance to fire that Solana, Armond, and I had.


    With terror starting to seep into my bones, I realized that the Red Knight had prepared for Hellfire. The ward protected him from the flames, and the circle on his helmet protected him from the Oxygen deprivation that being engulfed in flames would cause.


    One more lance of blood rocketed at the Red Knight. Almost casually, he lifted his sword and caught the red projectile on the flat of the blade. My mind ran frantically, trying to think of something we could do about the Red Knight. Before I could think of anything, however, he took a step in our direction.


    In a single second, the Red Knight traveled half of the distance between himself and me. It was as if he was walking, but each stride was ten meters long. All I could do was raise a hand defensively and fire three motes of Hellfire at the knight.


    The Red Knight¡¯s sword flashed through the air, cleaving each spark in half before they could reach their target. There was nothing I could do. He would reach me in mere seconds.


    ¡°??????? (inskuta)!¡± Beltane shouted in the language of orcs.


    A mere instant before the Red Knight brought his sword upon my head, one of Beltane¡¯s zombies jumped in front of me. The Red Knight¡¯s blade scythed through the undead without resistance, instantly chopping the corpse into two equal pieces.

 Chapter 57 - [The Verge of Death]

    Now stationary, the Red Knight regarded me for an instant before turning his attention toward Beltane. I don¡¯t know why, but the knight seemed to disregard me after seeing me up close.


    An instant later, the Red Knight was engaged in a frantic melee with Beltane. The knight attacked with such ferocity and speed that I could barely see the movement of his sword. Beltane, miraculously, was able to keep up with the Red Knight¡¯s movements. He caught the knight¡¯s blade on his staff and diverted it away from his body a few times. Beltane had clearly trained in some form of staff-based martial art.


    As the two men fought, Beltane retreated behind a groaning zombie. The Red Knight¡¯s speed precluded Beltane from speaking any commands to his zombies, but he was still able to use them as cover between himself and the knight.


    For the duration of Beltane¡¯s fight with the knight, I tried time and time again to summon forth Hellfire. Instead of the usual steady flame, I could only produce momentary embers that extinguished after an instant. I had no idea what was causing my inability to produce Hellfire. I was not suffering from the telltale headache indicative of mana loss. The only thing wrong with me was the steady stream of blood that had started flowing out of my nose and mouth.


    Effortlessly, the Red Knight cut through the interposing zombies. At one point, however, as the knight¡¯s blade scythed through the soft flesh and bone of Beltane¡¯s undead creation, Beltane fired one last Blood Lance outside of the Red Knight¡¯s vision. For a bare instant, Beltane was blocked from the knight¡¯s field of view by flying viscera. In that fraction of a second, the War Mage threaded a lance of piercing blood between the flying, bisected form of his last zombie.


    The Blood Lance struck the Red Knight hard in the chest. He looked down for a fraction of an instant. Despite the all-concealing armor, the knight¡¯s body language carried an unmistakable expression of surprise.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Beltane called out, a victorious grin on his face.


    The Blood Rune on Beltane¡¯s hand glowed a dark red. The fingers of his hand flared out as if he was about to cast a spell. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the chainmail worn on the chest of the Red Knight. Blood splattered across most of the knight¡¯s chest, but a small divot in the center of the chainmail showed that some small amount of blood pierced the armor.


    Beltane¡¯s blood had cut through the Red Knight¡¯s armor. If he had pierced the knight¡¯s skin, then he would be able to deal damage directly to the knight¡¯s body. For an instant, it looked like we could win.


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    There was a flash of movement, and the Red Knight closed the distance between himself and Beltane in less than a second. I didn¡¯t see the attack. All I saw was the red light shining on Beltane¡¯s hand fade away, and a moment later I heard a light thud as a small object hit the ground.


    My gaze fell on the bleeding stump where Beltane¡¯s hand had been a moment before. Beltane staggered a step back, shock and horror coloring his expression. In the same moment that Beltane¡¯s hand struck the ground with a squelching thud, the Red Knight struck again.


    The second blow cleaved Beltane¡¯s staff in half. Undeterred by the dark red blood spilling from his wrist, Beltane reached his surviving hand across his chest to reach his want at his left hip. The third blow cut Beltane directly. Just as Beltane brought his glowing wand up to the Red Knight, he was cut diagonally across the chest and abdomen.


    The Red Knight¡¯s sword cut deep, and a fountain of blood watered the dirt at Beltane¡¯s feet. Weakly, the War Mage stumbled back, dropped his wand, and fell on his back.


    In that instant, I realized something. The Red Knight had been toying with us throughout the entire duration of the fight. He could have killed Beltane whenever he wanted; he had slowed his movements on purpose to extend the length of his fight with Beltane. It was only when he was in actual danger that the Red Knight decided to move at full speed.


    Once Beltane crumpled to the ground, the Red Knight slowly turned toward me. Frantically, I tried to hit him with any spell available to me. [Hellfire], [Catapult], [Lift Object], none of them worked. The only thing my attempts managed to do was cause my nosebleed to worsen. I slowly stepped back from the Red Knight, and he matched my retreat at a leisurely pace.


    With a fearful lump forming in my throat, I pointed Riomed¡¯s wand at the approaching knight, but nothing happened. I couldn¡¯t even cause the arcane runes engraved into the wand to glow silver. While backing up, my foot caught against a half-burnt root, and I fell to the ground.


    Just as the Red Knight reached me, he looked down at me with cold indifference. He looked me in the face. After several long seconds, his head turned slightly. Was that recognition?


    ¡°Thale Feldrast.¡± A deep voice emanating from the knight spoke my name. The voice carried a minor echo due to the acoustics of the metal helmet he wore. ¡°I am not permitted to kill you.¡±


    The Red Knight¡¯s sword was slapped back into its sheath, and he turned his back to me once again. I might have said something to him then if not for the terrible, racking coughing fit that forced me onto my hands and knees. When the coughing was done, a pool of blood had formed under my head, and the Red Knight was nowhere to be seen.


    Slowly, painfully, I stood up and walked over to Beltane. I hadn¡¯t been hit during the fight, yet I still felt like I was on the verge of death. My own blood flowed freely from my nose and mouth, adding to the existing bloodstains on my outfit.


    Beltane was in much worse shape, of course. The Red Knight had cut him to the bone. A fatal amount of blood was flowing from the wound on his chest and the wound on his hand.


    I could feel as [Triage] strained in my brain, wanting to be used. The use of that [Skill] would be pointless, however. I couldn¡¯t use healing magic, so I couldn¡¯t heal Beltane. There was no point for me to learn of his injuries, because there was nothing I could do to save him.

 Chapter 58 - [No Point]

    ¡°Sanguis fluere tereb et secar,¡± Beltane chanted weakly as bubbling blood slowly spilled from his mouth.


    I looked down and saw that he had drawn a Blood Rune on his own chest where the Red Knight¡¯s sword had cut his shirt. The Blood Rune started to flare a dark red as he scrunched his face up in concentration. Beltane¡¯s wounds suddenly tightened as if the blood itself had hardened, and his bleeding stopped.


    My eyes snapped toward Feldrast Manor. If I could get back to the master bedroom, I could probably find one of my mother¡¯s old sewing kits to stop Beltane¡¯s bleeding for good. The thought of reentering that scene filled me with dread, but I would do it if necessary.


    With a trembling hand, Beltane reached into the folds of his cloak and produced a small glass bottle. Within the bottle was an opaque red liquid that glowed lightly in the fire of the burning houses. I took the bottle in my hand, and I only realized what Beltane was handing me when I held it.


    ¡°D-drink¡­¡± Beltane sputtered as crimson liquid fell out of his mouth.


    In my hand, I held a Healing Potion, a magic draught that held the power of Prayer in liquid form. Something like this would cost between ten and twenty gold pieces.


    I uncorked the vial and drank from it. The bottle only held a single swig of liquid, so I finished the Healing Potion in a second. A moment after the healing draught descended my esophagus, a momentary feeling of warmth pervaded my entire body. The tightness in my chest disappeared, and the full body ache that I had been feeling for about a minute suddenly faded away.


    Frantically, I took Beltane¡¯s fallen hand from where it had fallen and pressed it against the stump where his hand had been previously. I made sure to align the radius and ulna so that they would be able to fuse back together with minimal difficulty. He had been cut just under the wrist, and the removal was impossibly clean, so lining everything up was astonishingly easy.


    ¡°May Nyx repay you for what you have done!¡± I chanted as soon as the warm feeling disappeared. I trusted the pealing Potion to cure whatever was preventing my magic from working.


    My [Prayer] hooked onto something, and I frantically began pouring my mana into it. By the time I was done, a terrible headache was shooting through my head, and Beltane¡¯s bleeding had stopped.


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    With relief flooding through my body, I fell to my knees. Beltane sat up slowly, flexing his healed wrist as he did so. He checked his various wounds and blood loss. When he was certain that he had been healed sufficiently, he let out a long sigh and rubbed his face with his palm.


    We sat there in silence for a long time. The battle was over, and all we could do was stare out at the burning buildings as the torrent of rain extinguished my fire. I couldn¡¯t even feel the rain on my face.


    As I sat there on the ground, everything that happened finally began to sink in. My mother was dead, and there was nothing I could have done to stop it. Her death was predetermined by fate. I could have known exactly what was going to happen, and I still would have been powerless.


    The Red Knight was a fighter of the highest possible caliber. If I could have read his character sheet, I was sure his class would be Sword Saint. His level couldn¡¯t have been less than 90, considering the speed of his attacks. Despite this, the most shocking aspect of the Red Knight was that I had no idea who he was.


    I thought I could name every sword saint, philosopher, and archon on Ferrum, but nothing about the Red Knight rang any bells. He was probably in the top twenty strongest NPCs, yet there was no one I knew of who fought like the Red Knight and wore the livery of the Church of Nyx.


    Ever since I had come to Ferrum, I had never felt so weak and so ignorant.


    I had the fire of Hell at my fingertips, and I could draw upon a wealth of knowledge that any scholar on Ferrum would kill to replicate, yet I could not protect one woman. There was nothing I could do to resist the careless whims of fate. If I couldn¡¯t prevent my mother¡¯s death, then how could I hope to prevent my father¡¯s death, the Etronian civil war, and my own gradual slip into evil?


    Everything would happen exactly as it did the first time. My father would die, I would become the Count of Northwind, I would kill Miriam, and then Merrick would kill me. There was some force, some malevolent god who assured that all my labors would come to naught.


    With tears falling down my face and my teeth grinding against each other so harshly that I could hear them scraping, I let out a harsh, derisive laugh.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point!¡± I said, laughing at my own weakness. ¡°It all happened just like the first time!¡±


    Beltane looked at me, shock evident on his face, as I delivered my insane proclamation. I didn¡¯t care. Why even bother pretending when nothing I did mattered?


    I stared at the sky, weak laughter creaking out of my frail lungs. My laughter only stopped when I was overcome with a coughing fit that briefly consumed my whole body.


    When the coughing subsided, all energy disappeared from my body, and I slumped down. All emotion drained out of my body, leaving nothing but emptiness.


    After a few minutes, the fires around us were extinguished. Beltane got to his feet and said something that I couldn¡¯t parse in my current state. He touched my shoulder, and it was only when he began to drag me with him that I begrudgingly began to follow him.

 Chapter 59 - [We Know]

    Many of the events after that point were lost on me. My mental state was poor at the time, and a deteriorated mental state negatively affected memory recognition on both Ferrum and Earth. In addition, I was too caught up in my own mind to really focus on the events that were transpiring around me. I was an automaton that was merely going through the motions of humanity. Things happened in my periphery, but I was largely unaware of them.


    The next thing I knew, Beltane had brought me back to the second floor of Feldrast Manor. I didn¡¯t know why he had done such a thing until I realized that all three of my siblings were standing at the corner before the entrance to the master bedroom. All three were crying, though Solana was trying to hide her emotions somewhat to put on a strong face in front of the younger kids.


    Melissa was standing with them. Though she was not crying, a somber expression colored her features. She was only twenty years old, and she had worked at the manor for the majority of her life. Melissa started work a year after Solana was born, so she had known Tabitha for fifteen years.


    As Beltane and I approached, Solana turned toward us with a look of barely suppressed sorrow. She said, ¡°Thale. They got to her. Mom is¡­¡±


    ¡°We know,¡± Beltane cut her off. It would not help anyone to rehash the events of that night unnecessarily.


    ¡°You know?¡± Melissa asked. The back of her outfit was still ripped, and she was still covered in blood. In the darkness the Red Knight created as he walked through the manor, Melissa could not see us clearly. She took a step toward Beltane and me, seeing at last the state we were in.


    ¡°Nyx above,¡± Melissa swore as she saw us. ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°We saw the person who killed Countess Tabitha,¡± Beltane said through grit teeth, ¡°and we tried to kill him. You can see how that turned out.¡±


    ¡°How are you alive?¡± Melissa asked, shocked.


    ¡°I¡¯m alive due to Thale¡¯s magic,¡± Beltane said with a hollow laugh. ¡°That¡¯s something the two of us have in common.¡±


    Unconsciously, Melissa brought her hand to the newly-acquired scar that now adorned her back. ¡°You saved my life.¡± After a moment¡¯s consideration, she added, ¡°What of Walter? His eyes were open when we walked past him, but he did not respond to Merrick¡¯s shouting.¡±


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    Almost imperceptibly, Beltane shook his head in response. He whispered, ¡°Not in front of the children.¡±


    Still bawling loudly, Merrick walked up to me and buried his head in my chest.


    ¡°She¡¯s dead, Thale!¡± Merrick cried as he looked up from my chest. Half of his face was covered in slick blood that had decorated my shirt a moment before. I couldn¡¯t immediately tell if that blood was from me, an orc, or Tabitha.


    When he looked me in the eyes, Merrick¡¯s expression gained a twinge of fear, and he cautiously took a step back. I¡¯m sure that, on my face, Merrick saw an expression that was completely incongruous on the face of a child.


    ¡°We should check on the Count,¡± Beltane whispered to me. ¡°If he reacts poorly, all of Sabletonn could burn down. Perhaps the sight of his eldest son still alive will help him.¡±


    I did not respond, but I followed Beltane when he started walking toward the master bedroom. As we left the four grieving non-combatants behind, I heard Solana call out to me. ¡°Thale. Did you know this would happen? Why did you ask for Sir Walter to stay back at the manor?¡±


    For a moment, Solana¡¯s statement brought me back to the surface of consciousness. I opened and closed my mouth a few times before answering. When I was finally able to speak, I simply said, ¡°There was nothing I could do.¡±


    I knew this answer was unsatisfying, but it was the best I could do in the moment. My family had known for a long time that there was something different about me, and it was only natural that they would look to me for answers in a time like this. Unfortunately, this time, there were no answers to give.


    In a fugue state, I crossed the hallway and entered my parents¡¯ bedroom. Tabitha was still laying where she had fallen. When I entered the second time, however, Eadric and Armond were in the room. Eadric was standing near the door, and he watched the two of us closely when we entered. Armond knelt at Tabitha¡¯s side, clenching her limp wrist in two fervent, desperate hands.


    ¡°No, no, no, no, no.¡± It was only after standing in the room for a few seconds that I realized the sound was coming from Armond. At a volume I could barely parse, he spoke in a pleading voice. ¡°Please¡­ please¡­¡± I could hear the tears in Armond¡¯s voice as he spoke. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me alone in this cold, miserable world.¡±


    Count Armond spoke these words at such a quiet volume that I could barely hear. He spoke as if his words were for him and Tabitha alone.


    ¡°What was that, my Lord?¡± Sir Eadric asked fearfully. He could not make out everything that Armond had just said, and he was concerned that Armond had been speaking to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Armond continued, his sorrowful voice continuing at a low volume,


    ¡°My Lord?¡± Eadric asked one more time.


    ¡°It was nothing,¡± Armond said, his voice suddenly, terrifyingly calm. From beside the cooling corpse of his wife, Count Armond Feldrast, the King¡¯s Executioner, stood. As he rose to his feet, he wiped the tears from his face. Armond¡¯s hands were covered in blood, so when he went to wipe the tears away, he merely replaced them with two long streaks of that dark red liquid.

 Chapter 60 - [Sword Saint]

    ¡°


    ¡°Based on the burning buildings,¡± Armond said with a cold voice, ¡°I assume you fought the killer, Thale. Did you kill the one that did this?¡±


    I was about to speak, but Beltane opened his mouth first. ¡°Thale and I got to the scene first. We saw a knight dressed in red outside of the shattered window. We chased the knight down, and he severely wounded me. I suspect the knight was a Sword Saint.¡±


    ¡°That sounds about right,¡± Armond said with no change in his voice. ¡°Any person who could kill Walter so easily would have to be a Sword Saint. About these orcs, what tribe are they from?¡±


    After a moment of shocked silence, Beltane answered Armond¡¯s question. He was surprised by the Count¡¯s sudden lack of emotion. ¡°I saw heraldry from the Four Talons and Severed Veins tribes.¡±


    That was strange. A small part of my brain wondered why I had never heard of those orc tribes before. I knew that the human names for orc tribes were usually mere descriptions of the crude pictures they drew on their armor. A particular orc ¡°tribe¡± was just a group of orcs that used the same heraldry. It was unknown precisely how their organization structure worked, but they seemed to group together based on this heraldry to some extent.


    Based on Beltane¡¯s description of the two orc tribes, I assumed their coats of arms were the four-taloned paw of some great beast and a severed, bleeding vein. Those two pieces of heraldry never showed up in [Ferrum Online], to the best of my knowledge.


    ¡°I want to know exactly who it was who attacked us,¡± Armond said, a simmering hatred underlining his words. ¡°Tell me more of this knight dressed in red.¡±


    Beltane paused for a long moment before answering Armond¡¯s question. ¡°He wore¡­ the symbol of the Church of Nyx on his chest.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Armond said once again with little emotion in his voice. ¡°Eadric, Beltane, a lot is going to happen in the near future, follow me.¡± As soon as Armond finished this sentence, he began walking out of the master bedroom. He did not turn back to look at Tabitha as he left the room.


    I was able to wrench my eyes off the corpse of my mother and follow Armond as he left the room. He walked with intention, so it was hard for me to keep up.


    ¡°The King¡¯s Executioner has been dormant for too long. I have forgotten my duty,¡± Armond snarled as he walked. ¡°Once we¡¯re done cleaning up here, I need to pick up my war gear from Northwind. From there, I¡¯ll restart the mission given to me by the King so long ago.¡±


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    ¡°Count Armond¡­¡± Beltane said with a mixed look of fear and confusion. ¡°Is that really the best course of action? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to stay in Sableton, hold a funeral for Countess Tabitha, and help rebuild the town?¡±


    Armond stopped and turned to Beltane. He did not look angry, but he held Beltane in the cold gaze that he had worn ever since he stood from Tabitha¡¯s side. ¡°I hear your advice, Court Mage, but I will not follow it. There are thousands of people within the Realm of Northwind who would be better suited to the domestic life of a regional lord. The governance of Sableton shall return to Lord Riomed, and the governance of Northwind shall remain in the hands of my brother, Edwin.¡±


    ¡°With respect, my lord,¡± Beltane said, respect not evident in his tone, ¡°that is not what I meant. What of your children? What of Thale, Solana, Miriam, and Merrick? You still have four young children. If you go off to war, then who will raise them?¡±


    ¡°You have seen what happens when I try to be a father!¡± Armond shouted loud enough to rattle the manor¡¯s walls. ¡°Every moment I stay here is another moment that the cleansing flame of the Kingdom of Etronia is withheld. I swear that I will never allow another Etronian to be slaughtered by green-skinned vermin due to my negligence! Now, come! You speak Dahk, do you not? I need you to help me interrogate the surviving orcs.¡±


    The three men started walking again, and I was soon left behind by their rapid pace. My father did not look back at me as he left.


    I was left alone in the manor at that point. All I could think to do was return to my room and go to sleep. I stared at the ceiling for several hours before the cold void of sleep took me.


    <hr>


    The morning came sooner than I would have liked. As the sun rose, my usually racing mind had slowed to a snail¡¯s pace. I spent most mornings working on my master plan to stop the civil war and save the world. That morning, however, all of my grand plans seemed laughable. Save the world? Stop a war? Ha. As if I could ever do something like that.


    The morning after the attack was a flurry of activity. Men from the local guard walked through the manor, dragging away orcish bodies and moving my father¡¯s belongings to a carriage outside.


    It had been decided that Count Armond Feldrast would leave for Northwind that morning. From there, he would travel to Etron. With an army granted to him by the King himself, he would launch a campaign of extermination against the monstrous races of the Kingdom of Etronia. At least, that¡¯s what Eadric told me.


    Later, after the funeral of Tabitha Feldrast, Lord Riomed Koravin and Nina Koravin would accompany us to Northwind. We would most likely stay there for the foreseeable future.


    Soon after the sun had risen over the horizon, the surviving denizens of Feldrast Manor gathered in the garden. When I arrived at that somber gathering, I witnessed my father hand Beltane a thick leather pouch. Count Armond was dressed in a formal military uniform, and the rest were dressed in the kind of attire one would wear to a funeral.


    Melissa led Sir Walter by the hand to the meeting. He was able to stand, but it was clear that he would only act when physically led by someone else.

 Chapter 61 - [A Quiet Resolve]

    ¡°This should be enough to make up for everything you lost during the battle,¡± Count Armond said to Beltane.


    Beltane looked inside the pouch briefly before saying, ¡°Including the staff, the ring, and the potion¡­ yes, this will be more than enough.¡±


    Beltane sounded pleased that he was being compensated for his losses, but he didn¡¯t smile. A moment after he looked up from the interior of the pouch, he looked to the three children standing at his side with no small amount of guilt on his face. Beltane seemed uncomfortable at the thought of being rewarded when others near him were suffering.


    At that time, Sir Josiah and Lord Riomed entered the garden from behind Count Armond. Riomed¡¯s face was a mixture of anger and concern, while Josiah¡¯s face was the cold mask of a soldier following orders. Josiah had been temporarily lent to Armond¡¯s retinue in order to cover the weak spot left by Sir Walter¡¯s incapacitation.


    Briefly looking around at the garden, I saw that it was a shadow of what it once was. The orcs had destroyed every vegetable, every vine, and every piece of shrubbery that had once dotted the garden. The large oak tree that I had spent many chilly afternoons sitting beneath had been torn in half. It had fallen away from the manor and destroyed the white picket fence separating the garden from the road next to the manor. Merrick¡¯s wooden practice sword was still leaning against the lower half of the tree.


    ¡°The carriage is fully packed, Count Armond,¡± Sir Josiah said with a slight bow.


    ¡°Good, good,¡± Armond breathed. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a second, there¡¯s just one last thing that I need to do here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Josiah said, bowing more deeply and quickly exiting the garden.


    A few seconds of uncomfortable silence followed as Josiah left. Throughout this period of silence, Armond stared directly at Walter. A quiet resolve seemed to color Armond¡¯s features as he looked at the husk of his knight.


    ¡°Armond, please stay,¡± Lord Riomed said with a pleading voice. ¡°Your children¡­ they just lost their mother. Please do not rob them of a father as well.¡±


    ¡°Riomed,¡± the Count began. ¡°What you describe as ¡®a father¡¯ is nothing more than a funeral pyre in the shape of a man. I have been pretending otherwise for the past twenty years. Every day I¡¯ve lived here, I have had to resist the urge to leave home and burn the enemies of Etronia to ash. That was a mistake; I see that now.¡±


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    ¡°You cannot mean that!¡± Lord Riomed Koravin said loudly. ¡°You¡¯re just in shock after the death of your wife. Stay here and give yourself some time to grieve. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll feel better in a few days.¡±


    Count Armond did not say anything. He merely continued to stare coldly at the standing form of Sir Walter.


    ¡°Please, Father,¡± Solana said. ¡°We need you.¡±


    With tears falling down their faces, Merrick and Miriam grabbed Armond by the waist as if they intended to hold him in place with their weight alone. After a moment, Armond leaned down and placed a hand on the backs of the two children.


    For a moment, it looked like he was hugging the two children. After a second, however, he grabbed them by their shirts and lifted them off to the side. They were standing between him and Walter, and he had to move them out of the way.


    ¡°Melissa,¡± Armond said, his voice polite despite the cold tone it carried, ¡°could you please step away from Sir Walter for a moment. I would like to say goodbye.¡±


    Their efforts dashed, Merrick and Miriam collapsed into a sobbing heap as Count Armond took a few steps toward Walter.


    ¡°Of course, my Lord,¡± Melissa said, trying unsuccessfully to keep the sadness out of her voice. She curtsied and stepped away from the Husk.


    Count Armond looked into the dull, blue eyes of the man who had once been his greatest knight. Walter¡¯s eyes bored into Armond¡¯s cheek without any hint of recognition.


    ¡°Sir Walter, you have served me loyally and masterfully for more than twenty years. I would dare to say that we¡¯ve become friends over these seven years of war and twenty years of domesticity. We¡¯ve been through a lot together. That¡¯s how I know you would welcome this.¡± As Count Armond pronounced that last sentence, his voice deepened with cold resolve as his hand shot forward.


    Solana and I were the first to recognize what was about to happen. The shared Talent etched within our bones sensed Armond¡¯s intent a mere second before he acted. Neither of us were fast enough to prevent it, however. My body was far too slow, and the collapsed forms of our two younger siblings blocked Solana from grabbing Armond in time.


    ¡°No!¡± Solana shouted as she reached out toward Count Armond.


    Count Armond¡¯s hand shot forward and grabbed Sir Walter by the side of the head. No surprise or confusion registered on Walter¡¯s face, even as his body was engulfed in the flames of Hell. There was a brief flash of heat as the air around Walter¡¯s body reached the temperature of a blacksmith¡¯s forge.


    Melissa gasped in shock as she took several steps away from the heat. Unlike Solana and I, the fire could hurt her.


    The fire only lasted for a few seconds before it abruptly stopped. All that remained was a blackened scorch mark in the grass and a bleached skull held in Armond¡¯s hand. Count Armond Feldrast had burned Walter¡¯s flesh away, leaving nothing but his skull resting in his hand.


    ¡°I might have been able to fix him,¡± I said quietly. ¡°There might have been some way to return souls to their bodies.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Count Armond said, regarding the skull of Sir Walter with cold eyes. ¡°But a man like Walter would not want to live in a state like this, no matter what ¡®mights¡¯ and ¡®maybes¡¯ were available to him.¡±


    With that, Count Armond turned on his heels and left the garden. There were no more words to be shared. My Father was gone, and only the King¡¯s Executioner remained.


    That was the last time I saw Count Armond for several years.

 Chapter 62 - [Mana Burnout]

    The next day, I attended my mother¡¯s funeral.


    A week later, I traveled to the City of Northwind.


    As these events unfolded, a disconnection between me and the outside world covered me like a shroud. I only packed my transmutation equipment because Beltane reminded me before we left.


    The caravan to Northwind held four members from the Koravin household, five members from the Feldrast household, three guards, and Beltane. Melissa was set to go with us, but Eadric stayed behind. With Lord Riomed temporarily not in Sableton, Eadric was put in charge of the town for the brief period that its rightful liege was gone.


    Most of the packing was done by guards that I had never met before, and my room was a center of activity as the various things in my room were packed up. I was vaguely aware as various people tried to say words of comfort to me, but I barely heard them. Their words were just noise that bounced harmlessly off the cocoon of self-pity in which I had wrapped myself.


    During my next flash of awareness, I was sitting in the front seat of one of the carriages in the caravan to Northwind. My carriage was the second one from the front, and Beltane was sitting next to me with the reins in his hands.


    In my peripheral vision, Sir Eadric came running up to the side of the carriage. We were seconds from leaving town, and he arrived just before we left.


    ¡°Lord Thale!¡± Eadric called out just as he reached my side of the carriage. ¡°I found something that belongs to you in the manor.¡±


    Sir Eadric held out a small pine box about the size of a man¡¯s palm. Written on the side of the box in fine, stylized letters, was my name. Wordlessly, I took the box from Eadric¡¯s outstretched hand.


    ¡°I believe this is your second gift,¡± Sir Eadric said, an inflection of sorrow clear in his voice. ¡°A guard found it in your parents¡¯ bedroom while they were¡­ cleaning up.¡±


    ¡°Eadric!¡± Beltane loudly chastised the knight. ¡°Do not remind the boy of such things!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I apologize,¡± Eadric bowed to Beltane and me. ¡°I just came to deliver the gift. I did not look inside.¡± After a long pause, Eadric spoke one more sentence. ¡°I truly hope that you can get some use out of this gift.¡±


    Sir Eadric disappeared back into the town, and the caravan left a few minutes later. As the carriage moved through the outskirts of Sableton, rhythmically shaking me in a way that I found oddly comforting, I opened the box.


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    Inside of the pine box was a small circular mechanism coated in silver. A small silver chain sprouted out of the top of the mechanism. With a small amount of surprise, I realized that the mechanism was a pocket watch. I removed the pocket watch from its fur-lined display and held it in my hand. With a light press, I unhooked the latch at the top of the watch, causing the mechanism to open, revealing the watch face within.


    The watch face was almost identical to those from Earth. The only difference was that the numbers on the outside of the watch face were Ferrum¡¯s runic equivalents to real-world numbers. The two hands of the watch were stuck at the ¡°twelve¡± position of the clock.


    I slowly turned the pocket watch around in my hands, and I saw incredibly small arcane runes inscribed into the side of the watch. These were not runes for the automatic telling of time; these were runes meant for binding spirits to objects.


    A small part of my brain, the part that was still active, knew what this was. I held in my hand a phylactery, though it was a comparatively simple one. A phylactery like the one I held in my hand was meant to hold spirits and force them to do the bidding of the one holding the object. Technically speaking, the pocket watch I held was a sub-type of phylactery called a soul cage.


    Absent-mindedly, I poured a small portion of mana into the pocket watch. It had been a week since I had used all my mana healing people and attacking the Red Knight, so I had just recently returned to 100% of my mana reserve.


    Once my mana started coursing through the pocket watch, the hands started frantically spinning as if someone was adjusting the watch¡¯s time. After a few seconds, the hands stopped spinning, displaying a time of 10:27. I looked up to the sky and saw that the sun had not yet reached its zenith. I had no way to confirm the veracity of the clock¡¯s declaration, but it seemed true enough.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Beltane muttered, looking at the watch as its hands frantically spun. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± upon seeing my expression, Beltane stopped in his tracks, ¡°nevermind.¡±


    I placed the watch in my pocket. It was another reminder of my mother, another reminder of my own failure.


    After a few minutes of us traveling in silence, I spoke. ¡°Hey, Beltane. What happened to me during the fight with the Red Knight? I still had plenty of mana, but I couldn¡¯t use any spells.¡±


    ¡°Right, that¡­¡± Beltane said, seemingly happy to have an opportunity to say something to me. ¡°We call that mana burnout. Mana needs to travel through your body like any other substance. In rare cases where a mage¡¯s mana conductivity far outpaces his physical body, mana burnout can occur. Your physical veins and arteries were unable to keep up with the amount of mana you were using all at once, causing severe internal damage. This is usually only a problem with incredibly old mages as their body breaks down. Mana burnout stops being a problem when your physical stats hit six or above.¡±


    I had never heard of that. In the game, it was impossible to reduce any of your stats at character creation below six. That would open the game up to a bit too much min-maxing.


    As expected, the news merely drove me deeper into the pit of self-pity. With my [Sickly] Trait holding me back, it was possible that my physical stats would never increase above five. I wondered if mana burnout would be a problem for the rest of my life.

 Chapter 63 - [Now Get Up]

    After three days'' travel, we reached the City of Northwind.


    Northwind was built upon a hill, allowing the castle in the center of the city to be seen from many miles around. In an era before the invention of cannons, this was a great boon for Northwind. From the tall spires of Castle Northwind - also called the Granite Keep - in the center of town, armies could be spotted hours before they¡¯d reach the outer walls of the town.


    Tall granite walls surrounded the city. They were built two hundred years ago, when skirmishes between the northern lords were much more commonplace. Much of Northwind was built out of granite, in fact, due to its heat resistance. Even Hellfire would have a hard time burning through several centimeters of thick granite wall.


    A river flowed just south of the walled portion of Northwind. It flowed from the east to the great Azure Sea to the west. The road we had been following since Sableton passed through the center of Northwind. This road was called the Dragon Road because it was the route that the nobles of House Drac took when they first arrived in the Northern Realms. Taking the Dragon Road was the most common method of reaching the Barren Wastes to the north.


    Our caravan was greeted with much fanfare, but most of it was lost on me. Edwin Feldrast, my uncle and Count Armond¡¯s brother, came out to meet us. Edwin had the same black hair and red eyes as Armond, but his skin was a healthy tan color. He had inherited the Talent [Lesser Hellfire], which granted the benefits of [Hellfire] but without the fire resistance.


    I soon found myself within Castle Northwind. Almost automatically, I walked to the roof of the castle. I looked around the dull, drab, empty space that served as the top floor of the Granite Keep. Briefly, I mused that this was the place where Merrick the Hero and Count Thale had their final confrontation.


    I walked to the edge of the roof and peered over the edge. I must have been more than twenty meters in the air, and I could see for miles around. Far to the east, I could see the plains of Northwind slowly start to transition into the rolling hills of the neighboring realm of Muspelheim.


    At the edge of my consciousness, I could feel the slithering intent of an intelligence that was not my own. I could feel the other mind weakly try to take control of my body. That time, I decided to not resist as the other intelligence started to motivate the body that I had been in control of for seven years. Why not? I might as well give Count Thale a chance at the wheel. He was still weak. I could take back control in a second if necessary.


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    I loosened control over my muscles as if I was falling asleep, and my falling body was caught by that other consciousness.


    I saw through my own eyes as the original Thale took control of the body. He did not wrench control from me. No, he was too weak at the time to exert much control. Rather, the original slowly seeped into my body wherever I did not resist.


    My eyes blinked in confusion. The original truly did not expect me to yield control.


    ¡°Huh, so this is what it feels like to have a body? I almost forgot.¡± With a coldness in his voice that I had to admit was eerily similar to my own, the original spoke to himself. ¡°Personally, I would have gone through with a few¡­ renovations by now.¡±


    My fingers snapped, and six motes of Hellfire sparked into existence at my side in a hexagrammic structure. The motes flowed in a circle around my body, shrinking in size and floating toward my hand. The original held his hand out with his fingers splayed. A small, candle wick sized spark of flame danced at the edge of each of my fingers, and one slightly larger flame rested atop my palm. My hand closed into a fist just as the sparks were extinguished.


    ¡°That¡¯s still working,¡± my voice said. ¡°There¡¯s just one more thing to do.¡±


    A slight twinge of malice entered my voice just as the original was finishing his sentence. With no hesitation, the original threw my leg up on the side of the battlement and started to pull my body forward. My body had almost reached the top of the battlement before I wrenched control of my body away from the weak consciousness controlling my body.


    My body once more in my control, I threw myself backwards away from the battlement. The force of my sudden change in direction caused me to fall and land on my butt.


    ¡°What the Hell was that!?¡± I shouted, temporarily forgetting that I could speak to the original with my thoughts. ¡°Are you trying to kill us!? If I die, you¡¯ll die too!¡±


    You still want to live. You wouldn¡¯t have stopped me if you had truly given up on this world.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± That was the first time since my mother¡¯s death that true emotion had entered my voice.


    Yeah, I want to live. Why do you care? This is better for you, right?


    Because you¡¯ve been horrendously boring ever since Tabitha¡¯s death. You¡¯ve convinced yourself of a falsehood and are using that falsehood as an excuse to wallow in pointless misery.


    Falsehood?


    Yes. You act as though this one failure means that everything you do is doomed to fail. This is obviously false. You have saved Eadric, you have saved Melissa, and you have created a new school of magic. You failed here, yes, but that does not mean you will fail in the future. If you continue to believe in this falsehood and continue to wallow in misery, then it would be better for you to just die.


    I sat there, shocked by the slow realization that I was getting a motivational speech by the most evil man in Ferrum. After a few seconds, there was only one response I could give.


    You¡¯re right.


    Of course I¡¯m right. Now stand up and go kill the Red Knight.

 Chapter 64 - [Philosopher]

    Much as I was loath to admit it, he was right. I had been ignoring clear evidence of my ability to change the reality of Ferrum. I had saved Eadric¡¯s life, and that was already having minor effects on the timeline. Melissa would have been dead as well if not for my healing magic, and I could not know how her still being alive would change how events would turn out.


    I was just looking for an excuse to give up. When I saw the power of the Red Knight, when I saw how easily he overpowered the Talent that I had come to rely upon so much, I was struck all at once by the enormity of the task before me. Now that my senses had been shocked back into me, I knew that my task was possible. The small changes I had made up to that point proved that, if I went about the challenge piece by piece, I could do it.


    Just making the plan could take years, and completing it would take even longer, but I was sure I could do it. I would have to take it one step at a time. It would be good to have some intermediate goals that I could hit before hitting my goal of ¡°Kill a God.¡±


    I breathed sharply in through my nose and rose to my feet. With my eyes on the horizon, I formed the two intermediate goals I would start shooting for.


    Stop the Etronian civil war.


    Kill the Red Knight.


    I produced my journal from my coat pocket and wrote those two lines down in large, angry letters.


    You¡¯re back, good.


    The voice in my head sounded pleased. There was a strange tint to the voice that I had not heard before. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would think that the voice was filled with good-will and charity. It was as if the original felt some kind of ¡°empathy¡± toward me and was happy that I was doing well mentally.


    Thank you. I have to ask, though, why did you help me? Wouldn¡¯t it have been easier to take control when I was catatonic?


    I have two reasons. One, I¡¯ve been able to see through your eyes ever since I woke up a few months ago. Over the past week, you¡¯ve been doing nothing but pout in your room. It was boring. Two, your emotions affect me. I¡¯ve been suffused with an insufferable malaise ever since you started feeling bad for yourself. I was tied to an anchor that was sinking into the ocean¡¯s darkest fathom.


    That¡¯s a very apt metaphor. We truly are tied together, one way or another.


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    Since my consciousness seems to be holding together pretty well this time. I¡¯ll ask you a question. What are you? You seem to have knowledge of the future like me, but your knowledge of magic is elementary at best.


    That question has a complicated answer. Let¡¯s just say that I¡¯m a person from another world, and I know broadly what is going to happen in Ferrum until the year 640 CA. Now you tell me about yourself. How did you end up in my head?


    You already know the truth, don¡¯t you? I am Count Thale Feldrast from the year 635 CA. I placed a magical contingency upon myself so that, upon my death, my consciousness would return to my body immediately after my birth. Clearly, something went wrong. My consciousness must have been damaged during the transfer, and there was already an interloper when I arrived.


    Sorry about that. I really have no idea why I¡¯m in this body. Last thing I knew, I was dying in a world without magic, and now I¡¯m here.


    A world without magic¡­ huh¡­ That sure would be strange.


    The original¡¯s voice started to falter as it always did a few seconds before his voice faded away. I knew that he would fall back to sleep in a moment.


    We¡¯ll talk¡­ again. Try not to bore me¡­


    With that, the original¡¯s voice faded into the darkness of my mind.


    <hr>


    Minutes later, I was walking through the hallways of Northwind Castle, leaning heavily on my cane. I passed by several shocked maids, butlers, and craftsmen who had never seen me before. Navigating the castle was quite easy for me, since I had cleared out Thale¡¯s dungeon three times. Soon, I turned a corner and entered the grand library that took up most of the second floor.


    Now inside the library, I looked around. As I turned my head, I saw the man I was looking for: Beltane. There was an old saying in [Ferrum Online]: if you need to find a mage, check the nearest library.


    Beltane was sitting at a table. He held a book written in Elvish in his right hand, and he occasionally flexed the fingers of his left. I could tell that the removal and reattachment of that hand had left some discomfort.


    ¡°Beltane,¡± I interrupted his reading before he got a chance to look up. ¡°How long will it take me to become strong enough to kill the Red Knight?¡±


    The War Mage jumped in his chair upon my interjection. My small stature made it hard for him to see me, and he had certainly not expected me to walk up and talk to him like that.


    ¡°Uh,¡± Beltane¡¯s gears turned for a few seconds before he gave an answer. ¡°The Red Knight?¡± the shocked look on his face turned into a relieved smile. ¡°So, you¡¯ve decided to seek revenge for your mother. Well, there are better coping mechanisms, but revenge is certainly better than giving up.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take?¡± I repeated my question. My red eyes did not falter.


    ¡°In your case, being a Fighter would certainly be off the table. To defeat a Sword Saint by yourself,¡± Beltane thought for a moment, ¡°you¡¯d have to become a Philosopher, a generation-defining mage who has mastered at least five schools of magic. That¡¯s two steps above me, a lowly war mage. For a prodigy like you, you might be able to make it in thirty years. For the rest of us, it would take sixty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it in ten,¡± I said, my resolve not faltering for a second.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s what I like to hear,¡± Beltane responded, a wide, toothy grin appearing on his face.

 Chapter 65 - [The Messiah]

    A week later, I reached the final step of a long stone staircase. At the top of the staircase was a small shrine to a local god of blizzards. No one still worshiped the god, but the shrine was maintained as an act of national pride. It was said that Etron worshiped this pagan god, and standing at the shrine was supposed to make one feel closer to the national hero.


    The shrine was located about a mile outside the gates of Northwind, and simply reaching the shrine without outside help pushed me to my physical limits. As I took the final step at the top of the long staircase, my breathing was ragged and uneven. I had walked all the way there and stopped several times, but I still felt like I was dying.


    Waiting for me on a bench near the shrine was Beltane. He held a book in one hand and a teacup in the other. With a smile and a faint hint of surprise, Beltane closed his book and looked over at me.


    ¡°You made it this time, good job,¡± he said.


    My breathing was far too unsteady for me to even begin a retort, so I merely took a deep swig from the flask of water I had brought with me. I drank too fast and some of the water got stuck in my throat, causing me to cough violently. A moment after my coughing fit passed, I flipped open the pocket watch gifted to me by my mother. It had taken me more than three hours to walk the two miles from Castle Northwind to the shrine.


    My own reflection peered back at me from the pane of glass in front of the watch¡¯s face.


    [Observe, Lvl. 7]


    Nothing had changed since the last time I checked. In fact, the only stat that seemed to have any intention of going up was my mana reserve, and I already had plenty of that.


    One statistic I found darkly humorous was my Healing Potential. I had gone after the Red Knight with everything I had, and I didn¡¯t even manage to scratch him. If I had done any damage at all, it would have harmed my healing potential. The text immediately in front of my eyes showed me incontrovertible proof of the cavernous gap in power between me and the Red Knight.


    ¡°None of my physical stats have gone up yet,¡± I complained loud enough for Beltane to hear. ¡°What¡¯s the point of this?¡±


    ¡°Strength training takes time, and you just started,¡± Beltane said as he walked toward me.


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    I briefly regarded the pocket watch in my hand as Beltane stepped toward me. Inside of this pocket watch was an entity of pure knowledge, a daemon. They existed all around the world, invisibly listening and accumulating knowledge. Catching one, binding it to an object, and convincing it to do a task in exchange for mana could not have been a simple task. If I could get it to carry out other tasks automatically, then it would be an even greater tool.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s have a seat before we head back.¡± Beltane gestured to a bench that was closer to me.


    Without a word, I trudged over to the bench and sat down on it heavily. A second later, I felt Beltane sit down on the bench next to me.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I have to tell you, Thale. It might sound a bit¡­ strange,¡± Beltane said, a thoughtful look appearing on his face.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± I responded. A small amount of worry creeped into my voice. Did this have something to do with the warning the original gave me all those months ago? I knew he dabbled in dark magic, and the usage of such forbidden magic often came with other baggage.


    ¡°When the Red Knight left, after you healed me, you mentioned that this had all happened before,¡± Beltane said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I exhaled loudly. I really shouldn¡¯t have said that in front of somebody.


    ¡°When I heard you say that, I wasn¡¯t surprised,¡± he said, a faint smile playing across his lips.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I grunted, legitimately confused. I had professed a knowledge of the future, and he wasn¡¯t surprised?


    ¡°Your words on that day were a confirmation of what I had known all along.¡± Beltane continued to speak, and a strange emotion appeared on his face. I couldn¡¯t immediately place that emotion. ¡°I should explain. In my homeland to the south of the Jagged Coast, there is a legend of the end of the world. We call it Ragnarok. It is said that the gods will descend and judge the people of Ferrum. Should they be found lacking, the gods will destroy the world. It is also said, however, that one person can prevent Ragnarok: a child of noble birth with wisdom beyond his years. I have been looking for this child for many years. Every time I hear you speak, I hear a new confirmation of the legend.¡±


    As Beltane reached the end of his speech, I could place the emotion that appeared on his face. It was religious zealotry.


    ¡°After all of this time, after hearing what you said at Sableton, there is no doubt in my mind. You are the Messiah who was sent by the God of Death to stop the end of the world.¡± When Beltane spoke that final sentence, he held out the divine symbol that he had worn on his neck ever since we met. As he said ¡°God of Death,¡± I recognized what the symbol meant. It was the holy symbol of the nameless, neutral god of death who would collect everyone¡¯s soul at the end of their life. On the forums, we called it Thanatos.


    In response to Beltane¡¯s fervent outburst, I burst into a fit of painful laughter. The damaged state of my lungs gave the laughter a hollow, wheezing quality that made it sound more like a death rattle than a child¡¯s mirthful outburst.


    ¡°You¡¯re exactly right! I wouldn¡¯t have put it that way myself, but that is a perfect explanation of what I am!¡±

 Chapter 66 - [Time]

    ¡°You are?¡± Beltane asked, shock evident in his voice. ¡°Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed that the Messiah would be aware of his own status.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t use the word ¡®Messiah,¡¯¡± I said, ¡°but ¡®emissary sent by Death to prevent the end of the world¡¯ is an accurate and precise description of me.¡±


    ¡°Are you an angel? Have you ever met Death?¡± Beltane asked, zealotry and childish joy playing equal parts in his tone.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I chuckled. ¡°I met the guy¡­ once.¡±


    The image of the Cagliostro¡¯s ceiling crashing down upon my miniscule body played through my head. Oh, yeah. I had met Death before.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling the truth,¡± Beltane¡¯s mouth was agape. He must have been using [Lie Detection] on me. Apparently, Beltane¡¯s Talent didn¡¯t recognize sarcastic use of metaphor as deception.


    ¡°What was Death like?¡± Beltane asked.


    ¡°Cold, unforgiving¡­¡± I imagined the dozens of people on the casino floor of the Cagliostro, all of whom were from wildly different backgrounds, ¡°even-handed, fair.¡± I was acutely aware that Beltane and I were talking about two entirely different things, but I was in the mood for some sophistry.


    ¡°Did Death tell you of your purpose before you were sent?¡± As Beltane spoke, I saw a faint glow in his eyes. He had previously been more subtle with his use of [Lie Detection], but his flagrant use of that privacy-violating Talent made it readily apparent that he was searching me for deception.


    ¡°There are certain things I know as an emissary sent to this world by Death,¡± I said. I spoke slowly, intentionally to not speak any direct falsehoods. ¡°I know that a civil war will break out following the death of King Theophrastus III in 635 CA. I also know that this ¡®Ragnarok¡¯ you speak of will occur in the year 640 CA. You got one thing wrong, however. It is not ¡®the gods¡¯ that will descend, but a single god instead. Lothar, the God of Judgment, will descend and judge this world.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Beltane interjected, holding up a single finger. ¡°Could you repeat that name? Lothar, the God of Judgment?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, confused. ¡°Lothar, the God of Judgment.¡± As I spoke, the words only escaped my throat with some difficulty. I didn¡¯t truly believe that Lothar was a god. I would have preferred to use the word ¡°Medial,¡± but the use of the word ¡°god¡± was easier in that circumstance.


    ¡°As I thought,¡± Beltane said with a slight chuckle as his eyes stopped glowing. ¡°You lied twice in that speech, but it was only when you used the word ¡®god.¡¯ Your lie wasn¡¯t that ¡®Lothar¡¯ was the one who would descend. Rather, your lie was that Lothar was a ¡®god.¡¯¡±


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    ¡°Lothar isn¡¯t a god,¡± I responded with minimal hesitation. ¡°He¡¯s merely an incredibly powerful, completely ageless entity. Ultimately, he can be killed, and he¡¯s motivated by human emotions. That disqualified him from godhood in my book.¡±


    ¡°What hubris¡­¡± Beltane said with a smile and a chuckle. The hubris of my words clearly entertained him. A second passed, then the words I had just spoken sunk in, and all mirth disappeared from his face.


    ¡°Did you say Ragnarok is going to occur in 640? That¡¯s sixteen years from now.¡± Fear was obvious on Beltane¡¯s expression as he spoke. His own Talent had confirmed the veracity of my statement. From his perspective, either I was right, or I was crazy. If I truly yet incorrectly believed in my words, they would not register as lies to Beltane¡¯s Talent. It was possible to implant false memories in someone, but the process usually drove the person insane.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I breathed out. ¡°That¡¯s why we need to move fast. I¡¯m working on a plan, but it¡¯s still in the early stages of preparation. I¡¯ll need a significant information network in order to get enough information to form the latter stages of the plan.¡±


    ¡°The world might be gone twenty years from now¡­¡± Beltane muttered to himself, not hearing most of my last statement.


    ¡°Yes, but we¡¯re going to stop Lothar. All we need to do is make me strong enough to kill a god within sixteen years. Easy-peasy,¡± I said with a smirk.


    Beltane laughed at the casualness of my statement. ¡°But you just said Lothar isn¡¯t a god.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a god when I¡¯m showing off,¡± I said with a laugh that matched Beltane¡¯s.


    <hr>


    Within minutes, we were back in the castle grounds. It would have taken me three more hours to walk back, so Beltane used the [Fly] spell to carry me back to the castle.


    In my opinion, the [Fly] spell was used incorrectly. All [Fly] did was create a field of zero-gravity around the caster. The caster would then conjure gusts of wind to propel himself to wherever he had to go. This was the same spell that Beltane used in order to bring the two of us down from the second story window of Feldrast Manor.


    The spell [Lift Object] could be used to lift people as well. [Fly] was only a distinct spell because a caster could not use [Lift Object] to lift himself. From what I understood, lifting oneself altered the frame of reference, causing the whole spell to break down. I experienced this first hand during some poorly thought out magical experimentation.


    We landed on the outskirts of Castle Northwind. Beltane informed me that a broad ward against Source Magic had been drawn around the castle. It was possible to use Source Magic inside the castle, but the ward would cancel the effects of [Fly] or [Lift Object] when the caster crossed the threshold into the castle grounds.


    When Beltane brought the two of us to the ground, and I felt my feet touch dirt, something was wrong. I looked around, and everything had stopped. The people near us were completely stationary, nearby birds in flight were frozen in place, and everything was completely silent.


    Everything in my sight had completely stopped except for Beltane. He peered around at the frozen scene, though he showed less surprise than I felt.


    The scene around the entrance to Castle Northwind was completely frozen. It was as if time itself had stopped.

 Chapter 67 - [Trippy, Right]

    I slowly took a step forward, and my foot completely left the ground. Surprised, I jerked backward in an attempt to right myself, only to realize that my body was still weightless. In my shock upon seeing the frozen world around me, I had forgotten that I was still under the effect of Beltane¡¯s [Fly] spell.


    Beltane grabbed my collar and stopped me from spinning around in an uncontrolled spiral. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t try to walk. You¡¯re still weightless.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked. ¡°Why is everything frozen? Why haven¡¯t you dropped concentration on your spell?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a funny way to say that,¡± Beltane mused to himself. I used the terminology frequently used on the forums. It made sense that the actual people of Ferrum wouldn¡¯t use such terms. ¡°Regarding the state of the scene around us, I¡¯ve seen this once before. It will end when the [Fly] spell ends.¡±


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t do this?¡± I asked Beltane.


    ¡°No, chronomancy is far beyond my level,¡± Beltane said. His words were not mere modesty, they were a simple statement of the truth.


    ¡°So¡­¡± I took a moment to put my thoughts together, ¡°something about the [Fly] spell makes us immune to this effect.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Beltane said, ¡°I was using the [Fly] spell last time something like this happened.¡±


    I moved my head around and saw that the colors of the scene around me changed subtly as I moved. It was as if I was looking at a LED TV screen, and someone was pushing on the edge of the screen. As I moved my head forward, everything became slightly more bluish. As I moved my head backward, everything became slightly more reddish.


    The effect on the color of the scene around me must have been the effect of blue-shift. Usually, blue-shift only occurred when an individual moved at a large fraction of the speed of light. In this case, however, the effect must have been caused by the slowed speed of light caused by the time dilation.


    It should have been impossible. I remembered an old quote: ¡°The only thing God fastened shut in the universe was the speed of light.¡± I wasn¡¯t a physicist, but I was pretty sure that some immutable law of nature should have stepped in and prevented me from observing this crime against special relativity.


    Yet I could not deny what I was seeing with my own eyes. The only explanation I could think of for the changing colors outside of the small sphere of zero-gravity was a light-based Doppler effect.


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    ¡°The lights are trippy, right?¡± Beltane said, bobbing his head forward and backward like a chicken.


    Two puzzle pieces connected in my head, and I started to understand what was happening. ¡°Hey, Beltane. How exactly does the [Fly] spell work?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that complicated,¡± Beltane said with his eyes still focused on the kaleidoscope of colors outside of the bubble surrounding us. ¡°You just make a bubble around yourself that creates an isolated Source field. Since gravity travels through the Source field, the gravity from the planet cannot reach you in the isolated field.¡±


    Just as I thought. The effect surrounding me made perfect sense once I remembered that ¡°Source¡± was just the spacetime continuum.


    ¡°The visualization of the spell isn¡¯t that difficult, but it is very mana intensive,¡± Beltane said. He closed his eyes tight and grunted in pain. Mana exhaustion was starting to catch up to him. ¡°I¡¯m going to drop the spell.¡±


    The kaleidoscope stopped, and the scene around us returned to life. The animals started moving again, and the guard near us jumped at our sudden appearance. My body pushed down on the ground again as gravity once more wrapped its unforgiving hands around me. As I touched the ground, I was once more made aware of the myriad aches and pains that afflicted my small physical form. I would have to learn [Fly] soon so that I could occasionally get some relief from the constant pain.


    ¡°What?¡± The guard sputtered in confusion as he took several faltering steps away from the two of us. ¡°How did you get there?¡±


    ¡°Magic, good man,¡± Beltane said with a good-natured laugh. He stepped forward and patted the man on the shoulder before entering Northwind Castle.


    <hr>


    Autumn, 625 CA


    Months passed.


    Lord Koravin left a few days after we arrived, but Nina stayed behind. The education system of Northwind was far better than that of Sableton, and Nina begged Riomed to let her take classes in the city. She had learned a few Illusion spells at the Northwind Academy of Magic where she was heralded as a prodigy. I did not step into the Academy, however, because I would not be sticking around for long.


    The pain of losing two parents in a few hours faded slightly over those months, but it had certainly not yet healed. Merrick and Miriam were largely back to their normal selves, but Solana had taken on a much more serious exterior. They were just starting to heal, and I was going to break their hearts again.


    Briefly, I considered disappearing in the night. They didn¡¯t deserve that, though. If anything, I owed them the opportunity to say goodbye.


    On that fateful day, I took a deep breath and stepped into the office of Edwin Feldrast, Regent of Northwind. He and Solana were standing near the desk at the center of the room, speaking to each other and gesturing to the map on the top of the desk from time to time.


    The room was very similar to Count Armond¡¯s study in Feldrast Manor. This room, however, was just one of many administrative offices in Castle Northwind. Normally, the Count of Northwind would work in a much larger office that was attached to the throne room. The throne room and the office attached to it had been empty for many years at that point.


    I cleared my throat in order to get the attention of my two relatives. They turned their heads toward me, and I prepared myself for what I was sure would be a difficult conversation.

 Chapter 68 - [Tax Policy]

    ¡°Why hello, Thale,¡± Uncle Edwin said as he saw me. He carried a contemplative scowl on his face as if he was wrestling with a difficult question. ¡°Come in, come in, we were just talking about¡­ Nevermind, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Edwin gave me the kind of paternal smile one would give to a particularly precocious child. I had not spoken extensively to Edwin before this point, so he still believed me to merely be an intelligent seven-year-old. After the night my mother died, the rest of my family knew better.


    ¡°Actually, I would like to hear his input,¡± Solana said. ¡°Thale might have an interesting perspective on the matter.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Edwin said, uncertain. ¡°We¡¯re talking about the taxation of adventuring parties throughout Northwind. Of the thirty-nine adventuring parties based in our realm, only five regularly pay their tithes to the state. Northwind probably loses five thousand gold coins per year to their tax dodging. Plus, we can¡¯t chase them down because none of them have a permanent address.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t where I thought the conversation would start, but I figured I might as well make a suggestion. I said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you make it a competition?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Edwin asked, confused.


    ¡°At the end of the year, have these mercenary companies declare their ¡®hoard.¡¯ When they declare this ¡®hoard,¡¯ they¡¯ll simultaneously pay the 10% tithe they owe. Then, in the middle of Northwind, you¡¯ll put up a list of the top ten highest-grossing adventuring parties in the Realm.¡± I put some thought into this in the past. I had briefly joined a guild, and they used this method in order to get smaller parties to pay their fair-share of taxes to the guild.


    ¡°If we have them declare their own hoard, won¡¯t they just lie?¡± Edwin asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, ¡°but they¡¯ll lie upward. They¡¯ll pretend to make much more than they actually made in order to go up on the leaderboard.¡±


    Edwin paused for a long time, deep in thought. Even though the idea came from a prepubescent child, he gave the idea its due consideration. ¡°Well¡­¡± he muttered, ¡°adventurers are famously fickle and competitive. It just might work. You know what? That¡¯s a better idea than anything we¡¯ve come up with so far. Let¡¯s give it a shot. If the adventurers start paying their taxes after this, we¡¯ll write it into law.¡±


    With that short conversation, the tax policy for Northwind changed. That was the primary benefit of feudalism; laws could change instantaneously if someone in power wanted to change them. I did not know it at the time, but that short conversation would come back to bite me in the ass in the future.


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    ¡°Where did you get this idea?¡± Solana asked with a frown. ¡°You¡¯ve never met any adventurers. How do you know how they think?¡±


    ¡°Adventurers commonly feature in some of my favorite books,¡± I lied. ¡°I¡¯ve read about them so many times that it¡¯s almost like I¡¯ve met some of them in person.¡± These two sentences were such bald-faced lies that I was quite glad neither Solana nor Edwin had the [Lie Detection] Talent.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to talk about tax policy, however,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m here because I have to tell you something. Both of you, actually.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Solana said, worry starting to enter her tone.


    There was no use beating around the bush, I thought. I decided to just rip the bandaid off immediately. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave Northwind tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± Solana gasped. Her expression was not one of surprise. She looked as if all her greatest fears had just been confirmed. A part of Solana had feared that this day would come. She was terrified that the same motivating force of revenge that had gripped Armond would one day take me as well, and she was right.


    ¡°I will not allow it,¡± Edwin said with a furrowed brow. He attempted to project the image of a disapproving father, but it had no effect on me. Edwin did not possess the undercurrent of strength that Count Armond had. When Edwin spoke, his voice lacked clear authority. ¡°Your father charged me with your protection. I am hardly going to allow a ten year old boy to wander out of town alone.¡±


    ¡°My father does not care if I leave home or stay,¡± I said, a simmering anger entering my voice. I did not expect any anger to register in my tone as I said that. Before that point, I would have said that I felt no anger toward my father for leaving the family. The abandonment would certainly bother a child, but I was a fully-grown man. What reason would I have for resenting Armond? After I heard my own voice, I realized that I felt some anger toward my father.


    ¡°More to the point, I will not be alone. I intend to travel with Beltane and, most likely, Eadric,¡± I said simply. ¡°A war mage and a knight should be more than enough protection on the road.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter how well protected you would be, Thale!¡± Edwin said. ¡°You cannot go because I will not allow it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I grunted, my expression darkening. ¡°Unfortunately, this is not a request, Uncle, but a notification of intent. You do not have the authority to stop me. As the liege lord of Gwynedd, there are only two men in the world who can give me orders in the Realm of Northwind: Count Armond and King Theophrastus. Neither of them are here right now.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s shock at my response, Edwin continued to speak. ¡°I am your guardian and regent! You must do as I say for those two reasons alone!¡±


    ¡°A regent is only necessary in the case of absence or incapability. I think my [Intelligence] score of eighteen proves my capacity,¡± I retorted. ¡°Plus¡­¡± for a moment, I intended to say more, but instead I sighed and decided against it, ¡°oh, nevermind. I will leave tomorrow. If you intend to stop me, you can challenge me to a duel and try to stop me yourself, or you can order the militia to seize me and see where their loyalties lie. Both of those courses of action will end poorly for you.¡±

 Chapter 69 - [Departure]

    I turned away from Edwin and Solana with a feeling of disappointment seeping into my body. I had hoped that the meeting would end on a more amicable note, but I suspected that it would end in such a way. It was only natural that Edwin would act in such a way. I had planned my arguments far ahead of time, so I was not caught off guard by his resistance to my decision.


    After taking a step toward the door, I heard Solana ask, ¡°Why, Thale? Why are you leaving? Where? How long?¡±


    Solana asked so many questions that they all strung together into one long query. As she spoke, I could hear the facade of strength she had wreathed herself in start to crack. It was easy for me to forget since she was so much older than me, but Solana was only seventeen years old. She had already lost two family members, and now a third was leaving.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving for a few reasons,¡± I said. ¡°One of them is to kill the Red Knight. I need to leave home if I¡¯m ever going to become strong enough to do it. To that end, I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll be gone or where I¡¯ll go. I will certainly travel beyond the Realm of Northwind, and I might even leave the Kingdom of Etronia. I don¡¯t know when you¡¯ll see me again.¡±


    ¡°Why!?¡± Solana demanded. ¡°Dad already left on a suicidal revenge mission. Why do you need to leave as well?¡±


    ¡°Never in a million years will Count Armond be able to defeat the Red Knight; he relies far too much upon his [Hellfire],¡± I said.


    I turned toward my two relatives in the room. Solana¡¯s shoulders were square, and tears were welling in her eyes. Edwin was visibly fuming with rage, but he did not dare to say another word. He knew that there was nothing he could do or say to make me stay.


    ¡°Armond has decided to take his anger out on the orcs and the Church of Nyx, anyway,¡± I sighed. ¡°If the Red Knight is going to die, I need to be the one to do it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to go, Thale. Please, we need you,¡± Solana begged.


    A flicker of sorrow entered my mind. ¡°I¡¯d stay if I could, sister, but there are factors at play here that you don¡¯t understand. I have to leave; I don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t understand, then explain it to me!¡± Solana cried, tears now falling down her face. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, Thale. I can understand if you explain.¡±


    ¡°I will explain,¡± I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from crying, ¡°later. Now is not the time. One day, I will send you a letter explaining everything, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t¡­¡± Solana¡¯s voice eked out. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so I walked away. If I had stayed there any longer, I would have started weeping myself.


    <hr>


    The sun was high in the sky the next day when Beltane, Eadric, and I left. There were threats, promises of retribution, and shouting from my uncle, but neither of the men traveling with me cared. Both owed me a life-debt. The rage of a powerless nobleman would not sway them from their decision.


    Everyone was there at my departure except for Merrick. The pain of seeing me leave must have been too much for him. He must have figured that it would be too painful to see me one last time.


    Just before our heavily laden carriage left, I turned and said one last thing. ¡°You might not see it now, but I respect you, Uncle Edwin. You have held the Realm together for many years, and you will hold it together for many more. In any sane system of governance, you would be in charge. I hope that, one day, you will receive the reward owed to you.¡±


    With that, we left. Miriam and Nina were sobbing, and I heard the word ¡°abandoned¡± come from the direction of the crowd over the sound of the horses¡¯ hooves hitting cobblestones. It would be better this way, I was certain. I would have to leave eventually, so it might as well be at a time when most of them would forget quickly. Like Armond and Tabitha, their memories of me would soon fade into the opaque haze of childhood.


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    The guards eyed us anxiously as we left through the southern gate. They must have been worried that my departure would cause a fight to break out, and the tension of restrained violence pulsed through the guards¡¯ bodies. Despite the worried looks on everyone¡¯s faces, we passed through without incident.


    When we were about a hundred meters beyond the gate, Beltane shouted a command to Eadric. ¡°Stop the carriage!¡±


    The carriage quickly came to a stop, and Eadric turned to me with a look of confusion. The two of us were sitting in the carriage¡¯s front seat, and Beltane was sitting in the passenger compartment. Beltane stepped out of the passenger compartment and walked to the back of the carriage where our cargo was held. I could hear a shuffling sound of Beltane rummaging through our bags before he shouted an exclamation.


    ¡°Ah hah!¡± Beltane shouted triumphantly. A moment later, Beltane re-entered the view of Eadric and me. In one hand, he held aloft the small form of Merrick Feldrast. ¡°We have a stow away. It¡¯s a good thing I heard him before we got too far away from Northwind.¡±


    ¡°Merrick¡­¡± I said disapprovingly as I stepped down from the carriage.


    ¡°Please take me with you,¡± Merrick said as Beltane put him down on the ground.


    ¡°It will be too dangerous. I¡¯m sorry, Merrick,¡± I said with a sad smile on my face. I placed a hand on the top of his head and ruffled his hair as I said, ¡°We¡¯ll meet again, brother.¡±


    ¡°But when?¡± Merrick asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I sighed sadly. ¡°You need to defend Northwind while I¡¯m gone. One day, you will grow into the greatest fighter in history. Stay here and use your natural talent to protect our home.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Merrick said. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here.¡±


    Beltane took a step forward and said, ¡°He¡¯s lying.¡±


    Naturally, the Hero of Ferrum would be compelled to become embroiled in the kind of adventure I was undertaking. Some instinct within Merrick must have pushed him toward world-spanning adventures.


    ¡°Well, then, what are we going to do?¡± Eadric asked as Merrick¡¯s eyes fell to the ground in embarrassment. ¡°I guess we have to go back to Northwind and make sure somebody stops him from following us.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Beltane muttered. He looked toward Merrick and pressed a single finger to the back of his head. ¡°Somnus,¡± he chanted.


    After a second of resistance, Merrick¡¯s eyes fluttered closed, and Beltane gently lowered his unconscious body to the ground.


    Beltane lifted Merrick from the ground. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll take him back to the guards.¡±


    Merrick and Beltane left back toward Northwind, leaving only Eadric and me staying with the carriage.


    In the few minutes before Beltane returned, I opened one of the locked boxes we had brought with us and retrieved a thick leather pouch from inside the box. I looked inside of the pouch, seeing the glittering golden contents within. From the pouch, I removed five Etronian gold pieces. They completely filled my small palm.


    ¡°Eadric,¡± I said, holding the coins out to him. This small handful of gold was half of what a normal person would make in a year. ¡°Thanks for the loan.¡±


    With a look of confusion, Eadric held out his palm, and I dropped the coins into it. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the glittering treasure resting there.


    ¡°Did you steal this from the castle?¡± Eadric asked. His words weren¡¯t necessarily a denial of the payment, though.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve made twenty gold pieces so far from my business arrangement with Sendrick Grimhold. I figured you should be the first person I reimburse,¡± I said.


    ¡°If it¡¯s from that guy, then I¡¯ll take it,¡± Eadric chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s got gold to spare.¡±


    <hr>


    Beltane returned soon after, and the carriage departed once again. I closed my eyes, trying not to think about the difficult circumstances of my departure. In that darkness, a line of text formed as a voice spoke.


    This is for the best. We won¡¯t be able to hurt them when we¡¯re gone.


    Maybe, maybe.


    I still don¡¯t know your name, interloper. I refuse to call you ¡°Thale,¡± and ¡°demon¡± seems inaccurate.


    My name?


    I thought about how I would answer the question. After a few seconds, I formulated and sent my response.


    Just call me Johan.


    Is that it? Don¡¯t you have a last name?


    Johan Fost, Doctor of Medicine.


    It was as good a name as any. The man I used to be was dead. Johan Fost might as well be my name. I removed the pocket watch from my pocket and looked at the warding sigils etched into the silver. I was Johan Fost, and I held the chained Mephistopheles in my hand.


    I chuckled at the memory of that old folk tale. Hopefully, my tale would have a happier ending than that of old Johan.


    End of Arc 1 - [Childhood]

 Chapter 70 - [The Blue Skull Tribe]

    Spring, 628 CA


    In the cold blue light of late evening, two armies clashed. A massive force of Etronian soldiers clashed against a screeching horde of orcs. Ten thousand humans, elves, and beastmen soldiers of the Kingdom of Etronia surged forward to encircle the much smaller force of monsters. For every one orc, five Etronians took the field. The Etronian forces attacked with greater fervor due to the fear that they would lose their chance to attain great honor on the battlefield.


    In the center of the battle was a swirling cyclone of flame. Even those on the flanks could see this expression of arcane might. As he had done dozens of times before, the commander of the army took the field. His name was Count Armond Feldrast, and his hatred of the orcish menace burned brighter than any other.


    The orcs of the Blue Skull Tribe died screaming. They fled from the flames burning in the center of the battlefield, only to retreat into the charging lines of enthusiastic soldiers.


    In the chaos of the one-sided battle, Captain David York was separated from his unit. His enthusiasm and desire to collect as many orcish ears as possible caused him to charge with such ferocity that, after a few seconds of frantic fighting, he found himself alone. On all sides of him stood angry, heavily armed orcs. There was not a single friendly face in sight.


    David would not have it any other way. He was surrounded on all sides, giving him the perfect opportunity to test out the results of his thirteen years of training.


    An orc stepped forward. The moment it entered the range of David¡¯s sword, its skull was cleanly cut in two by David¡¯s black scimitar. The silver sigils on the side of his blade shone in the evening sun as the orc¡¯s pliable brain matter was bisected.


    [Enhance Sharpness, Lvl. 5]


    Another orc charged forward. David easily sidestepped the orc¡¯s lunging sword, catching its wrist with a fierce riposte. The orc¡¯s blade fell to the ground with a green hand still gripping the handle. A swift strike to the neck cut off the orc¡¯s scream of pain.


    Three orcs reached David at around the same time. One of the orcs struck an arcane shield conjured by David¡¯s shield bracelet and was stopped in its tracks. The remaining two orcs, however, raised their weapons simultaneously and brought them down toward the human warrior.


    David passed through the small gap between the orcs¡¯ large bodies, coming out behind them. Before either of them could turn toward the man, David slashed at them horizontally as he retreated.


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    ¡°Glacio!¡± David called out as his scimitar drew a line of blood from one of the orcs. The wound was shallow and would certainly not kill the orc by itself, but the magic spell David infused into his attack did the rest of the work. Before the damaged orc could take two more steps, a thick coat of ice covered its form, and it was no longer able to move.


    The other orc, surprised by the sudden freezing of its compatriot, hesitated just long enough for David to back up a few steps.


    ¡°Ignis!¡± David chanted as the runes on his blade glowed red. He slashed his blade through the air, forming a crescent of fire that scythed through the air. The flying crescent of flame struck the orc, and it screamed in pain as its midsection was engulfed in flame.


    With the speed of a trained soldier, David lunged forward and pierced the burning orc through the heart. He would have extracted his scimitar, but that was the moment when the third orc which had been delayed by David¡¯s Shield appeared. The third orc slashed downward at David, and he was forced to abandon his blade in the charred corpse of the slain orc as he dodged.


    Now without a weapon, David took up an unarmed fighting stance as the orc approached. It was certainly not a favorable position to be in, but he would have to make do. He took up a boxer¡¯s stance and stepped toward the orc. David only had a few seconds to disable the orc and retrieve his sword before the rest would reach him.


    The orc swung, and David pulled his head back just in time to dodge the attack. The orc overextended, giving the human warrior ample opportunity to launch an attack of his own.


    [Enhance Strength, Lvl. 7]


    David stepped forward and struck the orc in the jaw with an expertly aimed left hook. Mana flowed through David¡¯s body, causing his punch to land with a Strength of 32, far above the natural human limit. The orc died instantly. Its jaw detached completely and flew several meters away from its body. Simultaneously, the force of the blow caused the orc¡¯s skull to shake with such force that its brain turned to mush.


    The remaining dozen orcs surrounding David were approaching quickly, but the closest was more than twenty meters away. With the orcs in the immediate vicinity dispatched, David had about ten seconds to spare.


    ¡°Reverto ad gerentis, tenuit gladio,¡± David chanted as a dozen orcs charged toward him. Once he reached the end of the incantation, an opaque shape formed in David¡¯s hand and quickly resolved into the shape of his sword. His blade had disappeared from the chest cavity of the slain orc and returned to his hand.


    The first orc to reach David was struck in the chest by the conjured blade, and the rest soon met the same fate. The monsters had no chance. If he had been fighting humans, David would have felt bad for his enemies. They fell to the ground one by one, not knowing that they never stood a chance.


    After more than fifty orcs had died at David¡¯s hand, he decided that he had killed enough for one night. It would be unfair to his men if he killed all the orcs all by himself. David fashioned a chair for himself by stacking the bodies of five orcs on top of each other. He sat on this pile of corpses as he waited for the rest of his men to catch up.


    The first Etronians to reach his position were not his own men. Rather, it was Captain Erasmus Thorn of the Fifth Company and his retinue who reached him first. David waved lazily from atop his bloody throne as the white-haired soldier approached.

 Chapter 71 - [The Band of Bastards]

    ¡°Hey,¡± David said casually as Erasmus Thorn stepped into view.


    Like David himself, Erasmus wore chainmail armor and a steel helmet. Unlike David, however, Erasmus had grown his snow-white hair long enough that it fell below his shoulders and was thus visible under his helmet. Even wearing heavy armor, Erasmus¡¯s charisma and regal bearing were apparent to everyone. Though he was merely the leader of a band of brutish mercenaries, he carried himself like a nobleman.


    ¡°I see that your hunt has gone quite well, Captain,¡± Erasmus said in good humor as he looked at the corpses strewn across the ground.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± David said, laughing darkly. ¡°You should have seen their faces after I killed the first ten, Erasmus. They thought they¡¯d have an easy time killing a single isolated man, but they just ended up walking into a woodchipper. And when I started shooting fire out of my sword, they acted like the world was ending.¡±


    ¡°Woodchipper?¡± Erasmus frowned. He stated the unfamiliar English word with confusion.


    ¡°Nevermind. It¡¯s not important,¡± David said. ¡°Anyway, I must have killed fifty of ¡®em. How many did you get?¡±


    ¡°A mere thirty,¡± Erasmus said with a minor hint of annoyance hidden behind a casual smile. ¡°They died too quickly at the main front for me to kill any more.¡±


    David laughed. ¡°This must be the first time I¡¯ve outkilled the great Silver Flash.¡±


    ¡°Well, perhaps I should have adopted your master strategy of getting yourself surrounded by enemies,¡± Erasmus retorted. ¡°Plus, the battle is not over yet. We still must take the Blue Skull Tribe¡¯s encampment. Will you join the assault?¡±


    ¡°No thank you,¡± David said. ¡°As much as I would like to join you in murdering women and children, I¡¯m going to be spending the next few minutes cutting the ears off of these corpses.¡± David punctuated his sentence by tapping his hand against one of the orcish corpses he was sitting on.


    ¡°Women and children, David?¡± Erasmus frowned. ¡°That hardly seems like an accurate assessment. They¡¯re orcs, after all.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± David said, his tone becoming serious for the first time since the conversation began. ¡°They¡¯re monsters¡­ but¡­ when you kill the non-combatants, they still scream like women and children.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Erasmus said, shrugging. ¡°A swordmaster is hardly necessary for clearing out the non-combatants, anyway.¡±


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    Erasmus¡¯s retinue turned away and headed toward the orcish encampment. Almost automatically, David unsheathed his hunting knife from his belt and began methodically removing the ears from the dead orcs.


    David shook off the memory of the last time he breached an orcish encampment. He cut dozens of those non-resisting orcs to the bone, and he set fire to several huts. It was only when David looked at the dead orcs did he realize how much the female orcs resembled human women.


    Killing orc warriors was different, David thought. They attacked with a ferocity and a willingness to kill that made it perfectly justifiable, even satisfying, to return the favor. David had no problem slaughtering dozens of orc warriors and making sport of it, but killing the non-combatants was too much. In their final moments, when they had no chance of resisting death, something human burbled to the surface. David had seen it many times, and he was not interested in witnessing it again.


    On an academic level, David understood why all of this was necessary. They were not fighting a war per se; they were exterminating monsters. Monsters were just incredibly dangerous vermin that had to be put down from time to time. That was the primary job of adventurers. Whenever monsters became too much of a problem for society to function properly, adventurers went out and slew the monsters for a fee.


    This was different, however. The 1st Army of Northwind, better known as the Band of Bastards, had been hunting orc tribes for five years by that point. They had completely wiped out five orc tribes, and this would be the sixth. After the third tribe was killed, the rest fled from the Band of Bastards. David had not fought a real fight in six months before the extermination of the Blue Skull Tribe. They were getting harder to track down now that so many had been wiped out.


    By the time David was done, a small pile of green, pointed ears had been accumulated on the ground. He had only cut off the right ears as was standard when presenting evidence of orcish kills. All told, David had underestimated how many he had killed. After counting the number of ears twice, David realized that he had killed fifty-three orcs. At a conversion rate of ten silver pieces per slain orc, David knew he was going to get a nice five-gold bonus from that battle.


    Smiling, the memory of the orcish encampment gone from his mind, David dumped the pile of pointed ears into a pouch he had prepared before the battle. The vision of all the things he could buy with five Etronian gold pieces flitted through his mind as he started walking back toward his unit.


    <hr>


    A few hours later, the contents of David¡¯s pouch had been converted from orcish ears to silver and gold. In the pouch were five gold pieces and thirty silver pieces. David couldn¡¯t wait until the next time they stopped at a town. They were in the eastern region of the Lowlands, David knew, so the nearest settlement would have to be the City of Redcliffe. He fully intended to spend all his money at the bars, gambling dens, and brothels of Redcliffe next time the Band of Brothers stopped there.


    David York walked through the remnants of the encampment that had previously belonged to the Blue Skull Tribe. Most of the corpses had been carted away to a mass grave, but many corpses had been fused to the ground by Hellfire. At least they wouldn¡¯t attract wild animals.


    After walking around for a bit, David found the area of camp that was being used by his unit, the Fourth Company. Dozens of David¡¯s men surrounded a large bonfire that was being fed wood from the orcs¡¯ demolished huts.


    ¡°I see the party¡¯s started without me,¡± David chuckled as he approached the roaring fire.

 Supplemental: Classes of Ferrum

    Thale''s Note: I have compiled here a list of the classes present in [Ferrum Online]. These are just the classes that I can remember, so this list is probably not exhaustive. Also, classes are largely split into four groups: Fighter, Mage, Hunter, and Priest. Every class group has its advantages and disadvantages, and it is possible to change classes with little effort.


    Adventurer: This is the class given to people who have received Experience but have not undergone specialized training to gain an actual class.


    Bandit: Very few players actually have this class. This class is mostly for the NPCs that attack the players on the roads. Becoming a Bandit grants you the [Appraisal] ability and some weapon skills.


    Merchant: This is another NPC class. All of the Merchant''s skills are non-violent. Though they are completely useless in a fight, Merchants are a fundamental part of the economy, and it is a good idea to keep some in your employ to run your camp.


    Fighter: This is the most common player class. If you want to hit your enemies with a sword, you''ll start with the Fighter class. Fighters gain physical stats much faster than other classes, and they can use abilities that allow them to increase their physical stats.


    Knight: This is the most common progression to the Fighter class. Those who want to focus on a heavy armor build and increase their weapon skills will usually become Knights.


    Spellblade: Fighters that start focusing on magic really early can sometimes gain the "Spellblade" class. This class allows you to empower your attacks with magic at an early level, but you lose out on the absurd physical stats of Knights and Champions. People typically jump straight from Spellblade to Sword Saint rather than go through the Champion or Arcane Knight classes.


    Berserker: Those who want to eschew the typical armor-and-sword technique can change their class to Berserker. A Berserker gains the [Rage] ability and can empower his attacks through the power of mindless rage. If you like to keep a tactical mind during your fights, I would not recommend this class.


    Champion: This is the third step for Fighters who don''t want to use magic. Of all classes, Champion is the simplest mechanically. Your physical stats go up, and that''s it. I''ve actually seen a lot of builds that end at Champion, though players typically spec into Sword Saint after this class.


    Arcane Knight: This is the third step for Fighters who want to use magic. An Arcane Knight can use spells like a Mage, but this class''s real advantage comes from being able to use magic in conjunction with combat skills. High level Arcane Knights will typically hold a wand in one hand and a sword in the other.


    Swordmaster: The title "swordmaster" typically describes a tier of warrior rather than a specific class, but it is also possible to gain the Swordmaster class. If your training causes you to focus more on the technique of fighting rather than physical stats or mana, then you can end up as this class.


    Sword Saint: This is viewed as the "prestige" class for the Fighter subtype. The Sword Saint represents the mixture of physical stats, technique, and magical ability in one fighting style. In fact, the System will only grant you the Sword Saint class after you have already mastered those three aspects of fighting.


    Mage: This is the typical starting class for those who want to cast spells. The primary advantage of being a Mage is the ability to sense and manipulate mana in its pure form. All other classes can cast spells, but only those of the Mage subtype can interface with mana. Typically, high-level spells can only be used by Mages. Those who cannot sense mana cannot exert the extreme level of control necessary to cast those spells.


    Scribe: When a Mage reaches level 20, he can choose to take the Scribe class. A Scribe is able to gain Experience from means other than combat, such as reading certain books or solving a complicated equation.


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    War Mage: Mages that focus entirely on whatever spells are most useful in combat are called War Mages. Most of the Mages in Hinnom and other colleges of magic view War Mages as vulgar or uncouth. Considering the War Mages I have met in my life, they are mostly correct. It is infrequent for a War Mage to reach the Archmage tier, because they never focus on a single school of magic for long enough to master that school.


    Transmuter/Abjurer/Illusionist/Enchanter/Sorcerer: When a Mage reaches level 30, he typically specializes in one particular school of magic. An Abjurer specializes in warding magic, and a Sorcerer specializes in elemental magic. Most professional Mages fall within this category.


    Necromancer: This is the class for a Mage that specializes in Necromancy. Because Necromancy is banned in most places, Necromancers are typically viewed as evil. Most Mages are more skilled in a certain school of magic, so some Mages are essentially pigeonholed into Necromancy by virtue of their own natural inclination. At least, that was the backstory of Vinzadir, the Necromancer with a heart of gold who was my character in [Ferrum Online]. Tragically, he had no talent for the socially acceptable forms of magic. Alas, poor Vinzadir.


    Alchemist: This is the class for Mages that specialize in Alchemy, the magic for creating and enhancing magic items. Alchemists are some of the richest people on Ferrum, though the class is not available for players. Alchemists are the people that you talk to when you want to buy new magic items or get your current magic items upgraded.


    Rector: This is the upgraded form of Scribe. Most magic teachers are Rectors. Though this is not a combat class, it would be a mistake to underestimate a Rector. They can shoot lightning out of their hands or call down a meteor just as well as any Sorcerer, they just don''t gain any Experience for doing it.


    Archmage: A Mage that masters a school of magic is called an Archmage. Those of this class are typically the greatest Mages of an era. There are usually anywhere from five to twenty Archmages active at any one time, and they usually all know each other. Luckily for the rest of the world, Archmages are typically professors or ancient elves who have no interest in wars or politics.


    Philosopher: A Mage that masters at least five schools of magic is called a Philosopher. Before the events of [Ferrum Online], there were only five Philosophers in history, and one was Mitrikov the Great Mage. Any time a Philosopher appears, world history changes.


    Hunter: This is the starter class for those who use archery in combat. Typically, those in the Hunter subtype focus on stealth and attacking enemies from far away. Hunters gain a number of abilities that increase their stealth and archery skills.


    Rogue: This class is for people who want to focus more on sneaking, lockpicking, and detecting traps. The Rogue class does not grant any combat-specific abilities. Rogues typically like to achieve their goals nonviolently.


    Assassin: This is a potential evolution of the Rogue class for those who wish to use their skills with sneaking and thievery to more violent ends. [Ferrum Online] had a coup de grace system, so anyone from a level 1 commoner to a level 100 hero would die instantly to a blade in the dark. Incredibly high-level Assassins can get past just about any defenses you put up, so you can never be 100% safe from them.


    Night Stalker: The Hunters that want to focus on stealth over archery change to the Night Stalker class. This class is best at ambushing unsuspecting prey in the forest.


    Veteran Hunter: Hunters that want to focus more on archery will take this class. Veteran Hunters gain abilities that allow them to magically enhance their arrows.


    Shadow Lord: This is the final step for Hunters who want to focus on stealth. Shadow Lords gain abilities that make them so stealthy that it''s like they control the shadows themselves.


    Monster Slayer: This is the final step for Hunters who want to focus on archery. Monster Slayers can turn a beast into a pincushion in seconds.


    Priest: This is the class for those who use Healing Magic. Becoming a Priest is easy, but staying a Priest is very difficult. The edict of nonviolence created by Nyx is incredibly hard to live by, and almost no one still has Healing Potential by the time they reach twenty years old.


    Bishop: It is very difficult for a Priest to reach level 20, but if they manage to do so, they might become a Bishop if they are favored by Nyx. Bishops are able to perform Miracles that can heal large numbers of people at once, make strange things happen, or abjure evil creatures. A Miracle can be used to make a caravan appear around the corner of a dirt road or make an apple fall from a tree. If a Bishop prays for something, then Nyx might make it happen.


    Cardinal: A Bishop will naturally become a Cardinal at level 40. There is no particular benefit to being a Cardinal over a Bishop; it just signifies that a Priest is particularly far along his journey. The Church of Nyx is run by a collection of eight Cardinals in the capital of Sondrith.


    Living Saint: If she wants, Nyx can grant one person the title Living Saint at a time. Sondrith, Priestess of the Hero''s Party, was a Living Saint. Those blessed by Nyx in such a way can use Prayer and Miracles without expending any mana.

 Chapter 72 - [David York]

    Thirteen years before, David awoke in a claustrophobic cave of destroyed concrete and naked rebar. He was scheduled to fight in a middle-weight boxing match the next day, so he had retired to his hotel room in the upper floors of the Cagliostro. Late in the afternoon, just as David York was about to go to bed, the ground started shaking and the roof collapsed on his head.


    David took his phone out of his pocket and used the flashlight function to perceive his surroundings. The isolated cavern he was trapped inside was barely large enough for him to fit. It was honestly a miracle that he had survived the collapse at all. David ruffled his auburn hair, and his hand came away slick with blood.


    ¡°Great, just great,¡± David said sarcastically. ¡°I was supposed to get my big break tomorrow, and now I¡¯m going to suffocate to death here in the hotel room.¡±


    David sighed. There was no use complaining. He always knew he was going to die young; he had just hoped that he wouldn¡¯t die that young. David was nineteen years old and at peak fitness. He knew he had five more golden years before age started slowing him down. Now, those years would be wasted.


    System Initialized


    The blow to his head must have caused him to hallucinate. Two words appeared at the top of his vision like the HUD of a video game. A moment later, these two words disappeared and were replaced by three more lines of text.


    Talent Acquired: [Observe]


    Talent Acquired: [Lucky]


    Trait Acquired: [Strong]


    It was just like a video game. David had played a few video games as a boy, but he hadn¡¯t touched them for a few years. He had been too busy training his body and learning various martial arts. David remembered the stories of people¡¯s lives flashing before their eyes in their final moments, and he closed his eyes in acceptance.


    Summer, 615 CA


    When David opened his eyes, the scene around him had completely changed. Suddenly, he was in the center of a natural cave measuring about twenty meters on each side. Light filtered in through a small entrance just large enough for a full-sized man to squeeze through. In the center of the cave was a sword with a black blade that had been stabbed into the ground.


    David slowly climbed to his feet and pressed his hands to his body in disbelief. He was still alive, and his body was still in one piece. The only evidence of the Cagliostro was the thrumming pain that persisted in his head. He flipped the flashlight function of his smartphone off and walked toward the sword embedded in the stone floor.


    ¡°Sword in the stone? I guess I¡¯m supposed to pull you out,¡± David said casually. ¡°Let¡¯s hope I¡¯m worthy,¡± he said as he rubbed his hands together.


    David braced his legs, grasped the hilt of the blade with both hands, and pulled with all of his strength. The sword came out of the stone with minimal resistance, and David fell backwards a few steps from the force of his pull. He was just barely able to keep his footing as he came away with the sword held firmly in his hand.


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    Item Acquired: Bloodcrest


    Another message appeared in David¡¯s vision as he turned the black, curved blade around in his hands.


    ¡°Cool name,¡± David said, admiring the sword.


    <hr>


    Hours later, David arrived at the nearest settlement. The town he had arrived in was a coastal settlement that couldn¡¯t have held more than two hundred people. Once he arrived in town, he walked up to a local merchant¡¯s stall and tried to communicate.


    ¡°Hey, buddy,¡± David said in English. ¡°Where are we?¡±


    The merchant responded in a language that David did not understand. David had no idea what the merchant was saying, but he knew that the man was annoyed. Based on the type of language the man was speaking, David could only guess that he was in continental Europe.


    <hr>


    Spring, 620 CA


    David sat with his back firmly planted on a haybale. Low-level armor sat at his side, and Bloodcrest was leaning against a nearby wall. Years of working as a semi-employed journeyman had taught him the basic use of the System and how to speak Common at a rudimentary level.


    David had sold all of his possessions by that point, save for one. In one hand, he held his smartphone, which had run out of battery long ago. He looked at himself in the mirror and activated his Talent.


    [Observe, Lvl. 5]


    Name: David York


    Class: Fighter


    Level: 12


    HP: 124


    MP: 45


    Fortitude: 18


    Strength: 17


    Agility: 16


    Intelligence: 12


    Willpower: 14


    Charisma: 15


    The numbers in his character sheet had been going up nicely ever since he had arrived. Monster hunting had proven to be an excellent way to gain Experience. It wasn¡¯t, however, a good way to gain money. The townsfolk of the Lowlands had no reason to fear the monsters traveling the lands between their settlements since all of that could easily be handled by the King¡¯s knights.


    Every few weeks, a level 50 knight would come through and kill all the nearby monsters without asking for any payment. It was basically impossible for an independent mercenary in need of money to make it under such circumstances. As David stared up at the barn ceiling and tried not to think of the pervasive smell of farm animals surrounding him, he imagined a future where he could live like royalty.


    Perhaps, one day, he would be one of those knights. He could live in a castle and spend every day being waited on hand and foot by hundreds of loyal servants.


    <hr>


    Spring, 625 CA


    After ten years of living as an impoverished traveling mercenary with no marketable skills, David¡¯s luck changed. The Count of Northwind was on a warpath, and he needed every able-bodied soldier in the Kingdom to join him in his campaign to wipe out the orc tribes.


    As soon as he heard the news, David packed up and walked the two hundred miles from Fulvang to Etron. He spent most of the journey traveling with caravans, promising protection in return for food and drink. David proved his worth to the caravans when he slew an attacking wyvern in three expertly-placed attacks. If there was anything David could do at that point, it was hunt monsters.


    [Observe, Lvl. 5]


    Name: David York


    Class: Spellblade


    Level: 30


    HP: 334


    MP: 71


    Fortitude: 20


    Strength: 22


    Agility: 17


    Intelligence: 12


    Willpower: 14


    Charisma: 15


    David arrived in Etron clad in cheap clothing that had been completely destroyed during the journey. All metal armor he had once owned had fallen apart with disuse. The only two items of value that David had on him were Bloodcrest and his inert smartphone.


    Soon after he arrived, David heard the Count speak. He was severe and obviously angry with the world. After suffering ten years of poverty, David felt a kinship with the man. As he heard the Count speak, David could sense that his impoverished life was at an end. The Count created a place for men like David who knew nothing but violence, and David would be eternally grateful.


    The Count ended his speech and raised one fist into the air. David and the other dregs of society in the crowd cried out in joy. The Band of Bastards had formed.

 Chapter 73 - [Spellblade]

    Several logs had been laid on the ground near the bonfire, and the exuberant warriors of the Fourth Company sat upon them. Humans, beastfolk, and elves still clad in their battle-worn armor drank and laughed together. More than half of the soldiers in David¡¯s unit were demi-humans since he was the most accepting of non-humans of the army¡¯s officers.


    In fact, Fourth Company was the only military unit in the Etronian military that allowed demi-humans as officers. David¡¯s decision to integrate the demi-humans into his command structure certainly had its drawbacks. It was sometimes difficult for him to understand the perspective of elves and beastfolk, and they would sometimes act strangely.


    Despite these difficulties, David was convinced that his decision was the right move. On average, his soldiers were much more skilled, and his officers were some of the greatest fighters Etronia had to offer. David had such a large pool of soldiers to choose from that he took only the best of the best.


    One of David¡¯s lieutenants, Griswold Teliom, was recounting loudly the story of how he had slain a dozen orcs during the battle. Griswold was a beastman of the dog phenotype. Physically, this meant that two dog ears stuck out from the top of his skull and a long black tail protruded from his lower back. Though it might not have been immediately visible, all of Griswold¡¯s teeth were pointed like those of an actual dog. He and other beastmen of the dog phenotype were carnivorous. If he did not eat meat, he would start to develop serious health issues.


    The primary difference between the beastfolk and humans was mental, however. In general, beastfolk had difficulty going against their instincts. Though they were social creatures, their thoughts would often be dominated by basic desires such as food, drink, power, and sex. This, paired with their heightened senses, caused them to occasionally act similarly to their animal counterparts.


    After working with the beastfolk for the past five years, David knew this to be true. Sometimes, their animalistic nature made humans uncomfortable, but he knew that they also had many advantages compared to humans. A beastman could hear an ambush coming that no human would hear, and they could track an enemy army based on smell. If you knew how to deal with them, David thought, they were very useful to have as comrades.


    Sitting near Griswold was David¡¯s other lieutenant, Cailynn Ashbell. Cailynn, or Lynn to the humans and beastfolk of Fourth Company, was an elf war mage who served as the field commander for the mages of David¡¯s unit. Technically, Cailynn Ashbell was not her real name. An elf¡¯s true name took at least thirty seconds to speak, so they adopted a much shorter name when dealing with humans.


    Beyond pointed ears, fairer skin, and lighter hair, elves were visually the same as humans. Beneath the skin, however, the elves were very different. Their life spans were measured in centuries rather than years. Their magical affinity was significantly greater than humans¡¯, and even their physical stats were higher than that of a comparable human. The only downside the elves suffered was that they didn¡¯t have Talents. This, paired with their naturally low birth rate, gave rise to their current subordination in most of the world.


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    The elves¡¯ extended lifespan gave them a different perspective and a frankly unnerving focus. An elf could focus on something for hours and, once done, act like mere moments had passed. The older elves were often infuriating to be around due to their frequent hyperfixation on seemingly pointless things. Luckily, none of the elves in the Fourth Company were older than two hundred years old, so David had not run into that particular issue yet.


    David quietly took a seat on a log, and a female beastfolk warrior of the cat phenotype handed him a hollowed-out ox horn filled with a strong-smelling drink. After a moment of recall, he remembered the cat girl¡¯s name. Recoiling slightly from the alcohol, David jokingly asked, ¡°You trying to poison me, Mialeth?¡±


    ¡°It probably wouldn¡¯t even work on you,¡± Mialeth responded with a smile.


    In a contemplative mood, David looked down at the bright amber liquid filling the horn. He had no idea what the liquid was, but it was clearly alcoholic. David saw his own eyes looking back at him in the reflection, and he activated his Talent.


    [Observe, Lvl. 9]


    Name: David York


    Class: Spellblade


    Level: 43


    HP: 477


    MP: 82


    Fortitude: 20


    Strength: 25


    Agility: 20


    Intelligence: 12


    Willpower: 14


    Charisma: 15


    Tier: B


    Abilities: [Enhance Sharpness], [Enhance Strength], [Enhance Dexterity]...


    Spells: [Shield], [Imbue Fire], [Imbue Ice]...


    Talents: [Observe], [Lucky]


    Alignment: Unprincipled (Selfish)


    The character sheet was unchanged since last time he had checked. The orcs had been so far below his level that killing fifty of them didn¡¯t allow David to level up. Briefly, David looked at the [Spells] and [Skills] section of his character sheet. [Observe] at ninth level allowed the user to see the three most recently used [Spells] and [Abilities]. David suspected this was done to save space.


    David was still not sure what ¡°Alignment¡± meant, but he was ¡°unprincipled¡± and ¡°selfish,¡± apparently. Having checked the alignments of other mercenaries, David knew that he was quite moral compared to the rest of them. ¡°Selfish¡± was essentially the neutral alignment between good and evil, and David was trending toward the good end of neutral. Most of the mercenaries of the Band of Bastards were ¡°evil¡± as defined by the System.


    Griswold, having finished bragging to anyone who would listen, started walking toward the Captain of the Fourth Company.


    ¡°Oh, boy, I know that look,¡± Mialeth said from beside David.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± David said once he had swallowed a mouthful of his drink. Compared to the harsh smell, the drink had a sweet taste. It must have been some kind of distilled mead. David would have guessed that the drink was Dwarvish in origin if Dwarves existed on Ferrum.


    ¡°Griswold¡¯s getting territorial,¡± Mialeth said, somewhat amused. ¡°He¡¯s going to challenge you.¡±


    ¡°He does know that the military hierarchy doesn¡¯t operate on wolf pack rules, right?¡± David asked rhetorically.


    ¡°Try telling him that,¡± Mialeth said, getting to her feet and moving away from the rapidly approaching beastman.


    David drained the horn of mead and got to his feet. The beastman lieutenant would only respond to the language of violence. Luckily, David was fluent.

 Supplemental: Talents of Ferrum

    Thale''s Note: This is a list of all Talents mentioned in the story so far. All Talents are either Noble Talents or normal Talents, so I will categorize them as such.


    Talents


    [Observe]: When the user makes eye-contact with a target, he can glean certain pieces of information from it. Such information includes: name, class, level, stats, Talents, and alignment.


    [Lie Detection]: This Talent allows the user to recognize whenever he hears a lie. As Beltane tells me, the user can feel a "blip" whenever a "direct falsehood" is mentioned. Apparently, it is quite easy to get around this Talent, even without a ward. Metaphors, lies of omission, and double-speak do not cause this Talent to activate. You can only activate [Lie Detection] by passing off something you know to be a lie as the truth.


    [Future Sight]: Typically, someone with this Talent can get glimpses of the future in dreams and walking visions. These visions completely take up the user''s sight, so this Talent is usually considered a non-combat Talent. This Talent is typically taken by Mages rather than Fighters. It is still useful to know what''s coming, even if you can''t use it in combat.


    [Lucky]: This Talent grants its user a significant advantage in games of chance. In the game, this Talent also granted its user an increased crit rate. I''m not sure if this aspect of the Talent has transferred over.


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    Noble Talents


    [Hellfire]: You all know how [Hellfire] works. I use it in just about every chapter. Instead, I will use this space to write about the broader context of the [Hellfire] Talent. This Talent initially appeared among the descendant of Sondrith, but they were heavily prosecuted. My ancestors, the Feldrasts and the Dracs, were typically killed on sight due to the Church''s belief that they were aligned with demons. The witch-hunters tried to burn them at the stake. When that didn''t work, they took it as evidence of the accused''s infernal loyalties. My ancestors retreated from Sondrith, and eventually found a home in the Northern Realms of Etronia, where they could bring warmth to those suffering in the cold.


    [Doppelganger]: This Talent initially appeared among the children of Etron. Those with the [Doppelganger] Talent have the ability to project illusionary images of themselves up to a range of thirty meters. At a higher level, [Doppelganger] can be used to project an image of someone else, and the user can even overlay the image over himself. An interesting secondary effect of [Doppelganger] is that its users will typically take on the characteristics of those close to them. Because of this, you can usually see someone with this Talent as the second-in-command to all of the most powerful officials in the Kingdom of Etronia.


    [Time Stop]: Those with this Talent can stop time. [Time Stop] uses a lot of mana, so most users can only stop time for a few seconds. This was the Talent of Etron the Hero, and it is now the Noble Talent of House Polaris, the ruling family of Etronia. It is said that Etron could stop time for hours, and King Theophrastus could stop time for minutes. There is a glaring weakness in the power of [Time Stop], however, and the nobles of House Polaris are willing to kill to keep that secret from becoming public knowledge.

 Chapter 74 - [Wolf Pack]

    Griswold was phenotypically similar to a German Shepherd, David thought. They were probably called something different on Ferrum, however. David briefly considered the weapons available to a dog beastman. Unlike the cat beastfolk, Griswold¡¯s only natural weapon was his set of fanged teeth. When fighting, dog beastfolk felt an instinct to bite, so David would have to look out for that.


    Beyond his natural advantages as a beastman, Griswold was also a highly skilled warrior. He was a night stalker, so he was better at fighting from a distance, though he could still fight competently at close range.


    David took a moment to look down at Griswold¡¯s equipment and saw that he had left his bow back at his seat. The only weapons Griswold carried were two shortswords that hung from his belt. David didn¡¯t understand why he was closing the distance. At close range, a spellblade had a significant advantage over a night stalker.


    ¡°Captain!¡± Griswold said. ¡°I heard that you refused to raid the encampment! Were you too tired after slaying a few puny orcs?¡±


    ¡°Well, my wrist did hurt a bit from the repetitive strain of cutting off fifty-three orc ears, thank you for asking,¡± David joked, gesturing to the heavy coin purse hanging next to his sword, Bloodcrest.


    ¡°If you were too weak to finish the fight,¡± Griswold continued to speak, not listening at all to David¡¯s rebuttal, ¡°then maybe I should duel you right now and take command of the pack.¡±


    Griswold punctuated his sentence by prodding David forcefully in the chest. In a tenth of a second, David grasped Griswold¡¯s hand firmly by the wrist and bent hit harshly backwards.


    As Griswold yelped in pain, David said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me if you¡¯re not ready for a fight.¡±


    An instant before the beastman¡¯s wrist was bent far enough back to cause permanent damage, David released it. Griswold slipped backwards a few steps before turning back to regard Captain York with a snarl.


    Lieutenant Griswold Teliom raised his hands in a fighting stance and surged toward his captain. This was a mistake, David knew. Griswold was an [Agility]-based fighter; his [Strength] score couldn¡¯t have been higher than twenty.


    David took a fighting stance and, just as Griswold entered melee range, caught the beastman in the chin with a flicker jab. David kept most of his strength out of the attack, but the accuracy and unexpected direction of the blow caught Griswold off guard.


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    Griswold didn¡¯t expect the flicker jab because it was not a common attack in Ferrum. David¡¯s front hand was resting near his waist as Griswold moved forward, jumping up toward his opponent¡¯s chin at the last possible moment.


    An instant later, David followed this first attack with a leg sweep, dropping the unsuspecting Griswold to the ground. David planted a knee firmly on Griswold¡¯s chest and drew one of the beastman¡¯s shortswords from its sheath with one smooth movement.


    Before Griswold had time to recover from his head striking the cold ground, he felt a razor-sharp blade press against his vulnerable neck. David held the shortsword in a reverse grip, pressing the point into the dirt next to Griswold¡¯s neck. With the smallest amount of force, David could have severed the beastman¡¯s carotid artery.


    ¡°Better luck next time,¡± David smiled as Griswold raised his hands in a show of surrender.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Griswold wheezed as David removed the blade from his neck. He must have been referring to the flicker jab, David thought.


    ¡°A pugilist¡¯s technique,¡± David said as he offered a hand to the beastman. ¡°I might teach it to you one day.¡±


    As David pulled Griswold back to his feet, Captain Erasmus Thorn stepped into the light of the bonfire and said, ¡°Do you have everything handled here, Captain York?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± David smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just showing the dog man who¡¯s the alpha of this pack.¡± As he spoke, David picked up a mug of mead and pushed it into Griswold¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Erasmus said, peering at Griswold with lidded disdain in his eyes. ¡°In most military units, attacking a superior officer is not tolerated.¡±


    Griswold walked back to his retinue with his ears back and his shoulders slumped. Of all the times he had dueled David, that one had been the most one-sided. David said, ¡°In the beastfolk tribes, they choose their leaders based on who¡¯s the strongest. It¡¯s only natural that they¡¯ll challenge me from time to time. If nobody gets seriously hurt, I¡¯m fine with beating a beastman every so often. It keeps me limber.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± Erasmus said. He took a seat on one of the logs and looked at the bonfire burning in the center of the Fourth Company¡¯s camp. ¡°If it works for you, it¡¯s fine for now. It¡¯s just that if the beastfolk are ever going to integrate into another unit, they¡¯ll need to grow past that instinct. They can¡¯t challenge a general to a duel for control of an army without serious consequences. Legally speaking, that would be an attempted military coup, which is punishable by death.¡±


    ¡°You have a point, there,¡± David said as he took a seat next to Erasmus. David picked up two mugs that had been placed on a small table next to the log and handed one to Erasmus. ¡°Maybe you should take some beastfolk in your unit,¡± David suggested. ¡°None of them would be able to get past your [Time Stop].¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Erasmus said with a smile. He had always been particularly vulnerable to flattery, David knew, ¡°but I¡¯d rather not make my company a big wolf pack¡­ no offense.¡±


    ¡°None taken,¡± David said with an easy smile.


    A few seconds passed as Erasmus and David silently looked into the bonfire. Elves, beastfolk, and humans laughed and danced around the fire built from the remnants of orcish homes.


    ¡°You know, David,¡± Erasmus began, his tone indicating that he meant to talk about a serious topic, ¡°our campaign will not last forever. One day, the orc tribes will be removed from Etronia, or they¡¯ll go so far into hiding that we won¡¯t be able to find any more of them. What will you do then?¡±

 Chapter 75 - [Prince]

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t put much thought into it,¡± David said. ¡°I was an adventurer before the campaign started five years ago. I guess I¡¯ll just go back to doing that.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Erasmus said those words mostly to himself. ¡°And what of your men? Will the beastfolk return to their tribes and the elves return to their isolated forest sanctuaries? Without you, there will be no place for combat-trained demi-humans.¡±


    A noise of annoyance escaped from David¡¯s mouth. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. We¡¯re all being paid out of the King¡¯s coffers. Funding a battle-company of a hundred men costs thousands of gold pieces per year. I can¡¯t afford that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ you won¡¯t have to,¡± Captain Erasmus Thorn said opaquely. ¡°A week ago, you told me of your dream. What was it, again?¡±


    ¡°My dream¡­¡± Captain David York thought for a moment. It was hard for him to remember what he had said. He was pretty drunk at the time. ¡°Oh yeah,¡± David said, remembering. ¡°My dream is to become fabulously wealthy. I want to live in a massive mansion. I want to have hundreds of servants, millions of gold pieces, and a dozen wives. I want to retire when I¡¯m forty and spend every day swimming through a pool of golden treasure. I would prefer to be the King of Etronia, but I suppose being the Duke of the Lowlands would be acceptable as a compromise.¡±


    David jumped to his feet as he was recounting his dream. His words became more and more fervent as he visualized everything he wanted. It was only when he expressed his desire to be the King that he started to wind down.


    ¡°You know,¡± David said meekly, ¡°the usual stuff. I¡¯m sure every man wants the same, as long as he¡¯s being honest with himself.¡±


    ¡°Funny that you should mention the King,¡± Erasmus said at a volume that David could barely hear. ¡°What if I said that there was a way for you to reach your dream and keep your men?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d probably call you a liar,¡± David said with a smile as he returned to his seat. Despite his flippant attitude, his eyes locked on Erasmus. David was very interested in what Erasmus was about to say.


    ¡°A war is coming, David,¡± Erasmus said. ¡°A real war, not like this campaign of extermination we¡¯re running right now. One day soon, King Theophrastus will be dead. There will be a succession crisis, one the likes of which this world has never seen. When that day comes, I want you on my side.¡±


    ¡°Succession crisis?¡± David asked, confused. ¡°I don¡¯t really follow politics, but I know that the King only has three daughters. When he dies, Princess Rosa will become the Queen of Etronia. I don¡¯t see how that could give rise to a succession crisis.¡±


    Erasmus laughed at a joke only he understood. ¡°Three daughters? No, King Theophrastus has seven children, and three of them are sons. Up to now, he has kept four of those children a secret.¡±


    It was at this point in Erasmus¡¯s speech that David understood what the other captain was getting at. House Polaris was well known for the snow-white hair and inherited Talent of its members. The Talent was [Time Stop].


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    ¡°The eldest of these sons was adopted by a merchant family in the capital city of Etron,¡± Erasmus said as if recalling a memory. ¡°When that son came of age on his fifteenth birthday, he learned the truth of his birth, and he decided to head off to war so that he could prepare for his ascension.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± David sputtered.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Erasmus got to his feet. He stood with his back to the bonfire, wreathing his head in a halo of yellow light. ¡°Before you stands Prince Erasmus Polaris, the rightful heir to the Kingdom of Etronia. Join me, and all of your greatest dreams will be fulfilled.¡±


    After less than five seconds of thought, David came to a conclusion. David climbed to his feet and flashed his large, white teeth at Erasmus. David said, ¡°Working for a Prince, eh? That works for me.¡±


    David firmly grasped Erasmus¡¯s outstretched hand and shook it vigorously. If Erasmus had been a weaker man, the handshake might have hurt him.


    ¡°And maybe you can set me up with one of your sisters,¡± David said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to sleep with a Princess.¡±


    Erasmus laughed and clapped David hard on the shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll see, we¡¯ll see. I¡¯ll keep your request in mind once I¡¯m King.¡±


    ¡°You know, I really should have seen this coming,¡± David said. ¡°What with the white hair and ability to stop time.¡±


    ¡°House Polaris has hundreds of unclaimed bastards,¡± Erasmus said. ¡°Only a handful of them can actually claim to be a prince, however. More than ten percent of the men in this army have the last name ¡®Thorn.¡¯ That¡¯s why we¡¯re the ¡®Band of Bastards,¡¯ after all.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± David said with a shrug. ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you bring the rest of your battle-company over to the bonfire. If we¡¯re all going to be one big unit after the campaign is over, our soldiers should take this time to co-mingle.¡±


    ¡°Excellent idea, David,¡± Erasmus said. ¡°I¡¯ll bring them over right now.¡±


    Within a few minutes, the crowd of soldiers surrounding the bonfire doubled in size and the fire expanded at almost the same rate. There was some minor awkwardness at first, but that soon dissipated. The alcohol, the rush of victory, and the twinkling light of the great bonfire brought the soldiers together, despite any preexisting racial tensions. Before they were humans, elves, or beastfolk, they were soldiers of Etronia. Griswold had wrapped his arms around the shoulders of two men from the Fifth Company, and he was drunkenly singing a song of victory.


    The two captains sat off to the side, watching their soldiers celebrate. They smiled at the mirthful atmosphere that had filled their encampment.


    ¡°So, Prince Erasmus,¡± David said with a smile, ¡°what about your siblings? Do you think they¡¯ll cause us some trouble in this succession war?¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Erasmus frowned. ¡°My legitimacy will be highly disputed, especially if the truth of my parentage only comes to light after the King¡¯s death. If we can prove my legitimacy, however, my claim to the throne will be stronger even than Princess Rosa¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Male-preferred primogeniture,¡± David said. ¡°That¡¯s the inheritance system, right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Erasmus said, surprised by David¡¯s knowledge. ¡°Though, ¡®legitimacy¡¯ is mere justification. The throne will be held by whoever has the power to hold it. If Princess Rosa is able to defeat us in battle, then she will be more ¡®legitimate.¡¯ Hell, any of my six other siblings would have a fine claim to the throne if they could accumulate enough power.¡±


    ¡°¡®All authority is derived from force,¡¯¡± David said, quoting a book that did not exist in Ferrum.


    ¡°Exactly. I have never heard that quote before, but it is the truth,¡± Erasmus snapped his fingers in agreement as he heard David speak. ¡°I just hope that Haydith and Tancred don¡¯t get pulled into this war.¡±


    ¡°Who are they?¡± David asked.


    ¡°My younger siblings,¡± Erasmus sighed. ¡°We grew up together, and they don¡¯t yet know the truth of our parentage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine,¡± David smiled. ¡°We just need to take the throne before any other nobles can pull them into their political machinations. Easy peasy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure you''re right.¡± Erasmus said, but it was clear that he was lying. If there was anything Erasmus knew about the coming war, it was that the war would not be easy.

 Chapter 76 - [Haydith Thorn]

    Winter, 630 CA


    The wilderness surrounding the City of Etron was covered in a thin layer of snow. In the shadow of a tall oak tree, Haydith Thorn hid with her olive cloak pulled tight over her head in order to conceal her white hair. The cloak caused her to blend in perfectly with the tree¡¯s foliage, and she used the [Lurk] ability to further increase her camouflage.


    Haydith¡¯s [Skill] caused her to fade into the background somewhat, though it was not true invisibility. Her ability merely made an already hidden individual become even harder to spot.


    A small group of deer stepped into the clearing Haydith had spent the last hour silently watching. The largest of the deer carefully stepped toward the strong-smelling herbivore bait that Haydith had placed in the clearing¡¯s center. Silently, Haydith produced an arrow from the quiver slung horizontally behind her belt.


    With a practiced hand and an unwavering eye, Haydith loosed an arrow that flew unerringly into the deer¡¯s heart. The deer cried out in surprise before falling to the ground. It thrashed upon the ground for a mere second before its pain ended.


    As the three other deer fled from the clearing, Haydith stood from her place of concealment and approached the deer¡¯s corpse. She flipped her hood back, revealing shoulder-length snow-white hair. In any other part of the world, her hair would be viewed as a novelty. In Etron and the surrounding area, nearly fifty percent of its inhabitants had white or blonde hair.


    Haydith let out a low whistle as she pulled her arrow out of the deer¡¯s flank. The arrow itself could not be used again, but she could reuse the arrowhead. She had used an iron-tipped arrow for that kill, and she didn¡¯t want to waste the iron.


    As she listened to the bounding gallop of her approaching companion, Haydith looked down at herself. She had just turned sixteen, and her body was finally starting to approach adulthood. While she was happy to finally have the mobility of an adult, she was certainly not a fan of going through puberty again. This new body experienced things very differently than her old one, and it was hard to get used to.


    Snapping Haydith out of her daydream, a large dog came bounding into the clearing. Calling it a ¡°large dog¡± was an understatement. While the creature was superficially similar to an American Foxhound from Earth, it was easily the size of a horse. On Ferrum, this type of creature was called a Caligan Hound, and it was the descendent of direwolves.


    The Caligan Hound wore a saddle on its back with four leather saddlebags attached to it. When Haydith found the hound out in the wilderness several years before, she named him Sherlock to give herself some connection to her old world. She had no idea that the hound would grow so large.


    With some difficulty, Haydith lifted the deer to her shoulder and transferred it to Sherlock¡¯s back. She took a length of rope out of a saddle bag and used it to fasten the deer in place.


    ¡°Sorry about this, buddy,¡± Haydith said, petting Sherlock on his flank. ¡°I promise that I¡¯ll let you out as soon as we get back.¡±


    Sherlock responded by wagging his tail and licking Haydith¡¯s cheek with a massive tongue. Haydith laughed and rubbed Sherlock¡¯s head before lifting herself into the saddle.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Sherlock,¡± Haydith said, and her Caligan Hound immediately started running back to the City of Etron.


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    Etron was a city of walls. It was sectioned off into three parts by tall stone walls in order to make an invasion more difficult. In practice, however, these walls gave rise to a strict class system. Those who lived in the Gate District nearest the city¡¯s gates were by far the poorest. Those who lived in the Merchant District lived comfortably, but they were not rich. Those who lived in the Castle District were either nobility or incredibly wealthy.


    Haydith herself lived in the Merchant District with her adoptive parents, but she spent a lot of time in the Gate District. It was a lot easier to act covertly in the poorer areas.


    There was a small open-air market by Etron¡¯s south gate, and Haydith walked away from that market forty silver coins richer. It was winter, so people were willing to pay double the price for food.


    Just as Haydith started making her way to the Merchant District, she felt a tingling sensation on the back of her neck. When she turned, she saw a man dressed in gray robes and holding a Mage¡¯s staff looking directly at her. In an attempt to shake the man, Haydith turned Sherlock down a few side roads.


    After a few minutes, Haydith felt that she had finally lost the man. Then, just as she exited out an alleyway onto the main road, he was waiting. The man with the gray cloak and black staff stood there, completely motionless, as if he knew exactly where she would go. Then, Haydith saw the man¡¯s blue eyes look at her from deep within his hood, and a line of text appeared at the top of her vision.


    Beltane Ostara has targeted you with [Observe, Lvl. 9]


    Sherlock¡¯s momentum carried Haydith a few steps past the man in gray, but she grabbed Sherlock¡¯s reins and turned him back toward the man. Haydith turned just in time to see the Mage¡¯s face tighten in annoyance.


    ¡°Oh,¡± the Mage breathed, ¡°she¡¯s got class levels.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Haydith demanded as she jumped off her mount. With a finger pointed in anger, she took several angry steps toward the Mage. ¡°Why did you use [Observe] on me?¡±


    The Mage held his free hand up in a show of surrender before saying, ¡°I apologize sincerely. We¡¯re just doing a census on those with noble Talents. We heard that you had [Time Stop], and I just had to confirm the truth.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Haydith asked. ¡°Who¡¯s we?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just some people working for the Realm of Northwind,¡± the Mage said, producing a small slip of paper from one of his cloak¡¯s pockets. He showed Haydith the paper. Stamped on the paper was a Salamander, the symbol of House Feldrast.


    ¡°Northwind? Isn¡¯t your leader out killing a bunch of orcs in the Lowlands?¡± Haydith asked, looking closely at the picture.


    ¡°That¡¯s Count Feldrast,¡± the Mage said. ¡°We¡¯re working for a different Feldrast.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Haydith said, pushing the slip of paper back into the Mage¡¯s hand. ¡°Just ask next time. If you want, I can bring you in to see my brother Tancred. He has the [Time Stop] Talent as well.¡±


    The Mage gave an awkward smile as he said, ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, but I have no need to see your brother again.¡±


    ¡°Again?¡± Haydith said, realization dawning. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve already used [Observe] on him.¡±


    ¡°What can I say?¡± the Mage shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not illegal.¡±


    The Mage turned and started to walk away, but Haydith stopped him by saying, ¡°Hey, could you tell me what you saw when you used [Observe] on me? I think you owe me that much.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Beltane was confused for a moment. ¡°Uh, sure.¡± The Mage took a piece of paper out of his pocket and scribbled some lines down. ¡°Here.¡±


    Haydith looked down at the piece of paper in her hands. For the first time, she saw her character sheet.


    Name: Haydith Thorn


    Class: Hunter


    Level: 6


    HP: 33


    MP: 145


    Fortitude: 10


    Strength: 8


    Agility: 14


    Intelligence: 13


    Willpower: 11


    Charisma: 14


    Talent: [Time Stop]


    Haydith thought about her character sheet and how it was better than she had expected. She had managed to reach level 6 without really training. All of her hunting expeditions must have helped her gain the Experience.


    She looked up at the Mage one more time, but he was gone. She had never met a Mage before, so she figured they must all be like this.


    ¡°I hope I don¡¯t see that guy again,¡± Haydith muttered as she put the slip of paper holding her stats in her pocket. Unbeknownst to both her and Beltane, they would meet each other again before the year was out.

 Chapter 77 - [That Clumsy Creature]

    Autumn, 630 CA


    Thirty miles south of the City of Etron, the sparse evidence of civilization faded away into nothing but green wilderness. There were no buildings, cobbled roads, or wheel tracks in the dirt. The only evidence of animal life that was immediately apparent in that forest were the small dirt pathways tread in the ground and the occasional flicker of underbrush as a rodent or squirrel scurried under a bush.


    A burbling stream which did not appear on any existing map passed through the wilderness. No human other than the occasional monster hunter had seen this small, winding stream ever since the beginning of recorded history more than six hundred years before.


    Walking beside this stream was a large, clumsy creature that stood out against the serene harmony of the landscape around him. This creature rhythmically struck a wooden cane against the dirt, scaring away the smaller forest creatures and informing every animal for miles around of his location.


    That clumsy creature was me, Thale Feldrast. I took a brief break from striking my cane against the ground to look at my reflection in the stream.


    From within the stream, a severe-looking teenager with black hair and red eyes peered back at me. Technically, I had just become a teenager a few weeks before. I had undergone a growth spurt over the past few years, and I stood at about 170 centimeters tall.


    I had just turned fifteen years old, making me an adult in the eyes of Etronia. Naturally, the body I inhabited hardly felt very ¡°adult¡± to me, but the young age of majority in the Kingdom of Etronia would make my future endeavors easier. They would be more comfortable around me now that they didn¡¯t view me as an unnaturally advanced child.


    Due to the measures I had undertaken over the past five years, my body was starting to diverge from the gaunt, sallow look of the original Thale Feldrast. Granted, I was still unhealthily thin, and I was certainly not in shape, but I no longer looked like I had a few months to live.


    I was dressed in drab traveling clothes that were caked in a layer of dirt. The fine noble clothing was gone. The clothes I wore six years ago were far too small for me. My group had been on the road for more than a month at that point, and none of us had bathed in that time period. In any other circumstance, Thale Feldrast would have been bothered by such a situation, but I felt strangely content. I finally felt like I was fulfilling my role as a reincarnate in Ferrum.


    In a contemplative mood, I produced a piece of paper out of one of the many pockets stitched into my clothing. On the paper was written a single word in English, though the word was written by someone who was clearly unfamiliar with the letters. It was only after looking at the word for several seconds that one could determine what had been transcribed.


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    On the paper was a single five-letter word, written in all capital letters.


    HELLO.


    Thale¡¯s Note


    The Kingdom of Etronia was split, largely, into three regions. These regions were known as the Northern Realms, the Lowlands, and the Jagged Coast. In the Summer of 615 CA, a reincarnate appeared in each of these regions. Haydith and I took over the bodies of infants, whereas David York was able to keep his old body. I suspect that the System reached David before he was crushed by the rubble of the Cagliostro, allowing him to reincarnate completely intact. Most likely, the System would have preferred to reincarnate all of us with our bodies, but Haydith and I were dead by the time it reached us.


    Either way, it wasn¡¯t until the year 630 CA that I saw evidence that other reincarnates were present on Ferrum. If I had known to look, I probably would have made contact earlier. I visited Etron two or three times between 625 and 630, and I must have passed the Band of Bastards on the road half a dozen times. Hell, David and Haydith were both in Etron for about a month back in 625 CA.


    The paper I held in my hand at that moment was the only piece of evidence I had of reincarnate activity. At the sites of major battles between the Band of Bastards and the orcish tribes, someone had carved the word, ¡°Hello,¡± into the ground with a bladed weapon. I had heard tales of these carvings as early as 626 CA but didn¡¯t think much of them. As an afterthought, I had one of my agents transcribe one of the strange carvings on a piece of paper. When I saw the writing she brought back, I knew that I had to start moving immediately.


    <hr>


    I returned the insignificant slip of paper that held a significant meaning back into my pocket. As an afterthought, I turned back to the stream and activated one of my Talents.


    [Observe, Lvl. 9]


    Name: Thale Feldrast


    Class: Priest


    Level: 19


    HP: 59


    MP: 299


    Fortitude: 6


    Strength: 6


    Agility: 7


    Intelligence: 20


    Willpower: 16


    Charisma: 13


    Mana Conductivity: 2.5 ¦Ì/s


    Tier: D


    Skills: [Triage]


    Spells: [Fly], [Gust], [Wind Knife]...


    Talents: [Hellfire], [Observe]


    Healing Potential: 85


    Alignment: Scrupulous (Good)


    Looking at my character sheet, I felt no small amount of pride. My mental stats had gone up and I had gained quite a few spells, but I was most proud of the increase to my physical stats. With my mind and the natural skills of my body, I had no difficulty learning new spells or gaining mental stats, but doing anything physical was an uphill battle.


    Every one of my physical stats was twice as hard to increase as my mental stats. Considering my [Sickly] Trait and my age, I was probably at the highest level of fitness I could realistically hope to achieve without taking drastic action. My lifestyle had been incredibly active over those past six years, so it was only natural.


    I had even been getting sick with less frequency and less severity. In the past, a cold would take me completely out of commission, and I could only function because of my Priest abilities. Now, in the year 630 CA, I could at least remain vertical as I was gripped by terrible coughing fits.


    It was certainly a good thing that I was less reliant upon [Prayer], since the plan I was enacting at that moment would most likely cause my class to change to mage. At that moment, I was preparing to say goodbye to my current [Class].

 Chapter 78 - [Blood Enhancement]

    I had reached a point in my journey where being a priest was starting to be a hindrance for me. Classes within the mage category had specific abilities that other classes didn¡¯t have, and I would need those abilities if I were to progress much further on my path to become a Philosopher.


    My immune system had become slightly better at dealing with sickness, and my newly acquired skill in blood magic meant that I could heal myself even without healing magic. All told, I did not have any immediate use for healing magic, and I was hoping to hire a priest in the near future.


    Unfortunately, the status of House Feldrast as an ancestral enemy to the Church of Nyx made it somewhat difficult for me to hire a priest. According to their dogma, the use of Hellfire punched a hole between this realm and the eternal realm of torment where sinners were sent after death, and frequent use of Hellfire weakened the veil between the two realms.


    Considering the state of my healing potential, the timeline of me being a priest was limited, anyway. I suspected that three people had overdosed on the drugs I was selling, each reducing my healing potential by five points. That was the nature of selling large quantities of drugs. People were bound to overdose. I didn¡¯t even know which drug they overdosed on, since I had started making painkillers for Sendrick by the time I took the hits to my healing potential. Honestly, I didn¡¯t think overdoses would hurt my healing potential, but I was wrong.


    If everything went according to the plan, I would soon run out of healing potential and would have access to the abilities of the mage class. I looked forward to finally switching to the class that I was destined for from the beginning.


    Putting the piece of paper holding the message in English back into my pocket, I held up my left wrist and looked at the shield bracelet worn there. The incantation for the [Shield] spell was written in large, deep runes upon the iron vambrace that covered my forearm. The vambrace had enough space to hold the incantations for more spells, but it was kept simple to minimize the risk of failure.


    Going through an inventory of my equipment, I drew my wand from the small holster on my left hip. It was the wand given to me by Lord Riomed all those years ago. All four sides of the wand held an incantation for a different spell. The spells were: [Fly], [Gust], [Wind Knife], and [Ice Spear].


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    On Beltane¡¯s suggestion, I had the Alchemist that enchanted the wand remove the two existing incantations. Lord Riomed was an exceedingly generous friend, but he was not a mage. A magic focus was meant to be used in combat or when you did not have time to speak the incantation. I would not use the [Lift Object] or [Catapult] spells in combat. If I needed to use the two spells, I would just recite the incantation.


    I slipped the wand back into its holster and started walking once more. Every step, I jabbed my cane harshly into the ground in order to draw my prey out into the open.


    After walking for a minute, I raised my hand into the air and chanted a few words in the language of the Ancients. ¡°Loqui, audiatur vox tua!¡±


    A crack like thunder echoed out through the forest. A flock of birds took off into the sky, and all nearby animals jerked into motion. They could probably hear that back in Etron, I thought with a smile.


    The spell was [Shockwave], and it was only useful in situations like this. Its casting time was short enough to be used in combat, but its only function was to create a single loud noise. It could probably be used to deafen your enemy, but that didn¡¯t serve much of a purpose.


    Then, after a few more seconds of me pounding the ground with my cane, I heard it. In the distance, I heard dozens of animals charging in my direction. Just out of my vision, a stampede of large animals was heading my way. In the center of that stampede, I heard the unmistakable sound of a much larger animal.


    I cast my cane aside and stood there with my wand at the ready. Based on the sound, my target was above ground, so I did not need to take to the air just yet. Quickly, I bit my thumb and scrawled a blood rune on the back of my left hand.


    ¡°Sanguis, fluere, tereb et secar,¡± I chanted. A terrible burning sensation passed through my hand as the rune burned a bright red color. Just as the rune stopped burning, I felt my own blood start to interface with the powerful stream of mana flowing through my veins. I willed my blood to flow more freely and my lungs to deliver Oxygen more efficiently.


    [Blood Enhancement, Lvl. 3]


    The blood magic would allow my body to move a bit faster and exert a bit more strength. Even with the enhancement, however, my physical stats increased to about the level of an average adult. In a situation like this, however, I would take whatever advantage I could.


    The sound of stampeding animals reached a fever pitch, and then a group of horse-sized bipedal birds burst through the tree line. The birds were far too large to fly, and their vestigial wings were covered in green scales. These creatures were small fry, however, and my true prey had yet to reveal itself.

 Chapter 79 - [Great Talpa]

    The stampeding birds were called struthins, and some cultures used them as mounts. They were most similar to ostriches or emus from Earth, though they had certain similarities with reptiles. Their skin was a hodgepodge of both reptilian scales and avian feathers. To me, the struthin looked like a creature that was in the midpoint of evolving from bird to reptile or vice versa.


    Most of the struthins had bright yellow plumage, though a few had black feathers. As they ran, their curved talons and sharp beaks flashed in the bright light of midday. Their thin legs and hard beaks were a bright orange color, and the green scales covering their backs contrasted starkly with the bird¡¯s other tropical colors.


    Each one must have weighed two hundred kilograms, and they were charging toward me at a full gallop. The struthins had so much momentum that one running into me could deal significant damage, and that¡¯s to say nothing of their natural weapons.


    A mote of Hellfire appeared in my hand once it was made clear that a few of the struthins would run into me. They were packed in so tightly that the struthins in the center could not avoid me. Then, I killed for the first time.


    One after another, I threw motes of Hellfire at the center of the stampede. Just as the motes reached the large bipedal birds, I forced the Hellfire spark to expand significantly. The orbs of Hellfire detonated like fireworks, creating powerful shockwaves that instantly rendered several of the struthins into gore and viscera. Within seconds, four struthins were dead on the ground, and several more had been wounded by the attack.


    The stampede rushed past me. The struthins that would have crashed into me fell a few meters before they reached my position, so I was completely untouched by the charging creatures. I did not give the struthins a sidelong glance as they rushed by me; my gaze remained unflinchingly on the tree line. I was still waiting for the great beast that the struthins were fleeing from.


    With a bellowing roar, my target came galloping out of the tree line. The creature was easily the size of an elephant, but it moved with the speed and mobility of a horse. It was quadrupedal, and its skin appeared to be entirely made of stone. Where its eyes should have been was a large stony ridge that curved upward like a large, flat horn. The creature was called a talpa, better known as a sand shark.


    This creature, however, was on the larger size of talpas. The creature in front of me had been alive for at least a century, and it had been growing that entire time. On Ferrum, creatures could accumulate mana and grow larger than they would on Earth. This creature was called a ¡°great talpa¡± due to its size.


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    The appearance of the great talpa caused several more struthins to retreat from the large creature and charge toward me. I blasted three more with Hellfire, burning their feathered bodies to cinders, but two struthins were able to reach me before I could halt their advance.


    I had no choice but to roll out of the way of the charging bird. As I rolled, I conjured a Wind Knife and took the head off one of the struthins. I felt a slight pain in my back as something scraped against it. Whatever caused the pain didn¡¯t hurt me enough to stop me from moving, so I jumped back up to my feet and turned my head towards my target.


    The great talpa suddenly slowed its momentum once it perceived me. It didn¡¯t have eyes, so I assumed its perception was based on sound. My movement must have caught its attention. The creature came to a thunderous stop that caused much of the dirt nearby to fly up into the air.


    I kept my stance low and my wand gripped tightly in my hand as I stared down the talpa. Once the creature came to a complete stop, it took a few slow, steady steps toward me. I remained completely still, preparing to reach for my magical arsenal at a moment¡¯s notice.


    After taking a few steps, the great talpa nudged one of the fallen struthins with one of its hooves. Recognizing that the struthin was dead, the talpa leaned down and grabbed the large bird¡¯s corpse in its unnervingly human teeth. It picked the struthin up and began the process of swallowing it whole. The great talpa leaned its head back and started forcing the horse-sized bird down its gullet.


    I let out a quiet sigh of relief. The great talpa hadn¡¯t perceived me; it had just sensed that a struthin had fallen to the ground. It didn¡¯t know I was there, so I immediately took advantage of the opening.


    My wand flashed silver and four long shards of ice appeared next to my upper body. They were suspended by some unseen force, and they pointed directly at the great talpa with malicious intent.


    One of the ice shards sharpened and condensed before I sent it flying into one of the great talpa¡¯s unarmored feet. There was a terrible squelching sound as the icy spear stabbed through the sand shark¡¯s hand, pinning it to the dirt.


    The great talpa let out a deafening, animalistic scream. It spat the struthin¡¯s corpse out of its mouth and tried to reach for the shard of ice piercing its hand.


    My spell was faster than its grasping hand, and a second ice spear stabbed through the great talpa¡¯s other strangely human hand. The talpa had several clawed digits to dig through the ground, and it looked strange on a creature the size of an elephant.


    The moment my spear of ice pierced the great talpa¡¯s second hand, a message appeared in my eye.


    Congratulations! Your class has changed to Mage!

 Supplemental: Sorcery

    Thale''s Note: This supplement will include all spells within the Sorcery school of magic. Sorcery is essentially blasting magic. Academic Mages will often look down on Sorcery, but this school of magic is completely indispensable when it comes to combat magic. Just about all offensive spells are found within the Sorcery spell list. The spells available to a Mage are determined by that Mage''s level, though a Mage can long-cast the spell in order to increase his functional spellcasting level by 20.


    Sorcery spells are broken up into ten tiers. Each tier has a spell that corresponds to fire, water, earth, and wind. Some tiers have spells that don''t fall into any one of these categories.


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    Level 1 (Tier I)


    Water Ball


    Fire Bolt


    Mold Earth


    Shock


    Gust


    Level 10 (Tier II)


    Wind Knife


    Ice Spear


    Fire Arrow


    Earth Bullet


    Level 20 (Tier III)


    Water Cannon


    Gale


    Flamethrower


    Create Mud


    Level 30 (Tier IV)


    Lightning Bolt


    Ice Beam


    Fireball


    Earthquake


    Wind Wall


    Level 40 (Tier V)


    Call Storm


    Fire Storm


    Fissure


    Mana Beam


    Tornado


    Level 50 (Tier VI)


    Poison Cloud


    Immolation


    Omega Beam


    Tsunami

 Chapter 80 - [Lightning Bolt]

    In an instant, I could sense the mana flowing through my body. I could feel my mana core in my stomach, and I could feel a significantly smaller concentration of mana near my heart. The mana needed to travel from my stomach to my heart for me to use it.


    As I fed my mana into the spell, mana flowed from my heart into the spell. A second later, mana from my stomach flowed up to my heart to replace the spent mana. The flow between the two cores was slow, however, and it would take about ten seconds for my upper core to refill.


    The great talpa roared and tried to lung toward me. After the second ice spear, it noticed my presence. The ground cracked beneath it, and its claws began to bleed faster, but the ice shards kept it pinned in place.


    My wand flashed twice more, and I flew into the air. My upper core was almost depleted of mana because of me casting the two spells so quickly, but it refilled by the time I had flown into position.


    I righted my orientation to get a better shot, and I released the last two ice spears at the great talpa¡¯s rear claws. The spears hit their marks, pinning the great talpa more thoroughly to the ground. It screeched and thrashed, but all it managed to do was fall onto its side.


    I flew about a dozen meters into the air and looked down at the wounded talpa. I could have killed it with Hellfire by heating it so much that its insides cooked, but that would have rendered its carapace unrecognizable. No, for my plan to work, I needed to pull a trophy out of this creature¡¯s carcass.


    It was time for me to use my ultimate attack. There was one spell I learned under Beltane¡¯s tutelage that was far stronger than any spell I could reasonably cast at my level. Under most circumstances, I could not use the spell in combat. It simply took far too long to cast. This, however, was the perfect situation for me to use that spell.


    I made an arcane sign with my free hand to serve as the somatic component for the spell as I started chanting. ¡°Confirma magicae, di potentes, di silvestres, di daemones ultores. Exalta me usque ad mundum geometrica¡­¡±


    That was called ritual casting. By increasing the length of the incantation by one minute, a mage could temporarily increase his casting level by twenty. Casting as a ritual also allowed the caster to spend much more time pouring mana into the spell. For someone like me who had a massive mana reserve and an unimpressive mana conductivity, it meant that I could put way more mana into the spell.


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    As I chanted the spell, I spent every second pouring more and more mana into the spell. By the time I was done, I had poured 120 mana into the spell. The air around me fizzled with arcane energy, and bright flashes of electricity sparked through the air. My hair stood on its end as the air near me became massively charged. The crackling of the air became so loud that I had to shout to hear myself as I reached the end of the ritual.


    ¡°Mysteria mihi universi pande. Obsecro ut hoc facere.¡± I reached the end of the generic empowerment part of the ritual, and the arcane power surrounding my body reached a fever pitch. All that was left was to chant the spell and craft the arcane energy into the right form. ¡°Sagitta fulgur!¡±


    The oppressive layer of energy that was weighing down on my body suddenly dissipated as all of it was funneled into a single spell. A line of blinding light arced between me and the great talpa¡¯s midsection. The main body of the conjured lightning bolt hit its target squarely, but several smaller bolts struck the ground near the tulpa with cataclysmic force.


    Wherever my roiling bolt of pure electricity hit the ground, sand turned into glass and rock turned into magma. Even I was surprised by the apocalyptic force of the attack.


    A fifty-centimeter diameter cylinder of flesh in the great talpa¡¯s body was instantaneously vaporized. Simultaneously, millions of volts coursed through its body, causing it to convulse and spasm as its muscles were tightened by the electric current. The heat of the lightning bolt dealt minimal damage compared to the voltage. The great talpa¡¯s organs and nervous system were instantaneously destroyed long before it stopped moving. It only continued to move because it was motivated by the electrical current still moving through its body.


    A smile appeared on my face as I adjusted my vision to look at the long line of fire that started at the corpse of the great talpa and extended into the forest for about a hundred meters. Dozens of trees had fallen to the ground, and a small brushfire had started underfoot. My lightning bolt had escaped my control for an instant, allowing it to wreak havoc on the local wildlife.


    There it was, evidence of the power that I had acquired over the past six years. I had set off that day with the intent to kill a great talpa, and I had done it easily. I looked at the small canyon my lightning bolt had carved into the ground and imagined how else I could use such power.


    Level up!


    The System informed me that I had just reached level 20. This would open up a whole new world of spells for me to learn. Reaching that level also meant that I would be able to ritual cast spells that were locked to level 40 casters. Here, in front of me, was the power for which I had given up my comfortable childhood. This was the product of those six years of training.


    As the forest burned and the massive beast finally stopped moving, I laughed, joyful to see the evidence of my own power.

 Chapter 81 - [Upper Core]

    ¡°Aqua,¡± I chanted, conjuring balls of water to extinguish the small brush fire my lightning bolt had made. I methodically went to each small smoldering fire and put each one out. It was better to put the fires out immediately when they were small rather than later when they had consumed large sections of the forest.


    The fires were arranged in a long line starting at the corpse of the great talpa. My spell had conjured four lightning bolts, and only one had actually struck my target. The other three bolts knocked down trees and started small fires.


    A minor headache furrowed my brow. I had used more than a third of my mana reserve on that spell, and it was having an effect on me. The [Lightning Bolt] spell only used 25 mana in its base form, so I had put more than four times as much mana in the spell as was required. Rather than make the lightning bolt four times bigger, the extra mana simply created three more bolts.


    Beltane did not tell me that this would happen, but that was probably because he didn¡¯t know. I suspected that he had never used more than 50 mana to cast [Lightning Bolt] before.


    I suspected that very few mages had used more than 100 mana in a single spell before. Very few spells used more than 10 mana to cast. [Wind Knife] used 5 mana, and [Water Ball] only used 1 mana. Compared to my mana reserve of 300, these amounts didn¡¯t seem like much, but they accumulated quickly. Most mages had between 100 and 200 mana, and it took several days for one¡¯s mana reserve to replenish.


    Once I finished the task of extinguishing the nearby fires, I took a moment to focus on my body. It was a strange sensation, being aware of two small cores of energy floating inside me. I could tell immediately that my lower core was about half-depleted, and my upper core was completely full. The [Lightning Bolt] plus the dozen smaller spells I used had emptied about half of my tank.


    I could tell that my upper core was about one-twelfth the size of my lower core, so I figured it must have held about 25 mana. This meant that I could only output 25 mana every ten seconds, no matter how much I had in reserve.


    Even with my large mana reserve, I could only use [Wind Knife] sixty times before I was completely out of juice. If I wasn¡¯t careful, I could use up 300 mana in a few minutes of intense fighting. Yet, as I looked around at the devastation wrought by four simultaneous lightning strikes, I realized that the firepower made up for the limitations.


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    I trudged up to the fallen body of the great talpa as the blood rune inscribed on my hand faded away. My body started to feel sluggish, and the persistent ache in my back returned. I also felt a radiating pain in my back and a dull pain in my shoulder. The roll I underwent to dodge the charging struthins was a bit overambitious, even with my enhanced body.


    The pain in my back guided my hand to its source, and it came away colored with my blood. One of the struthins must have raked its claw against my back. I felt around a bit more in order to determine the breadth of the injury. The back of my cloak was torn in three places, and three long, shallow cuts marked my back.


    Considering the size of the creature that had cut me, the wounds were surprisingly shallow. The cuts were only about as deep as a cat scratch, and my wounds had already stopped bleeding. I wasn¡¯t worried about the injury, but I would need to buy a new cloak.


    The grazing wound must have been a function of my HP, or Health Points. With enough class levels, even a frail mage like me would become harder to kill. On Ferrum, HP manifested as a mixture of uncanny luck and increased resistance to injury. If I only had 5 HP, then the struthin¡¯s claws probably would have killed me. Since I had 59 HP, the struthin only managed to graze my skin.


    I looked at the corpse of the great talpa. Even with it laying on its side, I could not see over it. The corpse must have weighed several tonnes, and I had to present it as a trophy. I thought about going back to camp and coming back with a wagon, but that wouldn¡¯t work either. The great talpa¡¯s corpse was far too large for any medieval land vehicle to transport.


    As I paced around the large corpse, my eyes fell upon its distinct, ridged head. There was only one monster on Ferrum that had such a distinct head shape. I thought about it for a moment. The great talpa¡¯s head must have weighed about fifty kilograms. It was too big for me to physically lift, but I could certainly carry it with magic.


    I slashed my wand downward, and a blade of condensed wind cut into its neck. Blood spurted out of the wound, but I didn¡¯t make much headway through the neck. It was only with careful aiming and three more wind knives that I was able to finally detach the great talpa¡¯s head from its body.


    The creature¡¯s massive jaw gyrated as its head crashed to the ground. Looking at it more closely, I could tell that the great talpa¡¯s jaw attached much further back than I had initially realized. That must have been how it managed to swallow its prey whole.


    ¡°Laevo,¡± I chanted, and the great talpa¡¯s head levitated into the air. [Lift Object] used 1 mana per minute, so I could carry the creature¡¯s head for a bit more than an hour before I completely ran out of mana.


    Dreading the long hike back to camp, I picked up my fallen cane and started trudging back the way I came. As I walked, the massive skull of a deadly beast floated in my wake.

 Chapter 82 - [Invincible]

    Concentrating on a spell for long periods of time was a lot harder than you would think. Plenty of mages throughout Ferrum couldn¡¯t maintain concentration on a spell for longer than a minute. To describe holding concentration to a non-mage, I would say it¡¯s like holding an image in your head for a long period of time. If you stop focusing on the image for a second, then the spell dissipates.


    Luckily for me, I had spent all fifteen years of my new life concentrating on spells. I had practiced maintaining concentration on Hellfire for a long period of time, and my practice with the [Fly] spell over the past few years also helped me maintain concentration for long periods.


    All of this is to say that I did not drop concentration on the [Lift Object] spell for the entirety of my journey back to camp. I was quite proud of that. I was probably about two miles away from the camp based on how long I had walked to get there. Walking through the forest while navigating a giant head through dense foliage, it would take me about thirty minutes to reach my destination.


    After many minutes of tiresome walking, I heard a large creature approaching from the direction of the camp. Based on the sound, it was bipedal, and it was about the size of a man. I was almost entirely certain that the approaching creature was a person, but I held my wand at low-ready just in case.


    The approaching creature broke through the tree line, revealing the armored form of Sir Eadric Vanta. He had grown older and stronger in the time we had spent together in the wilderness of Etronia, but his optimistic attitude had not changed. It had been good to have a person with an easygoing disposition on the road to counterbalance my own bookish and severe personality.


    ¡°Hey, little lord,¡± Eadric said with a smile.


    In the year 630 CA, Eadric Vanta was in his late twenties. When I met him the first time, he was still a teenager. More than a decade later, Eadric had grown into adulthood. Before, he was tall and thin. After six years of training, his body had filled out, giving him a muscular physique. He wore thin chainmail under a plain green tabard, and he carried a simple one-handed battleaxe at his belt.


    Two years before, Eadric had been cut in the face by a wyvern¡¯s claw, giving him a deep diagonal scar on his face. The scar made his resting face look intimidating, but he often ruined the effect by smiling widely whenever he met new people.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said, matching Eadric¡¯s smile. ¡°I got him.¡±


    Eadric let out a low whistle as he matched my stride. ¡°Hell of a kill,¡± he said. ¡°That thing¡¯s gotta be a three-star or above.¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking,¡± I responded. ¡°When we get to Etron, we¡¯ll claim it was a four-star. Remember, the skull is for the nobles, not the Hunter¡¯s Guild.¡±


    Once scouted by the Hunter¡¯s Guild, monsters were typically given a rank between one and seven stars. By the time a monster reached the five-star rank, it was typically a major threat to all nearby human settlements.


    Orcs were typically between one and three stars, most great beasts were between three and six stars, and the few dragons that remained were ranked either six or seven stars. Whenever a seven-star monster was detected, a message was sent out to all local hunters¡¯ associations on Rubigo, and a bounty of 10,000 gold coins was placed on the monster¡¯s head.


    ¡°I meant to ask before, but,¡± Eadric said, scratching his head, ¡°how did you know a great talpa would appear in this area? The Hunter¡¯s Guild hasn¡¯t put out a bounty yet, and I don¡¯t think there have been any reports of caravans being attacked.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell Eadric how I learned that a great talpa would appear south of Etron. In [Ferrum Online], the territory of the talpas was in that area, so it was only natural that a great talpa would naturally appear there. The people of the Etron region only had to deal with great talpas when they got so big that their normal diet of struthins became too lean for them to live on. At that point, the great talpas had to expand their territory and start attacking caravans.


    ¡°I read about it in a book,¡± I lied.


    Eadric smiled in an annoying inscrutable way as if he knew more than he let on. ¡°You¡¯ve always known more about the world than any person ought. Do you remember when I pledged my loyalty to you nine years ago?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s not something you forget about easily.¡±


    ¡°A normal person at that age would have forgotten,¡± Eadric said simply. ¡°You were six years old. Yet, for just a few seconds, you had the countenance of an old man. You have that same countenance now, but it looks less jarring on a fifteen-year-old body.¡±


    ¡°I was a smart kid, what can I say?¡± I said with a shrug, beginning to become concerned at the course of the conversation.


    ¡°You were special then, and you¡¯re special now. I¡¯m grateful to have you as my master,¡± Eadric said.


    ¡°You probably won¡¯t be grateful soon,¡± I joked, trying to move the conversation away from my unnatural intelligence. ¡°We¡¯re going to start working in earnest soon. There will be hard battles and difficult political situations ahead.¡±


    An expression of worry crossed over Eadric¡¯s face, but the expression carried an edge of earnestness. ¡°I hope to meet your expectations.¡±


    We walked through the forest for another few minutes. Occasionally, Eadric would swing his battleaxe and cut down any obstructing trees in two clean cuts. I didn¡¯t think of Eadric as a particularly powerful fighter, but he had already reached a superhuman level of strength and speed.


    Soon, we reached the clearing where we had set up camp. Three wagons had been set up on the edge of the clearing, and three people were present inside the camp. I didn¡¯t recognize one of the wagons and two of the people.


    Stretching my shoulders, I put the great talpa¡¯s head down at the edge of the camp and approached the two people standing in the center of the clearing. I didn¡¯t know who they were, but I didn¡¯t care. After killing the struthins and the great talpa, I felt invincible.

 Chapter 83 - [The Merchant]

    Two people stood in the center of the clearing, and one person was lying on a hammock at the edge of the clearing. This person at the edge of the clearing was a man with long unkempt hair who wore the casual clothing commonly worn by the people of Yomotsu. In one hand, the man carried a clay drinking gourd. In his other hand, he held the sheath of a katana just under the crossguard. This man was named Kinro, and I hired him to join my party a month ago. Kinro was obviously drunk at the time, and he watched the two men standing in the center of the clearing with a kind of oblique detachment.


    One of the men carried a sword at his hip, though the other man was not obviously armed. As Eadric and I got closer, we could see that the unarmed man was wearing a merchant¡¯s garb.


    The Merchant wore an emblem on his chest that displayed the symbol of the Grimhold Guild. Seeing that symbol, the reason for their visit made sense to me. They were here to make the monthly pickup of Thale¡¯s miracle powder.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, waving a hand and giving a smile. ¡°Are you guys here to pick up the goods for Sendrick?¡±


    The merchant turned to Eadric and me. His stern scowl transformed into a business-like smile. ¡°Ah, Lord Thale,¡± he said. ¡°We didn¡¯t know when you would arrive. Your hunting session has gone well, I take it?¡±


    ¡°There are one fewer great talpas in the world, that¡¯s for sure,¡± I said with a smile. I was still feeling good thinking about the power in my hands when I cast [Lightning Bolt].


    ¡°Good, good,¡± the Merchant said. ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯re here to make the pickup. We were here earlier, but the product to be shipped was not in the usual spot, and your associate was¡­ preoccupied.¡±


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    The previous pickups had been essentially automatic. Sendrick¡¯s men would show up, take the large chest of charcoal-laced drugs I had prepared, and leave my payment. I hadn¡¯t been there the last few times they had picked up the drugs. I really hoped that Sendrick hadn¡¯t decided to just screw me over and cut his payment. The money he was paying me was substantial, and I was relying on it to fund my coming expedition.


    ¡°We would have retrieved the product from your carriage, but the Yomotsan in your camp told us to ¡®not touch the boss¡¯s stuff.¡¯¡±


    It was important for people to stay away from my carriage because I held a few drugs that I had told Sendrick were ¡°in production.¡± In reality, I had finished producing those drugs a long time ago. They were just far too harmful for me to sell to the Grimhold Guild. It would weigh down on my conscience if those drugs were ever to make it onto the market.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about that,¡± I said as I looked inside my carriage. ¡°All of this was my fault. I should have left the chest outside of my carriage. I must have forgotten to leave it out when I left in the morning.¡±


    In truth, I didn¡¯t know who was at fault. I might have forgotten, or Eadric might not have been available when I had to remove it from the carriage. I took responsibility in order to de-escalate any tension by putting the blame on someone to whom the merchant has to be nice. I was a major business partner for the Grimhold Guild, and the Merchant wouldn¡¯t threaten that relationship by going ballistic.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± the Merchant said with a smile. ¡°These things happen. I completely understand.¡±


    I could tell that the Merchant was secretly stewing in his own anger. He could have been there for five hours as far as I knew, but he had to pretend that he wasn¡¯t angry.


    The merchants¡¯ capacity for diplomacy always astounded me. They were always able to make the best deals and maintain their current relationships. They were logical, so it was easy to manipulate them.

 Chapter 84 - [Caligan Spice]

    Looking through my carriage, I soon found the chest I was looking for. As I took a few steps to look around, the carriage moved slightly, causing the glass canisters held within a separate chest to clink against each other. In the center of the carriage was all my transmutation equipment.


    I had scaled up my operation since I started more than six years ago, so the flask I used to hold the active ingredients in my reaction had grown significantly, and the rest of my equipment had grown to match it. The central iron structure that held the flask and various transmutation circles was so large that I had difficulty moving it without assistance.


    I grabbed the chest holding the drugs and dragged it across the floor. It was far too heavy for me to lift, but I was able to drag it a single meter to the edge of the carriage. Once there, I waved for Eadric to approach and said, ¡°Hey, Eadric! Come help me with this thing!¡±


    The chest weighed about thirty kilograms. I could have lifted it easily with my old body, but the frail teenage body I was inhabiting could barely lift its own weight.


    Eadric walked to the side of the carriage and picked it up with ease. His physical stats were higher than any normal human could possibly achieve without the assistance of the System by that time, so a mere thirty kilograms was practically nothing to him.


    Eadric placed the chest lightly at the Merchant¡¯s feet, and the Merchant knelt down to inspect its contents with a broad smile on his face. As he inspected the chest¡¯s interior, I circled around and peeked inside over the heads of the Merchant and the Fighter who had dipped their heads down to look at the contents.


    Both wore the facial expressions of people who were looking inside of a chest filled with gold. From their perspective, that might have been the case. The miracle powder sold for anywhere between fifteen and twenty gold coins per kilogram. As a conservative estimate, that chest held 360 Etronian gold coins worth of my product.


    ¡°It¡¯s all there,¡± I assured them, feeling uncomfortably similar to a two-bit drug dealer. ¡°As ordered, I synthesized four kilos of Drug Alpha, eight kilos of Drug Beta, four kilos of Drug Gamma, four kilos of Drug Delta, and four kilos of Drug Epsilon. This brings us to a grand total of twenty-four kilos.¡±


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    By that time, I produced five drugs for Sendrick. I had produced many more recipes, and their transmutation disks were still in my carriage, but none of them sold well enough to warrant their continued presence on the market. The drugs that I routinely synthesized for Sendrick were Adderall, two types of painkillers, Melatonin, and Cialis.


    Drug Beta, known as Cialis on Earth, sold far better than any of my other drugs. It was a cure for impotence, so its extreme success was understandable. Nothing else on Ferrum served the same purpose as Drug Beta. Sendrick had requested that I drop production of one of my painkiller drugs in order to produce more of Drug Beta, but I protested heavily. I didn¡¯t want my work to be entirely suborned to such a vulgar goal. There was no doubt in my mind that I could have filled that whole chest with Drug Beta, considering the absurd profit it warranted.


    Looking inside the chest, I saw that it was cordoned off into five sections, with one section being twice the size of all the others. The Merchant pulled one gloved hand through each pile of black powder. He rolled the powder around, making sure that the pile was consistent all the way through.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got something special with this,¡± the Merchant said as his gloved hand touched the pile in the largest section. ¡°Everybody in Rubigo is looking to get their hands on the ¡®Caligan Spice.¡¯ We could probably sell ten times as much of this stuff if you could make it.¡±


    ¡°Caligan Spice? Is that what they call it?¡± I mused. On Ferrum, ¡°Caligan¡± essentially just meant ¡°exotic,¡± since the continent of Caligo had been discovered very recently. Of course, Drug Beta had nothing to do with Caligo, but it was a rational advertisement strategy.


    ¡°I¡¯d make more, but I only have so much mana,¡± I said, telling a half truth. If I spent all my mana constantly making drugs for Sendrick, I could produce about a hundred kilos a month. I could quadruple the profits for myself and Sendrick, but my goal was not to simply acquire gold. I had a mission to complete, and I couldn¡¯t spend all my time sitting on my ass making amphetamines and vasodilators.


    ¡°Okay,¡± the Merchant said as he got to his feet. He closed the chest, and the Fighter picked it up. ¡°The product looks good. We¡¯ll be on our way soon.¡±


    The Merchant reached into a pocket on the inside of his jacket in such a way that it made one of my fingers twitch toward my wand. The tension in my hand disappeared when the Merchant produced a leather pouch.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your payment for the last month,¡± the Merchant said as he handed the pouch over to me. ¡°Forty Etronian gold coins.¡±


    I took the pouch and, without looking inside, threw the pouch over to Eadric, who caught it with ease. I said, ¡°Count the coins, and put them with the rest, please.¡±

 Chapter 85 - [Impossible]

    That night, Eadric made a stew out of purified water and chunks of small game that had been caught in snare traps around the camp. The three of us sat on makeshift seats around the fire in the center of the camp as we ate the stew.


    The food of Ferrum couldn¡¯t compare to the much more flavorful and plentiful food of Earth, but well-prepared meat was easy to stomach. The upside was that I had become relatively competent at catching my own food. I could fish, set snares, and hunt with magically conjured spears of ice. Perhaps I had a bit of an advantage, but I could hunt all the same.


    ¡°I guess this means you¡¯re not a priest anymore,¡± Kinro said in between sips of his drinking gourd. He was drinking a strong liquor that had been diluted with water to simulate the type of drink popular in his homeland. When I first met him, Kinro still had some sake left over from Yomotsu, but his stash was soon depleted. As Kinro spoke, he tilted his head over to the large, ridged skull sitting at the edge of the clearing.


    I shrugged and said, ¡°I figured it was better to lose my healing potential fighting some monsters than lose it fighting humans. In such a difficult situation, I can¡¯t afford to have something like that causing me to hesitate.¡±


    Kinro paused for a long second, tapping his index finger against his scabbard as he thought. ¡°Uh, whatever,¡± he slurred drunkenly. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯re lucky. You always get out of trouble¡­ because you¡¯re¡­ so¡­ lucky.¡±


    No longer listening to Kinro¡¯s drunken rambling, my eyes flashed over Kinro¡¯s face.


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    [Observe, Lvl. 9]


    Name: Kinro Tsukumo


    Class: Swordmaster


    Level: 48


    HP: 628


    MP: 72


    Fortitude: 24


    Strength: 26


    Agility: 26


    Intelligence: 10


    Willpower: 11


    Charisma: 7


    Tier: C


    Abilities: [Enhance Sharpness], [Enhance Strength], [Enhance Agility]...


    Spells: None


    Talent: None


    Alignment: Unprincipled (Selfish)


    I was always baffled whenever I checked Kinro¡¯s character sheet. With more than six hundred health points, he would probably survive having a meteor dropped on his head. Beyond that, I was amazed that he was still in C-Tier. It just went to show how much variety could be found within a single Tier.


    In the game, Kinro was a recruitable NPC companion you could occasionally bring into battles once you reached level 20. He was absurdly powerful compared to the early level at which you could first recruit him, but he came with serious downsides.


    The first downside was that Kinro was incredibly expensive. I had to pay his debts off with gold when I first recruited him, and funding his prodigious drinking habit was no small feat. The other downside in the game was that Kinro wouldn¡¯t always follow the player¡¯s commands. Sometimes, he would be too drunk to fight. Other times, he would attack the wrong target.


    ¡°There are no worries in the Kingdom¡­ of¡­ Etronia. Not like Yomotsu. No, it¡¯s smooth sailing in the land of stars and roses,¡± Kinro muttered to himself as he leaned back and pressed the back of his head against a log.


    ¡°Where did that other mage go, anyway?¡± Kinro asked no one in particular.


    ¡°His name is Beltane Ostara, and he left to scout Etron just before you got here,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll meet up with him when we get there in two days.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fun. What¡¯s this Beltane¡¯s stance on booze?¡±

 Chapter 86 - [White Rose]

    Eadric started to talk to Kinro, who responded with noncommittal enunciations. As they spoke, I silently stood up and walked away from the light of the campfire. I had business to attend to just outside of camp, and that moment was an excellent time to make a quick exit.


    Soon after the light from the fire faded behind me, I walked far enough to exit the clearing. I had lived in that clearing for about two months by that point, so I knew where everything was, even in the near-total darkness of night.


    Once I was sure that no one sitting at the campfire could see me, I snapped my fingers, and a mote of Hellfire began to float next to my head. With my path now illuminated, I saw that the ground was covered in wild roses.


    As I walked, making sure to step around the sharp thorns, I remembered that the crest of House Polaris was that of a rose. Roses appeared frequently in Etronian politics and art since they naturally grew near the capital. That was also why the name ¡°Thorn¡± was so prevalent in the region.


    I walked through the illuminated darkness for less than ten minutes before I reached a small, dilapidated structure that was once part of a large medieval fortification. A great castle or fort once stood there, but all that remained in the year 630 CA was an ivy-laden archway and a barely standing stone wall.


    Running parallel to the stone wall was a hidden staircase that descended down into the ground. Foliage grew around the staircase in thick growths, so it would be difficult to spot for anyone who didn¡¯t already know where it was.


    With no hesitation, I started walking down the staircase as a small spark of Hellfire lit my way.


    Johan. What are you doing? This is a cairn! Even at the height of my power, I wouldn¡¯t dare enter one of these! You are low on mana, and you¡¯re level 20! You couldn¡¯t possibly survive this!


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    The original Thale Feldrast¡¯s appeared in my mind. His voice was much stronger now, and he could remain awake for much longer compared to six years ago.


    You¡¯re right. This is a cairn. Luckily for us, however, the test within this cairn is one of knowledge, not one of combat. I¡¯ve completed this cairn a few times. It¡¯s definitely the easiest to complete, as long as you know what to say.


    I responded to Thale¡¯s inquiry with a casual tone. Would ¡°tone¡± be the right word here? The communication was entirely mental.


    Many great heroes have been brought low by hubris. I know that you have great knowledge of this world, but you are underestimating the danger here. Do not enter the cairn.


    A grunt of annoyance escaped from my throat as I reached the bottom of the steps.


    Well, I need to complete the cairn, no matter what you say. There¡¯s something at the end of this cairn that will increase my power significantly. We both agree that I need power, right?


    A door stood at the bottom of the steps. On this door, an advanced warding rune had been inscribed. At my level of experience, I couldn¡¯t even imagine trying to dispel the ward.


    ¡°Rosa alba,¡± I muttered the password casually.


    A few seconds passed, but the ward did not fall away. Instead, the arcane runes shifted in place, forming a single line of text. A pervasive feeling of shock seeped into my bones as I realized that the words were written in my native tongue: English.


    SPEAK THE PASSWORD AND ENTER


    A confused voice echoed through my mind.


    What language is that?


    I knew the answer after less than a second of thought. I said two words that sounded alien in my new mouth, ¡°White rose.¡±


    Immediately, the runes shifted. It was as if some great puzzle was solving itself in front of me. Small geometric shapes fit into others, and criss crossing white lines linked together into a large, pleasing symmetry. Just as the ward transformed into its most simplistic form, it flashed slightly and then faded completely from view.


    A moment after the ward disappeared, the large metal door creaked open ominously.

 Chapter 87 - [The Cairn]

    As the door slowly opened, creaking on its ancient hinges, I looked on in shocked confusion. The password had been in English, a language that I didn¡¯t think existed in Ferrum. The only time I had seen anything written in English since being reborn was when I¡¯d get messages from the System.


    Sure, the original puzzle in the game had been in English, but I assumed that had just been an in-universe translation. If your character understood what was being said, the game would translate it into English. I initially spoke the password in the Ancient tongue because the cairn was built before written history.


    You speak that language, Johan?


    The voice in my head asked me that question in an attempt to get a better grasp on the confusing situation. It was self-evident that I spoke English. He just wanted me to confirm this truth.


    Yes. That was my mother tongue, though I certainly didn¡¯t expect to run into that language here.


    I stepped forward past the door and into the cairn. My body was just one step into the cairn when I felt a force try to wrench control away from me. Though the force was much stronger than it had been the first time, I was ready for it.


    I stumbled slightly as I fought Thale for control of my muscles. The force pressing against my mind stopped after a few seconds, and I could sense the exhaustion that had taken hold of Thale. Any amount of mental exertion would drain him for hours, and that short mental battle would prevent him from making another attempt to wrest control from me until I was done with the cairn.


    By the gods below, stop being so stubborn! If you die, I¡¯ll die too!


    Paying little attention to the voice in my head, I looked around at the underground chamber I had just entered. As I expected, the first chamber of the cairn had three statues near its center and a large stone door on the opposite side. The walls, ceiling, and floor of the chamber was adorned with marble tiles.


    There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of, Thale. I¡¯ve already memorized the three puzzles in this cairn.


    How do you know that the puzzles haven¡¯t changed? Your first attempt to solve the door¡¯s password was wrong. If there had been a trap on that door, we¡¯d already be dead.


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    I¡¯ve also memorized where the traps are.


    I pointed one finger at the door on the opposite side of the chamber. As I did so, my Hellfire spark jumped to the torches lining the walls, lighting them as it passed.


    There¡¯s a fire trap attached to the ceiling, and there¡¯s a pit trap attached to a floor puzzle in the next room. Even if I were to activate the fire trap, we wouldn¡¯t be harmed.


    My body wouldn¡¯t be harmed, but everything I had brought with me would be destroyed. Losing my wand would set me back monetarily, but it certainly wouldn¡¯t be a serious problem.


    How do you know these things, Johan? You¡¯ve never given me a sufficient answer to this question.


    As I said to Beltane, I¡¯m an emissary sent by Death. That wasn¡¯t a lie. I was sent here from another world when I died. In my previous world, I was able to view Ferrum and interact with it.


    With the chamber now well lit, I inspected the three statues in the center of the chamber much more thoroughly. I knew from experience that the statues would depict the God of War, the God of Magic, and the Goddess of Nature. To solve the puzzle, I would have to rotate the God of War to the south, the God of Magic to the north, and the Goddess of Nature to the east.


    Before reaching this cairn, you were supposed to go on a long quest where you would find three slips of paper with three different messages.


    The God of War faces downward toward the body.


    The God of Magic faces upward toward the mind.


    The Goddess of Nature faces toward the land of ancient forests.


    As I looked at the statues, I withdrew my pocket watch and said, ¡°Mephistopheles, could you please point north?¡±


    The watch whirred as its hands moved to be synchronous with one another and then adjusted to point unerringly in one direction. I slowly tilted the watch, and its hands moved in tandem with the tilting in order to continue pointing north.


    With my eyes still on my pocket watch, I turned to the statue of the God of Magic. There, I saw something strange. Attached to the God of Magic¡¯s belt was a small circular object that closely resembled my own pocket watch. I also saw that the statue was dressed like a low-level Mage. The God of Magic held a wand in one hand, but he did not hold a staff in the other.


    The statue of the God of Magic I remembered from the game carried a long staff in his right hand. I briefly turned my head toward the other two statues and noticed that each one was different from what I remembered.


    My eyes turned back toward the statue of the God of Magic, and I found myself looking directly into its eyes. Despite my short stature, the statue was the exact same height as me. I looked at the statue¡¯s face, looked down at its body, and turned to look at the wand it carried in its hand before realizing something.


    The statue was me.


    A severe teenager with piercing eyes was carved into that stone edifice. He looked thin and weak, but an adult¡¯s intelligence shone in his eyes. Fear began to fill my body as I realized that the statue portrayed me at that exact moment. I was the exact same height as the statue, and I wore the exact same outfit.


    I circled around the statue, and my worries increased. The back of the cloak worn by the statue was torn in three parallel scratches. It was an exact replica of the cloak I was wearing at that very moment.

 Chapter 88 - [Grand Plan]

    A strong urge to flee from that cairn filled my body. This was wrong. Something about my presence in Ferrum had changed the cairn. That should have been impossible. The cairns were built thousands of years ago. My birth fifteen years before should not have caused the statue to be any different.


    I backed away from the statue and exited quickly through the entrance to the cairn.


    What is a statue of me doing in there?


    The voice in my head wondered out loud.


    I don¡¯t know.


    You don¡¯t know? Great. Sounds like we need to turn around and head back to the camp.


    I considered following Thale¡¯s advice for several long seconds. There were clearly factors in that cairn that I hadn¡¯t foreseen, but I was still certain that the basic layout of the cairn would be the same.


    I wanted to give up on the cairn, but I couldn¡¯t. The reward at the end would be indispensable for my time in the capital. Lightly, I placed my wand and shield bracelet on one of the steps outside of the cairn.


    If I don¡¯t acquire the reward at the end of this cairn, Thale, there is a very high chance both of us will die in Etron.


    What? Are you talking about the Lich Cult? Why would they want to kill you? They loved me.


    I¡¯m sure they did. My point is that they¡¯re going to attack us within the next week.


    Oh, don¡¯t you start getting all judgmental. I¡¯ve seen the ¡°grand plan¡± you¡¯ve been working on. How many people do you think you¡¯ll have to kill before you¡¯re done? One hundred? Two hundred?


    I didn¡¯t answer the question. Instead, I took my pocket watch and placed it down on the step next to my other two pieces of equipment.


    Now without my most valuable possessions, I re-entered the cairn. If I were to mess up the puzzle and activate the fire trap, I would only lose the traveling clothes I was wearing. My possessions I had placed outside of the cairn were probably worth about fifty gold coins together, and the clothes I was wearing couldn¡¯t have been worth more than a few silver pieces.


    Inside of the cairn, I once more inspected the three statues. When my pocket watch showed me the way north, it pointed toward the inner door. Considering that the three statues pointed toward the entrance, I knew that they all faced south. My statue was to the west, the ¡°God of War¡± statue was in the center, and the ¡°Goddess of Nature¡± statue was to the east.


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    Trying not to look at my own statue, I turned my attention to the statue in the center. This statue depicted Kal, the God of War, in the game, but it too had changed. Whereas the original statue depicted a man wearing a helmet and wielding a shield and warhammer, this statue depicted a man wielding a scimitar in one hand and nothing in the other.


    It was only when I inspected the middle statue¡¯s left wrist that I noticed he was wearing a shield bracelet. The man depicted must have been an Arcane Knight or a Spellblade. The middle statue did not wear a helmet like the original, so I could make out the man¡¯s features. He seemed to be in his early thirties, and his hair was long and unkempt.


    Based on the man¡¯s armor and thick traveling cloak, I figured that he must have been a mercenary. Well, that certainly fit with the ¡°God of War¡± motif, but there was still one thing about the statue that seemed strange to me. Something was off about this man. His features didn¡¯t quite match those of a native Etronian. Could he be Caligan? Could he be from the deserts of Mitrikova?


    By the man¡¯s features, I would assume he was a foreigner, but he wore the rose crest of the King¡¯s armies as a latch on his cloak. He was certainly a soldier of Etronia, yet I knew the Etronian army loathed the prospect of allowing non-Etronians into their number.


    Knowing that I would not be able to come to a conclusion without meeting the man myself, I turned my attention to the final statue. The final statue depicted a girl who couldn¡¯t have been much older than me. She had long hair, and she held a shortbow in one hand. The girl was dressed in the leather armor of a Hunter, and her features bore a striking resemblance to the scions of House Polaris.


    As I was looking at the statue¡¯s face, something in its eyes caught my attention. There was an awareness in those eyes that contrasted heavily against the girl¡¯s youthful face. The juxtaposition was less obvious compared to the one present on my own face, but it was there nonetheless.


    Could she have been a reincarnate like me? Sure, the intelligence and greater awareness in the statue¡¯s eyes could have been caused by a harsh upbringing. Sure, I might have been looking for something that wasn¡¯t there. Yet, the context clues told me that I could be right. Her statue was depicted right next to mine, and she was the same age as me. We might have both reincarnated at around the same time.


    I looked at the three statues and considered what I should do. The statues were different, but they all portrayed something similar. Like before, the statues depicted a mage, a fighter, and a hunter. The clues would still apply. The Mage would still face north toward the mind, the Fighter would still face south toward the body, and the Hunter would still face east toward Caligo.


    Silently, I grabbed my own statue and started to rotate it. Some mechanism built into the base of the statue allowed me to rotate it, even with my low physical stats. I turned my own statue to the north, and I turned the girl¡¯s statue to the east. The mercenary¡¯s statue stayed where it was since it was already facing the right direction.


    Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I started walking toward the inner door.

 Chapter 89 - [Ahriman]

    As I walked toward the inner door, I prepared to jump backward and run for the exit as fast as my legs would carry me. The fire would be completely unable to harm me, but smoke inhalation would still pose a problem. Even if I was completely engulfed in choking smoke, I would be fine as long as I held my breath.


    I reached a hand toward the small circular pressure plate built into the door. My hand was halted by a voice.


    Are you sure about this?


    I inhaled deeply to steady my nerves and prepare to hold my breath during my retreat from the cairn.


    Not at all, but I still need to do this.


    Before Thale could respond to my statement, I forced my hand forward, causing the pressure plate to depress inward. I flinched backward as a long moment of silence passed, ready to bolt at a moment¡¯s notice.


    A creaking noise emanated from the door. With a loud noise of shifting stone, the door began to roll out of my way. Relief flooding through my body, I released the breath I had been holding in. I had answered the puzzle correctly. If even one of the statues had been pointing the wrong direction, fire would have flooded the room.


    Happy that I didn¡¯t activate the trap, I looked back to the statues and marveled at the ingenuity. The puzzle was entirely mechanical, so it could not be dispelled, unlike the ward on the door. Every other part of the cairn could be bypassed by a sufficiently skilled Mage, but this one door required outside knowledge.


    You were right, somehow.


    My feet carried me to a second chamber that was much larger than the first. About a dozen torches lined the walls, and I sent my Hellfire spark to light them. The ceiling was about five meters high, and the floor was marked with several dozen pressure plates.


    Once the chamber was sufficiently lit in a warm orange glow, I could see that every pressure plate was marked with a single letter. I tried to not let my shock register as I realized that the letters were in English. Automatically, I noticed that a path could be traced from my side to the other by stepping on the plates alphabetically.


    Starting on the ¡°A¡± tile, I could move up the alphabet until I eventually reached the ¡°J¡± tile which connected to the other side. From my English-speaking perspective, the puzzle seemed like it was created for children. It was the kind of puzzle that one would expect to find on the children¡¯s menu at a restaurant.


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    Are those the same runes from the door?


    To those who didn¡¯t speak English, however, the puzzle would be completely inscrutable. Nothing on Ferrum should provide evidence of how the English alphabet was organized. No, this puzzle was made to be solvable by people from Earth. It was made for me and, if my assumptions were correct, the other two whose statues stood in the antechamber.


    Yes.


    Can you solve the puzzle?


    I was fairly certain that I knew the answer to this puzzle as well, but I didn¡¯t trust it. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the answer was simply too simple. Luckily for me, I didn¡¯t have to trust the puzzle.


    This last puzzle was the reason that I had come alone. Back in the game, it was common for players to sequence-break the puzzle with magic. In fact, I had planned this whole time to simply bypass the puzzle anyway.


    ¡°Volare,¡± I chanted, removing my body from the crushing grasp of gravity. Usually, I could bypass the verbal component of the [Fly] spell with my wand, but I left it at the door.


    ¡°Vento,¡± I pointed my hand backward, blowing a harsh gust of wind behind myself. The force of the wind carried me safely across the floor that was completely covered in pressure plates.


    I released concentration on the [Fly] spell the moment my body reached the other end of the pit trap. Flying over the pressure plates must have used about 10 mana, and I was running out quickly. Turning my attention inward, I realized that my lower core was completely depleted, and my upper core was about almost full. I couldn¡¯t have had more than 20 mana left over.


    My Hellfire spark floated over to me, illuminating the end of the cairn. In front of me was a collection of brass candle-holders. They were organized in a geometric pattern with an arcane circle linking them.


    The spark floated forward, lighting each candle one by one. As the candles were lit, light was thrown onto the stone wall behind them, revealing a crest. The crest was a three-pointed sigil that bore the sign for humans, elves, and demons on each point. The style of the crest made it clear that it was demonic in origin.


    Johan, do you know what you¡¯re doing? This is a demonic summoning ritual. While I have no objection to the morality of such an act, I must mention that the ritual is incomplete. There is no binding ward attached to the circle. Whatever you summon will be completely out of your control.


    I raised one hand and made an arcane symbol.


    The binding ward would be completely pointless. You can¡¯t bind a demon like this one.


    ¡°Ahriman!¡± I shouted, causing the summoning circle to glow bright silver. The fire flared and grew until the space above the circle was completely engulfed in flame.


    Just as quickly as it came, the pillar of flame dissipated, leaving a large creature floating above the summoning circle. The creature had skin the color of stone, leathery wings, and two chitinous horns protruding out of his forehead. He had legs like a goat¡¯s, but his upper body was that of a man. Most notably, the creature would easily stand at four meters tall when standing up straight.


    Though the creature had wings, his levitation was not maintained by them. His legs were arranged in a cross-legged sitting position, and his chin was resting on a hand that was braced against his leg.


    The creature before me was Ahriman, Greater Demon of Knowledge.

 Chapter 90 - [My Mark]

    Ahriman looked at me with probing eyes. For several seconds, he did not move, he merely stared at me with an inscrutable expression on his face.


    Your plan was to summon a greater demon? What are you doing!?


    There was no doubt in my mind that Ahriman could kill me in a second, but I knew he was different from other demons. More than anything else, Ahriman¡¯s goal was to acquire knowledge. He did not want my life or my soul. All he wanted was my knowledge, and I certainly had plenty of that to offer.


    ¡°Ahriman, I come bearing the gift of knowledge,¡± I said in as formal a voice as I could muster, falling to one knee as I spoke.


    A moment passed, and I felt like a headsman''s axe was hanging over my neck.


    ¡°Thale Feldrast,¡± Ahriman said in a deep voice. He did not seem to be straining his vocal chords, but his voice completely filled the chamber. Him knowing my name surprised me, but I was even more surprised by what he said next. In perfect English, he said, ¡°Do you understand my words?¡±


    I kept my eyes pointed at the ground to hide my fear from the greater demon. Why in God¡¯s name could he speak English? Had he become aware that he was trapped in a video game? Would he kill me if I revealed the truth?


    Frantically coming to a resolution, I decided to tell the truth. A mage as powerful as Ahriman probably had some method to passively detect falsehoods, so I did not dare tell a lie in his presence.


    ¡°Yes, I speak this language,¡± I replied in English, trying to give away as little information as possible.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Ahriman enunciated with a smile. ¡°We have been awaiting your arrival, Messiah.¡±


    ¡°Messiah?¡± I responded dumbly. Once more, the English words felt strange in my mouth. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    In English, Ahriman responded, ¡°It is your fate to save this world. Based on my knowledge of this language, ¡®Messiah¡¯ is the most accurate word to describe you. If you wish to know anything more, you will have to trade something of equal value.¡±


    It gave me pause to hear the word ¡°Messiah¡± come from the mouth of such a knowledgeable entity. When Beltane used that word to describe me, I assumed it was the result of directionless zealotry. Here, however, was strong evidence that Beltane¡¯s prophecy was true.


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    Though, I had to remember who was speaking. Ahriman was still a demon. Even though he loathed deception, he was still capable of lying. I was sure he would lie to gain more knowledge.


    I knew that his words were manipulation. He revealed just enough information to entice me, but not enough to present any real answers. If I were to fall into his rhythm, we would start to trade knowledge until my knowledge of Ferrum was completely depleted, and he had just revealed enough to keep me hungry for more. Ahriman¡¯s words were a trap, and I would not fall for it.


    ¡°I seek only one thing,¡± I said, keeping my eyes pointed at the ground. I dared not look him in the eyes, for I knew that a greater demon could affect a mortal¡¯s mind through eye contact alone. ¡°I wish for the Mark of Ahriman.¡±


    What are you two talking about? If he intends to kill you, there¡¯s nothing you can do. In such a circumstance, our only hope of survival is if you cede control of our body to me. I might be able to banish him in the fraction of a second before he kills you.


    That wouldn¡¯t work. Even if you could cast [Banishment] that quickly, the mana drain would probably kill us. Now be quiet, I¡¯m trying to focus.


    All this talk of Messiahs and fate was just a distraction from my goal: the Mark of Ahriman. I came to that cairn for a single reason, and nothing that Ahriman said changed that fact.


    I might have been able to extract some information safely from Ahriman, but I wanted to keep our interaction as short as possible. Demons were tricky creatures, and every minute I spent in Ahriman¡¯s presence increased the likelihood that he would unveil another trick up his sleeve.


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± Ahriman said in English, his tone making it clear that he was frowning. ¡°My standard deal still applies. I shall grant you my Mark. In return, you must reveal to me one piece of information that I do not know.¡±


    There it was, the trade I had been looking for. I had prepared the piece of information that I would trade for the Mark of Ahriman several months before, and I delivered that information to Ahriman with no hesitation, ¡°I wish to pay for your Mark with my knowledge of the secret of House Polaris. Would you find that to be a suitable trade?¡±


    There was a moment of silence before Ahriman said, ¡°Yes, I would find that knowledge to be sufficient. That¡¯s assuming you actually know the secret and do not lie.¡±


    Only a fool would lie to a greater demon, I thought to myself. Quickly, I said, ¡°The secret of House Polaris is that [Time Stop] does not work on those affected by the [Fly] spell. Should this information be revealed, much of the power of House Polaris would evaporate.¡±


    I paused and thought for a moment before adding, ¡°In case this information is not sufficient, I feel that I should also reveal why these two spells interact in such a way. It is not commonly known in this world, but time and space are fundamentally linked. Since [Fly] cuts the caster off from the effects of gravity, it also cuts the caster off from the effects of time dilation.¡±


    There was another pause as if Ahriman was trying to goad me into revealing more information. With bated breath, I awaited his reaction to the information I just revealed. Would he find it to be sufficient?

 Chapter 91 - [Elvish Mana]

    Seconds that felt like hours passed. Then, the silence was broken by a deep, reverberating sound that filled the chamber with rhythmic waves of noise. I thought at first the sound was the result of a sudden earthquake. It took me a moment to realize that I was hearing the sound of Ahriman¡¯s laughter.


    For the first time since Ahriman appeared, I looked up from the ground. I just had to see the expression on his face. The greater demon¡¯s mouth was open, and he was grasping his stomach as waves of laughter washed over him.


    ¡°If I did not know you were telling the truth, I would have denied your veracity,¡± Ahriman said, speaking in Common once more. He seemed to have a much better grasp on the Common language than English, so I figured that Ahriman probably had much more experience in the former. ¡°I will gladly take this knowledge into my collection. Though, I cannot in good-faith claim that what you have shared is just one piece of knowledge. You have told me a secret of a noble house and a secret of the very universe itself. The secret of House Polaris is more than enough for me to grant you my Mark, but what should I give you for the other secret?¡±


    The greater demon¡¯s hand returned to his chin in a contemplative gesture. He seemed deep in thought, and I wished to disincentivize such gift-giving. A ¡°demon¡¯s gift¡± was shorthand for a gift that was ultimately harmful to the recipient, after all.


    ¡°No, you need not grant me any more than I ask,¡± I said, placing a warding hand in front of myself. ¡°I would not request special treatment from a being such as you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I insist,¡± Ahriman said, an expression approaching offense appearing on his face. ¡°By our deal, I am honor-bound to carry out all stipulations in good-faith. I have already evoked the standard of ¡®equal value,¡¯ so I must uphold that standard.¡±


    I tried to suppress any fear response as I noticed a look of annoyance on Ahriman¡¯s face. He was clearly annoyed that his own attempts at infernal manipulation had backfired in such a way. Personally, I would have preferred for him to just give me the Mark of Ahriman and disappear, but things were still moving in my favor. I just had to make it clear to Ahriman that I did not intentionally bring about this situation.


    ¡°Revelation of a previously unknown property of the universe? What is that worth?¡± Ahriman said, deep in thought. ¡°Well¡­ we¡¯re in Etronia, so it would have to be that.¡±


    A shadow passed over Ahriman¡¯s hand, and a stone box appeared in between those huge gray digits. There was a flash of silver light, and the top of the box popped off. As the stone lid crashed to the ground, I realized that the box was large enough for me to fit inside. It just looked small when held within Ahriman¡¯s grasp.


    Unseen by me, Ahriman removed something from inside the stone box, which I realized at that moment was a coffin, and handed it to me. I held one hand out with the palm pointed upward, and a small ring forged from an unknown blue metal was deposited in my hand.


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    I clasped my hand around the ring without examining it further. At that moment, I had to focus all of my attention on the greater demon floating in the center of that chamber. I would examine the ring in greater detail soon, that much was certain.


    ¡°In consideration of the knowledge you have imparted, I grant to you a magic item of equal value,¡± Ahriman said. His words sounded to me like the boilerplate language on a legal contract. ¡°As for the other thing I owe you¡­¡±


    Ahriman punctuated the end of his sentence with a snap of the fingers. A bright arcane circle appeared in the air between the two of us that was written on the air itself. I knew just enough about magic at that time to be completely blown away by that act of magical expertise. It should have been impossible to form an arcane circle without a solid medium; that was why Transmuters used metal disks for their circles and Sorcerers wrote their arcane sigils on arcane foci. If a Mage could create arcane circles at will, all of that would become redundant. Yet, Ahriman did it almost casually.


    A pain covered the front of my chest as if a thousand tiny needles were being pressed into my skin. I gasped in pain and undid the buttons on my shirt in order to remove the cloth from my sensitive skin. Mercifully, the pain receded after a few seconds, though I knew the process wasn¡¯t done yet.


    I looked down at my chest and saw the source of my pain. The same symbol of Ahriman that was drawn on the far wall had been tattooed on my chest in pure black ink. The tattoo ran from my collarbone to my navel.


    ¡°I usually use fire to grant my Mark. It lasts a lot longer,¡± Ahriman said offhandedly. ¡°You¡¯re an exception, of course.¡± After casually revealing that he knew about my fire resistance, Ahriman asked one final question. ¡°Elvish or demonic?¡±


    Gritting my teeth and preparing for the much greater pain that was about to come, I answered. ¡°Elvish.¡±


    Ahriman snapped his fingers once more, and another arcane circle appeared in front of him. With that, a terrible pain shot through my entire body. The pain was much worse than the one I had suffered a moment before, and it was all-encompassing. It was the kind of pain that you simply couldn¡¯t resist with force of will.


    All I could do was scream and curl up in a fetal position as my body was changed fundamentally. I could feel it in all of my veins and arteries. Every time my heart pumped, pain shot through my whole body, yet that was not the worst of it. The worst pain came from my stomach. The pain started in the area just above my stomach and radiated outward with my bloodstream.


    ¡°Stop! Stop! Make it stop!¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs. The pain had wrenched my rationality away completely. Even as I begged for mercy, there was no response. I cast my eyes up at Ahriman and saw that he was no longer there.


    After a minute of torment, the pain slowly subsided. Once the pain had disappeared completely, I wiped the blood that had trickled out of my mouth and nose and checked my body for injuries. Other than a full-body ache that I was sure would not go away for several days, I felt fine.


    Shocked, I felt around my body, certain that such pain must have caused lasting injury. My heart was still beating, my lungs still inhaled Oxygen, and my intestines were still in one place.


    In fact, something had improved. My mana cores had been completely replenished and now felt significantly stronger. Though I didn¡¯t feel like I had any ¡°more¡± mana, I could tell that my mana had become significantly more efficient.


    Climbing to my feet, I felt as the elvish mana circulated through my system. Despite the ache suffusing my body, I felt much more powerful.

 Chapter 92 - [Wild Rose]

    At the cairn¡¯s entrance, I picked up my wand and pocket watch. Thale did not bother me during the walk back, so I assumed the mana realignment process knocked him out. My wand was returned to its holster, and I held my pocket watch in one hand, examining my reflection in the fire-lit reflection.


    Physically, I was unchanged beyond the smeared blood on my face and the dark circles under my eyes. My ears were still rounded, and my eyes were their usual red color. For all intents and purposes, I was still human. Yet, if you looked under the surface, you would see something completely different.


    [Observe, Lvl. 9]


    Name: Thale Feldrast


    Class: Mage


    Level: 20


    HP: 61


    MP: 455


    Fortitude: 6


    Strength: 6


    Agility: 7


    Intelligence: 20


    Willpower: 16


    Charisma: 13


    Mana Conductivity: 3.8 ¦Ì/s


    Tier: C


    Abilities: [Mana Perception], [Transmutation], [Warding Circle]...


    Spells: [Fly], [Gust], [Wind Knife]...


    Talents: [Hellfire], [Observe], [Triage]


    Alignment: Scrupulous (Good)


    My mana had been replaced with elvish mana by the Mark of Ahriman. Since elvish mana was 50% more efficient than human mana, my mana reserve had increased by more than 150 points. Though late game Mages could theoretically reach more than 1000 points in their mana reserve, it should have been impossible to reach 400 mana at level 20. At my current rate, I would have no difficulty reaching 1000 mana. With this, I could be a lot more liberal with my spellcasting.


    As I walked back to camp, I remembered that I had leveled up earlier that day. Considering that I had just reached level 20, I figured that I should still have two points to apply to my attributes. With that in mind, I mentally sent a message in English.


    System. Do I have any attribute increases on standby?


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    English words appeared in my vision.


    Yes. You may increase any of your attributes by two, or you may increase two of your attributes by one.


    Increase my Intelligence score by two.


    Without hesitation, I gave this command to the System. A warm sensation filled my mind, as if warm water had spilled on my brain. It felt like my mind had become slightly more quick and energetic, like I could do math equations faster.


    [Observe, Lvl. 9]


    MP: 475


    Intelligence: 22


    Considering the attribute that had just appeared in front of my eyes, I realized that Intelligence was just a quantification of spellcasting ability. That attribute increased your mana reserve and allowed you to cast more advanced spells.


    The campfire had just reentered my sight when I thought about how there was no pop-up telling me that I had achieved an attribute increase. I had handled it up to that point by telling the System where to increase my attributes every four levels. If I didn¡¯t know that the System granted an attribute increase every four levels, I wouldn¡¯t have known to ask.


    System. What would you have done if I didn¡¯t tell you which of my attributes to increase?


    I would have increased your attributes automatically a week after you leveled up. Your attributes would have been increased based on where I thought your Character Sheet was lacking.


    I was suddenly very glad that I remembered to apply my attribute increases quickly. The System probably would have dumped all my points into Fortitude if I wasn¡¯t careful.


    Is there an option to turn that off?


    If you find the automatic application of your attribute increases distasteful, then I shall not do so in the future.


    Yes. Please do that.


    As I approached the camp, I heard Eadric¡¯s voice call out from the darkness, ¡°Is that you, Thale?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back,¡± I responded.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for more than an hour,¡± Eadric said as he walked up to me. His tone was one of confusion rather than one of worry. He knew that I could handle anything that forest could throw at me, and he merely wondered where I had been.


    ¡°I was just taking a walk,¡± I lied.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Eadric said with his eyes narrowed. He squinted meaningfully at my pallid and bloodless expression, but I tried to ignore him. He had known me for long enough to know that I rarely did anything for no reason.


    Eadric quickly dropped the subject, and I retreated to my tent. A powerful exhaustion gripped my body, and I wished for nothing more than to fall asleep as soon as possible. I fell back-first onto my bed and withdrew the blue-silver ring from my pocket.


    My first instinct said that the ring was made out of mithril, but that assumption was borne out of other fantasy worlds. I had never actually seen mithril since I came to Ferrum. Seeing a magic ring made out of blue metal, my modern mind immediately jumped to mithril.


    Three rows of miniscule runic script marked the edges of the ring, making it look like it had a rough texture. I turned the ring around in my hand, holding it up to the Hellfire spark to get a better look, and saw that one side of the ring was dominated by a large image of a rose.


    I immediately thought of House Polaris and, to a greater extent, the entirety of the Kingdom of Etronia. Though, based on my memories, the crest of House Polaris was much more refined than the rose inscribed on the ring. The ring¡¯s rose was smaller, and its thorns were much more apparent. It was as if the crest of House Polaris portrayed a domestic rose, and the ring portrayed a wild rose.


    I was too tired to further consider the ring. I moved the ring with the intent to place it on the middle finger of my right hand, but I hesitated. The ring was gifted to me by a greater demon, after all. Though I trusted Ahriman to follow through on his promises more than any other demon, his nature was still demonic. He never promised that the ring wasn¡¯t cursed.


    Unsure of what to do with the ring, I clamped my hand around its metallic body and held it close to my chest. I didn¡¯t want to put it on my finger, and I really didn¡¯t want it to get stolen. With my hand firmly around the ring, I extinguished the Hellfire spark illuminating my tent. Within seconds, I was asleep.

 Chapter 93 - [Tiers]

    The sky was just starting to brighten from the light of dawn when I awoke the next day. Though my exhausted body protested against the activity, I pushed myself up and stretched in an attempt to dispel the ache from my ailing body. The ache from the mana realignment had faded somewhat, but it still hurt to move. As I stretched, a small metallic object slipped from my hand.


    Reaching down, I picked the blue ring off of the ground. Even after a night¡¯s sleep, the ring was still there. Turning it over once more in my hand, the ring still did not betray any sinister properties. Ahriman had retrieved the ring from a coffin, so it probably wasn¡¯t demonic in origin.


    I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. The ring was supposed to be a gift, and I would not gain any of its benefits by being over-cautious. With my right hand, I drew my wand, and I prepared to place the ring on the pinky finger of my left hand. If the ring tried to kill me, I would sever that finger with a Wind Knife.


    Carefully, I placed the ring on my finger before frantically withdrawing my wand and aiming it at the finger. Moments passed, and nothing happened. A sigh of relief exited my lungs, and I returned my wand to its sheath.


    If there was any curse on the ring, it did not activate when worn for the first time. I had never heard of a cursed ring that activated at any other time, so I was pretty sure that I was safe. I started to transfer the ring to my other hand when I noticed a much larger script on the inside of the ring. In runic letters, a single message had been written inside of the ring¡¯s band: ????? ?????? (Etron Polaris).


    Written on the inside of the ring was the name of the Hero of the Cataclysm and founder of the Kingdom of Etronia. The name was basically inescapable in that country, so I had read it often. Whoever made the ring probably inscribed the name to list Etron as an inspiration or to invoke his power in some way, I thought at the time. Invoking Etron¡¯s name was basically a national pastime in my homeland.


    Paying the inscription little mind, I placed the ring on the middle finger of my right hand and started getting ready for the trip ahead.


    <hr>


    The sun was still low in the sky by the time everything was packed into the carriages and the horses were ready to go. Eadric brought the third carriage that we had prepared ahead of time to the clearing. We needed a lot of extra space to hold the head of the great talpa.


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    Through extended use of the [Lift Object] spell, I packed everything into my carriage long before everyone else was done. At one point, Eadric walked over to me and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you low on mana, Thale? Should you be using magic like that?¡±


    Absentmindedly, I scratched the sensitive skin on my chest as I said, ¡°I still have plenty of mana left over. I have even more mana than Beltane, remember?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Eadric said. He clearly did not believe me, but he didn¡¯t want to press the issue. Eadric knew roughly how much mana I had, and he knew that I should have been depleted after killing a great beast and levitating its head for an hour.


    I sat in the driver¡¯s seat of my carriage while I waited for the other two to get done with their preparations. Considering that I could see Eadric physically push Kinro out of his hammock from where I was sitting, I figured it would be a while.


    While I sat there, I thought about one piece of information that I saw on my Character Sheet the night before. I had advanced from D-Tier to C-Tier. To put that in perspective, 90% of all people on Ferrum were in D-Tier. Beltane and Eadric were in C-Tier, and Walter was in B-Tier at the time of his death. Much to my chagrin, even I had to admit that the Red Knight was in A-Tier. Roughly speaking, a Tier was equivalent to 25 levels. People typically reached C-Tier at level 25, which meant I was ahead of the curve.


    I was happy to be out of D-Tier, since that was typically considered to be filled with commoners and cannon-fodder. Those in C-Tier were able to hold their own, somewhat. Knights and veteran monster hunters were the typical examples used of NPCs in C-Tier.


    Though D-Tiers were considered fodder compared to C-Tiers, it was like that at every Tier. Walter was vastly stronger than Beltane, and the Red Knight was vastly stronger than Walter.


    To defeat the Red Knight, I still had to advance two more Tiers. The vast amount of ground I had to make up if I was ever going to reach A-Tier became very clear to me in that moment.


    As I looked down at my hands, I reminded myself that my own physical power was the only thing I could rely upon to kill the Red Knight. I could find the identity of the Red Knight, raise an army, and bring it crashing against his home. My position as a wealthy nobleman made that very doable.


    Yet, that would never work. An army of ten thousand D-Tiers and fifty C-Tiers would have no chance against the Red Knight. Thousands of soldiers would die as he carved a bloody crest through my army. No, it was only by investing in my own power and the power of exceptional individuals like that drunken samurai that I had any chance of killing the Red Knight.

 Chapter 94 - [The Shoulders of Giants]

    After sitting in the driver¡¯s seat for several minutes, I jumped out of the seat and walked to the back of my carriage. I opened the door to the back of my carriage and saw my transmutation setup in all its glory. I realized that it was only with the sheer weight and momentum of hundreds of years of technological progress that I was able to create the miracle powder in the first place.


    ¡°¡®If I have seen further, it is only by standing upon the shoulders of giants,¡¯¡± I muttered to myself in English as I ran my hand across the leather spines of the books that I had acquired over those past six years. Most of them were historical in nature, but a few were treatises on the ¡°proper¡± use of certain schools of magic.


    Remembering the inscription on the interior of the rose ring, I withdrew a book entitled, On the Life of Etron Polaris, from a chest. Strangely, the book was written in Elvish, but I had learned enough Elvish under Beltane¡¯s tutelage to read such a book. My pronunciation was awful, but I could carry out a basic conversation in the Language of the Elders.


    With the history book in hand, I turned to the larger chest near the carriage¡¯s entrance. I drew my wand and lightly tapped the top of the trunk, causing a silver skull and several warding circles to flash across its body. The chest had been heavily warded by Beltane, and the silver skull served as a warning to anyone with the temerity to attempt its theft.


    I withdrew the chest¡¯s only key from my pocket and placed it in the chest¡¯s lock. Silver runes on the key flared in resonance with the wards, and the chest unlocked with little resistance. I lifted the chest open, revealing an inert ward on the inside of the chest¡¯s lid. By placing the key in the lock, I deactivated an arcane circle that would have struck me with a conjured bolt of lightning. Even if any would-be thief had the skill to break the exterior wards, they would be caught off-guard by the interior booby trap.


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    Inside of the chest, I saw a glittering trove of gold coins that would fill a dragon with jealousy. Last time I had counted the treasure held within that chest, it held 912 Etronian gold coins. All told, it contained about half of all the gold I had made working for Sendrick over the past six years. The other half was set aside for running the camp, building my network, and paying salaries.


    There was another chest in Eadric¡¯s wagon where he had deposited that month¡¯s payment. After the thirty gold coins had been deposited, the other chest must have held about eighty gold coins.


    A man could retire on the amount of money contained on our humble wagons, so the extensive wards were more than justified. There was little to be worried about, however, as the roads of 630 CA were relatively peaceful. As long as the King still lived and the Kingdom remained unbroken, there would be nothing on the roads that two C-Tiers (maybe three on a good day) couldn¡¯t handle.


    I closed and locked the chest before returning to my seat at the front of the carriage. Crossing my legs, I placed my Elvish book on the history of Etron against my knee and started reading. By the time an hour had passed, and I had reached page two hundred of the book, a quick trill sounded from the front carriage. A moment later, it started to move.


    I was so engrossed in the book that I hardly noticed the departure of the carriage in front of me. I heard Kinro shout from Eadric¡¯s wagon, ¡°Hey! Let¡¯s get moving!¡±


    With a frown, I dog-eared the book and grabbed the reins. Though my hands were on the reins, my head was in the clouds as we departed. There was one phrase that I couldn¡¯t get out of my head, one phrase that appeared in that history book time and time again: ¡°wild rose.¡±

 Chapter 95 - [The Ring of Etron]

    Out of the corner of my eye, I peered at the blue-silver ring on my finger. That strange, wild rose stared back at me like a haunting memory. Before he gave me that ring, Ahriman said, ¡°We are in Etronia.¡± There must have been significance to those words.


    Another one of Ahriman¡¯s statements flashed through my mind, ¡°A gift equal to a revelation of a fundamental universal process.¡± To Ahriman, there must have been little that could be equivalent to the value of such knowledge. It had taken him a long time to come up with a prize that would be equivalent to my revealing the nature of space and time.


    I pulled the ring slightly closer to my eye and dared to imagine what the ring could be. The ring bore the name of Etron and the crest of the ¡°wild rose.¡± On the Life of Etron spoke of a magic ring worn by the Hero, and it claimed that the ring bore the crest of House Polaris. The ring I wore on my finger, could it be the Ring of Etron?


    A strong motivating force of curiosity filled my body, and I gripped the reins tightly in one hand and, with the other hand, frantically fumbled for the book on the seat next to me. I reached down to my book of history and started flipping through the pages. I had almost given up when, on the very last page, I found an illustration of the crest of Etron. Holding the crest in one hand and the ring in the other, I compared the two. They were a perfect match.


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    I laughed darkly as the significance of the ring hit me like a freight train. Upon my finger, I wore the ring of the man who saved the world. I remembered how Ahriman retrieved the ring. That stone box Ahriman held in his hand could only have been one thing: Etron¡¯s coffin. The ring had been looted from the Hero¡¯s corpse just hours before.


    My mind was filled with a mixture of elation and anxiety as I returned my history book to its resting place on the seat next to mine. The Ring of Etron was an artifact of great power, but it could bring ruin if used without caution. Just about every noble in the country would kill to acquire that ring. It had political value in addition to its value as a magic item. Merely having the Ring in one¡¯s possession would grant a would-be king some legitimacy.


    In a ¡°War of Thorns scenario¡± where I was unable to prevent an Etronian civil war, I could use the Ring as a political bargaining chip. Hopefully, that situation would not come to pass, and I¡¯d be able to stabilize the political climate of Etronia within the next five years.


    I took the reins back in both hands and tried to turn my attention to other matters. The Ring of Etron could be a useful political tool, but it only served me as a weapon of war at that moment.


    After several hours of deep thought, we arrived at a small inn located about a dozen miles south of Etron. The sign hanging above the door read, Mitrikov¡¯s Respite.

 Chapter 96 - [Prometheus and Epimetheus]

    Night was still a few hours off when we arrived at Mitrikov¡¯s Respite, but the horses were exhausted from the day¡¯s travel. We could theoretically reach Etron that night, but the likelihood of complications increased with each hour we traveled. A horse could break its ankle in an unseen pothole, or I could fall asleep at the reins.


    As planned, we stopped at that inn. A trail for horses and carriages led from the main road to the stables behind Mitrikov¡¯s Respite, and we parked our three carriages next to that large wooden structure.


    Mitrikov¡¯s Respite was a three-story-tall building which was allegedly built more than six hundred years ago. According to local legend, the Hero¡¯s Party stopped at this inn when Mitrikov the Great Mage complained about his feet hurting after walking a few hours south of the city now known as Etron. Though Etron, Sondrith, and Yomotsu could have kept walking for many days to come, they agreed to stop for the night at a small shack on the side of the road.


    The inn was certainly not a shack when I saw it in 630 YK. It was made of sturdy wood, and its location so close to the main road assured that everyone passing by could see it. In the game, it was typical for players traveling south from Etron to spend a night at Mitrikov¡¯s Respite.


    Standing in the shadow cast by the tall inn, I disembarked from the carriage. I unlatched the panting horses from their harnesses with ease. Six years of living outside had made me an expert on the subject. The horses charged with pulling my carriage, Prometheus and Epimetheus, were swiftly tied to hitching posts within the stables.


    With that task completed, I headed toward the inn with Eadric. The other two members of our party stayed back with the carriages for their own reasons. As we walked, Eadric looked to me and asked, ¡°So, how was the journey for you?¡±


    ¡°Contemplative, mostly,¡± I answered. ¡°Though, I did discover something really interesting.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°This ring I found is actually an artifact of great power. We shouldn¡¯t talk about it here, but I think this ring will prove to be a great asset in the days to come.¡±


    Eadric muttered a statement of understanding as we stepped into the inn. The inside of Mitrikov¡¯s Respite was much more spacious than one would expect. Standing on the first floor, I could see all the way to the ceiling of the third floor. The rooms were on the second and third floors, and I could see the doors to the rooms from the entrance.


    A woman who seemed to be in her mid-thirties with a light red hair stood behind a bar located off to one side of the common room. With a mug in one hand and a dish towel in the other, the Innkeeper sized us up out of the corner of her eye. Several massive barrels laying on their side could be seen behind the Innkeeper. Metal spigots had been tapped into the lower portion of the barrels from which he could dispense various alcoholic drinks.


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    Chairs and tables were scattered across the common room, and a few travelers sat at these tables with warm meals and room-temperature drinks held in weary hands. Two men dressed in traveler¡¯s leathers talked amongst themselves at a table pulled off to one of the common room¡¯s corners, and another table was occupied by a family composed of a mother and three children. Everyone sitting at these tables took notice of us as we entered the inn.


    Eadric and I approached the Innkeeper, who looked pointedly at Eadric and asked, ¡°You three lookin¡¯ to stay the night?¡±


    Why do they always assume that he¡¯s in charge just because he¡¯s significantly older than me?


    Eadric answered, ¡°Yes, we¡¯re looking for room and board for three people.¡±


    The Innkeeper answered with practiced familiarity. ¡°It¡¯s three silver for your own room, fifty copper for a spot in the common room.¡± As she finished his sentence, she gestured toward a spot near the fireplace that was bereft of tables and chairs.


    ¡°How many rooms are available?¡± Eadric asked.


    ¡°Five on the top floor, one on the middle floor,¡± the Innkeeper said.


    Looking up, I noticed that each floor held five rooms, meaning that there were ten rooms available at Mitrikov¡¯s Respite. Four rooms on the second floor were occupied.


    I made a gesture with my hand and said, ¡°We¡¯ll take all six. I don¡¯t want anyone to bother me when I¡¯m sleeping. That¡¯ll be eighteen silver coins, right? We also need to keep four horses and two wagons in your stable, how much¡­?¡±


    With that, I worked out the bill with the Innkeeper. She was confused at the prospect of a fifteen-year-old asking to rent out six rooms for one night, but she didn¡¯t turn her nose up at the money. Losing eighteen silver coins seemed paltry to me, considering the vast amount of money in my carriage, and the significant number of coins I intended to spend in the next month.


    Once I had paid the Innkeeper and received six room keys, I took a seat at one of the tables and started absentmindedly flipping through my book on the life of Etron. Little did I know, that would soon become one of the most eventful nights of my life.


    <hr>


    Blood stained her shirt where the arrow had grazed her ribs, and she was exhausted from riding at full speed for so long. Fear quickened her breath just as much as the exhaustion, however. She scanned the horizon and every traveler she passed on the road. She pulled her cloak tight to prevent anyone from seeing her features at a distance.


    More than anything, the girl wanted to stop and plead for help from the travelers passing by and greeting her with a smile, but she knew that there could be a killer hiding behind any of those unassuming expressions. She didn¡¯t know who she could trust ever since that town guardsman tried to clamp his hand against her mouth. When she ran for help, they shot her with an arrow.


    They were after her, and she didn¡¯t know why. A group with the power to control two members of the town guard had tried to kill her. At the center of it all, Haydith Thorn had no idea why anyone wanted her dead.

 Chapter 97 - [Barter]

    The sun had fallen beneath the horizon by the time Haydith reached Mitrikov¡¯s Respite. She was leaning heavily into Sherlock¡¯s bloodstained saddle, her eyes half-lidded, as the torchlight of the inn came into view over the horizon. Her Caligan Hound whined with concern as he trotted forward without Haydith¡¯s input.


    ¡°Get off the road,¡± Haydith murmured as she lightly pressed on Sherlock¡¯s flank, commanding him to take a long, looping route toward the inn.


    Sherlock followed the command automatically, but his worry for his master slowed his pace. The inn was surrounded by thick foliage, so Sherlock had to duck under branches and lightly jump over roots as he traveled down this route. Haydith moaned in pain as Sherlock¡¯s irregular path caused the saddle to dig into her injured ribs.


    As she was carried to the inn, Haydith blurrily took stock of her equipment. Hanging from her saddle were her shortbow, hunting knife, and quiver of arrows. In addition to the clothes on her back, those were the only items which she took with her when she escaped from Etron. It was far too dangerous for her to return home. She might have brought danger back to her parents and younger brother.


    Blearily, she fished through her saddlebags and her own pockets in a fruitless attempt to find anything that she had missed the first few times she searched through them. Once more, Haydith¡¯s hand touched nothing more than empty leather. She had brought no food, no water, and no money on her exodus from the capital.


    Out of the cover of the trees, Haydith could see the bright light of the torches surrounding the inn. She squinted as the sudden bright light ruined her night vision. The jovial sound of people socializing emanated from inside the inn. Under normal circumstances, the sounds of merriment would have filled Haydith with excitement and drawn her inside. This time, however, the sound of people filled her with dread. Whatever organization was after her could have sent its agents out to the nearby inns in order to search for her. Any person inside of Mitrikov¡¯s Respite could be an assassin sent to kill her.


    Haydith weakly swung one leg over the saddle and brought her feet down to the muddy ground below. Hours of riding without a break had sapped the energy from her legs, and she fell into the mud. She fell on her back, completely covering her cloak in mud and manure. A painful wheeze escaped from her lungs as she hit the ground.


    For several long moments, Haydith laid on her back and looked up at the starry canvas above. Even in the torchlight, she could see the stars and nebulae much more distinctly than she ever could on Earth. She was in a different world, a world where people killed without a thought and justice came at the end of a sword.


    Haydith groaned in pain as she got to her feet. She removed her weapons from Sherlock¡¯s saddle and slung them around her body. The inn would provide more protection than outside, at least. Hopefully, any assassin would not make a move in such a crowded place.


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    With a sad look in her eyes, Haydith unsheathed her knife a few centimeters so that the blade was just barely visible. She was certain that the knife was valuable enough to be traded for a night¡¯s stay at one of the inn¡¯s private rooms. The hunting knife had been in her possession for a long time, and the prospect of selling it filled her with sorrow.


    New Ability acquired: [Barter].


    Haydith just had enough time to wonder what the words that had just appeared at the top of her vision meant when a description of her new Ability filled her vision completely.


    The [Barter] Skill allows you to attain the best deal in any situation! This is a passive Skill that compels others engaged in a business transaction with you to view you in the best possible light. If there¡¯s a hidden deal, the target will reveal it with minimal resistance. [Barter] only works on individuals who are dispositionally [Neutral] with you. Any individual who is [Hostile] or [Friendly] is not affected by the [Barter] Ability.


    That was Haydith¡¯s fourth unlocked Skill. As a D-Tier, she would not be able to unlock any more Skills until she reached level 25. This Skill, along with the [Lurk], [Sneak Attack], and [Enhance Agility] Skills, would have to carry her through any coming tribulations.


    Haydith had to use both hands as she pushed her way into the central area of Mitrikov¡¯s Respite. Three adults in their late twenties or early thirties sat at the bar, and two younger people sat at one of the many circular tables scattered across the floor. Her heart dropped as she realized that all five of them were armed with either melee weapons or arcane foci.


    Pulling her mud-soaked cloak tight against her white hair, Haydith hurriedly walked up to the Innkeeper standing behind a bar in the center of the room. The female Innkeeper looked at her closely. She saw her sickly complexion, her filthy clothes, and her eyes which darted frantically around the room.


    ¡°Are you alright, girl?¡± the Innkeeper asked with concern in her voice. Years on the job told the Innkeeper that she would not be a normal customer.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Haydith said quickly, holding her hood low to hide her face from the adults sitting a handful of meters to her right. ¡°I need a room for the night, but I lost my coin purse this morning. I¡¯m willing to trade some of my equipment for the room¡­ or I can work in the kitchen to pay off the room.¡±


    She blurted out that last sentence desperately. It was clear to the Innkeeper that she needed to stay the night.


    Pity coloring her features, the Innkeeper said, ¡°I¡¯m real sorry, but all of the private rooms are booked for the night. Now, listen. I think that somebody stayin¡¯ here tonight is a lord, and you know how they are. They value their privacy.¡± Seeing the despair in Haydith¡¯s expression, the Innkeeper added a few words. ¡°Okay, listen. You can sleep in the common room for free. If you want food and drink, I¡¯ll trade for a few of your arrows.¡± She looked pointedly at Haydith¡¯s quiver. ¡°How does that sound?¡±


    Haydith was just about to take the Innkeeper up on his generous offer when she felt a prickling sensation on the back of her neck. She turned frantically and saw a teenager with black hair, pale skin, and red eyes regard her with a cold expression. The teenager¡¯s eyes held the weight of experience, and Haydith noticed with horror as recognition flashed within his expression.

 Chapter 98 - [We Wont Hurt You]

    Everything the Innkeeper said filled Haydith with dread. Whatever group was chasing her must have been tied to the nobility, and a lord had bought out all the private rooms. Haydith saw danger and the promise of a terrible fate in the eyes of everyone present. Even after she turned away from those watchful red eyes, she could still feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing up.


    ¡°Thank you for your generosity,¡± Haydith said, trying unsuccessfully to keep the fear out of her voice, ¡°but I think I¡¯ll just camp outside tonight.¡±


    Haydith started backing away from the bar. Though she desperately did not want to be perceived, two of the adults at the bar stared at her intently. In her attempt to look casual, the aura of terror exuding from her body only increased.


    One of the men sitting at the bar got up and took a step toward Haydith. The man was huge. He had sandy hair, massive biceps, and a scar on his face. As he approached Haydith, her wide eyes locked on to the large battle axe he carried on his hip. The man with the scar on his face asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Haydith shouted, backing away from the dangerous mercenary. The shrillness in her voice made it clear to everyone present that her statement could only be a lie.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to use all of our rooms,¡± the mercenary with a curved sword said with a frightful smile. ¡°You¡¯re free to stay in one of our rooms if you want.¡±


    That must have been the plan, Haydith thought. They planned to grab her once she entered that room, surely.


    ¡°No¡­ thank you,¡± she said, her voice shaking with fear. ¡°I¡¯ll be¡­ fine.¡±


    The man with the scar on his face reached forward to grab Haydith¡¯s shoulder. As his hand moved toward her, he asked, ¡°What happened to¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Haydith cut the mercenary off with three screamed words. Her hunting knife flew to her hand, and she pointed it at the scarred man.


    The man with the battle axe raised his hands in a placating gesture. Haydith thought that he must have been mocking her. At such short range, the scarred mercenary could overpower her easily. He was just trying to calm her down so that he could lure her into a trap.


    Before anyone else could think of what to say, Haydith ran for the door from which she had just entered. She slammed into the door, forcing it open, and ran toward the stables behind Mitrikov¡¯s Respite.


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    ¡°Come here, Sherlock!¡± Haydith called out as she ran. Her massive, 450-kilogram hound came running at the sound of her voice. Without slowing her stride, Haydith looped her foot into a stirrup and lifted herself onto Sherlock¡¯s saddle.


    As Haydith and Sherlock bounded toward the main road, Haydith looked back and saw several of the people standing at the threshold of the inn. Once more, Haydith¡¯s gaze met those crimson eyes. He shouted something, but she didn¡¯t hear him.


    Sherlock galloped down the road until the adrenaline and the fear left Haydith¡¯s body, causing her to slump once more against the saddle. She was still exhausted and, now that the fear of death was gone, it returned even stronger.


    Haydith ordered Sherlock to leave the road once more. As soon as she spotted a clearing between the trees, she ordered Sherlock to stop. Once more, Haydith stepped out of the saddle and onto the ground. This time, Sherlock caught Haydith with his large neck before she could fall heavily to the ground.


    With Sherlock¡¯s help, Haydith lowered herself to the dirt under an old oak tree. The foliage there was so thick that no one further than a few meters away could possibly see her or Sherlock. No one had seen her leave the road, so she was safe, at least for a little while.


    The ground was uncomfortable, and her stomach growled in hunger. At least the night was warm, so she would not freeze to death.


    Haydith stroked Sherlock¡¯s fur as she slowly fell asleep. She had no food, no money, and no shelter. All of that could wait for the morning. For now, the only thing Haydith could do was sleep.


    <hr>


    Haydith¡¯s respite lasted for a mere moment. A great force grasping her body woke her with a sickening lurch. She awoke to find a leather glove clamped over her mouth. She tried to scream, but the firm hand stopped her voice.


    Looking up at her attacker, Haydith saw a sun-bleached skull from which two dark brown antlers sprouted. For a moment, she thought she must have still been dreaming, but then she saw the human eyes peering at her through the holes in the skull. Though the whole image she looked upon was haunting, the eyes were the worst part. The eyes stared back at her with a look of deranged excitement, and Haydith could tell that the man was smiling gleefully under the mask.


    The attacker was wearing a hollowed-out deer skull as a mask, Haydith realized. It was different from the skeletal masks people wore on Halloween back on Earth. The people of Ferrum had not mastered industrial machining enough that they could produce realistic masks that look like skulls.


    No, the mask a few centimeters away from Haydith¡¯s face was made with the rudimentary tools of a Medieval society. With a knife and pick, someone had gouged out parts of the skull to make such a mask. On top of being uncomfortable, it gave the wearer a ghoulish and unnatural appearance.


    Haydith heard Sherlock growling. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two other men in skull masks standing between her and her Caligan Hound.


    ¡°Don¡¯t struggle, and we won¡¯t hurt you¡­¡± the masked man said as he gave Haydith a look that filled her with an uncomfortable, slimy feeling, ¡°much.¡±

 Chapter 99 - [Cannon-Fire]

    Haydith struggled fiercely, but the masked man¡¯s muscles were imbued with superhuman strength granted by the System. There was no way a mere human like Haydith could meaningfully resist the man in a grapple. As she resisted, however, she realized that she could still move one of her arms. The man wearing the deer skull held one hand to Haydith¡¯s mouth and the other hand to one of her wrists, leaving Haydith¡¯s left arm free.


    [Enhance Agility, Lvl. 2]


    Moving faster than her body would otherwise allow, Haydith grabbed her knife and brought it plunging toward the masked man¡¯s neck. Only seeing the striking knife at the last second, her attacker brought a hand up and knocked the knife away. The blow landed with a powerful force, knocking the blade into darkness and causing pain to explode down the length of Haydith¡¯s arm.


    Though she failed to kill her attacker, Haydith had managed to remove his hand from her mouth. As loud as she could, Haydith screamed, ¡°Help me!¡±


    She was only able to get those two words out before the masked man¡¯s hand was back on her mouth. Haydith struck at the masked man with her free hand a few times, but her blows did not harm the man at all. It was like she was punching an iron wall.


    ¡°She¡¯s resisting,¡± the masked man said just loud enough for his allies nearby to hear. ¡°Good. That will make it easier to justify any damage in transit.¡±


    A loud yelp followed by a dog¡¯s whimper could be heard from just outside of Haydith¡¯s sight. She craned her head to the best of her ability with the man holding it firmly against the dirt. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw blood falling from Sherlock¡¯s flank and a man in a skull mask holding a bleeding spear.


    Tears began streaming down Haydith¡¯s face and into the dirt below as she saw the two masked men baring down on her companion. There was only one thing left she could think to do.


    [Time Stop]


    The world around her suddenly became motionless. The combat between Sherlock and the two masked men became a tableau of activity like the cave paintings of tribesmen hunting a wooly mammoth.


    Stopped time had always been a safe place where Haydith could escape to in times of stress. It was a place where she could be truly alone. This time was different. Horror sunk into her bones as she realized that the man grabbing her could still move.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not gonna work here, Princess,¡± the masked man said with naked glee. ¡°We know how to deal with people like you.¡±


    Haydith tried with all of her might to push against the ground underneath her. [Time Stop] had made both of them weightless, so she thought that knocking them both airborne would help her situation. Her resistance did nothing since the masked man kept them both anchored to the ground by firmly grasping a tree root with the hand he had used to hold her hand down a moment before.


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    A sudden realization dawned on her. She realized in that moment that she had been doomed from the beginning. They had probably been tracking her for hours, and they were just waiting for her to go to sleep. They had a counter to everything she could possibly do. From the beginning, there was nothing Haydith could have done to save herself.


    That little message appeared at the top of her vision just as her upper core emptied and she could no longer maintain [Time Stop]. The moment [Time Stop] ended, noise returned. This time, however, the noise was deafening. A loud crash filled the forest like the sound of cannon-fire.


    Both Haydith and the masked man looked around in fear. Haydith could at least find some solace in her knowledge that the masked man was just as terrified as she was.


    Craning her neck once more to look at Sherlock, she saw a completely unexpected sight. One of the masked men was laying on the ground with a massive shard of ice sticking out of his chest, and the other grasped his arm in pain. He had sustained some injury to his arm that caused blood to flow freely to the ground.


    ¡°What did you¡­?¡± the man grabbing Haydith began to ask, but he was cut off by the sound of roaring flames.


    The sky lit up like it was mid-day as the entire forest was blanketed in a layer of roiling orange fire. Haydith and the man both looked up to see that the canopy of trees had been lit completely on fire. In an instant, they found themselves in the center of a forest fire.


    ¡°Is that a¡­ dragon?¡± the masked man asked, the fear on his face turning to panic.


    Another sheet of fire roared into existence between Haydith and the two injured men fighting Sherlock. With this second attack, it was clear that the source of the fire was flying high above and moving quickly.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here,¡± the man hissed, trying to cover up his fear with vitriol. ¡°Dragon or no dragon, I¡¯m finishing the job.¡±


    The masked man forcefully lifted Haydith to her feet. Just as he wrapped one iron arm around her midsection, a loud voice called out from above the flaming tree line. ¡°Fulgur!¡±


    A bolt of electricity shot down from the sky and struck the masked man. The electric current passed through him and into Haydith, causing her to cry out in pain. The pain was immense, but it caused the masked man to finally release her.


    Haydith fell to the ground as electricity caused her muscles to spasm uncontrollably. Everything that had happened over the past day piled up. No matter what she did, she couldn¡¯t convince her legs to work.


    The masked man recovered first. He was a higher level than her, and he was not exhausted. He lifted himself painfully to his feet and lunged toward Haydith once more. The masked man was not able to make it, as a massive vertical wall of fire blazed into existence that stopped him from moving any further.


    As if it was alive, this wall of fire surged toward Haydith. For a moment, she was certain this would be the end of her life, but the wall of fire curved around her harmlessly at the last second. It took her a moment to realize that, instead of harming her, the fire was protecting her.


    Several blasts of flame forced the masked man back. After one of the blasts burned him, Haydith could see him begin to retreat in earnest.


    An eerie silence fell over the forest as Haydith looked up in fear in an attempt to spot the entity that had just defeated the three masked men. As she watched, Haydith saw a single figure float through the flaming canopy above. This figure with pale skin and burning red eyes was completely unphased by the fire.


    For a moment, Haydith was convinced that the figure actually was a dragon and not a teenage boy.


    ¡°Hello, I come in peace,¡± the boy with pale skin said in English a moment after he landed in front of Haydith.


    The instant the floating mage with gleaming red eyes said that, Haydith''s eyes closed, and she fell unconscious.

 Chapter 100 - [Critical Hit]

    DAMAGE DEALT: 34


    CRITICAL HIT!!


    DAMAGE DEALT: 75


    Piggybacking off the [Time Stop] effect, I was able to line up two attacks with my ice spears. The first cultist took a glancing blow and was injured, but the second cultist was struck in the chest and fell to the ground.


    The trees above blazed, the ground was covered with blood, and my tank was about a third empty. The girl that I just saved from the Lich Cult was unconscious, and the fire would be on her within an hour.


    It was way too early for me to be picking a fight with the Lich Cult, but I had to do it. The moment I heard her call out the name ¡°Sherlock,¡± I knew that she was a reincarnate from Earth like me. Finding other reincarnates took priority over my timetable.


    I mentally reached out and extinguished all Hellfire sparks within range of my Talent. About half of the fire disappeared, but the self-propagating flames that had found fuel in the wood and the foliage of the forest continued to burn. Looking up at the burning forest fire, I realized that there was nothing I could do to put it out. I was a pyromancer, after all, not a hydromancer. It would take nothing less than [Call Storm] to put this out, and I did not know that spell.


    Did you hear that? They called you a dragon. Thale, the Dragon of the Northern Realms, is quite the nickname, don¡¯t you think?


    To a fool, anyone with the [Hellfire] Talent and the [Fly] spell looks like a dragon. Certainly, there are plenty of ¡°dragons¡± in this world.


    To my right, I saw one of the lich cultists lying on the ground with an ice spear sprouting from his chest and an absolutely massive dog panting in pain. The dog was trying its best to reach me and the girl, but a brush fire stood in its way.


    It was probably for the best that it couldn¡¯t reach me, I thought. A dog that big could be seriously dangerous if it viewed me as a threat to its master.


    Without dropping concentration on the [Fly] spell, I floated down to get a better look at the girl. I pulled her hood back to get a better look at her and saw that her features were similar to those of the royal family. The girl was an exact match for one of the statues in Ahriman¡¯s cairn, serving as further evidence that we were the same.


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    ¡°Aqua,¡± I chanted, extinguishing the brush fire blocking the dog from reaching its master.


    The dog moved forward, whimpering slightly in pain. It must have not viewed me as a threat, since it completely ignored me in favor of limping towards its master. I lifted the weightless girl toward the dog and sat her on the saddle. Once I felt that she was balanced, I dropped concentration on [Fly], causing her body to slump forward.


    I grabbed the dog¡¯s reins and started pulling it with me. I didn¡¯t want it to run off with the first reincarnate I had found ever since I got to Ferrum.


    ¡°Stay,¡± I gestured to the 450-kilo dog as it looked up at the burning trees in fear.


    Walking over to the man who had been pierced with an Ice Spear, I saw that he was bleeding heavily into the dirt. I withdrew a bag filled with surgeon¡¯s tools from a pocket sown into my cloak as the blood rune on my left hand burned in preparation.


    Injury: Critical trauma to the thoracic cavity. Heart and left lung have been completely destroyed by traumatic force. Patient has been dead for forty-three seconds.


    A cold feeling washed over my body, and the surgical tools fell from my hand. One shaking hand reached for my healing potion, but I knew that wouldn¡¯t work either. The cultist¡¯s heart was completely gone. There was nothing I could do to save him.


    ¡°Damn!¡± I shouted, causing the dog to back away in fear.


    If I had hit him anywhere else, I could have saved him with a mixture of surgical knowledge and blood magic. Since I had hit the cultist perfectly, nothing short of powerful healing magic could save his life.


    You killed him. Good job.


    Shut up.


    Cease your melancholia, Johan. Our sympathetic link makes it hard for me to think when you get like this.


    When I was a young man, I was taught to "do no harm." This... Well... Clearly, "no harm" is not an option for me.


    I knelt down, feeling the weight of the planet push down upon me, and removed the mask from the dead man¡¯s face. That must have been the thousandth time I saw a dead man¡¯s face in my life, but it was the first time I looked into the face of my victim.


    I wanted the man to look like a cartoon villain. I wanted his face to bear the weight of his sins and his allegiances. Instead, he just looked like a man. I could imagine myself walking down a street on Earth and crossing this man on the sidewalk.


    The man¡¯s life could have gone a million different ways. This just happened to be the permutation where he was killed by me.


    My hands automatically started fishing through the dead man¡¯s pockets. I quickly found a pouch of money in one pocket and some small glass objects in the other. Out of the dead man¡¯s pockets, I retrieved a vial holding a crimson liquid and a glass disk on which a line of arcane runes had been carved. I shook the vial, quickly realizing that it was blood. The lich cultists probably used that contraption to track the girl.


    Damn bleeding heart. This world will destroy you if you don¡¯t toughen up.


    A mote of Hellfire shot from my hand and began floating solemnly above the corpse. Just as the dog, the girl, and I reached the edge of my effective range, a cone of fire erupted from the mote, completely enveloping the corpse in scouring flame.

 Chapter 101 - [Miracle]

    The girl was still asleep by the time we returned to Mitrikov¡¯s Respite. We must have been walking for more than thirty minutes by the time we got back to the inn, and she spent the whole time slumped against the dog¡¯s saddle. The process would have been faster if I had mounted the dog and ridden it back, but that probably would have woken the girl. She must have had a long day, and she deserved a break. Plus, I felt bad about zapping her during the rescue.


    Just as the light of the inn crested over the horizon, I noticed a small line of text at the corner of my vision.


    New Notifications (2)


    Show me the notifications.


    A large block of text appeared, blocking my sight. A few years ago, the System had presented me with some notifications while I was in the middle of learning to ride a horse, and I told it to ask before blocking my vision with its text. This was its way of communicating with me in a relatively non-intrusive way.


    New [Skill] Acquired, [Miracle]: Thanks to your many years as a devoted priest of Nyx, you have gained her favor. Though your violent acts now prevent you from using healing magic, Nyx will still hear your prayers. With this [Skill], you may offer up a prayer to Nyx once per day, and she will hear it. Every time you use this [Skill], Nyx will do something, though it might not be what you wanted.


    Once I was done reading, this long block of text was replaced with another.


    New [Skill] Acquired, [Appraisal]: By feeding your mana through an object, you can determine its properties. You can spend one minute to determine a mundane object¡¯s creator and value, or you can spend one hour to learn everything about a magic item.


    Since last time I checked, I had gained two more [Skills]. It was strange, since I had only gained one [Skill] before that time: [Triage].


    It was my understanding that one gained Skills when they were useful for the [Character] that gained them. I must have gained [Miracle] when I changed my class to mage, and I must have gained [Appraisal] when I got the Ring of Etron. I immediately started circulating my mana through the ring. If the System was telling the truth, I would know everything about the ring within an hour.


    Looking at the rear door of the inn, I wondered how the [Miracle] [Skill] worked. To activate the ability, I formed a discrete sentence in my mind.


    Nyx, cause Eadric to open that door.


    A minute passed, and nothing happened. Well, the [Skill] description did say that I had to ¡°pray¡± to Nyx. After a moment, I remembered a commonly used prayer to Nyx, and I began to recite it verbally.


    ¡°Goddess Nyx, sovereign of all that is good, may thy name be forever lauded in the halls of Elysium, may thine ferric kingdom one day match thine kingdom in Elysium, blessed are thy works, and blessed are thy followers. Goddess Nyx, please make Eadric walk out of that door.¡± As I had many times before, I recited that prayer like it was a form of meditation.


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    Gah! I thought your worship of the Pretender God was over! You¡¯re not a Priest anymore. Why are you praying?


    I got a new [Skill]. Apparently, I can ask Nyx to do something through prayer.


    She¡¯s trying to torture me.


    My eyes widened in shock as the door opened. My prayer had been answered. As I looked at who had just opened the door, however, I saw that it was the Innkeeper. Rather, it seemed that my prayer had been half answered. The door was opened, but it wasn¡¯t Eadric who opened it.


    The Innkeeper turned her head from side to side to spot people walking down the road. Her eyes locked onto our sad traveling party and the Hellfire spark floating over my shoulder.


    ¡°What happened?¡± the Innkeeper asked once Sherlock pulled up next to the inn¡¯s door. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said truthfully. Beyond spent mana and slightly charred clothing, I had incurred no damage. ¡°Some brigands almost captured her, but I scared them off.¡± Sighing, I added, ¡°I killed one of them. The other two might still be after her, so she might still be in danger.¡±


    Eadric came running out of the door, an angry expression on his face. ¡°You can¡¯t just go flying off like that! I can¡¯t protect you if you leave the moment you see someone in danger! Do you have any idea how worried I was?¡±


    Hilarious. He thinks you¡¯re some kind of Holy Knight that jumped blindly into danger the moment you saw a damsel in distress. He has no idea that you only gave a damn because she¡¯s from the same place as you.


    Shut up.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to catch up to her if I waited.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Eadric¡¯s face softened. ¡°Just take it slower next time. We¡¯re stronger together, right?¡±


    ¡°Stronger together, you¡¯re right,¡± I said truthfully. The problem was that we were much less mobile together. With the [Fly] spell, I could move faster than any horse, and any terrestrial companions would only slow me down.


    Eadric and the Innkeeper carried the girl into the inn. I had to assure Sherlock a few times that they were friends before he stopped growling at them. The moment the girl disappeared into the inn, the dog started whimpering quietly and curled up to sleep. The injury to its side was not fatal, but it was clearly painful.


    I felt the weight of the healing potion sitting in my pocket. It would be monumentally stupid to spend a magic potion worth a year¡¯s salary on healing a dog¡¯s minor injury. I was just about to turn back to the inn when the dog looked into my eyes. I could see no malice in his big eyes, and I knew that he had never committed an act of malice in his life. He could do no evil.


    With a sigh, I reached into my pocket and withdrew a healing potion. Such a loyal soldier did not deserve to spend the night in the stables, alone and in pain, after such a hard-fought battle.


    What are you doing?


    ¡°Hey there, Sherlock, you need to drink this. It will make you feel better,¡± I said to the dog.


    Are you seriously doing this? It¡¯s a dog!


    The people of my world have a particular fondness for canines, what can I say?


    You are aware that this is a massive waste of money, right?


    Sherlock held his head back and allowed me to essentially dump the healing potion down his throat. The liquid in a healing potion had enough volume to fill a human¡¯s mouth. If Sherlock were to drink it from a bowl, half of it would probably splatter everywhere.


    Fool.


    A moment passed, and Sherlock¡¯s pained expression turned to one of confusion. He moved his head to the spot where he had been injured just a moment before and found that the injury was gone. For the first time since I had met the dog, his massive tail started wagging, thumping heavily against the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you some food,¡± I said, petting Sherlock on his head.


    Ten gold poorer, I walked back into the inn.

 Chapter 102 - [Duke of Dracheim]

    Only a handful of people remained in the inn¡¯s common room when I entered. Since Ferrum had not yet invented electric lights, it was incredibly rare for people to regularly stay up after nightfall. The Innkeeper was gone, and the common room was lit by just a single lamp hanging from a wooden post. There was just enough light in the common room for people to carefully make their way to their rooms. There certainly wasn¡¯t enough light to read. The lighting wasn¡¯t a problem for me. An ephemeral wisp of flame followed me into the room like a loyal minion, casting the common room in much brighter light.


    The only people still in the common room were Eadric and Kinro. Eadric¡¯s eyes were fixed on the door to one of the private rooms on the second floor. He must have been worried about the girl. She was in bad shape when I brought her in, and several visible bruises marked the visible parts of her body that weren¡¯t there when she came to the inn the first time.


    At least Kinro was vertical. His eyes were bleary, and he leaned heavily against a table, but he was able to keep his back straight.


    ¡°What happened with the girl?¡± Kinro asked, trying to blink his eyes back into focus unsuccessfully.


    I unhooked the deer mask from my belt and placed it on the table in front of Kinro as a form of explanation. ¡°The girl was attacked by men wearing this mask.¡± I turned to Eadric and asked, ¡°Have you ever seen people wear this mask before?¡±


    After a moment of thought, Eadric said, ¡°Yeah, it was a long time ago, but I would see men wearing masks like this around the palace in Dracmead. Some of those men met with Duke Olofir. Does this mask mean something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does,¡± I said cryptically. ¡°It means Uncle Olofir isn¡¯t doing a very good job keeping his allegiances hidden.¡±


    Olofir Vulpa, Duke of Dracheim, was technically not my uncle. He was technically my second cousin once removed. His grandfather took on the name ¡°Vulpa¡± when it was clear that he would not become the head of House Feldrast. Ten years later, when every member of House Drac died under mysterious circumstances, he became the Duke of Dracheim.


    ¡°Are you saying she was attacked by the Duke of Dracheim?¡± Eadric asked.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re too far away from his realm. His power projection is lessened here,¡± I answered automatically.


    More than half of the Etronian nobility was aligned with the Lich Cult, and the rest accepted them as a fact of life. Some nobles spent their wealth on extravagant parties, and others spent their wealth searching for the secret of eternal life. There were a dozen nobles in the capital who would make better suspects. If I wanted to figure out who really attacked my fellow reincarnate, I would have to figure out her identity first.


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    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Innkeeper exit out of the girl¡¯s room. Quickly and quietly, she walked down the stairs and approached me. Once she got close enough to communicate with me without waking half of the inn¡¯s tenants, she said, ¡°The girl says she wants to talk to you, alone.¡±


    There was some confusion and concern in Innkeeper¡¯s voice. She seemed confused at the girl¡¯s desire to talk to me so quickly. I could tell that she advised the girl to rest for a little while before talking at length, and the girl must have been adamant.


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said, moving away from the table and taking the deer mask with me. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to her. Eadric, there¡¯s a horse-sized dog outside that needs some food. Do you think you could bring him a roasted chicken?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Eadric said automatically, and I squinted angrily in his direction. I preferred to keep my noble status a secret when we were traveling, but there was little I could do to stop him. His training as a knight was bone-deep, and no amount of my criticism would stop his automatic reactions.


    I clipped the deer mask to my belt as I walked up the stairs. The morbid feeling of my muscles creaking and my bones straining as I lifted my body to the second floor reminded me of my body¡¯s weakness.


    Looking at the deer mask created a pit in my stomach. It reminded me of the line I had crossed just a few minutes before. I was a killer, and that could not be undone. It was important, however, that I keep that mask as a reminder for myself and the girl. Neither she nor I would benefit from forgetting the events of that night.


    I knocked on the door to the girl¡¯s room. A moment later, a tired voice called out, ¡°Is that you, Lord Thale Feldrast?¡±


    Name and title? Damn, I really had to work on my operational security. She knew way more about me than I knew about her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I responded in English.


    The wooden door opened slightly as it was pulled back by a weak force. Through the crack in the door, I saw the unsteady form of the girl. She was dressed in a nightgown that was a few sizes too big for her, and it seemed that she could lose her balance at any moment.


    ¡°Careful,¡± I said, automatically switching to Common in my moment of panic. I had spoken that language exclusively for so long that it had supplanted English as my primary language.


    I pushed the door open and grabbed the girl¡¯s arm to steady her. Years of practice dealing with frail patients kicked in, making me grab the girl¡¯s arm. I was afraid that such sudden physical contact would cause her to panic after what she had just gone through, but she did not recoil.


    ¡°Is it true, are you from Earth?¡± the girl asked in English.


    Despite myself, a broad, relieved smile appeared on my face. That sentence was the conclusive piece of evidence I needed to conclude that the girl was truly a reincarnate. The name of her hound could have been a coincidence, and her reactions to my earlier English provocations could have been circumstantial, but that one sentence she spoke proved her status to me beyond a shadow of a doubt.


    ¡°Yes, I was a doctor in Chicago,¡± I responded, smiling.


    The girl looked at me with golden eyes that did not occur naturally on any human on Earth, and she started to cry. With tears streaming down her face, she said, ¡°You¡¯re real, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re real?¡±


    The girl¡¯s words were interrupted by her sobbing. She reached up and threw her arms around my shoulders. I was barely able to remain standing as she wrapped me in a tight hug.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said, holding back tears of my own.

 Chapter 103 - [A Real Ladies Man]

    I wrapped my arms around the girl¡¯s midsection. That must have been the first time I was hugged ever since I left home all those years ago. For a moment, I was filled with a warm feeling, but I knew it could not last. Like an albatross around my neck, the deer mask weighed heavily upon me, reminding me of the work that still needed to be done and the sin that I had committed.


    ¡°Come on, we can talk more while you rest,¡± I said, supporting the girl¡¯s weight and leading her towards her bed.


    Even her meager weight was too much for my body to move unaided. It was only once she started walking back toward the bed that her body started moving. I deposited her gown-draped body back onto her bed and quickly turned back toward the bed on the other side of the room.


    An adolescent corner of my brain dared my eye to notice some of the girl¡¯s other physical attributes, but I snuffed those thoughts out the moment they appeared. Though the girl was older than my body, she was still far too young for my mind.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± she asked excitedly as the bed creaked under my weight.


    ¡°Thale Feldrast, Lord of Gwynedd and Heir Apparent to the Realm of Northwind,¡± I said with a confused frown.


    ¡°No, no,¡± the girl said with a laugh, ¡°I mean, what¡¯s your real name?¡±


    Real name? Oh, she meant my name from before I died. ¡°Johan,¡± I lied, ¡°Dr. Johan Fost.¡±


    ¡°Were you German?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, I was an American. Though, most of my family came from Germany,¡± I said, more interested in talking about her and the situation surrounding the attack. It was strange to me that she wanted to talk about the real world so much. Ever since coming to Ferrum, I had found thoughts of Earth profoundly uninteresting, except for those places where Earth intersected with Ferrum.


    I continued, saying, ¡°What about you? What¡¯s your name? You know¡­ your Earth and Ferrum names.¡±


    ¡°Katya Indirovich,¡± the girl said, taking a moment to enjoy the sound of the words on her tongue. I could tell that she had not had many opportunities to speak her old name out loud.


    ¡°Russian?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, Lithuanian.¡± In the past, that distinction held some significance to her, but not anymore. To us, these nations and family names no longer held any significance. They were simply artifacts of a hallucination shared by two strange teenagers.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°The name I was given sixteen years ago,¡± the girl began, ¡°was Haydith Thorn.¡±


    I struggled mightily to prevent my shock from appearing on my face, but I could tell that I was unsuccessful. Haydith peered at me with a confused look as I said, ¡°Haydith Thorn, oh no. Please excuse me, I have to confirm something.¡±


    [Observe, Lvl. 1]


    Name: Haydith Polaris


    The System still recognized her by her birth name, ¡°Haydith Polaris,¡± the fifth child of King Theophrastus. She was an exceedingly important piece in the Etronian civil war and the source of a major questline in [Ferrum Online].


    ¡°What do you mean? Do you recognize my name?¡± Haydith asked, confused. Realization sunk in a moment later, and she asked another question, this time with much more enthusiasm. ¡°Do you know why the men in masks targeted me?¡±


    The weight of the world reasserted itself. It was as if she had forgotten all of her problems and anxieties for a moment and those stressors returned in that instant. The images of ancient European nations disappeared, and Haydith remembered that she was a scared little girl running from a force she didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°I recognize your name,¡± I said in English. Speaking in that half-forgotten language became difficult, and I realized that I had forgotten the English words for many of the concepts I would have to mention in our conversation. ¡°Can we switch to Common? I¡¯ve forgotten a lot of English words.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Haydith said in Common, though her disappointment was obvious.


    ¡°You were targeted by the Lich Cult,¡± I said quickly, gesturing to the mask still hanging from my belt. ¡°They¡¯re an organization of Necromancers that wish to integrate Necromancy into the government and military of Etronia. More importantly, they wish to create a new form of intelligent undead called a lich.¡± I unconsciously gestured to myself as I said the word ¡°lich.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Haydith said, clearly uninterested in the specifics of the Lich Cult. ¡°Why are a group of Necromancers after me?¡±


    ¡°Well, the leadership of the Lich Cult happens to coincide heavily with the current leadership of Etronia. The current leaders are probably: Olofir Vulpa, Orion Arcturus, and Tybalt Mandelbrot.¡±


    Haydith made an expression making it clear that she had no idea what I was talking about or who those men were. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try to simplify, then,¡± I said, squinting my eyes in thought. Summarizing my point succinctly was so much more difficult than just speaking at length about the current political structure of Etronia. ¡°The Lich Cult is aligned with an anti-monarchy political faction. They¡¯re after you because you¡¯re the daughter of King Theophrastus.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the¡­¡± Haydith muttered, unable to finish her thought. ¡°I¡¯m a princess?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, clearly unhappy about that fact.


    ¡°Oh, God,¡± Haydith muttered in English. For a moment, her eyes glazed over as she re-lived a moment from the attack an hour ago. ¡°When he called me ¡®princess,¡¯ he wasn¡¯t just mocking me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you understand that this is not a good thing,¡± I said. Haydith nodded quietly and pulled her nightgown tight against her shoulders. ¡°The King has a plan to tell the world of your lineage when he dies. The whole world will try to use you as a political bargaining chip if a succession war breaks out.¡±


    Haydith let out a quiet chuckle, saying, ¡°You really know how to make a girl feel special.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a real ladies¡¯ man,¡± I said without hesitation.

 Chapter 104 - [Thank You]

    ¡°How do you know all this?¡± Haydith asked me with some awe starting to dawn in her expression. ¡°I assume the two of us are in the same boat. How did you acquire all this information while still a teenager?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that,¡± I frowned. ¡°Well, I played the game.¡±


    ¡°Game?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever heard of [Ferrum Online]?¡± I asked, shocked that she didn¡¯t know such basic information about the world.


    ¡°Ferrum Online?¡± Haydith¡¯s mouth tightened into a line, and her eyes pointed up at the ceiling as she reached for something within the depth of her memory. ¡°Oh, yeah. I remember my dad mentioned it a few times when I was a kid. ¡®Video games used to be good, like [Ferrum Online],¡¯ he¡¯d say.¡± She chuckled slightly at the ancient memory. ¡°He said the servers went down when I was just a few years old.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I frowned. ¡°The servers went down in ¡®40, right? And we died in ¡®61?¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Haydith asked. ¡°How did you die?¡±


    ¡°I was in a casino called The Cagliostro. The ceiling collapsed after an earthquake.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Haydith frowned at the memory of her own death. ¡°It was the same for me. I was a dealer at one of the Cagliostro¡¯s Blackjack tables.¡±


    ¡°How old were you? Twenty, twenty-five?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Twenty-two,¡± Haydith chuckled slightly at the thought. ¡°I guess that puts me in my late thirties, now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got it good,¡± I smiled. ¡°I just turned sixty.¡±


    We both laughed at the thought, both acutely aware of our teenage bodies. After a moment, my laughter effortlessly transitioned to a powerful series of full-body coughs that gave rise to a brief ache that suffused my whole body. Mid way through the cough, I withdrew a handkerchief from my pocket and used it to cover my mouth. When I pulled the handkerchief away from my mouth, it was speckled with blood. I was getting sick again.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Haydith asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, wiping some of the blood away from my lip. ¡°I was reborn with a particularly fragile constitution. Even after years of exercise, I¡¯m still weaker than just about any adult. I¡¯m sure you could physically overpower me if you wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Well, that makes me feel better,¡± Haydith laughed.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Really?¡± I said, raising a single eyebrow.


    ¡°No,¡± Haydith said after a moment¡¯s thought, ¡°not really.¡±


    ¡°It seems like both of us need some sleep,¡± I said, drained by the aspirating cough. ¡°My group is going to make the rest of the trip to Etron tomorrow. You can come if you want.¡±


    ¡°Etron?¡± Haydith said, fear on her face. ¡°You¡¯re going there?¡±


    ¡°You were fleeing from there, I take it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Haydith said, staring into the middle distance. ¡°I was attacked there first.¡±


    ¡°Listen,¡± I said, looking her straight in the eyes, ¡°I¡¯ve got business in Etron. I need to go there, but I still think you¡¯ll be safer with us. I know how the Lich Cult operates, and I¡¯ll be able to keep you safe, even in Etron. I think you should come with us in the morning, but¡­¡± I withdrew a pouch filled with silver coins, ¡°if you would rather stay on your own, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    I stepped over to Haydith¡¯s bed and placed the pouch of silver coins next to her pillow. All told, there must have been more than fifty coins in that pouch. If she was frugal with her money, she could live off of the coins in that pouch for months.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Haydith began to say, but her words were cut off when she looked inside of the pouch and saw those friendly silver coins shining back at her. I could tell her first instinct was to turn the money down, but that instinct was overcome by her need for the coins. ¡°Are you sure I can have this?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I said with intentional casualness. ¡°If there¡¯s anything I¡¯ve gained since I arrived here, it¡¯s money. I¡¯ve got much more of it in a chest around here somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Where did that money come from?¡± Haydith asked, clearly impressed.


    ¡°The drug-trade, mostly,¡± I said with a self-effacing smirk.


    Haydith laughed, thinking my statement was a joke. When she saw that I wasn¡¯t laughing along with her, she asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Haydith laughed once more, this time at a higher pitch. ¡°You¡¯re starting to ruin my image of you as a knight in shining armor.¡±


    ¡°Knight?¡± I asked rhetorically. ¡°That¡¯s a laugh. I¡¯m no knight; I¡¯m just a sour old man with a medical degree.¡±


    Very interesting. Medical degree, eh?


    I had completely forgotten that Thale was listening to our conversation. At least we were talking in English when we were talking about Earth, so he didn¡¯t get too much information. Either way, I realized that I should end the conversation quickly to not give him too much information.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± I exhaled this one word and lightly slapped my thighs in a ritual I had picked up growing up in the Midwest. That was the first time I ever did that in Ferrum. All that talk of Earth reminded me of the man I used to be. ¡°I really need to get to sleep. We can talk more in the morning if you¡¯re still here.¡±


    I stood up and started to walk toward the door. Much of my job over the past few years had been negotiating with people and determining what they would do next, and I knew that Haydith would stay with my group. There would be plenty of time for us to talk on the journey to Etron.


    The door was slightly ajar, and I pushed it open slightly to give myself enough room to walk through. I was about to leave the room when I heard Haydith say one last sentence.


    ¡°Johan, there¡¯s one last thing I have to say. Thank you. You saved my life.¡±


    A part of my brain wanted to say that I didn¡¯t save her life. The Lich Cult wouldn¡¯t have killed her. No, she was far too important a political asset. Her fate wouldn¡¯t be nearly as merciful as death.


    Instead, I spoke two words in English. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±

 Chapter 105 - [Momentum Battery]

    I walked to my room lost in thought about the conversation I had with Haydith. She had been reincarnated as a very important character to the story of [Ferrum Online] just like me. In every version of the story of Etronia, both Thale Feldrast and Haydith Polaris play major roles. The idea that those two characters¡¯ paths intersected was strange, however. Count Thale Feldrast was typically content to rule the Northern Realms with an iron fist, and no version of Haydith Polaris I was aware of would bother with trying to reunify the shattered remnants of Etronia left after her father¡¯s death.


    As I reached the third-floor landing, a realization occurred to me that halted my step. Haydith Polaris was never targeted by the Lich Cult in any version of [Ferrum Online] of which I was aware. This early in the lead up to war, they should still be kept in check by King Theophrastus. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn¡¯t dare make a move on any of the princes or princesses before the King¡¯s death.


    Something was different, I realized. The actions of a Reincarnate somewhere in the world must have altered the behavior of the Lich Cult. It could have been my own actions, Haydith¡¯s actions, or the actions of whoever left that strange English message carved in the dirt far to the south that caused this change.


    Clicking my tongue lightly in annoyance, I swung open the door to my room and entered. The warded chest containing hundreds of gold coins sat against one corner of the room right next to my bed. Beyond that chest and the effects I carried on my person, all of my possessions were still in my carriage.


    I laid down on my bed heavily, interweaving my hands behind my head. There was no use worrying about any changes to the Lich Cult. I could alter my plan as necessary when these behavioral changes came to light.


    A small silver notification appeared at the bottom right corner, and I felt a slight alteration in my mana circulation around my right hand. My [Appraisal] [Skill] must have finally finished its examination of the Ring of Etron. Silently, I willed the System to reveal the secrets of the ring that had made its way onto my finger.


    This ancient ring could once manifest three powerful magical effects. Hundreds of years of deterioration has rendered two of these arcane manifestations unusable. It would take significant repair work by a skilled Alchemist to return the Ring of Etron to its full power.


    The one usable magical effect is known as [Momentum Battery]. When mana is circulated through the Ring in a certain way, it will transfer the momentum of any object within two meters into itself. When mana is circulated through the Ring in another way, all momentum stored up in the Ring will be released. In this way, the Ring of Etron can hold up to 45,000 Varriers of force. This ring currently holds no momentum.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    My eyes lit up and I sat up in my bed with a start. A ¡°Varrier¡± was a measurement of force. One Varrier was necessary to accelerate one kilogram by one meter per second squared. The Ring could hold up to 45,000 Varriers, which was about as much force as a cannonball flying at full speed.


    The [Appraisal] [Skill] left in my mind the knowledge of how to use the Ring. I activated the function to store momentum and started trying to move my hand. My entire body became locked in place, and I could not move it no matter how much I pulled. Worse than that was the paralysis that gripped my body. When the Ring of Etron was storing momentum, I couldn¡¯t blink, breathe, or move. After a few seconds of this silent purgatory, I canceled the effect. My body jerked away from my hand, and I started gasping for breath. Just a few seconds under the Ring¡¯s effect was immensely uncomfortable.


    I pointed my fist wearing the Ring of Etron toward the bed on the other side of the room and activated the function to release momentum. A light breeze blew through the room, and my fist was pushed back slightly. It felt very similar to the recoil of a low-caliber gun.


    The image of me firing the Ring at full power flashed through my mind. I imagined the Ring flying back with such force that it tore my arm off and flew a hundred meters in the opposite direction. I was certainly no Etron; a blast of such power was far beyond my body¡¯s capacity.


    Within certain controlled limits, however, the Ring of Etron could serve me greatly. As long as I made sure to release the stored-up momentum regularly, I could use it to great effect offensively and defensively.


    My mind buzzed with the possibilities granted by that ring until the fatigue pervading my body lulled me into a restful sleep.


    <hr>


    A few hours later, that silver ring clinked against a ceramic cup containing a dark, caffeinated tea as I held it between my tired hands. My body resisted my decision to be awake at the crack of dawn, but it was important for me to maintain my good habits. If I were to allow my body to develop an unhealthy circadian rhythm, then it could be impossible to recover.


    I was sitting in the center of the common room of Mitrikov¡¯s Respite. Eadric sat next to me, infuriatingly awake, and Kinro laid with his half-conscious head against the bar.


    Just as I took the third sip of my tea, I heard the wooden stairs leading up to the upper floors creak under the weight of one of the inn¡¯s guests. Like I had already done several times that morning, I swiveled my head over to the stairs.


    There, I saw the person I was waiting for descend the stairs. Dressed in mud-stained traveling clothes and carrying a short bow at her side, Haydith approached the four of us sitting at that table.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Haydith said unsteadily to the group. Anxiety borne out of unfamiliarity clouded her voice.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said, returning the greeting while stifling a yawn. ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said with resolve in her voice. ¡°I¡¯ve decided that I will go with you to Etron.¡±

 Chapter 106 - [Completely Honest]

    ¡°She¡¯s going with us?¡± Eadric asked, looking at me with uncertainty in his eyes. ¡°Then, uh, I¡¯d like to know her name.¡±


    ¡°This is Haydith Thorn,¡± I said, casually speaking a half-truth. ¡°As you saw last night, she¡¯s being pursued by a dangerous organization. I offered for her to join our group last night. Is that a problem with anyone?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Eadric said, and Kinro was completely silent.


    I introduced Eadric and Kinro to Haydith, informing her of their relationship to me. She looked surprised when I told her that Eadric was a knight who technically still served Count Armond.


    With a faint smile, Eadric said, ¡°The Count of Northwind has plenty of men-at-arms under his command. He has no use for me as part of his retinue, so I serve him by protecting his heir.¡±


    ¡°The less we talk about my father, the better,¡± I said with resentment obvious in my voice.


    ¡°Yes, sorry about that,¡± Eadric said.


    Confused, Haydith asked, ¡°Count Armond Feldrast, he¡¯s the commander of the Band of Bastards, right?¡±


    The Innkeeper, overhearing Haydith¡¯s question, swiveled her head nervously to look at Eadric and me as she heard the vulgar name of the First Army of Northwind. It was an unspoken rule in Etronia that you did not say ¡°Band of Bastards¡± in front of nobles.


    Eadric let out a bark of laughter, and a smirk pushed up the corners of my lips. I said, ¡°That¡¯s right. My father has spent the past few years providing gainful employment for every violent psychopath with a sword in Etronia. They spend their days murdering the monstrous races and burning down churches to Nyx, and they spend their nights at gambling dens or whorehouses. Truly, they are the righteous champions of our great nation.¡±


    My anger at the mention of Count Armond Feldrast pushed a malicious tone into my sentences. The militaristic culture of Etronia heavily incentivized nobles to pay lip service to soldiers. It was easy to gain political capital by complimenting the strength and the virtue of the ¡°men-at-arms of the First Army.¡± Needless to say, my words were not very politically popular. A commoner could very easily be executed for saying such a thing.


    ¡°They¡¯re called the ¡®Band of Bastards¡¯ for a reason,¡± Eadric said quietly into his drink.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Are they really that bad?¡± Haydith asked.


    I took a deep breath, calming myself. ¡°Yeah, but they¡¯re not particularly worse than any other large military organization on Ferrum. Everyone with the power to stop them benefits from them causing a bit of mayhem, so moral decay is somewhat inevitable.¡±


    ¡°My brother left Etron with them a few years ago,¡± Haydith said quietly.


    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s okay,¡± Eadric said with an awkward smile, trying to pump the brakes now that he heard such information.


    I drained the last of my tea and clinked the ceramic cup onto the wooden table. ¡°You mean Erasmus, right? We can talk about him more on the road.¡±


    As I lifted myself to my feet, I looked Haydith in the eyes, trying to subtly communicate that her brother would have to be discussed in private. Understanding that the time to leave had come, Eadric got to his feet and started dragging Kinro to the wagon. Haydith reacted a bit slower due to her inexperience with the group, but she got up to follow once she understood what was happening.


    <hr>


    Within the hour, the carriages had left the stables, and we were on our way toward the capital city of Etron. Haydith rode with me in the passenger seat of my carriage.


    Haydith pulled her hood low over her face as we made our way onto the main road, but I could see a broad smile under the hood¡¯s folds. She turned her head toward me at regular intervals as if she wanted to confirm that I wouldn¡¯t disappear.


    Sherlock pulled up next to Haydith¡¯s side of the carriage, looking at his master with curious eyes. His large canid skull easily reached Haydith¡¯s shoulder as she sat on the raised seat, and she happily brushed Sherlock¡¯s head as he walked next to us.


    ¡°I hear that you healed him last night. Did you use magic?¡± Haydith asked with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah. I gave him a healing potion,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ve never seen one of those. Are they hard to make?¡±


    I reached into my pocket and passed my replacement healing potion to Haydith. Ever since Beltane¡¯s life was saved by one, I made sure to always keep a healing potion on me.


    ¡°The process of making one takes five years and requires materials that only grow in exceedingly dangerous parts of the world,¡± I said as Haydith took the glass bottle from me.


    ¡°Sounds expensive,¡± Haydith said, suddenly aware that she was even more indebted to me than she originally thought.


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± I said, trying to keep any annoyance out of my voice. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s funny. Did you know that I was a priest two days ago? I could have healed him myself pretty recently.¡±


    ¡°A priest, you?¡± Haydith laughed as if it was hard to imagine.


    We talked back and forth about our past for the next several hours. It was a nice experience, and I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders by the end. We started talking in English after a while so that Thale couldn¡¯t hear our conversation. Before that day, I had never been completely honest with someone in that world of violence and deception. That was the happiest I had been in a long time.


    We laughed and reminisced about a world that, for all intents and purposes, was dead to us. Passers-by looked on in confusion as they saw two teenagers talking in a language that almost no one spoke. It was our own private conversation on which none of Ferrum¡¯s denizens could intrude.

 Chapter 107 - [Make An Entrance]

    We were already half-way to Etron when Haydith broached the topic of her brother and the Band of Bastards. In English, she said, ¡°So, it¡¯s real, then? There¡¯s going to be a succession war when the King dies, and my brother Erasmus will lead one of the factions?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what my knowledge from Ferrum Online tells me. Upon the death of your father, King Theophrastus, the nobles will schism in their support of Princess Rosa or Prince Erasmus.¡±


    ¡°But why? Why would so many nobles support Erasmus¡¯s claim?¡±


    A cold smile passed over my face as I said, ¡°That¡¯s the nature of primogeniture, I¡¯m afraid. Prince Erasmus is the King¡¯s eldest son. There is a legitimate legal argument to be made that he is in fact the rightful heir of King Theophrastus. Everything hinges on whether Erasmus is a legitimate son?¡±


    ¡°Well? Is he?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not clear. You see, there¡¯s a writ somewhere that¡¯s set to be released on the King¡¯s death. That writ states that King Theophrastus ¡®recognizes¡¯ Erasmus, Haydith, and Tancred as his children.¡±


    ¡°So Erasmus is the rightful heir?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. A child can be ¡®recognized,¡¯ but not ¡®legitimate,¡¯ though recognition implies legitimation.¡±


    ¡°Why would the King do that?¡±


    ¡°The King left the wording intentionally vague as¡­ how should I put this¡­ a kind of apology to you and your two brothers. When he wrote that message, he intended to make your lives easier while also maintaining Princess Rosa as his obvious successor. He tried to tread a middle path where everyone can be happy. Without intervention, this decision will result in the worst war in Ferrum¡¯s history.¡±


    With fear in her eyes, Haydith turned to me and asked, ¡°Is there anything we can do to stop the war?¡±


    Well, the easiest strategy would be to assassinate Erasmus and Tancred, but I wasn¡¯t willing to employ such methods. Plus, the death of the two princes would not stop the Lich Cult from taking control after the King¡¯s death.


    ¡°Yes, I have a plan,¡± I said with a self-satisfied smile.


    ¡°A plan?¡± Haydith asked.


    ¡°Yes, I intend to prevent this war by removing its contributing factors.¡±


    ¡°Remove? You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± Haydith leaned away from me by an almost imperceptible amount.


    ¡°To prevent the war, we¡¯ll need to destroy the Lich Cult and stop your two brothers from pressing their claims to the throne. I believe Erasmus and Tancred can be reasoned with, but I¡¯m afraid some force will be necessary to dislodge the Lich Cult.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    I reached into one of my many pockets and withdrew my notebook, opening it to the front page. Written on the first page of that notebook was a list of five names. Every one of the twenty notebooks I had filled out over the years contained those names.


    Prince Tancred Polaris


    Duke Olofir Vulpa


    Duchess Beatrix Mandelbrot


    Lord Orion Arcturus


    Prince Erasmus Polaris


    ¡°These five need to be neutralized in order for the war to be prevented.¡± My tone took on an icy edge as I showed that list to Haydith. I had lived with that list in my pocket for more than a decade. Years of consideration and research confirmed with absolute certainty that these five would have to die or be convinced to join my side for war to be prevented.


    ¡°Why is Tancred at the top of the list? Is that why you¡¯re going to Etron? Are you going to¡­?¡± Haydith asked fearfully. She looked at me like I was a monster that was going to eat her family.


    ¡°Tancred is going to be one of my stops on this trip, but I¡¯m not going to kill him. I abhor killing. I just need to talk to him before I leave the city.¡± I intended for my words to be reassuring, but they just came across as menacing.


    ¡°What does the order of the list mean?¡± Haydith asked, refusing to drop the issue.


    ¡°It¡¯s the order in which I intend to deal with them.¡±


    ¡°You need to tell me what you¡¯re going to do to Tancred. I won¡¯t lead you to my home if there¡¯s a chance you¡¯re going to attack my brother,¡± Haydith said, her fear slowly turning to determination. Her hand slowly moved toward the sheath on her belt that no longer held her hunting knife.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I exhaled, ¡°I¡¯m being coy unnecessarily. I¡¯ve misled the people around me for so long that it¡¯s become my natural state. All I¡¯m going to do to your brother is tell him that he¡¯s a prince and give him a hundred gold coins while subtly convincing him that he¡¯ll die if he presses his claim for the throne.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to give him money? Why?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why Erasmus joined the Band of Bastards, right? He needed the money. I don¡¯t want Tancred following in his footsteps.¡±


    ¡°And how are you going to deal with the people lower down on the list? Why can¡¯t you talk to Erasmus and negotiate with him immediately after Tancred?¡±


    I paused for a moment to phrase my answer as diplomatically as possible. ¡°While I have a plan to deal with everyone non-lethally, I need physical power to deal with Beatrix, Orion, and Erasmus. Even now, those three have reached A-Tier in terms of power. I could completely destroy their political capital, take away their money, and cause all of their allies to turn on them. Even then, those three would still be serious threats. They would not listen to me unless I could bring to bear a comparable amount of power.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to do that?¡± Haydith asked.


    ¡°Simple. I need to play the game. I need to gain levels, skills, spells, and special classes. I need to raise my own power and the power of those around me. The bulk of my plan is to gain enough power to challenge the strongest individuals in Etronia and then leverage that power to make them surrender to me. If I reach a high enough level before I meet your brother, we might not have to fight at all.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think that will happen?¡± Haydith asked.


    ¡°Who knows? They always say that the best laid plans do not survive first contact with the enemy.¡±


    Haydith and I continued to talk for the rest of the day. Most of our conversation was about unimportant, even quaint topics from Earth.


    It felt like no time passed at all before the gargantuan walls of Etron crested the horizon. The sun was low in the sky by the time our carriages reached the front gate of the city. As the guards approached my carriage, I rotated my neck in preparation for the coming performance. It was time for Thale Feldrast to make an entrance.

 Chapter 108 - [Lord of Etronia]

    ¡°Welcome to the city of Etron. Declare your purpose and any goods you intend to bring with you,¡± a bored-looking city guardsman recited from memory as he stepped next to my carriage. The only armor worn by the guard was a steel helmet. He wore light clothing in the summer heat, and he carried a short spear that came up to his ear when he rested it on the ground. Haydith looked away from the guard to hide her features from view.


    The guard craned his neck to get a better view of Haydith as his eyes narrowed with suspicion. I cleared my throat loudly and said, ¡°As a lord of Etronia, I would like to assert my immunity to answering such questions.¡±


    ¡°A noble? You don¡¯t look like a noble,¡± the guard said suspiciously as he looked me carefully up and down. Considering that I had not showered in a few weeks, and I was still wearing my traveling clothes, that was a fair assessment.


    A good-natured, paternalistic bark of laughter escaped my lips as I jumped down from my carriage. ¡°You have a fair point, friend. I¡¯ve been on the road for quite a while. I¡¯m happy to see that the guards of this fair city do not accept such claims to nobility at face value. Every Etronian is safer due to your service.¡±


    I projected every word I spoke loudly enough for everyone near the gate to hear. My voice carried a tone that had been sculpted over many years to draw attention. I spoke with the voice of a carnival barker who promised bountiful entertainment if you would just lend him your ear.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the guard said automatically before he was able to shake off the unexpected compliment. ¡°Wait, no. You still haven¡¯t proven that you¡¯re a lord.¡±


    More than a dozen civilians and guards had turned their heads to look at my conversation with the guard. Most of them were excited to see a charlatan be arrested for impersonating a noble. Even the other members of my group were watching with confusion. I had not previously told them what I was going to do.


    ¡°Quite right. I suppose I must make my introduction to you and the people of this great city. My name is Thale Feldrast, Lord of Gwynedd and son of Count Armond Feldrast. I carry on my person a signet ring of House Feldrast and the icon of Gwynedd.¡± I removed from my pocket a ring carrying the salamander crest of House Feldrast and a small metal disk carrying the thistle crest of Gwynedd. I held those two items high enough for anyone watching to see.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, my lord. I didn¡¯t know.¡± Fear passed over the guard¡¯s face as he saw the proof of my nobility.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°No need to be sorry. Your suspicion is commendable.¡± I clapped the guard on his shoulder while smiling widely. ¡°I would be happy to declare my reason for visiting the city.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that would be good. Siegfried! Get over here! I need you to write this down!¡± The guard shouted toward the direction of the gatehouse, and a teenager even younger than me came running toward me and the guard.


    Once Siegfried, a young boy with white hair, blue eyes, and writing tools in his hands, arrived, the guard said, ¡°My lord, please declare your reason for visiting the city of Etron.¡±


    The crowd watching me had grown three sizes by that time. A group of about fifty civilians were standing a dozen meters inside of the city, watching this strange, theatrical, fifteen-year-old noble speak to a confused guard.


    Loud enough for everyone to hear, I said, ¡°I am here to speak to the King. He wished to meet me thirteen years ago, but certain unforeseen factors got in the way. It¡¯s been a while, but I have arrived for that meeting. I came with three gifts.¡±


    I snapped my fingers, sending the signal for Eadric to reveal the object in his wagon. He pulled back the large tarp covering the remains of the great talpa, revealing its massive, ridged head that weighed about as much as a person.


    ¡°On my way here, I slew a great beast that threatened the trade road to the south. It was not a problem for me, but I figured the King might want to display its head somewhere.¡± The people in the audience gasped audibly as they saw the head clearly. Even from where they stood two dozen meters away, they could make out the great beast''s features. Siegfried recoiled in fear as he saw the head of the giant dead creature appear so close to him.


    ¡°This frightful creature cannot harm anyone anymore,¡± I said, going slightly off script as I saw the child¡¯s fear.


    I detached the deer mask from my belt and placed it over my own head. I was not confident that I could deliver the next line without my expression giving away my true thoughts. ¡°On my way here, I spotted three brigands attacking a girl on the road. I drove them off, killed one, and took his mask as a trophy. I offer the brigand¡¯s mask as my second gift.¡±


    My tone stayed where I wanted it to as I spoke those words. The only emotion in my voice was pride as I talked about the death of another human being. In the world of Ferrum, killing was virtuous. To kill an enemy of the state such as a brigand or an orc was an act of patriotism.


    A smattering of applause emanated from the audience as I slowly removed the mask from my face. I smiled and waved at them in a show of false modesty as the twisting feeling in my stomach made me want to double over in pain.


    ¡°Killed?¡± The guard spoke automatically, his instincts as an officer of the peace taking over as he heard that I had killed a person.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I killed a brigand on the road. If you wish to arrest me, I won¡¯t resist,¡± I said, holding my connected wrists out to the guard.


    There was a murmur of anger from the audience. The very idea that a heroic nobleman who had visited righteous violence upon their enemies could be arrested for his actions filled them with anger.


    ¡°No!¡± shouted a voice from the audience, causing many of the guards to look at the crowd with concern.

 Chapter 109 - [The Staff of Imogene Drac]

    ¡°No, my lord, I wouldn¡¯t dream of arresting you,¡± the guard said, shock motivating his tone.


    I rested my hands at my side with the smile still plastered on my face. There was no world where I would actually be arrested for killing a supposed ¡°brigand.¡± A part of me wanted to be arrested; that would mean there was some justice left in this world. There were about a dozen reasons why I wouldn¡¯t be arrested, and my willingness to be taken to jail was just theatrics.


    LEVEL UP: 21


    NEW CLASS AVAILABLE


    New HP: 64


    New MP: 488


    New Skill Acquired, [Persuasion, Lvl. 1]: This Skill is activated when you attempt to convince someone who is Friendly or Neutral towards you of something. When active, your [Charisma] score will increase depending on the level of this Skill. The effect of this Skill will become incrementally more powerful as you use it. DISCLAIMER: Persuasion-based Skills like this one will not work on other Reincarnates.


    Blinking away the lines of text that just appeared in front of my eyes, I turned back to the conversation. The words were very significant to me, but I would have to deal with them when I had more time. At that particular moment, the conversation with the guard took up all of my attention.


    ¡°This girl you mentioned. Is she okay?¡± The guard spoke quickly in order to move the conversation on to the next topic and calm down the people in the audience.


    ¡°Yes. She seemed to be traveling away from the city. She kept moving south after I saved her from those ne¡¯er-do-wells.¡± I said, telling a direct lie. Since the [Lie Detection] Talent was completely untraceable and very hard to protect against, I really hated telling direct lies. I had to throw the Lich Cult off the scent, however, so this lie was unfortunately necessary.


    ¡°Did you catch the girl¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. The girl had white hair like Siegfried¡¯s and eyes like gold.¡± I spoke, telling another direct lie.


    ¡°Just like the King,¡± the guard muttered. ¡°Could she have been a princess?¡±


    Your input is not warranted!


    Mentally, I shouted at the guard, though my face retained its calm mask. His unpredictable interjections were throwing me off my game. I heard a fluttering sound from behind me as Haydith shifted in her seat.


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    I laughed once more and said, ¡°Now, wouldn¡¯t that be something! But no, that would be far too fanciful. She was much too young to be one of the three princesses. The girl I saved was a teenager. In addition, there are plenty of people in Etron with white hair and golden eyes. Right now, I can see several people watching us who could match that description.¡±


    About ten percent of the population of Etron had white hair. Most of those people could trace their lineage back to House Polaris within the last ten generations. Whatever trait caused white hair on Ferrum was not particularly recessive.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The guard apologized to me once more as if on impulse.


    ¡°My final gift to King Theophrastus is the greatest gift I can give: my unwavering loyalty. I wish to meet with the King so that I may pledge my allegiance to him and give him the Icon of Gwynedd.¡± I placed special emphasis on this final sentence. Compared to everything I said before, this gift was far more valuable. These words did not elicit the response I was going for, and it was clear that most of the people present did not understand the significance of my statement.


    The guard, at least, understood. His eyes widened with significance as he said, ¡°Your ¡®unwavering¡¯ loyalty? You intend to declare your allegiance to the Monarchist faction?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. Like my father and grandfather, my allegiance is to the King first and foremost,¡± I said, puffing out my chest.


    ¡°Let him in!¡± someone from the crowd shouted.


    ¡°We need more people like him in our city.¡±


    That elicited the response that I was looking for from the audience. Though I did not understand what an Icon of Gwynedd was, they loved the image of a powerful mage who would die for the King.


    ¡°Finally, a patriot,¡± the guard said gruffly. ¡°This city is filled with too many Aristocrats. Shameful. You are a true son of Etron, Thale Feldrast.¡±


    Something about the guard¡¯s statement rubbed me the wrong way, but I continued smiling and shook the guard¡¯s hand enthusiastically.


    As an afterthought, the guard gestured for our carriages to travel through the gate. I waved a single hand at the large group of commoners who had come to see the head of the great talpa and to hear about my exploits.


    Out of the corner of my mouth, I said to Haydith, ¡°The funny thing is, the Feldrasts aren¡¯t actually related to Etron at all. My family fled from the Holy Nation three hundred years ago, so we¡¯re the descendents of Sondrith, most likely.¡±


    Sitting next to me, Haydith ignored my statement. Her expression was one of confusion and anger as she whispered, ¡°Why are you drawing attention to us? If the men in the deer masks see me, we¡¯ll be attacked again.¡±


    I frowned and said, ¡°I really do need to meet with the King.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Haydith said, frantically scanning the street. ¡°You¡¯ve clearly put a lot of effort into arranging this meeting with the King, but I still don¡¯t understand why. What do you stand to gain from this meeting?¡±


    Insight.


    I inhaled deeply and told Haydith the truth. At least part of it. ¡°There¡¯s a staff held in the armory of Castle Etron. Right now, it¡¯s called the ¡®Staff of Imogene Drac.¡¯ That staff will be absolutely indispensable for my long-term spellcasting ability. Months of planning and hundreds of man-hours have gone toward the goal of me acquiring that staff.¡±


    Five years from now, it will be called the Staff of Thale Feldrast.

 Chapter 110 - [Volcano Cannon]

    ¡°That staff must be really important, then,¡± Haydith whispered out of the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°It will become the cornerstone of my ¡®build¡¯ in the years to come. The Staff of Imogene Drac, also known as the Crimson Star Staff, was literally made for me. The original Thale Feldrast used it up until he became a lich,¡± I said while smiling and waving to the many commoners who had accumulated around the gate.


    ¡°A lich?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. I haven¡¯t told you that, yet. The original Thale Feldrast was the leader of the Lich Cult.¡±


    ¡°Is that the same person that is inside of your head right now?¡±


    Hello, Princess Haydith.


    ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡±


    A concerned grimace tightened Haydith¡¯s face as she said, ¡°Is he completely under your control?¡±


    I am under no one¡¯s control, girl.


    ¡°Yes. He was weakened significantly by whatever process he used to send his consciousness back in time.¡±


    My cart stopped in front of a stable that was located a few dozen meters inside of the city. Eadric dismounted from the carriage in front of my own and went to talk to a nearby stablehand. The city¡¯s streets were far too cramped for us to navigate easily with our large carriages, so we would have to leave them here at the stable.


    A few meters away, there was a large collection of stables waiting in three long columns. Their horses were resting in the massive stable next to which we had parked. To me, the sight seemed uncannily similar to a parking lot from Earth.


    Eadric¡¯s voice called out from ahead of us, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go pay for our stay at the stable. How long should I reserve our spots for?¡±


    ¡°Two days. I don¡¯t want us to overstay our welcome.¡± I called out loud enough for our ever-growing audience to hear. Some of them loudly expressed their displeasure at my statement, but Haydith was obviously pleased that we would not spend too long in her hometown.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in with Sir Eadric. I recently gained the [Barter] [Skill], and I want to see if I can get the owner of the stable to give us any bargains,¡± Haydith said, smiling slightly at the thought.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll stay with the carriages,¡± I said, closing my eyes and crossing my arms.


    ¡°And, Johan, is it true that you killed one of the brigands?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Have you killed many people?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I sighed. ¡°That was my first, but I know it won¡¯t be my last.¡±


    ¡°Well, uh,¡± Haydith broke eye contact with me as an awkward silence lingered between us. ¡°Thank you, again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already thanked me once; you don¡¯t have to do it again,¡± I muttered.


    Haydith didn¡¯t hear me. She was already halfway to the front door of the large structure that held the stable before I had even opened my mouth. That was fine by me, as I had already started communicating with the System by that time.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    System: Open notifications.


    Congratulations! Your new level allows you to advance your [Class] from mage to one of the second-tier. Would you like to see a list of classes that are available to you?


    I wondered why I did not get the option to change my class at level 20. The System probably recognized that as a priest level because I started the battle that got me to level 20 as a priest.


    Yes, please list available classes in alphabetical order, but omit descriptions of those classes.


    I already knew which subclass I wanted to take, but I figured that it would be a good idea to at least look at all of them before I made a decision.


    Available classes: Abjurer, Enchanter, Illusionist, Necromancer, Scribe, Sorcerer, Thaumaturge, Transmuter, War Mage.


    The only immediate benefit I would glean from those classes was an increase to spellcasting power. Taking the war mage class would grant me a 10% increase to my spellcasting power for all schools of magic, and the other classes would grant me a 25% to my spellcasting power for a specific school of magic.


    Change my class to sorcerer.


    Are you sure?


    Yes.


    Bells chimed lightly in my ears, and a warm feeling flowed through my body. The warmth spread throughout my whole body, but it was concentrated primarily in my lungs and hands. Those were the ¡°points of Expression¡± where mana would be transformed into spells and rituals that could be used to affect the world. I could feel it as my body was changed to be better aligned with sorcerous magic.


    NEW CLASS: SORCERER


    Have I built up enough Experience to unlock anything interesting?


    Affirmative. You have acquired enough Experience to learn two [Spells] or increase your [Persuasion] Skill to level 4.


    This text lingered in my vision for a few seconds before more text appeared under the existing text, taking up all the space behind my eyelids.


    BE ADVISED: Your Talent, [Observe, Lvl. 9], can be evolved to [Eyes of the Philosopher, Lvl. 1]. In addition to the benefits from [Observe], [Eyes of the Philosopher] would also allow you to sense the mana of any other person within a certain range who is not protected from Observation abilities.


    It was strange. I had never heard of [Eyes of the Philosopher]. Thale and Beltane were much more skilled than me with the [Observe] Talent, yet they had never told me about this potential evolution. That evolved Talent might have been for Reincarnates specifically, so Thale and Beltane had never run into it.


    If I take [Eyes of the Philosopher], will that reset my skill with the [Observe] Talent?


    Yes. Until you gained more Experience in [Eyes of the Philosopher], you would only be able to learn a person¡¯s name at a glance.


    It would be a short-term detriment, but a long-term benefit. A part of me wanted to take the evolution immediately, but I knew that I would need [Observe] in the near future.


    Can I take this evolution at any time?


    Yes. If you have enough Experience, you can.


    In that case, I would like to allocate my current Experience to learning the [Volcano Cannon] 3-Point Sorcery and increasing my [Persuasion] Skill.


    Spell [Volcano Cannon] learned!


    [Persuasion, Lvl. 1] ¡ú [Persuasion, Lvl. 3]


    A strange sensation that bordered pain shot through my brain, causing me to wince and grab my head. My neural pathways shifted as the arcane knowledge flooded into my brain. Three Ancient words, ¡°Mulciber ignis tormentum,¡± rattled in my head, and an arcane symbol flashed across my synapses. The symbol was a triangle contained within a circle, and arcane runes flashed at each of the triangle¡¯s edges. Two of the edges held fire runes, and one held a wind rune. Through an unseen force, I was made aware that I would have to pour mana into the circle at the point exactly opposite the wind rune, otherwise the spell would fail.


    My eyes opened slowly, and I saw a middle-aged woman wearing the clothes of a menial laborer and looking up at me expectantly. She must have been the first of the commoners to build up enough courage to walk up and talk to me. Seeing me open my eyes, she curtsied awkwardly and asked, ¡°Hello, my lord, Thale. The others are wondering if you could tell the story of how you defeated the brigand and the beast. We don¡¯t see many tales of heroism these days, and we feel that it would help the town if you¡­¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I cut the woman off, jumping off the front seat of the carriage. ¡°I¡¯m always happy to recount my exploits. Now, where should I start?¡±

 Revision Update

    > Chapter added where Beltane explains to Thale how magic works. I call it the "Initiation and Expression" system.


    > Faera and Alicia have been removed from the story. I realized near the end of the book that there were too many characters in the main group, and I decided to remove the two that didn''t do much. The removal of these two characters also resulted in a bunch of smaller changes such as the Innkeeper being rewritten as a woman and Kinro getting more dialogue.


    > Bernadetta''s name has been changed to "Miriam."


    > Healing magic has been made more difficult to cast so that children have a more difficult time becoming priests.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    > A lot of capitalization and bracketing changes have been made.


    > Now, children awaken to the System when they reach 8 [Intelligence] or when they become 15 years old, whichever comes first.


    > A person who has awakened to the System is called a [Character] to differentiate them from children who have not yet awoken to the System.


    > The timeline has changed somewhat, and Thale''s age is different at different parts in the story. He''s now 6 when he heals Eadric for the first time, and he''s 9 when he meets Beltane for the first time. He''s 15 - an adult within the standards of Etronia - when he goes to the city of Etron. Thale will be 20 when the King died in the original timeline.


    > Every [Character] has a [Class], but they can only detect the use of [Observe] if they have 5 levels in a [Class].

 Chapter 111 - [Persuasion]

    ¡°What happened next?¡± a young boy asked me as Haydith and Eadric exited the stable complex. Within a few seconds, the two of them were close enough to hear the rest of my retelling of events.


    [Persuasion, Lvl. 3] has activated. Your Charisma has been temporarily increased by 3 points.


    As I spoke to the large audience assembled before me, I stood on the wagon that held the head of the great talpa. My foot rested on the gargantuan skull of that deceased great beast. Some unknown force - probably my [Persuasion] Skill - told me that it was the right thing to do. I could feel myself being pushed in certain directions as I spoke. I modulated my tone, volume, and pitch as the strange sensation indicated.


    ¡°I could tell that the girl was in trouble, so I followed her without delay. Using my mighty arcane power, I flew through the air in the direction I knew she traveled. Chance did not favor my expedition, however. I searched for many minutes from that ascended position, yet I could not find her. Soon after escaping from Mitrikov¡¯s Respite, she hid herself in some place that I could not see from the air. As luck would have it, I spotted three suspicious men wearing masks like this.¡± I gestured to the deer mask hanging from my belt.


    ¡°The men were bandits; I could tell at a glance. I followed the bandits, and they soon found the girl. They must have been following her for a while. I waited for an opportunity to strike from my vantage point in the air. Then¡­¡± I lowered my voice, causing many of the people in the audience to listen more closely.


    ¡°Bang!¡± I shouted, holding my hand out as if I was launching Ice Spears at that moment. Several of the audience members cheered, and Eadric clapped his hands. ¡°I fired Ice Spears at two of the men, maiming one and killing the other. The third man was grappling the girl, so I dared not target him with such a dangerous attack.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± one of the women in the crowd called out, scandalized.


    ¡°How did you stop him?¡± the boy asked, desperate to hear the end of the story.


    ¡°Have no fear, everything turned out fine,¡± I said with my hands up in a placating gesture. ¡°I used the Spell [Electric Arc] to force the brigand to unhand the girl. With her free, I was able to attack the two surviving brigands with [Hellfire]. Unfortunately, they retreated like cowards before I could finish them off. If I see them again, they won¡¯t be so lucky. You can mark my words!¡±


    A cheer erupted from the crowd as they were swept up in my tale. I could not tell if it was [Persuasion] or my own charisma, but they were all very impressed by my tale.


    They were essentially medieval peasants, after all, and they did not have the same access to entertainment as the people of Earth. Working a crowd in Ferrum was one of the easiest things I could do.


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    ¡°Well done!¡± A voice from the crowd called out these words with mirthful familiarity. The voice was somewhat familiar. When I turned toward the voice, I saw a familiar face.


    Standing in the center of the crowd, hidden behind a gray hood and leaning against a new staff, was my mentor, Beltane Ostara. He had aged six years since I first met him, but he was just as athletic as ever.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must leave for now. There¡¯s much I must do in this great city before I leave in two days.¡± The people in the audience groaned in disappointment as I removed my foot from the head of the great talpa and walked toward Eadric and Haydith, who stood a few meters away from the crowd.


    Making sure that I was well and truly out of earshot of anyone in the crowd, I said to Haydith and Eadric, ¡°All right. That ought to make its way to the King.¡±


    Haydith asked, ¡°Is that why you¡¯re doing all this? To meet with the King?¡±


    Eadric, who knew that Haydith was the bastard daughter of King Theophrastus, peeked at her out of the corner of his eye. He was subtly trying to figure out if she knew the truth of her birth.


    ¡°When you want to meet with the King, you don¡¯t just show up to Castle Etron. He needs to invite you. Everything I¡¯m doing is to gain an audience with the King as fast as possible.¡±


    Beltane walked up to the group with as much subtlety as he could muster. In a volume calculated to not be overheard, he said, ¡°I see you¡¯ve gained a penchant for the theatrical, Thale.¡±


    I smiled as I said, ¡°That¡¯s politics, Beltane. You need to make a scene if you want to be heard.¡±


    ¡°Beltane?¡± Haydith asked, watching my interaction with my mentor closely. ¡°You two know each other.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Miss Haydith,¡± Beltane said with a theatrical bow that one would typically give to a noble of higher standing.


    ¡°Why did you just bow to me?¡± Haydith asked quickly, uncertain and slightly fearful.


    ¡°Why, indeed?¡± Beltane responded. He laughed awkwardly and scratched his cheek in discomfort.


    I cut in, saying, ¡°There¡¯s a secret regarding Haydith¡¯s father. We absolutely should not speak that secret here, but we all know it. Just to be clear, Beltane, Eadric, Haydith, and I all know the secret.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well,¡± Eadric said, unsure of what to say. ¡°I guess I¡¯ve been disrespectful, then.¡± He reclined his neck in preparation for a bow, but his movement was cut off by Haydith.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t bow to me,¡± Haydith said quickly.


    ¡°As you say,¡± Eadric responded, eliciting a quiet grumble of exasperation from Haydith.


    In as few words as possible, I explained my relationship with Beltane to Haydith. We had known each other for six years, so it was difficult to shorten the explanation, but I was done within a few minutes.


    ¡°So, he was working for you when I met him a few months ago? Were you watching me before we met?¡± Haydith summarized.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. To be fair, your family is pretty important. Anyone in my position would be keeping tabs on you guys.¡± I said with slight discomfort.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± I continued. ¡°We need to split up for a bit. Haydith and Eadric, you two go to the Golden Stag Inn, and take Kinro with you.¡±


    ¡°The Golden Stag?¡± Haydith said, recognition and awe appearing on her face. ¡°Will we be allowed in?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re traveling with the great Thale Feldrast, after all.¡± I said.


    ¡°They won¡¯t turn away a noble¡¯s retinue,¡± Beltane translated.


    ¡°That, too,¡± I said, nodding to Beltane. ¡°While you guys do that, Beltane and I will go see the Alchemist in the Merchant¡¯s District.¡±


    With that, our group split in two. Unknown to us, a hostile agent watched our interaction with interest.

 Chapter 112 - [Menzos Magic Items]

    Walking down the cobbled streets of Etron with Beltane, I remembered that I hadn¡¯t yet done everything I could possibly do to assure a meeting with the King. I quietly started mumbling a prayer to myself and activated the [Miracle] Skill.


    ¡°Goddess Nyx, please allow me to meet with King Theophrastus as soon as possible,¡± I said at a conversational volume. Hearing me speak, Beltane turned his head and frowned.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you prayed outside the use of Healing Magic,¡± Beltane said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a new Skill I gained called [Miracle]. Nyx can hear me pray once per day,¡± I responded.


    ¡°Does she do what you say?¡± Beltane asked, his eyes wide with shock.


    ¡°No, but I think She tries to guide reality in the direction of my prayer,¡± I said.


    After a long walk, we reached an ancient structure that must have been constructed long before any of the surrounding buildings. The structure was built out of wood, though the other buildings were made of stone. On the front of the building was an ancient yet sturdy sign that read, Menzo¡¯s Magic Items.


    I opened the door to the building and was greeted by a large lobby similar to a general store, but all the goods were held behind warded glass cases. Small price tags were displayed next to the display cases, and all prices were listed in Etronian gold coins. Not a single item in this shop could be bought for less than one gold piece.


    BLANK WAND: 15 Gold


    ENCHANTED KNIFE: 10 Gold


    ENCHANTED SWORD: 40 Gold


    ENCHANTED CHAIN MAIL: 40 Gold


    ENCHANTED SHIELD: 20 Gold


    STAFF (SORCERY): 50 Gold


    STAFF (ILLUSION): 50 Gold


    STAFF (SOURCE): 50 Gold


    STAFF (ABJURATION): 50 Gold


    ANTI-OBSERVATION RING: 10 Gold


    LIAR¡¯S RING: 35 Gold


    ARROWS (VARIOUS): 2-10 Gold


    GLOVES OF ARCHERY: 80 Gold


    BAG OF HOLDING: 100 Gold


    HEALTH POTION: 10 Gold


    Every kind of entry-level magic item could be found displayed in that shop. Most player¡¯s reached Menzo¡¯s shop in the early-middle game, however, when they had already acquired those items through quests or killing monsters. For a beginner like me, Menzo¡¯s shop gave me a significant headstart that I wouldn¡¯t have otherwise. I silently looked inside of the pouch I had brought with him and saw the 100 gold coins held within.


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    Behind the counter at the far end of the lobby was a man figure sitting in a chair reading a heavy leather tome. The man wore a flat cap on his head, and two pointed ears could be seen beneath the hat¡¯s brim. His square reading spectacles and worn clothing gave him an elderly air. After looking at him more closely, one could see that he was quite youthful. Like all elves, Menzo appeared to be in his early twenties, but his eyes and general disposition made it clear that he was much older.


    ¡°Hello, welcome to Menzo¡¯s Magic Items,¡± Menzo said without looking up from his book.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up a specialty order I made a year ago. The order should be under the name Thale Feldrast.¡± I said to the elf behind the counter.


    ¡°Oh, Lord Thale. Yes, I finished your fire-resistant coat a few months ago,¡± Menzo said, looking up from his book in interest. He didn¡¯t seem surprised at all that I had arrived unannounced after a year.


    Without another word, he disappeared into the back of the store. Half a minute later, he re-entered my view with a long black coat held in his hands. Menzo held the coat up at his shoulder level, and it almost brushed against the floor as he carried it.


    ¡°Here it is. You know, I¡¯ve been thinking about what you said earlier. Fire resistance only really evolved in northern Sondrith. It¡¯s been assumed that [Hellfire] was an evolution of Sondrith¡¯s [Divine Radiance] Talent, but that wouldn¡¯t explain why fireworms are native to that same area. Perhaps, whatever function gave [Fire Resistance] to the fireworms ¡®latched¡¯ onto the [Divine Radiance] Talent and mutated it in some way, creating [Hellfire].¡± Menzo said all of this to me with a conversational tone as if it was a continuation of a conversation we were having just moments before.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I said, genuinely confused. ¡°What I said earlier? I don¡¯t understand. I just got here.¡±


    ¡°Our earlier conversation. Don¡¯t you remember? You said it was strange that the natural habitat of fireworms is the same as the ancestral homeland of the northern lords.¡±


    A faint memory played in my head. When I first ordered the coat more than a year before, I said that in response to Menzo telling me that my coat would be made out of fireworm silk, which were native to northern Sondrith.


    ¡°Oh. That was a year ago,¡± I said, eliciting a chuckle from Beltane.


    ¡°Is that strange? Well, it felt like yesterday to me. It¡¯s not every day that I¡¯m able to engage in intelligent conversation. Anyway, do you agree with my assessment?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Skills and Talents mutate frequently, and they sometimes mutate within specific individuals. A few years back, I heard that one of the Vulpas changed her [Hellfire] Talent into an entirely different Talent when she mixed it with a max-level Skill.¡±


    ¡°Precisely, that¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. So? Are you going to put your coat on? I worked quite hard on it.¡±


    Snapped out of that strange conversation, I picked the long black coat up from where Menzo had placed it on the table. I looped my arms through the coat¡¯s sleeves and hoisted it over my shoulders. It was comfortable, though a bit heavy. I suspected that the coat would be far too hot for the summer heat if not for my fire resistance.


    ¡°It feels nice. What level of fire resistance does the coat have?¡± I asked, turning to Menzo.


    ¡°Level 7. It¡¯s actually two levels lower than yours, but it will be more than enough to protect against heat strong enough to melt rock. You can throw around [Hellfire] to your heart¡¯s content, and it won¡¯t damage this coat.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I muttered. Quietly, I placed my hand against the black silk of the coat. Flame sparked in the palm of my hand and licked against the garment, but it merely bounced off harmlessly.


    Extinguishing the flame, I looked up to Menzo with a smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your patronage. Since you paid when you ordered, no payment is necessary at this moment. Is there anything else you need from my shop?¡±


    I eyed a few of the magic items held behind glass cases and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got some money to burn, why not?¡±

 Chapter 113 - [Elder Sign]

    My eyes fell upon the Gloves of Archery and the Bag of Holding. A moment later, they fell upon the attached price tag, and I knew that they were out of my price range. I could have gone back to my carriage and retrieved more money, but my significant wealth did not mean I could spend hundreds of gold coins so flippantly.


    Those two intermediate magic items would have been helpful later, but they were not necessary for my plans. Instead, I looked at the cheaper magic items and started calculating which of them would grant me the greatest utility.


    ¡°How many Anti-Observation rings do you have, Menzo?¡± I asked, looking at the single ring sitting inside of the glass case.


    ¡°There¡¯s one in the back in addition to the one behind the glass. Naturally, I¡¯m wearing one on my finger, but that one¡¯s not for sale.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to buy two Anti-Observation rings, then.¡± I paused for a moment to think. ¡°I also want to buy a sword and a dagger. That¡¯ll take me up to seventy gold coins¡­ Is there anything you need, Beltane?¡±


    My mentor eyed the glass cases, though it was clear by his expression that none of the items excited him. Beltane carried a treasure trove of magic items on his person, most of which were of a higher quality than the items present. He spun his newly-acquired staff in thought a few times before saying, ¡°I used a health potion in a¡­ fight earlier. I could do with a replacement.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll get two health potions. That leaves us with ten gold. Hey, what kind of arrows do you have over there?¡±


    One of the only objects in Menzo¡¯s shop that wasn¡¯t hidden behind warded glass was a quiver of arrows that, to my eye, seemed no different from a normal collection of sharpened sticks.


    Without halting the process of undoing the ward on the glass case holding the enchanted sword, Menzo said, ¡°I¡¯ve got Elder Sign arrows, explosive arrows, anti-magic arrows, and armor-piercing arrows. The Elder Sign arrows cost ten gold, the explosive arrows cost five gold, and the other arrows cost two gold each.¡±


    My blood ran cold when I heard Menzo speak the words ¡°Elder Sign.¡± I looked at Beltane and then at Menzo. Immediately, I was aware that neither of them understood the significance of those words. The kind of magic used in the creation of such an object made Blood Magic and Necromancy look like child¡¯s play. The Elder Sign was eldritch in nature. If Eldritch Magic wasn¡¯t banned in Etronia, it was only because no one in the country had heard of it.


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    ¡°Elder Sign? I¡¯ve never heard of that. What is it?¡± Beltane asked.


    ¡°A merchant from Caligo sold them to me. I¡¯ve been using them for research into divination, but I only need one. When you look at the symbol inscribed on the head of an Elder Sign arrow, you will receive visions of the future or the past. Like all forms of precognition, however, it cannot be controlled.¡±


    With more enthusiasm than I intended, I said, ¡°Cancel one of the health potions, Menzo. I¡¯d like to buy an Elder Sign arrow, two anti-magic arrows, and three anti-armor arrows.¡±


    Both Beltane and Menzo looked at me in confusion, but neither openly questioned my decision. It was my money, after all.


    After a few minutes, Menzo laid out the magic items, and I placed a pouch filled to the brim with gold coins on the counter. Without missing a beat, Menzo pulled a small metal container from under the counter he was standing behind and placed it on the countertop. He emptied the pouch of coins out into the container, and an extended sound of an avalanche of coins crashing against the metal basin filled the shop like rolling thunder.


    Menzo frowned at the basin filled with shimmering coins as if deep in thought before he reached in and started pulling coins out. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve overpaid. There¡¯s 103 gold coins and 5 silver coins in here.¡±


    Soon, 3 gold coins and 5 silver coins had been placed in front of me. Beltane laughed and asked, ¡°You can tell all of that from the sound alone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just one of my [Skills].¡± Menzo said with a laugh, intentionally keeping the [Skill¡¯s] name a secret.


    The coins returned to the pouch, and we were soon outside. The sky above was starting to turn orange, and it would soon be twilight in the city of Etron. Beltane held everything we had just bought except for one of the rings and the enchanted dagger, which hung from a loop on my belt. The Anti-Observation ring laid in my pocket. I intended to don it later.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡± Beltane asked me as he struggled with the many extra magic items he was holding. The sword weighed down his belt, and he held a quiver filled with six magic arrows under one arm. I knew that the arrows would not pierce anything since metal sleeves had been fitted over the arrowheads, but I was somewhat worried that Beltane would snap the shafts.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a woman dressed in the fine garments of a noble and carrying a thin blade at her hip. Though the expense of her attire was obvious, her clothing was still functional. She wore pure black pants that were tucked into thick leather boots. Years of aristocratic upbringing told me that she was a low-ranking noble whose job involved physical labor.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll know what comes next in a few seconds,¡± I said, straightening my posture and puffing out my chest. Beltane recognized this as the sign that I was entering noble-mode, and he followed suit a moment later.


    Finally spotting us out of the corner of her eye, the woman marched up to us with conviction in her step. After snapping a quick bow in my direction, the woman said, ¡°Greetings, Lord Thale Feldrast. On behalf of his majesty, King Theophrastus, I, Dame Caroline Eridanus, request your immediate presence at the central keep of Castle Etron.¡±


    An authentic smile crossed over my face as I responded to Dame Caroline¡¯s greeting with a subdued bow reserved for nobles of an inferior rank.


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± I said.

 Chapter 114 - [Your Majesty]

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the Golden Stag,¡± was all I said to Beltane before I was whisked away to Castle Etron.


    Within minutes, I was standing inside of the gargantuan structure that rose high above the skyline of Etron. Much of the castle was constructed out of white marble, and the red colors of House Polaris decorated the hallways.


    The banners of House Feldrast and House Polaris both featured red in their designs, but each one evoked a different feeling from the other. Whereas the colors of House Feldrast drew to mind the image of a blazing fire, the colors of House Polaris drew to the mind the image of blood that had been left to congeal for several hours.


    The dark crimson colors that decorated Castle Etron made me think of the bloody battles that would shatter the continent if King Theophrastus died before my work was done. When I traveled from Mitrikova to Etronia in the game, I had to walk through the quiet scenes of carnage that were left over after those two great kingdoms met each other on the battlefield.


    I remembered those scenes well. Though the stage was populated with a huge cast of characters, it had been completely abandoned by the living. A mountain valley, a rustic farm, an abandoned castle. All these scenes were littered with corpses for as far as the eye could see. These were scenes of such great tragedies that they had been ¡°irradiated¡± with necromantic energy. The screams of the damned infected the ground beneath, giving rise to dark spirits and powerful undead, either of which could massacre an unprotected caravan with ease. Those battles would give rise to hard times where evil Mages and powerful mercenaries would reign supreme.


    Blinking, I brought my mind back to the present. A set of massive mahogany double doors stood in front of me. On those doors was emblazoned the rose crest of House Polaris. The dark brown of the wood stood out from the white and red of the rest of the castle. Those must have been the doors to the throne room, I thought.


    My hand automatically brushed against the Ring of Etron sitting silently in my pocket. The royal crest on the door looked like a modernized version of the crest on my ring. The rose on the door had a much larger flower compared to the ring¡¯s rose, and its thorns were less obvious. The thorns were still there, however, as a reminder that House Polaris still had teeth.


    ¡°Someone will call you in when the King is ready to see you,¡± Dame Caroline said to me with a bow.


    She began to turn away from me but stopped when I said, ¡°Wait. Aren¡¯t you going to take my weapons when I speak to the King?¡±


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    As I spoke, I gestured to the enchanted knife and magic wand that were hanging from my belt. Those were exactly the weapons an assassin would bring if he wanted to commit regicide.


    ¡°No. The King has explicitly forbidden us from disarming his guests,¡± the woman knight said with a neutral expression. A slight twitch in her expression informed me that she hated this rule.


    ¡°I understand. Thank you for your help,¡± I said with a slight downward tilt of my head.


    The female knight disappeared behind one of the smaller doors that lined the walls of that grand hallway, leaving me alone in front of the throne room. Extravagant decorations surrounded me in all directions. Portraits of ancient heroes lined the walls, golden chandeliers hung from the marble ceiling, and a massive hand-stitched rug sat beneath my boots. Despite the riches surrounding me in all directions, I was completely unsupervised. I could have doubled my wealth if I had taken a portrait and fled from the castle.


    They were confident that I was not a security threat. The castle guard must have thought that I was too weak to do much damage before a nearby knight could neutralize me. I felt a twinge of anger as I realized that they were correct.


    A strange vibrating sensation filled my body as I stood there. The sensation echoed through my mana cores as they resonated with something. I could sense that the cause of that sensation was something massive but distant.


    What was that?


    Resonance. It felt like summoning magic.


    How far away?


    Half a mile.


    Do you know the direction?


    No. Based on the size, we¡¯re in danger.


    Thale¡¯s cooperative attitude unnerved me. In most circumstances, he would have responded with insults or purposeful silence. The only times I could remember him being cooperative without qualification was when my, and therefore his, life was in danger.


    We have to depart quickly. We have to get out of the city.


    Not right now. Do you see where we are!?


    Damn the King! He¡¯ll be dead soon, anyway!


    My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a door opening. A side door next to the massive doors leading to the throne opened slowly. Behind the door stood an elderly man dressed in a plain red tunic and beige trousers. He carried a heavy, ornate sword at his hip. His short hair was pure white, and his eyes were solid gold. Physically, the man seemed to be in his sixties, and I could not tell immediately if his white hair was natural or the result of his advanced years.


    When I looked at the man¡¯s facial features, they seemed familiar. I looked the man in the eyes for several seconds, unsure of his identity, before I remembered where I had seen his features before. His face was stamped on every Etronian gold coin.


    ¡°Greetings, your majesty,¡± I said, quickly falling to one knee. Several seconds had passed before I realized that the man standing in front of me was King Theophrastus. His attire made him look more like an elderly knight than the King of Etronia.


    A smile appeared on the King¡¯s face as he said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for formality here, Thale. Come on in. Let¡¯s talk.¡±

 Chapter 115 - [Chess]

    The room beyond the side door was astoundingly utilitarian considering its location. A large wooden table near the opposite side of the room was stacked with documents, envelopes, and royal seals. The room¡¯s floor plan was square with each side measuring about ten meters.


    There was a door to the left that, based on my reckoning, must have led to the throne room. Near that door, like a guard standing watch, was an empty desk. Though this desk was smaller than the one on the opposite side of the door, it was no less covered in official documents.


    The colors inside of that office were much more muted than the blood red of the rest of the castle. The walls were white, and the windows off to one side were flanked with blue drapes. The carpet was a muted green color.


    Two portraits covered the wall to the left. I immediately recognized the subjects as Etron and Sondrith, two of the Heroes from six hundred years ago. The presence of the portrait of Sondrith was strange, as my homeland did not have the same nationalistic fixation on her as it did on Etron. I looked at Sondrith¡¯s features and was struck by her pure black hair and glowing red eyes. The artist who painted the portrait made her unnatural eyes more pronounced, giving her a slightly haunting quality. The dark colors of her outfit only highlighted the glowing symbol of Nyx she wore on her neck.


    Even after 27 generations, echoes of her features could still be seen in her descendents that presently ruled the Northern Realms of Etronia.


    Notably, much of the paperwork on the larger table had been pushed to the side in order to make room for a chess board that had been set to the starting position. The pieces were garish and ornate, and the four rows holding the pieces were slightly elevated, but those were merely aesthetic differences. When I looked past the strange ornamentation, I could tell that it was just a normal chess set.


    King Theophrastus casually walked over and sat on one of the chairs facing the larger table, taking his position on the white side of the chess board. He gestured to the seat opposite him, and I sat down facing the black side of the chess board.


    Once we were seated the King spoke once more, ¡°I must say, it is good to meet you at last. I thought I would meet you for the first time thirteen years ago, but that did not come to pass. As fate would have it, we meet now under much more illustrious circumstances. You have slain a great beast, you have executed an enemy of the state, and you have pledged your loyalty to me. To me, you seem to be a young man who is eager to prove his worth independent of his father. You could have earned an audience with me based on your name alone. What do you think?¡±


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    Though the King spoke with a smile, his eyes bore into me with a cold intelligence. I expected him to be a doddering old fool who only held onto power due to his physical power and broken Talent, yet he saw through me immediately.


    I bowed my head as I said, ¡°There is a second, much more selfish, reason that I have gone through all this trouble. I plan to perform great deeds in the name of Etronia and Northwind, and there is a weapon in your possession that would greatly facilitate my efforts. That weapon is known as the Staff of Imogene Drac, my ancestor.¡± I placed the Icon of Gwynedd on the table next to the chess board. ¡°Know that I do not qualify my support for the Monarchist faction based on whether or not you allow me to take the staff. I just ask that you grant your loyal supporter a powerful weapon so that he may perform great deeds in your name.¡±


    The King leaned back and furrowed his brow in thought for several long seconds. ¡°That is a surprise. You are ambitious, certainly.¡± After a few more seconds of thought, he continued. ¡°Do you know why House Polaris possesses the greatest artifact of House Drac? It is useless to us, yet we guard it jealously.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I assumed that you held onto it because none of the northern lords use Sorcery to any significant extent.¡±


    ¡°No. It has laid in our vault for centuries because we fear the power that it grants. Four times in the history of Etronia, a child of Imogene Drac has used the Staff of the Crimson Star to rebel against House Polaris. Every time, the holder of that staff killed thousands of soldiers before finally being defeated. Yet¡­¡± the King sighed, ¡°the northern lords of the current era are some of the crown¡¯s most loyal allies. Sometimes, it feels like they are the crown¡¯s only allies.¡±


    Despite knowing better, I said, ¡°All children of Imogene Drac save for House Vulpa support you, my liege. Next time I meet Duke Olofir, I¡¯ll try to show him the error of his ways.¡±


    King Theophrastus lifted the Icon of Gwynedd from its position next to the chess board and stared at it intensely. ¡°Error? Who¡¯s to say that his actions were erroneous? Most lords support the Aristocratic faction; that does not necessarily mean they are disloyal to Etronia. There¡¯s no need for you to ruin your relationship with your uncle for something as petty as politics.¡±


    ¡°I understand, my liege.¡± I understood, but I could not follow his advice. My relationship with a distant family member that I had only ever met once was a small price to pay to save thousands of lives.


    ¡°Okay, I have made a decision. I will lend you, Thale Feldrast, the Staff of the Crimson Star until the end of your life or until such a time as the sovereign of Etronia requests its return. Does that work for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my liege,¡± I said, breathing out a sigh of relief.


    King Theophrastus produced a smooth gray stone from his pocket and spoke into it. ¡°Lord Orion. Bring the Staff of the Crimson Star to my office.¡± His contemplative expression transformed into a grin as he looked at me and said, ¡°Now, Thale, how about we play a game while we wait?¡±

 Chapter 116 - [Soul Bond]

    ¡°Do you know how to play?¡± asked the King.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I responded truthfully.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Theophrastus moved the King¡¯s Pawn forward in a conventional opening, and I immediately responded by moving my Queen¡¯s Pawn forward in a Scandinavian defense. Theophrastus moved his King¡¯s Knight, setting up a Tennison gambit.


    After a few moves, I realized that Theophrastus intended to incite me to attack aggressively and use that opening to take my Queen. If I was a beginner, he would have beaten me long before Lord Orion arrived with the staff. As it was, I took us to a Tennison variation that would give me an advantage.


    By the time the opening phase of the game was complete, I held an advantage in board position and a piece advantage of a single pawn. The King¡¯s instincts were sharp, and he abandoned his gambit before it put him at too much of a disadvantage.


    ¡°Who taught you how to play?¡± King Theophrastus asked with a smile. ¡°It certainly wasn¡¯t your father. I had him in checkmate by the tenth turn.¡±


    ¡°Books,¡± I responded tersely but honestly. I was trying to visualize the next few moves, which made it hard to focus on the conversation. The King was a much better player than I expected. My initial plan to hold back and aim for a draw would have to be abandoned since I had to try my hardest just to keep myself out of check.


    ¡°Is that right? I apologize for mentioning your father. I can tell that he is a sore subject for you.¡±


    I looked up from the board in confusion. The King must have interpreted my short response as anger at the mention of my father. I took a deep breath, and it was only on the exhale that I felt a knot of anger in my chest. Theophrastus speaking about Armond did anger me, but I wasn¡¯t even completely aware of it.


    ¡°Did you know my father well?¡± I asked as King Theophrastus moved his bishop.


    ¡°Quite well. When we met for the first time during the Rose Rebellion, I realized we were kindred spirits. He was always much more at home on campaign giving speeches, training soldiers, or engaging hundreds of men in combat single-handedly.¡± The King sighed. ¡°He was always meant to be a soldier, but he was forced to be a count after his brother died in that accident. I¡¯m not going to defend what your father did to your family, and you are well within your right to hate him, but I ask that you try to understand his perspective. He loved your mother, and he has been grieving in the only way he knew how.¡±


    ¡°By incinerating thousands of orcs?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. Fire burns in the core of the children of Imogene Drac. I mean this in a very literal way.¡± The King¡¯s eyes glinted slightly, indicating to me that he had just activated a sight-based Skill. ¡°When I look at your mana, I can see an arcane rune of fire carved into your upper core. It is the same with your father or your eldest sister. You are spiritually tied to flame. It is only natural for a Feldrast to seek the cleansing power of fire in times of emotional turmoil.¡±


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    What the Hell was he talking about? Did he mean to say that I had a biological propensity to light a bonfire when my feelings were hurt? What a load of crap! The [Hellfire] Talent only changed the user¡¯s body and mana output; it didn¡¯t change the user¡¯s brain. Armond decided to abandon my family because he wanted to, and [Hellfire] had nothing to do with it.


    I was able to keep the burst of anger from appearing on my face. With a perfectly calm tone, I said, ¡°Thank you for your advice.¡±


    With a slight smirk and a raised eyebrow, King Theophrastus said, ¡°Is it getting hot in here?¡±


    I breathed out, and the air from my lungs came out in the form of visible steam. Though I couldn¡¯t feel it, my body temperature must have increased substantially. My body had become so hot that it increased the ambient temperature of the whole room. That was one indicator of anger that, no matter how hard I tried, I could never fully control.


    After several deep breaths, the steam puffing out of my mouth like a tea kettle subsided and I said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The King laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be. When Count Armond was here, military briefings were always a few degrees hotter. That has to be my favorite characteristic of the northern lords. I always know when they¡¯re angry.¡±


    Just as I turned my attention back to the game, a middle-aged man with golden-gray hair entered the King¡¯s office. The man held a long oak staff in two hands. There was a sense of reverence in the way he held it. At the end of the staff, a polished red orb had been embedded into the wood.


    The man, Lord Orion Arcturus, stepped over to the King¡¯s side. As he walked, his eyes lingered on the deer mask clipped to my belt. Quietly, Orion Arcturus said, ¡°My liege, I have brought the Staff of Imogene Drac.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Now, please, hand it to our guest, Lord Thale Feldrast.¡±


    ¡°But sir¡­¡± Orion Arcturus began to protest. He knew the power of that staff, and he did not want an enemy of the Lich Cult to command such power.


    The King held up a hand to stop Orion in his tracks, ¡°I have already made up my mind. The Feldrasts have shown themselves to be allies to House Polaris.¡±


    With a sigh, Orion held the staff out to me hesitantly. I reached a hand out, and grasped the staff firmly. Immediately, I felt the mana flowing through the staff and felt it resonate with my own. My own mana flowed into the staff, and some of the mana within the staff flowed back into my cores.


    A pathway formed between myself and the staff without my input. Something within the staff initiated the process. The arcane pathways changed within the staff to be more like my own. Within seconds, the staff became like an extension of my hand.


    The connection ended after a few seconds, and I looked up from the staff. I didn¡¯t know when it happened, but Theophrastus and Orion had moved to the far corner of the room. Either they moved when I wasn¡¯t looking, or Theophrastus used [Time Stop] to move Orion. Some of the papers on the King¡¯s desk had caught fire, and the two men in the corner were visibly sweating.


    Even to me, the staff felt slightly warm to the touch, indicating that the heat originated from it. I dropped the staff to the ground, and the heat began to dissipate quickly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be instantaneous.¡± King Theophrastus chuckled.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That was a soul bond,¡± Orion said, clearly not happy about the events unfolding in front of him.

 Chapter 117 - [Power Boost]

    ¡°I didn¡¯t initiate the soul bond. The mana reached out to me all on its own,¡± I said, looking at the two men in the corner. If the King truly decided to take offense at my behavior, I could be in a lot of trouble.


    ¡°These things happen,¡± the King said, brushing off the incident. As he spoke, I brushed my hands over the small fires that had been started in the wake of my soul bond. I smothered the flames with the palms of my hands, and the fire was extinguished within seconds.


    ¡°The staff must have been set to automatially initiate a soul bond whenever an individual with fire resistance touched it,¡± Lord Orion Arcturus said.


    I looked at the chess board and saw that many of the pieces had been knocked over, either by the King¡¯s unseen movement in stopped time or by my physical attempts to extinguish the fire.


    The chess pieces had been scattered so extensively that one could not use the present location of the pieces to glean the state of our game. Though, I was not upset by this fact. References the mental snapshot of the game board at the forefront of my mind, I realized that I was losing the game against the King. In my emotional turmoil, I hadn¡¯t thought to protect my bishop, and Theophrastus could take it in three moves without losing any pieces of his own. I was loathe to admit it, but the King was a better chess player than me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a draw,¡± King Theophrastus said with a smile, looking over at the chess board.


    ¡°That sounds good,¡± I said, picking up that ancient staff from where it lay on the ground. ¡°By the way, there is one more thing I thought to tell you, King Theophrastus.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s that?¡± The King eyed me curiously. He knew that nobles would often mention something immensely important at the very end of a meeting when it is hardest to further investigate the proffered information.


    ¡°I noticed something about that girl I met on the road. She rode a Caligan Hound. It seems pertinent. The only stock of Caligan Hounds for a hundred miles of here is controlled by House Polaris.¡± I spoke purposefully, making sure to never tell a direct lie within the presence of King Theophrastus or Lord Orion. It was an unspoken rule that the nobles of Etronia never lied to other nobles. You never knew when someone with [Lie Detection] was hiding behind a nearby column.


    The thin veneer of affability masking the King¡¯s face shattered, and a vicious expression motivated his features. King Theophrastus turned to the man standing next to him like the Old Testament God about to visit righteous fury upon the head of an unsuspecting sinner. Orion returned the King¡¯s hateful glare with a look of confusion that, to my eyes, looked believable. Either he truly had no part in the attempted kidnapping of Princess Haydith, or he was an exceptionally good actor.


    My job was done. I had left enough evidence to make it clear to the King that the Lich Cult had attacked his daughter. Hopefully, this would be enough to keep the Lich Cult off of my back for the foreseeable future.


    ¡°You may leave, Lord Thale,¡± said the King. ¡°I need to speak to Lord Orion in private.¡±


    <hr>


    Staff in hand, I exited through the front gate of Castle Etron a few minutes after. I could feel the mana thrumming through the Staff of Imogene Drac like a steady heart beat. I wanted to cycle my own mana through the staff, but I knew that doing so would cause the staff to reach a temperature that would be harmful to most humans.


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    I surreptitiously slipped the Ring of Etron onto my right hand and the Anti-Observation Ring onto my left, making sure that none of the guards had a chance to see the wild rose crest marking that ring.


    As I walked down the main street toward the Merchant¡¯s District, I remembered the stat block of the Staff of Thale Feldrast that could be acquired by the players after they defeated Count Thale Feldrast.


    Staff of Thale Feldrast: This staff functions as an arcane focus that strengthens Sorcery. When the user is not soul bound to the staff, it will strengthen Sorceries by 25%. When the user is soul bound to the Staff, it will strengthen Sorceries by 75% and deal 20 Fire damage to the caster for every spell cast.


    I raised the staff into the air and admired the glowing red ruby at its end. Even after hundreds of years in storage, the staff still felt solid in my hand. If necessary, I was sure I could use the staff as a club to beat any aggressors. The wood was still sleek and smooth, and it wouldn¡¯t look out of place at a formal dining event.


    Aesthetically, the staff looked like something that a villain would carry. The wood was pure black, and the gem at the end shone an ominous scarlet. On a meta level, it looked like that it because it was, in fact, a villain¡¯s weapon. Thale Feldrast was meant to be a recurring villain for the Heroes to frequently butt heads against, and he had to look the part.


    Though I couldn¡¯t deny that the staff looked good in my hand, I didn¡¯t acquire it for aethetic reasons. That 75% power boost to Sorceries was the kind of thing that most Mages could only dream of.


    Beltane¡¯s staff gave him a 20% power boost to Sorceries, and even that relatively small increase was significant due to the way spells worked. A Mage could only use so much mana when casting any particular spell. A 2-Point spell like [Wind Knife] took a minimum of 5 mana to cast, but the arcane formula would shatter if you used more than 10 mana to cast it.


    Arcane foci like my staff empowered the existing mana rather than simply adding more mana to the equation. In my case, if I were to cast [Wind Knife] through the staff, my Sorceries would have a power boost of 100%, turning a 10-mana Wind Knife into a 20-mana Wind Knife without shattering the arcane formula.


    I stepped into an unoccupied alleyway in the Merchant District in order to get away from any unsuspecting passers-by. It would be a problem if any civilians were in range when I tested out my staff.


    Standing in the center of the alleyway, I took a deep breath and hammered my mana into the staff. Visible waves radiated through the air near the staff. The glove on my right hand caught fire from the heat of the staff. The heat would have killed a normal person, but it felt like the soothing heat of a warm summer¡¯s day to me.


    The moment was punctuated by a familiar thrumming sensation that filled my body and echoed against the tall walls on either side of me. I quickly checked my pocket watch and saw that it had been exactly an hour since the last pulse of mana.


    Yes, yes, good job retrieving my staff. We need to depart this city immediately. Let¡¯s just hope you haven¡¯t killed us with your treasure hunting.


    You seem to think something big is coming. Do you remember anything big happening in Etron when you were fifteen the first time around?


    No, but it¡¯s becoming increasingly clear that your presence has altered the timeline significantly.


    I started walking toward the exit of the alleyway with renewed haste. If something had Thale spooked, it was enough for me to flee the city. My steps were halted, however, as a man dressed in chainmail and a bleached deer mask stepped into my way. I turned my head and saw a woman dressed in that same deer mask blocking the other side of the alleyway. The female cultist carried a wand in one hand and a handful of iron discs in the other.

 Chapter 118 - [Fight]

    My eyes automatically turned to the Mage standing behind me. Both of the cultists were standing more than ten meters away from me, and the Fighter had no way to harm me without closing the distance.


    With a nervous smile, I said, ¡°Hey, guys, do you want too¡­¡±


    My attempt to defuse the situation somewhat was interrupted when the female cultist¡¯s wand lit up in a bright silver light. Recognizing the spell a moment before the cultist was finished casting, I used my bracelet to summon a shimmering shield of force, and three projectiles launched out of the ground and slammed into the force shield.


    The projectiles scattered into thousands of earthen shards as they crashed against my unyielding shield. My eyes widened as I witnessed the ungodly force behind the rock bullets. If I hadn¡¯t predicted the attack before it happened, there was no way I could have dodged or deflected the projectiles. Three sharp cracks filled the air as the rock bullets started their flight, informing me that they were supersonic.


    Based on their speed, I could tell that a single rock bullet could easily kill a normal person. Granted, at my level, I was no longer a ¡°normal¡± person, but even I would have been seriously wounded or killed if all three of those rock bullets had struck me.


    Fight, damn you!


    Half a second had passed as I looked in awe and terror at the devastating force of the rock bullets. Outside of my mind, the two cultists were still moving. To one side, the female cultist was getting ready to throw a metal disc in my direction. To the other, the male cultist was drawing a warhammer from his belt and charging in my direction.


    The Mage must have expended all of the mana in her upper core, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to cast any spells for several seconds. I decided to turn my attention to the male cultist with the warhammer.


    ¡°Glacio vivificare!¡± I shouted, pointing my staff at the charging cultist. Two max-power Ice Spears appeared at my flanks for a moment before flying forward at breakneck speeds. The cultist dodged the first spear, but this evasive maneuver put him right in the path of the second spear.


    DAMAGE DEALT: 53


    The Ice Spear struck the man square in the stomach, instantaneously punching through his armor. Though the armor, weakened my attack, it still hurt him significantly. Blood spilled down the man¡¯s stomach, staining his thighs, and a red mark appearing on his chin made it clear that blood was streaming out of his mouth.


    The man did not stop, however, despite the critical injury he had just sustained. My eyes went wide with shock as the charging man¡¯s pace did not slow at all. Fear filled my body as I realized that my upper core was mostly depleted. [Shield] used 5 mana, and each casting of [Ice Spear] cost 10 mana. I barely had enough mana in my upper core to cast [Ice Spear] again.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    USEABLE MANA: 14/37


    I drew my wand and frantically cast the [Fly] spell before pushing off the ground hard and launching myself several meters into the air. The charging cultist passed harmlessly beneath me, swinging impotently as I flew past. With a smile on my face, I started to move my wand in preparation to cast the [Gust] spell. Suddenly, a lurching feeling gripped my stomach as I entered a free fall. Then, an explosive pain filled my back as I slammed into the cobblestones.


    DAMAGE RECEIVED: 12


    My body protested as I got to my feet, but I couldn¡¯t afford to stay prone with enemies so close. Considering that I was about three stories up when my [Fly] spell failed, I got pretty lucky. Other than a few bruises, I was going to escape the fall relatively unscathed. Silently, I thanked the System for protecting my frail body.


    The two cultists were moving toward me quickly, but I paused for a half-second to figure out why my [Fly] spell had failed. Either the Mage had dispelled my spell directly, or she had used a ward. [Dispel] would have required mana to use, so I didn¡¯t think the Mage had done that. My question was answered when I saw a glowing metal disc laying on the ground. I did not fully understand the arcane rune inscribed on the disc, but I knew it had something to do with Source magic.


    I experimentally sent some mana through my shield bracelet, and I felt no feedback. The ward must have done something to interfere with Source magic. That was not good, to say the least. My ability to retreat and defend myself depended almost entirely on Source magic.


    The female cultist stepped in front of her wounded compatriat, and I realized with fear that enough time had passed for her to regenerate the mana in her upper core. I knew exactly what she was about to do, but I could not stop it with my shield bracelet. Three supersonic rock bullets shot out of the ground and rocketed at my head. As they flew toward me, I did not try to dodge. In fact, I stayed completely still.


    The rock bullets came to a complete stop a meter before they hit their targets. A second later, I stopped circulating my mana through the Ring of Etron, and the rock bullets dropped to the ground harmlessly. I gasped for breath the moment the stasis effect ended. When the Ring of Etron was used to store momentum, I could not move my lungs to breathe.


    USEABLE MANA: 37/37


    Realizing that my upper core was completely full, I turned my staff toward the two cultists and prepared my attack. The male cultist moved in front of the Mage in an attempt to take the damage, not knowing the level of power that I could draw upon.


    ¡°Mulciber ignis tormentum!¡± I shouted, putting the maximum amount of 30 mana into the spell. With the power boost from my class and my staff, I summoned a 60-mana Volcano Cannon.


    Molten rock appeared at the tip of my staff and condensed to a point about the size of my fist over the course of a second. I could feel the latent momentum churning within the spell, and I could fell that it wanted to be released. It wanted to kill the two cultists standing before it, but I did not let it.


    At the last possible moment, I aimed the spell a few degrees downward. The Volcano Cannon struck the ground a few meters in front of the cultists and exploded with the power of a heavy artillery shell.


    DAMAGE DEALT: 31


    DAMAGE DEALT: 15


    The force of the blast pushed me back a few feet, and the heat would have damaged me if not for my fire resistance. A heavy cloud of ash filled the alleyway, and one of the buildings had collapsed partially, blocking the two cultists from advancing toward me.


    I didn¡¯t stay for long enough to check on the two cultists. I turned away from the devastation wrought by my spell and immediately started sprinting toward the Golden Stag.

 Chapter 119 - [Trolls]

    The light of the sun was fading beneath the horizon, and the roads of Etron were sparsely populated. A handful of civilians gawked at me as I fled from the source of a deafening explosion, caked in a thin layer of gray dust. They were too surprised to try to stop me, and I was already long gone by the time any of them thought to ask me questions.


    As I ran, I periodically tried cycling mana through my shield bracelet. Even after running more than a hundred meters, I could not manifest any form of Source magic.


    What¡¯s happening? I should be out of the ward¡¯s range by now.


    Do you know anything about wards, Johan? That was an ¡°Initialization Ward.¡± It temporarily disregulated your upper core such that you won¡¯t be able to initialize any Source spells for a few minutes.


    I had to stop my jog after less than two hundred meters as my body was overcome by a fit of wheezing coughs. Once the coughing had subsided, a new sound reached my ears. Screams of pain and terror filled the air of Etron, and these screams were joined by joyful bellowing that could only be created by monstrous throats.


    My one remaining glove was removed and returned to my pocket, revealing the blood rune written there in dried blood. I chanted the activation phrase, and the blood began to glow bright crimson.


    Blood Enhancement (Lvl. 3)


    My heart started pumping faster, and my blood began pumping through my organs and muscles at a much faster speed. Sensing my heightened heart rate, my adrenal glands began secreting adrenaline, putting me into a fight-or-flight state.


    Overuse of [Blood Enhancement] would cause long-term damage to the heart and lungs, I was sure. Even my own limited use of the Skill couldn¡¯t be good for me, but a brief trip to a Priest or a swig of a healing potion would fix any heart damage.


    With renewed vigor, I started running toward the source of the screaming. It would weigh on my conscience heavily if the townspeople of Etron died when I could have saved them.


    What are you doing!? We need to leave, now!


    I turned a corner at full speed and the cause of the commotion was made immediately apparent to me. Two massive, five-meter-tall trolls stood in the center of the road. The trolls¡¯ skin was a faded green color, but most of their bodies was clad in chainmail and gambeson. Each troll carried a massive club that must have weighed more than an average man, and they swung those clubs at an astonishingly high velocity.


    Trolls were smart enough to use tools, but they were far too stupid to make anything more advanced than a sharpened stick. The armor they wore could not have been of their own design, meaning that they had allies among humans. Some human group must have made that armor and given it to the trolls.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    A moment after I turned the corner, one of the trolls¡¯ clubs blurred in the direction of a civilian and struck him in his back. The man¡¯s upper body was immediately severed from his lower body, and a shower of ragged meat sprayed against a nearby building. Most of the man¡¯s torso exploded when it struck a nearby brick wall, but his head shattered a window and tumbled inside.


    About a dozen other panicking civilians fled from the trolls. Many of them had just been sitting down to eat outside of a bakery, and they fled inside the shop. When one of the trolls reached the bakery, it was not slowed in the slightest. The troll swung its club at the door to the bakery, causing the door to shatter inward and the ceiling to explode upward. The shattered timber that had once been the bakery¡¯s roof flew several dozen meters into the air before crashing into the ground more than a block away.


    Many of the civilians inside of the bakery were killed or wounded by the troll¡¯s withering attack, and it only took the troll a few seconds to pull back its club and prepare to strike once again.


    ¡°Mulciber ignis tormentum!¡± I shouted the activation phrase for [Volcano Cannon], and an orb of molten rock crashed into the troll at supersonic speed.


    DAMAGE DEALT: 255


    The orb struck the troll¡¯s shoulder before instantaneously returning to its natural size. Milliseconds after the troll was struck by my attack, it was engulfed entirely in blazing magma that adhered immediately to the entirety of its upper body. Much of the magma ricocheted off the troll and crashed into the cobbled street, but none of it hit any civilians.


    The troll didn¡¯t even have enough time to scream before it died. I suspected that much of the magma had got into its mouth and had adhered to its lungs. The troll spasmed once in surprise before its body locked up in shock from the trauma. It fell to the ground, causing a massive, dull sound to echo through the street.


    The civilians cheered as the troll fell, but their joy was short-lived. The remaining troll turned its hateful eyes toward the source of the attack and saw a puny Mage pointing a glowing stick in its direction.


    The remaining troll screeched like a wounded animal and stabbed its claws into the cobbled ground beneath it. The troll¡¯s long, jagged fingers wrenched out of the ground, bringing with them a sizable clump of stone.


    USEABLE MANA: 12/37


    My teeth scraped against each other as I realized that I wouldn¡¯t be able to fire off another Volcano Cannon before the troll would be able to throw that mound of stone it had wrenched from the ground. Considering the amount of force that the trolls could call upon when, the prospect of getting hit by the troll¡¯s attack was grim.


    [Observe]


    Name: War Troll


    Class: Barbarian


    Level: 25


    HP: 205


    Fortitude: 20


    Strength: 28


    Agility: 11


    The troll had strength far above that any human could naturally reach, and it most likely had Skills that allowed it to increase its physical stats even further. I looked at the troll as it pulled the clump of stone back far behind its head and realized that my shield was not enough to stop the troll¡¯s attack in its tracks.


    Gritting my teeth, I threw all of my concentration behind defending against the coming attack.

 Chapter 120 - [The Blue Mage]

    My shield sprang into being, and the Ring of Etron activated a moment later. The movement of my lungs was arrested, my face was locked in place, and I couldn¡¯t even move my eyelids to blink. Luckily, I didn¡¯t have to wait for long before the troll attacked. The troll put its entire body into its attack as it threw the mound of stone like a fastball.


    I barely even saw the stone as it traveled from the troll¡¯s hand to my shield. The Ring of Etron rang like a church bell as it reached its momentum threshold without stopping the projectile completely. The mound of stone struck my shield and was deflected off to my left completely in tact. In hindsight, angling my shield was unnecessary since the stone ultimately struck my shield at a low speed.


    The troll looked at me with an expression of dumb confusion on its face. It didn¡¯t understand why the rock struck with such little force. Before the troll could recover from its confusion, I aimed my staff in its direction and shouted the activation phrase for [Volcano Cannon].


    DAMAGE DEALT: 310


    That second attack struck even more accurately than the first one. My orb of molten magma struck the troll in the neck, detonating a millisecond later. Napalm-like molten fire covered the troll¡¯s body, but it was unnecessary. The explosive force of the expanding orb of fire and the kinetic force of the projectile were sufficient to completely decapitate the troll. The troll¡¯s head, completely covered in molten rock, flew backwards away from the troll¡¯s main body, stopping several meters back.


    With the troll now neutralized, I noticed a sizable hole in the ground that should not have been there. The hole had formed in the center of the street, and it was large enough for a pair of trolls to fit through. Seeing the deep scores that had been slashed into the sides of the hole, I was certain that the trolls had used the hole to reach the surface. I peeked my head over the lip of the hole and saw that it led to the sewers underneath the city. Whoever was attacking the city must have been using the sewers to move their forces.


    My wand flashed, and I took off into the sky a second later. Usually, arcane flight was forbidden in major cities, but I was certain that this was an acceptable exception. Within minutes, I reached the Golden Stag and saw that half a dozen holes had formed in the cobbled streets.


    Monstrous corpses surrounded the Golden Stag building. Some had been killed with fire, some with bladed weapons, and a few with arrows. Zombies, goblins, trolls, half-dragons, two small wyverns, and a strange reptilian race that I forgot the name of could be seen amongst the corpses. I searched the area near the Golden Stag, but I could not find any traces of my group.


    Following the sounds of combat and the trail of fresh corpses, I soon found three horse-drawn vehicles heading in the direction of one of the city¡¯s gates. Standing atop the wagon in the center of the procession was Beltane. He held his staff high up in the air and periodically fired vicious arcs of electricity at any monster that got too close. I landed heavily on the wagon next to Beltane and realized that one of my feet had landed on the great talpa¡¯s head.


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    ¡°We won¡¯t be needing this, anymore,¡± I said a moment before uttering the activation phrase for [Catapult] and launching the great talpa¡¯s head out of the wagon.


    ¡°You made it,¡± Beltane said cheerfully a moment after he fried a brave goblin who had tried to jump onto the wagon.


    I muttered the activation phrase for [Ice Spear] and launched six low-power spears at a small group of reptilian humanoids that were approaching from behind before saying, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it. Hold on a second. Where¡¯s Kinro?¡±


    LEVEL UP: 22


    New HP: 67


    New MP: 495


    As if in response to my question, the Yomotsan swordsman entered my vision in an instant. His appearance was paired with a sharp crack and a burst of wind. At the moment of his appearance, several low-level monsters exploded in a blast of gore and viscera. It was less like they were killed by a clean cut with a samurai sword and more like they were bludgeoned to death by a single swing with a mighty hammer.


    A moment after his movement was halted and he stopped completely, Kinro¡¯s stance faltered, and he lurched forward to catch himself. Laughing like a drunken sailor, Kinro looked at the blade of his katana and said, ¡°Would you look at that? My blade alignment was off.¡±


    I lightly nudged Beltane with my elbow and said, ¡°See, that¡¯s why I keep him around.¡±


    Soon thereafter, we reached the outer gate of Etron. With the help of Beltane and a semi-coherent Kinro, all the monsters we ran into posed little threat to us. Once we entered the Gate District, the concentration of monsters decreased significantly, and I allowed myself to relax.


    Our carriages were held up by a crowd of terrified people who wanted to exit the city at the same time as us. Hundreds of people were trying to leave the city through a small gate that only allowed a handful of people to pass at a time. The carriages came to a complete stop just outside of the gate, and I found myself surrounded on all sides by despair and terror.


    I got out of my seat and climbed to the back of the wagon in an attempt to see the gate in the distance. Just as I spotted the gate far in the distance, something strange happened. I blinked my eye. When I opened it, a humanoid form was floating a few meters in front of my face.


    The figure wore a deep blue cloak, and the figure¡¯s face was cast in a shadow so deep that I figured it must have been the result of Illusion magic. The other people in the crowd reacted with fear at the man¡¯s sudden appearance, letting me know that I wasn¡¯t hallucinating.


    The Blue Mage carried a pure white staff in one hand, and an enchanted sword that I couldn¡¯t identify was sheathed at his hip.


    Even through the shadowed cowl, I could tell that the Blue Mage was looking directly at Haydith and me. In a voice that seemed to cut through the noise of the crowd, the Blue Mage spoke in a language from a faraway land. In perfect English, he said, ¡°Thale, Haydith. Consider this a piece of professional courtesy. Stay out of my business, and I¡¯ll stay out of yours. Don¡¯t come looking for me, and stop messing with the Lich Cult.¡±


    Based on his body language, I knew that he was about to leave. I would only have one chance to get information before he disappeared from Etron. I asked in English, ¡°Why are you working with the Lich Cult?¡±


    ¡°Why? Simple. I¡¯m doing it because chaos is good for us.¡±


    With that, the Blue Mage snapped his fingers and disappeared without a trace.

 Recap: Book 1

    After dying in an earthquake, a doctor was reincarnated into the world of Ferrum. He was reborn as Thale Feldrast, a sickly noble child with a natural skill and a destiny to become one of the greatest villains in the world. After meeting the many individuals who played major parts in the original timeline, Thale briefly left his hometown of Sableton on a journey to see King Theophrastus III. This journey was soon interrupted, and Thale¡¯s carriage was attacked by dozens of barbarians from the north. Thale¡¯s father slaughtered these barbarians, and he was ordered to stay in Sableton for the foreseeable future.


    Years later, Thale finished his development of ¡°miracle powder,¡± a powder created using his knowledge of science from his old life that functions like modern pharmaceuticals, and he entered into an agreement with the Grimhold Guild to sell it to a wide market. Thale realized that the original Count Thale Feldrast still lived in his head, and he met Beltane Ostara, the man who would become his mentor.


    Thale¡¯s Ritual of Observation was carried out, and his stats were revealed to everyone in the village of Sableton. That night, Sableton was attacked by a raging band of orcs. Thale¡¯s mother, Tabitha Feldrast, was killed, and the knight Sir Walter Goldshod was turned into a mindless husk as a result of this attack. The leader of the attack was revealed to be a knight dressed in red. Thale and Beltane attacked the Red Knight, and they were both lucky to escape with their lives.


    After Tabitha¡¯s death, Count Armond abandoned his family on a crusade to deliver mindless carnage upon those he deemed responsible. Soon after, Thale left his home behind with Beltane and the knight Sir Eadric Vanta.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    More years passed, and Thale reached adulthood in the eyes of Etronia at the age of fifteen years old. He slew a great beast, took its head, and started carrying that head as a trophy to the capital city of Etron. On the way, he saved Haydith Thorn from members of the Lich Cult, an evil organization that worshiped the undead. In the process of saving Haydith, Thale killed a human for the first time by impaling a cultist with a spear of ice. Haydith was another Reincarnate, and she joined Thale¡¯s group.


    Thale arrived at the city of Etron, and started making it clear to anyone nearby that he desired an audience with the King. In reality, Thale wanted to meet with the King so that he could acquire the Staff of the Crimson Star. After visiting a magic item shop, Thale was brought to the King. Though Thale got heated during a game of chess, the King willingly gave Thale the staff he came for.


    Soon after leaving Castle Etron, Thale was attacked by lich cultists. Through the use of his arcane skill and the many magic items he had already accrued, Thale was able to neutralize the two cultists without killing either of them. Thale ran into two trolls that were rampaging through the city, and he killed the two trolls with powerful fire magic.


    With monsters rampaging through Etron, Thale regrouped with the rest of his party and rushed to take Haydith out of the city. Just as he was about to escape from Etron, a mage dressed in blue appeared in front of him and delivered a strange message: ¡°Stay out of my business. Chaos is good for us.¡± Before Thale could ask another question, the Blue Mage disappeared.

 Chapter 121 - [The Sephirot]

    Summer, 615 CA


    The Far Realm


    In a realm far removed from the joy and suffering of Ferrum was an infinite plane of dead gray dust under a cruel white star. Nothing could grow in this realm, and few creatures could survive the killing gaze of that fell star for more than a few minutes. This realm was just one of infinite worlds that could not sustain life. For every lush, green world teeming with vibrant life, there were nine like this one that would never see a single weed sprout on its surface.


    Sitting upon this infinite surface of dead soil was a massive white marble structure that gleamed in defiance of the entropy surrounding it. The structure was little more than a massive stone roof held up by more than a hundred marble columns all of which were supported by a heavy marble foundation. The columns were arranged so close together on the outside that someone standing outside the structure could not see what was hidden within.


    This structure was known as the Sefirot, the meeting place of the gods.


    Hidden within the forest of columns was a large marble table with ten marble thrones arranged around it. The table was rectangular, and the seats were arranged such that eight would sit at the sides of the table and two would sit at the heads of the table. Standing next to the table such that one sitting at the head of the table would have his back to it was a large stone monolith that measured five meters tall and three meters wide. To a layman, the face of the monolith was painted a darker color than the rest of the stone, but further inspection would reveal that the stone was marked with millions of lines of millimeter-tall letters.


    At the head of the table opposite the monolith was a man dressed in the regalia of an ancient Roman Senator. He wore a white toga upon his body and a golden laurel upon his head. The man¡¯s ageless face was tightened in a scowl as he peered imperiously at an illusory replica of the world of Ferrum that floated silently in his hand.


    The globe shifted and transformed into an image of an emaciated man languishing on the side of a busy road. Hundreds of people passed him by without a word as his eyes closed for the final time and his head fell to the cold ground beneath.


    The image shifted again to one of a massive, dead tree with dozens of twisting branches. Though the tree did not have leaves, it was decorated with human bodies hanging from the branches by their necks like so many Christmas ornaments. A woman screamed as a squad of soldiers dressed in Etronian livery wrapped a noose around her neck and threw the other end of the rope over one of the branches. The soldiers laughed as the woman was raised high up in the air.


    The image shifted to a family of three standing in a shallow pit. They were surrounded by an angry mob of vengeful townspeople. Each person in the mob - every man, woman, and child - took a rock in their hand, and cast it at the young family. One rock by itself did little to the terrified family, but hundreds of small, sharp projectiles eventually completed their grim purpose.


    The image shifted.


    The image shifted.


    The image shifted.


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    Tragedy upon tragedy unfolded in front of the judging god¡¯s eyes. With each sin witnessed, the god¡¯s scowl deepened imperceptibly. Hours, days, weeks passed where the god would not budge from his marble throne. The sins accumulated slowly but surely to the point where even a god could be swayed.


    The god¡¯s vigil was finally broken by the sound of thick leather soles slapping against the marble floor. A normal woman in a modest outfit with features that would quickly get lost in a crowd appeared from behind a pillar.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re still cooped up in here, Lothar,¡± the woman chastised.


    The scene of a dozen captured prisoners impaled on long spears disappeared from the God of Judgment¡¯s vision, and he said, ¡°What else is there to do, Nyx? The population is self-sufficient and self-propagating. All that¡¯s left to do now is wait and see if your little project can fix this world in a decade. Let¡¯s just say that I doubt it.¡±


    ¡°Why not work to prevent those tragedies you¡¯re so fond of watching?¡± Nyx asked, taking a seat at one side of the table.


    ¡°I can only be in eight places at once, Nyx,¡± Lothar said with a completely serious expression. ¡°Plus, we decided to be more hands-off this time, remember?¡±


    Nyx sighed and said, ¡°Yeah, I know, but you could act more subtly like me. Just whisper something like ¡®Lothar commands you to be a good person¡¯ into the ears of criminals.¡±


    ¡°Why should I bother?¡± Lothar said, leaning back into his marble throne. ¡°They¡¯re all gonna be dead in ten years, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Nyx interjected. ¡°We agreed to give them a chance this time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m keeping an open mind,¡± Lothar said, raising his hands in mock surrender. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯ll pass. As they are right now, we can¡¯t afford to let their society fester for much longer. It¡¯s only a matter of time before some omnicidal warlord [Ascends] and we¡¯ve got a wannabe god-killer on our hands.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have a good feeling about this one,¡± Nyx said with a smile.


    ¡°Why?¡± Lothar asked with genuine confusion. ¡°Everything looks exactly the same to me as every other loop.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the Reincarnates. Most of them just became adults, and I think they¡¯ll really surprise you.¡±


    ¡°What could twelve people possibly do to make this world worthy in a decade?¡± Lothar said, gesturing to an illusory globe that just appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Turn your [Eye of Judgment] toward the City of Etron if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Wordlessly, Lothar gestured with his hand, causing the image to switch to an aerial shot of Etron. Lothar saw the walls sectioning the city off based on economic class, and his frown deepened. Much more stone had been used protecting nobles from peasants than was used to defend the city from invasion.


    ¡°Zoom in on the South Gate. Run it back an hour.¡± Nyx guided Lothar to the scene she had in mind. ¡°There.¡±


    The image swiftly resolved into one depicting the crowd of people fleeing from Etron. A shadowed mage dressed in a blue robe stood floating above the crowd, and dozens of faces turned toward the mage in shock.


    ¡°I see it. What does it mean?¡± Lothar said, thoroughly unimpressed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize them? Reincarnates two, five, and six are together in this crowd.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡±


    ¡°One of the Reincarnates has reached the second tier, and the other has reached the fourth tier.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lothar asked with surprise coloring his expression. ¡°He did that in just fifteen years?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I always knew the creators would be the key to breaking the loop.¡±


    Lothar moved time within his [Eye of Judgment] forward, and saw events that meaningfully diverged from the previous timeline unfold in front of him. Lothar and Nyx watched with rapt attention as the Battle of Etron unfolded in front of them.

 Chapter 122 - [Something Truly Horrifying]

    Name: Thale Feldrast


    Class: Sorcerer


    Level: 22


    HP: 67


    MP: 495


    Fortitude: 6


    Strength: 6


    Agility: 7


    Intelligence: 22


    Willpower: 16


    Charisma: 13


    Tier: C


    Class Abilities: [Mana Perception], [Sorcery Boost]


    Skills: [Triage], [Miracle], [Appraisal]


    Talents: [Hellfire], [Observe]


    Traits: [Intelligent], [Sickly]


    Alignment: Scrupulous (Good)


    Spells


    Sorcery


    <ul>


    <li>1-Point: [Water Ball], [Mold Earth], [Gust]</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>2-Point: [Wind Knife], [Ice Spear], [Water Cannon], [Electric Arc]</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>3-Point: [Volcano Cannon], [Ice Breath], [Stone Tower]</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>4-Point: [Lightning Bolt], [Fireball], [Mana Bolt]</li>


    </ul>


    Transmutation


    <ul>


    <li>Can use up to 3-Point circles with multiple tiers</li>


    </ul>


    Distortion


    <ul>


    <li>1-Point: [Shield], [Lift Object], [Catapult]</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>2-Point: [Fly]</li>


    </ul>


    Necromancy


    <ul>


    <li>1-Point: [Speak With Dead]</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>2-Point: [Raise Dead]</li>


    </ul>


    Blood Magic


    <ul>


    <li>1-Point: [Blood Control]</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li>2-Point: [Blood Enhancement], [Blood Lance]</li>


    </ul>


    Items: Staff of Imogene Drac, Wand (War Mage), Pocket Watch (Soul Cage), Fire-Resistant Coat, Ring of Etron, Ring of Mind-Shielding


    Summer, 615 CA


    The City of Etron


    The crowd of commoners broke out into terrified rambling, and a small portion of the crowd fell to their knees in supplication. To the knowledgeable, the Blue Mage seemed like a minor god. Most commoners and low-level mages did not know of any spell that could be used to appear and disappear at will.


    My brow furrowed in thought as I considered the significance of what had just happened. Due to the large size of the crowd, the [Spell] utilized by the Blue Mage could not have been [Invisibility]. No, the only [Spell] that would create such an effect was [Teleport], a 6-Point distortion [Spell]. The Blue Mage did not cast the [Spell] as a ritual, so he was at least level 50. At a minimum, the Blue Mage would have to be a B-Tier. I bit my thumb as I considered the extent to which I was outmatched.


    ¡°Thale!¡± Beltane shouted, catching my attention. ¡°You spoke to the mage. Do you understand what he said?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I responded. ¡°Ask Haydith if you want to know what was said.¡±


    Chaos? What did the Blue Mage mean by that? His goal was to create chaos?


    Eadric spoke a moment after Beltane, breaking my concentration. ¡°Who was that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Eadric,¡± I said, an annoyed tone suffusing my voice. Then, a thought occurred to me. ¡°How old did he sound to you?¡±


    Eadric thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Thirty, I guess? Not old but not young either.¡±


    I grunted in lieu of an answer. I was thinking the same thing. The Blue Mage was clearly from Earth, but he was too old to be a Reincarnate like Haydith or me. Rather, he must have been ¡°sent¡± to Ferrum rather than ¡°reborn¡± like us. I vaguely recalled that such people were sometimes called Transmigrators in stories I had read.


    What would it take to reach level 50 in just fifteen years? After spending six years training, I knew that leveling up was tough, especially in the relatively-safe land of pre-war Etronia. In order to reach such a level so quickly, one would need an in-depth knowledge of [Ferrum Online].


    Fear registered on my face, causing Beltane to turn toward me with a worried expression. The pieces fell into place as I realized that the Blue Mage must have had as much knowledge of the world and the System as me. Chaos. If I wanted to cause as much chaos as possible, I would only have to do one thing.


    ¡°He¡¯s going after the King,¡± I said.


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    ¡°What?¡± Beltane asked.


    ¡°I was wrong. This isn¡¯t limited to Haydith and the Lich Cult. That mage is behind everything that¡¯s happening in the city. If I¡¯m right, he did all of this to isolate the King and assassinate him.¡±


    ¡°Why would he do that?¡±


    ¡°Chaos. He wants to destabilize the whole world, and the King¡¯s death would start a domino effect that ends in the collapse of Mitrikova and Etronia.¡±


    A loud crash echoed from a few blocks away. Turning toward the source of the sound, I saw a large plume of smoke and dust rise into the sky. Before I could turn toward Beltane and say another word, my body was gripped in a coughing fit, and I was almost driven down to my knees. When I pulled my palm away from my mouth, it was covered in blood. A deep ache filled my body once the coughing subsided, and I knew that any physical exertion would be much more difficult for the next few hours.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Beltane asked.


    ¡°Yes, but I need to see a priest. Kinro and I will head to the nearest Church of Nyx. The rest of you¡­¡± I said, but I was interrupted by Haydith.


    ¡°Thale. You said they¡¯re not just after me. Does that mean my family is in danger?¡± Haydith asked, fear obvious in her voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said truthfully.


    ¡°Then I need to check on my family.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I sighed. ¡°Beltane, Eadric, you two protect Haydith while Kinro and I find a church.¡±


    The group split up, leaving me alone with Kinro. We started running toward the sound of violence and screaming, but that was short lived. The group of screaming people heading in the opposite direction quickly became a pain to deal with, and I was out of breath before a minute had passed. Kinro, on the other hand, had absolutely no trouble navigating the tide of screaming commoners as they ran by.


    Turning back toward me, Kinro asked, ¡°Hey, Boss. Where is the nearest church, anyway?¡±


    I had been to Etron in [Ferrum Online] so many times that I¡¯d never forget the location of the town¡¯s churches. ¡°Yeah,¡± I wheezed. ¡°It¡¯s a few hundred meters that way.¡±


    My wand flashed silver, and my body became weightless. ¡°Can you follow me if I fly?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Who do you take me for?¡± Kinro said with a laugh. A moment later, a group of three cultists wearing deer masks appeared out of a nearby alleyway.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I shouted, but it was too late.


    In one smooth motion, Kinro unsheathed his blade and struck the cultist in the front of the group. A scarlet crescent of blood splashed against the nearby houses as the cultist stumbled one step backwards and then fell to the ground.


    Another cultist swung at Kinro with a heavy battleaxe, but Kinro easily sidestepped the attack. Before the blow had time to strike uselessly against the ground, Kinro¡¯s counterstroke had entered the cultist¡¯s body at the collarbone and exited somewhere around the stomach. In a blink of an eye, two cultists were dead.


    ¡°Fulgur!¡± I shouted, blasting the third cultist with an arc of bright blue electricity. The cultist¡¯s body buckled and spasmed as his muscles were violently motivated by the arcane electric current. Slowly, mercifully, the cultist¡¯s body struck the ground.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to kill them!¡± I shouted at Kinro.


    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t, but I do. If I hit somebody with the blunt edge, they¡¯ll still die.¡± He pointed to the blunt edge of his katana as he spoke.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, Boss. The sooner you get it through your head that some people need to be killed, the better.¡±


    I tried to think of a retort, but none came to mind. ¡°Just follow me.¡±


    My wand flashed silver once more, and [Gust] carried me up into the sky. For a moment, I was alone up there. I looked down at the large gray buildings lit by purple twilight and saw a dozen small battles flash underneath me. Mages threw [Spells] at charging lizards, and fighters crossed swords with rampaging orcs.


    Why were you so afraid, Thale? These monsters are weak.


    I framed the thought in my head with a tone of mild mockery. Through the tone of my thoughts, I intended to imply that Thale was being unnecessarily cautious.


    What?


    There was a groggy quality to Thale¡¯s voice, as if he had just woken from a deep slumber. Even after strengthening over those past few years, Thale still spent the vast majority of the time asleep.


    We¡¯re still in Etron? We need to leave, now.


    Why?


    The mockery was gone from my mental voice.


    The ritual. I recognize it. It will only become more powerful over time. The creatures it¡¯s been summoning have been weak, but it¡¯s only a matter of time before the dread creatures that haunt the underworld are drawn to the light of the ritual.


    Which creatures?


    The kind we are not ready for.


    How do you know the ritual hasn¡¯t run out of energy?


    As I said, I recognize this ritual. I used it. This ritual is powered by souls. It won¡¯t end until something truly horrifying is summoned.


    A great crack filled the air as another pulse of arcane energy passed through my body. The pulse was so powerful that my muscles twitched slightly as it reached me.


    At the source of the sound, several massive chunks of stone exploded upward into the air. The chunks must have been the size of buildings, and they flew in an arc that sent them several miles outside of the city limits. A large cloud of smoke filled the air where several buildings had been a moment before.


    From within the rising cloud of ash came a roar. It was a deep, guttural roar that shook me to my very core. For an instant, two gargantuan wings emerged from the smoke before flapping downward. The smoke was immediately dispelled by the wind produced by the leathery wings, and a creature rose into the air.


    With a grace that should have been impossible for something of its size, an ancient black dragon took flight over the city of Etron.

 Chapter 123 - [Horde]

    The nearby sound of feet slapping against stone presaged the appearance of Kinro. His katana was sheathed, and he held the injured cultist over one of his shoulders. Kinro stood at the top of a large tower about a dozen meters away from me. The tower must have been twenty meters tall, and he must have reached the roof in seconds. Kinro shouted, ¡°We need to get out of here before that thing sees us!¡±


    For a moment, my eyes were locked on the dragon as it flew through the air. The dragon flew low to the ground and opened its pitiless jaws. A high pitched sound like high-pressured gas escaping from a pipe filled the air, and a jet of fire billowed from the dragon¡¯s mouth. The fire burned hotter than anything I could hope to produce, destroying several houses and incinerating dozens of people on the ground.


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    Forcefully pulling my eyes away from the carnage, I frantically scanned the ground where I knew the church would be. After a few seconds, I saw the winged staff symbol of Nyx carved into the side of a large granite building. I pointed at the building and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s over there!¡±


    I pushed myself forward with [Gust] and mercifully reached the ground within a few seconds. Kinro matched my arc of travel with little effort despite the extra weight on his shoulder. He effortlessly jumped between the roofs of buildings, frequently crossing ten-meter gaps between buildings with ease. I had heard that martial classes gained physical enhancement independent of their attribute bonuses, but that was the first time I had seen it.


    A moment after Kinro landed in the small town square in front of the building, I heard someone shout two words in Dahk, the language of orcs. ¡°Humans, kill!¡±


    ¡°Orcs,¡± I quietly thanked God that they weren¡¯t more cultists. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ll have a chance to sober up some more.¡±


    Kinro chuckled as he dropped the cultist and unsheathed his katana. ¡°You won¡¯t hold back against these guys, I take it?¡±


    [Blood Enhancement, Lvl. 3]


    The blood rune on my hand began to glow and the air around my body began to heat up as I prepared to fight. ¡°Now, why would I do that?¡± Despite myself, a vicious smile appeared on my face. ¡°They¡¯re vermin, after all.¡±


    The horde of orcs came pouring out of several alleyways on the other side of the town square. All told, there must have been thirty of them, and one of the orcs near the front of the horde was almost double the height of the other orcs.


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    As they charged, the words Beltane spoke to me several years before rang in my ears. ¡°Unlike most Talents, [Hellfire] is classified as ¡®anti-army.¡¯ It burns at a set temperature, and that temperature doesn¡¯t increase as you gain skill with it. Skill with [Hellfire] allows you to affect a much larger area. The greatest weakness of [Hellfire] is that it¡¯ll never be able to kill high-level enemies, but its greatest strength is its ability to quickly eliminate large numbers of low-level enemies. In a war, [Hellfire] is indispensable.¡±


    Four sparks of Hellfire appeared above my head simultaneously. I took a single breath, and the sparks flared to five times their original size. The moment the first orc stepped within thirty meters of me, the motes of fire shot forward. Four orcs were instantly incinerated, and their corpses were scattered against their nearby companions by the explosive force of expansion.


    The explosion did not stop with the deaths of those four orcs, however. I poured mana into the sparks, and a massive conflagration engulfed the horde. Most of the orcs died instantaneously as half of the town square was engulfed in a fire storm. I tried to force the flame upward and away from the nearby houses, but I was unable. Several nearby houses caught on fire as the explosion expanded outward in a sphere formation.


    Orcs (26) killed!


    DAMAGE DEALT: 49


    DAMAGE DEALT: 44


    DAMAGE DEALT: 44


    LEVEL UP: 23


    New HP: 70


    New MP: 502


    EXPERIENCE AVAILABLE!


    I viciously shook my head, and the System information disappeared quickly. The battle was not yet over. Three concerningly vigorous orcs emerged from the smoke created by my attack, charging toward Kinro and me. The largest orc, which seemed completely unphased by my Hellfire, was in the center of the three. I had hoped that my initial attack would at least slow down the stronger orcs.


    ¡°See what happens when you don¡¯t hold back?¡± Kinro said, sauntering unsteadily toward the three charging orcs.


    I pointed my staff at my enemies, waiting for my upper core to refill, when Kinro disappeared in a gust of wind. Even though I was looking directly at the orcs when Kinro attacked, I couldn¡¯t make out exactly what he did. It was as if a corridor of air opened up between the swordmaster and the orc to the right of the trio. For an instant, Kinro seemed to occupy the whole space simultaneously. The next instant, however, Kinro stood on the other side of the charging orcs, and a stream of blood flowed from the severed stump of a decapitated orc.


    The Orc Chief reacted immediately and with speed that should have been impossible from such a large creature. It swung its heavy iron axe down towards Kinro, and an echo rang out as the swordmaster stopped the axe with his katana.


    ¡°Mulciber ignis tormentum!¡± I shouted, firing a half-power volcano cannon at the smaller orc.


    Though it moved with the speed and skill of a C-Tier, the orc was focused on Kinro when I cast the spell. At the last possible second - as the orb of molten rock flew through the air - the orc turned its head toward me.


    DAMAGE DEALT: 85


    The orc was struck hard in the chest. It fell onto its back, and it didn¡¯t even have enough strength to gurgle as it died.

 Chapter 124 - [Like a Sack of Potatoes]

    Kinro clashed with the Orc Chief. Though the orc stood at twice Kinro¡¯s height and weighed more than a thousand kilograms, Kinro had no trouble swatting away the creature¡¯s attacks. Sword clashed against axe several times before Kinro altered his stance and took a step into the orc¡¯s attack range. The swordmaster grit his teeth and started focusing entirely on offense.


    With an upward slash, Kinro carved a large red X on the Orc Chief¡¯s chest. In that same moment, the orc¡¯s axe struck Kinro¡¯s head. Kinro turned his head at the last moment, diverting most of the force away, but the strike still drew blood.


    Paying no heed to his own well-being, Kinro cut deep once more into the orc¡¯s midsection, and the orc responded in kind. The axe struck Kinro¡¯s shoulder, causing him to bleed significantly.


    Before I could line up a shot on the Orc Chief, the battle was over. Slowed by its wounds, the orc swung its axe at Kinro¡¯s leg, but Kinro caught the axe with a powerful stamp of his foot. Kinro took this opportunity to cut deep into the orc¡¯s arm. Kinro took a step onto the orc¡¯s massive elbow, extending the range of his sword just far enough to reach the orc¡¯s vitals.


    A slash caught the Orc Chief¡¯s neck. Orcish blood covered most of Kinro¡¯s body as the Orc Chief let out a death gurgle. Kinro lifted his blade in a powerful two-handed grip and brought it toward the orc¡¯s neck like a lumberjack striking a tree. The second blow connected, and the Orc Chief¡¯s massive head detached from its body, thumping to the ground like a sack of potatoes.


    As the Orc Chief¡¯s corpse crashed to the ground with a thunderous roar, Kinro took a faltering step backward and wiped the blood from his face. The wound he took in his shoulder was deep, but it wouldn¡¯t be life threatening. As he turned to face me, his expression was almost casual.


    I considered the power contained in every one of Kinro¡¯s swings. With every level gained, a fighter¡¯s strikes became more powerful. At his level, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if a cut from Kinro¡¯s blade dealt more than 60 damage.


    ¡°Now all that¡¯s left is the dragon,¡± Kinro said as he returned his katana to its sheath. He rotated his shoulder and winced in pain as blood streamed down his arm.


    A group of people began to slowly emerge from the church. Some of them wore the vestment of Nyx¡¯s clergy. In order to prevent any uncomfortable conversations, I covered the blood rune on my left hand with a glove and controlled my breathing to lower the heat emanating from my staff.


    As the benefits from my [Blood Enhancement] wore off, I fell to one knee. The disease had exhausted my body so significantly that it was hard to stand. Just as I painfully lifted myself to my feet, I heard the voice of an older man come from the direction of the clergy.


    ¡°Is that you, Count Feldrast?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Close, but no,¡± I answered. ¡°I am his son, Thale Feldrast.¡±


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    The group approaching from the church held about ten individuals, and three of them wore white stoles around their neck, informing me that they were priests who lived by Nyx¡¯s stringent code of nonviolence.


    The priestess standing to the right of the group of clergy froze in place at the mention of my name. At first, I figured that she must have been frightened by the nature of Hellfire. The priestess was in her late teens, and her body language betrayed a deep anxiety. The holy robes and priest¡¯s stole seemed strange on such a young woman, but that was just the pre-conceptions from Earth. Nearly half of Nyx¡¯s clergy were priestesses.


    She seemed entirely unexceptional, and I couldn¡¯t immediately put my finger on why I was paying so much attention to her. The priestess had brown hair that reminded me of my mother, and she seemed to have a hard time looking me in the eye.


    ¡°Thale,¡± the priestess said. The familiarity of the voice jerked my gaze toward her eyes, and I saw that they were a deep red color.


    ¡°Miriam,¡± I said, dumbstruck for a moment. She had changed so much over the years that I didn¡¯t realize it was her until I saw her eyes. Though she had grown, her disposition was much the same. Her body language was still anxious and uncertain.


    A second later, my shock transformed into guilt. I had not seen Miriam since that solemn day many years before, and any communication between us had been limited. All communication between my family and me had been via letter, and my irregular address made such communication very difficult. The last time I sent a letter back home was almost two years ago.


    ¡°You two need to get inside before that dragon comes back around,¡± the older priest said as some of the people in the group approached Kinro and me. Based on their body language, they intended to physically support us back to the church.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need any help, thank you,¡± I said, waving the good samaritans back. ¡°I wasn¡¯t injured during the fight.¡±


    One of the people grabbed Kinro by the arm to help him, but Kinro lightly shook him off. The helper was thrown slightly off balance by Kinro¡¯s superhuman strength.


    As we walked back to the church, many of the people with us looked over at the group of dead orcs in awe. An area about the size of a city block was scorched with black soot, and a horde of incinerated orc corpses littered the ground. One of them said at a volume just loud enough for me to hear, ¡°He killed all of them in an instant¡­¡±


    I leaned heavily against my staff as we walked. The ache in my body had become so great that it was only a matter of time before I passed out from exhaustion. I would be out of commission soon without healing.


    ¡°I¡¯m the high priest of this church,¡± the old man said quickly as we walked. ¡°Everyone calls me Father Galen. We are in your debt. If there¡¯s anything we can do for you, just ask.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll take you up on that offer,¡± I huffed as we started ascending the marble stairs toward the church. ¡°We came here for healing. I need disease and wound healing. The samurai over there needs wound and poison healing.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s poisoned?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, trying to keep the embarrassment out of my expression. ¡°He¡¯s drunk, and I need him sober.¡±


    ¡°He did all of that drunk?¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s more sober than usual,¡± I joked.


    The church¡¯s heavy wooden double doors closed behind us, and some of the priests¡¯ helpers began to pile pews and other heavy pieces of furniture in front of it.

 Chapter 125 - [Sister Miriam]

    The church was a large, well-constructed building in the center of Etron. There were only two entrances, and they were narrow enough to defend with only a handful of soldiers. This, paired with the large amount of floor space in the church¡¯s main chamber, was why the First Church of Etron always ended up being used as a stronghold in scenarios where Etron was attacked for one reason or another. All major military barracks in the city were either located in the Merchant or Noble District, so the First Church was the only major contender for a base of operations in the Gate District.


    We walked through a small marble antechamber, which held a basin of water that was just big enough for someone to bathe in. I suspected that the basin was filled with holy water.


    Beyond the antechamber was the main chamber of the First Church. Typically, the large chamber would be lined with large oak pews, but the pews had been pushed to the sides of the room to make room for a large group of people to congregate in the chamber¡¯s center. Light was cast on the huddled masses through a set of three stained glass windows.


    The glass windows portrayed three women: Nyx, Sondrith, and Saint Alicia. Those three people were typically considered the most important figures in the Church of Nyx. While the reason for Nyx¡¯s portrayal was self-evident, the significance of the other two was less clear. Sondrith was considered the first Priestess of Nyx, even before the Church of Nyx was created. Saint Alicia founded the Church of Nyx several decades after the death of Sondrith, and it soon became the largest religion in the world.


    In the stained glass, Nyx wore a deep hood that cast a shadow that completely concealed her face. Despite this, two bright orbs of light shone out of the darkness of the hood, gazing upon those standing in the church with a cold gaze. The face within the stained glass seemed unknowable, cold, and distant, yet oddly comforting.


    To Nyx¡¯s right, the stained glass window portraying Sondrith had been partially destroyed. The lower half of the window was missing, and the upper half of the window was marked with jagged cracks, revealing the purple sky behind the glass. Some creature had most likely thrown a rock through the window.


    Another coughing fit overcame me when I had walked less than a few meters into the main chamber. Weakness seized my legs, and I had to sit on a pew to stop myself from falling to the ground.


    ¡°Are you okay, Thale? Are you hurt?¡± Miriam asked once I was stationary on the pew.


    ¡°Sister Miriam,¡± Father Galen warned. ¡°There is no reason for you to speak to Lord Feldrast in such a familiar manner.¡±


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    I¡¯d imagine that her being my sister is a pretty good reason for a familiar tone.


    A moment after that thought formed in my head, I paused. How did the priest not know that Miriam was my sister? Surely, there weren¡¯t that many Feldrasts in Etronia.


    ¡°By any chance, Father Galen, could Sister Miriam heal me? My companion is much more injured than I am, and I think he would benefit from your significant experience,¡± I said with a tired smile.


    For a moment, Father Galen looked between Miriam and me, confused by our previous interactions. After a moment, however, he bowed slightly to me and said, ¡°As you wish, Lord Feldrast.¡±


    When Father Galen was out of earshot, I whispered to Miriam, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I-I left Northwind as soon as I was old enough. A month after you left, Merrick left to become a squire. Solana spent all of her time helping Uncle Edwin run the realm. Even Nina disappeared after a while. I was so lonely for such a long time, so I left Northwind two years ago and started going by Miriam Sellack. After a few months, I ended up here.¡±


    ¡°Things have been tough for you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you left for a good reason. You¡¯ve always done things for a reason. Just, please, tell me why you left.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± My voice got stuck in my throat as I considered telling her the truth.


    Don¡¯t.


    Why not?


    If you tell her the truth, she¡¯ll ask to come with us. We¡¯ll inevitably end up fighting A-Tier [Characters] and seven-star beasts. She could easily die.


    It would break her heart. No, I won¡¯t lie to her.


    If she dies, I¡¯ll kill you.


    ¡°Thale?¡± Miriam asked, fear and sadness mixing in her expression.


    ¡°Okay, here¡¯s the truth,¡± I said, clearing my throat.


    As succinctly as I could manage, I told Miriam the truth. I told her about my nature as a Reincarnate, I told her about the coming war, I told her about Lothar, and I told her that the attack on Etron was tied to all of that. While I spoke, Miriam healed me with the [First Prayer] and [Second Prayer]. My illness was cured, and the ache suffusing my body disappeared.


    ¡°And you¡¯ve been like this¡­?¡± Miriam began to ask once my explanation began to wind down after ten minutes.


    ¡°Ever since the moment of my birth, yes. I¡¯m sure you probably don¡¯t believe me, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it all makes sense now. That explains everything. Goddess Nyx, it should have been obvious. There¡¯s no way a child could have 18 [Intelligence] at ten years old.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad about it. You had no reason to believe that people like me exist.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s another person like you? Haydith, is that her name?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There are others. In fact, I¡¯m pretty sure that this whole attack was planned out by another Reincarnate.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re not all on the same side?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ complicated. Anyway, what are you going to do now? It will be safer to stay here with the church.¡±


    With a smile, Miriam said, ¡°Well, it sounds like you need a priestess.¡±

 Chapter 126 - [No Reason to Be Alarmed]

    I crossed over to the other side of the main chamber as Miriam went to speak to the head priest. It was difficult to wave off the throng of commoners who wanted to shake my hand for saving their lives, but I was soon able to get close to the shattered stained glass window of Priestess Sondrith. As I crossed the large room, a surprisingly sober Kinro approached me. His wounds were healed, and he walked with a strange energy. He was clearly tense, and I didn¡¯t know if it was due to his sobriety or the possibility that a horde of monsters could attack the church at any moment.


    ¡°So, Boss. What¡¯s our next move?¡± Kinro asked.


    ¡°For now, this¡­¡± I said, stopping short as four motes of Hellfire sprang from my hand, zipped through the hole in the stained glass window, and flew high into the air. Just as the motes reached the maximum range at which I could still control them, they merged together and expanded into a single massive rune that blazed like the midday sun.


    ?


    The symbol was the Common rune for ¡°th.¡± Due to its simplicity, I was able to make the rune gargantuan without using up too much mana.


    The fiery beacon bathed the main chamber in a kaleidoscopic orange light that was similar to the light of dawn but much brighter. Having spent quite a few years surrounded by Hellfire lamps, the bright orange light was nostalgic to me. To the frightened churchgoers, the flaming rune in the sky might have seemed like an omen of misfortune.


    ¡°Beltane and Eadric know that this symbol marks the location for the party to regroup. I¡¯ll keep it up for a minute to make sure that they see it,¡± I told Kinro.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first rune of your name, right?¡± Kinro asked, stroking his chin.


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea,¡± I responded promptly. The process of maintaining the beacon took up most of my focus, so I had some difficulty responding.


    Father Galad and several of the other priests stepped up to the stained glass windows with shocked looks on their faces. One of the priests placed a clasped hand to his own chest in a show of faith to Nyx, and I heard someone shout, ¡°The forces of Hell have marked us for death!¡±


    Hearing this, I responded by saying, ¡°No, no, I¡¯m just calling for reinforcements. The rest of my group will come here when they see the beacon.¡±


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    The third priest who came out to meet me after I killed the horde of orcs, a young man with vigor in his steps and zealous certainty in his eyes, approached me with an outstretched finger, shouting, ¡°You dare use the wicked power of Hellfire on holy land? How could you be so¡­?¡±


    The young priest¡¯s tirade was cut off by Father Galad¡¯s interjection. ¡°Brother Sebastian! We would have been overrun by the orcs if not for Lord Thale! Do not speak to him in such a way!¡±


    Brother Sebastian turned away from the high priest and me with a grimace. I looked over to thank Father Galad, and I saw an expression of doubt on his face. Though he dared not speak his concerns out loud in front of the congregants, I could tell he was concerned that my beacon would draw the attention of the monstrous forces besieging the city. He was probably most concerned that the dragon circling the center of the city would be drawn to the church.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to be alarmed,¡± I shouted to everyone, though my eyes were locked on the high priest. ¡°We can handle any monster that would be drawn here by the beacon.¡±


    ¡°What about the dragon?¡± a terrified voice in the crowd asked.


    ¡°The dragon won¡¯t come here. Dragons are exceedingly territorial creatures to the point of compulsion. This compulsion is biological; they couldn¡¯t possibly control it. They¡¯re hoarders by nature, and if they are at any point separated from their hoard, it will cause them severe emotional distress. The dragon in the center of town has been separated from its hoard, so it is now compelled to immediately start forming a hoard and laying claim to a territory in the center of town. We can trust it to stay in the southern portion of the Merchant District for a day at least while it collects jewelry and other valuables from the area.¡±


    Honestly, I felt a bit sorry for the dragon terrorizing the center of Etron. It was presently engaged in something akin to a panic response. Most dragons didn¡¯t enjoy the process of razing villages and burning forests, but their strange cognition forced them to do so when there was no other way to acquire a hoard of valuables. In fact, the typical ¡°dragon attack¡± only occurred due to some kind of outside environmental agitation. In ideal circumstances, a dragon would build up its own hoard through trade or looting. Dragons weren¡¯t evil; it would be more accurate to say that they were mentally unwell.


    The congregants and priests were mollified by my statement, and they all went back to their previous engagements once I was done speaking. With a sly smile, Kinro walked up to me and asked out of the corner of his mouth, ¡°How much of that was bullshit?¡±


    Frowning at Kinro¡¯s foul language, I said, ¡°Everything I just said was true.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Kinro said, clearly not believing my words.


    With those words, Kinro walked over to the head priest and Miriam, who were engaged in a significant conversation. They weren¡¯t fighting, but it was clear that the conversation held emotional importance for both of them. Miriam was most likely telling Father Galad the truth and her intention to leave with my group.


    For the first time since the conversation with the Blue Mage, I was left alone with my thoughts. This gave me the opportunity to take stock of every tool available, create a plan, and make adjustments to my character sheet.

 Chapter 127 - [Warding Magic]

    To begin with, I mentally listed the major problems I faced in Etron. These were: the Blue Mage, the dragon, and the ongoing summoning ritual occurring in the center of the city. The first order of business would have to be stopping the summoning ritual so that the situation wouldn¡¯t get any worse. The black dragon was a six-star monster, and it was possible that the ritual could end up summoning a seven-star monster if allowed to continue.


    So, Thale, where do you think the ritual is taking place?


    Underground, definitely.


    With a ritual like this one, are the monsters summoned in the same location that the ritual is taking place?


    The monster would have to manifest within 100 meters of the summoning circle. I assume you intend to interrupt the ritual based on your wording.


    Yep. Do you think there¡¯s any chance that the dragon destroyed the summoning circle?


    Maybe. I wouldn¡¯t count on it. If we¡¯re not going to leave the city, then interrupting the ritual is the best course of action.


    The hole created by the dragon when it burst out of the ground would serve as the best way to find the ritual, but that would be within the dragon¡¯s territory. No, it would be smarter to travel through the sewer system. Hmm, that cultist I captured should know the way to the ritual.


    You¡¯re thinking out loud again. Stop it.


    Traveling through the sewer system would allow us to stay away from the dragon, but that still left my biggest problem: the Blue Mage. I was pretty sure he could trace Haydith and me with divination magic. There was nothing stopping him from hitting me with the old teleport-and-kill combo.


    Considering the level of enemy I faced in Etron, I knew that I couldn¡¯t continue relying on simple blasting. In a straight slugging match, I wouldn¡¯t last a round against the dragon or the Blue Mage. My only hope was to rely on the other schools of magic that war mages typically didn¡¯t use for combat.


    I wondered if I could use transmutation to stave off attack by the Blue Mage. An idea formed in my mind. The only components of liquid nitroglycerin were Nitrogen and Oxygen, which I could draw from the air in their pure chemical forms. Liquid nitroglycerin was so unstable that a sharp impact would cause it to detonate. If I synthesized several liters of nitroglycerin the moment the Blue Mage appeared, he wouldn¡¯t kill me, because my collapse to the ground would detonate the nitroglycerin. Perhaps, I thought, mutually-assured-destruction would be enough to fend off the Blue Mage.


    Doing the calculations in my head, I realized that this plan would not work. A liquid was about one thousand times denser than a gas. Even if I could draw from a massive volume of air, I would only be able to create a few cubic centimeters of nitroglycerin per second. The Blue Mage would be able to kill me before I could synthesize a firecracker.


    Though transmutation wouldn¡¯t help me, mutually-assured-destruction seemed like the right path forward. If the Blue Mage could not kill me without taking severe damage, I would be safe. I would utilize a porcupine strategy.


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    I considered the schools of magic that I couldn¡¯t utilize at the time. These schools were: warding, illusion, mind magic, summoning, divination, and alchemy. Of these six schools of magic, warding was the one that would be best for my porcupine strategy. I racked my brain for snippets of information from [Ferrum Online], and the word ¡°contingency¡± bubbled to my mind¡¯s surface. I remembered that warding circles could be used to set certain supernatural effects to manifest when a specific trigger is activated.


    System. Do I have enough Experience to learn how to use the ¡°contingency¡± ability?


    ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE 3-POINT WARDING [SPELL] KNOWN AS [CONTINGENCY]?


    Probably. Would this [Spell] give me the ability to activate a powerful magic effect upon the event of my death?


    YES. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A TRIGGER, MANA SOURCE, AND DESIRED EFFECT, [CONTINGENCY] CAN BE USED.


    Sounds good to me. Use my Experience to teach me the [Contingency] [Spell].


    BE ADVISED: LEARNING THE [CONTINGENCY] [SPELL] WILL REQUIRE YOU TO USE 84% OF THE EXPERIENCE YOU GAINED FROM YOUR PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENT. IN ADDITION, THE PROCESS OF UNLOCKING [CONTINGENCY] WILL ALSO UNLOCK THE [DEFENSIVE WARD] AND [PROTECTION FROM ELEMENTS] [SPELLS]. ARE YOU SURE YOU WISH TO CONTINUE?


    Yes. Unlock [Contingency].


    Powerful, deafening ringing shook my skull as the knowledge of hundreds of arcane circles and their meanings forced their way into my brain. A grunt of pain escaped my lips as I gripped my head and fell to my knees. I could feel a warm trickle of blood seep out of my nose. Over the course of just a few seconds, years of study flashed through my head.


    Just as Kinro turned toward me with a worried look on his face, the pain passed, and I returned to my feet. With that short flash of information, I had become a warder of intermediate skill. The logic of warding magic was imprinted on my mind. Though a ward always took the form of a circle, every one of the circle¡¯s elements held a meaning. The circle¡¯s geometry was like a language all of its own.


    Warding magic, eh? What are you going to do with that?


    You¡¯ll see.


    I pulled back the sleeve of my left arm, making sure not to reveal the Blood Rune inscribed on the back of my left palm. Immediately, I began using my fountain pen to painfully draw a warding circle just under the shield bracelet. It was a [Contingency] circle, so I needed a trigger, a mana source, and an effect.


    The runes marking the circle¡¯s circumference stated that the trigger was ¡°the caster¡¯s death,¡± the runes in the circle¡¯s center stated that the mana source was ¡°the caster¡¯s lower core,¡± and the runes surrounding the circle¡¯s center stated that the effect was ¡°release of all mana contained within the caster¡¯s lower core.¡±


    Once my work was done, I leaned back and admired my work. The ward was elegant in its simplicity. Most of the space in a warding circle was typically used to contain the [Spell] that would be used. This circle, however, did not require a [Spell] to be cast.


    Every person on Ferrum could release mana without Expressing it. In most people, this manifested in an invisible force that could be molded into a magic missile with enough training. Those with the [Hellfire] Talent were the exception. When I released pure mana, torrents of flame sprang forth from my fingertips.


    It only cost one point of mana to create a mote of Hellfire. With 3 mana, a spark of Hellfire could be expanded at such a rate that it caused an explosion. Pillar of flame only used 15 mana. My body¡¯s natural circulation of magic prevented me from using more mana than this at once, but a death curse would bypass that limitation. I could only imagine what would happen if 300 mana worth of Hellfire was released in a single second.

 Chapter 128 - [Interrupt the Ritual]

    When I looked up from the bleeding arcane circle inscribed on my arm, I realized that many of the congregants inside of the church were staring at me. The uninformed masses of Ferrum often believed that arcane circles were only used for summoning magic, and demons were the most frequently-summoned type of creature.


    As I rolled my sleeve back up, I felt the natural flow of my mana begin to intertwine with the matrix contained within the arcane circle. I could feel as my mana flowed from my cores to the three matrices marking my skin and back. The process was similar to the circulatory system, but the blood was an ethereal quasi-liquid material.


    When I finally looked up from my reverie deep in thought, I saw Miriam approach the two of us. The other congregants were keeping a respectful distance from me and the bloodstained samurai, so Miriam had to cross several meters of empty space before she was close enough for us to speak.


    ¡°So how did the conversation with Father Galad go?¡± I asked Miriam.


    ¡°I told him the truth, and he urged me to go with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. We won¡¯t have to make enemies with the Church unnecessarily.¡±


    A serious look appeared on Miriam¡¯s face before she said, ¡°Thale. You said¡­¡± she looked over to Kinro and she faltered for a moment. ¡°You said you knew more about this world than anyone else. Do you know what¡¯s happening in the city?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said before spending a few minutes explaining the situation with the Lich Cult. At the tail end of my explanation, I said, ¡°Before we do anything else, we¡¯ll need to interrupt the ritual. If the two of you are willing, the three of us will leave immediately to stop it.¡±


    Miriam looked at me with a look of hesitation, and Kinro smiled like a snake that had just caught sight of its next meal.


    ¡°Are you sure, Thale?¡± Miriam asked as I looked her in the eyes.


    [Observe, Lvl. 9]


    Name: Miriam Feldrast


    Class: Priestess


    Level: 12


    HP: 75


    MP: 145


    Fortitude: 13


    Strength: 7


    Agility: 9


    Intelligence: 14


    Willpower: 16


    Charisma: 8


    Tier: D


    Skills: [Miracle], [Healing Boost], [Mind Soothe]


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    Healing Potential: 100


    Alignment: Principled (Good)


    As far as civilians were concerned, Miriam was no slouch. Her HP was already higher than mine, and her days of expending mana healing wounded commoners had served as excellent mana training. Her status as [Noble] within the System probably contributed to her ability to gain levels relatively quickly. Different NPCs took different amounts of Experience to level up, and it would be incredibly difficult to train a [Commoner] NPC to be combat ready.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°We have a fighter, healer, and mage here. All our bases are covered.¡±


    ¡°Boss, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, who¡¯s this?¡± Kinro asked.


    ¡°This is Miriam Feldrast, my sister,¡± I said. ¡°And Miriam, this alcoholic Yomotsan is Kinro Tsukumo.¡±


    Kinro laughed a bit too hard at my statement as he shook Miriam¡¯s hand. ¡°Sounds like we¡¯re comrades now. You keep me alive, and I¡¯ll keep you alive, deal?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ s-sure,¡± Miriam stuttered, slightly taken aback by Kinro¡¯s gregarious personality.


    ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear,¡± I began to say. ¡°In a combat scenario, Kinro will move to engage in melee while I support with combat magic. If they get past you, Kinro, I want you to fall back and protect Miriam.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Miriam asked.


    ¡°In a situation where we need to fight, my staff will heat up enough to damage anything within two meters. It¡¯s best for you two to keep your distance.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re sure,¡± Kinro said, shrugging his shoulders.


    ¡°Oh, and one last thing,¡± I said, sighing. ¡°If I die, Kinro, I need you to grab Miriam and flee as fast as you can. In such an event, this arcane circle I have inscribed on my arm will cause me to explode with enough force to blow up half of the city. You would only have a few seconds to escape.¡±


    I was actually unsure of just how much force my death curse would unleash. If the Blue Mage was listening, I wanted to make sure that my words would deter him from attacking me.


    Naturally, Kinro and Miriam looked at me like I was crazy. With a worried look in her eye, Miriam asked, ¡°Do you really think there¡¯s a chance you will die?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe. I just want to make sure that whatever takes me out doesn¡¯t survive.¡±


    ¡°You crazy bastard!¡± Kinro said, laughing. ¡°That¡¯s exactly the mindset I want to see!¡±


    The three of us lifted ourselves off the ground and began walking toward the front entrance of the church. Before we reached the entrance, I approached Father Galad.


    The head priest looked to Miriam and said, ¡°I¡¯m happy to see that you have found your brother at last. And Lord Thale, I see that you are preparing for something. Do you have a plan to defend our church?¡±


    ¡°Yes. While I¡¯m gone, I need you to collect a thousand kilograms of charcoal and several barrels of water.¡±


    ¡°What do you need that for?¡±


    ¡°I have a plan to kill the dragon,¡± I said, smiling.


    Before I left, I drew a simple ward out of chalk on every entrance to the church that would block any ¡°non-human creature¡± from entering. I knew that the activation phrase could be a problem if any elves or beastfolk fled to the church, but I had a reason for phrasing the ward¡¯s exclusion principle in such a way. The Lich Cult most likely employed fiends, and they were technically considered demi-humans.


    I showed Father Galad and the other priests how to feed mana into the wards, and I said, ¡°The rest of my group should be here in a few minutes. These wards should be able to maintain coherency for thirty minutes before they need to be recharged with mana. Just keep these wards charged until we get back.¡±


    Kinro grabbed the half-conscious lich cultist, and the three of us left the church. The heavy wooden doors closed behind us with a loud boom, leaving us in the silence of the town square outside.

 Chapter 129 - [Outsider]

    Kinro placed the captured lich cultist on the steps of the church. The unmasked man slumped to the side, seemingly unconscious. I must have knocked him out with my bolt of electricity earlier.


    Though the thought offended me, I realized that the lich cultists looked just like normal people when their masks were removed. The man slumped on the steps had plain Etronian features indicating that his family was originally from the Lowlands area, and the man¡¯s sun-damaged skin told me that he had once been a laborer. Looking at the man¡¯s unconscious form and seeing a real person made it even harder for me to get into the mental state that I knew I would have to soon enter.


    Wordlessly, I fished through the deep pockets of my trousers and removed a small glass vial. On the side of the vial, I had written the English words, ¡°Ammonium carbonate.¡±


    ¡°Hold your noses,¡± I told the other two as I uncorked the vial and held it up to the unconscious cultist¡¯s nose.


    The cultist awoke with a twitch and a gasp as his body automatically tried to retreat from the vial of smelling salts I held in front of his nose. After taking a moment to perceive his surroundings, the cultist¡¯s expression hardened, and he reached for his weapon.


    Naturally, Kinro disarmed him while he was unconscious. By the time the cultist realized he was unarmed, the point of Kinro¡¯s blade was pressed against his throat. Now that Kinro was sober, his blade did not falter as he held it.


    Fear appeared on the cultist¡¯s face, but it was clear to me that his spirit had still not been broken. If given the chance, he would try to attack us or retreat back to his base. The cultist seemed intent on speaking, but I cut him off.


    ¡°Now, you¡¯re going to tell us everything about the location of your headquarters and how many men are currently stationed there, or the man with the sword will hurt you. Do you understand?¡± I stared directly into the cultist¡¯s eyes as I spoke. The anger I felt at the situation I currently faced and the sins I would have to commit in the near future caused my voice to come out as a furious hiss.


    ¡°Why should¡­?¡± The cultist began to answer rebelliously. Hearing the man¡¯s tone, Kinro answered the man¡¯s implied interrogative by swinging his sword so fast that I could barely see it. The cultist¡¯s voice caught in his throat as several locks of hair fell past his eyes.


    Honestly, I was just as shocked as the cultist. Kinro had swung his sword with enough precision to cut the man¡¯s hair without touching his skin. I knew Kinro had power, but I had never seen so much precision from the swordmaster.


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    ¡°Okay,¡± the cultist gasped in shock. His voice was suddenly much less calm, and he sounded like he was on the verge of tears. ¡°But¡­ how do I know you won¡¯t just kill me once I tell you everything?¡±


    In response, I reached for the symbol of Nyx that I still wore around my neck. It was customary for priests to carry such symbols, and I hadn¡¯t thought to remove it ever since I lost my healing factor the day before. ¡°My sister and I are members of the Church of Nyx. We won¡¯t commit acts of violence unless they become necessary.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± the cultist said in a quavering voice. ¡°I just joined; I don¡¯t actually care about all that necromancy crap. It¡¯s just¡­ they offer three square meals a day, and they¡¯ll hire anybody. I didn¡¯t have a choice. I had¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I said, silencing the man. ¡°How many cultists are there?¡±


    ¡°There are more than a hundred in the city, but most of them are out in the streets right now. When I left, there were just a handful of Aspirants there to protect the ritual, a few necromancers, and that outsider.¡±


    ¡°Outsider? You mean the mage dressed in blue? Tell me everything you know about him.¡±


    ¡°I never really got a good look at the guy. He just showed up about a month ago and started ordering around the top brass. Now that I think about it, that was around the time they started preparing for the ritual.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said, sighing. I would have preferred to learn more about the Blue Mage. He was the only person in Etron who was a legitimate threat to me. Sure, Orion and Beatrix were stronger than me, but I could predict their actions with absolute certainty. Though powerful, high nobles were offensively easy to predict.


    Orion would not act at all until King Theophrastus was dead. The King¡¯s Seneschal truly believed he was acting in the Kingdom¡¯s best interests. The only reason Orion was still aligned with the Lich Cult was his desire to create a strong leader who could lead the Kingdom of Etronia until the end of time.


    Beatrix, on the other hand, cared far too much about her reputation to be seen with the Lich Cult. Sure, she hated me because Count Armond killed her father during the Rose Rebellion, but she would not attack me unless she could be 100% certain that I would not live to tell the tale.


    The true leaders of the Lich Cult, the nobles, could not presently be traced to any cult activity. They lead the Cult by choosing its leaders and funding their operations, but they would not reveal their connection until after the death of the King.


    I could handle the lower-rank cultists, and I knew I was at about the same weight class as the necromancers. It would be tough, but I could take them out.


    ¡°Kinro,¡± I said, turning my attention to the swordmaster. ¡°Get directions from the prisoner. I need to talk to Miriam alone for a second.¡±


    Kinro gave me an informal salute with the flat of his blade and went back to menacing the prisoner.


    Once my sister and I had walked out of earshot, Miriam looked at me with a confused expression and asked, ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡±


    The two of us sat down on the edge of a fountain that was drained during my fight with the orcs. With a sigh, I said, ¡°I want to talk about what I¡¯ll have to do once we get to the cult headquarters. If we¡¯re going to stop the ritual, I can¡¯t hold back. I¡¯ll have to kill any cultist we see.¡±

 Chapter 130 - [A Taste for Murder]

    It was only after I was done speaking and my eyes scanned Miriam¡¯s expression that I realized I was searching for forgiveness rather than permission. Like a sinner to a Catholic priest, I was confessing my sins. I had already committed myself to this course of action. Miriam could not convince me to change course.


    I wanted her to condemn me. I wanted her to tell me that I would be cast down to Hell for the blood that I would spill. I was terrified that she would respond like those commoners at the gate who celebrated my first act of homicide.


    Miriam looked down with a strange expression on her face before turning to me and saying, ¡°As a Priestess of Nyx, I¡¯m supposed to say that all violence is sinful. Nyx says that when a brigand strikes your cheek, you are to turn your head and let him strike the other. Yet She also admits that all people are sinful. Killing is a terrible thing, even if those you kill are wicked, but I think anyone would agree that you have no choice but to commit this sin.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± I sighed, ¡°I can feel it in my very bones. This Talent carved upon my very flesh wants me to kill. I¡¯m afraid that if I start to kill, I¡¯ll want to do it more, that I¡¯ll become like our father.¡±


    Miriam winced at the mention of Count Armond Feldrast, and I felt regretful. She said, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sorry that our world of ours has forced you into this position. I¡¯m sure your old world was a peaceful place. I have met many sinners over the past few years, and you are not the kind of person who acquires a taste for murder.¡±


    I sat there in contemplative silence for a few seconds before my thoughts were interrupted by Kinro shouting, ¡°You guys done over there!? Our captive has already told me the directions to the cult¡¯s base three times, and I¡¯m starting to get bored.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, getting to my feet. ¡°We should get going before the ritual gets any worse.¡±


    Within minutes, I was staring down at a sizable hole in the ground that the orcs had passed through before they attacked the church. At the bottom of the hole was a stone corridor with a grimy brown sludge slowly flowing across its floor. The sides of the corridor were lined with small niches built into the walls where human remains were interred. Even from where I was standing above ground, I could see half-decomposed bones scattered on the ground.


    The layout of Etron made it hard to leave the city, and many people living there couldn¡¯t afford to pay for proper burials. This, paired with the fact that the people of Ferrum were vaguely aware that decomposing corpses spread diseases, lead to the people of Etron interring the insolvent dead in the sewers.


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    The rubble of the half-collapsed tunnel formed a ramp up to the surface. As I wondered how the orcs had managed to burrow to the surface in such a way, our four-man party descended into the sewers.


    The tunnel must have been collapsed by explosive magic. A particularly powerful fighter could cleave his way to the surface, but the hole created would be much smaller. Someone, the Blue Mage most likely, must have inscribed explosive runes on the roof of the tunnel and set them to explode at a pre-set time.


    I created a small mote of Hellfire and said, ¡°Kinro, stay close to Miriam and the prisoner in the back. I¡¯ll walk in the front.¡±


    Kinro gave me a strange look, but he didn¡¯t verbally question my decision.


    We began to slowly walk through the sewers. I gripped the Staff of Imogene Drac tightly in one hand, scanning the distance for approaching lich cultists, while Kinro walked a few meters behind me with his katana held casually at his side. If our opposition became too harsh, I could retreat behind Kinro within a few seconds.


    In preparation for the fight that I knew would come, I began cycling mana through my staff. The air around me began to heat up, and the mote of Hellfire flared to twice its original size.


    Over and over, I visualized the coming fight in my head. Though my mind resisted, I forced myself to repeatedly imagine what I would do when we ran into the first cultist.


    Eventually, the moment I was dreading came. A group of two men wearing deer skull masks and carrying swords at their belt turned a corner about ten meters ahead of me. Clearly surprised to run into another group in the sewers, the two men jerked into surprise and began to draw their swords.


    Unlike them, I wasn¡¯t surprised. I knew it was only a matter of time before we ran into cultists. Before either of them could fully draw their weapons, two motes of Hellfire rocketed toward the two men.


    The first mote struck a cultist in the chest before expanding violently, creating a massive wave of sound that was significantly amplified by the tight corridor. The shockwave instantly dismembered the first man, splaying viscera across the roof of the corridor and throwing limbs into the sewer sludge.


    The second cultist used his last moment to look over at his dismembered compatriot. Because of this, he didn¡¯t see as the second mote of Hellfire careened in his direction, expanding into an inferno as it flew through the air. The conflagration struck the second man, engulfing him in flame. Through the fire, I could see that the man was able to move for several agonizing seconds. If he screamed, I couldn¡¯t hear it over the ringing in my ears caused by the shockwave a moment before.


    By my count, the fight lasted less than six seconds. Ragged corpses blackened by flame fell to the ground, and I had to appreciate the efficiency of Hellfire. I didn¡¯t have to lift a finger or utter a word to kill the two men.


    Though I tried to ignore the feeling, relief flooded my mind. It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, as if a self-imposed limitation had just been removed. I remembered then what Theophrastus had said, and I realized that he was right. [Hellfire] wanted to be used, and it was overjoyed that I would no longer be holding it back.

 Chapter 131 - [Necromancer]

    The putrid bowels of Etron¡¯s sewers flashed with conjured fire and ice. As I roamed ahead of Kinro and Miriam, a slow trickle of armed cultists approached one at a time. Each time, my wand or staff would shoot up, and the assailant would crash to the ground in a pool of blood. I didn¡¯t even bother slowing my stride once I realized that these were the chaff of the Lich Cult.


    One man in a deer mask, the sixth man to challenge me in the previous minute, charged toward me with a bearded axe raised over his head. Almost automatically, I raised the staff of my ancestor and launched a spear of ice through his chest. As the cultist fell back, I saw that the rear half of the [Ice Spear] was covered in thick, gorey blood.


    The man fell into the murky ankle-deep water below, yet he didn¡¯t die immediately. Even with his heart missing, he was still able to slowly crawl another meter in my direction. Quietly, at the edge of my hearing, I heard the man say, ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ kill¡­ him.¡±


    This is too much.


    Such unwavering loyalty and mindless zeal was unnatural. Sure, zealots existed, but they were rare and usually made it higher into a cult¡¯s hierarchy. Low-level cultists weren¡¯t supposed to behave like this; they were supposed to act like the cultist I had run into in front of the Church of Nyx. When they knew they were outmatched, self-preservation was supposed to take over.


    Don¡¯t be a child, Johan.


    It¡¯s not lack of will, Thale. These cultists aren¡¯t acting like people. Something else, some dark magic, is at work here.


    I knelt down in the fetid water, polluted with blood and feces, and lifted the dead man¡¯s head out of the water. Without looking up, I said, ¡°Take point, Kinro.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Boss,¡± Kinro said, stepping forward and intercepting the next cultist. His blade scythed forward, and a screaming woman in a skull mask was violently bisected.


    The man in my arms finally stopped moving. By the rules of this world, his soul would leave in a few seconds, but he wouldn¡¯t yet be brain dead. I wrenched the skull mask from his face and looked underneath. No further examination was necessary for me to determine the cause of his strange behavior.


    Blood leaked from the dead man¡¯s black eyes. Stress had caused the capillaries in his eyes to burst and dye the eyeball completely. There were only two things in this world that could do such a thing: Necromancy and Mind Magic.


    Look familiar? This man¡¯s mind was flayed.


    Yes, it does. If I could see his brain, I could determine what the user wanted to instill in his victim.


    We don¡¯t have the time for brain surgery.


    I looked around at the dozen cultists that laid dead on the ground. Most likely, they had all been people minutes before, but some [Mage] had decided that they would become his slaves.


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    Subconsciously, I had left all of my victims¡¯ arms and legs intact. I didn¡¯t need Thale to tell me why I had done that. If they still had their limbs, they would serve as excellent zombies.


    There was no time for moral prevarication. I knew what I was going to do, and the potential benefits far outweighed the risks. If I took any half-measures, there was a higher chance that Miriam would die.


    I pressed my hand against the dead man and whispered, ¡°[Create Zombie].¡±


    The corpse jerked into motion, rising to its feet with the hysterical vigor of undeath. At a much slower rate, I rose to my feet as well.


    ¡°Protect the three of us,¡± I said, pointing to Kinro, Miriam, and myself. Immediately, the zombie moved toward Kinro and began supporting him in his fight.


    Trying my hardest not to look at Miriam, I leaned down and created another zombie. With my stats and level, I could maintain eight zombies at once. It cost five mana to summon each zombie, so it would take quite a while before I ran out of mana.


    ¡°Hey, Boss? You don¡¯t mind if I accidentally kill some of your zombies, right?¡± Kinro said as he engaged the cultists shoulder-to-shoulder with my necromantic minions.


    ¡°Try not to make a habit of it,¡± I said, leaning against my staff.


    In the back of my mind, I was coming to grips with the fact that I was officially a necromancer. That was the first time I had ever created a zombie. Within the logic of Ferrum, necromancy was an evil action in a world of objective and measurable morality. Such actions would, inevitably, start to push my alignment toward the [Evil] end of the spectrum.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure my actions disgust you, Miriam,¡± I said without looking at her. ¡°If you want to leave, I won¡¯t hold it against you.¡±


    There was a long moment of silence before Miriam said, ¡°We¡¯re here to save lives. I can¡¯t imagine that Nyx is so petty as to care about the methods used by the defenders of the innocent. Plus,¡± I could hear the smile in her voice, ¡°a wise man once said, ¡®Tools are neither moral nor immoral. Morality is determined by what is done with those tools.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Are you quoting me?¡± I asked, turning to her and seeing the kind smile on her face.


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re the wisest man I¡¯ve ever known,¡± Miriam said.


    She would never betray me; I knew that. It filled me with both sentimentality and rage when I realized that her loyalty to me was stronger than her loyalty to the Church of Nyx. If Miriam had to kill someone to prevent me from dying, she would.


    Looking out at the battle between mindless automatons unfolding before us, I turned my thoughts inward and thought of the man sharing my brain.


    Why did you kill her, Thale? In this world and the last, she would have died for you. What could you have possibly gained from slitting her throat!?


    A surge of sadness shot through my mind.


    Why not? The Miriam of my world was out of mana. She would only serve to distract me when I fought against my brother. I have never cared for my minions. Why should I care for her?


    I can feel your despair, Thale. I know you¡¯re lying. It has been fifteen years, and the sight of her still fills you with guilt and regret.


    Silence, fool! You know nothing of undeath! I was a lich when I killed her. I was free of the mortal weakness of emotion and familial sentimentality back then. Now that I share with you this breathing suit of flesh and viscera, these weaknesses have returned to me.


    Sentimentality isn¡¯t a weakness.


    Ha! Who¡¯s lying now!? Not even you believe that.


    I continued walking down the sewer passageway. As my zombies fell, I reached down and created new ones. With that cycle of regenerative necromancy established, we advanced forward.

 Chapter 132 - [Counter Charm]

    Following the trickle of mindless servants to its source, we continued deeper into the sewer system. Ahead, the claustrophobic passageway expanded into a large chamber with a far wall more than a hundred meters away and a ceiling more than ten meters up. The chamber served as a basin of the city¡¯s wastewater where it would sit and fester until the water level reached high enough that it began to flow into the river. Several dozen rotten wooden structures had been built atop the wide basin, giving it the appearance of a city built atop the type of poison swamp that was popular among certain Japanese video game developers.


    In a flash of recognition, I realized that this was the end of a large dungeon in [Ferrum Online]. I hadn¡¯t realized it earlier because the player typically entered the sewer at a different place. This unsettled me as I remembered that the final boss of this dungeon was a lich, and I was absolutely not ready for that fight. Sure, I could punch way above my weight class, but the difference between me and a lich was simply insurmountable.


    The smell was almost intolerable, and I had to stop myself from gagging. It was the kind of smell that could only be generated by thousands of people working in tandem for several decades. Compared to this smell, human waste was pleasant. The disgusting odor rising out of the basin carried the undeniable hint of disease and decay. With my [Frail] constitution, I knew that I would contract a deadly illness if I came anywhere close to the basin. I snapped my fingers and created a spark of [Hellfire]. The smell was lessened somewhat by my conjured flame, but not by much.


    With my [Mana Sense], I could sense that the monster summoning ritual was centered on the small wooden shanty town built atop that fetid basin. Kinro and half a dozen of my zombies approached a bridge that led from the edge of the basin to the wooden structures built atop it. Before anyone in my group could step onto the bridge, a small group of monsters stepped out of cover and blocked our way.


    The group was composed of five gargoyles and one humanoid figure wearing heavy armor and carrying a greatsword. After a moment, I recognized the armored individual to be a [Death Knight], a level 40 undead creature that specialized in melee combat. It was not nearly as powerful as a [Death Lord] or [Lich], but it would be almost impossible for me to beat alone. With Kinro fighting at my side, the creature did not concern me.


    What did concern me, however, was whatever had summoned the [Death Knight]. It would require a level 30 [Necromancer] just to summon such a creature, and you would need to be much stronger if you wanted to have any chance of controlling it.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I called out. My undead thralls followed my commands instinctually, and Kinro stopped a second later. The enemy¡¯s minions stopped as well, and several seconds passed where they remained stationary.


    ¡°Salutations! I am Thale Feldrast, Lord of Gwynedd and Heir Apparent to the Realm of Northwind, Experienced War Mage and Burgeoning Necromancer. I humbly ask to hear the name of the [Necromancer] who stands before me.¡±


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    The [Mages] of Ferrum were a strange bunch. They had no problem with sneak attacks against non-practitioners, but they had a strict code of honor between each other. To use the element of surprise against another [Mage] was paramount to admitting that they were more skilled than you.


    An individual in long dark robes and carrying an old gnarled staff stepped out from behind a wooden structure. The [Necromancer] flipped his hood back, revealing an old man with sallow eyes and gaunt cheeks. The moment we locked eyes, I used my [Observe] talent.


    Name: Salmasius


    Class: Necromancer


    Level: 35


    HP: 442


    MP: 210


    Fortitude: 10


    Strength: 9


    Agility: 14


    Intelligence: 20


    Willpower: 16


    ¡°I am Salmasius, Master Necromancer and Expert Ritualist,¡± the man said, a grim look in his eyes. When he looked at me, I could tell he only saw a future undead for him to add to his collection. ¡°My organization has had their eyes on you, Lord Thale. Your skill in the art of magic is quite good for a child. It would be a shame for you to throw away all of your potential just to play hero.¡±


    As the opposing mage spoke, I considered his stats and realized something. Salmasius¡¯s attributes, HP, and MP were identical to the base enemy [Necromancer] stat block from [Ferrum Online]. When I used to play that game, you couldn¡¯t walk through Etronia without constantly running into enemies like Salmasius. I had fought so many [Necromancers], that I had basically memorized their move set and attack patterns. My lips turned upward in a smile as I realized that I knew exactly how to fight him. I was just missing one piece.


    In an attempt to buy a bit more time, I said, ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping my eyes on you guys, as well. What if I told you I wanted to join the Lich Cult?¡±


    Thale, what is the counter-charm to the [Mana Bolt] spell?


    The Necromancer¡¯s upper lip curled into a snarl as he asked, ¡°Where did you hear that name?¡±


    ¡°It might have been my uncle, Olofir Vulpa, or it might have been Orion Arcturus. Who knows?¡± I said, scratching my cheek in a show of mock confusion.


    Why should I tell you that?


    ¡°You know much of our organization, too much. Either pledge your undying loyalty to the Lich Cult or die by my hand,¡± Salmasius said, pointing his gnarled staff in my direction.


    If you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll both die right now.


    ¡°Pledge my undying loyalty? How would I do that?¡± I said, playing dumb.


    Fine. The counter-charm is vas terrae.


    ¡°Kill the [Priestess] standing at your side,¡± Salmasius said, pointing at Miriam.


    ¡°Well,¡± I said, sighing loudly. I twirled my staff in my hand, and the runes began to glow with the cinders of an eternal fire. ¡°That isn¡¯t going to happen.¡±

 Chapter 133 - [Ill Kill You!]

    ¡°Decapitate yourself,¡± I commanded at a volume loud enough for everyone in the large chamber to hear. Salmasius, Kinro, and Miriam looked at me like I was a crazy person, but the intended recipients of my command understood.


    Without hesitation, the eight zombies under my command lifted their weapons up and began slashing at their own throats. Those zombies with blades were able to remove their own heads in one quick stroke, since their [Strength] was much higher than their [Fortitude]. Those with axes had a much harder time. They sawed furiously at their own necks for several seconds before they hit their own spinal columns, prompting them to fall to the ground like cut marionettes.


    Against a [Necromancer], my undead minions would only serve to be a detriment. Salmasius knew the spell [Control Undead], and his first move would be to wrench control of my zombies away from me. The only logical move was to destroy that weapon before it fell into the hands of the [Necromancer].


    ¡°Do you really think you can defeat me, foolish boy?¡± Salmasius said, a guttural laugh escaping from his throat.


    ¡°Kinro, focus on the others while I attack the [Mage]. Miriam, heal Kinro if he takes damage,¡± I said, deciding that my time was better spent organizing the attack than engaging in smack talk.


    ¡°You¡¯re beginning to anger me, boy!¡± Salmasius shouted. He withdrew a wand from his pocket, and four spears of ice appeared as the water in the air froze. The ice spears were a sickly green color due to the unclean water used in the spell.


    ¡°Terra vivificare!¡± I shouted as the sickly spears fired in my direction. A wall of stone appeared in front of me, and the spears shattered against it. The wall would not last for long against such a skilled [Mage], but it would buy me a few extra seconds.


    I focused on the blood rune inscribed on my chest and willed my blood to flow at a faster rate. I felt as my heartbeat sped up and vigor filled my muscles. For the moment, I felt like a normal person, like I could run and jump without hurting myself.


    Two more motes of Hellfire appeared, adding to the first one, and all three shot forward at the wooden shanty town. Without looking out from my makeshift cover, I mentally sent the command for the sparks to fly over Salmasius¡¯s position and begin ejecting flames downward. The sparks were only able to act for a few seconds before I felt the telltale feedback of their destruction.


    ¡°What are you doing!? You¡¯ll ruin the ritual like that!¡± Salmasius shouted toward me.


    That was the idea. If the ritual matrix was inscribed upon those wooden structures, then a little fire would be enough to stop the ritual. At least, the fire should be enough to draw the Necromancer¡¯s attention elsewhere.


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    ¡°Lympha sphera maxima!¡± Salmasius chanted, giving me the opportunity I was looking for.


    I flicked my wand, casting the [Fly] spell an instant before casting the [Gust] spell. With my mind focusing on the upkeep of the [Blood Enhancement], [Fly], and [Gust] spells simultaneously, I flew into the air. I kept the arc of my flight shallow, and I was standing atop a wooden structure within less than five seconds. The smell was seriously distracting, and it threatened to break my concentration on my spells.


    I dropped concentration on [Fly] as I found myself just a few meters away from Salmasius. Several of the wooden structures were covered in water, and Salmasius turned to look at me with a renewed rage. In the center of the wooden shanty town, I could see the edge of a large arcane circle that glowed faintly with mana.


    Standing there, I couldn¡¯t help but feel unprepared for a fight. Due to our location, I would not be able to use any earth magic, meaning I would have to rely on counter-charms and Source magic for defense. This was intentional, however, as the awkward spellcasting conditions would harm Salmasius more than me. There were no intact corpses nearby for him to control, and his need to defend the circle would limit his mobility.


    ¡°Oh, you will make a fine zombie,¡± Salmasius said, and I fired two Wind Knives at him as he spoke. Without much effort, he stopped the invisible attacks with a conjured Shield. ¡°I will use your corpse to burn villages to the ground. Maybe, I¡¯ll have you walk into a volcano? We¡¯ll see the strength of your fire resistance!¡±


    ¡°Shut up and fight, old man!¡± I shouted in response.


    The Necromancer¡¯s face twitched in renewed anger. Enraged, he shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll show you power! Magia apparet¡­!¡±


    Salmasius began the incantation for [Mana Bolt], a 4th-level spell that would be enough to kill me. My conjured Shield would not be enough to stop it.


    ¡°Vas terrae!¡± I shouted, and the counter-charm pulled a significant amount of mana out of my core. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say the counter-charm used about 50 mana, which meant that Salmasius had put that much mana into his spell. Jesus, a [Mana Bolt] with that much mana would be more than enough to kill me.


    ¡°...impetus!¡± Salmasius finished his incantation, but nothing happened. To an outsider, it looked like we had simply been shouting obscenities at each other in some foreign language.


    ¡°You dare!?¡± Salmasius shouted.


    ¡°Mulciber ignis tormentum!¡± I chanted, and my empowered Volcano Cannon fired at the Necromancer at a speed that was way too fast for him to dodge.


    In a vain attempt to block the attack, Salmasius conjured a Shield and imposed it in front of himself. The Shield stopped some of my attack¡¯s momentum, but it wasn¡¯t nearly enough to block the attack completely. A scattered glob of magma struck Salmasius. He shouted in pain and took several faltering steps back, but the attack was not enough to kill him.


    With much of his body covered in burning coals, Salmasius regained his footing and turned his attention back toward me.


    ¡°You upstart! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

 Chapter 134 - [Salmasius the Necromancer]

    ¡°Magia¡­!¡± Salmasius began to chant once more.


    What was he doing? Surely, he knew I would just use the counter-charm again.


    ¡°Vas terrae!¡± I shouted, and both of us stumbled as a vast amount of mana was drawn from our cores.


    ¡°...apparet impetus!¡± Salmasius said, finishing the chant pointlessly.


    My brain started to burn from overwork. The sensation meant I was down to half of my mana reserve, and the headache would only get worse as I approached my limit. In an instant, I realized Salmasius¡¯s intention. Counter-charms completely canceled the effects of a spell, but they required the defender to use an equal amount of mana.


    ¡°To think that you were able to counter two of my empowered [Mana Bolts]. You are much more skilled than we originally thought,¡± Salmasius said, wincing heavily in pain. He was obviously feeling the effects of mana drain much more heavily than I was, though a cruel smile was still plastered over his face like the rictus expression of a dead man. ¡°Unfortunately for you, I have not yet reached the limit of my power. This is where your road ends, Lord Thale!¡±


    I stayed silent while Salmasius gave his long villainous monologue. What was it that Sun Tzu said? Don¡¯t interrupt your enemy when he¡¯s making a mistake.


    ¡°Magia apparet¡­!¡±


    ¡°Vas terrae!¡±


    ¡°...impetus!?¡±


    Once more, the [Mana Bolt] fizzled, and the increased headache burned like a lance in my forehead. Salmasius, on the other hand, completely fell to his knees, and his staff clattered away from him.


    ¡°How!? How do you, a mere child, have more mana than I do?¡± Salmasius said, slowly raising himself to his feet.


    ¡°I cheated.¡±


    Two Wind Knives shot out of my wand, and Salmasius was barely able to block them with his Shield. With the next Ice Spear, I shattered the conjured barrier. I dropped concentration on my [Blood Enhancement], opening up some extra processing power in my brain to attack more fiercely.


    ¡°Mulciber ignis tormentum!¡± I chanted, firing a Magma Cannon out of my staff.


    Simultaneously, my wand flew through the air like a conductor¡¯s baton, slashing at Salmasius¡¯s charred body with condensed blades of air. Adding to this merciless assault, I conjured two Hellfire sparks and hammered them into my opponent¡¯s blackened chest.


    ¡°W-wait¡­¡± Salmasius croaked quietly, somehow able to speak despite the immense damage I had already done to his body. Any normal person would have already entered a state of shock, and his nature as a [Necromancer] must have been the only thing keeping him standing.


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    With one last flick of my wand, I fired an Ice Spear through his chest. Based on the location, I knew instantly that I had pierced his heart and spinal column. He fell to the ground in a burning mound of half-melted flesh, and I knew he was dead. Salmasius was still a human, after all. Destroying his heart would kill him.


    I looked around, surveying the scene to make sure Kinro and Miriam had eliminated their enemies. Kinro was busy sawing the head off the prone [Death Knight], though his clothes were marked with new tears and blood stains.


    Realizing the danger was passed, I holstered my wand and looked down at my opponent¡¯s corpse. In that last second, Salmasius pleaded for mercy, so I couldn¡¯t exactly claim this was an act of self defense. Ultimately, I had to kill him. Some people in this world had to be killed, and Salmasius was certainly on that list. I was simply doing the job of the state and executing a dangerous criminal. That¡¯s how I justified it to myself, anyway.


    ¡°Are you done over there, Kinro?¡± I asked, leaning on my staff and pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. Based on my memory of my fight and the headache pounding in my skull, I must have used about a hundred mana after I hit the halfway point of my mana reserve. Doing quick math, I figured that I had about 130 mana left in my tank.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kinro responded shortly, lifting the disembodied head of the [Death Knight] as he rose to his feet. Spending time around Beltane and me, Kinro picked up one of the basic facets of undead hunting: cut the head off of undead you really don¡¯t want to get back up. As long as an undead¡¯s brain was still connected to its mana core, it could keep moving. Anything less than complete decapitation was a half-measure.


    ¡°What¡¯s the next move?¡± Kinro said, throwing the head into the basin and sheathing his katana.


    Miriam peered sideways at the charred and ravaged corpse of Salmasius the Necromancer. Fear and disgust colored her expression in equal parts. In an eerie way, Salmasius¡¯s corpse looked very similar to the bodies of the outlanders after Armond Feldrast killed them all those years ago. The only recognizable feature left in his blackened skull was a set of brown teeth contorted in a pained scream.


    ¡°Next,¡± I said, trying to distract myself from my sins, ¡°I need to interrupt the ritual. It should be easy for me, but I need to be careful. If I make any mistakes, all of the built up mana could¡­ cascade.¡±


    ¡°Cascade?¡± Kinro asked.


    ¡°It would explode,¡± Miriam said, filling in the blanks for our swordmaster.


    Stopping the ritual was not easy, as it turned out. I¡¯m pretty sure I almost caused a cascade twice. Whoever created the ritual inscribed the angles and lines with machine-like accuracy.


    The process was uncomfortably close to a bomb-defusal, except with me drawing chalk lines on arcane runes instead of cutting wires. Twice, Thale had to shout at me to not mark that line, and I stopped just in time. Eventually, the active elements of the ritual were cut off from the rest of the circle, and the ongoing spell lost its cohesion. Though there was no indication of this fact to an outsider, the spell was no longer cohesive enough to explode.


    I let out a heavy sigh, doubling over in relief. I was barely able to undo the ritual. If it hadn¡¯t been for Beltane¡¯s long lessons on wards and arcane circles, I would have exploded, or the process of interrupting the ritual would have taken several hours.


    Slowly, I rose from the uncomfortable kneeling position that I had been in for the past few minutes, using my staff to keep my balance.


    Calling out to Kinro and Miriam, I said, ¡°The ritual has been stopped. Now, I¡¯m going to break the circle and let out all the trapped mana. There¡¯s a lot of it here so make sure to prepare yourself mentally.¡±


    After a few seconds, I scraped my staff harshly against the ground, and a wave of invigorating mana washed over me. It felt like a draft of water on a hot day, and I could feel my mana cores collecting some of the flowing mana as it passed through me.


    ¡°What a strange feeling,¡± Miriam remarked.


    ¡°By the gods, it¡¯s giving me a headache,¡± Kinro said, rubbing his forehead.


    ¡°Come on,¡± I said, realizing that my mana reserve was still severely depleted with a sigh. ¡°There¡¯s still much to do.¡±

 Chapter 135 - [A Mercenarys Return]

    Following the trail of corpses, we returned back to the surface. With every step, I became more concerned by the lack of opposition. The fact that they hadn¡¯t sent reinforcements when they felt the ritual slowly being eroded by my clumsy attempt at counter-warding meant they no longer needed it.


    Once we reached ground-level, I could tell immediately that the smoke rising into the air had become significantly more thick, and the black dragon continued to fly through the air. The dragon threw its head from side to side, and a high-pitched screech informed me that something was distressing it. The creature spun through the air more than a hundred meters over my head, and then its flight evened out.


    Suddenly, the sound of a heavy impact rang out from near our position, and a plume of smoke rose from a nearby building. I looked over and saw that something large had fallen through the roof of a small shop that stood perpendicular to the road on which I was standing.


    ¡°Was that a person?¡± Kinro said, blinking in confusion.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked, just as confused.


    ¡°When the dragon spun, a person fell from it and crashed into that building.¡± Kinro pointed over at the settling dust-cloud as he spoke.


    I didn¡¯t see anything, but I trusted Kinro¡¯s eyes. The [Fighter] path had a lot of skills that increased the physical senses. Kinro almost certainly had a skill or two that allowed him to see better than any normal human.


    Stepping closer to the partially-collapsed shop, I shouted loud enough for anybody inside the store to hear. ¡°Hey! Are you alive!?¡±


    Seconds passed where the only sound I could make out was that of collapsing bricks and cracking stone. The building was still adapting to its new partially-collapsed state.


    Eventually, someone from inside of the building called out, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m alive but too injured to move.¡± The voice sounded more annoyed than injured. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Save yourself. The dragon will attack you if you stay out in the open for too long.¡±


    Miriam craned her neck to see inside of the partially-collapsed building, saying, ¡°I¡¯m a [Priestess] of Nyx. Please, just hang on for one moment! I¡¯ll come in and heal you!¡±


    Desperation to heal a wounded man quickened Miriam¡¯s voice. She took a step onto the uneven ground, and I had to stop her from walking deeper into the structure by putting a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Please stay where you are,¡± the voice said, seemingly flustered by Miriam¡¯s decision. ¡°This building is unstable. If you come inside, you¡¯ll just get hurt. I don¡¯t want the death of a [Priestess] on my conscience.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not up to you,¡± Miriam said, pulling her shoulder from my grasp. Embarrassingly, it didn¡¯t take much effort for her to do so. ¡°I¡¯m going to save you whether you like it or not.¡±


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    ¡°Okay! Okay!¡± the voice cried out. ¡°I¡¯ll come out! Just stay over there where it¡¯s safe!¡±


    The sound of detritus crashing down and feet shuffling against the ground emanated from within the structure as the man within got to his feet, brushing a pile of debris off himself. After a few seconds, a man in the armor of a mercenary with a curved one-handed sword holstered at his hip stepped out into the street.


    His hands were protected by armored half-gloves, and he wore a Liar¡¯s Ring and an Anti-Observation Ring on the fingers of his hand that weren¡¯t protected by leather or chainmail. With distaste, I noticed that the pips on his neck and shoulder armor marked him as a captain in the Etronian First Army, also known as the Band of Bastards.


    Physically, the man was bleeding from puncture wounds on his chest and abrasions on most of his body. For a man who had just fallen from such a height, however, he didn¡¯t seem particularly bothered by his injuries.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you too injured to move?¡± Kinro said with a smile.


    ¡°I say a lot of things,¡± the Captain said.


    Without missing a beat, Miriam walked over to the Captain and pressed her hand against his shoulder. She chanted the [Second Prayer], and the man¡¯s injuries healed completely. Once she was done, Miriam squinted in pain. The man must have lost quite a few HP points for Miriam to be suffering from the effects of mana drain.


    ¡°Hmm, red eyes,¡± the Captain said, looking at Miriam. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to be related to¡­¡± He looked over at me, and his voice caught in his throat. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re his spitting image.¡±


    I didn¡¯t need to ask to know who he was referring to. My father was the commander of the Band of Bastards, after all. ¡°You¡¯re referring to Armond Feldrast, correct? He¡¯s our father.¡±


    As I spoke, I peered beneath the Captain¡¯s helmet. He did not look Etronian, yet there was something eerily familiar about him.


    ¡°Thale and Miriam Feldrast, eh? As an officer of the Etronian First Army, I am obligated to escort you two to safety. I, Captain David York, promise to follow you until you are no longer in danger.¡±


    David York? That was definitely not an Etronian name. In the world of Ferrum, the name sounded exotic. To my ears, however, his name was jarringly mundane. Memories that had been dormant for decades rose once more to the surface.


    ¡°Were you at the Cagliostro, David York?¡± I asked in perfect English.


    A look of utter fear and confusion passed over Captain David York¡¯s face. He took several steps away from me, and his hand twitched toward his scimitar.


    ¡°How did you know that? Who are you?¡± David asked fearfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Suffice it to say, we¡¯re from the same world.¡± I noticed with a frown that David York was significantly older than Haydith and me. He must have been in his mid-thirties. ¡°I¡¯ll explain more once we kill that dragon.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing it again,¡± Kinro said, annoyed that he didn¡¯t know what we were saying. ¡°What language is that?¡±


    ¡°English,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Should you really be telling them that?¡± David asked, his eyes darting between me and Kinro.


    ¡°They have no context for that word,¡± I said, shrugging. Reverting back to the common tongue, I said, ¡°Come on, we have a dragon to kill.¡±

 Chapter 136 - [A Weapon to Kill a Dragon]

    I began walking back toward the Church of Nyx, and the others followed me. It wasn¡¯t hard for the rest of my group to catch up, and I was soon the one limiting the group¡¯s speed.


    ¡°Why are you in Etron?¡± I asked David. ¡°The First Army should be two hundred miles south of here.¡±


    ¡°Right, I was with my battle-company in Fulvang when the town regent came in, looking like the world was ending. He said he needed the two greatest warriors in town. Naturally, me and Erasmus went with him.¡±


    ¡°Erasmus?¡± I asked. ¡°Do you mean Erasmus Thorn? White hair, stops time?¡±


    ¡°Bingo. Basically, I spoke with Orion Arcturus over the magic phone, and he teleported me here,¡± David said.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no way Orion Arcturus has access to the [Teleport] spell. He must have used the [King¡¯s Leap] spell, also known as the [Castle] spell. It works like ¡®castling¡¯ in chess,¡± I explained, wagging one gloved finger as I spoke.


    ¡°What? Castles?¡± David asked, obviously confused.


    I looked over at Miriam and Kinro. Neither of them had any idea what I was talking about. One of these days, I would need to get a companion who plays chess.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t teleported; you were swapped with someone else,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± David said, clearly not sufficiently appreciative of my explanation. ¡°So, I arrived here with Erasmus, and the King sent us out to fight the monsters attacking the city. At one point, Erasmus disappeared into thin air. He must have used [Time Stop] or something. Anyway, I haven¡¯t seen him since. I tried to fight the dragon, but you saw how that worked out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± I said, not sure to be annoyed at the casual tone of his retelling or grateful for its brevity. Storytelling is an art form, after all. As you, dear reader, have seen over the past five-hundred-or-so pages, I take that art form very seriously. At the time, however, it was probably for the best for him to keep his explanation short.


    ¡°Wait, hold on,¡± I said, realizing something. ¡°Were you the one who left the ¡®HELLO¡¯ message near Fulvang?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. That was me,¡± David York said with a smile. ¡°I figured I would leave a message for others like me to find.¡±


    ¡°Well, it caught my attention. By the way,¡± I cleared my throat and switched to English, ¡°did you ever play the game?¡±


    ¡°Game?¡± David asked.


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    ¡°Nevermind,¡± I said, sighing. ¡°Before we go any further, I feel obligated to advise you that an apocalypse will befall this world in ten years. If concerted effort isn¡¯t taken by us or others, the world will definitely end.¡±


    David York looked me in the eyes for several seconds, looking for evidence that I was lying. Finding nothing, he said, ¡°Shit. There go my plans for an early retirement. How old are you, anyway?¡±


    I chuckled lightly before saying, ¡°Physically, fifteen. Mentally, sixty.¡±


    We reached the front entrance to the First Church of Etron, and the doors opened wide to greet us. As we filtered into the church, several faces I recognized came into view. Beltane, Eadric, and Haydith stood guard at the door, and I saw a young boy with white hair standing near Haydith. The boy bore a striking resemblance to the young woman standing beside him, so I figured he must be Tancred Thorn, Prince of Etronia.


    I stepped quickly into the church. Looking around, I saw that several barrels had been pushed against one of the nearby walls. Without stopping to speak to anyone, I immediately began walking over toward the barrels.


    Beltane spoke first. ¡°Thale, I¡¯ve warded the church against fire. We should be safe for now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, spending half a second looking around at the interior of the church. The number of refugees hiding in the First Church had more than tripled since I was there last, and there was barely enough space for everyone in the church to sit down. ¡°We really don¡¯t want this building to burn down.¡±


    David cleared his throat and looked at the barrels I was fiddling with as I raked my fingers through the black charcoal contained within. It wasn¡¯t nearly as pure as I was used to, but it would work for my purposes.


    Frowning, David said, ¡°You¡¯ll have to pardon my rudeness, Lord Feldrast.¡± I could hear the smirk when he spoke my title. ¡°But I have to wonder how we¡¯re going to kill that dragon.¡±


    ¡°Lympha sphera,¡± I said, and a sphere of water landed upon the charcoal, seeping deep into the black material.


    David continued. ¡°No offense, but nobody here strikes me as an [Archmage] or a [Champion]. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to just wait for the King and his knights to deal with it?¡±


    ¡°You would run away?¡± Eadric asked, offended by David¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s the duty of every Etronian man to resist evil and protect the weak when he has the power to do so. That obligation sits even more firmly around your shoulders as an officer.¡±


    ¡°God, I hate knights,¡± David muttered.


    ¡°David¡¯s right,¡± I said as I sealed the barrel once again. ¡°Eadric, could you tilt the barrel on its side? Thank you. Under normal circumstances, we would have no hope of killing the dragon. As it is, however, I am working on a weapon that would allow weak, inconsequential people like us to kill a dragon.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Haydith asked. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Some of you already know the weapon¡¯s name. It goes by a few names, but Haydith and David probably know it as dynamite or TNT.¡± With the chalk I always held in a special pouch, I began inscribing an arcane circle on one side of the barrel as I spoke.


    Haydith Thorn and David York both gasped in surprise at my sentence, though the others were understandably confused. They looked at each other with realization dawning on their expressions.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Haydith said, pointing at the mercenary.


    ¡°Yep,¡± David said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were others.¡±


    ¡°Come on, help me move these barrels outside,¡± I said, gesturing toward Eadric, Kinro, and David.


    As we left, Haydith whispered something to Tancred Thorn, and he stayed in the church with the other refugees.

 Chapter 137 - [Prologue]

    After a few minutes, we stood in the center of a main road that was about a hundred meters away from the church. The dragon continued to fly overhead, roaring and periodically vomiting fire from its gullet. My concerns were confirmed, of course. The dragon¡¯s worst instincts had been activated, and it now viewed all of Etron as its domain. In its mind, we were all intruders who had to be eliminated.


    I continued to draw geometric shapes on the five barrels sitting in the center of the street. Once I finished marking one side, I marked the other side, creating a two-tiered transmutation matrix. Such a matrix would be necessary for the type of transmutation I wished to undertake.


    ¡°Next step,¡± I said to myself, activating a mnemonic pattern that naturally pushed my thoughts to the next stage of my plan¡¯s chain. ¡°Kinro, Beltane, I want you two to go look for the King. You guys are the fastest, and the King has already met Beltane once.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Beltane asked.


    ¡°Yes. Now, hurry,¡± I said, gesturing for my two companions to move quickly.


    Kinro and Beltane swiftly left the scene, their departure proclaimed by the sound of cracking masonry and esoteric incantations.


    ¡°Will this really work?¡± David said once the two others were gone. ¡°Black dragons breathe fire, so they¡¯re resistant to it.¡±


    For a moment, I considered going into a long explanation of explosives and the nature of fire resistance. Instead, I decided to keep it short. ¡°The shockwave and shrapnel will kill it, not the fire.¡±


    As I spoke, I finished inscribing the arcane circles, and I moved on to the transmutation process. I pressed one hand to each arcane circle, and they both began to glow a bright silver color.


    One circle broke the water molecules contained within the barrel into hydrogen and oxygen, while the other circle combined all of the elements within into trinitrotoluene. I visualized the benzene ring and the four complex compounds branching off from that central structure.


    Theoretically, I could have drawn the oxygen and hydrogen from the air, but that would have taken much longer. Gas is significantly less dense than solids or liquids, so deriving those elements from the air would have taken hours. The only element I had to draw from the air was nitrogen, and that was abundant.


    Once I was done transmuting the first barrel into powdered dynamite, I turned and said, ¡°Eadric, please take my sister back to the front of the church. Stay near the front doors. If we need to be healed, we¡¯ll go to you.¡±


    Eadric looked over to the church. Its front doors were still visible from where we were standing. ¡°As you command, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Please be careful, Thale,¡± Miriam said.


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    ¡°I¡¯m the safest person in town,¡± I said with a confident smile that was contrary to the anxiety boiling in my chest. ¡°A blast from that dragon wouldn¡¯t harm a hair on my head.¡±


    Eadric and Miriam walked back to the church and were soon out of earshot. For the first time, we three visitors to this world were alone.


    ¡°You¡¯re from Earth?¡± Haydith asked in English, turning to David.


    ¡°New York specifically,¡± David said with a smile. He seemed happy to speak of the old world. ¡°Actually, I was a boxer before¡­¡±


    ¡°We can catch up later,¡± I said in the common tongue of humans on Ferrum. ¡°My plan is to use Haydith¡¯s talent to catch the dragon off guard. Haydith, how long can you hold [Time Stop]?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen seconds, I think,¡± Haydith said, wrinkling her nose.


    ¡°You can stop time?¡± David said, blinking and looking over at the white-haired Princess of Etronia. ¡°Oh! Haydith! Your brother Erasmus told me about you!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Haydith¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How is he?¡±


    David chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s doing well, really well. They want to promote him to lord general, but they can¡¯t since he¡¯s a¡­ you know.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. Officially, he¡¯s a bastard,¡± Haydith said.


    ¡°The King¡¯s bastard,¡± I said, briefly locking eyes with David. Muted surprise appeared on his face.


    ¡°You two know the truth, then?¡± David asked. ¡°Not even kings are immune to the weakness of the flesh, apparently.¡±


    ¡°He has a lot of kids, and most of them want to be the next sovereign. You can imagine what will happen when he dies,¡± I said as I began transmuting another barrel of wet charcoal into dynamite.


    ¡°War. Yeah, Erasmus told me,¡± David said.


    ¡°A global war,¡± I said. ¡°If we don¡¯t stop the war, there will be a cascade of suffering, tragedy, and loss. Etronia will fall into civil war, Mitrikova will invade, Etronia will begin using undead en masse to fight back, Sondrith will invade Etronia due to their use of undead, and Yomotsu will attack Sondrith due to their weakness.¡±


    With my focus still on the transmutation process, I continued speaking. ¡°With the world powers weakened, there will be no one to defend the villages from monster attacks, and nearly every farming village will be wiped off the face of the planet within two years. This will cause a major world-wide famine. Even those who survived the monster attacks will die of starvation in droves. As a result, seven-in-ten people will die globally.¡±


    ¡°What? No, that¡¯s impossible,¡± Haydith said, and I could hear the horror in her voice.


    ¡°In total, more than one hundred million people will die. This worldwide suffering and mass death will empower the demons living in this world. The King of Demons will appear on Ferrum, drawn from the depths of Hell itself by our suffering. All of this will happen if King Theophrastus dies.¡±


    As I spoke, I finished transmuting the last barrel. I rose to my feet and finished my speech with a gesture to the world around us.


    ¡°How do you know this?¡± David asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s all the prologue to an MMO that I used to play,¡± I said. ¡°We just happen to be living in that prologue. Maybe we can stop it from happening that way.¡±

 Chapter 138 - [Time Envelope]

    ¡°Oy,¡± David said, letting out a nervous breath of air. ¡°We¡¯d better make sure the King doesn¡¯t die, then.¡±


    ¡°What do we have to do?¡± Haydith asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to serve as bait and draw the dragon to the explosive barrels. Just before it reaches me, Haydith will activate [Time Stop], and we¡¯ll all escape. Simple.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± David said, his voice filled with doubt, ¡°that will allow Haydith to escape, but what about you? How are you going to escape?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be under the effects of the [Fly] spell, so I¡¯ll be immune to [Time Stop],¡± I said.


    ¡°Is that how it works? Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± I said truthfully. Special relativity was a topic for another time. I reached into one of my many pockets and withdrew a small glass vial. ¡°Get ready. The mission starts in two minutes.¡± Grimacing, I lifted the vial to my lips and took a deep swig.


    ¡°Is that a mana potion?¡± David asked.


    ¡°Where should I be when¡­?¡± Haydith asked, but she was interrupted by my sudden, involuntary utterance.


    I groaned in pain and fell to one knee as the mana potion began circulating through my system. Pain wracked my whole body as all of my mana pathways were violently torn open, and the mana in the air began flowing into my body. I could actually feel it as raw mana came in through my skin and filtered through my muscles and organs until it eventually reached my lower core. It felt like I was being burned alive. The burning sensation began in my skin and moved inward. I looked at my skin several times to make sure that it wasn¡¯t actually burning off. The process only took thirty seconds, but it felt like an eternity.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Haydith asked over my groans of pain.


    ¡°Mana potions do that,¡± David said with a shrug. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine in a few seconds.¡±


    The pain stopped, and I was able to regain control of my body once more. ¡°I hear it¡¯s worse the more mana you have.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible,¡± David said, a faint smirk on his face. ¡°It¡¯s also possible that the people with the most mana are huge pansies. How much mana do you have anyway, old timer?¡±


    ¡°Last time I checked, I was at about four-sixty,¡± I said, stretching my shoulders in an attempt to draw my attention away from the ache pervading my whole body.


    David whistled out of the corner of his mouth. ¡°Wow, I still haven¡¯t broken a hundred.¡±


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    ¡°Hmm?¡± I grunted, looking up at David. ¡°That seems low. What¡¯s your class and level?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a level 45 Spellblade,¡± David said quickly.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Spellblade? At your level, you should have around two hundred mana.¡±


    It was nearly unheard of for a B-Tier to have less than a hundred mana. Most amateur mages reached that level after a year of training. It must have had something to do with the way that David was transported to this world. Based on his age, he must have still been in his original body.


    I suddenly realized something. Unlike Haydith and me, the bodies of Transmigrators had spent most of their existence in a world without mana. It was only natural that their mana reserves would be diminished. This fact could be applied to the Blue Mage. If he was a Transmigrator, then his mana reserves would be similarly diminished. Silently, I filed that fact away for later.


    ¡°It must be because that¡¯s your original body,¡± I said.


    ¡°I see,¡± David said, his brow furrowing. ¡°That seems a bit unfair.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Okay. Haydith, you stay here until I come back with the dragon. Once you¡¯ve stopped time, come to me, and I¡¯ll use [Gust] to blow us both into the sky.¡±


    ¡°What should I be doing?¡± David asked. ¡°It sounds like I¡¯m not necessary for your plan.¡±


    ¡°Do you know the [Fly] spell?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but I only have enough mana left in the tank to use it for a minute or two.¡±


    I reached into my pocket and handed David a mana potion. ¡°Use this if you need it. I want you to stay with Haydith and protect her if anything goes wrong. Activate [Fly] when I come close with the dragon and escape the blast range in stopped time.¡±


    David looked at the mana potion as if he could destroy it with a look alone. With a sigh, he downed the mana potion before saying, ¡°Go. I¡¯ll be ready for a fight by the time you get back.¡±


    With two flicks of my wand, I flew high up into the air. Once I left the safety of Etron¡¯s many stone buildings, I was struck by a gripping - almost supernatural - anxiety. I was suddenly very aware that the only creatures up in the air above Etron were me and a dragon that could kill me with very little effort.


    As I looked at the dragon, it suddenly froze in place. I looked around, and, for more than five seconds, I remained in stopped time. It was too early for Haydith to be using her talent. After a moment, I realized that it was most likely either Theophrastus or Erasmus that had arrested the flow of time.


    The eerie sheen of stopped time disappeared from my vision, and I began to approach the dragon. As I approached, time stopped several more times. By my estimation, nearly half of my flight was spent in temporal stasis.


    This was a bad sign to say the least. It was likely that King Theophrastus or Prince Erasmus were engaged in battle against something that couldn¡¯t be dispatched with a single use of [Time Stop]. Could this mean that the Blue Mage was fighting one of them? I suspected that, one way or another, a member of the royal family was fighting an opponent who knew how to counter their noble talent.


    Two motes of Hellfire struck the black dragon as soon as I got close enough. The black dragon, a pillar of smoke rising from its maw, turned its serpent-like head in my direction. In those monstrous eyes, I saw no intelligence. I saw no desire, no ambition, no hunger. What I did see, however, was pride. Somehow, this creature with the intelligence of a sheep had evolved the ability to feel pride, and I had just challenged that pride.

 Chapter 139 - [Pomeranian vs. Lion]

    The dragon roared in anger, and I immediately began flying backwards. Its shoulders adjusted slightly as if it was about to turn toward me, but it changed its mind once it saw my speed. I approached it again, and the only commitment I was able to get from the creature was its head turning to keep me in its vision.


    This back and forth continued three times. I would approach the dragon as close as I dared in an attempt to get it to follow me, but my nerve would break before it committed to attack me. It knew I was following it, but it wouldn¡¯t commit to an attack until there was a real possibility it could catch me.


    That was the privilege of a predator. The dragon viewed me as little more than an uppity prey animal, so it did not need to bother with my provocations. I was a pomeranian barking at a lion.


    Now, how am I supposed to draw aggro?


    What?


    Don¡¯t worry about it. I need the dragon to attack me.


    If you want the dragon to view you as a potential threat, you need to prove that you can scratch its hide.


    All right. I should have something for that.


    The dragon would certainly have very high damage resistance. If I hit it with a Wind Knife or an Ice Spear, it was very possible that the beast wouldn¡¯t even notice. No, I would need to deal more than forty damage in one attack.


    ¡°Confirma magicae, di potentes, di silvestres, di daemones ultores. Exalta me usque ad mundum geometrica¡­¡±


    I began to mutter the incantation for the ritual of empowerment under my breath. The dragon kept its eyes on me as I spoke, but it didn¡¯t recognize my ominous chanting as a threat. My chanting reached a fever pitch as I slowly filtered 50 points of mana through my staff. It began glowing red as it exuded enough heat to kill a normal person.


    ¡°Sagitta fulgur!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs, extending my staff toward the dragon.


    A deafening boom filled the air as a bolt of blue lightning was burned into my retinas. It completed its circuit between my staff and the dragon¡¯s unsuspecting body at such a high speed that I could only perceive the echo of existence. The bolt struck the black dragon, causing some of the armored scales on its back to fly off and its skin underneath to crackle. The dragon jerked in the air as its muscles were briefly wrenched from its control.


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    Despite my best efforts, a sadistic smile crossed over my face. That would certainly be enough to get the attention of the ¡°lion.¡±


    The dragon no longer had the option to just ignore me. Even with the dragon¡¯s high damage resistance, that attack must have done more than a hundred damage. Unfortunately for me, black dragons typically had about 800 HP.


    The moment the black dragon was free of the electricity coursing through its body, it rotated its whole body toward me and screamed at a volume that almost matched the roar of lightning from moments before. It opened its mouth like a snake about to strike, and I could see a blazing furnace inside of its stomach.


    With hasty expedience, I swiftly holstered my wand and pulled the hem of my long coat in front of my head and body. An instant later, a river of flame washed over me. The air surrounding me was replaced completely with flame, forcing me to hold my breath. The temperature was so high that anywhere the flame touched me, my skin was discolored slightly, and a few of the hairs on my arm were burnt off. It wasn¡¯t enough to break through my fire resistance, however. My coat caught the brunt of the attack, preventing the vulnerable items and clothing hidden on my body from catching fire.


    After nearly five seconds of being engulfed in flame, the attack stopped, and I was left intact. Confusion passed over the dragon¡¯s face, giving me a chance to respond. I drew my wand, and I was flying at full speed away from the dragon within seconds.


    The black dragon lurched in the air and began accelerating in my direction. It was a big creature, so its acceleration was slow. Based on my memory of [Ferrum Online], dragons¡¯ long wingspan allowed them to reach incredibly high speeds, especially when diving. That was their preferred hunting method. They would typically strafe their targets at high speed and unleash streams of fire out of their mouths.


    I flew through the air, staying within the dragon¡¯s field of vision. The beast followed me, and it slowly gained speed as its enormous leathery wings beat faster and faster. Heading towards the ambush point, I began to descend.


    As I swiftly bled altitude, the dragon started gaining speed at a concerning rate. I grit my teeth as I realized that the [Fly] spell was limiting the speed of my descent. My body was weightless, so I gained none of the speed boost that one would typically gain from falling.


    Doing some mental calculations, I realized that the dragon would reach me before I reached the ambush point if I flew in a straight line.


    By the Gods Below, you¡¯re going to get us killed!


    I grit my teeth. If I was going to finish the mission without getting my chest torn open by an angry apex predator, I would have to do something crazy. The angle of my ongoing [Gust] spell altered, and I stopped descending. Though I continued moving toward the ambush location, my only movement was horizontal.


    After a minute of flight, the dragon was almost on top of me. I had reached the ambush position, but the five explosive barrels were more than eighty meters down.


    As the dragon reached its glinting talons that were strong enough to tear through steel toward me, I dropped concentration on the [Fly] spell. My body entered freefall, and I began rocketing toward the ground.

 Chapter 140 - [Freefall]

    My sudden freefall swiftly put a significant amount of distance between me and the dragon. Now, however, I had a new problem. With a fall from such a height, I would crash into the ground at a speed of 142 kilometers per hour. A car traveling down the highway at a dangerous speed moved that fast.


    When my body had fallen half of the distance to the ground, I frantically reactivated the [Fly] spell. I stopped accelerating downward, but my velocity remained unchanged. My body twisted as I interposed my staff between myself and the ground. Typically, I cast [Gust] through my wand. At that moment, however, I needed as much power in that spell as possible.


    ¡°Ventus!¡± I shouted, and a powerful gust of wind began slowing my fall.


    Despite my best efforts, I continued to fall toward the ground at a fast rate. The buildings of Etron rose up to meet me, and I could see the miniscule forms of Haydith and David resolve into focus from the undifferentiated tapestry of the city below. At the last second, I realized that I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop my momentum completely before I reached the ground, so I lifted my arms up to protect my head.


    I struck the ground at the speed of a fast jogger. With my weak constitution, it was probably enough to deal a few points of damage. More important than the damage, however, was the fact that I was able to maintain focus on the [Fly] spell.


    ¡°Haydith!¡± I shouted as I blinked the blurriness out of my eyes. ¡°Get ready!¡±


    My hand reached upward, and I shot a bright cone of flame in the dragon¡¯s direction. There was no chance for such an attack to actually damage the dragon, but it would certainly be enough to catch its attention.


    The great black dragon screeched like a banshee as it descended in a wide semicircle. It could have followed me in my dive, of course, but it didn¡¯t want me dead enough to threaten its own health.


    I used a weakened [Gust] spell to rotate my body vertically and push my feet against the ground. Less than three meters to my right, five large barrels sat. All told, there must have been more than a ton of TNT in those barrels. I had already done the calculations. I knew it would be enough to take out a dragon, so it would certainly be enough to kill me at that range. All it took was a little spark.


    Like a bird of prey diving on a rabbit, the dragon flew toward me. It descended beneath the buildings with four sets of talons posed to strike. I stood there, unmoving, as the dragon got close enough for me to see its eyes in detail: two yellow slitted pupils suspended in pure black irises.


    Then, the beast stopped. The immense momentum of the ten-ton dragon flying at the speed of a car - which seemed unstoppable a moment before - was suddenly halted.


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    I didn¡¯t have enough time to breathe a sigh of relief and thank Nyx for my safety, though I wanted to. I looked to my left and saw Haydith standing a meter away. At the time, I hadn¡¯t noticed, but she was in just as much danger as I was.


    Without hesitation, she pushed off the ground and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. I could feel her weight against mine, and her fearful breaths brushed against the skin on the back of my neck. The twin urges - Eros and Thanatos, life and death - pulsed in my mind. Death loomed over me like a sword suspended on a thread of spider silk, yet I was exhilarated.


    Air escaped through clenched teeth as I summoned a spark of Hellfire within my bubble of stable space and time. The flame crackled and burned like any other. Without outside interference, it would burn eternally.


    A conjured gust of wind blew me and Haydith a few feet away from the dragon. As we fell back, I saw as the mote of Hellfire froze in place. I turned my head to see if David had been caught in the [Time Stop]. As I looked, I saw a blur of movement as he took off into the air.


    Good, he didn¡¯t need to be saved. Mentally, I sent the command for the frozen Hellfire mote to expand at an explosive rate and eject as much fire as possible. Strangely, I could feel as some of my mana was expended in the effort, yet the Hellfire spark remained unchanged.


    The spark must have received my message. Actually, when I thought about it, it made some sense. I could still see when under the effects of [Time Stop], so time still had to be moving outside of my bubble. If my message to the spark traveled at the speed of light, it would still receive the message instantaneously, even if time was moving at 0.001% its normal speed.


    I pointed my wand at the ground, and we shot up into the sky. It would have been impossible for me to carry Haydith under normal circumstances. In zero gravity, it was easy. I didn¡¯t focus on getting to a minimum safe distance. I just accelerated upward as fast as I could, putting as much distance between us and the dragon as possible.


    There was an echoing boom from somewhere behind me, and I rotated my wand to slow my acceleration. Looking down, I realized I was so high up in the air that I could see the entirety of Etron spread out beneath me. The whole city was contained within a massive circular wall. From that altitude, the city looked like a puddle of gray within a sea of green.


    ¡°Did we get it?¡± Haydith asked.


    I looked around, fearing that I would see an enraged dragon charging toward us, but all I saw was David¡¯s slowly-approaching form.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, sighing. Five explosive barrels would be enough to deal with a dragon theoretically, but the science of explosions was fickle. If the barrels had been oriented in the wrong way or if the compound within was suboptimal, it could cause the explosive to be much less effective.


    ¡°Hey!¡± David shouted out to us. ¡°Let¡¯s come down! I can¡¯t hold this spell for very long!¡±


    We descended back to the ground, slowly approaching the smoldering city block where I had set the ambush. The scene was eerily similar to that of the aftermath of a modern drone strike. Well, ultimately, it was the same method of destruction.


    David and I touched down on the outskirts of the devastated section of the city. As I looked, the smoke cleared enough for me to see through. There, buried underneath a section of collapsed building, was the torn cadaver of the adult black dragon. Its wing had been torn off, and one half of its skull had been flayed down to the bone.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± David swore. ¡°It actually worked.¡±

 Chapter 141 - [Undead Lord]

    I didn¡¯t wait long enough for the victory to sink in. The moment I confirmed the dragon was killed, I immediately began walking in the direction of the church. The King was almost certainly still in danger, and he was probably engaged in a much more dangerous battle at that very moment.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± David asked, easily keeping up with my quick pace. ¡°The dragon is dead, and no more monsters are spawning. The army can deal with the little minions. Now¡¯s the time to celebrate!¡±


    I grunted in displeasure before saying, ¡°The whole attack on Etron was just a part of the Lich Cult¡¯s true plan to kill the King. This won¡¯t be over until we can confirm the King¡¯s safety.¡±


    David frowned, saying, ¡°Is that right? Wait, if these cultists are strong enough to summon a dragon and threaten the King, aren¡¯t we just marching to our deaths? What could three B-Tiers hope to accomplish in a battle against A-Tiers?¡±


    ¡°Now that the ritual has been interrupted, it should be impossible for our enemy to kill the King. Considering how much is riding on Haydith¡¯s father staying alive, I just want to confirm he¡¯s still breathing.¡±


    To some extent, the Blue Mage must have been relying on the ritual. Despite this, something about his behavior rubbed me the wrong way. If the ritual was necessary for his assassination plan to succeed, why had the Blue Mage left a single necromancer to guard the ritual? Still, there was no way a single A-Tier [Mage] could defeat King Theophrastus. Hopefully.


    As we approached the church, Miriam and Eadric waved to us happily. Standing near them were four horses and Haydith¡¯s mount, Sherlock.


    ¡°You did it! Congratulations!¡± Miriam called out.


    ¡°What are these?¡± I asked.


    With a smile, Miriam said, ¡°Father Galen asked the congregants to prepare mounts for us. He said it would benefit everyone if the city¡¯s saviors could move swiftly in a time of crisis.¡±


    ¡°When you see him again, pass my appreciation on to Father Galen,¡± I said as I painfully lifted myself into the saddle. Even with my frail constitution, I had managed to master horse riding after more than a decade of practice.


    ¡°Where are we going now?¡± Eadric asked.


    Before I could answer, Haydith spoke up. ¡°Hey, uh, David. Did you see the King in the palace before you left?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± David said. ¡°He was putting his armor on when he left. He said he wanted to kill the dragon himself.¡±


    That basically confirmed my fears. For one reason or another, the King didn¡¯t attack the dragon.


    ¡°Where could he be, then?¡± Eadric asked.


    In the distance, a bright firework went off, showering sparks into the night air. The boom caught our attention, and the two natives to the world of Ferrum pulled back in ear.


    ¡°By the Goddess Nyx, what is that?¡± Miriam asked, genuine fear motivating her tone and posture.


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    It was the [Sparks of Celebration] spell. Most [Mages] considered it a waste of time, but it was very popular among players of [Ferrum Online]. More significantly, Beltane knew to use that spell whenever he had to get my attention.


    ¡°That¡¯s Beltane!¡± I shouted as I spurned my horse forward. ¡°He must have found the King!¡±


    I took off at a fast gallop, and the others followed close behind. As I traveled, I decided to deal with the System notifications that had been vying for my attention for the past half hour.


    LEVEL UP: 25


    Wow, that was an increase of three levels since the last time I checked. With that increase, I would officially make the jump from C-Tier to B-Tier. It wouldn¡¯t be much help in a fight against the Blue Mage, but I would take any help I could get.


    ¡°Haydith! David!¡± I called out, slowing my horse to speak to them. ¡°Check your notifications! Have you guys gained any experience?¡±


    There was a pause as Haydith and David checked their character sheets. David took a small mirror out of his pocket and examined his reflection.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± David swore. ¡°I just leveled up! Hell yeah!¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Haydith said, surprised. ¡°I gained two levels.¡±


    ¡°Good. The System must have given you experience points for your help against the dragon. Apply your benefits before we reach the King. We¡¯ll need every advantage we can get.¡±


    Swiftly, I applied the benefits of my three gained levels.


    Name: Thale Feldrast


    Class: Sorcerer


    Level: 22 -> 25


    HP: 67 -> 82


    MP: 495 -> 550


    Fortitude: 6


    Strength: 6


    Agility: 7


    Intelligence: 22 -> 24


    Willpower: 16


    Charisma: 13


    Tier: B


    Damage Modifier (Sorcery, Staff): 4.55 -> 4.9


    Damage Modifier (Base Level): 1.3 -> 1.4


    DPS (Sorcery, Staff): 91 -> 98


    DPS (Base Level): 26 -> 28


    Alignment: Scrupulous (Good)


    [SKILL GAINED (UNDEAD LORD): WHENEVER AN UNDEAD UNDER YOUR COMMAND IS KILLED, YOU IMMEDIATELY REGAIN 1% OF YOUR TOTAL HP]


    When I asked the System to pull up my character sheet, it displayed two new pieces of information that I had not seen before: my damage modifier and DPS. Those two pieces of information provided some evidence that my increasing Intelligence did more than just increase my mana.


    It seemed like the System was changing the displayed information to better suit my play style. The System knew that I was going for a glass cannon DPS build, so it prioritized that information. I was thankful for that information, since it immediately made it obvious that my increased Intelligence was affecting my damage. With every two points put into my Intelligence score, my damage went up 10%.


    One other thing was made obvious by those numbers. With the benefits of my class skills and the Staff of Imogene Drac, my DPS was higher than my HP. If I was to get into a fight with a perfect doppelganger of myself, the fight would be over in a second. I was suddenly much more aware of my own frailty.


    The skill I gained, [Undead Lord], surprised me. That skill was typically not available to players, and only powerful enemy Necromancers had access to it. Naturally, Thale Feldrast was one of the NPCs with this skill.


    I didn¡¯t have to take the [Undead Lord] skill, but it was available for me to take, so I made my decision with little hesitation. There were many ways I could abuse that skill for my own benefit.


    When I turned my attention back to the city around me, I realized my horse was galloping through the town square in the center of Etron. In the future, it would be named after King Theophrastus. At present, however, it was called the King¡¯s Square. We had traveled all the way to the Castle District in the middle of town, and the nearest building was more than a hundred meters away. The only notable structure in the King¡¯s Square was a massive statue of King Theophrastus standing in the center.


    Surrounding the statue, there was a pitched battle between the forces of Etronia on one side and a horde of monsters on the other. Flying above the battle were the unmistakable forms of King Theophrastus and the Blue Mage engaged in a pitched duel of sword against sword.

 Chapter 142 - [Card Master]

    The hood of the Blue Mage was drawn back, revealing the head beneath. Under the hood was a Yomotsan man in his thirties. No, that wasn¡¯t right. If the Blue Mage was a Transmigrator, that meant he was from Earth, so it would be more accurate to say he looked Korean. His physique was unusually muscular for a [Mage], and his eyes blazed with a sharp, cruel intelligence.


    For the first time, I was able to see his eyes. Almost automatically, I activated [Observe]. To my shock, it actually worked, and the Blue Mage¡¯s character sheet appeared before my eyes.


    Name: Alexander Lee


    Class: Card Master


    Level: 61


    HP: 858


    MP: 250


    Fortitude: 26


    Strength: 23


    Agility: 25


    Intelligence: 24


    Willpower: 15


    Charisma: 18


    There it was, the Blue Mage¡¯s name: Alexander Lee. Based on his name, age, appearance, and accent, he must have been an Asian-American who was in his early twenties when the Cagliostro collapsed. Other than his name, my use of [Observe] produced little new information. I didn¡¯t know the specifics of what a [Card Master] was, but I remembered vaguely that players of [Ferrum Online] could unlock through a special event somewhere on the continent of Saxum.


    Alexander the Blue Mage slashed at King Theophrastus several times, though the King easily caught each blow on the flat of his blade. With the blade unsheathed, I recognized Alexander¡¯s sword as Cloudrazor, the legendary sword wielded in the future by Merrick Feldrast. Where the Hell did he find that? In his other hand, Alexander held a ring of small relics linked together with thick beads like a Catholic rosary.


    There was a shining necklace on Alexander¡¯s neck, blazing with the silver energy of magic. I could tell from the sigils around the necklace that it drew only a small amount of mana from the caster. On his arms, the Blue Mage wore two bracers that were inscribed with multiple lines of arcane script. These bracers were temporarily inert, but their position implied defensive significance.


    As I watched, the King¡¯s sword flashed forward, faster than any normal man could hope to react. I expected to see Alexander attempt to block the attack or react at all, but he did nothing. The point of the King¡¯s blade flew toward the Blue Mage¡¯s heart, and something happened so fast that I had a hard time processing it.


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    It¡¯s kind of hard to explain, but I¡¯ll try to break it down step-by-step. Just before, the King¡¯s blade struck, one of Alexander¡¯s bracers lit up, and the Blue Mage soundlessly popped out of existence. Less than half a second later, he reappeared a few centimeters to the right, and the attack missed him completely.


    As this happened, Cloudrazor buzzed through the air, and the King was struck in the chest. The blow was weakened by the King¡¯s armor, but Alexander still drew blood.


    I grit my teeth as a dark realization caused my stomach to sink. Alexander was using an I-frame exploit, a glitch in the System of [Ferrum Online] that the developers decided to keep in the game because competitive players liked it. When someone cast the [Blink] spell, they would disappear immediately and reappear somewhere else 0.4 seconds later. If the caster then canceled the spell in those 400 milliseconds, they would reappear in the same place they started. Alexander hadn¡¯t just played the game; he was an expert.


    Without warning, a crest of red rose up in front of me, and the horse underneath me began to buckle. I flicked my wand once, casting the [Fly] spell before I crashed to the ground. For a moment, I flew weighless through the air with my horse and the liters of blood that flowed out of its gaping neck wound. With a conjured gust of wind, I pushed myself away from the blood and viscera. The dead horse left my bubble of weightlessness, and it cartwheeled to the ground in a darkly comedic show of gore and death.


    ¡°What!?¡± I uttered as I flew through the air.


    The stale light of stopped time gripped the world once more, and I looked around frantically. Alexander and Theophrastus continued fighting in the air, but everything else had been transformed into a chaotic painting that reminded me of antique Grecian urns.


    Behind me, the necks of Eadric and Miriam¡¯s horses had been slashed, and my two allies had fallen to the ground. Eadric had lifted himself onto one knee, though Miriam was still flat on her back, covered in blood. David and Haydith¡¯s horses were untouched, however.


    A blur of silver and white in the shape of a lunging soldier flew toward me. There was no time for me to evade, but I could still defend myself. I swung a Wind Knife at my attacker, drawing some blood but failing to halt the soldier¡¯s momentum.


    The man was moving too fast for my Shield to stop the attack completely, so I reached out with the Ring of Etron and frantically started pulsing mana into its silver form.


    The attacker suddenly stopped, his momentum halted by ancient magic. With my attacker suddenly halted, I could determine his identity. Holding a blade pointed at my heart, Prince Erasmus Polaris floated a meter away from me.


    For the moment, both of us were held in place by the Ring of Etron. I wanted to speak, but I couldn¡¯t move my lips. I couldn¡¯t even move my chest enough to breathe. Neither of us could move, but I could still use my Talent. I summoned four sparks of Hellfire next to Prince Erasmus and commanded them to fill the space holding Erasmus and me with as much fire as possible. I couldn¡¯t breathe anyway, so a little extra heat meant little to me.


    Just as the flame reached Erasmus, time resumed. I could only tell because the messy sound of horse guts crashing against cobblestone emanated from behind me. Even with time resumed, I continued holding Erasmus in place and dousing him with as much fire as possible.


    DAMAGE DEALT: 92


    The effect of the Ring of Etron ended as Erasmus managed to apply enough force to fill the ring¡¯s battery. An instant later, I felt the feedback as Erasmus escaped from my ball of Hellfire.


    I commanded the flames to recede, and the figure of Erasmus standing with his sword raised appeared in front of me. He stood between us and the ongoing battle, making it clear that we would need to go through him if we wanted to reach the King.

 Chapter 143 - [Alexander Lee]

    ¡°Erasmus!?¡± David shouted as his and Haydith¡¯s horses rolled to a stop. ¡°What the Hell are you doing!? We¡¯re here to save the King! Get out of the way!¡±


    ¡°David! Cast [Fly] now!¡± I shouted with all of the authority I could muster. Never before had my voice been filled with so much haste and fear.


    My tone had the desired effect. Without further comment, David jumped from his horse and cast [Fly] on himself.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Haydith shouted. ¡°I understand if you¡¯re confused, but we¡¯re on the same side!¡±


    Prince Erasmus Polaris sighed, but he did not lower his blade. As Miriam and Eadric caught up to our little entente, Erasmus said, ¡°Despite everything, it¡¯s good to see you again, Haydith. I just hope you can one day find it in your heart to forgive me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Haydith asked.


    ¡°Stop fucking around!¡± David shouted.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t need to end in violence,¡± Erasmus said calmly, but his voice held a threatening edge. ¡°Just stay where you are while the Yomotsan kills Theophrastus.¡±


    David and Haydith looked at Erasmus with horror in their eyes.


    ¡°We were sent here to protect the King!¡± David shouted. ¡°You were loyal an hour ago. Why did you betray Etronia?¡±


    A faint smile turned Erasmus¡¯s mouth upward. ¡°I think you already know the answer to that. With the Yomotsan¡¯s help, I can take my rightful place as the sovereign of this country.¡±


    I had to cut the dialogue short. Every second we spent going back and forth with Erasmus, we were doing exactly what he and Alexander wanted. If I wasted too much time, it could cause millions of preventable deaths. Deciding to take action, I flicked my wand, and a gust of wind pushed me forward.


    ¡°Stop, Thale Feldrast!¡± Erasmus shouted.


    ¡°If you want me to stop, you¡¯ll have to kill me!¡± I said.


    The edges of reality became stale and unkempt as Erasmus stopped time. He lunged in my direction, and I responded by aiming my staff toward him.


    ¡°Mulciber ignis¡­¡±


    Before I could finish my incantation, a blur of motion moved past me and clashed against Erasmus. David, flying through the air of stopped time, crossed swords with the Prince of Etronia. Erasmus¡¯s calm expression turned to one of utter wrath as he was forced to parry David¡¯s assault.


    My half conjured orb of magma splattered to the ground as Erasmus dropped us out of stopped time.


    ¡°David! Can you hold him off?¡± I asked as I continued flying toward the battle.


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    ¡°For two minutes!¡± David answered through clenched teeth.


    I flew past the sword fight, and Erasmus watched me with a mixture of anger and fear in his eyes. As if reading from a script, Erasmus turned to me and shouted, ¡°Tabitha Feldrast was killed under orders from Theophrastus!¡±


    When I took off toward the battle, I didn¡¯t think there was anything in the world that could stop me. That sentence, however, caused me to stop my momentum through the air and turn toward Erasmus.


    ¡°What did you just say? How could you¡­?¡±


    Erasmus had just put into words a suspicion that had been tormenting me for many years. Of all people who could have killed my mother, King Theophrastus was at the top of my list of suspects. My father¡¯s reaction after the attack on Sableton was most beneficial to Theophrastus and the Kingdom of Etronia. Theophrastus was my first guess, and he would be the first guess of any rational outsider who knew everything about what had happened.


    ¡°The Yomotsan told you to say that, didn¡¯t he?¡± I asked, anger rising in my chest. The four Hellfire sparks burned brighter in a sympathetic reaction with my rising temper.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Erasmus said as he deflected one of David¡¯s attacks. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it any less true. Theophrastus wanted to make the Feldrasts angry, so he¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep him here!¡± I shouted, hatred and wrath ringing clear in my voice. Without any conscious input from me, the stationary Hellfire sparks blazed in a bright pillar of fire. Alexander would pay for using my dead mother¡¯s name in his foolish attempt to manipulate me.


    I flew toward the battle, and every member of my party except for David followed. As I got closer, I could see the individual people engaged in the battle. Beltane and Kinro were fighting a creature I recognized as a Death Lord, a stronger variant of the Death Knight we faced earlier.


    ¡°The ritual has been interrupted, I take it?¡± Alexander said in English as I approached. He flicked his wrist, and the rosary of relics flew toward me.


    Concerned, I summoned a Shield, and the projectile bounced off harmlessly. When I looked once more at Alexander, he reached into a small pouch hanging from his belt and withdrew a single card. In an instant, the card burst into flame like a sheet of flash paper.


    Once the card had completely disappeared, my stomach lurched as I entered freefall. I fell to the ground, scraping my elbows and knees on the hard cobblestone ground. Somehow, Alexander had ended my [Fly] spell. When I managed to raise my head, I saw that Theophrastus and Alexander had both fallen to the ground as well.


    Wielding a small dagger in one hand, Alexander approached the King. Painfully, Theophrastus began lifting himself to his feet, and he struck out at Alexander while he tried to stand. The blade would have struck Alexander in the neck, but he popped out of existence at the last possible moment. The dagger swung forward, and a small amount of blood was drawn from the King¡¯s arm.


    ¡°All undead, form a defensive line there,¡± Alexander said, drawing a line with his index finger that would cut himself off from the King and his knights.


    With the immediate action that could only be carried out by a group of unthinking thralls, the horde of undead was interposed between Theophrastus and Alexander. Kinro managed to land a deep cut on the Death Lord as it turned its back to the samurai, but that was not enough to destroy the powerful undead.


    Once the line of undead was formed, my group ended up on the side with Alexander, and everyone else ended up on the side with the King. Turning to me, Alexander drew another card from his bag, and a staff appeared in his hand once the card was done burning.


    In a malicious tone of voice, Alexander spoke in English, saying, ¡°Unfortunately, Thale Feldrast, you just became my biggest problem. I can¡¯t just have you walking around.¡±


    ¡°Wait, hold on,¡± I said, taking a step back. Without the protection of King Theophrastus, I was suddenly in a much more precarious position. ¡°If you¡¯ve given up on killing the King, then we can talk about¡­¡±


    ¡°Sagitta fulgur,¡± Alexander said quietly, pointing his staff toward me.

 Chapter 144 - [Razors Edge Between Life and Death]

    Eadric jumped in front of me, interposing his body as Alexander chanted the spell. He held his shield outward and braced his legs against the stone ground.


    ¡°No!¡± I screamed.


    There was a crack of lightning, and Eadric was struck with the full force of an empowered [Lightning Bolt] spell. His shield was immediately reduced to melted slag, and it did little to stop the immense power of Alexander¡¯s spell. Eadric was scorched to the bone by the coursing electricity, and the right side of his body was immediately rendered into little more than a bubbling broth of liquid meat. He fell to the ground, and the impact caused a significant amount of blood to eject from his mouth.


    ¡°Mulciber¡­¡± I began chanting the incantation for the [Volcano Cannon] spell in the hope that I could at least use Eadric¡¯s sacrifice to score a hit on the Blue Mage.


    ¡°Fi pacatus,¡± Alexander chanted, and my spell fizzled. He had just muttered the counter-charm to [Volcano Cannon].


    Alexander lunged forward, and I swung forward with my wand. Two Wind Knives struck him, and he didn¡¯t even try to block them. Both attacks struck and dealt damage, but they were insufficient to stop Alexander¡¯s attack.


    DAMAGE DEALT: 38


    DAMAGE DEALT: 23


    With her knife in hand, Haydith stepped forward and tried to block Cloudrazor. To all of our shock, she managed to catch the first of Alexander¡¯s attacks and deflect it to the floor. The second attack, however, caught Haydith off guard. She was cut deeply in the midsection. With a quick flourish, Alexander stabbed Haydith in the center of the chest, striking her heart. As she fell, [Triage] told me that her heart had been destroyed.


    Half a second after Haydith¡¯s body touched the ground, Alexander stepped forward with his sword raised high over his head. He moved with the cruel efficiency of a rational man, not slowed at all by thoughts of the innocent young woman he had just slaughtered without mercy.


    There was no time to think. I didn¡¯t have the time to come up with some complicated plan or even react to Haydith¡¯s lifeblood pumping onto the ground as she sputtered and died. Alexander¡¯s sword would reach me in less than a second, and he would slaughter me just as easily as he slaughtered Haydith. There was no time for another incantation, and [Gust] would just annoy him. I had reached my final option. If this didn¡¯t work, everything I had done and planned for the past fifteen years would be for nothing.


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    I reached out, clenched my teeth, and pumped as much mana as I could into the Ring of Etron. The mana flowed in a counter-clockwise circuit, and all of the stored momentum contained within was released immediately.


    There was an explosion of force centered on my fist. The Blue Mage and I were shot backwards in opposite directions. I flew through the air and rolled to a stop more than a dozen meters back. When I tried to lift myself to my feet, my body faltered as I felt a great pain in my arm.


    I looked down and saw the state of my hand that had been wearing the Ring of Etron seconds before. Every bone in my hand was broken, and the flesh of my left hand had been curled into a shape I barely recognized. Two of my fingers were missing, though my hand was so mangled that I couldn¡¯t immediately tell which ones I had lost.


    The pain was immense, but I was used to it at that point. I had more important worries than my own destroyed hand. If I managed to survive the next minute, I would worry about my wounds then.


    You need to give me control.


    Thale spoke clearly and calmly. Unlike every other time I had heard him speak, there was no artifice or mockery in his voice. He was completely focused on the problem at hand.


    I looked up and saw where Alexander had landed. He had managed to get up much faster than me, and he was already slowly walking toward me with Cloudrazor low at his side. A knight who had managed to make it through the defensive line of undead attacked Alexander. After a frenzied clash that lasted less than five seconds, the knight fell to the ground in two equal pieces.


    ¡°Miriam, heal Eadric!¡± I shouted, though my own voice sounded muted to my ears.


    How could you possibly do anything to stop him? No amount of experience will allow us to stop Cloudrazor from tearing out our heart.


    I approached Haydith¡¯s prone body. Her eyes were wide and unmoving as blood trickled from her mouth. [Triage] told me that she was dead as far as the System was concerned. I would be running against the clock. If her heart wasn¡¯t beating again in a few seconds, Haydith would be dead forever.


    I produced a healing potion from one of my coat¡¯s pockets and lifted Haydith¡¯s head to the bend of my left arm. She was no longer in conscious control of her motor functions, so I would have to mechanically induce a swallow response. I tore off the top of the healing potion.


    ¡°Now, why would I let you do that?¡± Alexander asked.


    That English sentence emanated from a short distance to my right. I swiveled my eyes and saw Alexander approaching at a light jog, his sword raised up.


    Give me control now! I can stop him!


    I hesitated. If I gave command to Thale at that moment, Haydith would die. I only had a few seconds to save her, so any action I took other than treating her would assure her death. Any triage doctor would agree that my life took priority, and I would be justified in saving myself, yet I hesitated.


    Someone approached from the ongoing pitched battle and attacked Alexander. The Blue Mage deflected the blow, and I realized that the attacker was Kinro. Following shortly behind the samurai was Beltane, who fired a [Volvano Cannon] at Alexander. The attack missed as Alexander momentarily flashed out of existence.


    Kinro and Beltane would be enough to hold Alexander back for a few seconds. They could handle themselves well enough, and Haydith needed my help more than they did. I turned to look at the wide, dead eyes of Haydith.


    If I moved fast, she could be saved. If I made a mistake, she would die.

 Chapter 145 - [Mortuos Regam]

    I dumped the liquid in the health potion into Haydith¡¯s mouth and pulled her chin up to move the liquid to the top of her throat. Despite this, the healing compound remained in her mouth, and Haydith¡¯s swallow response did not activate. I brushed my fingers against her neck to determine the location of the hyoid bone before pressing down on the soft esophagus underneath.


    With a terrible, gasping choking sound, Haydith¡¯s swallow response activated, and the healing compound slid into her esophagus. I didn¡¯t have to worry about any of the compound aspirating into her lungs, since she wasn¡¯t breathing.


    Haydith¡¯s wounds closed as the healing potion took effect, but her eyes remained unmoved. She was just as dead as she had been seconds before. I put her down on the cobbled street and prepared to perform CPR. It would be tough with only one hand. I would have to improvise.


    With my right hand and left elbow, I began doing chest compressions. While I worked, I frequently turned my eyes to look at the ongoing battle between Kinro, Beltane, and Alexander. Beltane was holding a deep wound in his stomach, and Kinro was swinging violently at the Blue Mage. One of Kinro¡¯s attacks missed completely as Alexander disappeared from view for half a second, and Alexander used the opportunity to land a blow on Kinro¡¯s chest. They were putting up a good fight, but it was only a matter of time before they lost.


    After about thirty seconds of chest compressions, Haydith¡¯s eyes began to flicker. Her chest began to move as her lungs began to heave and cough in an attempt to expel the fluid contained within. She spasmed for several seconds as her body, operating entirely on instinct, returned to its natural living state. I held her head in place to prevent her from giving herself a concussion until her movement stopped and she fell back into a state of unconsciousness. Haydith would live, but it would take a while for her to wake back up.


    Slowly, I rose to my feet and turned back toward the ongoing battle. As I looked, Beltane was slashed across the chest while Kinro was struck with an Ice Spear.


    I¡¯m giving you control, Thale. I sincerely hope you have an actual plan.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Thale said with my lips as he gained control over my body.


    The bottom of my staff was banged against the ground, and six sparks of Hellfire surrounded my body in a hexagonal pattern. My feet carried me forward as those six motes transformed into a long line of text written in the Ancient language. I had no idea what was happening as Thale began circulating a significant amount of mana through my body.


    The lines of flaming text flashed into several different forms like words scrawling on a teleprompter. I recognized some of the words and realization suddenly hit me. The long lines of text created in the flames of Thale¡¯s Hellfire was the incantation to ritual cast a spell. The flaming text reached its end after a mere three seconds before returning to their natural state of burning motes of fire.


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    When the final word disappeared, my staff was pointed at the horde of undead, and Thale said, ¡°Mortuos regam.¡±


    Thale cast the spell [Control Undead], a spell that would be beyond my body¡¯s capacity without the benefits of the Ritual of Empowerment, and nearly half of the undead under Alexander¡¯s command suddenly stopped moving and turned to me.


    ¡°Destroy the undead under Alexander Lee¡¯s command!¡± Thale shouted, and the undead began tearing into one another.


    Another line of flaming text scrolled past as my legs carried me closer to Alexander. As I walked, annoyance appeared on the Blue Mage¡¯s face, and he decided to quickly switch strategies. In one smooth motion, he returned Cloudrazor to its sheath before drawing his knife. Alexander lunged at Beltane and scratched his arm with the knife before turning and throwing the knife at Kinro¡¯s neck. At the last second, Kinro was able to deflect the knife, and it clattered harmlessly to the ground.


    The flaming text reached its end, and Thale said, ¡°Magia apparet impetus!¡±


    It was the incantation for [Mana Bolt]. A glowing arrow of pure energy shot toward Alexander¡¯s back. He turned at the last second, popping out of existence just as the Mana Bolt would have hit him. The Mana Bolt flew past him and crashed into the statue of Theophrastus in the center of the square, detonating when it struck. The base of the statue and a few knights standing nearby were caught in the blast and immediately turned to ash by its force.


    To dodge my attack, Alexander was forced to turn his back on Kinro, who used this moment of weakness to his advantage. Kinro cut Alexander¡¯s back, causing some of the Blue Mage¡¯s blood to fall to the ground.


    ¡°You see?¡± Alexander said in English. ¡°This is why I have to kill you.¡±


    Alexander took a step toward Kinro as he put all of his strength behind his sword. Kinro easily deflected the telegraphed attack, but the force was enough to push him back several meters. The Blue Mage then turned and pointed his staff in my direction.


    ¡°Moriturus pro nihil.¡±


    My blood turned cold. That was the incantation for [Death Bolt], a spell that caused instant death when it struck. The death effect would not work on some strong creatures or people, but I knew that I certainly wasn¡¯t in that category.


    ¡°Viviere aliquo.¡± Thale spoke the counter-charm, and I felt it as 100 points of mana were torn from my core.


    Alexander grimaced in my direction. I knew from experience that nothing was more annoying than getting counter-charmed. He lunged and began running in my direction. A moment later, Kinro swung at him, forcing him to roll out of the way.


    He didn¡¯t use [Blink]! He must be low on mana!


    My feet carried me forward, and the slight burning pain in my hand informed me that some of my undead thralls had been killed, causing my hand to be healed. Thale moved my eyes downward, and I saw as my hand reformed into a recognizable form. My pinky and ring finger were missing, but at least I stopped bleeding.


    Alexander drew another card, and a small red stone appeared in his hand. Kinro stepped in to strike him once more, but he stopped when Alexander raised his hands in a gesture with one of his hands still gripping the red stone.


    ¡°Hold on for a second. Let¡¯s talk,¡± Alexander said with an annoyed smile on his face.

 Chapter 146 - [Death Blight]

    ¡°Will you agree to an armistice, Lord Thale Feldrast?¡± Alexander asked.


    ¡°Now, why would I do that?¡± Thale said, leaning against his staff and shooting a cruel smile in the Blue Mage¡¯s direction. Though Thale¡¯s voice was dripping with hostility, no one moved to attack.


    ¡°Because we¡¯ve reached a stalemate,¡± Alexander said. ¡°As things are, I won¡¯t be able to kill you, and you won¡¯t be able to kill me.¡± He switched to English. ¡°We might as well share some parting words.¡±


    ¡°Stick to the Common tongue,¡± Thale said in a tone of mirthful cruelty. ¡°I don¡¯t speak your inferior, ugly language.¡±


    ¡°What are you¡­?¡± Alexander began to ask, but he stopped himself mid-question. ¡°Oh, I see. I¡¯m talking to someone else right now, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Don¡¯t give him information he doesn¡¯t need to know!


    Shock on their faces, Beltane and Kinro looked over toward me, waiting for Thale to respond.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Thale said through a smirk. ¡°I am a far greater mage than the fool who was controlling this body moments before. You see, I am¡­¡±


    Forcefully, I began to exert control over my body once more. This time, however, Thale resisted. That had never happened before. Previously, I had been able to control Thale¡¯s consciousness completely. I was not immediately able to regain control of my boy. It was a terrifying sensation. It felt like I was submerged in water and, when I swam to reach the surface, I found that I was far deeper than I originally thought.


    My neck and face muscles spasmed as I sent pulses to the nerve endings there. After a few seconds of mental grappling, I was pushed back, and Thale remained in control of my body. An acute feeling of lethargy pervaded my senses, as if the mental battle had weakened me. Was that what it felt like on the losing side? It was certainly unpleasant.


    ¡°I see,¡± Alexander said with a slight head tilt. ¡°You must be a daemon of some kind. Either way, just assume I¡¯m speaking to whatever version of Thale Feldrast has been dominant for the past decade.¡± He switched to English once more. ¡°You and I are the only people in this world that matter. All the others are just NPCs with preset fates in a stagnant world. Yes, even Haydith and David. We can be each other¡¯s greatest enemies or greatest allies. We don¡¯t need to fight, you see, because¡­¡±


    Alexander switched back to the common tongue. ¡°I¡¯ve already won.¡±


    In a demanding voice, Beltane asked, ¡°What do you mean? The King is still alive! Your plan has failed!¡±


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    With a cruel smirk on his face, Alexander said, ¡°Check the back of your hand.¡±


    I felt a knot form in my stomach.


    ¡°The dagger¡­¡± Thale muttered, and I could feel him use my lips to frown.


    ¡°What?¡± Beltane gasped in shock as he looked down. There on his hand, like a newly-formed birthmark, was a splotch of discoloration in the shape of a skull.


    No! That¡¯s impossible!


    ¡°Death Blight,¡± Thale growled through my teeth. ¡°Where did you find it?¡±


    ¡°What is Death Blight?¡± Beltane said, clenching his teeth to prevent fear from affecting his tone or expression. With his free hand, he grabbed the holy symbol of the God of Death that hung from his neck.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve heard of it, daemon. How strange,¡± Alexander said with an appraising look. ¡°I found it in Caligo, of course. Unfortunately, I was only able to find the blood borne variant. As for your question,¡± he turned to Beltane, ¡°Death Blight is the only incurable disease in this world. It is nothing less than the very blood of Thanatos the Death God suspended within the mortal world. Anyone infected with Death Blight will die within a year, no exceptions.¡±


    ¡°And you¡­¡± Beltane said, looking at the back of his palm in fear. ¡°No¡­ the King.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Alexander said. ¡°King Theophrastus will be dead within a year. I will have to wait longer than I initially planned, but I still completed my mission. The domino has already been pushed, and the world order of Ferrum will be overturned. There¡¯s no longer any reason to resist. Join me, Thale. The peace of this world can no longer be maintained, but it can still be saved.¡±


    The Blue Mage held me in his steady gaze as he spoke. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the last of the enemy undead fall to the King¡¯s sword. From the other direction, David came sprinting toward us, his armor covered in blood. One way or another, this brief moment of peace would not hold. Fighting would resume in seconds.


    What do you think, Johan?


    He might have just condemned hundreds of millions to violent death. What could possibly make me want to work with him?


    When the initial flash of anger subsided after a second, I realized that it was not the time for an emotional outburst. My relationship with Alexander was a chess match, and his words were just a provocation so that he could gain more information about me. He wanted to know how much of a threat I would be to him and would alter the amount of force he would bring to bear on me in the future depending on how I reacted to his request.


    Tell him I¡¯ll think about it.


    Thale grimaced, saying, ¡°The other guy says he¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°Tell him he can find me in Sondrith,¡± Alexander said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he will,¡± Thale said as he stepped forward and the flame surrounding my body flared with his building anger. ¡°I think you and him have been operating under a false assumption. Everybody seems to be taking it for granted that you¡¯ll escape and we¡¯ll clash again some time in the future. Maybe that would be true if the other guy was in control. None of that matters, because I¡¯m in control right now, and I am going to kill you with my own two hands here and now.¡±

 Chapter 147 - [Out of Mana]

    ¡°Is that right?¡± Alexander asked, completely nonplussed by Thale¡¯s threat. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m out of mana. I would prefer to not fight you right now.¡±


    There was something about the way that Alexander said ¡°out of mana¡± that dripped with an additional significance.


    ¡°What?¡± Thale sneered. ¡°Was that supposed to convince me!? Kinro Tsukumo, attack!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Kinro looked over at me, unsettled by the obvious fact that someone else was puppeting my body. ¡°All right! I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    ¡°Mulciber ignis tormentum!¡± Thale shouted as Kinro stepped forward and raised his katana high in the air. As they both moved to attack, Alexander smoothly kicked his staff back into his hand, dropping the red stone he held in that hand as he did so. He made no move to defend himself. All he did was tap himself on the chest, right over his heart as if showing Kinro where to strike.


    At the time, I didn¡¯t know what Alexander was planning. All I knew was that Thale and Kinro were playing right into his hands. He wanted us to attack.


    Mentally, I yanked control of my arm away from Thale, causing my staff to jerk upward. The conjured orb of molten rock fired in an upward arc, flying forward at a trajectory that would crash somewhere in Etron.


    ¡°Stop, Kinro!¡± I shouted, momentarily regaining control of my mouth.


    Kinro stopped his attack at the last second. Half a second later, Alexander¡¯s body flashed with the silver light of magic, morphing into a smaller form. When the silver light subsided, the Blue Mage had been replaced with a terrified woman whose arms had been bound behind her back.


    ¡°What?¡± Kinro asked, his blade just a few centimeters away from the woman¡¯s neck.


    The stone held in Alexander¡¯s hand fell to the ground, and I saw the written inscription for the [Message] spell carved into its side. It was a Message Stone, a magic item used for communicating over long distances.


    ¡°Where did he go?¡± Beltane asked.


    ¡°The [Castle] spell,¡± Thale said, spitting on the ground.


    A moment later, King Theophrastus and David came within earshot.


    Rage in his eyes, Theophrastus walked up to the bound woman and gripped her by the collar. With the ease of a man lifting a kitten, he lifted her into the air and shouted, ¡°Where is the Yomotsan! You¡¯re working with him, aren¡¯t you!¡±


    When the King spoke, the thin veneer of regal grace had completely fallen away, revealing the wrathful warrior underneath. He was covered in blood and fresh wounds, yet none of that seemed to bother him in the slightest. Looking at the King in that moment, it was clear that the warrior he had been in his youth was completely unbowed by age and injury.


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    ¡°King Theophrastus!?¡± With shock and terror on her face, the bound woman gasped in fear. ¡°No! I¡¯m not working with anyone! Please! I was kidnapped by men in bone masks! You have to believe me!¡±


    It¡¯s over.


    What do you mean?


    Alexander escaped. We won¡¯t be able to catch him. The battle is over.


    My body reacted in sympathy with the relief I felt. All at once, the pain of my body rushed into my mind, and I collapsed onto my hands and knees. A terrible, debilitating pain suffused my body. The only thing I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry. I was only able to remain conscious due to the healing granted to me by [Undead Lord], though that threatened to run out at any second.


    ¡°Where!?¡± King Theophrastus roared. ¡°Where were you a moment before!?¡±


    The woman sputtered, saying, ¡°Redgrave! A second ago, I was just on the outskirts of Redgrave!¡±


    The City of Redgrave was more than fifty miles south of Etron. Even through the use of a carrier pigeon, it would take at least two days to get a message that far south.


    I was only vaguely aware of this interaction. While the King interrogated the bound woman, I violently vomited on the ground.


    ¡°My King,¡± Beltane said calmly, bowing his head. ¡°Please forgive my imprudence, but I don¡¯t believe this woman is our enemy.¡±


    ¡°And who are you to speak to me in such a way!?¡± Theophrastus shouted, turning his baleful gaze at Beltane.


    ¡°A dead man, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Beltane said with a grimace. He held up the skull on the back of his hand.


    Theophrastus dropped the woman, and Kinro was barely fast enough to stop her from crashing into the stone ground. He peered at the skull on the back of his hand and said, ¡°Consider yourself lucky I recognize you, Court Mage Beltane Ostara. Explain yourself, now.¡±


    Speaking in a rasping, tired voice, Thale said, ¡°I think I would have an easier time explaining your situation.¡± He sent impulses to my legs, lifting my body to a standing position. ¡°The dagger the Yomotsan cut you with was poisoned with something called Death Blight. It¡¯s slow-moving, but it always kills its target. I¡¯m afraid, my King, you will be dead in a year.¡±


    ¡°You had better not be lying, Lord Feldrast,¡± King Theophrastus said, his voice carrying a threatening edge.


    ¡°I suggest that you confirm my claim independently,¡± Thale said. ¡°You should also know that Death Blight is infectious. If you make blood-to-blood contact with someone else, they will also contract the blight.¡±


    ¡°A year, huh?¡± The King paused, and an introspective look passed over his face. He looked down at the skull-shaped discoloration on the back of his hand and sighed. Theophrastus searched my expression for deception, and his eyes flashed as he activated some investigative skill.


    The gleaming gold-and-silver sword Theophrastus held in his hand fell back into his sheath, and the expression on his face instantaneously swapped from a wrathful smile to a good-natured smile.


    ¡°Son, I¡¯m eighty-three years old,¡± Theophrastus said, chuckling. ¡°If I live another year, then I¡¯ll have lived longer than I deserve.¡± He looked around and confirmed that all fighting in the King¡¯s Square had stopped.


    ¡°I apologize, madam,¡± Theophrastus said, looking over at the bound woman. ¡°As you can see, this has been a stressful day. What is your name?¡±


    Awed to be in the presence of the King, the woman slowly said, ¡°I-I¡¯m Sybil Duam.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you back home soon, Ms. Duam,¡± the King said, turning back to my group as Kinro cut her hands free.


    ¡°As for you, Beltane. You have my sympathies. It¡¯s not right for a man to be cut down in his prime.¡±


    A dark look crossed over Beltane¡¯s face as he looked at the mark on the back of his hand. ¡°Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 148 - [Count of Tethyr]

    King Theophrastus¡¯s tone changed to one of command as he said, ¡°Now is the time for us to regroup and strike at the heart of those who threaten the City of Etron. Beltane Ostara and Thale Feldrast, as the most skilled mages present, it is up to you to find the center of whatever summoning ritual they are using to conjure these monsters.¡±


    With a proud smile, Thale bowed my head and said, ¡°It is already done, your grace. Before we arrived, I destroyed the summoning ritual and killed the dragon attacking the city. They were trivial matters for someone of my skill.¡±


    ¡°You killed a dragon? If any other fifteen-year-old said that, I would laugh at him,¡± King Theophrastus said. ¡°Since it¡¯s you, I can believe it.¡±


    Mention the others.


    ¡°Well, I did have the aid of my companions,¡± Thale said.


    ¡°Perhaps I should thank them as w-¡± Theophrastus said, but he stopped short. He spotted something a few meters away. ¡°By the gods¡­¡±


    Theophrastus ran forward at a speed that should have been impossible for a man of his age. When Thale turned my head, I saw that he was running toward the prone, bleeding body of Haydith Thorn.


    ¡°What happened? Is she¡­?¡± Theophrastus said, unable to finish his sentence. He seemed as if he viewed the sentence as too terrible to put into words.


    How strange. He seems to care for her.


    Some level of paternal instinct is natural, even for deadbeat dads.


    ¡°The girl¡¯s still alive,¡± Thale said out loud. ¡°The Yomotsan stabbed her in the heart, but I was able to save her.¡±


    Theophrastus cupped the girl¡¯s hand in between his own, and Thale turned my gaze toward Eadric and Miriam. Eadric¡¯s body was burnt and damaged. His arm was a blackened mess that couldn¡¯t possibly be surgically reattached. Though Eadric had been healed to a state of medical stability, the scarring would cause chronic pain, and he would never be able to use his sword arm again.


    Kneeling beside him, Miriam seemed like she was on the verge of unconsciousness. She was clearly suffering from mana drain, and she would probably fall completely unconscious if she used another Prayer.


    ¡°Is he alive?¡± Thale asked with the detachment of a man asking if a tool was broken.


    ¡°Yes, but he¡¯ll probably be in a coma for the next few days. Brother, without the healing of a Saint, he¡¯ll never fight again,¡± Miriam said sadly.


    ¡°Hmm, unfortunate. It seems like we¡¯ll need to find another knight,¡± Thale said with a casual shrug.


    Miriam turned toward me, dawning terror in her eyes. ¡°Who are you? What did you do to Thale?¡±


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    She was not being rhetorical. When Miriam looked into my eyes, she could see that the entity controlling them was someone else. Miriam jumped to her feet, but her intent was somewhat undercut by the unsteadiness of her stance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Thale said through a malicious sneer. ¡°He¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Stay away from Miriam, you bastard.


    Hey, she¡¯s my sister too.


    Thale turned my head back toward King Theophrastus, leaning on my staff as he walked. It was only a matter of time before my body gave out, and he was just trying to buy some time.


    ¡°Your grace, this girl claimed she was the brother of Captain Erasmus Thorn, the man who betrayed you. Should we question her when she wakes up?¡± Thale asked.


    What are you doing? We¡¯ll be out of the city by the time she wakes up.


    Shut up and watch.


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary,¡± King Theophrastus said. A moment later, he pulled away from Haydith¡¯s body and climbed to his feet. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m afraid I must ask one more thing of you, Lord Thale. Please look after Haydith until my death. Treat her like you would treat the highest nobility, do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your grace,¡± Thale said, bowing painfully.


    King Theophrastus cleared his throat and stood at his maximum height before saying, ¡°Lord Thale Feldrast of Northwind, the Kingdom of Etronia owes you a great debt for what you have done tonight. For that, it is only right for you to be rewarded.¡±


    ¡°Your grace, I only ask that any gift you wish to reward me be given to my knight, Sir Eadric Vanta,¡± Thale said with false modesty in his voice. ¡°He gave his body to save my life, so it is only right for him to receive the reward in my name.¡±


    What? Are you being nice?


    This is just the most rational move. I¡¯m simply altering the nature of Eadric¡¯s use as our tool.


    ¡°Consider it done,¡± Theophrastus said with a smile and a gesture. ¡°Once he awakes, Eadric Vanta will be made the Marquis of Tethyr and rewarded five thousand Etronian gold coins. Will you be present at the ceremony, Lord Thale?¡±


    Huh. I did not expect him to be that generous.


    Tethyr? I had to search my mind to remember where Tethyr was. Vaguely, I remembered that Tethyr was somewhere on the border between the Northern Realms and the Lowland. Its position as a border realm would explain the title of Marquis rather than Count. I also remembered that Tethyr was essentially unclaimed by humans due to heavy orc presence before the Band of Bastards exterminated all nearby orc tribes.


    The King needed an administrator for that realm, and there would be no one better to fill that role than a knight who heroically sacrificed himself to save Etron. I, of course, would gain a very wealthy ally.


    ¡°Unless it is absolutely imperative that I attend, I would rather not. You see, the Lich Cult in Etron would do anything to kill me and my companions. I would like to leave tonight,¡± Thale said.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t hold you here,¡± King Theophrastus said.


    ¡°If I may take my leave,¡± Thale said, bowing low once more, ¡°there are a few things I must do before I depart town.¡±


    ¡°I release you,¡± King Theophrastus said, waving his hand. ¡°I just ask that you return here with Haydith before I die in a year.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your grace,¡± Thale said.


    [Blood Enhancement, Lvl. 5]


    Thale activated my blood enhancement rune and began jogging in the opposite direction. The others, those that were well enough to stand, tried to approach me, but Thale ignored them. Once my body reached the edge of the King¡¯s Square, and I left the area covered by the Source Ward, Thale activated the [Fly] spell.


    I resisted once more to regain control of my body. I jerked and spasmed, but control remained in Thale¡¯s hands. When I was pushed back to the dark corners of my mind, an acute feeling of exhaustion overcame me, and I fell unconscious.

 Chapter 149 - [Tancred Thorn]

    Slowly, I returned to a state of semi-consciousness, and the first thing I noticed was the faint light of dawn beginning to color the sky. Oh no, I had been unconscious for hours, and Thale had been in control of my body the entire time.


    The next thing I was aware of was the sensations pervading my body. I was still exhausted, but the feeling was muted somewhat. Thale must have found someone to use healing magic on my body, staving off collapse for a little while longer. This was only a temporary cure, however, since no amount of healing magic would stave off the need for sleep. The fact that I was still conscious could not be good for my long-term health. Sleep was necessary to heal the unseen scars held within the body and mind.


    I noticed that my pockets had become much heavier, and the pounding pain in my head told me that I was very close to running out of mana. Somehow, Thale had burned through two hundred points of mana in the hours I had been unconscious. After this, my mana battery was completely drained. I wouldn¡¯t be able to use another mana potion for a week, and it would take me a few days to naturally fill my mana cores again.


    My vision returned, and the image that entered my vision filled me with fear. I was walking down an alleyway somewhere in Etron, and Prince Tancred Polaris walked a few meters in front of me. The kid couldn¡¯t be more than ten years old, and he periodically cast fearful glances back at me.


    What are you doing, Thale!?


    You¡¯re awake. How unfortunate. What do you think I¡¯m doing?


    He¡¯s just a child!


    If you have seen the future, Johan, then you know that House Mandelbrot will use him to legitimize their claim to the throne. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s always whining about ¡°morality.¡± Is it not moral to kill one child to save the lives of a million others?


    Prince Tancred Polaris only became involved in the Etronian Civil War in a minority of possible game states. If either Rosa or Erasmus won the war too early, then the Mandelbrots would get involved to keep the civil war going for long enough so that the [War With Mitrikova] event could activate. Evidently, that happened in Thale¡¯s future.


    Thale reached for my wand, but I held my hand in place, stopping him from gripping my wand¡¯s handle.


    Killing a child will never be moral, Thale!


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    Nyx¡¯s tits, Johan! Just wait another five minutes, and let me do the things that you¡¯re too weak to do!


    This is wrong, and you know it¡¯s wrong! You can feel the guilt, can¡¯t you!?


    Yes! Of course I can! The weakness of this body has disgusted me ever since I first awoke all those years ago, but this is necessary. Our only option to prevent the civil war now is to kill every one of the King¡¯s children except for Haydith and rule the Kingdom ourselves as the Prince Consort.


    I didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud at that moment, but that plan could theoretically work. To prevent a civil war, the belligerent factions would have to be removed, and a strong centralizing force would have to be put in place. I had planned for that centralizing force to be strong civil institutions and ironclad alliances held together with a copious amount of blackmail.


    Of course, I could simply take the King¡¯s place as the centralizing force. The rest of Etronia would fall in line due to the implicit threat that I would kill them myself if they didn¡¯t. The downside of this plan is that I would have to convince Haydith to marry me after killing two of her brothers.


    I won¡¯t kill a child, Thale.


    It¡¯s not up to you.


    My left hand spasmed once more, and Thale grabbed the wand from its holster. The wand flew forward, and Tancred fell onto his side as he saw the blur of movement. Mid-swing, I regained control of my arm and altered the wand¡¯s trajectory. Instead of pointing the wand at Tancred, I swung its point and pressed the wand against my own neck.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Thale said through clenched teeth.


    If my body is going to be controlled by the most heinous villain on the planet, it might be better for everyone if I died right here.


    There¡¯s no need for that.


    I regained full control of my body in an instant, and all feelings of resistance disappeared in an instant. A sigh of relief escaped from my lips as I was freed from the horror of not being in control of my own body. Though I was relieved, I did not remove the point of my wand from my neck.


    ¡°How do I know this won¡¯t happen again? If you¡¯re going to use my body to kill people, maybe I should take both of us out right now,¡± I asked out loud, and Tancred looked at me with acute confusion in his eyes.


    If you¡¯re going to be like that, then I¡¯ll tell you. I have spent the past five years slowly building energy, and I expended all of that energy tonight just to hold control of our body for a few hours.


    When Thale spoke, his voice was slow and distant as it had been many times before. He was losing energy, and he was fading back into unconsciousness.


    I¡¯m about to fall asleep again, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll wake back up for a long, long time. Before I go, I have some requests.


    Why would I listen to your requests?


    Suggestions, then. One: if you want to save Beltane, go to Hinnom and speak to Rector Blueshade. Her notes served as the basis for my research into becoming a lich. Two: start doing research into golems. It would benefit both of us if you figured out how to transfer my soul into a golem. Three: find Nina and¡­


    Thale¡¯s voice became so muted that I could barely hear him.


    Nevermind, I¡¯m out of time. The last thing I have to say is¡­


    I thought Thale¡¯s voice had faded completely, and he had failed to finish his sentence. Then, I realized he had just paused to build up enough energy to say those last few words.


    ¡­I killed Princess Rosa.

 Chapter 150 - [Clipped Rose]

    What do you mean? Thale!


    I mentally called out to Thale, but there was no response. He had fallen back asleep. If he was to be believed, it would be a long time before I could speak to him again. Though I felt relieved to no longer be under threat of losing my body, it was unfortunate that I could no longer ask him questions.


    What did he mean when he said that he had killed Princess Rosa? Had he killed her in his own timeline? Perhaps, his words had a much more sinister meaning.


    Aware that Tancred was still looking at me like I was an insane person, I began fishing through my recently-filled pockets. Inside, I mostly found jewelry, gems, and pastries. Had Thale robbed a bakery? Regarding the gems, they must have held a value of more than a thousand gold coins in total.


    I kept searching through my pockets, and eventually I found a ring that stood out from the others. It was a woman¡¯s ring that bore the symbol of House Polaris, a clipped rose. When I flipped the ring over in my hand, I already knew what I would find. Inscribed on the inner band of the ring, two words were written: Rosa Polaris.


    The ring in my hand belonged to the crown princess of Etronia. Its presence in my pocket proved my worst fears. While I was asleep, Thale had broken into the Azure Palace and killed Princess Rosa. The heir apparent to the Kingdom of Etronia was dead. This was Thale¡¯s idea of helping me.


    There was nothing to be done. My initial plan of supporting Rosa¡¯s faction was no longer feasible and would need to be altered.


    I slipped the ring back into my pocket. Either I would have to get rid of it, or I could use it to frame some other mage for Rosa¡¯s death.


    Turning back to Tancred, I said, ¡°Hey, Tancred. Let¡¯s get you back to your family. Where are we right now?¡±


    ¡°Did you bump your head, m¡¯lord?¡± Tancred said, trying to sound polite. ¡°We just left the First Church of Etron.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, clearing my throat. ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me lord, you know?¡±


    ¡°But it would be rude for a commoner to not use a lord¡¯s title,¡± Tancred said. He sounded genuine, but there was still fear in his eyes.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I have to tell you, Tancred,¡± I said, kneeling down to be at his eye level. Ow, that was a mistake. I didn¡¯t know if I would be able to get back up without his help.


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    I cleared my throat. ¡°You, Haydith, and Erasmus are all the biological children of King Theophrastus Polaris.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tancred said, clearly not understanding. ¡°No, that¡¯s wrong. Mom said that we had the same great-great-grandparents as the King. She wouldn¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes adults tell lies to protect their children,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Anyway, I need you to remember what I¡¯m about to tell you, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Sure, mister.¡±


    ¡°You are the second son of King Theophrastus. One day, some people might say that they want you to be the next king. Do not listen to them. If you do what they say, you will have to fight Haydith and Erasmus, and some of you will get hurt.¡±


    ¡°That sounds bad. I don¡¯t want to fight Haydith and Erasmus,¡± Tancred said, but I could tell that my words weren¡¯t really getting through.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tancred, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m being clear enough. Remember this,¡± my expression darkened, and my tone became threatening as I said, ¡°if you ever try to be king, you will die.¡±


    The implicit threat in my voice was so clear that even a child could pick it up. If he tried to press his claim to the throne, I would kill him. I knew that Tancred would have nightmares of that moment. I didn¡¯t want to scare the kid, but that was the only way I could be sure he would remember when the time came. If the Mandelbrots ever came to him, he would remember that moment vividly.


    ¡°Y-yes, s-sir,¡± Tancred said, pulling away from me. I saw the fear of death in his gaze, and I knew he would remember my unnatural red eyes for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Come on,¡± I said with a smile and the most cheerful tone I could manage. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the church.


    We returned to the First Church, and I saw that just about all of the refugees had left. As I filtered through the people remaining in the church, nearly a dozen of them asked to shake my hand. Before I made it through the antechamber, I had been bombarded with several iterations of, ¡°You saved us, Lord Thale,¡± and, ¡°Did you really kill the dragon?¡±


    I waved them off with a smile, and we soon reached the center of the church. Father Galen approached me as I collapsed into one of the few pews that still remained standing.


    Once Father Galen reached earshot, I said, ¡°You and your congregants should be safe now, Father. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the guards are able to wipe out the remaining monsters.¡±


    Father Galen bowed deeply to me, and he looked like he was about to start crying. ¡°You¡¯re a good man, Lord Thale.¡±


    I sighed and looked around at the people in the church. Almost all of them were watching me with broad smiles on their faces like I was some A-list celebrity. Wistfully, I said, ¡°I¡¯m a great man, Father, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a good man.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not good, then who among us can truly claim to be good?¡± Father Galen asked with confusion on his face.


    ¡°Who indeed?¡± I said quietly, and then I fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 151 - [Sefirot, Reprised]

    The perspective of the [Eye of Judgment] ascended high into the air, zooming out and gaining speed. For a mere moment, the roof of the First Church of Etron could be distinguished between the myriad large structures of that kingdom¡¯s capital, then it was lost in the brown malaise of civilization. Soon, the entire city of Etron was a small dot on the planet¡¯s surface. Moments later, the curvature of the planet before the perspective of Lothar¡¯s almighty divination skill pulled back far enough for the entire planet of Ferrum to resolve into view. It floated in the air like a water droplet that had not yet splattered to the unforgiving ground.


    Sitting a few meters away from that floating planet were Lothar in his toga and Nyx in her plain robes. Lothar stared at the globe with unbroken disdain, though Nyx regarded the orb with excitement.


    ¡°Did you see that, Lothar!? Alexander Lee has already unlocked the [Blink] exploit, and it¡¯s only a matter of time before Thale Feldrast unlocks the [Hellfire] exploit!¡± Nyx said.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Very impressive,¡± Lothar muttered. ¡°If this were the first iteration, I¡¯m sure those two would be among the highest ranked players of [Ferrum Online].¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound very impressed,¡± Nyx said.


    Lothar sighed before saying, ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re not measuring them against other theoretical players. We need more from them.¡±


    The God of Judgment gestured at the globe with a look of disgust on his face. ¡°It looks to me like they¡¯ve already ruined this iteration. They have no chance of ever overcoming my tribulation without a functional global economy. Why don¡¯t we just turn everything back twenty years or so and start over with another group? There are still hundreds of unused souls left over from the Cagliostro.¡±


    ¡°Lothar,¡± Nyx said, annoyed. ¡°You always want to turn back the clock. The rest of us just don¡¯t have the same perspective as you when it comes to time. We haven¡¯t been around as long as you. Twenty years isn¡¯t just a drop in the bucket to us.¡±


    ¡°And ten years is?¡± Lothar asked rhetorically. ¡°Why bother wasting ten more years on this iteration when we know it will just end in failure?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know it will end in failure,¡± Nyx said defensively. ¡°There¡¯s still a chance that Thale Feldrast will be able to hold it together.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Lothar let out a cruel laugh. ¡°You don¡¯t believe that. We both know that the King of Etronia¡¯s death always causes the civilization to lose at least two hundred years of progress.¡±


    ¡°This time might be different!¡± Nyx said.


    ¡°Why!?¡± Lothar shouted. ¡°Kronos has turned back time more than four hundred times. Why would this iteration be any different!?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something special about the Reincarnate inside of Thale Feldrast,¡± Nyx said. ¡°If any human can make this world worthy, it¡¯s him.¡±


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    ¡°Really? You¡¯re really going to bet the fate of this world on one man with eighty hitpoints. A strong breeze would kill Thale Feldrast.¡±


    Nyx smiled, saying, ¡°Speaking of bets, why don¡¯t we make one? If we have a few years to kill one way or another, why not make them interesting?¡±


    Taking the initiative, Nyx jumped to her feet. ¡°There are twelve gods and twelve Reincarnates, right? Here¡¯s the wager: every god may choose one Reincarnate as their champion. The god in question may then use a sixth-order replica to help that champion reach [Ascension]. When only one champion is still alive, that champion¡¯s god will gain the total energy expended throughout the wager. If every god gets involved, the winner will get one-third of a divine spark. How does that sound?¡±


    A momentary smile appeared on Lothar¡¯s face before he said, ¡°Gambling, eh? I thought you were the Goddess of Peace now.¡±


    ¡°Within ourselves, we always carry a small piece of the people we used to be,¡± Nyx said in an attempt to conceal her intentions from the most knowledgeable entity in the universe.


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly not boring,¡± Lothar said with a shrug. ¡°As long as it¡¯s just a sixth-order replica, I¡¯ll accept it. Maybe this will make the next decade of wasted time somewhat tolerable. By the way, I want Alexander Lee as my champion.¡±


    Nyx was so happy to hear Lothar accept her wager that she barely heard the end of his statement. ¡°Wait, uh, you want to choose a champion?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Lothar said as his body began to shift and move. His body split in two, and then one of the replicas split again. With each split, one of the replicas morphed back into Lothar¡¯s original body. This continued six times with the replica losing some fidelity with each split. Eventually, the only remaining replica was a featureless shadow in the shape of Lothar.


    ¡°Go, aid Alexander Lee,¡± Lothar said to the shadow.


    ¡°As you command,¡± the shadow answered with an unexpected clarity. It began walking out of the Sefirot, and it disappeared behind a large marble pillar in seconds.


    ¡°Why?¡± Nyx asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that Alexander Lee¡¯s actions will cripple Ferrum beyond repair?¡±


    With a cruel smile, Lothar said, ¡°Yes. I just think this is the perfect opportunity to show that everything we¡¯re doing is a fool¡¯s errand.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That world will never be worthy,¡± Lothar said with rising anger. ¡°Humans are fundamentally monstrous creatures that only know how to destroy. If they ever build a society, it¡¯s entirely by accident. Any supposed ¡®altruism¡¯ is always motivated by self-interest.¡±


    ¡°Maybe this time will be different,¡± Nyx said once more.


    Lothar sighed, his anger suddenly transforming into a deep sadness. ¡°Nyx, I¡¯ve been watching humanity nonstop for two hundred thousand years. They have never proven me wrong.¡± He rotated his shoulders in discomfort. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll probably see you in ten years. Bye, Nyx.¡±


    In an instant, Lothar¡¯s corporeal body became one with the universe. It was as if his toga was suddenly made of the fabric of space, and the north star was a decoration fastened above his breast. Those who looked too closely could tell that nothing had changed, and he had just revealed his true nature. Any mortal man witnessing this was at risk of going irrevocably insane.


    Nyx watched Lothar fade back into the cosmic background radiation with disinterest. Functionally, it was no different from teleportation. Under her breath, she said, ¡°Show off.¡±


    The Goddess of Peace returned to her seat and spun off a sixth-order replica. Nyx looked at the shadow in the approximation of a woman and said, ¡°You know what to do.¡±

 Chapter 152 - [Resignation]

    ¡°Thale! Thale Feldrast!¡±


    A familiar voice called me out of the depths of sleep. My eyes fluttered open, and I found that I was lying on one of the cots in the middle of the First Church that had been set up for injured refugees. I was the only person still lying there, since everyone else had been healed or had died already.


    When I looked up, I saw David York standing above me, his arms crossed and his foot tapping on the ground. Father Galen stood beside the Captain, his posture frantic and angry.


    ¡°...not interrupt Lord Thale¡¯s rest. He collapsed from exhaustion after the battle.¡±


    David looked down, and as soon as he saw my eyes open, he said, ¡°Good, you¡¯re alive. Who¡¯s in control right now?¡±


    ¡°I must ask you to leave, Captain. You¡¯re harassing my¡­¡± Father Galen continued to insist, though I cut him off.


    ¡°Good to see you too, David,¡± I said groggily. Switching to English, I said, ¡°It¡¯s me, the doctor from Michigan.¡±


    The Captain¡¯s posture relaxed significantly, and his hand moved away from the hilt of his sword. ¡°Michigan, eh? Now, that¡¯s a word I haven¡¯t heard in a long time.¡± David turned away from me and shouted, ¡°He¡¯s back!¡±


    I looked around, and I saw that every one of my companions except for Eadric had made it to the church. Haydith was conscious, though Miriam had to support her to prevent her from falling over in the pew.


    Beltane, now wearing a glove on his left hand, came over to me and said, ¡°What¡¯s the next move, Thale?¡±


    I began to speak, but my words caught in my throat. Without the imminent threat of death, the weight of everything that had happened fell upon my shoulders with crushing force. I looked at my hands and saw only eight fingers there. As if mocking me, the Ring of Etron was still fastened firmly on the middle finger of my left hand. Eadric would never be able to fight again, Beltane was infected with the Death Blight, Haydith had come seconds from death, and I had barely been able to limit the destruction from Thale¡¯s control over my body.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Beltane,¡± I said, slowly lifting myself to a sitting position. ¡°Right now, we need to take some time to recuperate. We¡¯ll leave the city and rest at camp.¡±


    Most of the people around me nodded and began to move. Miriam helped Haydith get up from the pew. The only person who didn¡¯t move immediately was David York, who scowled at me and the rest of my companions.


    ¡°Are you just going to ignore what happened?¡± David asked. He switched to English, leaning in close to me. ¡°You were possessed by some fucking demon for several hours. We searched for you all night, and I heard that¡­¡± he looked back and forth around the church before whispering, ¡°...that Princess Rosa was killed by a pyromancer.¡±


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    In English, I said, ¡°Yeah, that was the other guy. It won¡¯t happen again. I¡¯ll explain everything at camp.¡±


    ¡°What language are you speaking? Is that the same language the Blue Mage spoke?¡± Beltane asked.


    ¡°This is all a conversation for camp,¡± I said as Beltane helped me get to my feet. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, Father Galen.¡±


    ¡°Go with Nyx,¡± he said, waving to us as we left.


    We returned to the south gate of Etron. I was able to get away from the myriad commoners thanking me for just long enough to retrieve a pouch from my carriage and approach Tancred, who stood with Miriam and the barely-conscious Haydith.


    ¡°Hello, Tancred,¡± I said, appearing suddenly from behind a corner.


    Tancred jumped noticeably as I approached. Fearfully, he said, ¡°Uh, h-hello, L-Lord Thale.¡±


    Without further fanfare, I pushed the pouch into Tancred¡¯s hand. ¡°Here,¡± I said. ¡°Use this to learn a trade. You can become a merchant or apply to the Magic Academy in Hinnom. If you want to become a merchant, you should join the Grimhold Guild. Whatever you do, just make sure you find some stable employment so that the desire to be king never rises in your chest.¡±


    ¡°Th-this is gold!¡± Tancred gasped. ¡°How much¡­?¡±


    ¡°One hundred Etronian gold coins. You could live off that for a long time.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t take¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small price to prevent a war,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Just make sure you don¡¯t lose it. If you need more money, send a request to Marquis Eadric Vanta of Tethyr.¡±


    ¡°Th-thank you, Lord Thale.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    Haydith and Tancred said goodbye. When Haydith and Miriam returned to my carriage, there were dark bags under Haydith¡¯s eyes.


    Our caravan of three carriages pulled off the road five miles south of Etron. We got far enough away from the main road that no one could find us without actively searching. While the others began setting up camp, I hitched my horses to a tree before going into my carriage. Inside the carriage, I was overcome with a feeling of lethargy once more, and I fell asleep again.


    When I woke up, I felt as well-rested as was possible for someone who had fallen asleep in a carriage.


    ¡°Oh, God,¡± I muttered, scratching my head. ¡°How long was I asleep?¡±


    I stepped out of the carriage. The evening sun was getting low in the sky, and Beltane was clearing an area for a campfire. Haydith sat on a felled log, drinking water from a leather waterskin.


    As I stepped away from my carriage and toward the clearing, Kinro approached me. He looked at me with a serious expression and said, ¡°Hey, Boss. There¡¯s something I need to talk about.¡±


    That was right. In the frenzy of the battle, I had completely forgotten that Kinro was still just a mercenary.


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said, leaning against my staff. ¡°You want to talk about your contract, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kinro said quietly. ¡°This level of danger wasn¡¯t part of our agreement. I signed up to be the bodyguard of a noble, not a soldier in a war between¡­ I don¡¯t even know¡­ two omniscient mages from another world. Consider this my resignation.¡±

 Chapter 153 - [Altered Plan]

    ¡°I expected as much,¡± I said, stretching my lethargic shoulders. ¡°If I may suggest a future employer, you should consider working for Eadric.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to be attacked by that mage, is he?¡± Kinro asked.


    ¡°Alexander Lee would have no reason to do that,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that, then,¡± Kinro said, turning away from me and beginning to walk away from the camp.


    ¡°Hold on a second,¡± I said, taking a step toward him. ¡°Before you leave, you might want to hear what I¡¯m about to say to everyone.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to tell us about your plan or explain what happened last night, I don¡¯t need to hear it. The only thing that matters to me is the contract, and everything else is outside my skill set,¡± Kinro said.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll see you later, Kinro,¡± I said, slightly disappointed in his actions. It was in his programming as a mercenary NPC to act in such a way, but I had foolishly hoped that I could engender a sense of loyalty in him. This wouldn¡¯t affect my overarching plan, of course. There were plenty of mercenaries in Etronia.


    ¡°Try not to bring too much trouble with you when we meet next,¡± Kinro said, waving lazily toward me.


    As Kinro disappeared into the foliage surrounding the camp, I walked toward Beltane and took a seat on the log next to Haydith.


    I said, ¡°How are you two holding up?¡±


    ¡°I feel perfectly fine,¡± Beltane said quietly, looking down at the back of his hand. ¡°A year, eh?¡±


    ¡°Tired, afraid,¡± Haydith muttered. ¡°My body feels completely different now. Thale, what happened to me?¡±


    ¡°What do you remember?¡± I asked.


    Haydith pulled her collar forward and looked at her own sternum where Alexander¡¯s blade had pierced. ¡°I remember the Blue Mage stabbing me, and then I woke up in the First Church.¡±


    ¡°He hit your heart. I gave you a healing potion and used CPR to restart your heart,¡± I said.


    ¡°So I was dead, and you brought me back to life,¡± Haydith said, looking down at the dirt on the ground again. ¡°You did it again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it that way,¡± I said with more urgency in my voice than I intended. ¡°You jumped in front of Alexander to protect me. You were the one who saved my life.¡±


    Knelt down over the half-constructed campfire, Beltane let out a snort of laughter that soon transformed into a low rhythmic chuckle.


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    ¡°What¡¯s so funny, jackass?¡± I asked, glaring at Beltane.


    Wiping away tears, Beltane said, ¡°It¡¯s so rare for you to act like a kid that it caught me completely off guard. You two are in the same party now. There¡¯s no point in litigating who saved whose life and who owes who a life debt. The lives of adventurers are inextricably linked, and nothing more needs to be said.¡±


    Even after knowing the War Mage for so many years, he was still able to teach me new things. Still, that didn¡¯t mean he could treat me like a kid.


    ¡°Fine, whatever,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°My brother, Erasmus,¡± Haydith said, continuing to stare at the ground, ¡°what do you plan to do about him, Thale?¡±


    I sighed and steepled my fingers together, saying, ¡°Circumstances have changed. Did someone tell you about the Death Blight?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Miriam told me that Beltane and the King would be dead in a year,¡± Haydith said sadly.


    ¡°To be clear¡­¡± I looked over at Beltane and caught his eyes in my resolute gaze, ¡°there is one method to survive the Death Blight, and I intend to use that method to save you, Beltane.¡±


    The War Mage looked over to me with cautious hope tinged with lingering resignation in his eyes. ¡°What method is that?¡±


    ¡°The Death Blight does not affect liches,¡± I said.


    Both Haydith and Beltane looked at me like I was crazy. Beltane said, ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible. Archmages can spend their whole lives searching for the secret of lichdom without any success. How could I possibly become a lich in a year?¡±


    ¡°Rector Blueshade in Hinnom knows the basics of the process. If I can get her notes, I believe that I can figure out the ritual within three months.¡±


    ¡°Eh, well. We¡¯ll see what happens,¡± Beltane said, throwing up his hands in a gesture of surrender. He did not dare to believe that it was possible. If he never believed in the possibility of his own survival, he could never be disappointed by the outcome.


    ¡°Regarding Prince Erasmus,¡± I said, clearing my throat, ¡°he will never have the strength to hold Etronia together. None of the King¡¯s living children have enough power currency. With Rosa gone, the twins Maria and Sheena will fight over who is next in line. To prevent the civil war at this point, every belligerent needs to be neutralized within a year.¡±


    ¡°Neutralized?¡± Haydith asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to fight him at some point, but that doesn¡¯t mean we need to kill him,¡± I said diplomatically. ¡°If we can lock him up for a few months, that would work.¡±


    ¡°What then?¡± David asked, stepping out from behind Eadric¡¯s carriage. ¡°If you guys somehow manage to defeat Erasmus and the others, who¡¯s going to hold the country together? What¡¯s stopping all of the minor nobles from breaking away the moment there is no Polaris left to take the throne?¡±


    ¡°Well, we have a candidate right here,¡± I said, turning my head in an exaggerated gesture and giving Haydith a meaningful look.


    ¡°What?¡± Haydith said, pointing at her own face. ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea,¡± I said. ¡°How does ¡®Queen Haydith Polaris¡¯ sound?¡±


    ¡°It sounds impossible,¡± Haydith said. ¡°How could I possibly hold Etronia together when Erasmus can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Because we¡¯ll be much stronger by the end of this year.¡± I pointed to myself and David, saying, ¡°You¡¯ll have a [Philosopher] and a [Sword Saint] on your side by the time the King dies. You provide the authority, and I¡¯ll provide the threat of force.¡±


    Haydith looked at me before clasping her hands together and looking back down at the ground. ¡°If the only way to save the world is to become the Queen of Etronia, then I¡¯m not going to say no. Who knows, it might be fun.¡±

 Chapter 154 - [200,000 Etronian Gold Coins]

    ¡°Yeah, well. I¡¯m still not convinced,¡± David said impatiently. ¡°Erasmus is still in command of a battle-company of the most skilled warriors in Etronia.¡±


    ¡°Erasmus is no threat,¡± I said without hesitation. I looked around and saw that Beltane and Miriam were in earshot, so I switched to English before saying, ¡°No NPC in this world serves as a real threat to us. They were all built to be defeated, and I know the patterns to defeat them. With a week of preparation, I could walk up to Erasmus¡¯s battle-company and kill him by myself.¡±


    ¡°Even if I do believe you,¡± David said in English, ¡°how do I know that you¡¯re not going to be possessed by the same demon from earlier and kill us all the moment you¡¯re strong enough?¡±


    I switched back to the common tongue, ¡°That could take a little while to explain. You might all want to sit down for this.¡±


    From there, I explained the circumstances of my relationship with Thale. The only thing I left out was Miriam¡¯s death in Thale¡¯s timeline. By the time I was done explaining, Haydith and David seemed to understand, but Beltane and Miriam still looked confused.


    When I reached the end of my explanation, Haydith said, ¡°So, your reincarnation interfered with the original Thale¡¯s temporal regression?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it,¡± I said with a shrug.


    With the bridge of his nose pinched between his thumb and index finger, Beltane asked, ¡°I understand the basics, but how did you manage to shift to a different universe when magic doesn¡¯t exist in your original universe? And what does this gambling house called the Cagliostro have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said.


    Scratching his face, David said, ¡°All three of us were in the Cagliostro when it collapsed. Why, then, do I have my original body and you two don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Probably because you never died,¡± I suggested. ¡°Do you remember being crushed under the rubble?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± David said, frowning. ¡°I remember being trapped under some rubble, and then I suddenly appeared in a cave near Fulvang.¡±


    ¡°That must be it, then,¡± I said. ¡°My original body was too destroyed to be transferred, so my¡­ soul, I guess¡­ entered the body of Thale Feldrast.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± David said, standing from his seat on the log. ¡°In summary, the evil lich in your head won¡¯t be coming back. That¡¯s all I needed to know. I¡¯m going back to Fulvang.¡±


    David stood and began leaving the campsite. I stood from my seat and began to follow him.


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    ¡°Wait. Where are you going?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find Orion Arcturus and get him to teleport me back home,¡± David said.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°My battle-company is still in Fulvang.¡±


    ¡°You should stick around a bit longer. This is the first time that any of us have run into other people from Earth. Shouldn¡¯t we stick together?¡±


    David scowled. ¡°We¡¯re never getting back to Earth. As far as I¡¯m concerned, Earth is irrelevant. I¡¯m an Etronian soldier now; the man I used to be died when the Cagliostro collapsed.¡±


    [Blood Enhancement, Lvl. 5]


    He continued walking at a speed that I had difficulty following, so I was forced to activate the Blood Rune on my chest.


    ¡°Come on, imagine how much power we would have if we can pull this off. Mountains of gold and the greatest armies in the world would be at your fingertips,¡± I said.


    ¡°If.¡± David spoke one word. ¡°I can¡¯t feed myself with theoreticals.¡±


    ¡°How about this then?¡± I stopped, and David kept walking toward the road. I cleared my throat and said, ¡°Two hundred thousand Etronian gold coins.¡±


    David stopped mid-step before turning back to me. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That is the approximate GDP of Northwind and Tethyr combined. The leaders of those two realms are loyal to me. Every year, ten percent of that is tithed to the government: twenty thousand Etronian gold coins. I could raise that much money in one year. You said you can¡¯t feed yourself with hypotheticals. Well, how many mouths can you feed with that much money?¡±


    It was a bluff, to an extent. Theoretically, I could convince Solana and Eadric to send me the yearly tithes of their realms, but that was not sustainable. It would leave their realms without guards, soldiers, or tax collectors. I could raise a significant amount of money in a year, it was true, but the number was probably much smaller than I claimed.


    ¡°Really?¡± David said, doubt in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s just a benefit of being born into the nobility, huh? Still, those are just words. How do I know that¡­?¡±


    I reached into my pocket and tossed the pouch contained within toward David in a wide arc. He caught it with the superhuman agility afforded to him by the System. After a moment, he looked inside, and his eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°Eighty Etronian gold coins. That¡¯s just how much I carry in my pocket at any one time. Take it. Consider it the first payment in your new career as my mercenary.¡±


    I could tell that David wanted to contradict me, but the bag of gold held his attention like he was a hungry wolf that had just spotted a rabbit.


    ¡°I only make ten gold coins per year,¡± David muttered with a small amount of resentment poisoning his voice. ¡°How did you get so rich?¡±


    ¡°The drug trade,¡± I said, half joking. While David counted the money, I walked up to him. Leaning into his ear, I whispered, ¡°Everything in this world that can be bought with money can be yours if you just stick with me.¡±


    ¡°My battle-company, can you fund them? The salaries, food, and equipment of a hundred people isn¡¯t cheap.¡±


    ¡°A hundred soldiers? Easy. If they fight for me in the same way they fought for my father, I¡¯ll gladly fund them.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± David said, and a wide smile appeared on his face. ¡°Should I call you Boss?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± I said, matching his smile. ¡°Come on back. We have some planning to do.¡±

 Chapter 155 - [Festival of the Dragon]

    From my carriage, I retrieved the old map of Etronia that I had been using for reference for the past several years. I placed the map on a small table as the rest of the group gathered around me.


    The map was broken into three regions denoting the administrative duchies of Etronia. These regions were Etron, governed by House Polaris; the Northern Realms, governed by House Vulpa; and the Lowlands, governed by House Mandelbrot. Geographically, the Northern Realms were located to the north of the continent while Etron was to the southeast, and the Lowlands was to the southwest. The city of Etron was located in the northern section of the region of Etron, placing it in an equidistant position between Dracmead and Fulvang, the capitals of the other two regions.


    I cleared my throat and began speaking. ¡°Our next step is to gain power. We only have a year before the King dies and the Etronian Civil War is supposed to start. To that end, we need to move fast. Beltane, I need you to go to Dracmead and deal with my uncle, Olofir Vulpa.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Beltane said, blinking in shock. ¡°Do you really want me to overthrow House Vulpa by myself? Don¡¯t you think a northern lord should be present when Duke Olofir is deposed?¡±


    ¡°Eh, that won¡¯t be necessary,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°As long as Richter Drac is present, everything will go smoothly.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Haydith said. ¡°What are you talking about? Who is Richter Drac?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the rightful Duke of the Northern Realms, though he doesn¡¯t know it,¡± I said. ¡°House Vulpa massacred his family, House Drac, which is the progenitor house of the Feldrasts and the Vulpas. The current government of the Northern Realms is a house of cards, and Beltane¡¯s job will be to knock over the first card.¡±


    Beltane squinted, deep in thought, before saying, ¡°Okay, I understand. I just need to find Richter Drac, currently going by Richter Thorn, and tell him that he¡¯s the true Duke of the Northern Realms. Uh, Thale, do you know where he is right now?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I said with a sardonic smile on my face, ¡°I haven¡¯t exiled him from the City of Northwind yet, so he should still be there.¡±


    With a confused look, Miriam caught my attention, asking, ¡°Why would you exile him from Northwind?¡±


    ¡°In the original timeline, Count Thale Feldrast exiled him from Northwind in 624 CA as a favor to Duke Olofir.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s four years from now,¡± Miriam said, still confused. I could tell she still didn¡¯t understand how I knew all of this. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Miriam said, fear filtering into her expression. ¡°Count Thale Feldrast? 624? Are you saying that father is going to die in the next four years?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, suddenly aware that I had shared too much information at once. ¡°In the original timeline, Thale became the Count of Northwind in 622 CA.¡±


    ¡°Can he be saved, Thale?¡± Miriam asked.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said noncommittally. If Armond wanted to die on some godforsaken battlefield fighting against a nameless orc tribe, I wouldn¡¯t stop him.


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    From his position near the burning fire, David said, ¡°If your dad¡¯s gonna bite it, you¡¯d better take his place. The First Army needs someone with a title of count or above to function.¡±


    ¡°Is that how that works?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± David said. ¡°Troop movements of any significant size must be approved by a high noble. I¡¯m the commander of my battle-company, but I¡¯m not allowed to move my guys more than ten miles in any direction without telling your dad. Fun, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Our country is so weird,¡± Haydith said.


    From my vantage point as a member of the nobility, the system seemed fine. It advantaged me, after all.


    ¡°Anyway, Beltane, you¡¯ll come south once Uncle Olofir has been removed from power, meet up with Eadric in Tethyr, and then regroup with us in either Fulvang or Hinnom depending on how long it takes. We¡¯ll be in the area around Fulvang for the next three months, then we¡¯ll be moving on to Hinnom.¡±


    David grimaced, asking, ¡°And what will the rest of us be going in that time frame?¡±


    I pressed my fingertip against Etron on the map and began dragging it to the southwest. ¡°Our trip will take us to Redgrave, then Fulvang, then Hinnom. As we go, we¡¯ll take out nests of monsters and Labyrinths, gaining levels and equipment the whole way. By the time we¡¯re done, I intend for Haydith and me to be above level 40.¡±


    David nodded in understanding. He seemed to agree with my assessment that three months would be enough time to reach that level. ¡°I like the sound of that. We¡¯ll be able to regroup with the First Army in Fulvang. My lieutenants will be able to help us clear out any labyrinths in the area. The only problem is that we have to find them. They¡¯re not exactly marked on the map. But¡­¡± David chuckled, ¡°let me guess. You know the locations of all the labyrinths in the area?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°All twenty-three.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just not fair,¡± David said.


    ¡°Unfortunately, our enemy is just like me,¡± I said, my smile becoming a grimace. ¡°Once we¡¯re done in Fulvang, I will briefly become a student at Hinnom and speed run some of the quests there. That should be enough to get me into A-Tier.¡±


    ¡°That sounds impossible,¡± David said, ¡°but an omniscient bastard like you might be able to make it possible.¡±


    ¡°From you, I¡¯ll take that as a compliment,¡± I said.


    After a few more minutes of discussion, Beltane decided that he should leave as soon as possible. He packed his carriage, and he was ready to go within less than an hour. Just as Beltane was preparing to leave, I approached him.


    ¡°Here,¡± I said, handing him several sheets of paper.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Beltane asked.


    ¡°Those are instructions. The first page tells you how to convince Richter that he is the last remaining son of House Drac. The next few pages walk through the best method to get Richter to confront Olofir Vulpa. The yearly Festival of the Dragon will be held in forty days. You¡¯ll have the best results if the confrontation happens there.¡±


    Beltane chuckled as he looked through the papers. ¡°The extent of my student¡¯s knowledge never fails to amaze me. I¡¯ve never been much of a mentor, have I?¡±


    ¡°You were the best mentor this world could give me,¡± I said without hesitation.


    ¡°Thale, I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll meet again. If this is the last time we ever speak, I want to tell you that I¡¯m proud of you and everything you¡¯ve done. I know you will reach an even higher peak, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t talk like that,¡± I said. ¡°We will meet again, I¡¯m sure of it. For now, just say, ¡®I¡¯ll see you later.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Beltane said with a sad smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    Beltane jumped onto the seat of his carriage. Within seconds, he had disappeared into the foliage.

 Chapter 156 - [The Tale of Etron and Sondrith]

    As the sun rose the next day, we departed our impromptu camp on the side of the road. Haydith rode with me on my carriage, and David rode with Miriam on Eadric¡¯s old carriage. Sherlock the Caligan Hound walked beside my carriage in an attempt to stay as close to Haydith as possible.


    In the light of the early morning sun, I held the reins of my two draft horses and sat in a comfortable silence. A moment of respite after our harrowing experience with Alexander Lee the Blue Mage was much appreciated by my weary bones and sinew.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I looked over at Haydith, whose eyes were locked on the pages of The Tale of Etron and Sondrith, a quasi-historical romance novel from the library in my carriage. Haydith had already read more than half of the book. She must have spent much of the past twelve hours reading.


    ¡°Have you read much since you got here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Haydith muttered, blinking back into reality. ¡°No. I wish it were different, but books are expensive. Most people can feed themselves for a week with the amount of money that a book costs. My father taught me to read by scribbling runes in the dirt.¡±


    ¡°Your adoptive father?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Haydith said with some muted resentment in her voice. ¡°It¡¯s funny, you know. My biological father lived less than a mile away from me for my whole life, and he never came to visit me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. He¡¯s an asshole; we can agree on that,¡± I said, eliciting a laugh from Haydith.


    After a beat of silence, Haydith said, ¡°Do you really think I can become the next Queen of Etronia?¡±


    ¡°It will be tough. Without soft power, we¡¯ll need to show our dominance in battle,¡± I said truthfully.


    ¡°If we had more soft power,¡± Haydith said quietly, ¡°would fewer people have to die?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Haydith said, shutting the book and placing it on the seat next to her thigh. She cleared her throat before nervously saying, ¡°There was a plot line in this book that gave me an idea.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°According to the story, Etron was a nobleman in Ostland, and Sondrith was the first Saint of Nyx. They wanted to subtly build support for the Church of Nyx in Ostland without immediately revealing Sondrith as a saint, so they had Etron declare his engagement to Sondrith before revealing her true nature,¡± Haydith said.


    I was too busy thinking about the nature of the story to really pick up on what Haydith was saying. There were many inaccuracies in the theoretical engagement between Etron and Sondrith due to the era¡¯s poor record keeping and hundreds of years of mysticism surrounding the heroes. For example, nobody knew what Etronia was called before Etron came along. The name ¡°Ostland¡± - which literally meant ¡°Eastland¡± - was an invention that came two hundred years after Etron died.


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    ¡°Oh, yeah, I remember that part of the story,¡± I said. ¡°The engagement became a huge scandal, so every noble in Ostland heard of Sondrith by the time she declared herself to be a Saint of Nyx. But then¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Haydith said, lightly nudging my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve only finished half of the story. Don¡¯t spoil it.¡± She cleared her throat again. ¡°My idea is¡­ well¡­ wouldn¡¯t we benefit from the same thing?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I said, scratching my face. Suddenly, realization dawned on me. ¡°Oh! You mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, j-just forget I said anything!¡± Haydith said as her cheeks turned a bright red.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s a great idea, Haydith. My reputation will take a hit, but that¡¯s a small price to pay.¡± I cleared my throat and turned my head to hide from Haydith the slight reddening in my cheeks. Luckily, the flush of emotion didn¡¯t cause my body to heat up significantly. That only happened when I felt anger, apparently.


    ¡°Are you really okay with this?¡± I said, looking over at Haydith. ¡°I know that¡¯s the point, but there will be some controversy.¡±


    ¡°It was my idea, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Haydith said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, taking a deep breath in an attempt to flush the adolescent feelings out of my system. My physical nature as a teenager only seemed to affect me at times like this. ¡°When we get to Fulvang, I¡¯ll introduce you to Duchess Mandelbrot as my fianc¨¦e. We¡¯ll need formal clothes and a pair of engagement rings.¡±


    ¡°Y-You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± Haydith said nervously. ¡°Can¡¯t we just tell the town crier, or something?¡±


    ¡°Would you prefer that?¡± I asked. ¡°If we¡¯re going to do this, then I think we should really commit to it.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Haydith said, looking down. ¡°I¡¯ll do it if you think it¡¯s for the best.¡±


    We continued our journey for the rest of the day, and I spent most of the next few hours thinking about Haydith¡¯s plan. It was similar to my own plan, but I intended to move much slower for her sake. The long-term goal was for me to become Haydith¡¯s prince consort, so I would hardly turn down the opportunity for me to achieve that goal so quickly.


    Achieving this goal so quickly caught me off guard. Though, that wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Sometimes, unpredictability could be a good thing. It reminded me that I was human and not an omniscient god in a sea of computer code.


    When we stopped at the end of the day, we began unloading the tents and camping equipment. As I moved my tent out of my carriage, I caught sight of my own reflection in a small mirror off to one side.


    My eyes were even more sallow than usual, and sickly black veins still ran across my face, neck, and hands due to the side-effects of the mana potion. I was unclean, and small bloodstains marked my left sleeve where I had been injured in the fight against Alexander Lee.


    ¡°She wants to marry this guy?¡± I asked rhetorically to the reflection, and he looked back at me with a sardonic smile.


    The reflection staring back at me was unequivocally a descendent of Sondrith. Even after more than six hundred years, most of the Northern Lords carried her pale skin, black hair, and red eyes. I recalled the ending of The Tale of Etron and Sondrith. It could only really end one way. There¡¯s a reason why Haydith and I aren¡¯t related, after all.


    Etron and Sondrith¡¯s fake engagement did eventually transform into a real relationship, and some historiographers even claimed that they were in love. As history showed, they did not end up together.


    Would the pattern continue? Would the descendents of Etron and Sondrith follow their progenitors¡¯ footsteps? I had no idea how it would end, but that hint of unpredictability filled me with a strange excitement.