《Celestial Shadow - [Epic Progression Fantasy with World Map]》
Map
I used to have just an imgur-link in the comment section, but I figured this might be a more convenient way to showcase the map of Shiora.
I always love looking at fantasy maps, so if this is something you also like being included in the story, I might make a few more maps and put them here in the future.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
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Chapter 1 - Remori clan I
Adion stood at the ready, gripping his sword tightly, focusing his entire mind on reading the movements and the flow of mana on his older cousin. His eyes were fixed on Alex''s every move.
A slash from the left, Adion thought, but then he saw something else. Alex was gathering fire mana in his left hand. It was a feint. Adion quickly swatted away the sword strike that lacked any considerable power and focused on his opponent''s now-conjured ball of fire. He jumped back and ducked, causing the fire to fly past him. Adion quickly shortened the distance between the two. Due to his opponent momentarily having his empty hand up and no sword to block with, Adion managed to get his sword to his cousin''s neck.
¡°Victory, Adion!¡± Olden yelled out. He looked at Adion with a strict face but with kind and proud eyes.
¡°Well done, Adion.¡± Olden continued, ¡°You read Alex well. To use your opponent¡¯s use of mana to your advantage is a sign of a great swordsman. It will serve you well throughout your life. To be able to do so when you are only 12 years old in the consistent way you are doing is nothing short of remarkable.¡±
Adion showed no change of expression on his face but was very happy inside. He had, in fact, never been more talented with the sword than anyone else his age in the family clan. It was his consistent practice of sensing mana his whole life that had turned to an advantage now that he started fighting other kids who already had their cores formed.
¡°And you, Alex.¡± Olden turned to the 14-year-old whom Adion had been fighting, ¡°You also fought well. But remember this fight and strive to improve your use of mana. There was no need to use mana in that way, you could have just strengthened your body and would have won easily without it. Continue to practice and remember not to grow too reliant on spells in fights. Mana should only work as a supplement in your sword fighting.¡±
¡°Yes, teacher.¡± Alex held his mood under control, but his eyes showed he was not pleased at all with the fight''s outcome.
¡°Alright, that''s the end of today''s practice, boys and girls! You all stink, so go and take a bath.¡± Olden dismissed the group and walked off. There were seven kids between the ages of 8-14 gathered at the morning practice. Alex¡¯s three younger siblings gathered by his side while the twins Ari and Ara scurried off to take their baths. Adion was also about to take his leave when Alex looked at him with a sneer.
¡°Tch! Nice trick there, Adion. Let¡¯s see how much use it will be against a Silver core in the future. Heck, even an Iron off the street could take out a sparkless like you any day of the week.¡±
Adion ignored him. He had heard it all before. He felt good about today¡¯s training and wasn¡¯t about to let Alex ruin it. He had a full day ahead of him and wanted to be in a good state of mind. But Alex continued to call after him.
¡°Got nothing to say?¡± Alex continued, ¡°Well, continue to live in your fantasy for a while longer, but everyone else already knows there is no way a sparkless will have any place in the clan.¡±
As he continued walking to his bath, Adion tried not to let Alex''s words get to him, but it was hard. Everything he said was true. A sparkless was practically useless. No matter how hard he trained, there was no way that someone like him could stand toe to toe against someone with a mana core in the later stages. But Adion wasn¡¯t planning on giving up.
I just need a little more practice. Then, I will be able to form a core even without a spark. I will. Grandpa always says, ¡®In this Age, we know very little, and what we do know is probably wrong.¡¯
Adion agreed with his grandfather. The current Age had only just begun, and he couldn¡¯t imagine that a sparkless forming a mana core was anything special back during the Age of Wonder. He just had to rediscover how that was possible. It was what the current Age was all about, after all.
His parents had spent tremendous effort trying to solve Adion¡¯s problem. They would buy every natural treasure they could get their hands on, hoping it could impart a spark.
Much to the displeasure of his uncle, but there wasn¡¯t much he could do about it. Adion¡¯s father was the older brother and would be the clan''s patriarch in the future.
Adion could somewhat understand his uncle, though. To try making a mage out of a sparkless seemed like a fool¡¯s errand. Even his grandfather, who seemed to know everything, had never heard of anyone managing that, or even anyone trying, for that matter. There was simply no interest. There were plenty of sparkless people in the Valis Kingdom, but they were all commoners, and if a clan of mages needed to boost their numbers, there were plenty of people with sparks among the common man to choose from.
So why spend money on research that, to many, seemed like a lost cause? And it wasn¡¯t like the mages who held power were affected. Perhaps a weak first-generation mage could birth a sparkless, but even that was rare. And a sparkless being born in a 2nd-tier family like the Remori clan? Unheard of.
Adion arrived in his room in the main mansion and walked into the bathroom, where he saw the hot bath that some servants had prepared. He undressed and slowly lowered himself into the almost scalding hot water. With his eyes closed, he tried to focus on the mana that surrounded him.
Ever since he found out he was sparkless and what that entails, he had focused almost entirely on his mana sense. He could practice it just as well as someone with a spark, if not better. He had even begun to be able to manipulate mana for about three years now, but he kept that to himself.
Well, his grandfather knew. But Adion asked him not to tell his parents anything as he didn¡¯t want to give them any false hope in case it never led to anything.
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As he focused on the mana around him, he could feel a lot of water mana from the bathwater. It wasn¡¯t surprising, considering his mother had a water core, and he guessed that he had inherited some of that affinity from her.
Even people with sparks had affinities to different elements; their spark showed their greatest affinity, of course, but with enough practice, you could manipulate other elements to a lesser degree as well.
It wasn¡¯t much use in a fight, though. Adion''s grandfather, with his fire core, stood no chance against his mother if he had to stick to water magic, even if his mother was a Silver mage while his grandfather was a Diamond mage.
Generally, people didn¡¯t focus much on elements outside their main one. It wasn¡¯t of much use after all. But it was good practice for manipulating mana, and being able to conjure fire and water, even just a small amount, could save your life in the Outskirts.
I have been able to conjure a small amount of fire for a while now. Should I focus on trying to conjure water?
Adion thought about it for a while but ultimately decided that fire was too cool not to give his full attention.
I will practice water mana control when I form my core. Until then, fire!
After practicing for a while, Adion stepped out of the slightly cold bath and dried himself off. He got dressed in a white silk shirt and some brown casual pants. He took a look in the mirror and thought he looked clean and energetic. He was somewhat exhausted from manipulating mana for so long but didn¡¯t have time for naps. He always made sure to sleep a lot during the night instead. He combed through his short, wavy black hair. He didn¡¯t really need to but saw no reason to give something else for people to mock about him.
He stepped out of his room and made his way to the library. He usually had his lessons there together with his cousins. Fortunately, his cousin Alex didn¡¯t come to those anymore since he formed his core.
Adion didn¡¯t always show up, either. Since many of his cousins were younger than him, some lessons only covered what Adion already knew. During those times, Adion usually learned Shiorin from his mother. It was the language spoken on Shiora before the Age of Darkness. She was from the Saba desert, and unlike most other people on Shiora, the Sabamin had always been on the continent. Adion¡¯s mother was delighted when Adion showed an interest in learning his mother¡¯s native language, so he decided to stick to it. Besides, his grandpa always said that knowledge strengthens the soul, so it couldn¡¯t be a bad thing.
Maybe I should check if Mom is available and study with her instead of going to class. I wonder if she-
¡°Good day, young master Adion. Are you on your way to the library?¡±
Adion was suddenly interrupted in his thoughts by a tall and handsome man in his early twenties.
¡°Sami! I am. Is my mother still meditating?¡± Adion asked.
¡°She is, but she should be out later today,¡± Sami answered him.
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I guess I will see her for dinner then.¡±
¡°I would think so, young master. Good luck in your studies.¡± Sami said with a smile.
¡°Thanks, see you later, Sami,¡± Adion said and gave a small wave.
Sami bade farewell too, and continued walking down the hall. He was one of Adion¡¯s parents¡¯ closest aides. His father had rescued him from a group of beasts that attacked his village when Sami was young. He was brought to the family clan as his family had died in the attack, and Adion¡¯s father helped him form his mana core.
As it turns out, Sami was incredibly gifted as a mage and has already reached Silver at his age. That was even faster than his mother had reached Silver, and she came from a family of mages, unlike Sami, who was just one of many commoners who happened to have a spark.
Sami has always treated Adion kindly and with respect despite him being sparkless. Something that wasn¡¯t the case with all the people in the clan.
I will remember your kindness when I form my core, Sami. Adion thought to himself.
When Adion arrived at the library, he noticed he was the last one there, and the teacher had already begun his lesson.
¡±Ah! Adion, I wasn¡¯t sure if you were coming today.¡± Francis said as he turned toward Adion. He was an old man with white hair who had been teaching his father, aunt, and uncle when they were kids and had readily agreed to teach the next generation Remori as well. He continued to talk as Adion took his seat, ¡±We just got started, and you might have already heard much of it before, but it can always be good to hear again.
¡±As I was saying, sapi has always been in contention against the beasts, even in past Ages, as far as we can tell. Sapi, of course, being enlightened races such as us humans. Do you know of any other races of us sapi?¡±
¡±Elves!¡± Ari yelled out.
¡±Mm, the elves of Iitha are the most common here on Shiora besides us humans. What else?¡± Francis asked the rest of the children.
It was quiet for a while before Alexa, Alex¡¯s younger sister of the same mother, raised her hand and answered, ¡±Faelin and dwarfs.¡±
¡±Yes, that¡¯s correct. Unfortunately, I know little of them since they don¡¯t generally live on Shiora. I have never even heard of a dwarf on this continent.
¡°The dwarfs have a few kingdoms in the mountains of southern Quemer. The faelin have a big kingdom not far from the Fire Phoenix Empire, just across the Warm Waves. The faelin are also rarely seen here, but I have met a few through my years. They have all been fascinating individuals that make you think of life in new ways.¡± Francis explained with a slight smile on his lips.
¡±Anyway, I won¡¯t get into that today. Back to what I was saying, the sapi and beasts are fundamentally different. While sapi can achieve intelligence even without being mages, that is not true for beasts. Even a Diamond beast will have trouble matching an adult non-mage in terms of intelligence.
¡±Sapi also has the upper hand in mana control. In contrast, beasts have better control of their aura...¡± Francis continued his lesson, talking about beasts, much of which Adion had already heard.
Finally, Francis concluded his lesson by saying, ¡°That¡¯s it for today. Thanks for listening, children. Tomorrow, we will talk about Will. As you know, we use our Will to control mana and need a lot of it to advance through the stages. But how do you increase your Will? We will discuss that tomorrow, as there are many theories, some confirmed and others less so. I hope to see you all then.¡±
Adion got up along with the rest of his cousins as his thoughts were still on the different beasts on Shiora.
I want to fight beasts on the Outskirts someday. Grandpa promised to take me when I form my core. I¡¯ll make sure to remind him of that later.
Chapter 2 - Remori clan II
In a cavern-like structure deep below ground in the Remori clan¡¯s residence. Arlen Remori stood next to his grandson, his actual grandson, that is, because even if the youngest generation Remori all called him ¡®grandpa,¡¯ he was actually their great-grandfather.
His oldest son, along with his wife, had died in the Outskirts not long after giving birth to Adonni, Axel, and Amisa. Leaving him to raise them himself for most of their life. His daughter had married the young master of the Grath family, and his youngest son left long ago to travel the world. This left a generation gap in the Remori clan.
In front of the two mages was a large plate of metal encased in the stone floor. Small runic inscriptions were engraved in the metal, forming a big circle with strange mana lighting up the different runes in a seemingly random pattern. Arlen turned to Adonni, the next patriarch of the Remori clan, and asked, ¡°What do you think? I don¡¯t know what will happen, but we might finally get a clue as to what kind of purpose this strange formation serves.¡±
Adonni looked at him with furrowed brows and appeared to be thinking hard. Arlen then added, ¡°Of course, we might all blow up before figuring anything out. Gahaha!¡± He let out a big laugh at the thought, but Adonni seemed to think it was a genuine possibility.
¡°Granddad, I don¡¯t think this is something to laugh at. Shouldn¡¯t we move somewhere else for a while? We can keep an eye on the situation, but I think the children should be moved until whatever is going to happen happens.¡± Adonni said with a worried expression on his face.
¡°Bah! We have been fine where we are for almost 70 years now. And even if things have started to act up in the last few weeks, I doubt that the Shiorin or whoever built this thing did so just to make it explode. Who knows, it might release some mysterious blessing that has been building up for hundreds of thousands of years. Are you willing to let the little ones miss out on that? It might even gift a spark to Adion.¡±
Adonni had to agree with his grandfather''s logic but was reluctant to dismiss all the risks. ¡°Still.¡± he said, ¡°I would rather take some precautions.¡±
Arlen sighed and spoke, ¡°Tell you what, I will leave all the decisions to you. I will be going away with Aiden and Ailera soon anyway. I probably won¡¯t be back for a year or two. You will be in charge of the clan during that time, so it only seems proper to leave this to you.¡±
¡°What!¡± Adonni exclaimed, ¡°What do you mean? This is too important for me to decide on alone.¡±
¡°Then talk to Miya about it. I won¡¯t be here forever, and I¡¯ll be making the rounds to Cyalis with the kids in the coming years, so I won¡¯t be around much. As you are the future patriarch, I should start giving you some responsibilities.¡± Arlen said.
¡°I understand that, but this is something of great consequence; it is the whole reason you decided to build the manor of the Remori clan here,¡± Adonni said.
And it was true. Almost 70 years ago, Arlen had felt something in the mana passing through these parts, and after looking for a while, he found the cave with the strange runic formation. In those days, it wasn¡¯t nearly as active as it seemed to be lately, though.
Arlen had decided to settle down with his family in these parts, which is why the Remori clan only controls a small town of 10,000 people. A 2nd-tier family clan should be able to have their manor in a much more populous place of the kingdom, but because of this one cave, Arlen had decided to stay.
¡°Hmm. Well, nothing has happened for so long. I¡¯m sure things will be the same by the time I return. Whatever precautions you want to take, you can. I won¡¯t blame you. We will discuss it more when I get back.¡± Arlen said with a tone of finality in his voice and then added with a grin, ¡°Now. Time for me to see that monster of a son of yours.¡±
Whoosh!
A metal ball the size and shape of a plum flew past where Adion had just stood. Adion felt cold sweat running down his back.
That was close. And fast! Grandpa isn¡¯t holding back today.
More objects came towards Adion, mostly just regular plums or other things that held no real danger. But being blindfolded and not knowing when a metal ball could come flying, Adion was on high alert. He focused on the mana he could feel around him for any signs of flying fruit. Suddenly, he felt a great increase in mana behind him, and he got a bad feeling, so he jumped to the side just as what he could only guess was a ball of water flew past him.
Has he started using magic? What the hell is going on?
His grandfather had always trained with all his grandchildren, but he had taken a particular interest in Adion since he noticed his high mana sense and skill in controlling mana. This type of training, where he throws stuff at Adion while blindfolded, started when he noticed Adion had ¡®The spatial awareness of a Diamond,¡¯ as he put it. Every child of the Remori clan had this strange sense to a higher degree than they should, but no one came close to Adion.
In the beginning, he had only thrown harmless items at him, but when Adion started to be able to dodge almost all of them, his grandfather started getting serious. ¡®No one will throw plums at you in real life,¡¯ he had said and began mixing in metal plums occasionally. Adion thought that metal plums would be thrown at him even less frequently than real plums but didn¡¯t say anything about it. Once, one of those cursed objects even broke his arm when he didn¡¯t manage to dodge in time. His grandfather was unapologetic when it happened and only claimed that it would hone his danger sense.
And Adion noticed that it was indeed true. After every injury from that blasted metal plum, he got a more precise feeling of danger whenever those were thrown compared to the mostly harmless items. And seeing the results of his training, he never complained about it.
Just as he dodged the water ball, he got hit in the face with a real plum he couldn¡¯t dodge in time. Right after that, Adion felt the presence of his grandfather coming towards him as well as another feeling that was very closely related to his danger sense, something that had been beaten into him since he was five years old. His whole body could feel that something was being swung towards him, and on pure instinct, Adion pulled out his training sword and managed to block the attack from his grandfather just in time.
Sword attacks as well? That¡¯s new.
¡°Hehe, truly a little monster. Guess I won¡¯t have to go easy on you anymore.¡± He heard his grandfather say in front of him.
¡°Easy? You ha-¡± But before he could finish, another sword strike hit him on the side of his head. Adion screamed in pain and tried to focus, but another strike hit his arm hard, making him drop his sword. Adion thought that would be it, but his grandfather showed no mercy as he rained down strikes on the defenseless Adion. He didn¡¯t manage to dodge a single one as his grandfather was a Diamond, and he would have no chance if he didn¡¯t go very easy on him.
After a minute of pummeling, his grandfather finally eased up, and Adion fell down, bruised and exhausted.
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¡°That¡¯s so you don¡¯t get too conceited when I¡¯m gone and continue to train hard in my absence.¡± He heard his grandfather say.
Adion lifted his blindfold and looked at him. He was an old man with thick white hair who looked fit and energetic, more like a healthy 50-year-old than the 100-year-old he actually was, which wasn¡¯t surprising as a Diamond had a lifespan of about 200 years.
¡°When have I ever not been training hard, Grandpa?¡± Adion said in an exasperated voice.
¡°Well, better safe than sorry.¡± His grandfather answered and chuckled. ¡°Anyway, when I return from dropping off your brother and sister in Cyalis, I will give you my full attention until you form a core. So don¡¯t try anything before I come back. I will be with you and try to help in case anything goes wrong. Focus on your mana control, and don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa, I won¡¯t.¡± Adion stood up and tried to ignore the pain.
¡°Hm, good.¡± His grandfather said and approached him and laid a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I know it¡¯s been hard on you, but I¡¯m proud of you. Your tenacity will be rewarded in the future. I¡¯m sure you will fly through the stages when you have your core.¡±
Adion turned his head away and let out a rare, small smile. ¡°I will. And don¡¯t worry, when I pass you in strength, I will help you train to repay the favor. I¡¯ll start practicing my throw with metal plums while you are away to prepare.¡±
¡°Ha! Little brat, I''m looking forward to it.¡± His grandfather said and then grumbled to himself, ¡°A sparkless aiming above Diamond. This brat is getting too cocky.¡± But he still had a smile on his face.
¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go eat dinner. We will be leaving tomorrow, and you won¡¯t be able to see your siblings for a long time, so be nice.¡±
A while later, Adion entered the dining hall alongside his grandfather and saw his parents and siblings chatting happily. Adion didn¡¯t change his expression, but inwardly, he smiled bitterly.
I¡¯m going to miss the family dinner. But I guess Mom and Dad will still be here.
Adion had been training constantly since he was about five years old, and one of the few moments of relaxation was when he was eating dinner with his family. Adion looked at them all fondly. His mother, Miya Remori, had long blond hair and carried a warm smile on her lips. Her eyes were dark blue, much like Adion¡¯s own.
His father, Adonni Remori, had short black hair and a neatly trimmed beard that he had decided to wear the last couple of years for some reason. Perhaps it instilled more authority. It made him look older, after all.
His older brother, Aiden Remori, was 16 and had just reached the Bronze core stage. That made him a genius, even considering the whole continent. He was eligible to go to Cyalis Academy after all. He had blonde hair like their mother and green eyes that matched their late great-grandmother.
Adion¡¯s older sister, Ailera Remori, was 15 and still in the high Iron stage. She still had a good chance to reach Bronze before 17, though. She had black hair like Adion and their father and was the only water mage among the children of the Remori clan. She had not inherited a fire spark like the rest of them but a water spark from their mother.
As he took his seat, his sister looked at him and said, ¡°Adion, grandpa, you are late. The food is almost cold.¡±
Adion nodded and said, ¡°Mm. So we came right on time as we were in the mood to eat almost cold food. That¡¯s good.¡±
Adion got his sister riled up successfully, and she said, ¡°No one likes cold food, Adion, don¡¯t lie!¡±
¡°Sister is angry even though she is wrong. Sister is weird.¡± Adion responded. It was something he had learned from his grandfather. Well, his grandfather had told him to ¡®assess the situation calmly and objectively, ignore unnecessary details and detach yourself from your emotions to arrive at the best solution. Force yourself to vocalize it concisely.¡¯
Of course, it was meant for Adion to practice responding well to unexpected circumstances, whether in battles or social settings, and to react to the situation in the best manner possible.
Adion mostly used it to tease his sister, though.
¡°You are the weird one! Stop talking like that.¡± His sister exclaimed.
¡°Sister gets more upset the more I speak. Funny.¡± Adion responded.
Before his sister could respond, his mother broke in to stop the fight. ¡°Alright, Adion. This is the last time you will see each other for years, so be nice.¡±
Adion had to admit he would miss his sister when she was in Cyalis.
Cyalis was a city-state located by the Melorian Bay. It was an enormous city with everything one could imagine. Most famous was Cyalis Academy, the best Academy on the continent, and only the top geniuses could attend as you had to be a Bronze mage and no older than 17 to get accepted. And to graduate, you had to reach Silver during the five years you stayed there.
Adion wished to go there too, but he knew that would be impossible. Even if he formed a core when he turned 14, he wouldn¡¯t have enough time to reach Bronze. He wasn¡¯t too sad about it, though. He could spend those years training by himself, perhaps joining the Outskirts Guild and hone his Will in the Endless Forest.
Adion snapped out of his thoughts of his future adventures as a mage, looked to his sister, and apologized. ¡°Sorry, Ailera. You¡¯re not weird.¡±
¡°It''s good that you know.¡± His sister harrumphed.
His mother looked at him lovingly and said, ¡°My little rascal. I heard you spent almost the entire day training again. You shouldn¡¯t forget to rest once in a while. Rest is just as important as training, you know. Here, hurry up and eat.¡±
His mother placed a large chicken breast on his plate and continued to place rice and basically every vegetable in existence from the dishes already on the table.
¡°Okay, I guess I will rest a little tomorrow. I''m too sore for physical training anyway.¡± Adion answered and started eating.
¡°Oh, too sore to train? I heard you only had sword practice in the morning and then trained with your grandfather just now. When did you get hurt?¡± His mother asked and looked at his grandfather with a stern face.
¡°Miya, don''t worry. The boy is simply tired. It''s important to strain his muscles so he can grow strong in the future, you know.¡± His grandfather nervously answered.
His father, who had been listening while eating, decided to jump in as he looked at his son with a grin.
¡°Olden told me about the fight with Alex this morning. To be able to sense the movement of mana of someone else in the middle of a fight was something even I couldn¡¯t do until I was Iron. Just how good of a mana sense does this scary son of mine have?¡±
¡°What scary son? I have just practiced a lot. You are just lazy. I mean, Iron? You should focus on your mana sense more because that¡¯s just embarrassing.¡± Adion answered with a slight smirk on his face.
His family started laughing at Adion teasing his father. Meanwhile, his father looked like all air was blown out of him.
¡°Oh, my son is embarrassed over this poor father,¡± He sighed dramatically. ¡°Never mind reaching Gold at the age of 30. With this monster of a son, I cannot rest a second before Diamond, or I will bring shame to the clan.¡±
¡°It¡¯s good that you are reevaluating your work ethic, Dad. Just let me know, and I will give you a motivational boost in the future.¡± Adion answered with a stone face.
His brother jumped in on the fun, ¡°Adion has a point, Dad. You are 41 and still middle Gold. Grandpa reached Diamond at 45, so you are way behind.¡±
¡°He told me he reached Diamond when he was 52 when I was a kid, and he has been shaving off one year at a time as I got older and closer to his stage. Don¡¯t listen to that old liar.¡± His father answered in fake anger.
¡°I just didn¡¯t want to make you lose hope, so I told you an older age to encourage you.¡± His grandfather shook his head and sighed, ¡°The truth is I was only 40 when I reached Diamond. I¡¯m sorry for lying, little Adonni.¡±
Everyone started laughing at their wild grandfather suddenly acting like a wise elder. Adion¡¯s father just shook his head and gave up trying to win against his family. The night continued, and the family stayed seated later than usual as this was the last dinner for years with Aiden and Ailera.
Adion went to bed and decided to heed his mother¡¯s advice and take a rare day of rest the next day. He slept for much longer than usual that night, and when he woke up, his grandfather had already left for Cyalis with his brother and sister, a journey that would take them months.
Chapter 3 - Attack
A month passed in the Remori residence, and things proceeded as usual, even without the presence of the clan patriarch. Adion was sitting in the yard behind the main mansion. He had a small fire burning in front of him.
Adion had his focus on the abundant fire mana surrounding it. Adion thought he had an excellent affinity to fire mana. Most people in his clan were born with a fire spark and had formed a mana core using fire mana. Something Adion also strived to do. It was the element of his grandfather, father, and older brother. It was also said to be the strongest element. Adion didn¡¯t know why or if it was even true, but his grandfather always answered him when he asked by saying, ¡®It¡¯s the most balanced element. All through the grace of the Fire Phoenix.¡¯
Adion didn¡¯t know why his grandfather was such a strong follower of the Fire Phoenix Church. The most prevalent faith in the Valis Kingdom was Gantanos. Adion suspected his grandfather came from the Alago Empire, but if he did, he hadn¡¯t told Adion about it.
Adion didn¡¯t know what he believed. He thought every faith had its pebbles of wisdom. Perhaps he should get more into the Fire Phoenix Church as he was aiming for a fire core. It would also make his grandfather happy.
Nah, I don¡¯t have time for religion. But if I form a fire core, I¡¯ll make sure to send a prayer to all the Gods and spirits of Fire.
Adion could feel the tiny motes of fire mana all around him. He grasped them with his Will and brought them towards him as he had done many times before. He created a stream of fire mana that gathered inside his chest just behind his solar plexus. That is where those who have sparks form their cores. But while those with a spark inside them simply had to lead the mana there, fattening the spark until it reached maximum capacity and a core could be formed, Adion had to hold all the mana in place himself. No spark to help him do it, no spark to filter out the unwanted mana, no spark to give him insights into his element.
The result, as usual, was that the gathering of mana wasn¡¯t solely that of fire. A bunch of other mana with different affinities had been swept along. And even if Adion could continue to gather mana for a while and probably even condense it to a core, it wasn¡¯t something he planned on doing. The core would hold so many different affinities that Adion didn¡¯t think it would be stable.
There was an upside, however. He was definitely making progress. When he first tried how it would feel to form a core when he started being able to manipulate mana three years ago, the result was horrendous. A lot of fire mana was gathered, sure, but a lot more mana from random elements, most of which he couldn¡¯t understand what they even were. Now, at least the vast majority he gathered was fire mana. But still too much random mana for him to be comfortable compressing it to a core.
A big problem was the pure mana that was abundant everywhere. People with a spark didn¡¯t have this problem, as the pure mana would take on the affinity of the spark when it gathered there. That was how pure mana behaved. If he wanted, Adion could do this himself by changing pure mana into fire mana using his Will. Everyone could do that if they had an affinity to the element. The problem is that it takes a lot of Will, and forming a core would require all the Will Adion had.
He had tried to circumvent this problem by surrounding himself with fire; thus, much of the pure mana would turn into fire mana. He also tried using beast cores of the fire affinity as his source. The result was much better, giving him some confidence, but Adion didn¡¯t want to be too hasty. Most people in mage families formed their core between the ages of 12 and 14, so Adion still had time. He wanted to have as much control as possible when forming his core. He didn¡¯t have the luxury of a spark keeping the mana in place after all.
And Adion had a theory that scared him. If it were as simple as just practicing your mana control to a certain degree and then forming your core even without a spark, then surely others would have done the same before him. Sure, most sparkless are commoners who don¡¯t have the same advantages in knowledge and training as he has, but someone should have succeeded in doing so.
So that left him with the uncomfortable feeling that it wouldn¡¯t be so simple. And the more he heard about how sparks worked, the more convinced he was. A fire spark not only accepted fire mana and converted the pure mana it gathered, but it also wouldn¡¯t accept a single mote of mana with any other affinity, which means that the resulting core is formed with one hundred percent fire mana. Something Adion wasn¡¯t sure even his grandfather would be able to do with solely his mana control. Some other mana affinities would always be mixed in, even if it was almost unnoticeable.
Adion didn¡¯t know if he had to have a hundred percent fire mana gathered when he formed his core or if there was a specific threshold at 99 percent or 98 percent. Still, he would try to improve as much as possible, and when he feels like he can¡¯t wait anymore, he would go for it. If it fails, it fails. He would at least wait until he was 14, though¡ªno need for him to try sooner than that.
There was one more thing he could try, of course. Because even if Adion thought he had a great affinity to fire, it wasn¡¯t the element he had the greatest affinity towards. Through his mana sense, he had always felt the presence of another element more clearly than any other. The problem was that he didn¡¯t know what kind of element it was. At first, he thought what he felt was just pure mana, but Adion soon dismissed that. Pure mana had no affinity, so you couldn¡¯t have any affinity with it. He had tried to manipulate the mana of this strange element, and it did¡ something. Adion wasn¡¯t sure what, though. Even more confusing was that the element he pictured as black motes through his senses was ever-present. In a forest, in the city, by a lake, or even in a room full of fire, Adion never noticed it increase or decrease in intensity.
Well, until recently, that is. He didn¡¯t know if it was because his mana sense had improved, but lately, he had felt that the presence of that strange mana was much more substantial around the clan treasury. He wasn¡¯t allowed to go there, however, so he didn¡¯t know why.
He had thought of forming a core using this strange element but had decided not to. He wanted to be a fire mage like the rest of his family. Because of that, he had chosen not to say anything about his strange affinity to anyone.
Adion continued his practice in controlling fire mana, content with the small but steady improvements he felt day by day.
Adonni stood beside his wife, watching his son train by himself, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. It was good that his son seemed happy and motivated. He was afraid that the whispers around him in the clan would start getting to him, but it appears his son was of strong mind.
If only he hadn¡¯t been born a sparkless, he would be the top talent of the Kingdom...No! What am I thinking? If Adion has not given up, then how can I? I must put more effort into finding a way to impart a spark into a sparkless. That¡¯s my responsibility as a father.
After a while, his eyes drifted toward the clan treasury, as they often did nowadays. He hadn¡¯t evacuated the children as he suggested to his grandfather, but he was beginning to think that maybe he should.
The mana from that formation has reached a new high. I don¡¯t think that I will have time for Granddad to make it back. Something is going to happen before then.
¡°Are you thinking about the formation in the treasury?¡± His wife asked him.
¡°Yeah. I think I will have the children visit Aunt Arissa at the Grath clan manor. She always says we should visit more and the children won¡¯t lack for anything there. It will be a good experience, I think.¡± Adonni said.
¡°Mm. I think that¡¯s a good idea. I don¡¯t like the feeling that thing gives off, and even if I don¡¯t sense any danger, almost none of the children have a core yet. It could get dangerous for them.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s do that. I will send a letter-¡± Adonni suddenly stopped himself.
This aura...what in the name of Ganta.
He looked at his wife and could tell she felt it, too. The aura was of someone almost as strong as his grandfather, definitely a Diamond, and he could feel three distinct auras of the same strength. There were three Diamonds here, and their clan¡¯s only Diamond was a month away.
But that wasn¡¯t the worst part. He could feel more Golds than he could get a count on. And he started feeling them not only from the direction of the Diamonds but from all over the manor.
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Suddenly, he heard a scream and quickly understood how serious the situation was. His son looked at him strangely; he could not feel the aura as accurately as Adonni could, nor did he have the hearing of a Gold, so he couldn¡¯t tell that something was wrong.
¡°Something is happening, my boy, something dangerous.¡± He told his son in a severe voice.
¡°Miya, I need you to go hide with Adion. I will go take a look.¡± He said to his wife as he started running towards where he had heard the scream. But his wife ran along with him.
¡°Absolutely not. I am coming too. Sami!¡± Adonni noticed Sami had come running towards them from his post guarding the treasury.
¡°Master, what is going on?¡± Sami asked him.
¡°I don''t know, Sami. Follow me. Stay alert and protect Adion. If it gets dangerous, get away with him quickly and hide in the treasury.¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Sami answered without hesitation.
¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡± Adion, who was running with them, asked in a stable voice, looking like he was ready to fight.
¡°I don¡¯t know, son. Let¡¯s go take a look.¡±
They hurried across the manor and saw many clan members gather before the front gate. More people were running from their homes the same way they were. There was an eerie silence around him, and Adonni didn¡¯t like it. Not at all.
¡°Stay back here with Adion, honey. I will take a look,¡± Adonni said and started walking forward.
He walked through the crowd and saw that they all had pale faces. Olden and his younger brother Axel looked at him when he stepped forward in front of the crowd.
¡°Older brother¡¡±
¡°Master Adonni¡¡±
They spoke not with confidence. They sounded dejected. He saw, lying on the ground in front of him, the decapitated body of teacher Francis. He looked up, and three men with white masks stood before him. Completely without facial features, only two slits where he could see the cold eyes of the men behind the masks. Behind them stood ten more members of the same outfit. Further in the distance, he could see even more, at least fifteen as far as he could see. But he could barely take any of that in because besides the many Golds he could feel, the men in front of him were unmistakable Diamonds.
¡°How..¡± He said in a dejected voice. ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡±
¡°Adonni Remori I presume.¡± The man in the middle of three Diamonds started speaking. ¡°Apologies for the gruesome scene. This man thought it would be a good idea to cause a ruckus, and I simply showed him why that is not the case.¡± The Diamond spoke in a calm and confident voice, like Francis¡¯s death was of no real consequence. ¡°As for who we are, you don¡¯t need to know. What we want, I believe you should be well aware of. You surely didn¡¯t expect to be able to hide something like an artifact now, did you?¡±
Adonni could barely take any of this in. An artifact? Artifacts were magic tools from the Age of Wonder that no one could even begin to replicate in this Age. They were priceless treasures. He would surely know if his clan were in possession of something like that. Unless. Adonni suddenly came to a realization¡ªthe formation.
Of course, someone must have noticed the strange mana that is gathering there. Some servant must have heard someone talk about it and told these people.
¡°It seems like you know what I¡¯m talking about. That¡¯s good. Simply lead me to it, and this will all be over quickly.¡± the man said.
¡°What are you going to do about the people here?¡± Adonni asked.
¡°I think we both know what we are going to do. Let¡¯s not pretend otherwise. The only question is whether you will make it easy or hard. The end result will be the same.¡±
Adonni did indeed understand how this would end. They were all going to die. He didn¡¯t know who these people were, but they had already killed Francis without remorse. He didn¡¯t think people with this kind of power would simply take the ¡°artifact¡± and leave every witness alive simply out of the goodness of their hearts. The Diamond didn¡¯t even pretend to leave a way out of this as he could tell that Adonni would never believe it anyway.
Adonni steeled his heart, calmed his mind, and took out his sword from his scabbard.
I can only pray that I can buy just a few seconds to let Miya and Adion escape.
Adion could barely hear what his father and the man with the white mask were saying. He just saw them from the back of the crowd and could feel that the uninvited men and women were extremely powerful. His mother suddenly looked at him with a sad smile and tears in her eyes.
¡°Mom?¡± Adion looked at her with a confused expression.
¡°It¡¯s okay, sweetheart.¡± She turned to Sami with a firm expression on her face. ¡°Please take Adion to the treasury and lock everything down. Protect him.¡±
¡°Madam, are you sure? Why don¡¯t we all just run?¡± Sami asked.
¡°There is no running from this. Even without the three Diamonds, dozens of Golds surround the manor. Please, go now and make sure he¡¯s safe.¡±
Sami looked at her with a conflicted face but agreed. His mother then looked at Adion again with a smile and hugged him tightly.
¡°Listen to Sami now, sweetheart. Your mother loves you, and I will always be very proud of you. Never forget that.¡±
She stepped away from him and started walking towards his father. Sami grabbed his arm and started running away.
¡°No, let go. I can fight, too. I can help!¡± Adion yelled at Sami.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, young master.¡± Sami grabbed him and started carrying him as he ran off towards the clan treasury. Adion started crying for the first time in many years and yelled in a panic at what he feared was about to happen. Other people in the clan also started running for their lives. He saw his father pull out his sword, ready to fight, and the Diamond rushed forward with a spear. His father moved to block with his sword, but another sword came from the side, which he blasted with a burst of fire. But it didn¡¯t matter. The third Diamond stabbed with a spear of his own and pierced his father right through his heart, and he fell to the ground.
His mother was there the next second, moving to strike the Diamond as she cried and screamed with hatred. But the other Diamond moved his arm in a quick slash. Water appeared as out of thin air and formed a thin, wide blade that cut right through his mother''s head. She fell to the ground, instantly dead.
Adion stopped yelling. No words could come out.
What just¡? Mom? Dad?...How-Why? No¡.Impossible.
Sami reached the entrance to the treasury and quickly got in. He reached the stairs that ran far underground and went down floor after floor. Every floor was filled with rooms, some empty, some with weapons, books, and other precious items.
Reaching the bottom floor, he lit a torch on the wall using his mana. A statue of the Fire Phoenix stood at the far end of the room. Sami put Adion on the floor, but Adion was in a daze and didn¡¯t even notice. Sami pushed the statue with all the force he could muster.
Under the statue was a hidden hatch that Sami quickly opened. It was completely dark down there, but Sami didn¡¯t have time to go down and light the torches on the walls.
¡°Adion, come on, come with me,¡± Sami said as he reached to grab Adion.
Adion stared at him, still not fully clear in his head. ¡°Dead? They can¡¯t be dead, right? Not really. Sami, tell me they¡¯re alive.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry, young master. I-¡± Sami held back his tears and looked at Adion with a stern face.¡±We have to hurry. Come with me now.¡±
¡°No. No, I have to go see them and make sure they¡¯re alright.¡± Adion tried to struggle out of Sami¡¯s grip.
¡°We don¡¯t have time. Come! Quick!¡± Sami yelled at him.
¡°No, let go of me! I have to see Mom and Dad!¡± Adion struggled in Sami¡¯s grip and raised his voice to a loud level as he yelled. Sami raised his hand.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, young master,¡± Sami said, and then Adion felt something hit him hard in the head, and everything became dizzy.
Sami grabbed Adion when he felt him stop struggling and carefully dropped him down the hatch. He then closed the hatch and put the statue back in place. Sami stayed behind to try and stop any intruders, which might be futile, but at least he wanted to take some of them down with him.
Meanwhile, Adion stood up on shaky legs. His body hurt from the fall, and he was still unclear about what had happened. Everything around him was utterly dark, and as he made contact with the walls, he felt that the walls were made out of sharp rock, like he was in a cave of some kind.
Where the hell is this place? And what is this feeling? Oh, yeah. That strange mana that I can feel is much stronger around the treasury. Its source must be down here.
Adion stumbled deeper into the cave in the darkness as he felt that the strange mana had its cause deeper inside. Still a little dizzy, he finally reached the runic formation Arlen and Adonni had stood before a month earlier. This time, it was much more active, though. The strange inscription almost hypnotized Adion. He stepped up on the metal plate to get a closer look.
It¡¯s incredible. I have never seen anything this complicated. Since when did we have something like this? And what is this mana? It messes with my mana sense; it feels like I am here, but I also feel someplace else. It¡¯s like-
Adion didn¡¯t get to finish his thoughts before he was suddenly swept away, the runes on the ground continuing to light up in a seemingly random pattern.
Meanwhile, the masked men started moving around the manor looking for survivors, but Adion was already far, far away.
Chapter 4 - Forming a core
Adion felt everything around him change. He was still in what appeared to be a cave and still stood on top of a runic formation much like the one in the Remori treasury. But the cave was a different one. A little light was leaking in, so Adion could now see around him. What grabbed most of his attention, though, wasn¡¯t the fact that he had seemingly just teleported to gods know where. It was that the strange mana of black motes that had been so concentrated before was now surrounding him in a much higher quantity.
If the mana of his strange affinity usually felt like a light drizzle, then the treasury was like a pouring storm, and now it was like he was in a raging waterfall. He could barely feel any other type of mana with his mana sense. He felt it was building up to something; he didn¡¯t know how he knew that, but he did.
And even though he had decided to wait at least until he was 14, and that he would try to form a core of fire mana. Adion, almost instinctually, greedily manipulated the mana surging around him.
He manipulated it to gather inside his chest with his Will just like he had done so many times before, but this time, he could feel something different. He could not feel any other affinity inside of him. So he decided to go for it, perhaps because of desperation at being weak and only being able to run from the people who killed his parents. Adion compressed the mana inside of him while keeping it in place and continuously feeding it with more mana.
Usually, this process would take a lot of time. Mages born with a spark would spend their childhood familiarizing themselves with their spark and element, and practice their mana control so that a core could be compressed without complications. And even if one managed to fill their core to the brink, it could still take years before they had the confidence to make a core out of it. It took a certain amount of Will, after all.
But Adion had already trained for this moment for many years. His mana control was much better than anyone his age, and with the absurd amount of mana he had around him, the process was much quicker.
He continued gathering mana while trying to keep it all together inside him for about an hour. He felt that his affinity to this element was much better than his affinity to fire. It made controlling it much more manageable. As he felt the mana inside him increase, he started to get an understanding of the element that he hadn¡¯t felt before.
This mana is everywhere. It caused me to appear in a completely different place. And while I didn¡¯t understand what I was doing when controlling it before, I do now. I was causing ripples in space itself. This is space mana! That¡¯s why it is everywhere and the reason I have such good spatial awareness. And it seems that with enough power, I might even be able to teleport?
At this point, Adion had sat down on the ground, closer to where he felt the space mana gathering. He started getting excited as he came to understand more of his affinity. He felt that if he tried to compress all the mana he¡¯d gathered, he could form a core by now. But he waited a little longer to be on the safe side.
Another two hours later, Adion felt he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. If he kept this up, he would exhaust his Will and have no chance of compressing it to a core. He couldn¡¯t rest either, as he didn¡¯t have a spark to keep the mana in place while he recovered. He would need to do it all at once. If he stopped now, the mana would just disperse.
So, with every cell in his body, Adion pushed his Will to the utmost limit. Every day of gruesome training has led to this moment. His dream of becoming a mage, the despair of being weak. The longing for recognition and making his family proud.
He pushed the mana inside him, compressing it into a smaller and denser sphere. When he almost couldn¡¯t take it anymore, finally, the mana reached the required density, and a small core was formed inside his chest, filled to the brim with space mana, bent to Adion''s Will for him to control as he liked.
Adion fell backward, exhausted, with a smile and tears running down his face. Both happy and sad.
Mom, Dad. I did it. I am a mage now. I will show you when I get home. I hope you¡¯ll be happy.
Adion knew that his parents wouldn¡¯t be at their home. They would never know that their sparkless son managed to become a mage. But Adion decided to live in his fantasy for just a short while. He imagined their smiles, their proud eyes, the happy celebration with everyone in the clan.
Adion slowly drifted off to sleep as he thought of his family, still smiling, with cheeks wet from tears.
Ellien looked at the bodies of the Remori clan before him and sighed. He took no pleasure in killing fellow humans. But if he wanted the Heavenly Light to grow on this continent, as was his task, he would kill those who had to be killed. Even if they were humans like him. He had killed so many of them now that he no longer felt any strong emotions doing it.
Children never gets easier, though. Ellien thought as he looked down at a body of a girl who couldn¡¯t have been older than 10.
But he had to take these extreme measures now while they were still weak on the Shiora continent. Perhaps in the future, a situation like this could have ended with no one losing their lives, but they were not there yet.
He had been doubting this plan of killing off the Remori clan for the rumored artifact. One of his Gold subordinates had a small information network in a couple of 2nd and 3rd-tier family clans, and the one he had in the Remori clan had reported the strange mana around the Remori treasury.
When that Gold investigated the matter, he agreed it was worth looking into. He had hired more people to spy on the Remori family but got no helpful information. But the fact that the Remori clan was in this suspiciously small town, as well as their quick rise to power, made the Gold confident they were hiding something precious.
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When Ellien himself came here to take a look, he had to admit that he was intrigued by whatever caused that strange mana.
He had to sacrifice a lot to gather so many Golds, as well as his two Diamond comrades who were usually stationed in the Alago Empire. Fortunately, he knew that that old monster, who was the clan''s only Diamond, would be leaving for Cyalis. He made sure he was gone from the kingdom before beginning his attack. He wanted to make sure he wouldn¡¯t come back anytime soon.
He would still need to be quick, though. People in the town would notice something soon enough, and there was no way to contain the news that a 2nd-tier family had been massacred in their own home. And since their organization¡¯s actual goal was to lay low and recruit numbers to their force, Ellien wanted to get out of there quickly. If they got found out this soon and became known as murderers, Ellien didn¡¯t think even an artifact could cool his superiors'' wrath.
¡°Diamond Ellien. We have eliminated-¡±
¡°Killed, Gold Dagor. They were humans, after all. You should take note to speak using the proper terms. Otherwise, it will eventually affect your mind, and you will lose sight of what¡¯s real.¡± Ellien lectured.
¡°Apologies, Diamond Ellien. We have killed everyone but a few who are hiding, but we should find them within the hour at the latest.¡± The Gold named Dagor said.
¡°Good. Make sure not to let anyone escape. Take every precaution. I will not have any mistakes.¡± Ellien responded.
¡°Yes, I will make sure of it!¡± Dagor said with a firm nod.
¡°Good. Now let¡¯s see what the cause for this strange mana is, shall we?¡±
¡°I hope you don¡¯t forget about us, Diamond Ellien.¡± The two other Diamonds, Logan and Dashel, moved towards him.
¡°Of course not. As promised, we will share the reward for this between the three of us. It¡¯s only natural that we get a first look at it together. Please, follow me.¡±
Ellien and the two other men made their way to the treasury, where they felt the strange mana the strongest. As they got close, they noticed a lot of bodies of their men being carried out.
¡°Why so many dead? What happened?¡± Ellien asked a man who was carrying the bodies.
¡°Diamond Ellien. This building is the treasury, and a man was hiding inside, taking our men out in sneak attacks and then hiding the bodies. When we noticed, we asked for help from a few Golds, and they quickly found and eliminated the man.¡± the man answered.
¡°Kill-. Oh, never mind. We are going in, don¡¯t disturb us.¡± The group of three then stepped into the treasury, led by Ellien. He climbed down the stairs as he noticed the strange mana got stronger the lower he went. Finally, they got to the bottom floor and saw the giant statue of the Fire Phoenix at the end.
¡°The Fire Phoenix? I didn¡¯t know the Remori clan were followers of that faith. Perhaps it was a good thing to get rid of these beast lovers.¡± The Diamond named Logan said.
¡°Maybe. Or is this the artifact?¡± Dashel asked.
Ellien didn¡¯t answer as he stepped up to the statue and tried to feel the mana around him.
Does it come from underneath?
He tried to push the statue, and to his slight surprise, he succeeded and saw a hatch underneath.
¡°Hehe, sneaky.¡± Logan said and, with a grin, added, ¡°Didn¡¯t stop us for even a minute, though.¡±
Ellien opened the hatch, and they all jumped down while conjuring a small fire in their hands to see. As they got deeper inside the underground cave, they noticed the runic formation that Adion had stood on not even an hour ago.
¡°What the hell is that? Runes? It¡¯s huge!¡± Logan exclaimed.
¡°Well, the good news is that this is definitely something left behind from the Age of Wonder.¡± Ellien said, ¡°The bad news is I have no idea what it is or how to move it. The metal must weigh tons. And who knows if it will even work to do whatever it is supposed to if we move it.¡±
¡°So what should we do?¡± Dasher asked.
¡°We can¡¯t stay here for too long. We should get someone well-practiced in runes to draw and record this formation. Then I suggest we bury it so that others won¡¯t be able to find it. If we can get rid of the old man from the Remori clan, we can get one of our men to buy this property and study the runes in peace.¡± Ellien said.
¡°Sounds like our only option. Just don¡¯t forget to include us in this process.¡± Logan said.
¡°Relax, I have taken an Oath to give us all equal credit after all. Now, let¡¯s get started. I want to get out of here before tomorrow morning.¡±
Adion woke up with a start. The space mana that had been so intense earlier abruptly stopped. And he could feel a presence just to the side of him. As he looked to his right, he saw that just a few feet away from him, there was what looked like a flame. But it wasn¡¯t a flame of fire; it was dark in color, as dark as the night sky. Adion also thought he could see small glimpses of light in it, almost like stars. It was beautiful.
It was only the size of a small campfire but felt powerful. The sight completely transfixed Adion, and he could feel his whole body strangely resonating with the flame.
Space mana? But it is something more. I can¡¯t get a grasp on it. It is as if space is only the surface and something else hides deeper within.
Slowly, the flames calmed down and receded. And where the flame had been now stood a small bird, the same color as the flame, and the end of its feather seemed to be still burning in that strange shade of a starry sky.
Is that¡a Phoenix!?
It truly looked like a small Phoenix. Except this one wasn¡¯t covered in fire like the pictures Adion had seen. But everything else looked precisely the same: the flames slowly dancing at the end of each feather, the graceful shape of the bird, and the clear eyes that seemed filled with intelligence.
Are there other kinds of Phoenixes? I¡¯ve never heard anything about that. The Fire Phoenix is a unique existence, a mystical beast, a god! The protector or destroyer of the world, depending on which faith you believe in.
The Phoenix in front of him looked Adion in the eyes. Not a sound could be heard, and Adion realized he wasn¡¯t breathing. He couldn¡¯t breathe. He couldn¡¯t even move. The Phoenix looked at him for a few seconds and then turned away and flew out of the cave through a small opening in the ceiling at the end of the cave.
Suddenly, Adion could move again. He took a massive breath of air into his lungs and almost cried in relief. He could hear the wind outside the cave now, some water dripping a few feet away from him. It was like the world had stood still, afraid to disturb the Phoenix, and now suddenly set everything into motion again.
Chapter 5 - A budding desire
Adion didn¡¯t know how long he just sat on the stone floor, confused. It was a lot to take in. His parents and probably the entire clan were dead, except for his brother, sister, and grandfather. He was a mage. He had formed a space core, an element he had never heard of anyone else ever having. He didn¡¯t know where in the world he was. And he was probably the first person to see a Phoenix in Ages.
After a while, he decided to meditate and increase his strength. He had a core now, and since he didn¡¯t know what else to do, he just started to manipulate mana and feed his core to increase its size.
Mages increased their strength by manipulating mana and feeding it to their core, bending it to their Will. When it couldn¡¯t grow any bigger without mana escaping the core, they had to compress it, making it denser and more potent, thus advancing a minor stage. Controlling mana was arduous, but you could somewhat relieve that feeling while meditating. It was slow work, but once a mage reached the higher ranks, they could sit and meditate for days without a break. If they needed to rest, they could continue to meditate without manipulating mana and simply ponder over their element.
Adion was just about to begin when he noticed something was wrong.
Am I in the high Stone stage? I just formed my core, though. Have I somehow skipped the low and middle Stone stage?
After thinking about it for a while, Adion realized it made sense. He didn¡¯t have a spark that automatically filled up until it reached the threshold for the low Stone stage. He had to make an estimate himself, and since he didn¡¯t want to risk not having enough mana to form a core, he ended up gathering much more than what was needed and directly condensed a high Stone core.
Well, that''s nice, I guess. Adion thought and continued meditating. Eventually, he got too tired to continue. Manipulating mana and pushing it into one''s core was taxing, and Adion needed to be stronger to do so for any extended amount of time. He stopped his meditation and realized he didn¡¯t know what to do. He didn¡¯t feel like doing anything, he didn¡¯t feel like crying, he didn¡¯t feel like thinking about his parents, he didn¡¯t feel like training.
I don¡¯t even feel hungry. He thought as he looked around. He noticed that the cave wall below the opening that the Phoenix had flown out of was wet, and he could see a small spring at the bottom.
Though I guess I am a bit thirsty.
Adion moved to the spring, scooped up water with his hands, and took several large gulps.
Now what?
Adion looked around once again. He hadn¡¯t taken the time to look around properly, so he started walking around to see what he could find.
The cave where Adion had appeared looked a lot like the one below the family treasury. If only a little bigger. The runic formation had stopped being active, and Adion guessed it had only acted up because of the insane amount of space mana in the surroundings before. That had somehow connected to the formation at the Remori clan and leaked some of the space mana through.
Besides the big metal plate with the runic formation, the rest of the cave was simply stone, surprisingly smooth stone.
Perhaps this was a place with a lot of activity during the Age of Wonder. Not a lot has made it through the years, though.
The only thing in the cave room was that runic plate. And the only way out seemed to be the small hole in the cave roof. That was what Adion thought until he made it to the other side of the cave. Behind a corner, he saw what looked like a large doorway. It seemed to be made using a different kind of stone. Unfortunately, the doorway had collapsed and had large chunks of rock blocking the way.
Perhaps I can try to get through, though. The opening is about 10 feet tall, so if I climb up, I might be able to make my way through.
Adion started climbing the boulders and noticed that there indeed was enough space for him to get through. He noticed that his body had gotten stronger as he had become a mage. The mana core strengthens the body so that the bones get tougher, muscles get stronger, and basically every facet of the body improves.
It wasn¡¯t like mages were invincible, though. Even a non-mage could pierce a regular steel knife through the heart of a Silver, killing them. It got slightly more complicated with Golds'' and Diamonds'' tough skin, but it was theoretically possible. Of course, it was very hard for a non-mage to sneak up on a mage, and the attack would be seen as very slow from a mage¡¯s point of view. So it wasn¡¯t like stuff like that actually happened, but it could be done if the circumstances allowed it.
Adion tried out circulating his mana through his body. It gave him a temporary power boost, but his mana would eventually run out, and it would tire him out quicker, so Adion chose to rely on his normal, slightly stronger mage body.
He jumped from boulder to boulder and noticed that the path was slowly spiraling downwards. At times, the way in front of him would be blocked, and he had to jump down and crawl under a boulder stuck above the floor, but there seemed to always be enough space for him to get through.
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His luck eventually ended, though, as after almost two hours, Adion faced a wall of big and small rocks completely blocking the way forward. If before there only seemed to be some slight damage to the ceiling and walls in the long hallway, now it seemed like the area in front of him had wholly caved in.
That sucks. I almost wish I had an earth core. Do I have to go all the way back up again?
Adion was really exhausted at this point, not only physically but mentally as well. He had already strained his Will a lot while meditating earlier, and when Adion reached deep enough in the spiraling hallway, he noticed it kept getting darker. He couldn¡¯t keep a fire conjured for long as it really took a lot of effort with even the smallest of flames. Thankfully, he had always had a good spatial awareness, and with his space core formed, it had only gotten better. It wasn¡¯t like he had a crystal clear picture of his surroundings, though, so he often had to conjure up a flame again, exhausting his Will completely.
Adion didn¡¯t feel like climbing back up, so he climbed the slope of rocks and boulders and tried removing the stones. Adion was pleasantly surprised when he noticed that no new rocks started falling down as he moved the stones closest to the ceiling.
Looks like the stone walls are somewhat stable.
Adion continued to dig his way through until he finally noticed the light on the other side. He managed to dig through a small opening and arrived at the other side. What he saw on the other side completely stumped him.
It looked like a grand hall with massive pillars reaching up toward the stone ceiling high above. Much of the hall had caved in, though. He noticed that the room layout spoke of a much grander area than Adion could see. A lot of large rocks were strewn here and there across the floor. The floor was made of some kind of stone or metal Adion hadn¡¯t seen before. As he stepped down and swiped off the dust on the floor, he noticed it was really beautiful. It looked almost like black glass, but considering it had held from the boulders crashing on it, it must be a lot more sturdy than ordinary glass.
To the left of where Adion had stepped out was nothing but piles of rock. To the front, a bit further in, he saw the same thing. To his right, though, was the light source in the old hall. Large openings that might have been windows at some point lined the wall. As Adion stepped forward to take a look outside, he saw a marvelous view.
A forest. Stretching as far as Adion could see in all directions, the treetops were far below Adion. It seemed like the structure he was in was built into a mountain.
Is this the Endless Forest?
That was the only thing he could imagine. He could see thousands of miles from this height, and there was no sign of civilization. No forest was this big in any of the kingdoms and empires.
The Endless Forest was the name of the forest that surrounded all the nations on Shiora. The middle south of the continent was inhabited by sapi, but to the west, north, and east was all forest that no one had seen the end of. Ships had sailed along the coast in order to map the continent, and while they managed to make it a bit up the west and east side, they have never managed to sail all the way north. The trip was too long, and supplies would run out before they could make it that far. And if they made landfall, they would have to fight dangerous beasts at every stop. It was impossible to survive the whole journey like that.
Every nation bordered this forest at some stretch of land, and many mages joined the Outskirts Guild to fight the beasts residing within and slowly gain more ground for their kingdom or empire. Something that had been done since the first sapi arrived on Shiora thousands of years ago. Well, the first sapi from Quemer, the Kuwamin and Sabamin had always been on Shiora.
His mother used to tell him stories about the Saba Desert, how her people lived, and how they had struggled to survive from the beasts that greatly outnumber them. Even if the Alago Empire had taken over the Saba Desert in name, the Sabamin still lived like they always had to a large degree. The Empire had no way of controlling such a large area.
It was pretty scandalous when his mother had married his father. The Sabamin thought of his mother as a betrayer of her people, and the family clans scorned his father for marrying an uncivilized Sabamin instead of a lady from a family clan.
His parents never cared much, though. They loved each other. Adion thought that was all that mattered and didn¡¯t understand what the big deal was.
Adion looked out at the forest below and had to admit it was a beautiful view. He had never been in the Endless Forest before. Of course, he couldn¡¯t be sure he was in the Endless Forest. Who knows how many places like this existed in the world.
I might be close to the border of the Valis Kingdom or on the other side of the world. There is no way to know.
Adion let out a sigh. He really hoped he wouldn¡¯t be too far from home.
I want to see brother, sister, and grandpa. I should let them know I¡¯m alive.
The thought of the part of his family that was still alive gave a little life to Adion¡¯s eyes, which had been dimmed ever since he woke up.
That¡¯s right, I still have a family. I can¡¯t wallow in despair. I need to get strong so that I can at least keep them safe even if I failed Mom and Dad.
Adion then clenched his fists as anger started bubbling inside him for the first time.
I also need to get strong enough for revenge. As I am now, I can¡¯t do a single thing. Not even a Gold stood a chance. People with power can take what they want, step on the weak, and no one can ever stop them. I have always known that that is how the world works; I just never thought my family would be affected, but I was wrong. Unless you have strength, nowhere is safe. Anyone with more power can always come to your doorstep and take everything away from you. And no one can stop them.
I will just have to become the most powerful of all. So what if those guys are Diamonds? I will reach even higher. I will walk into their little nest just like they stepped into our home. I will kill them. I will look at the despair in their eyes as they realize that they are powerless, that I can take their lives with just the wave of a hand. They thought they were powerful, powerful enough to do evil. I will show them how wrong they are.
Chapter 6 - The world stirs
Meanwhile, far away from the old hall that Adion has found himself in. Men and women in luxurious clothes were sitting along a long table made from Light Willowin wood, waiting.
The grand hall they were waiting in was only ever used for these meetings. On both sides of the long table, pillars were reaching at least a hundred feet up to the beautiful ceiling. Fire was burning along the walls throughout the hall, a common sight no matter where you were in the palace.
But they had no time to appreciate the marvelous architecture, for the one they had been waiting for had finally arrived.
A man who appeared to be middle-aged with a neatly trimmed beard walked towards them, his red hair swiveling as he took his steps towards his seat. Much more like a throne than the chairs the others in the hall found themselves sitting on. Arga, a Blaze Panda, had walked in with him and now lay on the floor beside him. It was a beast who had been with the man since before he could walk. And even in this room of influential individuals, no one would dare to disrespect the beast.
Everyone in the room got up from their seats as soon as they saw him. Bowing and solemnly greeting their ruler, ¡±Your Majesty.¡±
Emperor Artelem Maselli took his seat and nodded to his retinue, almost all of them family members, at least distantly related. He nodded and spoke gravely, ¡±Take a seat, my friends. I have gathered you here to talk about that damn Hellemi Church that has been acting up in our Empire again.¡±
¡±Your Majesty,¡± Artus Maselli, the brother of the Emperor but more known as the Arch Bishop of the Fire Phoenix Church, stood up and addressed his brother and Emperor. ¡±I believe we should purge those heretics just as our great-grandfather did thousands of years ago. If they come back, we shall purge them again and again until they learn the true power of fire.¡±
Emperor Artelem nodded but was inwardly shaking his head. This brother of his had never had a very good head for politics. But his faith was stronger than anyone he had ever met, which suits his role as head of the Church.
He looked out towards the rest of his retinue, hoping for a more thought-through approach. Thankfully, his trusted advisor stood up to voice his opinion, ¡±While I understand His Holiness in his anger at these blasphemers, I think that the act of simply killing every single follower of Hellemi would be impossible. And the attempt would lead to massive reproach, not only from the other Empires and Kingdoms but our own citizens as well. The problem is that the world is much more connected than it was 5,000 years ago.¡±
Ellidas, as the Emperor''s advisor was called, looked around the table and continued his speech, ¡±In those times, we had not been in contact with the rest of the continent for very long. The Age of Discovery was very young, and travel between the Empires was much more complicated than today. Not to mention that the Hellemi church''s hold on the rest of the world was nowhere near as strong as it is today. The Ten Kingdoms had just formed, weakening them significantly. But today, the situation is different. Our merchants frequently sail to the Golden Gulf, right to the heart of the Hellemi Church. The movement of people with other faiths will only escalate in the future. Even Evalia has accepted this and has welcomed the Hellemi church in their territory.¡±
¡±That¡¯s because Hellemi doesn¡¯t directly contradict or condemn the Gantanos faith!¡± Amelia slammed her fist on the table and yelled. As the Emperor¡¯s daughter and a Bishop of the Church, she could afford some lack of decorum. ¡±Remember that the Hellemi church views our God as aa¡as a monster to be destroyed!¡± Amelia had trouble even saying the words and was almost shaking in anger at the thought of those Hellemi heretics.
The Emperor could understand his daughter¡¯s anger. Even if he himself didn¡¯t hold the same sentiment towards their God, he understood that a big part of the Imperial family¡¯s power rested on the Fire Phoenix Church. Should the Hellemi Church become the Empire''s primary faith, they would weaken greatly.
He looked to his advisor and spoke, ¡±Amelia is right, Ellidas. To allow a faith that preaches such things of our God would be a first step in the collapse of our Empire. If we can¡¯t punish them as my brother suggested, what is your advice on how to deal with this situation?¡±
¡±I suggest that we accept that times have changed. We cannot stop the spread of Hellemi, nor should we try. We should accept these new times and adapt.¡± Ellidas then added with a slight grin, ¡±I mean, if Hellemi can do it, couldn¡¯t we do the same?¡±
The Emperor had a look of enlightenment on his face. ¡±You mean to spread the Fire Phoenix faith just like the Hellemi Church does?¡±
Even Amelia had calmed down from her earlier rage. She now had a contemplative look on her face as she thought about Ellidas'' proposal. She asked him, ¡±But will it work? Hellemi has deep roots all over the continent. I find it hard to believe that those people will start following a God they have seen as an evil being their entire lives.¡±
Ellidas answered her patiently, ¡±Of course, it won¡¯t be easy. But remember that fire is the strongest of the elements. It might be less common with fire sparks in other parts of the continent, but it is still one of the most common elements all over Quemer. And who can offer insights into the element of fire more so than the Fire Phoenix Church?¡± Ellidas¡¯ voice got louder and more confident as he continued his speech. He noticed that people''s eyes lit up at the idea all along the table. He continued in fervor, ¡±People that walk the path of fire will flock to our cause when they see the power of the fire that our priests hold. And let¡¯s not forget that this is the Age of Discovery, after all. Even our own continent has much left to explore, not to mention what is beyond the oceans. We shouldn¡¯t be happy with just Quemer but spread all across the world!¡±
¡±Gahaha!¡± Artus burst out into a hearty laughter, ¡±Good! Ellidas, we might not always see eye to eye, but I have to say that I very much like this plan.¡±
The Emperor was also nodding with a smile on his face. They had focused all their efforts on conquering the Outskirts, making their way deeper into the continent. To a lot of success, yes, but as Ellidas said, this is the Age of Discovery. They should not be content with this small part of the world.
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Amelia was also now wearing a beautiful smile as she thought about the future of her faith. She turned to her father and spoke, ¡±I heard that those Hellemi scums even made their way to Shiora all those years ago. I think we should make it our main priority to spread our faith there. While the Alago Empire is no longer part of our Empire, the Fire Phoenix Church is still strong there. We can easily spread our faith from there to the rest of Shiora.
¡°We are also the closest to Shiora out of every other Empire. The Hellemi Theocracy is on the other side of Quemer, so they won¡¯t have a chance to contend with us there if we make an investment. It might not be easy as the Hellemi Church is widespread in the rest of Shiora, but with the support of our Empire, I believe it is only a matter of time before they are forgotten, and the whole continent worships the Fire Phoenix.
¡°With the Fire Phoenix Church as the supreme faith on the continent, our influence there will increase greatly, and we might finally be able to reconquer the land we lost there. We would become the biggest Empire in the world!¡±
The Emperor''s eyes lit up at the idea, ¡±Mm, that¡¯s a good idea.¡± The emperor rarely thought about Shiora. A couple thousand years after the Age of Darkness ended and year 1 of the Age of Discovery was declared in the Tower of Sages, records were found speaking of the Shiora continent north of the peninsula where the Fire Phoenix Empire is situated.
As the Sages of the Tower were the ones to discover the records, they had a headstart in exploring the continent. It couldn¡¯t be hidden for long, though, and as they had already conquered the area that today is known as Cyalis, they made the information public. The Sages were not interested in conquering more land than that, but the same was not true for the other Empires. Even if there was still much to discover on Quemer, they all made a great effort to get a foothold on the new continent and search for ancient remains.
What no one thought of, though, was that after over a thousand years, no one on Shiora had been on Quemer for generations. They held no loyalties for the Empires here. All the rulers allied to break free from Quemer and fight for independence. With the Sages not protesting, there was not much the Empires of Quemer could do. Of course, they sent ships to fight the uprising, but fighting an entire continent on their home turf wasn''t easy. They had no choice but to give up in the end.
These days, there wasn¡¯t much travel between the continents. Of course, there would always be ships sailing, but there weren¡¯t many products of interest to trade. And in contrast to how you could relatively easily sail along the coast of Quemer to reach the other Empires, to get to Shiora, you had to pass a stretch of open sea. And that was always risky. But now things were a little different¡
Just as the Emperor was about to delegate tasks to everyone, they all turned towards the fire running along the walls of the grand hall. They had all noticed something. It was a small change. Very small. But it was significant. Artus, Amelia, and a few others threw themselves on the floor and bowed with their foreheads pressed to the stone floor. The rest were a little more collected, and the Emperor himself immediately conjured a fire of his own. It was a minor spell for him, but the result was still a giant tornado of scorching fire. Had any weaker mage even come close, they would have lost their life without knowing what happened. But the people in the hall were much stronger than that, and such a small spell, even from the Emperor, couldn¡¯t hurt them.
¡±It¡¯s small.¡± the Emperor said silently, almost to himself, ¡±But it''s there. The fire is easier to control. The Will of the world isn¡¯t interfering as much as it did just a minute ago.¡±
The Emperor had almost a manic grin on his face as he looked towards everyone else. They had conjured their own flames, and they all felt it too. And they knew what it meant. The Fire Phoenix had returned.
In a tower reaching hundreds of feet above the ground, an old man sat by a window looking out over the Melorian Bay. His long white hair and beard looked wild and untrimmed, fitting the look of the old and wise headmaster of Cyalis Academy. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door to the headmaster¡¯s study.
¡°Come in,¡± the headmaster, Vermon Demorr, said with a quiet but firm voice.
His aide and fellow scholar Lukas stepped inside the room and spoke gravely, ¡°Headmaster, the elders are all nervous and waiting for your word on the matter.¡±
¡°What do they want me to say? The control of fire has gotten easier. Who knows why?¡± Vermon questioned while still looking out over the water. ¡°Well,¡± he continued, ¡°We all assume it concerns the Fire Phoenix. No matter the cause, there is nothing to do but move on with our lives. They all know that as well as I do, so why bother repeating what they already know.¡±
¡°But headmaster, the potential return of the Fire Phoenix is no small matter. The whole world is surely agitated by this news. The weaker mages and students haven¡¯t noticed anything yet, but we will need to talk about it with them. Not to mention how the Hellemi and Fire Phoenix Church will react. We might be moving into a very tumultuous time.¡± Lukas nervously said.
Vermon was still calm as he spoke, ¡°Since when is it my job to care what the different faiths and rulers get up to? As long as Cyalis is fine, I don¡¯t care.¡±
¡°As a Sage, you carry a lot of weight around the continent; many rulers will heed your advice, and if things get out of hand, it might affect the Academy as well. I believe a few words from you will ease everyone¡¯s mind. At the very least, you should talk to the elders and professors.¡± Lukas said.
Vermon was silent for a while before conjuring up a ball of water. Even just a gallon, it was more water than most mages could dream of conjuring through their own mana. Suddenly, water drops started falling from the ball, landing on the floor, and gathering into a ball of water again. Lukas said nothing and only waited for the headmaster¡¯s answer.
¡°The more I get to know about this world, about magic, the more I realize that there is so much more to know,¡± Vermon said and finally looked up to his aide.
¡°Even water is something that I have only scratched the surface of. It¡¯s an amazing element, don¡¯t you think, Lukas?¡± Vermon asked.
¡°It is, headmaster,¡± Lukas answered, used to the old man¡¯s moments of musing.
¡°It can be as light as a cloud,¡± Vermon said as he once again stared out the window, this time looking to the sky. ¡°Or as heavy as the ocean.¡±
When Vermon uttered those last words, the water that had gathered on the floor suddenly cracked the stone floor underneath it. It was pressing down with much more weight than logic demanded.
Lukas opened his eyes wide at the scene. The Headmaster had increased his grasp of concepts significantly during his seclusion.
Vermon let out a long sigh and got up from his chair. ¡°Fine. I guess you are right that this will only get more troublesome for me if I don¡¯t do anything. I have been away from the day-to-day of the Academy for too long anyway. I think it¡¯s time to get back into the thick of it so that everyone doesn¡¯t turn into headless chickens the next time some small matter like this happens.¡±
Everywhere around the world, the powerful felt the change in fire, and everyone had different reactions. Some barely gave it a thought, while others panicked.
But only one person knew that there was not one Phoenix who now took flight in their world, but two.
Chapter 7 - Remains of a past Age
Adion found himself standing before a doorway. It looked like it had once held a thick door, but nothing like that could be seen now. He had followed the row of openings in the wall looking out over the forest below. In the end, only this one room wasn¡¯t completely caved in.
I hope there is a way out here, or else I will have to climb down the steep mountainside.
As Adion stepped through and looked around, he noticed he was out of luck, though. The doorway only led into a series of rooms that all led to a dead end. Except for the dust and pieces of old collapsed wood, there wasn¡¯t much destruction here. The walls and ceilings were all intact. There were also a few pieces of furniture made from that odd dark glass here and there.
When he entered the deepest of the rooms, Adion found something interesting. It looked like it had been a study room long ago, going by the big desk made of the same dark glass as the other stuff he found.
Adion walked up to it and started pulling out the drawers.
Perhaps there are some old records here that have somehow made it through the passage of time. Those could hold invaluable knowledge.
Pulling out the bottom left drawer, he found something that looked like an old notebook. As Adion went to grab it, it simply dissolved in his hands though.
Damn, I should be more careful.
The next drawer looked much the same and also held a book that seemed somewhat intact. He reached for it carefully, but he couldn''t get a grip on the cover. As soon as he put some pressure on it, it dissolved into dust.
It¡¯s useless. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. I shouldn¡¯t destroy anything else; perhaps one day, I can come back here better prepared.
Adion kept opening the drawers on the left-hand side, but only dust, or books that would soon turn to dust if Adion got his hands on them, could be found.
There were as many drawers on the right, but it was the same thing there: more drawers of books and dust. But there was one large drawer in the middle, above the desk¡¯s leg space. And when Adion opened that, he found something a lot better than dust. Four small cases made out of some kind of metal that Adion guessed was much more expensive than simple steel. There was also one much larger case in the same design. The cases were all covered in runes.
Damn. The runes are probably made to lock away the content from anyone but the owner. I will have zero chance to break into something like this-. Huh?
Adion hadn¡¯t had much hope, but when he lifted one of the smaller cases and tried opening it, he noticed the top and bottom parts simply slid off each other. No force was required. It was as if the case was merely made out of two halves put on top of each other, with no lock whatsoever.
I guess these runes worked to lock it in the past, but they have somehow stopped working. I guess it has been hundreds of thousands of years, and as far as I know, runes need mana to keep running. Oh well, lucky me.
As he peeked inside the case, he noticed, to his great dismay, dust again. But it wasn¡¯t only dust. It was a few vials as well. They also contained dust, except one, which had some disgusting-looking liquid.
I don¡¯t want to open that. If expired milk smells bad, I can only imagine what this smells like. But it¡¯s a damn shame. This should have been an elixir. And considering it was probably made during the Age of Wonder and placed in a place like this, it should be extremely precious. And the dust could very well have been alchemy pills. Too bad.
Adion opened the other three cases and saw the same scene unfold: dust and expired elixirs without a hint of mana. Finally, Adion opened the final and biggest case.
Please let the pills have made it.
When he opened the case, the lid slid off just like it did earlier, but inside was something entirely different. Dozens of pills and elixirs were inside, and Adion could feel the potent and concentrated mana from all of them. Not only that, there was a letter inside. And when Adion touched it, it didn¡¯t dissolve into dust.
It must have been preserved in this runic case. Or maybe the paper is some kind of magic paper.
Adion noticed that the letter was written with mana-infused ink; it was a very weak feeling after such a long time, but he still got a slight feeling that the one who wrote the letter was very powerful. Adion began to read the text and noticed that the text was written in Shiorin.
Thank the gods that Mom taught me Shiorin, and bless the Theory of Treaded Paths that I can still understand it.
¡®My dear grandson,¡¯ the text began, ¡®You are indeed our sect''s greatest miracle. I never expected Hiko to get pregnant at her strength. I have no doubt your future will be very bright. Unfortunately, I won¡¯t be there to witness it. The time for me to go to Urema has come. I¡¯m sure the sect will care for you in my absence, but I will still leave you a little gift myself.
¡®These pills are some of the greatest treasures I have gotten my hands on over the past millennia. Besides the Elixirs of Life, I received a few Supreme Healing Pills of Mesana in my youth, some of which still remain. I even got them from the great-granddaughter of the Goddess herself. Be sure to ask your mother about that story. It was quite the adventure.
¡®The Grand Soul Clarity Pills will be of great use to you in the Soul stages. It was not easy to get my hands on Soul Clarity pills of that quality, so use them well. Finally, the Wisdom Pills, the most precious pills in my possession. The first is the Moon Shadow Panther Wisdom Pill. This will help your control of shadow greatly. As you only need one of them, I suggest you find some trusted and loyal friends to gift the rest to.
¡®The Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill is, to many, the greatest pill in existence, made from the blood of the Fire Phoenix. To gain one of these is the highest dream of any member of The Fire Phoenix Sect. I suggest you take one for yourself when you form your core, as even with your shadow spark, the control of fire will be a great boon. The rest can be used as you please; the pills are almost priceless, and any fire mage would be willing to trade their entire fortune for one.¡¯
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¡®The final pill, I am afraid, is not mine to give. I only pass it on to you to keep it safe. You must understand that any Wisdom Pill is incredibly rare, no matter where in the world you are. The Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill is widely known as the rarest as she is a unique existence, and she rarely gives her blood for her followers to benefit from. But it is actually not the rarest of Wisdom Pills, because even if it¡¯s rare, the Fire Phoenix still gives her blood at least once an era.
¡®But that is not the case for the Celestial Phoenix. Only once did it happen, as far as I know. And the Wisdom Pills made from that blood have been passed down in our sect for eras, only given when someone with a space spark is born. Rarely are they seen, but it has happened a couple of times through the eras, and now, only one pill remains. Keep it safe for the next generation.
¡®Although it is unlikely, if I should reach godhood, I will come to see you again. May you thrive in the shadow of the Celestial Phoenix.¡¯
Adion could hardly believe what he had read. This text contained so much information that Adion had never heard of. He reread the text several times until he sat down on the floor.
This day. Too much has happened. I need to calm down and think things through.
Adion took a few deep breaths and tried to go through everything one step at a time.
Okay, I teleported through the formation in the family clan and appeared somewhere far away. Considering the text was written in Shiorin, I should still be on Shiora. I managed to create a core and did so using space mana, something that was apparently rare even during the Age of Wonder. A while later, I saw a Phoenix, the Celestial Phoenix.
The Fire Phoenix Church says that the Phoenix can never die but is always reborn in its own ashes. I always thought that was nonsense, but considering what I have seen, it seems like the logical conclusion. The Celestial Phoenix was mentioned in the text and even seemed to be revered, so either this was some new baby Phoenix being born from nowhere, or it was reborn. It doesn¡¯t matter, moving on.
The Phoenix flew away, not my problem. It didn¡¯t seem like it was evil. Now, I also have pills that were considered the greatest of treasures even during the Age of Wonder. Only one of these pills could throw the continent into a war.
I have heard of the Elixir of Life. It is seen as the pinnacle of alchemy in this Age. No one knows how to make it, but the old description of the elixir that prolongs one''s life by at least 100 years is seen as the absolute dream of any alchemist to try and recreate. Now, I have eight of them, and it is not even the most insane one. Goddess Mesana? I thought a normal healing pill was impressive enough, but ones made from a god? And pills to help you in the Soul stages? That is above Diamond! Only the Noble families have ever reached that stage.
And those Wisdom Pills, I have never even heard about those before, not so surprising perhaps if it requires the blood of gods. But shadow? What¡¯s the shadow element? I have heard of darkness. It¡¯s incredibly rare no matter where on Shiora you are, but I have never heard of shadow before. Isn¡¯t that the same as darkness? Maybe it¡¯s a language thing. But why wouldn¡¯t he use the Shiorin word for darkness instead if that was what he meant?
And the fire and space wisdom pills are even more incredible. Should I try them? Let¡¯s do what Grandpa taught me: be logical, concise, and vocalize.
Adion took a deep breath and said quietly, ¡°Celestial Phoenix. Cool. Don¡¯t think about it.¡± He continued his process for everything that was whizzing through his head.
¡°I have a space core. Awesome. Keep secret. Train hard.
¡°I have precious pills and elixirs. Awesome. Keep secret. Eat wisdom pills and bring the rest.
¡°Hungry and thirsty. Go drink. Endure hunger. Test strength. Then hunt and scavenge for food.¡±
Alright good. That feels better. I will go back up to the spring of water and then come back here after resting. I don¡¯t want to risk dropping the pills while jumping over boulders in the dark, and I want to have my Will fully rested before attempting to eat the pills.
Adion took the case with the pills with him as he left the study and put them behind some rocks next to the hallway leading up to the teleportation formation. He hadn¡¯t seen any animals or beasts but wanted to be safe.
Just as he was about to leave, he had a horrible thought of someone coming in and taking all the pills while he was away.
I¡¯ll just bring one of each wisdom pill with me in my pockets. They should be alright even if they fall out.
Adion did just that and then made his way up the hallway, slowly climbing upwards. It didn¡¯t take quite as long this time around as he had gotten better at maneuvering around the rocks on the way down.
When he reached the large cave-like room he had arrived in, he made his way to the small spring of water and took a few big gulps. He then laid down to rest for a while. And after about an hour of half-sleep, he felt fully rested as he got up to stretch.
Let¡¯s see what I can do with this core of mine.
Adion focused on his core, pulled out the space mana inside, and tried to conjure space from it. Unfortunately, no matter how much mana he used, he noticed that the conjured space only amounted to a size smaller than a speck of dust.
What the hell is going on? Is this what conjured space is like? I can feel it, and I can control it, but it is so tiny. Wait. Don¡¯t tell me.
Adion just realized a big problem with having a space core, something he hadn¡¯t given too much thought to as he always planned on forming a fire core, and that is how the different elements differ in difficulty in conjuring and control. The four most common elements people had were wind, fire, water, and earth. And while a fire mage and wind mage in, say, the Bronze stage could conjure plenty of fire or wind to attack with, a water mage could only conjure up a few cups of water, even using their whole mana pool. Earth mages were even worse. Even if a Diamond used all the mana they had stored in their core, they could at most conjure up a small rock, easily fitting inside a closed fist. It wasn¡¯t all bad, though, as the harder an element was to conjure, the greater control you had over the element.
A fire mage conjuring up a ball of fire to throw around at an enemy would quickly lose control, that¡¯s because the fire will affect the pure mana in the surroundings, making it take on the fire affinity, but these new motes of fire mana are not under the Will of the fire mage, they follow the Will of the world. And so that makes fire act as fire should, according to the Will of the world, spread and consume if there is anything to fuel it and otherwise disappear. This can be resisted for a while, but it will take a greater toll on the fire mage the longer they try to remain in control. Wind mages have an even harder time keeping their conjured wind under control, but in return, are able to conjure plenty of wind.
The opposite is true for water and especially earth mages; a minimal amount of earth can be conjured, but it will take much longer for the Will of the world to start affecting the conjured earth.
In theory, this should make the elements equal; in reality, earth mages are pretty much useless. At least in the early stages, but that is also where most mages find themselves, and no matter how good your control is, a small pebble of earth can¡¯t do much against a large stream of fire.
And they are not the worst of the bunch. Adion knew that although rare, people with metal sparks were born. They can¡¯t even conjure a tenth of what an earth mage at the same stage can. They are very useful as runesmiths, though, so a metal mage is incredibly respected, unlike earth mages.
But this was what made Adion so nervous. Where was space on this scale? The more he tried to conjure, the more he started to realize that it was much more difficult to conjure space than metal, much much more difficult.
Will this have any use even if I reach the Soul stages? How do I even attack with space in the first place?
Chapter 8 - Wisdom pills
Adion felt a little disheartened about his seemingly useless powers as a space mage. He was sitting in the large cave next to the spring of water, thinking.
Space mages were rare and seemingly precious in the Age of Wonder, so my element shouldn¡¯t be useless. I just have to figure out how to use it. What do I know about space? It is everything, or more like the place where everything is in. I can feel the space mana all around me and-. That¡¯s it!
Adion suddenly got an idea, and instead of trying to conjure up space, he simply released the space mana in his core into his surroundings as pure space mana. This can be done easily by any mage, but it isn''t much use for mages who can easily conjure up plenty of their element. But metal mages often release their mana into metal to make minor adjustments in the runes inscribed.
The space mana Adion released had been bent to his Will, so as the mana was released around him, he got a much clearer picture from his mana sense. He could feel the space mana under his control affect the space around him, making it easy for him to see all around him, even with his eyes closed.
This could come in handy. It should be impossible to sneak up on me like this. But is this all I can do?
Adion continued to focus on the space mana he had under his control.
If I just keep it there and feel my surroundings, it doesn¡¯t take too much effort, but as soon as I try to do something, I get a lot of pushback from the space mana around me that I don¡¯t have under my Will. It seems that space wants to be stable, and as long as I don¡¯t mess with that, I¡¯ll be fine.
But that won¡¯t work if I need to fight my way through the Endless Forest. What was it that the Celestial Phoenix did? I couldn¡¯t move at all in its surroundings, and even the wind was quiet, as if frozen in space.
If I can freeze space around an opponent while making it clear for me to move, couldn''t I simply walk forward and stab them in the head while they are standing still? Let¡¯s try to make it work. I shouldn¡¯t go for a big amount of space, though.
Adion controlled the space mana under his Will and gathered it all in the same place in front of him. He made it only take up the size of a fist as he focused and tried with all of his Will to freeze the space in that area. He clenched his teeth as the effort strained his mind, but he could feel it. The space in that area was frozen. It quickly got harder and harder for Adion to hold it still, and he finally released the space mana from his Will as everything returned to normal.
Adion dropped to the ground exhausted and now only had half the mana in his core left and a strained Will again.
How long was that? 2 seconds? Maybe 3? And only such a small space. I guess if I time an attack well enough, I shouldn¡¯t have to freeze space for more than a second. But freezing a living being with an active Will should be much more complicated than a pocket of air. It¡¯s not like I will be able to freeze the space in their body so they will be able to think and react with their mana and Will even if they can¡¯t move their body.
The reason Adion wouldn¡¯t be able to freeze the space inside a living being with Will is the same reason a water mage can¡¯t simply manipulate the water out of their opponent, leaving a dried husk behind. The body of any living being, mage or not, was covered by the soul, and even if it was a weaker soul, it was still impossible or at least incredibly difficult to affect anything of another person''s body directly.
If you had to contend against the Will of the world when doing magic in the world, you had to contend against the Will of the person you are attacking if you are trying to do magic inside their body, and a living being¡¯s Will is not as passive as the Will of the world. Even a Diamond water mage wouldn¡¯t be able to pull out a single droplet of water from a sparkless child. That¡¯s how difficult it was to mess around in another person''s living body.
Adion thought through the problem but couldn¡¯t think of a solution.
I guess I will just have to get stronger and practice more. I haven¡¯t even had my core for a day yet, and I could still go a while without food. I guess it¡¯s true that mages don¡¯t need to eat as much. But I won¡¯t have forever. I will just meditate and play around with space a little.
So, Adion started his practice and spent the rest of the day familiarizing himself with his new power. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have any great epiphany, and by the end of the day, his Will was strained, and his space core was almost empty of mana. Adion decided to sleep to recover. Both one¡¯s Will and core would usually refill from a night¡¯s rest.
It feels like mana is slowly trickling in, slower than if I focused on refilling my core, but it¡¯s great that sleeping is also productive.
Adion¡¯s grandfather had once explained how mages refill their core with an analogy that Adion liked, ¡®Imagine a hole in the ground on a flat surface,¡¯ his grandfather had said, ¡®Surrounding that hole is a very thin ocean, but it is infinitely wide. That ocean is mana, and the hole is your core. As you empty your core, the mana surrounding it will slowly trickle in, but it won¡¯t expand your core. Once full, there is no pressure to fill it with more mana. That is something you must work hard for. As the hole goes deeper, it takes longer to fill, but as it gets wider, it gets filled quicker. So even as you advance, the time it takes to refill your core is equal.¡¯
Adion drifted off to sleep, thinking about his grandfather¡¯s lessons about magic.
When Adion woke up the next day, after doing some stretches to get his blood pumping, he decided it was time to see the power of a wisdom pill. Thankfully, he had brought one of each along, so he didn¡¯t need to make his way down the caved-in hallway.
He took out the one called the Celestial Phoenix Wisdom Pill from his pocket and looked at it. It was pitch black. It looked almost like a flat circle with his eyes, even though his hands could feel the shape of a round sphere.
Oh well, it should be safe, at least. The man who gave these to his grandson said he could eat them when he formed his core, after all.
Here goes nothing. Adion thought to himself as he swallowed the last pill in the world made from the blood of the Celestial Phoenix.
He could instantly feel the pill dissolving inside him and spreading through every cell in his body, particularly his core. Adion thought it felt bizarre, as if the energy in the pill tried to dig through to his soul and infuse it with whatever power the pill held. It didn¡¯t hurt at all. It felt incredibly invigorating.
Adion could feel his space sense clearer than ever, and it felt like if he should try to freeze the space around him now, he wouldn¡¯t even need to release his own space mana; the space mana around him would bend to Will with a single thought. Adion had never felt so powerful before. All the space around him was his to control. What Will of the world? Space listened to the Will of Adion.
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Adion didn¡¯t know how long the experience lasted, but eventually, it all abruptly stopped. The feeling of being all-powerful was gone. But as Adion focused on his core and tried to realize what had changed, he noticed that even though it was nowhere near as strong, pitifully tiny in comparison, he had some of that feeling left in him. The space seemed a lot closer than before. He could feel that should he try to grab hold of the surrounding space mana, it would still be a struggle, but a big difference from before.
He released some of his space mana and gathered it in the space of a fist a bit in front of him, just like he had done the day before. As he focused and Willed the space to freeze, he noticed it wasn¡¯t much of a struggle anymore. He tried to increase the size of the space under his control. Dispersing his space mana, he noticed that he could keep space the size of a grown man frozen before he started to reach his limit. More than that and he could feel the pressure from the Will of the world increase exponentially, and Adion had to let go.
Amazing! It is so much easier to control space now. It feels more friendly in a way. If before it let me keep my space mana as long as I only used it to sense my surroundings, now it even allows me to freeze and disrupt space as long as I don¡¯t go too far. I get why these pills are so precious. It''s not only about increasing power. It''s about gaining a tiny bit of an incredible power, a different power.
It¡¯s not that I have more power to freeze more space. It¡¯s that I have the ability to freeze a bit of space without effort. The difference is significant. I barely used any Will until I went too big in size, and then it was the same experience as before I took the pill, only now with a much larger amount of space under my control.
As he thought about this new power, a word popped into Adion¡¯s head. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt like it fitted what was happening very well.
Authority. It feels like I have some Authority over space. As long as it isn¡¯t too big in volume, a certain amount of space will always listen to me, even without using Will or my own space mana.
Adion was incredibly pleased with the pill. More power was great, sure, but he could always meditate and advance on his own given enough time. But Adion wasn¡¯t sure he could have ever held this different kind of power without taking the pill.
And he wasn¡¯t done yet because Adion had two more pills to take. The Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill was something Adion thought about saving and not taking himself, but he had five of them. There was enough for his brother and grandfather. Besides, the man who left them had advised his grandson to take it even if he had a shadow spark, and even if Adion had a space core, he still hadn¡¯t given up his wish to be a fire mage. He would need something to use in a fight when he didn¡¯t want to reveal he had a space core after all.
So Adion took a deep breath and swallowed his second pill. The experience was the same as the space pill, but he didn¡¯t feel the space mana around him this time. He felt the fire mana. It was like the pure mana in the surroundings was just dry wheat waiting for a spark to burst into flames, and Adion knew he could do so with a thought. The feeling of being all-powerful took him over once again. Fire was his to control. He could make anything burn to ashes. Even water would become a sea of flames if he so wished. But just like last time, the feeling abruptly faded, and Adion was once again left with just a tiny sliver of the power he had just felt.
Is this the power the Fire Phoenix has all the time? Couldn¡¯t it just turn the world into a sea of flames if it wanted? Well, let¡¯s not assume I know enough to theorize about these things. I should just ensure never to get on the bad side of a Phoenix.
Like before, Adion began experimenting with fire mana to see what was different. As there wasn¡¯t much fire mana around, he turned some of the pure mana into fire mana using his Will. Unfortunately, that part hadn¡¯t gotten any easier. But as he infused the fire mana with his Will, he noticed that his control had improved slightly. He then conjured a small flame, as he didn¡¯t have a strong enough Will to gather the fire mana needed to conjure up anything bigger.
And when the small candle-sized flame appeared above his palm, Adion felt it. If before he had to struggle against the Will of the world to keep even this small flame lit, now it took barely any effort. Adion focused on the small flame and manipulated it away from himself. It got a little trickier with the distance, but still a breeze compared to before. Adion then controlled the flame to land on the stone floor and Willed it to burn. And it did.
It is actually burning on the rock! Sure, the rock isn¡¯t affected much, but still. I would have completely exhausted my Will, struggling against the Will of the world by now, if not for this strange new power. Now, I barely feel any toll on my Will at all.
Adion was even more impressed by the power he got from the Fire Phoenix, because while they were the same in actual power, Adion knew nothing about how powerful a space mage at his stage should be. But he knew the strength of fire mages and knew that any fire mage with this power would be utterly unbeatable by other mages in the same stage.
If I increase my strength and mana control and temper my Will enough, I might be able to fight an actual fire mage even without a fire core. It will be hard, though. I don¡¯t think I can increase the size of the fire too much without the Will of the world starting to fight me just like it did against my control of space.
Adion couldn¡¯t control enough fire mana to test his limits right now. He didn¡¯t have a core full of Will-attuned fire mana like he did with space, after all. He decided to let go of the fire with his Will, and to his great surprise, the fire kept burning. On stone.
Adion usually didn¡¯t make any expression on his face. Only his family was able to bring out a rare smile from him. And since coming here, his face was even more expressionless than usual. But as he watched the flame that he had let go of his control continue to burn on the stone floor, Adion had a giant smile on his face.
Revenge might be closer than I thought. And I can¡¯t wait til Aiden and Grandpa get to see this. I¡¯m gonna have to decide what I¡¯ll have them do for me in return for this pill.
The flame eventually went out, but Adion was very pleased with the result. And as he reached into his pocket, he grabbed hold of the last pill he had taken with him.
Time to see what this shadow element is. I don¡¯t even think I have an affinity for it. Will it still work? Well, there''s only one way to find out. There were at least ten of these, so it''s not a big loss if it doesn¡¯t work.
Adion swallowed the Moon Shadow Panther Wisdom Pill, and the same process as the two previous pills began. This time, it was a little different, though. The wave of energy coming out of the pill wasn¡¯t as strong. And he didn¡¯t get the feeling of being all-powerful, really powerful, sure, but not to the same degree as the previous pills.
But the effect was not small, not at all. Adion could feel a type of mana around him that he had never felt before. He immediately knew it was shadow mana. It felt like he could cover all light with it, casting a shadow that no light could penetrate. He felt that should he Will it, he could cover the entire forest around him in a shadow that no amount of sunlight and no fire could light up. He felt that while darkness could cover a closed room, the shadow could be present on the brightest of days. It was not only the absence of light. It was the blocking of light.
The feeling once again disappeared after a while, and Adion quickly began trying to manipulate this new element. It seemed the pill had either given him the affinity to shadow or at least woken it up or brought Adion''s focus to an affinity that was always there. Unfortunately, unlike fire and space mana, Adion had no experience in manipulating shadow mana. He should have some Authority over it if this pill worked the same, but that wouldn¡¯t help him control shadow mana. He would need to practice that himself.
Adion wasn¡¯t one to give up, though; he had not even been able to manipulate mana four years ago, and now he could conjure fire out of fire mana even without a fire spark or fire core. And his mana control was a lot better, so his speed would surely increase.
But even after an hour of practice, Adion wasn¡¯t able to get very far. He could infuse his Will into the shadow mana, but it was hard, and then controlling it was another challenge, not to mention trying to conjure shadows and test out his new power.
Oh well, I have done it before, so I can do it again. Besides, I don''t even know how I would fight using shadows. Perhaps I should look into how darkness mages fight and see if I can get any ideas. Blocking all light might work to confuse the enemy if I can see like usual, and it messes with the opponent''s mana sense. I¡¯ll keep practicing and figure it out as I go. I should focus on my space magic for now, as that will be my primary source of power.
Adion got up and started doing exercises with his sword. He had gotten a bit tired when trying to learn how to manipulate shadow mana, so he took this time to get some other practice in.
Good thing I carried my sword when I got teleported, or I would have been screwed. I just wish I had had a backpack with food as well. I will give myself a week. Then, I¡¯ll climb down the mountain to hunt and scavenge for food.
Chapter 9 - Searching for food
Adion spent the next few days trying different uses of his space mana and meditating. Thankfully, space mana was always abundant, so he didn¡¯t need to waste his Will to change pure mana into space mana and could focus on feeding his core to increase his strength.
Adion felt he should be able to reach all the way to Bronze with his current Will, so all he needed was time to fatten up his core. Unfortunately, time wasn¡¯t a luxury Adion could afford at the moment. Even mages had to eat, and Adion was only in the Stone stage, leaving him starving for food by the end of the week.
He had yet to reach the peak Stone stage, but felt it shouldn¡¯t take him too long. The mana was much richer here than in the Remori manor, making advancement relatively quick work.
He knew he would only stand a chance against the weakest of beasts, and this deep in the Endless Forest should not be a place for weak beasts. So Adion planned to avoid all beasts he could feel and only aim for animals if he could find any, but mostly, he would look for any edible fruit.
He made his way down the partly caved-in hallway once again. He released a bit of space mana around him to get a good sense of the obstacles and the path through. This time, it only took him thirty minutes to get down.
Once he got out, he checked the pills and elixirs he had hidden away. He decided to leave them behind as he had no real way of carrying them with him safely, and this place seemed safe enough as they had been left alone for hundreds of thousands of years already. Adion couldn¡¯t be fighting for his life while looking out for those treasures. He would come back for them before trying to leave the forest. Adion¡¯s current goal wasn¡¯t to get back to the sapi part of the continent. His goal was to survive. He needed food, and he needed to get stronger.
Once he was strong enough, he could make an effort to leave. It wasn¡¯t easy traversing this forest, even for a single person sneaking their way through. If that were the case, every corner of the continent would be under sapi control and every hidden treasure long discovered. Sure, many mages were not content to just fight on the Outskirts and made long treks deep inside the forest, but every day inside the forest was a risk, and the deeper one went, the more significant the risk.
He didn¡¯t leave all the pills, though. He grabbed one of those precious healing pills in case he got injured. He also brought one of the Grand Soul Clarity Pills. He wouldn¡¯t need it any time soon, but it could work as a bribe if things got dangerous. While most beasts were incapable of communicating with sapi, that wasn¡¯t the case for the stronger ones. A Diamond beast was almost as intelligent as a grown human, and should Adion run into one of those, he needed to have some sort of insurance.
Even if the pills got lost, it wouldn¡¯t be the end of the world. He had 8 healing pills and 12 soul pills. Sure, even one of them was probably worth a small kingdom, but Adion was rich now.
Adion pocketed the two pills and went to the large windows overlooking the forest.
It¡¯s actually really beautiful. But strong beasts hide within. It''s very possible that I die today. I need to be careful and hope that the stronger beasts won¡¯t care for a weak human.
Adion jumped out of the wide window and put down his feet on the mountain slope on the opposite side.
This isn¡¯t too steep, but I should be careful. A moment of carelessness and I could tumble down to my death. Or maybe I could freeze space. That would stop any momentum I have.
Adion had tested many aspects of his space powers during the week and discovered that if he throws a rock horizontally and then freezes the space around it, it will simply drop to the ground when he unfreezes space again, losing all its previous speed. He assumed it takes more effort to stop something that moved with a big momentum, though. He didn¡¯t notice anything from a small rock, but a beast hurling at him should be a much more significant challenge.
Adion made his way down the rocky mountainside, and he estimated that it was a few hundred feet before trees started growing that could help him keep his balance.
It took him a while as he kept a safe and steady pace. But a few hours later, Adion eventually found himself surrounded by vegetation. It was still sloping down, but not as bad as before. So, Adion stopped focusing so much on his balance and kept his senses focused on the environment around him, both on the lookout for dangerous beasts and seeing if he could find any fruits growing. He released some of his space mana around him so that he could get a better grasp on his surroundings and prevent anything from sneaking up on him. It wasn¡¯t very tiring as long as he didn¡¯t try to manipulate space but only tried to feel it. But if he kept it up for too long, he would eventually exhaust his Will and need to rest. He hoped to find something to eat before climbing back up a bit, as there didn¡¯t seem to be any beasts in that area.
But after a few more hours, Adion still hadn¡¯t run into any beasts, and by now, he was down from the mountain and in the wide valley below.
Maybe there aren¡¯t as many beasts in the Endless Forest as I thought. Or maybe most of them are fighting the sapi in the Outskirts. Or perhaps the forest is so big that even if there are millions of beasts, you can walk through it without running into any. No, if that were the case, more people would have gone into the forest to search for treasures. I¡¯m probably just lucky so far.
Adion continued his journey, but instead of heading away from the mountain, he started walking around it. Even if it was lucky he hadn¡¯t run into any beasts, he was unlucky not to find any animals. He heard a few birds at times, but they were high up in the trees, and Adion couldn¡¯t stretch out his space mana so far away from him yet, and even if he could, he doubted he could fight them from this distance. It wasn¡¯t like he could freeze space around them and then move the frozen space towards him.
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Adion had tried doing that with a rock a few times, and it worked just fine once he got used to it. That was all thanks to the wisdom pill, though. He wouldn¡¯t be able to do that without having a certain Authority over space.
But he had only tried doing this to rocks, not living beings. And Adion knew that would be a lot harder.
After a few more hours, Adion still hadn¡¯t found any food. He was close to just eating the bark off the trees at this point.
No wonder there are no beasts here. This part of the forest sucks. Adion thought grumpily.
He had managed to find a small creek where he got some water to quench his thirst, though. Otherwise, he might have had to start thinking about heading back up the mountain to the small spring in the teleportation room.
It was starting to get dark, and even though he hadn¡¯t run into any beasts, Adion wasn¡¯t entirely comfortable sleeping in the wild. So he decided to sit down at the foot of a large tree and meditate through the night. He would at least get to rest his body a little, and he needed to continue increasing his strength if he wanted to get out of there.
I can go without sleep for a night. If tomorrow comes and goes and I still haven¡¯t felt any beasts, I might risk it. It might be that no beasts dare come here at the moment. A Phoenix was just born here a week ago, after all. Maybe beasts are sensitive to that kind of stuff and choose to stay away. That would be nice. If I could find anything to eat, that is, otherwise I will have to risk going further into the forest in search of beasts to hunt.
Adion spent the night meditating, slowly but steadily controlling the space mana around him and guiding it into his core. At the same time, some of his attention was focused on his surroundings for any signs of danger. But luckily, the night passed without any incident.
The next day, Adion got up and continued his search. He was ravenous by this point, and the hunger was starting to get to him. He felt it was harder to focus, and his space mana control was slipping a little.
Hours passed as Adion saw no signs of any food.
If I don¡¯t find anything by tonight, I¡¯ll just eat the leaves straight off the trees. I don¡¯t care anymore.
Fortunately, that appeared not to be necessary. As the day once more approached night, Adion finally found it, a Red Royal apple tree. It was a delicacy from the Delovan Empire and was the most sweet and juicy apple on the continent. Its taste could rival even the most luxurious of desserts. Adion felt that he could almost cry in relief; the tree had plenty of apples, enough to feed him for weeks, and he could even see two more trees a bit further away, though not as big.
He approached the tree and climbed it in order to reach the apples. As he bit into one, he felt that the feeling was almost as strong as when he had eaten the Wisdom Pills.
I swear I will never take food for granted again.
Adion stuffed himself with five apples before laying down on the thickest branch he could find.
I will sleep up here tonight. Even if I fall, I don¡¯t think I will get too hurt. I don¡¯t want to stay on the ground even if I have yet to sense any beasts.
It didn¡¯t take long for Adion to fall asleep as he closed his eyes, his stomach full for the first time in over a week.
When he woke up, he felt better than he had for a long time. He decided to spend the day in the tree and focus on resting his body and meditating to increase his strength. His body was still a little malnourished. After a few hours of bending the surrounding space mana to his Will and controlling it to his core, Adion felt that his core couldn¡¯t hold any more mana.
I¡¯m already ready to advance to the peak Stone stage? That was fast. Maybe I formed my core with more than enough mana to form a high Stone stage core and almost had enough to reach the peak stage already.
Adion felt more than ready to increase his strength and had no fear of not having enough Will. It was usually an issue of not having a strong enough Will that stopped mages from advancing. Anyone could gather enough mana to advance given enough time, at least in the earlier stages. And the better the mana control and the more mana around you, the faster it would reach the required amount.
But far from everyone could advance as soon as they filled their core with the required amount of mana. You needed a strong Will to compress your core and advance to the next stage. Almost anyone could form a Stone core if they had been born with a spark, with people in mage families doing it as early as the ages of 12-14 as they had received training and tempered their Will for much of their life.
But to reach the higher stages was much more challenging. To reach Iron was not difficult for most, and even Bronze was reached by the majority of mages in their lifetimes. But Silvers were very rare, and Gold even more so. To reach Diamond was seen as the peak of the continent. Of course, there was a higher stage, but not even the Noble families had someone of that strength in every generation.
A 2nd-tier family clan like the Remori had to have a Diamond mage in the family. To become a 1st-tier family clan, you needed at least five Diamonds, something very rare. And if someone in a 1st-tier family clan reached the Soul stage, they became a Noble family from thereon out, even if they went back to only having Diamonds. The fact that someone from the family had managed to reach that stage at any time in history was a testament to the family¡¯s power.
There were also 3rd and 4th-tier families, where you needed a Gold for 4th-tier and at least 5 Golds for 3rd-tier. A Silver was seen as a powerful and respectable mage, but they weren¡¯t strong enough to be entitled to form a family clan. You could only do that if you managed to reach Gold¡ªmaking that the dream of many mages who didn¡¯t come from a family clan.
Adion had been training very hard his entire life, though, and even managed to form his core without a spark, solely relying on his Will to do so. So even if he wasn¡¯t even 13 yet, he could feel that his Will was more than strong enough to reach all the way to Bronze. So, compressing his core to a peak Stone core was no challenge for Adion.
He simply focused his Will, and with little resistance, the core was compressed, denser, and a tiny bit bigger than it would have been at the beginning of the high Stone stage.
It feels really good to get more powerful. Now that I won¡¯t lack any food for a while, I should focus on increasing my strength. Beasts seem to stay away from this area for some reason, so there''s no need to go pick a fight with them. I can simply look for more food around the area while coming back here to sleep and eat. I can probably survive for two months just from these three trees.
Adion quickly got into a new routine. Every day, he would eat a few apples for breakfast, meditate, and then head out in search of more food sources. He would then take some time to practice his space and fire magic as well as practicing his shadow mana control. At the end of the day, he would once again eat and meditate to increase his core size. Day by day, his strength increased little by little.
Chapter 10 - First hunt
A whole six months passed in this manner, and by the end of it, Adion had managed to reach the middle Iron stage. Making for an incredibly fast process, much thanks to the plentiful space mana surrounding him and his ever-increasing space mana control. Adion also avoided any bottlenecks a weak Will would have resulted in.
The good times were coming to an end, though. Adion hadn¡¯t found any food sources for a long time now, and the food he had found was soon running out. No beasts had shown up during this entire time, and Adion was now sure that there was something about this mountain keeping the beasts away.
But unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t stay much longer in this safe haven. Not only was food running out, but winter was approaching. Adion was certainly not prepared for that. Even if he could avoid the beasts if he went further from the mountain, he wouldn¡¯t. There would be no fruit to be found. He would need to start hunting for food. He would also need the beasts'' fur to keep warm during winter.
He would still manage to keep somewhat warm even without the fur, though. See, Adion had greatly increased his strength and fire mana control, and now he could conjure up a fire the size of his fist, compared to the small candle flame that was his limit earlier. And while it still took a lot of effort to do so, thanks to the pill of the Fire Phoenix, Adion could keep that flame burning with minimal effort. Larger than that, he would start feeling the Will of the world fighting him. But it was good enough to not freeze to death.
Adion was also certain all his training during this time had tempered his Will greatly. Most people join the Outskirts Guild and fight the beasts in the Endless Forest mainly because it''s one of the few known ways to temper one''s Will. Almost everyone who encounters a bottleneck would head for the Outskirts. And Adion had now lived in the deep of the Endless Forest for half a year. Sure, he hadn¡¯t actually fought any beasts, but it was still an environment where he had to constantly keep his wits about him.
Adion knew he was still weak, very weak. But the increase in strength had at least given him a small boost in confidence.
Hopefully, the first area of beasts will only have weak ones, as beasts seem to keep away from this area. I doubt any strong beasts would get stuck ruling an area this close to the mountain.
So, the plan is to begin moving out to hunt tomorrow. I still have a few fruits left that should make it a while longer, so I can come back to eat and sleep if needed. My priority should be to get used to fighting beasts. Then I need to make some kind of backpack to carry the food with me. It will also help when I leave and need to bring the pills and elixirs with me. It¡¯s going to be a harsh winter, but I¡¯ll push through. I can¡¯t die yet.
The following day, Adion got up early, and after eating a few apples for breakfast, he headed into the forest. After two hours of walking, he was deeper than ever before and entirely focused on his surroundings. A large amount of his space mana had been released from his core and into the surrounding space. He now had a clear image of everything around him in a sphere reaching about 30 feet in all directions, with Adion at the center.
Suddenly, Adion heard a loud cry in front of him. He immediately unsheathed his sword and looked towards the direction of the sound. On a branch about 120 feet in front of him, he saw a Fiery Monkey staring at him.
Dammit, it could notice me way before I could. I can¡¯t feel its strength from here, but luckily, Fiery Monkeys aren¡¯t very strong beasts. I just hope that applies to this one as well.
But just then, another monkey of the same kind jumped down on the branch next to the other monkey. They seemed to be communicating, and Adion didn¡¯t like his chances against two Fiery Monkeys, even if they were only Iron like him. He slowly tried to back away, but unfortunately, the monkeys didn¡¯t seem to want to let him escape.
They jumped down on the ground and ran on all fours, almost as nimble as cats, and as they approached, Adion could feel their strength. They were low and middle Bronze beasts.
They are too strong! And I have no way of running. What should I do?
Adion quickly tried to think of a solution to survive as the monkeys were fast approaching.
I¡¯ll just try to hurt them enough to get away.
Adion took his stance as the first monkey came flying towards him. They were now in Adion''s sphere of influenced space, so he felt their movement clearly, but everything was happening too fast for Adion to make any real use of what he felt.
He raised his sword to strike at the flying monkey, but the monkey''s claws easily swiped his sword away. It swiped at Adion with its other hand, and he had to block it with his arm. The claws bit deep into his flesh, and Adion yelled out pain.
He hurriedly focused on the space around him and gathered all the space mana under his control around the monkey. The amount of space Adion had Authority over was about the size of a grown man, much bigger than the monkey. He focused on the space and Willed it to freeze the monkey as he swung his sword again.
It seemed to work, to Adion''s great relief, but not even for a full second could he hold the monkey still. A living being was different than empty air, after all. And this was a Bronze beast nonetheless. So as Adion Willed the space to freeze, he quickly felt the Will of the world work against him and the monkey struggling to break free, making for a quick release from Adion''s grip.
But in a fight this close, everything counted, and the monkey seemed shocked at what had just happened, so as Adion was already in mid-swing, he managed to make a deep cut across the monkey''s chest.
Unfortunately, there was not only one monkey attacking him. The other one had arrived and managed to strike at Adion while he had just hit the other monkey. The uninjured monkey got a clean strike right at Adion''s stomach, its claws almost digging all the way through his body. In a panic, Adion screamed in pain and focused all his Will to freeze the monkey and swing his sword. This time, Adion didn¡¯t want to let go of the space until he had a clean cut.
And even though it was a real struggle, Adion pushed through, exhausting his Will greatly as he struck down with his sword. At the last moment, the monkey unfortunately managed to slip away from Adion''s hold and move its body slightly. However, Adion still got a good strike in, as the monkey''s arm was severed clean off.
He quickly attacked again, his Will too exhausted to try freezing space again, but the monkey was disoriented from losing a limb, so Adion caught it unprepared as it attempted to block with the claws on its feet this time. It wasn¡¯t a block with much strength behind it, so Adion managed to cut a deep gash on the leg.
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But just then, the monkey whom Adion had cut across the chest earlier came to its companions'' defense and swung its sharp claws at Adion''s face. He quickly tried to pull away, but the claws still cut up a large part of his chest.
Adion stumbled backward and clenched his teeth as the pain almost overwhelmed him. Fortunately, the monkey that had just struck him seemed worried about the monkey that had lost its arm and didn¡¯t immediately attack again.
I need to run. Adion thought as he grabbed the pill called the Supreme Healing Pill of Mesana that had been lying in Adion''s pocket for months. That was the only reason Adion hadn¡¯t completely given up, even after getting an otherwise lethal wound in his stomach. He swallowed the pill and immediately felt an immense power rushing through him, and he could see his wounds closing up at an incredible speed.
As expected from a healing pill made by a goddess. Had it been a healing pill of this Age, I don¡¯t think I could survive, and if I did, I would need to take a lot of them and spend weeks in bed.
Adion felt all his wounds close up, and the energy continued to course through him.
Should I just attack? I feel like even if I get a new wound, it will immediately heal right now. Adion quickly dismissed the thought, though. No. My Will is exhausted. I won¡¯t be able to fight them even if they are injured. They can just tire me out until the pill¡¯s effect wears off. My only chance is to run and hope they can¡¯t keep up with their injuries and that they won¡¯t want to approach the mountain.
Adion immediately took off, releasing some of his space mana to get a sense behind him if the monkeys managed to catch up. Fortunately, the monkey that lost its arm seemed too injured to run, and the other monkey did not want to leave the other one behind.
Adion didn¡¯t relax, though. He kept running all the way back to his precious apple tree. The pill seemed to immediately fill Adion with energy as he spent it. And even when he had run for hours, he felt completely rested and energetic. At least his physical body did. His Will was still exhausted, making Adion feel like lying down to sleep.
He ate a few apples as he felt the healing pill slowly lose its effect.
Thank the gods for those pills. I wouldn¡¯t have survived without it. I should climb back up tomorrow to grab another one. I don¡¯t want to be caught injured without it.
The next day, Adion did just that. As he climbed up the steep mountain, he was somewhat afraid that he would have to make this journey many times in the coming months. But he still didn¡¯t think carrying the pills down with him would be a good idea until it was time to leave.
Hopefully, the healing pills will last long enough for me to get out of here. Using them like this seems like such a waste, but I don¡¯t have any other option. I can only hope I won¡¯t run into beasts as strong as those in the near future. And that I can continue to advance this quickly. I should definitely not slack in my meditation.
It took Adion most of the day to get back up the mountain, and he decided to spend the night inside the collapsed grand hall. There was no reason to go down again this late except to get his night snack, but he could skip it just for one night.
He took out another healing pill and realized he only had seven left. While he had thought them plenty before, he now started to think differently. Because even if seven pills indeed were a lot, he didn¡¯t think he could get another pill close to this powerful, no matter what. And seven healing pills for the rest of his life didn¡¯t seem so much anymore.
What if my sister, brother, or grandpa gets injured in the future, and I have used all my healing pills that could have otherwise saved them? I would never forgive myself. I need to be more careful. If I get injured, and it''s not lethal or crippling, I will just heal naturally. That way, I won¡¯t have any regrets in the future.
With his mind made up, Adion sat down and meditated for a few hours before falling asleep.
The next day, he made his way down the mountain again and felt ready to head out in search of beasts. Even if it were dangerous, sitting still and doing nothing would be even more dangerous.
He took a slightly different path this time as he didn¡¯t want to run into any more Fiery Monkeys. And Adion''s luck showed when he, after a few hours of walking, felt the presence of a beast sneaking up on him. Luckily, he felt it before it was too late, and even more lucky, he could feel that it was only high Iron. One minor step stronger than he was. Adion had just fought a low and middle Bronze beast and survived, so he felt confident.
Adion acted as if he hadn¡¯t felt the beast''s presence as he continued walking, and as the beast got closer, he got a good look at it from his space mana sense. He could feel space mana easy to grasp all around him except in the beast, where everything was blurry and where Adions Will stood no chance of gaining control of anything. But this contrast made it easy for Adion to feel the beast''s shape, and it looked like a wolf-like beast.
Hopefully, it''s an ordinary Gray Wolf. They never get stronger than Bronze, and if they are around this area, it would be a perfect hunting spot for me.
Adion controlled the space mana he had had under his control ever since he began his journey for the day and pushed out even more space mana from his core and focused it to gather in the direction he felt that the beast would attack from.
It took a few more minutes before the beast jumped out in a leap attack, a Gray Wolf indeed, its jaws wide open, heading for Adion''s throat. Luckily, Adion was ready, and the wolf jumped straight into Adion''s space of influence. As the Wolf was just a few feet from reaching him, Adion froze the space around the wolf midair, strengthened his body with mana, and swung, aiming straight for the wolf''s neck.
It had happened extremely fast, but even though Adion could barely hold on to a Bronze beast for a second, an Iron beast like this Wolf didn¡¯t have the same Will to fight him, so Adion thought he could hold it for about 2 seconds. And that seemed to be the case, so it was more than enough for Adion to kill the beast.
A large gash appeared on the wolf''s neck, almost cutting all the way through. Adion could feel the life of the wolf slipping away as the Will required to freeze the wolf in space rapidly decreased until it was almost entirely gone.
Adion looked at the now-dead wolf, still frozen in midair under Adion''s control. Even if a living being was hard to affect, the same wasn¡¯t true for cadavers, which was the current state of the wolf.
And Adion decided not to unfreeze the space just yet.
It only takes a small effort to keep this volume of space under my control when no active Will contends me. If I want the meat, I would need to butcher it here since I have no way of carrying something so big. But the smell of blood could attract other beasts, and it seems like a dumb idea to fight another beast before my Will is fully recharged.
So Adion simply turned around and headed back to his safe mountain. Appearing to be floating behind him, the dead body of the wolf.
It was something Adion had only tested out on small rocks earlier. It turns out that even if the wolf was dead, it was a lot harder to keep space frozen and manipulate it to follow him than to simply let the space mana under his control follow him like he always did when looking out for threats.
But thanks to the wisdom pill he had taken, as long as the space was only a certain volume, Adion could do much more with a minimum amount of Will. It would still take a lot of effort to keep it up while running back to the mountain, but Adion thought it would be worthwhile.
One thing motivated Adion greatly. His first successful hunt. He was elated and felt that his chances weren¡¯t so bleak after all. And he was looking forward to his reward for this successful hunt: fresh meat.
Chapter 11 - Experimenting with space
Adion was pretty exhausted when he finally returned to the area around the Red Royal apple tree that had almost become like a home for him for the past six months. The fight had been very short, but freezing space like that around a living being always took its toll. And the hours of running while controlling the frozen space with the dead wolf had been slowly tearing at both his physical and mental endurance. Carrying the carcass in space was not as complicated as moving it normally, but Adion still felt as if he had to carry its weight with his body, as if he suddenly weighed a lot more.
But Adion was not planning on resting yet. The successful hunt and thought of meat made him power through any fatigue.
He started cutting the carcass, and Adion thought he did an okay job at it. He wasn¡¯t exactly experienced in butchering beasts, but since basically every mage goes to the Outskirts at least once and often many times during their life, the Remori family trained their young ones in stuff like this that might be a needed skill set in the Endless Forest. And Adion was thankful for that now.
He noticed the beast core in the chest of the dead beast. Unfortunately, an Iron beast core wasn¡¯t worth much, even if he had a way of carrying it with him when he left. He just focused on the meat for now.
Adion had been collecting branches regularly as the nights had started getting cold, and he would light himself a fire most nights, so he quickly started a fire, conjuring the flames himself. He also decided to smoke much of the meat to save for a rainy day, which was much easier with Adion''s improved fire control compared to when he had practiced in the Remori clan.
As Adion enjoyed the taste of fresh meat, he thought about the battle and how he had used his space mana.
It''s not very versatile. My only way of attacking at the moment is by freezing space and attacking with my sword. I need some variety in case of a more prolonged fight. I want to get better at attacking using fire, but it takes all the Will I have to conjure up fire from pure mana. And it''s a process that takes time, something I don¡¯t have in a fight. Maybe I should train in order to decrease the time needed.
If I run into a much weaker beast, I could try fighting using fire. I don¡¯t want to risk it in a real fight. My shadow mana control has gotten a lot better, but it¡¯s still nothing I could use in a fight, and I know nothing about it. Maybe I haven¡¯t given my shadow affinity as much attention as I should, but I think space and fire need to be a priority right now.
But could I figure out a way to use my space mana in a different way? Some kind of flame of fire but of space? No, I can¡¯t conjure more space than a speck of dust, no chance of attacking with conjured space. Only by relying on my space Authority do I stand a chance. I can freeze space, but could I do the opposite? Like, make it extra easy to move through?
Adion gave it a shot but noticed it was much more challenging than keeping space still.
Well, I¡¯m not sure how much use that would have been anyway. As long as my opponent is frozen in space, I can move as slow as I want. What else? Carry a weapon in space and throw it like I did with the wolf''s body, but-. Wait!
Adion suddenly got struck by an idea that exhilarated him greatly. If he can lift and move around objects in space, can¡¯t he do the same to himself?
Can I fly!?
Adion quickly covered himself in his space mana and tried to lift himself up in the air. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work. It was like he couldn¡¯t get a grip on how to lift himself. It was like how lifting a rock, even a heavy rock, with your body could be easily done, but lifting yourself was impossible. He felt that he would need some counterweight, just like he had felt himself get weighed down by the weight of the wolf''s body.
Adion tried to gain control of the space in the earth under him and used that to push himself off. It actually worked a little, but he only got an inch into the air before feeling that he was tumbling to the side, losing his balance. And if he tried grabbing ahold of something further away, he felt that he had no strength to lift himself up. Like lifting a gallon of water in your hand was easy, but put it on the end of a stick and try to lift it away from you, and you would really struggle.
Adion felt that if he could get a hold of a large enough amount of space under him, he would be able to fly above it. Unfortunately, he could not control that much space. He only had some control of space in the size of a grown man still, even as he had advanced, the amount of space he had Authority over remained the same. Making Adion realize how useless he would have been without that wisdom pill.
Oh well, flying wouldn¡¯t help me fight beasts that well anyway. But is there something else? Throwing rocks or weapons using frozen space and moving them around won¡¯t be useful. It¡¯s difficult to control and will be so slow that any beast would have plenty of time to move. It''s much more efficient to throw stones myself in that case. But maybe that¡¯s something to practice. I can see how that would be powerful if I manage to improve a lot.
Adion continued thinking for a while before finally stumbling upon an idea he had completely overlooked.
The Celestial Phoenix freezing space wasn¡¯t the only power of space mana I have witnessed. After all, how did I get here if not by space mana? If I could use teleportation in a fight that would change everything, I would be able to appear behind the beasts out of nowhere, strike them from behind, and escape all kinds of attacks.
Adion once again released space mana of his now almost empty core and took control of a small region of space in front of him.
When I was on the teleportation formation in the treasury, I could feel as if I was in two places at once. My mana sense noticed the cave on the other side of the teleportation formation, and suddenly I was there. Could I do something similar?
Adion tried to attack the issue from different angles for about half an hour before giving up. He was now completely exhausted.
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I will give it up for tonight. I will keep trying though, at least until I understand what needs to be done, like flying. If I keep trying, I think I can figure out how to picture the process correctly, and then I will know if it is possible.
After that, Adion put away the smoked meat and cleaned up the mess he made before going to bed for the night. He now had a nice wolf pelt that would keep him warm in the coming winter, but for tonight, Adion was fine with only the fire burning next to him.
The next day, Adion got up and meditated as he couldn¡¯t slack off even for a day if he wanted to get strong fast. After that, he ate some of the few remaining apples before heading out towards the deeper parts of the forest again.
He aimed to go to the same area as yesterday in the hope of finding more Gray Wolves of similar strength as the one he found yesterday. Unfortunately, he spent the whole day searching in vain as he had to return when night approached.
Adion didn¡¯t give up, though; in the coming days, he continued searching in that part of the forest. On the third day, he finally got lucky and found and easily killed a low Iron Gray Wolf. It was a welcome addition to his meat supply.
Adion didn¡¯t know if it snowed in these parts, but if it did, he wanted to build up a large food reserve. In that case, he might be able to stay in the cave with the formation during the harshest part of the winter and solely focus on meditation and improving his strength.
Everything seemed to be looking up for Adion as the next two weeks were spent hunting Gray Wolves, and every day, he would bring back a new supply of meat. The toughest wolf he had to fight was still only peak Iron, and Adion had managed to kill that one as easily as the low Iron one. As long as he was prepared and reacted in time, Adion only needed to swing his sword fast enough not to let the wolves escape his space prison. Something that seemed to work just as well against the stronger Irons.
But as Adion was growing comfortable in his new routine, he stumbled upon a situation that he wasn¡¯t prepared for.
Adion was walking through the same area in the woods as always when suddenly he heard something rushing towards him. He hadn¡¯t felt its presence but didn¡¯t panic and quickly focused his senses on the approaching beast.
A Yellow Flame Boar! Damn, it¡¯s in the middle Bronze stage.
Adion had no way of running, though, and he was much better at fighting than when he fought the two monkeys almost three weeks ago. So he quickly focused the space mana under his control in front of him and got ready to strike. Employing the same tactic as against the Gray Wolves, he froze the space around the boar as soon as it came in range. Unfortunately, the boar was not only at a higher stage than the wolves but also much bigger, reaching a bit above Adion in height. And it carried a huge momentum, so big that Adion couldn¡¯t keep it frozen for a moment before it rammed on ahead. Fortunately, Adion had stopped its speed to a large degree, and the sudden force that the boar hadn¡¯t experienced before made it back out of the plan of piercing Adion with its tusks. Which was lucky as that would have definitely required a healing pill if Adion wanted to survive it. Instead, the boar jumped back in a slight panic and shot out a burst of flames at Adion through its snout.
Beasts generally have stronger bodies than mages at the same stage, as well as an innate aura sense. But their mana sense and control is pretty awful compared to sapi. But that didn¡¯t mean all of the beasts were useless in magic, and though the control of the conjured fire of the boar might have been poor, a large ball of flames shot at close distance was always a threat. So Adion quickly jumped out of the way, falling to the ground. The fire hit the ground behind him, and the boar once again charged to pierce Adion with its tusks.
Adion tried to get up as quickly as possible, but the boar was fast. Just as he got to his feet, the boar was there, and though Adion managed to block the sharp tusk with his sword somewhat, the boar¡¯s sheer momentum caused Adion to fly back and land roughly on the ground.
This is bad. I can¡¯t stop it. The boar is too strong and carries insane momentum. But what should I do?
Just then, Adion noticed warmth from his side. He turned and saw that the fire attack from the boar he had dodged had managed to catch on and was now devouring the bush next to him.
Wait a minute. The boar has let go of this fire with its Will. It''s now just normal fire acting along the Will of the world. I won¡¯t stand a chance wrestling for control against a Bronze beast¡¯s Will, but this is just normal fire now.
Adion noticed the boar charging again and quickly took control of part of the fire using his Will. He felt how that fire now was under his complete control, the Will of the world barely fighting him over it thanks to the wisdom pill he had taken. So he quickly manipulated it on the face of the boar and used all his Will to make it burn the boar. And just like he had managed to make fire burn even on plain stone when he first got this power, the boar suffered greatly from the fire that only heeded Adion''s Will.
The boar released a high squeal of pain and stopped its charge as it started to shake its head and get rid of the fire. Adion could feel that a Will contended his fire and had to push his Will hard to keep his control. Usually, it would be hard to gain control of another''s fire, but this was actively burning the boar, which made this very close to the sanctity of a living being''s body, making this a real struggle for Adion.
Adion tried to hold on to his Will over the fire burning the boar''s face. He could see how it started to burn the boar, and Adion ran over to strike with his sword, but the boar was swinging around wildly, and Adion had no chance to get close. He could also feel the fire slowly slipping from his grip, so he decided to gamble. He ran towards the boar, and just before he arrived, he let go of the fire and focused all his Will on his space mana surrounding the boar. As he jumped at the boar that now had the fire under its control and off its face, he focused all the Will he had and froze the space around it. As the boar was still and had no momentum for Adion to stop, it was a lot easier, even if it was difficult. But it was enough to hold it in place for half a second, enough for Adion to pierce the side of its head with his sword.
The boar almost immediately collapsed, and Adion sat down soon after, completely exhausted. He took a few minutes of rest before making a decision. He had no energy left to carry this heavy boar using his Will and did not want to stay out here in his weak state. So he simply got up and left the dead beast for the beasts in the forest to feast on.
He tried to use all his remaining energy to run back to safety. He wasn¡¯t injured, but his Will was exhausted, and every minute spent in the forest was a risk in his weak state, so he tried to hurry as much as he could.
When he finally returned, he simply laid down and rested by his favorite apple tree. He considered everything that had happened in the fight and was, in the end, extremely pleased. Even if he had been lucky with the fire, he had still managed to defeat a beast that was one whole stage above him. A middle Iron mage had defeated a middle Bronze beast.
But Adion knew he wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance against a beast of that caliber if not for the free use of fire. But it was a good feeling nonetheless.
Adion rested for a while longer before meditating and then going to sleep. He decided that he would go out again to hunt the morning after, even if it were dangerous. Adion had enough food for a while now. However, he still thought it better to fight now than in the peak of winter, where he might have to travel back to the mountain every day through the snow and fight beasts who might be accustomed to that climate while Adion would be severely handicapped.
And the next morning, he went out again like he had promised himself the previous day. Luckily, there was no Yellow Flame Boar to fight, and Adion managed to bring back the carcass of a low Iron Gray Wolf.
Chapter 12 - Winter
A few more weeks passed in the same manner, and luckily, no new Bronze beast appeared. Most days, Adion would manage to bring back a Gray Wolf to eat and smoke in preparation for the winter.
It had now started getting really cold, and a few days ago, it had begun to snow. So, Adion decided to move back into the mountain structure for the winter. He had enough food to last him almost four months, and he thought that should be more than enough. It was a tough job carrying all the meat and pelts up the mountain, but Adion had finally fashioned himself a backpack. Though not exactly a masterpiece, it did its job. The process of bringing everything up the mountain took a few days, but eventually, he had brought up everything he would need.
He now sat surrounded by soft wolf pelts and had a fire burning in the middle of the cave where the teleportation formation was located. He had water to drink in the small spring below the opening in the cave ceiling. He had enough smoked meat to last him months, and now Adion could focus solely on getting stronger.
This should be about the time for my 13th birthday. By spring, I will have spent a year here.
Adion felt the warmth of the fire, the warmth of the pelts underneath him, and the warmth of a stomach full of food. But that only made it more apparent to him the lack of a certain warmth he always had on his birthday until now¡ªthe warmth of family.
Adion sat by himself and thought of all the previous celebrations he had had. And for the first time since the day he got here, he allowed himself to cry.
Adion didn¡¯t slack off in his training even though he missed his family; he knew that his mother and father were gone, and he knew he would avenge them. But his sister, brother, and grandfather were still out there, probably thinking he was dead.
His brother should have already started studying at Cyalis Academy, and Adion¡¯s goal was to get there before he turned 17. His brother would be in his last year by then, and Adion not only wanted to find him easily, but he also wanted to take his chance and study there. He felt that it would be easy for him to join with his progress and strength.
He felt he might even be a little too fast in his progress. But he didn¡¯t plan on slowing down. He would just have to find a way to hide his strength. Something he knew was possible but didn¡¯t know how to do.
So Adion focused on what he could do, which was meditating. And practicing his fire and shadow mana control. And since he had so much time, Adion also spent some time practicing his water mana control. He had gotten that affinity from his mother and had no plans to waste it.
His goals until spring were to reach peak Iron, be able to fight using fire, see the degree of his shadow power, and figure out how to teleport. It was a long list, but Adion had time.
He quickly got into his routine, and every day, he would begin by meditating and feeding his core with space mana, then stretch his limbs and rest his Will by practicing his swordsmanship. Then he would eat breakfast and try to figure out how to use his space mana in different ways, mainly how to replicate the effect of the teleportation formation, then some shadow and water mana control before finally tiring out his Will entirely by trying to change pure mana into fire mana and conjuring fire as quickly as possible. After that, some more swordsmanship and some more eating before finally meditating before bed.
Wake up and repeat.
This continued all through winter until a little over three months had passed. Adion had gone down from his cave and entered the mostly collapsed old grand hall. He looked out over the Endless Forest, which was now clear of snow and showed the signs of spring.
The past few months had been really valuable for Adion. He had accomplished a lot, after all. A month ago, he had reached the peak Iron stage. And he could now confidently fight using fire. It would exhaust almost all of his Will if he wanted to conjure just a small fire, but it would still help immensely. Adion thought he should have enough Will to conjure a small ball of fire and freeze the space around a low Bronze for almost a second before not having the Will to fight anymore.
Unfortunately, those were the only goals Adion had reached during the winter; his shadow mana control had increased a lot, but it wasn¡¯t quite good enough for him to do anything meaningful. He had only had the affinity for a year, after all, and focused almost all his time during that year on his space and fire mana.
Adion hadn¡¯t been able to teleport either, but he was getting close. He was sure that it was something he could theoretically do, but he just hadn¡¯t managed to get it right yet.
And now spring was here, Adion still had some leftover meat, but it wasn¡¯t a lot, and he doubted much fruit had begun ripening. So, it was time to hunt again.
Adion had thought a lot about his long-time plan and realized he would never be strong enough to return to the sapi part of the continent without danger. Well, maybe someday, but that would take decades, if not centuries. And Adion wouldn¡¯t wait that long, so there would always be a risk whenever he decided to leave.
The question was how big of a risk he was willing to take. Should he wait until he was Silver? A genius would take five years to go from Bronze to Silver, and even though Adion thought he would be faster than that, he didn¡¯t have much confidence in reaching it before he was 17. And he wanted to be in Cyalis by then, even if Adion was a hard worker he wasn¡¯t inexhaustible, he couldn¡¯t just train all day every day with no break forever, he missed other people, most of all his family. And he decided he would meet them when he was 17 at the latest.
So Adion decided to start his journey when he reached Bronze. That was a pretty respectable strength, and most beasts in the Endless Forest were Bronze or lower. There were still a lot of Silvers, Golds, Diamonds, and maybe higher, though. And Adion didn¡¯t think he could make it all the way home without running into any strong beast even once. He didn¡¯t even know which way his home was.
So what to do? Well, Adion decided to make a gamble. He would continue to train until he reached Bronze and then make his way out of here. And when he found a strong beast, he would offer a Grand Soul Clarity Pill or maybe a healing pill in return for them escorting him out of the forest.
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It was undoubtedly a risk, and the beast had to be intelligent enough to understand the value of the pill. But Adion had thought of a few ways for him to not just get killed once the beast got the pill.
But that was for later. Now, it was hunting time. And Adion looked forward to seeing how much he had improved.
Adion made his way down the mountainside for the first time in months. This time, he had his slightly improved backpack on his back, filled with dried meat and some wolf pelts. He also had a healing pill and a soul pill in his pocket, as always. The rest were left in the mountain until it was time to leave.
It didn¡¯t take him more than two hours to reach where he had spent most of his time in this forest¡ªthe first and biggest Red Royal apple tree he had found. No fruits could be seen yet, but he could see some flowers starting to show. It might not take long before apples start growing. In about two months, it would be around the time he first discovered the tree, and by that time last year, it was full of apples.
He left his backpack by the tree and made his way deeper into the forest, towards the Gray Wolf area. Adion wasn¡¯t confident in trying out any place where there might be Bronze beasts or stronger.
It wasn¡¯t long before Adion noticed a peak Iron Gray Wolf trying to sneak up on him. Adion quickly gathered the space mana he had under his control between himself and the wolf like he always did, and when the wolf leaped to attack, Adion froze the space around it and quickly slashed his sword across its throat, killing it.
Adion could feel how it struggled in his frozen space, but it didn¡¯t have a powerful enough Will to fight against Adion long enough before it died.
Hmm. I could probably take on four more of these before having exhausted my Will to a dangerous level. I could move on, but not while carrying the wolf¡¯s body. That seems like a waste. And even if I want to test out my full power, I will probably run into a Bronze beast eventually¡ªno need to look for trouble. Perhaps I can try fighting with just my sword next time. I can always surprise it by freezing space and kill it if I can¡¯t get the upper hand.
Adion thought about it for a while until he decided to head back with the wolf¡¯s body and not take any stupid risks. He would continue fighting the way he had, as it was the safe way to fight, and Adion didn¡¯t want to grow overconfident. It would be a shame if that were his downfall.
I¡¯ll just focus on meditation and practice my mana control. I will go hunt only when the food runs out. I will have plenty of fights when I leave here.
When Adion returned, he butchered the carcass and lit himself a fire to eat and smoke some meat for the coming days. Meat from beasts could last much longer than meat from animals, but Adion wanted to be safe and smoked it anyway.
He then quickly got into a slightly new routine, following much of his previous schedule, except he would go out to hunt every couple of days. The wolves never seemed to run out, though some days he wouldn¡¯t have any luck even after spending the whole day searching.
After almost four weeks, Adion sat by the tree and felt the sun warm his face, but he wasn¡¯t focused on that. He was focused on the space mana he had released from his core and gathered just a few feet away from him, as well as the space mana around him and inside his body. While it was hard to sense anything inside another''s body, one''s own was quite the contrary. It was very easy to feel mana flowing in your own body.
I am there. The space mana under my control is here. It¡¯s all space under my control; I decide where it is, and I decide the truth. The space mana is infused with my Will. My Will comes from my soul. Where my Will is, so is my soul. I can feel the surroundings through the space mana as though I am there. I am there.
Suddenly, there was a shift, and the space mana Adion had gathered in front of him was now behind him, and Adion was now a few feet away from where he was just a moment ago.
I did it! I teleported!
Adion could barely believe it. Well, he could. He had theorized that it should be possible ever since he thought about the way he was teleported here, after all. The key in Adion''s mind was to feel the surroundings through his space mana, not like he usually did, but as if Adion was at the place where he had space under his control, just like how he felt both the cave in the treasury and the cave in the mountain for a short while before he teleported here.
If he could manage that, he should be able to take the next step. The tricky part was how to feel like he was somewhere he wasn¡¯t, and Adion had made almost like a mantra for himself to repeat. By infusing more Will than it would take to control the space mana and keep increasing it until that area of space held so much of his Will that it was like a small part of Adion was there. And then grab hold of that feeling and use every amount of Will he had almost to order and a bit like convincing the space that the places were the same under Adion¡¯s control, and he could decide where he actually was in that space.
And it had finally worked. After hours of practice every day for months and months, he had managed to teleport for the first time. It took a long time to get into the right state of mind, and as he succeeded, he noticed his Will had never felt so tired before. It felt like a struggle to even manipulate the smallest amount of space mana around him.
But Adion wasn¡¯t sad. His strength would increase, his Will would get stronger, and he would gain more control with practice. And he knew how powerful this ability would be if he could use it consistently in fights.
Adion had noticed that after constantly converting pure mana into fire mana and conjuring fire, the process required less and less Will. It''s almost like he was initially doing a sloppy job of it and was now getting increasingly more efficient with it. He planned on laying that practice to rest for a while, as he really wanted to get his teleportation up to par. He wanted to see how quickly he could do it, how far he could do it, and what all the limits of his new power were.
After a few days of practice, he noticed something concerning though: he was only able to teleport to a space that was entirely under his control, and thanks to the wisdom pill, it was a lot larger than it would have been otherwise, but it was still only the size of a grown man, meaning it would get tighter as Adion continued to grow, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to teleport too many things with him, and even if he figured out a way to bring a person with him he wouldn¡¯t have the space for it.
I need to find out what kind of power those pills gave me and how to increase it.
Adion continued his practice, and after a few more days, he succeeded in teleporting his sword into his hand. He had put the sword a few feet away from him and focused his space mana around it and the area around his hand, and just like he had done with himself before, he switched places between the two spaces. It still took a long time to get there, though, and it exhausted his Will. So it was meaningless as it was now, but Adion liked where this could get him in the future.
Maybe I can eventually just keep all my belongings safe in some hidden place and just teleport them to me as I need them. That would have really come in handy with the pills and elixirs I need to carry with me. All it takes now is one curious and strong beast or sapi, and I am done.
Adion also tried to increase the distance between the locations he teleported to and from but noticed it got just a little harder every few feet away until increasing significantly in difficulty as the distance passed around 100 feet. But that was connected to how well Adion could control space mana at a distance, and that kept improving as Adion trained in using his space mana and every time he advanced. So he would just need to practice like usual.
And practice he did, every day following his new routine. His control in teleporting increased significantly as the weeks passed, but it was not good enough to use in an actual battle. Adion would be long dead from any beast''s attack before he managed to teleport, but Adion was convinced he would get there eventually.
Chapter 13 - Bronze mage
As he closed in on the three-month mark since he climbed down the mountain at the beginning of spring, Adion once again found himself deep inside the Endless Forest. It was time for another hunt.
By now, the fruits in the safe part near the mountain had started growing, but Adion still wanted to eat some meat alongside the fruit. He was growing, after all. He would be 14 the coming winter and wanted to grow tall like his brother.
Adion had his space mana released around him, making him aware of everything happening in a sphere with him at its center, reaching about 120 feet in all directions. He had gotten better at that since he went on his first hunt. It didn¡¯t take much Will or even focus from Adion to keep it up either, almost becoming like a new sense. He had always had a good sense of things going on around him, practiced with the help of metal plums thrown by his grandfather. But it was on a whole other level now.
As he continued his search for prey, he suddenly noticed something rushing at him from the left. Adion reacted quickly and focused his space mana between him and the approaching beast. He felt that it was a Gray Wolf but a Bronze stage one. Thankfully, only low Bronze.
The wolf was in front of Adion in just a few seconds, jumping at him with its claws and teeth, ready to tear him into pieces. Thankfully, Adion was ready and froze the space around the wolf as he struck with his sword. Unfortunately, Adion couldn¡¯t get a good angle; the wolf was bigger than the ones he had previously fought, so he only managed to leave a deep cut on its front leg.
Adion couldn¡¯t keep the space frozen for even two seconds, but it was an improvement from his first fight against Bronze beasts. And best of all, his Will was a lot better at freezing space, making his Will not nearly as exhausted as it used to be.
I can probably freeze space around it two or three more times without a problem. But the wolf is big. I can¡¯t get into a good position without risking getting hit by its claws as soon as it breaks free.
Adion made a decision as he quickly jumped out of the way and started running. He then changed the pure mana around him into fire mana as fast as he could and then conjured a small ball of fire. It only took a few seconds now, as Adion had practiced this process for over a year. But a few seconds were enough for the wolf to catch up, and it quickly caught up to Adion.
Adion jumped to the side as he hurled the fire into the wolf¡¯s eyes and Willed it to burn. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t fast enough and got a long cut along his abdomen, not too deep, though. The fire landed on the wolf shortly after, and Adion Willed it to keep burning and spread along the wolf''s fur. He couldn¡¯t have that much fire under his full control, so he simply let all excess fire go from his Will. Even without Adion to influence it, fire would burn on fur. Now, the wolf needed to fight the fire spreading as well as contend against Adion''s flame.
The wolf howled in pain and shook its head violently while striking out blindly with its claws in search of Adion.
Adion simply ran off a small distance away while focusing on keeping the fire burning. It took a lot of Will to fight the Will of the beast, but he held on. After a full minute had passed, he noticed the wolf¡¯s Will weakening and his fire managing to dig deeper into the wolf¡¯s skull with its flames. Not long after that, the wolf collapsed dead on the ground, and Adion let go of his control over the fire and put it out.
My first time killing a Bronze beast with nothing but my own power. It''s a good thing I practiced conjuring fire so much. It would be a shame to waste this power just because I didn¡¯t have any fire mana around. And I will meet more beasts like this where it won¡¯t help much to keep them frozen just for a second. Even if I managed to close the distance and get a lethal strike, the wolf would have had no problem biting down on me after breaking free, and I would be done.
But that wouldn¡¯t matter if I could freeze space longer. I could just walk up slowly, kill it, and then move out of the way. It will take a lot of Will to manage that, but I¡¯m getting there.
Even if Adion had pretty much tired out his Will, he wasn¡¯t completely exhausted. He had enough strength to bring back the wolf¡¯s body with him. So he froze the space around the dead body, to no resistance this time, and manipulated the frozen space to follow him as he made his way back.
That night, Adion had meat from a Bronze beast for the first time since getting here. Even back home, there wouldn¡¯t be Bronze meat on the menu every day, so Adion thoroughly enjoyed it.
After that, Adion didn¡¯t have any more run-ins with Bronze beasts; he didn¡¯t have to go out hunting that often, and he needed to heal the wound he had suffered. He didn¡¯t want to waste a healing pill, so he opted to just let it heal naturally as he continued his mana training.
The days came and went, and summer was now coming to an end. Adion had spent almost half a year down from the mountain, and he had improved more than he could have hoped. The thing he was most pleased about was his new ability to teleport. Even if it still took him minutes of focus and almost all his Will to pull it off, he was taking great strides in getting closer to being able to use it in fights.
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But the day when Adion finally had to leave this safe haven was approaching, and as he sat down and meditated, he knew the time had come.
No more space mana can go into my core. It''s completely full. I guess there is no use waiting. I am ready. Don¡¯t get cocky, though. Focus all the Will you can muster, Adion.
Adion thought to himself as his peak Iron core, packed to the brim with his Will-attuned space mana, got compressed from all directions by his Will. It was almost imploding in on itself until it came to a stop at a size just slightly bigger than it had been when he reached low Iron. Now, it was much denser, though.
I am a Bronze mage. I can barely believe it. Not only did I reach Bronze, I am not even 14 yet. The top geniuses on the continent can only dream of reaching Bronze by age 16 or 17, in time to join Cyalis Academy.
But how am I this fast? It¡¯s ridiculous. Sure, space mana is everywhere, which is good as there is always plenty to bring into my core. The mana is also much denser here than back home. I guess my mana control has always been better than my peers, a lot better. And my Will is really strong for my age. But even with all this, it just seems too fast.
Or have I overestimated the geniuses of the continent? Are they maybe lazy? I know I train a lot harder than most people, but the top youngsters of the continent surely have to train at least as hard as I do.
Oh well, I won¡¯t complain about a good thing. I¡¯m not planning on slowing down just because I¡¯m ahead.
But this means it has finally become time for me to leave. I could stay for a while longer, I have enough food, and I could hunt food for the coming winter, but I might not even reach middle Bronze by next spring, and I don¡¯t know how long it will take me to get out of here. I don¡¯t think staying here any longer will do me much good. If anything, I will probably increase my strength faster if I leave. I will have to fight a lot of beasts and constantly keep my guard up. It will be challenging, but it will definitely temper my Will.
Adion got up and stretched his body, trying to feel his new strength.
It''s an even bigger difference than when I reached Iron. I feel a lot more powerful. Let''s make sure I have a good grasp on my new strength before leaving.
So Adion spent the next few days testing his new limits and getting used to the power of a Bronze mage. Eventually, he climbed up the mountain for the last time and brought the pills and elixirs with him. He decided to keep them in the same metal case he had found them in, as he couldn¡¯t feel them inside even when he held the case and focused on the contents. So he took his chances that even a powerful beast wouldn¡¯t feel anything unless they specifically looked.
He wrapped a wolf pelt around the metal case with the pills and put it in the bottom of his self-made backpack. It wasn¡¯t any piece of art, but it was sturdy and did its job well enough. He then filled it with dried meat, fruit, and some water he collected from the nearby creek. He had fashioned a water pouch from the wolf skin he had collected. It took a few tries until he managed to make one that didn¡¯t leak any water.
Hopefully, there would be other sources of water along the way. Since beasts survived here, there should be. And push comes to shove. He would have to spend a few hours trying to conjure the water himself. He was nowhere near as proficient in water mana control as in fire mana control, but he should at least manage to survive.
He checked the contents in his backpack one last time before looking around, saying a quiet goodbye in his heart as he promised to return one day to see what else was buried beneath the rock in that old mountain palace.
Then he started his journey in the warm summer sun, heading south, as sapi had almost the entire south coast of the continent under its control. His plan was to fight all beasts Bronze or lower, and if he stumbled onto a Silver or stronger, he would try to strike a deal: a soul pill for a way out. It was a risky venture, but Adion hadn¡¯t been able to think of a better plan.
Oh, well. I can only do my best. Worst case scenario, I throw out some pills from my backpack and run.
Adion walked all through the day. He had gone through the area with the Gray Wolves, but he didn¡¯t get attacked even once. Beasts seemed to sense him better than he could, even with his space mana. And considering he was now a Bronze mage, he guessed that any Iron Gray Wolf would steer clear. So it wasn¡¯t that surprising that the first day passed without incident.
As the sun started going down, Adion got a little nervous, though. He had never spent a night in the forest before, not the part where beasts roamed. But he knew that even if he could go a few days without sleep now, he would never make it all the way home that way. So he might as well try to get a few hours every night.
But as this was his first night, he was a little reluctant. He just hoped that his space sense would warn him in time, even if he were sleeping. He decided to just put his back against a tree and sleep half-sitting. He had thought about climbing up the tree, but the thought of those Fiery Monkeys quickly discouraged him from that possibility.
Adion meditated for a while until darkness slowly fell, and Adion drifted off to sleep. It didn¡¯t last long, though, as he woke up with a start a couple of hours later. He had gotten a feeling much like how he felt when that metal plum his grandfather threw was about to hit him. But this time, he felt something else, the feeling of a beast with hostile intentions.
He quickly tried to sense his surroundings as he grabbed the hilt of his sword and realized a high Iron Gray Wolf was slowly approaching. It probably thought it could get an easy kill while Adion was sleeping.
But it seemed that the wolf noticed that Adion had woken up as it turned around and ran away as soon as Adion noticed it.
Adion''s heart was beating fiercely.
Thank the gods that my grandfather honed my danger sense, as he put it. Even with my space mana sense, I don¡¯t think I would have woken up otherwise. But with the two working together, it seems like it''s hard to sneak up on me. That¡¯s good. That will make me able to sleep with some peace of mind.
I don¡¯t think I will get much more sleep tonight, though. I will just meditate until the sun goes up.
Chapter 14 - White
For an entire week, Adion continued his journey through the forest. He mainly went uninterrupted, except for a few failed attacks by Iron Gray Wolves at night.
Adion almost thought he would have to start looking for food as the supply of fruits and meat he had brought was beginning to run out. Fortunately or unfortunately, he felt a beast approach on the tenth day since leaving. It was a middle Bronze Gray Wolf, but Adion didn¡¯t panic. He defeated a low Bronze Gray Wolf while only being peak Iron. And he thought he would have a much more significant advantage in this fight.
He applied his usual tactic, which was to continue walking as he hadn¡¯t noticed the beast, while releasing some of his space mana from his core and gathering it between him and the beast. Like always, the wolf continued slowly approaching him until it sprung into action and jumped toward him in what the wolf thought was a sneak attack. But Adion was ready as he swung around with his sword, freezing the space around the wolf and cutting deep into its right front leg. Adion didn¡¯t even try to go directly for the throat or head, as he simply aimed at injuring the wolf and limiting its ability to move. He noticed he could hold it in space longer than he used to.
Maybe I would have been able to finish it before it could move. Let¡¯s think about it later and follow the plan for now.
As soon as he had struck the wolf, he let go of the space he had frozen and ran off. He heard the wolf let out a pained howl and run after him, though not as fast with its injured leg. Before it could catch up, Adion had conjured up a small flame that he threw in the face of the wolf, causing it to cry in pain again as Adion ran off and Willed the fire to burn just like he had the last time he fought a Bronze Gray Wolf. This time, Adion had his plan in his mind from the beginning, which made him avoid any injury, and he was a stage stronger as well, making it a fairly easy fight as it didn¡¯t even take a minute before the wolf lay on the ground, dead.
Hmm, it worked without issue, but if I can kill it by only freezing space and finishing it directly, I won¡¯t waste nearly as much of my Will as I did now. It¡¯s risky, but I feel like I will have enough time. And it might be even more dangerous to exhaust my Will too much. I¡¯ll cook some of its meat and fill my backpack up before moving again.
Adion then took a quick rest as he filled his stomach and then moved on ahead. The rest of the day passed in peace, and Adion managed to avoid any additional fights.
The next day passed, with Adion avoiding any beasts once again. But in the night, he was woken up by the feeling of an approaching beast, and this time it was a low Bronze beast.
And even if Adion guessed it could tell that Adion had woken up, it didn¡¯t run off like the Iron wolves did. It simply sprung into action and attacked. Adion was ready, though, and quickly stood up and filled the space in front of him with his space mana. Just as the wolf was in front of him, he froze the space around it and took two quick steps to reach its head with his sword. In one powerful thrust, he pierced the wolf¡¯s brain from underneath its jaw. The beast died instantly, and Adion felt great relief that he was able to freeze the space long enough to attack. He figured that he could hold it for at least 3 seconds. This made him think that should he meet a middle Bronze Gray Wolf, he could probably apply the same tactic, but should a high Bronze one appear, he would apply the tactic where he injured its leg and then conjured his fire to attack. He didn¡¯t know how long he would be able to hold on to a high Bronze beast and didn¡¯t want to risk it.
The following two weeks were more troublesome for Adion. Most days, he would be left alone, but almost every night, a low or middle Bronze Gray Wolf would try to sneak up on him. Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t encountered anything stronger yet. But it was not an environment for peaceful sleep.
As he continued his journey of almost a month, he suddenly heard a fight ahead of him. He wasn¡¯t sure how strong the beasts that were fighting were, but Adion didn¡¯t want to risk it. It sounded like a big fight.
Adion decided to change direction in order to move around the fight, but it seemed that the sound of the battle followed along in the direction Adion went. Adion decided to simply climb a tree and wait it out. Maybe he could feel the beasts'' strength if they got close enough.
And sure enough, after a few minutes, Adion could not only hear them better, but he could also see them through his space mana sense. He couldn¡¯t feel exactly how strong they were, but the two beasts fighting were definitely both Silver. And one of the beasts was even a Gray Wolf.
A Silver Gray Wolf? I thought they couldn¡¯t get that strong. They are known as weak beasts, with most adults only reaching Iron and only a few making it to Bronze. But I guess I should know better than anyone that anything is possible. I certainly wouldn¡¯t have given up at Bronze if I were born a Gray Wolf.
The other beast also seemed to be some kind of wolf. Adion couldn¡¯t see them yet, only feel them from his space mana, and that only gave a rough outline of their shape and how they felt to a small degree.
After a couple more minutes, they finally came into view. They were big, taller than Adion while standing on all fours. And Adion had grown a lot during the past year. The beast fighting the Gray Wolf was indeed some type of wolf as well, but it had white fur, incredibly white. Adion noticed how it conjured snow at times to attack with.
Snow element? I have never heard of that before, but I guess it makes sense if water and ice have their own mana. Can¡¯t be easy fighting in this heat. It should be a dangerous opponent during winter, though.
The two wolves were both bleeding heavily and seemed to almost collapse from exhaustion and blood loss, but they kept fighting. Finally, the Gray Wolf suffered a lethal strike and died. The white wolf lay down and breathed heavily in exhaustion. Adion was trying to figure out what he should do. He had planned to fight Bronze beasts and approach Silver beasts. But if it was this injured, he might have a chance against it.
No, that won¡¯t do me any good. I should either approach it or leave. Hm. I might not get a chance like this again.
Adion felt the pills in his pocket and came to a decision.
Screw it, let''s give it a shot.
Adion climbed down from the tree and slowly approached the injured wolf. He got noticed immediately, and the wolf let out a low growl.
¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t want to hurt you. Here, this will help you.¡± Adion said as he placed one of the few healing pills he had left a few feet from the wolf. He knew that even a Silver beast probably wouldn¡¯t have any idea of what he was saying, but he knew beasts were very good at feeling intentions. So he hoped the wolf would pick up on his intention to help.
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Adion was a little sad losing a precious pill like this, but it was an excellent opportunity to earn the powerful wolf¡¯s goodwill. If it could help him get out of the forest, he would happily give it a few more. However, he wasn¡¯t planning on revealing more than the soul pill he had.
The wolf looked at Adion as he backed away from the pill on the ground, and then it walked towards the pill on shaky legs. It sniffed the pill a little before swallowing it, and Adion noticed how all the wounds closed up, and the previously shaky legs got stable. He even thought he could feel the joy in the wolf through its eyes.
¡°I hope it feels better. I¡¯m Adion, by the way. I have been lost in this forest for a while and am simply looking for a way back home. Do you know where the sapi live? Could you maybe take me there?¡±
Adion was shocked as the white wolf gave off what he heard as a happy bark, ran up to him full of energy, and licked him in his face.
I don¡¯t speak the language of beasts, but I¡¯m pretty sure that means he likes me, right?
¡°Hehe, I found that pill here in the forest. And I have another pill I could give you if you lead me out of here. Could you do that? Help? Sapi? Lead?¡±
Adion tried as best as he could to get his intention across. The wolf gave off another happy bark before running off full of energy. Fortunately, it stopped some distance away, turning back to Adion as if urging him to follow.
¡°Oh? Thank you. You are leading me to sapi, right? Humans or elves?¡± Adion tried to be sure he wasn¡¯t simply led anywhere.
The wolf simply gave another bark in response, and Adion had no clue what the wolf meant. But he didn¡¯t have much choice but to follow.
They weren¡¯t moving south anymore but east. There was, of course, a good chance that the sapi part of the continent was to the east, but he still wanted to make sure, so he spoke to the wolf again.
¡°Humans? You will take me to others like me, right? No forest. People.¡±
¡°Woof!¡±
The wolf gave what Adion thought of as an affirmative bark. Adion decided not to question it anymore; the wolf should know more about the forest than him, and Adion didn¡¯t get a deceptive feeling from the wolf. On the contrary, he felt the naivete and helpfulness of a child.
As they were walking, they didn¡¯t encounter any beast for the first few hours. But he did stumble upon something he hadn¡¯t expected. He found a tree with what he thought were Meleha mangos.
Meleha mangos are only produced in Iitha, as far as I know. Then again, I guess the Endless Forest would have everything we have and more. Anyway, it''s an expensive delicacy I have only tried three or four times, so I should grab as many as possible. It will quench my thirst as well.
Adion called out to stop the wolf and explained that he wanted some fruit. He then climbed the tree, filled his backpack, and took some in his hands to feed the wolf. He didn¡¯t know if it only ate meat, but luckily, the wolf happily gobbled down the Meleha mangoes. Adion decided to strike up a conversation as they walked.
¡°So, do you have a name? I don¡¯t know what to call you besides wolf.¡±
¡°Woof!¡± the wolf happily barked back at him.
¡°Is that your name, or did you just answer me yes or no?¡±
¡°Woof!¡±
¡°This is going nowhere.¡± Adion was a little excited to talk to someone for the first time in over a year. He wasn¡¯t that social back home, but all this time alone had made Adion crave a conversation, even if that conversation was with a beast he couldn¡¯t understand.
I¡¯ll just pretend to know what it is saying.
¡°I¡¯ll just call you White, like your fur. So, White, do you have a family? Where do you live?¡±
"Woof, Woof!"
¡°Is that so? I also had a great family, but some bad people killed them¡ªother humans. I still have a sister, brother, and granddad though. Hopefully, they¡¯re alright. I haven¡¯t seen them for a long time.¡±
¡°Woof!¡±
¡°You think so? I don¡¯t know if anyone has ever told you this, but you are quite positive.¡±
Adion continued to journey with the wolf for a few days, occasionally talking with the beast. He slowly got used to the nuances in the wolf''s feelings. At least, he thought he did. The wolf never wavered in its energetic and happy-go-lucky approach.
Adion wasn¡¯t in as good a mood as the wolf, though. They had been traveling for almost a week now and hadn¡¯t encountered any other beasts. But for the last couple of hours, Adion could feel the presence of strong beasts around him. Silver beasts were definitely among them, and Adion was getting really nervous.
¡°Hey, White. Do you know these beasts? Do you know where we are?¡±
¡°Woof!¡± The wolf gave the same response as always.
Well, White seems excited, but I get the feeling that even if he thinks we are on the right track, that doesn¡¯t mean we actually are.
¡°Are we really heading to humans? Are you-¡±
Suddenly, Adion felt a great presence, something approaching rapidly. Adion stopped in his tracks and pulled out his sword. ¡°White, something dangerous is com-¡±
Before he could finish, a large orangutan jumped down in front of them. It was at least 10 feet tall, and its eyes showed curiosity but also incredible confidence and strength. Adion felt cold sweat running down his back.
Diamond. That is a Diamond beast.
The orangutan-like beast that Adion had never even heard about turned its eyes from Adion to White, its orange fur somehow glistening with power. It made a few grunts, to which White responded with some happy barks. The orangutan looked towards Adion again. This time, it felt like a much deeper look, as if all of Adion laid bare for it to see.
The orangutan nodded, jumped up to a tree again, and disappeared as quickly as it arrived.
¡°White¡What the hell was that? Where have you taken me? Is this like the monkey area of the forest? Do we need to pass here to get back to the humans? You could have just gone around, you know. I¡¯m not in that much of a hurry.¡±
White looked at Adion, gave off a happy bark as always, and continued walking.
I guess there¡¯s no going back now. I just have to trust White. He managed to get rid of a Diamond beast after all. Maybe I haven¡¯t given him enough credit.
¡°Well, anyway, you did a good job getting rid of that orangutan.¡± Adion patted White''s head and gave a small smile. He found himself treating White as more of a pet as time went on. Even though the white wolf was stronger, Adion had only seen beasts as subordinate to humans before coming here, and with White¡¯s childlike character, it became a natural development. And the wolf only seemed happy with the praise and head pats.
As they continued their journey, the presence of the strong beasts didn¡¯t go away. It somehow got even stronger. Adion was sure he felt a Gold stage beast not too far away from him. He felt as if he was being watched constantly.
¡°White, are you really, really sure this is the right way? I think it-¡±
¡°The Deep Snow Wolf didn¡¯t guide you to others such as yourself, human. He was leading you to me.¡± Suddenly, a deep and old voice sounded in Adion''s head. And before him now stood the most powerful beast he had ever seen or heard of.
Chapter 15 - Fellion
White quickly laid down on the ground, bowing his head down submissively. Twenty or more other beasts suddenly showed themselves from the surroundings. The beasts Adion had only felt before now became visible. They were all the same species as that huge orangutan earlier, only smaller and less powerful. Every single one of them was now on the ground, bowing before the creature. Adion did the same, not to fit in or even fear but in pure reverence.
This is something stronger than Diamond. I knew it was possible to stumble upon a beast like this in the forest, but I never thought I actually would.
The immensely strong creature in question looked like an owl. But it stood taller than Adion. Its white and silver feathers looked ethereal. It was as if the beast was part of the world itself, and it was hard to grasp its exact physical shape. Its beak was probably sharper than any sword Adion had ever seen. It had deep and wise eyes that, along with its drooping gray eyebrows, spoke of an old age.
¡°Now, how does a human child find his way into my part of the forest? Only Bronze strength at that.¡± The giant owl said. Once again, the words felt like they simply got transmitted directly to Adion''s head.
¡°Er.¡± Adion didn¡¯t know what to say. He was sure he could be killed by a thought from the beast before him. The only thing he knew was that he couldn¡¯t lie. His grandfather could always tell when he lied, and he was ¡®only¡¯ a Diamond. This owl was above that, and a beast nonetheless. He knew he would never get away with lying to it.
¡°I was just trying to get home. I helped White here a few days ago and asked if he could help me back home. He seemed to agree but then led me here. Sir.¡±
The big owl then turned to White, and Adion could only guess they had some quiet conversation. After a while, the owl turned back to Adion.
¡°I see. I have a lot of questions for you, young human. If you answer it all truthfully, I will help you reach the closest human settlement. What do you say?¡±
¡°Okay. Thank you. Sir.¡±
Adion was now slightly panicked and slightly elated. He would definitely get back safely with the help of this owl, but he might find out about the pills and elixirs he was carrying on his back. Adion really didn¡¯t want to have to give those up.
¡°Follow me. Let¡¯s take a walk while we talk.¡±
Adion didn¡¯t dare to disobey and quickly got moving. He was, for some strange reason, not afraid anymore. The owl seemed to cover its surroundings with a shroud of safety. Adion was sure that every beast around him felt the same. Even though Adion only heard the voice directly in his head, he didn¡¯t know how to do the same, so he spoke aloud.
¡°My name is Adion. What should I call you, sir?¡±
¡°Hmm, it is indeed convenient to use names when conversing in human fashion. It has been so long that it slipped my mind. I do have a name. Fellion. No need for such polite speech. I don¡¯t care for it.¡±
¡°Okay then, Fellion. Is it alright if White comes along too?¡± Adion asked. He had gotten used to the wolf''s presence over the last few days, and even if Adion knew it sounded weird, the fact was that White was the only one he knew around here.
¡°White? Oh, yes. That¡¯s alright. You should know that the Deep Snow Wolf didn¡¯t try to fool you if that¡¯s what you think. He simply didn¡¯t know how to bring you to your home, so he brought you here hoping I could help.¡±
¡°That¡¯s alright. I understand.¡± Adion then turned to White and called him to follow. The wolf happily obliged and came along with them as they kept walking.
¡°Good. Then, on to my first question. How did you end up in this part of the forest all alone?¡± Fellion asked him.
¡°Well, I¡¯m not completely sure how it happened, but,¡± Adion then went on to explain everything that had happened when he ended up teleporting here. He even mentioned that he believed he saw the birth of a Phoenix that wasn¡¯t the Fire Phoenix.
The reason for telling Fellion everything was because he didn¡¯t want him to think he held anything back. If he felt that way, he might push Adion when he asks about the pills. And Adion had no reason to hide the Phoenix''s existence. He was actually curious what Fellion might know about it.
When Adion finished, he noticed that Fellion had stopped walking and was just standing there staring intensely at him.
¡°If you didn¡¯t completely lack control of your aura, I would suspect you of lying. Did the Phoenix have the same strange element as you? Is that how you managed to get it?¡±
This time, it was Adion who was shocked.
How does he know of my space element? I haven¡¯t used it, and even someone as powerful as him shouldn¡¯t be able to sense what hides in my body, right?
¡°You¡¯re surprised that I could tell. I¡¯m afraid there are even plenty of humans who could tell you have your core formed from that strange element.¡±
¡°But how?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Your aura. You have no control over it. Everything about you is like an open book for me to read.¡± Fellion answered, and Adion thought he could almost see a slight smirk on the bird''s face.
¡°Anyway, I still don''t know what element it is. What is it? And is it the same as the Phoenix you saw?¡±
Adion could only sigh and then answered everything about how he had been born sparkless, his affinity to an element he didn¡¯t know, and then how he figured out it was the space element, just like the Phoenix.
¡°Incredible. The element of space, you say. Even I have never heard of it. Nor have I heard of the existence of another Phoenix in our world. But we have only been in this new Age for a few thousand years. Perhaps your sapi scholars will discover the truth of the matter in the coming years. Hold on¡¡± Fellion stopped walking once again and looked to be in thought.
¡°You said this all happened at the beginning of last spring?¡± Fellion asked.
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¡°Yes, why?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°It should coincide with the time that fire started getting easier to control. Interesting, the two events should be connected.¡± Fellion mused to himself.
¡°Fire got easier to control?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Hm? Oh, yes. You wouldn¡¯t know. About the time you arrived in the forest, strong beasts of fire and fire mages reported that fire had gotten easier to control all of a sudden. A very small difference, but everyone of sufficient strength noticed it.
¡°Most have attributed this sudden change to the return of the Fire Phoenix, though no evidence has been shown as far as I know. But it seems to hold some truth if what you say is true. I have been given much to think about.¡± Fellion said and then turned to Adion.
¡°Anything else you forgot to mention?¡± the big owl asked.
¡°Well, lots. I¡¯ve been in the forest for over a year, after all. But the Phoenix left a few seconds after appearing, and I haven¡¯t seen it since.¡± Adion answered truthfully.
¡°Hmm. You are a fascinating human. I didn¡¯t know a sparkless sapi could form a core on his own. That is perhaps the sapi¡¯s greatest strength. Your way of passing down knowledge through the generations given a physical form.¡±
¡°Well, I honestly believe it just stems from a lack of trying. It wasn¡¯t that difficult.¡± Adion said.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure. You have also managed to reach Bronze before even turning 14. That is something that perhaps the top geniuses of Quemer could do. I do not know. But on Shiora, I have never heard of it.¡± Fellion said as he gave Adion a scrutinizing look.
¡°I¡¯m honestly wondering about that myself.¡± Adion answered as he tried not to come off as holding a secret to his success, ¡°I have always trained hard and have had better mana manipulation than my peers, a lot better. That is the only thing I can think of that makes me advance so fast. And space mana is everywhere, so I never lack it.¡±
¡°Hm. What a good day. So many new things to learn.¡± Fellion said and continued walking in silence.
After a while, he once again turned to Adion and said, ¡°You know, should you decide to write down and publish these findings, you might be given the title of Sage.¡±
Adion almost stumbled on his step, ¡°What? No way could I achieve something like that. I¡¯m not even a scholar yet.¡±
¡°How often do you think an entirely new element is found? Along with the report of the birth of a new Phoenix? Not to mention how a sparkless can become a mage. There are Sages with a lot less under their belt who proudly wear their title. It¡¯s up to you, though. I won¡¯t spill this secret.¡±
Adion thought about what he had heard and thought it made some sense. In this new Age, the Age of Discovery, the strong still held all the power, but not far behind were the scholars.
In order to improve and rise in knowledge and power together, the scholars are of utmost importance. That is why any scholar has a lot of privileges, not to mention a Sage. A scholar simply had to publish a paper or perhaps a whole book in some cases where they revealed a new discovery. It doesn¡¯t have to be something big but simply new information that can benefit sapi all across the world.
And should a scholar make a discovery with utmost importance or have an extensive catalog of more minor findings, they could earn the title of Sage in the Tower of Sages on Quemer. And as a Sage, even the emperor of Alago wouldn¡¯t dare do anything against you without thinking twice. The Tower of Sages held no small amount of power, and every Sage had done something to benefit every mage, so who wouldn¡¯t be upset at the one who killed one?
Killing a Sage or even a scholar without cause was seen as a great offense from the lowest of mages to the most powerful rulers. They were the ones who brought everyone out of the Age of Darkness, after all, and the ones who would hopefully bring forth a new Age more magnificent than even the Age of Wonder.
Few things would work as a better shield for Adion than being a Sage, which would be helpful in his quest for revenge. However, it would also bring a lot of attention to him. At the moment, only a single Sage resided in Shiora, and that was the headmaster of Cyalis Academy. He also wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to share all of his secrets and just trust in the Sage title to protect him. He would much rather protect himself with his own power.
¡°I will think about it. But why not just earn the Sage title for yourself? Why leave it with me?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, as far as I know, beasts aren¡¯t really up for consideration. And I don¡¯t carry the proof you do in your core. Besides, even if I respect the scholars and Sages, I don¡¯t have any need for such a title myself. But I must say I am pleased by the knowledge. To have this exclusive knowledge for simply giving you a ride back to the sapi seems like an almost too advantageous deal for me.¡±
Adion then quickly threw in, ¡°If you feel like that, could you teach me how to use my aura? To hide my element and stuff like that?¡±
Fellion stopped and looked at Adion, ¡°Do not get conceited, young human. Your knowledge is interesting and perhaps valuable. But to compare it to the knowledge that a beast, in the Soul stages nonetheless, has about aura is foolish. It¡¯s a mountain to a pebble.¡±
That whole speech only made Adion more enticed to know more about aura. He thought about it for a second before deciding to take a gamble. Fellion might soon ask about the pill he fed to White anyway, so he might as well reveal the existence of the soul pill to his advantage.
¡°What if I pay you with something of equal or better value?¡± Adion said in a confident voice.
¡°Oh? And what could that possibly be?¡± Fellion asked, amused.
¡°One year. Teach me without holding anything back for one year.¡± Adion said as he put his hand in his pocket and grabbed the pill that had been lying there for over a year now. ¡°And I will give you this,¡± Adion said as he showed him the pill.
Fellion took a look at the pill, and suddenly, the feeling of calmness that Adion had felt since he started his walk with Fellion disappeared. Adion almost panicked as he felt many strange emotions, but as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared again.
¡°Where did you get this?¡± Fellion asked calmly.
¡°It was in the place that I arrived here in. Apparently, it''s a Grand Soul Clarity Pill, a soul pill of high quality useful for anyone in the Soul stages. I found this, as well as a couple of healing pills. One I ate myself, and another I gave to White. I have no use for this one yet, but I know its value should be sky-high. So, do we have a deal?¡±
Adion tried to formulate his answer so as not to lie but also not reveal the existence of the other pills and elixirs he had in the case in his backpack.
¡°And why should I not just take the pill by force?¡± Fellion asked Adion.
¡°Well, you certainly could. But as I see it, you have two options. You take the deal, and we are both very happy as I think this pill would be worth not only one year but perhaps ten or even twenty years of your time. Of course, you could choose not to take the deal and not waste any time, but will you really get what you want then? This is a pill from the Age of Wonder, and it concerns the soul. Who knows if the people back then had a way to render a pill useless in case of theft? I don¡¯t see how, but the world is a mysterious place, and we know very little in this Age. Why take the risk and make me sad when you could have no risk and make us both very happy?¡± Adion rambled his thoughts as he was nervous not only about having the pill stolen, but he himself would perhaps get killed. After all, it seemed to be a very precious pill for the owl.
Thankfully, Adion thought he could almost see a gentle smile appear on the owl. ¡°Hm, I can¡¯t argue that. You have a deal, young human. I will train you in aura for a year starting tomorrow. It¡¯s up to you how much you learn during that time.¡±
¡°Yes! Thank you, Fellion.¡±
The big owl waved its wing over the pill, making it disappear from Adion''s hand. ¡°No, thank you, Adion.¡±
Chapter 16 - Aura
Fellion turned around and continued walking after taking the pill.
¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be making an Oath or something?¡± Adion asked.
¡°What¡¯s the point? I already have the pill, and you can¡¯t take it back. But don¡¯t worry, my word has yet to be broken.¡± Fellion responded.
The big owl then continued, ¡°Besides, it is a long way to the closest Moonlight Oak. No matter what you humans believe, an Oath is just empty words if not spoken in front of a Moonlight Oak.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Adion asked, ¡°But the Oath is spoken to the Will of the world. I know Oaths can be broken, but it will have consequences, right?¡±
¡°Only if the one breaking the Oath believes it to have consequences. But there is no outside interference. Remember that if you find yourself in an Oath ceremony in the future.¡± Fellion advised. He then switched the subject without saying more, ¡°I will show you to a cave where you can stay during your time here. There should be plenty of food around for you to eat for a while, and I will leave it to White to provide you with meat during your stay so you can focus on your training.¡±
¡°Oh? Great, thanks. And thank you too, White.¡± Adion said to the big wolf still walking alongside him.
¡°Woof!¡± White just gave his usual happy bark in response.
¡°I will warn you that I will teach you as I see fit. If it takes a whole year for you to simply feel your aura, then that is as far as you will go,¡± Fellion said.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will work hard,¡± Adion said.
¡°See that you do. Considering you have reached this far while so young, you should have great mana control and a strong Will for your age. But that will only carry you to Diamond. No matter how good you control mana or how strong your Will is, you won¡¯t reach the stage above Diamond without aura control.¡±
¡°You have to have aura control to reach above Diamond? I¡¯ve never heard of that. What exactly is above Diamond, by the way? I only heard of the term Soul stages but nothing more.¡± Adion asked.
¡°I guess I could tell you a little about it, considering I will be your teacher for a year.¡± Fellion said and then continued with an impromptu lecture for Adion''s benefit, ¡°The Soul stages are three stages of advancement in any beast¡¯s or sapi¡¯s journey to power. Above Diamond is the Soft Soul stage, then Hard Soul followed by Pure Soul. As far as I know, no one has reached beyond Pure Soul since the Age of Wonder, and much is left to know about those stages. I have a certain interest in gaining knowledge, you see, and have traveled and learned much, but I know far from everything.
¡°To advance from the Stone stage all the way to Diamond, all you need is to gather sufficient mana and a Will strong enough to advance. Those two things are also important later, but you can¡¯t solely rely on them anymore. To advance to the Soft Soul stage, you need to be aware of your soul. You need to integrate your core into your soul so that it is not solely a physical thing but resides in your soul as well. And aura is very much a thing from the soul. We will continue that talk tomorrow, though. Just know that it is essential for advancement in the future.
¡°For beasts, it is not much of a problem. If we have the bloodline, we can advance from Diamond to Soft Soul without much more effort than in the earlier stages. But the sapi are not born with innate use of aura to the same degree as beasts are, often leaving it to the wayside as they focus on their mana control. When they reach the peak of Diamond, they realize they can¡¯t advance anymore, not through lack of Will but because they lack the skill set to control aura. And they are by then often too old to do anything about it and have no choice but to die full of regret.
¡°I believe this is slowly changing, though. And do not think that all sapi are useless in aura when you get back. There are those who know of its importance and have given it much attention. You will by no means be the greatest aura user of the sapi when we finish.¡±
Adion tried to melt all the information he was given and didn¡¯t know where to start with his questions.
¡°You said no one has reached above Pure Soul. What do you know about the stages above that? Is that when you become a god?¡± He decided to ask as he was very curious about the peak of power he was aiming to reach one day.
¡°As far as I know, no one has managed to reach above Pure Soul, but who could know for sure? Little is known about the stages above, but through the context in old writings, we know that it is not the stage of gods, at least. That is something so far above us we can¡¯t begin to imagine it. But don¡¯t think too far ahead. You are only a Bronze mage. You should focus on the here and now and take one step at a time.¡± Fellion answered.
¡°Alright.¡± Adion thought about asking why no beasts approached the mountain he arrived in but decided not to. He didn¡¯t want to bring Fellion''s attention to that place if he didn¡¯t need to. He liked Fellion well enough, but his reaction to the soul pill had opened his eyes to how valuable the things he had actually were.
Adion wouldn¡¯t mind giving an Elixir of Life as well for Fellion''s help; he would surely appreciate the extra lifespan, and Adion had plenty of those. But he had no intention of doing that. It was possible that if Fellion saw the pills Adion had, he would not only take them, he would kill Adion, kill every single beast in the area who had even seen him, throw all his morals away as they paled in the light of the power these pills held.
Even if Adion also knew how valuable the pills were, he wasn¡¯t that obsessed with them. If he worked hard enough and advanced, those pills would eventually become useless to him. He had also already taken the best of them. And since he had so many, the value of a single one dropped in Adion''s eyes. But he had to remember that others wouldn¡¯t think the same way, and he would have to take great care not to reveal their existence in the future.
Adion instead asked something else he was curious about. ¡°How do beasts advance exactly? Doesn¡¯t it require great mana control to feed your core with mana?¡±
¡°That is only how it works for you sapi. While most of you inherit a spark that aids you in your journey to become a mage, we beasts have something we call a bloodline. Basically, our bodies attract the mana to our core by itself. Then, when we feel it has become full, we use our Will to advance just like you do.¡± Fellion answered.
¡°So the strength a beast will reach is determined by its parents?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yes. As well as one''s ancestors. But it is not something set in stone. You can reach higher if you have the Will. And in the higher stages, most beasts learn to use mana and advance much like the sapi do.¡±
¡°I see. By the way, what kind of beast are you? I¡¯ve never heard of a beast like you before.¡± Adion decided to finally ask.
¡°We are called Wise Soul Owls. I do not know if the sapi have another name. As far as I know, there is only one tribe of us on Shiora, and besides me, there is not a lot of contact between us and the sapi.¡± Fellion answered and then came to a stop.
They had reached the entrance to a small cave, and even if it didn¡¯t seem that big, it was spacious enough for Adion to live in.
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¡°This is where you will stay. I will come to get you tomorrow morning to start your training.¡±
After saying those words, Fellion unfolded his large, mighty wings and took flight, soon out of sight for Adion and White.
¡°I¡¯m starting to think I don¡¯t need to hide anything when I return. No one would possibly believe me anyway.¡± Adion said to himself.
¡°Woof!¡±
¡°Yes, thank you for bringing me here, White. You were a great help. Let me know if you need anything, and I will do my best to help.¡±
The wolf gave another happy bark and entered the small cave to lay down and rest. Adion soon did the same. It all happened so fast, and Adion needed to think things through. There were a lot of things to process.
Even if I want to return to the sapi part of the continent, I can afford to wait a year. This opportunity will not show itself again. I need to practice aura. I have always held pride in my mana control, but if what Fellion said is true, that won¡¯t matter once I reach the peak of Diamond. And I am far behind even the weakest of beasts.
But I can¡¯t start that yet, so I might as well meditate to increase my strength.
Adion spent the rest of the day meditating before falling asleep with White in the cave.
The next morning, Adion woke up and went outside the cave, only to find Fellion already standing there. If he didn¡¯t see him, he would almost not believe he was standing there as he couldn¡¯t sense him.
¡°Fellion, you should have woke me up instead of waiting for me,¡± Adion said.
¡°Time is not as important to me as you young ones. If I were in a hurry, I would have woken you. It¡¯s more important that you are well rested.¡±
Adion wanted to ask how old the owl was but didn¡¯t think it was appropriate.
¡°Follow me,¡± Fellion said as he started walking away. And Adion hurriedly followed, leaving White alone in the cave.
¡°Tell me what you know about aura,¡± Fellion told Adion.
¡°Well, not a lot. It is like the feeling of a person, right? Like someone can feel the strength of a person, and if they have a sinister aura it might tell you they are bad people. My grandpa could also always tell when I was lying. Was that through my aura? I¡¯ve also heard that the really strong can learn much more about a person, such as their age. But I thought that was just something that came along with strength.¡±
¡°It is possible and perhaps likely that aura sense can increase with the strength of the mana core even without deliberate practice. But I assure you it is nothing compared to the ability most beasts possess. And as for your knowledge of aura, it seems elementary.
¡°Aura stems from the soul, you see. If the soul is the sun, aura is its warmth. And the soul carries with it everything a person is. Meaning that theoretically, with a sharp enough aura sense, you could tell everything about a person, even read their minds and perhaps every thought they have ever had.¡±
Adion paled when he heard about such a scary power. Can Fellion read my mind?
¡°Don¡¯t worry though, it¡¯s only in theory. It was just an example so you know how far one can go with a strong aura sense. As for me, I cannot even begin to understand how to read your mind even though you lack control of your aura. Such things are hidden instinctively and are extremely hard to overcome even when we compare our huge difference in strength. I suppose it is somewhat like how a Water Mage can¡¯t just control the water in his opponent, leaving a dried husk behind. Even a Diamond against a non-mage would find trouble in doing so. Another person''s active Will is something extremely hard to bypass.
¡°But the knowledge one can get is by no means something to scoff at. I don¡¯t think there is a Diamond on this continent that could willingly lie to me without me knowing. Sometimes, I know more about a person''s mood than the person himself. I don¡¯t think anyone could sneak up on me without knowing. And I can communicate with you just through the use of aura, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed.¡±
¡°It seems like a bit of a scary world where everything is laid bare to see like that,¡± Adion said.
¡°Hah! That is only the case for people who lack aura control. With a good aura control, you can hide anything you want.¡±
Suddenly, Fellion disappeared. No. When Adion turned his head, Fellion was still walking beside him. But his presence felt extremely strange.
¡°It seems you humans have some aura sense after all, which is not that surprising. Every living thing you have met so far has been giving off aura. Even if you never consciously thought about it, when it suddenly disappears, you can feel the difference.¡±
¡°Yes. It is as if the sun suddenly stopped warming. It''s still there; it''s still bright and shining, but I can¡¯t feel the warmth on my skin anymore.¡±
¡°That is a good analogy. I have hidden my aura completely. Well, not completely, but as close to completely as I can. But your aura sense is so weak you can¡¯t notice. Usually, I, as well as any other beast with some competence, hide a part of their aura. You can¡¯t go around exposing your strength and mood to everyone around you, after all. Of course, a higher aura sense might bypass a good aura control and find out what is hidden if they focus enough.
¡°This will be the first thing we practice. You have to get used to sensing aura. And you need to consciously think about it. Something very hard to practice in the human part of the continent where it would be impossible to find someone with as great aura control as I to practice with.¡±
Fellion and Adion had arrived in a small clearing. And Fellion led him to the middle of it.
¡°Sit down and close your eyes. I am going to hide my aura and then slowly reveal myself. When you sense my presence, I want you to point to me as accurately as possible. I will then reveal my location with a cry, focus on the location and the aura you sense, and try to connect the two to make a better guess next time. We will continue this until you can pinpoint me exactly with just the aura of a living being without any power. Anyone could sense my presence if I revealed my entire strength. It takes a much greater aura sense to feel even the weakest of beings, not even having formed their cores yet.¡±
¡°I will try my best!¡±
Adion sat down in a meditative position and closed his eyes. He could feel Fellion''s presence, but it was not very accurate. Fellion then disappeared from Adion''s aura sense and then reappeared what he thought was behind him about six feet away. He yelled out his guess, and Fellion let out a cry. He had been a little off but was in the right area. They continued for only 5 minutes, with Adion''s guesses always staying somewhat accurate, before Ferrion spoke again.
¡°It seems I underestimated humans a bit. Or maybe you are more gifted in aura sense than others.¡±
¡°I used to practice with a blindfold in the forest with my grandfather. I guess I got used to sensing his presence without seeing him. I always thought of it as my mana sense while doing it, though.¡±
¡°I see. Well, don¡¯t get conceited. Even a newborn pup could do as much. We will jump straight into the aura strength of an Iron core beast. Only then would the effort yield results, I think.¡±
They continued the training, but now Adion was much less accurate with his guessing. The glaring sun had become a small candle, its warmth not as easily perceived. But he continued to practice diligently, and it produced results. By the end of the day, they had even moved on to the aura of a Stone core beast. But it was difficult, and Adion was exhausted after an entire day of practice with only a few small breaks to eat and drink.
¡°Very well, we will end here for today. I must say that you are making progress much faster than I thought. I¡¯m glad. We will continue in the morning.¡± Fellion said and turned to leave.
¡°Will you teach me how to hide my strength like you?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Naturally, it will come in time. But how can you manipulate your aura without sensing it first? Go back and rest.¡±
¡°Yes, thank you for today, Teacher Fellion, and please take care of me in the future.¡±
Adion put his left fist into the palm of his right hand and gave a short bow¡ªa customary sign of respect from student to teacher. Fellion didn¡¯t seem to have a problem with this way of showing respect and simply gave a nod before flying away.
When Adion returned to his small cave, he found it empty.
I wonder what White has been up to today. How much better is his aura sense? Will I be able to surpass him with Fellion¡¯s training?
Adion was exhausted and wanted to sleep, but he had a full mana core and didn¡¯t want to waste his training time. So, he practiced his teleportation and fire mana control for two more hours. After that, he went to sleep without White beside him for the first time since they had met.
Chapter 17 - Truth and lies
The days turned to weeks as Fellion and Adion continued their training. Fellion now only released the aura of a normal living creature. Adion wasn¡¯t allowed to sit still, either. He was moving around and practicing his swordsmanship and mana manipulation while attempting to sense him. White was also there some days, adding another variable to Adion''s aura sense. It took all Adion had to be able to focus and pinpoint Fellion''s location, but after two months of practice, Fellion finally decided to move on.
¡°Continuing this training will show diminishing returns from now on. We will now continue with the next stage in your training.¡± Fellion said.
¡°Will I train how to manipulate my aura now?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No, that is still too soon. How will you manipulate your aura when you can¡¯t even feel the differences in others? Right now, you have reached a satisfactory level in sensing an aura, even the weakest kind in a stressful environment. But what can you tell me about the aura? Can you sense age and strength? Can you tell lies from the truth? This will be the next thing we will focus on. If before you saw aura as a glaring sun or a weak candle, as you so aptly put it. Now, you must learn to tell how the flames move, the heat and color, and what it all means. You have already practiced how to sense someone''s strength for these past two months. But remember that I am not the only one with the skill to trick your aura sense. Don¡¯t trust it blindly.
¡°We will begin with one of the easiest things to tell about an aura: age. Age is different from strength in that you can¡¯t change it. Not even I could release the aura of a 10-year-old.¡±
¡°Even with your skill in aura control? How can that be possible?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°It is not only constricted to age. No one can change their aura into a lie. I know you might think I lied about my strength when I released the aura of a Stone stage beast, but it is not a lie. It is simply not all of the truth. In my soul resides the strength of a Stone stage core. I also have the strength of every stage and substage up to my actual strength. I am never lying. I am simply hiding part of the truth.
¡°You could show the strength of an Iron core mage, hiding your Bronze core strength, but you could not release the aura of a Silver stage mage, as that would be a lie. This applies to everything you do with your aura. You can hide everything you want, your intent, for example. If you have the intent to kill me, you can hide that from me with sufficient aura control, but you can¡¯t fake the intent of love towards me unless you have it. Do you understand?
¡°I do, and it makes sense. But why can¡¯t I hide part of my age just as I do with part of my strength?¡±
¡°It does indeed seem a little similar, but remember that aura comes from the soul. You have the soul of someone who is 13 years and ten months old. No part of your soul is ten years old. Every day, every second, your soul ages and changes. Your age is bound to your soul in a way. There is no ten years to show while hiding three. Your entire soul is 13 years old, every single part. I admit that you could apply a similar logic to your core strength, but this is the way it works. You can always try yourself to find out what is possible to hide in order to give off a false aura.¡± Fellion explained patiently.
¡°Okay, I understand. So how will I practice sensing age if you can¡¯t manipulate it to different ages?¡±
¡°We will take a walk and take a look at the magical beasts under my rule. Just like strength, age is something many humans can sense to a somewhat accurate degree with otherwise poor aura sense. So it is quite easy to learn, especially for someone with your talent. First, try to sense my age. I will hide everything from you but my age for you to get a clear view, so to speak. It should prove a challenge to get it accurate as it is quite high, I must admit.¡±
Adion sensed the change in Fellion''s aura and could now clearly sense his age. Usually, Adion would have had no idea what part of the aura he sensed indicated age, but now it was super clear for him. He had always felt that Fellion was really old. Just like he had been able to sense the presence and strength of beasts before his aura training while hunting in the forest. He had somewhat of a feeling of people''s ages as well. He had, after all, spent a life with a lot of people around him, knowing their ages and feeling their aura. Even though he didn¡¯t consciously think about it, a small feeling for it got stuck, and Adion could at least tell that Fellion was the oldest being he had ever met.
He knew about the lifespan of the stages up to Diamond. A normal person without a core had an average lifespan of 80 years; of course, they could also become over 100, but it was very rare. Every stage after that added about ten years to one''s lifespan, with a Silver living to 120 years on average. Then, Gold mages who could become 150 years old, and Diamond mages had an average lifespan of 200 years.
But Adion had no idea what range he could guess for a beast above Diamond. Just the fact that Fellion was a beast could mean that his average lifespan was a tenth of a human''s or ten times as high. He had no way of knowing. But if he had to guess from what he felt, he would guess 400 years.
¡°I think that you are at least 300 years old and probably close to 400.¡± Adion finally guessed.
¡°Hmm, take a guess again by the end of the day, and I will tell you,¡± was all the answer Adion received.
They spent the day walking around and visiting the beasts that resided in this part of the forest. As they all had great respect for Fellion, they listened to his request, and those who could hide everything but their age from Adion to give him a clearer view of their aura did so.
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Adion quickly grasped a better understanding of what gave away the age in the aura, so after a while, he requested to guess without the beasts hiding the rest of their aura. His guesses didn¡¯t take much of a plunge, and he quickly improved after guessing and confirming hundreds of beasts.
By the end of the day, he could at least sense the beast''s ages up to 60 years with only a year or two off the mark. This was when they weren¡¯t hiding their age, of course. Adion wanted to try feeling the age of a beast while they were hiding it, but Fellion said he was nowhere near to being able to perceive that, so he quickly gave up.
¡°Alright, now that you have got a better feeling for the age of an aura, you should try me again,¡± Fellion spoke at the end of the day.
Adion focused, and now he could compare it with everything else he had felt that day. Many beasts were over 100 years old, giving him a better idea of Fellion''s age.
¡°I change my guess to 600 years old,¡± Adion said.
¡°Hmm, not bad. I turned 654 this spring. I hope you won¡¯t have too much use of sensing ages this high in the future, as even if they hide their strength, you can be guaranteed that they are strong enough to kill you with a thought.¡±
¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing. You must have so many stories to tell.¡± Adion said and was curious about what kind of life Fellion had lived.
¡°Hmm, I suppose when it all adds up, I¡¯ve lived through a lot. But I spent most of my life in this part of the forest, taking care of my tribe. If you return here someday, I might tell you a few stories. But for now, you should focus on training.¡±
¡°Yes, I know. But if some interesting tidbit comes to mind, I don¡¯t mind taking a break.¡±
¡°Hehe, I will keep it in mind. Now go and rest. We will continue our training tomorrow.¡±
¡°Alright, thank you for today as well. Good night, Fellion.¡±
Adion returned to his cave and found White sleeping already. The Deep Snow Wolf, as Fellion had called him, spent a lot of time outside, hunting beasts. Only occasionally would he come back to rest for a few days and spend some time with Adion.
Just as he had done every night over the past two months, Adion practiced both his space and fire manipulation for two hours before falling asleep. He wanted to practice more but would feel bad keeping Fellion waiting in the morning. Fellion never woke him up in the morning as he said that getting enough sleep was important for someone Adion''s age. So Adion held himself back from practicing for too long into the night.
He always made sure to get some meditation in during the day, though. Even if he wasn¡¯t progressing as fast as before, he didn¡¯t want to completely stop.
The next day, Adion met up with Fellion in the glade that had basically become their training ground by now. Fellion turned to Adion as he arrived and spoke.
¡°You can now feel the power and age of an aura to an adequate degree. Don¡¯t forget to keep practicing when you get back to the humans. If you want to reach my stage, you have a lot of work to do.¡±
¡°I definitely will!¡± Adion answered, excited at the thought of having such power.
¡°Good. Now, we will spend the next few weeks practicing how to tell lies from the truth. This will also help you feel the intent in aura, which can be useful in uncovering hidden enemies who wish you harm. I will begin without hiding anything about my aura at all, something quite difficult to do, as a matter of fact. People tend to instinctively hide some things about themselves, such as when telling a lie. So don¡¯t get conceited if you begin to be able to separate truth from lies. Even a common farmer would still hide their intent better than I am about to do. We will work our way up in difficulty in due time, but for now, tell me if I am speaking the truth or lying.¡±
¡°Alright, I am ready,¡± Adion answered.
¡°My name is Fellion. I am 653 years old, and I am a human.¡±
¡°Lie. Well, obviously.¡±
¡°Yes, but could you feel a difference in my aura?¡±
¡°Yes, I felt something change, but I can¡¯t pinpoint it at all.¡±
¡°Well, I will tell you about a regular day I had before you came here and throw in some lies. Focus on every word and stop me when you think I lied.¡±
¡°Alright.¡±
Adion continued to practice and soon got a feeling for lies and truth. But it never got any easier. At the end of the day, Adion was feeling a bit discouraged. He turned to Fellion.
¡°I get somewhat of a feeling when you lie, but it is not getting any easier for me. Is there something I am doing wrong?¡± Adion turned to Fellion and asked.
¡°Oh? I obviously try to hide my intent little by little. It wouldn¡¯t be any good practice if it were too easy, so I am keeping it to a level to challenge you. We are still not at the level of even a normal non-mage adult, though.¡±
¡°Oh, I see. You were doing that the entire day? Just how good is your aura control?¡±
¡°Well, I still have a far way to go, but I believe that few, perhaps none, on this continent can control their aura better than I can. I have spent a lot of time helping to train the beasts under my rule, which in turn helps me practice my control.¡±
¡°Oh? You used to train others before I got here?¡±
¡°Yes, I have been trying to raise another beast to the Soft Soul stage for a long time without luck. But I have a few beasts under me that seem promising.¡±
¡°Oh, I see. I hope that it turns out well for you.¡±
Once again, Adion got used to the routine of training his aura sense all day in the glade with Ferrion. It was tough work, and Adion almost gave up his private nightly practice. But a life of stern discipline, as well as his previous weakness, had instilled a fire within him that wasn¡¯t put out so easily, so he continued to practice for at least two hours every night.
Chapter 18 - Hiding strength
After three more months of hard practice, Fellion finally decided that Adion was ready to practice aura control. He could now tell lies from truth at a much higher level. According to Fellion, he should be able to see through every human that couldn¡¯t control their aura now. Adion had also noticed that he could feel the intent of the beasts in the area much better now. His conversations with White, seldom as they were, did not take place just in Adion''s imagination as much as they used to.
He couldn¡¯t converse with beasts yet, but he could at least understand simple meanings when a beast wanted something said. And with White, he was able to even hold a conversation. Even though he didn¡¯t receive words in the same way as he got from Fellion, he still understood a lot of what White said just through his aura sense. He could sense intent to a much higher degree, and Fellion had told him that this was how beasts communicated. Adion was still far from being fluent in beast tongue, if that is what it''s called, but it had gotten a lot better.
Fellion said he wasn¡¯t surprised as Adion had been very fast in his progress in all areas of aura use. Fellion himself would sometimes talk in beast tongue just to help his practice. But that made it incredibly difficult to perceive lies.
¡°Remember that it is not simply intent that we beasts communicate through. That would make lies impossible, and we beasts lie just as much as humans do. It is simply that we communicate words but in a different way, with feelings and images. One could say that we communicate straight to the point, with only the meaning of what we want to say, instead of a word representing a meaning. Do you understand?¡±
¡°Well, not entirely. But I have an idea of what you¡¯re talking about. No wonder beasts are so much more proficient in aura use. They learn to speak through aura from the day they are born.¡±
¡°Yes, it makes for excellent practice. But remember that beasts are born with a much lower intelligence. If they can¡¯t reach the higher stages, they won¡¯t be able to express much, and their aura use will suffer a lack of practice after a while. With the need to express more complex thoughts comes the need to develop a more intricate aura use.¡±
¡°That makes sense. So anyway, will I finally be able to practice my aura control now?¡±
¡°You have indeed reached an adequate stage. This training will be crucial if you wish to hide your strength and strange space element once you get back to humans again.¡±
¡°I understand. Please instruct me, teacher.¡± Adion gave a formal bow with his fist palmed.
¡°Alright, the first thing to do is to try to show the strength of a peak Iron mage. To do this, try to sense your own strength and how it exists within your aura just as it does in everyone around you. Then you need to pull some of that aura back, so to say, or perhaps disperse it, is another way of explaining it. Everyone doesn¡¯t think of it in the same way. It would work best to figure it out by looking at how you are already doing it instinctively. For example, by lying and trying to hide the fact that you are lying. Do that at the same time as you are focusing on your own aura and try to sense what you are doing.¡±
Adion nodded and started telling a simple story from his everyday life back home to Fellion. Once in a while, he would throw in a lie, sometimes simple and sometimes more intricate. And after a while, he noticed how his aura reacted when he was being deceitful. It was as if his aura changed and was pulled back, and the part that exposed his lying was now closer to him. Adion started to focus on that and tried to pull that part of his aura closer and closer to his core. Fellion seemed to notice the change.
¡°It seems you are starting to grasp your own way of thinking about hiding your aura. It is getting harder to expose your lies through your aura, still not difficult for me or any beasts worth their name, but with enough practice, I am sure you could fool even me.¡±
¡°I will practice hard then,¡± Adion said with a grin. He was feeling elated at finally gaining control of his own aura.
Fellion was right to wait with this. Without practicing my aura sense, I would have no chance of noticing these tiny changes in my aura and how my thoughts and Will can affect it.
¡°Now that you have reached this step, you can only progress through diligent training. You don¡¯t need me for that. So let¡¯s move on to the important part, hiding your strength and space element, and then your presence if we have time. The easiest should be to hide your strength, as you are very good at sensing the strength of others. But remember that even humans who haven¡¯t had any aura training can usually sense the strength of others, at least to a small degree. So you need to be aware that not everyone can be fooled so easily.¡±
¡°Alright, I will see that I master it before I try fooling anyone. Do you have any tips?¡±
¡°You only need to feel the part of your aura that is your strength just as you felt your aura before. This time, you should do the same thing but leave enough of your strength that equals a peak Iron mage for everyone to see, and keep the rest of your strength hidden.¡±
Adion once again focused on his aura. His aura sense was greatest at feeling the strength of another''s aura, so he could feel it clearly. But as he had never controlled this part of his aura even on instinct, as he had done with his lies, it took a lot of effort to get it to budge. He focused for a few hours, but nothing came of it.
¡°Hmm, so you are not a complete monster after all. It would be frightening progress if you could learn this within a day. You can continue practicing by yourself for a while now. I could help you by pushing your aura in the right places, and perhaps that would speed up the process, but considering your talent, I believe that would be a disservice to you. This will be great practice for your future aura control. I will leave you to train for now and check up on you occasionally. I look forward to your results.¡±
And without waiting for Adion to reply, he unfolded his large wings and flew off.
Have I been keeping him away from something important? Well, he got paid for the service, so it doesn¡¯t matter. I need to focus and master this quickly. I should get as much use of my time here as possible.
The rest of the day went by, but Adion made no noticeable progress. He went back to his cave to practice his scheduled two hours. The progress was a lot slower now than when Adion could just focus on improving his core and mana control all day, but a little progress every day added up, and Adion had been here for five months now. He would still need more time to reach middle Bronze, though.
Adion felt that practicing his aura sense during this time also helped him with his mana sense. It was as if he could feel both aura and mana around him more clearly now. Of course, his aura sense had the most significant improvement.
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Adion continued his routine of going to the glade every day, now without Fellion there to guide him. It took him a week to get a firm grasp of the strength part of his aura and then two more weeks for him to hide it and only show the strength of a peak Iron mage.
He didn¡¯t know how well he had hidden it, though. Before he controlled it, it was like his aura was a large cloud, growing sparser over distance. And his strength was so tricky because it was all over his aura. He had to be sort of attuned to only the parts where his strength was showing. Then he had to grip it with his mind, using his Will, and pull it towards him. He felt that if he could pull it all the way into his core, not even Fellion would be able to get a sense of his true strength, but that took more aura control and Will than he had.
Thankfully, the Will it took to reign in his aura diminished over time as he got more practice, which made sense, or else even Fellion would be completely exhausted hiding his strength for so long during their training.
He now felt that the part of his aura that revealed his Bronze core strength was in a smaller cloud, about 10 inches away from his body. He didn¡¯t know if that was good or bad, but it got better with practice. He could pull it in further if he pushed his Will to its limit, but it would only last for a short while and leave him too exhausted to continue practicing. So Adion only did that right before going to bed after his mana practice session.
Fortunately, it got easier with practice, and by the end of the fourth week of his solo practice, Fellion finally showed himself again.
¡°I see you have improved greatly. You have already managed to hide your strength down to peak Iron stage. Impressive.¡± Fellion said as he walked up to Adion.
¡°How obvious is it that I am hiding my strength? How deep do I need to pull in my aura to fool people?¡±
¡°It depends on their aura sense, of course. And I can¡¯t say for sure. I don¡¯t think of it as pulling in my aura as you do. I imagine my aura being dispersed, and though still there, it is hidden from anyone looking. Everyone pictures it differently. Aura is mysterious and complicated; it is likely that neither of us has a correct idea of what is actually happening, but through our mental pictures, we can produce the desired results.¡±
¡°So I am not actually pulling in my aura?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It is impossible to say; you could very well have the correct image in mind, and it happens exactly as you see it. Perhaps everyone has a different aura that works in its own way. No one knows. But it matters little. Stick to the method that works for you.
¡°Now, if I had to guess, I would say that humans of the same stage as you would perhaps get fooled, but most people would at least sense that something is off about you. But considering you have only practiced for a month and reached this stage, this shouldn¡¯t be a problem if you continue practicing.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, if it is anything I am good at, it is training,¡± Adion said with a small rare smile.
¡°I know that very well. You have shown as much during this half year. And a lot of your aura training is something you will have to do by yourself once you leave. But there are some things left to teach. I will guide you through the process of hiding your space element and how to go about hiding your presence. There are, of course, countless other things you could focus on in the future, but it is up to you to choose what you will focus on.¡±
¡°What other things are there to focus on?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, anything you can imagine. Remember that, in theory, you could understand everything there is to know about a person through their aura, down to every last thought they have ever had. In that vast spectrum of possibilities, you should find what serves your purpose and focus on that. I know that some priests among you humans have trained to sense the virginity of others through their aura. Judges in your courts and the high-ranking guards in your cities all focus on lie detection. In my eyes, they are not very good at it, but amongst you humans, it is a valuable resource.
¡°You could focus on just improving your aura sense and control overall, but my advice is to focus on concealing strength, your space element, your presence, and your lies. As well as detecting the same in others. But should you discover the need for, say, hiding your age, then focus on that. Whatever serves your purpose. And strive to improve. As far as I can tell, nothing is impossible to hide, and nothing is impossible to uncover.
¡°But also remember this: sometimes hiding part of your aura will serve the opposite purpose. If you are sneaking into the forest hunting for prey, hiding your presence is a good idea. But do the same in a crowded street, and you will instead alert everyone there of your presence. Every man, woman, and child would turn to look at the strange boy whom they can see but not feel. Use your aura control cleverly, not plenty.¡±
¡°I understand. I will be careful in the future.¡±
¡°Hmm, good. We will now focus on hiding your space element. One good thing is that the ability to sense the element of another being doesn¡¯t come as naturally to either beast or man. It is likely that most people wouldn¡¯t notice anything different about you, but there are humans with sharp aura senses, although few. You would also benefit from being able to sense the elements of others. Once you notice it in yourself, it will be easier to see in others. Quite the opposite of how we have done it before, where you first practiced your aura sense and then aura control. That is because your ability to sense the element of another''s core is zero at the moment. It worked to sense the beast''s ages because you already had a small feeling for it. And the same went for strength and lies. Now, you have to start from the ground up. And you have the greatest chance of discovering something new like this in your own aura.
¡°Last time, I left you to your own devices when practicing hiding your strength, but then you had a place to start and move forward. If I leave you be now, I am afraid it could take months or years before you find the correct part of your aura.
¡°So sit down, close your eyes, focus on your element, and try to sense it in your aura. I will do my best to help using my aura sense. Normally, you wouldn¡¯t notice me, but there is a method to do this so that you will. When using aura sense, you usually receive what that other aura is sending out, but a bit of probing is necessary with someone hiding part of their aura. My probing ability is very strong, and using it forcefully should make you uncomfortable. Ignore the annoying feelings and just focus on the part of your aura that you feel me probing. That is the place where I sense your space element. Feel it, grab it, and hide it.¡±
Adion sat down with his eyes closed. That is a whole lot of information to take in. Probing with your aura? Shouldn¡¯t we have gone through this? Oh well, let¡¯s just focus on my aura and do as he says.
Adion focused and soon felt a weird feeling. It felt like someone was watching him in a private place, as if he was alone in his room and felt eyes borrow into his neck. Soon, the feeling got even stronger. Now, it was more like he was naked in his room, someone staring at him with nefarious intentions. He tried to ignore the creepy feeling and focus on his aura; he could feel that only a specific part was being watched, but it was unclear where. He tried to feel it, grabbing and releasing different parts of his aura with his Will in an effort to pinpoint exactly what part of his aura was revealing his space element. After an hour or so, he felt he had a pretty good idea of the affected part, so he tried to hold on to it and pull it towards his core. It was tough work, but thanks to his practice in hiding his strength and with Fellion''s help, it went a little faster this time.
They continued the entire day, and by the end of it, Adion was exhausted.
¡°Good work, Adion. You now have a good idea of where your space core reveals itself in your aura. We will continue this training tomorrow as well to make sure you have a good grasp of it before you are able to practice on your own.¡±
¡°Alright, thank you, teacher. See you again tomorrow.¡±
Fellion gave a nod in response and unfolded his wings to fly away.
I wonder what Fellion does when he is not practicing with me. He¡¯s probably meditating and trying to improve his strength like everyone else. Hopefully, he gets some practice in training with me like he said. Otherwise, I would feel a little bad.
Chapter 19 - Gifted
When Adion got back to his cave after his training session with Fellion, he noticed another presence already there, one he was very familiar with by now.
¡°White! You¡¯re back! How did the hunting go?¡± Adion asked in an excited tone.
¡°Woof woof!¡± The big white wolf jumped up and barked happily when he heard Adion''s voice. Even though White had always had extremely white fur, it seemed to Adion that it had gotten even whiter somehow.
¡°I guess there aren¡¯t many beasts in the area that are a match for you. In this snow, you should be unbeatable. You seem a little different, though.¡±
¡°Woof woof!¡±
¡°Oh, you have reached the high Silver stage. Congratulations! I guess that is why your fur is a bit different.¡±
Adion had heard from Fellion that beasts usually change appearance as they get stronger. Most beasts get bigger, like Fellion, who towered over Adion despite being an owl. But there were also other differences, like changes in fur, scales, and feathers. The color of eyes could change, and sometimes beasts could transform into a completely different size and shape from one major stage to the next.
White seemed to get a whiter and more radiant fur as he advanced. His eyes shone with a sharp silver, now with a touch of golden light in them. Adion tried sensing White¡¯s element now that he knew a little about what to look for, but he couldn¡¯t get a clear grasp. He could rule out space and fire, but other than that, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure.
I know he should have a snow core, but I can¡¯t feel it yet.
¡°Well, even if my advancement speed has slowed down a little, it won¡¯t be long before I surpass you, White. You should continue to work hard, or you will be left behind.¡±
Adion and White continued their conversation, which was not so one-sided anymore. White had been away for over a month, fighting enemy beasts. Thankfully, running into beasts stronger than White is not common, at least not in this part of the Endless Forest.
After telling White that he should continue to be careful while hunting in the future, Adion started his mana practice, with White lying down to rest beside him.
The next day went by the same way as the previous, and by the end of the day, Adion had gotten a firm grasp of the part of his aura that revealed his space element. He was not very good at hiding it yet, but thanks to his practice in hiding his strength, his progress was a little smoother.
¡°Well, it seems you have this under control now. All that is left is practice. I will once again let you train by yourself for a while before moving on to the last thing I will have time to teach you. Practice diligently because our next session will be the most difficult part of your training so far,¡± Fellion told Adion.
¡°Isn¡¯t it better to move on right away? Now that I can practice by myself, I should make the most of the time I have you here to teach me.¡±
¡°No. It is better to focus on this one thing for now to get a clear grasp on this part of your aura. It will be crucial. I promise I¡¯m not trying to deceive you. I truly believe this is the best way for you to learn as much as possible. Focus and practice diligently, and you will be fine.¡±
¡°Okay then, thank you as always, teacher.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Fellion gave a nod and flew away.
I fear Fellion isn¡¯t planning on giving me any vacation, even I have some days for rest every year. Oh well, I should not waste this opportunity and train hard. I can take a short rest once I get back to civilization. I am falling behind a little on my physical exercise, though. Now that I don¡¯t have Fellion waiting for me, I should start my mornings with some sword practice and physical exercise.
The days continued to pass one by one as spring once more approached. Adion spent some time doing physical training, and he found that he could practice his aura control at the same time. He would need to hide things while fighting in the future anyway, so he thought it was good to get used to it.
After two months of training by himself, Adion could now hide his space core much better. In Adion''s mind, his hidden space element was kept about 5 inches off his body. He didn¡¯t know how well that would be able to hide it from people looking, but he was happy with his improvement.
His ability to hide his strength had improved as well. He was now comfortable keeping his strength down to high Iron stage and could hold it 4 inches off his body. He was even comfortable doing all this while fighting. It took some focus away, resulting in him not being able to hide it as well as when he sat still and solely focused on it, but he was improving in both areas.
And that was even more impressive considering Adion had finally advanced to middle Bronze during this period. Adion was now very happy he had found a way to hide his strength, as he was confident that although a few people might be able to reach middle Bronze when they started at Cyalis Academy, no one was high Bronze. And Adion was middle Bronze at only 14 years old. He began to believe he might actually reach Silver by the time he was 17 and came to Cyalis.
He had no intention of revealing that kind of strength; it would just start the questions leading to his space core and the strange power he had gotten from the wisdom pills. Adion had decided to only reveal peak Iron strength when he returned, reveal low Bronze strength after a year or two, and finally middle Bronze strength when he arrived at Cyalis.
He would pretend to be a fire mage among other people, even though he was much weaker in fire than an average fire mage his strength. But Adion had practiced a lot with his fire mana and had taken a Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill. He believed that was enough for him to fool people.
Adion still somewhat wanted to use his space powers as well, though. He thought that maybe he could freeze space without anyone noticing, as his space mana wasn¡¯t visible to the naked eye, and most people wouldn¡¯t be able to feel it through their mana sense.
Adion decided to ask Fellion about it as he saw the big owl walking towards him.
¡°You have improved a lot,¡± Fellion said, ¡°Keep in mind, though, that I can still see through you clearly, and you never know who might have specialized in sensing elements and how well they can see through you, so be careful and continue practicing.¡±
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¡°Yes, I know. Don¡¯t worry, I will make sure to reach a stage where not even you can see through me.¡± Adion said with a slight grin. He then asked Fellion, ¡°By the way, I won¡¯t be able to use my space magic when I return if I don¡¯t want to reveal my space core. But can¡¯t I still use it sneakily? Like freezing space for a short time? I don¡¯t think many people can notice the increase of space mana with their mana sense.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Fellion mused, ¡°Maybe not mages at your stage. But this is certainly not a bulletproof plan. Sooner or later, the truth will come out. Perhaps you can freeze space openly and claim it as a Gift of Ganta. That is a much more plausible explanation than you having a core of the space element after all.¡±
That¡¯s a great idea! But I don¡¯t know much about Gifted. Can I really fool people when they start asking questions?
¡°I know Gifted have special powers that cannot really be explained, but what exactly is a Gift of Ganta?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know more than the sapi, but I might know more than you. As far as I know, having a Gift of Ganta is incredibly rare and highly sought after. Those who have such powers are called Gifted. They can do magic that cannot be explained or learned.
¡°Everyone with a fire spark can be taught how to conjure a fireball as well as how to increase size, heat, and speed. It will take practice, but there is a well-known theory on how to accomplish it. But a Gifted can do things outside their element, such as flying, healing, and telepathy. At least I have heard of sapi and beasts with those powers. It is a very rare thing, and every Gifted, no matter the ability, is highly valued by the top powers of the continent. Even if one were poor, weak, and without connection, one would, without a problem, get in the Diamond class at Cyalis Academy. Something I believe you are interested in.
¡°Even if someone you knew before discovers this, it wouldn¡¯t raise any warning signal as no one is born Gifted. The power almost always manifests itself in a life-and-death situation. Like the Comet, the famous mage of a Noble family in the Alago Empire who has reached Diamond with a fire core and is Gifted with the ability to fly. According to the story, the Comet was hunted by some beasts along with his brother in his youth. They ran in such a panic that they accidentally fell off a steep and high cliff. When the Comet saw his brother fall to his death, he felt such an intense desire to save him that he managed to make not just the fire mana obey him as had been the case his entire life. Now, his Will affected gravity itself and gave him the power to fly and save himself and his brother.
¡°This did not mean he suddenly got an affinity to gravity mana, if that even exists, the Comet can not do anything besides flying. This is why Gifts are so strange. They are a single strange power that can be in any element and do anything. It can¡¯t really be improved either.
¡°Of course, countless people die and see their loved ones die every day without awakening such powers. It is incredibly rare. It is also so far impossible to recreate. When the Gifted try to explain how to use their power, it seems impossible to recreate. If someone with a fire core wants to throw a fireball, he can slowly practice mana sense and mana control. Practice manipulating fire for years and, either by himself or with a teacher''s help, finally manipulate fire in a way he has intended with his Will. But according to a Gifted, you just have to Will the thing, and it will happen, no countless small steps to follow but all at once.
¡°Of course, people try to recreate it, some even jumping off cliffs in their effort to. But so far, no one has been able to learn the ability of a Gifted by doing so. It is seen by most as a gift of the world itself, by Ganta, hence its name,¡± Fellion finished his lengthy monologue.
¡°Wow. You know a lot about the sapi part of the continent. I¡¯ve only heard the name ¡®The Comet¡¯; I never heard the story of how he got his powers.¡± Adion said.
¡°I am interested in all kinds of knowledge, and few things are more interesting than the powers that Gifted wield. If you find out anything about their power in the future as you infiltrate as one of them, I would be very pleased to hear what you have learned.¡±
¡°Sure, I will let you know. But I¡¯m not planning to infiltrate them or anything. Is there such a thing as a group of Gifted sharing secret information?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Probably not, but it would be convenient now, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Mm, I guess so,¡± Adion answered, confused if Fellion was serious or just joking around.
Both options seem weird. Let¡¯s just ignore it.
¡°Well, enough about the Gifted, and on to the last part of your training,¡± Fellion said.
¡°We will move on to the last part that I believe to be essential for any mage with aura control¡ªhiding your presence. This can be done in a theoretically easy way: simply pull in all your aura, and there isn¡¯t anything there for anyone to sense. Unfortunately, that is very difficult in practice. If you thought pulling in just a few parts of your aura was hard, this will demand almost impossibly more power. It will also not be easy to take hold of, even though it is not simply a part of your aura you most locate, but all of it. But sensing all of your aura is no easy task either. I believe we will have to work together on this for a long time.¡±
¡°So the idea is to pull in every part of my aura? That seems to be impossible.¡±
¡°It is probably impossible for you, yes. But to go unnoticed, you don¡¯t need to hide your aura completely. Remember that even though your space mana is not hidden from me, it would take a human expert to find it. And he would have to specifically look for it. So even though your aura isn¡¯t hidden completely, if no one is looking for you, you will go unnoticed.¡±
¡°I see, so if someone is looking at me and trying to sense my aura, they would be able to sense me, but if I was hidden and they didn¡¯t know to sense an aura, then I would go unnoticed?¡±
¡°In a way, yes. But there are many things you can do to expose and hide yourself. I believe human assassins are all trained in this. It is crucial to be calm. If your mind is buzzing with thought, this will be reflected in your aura. Remember that most normal people who have not developed a core wouldn¡¯t be able to sense your presence even without you hiding your aura. But there are exceptions, such as killing intent. As far as I know, all living beings are innately sensitive to killing intent. If you wish to kill someone, you can not let it show through your aura. Even a common child without magic would be able to sense it.
¡°Your strength is also something you need to reign in, as this is something many mages can notice. In fact, just hiding your strength completely will go a long way in hiding your presence, and this way of going about it is somewhat of a perfectionist angle. But I believe this will help you in many areas in the future. To be able to feel all of your aura is very difficult, but it will give you greater overall control, and it will be easier for you to find new parts of your aura in the future.
¡°Anyway, we should start. Close your eyes and try to reign in all of your aura. You will not manage to grab ahold of all of it, so grab all you can feel. I will then probe all over your aura so that you can grab hold of the missing parts.¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯m ready to start.¡± Adion readily answered.
Adion focused on his aura and tried to feel all of it. He could easily grab the parts that revealed his space core, his strength, and, to a large degree, his intent, but his aura contained everything he was. As Fellion probed him, he could feel parts of his aura he didn¡¯t know about yet. It was very hard to hold everything at once, and it felt like as soon as he tried to hold on to something new, something else would slip out of his grasp. After a while, he managed to somewhat hold onto parts of his aura that he didn¡¯t really know what they entailed. When the day came to an end, he asked Fellion about it.
¡°It seems that a lot of my aura reveals things I don¡¯t even know.¡±
¡°Yes, that is obvious. Even for me, a lot of my own aura eludes me. I can feel your aura, but a lot of it tells me nothing, or perhaps it tells me many things, but I cannot decipher it. But that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t control it to a degree. I advise you to continue studying your own aura and the aura of others. Experiment with it, and who knows what you might find. Anyway, good work today. I will continue to train you going forward, as this part will prove very difficult without someone to point out the parts of your aura that you have missed. When you can grab hold of your entire aura consistently, you can continue to practice hiding it by yourself in the future. Hopefully, you will reach that degree of control in the remaining four months.¡±
Chapter 20 - Time to leave
Just like Fellion said, Adion had a much harder time this time around. This wasn¡¯t surprising, considering that previously, Adion only had to focus on one part of his aura.
But day by day, Adion improved. And he trained hard. He had Fellion making sure he never slacked off, after all.
Fortunately, he managed to hold all of his aura at least for a while when just under four months had passed, but it would quickly slip out of his grip. His aura changed all the time. Most parts stayed the same, but a lot of things that Adion didn¡¯t even know what purpose they served constantly changed and were incredibly difficult to hide. But it was enough for him to progress without Fellion''s help in the future.
Adion didn¡¯t know how long it would take him to get to this level without Fellion''s help, not just the knowledge and instructions but Fellion''s ability to probe parts of his aura and tell Adion what they were. That was an ability he didn¡¯t think many among the sapi had. He believed that regardless of the soul pill''s value, Adion had gotten a bargain.
Adion felt a little different after all this aura training. He felt much more aware of himself somehow. It was as if he could remain calm easier as he immediately felt his mood''s effects on his aura. His ability to hide his strength and space core improved a lot during the months as well. He had been allowed to continue his physical exercise every morning as Fellion saw the merit in staying in good shape. He always tried to be aware of his aura during this time, paying attention to how it changed and what parts reacted to what he did. He didn¡¯t have any great epiphany, but he got a lot better at sensing his aura and quickly grabbing hold of it.
¡°You are now able to continue practicing without my help,¡± Fellion told Adion as their practice had just ended for the day, ¡°It took us four months, but even if you might feel that to be a long time, it is actually extraordinarily short. You have one more week remaining before our deal ends. It''s not too bad for you as I believe that you have more to gain in your aura training among humans. And too much training by yourself without applying it in the real world might stagnate your progress.
¡°However, I would advise you to spend the remaining time here making the most of the situation. Converse with different beasts and get used to how the aura of beasts works, from the Stone to the Diamond stage. It is not something you will have convenient access to when you get home. I will also be here to answer your questions if you have any. So make the most of it and train hard for one more week before I bring you away.¡±
¡°Thank you for your advice. I miss interacting with humans and am excited to go home. But I will heed your advice and make the most of the remaining time.¡±
So now Adion was free of lessons for the first time in a long time. He had been practicing by himself before but always with a specific goal to reach before showing Fellion his results and then moving on to the next lesson. Now, it was up to him to decide which direction he wanted to go.
Adion decided to spend a lot of time with White whenever he was at the cave; it could be seen as practicing his aura sense in a way, and Adion would have to say goodbye to him soon. He had gotten close to the Deep Snow Wolf during the past year, or at least Adion thought he had. He had always been training before coming to this forest, and with him being a sparkless, he spent most of his time in the family manor and didn¡¯t really have any opportunity to make friends.
So it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that White was the first friend Adion ever had, and Adion didn¡¯t plan on this being goodbye forever. He would visit in the future.
He heeded Fellion''s advice and spent a lot of time talking to the beasts in the area. All the beasts around knew that their leader was training a young human, so they were curious about Adion as well. He tried to talk about himself as well as he could. He would also ask questions in return, as Fellion never talked about much besides aura.
Most beasts were part of a tribe similar to the family clans that humans and elves had, and they would train and go out hunting for food and then come back to rest and meditate. Many beasts hadn¡¯t really thought about the human part of the world and didn¡¯t seem to have any hate against Adion.
When Adion tried to tell them about the Outskirts, the beasts seemed to be interested in going there to fight sapi someday, which made sense, as Adion was like that, too. He was planning on heading to the Outskirts and training there for a while before making his way to Cyalis. He couldn¡¯t exactly start having life-and-death battles against other sapi, and he needed those fights to hone his Will. He would also need the money from the meat and beast cores as he didn¡¯t have a penny to his name.
It would feel a little weird after being friendly with these beasts for so long, but Adion had seen friendly beasts before coming here, and that didn¡¯t stop him from fighting the Gray Wolves when he got here. He needed the meat, he needed the fur, and he needed the fighting experience.
It was how the world worked, and Adion was putting his life on the line, so he wasn¡¯t feeling too guilty about it. The world was a dangerous place.
Adion took it easy on his physical exercise the last few days. He had spent a lot of time on his sword technique and physical exercise in the previous four months. He was in a growth spurt and needed to constantly put on muscle to keep up with his taller frame and get used to fighting with a bigger body. He hadn¡¯t increased his mana practice more than the two hours a day he had allocated. He knew he could do that once he left and needed to focus on his aura training above all else while he was there.
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When a week finally passed, Adion said his goodbye to White. It was a little harder than he thought it would be.
¡°Alright, White. I¡¯m leaving for a while now, but I will definitely come back to visit. Make sure to keep growing strong.¡±
¡°Woof!¡± White gave a bark of assurance. Even if they could somewhat communicate with aura, Adion was not very well-spoken when using it. White¡¯s barks were similar; Adion could feel that the wolf preferred barking while communicating.
¡°That¡¯s good. I expect you to be a Soul beast when I return, so listen to Fellion if he teaches you something about aura.¡± Adion advised.
¡°Woof!¡± White gave a confident bark.
Feels good to know that White is aiming high.
Adion then made his way out of the cave, where he saw Fellion waiting.
A year had passed, and Adion felt stronger than ever, which he was. He was a middle Bronze mage, after all. And even though the aura training for the past year hadn¡¯t increased his strength, he thought the training had somewhat helped his mana sense. And even if it was just two hours a day along with some meditating, over the course of a whole year, it adds up. His teleportation and his fire magic had slowly improved over time.
But even if aura training didn¡¯t increase his strength, it was incredibly valuable, and he had greatly improved. He could now keep his strength down to low Iron stage, and he was sure that even someone with a good aura sense wouldn¡¯t be able to see through him as a peak Iron stage. He had tested his ability against the beasts around and noticed that he was still no match for Silver beasts, but beasts in the Bronze stage were sometimes fooled by him. They could fool him in return, though. Generally, two people with equal aura control and aura sense could hide their aura from each other but not unravel the other one. It was harder to notice a hidden aura than to conceal your own.
He was also stronger than ever physically. Eating high-quality meat along with his training gave him a chiseled and lean physique, with solid muscles aided by his middle Bronze core. He was about five foot nine and still growing. He would turn 15 in a few months, after all.
¡°It has been interesting having a human among us for the past year, and I am proud of your effort and improvements, young Adion. Should you return one day, I wouldn¡¯t mind listening to your stories and sharing mine in return.¡± Fellion told him as they stood outside the cave.
¡°I¡¯ll be sure to do that,¡± Adion answered. He had already said goodbye and was ready to begin his journey back home.
¡°Well, then,¡± Fellion said and turned around. ¡°Hop on.¡±
¡°Wait, what? We are flying?¡± Adion asked incredulously.
¡°I might not value each year as highly as someone as young as you, but I still don¡¯t have enough time to walk you back when flying only takes a few days. Hurry up.¡±
Adion agreed with the logic of it. He just never thought that he would be flying on Fellion and thought it might be a little awkward.
Won¡¯t I be too heavy? Sure, he is bigger than me, but not that much bigger.
Adion didn¡¯t voice his complaints, though, and hopped up on the back of Fellion. Just as he sat down, Fellion took off into the sky. Amazingly, he didn¡¯t feel the wind blowing him off as he had imagined he would at this speed. But then he remembered that Fellion had a wind core, as he had let Adion sense it for his training.
He probably controls the wind to decrease wind resistance. It¡¯s really a spectacular view. The forest has no end.
They flew so fast that Adion could see the horizon constantly refilling with new trees in the direction they were going. After many hours, they changed course slightly, and Adion could see a vast mountain range in the distance that they had avoided.
I wonder if I will ever see all this forest has to uncover. The old temple I found shouldn¡¯t be the only remains from the Age of Wonder. I wonder what else is out there.
The sun went down, and night arrived, but Fellion didn¡¯t stop. He kept the same pace he had during the day and didn¡¯t seem tired at all.
I want to be able to fly one day. Sure, long-distance teleportation would also be nice, but flying just had a certain feel to it.
Adion had fortunately packed his backpack with some food, but as he was just sitting still, he wasn¡¯t in any hurry to eat just yet. He was a Bronze mage, and the need for substance wasn¡¯t at the same level as when he was a Stone mage.
The flight took four days before Adion could finally see fields of grass clear of trees, and fields with humans cultivating different kinds of food. It was a great feeling to finally see this view that reminded him of home.
Fellion landed a few miles from the edge of the forest and let Adion step off.
¡°This is goodbye, for now, Adion. Remember not to trust too easily. I know that you were but a child when you came here, but you will return as a man. People can be fickle, and if someone knows of your space element, even someone you trust, they might be quick to sell out your secret for enough gold. But if you meet someone you do sincerely believe won¡¯t betray you, don¡¯t be afraid to open up about your secrets. Otherwise, it can eat away at a relationship.¡±
¡°I will keep that in mind, Fellion.¡± Adion answered, ¡°Thank you for everything. I will come visit one day and bring you some gifts.¡±
¡°Mmm, I look forward to it. Farewell.¡± And with those words, Fellion took flight again and left Adion to muse about everything he had been through. Until a sudden thought disturbed his mind.
Damn! I forgot to ask where the hell we are.
Chapter 21 - Slavers
Bea tried to peek out through the cracks of the wagon wall. She couldn¡¯t make out much, but it gave her something to do and kept her mind off things. She had only been in the wagon for a few days, but she knew that they would reach the ocean soon, and then she would be lost forever, sold off as a slave in the Meloria Kingdom or perhaps even as far as the Alago Empire.
¡°Bea, when will Father and the others come?¡± a meek voice sounded beside her. It was her younger sister.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, Fem, they will be here soon. The village head will contact Silver Gelm in Mermi as soon as they know we are gone. They have probably gathered all the fighters and are on their way now.¡± Bea comforted her sister.
¡°If they will even be able to find us.¡± a voice sounded from the corner of the wagon. He was a boy Bea''s age and had already been here when they were captured. There were nine children in total: seven girls and two boys. All with their hands and feet tied, though none had any weapon or mana core, so Bea didn¡¯t see the use.
¡°Of course they will!¡± Bea vehemently shouted. Even if she started to get scared of not getting rescued in time, she refused to give up.
¡°Maybe, but what if they did? They would only be killed.¡± the boy spoke back in an emotionless voice.
¡°What do you mean?¡± Bea asked.
¡°I once saw Silver Gelm when I went with my father to Mermi to build a pavilion in the village head''s courtyard. I got a strange feeling from him, a feeling that he¡¯s really strong.¡±
¡°Well, isn¡¯t that good then?¡± Bea questioned.
¡°I got the same feeling from the leader of the slavers. He was as strong, if not even stronger than Silver Gelm. And I don¡¯t think the rest of the group is weak either. Most of them should be Bronze mages. So even if they found us, what could they do? Even if they could win, the cost would be great, and I don¡¯t think the town head would take that risk for just a few kids from poor families.¡±
¡°That-¡± Bea didn¡¯t know what to say. The boy seemed to have thought it all through, and Bea couldn¡¯t argue against his logic.
¡°Our older brother is in the Outskirts Guild, you know. Even if we end up on the other side of the world, he will come to get us.¡± Bea finally said with newfound conviction.
It did little to cheer up the other kids, though. Almost all of them had their heads down, some silently crying. Only Sabi, a girl from the same village as Bea, didn¡¯t seem sad. Her eyes were burning in anger and rage. She had always had a temper, and it looked like not even getting kidnapped by slavers could quell her strong emotions.
I just need to stay with Fem. As long as we are together, everything will be alright. Bea thought to herself.
The wagon continued to travel in silence, finally stopping only when night fell. The sound of the slavers carried through the thin wooden walls, and Bea could hear how they were eating and drinking in an almost celebratory manner.
¡°I¡¯ll kill them.¡± She suddenly heard a voice and lifted her head to see Sabi, now calmer and having stopped squirming, but still with rage in her eyes.
¡°And how are you going to do that? They are mages, you know, not to say anything of how you are just a kid.¡± Bea didn¡¯t see any point in entertaining Sabi¡¯s crazy ideas.
¡°Then I¡¯ll become a mage too. I might not be able to now, but one day. And then I will find those guys and kill them. I swear it.¡± Sabi said with conviction.
¡°I thought you were sparkless?¡± Bea asked. She herself had an earth spark but didn¡¯t have any plans to become a mage. She didn¡¯t know how to. And even if she did, she knew earth mages weren¡¯t worth much.
She didn¡¯t have her brother''s passion for magic. She had heard how he would constantly pester the village head, travel to Mermi, to every surrounding village and town with mages to get a nugget of wisdom from them. He had trained every day all day in the pursuit of his dream. And it paid off. He was an Outskirter now. But Bea had no such dream. She didn¡¯t want to fight beasts. She just wanted to live her life in her village in peace.
She had heard mages stayed younger for longer though, so she might try it if her brother would teach her.
¡°So what if I¡¯m sparkless? I¡¯ll find a way.¡± Sabi stubbornly said.
How?
Bea thought to herself but didn¡¯t ask out loud. After that, she slowly fell asleep. But she didn¡¯t wake up to the wagon moving like usual. She woke up as she heard shouting from outside. A few screams and sounds of fighting followed them.
¡°Did they come to rescue us?¡± A girl said aloud. Even the boy who seemed to have given up all hope long ago now had a new glint in his eyes.
The fighting lasted only a few minutes before it was entirely silent again. Everyone held their breaths, waiting for something to happen. After a moment, the doors to the wagon opened, and everyone turned their heads to look.
It wasn¡¯t Silver Gelm and his men. It was a young man. He was bare-chested and had blood all over his torso, long, unkempt black hair, and deep dark blue eyes. He looked extremely deadly as he looked at them, but more than that, Bea thought that he was the most handsome man she had ever seen.
¡°Hey, kids. The bad men are gone now. Do any of you know the way back?¡± the young man asked. Everyone was still quiet.
¡°I-I am good at that. I have a good sense of direction.¡± Fem¡¯s weak voice sounded from beside her. The young man looked at her without a change of expression.
¡°That¡¯s good. I am new around here, so I will need your help. Oh, I should untie everyone.¡±
The young man went away for a short moment and came back with a knife. He cut the children''s ropes one by one, and when he was done, he spoke again.
¡°Yeah, so, it''s a pretty gruesome scene out there. You should stay here while I drive the wagon away, and then you can come out later.¡±
¡°No! I want to see.¡± Sabi said, still with anger written over her face. The young man looked at her and then at the rest of them before nodding.
¡°Alright, you can come out. The rest of you wait here for a moment.¡±
¡°I want to look, too!
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¡°Me too!¡±
The two boys yelled out, but the young man shook his head.
¡°Sorry, but I won¡¯t allow it. If you want to prove that you have the stomach to see dead bodies, you should have the stomach to kill first.¡± The man walked away with Sabi and closed the wagon doors.
Outside the wagon, Adion started looking for clothes on the dead men that might fit him. He had been wearing rags supplemented by Gray Wolf''s fur for years and needed a new pair of everything. He needed a haircut as well.
He eventually found everything he needed from the men on the ground and carried them away from the small dirt road one by one. He took their money and weapons with him¡ªno need to leave that behind.
Adion turned to look at the girl who had followed him out of the wagon. She looked around at the messy bodies strewn about, and if anything, Adion only felt satisfaction and a slight annoyance from her. It was like she had wanted to kill them herself, but at least someone had done it.
Adion had noticed she wasn¡¯t afraid in the wagon and only seemed angry, so he didn¡¯t mind letting her watch. The two boys, however, just seemed to want to act tough but didn¡¯t really want to see dead mutilated bodies.
Even though death was a common occurrence in the world, and they would see it one day, Adion didn¡¯t see a reason to expose them so soon. The oldest one was only 12 years old. They still had some time to be kids.
When Adion had felt the presence of humans for the first time in 2 and a half years, he was ecstatic, but he was still cautious as he was in a foreign land. Adion didn¡¯t even know which kingdom or empire he was in. He had snuck up on the traveling company and tried to hide his aura as best as he could. That¡¯s when he felt the aura of the kids in the wagon, and listening to the conversations of the slavers, he had gotten a good idea of what was going on.
He waited till nightfall for his attack. There were seven men in total, and the strongest one was even a Silver. Normally, he would have just gone his own way as it wasn¡¯t his problem. But the fact that it concerned kids made him want to do something. He wasn¡¯t any hero of justice, but some things he just wouldn¡¯t let pass. He wasn¡¯t about to show mercy to people who kidnapped children. Even though it would be the first time he killed humans, it didn¡¯t feel that different from killing beasts to Adion. Beasts in the higher stages had just as much self-awareness as humans, and Adion had killed plenty of beasts.
He knew even before his family was massacred that this was the way of the world, and after that, more than ever, he knew he couldn¡¯t stay weak and overly compassionate if he wanted his revenge. His goal was to kill every single one responsible for his family¡¯s death, and if he took out a few scums along the way, Adion didn¡¯t mind.
But even though Adion was a middle Bronze mage now, and an especially strong one at that. He didn¡¯t feel confident fighting a Silver, even less so a Silver with 6 Bronze mages to back him up. So he made Silver his priority and waited for him to go to sleep.
Two of the men were awake to stand guard, but they weren¡¯t very attentive. He managed to hide his aura well enough for them not to notice him, and he snuck towards the sleeping Silver. He had a tent for himself. Adion struck down with his sword across the man¡¯s throat, freezing him just before impact in case of any last-minute struggle.
Fortunately, the incident went without notice, and Adion went around finishing the rest of the men who were sleeping before taking on the two guards. They were both middle Bronze mages, but Adion managed to win the fight fairly quickly by freezing them in space, surprising them greatly, and then piercing their heart without resistance.
He felt that he could probably win against a peak Bronze mage without much trouble at his current strength. A Silver mage was a different story, though. Unless he was sleeping, of course.
Adion finished up his looting and throwing away the bodies. All in all, Adion was now fitted in an entirely new outfit, new for him, that is. It still had gone a few days without being washed. But it was much better than what Adion had had on him earlier.
He also took two knives and strapped them on him, as well as a total of two gold coins, twenty-two silvers, and 283 coppers. He put them all in his backpack and was pleased with having enough money for food and housing for a while.
This feels great. Now, I only need a bath and a meal made by an actual chef, and I will be content for at least a year.
The girl had been looking around at the bodies and kicked a few of them, as well as taking a knife after asking Adion if she could. The carriage was being carried by two horses, only normal animals without mana cores, but it was enough to carry a wagon.
¡°Where are we?¡± He asked the girl.
¡°Er, about two days away from Farfield Village.¡± The girl answered.
¡°No. What country?¡± Adion clarified.
¡°You mean the Delovan Empire?¡± She asked, uncertain what Adion was getting at.
¡°Are we in the Delovan Empire?¡± Adion asked to make sure.
¡°Yes?¡± The girl finally answered to Adion¡¯s satisfaction.
¡°That¡¯s fine, I guess. Hop on.¡±
Adion jumped up on the driver''s seat along with the girl and turned the carriage around. The forest was off to one side of the road, and the trees had been mostly cleared on the other, so it wasn¡¯t much of a problem.
¡°What is your name, mister?¡± The girl asked as they drove off.
Adion had thought that maybe he should use a fake name, lest anyone could track him back to the Adion Remori who is supposed to be dead. He came from the other side of the continent, but someone might be able to connect the dots in the future, so it could be good to be cautious. At the same time, the Adion Remori known to the world was sparkless, and most wouldn¡¯t associate the Adion, a powerful mage in the Delovan Empire, with the same person.
And his identity would be known once he reunited with his brother, sister, and grandfather anyway.
Eh, whatever. I¡¯ll just be Adion with no last name for now.
¡°I¡¯m Adion. What¡¯s your name?¡± Adion asked in return.
¡°I¡¯m Sabi. Where are you from? Why did you ask if this was the Delovan Empire?¡±
¡°I¡¯m from the east.¡± Adion simply answered.
¡°East? Are you from the capital?¡± Sabi excitedly asked.
Adion just ignored her and responded with his own questions.
¡°How about you? Where are you and the other kids from?¡±
Sabi silently looked at Adion for a while before answering.
¡°I am from Farfield. It''s just a small village with a couple of hundred people. I know two of the girls in the wagon are also from there. The others are probably from some other villages in the area or maybe Mermi. Mermi is the closest town, and kind of oversees a couple of villages around here. The village head there is a Silver, you know.¡±
¡°I see. Well, we should stop now and let the others out.¡±
¡°By the way, the boy said that there was a man as strong as Silver Gelm in the group that kidnapped us. How did you defeat them?¡±
Adion paused. He hadn¡¯t been expecting this question. Or any questions, really.
I should start thinking ahead a little more. I¡¯m only showing the strength of a peak Iron mage right now, so it is indeed very strange. But not impossible.
¡°I waited till they all went to sleep. They didn¡¯t expect anyone to attack them in the middle of nowhere, so it was quite easy.¡±
Adion answered, jumped down from his seat, and went to the back of the wagon to let the other kids out. They seemed to still be somewhat uneasy, but Adion ignored it and just told them they could come out if they wanted, and everyone was happy to get out.
¡°I¡¯m guessing you might want to stretch your legs after being cooped up in there. We can take it slow for a while. If you get tired, you can just get up and ride in the wagon again. Does anyone know where the closest village is and how far it will be?¡± Adion asked the gathering of kids, who were from the ages 7-12 from what he felt from their auras.
¡°We should get to Farfield in about two days if we follow this road. It is the southernmost village in the area that I know of.¡± A girl said as her arm was held around what appeared to be her younger sister.
¡°Alright then, let¡¯s get you home. I found some supplies the slavers carried with them that should be more than enough. We can stop to eat now if you¡¯d like. You guys seem hungry.¡±
The kids nodded their heads and started smiling at the thought of food.
Chapter 22 - Farfield Village
Adion stood watching the kids greedily eating while leaning against the wagon.
Must have been barely fed since they were captured, scum slavers.
Slavery was abundant on the continent, mainly in the two Empires, Meloria, and Veloria. But it was more or less banned in Adion''s home country, Valis, as well as in Duts, Rellen, and the elven kingdom Iitha. So Adion wasn¡¯t used to seeing such things and wasn¡¯t very fond of the idea of selling and buying humans.
The kids had all helped set up for dinner when he had asked them to. A few girls got together and took charge. Only Sabi didn¡¯t help. She just stood there with her arms crossed, looking around as if scouting for enemies.
The kids were all impressed when Adion lit the fire by conjuring his own fire. Most villages had people capable of the same thing, but not any as young as Adion could do it so skillfully.
When they finished the food, Adion jumped up to his seat at the front of the wagon again. He preferred sitting down to meditate instead of stretching his legs. The kids were starting to liven up a bit and were talking with more excited and energized voices after being fed.
Sabi still sat next to Adion and asked him a lot of questions. It allowed Adion to develop and modify a story as he went along. He said that his parents were dead and he had been traveling alone for years. He never said where he came from, only that it was far to the east. He also asked Sabi about life around these parts and gathered some useful information.
They were in the southwest of the Delovan Empire, and there were only villages and small towns around these parts. The closest thing to a big city was Port Gladia, which was by the coast further east, and Billford City, which was inland to the north. She didn¡¯t know how far those places were. She only knew they were very far away. Adion thought that maybe Billford would be a good place to head to. It would probably have a large branch of the Outskirts Guild, considering that it was close to the Endless Forest.
These parts were also close, but there weren¡¯t many strong beasts unless you went very deep into the forest. A few Silver mages dispersed through the small towns were enough to keep order here.
He could probably get to Mermi, the closest town, easily from Farfield. Once there, he could probably find someone with directions to Billford.
I will keep moving northeast and then cross the border to Iitha. After that, it is not far to Cyalis. But I¡¯m not in a rush. I have at least two years until I need to be there. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to get a little more experience and earn some money before that.
¡°Can you teach me how to use magic?¡± Sabi suddenly asked.
¡°Do you have a spark?¡± Adion asked back.
¡°No,¡± Sabi answered dejectedly.
¡°Well, do you have an affinity to any element? Can you sense the mana around you?¡± Adion asked back. It was interesting talking to another sparkless like him.
¡°I do! I can!¡± Sabi answered excitedly, ¡°No one in the village seems to believe me, but I can sense water mana. I¡¯m sure of it. My grandfather has a water spark, you know.¡±
¡°Hm. In that case, all you need to do is practice. It will be hard and take a long time, but if you want to form a core, that is the only way.¡± Adion answered seriously.
Sabi looked at him with wide eyes, ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s possible?¡± she asked.
¡°Of course it¡¯s possible, it¡¯s just incredibly difficult. You need to train your water mana control to such a high degree that you can collect vast amounts of it without a trace of any other mana. You need a Will strong enough to keep a core in place without a spark to help you. It will take time and hard work, and you won¡¯t have much time for other things, but it is certainly possible.¡± Adion answered truthfully.
Sabi was quiet for a while before slowly starting to tear up. ¡°Are you speaking the truth? You¡¯re not lying, are you?¡±
¡°Of course, I¡¯m not lying. As far as I know, that¡¯s how it works. At least that¡¯s how it worked for me.¡± Adion revealed.
¡°You were a sparkless?¡± Sabi asked, stunned.
¡°Mm. And I did what I instructed you to do. The key is to have an immense amount of, in your case, water mana when you form your core. Don¡¯t try to hurry too much to get there, though. It will take longer for you than it does for someone with a spark. But all your efforts will pay off in the future. And if you really want to become a mage, I promise that all that hard training will be worth it once you finally get there.¡±
Adion didn¡¯t know if it was a good idea to reveal him being a sparkless or not, but he just didn¡¯t want the girl to give up. He had his grandfather to believe in him, but she had no one. And even if she told people about Adion, he didn¡¯t think people would believe her.
¡°I will become a mage. I swear it on everything I am.¡± Sabi said with great conviction.
Adion gave off a little smile and said, ¡°Then I have no doubt you will succeed.¡±
Sabi closed her eyes and quieted down, sitting in a lotus position. Adion was glad that he could help, if only a little. There was only so much he could do. If Sabi didn¡¯t have the discipline for this, then there was nothing Adion could do about it.
They continued their journey, with the kids getting livelier as they got closer to Farfield. It took them a little over two days, and they arrived in the village early in the morning. When the first people noticed them, it started a big commotion, and soon, what Adion assumed was the whole village was gathered around them, kids crying in their mother''s embrace. Adion himself walked away for a while by himself. He had no desire to interrupt the happy reunion and ask for directions just yet, nor did he want to explain how he had managed to kill the slavers. He would probably be asked by someone in charge later, but he didn¡¯t want to have the entire village in front of him when he did.
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Adion strolled around, looking at the old, humble buildings, and thought it was a nice place to live in. The village had a small square with a store for food and a smithy as well as a building where he guessed the village head resided.
I guess I will have to talk to him later, so I might as well stick around here for a while.
Adion walked around for a little longer before going in to buy some fruits in the food store and then taking a seat on a small bench outside. It wasn¡¯t long before a middle-aged woman in clean clothes approached Adion with a motherly smile.
¡°Are you Adion? The young man who helped bring the children back?¡± the woman asked.
¡°Yes, that would be me,¡± Adion responded as he stood up.
¡°Our village head would like to have a word with you. I will bring you to him if that¡¯s alright with you?¡±
¡°Of course, lead the way.¡±
The woman turned around and walked to the big house by the square, and as Adion had thought, the house belonged to the village head. It wasn¡¯t as fancy as the buildings Adion was used to growing up, but it stood out in a village like Farfield.
When they came to the front door, the woman opened it without knocking and stepped inside.
¡°Come on in. The village head is in his study waiting for you. It is down the hall. I will take you there.¡±
When they reached this door, the woman knocked, and a deep voice rang from inside telling them to come in. The man, who Adion assumed to be the village head, was sitting behind a desk with two simple chairs in front. There were some papers on the desk and a few books, but otherwise, the room was pretty much plain and empty.
Adion had thought of the village head as an old man, probably known for his wisdom around the village. But the man behind the desk didn¡¯t look much older than 40, and he had a strong body, looking more like a warrior. Adion felt from his aura that he was a middle Bronze mage like himself.
¡°Take a seat, take a seat. I am Villum, the village head of Farfield. It is a pleasure to meet such an outstanding youth such as yourself.¡± Villum introduced himself with a jolly smile.
¡°A pleasure to meet you too, village head Villum. My name is Adion, as you might have already heard.¡± Adion palmed his fist in greeting as a sign of respect for the man''s position.
¡°I have indeed talked to the kids about you and found myself very curious how such a child as you found his way all the way out here. You can¡¯t be much older than 14 and already a peak Iron mage. That is incredibly rare in these parts. I believe it would be an achievement to brag about anywhere on the continent, for that matter. Something that tells me your background is not so simple. But I won¡¯t pry into your secrets as that would truly be ungrateful. Instead, I simply wished to repay the favor of saving the children. If there is anything you need, don¡¯t hesitate to ask. I will fulfill any wish that is within my capabilities.¡±
Adion was a little shocked as he was prepared to be grilled on every detail of his made-up story. But when he thought about it, it made sense. Generally, someone of Adion''s strength and age speaks of a powerful background.
He probably thinks of me as someone he can¡¯t afford to offend, even if he is curious. It wouldn¡¯t do to get on the bad side of a family that could raise someone like me.
¡°Well, if the village head insists, there is something I am in need of. You see, I am on my way to Billford but don¡¯t know how to get there. Is there perhaps a map that I can see or maybe the way to Mermi and the name of someone there that could be of help?¡±
¡°Such an easy request. Of course, I know the way to Billford, and Mermi is on the way, so you would pass by it no matter what. Let me show you. I have a map with me here.¡±
Villum stood up and went to a large chest that stood in the corner of the room. He opened it up and pulled out a big map that he unfurled on the desk in front of Adion.
¡°As you can see, it is quite far from here. You can get to Mermi in a carriage in about three days. From there, it would be around three weeks of travel in a carriage to reach Billford, with a few more small towns like Mermi along the way.¡±
Adion studied the map and thought it made sense. He memorized the general location of all the towns and villages on the way; he would only need to head north, and once he got close, he could always ask someone for directions if he couldn¡¯t find the way himself.
¡°Thank you, village head. I believe I should be able to get myself to Billford just fine now.¡±
Adion got up from his seat and saw that the smile on Villum''s face wavered a little.
¡°Surely you are not leaving immediately?¡± he asked Adion.
¡°I am afraid that I am in a bit of a hurry, so I should get going as soon as possible.¡±
¡°I see. In that case, I won¡¯t keep you any longer. But are you sure there is nothing else I can do for you? I should be able to get you on a carriage from Mermi headed to Billford. Even if you have your own, it is always safer to travel in groups. Even though you are strong, there are many stronger people out there.¡±
Adion thought about it, and it would be nice to have a ride with someone who knew the area. He could just meditate during the journey, after all.
¡°In that case, I will accept. And as for the carriage that I came here on, it belonged to the slavers, and I won¡¯t need it.¡±
¡°Is that so? Then I will buy the carriage and the two horses from you.¡±
¡°No need, village head. If you want, you can sell it and give the money to the kids that were kidnapped. It might be a little compensation for their troubles.¡±
¡°That is very kind of you, young master Adion. Fairfield Village is surely indebted to you. One last thing before I get started on securing your journey. You see, I have a son who, like me, is a mage. His dream has always been to become an Outskirter. He has always been a very hard worker and is now a middle Bronze mage at the age of 22. He is located in Billford these days, going on adventures in the Outskirts along with a friend of his from the village. If you get to Billford and find yourself in need of anything, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask my son. His name is Villem. I will send a message to him to let him know that he should help you if you ask.¡±
¡°In that case, I won¡¯t be polite and ask him to guide me through the city once I get there,¡± Adion said.
The smile on Villum''s face finally returned in full vigor when he heard that, and he laughed in relief.
¡°Very good! I will make sure he knows how to behave. Just wait here, and I should be able to get you on a carriage within the hour.¡±
¡°Well, thank you for the hospitality village head. No hurry.¡±
¡°Is there anything else I can do for you? I still feel very much indebted.¡±
Adion was just about to answer ¡®no¡¯ when he suddenly came to think of something.
And a few hours later, Adion was sitting on the front of a wagon headed for Mermi, where he would take another carriage to Billford. He enjoyed the warm late summer sun as his hand combed through his newly washed and freshly cut hair.
Chapter 23 - Mermi
¡°Have you ever been in the Outskirts before?¡±
Adion looked at the man who had just spoken. The blacksmith of Farfield Village had taken it upon himself to give Adion a ride to Mermi. The blacksmith, who was called Elmen, needed to fill up his supply of metals and would take the trip soon anyway.
They hadn¡¯t spoken a lot with each other at first. Adion thought that Elmen was probably a little nervous about Adion¡¯s perceived background. But they had been on the road for nearly three days now, and the old blacksmith had started to open up.
¡°I have. But that was mostly on accident. I haven¡¯t joined the Guild yet.¡± Adion answered after a while.
¡°How do you end up in the Outskirts by accident?¡± The blacksmith asked back.
¡°Circumstances¡± was all Adion gave in reply.
¡°Hmm. Well, I wish you the best. You should know that the Outskirts are a dangerous place. I¡¯ve heard that more than half of the mages that go there never return.¡± Elmen said with a serious face.
¡°Well, I think staying weak is more dangerous,¡± Adion replied as he looked at the fields and farms they traveled past.
¡°Maybe.¡± The blacksmith answered, and they continued to travel in silence for a while.
It didn¡¯t take long before they finally saw Mermi up ahead. It wasn¡¯t as small a place as the Farfield village; it had a stone wall surrounding it, and Adion guessed it was about the size of Remori, the town that had been built around the Remori clan for the past several decades.
They were guards at the entrance, but they didn¡¯t trouble the two as they recognized Elmen as a local blacksmith. The town had a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Not too surprising in a place where the strongest mage was Silver, and almost all of the town''s inhabitants were regular non-mages. Mages tended to live in bigger places than this and usually in an area close to the Outskirts.
As they arrived at a building where Elmen would buy his stock of metals, Adion jumped off the wagon, thanked Elmen for the journey, and turned to leave.
¡°Be careful out there, kid. And try to find someone you can trust your back to!¡± Elmen yelled after Adion as he left. Adion nodded towards him and continued walking away.
It should be just around the corner.
Adion thought to himself as he remembered the instructions that Villum had given him. He was going to travel with a merchant group headed for Billford. Villum knew the man in charge of this route and had given Adion a letter that would make it easy for him to get a ride.
As he arrived in front of the building with the words ¡°Melorian Pavilion,¡± he noticed a large wagon blocking the entrance. Two men were unloading a bunch of boxes and bringing them into the building. Adion approached one of the men to ask for the man he was looking for.
¡°Excuse me. Do you know where I can find Mr. Dhiji?¡±
The man briefly looked at Adion before answering, ¡°He should be at the front wagon.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
Adion stepped away from the man and saw that there were seven wagons lined up ahead of it, so he walked to the front and saw a short, well-dressed, fat man with a thick mustache speaking to an old man with guards surrounding them. He could hear their conversation as he got closer.
¡°But it¡¯s too much. How can anyone afford such a price? I have to make a living too, you know.¡± The old man spoke in an aggrieved tone.
¡°That¡¯s the price. Take it or leave it. You won¡¯t get a better price even in Billford. I haven¡¯t even taken out a transport fee as a good gesture. These are rough times, and healing pills are being stocked up by everyone.¡± The fat merchant answered.
¡°But these are Blue Healing Pills. What mage could be in need of them? Surely not regular people have the money to stock up on pills at such a price?¡± the old man asked.
¡°Even regular people have savings, and with what happened in Iitha, everyone is afraid of not having them when needed. And these pills can affect even mages, especially weak mages. So that¡¯s the price. You won¡¯t get a better price anywhere in the Empire, and I¡¯ll take an Oath to that. So will you buy them or not?¡± The merchant asked grumpily, as if his generous offer wasn¡¯t being appreciated.
The old man hesitated for a while before finally relenting with a sigh. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll buy the stock you brought. I hope things will settle down soon. Those damn Phoenix fanatics don¡¯t care at all for the common man!¡±
¡°Pleasure doing business!¡± The merchant said in a jolly voice as he handed over a box and received a large pouch of coins.
Adion walked up to the man he assumed was Mr. Dhiji as he counted the gold coins he had just received with a smile on his face.
¡°Excuse me, sir, are you Mr. Dhiji?¡± Adion asked.
¡°That¡¯s me, alright. What do you want, boy?¡± Mr. Dhiji asked without even looking up from his coins.
¡°I have this letter from Village head Villum. From Farfield Village.¡± Adion said as he handed the man the letter.
¡°Village head Villum, huh? Let¡¯s take a look.¡± He took the letter from Adion and started reading it.
After he finished reading, he looked up and stared at Adion with a scrutinizing look. ¡°A young hero wants to travel with us back to Billord, huh? I guess that¡¯s alright. What¡¯s your name, son?¡±
¡°I¡¯m Adion.¡±
¡°No last name?¡± Mr. Dhiji asked.
¡°Nope,¡± Adion answered.
¡°You expect me to believe that a kid barely 15 can reach peak Iron without a family clan training him?¡± Mr Dhiji stared into his eyes and asked.
¡°I never said a family clan hasn¡¯t trained me. I only said I don¡¯t have a last name,¡± Adion answered thoughtfully.
¡°Hah! Fair enough, boy. Well, we¡¯re leaving tomorrow an hour before sunrise. Be sure to be here on time.¡±
¡°Mm.¡± Adion nodded and walked away. He wanted to look around the town a bit as this was the first time he was in a town of the Delovan Empire. Adion didn¡¯t know much about it and wanted to get a feel for the differences to fit in better.
He was technically in the Empire illegally, as everyone who wanted to visit from outside needed to go through a check at the border. Most people would get in without a problem, but it helped the Empire keep some control of who entered their land. It was impossible to guard the entire border, but that¡¯s why it was risky to get caught without the proper papers.
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But Adion thought that as long as he was fighting in the Outskirts and didn¡¯t cause trouble, he would probably be fine. He could always say he was from Farfield Village if anyone asked. It would be a tiresome process for anyone to check all the facts.
Adion walked around the town for a while. He bought some new clothes for most of his remaining money as he didn¡¯t like wearing a dead man¡¯s old clothes, and then he checked into an inn for the night.
Once he entered his room, he decided to simply meditate through the night so he wouldn¡¯t oversleep and miss the merchant caravan leaving.
He sat down cross-legged on the bed and focused on the mana around him. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed that the mana density was much lower than in the parts of the Endless Forest he had been in. He had, however, gotten a lot better at controlling mana, so the speed at which he was progressing would be starting to catch up to his previous level sooner or later.
Adion suddenly got an idea as he meditated. He released half of the mana he had in his core and covered the inn with it. It wasn¡¯t enough to cover the entire building, but he got a good chunk under his control.
Focusing on the space around him, he could suddenly feel everyone within the inn. As they were living beings with a Will, he couldn¡¯t infringe on their bodies with his space mana, thus painting a clear picture of every living being around him.
He tried focusing on their faces to see how much detail he could feel. Unfortunately, his mana sense wasn¡¯t up to par quite yet, and other than their general size and form, he couldn¡¯t get many details. The space around them was not entirely under his control after all. He only had control of a small part of the space mana in the surroundings.
If he wanted complete control, he would have to conjure the space himself. Unfortunately, the amount of space he could conjure was only about the size of a grain of sand¡ªa massive improvement from when he first tried it in the Stone stage but still useless.
Fortunately, the wisdom pill gave me complete control over a considerable amount of space without having to conjure it. Otherwise, I would continue to be useless for a long time.
Adion continued to meditate through the night before heading out early in the morning to the place where he had spoken to Mr. Dhiji the day before.
When he arrived, he could see that a lot of people were moving around the wagons hurriedly, getting everything in order before departure. Adion saw Mr. Dhiji yelling instructions at two young men before turning and walking towards Adion.
¡°Hey there, kid. You¡¯ll be traveling in wagon number three. We only take two stops a day to eat. You sleep while moving. Don¡¯t cause trouble along the way, or I¡¯ll toss you off and you can make your way to Billford on foot.¡± Mr. Dhiji said.
¡°I understand,¡± Adion responded with a nod.
He then made his way to the wagon he was to travel in and saw that most other wagons were filled with boxes, except the two in front of his. The first one was a luxurious carriage, presumably the one Mr. Dhiji and perhaps a few guards would travel in. The second one was a wagon filled with cages and chained men and women in tattered clothes.
Slaves, huh? Guess that is normal in the Empire. I shouldn¡¯t stare too much and give myself away. They are all adults, at least. And probably criminals at that.
Even if slavery was abundant, there were still harsh regulations concerning it. The slavers that Adion had killed were definitely breaking the law. You couldn¡¯t just enslave people just because they were weaker. Especially citizens of the Empire. It used to be a big problem during the Age of Darkness and still happens from time to time, but every nation was extremely harsh against illegal enslavement. No state could function if the farmers or ordinary people were to be kidnapped and enslaved, so most people were careful of doing that sort of business as death would be getting away easy if caught doing so.
I doubt the Melorian Pavilion would risk their prestigious image dealing in stuff like that. And even if they do, it¡¯s none of my business. I have my own goals to focus on.
Adion jumped up at the back of the wagon he would be traveling in. There were seven people already inside: an old man, a man and woman, and what Adion assumed were their four children. The oldest seemed to be Adion''s age, and the youngest about eight years old.
They all looked towards Adion as he took a seat and leaned against the wagon wall. Adion gave them a nod in greeting and closed his eyes. He planned on meditating during the journey and perhaps practicing his aura sense a bit as he would be surrounded by people for a few weeks.
¡°Hello there, young man. This old man is called Dern. Just let me know if my family is causing you trouble, and I will get them to quiet down.¡± The old man said.
Adion felt weird that an old man had such a subservient attitude towards him.
He can probably tell that I¡¯m a mage. He¡¯s probably worried I will do something to his family if I get mad.
¡°Adion. No worries, you can talk.¡± Adion simply said and closed his eyes to meditate again.
The old man looked relieved and thanked Adion. The family then continued talking in low voices, and Adion decided to focus some of his attention on their conversation as there was a lot he was curious about.
¡°Granpa, who is that?¡± the youngest child asked the old man.
¡°He is a mage, so you must be respectful and not cause trouble. When we get to Lorn, there will be many more mages than here, so remember to never cause trouble for mages, or it could result in your death.¡± The old man said sternly.
They spoke quietly, but Adion could still hear their conversation clearly. Adion thought it was a little harsh to say such things to an 8-year-old, but then again, it would be worse if she wasn¡¯t prepared for how the world of mages worked.
There were laws, of course, but only a fool would trust their life to such a thing.
I need to be careful, too. There are definitely Diamonds in Billford. Maybe even Soul stage mages.
Time slowly passed as Adion listened to the family speaking in hushed voices. Just as Adion thought they were about to depart, three young men stepped onto the wagon. Adion could feel they were all 20 years old; two of them were middle Bronze mages, and one was low Bronze.
¡°We have to travel in this wagon all the way? Helmer, can¡¯t your father make that Dhiji fellow allow us inside his carriage?¡± One of the young men asked.
¡°No, Geoff. Mr. Dhiji is a Silver just like father, and he works for the Melorian Pavilion on top of that. A mayor isn¡¯t much in their eyes.¡± Helmer responded.
¡°Fine. But how come there are commoners here? Will we have to sit inside the same wagon as them?¡± Geoff asked.
The third man, who hadn¡¯t spoken yet, stepped forward to the big family and said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be traveling in the same wagon as us mages. I don¡¯t know who placed you here, but they must have made a mistake. You can find yourself another wagon.¡±
Gods. Are there actually people like this? Or are they just unusually unbearable? Adion thought to himself, but kept his eyes closed and continued to meditate while listening. The old man stood up and bowed to three men before speaking.
¡°Please, young masters. We paid for this journey to Mr. Dhiji himself. I would gladly take another wagon, but this is the only one available for passengers like us. I promise to make sure my family does not disturb the young masters.¡± The old man continued to bow through his speech while his family looked on nervously.
¡°Well, you are bothering us by being here. If there are no more wagons, you can just walk.¡± The man named Geoff chimed in.
Of course, they can¡¯t. At this rate, we will alert Mr. Dhiji, and I don¡¯t want to be thrown out for causing trouble before the journey even starts because of these idiots.
¡°This-¡± The old man was stumped and didn¡¯t know how to respond.
Adion decided to speak up; they were about to depart, and he didn¡¯t want to cause a scene.
¡°Just sit down and don¡¯t cause trouble. If we delay Mr. Dhiji because of this, he will throw us all out.¡± Adion said, still with his eyes closed.
The man called Geoff looked at Adion and sneered. ¡°What do you know, kid? You want to walk all the way, too?¡±
Adion had had enough with these guys, so he spread his space mana around the three and used his Authority to freeze them in place. He opened his eyes and looked at them while showing off the killing intent in his aura. Killing intent got more potent the more you had killed, and Adion had killed a lot for his young age.
The three men paled as they felt the killing intent while not being able to move a muscle. When Adion released them from his space prison, they all looked at him with wide eyes.
¡°You are right,¡± Helmer said nervously, ¡°Let¡¯s just sit down and don¡¯t cause trouble for Mr. Dhiji, guys.¡±
The other two nodded and sat down. Adion could hear them whispering about him.
¡°What in Ganta was that? I couldn¡¯t move at all.¡± Geoff whispered to the others.
¡°I don¡¯t know. Just don¡¯t cause trouble, and let¡¯s keep to ourselves.¡± Helmer responded.
Strength is really convenient. Looks like I will get to have a peaceful journey.
Chapter 24 - On the road
The caravan traveled day and night, only stopping for meals twice a day. Adion spent most of his time meditating while listening in on the conversations of the two groups he shared his wagon with.
At first, everyone was traveling in complete silence due to the stiff tension, but after a day or two, the groups started having more frequent conversations amongst themselves. Adion kept to himself and never spoke with anyone, though. He focused on the different auras around him from time to time. He felt he got better at it as the days passed, as he became familiar with the people he traveled with.
The training was nowhere near as efficient as it had been with Fellion, but it was of some use to try to feel the minor differences in their auras as he listened to their conversations. He also needed to constantly hide his own strength and only show the aura of a peak Iron mage. It was fairly easy as he didn¡¯t need to hide it too deep as he doubted anyone in the wagon had had any aura training.
After a week of traveling, the merchant caravan reached a town called Lorn, about twice the size of Mermi. They had a quick stop where the family of seven left the wagon as their journey would end there. Adion had overheard that they would stay with some relatives who had jobs available for them. No heartfelt goodbye, but the family still bowed and thanked Adion before hurriedly making their way to find their relatives.
I wonder if there is anything of interest here?
Adion thought to himself as he walked around the caravan, stretching his legs.
Hmm, I will just stay around here. We will be leaving in an hour anyway.
Adion did some exercises with his sword to pass the time. He was left alone beside his wagon as the three idiots, as Adion had taken to call them, had gone to look around the town.
When the time for departure approached, he jumped into the wagon again. He wanted to have the space furthest inside for himself; the family of seven had occupied that place earlier, and he didn¡¯t want the three idiots to get there before him.
The men in question returned and took their previous seats shortly, leaving a breadth of space between the group and Adion.
A few minutes later, a loud and rowdy bunch of people arrived at the wagon. There were four of them, all middle-aged men. Three were human, and one of them was an elf.
¡°Hello there, fellow travelers,¡± a man with lively blue eyes and a short black beard said as he stepped up onto the wagon, ¡°Name¡¯s Leff. This is Michael, Dorm, and the handsome elf is Feron. Nice to meet you.¡±
¡°Nice to meet you, too. I¡¯m Helmer, and these are my friends Geoff and Kiff.¡± Helmer responded as the three stood up and greeted the newcomers.
Adion also stood up to greet them; they were all peak Bronze, and it would be impolite to remain sitting when greeting them.
¡°I¡¯m Adion. Nice to meet you.¡± Adion nodded and sat down again.
¡°How about that, we will be traveling with a young genius, it seems. Are you headed to Billford?¡± The man named Dorm asked as their group sat down between Adion and Helmer¡¯s group.
Adion simply nodded in response.
¡°Where are you from? A family clan, I imagine?¡± Leff asked.
¡°No family clan. I come from Farfield Village outside of Mermi.¡± Adion answered.
¡°Hoo. Impressive if that¡¯s the case. You planning on joining the Guild?¡± Leff asked.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Adion said, ¡°Are you four Outskirters?¡±
¡°We are. Have been for many years now. Unfortunately, it¡¯s not been enough for us to reach Silver yet, but give us a few years, and we¡¯ll get there for sure.¡± Leff said, ¡°How about you three?¡± he asked as he turned to Helmer and his friends.
¡°We are also planning on joining the Outskirts Guild. We have been training hard since we were kids, but all feel we need to temper our Will to continue to advance.¡± Helmer said.
¡°That¡¯s right. You can only get so far cooped up in the comfort of your home. A true mage must fight with his life on the line to get somewhere.¡± Leff nodded in agreement.
¡°It¡¯s more important now than ever,¡± the elf named Feron chimed in, ¡°I don¡¯t know how things are where you¡¯re from, but most of Shiora is in a tumultuous time now. You need strength to get through these next couple of years with your head still on your shoulders.¡±
¡°Mermi hasn¡¯t changed much as it is pretty much on the edge of the Empire, but prices have still gone up, and the whole town has been tense for years now. Especially after what happened in Iitha reached us.¡± Geoff said with a serious look on his face.
¡°Yes, it¡¯s a tragedy,¡± Feron said mournfully. The wagon started moving again as the caravan continued its way to Billford.
¡°What happened in Iitha?¡± Adion suddenly asked. He had heard something in passing before but hadn¡¯t paid it any thought.
Everyone looked at him in silence for a while before Feron responded. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard?¡± he asked.
¡°My village is pretty isolated, and I focused all my time on training,¡± Adion explained.
¡°Well,¡± Feron paused for a second, ¡°It all started with the return of the Fire Phoenix. Surely you¡¯ve heard about that?¡±
Adion nodded in response.
¡°After that, the Fire Phoenix Church gained a lot of traction, and the Alago Empire embraced the faith more than ever. The Church also started sending out fire mages to preach in all cities and towns throughout Shiora. The Hellemi Church made a solid effort to curb this new movement, and they started preaching their own version of the Phoenix. This has led to many disputes, both large and small, and tensions are running high.
¡°The worst of which resulted in the burning of Iitha. Many cities and towns were set aflame, even the capital was affected, and countless people died.¡± Feron said with a sad voice.
¡°That¡¯s terrible,¡± Adion said in a low voice, ¡°But why would the Fire Phoenix Church do something like that? It seems counterproductive.¡±
¡°The Fire Phoenix Church themselves deny it. But it¡¯s hard to see anyone else behind the attack. Elves are rarely born with a fire spark, and as we follow Gantanos, we don¡¯t really have a problem with either the Hellemi or Fire Phoenix Church. Perhaps it was a show of power to make Iitha embrace the Phoenix and condemn Hellemi.¡± Feron responded.
¡°That seems dumb,¡± Adion said.
¡°Well, dumb or not, it worked,¡± Leff said, ¡°It¡¯s only been two years since the attack, and Fire Pheonix churches can be seen all over Iitha. Same here in the Empire. I don¡¯t think it will be long before the entire continent, and perhaps even the world, all bow down to the Fire Phoenix Church.¡±
¡°Tch. I don¡¯t think so,¡± Michael broke in, ¡°The Hellemi church runs deep, and I¡¯ve heard they are extremely powerful on Quemer. They might be in a weak position at the moment, but as things settle down and return to normal, the Hellemi Church will return stronger than ever. People won¡¯t forget what kind of deeds the Fire Phoenix Church has done so easily.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Dorm said, ¡°But what if the Fire Phoenix simply destroys the Empire? It has done worse, and no matter what you think about it, it might come down to bowing down to the beast or burning in its flames.¡±
Everyone turned silent at that.
¡°At the end of the day, the biggest fist speaks the loudest.¡± Feron said after a while, ¡°If nothing can fight against the Phoenix and it actually has returned, it won¡¯t matter what people think. Those who resist will perish.¡±
¡°But will the Phoenix care?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Perhaps during the Age of Wonder when gods existed among the sapi, but now? I think it couldn¡¯t care less about a bunch of weak sapi as long as nothing provokes it.¡±
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
¡°That might be the case,¡± Leff said, ¡°And no one has actually seen the Phoenix return, so it¡¯s all speculation in the end.¡±
¡°Phoenix or no Phoenix, fire has gotten stronger. It might not make a difference to us, but I¡¯m sure this has a huge effect for those Noble families with powerful mages. Fire mages were already very powerful and now even more so.¡± Feron said with a sigh.
¡°Are any of you fire mages?¡± Leff looked around and asked.
Adion and Geoff raised their hands. Dorm nodded his head and spoke, ¡°Me too. We are very lucky.¡±
Geoff had a goofy smile on his lips, causing Feron to frown.
¡°Lucky or not doesn¡¯t change anything,¡± Adion said, ¡°Those who work hard will beat the lucky ones every time. This might make fire mages arrogant and complacent, actually making them weaker than ever.¡±
Feron¡¯s frown turned to a light smile as he turned to Adion, ¡°That¡¯s true. I can see you must have worked hard to reach peak Iron at such a young age. Maybe not even the youngsters of the family clans in Billford can measure up to you.¡±
¡°Well, except for the Graton clan,¡± Leff put in, ¡°It¡¯s common knowledge that the son of the patriarch just turned 15, and he managed to reach Bronze before his birthday. He¡¯s the greatest genius the clan has ever had. And that¡¯s a Noble family, mind you.¡±
Bronze mage before 15? That¡¯s incredible. Not as good as me, but closer than I would have thought anyone my age was.
¡°Mm,¡± Feron nodded, ¡°You might feel that you are close to Bronze, but it takes much more than just time to gather mana to break through to the Bronze stage. Many mages take years to temper their Will before managing to advance.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Adion said, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to the Outskirts, to keep my momentum going and break through as soon as possible.¡±
¡°Well, be careful out there,¡± Leff said, ¡°The beasts around the outposts of Billford mostly have Bronze beasts, so it is extremely dangerous for an Iron mage there. If I were you, I would earn some money doing safe missions before hiring a team of Bronze mages to accompany you in the Outskirts.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, even though he had no plans on doing that.
I might want to join a group of Silvers though, if they¡¯ll have me.
The conversation carried on for a while before everyone turned silent and focused on meditation. The new group all had their cores filled to the brim at peak Bronze, but meditation could still help improve their mana control when there was nothing else to do.
After a few hours, the caravan stopped for lunch. Adion grabbed his portion of food and sat down alone to eat. As usual, he had his backpack with him as he would never leave it alone in the wagon.
After a while, he felt someone approaching him and turned his head to see Mr. Dhiji walking towards him.
¡°Mind if I join you?¡± Mr. Dhiji asked.
¡°Not at all,¡± Adion answered. Mr Dhiji sat down beside him and started eating.
¡°How you liking the journey?¡± Mr Dhiji asked after a while.
¡°It¡¯s been excellent. Thank you for letting me travel with you.¡± Adion said.
¡°It¡¯s nothing much. You are young but haven¡¯t let your strength get to your head. That¡¯s good. If you get tired of hunting beasts, you can ask for me at the Melorian Pavilion in Billford, and I¡¯ll get you something to do that doesn¡¯t make you put your life at risk.¡± Mr Dhiji said.
Adion looked at him and thought about it for a moment. ¡°Mm. I¡¯ll think about it after I reach Bronze. Thanks.¡±
¡°Think nothing of it. You would be the one helping me, as it is rare to find strong young mages willing to work hard.¡± Mr Dhiji said with a smile, ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to get moving. I have to get the men ready.¡±
Mr Dhiji then got up and left Adion to yell some instructions while Adion made his way back to his wagon.
When he got inside, he could hear the conversation of the people outside. The new group had eaten together with Helmer¡¯s group and were chatting a bit away from the wagon.
¡°You don¡¯t feel anything special?¡± Adion heard Helmer saying.
¡°Not in particular, no.¡± Leff answered, ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Helmer hesitated, ¡°He is only a peak Iron mage, but it felt like he could kill all three of us.¡±
¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Geoff added, ¡°I couldn¡¯t move a single muscle when he looked at us. I¡¯ve never been so scared in my life!¡±
¡°Even if his eyes are closed, I can sometimes feel like he is staring right at me. It¡¯s creepy,¡± Helmer added.
Oh? Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been training my aura sense. They can feel it?
¡°Haha!¡± Leff and the rest of his group laughed, ¡°If you are that scared of a kid in Iron, you will have a tough time in Billford.¡±
¡°Whatever,¡± Helmer muttered, ¡°I trust my intuition. And I tell you, when that kid looks at you, it¡¯s as if he can see right through you. I hope I never see him again after we arrive in Billford.¡±
¡°Now that you mention it,¡± Feron said, ¡°I do recognize that feeling of not being able to hide anything when speaking to him.¡±
¡°Right!¡± Geoff yelled.
¡°Strange,¡± Feron muttered. ¡°When I think about it, it is similar to how speaking in front of powerful mages feels. What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Leff said lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s just ask him about it later.¡±
Not good.
Adion hadn¡¯t thought anyone would be able to notice when he used his aura sense, which they hadn¡¯t. But they could tell instinctively that something was off.
I need to be more careful in the future. Is there a way to not give anything away when sensing people¡¯s aura? There should be. I doubt Fellion would be noticed in the same way.
After a while, the two groups entered the wagon again, and the caravan started moving shortly after.
The two groups continued their conversation, with Adion silently sitting there with his eyes closed, listening.
¡°So, Adion,¡± Leff said after a while, turning to look at Adion, ¡°What¡¯s the deal with you?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Adion asked, even if he knew what Leff meant.
¡°There is something strange about you,¡± Feron said, ¡°It feels like you can see more about me than normal people when we are talking.¡±
¡°Oh? You mean when I am sensing your aura?¡± Adion acted like it was no big deal.
¡°You are sensing my aura?¡± Feron asked.
¡°Well, yeah. Aren¡¯t you sensing mine?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, I guess. But I am not actively doing it.¡± Feron said.
¡°I¡¯m not actively doing it either, but in a conversation, I guess I feel for lies and deceit. Isn¡¯t that normal?¡± Adion asked.
Everyone in the wagon looked at each other for a while before Leff asked, ¡°Adion. When you say you ¡®feel for lies and deceit,¡¯ you are doing so consciously?¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone do that?¡± Adion asked. He knew that he was a lot better than most sapi in using aura, but it was true that he didn¡¯t know precisely what other people thought about aura and how well they could control it.
¡°No,¡± Feron said, ¡°Not at all. I only get a feeling automatically when talking to someone, and it isn¡¯t a very accurate one. At most, I can feel the strength and age of a person. I thought only beasts and the strongest mages could use their aura consciously.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Adion said, ¡°Well, obviously, I trained to be able to do it. When I was younger, I heard about aura and what stronger people could do, so naturally, I wanted to do it, too. After that, I started practicing with it every day, and still do.¡±
¡°Ha!¡± Leff laughed, ¡°When you put it like that, it sounds so obvious and easy. But it isn¡¯t something most people can do. Only the family clans have built methods to sharpen their aura sense, and from what I know, it still takes a long time to get anywhere with it. I¡¯ve never heard of a 15-year-old like you being able to do so.¡±
Adion thought that it sounded logical. Without someone like Fellion to teach him, he would be useless when it comes to aura. But he still felt like the sapi mages were being lazy to not at least try practicing their aura sense. It might not be as fast progress as Adion, but these guys were at least over 40. They shouldn¡¯t be so useless.
¡°Does it matter what you¡¯ve heard and what the family clans do? If that¡¯s your attitude, then I doubt you will get far in life.¡± Adion said while looking at the group with a disappointed look.
All the men in the wagon were stumped at Adion¡¯s somewhat scolding reply.
Feron smiled after a while and said, ¡°I guess you are right. We really know nothing of what is and isn¡¯t possible. I guess we have been stuck in our view of the world, which might be very wrong. Would you mind teaching us how to get started practicing aura? I would like to be able to use it consciously, too.¡±
Adion thought about it for a while.
I should be careful not to attract too much attention. It was already risky to freeze Helmer¡¯s group using my space mana. Now, they also know my ability to use aura, nothing worthy of becoming a grabbing rumor perhaps, but things like this add up. They don¡¯t know how good I am yet, but if I teach them, they might realize that I know more than I should.
Forget it. I want to teach them, so that¡¯s what I will do. It will also help train my aura sense, which might be a rare opportunity. While it¡¯s good to be careful, I don¡¯t want to live life scared and hiding like a rat.
¡°Okay, I don¡¯t know how much it will help, but I will try.¡± Adion finally said.
¡°Thank you, Adion,¡± Feron said, and everyone else also thanked him while looking at him attentively.
¡°You can¡¯t sense your own aura right now,¡± Adion began his impromptu lesson, ¡°And before you can sense your own aura, you have to know what you¡¯re looking for. Focus on what you can feel in other auras, like strength and age, and try to find the same in your own. There are things that you do instinctively with your aura that you can sense, like lying. Even non-mages instinctively hide their intentions in their aura when¡¡±
Adion continued his lesson, sharing much of the things he had learned from Fellion. He couldn¡¯t train them like Fellion could, but it was valuable knowledge outside of family clans, and Adion would get the chance to feel how it felt when people actively tried to manipulate their aura. He was sure that his aura sense would benefit in the coming weeks.
Chapter 25 - Outskirts Guild
Adion continued teaching his fellow travelers from time to time in the following two weeks. When he wasn¡¯t meditating, he would observe their auras with his aura sense. No one in the group had been able to improve much in their aura use, but they had all taken their first step, and if they worked hard, Adion didn¡¯t doubt that they would be able to reach his current level in the future. However, Adion wasn¡¯t planning on standing still, and they could only dream of catching up to him.
This has been better training than I thought. I have to remember to train my aura so that I won¡¯t regret it when I reach the peak of Diamond. And it will be crucial to hide my element and strength once I get to Cyalis, where many of the strongest people on the continent are.
Adion was interrupted in his musings as the wagon came to a stop, followed by a shout for everyone to get off.
¡°Looks like we¡¯ve arrived,¡± Leff said with a grin, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Adion followed everyone and jumped down from the wagon. When he looked around, he was stunned by the view.
So this is Billford.
The caravan had stopped in front of the gate leading into the city. Adion found himself on a cobbled road towards the city gate, with many people milling about. Even though Adion hadn¡¯t entered the actual city yet, the place was very lively. Buildings flanked Adion on both sides, and he could see smithies, inns, apothecaries, and food stalls with people shouting offers and trying to attract customers.
¡°There¡¯s no need to enter with the merchant caravan now that we¡¯re here,¡± Leff said to Adion, Helmer, Geoff, and Kiff, ¡°There is a special line for mages to enter the city. I¡¯m guessing you guys are planning on heading to the Outskirts Guild? We have to report on the mission we had in Lorn. You guys can follow us if you want.¡±
¡°Mm. Thanks,¡± Adion said.
¡°We will be going to my uncle first,¡± Helmer said, ¡°He is waiting for us and will probably take us there later. He lives outside the city walls, so we will take our leave. Thank you for an enjoyable journey, everyone. I hope we meet again.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Leff nodded, ¡°Take care.¡±
Once Helmer and his friends had left, Adion joined Leff and his group as they walked towards the city gate, which was wide enough for six wagons to pass side by side. Leff led the way toward the line where mages could enter, and it didn¡¯t take long for their group to reach the front.
When they showed their guild cards, the guards let Leff and his group enter without difficulty. As it got to Adion''s turn to enter, the guard in charge looked Adion up and down and spoke in an authoritative tone.
¡°Reason for entering?¡± he asked.
¡°I¡¯m going to join the Outskirts Guild,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Two silvers. Once you receive a card from the guild, you can enter for free.¡± The guard said.
¡°Fair enough,¡± Adion said and handed the guard two silvers.
Leff and his group had waited for Adion, and they made their way into the city together.
¡°This here is the 3rd Imperial Road,¡± Leff explained as they walked down the broad road deeper into the city, ¡°It goes all the way from the city center to the south gate. The Outskirts Guild has three branches in the city. The one we¡¯re headed to is the best place to get yourself registered as a member. Normally, we would be going to the branch on 4th Imperial Road to report on our mission, but both of them work fine. The final branch is located on 1st Imperial Road, but I¡¯ve never been there. It is mostly the place for people working directly for the Guild, inner members as we call them, and where voyagers and conquerors report their missions.¡±
¡°Voyagers and conquerors?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Those are the highest ranks you can have in the Guild. You start as a rank 1 traveler, then rank 2 and 3 traveler, followed by rank 1 explorer. And then the same story followed by voyager and finally conqueror. The four of us are only rank 3 travelers. It is very hard to become an explorer without reaching Silver.¡± Leff explained.
¡°Does the rank depend on what stage you are in? Bronze for traveler, Silver for explorer, Gold for voyager, and Diamond for conqueror?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No,¡± Leff shook his head, ¡°You should understand that the Outskirts Guild isn¡¯t only about hunting beasts on the Outskirts, even if it might have started that way. There are all kinds of missions available. Anyone in need of a mage can post whatever mission they want. But the rank is solely reliant on fighting power. Every Iron mage can join as a rank 1 traveler no matter what, but to advance to rank 2, you have to be able to kill low Bronze beasts consistently, and peak Bronze beasts for rank 3. Then low Silver beasts for explorer rank 1, peak Silver beasts for rank 2 and low Gold beasts for rank 3, and so on all the way up to rank 3 voyager where you have to be able to kill peak Diamond beasts.¡±
¡°Then what about conquerors?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No idea,¡± Leff said, ¡°I¡¯ve never met one. But I imagine they have to be able to kill Soul beasts. Can¡¯t imagine there are very many of those as they are strong enough to be a patriarch of a Noble family clan.¡±
¡°So, how do you rank up? How many beasts do you have to kill?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It depends,¡± Leff answered, ¡°Let¡¯s say you are a rank 2 traveler; then you would have to finish 100 missions corresponding to your rank first. There is one kind of permanent mission that you can always take: killing beasts in the Outskirts and bringing back the body. The reward is primarily due to the meat and beast core, but the Empire also sponsors the mission at times, as killing beasts and conquering more land are things the Empire values. Once you have finished at least 100 missions at your rank, you can advance at any time as long as you finish a beast-hunting mission of a higher rank. So a rank 2 explorer would have to kill 100 low Bronze to high Bronze beasts and one peak Bronze beast to advance.
¡°There is a shortcut for people who join the Guild as stronger mages, though,¡± Leff continued, ¡°And that is to do 20 beast-hunting missions of one rank higher or 3 beast-hunting missions of two ranks higher. But that won¡¯t be relevant for you. I wouldn¡¯t suggest trying to hunt Bronze beasts before reaching Bronze yourself. There are very few who can pull that off. I think you should hunt Iron beasts and temper your Will for now so that when you advance to Bronze, you simply have to kill a low Bronze beast to rank up. There are a few areas known for having more Iron beasts. They are a few days away from Billford, however.¡±
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¡°Mm, thank you,¡± Adion said
How should I do this? I can¡¯t hunt peak Bronze beasts as a peak Iron mage without causing a commotion. But I also won¡¯t get stronger if I hunt beasts that are too weak for me. And I would need the money from the missions. I¡¯m starting to get poor.
If I reveal my middle Bronze strength, it will also attract attention. Perhaps I could hide my age and pretend to be older?
Adion thought about it for a few seconds before deciding not to.
That could very well just lead people to figure out my skills in using aura, which might lead to my space core getting revealed. How bothersome.
Even if he had revealed that he could use his aura sense to the group, there is a big difference between that and being able to hide specific parts of your own aura.
Maybe I can get away with being a low Bronze mage. That young master from the Gratton family managed to reach Bronze before he turned 15, after all. But then again, he is from a Noble family, and the biggest genius they have ever had at that. I¡¯ll have to think about it some more.
Adion turned to Leff and asked, ¡°You mentioned that there are places with Iron beasts around here. How can I find more information about that and other things I might want to know?¡±
¡°Well, the Outskirt Guild, of course. They know the best when it comes to these kinds of things,¡± Leff answered.
¡°What about if I want information that doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the Outskirts,¡± Adion pushed.
¡°Well, all sorts of information is shared where enough people gather. I hear most things in the taverns. Of course, it is hard to distinguish rumor from truth.¡± Leff said.
¡°What are you looking for information about?¡± Feron asked, ¡°Maybe we can help.¡±
¡°Hm,¡± Adion pondered. He had been hoping that there was a place made for keeping and selling information. That would have been practical. He hadn¡¯t forgotten about his revenge and wanted to know more about the people who had killed his family. ¡°Do you know anything about a group of people who wear white masks?¡±
¡°A group of people who wear white masks?¡± Feron asked and looked at the others, who shook their heads, ¡°Sorry, maybe try asking about it at the Guild.¡±
That might be risky. I don¡¯t want to draw attention to myself after all. I¡¯ll find a different way.
It took them a while, but they finally reached a large building that stood disconnected from the surrounding buildings. It had a small patch of grass and a few trees in front of it, as well as a big sign with the words ¡®Outskirt Guild¡¯ along with the Guild¡¯s insignia. A few people could be seen going in and out. They all had some kind of weapon and seemed rougher than the common man on the street. Adion also felt a lot of strong auras inside the building.
I can feel three Diamonds inside, as well as a few Golds. I wonder if there are any soul mages hiding here? From what I know, every Soul mage should be the backbone of the Noble families, but who knows if that is actually the case? There might be plenty of strong mages without any interest in forming a family clan.
The doors were three times Adion''s height and stood open for anyone to enter, but Adion guessed no one intending to cause trouble would dare set foot inside.
After over two years of fighting beasts in the Endless Forest, it''s finally time to join the Outskirt Guild. Seems like I¡¯m doing things in reverse.
Once inside, Adion found himself standing in a great hall. At the far end, he could see a few receptionists behind a wide counter. A few people were talking to them, and a few receptionists scurried around with papers in the back.
Around him, he could see a bunch of Outskirters talking in groups. Everyone had an Outskirt card hanging around their neck, showing their rank. There were hallways to both sides of the big hall Adion stood in, leading off somewhere, and a lot of people seemed to go down a certain one, with the few stumbling out, giving away that there was a tavern further inside.
Right before Adion, a giant stone pillar stood with the words ¡®In the Outskirts, we fight, we temper, we conquer.¡¯ engraved at the top.
¡°You can just speak to any of the clerks behind the desks over there to get registered,¡± Leff told him, ¡°We will report on our mission and collect our reward.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded and headed to a clerk who had just been made available.
A high Bronze mage is working as a simple clerk here. Billford sure is different.
When he arrived at the desk, the man behind the counter addressed Adion politely.
¡°How can I assist you today, sir?¡± The clerk asked Adion.
¡°I would like to register as a member of the Guild, please,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Alright, please fill in your information here,¡± The clerk said as he handed Adion a piece of paper and a pen, ¡°It is 10 silver coins for a rank 1 traveler card.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion handed over his last gold coin and the paper with his information. He had written down that his name was Adion without any last name and that he came from Farfield Village and was a fire mage.
The clerk looked over the paper and looked at Adion suspiciously, as he no doubt thought someone with Adion¡¯s strength and age came from a family clan. But he simply shrugged his shoulders and handed over 90 silver coins.
¡°I will go to have your card made then. You can sit down and wait until I call you. It won¡¯t take long. You can also look through the available missions in the meantime. If it is a one-time mission, you have to register it before you go out.¡± the clerk told him.
¡°It¡¯s fine. I think I will start off by hunting some beasts.¡± The man nodded, got up from his seat, and headed off somewhere to get Adion¡¯s card made.
Adion went and took a seat and soon noticed Leff and his group approaching him.
¡°Everything working out alright?¡± Leff asked him.
¡°Yes, I am waiting for my Guild card to be made.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good. We¡¯re gonna hit the tavern and celebrate our successful mission. You are welcome to join us if you¡¯d like.¡± Leff offered.
¡°Thank you, but I think I will head straight for the Outskirts. I¡¯ve been sitting still for weeks now,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Alright then, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet again. Good luck in your hunting, and be careful.¡± Leff said as the rest of the group said their farewells before heading off.
It didn¡¯t take long before Adion was called by the clerk and got his card. It was a simple Iron plate the size of Adion''s palm. It had his name and the text ¡°Traveler I¡± engraved on it, along with an insignia of the Outskirt Guild.
Just as he was about to head out, he remembered Villem, the Village head¡¯s son, whom Adion thought might be able to show him around.
¡°By the way,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m looking for a man called Villem. He is also from Farfield village. Do you know where I can find him?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never heard of him,¡± The clerk answered, ¡°But there are tens of thousands of mages in Billford and the surrounding area. How strong is he?¡±
¡°He is probably low or middle Bronze,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Then he is probably around one of the outposts to the southwest. Many low and middle Bronze mages gather around that area,¡± The clerk answered.
¡°Alright, thank you for your help,¡± Adion said before heading out of the building again.
I will head to southwest then. I would like to find Villem to see if he has any useful information, but if I can¡¯t, I¡¯ll just head towards an area with peak Bronze beasts.
Adion walked back the way he had come so as not to get lost in the big city, but before heading to the Outskirts, he needed to buy something that could ease his worries a little.
Chapter 26 - Outpost Grillis
Adion had decided on his plan of action going forward. He needed to hunt beasts at his level. It was both because he needed to continue tempering his Will while he had the chance, and because he needed the money he would get from stronger beasts. Adion would need a lot of money to travel all the way to Cyalis, after all.
There was no way to do that without attracting some attention, however, at least not that Adion could think of. So, he had just bought himself a mask to conceal his identity. The Outskirts Guild would still know he was Adion from Farfield village whenever he handed over his prey. However, if some people started looking for him for whatever reason, he could still remove his mask and Guild card and disappear without anyone finding him.
Hopefully, that wouldn¡¯t be needed. He would appear to be a low Bronze mage capable of hunting peak Bronze beasts. With his age, that would raise some eyebrows. Still, Adion hoped that people would continue to assume he came from a powerful family clan, and that would hopefully discourage people from bothering him too much.
Adion exited the city through the southern gate without any problem and started making his way west. When he was clear of any prying eyes, he took out the mask he had just bought from his backpack and put it on. It was made from Ash Willowin wood, so dark it was almost black. It had two holes for his eyes and only went down over his nose, leaving room for him to eat without needing to remove it.
Adion released the grip he had constantly held on his aura for the past weeks and now simply hid his middle Bronze strength. Anyone looking would feel the aura of a low Bronze mage. He still hid his space element deeply, though.
He started jogging down one of the many roads leading towards the Endless Forest. He was a bit out of shape from weeks of sitting still, but as a well-trained Bronze mage, it was no trouble for him to run for a couple of hours if he didn¡¯t run too fast.
It took him three hours before he saw the outline of the forest in front of him. The Endless Forest was somewhat close even though the city of Billford had been around for hundreds of years. That was partly because the beasts of the forests weren¡¯t all that easy to deal with, but it was also because the Emperor didn¡¯t want to simply gain more land for his empire. Even though that was a desire as well, he also wanted to keep part of the forest within the Empire.
Many plants and trees had unique fruits and berries, forming a desirable ecosystem. If the Empire were solely interested in land, they would just cut down the trees and vegetation at the border and continuously expand their agricultural fields, making an environment where it was hard for beasts to live and hide.
That was a method widely used long ago when land was more scarce. Now, there was enough land for everyone to live and grow food, at least in the Delovan Empire. It was well-known that the Alago Empire had cut off a vast amount of forest in the southern peninsula of their Empire. It was a much more controlled environment than the Endless Forest, as all the Soul beasts living there had long been taken care of, and mages of the Alago Empire could go there to fight beasts without worrying too much that a beast much stronger than they could handle would appear. The forest was also filled with unique resources that the mages going there could gather and sell for a hefty sum.
Adion guessed that the Delovan Empire wanted to accomplish something similar, so the distance between Billford and the Endless Forest wasn¡¯t very big.
But this part of the Endless Forest wasn¡¯t as chaotic and lawless as the area where Adion had found himself when he teleported from the Remori clan. There were outposts spread throughout the region, some located so deep it would take Adion weeks to get there.
Adion wasn¡¯t planning on going too deep, as the closer you got to the Black Mountains, the stronger the beasts were.
Adion made his way along one of the many smaller roads that led into the forest. Even though stumbling upon a beast this far out was unlikely, Adion still focused his attention on his surroundings. He spread out some of his space mana and focused on sensing any auras that might pop up as he ran.
It only took him a few hours of jogging before he arrived at the first outpost. It was more like a small town by this point, though, as it had high walls running around it and seemed to be of a considerable size.
There are surely at least a couple of thousand people living there. And there are so many more of these places around. Very convenient for Outskirters so they don¡¯t have to make the journey all the way back to Billford every time they want something from a town.
Adion continued on his way without stopping to look for too long. There was a road to follow, wide enough for a carriage to ride on. But both sides of the road were densely packed with trees.
Adion passed a few groups of people along the way. He only nodded in a quick greeting while continuing his jog. Most people gave him odd looks, maybe because he was traveling alone, or maybe because he was wearing a mask, but Adion didn¡¯t get too stuck on the matter.
When it was nearing sundown, Adion came up on another outpost. This one also looked more like a small town, a little smaller than the one he had passed previously but big enough that it should be able to see to his needs.
I should go inside and book a room for the night and get a good meal. I¡¯m starving. I¡¯ll continue a little further tomorrow and head into the forest this time. If I go hunting tonight, I don¡¯t think I will have much time before the sun goes down.
The wall surrounding the town was nothing compared to the one around Billford. It was almost entirely made of wood, with a few stone structures in a few places. The gates were closed and had two guards standing outside, but they didn¡¯t look like the city guard that guarded the gate in Billford. They had no uniform and lacked the discipline Adion could discern in the city guard.
Probably Outskirters that have taken guard duty as a mission. They are both low Bronze, so probably only 2 rank travelers at most.
Adion approached them and held out his Guild card. One of the two men took a look and waved to have the gate open. He had an odd look as he scrutinized Adion.
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¡°Has young master been here before?¡± The guard asked, ¡°I can show you around if you want.¡±
¡°No need,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Alright, enjoy your stay at Outpost Grillis,¡± The guard said and waved goodbye.
Young master, huh? It might be annoying, but at least most people won¡¯t cause me any trouble.
Adion made his way through the now-open wooden gate and got a good look at the small town. The main street that he was walking on was actually cobbled. It was quite lively, with a few food stands and taverns with people laughing.
At least half the people here seem to be mages, almost all Bronze. We are in the Outskirts, so I guess that is to be expected.
Adion bought some skewers from a man at a food stall, the meat apparently from a Blue Fire Boar. Adion didn¡¯t know if that was true but paid the price anyway and took the opportunity to ask where he could find a good inn. The man was happy to help and gave directions to an inn a few streets away. After walking for a few minutes, he noticed a building matching the man''s description and read the sign hanging above the door.
¡®The Outpost Inn¡¯? Well, let¡¯s have a look.
Opening the door, Adion stepped inside a tavern half filled with people. He got a few looks, but no one¡¯s eyes lingered for long.
Adion was quickly approached by a busty middle-aged woman. ¡°Is the handsome young fellow looking for food, room, or both?¡± she asked with a warm smile.
¡°Both, please. How much for the night and a meal?¡± Adion asked.
¡°A room is thirty coppers a night. Three silvers for the week, including breakfast and dinner. Meals are 10 coppers a person, not including drinks.¡± She answered.
Maybe I should stay and advance to rank 2 here instead of heading deeper and going directly for peak Bronze beasts. It could be a nice warm-up after not fighting for a while.
¡°I will take the room and food for a week then,¡± Adion said as he handed over three silver coins.
¡°Glad to have you. Take a seat, and we will bring the food over.¡± The woman said as she walked away, taking a few orders for more drinks before stepping back into the kitchen.
Adion went to a small table in the corner where he could sit without conversing with the other people. It didn¡¯t take long for the food to arrive, which was some kind of spicy stew, and Adion happily ate it all. He had been moving around a lot during the day, after all.
After eating his fill, he headed up to the room that had been prepared for him. It was nothing fancy, a room with a bed for one and a small desk with a chair.
Well, I guess it will do. Let¡¯s get some rest. Tomorrow, I will do my first hunt since reaching middle Bronze.
Early the following day, Adion had a quick breakfast by himself. He then left the outpost, which now had its gates open and more people moving in and out. He jogged deeper into the forest along a small dirt road. After a while, he decided to jump off the road and head into the surrounding forest.
He guessed there should be mostly low and middle Bronze beasts around, going by the strength of the mages he had seen in the outpost. He still had his backpack on his back, with all the pills securely in the metal case he had found them in. He didn¡¯t want to leave them unattended in the inn.
He had considered burying them somewhere safe, at least most of them. But the thought of not having control over the situation seemed way worse. Rather that someone stole from him and he knew it than him having no idea until he came and took a look.
Perhaps when he had a more permanent residence or somewhere else that was more secure, he could leave them, but just burying them in the ground was out of the question for him.
Even though he wouldn¡¯t need it, he still had a Supreme Healing Pill of Mesana in his pocket. If something unexpected happened, he could get to it quickly.
He encountered a few groups of beasts during the first hour of hunting, but they were all Stone or Iron, so Adion ignored them.
When it was almost noon, Adion finally felt something that interested him. It was the aura of three low Bronze beasts. The beasts were rushing toward him as they had felt Adion¡¯s aura as well. Adion didn¡¯t want to hide his aura while hunting, so the weaker beasts would stay away, and the beasts he was interested in fighting would find him.
That was how many beasts also did things. Even though they could hide their aura better than sapi, they wanted to show off their strength so that weaklings would run away and the stronger mages would ignore them.
When they got closer, Adion could feel their outline through his space mana and gathered that they were a type of boar. Adion quickly pulled out his sword and released more of the space mana he had in his core to gather between him and the beasts.
The beasts quickly became visible as they approached, and Adion thought they looked a lot like the Yellow Fire Boar he had once fought.
They should be Blue Fire Boars. Maybe they will give me some free fire to use. I don¡¯t want to waste so much of my Will to conjure my own fire.
And sure enough, all three boars shot a ball of fire from their snouts as they got closer. But Adion had the space in front of him under his control and simply froze space before the fire could hit him. He then manipulated the space around the fireballs to the ground quickly before the fire could go out, making the ground before him catch on fire. Without fuel or a Will acting on the fire, it would immediately go out. And Adion didn¡¯t want to risk his safety wrestling for control of the fire still under the three Bronze beasts¡¯ Will.
The Blue Fire Boars were confused and halted for a second before continuing the charge. They were not afraid of the small fire in their way. Fortunately for Adion, the boars had let go of their control of the fire the moment they noticed that the fire had missed, which wasn¡¯t strange. Fire mages and beasts could conjure a lot of fire, but they couldn¡¯t control it for long. But Adion was different; he had taken the Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill, and as long as the fire wasn¡¯t too big, he could control it for as long as he wanted.
He thought through his options quickly in his head. He wasn¡¯t scared; even if there were three beasts, they were only low Bronze. Adion didn¡¯t want to burn them too severely as that would take away from his reward, so as the boars jumped over the fire, Adion froze the middle one and lunged forward to quickly pierce its skull with his sword. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t freeze them all at the same time, but he grabbed two pieces of flame from the fire burning and manipulated into the eyes of the two remaining boars while distancing himself from them.
He Willed the fire to burn fiercly with all his might, and to his surprise, it only took 5 seconds before the fire managed to penetrate the skulls of the beasts, and they collapsed on the ground, dead.
Interesting, it seems like my Will is much stronger than those boars. Or is there something else that could explain how they died so fast?
Maybe it was a good idea to fight weaker beasts for a while. I need to get used to my strength. I haven¡¯t fought since I became a middle Bronze mage, after all.
Chapter 27 - Ranking up
Adion looked at the three dead beasts and was satisfied with his fight. He took control of the fire that was still burning and put it out. Even though he could only control a small flame if he wanted complete control over it, he could still control just as much fire as any other fire mage if he needed to. It would just be hard on his Will if he wanted to do so for long as the Will of the world would quickly fight for control over it.
The reason he never used that much fire was that he didn¡¯t have a fire core like fire mages had. So he had to conjure fire from the pure mana around him, which took a lot of Will. But Adion had gotten a long way already and was planning on practicing conjuring fire a lot. After all, he was going to pretend to be a fire mage, and if he could only conjure a small ball of fire, people would think something was off.
Adion then thought of a problem as he got ready to carry the beasts. The space mana he had under his full control was only the size of a grown man. It worked for carrying one beast, even if the whole body wasn¡¯t under his space mana¡¯s control, but three bodies were impossible.
What a waste. Do I have to come back and make two more trips here? I guess I was still planning on hunting more, so I might as well head back here.
Adion then grabbed control of the dead boar and manipulated the frozen space to travel behind him.
Do other Outskirters actually carry the beasts back every time? That must be exhausting. Even if I feel the boar''s weight when I carry it in space, it''s evenly spread through my body. To actually carry something that big and ungainly seems awful.
It took Adion a few hours before he was back outside of the outpost again. This time, he went to the small Outskirt Guild branch located in the outpost to collect his reward. The building was much smaller than the one Adion had been to in the city. Two stories high and barely bigger than the inn Adion was staying at.
The doors stood open, and as Adion stepped inside, he noticed that there was only a single receptionist sitting behind a desk further in. There was also a mission board and a few posters with information. The rest of the room was just an ordinary tavern where about ten people were sitting, already starting their drinking.
Most people only gave Adion a quick look as he walked inside carrying the boar, this time without his space powers, of course. One man, however, took a longer glance and suddenly said, ¡°Holy Hellemus. He can¡¯t be much older than 15 and already a Bronze mage?¡± That got the attention of the rest of the early drinkers. They all looked at Adion, trying to feel his age and strength. Adion let them. They would only feel the strength of a low Bronze mage.
The men in the room started whispering to each other. ¡°He can¡¯t be simple, must come from a high-tier family, maybe even a Noble one.¡± One man with a large red beard in his forties said to his drinking companions.
¡°Yes, they send them out alone like this to temper their Will sometimes, I¡¯ve heard.¡± a man of the same age and equally rough beard answered.
A younger man in the group, the only clean-shaven man around, said in a low voice, ¡°Which family do you think? Is he the young master of the Graton family? But he has black hair, what do you think?¡± he asked.
¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± the red-bearded man said. ¡°We should just mind our own business and not get involved in the affairs of family clans. It will do us no good.¡± Everyone seemed to agree with that statement.
Adion, meanwhile, had heard it all and ignored it. He reached the reception desk, and a middle-aged woman greeted him with a smile.
¡°Quite the haul. I haven¡¯t seen you around here before. Are you new to Outpost Grillis?¡± she asked.
¡°Yes, I just got here yesterday. I would like to turn in this low Bronze beast, please.¡± Adion said.
¡°Sure thing, just let me see your Guild card,¡± The woman said.
Adion took out his Guild card and showed it to her.
¡°Rank 1 traveler. That would mean you just cleared a mission with a higher rank. Have you done more of these and want the information sent to Billford?¡± The woman asked.
¡°No, this is the first time,¡± Adion answered, ¡°I plan on doing 20 of these here so I can rank up. Is that possible?¡±
¡°Yes, we can upgrade Guild cards up to rank 3 traveler here. I will register that you¡¯ve completed the mission, and we can hold off until you rank up before sending the information back to Billford.¡± The woman said.
Adion nodded and left the body on the floor so as not to bloody the desk. The receptionist went into the back, and a few seconds later, a man who looked to be in his 60s with a bloodied apron came out. He grabbed the body and carried it away. Not long after, the woman came back with a pouch of coins that she handed to Adion.
¡°The beast and its core were in good condition, so you get 2 silvers and 20 coppers,¡± The woman said with a smile.
¡°Thank you very much,¡± Adion responded.
It''s lucrative being an Outskirter, I guess. I wonder how much I could make if I hunted down Silver beasts.
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Adion made his way out of the building and could hear how the conversations around the tables once again picked up in volume.
Adion made his way back to the dead beasts that, fortunately, hadn¡¯t been found and eaten by other beasts. While making his way back for the second time, he was once again attacked by three Blue Fire Boars. This time, one of them was a middle Bronze beast.
Adion let go of the dead boar he was carrying and got ready to fight. He ignored the fire shot by the boars this time as he could dodge quite easily. Beasts were quite horrendous at mana control compared to humans, so they generally mainly fought using their bodies, at least in the Bronze and Silver stages.
Adion ran towards the leftmost boar, which was a middle Bronze beast and ahead of the other two. He froze it in space just before they collided and pierced its brain through its eyesocket with his sword. He quickly let go of the space and turned to the next boar, which he promptly made work of in the same manner before turning his attention to the last boar. He froze it in space and approached it slowly this time.
Adion wanted to see how long he would be able to freeze a low Bronze beast. He knew that even if it broke free, he could use the fire that had started burning from the boar''s missed attack at the beginning of the fight, so he felt it would be safe.
He stopped when he stood eye to eye with the boar and could see confusion in its eyes as it struggled to break free. It had been frozen for 10 seconds already, and Adion felt that he could probably hold it for another 10 if he pushed himself. He had no intention of exhausting himself completely, though, so he pierced its head with his sword from underneath its jaw, leaving a complete corpse so he could earn more money.
I¡¯m much stronger than I would have assumed from advancing from low Bronze to middle Bronze. Even though it still took some effort to stop their momentum when running, it was nothing compared to how it was before.
I can only imagine that training my aura for a year with Fellion worked wonders for my Will. I didn¡¯t expect that, but it makes sense when I think about it. I had to use almost all my Will every day to manipulate my aura.
I think I should end my days with aura training from now on. Trying to hide my strength and space element as deep as possible and push my Will to the limit. It won¡¯t have an immediate effect, but it seems to add up nicely over time.
Adion had a pleased smile on his face as he made his way back to outpost Grillis, carrying the boar he had dropped earlier in the frozen space behind him.
Seems like I will have to make a few more round trips.
Adion finally arrived in his room at the inn late at night. He hadn¡¯t run into any more beasts, but the fighting and carrying boars all day had exhausted him. The woman working in the Outskirts Guild had become increasingly flustered every time Adion arrived, and the people in the tavern had become even more interested in him. When he arrived with the sixth boar of the day, the whole tavern had become silent, and everyone was watching him.
The tavern had been packed by then, and Adion could only guess what type of rumors had started circulating around him.
Oh, well. I¡¯ll only stay here a few more days to upgrade my rank. Hopefully, everyone will forget about me after that. And if Villem hasn¡¯t turned up by then, I¡¯ll just forget about him. He probably doesn¡¯t know anything about those people with white masks anyway.
Adion had asked about Villem at the Outskirts Guild, but the woman was unsure if he was around, so Adion simply left it at that.
Time to train my aura control. I can¡¯t afford to slack off.
Adion continued training for half an hour before falling asleep exhausted.
Four days later, Adion entered the Outskirts Guild building carrying a low Bronze Blue Fire Boar. It would be his twentieth and final mission completed as he could now rank up to rank 2 traveler.
When he entered the building that also functioned as a tavern, the place didn¡¯t quiet down as much as it used to. Perhaps people had noticed that Adion didn¡¯t care, never talked to anyone, or acted arrogantly around the outpost, easing the tension.
¡°Adion,¡± The middle-aged woman behind the counter, who Adion had found out was named Clara, greeted him as he approached her, ¡°This will be your twentieth mission, so I guess you want your rank upgraded?¡±
¡°Yes, please,¡± Adion said, handing her his Guild card.
¡°I¡¯ll handle it right away. It won¡¯t take long,¡± Clara said and rushed off.
The same old man who had taken care of Adion¡¯s beast carcasses arrived and carried away the body without a word, as usual. Not long after, Clara arrived with Adion¡¯s monetary reward as well as his Guild card, now with ¡®Traveler II¡¯ engraved on it.
¡°All done,¡± Clara said, handing him his belongings, ¡°What are you planning on doing now, Adion?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll head to an outpost deeper into the forest,¡± Adion said.
¡°Is that so? You should be careful. You are so young and talented. There is no need to rush anything,¡± Clara advised.
¡°Mm, maybe. But I¡¯ll at least take a look,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Haa,¡± Clara sighed, ¡°Well, good luck. I hope I¡¯ll get to see you back here safe.¡±
¡°Mm, thanks.¡± Adion nodded and then turned around to leave.
He had already checked out of the inn he was staying at and had all his belongings on his back, so he went straight to the gate to leave. It was still early, as Adion had only made two rounds during the day. He even left the body of a boar that he had killed. Adion had noticed that most of the beasts he ran into always traveled in groups of three or four. He didn¡¯t know if that was something specific to the Blue Fire Boar or if that was the case with all the beasts in the Outskirts.
Adion was worried that he would have to continue fighting several beasts even as they got stronger. He had absolute confidence in defeating a peak Bronze beast, but three or four of them at the same time could be difficult.
Most Outskirters hunt in groups, so maybe the beasts also started doing so. Or perhaps it''s the other way around. No matter the reason, it is going to be hard for me to hunt stronger beasts alone.
Maybe I should join a team to hunt with. They¡¯ll definitely notice my strength, though, but I can pretend that my space powers are a result of me being Gifted. That was always the plan anyway. But it would be better to hold off on revealing that until I reach Cyalis. If I do so now, it will cause a big commotion. A lot of people will surely look for me and pressure me to join their family or organization, and I have no interest in that.
Adion thought about his options for a while before deciding to continue hunting alone for the time being. Even with multiple peak Bronze Beasts, he had his healing pills in case anything happened.
Chapter 28 - Revealing strength
Two days later, Adion woke up in the room he had rented the night before. He had to travel for two days and a night before arriving at this outpost. It was called Trabis and was about the same size as outpost Grillis. The small town had more mages, though, most of which were peak Bronze. Adion had also felt the aura of a few Silver mages when he arrived.
His plan was to repeat the same process as he had done in Grillis, except this time, he would hunt peak Bronze beasts. It would definitely bring some attention, but Adion counted on his fake, mysterious background to scare off any trouble. When he had hunted enough to rank up, he would leave for another outpost to let any rumors that might start settle down.
He wasn¡¯t sure if he could fight Silver beasts with his new strength. If he could, it would be a tough fight. So he wasn¡¯t going to go any deeper than he already was, but there were other outposts to the north that were surrounded by beasts of similar strength as this one.
He went out of his room and locked the door behind him before heading to the dining area, where he got himself some breakfast. After that, he left the outpost and headed into the surrounding forest.
He released his entire aura this time, as he was only interested in fighting peak Bronze beasts. Middle and high Bronze beasts would still attack him, but he might be able to scare off any low Bronze beasts that were around.
And it would seem that Adion was lucky, as only an hour into his hunt, he felt something enter his sphere of space mana he always kept around him during his hunting.
Hm? It¡¯s actually hiding its aura?
Now that Adion knew where the beast was, he could feel its aura when he focused, but he couldn¡¯t make out its strength.
How sneaky. Luckily, I have a space core, and it is pretty much impossible to sneak up on me.
Adion continued walking as if he didn¡¯t notice the beast while releasing more space mana from his space core and gathered it between the approaching beast and himself, much like he used to do against the Grey Wolves a few years ago.
After almost a minute had passed, the beast suddenly jumped out to attack Adion. It also released its full aura, perhaps in an attempt to startle Adion.
A peak Bronze beast!
Adion also saw that it was a Sun-Sabered Tiger, a beast that Adion knew could reach Diamond through its bloodline. Luckily, this one was still young and weak.
Adion froze the beast in space and quickly slashed his sword through the front leg of the tiger, powering his muscles with mana as he did so. The beast was too big to get close to its head without risking himself. He didn¡¯t know how long he would be able to keep it frozen after all.
He turned away and ran after his successful attack while still keeping the tiger frozen.
It seems I underestimated myself. I think I can keep it frozen for at least 10 seconds. Oh well, I¡¯ll still beat it.
Adion then released the space surrounding the tiger from his control and conjured a ball of fire. It was quick but a little exhaustive.
It¡¯s good that I won¡¯t need to use my fire to fight peak Bronze beasts, but I still need to practice my fire control.
Adion hurled the ball of fire toward the now-released beast and Willed the fire to burn through its skull.
Let¡¯s see how long you can hold on.
The Sun Sabered Tiger roared furiously as it stumbled forward on its injured leg. It had no time to think about Adion as the fire burning it was quickly penetrating its skin.
It took about 20 seconds before the beast finally collapsed.
I made it, but fighting like this takes a lot of Will. The tiger was fighting for its life, after all.
Adion then grabbed the beast¡¯s body with his space mana and started walking back to Trabis. He was pleased that his strength had increased by such a large amount and thought that even if a group of peak Bronze beasts attacked him, he could handle it.
But there is still much to improve. If I can fight using fire without exhausting my Will to such an extent, it would be fantastic. I also need to practice my teleportation. If I could teleport, I might even be able to fight Silver beasts without much worry. But it still takes an average of 30 seconds for me to teleport, and that is when I¡¯m calm and focused on nothing else. To be able to do so instantly in a fight will take a lot of practice.
When Adion returned to the outpost, he made his way to the Outskirt Guild¡¯s building in town. He was starting to get tired of carrying beasts. Even though he only had to actually carry them for a short walk, Adion felt it was unnecessary.
The things I do to not stand out.
Adion sighed as he entered the Outskirt Guild carrying the peak Bronze beast. A similar scene to the one in the Grillis Outskirt Guild played out. At first, no one gave Adion a second look, but it only took one of them to notice his age and strength before the whispering started.
¡°Who is that?¡± An old peak Bronze mage asked, ¡°He¡¯s barely fifteen and already a Bronze mage.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never seen him before,¡± The man next to him said, ¡°But how did he kill a peak Bronze beast? Did he get lucky and find a dead one?¡±
The discussion continued around him as Adion approached the Outskirt Guild clerk behind the reception desk.
¡°A peak Bronze beast, I see,¡± The young man behind the desk said. Even though the tiger didn¡¯t have an aura anymore as it was dead, once the beast core formed, people could feel its presence and power in a similar way to the aura of a living beast.
¡°Yes, I¡¯m planning on advancing to rank 3 traveler,¡± Adion said.
¡°Do you have enough missions cleared?¡± The clerk asked.
To advance, he would have to complete 100 rank 2 traveler missions or 20 rank 3 traveler beast-hunting missions. Adion had no time to waste hunting weak beasts, so he would take the second option.
¡°No, I plan on hunting 20 peak Bronze beasts. This is my first one. Is that okay?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Certainly, if you give me your Guild card, I will note it down,¡± The man answered.
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Adion handed him the card, and the man quickly returned it after noting down his information. Adion then got his reward and headed out for another hunt. It wasn¡¯t even noon yet, after all.
His second hunt for the day didn¡¯t go as smoothly, however. It took Adion 3 hours before he finally felt a peak Bronze beast running towards him. He had already fought some middle Bronze beasts but simply left their bodies behind, as even if they would give him some money, Adion wasn¡¯t very desperate for it at the moment.
Adion could see that the beast approaching him was another Blue Fire Boar. This one was alone, however, and Adion was confident in taking it down. But just as he got ready to fight, he heard shouting and roars approaching behind him. He quickly froze the boar and sliced his sword through its neck before turning his attention back to the sounds behind him.
He felt the aura of three peak Bronze mages and, a bit behind them, the aura of a low Silver beast.
Damn, I guess this is why the death rates in the Outskirts are so high. A powerful beast can always appear and decimate a team of weaker mages.
Adion had no time to run as he saw three mages followed by the Silver beast quickly approaching him. The beast was a Sun-Sabered Tiger, and the mages were all middle-aged human men. Two of the men were fire mages, and one was a water mage. They were flinging spells toward the beast while running and guarding themselves from the beast''s claws with their swords. They all seemed injured to some degree, but the beast only had minor cuts and lightly singed fur.
Adion ran towards them and yelled out, ¡°You can¡¯t run, just fight!¡±
He then ran towards the tiger, which took a fast swing to Adion¡¯s head. But before it could crush his skull, Adion froze the space surrounding it. He could immediately feel the Will of the beast struggling against his space prison, and Adion knew he couldn¡¯t hold on for long, but he needed to kill it before it could escape his grip. If he simply injured it, Adion would be dead the moment the beast got released, as he had no time to get away.
So Adion pushed his Will to the limit and stepped forward before piercing its skull from underneath its jaw, Adion¡¯s favorite way of assuring death. In its last frantic millisecond of life, the beast managed to break free, but it was too late to do anything as it collapsed on the ground. Adion stood beside the body and panted heavily.
That was probably only about 2 or 3 three seconds, even if it felt like minutes. It¡¯s risky, but it''s good enough to have some confidence against Silver beasts. Having a space core is incredibly powerful. No one else would be able to land such a clean strike against a stronger foe while coming out unharmed. Of course, it¡¯s all because of the Celestial Phoenix Wisdom Pill. Otherwise, I¡¯d be pretty useless.
I need to find a way to increase this power. I haven¡¯t given it enough thought so far.
Adion then turned around to look at the mages that had been fighting the tiger earlier, and they were all staring at him with wide eyes.
¡°Y-you,¡± One of them stammered, ¡°You¡¯re a Gifted, right? But you¡¯re so young. And you¡¯re already a middle Bronze mage at that!¡±
Damn. I forgot to hide my aura again after fighting the boar. How should I handle this?
Adion thought about killing the men to not leave any witnesses, but quickly discarded the idea. He couldn¡¯t kill them just to keep his secret. They didn¡¯t know about his space core or his pills after all, only that he was Gifted and very talented. He could live with that information being public. And he could still just run to another city and remove his mask if worse comes to worse.
¡°Yep,¡± Adion simply said, ¡°You can have the Silver beast. I have a peak Bronze beast over there already.¡±
¡°Would you mind giving us your name, savior?¡± The man asked, ¡°I apologize on behalf of my team for bringing trouble to you.¡± The man bowed deep and looked sternly at his teammates, who quickly apologized as well.
I guess my perceived background has become even more frightening now. But these guys are pretty old and still Bronze mages. I don¡¯t think they come from a family clan. Those people will probably be more direct with me and ask about my clan and where I come from.
Things will definitely become complicated from now on, but I will attract attention no matter where I go if I don¡¯t want to hide my strength and only hunt weak beasts. I might as well stick around here for a while and see how things play out.
I should tell them my name, too, so I don¡¯t get some stupid nickname like ¡®the beast freezer¡¯ or something.
¡°I¡¯m Adion. Pleasure,¡± Adion said and left to find his peak Bronze boar that had been left behind.
Adion grabbed the body with his space power and carried it along with him back to Trabis. He opted to reveal his middle Bronze strength as it would soon be revealed anyway, and Adion didn¡¯t want anyone to figure out that he could hide his strength. That would make it more complicated if he needed to ditch his masked identity.
This, of course, caused quite a commotion when he entered the Outskirts Guild. People had already been shaken by his previous age and strength, but thanks to the stories revolving around the young master of the Gratton family, it was something people could accept. But a middle Bronze mage before reaching 15 was not something anyone had heard of, and a minor commotion broke out.
Adion ignored the people talking and just left the boar to receive his money and merit. The clerk behind the counter was also somewhat affected by Adion¡¯s increase in strength but still did his job.
Adion left immediately after to hunt another peak Bronze beast. There was still plenty of daylight left to burn after all.
It took him 2 hours before he found a peak Bronze beast. It was another Blue Fire Boar, and Adion killed it easily.
When he returned this time around, a lot more people were looking at Adion than earlier. He hadn¡¯t even reached the Outskirts Guild yet, and there were still a lot of people on the street who stared and whispered about him.
When he entered the Outskirts Guild building, he immediately heard a loud shout.
¡°That¡¯s him! Adion the Ash Willowin Mask!¡± A young man yelled as he pointed towards Adion.
Ash Willowin Mask? I guess it¡¯s an alright nickname.
¡°It¡¯s really him, Adion the Beast Freezer!¡± An old man shouted.
Damn it.
People started yelling and pointing, and everyone in the tavern had their attention directed toward Adion. Adion ignored them and went to the reception, where he dropped the boar on the floor. But before he could say anything to the clerk, one of the men who had been silent suddenly stood up. He seemed to be in his late twenties and was one of the few Silver mages in the outpost. He walked toward Adion and spoke arrogantly.
¡°Hey, kid! I¡¯ve looked you up, and I know you¡¯re not from some bigshot family,¡± He turned to the rest of the people in the tavern to see that they were paying attention, ¡°You¡¯re just a lucky kid who has found some natural treasure, right? Isn¡¯t it only fair to share what you found so everyone can enjoy it?¡±
Adion was starting to get pissed off as he realized what the man was trying to do, he hadn¡¯t found any natural treasure, but if the people there looked through his backpack, he would be in trouble.
¡°And I hear that you¡¯re a Gifted now, too?¡± The man continued, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of Gifted running around here, but if it¡¯s true, you should share your discoveries, right? This is the Age of Discovery, after all, and it would be a slap in the face of the Sages if you kept it all to yourself.¡±
Adion decided that this had gone on long enough.
¡°Believe whatever you want,¡± Adion said, ¡°If you¡¯re looking for trouble with me, just say so and stop with this charade.¡±
¡°Hahaha!¡± The man laughed arrogantly. After all, he was a Silver mage and wasn¡¯t threatened by Adion.
However, one of the young man¡¯s friends approached him, ¡°Are you sure he doesn¡¯t have any backing, Jab? He might just be laying low.¡± he said.
¡°What backing could he have? I¡¯ve never heard of someone like him in the Noble families,¡± Jab answered, ¡°He¡¯s probably just some discarded bastard of some whore.¡±
Suddenly, the bar was completely silent. Not a breath could be heard, and the only movement happening could be seen in the eyes of the people there as their pupils were frantically moving about. Not only in the tavern, but a similar scene played out in the surrounding buildings and on the street outside.
Suddenly, footsteps could be heard, and everyone stared at the masked man who could apparently move unhindered. The footsteps sounded eerie, as the air itself was frozen, but somehow, they could still hear the sounds of boots hitting wood that did not match the speed of their frantically beating hearts.
¡°I was just going to teach you a lesson for seeking trouble with me,¡± Adion said as he stopped before the man named Jab, ¡°But for those words, you die.¡±
The next sound everyone heard was that of Jab¡¯s head landing on the wooden floor.
Chapter 29 - Benji
¡°Lomin! Would you be so kind as to hurry it up a little?¡± Benji yelled at his faelin teammate. He was usually very patient, not as patient as the faelin, but more patient than most people. Today was different, though.
¡°What point is there to hurry when you don''t know anything about the different roads before you? To hurry is t-¡± Lomin was about to have one of his monologues again, but Benji wasn¡¯t in the mood.
¡°Not today!¡± Benji yelled as he turned around, ¡°Just for one day, would you please,¡± But he noticed that Lomin was as calm as ever and realized that no amount of begging could get the faelin to pick up his pace.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Rufus laughed loudly at the unusual situation. ¡°Damn, Lomin. You even managed to get Benji riled up. Not bad, my friend. Not bad.¡±
Benji only turned to Rufus with stone-cold eyes.
¡°Er,¡± Rufus was always uncomfortable being stared at with those eyes, ¡°We¡¯ll hurry. Won¡¯t we, Lomin?¡± He turned his head to the tall faelin next to him and asked.
¡°Perhaps we should. Let us hurry then.¡± Lomin answered as he picked up his pace.
Everyone was stunned at seeing such a scene.
¡°What the hell just happened?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s not question it. Hurry!¡± Benji yelled and ran off once again.
Finally, they arrived at the Outpost Inn, the most popular chain of inns in the Outskirts. This one was one of the larger ones, as outpost Cilla was as big as a regular town. Nothing compared to the outposts by Dorbarta. He had heard rumors that the Empire would make many outposts around that area into cities, just like the four main cities of the Silver Wall long ago. A significant effort to take over more land in those parts would begin in a few years¡ªsomething to do with a new Noble family rising to power.
Benji approached the reception and hurriedly asked for the man he had come here to see. Unfortunately, he was apparently out hunting beasts at the moment. Benji was about to run into the forest, but his girlfriend stopped him.
¡°Benji, wait.¡± Sahra said, ¡°I know you want to find him before he gets away again, but you will never find him in the Endless Forest. He told us he would meet us here, so he should return soon. Let¡¯s just wait for him.¡±
Benji thought about it and had to agree. Even if he didn¡¯t like the idea of twiddling his thumbs, he would be even more dismayed if he went out and missed out on this opportunity.
¡°Alright then.¡± He said, ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and wait.¡±
¡°Good.¡± Sahra smiled at him.
¡°I¡¯ll buy the first round then,¡± Rufus said as he went to the bar.
Benji nodded and wiped off the sweat on his face. It was winter and at least a month until spring, but they had been running around for hours. He then took a seat at a nearby table with Lomin and Sahra.
¡°Benji,¡± Sahra said with a concerned look on her beautiful face, ¡°I¡¯m sure everything will work out. Just calm down and relax. It might be hours before he returns, but he will return.¡±
¡°I just don¡¯t want to miss him, you know?¡± Benji said as he looked to the entrance of the inn.
¡°I know,¡± Sahra said with a smile.
Rufus returned with the beer for everyone and took a seat. Benji''s line of vision never left the door.
¡°So,¡± Rufus said as he addressed Lomin, his wild red beard wet with beer, ¡°Want to tell us a story while we wait, Lomin? Ever met a Gifted before?¡±
¡°Unfortunately, not. That would have been a good story.¡± Lomin lamented.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will meet one soon, and I¡¯m sure it will make a great story.¡± Sahra comforted the faelin.
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Lomin said, ¡°I¡¯m sure that the-¡±
¡°He¡¯s here!¡± Lomin was suddenly interrupted by Benji¡¯s loud yell.
Everyone turned their attention to the door, where they could see the frame of a familiar man their age. He was still only a middle Bronze mage, though.
¡°Villem, nice to see you again,¡± Benji said as he walked towards the man, his voice tinged with relief.
¡°Oh? Benji,¡± Villem said, and looked at the rest of the group and nodded, ¡°Sahra, Rufus, Lomin. Nice to see you again. You are here sooner than I expected.¡±
¡°We rushed here as soon as we received your letter, of course.¡± Benji said seriously, ¡°So, is he here?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go to my room and take a look,¡± Villem said as he led the group up a few flights of stairs before stopping in front of a door with the number 27. He knocked on the door, but there was no response, so he took out his key and unlocked the door before stepping inside.
Once Benji stepped inside, he was frantically looking around, but he couldn¡¯t see anyone or feel anyone¡¯s presence. The room was quite large and even had two bedrooms and a living room. On the living room table, he noticed that there was a paper lying there.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Benji asked as he turned to Villem.
Villem took up the piece of paper and read it, ¡°It seems like he went looking around town. I told him you would probably arrive in 2-3 days. Otherwise, he would have waited here, I¡¯m sure.¡±
Benji was starting to get nervous again, and Villem noticed his agitated state and tried to calm him down, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Benji. He¡¯ll be back soon.¡±
Benji was still worried, though. He had first heard of a young Gifted fighting in the Outskirts two months ago. At that time, he and his team had been fighting beasts around the Silver Wall. But when he heard of the rumors, he immediately headed to Billford to see the rumored Gifted.
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Benji had graduated from Cyalis Academy a few years ago, and his interest in Gifted was born during his time there. There was so little knowledge about the Gifted. It was only known that they possessed unique and inexplicable powers that defied common sense. Benji didn¡¯t understand how not everyone was completely obsessed with discovering the secrets of the Gifted. What could be a greater purpose in life? If he managed to figure that out, he would surely earn the title of Sage.
¡°How did you come to know Adion, Villem?¡± Benji turned to Villem and asked, ¡°Have you known him long?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s take a seat, and I¡¯ll tell everyone how we met,¡± Villem said, gesturing to the cushioned seats around the living room table.
Everyone sat down and turned their attention toward Villem.
¡°It all started at the end of summer last year,¡± Villem explained, ¡°I received a letter from my father at that time, who is the Head of the village I come from. There was an incident where a few children were kidnapped by slavers, but my father is only a Bronze mage and was at a loss for what to do. But then, after only a few days, the children returned. Adion had apparently stumbled upon the slavers and rescued the children. He didn¡¯t stay long in my village but headed for Billford, where I was fighting beasts in the Outskirts at the time. It was my father¡¯s wish for me to help Adion when he came here, partly to repay him and partly because he suspected that Adion had an impressive background and it would do me good to get close to him.
¡°But I had no idea how to find him. I went to a few different outposts to look for him, but it wasn¡¯t until two months later that I finally got some news of him. Everyone was suddenly talking about this young man named Adion, a kid who was not even 15 and already a middle Bronze mage, and more than that, he had an incredible Gift.¡±
Everyone was leaning forward as they didn¡¯t want to miss a word. Lomin had a slight smile dancing on his lips as he always liked listening to stories, never minding what they were about.
¡°I was lucky to only be a day away from outpost Trabis where Adion was. So, even if I doubted he was the same Adion my father had mentioned, I decided to at least take a look. He still hadn¡¯t begun hiding as no one powerful had gotten word of his deeds yet, and the Outskirts Guild wanted to be on his good side so they didn¡¯t cause him any trouble. So it was easy for me to meet him soon after. He recognized me immediately, as I resembled my father.
¡°When word spread of his deeds, and missions regarding him and his whereabouts started popping up, he left Trabis for outpost Cilla. But even after a month had passed, people were still looking for Adion, and it was starting to get worse. Adion asked me to go back to Trabis to see if I could find information about the people looking for him, and that is where I met you. I approached many people to gauge their intentions and backgrounds, and when I told Adion about you guys, he was interested in meeting you.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s it,¡± Sahra said, ¡°But how come he is here, and even walking around town if he is in hiding?¡±
¡°Well, he had always been wearing a mask, so no one knows what he looks like. As long as he doesn¡¯t have that or show his Guild card, he won¡¯t be recognized.¡± Villem answered.
¡°Still,¡± Rufus said, ¡°A middle Bronze mage at his age would give it all away, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±
Villem just smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Adion about that.¡±
¡°Do you know anything about his Gift?¡± Benji asked, ¡°Is it true what they say in Trabis, that the whole town was frozen in space for minutes?¡±
¡°Hmm.¡± Villem thought silently for a while. ¡°It¡¯s probably better to ask Adion about stuff like that. But I must warn you that he is a private person and might not tell you anything even if he wanted to meet you.¡±
That thought made Benji incredibly nervous. Finding a Gifted was not easy, which is why he spent so much effort looking for Adion. The Gifted were incredibly rare and would always be someone many clans and organizations would love to have in their ranks, making the few that existed very hard to get in touch with for someone like Benji. Perhaps if he became a proper scholar or an elder in the Academy in the future, but that would be hard and take a long time. Solving the mystery of the Gifted would probably take a lifetime. Benji had no time to waste.
¡°I¡¯ll convince him,¡± Benji said with conviction. ¡°I can even pay. Do you think he wants money?¡± he asked.
¡°Well, I don¡¯t know,¡± Villem answered hesitantly. ¡°But who doesn¡¯t want money?¡±
¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ll be sure to offer him some then,¡± Benji said.
Just as he was about to ask if he knew something else that might move Adion, he noticed Villem standing up. ¡°Adion.¡± He heard him say as he looked towards one of the bedrooms.
Benji quickly looked over as well. At the bedroom door, Benji saw a young man around 15 years old. He was tall, not nearly as tall as Lomin, but taller than Benji. He had short, wavy black hair and dark blue eyes. He also had the now-famous Ash Willowin mask on his face.
Benji could feel that he was a middle Bronze mage, just like he¡¯d heard, meaning he wasn¡¯t only a Gifted but an incredibly talented mage as well.
¡°How did he get inside?¡± He heard Sahra ask, but Benji ignored the strangeness of his appearance and hurriedly ran up to Adion and introduced himself.
¡°Hello, Adion. My name is Benji, an Outskirter and scholar in training. These are my teammates, Sahra, Rufus, and Lomin. I have a vested interest in the Gifted you see and have been looking for you for a long time.¡± Benji noticed that Adion seemed slightly annoyed at that last part, so he quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don''t represent any family clan or organization. I have no interest in recruiting you for anything but simply wish to know more about your powers as a Gifted. It is purely a scholarly interest that awoke in me when I studied at Cyalis Academy. I will naturally compensate you for your troubles.¡± Benji¡¯s heart was beating fast as he had almost rambled that last part. He couldn¡¯t take no for an answer.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would come so soon. Let¡¯s sit and talk.¡±
¡°Thank you for hearing me out, Adion.¡± Benji sighed in relief. ¡°Basically, I am extremely fascinated by Gifts and the mysteries concerning them. Unfortunately, it¡¯s a very rare thing, and I don¡¯t have an important enough background to approach the few Gifted that I know about. If I didn¡¯t take this chance to approach you, who knows how many years it would take me to find someone else?¡±
¡°I get it. So what do you want to know exactly?¡± Adion asked without a change in his expression.
¡°Well,¡± Benji hesitated, ¡°Everything about your Gift, really. What does it do, when did you get it, and what were the exact circumstances when it first manifested? How does it feel to use? How much Will and mana does it take? That and as much as you can tell about yourself. I want to see if there are other patterns among Gifted besides the ones already known.¡±
¡°Oh? That¡¯s smart. Sounds interesting if it shows results. What do I get if I help you?¡± Adion asked.
Benji''s eyes lit up at the response as Adion didn¡¯t seem unwilling and could even see the potential in what he was doing.
¡°I will pay you and give you credit when I publish my research in the future. How does 100 gold sound?¡± Benji asked.
¡°Hmm.¡± Adion looked up at the ceiling in thought. After a while, he answered, ¡°How about this? There is no need for payment, but I get to join your team. It''s hard finding a team of Silvers as a Bronze. You can take your time and ask me about everything you are curious about if we team up.¡±
¡°Deal!¡± Benji yelled excitedly and reached forward to shake Adion''s hand.
¡°What!?¡± Rufus and Sahra echoed out in surprise. Lomin only slowly nodded his head in acceptance.
¡°Benji,¡± Sahra said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we discuss this as a team first? We don¡¯t even know him. And he¡¯s only a middle Bronze mage. Even if he is Gifted, he will drag us down. I don¡¯t doubt that many of the rumors are exaggerating.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know what all the rumors are saying, but,¡± Adion said as he pulled out a Guild card of silver from under his shirt. ¡°I¡¯m a rank 1 explorer.¡±
¡°Ha!¡± Benji laughed, ¡°There you have it. Welcome to the team, Adion.¡±
Chapter 30 - New team
Adion looked up at the tall faelin named Lomin, who was walking beside him. Adion¡¯s new team and Villem were all on their way back to Billford at the moment, where they had decided to rent a carriage up to the Silver Wall now that Adion was part of the team. Adion had grown a lot over the past years and was not used to having to look up when speaking to someone.
The faelin are all tall, so I guess it isn¡¯t strange. As long as I grow taller than my brother, I¡¯ll be happy. Hopefully, he hasn¡¯t grown too much during the past few years.
¡°Is it your first time meeting a faelin?¡± Lomin asked as he noticed Adion staring at him.
Adion looked into the faelin¡¯s eyes. They were a strange, vibrant green color, with spots of gold circling the pupils. Lomin had long blond hair tied in a ponytail, showing off his pointed ears resembling a mix between a human and an elf. He was the oldest of the group, at 30, while Benji and Sahra were 25 and Rufus 27.
¡°It is,¡± Adion answered, ¡°You have cool eyes, is that common?¡±
Lomin smiled and spoke calmly, ¡°Thank you. We faelin believe the eyes to be the window to the soul. As such, everyone¡¯s eyes are unique. They even change as we experience more and our soul matures.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve heard that too,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I¡¯ve never heard of eyes changing color.¡±
¡°They might not for humans, but we are different in many aspects after all,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Too bad,¡± Adion muttered. He thought it would be nice to have evolving eyes like the faelin. But then again, he had inherited his mother¡¯s eyes, and he wouldn¡¯t want to lose that connection with her.
¡°Haha! Don¡¯t worry, Adion,¡± Rufus laughed as he laid an arm across his shoulders, ¡°We might not be able to change eye color, but once you see how awful Lomin is in controlling mana and how slow he is advancing because of it, you will be glad to be human.¡±
¡°Oh, you¡¯re bad at controlling mana?¡± Adion asked Lomin.
¡°In comparison to humans, I admit I¡¯m pretty bad,¡± Lomin said with an awkward smile, ¡°But no other race can beat humans at manipulating mana. Even so, I¡¯m not envious. I have other advantages that humans could only dream of after all. Every race of sapi and beast has their own strengths and weaknesses.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true. We don¡¯t keep Lomin around because he looks pretty after all,¡± Benji, the leader of the team, said, ¡°The faelin can use magic that is very different from every other race, similar to Gifted in a way.¡±
¡°Oh? What kind of magic?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well,¡± Benji scratched his chin, embarrassed, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. Lomin can¡¯t really use any of it. But I¡¯ve heard of powerful faelin who can do similar things as the Gifted.¡±
¡°I just haven¡¯t traveled far enough yet,¡± Lomin said, ¡°I feel something brewing in my soul, and the catalyst for it to awaken lies on the road ahead.¡±
Interesting. I was lucky to find these guys. They seem a lot more knowledgeable than the mages I¡¯ve met so far.
Most of the mages he had met were Bronze mages, and not many came from a family clan. Like Villem, most of them had mage parents who could train them to some degree but were not strong enough to form a family clan. The vast majority of mages were Bronze, and only about one in a hundred managed to advance to Silver. It took talent and hard work, and most people gave up as they grew older or died while trying to temper their Will in the Outskirts. Even if they managed to advance to Silver, you had to become a Gold mage just to form a 4th-tier family clan.
The way things are going, it won¡¯t take very long for me, though. I just turned 15 and have already reached the high Bronze stage, and I don¡¯t feel like my progress is slowing down.
Adion had reached high Bronze a little over a month ago but had been hiding his strength. Reaching middle Bronze caused people to freak out, and he could only imagine how people would react if he continued to advance at his current pace.
The past few months had shown Adion how troublesome things could become by showing off his abilities. As he had thought, most people didn¡¯t ask questions and were polite, afraid of offending him, like the manager of the Outskirts Guild in Trabis. When Adion had killed the man named Jab for speaking ill of his mother, he thought he would have to run away quickly as it was strictly forbidden to kill anyone inside the outpost, especially a fellow Guild member.
But he had been surprised when the manager, a Silver mage, showed himself and apologized to Adion. The manager had made a public statement, twisting the facts somewhat to make it seem like Adion had been attacked and acted in self-defense. No witness dared to disagree, allowing Adion to continue his routine of hunting beasts and clearing missions.
But that was only until the rumors about him spread outside the outpost, and people from family clans and other organizations started showing up and asking about Adion. Luckily, he had met with Villem by then and was warned by him in time to disappear quietly.
He had already managed to reach rank 1 explorer, and the only reason for him to continue his missions would be to get the monetary reward as he wouldn¡¯t be able to reach rank 2 explorer until he could kill peak Silver beast.
So Adion had started hunting beasts with Villem. He trusted him a lot by that point as he had warned Adion instead of giving him up to receive money from whoever was searching for him. Adion would kill the beast, mostly peak Bronze ones and a few low Silver, and Villem would carry the body back to outpost Cilla to get the money for the beast, which they shared between the two. This was a common practice for stronger and wealthier mages as they didn¡¯t want to spend time on those kinds of tasks, so they hired weaker mages to do the job for them.
Adion would quite enjoy his time as he could remove his mask and control his aura to show only the strength of a peak Iron mage while moving around town. He could go out to eat and drink with Villem at the local taverns without worrying.
But as time passed, the rumors didn¡¯t die as he had expected. Instead, they spread further, and more people came to look for him, making him worry that he would be found. He didn¡¯t think he would be killed or anything, but he would definitely get pressured to join whichever family or organization found him first, something he absolutely didn¡¯t want.
He had asked Villem to see if he could find some information about who was searching for him. The answer was that basically everyone was looking for him, most notably the Gratton family. It wasn¡¯t strange as they were a Noble family with a lot of manpower and had a strong presence in Billford and the surrounding area.
He had decided that he needed to move further north. He would need to travel in that direction sooner or later anyway, as he would go to Cyalis eventually. The problem was that Villem couldn¡¯t go with him; he was too weak as the Silver Wall had very few areas with Bronze beasts, and Villem needed to hunt beasts, too. He was here in the Outskirts to fight and temper his Will, after all.
He couldn¡¯t go by himself either. He would have to show his Guild card when he reported on his finished missions, and by this point, even the Outskirts Guild would probably give up his location.
So when Villem told him about Benji and his group, he decided that it would be a nice group to join. This way, he could continue making a living while hiding in their group as a young, talented, low Bronze mage. He didn¡¯t think they would be too enticed by the rewards of giving up information about him, even if they might not be from any peak powerhouse. Benji and Sahra had graduated from Cyalis Academy. They wouldn¡¯t lack money in the future.
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Unfortunately, he had to reveal his ability to hide his strength to the group, as they already knew he was a middle Bronze mage, and Adion couldn¡¯t show himself in public with that kind of strength, even if he didn¡¯t wear his mask. But Villem had known about his ability for a while now, and nothing bad had happened, making it easier for Adion to trust his new team as well.
He would still keep most of his secrets to himself, though.
¡°So, Adion,¡± Benji said after a while, as they finally stepped out of the forest and continued on the road leading to Billford, ¡°Mind telling us a bit about your Gift?¡±
Hmm, what should I tell them?
The fault in Adion¡¯s plan was, of course, that he wasn¡¯t actually a Gifted. But he had no intention of revealing his space core. Maybe he would in the future if he judged that he could trust his new team members. But for the moment, he had to make up some kind of excuse.
I could just lie and make up some story, I guess. What happened to me isn¡¯t much different than the stories I¡¯ve heard of people receiving their Gifts. But I did promise to help, and Benji seems to put a lot of importance on figuring out how Gifted received their Gifts. It would weigh heavy on my conscience if my made-up information somehow led him astray.
Going by how things have gone for me so far, it is also very likely that they will find out the truth eventually. If I have lied to them the entire time, they will definitely feel betrayed.
Adion decided to be somewhat honest in his answer, ¡°I guess I can tell you a little about myself,¡± Adion said slowly, ¡°But I won¡¯t tell you everything. My so-called Gift is related to a secret I¡¯m not too keen on sharing. Frankly, I don¡¯t trust you enough, at least not yet.¡±
Benji looked dejected when he heard Adion¡¯s reply.
¡°Benji, that makes sense,¡± Sahra comforted, ¡°You will have plenty of time to get to know about Adion once we all know each other better. This secret might give you the push you need to write that book you always wanted.¡±
Benji smiled at his girlfriend, ¡°You¡¯re right, I won¡¯t push. Adion, take your time; hopefully, you will trust me enough in the future.¡±
¡°Thanks for understanding,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll show a little what I can do.¡±
Adion then froze the space around Benji. He was a middle Silver mage, so he couldn¡¯t hold him for long once he started struggling, but Benji still seemed shocked at Adion¡¯s abilities and stared at him with wide eyes.
¡°What happened?¡± Rufus asked, ¡°What did he do, Benji?¡±
Sahra and Lomin looked at Benji in anticipation as well; the only calm one was Villem, who looked at them with an amused smile.
¡°Amazing,¡± Benji muttered, ¡°So it is actually true? I thought for sure that the rumors about what happened in Trabis were exaggerated. I¡¯ve never heard of a Gift so powerful. Can you really stop people from moving, even the entire population of Trabis, like the rumors say?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion hesitated. It was an exaggeration that he had frozen the entire town. At most, a few buildings around the Outskirts Guild were affected. And it wasn¡¯t entirely true that he could do even that.
When Adion had heard Jab call his mother a whore, Adion was furious. And it felt like he grasped something that had always been beyond him. When he first took the Celestial Phoenix Wisdom Pill, he had felt all-powerful for a brief moment, like all space was his to command. But that feeling disappeared along with the pill, and Adion had never managed to relive that feeling. He still had complete control over a small part of space that he could use to trap his opponents, but he never found a way to improve his powers.
That was until Jab had insulted his mother. He could finally feel the space around him just like he had that day years earlier. It was like the space around him was afraid to question his Will and did everything it was commanded to do, which at that moment was to not let anything or anyone other than Adion pass through it.
Not only could he affect a larger area, he had a much firmer grasp on it, not even allowing the Silver mages around him to move, even if he froze space for close to half a minute.
Unfortunately, the feeling was fleeting. The moment Adion had killed Jab, it was like he woke up from a dream, and he could no longer grasp the power he had held just a moment earlier. But the experience was anything but a waste. Afterward, Adion had finally managed to increase the amount of space he could freely control. It wasn¡¯t a lot, an increase of about 20%, but it was enough for Adion to feel elated. He also felt that his Will could affect the space under his control more efficiently, even with other mages and beasts contending against him.
But the best news of all was that Adion had finally figured out how to improve his powers. When he had taken the Wisdom Pill, Adion was at a loss on how to improve. He simply accepted his new strange power and focused on his mana core and aura control. But after he experienced some of the feeling again, and this time all by himself, he could see the path forward.
During the past four months, Adion had focused a lot of his attention on improving his unique powers, which he had named ¡®Authority¡¯ in his head. It felt like a fitting word for what he was experiencing. It felt like Adion had received some Authority over space; he could command it as he wished, but it was nowhere near complete Authority. He didn¡¯t know if it was Ganta itself or something else that contended against his Authority, but it was impossible to influence more space than he had Authority over. The space would simply not listen to him.
But he had discovered that he could slowly increase this Authority by meditating. Instead of focusing on bending the surrounding space mana to his Will and gathering it in his core, like he usually did, he took the space mana and infused it in the space he had Authority over.
It was harder than meditating like usual because he had to focus on his Authority, take control over as much space as he could, and then push its limits by infusing it with more of his Will-attuned space mana. The process was incredibly slow. Even releasing all the mana Adion had in his core was only enough to conjure space the size of a grain of sand. Even if Adion now finished each day to release all the space mana in his core and infuse it into the space he had Authority over, the result was barely noticeable after four whole months.
But progress was progress, and as Adion advanced, he would have more space mana in his core to use to increase his Authority. He didn¡¯t know why it worked or if there was a better way. He couldn¡¯t voluntarily enter the same state of mind he had when he increased his Authority by 20%. So, even if it was slow, it was the only option Adion had at the moment.
¡°Adion?¡± Benji asked again when he noticed Adion hesitating.
¡°The rumors are exaggerating. I can only freeze enough space to affect one or two beasts at a time.¡± He explained.
¡°Still, you even managed to affect me,¡± Benji said, ¡°If you had attacked me while I couldn¡¯t move, I would be dead for sure.¡±
Adion let slip a rare smile, ¡°How do you think I managed to become a rank 1 explorer?¡±
Benji smiled back at him, ¡°That¡¯s true. Truly an incredible Gift. I would very much like to know all about how you got it when you feel like talking about it.¡±
¡°Mm.¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Can I also try?¡± Sahra asked, her brown curly hair falling across her face as she tilted her head questioningly.
¡°Sure,¡± Adion responded and froze the space around her.
¡°Amazing!¡± Sahra said in surprise as she managed to break free.
¡°Maybe I should do it to you two, too, so you know what I can do when we are facing beasts together,¡± Adion said as he turned to Lomin and Rufus.
¡°Give it your best shot!¡± Rufus said as he took a fighting stance facing Adion.
Adion froze the space around him. He could only hold on for about 3 seconds before he had to let go, a little shorter than Benji and Sahra, as Rufus was ready to fight him from the beginning.
¡°Lomin?¡± Adion asked to make sure he wanted to try.
¡°Go ahead,¡± Lomin said with a gentle smile.
Adion froze the space around him but soon noticed that Lomin wasn¡¯t fighting him. He couldn¡¯t hold space containing a living being as well as he could empty air, even if Lomin wasn¡¯t fighting him with his Will. But he would be able to hold on for many minutes, so after a while, he simply let go of his mental grip and allowed Lomin to move.
¡°Why didn¡¯t you fight it?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I wanted to experience how it felt. Sure enough, it was a very interesting feeling.¡± Lomin answered, ¡°Trying to get out of your grip might be good training to temper both yours and our Will.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Adion hadn¡¯t thought about that, but it made sense since both parties had to fight hard with their Wills contending against each other.
¡°We should give it a try when we¡¯re traveling to the Silver Wall,¡± Benji said, ¡°We can¡¯t just slack off even if we¡¯re traveling after all.¡±
¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Adion said as they continued to walk towards Billford.
Chapter 31 - Having a few drinks
¡°Being in the Outskirts so long, you almost forget how beautiful the sunset is,¡° Villem said to Adion as they closed in on Billford and the last rays of sunlight hit the city.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion agreed, but he was more focused on the long shadows caused by it.
The shadow mana is plenty at this time of day, it seems. I haven¡¯t practiced my shadow mana control as much as I should. Thanks to the Wisdom Pills, I have a small amount of Authority over it, just like I have with space and fire.
There is just too much to do. My space powers should be my main focus, and then fire. I also enjoy practicing my water mana control, even if it¡¯s very weak at the moment. I guess I¡¯ll have more time for everything once I get stronger.
¡°It¡¯s getting late,¡± Benji said as he also looked towards the setting sun, ¡°We should get a room for the night and leave tomorrow morning.¡±
¡°That¡¯s probably for the best,¡± Sahra agreed.
¡°Then let¡¯s go to an inn with good drinks,¡± Rufus said with a smile hidden beneath his big red beard.
Benji smiled and looked at Adion, ¡°What do you say, Adion? Up for a couple of drinks? It will give us a chance to get to know each other.¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Adion said and then turned to Villem, ¡°Want to join us? It¡¯s not much to repay you, but the drinks will be on me.¡±
Villem lightly laughed, ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything worth repaying. But since you¡¯re offering, I¡¯ll try to put a dent in your wallet tonight.¡±
Adion disagreed but didn¡¯t say anything more about it. He deeply appreciated Villem¡¯s help during the last months. He saw him as a friend by this point and would miss him. He had thought about giving him one of his pills before he left, but that would only put Villem in danger. He wasn¡¯t strong enough to hold on to something like that.
I¡¯ll repay him in the future when I¡¯m stronger.
They soon reached the gate on the west side of the city and entered without issue. Adion opted to pay two silver coins instead of showing his Guild card, as that might reveal his identity. He wasn¡¯t lacking money.
Adion knew he wasn¡¯t rich compared to other mages his strength, but he had managed to save up quite a large amount during his time in the Outskirts so far. He had noticed that the problem with having so much money was that coins weighed a lot. And since Adion always carried his belongings with him on his back, it became a problem. So he spent most of his money on a Diamond beast core of the fire element. It wasn¡¯t optimal, but it would hold on to its value for quite a long time.
Beast cores were formed when beasts died. The same thing happened when mages died, but those weren¡¯t used, at least not publicly. It was beneficial for quicker advancement as one could manipulate the mana inside the core instead of the mana in the atmosphere, where mana was more scarce. But it didn¡¯t last forever. Every time mana left the core, it would refill just like a mana core of living beings did. But the beast core would slowly weaken, and even a Diamond beast core could only refill from the mana in the atmosphere about 80 times before collapsing into dust, which is why beast cores always had a market.
But even if Adion didn¡¯t use his beast core, it would slowly weaken, making it suboptimal to use as a currency. Most rich mages who had a lot of money instead used coins of more valuable metal and jewels than gold. But they were not easy to get as a peak Iron mage without backing, as was how Adion had appeared when he tried to get his hands on them.
But at least Adion¡¯s backpack was lighter, so he was happy. Even if he had to make a loss when exchanging the beast core again.
When they entered the city, they quickly found an inn with good enough drinks for Rufus to be happy. They each got a room for the night and sat down after ordering food and drinks.
¡°I¡¯ll head to Mint Carriages to book a carriage for tomorrow. That way, we can leave immediately tomorrow,¡± Benji said as he finished eating, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±
¡°So, Adion,¡± Rufus said as Benji left, ¡°You¡¯re a fire mage, right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°What element do you all have?¡±
Adion had already felt their aura and knew their elements, but he thought asking would be polite. And he didn¡¯t see a reason to reveal all of his tricks.
¡°I¡¯m an earth mage,¡± Rufus said as he lifted his chin proudly, ¡°But don¡¯t think me weak. Even though I might not be able to conjure much earth, I can still manipulate the earth below beasts to gain the upper hand. You should know better than anyone how much those seconds of destabilizing your enemy mean during a fight.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true. I look forward to seeing you fight. I¡¯ve never seen an earth mage in battle before,¡± Adion said.
¡°Benji and I are fire mages just like you,¡± Sahra said, ¡°And Lomin is a wind mage. However, wind is famously hard to control, and Lomin doesn¡¯t have good control over it as a faelin. So you should be ready to get hit by some stray wind.¡±
¡°Oh? Can you fly?¡± Adion asked as he ignored the remark of the faelin¡¯s poor control.
¡°Fly? No,¡± Lomin shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t think even a Diamond wind mage has that ability. Even Soul mages might struggle with it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± Adion lamented, ¡°Well, work hard, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to do it. I¡¯m jealous that you will be able to do so in the future.¡±
¡°Haha!¡± Rufus laughed heartily, ¡°Not to dismiss Lomin or anything, but it would be a miracle for any of us to reach Diamond in the future, let alone the Soul stages.¡±
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Adion was baffled when he heard that, ¡°You¡¯re only aiming so low? But you are all still pretty young and already Silver. Why not work hard and aim for the Soul stages?¡±
¡°Adion,¡± Sahra smiled awkwardly, ¡°Do you have any idea how hard it is to advance to Gold, let alone higher stages? There is a reason you get to form a family clan after reaching Gold, after all. You might be a monster that has already reached middle Bronze at 15, but it will still be a challenge for you. Benji and I managed to graduate from Cyalis Academy. We are by no means untalented, but even so, it is getting difficult for us to advance.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Adion hesitated. He knew he was unusually fast in his advancement, but he also worked hard for it. ¡°Why is it hard?¡± He decided to ask, ¡°If you meditate consistently, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to expand your core enough to advance. And if your Will is inefficient, then you just have to temper it.¡±
¡°Gahaha!¡± Rufus roared in laughter and slammed his hand on the table, ¡°¡®Just have to temper it,¡¯ he says,¡±
¡°Adion,¡± Sahra looked at him with an amused smile, ¡°It might be easy to temper your Will enough to advance to Bronze. Almost anyone can do as much eventually just by going through life. But it gets incredibly challenging after that. You will realize that when you need to advance to Silver.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Adion thought about it but still didn¡¯t think it would be as difficult as they said. Obviously, it would be hard, but it wasn¡¯t like it was impossible. Plenty of mages had managed to do it. So if Adion just trained hard, he thought he could do it, too.
¡°I don¡¯t think Adion is convinced,¡± Lomin said with a smirk as he looked at Adion.
¡°Well,¡± Adion said, ¡°It¡¯s just that I already knew it would be hard. But since it¡¯s not impossible, then I¡¯ll do it.¡±
Lomin looked stumped for a second before smiling again, ¡°I believe you might be wiser than you look, Adion. Your words are well-spoken.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t appear wise?¡± Adion questioned with a troubled look. He thought he was pretty smart, but since he didn¡¯t interact much with others, he didn¡¯t know if people perceived him as stupid.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Everyone around the table started laughing at Adion¡¯s concern.
¡°You don¡¯t, Adion, but that¡¯s okay,¡± Sahra said as she wiped a tear from her eyes, ¡°I think you¡¯re better the way you are.¡±
¡°For what it¡¯s worth,¡± Villem broke in, ¡°I don¡¯t doubt for a second that you will become a Soft Soul mage, Adion. I would even bet all my money on you becoming the youngest Soul mage in history.¡±
Adion was a little shocked as he could feel from Villem¡¯s aura that his words were entirely genuine. He didn¡¯t know that Villem thought so highly of him. Adion smiled and thanked him for his words.
¡°No offense,¡± Sahra said with a doubtful look, ¡°But you¡¯re only a Bronze mage, Villem. Do you know anything about the Soul stages and how difficult they are to enter?
¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Villem answered with a smile, ¡°But I know how difficult it is to advance to middle Bronze. And Adion did that before he turned 15. I also know how difficult it is to sense and control your aura. Adion has been trying to teach me for the past months. His skill in aura control is amazing, and it¡¯s not like he just got it out of nowhere. He started from zero, just like me. Even excluding all that and his amazing Gift, let me ask you,¡± Villem paused and looked around the table, ¡°Have you ever seen Adion control mana?¡±
Sahra looked at him, confused, ¡°What about his mana control?¡±
¡°Adion,¡± Villem said and looked at him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you conjure a ball of fire, not using your mana core but the pure mana around us like you showed me,¡±
¡°Oh? But are we allowed to do magic in here?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It will be alright,¡± Rufus said, eager to see what Adion would do.
¡°Yeah, it should be fine if you don¡¯t damage anything, but gathering enough pure mana to conjure a flame will take-¡± Sahra couldn¡¯t finish her sentence as Adion had already conjured a ball of fire above his palm.
Adion could do so very quickly now that he had practiced the process for a long time. Fire mages could just use the fire mana in their core to conjure up a flame, but Adion didn¡¯t have a fire core, so if there was no fire around, he had to use his Will to change the affinity of the surrounding pure mana and then gather it all to conjure a flame.
¡°Monster,¡± Sahra hissed, ¡°Adion, just who the hell are you?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Adion asked.
Villem, meanwhile, was almost on the floor laughing, seeing everyone¡¯s stunned expression. ¡°Hahaha, Adion, do the wolf thing, do the wolf thing!¡± he said.
¡°Okay?¡± Adion then changed the shape of the flame to resemble White as closely as he could. He had been doing stuff like that occasionally just to play around and experiment with what he could do with his flames.
¡°How!?¡± Rufus yelled out in shock.
¡°Quickly put out the flame, Adion,¡± Lomin said in a serious voice.
Adion did as he was told without understanding the reason. But soon, he realized the cause of Lomin¡¯s serious expression as he noticed a few people around the room looking his way, whispering to each other.
I¡¯m an idiot. Conjuring fire the way I did was very impressive, but it was all due to my talent and hard work. Other people can do the same. But controlling fire so that it takes the shape of a wolf is entirely due to me having a small amount of Authority over it. To replicate what I did without Authority would take an immense amount of Will.
Fire mages can conjure huge flames from their core, only less than what wind mages can accomplish. But in return, the control of fire is much more complicated than that of water and earth. The Will of the world fights for control almost immediately. Replicating Adion¡¯s feat with such ease might not even be possible for a Diamond fire mage.
¡°That was incredible, Adion,¡± Rufus said, ¡°But for someone who wishes to hide, you seem to be doing your best to attract attention.¡±
¡°Sorry, Adion,¡± Villem said with a guilty look, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked you to do that.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Villem,¡± Adion said and sighed, ¡°It seems that I¡¯m not very good at thinking things through.¡±
The whispering around them had started to settle down, and even if people talked about it, Adion would be leaving in the morning. Hopefully, things wouldn¡¯t spread of what he had done.
¡°But Adion,¡± Sahra said as she looked at him intensely, ¡°How can you do that?¡±
¡°Well, I just practiced a lot. At first, gathering enough mana to conjure up a flame took me a long time. But I practiced doing so every day for over a year, and eventually, I got good enough to do it almost instantly,¡± Adion answered, ¡°As for how I made a wolf out of the flames, I won¡¯t tell you.¡±
Sahra sighed, ¡°Hopefully, that is as far as your abilities go. I don¡¯t think I could handle anything more.¡±
I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know half of it yet. Adion thought to himself.
Chapter 32 - To the Silver Wall
Adion woke up early the next day as someone knocked on the door to his room.
¡°Adion,¡± He heard Benji¡¯s voice call out, ¡°It¡¯s morning, and we are getting ready to leave.¡±
Adion quickly got dressed and moved to open the door. When he saw Benji¡¯s eager expression, he could guess what he wanted.
¡°Alright, come inside, and I¡¯ll show you,¡± Adion said.
Benji entered the room and closed the door behind him. He stared in anticipation as he waited for Adion. It didn¡¯t take long for Adion to check for any presence in the surroundings through his released space mana. Even without doing that, he had an excellent spatial awareness, and his aura sense was nothing to scoff at. But after last night, Adion was careful. When he had made sure that no one was around, he conjured a ball of fire and then changed its shape to resemble a Deep Snow Wolf.
When Benji had returned the previous night and heard about Adion¡¯s little show, he was eager to see it for himself. Adion promised he would show it to him the next day once they were alone. He felt a little awkward as he showed off his abilities; the skill of making fire take the shape of White was only thanks to the Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill. Adion didn¡¯t feel like he had earned the praise of his teammates.
Unlike his Authority over space, Adion hadn¡¯t had any great epiphany regarding his Authority over fire and shadow. He still had no idea how to increase his Authority over these elements. The tactic he had employed when increasing his Authority over space didn¡¯t work for some reason.
¡°Unbelievable,¡± Benji said as he stared at the wolf-shaped fire. ¡°How?¡± he asked and stared Adion in the eyes.
¡°Like I¡¯ve told the others, it¡¯s a secret,¡± Adion responded, putting out the fire he had conjured.
Benji sighed before gathering his voice again, ¡°Look, Adion. I know you can¡¯t trust us yet as you seem to have many incredible secrets. But would you be open to telling me about it if I took an Oath never to tell anyone? I simply want to sate my curiosity and perhaps gain something that helps me in my research.¡±
¡°An Oath?¡± Adion said and started thinking.
If there isn¡¯t any chance of him talking, would there be any danger to telling him? It might not do me any good either, but I did promise to tell him about my ¡®Gift¡¯ in exchange for joining the team. If I can be sure he won¡¯t talk about it, I shouldn¡¯t refuse.
¡°That might work,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Do you know if there are any Moonlight Oaks around here?¡±
¡°Moonlight Oak?¡± Benji questioned, ¡°I remember reading something about that. In many family clans, it¡¯s tradition to make Oaths in front of Moonlight Oaks. It is said that the Oath will be harder to break. But is that true?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s true or not. But I heard from someone I trust on the matter, so I will only accept an Oath spoken before a Moonlight Oak,¡± Adion said resolutely.
¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter to me. There should be some Moonlight Oaks up by the Silver Wall. I¡¯ll ask around when we get there. I can wait that long, at least.¡± Benji said with a smile.
¡°Good, then let¡¯s get going,¡± Adion said.
Once outside the inn, he noticed Sahra and Lomin already waiting there, and Rufus joined a few minutes later.
Benji and Sahra had already gone to Mint Carriages earlier in the morning to pick up the carriage they would be traveling in. It was spacious enough for all of them to fit inside, but if they were going to sleep in it, it would be a tight fit.
¡°I managed to get two Iron beasts to pull the carriage, so we will be moving at a pleasant speed,¡± Benji said as the group gathered around him, ¡°It will still take a little over a week for us to reach Hermot, though. I didn¡¯t hire a driver as we might be discussing things we wouldn¡¯t want anyone to overhear. So, we will have to stop at night to sleep.¡±
Adion didn¡¯t think that sounded bad, ¡°What¡¯s Hermot?¡± He asked, as he had never heard the name before.
¡°It¡¯s the southernmost city of the Silver Wall,¡± Benji answered.
¡°You mean the Silver Wall consists of multiple cities?¡± Adion asked.
Benji nodded and responded, ¡°The Silver Wall is the name of the large area where Silver beasts appear frequently. Centuries ago, four outposts were built in the area to fight the advancement of the rather aggressive beasts. In most parts of the Outskirts, beasts stay in the Endless Forest, but by the Silver Wall, beasts attack even towns and villages in already conquered parts of the Empire. The four main outposts became cities over time, of which Hermot is one, and many more outposts have been built in the Endless Forest. The beasts still manage to get through at times, but it is nowhere near as bad as it used to be. But you should always be ready for an attack even if you are days from the Outskirts.¡±
¡°Why would the beasts do that?¡± Adion asked. As far as he knew, beasts would attack humans to get food and to gain fighting experience to temper their Will just like humans. As long as there was human presence in the Endless Forest, there was no need for beasts to attack human towns, where many people too weak to give a fight resided.
¡°Who knows?¡± Benji shrugged, ¡°If we want to gain more land, I guess it¡¯s only natural that beasts might want the same. I¡¯ve heard that the Soul mages of the Empire have made it all the way to the Black Mountains, and there are apparently many strong Soul beasts there. They are not any less intelligent than humans, so they can have plans of their own.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion said. If there were beasts like Fellion in the Black Mountains, it was natural that they might not want to give up any more land than what the humans had already taken. As for why the Soul beasts didn¡¯t order stronger beasts than Silver to fight, Adion didn¡¯t know.
That would lead to an escalation that might result in an all-out war where the strongest Soul mages and Soul beasts had to fight. It might be preferable to keep the situation at the current level.
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¡°Well, since you plan on becoming a soul mage yourself, I guess you¡¯ll know all about it one day,¡± Benji said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±
Benji and Sahra jumped up to the front of the carriage, where they would drive the carriage, and Adion, Lomin, and Rufus entered inside the carriage, where they could sit down and simply enjoy the journey.
The carriage looked a lot like the one he had seen Mr. Dhiji riding in, if a little less luxurious. But it was well-made, and there were wide cushioned seats where six people could fit without a problem. Lomin and Rufus sat down next to each other, and Adion took a seat opposite them.
¡°So,¡± Rufus said, looking at Adion, ¡°How should we spend our time during our journey? Got any good stories to tell Adion?¡±
¡°Hmm. I¡¯m not sure,¡± Adion answered, ¡°Even though I¡¯ve read many books, I have spent most of my time training. I¡¯m not sure I know of anything you haven¡¯t already heard.¡±
¡°Stories don¡¯t just come from books,¡± Lomin said with a smile, ¡°I quite enjoy hearing about people''s lives. What greater story could there be in the end?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°Maybe some other time.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Rufus said, ¡°But you are in luck. Lomin has a great number of stories that, if put in a book, would surely sell like crazy.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Lomin said modestly, ¡°The stories I¡¯ve told are well-known in Fondia, the kingdom of us faelin on Quemer. It is only here on Shiora that they might be new for many people.¡±
¡°I would very much like to hear them,¡± Adion said, leaning forward. ¡°I know very little about Quemer. You really come from there?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Lomin said, ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any faelin born here on Shiora. We faelin like to travel, but at the end of our journey, we always return home. A good story only ends when the hero comes back home after all.¡±
¡°The faelin are very different from us humans, Adion,¡± Rufus said, ¡°They all travel around aimlessly once they become adults, not even they have a goal in mind. Most travel around in Fornia, some make their way to other parts of Quemer, and a few, like Lomin, cross the Warm Waves and travel all the way to Shiora. Once they feel like their journey has come to an end, they return. Usually with a wife or husband,¡± Rufus then turned to Lomin and said with a teasing smile, ¡°Though the way things are going for Lomin, he might have to return alone.¡±
¡°Love can¡¯t be forced,¡± Lomin said bitterly, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in following your tactics. You humans might have several partners, but we faelin only have one during our life. Powerful mages in human family clans marry for alliances, and the common man marries their childhood friend out of convenience. But not even the Royal family in Fornia would do such a thing. If the princess wishes to marry a common farmer at the end of her journey, no one would stop her.¡±
¡°What?¡± Adion was shocked, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that is a bad thing; my mom and dad married across social status and cultural differences, and I¡¯m happy for that, but for the Nobles and Royals to accept such a thing seems hard to believe.¡±
Rufus and Lomin looked up, interested in what Adion had said. This was the first time he had shared anything about himself.
¡°It has to do with the Primordial Story,¡± Lomin answered, ¡°A story that was ancient even during the Age of Wonder, the story of our race.¡±
¡°What?¡± Adion was even more shocked when he heard this. He had thought he knew much more than others about the Age of Wonder. After all, he had read the letter of the Sect Leader of the Celestial Phoenix Sect. A Phoenix that people of this Age didn¡¯t seem to know existed. But apparently, he was still very ignorant.
¡°I can understand your shock, as nothing like this exists elsewhere.¡± Lomin said with a gentle smile, ¡°But since ancient times, the Primordial Story is told from parent to child until the child knows it by heart. Not even the Age of Darkness could erase this story from our history.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the story?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s very long,¡± Lomin chuckled, ¡°But I usually tell parts of it to Rufus, Sahra, and Benji whenever the mood sets in.¡±
¡°Well, let me know when the mood sets in next time. I want to hear all about it.¡± Adion said with a serious look.
¡°I will,¡± Lomin said with a smile, ¡°And if you come to think of a story yourself, I¡¯d very much like to hear it.¡±
Adion nodded, as it would only be fair to share something himself. If Adion were willing to reveal his secrets, he would indeed have a fantastic story to tell. But he wasn¡¯t willing.
Do I know anything else to tell a story about? I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ll keep thinking about it.
The carriage had now made its way out the city gates and onto the road leading north to the Silver Wall.
¡°Do you want to learn about aura? It¡¯s not a story, but it could be of great help if you manage to control your aura.¡± Adion suddenly asked.
Adion didn¡¯t want to waste time while traveling, so he thought that he might ask if the others were interested in learning aura control. It would help him practice, and unlike the last time he traveled and taught people about aura, this time, everyone knew his ability to control his strength, so he wouldn¡¯t need to hide anything.
¡°Oh? That would be very interesting,¡± Rufus said, ¡°Only Benji comes from a family clan among us, but even a 2nd-tier family clan like his is not very good at training mages in aura control. Considering you are so apt at it, you must know a few tricks, right?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure if I know any tricks, but I can share what I have learned. But I won¡¯t be able to do the things my teacher did when I was learning from him, so you will progress slower than I did.¡± Adion said.
¡°Teacher?¡± Rufus asked, ¡°Is it someone from your family clan? Surely you¡¯re from a clan, right?¡±
¡°I am from a family clan,¡± Adion nodded. He didn¡¯t have any reason to hide that fact about himself. Even if he had hidden much about himself ever since he got to the Delovan Empire, Adion didn¡¯t enjoy lying, at least not to people he was starting to consider friends.
¡°But it is only a 2nd-tier family clan,¡± Adion continued, ¡°The one teaching me about aura was someone else.¡±
¡°Oh? Which family clan?¡± Rufus asked, ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve heard about it.¡±
¡°I doubt it,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m from the Remori clan, and I would appreciate you not speaking that name out loud when others can hear. It could attract trouble.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right, never heard of it. But I will heed your word and not speak of it. You can rest assured,¡± Rufus said with a smile.
¡°So, how should we train to use our aura, Adion?¡± Lomin asked. ¡°On Quemer, many family clans train their mages in aura from a young age. It¡¯s a lot more advanced than here. Unfortunately, I am the son of two Silver mages, so I don¡¯t know much about it.¡±
Adion smiled lightly and began his lesson, ¡°Aura stems from the soul. If the soul is the sun, then aura is its warmth. The soul carries with it everything a person is. Meaning that, in theory, with a sharp enough aura sense, you could tell everything there is to know about a person. If you become strong enough, you might even be able to read minds.¡±
Adion continued his lesson as they traveled. Everything he had learned from Fellion now sounded out from Adion¡¯s mouth, the knowledge in his teachings surprising his two students.
Chapter 33 - The Primordial Story
¡°I think I felt it!¡± Rufus exclaimed, ¡°But it slips from my mind quickly. I don¡¯t seem able to get a grip on it.¡±
Adion had hidden his strength to different levels during the past hours to make Rufus and Lomin able to feel the differences in his aura. That would help them pinpoint what part of an aura revealed strength. Rufus was now trying to feel the same thing in his own aura but was having a hard time.
Adion tried to help by ¡®poking¡¯ his aura in the right places, as Fellion had done with Adion. But Adion didn¡¯t have the control and power Fellion had over his aura. He could only try to sense Rufus¡¯s aura ¡®harder¡¯ in a way. It was good practice for Adion. He felt that it was necessary to have this ability to uncover another person¡¯s strength if they had the ability to hide it.
Lomin was more at ease than Rufus. For most people on Shiora, aura wasn¡¯t something you learned. Only in family clans and perhaps a few academies was this knowledge taught. But apparently, on Quemer, it was expected of a mage to have some ability in their aura use. So Lomin could already feel his aura and was able to sense Adion¡¯s aura better than Rufus. He still couldn¡¯t control his own aura enough to hide his strength, though.
¡°It takes time. It¡¯s a great improvement that you can feel it,¡± Adion responded.
¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Rufus said, ¡°I haven¡¯t really thought of a way to train my aura sense before. I could tell people¡¯s age and strength, which was good enough for me. But I suppose it¡¯s foolish to discard any type of power.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve also noticed that it helps to temper your Will. When you are able to hide your strength, you should end the day by pushing that to the limit, exhausting your Will in the process. It¡¯s been showing results for me, at least.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. I¡¯ll be sure to do so.¡± Rufus grinned.
Even though it was hard work to focus on your aura for an extended period of time, the three continued doing so until close to nightfall, when the carriage finally slowed down to a stop.
¡°Alright, you guys,¡± Sahra''s voice sounded from outside, ¡°We will be sleeping here for the night, so let¡¯s get a small camp set up so we can eat and relax.¡±
¡°Good!¡± Rufus said as he got up, ¡°I¡¯m starving for a good meal and a strong drink.¡±
Adion and Lomin also stood up and got out of the carriage. A fire had already been started, something easy to do when there are fire mages in the group. Lomin and Adion began to set up the tents while the others prepared food.
¡°So, how was the journey?¡± Benji asked while carving up a few pieces of meat.
¡°It was a good journey,¡± Lomin said calmly, ¡°Adion taught us about aura. It was fascinating. I learned many things I hadn¡¯t heard before.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Benji looked up from the meat to Adion, ¡°You don¡¯t mind teaching Sahra and me a few things, do you?¡±
¡°Not at all. I can teach you what I know tomorrow. I can sit in front with you, or if you want to sit in the carriage while Lomin and Rufus take over,¡± Adion responded.
¡°Thanks,¡± Benji said with a smile, ¡°Even though we¡¯ve graduated from Cyalis, we didn¡¯t spend much of our focus on aura. There are a few classes on it you can take, but not many do. You only have five years to reach Silver after all, so most people spend their time meditating and tempering their Will enough to advance.¡±
¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Adion said, ¡°But it¡¯s a shame. If more people were focused on aura, there would probably be a lot more Soul mages. Shouldn¡¯t the Academy push for its students to take aura seriously?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve heard that a good aura sense is necessary to advance to the Soul stages, but most people don¡¯t have the luxury of thinking that far ahead.¡± Benji said, ¡°You can reach all the way to Diamond without knowing anything about aura, after all. That would already be a miracle for most people. And all professors think their class is the most important to take, but there is no way to take all of them.¡±
It didn¡¯t take long for their temporary camp to get ready and for the team to settle down around the fire to eat. There was plenty of beast meat to buy this close to the Outskirts, so their supply would be more than enough for their journey.
When they had all finished eating, Lomin looked to the group with a smile, ¡°I think this mood demands a story. Adion has yet to hear the prelude of the Primordial Story, so even if the rest of you have heard it before, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Benji said, ¡°It¡¯s a great story, and I¡¯m sure we will have many opportunities to hear the rest of it.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Lomin said, ¡°Then I will begin.¡±
Adion perked his ears and made himself comfortable on the ground. He was looking forward to hearing something allegedly taking place before the Age of Wonder.
¡°A long time ago,¡± Lomin began, ¡°In a time ancient even to the people of ancient times, there was a Kingdom. This Kingdom stretched far and wide. Half the continent swore their allegiance to its King. The race of this kingdom is one that has been lost to time, a race called the Fae.
¡°The Kingdom had stood for Ages, and its King was mighty. The mere mention of his name could stir the mana surrounding the one speaking it. If the King wanted a tree to grow in his garden, he need only speak it, and a marvelous Trellin Tree would be there the next day. If the King wanted to bathe in gold, he need only speak it, and the gold would melt to comfort his body in a relaxing bath. The King''s words were law. Whatever he spoke became truth.
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¡°But not even the King could fulfill his greatest wish, having a daughter. Through thousands of years, his wives only gave him sons. As he neared the end of his life, he had 15 sons but not a single daughter, and he had almost given up on his dream. It seemed a curse that his words could not break was cast upon him.
¡°But one day, seemingly as a gift from the world itself, one of his wives gave birth to a beautiful daughter. The Kingdom celebrated for a decade in honor of the princess''s birth. The King traveled the Kingdom with his daughter and only spoke words of beauty, so that his daughter would see only beautiful things.
¡°One day, when the princess was already grown, the King and his daughter walked through the streets of the Kingdom¡¯s Capital. A vendor stood by the side of the road, selling planka, a type of sweet bread with an assortment of fruit. The princess wanted to try this delicious-looking dessert, and the King never refused his daughter anything.
¡°The vendor was a young man, a human. Because even if they were in the Kingdom of Fae, the rest of the continent was occupied by human kingdoms, so a human was no strange sight. The King asked the man for the price of his planka. He was ready to pay any price to see his daughter smile. But when the young human answered, the King couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. ¡®I don¡¯t need any money,¡¯ the vendor said, ¡®I only wish to know the beautiful lady¡¯s name¡¯.
¡°To ask the name of the princess was odd. Even though her name was well-known throughout the Kingdom, the King couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. To have his daughter pay for the dessert, even just by telling her name, rubbed the King the wrong way. But the princess didn¡¯t share her father¡¯s concern. ¡®Fornia,¡¯ she answered with a smile.
¡°The vendor was stunned by her smile and answered in turn, ¡®For the gift of seeing such a precious smile, I¡¯ll share my name as well, Pelli. It is a cheap payment, but I¡¯m afraid that even if I gave you the world, it wouldn¡¯t be a fair price.¡¯
¡°The King took the planka and dragged his daughter away. Even if he had enjoyed seeing his daughter''s smile, he didn¡¯t like sharing it with strangers. As they continued their journey, the King soon forgot about the vendor. But the same wasn¡¯t true for his daughter.
¡°The princess thought about the meeting often. Such a simple thing as exchanging names suddenly seemed more profound as time passed. It wasn¡¯t long before the princess left the palace in secret, looking for the man named Pelli. If just learning his name could make her feel so much, what would it be learning even more of him, and telling things about herself in return?
¡°Pelli was no different, of course, and when he met the princess again, he immediately asked if she wanted another planka. ¡®All I ask in return is to know your favorite color.¡¯ he said. The princess smiled and answered him, ¡®Silver, it is the color of the wind, is it not?¡¯ Pelli once again paid back the princess''s smile with an answer of his own, ¡®Red, it is the color of your eyes, is it not?¡¯
¡°Every day, the princess would return, and every day the vendor would give her a planka for the answer to a question, and as the princess would always smile, the young man would always answer the question for himself. It didn¡¯t take long before the two fell in love. But the King was no fool. He knew that his daughter left the palace every day to see the vendor to whom she had given her name. He didn¡¯t want to limit his precious daughter¡¯s freedom, but when he noticed the emotions sprouting in his daughter¡¯s heart, he knew he had to put an end to it.
¡°He knew his daughter would marry one day, but not so soon. And certainly not with a human commoner at that. He waited for his daughter in her room, and when she returned from seeing Pelli, he forbade her from seeing him again. But to the King¡¯s surprise, his daughter refused. Not only did she refuse, but she also got angry at the King. That had never happened before, and the King was shocked. He knew he had to do something about the young human, and he had to do it soon.
¡°But how could the princess not see through her father¡¯s intentions? She spoke an Oath that should his father kill Pelli, she would die. Should he hurt him, she would bleed ten times more, and should he stop her from seeing him, she would never see the King again. Even though she was still young, her words held power, and as the Oath was taken, not even the King could reverse it.
¡°But the King was old and was more cunning than his daughter knew. He permitted his daughter to see the man whenever she wanted and promised not to hurt him. But it wasn¡¯t long before the King had Pelli brought to him. He ensured he was uninjured, as even if he didn¡¯t harm the human himself, it would be on his order, and his daughter had a way with words just like him. Even if she weren¡¯t there to see the injuries, she would bleed all the same.
¡°The King brought Pelli to a place hidden deep underneath the palace, a place his daughter knew nothing about. There stood a large doorway, seemingly leading nowhere. After making sure Pelli had a means to defend himself, precious pills to heal any injury, and treasures to save his life against powerful enemies, he threw him inside the strange doorway. The King was pleased. He would not need to injure or kill the man. He would not need to stop his daughter from seeing him. Because how could she go to see a man that not even the King himself knew where he was?¡±
The fire crackling was the only sound heard as Lomin finished his story. Adion was deeply immersed throughout. Even if he didn¡¯t know how much of what Lomin said was true, it was incredible to imagine such a scene taking place in their world.
¡°I believe that is a good place to end for the night,¡± Lomin said, ¡°Pelli¡¯s various adventures take a long time to tell, and we¡¯ll have plenty of time in the future.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Adion said, a little discouraged, ¡°But you mention a race called fae? Are there no fae anymore? And what about faelin? How are the two related?¡±
¡°Well, that would spoil the story now, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Lomin asked with a smile.
¡°I don¡¯t think it spoils the story,¡± Benji said carefully as he looked at Adion¡¯s conflicted expression, ¡°It is known to many well-read people, after all. Even if Sahra and I learned about it at Cyalis, we didn¡¯t enjoy the story any less. And I¡¯m sure Adion could figure it out himself. Better to hear it from you.¡±
Lomin sighed, ¡°Very well. To answer your question, there are no fae anymore, at least that I know of. Perhaps you already figured it out yourself, but the faelin are a race created from the union of fae and humans. And according to the story, the first faelin born was the child of Fornia and Pelli.¡±
¡°You mean that a new race was created?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Incredible!¡±
It was well-known that even if it were an elf and human, dwarf and faelin, or any other combination, the child of the two would be either of the two races, not a new one. If an elf and a human had, say, three children, they wouldn¡¯t have all half-elves. They could have three elves, three humans, or two elves and a human. It was up to chance.
This was how things in the world worked according to the Theory of Treaded Paths. The world liked to do things like it always had, which showed itself in various ways.
¡°It is incredible,¡± Lomin agreed, ¡°It might be the only time it has ever happened. But it goes to show that anything is possible. Under the right circumstances, you can make the world itself fundamentally change. If your words are strong enough to convince it.¡±
After those words, Benji got riled up and began discussing theories he had read and his own thoughts on his favorite topics. Adion soaked up everything he heard like a sponge.
I made the right choice by joining this group. Adion thought to himself, his lips forming a light smile.
Chapter 34 - Concepts
¡°So I¡¯ll be looking for someone to make me metal plums before I see him again,¡± Adion said, a little excited, ¡°That¡¯s a good way to reunite, right?¡±
Lomin nodded with a gentle smile, ¡°Mm. That was a good story, Adion.¡±
¡°You think everything you hear is a good story, Lomin,¡± Rufus said and then turned to Adion, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Adion, but that wasn¡¯t a good story. It was more like a nice little anecdote.¡±
¡°I see what you mean,¡± Adion nodded with a serious expression. He had been impressed with Lomin¡¯s stories over the last few days and wanted to be able to tell stories of his own. As he wasn¡¯t ready to talk about his deepest secrets, he had been looking for other things he had been through so he could share something interesting with the others.
It was in part because he wanted to repay Lomin, the faelin seemed to enjoy hearing stories a lot, and yet it was always him who had to share. Another reason was simply that Adion thought it was cool how Lomin could captivate everyone with his words alone.
¡°A nice little anecdote is no worse than a good story,¡± Lomin said.
¡°It is, though?¡± Rufus looked at Lomin, confused.
¡°Rufus is right, Lomin, it is worse. I¡¯ll practice and tell you a good story one day, I promise.¡± Adion said.
¡°Then I look forward to that day,¡± Lomin said with a smile.
¡°Looks like it¡¯s lunchtime,¡± Rufus said as the carriage came to a halt. The three men got out into the open air, where they saw Benji and Sahra making a fire and getting food ready. Adion would occasionally travel up front with them when they wanted him to teach them about aura. They never accepted the offers from Lomin and Rufus to rest in the carriage as they enjoyed the alone time.
It didn¡¯t take long for the group to sit down with grilled meat in front of them and eat to their hearts¡¯ content.
¡°Are you guys fine with heading up to Wender right after getting to Hermot?¡± Benji asked as they were eating, ¡°Sahra wants to visit her dad.¡±
¡°Anywhere is fine with me,¡± Adion said. Lomin and Rufus also agreed.
¡°We might be able to pick up an escort mission in Hermot, so we don¡¯t make the trip in vain,¡± Sahra suggested.
¡°A little extra gold never hurts,¡± Rufus agreed.
Adion continued eating while listening. But suddenly, he felt something and raised his head to look west. The area they were in was mostly grass plains, but the terrain was still somewhat hilly, so Adion couldn¡¯t see far. He didn¡¯t need to however, as just a second after he turned his head, he saw eight Sun-Sabered Tigers cresting a nearby hill. They were running straight for Adion and his group.
¡°Beasts!¡± Adion yelled. He stood up and unsheathed his sword. Everyone else also dropped their food and got ready.
¡°Even if I knew beasts could show up, I didn¡¯t expect they actually would,¡± Benji said, ¡°Sahra and I will fight two beasts each. Lomin, try to lure away two or three of the remaining ones and cut them up with your wind. Rufus and Adion, cooperate to take out the last one and then quickly help Lomin, Sahra, and then me,¡± Benji ordered.
Everyone quickly got into position. Adion could feel that the beasts were all the way from low to high Silver. The tigers had released their aura as they began their assault. Benji and Sahra conjured large streams of fire that hit the four leftmost beasts, surely emptying much of their mana pool. It didn¡¯t do much damage. Unfortunately, beasts had tough bodies, and these beasts had fire cores, making them somewhat resistant.
But it worked to provoke the beasts as they charged the two. Rufus had his hands on the ground, and Adion could feel him release earth mana and how the ground beneath all the beasts shifted somewhat, making them lose much of their momentum. Lomin conjured a gush of wind before running away with two of the beasts that chased after him.
¡°I will try to freeze the remaining beasts as long as possible!¡± Adion yelled to Rufus, ¡°Get ready to strike them when they can¡¯t move. I¡¯ll hold them for two seconds at least. Make it count.¡±
¡°Roger!¡± Rufus said as he gripped his sword, ready to plunge as soon as the beasts stopped.
The two remaining Sun-Sabered Tigers were middle Silver beasts. Thankfully, Adion had fought beasts their strength a few times during the past four months, so he had some confidence.
He had released a sphere of his own space mana around himself and could feel every tiny movement, making sure to time his space prison perfectly.
Just as the beasts were about to bite into Rufus¡¯s and Adion¡¯s necks, he used his Authority and froze them in place.
No one moves through this space unless I say so.
Adion thought to himself as he pushed his Will to the limit. The beasts were fighting hard to break free. But thankfully, both he and Rufus were ready, and their swords cut through the tigers¡¯ necks in sync, looking almost like a dance.
Adion immediately let go of the space when he felt that the two beasts had suffered a lethal wound. He didn¡¯t want to exhaust his Will more than necessary when there were more beasts to take care of.
As soon as Rufus had cut open the throat of his beast, he had jumped out of the way, and Adion did the same soon after. Even if the tigers had suffered lethal injuries, they might have a surge of power in their last moments of life. Thankfully, he and Rufus managed to escape without injuries.
¡°Nice job,¡± Adion said earnestly, ¡°You didn¡¯t even flinch,¡±
¡°Not my first battle,¡± Rufus said, ¡°And I¡¯ve felt for myself what that Gift of yours can do. Now let¡¯s hurry to Lomin.¡±
They ran off to where they could see Lomin fighting two beasts of his own. Enormous amounts of wind were blowing in all directions, cutting not just the beasts but the grass and earth around Lomin as well.
¡°Lomin, stop!¡± Rufus yelled, ¡°We¡¯re here!¡±
The wind calmed down enough for Adion and Rufus to approach. The beasts were a bit cut up, but nothing life-threatening. Now that they could move uninhibited, they rushed towards Lomin. Thankfully, Adion and Rufus were already by his side.
¡°I¡¯ll take care of the high Silver one. You guys take care of the other,¡± Adion told them.
He wasn¡¯t sure how long he could freeze a beast in the high Silver stage, so he didn¡¯t want to risk taking on both beasts at once, especially not without a fully rested Will.
¡°We¡¯ll get him quickly. Just stay alive, Adion,¡± Rufus said as he and Lomin gripped their swords tightly to meet the middle Silver tiger.
Adion conjured a ball of fire that he threw against his chosen opponent. The beast thought it could easily dodge, but little did it know that Adion had Authority over fire, at least the small amount he had conjured, and could control it perfectly, unlike the poor control fire mages generally had.
The fire hit the tiger square in the face, and Adion Willed it to burn hot and deep into the beast¡¯s skull. But this was a high Silver beast, with a fire core nonetheless, even if it might cause some damage eventually. Fights like these usually didn¡¯t last long. The tiger cried out in pain but still reached Adion quickly. Even without its sight, it could feel Adion¡¯s aura.
So, Adion froze the beast in space before jumping out of the way and releasing it again. He also tried to hide his aura as best as he could. But a beast in the Silver stage wasn¡¯t fooled so easily, and Adion didn¡¯t have many years of practice in his aura compared to a beast, so the tiger still managed to find his location and jumped toward him.
Adion froze the space around the beast once again and, this time, stayed put to attack, but as he was in mid-swing, he noticed how the beast would break free from his frozen space before he could get a clean cut. Adion quickly abandoned his plan and jumped back while adjusting his sword to block the beast¡¯s incoming attack.
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The tiger got free and swung its claws against Adion furiously, fire still burning on its head. He blocked the first attack successfully, but when the second swing came, it managed to graze Adion¡¯s forearm.
Thankfully, just then, Lomin and Rufus arrived, and being attacked on three fronts while fighting a fire burning on its skin proved too much for the beast, and it was slain.
¡°Let¡¯s hurry to Sahra and Benji,¡± Lomin said, ¡°There¡¯s another high Silver among the beasts.¡±
Adion and Rufus didn''t disagree, and they ran full speed to the two ongoing fights.
¡°I¡¯ll help Benji. You two help Sahra,¡± Adion said. Even if he was technically the weakest among the group, he had very convenient tricks up his sleeve. And Lomin couldn¡¯t even use his wind when others were around, thanks to his poor control.
As Adion approached, he could see that both Sahra and Benji were bleeding, but they didn¡¯t seem to be seriously injured. The beasts, however, were on their last legs.
Adion quickly ran to the nearest beast and froze the space surrounding it. A quick slash with his sword, and the low Silver beast was dead.
¡°I¡¯ll freeze it for one second,¡± Adion said to Benji as he nodded toward the remaining high Silver beast. It wasn¡¯t as badly injured as the one Adion had killed but was still bleeding heavily, and large parts of its body were scorched down to its bones.
¡°That¡¯s all I need,¡± Benji said as he rushed for a final attack.
Adion focused to his fullest on his space mana sense to get the timing perfect. He could probably freeze a high Silver beast for 2 seconds if he were fully rested, but Adion was exhausted by this point.
Just as the tiger¡¯s claws were about to dig into Benji, Adion froze it still. Leaving Benji a clear path to the beast¡¯s throat.
Adion immediately looked toward the others as soon as he noticed that the beast had died. Thankfully, they had also managed to kill the remaining beasts, and no one seemed too hurt.
¡°Good job, everyone,¡± Benji said after he took some heavy breaths, ¡°That was more dangerous than I would have liked, but it shouldn¡¯t be a common sight this far from the Outskirts. Anyone injured?¡± He asked.
¡°I have a pretty deep gash on my leg,¡± Sahra answered, ¡°But a few healing pills and a few days rest, and I will be as good as new.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Benji smiled, ¡°I¡¯m pretty much the same.¡±
¡°I¡¯m uninjured,¡± Lomin calmly stated.
¡°Me too,¡± Rufus said with a nod.
¡°I have a small cut on my forearm, but it will probably heal naturally,¡± Adion said.
¡°Take a healing pill just in case. We have plenty for situations like these,¡± Benji said.
¡°Is that really fine?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°Haha! Of course, we have a stockpile of money used for these types of things. Every time we clear a mission together, I put away a certain amount and buy necessities that we all share. So think nothing about it.¡± Benji said with a smile.
¡°Oh, alright then,¡± Adion accepted. He hadn¡¯t contributed anything yet, but he would do so in the future. And the beasts they had just killed might sell for a few gold coins.
The group quickly gathered the dead beasts and loaded them into the luckily undamaged carriage. As they set off once again, Lomin and Rufus took over looking over the Iron beasts dragging the carriage, and making sure they stayed on course.
Adion got to sit with Benji and Sahra inside the carriage while they healed their wounds. Adion had his eyes closed and thought about the fight he had just experienced.
It seems that high Silver beasts are tricky to deal with. I can¡¯t hold them in space long enough to quickly finish them off. And my fire didn¡¯t do much. It¡¯s strange. It worked well against Bronze beasts even when I was Iron. It seems to get less effective the stronger beasts I fight.
Benji also fought a high Silver beast with fire, but he managed to cause serious injuries with his fire, even though he has no Authority over it.
¡°Benji,¡± Adion said, ¡°Can I take a look at your fire?¡±
¡°Hm?¡± Benji looked at Adion, confused, ¡°Why?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t seem to do much damage with my fire. You seemed a lot better in that aspect,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Something we can do better than Adion?¡± Sahra asked with a grin, ¡°Lucky.¡±
Benji shook his head and smiled, ¡°Why don¡¯t you show your fire? I¡¯ll see if I can spot any problems.¡±
Adion Willed the surrounding pure mana to change into fire mana and conjured a small flame.
¡°Haha, do you never use your own fire mana to conjure flames?¡± Sahra asked with a laugh, ¡°That might hinder you from doing as much damage as us.¡±
¡°It¡¯s good practice,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Hmm.¡± Benji stared at the flame in Adion¡¯s palm, pondering, ¡°It¡¯s a little weak, no?¡±
¡°It is,¡± Sahra agreed, ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it before, but it seems weak in concepts. It almost seems like a regular campfire.¡±
¡°Concepts?¡± Adion asked.
Sahra and Benji looked at Adion with a bewildered expression.
¡°You don¡¯t know about concepts?¡± Sahra asked incredulously, ¡°You know almost as much about aura as a Cyalis professor. You can manipulate fire to sculpture whatever comes to mind, but you don¡¯t even know about concepts?¡±
Benji nodded along, agreeing with Sahra''s questioning attitude.
¡°I mean, just look,¡± Sahra said while pointing at Adion¡¯s flame, ¡°You still have control over your fire and don¡¯t seem to struggle against the Will of the world at all!¡±
Adion quickly let go of the fire and put it out as he realized it wasn¡¯t normal for fire mages to keep control of their flames for so long. It was just so easy when you had Authority over it that Adion forgot.
¡°You¡¯re too weird, Adion!¡± Sahra almost seemed upset. Her behavior reminded Adion of his sister.
¡°We¡¯re all good at different things,¡± Adion defended himself.
¡°But no one¡¯s good at the things you do! And every mage knows about concepts. My dad¡¯s not even a mage, and I know about concepts.¡± Sahra said flabbergasted.
¡°Well, I don¡¯t.¡± Adion¡¯s mood soured, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell me.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not like that, Adion. Sorry, you¡¯re just¡too strange.¡± Sahra said with a conflicted expression.
¡°Concepts are what makes mages¡¯s magic different from how the elements behave in nature,¡± Benji explained, ¡°Like how Lomin¡¯s wind managed to cut into the beasts¡¯ flesh. No wind behaves like that in nature. There is a concept of sharpness in his conjured wind.¡±
That makes sense. I can¡¯t believe I never thought of that.
¡°What about fire?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, most mages'' conjured fire is hotter than the size of the flame would suggest; they can also carry a hint of destruction and devouring. It differs from mage to mage, but usually not by much.¡± Benji said.
¡°There are mages with noticeably strong fire, though,¡± Sahra interjected, ¡°Like the fire mages from strong family clans, especially Noble and Royal families.¡±
¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of this?¡± Adion asked out loud.
¡°That¡¯s what''s strange. You¡¯re from a 2nd-tier family clan, after all,¡± Benji said, ¡°It¡¯s essential to explain the concepts hidden in your spark and how to develop them further.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Adion said as he realized why he might have missed out on the information. He didn¡¯t have a spark after all, so no concepts to ponder. He would¡¯ve had to form his core first to begin thinking about how to implement concepts in his magic.
Another great advantage to having a spark it seems. You inherit concepts from your predecessors and don¡¯t have to develop them on your own. They¡¯re already embedded in your spark.
¡°¡®Oh¡¯? Did you realize something?¡± Benji asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I left home before forming my core, so it would probably be explained to me eventually. I just left before anyone could.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Benji said, deciding not to dig further into Adion¡¯s past.
¡°These things are inherent then, I guess?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s inherited through a large degree, through your spark and then your core. The fire mana gathered changes its affinity all so slightly, gaining the concepts embedded there,¡± Benji answered.
¡°That¡¯s a big reason why Noble families are so strong,¡± Sahra explained, ¡°They have strong concepts from birth in their sparks and continue to develop them from one generation to the next.¡±
¡°But most of the work must be done by the mage,¡± Benji explained, ¡°I certainly believe that my concepts are better than any Stone mage, Noble birth or not.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good, at least. So there is a way to develop concepts on your own?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Benji chuckled lightly, ¡°I spend a lot of time in meditation contemplating my fire core and the concepts hidden in the mana gathered there. I use my Will to change the fire mana to something hotter and more destructive. It¡¯s a gradual process, and far from every session yields results. But once in a while, you stumble upon some inspiration that furthers the concepts embedded in your core.¡±
¡°Guess I¡¯ll have yet another thing to focus on,¡± Adion sighed.
Sahra had a great smile on her face, ¡°Sorry, but I just can¡¯t help but enjoy seeing you this bad at something.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a rare but pleasant sight,¡± Benji agreed.
Adion didn¡¯t share their enthusiasm.
It¡¯s going to be tough work. I¡¯ll have to find a way to make my conjured fire contain concepts without having a fire core. But this might also help me develop my space magic. One thing¡¯s for sure, magic somehow managed to become even more interesting.
Chapter 35 - Corruptor of youth
¡°It¡¯s almost as big as Billford,¡± Adion said as he looked toward the city in the distance.
¡°It is,¡± Lomin nodded, ¡°The Silver Wall is one of the most populated areas in the Empire. Hermot is one of the four main cities, and there are countless towns and villages to the east. And some of the outposts in the Endless Forest are almost as big as Hermot.¡±
Adion was sitting next to Lomin as they were in charge of keeping the carriage moving in the right direction. It had been a few days since the fight against the Silver beasts, and Benji and Sahra were almost all healed up. But it was decided that they should rest until they got to Hermot.
¡°Did you stay in Hermot before coming down to Billford?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Only for a few days,¡± Lomin said, ¡°Most of the time was spent in the Outskirts, mainly outpost Belden.¡±
¡°Will we be going there this time too?¡± Adion asked. He was getting excited thinking about fighting with his new teammates. The fight they had on the way over was a lot more exciting than Adion¡¯s usual fights. He was used to one-on-one battles with beasts he could easily handle. He felt that he could improve a lot by fighting next to more experienced mages.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lomin said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s up to Benji, but we will probably ask around where middle Silver beasts have been seen lately. It changes with time, and we don¡¯t want to go to an area with a lot of high and peak Silver beasts.¡±
¡°Have you ever fought a peak Silver beast?¡± Adion asked.
¡°A few times, but we all worked together,¡± Lomin answered as the carriage stopped in the line of wagons leading into the city.
¡°We at the gate?¡± Benji yelled out from inside the carriage.
¡°Yeah!¡± Adion yelled back.
Benji exited the carriage and walked up to where Adion and Lomin sat. He looked around at the surrounding buildings and nodded.
¡°Feels nice to get here,¡± Benji said, ¡°But we¡¯ll probably move on tomorrow or the day after at the latest. I¡¯ll bring the carriage to Mint Carriages. Do you two mind going to the Guild and look for an escort mission heading north?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Lomin said, ¡°If you take over the reins, we¡¯ll head there now.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Benji said and took his seat when Lomin and Adion got up, ¡°We¡¯ll stay at The Silver Circle like last time, so go there once you finish.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Lomin said as he and Adion made their way to the city gate. The queue was shorter and faster than the one for carriages, so they got into the city after a few minutes.
¡°You know the way?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yes, it¡¯s not far,¡± Lomin answered.
It only took them 15 minutes before they were standing in front of a building that looked much like the one the Outskirts Guild had in Billford.
¡°Have you ever taken an escort mission before?¡± Adion asked Lomin as they made their way inside.
¡°Of course. It¡¯s common for Outskirters to try to do so when moving between cities. Some mages even focus all their time doing these kinds of jobs. It¡¯s not as lucrative as hunting beasts in the Outskirts, but it¡¯s a lot safer.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s hope that some rich princess is looking for a safe trip to Wender,¡± Adion said with a small smile, looking up at the tall faelin beside him.
¡°I doubt it,¡± Lomin smiled back, ¡°Anyone from a family clan would have their own mages as guards, stronger than us. A princess might even have a Soul mage to keep her safe.¡±
¡°Well, someone else rich then,¡± Adion said. He didn¡¯t use to think about money much. There wasn¡¯t much need for it in his clan or the Endless Forest. But since joining the Outskirts Guild, he had begun enjoying the feeling of earning money for his hard work.
¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± Lomin said calmly as they approached the mission board to look for something appropriate.
Adion saw that most missions were actually escort missions. The Guild constantly had missions to hunt beasts of all strengths, so those didn¡¯t take up a lot of space. And the area called the Silver Wall was a lot more dangerous than other parts of the Empire, so everyone who needed to travel between two cities or towns was looking for mages to protect them from beasts or bandits.
¡°This one seems good, no?¡± Lomin said as he pointed to a poster. ¡°It¡¯s well-paid, and it¡¯s for a single team, so we won¡¯t have to split the reward.¡±
¡°It says that team should have at least low Silver strength, though,¡± Adion said as he read the description, ¡°Will I be able to join?¡±
Adion was only high Bronze, and he wasn¡¯t even showing that strength. He appeared to be a talented, young, low Bronze mage to the people around him.
¡°It won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Lomin assured Adion, ¡°Just four people are needed to be considered a team, and we fit the bill as we have four people at Silver. The payment is for the entire team and not per person, so even if we brought along a non-mage, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Adion said, ¡°Let¡¯s go get this mission registered then.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s,¡± Lomin agreed and grabbed the poster. They walked up to a clerk working for the Guild who didn¡¯t have a line.
¡°We would like to accept this mission, please,¡± Lomin said as he handed the paper over along with his Guild card.
¡°Okay,¡± The clerk nodded, ¡°Do you have a team that fits the requirement?¡± He asked as he glanced at Adion.
¡°Yes,¡± Lomin nodded, ¡°My three teammates are all middle Silver. We are ready to leave whenever. The sooner, the better.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± The clerk said and handed over a piece of paper, ¡°Note down the specifics of your team here and write down where you¡¯ll be staying. I¡¯ll make sure the employer gets the information.¡±
Lomin got the work down quickly, and he and Adion said their goodbyes before leaving.
¡°Guarding a single carriage doesn¡¯t seem too difficult,¡± Adion said as they left the Outskirts Guild, ¡°But I¡¯m guessing we¡¯ll have to walk the entire journey this time?¡±
¡°Probably,¡± Lomin nodded, ¡°But I¡¯m glad to be able to stretch my legs a little. Too many trips shouldn¡¯t take place on carriages. Sometimes, you have to move on foot to really experience a journey.¡±
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¡°Maybe,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°But I agree that it will be nice not to sit still all day.¡±
It didn¡¯t take them long to arrive at The Silver Circle. When they got inside, they noticed Rufus sitting alone at a table, drinking.
¡°I can¡¯t believe you left me,¡± He said grumpily as he noticed Lomin and Adion.
¡°We left you with Benji and Sahra,¡± Lomin said as he walked up toward Rufus and took a seat alongside Adion.
¡°That¡¯s even worse,¡± Rufus complained, ¡°They only have eyes for each other.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t realize leaving you for an hour would hurt you this much,¡± Lomin said with a serious expression, causing Adion to struggle to maintain a straight face.
¡°We¡¯ll keep you company for the night, won¡¯t we, Lomin?¡± Adion said.
¡°Mm, it might atone for our sins somewhat,¡± Lomin agreed.
¡°Ha.Ha.¡± Rufus said sarcastically, ¡°Who would want to hang out with you guys anyway? I¡¯ve been stuck in the carriage with Benji and Sahra the entire day. Tonight, we will get some girls to keep us company.¡± Rufus'' previously downcast expression was replaced with a grin.
¡°How many times do I have to tell you,¡± Lomin sighed, ¡°You cannot force the path you-¡±
Lomin didn¡¯t get to finish as Rufus interrupted him in an imitating voice, ¡°¡®You¡¯re walking to find your love, you must trust in the path the world presents and travel it to eventually find blah blah blah¡¯ Something like that, right?¡±
Lomin looked at Rufus, a little annoyed, ¡°I¡¯ve never said that.¡±
¡°You say something like that every hour,¡± Rufus said.
¡°Okay, guys,¡± Adion tried to meddle, ¡°Let¡¯s just help Rufus talk to a girl, Lomin. And we can just drink, the two of us. I would love to hear more about Pelli¡¯s journey.¡±
Lomin had told a little more of the Primordial Story in the past couple of days, and Adion was utterly hooked.
¡°That seems good,¡± Lomin said and nodded.
¡°Absolutely not!¡± Rufus looked at Adion aghast, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re some weird ¡®travel the path and the journey will give you love ¡¯-believer like Lomin?¡±
¡°Er,¡± Adion wasn¡¯t sure how to respond.
¡°Wait,¡± Rufus then seemed to have realized something as he stared at the ceiling in contemplation, ¡°I forgot how young you are. You must still be a virgin, right?¡±
¡°Well-¡± Adion was cut off as Rufus rambled on.
¡°How far have you gone with a girl? Ah, doesn¡¯t matter, does it? I¡¯ll get you a nice-looking girl to share a bed with tonight, don¡¯t worry.¡±
¡°I¡¯m-¡± Adion tried to respond but was cut off once again as Rufus got up and put an arm around Adion¡¯s shoulders.
¡°You¡¯re a good-looking guy, Adion.¡± He said, his breath smelling of alcohol, ¡°And a genius mage at that. I¡¯ll make sure you get to go home with the prettiest girl here. You just have to listen to me, and everything will work like a charm.¡±
¡°Do charms actually work?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s just a saying. Don¡¯t be weird like that with the ladies. Show your cool and mysterious side.¡± Rufus pushed.
¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Adion.¡± Lomin said, ¡°If you want to chase skirts with Rufus, that¡¯s up to you, but you should be yourself.¡±
¡°What do you know?¡± Rufus retorted, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you got me here, Adion. Lomin is going to brainwash your young mind with stories of love and that nonsense.¡±
¡°Love is nonsense?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°Ganta, it¡¯s already begun,¡± Rufus said with a serious expression, ¡°But it¡¯s not too late. There¡¯s still time to mitigate some of the damage Lomin has done.¡±
¡°If anyone is brainwashing Adion here, it¡¯s you,¡± Lomin said, ¡°Do you hear what you¡¯re saying? You should be locked up as a corruptor of youth.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not even a crime,¡± Rufus said and then asked Adion in a low voice, ¡°Is it?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Adion shook his head.
¡°Well,¡± Rufus straightened his back, ¡°Even if it is, it¡¯s a compliment to be called that by you. You think running is a corruption of youth.¡±
¡°It is,¡± Lomin stressed as he nodded his head.
¡°There you have it, Adion,¡± Rufus said as he once again looked at Adion, ¡°Listen to big brother Rufus, and I¡¯ll make sure that you''re a man by the end of the night.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion said hesitantly, looking to see if Rufus would interrupt him again, ¡°My mom and dad only had each other, much like Lomin always pushes for, and they seemed happy.¡±
¡°Look here now, Adion,¡± Rufus said, ¡°I¡¯m not saying love is bad. I¡¯m sure both you and me will find someone one day and be very happy. But until then, why not have some fun? And you¡¯ll need the experience in the future. Do you really think your dad could have gotten someone like your mom without working on his lady skills? If you don¡¯t want to be laughed in the face once you find that special girl, you¡¯ll need to practice first. Just like you have to train your mana control and everything else in life to be good at it.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Adion said as he nodded. He wasn¡¯t uninterested in girls, after all. He was 15, and seeing pretty girls stirred certain thoughts.
I want to have a family one day and bring the Remori clan to new heights. But what if I¡¯m not able to find a wife? I¡¯ve never worked on my charms, but like Rufus said, that¡¯s something I can practice.
¡°What do I do?¡± Adion asked after convincing himself that he was going to flirt with girls all for the future of the Remori clan.
¡°Ha! I knew you would see the light,¡± Rufus said with a grin, ¡°It would probably work best if you had that mask and revealed your strength, but you are plenty mysterious without all that. You¡¯re a Bronze mage at such an age, after all. Most people will assume you have an impressive background. Women dig that. Do you see anyone you¡¯re interested in?¡±
Adion looked around the inn tavern and saw a few girls he thought looked pretty good. But the one that really caught Adion¡¯s attention was a blonde girl sitting a few tables away. She was a Silver mage and seemed to be enjoying drinks with her teammates.
When Adion pointed her out, Rufus had a conflicted expression. ¡°Well, I guess it might be tough to find someone in a place like this. She is a Silver mage, Adion. And if you don¡¯t plan on showing your Gift, I doubt you¡¯ll catch her eye.¡±
¡°So what?¡± Adion asked with a determined expression.
¡°Ah, screw it. It¡¯s a numbers game in the end. Give it a try.¡± Rufus said with a grin.
Adion got up and turned to leave before stopping himself after taking his first step. ¡°What do I say?¡±
¡°Just compliment her and ask if you can buy her a drink,¡± Rufus said with a confident smile.
Adion nodded and walked off.
¡°That¡¯s your great strategy?¡± Lomin asked Rufus, ¡°I could have told him that.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Rufus said as he scratched his beard, ¡°I don¡¯t really have any strict rules to follow. I just start talking and go with the flow.¡±
¡°Poor Adion,¡± Lomin sighed.
¡°Hey!¡± Rufus said, ¡°It takes practice, okay? I¡¯m just pointing out the direction. It¡¯s up to Adion to actually do the walking. I¡¯m sure Adion will understand.¡±
However, it didn¡¯t take long for Adion to return. Walking behind was Sahra, holding her stomach, laughing, and wiping tears from her eyes. Behind her was Benji, his loud laughter spreading through the bar.
Adion took his seat once again with a grumpy expression on his face.
¡°Hahaha, Adion,¡± Sahra said as she sat down at their table, ¡°What the hell was that?¡±
¡°What happened?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°Haha, so get this,¡± Benji said with a wide grin, ¡°We get back from returning the carriage, and as we open the door, we see Adion talking to a pretty girl.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Rufus nodded.
¡°Was this your doing, Rufus?¡± Sahra asked, between her fits of laughter, ¡°Hilarious! I can¡¯t believe you guys did this without me, hahaha!¡±
¡°Now hold on,¡± Rufus put out his hands to explain.
¡°Next time we¡¯re pranking Adion, make sure to give me a heads up!¡± Benji said.
¡°This is stupid,¡± Adion muttered. ¡°I¡¯m going up to my room to train.¡±
¡°Adion,¡± Rufus held out his hand to explain and to understand what had happened. But Adion just continued walking without looking back.
¡°Haah,¡± Sahra breathed out with a smile, ¡°What a great day. I¡¯m going to call Adion ¡®peak Baby mage¡¯ from now on. It¡¯ll keep him humble.¡±
Chapter 36 - Gaps
Adion was sitting on his bed, fully clothed, as the first rays of sunlight lit up the room. He had planned to get a good night''s sleep, but when he started meditating the night before, his mind had wandered, making him stay up all night.
He had thought a lot about concepts ever since he learned about their existence, but he had not made any progress. According to Benji, it was a hard thing to force. You had to give yourself plenty of time to think about it. Adion had decided to focus on his concepts regarding space first. Since he had a space core, that should be the easiest. Once he grasped how to strengthen his space mana with concepts, he would try to find a way to do the same to his fire mana.
The problem was that he didn¡¯t know what kind of concepts he could implement in space. The fact that fire gets stronger the hotter it is was something easy to understand, but what about space? The only thing Adion could immediately think of was that if his space were more stable and unmoving, he would be able to freeze stronger opponents in space. But Adion didn¡¯t use his conjured space to freeze opponents. He used his Authority over the world¡¯s space mana.
He still couldn¡¯t do much with his conjured space. Even emptying his entire core only conjured space the size of a grain of sand. But Adion had been thinking that he should still be able to find a use for it. With concepts, it was definitely possible.
He had not experimented very much with his conjured space, instead relying on his Authority for everything. That seemed like a waste. So, during the night, he had conjured his own small amount of space and tried to see what he could use it for.
What can I do with you? Adion thought as he stared at the small amount of conjured space in front of his eyes. It couldn¡¯t be seen, of course, but Adion felt his conjured space exceptionally well through his mana sense. What did space mages of the past do to fight using this power?
A benefit of his hard-conjured element was that it stayed under Adion¡¯s control for a long time, even without Authority that would have held true. So he had only needed to conjure it once and had been playing around with it almost the entire night.
When a fire mage conjures a flame, they use fire mana and convert it to a physical thing. The moment the fire is conjured, there is no fire mana to interfere with anything, but that quickly changes. The pure mana that is ever-present takes on the affinity of the conjured fire, guided by the Will of the world. What started as a fire wholly controlled by the mage is soon filled with fire mana that takes control over the fire and guides it according to the Will of the world. If the mage doesn¡¯t take the fire mana that appears under control with their own Will, they lose control of the fire. It can be done for a while but gets more challenging as time passes.
This is true for all elements, but the easier an element is to conjure, the weaker control the mage has over the conjured element. This means that something as hard to conjure as space is also incredibly easy to control. It¡¯s been hours, and Adion still feels that even if some pure mana has started to take on the space affinity in his conjured space, it¡¯s not a challenge for Adion.
Of course, he could use his Authority when that happens. But Adion didn¡¯t want to rely on his Authority all the time. He wanted to explore the path a space mage without Authority would have to take.
Besides, Adion knew there was a difference between his own conjured space and the space he controlled thanks to his Authority. He didn¡¯t know exactly the difference, but he could feel that he was closer to his conjured space somehow.
Could it be concepts that differ? I don¡¯t have any concepts embedded in my space mana yet, though.
But that would make sense! When I use my Authority over space and fire, I only control the elements as they appear in nature. Just like Sahra said, my fire almost feels like a regular campfire.
But I can freeze space? That doesn¡¯t seem like something space would do without concepts.
Adion could feel that he was close to an answer, but some things still didn¡¯t make sense.
Don¡¯t think too much about the information you have. A lot of knowledge is lost in this Age. If anything is possible, what could be a theory that explains everything I can and cannot do?
The sun was now well above the horizon, and his teammates had surely already met up for breakfast and started their day. Thankfully, no one bothered Adion, probably because of last night¡¯s incident.
Yes! That explains it!
Suddenly, Adion grasped something resembling a theory that could explain his abilities.
Space doesn¡¯t freeze naturally, obviously. It does so because I somehow Will it to, with concepts. The same is true for fire. I have already Willed it to burn hotter when I control it.
Neither space nor fire behaves like that the moment I take control over it, or conjure it. I have to use a lot of Will to change how it behaves.
It also gets easier with time, perhaps when I understand these concepts better? But it takes a lot of Will every time. A fire mage with the concepts already embedded in the fire mana in their core simply has to conjure the fire, and it will burn as hot or even hotter than when I use all my Will to make it burn hotter.
But this is excellent news for the future. Not only have I been able to use concepts before I even understood what I was doing, but I can do it for elements outside of my core. I still have to use a lot of Will so that could be a problem when it comes to my fire magic.
But space wouldn¡¯t have the same problem. If I can change the space mana in my core to be attuned to the concepts I have understood, I could freeze space without even having to use my Will. I could conjure space, stable and unmovable space, and trap opponents in it.
But that will take a lot more space than a grain of sand. I won¡¯t be able to do that for a long time. Still, it¡¯s good news. Now that I know what I¡¯ve been doing, I might be able to practice it more efficiently.
And I can focus on some other concepts for my space mana that might be useful even with a small amount of space. Maybe sharpness? Like Lomin¡¯s wind, I could use a tiny blade of space. And speed, I guess. What would I need to make a projectile of space?
Adion once again began thinking hard. He pictured himself fighting underwater. It was something Adion used to imagine space in a more physical sense when he needed inspiration. Even if Adion had a space core and great affinity to space, he only understood it intuitively, and when he tried thinking more practically about it, he struggled. Space was different from other elements, such as fire, earth, and water, after all.
When he conjured his own space, he wondered what had happened to the space that was there before. He then pictured a water mage conjuring water beneath the surface of the sea, and that gave him a clearer picture of what happened. It wasn¡¯t exactly the same, of course. Adion didn¡¯t feel any pressure that he guessed a water mage would feel from conjuring water if they were deep enough.
But it was helpful to get ideas nonetheless. Just like a water mage deep under the surface was surrounded by water and needed to fight with water, Adion was surrounded by space and needed to fight using it.
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If I was a water mage surrounded by water, how would I use my water to attack?
The image immediately popping up in Adion¡¯s head was a fast and spinning ice projectile. Water mages would have trouble conjuring ice, of course. Otherwise, there would be no difference between them and the much rarer ice mages.
But it could be done, as water and ice were very closely related. It was simply a difference between concepts, so if a water mage really wanted to conjure ice, they could do it with enough work, but Benji had never heard of anyone succeeding when Adion had asked about it.
But I¡¯m not a water mage. I am not looking to conjure ice. But many concepts should be similar. I need space that is a lot more stable than the surrounding space. That¡¯s something that should be relatively easy with my experience. I also need speed. If that¡¯s even a concept, it might just be a question of higher mana control. I¡¯ll look into it. I definitely need sharpness or a concept of piercing or penetration.
This will all probably take a while. But I see the path ahead of me clearer than ever.
Adion tried implementing those concepts in his conjured space, but other than making space more stable, he had no success.
I guess it would be strange for me to succeed right away. And according to Benji the easiest concepts to grasp and improve are the ones that are already there. Fire is hot, so it isn¡¯t that difficult to make it even hotter. That might be the case when it comes to making space stable, too. It is already very stable. It¡¯s not flowing around like water. So, taking it a step further never caused me much trouble.
But sharp space? I¡¯m afraid that might take some effort. But with the amount of space I can conjure at the moment, I might not be able to do anything for a while anyway.
Unless I can keep the space I have conjured under my control long enough to conjure more. That would take a while, though. But it would do good to test my limits.
Adion decided he had done enough experimenting for the moment. He had been up all night, and even though he didn¡¯t use his Will all that much, he used his brain. And unlike spending the night meditating, spending the night thinking and manipulating mana was exhausting.
So, since they wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere until the client showed up to talk to them about their escort mission, Adion decided to finally get some sleep.
¡°Do you think he¡¯s still mad?¡± Rufus asked as he and his teammates sat around a table eating breakfast together.
¡°I don¡¯t take Adion to be someone that holds on to petty grudges, don¡¯t worry,¡± Benji assured Rufus.
Rufus was still a little concerned, though. He was good friends with everyone on the team and liked them a lot, probably more than anyone else he¡¯d ever met. He had only known them for four years, but it felt like a lifetime. He saw them all as friends that he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to risk his life for, and he was sure the others would do the same for him¡ªa rare thing to find in this world.
But despite that, Rufus was really glad Adion had joined the team. For one, he was a fascinating kid, and he seemed to be a person you could trust your back to if the fight they had on the road was any indication. And even if he was still a bit young, he was mature for his age. Surely, life hadn¡¯t been easy for him, forcing him to become strong, both in mind and magic.
But it was also nice to have someone else to talk to who was a little more like himself. Benji and Sahra had known each other since they met at Cyalis. They were also a couple. It wasn¡¯t strange that there would be an obvious difference between the two and the rest of the team. That left him alone with Lomin a lot of the time. He didn¡¯t really mind, of course. He wouldn¡¯t hesitate to call the faelin his best friend. Or, well, out loud, he would hesitate. But in his mind, he had long come to see Lomin as such.
But Lomin was weird. Not that that was bad; Adion was plenty weird himself. But there would be gaps in the relationship, just like the gap in his friendship with Sahra and Benji was the fact they had a different and higher kind of relationship with each other. His and Lomin¡¯s gaps were plenty. They thought of life differently, liked to talk about different things, and liked to spend their time in different ways.
That is why he was glad that Adion had joined. Some gaps could be filled. Adion had gaps as well, of course. He was secretive, a very private person. Rufus liked to ramble on about his problems and his perceived slights openly. And he wanted to listen to his friends'' grumblings in return, preferably over a few beers. But he had Lomin for that. If there was something the faelin had going for him, it was his ability to listen to everything with his full attention. Never missing a word no matter the conversation. He was also by far the greatest storyteller he had ever met.
So even if Adion and his relationship would have gaps, he was fine with it, there were other people around him to fill them. And Adion had the ability to fill the greatest gap there was in his other friendships: women. Rufus had always liked talking with girls, and if not that, talk to other guys about girls. But this group of his was hopeless. A couple and a faelin. So how could he not be ecstatic when a young man, single and human, appeared in his team of friends, ready to accept Rufus as a mentor in the subtle art of talking with and about women?
But things were not off to a great start. Adion had seemed to share his interest and accepted the challenge of chatting up girls with more confidence than Rufus had thought. Unfortunately, it ended in a brutal failure. And it was even witnessed by the sadistic duo that constantly shoved their own happy relationship in the face of the others.
Rufus feared this would be a tough hit for Adion and perhaps turn him to the ways of the faelin. He would be alone again¡ªthis time, not only with Lomin as an opponent but Adion as well.
Rufus shivered at the thought.
¡°Maybe he¡¯s just sleeping in. He¡¯s a teenager, after all,¡± Rufus commented.
¡°He¡¯s usually up earlier than you, though,¡± Sahra commented.
That¡¯s true. Could he really be so devastated to not even want to show himself?
¡°Alright, when Adion eventually gets down here, no one should mention last night,¡± Rufus told the group sternly, ¡°It¡¯s his first rejection, and we shouldn¡¯t forget that even if Adion is strong and mature for his age, he still basically a kid.¡±
Sahra had a small scowl on her face, ¡°Just when I had something good on him,¡± she sighed, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t mention it if he is really that bothered by it.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Rufus smiled. If Sahra wasn¡¯t going to bring it up, he wasn¡¯t worried about anyone else.
Suddenly, a group of people approached the table where Rufus and his friends were sitting.
¡°Excuse me,¡± A thin middle-aged man spoke. He seemed to be the leader of the small group. He had a small smile on his clean-shaven face. Rufus thought he gave off a confident but still humble expression. ¡°Are you the team that accepted the mission to escort our group to Wender?¡± The man continued as he held out a piece of paper confirming they were the group that had issued the mission.
¡°We are,¡± Benji said as he got up from his chair with a smile. He shook the man¡¯s hand and handed over a paper of his own. ¡°I¡¯m Benji,¡± Benji introduced himself to the group, ¡°These are my teammates, Sahra, Lomin, and Rufus.¡±
Rufus and the others got up and shook the man¡¯s hand.
¡°My name¡¯s Gustad,¡± The thin man introduced himself with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m a merchant from Terren, a small town a day''s journey from here. I¡¯ve recently gotten a lot of good business, thanks to my daughter, Dellia, here.¡± Gustad gestured to an average-looking 20-year-old girl next to him. ¡°She was accepted as a disciple by the local alchemist when she was young, and she has shown incredible talent for the art. She has already surpassed her master. In order to continue improving, we have decided to relocate the family to Wender. Products from alchemists have been in high demand ever since the Fire Phoenix returned, so we¡¯ve made enough money to hopefully establish the family business in a big city.¡±
¡°I congratulate you on your success,¡± Benji said with a smile, ¡°And on having such a talented daughter. I¡¯ve always been interested in alchemy. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t make use of the time I had in Cyalis Academy to fully absorb the knowledge there.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve graduated from Cyalis Academy?¡± The daughter, Dellia, asked.
¡°Mhm,¡± Benji nodded.
¡°Amazing,¡± Dellia said with stars in her eyes, ¡°I would have loved to go there, but I only reached Bronze half a year ago. And I thought I worked really hard. I can¡¯t imagine the work it takes to reach Bronze by 17.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Benji grinned smugly, ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t easy, but through-¡±
¡°Are these the clients?¡± Benji was suddenly interrupted by a young man approaching them.
Excellent timing, Adion. Rufus thought to himself, trying not to break out laughing.
¡°Ah, you¡¯re up,¡± Benji said as he turned to Adion, ¡°This is Adion, everyone, the last member of our team. Don¡¯t let his young age fool you. He is a Bronze mage and strong enough to fight low Silver beasts by himself. As a team, no beast below Gold can threaten us.¡±
¡°What!?¡± Gustad, Dellia, and the rest of their family stared at Adion with their jaws wide open.
Chapter 37 - Alchemy
Adion looked at the group of people that had employed them for protection on the journey to Wender. They were all wide-eyed as they could feel Adion¡¯s young age and his low Bronze strength.
It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen a reaction like this. The only people who have had the chance to get a good look at my strength besides my team have been more experienced Outskirters. Although someone like me is a very rare sight, it¡¯s not impossible to achieve, especially in Noble clans.
But I guess it''s a big surprise if they¡¯ve spent their life in a small town where most people struggle to reach Bronze by 20.
¡°Sorry,¡± Gustad said after a while, ¡°I was shocked by your age and strength, along with Benji¡¯s words. Young master must be from a great family clan.¡±
¡°Nope,¡± Adion shook his head without expression, ¡°I¡¯ve just worked hard. I¡¯m no young master, so you can just call me Adion.¡±
¡°Is that so¡¡± Gustad said hesitantly. Adion could tell he didn¡¯t believe him but didn¡¯t care as long as he didn¡¯t call him young master.
¡°Then you must plan on going to Cyalis Academy, right?¡± Dellia asked with a smile.
¡°Yes,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But I still have some time before I have to begin my journey there.¡±
¡°Ahh, I¡¯m jealous,¡± Dellia sighed.
¡°Well, even though Cyalis Academy is seen as the greatest on the continent,¡± Benji said, ¡°There are still other academies, many without any age requirement. I¡¯m sure there are some focused on alchemy even. I¡¯ve heard there is a great one in Dormia, in the Rellen Kingdom.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Dellia nodded, ¡°I¡¯m planning on going there in the future, but I want to advance my alchemy as much as possible before going, so as not to waste my time there learning things I can learn by myself.¡±
¡°That seems wise,¡± Benji smiled, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a bright future.¡±
¡°Haha!¡± Gustad laughed heartily, ¡°I¡¯m glad you guys chose to take on our mission. Be sure to ask Dellia anything you¡¯re curious about alchemy. I¡¯m sure it will do her good to be around young geniuses such as yourselves.¡±
¡°We¡¯d be happy to,¡± Benji responded.
¡°Well, then. As I understand it, you are ready to leave whenever?¡± Gustad asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll just have to get our stuff and we¡¯ll be ready to leave in a few minutes.¡±
It didn¡¯t take long for Adion and his team to get ready. As Outskirters, they had to travel lightly. Gustad¡¯s family had already brought their two carriages to the inn, so they were ready to leave as soon as Adion stepped outside.
I guess I didn¡¯t get much time to look around. Adion thought to himself as he walked through the streets next to the carriages, heading to the city gate at the north side of the city. I guess I¡¯ll see a lot more places in the future. When I get to Cyalis I¡¯ll probably have seen a lot more of the world than many other students.
If I had stayed in the Remori clan my entire youth, I would have missed out on a lot. I think traveling is the best way to learn new things.
Adion¡¯s team exited the city and started shifting their attention. All focus was now on their surroundings. Adion released some space mana to surround himself with; the sphere surrounding him now reached about 300 feet in all directions. That was as far as he could control his space mana comfortably. It had improved significantly over the years since he first developed it.
Adion also focused on his aura sense so that he could feel any anomalies. It was doubtful if he would feel any strong beasts that were hiding their aura before he could see them or sense them with his space mana, but it was good practice. And beasts weren¡¯t the only threats they could be facing, mages sometimes turned to banditry. It was unusual for strong mages, but it happened.
I can feel something different about the others'' aura. Are they focusing on their aura sense as well? Or maybe they are just tense or something? Sometimes, I wonder what the world looks like for someone like Fellion. He could probably notice beasts trying to hide approaching from miles away.
Oh, well. I¡¯ll get there one day.
It was a perfect day for traveling on foot; spring had arrived, and the sun warmed Adion¡¯s face as he walked. Adion even had to remove his winter robe after walking for a while. It was Adion¡¯s favorite part of the year, not so hot that you sweated, but not cold enough that you needed excessive clothing to stay warm.
They traveled all through the day, only stopping once for lunch. It was a quick stop, though, as no one wanted to waste daylight staying still.
As the sun approached the horizon, the two carriages came to a halt. Gustad¡¯s family started setting up a small campsite and getting dinner ready. Adion and his teammates did the same.
¡°I think we should have watches in teams of two during the night. That means one person gets to sleep all night every five nights. At the pace we¡¯re moving, it might not take that long, though.¡± Benji said to the group of five, ¡°How do we want to split up?¡±
¡°You and Sahra should be together, I guess,¡± Rufus said, ¡°Adion and I will take the first watch and wake you up when it''s your turn. Is that alright, Adion?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Alright, then,¡± Benji agreed, ¡°That means you get to sleep through the night tonight, Lomin.¡±
¡°Mm. I¡¯ll take the shifts the rest of the nights,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Well, we should get some food in us, ¡°Benji addressed everyone, ¡°And make sure to rest as much as you can. We¡¯ll have to walk through the day tomorrow, too. And I won¡¯t have anyone slacking in paying attention to the surroundings.¡±
¡°Aye, aye, boss,¡± Rufus said with a grin.
¡°Good,¡± Benji smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡±
The group settled down around their own campfire, a small distance from Gustad¡¯s family. They roasted meat from Silver beasts as usual.
I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m actually starting to miss fruit and vegetables, or at least rice or something. If I can find someone good at cooking, I¡¯ll convince them to join our team.
But Adion didn¡¯t complain out loud. After his time in the Endless Forest, he didn¡¯t take a filled stomach for granted anymore.
After eating, Rufus and Adion were left behind to stay on the lookout for the first part of the night. Adion noticed Benji talking with Gustad and his family in the distance. Everyone was smiling and laughing.
Benji seems to get along quickly with people.
¡°Benji must have good charms, right?¡± Adion asked Rufus while still looking toward Benji.
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¡°Well,¡± Rufus hesitated, ¡°He does have his own kind of charm, that¡¯s for sure. He¡¯s dependable, and people notice that right away.¡±
¡°Hmm.¡± Adion said, ¡°I guess that¡¯s why he has a girlfriend, right?¡±
¡°Huh? Well, sure. Maybe,¡± Rufus said, ¡°But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the whole story. Girls like dependable guys, but it takes a lot more than that.¡±
¡°Mm. I guess,¡± Adion said.
¡°I hope you didn¡¯t get too depressed by what happened with that blonde Silver mage yesterday. There are countless women in this world just as pretty.¡± Rufus comforted with a smile.
¡°Huh? Why would I be depressed by something like that?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well,¡± Rufus hesitated and scratched his beard, ¡°I guess most people would, no?¡±
¡°Most people must have lived a pretty good life if stuff like that can get them down,¡± Adion said.
¡°Hehe. You¡¯re not wrong about that, I guess,¡± Rufus said with a small smile.
The two continued talking for a while before Adion noticed a familiar aura approaching.
¡°Dellia is coming over,¡± He told Rufus in a low voice.
¡°Oh, that¡¯s some convenient aura sense you got there,¡± Rufus chuckled.
¡°Mind if I join you?¡± Dellia asked as she approached the two, ¡°I¡¯m not going to be able to sleep for a while.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Rufus said with a grin, ¡°Come sit down. How was the journey?¡±
¡°It was fine, I guess,¡± Dellia said as she took a seat on a piece of wood previously used by Benji, ¡°It felt a lot safer than our journey to Hermot. Even if we only had to travel for a day, we didn¡¯t have you to guard us like now. There¡¯s not really any Silver mages for hire in Terren.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m glad we could be of use then,¡± Rufus said.
¡°You definitely are,¡± Dellia said with a polite smile, ¡°By the way, Adion. Is it really true that you can fight Silver beasts?¡±
¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Adion nodded. He didn¡¯t need to hide that. Benji had already said as much, and if they were attacked, it would become obvious that he had a Gift anyway. Even if he wasn¡¯t advertising his strength, he wasn¡¯t planning on hiding like a rat and avoid every situation where some of his strength might be revealed.
¡°But how?¡± Dellia asked, ¡°Have you developed your concepts so much? Or are you really from a powerful family and inherited a spark with powerful concepts?¡±
¡°Does everyone know about concepts?¡± Adion muttered and looked to Rufus.
¡°Haha!¡± Rufus laughed, ¡°Pretty much everyone knows at least about the existence of concepts. And every mage definitely does.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t know about concepts?¡± Dellia asked Adion, confused.
¡°I do,¡± Adion said, ¡°I just didn¡¯t hear about it until recently.¡±
¡°Then how is it possible for you to be so powerful?¡± Dellia asked, now more doubtful than before.
¡°That¡¯s a secret,¡± Adion said, ¡°If we are attacked on the way, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see for yourself.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not fair,¡± Dellia pouted, ¡°What if I tell you about alchemy? Then will you tell me?¡±
I guess it¡¯s not that much of a secret. We¡¯re quite far from Billford, and I¡¯m not alone anymore. And I do want to know about alchemy. I might find out a little about the pills and elixirs I have.
Adion could lie, of course, but he didn¡¯t like to do that unless necessary, especially if he made a deal to exchange information and then lied. It would feel like breaking his word. His grandfather had instilled in him that he should never break his word. That would mean he didn¡¯t deserve others'' trust, and if he was ever betrayed, it was only what he deserved.
And what¡¯s the reason to have cool powers if I can¡¯t show them off occasionally?
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°You have a deal.¡±
¡°Great,¡± Dellia said excitedly, ¡°Then what do you know about alchemists?¡±
¡°They make pills and elixirs,¡± Adion said.
¡°What else?¡± Dellia asked when Adion turned quiet.
¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Adion answered.
Rufus laughed out loud, and Dellia also seemed to be holding back a smile.
¡°Adion has a few gaps in his knowledge,¡± Rufus explained, ¡°But he¡¯s really knowledgable when it comes to other things.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Dellia said, ¡°No one can be an expert in everything.¡±
She then turned to Adion and began explaining. ¡°So there¡¯s two types of alchemists, fire and water alchemists. I¡¯m a water alchemist. Which means I have a water core.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t anyone else become an alchemist? An earth or wind mage?¡± Adion asked.
¡°They can, but it¡¯s a lot more difficult. And I¡¯ve never heard of anyone like that even reaching Green grade.¡± Dellia said.
¡°What¡¯s Green grade?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You don¡¯t even-¡± Dellia stopped herself, ¡°Well, every pill and elixir has different grades. The lowest is Blue, then we have Green, Yellow, Orange, and finally Red.¡±
¡°There is not anything above Red?¡± Adion immediately asked.
¡°Of course there is,¡± Dellia said, ¡°But it¡¯s not something that has been seen since the Age of Wonder. Keep in mind that Diamond mages would be happy to get their hands on a Yellow pill. Orange and Red pills are the most precious pills there are. Only Soul mages can get those kinds of pills. But every alchemist knows about the grades that come after, Crimson, Black, White, and finally Golden.¡±
Dellia¡¯s eyes were glistening as she talked about the pills of legend. Adion wondered what grade the pills he had were.
¡°Do you know of any pills that have been lost to time?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I only know about the Elixir of Life,¡± Dellia said, ¡°That is an elixir that many alchemists make their life mission to try and recreate.¡±
Adion wasn¡¯t surprised that Dellia had heard of the Elixir of Life, as that was something even Adion had heard about. And he didn¡¯t even know about the grades of alchemy products thanks to his isolated childhood focused solely on training.
¡°What grade is the Elixir of Life?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I have no idea,¡± Dellia shook her head, ¡°But it should be at least Crimson. I¡¯m only a Green alchemist, so I have a long way to go if I want to reach that level.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do fine,¡± Adion cheered her on, ¡°Is the grade of alchemist related to the stage of the mana core?¡±
¡°Well, stronger mages are usually the better alchemists, but it really has no relation,¡± Dellia explained, ¡°Anyone can become a Blue alchemist. You just need the knowledge and time to practice. But to reach Green, you need concepts, either in your fire or water core, that bring forth effects that someone without those concepts wouldn¡¯t stand a chance at doing.¡±
¡°What kind of concepts?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, like nurturing or soothing. I have been trying to grasp around a concept simply called ¡®healing¡¯ and ingrain it in my water core.¡± Dellia said.
¡°Woah,¡± Adion was surprised. He hadn¡¯t thought that concepts like those were possible.
Dellia looked pleased with his reaction, ¡°It¡¯s the reason alchemists are respected. Everyone needs the pills we make. And since we focus on concepts to heal and create instead of injure and destroy, it is seen as quite cowardly to fight an alchemist.
¡°That makes sense,¡± Adion said, ¡°Still. I bet you make good money as an alchemist, right?¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Dellia softly laughed, ¡°Of course, otherwise not many would bother to learn alchemy.¡±
¡°Mm. So you can create Green pills. What would it take to make Yellow pills?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I would need to develop my concepts a lot more, and practice making pills and elixirs. There is a lot of theoretical and practical knowledge involved as well. But I could make a Yellow pill even now if I had the ingredients. With extremely precious and rare ingredients, even a Blue alchemist could make a Red pill. But that would not make them a Red alchemist, or even a Green alchemist. There is a standard test with the same ingredients used, and if you can use your concepts to elevate the pill to Green, then you get to call yourself a Green alchemist.¡±
¡°Oh? That makes sense,¡± Adion said, ¡°Maybe I should look into alchemy at Cyalis. It sounds interesting.¡±
¡°You should,¡± Dellia said, ¡°But I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s really hard to have concepts like healing and destruction in your core simultaneously.¡±
¡°I can imagine,¡± Adion said.
I¡¯m not sure how keeping concepts in your core works yet, but I don¡¯t have a fire core. I just understand the concept of making fire hotter. I¡¯m not as good as mages like Benji yet, but I¡¯ll get there. And even if it will always take a lot of Will to influence my fire with concepts to make it hotter, it works.
If I can understand healing as a concept, shouldn¡¯t I be able to do the same?
But that¡¯s for the future. For now, I should focus on understanding concepts better and increasing the level of my core.
Chapter 38 - Pleasant discovery
¡°This is a Blue Healing Pill I made recently,¡± Dellia said as she pulled out a light green pill.
¡°How do you know that it¡¯s a Blue pill?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I can feel it through the pill¡¯s aura,¡± Dellia said.
¡°Pills have aura?¡± Adion asked, surprised.
¡°Well,¡± Dellia hesitated, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s the same kind of aura that sapi and beasts have, but that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been taught it''s called.¡±
Interesting. It shouldn¡¯t be aura, right? When I felt almost like a presence from the pills I found at the old Celestial Phoenix Sect, I thought it was my mana sense that reacted. But I guess I didn¡¯t have much of an aura sense by that time to tell the difference.
But aura is a thing of the soul. I doubt pills have souls.
¡°How do you feel it exactly?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Dellia said, ¡°I¡¯ve just been around pills and elixirs for a long time, and eventually I got a feel for it.¡±
Hm. I should practice telling the difference between the grades of pills. I¡¯m curious what kind of sense picks it up.
Wait a minute. If she can feel the difference between Blue and Green pills, what about my pills? Can she feel them? She shouldn¡¯t have done so yet, I guess. But if I take them out of my case, she would probably definitely be able to.
Wait! Damn! I forgot the Supreme Healing Pill of Mesana I carry in my pocket. I¡¯ve gotten so used to it being there that I had forgotten. But how can she not feel it right now? We¡¯re sitting pretty close, and this is a pill made from an actual goddess. It would be like someone practiced in feeling the difference in aura between Stone and Iron mages suddenly faces Fellion with his strength on full display. No chance they could miss him.
Is this a case of ¡®that¡¯s just how aura works¡¯? I can¡¯t assume that. Maybe my own aura is getting in the way somehow, or maybe pills don¡¯t actually have aura. It¡¯s something else. I need to figure out how it works before I accidentally get myself into trouble.
Adion shuffled away a bit from Dellia and put hand the pill he carried in his pocket. His heart beating slightly faster.
¡°Now it¡¯s your turn,¡± Dellia said excitedly, ¡°How can you fight Silver beasts?¡±
¡°Oh yeah,¡± Adion had forgotten about their deal, ¡°It¡¯s better if I show you. Do you mind?¡±
¡°Of course not. Go ahead,¡± Dellia said.
¡°It¡¯s not going to hurt, but it might be a little scary. Are you ready?¡± Adion asked.
Dellia hesitated for a second but eventually nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±
Adion took command over the space surrounding Dellia. He then Willed it to freeze, not allowing anything but him to move through it. He could feel how Dellia was stuck in his grip. She was only a low Bronze mage and stood no chance against Adion.
This is kind of scary. It feels good to be more powerful than someone else. It¡¯s kind of addictive.
Adion felt that he could keep her frozen for a long time, but he had already shown what he could do, and there was no reason to show off at the expense of scaring Dellia too much, so he let go, and Dellia could finally breathe again.
¡°What¡¡± She stared at Adion wide-eyed, ¡°What just happened?¡±
¡°I know the feeling, girl,¡± Rufus said, ¡°We all reacted in a similar way the first time Adion showed his Gift to us.¡±
¡°So you¡¯re Gifted,¡± Dellia said in realization, ¡°What an amazing Gift! And you can do this even to Silver beasts?¡±
¡°Yes, but the stronger my opponent''s Will is, the harder it is to hold them still,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Incredible,¡± Dellia said in a low voice, ¡°A bronze mage at such a young age, and you¡¯re Gifted as well. You¡¯ll definitely get into the diamond class at Cyalis, you know. How luck- Eh, how powerful you¡¯ll become!¡±
¡°Mm, I will,¡± Adion nodded. He understood her hesitation using the word ¡®lucky.¡¯ Even if a lot of things could differ from one Gifted to another, one thing remained true for every Gifted. No one gets a Gift surrounded by family in the safety of your home.
¡°Don¡¯t forget me when you get to the top, alright?¡± Rufus said with a smile.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rufus,¡± Adion said with a slight grin, ¡°A god needs his followers, right?¡±
Rufus stared at Adion with his mouth open. Then he let out a thunderous laughter that echoed through the camp, probably waking up any people who had managed to sleep already.
- - - - - - - - - -
¡°Adion, we¡¯re getting ready to leave. Make sure you get something to eat.¡± Adion woke up the following day to Benji¡¯s voice calling him outside his tent.
¡°Alright, I¡¯m coming.¡± Adion yawned and stretched his body. He hadn¡¯t slept for long as he and Rufus had stayed up half the night keeping watch.
When Adion put his head out of the tent, he noticed that the sun hadn¡¯t risen yet, but it was still fairly bright outside.
Do we really have to leave before sunrise? I¡¯m not sure escort missions are worth it. Adion thought grumpily. He was fine going without much sleep, but he didn¡¯t like going off someone else¡¯s schedule, especially since he was having a good dream.
¡°Got a good night¡¯s sleep?¡± Benji asked as he saw Adion stepping up to the campfire to grab some freshly grilled meat.
¡°Until I was woken up,¡± Adion responded.
¡°Oh? Grumpy Adion?¡± Sahra looked up with a grin, ¡°That¡¯s a rare sight.¡±
¡°He¡¯s just a teenager, after all,¡± Benji stated calmly.
I¡¯m grumpy? Adion tried focusing on his aura to feel his mood better. It was a little different but hard to pinpoint exactly. Adion was used to feeling a certain stress and pressure in his aura; he didn¡¯t usually have the peace of mind to act grumpily.
¡°Sorry,¡± Adion said with a serious expression, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t lose focus.¡±
¡°Haha, relax, Adion,¡± Benji smiled, ¡°It¡¯s fine not to be on high alert all the time. It¡¯s technically still Sahra¡¯s and my watch, so eat and relax.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion sat down and started filling his stomach.
¡°Bah! Why do we have to leave before the sun even rises?¡± Rufus loudly grumbled as he came walking over.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°See? You should be more like Rufus,¡± Benji said.
¡°I don¡¯t think you know what you¡¯re saying,¡± Sahra said with a doubtful look.
¡°Wise words, Benji!¡± Rufus smiled and put his hand on Benji¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I knew you were the boss for a reason.¡±
¡°Morning, Rufus,¡± Adion greeted while eating.
¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Adion the Beast Freezer,¡± Rufus said with a grin.
I knew I shouldn¡¯t have told him about that.
¡°Oh?¡± Sahra was interested, ¡°The peak Baby mage goes by many names I hear.¡±
¡°Why am I the only one ending up with stupid nicknames,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°You have to do cool stuff to get cool nicknames,¡± Rufus advised.
¡°What¡¯s not cool about freezing stronger opponents still in space, rendering them unable to move?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°I guess that¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Rufus admitted.
¡°What do you want to be called?¡± Benji asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°Just Adion is fine.¡±
¡°A name can indeed be mightier than any alias,¡± Lomin said as he walked over, ¡°As a person gets more renowned through their life, their name carries a heavier weight. Just look at Pelli, anyone who hears that name can feel the story behind it.¡±
¡°Only if you¡¯ve actually heard the Primordial Story,¡± Rufus said.
¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Lomin said with his usual calm smile, ¡°Words carry power. I don¡¯t understand even the surface of it, but it¡¯s a truth that can¡¯t be doubted.¡±
Is that true? Adion thought to himself. Lomin has a way of saying things that make everything that comes out of his mouth sound like the truth, but that doesn¡¯t mean everything is.
¡°Alright,¡± Benji interrupted Adion¡¯s thoughts, ¡°Gustad and his family are looking ready to move, so we should hurry.¡±
It didn¡¯t take long to take down their tents and get ready to leave. Adion¡¯s mood improved as the sun showed itself by the horizon, warming his slightly cold body again.
After a few hours of walking, the group passed by a slightly hilly area. Benji warned Adion and the rest of the group to be on guard, as this was a terrain perfect for ambushes.
For the first hour, nothing special happened, but Adion still had his focus on his space sphere and aura sense.
Suddenly, Adion felt something. Two large beasts were hiding behind a small hill in front of them. Adion felt their shape through his space mana sense.
Some type of bears? What¡¯s their strength?
Now that Adion noticed where they were, he could feel their presence, but he had no idea how strong they were.
¡°Benji,¡± Adion said, ¡°Two bear-like beasts are behind that hill. I don¡¯t know how strong they are.¡±
Benji¡¯s face turned serious. He thought for a second before yelling, ¡°Beasts! Stay in the carriages. Rufus, stay behind and guard them. The rest of you follow me!¡±
Adion saw that everyone in Gustad¡¯s family who had opted to walk got a scared look and hurried to their carriages. Even if a few of them were mages, they were only Bronze, and this area was filled with Silver beasts.
Benji rushed ahead, and Adion, Sahra, and Lomin came up behind him.
Adion could feel that the two beasts had felt them approaching, which was not surprising as their aura sense trumped Adion¡¯s group greatly.
¡°They¡¯re running away,¡± Adion said as he felt the beasts'' movement through space.
¡°We follow!¡± Benji yelled, ¡°Lomin, hurry ahead. Try to slow them down if you can. We won¡¯t be able to match their speed. Since they¡¯re running, they shouldn¡¯t be too strong.¡±
Lomin was a wind mage and the fastest of the group. Even if he couldn¡¯t fly, he could run.
Lomin distanced himself a bit from the group and released crazy amounts of wind behind him to push himself ahead. Adion wanted to do something to help, so he focused on the beasts as they were almost out of his space mana¡¯s reach and called on space to heed his Will.
Freeze.
The beasts froze momentarily, but they carried a great momentum, taking a lot more Will to freeze than if they had been standing still. Adion was also far away, making it more challenging for him to use his Authority. The beasts weren¡¯t even frozen for a second, but they had lost all their momentum.
Adion came around the small hill and finally saw the two beasts a distance away. They were Heavy Earth Bears. As they had been attacked by Adion, they didn¡¯t bother hiding their strength anymore and showed off their low Silver aura.
¡°Only low Silver!¡± Adion yelled. The rest of his team would surely notice soon, but every second might count.
¡°Lomin, go all out!¡± Benji yelled.
Lomin, who had now almost caught up with the beasts, conjured vast amounts of wind, wind that Adion now realized was loaded with the concept of sharpness. It cut into the beasts, and pieces of fur and tiny drops of blood flew around wildly. No significant damage was done, but it worked wonders to slow them down.
The two beasts turned around and charged towards the group instead, as there was no running anymore.
Benji shot out a big ball of fire to one of the beasts, and Sahra spayed the other with small bullets of fire.
Can fire be more solid, a concept of hardness? Or stable like my space?
Adion didn¡¯t think long about it as he noticed that the fire from his two companions didn¡¯t have any Will holding onto it.
Don¡¯t mind if I do.
Adion used his Authority over the small amount of fire that had caught on to the beast Benji attacked.
It¡¯s stronger. It¡¯s hotter.
Adion smiled. He could feel that the fire was different from the one he conjured himself. If the fire were allowed to continue burning, it would surely lose this ability as soon as the Will of the world took over. But Adion was quick; he had Authority over this fire now, and he wanted those concepts to remain. What could the world do about it?
Adion manipulated the flame away from the beast''s hide, where the attack had landed, and made an attack of his own with the fire. Adion¡¯s favorite spot, its face, and particularly its eyes, got smashed by Adion¡¯s well-controlled flames.
Burn. Adion Willed. Hotter and dig deeper.
Benji stopped for a second and stared at his fire acting so strangely before turning to look at Adion.
¡°How is that fair?¡± He asked with a tired smile.
It only took a few seconds for Adion to kill the beast using Benji¡¯s fire. Sahra and Lomin also quickly got their opponent down on the ground. It was only two low Silver beasts, after all.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Benji was kind enough to lend me his fire,¡± Adion said with a bright smile.
¡°I don¡¯t remember lending you anything,¡± Benji said in a slightly grumpy tone.
¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have let go of it with your Will. What a waste of concepts.¡± Adion shook his head scoldingly.
¡°That¡¡± Sahra hesitated, ¡°You can do that?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°But¡¡± Sahra said.
¡°Don¡¯t think about it,¡± Benji sighed and then turned to look at Adion, ¡°I¡¯m finding a Moonlight Oak as soon as we get to Wender.¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Adion agreed. He could understand Benji''s curiosity. Without Authority, it would still be possible to do what Adion had done, but why would anyone waste Will to take control over fire when you had a core full of fire mana? And the Will of the world would just struggle for control right away. But Adion had used Benji¡¯s fire and even made use of his concepts. To do the same without Authority would take great skill in mana control and a really strong Will. Anyone strong enough to do so would just waste their time as they would have even better concepts in their own core.
What a pleasant discovery. Adion thought to himself.
And those concepts seem a lot closer than just a moment ago. Who needs to wait for moments of inspiration when you can just take others'' hard work for yourself?
It had been a while since Adion had such trouble keeping himself from smiling.
Sahra and Lomin decided to heed Benji¡¯s advice and let the questions go for the moment. They made their way back to the carriages with the beast¡¯s bodies and were met with many relieved faces.
¡°Why did we have to chase them, by the way?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Hm?¡± Benji said and looked over, ¡°It¡¯s always a good thing to clean up beasts that wander in the Empire. We will get a reward from the Outskirt Guild for doing so. And Silver beasts are not dumb, even if they¡¯re not as intelligent as sapi yet. Who knows if they came from a stronger group of beasts and were on their way to report our location and strength.¡±
¡°Oh, that makes sense,¡± Adion said, ¡°Is it this dangerous in every Kingdom and Empire?¡±
Adion thought it was weird that nothing more was done about Silver beasts running around killing people within the Empire''s borders.
¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I would say so,¡± Benji said with a serious expression, ¡°It¡¯s a dangerous world, Adion. Don¡¯t make the mistake of thinking you¡¯re safe just because you¡¯re away from the Outskirts.¡±
Don¡¯t worry, if it¡¯s one mistake I only plan on doing once, it¡¯s that.
Chapter 39 - Sahra
What is the deal with this guy? Sahra thought to herself as she looked at Adion once again killing a beast using Benji¡¯s fire. This was the third attack they had to deal with during their journey, a lot more than Sahra expected. Thankfully, it was never something they couldn¡¯t handle, and they were all uninjured.
At least we¡¯ll be in Wender by the end of the day. I¡¯ll soon get to see Dad.
The thought brought a smile to Sahra¡¯s face.
She then turned to look at Adion again. He was still controlling Benji¡¯s fire like it was practically nothing. Sahra would have passed out from the effort. Fighting the Will of the world wasn¡¯t easy.
Should I also take an Oath to find out his secrets? It couldn¡¯t hurt. I¡¯ll ask later if he is fine with me knowing. I¡¯m really curious. He says it¡¯s not a power he can teach, but Adion is not exactly knowledgeable. There might be something obvious he hasn¡¯t thought about.
¡°How long can you do that?¡± Sahra finally asked.
¡°Hm?¡± Adion looked away from the fire he was controlling, ¡°I guess I¡¯ve never really tested the limit, but a long time.¡±
¡°You mean you can do that for minutes?¡± Sahra asked, shocked. She had never seen him struggle to keep control over fire, but he had also never controlled for more than 30 seconds or so. At least until today. He was slowly approaching a minute now, Sahra was sure.
¡°Probably hours,¡± Adion shrugged.
That was a hit too hard to take. What reason is there to work every day, morning to night, every single day since she first heard of her mother¡¯s magic, when all that work pales compared to some 15-year-old who doesn¡¯t even seem to break a sweat doing the impossible?
I¡¯ve always known this world is anything but fair. But do I really have to have it shoved in my face every day?
¡°Are you serious?¡± She heard Lomin ask.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded.
Even the fairy tale-believer is surprised for once.
¡°I¡¯m gonna ignore you until we find a Moonlight Oak,¡± Sahra said with a straight face, and then made her way over to Benji. He was dragging the body of one of the dead beasts to the carriage.
¡°Adion can keep control over fire for hours,¡± She told him, ¡°At least he says so, and I don¡¯t think he¡¯s lying.¡±
Benji smiled excitedly, surprising Sahra a little.
¡°I heard from a caravan passing us that there is a Moonlight Oak at the Outskirts Guild in Gerrinswood. It¡¯s a pretty big town just two days north of Wender,¡± Benji said, ¡°What do you say we go straight there after visiting your father? If we can¡¯t find one in Wender, that is. We can come back here again after we¡¯re done with the Oath, or if you want to stay here while the rest of us go.¡±
¡°No,¡± Sahra shook her head, ¡°I feel myself losing motivation every time Adion shows off his abilities. I think I need to know the truth behind his powers to find my path again.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Benji chuckled and pulled Sahra into his arms, ¡°I feel the same way. But this is more exciting, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re losing anything coming into contact with Adion. It¡¯s actually the opposite. I feel like the world is filled with more possibilities than ever.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Sahra smiled, ¡°I was only ever focused on reaching Bronze in time to get to Cyalis, as I heard that was how strong the best on the continent were. Then I got to Cyalis, and my goal changed to reach Silver during my time there, so I could graduate.¡±
Sahra then looked into her boyfriend¡¯s eyes, ¡°But since then, I¡¯m not sure I have a specific goal anymore. I didn¡¯t really think about it before meeting Adion. He seemed so shocked when he heard we weren¡¯t planning on becoming Soul mages,¡± She then added in a grumpy voice, ¡°The audacity, he¡¯s just a punk. But I believe he will live up to his words the more time I get to spend with him.¡±
Benji laughed heartily, ¡°He sure is cocky. But I can¡¯t seem to be able to doubt him, no matter how ridiculous it sounds. And that makes me want to reach higher, too. My goal was to become a Gold mage and make a new family clan with you. But now, that seems so small, and Benji the Soul mage sure has a nice ring to it. What do you say? Want to become Soul mages together?¡±
¡°Like Adion says, ¡®Since it¡¯s not impossible, I¡¯ll do it.¡¯¡± Sahra said with a small smile, ¡°But after we visit that town Gerrinswood, or whatever it¡¯s called, I think I might rest for a few days at home. You guys can hunt in the Outskirts for a few days without me. Even Soul mages can rest sometimes, right?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Benji said, ¡°I can stay with you if you¡¯d like?¡±
¡°No, that''s fine,¡± Sahra shook her head. She then turned to look behind where Lomin and Rufus seemed to be arguing over something, Adion shifting his attention between the two, his eyes moving like a pendulum. ¡°I don¡¯t think those guys can last even a few hours without you in charge,¡±
Benji turned his attention to the three and overheard Rufus yelling.
¡°I¡¯m telling you, girls like pets! If you can make a little pet out of that fire like you did with that wolf, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be surrounded by girls from all directions.¡± Rufus''s voice sounded.
¡°Maybe I should take more responsibility for Adion¡¯s education so he doesn¡¯t end up like Rufus,¡± Sahra said.
¡°You would have if you thought it was necessary,¡± Benji said.
¡°Yeah, I guess it¡¯s fine,¡± Sahra sighed, ¡°He seems to listen to Lomin more than Rufus most of the time.¡±
¡°Lomin is a convincing guy,¡± Benji said.
Sahra nodded her head.
He¡¯s even almost convinced me into believing those fairy tales. He¡¯s a good storyteller, after all.
¡°Alright, guys. Let¡¯s get moving. We want to get to Wender before the sun goes down!¡± Benji yelled at their teammates.
¡°Good thinking, boss. We want to have time for a few drinks before all the girls go home after all,¡± Rufus said as he came over.
¡°Next new member is a girl,¡± Sahra said as she looked sternly at Benji.
¡°Oh? Yeah, of course,¡± Benji smiled sheepishly.
¡°Haha!¡± Rufus laughed, ¡°As expected of lady boss, you got the right ideas.¡±
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Sahra realized what the bearded womanizer was thinking.
¡°Never mind, no new members,¡± Sahra said.
¡°I don¡¯t care if we get a girl or guy as a new member,¡± Adion put in, ¡°But we should get someone that¡¯s good at cooking.¡±
¡°Good at cooking?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°It might be presumptuous of me to set demands, but I really think that ought to be a criteria.¡±
¡°Hahaha!¡± Rufus loudly laughed, ¡°What¡¯s with the choice of words? ¡®Presumptuous¡¯? You practicing to impress the ladies? Attaboy.¡±
¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t mind having a good cook along as long as they can fight,¡± Benji said, ¡°If the opportunity arises, I¡¯ll make sure to act.¡±
¡°Adion is more than I can handle,¡± Sahra said, ¡°My demand is that if we get a new team member, they can¡¯t be a genius.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Adion, do you realize how-¡± Sahra stopped herself, ¡°I take it back. It¡¯s fine as long as they are more talented than Adion. I¡¯ll enjoy seeing him dealing with someone like that.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll find someone like that, unfortunately,¡± Lomin said with a smile.
¡°Not to brag, but I also find it unlikely,¡± Adion said without any expression.
¡°What¡¯s with your cheeky attitude today?¡± Sahra questioned.
¡°I¡¯m cheeky?¡± Adion asked Lomin.
¡°A little,¡± The faelin answered.
¡°I guess it¡¯s a good day, no?¡± Adion said.
Sahra smiled at that. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s a good day, Adion.¡±
¡°I think I gained a lot of insights from Benji¡¯s fire. My own understanding of concepts has improved a lot.¡± Adion continued.
Sahra¡¯s smile immediately disappeared. She turned to Benji and spoke with a plain expression, ¡°Make it a week. Maybe two.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Benji smiled awkwardly, ¡°You should enjoy time with your family after all.¡±
Not many hours later, the group finally saw the big city before them. There were still a few hours of sunlight left, and Sahra could feel her mood lifting. The sun lit up the city in a beautiful way. She hadn¡¯t been back here for months and felt like she could finally relax.
Sahra wasn¡¯t from Wender originally, but a village a week away from here. But when she started earning money as a mage, she had no trouble making sure her father could live in the city, a much safer place, and she made more money as a Silver mage hunting in the Outskirts than her father could hope to spend.
So her father didn¡¯t need to work anymore. He could spend his days any way he wanted. Usually, that meant he was volunteering at the orphanage in the city.
Sahra sighed as the thought entered her mind.
I should try to be more kind, like Dad. What will he say if he hears I¡¯ve been spending the past weeks getting annoyed at and teasing a 15-year-old kid?
When the group arrived at the city gate, Sahra saw Gustad approaching Benji.
¡°Here is the mission paper with my signature. There is no need to protect us in the city.¡± Gustad said as he handed over the paper and stretched out his other hand for a handshake. ¡°I thank you very much for a job well done, Benji. Without you, we would have no choice but to forfeit our lives.¡±
¡°We just did our job,¡± Benji said with a smile and returned the handshake. ¡°We¡¯ll be going then. We¡¯ll bring the beast''s bodies with us to report to the Guild.¡±
¡°I wish you luck. In a few weeks, you¡¯ll hopefully be able to visit our store. Be sure to come by, and we¡¯ll treat you warmly,¡± Gustad said.
¡°Of course,¡± Benji nodded with a smile.
Sahra helped carry out the beast bodies that they¡¯d hunted along the way. Adion seemed like he was even more unhappy than her about the task.
¡°If you don¡¯t want to carry them, can¡¯t you do the freezing thing?¡± Sahra suggested. She had seen Adion use his Gift on dead beasts, and it was truly miraculous. She was incredibly jealous of that convenient ability.
¡°I¡¯m pretty sure people would crowd him in seconds if he were to do that,¡± Benji said.
¡°I know, it would have been nice, though,¡± Sahra sighed.
¡°I remember from last time that the Guild has a branch outside the city walls not far from here,¡± Lomin said, ¡°So we won¡¯t have to carry them for long.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Thankfully, we ate some of them on the way, so we won¡¯t have to make two rounds,¡± Sahra said.
The group carried the dead bodies through the busy but wide streets. They did not attract much attention as similar scenes to this played out often at places like this.
¡°How are we going to register the mission?¡± Benji asked as they arrived in front of the Outskirts Guild building, ¡°Do you want us to register you as a member so you can gain some merit, Adion?¡±
¡°No need,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t really care, and it might be an unnecessary risk.¡±
¡°True,¡± Benji nodded and took over the beast Adion had carried before heading inside, ¡°Wait here. We¡¯ll be back soon.¡±
The group reported the mission and got their reward without problem. They also received some extra money for the Silver beasts they had hunted on the way.
After that, they headed to the Silver Circle. They had inns in most places around the Silver Wall. Sahra and Benji got a room together as usual, but Sahra wasn¡¯t planning on staying long.
¡°I¡¯ll head over to Dad and see if he is home. Are you coming by later?¡± Sahra asked Benji.
¡°Of course. I¡¯ll let you two catch up first, and we can all have dinner together,¡± Benji responded as he lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.
¡°Good,¡± Sahra said and smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll see you later then!¡±
Sahra then skipped out of the inn and headed for the building on the southeast side of the city where her father lived. It took her almost half an hour before she got there. But to her surprise, she saw two strangers at the door to her father¡¯s house. It was a young couple, seemingly heading out for a romantic evening.
Sahra approached the two and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±
¡°What? Why? Who are you?¡± The woman asked with a sour face. She was only a Bronze mage, but Sahra couldn¡¯t do anything excessive to her in the city.
¡°My father lives here. Where is he?¡± She asked with a scowling face.
¡°You must be mistaken. The two of us are the only ones living here,¡± The woman said.
¡°We have lived here for a little over a month. Maybe your father lived here before?¡± The man asked Sahra gently.
¡°Then where did he move?¡± She asked sternly.
¡°I have no idea,¡± The man said as he shook his head.
¡°Useless!¡± Sahra yelled and ran off to the orphanage nearby. She was worried but tried not to think about it. Her father would be at the orphanage and explain everything.
She arrived at the orphanage in minutes and hurried inside.
¡°Sahra?¡± Kerta, an old woman working there, asked as she spotted Sahra.
¡°Where¡¯s dad?¡± She asked in a strained voice.
Kerta sighed and looked at Sahra with a sympathetic smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear. Dennis got sick months ago. He fought the illness with everything he had so as not to leave you alone, but in the end, there was nothing to be done. He¡¯s gone, Sahra, I¡¯m really sorry.¡±
Gone?
¡°He¡¯s dead?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Yes, for a little over a month now,¡± Kerta answered.
Dead.
¡°I see,¡± Sahra said.
Like mom.
¡°Do you have a place to stay?¡± Kerta asked worriedly.
I won¡¯t see him?
¡°Yes. Bye.¡± Sahra said and left on slightly shaky legs. She touched her face and noticed tears running down her cheeks.
I really wanted to see him, though.
She stepped out onto the street and turned to walk back to the inn again.
Please. Someone. Anyone.
Chapter 40 - Silence
¡°What should we do?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Adion said with a complicated expression.
¡°I am not certain either. We should ask Benji later. He would know best.¡± Lomin said.
¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s good.¡± Rufus nodded.
A dark atmosphere surrounded the three as they ate lunch together at the Silver Circle. The plan had been to head to Gerrinswood today, but Sahra had arrived at the inn the night before with tears in her eyes. It wasn¡¯t clear what the plan was now.
Adion, Lomin, and Rufus had been sitting in the tavern on the bottom floor of the inn, eating dinner together. They had a view over the entrance, so they had all seen Sahra when she had walked in.
Adion had never seen her like that. She was usually happy or annoyed. Shifting between the two moods without rhyme or reason. But he had never seen her sad before. Worse than seeing it, though, was feeling her aura. He had been training with all members of his team in aura sense and aura control. He had gotten pretty familiar with their auras by this point, but still not good enough to tell much about their mood. He was still too untrained to do that most of the time. But Sahra¡¯s aura when she walked in was a lot different than usual.
She was sad. Really sad. Adion had felt his stomach sink when he felt that. It would almost have been better seeing her screaming and crying her eyes out. Having to feel only a little of what she felt was horrible.
Her dad is probably dead. Adion thought and sighed.
Sahra had headed straight to her room, and Adion, Lomin, and Rufus hadn¡¯t seen her or Benji since then.
¡°Should I buy her some drinks?¡± Rufus asked, ¡°We can just spend the night here drinking together. That would cheer me up. I won¡¯t even mention girls for the day. And Adion, you better not reveal any new strange abilities.¡±
¡°Mm, I¡¯ll try.¡± Adion nodded.
¡°I¡¯m not sure that is what Sahra would like just because you would, Rufus,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Yeah, I know. I should just wait to hear what Benji has to say,¡± Rufus said, ¡°I just can¡¯t stop thinking about ways to help. But I would probably make things worse.¡±
Adion was also thinking about what to do, even knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to do much. Even if his parents had died too, he wasn¡¯t an expert in comforting people like him. He didn¡¯t even know what he would have wanted when he was alone in the Endless Forest.
Just time, I suppose. Time and a goal.
Adion felt he was probably the furthest from Sahra out of anyone in the team. Not like he didn¡¯t like her or anything. He just hadn¡¯t had that much time to get to know her yet. He had actually been shocked at how much he cared when he felt how sad she was.
In the end, she¡¯s part of my team. I should take care of my team to the best of my abilities. If someone is sad, I should at least try to make them feel better. The problem is I don¡¯t think I can do anything. Thankfully, she has Benji. That puts me somewhat at ease.
Adion, Lomin, and Rufus continued their gloomy conversation, waiting for Benji and Sahra to come down, but the whole day passed without any word. As night started creeping in, they ordered a couple of beers to end the night on. But just as they thought about heading up to bed for the night, Benji showed up with tired eyes and a sad smile.
¡°We¡¯re heading to Gerrinswood. Get your things,¡± Benji told them.
¡°At this time? What about Sahra?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°We can wait for tomorrow, no?¡± Lomin added.
¡°Sahra is adamant about leaving tonight,¡± Benji sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve tried convincing her, but she won¡¯t hear it. We¡¯ve worked some things out through the night, but she will need time. It might also do good to get moving and doing something productive.¡±
¡°Alright, then. We¡¯ll get ready,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Is there anything we can do?¡± Rufus asked, ¡°For Sahra, I mean.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m at a loss myself here,¡± Benji said. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine eventually, I think. Just be patient. She really loved her dad.¡±
Adion could see Rufus''s eyes tearing up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Rufus said, ¡°We¡¯re all a team here. Friends. You¡¯re not alone either, Benji.¡±
Benji smiled at Rufus''s surprisingly comforting words. ¡°Thanks,¡± Benji said and headed upstairs to get ready.
¡°You still surprise me at times, Rufus,¡± Lomin said with a smile, ¡°Well said.¡±
¡°It was pretty cool,¡± Adion said.
¡°Bah! Just get your stuff, and let¡¯s get going,¡± Rufus said, wiping a few tears from his eyes.
It didn¡¯t take long for the three to get ready. Adion was waiting outside the inn with Lomin and Rufus when they spotted Benji and Sahra. Sahra looked like usual. No signs of tear could be seen anymore.
¡°Sahra,¡± Rufus said, ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked worriedly.
¡°I will be,¡± Sahra said without smiling, ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±
No one objected, and the team made their way out of the city in the early night. The guards looked at the team with strange looks when they left the city, but as they were Outskirters at the explorer rank, no one thought to question their late departure.
¡°Well, it will take us two days to travel there on foot,¡± Benji said, breaking the silence for the first time, ¡°We¡¯ll try to get some distance before breaking for the night.¡±
Adion nodded his head along with the rest of the team.
A few hours later, Benji stopped to look around, ¡°I guess this place will do,¡± he said and instructed the team to start a fire and set up a camp for the night.
Adion and the rest quickly got to work, and it wasn¡¯t long before the group was sitting around the campfire, eating in silence.
Not even Lomin seems to be in the mood for a story. Adion thought to himself. He couldn¡¯t remember a night with the group so far without Lomin either telling a story or requesting someone else to do so.
The group continued eating in silence, the night entering the coldest part. The silence seemed to drag the mood further down as time went on.
¡°I guess it¡¯s been three years since Mom and Dad died now,¡± Adion suddenly said. Everyone¡¯s heads immediately lifted to look at Adion. Even Sahra, whose eyes had seemed to have a dim curtain covering them all night, appeared to gain an interest.
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¡°I was born in the Valis Kingdom, actually,¡± Adion continued, ¡°My grandpa started our family clan there. My dad was to be the next patriarch. My mom was from the Saba Desert, but she decided to leave with my dad when they met and fell in love.
¡°I really miss them. Even if I was born sparkless, my parents never saw me as anything less. They loved me just as much as my other siblings. And they believed me when I said I would form a core and become a mage one day.¡±
Rufus made some kind of sound, as if to speak, but stopped himself before any real word could be formed.
Adion looked into the campfire and continued his story as he felt everyone''s undivided attention.
¡°About this time three years ago, Grandpa left for Cyalis with my brother and sister. At the time, I was jealous and a little sad, but I¡¯m really glad they decided to leave. Because a month after leaving, our manor was surrounded, dozens of masked men and women appeared from nowhere, three of whom were Diamond. Our clan¡¯s only Diamond is my grandpa, so we stood no chance against them. They killed Mom and Dad in seconds¡¡±
Adion turned quiet for a second as he thought about the memory. He hadn¡¯t thought about that scene for a long time. No one spoke, though. Only waiting for Adion to continue.
After a few moments of silence, Adion spoke once again, ¡°At the bottom of our clan treasury, there was a runic formation. I never knew about it until that day, which wasn¡¯t strange as it was something left behind from the Age of Wonder. Sami was tasked to take me there to hide, but there was something weird happening with the formation. It had been releasing a strange kind of mana for a while.
¡°As I approached the formation, I noticed that it was the source of the increase in the strange mana I¡¯d felt an affinity to my entire life. As I stepped onto the formation to get a closer look, I realized what the formation was for, because suddenly I was not in the Remori treasury anymore. I was on the other side of the continent. It was a teleportation formation.¡±
I prefer this kind of silence to the earlier one. Adion thought to himself as he saw the faces of the others: shocked, curious, attentive. And dead silent, waiting for Adion to finish to ask their questions.
¡°I finally realized what the strange mana was. It was space mana. And on the other side of the teleportation formation where I had appeared, it was more abundant than I had ever felt. I didn¡¯t even think for a second before I started manipulating the mana around me to gather in my chest, at the place where normal people have their sparks.
¡°It took me a few hours before I finally gathered enough mana to compress into a core. And I succeeded. I even made it straight to the high Stone stage. I had become the first space mage in probably hundreds of thousands of years.
¡°Unfortunately, my mom and dad will never know. And that will always hurt. But I also think that¡¯s a good thing in a way. It reminds me that I had something worth getting sad about.¡± Adion finished and looked at Sahra with a comforting and slightly sad smile.
Sahra stood up and walked steadily toward Adion. She looked into his eyes for a second before pulling him into a deep hug.
She didn¡¯t say anything, but Adion could hear her crying on his shoulder. Adion felt his own eyes tear up, finally fully affected by retelling the memories he had hidden for so long.
When was the last time I cried?
Adion couldn¡¯t remember doing that since his thirteenth birthday. But it felt a lot better this time around. Adion hadn¡¯t even realized it himself, but carrying it alone for all these years had taken a toll. It felt good to finally get it off of his chest. So good that his tears of grief slowly turned into tears of relief and joy.
¡°You poor bastards,¡± Rufus said as he got up with tears in his eyes and embraced Adion and Sahra in a hug of his own, ¡°You¡¯re not going to be alone as long as I live. That I swear.¡±
Adion couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Mm, thanks Rufus.¡±
Sahra eventually stopped crying and let go of Adion.
¡°So, space?¡± She asked with a small smile.
¡°Mm, I have a space core. So I¡¯m sorry for deceiving you, Benji. I¡¯m not actually Gifted.¡± Adion said, looking at Benji.
Benji smiled widely, ¡°Never mind that, you¡¯re actually something even rarer than a Gifted, it seems. I¡¯m a very lucky man.¡±
¡°It was a good story, Adion,¡± Lomin said with a smile, ¡°To think you had a story like that in you. It was beautiful to listen to. I can feel my soul stirring.¡±
¡°Well, the story¡¯s not done yet,¡± Adion said, adding with a grin, ¡°I was just at the part where I met the Celestial Phoenix after all.¡±
¡°The what?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°The Celestial Phoenix. Where do you think all that space mana came from? I had appeared next to the birth of a Phoenix, not the Fire Phoenix but another one.¡± Adion said.
¡°What are you talking about?¡± Rufus said.
¡°Let¡¯s take it one step at a time,¡± Adion said with a small smile, ¡°Make yourselves comfortable, and I¡¯ll let you know about things you¡¯ve never imagined.¡±
A chill went through the group at Adion¡¯s words. And everyone immediately sat down and paid rapt attention.
A silence filled to the brim with excitement. My favorite silence so far.
¡°I¡¯m guessing you have never seen a Phoenix, so let me describe it¡¡± Adion continued sharing his story as the night passed. About his months hunting and figuring out his powers, his time learning aura from Fellion, everything he had done until he met the group. He even told them about the letter he found and the two pills he had taken made from the blood of the Phoenixes.
Even though they were on their way to a Moonlight Oak so they could take an Oath to keep his secrets, that was only something he wanted to do since he couldn¡¯t trust his team members yet, but Adion had decided that they were not only his teammates anymore, but his friends. He didn¡¯t want to be the type of person that didn¡¯t trust his friends.
The only thing he didn¡¯t mention was the other pills he had with him. He made it seem like there were only two pills to be found. He wanted to be able to explain his Authority, after all. But there was no reason to tell exactly everything about himself, even if he trusted them. The pills were something he had decided to be extremely careful with ever since he saw Fellion¡¯s reaction to the Grand Soul Clarity Pill.
Adion finally finished recalling all that had happened when the first rays of the sun were hitting the treetops some distance away. The group stared at him with wide eyes, and Adion could feel they had many questions, only hesitating because they didn¡¯t know where to start.
But just as he could tell Benji was about to say something, he saw Lomin standing up. A smile different from the usual calm one decorated his face.
Is Lomin actually grinning?
¡°I understand. Hahaha!¡± Lomin laughed happily, ¡°Thank you, Adion, for opening my eyes to a truth I have been looking for for a long time.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Adion asked.
Lomin was squinting, looking up to the sky as if trying to see something hidden from the rest of them.
¡°I¡¯ve never told you this, but,¡± Lomin started, still looking to the sky, ¡°There is a custom among us faelin. When we return from our journey, we all head to a place called ¡®Spire of words, Spire of truth, Spire of faelin coming home.¡¯ Of course, we just call it the ¡®Spire¡¯ most of the time.
¡°Every faelin is in search of something on our journey, and that something is Words of Truth. But that is not something so easy to find. Very few succeed. If only a single faelin returns with Words of Truth in a year, it is a good year.
¡°Every faelin still goes to the Spire and leaves a few well-thought-out words behind. Often insightful, at times interesting, and once in a while, a whole recollection of stories and events they experienced. But rarely does someone return with actual Words of Truth.¡±
¡°What are Words of Truth?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Just like the fae in the Primordial Story used words to accomplish acts of power, so do we faelin seek to do the same. But we are not fae. We are faelin. Our words do not work the same way theirs did.
¡°Instead, we travel, we observe, we listen. We listen not only to other sapi but to the world itself. It all gathers in our spark. If we focus, if we try to look beyond the obvious, and if we are lucky, we can find Words of Truth.
¡°I believe that is what you¡¯ve heard about Benji, the strange magic that powerful faelin can use that is similar to the Gifted.¡±
¡°You mean Words of Truth?¡± Benji asked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lomin, but I don¡¯t understand. How are Words of Truth similar to the Gifted? How are they powerful?¡±
Lomin shook his head and smiled, ¡°It took me a long time to understand. I thought I was close to the answer a few times. Adion¡¯s story finally made me see.¡±
See what? Adion thought. He was having a hard time keeping up with the information Lomin was spewing.
¡°One step, a thousand miles. A thousand steps, one mile.¡± Lomin said calmly.
The next thing Adion knew, Lomin was nowhere to be seen. Only a gentle breeze brushed against his cheeks.
Chapter 41 - One step
Adion stared at the place where Lomin had just stood and was more confused than ever.
Lomin can teleport? Does he have Authority over space? No, of course not. He said ¡®Words of Truth¡¯. But I don¡¯t get it.
¡°What the¡¡± Rufus stared wide-eyed at the place Lomin had disappeared from.
¡°This day¡¡± Sahra said, ¡°I¡¯m just starting to melt everything Adion has told us, and now Lomin can teleport thanks to understanding a few words? What was he talking about?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t get it either,¡± Benji said with a wide grin, ¡°But I¡¯m happy that I¡¯m a part of it. I always thought that solving the mystery of the Gifted would be my one true goal in life. But Adion¡¯s strange Authority, Lomin¡¯s Words of Truth. There is much more to the world and magic than I ever imagined.¡±
¡°I thought I would be able to be the coolest one of us for the night,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Rufus laughed happily, ¡°Sorry Adion, you were a close second, but it will be hard to beat Lomin¡¯s performance.¡±
¡°I might not be able to beat it¡¡± Adion said and closed his eyes. He took control over the space behind Rufus using his Authority, and infused his Will in the space mana there, overloading it until he almost felt as if the two spaces were the same. It was up to Adion to decide which space he was actually in.
The two areas of space are the same. I can feel them both. I am both there and here. I decide the truth.
¡°But I can at least do something similar,¡± Adion finished as he appeared behind Rufus.
¡°What the!¡± Rufus jumped back and stared at Adion.
Sahra and Benji also turned to look at Adion with confused expressions. But their shock had lessened somewhat from what Lomin had just done along with Adion¡¯s story.
¡°I am a space mage, after all. It might take a while to focus, and I can¡¯t travel very far yet. But give it time, and I will leave Lomin in the dust.¡± Adion said proudly.
¡°We¡¯re going to have a long talk about this,¡± Sahra said, ¡°I¡¯m done being confused. You and Lomin will have to sit down and properly explain exactly what the hell is going on.¡±
¡°Eh¡sure,¡± Adion said. He didn¡¯t mind sharing, and he was hoping Benji might have some insights. He was well-read and pretty intelligent, after all.
¡°But where is Lomin?¡± Benji asked.
Everyone turned silent, as they had no way of knowing exactly how far away Lomin had gone.
Benji sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s just wait here for him to come back.¡± He then smiled excitedly and looked at Adion, ¡°I have a lot of questions to ask you in the meantime, Adion. I hope you can sate my curiosity.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Adion nodded.
Benji, along with Sahra and Rufus, asked Adion all sorts of questions. And he answered everything he could, asking questions of his own at times.
A few hours passed, and the sun was now high in the sky, but there was no sign of Lomin.
¡°You don¡¯t think he went home, right? To Fornia?¡± Rufus asked, worried.
¡°If that¡¯s the case, then Words of Truth are incredibly powerful. But I doubt it. If he was planning on leaving for long, I¡¯m sure he would have told us first,¡± Benji said.
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Rufus agreed, ¡°He wouldn¡¯t disappear without saying anything. Let¡¯s give him some more time.¡±
¡°So what do you think about Authority, Benji?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Do you have any theories?¡±
¡°Not exactly. It sounds a bit like Gifted, I guess, but more controlled?¡± Benji said, unsure, ¡°How exactly do you take control? Do you think there is a way to gain the power without the blood of Phoenixes?¡±
¡°Well, there should be,¡± Adion said as he thought about it, ¡°I don¡¯t think there is anything impossible to do with magic. As long as it has been done before, it should be able to be done again. But it might be that we are far too weak for the moment. It might be something that becomes clearer in the Soul stages, or perhaps even higher.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a very distant future,¡± Benji sighed.
¡°But you¡¯ve never heard of anything like this at Cyalis?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No,¡± Benji shook his head, ¡°Of course, there might have been an obscure class that covered the topic, and I just missed it, but I doubt it. The main focus at the Academy is to advance to Silver and develop concepts. There might be more information available for top students or the professors. But it also wouldn¡¯t surprise me if no one knew about it. The circumstances that allowed you to stumble upon this ¡®Authority¡¯ were quite unique.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
At first, he had thought he had held knowledge that no one else was privy to. But once he spent more time with his team, he found out that the world was bigger than he thought, and there were a lot of things he didn¡¯t know. Concepts, faelin magic, the Primordial Story, and other more minor things he had been taught by his team. There was a big chance he was still missing something. He had never thought that pills released aura, something every alchemist knew about. There were probably plenty of things that he was still ignorant of. Adion didn¡¯t want to get too cocky and assume he was the only one with secrets.
¡°Are you planning on telling people about any of this, Adion? You would earn great merit. I¡¯m sure your name would sweep like a storm even through the Tower of Sages,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Of course, we won¡¯t say anything about it if you choose to keep it a secret.¡±
¡°Yes, you can rest assured, Adion. My lips are sealed,¡± Rufus said with a serious expression.
¡°It¡¯s alright, I trust you,¡± Adion said with a light smile. Rufus''s cheeks reddened, and he struck out his chest proudly.
¡°Are you actually blushing, Rufus,¡± Sahra said and laughed.
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¡°I¡¯m not blushing!¡± Rufus yelled back. His previous delicateness with Sahra had disappeared overnight.
¡°I¡¯m not going to say anything until I¡¯m strong enough not to fear anyone knowing about my abilities,¡± Adion said, ¡°One day, I¡¯ll probably share a bit of the information I have, if it can help bring this Age to new heights. I¡¯ve taken advantage of the knowledge shared by the scholars and Sages of the past, so it only seems right that I do the same in turn. Only when there are no more risks, though.¡±
¡°That seems wise,¡± Benji nodded with a smile.
¡°What are these things that you care so much to hide from?¡± Sahra asked, ¡°Is it those¡those masked people?¡±
Adion nodded silently.
¡°Do you know anything about them?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Nothing,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°Only that they carry white masks and seemed ready to kill children for a chance at an artifact. And they are strong. The group that showed up was enough to form a strong 1st-tier family clan, and there is no way of knowing how many of them there actually are.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Benji started thinking. After a while, he spoke hesitantly, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of the group you¡¯re talking about specifically, but there are a few hidden organizations with their own unknown agenda on Shiora. I¡¯ve heard a few even have their roots on Quemer. It would be a mistake to think that only the Nobles and Royals make up the powerful of the continent.
¡°We could ask around a little and see if we can find out something? If their group is active all the way over here in the Delovan Empire, there is a good chance that they have a solid background to be able to spread out so thin.
But that would also make it necessary for them to recruit a lot of members, and no one can do that without leaving any traces.¡±
¡°But it might be dangerous to ask too many questions, right?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to bring attention to myself.¡±
¡°Well, I guess there¡¯s a risk with everything in life. But if we go about it the right way, I don¡¯t think it will get dangerous,¡± Benji said, ¡°It is a tumultuous time right now, particularly the tensions between the Hellemi and Fire Phoenix Church. Everyone is talking about what is happening around Shiora and who the different players are. For young Silver mages like us, asking around about any interesting rumors is normal. It would be more suspicious to not care about these things at all.¡±
¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Adion said, ¡°Alright. If we don¡¯t ask about anything specific to the masked group and keep it to general happenings, I¡¯m all for asking a few questions.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Benji said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be a very good team leader if someone on my team had to hide while not even knowing who they are hiding from.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right, Adion,¡± Rufus said assuredly, ¡°You can count on your team to get to the bottom of this.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion said, ¡°Just don¡¯t get yourself in trouble. It would be a pain to help you get out of it.¡±
¡°Haha, I¡¯m willing to bet a night¡¯s tab on you being the first of us to get into trouble, Adion,¡± Rufus said with a grin.
¡°Deal,¡± Adion agreed.
The group continued their conversation throughout the day, but eventually, the sun approached the end of its daily journey, and Lomin was still nowhere to be seen.
¡°Damn,¡± Benji sighed, ¡°If it can take him a whole day to return, it can just as well take two, three, or even ten days or more. I think we should return to Wender. He would know that we are at the Silver Circle if he doesn¡¯t find us here.¡±
¡°I agree,¡± Rufus muttered, ¡°Stupid faelin, does his stupid trick without explanation and leaves us here waiting for a whole day. He will have to buy more than a few drinks to make up for it.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s get going. We can make it before the sun goes down if we leave now.¡± Benji said.
It didn¡¯t take long, and the group started their short trip back to Wender again.
Rufus is going to be mad. Lomin thought as he took a step forward.
But I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll understand my excitement when I explain. Lomin reasoned as he still took a step forward.
Words of Truth are truly incredible. I can¡¯t wait to dig deeper into my understanding of my words. My journey is far from over. Lomin thought excitedly, still on the same step.
Perhaps one day, I can find a way for me not to end up like this after using my powers.
Lomin had done something incredible. In a single step, he had traveled miles. Probably not thousands of miles, even if that was the content of his Words of Truth. But it was not a literal thing. Simply a vocalization of an understanding Lomin had.
Lomin, along with other faelin, had always had poor mana control. Something that slowed down advancement and made them less skilled in using their elements. But how can any race gain only disadvantages?
Lomin had never known exactly what it was that made the faelin different. It wasn¡¯t something being told to the young men and women starting their journey. It was believed there was a higher chance of success if a little of the mystery remained for the young minds.
But now Lomin finally understood.
Every race of sapi were born with sparks. It was the spark that separated them from beasts. And in this spark were hidden concepts. The stronger mages generally gave birth to children with stronger concepts in their sparks. Of course, this was not always the case. Chance played a role.
Like Adion. I would never have guessed that a child born in a family clan could be born sparkless. And he even managed to form a core despite that! Of space!
Lomin smiled at the thought. He had much he wanted to ask Adion when he got back.
It is truly a privilege to be part of his story.
Lomin turned his attention to his right foot, slowly approaching the ground. Slowly.
If I ever manage to get this step taken.
This slow step was a side effect of the powers Lomin had manifested. It was part of the concept he had finally understood. Yes. Lomin now understood that Words of Truth were concepts just like the concept of sharpness he already had in his core. But it was a different kind of concept.
Deep Concepts. Somehow, that feels like the right word to use.
It was the advantage that the faelin had over the other races, perhaps the world''s way to weigh up for their poor mana control. Instead of having sparks with ordinary concepts like other races of sapi, the faelin had something else hidden there too. Perhaps something understood and left behind by an ancestor long ago, Lomin didn¡¯t know.
He only knew that during his journey, he could, at times, feel himself and something in his core resonating with certain thoughts. He had been close to grasping it for a while now. And when he finally heard Adion¡¯s story, it became clear to him.
When Adion told how he had been swept through the continent from one moment to the next and then spent years in the forest, Lomin finally got a sufficient enough understanding to make use of his Deep Concept.
Words of Truth were nothing more than a way to give a feeling for the Deep Concept. A Deep Concept was very complicated, so it could not be explained as easily as normal concepts like ¡®hot¡¯ and ¡®sharp.¡¯
To really understand a Deep Concept, even a whole book might not cut it. If that were the case, there would be no need for the faelin to go on journeys across the world. A Deep Concept can only be understood after countless experiences and deep reflections.
The Words of Truth that Lomin had felt were the best approximation for the Deep Concept he had grasped were ¡®One step, a thousand miles. A thousand steps, one mile.¡¯
What he was able to do had been witnessed by his teammates a few hours ago. In a single step, the wind would carry him miles away in an instant. Unfortunately, Lomin had found no way to get around the fact that the next thousand steps would even out the score.
Finally, step 100. Only 900 more to go. It¡¯s getting dark. They must have made their way back to Wender by now. Oh, well. It will give me some time to think more about my Words of Truth.
Chapter 42 - Hellemi Church
¡°It¡¯s been four days now,¡± Rufus said with a serious expression on his face.
Adion sat next to him, and Benji and Sahra sat next to each other on the opposite side of the table. They were having breakfast together at the Silver Circle.
¡°And it might very well take ten more,¡± Benji said, ¡°All we can do is wait.¡±
¡°I guess Lomin has never been one to hurry,¡± Rufus sighed.
Just how far can he teleport? Adion thought to himself. He had recently started focusing most of his training time on concepts, but since he saw Lomin¡¯s performance he was spending most of his time trying to improve his teleportation, both in time and distance. He could almost always make it under ten seconds, and his record was four seconds.
But he had found no way of doing it a distance surpassing 300 feet. Which was great. Not many fights would need more than that. But if there were a chance to teleport across the continent, like the teleportation formation had done, then that would be a very handy ability.
There¡¯s so much to focus on at the moment: concepts, both with fire and space. My shadow affinity has been left to the wayside for far too long, my water affinity even more so. But I need to focus on what can help me here and now. As well as not allowing my aura abilities to lag behind. I dread the thought of reaching peak Diamond only to realize I¡¯m unable to advance thanks to poor aura control.
¡°I think I¡¯ll head up to my room and get some training done,¡± Adion said, getting up from his seat.
¡°Ahh,¡± Sahra sighed, ¡°Every time you say something like that, it makes me feel so lazy.¡±
¡°Well, you are a little la-¡± Adion didn¡¯t get to finish as Sahra interrupted him with a threatening glare.
¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± She said.
¡°Haha!¡± Benji laughed, ¡°Sahra was actually known for being all work and no fun among her classmates at Cyalis, Adion. I believe that you might be a little special in your discipline. It¡¯s not bad, but remember to rest and have some fun once in a while, too. I think you¡¯ve realized that there is more to magic than just sitting in your room meditating.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I get it. But for the moment, I¡¯m making good progress, so¡¡±
¡°Just go train,¡± Benji sighed.
¡°See you for dinner,¡± Adion said and headed to his room.
¡°If you don¡¯t forget about it like yesterday!¡± Benji yelled after him.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Both Sahra and Rufus laughed at Benji acting like a parent.
Adion didn¡¯t think he was training that much. He had been traveling for almost a month, after all. And it felt good to take a break to train for once. It wasn¡¯t like he was locked in his room all the time during these four days, either. He ate his meals together with his team and talked to them. In a way, he was being more social than he had ever been, even when he was back at the Remori clan.
Adion sat down on his bed as soon as he entered his room and started meditating. He decided to focus on expanding his core for his advancement for a while. It was something he had to have a full core to do, so he wanted to get it done before starting his teleportation practice.
But he didn¡¯t get to focus for long. Well, for some it might have been long. Doing nothing but focusing on the surrounding space mana, attuning it to your Will, and pressing it into an already full core for three hours wasn¡¯t a walk in the park. But Adion was used to pushing himself to at least such a degree every day.
¡°Adion!¡± Benji¡¯s voice sounded behind the door, along with knocking.
Adion opened his eyes and stopped his meditation before getting up and opening the door.
¡°What¡¯s going on? Is Lomin back?¡± Adion asked, and almost on instinct, released some space mana to fill up the inn in search of the familiar shape.
¡°No, not yet,¡± Benji said, ¡°I¡¯m just planning on taking a stroll around the city. Do you want to join me? Sahra got spurred on by your comment and is busy training. Rufus seems to be the same.¡±
¡°Seems like everyone is doing what they should,¡± Adion nodded, pleased, ¡°Why do you want to go around the city?¡±
¡°To show you it¡¯s not all about training,¡± Benji said and knocked his knuckles softly on Adion¡¯s forehead, ¡°Besides, I talked with some people and have found a good place to go if we¡¯re interested in learning about recent rumors. We might find out something useful about those guys.¡±
Adion thought about it for a while before finally nodding, ¡°That might be a good idea. I guess we don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll stay in a city for a long time like this again.¡±
¡°Good, let¡¯s go,¡± Benji said.
Adion nodded and threw his backpack over his shoulders, ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± he said.
¡°Do you really need the backpack? We¡¯re not leaving the city, you know,¡± Benji said doubtfully.
¡°Do you think it¡¯s safe to leave it here?¡± Adion asked in a slightly lowered voice.
¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but it should be. Do you have anything valuable in there?¡± Benji asked.
¡°A couple of mementos, I can¡¯t lose them,¡± Adion explained.
¡°I see,¡± Benji said with an understanding look, adding with a smile, ¡°Bring it with you then, best to be safe.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded. He didn¡¯t like lying, especially to friends. But sometimes, a little misdirecting truths were necessary.
The two made their way out to the busy street and headed towards the center of the city. It was the warmest day of the year so far, Adion noticed. But it was still early spring, and the warmth was only comforting.
¡°Where is this place exactly?¡± Adion turned to Benji and asked.
¡°It¡¯s on the west side of the city, so it will take a while to walk there. But it¡¯s a nice day for a walk, no?¡± Benji asked with a small smile.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°What kind of place is it?¡±
¡°Just a popular bar, apparently. But it started becoming the place to go for the latest information a few years ago. Since then, they have created somewhat of an information network. And if you pay some money, you can get a lot of information from some of the people there.¡± Benji explained.
¡°Oh? That¡¯s really convenient. I was looking for a place like that in Billford.¡± Adion said.
¡°Mm, we should still be careful about what we ask about, though. You never know who might be listening. Or if the one we are asking questions gets paid to hand over information about individuals who ask certain questions.¡± Benji warned.
Adion agreed. It would be necessary to be careful when poking around things concerning powerful mages.
It took them about 30 minutes before they arrived at a bar named ¡®Little Jiggot.¡¯ It was only noon, but as they stepped inside, Adion saw that it could just as well have been the middle of the night looking at the crowded and rowdy customers.
¡°Let¡¯s ask the bartender if he knows who to talk to,¡± Benji suggested, and headed towards an old man serving drinks.
¡°Excuse me, I¡¯ve heard this is the place to go if you want information? Do you know who we should approach for something like that?¡± Benji asked the old bartender.
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The old man briefly looked Benji and Adion up and down before speaking. ¡°You¡¯re a Silver, so I guess you have coins to pay for the information?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Benji nodded.
¡°Enter that door there,¡± The old man said and gestured to a regular wooden door at the far end of the bar, ¡°Take a seat inside the room there and wait; someone will be there to answer your questions shortly.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Benji said. Adion nodded in thanks to the old man as well before following Benji to the door.
Behind the door was only a small room, probably used as a small storage room before being reinvented for its current purpose. An old desk with a chair behind it and a few chairs scattered around were all the furniture in the room.
Adion and Benji grabbed a chair each and sat down in front of the desk, where they assumed someone would soon join them.
It didn¡¯t take long before a middle-aged man entered the room and took a seat behind the desk. He was middle Silver and looked a lot more well-off than Adion had assumed someone who gathered rumors for a living would.
¡°A pleasure, I¡¯m Kevin,¡± The man introduced himself, ¡°So what are you looking for information about?¡±
The man was looking at Benji, but Adion decided to speak. It was his business in the end.
¡°We¡¯re just wondering what has been happening lately, anything of interest during the last couple of months, really. In particular how the Hellemi and Fire Phoenix Church have been acting,¡± Adion said.
¡°That¡¯s a lot of information, but not hard to get, I guess,¡± The man turned silent in thought, ¡°Very well, 3 gold coins and I¡¯ll tell you all I know about what you¡¯ve asked.¡±
¡°3 gold coins!?¡± Benji asked, shocked.
¡°I¡¯m running a business here. If you¡¯d rather spend your time asking around and piecing together everything for yourself, then you are free to do so.¡± The man shrugged.
¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll pay,¡± Adion said, opening up his backpack to take out his coins. 3 gold coins was almost all the gold he had at the moment, but he could still sell his Diamond beast core if he needed more money. And doing missions at the explorer level was very profitable.
The man smiled when Adion handed over the coins and began telling all the things of note that had happened during the past couple of months, with extra attention on the tension created by the two Churches. Adion had to give it to the man. He was a professional.
Unfortunately, the information contained nothing about men and women in white masks. Not that Adion had expected it anyway, and he got a much clearer image of the happenings around him that he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to so far.
The man talked for at least 15 minutes, and by the end, Adion and Benji thanked him and left Little Jiggot together. They would not gain anything else there if they didn¡¯t want to risk asking questions that would reveal their intentions.
¡°So,¡± Benji said as they were walking on the busy street again, ¡°Thoughts?¡±
¡°I think we should check out the Hellemi Church in the city,¡± Adion answered, ¡°According to that man, Kevin, they have been preaching a lot more lately. This isn¡¯t strange considering the Fire Phoenix¡¯s return, but they have also begun inviting people to meetings away from the church, which is very strange. In particular young men and women, it seems.¡±
¡°Yes, I wanted to press him about these meetings but didn¡¯t want to give away our curiosity about the subject either,¡± Benji said.
¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s smart. But I might be able to go to one of these meetings. It sounds like they are recruiting for something. And even if they¡¯re probably not connected to the people I¡¯m looking for, there is always a possibility.¡± Adion said.
¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go to the local Hellemi church and take a look,¡± Benji said.
¡°Just make sure not to be around me when we are there,¡± Adion said.
¡°Oh, why?¡± Benji asked.
¡°If they¡¯re actually recruiting for something, I think it would be more likely that they approach people who are by themselves. Even if some rumors have started, they are definitely not being open about these meetings.¡± Adion explained.¡§
¡°Pretty smart,¡± Benji said, impressed, ¡°Didn¡¯t know you had it in you.¡±
¡°You thought I was dumb or something?¡± Adion asked, afraid of what kind of impression he had made without knowing.
¡°Certainly not dumb,¡± Benji shook his head, ¡°More like naive.¡±
¡°That¡¯s just as bad,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°Well, forget it. Do you know the way?¡±
¡°Yes, it¡¯s about a ten-minute walk,¡± Benji said, ¡°I spotted the church the day before yesterday when I was out for a walk.¡±
And about 10 minutes later, Adion stood before the large church, it stood more than twice as high as the surrounding building. Above the large and open entrance was a triangle in gold, the symbol of the Hellemi Church.
Benji was standing a bit further away at Adion¡¯s instruction.
¡°Don¡¯t turn your back on humanity, on sapi!¡± Adion heard a priest preaching to the streets in front of the church, ¡°Beasts have been our enemies for Ages, and the Phoenix is the worst enemy we have ever faced! If it is true that it has returned, then we must stand united now more than ever, or perhaps we will face another Age of Darkness, one that will never end!¡±
Adion didn¡¯t stay to listen much longer. He didn¡¯t think uniting was a bad idea in itself. But couldn¡¯t he just become stronger than everyone else? Then what need for all this worrying? It seemed like the best approach to Adion, at least.
As he entered the church, he spotted a few people sitting on their knees, praying to paintings and statues of sapi gods of the past.
Have all these gods actually existed at some point in time? But even if that¡¯s the case, they¡¯ve surely been dead for a long time now. So who are they praying to? Maybe I should have done at least some surface-level research before coming here.
As Adion looked around at the epic depictions of gods of the past, he got swept away by his imagination.
What could they do at such strength? How did they reach that level? Is there knowledge of this somewhere? Maybe the Hellemi Church has some old information, just like the faelin has the Primordial Story.
I don¡¯t see how they could know about all these gods otherwise. Unless it¡¯s all just made up, but I get the feeling that it isn¡¯t.
¡°Amazing how high humanity managed to reach once upon a time, isn¡¯t it?¡± Adion¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by an old priest who had approached him with a kind smile.
¡°It is,¡± Adion agreed, ¡°Where does all the information about these gods come from, by the way.¡±
The old priest chuckled softly, ¡°A curious young man, I see. That¡¯s good. To answer your question, even if much knowledge of past Ages is lost to time, a lot is still known to us. Through thousands and thousands of years, we have explored ancient ruins, we have found ancient records. Slowly, a picture of the past has been drawn. And I don¡¯t think it strange that much of what has been found concerns the gods. What else would be more important to document after all?¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Is there somewhere around here where you can learn more about these things?¡± Adion asked. He was curious, after all.
¡°Haha,¡± The old priest laughed softly and smiled, ¡°I like your spirit, young man. Do you also wish for humanity to reach these heights once again?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°That would be a more interesting world, I think.¡±
¡°That¡¯s one way to put it. I, for one, do not care much for how interesting the world is. I simply want my children and their children to be able to live in peace, without the threat of beasts constantly looming.¡±
Adion could definitely understand that sentiment, but at the same time, he thought it was naive to think that you would be safe if you just stayed clear of beasts. To Adion, sapi were just as big of a threat as beasts. He didn¡¯t want to exterminate all living beings just because of that. He wanted to get strong enough so that nothing could threaten him and his loved ones again.
¡°Do you want to use your talent for a greater purpose, young man?¡± The old priest man then asked.
¡°Are you trying to recruit me as a priest?¡± Adion questioned. This was not what he was expecting.
¡°Not at all,¡± The old priest shook his head, ¡°This is not a place for young and talented people like you. I¡¯m sure you have a greater purpose to serve, and you can¡¯t do it here.¡±
Oh? Seems like he is trying to recruit me after all. But not to the Church? I¡¯m only showing low Bronze strength through my aura, so it¡¯s not enough to cause a ruckus, but definitely impressive and recruitworthy.
¡°What greater purpose?¡± Adion asked.
The old man smiled and explained, ¡°There is a group on the rise, one that fights for humanity. I can¡¯t tell you much more, but should you be interested, there will be a meeting at the old chapel in the southeast part of the city tonight. Where ambitious and like-minded people like you meet up, I can write down some directions for you if you want?¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Adion said, surprised, ¡°Sure, thanks.¡±
This is a little too easy, no? Do I really seem that trustworthy, or do they just invite anyone?
Adion thought about it for a while before realizing that it probably had to do with his talent. The old priest was working as a recruiter, and if he managed to bring someone like Adion to them, he would surely be rewarded.
Adion received a note with some information and directions to the old chapel where they would hold a meeting later that night.
¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll check it out,¡± Adion said.
¡°Good, good,¡± The old priest nodded with a wide smile, ¡°May we bring forth the Everlasting Age.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
He then headed out of the church and out on the streets again. He could feel Benji following him, so he didn¡¯t slow down to wait but kept walking alone for a while.
Let¡¯s see who these guys are and what they are planning.
Chapter 43 - Meetings
Adion found himself outside of the old chapel just as night had arrived. The old chapel wasn¡¯t as abandoned-looking as he had imagined. The building itself was in good condition, and the small lawn in front looked well taken care of.
Adion had actually opted to leave his pills behind for the first time. He weighed the risks of both options and concluded that the possibility of someone entering his room while he was away was much lower than the possibility that someone would take them from him in this place.
He had still taken care to hide them well, of course.
He saw a few other people hesitantly approaching the building and entering. Adion did the same and found himself in the main chamber of the old chapel. There were around 30 other people already there, sitting quietly, facing the same direction. Adion took a seat, too.
In the next 30 minutes, ten more people showed up. Adion noticed that it was mostly people between the ages of 12 to 20. Only a few were older.
Finally, after waiting for almost 40 minutes, a beautiful lady in her late twenties showed herself. She was dressed as a typical Outskirter, and Adion could feel that she was a middle Silver mage. She faced the crowd sitting before her and addressed everyone.
¡°Welcome, everyone,¡± She said with a smile, ¡°My name is Clara, and I¡¯m so glad to have you all here. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard that there is a group working to make a real difference, a group that feels the imminent threat that the beasts, and in particular the Fire Phoenix, is something we have to do something about. And now.¡±
Adion could see that the eyes of some of the young men and women around him were practically glowing at her words.
¡°This meeting is just to talk with you all a bit about what our group''s goals are and, should you choose to join us, what your part could be in making those goals a reality,¡± The lady, Clara, continued, ¡°First of all some of you might wonder what our relationship is with the Hellemi Church. Well, we are not part of the Church. We simply have a lot of members that are also part of the Church. As we share many beliefs with the Church, this is not so surprising. But we are two different entities.
¡°Our organization is widespread across Shiora, and we are growing in strength every day. Our leaders are among the strongest mages on the continent; this is no small group, and there is plenty of room for growth. Opportunities will be plenty for all our members.¡±
This is so vague. Did they choose her to talk because she looks good? Maybe they¡¯re really short on people. They seem to be recruiting like crazy, after all.
¡°Now, what will you be fighting for in our group?¡± Clara continued, ¡°You will fight for the Everlasting Age.¡±
Clara paused and looked out over the gathering of youths with a confident smile.
¡°We sapi build the world up, we create beautiful cities, we cherish our loved ones, we take care of each other. We create, and the beasts destroy. This is a vicious cycle that did not start with the Age of Darkness. Throughout all of history, this has been repeating, and our goal is to stop the beasts once and for all.
¡°A final Age. That is our goal. An Age that will never end, but simply continue forever. Where sapi can explore and grow to new heights. An Age where we can live in peace and see just how far magic can take us, where we can explore the limits of runes and artifacts.
¡°It all sounds good, right? But how can we accomplish this? Simple. Overwhelming power. We will work to unite the sapi and focus on making every one of us stronger. So we can reach a level where we can take to the Endless Forest in a final war.
¡°We will talk more in detail about these things tomorrow. I will give you some time to absorb the information you¡¯ve been given, but I hope to see you all back here tomorrow.¡± She ended her speech with a smile and left without taking questions.
That¡¯s it? It''s just been a few minutes. Well, I have to admit it was a convincing speech. Especially for young and ambitious mages. But why the need for secrecy? This kind of organization should be able to operate in the open, no? I guess they¡¯re not telling us about everything yet, only the good stuff to hook everyone in.
That¡¯s probably why she asked us to come back tomorrow, to weed out the less ambitious ones without spilling too much information. She got everyone riled up for the moment, and the next meeting will probably cover a different topic. Or perhaps they will continue like this for a few meetings to make sure that the only people remaining are devoted to the cause.
A few people were talking quietly in excited voices with each other. But most people, Adion among them, simply left without speaking to anyone.
It might also be to get us used to following orders. After asking us to return the following day ten days in a row, it won¡¯t be a question on the eleventh day, but an order.
Or maybe I¡¯m just paranoid. This could actually be an organization born from the goodness of people¡¯s hearts. But I doubt it.
When he got back to the inn, he spotted Benji, Rufus, and Sahra having drinks together at their usual table. Adion took a seat next to Rufus.
¡°How was the meeting?¡± Rufus asked.
Adion had explained that he had been approached by an old priest at the Hellemi Church and would be heading to a meeting to see what he would be able to find out.
After discussing it a bit, they had all agreed that it would be best to act as if he was an ordinary Outskirter who was looking for a greater purpose. They didn¡¯t know if Adion would be followed and spied on after leaving the meeting. Adion thought it was unlikely, but it was always good to be safe. Hence, Rufus didn¡¯t lower his voice when asking about it, but acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. If Adion really had something important to say, he could tell them later, after making sure they were alone.
¡°It was fascinating,¡± Adion said, ¡°It sounds like a good organization. They have big goals, perhaps too big. But at least they''re doing something exciting.¡±
Damn, I actually hope someone is listening, or I would feel silly talking like this.
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¡°Haha,¡± Sahra laughed, ¡°It¡¯s unusual for you to talk so highly of something, Adion.¡±
¡°Well, I haven¡¯t learned much about them yet. I¡¯ll go there tomorrow and decide if it¡¯s something I want to be a part of,¡± Adion said. He had released his space mana through the bar to see if he could notice anyone listening, but there was nothing suspicious.
The group left the topic and started talking about other less serious stuff for a while. After a few hours, they all headed up to bed for the night.
Adion spent the entire next day meditating and training, only leaving his room for meals. Not until nightfall approached did he leave the inn and head to the old chapel for the next meeting.
Unfortunately, a similar scene to the night before played out, except this time, a middle-aged man was doing the talking. There was really nothing new being said, a lot more of the same grand words of a final stand against the beasts.
The man, who called himself Frent, also mentioned that they were in need of manpower at the moment, especially Silvers and stronger mages who would be able to fill up higher positions in their organization¡ªgreatly enticing the mostly young Bronze mages that were attending the meeting.
Frent ended the meeting by saying that everyone would get one more day to decide whether they wanted to join or not.
¡°Those who choose to join our cause are welcome to come here tomorrow at the same time as today. I hope to see you all there. I look forward to getting to know my new brothers and sisters!¡± Frent said with a great smile, and there was even a round of applause from the almost twenty people gathered.
Adion left without talking to anyone.
Hmm, should I join? It might not lead to anything and simply waste my time. It could also be a dangerous thing to get tangled up in. Not to mention that we might be required to swear some kind of Oath. I wouldn¡¯t be able to do that since I¡¯m not planning on actually joining.
The logical choice would be to forget all this and focus on getting stronger.
Adion sighed. He felt he was on the verge of discovering something important. But it was only a gut feeling. It could very well just be that he was excited to find out more.
It¡¯s probably just my curiosity getting the better of me. I¡¯ll sleep on it. And maybe ask the others what they think.
When he got back to the inn, Adion didn¡¯t see his group at their table, so he headed straight to Benji and Sahra''s room. He almost released some space mana to see if they were inside, but stopped himself when he remembered the last time he had done that.
I should remember to give my friends privacy, for theirs and my sake. Thankfully, I can¡¯t feel the outline of people clearly enough that I have to feel too guilty about it.
But my sphere of space mana will be extremely dangerous in the future. I can imagine being able to see every expression people are making, perhaps sense the subtle impression of ink on paper, and read secret documents. I will have to continue practicing. There are plenty of strangers around volunteering to have their privacy intruded.
¡°Adion?¡± Benji said as he opened his door, ¡°Why are you just standing there?¡±
¡°Are you trying to take a peek?¡± Sahra smiled teasingly, ¡°I guess you¡¯re at that age after all, but you should remember-¡±
¡°Okay, stop,¡± Adion put up his hand and interrupted Sahra, ¡°I was just lost in thought. Do you have time to talk?¡±
¡°Sure, come in,¡± Benji said, ignoring Sahra¡¯s remarks.
Adion took a seat on a chair by a small table in the middle of the room. He increased his sphere of space mana to the maximum of 300 feet and tried to see if anyone was close by who was not supposed to be. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t find anything suspicious.
¡°So the meeting tonight was basically the same as yesterday. The only problem is that tomorrow we will be officially recruited,¡± Adion explained, ¡°It¡¯s not like there is sure to be anything suspicious going on. Even if there is, it¡¯s none of my business.
¡°But it might lead me to find out about those white masks, even if the chance is small. This is still the closest I¡¯ve been to finding anything about them. And if I don¡¯t take this chance, it might take years for another opportunity, and it''s dangerous to not have enough information too¡¡±
¡°I see,¡± Benji said and took a seat, ¡°Well, it¡¯s up to you. I think you should sleep on it, but in the end, you have to think about what your goals are, and about what choices will give you the highest chance of reaching those goals. But that¡¯s not the only thing to keep in mind. I might sound a little like Lomin, but you should also think about your journey toward those goals. How do you want to reach your goals? How do you want to spend your life?¡±
¡°That¡¯s a lot to ask of a 15-year-old,¡± Adion commented.
¡°Well, it¡¯s a tough world,¡± Benji said and chuckled.
¡°I have a trick that works for me when I don¡¯t know what to pick between two choices,¡± Sahra said.
¡°Oh, what?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Decide not to attend the next meeting and forget about this whole thing. Don¡¯t carry both possibilities in your head. Decide not to go through with it. Throw away the other option entirely. Can you do it?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Hm,¡± Adion closed his eyes and made up his mind that he should leave the situation alone.
¡°How does it feel?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°I guess I¡¯m a little disappointed? And a little at a loss of what to do, kind of bored actually,¡± Adion said.
¡°Then change your mind!¡± Sahra said with a smile, ¡°Decide to go to the meeting tomorrow and infiltrate this strange organization.¡±
Adion did as Sahra said and immediately felt a lot better, almost relieved. And at the same time, excited.
I almost feel proud? Maybe a part of me doesn¡¯t like running away from things concerning those masked people. Or maybe I¡¯m just too into danger. That could be it. Oh well, looks like I¡¯m decided.
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion said, ¡°It actually worked.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sahra nodded, ¡°Sometimes it gets you nowhere thinking about difficult choices. But once you¡¯ve decided, it becomes obvious immediately.
¡°It¡¯s a neat trick,¡± Adion agreed.
¡°That¡¯s actually how I decided to pursue a relationship with Benji,¡± Sahra said.
¡°What?¡± Benji asked.
¡°I was focused on training and didn¡¯t have time for romance, but you were so persistent that I was at a loss of what to do,¡± Sahra explained, ¡°So I decided I would just throw away the possibility of a relationship and focus on my studies. I got so sad afterward that it¡¯s almost funny. When I realized I could just change my mind, I was so elated that I immediately ran to you and accepted to go on a date.¡±
Sahra smiled fondly at the memory, and Benji got up and kissed her on the lips. Adion had already seen more than he would have liked of what followed, so he got up to leave.
¡°I guess that¡¯s my cue to leave. Thanks for the help. See you for breakfast,¡± Adion said and left the lovebirds alone.
He entered his room and sat down on his bed to do some training before going to sleep. He focused on his Authority over space and took control over a part of space on the other side of the room as well as the space surrounding him. He infused his Will into the space mana on the opposite side of the room as much as possible.
A moment later, Adion successfully teleported to the other side of the room.
Three seconds. Adion thought with a smile.
That¡¯s a new record. Let¡¯s see if I can manage to do it six times in one sitting and break that record, too.
Chapter 44 - Interview
The third meeting. I will officially be recruited tonight. But I made sure that there is no Moonlight Oak in Wender. If I have to take an Oath, it will take two days to get to Gerrinswood. I have time to get away before it¡¯s too late. And I¡¯m not alone. I have friends to help if I get in trouble.
Adion took a deep breath and entered the old chapel that had hosted the previous two meetings. He saw only five other people sitting there when he arrived. But after waiting for only 10 minutes, eight more people showed up.
From 40 people to 18. Not a bad ratio.
It wasn¡¯t long before the meeting started. The man named Frent, who had held the previous meeting, greeted everyone with a smile.
But Adion¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on him. He was focused on the other person who had come along with him¡ªan old man in simple brown robes. But Adion felt that it was no simple old man.
He¡¯s a Gold mage!
Adion forced himself to calm down. He was confident in his aura control against any mage his age. Even older people that had made it to Silver never caused him to worry. But an old Gold? There was certainly a possibility that he could see through Adion if he was trained in aura sense.
No, it¡¯s possible, but not likely. I¡¯ve been trained by Fellion and should at least be able to hide my space core and strength. Unless he comes from a family clan and has put a lot of focus on his aura training, I shouldn¡¯t have to have any fear.
Besides, he shouldn¡¯t have any reason to believe I¡¯m hiding my element and strength. I¡¯m already a low Bronze at such a young age. There is no need for him to try to feel for anything hidden in my aura.
¡°I¡¯m glad to see so many of you join us,¡± Frent said with a smile, ¡°I know I have been less than clear about the specifics of our organization. But I assure you, there is a good reason for that. And by the end of tonight, you will officially join us, and there won¡¯t be any need for secrets after that.¡±
I doubt they¡¯ll share all their secrets with a couple of Bronze mages, though.
¡°This man here is Gold Hettim,¡± The middle-aged man gestured to the old man beside him, ¡°He is here to conduct your interviews. Nothing too private will be asked, don¡¯t worry. We just have to ensure you don¡¯t wish our organization harm. Answer truthfully, and it will be done in a few minutes.¡±
Well, I suspected as much. I didn¡¯t realize that they¡¯d have a Gold mage personally interview a bunch of new recruits in the Bronze stage, though.
The old man, Hettim, smiled kindly at the gathered youths and spoke, ¡°I¡¯m glad to see so many new faces will be joining us soon. I¡¯ll have a short talk with each of you so we can get to know each other better.¡±
The old man then headed off and entered a room at the end of the chamber. Frent looked out over the crowd and asked, ¡°So, who wants to go first?¡±
Everyone looked around nervously. After a couple of long seconds had passed, a girl Adion¡¯s age, at peak Iron strength, raised her hand.
¡°What¡¯s your name, girl?¡± Frent asked with a smile.
¡°I¡¯m Frida, sir,¡± The girl answered.
¡°I commend your initiative. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a bright future ahead of you,¡± Frent said in a confident voice.
Immediately after, triggered by Frent''s words, ten more hands were raised. Adion wasn¡¯t among them, though. He took a seat as he watched the girl named Frida enter the same room as the old man. He needed to think about possible questions and how he could answer them.
I shouldn¡¯t lie and try to hide it with my aura control. If that old man is in charge of vetting new recruits, he is sure to be practiced in lie detection. Even if I have some skill, I have only practiced for a few years. That old man will definitely see through me if I try to hide my lies.
One by one, the youths entered the room. The longest anyone stayed was five minutes. So when it was only a few of them left, only a little over an hour had passed. Adion thought he had prepared as well as he could, so when Frent asked for a new person to step inside, Adion volunteered.
Okay. Calm your mind, Adion.
As he stepped into the room, he saw the old Gold mage sitting behind a desk. The desk had a few candles for light, and papers were stacked neatly in a pile. Hettim smiled kindly at Adion when he entered. He then grabbed a blank piece of paper and began writing.
Is writing down a description of my looks or something? That could be bad.
¡°Welcome, I¡¯m glad to see someone so talented joining us,¡± Hettim said as he gestured for Adion to take a seat, ¡°What¡¯s your name, young man?¡±
¡°I¡¯m Adion, sir,¡± Adion answered as he sat down.
¡°You don¡¯t have a last name?¡± Hettim asked, ¡°I find it strange how someone with your talent could grow up outside a family clan.¡±
¡°I do come from a family clan, and I do have a last name, but I¡¯ve decided not to use it at the moment,¡± Adion said, taking care not to control his aura in any way, ¡°You see, other than my brother, sister, and grandpa, the rest have all been killed. I¡¯ve killed hundreds of beasts since then, but have not managed to quell my desire for revenge at all.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Hettim shook his head with a sympathetic smile, ¡°There are many like you who join us. Many members have lost loved ones to the beasts. You can rest assured that you have come to the best place if you seek to avenge your family.¡±
Adion nodded with a slight smile, pleased that he had made the Gold mage misunderstand his intentions without needing to lie.
¡°Now, I¡¯m sorry, but I will have to ask you a few questions that might sound accusatory. It¡¯s something all new members have to answer to make sure we are not infiltrated by spies,¡± Hettim explained, ¡°Just answer truthfully. I have a good eye for liars, so best not to try anything.¡±
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
¡°Of course,¡± Adion nodded. He was now a little nervous. Even though he had thought through many questions that might come up, he couldn¡¯t prepare for everything.
¡°Are you part of any other organization at the moment?¡± Hettim asked.
¡°Only the Outskirts Guild,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Mm, that¡¯s no problem,¡± The man nodded, ¡°Do you wish our organization harm? Do you plan to sabotage us?¡±
¡°No,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Are you working as a spy for any person or organization?¡± Hettim asked.
¡°No,¡± Adion answered once again.
¡°What is your purpose for joining this organization?¡± Hettim asked.
Er, did I think about this question? I had an answer ready for something like this.
Adion got a little nervous but didn¡¯t panic. He closed his eyes and took a moment to think about an answer.
¡°I want revenge for what happened to my family. When I heard about your organization, I thought that joining you would be a step in the right direction.¡± Adion finally answered.
Of course, It¡¯s so simple. No need to overthink things. Everything can be twisted.
¡°Good,¡± Hettemi nodded with a smile, ¡°It seems like you will have a bright future joining us. I can feel that you are a low Bronze mage already. Very impressive, by the way. What element does your core have?¡±
You just had to phrase it like that? How can I answer? ¡®I control fire very well¡¯? No. That¡¯s way too weirdly put. Okay, Adion, you can¡¯t hesitate on this one.
¡°My family clan was a clan of fire mages, and I¡¯m proud of what I¡¯ve managed to accomplish with my hard work,¡± Adion responded. He then took control of the candle flames and pulled it towards him. He slowly increased the size of the flame from the pure mana around him. He didn¡¯t think Hettim would notice if he didn¡¯t think about it. It¡¯s hard to see something you¡¯re not expecting. Even if he did notice, and asked why he didn¡¯t use the fire mana from his core, Adion could just say he wanted to brag.
He then slowly made the fire take the form of a ball. Adion could make it a much more complicated shape without effort using his Authority, but he had learned his lesson. So, Adion put on a show of struggling to shape the flame into a neat round ball. He only held it for about three seconds before letting go. He then leaned back on his chair and pretended to be slightly exhausted.
Something like that should be considered talented but not scary talented, right?
Adion couldn¡¯t figure out a way out of the question without lying. He thought about just saying he was a fire mage, but he could feel that his aura would react to that. He was a space mage. He might say he was also a fire mage, but to say he was a fire mage without first saying he was a space mage was something Adion considered a lie, and his aura would show it.
So he thought to just use his fire magic and let Hettim assume the answers on his own. But it would be weird if he didn¡¯t have anything special to show with his fire manipulation. So he used a small bit of his actual skills so that Hettim would be impressed, but not too impressed.
¡°Oh, impressive,¡± Hettim said with a nod, ¡°You must have practiced a lot and seem to have a strong Will.¡±
¡°I have,¡± Adion nodded, relieved.
Even if my response was a little strange, I guess he was convinced by my fire control. And it¡¯s not like this was a question meant to startle me. Who besides me would hide their element?
¡°A fire mage then,¡± Hettim muttered as he wrote down Adion¡¯s ¡®answer¡¯ on the piece of paper. ¡°Well, everything seems to be in order. I believe you are the most talented young man I have ever interviewed to join us. I¡¯m sure my superior will be interested in seeing you when he returns. He said to look out for youths who could join Cyalis. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not opposed to that idea?¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°I was planning on heading there when I turn 17.¡±
¡°That¡¯s excellent news,¡± Hettim smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone for you when my superior comes back.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded.
I guess I still stand out even as a low Bronze. But this could be good. I might be able to find-. Wait. ¡®Superior.¡¯ Does that mean I might be meeting with a Diamond mage?
¡°Alright, you can go wait with the rest while I interview the last ones,¡± Hettim said.
¡°Of course,¡± Adion nodded, and then got up to leave.
As he left the room and made his way to his previous seat in the main chamber, Adion¡¯s head was spinning with thought.
I had to be on my toes against a Gold. What about a Diamond? Could he even see through my real strength? That¡¯s a real possibility. He should definitely be aware of the importance of aura to advance to the Soul stages.
He could be another Gold, of course. Diamond mages aren¡¯t exactly common. But I should prepare for the worst case. It¡¯s impossible to be a Soul mage, at least. No way someone like that would meet with me. Well, everything is possible, but it¡¯s more likely that a random Diamond mage will kill me on the way back to the inn. There is no use thinking about those absurd possibilities.
But how would I handle a Diamond mage? I can¡¯t reveal my actual strength. That would make me too valuable. I don¡¯t think he would be able to sense my space core. Not many have practiced to sense that stuff. It¡¯s hard to do even without someone hiding it. But strength is something every mage has experience in sensing. It¡¯s definitely possible he will be able to see through me.
Adion was deeply troubled by this news. He even considered bailing on the whole plan and leaving the city.
No. Let¡¯s take it easy. Most Diamond mages have not practiced their aura sense much. It takes all their time to focus on their mana control and Will-tempering. There are exceptions, of course, but they would have a high chance of advancing to the Soul stages. They wouldn¡¯t bother with me, right?
Adion rubbed his forehead in frustration.
And at the end of the day, that superior would have to use his aura sense to feel if I have hidden my strength, and would he really suspect a 15-year-old low Bronze mage of doing so? I doubt it. And worst case scenario, and it¡¯s discovered that I¡¯m hiding my strength, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m gonna get killed. Things will just get a little more bothersome, as they would be really interested in me.
I¡¯ll go through with it. I can always change my mind later if I regret the decision.
It didn¡¯t take long before everyone had gone through their interviews. Adion saw Hettim walking out of the room together with the last interviewee. The old man had a pleased smile plastered on his face.
¡°I¡¯m happy to say that every one of you has passed our little interview,¡± Hettim announced to a round of applause. ¡°I will leave it to Frent here to give you instructions on how to proceed from here on out. Most of you are only Bronze or Iron at the moment. So your mission won¡¯t be as exciting to start out, but very important nonetheless. When you¡¯ve gained some experience and gotten stronger, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have no problem flying through the ranks.¡±
I wonder what they¡¯ll have us do. The most logical would be for us to kill beasts I guess. But we are at the Silver Wall. There are not a lot of safe places for Bronze mages.
¡°I hope to see you again soon,¡± Hettim said with a smile, ¡°I have other errands to attend to at the moment, but let me be the first to welcome you to our family. Welcome to the Heavenly Light!¡±
Chapter 45 - Spying
So the organization is called ¡®Heavenly Light¡¯? Never heard of it. But I guess they¡¯re not exactly advertising their presence.
¡°So now for your first job,¡± Frent said to the newly recruited youths as Hettim left the old chapel, ¡°You will be collecting information. How you do so is up to you. We want to see your potential and creativity. In one week''s time, you will return here to let me know what you have found. We seek mainly any information concerning the Tyllen family, but anything of interest that you might stumble upon is to be reported.¡±
¡°Excuse me, sir,¡± The girl called Frida, who had been the first to volunteer for the interview, raised her hand, ¡°Isn¡¯t that family located in Dorbarta? Should we be going there?¡±
¡°No,¡± Frent shook his head, ¡°There is no need for the moment. This is simply a job to get you used to the workings of our organization. It¡¯s not like we are expecting you to bring value immediately. I will be your direct superior for the time being. You can address me as Silver Frent. Any questions?¡±
Frida raised her hand once again, ¡°Silver Frent, if we spend our time gathering information, how will we grow stronger?¡±
Frent smiled kindly and answered, ¡°If everyone in our organization were to hunt beasts in the Outskirts, we would be doing things no differently from the disorganized way things are done now. Everyone serves a part in us moving toward the ultimate goal, destroying the beasts once and for all. But don¡¯t worry; the stronger you are, the better for the Heavenly Light. We will make sure that you get the proper training; don¡¯t worry.
¡°And if you do your assigned jobs well, you can gain merit, and once you have accumulated enough merit, you will be rewarded. Even Focus and Tempering Pills are not something uncommon to receive if you put in the effort.¡±
Adion saw the greed in the eyes of the people beside him. He had learned from Dellia about those pills. They were both extremely precious. The Focus Pill gives you a temporary state of high focus, often used in meditation to manipulate mana into your core, making for much faster advancement. The Tempering Pill is literally a tough pill to swallow. It is even dangerous if you take one of a higher grade than you can handle. But if you are careful and focused, it will work wonders to temper your Will.
From what I¡¯ve been told, those pills are extremely hard to get outside of Noble families. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have to do spying for a century before accumulating enough merit to be rewarded one of those.
After a few more questions, Frent bade goodnight to the group and left the youths to talk with each other. Now that they were all part of the same organization, everyone seemed to want to make friends or at least acquaintances with the rest.
Adion wasn¡¯t interested, though, so he headed back to the Silver Circle.
I could probably find out something useful at Little Jiggot. But surely Heavenly Light already knows about that place. Hell, they might even be behind it. But I guess it doesn¡¯t matter if they already know the information I bring as long as I can do my job well.
Not like I¡¯m particularly excited about making it far in this organization, but if I want to learn more about them and see if they have anything to do with those people in white masks, I have to stick around and at least make myself somewhat useful.
When Hettim¡¯s superior comes back, I¡¯ll get to meet the man with seemingly the most authority in the area. If there is something for me to find out, it¡¯ll be when I meet him.
But until then, I should pretend to do my job.
I also need to practice hiding my strength, even though I¡¯m constantly doing so, and keep improving. It¡¯s not sure to be enough. I should do everything I can until the meeting to have the best chance at hiding my strength.
Adion got back to the inn and entered his room without checking in with his teammates. He knew what he was going to do, and there was nothing for him to do but practice.
I will have to put my other training on hold for the moment and focus on my aura control. During the day, I always hide my high Bronze strength to only show low Bronze. But I don¡¯t push it to the limit. That would exhaust my Will and leave my aura exposed. But if I want to improve quickly, I¡¯ll have to push myself.
Adion always visualized hiding his aura as if he was grabbing hold of the part he wanted to hide with his Will and then pulling it toward his body. If Adion only wanted to hide his aura down to low Bronze, he could manage to pull it down to only 2 inches off his body without straining his Will much. But that would make for too slow progress at the moment, so Adion used all of his Will to pull it as close to his body as he could. He managed to make it stay at a little less than an inch of his body, but he couldn¡¯t hold it for long. Only ten seconds and Adion had to revert back to the previous 2 inches.
It has gotten harder and harder for every inch I¡¯ve gained. It might take me years to shave off that last inch. Fortunately, I know this is a suitable method of training both my aura control and Will. I¡¯m not wasting my time with this training. But I should find a good distance that is at the level where I can just barely hold on for an entire day. I¡¯ll do that every day until I am called to meet that superior.
But for tonight, I should just go as hard as I can before going to bed.
Adion continued to practice, but he didn¡¯t last even half an hour before falling asleep, exhausted.
Adion spent the next day sitting on his bed, training his aura. He could keep it at about one and a half inches off his body if he gave it his full attention. It was extremely tough work doing so for hours on end. He had met the others for breakfast and filled them in on what he¡¯d learned as well as his plans for the coming days. As it was only morning, he could hide his aura and socialize at the same time. But he had to skip lunch because, after hours of straining his Will, he had no focus to spare on anything else.
As night approached, Adion finally relented in his training and reverted back to the previous state of hiding his strength two inches off his body.
I can¡¯t forget my mission. I¡¯m sure I''ll get punished in some way if I can¡¯t bring any kind of information. Thankfully, I have an idea that might give me more information in a night than the others will be able to gather in a week.
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Adion got up from his bed and stretched his body. He then headed down to the part of the inn that functions as a tavern and ordered some dinner.
After recharging his batteries a little, he headed to Rufus¡¯s room and knocked on his door.
¡°Adion, you finally ready to take a break?¡± Rufus asked as he opened the door.
¡°In a way,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I have to take care of that mission that I told you about, but it might be suspicious if I¡¯m just sitting around by myself. Do you want to join me? I¡¯ll pay for the drinks.¡±
¡°Haha!¡± Rufus laughed happily, ¡°Finally, we will have a night of drinks and ladies together! We should take this opportunity while Lomin is away, after all.¡±
¡°Er,¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°We¡¯re not going to talk to ladies or anything like that. Just pretending to have a conversation while I try to glean some information.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Rufus face fell, ¡°Fine, I guess. But you owe me one night where I plan the activities.¡±
That¡¯s a dangerous promise to make. Adion thought to himself.
¡°What¡¯s with that doubtful look!?¡± Rufus yelled in despair, ¡°I am not going to do anything weird, you bastard. We will just have a night where we focus on hooking up with girls.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Adion thought about it. It was hard to take these things seriously when he was in the middle of infiltrating an organization and preparing to meet a Diamond mage. ¡°Fine. But I have a right to refuse. I have a lot to do at the moment, so it will take a while.¡±
¡°Haah,¡± Rufus sighed, ¡°Whatever, let¡¯s go then.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Adion nodded.
The two then headed for Little Jiggot, where Adion was planning on gaining a lot of expensive information for free.
¡°So this is the place you and Benji visited?¡± Rufus asked as they were walking.
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the only place I know that would have any useful information without sneaking into the manors of family clans in the city,¡± Adion answered.
¡°But are you just going to pay for the information? That seems like an odd way of doing it. Or are you just going to listen in on rumors circulating in the bar?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°Neither,¡± Adion answered with a small smile.
¡°What are you planning then?¡± Rufus asked, confused.
¡°You know I can teleport, right?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s a hard thing to forget,¡± Rufus muttered.
¡°Well, I had this idea that I tried out earlier. Instead of taking control of space and teleporting over. I kind of ¡®half¡¯ teleport. It¡¯s a bit tricky, but essentially, I grab hold of an area of space using my Authority and infuse so much of my Will into the space mana there that it almost feels like I¡¯m at two spaces at once. But instead of switching the two spaces, I hold that position and use it to observe everything around that space without actually moving.¡±
¡°What in Ganta are you talking about?¡± Rufus asked without expression.
¡°Like I said, it¡¯s a bit tricky,¡± Adion answered, ¡°Basically, I can hear and see most of everything in 300 feet radius without anyone noticing, if I focus.¡±
¡°What!?¡± Rufus exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s incredible, no?¡±
¡°It is,¡± Adion nodded with a smile. He had thought of the idea when thinking about a way to use his special powers for spying. Immediately, he thought of his sphere of space mana, but only feeling where people are weren¡¯t good enough. he needed to hear what was being said. He then remembered the feeling he always had before managing to teleport. Like he was at two places at once. If he could balance on that fine line, he would be able to sit drinking with Rufus while hearing everything being said in the information room.
¡°Is space like¡the best element by far? Or am I just not creative enough with my earth core?¡± Rufus said with a sigh.
¡°Probably a bit of both,¡± Adion answered.
The two reached Little Jiggot about 30 minutes later and headed inside. Adion recognized the old bartender but didn¡¯t approach him for information like before. He pulled Rufus over to a table that was close to the information room. After ordering two beers from a waitress, Adion closed his eyes to focus.
Adion felt the space around him clearly, the space mana he had released from his core giving him a picture of everything there. He noticed that the information room he and Benji had been in a few days earlier had two people in it. He used his Authority and grabbed control of a portion of space in the corner of the room. He then infused as much of his Will as he could into the space mana there. After only a few seconds, he started getting the feeling that he was actually there.
He could hear the voices and see the room in a blurry kind of way. But he couldn¡¯t make out the voices. He was too disturbed by all the noises his actual ears were picking up. Adion tried to plug his ears discreetly. The voices and images became a lot clearer immediately.
This feels so weird! But it¡¯s amazing. I¡¯m somehow even more impressed by this than actually teleporting. I have to focus, though. It would be bad if I teleported by accident in front of so many people.
¡°So that¡¯s it? But why would she lie about something like that?¡± Adion heard a man¡¯s voice.
¡°That, I don¡¯t know. But you can trust the information I¡¯ve provided.¡± Another voice answered.
¡°Haah,¡± The first man¡¯s voice sighed. Adion guessed it was the client. ¡°Thank you, Kevin. I will have a talk with my wife.¡±
So he¡¯s Kevin, after all. I recognize his aura.
¡°That¡¯s probably a good idea.¡± Kevin said, ¡°Probably the wise thing to do the next time you suspect her of cheating. But hey, I won¡¯t complain over the business.¡±
Wait. What?
Adion opened his eyes to Rufus, staring at him in curiosity.
Just someone paying for information about what his wife is up to? I guess getting good information will be a little harder than I thought.
¡°So?¡± Rufus asked, ¡°Find out anything?¡±
¡°Nothing useful,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°But my ability seems to work like expected, at least.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Rufus nodded, ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just wait for someone new to show up.¡±
¡°Yeah, surely there will be someone asking for a little more exciting information,¡± Adion said.
Unfortunately, the night passed without any information that Adion was interested in being revealed. Adion and Rufus had to give up and headed back to the inn in the early morning hours.
Even though I didn¡¯t get anything that interested me, it might help me show some value to Heavenly Light. A few tidbits about the family clans in the city might not be useful for them, but it should at least show I have some abilities.
I think that will do for now. It shouldn¡¯t earn me any praise, but at least I won¡¯t get scolded or punished. Now I can stop wasting my time on this and focus on my aura.
Chapter 46 - Diamond Eulen
¡°Lomin is back!¡± Rufus''s loud voice sounded outside Adion¡¯s door. ¡°You up, Adion?¡±
Adion immediately got up from bed and dressed himself.
Finally.
¡°He¡¯s okay?¡± Adion asked as he opened the door.
¡°Bah, he looks a little too okay if you ask me,¡± Rufus said, ¡°Least he could do to show a little regret after disappearing like that for almost two weeks.¡±
It had been five days since Rufus and Adion had visited Little Jiggot to gather information. Everyone had basically been locked up in their rooms, focused on training during the week. They still met for meals, but Adion thought it would be nice to have everyone gathered again.
Adion joined Rufus and walked downstairs, where he saw Lomin engaged in a conversation with Sahra and Benji. Adion smiled at the sight.
¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back, Lomin,¡± Adion said as he and Rufus sat down, ¡°What exactly happened? You can teleport?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry for disappearing like that, and I wouldn¡¯t call it teleporting like what I¡¯ve heard you can do,¡± Lomin said in his usual calm manner, ¡°After I¡¯m done telling you of my events, I hope to hear more about your stories and abilities that I¡¯ve missed.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Now tell us,¡± Sahra said excitedly, ¡°What are Words of Truth exactly? No one understood what you were talking about at all!¡±
¡°Well, I only just realized what they were recently myself. And I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just the surface,¡± Lomin said, ¡°But I believe Words of Truth to be Deep Concepts.¡±
¡°Deep Concepts?¡± Benji asked, ¡°Never heard of them.¡±
¡°I call them Deep Concepts, but they are just concepts in a way, just more¡ complicated, deeper,¡± Lomin said slowly.
¡°There he goes, not explaining things properly again,¡± Rufus muttered.
¡°You know of the concept ¡®hot,¡¯ right? It¡¯s something very useful for fire mages, after all.¡± Lomin asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Sahra nodded impatiently.
¡°The concept that I have slowly understood is not that much different. It is simply that we have no word to describe it. Only by using the Words of Truth can I get close. My Words of Truth are ¡®One step, a thousand miles. A thousand steps, one mile.¡¯ That is not literal, but the words I believe give the best feeling of the concept I¡¯ve grasped. Just like it would be impossible to explain ¡®hot¡¯ to a child that had grown without ever experiencing anything hot, it is impossible to explain my concept to those who have not experienced my journey.¡± Lomin explained.
¡°So you mean that normal concepts like ¡®hot¡¯ and ¡®sharp¡¯ are no different from your concept, but since everyone knows those things so well already, they can be explained?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Hmm,¡± Lomin thought for a while before answering, ¡°I¡¯m not sure that is entirely true either. Can you really explain the concepts of ¡®hot¡¯ and ¡®sharp¡¯? If so, shouldn¡¯t everyone have grasped those concepts perfectly? But they can¡¯t. Because it is actually not so simple to explain, you have to experience it for yourself, and deeply think about it for years to begin grasping the concepts. My concept is much the same. The difference, I guess, would be that my concept doesn¡¯t have a simpler form. There is no version of it that is not a concept. Therefore, there is no normal word to describe it, and we have to use Words of Truth.¡±
¡°Am I the only one not getting it?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°I think I get it,¡± Adion said.
¡°Me too,¡± Sahra and Benji said at the same time.
¡°Then explain it better than Lomin so I can understand it too!¡± Rufus said, annoyed.
¡°Well,¡± Benji slowly said, ¡°If I understood things correctly, Lomin has a concept that is different in that there is no pillar to begin understanding it from. You don¡¯t actually understand the concept ¡®hot¡¯ any more than you understand the concept ¡®One step, a thousand miles. A thousand steps, one mile.¡¯ It is just that ¡®hot¡¯ has a version that is not a concept that you can understand. Sort of? Did I get it right, Lomin?¡±
¡°Mm, that¡¯s seems about right.¡± Lomin nodded.
¡°I think I get it,¡± Rufus slowly nodded, ¡°So, you can teleport now?¡±
¡°In a way,¡± Lomin shrugged, ¡°But it¡¯s more like I can get carried by the wind a very long distance, very quickly. Unfortunately, I then have to move a very short distance, very slowly. That is why it took me so long to return despite only being a few miles away.¡±
Everyone looked to Lomin so he could explain what he meant, but Lomin only shook his head in response.
¡°I¡¯m afraid not even I understand that part very well. Hopefully, I¡¯ll be able to grasp my concept more in the future, or perhaps change it slightly, so that it won¡¯t have any side-effects.¡± Lomin said.
¡°Alright, I guess that¡¯s-¡± Rufus was cut off as a boy a year or two older than Adion approached their table.
¡°Are you Adion?¡± The teenager asked with a hopeful look.
¡°Yes, why?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Thank Hellemi, I¡¯d be in trouble if I couldn¡¯t find you. My name¡¯s Konfed. Diam-¡± Konfed stopped himself and asked in a little lower voice, ¡°Can we talk privately?¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Adion looked at Konfed for a while before nodding and getting up from his seat, ¡°Let¡¯s go to my room then.¡±
He then turned to his teammates, ¡°I¡¯ll come back soon. It¡¯s probably about the organization. You can fill Lomin in.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Benji said with a nod.
Adion led the Konfed to his room and closed the door behind them once they were inside.
¡°So?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Diamond Eulen has called for you,¡± Konfed said. Adion thought he could see some envy in his eyes.
So it really is a Diamond mage. I¡¯m glad I put all that effort into hiding my strength for the past week.
¡°Diamond Eulen?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Is he that superior that Gold Hettim talked about? He¡¯s returned?¡±
¡°Yes. He¡¯s in charge of the entire Silver Wall and has been up in Dorbarta for weeks,¡± Konfed confided, ¡°What did you do to get summoned by him?¡±
Adion looked questioningly at the boy. Even if he was a few years older than him, Adion didn¡¯t think of him that way. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Gold Hettim just told me his superior probably wanted to see me when he gets back.¡±
¡°Probably because you¡¯re a Bronze mage so young, you might get pulled in under his wing,¡± Konfed sighed, ¡°You¡¯ll get so many resources if that¡¯s the case. I¡¯m jealous. Don¡¯t forget me when you make it big, alright?¡±
¡°We just met, though?¡± Adion was a little dumbfounded by Konfed¡¯s attitude.
¡°We¡¯ve talked for minutes. Just how bad is your memory to actually forget me?¡± Konfed asked seriously.
Adion just stared at Konfed for a few seconds before sighing.
¡°Where do I go?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I¡¯ll take you there,¡± Konfed answered and headed for the door, ¡°I¡¯m Konfed, by the way, in case you already forgot me.¡±
What¡®s with this guy? Does Heavenly Light accept just about anyone willing to join?
¡°I didn¡¯t forget you,¡± Adion said tiredly, ¡°Just lead the way.¡±
The two then headed outside after Adion told his teammates that he was leaving for a while. Everyone except Lomin had already been told about the potential meeting with a Diamond mage, so they were visibly nervous when Adion left.
He followed Konfed for about 15 minutes before arriving outside a large manor located in the central part of the city. Two guards were standing outside the main entrance, but they seemed to recognize Konfed as they let the two enter without issue.
¡°It¡¯s that building over there,¡± Konfed said and pointed to a mansion a hundred feet away surrounded by a beautiful garden.
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¡°Heavenly Light seems to be doing alright,¡± Adion commented.
¡°This is just the manor that Diamond Eulen and the Golds under him have in Wender. The one in Dorbarta is at least five times bigger.¡± Konfed commented.
I shouldn¡¯t forget to focus some attention on making money. Then again, just one pill from my collection is enough to buy this entire city. But even if I wanted to sell one of them, I couldn¡¯t do so without getting myself in deep trouble.
Konfed knocked on the door to the mansion where Diamond Eulen supposedly lived. It didn¡¯t take long for a Silver mage in a butler¡¯s attire to open the door.
¡°This is Adion,¡± Konfed told the middle-aged man on the other side of the doorway.
¡°I see. Well done,¡± the butler nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here.¡±
Konfed saluted the man and left without looking back.
¡°Follow me,¡± The butler told Adion.
Adion followed the man and greedily absorbed information about the mansion''s layout, not only with his eyes, but his sphere of space mana as well.
Seems like my sphere can cover almost the entire mansion. There is a Diamond upstairs, probably the one I¡¯m going to meet. Two Gold mages in another room, seemingly in a heated debate. 18 Silver mages, counting the butler, and 8 Bronze mages, working around the mansion, presumably servants for Diamond Eulen.
What¡¯s this? Some treasure room? Adion thought to himself as he could feel a room on the basement floor. It seemed to be filled with shelves and an array of items. Unfortunately, Adion¡¯s senses weren¡¯t sharp enough to feel any details. But the fact that two Silver mages were standing outside the room acting like guards spoke of something important being in the room.
Could I find an opportunity to teleport inside and take a look?
Adion didn¡¯t have time to formulate a plan, though. He and the butler had arrived in front of a large door where they stopped. Adion could feel that the Diamond mage was in the room behind the door, and it didn¡¯t take long before a voice sounded from inside.
¡°Let the boy inside, Jakett.¡±
The butler opened the door for Adion and bowed deeply to the man inside. Adion entered the room and bowed the same way as the butler.
¡°Diamond Eulen, it¡¯s an honor,¡± Adion said solemnly. Fortunately, empty words that carry no intent of deception don¡¯t show off as lying in aura. Perhaps it could be noticed in some mysterious part of his aura. But if it did, he didn¡¯t think many people, if any, could see through it.
¡°Haha!¡± Eulen laughed happily, ¡°You have good manners, I see. That¡¯s good, but no need to be so polite. I¡¯ve been looking for a talented youth such as you to join us for some time now.¡±
Adion got up from his bowing position and looked at the man. He was sitting behind a big desk with a wide grin on his face, looking Adion up and down.
He can¡¯t feel my actual strength, right? I have it hidden down to almost an inch off my body, after all.
¡°Take a seat, Adion,¡± Eulen said, gesturing to a luxurious chair in front of the desk.
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion nodded.
Eulen looked to be in his early forties, but Adion could feel that he was around 85 years old. He had black hair and a neatly trimmed beard. Blue, gentle eyes that seemed very intelligent to Adion.
Guess it¡¯s not a position you can get to with luck. I shouldn¡¯t underestimate him even if he can¡¯t see through my aura. To assume I¡¯m smarter than everyone can end badly.
¡°So, how are you liking our organization so far, Adion?¡± Eulen asked Adion with a smile.
¡°Well, it¡¯s okay so far, I guess. I haven¡¯t really gotten to do much, as I just joined. But trying to get information was really interesting.¡± Adion answered honestly.
¡°Haha,¡± Eulen chuckled and leaned back in his chair, ¡°I guess that¡¯s true. I hope your perception changes with time, and you¡¯ll find Heavenly Light more than just ¡®okay¡¯ in the future. But it¡¯s nothing that can be forced, all in good time.¡±
Adion nodded agreeably but didn¡¯t comment.
¡°I¡¯m sure Hettim told you that I was interested in sending someone to Cyalis Acadamy, right?¡± Eulen asked.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Well? What do you say?¡± Eulen pushed.
¡°I had always planned on going there once I turned 17, so it sounds good to me,¡± Adion responded.
¡°Hahaha,¡± Eulen laughed loudly, a different laugh this time. ¡°I know I told you not to be polite, but I say that to everyone, and I¡¯ve never seen anyone, let alone a Bronze, act so casually so quickly.¡±
¡°Oh, sorry-¡± Adion began but was cut off by Eulen waving his hand.
¡°Oh, it¡¯s not bad. I¡¯m happy. I asked for it, after all. I just thought it interesting. You used to Diamond mages, Adion?¡± Eulen asked, casually taking a sip of tea.
¡°Not exactly, but my granddad is a Diamond mage,¡± Adion responded.
¡°Oh?¡± Eulen raised an eyebrow, ¡°So you¡¯re from a family clan?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Like I told Gold Hettim, most of my family is dead, but I was in the clan until I turned 12.¡±
¡°Any clan I would have heard about?¡± Eulen asked.
¡°I doubt it. My granddad was the only Diamond. We were only a 2nd tier family.¡± Adion responded, hoping he wasn¡¯t going to be asked too much.
¡°A 2nd tier family is far from being beneath my notice. What¡¯s your family name?¡± Eulen asked.
Damn. Can I get out of this? No, that would just raise suspicion. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s testing me for himself, despite Hettim clearing me to join.
¡°It¡¯s Remori,¡± Adion answered.
Eulen¡¯s forehead scrunched in thought, ¡°¡®Remori¡¯? That sounds familiar. Very familiar. Where did I hear it?¡± Eulen asked out loud.
Adion¡¯s heart was beating fiercely, and he tried to calm down to not cause alarm.
What¡¯s going on? Why does he know the Remori name? Is this actually the organization behind the attack on my family? Or did our massacre cause bigger news than I expected?
¡°You might have just heard it from Gold Hettim, no?¡± Adion tried.
¡°No¡¡± Eulen pondered, ¡°I¡¯ve read it somewhere.¡± Eulen started looking through some pieces of paper on his desk but didn¡¯t seem to find anything.
¡°Forget it, your family were killed by beasts, right? It might be I¡¯ve read a report of it somewhere.¡± Eulen finally concluded.
Gods and spirits, thank you.
¡°That seems like a plausible explanation,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°So let me tell you a bit about Cyalis Academy,¡± Eulen began after dropping the subject of Adion¡¯s family, ¡°We don¡¯t have many of our members there at the moment. They¡¯re hard to infiltrate. Their headmaster is a Sage and powerful Soul mage, after all. But a few of our young seeds have managed to get in, and it¡¯s always in our greatest interest to send more of us there. It¡¯s the most powerful organization on the continent, so it¡¯s a high priority. And I¡¯ve not managed to send anyone from my branch there yet. You fit the bill perfectly. Do you think you could reach middle Bronze by the time you join?¡±
¡°Definitely,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Haha!¡± Eulen laughed happily, ¡°The confidence of youth. I love it!¡±
¡°What would you have me do at the Academy?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Grow strong and gain as much knowledge and connections as you can. But there might also be specific missions at times. Such as spying or¡well, we¡¯ll get to that eventually.¡± Eulen said, shaking his head. ¡°The reason for meeting you is that I want to make you mine.¡±
¡°Make me yours?¡± Adion asked, shocked.
¡°Heavenly Light is a big organization, with a lot of ambitious people. We all have the same goal in mind, of course. But a little rivalry amongst ourselves only pushes us to do better. I would gain a lot of merit if you managed to do well at Cyalis. But I wouldn¡¯t want to help you grow strong just for you to betray me for the first colleague of mine to offer a few pills, would I?¡± Eulen leaned forward in his seat and asked.
¡°No,¡± Adion answered, ¡°I understand that, but¡what exactly does that entail?¡±
¡°I have it written down. It¡¯s a common Oath of loyalty, nothing shady,¡± Eulen said as he handed a paper over to Adion. ¡°If you agree, we can head to Gerrinswood in a week and take the Oath by the Moonlight Oak there.¡±
¡°Er,¡± Adion hesitated. He was definitely not taking any Oath of loyalty, but he didn¡¯t want to outright reject the proposal.
¡°Remember that it will be a bright future for you in our organization if you have me as a backer. I¡¯m not asking for your loyalty for nothing in return. I will give you pills and resources to make you stronger faster than you can believe. I control the entire Silver Wall section of our organization. There are a great number of things I can do for you.¡± Eulen tried to convince.
¡°It¡¯s a big decision,¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°Can I think about it for a while before deciding?¡±
Eulen¡¯s face fell a little. He stared silently at Adion for a few seconds before nodding.
¡°Of course. It¡¯s not a decision to rush into after all,¡± Eulen said, ¡°But make up your mind quickly. Every day you go undecided is a day that you miss out on the resources I can offer.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°You don¡¯t have to think about those silly missions from Frent, by the way,¡± Eulen said, now with a friendly smile. ¡°Focus on making your mind up, and then we will focus on making you stronger.¡±
Adion smiled back, ¡°Thank you for being patient with me.¡±
¡°Of course, of course. Now go, take a walk, and clear your head. I hope to see you here soon.¡± Eulen said and waved Adion off.
Adion rose from his seat and gave a bow before leaving the room.
No one is here. Adion thought as he stepped out into the hallway.
Eulen can probably still feel my presence, though. Adion started walking back the way he had come.
He focused on his sphere of space mana and tried to figure out everyone¡¯s position. He also slowly started grabbing hold of the space in the room in the basement with his Authority, infusing the space mana there with his Will.
No one should feel me from here, right? Silver mages wouldn¡¯t be able to feel my presence if I hide my aura. I¡¯ll have to be quick, though. But there is no doubt I have to leave the city now. And I''m not going to leave behind this final clue. He knew my name! I¡¯m going to figure out why.
Adion got far enough away from any strong mages to feel safe and focused on the space he had taken control over in the guarded basement room.
I am there. I am there. I am there.
Five seconds later, Adion appeared in a dark room. He immediately conjured a small flame to see around him. The room had, as Adion suspected, tons of treasure. Gold coins, Vastro coins, beast cores, bottle after bottle with pills. Not only that, but stacks of paper were lying around, where Adion assumed many secrets were written.
But Adion didn¡¯t have time to inspect those things, because his eyes fell on something he hadn¡¯t seen for a long time. But dreamed about many times. It was the face of the men and women who had killed his family. White masks.
Chapter 47 - Plans
Adion felt his emotions surge through him, almost taking him over.
Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Adion thought while focusing on his breathing. He knew that should he let his emotions get out of his control, he would be noticed by the two silver mages outside the room. His killing intent would probably alert the entire house if he let it free.
I suspected this. And it¡¯s a good thing. I know a lot more about my enemies than before. Now, what to do?
Adion tried to go through every option in his mind. But he didn¡¯t have a lot of time. He couldn¡¯t be seen walking out of the mansion much later than he should, after all.
Adion quickly grabbed a few papers that seemed important and shoved them down his pants. Then, he focused on the space in the hallway he had been walking through just before. He took control of it using his Authority and infused as much of his Will into the space mana there as he could.
I am there. I am there. I am there.
A few seconds later, Adion successfully teleported into the hallway again and continued walking the way he had come when he arrived at the mansion.
He tried to walk naturally and not think about anything specific, careful not to hide his aura entirely anymore, just his strength and space core as usual.
Calm thoughts; don¡¯t think about anything.
Adion successfully made it to the entrance and stepped out of the mansion. The servants he passed along the way didn¡¯t give him a second look. He slowly made his way out of the manor and onto the busy streets again. Heading for the inn in a calm walk.
Okay, well done. Unfortunately, I have no way to carry much of the treasure with me at the moment. And there is always a chance someone would notice and then suspect me of robbing them. Hopefully, a few missing papers won¡¯t be noticed for a while.
But I¡¯ll be damned if I let them get away now that I have them in my sight.
Adion got back to the inn and headed straight for his room. Before meeting the others, he needed to read through the papers he found in case there was any important information there. He also needed to get his head straight; he knew he couldn¡¯t stay long enough for him to be forced into taking an Oath. But he also didn¡¯t want to just leave his enemies alive now that he finally found them.
And they know my face. There is a chance my life won¡¯t be easy if they suspect me of running away and are adamant about finding me. I need to solve this in some other way.
Adion took out the papers from his pants and started looking through them. Most were nothing interesting, some information from around the Silver Wall. The only thing he noted was that the Tyllen family had recently managed to have one of their members reach the Soft Soul stage, and had now been promoted to a Noble family. There was news of a big ceremony taking place in the capital at the end of summer. Many big names, even from outside the Empire, were coming to congratulate them.
But one thing caught Adion¡¯s attention more than anything, a letter sent from the Valis Kingdom. There was a call for every post to send reinforcements there in preparation for an attack. An attack on the Remori manor.
There weren¡¯t many details in the letter, but Adion understood that the teleportation formation was now under the control of the Royal family. They were working with the Grath family, which his great aunt Arissa was a part of, to investigate the ancient formation.
Grandpa must have told them about it, lest it gets in the hands of our attackers.
But it didn¡¯t seem that even that was enough. Heavenly Light was planning a large-scale attack to recover the formation.
Why are they so adamant about taking it for themselves? What have they figured out? And do they actually have the manpower to take on a whole Kingdom? Just how powerful are the top brass of Heavenly Light?
Adion sighed deeply and began thinking of his options.
I believe the best thing would probably be to leave and not think about any of this until I¡¯m strong enough to handle it. But now I¡¯m already involved. A Diamond mage is interested in me. And a lot of people have seen my face. I should not underestimate their intelligence network.
My only choice is to figure out how to kill them before they can send out any information about me.
Adion left his room and headed to Benji¡¯s and Sahra¡¯s room. He could feel that Rufus and Lomin were also there.
First, I have to tell the others to leave. I shouldn¡¯t drag them into this. I can count on their help to a certain limit, but this is my enemy, and they are too strong for a few Silvers to fight.
¡°Benji, it¡¯s Adion,¡± Adion knocked on the door and called out.
The door was swung open by Sahra, who looked concerned, ¡°Adion, are you okay?¡±
¡°More or less,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I will tell you what happened.¡±
Adion took a seat and began narrating how the meeting had gone, along with the things he had found in the treasury of the mansion.
¡°We should leave,¡± Rufus said at the end of Adion¡¯s story, ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea to stay any longer since you have no intention of actually swearing that Oath. We might get a headstart if we leave now.¡±
¡°I thought so at first, too,¡± Adion said, ¡°But they have a vast information network that seemingly spreads throughout the entire continent. Since they have seen my face and that Diamond is interested in me, I can only postpone the inevitable by running away.
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¡°So what are you planning?¡± Benji asked.
¡°I¡¯ll kill him, of course,¡± Adion said with a light smile.
The group turned silent for a while, staring at Adion.
¡°He¡¯s a Diamond mage, Adion,¡± Sahra said after a while.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°He¡¯s a strong mage, for sure. But he¡¯s not immortal. If I can catch him unaware, he¡¯ll bleed just like anyone else.¡±
¡°But how?¡± Benji asked, ¡°Even if you somehow managed to sneak up on him while sleeping, you wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. Even you can¡¯t hide your aura well enough to escape the danger sense of a Diamond mage. And if you try freezing him in space, it won¡¯t work, his Will is on another level entirely. And your fire is far too weak. Your only chance would be to cut his head off with a sword, but I have a hard time imagining him letting you do so.¡±
Sahra nodded her head in agreement, ¡°He¡¯s certainly not immortal, but neither are you, Adion. Even if you find a way to kill him, he can find hundreds of ways to kill you, and a lot quicker than you can. To get out of this unscathed seems impossible.¡±
¡°It will take some time to figure out a way,¡± Adion said in response, ¡°But I bet that being faced with space powers for the first time will catch him off guard. It will take some careful planning, but if I can find a way to grasp a more offensive concept and implement it in my space core, I think I have a good chance.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not something that happens overnight,¡± Benji commented.
¡°I know,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ll stay here and practice for as long as I can, and try to push up the meeting with Eulen. I think you should go somewhere else in the meantime, it will be dangerous, and these are some powerful enemies. My enemies, not yours.¡±
¡°Absolutely not,¡± Rufus immediately said, ¡°I would rather die than do something so shameless.¡±
¡°I agree,¡± Sahra nodded seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t suggest something like that again, Adion. It¡¯s an insult.¡±
Adion sighed but couldn¡¯t help but smile a little.
I¡¯m lucky that this is the group I got to join. Friends like these can¡¯t be easy to come by.
¡°We will definitely stay together,¡± Benji said in agreement, ¡°But Adion. Are you sure you¡¯re making this decision with a clear head? I know they are the same organization that killed your family, but¡they¡¯re not the same people. Do you really have to kill them?¡±
¡°I do,¡± Adion said seriously.
¡°This will only cause more bloodshed, more people looking for revenge for their loved ones,¡± Benji said, trying to convince Adion.
Who the hell cares!? Adion thought angrily.
¡°Make no mistake, Benji,¡± Adion said in a grave voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t become stronger because I wanted to make the world a better place. I became strong to kill these bastards. And make sure they can¡¯t touch a single hair on my remaining family.¡±
Adion and Benji stared at each other in silence for a while, before Sahra''s laugh broke the tension.
¡°Haha! Good, Adion,¡± She said happily, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had this side in you. Benji can be too soft sometimes, which I love, but don¡¯t give mercy to those who wouldn¡¯t show you any. That¡¯s foolish and only endangers your loved ones.¡±
¡°I agree,¡± Adion said and looked at Sahra in appreciation.
¡°What about those young kids?¡± Benji asked, ¡°Those who were recruited along with you. They only want to make the world a safe place and don¡¯t know anything about what their organization has done.¡±
¡°Of course, I won¡¯t kill them,¡± Adion shrugged.
¡°Then where will you draw the line?¡± Benji asked seriously.
¡°I kill those I want to kill. I spare those I want to spare,¡± Adion answered, matching Benji¡¯s serious expression, ¡°I don¡¯t need to draw any lines other than that. That¡¯s the privilege of the strong.¡±
The room turned silent for a while, before Rufus low sounded.
¡°Okay, that was pretty cool,¡± he muttered.
¡°Haah,¡± Benji sighed, ¡°Just make sure you think through things properly, Adion. I won¡¯t tell you what to do. I just don¡¯t want you to regret your actions in the future.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, happy to drop the matter.
¡°I won¡¯t say anything about the matter of your revenge, as that is your journey,¡± Lomin¡¯s calm voice sounded for the first time, ¡°But I do have some thoughts of our actions from here on out that make the most sense to me, would you like to hear?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Instead of staying here,¡± Lomin began, ¡°Contact someone from Heavenly Light, perhaps that boy from yesterday, and tell them that you plan on heading to the Outskirts for a while to think things through. That way, we can leave without raising suspicion. You can have a lot of training against beasts there. And you, once you¡¯re ready, can head back here in only a few days. If you are called back before you are ready, it will be more convenient for us to escape from there than from the city.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°I agree,¡± Benji said, ¡°Do you have a way to contact anyone from Heavenly Light?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I guess I could head to the old chapel and look around?¡±
¡°That might be good,¡± Benji agreed, ¡°We should leave tomorrow if we can.¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head there now, then,¡± Adion said and got up to leave.
¡°I¡¯ll tell the manager that we won¡¯t need our rooms after tonight,¡± Benji said and also got up to leave.
Adion left the inn and made his way to the old chapel where the previous meetings had taken place.
When he got there, it appeared to be empty. But Adion could feel someone through his space sphere. As he felt their location, he focused on their aura and noticed it was a man in the middle Bronze stage.
Adion knocked on the doors to the old chapel while pretending he hadn¡¯t noticed the Bronze looking at him from a distance.
Fortunately, the man appeared after a while, as Adion expected.
¡°Who are you?¡± The man asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±
¡°I¡¯m Adion,¡± Adion answered, ¡°I met Diamond Eulen today and am to meet him again when I¡¯ve made a decision about something. I will head out to the Outskirts tomorrow to think things through. I just wanted to let the organization know first.¡±
The man nodded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let someone know,¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion said and then turned around to leave.
Hopefully, no one will come to bother me for a while. The more time I have, the bigger my chances of succeeding in killing Eulen will be.
Adion headed to the inn again and started practicing immediately. He had been focusing on his aura for the past week, but now it was time to focus on his space core once again.
Now, I just need to decide what concept I want to implement in my core. Well, if I don¡¯t want to use ¡®stable,¡¯ I will have to begin grasping it first, but it might be more beneficial to have something more offensive in my arsenal.
If I want to be able to kill a Diamond mage, I would need to make use of my space powers. But how?
Chapter 48 - Rettor
¡°This should be ours,¡± Benji said as he walked up to a wagon with the group, ¡°Let¡¯s get in. We¡¯ll be moving soon.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll have to cramp up in this for the entire day?¡± Sahra asked, ¡°I say we walk to Rettor instead.¡±
¡°It¡¯s just for the day,¡± Benji said, ¡°We won¡¯t have to waste so much time just getting there, and it was cheap.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t mind paying extra if we can travel alone,¡± Sahra said.
¡°You get a bad sleep, princess?¡± Rufus glanced at Sahra and said, ¡°You¡¯ll never make it in the Outskirts if sitting in a wagon for a day bothers you this much.¡±
¡°Put me in front of five Silver beasts before being cramped in a wagon with a bunch of strangers any day,¡± Sahra said.
¡°I don¡¯t mind either way, on foot or in the wagon,¡± Adion said, ¡°But could we get moving?¡±
Benji looked at Sahra with a slightly pleading gaze. ¡°You really want to walk instead?¡±
¡°Haah,¡± Sahra sighed, ¡°Fine, I¡¯m just going to try to sleep the entire way.¡±
With that, the group stepped onto the wagon and took their seats. It wasn¡¯t long before more Outskirters joined them, and they had to sit shoulder to shoulder to make room. Adion thought he could see Sahra¡¯s eyebrows twitching in annoyance.
Many places around the Silver Wall apparently had these services where a caravan of wagons took Outskirters to the outposts in the Endless Forest for a small amount of coins. Adion thought it was a good idea. With Silver beasts pulling the wagons, the trip would go a lot quicker. Even if he too wasn¡¯t too fond of this way of traveling, it was hard to justify spending days on the road walking when this option was available.
I need to quickly figure out a way to kill a Diamond mage. I should ponder about concepts during the journey. I feel like only by combining my unique space magic, my Authority, concepts, and careful planning, will I stand a chance.
Adion had talked a lot about concepts with Benji and the rest ever since finding out about their existence. Adion had figured out that he had already grasped a few concepts, at least somewhat, but he had never made an effort to ingrain them in his core. This meant he had to spend a lot of Will whenever he wanted to make fire burn hotter, or make space more stable, freezing his opponents.
There wasn¡¯t much he could do about the fire. He didn¡¯t have a fire core, after all. But he had a space core, so it was a waste to not make full use of that.
It was actually pretty simple to ingrain the concepts you had comprehended into your core. Benji had explained it all for Adion, and it made a lot of sense.
When you manipulate mana and pull it into your core, you attune it to your Will. This is why it¡¯s a lot easier to use the mana from your core than to pull it from the surrounding atmosphere. You don¡¯t need to waste any Will to make it attuned to you.
The core even does this by itself. When you¡¯re sleeping, and the core refills the mana lost, it is attuned to the mage''s Will without conscious effort.
Something similar happens with concepts. Once you comprehend a concept, you can change mana to a certain degree, like how Adion can make space freeze, or more ¡®stable,¡¯ when he uses his Will. But if you do the same thing when meditating and pulling mana into your core, you will fill your core not only with mana attuned to your Will, but also the concept you have changed it to adopt.
If a fire mage has comprehended the concept ¡®hot¡¯ and then fills their core with fire mana attuned to their Will and that concept, it isn¡¯t strange that the fire they conjure from that fire mana is a lot hotter than normal fire.
Eventually, the core itself will change to accommodate this process, making it happen almost by itself. Just like how the mana will be attuned to the mage''s Will without conscious effort. The mage still has to continue improving their understanding of the concept and implementing that, of course.
Adion was still not sure what concepts to pursue when it came to his space core. He had already grasped ¡®stable¡¯ to a high degree, but he wasn¡¯t sure if that was the best option to make his space core attuned to. His conjured space was pretty useless at the moment, but eventually, it would become Adion¡¯s best weapon. And he wanted it to have some offensive power. He could always make use of the ¡®stable¡¯ concept when using his Authority, just at the cost of his Will.
But maybe there is a way to make ¡®stable¡¯ space offensive. Just like an ice spike is kind of like stable water, I might be able to do something similar with space. But when I think of an offensive attack, I can¡¯t help thinking of a more destroying kind of space, a space that¡¯s not strong and sharp, but chaotic and destructive. A space shredding every other space to shreds, even if it is a space protected by the Will of a Diamond mage.
But will I have a chance of grasping a concept like that? Is it simply ¡®destruction,¡¯ or am I looking for more? Something like a Deep Concept? Do I have a chance to grasp something like that?
Adion kept thinking deeply as the wagon sped along the road to the Outskirts. It finally came to a stop when the sun was nearing the horizon. Adion was feeling really stiff and enjoyed finally getting a chance to stretch his limbs.
¡°This is Rettor,¡± Benji said to the group as they stepped out of the wagon, ¡°I think it will be a good place to serve as a base for the time being. The beasts in the surrounding area are not too strong, and it¡¯s a lot bigger than the outposts further in. We can always head to another place after a while if we change our minds.¡±
The group didn¡¯t have any objections and headed into the town-like outpost. Adion walked up to Lomin to ask him about some questions he had.
¡°Hey, Lomin. Do you think I would be able to grasp Words of Truth of my own?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Hmm,¡± Lomin pondered, ¡°You definitely could. Just like I could gain Authority. But is it not something easy to happen.¡±
¡°Those two are the same level of difficulty?¡± Adion asked, a little surprised.
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¡°I¡¯m not sure exactly how difficult either of them are to accomplish, so it¡¯s impossible to say,¡± Lomin answered, ¡°Then again, you are able to teleport. From my perspective, that seems like a Deep Concept, but it might be something that space mages are simply able to do.¡±
Teleporting is a Deep Concept? That doesn¡¯t make sense. It¡¯s a step-by-step process that doesn¡¯t seem like Lomin¡¯s description of Deep Concepts at all.
¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Adion said, ¡°It¡¯s more like a complicated application of my Authority and space magic.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Lomin nodded, ¡°I¡¯m far from an expert on the subject.¡±
¡°But how did you manage to grasp your Deep Concept?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I lived my life, I went on my journey, I paid attention and thought about the things I saw and heard.¡± Lomin answered, ¡°I didn¡¯t force it, however. I simply made myself someone capable of welcoming it when it finally made itself available to me.¡±
Adion stared at Lomin for a few seconds before shaking his head.
¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s my style. I¡¯ll focus on normal concepts for now,¡± Adion said, ¡°And simply make them stronger than any Words of Truth through sheer brute of force. If I train hard enough, it should be possible.¡±
Lomin suddenly smiled and looked at Adion, ¡°I just realized why you are so powerful, Adion.¡±
¡°What? Why?¡± Adion asked, confused.
¡°Some might call it luck, or talent, or the fact that you train so much,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Isn¡¯t it a combination of all three?¡± Adion asked.
¡°They have contributed, of course. But mainly, I believe it¡¯s that you actually believe anything is possible with enough effort, no matter how impossible it seems to others. I believe this world is a place where that is something very important.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Adion said. He hadn¡¯t thought about it that way. Maybe there was some truth to it. It¡¯s hard to spend so much effort on things that you don¡¯t actually believe would yield results after all.
¡°Anyway,¡± Lomin commented, ¡°Just continue on the path that you¡¯re on. I believe you¡¯ll get results that trump what you¡¯d get from whatever advice I could give on the matter.¡±
Hmm. Then, let''s spend the next few days experimenting with a few more destructive concepts. Let¡¯s see what I can accomplish.
They reached the ¡®Outpost Inn¡¯ after only a few minutes of walking. They all agreed to rest in their rooms for a while before having dinner. Even though they had been sitting still all day, it was an exhausting journey in many ways.
Adion threw himself on his bed as soon as he entered the room, his thoughts still on concepts.
This is all so complicated. I would be more at ease if I had more time. But having a Diamond mage I have to kill, and maybe a few Gold and Silver witnesses to go with him, sure is something that puts a lot of pressure on someone.
Adion decided that his brain was feeling completely fried, and while other forms of training could be pushed through, even Adion realized that grasping concepts was something that needed time and rest. So he headed down to the tavern in advance to get something to eat.
Adion thought he¡¯d be the first one down, but when he came down the stairs, he saw Rufus sitting there with a large beer, seemingly content sitting alone and enjoying the beverage.
¡°Hey, Rufus. Mind if I join you?¡± Adion asked as he sat down opposite Rufus.
¡°Of course not,¡± Rufus said with a smile, ¡°Haaah, they have good beer here. You should have one.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded and waved over a waitress.
¡°So, how you feeling Adion?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°What do you mean?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, just in general,¡± Rufus shrugged, ¡°But you also have found the organization that is responsible for killing your family. They are probably one of the top powers of the continent. And now you plan on killing a Diamond mage as a Bronze. That would usually stir up some stress in a 15-year-old.¡±
¡°I guess I¡¯m a little stressed. Concepts are too elusive for my taste, really. But I think I¡¯ll manage.¡± Adion said as he accepted the beer the waitress brought over, ¡°But how should I put it? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s all bad. It¡¯s been exciting. Now that I¡¯m not completely powerless, I feel like I can make an impact. It¡¯s a good feeling.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Rufus chuckled softly, ¡°I suppose. But I somewhat hope this won¡¯t become a habit. You won¡¯t live a long life if you do, no matter how talented you are.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t,¡± Adion said, ¡°I need to focus on getting stronger to make any real difference. I just got myself into a situation where I don¡¯t really see any other way out.¡±
Adion got quiet for a few moments, with Rufus looking at him.
¡°And I suppose I want to kill him,¡± Adion said, ¡°Maybe I would have made the same choice even without the threat of them looking for me. The thought of being so close and having an opportunity to strike and simply run away would have been a hard blow.¡±
¡°I can understand that,¡± Rufus nodded slowly, ¡°But just remember that these people don¡¯t deserve that much of your attention. They will be no more than ants for you one day. My advice is to focus on living for the moment a little more. Before going to Cyalis. And once there, forget everything about this, focus on enjoying your limited time there.
¡°Have some fun with the Noble girls in your classes,¡± Rufus winked with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t let these bastards steal more of your youth than they already have.¡±
Adion thought about Rufus¡¯s words for a moment. There might be some truth to it. Even if I feel it¡¯s my own choice to get revenge, and something I want to do. I should not forget to do other things I want in life. I should keep in mind not to let my hatred toward Heavenly Light direct my every decision.
¡°Thanks, Rufus. I¡¯ll keep it in mind,¡± Adion nodded in gratitude.
¡°By the way,¡± Adion said after taking a sip of his drink, ¡°Do you guys plan on staying by the Silver Wall? I won¡¯t have to leave for a while, but in a year or so, I¡¯d have to get moving to Cyalis.¡±
¡°Well, we haven¡¯t talked about it,¡± Rufus said, ¡°But I think no one would mind accompanying you further north. The Outskirts aren¡¯t exclusive to the Delovan Empire, after all. And Benji might want to visit his family in Rellen. Now that Sahra lost her father, I¡¯m the only one of us with family here. And I have plenty of siblings to keep my parents company. I want to see more of the world while I¡¯m still young.
¡°So, even if it¡¯s up to Benji, I think you¡¯ll be stuck with us for at least a while longer,¡± Rufus said with a smile.
¡°Happy to hear it,¡± Adion said and raised his glass in a cheer.
¡°Now that we¡¯re alone,¡± Rufus leaned forward and said in a low voice, ¡°You fancy any of the girls in here?¡±
This again.
¡°You know you don¡¯t have to involve me in this, right? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re plenty successful on your own.¡± Adion said.
¡°Bah! I just wanted to make sure you find a way to relieve some stress,¡± Rufus said.
¡°I¡¯m planning on training through the night, so you don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Adion said.
Rufus stared at Adion in disbelief, ¡°Adion, that''s not how you relieve stress.¡±
¡°Well, it works,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°When I manage to kill that Diamond, we¡¯ll have plenty of time to celebrate.¡±
¡°I suppose that¡¯s as close as I¡¯ll get for now,¡± Rufus sighed.
Chapter 49 - New attack
Stable. Strengthened. And then volatility, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32. Adion¡¯s mind was focused as he once again tested out his new attack.
The tree in front of him shot out splinters as the space the tree occupied got pushed away to make room for Adion¡¯s volatile space.
¡°Hoo,¡± Sahra sounded impressed, ¡°It certainly looks deadly. But I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s not something you can expect to do against a Diamond mage. It might not even work against us. Not that I¡¯m volunteering as a guinea pig.¡±
¡°If we had more time, I¡¯d be willing to bet that this might actually cause some harm to a Diamond mage,¡± Benji said, ¡°You could freeze a Diamond mage in space just like anyone your strength, after all. It will only last for as long as it takes them to react, though, and they can immediately break out, so it¡¯s not much use. But with a sneak attack like this to the head. I can see it happen.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Since I can¡¯t affect the space inside living beings, it becomes a battle of Will, with my Authority over the space surrounding them and their ¡®Authority¡¯ over the space in their bodies. And I¡¯ll lose that battle instantly against a Diamond mage. But with this, I might be able to do some damage if I time things right. I¡¯ll need more practice, though.¡±
¡°How long do you think we¡¯ll have?¡± Benji asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe two weeks?¡± Adion shrugged. They had been in Rettor for two weeks already, and Adion thought that Eulen wouldn¡¯t have patience exceeding one month.
¡°But there is another problem you would have to work on if you wish to succeed in the sneak attack,¡± Lomin said.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know how well practiced you are on the different aspects of aura, but are you confident in being able to hide your killing intent from a Diamond mage?¡± Lomin asked.
Adion felt a chill run down his back.
I had forgotten about that.
Hiding anything else in his aura was something he had complete confidence in. But killing intent was different. It was something you didn¡¯t need any practice in aura to spot. Even non-mages would feel killing intent. Adion might be able to hide it somewhat, and even fool weak mages. He wasn¡¯t sure. But a Diamond mage, even one who didn¡¯t focus on aura, had sharpened their danger sense through their life. Eulen would surely notice something if Adion tried to kill him as he was now.
¡°Damn, that complicates things,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to give that some attention during the remaining time. Hopefully, I¡¯ll manage to distract him enough that he won¡¯t notice. The fact that I¡¯m a Bronze mage should also make sure he isn¡¯t on guard against me.¡±
¡°You know, you could always forget about it,¡± Sahra said, ¡°It¡¯s not like we have to stay in the Empire. We could run far away. Even if they¡¯ll look for you, I find it hard to believe that a thorough search will be done across the continent. What you¡¯ve shown them so far isn¡¯t that special.¡±
¡°No,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t want to live like that. And I think the odds are in my favor.¡±
¡°All right,¡± Sahra shrugged, but Adion could feel she was feeling uneasy.
¡°Let¡¯s go back for now,¡± Benji said.
No one objected, and the group headed back to the inn. They had been hunting beasts and letting Adion experiment with his new attack for the past hours.
There¡¯s so much to do. If I could have some more time, I would be a lot more confident.
Adion had thought long and hard about what kind of concept he could make use of to make a powerful attack. But he eventually realized that it wasn¡¯t something he could force. He would need time, and that was something he didn¡¯t have at the moment.
So he decided to make use of the concept he had already grasped, ¡®stable,¡¯ which was always used when he freezes his opponents in space. Adion was not sad about that, though. He soon realized that ¡®stable¡¯ could almost be called ¡®strengthened.¡¯ It was the same concept, Adion just thought of it in a different word. And he would need his space strengthened no matter what kind of attack he used in the future.
So how would he make his strengthened space take over space protected by someone else¡¯s Will? And how could he do damage in that space? The solution Adion had thought of was to make his space strong, but volatile.
He used his Authority to take over just the space the size of a fist. He then Willed it to be stable, just as when he freezes someone. Then, he split the space into two equal volumes and controlled them to slide against each other, fast and sporadically. Then he would split them again, into four pieces. And once again, control them to move around in the same way. He had kept increasing the number of splits and could now, after two weeks, control 32 pieces of space that together make the size of a fist. The space was strong but moved chaoticly, and the result could be seen on the tree Adion had just decimated.
The problem is that even though the tree is alive, its Will is basically non-existent. Forcing his volatile space into the body of a Diamond mage can¡¯t compare. He would need to practice a lot. Both the amount of splits and how fast he could make the different parts slide against each other.
Even though it was still far from being a reliant weapon against a Diamond mage, Adion was extremely pleased. He had been a little caught up on concepts ever since he found out about them. Concepts were really useful and something he would give the time it deserved, but they didn¡¯t control every aspect of magic. Adion¡¯s teleportation was an example of this. He could come up with a clever application of his powers and then figure out what steps he would need to take to get there. It would be clumsy and take a lot of Will in the beginning, but with enough practice, just like his teleportation, it would eventually be something almost done naturally.
His teleportation wasn¡¯t quite there yet, of course, but it was getting close.
Adion thought his new attack was a perfect mix of his Authority, his concept, and his own application of how to make them obey his Will in the manner he wanted.
And this was just the first step, only a tree, but eventually, Adion aimed to make his own space capable of destroying even space itself.
That was far away at the moment, though. And Adion needed to focus on practicing his attack on an active Will.
Maybe I can ask Rufus to conjure some earth or rock and try to protect it with his Will against my attack. And eventually, I might be able to use it against the Silver beasts we encounter on our hunts.
But first, I need to practice hiding my killing intent.
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And that is just what Adion did as he came back to his room at the inn.
I have a pretty good idea where my killing intent shows. I just need to practice hiding it. If others can feel my killing intent so well, I can feel it even clearer.
Adion sat down on his bed and focused on his aura. He imagined the white masks killing his parents, and imagined standing face-to-face with them again. Immediately, his killing intent surged. It was hard to focus on the scenario in his head while being aware of his aura at the same time.
I guess this is why it¡¯s so hard to hide killing intent. Even if it has an obvious presence in your aura, it basically disappears as soon as you focus on it. Unless you¡¯re about to kill someone for real, I guess. But it¡¯s hard to believe the scenario in your head while making yourself aware of the killing intent. As well as being afraid for it to disappear before you can practice hiding it.
Adion kept on practicing for the next few hours, sometimes succeeding in grasping his killing intent and pulling it to his body to hide it.
The most important part is to be able to hide it before it gets noticed. Could there be a way to preemptively hide something that will appear in your aura? If so, I¡¯m probably far away from succeeding.
Adion got up to stretch his limbs a little and started focusing on his new space attack instead. He couldn¡¯t do any damage against a Diamond mage as it was now, so he couldn¡¯t leave it be just because of his aura practice.
I should just try to make myself emit killing intent throughout the day at random intervals. Attempting to hide it as quickly as I can. In particular when hunting beasts, that will work as a perfect practice opportunity.
Maybe I can spend some time practicing feeling the ¡®aura¡¯ of my pills as well. I haven¡¯t gotten around to it yet, and I feel like every aspect of my aura that I practice will help everything in the future get easier.
But that¡¯s for another day. I should ask if Rufus is available as a practice partner. As I am now, my best chance is probably trying for the good old tactic of stabbing Eulen with a sword.
The two weeks that Adion had estimated he would have before being called by Eulen came and went, and Adion had now been in Rettor for a little over two months in total.
Adion was standing next to a middle Silver beast he had just killed, the back of its head completely smashed in. A testament to how far Adion¡¯s new attack had come during the weeks of training.
¡°That attack of yours is getting real consistent,¡± Rufus commented, ¡°It¡¯s almost better than your freezing-thing, right?¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit too exhausting at the moment,¡± Adion answered, ¡°But it lets me fight at a distance. I¡¯m going to make a pretty big leap in power once I¡¯ve practiced this some more.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t believe that Eulen hasn¡¯t called back for you yet,¡± Rufus commented, ¡°You think he might just let you go? Maybe he forgot about you?¡±
¡°I doubt it. He must¡¯ve thought I would return by myself. He¡¯ll probably be pretty mad once he realizes he has to call me back himself,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Well, let¡¯s hope we get some more time then. It won¡¯t hurt to get some more practice in.¡± Rufus said.
¡°True,¡± Adion nodded and grabbed the dead beast in space using his Authority.
¡°Even seeing you killing a beast almost a full stage stronger with an invisible attack, the fact that you never have to carry dead beasts might be the thing about your abilities that I¡¯m most jealous about,¡± Rufus said as he looked at the Silver beast¡¯s body, appearing to float mid-air.
¡°It is quite handy,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Unfortunately, I still have to carry it physically the last part to the Outskirts Guild. I have experience in how people tend to overreact at my way of carrying beasts.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Rufus laughed lightly, ¡°I can imagine. I¡¯d like to see people reacting to this new attack of yours, though I imagine most people experiencing it will do so firsthand, and not be too happy about it.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded. The two made their way back to the outpost. Adion and Rufus had come out here to practice, as they had many days prior. Today, they were attacked by a beast during practice, which wasn¡¯t very unusual.
¡°It¡¯s probably a good thing to keep secret. Not that I¡¯m planning on revealing anything else about me, but if I¡¯m known as a Gifted in the future who can only freeze space, this might be useful as a surprise to my enemies.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Rufus said, ¡°Glad I¡¯m not your enemy then.¡±
I wonder where the limit for the ¡®space shredder¡¯ lies. Ugh, I really should come up with a better name for it. Even in my own head, I can¡¯t help but cringe.
Even if I manage to find some Words of Truth like Lomin, I might be too embarrassed to say them out loud if this is what my naming skills amount to.
¡°Adion!¡± Adion heard Sahra¡¯s voice up ahead. She was running toward him and Rufus.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Adion asked.
¡°That guy Konfed is here, the one working for Heavenly Light,¡± Sahra said.
¡°Did Eulen finally call for me to come back for the Oath?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It seems like that¡¯s the case,¡± Sahra nodded, ¡°Benji¡¯s at the inn talking with him. I said I would go to get you.¡±
Adion nodded with a serious expression on his face, ¡°It seems like it¡¯s time then,¡± He paused for a while before speaking again, ¡°Konfed is the one you¡¯ll have to capture then.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Will you kill him?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll probably have to. It depends on the situation, ¡° Adion said, ¡°If things are relatively calm, we might be able to bring him to Gerrinswood to swear an Oath of silence.¡±
¡°An Oath is no guarantee, though,¡± Rufus said, ¡°Even with a Moonlight Oak, it¡¯s not sure to kill him if he breaks his Oath. And he might spill your secrets in some way without being aware of it, which would leave him unaffected and the knowledge about you spreading, now even worse than ever before. There would probably be an active hunt from the entire Heavenly Light.¡±
¡°Haa,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll make the decision later. For now, let¡¯s get moving.¡±
¡°Are you nervous?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°A little,¡± Adion answered honestly, ¡°I¡¯m not naive to think that everything will go according to plan. But I still think we have a very good chance of succeeding.¡±
¡°Well, you¡¯ll have us to back you up,¡± Sahra said with a smile, ¡°Though¡If you fail to kill that Eulen guy, we¡¯re all probably going to die.¡±
¡°No pressure!¡± Rufus said with a grin and slapped Adion¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll die,¡± Adion said, ¡°But after that, things will get messy.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Focus on the Diamond mage.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
When they entered the inn, Adion immediately noticed Konfed. He was sitting opposite Benji and Lomin, tapping his fingers on the table impatiently. It would probably have come off as threatening if he wasn¡¯t only a peak Iron mage.
Konfed soon noticed Adion as well and stood up to meet him.
¡°Adion, Ganta! What are you doing? How long were you planning on taking?¡± Konfed said in a flustered voice.
¡°Sorry, I was just about to head back. I had a lot of thinking to do,¡± Adion said, ¡°It¡¯s a big decision, after all.¡±
¡°I understand that,¡± Konfed nodded in sympathy, ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t have taken this long. Eulen is pretty pissed. Better to decline immediately if that¡¯s what you¡¯re going to do. I hope you won¡¯t after making him wait this long, though.¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Adion shook his head.
¡°Good,¡± Konfed smiled, ¡°Then let¡¯s get going. I¡¯m afraid I have strict orders to take you back immediately. I even have my own carriage to bring us back fast.¡±
¡°Mm, let¡¯s get going,¡± Adion said. He looked at his teammates and saw that the situation had already landed, and they were ready. They had gone through the plan many times, but things rarely went according to plan.
I won¡¯t let any of you die, don¡¯t worry. Adion thought, and followed Konfed out of the inn along with his teammates.
Chapter 50 - Revenge
¡°Why did you join Heavenly Light, Konfed?¡± Adion asked. He was sitting next to him up front, while his teammates were traveling inside the carriage.
¡°Well, unlike most who join, I don¡¯t actually have any great grievance to beasts. I don¡¯t have a family left, but that¡¯s not because of beasts. It¡¯s because of humans.¡± Konfed explained.
¡°Oh?¡± Adion was a little surprised. Heavenly Light seemed deeply focused on the hatred of beasts, at least in their recruitment. ¡°Then why join?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a long story, but someone from Heavenly Light took good care of me when no one else did. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get the chance to have a family again. I¡¯m very lucky.¡± Konfed said with a smile.
Ah, even if he takes an Oath, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll trust it¡Do I have to kill you, Konfed?
¡°What about you?¡± Konfed asked Adion.
¡°Revenge,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Mm,¡± Konfed nodded in understanding, ¡°I also thought a lot about revenge once. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a path that leads to anything good. Now that I have people I care about again, I can¡¯t be so selfish to put them or myself in danger for anything as empty as revenge.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s see where that attitude brings you, Konfed,¡± Adion countered, ¡°The world won¡¯t change just because you do.¡±
¡°Well, maybe you''re right. But at least I¡¯ll have led a life I can be proud of.¡± Konfed said.
¡°So can I,¡± Adion answered.
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Konfed smiled, ¡°I wish you luck on your quest for vengeance. Under Diamond Eulen, you won¡¯t have any problems accomplishing that, I¡¯m sure.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion said before turning quiet and looking out to the road ahead again.
They continued their journey for hours, and by the time they made it back to Wender, it had already gotten dark. Adion had his hood pulled up. There was no reason to take a gamble that no one on the streets along the way would see him and remember his face.
¡°I¡¯m guessing I should head straight to Diamond Eulen?¡± Adion asked to make sure.
¡°Yeah,¡± Konfed nodded.
They arrived at the gate leading to the city, and Konfed handled talking to the guard. Adion also noticed that his teammates stepped out of the carriage.
¡°We¡¯ll walk from here,¡± Benji said, ¡°We¡¯ll see you later at the inn, Adion.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded. He knew that they wouldn¡¯t actually go back to the inn but follow them from a distance.
It wasn¡¯t long before Adion and Konfed arrived in front of the manor where Eulen resided. They jumped off the carriage and walked up to the two guards at the entrance.
¡°Hi there, Konfed,¡± One of the guards said, ¡°A little late, but I was to let you through no matter how late it is.¡±
¡°Not envious of you, kid,¡± The other guard said, looking at Adion, ¡°Hopefully, you¡¯ll get away with a scolding.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion simply nodded. He and Konfed then made their way to the mansion he had been to the last time he visited.
¡°Does everyone here know about me?¡± Adion asked Konfed as they were walking.
¡°Well, Diamond Eulen kind of lost his patience last night. I think a lot of people heard him yelling. The guards probably figured it was you that his anger was directed at when he saw you with me.¡± Konfed answered.
I guess that¡¯s fine. Those guards won¡¯t live past tonight anyway.
When they got to the main mansion, Konfed stepped up and knocked on the door. It didn¡¯t take long before the butler, Jakett, opened the door to let them in.
¡°You, head up to Diamond Eulen,¡± He said to Adion, ¡°Konfed, I have something to talk to you about.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded and made his way to Eulen¡¯s study. He was nervous but didn¡¯t think he needed to hide it. It was expected, considering how he¡¯d angered a Diamond mage.
Adion felt the presences in the mansion through his sphere of space mana. It seemed fewer people were around than the last time Adion had visited. Those Bronze mages that Adion assumed were servants seemed to have gone home for the day.
Those Gold mages aren¡¯t here either. That¡¯s good. But If they have heard Eulen talking about me, it would be good if they got killed. That Hettim knows my face too.
Adion arrived in front of the door leading to Eulen¡¯s study and prepared to knock, but before he got a chance, Eulen¡¯s voice rang out from inside the room.
¡°Come in, Adion,¡± He said.
Adion didn¡¯t stall and immediately stepped inside. He bowed low and greeted the Diamond, ¡°Good evening, Diamond Eulen. I apologize for my tardiness, but I had a good reason.¡±
Eulen stared quietly at Adion for a moment before speaking, ¡°And what reason would explain your absence for two months, knowing full well that your superior is waiting for you?¡±
¡°I have a treasure that I believe will make you forget any anger toward me, and perhaps even want to praise me to the skies,¡± Adion honestly answered.
Eulen raised his eyebrows in interest, ¡°Very well, take a seat. I hope you are correct in your assumptions. A treasure for you might not be one for me after all.¡±
Adion straightened his back again and went to take a seat in front of Eulen¡¯s desk.
¡°So?¡± Eulen asked, ¡°What is it?¡±
Here we go. Adion thought as he grabbed the Grand Soul Clarity Pill in his pocket.
Adion had practiced sensing pills for the past weeks and discovered that pills indeed have a type of aura, like Dellia said. It was not the same type of aura that stemmed from the soul, but Adion didn¡¯t know what to call it besides ¡®aura¡¯; he could sense it with his aura sense, after all.
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He could now not only tell them apart just through his aura sense, but he could also hide their aura with his own if he kept them close to his body. Something done naturally to a certain extent, which is why Dellia couldn¡¯t feel the pill Adion had had in his pocket when they talked.
But in front of a Diamond mage, Adion had taken the necessary precautions and actively hidden the pill¡¯s aura. He also focused on his killing intent, which was starting to slowly show its presence in his aura. He had practiced hiding it a lot, but he wasn¡¯t sure it was enough to slip by a Diamond mage¡¯s senses. Hopefully, the pill would help distract Eulen from feeling anything off.
Adion slowly lifted up the pill from his pocket. At the same time, he took control of the space behind Eulen¡¯s head using his Authority. He froze the space, preparing his attack.
¡°It¡¯s this pill,¡± Adion said, dropping the pill on the desk between them.
He could feel Eulen¡¯s shock as the pill¡¯s aura was released.
Adion immediately split the space into 128 separate spaces and made them move around as fast as he could with his Will. He then controlled it to push into the back of Eulen¡¯s head, trying to force control over the space there.
It all happened so fast. Adion felt he got some damage done, but Eulen reacted almost immediately. Eulen sprang to his feet and conjured a blade of water that was shot toward Adion.
Adion tried to use his Authority over space to stop the attack, but it only managed to slow it down somewhat. Adion felt how his torso was almost cut in two. He yelled out in pain and immediately pulled out a Supreme Healing Pill of Mesana.
Adion made the mistake of looking down and could see his guts spilling out. With very shaky hands, he focused on bringing the healing pill to his mouth.
As soon as he swallowed the pill, his wounds started closing up, and Adion felt an enormous amount of healing energy course through his body.
Adion got up and prepared for the next attack. But as he looked toward Eulen, he noticed the Diamond¡¯s eyes slowly closing. The next moment Eulen was on the floor, and Adion saw a big bloody hole on the back of his head.
It worked!
Adion immediately brought out his sword and cut Eulen¡¯s head off, not taking any chances.
I did it. I killed a Diamond mage. At the cost of one of my healing pills, but I counted on that being the case. Hopefully, that¡¯s the only one I have to use tonight.
Adion smiled. Guess I¡¯m going to cause Heavenly Light some serious trouble sooner than I expected.
He closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. Mom, Dad. This is the first step. When I¡¯m finished, not one member of this group will be alive to threaten our family again.
Adion didn¡¯t have much time to be left in thought, though. He could feel several Silver mages approaching.
They must¡¯ve thought nothing much of the sounds, but now that Eulen¡¯s aura has disappeared, they must have started wondering.
Adion grabbed the Grand Soul Clarity Pill that had fallen to the floor and ran out of the room into the hallway. He could feel two high Silver mages were coming from the right. Adion ran up to meet them.
¡°Help! Diamond Eulen, he is, he is,¡± Adion tried his best to act scared.
The Silver mages quickly approached Adion, ¡°He is what?¡± One of them hurried Adion.
Adion was now in front of both of them, and their guards were down. Adion froze the space surrounding them and quickly slashed his sword across their throats.
He could just barely hold on to the second man before managing to kill him. If he had been only a second slower, the fight might have been a lot more difficult.
Hopefully, they¡¯ll get here soon. It won¡¯t be easy facing that kind of situation many more times. Adion thought as he observed the mansion through his sphere of space mana, looking for his teammates.
I guess it will take them a while. I¡¯ll have to do what I can.
Thankfully, Adion could feel that only five more Silver mages were left in the mansion. Two of them were in the basement, guarding the treasury. Two others were running toward him from the same direction the other two had come from. Adion ran up to meet them to employ the same tactic. The last Silver was the butler, who seemed to be walking briskly in Adion¡¯s direction next to Konfed. But they were still a distance away.
¡°Please hurry!¡± Adion yelled as he met up with the two Silver mages.
¡°What¡¯s going on? Who is-¡± But before the man could finish his sentence his body was frozen stiff and a sword cut his throat open. His colleague experienced the same end a second later.
Their Will was a little weaker, fortunately. But still too close for comfort.
Adion turned to the direction where the last Silver mage was coming from.
That butler might be tricky. He¡¯s not running here in a panic. He might be on his guard more. But that also gives me some time to think about how to deal with him. Konfed won¡¯t be a problem; he was supposed to be captured by the others, but he hasn¡¯t had time to leave yet. I guess I¡¯ll have to question him myself.
Adion decided that it wasn¡¯t worth risking being attacked when running towards Jakett like he had the others. Supreme Healing Pills of Mesana weren¡¯t growing on trees. So he sat down in the hallway in a meditative position, and closed his eyes.
He focused on Jakett¡¯s and Konfed¡¯s approaching figures through his space sense. Adion hoped that his non-threatening and odd position would give Jakett some pause.
It didn¡¯t take long before Jakett and Konfed appeared before him. Jakett stopped about 12 feet away from Adion and stared at him warily. And that was good enough for Adion.
¡°What-¡± Jakett didn¡¯t get to finish as his body was frozen and the back of his head busted open. Adion let go of the space and let Jakett¡¯s dead body drop to the floor.
¡°Adion, what¡what is¡¡± Konfed stammered with a pale face.
¡°Who knows about me being here today?¡± Adion asked as he stood up and stared at Konfed.
¡°Adion, did you just-¡± Konfed tried asking, but was interrupted as his body was frozen in space, only his head free to move.
¡°I asked who knows about me being here today,¡± Adion asked.
¡°I¡I don¡¯t know Adion. I was ordered to bring you back to Eulen by Jakett,¡± Konfed tried to look around, probably confused about where Eulen was, ¡°I think Gold Hettim and Gold Darto would know about it, though.¡±
I think so, too. The possibility that they know about me is certainly not low enough for me to feel safe while they live.
Adion focused on Konfed. He was still unsure of how to deal with him.
This isn¡¯t a decision I can take back if I regret it.
¡°Adion¡?¡± Konfed hesitantly asked as Adion turned quiet.
Leaving him alive would be annoying, but¡I guess killing him might provoke a worse feeling. Screw it.
¡°You¡¯ll come with me,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to Gerrinswood, where you¡¯ll have to swear an Oath so strict you¡¯ll wish it were a slave Oath. That or die.¡±
Konfed looked at Adion, conflicted, ¡°I won¡¯t do that, Adion.¡± he said resolutely, ¡°Never. Shouldn¡¯t my word be good enough?¡±
¡°Are you crazy?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Not even your Oath is good enough, I¡¯m just trying to find some way to let you live. You won¡¯t be a slave. It¡¯s simply an Oath of strict secrecy.¡±
Konfed shook his head with tears in his eyes, his body still frozen in space, ¡°My grandfather was a slave, you know. Kuwamin. My parents were slaves. Only I got away. My grandfather told me that even if the other option was death, I should never swear an Oath.¡±
¡°Who cares what your damn grandfather says?¡± Adion said in a slightly raised voice. He pulled out his sword and walked up to Konfed. ¡°Oath or death. Last chance, Konfed.¡±
Konfed seemed to hesitate for a moment before more tears started running down his cheeks, ¡°I¡I won¡¯t swear on Oath, Adion.¡±
Adion sighed, ¡°Like so many else tonight, you don¡¯t deserve to die. But you made friends with the wrong people. My enemies. So I won¡¯t let you live.¡±
Adion raised his sword above Konfed¡¯s neck, ¡°I¡¯m not sorry,¡± he said and swung his sword. Konfed¡¯s head fell on the floor. Adion let go over the space holding his body, and took a few moments to gather himself.
That wasn¡¯t fun. But I should get used to it. It is only the beginning.
Chapter 51 - Lets rob this place
Adion stared down at Konfed¡¯s dead body in deep thought. He knew that many people would die tonight who hadn¡¯t necessarily committed any evil. They were however, knowingly or unknowingly, working for and helping an evil organization.
And they are enemies. I¡¯m not strong enough to afford showing my enemies mercy.
Adion felt how Sahra and Rufus finally entered the mansion. They seemed to be heading down to the treasury. Adion had explained the layout of the building beforehand, and it was decided that they should meet up there when they got inside if they didn¡¯t hear any ongoing fights. Adion didn¡¯t have enough space in his backpack to carry everything in the treasury, and he had no plans on leaving any of that behind.
Benji and Lomin would be on the lookout outside and take care to warn them if anything unexpected happened.
Adion hurried downstairs to meet up with Sahra and Rufus. He noticed that they had been caught by the two guards and seemed to be fighting.
Damn, why didn¡¯t they wait? Maybe the guards noticed the disturbance I caused and were on edge. Even if Sahra and Rufus stayed back, their aura might have exposed them.
Adion ran as fast as he could, not wanting his teammates to get injured. Their opponents were two Silver mages, nothing Rufus and Sahra could handle easily.
It didn¡¯t even take a full minute for Adion to reach the fight. But as soon as he did, he heard Sahra yell out in pain, followed by Rufus¡¯s terrified voice.
¡°Sahra!¡± Rufus yelled as he ran to his companion''s side.
Adion saw that a sword had pierced Sahra, coming clean through her back.
Damn. This is bad. That is a very lethal wound.
¡°Rufus!¡± Adion yelled, ¡°Pull out the sword and feed her this pill.¡± Adion then threw him a Supreme Healing Pill of Mesana and ran toward the two Silver mages, who were very much still alive. Adion¡¯s Will was pretty exhausted, but he powered through and froze the one closest to him in space and slit his throat with his sword.
It worked wonders as usual, and the mage fell to the floor dead. It had allowed the other guard to attack Adion, though, as both his teammates were busy. Adion got hit by a ball of fire that did a lot more damage than any fire Adion could conjure. Thankfully, Adion had Authority over fire, so he quickly wrestled it out of the Silver mage¡¯s control and grabbed the fire for himself.
Adion threw it right back at the mage, the fire still full of the same concepts that managed to injure Adion¡¯s arm and shoulder.
His opponent made the mistake of thinking he could move out of the way of Adion¡¯s fire, but Adion wasn¡¯t like any usual fire mage who lost control of his fire after a few seconds. As the ball of fire passed the guard, he used his Will to pull it back again, hitting the Silver mage in the back of the head.
Adion Willed it to burn and dig into the man¡¯s body. It wouldn¡¯t take long for it to do the job, but Adion didn¡¯t see the need to take chances, so he ran up to the man and froze him space, cutting his head clean off with a swing of his sword.
Damn. That hurts. But I¡¯ll be damned if I waste another of those healing pills. I only have four left.
Adion winced in pain as he touched the nasty burn that spread from his elbow to his shoulder. He tried ignoring the pain and made his way to Sahra, who had just swallowed the pill and was completely healed.
Both Sahra and Rufus looked at Adion with wide eyes as he approached them.
¡°Adion, just what kind of pill was that?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°I found it in the treasury the last time I was here,¡± Adion answered, ¡°Sorry for not telling you. I thought to save it against my fight against Eulen. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t need it.¡±
¡°They have something as incredible as this in that treasury?¡± Rufus asked, shocked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°It was the only one that was placed separated from the other pills. I could feel that it was a very strong healing pill from its aura and couldn¡¯t resist taking it with me.¡±
¡°Just where could they have gotten something like this?¡± Rufus asked in a low voice, seemingly completely believing Adion¡¯s words, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a healing pill coming even close to this power. It has to be¡Crimson, no? Black? Sahra was basically dead!¡±
Adion noticed that Rufus''s cheeks were wet.
Adion also knew how serious the situation was, which is why he didn¡¯t hesitate to throw him the pill.
Sahra hadn¡¯t said a word yet. She was touching the place where a sword had just pierced her. Only smoothed skin could be seen there now.
¡°I feel like even if someone chops my head off, a new one will immediately grow out,¡± Sahra said in a low voice.
¡°That¡¡± Rufus looked at Sahra hesitantly.
¡°Never mind,¡± Sahra shook her head. She then looked at Adion with a beautiful smile. ¡°I was sure I¡¯d die. I was sure. Thank you, Adion.¡±
She then got up and embraced him in a hug, ¡°Thank you.¡±
Adion hadn¡¯t hesitated for a second before sacrificing a pill to save Sahra. It was an obvious thing to do. But he still felt a little bad about losing another Supreme Healing Pill of Mesana.
But suddenly, feeling Sahra¡¯s gratefulness, he wasn¡¯t feeling so bad anymore.
¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Adion said, ¡°And sorry, but I have gotten some burns so¡¡±
¡°Oh! Sorry,¡± Sahra said as she let go of Adion, realizing it must have hurt him a lot.
¡°It¡¯s okay. It was worth it,¡± Adion said with a grin.
Sahra looked at him in shock for a moment before bursting out in laughter along with Rufus.
¡°Hahaha! If I didn¡¯t have Benji and you were a few years older, I might have really fallen for you right there, Adion.¡± Sahra said with a smile.
Rufus stepped up and threw an arm around Adion¡¯s shoulder, ¡°That was pretty smooth, Adion. You¡¯re a natural.¡±
Adion just shook his head with a smile. He didn¡¯t mean anything by it. ¡°Let¡¯s rob this place. What do you say?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Sahra said enthusiastically.
Adion stepped to the door and noticed it was locked.
I should have checked for keys on Eulen¡¯s body.
¡°I¡¯ll teleport inside and see if I can let you in,¡± Adion said and started focusing on the space inside the treasure.
A few seconds later, he appeared in the treasury, just like he had done the last time he visited.
Adion went to the door, and from inside, it was no difficulty opening it.
¡°Come on in,¡± Adion said as he ushered Sahra and Rufus inside. Sahra conjured a fire and used it to light a torch on the side of the wall.
¡°Amazing,¡± Sahra said in a low voice.
¡°We¡¯re rich!¡± Rufus exclaimed happily.
¡°Let¡¯s hurry. Get everything you can into your backpacks, and we¡¯ll take a closer look later,¡± Adion said, moving to the stacks of documents. He hoped that there would be some valuable information in there somewhere.
Sahra and Rufus also began taking the coins, beast cores, and pills off the shelves and shoving them into their packs.
¡°With these pills, it might not be long for me to reach high Silver,¡± Sahra said with glistening eyes.
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¡°To think they¡¯d have so many Vastro coins,¡± Rufus commented, ¡°We¡¯ll be living in luxury with this amount.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°It is probably the entire wealth of the Heavenly Light branch in the Silver Wall.¡±
It didn¡¯t take long before they finished collecting the valuables and got ready to leave.
¡°What now?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°I don¡¯t want to leave those Golds behind,¡± Adion said, ¡°I think I can catch them unprepared. So you guys head back to Lomin and Benji while I go over to the mansion they¡¯re staying at. Sahra, start a fire here that will catch people¡¯s attention. I will pretend to have information about the attack and bring Hettim and that Darto here.¡±
¡°Are you sure that¡¯s necessary?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Adion said, ¡°I think they know that I was supposed to meet Eulen tonight. And Hettim knows my face. I¡¯ll be a lot more relaxed knowing they¡¯re dead.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Sahra nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°Wear these,¡± Adion said and handed them four white masks that he found in the treasury, ¡°This will definitely cause a ruckus, and we can¡¯t expect to kill everyone with eyes on the situation.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Sahra said as she and Rufus accepted the masks, saving two of them for Lomin and Benji.
Adion then took off, heading for the other mansion on the manor where the two Gold mages were, while Sahra conjured fire to set the mansion ablaze.
My Will isn¡¯t precisely in top shape at the moment, but if the two mages are focused on the scene of the mansion burning and have their heads buzzing with thoughts, I should manage to kill them by catching them off-guard.
Adion himself donned a mask, as there could be some eyes on who left the mansion. He then quickly made his way to the mansion where he could now feel the auras of the two Gold mages.
Arriving at the front door, Adion removed his mask and made his way inside without knocking.
¡°Gold Hettim! Gold Darto! Quick, we¡¯re under attack!¡± Adion yelled.
It didn¡¯t take long before the two Golds rushed to his location. Four Silver mages who seemed to be stationed in the mansion also appeared.
¡°Adion?¡± Hettim asked as he arrived next to Darto.
¡°Gold Hettim, please come quick. Diamond Eulen is injured, Jakett is dead, I¡I¡¡± Adion put on a show as well as he could.
¡°Who¡¯s attacking?¡± Darto asked in a strict voice.
¡°They are at Diamond Eulen¡¯s mansion, please, hurry!¡± Adion stressed.
¡°Alright, alright, calm down,¡± Hettim said, ¡°Everyone! With me!¡±
The two Gold and four Silver mages followed Adion outside, and they all soon caught sight of the mansion, now engulfed in flames.
¡°What is-¡± Hettim started but didn¡¯t get to finish as Adion smashed the back of his head in with his space.
¡°What just happened?¡± Adion yelled in shock. ¡°It¡¯s the same thing that happened to Jakett!¡±
Darto and the Silver mages all jumped away from Hettim in shock, ¡°Did anyone see what just happened?¡± Darto asked.
¡°His head was just bashed in out of nowhere,¡± One of the Silver mages said.
¡°It¡¯s them!¡± Adion yelled as he pointed to the masked Rufus and Sahra exiting the burning mansion.
Everyone¡¯s attention was now focused on the two masked people in the distance, and Adion took the opportunity for his second attack.
A violent crushing of bones could be heard, and everyone looked to Darto, who was falling to the ground, the same injury as Hettim adorning the back of his head.
¡°What is happening?¡± Adion asked loudly.
¡°It¡¯s him!¡± One of the Silver mages yelled and pointed to Adion, ¡°I was suspicious, so I paid attention just now. I don¡¯t know how he did it, but it was definitely him!¡±
Well, they would notice something sooner or later. But the two Golds are already dead.
Adion froze the space around the Silver mage closest to him and quickly cut his throat.
A rock was conjured and thrown at Adion¡¯s head in quick response. Adion reacted in time, though, and stopped it in space before it hit him.
Adion then jumped away to make some distance between himself and the rest of the Silver mages. A long vine of fire was thrown after him and almost managed to wrap around Adion¡¯s body.
Fancy spell. Adion thought and froze the fire in space. The fire mage let go of his control over the fire, allowing Adion to take it for himself without much effort.
He grabbed as much of the fire as his Authority allowed, and threw it right back. And it wasn¡¯t the only fire attack that was thrown at the remaining three Silvers either.
Benji! Lomin!
Backup had arrived, and now Adion was more confident in fighting up close. He ran up to the earth mage and froze him in space before piercing his sword through his heart. The fire mage was handled by Lomin and Benji at the same time. Only one enemy remained.
¡°Wait, I have a famil-¡± He didn¡¯t get a chance to speak further before the back of his head was busted open by Adion¡¯s volatile space.
Adion was completely exhausted but knew this wasn¡¯t the place to rest. He put on the mask again and made his way over to Benji and Lomin.
¡°Thanks, let¡¯s move.¡± He said and took off.
¡°Sahra and Rufus?¡± Benji asked.
¡°That¡¯s them,¡± Adion said, pointing out the masked pair running toward them.
It didn¡¯t take long to meet up. Lomin and Benji got a white mask each and immediately put them on.
¡°This way,¡± Benji said, ¡°There is a place where we should be able to get over the walls and escape unnoticed. At least more so than through the front gate.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded, and they all followed Benji to the north side of the manor. Adion spotted a few people arriving, watching the burning mansion. A few probably got a look at their group running away, but Adion didn¡¯t have time to take care of them. There would only be more and more people coming as they noticed the fire and commotion. They were masked, so he wasn¡¯t too worried.
Benji led them to a wall 10 feet high that they managed to get over without much effort, landing on the neighboring manor.
¡°This way, get ready to remove the masks and slow down to a walk once we make it out onto the street,¡± Benji told the group.
Everyone nodded and picked up the pace once again. It only took them a minute to reach a wall bordering the street.
¡°Wait,¡± Adion said. He could feel that people were walking past on the other side of the wall through his sphere of space mana.
It took half a minute before the coast was clear. Everyone had removed their masks by that point.
¡°Now,¡± Adion said, and they all climbed the wall and dropped down on the street on the other side.
¡°Calm your breathing. Act natural,¡± Adion advised.
Everyone nodded with serious faces and started walking, trying not to hurry their steps too much despite the situation.
It took them a few minutes before they reached a big street. Even though it was late, a lot of people were still milling about.
¡°We should be good now, no?¡± Rufus asked in a low voice.
¡°Probably,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But let¡¯s hold off on the celebration until we make some distance from the city.¡±
Adion felt that every minute seemed to stretch out forever as they walked. The news of what had happened in the center of the city eventually passed them, and they could hear people discussing it on the streets.
Hopefully, Heavenly Light doesn¡¯t carry enough weight to close down the city gates. No one stronger than a Silver mage remains in town, so it¡¯s unlikely.
After 30 of the longest minutes of Adion¡¯s life, the group reached the north city gate.
¡°Heading out so late?¡± One of the guards asked Benji as they were about to leave.
¡°Haah,¡± Benji sighed, ¡°We were supposed to head out for a mission in Gerrinswood this morning, but someone spent all night drinking, waking up midday on the other side of town.¡±
Benji stared angrily at Rufus as he said the last part.
Rufus scratched the back of his head in feigned embarrassment. ¡°Sorry, boss. But you should¡¯ve seen the women there!¡±
¡°Whatever,¡± Benji shook his head tiredly, ¡°We good to leave? I heard there was some commotion in the city center? You¡¯re not closing the gate, right? We¡¯ll get heavily scolded if we can¡¯t arrive by the day after tomorrow.¡±
¡°Nothing like that,¡± The guard said, shaking his head with a smile. ¡°Just a little curious. You guys take care out there.¡±
¡°Thanks. Have a good night,¡± Benji said.
The group continued walking at a leisurely pace for a good while before they were a good distance away from Wender, and they were the only ones in the surroundings.
¡°We¡¯re rich! Hahaha!¡± Sahra yelled in celebration.
¡°Wait until you guys see what those bastards had in their treasury,¡± Rufus joined in.
¡°Haaah,¡± Benji sat down on the ground with a tired smile, ¡°That was thrilling and all. But please, never again.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Adion said with a pleased smile, ¡°The next time I make a move, I¡¯ll be sure to be strong enough that there are no risks involved. But that is for the future. We should relax and celebrate for now, no?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right, Adion. Hahaha!¡± Rufus threw an arm around Adion¡¯s shoulders and laughed. ¡°Come on, you too, Lomin! Show some excitement. Bet you never thought you¡¯d get to return home with a story like this, huh?¡±
¡°Well, it was certainly a-,¡± Lomin tried but was interrupted by Rufus.
¡°Boooring.¡± Rufus faked a yawn, ¡°Come on, Lomin. Show some excitement!¡±
Rufus then looked around the group and started chanting, ¡°Lomin, Lomin, Lomin, Lomin! Come on, everyone! Lomin!¡±
¡°Lomin!¡± Sahra joined in with a smile.
¡°Lomin! Lomin!¡± Adion and Benji joined in on the silliness.
Lomin couldn¡¯t hold back a smile and raised his hands up in the air, ¡°WOHO!!!¡±
¡°Hahahaha!¡± Everyone laughed for minutes, the tension of the past weeks vanishing completely.
Chapter 52 - Newfound wealth
¡°We should find another place to rob,¡± Sahra said excitedly.
¡°I don¡¯t think this town has anything worth robbing,¡± Rufus said, ¡°We¡¯ll have to head up to Dorbarta for a chance at getting something worth anything. That Tyllen family is a Noble family now. I bet they have some nice treasures.¡±
¡°See what you¡¯ve done?¡± Benji said to Adion.
¡°Okay, guys.¡± Adion interjected, ¡°It won¡¯t matter how much valuables we¡¯ll be able to steal if we don¡¯t have the strength to protect it.¡±
¡°Not exactly what I had in mind, but sure,¡± Benji said, shrugging shoulders.
¡°Ah!¡± Sahra turned to Adion, ¡°That¡¯s the best part. With the pills and money we steal, we¡¯ll get stronger a lot quicker!¡±
¡°Well, we should spend the money first if that¡¯s the case,¡± Adion said.
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Sahra nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m far from reaching high Silver. I might become the youngest Gold in history at this rate.¡±
Adion shook his head but couldn¡¯t help but smile. Both Rufus and Sahra had become slightly obsessed with the idea of repeating their robbery. Adion could understand them. Everyone in the group had received 15 Focus Pills and 8 Tempering Pills, along with plenty of other valuables. Especially enough money to buy even more pills when they ran out. Adion was a little underwhelmed by the pills, but that might be because his advancement was so fast even without them, and he had plenty of other ways to increase his strength.
But being rich was a nice feeling. The group''s mood had been at an all-time high since the robbery two days ago. They had walked north until they reached the town they were just now entering.
¡°Should we rent a carriage?¡± Lomin asked.
¡°Rent?¡± Sahra scoffed, ¡°We¡¯ll buy one. Ganta, we¡¯ll buy one for each of us.¡±
¡°You should probably be the one in charge of your economy in the future, Benji,¡± Adion said.
¡°I¡¯ve come to realize that,¡± Benji sighed.
¡°Have you decided where we¡¯re going, Benji?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°I think we should head up to an outpost outside of Dorbarta. It will give us some distance to Wender but won¡¯t take too long to travel. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re on the run, but it will feel safer to be away from that place for a while.¡± Benji said.
¡°What about Vianca?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind moving closer to Cyalis.¡±
¡°It might be a little dangerous. There are plenty of areas with Gold and even Diamond beasts in those areas,¡± Benji responded, ¡°We could go there if we stay out of the Outskirts though. I¡¯ve heard Vianca is a very nice city.¡±
¡°I would prefer staying in the Outskirts. We can¡¯t grow lazy just because we¡¯re rich. We need to continue training to grow strong.¡± Adion said.
¡°Can¡¯t you take a moment to relax, Adion?¡± Sahra said, ¡°You deserve a break more than anyone.¡±
¡°I guess I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to having a small break,¡± Adion said, ¡°But we should still head for a place where we¡¯ll get good training.¡±
¡°Adion is right. We can take our time to travel to the outposts of Dorbarta, and perhaps visit a few towns along the way. But we shouldn¡¯t laze around either. Aren¡¯t we all aiming for Soul mages?¡± Benji asked with a grin, ¡°We still have a long way to go.¡±
¡°Haaah,¡± Rufus sighed, ¡°You have even managed to brainwash our leader with those fantasies of yours, Adion. But I suppose being a Soul mage doesn¡¯t sound too bad. I¡¯m sure the ladies will love it.¡±
¡°Whatever motivates you,¡± Benji said with a smile, ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s get a carriage and some fast beasts to pull it.¡±
¡°We¡¯re not gonna take a moment to celebrate?¡± Rufus asked, ¡°We¡¯re finally in a place with beer. We should stay the night.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure Heavenly Light will realize that their treasury was cleaned out,¡± Benji said, ¡°It might not be a good look to throw a big celebration this close and this soon. We¡¯ll celebrate properly once we get to our destination.¡±
¡°That makes sense, I guess,¡± Rufus nodded.
The group followed Benji as he went to a place where they rented out carriages. Adion was a little lost in thought, though.
What should I focus on now? I guess getting my teleportation up to par so I can use it in battle isn¡¯t a bad idea. My new attack could use a lot of work. I haven¡¯t really gotten far on my concepts for fire. I should ask Sahra and Benji for help on that.
I also have my shadow affinity. It feels stupid to just leave that ability useless. My water affinity hasn¡¯t gotten anywhere, either. But space and fire are just too important. I¡¯m a space mage, after all, and it¡¯s my most powerful weapon. And fire will be needed to use as a cover in Cyalis Academy.
I might just have to hold off on everything else for a while longer. But it will be nice to stay in the Outskirts with everyone. The weeks we spent in Rettor were very effective for training. I¡¯m looking forward to experiencing the same thing without the looming threat of a Diamond mage hanging over us.
¡°Hey, Adion,¡± Rufus said in a low voice. Benji was talking to someone about renting a carriage a few dozen feet away.
¡°What?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You get any useful information from those papers? Any leads to other branches?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°Not as much as I thought,¡± Adion said, ¡°The papers were mostly concerning things happening around the Silver Wall. Most of that information is useless now anyway. But a few tidbits were interesting for sure. I¡¯ve only skimmed it so far. It will take a while to read everything thoroughly.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Rufus nodded, ¡°Just wanted to make sure you¡¯re not planning anything stupid. You know Sahra and I are mostly joking about new robberies and all that. Sahra almost died after all. Even if you find something, you¡¯ll have time to take care of it in the future.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I know, don¡¯t worry.¡±
It didn¡¯t take long to sort out the carriage, and the group continued their way north. Adion sat in the carriage opposite Rufus and Lomin, while Benji and Sahra were seated up front, making sure the Silver beasts pulling the carriage didn¡¯t run off course.
¡°Something interesting?¡± Rufus asked Adion.
Adion was sitting reading through the papers he had stolen from the treasury. The previous two days, the group had been traveling by foot, and reading through them thoroughly wasn¡¯t really convenient.
¡°It seems the burning of Iitha was done by Heavenly Light,¡± Adion said with his eyes on the paper.
¡°What!?¡± Rufus yelled out in shock.
¡°It seems what happened to your family wasn¡¯t an exception from their usual way of doing things,¡± Lomin commented.
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¡°Why would they do that?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°It seems it was done to create a misunderstanding that the Fire Phoenix Church was behind it,¡± Adion said, ¡°But it¡¯s strange. It seems like they weren¡¯t expecting people to actually believe it. Or at least they don¡¯t seem afraid of people not believing the story.¡±
¡°So why did they do it?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know. They might just have wanted to do damage to Iitha for some reason. There¡¯s not really a detailed plan in here,¡± Adion said.
¡°To pull something like that off,¡± Rufus muttered, ¡°And what you told us about what they¡¯re planning to do in Valis. Heavenly Light is definitely not weak. I know you already planned on staying low, but now more than ever, you should realize that you are far too weak to deal with them. For now, at least.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rufus. Do you really think you have to convince me to train?¡± Adion asked with a small smirk.
¡°Haha,¡± Rufus chuckled, ¡°I guess not, no.¡±
¡°By the way, how far are you guys from reaching high Silver?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I¡¯m still a few months off at least,¡± Rufus said, ¡°Even with the pills. I¡¯m not as talented as Sahra and Benji.¡±
¡°I¡¯m probably at least a year away,¡± Lomin said with an awkward smile, ¡°We faelin are not as fast in advancement as humans. In any other group of people, I¡¯d probably be able to carry my head high anyway thanks to my Words of Truth. But in front of you, it doesn¡¯t seem all that impressive anymore, Adion.¡±
¡°What are you talking about? I would love to find some Deep Concept and manage to ingrain it in my core. I don¡¯t even know how to get started, least of all reaching your level.¡± Adion said earnestly.
¡°Haha,¡± Lomin chuckled, ¡°Well, thank you. It isn¡¯t that I¡¯m not aware that I¡¯ve accomplished something great. But next to a high Bronze mage who managed to think of a way to kill a Diamond mage in two months, and then actually succeed in doing so, everything seems to pale in comparison.¡±
¡°Not only a Diamond mage, two Gold mages too, and Silver mages were cut down like they were Irons,¡± Rufus added.
¡°Well, they were all distracted, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. And if it were a fair fight, they would be able to kill me before I had a chance of doing anything.¡± Adion said.
¡°But you were the one who distracted them. Who says you only have to fight using magic? As I see it, you went head to head against a Diamond mage and won,¡± Lomin said, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what your next surprise will be.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll have something like that,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ll just focus on my concepts and polishing my teleportation and new volatile space attack.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll shock us plenty more,¡± Lomin said with a smile, ¡°If I return to Fornia with my Words of Truth, it is sure to be highly regarded, but the stories about you will make my fellow faelin forget all about them.¡±
¡°You planning on ratting out Adion?¡± Rufus asked jokingly.
¡°Not if he doesn¡¯t want me to, of course. But I¡¯m sure he will be too strong to care about that by the time I return to Fornia,¡± Lomin answered.
¡°You think way too highly of me, Lomin,¡± Adion said.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Rufus laughed loudly, ¡°Adion, do you think it¡¯s common for someone to kill a Diamond as a Bronze? I wouldn¡¯t believe it if someone said they killed a Gold as a Bronze, let alone a Diamond.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s unusual,¡± Adion said, ¡°But surely it¡¯s been done before. Diamond mages are far from invincible.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Rufus shrugged, ¡°But you should be a little more aware of your own uniqueness. Otherwise, you might make those poor kids at Cyalis give up on their dreams altogether, hearing you speak of the impossible in such nonchalant terms.¡±
¡°Well, I do realize that much,¡± Adion said.
Rufus and Lomin looked at each other, questioning Adion¡¯s words.
¡°Whatever,¡± Adion shrugged.
They continued traveling through the day, with Adion reading through all the papers he had stolen. Unfortunately there wasn¡¯t much more juicy information. When it started to darken, the carriage came to a stop, and the group made a fire ready for dinner.
¡°How are your burns, Adion?¡± Benji asked as he put a piece of meat on over the fire.
¡°It¡¯s almost completely healed now,¡± Adion said. He had not wanted to waste one of his precious healing pills on the wounds, but there were some pretty powerful healing pills in the treasury that he didn¡¯t mind taking.
¡°Yellow Healing Pills are a lot more powerful than Green ones, it seems,¡± Benji commented.
¡°You¡¯ve never had a Yellow Healing Pill before?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No, they are far too expensive. Well, not anymore, I guess,¡± Benji answered.
¡°They didn¡¯t have Yellow Pills at the Merond family?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°I¡¯m sure there were some, but nothing I got sent with me,¡± Benji answered.
¡°Merond family?¡± Adion asked.
¡°My family clan,¡± Benji answered, ¡°I never told you about it?¡±
¡°No,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°I just heard you were from a 2nd tier family in Rellen.¡±
¡°He doesn¡¯t really talk much about his family,¡± Rufus said, ¡°Why is that, Benji?¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s just not very interesting, that¡¯s all,¡± Benji answered.
¡°I¡¯m sure hearing about a friend¡¯s upbringing in a foreign land is anything but uninteresting,¡± Lomin said with a smile.
¡°Well, for all your stories, I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve ever heard anything about your upbringing, Lomin,¡± Benji countered.
¡°...It¡¯s not very interesting,¡± Lomin said with slight embarrassment.
¡°Am I seriously the only one who has shared about my family?¡± Adion questioned, ¡°That¡¯s unfair.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Benji laughed lightly, ¡°You¡¯re right, sorry, Adion. I¡¯ll be sure to tell you everything you want to know.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t we visit your family?¡± Sahra asked, ¡°I''ve never met your parents, after all.¡±
¡°It¡¯s quite far to Rellen, Sahra,¡± Benji said.
¡°I¡¯m not saying to visit now, but Adion is going to head to Cyalis soon anyway. We could travel with him and stop by your family, no?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°That would be nice,¡± Adion put in.
Benji looked around hesitantly, ¡°I don¡¯t think my family is worth visiting.¡±
¡°Oh, come on, Benji,¡± Sahra said, ¡°I know you don¡¯t get along very well, but it¡¯s still your family. Shouldn¡¯t you at least introduce me?¡±
¡°Well¡¡± Benji paused, ¡°We won¡¯t be able to hunt any beasts. We live far from the Outskirts.¡±
¡°We can head there afterward,¡± Rufus suggested, ¡°Or maybe head to the Kuwa Mountains. I¡¯ve always wanted to go there.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Lomin nodded, ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, it sounds like a very fascinating place.¡±
¡°I almost want to go with you instead of heading to Cyalis hearing about your plans,¡± Adion said.
¡°Oh, don¡¯t be sad, Adion,¡± Sahra said, ¡°You can always come with us when you finish your studies. Cyalis is a valuable experience that you shouldn¡¯t let go to waste.¡±
¡°I know. I just got itching to head to the Kuwa Mountains hearing you talk about it.¡± Adion said.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll have the chance to explore all of it even if we had a hundred years, don¡¯t worry,¡± Sahra said.
¡°We should maybe look into having a Kuwamin as our next team member,¡± Rufus said, ¡°Preferably someone with a little more enthusiasm for the ladies than this kid.¡±
¡°You¡¯re already working on replacing me?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s good to be prepared,¡± Rufus said seriously.
¡°I¡¯m still saying we should have a girl as our next member,¡± Sahra said.
¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like the idea of a girl for Rufus to hit on either?¡± Benji asked.
¡°...We¡¯ll get someone he doesn¡¯t like,¡± Sahra answered.
¡°You willing to have an annoying teammate just to make sure I¡¯m all alone?¡± Rufus asked dejectedly.
¡°Oh, how fun, watching some girl annoy Rufus all day!¡± Sahra said and started laughing.
¡°Adion,¡± Rufus said in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯ll help me get a girl before you leave, right? Otherwise, it might be over for me forever.¡±
Adion just shook his head with a smile, ¡°Sure, Rufus.¡±
I hope I can meet a group of friends as nice as this at Cyalis.
Chapter 53 - Dorbarta Auction House I
Adion was lying atop the moving carriage, the warm summer sun warming him and the wind cooling him down in a perfect balance. It was summer and a lovely day to boot.
When was the last time I was this relaxed? I can¡¯t even remember.
They had been traveling for a little over a week now and would soon arrive in Dorbarta. They had stopped in some towns along the way and heard there would be an auction there tonight. Everyone wanted to see the city some before leaving for the Outskirts, and an auction sounded like a perfect way to spend some time.
But even if they had money, they wouldn¡¯t be buying anything. Benji had warned them that they wouldn¡¯t be having Diamond mages to protect them after the auction like most of the other participants. Adion agreed that it was an unnecessary risk. He already had something more valuable than whatever he could get at the auction in his backpack. Besides, he wasn¡¯t exactly lacking for anything.
But seeing what it was like at an auction would be fun. Apparently, the Tyllen family had run the ¡®Dorbarta Auction House¡¯ for generations, and many family clans around the Silver Wall always showed up to take part. Now that the Tyllen family had become a Noble family, it was sure to be a livelier event than usual.
I wonder how much I¡¯d get from an Elixir of Life. No one there could probably pay its actual worth. Not that I plan on selling it anyway, not until I can do it safely, at least.
The Elixir of Life was pretty much useless to Adion. It sounded incredible to gain more than a hundred years of lifespan, but Adion wasn¡¯t even 16 yet. He had a long way to go.
I¡¯ll give one to Grandpa. I don¡¯t want him to die of old age so soon. With that and a Grand Soul Clarity Pill, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll become a Soul mage without issues.
Adion continued to enjoy the warmth of the sun as he looked up at the bright blue sky.
I wonder how far away the sun is? What kind of fire does it take to warm me from so far away? And what concepts does that fire hide?
Adion stretched his hand up almost as if to grab hold of the warmth.
What about the Fire Phoenix? Just what kind of concepts hide in its fire? I would love to see it someday. Not directed at me, though. But just get a chance to witness just how powerful fire can get.
Now that I think about it, I actually got to witness the Celestial Phoenix doing magic. What concepts has it grasped? Surely something like a Deep Concept, or perhaps several. Along with an Authority over space greater than I can even imagine. What kind of abilities does it have? What are the possibilities of space?
¡°Adion, we¡¯re here!¡± Adion was interrupted in his thoughts as Benji called out to him. He raised his head and saw the grand city wall up ahead.
Dorbarta. The Capital of the Silver Wall. It sure seems big. Every time I see a city like this, I can¡¯t help imagining how big Cyalis must be. Or the big cities on Quemer.
¡°You coming down or what?¡± Rufus asked from down below. The carriage had come to a stop and was lined up after a few other carriages to enter the city.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded and jumped down on the street.
¡°I will leave the carriage at Silver Service with Sahra,¡± Benji said, ¡°Can you three get rooms for us someplace nice?¡±
¡°Someplace nice?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°Well, we¡¯ll only be here for the night,¡± Benji shrugged, ¡°And we got the money for it. Why not splurge a little before heading out to the Outskirts again?¡±
¡°Alright, that sounds nice,¡± Rufus nodded, ¡°Any place in mind?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never been here before, but,¡± Benji said and went up to a man next to the carriage in front of them.
¡°The Silver Diamond seems to be the best place in the city. We¡¯ll meet you there later,¡± Benji said as he returned from asking the man for information.
¡°See you later,¡± Adion said goodbye along with Rufus and Lomin and headed to the city gate entrance for pedestrians.
The walk took them a little over thirty minutes, but eventually, they arrived at a big, beautiful building in the city center.
¡°I feel out of place,¡± Rufus said.
¡°Why?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s not the first time some Outskirters come here to stay the night.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true, I guess. Let¡¯s go.¡± Rufus said, and the three headed into the hotel.
They were politely received by the reception, and no one made a big deal out of their slightly shabby appearance. Rufus booked four rooms and left the description of Benji and Sahra at the reception so they would be let up into their room later.
¡°I guess I¡¯ll take a bath,¡± Rufus said, ¡°You guys should too. You stink. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll leave for the Auction House pretty soon, so don¡¯t slack.¡±
¡°Alright, alright,¡± Adion said and headed to his room. Or rooms perhaps would have been a better description as Adion¡¯s had a bedroom, living room, and bathroom all in one. There was also a servant outside his door, ready to run errands should he need anything.
Fancy. Nice. I could get used to staying at places like this.
Adion got a bath and changed into some clothes that didn¡¯t give the impression that he was about to fight a beast as much as his usual clothes. He thought about calling for the servant outside his room to ask for some information about the auction, but decided not to.
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Benji will probably ask around on his own anyway. I¡¯ll just spend some time meditating.
Two hours later, Benji knocked on Adion¡¯s door and called for him.
¡°Adion, you ready to leave?¡± Benji asked.
Adion went to open the door. He was showing low Bronze strength in his aura. Even if peak Iron might have been better to avoid attention, there would probably be a few Diamond mages at the Auction house, and Adion didn¡¯t want to risk being discovered in hiding his aura. Hiding his aura down to peak Iron was more difficult than down to low Bronze, after all.
¡°Ready,¡± Adion nodded.
He followed Benji down to the lobby, where the others were already waiting for him.
¡°You also got yourself a pretty lady waiting outside the room?¡± Rufus asked with a smirk.
¡°No,¡± Adion answered, ¡°It was a middle-aged man.¡±
¡°Haha!¡± Rufus laughed, ¡°If you saw the girl they had serving me, you¡¯d die of envy.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Adion said hesitantly.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± Benji said.
The team followed Benji out onto the street, in the direction of the Auction House. It didn¡¯t take long before they saw the grand building with a crowd of people outside of it. They made their way to one of the lines leading into the building. It wasn¡¯t very long. Most people around the Auction House were just normal people who had come to get a look at some local powerhouses.
¡°I¡¯ve looked into some details about the auction,¡± Benji said, ¡°We could afford a private booth on the upper floor, but it would probably be best to avoid doing so as it would draw some attention. Some people might gather information about all the VIPs, who knows. And it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll actually bid on anything, so seats in the main hall will do fine.¡±
No one objected to Benji¡¯s reasoning, and the group soon paid the entrance fee and got inside the building. It was a spectacular view, but Adion¡¯s attention was pulled by something other than the architecture of the building.
An elven girl, around Adion¡¯s age, she had long, deep crimson hair and eyes like rubies. Adion had never seen anything like it before. She was dressed more like she was in the Outskirts than a fancy auction.
Cute.
¡°Checking out the girls?¡± Rufus asked with a grin, ¡°She¡¯s pretty, alright. You need some help coming up with what to say?¡±
¡°I¡¯m-¡± Adion didn¡¯t get to finish as Benji cut into their conversation.
¡°You¡¯re not approaching any girls here, Rufus,¡± Benji said with a strict tone, ¡°We don¡¯t know the background of any of these people.¡±
¡°Oh, you¡¯re too worried,¡± Rufus continued, but Adion tuned out their conversation to look back at the girl.
Unfortunately, she had already disappeared, so Adion focused on the structure of the building instead.
¡°First time here?¡± Adion heard a voice ask.
Adion turned around to see an old man next to a young man a year older than Adion. The old man was a Gold mage and had a kind, grandfatherly smile. The young man was low Bronze and had a pleasant smile on his face, looking so much like the old man that Adion could spot their relationship immediately.
¡°Yes,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Do you and your friends have a booth?¡± The old man asked.
¡°No,¡± Adion shook his head again, trying to figure out what the old man¡¯s intentions were.
¡°Why don¡¯t you join me and my grandson in our booth? We have traveled here from Ellia, and Prago here hasn¡¯t had a chance to talk to anyone besides me for months now.¡± The old man said.
¡°Oh?¡± Adion looked to the young man.
¡°Hi, I¡¯m Prago Delhelm,¡± the young man said as he stretched out his hand out to greet Adion. He had an awkward smile on his face, and Adion¡¯s first impression of him wasn¡¯t too bad.
¡°I¡¯m Adion,¡± Adion said and returned the handshake.
¡°No family name?¡± Prago asked, surprised.
Before Adion could answer, Benji had noticed the situation and cut in with an answer of his own.
¡°Sorry, Adion here didn¡¯t bother you, did he?¡± Benji asked with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m Benji Merond, from Rellen. This here is my cousin, Adion Merond.¡±
That¡¯s pretty obviously a lie. But I gotta hand it to Benji. He hid his lie pretty well. That old Gold mage might have seen through it, though. Oh well, it doesn¡¯t matter much.
Adion had understood from Benji and the rest of the group that it was pretty standard to hide the parts of your aura that reveal intention and lies among stronger mages. It would be a bother if it were considered impolite to not speak the truth all the time after all.
¡°Oh, well, my grandfather and I would like to invite you to share our booth. We don¡¯t really know anyone from here. And we have gotten pretty tired of each other after journeying for so long,¡± Prago said with a polite smile.
Adion saw that his grandfather nodded along beside him.
¡°I¡¯m Termon Delhelm,¡± The old man introduced himself, ¡°It would be our pleasure to welcome you to our booth.¡±
¡°What do you think?¡± Benji asked the group.
¡°Sure, sounds nice,¡± Sahra said.
¡°Alright, thank you very much for the hospitality, Senior Termon,¡± Benji said.
¡°Just Termon is fine. Senior makes me sound so old,¡± The old man chuckled.
He is surely a hundred years old, though?
¡°Termon it is,¡± Benji said with a polite smile.
¡°Follow me, and I¡¯ll take you there,¡± Termon said.
Adion and his team followed Termon and Prago up a flight of stairs and down a corridor until they reached a door that Termon entered through.
¡°This is it. Make yourself comfortable,¡± Termon said with a smile, ¡°And ask me if you¡¯re curious about anything. I have a pretty good eye for treasures.¡±
¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll certainly do so,¡± Benji answered.
The booth was the size of a room at a typical inn, with an open view of the grand auction hall below. Adion could see that the seats below were filling up fast. he also had a clear view of the other booths around the hall.
¡°Not much privacy,¡± Adion commented.
¡°You can draw the curtains here,¡± Prago said, ¡°And still see the auction through this small glass window. But most people prefer the open view.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°You looking for anything special?¡±
¡°Well, not exactly,¡± Prago shrugged, ¡°But there is a rumor that an artifact will show up tonight.¡±
¡°An artifact?¡± Adion asked, shocked. An artifact was a runic device left from the Age of Wonder. He never thought such a thing would show up at an auction.
¡°It¡¯s just a rumor, it¡¯s probably not true,¡± Prago said, ¡°If it were, the auction house would openly advertise it. But since they haven¡¯t, it¡¯s probably something else. But it could still be interesting.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
Perhaps even I will be impressed by some things auctioned here.
Chapter 54 - Dorbarta Auction House II
¡°So, you two are from Ellia? What¡¯s it like there?¡± Adion heard Benji ask Termon.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Termon nodded.
Termon and Benji were seated next to each other on a fancy couch placed in the middle of the booth. The table in front of the seating arrangement had various drinks and delicacies. Rufus was already helping himself to the alcohol.
Adion turned to listen in on the conversation.
¡°The Delhelm family is a 1st-tier family clan, and we have our main manor in Ellia. Our family is very old, so even though we have yet to have one of us reach the Soul stages, we have over 30 Diamond mages.¡± Termon said with a proud look.
¡°But it¡¯s not all good. After so many generations, our family has split into branches. And we don¡¯t all always get along,¡± Prago cut in from beside Adion.
¡°Yes, unfortunately,¡± Termon lamented, ¡°Prago is very talented. He became a Bronze mage just before turning 16, but since my part of the family does not have a Diamond mage at the peak, he doesn¡¯t get the resources he deserves.
¡°So, I have taken it upon myself to travel with him and train him myself. I plan on making some profits for my business back in Ellia at the same time.¡±
¡°What¡¯s your business?¡± Sahra asked from the armchair she was seated in.
¡°I buy and sell antiques,¡± Termon answered with a kind smile, ¡°As such, there is no better place to take a business trip than an auction. At times, I¡¯ve managed to get a great bargain on rare antiques that have difficulty getting sold at just prices at these places.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t the auction house have someone knowledgeable to appraise the items they sell?¡± Benji asked.
¡°Of course they do,¡± Termon answered, ¡°But no one can be an expert on everything.¡±
¡°What¡¯s your expertise?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Paintings,¡± Termon answered with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve seen so many of them that by this point, I can almost feel the value a painting has just by being near it. I once got to see ¡®Landfall on Shiora,¡¯ you know. The Imperial family has it in their reception hall. By far the most marvelous painting I¡¯ve seen.¡±
¡°Will there be paintings sold tonight?¡± Benji asked.
¡°There usually are some,¡± Termon answered, ¡°But I¡¯m not only here for them, of course. I run a business selling all kinds of antiques, not just paintings. What about you young ones? What are you looking for?¡±
¡°We¡¯re not here looking for anything,¡± Benji answered, ¡°We¡¯re headed for the Outskirts but thought it would be nice to see Dorbarta before going there. We heard there would be an auction tonight, so we just came to check it out and enjoy the spectacle.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Termon said, ¡°Well, the prices at these things can get out of hand, so that¡¯s probably for the best. This is the first auction being held since the Tyllen family became a Noble family after all, a lot of big shots seem to have gathered.¡±
¡°Oh? Any juicy rumors?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Haha!¡± Termon chuckled joyfully, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know much about the local politics, but the Derolm family can¡¯t be too happy about the recent developments. They are a powerful 1st-tier family in the area. Like any other family clan, they have been striving to reach Noble status for a long time. But it looks like the Tyllen family beat them to it.¡±
¡°Does Noble status grant you anything special?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Termon said, ¡°It¡¯s not all about having a Soul mage in the family. The Imperial family will give you a lot of benefits. And Nobles tend to stick together, once you¡¯re part of their group, you won¡¯t ever be the same as the other family clans again. Good luck getting someone from a Noble family to take responsibility for their actions. Unless you¡¯re from a Noble family too, not much can be done. This is not the case not only in the Empire, but all over Shiora.¡±
¡°Sounds like the Derolm family will be facing a difficult time then, or are the two families friends?¡± Benji asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure, but from what I¡¯ve heard, they are anything but close,¡± Termon said.
¡°Well,¡± Rufus said, ¡°Whatever the Nobles or family clans get up to, it¡¯s none of our business, right Benji?¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°I have perhaps been too curious.¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Termon said with a smile, ¡°The youth should be curious.¡±
¡°It¡¯s starting,¡± Prago suddenly said. The group all looked down toward the stage in the main hall, where the only source of light was now directed. Adion tried to find the source of light in the ceiling.
¡°It¡¯s runes,¡± Prago said quietly beside him, ¡°A real powerful one at that, can¡¯t have been cheap. It¡¯s definitely the work of a master.¡±
¡°You know about runes?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Some,¡± Prago admitted, ¡°It¡¯s my greatest passion when it comes to magic. I¡¯m not much of a fighter.¡±
¡°I know next to nothing about runes, but I¡¯d like to learn,¡± Adion said.
¡°Well, you¡¯re going to Cyalis Academy when you turn 17, right?¡± Prago asked.
¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± Adion said.
¡°I¡¯m heading there too next year. I¡¯ll focus on studying runes. I guess you¡¯ll get there a year after me, so I can give you some tips on classes I found useful.¡± Prago said.
¡°Oh? Thanks a lot.¡± Adion said.
What a friendly guy.
¡°Ladies and Gentlemen!¡± A voice sounded from the stage down below.
¡°Runes?¡± Rufus asked in a low voice.
¡°I think he¡¯s just yelling, Rufus,¡± Lomin answered.
¡°Yeah,¡± Prago nodded.
¡°Ah¡¡± Rufus scratched his neck in embarrassment.
¡°Welcome to the Dorbarta Auction House,¡± The voice continued, ¡°We hope you brought your wallets, because the items up for auction tonight will be the most valuable in years, if not decades!¡±
A loud cheer roared through the hall.
¡°And as always, the host for tonight, Gerard Tyllen!¡± The voice sounded, and then a handsome blonde man walked out on stage to thunderous applause. He was a middle Gold mage even though Adion could feel he was only 33 years old.
Impressive.
¡°Welcome, dear guests,¡± Gerard said in a soothing but strong voice that carried throughout the hall. ¡°Well, I could make some grand speech about our patriarch reaching the Soft Soul stage, and how our family has moved up in the world to become a Noble family. But I¡¯m sure you¡¯d rather see what our first item of the night is, am I right?¡±
A loud cheer went out once again.
Are people generally this excited at auctions, or are they expecting some item? It¡¯s a nice atmosphere, though.
¡°The first item of the evening, an Orange Insight Pill, produced by the great Loranth Hesfym!¡±
The entire hall went completely silent. Even Adion was shocked. Although he was hard-pressed to be impressed by any kind of pill, he knew how rare Orange pills were. From his understanding, even Soul mages would fight over them.
¡°Impossible!¡± Termon said.
He wasn¡¯t the only one. The audience was utterly shocked.
¡°What¡¯s the use of auctioning one of those here?¡± Benji asked, ¡°There can¡¯t be any Soul mages in an auction like this, and surely they could earn more money from the pill if they sold it to someone like that?¡±
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.¡°Well,¡± Termon said, ¡°It will certainly give a lot of prestige to the auction house and the Tyllen family when news gets out. But they could also earn a pretty penny. Who would pay more for an Insight Pill, someone who has already managed to break through to the Soul stages, or a Diamond mage without any other hope? A 1st-tier family clan usually has a good amount of wealth built up, after all.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Benji said.
It didn¡¯t take long for the auction to begin, and the price quickly soared.
¡°100 Vastros!¡± A man yelled out from a booth on the other side of the hall.
¡°110 Vastros!¡± Another one quickly followed. This went on until the final price landed on 500 Vastro coins, a value of a little over 65,000 gold coins. Even the entire treasury that they had robbed didn¡¯t have that many Vastro coins.
The winning bidder, Adion found out, was the Derolm family that Termon had mentioned earlier. They were in a booth two floors above Adion¡¯s.
¡°Do they usually open up with the most valuable item?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Or will there be even more expensive items following?¡±
¡°It¡¯s normal to have something like this as a first item; the first and last are not necessarily the most expensive, but they tend to be the most noteworthy. The things people talk about once the auction is over,¡± Prago said.
¡°I see,¡± Adion said.
¡°Next up, we have this runic sword,¡± Gerard announced as he showed off the sword, ¡°Made from a fine runic craftsman in Regor, its metal has been conjured with the concept of sharpness. The craftsman is a Diamond mage and goes by the name Hugyn Herrman. The runes inscribed will allow for the mage using the sword to make use of the sharpness concept in the metal to its very limit. Our bidding will begin at 5 Vastro coins!¡±
¡°I would love to take a look at those runes,¡± Prago said.
¡°Are you going to buy it?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No,¡± Prago shook his head, ¡°Although it¡¯s a very precious item, it¡¯s not very rare. We have a few of similar quality in the family clan.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Adion said.
This auction will be good for me to get a good grasp of the prices of these things, so I don¡¯t get scammed in the future.
The sword ended up selling for 34 Vastro coins, and following that were some more weapons of similar making. Adion started focusing on the people he could see around him and suddenly got an idea to have some fun.
Adion focused on his sphere of space mana and chose to grab hold of the space in the booth next to theirs. He then applied the same tactic as he had when he listened in on the conversations at Little Jiggot back in Wender.
¡°Dad, please! With this spear, I¡¯m sure to make it to Bronze by the end of summer!¡± He heard a boy speaking.
¡°How will a spear help you with that? Just focus on your mana control, and don¡¯t say silly things.¡± An older voice said in return.
Adion quickly got bored and tried another booth, but it was the same story where the younger and older generations disputed the importance of fancy weapons.
Adion then got the idea to try the booth he heard the Derolm family were in. He focused on the space in their booth and made the tricky effort to infuse his Will into the space mana there, enough to hear and, to some degree, see the room while not actually teleporting there himself.
¡°Your grandfather might have something for you,¡± A middle-aged man said.
¡°But why not just bid for the one here?¡± A young man questioned.
¡°Do you think we have an endless supply of money? That Insight Pill was already more than we could afford, really.¡± The older man said.
¡°But if it can make grandfather break through to the Soul stages, we will have two Soul mages in our family. I¡¯d like to see the faces of those Tyllen bastards then. They have been acting arrogantly lately. Did you know that Astor-¡± The young man was cut off by the man Adion assumed was his father.
¡°You¡¯ve told me. Bear with it. We will have our revenge. For everything,¡± The older man said.
¡°I just don¡¯t get why we hide that matriarch Femmia has reached the Soft Soul stage already. We should be acknowledged as the Nobles we are already,¡± The young man said.
¡°You will know eventually,¡± Was all the older man said.
¡°You should really tell me more of what¡¯s going on, father. I heard something about how we were attacked at our branch in Wender? They say Uncle Eulen has died.¡± The young man said.
¡°It¡¯s more complicated than you think,¡± The older man said, ¡°Just focus on growing stronger, and you will get to know what you need to know.¡±
Uncle Eulen? Attacked in Wender?
Adion wanted more details, but the conversation between the father and son changed topics, and Adion couldn¡¯t keep up his spying technique any longer.
I don¡¯t know enough to draw any real conclusions, but the Derolm family is undoubtedly connected to Heavenly Light in some way.
¡°You okay, Adion?¡± Prago asked, ¡°You seem to be out of it.¡±
¡°Oh, sorry. I¡¯m fine.¡± Adion responded and looked out to the stage again, where the auction was still ongoing.
It doesn¡¯t matter. I will focus on getting stronger. No need to get involved in these things yet.
The auction continued, with different objects being sold one after the other. Pills and potions, weapons, jewelry, fruits and herbs from the Endless Forest, and even old books and paintings. Termon himself won a bid for a painting he said was worth double what he had to pay for it. Hours later, it was finally time for the final item of the auction.
¡°Some of you might have heard rumors of an artifact being up for auction here tonight,¡± Gerard said, ¡°Of course, The Dorbarta Auction House has not gotten to the point where we can auction off something like that. But the rumors do have some basis, as our final object could be something left from the Age of Wonder.¡±
Everyone had their ears perked up. The entire audience was leaning forward on their seats as Gerard brought forth an object of metal, a disk two feet wide with runes engraved in it.
¡°This object was found at an expedition in the Endless Forest, according to the one who offered it up for auction. The one selling this item through our auction house has agreed to meet with and answer questions from the one with the winning bid after the auction ends.
¡°So, what is it? The answer is: we don¡¯t know; it is obviously some sort of runic device, but no one has managed to figure out what it is supposed to do as most of the runes are unfamiliar. It is our belief that this is indeed an artifact left behind from the Age of Wonder. However, it might be the case that it is broken, it might be that we don¡¯t know how to use it, it might be that it works perfectly, but we can¡¯t understand its effects. I will attempt to activate the runes as a demonstration.¡±
Gerard then put his hands under the runic device, and the runes started to light up ever so slightly. Adion could immediately tell its effects.
It stabilised space. It does what I do when I freeze space, just weaker. A lot weaker. But I can feel the effects even from this distance, even if it is small, so it might have held some use. Or perhaps it worked better during the Age of Wonder.
¡°I can¡¯t tell what the runes do,¡± Prago commented.
¡°Not even the Diamond mages here can tell what it does,¡± Termon said, ¡°But it has certainly sparked my interest. I wonder how much these people are willing to pay for something this uncertain.¡±
¡°You guys don¡¯t feel it either?¡± Adion asked his teammates.
¡°I don¡¯t feel anything,¡± Rufus said, ¡°You feel something, Adion?¡±
Adion didn¡¯t want to expose his secrets in front of strangers, of course, but he thought people should be able to feel the difference in the surrounding space if they focused on it.
¡°Something just feels¡off,¡± Adion said, moving his arm up and down.
The group looked at him for a while before closing their eyes and trying to see if they could feel something.
¡°Space,¡± Lomin was the one who felt it, ¡°Space is harder to move through than before. By a tiny amount, but it¡¯s there.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s it,¡± Adion said as if he didn¡¯t already know.
¡°Amazing, you can feel that, Lomin?¡± Termon asked, ¡°I think I might feel something now that you mention it, but it might just be my imagination. Are you sure, Lomin?¡±
¡°I am certain,¡± Lomin said with a smile.
Termon got a serious expression on his face and immediately began bidding for the artifact.
This was Adion¡¯s intent; he wanted to pay Prago and Termon back for their hospitality. And since Adion had no use of an artifact doing what he could already do better, he tried to hint at the artifact''s use.
He also wanted to get a chance to study the artifact himself. He might get an opportunity to do so if Termon won the bidding. He couldn¡¯t afford it himself, and even if he could, it wouldn¡¯t be worth paying so much for something that probably wouldn¡¯t be of any use. The teleportation formation in the Remori manor was basically a much better version of the small disc, so Adion wasn¡¯t very impressed.
But what¡¯s the use? Is it necessary to stabilize space? Whatever, I¡¯ll think about it later.
Unfortunately, Termon didn¡¯t have the budget to win the auction. Adion wasn¡¯t bothered with who did; he could maybe teleport in an attempt to steal it, but he wasn¡¯t about to do something so risky for basically no gain. He had had enough of that for a while and wanted to focus on increasing his power.
¡°It¡¯s really a shame,¡± Prago said as everyone left the booth and headed outside, ¡°To get the chance to study runes left behind by the Age of Wonder. Will I ever get a chance like that again?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure you will,¡± Adion comforted.
¡°Thanks,¡± Prago said, ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll see you at Cyalis then, Adion.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be there in a little under two years, I guess,¡± Adion said.
¡°Look for me when you get there, and I¡¯ll show you around,¡± Prago said with a smile.
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion said. The group said their goodbyes to Prago and Termon and thanked them for the evening.
¡°That was fun!¡± Sahra said as the team made their way back to the hotel, ¡°Too bad we couldn¡¯t buy anything.¡±
¡°Well, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford much anyway,¡± Rufus said.
¡°We¡¯ll have to plan our next robbery with a lot of care, so we can get out with more money than we could ever spend,¡± Sahra said with a smirk.
¡°Ganta,¡± Benji sighed.
Adion didn¡¯t say anything and just listened to his friends joking around, enjoying the warm summer night.
When Adion got back to his room, he almost immediately fell asleep, but pushed himself to get some training done before bed. It was something he always made sure to get done.
Today was really fun, but I¡¯m excited to head for the Outskirts again. Nothing beats getting stronger, after all.
Chapter 55 - Lermen
¡°Got one of those for me?¡± Rufus asked. Again.
Adion didn¡¯t answer and just stared at Rufus while they kept on walking.
¡°I thought I was stupid for spending so much money on plums,¡± Adion said, ¡°And yet this is the third time you¡¯re asking for one.¡±
¡°How was I supposed to know Ishina plums were so much more delicious than the ones I am used to? And they¡¯re just so refreshing in the summer heat.¡± Rufus said, wiping the sweat off his brow.
¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Adion said, handing Rufus a plum. They were pretty expensive, but not enough to put much of a dent in Adion¡¯s current wallet. He had eaten them back home in the Remori manor from time to time, and when he saw them being sold all the way over here, he bought a bunch to bring on the journey to the Outskirts.
He had a period during his grandfather¡¯s training that he couldn¡¯t really enjoy eating them. But now it was memories Adion looked back at fondly.
I wonder how the old man is doing. Hopefully, he, Aiden, and Ailera have kept each other company.
¡°Ahh, delicious,¡± Rufus said, biting into the plum, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Adion, it¡¯s my treat next time we come across someone selling them.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you like them.¡±
¡°It seems we are here,¡± Benji said from in front of them.
¡°That¡¯s Lermen?¡± Rufus asked, squinting his eyes to make out the outpost further down the small dirt road.
The group left Dorbarta the day after the auction and made their way to the Outskirts. Benji had decided on an outpost named Lermen, and it took them a few days to travel there on foot. They could have hired a carriage and gotten there faster, of course, but no one thought walking for a few days was so bad.
¡°Yep,¡± Benji answered Rufus, ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be a lot of middle to high Silver beasts half a day north of here. I think it will be a good place to settle down for a while. We can always move somewhere else if we¡¯d want to, of course.¡±
¡°Seems like a nice place,¡± Sahra said as they got closer to the outpost.
Lermen looked much like the many outposts Adion had seen before. It was the size of a small town where Adion guessed about 5,000 people lived. The outpost was surrounded by big wooden walls with a few stone structures placed at even intervals.
¡°It will feel nice to stay in one place for a while,¡± Sahra said, ¡°It feels like all we¡¯ve done is travel for the past year.¡±
¡°Will you be alright, Lomin? I know you came to Shiora to travel after all,¡± Rufus asked.
¡°A journey doesn¡¯t have to involve traveling all the time. Some of the most thrilling journeys can take place in just one place,¡± Lomin answered.
¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± Rufus shrugged.
The group entered the outpost and made their way to find a good inn at Benji¡¯s instruction.
¡°We¡¯ll leave our baggage in our rooms and then head to the Outskirts Guild and take a look,¡± Benji said, ¡°We might find there are some interesting missions other than simple beast hunting. It could be a nice little change of pace. Otherwise, it might be good to socialize with the Outskirters here so we don¡¯t miss out on any important information about the place.¡±
Everyone agreed, and it didn¡¯t take long before they booked a room each at the local ¡®Outpost Inn.¡¯
The group then made their way to the Outskirt Guild to look for missions.
¡°Nothing that¡¯s enticing, really,¡± Benji said as he looked through the mission board.
¡°Well, something might show up,¡± Rufus said, ¡°Hunting beasts isn¡¯t bad either.¡±
¡°I suppose,¡± Benji said, ¡°You guys want to get some drinks? We can start going out for hunts tomorrow. It would be good to get to know the place a little first from the other Outskirters.¡±
¡°Haha!¡± Rufus laughed, ¡°Now that¡¯s a great idea.¡±
The Outskirt Guild reception worked double as a tavern, so Adion and his teammates ordered some drinks for everyone and took a seat at a long table, next to some other Outskirters.
¡°Hi there,¡± Benji said to the three Silver mages already there, ¡°I¡¯m Benji, and these are my teammates: Sahra, Lomin, Rufus, and Adion. Sorry for intruding.
¡°No problem at all,¡± A blonde man in his late twenties responded. He was a peak Silver mage, ¡°I¡¯m Mashi. This is Tella, my girlfriend, and this is our friend Kelv.¡±
¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Benji said with a smile, ¡°We just got to Lermen just now. We have been down by Wender previously. How are things up here?¡±
¡°Well, we all like it,¡± Mashi said, ¡°The beasts are plenty, and lately, a lot of family clans want to go on expeditions deeper into the Endless Forest. We went on a mission like that two weeks ago, and it was really exciting. Paid well, too.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Benji said, ¡°That sounds interesting. I hope something like that comes up again.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure it will,¡± Mashi said with a polite smile.
¡°By the way,¡± The woman named Tella said, ¡°Why do you have a Bronze mage in your team? I mean no offense, I just got curious.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Benji chuckled, ¡°No worries. He¡¯s my cousin, so I want to keep an eye on him. He¡¯s very talented too, not even 16 yet and already a low Bronze mage.¡±
Still going with that lie? Oh well, it spares me the trouble of explaining.
¡°That¡¯s very rare!¡± Tella exclaimed, ¡°I was 17 when I reached Bronze, and I thought that was the level of a genius.¡±
¡°Well, there is always someone faster or stronger, I guess,¡± Benji said, ¡°We heard back in Billford that the young master of the Gratton family reached low Bronze before turning 15.¡±
¡°How is that even possible?¡± Tella asked, shocked.
¡°They are a Noble family,¡± The man named Kelv said, ¡°They have access to resources we can¡¯t even imagine.¡±
¡°It still isn¡¯t an easy feat,¡± Mashi said. ¡°If it were, there would be plenty of Bronze mages his age in the Noble families.¡±
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
¡°I guess,¡± Kelv shrugged.
The conversation carried on, and the two groups started getting more comfortable with each other as the hours passed and beer after beer went down. Finally, Adion couldn¡¯t hold himself back from asking a question he had been holding in.
¡°Sorry, Mashi?¡± Adion said grabbing Mashi¡¯s attention, ¡°That name, it¡¯s Shiorin, no? Are you of the Kuwamin or Sabamin?¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Benji said, ¡°Adion¡¯s mother is Sabamin, so he¡¯s a little curious.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Mashi laughed, ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m hiding it. I am Kuwamin.¡±
¡°But¡your name?¡± Adion hesitated.
¡°Oh, you speak Shiorin? That¡¯s right, my name means ¡®bad,¡¯¡± Mashi nodded.
¡°Your name means ¡®bad¡¯?¡± Sahra asked, ¡°Why would someone give their child such a name?¡±
¡°You would have to get a pretty long history lesson of the Kuwamin to understand,¡± Mashi shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±
¡°We have time,¡± Adion said, curious, ¡°And Lomin really likes stories. He might tell one in return later. He¡¯s a really good storyteller.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Lomin nodded with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m also really curious if you don¡¯t mind telling. I will do my best to tell a good story myself later.¡±
¡°Haha!¡± Mashi laughed, ¡°Well, how can I turn down the request if I get the chance to hear a story told by a faelin? But I warn you that I don¡¯t know how much of the story is true. Some parts are guaranteed to be fiction. But it does explain the current culture of most Kuwamin.¡±
Mashi then took a few gulps of his beer and straightened his back, ¡°This story begins long ago, before the Quemerians came to Shiora. And it takes place in a part of the Kuwa Mountains called Duwaban. The Kuwa Mountains are enormous and stretch further than any kingdom, so this Duwaban is something like a kingdom of the Quemerians in a way.
¡°Duwaban is divided into four parts: west, north, east, and south. But the story begins right before that division becomes a reality. There were much fewer people living there than there are now, as I understand it.
¡°The people living there at the time all took great pride in their names, because, unlike here, everyone of the Kuwamin had a last name. Families argued about who had the mightier name, and it didn¡¯t take long before some families started changing their names. The Tsuji family, meaning mighty, became a talking point after they changed their family name. After all, what could be a mightier name than ¡®mighty¡¯?
¡°That¡¯s when another family came along and announced that their new family name was ¡®Tatsuji,¡¯ meaning something along the lines of ¡®very mighty.¡¯ And thus began a period of families changing names one after another, simply trying to outdo the other families in having a mightier family name. People soon realized that this couldn¡¯t go on, and the strongest mages in Duwaban gathered in a meeting to discuss how family names would be decided in the future.
¡°After many long hours, the mages came out and announced that there would only be four family names allowed. Hidora, meaning west. Kiha, meaning north. Mubi, meaning east. And Shini, meaning south. The families would take on the last name depending on what part of Duwaban they lived in. But the mages had foreseen future issues that could arise if they didn¡¯t get ahead of the problem.
¡°They decided that no one could have more than two names, a family name and a first name. The first name would be decided on the day of birth and could never be changed. The mages were all pleased with this decision and hoped that it would make things calm down. In a way, it did. No more changing of names took place. But something else started, something that would shape the culture of the Kuwamin in the millennia that followed.
¡°People immediately realized that there was now only one way to show themselves superior: having a mightier first name. But since they weren¡¯t allowed to change their own name anymore, they had to wait for the next generation. The first baby was born a few months after the change and was given the name Gaya, meaning ¡®fast.¡¯
¡°People thought it was an allright name, nothing too mighty. But that started changing as Gaya grew up. The little boy was always running around, applying his wind element to reach higher and higher speeds. It was then that people started realizing that it wasn¡¯t about having a mighty name, but a fitting one.
¡°Every parent''s dream became to have their child live up to the name they had given them. As time passed, it became the norm for someone fitting their name to have a higher status. But it wasn¡¯t only about having a fitting name, of course. It had to be something difficult to achieve, too. Someone named Gaya, who was slow, was a great shame, but so was someone named Ruku, meaning ¡®slow.¡¯
¡°You had to have a name that had at least somewhat of an admirable attribute. That was the consensus. And you had to live up to that name to the fullest. Making it a risk for parents to reach too high when naming their child. Imagine naming a daughter Urumi, meaning ¡®Beautiful,¡¯ and she turns out to be average-looking. It was a tough life for those people.
¡°It was a lot more common to name a child something that could be controlled, such as Huji, meaning ¡®strong,¡¯ then something that can¡¯t be controlled in the same way, like Urumi.¡±
Mashi stopped talking to take a few gulps of his beer, and Sahra took this opportunity to ask a question.
¡°This all seems a bit¡silly?¡± She said hesitantly, ¡°I mean, what does it matter if your name fits you if you are a strong mage? Surely that would make all of this perceived status a name gives disappear?¡±
¡°I agree that it can seem a bit silly,¡± Mashi said, ¡°And of course, strength plays a huge role among the Kuwamin. But our names and how we live up to them is anything but unimportant. Even a Diamond mage could be ridiculed and have a lower status than someone weaker. Never so far that a non-mage could make them bow their head, but a Gold or Silver with an impressive name surely could.
¡°I find it hard to explain to people who are not Kuwamin, but it is ingrained in our bones in a way. As for the story I just told, it is disputed whether it is true or simply something made up to explain the origin of our tradition. I, for one, think it made up, but there are plenty of stories concerning our names, and I believe some of them hold some truth at least.¡±
¡°What kind of stories?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, there are plenty,¡± Mashi said, ¡°¡®The strong Gaya and the fast Huji¡¯ is a classic of two brothers living up to each other''s names. We have the story of Honbi, meaning truth. About a man who swore to live up to his rather obscure and not-so-mighty name by always telling the truth, not hiding a thing. He was an outcast as he said some pretty horrible things about people, never holding a secret to himself. However, eventually, people started admiring how well he lived up to his name, and people refrained from asking any sensitive questions out of respect. A story often told to children in the Kuwa Mountains.
¡°We also have the story of Matesu and Urumi, meaning Patient and Beautiful. Urumi was the most beautiful Urumi born in centuries, and everyone in Duwaban vied for her hand in marriage. No one thought Matesu would stand a chance, as even though he lived up to his name pretty well, it wasn¡¯t a very mighty name. But when Matesu had waited outside her home for ten years, he managed to win her over, showing that even the most unassuming name could become mighty if you live up to it well enough.¡±
¡°How interesting,¡± Benji said, ¡°Though I must admit that I agree with Sahra that I just can¡¯t imagine how a society of mages could function this way.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Mashi said, ¡°You¡¯ll have to go there and see for yourselves, I guess.¡±
¡°We plan on doing so,¡± Benji responded with a smile.
¡°But how come you are named Mashi then?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Ah! That was the point of it all, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Mashi said, ¡°Well, my father had this idea. He wanted to change a name.¡±
¡°Change a name?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Yes, but that is not allowed, so how will he do it?¡± Mashi asked, ¡°He will name his son Mashi, and make him become so powerful that the word Mashi itself changes meaning, from ¡®bad¡¯ to ¡®mighty.¡¯¡±
Everyone was quiet for a while before Sahra burst out laughing.
¡°Hahaha! Sorry. I am sorry,¡± Sahra said while trying not to laugh, ¡°It¡¯s just so funny. How are you guys not dying from laughing?¡±
¡°I thought it was pretty cool,¡± Adion said.
¡°Haha,¡± Mashi chuckled, ¡°Thank you, Adion. But Sahra¡¯s reaction is warranted, I don¡¯t know what my father was thinking. My childhood was not easy, and I had to leave the Kuwa Mountains when I grew up to get away from it all. But that¡¯s in the past. I can see the humor in it now.¡±
¡°I think you should go for it,¡± Adion encouraged.
¡°Go for it?¡± Mashi asked.
¡°Become so mighty that the word Mashi can no longer mean anything else,¡± Adion clarified.
¡°Well, I might as well try,¡± Mashi said, raising his glass.
The night continued with the two groups exchanging stories, and Adion didn¡¯t return to the inn until late at night. Drunk from both the beer and the atmosphere.
What a fun night. I should train hard in the coming days so I can spare some time for nights like these and enjoy more stories.
Chapter 56 - Sellitha
Where are they? Someone should have followed me, right? At least Mephina wouldn¡¯t let me leave like this without someone watching. Sellitha thought to herself as she stepped out of the carriage she had hired to escort her to Lermen.
Well, if it¡¯s Mephina, she might actually have done exactly that.
She looked around to see if she could spot someone, but it was useless.
Whatever. She thought, brushing her crimson hair behind her long elven ears and tying her hair up in a ponytail.
I should find an inn first and get myself a room. Then I need to find some team willing to let a Bronze mage join them. It might be difficult, but I can pay them if needed. Worst case, I¡¯ll just hunt alone. It¡¯s not like I need protection. It¡¯s just safer to hunt beasts in groups.
Sellitha made her way through the gate and entered the outpost, looking around curiously. It was the first time she had come to the Outskirts alone. Or at least as alone as she could.
I don¡¯t want to end up with a group of psychos, though. Mephina would come in handy in looking for a suitable team. Should I try calling her out and see if she¡¯s really here? No, that would make everything certain. I¡¯ll just do it myself.
Sellitha walked at a leisurely pace, lost in thought, until she saw a building with a sign that said ¡®Outpost Inn.¡¯
I guess this place will do.
Sellitha walked in and noticed that there wasn¡¯t a reception, just a tavern with a few people drinking. She walked up to the man behind the bar.
¡°Do you have a room available?¡± She asked.
¡°Oh? Ah¡Sorry, of course we have a room for the young miss. How long would you like to stay?¡± He asked.
¡°How long can I stay with this?¡± Sellitha asked as she handed the man a few gold coins.
¡°This¡a few months at least,¡± The man answered hesitantly.
¡°Good, where is my room?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°I¡¯ll take you there. Please follow me,¡± The man said, changing his expression to a polite smile.
She followed the man and was shown to a room that was probably big for an inn this size.
¡°This is the best room we have. Please let me know if anything is wrong,¡± The man said with a slight bow.
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Sellitha said and walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She threw her pack on the floor and lay down on the bed.
Pretty comfortable. She thought.
¡°Haaah,¡± Sellitha let out a long sigh. What to do?
I don¡¯t want to reveal my identity. That would just make things stiff and awkward. I could hide my strength, I guess, but that would make people not take me seriously. And a middle Bronze 15-year-old is pretty good protection against idiots. Not many would dare mess with me. It will give away that I have an impressive background, but not how impressive.
Even though my strength and age in itself might make things weird, it won¡¯t be unmanageable. That innkeeper didn¡¯t react too much to my strength, so it might be alright.
Sellitha got up from the bed and walked up to the window. She looked out over at the people walking on the streets.
What will Mom and Dad say when they hear I¡¯ve advanced? Surely, they¡¯ll be shocked. But will they be happy or sad? They¡¯ll probably be a little more worried about me going to Cyalis. I¡¯ll be able to enter the diamond class after all.
I wonder what they¡¯d do if they found out about my ability. Will they lock me up and prevent me from getting stronger, or will they give up on their cowardly plans?
Maybe they¡¯ll make me take over Rell¡¯s place. No, she has an ice core. I can never compete with that. And even if I reached middle Bronze earlier than she did, it doesn¡¯t prove anything. I might be stuck for years at peak Bronze, not having the Will to advance.
Not that I¡¯d want to take her place anyway.
Sellitha decided to stop thinking about useless stuff and headed out of her room. She had no time to waste.
If there is no suitable team to join, I¡¯ll just head out alone for now. I can handle it. Mom and Dad will make me go back home to Iitha with them after the ceremony in a few months. This is probably my last chance to temper my Will in the Outskirts before Cyalis.
It didn¡¯t take long for her to reach the Outskirts Guild. When she entered, the place quieted down, and a lot of eyes were on her. It was expected, not only because of her looks, but a middle Bronze 15-year was about as rare as a Soul mage. These Outskirters had probably seen a lot of young geniuses, but someone like her was perhaps a first.
Just like the inn, this branch of the Outskirts Guild doubled as a tavern. But at least Sellitha could see a proper reception desk for Outskirters. She walked up to the desk, where she saw a Bronze mage in her early twenties looking at her.
¡°I¡¯m looking for a team of Silvers to join,¡± Sellitha said to the clerk, ¡°I know I might be a burden, so I can pay for the service. Do you know any team, or should I put up a mission?¡±
¡°Oh, well, first of all, welcome to Lermen, young miss,¡± The lady said with a smile, ¡°My name is Belra. If you need any help in the future, just ask me. As for any teams of Silvers, that¡¯s pretty much everyone here, so you have plenty of options. I don¡¯t know who would be interested, though. There is a team of three Silvers led by a Kuwamin named Mashi. He is very popular around here. There is also that group over there, the one with the faelin,¡± Belra said, pointing out a table with five people enjoying drinks together.
Stolen novel; please report.
A faelin? Sellitha thought excitedly. She had spent a lot of time with a faelin back home when she was younger. Sellitha enjoyed listening to her stories a lot as a child. Unfortunately, she returned to Fornia before Sellitha had a chance to grow up and ask more important questions.
I might be able to learn more about Quemer. You can¡¯t learn it all through books, after all. If I plan on heading there after Cyalis, I should try to learn as much as possible before leaving.
¡°They came here about a week ago, so I don¡¯t know much about them,¡± Belra continued, ¡°But as you can tell, they have a Bronze mage in their team already, so they might be open to letting you join.¡±
Sellitha looked towards the group of five and sensed that there indeed was a low Bronze mage among them. He was also Sellitha¡¯s age, almost exactly.
A few days younger? Older? I can¡¯t make it out. Other than him, the rest are all middle Silvers, except the girl, who is high Silver. That¡¯s an alright strength. But what about that guy? He must be from a Noble family, right?
She tried feeling his aura the same way she always did, but was suddenly shocked.
He is clearly a mage, so why? Why can¡¯t I tell what his element is? What¡¯s going on? Doesn¡¯t he have one? But he is obviously a mage. He must have one!
¡°That Bronze mage, what do you know about him?¡± Sellitha turned to ask Belra with a serious expression.
¡°Oh, his name is Adion, I think,¡± Belra answered, ¡°Very talented, not as talented as you, of course!¡± Belra nervously added, ¡°Their group seems to get along with each other nicely, and they haven¡¯t caused any trouble that I know of. But that red-haired bearded guy is a real flirt,¡± Belra said with a slight blush, ¡°You better keep your guard up against him.¡±
¡°What about this Adion? What do you know about him? What¡¯s his element?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°Oh,¡± Belra nodded with an understanding look, ¡°He¡¯s quite handsome, isn¡¯t he? I¡¯ve never seen him acting like that bearded guy, but you never know with men, so be careful!¡±
Sellitha felt her patience running thin. ¡°Element.¡±
¡°Oh! Right, sorry. His element¡I don¡¯t know. I can ask if you want?¡± Belra offered.
¡°I¡¯ll just ask myself,¡± Sellitha said.
She turned around and walked to the table where the team was sitting. They were laughing about something, especially the bearded man, who seemed to be struggling to control his loud laughter.
¡°Excuse me,¡± Sellitha said as she addressed the faelin, ¡°My name is Sell. I¡¯m looking for a team of Silvers to hunt with. I was wondering if you¡¯d be willing? I can pay.¡±
¡°Well, Benji is the leader,¡± The faelin looked to the man next to him.
¡°Money won¡¯t be necessary, but I¡¯m not sure-¡± The man Sellitha assumed was Benji started talking, but was interrupted as the bearded fellow whispered something in his ear. Benji got a light smile and looked to Sellitha again, ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll give it a try. Having Adion join us was probably the best decision I¡¯ve made after all, and you don¡¯t lose to him by much in terms of talent. We¡¯ll try out hunting together and see how it goes.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t lose by much? You mean he¡¯s more talented?¡± Sellitha asked and then turned to Adion, ¡°Are your concepts so powerful? What element do you have?¡±
Before Adion had a chance to answer, the woman started laughing.
¡°¡®Powerful concepts¡¯!¡± the woman said, laughing, ¡°He didn¡¯t even know about concepts a few months ago.¡±
¡°Why do you keep telling people that?¡± Adion muttered and took a sip of his beer.
¡°Because it¡¯s a funny story!¡± The woman said with a smile.
¡°That¡¯s not a story. It¡¯s just a thing you say,¡± Adion said.
¡°Well, it¡¯s still funny,¡± The woman shrugged.
¡°Okay, okay. Sorry, Sell. Why don¡¯t you take a seat and tell us a bit about yourself?¡± Benji asked with a smile.
It feels weird having someone who¡¯s not family call me Sell, but my full name would give away my identity immediately.
Sellitha grabbed a chair from a nearby table and took a seat.
¡°Well, I¡¯m Sell. I¡¯m 15, 16 this winter. I¡¯m from Iitha, and I won¡¯t say more than that about my identity. I just want to experience the Outskirts before going to Cyalis when I turn 17. I thought fighting Bronze beasts wouldn¡¯t be enough, and I was in the area, so I came here looking for a team to join. Oh, I¡¯m also a fire mage. What about you guys?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Alright, I won¡¯t pry,¡± Benji said, ¡°I¡¯m also a fire mage, so is Sahra here and Adion. Rufus is an earth mage, and Lomin is a wind mage. Being an elf and a fire mage is pretty rare, no? Is it common in your family?¡±
He is a fire mage? I should be able to tell no matter how well he can hide it. So how could he hide it? What kind of aura training would it take to hide his element from my aura sense?
¡°No,¡± Sell answered Benji, ¡°I¡¯m the first fire mage in generations.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we meet up here tomorrow morning and-¡± Benji didn¡¯t get to finish as Adion cut in the conversation.
¡°Do you have any ulterior motives in wanting to join us?¡± Adion asked.
What is he talking about?
¡°No, of course not,¡± Sellitha answered.
¡°Do you mind answering again without hiding your aura this time? It makes it hard to tell if you¡¯re being honest,¡± Adion said.
Does he realize how rude that question is? Then again, I guess I am the one asking to join them. I could answer just that one question.
Sellitha stopped hiding her intentions in her aura as much as before and began speaking again, this time clear for everyone to see that she wasn¡¯t lying.
¡°I have no ill intentions toward anyone in your group. I just saw you for the first time today and thought you seemed like a nice group to join,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Sorry about that,¡± Benji said with an awkward smile, ¡°But I agree that it¡¯s best to be safe if we are going to hunt beasts with our lives on the line together,¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay, I get it,¡± Sellitha said, non-committedly, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be here tomorrow morning then.¡±
¡°Oh yeah, right,¡± Benji nodded.
¡°It was nice to meet you, Sell!¡± That Sahra said in a little too loud voice, ¡°I look forward to having another girl around.¡±
Sell let a smile slip. She reminds me of Rell, even though their personalities are polar opposites.
¡°See you,¡± Sellitha waved goodbye and turned to leave for her room at the inn.
I¡¯ll get some meditation done.
But as Sellitha came back to her room and sat down to meditate, she couldn¡¯t stop her mind from wandering.
Why was that guy Adion¡¯s aura control so good? Is he from the Imperial family or something? But that doesn¡¯t make any sense. Why is he here? And with those people? They are alright talented, but other than the faelin, their aura control tells me that they can¡¯t be Nobles.
And why would he hide that he had a fire core? Gah! It makes no sense. Just for fun? What are the odds of focusing on that aspect of your aura control for no particular reason? I mean, I kind of chose to focus on it for a pretty random reason, but still.
I¡¯ll figure it out eventually, I guess. And what was that about him being more talented than me? I know they can¡¯t know how strong I am, but I am still a middle Bronze mage while he is just¡wait. He wasn¡¯t hiding his strength too, was he?
Chapter 57 - Careless
¡°So, what do you think of Sell, Adion?¡± Rufus asked with a smirk. The team were all having breakfast together at the inn just like they had every morning during the past week, ever since they got to Lermen.
¡°She¡¯s very talented,¡± Adion said.
¡°She¡¯s also the same girl you stared at during the auction, no?¡± Rufus asked, smiling.
¡°I guess. She has a very good aura sense, so be careful what you say around her, as she can probably tell if you¡¯re honest or not,¡± Adion said, trying to change the subject. ¡°Or at least try to keep your aura under control. You¡¯ve practiced it a lot during the past months, after all.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll keep it in mind,¡± Sahra said, ¡°I¡¯m just glad I met you before meeting her. Otherwise, I¡¯d be too shocked by her strength to act normal yesterday.¡±
¡°That was normal?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°I was super casual,¡± Sahra said, ¡°You know she¡¯s probably from a Noble family, right?¡±
¡°She probably is, but since she didn¡¯t say anything about it, I guess we can act like nothing, right?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Sahra said, ¡°And there is always a small chance that she is a random freak like Adion. Could you imagine the horror of being polite to Adion, thinking he was Noble? I would die of shame.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Rufus nodded thoughtfully.
¡°Why be polite just because someone is a Noble?¡± Adion asked.
¡°To not get killed,¡± Sahra said with a shrug, ¡°It isn¡¯t likely, but you never know.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Rufus nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a mistake you don¡¯t get to make twice. Family clans are different; the ego isn¡¯t that high, at least not toward Silver mages, but Nobles are in a league of their own.¡±
¡°Will it be like that at Cyalis Academy?¡± Adion asked, worried.
¡°Not quite,¡± Sahra comforted, ¡°Not even the Royals dare offend Cyalis, so the Nobles can¡¯t act however they want there, but the differences in status is still something very palpable.¡±
¡°Haaah,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll just stay away from the Nobles until I become a Soul mage.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Rufus chuckled, ¡°I believe that¡¯s wise.¡±
¡°By the way,¡± Benji said, ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re fine with a stranger joining us for today¡¯s hunt, right, Adion?¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said, ¡°I will have to be able to fight while pretending to be a fire mage eventually anyway, so this will be good practice.¡±
¡°But you¡¯ll also use that freeze-thing and say it¡¯s a Gift eventually, right?¡± Rufus asked, ¡°Will you fight using the ¡®Gift¡¯ around Sell as well?¡±
¡°No,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°She might tell her family clan or some organization, and we¡¯ll have to run off to somewhere else again. I can¡¯t be bothered with that until I get to Cyalis and get some protection as a student there.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Lomin sounded.
¡°What?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Knowing you, you¡¯ll probably reveal your ¡®Gift¡¯ eventually,¡± Lomin said.
¡°What? Why would I do that?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You¡¯re careless,¡± Sahra said.
¡°You won¡¯t be able to hold yourself back from impressing a pretty girl,¡± Rufus said.
¡°You do have a tendency to show off,¡± Benji nodded.
Adion just stared at his teammates in shock.
I¡¯m not that careless, am I?
¡°That won¡¯t happen,¡± Adion said.
¡°I guess we¡¯ll see,¡± Rufus shrugged, ¡°It will at least be nice to take a break from you teleporting all over the place.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll thank me once I get the hang of it,¡± Adion said.
Adion had spent the week in Lermen trying to apply his teleportation during fights. It was still not near instantaneous enough to be of much use. Adion would never have dared practice it if he didn¡¯t have his team there to back him up, and he only did it when they were a lot stronger than their opponents.
But at least he was starting to get used to teleporting in the heat of battle. If he could decrease the amount of time it took to pull it off, Adion would become even more deadly.
¡°Oh, looks like Sell was staying here too,¡± Benji said.
Everyone turned their heads to see where Benji was looking, and saw Sell coming down the stairs. She spotted them as well and walked up to their table.
¡°Good morning,¡± Sell said, ¡°I guess we won¡¯t have to meet up at the Outskirts Guild then. Are you ready to leave soon?¡±
¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± Benji answered, ¡°But don¡¯t you want to have breakfast first?¡±
¡°I already ate earlier,¡± Sell responded.
¡°Alright then, is everyone ready?¡± Benji asked the team.
They all nodded and got up from their seats.
¡°Let¡¯s go hunt some beasts then,¡± Benji said with a smile.
They all made their way out of the inn. Adion was watching as Sahra tried to make conversation with Sell. It seemed a little awkward.
Probably not used to the Sahra¡¯s casualness if she¡¯s a Noble. Or maybe she¡¯s just nervous. She¡¯s just a Bronze mage, after all, about to fight Silver beasts. But she should be pretty strong. I wonder what her fire looks like.
¡°You said you were a fire mage, Adion?¡± Sell turned around and asked just as they left the outpost, bringing Adion out of his thoughts.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Then why are you hiding it?¡± Sell asked, squinting her eyes.
She can feel that I¡¯m hiding my element? Just how good is her aura sense? Why would she focus on sensing elements?
Adion saw his teammates exchanging worried glances, but Adion didn¡¯t think it was something to worry about. He could act as a fire mage well enough to fool people even if they knew he hid his element in his aura.
¡°Why would you waste your time practicing how to sense other people¡¯s elements?¡± Adion asked. It was very strange to him.
¡°Why would you waste your time practicing to hide yours?¡± Sell asked back.
¡°Well, I managed to hide it from you, so it seems my time isn¡¯t as wasted as yours,¡± Adion said with a small smirk.
¡°Whatever,¡± Sell said and looked away. The group continued walking, and Adion overheard Rufus making a bet with Benji and Sahra on how long it would take for him to reveal something by showing off. No one betted that he would last more than a week.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
I might not care much about hiding every little detail about my abilities. It seems insignificant when compared to killing a Diamond mage and robbing a branch of Heavenly Light, after all. But it¡¯s not like I¡¯m completely careless.
¡°So, what family are you from?¡± Sell asked soon after dropping the subject of his element.
¡°You wouldn¡¯t know it. It¡¯s just a 2nd-tier family clan,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Impossible!¡± Sell yelled out in shock, ¡°No one in a family like that could teach you aura control at that level.¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s the truth,¡± Adion shrugged.
¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Sell said.
¡°Then what do you believe?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You¡¯re probably from the Imperial family,¡± Sell concluded, ¡°It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense.¡±
¡°¡®It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense¡¯?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Then you should be the princess of Iitha, no?¡±
Sell stumbled on her step and looked at Adion in shock, ¡°I¡¡±
¡°You actually are?¡± Adion asked, a little surprised. He had only guessed that might be the case because of her abilities and her own deduction that someone with Adion¡¯s abilities in aura had to come from the Imperial family. He also thought her looks fit the image of a princess he had in his mind.
¡°How did you know?¡± Sell asked, giving up trying to hide it.
¡°I just guessed. I didn¡¯t know you would give it away so easily,¡± Adion said with an amused smile.
What¡¯s the point of having aura control at that level if you''re so easy to crack?
¡°I-¡± Adion was about to say something but lost his words as he saw his teammates stop walking and bowing slightly to Sell, awkward smiles on their faces. Their eyes seemed to dart around the surroundings.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Sorry for the disrespect, your highness,¡± Benji said, clearly uncomfortable.
¡°She¡¯s still just a Bronze mage. Calm down, everyone,¡± Adion said, confused at their sudden shift in attitude.
¡°Hehe,¡± Rufus chuckled, still with a slight bow and his eyes down, ¡°Adion, you should probably be a little more respectful. This isn¡¯t a normal family clan. There¡¯s probably a Soul mage watching.¡±
A Soul mage is watching?
Adion focused on his sphere of space mana to try and sense if he might have missed someone, but he couldn¡¯t sense anything off.
Can a Soul mage somehow thwart my space sense? I don¡¯t think so.
¡°There¡¯s no one around 300 feet of us at least,¡± Adion said. He didn¡¯t get why they were so ready to go fight a Diamond mage, but the thought of a Soul mage being around made them act like this.
¡°Is there a Soul mage following, Sell?¡± Adion decided to ask.
¡°Er¡¡± Sell hesitated. She looked at the others bowing, a little uncomfortable, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It wouldn¡¯t temper my Will as well if I fought on the Outskirts while knowing I had a Soul mage for protection.¡±
¡°Then they¡¯ll probably not show even if they are here,¡± Adion said, ¡°So stop acting so weird.¡±
¡°Adion¡¡± Benji awkwardly smiled.
¡°It¡¯s fine, really,¡± Sell tried to explain, ¡°It usually gets a little awkward, and that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to say something about my background, but you can act just like before.¡±
¡°Hahaha!¡± Suddenly, Sahra burst out laughing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But Sell, you might be as bad at keeping a secret as Adion.¡±
¡°Hahaha!¡± Rufus started laughing, too, ¡°She just admitted it straight away.¡±
¡°Guys¡¡± Benji looked at his teammates with a helpless expression.
¡°Oh, relax, Benji. Sell said to act like before, so let¡¯s not pay it any mind and get going,¡± Sahra said.
¡°Haaah,¡± Benji sighed, his eyes still on the surroundings, ¡°I guess. Let¡¯s go then.¡±
¡°But I don¡¯t understand. Surely Adion has a similar background?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I already said I¡¯m from a 2nd-tier family clan,¡± Adion said.
¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Sahra said, ¡°He¡¯s just a freak.¡±
¡°I would call it ¡®hard-working,¡¯¡± Adion said.
¡°No, freak sounds about right,¡± Sahra shrugged.
¡°So how can you have such good aura control? Where did you learn it?¡± Sell pushed.
¡°Secret,¡± Adion said.
¡°Hmm,¡± Sell mused, scrutinizing Adion with her red eyes, ¡°So you might be from a 2nd-tier family, but a Soul mage has been your teacher. Because you¡¯re talented? Or something is special about your element? That was why someone so powerful took the time to teach you and why you focused on hiding your element. It also explains why you didn¡¯t react much to there being a Soul mage around. Did I get it right?¡±
What the hell? Not exactly right, but pretty damn close.
¡°No,¡± Adion said, but his voice came out a little unnaturally.
¡°You really are bad at lying,¡± Sell said with a smirk.
¡°I don¡¯t know why people keep saying that. I¡¯m actually pretty good at it,¡± Adion said. He had even managed to sneak his way into Heavenly Light and kill a Diamond mage. He never actually lied, of course, but he never got caught in his deceit.
¡°You¡¯re good at predicting and playing to people¡¯s expectations,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Not good at lying.¡±
Is that so? She might be right.
¡°So, who is this Soul mage teacher?¡± Sell asked, curiosity obvious in her eyes.
¡°I never said I was taught by a Soul mage,¡± Adion denied.
¡°I thought we established that you¡¯re bad at lying,¡± Sell said, ¡°I had the decency to admit to my background as soon as I was discovered.¡±
¡°You admitted to it way before you were discovered,¡± Adion said with a teasing smile.
Sell¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment, ¡°Whatever, will you admit it or not?¡±
¡°Why are you so-.¡± Adion was about to continue his defense but noticed four distinct shapes in his sphere of space mana, ¡°Four beasts 300 feet in that direction.¡±
¡°Alright, get ready, everyone!¡± Beni yelled, ¡°Sell, stay back for now, and don¡¯t put yourself in danger.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Sell agreed reluctantly.
¡°It seems to be two middle and two high Silvers,¡± Adion said as he felt the aura of the beasts.
¡°Sahra and I will take on the two high Silvers,¡± Benji said, ¡°Lomin, Rufus, Adion, take care of the other two. Sell, just help out from a distance where it¡¯s needed.¡±
The team spurred into action and ran to meet the beasts.
So no teleportation or freezing them in space¡I¡¯ll be pretty weak.
¡°I¡¯ll be relying on you two in this fight,¡± Adion said.
¡°Leave it to us,¡± Rufus said, ¡°Try to blind and distract them with your fire.¡±
¡°No problem,¡± Adion nodded and conjured a ball of fire from the surrounding pure mana. As the beasts got close, Adion fired the ball, split it in two, and aimed for the faces of the two beasts.
The beasts were Dark Grats, a beast resembling a giant rat and usually had the darkness element, making them extremely dangerous at night, even as Silvers. But it was still early in the morning, so the most dangerous part was still their strong bodies and sharp claws and teeth.
Adion¡¯s fire hit, as usual. He had Authority over the fire, after all. He Willed the fire to burn and struggled to make it dig into the beasts¡¯ bodies. Rufus helped disorient them with his earth magic, and Lomin cut them up with bursts of sharp wind.
Suddenly, a long pillar of fire flew over Adion¡¯s head and toward one of the beasts. The fire looked almost like a giant snake as it weaved its way forward, going extremely fast. As soon as the fire hit, the Dark Grats shrieked in pain in a much more intense way than when Adion hit them.
The fire¡It''s almost like it¡¯s devouring their bodies. And at an incredible speed at that.
Adion quickly let go of his own fire with his Will and grabbed hold of the other fire. He felt how immensely packed with powerful concepts it was. Adion immediately controlled it with his Will and brought it down to dig into the two beasts¡¯ skulls. With the powerful concepts and Adion¡¯s Authority, the beasts didn¡¯t last long.
¡°Did you just take control of my fire?¡± Sell asked, surprised.
¡°It¡¯s so strong,¡± Adion said, still controlling the fire even as the beasts had died, ¡°What concepts have you grasped? It¡¯s like pure destruction¡ dismantling? What¡¯s a good word?¡±
¡°Adion,¡± Sahra said as she walked over with a teasing smile, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t exhaust your Will so much. You¡¯ve been controlling that flame for a while now.¡±
Damn, right.
Adion let go of the fire and tried to act a bit exhausted.
I didn¡¯t hold it for that long, so it shouldn¡¯t be too suspicious.
¡°Why is your flame so weak?¡± Sell asked, ¡°Did you really not know about concepts until a few months ago?¡±
¡°Yeah, I managed to miss it somehow,¡± Adion waved off, ¡°So what concepts have you grasped? Your fire is very powerful.¡±
Adion was genuinely impressed. It felt like he had understood more about fire in that short moment than all the time he had spent studying Benji¡¯s fire combined.
¡°Secret,¡± Sell smiled.
Chapter 58 - Deductions
¡°It¡¯s bitter,¡± Sell said after taking a sip of beer.
¡°It¡¯s beer,¡± Adion said.
They had continued their hunt for a few hours before coming back to collect their rewards at the Outskirts Guild. They then decided to grab a few drinks and get to know Sell better.
¡°Don¡¯t they have anything less¡bad?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Do they?¡± Adion turned to Rufus and asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Rufus said hesitantly, ¡°I always just ask for a beer and drink whatever they give me.¡±
¡°Sorry, Sell,¡± Sahra said with a comforting smile, ¡°We don¡¯t have the most advanced palates, it seems. But I don¡¯t think they¡¯d have anything fancy at a place like this.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Sell said, ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡±
¡°There¡¯s fancy beer?¡± Adion asked. He had only begun drinking after meeting Villem, so he wasn¡¯t very well-versed in the world of alcoholic beverages.
¡°Of course there is,¡± Sahra said, ¡°There is a fancy everything. We should be experiencing more of that now that we¡¯re rich. Too bad there aren¡¯t a lot of options in this place.¡±
¡°You think there is plum beer?¡± Adion asked Rufus.
Rufus had a look of enlightenment on his face, ¡°There should be. That would be amazing.¡±
¡°You guys are rich?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Well¡maybe not compared to you. But we managed to come over a pretty considerable sum of money a while back.¡± Sahra said.
¡°From a mission?¡± Sell asked.
¡°In a way,¡± Sahra answered.
¡°You guys lie about just about everything, don¡¯t you?¡± Sell said, shaking her head.
¡°Hey! It¡¯s all Adion¡¯s fault. We weren¡¯t like this before we met him,¡± Sahra defended herself.
¡°You were also not this rich before you met me,¡± Adion countered.
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Sahra admitted.
¡°Will you tell me, Adion? Or will you also lie?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I would never,¡± Adion said.
¡°Oh? Then how did you get rich?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Secret,¡± Adion said with a smirk.
¡°That¡¯s even worse than lying,¡± Sell said with a pout.
¡°It is?¡± Adion turned to Lomin and asked.
¡°No, but it¡¯s a lot worse than the truth,¡± Lomin answered.
¡°There you go,¡± Adion said, turning back to Sell.
¡°Whatever,¡± Sell said and took another careful sip of beer.
¡°Why do you never turn to me for words of wisdom?¡± Sahra asked in faked offense.
¡°You¡¯ll have to work on your storyteller abilities,¡± Benji said with a teasing smile.
¡°I¡¯m a great storyteller,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Hey, Sell. Have you ever heard the story of the peak Baby mage-¡±
Adion used his Authority over space to freeze Sahra, not completely, just as a warning.
¡°Adion¡¡± Sahra looked at him awkwardly. ¡°That¡¯s cheating!¡±
¡°What did he do?¡± Sell asked, confused. Unless trained to sense space, it would be very difficult to feel what Adion did without being directly affected by it.
¡°Nothing,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°Sahra must be drunk and is imagining things.¡±
¡°Oh? You didn¡¯t do anything?¡± Sahra asked, ¡°Then I guess it¡¯s fine to tell Sell about the time you-¡±
Adion once again froze her stiff. He saw Sell watching Sahra, tilting her head.
She can¡¯t feel it, right? Not even a Diamond mage should be able to.
¡°I¡¯ll just tell her later,¡± Sahra said, a little petty. Adion decided to drop the matter.
¡°By the way, Sell,¡± Adion said, ¡°You were at the auction in Dorbarta, right?¡±
¡°Um, yeah. How did you know?¡± Sell asked.
¡°We were there too,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Adion spotted you and seemed to have remembered you.¡±
Maybe I should just keep her frozen for the rest of the night?
¡°Well, what were you doing there? Did you get to buy anything?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No,¡± Sell shook her head, ¡°I was there with some of the young generation of the Tyllen family. I was sent there by my parents to make some connections. Then I was supposed to travel to Ellia with them for the ceremony. I guess you know they¡¯ve recently been promoted to a Noble family? Well, anyway. I didn¡¯t want to waste my time doing that, so I came here to temper my Will.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Sahra raised her eyebrows, ¡°A rebellious princess? I¡¯m impressed.¡±
¡°A little, maybe,¡± Sell said, a rare smile showing.
¡°I don¡¯t know much about the Royal family in Iitha,¡± Benji said. Like the rest of the team, he had now gotten used to Sell¡¯s background. Most likely thanks to the many things shown by Adion during the last months, having raised their bar for surprises. ¡°Do you have any siblings?¡±
¡°I have an older sister,¡± Sell said, ¡°She¡¯s at Cyalis right now, making me have to take on this bothersome stuff that she would otherwise handle.¡±
¡°What year is she in?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Er, I guess she¡¯s just started her 3rd year,¡± Sell answered.
Then she might be in the same class as Aiden!
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°Do you know any of her classmates?¡± Adion asked.
¡°A few, why?¡± Sell answered.
¡°Do you know of anyone named Aiden?¡± Adion asked, excited for any news of his brother.
¡°I don¡¯t think so¡who is he?¡± Sell asked, ¡°What¡¯s his family name?¡±
Adion hesitated. He didn¡¯t know if the Remori name would bring any trouble. After reading through the papers from Heavenly Light, he knew that the teleportation formation at the Remori manor had been taken over by the Valis Royal family. The name might be more well-known than he had thought initially.
But this was the first time he might have a clue of how his family was doing.
¡°Remori,¡± Adion said, ¡°Aiden Remori.¡±
His teammates exchanged looks of understanding. But Sell looked as confused as before.
¡°Sorry, never heard. I only know of the Noble families,¡± Sell said.
¡°I see, it¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said, a little disappointed.
Maybe I should give up on trying to train before going to Cyalis. I could just head there now and see everyone. If I do, I won¡¯t be able to temper my Will on the Outskirts. But can¡¯t I temper my Will and practice my magic just fine even so?
¡°You okay, Adion?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°Huh? Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Adion responded, still a little lost in thought.
I¡¯m enjoying my time here, though, and I won¡¯t get an opportunity to train while fighting beasts like this for a long time when I head to Cyalis.
¡°Who¡¯s Aiden Remori?¡± Sell asked, ¡°Your brother?¡±
Adion looked up in shock. How does she do that?
¡°Hahaha!¡± Sell laughed, ¡°It seems I got you back.¡±
¡°How did you know?¡± Adion asked, thinking there was no point in denying it. It wasn¡¯t a huge secret, anyway.
¡°Aiden, Adion,¡± Sell mused, ¡°Sounds pretty similar, no? And someone a few years older than you in the same year as my older sister. It made sense, so I took a guess.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Adion said, ¡°I guess it isn¡¯t that hard to figure out.¡±
¡°So you¡¯re from the Remori family? I guess you¡¯re not a Noble after all,¡± Sell said, ¡°Where is it located? Why did you seem so sad that I didn¡¯t know of your brother? You haven¡¯t heard from him in a while? I guess you¡¯re pretty far from home, then. Maybe not from the Empire at all. I see¡¡±
¡°What do you see?¡± Adion asked, generally scared at what Sell might have managed to deduce this time.
¡°You¡¯ve run away from home, right? Something like an arranged marriage or something?¡± Sell asked.
Adion breathed out in relief, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t run away from home.¡±
¡°Then what?¡± Sell asked.
¡°What, what?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Where are you from? And what are you doing here? Why are you so talented? Are you hiding your strength?¡± Sell rambled her questions.
¡°Haaah,¡± Adion sighed. Maybe I¡¯m not good at keeping secrets because it¡¯s so troublesome. Or maybe I just don¡¯t like it very much.
¡°I¡¯m from Valis,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m here to get strong with my friends, and I¡¯m not very talented. I¡¯ve trained a lot my whole life and gotten lucky a few times. And yeah, I¡¯m hiding my strength.¡±
Worth it to see that face. Adion thought as he chuckled at Sell¡¯s shocked expression. The others were surprised, too.
¡°I guess I win then, pay up,¡± Rufus said.
¡°That doesn¡¯t count as a secret,¡± Sahra objected.
¡°You actually answered?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Well, you would have figured out everything eventually anyway,¡± Adion shrugged.
¡°So, how strong are you if you¡¯re hiding your strength?¡± Sell leaned forward and asked, ¡°Are you middle Bronze like me?¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to start answering everything just like that,¡± Adion said, looking at his beer, afraid he would end up spilling too much information about himself, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you to figure out the rest.¡±
¡°Hmm. Are you going to Cyalis Academy?¡± Sell asked, ¡°Even if you¡¯re somehow middle Bronze already, they won¡¯t let you enter the diamond class with that fire of yours.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll make it into the diamond class, don¡¯t worry,¡± Adion said, ¡°And I¡¯ll work on my concepts.¡±
¡°You have a lot of work to do,¡± Sell said.
¡°So you¡¯ll let me study your fire?¡± Adion asked. He was really interested in learning more about the concepts Sell had grasped.
¡°Anything for a price,¡± Sell said with a smile.
¡°Then what do you want?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Hmm. Let me think about it. I should make it something good,¡± Sell said.
Sahra bent over to whisper something in Sell¡¯s ear.
¡°That might be good,¡± Sell nodded.
I¡¯ll just ignore it.
¡°So we¡¯re going out hunting tomorrow too?¡± Rufus asked, directing the question to Benji.
¡°I was about to bring that up, actually,¡± Benji said, ¡°I met Mashi earlier, and he told me that a mission had been posted where they hurriedly needed teams of Silver mages to join an expedition deeper into the Endless Forest.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Sahra looked over at Benji, ¡°What kind of expedition?¡±
¡°I talked to Belra at the reception earlier, and it wasn¡¯t explained exactly what the purpose was,¡± Benji said, ¡°Only that everyone wishing to join would have to gather here tomorrow morning. The pay is excellent, but I think we would be more interested in the experience than the money, no?¡±
¡°Sounds exciting,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°I would like to take part too,¡± Lomin spoke for the first time in a while.
¡°Yeah, sounds fun,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Sell, you want to join us? Your fire is powerful enough to make you stand on your own.¡±
¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°Who posted the mission?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Benji said, ¡°Some family clan. I have heard from Mashi that expeditions like these have been common in the area lately. Not as many deaths as you would expect, and the high pay has made them very popular among the Outskirters.¡±
¡°I wonder what they¡¯re looking for,¡± Rufus said.
¡°I wonder if we can steal it,¡± Sahra said with a grin.
¡°I like the way you think,¡± Rufus grinned back.
¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± Benji said, ¡°This is probably a 1st-tier family clan we¡¯re talking about, so don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡±
¡°Ayeaye, boss,¡± Rufus saluted.
¡°Haaa,¡± Benji sighed, ¡°Do you know what they might be looking for Sell? Maybe you heard something from the Tyllens?¡±
¡°I¡guess I wasn¡¯t the most social during my stay there, sorry,¡± Sell said.
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Benji said with a smile, ¡°I guess it¡¯s none of our business anyway.¡±
¡°How long will we be going out for?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°More than a week,¡± Benji said.
¡°Oh? We will be going quite far then, no outposts to rest at probably,¡± Rufus said.
¡°There should be a few tiny ones,¡± Benji said, ¡°But we can¡¯t assume that we¡¯ll be passing by them.¡±
¡°Will there be a risk of Gold beasts showing?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I doubt it,¡± Benji said, ¡°But nothing is ever certain, so we should keep our guard up.¡±
¡°Then we should probably call it for the night,¡± Sahra said, ¡°We have to make sure to get some rest while we can.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°You guys coming with us?¡±
¡°I guess I should get some training done,¡± Adion nodded and got up.
¡°Me too,¡± Sell said.
¡°Haah,¡± Rufus sighed, ¡°I looked forward to a night of drinking, but I guess I should get some good sleep in.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Lomin nodded.
The group headed out of the Outskirts Guild tavern and returned to the inn.
This will let me get some more practice in acting like a fire mage. I should stay close to Sell during fights so I can use her fire and examine what concepts hide within. Maybe I can sneak some fire away without anyone noticing and study it in peace?
Chapter 59 - Expedition
¡°I didn¡¯t know there were these many Silvers in Lermen,¡± Adion said, looking around at the crowd outside the Outskirts Guild.
¡°Almost every Silver mage in Lermen has likely come here to take part in the expedition,¡± Benji commented.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded. He and his teammates had decided to join the expedition the previous night. Apparently, they weren¡¯t the only ones with an open schedule.
¡°We¡¯re meeting up outside the gate!¡± A loud voice yelled out, ¡°We¡¯ll be briefed and getting ready there. This place is too crowded. Come on, people, move out!¡±
¡°Oh? It¡¯s Mashi,¡± Adion said.
¡°Who¡¯s Mashi again?¡± Sell asked from beside him.
¡°He¡¯s a Silver mage we met the first night here,¡± Adion said, ¡°He seems like a nice guy.¡±
¡°Oi, Benji, and the gang,¡± Mashi said as he walked over with a smile, ¡°I see you decided to join. I¡¯m glad.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Benji nodded and reached out to grab Mashi¡¯s hand in a handshake, ¡°Seemed like an opportunity for both money and a different kind of experience. Have you found out about anything yet?¡±
¡°I was grabbed by one of the guys who issued the mission. I wasn¡¯t told much besides that I was to gather everyone outside,¡± Mashi said, ¡°But I believe these family clans are all looking for something. What I know, none of the expeditions have been successful so far, though.¡±
¡°Oh, curious,¡± Benji said, ¡°So I guess the job is simply to kill beasts that get in the way?¡±
¡°Pretty much,¡± Mashi said, ¡°Well, can¡¯t stand here all day, let¡¯s get moving.¡±
Mashi went around and hurried the other Outskirters along.
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Benji said, and the group followed.
It didn¡¯t take long before the big group of Silver mages were gathered a bit outside the outpost. They were all facing a group of about 15 other Silver mages, these ones not Outskirters but the people who commissioned the expedition.
¡°Thank you all for deciding to help the Derolm family in this endeavor. I¡¯ll make sure everyone is properly compensated once this is over,¡± The man who seemed to be in charge said to the group of Outskirters.
Derolm? Isn¡¯t that the family clan that was on unfriendly terms with the Tyllen family? And that I overheard might have something to do with Heavenly Light? They even called Diamond Eulen ¡®Uncle Eulen.¡¯
¡°My name is Harran Derolm, and I will be in charge of this expedition,¡± The man said, ¡°This is my younger brother, Alan Derolm, he is second in command. I hope no one will have problems taking orders from a Bronze. If that¡¯s the case, you can leave now.¡±
No one left, of course, if not for the money, for the sake of not offending a powerful 1st-tier family.
¡°Alright, we are heading for a place inside the Endless Forest that might hold something of interest to us. Your job is to kill any beasts along the way,¡± Harran continued his speech, ¡°You can keep the bodies and cores of the beasts you kill. As long as you do your job of not letting beasts disturb us, I¡¯ll be happy.¡±
I wonder what they are looking for. Maybe I should try spying on their conversation and try to find out. If it is nothing that interests me, I can forget about it. If it is something I want, though¡well, these people seem to be associated with my enemies, so no chance I¡¯ll let them get any good things.
The expedition team set out and started moving. The Outskirters spread out to keep an eye out for any beasts. The people from the Derolm family formed a group in the middle of the lackluster formation of teams surrounding them.
Once Adion and his teammates had gotten far enough away from any prying ears, Adion decided to tell them what he knew.
¡°So that Derolm family seems suspicious,¡± Adion said, ¡°Their matriarch is already a Soul mage, but they haven¡¯t announced it for some reason. And it seems that they¡¯re involved with Heavenly Light in some way.¡±
Adion looked closely at Sell¡¯s reaction when he mentioned that last part. He didn¡¯t think she would have anything to do with those people, but he had actually never made sure. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t seem to know the name, and Adion didn¡¯t think she had the acting skills to cover that up.
¡°What? How do you know that?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°I spied on them a little during the auction,¡± Adion said, ¡°I decided to let it go and focus on training, but now¡¡±
¡°You spied on them?¡± Benji asked, ¡°When?¡±
¡°While in our booth, they were in a booth above us. I used my trick,¡± Adion said.
¡°What trick?¡± Sell asked.
Adion opened his mouth to respond but didn¡¯t get a chance to say anything.
¡°Secret. Got it,¡± Sell said, rolling her eyes.
¡°Sorry,¡± Adion said. He felt a little bad about how much it seemed he was keeping secret. It was actually just his space powers, but it created a web of lies around it. Adion was really glad he had told his teammates about his powers, otherwise his life would have been miserable.
¡°But how do you know they are connected to Heavenly Light?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°They mentioned something about an incident in Wender¡and an Uncle Eulen,¡± Adion said.
¡°Oh,¡± Rufus said.
¡°Wait, what¡¯s Heavenly Light?¡± Sell asked, ¡°And are you talking about how Eulen Derolm¡¯s manor in Wender was attacked?¡±
Oh, she knows about that?
¡°What do you know about that attack?¡± Adion carefully asked.
¡°First, answer my question,¡± Sell said.
¡°Well, they are an organization that we, or at least I, don¡¯t really get along with,¡± Adion said.
¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Adion,¡± Rufus said, ¡°They are your enemies, so they are all of our enemies.¡±
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Benji nodded with a smile.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion said with a slight smile, ¡°So, the attack in Wender?¡±
¡°Well, I don¡¯t know much besides apparently a Diamond mage from the Derolm family was killed along with a bunch of other people in his manor in the middle of Wender. I heard some people in the Tyllen family talking about it. Actually, more like celebrating it. But what does this Eulen have to do with the Heavenly Light? And how are you connected to it? Do you know who did this?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Hmm,¡± Adion thought about what to say but didn¡¯t really have time to think it through, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later. I think I¡¯m going to see if I can get some information about what they¡¯re after. And if it¡¯s something juicy, I thought we might¡take it?¡±
¡°Ooh, finally, another robbery!¡± Sahra said excitedly.
¡°Another?¡± Sell questioned.
¡°I mean,¡± Sahra hesitated, ¡°Ah, whatever, we might have stolen some things from a few bad guys. But only once! And they were really bad Sell.¡±
¡°Right¡¡± Sell looked at the group weirdly.
We¡¯re really not making the best impression. I feel a little bad for her. Well, I guess the best way to let her in on some secrets is to make her be part of our next one.
¡°Do you want to join us, Sell? Or is the princess scared of what her parents will say?¡± Adion teased.
¡°As if!¡± Sell said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about the Derolm family. If you want to take whatever they¡¯re looking for, I¡¯m all for it.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Adion said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll try to find out some more information.¡±
¡°Wait, Adion,¡± Benji said, ¡°I¡¯m not against the idea entirely, but we should think it through thoroughly first. There is plenty of time left. We should at least wait a day before acting on any plans. I mean, have you thought about the consequences? Will you kill everyone from the Derolm family? What about the witnesses? Will you kill all of the Outskirters who joined the expedition? What will you say when the Derolm family sends out their powerful mages to ask about what happened?¡±
¡°Oh¡right,¡± Adion said, ¡°I guess I was getting ahead of myself a little.¡±
¡°Yeah, we should just take a step back and see how everything unfolds,¡± Sahra said, ¡°You¡¯re a pretty good thief, Adion. Why don¡¯t we wait until they have whatever they¡¯re looking for, and then we can think of a way for you to steal it without suspicion.¡±
¡°That sounds good, I guess,¡± Adion nodded.
Why did I just want to immediately rob them once I found out who they were? Is it because they are Silvers, and I thought I could just kill them? I¡¯m lucky to have friends who can stop me from doing something stupid.
¡°Well, let¡¯s just-¡± Benji started talking but was interrupted by Adion as he felt someone approaching through his sphere of space mana.
¡°Wait,¡± Adion said, ¡°Someone¡¯s coming.¡±
The group looked up in the direction Adion was looking and spotted someone walking over.
¡°Can you actually feel other¡¯s aura that well?¡± Sell asked.
¡°No, it¡¯s just another trick I have,¡± Adion said with a smirk.
¡°You¡¯re such a braggart,¡± Sahra said.
¡°Whatever,¡± Adion said, ¡°What does this guy want?¡±
It didn¡¯t take long before the group recognized the young man. It was Alan, the Bronze mage introduced as Harran¡¯s younger brother. Adion could feel that he was about a year older than him.
Still only low Bronze, though.
¡°I thought I recognized you. Princess Sellitha Amyss, my name is Alan Derolm. It¡¯s an honor,¡± Alan introduced himself with a slight bow.
Sellitha? And I recognize that voice. He was the younger man in the Derolm booth at the auction.
¡°Okay, what do you want?¡± Sell asked.
Alan didn¡¯t seem bothered by Sell¡¯s crass attitude and politely smiled. ¡°We met briefly in Dorbarta. I¡¯m not sure if you remember?¡±
¡°No,¡± Sell shook her head, ¡°I met a lot of people.¡±
¡°Of course, of course,¡± Alan nodded, ¡°I was just surprised to see you joining our expedition. You are more than welcome to travel with the Derolm family. It will be the safest place to be, and I will personally make sure that you won¡¯t lack for anything.¡±
¡°If I wanted to be in the safest place, would I have come to the Outskirts?¡± Sell asked while rolling her eyes.
¡°Ah,¡± Alan seemed a little embarrassed, ¡°I suppose not. Who are these people?¡±
¡°My teammates,¡± Sell simply said.
¡°Well¡I¡¯m sure they¡¯re very capable. Would you like to at least join us for dinner when we make camp for the night? It would be an honor, and I can tell you a little more about what we¡¯re looking for. It¡¯s truly something incredible. I would dare say that if we succeed, the Delrom family will leave the Tyllen family behind in the dust.¡±
¡°No thanks,¡± Sell said, turning her head around.
¡°I see¡well, another time perhaps,¡± Alan awkwardly smiled, ¡°Good day, and be careful.¡±
Adion watched as Alan turned around to leave, and for some reason, he couldn¡¯t hold himself back. He grabbed hold of Alan¡¯s left foot with his Authority, making him fall face-first down on the ground.
¡°Oh, are you okay?¡± Adion said and went to help him up.
¡°Ah, I must have tripped. Excuse me,¡± Alan said with a flushed face and hurried off.
Why did I do that? It was kind of unnecessary.
Once Alan was out of sight, Sahra burst out laughing.
¡°Hahaha! I didn¡¯t take you for the type, Adion.¡± She said.
¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Adion said, ¡°Keep your guard up. There could be beasts around.¡±
¡°Hahaha!¡± Sahra continued laughing. Benji, Rufus, and even Lomin, were looking at him with knowing smiles.
¡°What happened? Did you do something?¡± Sell asked, staring at Adion.
¡°I just helped the guy up,¡± Adion shrugged. Sell didn¡¯t seem to buy it, though.
¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so popular, Sell,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Must happen a lot to a pretty and talented princess like you?¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Sell shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s not unusual for people in power to try to cling onto people of higher power.¡±
¡°I was pretty popular back in Cyalis too, believe it or not,¡± Sahra bragged, ¡°I¡¯ll give you some tips later so you can keep the bugs away when you start going there.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you end up with a bug anyway?¡± Rufus chuckled.
¡°Benji¡¯s not a bug!¡± Sahra said.
¡°Thank you for the lovely words, dear,¡± Benji chuckled.
¡°You went to Cyalis Academy?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Benji and I did, yes. If you wonder about anything, just ask me, and I¡¯ll tell you all about it.¡± Sahra said.
¡°Well, what is it like?¡± Sell asked, a glimmer in her eyes.
¡°It is amazing,¡± Sahra said with a smile, ¡°When I got there, it was like nothing I¡¯d ever seen. Applying for classes was nerve-wracking. They had Diamonds testing your skills. I had never even seen a Diamond before that!¡±
Adion continued walking, listening in on Sahra¡¯s and Sell¡¯s conversation, much of which he had already heard before.
I look forward to going there. I should keep practicing my fire so I can blend in as a fire mage without problem. I¡¯m way behind in concepts compared to other geniuses my age. Even though I¡¯ll get a spot in the diamond class thanks to my ¡®Gift,¡¯ having a fire that is too weak might raise suspicion.
But it¡¯s still a little under two years until my admission. But it is quite a distance to travel, so I guess we might start moving in a year or so. I wonder if Sell would want to travel there together?
Chapter 60 - Merillian Soul Peach
The first day of the expedition went by without problems. Adion¡¯s group had to fight off some beasts a few times, but it was nothing they couldn¡¯t handle. Adion had, of course, taken over Sell¡¯s fire as soon as she let go of her control over it. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t an opportunity to sneak some fire away to study. The concepts wouldn¡¯t hold forever either, as Adion hadn¡¯t actually grasped them.
Adion was now sitting around a campfire with his team, eating dinner. It was getting dark, and they would spend the night there, along with the other mages who had joined the expedition.
¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be a good idea for Sell to just ask what they are after?¡± Rufus asked, ¡°It seems to be the easiest way to get an answer. That Alan seemed more than happy to share everything.¡±
¡°He might just be lying,¡± Adion said, ¡°I can just use my trick and listen in on their conversation.¡±
¡°Can you do that all the way from here?¡± Benji asked.
¡°No,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°I would have to be within 300 feet of them.¡±
¡°How are you going to do that without raising suspicion?¡± Benji asked.
¡°I¡¯ll just say I¡¯m out taking a walk if anyone asks,¡± Adion said.
¡°Taking a walk after a day of walking?¡± Benji asked, raising his eyebrow mockingly.
¡°I¡¯ll say I¡¯m looking for Mashi then, whatever,¡± Adion said.
¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that we should wait?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°We can wait to take any action, but information is always good to have. It will help us make a more informed decision. And it¡¯s not like they can discover me,¡± Adion said.
Unless I screw up and accidentally teleport.
¡°Alright,¡± Sahra shrugged, ¡°I think it should be fine, no?¡±
¡°I guess so,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°Can you go with him, Sell? It might be easier to deal with anyone wanting to ask any questions with you around.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Sell nodded.
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Adion said and got up.
The two headed off in the direction of the Derolm family part of the camp.
¡°So what is this trick that makes you able to spy on people?¡± Sell asked, ¡°Is that how you knew Alan was approaching before you saw him? And how you were convinced there wasn¡¯t a Soul mage within 300 feet yesterday?¡±
¡°You know,¡± Adion turned to look at her, ¡°You¡¯re very nosy for a princess.¡±
¡°Well, you¡¯re very weird for some guy,¡± Sell retorted.
¡°Fair enough,¡± Adion couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°I have a very good spatial awareness. I¡¯ve had it since I was a kid. My grandfather helped me hone it by blindfolding me and throwing stuff at me, mostly plums. I¡¯ve gotten quite good at sensing the mana around me by now. And things moving around me at a distance of about 300 feet have a hard time escaping my notice. I just recently learned a way to train my senses a little more, so if I really focus, I can listen in and spy on anything happening as long as it¡¯s not too far away.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Sell said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could train like that. Can you show me? I want to see if I could do it too.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°If you let me study your fire.¡±
¡°Deal,¡± Sell smiled, ¡°But don¡¯t think you will have a chance to match my fire anytime soon. As long as I can remember, all I¡¯ve ever thought about is fire. So don¡¯t get too depressed if you don¡¯t notice any results.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t,¡± Adion said.
Should I tell her what I know about the burning of Iitha? It might be helpful to her, and it¡¯s not any secret I need to keep. But her parents must know, right?
¡°Sorry, what happened in Iitha, by the way,¡± Adion said, ¡°The burning, I mean.¡±
¡°Oh? Thanks,¡± Sell said, ¡°It caused heavy losses to our Kingdom, and it¡¯s been a very uneasy couple of years following that.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve heard. Do you¡know who did it?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No?¡± Sell said, ¡°Why? Do you?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I found out recently that it was that organization I told you about, Heavenly Light. I don¡¯t know why they did it, but I have some papers that should prove they were involved. But I guess your parents must know even if you don¡¯t?¡±
¡°What? Why?¡± Sell was confused, ¡°Just who are they? What do they want?¡±
¡°I wish I knew,¡± Adion said.
¡°Haaah,¡± Sell sighed, ¡°Well, like you said, I¡¯m sure Mom and Dad already know about it. It¡¯s not for me to worry about.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll get what they deserve eventually,¡± Adion said. He then noticed they were close enough to the big tent where Harran and his men should be dining.
¡°It might be hard to focus while walking. Let¡¯s stand behind this tree here, and I¡¯ll try to see if I can find something out.¡± Adion said before closing his eyes and focusing on the space in the tent. He grabbed hold of a part of it with his Authority and infused his Will in the space mana there.
Focusing to sense his surroundings from that place instead of where he actually was without accidentally teleporting took some effort. But Adion had trained teleportation and his eavesdropping plenty of times by now.
¡°I doubt it. She didn¡¯t seem to be interested in anything about what we were after,¡± Adion heard Alan¡¯s voice say.
Oh? Looks like I managed to catch them at a good time.
¡°Would someone of her status be allowed to simply come unattended to the Outskirts and accept missions from 1st-tier families? I bet those Tyllen bastards have a hand in this. You have to think about these things, Alan. If we manage to get our hands on a Merillian Soul Peach, our branch of the family will soar to match the matriarch¡¯s. I doubt we will keep hiding our strength by that point, and you can¡¯t keep being this naive if you want to survive.¡± Harran spoke to his younger brother.
A Merillian Soul Peach?
¡°Okay, brother,¡± Alan said in a low voice, ¡°So what should we do?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, we can¡¯t be reckless either. If this valley contains a whole tree of Merillian soul Peaches, it would be enough to entice even the most powerful of Noble families. We can¡¯t let that princess catch wind of it.¡± Harran said.
¡°Would it really interest someone of her status?¡± Alan questioned.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.¡°Of course it would,¡± Harran said, ¡°I¡¯m sure news will reach Ellia soon, and then even the Imperial family might send out a team here to investigate.¡±
¡°It¡¯s that valuable?¡± Alan asked, shocked, ¡°So if it really is a whole tree, wouldn¡¯t our family¡¡±
¡°We might get more Soul mages than even the Imperial family,¡± Harran finished.
¡°But why isn¡¯t everyone looking for it? What about the Tyllen family?¡± Alan asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure what they¡¯re up to. They would have surely heard news of this by now. There were quite a few witnesses when the Outskirts Guild found remains of the fruit in a beast that was brought in. Perhaps this princess of Iitha has something to do with their plans?¡± Harran mused.
¡°You think they have people following?¡± Alan asked.
¡°It¡¯s very possible,¡± Harran said, ¡°But why would the princess show herself so openly? Something is off. The only thing we can do is keep our eyes open. And when we get close to our destination, we should send some scouts, people we trust. Once we find what we¡¯re looking for, I¡¯ll lead the Outskirters to some other place to distract potential followers. As long as there are no beasts guarding the tree that our family can¡¯t handle alone. Gah! This is so complicated. Father should have sent at least a Gold with us. No one would have known.¡±
¡°We have quite a few witnesses here. I¡¯m sure someone would have known,¡± Alan put in.
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Harran sighed, ¡°I guess this was for the best. No need for unnecessary risks.¡±
¡°So what do we do exactly?¡± Alan asked.
¡°Let¡¯s see the situation once we¡¯re close. I¡¯ll make a decision based on the circumstances we find ourselves in then. No need to plan anything for now, but we should keep an eye on the princess.¡± Harran said.
¡°I could offer to join her team,¡± Alan said, ¡°I could say I need the experience. Surely they wouldn¡¯t refuse.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Harran said, ¡°It will be good training for you too, just be careful.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Alan said.
Ugh, we¡¯ll have to deal with that guy? But this is interesting. I don¡¯t know what these Merillan Soul Peaches are, but it sounds like they¡¯re very precious.
Adion opened his eyes and let go of his hold over the space in the tent.
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Adion said to Sell.
¡°Okay. What did you find out?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I¡¯ll tell you once we get¡wait. Oh damn, that fool is coming here,¡± Adion said.
¡°What fool?¡± Sell asked, but she realized who Adion meant as she spotted Alan walking over.
¡°Oh? What a pleasant surprise, Princess Sellitha. What are you doing here? Did you decide to accept my offer to join us for dinner?¡± Alan asked as he walked up to the two.
¡°No,¡± Sell shook her head, ¡°We were just looking for our acquaintance, Mashi.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Alan nodded. He then looked up at Adion with a scrutinizing look, ¡°And this is¡who again?¡±
¡°I¡¯m Adion,¡± Adion said, ¡°I helped you up earlier, remember? When you fell down?¡±
¡°Right, right,¡± Alan coughed in his hand, a little embarrassed. Adion thought he could see a small smile on Sell¡¯s face.
¡°You didn¡¯t get hurt, did you?¡± Adion continued.
¡°No,¡± Alan forced out an awkward smile, ¡°Well, that Mashi guy is over there,¡± Alan pointed out the direction.
¡°Right, thanks,¡± Adion said and headed off with Sell. He couldn¡¯t just go back to his team now that Sell had said they were looking for Mashi after all. Adion was fine with being annoying in Alan¡¯s eyes, but there was no reason to be suspicious.
¡°Why does he keep calling you Sellitha?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Is that your name?¡±
¡°What? Oh, yes. Sell is a nickname. Basically only my family calls me Sell. I just didn¡¯t introduce myself as Sellitha because it would give away my identity.¡± Sell explained.
¡°It would?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Maybe not to you, but to a lot of people,¡± Sell said, ¡°Anyway, are we going back to the group?¡±
¡°Might as well say hello to Mashi first,¡± Adion said, ¡°We are supposed to be looking for him after all.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Sell nodded.
¡°By the way, do you know why they wouldn¡¯t send any Golds or Diamonds on the expedition? This is the Derolm family, after all. They should have plenty of those mages to spare for something this important,¡± Adion said.
¡°They would be punished by the Imperial family if they did that. Depending on the circumstances, their entire family might be eradicated,¡± Sell said.
¡°What? Why?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I¡¯m not too sure about the details, but at least in Iitha, there is a deal with the Soul beasts of the Black Mountains. Soul beasts are just as intelligent as elves and humans, and neither side sees the benefit of having a Diamond mage or beast appearing and killing the Bronzes of the other side. It would just make both sides take unnecessary losses. So, certain areas are marked for people and beasts of a certain strength.
¡°Of course, the occasional mage or beast one stage higher might appear; that¡¯s unavoidable. But should the Derolm family send Golds and Diamonds in an expedition to an area of Silvers, it would definitely anger the Soul beasts that someone in a higher stage slaughtered their Silvers. The Imperial family might have to send the heads of the Derolm family to calm the situation down and keep it from escalating.¡± Sell explained.
¡°Oh,¡± Adion said, ¡°I see, that makes sense. I knew beasts weren¡¯t very interested in killing weaker beings, unless for food. But I still had the idea of the Outskirts being more of an ongoing war.¡±
¡°It is an ongoing war,¡± Sell said, ¡°But not a desperate one. The current situation suits both sides very well. No one at the Soul stage wants to get involved in throwing the area into chaos. It¡¯s much preferable to have the war for land in this controlled manner. The side with the stronger and plentier mages of each stage will get to take over more land.¡±
¡°Hm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But it feels like it¡¯s always sapi expanding their land, and never the other way around.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the case at most times,¡± Sell said, ¡°But it has happened that beasts retake an area from sapi. It might even happen here. I heard that Silver beasts are appearing deeper and deeper into the Empire. In a few years or decades, Dorbarta and the other cities around here might be under the control of beasts.¡±
¡°Hm, I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Adion said, ¡°Makes it seem important to have strong mages of all stages.¡±
¡°It is,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°That¡¯s why scholars and teachers are so respected, and why academies are so common.¡±
¡°Seems like a waste to not educate all the non-mages with sparks out there then,¡± Adion said.
¡°Well, I guess,¡± Sell said, ¡°But most people like them only get to Bronze once they''re old, too old to think about hunting in the Outskirts, so it might not make that much difference.¡±
¡°Well, thanks for the lesson,¡± Adion said. He was already lucky to be on a team with two people who had graduated from Cyalis. And now a princess with a lot of knowledge was sharing what might otherwise be difficult to find out.
¡°How about you teach me something in return?¡± Sell asked, looking at him intently with those ruby-red eyes.
¡°What would that be?¡± Adion asked, confused. He didn¡¯t hold that much knowledge. At least not that Sell could know he knew.
¡°How can you hold control over fire so long?¡± She asked.
Oh, of course, she would notice.
¡°Haah,¡± Adion sighed. He really didn¡¯t want to say ¡®secret¡¯ again. Besides, she had already noticed what he could do. He might as well make up a reason for it, ¡°Remember that I said part of why I was so talented was because I was lucky?¡±
Sell nodded her head excitedly.
¡°Well, I found a treasure when I was twelve. That treasure made it possible for me to control fire much longer than everyone else. It can¡¯t be too much, though, but if it¡¯s the size of a fist, the Will of the world won¡¯t fight me very much.¡± Adion explained.
¡°Wow!¡± Sell exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯m so jealous! What kind of treasure was it? Where did you find it?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s talk about that another day,¡± Adion said, ¡°That¡¯s Mashi over there. It¡¯s kind of a secret, so I hope you won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t really have anyone to tell it to. Thanks for telling me,¡± Sell said with a smile.
If I knew you¡¯d smile like that, I would have told you more. Adion thought to himself, but quickly snapped out of his daze.
Wait, that¡¯s not good. She¡¯s still a princess¡ªa Royal. And I don¡¯t know much about her. I don¡¯t have to lie, but I should really be better at keeping secrets. What the hell, why did I just tell her that? Couldn¡¯t I just have denied it? I didn¡¯t mention the pills or Authority, but she can put a lot of stuff together. Maybe she already knows about this strange power from some Royal secret knowledge stuff?
¡°Adion?¡± Sell tilted her head worriedly, ¡°You okay?¡±
¡°Yeah, sorry,¡± Adion snapped out of his thoughts and answered.
I guess this will let me study her fire more comfortably. I¡¯ll have to be more careful going forward, though.
Chapter 61 - The right one
A week passed, and the expedition made its way deeper into the Endless Forest. Adion and his team had to fight beasts more and more frequently as the days went on. Fortunately, Alan never showed up to join their group as he said he would when Adion spied on his conversation with his brother. Adion didn¡¯t know the reason, but he hoped it was because of him.
¡°I can¡¯t believe there is an outpost this deep,¡± Rufus said as the small outpost came into view after a long day of walking.
¡°If you can even call it an outpost,¡± Sahra said.
¡°Well, perhaps long-term camp is a more apt description,¡± Benji said.
¡°Should be slightly better than camping out in the wild,¡± Rufus said.
The small outpost had a small wooden wall, only one tree stem thick, and it looked more like a village than a small town like Lermen.
¡°Do you think we¡¯ll stay here for the day?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s not that late yet,¡± Benji said, ¡°But it is a good place to stop. I heard we are getting close to our destination, so this might be a good place for everyone to get some rest before we take on the final part of the journey.¡±
¡°Do you want to train then?¡± Adion turned to Sell and asked.
¡°Yeah!¡± Sell agreed immediately.
¡°Maniacs,¡± Rufus said, ¡°We are spending the whole day walking and fighting beasts, and as soon as we get a chance to rest, you want to go train.¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s still early,¡± Adion said, ¡°We can rest when it gets dark.¡±
Adion was also quite tired, but the thought of continuing his practice with Sell¡¯s fire was giving him new energy. They had taken turns giving each other training over the past week like they had agreed on. It was lucky Sell knew about Adion¡¯s ability to control fire, as he couldn¡¯t imagine how frustrating it would be to pretend to lose control after a few seconds each time.
Sell had still become extremely shocked by his abilities, though. Even if he had told her he could control fire for a long time, he hadn¡¯t really specified how long. After 15 minutes had passed, Sell had bombarded him with so many questions that Adion decided to take a break. He didn¡¯t trust himself to not reveal anything else. And he had a seven-day streak of not revealing any of his secrets. Something he intended to keep going.
Adion had made some good progress in his understanding of concepts, though. Nothing noticeable in his fire yet, but he felt he was on the verge of grasping something. Hence the excitement to begin their next session as soon as possible.
Adion had also tried to see if he could hone Sell¡¯s spatial awareness by applying his grandfather¡¯s training methods. It had caused some confusion when Adion insisted on the need of using plums, but Sell had no choice but to agree.
Adion didn¡¯t really know if it was possible to train someone¡¯s spatial awareness unless they had an affinity to space. He had realized that the reason for the Remori clan¡¯s younger generation¡¯s spatial awareness was probably due to the teleportation formation leaking so much space mana. Perhaps he had been lucky to be born sparkless and hence got the greatest affinity to space. He didn¡¯t know if that was the reason, though.
Maybe it would be impossible for Sell to improve, but Adion didn¡¯t think so. He held the belief that anything was possible with magic and hard work. Some people just had to work a little harder.
Adion and his teammates soon reached the place where they would make camp for the night. There weren¡¯t any rooms for the Outskirters to hire, as there was only one small inn in the outpost. But there was plenty of space behind the thin wooden walls. When they had entered, they had gotten the happy news that they would be staying there until the following day.
¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Sell said as soon as they finished helping set up the camp.
¡°Have fun, you two,¡± Sahra said with a smile that Adion didn¡¯t quite like.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, and the two headed off.
It didn¡¯t take them long to reach a spot outside the outpost away from prying eyes.
¡°I¡¯ll go first today,¡± Sell said as she tied a piece of cloth over her eyes like a blindfold.
¡°Sure,¡± Adion nodded, taking off his backpack.
¡°You remembered to bring the plums, right?¡± Sell asked.
¡°It seems you are coming to understand the importance of plums. A wise student, I see,¡± Adion said, taking out a bag of plums he had managed to get his hands on from an Outskirter for a price well above market value.
¡°Mm, I have seen the true path. And it is the path of plums,¡± Sell said in a mock-scholarly voice.
¡°Just make sure you¡¯re always-¡± Adion didn¡¯t finish and chucked a plum at Sell. It hit her shoulder, as Adion didn¡¯t want to aim at her face. ¡°Ready,¡± Adion finished.
¡°Hey! I wasn¡¯t ready,¡± Sell complained, trying to wipe away the plum juice from her shirt.
¡°¡®Tis the path of the plum,¡± Adion said in a mock-scholarly voice himself. He then threw another one, aimed at her stomach. This time, she managed to dodge. She often did if she was prepared. Just because Adion had a spatial awareness that was out of the ordinary, even as a sparkless, didn¡¯t mean that everyone else lacked it.
Adion didn¡¯t only throw plums, though. He also conjured some fire to attack with. From time to time, he also threw a rock into the mix. He thought that a metal plum would have the best effect, but he had no such thing at hand. And even if he had, Adion didn¡¯t think he would have it in him to throw those at Sell.
After almost an hour had passed, Sell was breathing heavily, and Adion was getting tired as well. It wasn¡¯t like they had started the training fully rested, either.
¡°I think I¡¯m done for now,¡± Sell said, taking off her blindfold and squinting at the bright light.
¡°Yeah, that was a long session. Do you feel that you¡¯re getting any better?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I do!¡± Sell looked up at Adion with a bright smile, ¡°It¡¯s only a little, but it definitely has an effect. You can tell that I¡¯m better at dodging, right?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded with a smile. He was glad the training worked for Sell, too.
¡°Alright, your turn,¡± Sell said and conjured a flame that she let catch on a nearby bush.
Adion took control over the volume of flames that he could and started tinkering with it, trying to feel how the fire acted and get a sense of what concepts hid within.
¡°How exactly did you manage to get a fire this good?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Was it all simply within your spark? Was there really some fire mage so powerful in your family? Or did you have some kind of inspiration?¡±
¡°My family is a family of water mages,¡± Sell said, standing beside him, ¡°That is the most common element among elves by far. No one remembers the last time a fire mage was born in our family. So no, I didn¡¯t have them in my spark. It was something I had to figure out myself. Though, I guess I got a little lucky, too.¡±
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°How was it growing up as a fire mage in your family then? Do elves not look kindly to it?¡± Adion asked, still manipulating the fire above his hands.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not looked upon as something good, but not something bad either. But compared to my sister, who was born with the rare ice spark, it was pretty obvious what everyone preferred,¡± Sell said.
¡°Mm, I¡¯ve heard ice mages are very powerful,¡± Adion said.
¡°They are. Being able to conjure almost as much of their element as water mages and still have something so deadly. It¡¯s almost cheating. It wasn¡¯t a tough choice for my parents to decide on the future queen,¡± Sell said.
¡°Didn¡¯t take you for the type of person to wish to become a queen,¡± Adion said with a small smirk.
¡°As if,¡± Sell snorted, ¡°It seems awful. But it does have its advantages,¡± Sell said.
¡°Like what?¡± Adion asked.
Sell turned to look at Adion for a few seconds. She then sighed, ¡°Just silly things.¡±
¡°Hmm. I didn¡¯t fit in very well as a sparkless either,¡± Adion said.
¡°Wait, what?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I didn¡¯t have a spark,¡± Adion shrugged, his eyes still on the fire before him, ¡°Had to train a lot, then I got lucky and managed to form a core anyway.¡±
¡°How is that possible?¡± Sell asked. Adion was glad she wasn¡¯t accusing him of lying. It was a hard thing to believe, after all. After giving it some thought, he didn¡¯t really feel the need to keep it secret. It was probably getting out eventually, as it was well-known to many that Adion Remori was a sparkless in a 2nd-tier family. When he got to Cyalis, everyone would eventually know.
¡°If you gather all the mana needed to form a core and bend it to your Will all at once, then gather it where a spark usually is inside the chest, compress it until it reaches the required density, you will have yourself a core. I¡¯m actually surprised that no one has thought of it.¡± Adion said.
¡°People have thought about it,¡± Sell slowly said, ¡°But to actually manage to do it would require incredible mana control, and insane amounts of mana of a particular element.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the part where I got lucky,¡± Adion said.
¡°Were you encased in fire or what?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Not quite,¡± Was all Adion said in response.
¡°Right¡¡± Sell said and then turned silent. She then turned to stare at Adion in the face. Adion was looking at the fire in his hand but was having a hard time focusing.
¡°You trained as a fire mage your whole childhood,¡± Sell said, ¡°Then you find this strange treasure, giving you the ability to control fire for a long period of time. It really does seem like you are a fire mage¡even without having a fire core, no?¡±
What? How does she keep doing that? I thought she had dropped the suspicion of my element being something other than fire.
¡°That¡¯s¡one theory, I guess,¡± Adion said.
¡°It¡¯s the right one,¡± Sell said, ¡°No way someone like you would be this bad at fire magic if you actually had a fire core.¡±
I guess that¡¯s true. Is it that obvious from just knowing me for a little over a week?
¡°And no way you wouldn¡¯t get angry or sad hearing that if you actually had a fire core,¡± Sell said with a glorious smile.
Okay, I need to think. This is getting out of hand. She will definitely realize everything about me, even if I say nothing.
¡°Let¡¯s¡head back for now,¡± Adion said, letting go of the fire, ¡°I need to think a little.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Sell said and followed Adion without speaking the whole way. Adion feared what she was thinking about.
Once they got back, they noticed that their teammates had started a fire and were preparing dinner.
¡°Oh? You¡¯re back,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Good timing, we¡¯re just about to eat.¡±
¡°Great, I¡¯m starving,¡± Sell said, sitting down.
Adion also took a seat, his head empty despite his need to think.
I¡¯ll just leave it be and ask the others for advice later.
¡°Do you have any stories about Quemer, Lomin?¡± Adion heard Sell asking.
¡°Well, the Primordial Story presumably takes place there,¡± Lomin said, ¡°But since you¡¯ve already heard it several times, I guess you''re looking for something else?¡±
¡°I just want to know what Quemer is like in general. How is it different from Shiora? What it¡¯s like today, not hundred of thousands of years ago,¡± Sell said.
¡°I¡¯ve never been outside of Fornia, so I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not the best to ask about the subject,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Fornia is on Quemer,¡± Sell said, ¡°So surely you have something to tell me about life there. Have you ever been to Tovan? Have you ever been to the Spire? Do you know any Words of Truth?¡±
Adion reacted to that last part, ¡°You know about Words of Truth?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Sell said, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t?¡±
Adion looked at his teammates, and they all smiled awkwardly.
¡°Sell,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Very few people on Shiora know about these things. Not even Benji and I knew about it despite going to Cyalis. You have to remember you are a Royal, after all.¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± Sell said. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true. I was taught by a faelin for a few years when I was little. She told me not only about Fornia, but all kinds of things about Quemer. I was unfortunately very young and not very curious about Quemer back then. There are a lot of things I wish I¡¯d asked her. Such as Words of Truth. Have you ever been to the Spire and read the Words of Truth there, Lomin?¡±
¡°Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity,¡± Lomin said, ¡°You are not allowed to enter there before you have completed your journey.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Sell said, hanging her head.
¡°But I once met a Wise faelin, and I heard his Words of Truth,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Oh?¡± Rufus said, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard about this.¡±
¡°It¡¯s something close to my heart. Perhaps I didn¡¯t want to speak about Words of Truth at all until I found my own,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Until you¡you mean you have grasped your own Words of Truth?¡± Sell asked, surprised.
Adion was also surprised that Lomin suddenly chose to share something like that.
¡°It happened a few months ago,¡± Lomin nodded.
¡°Do you mind if I ask what the words are?¡± Sell asked curiously.
¡°One step, a thousand miles. A thousand steps, one mile,¡± Lomin stated calmly.
¡°It¡¯s almost like I can feel the truth behind those words,¡± Sell said, ¡°Amazing.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Lomin smiled, ¡°As for the other Words of Truth I know of, they are¡actually, I think they deserve a story around them.¡±
¡°Oh! A story about your life, Lomin?¡± Rufus asked, ¡°That¡¯s rare.¡±
¡°Yes, but I believe that will have to wait,¡± Lomin said.
¡°What, why?¡± Rufus asked. The rest of the group also had sad faces, hearing they wouldn¡¯t get to hear the story.
¡°I have to take my time to build it up in my head first,¡± Lomin said, ¡°My life on the Stretch was¡well, let¡¯s just say I have bits and pieces that don¡¯t belong in this story. I should tell it right.¡±
¡°Well, as long as you tell us the story eventually,¡± Rufus muttered, ¡°And no more teases like this!¡±
¡°Haha, sorry,¡± Lomin chuckled.
¡°Well, thanks for telling me, Lomin,¡± Sell said, ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone else about it.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a secret,¡± Lomin said, ¡°I¡¯m actually rather proud of it.¡±
¡°You really should be,¡± Sell said with a determined expression, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you haven¡¯t gone home and basked in the glory someone like you would get back in Fornia.¡±
¡°Usually, faelin who discover their Words of Truth head back home and go straight to the Spire,¡± Lomin nodded, ¡°But I somehow feel my journey is far from over.¡±
¡°Well said, Lomin!¡± Rufus grinned and slapped the faelin on his back.
After that, the night was spent eating, talking, and laughing, before finally everyone turned to their tents for a well-needed rest.
Adion spent the night twisting and turning, his thoughts a mess.
.
Chapter 62 - Advice
¡°Anyone near us, Adion?¡± Benji asked as they were walking. They left the small outpost early in the morning and had already spent a large part of the day traveling.
¡°No,¡± Adion shook his head as he felt the lack of any presence in his sphere of space mana.
¡°Good,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°Have you thought about how we could get away with taking the Merillian Soul Peaches?¡±
¡°Well, not exactly,¡± Adion said. He had told the group about what he learned from spying on the Derolm family, and thankfully, Sell had a very good idea of what those Soul Peaches could be used for.
Apparently, the Merillian Soul Peach is a precious fruit that, if eaten, gives a temporary but great awareness of one''s soul. It is mainly seen as a way to help Diamonds advance to the Soft Soul stage, but it can also be helpful even in the higher Soul stages. It can also be used by weaker mages to give a boost in aura control and aura sense, as well as an easier time advancing to the Soul stages in the future. Of course, not many would choose to give such a precious resource to mages weaker than Diamond. But it wasn¡¯t really that precious of a resource in Adion¡¯s eyes. He had much better stuff in the metal case in his backpack.
Adion had thought about taking a Grand Soul Clarity Pill after hearing the effects of the Soul Peach, but he decided not to in the end. He didn¡¯t know if it would have any effects, and the letter he found in the case had clearly stated that those pills would be helpful in the Soul stages. Nothing was mentioned about taking one before that. The only reason he had dared take the Wisdom Pills was because the letter had advised the recipient to take them when the core was formed.
So, since he wasn¡¯t going to take the Grand Soul Clarity Pill any time soon, he might as well try this Merillian Soul Peach out. Even if he wouldn¡¯t be interested in it himself, he didn¡¯t like the thought of his enemies getting something so precious.
His teammates were, of course, on board in thinking out a way to get the peaches for themselves. After all, they didn¡¯t have the luxury of carrying around a plethora of pills from the Age of Wonder. Even Sell was excited, as it was something only her sister had been given, according to her. It was such a precious commodity that it couldn¡¯t be given to a Bronze mage unless she was to be the future queen.
The only problem was how he was going to take the peaches without having to deal with the consequences. Like Benji had said, even if Adion killed the Derolm family mages, there were witnesses. And if he killed all the witnesses, wouldn¡¯t the Derolm family¡¯s Diamond mages come looking for the only surviving team?
Not that Adion would have killed everyone just because he could get away with it. He would kill his enemies, but killing innocents because of his greed was something he absolutely wouldn¡¯t do.
¡°I¡¯m not sure how the best way to go about it would be,¡± Adion said, ¡°I haven¡¯t managed to get any new information. In the daytime, I would be spotted easily trying to spy. I think the best plan might actually be, as Sarah suggested, that we wait until they take the peaches, and I find a way to steal them unnoticed on the way back. I doubt these people will eat them themselves. It should be handed over to the Diamond mages of their family.¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°Then let¡¯s just focus on doing our jobs well and get out of this without any injuries.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°How are you going to steal the peaches?¡± Sell came to his side and asked, ¡°It will be heavily guarded, you know.¡±
As long as it¡¯s within 300 feet, I can get my hands on anything.
¡°Well,¡± Adion said, ¡°I know a few tricks.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I guessed,¡± Sell muttered and walked away again.
What am I supposed to do about this?
Adion hadn¡¯t talked to Sell since she figured out he wasn¡¯t actually a fire mage. He hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to speak to his teammates either. And now, Sell seemed to be irritated with him dodging her questions all the time. He was really at a loss for what to do. He just wanted to tell her everything and not think about it anymore.
But he knew that would be stupid; he didn¡¯t know her that well yet, and she was someone who could cause him a lot of trouble from her position of power. Adion didn¡¯t think she would, but he couldn¡¯t afford to make that mistake, not while he was still weak.
¡°Hey, Sell,¡± Adion heard Sahra saying from up ahead, ¡°If these peaches are so precious, why doesn¡¯t everyone just plant them themselves?¡±
¡°The same reason many other natural treasures are only found in the Endless Forest,¡± Sell said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t work to plant them for some reason. Even if they were to take away this tree, it wouldn¡¯t take long for it to stop producing fruit. Only the Royal family in the Merillian Kingdom on Quemer has figured out a method to make it grow fruits in their garden, hence the name.¡±
¡°Oh, what if the tree is not moved and the area around it is simply conquered?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Same thing. It will stop producing fruits after a while,¡± Sell answered, ¡°That¡¯s why a place like the Alago Forest is such a precious commodity for the Alago Empire. They know the places where all kinds of natural treasures grow and can go in to take them without fearing Soul beasts getting in the way.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Sahra nodded, ¡°So, can¡¯t the same be done by the other Kingdoms and Empires? Map out the known locations and go into the Endless Forest to harvest once in a while?¡±
¡°That¡¯s exactly what is done,¡± Sell said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what we are doing right now? The only difference is that it seems to have been unknown until now. I imagine it won¡¯t take long before the Imperial family takes control of the area and forbids anyone else from getting close to the tree.¡±
¡°That would make sense,¡± Sahra said, ¡°I guess this might be our only opportunity to get our hands on treasures like these.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded with a smile, ¡°Even I have no chance of getting my hands on Merillian Soul Peaches.¡±
Adion continued walking and listening in on the conversation between Sell and Sahra, who seemed to have developed a sisterly relationship over the past week. It was always interesting hearing things Sell knew about. She had probably received one of the best educations on the continent, after all.
At times, Adion felt like life would be a lot easier if he simply stayed away from people. There was no need to keep secrets if he had no one to tell them to. He could just focus on hunting beasts and training by himself. But it didn''t seem so troublesome when he thought about what he would be missing out on. Not only Sell, but his other teammates had given him so much valuable information that had made him stronger than he could ever have gotten alone: concepts, Words of Truth, and knowledge about the world at large. Not to mention how much more enjoyable his days were now than the time he had spent alone in the Endless Forest.
When it was starting to get dark, the expedition came to a halt for the night. It was announced that they would reach their destination the following day as planned.
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Adion excused himself from the group after the camp was set up. He wanted to do some thinking. Maybe spy on the Derolm family if he got the opportunity.
After a while of wandering about aimlessly, he spotted Mashi¡¯s group sitting around a campfire, seemingly in a discussion. Adion decided to walk over to say hello.
¡°Hi there, Mashi, Tella, Kelv. What are you up to?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Oh, hello there, Adion,¡± Mashi turned around and said, ¡°Nothing much. Kelv here is just having another one of his outbursts about clothes.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not an outburst,¡± Kelv said calmly, ¡°I just wish you would treat the subject with the severity it deserves.¡±
¡°Kelv, I love you. But you are insane,¡± Mashi said.
¡°Insane!?¡± Kelv yelled in shock, ¡°It starts with a pair of pants on a shirt, but you know very well how it ends, Mashi. I¡¯ve told you several times.¡±
What is going on?
¡°See? That¡¯s an insane thing to say, Kelv,¡± Mashi defended himself.
¡°Why don¡¯t you take a seat, Adion?¡± Kelv said, now calm again, ¡°You¡¯re not even 16 yet. You should hear this before someone like Mashi brainwashes your young mind.¡±
Why does it always feel like the one warning me of brainwashing is the one actually about to brainwash me?
¡°Er, sure,¡± Adion said and took a seat. He looked to Mashi and Tella, who looked at him apologetically.
¡°Sometimes,¡± Kelv started his story solemnly, ¡°You have a shirt you need to put away, but you don¡¯t have a place for clothes that aren¡¯t clean but also not so dirty they need to be cleaned. So you might simply choose to temporarily put it on a chair, or on the floor. The next day, you need to put away another shirt. This time, it¡¯s easy to place the shirt. Simply put it on the other one. Thus, a pile of clothes has been created. Every day, a new piece of clothing is added, and the pile grows. It shifts.
¡°My father had a pile of clothes like that. It is my earliest memory. I don¡¯t remember much from when I was little. Maybe from age seven or so, I can piece together some kind of regularity in the memories. But that pile of clothes, that I remember. It was tall. It was dense. I remember seeing clothes in there that I had never even seen my father wear.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but-¡± Adion supposed Kelv was finished with the story but was interrupted as he continued speaking.
¡°In the family, the pile of clothes was always present,¡± Kelv said in a steady voice. Adion saw Mashi mouthing the word ¡®sorry¡¯ to him. ¡°When eating dinner, you could feel its presence from the floor above, like an almighty god staring down at you indifferently. It was like your sorrow and happiness weren¡¯t in your own hands. Those things were beyond anyone¡¯s power. If a pile of clothes could exist for so many years, how could anything be within your control in this world?
¡°We had good days too, of course. Sometimes, months could pass without me thinking about the pile of clothes. But then, out of nowhere, my parents¡¯ bedroom door would be ajar. I would look in, and there it was, like it always had been. The world would shift, and the memories I made without the pile would start to fade. Had I really experienced those things? Why would I have memories without the pile? Because I understood that the pile was always there.
¡°I tried to approach it once. I thought it should be something a kid like me would usually do: play in it, climb it. But as I got closer, it was like approaching a cliff, with a furious ocean and sharp rocks down below. I¡¯ve heard that some people who have actually done that have gotten this exhilarating feeling from being close to death. But I didn¡¯t feel anything like that. I only felt emptiness. Emptiness and confusion.¡±
Okay, what the hell was that?
Everyone was quiet for a while before Mashi cleared his throat.
¡°Sorry about that, Adion,¡± Mashi said, ¡°Kelv is a real stand-up guy once you get to know him. He¡¯s just sensitive about clothes.¡±
Adion turned to look at Kelv, expecting him to protest. But he was only sitting there, staring into the fire.
¡°He always gets quiet after telling that story, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Mashi said.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kelv. I¡¯ll make sure to always pick up my clothes.¡±
Kelv turned to face Adion and gave him a nod before turning to the fire again.
¡°So anyway,¡± Mashi said, ¡°What brings you here all by yourself, Adion?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°I just have a lot on my mind.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure nothing will sound crazy after Kelv¡¯s story. What¡¯s up?¡± Mashi asked.
¡°Um, I guess I have some secrets. Like everyone does?¡± Adion said.
¡°Sure,¡± Mashi nodded.
¡°I¡¯m just not sure how much to tell Sell,¡± Adion said, picking up a stick and playing around with the fire.
¡°Do you want to tell her?¡± Mashi asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Adion said, ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s something bad. I¡¯m really proud of it, actually,¡± Adion said.
¡°Then tell her,¡± Mashi shrugged, ¡°I thought it was something embarrassing. How boring.¡±
¡°But it might have some undesirable consequences,¡± Adion said.
¡°What was it you told me? ¡®Become so mighty that your name can not mean anything else¡¯? You should become so mighty that you can do whatever you want.¡± Mashi said.
¡°I¡¯m planning to,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I can¡¯t get there being careless.¡±
¡°What exactly is it you think will happen?¡± Mashi asked.
Information about me coming out. The Nobles and Royals coming after me to get my secrets and discover my pills. Something preventing me from meeting my family again.
¡°Just too many people finding out,¡± Adion said.
¡°You wish to live in the shadow, huh,¡± Mashi said, ¡°But remember, there can¡¯t be shadow without light.¡±
It was quiet for a while before Kelv spoke again after being silent.
¡°But the light here is other people, right? Like he needs others to be the light so he can be the shadow. Not him being the light so he can also be the shadow, that makes no sense.¡± Kelv said.
¡°You of all people, Kelv?¡± Mashi said, ¡°Did you really have to ruin something that sounded so cool?¡±
¡°Adion, aren¡¯t you just 15?¡± Tella joined the conversation, ¡°Then do whatever you want. The more mistakes you make, the more you¡¯ll learn. Then you won¡¯t have to worry about stuff like this in the future, because you would have made all the mistakes already.¡±
¡°What if I make a mistake with consequences too big to handle?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Just don¡¯t die, and everything else can be fixed,¡± Tella shrugged.
¡°And even if you die, you won¡¯t die as a coward. We¡¯ll all die one day; might as well not have any regrets.¡± Kelv put in.
The problem is that I don¡¯t know which option I¡¯ll regret.
¡°Well, thanks for the advice guys. I¡¯ll head back,¡± Adion said.
¡°Anytime,¡± Mashi said with a smile.
Adion got up and started walking back to his team¡¯s part of the camp.
Why am I giving this so much thought? Maybe it¡¯s because Sell figured out so much by herself that I couldn¡¯t decide on my own how much I wanted to carelessly give away.
Telling Benji, Sahra, Rufus, and Lomin worked out well. But honestly, I was lucky. I probably shouldn¡¯t have told them anything, either.
But lying about my powers gets complicated when all we do is fight. Maybe if we were all just hanging out and drinking beer all day, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem hiding anything. But that¡¯s not an option, so I either hunt alone or hunt while handicapping myself. Or tell the people I hunt with about my powers.
The last option is definitely preferable. I¡¯ve grown a lot more in power with my teammates than I would have alone.
So I guess that¡¯s the same with Sell as well. Do I want her to become a part of our team, and tell her I¡¯m a space mage, or do I want us to just go our separate ways after the mission?
Adion got a small smile on his face thinking about hunting beasts with Sell when they got back to Lermen again.
Well, that makes it easy, I guess.
Chapter 63 - Ashes
He seems to be in a better mood today. Sellitha thought to herself as she and the team were having breakfast together.
That¡¯s good.
She had noticed that Adion¡¯s eyes seemed a little dim the day before, as if immersed in thought. But they were a lot clearer now.
Sellitha had always been good at reading people¡¯s eyes. If that¡¯s the way to put it. She thought they often were like an open book to the person¡¯s mood and nature. It could be that she was just feeling aura, but Sell didn¡¯t think it was. She had managed to grasp things from the eyes of people far more powerful than her in aura.
It was far from foolproof, though, something Sellitha had learned long ago. So she always tried to confirm her suspicions before assuming anything as true about someone else just from their eyes. But it worked pretty well most of the time.
What she liked most about Adion¡¯s eyes was the lack of conniving she saw. As a princess, she had seen that in people¡¯s eyes her whole life, and it was rare for someone who knew her identity not to have some sort of ambitions they wished to use her for. If there were one thing she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d make a mistake about, it was that.
Sellitha was pretty sure that she was the cause of Adion¡¯s shift in mood. Adion had probably grown frustrated with her constant questions. After all, she had pretty much interrogated him for information since they met. And who didn¡¯t have secrets they wanted to keep hidden? She sure did. So she wasn¡¯t irritated at Adion for his lack of answers, more so herself for not being able to hold back her questioning. And perhaps a little sad that she wasn¡¯t trusted like the rest of the team were.
She had felt a real closeness to these people that she couldn¡¯t remember the last time she felt, which made her a little annoyed at the many secrets concerning Adion, constantly making her feel left out. She thought that if she could figure it out herself, maybe she could reveal that she already knew and promise not to tell anyone, and she could become part of the team for real.
But when she discovered that Adion wasn¡¯t actually a fire mage, it seemed as if she had gotten a little too close, a little too fast. So, she had decided to leave the subject for the time being.
That is until she started doing some thinking, and came up with an unbelievable theory. Certainly not a chance to be true. But it would put a lot of pieces together.
No. No way. I don¡¯t believe he can be a space mage. That would surely be enough to shake the world. I¡¯m sure he has another element that would explain everything just as well¡But what if it¡¯s actually true!? Gah! I need to drop it for now. I¡¯ll try to show myself trustworthy, and perhaps he will tell me about it himself.
Now that he seems to be doing better, perhaps we can start training together again. Should I ask? No, I¡¯ll ask once we¡¯re done with the mission and are making our way back.
Sellitha had enjoyed the time spent training with Adion. She had met a lot of talented people her age, few as talented as Adion perhaps. But they all had some hidden agendas; politics was always involved in everything. And Adion was probably the least political person she could think of. She thought he was more like her, just aiming to become so strong that you didn¡¯t have to deal with that annoying stuff.
¡°Are you guys ready?¡± Benji asked as he returned from a meeting with the Derolm family and the team leaders.
¡°Yes,¡± Sahra said, as Rufus had just been the last one to finish eating, ¡°What did they say?¡±
¡°They gave instructions on where to go once we get to the peach tree,¡± Benji said, ¡°They had scouted the area and drawn up a makeshift map. There will be perhaps over a hundred Silver beasts in that area all in all, so this will be a tough day, but we should be alright. Our job is to clear out any beasts we come across, and once we are in position, not let any beasts pass us and reach the tree where the Derolm family will be.¡±
¡°Over a hundred beasts?¡± Sahra asked, surprised.
¡°Yeah,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°But we should be able to handle it. We are about the same in numbers. And I¡¯d bet on us winning one-on-one against a Silver beast.¡±
¡°True,¡± Sahra nodded, ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s get moving.¡±
The team packed their stuff quickly and set off with the rest of the expedition force. Sell was excited thinking about the big fight ahead. She might have to show a little more of her power than she would like, but it wouldn¡¯t be the end of the world if these guys found out she was strong. As long as she didn¡¯t reveal all of it, and as long as it was kept from her family.
Maybe Adion would be more likely to share his element if I shared something about myself? That does seem fair.
Sellitha sneaked a peek at Adion as they were walking, once again using her aura sense to try to feel his element. But just like every time she had tried to do so, she couldn¡¯t make it out.
Should I just ask after all? If I ask, ¡®Are you a space mage?¡¯ I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to tell from his reaction.
No. I¡¯ll rein in my curiosity. He seems to be in a good mood today¡ªno need to ruin everything.
¡°What are you thinking about so much?¡± Sahra came to her side and asked her with a smile.
¡°You can tell?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°Haha,¡± Sahra laughed lightly, ¡°It¡¯s pretty obvious. Are you nervous about fighting off the beasts around the peach tree?¡±
¡°Not really,¡± Sellitha said, ¡°I think we¡¯ll be able to handle it. I was just thinking I might have been digging too much into Adion¡¯s secrets. I was just really curious, so I might have gone too far.¡±
Sellitha spoke in a low voice, and the two were quite a distance behind the others, so she didn¡¯t think anyone would hear.
¡°Oh, anyone would do as much. It¡¯s Adion who can¡¯t keep a secret to save his life. Not if he actually doesn¡¯t want to keep it secret.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°Well,¡± Sahra paused, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I don¡¯t think Adion would be as careless with revealing stuff about himself if it was someone he actually didn¡¯t trust. I¡¯m guessing he wouldn¡¯t mind you knowing, just that his logical side is telling him that it could have consequences to let someone in your position know everything about him.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Sellitha said, ¡°Then what should I do?¡±
¡°Just wait, and he will tell you himself soon enough. Eventually, he will not be able to bother hiding everything from you and simply give up.¡± Sahra said with a grin.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Sellitha laughed a little. It did sound very Adion-like now that she heard it.
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait then,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°If you want to speed up the process, you should express your admiration for strength in front of him. I bet he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back from showing off to a pretty girl like you for long,¡± Sahra said with a wink.
¡°Er,¡± Sellitha wasn¡¯t sure how to respond.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Sahra laughed loudly, ¡°It¡¯s so fun to have someone like you around.¡±
The sun slowly rose as the team continued walking, and morning turned to noon. Sellitha continued her conversation with Sahra for much of the way. It was nice. It reminded her of what it was like with her and her sister back in the day. Before politics got involved in their lives and they grew distant.
But soon, there was no more time for talking. Along with the rest of the expedition force, their team was part of an extensive line whose purpose was to move forward and clear the area of beasts and then form a circle formation around the peach tree, allowing the Derolm family to pick its fruits undisturbed.
Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a very hard job. Sellitha and her teammates only had to deal with five middle Silver beasts before they reached their position.
¡°That was easy,¡± Adion said.
¡°We were lucky, surely some teams weren¡¯t,¡± Benji said.
¡°But I didn¡¯t get a feeling that there were a hundred beasts here?¡± Sahra said, ¡°Even if we didn¡¯t get a look at the whole area, it can¡¯t have been that many. It feels like more beasts will be coming over once they hear the commotion.¡±
¡°Probably,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s keep our senses sharp,¡±
A few more minutes passed before sounds of fighting could be heard in the distance, along with yells for help.
¡°That¡¯s Mashi¡¯s group!¡± Benji yelled.
¡°We have to help them,¡± Adion said with a serious look.
¡°Yes, let¡¯s hurry, everyone,¡± Benji ordered, and everyone ran to the sounds of fighting.
But it didn¡¯t take long for Adion to yell, ¡°There¡¯s two middle Silver beasts approaching from behind. Go on ahead. I¡¯ll take care of them!¡±
¡°Right, be careful!¡± Benji said and continued running.
Can he handle two middle Silvers alone? I¡¯ve seen him fight, and it seems unlikely.
¡°I¡¯ll help!¡± Sellitha yelled and joined Adion in the pursuit of the two beasts.
¡°Er,¡± Adion looked at her a little awkwardly, ¡°It¡¯s fine, you go ahead.¡±
¡°What? Let¡¯s hurry so we can help the others,¡± Sellitha said.
Adion hesitated but soon nodded his head, ¡°Okay, thanks.¡±
They ran side by side for a few seconds before Adion stopped. Sellitha stopped as well and looked at him.
¡°There are two more now,¡± Adion said, ¡°Low Silver beasts, though.¡±
Will I have to reveal my ability? Sellitha though, her heart pounding.
¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to get serious.¡± Adion said as he turned to look at her, ¡°Try not to be too surprised. I¡¯ll still need your help.¡±
¡°Surprised?¡± Sellitha asked, but Adion was already moving. Sellitha didn¡¯t stand still either and ran towards the beasts that had now become visible. She conjured a fire and bent it to move according to her Will. The fire took the shape of a serpent of flames and slithered forward at an amazing speed. It didn¡¯t take long before it hit one of the beasts, immediately causing lethal damage.
Sellitha then turned her attention to Adion, and saw something incredible. The middle Silver Sun-Sabered Tiger was frozen in mid-air. And Adion cut its throat at no resistance at all.
So he¡¯s truly a space mage!? How? Is everything in that old book true then?
Sellitha wasn¡¯t allowed to think about it, however, as another beast charged to attack her. But before Sellitha had a chance to prepare her attack, the beast collapsed on the ground. Dead from a hole in the back of its head.
How did he do that?
Sellitha looked up to Adion getting attacked by the last beast, but before it could reach him, it was once again frozen stiff in space. Adion ran up and pierced its brain from underneath its jaw.
So powerful. Who could resist something like that?
¡°You¡¯re actually a space mage,¡± Sell said, hardly believing what she had witnessed.
All the beasts are taken care of just like that. I guess my secret¡¯s safe. Sellitha couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed for some reason.
Adion looked at her, surprised, ¡°I thought you¡¯d assume it was my Gift.¡±
¡°Maybe if you actually were a fire mage,¡± Sellitha said with a smile.
¡°But still,¡± Adion said, ¡°Not many would assume I had the element of space. It is unknown as far as I know?¡±
Should I tell him? I should. He might know something more than me. It is only fair I begin by sharing.
¡°Ever since the Amyss family was based on Quemer, in Evalia, we have had a-.¡± Sell wasn¡¯t allowed to continue as Adion interrupted her.
¡°More beasts,¡± He said, ¡°Three of them. No, five. Wait, eight?¡± Adion got a troubled look on his face. ¡°Sixteen. And they seem to be gathering for an attack. Sell, I can only freeze two beasts at a time. We have to run.¡±
Run from that many beasts? Seems unlikely. Do I¡
Sellitha¡¯s heart was beating rapidly. No one, not even her mother, father, or sister, knew about the true power of her fire.
Don¡¯t be silly. Adion¡¯s stupid enough to share he¡¯s a space mage. The least I can do is be a little stupid in return.
¡°Adion, wait,¡± Sellitha said as Adion started turning away.
Adion turned to look at her, listening.
What¡¯s that in his eyes? That¡¯s new.
¡°I never told you about where I was during the burning of Iitha, right?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°No,¡± Adion said, shaking his head. Seemingly not intending to hurry her along despite the gathering beasts not far away. Sellitha thought she could see them now, too, at least over twenty of them.
¡°I was at the palace,¡± Sellitha said calmly, ¡°The fire was spreading rapidly over the capital. Buildings that had stood for centuries burned to the ground, and thousands upon thousands of people died. You could hear people screaming in horror all over the city. My whole family watched the scene of the flames swallowing our city with tears in their eyes.¡±
Sellitha turned from the beasts and looked at Adion. He was still just standing there, watching her.
I like those eyes.
¡°I thought it was horrifying too, of course,¡± Sellitha continued, ¡°But even more than that, I thought it was beautiful. Sweeping over the city, turning everything it touched to ashes. No matter what was in its way, it couldn¡¯t be stopped. The fire was so powerful, yet so silent. Despite the screaming, that is what I remember the clearest, the silence.¡±
Sellitha turned back to look at the gathering of beasts hundreds of feet away, ¡°Welea. That was the name of the faelin woman who taught me about Words of Truth when I was little. Since then, I always dreamed of finding words for myself. Despite not being a faelin, I thought it should be possible, even though others might think it was the delusions of a little girl.¡±
¡°And that night, watching the fire devour the city, I felt something stir,¡± Sellitha raised her hand toward the gathering beasts, conjuring fire in her hand, and spoke, ¡°At the speed of silence, terrifying beauty.¡±
One second, the fire was in front of Sellitha¡¯s palm. The next, it was in the middle of the group of beasts. Only a faint afterimage of something moving could be spotted. The fire spread out rapidly, faster than any beast could run. In just a few seconds, the small flame had turned into a great fire that didn¡¯t lose out much in terms of size to the one she had seen from the palace all those years ago.
The next moment, Sellitha felt herself falling to the ground, exhausted, slowly losing consciousness. But she knew the beasts were taken care of.
Only ashes would remain.
Chapter 64 - Amyss family secret
What was that!? Words of Truth? Can they be so powerful? Adion thought, looking at the distant fire.
She killed over 20 SIilver beasts in an instant. As a Bronze mage¡
Adion snapped out of his thoughts as he noticed Sell had fallen to the ground.
¡°Sell? Are you okay?¡± Adion asked and approached her.
Adion could tell that she was uninjured from her aura, but he still checked her pulse and breathing to be safe.
I¡¯ll have to carry her with me, I guess. The others are still fighting. I can think about all this once I know everyone is safe.
Adion bent down and picked up Sell in a princess carry. His heart started beating quicker from being this close to a girl for the first time.
Don¡¯t think about stupid things. You need to hurry.
Adion took off running as fast as he could manage while carrying Sell, heading for the others who had gone to help Mashi¡¯s group.
Thankfully, it didn¡¯t take long before he was caught up with them. Once he arrived, their fight was already over. Benji, Sahra, Lomin, and Rufus were all standing there uninjured, but Mashi, Kelv, and Tella were on the ground, alive but with plenty of injuries.
¡°Are they okay?¡± Adion asked as he ran up to his team.
Benji turned from checking on Kelv to look at Adion. ¡°They¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve given them some healing pills. What happened to Sell?¡±
¡°Is she okay?¡± Sahra looked at Sell and asked worriedly.
¡°She should be fine,¡± Adion said, ¡°I think she¡¯s just exhausted.¡±
¡°Exhausted?¡± Sahra asked, raising an eyebrow.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded.
Just then, a horn being blown could be heard from the distance.
¡°That¡¯s the signal for the mission being completed. We should get back so they don¡¯t leave us, thinking we¡¯re dead,¡± Benji said, ¡°Lomin, Rufus, help me carry them,¡±
¡°I¡¯ll carry, Sell,¡± Sahra said, stepping up to Adion.
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Adion said.
Sahra flicked her finger on his forehead, ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking about you, stupid. I¡¯ll take her.¡±
Adion handed over the unconscious Sell and turned away, slightly embarrassed.
¡°It was a nice try,¡± Rufus said with a grin as he stepped up next to him.
¡°I wasn¡¯t¡whatever,¡± Adion said and started heading back to where the different teams were to meet up.
His teammates were not far behind him, and it didn¡¯t take long before they reached the gathering place. Many of the Outskirters seemed injured to some degree. Adion and his teammates sat down to rest and waited for everyone else to get there.
About 20 minutes later, Harran stepped forward to speak. Judging from the happy expressions of the people from the Derolm family, the mission was a success.
¡°Alright, everyone,¡± Harran said, ¡°You have all done a wonderful job. You will all receive a hefty bonus once we get back.¡±
That got a cheer from the tired Outskirters listening.
¡°We will be moving back to the outpost where we spent the night,¡± Harran continued, ¡°We can rest there for a day so that everyone can heal some of their injuries before the return trip. Let¡¯s go!¡±
Everyone got up and started moving. No one questioned that they were leaving before everyone had returned. If someone hadn¡¯t gotten back by now, they were probably dead. Considering how many beasts there were in the area, the losses on the sapi side were relatively small. Adion thought that maybe a sixth or so of the teams were missing.
I¡¯m just glad it¡¯s no one I know.
The expedition force got moving relatively quickly, considering the number of injured people. Everyone wanted to get back to the outpost to rest as soon as possible after all.
After a few hours of walking, Sell woke up. Adion turned to look at how Sahra let her down to stand on her own.
¡°Are you okay?¡± Adion stepped up and asked.
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Sell smiled, ¡°Just a little tired. I-¡± Sell seemed to have an excited sparkle in her eyes. Adion could guess what she wanted to talk about. But as she noticed Mashi and his teammates being around, she stopped herself. ¡°I¡¯ll be back to normal in a few hours.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Sahra said, ¡°You should take a healing pill just in case, though.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Sell didn¡¯t argue and accepted the pill Sahra handed to her.
Adion didn¡¯t mention her incredible attack or anything about his own space powers. There were too many ears around for that. So the group continued walking, a few quiet conversations popping up from time to time.
A few hours before the sun would go down, the expedition force arrived at the small outpost where they had spent the previous night. Adion and his teammates immediately made camp and prepared for dinner.
While waiting for the meat to cook, as they were far away from prying eyes, Adion decided to announce what he had revealed earlier in front of Sell.
¡°I showed Sell what I could do,¡± Adion said, ¡°So everyone finally knows I¡¯m a space mage,¡±
¡°Was it a week? Less than a week, right?¡± Rufus asked.
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¡°It was a little more than a week,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Damn,¡± Rufus lamented, ¡°It seems we lost the bet, Sahra.¡±
¡°You guys actually bet that I would reveal my powers?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well,¡± Benji shrugged, ¡°We figured you would do so soon enough. Thought we could make a bet out of it while we wait.¡±
¡°It¡¯s hard to keep stuff like that a secret while fighting, you know,¡± Adion said.
¡°Especially so if you want to show off, I imagine,¡± Rufus nodded.
¡°Whatever,¡± Adion said. He turned to Sell, who he could see was laughing at the situation.
¡°By the way, you were about to say something before passing out. Do you know something about space as an element?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No, not really,¡± Sell answered. She looked around at everyone for a second before sighing, ¡°I guess it¡¯s not that important of a secret since you all already know of Adion¡¯s powers.¡±
¡°Well, you shouldn¡¯t say something that¡¯s an Amyss family secret,¡± Benji said hesitantly.
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Sell said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing compared to an actual space mage.¡±
¡°I guess not much can compare to that,¡± Benji agreed.
¡°Okay, let¡¯s not build up Adion¡¯s ego too much,¡± Sahra said, ¡°So what do you know about the space element, Sell?¡±
¡°Nothing really,¡± Sell said, ¡°But I have heard of it as an element. The Amyss family is very old, you see. We were a Noble family thousands of years ago. Back then, we were located on Quemer, just like everyone else. When the Sages discovered Shiora, our ancestors decided to relocate here just like many people did back then. As a Noble family, we were among the strongest forces here, and when the Empires and Kingdoms of Shiora banded together and declared independence from their home nations on Quemer, our family became Royals.
¡°But our ancestors didn¡¯t know we would take such a leap in power, of course. Their reason for coming here was another. It was because of an old book that had been in our family for generations. A book that spoke of a continent named Shiora, and of a certain sect located on this continent. That sect was called the Celestial Phoenix Sect.¡±
Adion and his teammates exchanged a few glances.
¡°Have you heard of it?¡± Sell asked, surprised.
¡°We¡¯ll get to that, finish the story,¡± Adion urged.
Sell looked around, curiosity shining through in her eyes. ¡°Fine. Well, that sect was apparently extremely powerful. During the time this book was written, a powerful space mage was in charge of the sect. He could do marvelous things, and it was said that you could go from one corner to another on Shiora in the blink of an eye with the help of the teleportation formations he had created.
¡°Unfortunately, the book is very old, and not much was legible after so much time had passed, but it was enough for our family to decide to take a gamble on Shiora once the Sages revealed its location. Since then, our family has been looking for the location of this ancient sect, hoping to find the treasures surely buried there.¡±
¡°Over the years, though, it has been mostly left to the wayside. It is still something every generation is aware of. But after thousands of years without any clues, finding the old sect has been more like a dream than an actual goal we are working towards.
¡°Now,¡± Sell looked at Adion with shining eyes, ¡°What do you know about this? No one here reacted much to hearing this information. I even mentioned the Celestial Phoenix! How did you not react? Do you already know that there was another Phoenix besides the Fire Phoenix? How?¡±
Adion held his hands up to calm Sell down. It would really have been an amazing story for everyone in the world besides Adion and his team. ¡°Well, I might know something,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I¡¯m not telling.¡±
¡°What? That¡¯s not fair!¡± Sell yelled out.
¡°Sorry,¡± Adion shrugged with a small smile, ¡°But if your family is after that place, that means we are in competition. That old sect is mine.¡±
¡°How is it yours?¡± Sell questioned.
¡°I¡¯m a space mage, and I¡¯m the one who-¡± Adion stopped himself from speaking further.
¡°You¡¯re the one who what?¡± Sell asked.
The one who found it first.
¡°Nevermind,¡± Adion said, ¡°Sorry, Sell. You should give up the idea that your family will get that place. It will never happen.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care about what my family gets,¡± Sell said, ¡°I want to find it. I want the treasures there. I want to find out more about the Ages of the past. So tell me, please.¡±
Adion looked at Sell¡¯s pleading look and felt a little bad about not telling her more. He had already revealed that he was a space mage, so there shouldn¡¯t be anything stopping him from speaking further. Not if he trusted Sell. But he had told her about his space powers mainly because she had figured out a lot of it on her own and because it was something hard to hide while fighting and training together.
But there wasn¡¯t really a reason to share anything else he had been through. He only did so with his teammates because it was a heavy burden to carry alone. He needed to get it off his chest. But now that he had friends who knew about it, he no longer felt that need. Adion actually felt the rare feeling of not wanting to spill his secrets, so even though he felt a little bad for Sell, he wasn¡¯t planning on telling her everything. At least not right away.
¡°Sorry, Sell,¡± Adion said, ¡°I won¡¯t share that. It would cause me too much trouble if information got out.¡±
¡°What could cause more trouble than information about you being a space mage getting out?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Well, you won¡¯t tell anyone about that, will you?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Of course not,¡± Sell said, ¡°And I won¡¯t say anything about this either, so tell me.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out eventually anyway,¡± Adion said.
¡°I¡¯m sure too,¡± Sell agreed, ¡°So you might as well tell me. Spare us both the effort.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Adion considered it. It wasn¡¯t really anything that important, considering what Sell already knew. But a part of him just wanted to keep some things to himself. He felt like Sell still had a lot of secrets, too. ¡°Maybe some other time. But enough about my space powers, that thing you did with your fire¡¡± Adion glanced around at his teammates. He wasn¡¯t going to say anything if Sell didn¡¯t want to.
Sell just crossed her arms in front of her chest stubbornly, ¡°What thing?¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion said.
¡°So¡¡± Rufus cut in, ¡°Does this mean you¡¯re going to start teleporting around again?¡±
¡°You can teleport!?¡± Sell looked at Adion in shock.
¡°I¡¯m a space mage, after all,¡± Adion shrugged, but he was pretty happy on the inside.
¡°Amazing,¡± Sell said, ¡°How far? How many times? Can you take people with you?¡±
¡°Um, I can only do it about 300 feet. I¡¯ve been practicing doing it while fighting. It takes a few seconds to concentrate,¡± Adion answered, ¡°As for taking people with me, I haven¡¯t gotten to try that yet, but it should be possible if they don¡¯t resist and aren¡¯t too big.¡±
¡°I want to try!¡± Sell said excitedly, completely dropping her earlier grumping attitude.
¡°Okay,¡± Adion agreed, ¡°We can head out and do it outside the outpost. It will be good practice. I can help train your spatial sense as well.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded, grabbing a piece of meat that had just finished cooking.
Adion also grabbed a piece for himself, wanting to finish eating quickly so he could go train.
¡°You two,¡± Benji said awkwardly, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not more appropriate to rest for the night? We just had a pretty hectic day. We will stay here tomorrow in order to recharge our batteries. It will lose meaning if you don¡¯t rest.¡±
Adion realized that Benji didn¡¯t even know that Sell had fought and killed over 20 Silver beasts, passing out from the effort. He was glad he didn¡¯t have to tell him.
¡°I forgot about that,¡± Adion said and then looked at Sell, ¡°That means we can practice all day tomorrow too.¡±
¡°Fun!¡± Sell said with a smile.
Chapter 65 - The Stretch
¡°I can feel I¡¯m getting close to something,¡± Adion said, manipulating Sell¡¯s fire above his palms, ¡°But it sure is slow.¡±
It was the day after their big attack on the beasts around the peach tree. Everyone was resting as they would be heading back the day after. Everyone except Sell and Adion, who had decided it was an excellent opportunity to get some training done.
¡°Of course, it is,¡± Sell said, sitting beside him, ¡°You can¡¯t just grasp concepts in a week or two.¡±
¡°What about what you told me? About the burning of Iitha, didn¡¯t you gain like an epiphany?¡± Adion asked.
He had wanted to ask Sell about her extremely powerful attack ever since he saw it. But he hadn¡¯t had a chance to bring it up yet.
¡°Hmm,¡± Sell mused, ¡°I guess it was a little like that. But I still had to think about what that epiphany meant for a long time, if that makes sense.¡±
¡°I think I get it,¡± Adion said, ¡°But¡did you actually find Words of Truth? A Deep Concept?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Sell said, ¡°I just kind of made up some fitting words for what I could do. I always wanted to have Words of Truth of my own ever since I was small, after all. But hearing Lomin talk about Deep Concepts, it feels like it fits. I could really not explain my ability in any clearer way than my ¡®Words of Truth¡¯ after all. It¡¯s so much more than just ¡®fast¡¯ or ¡®hot.¡¯ It feels like I¡¯m still just scratching the surface of it, though.¡±
¡°I¡¯m jealous,¡± Adion said, ¡°Words of Truth seem so cool. And extremely powerful.¡±
¡°You¡¯re jealous of me? Are you kidding?¡± Sell asked, raising an eyebrow mockingly, ¡°You can control fire for hours, and it¡¯s not even your core¡¯s element. You are probably the only space mage in the world. You can even teleport! And you¡¯re a Bronze mage at your age, on top of that. Speaking of which, you¡¯re actually a middle Bronze mage, right? You should be able to tell me that now.¡±
¡°Who knows,¡± Adion said with a small smile.
¡°You are,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯d react differently. You should work on that if you want to hide your strength properly in the future.¡±
Well, I¡¯m actually high Bronze. And I¡¯m not far off from reaching peak Bronze. I wonder how she¡¯d react if she knew that?
¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll run into many people like you in the future,¡± Adion said.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t be too sure,¡± Sell said, ¡°If you¡¯re going to Cyalis Academy, I doubt there wouldn¡¯t be any people there able to figure you out.¡±
¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to keep up the aura training,¡± Adion said.
¡°And hope you don¡¯t run into any Soul mages,¡± Sell added.
¡°Are there many Soul mages at the Academy?¡± Adion asked.
¡°A few,¡± Sell answered, ¡°But they don¡¯t really teach classes most of the time. However, I did hear that the Headmaster returned to teaching a few years ago. My sister takes a class with him.¡±
¡°Oh? Who is the Headmaster of Cyalis Academy?¡± Adion asked.
¡°His name is Vermon Demorr, the only Sage on Shiora and one of the few known Pure Soul mages on the continent.¡± Sell answered.
¡°A Pure Soul mage? That¡¯s amazing,¡± Adion said, ¡°Do you know if anyone has reached higher than that?¡±
¡°The Pure Soul stage is seen as the peak currently,¡± Sell said, ¡°But I think there are surely people who have reached higher.¡±
¡°Why do you think that?¡± Adion asked.
¡°The world is big. I just doubt there hasn¡¯t been any genius who has managed to reach the stage above,¡± Sell answered.
¡°Hmm,¡± Adion thought about it, ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t plan on stopping at the Pure Soul stage, so why would anyone else.¡±
¡°You¡¯re aiming above the Pure Soul stage?¡± Sell asked with a small smile.
¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Of course I am,¡± Sell said, ¡°It would be stupid not to.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°By the way, how are you planning on taking those Merillian Soul Peaches?¡± Sell asked, ¡°Surely you can tell me now?¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to teleport, of course,¡± Adion answered, ¡°If I can find out where they are, I can just teleport them into my hands as long as I¡¯m close enough.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡incredible. With that power, you can just steal anything as long as you are close enough. It doesn¡¯t matter if something is behind locked doors,¡± Sell said, ¡°Remind me never to invite you to my house.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t steal from you,¡± Adion said, ¡°But the rest of your family might not be safe. I would think Royals have quite the treasures, after all.¡±
¡°Then I guess you could come,¡± Sell said, ¡°It would be fun to watch.¡±
¡°You really don¡¯t get along with your family, do you?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Sell said, ¡°But I won¡¯t have to deal with it for much longer.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I¡¯m going to Cyalis Academy soon,¡± Sell said, ¡°And I plan on going to Quemer after graduating.¡±
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¡°Quemer, huh,¡± Adion said, ¡°I would like to go there too someday.¡±
Adion and Sell continued talking for hours, not realizing until dark that they hadn¡¯t gotten as much training as they had planned. Not that Adion minded. His grasping of concepts was something that needed time. He knew it wasn¡¯t something intense training could hurry along.
As the next day arrived, it was time for the expedition to start their journey back to Lermen. Adion was looking forward to returning to Lermen. He liked the idea of having more time to practice with Sell and not wasting so much time just walking every day.
¡°You know when you are going to steal the peaches?¡± Benji asked Adion as they were leaving the outpost along with the rest of the expedition force.
¡°I think it¡¯s better to wait a few days,¡± Adion said, ¡°Let them relax their guard a little. But they will definitely notice the theft, so my only dilemma is if I should steal them during the trip or do it once we get to Lermen.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Benji thought about it for a moment, ¡°If we do it during the trip, it will definitely cause a commotion. They won¡¯t just let someone steal their treasure, after all. But they won¡¯t be able to do much either. They don¡¯t have the power with them to force us Outskirters into anything. But it will also make it obvious that one of the people here is the thief. It might cause trouble when the Derolm family sends their stronger mages to look into it.
¡°But if nothing happens during the entire journey, and the peaches are only stolen after we get back to Lermen, and rumors start spreading, it might shift the suspicion on other family clans instead of us Outskirters. It will probably be harder to steal it once we get to Lermen, though. They might have already sent someone with word to their family of the success of the mission. It will get more and more complicated the longer we wait.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking, too.¡± Adion said, ¡°But I have to say that waiting until we get back still seems like the better option. It will at least give us some peace of mind once the theft is done. I don¡¯t want to drag our team under suspicion from a family with a Soul mage.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s do it like that,¡± Benji nodded.
The day went by quickly, with no beasts at all showing up to fight the team. Adion and his teammates spent most of the time talking and laughing. Adion found himself in a great mood. He wasn¡¯t even that concerned with the plan of stealing the Merillian Soul Peaches. Perhaps because it didn¡¯t seem like much compared to what he had done in Wender. He also didn¡¯t hold the peaches in that high regard. The main reason for wanting to steal them was because he didn¡¯t want his enemies to have it.
Even if he hadn¡¯t found out exactly how the Derolm family was connected to Heavenly Light, the connection he knew about was enough for Adion to consider them enemies.
¡°Do you think we can do some teleportation after eating?¡± Sell asked Adion as they were setting up camp after the first day of traveling back to Lermen.
¡°Sure,¡± Adion said. He had teleported around with Sell during the past two days, something she didn¡¯t seem to tire of. Adion was happy to oblige, as it gave him good training.
¡°Haah,¡± Rufus sighed, ¡°How is it fair that both Adion and Lomin can teleport? Such a good excuse to get close to girls.¡±
Adion thought about throwing something at Rufus but decided that the best course of action was to ignore his comments.
¡°Hey, Lomin,¡± Rufus said, taking a seat next to the faelin, ¡°You should take a page out of Adion¡¯s book and tell more girls about your powers. Isn¡¯t that why you came here? Finding a nice girl to bring home?¡±
Should I? Adion thought, looking at a rock in his hand that he didn¡¯t know when he picked up.
¡°Just how many people know that you are a space mage?¡± Sell asked quietly from beside him.
¡°What? Just you and the others,¡± Adion gestured to his teammates, ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Oh, nothing. Sorry,¡± Sell said, looking away, ¡°Not even your family?¡±
¡°Mm, no,¡± Adion said with an awkward smile, ¡°But I will tell them when we meet again.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Sell said.
Did I miss something?
¡°I¡¯m not here to find a nice girl to bring home,¡± Lomin answered Rufus¡¯s question from earlier.
¡°I heard that it¡¯s common for faelin to look for a partner during their journey,¡± Sell said, ¡°You¡¯re not interested in that, Lomin?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Lomin hesitated. Adion noticed that everyone had turned quiet and turned their attention to Lomin.
Having people hanging on to your every word like that is pretty cool. How does he do it? Can I practice it?
¡°I guess I am, and I¡¯m not,¡± Lomin said, ¡°I think I¡¯m not a very good faelin sometimes. I decided who I was going to end up with a long time ago.¡±
¡°Wait, what?¡± Rufus looked at Lomin, shocked, ¡°You¡¯ve never told me about that.¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t told you a lot of things,¡± Lomin said calmly, ¡°Some things need time until they can be let out.¡±
¡°Then who is the lucky girl?¡± Sahra said, sitting down with a smile. Adion and Sell also took a seat, joined by Benji, who hurriedly made a fire for everyone to cook some meat on later.
¡°Taela,¡± Lomin said with a happy smile, ¡°Her name is Taela.¡±
¡°Who is she? Tell us about her,¡± Sahra urged.
¡°We grew up in the same village,¡± Lomin said, ¡°I knew that every faelin would leave for a journey once they grew up, and hopefully meet their fated one along the way. But I had decided that I wouldn¡¯t need a journey to find my partner.¡±
¡°So what happened?¡± Rufus asked, ¡°Why did you leave?¡±
¡°I grew up on the Stretch,¡± Lomin began explaining, ¡°It is a long and thin stretch of land along the coast between Fornia and the Fire Phoenix Empire. Unlike many other Kingdoms and Empires on Quemer, Fornia is far from any neighbor. For a long time, the only way to travel to other Kingdoms without passing through the Outskirts was to sail on ship. But eventually, it was decided to clear a path to the Fire Phoenix Empire along the coast. It is still a dangerous area; no big cities exist on the Stretch, and beasts frequently roam there.
¡°But I very much enjoyed life there. I thought it would be a fine life to simply stay there and grow old together with Taela. She was of a different mind, however. She would always stand staring out over the Warm Waves, longing to one day sail across them and see what the world had to offer.
¡°I didn¡¯t hate the idea of traveling the world together before settling down. But I never got the chance to travel with Taela; perhaps I wouldn¡¯t have been allowed to by our parents even if it had never happened.¡±
¡°If what had never happened?¡± Rufus asked in a low voice.
¡°When we were only 14, before our journey even began, Taela spoke her Words of Truth for the first time,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Before even starting her journey? So young? Isn¡¯t that like¡very rare?¡± Sahra asked.
Adion sneaked a look at Sell beside him. She hadn¡¯t told anyone else about what she could do, and Adion hadn¡¯t told anyone either.
¡°It is,¡± Lomin nodded, ¡°She was taken to the Spire not long after in order to record her words. That was the last time I saw her. She never returned to our village.¡±
¡°Then,¡± Rufus hesitated, ¡°Is she on Shiora?¡±
¡°Who knows,¡± Lomin shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve grown a lot since then. And even if I still think she is the only one for me, I don¡¯t think she is someone you can chase. I will travel my own path, and I believe it will eventually cross hers.¡±
¡°Mm, I think so too, Lomin,¡± Sahra supported.
¡°I support you, Lomin,¡± Rufus said as he put a hand on Lomin¡¯s shoulder, ¡°But I guess we will never get the chance to pick up girls together. Haah,¡± Rufus sighed, ¡°Even Adion has found himself a little girlfrie-¡± Rufus didn¡¯t get to finish the sentence as he was hit in the face with a rock.
Chapter 66 - The theft
¡°It feels good to be back,¡± Sahra said as the walls of Lermen came into view.
¡°Let¡¯s not go on any big expeditions like these for the next few months,¡± Rufus said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of being an Outskirter if you can¡¯t enjoy a few drinks with your team at the end of the day.¡±
¡°I actually agree,¡± Sahra said, ¡°I miss sleeping in a bed.¡±
I guess staying in Lermen isn¡¯t bad. But I¡¯m glad we went on the expedition. It feels like it was an excellent experience to temper my Will. Adion thought to himself.
It had been almost a week since they started their journey back to Lermen, and Adion had enjoyed the trip. They walked and talked all day, fighting beasts from time to time. Every night, he and Sell would go off to train together. It was nice.
But he didn¡¯t think it would be any less fun to stay in Lermen again.
¡°Are you sure you want to do this, Adion, Sell?¡± Benji asked and looked at the two.
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said.
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded.
¡°Are you really confident? There is no need for any risks here. We are plenty strong without those peaches,¡± Benji said.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, Benji,¡± Adion said. ¡°If I feel like I won¡¯t be able to take them without taking a risk, we will forget about it.¡±
¡°Mm, make sure that you do,¡± Benji said in a grave voice.
The team made their way to the gate of the outpost along with the rest of the Outskirters. Everyone would surely be up late drinking and celebrating. Adion almost wanted to stay behind and join everyone, but he had other priorities.
We might be able to make it back in time for a few drinks. It will work well as an alibi as well.
The group of mages from the Derolm family had already paid the Outskirters and continued on their way directly to Dorbarta. Adion and Sell would follow them, but it was important to be seen walking with their team to Lermen in case of an investigation.
¡°You sure we shouldn¡¯t all go? You might need help,¡± Rufus said in a low voice, even if they were quite far from anyone who might be listening.
¡°No, it¡¯s good if you are here and get seen by people. Sell and I can manage by ourselves. I have my space powers and Sell can probably talk our way out of trouble if we are discovered. It¡¯s also a believable excuse that we are off training together.¡± Adion said.
¡°Yeah¡that¡¯s not a believable excuse,¡± Rufus said, ¡°No one would think you went to train immediately after almost a three-week-long expedition.¡±
¡°Really? I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be that hard to believe,¡± Adion questioned.
¡°Haah,¡± Rufus sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to think of an excuse.¡±
Adion saw how Rufus and Sahra exchanged a glance and didn¡¯t like their smiles. But he ignored it and focused on what mattered.
¡°Good,¡± Adion nodded.
Everyone headed back to the inn, where they made a small stop before heading to the Outskirts Guild for the celebration of the completed mission. Adion and Sell didn¡¯t enter with their teammates, however, but continued walking.
They made their way to the wall surrounding the outpost. Adion planned on leaving through teleportation. He didn¡¯t think there would be much suspicion of them even if they were seen exiting the outpost, but there was no need to take any unnecessary risks.
Adion stopped next to the wall, at a spot away from any eyes. Sell stopped beside him, seemingly excited to teleport again. Adion grabbed her around her waist, something that he hadn¡¯t managed to do without a furiously beating heart despite the many times they had done it now. Sell seemed to be too excited about teleporting to think much about it, though.
Even maintaining focus while fighting beasts while teleporting isn¡¯t as hard as this.
Adion grabbed hold of space on the other side of the walls, and after almost a full minute, he managed to switch places between the two spaces.
They started walking at a fast pace as soon as they were out of sight from the outpost. They weren¡¯t in a big hurry, but they would need to catch up to the mages from the Derolm family by nightfall.
Even if it¡¯s dark, getting close enough for me to use teleportation without being spotted will be tough. It¡¯s times like these that I wish I had practiced with my shadow affinity more.
¡°Do you know anything about the shadow element?¡± Adion decided to ask Sell.
¡°Shadow? That¡¯s rare. Do you have an affinity to it?¡± Sell asked.
¡°So you¡¯ve heard of shadow? It¡¯s different from darkness?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I have an affinity to shadow, but have no practice in it. I thought it would come in handy now, though.¡±
¡°A space mage who can do shadow magic, no treasure in the world would be safe,¡± Sell said jokingly, ¡°I have an affinity to shadow too actually, but like most of my affinities besides fire, it¡¯s nothing I¡¯ve spent any time on.¡±
¡°Oh? Why not?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It would make me weaker,¡± Sell said, ¡°I have a fire core, so every moment spent on increasing that power is worth so much more. Perhaps it can do me good in the future to widen my abilities a little. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll give it a try at Cyalis, but for now, I¡¯m all about fire.¡±
¡°I guess I¡¯m the same,¡± Adion said, ¡°Except I focus on both space and fire. Anyway, what do you know about the shadow element then?¡±
¡°I know that it¡¯s very rare, especially among the sapi, just like darkness and light are. I¡¯m not sure why there is a distinction between darkness and shadow, though. They seem pretty similar to me. Anyway,¡± Sell continued, ¡°There are shadow mages, even if they are rare. I know of a Noble family in Evalia on Quemer where they practice shadow magic. And I know that it is very difficult to use in the earlier stages, not because of lack of Will, but because it takes a long time to grasp enough concepts to make it useful.¡±
¡°Oh, what concepts?¡± Adion asked.
Stolen novel; please report.
¡°I¡¯m not sure, but ¡®concealment¡¯ is something I¡¯ve heard about. Apparently, the greatest mages can even hide their aura with shadow magic. No need for aura control.¡± Sell said.
¡°How is that possible?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No idea,¡± Sell shrugged.
¡°Do you think there will be any shadow mages at the Academy? I would love to learn some of these things,¡± Adion said.
¡°I doubt it,¡± Sell said, ¡°Shadow is just too rare on Shiora. But I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they had someone teaching darkness magic. That might be just as useful.¡±
¡°Hm, I will definitely check it out. I don¡¯t want my shadow affinity to be useless forever.¡± Adion said.
¡°Just don¡¯t spread yourself too thin,¡± Sell said, ¡°It would be a shame to waste your space powers. They are already so powerful, I can only imagine what you¡¯ll be able to do in the future.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Adion said. He hadn¡¯t told Sell anything about Authority, so she didn¡¯t know that a lot of Adion¡¯s powers in space came from that. She only knew he could control fire longer because of a treasure, but nothing about the pills and what they actually did.
But Adion had to agree, once he was able to conjure more space, and once he had grasped some more concepts, he felt he would be immensely more powerful than anyone else at his stage.
Adion and Sell soon took off running as it would be getting dark soon, and they wanted to catch up before then. And it didn¡¯t take long before they had the Derolm family mages in their vision.
¡°I hope they won¡¯t keep going through the night,¡± Adion said.
¡°If they do, we will probably have to head back, right?¡± Sell said.
¡°Hmm,¡± Adion wasn¡¯t sure he liked that idea, ¡°Let¡¯s keep following from a distance. Hopefully, they¡¯ll make camp soon.¡±
¡°Are they still keeping the peaches in the chest?¡± Sell asked.
Adion had done some scouting during the past couple of days, and he had concluded that the Merillian Soul Peaches were in a large chest carried by two of the Silver mages. He could feel a slight aura coming from the chest that he was willing to bet was coming from the peaches.
¡°I can¡¯t feel it from here, but they should be,¡± Adion said.
They continued following from a distance as it got darker and darker, and just as Adion was about to give up hope, the Derolm family stopped and cleared the small road to make camp for the night.
¡°Nice, they¡¯re making camp,¡± Sell said in a low voice from beside him.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s wait until they go to sleep and see where they post the guards. There should be space enough to sneak past them without being noticed.¡±
Both Adion and Sell were confident enough in their aura control to escape notice from Silver mages. So they would only need to worry about being seen.
After a little more than an hour had passed, Adion decided that it was a good opportunity to make a move. He had his sphere of space mana pushed to the max and started walking toward the camp.
¡°Wait, here,¡± Adion whispered to Sell, ¡°I¡¯ll bring the chest.¡±
Sell gave a nod, and Adion continued sneaking forward alone. He felt the shapes of a person to his left, one of the mages standing guard. Thankfully, the mage didn¡¯t notice Adion, and he managed to get close enough to feel most of the camp through his space mana.
Where is the chest? It should be in the tent with Harran, I would guess.
Adion focused his attention on the big tent and felt the shape of Harran lying in bed. Next to him was the big chest that had been carried along with the group for the past week.
That¡¯s it! Let¡¯s just hope he doesn¡¯t wake up from it disappearing.
Adion decided to wait a little longer, observing Harran to make sure he was really asleep. Once he was certain, he grabbed hold of the space that the chest occupied, as well as the space right next to him. After a few seconds of intense focus, the two spaces changed places, and the chest appeared next to Adion.
He didn¡¯t wake up! Let¡¯s hope they won¡¯t discover anything until morning.
Adion grabbed the chest with his Authority and made it follow him as he made his way back to Sell.
¡°You did it?¡± Sell asked in a hushed voice as Adion returned.
¡°Yes, let¡¯s go,¡± Adion said, and they ran off in the direction of Dorbarta. They would need to leave the chest behind, and it would be stupid to do so on the road to Lermen. No reason to lead anyone back there.
Adion and Sell ran for about 20 minutes before Adion stopped.
¡°This should be fine. Let¡¯s take a look,¡± Adion said and put the chest down on the ground. Sell walked up and stared down at the chest with an excited expression.
Adion opened the chest, and a satisfied grin appeared on his face.
¡°That¡¯s a lot of peaches,¡± Adion said, staring down at the 14 peaches delicately placed inside.
¡°Ganta, do you have any idea how much this is worth?¡± Sell said.
¡°This is enough to even impress a princess?¡± Adion asked with a smile.
Sell nodded her head vigorously.
¡°Well, we¡¯re not selling,¡± Adion said, ¡°Three each for the two of us and two each for the rest of the team seems fair, no?¡±
¡°Fair!¡± Sell said with a big smile.
¡°Let¡¯s put them in my backpack and hurry back then,¡± Adion said and started moving over the fruit.
Once they were all moved, Adion and Sell left the mostly empty chest behind and started running in the opposite direction, toward Lermen.
¡°Won¡¯t someone feel their aura if we return with them like this?¡± Sell asked after a while of running.
¡°It¡¯d be pretty weak, and I can hide it with my aura to a degree,¡± Adion answered, ¡°As long as no experienced Diamond mage shows up, we should be fine.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Sell smiled.
¡°But it might still be a little risky to carry this many with us,¡± Adion said, ¡°Maybe we should eat one to lessen the impact their aura will have?¡±
¡°That¡¯s probably for the best,¡± Sell nodded.
They jumped off the small road so as not to be discovered by any Outskirters out in the night and opened up Adion¡¯s backpack a distance away.
¡°Do you know what we should expect?¡± Adion asked as he handed Sell one of the peaches.
¡°Just that you will feel your aura extremely clearly. If you¡¯re lucky, you might even feel your soul. You should just focus on the sensations and experiment with controlling your aura. Hiding your strength deeper might be a good idea. Push it to the limit, so to speak.¡± Sell said.
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded and took a seat opposite Sell, ¡°All at once?¡±
¡°All at once,¡± Sell said.
Adion didn¡¯t hold off any longer and bit down on the juicy peach. He greedily chewed and swallowed it all in a few seconds, and not long after, he felt a fantastic sensation. It was like he could feel every small part of his body, and he felt that he had perfect control over every last bit of it.
Is this the soul? Covering my body perfectly, giving my Will complete Authority?
Adion then focused on his aura and felt it much clearer than he ever had. Every tiny little part was before him, easily grasped with a thought.
Adion didn¡¯t know why, but he decided to try to grasp everything he could feel and bring it as close to his body as possible, hiding his aura as much as he could. He felt that as he was now, he could hide his aura far more completely than just before.
The sensation lasted for almost half an hour. When Adion noticed the effects of the peach running out, he was almost a little bummed that he hadn¡¯t focused on something else during the entire experience.
But this should still be incredibly useful, and I still have two more to use.
¡°How was it?¡± Adion asked Sell after a few more minutes had passed.
¡°Incredible,¡± Sell said in a low voice, ¡°I have never felt like aura was such an obvious thing before. I think I¡¯m beginning to understand what Sahra meant.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I want to steal more stuff!¡± Sell said with a brilliant smile.
Chapter 67 - Astor
¡°Adion, Sell! You¡¯re back!¡± Rufus''s loud yell managed to reach Adion across the crowded tavern as he and Sell stepped inside after their night of thievery.
¡°Looks like they are quite a few drinks in,¡± Sell said to Adion as they started making their way over.
¡°We have a lot of catching up to do,¡± Adion said with a small grin.
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded with a smile, ¡°We have much to celebrate after all. It feels like people¡¯s aura is much more apparent than earlier. Is it the same for you?¡±
¡°A little,¡± Adion said, ¡°I focused on hiding my aura, though, so I feel like I have a much firmer grasp on my own aura than earlier.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Sell said, ¡°You have a lot to hide after all. Seriously, how did you get so strong?¡±
Adion turned to look at Sell, surprised she had managed to feel it.
¡°I might have immediately focused on trying to sense your aura as soon as I ate the fruit,¡± Sell looked away, a little embarrassed, ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t hold myself back.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said, ¡°But let¡¯s not talk about it here.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Sell agreed. They made it to their teammates. They were sitting along a table next to Mashi¡¯s and another team that Adion didn¡¯t know.
¡°Sell!¡± Sahra yelled out, ¡°I¡¯m glad you made it back. Come sit here next to me.¡±
Sahra made some space beside her on the bench, and Sell went to sit down. Benji looked apologetically at Adion and made some space for him on the opposite side of the table next to him for Adion to sit.
¡°How did it go?¡± Benji asked in a low voice when Adion was seated.
¡°It was a success,¡± Adion answered, ¡°We¡¯ll talk more about it tomorrow.¡±
Benji nodded and turned his attention to the conversations around the table.
¡°It¡¯s true. They have naked men and women on every street corner,¡± A man Adion didn¡¯t know said.
¡°Who is that?¡± Adion whispered to Benji.
¡°That¡¯s Frank and his teammates, Lara, Jidden, and Marva. We just met them tonight. They know Mashi¡¯s group.¡± Benji answered.
¡°Have you actually been there, Frank?¡± Mashi asked.
¡°No, but I¡¯ve met plenty who have, and they all agree,¡± Frank answered.
¡°Well, I¡¯ve been there myself, and while it is a city of debauchery, it is far from as bad as you say,¡± Mashi said.
¡°What place are you talking about?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Oh? Curious, Adion?¡± Sahra asked and started laughing.
¡°Come on, you shouldn¡¯t ask about stuff like that when you have such a pretty girlfriend already,¡± Mashi jokingly scolded.
¡°I-¡± Adion was stumped. Everyone started laughing at seeing Adion¡¯s unusual expression. Adion sneaked a peak at Sell to see her reaction, thankfully she was laughing along with everyone.
Is she blushing? I must be imagining.
¡°We¡¯re talking about Terallow. Ever heard about it?¡± Benji kindly explained after the laughter calmed down.
¡°Oh¡yeah. Mom used to say that it was the prime example of what was wrong with the Velorians, a place to stay away from at all costs,¡± Adion said.
¡°Sounds like a wise woman,¡± Frank said, ¡°But I bet it is a lot of fun, too. I¡¯m definitely visiting one of these days.¡±
¡°Pervert,¡± The woman pointed out as Lara by Benji said.
¡°For the gambling! For the food! For the entertainment!¡± Frank clarified, ¡°You know I have no interest in that other stuff.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Lara scoffed.
¡°I would advise that you stay away from there,¡± Mashi said, ¡°I¡¯ve been to a lot of places, and nothing comes close to as vile a place as Veloria. Unless you¡¯re a Noble, that is. It¡¯s probably paradise for Nobles.¡±
¡°Oh, how so?¡± Frank asked.
¡°It¡¯s like non-mages aren¡¯t even people to them. Mages are people, but unless you¡¯re a Noble, your only purpose is to serve them. I just kept my head down and made my way out of there as fast as I could. Duts is a much nicer place. I recommend it.¡± Mashi said.
¡°You sure you¡¯re not biased as a Kuwamin?¡± Frank questioned.
¡°A little, perhaps. They do make a sport of hunting our people and enslaving them, so I might not look at them all too kindly. But even as a Silver mage, your experience there can be anything but pleasant if you run into the wrong people,¡± Mashi said.
¡°Alright, alright,¡± Frank admitted defeat, ¡°I¡¯ll head somewhere else then. I heard Dormia is nice.¡±
¡°You think you can afford to do anything in Dormia?¡± Lara questioned, ¡°We got a lot of money from the expedition, but nowhere near enough to have any kind of experience in Dormia.¡±
¡°Just where should we go then?¡± Frank asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m fine staying in the Empire,¡± Lara answered.
¡°I¡¯m bored of it,¡± Frank said, ¡°I want to see more of the world. We have the money to travel, at least.¡±
¡°How about heading up to Iitha?¡± Mashi suggested, ¡°Know of any nice places to visit Sell?¡±
¡°Um,¡± Sell hesitated after getting thrown into the conversation, ¡°I haven¡¯t spent much time out of Amyss. But Rethi is a really nice place, probably my favorite place to visit.¡±
¡°There you go,¡± Mashi turned to Frank again, ¡°Rethi.¡±
¡°Rethi, huh,¡± Frank mused, ¡°Why not? Rethi it is!¡±
¡°Are you not going to consult with your team?¡± Lara asked from beside him.
¡°You guys don¡¯t want to?¡± Frank stopped himself from raising his glass in a cheer.
¡°Rethi sounds perfect, Frank,¡± Jidden said with a comforting smile. Marva nodded at him, too.
¡°Haha!¡± Frank laughed loudly, ¡°Then we leave tomorrow!¡±
¡°I wish you luck on your journey, my friend,¡± Mashi said as he raised his glass.
¡°What about you guys, Benji? Planning on staying here in Lermen or heading somewhere else?¡± Tella asked.
¡°We¡¯ll probably stay here for a while, right guys?¡± Benji said.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
¡°Yeah,¡± Rufus nodded, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to just staying in one place for a while.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll probably head north once it¡¯s time for Adion to start at Cyalis Academy, though,¡± Benji said.
¡°Oh, right,¡± Tella said, ¡°Are you also going to Cyalis, Sell?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Sell answered.
¡°How nice,¡± Tella smiled, ¡°Then you will-¡±
Before Tella could finish, she was interrupted by a voice from behind her.
¡°Sellitha?¡± Adion looked up to see a man his own age looking at Sell.
¡°Astor? What are you doing here?¡± Sell asked.
¡°What am I¡I¡¯m looking for you, of course! You just disappeared. Most of the family has already left for Ellia,¡± The young man called Astor said.
¡°I didn¡¯t disappear,¡± Sell scoffed, ¡°I¡¯m sure I told someone I was heading for the Outskirts to train.¡±
¡°The Outskirts is a big place,¡± Astor sighed, ¡°Anyway, are you ready to leave?¡±
¡°Leave?¡± Sell asked.
¡°For Ellia,¡± Astor said.
¡°I¡¯m obviously not going,¡± Sell tilted her head in confusion.
¡°But¡your parents,¡± Astor hesitated.
¡°Are in Ellia. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll understand,¡± Sell said.
¡°Who¡¯s the guy? An admirer?¡± Sahra asked Sell. Adion thought he could see her smirking his way.
Is she trying to rile me up?
¡°I¡¯m Astor Tyllen,¡± Astor introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m supposed to go back with Sellitha. We are having a ceremony to introduce our family to the nobility in the capital.¡±
Adion noticed that the atmosphere died down and got a little colder. A Noble could always mean trouble. He also saw Mashi and the others throwing looks at Sell. Even if they had probably guessed she came from a Noble family because of her strength, hearing her full name clued them in that her background was even greater than they had thought.
So, he is from the Tyllen family? Only low Bronze despite being a few months older than me.
Adion scrutinized Astor a little more closely. He had blonde hair and brown eyes, dressed in fancy clothes, sticking out like a sore thumb from the Outskirters crowding the tavern.
Adion released some space mana from his core and pushed his sphere of space mana to its limits to get a better look at the surroundings. He always had some space mana under his control, but having it pushed to its limits tore at his Will a lot, and it didn¡¯t give him any useful information if he didn¡¯t consciously focus on it.
He soon realized that there were two Gold mages outside the tavern. From their posture and Astor¡¯s presence, Adion guessed them to be members of the Tyllen family, here to guard Astor.
What a pleasant surprise. Thank you for introducing yourself to all these witnesses on the night of the theft from the Derolm family.
Adion couldn¡¯t help but smile and let out a small laugh. It was just too perfect.
Why am I so happy? The Tyllen family are not enemies. In fact, they seem to be enemies of the Derolm family, so they could be considered be friends.
¡°Did I say something funny?¡± Astor asked and looked at Adion.
Everyone turned their attention to Adion, who looked up to meet Astor¡¯s gaze.
¡°Hm? Why?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You just laughed, did you not? So I¡¯m wondering if I said anything funny?¡± Astor said.
¡°I wasn¡¯t really listening, but I¡¯m sure it was hilarious,¡± Adion said in a comforting voice.
¡°Who is this guy, Sellitha?¡± Astor asked, still eyeing Adion.
¡°This is Adion, part of the team that I¡¯ve joined since coming here,¡± Sell answered.
Astor got a confident smirk on his face and addressed Adion again, ¡°You do realize that you¡¯re talking to a Noble, right?¡±
What an asshole.
¡°You do realize you¡¯re talking to someone stronger than you, right?¡± Adion fired back.
¡°You-¡± Astor made an ugly face, ¡°We¡¯re the same strength.¡±
¡°Whatever helps you sleep at night,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°Anyway, Sell doesn¡¯t want to go back with you, so shoo.¡±
¡°Adion¡¡± Adion turned to see Benji having his face planted in his hands.
¡°I can have you killed, you know,¡± Astor said in a calm voice. Adion noticed that the tavern had turned mostly quiet by this point.
¡°Astor, don¡¯t cause any trouble,¡± Sell said with a serious expression.
¡°You can¡¯t do shit,¡± Adion said, angry at the threat, ¡°And neither can the two Golds you have waiting outside.¡±
That got a reaction from Astor.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop this now,¡± Sell got up and interrupted, ¡°Astor, thank your family for the hospitality, but I¡¯ll stay here until my parents come to pick me up.¡±
Astor was quiet for a moment, shifting between looking at Sell and Adion.
¡°Fine,¡± Astor finally said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay here too.¡±
¡°What!?¡± Sell said, ¡°You¡¯re going to miss the ceremony?¡±
¡°I was tasked to go there with you, so if you¡¯re staying here, then so will I,¡± Astor said.
What a nuisance.
¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Sellitha,¡± Astor said with a stiff face and turned around to leave.
I shouldn¡¯t.
Halfway out of the tavern, Astor tripped and landed face-down on the wooden floor. He got up immediately and hurried out the door.
¡°Adion¡¡± Sell turned to look at Adion with accusatory eyes, but she couldn¡¯t hold back a smile from sprouting.
¡°Lots of clumsy guys around lately,¡± Adion shrugged and took a sip of his beer.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Sahra laughed loudly, soon followed by the rest of the table.
¡°Adion, well fought!¡± Sahra said.
¡°That was stupid, Adion,¡± Benji said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t antagonize people like that. Especially not Nobles.¡±
¡°Oh, come on, Benji, Loosen up,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Even Lomin is smirking.¡±
Everyone turned their attention to the faelin, who had a small smile dancing on his lips.
¡°I enjoyed it,¡± Lomin simply said.
¡°See!¡± Sahra said and laughed.
¡°I didn¡¯t really antagonize him either,¡± Adion defended himself, ¡°He was the one disturbing everyone.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Sell nodded as she took her seat again, ¡°He was being unreasonable.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Rufus nodded, ¡°You did good, Adion.¡±
¡°I¡¯m surrounded by kids and drunks. No one can think straight,¡± Benji sighed.
¡°Haha!¡± Mashi laughed, ¡°It¡¯s not always a thankful job being the team leader.¡±
¡°So¡¡± Tella said, looking at Sell, ¡°You¡¯re¡¡±
¡°Sellitha Amyss,¡± Sell said, ¡°Princess of Iitha. Don¡¯t think about it too much if you can.¡±
It got a little awkward again around the table as it was easier said than done to ignore such a status.
¡°Just ignore it,¡± Rufus said and waved his hand, ¡°When you see Adion flirting all day, a little casual behavior is nothing in comparison.¡±
Adion and Sell made quick eye contact before looking away from each other immediately.
Do they always have to say something like that?
¡°What a shame, Rufus,¡± Adion said, ¡°I just found some fruit that I thought would be enough for all of us. But now, thinking about it, there might not be one for you.¡±
¡°Adion,¡± Rufus¡¯s face sobered up, ¡°You know I¡¯m only joking! Hehe,¡± Rufus chuckled nervously, ¡°I¡¯m the one who is always flirting. Isn¡¯t that right, Lomin?¡±
Lomin looked at Rufus in surprise, ¡°Wha-, Oh, yes. Yes.¡±
¡°There you have it. I¡¯m sure there might be something for me if you look again, right?¡± Rufus said.
¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Adion said.
I should make use of these peaches while they¡¯re still in my possession.
¡°I don¡¯t like that look,¡± Sahra whispered to Sell.
¡°I think he just realized he can make you work for the fruit,¡± Sell said with a small smile.
¡°Ganta,¡± Sahra said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to be nice to him for the rest of the night, won¡¯t I?¡±
After that, the conversation slowly eased up, Sell¡¯s background losing its importance with the help of alcohol. And Adion had a great time being supported by Rufus and Sahra at every point and turn. It was fun initially but lost its charm after a while, and Adion had to promise he wouldn¡¯t leave them out of their share to get them back to normal.
The sun had already risen when the team finally made their way back to the inn after a night full of banter, laughter, and celebration.
Chapter 68 - 24th
¡°So, what did you want to show me?¡± Sell asked as she and Adion finally reached a place outside the outpost away from prying eyes.
¡°Calm down,¡± Adion said excitedly.
¡°I am calm, Adion,¡± Sell said, smiling, ¡°You¡¯re the one practically skipping.¡±
I am? Whatever, we should be far enough away now.
¡°So last night, I got some kind of small epiphany about the concepts I¡¯ve been trying to grasp,¡± Adion said.
¡°At your drunken state?¡± Sell questioned.
¡°I wasn¡¯t that drunk,¡± Adion refuted, ¡°I¡¯m here now, aren¡¯t I?¡±
¡°True,¡± Sell admitted.
They were the only ones who hadn¡¯t headed back straight to bed after breakfast this morning. The others had all wanted to rest for the day. They had just come back from the expedition yesterday, after all. And they had a hangover they wanted to cure before taking the Merillian Soul Peach.
I drank a lot yesterday, too. The hangover wasn¡¯t that bad. They would probably feel better getting outside. Adion thought, looking up at the clear blue sky. What a waste of a precious day.
Adion had been feeling great lately, making him appreciate little things, like the nice weather.
¡°So?¡± Sell asked, ¡°What did you realize yesterday in your not-so-drunken state of inspiration?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± Adion said with a grin.
He then conjured a small ball of flames above his palm. His Will now not changing the pure mana into fire mana as it used to. The fire mana he conjured his fire from was now infused with concepts that Adion had begun grasping.
Adion threw his fire on the ground and let it burn. The fire looked calm, almost like a cozy campfire.
¡°It¡¯s¡what concept have you grasped? If anything, it¡¯s weaker than normal fire, no?¡± Sell asked, confused.
¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s just slower, but it¡¯s a lot stronger. And I have yet to fully grasp control of the concepts I have running through my mind.¡±
¡°Care to explain?¡± Sell pushed.
¡°I¡¯ve always pushed my fire to burn hotter, to dig deeper, whatever that means,¡± Adion said, ¡°But studying your fire, and hearing your Words of Truth, I decided not to limit myself and think about fire more freely. I thought about the Celestial Phoenix and- Oh yeah, you don¡¯t know that I saw the Celestial Phoenix, right?¡±
¡°You what?¡± Sell asked, staring deep into Adion¡¯s eyes to see if he was serious.
¡°You actually hadn¡¯t figured out yet?¡± Adion asked.
¡°How in Ganta could I possibly figure out something like that!¡± Sell yelled.
¡°Good,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I thought you knew all of my secrets there for a second. I revealed my strength in my aura yesterday, after all.¡±
¡°I actually forgot about that,¡± Sell said, ¡°Wait, more importantly! What¡¯s this about the Celestial Phoenix? It actually exists? You¡¯ve seen it? And also! How did you get so strong? You¡¯re the same age as me. Wait, exactly how old are you, by the way? I can¡¯t tell by the day.¡±
¡°Woah,¡± Adion put up his hands in a calming gesture, ¡°Relax, Sell. All in good time. I will come to that. But first, my fire.¡±
¡°You¡¯re enjoying this too much, Adion,¡± Sell said.
¡°It¡¯s good to have your undivided attention,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t know why Lomin bothers with his storytelling abilities. Just drop that you¡¯ve met a Phoenix, and everyone listens anyway.¡±
¡°Adion,¡± Sell looked at him with a warning gaze. She couldn¡¯t hide the smile slipping out, though.
¡°Right, so I thought about those flames. The flames of the Celestial Phoenix. I realized flames can be so much more than just fire. I wondered how the fire of the Fire Phoenix was. Surely it¡¯s not just really hot, right? It¡¯s part of its body, something that can be harmless or deadly, probably changed from one state to another with just a thought.¡±
¡°What are you talking about?¡± Sell asked.
¡°It¡¯s still not completely clear,¡± Adion said, confusing even himself as he was talking, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to explain my thought process. So, I thought about having a fire like that, something that could be harmless or deadly, waiting for my command. Something that burns not hot and fast, but calmly and surely.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that just weaker?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Well, I can always implement other powerful concepts with time, but the one that really caught my attention was ¡®inevitability.¡¯¡± Adion said, ¡°I want a fire that can sit and do no harm, calmly burning, and with my command, burn down whatever I want down to ashes. Not in a fiery blaze, but in a calm decomposition.¡±
Sell looked at Adion¡¯s fire in thought for a while.
¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± She said after a while, ¡°But I still think it will be weaker. What¡¯s the use of a harmless fire?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°But this is just a start. When I think about how you and Lomin came to grasp Words of Truth, I thought that my own way to Words of Truth was through the Celestial Phoenix. What could be a better inspiration for something deeper than witnessing the birth of a Phoenix, after all? I know it''s still far from powerful, but I believe the seeds have been planted.¡±
¡°What seeds?¡± Sell asked.
¡°A seed for a fire that never goes out, a fire that can burn down everything I command it to. A fire that doesn¡¯t matter if it is fast or slow, hot or warm. It¡¯s inevitable.¡± Adion said.
¡°Well,¡± Sell smiled, ¡°I guess I like it. It suits you when I think about it. I¡¯m glad you found something you¡¯re excited about.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°It will be a lot of hard work, but I¡¯m excited to see where it will go.¡±
¡°Now¡something about the Celestial Phoenix?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Right, I think I saw it,¡± Adion said, ¡°Being reborn or something.¡±
¡°I want details! Tell me everything!¡± Sell pushed.
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Adion¡¯s smile gradually left his face as he remembered the circumstances that led him to see the Celestial Phoenix. ¡°Sorry,¡± Adion said, ¡°Mind if I tell you about it another day? It would be a shame to ruin a day as nice as this with that story.¡±
¡°Oh¡¡± Sell paused, ¡°Yeah,¡± She nodded in understanding.
They were quiet for a while before Adion spoke again, ¡°20th,¡± He said.
¡°What?¡± Sell asked.
¡°20th day of winter. That¡¯s when I turn 16, you?¡±
¡°24th,¡± Sell said.
Good. I¡¯ve been nervous about that.
¡°That made you way too happy,¡± Sell said with a smile of her own, ¡°So what if you¡¯re a few days older? My fire is still stronger,¡±
¡°Of course it is,¡± Adion said, ¡°You¡¯re a fire mage.¡±
¡°So are you,¡± Sell said, ¡°You¡¯re just also a space mage.¡±
¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t have a fire core,¡± Adion said.
¡°Then make one,¡± Sell said, ¡°You were a sparkless. If anyone can do it, you can.¡±
¡°Wait,¡± Adion said, ¡°You can have two cores?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Sell hesitated, ¡°I¡¯ve never met anyone with more than one core, but I¡¯ve read about it. People like to experiment, after all.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve never thought about that,¡± Adion said.
¡°I don¡¯t actually recommend it. I was just joking,¡± Sell said, ¡°No one who has tried it has made it very far. It takes much longer to advance with two cores, more than double the time a single core takes. And no one has figured out how it would be possible to advance to the Soul stage with two cores.¡±
¡°I guess it does seem like a time-consuming project to keep that up. But maybe just a stone core-¡± Adion mused but was interrupted.
¡°Don¡¯t, Adion,¡± Sell said, ¡°It¡¯s very risky. Where would you even have a second core? Focus on your space core for now, and if you¡¯re really curious about it, ask someone more knowledgeable than me about it at the Academy.¡±
¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I already have my plate full.¡±
¡°Good.¡± Sell said, ¡°So, did you bring some plums?¡±
¡°Sure did,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for you to train.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded with a smile, ¡°Do you think it will be possible for me to teleport with fire someday? Lomin managed to do it with a wind core, after all.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t see how,¡± Adion said, picking up some plums from his backpack, ¡°But I don¡¯t see how Lomin can teleport using wind either, and that didn¡¯t stop him. Just try long enough, and I¡¯m sure it will work out eventually.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded and took out a blindfold that she tied over her eyes.
They spent the next hour honing Sell¡¯s spatial awareness, something Adion noticed had actually gotten better during the past weeks.
¡°You¡¯ve gotten a lot better. Maybe I should continue training like this myself,¡± Adion said after having finished the training session.
¡°I know, right!¡± Sell said excitedly, ¡°Can we do some teleportation? I want to try and guess where we are without opening my eyes.¡±
Sell had taken off the blindfold a while into the training as it had gotten covered in plum juice and opted to just close her eyes.
¡°Sure,¡± Adion nodded and stepped up to her, ¡°Ready?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded, closing her eyes.
Adion grabbed Sell around the waist like usual, his heart beating fiercely.
This somehow keeps getting harder. Shouldn¡¯t I get used to this by now? I already know that she¡¯s pretty, that she smells good, that she- Okay, let¡¯s focus on teleporting.
Adion focused on the space above them in a tree, thinking it might be fun to surprise Sell with. But as he focused on his teleporting mantra, he noticed three figures approaching in his sphere of space mana.
It¡¯s that guy? How did he find us?
Adion unconsciously pulled Sell a little closer.
¡°A-Adion?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Sellitha?¡± A voice came from a few feet away.
Sell opened her eyes to see Astor standing there with his two Gold guards. She jumped out of Adion¡¯s grip, with a slightly blushing face that seemed very pleasing to Adion.
¡°What-¡± Astor tried to say something, but no words came out.
¡°We¡¯re just practicing,¡± Adion said, waving the matter off.
¡°Practicing what?¡± Astor asked.
¡°Magic, of course,¡± Adion said.
Astor got a conflicting expression on his face. His two guards stared at Adion with ugly expressions.
¡°Sellitha, what is your relationship with this guy exactly?¡± Astor asked.
¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s any of your business,¡± Sell said, ¡°What do you want, Astor.¡±
¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± Astor said, ¡°I¡¯m not taking no for an answer.¡±
¡°Excuse me?¡± Sell said.
¡°We don¡¯t have much time,¡± Astor said, ¡°The Derolm family apparently experienced a robbery last night and are looking for the culprits. They are sure to suspect me as our families are not on the best terms.¡±
¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I¡¯m sure they will suspect you, too,¡± Astor said, ¡°You were with them on the expedition. And someone with your status might be able to pull it off.¡±
What is he talking about?
¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, they wouldn¡¯t suspect me,¡± Sell said, ¡°I¡¯ve always been around people. I¡¯m sure I can talk to them, and they¡¯ll drop any suspicions immediately. If you want to leave, you can leave alone.¡±
¡°Sellitha¡¡± Astor hesitated, ¡°It¡¯s not safe. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll have to insist.¡±
¡°Insist all you want,¡± Sell said, ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±
¡°Haah,¡± Astor sighed, ¡°You¡¯re being way too careless. How can you be out here without your Silver teammates? You do realize that Lady Mephina is still in Dorbarta? If not on her way to Ellia already.¡±
¡°That¡¯s where I left her, so I guessed as much,¡± Sell shrugged.
Is Mephina that potential Soul mage who is keeping watch over Sell? So, she really has been unprotected all this time?
¡°Then why would you-¡± Astor started speaking but stopped himself, ¡°Never mind, I¡¯m sure your parents will insist on you coming with me as well. I¡¯m willing to take the risk, at least. So, are you coming with me voluntarily or not?¡±
¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Sell asked, her aura starting to flare.
¡°It means that I will have to bring you out of here by force if you won¡¯t come by your own will. It¡¯s for your own safety,¡± Astor said with a serious expression.
¡°You¡¯ll all die before you can touch her,¡± Adion said, staring Astor in the eyes.
¡°Shut up!¡± Astor yelled furiously, ¡°I know you¡¯re not a Noble with some hidden powerhouse around. You won¡¯t fool me. And you¡¯ll be coming with me to Dorbarta to face justice for disrespecting a Noble!¡±
¡°What a crazy bastard,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°Astor,¡± Sell warned, ¡°Don¡¯t do this, you¡¯ll regret it. I¡¯m not joking.¡±
¡°So be it,¡± Astor said, ¡°Grab her. And break that guy''s legs.¡±
The two Gold mages were just about to move, but Adion was ready, having grasped the space behind their heads.
Push! Just enough to-
Suddenly, the earth moved, and Astor and the two Gold mages were dragged down to their necks. Adion watched as they struggled to break free, but only their heads managed to move around as the rest of their bodies were stuck in the ground.
¡°Calm down, will you?¡± A voice sounded from above Adion. A voice that traveled to him in a way he hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time.
He looked up and saw a sight that shocked him deeply.
A¡Monkey? More importantly, it¡¯s a Soul beast?
A monkey the size of a small adult with white glistening fur and deep red eyes stared down at them from a branch. It didn¡¯t look to be as tense as the rest of them, lounging lazily on its stomach.
¡°Mephina?¡± Sell exclaimed.
Chapter 69 - Mephina
That¡¯s Mephina? She¡¯s a beast?
¡°Hey there, cutie,¡± Mephina said for them all to hear, not using her aura but actually talking this time, ¡°Have you been a good girl?¡±
She can talk? I guess it makes some sense for a monkey-like beast in the Soul stages to be able to.
¡°How long have you been here?¡± Sell ignored the question and asked.
¡°How long has it been? I¡¯ve lost count,¡± Mephina said and did something resembling a shrug, still lying down on the branch above them.
Did she hear anything? More importantly, a soul beast like her must have an incredible aura sense. Is it possible to hide my strength and space element from her?
Adion quickly made a decision to ease his grip on the part of his aura that revealed his strength. Hopefully, that would give a false impression of his aura control, and Mephina wouldn¡¯t dig too deep. It was much more preferable to reveal his strength than his element.
Hopefully, she won¡¯t suspect me of hiding my element either, as that¡¯s not something people normally do. There is a chance she won¡¯t find out if I don¡¯t give her a reason to look.
If she finds out my strength, she might be content with that, thinking she has figured out all my secrets. But it¡¯s a risk, even the Merillian Soul Peach, and my practice hiding my element, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a match for a Soul beast if she¡¯s really looking.
Mephina gracefully jumped down from the branch and landed in front of Adion and Sell. Her monkey feet dug into the ground. She was about as tall as Sell standing up. Adion also noticed that she was wearing clothes.
¡°Clothes?¡± Adion couldn¡¯t help but ask out loud.
¡°Hm?¡± Mephina turned to look at Adion, ¡°You¡¯d prefer that I was naked?¡±
¡°What? Er, no,¡± Adion said awkwardly.
¡°Ha!¡± Mephina laughed, ¡°I¡¯m only joking. I usually don¡¯t wear clothes, but being around so many sapi, it just feels right. Surround yourself with only naked people for long enough, and I bet you¡¯d feel weird having clothes eventually.¡±
¡°Oh¡yeah,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°What are you doing here, Mephina? And tell me how long you have been here,¡± Sell said stubbornly.
¡°Afraid I caught you in doing something inappropriate?¡± Mephina asked back with what Adion thought was a smirk.
¡°No,¡± Sell denied, ¡°Why can¡¯t you just answer?¡±
¡°So rebellious,¡± Mephina shook her head dramatically, ¡°What happened to the sweet little girl I once knew.¡±
¡°Mephina,¡± Sell said, ¡°Act serious.¡±
¡°And what happened to calling me auntie? You always used to call me auntie,¡± Mephina lamented, ¡°Sell¡Are you trying to act tough in front of your boyfriend?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I haven¡¯t called you auntie in years,¡± Sell said with increasing irritation.
¡°Interesting,¡± Mephina murmered. She then turned to Adion and looked him up and down.
I don¡¯t like this. What can she feel?
¡°I can see why you were hugging him so tightly,¡± Mephina mused, ¡°Not just a pretty face. I was worried for you for a second.¡±
She saw that? I didn¡¯t feel her through my space mana, but she might have been further away than I can reach. Or I might just have been distracted.
Adion tried to feel her now that he knew she was standing there. Like he thought, he could feel her just like any living being that occupied space he held no Authority over. But what surprised him was that she wasn¡¯t a clear shape that he could usually make out. It was like she had a cloud of unbreachable space around her.
I can¡¯t use my Authority anywhere near her? How? Is her Will so strong that it goes beyond her body? Does that mean I can¡¯t freeze opponents in space when they reach the Soul stages?
¡°Since when have you been here?¡± Sell asked, ignoring Mephina''s comment as best she could.
¡°Why are you so adamant about that?¡± Mephina asked with a grin, ¡°Were you doing anything more than hugging, perhaps?¡±
¡°If you¡¯re going to be like this, you can just leave,¡± Sell said, crossing her arms and turning away to hide a slight blush.
Cute. Adion thought as he saw a side of Sell that he hadn¡¯t seen before.
¡°Now, now,¡± Mephina said in a calming voice, ¡°I just got here a few minutes ago. And I would expect a thank you. I did arrive just in time to stop that Tyllen brat.¡±
¡°We had it under control,¡± Sell said.
¡°You might be strong, Sell. But not enough to take on two Golds,¡± Mephina said and then turned to Adion, ¡°And not this boy either. Even if his strength is quite impressive.¡±
So she felt my strength. I expected that.
Sell just smiled in response.
¡°What¡¯s that smirk for?¡± Mephina turned to Sell and asked.
¡°Nothing,¡± Sell shrugged, still smiling.
Did Sell feel me preparing my attack? Or did she also have a way to deal with them? Just how powerful are her Words of Truth?
¡°Rebellious indeed,¡± Mephina sighed. She then did something resembling a pout and yelled childishly, ¡°I don¡¯t like it. I don¡¯t like it!¡±
A groan came from the three Tyllen family members as their bodies got squeezed from the earth surrounding their bodies.
How can she manipulate earth so well? I guess Fellion could control wind well, too. They are beasts, but they are Soul beasts. Mephina is probably better at manipulating mana than me.
¡°Why did you even come here, Mephina?¡± Sell asked.
¡°To bring you to Ellia, of course,¡± Mephina said.
¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Sell said.
¡°Haaah,¡± Mephina let out a long sigh, ¡°I let you leave on this little adventure because I thought you might need a break.¡±
Mephina then grinned, ¡°It was also nice to have a break from your snarky behavior all day. I don¡¯t know how Savi puts up with it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not snarky,¡± Sell said.
¡°Well, either way, breaks over,¡± Mephina said, ¡°You didn¡¯t think you could actually skip the ceremony, did you? Ylitha and Herfal would be furious.¡±
¡°Let them be furious then,¡± Sell shrugged.
Mephina and Sell stood staring at each other for a moment. Adion almost felt like he was intruding on something personal.
¡°Do you really think it will be appropriate to go to the celebration of the family whose young master I almost killed?¡± Sell finally asked.
¡°Hmm,¡± Mephina turned to look at Astor, still with only his head visible above the ground, ¡°I guess I also did bury them. It makes for an awkward trip, traveling with people you¡¯ve buried.¡±
Adion thought Mephina was speaking from plenty of experience for some reason.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°So let¡¯s just ignore it. You go back to Dorbarta and relax, and I¡¯ll keep training here.¡±
¡°Training¡¡± Mephina said slowly and looked at Adion accusatory.
Should I say something?
¡°I do dread heading to Ellia,¡± Mephina said, ¡°Too many sapi. People look at me weirdly in Amyss, but here, it causes a panic. Too many fear-spreading lunatics on the streets. You¡¯re not one of those beast haters, are you, boy?¡±
¡°I have found myself at odds with them myself, actually,¡± Adion said.
¡°Mm,¡± Mephina nodded, ¡°Very well, let¡¯s stay here then.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Sell asked, surprise evident in her voice.
¡°I don¡¯t really care,¡± Mephina shrugged.
¡°Then why did you-¡± Sell began but was interrupted.
¡°I cared a little, but now I don¡¯t anymore, okay?¡± Mephina said.
¡°Right¡good,¡± Sell said.
Mephina waved her hand, and Astor and his two guards flew up from their earthly prison to land roughly on the ground.
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¡°Get out of here,¡± Mephina said, not looking at them, ¡°We¡¯re not going to Ellia.¡±
¡°Er,¡± Astor hesitated, ¡°Of course, Lady Mephina, I¡¯ll let the family know.¡±
They turned around and started walking away with hurried footsteps.
¡°Oh, and Astor,¡± Mephina said before they managed to get away, ¡°Had I not stopped you, I would have killed you all for what you were about to do. I expect an appropriate compensation from your grandfather.¡±
¡°Of-of course,¡± Astor stammered out. He gave a deep bow before turning away again.
¡°Should have at least beaten him a little,¡± Sell said.
¡°I¡¯ll leave that to you,¡± Mephina shrugged, ¡°Now. Tell me what you¡¯ve been up to, Sell. How did you manage to steal those Merillian Soul Peaches from the Derolm family?¡±
Adion and Sell exchanged a quick look.
¡°It¡¯s a nice trick, boy, hiding their presence with your aura. But it doesn¡¯t work on me. So tell me. How? The Derolms aren¡¯t that incompetent to not guard something like this.¡± Mephina said.
¡°Well,¡± Adion hesitated.
¡°Secret,¡± Sell said, lifting her chin.
¡°Oh?¡± Mephina smiled, ¡°Very well, I won¡¯t pry.¡±
Somehow, I don¡¯t believe that. Please tell me Sell didn¡¯t learn her weird deduction skills from this beast.
¡°So, you like my little Sell, right?¡± Mephina asked Adion.
¡°When were you leaving again?¡± Adion asked and tried his best not to show embarrassment.
¡°Ha!¡± Mephina laughed, ¡°Cocky, I like it.¡±
¡°He¡¯s cocky, but I¡¯m snarky?¡± Sell questioned.
¡°Yes,¡± Mephina waved her off, ¡°So, Adion. Are you used to being around Soul beasts? A high Bronze core at your age is very impressive, but not enough to give you confidence against me, right? What family are you from?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not from a Noble family, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering,¡± Adion said.
¡°I¡¯m wondering what family you¡¯re from. That¡¯s why I asked just that,¡± Mephina said.
¡°Well¡Lady Mephina,¡± Adion tried to figure out how to escape the old monkey¡¯s questioning.
¡°Enough, Mephina,¡± Sell came to the rescue, ¡°Just go back already. I¡¯ll see you when it¡¯s time to head back.¡±
¡°Why are you treating me like some stranger,¡± Mephina asked in a fake sadness, ¡°Is it because of this boy?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not because of Adion. It¡¯s because of you. Can you please leave?¡± Sell asked.
¡°You want to take my little Sell despite knowing she¡¯s engaged?¡± Mephina turned to ask Adion, ¡°Oh? You didn¡¯t know? Ha!¡±
Adion felt his stomach sink. His whole body felt incredibly cold.
Well, I guess that makes sense. She¡¯s a princess, after all.
¡°Mephina!¡± Sell yelled, ¡°Adion, it¡¯s just some old pervert my parents arranged for me to marry. I have no intention of marrying him.¡±
Suddenly, the coldness was replaced with an incredible warmth¡ªa large part due to Sell¡¯s eagerness to clear it up with Adion before he misunderstood.
¡°Look at the boy, practically shining with glee. How very disturbing,¡± Mephina muttered.
¡°Bye!¡± Sell yelled at Mephina.
¡°And you,¡± Mephina said to Sell, ¡°Don¡¯t call Lord Hesfym that, even in private. You know better.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll call him like I see him,¡± Sell said.
¡°What a mess,¡± Mephina sighed, ¡°I remember you made a promise to your parents to marry him if they let you go to Cyalis. Did you forget that?¡±
¡°I made sure my words had a way out,¡± Sell muttered.
¡°Why would they do that?¡± Adion asked, ¡°If Sell doesn¡¯t want to marry him, then why would he even want to marry her?¡±
¡°You¡¯re just a boy,¡± Mephina said and then turned to Sell, ¡°And you¡¯re just a girl. So you know nothing. Anyway, it¡¯s not my mess. Or, well, I guess it is. But I can¡¯t be bothered.¡±
Then explain it.
¡°How strong is he? This Hesfym guy?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Oh? Going to beat him up?¡± Mephina asked with a smirk, ¡°He¡¯s a Pure Soul mage, and many believe he will reach the stage above. Good luck. Ha!¡±
Above the Soul stages? How can they know he will do that? Well, doesn¡¯t matter, really. I was already planning on becoming stronger than everyone else.
¡°It will take some time,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°But I¡¯ll get there.¡±
¡°I called you cocky, but perhaps fool would have been more apt,¡± Mephina said.
¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Adion said.
¡°I¡¯ll just beat him up myself when I get strong enough, pervy old man,¡± Sell said.
¡°Sell¡I¡¯m not joking. You shouldn¡¯t call him that,¡± Mephina warned.
¡°Then don¡¯t bring him up again,¡± Sell retorted, ¡°Anyway, not nice meeting you. Let¡¯s go, Adion,¡± Sell said and walked off.
Adion turned to walk with her. Mephina didn¡¯t follow and simply watched them leave.
Weird day. Who is this Mephina? And that Hesfym? Why would a Royal family need to marry off their daughter against her will?
¡°I won¡¯t marry him,¡± Sell said after a while.
¡°I know,¡± Adion said.
Sell turned to look at him, ¡°You believe it?¡±
¡°What? You said you wouldn¡¯t, didn¡¯t you?¡± Adion asked, confused.
¡°Yeah, but¡most people don¡¯t really think I have a choice,¡± Sell said.
¡°Most people are stupid then,¡± Adion said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bet against you, at least.¡±
Sell looked away, but Adion spotted a nice smile on her face.
¡°That Mephina, who is she?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I guess she¡¯s like a family friend,¡± Sell said.
¡°Do you think she¡¡± Adion was about to continue asking if Sell thought Mephina had heard what they were talking about earlier. But he remembered how she had appeared without Adion noticing earlier, so he focused on his sphere of space mana and tried to feel for any areas out of his Authority¡¯s grasp.
She¡¯s following?
Adion felt that same cloud-like area of space he couldn¡¯t control. It was following them at a distance. He turned to look back to see if he could see her.
¡°She¡¯s following us,¡± He said to Sell.
¡°Impossible!¡± Came a loud shout from the distance.
Before Adion knew it, Mephina had appeared in front of them again.
¡°How did you know?¡± Mephina asked Adion, scrutinizing him with her red eyes.
Oh, I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly, was I?
¡°You¡¯re hopeless, Adion,¡± Sell shook her head but struggled to hold back her smile.
¡°I guessed?¡± Adion said, unsure.
¡°What a little brat,¡± Mephina said, ¡°There¡¯s no way you felt my aura. No way. And you weren¡¯t even looking back. Did you hear me? No, no. Strange little guy.¡±
¡°Why were you following us?¡± Sell asked, crossing her arms.
¡°Well, you were hugging so tightly last time you were together. Who knows what you would get up to if left alone again? It is my responsibility as a guardian to make sure-¡± Mephina started talking but was interrupted as Sell conjured a ball of fire and threw it at her. It fizzled out before touching her, though.
¡°If you¡¯re so embarrassed over it, you shouldn¡¯t be hugging strange boys,¡± Mephina said.
¡°I¡¯m not a strange boy,¡± Adion said. He was somewhat enjoying seeing Sell being embarrassed.
¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Mephina said, shaking her head, ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±
¡°Then. Go. Away.¡± Sell said angrily.
¡°Haaah,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just come with us, Lady Mephina?¡± Adion asked. He would rather that this strange beast was around and he knew it than having to be on his guard all the time. It didn¡¯t seem like she would go away anyway.
She might tell me more things about Sell, too.
¡°What!?¡± Sell yelled out.
¡°Oh? See, you can be polite if you try! Very well, I accept your offer. Let¡¯s go!¡± Mephina said happily, taking a step forward.
¡°Adion?¡± Sell questioned.
Adion just shrugged.
¡°So what are you? Some monkey beast? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard about it before?¡± Adion asked Mephina, thinking he might as well get to know her better.
¡°Monkey!?¡± Mephina exclaimed, ¡°So much for being polite! I¡¯m an Aphelian Ape, brat!¡±
¡°Aphelian Ape?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No education, just a brute,¡± Mephina muttered.
¡°They are a type of beast originally from Quemer; their tribe¡¯s ancestors traveled to Shiora along with the ancestors of the Amyss family,¡± Sell said.
¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know beasts came to Shiora too,¡± Adion said.
¡°We had our reasons,¡± Mephina said.
Did they also want to look for the old headquarters of the Celestial Phoenix Sect?
Adion turned to look at Sell questioningly and received a nod in response.
Can she read my thoughts or something?
¡°How long will you stay here, Mephina?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Oh, not for long,¡± Mephina said, ¡°Even I have a limit on being around someone who doesn¡¯t want me there.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Sell said, looking a little guilty, ¡°If you weren¡¯t so annoying¡¡±
¡°Ha!¡± Mephina laughed, ¡°I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s your attempt at comfort. I pity the hair on your head.¡±
Pity the hair on her head?
Adion looked at Sell¡¯s hair but didn¡¯t see anything weird.
Sell brushed her hair a little and looked at Adion angrily, ¡°It¡¯s just a saying. Stop staring.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never heard a saying like that,¡± Adion said, still looking at her hair.
¡°She made it up just now,¡± Sell said, ¡°She does that. Now stop looking.¡±
Sell grabbed Adion¡¯s head and turned his face away from her.
¡°I¡¯m going to puke,¡± Mephina said, looking back at them.
¡°See! That¡¯s you being annoying,¡± Sell said
¡°I¡¯m too old to be around you young people,¡± Mephina sighed, ¡°I changed my mind! I¡¯ll go back to Dorbarta.¡±
¡°What? You¡¯re really leaving?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take a well-needed vacation, maybe scare some priests,¡± Mephina said, turning around to walk back, ¡°Have your fun, little Sell!¡±
¡°Oh, yeah, bye,¡± Sell said.
¡°Nice to meet you, Lady Mephina,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Whatever,¡± Mephina said, soon disappearing from view as she jumped up the trees.
¡°Is she¡¡± Sell looked at Adion.
Adion focused on his sphere of space mana and could immediately make out that weird shape that he now recognized as Mephina. She seemed to have stopped in a tree a few hundred feet away.
Adion gave Sell an awkward look.
¡°Mephina! I know you¡¯re still there!¡± Sell yelled.
¡°I¡¯ll figure out your little trick, boy!¡± Mephina yelled from her hiding spot.
Adion and Sell looked at each other helplessly.
Chapter 70 - A drink with Sell
¡°She¡¯s gone for real now,¡± Adion said, ¡°At least I think so.¡±
Adion and Sell had walked back to the outpost mostly in silence, Adion focusing on the surroundings to see if Mephina had actually left.
¡°Sorry,¡± Sell said.
¡°It¡¯s fine. She was kind of fun,¡± Adion said.
¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel weird that she might be out there watching?¡± Sell asked, ¡°It has always bothered me.¡±
¡°I guess it¡¯s a little concerning,¡± Adion said, ¡°But there¡¯s not much to do about it. If she can escape my notice, then she will find out everything about me eventually, no matter what I do. Do you think she¡¯s been here long?¡±
¡°From the way she was acting, I doubt it.¡± Sell said, ¡°There is no way she would be able to hold herself back if she had heard the things we said. I¡¯m guessing she came to pick me up to go to Ellia, like she said. She probably knew Astor wouldn¡¯t be able to make me go back.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
Adion looked ahead and noticed that they were about to reach their inn.
We¡¯ll probably head to our rooms and practice for the rest of the day. Astor and Mephina kind of ruined our earlier training after all.
They were almost at the inn when Adion decided he didn¡¯t feel like spending the day like that, ¡°Do you want to head to the Outskirts Guild for some drinks?¡± He asked.
¡°Sure, sounds fun,¡± Sell smiled.
The Guild building wasn¡¯t far away, and when they entered, they noticed that the place was pretty crowded already.
¡°Looks like a lot of people felt like continuing the celebration,¡± Sell said.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded. They took their places at a table away from most people, where the rowdiness of the place wasn¡¯t as disturbing. Adion ordered two beers that were placed on their table almost immediately.
¡°I don¡¯t think I can get used to this,¡± Sell said, frowning at the cheap beer before her.
¡°I think it¡¯s fine,¡± Adion shrugged.
¡°You should taste Frethen wine. You won¡¯t be able to ever go back,¡± Sell said.
¡°Then why would I try it?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°You really are a brute,¡± Sell muttered and took a sip of the cheap beer. Adion just smiled in response.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°So, what¡¯s the story about this Hesfym guy?¡± He had been holding himself back from asking about it the entire way back.
Sell groaned and put her head on the table, ¡°He¡¯s like a few hundred years old, and my family is a bunch of cowards who want to marry me off to keep him in check.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not right,¡± Adion scowled, ¡°Why would the Royal family need to keep someone in check? What makes them think he will reach the stage above Pure Soul?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sell sighed, lifting up her head again, ¡°But my parents seem really worried about it. Not that I think I could stop him from making any moves if he reaches that stage. He already has three wives, after all.¡±
¡°Is that why you said you¡¯re going to Quemer? To get away?¡± Adion asked,
¡°Yeah,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°I managed to convince my parents to let me go to Cyalis before the marriage. But I will get on a ship straight after graduation. No way I¡¯m doing things their way. If they wanted my help in fighting against the Hesfym family, I would do so in a heartbeat. But this? If they want to be cowards, they can do it on their own. I can come back once I¡¯ve reached the Pure Soul stage and kill the bastard as thanks for raising me.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded with a smile, ¡°That sounds like a good plan.¡±
Is there anything I could do? I have some Elixirs of Life I don¡¯t really care about, but is that enough?
¡°What are you going to do after the Academy?¡± Sell asked.
Adion hesitated for a moment, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I never really thought about it. My only goal so far has been to get strong and go to Cyalis in time for admission. Then I would need to get revenge, but it will be a long time before I am strong enough for that.¡±
¡°Revenge? For what?¡± Sell asked.
I guess I might as well tell her.
Adion looked around the tavern. They were sitting far from any others. And the noise would make it hard for anyone to overhear. But this was sensitive information.
¡°Afraid someone will eavesdrop?¡± Sell asked, ¡°I don¡¯t think it should be a problem. We can keep our voices low just in case.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Adion thought about it, ¡°It¡¯s not something that should get out no matter what. It concerns a certain powerful bird, after all.¡±
Sell raised her eyebrows in interest, ¡°It¡¯s fine, tell me. Wait,¡± Sell then got up from her seat at the opposite side of the table and went to sit down next to Adion.
¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk like this,¡± Sell said, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Adion.
How will I focus on telling the story like this?
Sell seemed to also notice the closeness suddenly as she looked away from Adion and picked up her glass of beer, taking several large gulps.
Adion cleared his throat and began his story, trying to just keep it to the important parts. ¡°I grew up in the Remori clan, it¡¯s based in a small town named after our family in the Valis Kingdom. A small 2nd-tier family clan with just my great-grandfather at the helm and his three grandchildren¡¯s families. When I was twelve, my grandfather left with my older brother and sister to Cyalis. I was still sparkless back then and held no hope of going to Cyalis Academy. I still trained very hard, though.¡±
Adion continued his narration of events that led up to the day when Heavenly Light showed up, the story running longer than he had planned as he told Sell about different parts of his life back at the clan. A strong feeling of longing came over Adion as he told her about his father, his mother, brother, sister, grandfather, uncle, and every member of his family.
It¡¯s been a long time since I thought about all these things.
¡°Then one day, Heavenly Light attacked,¡± Adion told her, ¡°They were more Golds than I had ever seen, and three Diamonds leading them all. They killed everyone. I saw them kill Mom and Dad before being carried off by Sami.¡±
¡°Adion,¡± Sell said with sympathy. Adion almost thought he saw tears forming in her eyes.
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Adion smiled to comfort her. ¡°My brother, sister, and grandpa are still alive. If I didn¡¯t have that, I don¡¯t know what I would¡¯ve done.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°But those evil bastards, I can¡¯t believe an organization like theirs is running around the continent causing havoc with no one stopping them.¡±
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¡°Like I said, your family probably knows what they did in Iitha at least,¡± Adion said, ¡°And as for what happened in my family clan, it seems that the Valis Royal family and the Grath family, which my great aunt is a part of, has taken over control of the formation. I bet my grandpa told them about it so it wouldn¡¯t end up in Heavenly Light''s hands. Unfortunately, it looks like they might still get to it.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I found a document,¡± Adion explained, ¡°Just like I found the document where I found evidence of their attack on Iitha, there was one looking for reinforcements for an attack on the Remori manor they were preparing. I don¡¯t know how they think they can take on a whole Kingdom, but they seem to be a lot stronger than I first imagined.¡±
¡°Ganta,¡± Sell said, ¡°Have you warned them?¡±
¡°Warned who?¡± Adion asked.
¡°The Valis Royal family? Your great aunt? You didn¡¯t send a letter with what you¡¯d found out?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I-¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that.¡± Adion reached down to take a few sips of his beer to hide his embarrassment.
¡°How¡how could you not think about it?¡± Sell asked, flabbergasted.
¡°I just kind of let the matter go. I had just attacked a manor full of their members and killed a Diamond mage. I had to stay out of it and lay low for a while.¡± Adion explained.
¡°You did what?¡± Sell asked, shocked. ¡°Wait, is this that robbery you have been mentioning? You have- Wait. So Eulen Derolm, it was you?¡±
¡°How do you do that?¡± Adion questioned, ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s not get sidetracked.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a pretty important sidetrack,¡± Sell stressed.
¡°Not in the grand scheme of things,¡± Adion said.
¡°Fine, then let¡¯s get back to that later,¡± Sell said, ¡°So there is an attack coming on your old family clan, and no one knows about it?¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s the other thing,¡± Adion said, ¡°Even if I managed to get a letter all the way there without anything happening to it. Do they really not already know? Surely I can¡¯t be the only one on the continent to stumble upon this information? They have been recruiting like crazy, after all. And this is a large-scale operation. Surely, it¡¯s noticed by the people in power.¡±
¡°I guess you have a point,¡± Sell agreed, ¡°Then what about your family? Did you forget to send a letter to them too? Letting them you know you are alive?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t forget,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°I just didn¡¯t do it.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Well,¡± Adion thought about it for a moment, ¡°I guess I was focused on getting stronger. Everything else had to wait. If I had a chance to get word to them right after the attack, I would have. But I was stuck in the Endless Forest for over two years,¡±
¡°You were?¡± Sell asked.
¡°You¡¯re sidetracking again,¡± Adion said, ¡°I was. And I¡¯m sure my family has already accepted the fact that I¡¯m dead, and hopefully moved on as best as they can. Even if I somehow managed to get a letter to them, would they believe it? And if they did, they would surely head straight for me wherever I was. I don¡¯t want to ruin their lives at the Academy like that. It might also build false hope that Mom and Dad are still alive somehow. I need to tell them that I saw them die myself so they can move on.
¡°I will meet them the right way, in person and when I¡¯m stronger. But I have been thinking lately that maybe the Outskirts aren¡¯t all that necessary to grow in strength. It might be alright for me to head to Cyalis before admission.¡±
¡°Hm,¡± Sell nodded slowly, ¡°I get it. That makes sense.¡±
She then looked up at Adion with a smile, ¡°Imagine their faces when they see you, and see what you¡¯ve managed to achieve.¡±
Adion smiled back, ¡°I look forward to it. I should find a way to hit my grandpa with a plum before going there.¡±
¡°Well, you have plenty of practice,¡± Sell said with a slight pout.
¡°I guess I do,¡± Adion said with a grin, ¡°Thanks.¡±
¡°Anyway,¡± Sell said, ¡°How did you escape Heavenly Light? And how did you end up in the Endless Forest for so long?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion continued narrating how he was thrown down in the treasury and the strange formation located there. When he told her about waking up next to the incredible surge of space mana, Sell exclaimed in a slightly too loud voice.
¡°The Celestial Phoenix!¡±
Adion looked around quickly to see if anyone had heard, but thankfully, everyone was engrossed in their own conversations, and the tavern was a very rowdy place.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was reborn like the stories say or if it was simply born like any other beast. Anyway, I didn¡¯t realize there was a Phoenix being born next to me when I arrived. I started manipulating the space mana immediately, straining my Will to the limit and eventually forming a core, even getting directly to the high Stone stage. I passed out from the effort, and I didn¡¯t wake up until I noticed a sudden halt to the surge of space mana. That¡¯s when I saw it. It looked almost like a small flame at first, but the fire was pitch black. Then, I could make out a clearer shape, a shape that could be nothing else than a Phoenix.
¡°It was like the whole world stood still when it opened its eyes to look at me. That¡¯s where I got the idea to freeze space from, by the way. Anyway, it didn¡¯t stay long. Only a few seconds passed before it flew away, leaving me alone to think about all I had been through.¡±
¡°Incredible,¡± Sell said, ¡°Then what?¡±
¡°End of the first part,¡± Adion said, ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Well, I¡¯ll continue telling you about me after you tell me about you,¡± Adion said.
¡°But it was so interesting!¡± Sell pushed.
¡°No way. Your turn,¡± Adion refused.
¡°Hmm, fine. What about?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Anything is fine,¡± Adion said.
¡°I have no idea what to talk about. I haven¡¯t had such incredible experiences like you,¡± Sell said.
¡°A princess that grasped Words of Truth at 15? I doubt it,¡± Adion said, ¡°But fine. Why don¡¯t you tell me why your sister doesn¡¯t marry this Hesfym guy? Make him King and your sister Queen. Iitha is a matriarchy as I understand it, so it should be fine, right?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Sell said, ¡°Iitha is a matriarchy because the Amyss family has been ruled by the women of the family since ancient times. But back in Evalia and in many Noble houses, just like the rest of the world, men usually carry the family name. As such, the crown princess usually marries out of love, and is advised to choose a husband from a relatively weak family with no power to take control of the Kingdom.¡±
¡°That seems¡like a good idea, actually,¡± Adion said, ¡°It¡¯s their other ideas that are stupid.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°The reason for me being in this situation is really unusual. The Hesfym family is growing very powerful right now, and the fear of Termeth Hesfym reaching the stage above, combined with the fact that my parents are unlikely to even reach the Pure Soul stage in their lives, has caused some panic.
¡°My sister was born with an ice spark. It is very rare and seen as very powerful. She is also very talented. If she is allowed to grow, the family believes we won¡¯t have to fear the Hesfym family anymore. That¡¯s why they want to marry me off, as a safety measure. And to buy time for Rell to grow strong.¡±
¡°They really are cowards,¡± Adion said, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they just grow strong themselves? Giving up on reaching the Pure Soul stage and abandoning their daughter, I just don¡¯t get it.¡±
¡°Haha!¡± Sell laughed, ¡°That¡¯s the King and Queen you¡¯re talking about, you know.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t make them less stupid,¡± Adion said.
¡°In their defense, they think I will have my best future married into the Hesfym family,¡± Sell said, ¡°They think my objections will change when I grow older. But I know better.¡±
¡°I could talk to them if you want?¡± Adion suggested.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Sell laughed loudly at Adion¡¯s idea, ¡°I would love to see that, actually. What¡¯s the plan then?¡±
¡°I could bribe them,¡± Adion said with a smirk.
Sell laughed even harder, ¡°Please do! I can¡¯t even imagine their faces!¡±
Adion understood how silly it seemed. But he didn¡¯t think the idea was completely crazy either.
¡°Hoo, you two seem to be having a good time,¡± A voice Adion recognized rang out.
¡°Sahra? What are you doing here?¡± Adion asked.
¡°What¡¯s with that question?¡± Sahra asked, ¡°I came to hang out. Frank said he saw you two here when I ran into him at the inn. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be so upset that I interrupted your little date.¡±
Well, now you know, so leave. Adion thought grumpily.
He didn¡¯t have it in him to say anything out loud, though. So the rest of the night was spent in Sahra¡¯s company, with Benji, Lomin, and Rufus joining soon after.
Adion wasn¡¯t grumpy for long, though. He had fun with his teammates, too. And he knew Sell would be around for many days yet.
Chapter 71 - The day the world ends I
¡°I did it!¡± Adion yelled. He stood beside the scorched husk of a low Silver beast, head raised high, thinking about his accomplishment.
¡°We can see that,¡± Sahra said, ¡°I still don¡¯t get why you can¡¯t use your space powers to do it, though. It would do the job better and faster.¡±
¡°I need to practice my fire,¡± Adion said, ¡°Now that I can defeat Silver beasts solely using fire, I don¡¯t need to fear being exposed much. At least not through people questioning my weak fire.¡±
¡°Congratulations, Adion,¡± Benji said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve improved this quickly,¡± Sell said, ¡°It¡¯s only been two months since you started studying my fire.¡±
It had now been a little over a month since he first showed Sell the concepts he was working on with his fire. He had spent a lot of time since then practicing together with Sell, as well as hunting beasts with all of his teammates.
Even if his other abilities had to be put on hold for a while, Adion was fine with it. He wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to study Sell¡¯s fire for much longer since she would be heading back to Iitha soon. Adion needed to make the most of this opportunity. He could always train his other abilities on his own later.
¡°It¡¯s still not much compared to yours,¡± Adion said, ¡°But who knows, by the time we meet at the Academy, I might have passed you.¡±
¡°No way,¡± Sell refuted, ¡°You¡¯re not the only one improving, Adion.¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Adion admitted. He had noticed that Sell¡¯s fire was advancing in strength, which was incredible considering the power it already had. ¡°I¡¯m still the better space mage.¡±
¡°You are literally the only space mage,¡± Sell said, ¡°Why do you keep bringing up that you¡¯re better than me in it.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want you to forget and grow too cocky,¡± Adion smirked.
¡°How can I forget? Wasn¡¯t it only yesterday that Karlan guy we met tripped so suspiciously?¡± Sell asked.
¡°He did?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t notice. Don¡¯t see what that has to do with me being a space mage either.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Sell smirked, ¡°I am starting to feel it, you know. When you¡¯re using your space powers. But it¡¯s always been obvious, no one falls like that out of nowhere.¡±
¡°Sell,¡± Adion said with a straight face, ¡°I really have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. Aren¡¯t you being a little paranoid? Some guys are just clumsy, nothing weird about that.¡±
¡°Tch! So stubborn,¡± Sell muttered.
¡°Alright, alright. You guys feeling ready to head back?¡± Benji asked.
The group agreed, and they picked up the beasts to carry back to Lermen. Adion walked next to Rufus on the way back, something he had arranged on purpose.
¡°So, Rufus,¡± Adion said in a low voice, looking ahead at the rest of his teammates to make sure no one got close enough to hear.
¡°Hm? What¡¯s up?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°Well,¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°You know.¡±
¡°I know what?¡± Rufus asked, confused.
Why am I so nervous? This is Rufus we¡¯re talking about. Just ask.
¡°Er, so¡how do I,¡± Adion hesitated for a while, trying to figure out how to formulate himself, ¡°I like Sell, you know? A lot.¡±
Rufus got the widest grin Adion had ever seen on his face.
¡°Finally!¡± Rufus yelled out, causing the entire group to stop and stare at him.
¡°Oh, nothing, nothing. Just keep on walking,¡± Rufus told the others.
¡°Actually, never mind,¡± Adion said, turning to walk away.
¡°Haha!¡± Rufus laughed, grabbing Adion¡¯s arm ¡°Sorry, sorry. I¡¯ve just been waiting for you to come talk to me about this for so long. You¡¯re really leaving it to the last second, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion scratched his neck awkwardly, ¡°It¡¯s been fine the way things are really. More than fine. But thinking about her leaving soon¡I should tell her, right?¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Rufus mused, ¡°This is all a little more lovey-dovey than I¡¯m used to. But I think I can give some advice on the matter. First of all, what¡¯s your goal?¡±
¡°Goal?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± Rufus nodded, ¡°What do you want out of it?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°It would be great if she felt the same. Do you think she does?¡±
¡°Well, you¡¯ve been flirting like crazy for almost two months now. I would bet all my money on it,¡± Rufus said, ¡°But what do you want out of it all? You want her to become your girlfriend?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded immediately.
¡°Hehe,¡± Rufus chuckled, ¡°Good for you, Adion. I¡¯m happy. But let¡¯s make sure it¡¯s a success then.¡±
¡°How do I do that?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her out on a date?¡± Rufus suggested.
¡°A date?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You know, just the two of you, spending the day together, doing things you enjoy,¡± Rufus said.
¡°Aren¡¯t we already doing that basically every day?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Rufus scratched his beard in thought, ¡°Since you¡¯ve been so flirty for so long with nothing happening, things are a bit tricky.¡±
¡°How are they tricky?¡± Adion asked, confused.
¡°Well, if you suddenly lay this all on her now after doing nothing for so long. Won¡¯t it come out of nowhere in a way? You want her to anticipate it, right? To hold her breath, wishing to hear the words of your mouth, not being able to think about anything else.¡±
¡°There is a way to do that?¡± Adion asked.
¡°There is,¡± Rufus nodded, ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®amping up your game.¡¯¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°You¡¯ll have to go the extra mile from now on. From casual flirting to obviously making moves.¡± Rufus nodded along to his own advice.
¡°That¡how would I do that?¡± Adion asked, nervous about Rufus¡¯s plans.
¡°For you,¡± Rufus hesitated, ¡°It might be difficult. I won¡¯t say anything too concrete or what I would do. We¡¯re guessing she likes you here, after all. So you shouldn¡¯t change too much out of nowhere either.¡±
¡°Then, what do I do?¡± Adion asked.
¡°What do you do, huh?¡± Rufus mused for himself for a moment, ¡°Well, from what I¡¯ve observed so far, and from what I know about you two, this is my advice: make her blush.¡±
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¡°Make her blush?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t noticed you doing it already,¡± Rufus grinned.
I guess it feels nice to see blush. I do make the push occasionally when I think I can make it happen. Is it that obvious?
¡°Now all you have to do is increase it in intensity so that she notices you anew all over again. You want to be her boyfriend, right? Start acting like one little by little. I think this will get the best results while not changing your style too much.¡± Rufus said.
¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Adion said, ¡°Then what? When do I tell her? What do I say?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Rufus hesitated, ¡°I can¡¯t advise you there, Adion. Just make sure to be yourself and do it as you see fit.¡±
¡°Oh? I wasn¡¯t expecting that from you,¡± Adion said.
¡°Well,¡± Rufus scratched his cheek awkwardly, ¡°I may have been pulled to the side by the others and warned not to get involved with you and Sell and give you any ¡®crazy advice.¡¯ ¡®Adion and Sell can make it on their own,¡¯ they said. But now you come to me for advice, so what can I do? At least make sure to be yourself. Remember that. Lomin made it very clear to me that it was very important, and I don¡¯t want him blaming me for anything.¡±
¡°You have been talking about us?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Obviously,¡± Rufus said, ¡°And do you think I could stand to watch you drag this out for two months without some threats from the others?¡±
¡°I should thank them for that,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°What!¡± Rufus exclaimed,¡± With my help from the beginning, you would have been happily married by now. Ganta, are you taking it slow.¡±
¡°Right¡Anyway, thanks for the advice, Rufus. It actually helped,¡± Adion said.
¡°Mm,¡± Rufus nodded, ¡°Anytime, Adion.¡±
It didn¡¯t take long before the team was back in Lermen again, leaving the beasts in the Outskirts Guild. Belra was at the reception like she was most days. She handed over the reward money with a smile.
¡°Some money for the celebration tonight,¡± Benji said with a smile.
¡°With those small coins?¡± Sahra questioned, ¡°It¡¯s Lomin¡¯s birthday, we should splurge!¡±
¡°You always want to splurge, celebration or not,¡± Benji commented.
¡°Oh? It¡¯s your birthday, Lomin?¡± Belra asked, ¡°Congratulations!¡±
¡°Thank you, Belra,¡± Lomin nodded with a polite smile.
¡°Oh? Sell, is that you? How have you been?¡± Belra asked, trying to glimpse Sell, who was standing behind Sahra.
¡°Oh? Hello there, Belra, I¡¯ve been good,¡± Sell said, trying to force a polite smile, a lot less successfully than Lomin.
Belra was a kind person, but she often got a little too close and personal. She had taken a particular interest in Sell for some reason, and if she was unlucky, she could be stuck in conversations with her for hours.
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Belra nodded happily, ¡°I remember when you first came here. You have really made a lot of good friends since then.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Sell nodded, a more genuine smile on her face.
¡°Oh, right. You asked a lot of questions about Adion, didn¡¯t you? You were so curious about him,¡± Belra said with a giggle.
¡°Oh really?¡± Adion asked, looking at Sell with a small grin.
¡°What are you smiling about? I could tell you were weird with a glance, that¡¯s all.¡± Sell said.
¡°If you say so,¡± Adion shrugged.
¡°I thought you mentioned something about him being handsome?¡± Belra asked.
¡°That was you!¡± Sell yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t go around spewing lies. I would never say anything like that and, and¡¡±
Sell couldn¡¯t continue her berating as the group laughed at her. Especially Sahra was having a hard time keeping in her laughter.
¡°Hahaha! Belra, you really are precious,¡± Sahra said.
¡°I am?¡± Belra asked, smiling brightly.
¡°There is no point in denying it, Sell,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°Someone like Belra would never lie.¡±
Sell looked at him with a slight blush, making Adion almost drop the act at the sight.
¡°I really wouldn¡¯t,¡± Belra nodded, ¡°I¡¯m sure someone said it.¡±
¡°Yes, you!¡± Sell exclaimed.
¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like Belra,¡± Sahra said, ¡°I guess it¡¯s safe to assume you said it, Sell. Nothing else makes sense.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± The rest of the group nodded along, joining in on the joke.
¡°You guys¡¡± Sell stared at them, ¡°I¡¯m going back first!¡±
Adion watched Sell run away and couldn¡¯t help but be a little excited. He had been a little more daring than he usually was. And if Rufus¡¯s advice was correct, it was working.
¡°Well done, Adion,¡± Rufus said with a grin, slapping his hand on Adion¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Keep it up, and she will be yours in no time.¡±
¡°What?¡± Sahra asked.
Rufus looked up to see Sahra, Benji, and Lomin all staring at him.
You can¡¯t keep quiet for a day?
¡°Er, hehe,¡± Rufus chuckled nervously, ¡°You see, I didn¡¯t do anything. It was Adion who came to me. Tell them, Adion!¡±
What did they threaten him with to act like this?
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Advice about what?¡± Sahra asked with a grin.
¡°Just you know,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°I thought I should tell Sell I like her before she leaves.¡±
¡°Finally!¡± Sahra yelled.
¡°Right!¡± Rufus agreed.
¡°Okay, calm down,¡± Adion said hurriedly, ¡°People are looking.¡±
¡°You shouldn¡¯t hide your love, Adion!¡± Sahra smiled.
¡°I¡¯ll leave too,¡± Adion sighed and turned around.
¡°Now, now,¡± Sahra stopped him, ¡°I¡¯m just teasing a little. Anyway, good luck, Adion. If anyone can snag a princess, you can.¡±
I guess she is a princess, isn¡¯t she?
Adion started getting nervous at the thought. He didn¡¯t think much about Sell¡¯s background, but now he realized how impossible it was to be with her from a more realistic point of view.
¡°You¡you hadn¡¯t thought about her being the princess of Iitha?¡± Sahra asked awkwardly, ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t worry. If it¡¯s you, there won¡¯t be a problem.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Adion thought about it.
It really doesn¡¯t change anything. I¡¯m just letting irrelevant things make me nervous.
¡°Well,¡± Benji interjected after Adion didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, Adion. No matter what, I think being honest about how you feel before she leaves will be good. Now, let¡¯s take a little rest before the celebration tonight, shall we? You figure out where you want to go, Lomin?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Lomin nodded, ¡°A place called ¡®Mergen¡¯s.¡¯ There will be a bard singing songs there tonight.¡±
¡°Oh, sounds fun!¡± Sahra said.
¡°Then let¡¯s head back to the inn and recharge our batteries. We have a long night ahead of us,¡± Benji said.
The team headed back to the inn, and Adion went straight to his room, his mind lost in thought.
Should I tell her tonight? I¡¯m kind of getting nervous thinking about it. Should I just let it be? I can wait until we get to the Academy¡No. That sounds awful. I¡¯ll just say it tonight. No need to postpone it. Straight to the point. Yeah.
Adion sat down on his bed and started meditating to clear his mind. It didn¡¯t take long before his mind was lost in thought again, though.
Sell will be leaving any day now. It would be nice if she could just stay and travel to Cyalis together. But I guess this is fine, too. I¡¯ll head to Cyalis early. Sell said she would try to head there early too, so it won¡¯t be long until we meet again.
I¡¯m looking forward to it. Meeting my family, being with Sell, attending classes, and learning about the world and magic. I might be able to slip by the notice of the professors thanks to the Merillian Soul Peaches.
Adion had taken two more Merillian Soul Peaches together with his teammates a month ago. He had focused entirely on trying to get a feeling for his soul and hiding his aura, especially his element and strength. Unfortunately, it seemed that the peaches had a diminishing effect, but he still made pretty significant progress. Adion didn¡¯t think even Diamond mages would have a chance at seeing his strength if he focused on hiding it, unless they were very well-trained in aura sense, that is.
He could slip by the notice of Diamond mages before, but that was when they didn¡¯t try to feel his strength closely. Now, Adion didn¡¯t think they would be able to tell no matter how hard they looked.
I¡¯ll still need to be careful, but I have some more time to practice my aura control before going to the Academy.
Adion spent the next couple of hours between a state of focus and a state of having his mind wander. Eventually, Benji knocked on his door to tell him it was time to leave.
I guess this is it.
Adion took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down his beating heart.
I¡¯ll tell her at the end of the night. Whatever happens happens.
Adion got up from his bed and stepped out to see Benji waiting for him.
¡°Nervous?¡± Benji asked.
¡°No,¡± Adion denied.
¡°Hehe,¡± Benji chuckled, ¡°Of course not. Well, let¡¯s go then.¡±
Chapter 72 - The day the world ends II
¡°Cozy,¡± Sahra commented as they stepped inside Mergen¡¯s.
¡°When will that bard start singing?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°The few times I¡¯ve been here, he goes up a few hours after sundown and sings some songs for about an hour. I¡¯m not sure exactly when, but we should have plenty of time,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Wait, you¡¯ve been here before?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Loimin nodded.
¡°When?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°Well, a few times during our time here, whenever I felt like listening to some songs,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Why did you never tell me?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°It¡¯s a place for listening, not talking,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Then we¡¯re supposed to sit quietly all night?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°Tonight¡¯s an exception,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Whatever,¡± Rufus muttered, ¡°Take a seat, everyone, first round is on me. I¡¯ll get you something special, Lomin. I¡¯m not letting you end the night before you have to be carried out of here.¡±
¡°Haah,¡± Lomin sighed, but a smile adorned his face. ¡°Fine, I will leave it to you to carry me then.¡±
¡°You can count on me,¡± Rufus said, slapping Lomin on the back and laughing happily.
¡°That¡¯s my favorite spot over there,¡± Lomin said, pointing out a small table in the corner of the tavern.
¡°We¡¯ll put some tables together then,¡± Benji said.
It didn¡¯t take long before the group was seated and with drinks in their hands. Everyone had a glass of cheap generic beer that was served in places like Lermen. Lomin was the only one who also had a glass of liquor in front of him.
¡°All in one go, Lomin. Let¡¯s get this night started!¡± Rufus said.
¡°Alright, alright,¡± Lomin said before swinging the strong alcohol down his throat.
¡°Happy birthday, my friend,¡± Rufus said, grinning widely.
¡°Thank you, Rufus,¡± Lomin smiled.
¡°Happy birthday, Lomin,¡± The rest of the group congratulated him, raising their glasses. The conversation started immediately, everyone talking about shared memories, some from before Adion joined the team and some after.
¡°Come on,¡± Sahra said, ¡°It¡¯s Lomin¡¯s birthday. We have to tell the story about the peak Baby mage!¡±
¡°No,¡± Adion said, looking at Sahra with a serious face.
¡°Tch! So boring,¡± Sahra muttered.
¡°What¡¯s the story?¡± Sell asked with a small grin, ¡°Did you do something embarrassing, Adion?¡±
¡°Not particularly,¡± Adion said, looking away, ¡°Anyway, what-¡±
¡°No, no,¡± Sell interrupted, ¡°It is definitely something embarrassing. Otherwise, you¡¯d have found some way to carelessly reveal it by now.¡±
¡°Haha!¡± Sahra laughed out loud, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±
¡°I seem to remember a certain someone not managing to hide their identity for even an entire day,¡± Adion countered.
¡°I wasn¡¯t really hiding it,¡± Sell denied. Adion was about to call her out, but Sell turned to Sahra, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me, Sahra? I can judge if it is embarrassing or not.¡±
¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t,¡± Sahra shook her head, ¡°He made me promise not to. I must have been drunk or something.¡±
¡°Well, he did save your life so it¡¯s the least you could do,¡± Benji came to Adion¡¯s defense.
¡°Don¡¯t you think I know that,¡± Sahra muttered.
¡°You did?¡± Sell looked at Adion.
¡°Not really. I just got a very powerful healing pill from Eulen¡¯s treasure when we robbed the place. I gave it to Sahra as she had gotten injured,¡± Adion explained. He had told Sell the story before but never mentioned that part. He was afraid Sell would be able to deduct that such a strong healing pill shouldn¡¯t exist.
¡°Still, I won¡¯t forget it,¡± Sahra said gratefully.
I guess Sahra isn¡¯t bad at keeping secrets. She definitely knows.
Adion had suspected ever since the day he gave the pill to Sahra that she knew that the pill he had given was far too powerful to be something found in that treasury. Adion¡¯s explanation had fooled Rufus, but Sahra knew exactly how badly she was injured, and had felt the pill''s power for herself.
She has never mentioned anything about it, though. That¡¯s for the best. Some things are better left unmentioned.
¡°Mm,¡± Rufus nodded, ¡°Adion has saved our skins plenty of times. A strong and reliable man!¡±
Everyone turned to look at Rufus with questioning looks.
Was he trying to build me up? That was terrible, though.
¡°Er,¡± Rufus realized what he had said was really strange, ¡°Anyway, Lomin. Today is your day, after all. Fancy any ladies in here? I¡¯ll stop at nothing to make sure you get to spend the night with the most beautiful girl here.¡±
¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Haah,¡± Rufus sighed, ¡°What good are my gifts if I can¡¯t use them to help my friends.¡±
¡°What gifts?¡± Sahra questioned, ¡°Lomin at least had a sweetheart back home. Aren¡¯t you basically the only one here without someone? I mean even¡¡± Sahra gave Adion and Sell a meaningful look.
¡°Ouch!¡± Sahra yelled out as she was pinched by Sell, ¡°Even you, my dear Sell? Can¡¯t take a little teasing from your big sister? I¡¯m hurt.¡±
Well, she¡¯s blushing. Even if it wasn¡¯t thanks to me, I¡¯ll take it.
Rufus leaned over the table to whisper something in Adion¡¯s ear, ¡°It doesn¡¯t count if you¡¯re blushing too, you know.¡±
Damn.
¡°Anyway, Rufus,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you find someone for yourself if you¡¯re so great with the ladies? And not just a fling, something serious.¡±
¡°I need practice just like anyone else,¡± Rufus humbly said, ¡°So if I want the best lady, wouldn¡¯t I need the most practice?¡±
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¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how-¡± Adion began but stopped himself. ¡°Never mind,¡± He said and took a sip from his beer.
¡°Hoo?¡± Sahra looked at Adion, ¡°You have something to-¡± But before she could say something embarrassing, Adion interrupted her.
¡°The bard is here!¡± Adion said a little louder than natural.
¡°Mm,¡± Lomin nodded and looked over, ¡°We should quiet down and listen.¡±
¡°Tch, lucky,¡± Sahra muttered.
A man who looked to be in his sixties made his way up on the small stage at the opposite corner of the tavern. He was carrying a lute and a beer in each hand. The previous rowdy place quieted down immediately.
¡°Thank you for taking some time out of your evening to listen to this old man¡¯s songs,¡± The man said with a kind and calm smile, ¡°I don¡¯t believe there is any need to keep you waiting, so I¡¯ll begin immediately. This one is called ¡®Across the seas, there are people living in the trees.¡¯¡±
The bard started playing his lute, and the place turned extremely quiet. As the bard began singing, Adion wondered if the man had written the lyrics himself or if these were all famous songs. He had never really gone out of his way to listen to music before, so he wasn¡¯t familiar with many songs.
As he listened, though, Adion found that he quite liked it. Especially the songs about the world¡¯s hidden mysteries. As well as the songs that played more like stories, stories about people who had lived long ago. No one in the bar said a single thing for almost an hour. They were all focused on the beautiful songs being played.
Say goodbye to family, goodbye to friends
It¡¯s the last day, to make amends
A fire is spreading
For all of us heading
This is the day the world ends
The tavern broke into a thunderous applause as the final song finished playing. The old bard bowed his head humbly and walked off the stage to rest.
¡°Amazing!¡± Sahra exclaimed, ¡°Lomin, you should have brought us here much sooner.¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Lomin smiled, ¡°I guess I just assumed this wasn¡¯t for you. I would gladly bring everyone with me next time.¡±
¡°I also want to come again,¡± Sell complained.
¡°I¡¯m sure there are lots of places like this at Cyalis,¡± Adion said, ¡°They might even have famous bards performing, if that even exists.¡±
¡°There are plenty of famous bards,¡± Sell said, ¡°I¡¯ve listened to a few of them. And I¡¯m sure there are plenty of places like that in Cyalis, but¡do you promise to go there with me then?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a date.¡±
Adion took a sip of his beer, trying to act casual. He managed to catch a glimpse of a slight blush on Sell¡¯s blushing face, however.
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded shyly and took a few gulps of beer.
¡°Well, have fun on your date then,¡± Rufus grinned, ¡°Meanwhile, we¡¯ll be exploring the Kuwamin Mountains! Rescuing beauties from wicked beasts!¡±
¡°That was just a song, Rufus,¡± Benji said, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure most of it¡¯s made up.¡±
¡°I choose to believe it,¡± Rufus said.
¡°Do you know any of the songs, Sell?¡± Sahra asked, ¡°Know if any of them are based on fact?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t heard all of them,¡± Sell said, ¡°But I think it¡¯s mostly stories. That last song was probably about the Hellemi Church¡¯s view of how the Age of Wonder ended, based on the lyrics.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Sahra mused, ¡°I¡¯m not a big fan of those guys since they seem so interconnected with Heavenly Light, but it was a beautiful song.¡±
¡°It was,¡± Sell agreed, ¡°I hadn¡¯t heard it before. Maybe he wrote it himself.¡±
¡°Well, let¡¯s get on with the drinking,¡± Rufus said, ¡°The bard was great, but he slowed down our pace considerably. We need to get Lomin under the table by the end of the night, after all.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Lomin chuckled, ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it then.¡±
¡°Leave it to me, my friend,¡± Rufus grinned and ordered a round of beer for everyone.
The group quickly got into drinking and telling stories again. Even Sell shared some of the rumors she had heard about the Noble families around the continent. After a few hours, surprising everyone, Benji was the first to drink himself done for the night.
¡°I¡¯ll take him to the inn,¡± Sahra said, looking at Benji with loving eyes, ¡°He¡¯ll need some water and good rest. I¡¯ll see you all tomorrow. Happy birthday again, Lomin.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Lomin smiled. ¡°Take care on your way back.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sahra nodded, ¡°Goodnight, everyone!¡±
After saying goodbye to Sahra and Benji, the night continued in a similar fashion. Now without Sahra and Benji to put much brakes on him, Rufus ran much of the conversation. Thankfully, they were still in the majority and could oppose him whenever he suggested they do something ridiculous.
¡°There''s no way that¡¯s true,¡± Sell said. ¡°She can¡¯t be as beautiful as you say.¡±
¡°Why? Because I¡¯m the one who managed to get her in the end?¡± Rufus questioned.
¡°Well¡yeah,¡± Sell said.
¡°I never realized you were this rude,¡± Rufus muttered.
¡°Sorry,¡± Sell said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time to head back for me too.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll walk with you.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded with a smile.
¡°Maybe we should-¡± Lomin said and started rising from his seat, but Rufus immediately pushed him back down again.
¡°Oh no you don¡¯t,¡± Rufus said, ¡°The night is far from over.¡±
¡°Haha!¡± Lomin laughed, ¡°Alright, Rufus, you win. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s the first to pass out then, shall we?¡±
¡°Now you¡¯re speaking my language!¡± Rufus grinned widely.
¡°Alright, take it easy, you two,¡± Sell said as she got up to leave with Adion.
¡°And happy birthday, Lomin,¡± Adion said.
¡°See you tomorrow,¡± Lomin smiled.
Adion and Sell headed out into the street. The late summer night was cool and refreshing. They were both walking at a slow pace, not in any hurry to get back to the inn.
¡°Do you ever wonder what it was like during the Age of Wonder?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Adion said, ¡°It¡¯s hard not to imagine what the world was like back then.¡±
¡°I wish I was born back then,¡± Sell said, ¡°What a world it must have been to live in.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Adion said.
¡°Really?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I mean, I¡¯m sure it was great in many ways, but I think the world is more interesting now. There is so much to discover. The whole world is full of ancient ruins holding secrets of the past. There is so much we don¡¯t know yet. We don¡¯t even know what lies beyond the Pure Soul stage. That makes it much more interesting trying to get there.¡±
¡°When you look at it like that, I guess it¡¯s not so bad,¡± Sell smiled, looking down at her feet.
As they were almost back at the inn, Sell turned up to look at Adion, ¡°What would you do if the world was ending? If a fire was spreading, like the song.¡±
¡°For all of us heading?¡± Adion asked.
Sell laughed, ¡°Yeah. What if you saw a great fire on the horizon, stretched as far as the eye could see, slowly approaching. Knowing this was your last day, what would you do?¡±
Adion thought about it for a second before an obvious answer came to mind. He turned to look Sell in the eyes, ¡°I would kiss you.¡±
Sell stopped walking and opened her mouth, stammering, ¡°Y-you¡I¡¡± Her face was turning redder by the second.
After a few seconds of silence that seemed to stretch out an eternity to Adion, Sell shyly spoke, ¡°Well, the world might be ending tomorrow. You never know, you know?¡±
Adion moved immediately. It was like a part of his brain had been ready for a signal like this ever since he first saw her. Hearing those words, his brain commanded his body to move, and almost on instinct, he pulled Sell towards him and kissed her on the lips. A rush greater than anything he had ever felt coursed through his body. Even the wisdom pills were nothing in comparison.
So soft.
The kiss lasted for a long time, but it still ended far too soon for Adion¡¯s liking. Sell pulled her head away and looked him in the eyes for a moment. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Her face started turning redder again.
¡°Goodnight!¡± She yelled and ran into the inn in a panic.
Adion just watched her go.
What was that just now? I felt that feeling of being all-powerful, just like when I took the wisdom pills.
Adion smiled brightly, looking in the direction Sell had run off. I guess I¡¯ll have to do it again and find out.
Chapter 73 - Obvious
¡°Sell, are you up yet?¡± Sellitha woke up to Sahra¡¯s voice and knocking on her door. ¡°I¡¯m going to get something to eat. Do you want to join me?¡±
Sellitha didn¡¯t answer immediately. She stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling as memories of the previous night flooded her mind.
Did I really do that? I kissed Adion?
Sellitha touched her lips, the image of Adion¡¯s visage etched firmly in her mind.
Ah! How will I face him now?
¡°Sell?¡± Sahra asked through the door.
¡°One moment!¡± Sellitha finally answered.
I¡¯ll ask Sahra for advice. She¡¯ll know what to do.
Sellitha quickly got dressed and opened the door to let Sahra inside.
¡°Sahra, can I talk to you?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Oh? Sure,¡± Sahra smiled and stepped inside her room, ¡°What about? Did something happen with Adion last night?¡±
Sellitha felt her cheeks heating up. She couldn¡¯t remember ever having a problem with that before, but now it was happening almost every day.
¡°So something did happen,¡± Sahra grinned, ¡°Come on, tell me all about it.¡±
Sahra took a seat on the bed and beckoned Sellitha to take a seat next to her.
¡°Right,¡± Sellitha nodded and took a seat.
¡°So?¡± Sahra asked when Sellitha didn¡¯t say anything.
¡°We kissed,¡± Sellitha said, avoiding eye contact with Sahra.
¡°Really? Ha! I didn¡¯t expect Adion to be so ballsy. So how was it?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Amazing¡it was like my whole-¡± Sellitha stopped herself before saying something too embarrassing, ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not the point. What do I do now?¡±
¡°What do you mean what do you do?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°How should I act? I don¡¯t think I can look at him now without being too embarrassed, let alone talk to him. And what should I wear?¡± Sellitha looked down at her Outskirter outfit, realizing for the first time that it wasn¡¯t the most flattering, ¡°And what does this mean? Are we¡I mean, what are we?¡±
¡°Hahaha!¡± Sahra laughed happily, ¡°What a treat to see you like this. But just act like you normally do. Well, not exactly the same, I guess. You are not the same anymore, after all. What did you say after kissing?¡±
¡°I just said goodnight and ran away,¡± Sellitha muttered.
¡°Haaah,¡± Sahra sighed, ¡°Well, it would probably have been a good idea to talk some before doing that. I mean, are you a couple now?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sellitha said, ¡°But we kissed, so we should be right?¡±
¡°Something like that is good to make crystal clear,¡± Sahra said.
¡°How?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°Just talk to him,¡± Sahra shrugged, ¡°Tell him you want to be a couple. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll agree immediately.¡±
¡°That¡¯s way too embarrassing,¡± Sellitha shook her head.
¡°What then? You¡¯re just not going to talk to him again?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°That wouldn¡¯t do, I guess,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to kiss him again either,¡± Sahra teased.
That would be bad.
¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll talk to him. Just¡talk to him,¡± Sellitha went quiet for a while. No matter how she thought about it, seeing Adion right now was too nerve-wracking. ¡°How?¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t we go get something to eat? We can head someplace where we won¡¯t run into Adion before you¡¯re ready. You¡¯ll be able to think more clearly after getting some food,¡± Sahra advised.
¡°Mm,¡± Sellitha nodded, ¡°That sounds good.¡±
Sahra and Sellitha both got up to leave. However, as Sellitha opened the door, she was met with a pretty unpleasant sight. The wide ape-grin of Mephina.
¡°Hello there, little Sell. You had fun?¡± Mephina asked.
¡°What the-¡± Sahra jumped back in shock.
¡°How long have you been standing there, Mephina? Were you listening?¡± Sellitha asked, her stupid cheeks turning red once again.
I have to find a way to fix that!
¡°Oh? Were you talking about something I shouldn¡¯t hear?¡± Mephina asked, tilting her head with an innocent expression.
¡°Nope,¡± Sellitha denied, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±
¡°It¡¯s time to leave,¡± Mephina said, ¡°Your parents arrived in Dorbarta last night. Fair warning: they seem to be less than happy with your behavior.¡±
Time to leave? But¡
¡°They seemed to be less than happy with me too, I guess,¡± Mephina mused, ¡°But I¡¯m older and stronger than they are, so it would be strange for them to scold me, wouldn¡¯t it? Ha!¡±
¡°Do we really have to leave immediately? Can¡¯t Mom and Dad stay with the Tyllen¡¯s for a few days?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°I could try to explain that after ignoring your duties for the past few months, you want them to wait for a few days while you¡¯re kissing your new boyfriend. Maybe they¡¯ll agree,¡± Mehpina said, nodding her head as if what she said had a chance of succeeding.
¡°You!¡± Sellitha angrily yelled, ¡°You actually were listening!¡±
¡°I would have figured it out immediately even if I didn¡¯t hear anything,¡± Mephina waved off.
¡°You can¡¯t tell my parents,¡± Sellitha said with a serious expression.
¡°Tch, I¡¯m not one to gossip,¡± Mephina said.
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Sellitha looked at her with a doubtful gaze, as she was pretty sure Mephina was exactly one to gossip.
¡°Don¡¯t give me that look,¡± Mephina said, ¡°Anyway, get your things.¡±
Do I really have to go?
¡°Should I get everyone so you can say goodbye?¡± Sahra asked from behind her.
Meet Adion? Now? In front of everyone?
¡°Mm,¡± Sellitha nodded and went to pack her things.
¡°How nice,¡± Mephina said, looking at Sahra leaving. She then looked up at the ceiling and mused aloud, ¡°Maybe I should give that scoundrel a word.¡±
¡°What word? Just go out and wait. I¡¯ll be there soon,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°I think I¡¯d rather stay here and watch, actually,¡± Mephina said and walked to take a seat on Sellitha¡¯s bed. She stretched her ape feet, wriggling her toes one by one.
¡°Whatever,¡± Sellitha said, not in the mood to argue.
This is the worst. Why can¡¯t I just get to stay here until Cyalis?
¡°I guess there is no chance of you acting like you didn¡¯t find me?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that,¡± Mephina shook her head, ¡°Or well, I could easily do it. I just won¡¯t.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Sellitha sighed.
¡°It¡¯s not that I want to see you suffer. I¡¯m actually quite fond of you, believe it or not,¡± Mephina said in an unusually earnest manner, ¡°You might think things are rough, but it¡¯s a rough world. And living as a princess, even with some restrictions on your freedom, is far from the worst of fates. Even you marrying Lord Hesfym is something many would see as a dream come true.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not marrying that old bas-¡± Sellitha began but was cut off by Mephina.
¡°Lord Hesym. And you will. I could tell you liked this Adion when I checked in on you, so I thought you could stay here for a while and have some fun. I¡¯m glad that seems to be the case. But it should stop here and now. Otherwise, only a world of pain awaits you,¡± Mephina said.
¡°What do you mean?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°Do you think you can actually have a relationship with someone? Truly a stupid little girl,¡± Mephina shook her head, ¡°It was a good thing I came here today. Otherwise, leaving the two of you to your whims, rumors might have started spreading. You have to know that the Hesfym family would be furious if this got out. Adion would be hunted down and killed. You would be¡well, let¡¯s just say it wouldn¡¯t do anyone any good.¡±
Sellitha stopped her packing to stare at Mephina.
¡°Then I would kill them,¡± Sellitha said, ¡°All of them. When I¡¯m strong, I will-¡±
¡°You are not strong!¡± Mephina interrupted Sellitha in a loud voice. She then relaxed and spoke in a softer tone, ¡°You¡¯re not strong, my dear Sell. You are weak. Very weak. And you will never get the chance to become strong if you continue being this stubborn.¡±
The room was quiet for a moment. Sellitha looked down at the floor in deep thought. After a while, she looked up at Mephina with a small smile, ¡°That¡¯s fine, Mephina. I wouldn¡¯t want to become strong if I had to do things like not be with Adion to get there.¡±
Mephina just gaped at her.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Sellitha laughed, ¡°It might be the first time I¡¯ve seen you making an expression like that.¡±
¡°Just a girl,¡± Mephina sighed, ¡°A silly girl. I should have seen this coming.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Sellitha said.
I should still warn Adion not to talk about us to anyone. It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s a secret for now.
Just as Sellitha finished packing her things, Sahra came back. She only had Benji with her, though.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sell,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Adion, Lomin, and Rufus seem to have left somewhere. I thought those brutes would be too hungover to move for a while.¡±
¡°Oh¡¡± Sell said. She looked at Mephina in some kind of hope.
¡°Sorry, we¡¯re leaving,¡± Mephina said, ¡°You¡¯ll see him at the Academy, surely causing all sorts of headaches for me, so don¡¯t give me that look.¡±
Yeah, I¡¯ll see him then. I¡¯ll have to try to get there early.
¡°I won¡¯t see you in Cyalis, Sell. But I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t the last time we meet.¡± Sahra said, her eyes slightly teary.
¡°Of course not,¡± Sellitha said and went to hug Sahra.
¡°It was an honor having you on our team, Sell. It will feel empty without you,¡± Benji said.
¡°Tch! So formal,¡± Sahra muttered, hugging Sellitha.
¡°It was an honor to be part of your team, Benji,¡± Sellitha said.
Benji smiled brightly, hearing that.
¡°Can you tell Adion not to talk too freely about us, by the way?¡± Sellitha asked, ¡°We will have to keep quiet about us for a while.¡±
¡°Sure thing,¡± Sahra said.
¡°Alright, then.¡± Mephina said, standing up, ¡°Time to leave, little Sell.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sellitha nodded and let go of Sahra.
¡°I hope you train hard, or you will never be able to catch up with me,¡± Sahra said as Sellitha and Mephina left the room.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be long before I leave you in the dust,¡± Sellitha said with a smile.
¡°Tch, feels like Adion is a bad influence on her,¡± Sahra muttered.
Mephina and Sellitha walked out of the inn and headed for the gate leading out of Lermen. People stopped and stared at Mephina as they saw that she was a beast walking about with clothes. They were all just ignored by Mephina, though.
It wasn¡¯t long before they were out of the outpost, and Mephina turned her back to Selltiha and bent her knees.
¡°Alright, hop on,¡± Mephina said.
¡°Am I not a little too big for that?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°You¡¯re still just a girl. I thought I made that clear? And we don¡¯t have the time to just walk back leisurely. Hop hop!¡± Mephina said.
¡°Haaah,¡± Sellitha sighed. ¡°Fine,¡±
However, as she walked to climb onto Mephina¡¯s back, Mephina suddenly turned around to look behind her.
¡°You¡¯re going to have to tell me how he does that,¡± Mephina said.
¡°Sell!¡± Adion¡¯s voice rang out from behind her.
Sellitha turned to see Adion running towards her. She couldn¡¯t stop a smile from spreading across her face at seeing him.
¡°Adion!¡± Sellitha yelled, and suddenly found herself running towards him. She reached him in a few seconds and immediately hugged him tightly.
What am I doing?
Sellitha could feel her face heating up again. Her head was resting on Adion¡¯s chest, and she could hear his heart beating just as fast as hers was.
¡°Are you leaving?¡± Adion asked.
Sellitha nodded her head without speaking.
¡°That sucks,¡± Adion said.
Sellitha nodded again, her head rubbing against Adion¡¯s chest.
¡°I¡¯ll train hard. It won¡¯t be long before I¡¯m stronger than that Hesym guy, so don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Adion said.
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°You¡¯ll have to train hard then because I¡¯m planning on beating you to it.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion said, ¡°Also, I wanted to tell you I like you last night. But maybe that¡¯s obvious?¡±
You¡¯re saying stuff like that now?
Sellitha couldn¡¯t hold back a smile from forming, though. She removed her head from Adion¡¯s chest to look him in the eyes.
Close.
Sellitha felt her face heating up even more than earlier.
I really do like those eyes. I wonder if I could ask uncle to paint them so I could always- No, what am I thinking? How embarrassing.
¡°I like you too, but maybe that¡¯s obvious?¡± Sell said.
Adion smiled brightly, hearing those words.
He¡¯s smiling. He¡¯s so happy. Wait. Is he going to kiss me? Here? Now?
Sellitha realized what was about to happen and closed her eyes in anticipation.
¡°You have to be kidding me,¡± Mephina¡¯s voice sounded, and Sellitha felt herself being dragged away from Adion.
¡°Corrupted my little Sell,¡± Mephina said, ¡°What kind of ancient forbidden magic did he use?¡±
¡°Lady Mephina,¡± Adion smiled awkwardly.
¡°You had your fun, punk!¡± Mephina said, ¡°Let¡¯s get going, girl. Hop on.¡±
Sellitha looked back at Adion a final time, ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the Academy, Adion,¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
Sellitha hopped on Mephina¡¯s back, and they immediately took off. Leaving Adion behind.
Haaah, I¡¯ll just focus on training until I get to Cyalis. I can¡¯t let Adion pass me too much.
Chapter 74 - Training is relaxing
¡°Adion, come on. You haven¡¯t joined us for drinks for weeks,¡± Rufus''s loud voice came from outside Adion¡¯s door, disrupting his meditation.
¡°Haah,¡± Adion sighed and went to talk to Rufus.
¡°I don¡¯t have time, Rufus,¡± Adion said as he opened the door, ¡°I¡¯m training.¡±
¡°There is a limit to training, you know,¡± Rufus said as he made his way into Adion¡¯s room.
¡°Is there? Well, if there is, I haven¡¯t reached it yet,¡± Adion said.
¡°You¡¯re well past the limit!¡± Rufus exclaimed, ¡°We¡¯ve barely seen you for the past month.¡±
Adion looked at Rufus questioningly, ¡°We eat together every day? And we¡¯ve gone out hunting several times.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not what I mean,¡± Rufus said, ¡°That¡¯s just eating to survive and more training. You need to have some fun and relax once in a while.¡±
¡°Training is relaxing,¡± Adion said, ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel angsty just doing nothing.¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± Rufus nodded, ¡°Because of Sell. I know.¡±
It had been a little over a month since Sell left. When she left, Adion experienced that feeling of helplessness that he hadn¡¯t felt since his family clan was attacked and he was too weak to do anything.
Sell wasn¡¯t exactly taken by force, but Adion was sure she wanted to stay. And if Adion was strong enough, there is no doubt that she wouldn¡¯t have been made to leave.
Besides, that Hesfym guy was a real bother. Adion found himself getting angrier and angrier the more he thought about it. Some guy thought he would be marrying Sell? Adion felt a strong urge to beat him to a pulp.
Unfortunately, he was far too weak at the moment. He would even have to keep quiet about his relationship with her just because he was weak.
Pathetic.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rufus,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to decline. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get some time to have a few drinks together when we¡¯re traveling to Cyalis later. But I don¡¯t want to waste my remaining time here in the Outskirts on things that won¡¯t make me stronger.¡±
¡°Haah,¡± Rufus sighed, ¡°I guess I get it, just¡don¡¯t overdo it.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°I¡¯ll see you for breakfast tomorrow, then?¡± Rufus asked as he made his way out again.
¡°Like always,¡± Adion nodded.
Rufus left, and Adion closed the door after him. He went to sit down on his bed again, focusing on his meditation.
It won¡¯t be long before I reach peak Bronze. I¡¯ll have to reach Silver before I begin my studies at the Academy. I don¡¯t want to be stuck as a Bronze mage much longer.
I wonder if I can find a way to advance faster. I don¡¯t want to wait a hundred years before I have a chance against Heavenly Light and the Hesym family. But is there such a shortcut? Well, I¡¯m already faster than other people my age. Surely, there is a way for me to advance even faster.
I should also find a way to increase the distance I am able to teleport. It does increase somewhat as I advance and gain control over space further away, but that¡¯s too slow. I want a way to teleport over vast distances. Then, I would be able to do slightly riskier things. I could just teleport away before someone strong gets a chance to do anything against me. I could even take Sell with me. That would be nice.
I wonder how the teleportation formation between the Remori manor and the Celestial Phoenix Sect works. Maybe I should have spent some more time studying it. I guess I wouldn¡¯t have much of a chance of figuring anything out as I don¡¯t know anything about runes.
But it is still worth thinking about. It would put my mind at a lot of ease if I managed to figure something out.
Adion felt that his mind was buzzing with too many thoughts to gain any meaningful results from his meditation, so he stopped and got up from his bed.
I¡¯ll just head out for a hunt to clear my head.
Adion went to the side of his room and focused on the street down below through his sphere of space mana. He made sure there wasn¡¯t anyone close enough to spot him before teleporting down to the street. He could just leave the inn through the front door, but there was a risk his teammates were there, and Adion wasn¡¯t in the mood to explain how he had been going to fight beasts alone.
Hunting alone was much riskier than doing so with his team, but it would help temper his Will better. He also wanted to fight beasts more often than his team, so Adion opted to go out alone once in a while.
Adion made his way to a relatively deserted place next to the wall running around the outpost. He focused on the space on the other side of the wall and teleported across. He didn¡¯t want to explain to the guards why he was heading out without his teammates. And considering the guards were just regular Outskirters taking on a mission to guard the gate, he was sure that word would reach his team soon enough.
Once he was out of Lermen, he took off running, hoping to run into a beast as quickly as possible so as not to waste time.
It took him almost an hour of running before he felt three shapes approaching. As he focused, he managed to unravel their strength, which was all low Silver.
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Three beasts is a tough challenge. But I have to take on these challenges if I want to get strong. Thankfully, they¡¯re all low Silver.
Adion stopped and turned to the approaching beasts. He was very familiar with the shapes they took up in space. They were Dark Grats. Adion unsheathed his sword and watched as the beasts approached.
The leftmost one will reach me first. I can take care of it quickly, but I need to stop the other two.
Adion conjured a fire above his palm, the flame calmly swaying. He split the flame in two and threw it in the faces of the middle and right Dark Grat. As it hit, Adion Willed the fire to start its careful decomposition. The beasts shrieked in pain, but Adion was focused on the remaining beast that was now upon him.
He jumped forward, sword ready to make a lethal cut, and froze the Dark Grat still in space. It was not much trouble for Adion to fight the Will of a low Silver beast at this point, and the Dark Grat had its throat cut without any resistance.
Adion shifted his focus to the two remaining beasts and took hold of the space at the back of the neck of the closest one. As fast as he could, he made the space stable and split the space into 256 different pieces, all moving around sporadically. He pushed his volatile space to take over the space of the Dark Grat¡¯s neck. As the beast was still concerned about the fire that Adion had just thrown at it, the attack managed to catch it off guard and cause serious damage. It wasn¡¯t dead yet, but it would be soon, even if Adion left it alone.
The last Dark Grat had managed to get rid of Adion¡¯s fire while he had his focus on the other two. It ran up to Adion with a nasty burnt face, a furious shriek warning Adion of its approach.
So much for my fire being inevitable. Adion thought to himself, but he knew his fire was far from complete.
Adion took his stance again, and as the Dark Grat jumped to take a bite of his neck, Adion froze the space surrounding it and pierced its head from underneath its jaw, killing it.
The last Dark Grat that had been struck with Adion¡¯s volatile space was walking away on shaky legs, its head hanging at a weird angle. Adion walked up to it, freezing it in space as he got close just to be safe, and cut its head off.
Even in a group, low Silvers beasts like these are pretty easy for me to handle now. It¡¯s amazing how much I¡¯ve grown in strength despite not advancing. I should remember that the stage of one¡¯s core is far from all that makes a mage powerful.
I guess I have an unfair advantage against beasts, too. They usually rely on their strong bodies at these stages. Something I can pretty much ignore, thanks to my space magic. I guess fire mages can avoid a lot of the troubles that come with it, too, which is why they are seen as so powerful.
Adion went to gather the beast cores and cut off some meat. He thought he might as well make a fire and get something to eat, so he wouldn¡¯t have to waste all the meat at least. He didn¡¯t plan on bringing the bodies back to the Outskirts Guild. He wasn¡¯t in any dire need of money, and a low Bronze mage bringing back three low Silver beasts was a hard thing to explain.
It didn¡¯t take very long before a fire was burning and the meat was cooking.
It really is a world of difference between training with someone else and doing it alone.
Adion sighed, staring into the fire, thinking about the many times he had gone out of Lermen together with Sell to train.
It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll be leaving next spring. Then head straight for Cyalis. Hopefully, Sell will be there by then. It would be nice to spend some time together before the Academy starts its admissions.
Adion and the team had decided that it would be a good time to leave the coming spring. It would give them a few more months of hunting beasts in the Outskirts, and no one really felt like traveling during the winter. His teammates would head for Rellen and make their way to the Kuwa Mountains from there, while Adion would head straight to Cyalis.
I shouldn¡¯t brood. This is an excellent opportunity for me to grow stronger. I¡¯ve already noticed significant progress. My teleportation doesn¡¯t take nearly as long as it used to, even in the middle of fights.
My volatile space has gotten stronger, too. It has almost developed into a sort of feeling. I used to have to think properly of each step, but now it kind of just happens when I focus on the kind of space I want to achieve.
I wonder if I¡¯m getting close to grasping some sort of concept? It feels a bit similar. Perhaps I¡¯ve already grasped something without realizing it. I wonder if I can achieve something similar with my teleportation? I guess I¡¯ll just have to keep practicing and see where things go.
Adion finished eating and stood up to put out the fire. He was a little disappointed that no beasts had been lured by the smell. He felt he had one more fight in him.
I guess it¡¯s for the best. I don¡¯t want to be caught this far from the outpost with an exhausted Will after all.
Adion left the bodies of the beasts behind and started making his way back to Lermen. He once again opted to run so he wouldn¡¯t waste any time that could be spent more wisely.
I¡¯ve focused basically all my attention on my space powers today. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll make sure to give my fire some more focus. I can¡¯t let it fall too far behind just because I don¡¯t have Sell¡¯s fire around to study.
Adion usually spent a lot more time on his space than his fire these days, mostly because he had spent so much time on his fire during his time with Sell, and he felt that his space abilities were starting to get neglected.
As for his practice of shadow magic, he didn¡¯t give it any of his time. Adion was in a rush for strength, and that strength couldn¡¯t be found in shadow magic at the moment. That wouldn¡¯t always be the case, though. Sell had told him that her father came from a branch family that used to be part of a family of shadow mages on Quemer, which is why she also had the shadow affinity. She had promised to look into shadow magic once she was back in Iitha.
Hopefully, she can find something useful so I get an idea of which direction I should take my shadow magic. Even if she can¡¯t, I¡¯m sure there will be someone capable of teaching me at the Academy.
Adion arrived at the street at the back of the inn he was staying at and, once again, teleported himself into his room.
I hope no one noticed my absence. I¡¯m not in the mood for a lecture from Benji.
Adion was feeling tired, but he knew he didn¡¯t have the luxury to rest. He sat down cross-legged on his bed and focused on his aura. He had done his daily meditation already. It was something best done with a full core and a fresh mind.
Now, it was time to practice his aura control. Even if the Merillian Soul Peaches had given him a nice boost, he would need all the practice he could get in order to fool the professors at Cyalis.
Besides, Adion hadn¡¯t forgotten that he needed a great control over his aura to advance to the Soul stages, and he wasn¡¯t planning on being stuck at peak Diamond.
It was also a great way to temper his Will if he ended the day with hiding his aura to the absolute limit. And having a strong Will was something that was always needed. Adion knew it played a significant part when freezing opponents in space. He had been shocked when he tried freezing Sell in space, at her suggestion, and noticed she could break free faster than many Silver beasts. He was glad Sell had a strong Will, but he didn¡¯t want to lose to her either. The next time they met, he wanted to be able to freeze her a lot longer than before.
A few hours into his nightly practice, Adion fell down on his bed, completely exhausted.
Time to get some rest, I guess. I will need to be well-rested tomorrow to make the most out of my training.
Chapter 75 - A break
Haven¡¯t eaten since lunch yesterday, have I. Guess I¡¯ll get some breakfast before meditating.
Adion got out of his bed and did some light stretches before getting dressed.
I can¡¯t slack off now just because I¡¯ve reached peak Bronze. I¡¯m so close to becoming a Silver mage; it¡¯s not much longer before my core is filled to the brim, and I¡¯m sure my Will is more than enough to handle it.
It was now a few weeks into winter, and Adion had managed to advance to peak Bronze a little over a month ago, after which he spent a lot more time meditating than usual, pushing himself to the limit every day in order to quickly reach Silver.
I wonder if any of the others are up yet? Adion thought as he made his way downstairs. We usually have breakfast much later, so I guess I¡¯ll be having breakfast alone today.
But to Adion¡¯s surprise, he spotted his whole team entering the inn from outside, stomping off snow from their shoes.
Where have they been so early?
¡°Adion?¡± Benji spotted him approaching them, ¡°You¡¯re already up? That¡¯s perfect; it¡¯s time to leave soon.¡±
¡°What are you talking about? I thought we weren¡¯t leaving for Cyalis until spring?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°We¡¯re not going to Cyalis,¡± Benji shook his head with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re going to Dorbarta!¡±
Adion couldn¡¯t understand what the purpose of going to Dorbarta could be. He just stared at Benji with a confused look on his face.
¡°By any chance,¡± Sahra said, looking at Adion with a slight smile, ¡°Did you forget what day it is today?¡±
¡°Why? What¡¯s today?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s your birthday!¡± Rufus exclaimed and went to throw an arm around Adion¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Happy birthday, you little training maniac.¡±
¡°Oh¡I guess it is,¡± Adion said, ¡°I completely forgot. How did you guys know?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Benji smiled a little awkwardly, ¡°We were discussing a way to get you to take a break to have some fun when Lomin suggested we wait for your birthday to plan something.¡±
That¡¯s actually really nice. Guess I won¡¯t have a chance to train today.
Adion got a small smile from the gesture, ¡°What have you planned then?¡±
¡°We¡¯re going to Dorbarta,¡± Benji said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say?¡±
¡°Oh, of course. Fun,¡± Adion said, thinking they had planned something besides just visiting the city.
¡°We¡¯re obviously not just going there sightseeing,¡± Sahra interjected, ¡°We have rooms at the Silver Diamond that we stayed at last time, and we¡¯ll be going to see a bard performing at some place Lomin heard about. You seemed to enjoy it last time.¡±
¡°I did,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°That¡¯s great. Thanks, guys.¡±
¡°Think nothing of it,¡± Benji said, smiling brightly.
Adion noticed the rest of the group also all lit up into smiles at Adion¡¯s acceptance.
I know I train a lot, but we still see each other every day. Aren¡¯t they overreacting a little?
¡°I wanted to take you gambling, but I was voted down,¡± Rufus lamented.
¡°That¡¯s because it would only end up with Adion doing his weird space stuff and stealing everything,¡± Benji said.
¡°That¡¯s a nice idea,¡± Adion said, looking down in thought, ¡°I could probably get away with all kinds of cheating.¡±
¡°No way,¡± Benji said, ¡°No more thievery. At least until we¡¯re out of the Empire, it¡¯s too risky while we¡¯re staying in one place.¡±
¡°I guess that makes sense. And hearing some new songs seems more fun anyway,¡± Adion said.
¡°Good,¡± Benji said, ¡°Then let¡¯s get some breakfast, and we¡¯ll leave straight afterward. We¡¯ve rented a carriage that can take us there in about eight hours, so we¡¯ll have plenty of time, but we¡¯ll have to leave soon.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded.
It¡¯s a little hard to ignore my training like this. But it would feel way worse to turn away their kindness. Just one day is fine.
The group quickly ate their breakfast and then went to their rooms for a quick change of clothing. Adion made sure to bring his backpack with pills with him. He had gotten used to leaving it behind as he had found a pretty secure hiding spot. But leaving for an entire day made Adion feel uneasy at the thought of leaving them behind.
He threw the backpack over his shoulders and made his way out of the inn. As he stepped outside, Adion immediately spotted a carriage that stood parked to the side of the road.
¡°This is our ride,¡± Benji said, stepping up to Adion, ¡°We have someone driving the carriage this time, so keep your voice down if you want to talk about anything sensitive.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
The rest of the team was already there, so they all got inside, and the carriage started moving, picking up speed as soon as they left Lermen.
¡°How do you usually spend your birthdays?¡± Lomin asked.
¡°Hm? Well, last year, I had a few drinks with Villem back in Bellford. Before that¡I guess I forgot it when I turned 13 and 14. It was hard keeping track of the days in the-¡± Adion stopped himself as he remembered the driver. He assumed it would be hard to hear, but he still wanted to be safe, so he decided to try something he had been experimenting with lately.
He grabbed hold of the space surrounding the team, but not all the space, just a thin film, creating a sort of soundproof bubble. Well, it wasn¡¯t completely soundproof, as he had discovered when doing some testing, but it was very close.
¡°In the Endless Forest,¡± Adion continued.
¡°You did your little sound trick?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°How about back at your clan?¡± Lomin asked.
Adion thought back to his previous birthdays, a small smile on his face.
¡°It was nice, just me and my family. Eating together, talking. Nothing special ever happened as far as I can remember. Maybe that was what made them so special.¡± Adion said.
¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Sahra said with a smile.
The group continued their conversation as the carriage moved on ahead. Adion realized that perhaps he had been more absent than he had thought as he got to talking with his teammates. Usually, he didn¡¯t stay for any lengthy conversations whenever they ate. And it wasn¡¯t the best environment for talking when they were out hunting together, either.
The group reached Dorbarta a couple of hours past noon. Adion looked out the carriage, watching the city he hadn¡¯t visited since summer. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that the city seemed a little different.
¡°Is it just me,¡± Adion said, ¡°Or does the atmosphere here seem a little tense? Are they so depressed just because winter is here?¡±
¡°It probably has to do with the tension between the Tyllen and Derolm family,¡± Benji said, ¡°They have never seen eye to eye, and ever since the theft that the Derolm expedition experienced, things have escalated to a new level of hostility. As far as I know, nothing major has happened yet. But that only makes people here hold their breath for when it finally does.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion said, ¡°I had forgotten about that.¡±
¡°How could you forget about-¡± Sahra began, but stopped herself, ¡°I guess it¡¯s your birthday. You¡¯re right, Adion. I almost forgot about it myself.¡±
Adion looked at Sahra weirdly, ¡°I suppose I could do better to keep up to date with the local news.¡±
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¡°Hahaha!¡± Rufus laughed, ¡°Seems you found the way to change Adion, Sahra. Just say you feel the same way, and he¡¯ll immediately correct himself.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Adion refuted, ¡°I have just been busy thinking about other things. But I should do better to keep stuff like this in mind.¡±
Adion had really dropped almost all his worries about the theft of the Merillian Soul Peaches. He felt like he and Sell got away with a close-to-perfect crime. And Astor appearing when he did had thrown away the last of Adion¡¯s worries about being a suspect.
As for feeling guilty about the consequences of his deed, Adion couldn¡¯t care less. His enemies couldn¡¯t be allowed to keep such nice things. And Astor had brought it upon himself when he tried to get involved with Sell.
¡°Looks like we¡¯re here,¡± Benji said as the carriage came to a halt in front of the Silver Diamond.
They all stepped out of the carriage and made their way inside after Benji left some instructions to the driver, who would drive them home the day after.
¡°Aaah,¡± Sahra breathed in the warm air in the lobby, ¡°We should make trips to Dorbarta more often. We have the money.¡±
Adion almost said something about how that would get in the way of training but stopped himself as he realized that might ruin the mood.
¡°Mm,¡± Rufus nodded with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s a nice place.¡±
Benji led the way to the reception, where he got the keys to everyone¡¯s rooms.
¡°No point in hanging out in our rooms, right?¡± Benji asked, ¡°Let¡¯s leave our stuff and meet back here in a few minutes. We can get a couple of drinks before the bard starts performing.¡±
They all agreed and headed up to their room to leave their packs. Adion noticed that the room didn¡¯t lose to the one he had stayed in the last time he was there.
Fancy as always. Almost too big for just one person. Almost.
Adion didn¡¯t linger, though. He went down to the lobby, where he met up with his teammates. They headed out on the busy street and followed Lomin as he led the way.
¡°How do you know where it is?¡± Rufus asked, ¡°Have you sneaked out all the way over here too?¡±
¡°No,¡± Lomin shook his head, ¡°I was just given instructions from the bartender at Mergen¡¯s. I should tell you that it probably won¡¯t be a fancy place, but I don¡¯t believe the performance will suffer because of it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said, ¡°I prefer it that way.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Rufus agreed, ¡°Don¡¯t want a bunch of Nobles looking at us with their judgy eyes.¡±
As they passed one of the many manors in the central part of town, Adion felt something that immediately grabbed his attention.
What''s up with the space here?
Adion tried to get a feeling for what was off, focusing on the space around him.
It¡¯s slightly more stable¡Of course! The artifact that was sold at the auction.
Adion looked to his teammates, but they didn¡¯t seem to notice anything, which wasn¡¯t surprising. Lomin was the only one who had noticed last time, and that was only after Adion brought his attention to it. And it was a lot weaker than it had been at the auction, probably because the artifact was closer to them back then.
I wonder what family won the bid in the end. Maybe I should have paid some attention even if I¡¯m not interested in having it for myself. I suppose I could ask someone which family lives in the manor.
But is it really something worth getting involved with? These people might think affecting space, however small, is something revolutionary. But it¡¯s not much in my eyes.
If I had any knowledge about runes, it might have been worth attempting to steal it. But right now, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth it.
Adion decided to bring it up to his team later and continued walking in silence.
The group arrived outside a nice-looking bar about 20 minutes later.
It might not be anything close to the Silver Diamond in quality, but it¡¯s a lot nicer-looking than Mergen¡¯s.
¡°I¡¯m thinking a ¡®one of everything¡¯ for Adion tonight,¡± Rufus said as they stepped into the bar, ¡°What do you think, guys?¡±
¡°Sounds like a birthday if I ever heard one,¡± Sahra said with a grin.
Adion just shook his head with a smile.
I guess it will be fun. I¡¯m already here so I should try to enjoy myself.
Everyone took their seats in a corner of the bar with a good vision of the small stage where the bard would be performing later. Rufus took care of ordering the drinks, and Adion received a beer like everyone else.
¡°We¡¯ll start off with this one,¡± Rufus said, ¡°I noticed they had a pretty interesting supply of drinks to offer.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m looking forward to trying them,¡± Adion said, ¡°Maybe I can even impress Sell with a more advanced palate the next time we meet.¡±
¡°Haha!¡± Rufus laughed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid we would have to go someplace a lot fancier than this if that is your goal.¡±
¡°Looking forward to spending the next birthday with your girlfriend, Adion?¡± Sahra asked with a smirk.
I hadn¡¯t thought about that.
¡°That would be nice,¡± Adion said, ¡°Hopefully, we¡¯ll both be able to make it to Cyalis by then.¡±
¡°Haaah,¡± Rufus sighed, ¡°I guess there is no competing against young love.¡±
¡°This is great too, of course,¡± Adion added, not wanting to drag down the atmosphere.
¡°Haha,¡± Sahra laughed, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Adion. I would have to yell at you if you didn¡¯t miss Sell. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s missing you too.¡±
Maybe she is¡She will turn 16 in four days. I wonder how she¡¯ll celebrate.
¡°Look at him,¡± Rufus muttered, ¡°Lost in the clouds.¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Adion smiled awkwardly, ¡°Let¡¯s get to drinking, right?¡±
¡°There you go,¡± Rufus grinned and took a few large gulps of his beer.
¡°By the way,¡± Adion said and leaned in. He made sure to soundproof the conversation with his space just like he had on the way over, ¡°Do you guys remember the artifact being sold at the auction? The one that could stabilize space?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Benji nodded.
¡°I felt it today when we were walking by a manor in the central part of the city,¡± Adion said, ¡°I don¡¯t know which family won it in the end, though.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Sahra said, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it the¡the Ferrem family?¡±
¡°I think so,¡± Benji nodded.
¡°Ferrem family?¡± Adion asked.
¡°A 1st tier family clan based in Hermot,¡± Benji said, ¡°I remember them winning over the Derolm family in a bidding war. Weren¡¯t you paying attention?¡±
¡°I couldn¡¯t be bothered since it seemed so useless,¡± Adion said.
¡°An artifact controlling space seemed useless?¡± Sahra asked, raising an eyebrow.
¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it,¡± Adion said, ¡°Anyway, why did I feel it in from a manor here in Dorbarta then?¡±
¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± Benji agreed.
¡°Couldn¡¯t the Ferrem family have a manor in Dorbarta even if they are based in Hermot?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°Not a manor like that,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°Unless they are a very wealthy and powerful Noble family, I can¡¯t imagine having a manor like that in a different city.¡±
¡°Do you think someone stole it?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Maybe,¡± Adion said.
¡°You¡¯re thinking about stealing it yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°What? No,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t have any need for it. Maybe if it was easily accessible, but I would have to find a way to get deep into their manor before I could reach it with my teleportation. I don¡¯t want to make a risky plan like that for something I won¡¯t have any use for.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be very useful?¡± Rufus asked, ¡°I know you can do a lot more amazing stuff, but if you got some knowledge about runes in the future, this artifact might come in handy. You could find a way to combine your space power and runes. Who knows what you could get from that.¡±
That¡¯s it!
¡°Rufus!¡± Adion exclaimed, ¡°You just gave me a great idea.¡±
¡°Oh? What idea?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°I need a way to teleport a much larger distance than I am able to at the moment,¡± Adion said, ¡°So far, I haven¡¯t come up with any ideas for how to do that without advancing my core. But what if I had a runic device that would somehow allow me to grab hold of space where it was, no matter how far away it was located.¡±
¡°That would be amazing,¡± Rufus admitted, ¡°But do you know how to do something like that?¡±
¡°Well, no,¡± Adion said, ¡°But it¡¯s something worth thinking about.¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Rufus nodded.
¡°You¡¯re not planning on stealing the artifact because of this, are you?¡± Benji asked, an uncertain smile on his face.
¡°I admit I¡¯m a little tempted,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I¡¯m in no rush. It¡¯s nothing that can be pulled off tonight, at least. I¡¯ll give it some thought when we¡¯re back in Lermen.¡±
Benji looked at Adion hesitantly before sighing, ¡°Alright. Just remember to run the plan by me before doing anything.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Adion nodded.
After that, they stayed away from any sensitive topics and spent the evening talking about day-to-day stuff. Later in the evening, a bard stepped on stage and performed for a little over an hour. Adion thoroughly enjoyed it, but it still didn¡¯t beat the bard he had seen in Lermen.
As the night came to an end and the group made their way back to the Silver Diamond, Adion realized just how much he had missed hanging out with his team like this.
I¡¯ll sacrifice one day every month for a night like this going forward. I¡¯m still far too weak, so I won¡¯t waste more training time than that.
Chapter 76 - Escape
¡°Adion!¡± Adion woke up to Benji¡¯s loud yell and his door bursting open.
¡°What the-¡± Adion got out of bed quickly, prepared to get attacked. The look on Benji¡¯s face gave him a bad feeling.
¡°The Tyllen family manor has been attacked,¡± Benji said in a serious voice, ¡°It¡¯s chaos out there. No one knows much about what¡¯s going on, but we should leave before trouble comes knocking.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll be ready in a minute.¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to get Rufus,¡± Benji said, ¡°Lomin and Sahra should be waiting downstairs.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded and moved to quickly get dressed. He threw his backpack on and headed down to the lobby as fast as he could.
The lobby was much livelier than the early hour would suggest. Adion saw loads of people in fancy clothing getting out under the protection of guards.
Adion spotted Sahra and Lomin standing off to the side and walked up to them.
¡°Do you know what exactly is going on?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Just that the Tyllen family seems to have been attacked,¡± Sahra said, ¡°And from what I can tell, it¡¯s not a small attack. We were lucky that Benji sleeps light and woke up to the noise.¡±
¡°Who would attack them? The Derolm family?¡± Adion asked in a low voice.
¡°That¡¯s what people are saying,¡± Sahra nodded.
¡°If it¡¯s them, the Tyllen family is probably done for,¡± Adion said.
¡°Why would you say that?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°The Derolm family has had a Soul mage in the family without revealing it for who knows how long,¡± Adion said, ¡°I get the feeling that if they¡¯ve decided to finally attack the Tyllen family, they will make sure they¡¯ll finish them completely.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Sahra nodded, ¡°But can they do that? Won¡¯t the Imperial family punish them?¡±
¡°That¡¯s what doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Benji''s voice sounded as he came up from behind them with Rufus.
¡°Benji!¡± Sahra went to her boyfriend and gave him a hug.
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Benji smiled.
¡°What did you say about not making sense, Benji?¡± Lomin calmly asked.
¡°An attack like this,¡± Benji answered, his smile disappearing, ¡°If it truly is the Derolm family, there can only be two possibilities as I see it. Either they are in cahoots with the Imperial family and have permission for this attack, or they don¡¯t fear the consequences that angering the Imperial family can bring. I¡¯m not too fond of either of those realities, considering what we know about the Derolm family.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion said, ¡°The fact is that our enemy is comfortable making this move, and now they are the most powerful family in the Silver Wall. Who knows what their next move will be.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why I think it would be best not to return to Lermen,¡± Benji said.
¡°What?¡± Sahra said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that exactly what we should do? You want to stay here?¡±
¡°Not that either,¡± Benji shook his head, ¡°I think we should leave the Empire. We¡¯re not strong enough to get involved with whatever is happening, and we don¡¯t have any information.¡±
¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Sahra said.
¡°I think so too,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°We are supposed to leave in not too long anyway. Might as well leave early and stay away from this mess.¡±
¡°What about our stuff in Lermen?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°I brought most of my things with me,¡± Benji said, ¡°How about you?¡±
¡°Well, I always tend to keep my money with me ever since the amount increased significantly,¡± Rufus said.
¡°Me too,¡± Lomin nodded.
¡°I have most of my stuff with me,¡± Adion said, ¡°We can always buy new clothes or other necessities. We¡¯re pretty rich, after all.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°Then let¡¯s head down to the harbor and throw some of that money around. It¡¯s going to be quite a few people wanting to get on a boat, I¡¯m afraid.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s hurry,¡± Rufus said. He then turned to look at Lomin with a questioning gaze.
¡°I¡¯m not that stubborn,¡± Lomin said, ¡°I¡¯ll hurry.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Benji said, ¡° Let¡¯s go!¡±
The group took off running. The streets were not as chaotic as Adion would have thought. Sure, the people he saw were all running and seemed to be in a state of panic, but there weren¡¯t that many people about. Adion guessed that most people just locked themselves into their homes, waiting for the storm to settle.
The harbor was far from the city center, and it took the team over thirty minutes of running before they made it there. Adion spotted only three ships still docked, with one just taking sail.
¡°It seems to be some kind of auction going on over there,¡± Benji said, pointing out a bearded middle-aged man atop a bundle of crates, ¡°Probably for a place on his ship, we should try to get on.¡±
They made their way over as quickly as they could and soon overheard the man yelling.
¡°20 silvers!? Who said that? Get them out of here. We¡¯re trying to do serious business,¡± The man holding the impromptu auction yelled out as Adion and his team approached.
¡°Two Vastro coins for five people!¡± Benji yelled out.
¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± The man looked up at Benji with a smile, ¡°Let them through people! Now that you see how business is done, I hope I won¡¯t hear any more shameful offers. We¡¯re leaving in 10 minutes, last chance!¡±
Benji led the way through the crowd of people who were all desperately trying to get a place on the ship. Benji handed over two Vastro coins to the auctioneer once they made it to him. The man pocketed the coins with a grin.
¡°I¡¯m Captain Gyll. Nice to have you. Brell! Let these people onboard!¡±
¡°Thank you, Captain Gyll,¡± Benji nodded.
The group was led onboard the ship by the man named Brell. They all breathed out in relief. Adion knew they might be stuck in Dorbarta if they were any later. Perhaps they could take a carriage to get away. But sailing down the Trident would be a lot quicker and safer.
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¡°I¡¯ll take you to your cabins,¡± Brell said, gesturing for them to follow.
¡°Er, Brell, was it? Where exactly is the ship heading?¡± Benji asked.
¡°Ellia,¡± Brell answered, ¡°We¡¯re stopping at Coreff and Peld, nowhere else, so don¡¯t bother asking.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Benji nodded.
¡°We¡¯ll take another ship from Ellia then, I guess?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°That or buy a carriage to take us,¡± Benji said, ¡°We can decide later.¡±
¡°We have a cabin with two spaces left. The rest will have to split up one by one,¡± Brell told the group.
¡°Oh¡¡± Benji said, ¡°I suppose that makes sense considering the circumstances.¡±
¡°You and Sahra take the spot for two people, Benji,¡± Adion said. Lomin and Rufus nodded in agreement.
¡°Thank you,¡± Benji nodded.
¡°Then you two will go in here,¡± Brell said as they arrived in front of a door on the first floor below deck.
¡°Why don¡¯t you come knocking once you¡¯ve settled things,¡± Benji said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about our plans going forward.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Rufus said, and Adion and Lomin nodded in agreement.
Benji and Sahra entered the cabin, and the rest of them were led along to their own cabins. Lomin took the first one offered, Rufus the second, and Adion chose to take the last one.
¡°You¡¯re in luck,¡± Brell said, ¡°This one is for two people.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Thanks.¡±
He stepped into the small cabin and noticed a figure already lying on one of the beds.
You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Him?
¡°You?¡± A voice somewhat weaker than Adion remembered sounded from Astor¡¯s mouth.
¡°Astor¡you managed to get away, I see,¡± Adion said, thinking about asking for a different cabin.
There don¡¯t seem to be that many options left. And I guess this guy might hold some information.
¡°So what happened?¡± Adion asked as he sat down on the empty bed.
¡°You, what are you doing here?¡± Astor asked with a small scowl. He looked like he had just run for miles, his blonde hair sticking to his face with sweat.
¡°Same as everyone else,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°Getting out of the city now that there seems to be some kind of war going on.¡±
¡°War¡¡± Astor said, ¡°Maybe.¡±
¡°What do you mean? What happened exactly?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you anything,¡± Astor said.
¡°Whatever,¡± Adion said. He turned around and lay down on the bed, facing the ceiling.
I should really check if there is a different cabin. I can¡¯t stand this guy.
¡°It was the damn Derolm family!¡± Astor suddenly yelled, banging his fist against the wall.
¡°I guessed as much,¡± Adion said.
¡°You don¡¯t know anything,¡± Astor said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t only them.¡±
Adion chose to ignore him. He didn¡¯t want to give Astor the satisfaction of seeing him curious.
After a few seconds of silence, Astor continued, ¡°I could feel four Soul mages at the manor. Four! I have no idea what families they were from or why they chose to attack us. The Derolm family must have offered them something.¡±
That makes sense. Without that much strength, they wouldn¡¯t have had the confidence to attack the Tyllen family like this. I wonder if this is connected to the Heavenly Light or if it was something the Derolm family orchestrated on their own.
¡°They¡¯ll regret it,¡± Astor continued, ¡°My parents are still in Ellia, and we are still a Noble family. The Imperial family will end them.¡±
Maybe. If it wasn¡¯t done with the Imperial family¡¯s blessing. You might be sailing to your death, Astor.
Adion couldn¡¯t help but suddenly feel a little bad for Astor. Adion had experienced exactly what it was like to be powerless against a stronger enemy that shows up out of the blue to kill your family.
Well, worse has happened to better people, I guess. Astor tried to move against Sell. If he had actually succeeded, I would have killed him here and now.
¡°Only you managed to get away?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know. I doubt many made it out, though,¡± Astor said, ¡° I was out drinking. When I came back, our manor was already under attack. It was so weird. The closer I tried to get to the main mansion to see what was happening, the harder it was to move. It was almost as if I was walking through water, not air.¡±
What!?
¡°I don¡¯t know what in Ganta they did, but I don¡¯t think many people managed to escape,¡± Astor continued, ¡°Is that the power of a wind mage in the Soft Soul stage? Or were they even stronger¡¡±
That sounds more like the effects of that artifact. Only a lot stronger than what I felt. It was with the Derolm family? Did they steal it? Or are they working together with the Ferrem family?
Anyway, they seem to have managed to figure something out. I don¡¯t like that. An artifact capable of doing something like Astor described is bad news. Even if it wasn¡¯t in the hands of my enemies, I don¡¯t want anyone working on runes of space, that could make my powers less useful in the future.
Damn. I should have just stolen it during the auction. Now, it¡¯s far too late to get to it. And they might even be able to recreate it. I don¡¯t like this at all.
¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Astor finally said.
Adion felt how the ship started moving, so he got out of his bed, threw his backpack on, and headed for the door.
¡°Because I don¡¯t like you,¡± Adion said before leaving to find Brell about changing cabins.
You¡¯re lucky, Astor. Your enemies happen to be mine, too. So they won¡¯t be meeting a pleasant ending.
Adion made his way through the cramped corridor, hoping to spot Brell somewhere. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen. Adion finally reached the cabin where Benji and Sahra were staying and remembered he was supposed to meet them for some planning.
Adion knocked on the door and called out for Benji. A few seconds later, Benji opened the door.
¡°Adion,¡± Benji said, ¡°You¡¯re the first to get here. Come inside while we wait for the others.¡±
Adion went into their cabin and noticed there were only two beds in their cabin as well.
¡°You managed to get a cabin all for yourselves?¡± Adion asked.
¡°We were lucky,¡± Sahra said from her bed with a smile.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I have to share a cabin with that Astor.¡±
¡°Astor Tyllen?¡± Benji asked, surprised.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion said, ¡°He managed to get away and is hoping to reach Ellia where his parents are.¡±
Adion then went on to explain everything he had heard from Astor about the attack and his own theories about it.
¡°That could be bad indeed,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°What if they are deeply connected to Heavenly Light and somehow manage to develop runes that can be used against you or counter your abilities? It would be a real challenge causing trouble for them in the future if that¡¯s the case.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°But it¡¯s too late to do anything about it now. We¡¯re already on our way out of here, and I don¡¯t think I can steal anything with a bunch of Soul mages around.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll just focus on getting away from here. I¡¯m sure some news will reach us about what is going on eventually. You should just focus on getting to Cyalis and on getting stronger.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion agreed.
Lomin and Rufus eventually joined them, and Adion filled them in on what he had learned. The team then planned on what to do going forward. Even as they had calmed down, it was evident that leaving the Delovan Empire and starting the journey north early was the best option.
After a while, Adion left the team and finally managed to find Brell. Unfortunately, there was no space available, and Adion would have to spend the journey in the cabin he had been assigned.
Should I ask if Lomin or Rufus are willing to switch? No. Who knows what that Astor might try. At least I have the senses to wake up before he can get a chance to harm me.
Adion slowly made his way back to his cabin, dreading the journey ahead.
This is going to be awful.
Chapter 77 - On the Trident
¡°Won¡¯t be long before I reach middle Bronze,¡± Astor¡¯s annoying voice disrupted Adion¡¯s meditation.
Adion opened his eyes to look at him. Astor was sitting cross-legged on his bed, looking at Adion with a smug expression.
¡°You said you were stronger than me back at Lermen, right?¡± Astor continued, ¡°I have no doubt I¡¯ll be able to make it into the diamond class. You think you can make it? You¡¯ll have to advance to middle Bronze at the very least before you can have those thoughts.¡±
What an idiot.
Adion had spent a week on the ship now. Most days, Astor would keep to himself. But at times, he would start talking out of nowhere. Adion knew he wouldn¡¯t shut up for a while once he started talking.
¡°I¡¯ll make it,¡± Adion said, closing his eyes again, ¡°Thanks for worrying.¡±
¡°Tch, as if I was worried,¡± Astor snorted, ¡°Not many manage to reach middle Bronze before Cyalis, less so with over a year to spare. I doubt you have the mentality.¡±
How can someone turn out so pathetic? Didn¡¯t he receive an education or something?
¡°I hope I¡¯ll see that Alan there. If the Imperial family hasn¡¯t taken care of him already,¡± Astor muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure he pays for what his family has done.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll have to be a lot stronger than middle Bronze for that,¡± Adion commented.
¡°I¡¯m a lot stronger than him, and my family is still Noble. I can get people to move,¡± Astor said, ¡°I might ask Sellitha. We will be spending a lot of time in the diamond class together, after all.¡±
Does he want to die? Adion threw Astor a warning glance.
Astor noticed Adion¡¯s cold look and smiled in triumph.
¡°Haha!¡± Astor laughed, ¡°I¡¯m only joking with you, Adion. She is engaged to be married to another man, after all. I gave up any thoughts as soon as I heard that. Don¡¯t tell me that you haven¡¯t heard?¡±
Adion just smiled at Astor in response.
He gave up just because of that? I feel sorry for his future wife.
¡°What¡¯s that smile for?¡± Astor asked, ¡°I thought you had aspirations about Sellitha, too? You¡¯re so happy to see her get taken by another man?¡±
And now he¡¯s asking to die again.
¡°Last I checked, she wasn¡¯t taken by anyone,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I guess she never wanted to look at you, even less talk to you. So how could you know?¡±
¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Astor asked.
¡°Whatever,¡± Adion shook his head. Astor was really getting on his nerves, but he didn¡¯t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing him riled up. So Adion got up from the bed and headed out of the cabin.
¡°Yeah,¡± Astor said, ¡°Whatever.¡±
Adion closed the door behind him and breathed to calm down.
Should I just beat him up a little? But I¡¯m not sure I could do that without using my powers. So I would have to kill him. Maybe I should¡No, just get some fresh air.
Adion headed up on deck and noticed it was dark outside. He made his way to the railing and leaned over to see the ship cutting through the water, getting closer and closer to Ellia.
I really can¡¯t wait to get there.
It wasn¡¯t only an issue of having to deal with Astor¡¯s random bouts of talking nonsense. Adion couldn¡¯t train the way he wanted with so many people around. Maybe he could risk it if he had a cabin for himself, but as it was now, he had to stick to meditation.
It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if he could keep it up throughout the day, but it had diminishing effects as Adion exhausted his Will. Manipulating mana and pushing it into a full core to ever so slightly expand it was tiresome work.
Back in Lermen, Adion would only spend a few hours each morning on meditation and then practice his other abilities. He felt that was the optimal way to increase his strength. But how could he teleport or practice his volatile space with so many people around? And his aura training would surely alert anyone paying attention.
The only thing Adion could safely do was hide his strength and element deeper. It was something, but he couldn¡¯t tire himself out entirely. He needed to keep up hiding his aura well throughout the night, after all.
Adion would spend some time just pondering concepts each day now. It hadn¡¯t given any results, but grasping concepts was slow work that couldn¡¯t really be forced.
He had also thought some more about a possible runic device that could help him teleport. Adion had held some interest in runes before, but now he felt he should really find a way to combine his unique abilities and runes. Just finding a way to teleport long distances would make his time at the Academy worth it. And who knows what else he might stumble upon in his research.
I might be able to make runic devices that can recreate my abilities with any kind of mana. That would be a great safety to leave with my loved ones. Maybe I could even make something that gave anyone the ability to teleport, just like the formation at the Remori manor. I¡¯m sure Sell would love that.
Adion noticed that it had started snowing. He looked up at the sky and let the snowflakes land on his face to melt.
It shouldn¡¯t be too long before we arrive. A few days at most. I can stick through it. And I guess I do advance slightly faster than before. The moment I feel my core is filled to the brim, I¡¯m pushing on ahead to Silver. I should have more than enough Will to handle it.
¡°What are you doing wandering around this late, kid?¡± A voice sounded from Adion¡¯s right. Adion turned to see it was Captain Gyll. He had seen him around a few times during the past week but never talked to him.
¡°I¡¯m not wandering around, though?¡± Adion said and looked at the Captain with a confused look.
¡°Haha!¡± Captain Gyll laughed, ¡°You got me there. So, what are you doing up here? Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t even realize it was night,¡± Adion said, ¡°No window in my cabin.¡±
¡°Ah,¡± Captain Gyll said, ¡°Of course. It¡¯s hard keeping track of the day after a few days down there. Anyway, you¡¯re quite strong for someone so young. You that Tyllen kid? I heard we had one onboard.¡±
¡°No,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°He¡¯s in my cabin, though. Making sure my trip is a nightmare.¡±
¡°Oh? Didn¡¯t think a Tyllen would have the energy for that,¡± Captain Gyll said, ¡°Not after what happened.¡±
¡°Well, he seems to believe his parents are alive and well in Ellia,¡± Adion said, ¡°So he makes sure to muster the energy to be annoying a few times each day.¡±
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¡°Hehe,¡± Captain Gyll chuckled, ¡°Sorry about that. Lot of people wanting to get out of Dorbarta so we don¡¯t have much space.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said.
¡°You don¡¯t seem like a Noble yourself,¡± Captain Gyll noted.
¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Adion said, ¡°Just from a family clan. Not used to how delusional Nobles can be, I guess.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right about that,¡± Captain Gyll nodded, ¡°But this is their world. So their delusions often turn to reality.¡±
¡°How so?¡± Adion asked, curious about what Captain Gyll had experienced to make him say that.
¡°When I joined the Melorian Sailing Company, I dreamed of one day sailing to the Shattered West,¡± Captain Gyll explained, looking out across the dark water, ¡°That part of Shiora had always intrigued me. I grew up hearing about our settlement there, Marisma. I wanted to be a part of the mages exploring the unknown, mapping out this continent once and for all.¡±
¡°What happened?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Reality,¡± Captain Gyll answered, ¡°The sons and daughters of Nobles were put into those positions. Didn¡¯t matter if they had never even spent a day on the sea before. I was put on merchant ship after merchant ship. Eventually, I ended up here on the Trident, sailing it up and down, year after year. I used to think that it was all temporary. But I¡¯m almost 60 now and still high Silver. Probably won¡¯t ever reach Gold. It¡¯s a painful insight, you know. That this is all there will ever be, not a stepping stone to something greater as you once thought.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Adion mused, ¡°Not sure you can blame that on the Nobles. If you really want to sail to the Shattered West and explore, you can. No one¡¯s stopping you.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Captain Gyll chuckled once again, ¡°Harsh words from someone so young. I would have done so if there was a possibility, of course. But the Melorian Sailing Company keeps a tight grip over that area. Anyone seen going there on a ship that isn¡¯t theirs won¡¯t ever be sailing back.¡±
¡°They can do that?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°The powerful can do whatever they want,¡± Captain Gyll shrugged, ¡°Maybe if the other Kingdoms expressed an interest in a united front, they would have to make way. But that isn¡¯t the case.¡±
¡°Huh,¡± Adion said, ¡°Still, sail somewhere else if you¡¯re tired of the Trident. Sail across the Crimson Sea and see what lies beyond.¡±
¡°That would result in an even quicker death than heading for the Shattered West, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Captain Gyll said, ¡°But I see your point. I guess I always could find somewhere interesting to set sail toward. I have enough money saved up for a decent ship.¡±
¡°Then go,¡± Adion said, ¡°Instead of depressing your passengers with these stories.¡±
¡°Hahaha!¡± Captain Gyll laughed, ¡°Sorry about that. I¡¯ll listen to one of your depressing stories in return.¡±
¡°Not in the mood for sharing,¡± Adion said, ¡°You can tell me something about Ellia if you want. I haven¡¯t been there.¡±
¡°Not much to say except that it¡¯s a giant city. Beautiful too. A lot of Nobles, though, so you would do well to watch yourself so you don¡¯t step on anyone¡¯s toes. You never know who could be the nephew of a brother-in-law of a grandmother who is a Silver mage in some branch of a Noble family.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not planning on staying long, so hopefully nothing that bad will happen,¡± Adion said.
¡°You heading to Cyalis, I¡¯m guessing?¡± Captain Gyll asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°That¡¯s nice. Wish I had been talented enough to go there in my youth. Make sure to make the most of it,¡± Captain Gyll advised.
¡°I will,¡± Adion said, ¡°Do you know how long it will be before we reach Ellia?¡±
¡°We¡¯ve been lucky with the weather,¡± Captain Gyll said, ¡°As lucky as you can in winter at least. If we keep going at our current pace, we should reach Ellia in about five days.¡±
That¡¯s a little longer than I expected.
¡°Don¡¯t look so down,¡± Captain Gyll said, ¡°It could have been a lot worse. And I¡¯m sure a knock on the head will get that Tyllen guy in your cabin to keep quiet. You would probably want to hurry out of Ellia, though. If his parents are there, you won¡¯t meet a good ending.¡±
I didn¡¯t think about that. Should I just kill him? No. People would know it was me, and it would reach his parents. I don¡¯t want any more enemies than I already have.
¡°We were already planning on leaving Ellia straight away,¡± Adion said, ¡°Is it easy to get on a ship to Cyalis or anywhere close?¡±
¡°Should be,¡± Captain Gyll nodded, ¡°But¡Well, we¡¯ll see when we get there.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Just rumors,¡± Captain Gyll said, ¡°When we were stopping at Coreff, it was nowhere close to the scene at Dorbarta. But there were still more people looking for a ride to Ellia than usual. Nothing had happened in Coreff, but apparently, Dorbarta isn¡¯t the only city in turmoil, and word about it is spreading.¡±
¡°You mean something like an attack on a Noble family? Why? Was this all coordinated?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Captain Gyll sighed, ¡°It¡¯s been a tumultuous couple of years, hasn¡¯t it? If the Fire Phoenix doesn¡¯t do us in, I¡¯m sure we sapi will get the work done.¡±
This is bad news. Thankfully, Benji is a quick thinker and made us all get out of here. I just hope Ellia is normal and we can leave the Delovan Empire behind us.
¡°Maybe it was us who ended the Age of Wonder, too,¡± Adion said in response to Captain Gyll.
¡°That wouldn¡¯t surprise me, I guess,¡± Captain Gyll murmured.
¡°Well, thanks for the talk, Captain Gyll,¡± Adion said and turned to leave, ¡°It¡¯s so cold I actually prefer a cabin with that bastard.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Captain Gyll chuckled, ¡°Good luck, lad. I hope you can last the journey without strangling him.¡±
We¡¯ll see.
Adion headed back to his cabin. Once he got there, he was greeted with the unpleasant sight of Astor sitting on his bed, meditating.
Hopefully, he¡¯ll keep quiet for now.
Adion sat down on his bed and started practicing his aura control, pulling it closer to his body to hide. He had progressed to an amazing degree after eating the Merillian Soul Peaches, but there was still room for improvement.
¡°I¡¯ll get to join the Shields, you know,¡± Astor suddenly said.
Why!?
¡°I¡¯m sure some other House will want you, though, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t know much about the bottom-ranked Houses, but at least one of them is sure to accept you,¡± Astor continued.
I think Benji has mentioned the Houses. What did he say about the Shields again?
¡°Whatever House I join, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll do better than you,¡± Adion said.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Astor laughed, ¡°The Shields haven¡¯t dropped from first place in forever. And as a middle Bronze Noble in the diamond class, I will become an essential member. Set for life. Your only hope is to reach Silver during your time there and get to serve as a guard for some Noble.¡±
¡°You know, I think you might be the most pathetic person I¡¯ve ever met, Astor,¡± Adion looked to Astor and said.
¡°What did you say?¡± Astor said, looking at Adion with furious eyes.
¡°And I¡¯ve met some pretty pathetic people. In a way, it¡¯s an accomplishment,¡± Adion continued.
¡°You think you can get away with talking to me like that?¡± Astor calmly asked, staring at Adion.
¡°What are you going to do? Want to see if you¡¯re actually stronger? I¡¯ll just sit here and let you have the first attack,¡± Adion said.
Astor got to his feet, staring down at Adion, who was still sitting calmly on his bed. Adion didn¡¯t feel any fear. He could freeze Astor stiff with just a thought.
A few seconds passed with the two staring at each other. But eventually, Astor turned around and left the cabin. Leaving Adion alone to gloat.
But it didn¡¯t take long before Adion realized that things easily could have gotten out of hand.
What was I thinking? Using my powers would mean I would have to kill him. Or accept that word about my ¡®Gift¡¯ spreads. I really shouldn¡¯t lose my cool like that.
Adion lay down on his bed. Miserable about the current situation.
I usually sleep with one eye open, but I think I¡¯ll have to sleep with two open tonight. I really can¡¯t wait for us to arrive in Ellia.
Chapter 78 - Ellia
¡°Finally,¡± Adion said as the port of Ellia appeared in the distance. He and his teammates were all up on deck, not wanting to stay on the ship for a second more than necessary.
¡°You¡¯ve had it rough,¡± Rufus said as he put a hand on Adion¡¯s shoulder.
¡°But I did it,¡± Adion nodded in satisfaction.
¡°Did what?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°I got through the journey without killing Astor,¡± Adion said.
¡°That was an option?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But I held it in. Now, there won¡¯t be any mess to clean up because of a missing Noble.¡±
¡°You really shouldn¡¯t kill people arbitrarily like that, Adion,¡± Sahra said, ¡°I know he was a bother toward Sell. But he¡¯s still just a kid that hasn¡¯t done anything unforgivable.¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± Adion waved her off, ¡°I wasn¡¯t actually going to.¡±
Until I had to spend two weeks in a cabin with him. I¡¯m sure you would feel the same, Sahra.
¡°Now we just need to find another ship to take us out of Ellia before Astor calls his parents on you out of spite,¡± Benji said.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Hopefully, things are calm here, and we can get on a ship quickly.¡±
If that Astor really goes on to cause trouble for me, I won¡¯t let him off easily next time. I even held myself back from punching him in the face.
Should I get myself something as a reward? What do I want, though? Maybe just a nice meal.
The ship eventually docked, and the team lined up to get off the ship. Adion¡¯s eyes were on the grand and beautiful city. Half of the city was placed at a higher altitude, giving Adion a clear view of the marvelous structures behind the city wall.
¡°Line up orderly for questioning!¡± A yell resounded as Adion and his team stepped off the ship.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sahra murmured.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Benji said.
There were almost twenty guards in uniform waiting on the dock, almost all of them Silver, with a Gold mage at the front, seemingly in charge.
¡°You!¡± One of the guards pointed at Benji, ¡°Over there.¡±
Benji obeyed and went to one of the guards waiting for him with pen and paper in hand. Adion and the rest of the team followed close behind him. They were part of the same group, after all. And none of the guards said anything about it.
¡°Names?¡± The guard asked as the group arrived.
¡°Er, I¡¯m Benji Merond,¡± Benji answered, ¡°This is Sahra, Rufus, Lomin, and Adion.¡±
The guard looked up to scrutinize the group, ¡°The kid doesn¡¯t have a last name?¡±
¡°Oh, of course. He¡¯s a Merond like me, a cousin. We¡¯re from Rellen and have been doing some Outskirting at the Silver Wall. We decided to leave when the Tyllen family was attacked, though¡is that what this is about?¡±
The guard looked at Adion for a few more seconds before turning to Benji again.
Should you really lie about that, Benji? I¡¯m sure that these guards have trained their aura sense to detect lies. Hopefully, he¡¯s not very talented. And Benji has had two Merrillian Soul Peaches, it might be enough.
¡°You said you are coming from Dorbarta?¡± The guard asked, ¡°Tell me everything that happened and what you saw.¡±
Benji began explaining everything from the moment he woke up. However, he was stopped as soon as he mentioned Astor.
¡°Astor Tyllen is onboard?¡± The guard asked, ¡°The son of Lenn and Huga Tyllen?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure whose son he is, but yes, that should be the one,¡± Benji confirmed.
¡°Point him out to me,¡± The guard said.
Benji turned around and saw Astor just coming down from the ship.
¡°That should be him,¡± Benji said as he pointed him out.
¡°Wait here,¡± The guard said. He then walked over to the Gold mage and pointed out Astor to him.
The Gold immediately headed over to Astor with a few of his subordinates. Adion sharpened his ears to overhear their conversation.
¡°Are you Astor Tyllen?¡± The Gold asked.
¡°I am,¡± Astor nodded.
¡°Good, good,¡± The Gold nodded with a smile, ¡°Please come with me, young master. I¡¯ll take you to your mother and father myself.¡±
¡°Thank you, Gold¡¡± Astor said with a question hanging.
¡°Gold Herrman, young master Astor,¡± The Gold filled in.
¡°Thank you, Gold Herrman,¡± Astor nodded with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go, shall we?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± The Gold nodded, and they turned around to leave.
Astor made sure to make eye contact with Adion as he was escorted away, throwing him a smug smile.
Will he be so petty as to cause trouble for me? I¡¯m sure he is. I hope his parents are wiser and don¡¯t have time for anything so silly. Either way, we¡¯ll be leaving as soon as we can.
The Silver guard came back to continue the group''s questioning.
At least there are only Silvers around now.
¡°Right, where were we?¡± The guard said, ¡°Right, the story of what happened in Dorbarta. We should have a clear image now with young master Astor here.¡±
¡°Excuse me, but what exactly is going on? Are we suspected of anything?¡± Benji asked.
¡°Everyone is a suspect,¡± The guard answered, ¡°We are at war.¡±
¡°We are?¡± Benji asked.
¡°Right¡you wouldn¡¯t know,¡± The guard said, looking at the group, ¡°The Emperor¡¯s brother has betrayed the Empire. We are still receiving information, but many Nobles seem to have sided with the traitor. It¡¯s safe to say that we are in a civil war. That¡¯s why no one can enter the city without a thorough background check.¡±
¡°Something like that happened? Then what would you need?¡± Benji asked, ¡°We have our cards from the Outskirt Guild. Would that be enough?¡±
The guard shook his head, ¡°Not in these times. Not for Silver mages, at least.¡± The guard then turned to look at Adion, ¡°And especially not 16-year-old Bronze mages.¡±
¡°So, what do we do?¡± Benji asked.
¡°Unless you are part of a family clan allied to the Empire, you will have to stay here until someone is ready to interview you. A person I advise you not to lie to,¡± The guard said, ¡°That will take a few days, though.¡±
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That¡¯s not good.
¡°We¡¯re actually heading straight for Cyalis,¡± Sahra put in, ¡°Is there any way we can just leave?¡±
¡°Unfortunately not. You are potential enemies at the heart of the Empire. And you will be treated as such.¡± The guard responded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s orders.¡±
¡°Benji¡¡± Adion said.
¡°Hm? What?¡± Benji turned to ask.
This might be a risk, but I doubt they¡¯ll be part of this. And I can¡¯t get my secrets revealed.
¡°Maybe Termon Delhelm can vouch for us? Would that be enough?¡± Adion asked both Benji and the guard.
¡°The Delhelm family,¡± The guard pondered, ¡°I believe so. They have been loyal and helpful during this time. I¡¯ll get a message sent then.¡±
Adion breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully, they will vouch for us. They don¡¯t really know us that well, so this is a shot in the dark. But I don¡¯t know what else to do.
¡°You can wait over there until someone brings word,¡± The guard said, pointing out a spot down the dock.
¡°Alright, thank you,¡± Benji nodded in thanks.
The group went to their designated area, and Adion took a seat on an abandoned crate.
¡°Do you think Termon will actually vouch for us?¡± Benji asked, ¡°He doesn¡¯t know if we are part of this or not. And he doesn¡¯t know us well enough to take a risk like that for our sake. We only talked for a few hours during the auction, after all.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure, but we can¡¯t wait for someone skilled in aura to come here and question us,¡± Adion said, ¡°And I bet Termon would vouch for us. We didn¡¯t meet for long, but he should have gotten a feeling that we aren¡¯t bad people.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Benji said, ¡°Oh well, all we can do now is wait.¡±
¡°What if we actually are called for questioning?¡± Sahra asked, ¡°What should we do?¡±
Everyone turned silent and began pondering the problem.
¡°I have a good chance even against someone with experience at detecting lies,¡± Adion finally said, ¡°The problem is you guys. You have gotten quite good, but we can¡¯t underestimate someone who has perhaps done this for a living for decades.¡±
¡°Should we leave it to you to answer then?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°I doubt they¡¯d be so kind,¡± Adion said, ¡°You don¡¯t have as many secrets as me, at least. And we should be pretty clear just honestly answering that we have no ill will against the Empire. Even our distaste for the Derolm family and their allies wouldn¡¯t be a lie. And if they ask you something about me, try to think if you can be 100 percent sure that is actually the case. If you¡¯re able to find some doubt, you could get away with a ¡®I¡¯m not sure¡¯¡±
¡°Hm,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°That could work. I guess we might not be as screwed as I thought. But won¡¯t you be called out for hiding your aura?¡±
¡°If I¡¯m leagues above the one doing the questioning, which I suspect I am, they won¡¯t be able to tell the difference between me hiding a lie and me telling the truth,¡± Adion said.
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Benji said, ¡°Let¡¯s hope they won¡¯t have someone too important waste their time on us then.¡±
¡°That or that the Delhelm family comes to our aide,¡± Adion said.
Adion and his team could do nothing but wait in the cold, hoping for some good news. Some of the passengers joined them, while others were let through into the city. It was about two hours later that Adion spotted a familiar man approaching from the distance, next to the same guard who had questioned them.
¡°It¡¯s Termon!¡± Adion yelled out as he stood up, ¡°He actually came.¡±
His teammates all looked over. Benji immediately got on his feet and went to meet Termon. Adion and the others followed.
¡°Termon,¡± Benji said as they met, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to trouble you like this. We all owe you greatly.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Termon chuckled, ¡°Think nothing of it. I needed to stretch my legs. Been cooped up inside for too long during these cold days.¡±
¡°So, Gold Termon, you can vouch for these people?¡± The guard asked.
¡°I can,¡± Termon nodded.
¡°Then please sign here,¡± The guard said, handing over a piece of paper for Termon to sign.
¡°Sure, sure,¡± Termon nodded and signed his name.
¡°Then you are free to leave,¡± The guard smiled, ¡°Welcome to Ellia. I hope the poor reception won¡¯t ruin your stay here.¡±
¡°Of course not,¡± Benji said with a polite smile, ¡°We all understand why it was needed. Thank you for your help.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s head to our manor,¡± Termon said, ¡°We have plenty of rooms for you. You can tell me about your journey when we get there. I¡¯m sure Prago will be excited to hear it, too.¡±
¡°Prago is still here?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I thought he would have left for Cyalis already.¡±
¡°Not quite yet,¡± Termon answered while the group began walking up to the city gates, ¡°We were planning on taking a ship there in a month. Now that seems like it might be difficult, so we¡¯ve been in the process of getting permission to leave the city and travel there in carriage.¡±
¡°There are no ships sailing anymore?¡± Sahra asked, ¡°And even someone like you need permission to leave the city?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure some ships are still sailing, but getting on one is not as easy as it used to be. As for leaving the city, it¡¯s not difficult, but it¡¯s a process nonetheless. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t take long, and we can leave whenever we want.¡± Termon answered.
¡°We¡¯re actually heading for Cyalis ourselves,¡± Benji said, ¡°Well, Adion is. But the rest of us are going the same way. Do you think we would be able to complete this ¡®process¡¯ and get permission to leave?¡±
¡°Oh? Heading there so soon?¡± Termon asked.
¡°We were already planning on heading there early. In spring. But with the attack on the Tyllen fam-¡± Benji began but was cut off short by Termon.
¡°Don¡¯t spoil the surprise! I want to hear all about it, of course, but not out on the streets. Let¡¯s wait until we¡¯re all nice and warm.¡± Termon said.
¡°That sounds great,¡± Benji smiled.
¡°What exactly is it that has happened? Is there actually a civil war going on?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Hmm,¡± Termon mused, ¡°I suppose we will need something to talk about on the way. Yes, there is civil war. The Emperor¡¯s father, the previous emperor, died around two weeks ago. That was when it all started. The Emperor¡¯s brother, Onden Delovan, seemed to have made plans in the dark.
¡°Nothing happened in Ellia, at least nothing I know of, but soon, reports started coming in about attacks occurring all over the Empire. From Port Gladia, to Hengma, to the Silver Wall. Nobles and family clans were attacked out of nowhere, by other Nobles and family clans allied with Onden. Even if the situation is still very uncertain, the southwest part of the Empire is basically under Onden¡¯s control. I¡¯m glad I will travel with Prago to Cyalis. I don¡¯t wish to become involved in a war against fellow humans.¡±
Is this Onden somehow connected to Heavenly Light? Or is this something different? Either way, it¡¯s an entirely different playing field than anything I can handle at the moment.
¡°I¡¯m glad we managed to get away when we did,¡± Benji said, ¡°Who knows if we would have ever had a chance at getting away if we had stayed in Lermen.¡±
¡°If we can get away even now,¡± Adion said, ¡°Do you know any way for us to leave the city and travel north?¡±
¡°Oh, right. Why don¡¯t you just come with me and Prago? I¡¯m sure the boy would appreciate the company.¡± Termon said.
¡°Is that¡Is that really alright?¡± Benji asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Termon smiled, ¡°It would only make the journey more enjoyable. Prago and I have traveled so much alone together that we are starting to get sick of each other.¡±
¡°Thank you, Termon,¡± Benji said and stopped walking to bow in gratitude, ¡°I don¡¯t think we can ever repay your kindness.¡±
Adion also realized just how much trouble Termon had helped them through, even though they did not really know each other.
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion said, bowing next to Benji. The rest of the team quickly joined them.
¡°None of that, none of that,¡± Termon said, ¡°People will think I¡¯m bullying you. Just entertain me along the way, and you¡¯ll have more than made up for it.¡±
¡°I hope I can tell you some good stories,¡± Lomin said with a smile.
¡°I''m sure you can,¡± Termon nodded.
After walking for a few more minutes, the group reached the Delhelm family manor. Termon took them to the part of the manor that belonged to his branch of the family. It had its own walls surrounding it, making Adion wonder if it was because of the tension in the family he had heard Termon talk about, or just how the manor was made.
Even if it was noticeably less extravagant than the other parts of the manor, it was still nothing to scoff at. Adion and his team were led to a guest house where they would be staying, and it was big enough for at least double the amount of people to stay comfortably.
¡°I hope this will do,¡± Termon said as they stepped inside the guest house.
¡°This is more than enough,¡± Benji said.
¡°Then let me call over some servants to heat up the place some more. I¡¯ll call Prago over, and then I¡¯d love to hear all about your journey,¡± Termon said.
¡°Of course,¡± Benji nodded.
Termon left, and Adion and his teammates all sat down on the several couches placed throughout the living room they were in.
¡°I can¡¯t believe how lucky we are,¡± Rufus said.
¡°Just how much of a mess would this have been without Termon? I don¡¯t want to imagine the trouble we would have to go through,¡± Sahra said.
Thankfully, it all seems to have worked out. For now, that is.
Chapter 79 - Delhelm manor
¡°When did you grow taller than me?¡± Prago asked Adion as they greeted each other. Termon had only been gone for 20 minutes before returning to the guest house together with Prago.
¡°I¡¯ve always been taller than you,¡± Adion said.
¡°You¡¯re a year younger. Why is life so unfair?¡± Prago complained.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s get comfortable,¡± Termon said and gestured for everyone to take a seat, ¡°I want to hear about your journey.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Benji nodded and began to explain, ¡°After the auction, nothing much happened. We headed to an outpost called Lermen, where we have stayed all this time. Nothing much happened there, I suppose. Well¡¡±
Benji hesitated. Adion also realized that much of what they had been through wasn¡¯t strictly secret, but nothing that could be shared casually either.
¡°Adion got himself a girlfriend,¡± Sahra said with a smile, helping Benji out of the predicament.
¡°Oh?¡± Termon looked to Adion, ¡°Who¡¯s the lucky lady?¡±
How did it turn out like this?
¡°Well, her name is Sell,¡± Adion said, his voice a little hesitant, ¡°She joined our team for a couple of months, and¡yeah.¡±
¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Prago questioned, ¡°Come on, more. Is she pretty?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°She could definitely be a princess.¡±
¡°Haha!¡± Termon laughed, ¡°See! That¡¯s how you talk about your girl. You could learn something from Adion, Prago. I don¡¯t want to see you returning from the Academy without some romance.¡±
¡°What, I¡I¡¯ll try,¡± Prago sighed.
¡°You¡¯ll help him out, won¡¯t you, Adion?¡± Termon asked.
¡°I¡¯ll make sure to guide him properly,¡± Adion nodded with a serious expression.
¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Prago said.
¡°Just make sure Prago brings the girl home,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Or he¡¯ll end up like Adion, moping around, acting all grumpy.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not grumpy,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m just focused on my training.¡±
¡°Pretty sure you¡¯re grumpy,¡± Sahra said.
¡°So what happened to this Sell then?¡± Termon asked, ¡°Why is she not with you?¡±
¡°She had to go back home. But we¡¯ll meet at the Academy again,¡± Adion said.
¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Termon smiled, ¡°So you have hunted beasts all these months? And then you said you got on a ship when the Tyllen family was attacked?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Benji nodded. He then went on to explain how they had been in Dorbarta to celebrate Adion and were lucky to get a spot on one of the few remaining ships. Everyone in the team chipped in with a few stories of their own from their time together. Termon seemed to enjoy listening, so they all made an effort to narrate an interesting story.
Adion chose to tell them the story of how they had met Mashi and what he had learned about the Kuwamin from him. Termon seemed to have heard something similar, but their unique way of naming their children was news to Prago.
Eventually, Adion turned to Prago to ask about runes, as he remembered him having a great interest in them the last time they met.
¡°Do you remember that artifact that was up for auction in Dorbarta?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Prago nodded.
¡°I was just thinking, what makes something an artifact? What separates them from the runic devices we make? Is there something about them that is impossible to recreate?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, usually, an artifact is simply a runic device that was made during the Age of Wonder. But I believe ¡®artifact¡¯ sometimes is used to mean an advanced runic device,¡± Prago began explaining, ¡°As for what makes the artifacts from the Age of Wonder different from the ones we can make, it¡¯s that the runes back then were much more advanced, able to perform feats we can¡¯t begin to comprehend how to replicate.
¡°We also don¡¯t know how some artifacts that have been found could be made. It¡¯s a complete mystery. Most believe it would take a mage stronger than Pure Soul in order to recreate the feat.
¡°But it¡¯s not all like that. We have cracked quite a few old runes during the millennia, and we now have runic devices that would seem indistinguishable from an artifact to people at the beginning of the Age of Discovery.¡±
¡°There is no stopping him now, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Termon said with a chuckle, ¡°I¡¯ll leave this little discussion for you two. Why don¡¯t the rest of you join me as I give a tour of the place?¡±
¡°We would love to,¡± Benji said and got to his feet. Lomin and Rufus got ready to leave as well.
¡°I think I¡¯d like to learn a little more about runes, actually,¡± Sahra said.
¡°Really?¡± Benji asked, staring questioningly at his girlfriend.
¡°Well, you know¡¡± Sahra said and let out a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve been cold for two weeks now. I don¡¯t want to go out there again.¡±
¡°Hahaha!¡± Termon laughed joyfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve realized. Take care to warm yourself up properly, Sahra.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Sahra said, slightly embarrassed.
Termon led the others away for a tour while Adion turned his attention to Prago again.
¡°So if someone found an artifact, how would they go about trying to replicate it?¡± Adion asked. Sahra leaned back on her couch, closing her eyes. Adion was unsure if she was listening or not.
Prago¡¯s face lit up, ¡°That would be my dream. I think the title of Sage wouldn¡¯t be out of reach if the artifact were impressive enough. But it wouldn¡¯t be easy. You would have to use it and carefully feel how the mana flows down the runic pathways, something close to impossible even with an incredible mana sense. It would take years to familiarize yourself with it enough to try to replicate it yourself. That¡¯s if the artifact is made using a method we can replicate, of course.¡±
¡°These runic pathways, how do they work?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Actually, what exactly are runes? Just symbols?¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Prago laughed, ¡°Runes are just patterns, and if mana flows through these patterns, a certain magical effect occurs. It could be as simple as the runic device heats up, or as complex as long-distance communication.¡±
¡°Long-distance communication?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± Prago nodded, ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether-¡±
¡°Young master!¡± The voice of a man suddenly resounded as a man dressed as a guard threw the doors to the guest house open.
¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on?¡± Prago asked.
¡°Where is Gold Termon? There is a problem,¡± The guard said.
¡°He is not here right now. What''s the problem?¡± Prago got from his seat and asked.
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¡°There are multiple people from the Tyllen family at the gate. They are asking for someone named Adion,¡± The guard hurriedly explained, ¡°Gerlem saw Gold Termon enter with a few new faces today, so I was sent to ask about it. What should we do? Do we let them in? They don¡¯t seem to be very patient.¡±
¡°What? Adion? Why?¡± Prago asked.
¡°Prago,¡± Adion said as he put a hand on his shoulder, ¡°Wait a moment, let me think.¡±
Sahra also got up from her and was looking at Adion with a worried expression.
I can¡¯t believe it. Well, I thought about it, but to think he would actually convince his parents to send people after me as soon as he arrived.
I swear I¡¯ll kill that- Wait, not now. Think. What are the options? Can we really fight? Nobles? In the middle of Ellia?
I could probably get away if I go now, but the others¡There is a great risk they get implicated and perhaps captured in my stead. If that happens, I have no way to get them out.
¡°Prago,¡± Adion said in a serious voice, ¡°Go with that guard and tell those people I am here, cooperate, and hand me over.¡±
¡°What? But-¡± Prago began.
¡°Just do it,¡± Adion said, ¡°Make sure not to act like you know me well. Make up an excuse for why I¡¯m here. And-¡±
¡°Adion, what are you talking about?¡± Sahra said nervously.
¡°Just do it, Prago. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Adion said.
Prago stared questioningly at Adion. Adion smiled reassuredly at him, ¡°It¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle. Don¡¯t worry. I just don¡¯t want to create a mess for your grandfather. So go.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Prago nodded and turned to leave with the guard.
¡°Adion, what are you doing?¡± Sahra asked as soon as they left, ¡°You¡¯re going to go with them?¡±
¡°It¡¯s our only option,¡± Adion said, ¡°And I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll kill me, at least not immediately. I¡¯m pretty sure Astor wants to flaunt his power and humiliate me. So I¡¯ll have time to escape. You know I can get out of anywhere with my teleportation. It won¡¯t be a problem. The Tyllen family also doesn¡¯t have a Soul mage anymore, so I can hide my aura and sneak out undetected.
¡°I can¡¯t do any of that with you guys, though, so you need to leave ahead of me. Try to get moving soon. I¡¯ll catch up with you, say, a day''s journey north. If I¡¯m on my own, leaving Ellia is not a problem.¡±
¡°But can the Tyllen family really do anything?¡± Sahra asked, ¡°Their family is basically eradicated. I don¡¯t know how many people they had left here in Ellia, but surely not enough to want to make enemies with a 1st tier family?¡±
¡°I¡¯m also a bit surprised that Astor¡¯s parents agreed to this. But they are still Nobles. Perhaps they want to use this as an opportunity to show everyone that. If that¡¯s the case, they won¡¯t back away easily.¡± Adion said.
Sahra looked at Adion with a conflicted expression before finally relenting with a sigh, ¡°Mellan is a small town about a day''s journey from here. We¡¯ll stay in the most expensive inn. We¡¯ll be there for three days. If you haven¡¯t shown up by then, we¡¯ll come to cause some havoc. So make sure to get out of there immediately.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Don¡¯t kill anyone if you don¡¯t have to,¡± Sahra said.
¡°Why?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You¡¯re only goal is to get out of there and reach us. Nothing else matters right now. And the murder of a Noble could escalate the situation.¡± Sahra said.
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Adion nodded. He looked out the window and thought he could see some people in the distance, probably the Tyllen guards coming for him.
¡°Sahra. I need you to do something for me,¡± Adion said.
¡°What?¡± Sahra asked.
Adion went to pick up his backpack and handed it over to Sahra, ¡°Take care of this for me. Don¡¯t let it leave your sight. It¡¯s the most precious thing I have. It¡¯s more important than anything.¡±
Adion stopped to look Sahra deep in the eyes, ¡°And also¡please don¡¯t look inside.¡±
Sahra looked back at Adion for a while before nodding, ¡°You can count on me.¡±
Adion turned to look out the window, ¡°Can¡¯t just stand here waiting, I guess. Do I really have to act surprised like some idiot?¡±
Adion heard a small sniff and turned to see Sahra with tears in her eyes.
¡°Sahra,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°It will be fine. Really.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Sahra said, wiping the tears from her eyes, ¡°You¡¯ll escape right away, so I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m so upset.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Go upstairs so no one spots you and thinks to bring you along.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sahra nodded and turned to leave.
Adion took a deep breath and opened the door to step outside.
There is not a prison in this world that can hold me. You¡¯re just wasting everyone¡¯s time, Astor. I will make sure to make you pay for this in the future.
¡°You were going to turn yourself into the Tyllen family? Are you crazy?¡± Termon¡¯s scolding voice was heard just as he got outside.
¡°What?¡± Adion saw that there were no Tyllen guards around, just Termon, Prago, Adion¡¯s teammates, and a few guards from the Delhelm family.
¡°You were acting crazy, so I went to find Grandpa and told him what was happening,¡± Prago explained.
Termon walked up to Adion and flicked him on the forehead, ¡°How were you expecting to get out once the Tyllen family had you? You¡¯re just a Bronze mage, Adion. And do you really think so little of the Delhelm family that we would let a few Silvers come here and act as they wish?¡±
¡°But they are a Noble family,¡± Adion said, ¡°They can surely cause a lot of trouble for you.¡±
¡°They have, what? Two? Maybe three Diamond mages left as the powerhouses of their family? The Delhelm family has over 30. There is no chance that the Imperial family will let them cause trouble for our family, especially in times like these.¡± Termon said.
¡°I guess¡that makes sense,¡± Adion said.
¡°I didn¡¯t take you for someone so reckless,¡± Termon shook his head, ¡°Get inside again. Even if the Tyllen family can¡¯t do anything, there is no point in staying either. We¡¯ll leave tomorrow morning.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Then let¡¯s get back to it,¡± Termon said, ¡°Continue your little talk with Prago. The rest of you, let¡¯s see the rest of the manor.¡±
Termon then turned around to leave, Rufus and Lomin following. Only Benji stayed behind, staring at Adion.
¡°Adion,¡± Benji said calmly, walking up to him, ¡°I¡¯m not happy that a teammate of mine has caused trouble for the Delhelm family.¡±
Benji is angry!? Adion felt shivers all over his body.
¡°You¡¯ve made sure to antagonize Astor at every turn since you first saw him, despite the countless times I¡¯ve warned you to be careful of Nobles. And now it¡¯s Termon¡¯s trouble to handle, even after everything he has already done for us.¡± Benji said. His calm voice and expressionless face made Adion feel much worse than if he had been yelling.
¡°I¡I get it, Benji. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll make sure to make it up to Termon. And to you guys, too,¡± Adion said.
Benji only nodded and turned to leave.
I didn¡¯t know Benji could be so scary.
¡°I didn¡¯t know Benji could be so scary,¡± Prago repeated Adion¡¯s thoughts from beside him.
¡°Me neither,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Well, anyway. Do you want to take a look at some runes? I can go get my notebooks.¡± Prago asked.
¡°Sure,¡± Adion nodded, still somewhat in a daze.
Prago ran off, and Adion stepped inside the guesthouse again.
I guess it was obvious for Prago not to believe I could escape and went to get Termon. A normal Bronze wouldn¡¯t stand a chance after all.
Why was I so quick to hand myself over? I probably could get out immediately, but there are always risks involved.
As Adion got to the living room, he noticed Sahra standing there with an awkward smile.
¡°Well, we sure look silly now, don¡¯t we?¡± Sahra said.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion said, ¡°I suppose things got a little overly dramatic.¡±
¡°It was because you were so quick to go with them,¡± Sahra muttered, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I actually agreed.¡±
¡°Well, I guess it turned out for the best,¡± Adion said, ¡°You ever seen Benji angry?¡±
¡°Never at me,¡± Sahra smiled, ¡°But yeah, it has happened. Do you think all I fell for was his clever mind?¡±
¡°Girls like that?¡± Adion asked, surprised.
¡°Haha,¡± Sahra laughed, ¡°Oh, how I wish I could see you acting tough in front of Sell at the Academy.¡±
¡°Whatever,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°Here,¡± Sahra said, handing Adion¡¯s backpack over again.
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion said, taking it.
Nothing more was said, and they both took their seats again, waiting for Prago to get back.
Chapter 80 - Leaving Ellia
¡°Feels nice to get out of there,¡± Sahra said as the view of Ellia disappeared below the horizon. She then turned to Termon and hurriedly added, ¡°No offense, your manor was lovely. I¡¯m sure Ellia is really nice during other circumstances.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Termon smiled, ¡°I¡¯m well aware of how hard it can be to ignore the tensions in the city.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m afraid the Delovan Empire won¡¯t be normal for a while. I¡¯m glad we¡¯re getting out of here,¡± Benji said, ¡°How long before we reach Iitha?¡±
¡°Even at this pace, it will be well over a week,¡± Termon said.
Not too bad. Adion thought. At least this carriage is leagues above the cabin I had to share with Astor.
They were currently traveling north from Ellia, in a spacious carriage belonging to the Delhelm family. They had left early in the morning, just like planned after the incident with the Tyllen family guards.
It was only Termon, Prago, and Adion¡¯s team that were traveling in the carriage. Two Bronze mages of the Delhelm family were sitting up front, driving the carriage. It would allow them to travel all through the night, something that had been decided on until they got out of the Empire.
¡°I¡¯ve actually never been to Iitha,¡± Benji commented, ¡°Maybe we could make a stop somewhere and take a look around?¡±
¡°That is a must,¡± Termon nodded, ¡°Any special place you want to visit?¡±
¡°Maybe Amyss?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well,¡± Termon hesitated, ¡°That would be quite the detour.¡±
¡°And I¡¯m not sure what you think you can accomplish by going there, Adion,¡± Sahra said with a smile.
¡°Just¡seemed like a nice place to visit. But if it¡¯s too far, never mind,¡± Adion said.
It would probably be difficult to meet Sell anyway. Hopefully, she manages to get to Cyalis early.
¡°Wait, your girlfriend is from Amyss, isn¡¯t she?¡± Prago asked.
¡°Now that you mention it,¡± Adion said.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Termon laughed, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. Well, I guess it¡¯s not really that much of a detour.¡±
¡°No, Termon. Adion has no way of meeting her there anyway,¡± Sahra said, ¡°They will be meeting early in at Cyalis anyway, isn¡¯t that right, Adion?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°We should just make a stop along the way,¡± Adion agreed. There was really nothing he could do even if he got to Amyss and Sell was there.
I¡¯m so weak. I need to make sure to get my training done during this journey. I can¡¯t do much with my space magic, but meditation and practicing hiding my aura, like I did on the ship, should do just fine.
¡°Maybe we can make a short stop in Rethi,¡± Benji suggested, ¡°It¡¯s on the way, I believe. I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s a nice city.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Termon nodded, ¡°That sounds like a good idea. But to think you¡¯ve never been to Iitha. You must have gotten to the Empire by ship then, I suppose?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°Sahra and I left straight after graduating at Cyalis. Visiting her father and doing some Outskirting sounded like a nice idea.¡±
¡°So you haven¡¯t been home since you went to Cyalis?¡± Prago asked.
¡°No,¡± Benji shook his head.
¡°But he soon will. I¡¯m looking forward to meeting them,¡± Sahra said.
¡°Right,¡± Benji awkwardly smiled.
Adion would continue the journey to Cyalis with Termon and Prago. But his teammates would cut the journey short once they were in Rellen. They would visit Benji¡¯s family manor and then head for the Kuwa Mountains.
Adion was a little jealous. He wanted to explore the Kuwa Mountains too. But more than anything, he was looking forward to getting to Cyalis. Reuniting his family. Meeting Sell again. Growing strong at peace behind the Academy¡¯s walls. Adion was excited for the future.
¡°Wait, then why is Adion here with you?¡± Prago asked, ¡°He traveled all the way out here just to train with you in the Outskirts?¡±
¡°Er,¡± Benji hesitated.
¡°I¡¯m not actually his cousin,¡± Adion awkwardly smiled, ¡°Sorry, it was just a lie we were going with because I didn¡¯t want to reveal my family name.¡±
Adion had thought about the issue since yesterday when he remembered the lie Benji had told about their relationship at the auction. He had realized that there wasn¡¯t really any point in hiding it any longer. He was going to travel together with Prago and Termon all the way to Cyalis, after all. Once there, Adion would reunite with his family, and it would be obvious he had lied about his relation to Benji.
¡°Didn¡¯t want to tell your family name, why? Are you some hidden Noble?¡± Prago asked.
¡°No,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m just from a 2nd-tier family.¡±
¡°Then why hide it?¡± Prago asked.
Well¡I still better not reveal something out of carelessness.
¡°The others have already heard all about it. Why don¡¯t I save the story until it¡¯s just the three of us?¡± Adion asked.
Prago was about to say something else, but Termon beat him to it, ¡°That seems like a good idea. I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± Termon said with a smile.
That should be plenty of time to think up a story that doesn¡¯t reveal anything I don¡¯t want them to know.
¡°So anyway,¡± Sahra said, ¡°Can you believe that I have actually never met Benji¡¯s family? And he¡¯s always worming his way out of answering any questions about them.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Benji smiled awkwardly, ¡°You¡¯ll get it when you meet them.¡±
Adion tuned out the conversation as he closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. He hadn¡¯t much time to meditate in the morning before it was time to leave. And he saw no point in wasting his Will. It should be used to its fullest every day.
He couldn¡¯t help but listen a little longer to the ongoing conversation, though. It was always interesting hearing Benji dodge the topic of what was so embarrassing about his family.
Adion had been a little uneasy this morning, thinking Benji might still be angry at him. Thankfully, it seemed that Benji had let the matter go.
Adion had given Astor and how he handled him some thought. He still believed he could have dealt with the consequences himself, without causing trouble for anyone else. The Tyllen family was not what it was a month ago, after all. And Adion didn¡¯t believe there was a prison anywhere that could keep him locked up.
But there was always a risk. Even if it seemed unlikely to Adion, it could be the case that the remaining Diamond mages of the Tyllen family would immediately attack to kill him as soon as he set foot in their manor. Adion knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to survive something like that. And as he thought about it, lashing out at Astor hadn¡¯t really accomplished anything. He could have just ignored his remarks and focused on himself and his training.
Alone in a cold cabin with that bastard really pushed me, it seems. I have to keep in mind not to be so rash in the future.
A couple of hours into the journey, Adion felt that he had achieved as much as he could with his meditation for a while without seriously diminishing returns.
Maybe I can get some more meditation done tonight. I should rest my Will for a while.
¡°I think it would be great,¡± Sahra said as Adion opened his eyes once again. Prago was quietly meditating beside him, but he noticed Termon was nowhere to be seen. He soon sensed that three people were at the front, though. He focused and sensed Termon¡¯s aura, confirming that he had decided to join the drivers.
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¡°Then let¡¯s do it. It seems fun,¡± Benji nodded.
¡°What are you going to do?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Visit Fornia,¡± Benji answered.
¡°Oh? When?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Not for a while yet,¡± Sahra answered, ¡°But some time in the future. Hopefully, Lomin will have finished his journey here by then and can give us a tour.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Lomin smiled.
¡°Are you also¡¡± Adion turned to Rufus. He was sitting staring out the carriage window. The usual light grin always hanging on his face had been replaced with a slight scowl. ¡°You okay, Rufus?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Oh? Yeah,¡± Rufus nodded with a forced smile. Adion suddenly realized what the problem was.
¡°Your family,¡± Adion said, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t even realize.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Rufus waved off. Adion looked doubtfully at him.
¡°It is far from optimal,¡± Benji said, ¡°But it seems like they are at a very small risk of encountering any harm. They are located in a small town, far from any conflict. And his parents, along with several siblings, are all Silver mages.¡±
¡°Rond might have even reached Gold by now,¡± Rufus said, ¡°They are as safe as they could ever wish to be. It¡¯s just a little worrying to go so far away in these times.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, not knowing what else to say.
¡°So you feeling up for a trip to Fornia, Rufus?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°I could be up for it,¡± Rufus said with a slight smile. ¡°If the faelin joins. I want to go there as an honored guest of Wise Lomin, after all.¡±
Lomin smiled in response, ¡°It might take a while, but I can promise that I will invite you all to join me as I leave my Words of Truth in the Spire.¡±
¡°Even me?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Lomin nodded.
¡°And if¡If Sell wants to come?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Lomin nodded with an amused smile.
¡°Already planning on taking Sell across the seas? A honeymoon, perhaps?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Just planning ahead,¡± Adion muttered, a little embarrassed.
¡°Then I should be allowed to bring a date too, right?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°That seems to be planning a little too far ahead, no?¡± Sahra questioned.
¡°That¡¯s just mean,¡± Rufus grumbled.
Adion, Lomin, and Benji all gave Sahra a scolding look.
¡°I mean¡A date? Surely you¡¯ll already have married the most beautiful woman on Shiora by then?¡± Sahra hurriedly corrected herself.
¡°So that¡¯s what you meant,¡± Rufus happily chuckled, ¡°That does seem like something I would do.¡±
Adion smiled to himself. He then noticed Prago had opened his eyes next to him, lifting an eyebrow questioningly.
¡°It¡¯s hard to explain,¡± Adion whispered.
Prago just nodded and turned to the others, ¡°Where¡¯s Grandpa?¡±
¡°He wanted some fresh air, so he¡¯s in front,¡± Benji said.
¡°Right,¡± Prago nodded, ¡°Anyone know how long we have left?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Benji hesitated slightly, ¡°Going by your grandfather¡¯s words, it¡¯s well over a week¡minus a few hours. Then we¡¯ll be in Iitha.¡±
¡°Haah,¡± Prago sighed, ¡°That¡¯s basically forever until we get to Cyalis then.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you used to traveling around with your grandfather?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I am,¡± Prago nodded, ¡°Still not a big enjoyer of being on the road, though.¡±
¡°Do you usually ask how far it is, even after a few hours?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°I suppose I do, why?¡± Prago asked.
¡°I think I get why Termon was so happy to have travel companions,¡± Adion said.
¡°What do you mean?¡± Prago asked.
¡°Never mind,¡± Adion shook his head.
¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re excited to start your studies, Prago?¡± Benji asked, ¡°Will you be focusing on runes?¡±
¡°Definitely,¡± Prago nodded, ¡°I¡¯m planning on joining the Runesmiths.¡±
¡°That would be a good idea,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°But they are one of the top 10 Houses. You will need more than just a passion for runes to join.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Prago asked.
¡°Well, you know about the Houses, right?¡± Benji asked.
¡°Sure,¡± Prago nodded.
¡°Every House obviously wants to climb in rank, and you can¡¯t do that without a fighting force. As much as the Academy focuses on knowledge, it is also recognized that what ultimately matters is strength. So, no matter what accomplishments a House makes, they won¡¯t be able to climb in ranking without strength. So for you to get into a House ranked so highly, you will need to be able to fight.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Prago muttered, ¡°I only heard it was a House for those interested in runes.¡±
¡°You can always join later even if you can¡¯t get in straight away,¡± Sahra comforted, ¡°I didn¡¯t join a House until my second year.¡±
¡°What House did the both of you join?¡± Prago asked.
¡°I was part of the Perillians,¡± Sahra answered.
¡°And I the Scrolls,¡± Benji answered.
¡°I¡¯ve heard of the Scrolls. They¡¯re very strong, aren¡¯t they?¡± Prago asked.
Benji nodded with a pleased smile, ¡°Ranked 5th during my time there. It is the House that the Headmaster used to belong to, after all.¡±
¡°I never knew that the Headmaster was part of your House,¡± Adion said, ¡°How come it isn¡¯t ranked 1st if that¡¯s the case?¡±
¡°It has been centuries since the Headmaster was a student, and the Shields have held 1st place locked in place since forever. Only occasionally passed by another House for a year or two.¡± Benji explained.
¡°What makes the Shields so powerful?¡± Prago asked.
¡°The most powerful student wants to join the most powerful House, I guess,¡± Benji said, ¡°And so that House continues being the strongest. Besides, the Shields have a large influence even outside the Academy. Most Nobles want to join to gain connections that will last a lifetime.¡±
¡°Is it mostly Nobles that join?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°We always used to say that the only thing the Shields protected was the interests of Nobles. But there are always talents from other family clans willing to join. And if they are strong enough, the Shields see no problem with it.¡±
¡°What House will you join, Adion?¡± Prago asked.
¡°I have no idea,¡± Adion said, ¡°Don¡¯t really care that much.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine if you haven¡¯t decided yet,¡± Benji said, ¡°But you should choose carefully. Having a high position in a powerful House can make or break your future.¡±
¡°How so?¡± Adion asked.
¡°The resources you can get,¡± Benji said, ¡°Among several other privileges. And most Houses exist outside the Academy, making it easy for you to have somewhere to go after you graduate. Many students who don¡¯t have a clear idea of what they want to do in the future, mostly people who don¡¯t come from a family clan, choose to join the Outskirters. If they graduate as part of that House, gaining a position in the Guild after graduation becomes very simple.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion nodded.
It seems I¡¯ll have to give it some serious thought. I will reveal middle Bronze strength when I get to Cyalis, and I will also be known as ¡®Gifted.¡¯ That should be good enough for me to choose whatever House I¡¯d like.
¡°Why did you join¡what was it called ¡®Permins¡¯? And not the Outskirters, Sahra?¡± Adion asked. She didn¡¯t come from a family clan, after all.
¡°The Perillians,¡± Sahra corrected, ¡°I joined it because it only allows girls to join. I was scared that some Noble would get ideas about me when I first got to Cyalis, so I wanted some protection.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion nodded.
Guess that House is out of the question, then.
¡°Well, like I said, you don''t have to hurry to decide,¡± Benji said, ¡°You can always join a House after getting familiar with the Academy.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°I keep forgetting that you¡¯re not entering the Academy when we get to Cyalis,¡± Prago said, ¡°What exactly are you going to do in Cyalis for over a year?¡±
¡°Well, train most of the time, I guess,¡± Adion said.
¡°Sit and meditate by yourself for over a year?¡± Prago questioned.
¡°I¡¯ll go around the city to explore once in a while,¡± Adion said.
¡°And I thought I was a loner,¡± Prago muttered.
I¡¯m not going to be alone. Even if Aiden and Ailera will be at the Academy most of the time, I¡¯m sure Grandpa has a place for me in Cyalis where I can stay.
¡°Well, Sell will get there early too. So I guess I¡¯m not so alone,¡± Adion said.
Prago turned to look at Adion with a sour look, ¡°I never took you for a braggart.¡±
¡°No need to feel down. I¡¯ll help you out when I enter the Academy,¡± Adion said reassuringly.
¡°This is the worst,¡± Prago sighed.
¡°Ahh, the student has become the teacher,¡± Rufus said with a pleased smile.
I¡¯m not gonna turn into Rufus, right!?
¡°What¡¯s that look for?¡± Rufus questioned, looking at Adion, causing Sahra to burst out laughing.
¡°Nothing,¡± Adion said.
I¡¯ll have to be careful. I¡¯m sorry, Prago. Even if you have to end up alone, I can¡¯t take any risks.
After continuing the conversation for a few more minutes, Adion closed his eyes to meditate again. Looking forward to reaching his destination.
Chapter 81 - Rethi
¡°I¡¯m already in love with the place,¡± Rufus said, looking out of the carriage, ¡°Let¡¯s stay here for a while.¡±
¡°We¡¯re not in a hurry, so a few days won¡¯t hurt,¡± Termon nodded.
¡°I¡¯m glad we chose Rethi to visit, it looks so peaceful,¡± Sahra said, also looking out of the carriage as it made its way down the city streets.
¡°I can¡¯t wait to get out of this carriage and move around a little,¡± Prago said.
¡°You say that, but I bet you¡¯ll still be in your room scribbling notes about runes the whole day,¡± Termon said.
¡°I said move around a little, not move around a lot,¡± Prago said.
Adion was also looking out at the city. He remembered that Sell advised Frank and his team to visit this place since it was her favorite city, so he was definitely going to go around exploring later.
Adion was in a good mood, perhaps because arriving at Rethi meant that they were past the halfway point of their journey. During the previous three weeks of travel, since they left Ellia, Adion had felt like the journey would take forever. But now, Cyalis suddenly felt very close.
The carriage came to a halt, and one of the drivers opened the door to the carriage and bowed slightly to Termon, ¡°Gold Termon, we have arrived at the hotel.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Termon nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go, shall we?¡±
They stepped out to see a beautiful building, five stories high, looking like it had been carved out of marble. In Adion¡¯s internal scale for fanciness, this hotel scored even higher than the Silver Diamond in Dorbarta.
The group stepped out of the carriage and headed inside. Benji approached the receptionist and booked rooms for everyone, insisting on paying for Termon¡¯s and Prago¡¯s rooms as well.
¡°What do you say we rest for a while and then head out for dinner tonight?¡± Benji asked.
¡°That sounds like a wonderful idea,¡± Termon nodded with a smile, ¡°Traveling for so long becomes tiring at my age, so I could use some rest.¡±
¡°I think three weeks in a carriage has tired us all,¡± Benji chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ll ask around for somewhere nice to eat and come get you at your rooms later.¡±
¡°Thank you, Benji,¡± Termon smiled.
Everyone headed for their rooms, and Adion had to admit he was a little disappointed as he opened the door to his. It was leagues above any inn he had stayed at, but compared to the Silver Diamond, it was significantly smaller. Just a small bed, a desk, and a small bathroom. It was clean and looked nice, but Adion had expected something grander.
Have I become accustomed to luxury so easily? This is still great.
Adion looked around for a while, looking for a place to hide his backpack. But he gave up after a few minutes and decided to just bring it with him.
Resting sounds nice, but I really need to stretch my legs. And I can¡¯t tell Sell I visited Rethi without seeing anything.
Adion left the hotel and looked up at the bright sky. It was a joyous sight, as it had been cloudy for weeks. And even if it was cold outside, as it was still a few more weeks before spring would arrive, the sun had begun to warm.
Adion started walking without a particular goal, looking at the buildings and the people. Most people were elves, something Adion had gotten used to as they had been in Iitha for a while now. Even if they didn¡¯t stop anywhere for long, they still rested at a few towns along the way.
After 20 minutes of wandering about the city, Adion found himself in a bustling market. Vendors crowded both sides of the busy street, the passerbys haggling for whatever caught their eye. Adion started walking down the rows of vendors. The long street had everything from small stalls to big merchant caravans. From food to swords, no matter what you were looking for, everything seemed to be available.
Adion spotted a small stall selling accessories. A few women were gathered in front, trying on necklaces in front of a mirror.
Maybe I should buy a gift for Sell. What would she like, though?
Adion sharpened his eyes, looking for something suitable to bring her.
Maybe that necklace? No. She¡¯s a princess. I¡¯m sure she has plenty of fancy jewelry already.
Adion continued searching, but eventually came to an insight.
I¡¯m pretty sure Sell would have everything she wants already. In a much greater quality than anything here.
Adion gave up on the idea of buying her anything. But immediately felt bad after making the decision. He had been picturing Sell¡¯s reaction to receiving something, and he wasn¡¯t willing to let that possibility go.
No. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find something eventually.
Adion felt motivated and started his search again. After a few minutes, he found himself in front of a wide stall that seemed to be selling antiques.
Actually, shouldn¡¯t I buy something for Termon? I owe him a lot, after all.
Adion took a few looks at the products for sale. Unfortunately, he had no expertise in distinguishing the worth of any antiques. It was a real possibility that he would end up with some trash in his hands.
That would be embarrassing. Maybe I can find a store with a proper reputation selling antiques, so I know I¡¯m not getting scammed. Maybe somewhere that sells paintings. I seem to recall that being Termon¡¯s main interest.
Adion decided to put Sell¡¯s gift on hold for the time being. He might have a greater chance of getting it right if he asked Sahra for advice later. And giving a gift to Termon at dinner later would be perfect.
Adion approached a small food stall and ordered himself a grilled piece of beast meat wrapped in paper.
¡°By the way,¡± Adion said as he received his meal and handed over some money, ¡°Do you know anywhere that sells paintings around the city? Someplace fancy?¡±
¡°Paintings? I¡¯m sorry, I have no idea,¡± The old elf behind the stall responded.
¡°If you have the money, ¡®Hevima¡¯ is famous in the city,¡± A young elf that had just ordered before Adion said, ¡°It¡¯s run by a painter of renown across all of Iitha.¡±
¡°Oh? That sounds perfect. Do you know where it is?¡± Adion asked.
The man smiled and gave Adion some instructions. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t many twists and turns to get there. Adion thanked the man and hurried off.
After fifteen minutes of walking around, only asking for directions once on the way, Adion found himself in front of a two-story building with a sign saying ¡®Hevima.¡¯
Adion was a little apprehensive, as the building didn¡¯t lose much against the hotel he was staying at in terms of fanciness. Adion even felt that a Gold mage was inside, and as he released his space mana to get a feel for the place, he deduced that the Gold mage was actually working there as a guard.
What kind of painter can hire a Gold mage as a guard?
Adion didn¡¯t dwell on the matter for too long, though.
Might as well take a look. If I can afford it, it would be a perfect gift to Termon.
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As Adion stepped inside, he took a quick look around before nodding to the Gold mage by the door in greeting. The Gold mage completely ignored him.
Adion released some more of his space mana and could feel that besides a man behind the counter further into the store, there was only one other person in the building.
Someone is on the floor above. Is that the painter?
Adion looked around at the paintings lining the walls. Even at a glance, he could tell that they were made by an expert. But Adion still couldn¡¯t just trust his senses on something like this, so he made his way to the clerk who seemed to be working there.
¡°Excuse me,¡± Adion said, grabbing the middle-aged elf¡¯s attention, ¡°I¡¯m looking for a painting for an acquaintance. Unfortunately, I¡¯m not very well-versed when it comes to paintings. Do you think you could help me?¡±
The man looked at Adion briefly before answering, ¡°Have you come here before?¡±
¡°Er, no? This is my first time in Rethi,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Right,¡± The man nodded, ¡°Just a moment, take a look around in the meantime.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Adion nodded. He watched how the man entered a door behind the counter.
That was¡weird. I didn¡¯t sense any ill intentions, though. He was only a Silver mage, so I don¡¯t think he would be able to fool me.
Adion felt through his sphere of space mana that the man was heading upstairs and hadn¡¯t run off anywhere, so he left the matter behind.
He decided to take a quick look around and see if any of the paintings managed to catch his interest. As he stopped in front of the first one, Adion had to admit he was completely enthralled. Half the painting was just the back of a man¡¯s head. From the looks of it, it was an old man. He was sitting alone at a table in a busy tavern. People of all ages were laughing and drinking in the background.
Even though it wasn¡¯t much, Adion almost felt that he could somewhat feel what the old man was feeling. It was a very bittersweet emotion.
I can tell all that just from the back of his head? Am I just imagining things?
Adion stared for a while before looking for a price tag. He couldn¡¯t find any, but he saw a small plaque with the name of the painting. As he read it in his mind, a voice behind him said the name out loud.
¡°¡®Hermillin¡¯s last drink,¡¯¡±
Adion turned around to see an old man standing behind him.
Was I so occupied by the painting that I didn¡¯t notice him approaching?
The old elf stared at Adion for a while before speaking, ¡°Do I have something on my face?¡± He asked, lifting an eyebrow questioningly.
¡°I¡¯ve never seen a bald elf before,¡± Adion responded. It was a particular sight, not a single hair on his head.
Don¡¯t old men usually grow a beard when their hair starts falling out?
The old elf remained silent, simply reaching behind his back to put a hat on his head.
¡°Sorry,¡± Adion said, ¡°Are you the painter? It¡¯s very good.¡±
The old elf approached the painting and scrutinized it for a while. Adion took the opportunity to feel the old man¡¯s aura and was shocked to discover that he was actually a Diamond mage.
How didn¡¯t I notice earlier? And a Diamond mage that paints? I never thought someone that strong would spend his time painting. And the first thing I did was call him bald. Thankfully, he doesn¡¯t seem upset.
¡°Nostalgia is a very powerful emotion,¡± The old elf said, ¡°Perhaps second only to love. I have found the emotion to only grow more bitter with age, but also so much sweeter. I had the thought of someone experiencing the last bout of nostalgia in life. How powerful would that emotion be?¡±
Adion turned to look at the painting again, the old elf¡¯s words ringing in his mind.
The last bout of nostalgia in one¡¯s life.
¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Adion said earnestly, ¡°You¡¯re the one who painted it, right?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± The old elf nodded.
¡°Do you mind if I ask a question, Diamond¡¡± Adion said.
¡°Quahim,¡± The old elf said, ¡°No need for the formality. Ask your question.¡±
¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Adion,¡± Adion introduced himself, ¡°Why would a Diamond mage spend his time painting? Don¡¯t you want to increase your strength? Reach the Soul stages?¡±
¡°I used to,¡± Quahim answered, still looking at his painting, ¡°But now, I¡¯m a painter by trade. I like to think that¡¯s why they call it a trade; it¡¯s what you choose to trade your time with. I could trade my time for something else, but trading it for painting seems fitting. What do you trade your time with?¡±
¡°Er,¡± Adion hesitated as Quahim turned to look at him, ¡°Training, I guess. Getting strong. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be up to me what I trade my time with.¡±
¡°Hm,¡± Quahim nodded, no change in his expression. ¡°You¡¯re here looking for a painting?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Adion said, ¡°I was thinking about getting one for a friend as a gift.¡±
¡°A girl?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°Wha-Er, no. It¡¯s for an old man. He helped me out a lot and is interested in paintings.¡± Adion said.
¡°Let¡¯s take a look then,¡± Quahim said, moving to the next painting.
He¡¯s¡a little odd, no? But he seems friendly.
Adion followed Quahim to the next painting. It depicted a man sitting on a bench in what seemed to be a park. There was nothing spectacular about it, but it still caught Adion¡¯s attention. He leaned over to look at the name. ¡®Make someone else feel pain instead.¡¯
Well, that''s¡a little depressing. Is this old man having it rough?
After looking at the painting for a while, they moved on to another one. It depicted a dead fly. That was it. It was incredibly detailed, though. But Adion didn¡¯t think it would be an appropriate gift. He leaned over to read the name again.
¡®Not evil enough to live.¡¯ These are all pretty depressing, aren¡¯t they?
After looking a while longer, they moved on to yet another painting. Adion couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Quahim was this helpful and patient with all his customers.
I hope I have enough money for one of his paintings. I would feel bad to waste his time like this otherwise.
The next painting was a pleasant surprise. It was of a small lake in a beautiful forest. The sun was shining, and the sky was colorful. Adion leaned in to read the name.
¡®I feel clouds approaching.¡¯ Are you kidding me?
¡°Do you only paint sad stuff?¡± Adion asked.
Quahim turned to Adion and smiled for the first time, ¡°No. I just keep all the happy ones. They are my favorite.¡±
Adion was a little stunned but couldn¡¯t help but smile himself.
Seems like I don¡¯t have to worry about the old man ending it before his time.
¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to settle for a sad one then,¡± Adion said, ¡°The prices¡What range are we talking about?¡±
Quahim looked at the painting again and seemed to be thinking.
Is he deciding on the spot?
¡°I¡¯m a little short on staff at the moment,¡± Quahim said, ¡°If you help out around here for a month, I¡¯ll let you pick any of my paintings. Even the happy ones.¡±
Adion was stunned once again.
Why would he want me to work here?
Adion had ignored the strange things happening so far since he didn¡¯t sense any hostility. But it was impossible to ignore any longer.
¡°Why would you want me working here? Do you know me from somewhere?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No,¡± Quahim said with a slight smile, ¡°I¡¯m just a little curious about you.¡±
Can he feel something? He shouldn¡¯t be able to.
¡°Why?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Why indeed,¡± Quahim mused, ¡°Let¡¯s do it like this then. You don¡¯t have to work. I¡¯ll teach you instead.¡±
¡°Teach me? Painting?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Do you have an affinity to shadow?¡± Quahim ignored Adion¡¯s question and asked.
How does he know that? He can feel affinities in aura? I¡¯ve never heard about that before. Thinking about it, it should definitely be possible¡Does that mean he can feel my other affinities as well?
¡°How did you know that?¡± Adion asked, increasingly uneasy about the situation.
¡°Intuition,¡± Quahim shrugged, ¡°So what do you say? Care to take me up on my offer?¡±
¡°With all due respect,¡± Adion said carefully, ¡°This is a little too strange. And I am leaving Rethi soon. I can¡¯t stay here for long.¡±
¡°Shame,¡± Quahim said, ¡°Even at Cyalis Academy, I doubt you can find a Diamond mage with a shadow core.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room turned dark. Adion didn¡¯t have time to panic, though. As quickly as the shadow had appeared, it disappeared again.
As Adion regained his vision, he noticed Quahim was nowhere to be seen. He immediately focused on his sphere of space mana and found him standing by a window on the upper floor.
How did he get there so quickly? Shadow magic? He has a shadow core? Just who is he? Why does he want to teach me?
Adion didn¡¯t feel like staying anymore; things had taken a very strange turn. He quickly made his way out of the store to clear his thoughts, keeping his senses alert in case anyone was following him.
This doesn¡¯t make any sense!
Chapter 82 - Strange
As Adion finally spotted the hotel down the street, he had calmed down a little. If that painter wanted him harm, he would have already done something. Adion wouldn¡¯t be able to resist.
But this is all still very odd. Is it really the case that having a shadow affinity is incredibly rare? And Quahim is simply looking for a disciple? But why, then, would he offer me a job first? Was he trying to lure me in with a job so he could teach me later? That doesn¡¯t make any sense.
I can¡¯t forget how the man working behind the counter also seemed to recognize me. Has my face somehow gotten spread around? Did someone spot me without a mask during my time in Billford and drawn it to sell information about me? About my ¡®Gift¡¯?
Who would have done that? And what are their intentions? Is it connected to Heavenly Light? No. If they knew my face and what I had done, a Diamond mage wouldn¡¯t let me leave like that.
I need a second opinion about this.
Adion reached the hotel and hurried to Benji¡¯s room. Halfway there, he remembered Sahra was also there. The memory of an awkward encounter long ago changed his mind, and he headed to Rufus¡¯s room instead. Remembering what Rufus was like, Adion changed his mind again and headed for Lomin¡¯s room.
It didn¡¯t take long to get there, and Adion knocked on Lomin¡¯s door, waiting anxiously.
¡°Adion?¡± Lomin said as he opened the door.
¡°I need to talk,¡± Adion said, ¡°I just experienced something very strange.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Lomin paused, ¡°Of course. Come in.¡±
Lomin sat down on his bed while Adion took a chair for himself and began narrating everything he had been through. Lomin was quiet through it all, and when Adion finished speaking, Lomin sat silently, thinking.
¡°I think it is safe to assume that this Quahim knows about you,¡± Lomin said after a while, ¡°How much he knows and his intentions are unclear, though. He doesn¡¯t seem to want to cause you any immediate harm, but he might still have something nefarious planned. If he knows about your ¡®Gift,¡¯ or worse, what your ¡®Gift¡¯ actually is, it is likely that he wants to recruit you for some organization or family. Or maybe he just wants to establish a relationship with someone he thinks will grow powerful.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°There¡¯s a lot of possibilities. So what should I do?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lomin said, ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure you are already planning on heading back there and ask him yourself what his intentions are.¡±
¡°I am,¡± Adion admitted, ¡°He let me go without issue the first time. And, like I said, he didn¡¯t seem to wish me harm. It should be safe. And even if I could just try to forget about it, I don¡¯t like the feeling that there might be a picture of me circulating. If there is, I need to know, and I need to know what information goes along with the picture.¡±
¡°Then do so,¡± Lomin nodded, ¡°Maybe ask around for some information about this Quahim first. He seems to be a somewhat public person.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Maybe there is a place that sells information, like Little Jiggot in Wender. They might know information about me too. I could go there in disguise and draw up a sketch of my face to see if they know anything about me.¡±
¡°Is there such a place?¡± Lomin asked, ¡°And if there is, how will you find it?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Adion said, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to ask around.¡±
¡°We are staying at a pretty fancy and established hotel. If you ask at the reception, they might know something,¡± Lomin advised.
¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and ask right now.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t forget about dinner,¡± Lomin said.
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll just ask and then take care of this tomorrow. It will leave me some more time to think things through.¡±
¡°Will you take him up on the offer if he is just someone looking for a disciple? Without any ill intentions?¡± Lomin asked.
Adion stopped. He hadn¡¯t really thought about it, ¡°I can¡¯t. We¡¯re only here for a few days.¡±
¡°You could always head to Cyalis by yourself later,¡± Lomin said.
¡°I haven¡¯t seen my family for four years,¡± Adion said, ¡°Now that I¡¯m this close, I don¡¯t want to stick around anywhere.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Lomin nodded.
Adion went down to the reception and asked them if there was anywhere he could get a hold of information. To his great relief, there seemed to be a place operating similarly to Little Jiggot here in Rethi. Adion got the directions to the bar and headed up to his room again.
Adion tried to relax and rest a little before dinner, but his mind was too occupied.
It¡¯s still pretty early. I¡¯ll just head out quickly.
Adion grabbed a pen and some complimentary paper stationed in his room. He drew a quick sketch of himself on it. It was not a piece of art, and Adion was not sure he could even be recognized from it. But if his real picture was circulating, this should be enough to make the informant understand what he was after.
Adion grabbed his backpack and headed out once again. It took him about 20 minutes of light jogging before he arrived in front of a large and lively bar called ¡®Ymer¡¯s.¡¯ Adion stepped into an alleyway where he pulled out the Ash Williwin mask he hadn¡¯t worn in ages. He strapped it on his face and entered the bar.
As he stepped inside, he noticed nothing that made the bar seem out of the ordinary. He enveloped the bar in his sphere of space mana and didn¡¯t notice anything overly suspicious. Adion walked up to a bartender who was polishing glasses.
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¡°Excuse me,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m looking for some information.¡±
¡°Upstairs,¡± The bartender said after giving Adion a quick look.
Adion saw that there was a flight of stairs leading up to the floor above next to the bar. He nodded in thanks to the bartender and headed upstairs.
There was a long hallway as Adion arrived at the upper floor, but Adion didn¡¯t walk down it, as a sign told him to wait for someone to get him.
It didn¡¯t take long, fortunately, and a door down the hallway was opened as a middle-aged elven woman stepped out to greet Adion.
¡°My name is Teresa,¡± the woman smiled, ¡°Please follow me.¡±
Adion nodded and followed the woman into the room she had just stepped outside of.
¡°Please take a seat,¡± Teresa gestured at a chair in front of the desk she herself took a seat behind.
¡°What can I help you with?¡± Teresa asked with a smile.
Adion took the picture he had drawn earlier out of his pocket and handed it over.
¡°I was wondering if a similar picture has been circulating around lately?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Oh?¡± Teresa looked at the picture closely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know any pictures circulating of a human, even less so someone resembling this man.¡±
Well, that is both good news and bad news, I guess. I didn¡¯t get any information, but if my picture is being spread, it isn¡¯t widely spread.
¡°Fine,¡± Adion said, ¡°I want to know everything about Quahim, the painter of the store ¡®Hevima.¡¯¡±
¡°Quahim, huh,¡± Teresa mused, ¡°I have some elementary information, things widely known. I¡¯m sure that you understand that since he is a Diamond mage, we don¡¯t offer any services to make a mission to bring information about him.¡±
Right, they wouldn¡¯t have someone capable of that.
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°One gold, and we¡¯ll call it at that,¡± Teresa said.
Adion handed over a gold coin, not bothered by the cost.
¡°His full name is Quahim Kuwath, a renowned painter who has been in Rethi for decades. He is solitary and usually stays in his store where he paints. As far as anyone knows, he is not part of any organization or family clan. But considering his strength and last name, he should be from a family clan. This means that he is probably from Quemer originally.¡±
I guess that¡¯s about the amount of information I can expect. But is he really not part of an organization?
¡°So there are no other members of the Kuwath family in Iitha?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Not that I know of,¡± Teresa answered.
I can¡¯t take everything she knows as truth. But this information should be the public perception of things at least.
¡°Any unusual activities lately?¡± Adion asked.
Teresa was quiet for a while, thinking, ¡°He closed down the store for a week at the end of summer. It is usually always open, but at times, it closes for a short time without warning. It hasn¡¯t happened since, though.¡±
That doesn¡¯t really tell me anything.
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°Come back any time,¡± Teresa smiled.
Adion headed out to the street again and found an alleyway away from prying eyes, where he removed his mask again.
What should I do? I didn¡¯t really find out anything. He¡¯s not part of any organization that Teresa is aware of. That can mean he isn¡¯t, or he is and just hides it well.
Adion made his decision and started walking to Hevima. He wouldn¡¯t be able to relax until he got some answers.
Will he tell me anything? Or just avoid all my questions like yesterday?
After walking for a while, lost in his thoughts, Adion arrived at Hevima and immediately headed inside. His sphere of space mana told him that everything was exactly like it had been the day before. Only the guard, the clerk, and Quahim on the upper floor were in the store.
Adion went to the Silver mage working behind the counter with a determined look in his eyes.
¡°Is Quahim available?¡± Adion asked.
The man looked at Adion in recognition and nodded, ¡°He is upstairs. He is expecting you.¡±
Expecting me? That annoys me for some reason.
Adion climbed the stairs and immediately noticed Quahim. He was sitting by the window, painting. His back was to Adion, but Adion figured he knew about his presence.
Adion started walking up to Quahim as he looked around at the canvases and half-finished paintings strewn around.
¡°Taking me up on my offer?¡± Quhim asked, still with his back to Adion.
¡°Do you expect me to?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I don¡¯t think you have ill intentions, but I want to know how you know about me. You and that clerk downstairs had seen my face before. I want to know how.¡±
Quahim paused his movement, put down his brush, and turned to look at Adion. Both of them were staring at each other silently for almost a full minute.
Suddenly, to Adion¡¯s great shock, Quahim opened up his aura to Adion. A single lie would be obvious even for someone a lot less talented than Adion.
¡°I saw your face before,¡± Quahim said, making Adion pay rapt attention, ¡°I won¡¯t say how yet, but I will eventually tell you if you choose to accept my offer. I do not wish you ill, nor do I have any plans of making you do something against your will. The only purpose of my offer is that I¡¯m curious about you, and since you have an affinity to shadow, I thought I could offer some help. No other hidden agendas. I don¡¯t wish to use you for anything.¡±
Adion could tell that Quahim hadn¡¯t told any lies, which calmed him down greatly. But he was still extremely confused.
¡°Why are you curious about me?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I will tell you that too, eventually. If you choose to accept my offer.¡± Quahim said.
Adion quietly pondered for a moment before speaking, ¡°You said you will teach me about shadow magic?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Quahim nodded.
¡°I need to think about it. I will come and give you an answer tomorrow,¡± Adion said.
¡°Very well,¡± Quahim nodded.
Adion turned to leave, his mind a lot calmer, even if he was still a bit confused.
I never expected him to open up his aura like that. He has successfully made me curious, and he has eased my worries. I¡¯m sure he thought it all through. It seems he really wants me to stay.
Adion headed out onto the street again, with hurried steps as he remembered the dinner he was afraid he might be late to.
I could always stay for a couple of weeks, I guess. As long as Quahim isn¡¯t planning on keeping me too long. We left Lermen earlier than planned, so I am well ahead of schedule. I¡¯ll get to learn some shadow magic, learn how Quahim found out about me, and still have plenty of time with my family. I¡¯ll have to discuss it with my team.
Chapter 83 - Goodbye
¡°So, what¡¯s up, Adion?¡± Rufus asked as he took a seat on Adion¡¯s bed.
Adion had invited his teammates to his room after breakfast. He had a lot to tell them. And he couldn¡¯t say anything at the dinner the night before as Termon and Prago were there.
¡°Well, I had a very eventful day yesterday,¡± Adion said. He then began telling everything that had happened from the first time he met Quahim, to how he went to ask for information about him, and finally, how Quahim had revealed his aura to him, easing a lot of Adion¡¯s worries.
¡°You did all that yesterday?¡± Rufus asked in shock.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°It was a busy day.¡±
¡°So what will you do?¡± Benji asked, ¡°Will you stay and learn shadow magic?¡±
¡°I think so,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I can learn things from him that I might not be able to learn even at the Academy. And I really want to find out how he knows about me, and why he is so curious about me. I¡¯ll head to Cyalis in a couple of weeks instead.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Benji nodded.
¡°I think that¡¯s a good decision,¡± Sahra said.
¡°I knew we were going to part ways soon,¡± Benji said, ¡°But I guess it suddenly got a lot sooner.¡±
¡°I hope we won¡¯t have any tearful goodbye,¡± Rufus muttered, ruffling Adion¡¯s hair.
¡°Are you ruffling my hair?¡± Adion asked, a little surprised.
¡°Bah!¡± Rufus scoffed, pulling his hand away.
¡°Hahaha,¡± Sahra laughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rufus. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll all see each other again.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°You know where to find me.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll probably hear your name resounding across the continent soon enough,¡± Benji smiled, ¡°I just hope we don¡¯t hear anything about a space mage.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion awkwardly smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my ability to hide my element is incredibly high after eating the Merillian Soul Peaches.¡±
¡°Somehow, I¡¯m still worried,¡± Benji sighed, ¡°But with your advancement speed, I guess it won¡¯t be too long before you can stop worrying about these things.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°It¡¯s still far too slow, but I¡¯m soon going to reach Silver.¡±
¡°Soon?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°A week or two,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Monster,¡± Sahra hissed.
¡°Adion,¡± Benji said hesitantly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell us, but¡how are you advancing so fast?¡±
¡°I honestly don¡¯t know,¡± Adion said, ¡°Besides me having a better mana control than others and space mana being available everywhere, I can¡¯t think of another reason.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Benji said, ¡°I guess. But are you sure you have the Will to advance? A Silver core is no joke. You might want to take some time to really make sure you are ready to advance.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m ready,¡± Adion said resolutely. He could feel that his Will was itching to compress his core to advance to the next stage.
¡°Alright,¡± Benji nodded.
¡°Well,¡± Lomin said, ¡°Since we are leaving the day after tomorrow, how about we go out for drinks tonight, just the five of us.¡±
¡°I would like that,¡± Adion said.
¡°Well said, Lomin,¡± Rufus nodded, ¡°Since it¡¯s the last time having a drink with Adion for a while, we should start early, no? How about we head out right away?¡±
¡°We just had breakfast,¡± Benji said.
¡°Oh, come on,¡± Sahra said, ¡°It¡¯s a special occasion.¡±
¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Benji smiled.
¡°Well, I first have to go to Quahim and tell him my decision. How about I come to get you after I¡¯m back?¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Rufus nodded.
Adion left his room with his teammates and headed to Hevima. Adion had the route memorized by now and found himself in front of the store in just half an hour.
Adion made his way straight to the counter as he entered the store, where he saw the middle-aged elf working as usual.
¡°Is Quahim available?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Mm,¡± The man nodded, ¡°You can head upstairs.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion said and started climbing the stairs.
He found Quahim in the same position he had seen him the day before, painting by the window.
¡°I accept your offer, teacher,¡± Adion said and bowed slightly with his fist palmed in greeting.
Quahim turned around to look at Adion with a slight smile.
¡°Good,¡± Quahim nodded.
¡°Will you tell me why you are curious about me now?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No,¡± Quahim said.
¡°Mind if I ask when?¡± Adion asked.
¡°In due time,¡± Quahim shrugged.
¡°Fine,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°My friends are leaving the day after tomorrow. Is it fine if we start the lessons after they have left?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°Come see me when they have gone.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion said, ¡°So¡I seem to recall a promise of a painting?¡±
¡°Right,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°Do you want to take a look at the happy ones?¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°You should keep them. And I already have my eyes on a painting.¡±
¡°Hermillin¡¯s last drink?¡± Quahim guessed.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded.
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¡°I hope your friend will like it,¡± Quahim said.
¡°I¡¯m sure he will,¡± Adion said.
¡°Let Ferrith know, and he will help you wrap the painting,¡± Quahim said, turning back to his painting.
¡°Thank you, teacher,¡± Adion slightly bowed and turned to leave.
Once downstairs, the clerk named Ferrith helped Adion to wrap the painting. Adion felt really good about being able to gift something to Termon for his help. He hadn¡¯t told them that he wouldn¡¯t keep them company for the rest of the journey.
Adion left the painting in his room as soon as he got back to the hotel. He then went to knock on the doors of his teammates. They were all ready to leave immediately, and they headed out on the streets of Rethi together.
¡°So where should we go? Anyone know a place?¡± Sahra asked as they were walking.
¡°Anywhere is fine,¡± Adion said.
¡°Yeah,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s just walk around and take the first best bar we can find.¡±
It didn¡¯t take long before the group found a cozy bar at the side of the road. As they stepped inside, Adion noticed it was mostly empty, which wasn¡¯t surprising considering it wasn¡¯t even noon yet.
¡°I¡¯ll order some beers. You guys take a seat,¡± Rufus said as he headed for the bar. Adion and his teammates took their seats in a corner of the bar where they would remain undisturbed even as the bar filled up later.
¡°So,¡± Rufus said as he came back to the table and placed down five beers on the table, ¡°You¡¯ll be Silver at the admission to the Academy. I don¡¯t think that has ever happened before. If you were to reveal it, I wonder what the reaction would be.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t plan on finding out,¡± Adion said.
¡°Haaah,¡± Rufus sighed, ¡°I suppose that¡¯s wise. People might be afraid of what you could become.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°I¡¯m sure a lot of people would want you on their side, but if they can¡¯t, they would perhaps take great risks in order to eliminate you before you are too strong.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°And I¡¯ll keep up my aura training.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Benji smiled, ¡°Well then, next time we meet, I look forward to hearing some amazing stories, Adion.¡±
¡°So do I,¡± Adion said, ¡°You better not disappoint.¡±
¡°Sure, sure,¡± Benji nodded
¡°By the way,¡± Adion said, putting down his beer after taking a few gulps, ¡°I won¡¯t get to hear about what you¡¯re so embarrassed about with your family, Benji. Isn¡¯t it only fair you tell me?¡±
¡°Well¡¡± Benji hesitated, ¡°They¡¯re not exactly embarrassing. It¡¯s hard to explain.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve tried for years, Adion,¡± Sahra said, ¡°It¡¯s no point. I¡¯ll be sure to tell you everything next time we meet.¡±
¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to settle for that,¡± Adion said.
¡°Are you looking forward to seeing your family again?¡± Sahra asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°A reason for me staying here for a few weeks was actually that I wanted to advance to Silver before meeting them. I want to give them a real shock.¡±
¡°I feel bad for them,¡± Sahra said with a laugh.
¡°Are you going to introduce Sell to them?¡± Benji asked with a teasing smile.
¡°I¡I haven¡¯t really thought about that,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I suppose I will.¡±
¡°Hahaha,¡± Sahra laughed, ¡°You¡¯ll have to spread out the surprises, or I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll not be able to handle it.¡±
¡°Is it so surprising that I would have a girlfriend?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It is if she is a princess,¡± Sahra said.
¡°Oh,¡± Adion said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that.¡±
I¡¯m also planning on handing them some of my pills. Maybe I should take things slow. I don¡¯t want Grandpa to have a heart attack.
¡°That reminds me,¡± Adion said, ¡°So I was planning on¡¡± Adion hesitated. Everyone had their eyes on him. Adion coughed a little and continued, ¡°I was planning to buy something for Sell. Like a present. But I couldn¡¯t think of anything she would need.¡±
¡°How sweet,¡± Sahra said. Adion spotted Rufus nodding in approval.
¡°Do you have any ideas, Sahra?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Just buy her whatever, and she¡¯ll be happy,¡± Sahra said.
¡°She would?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°Yes. Just put some thought into it, and it won¡¯t matter if she already has something similar or more expensive. Would you care about the price or how convenient something was if Sell bought you a gift?¡±
¡°I see, that makes sense,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Now I¡¯m getting depressed that I won¡¯t be around to tease you two,¡± Sahra said with a sigh.
¡°I guess that¡¯s a good thing with you leaving,¡± Adion said.
¡°How mean!¡± Sahra said in mock-anger.
¡°You are free to tease me, Sahra. I¡¯ll be sure to find some lady with just as much tingling romance as Adion and Sell,¡± Rufus said.
¡°Right¡¡± Sahra looked at Rufus without much enthusiasm.
¡°Isn¡¯t that Quahim a painter?¡± Lomin said, ¡°Maybe you could ask him to teach you how to paint, and you could paint something for Sell?¡±
Adion thought about it and felt absolute dread at the idea.
¡°I think I¡¯ll stick to a necklace,¡± Adion said, prompting laughter from his teammates.
The group continued to talk and drink as the bar got more and more crowded. Adion was still feeling alright, but Benji had gotten noticeably drunk as night arrived. Sahra and Benji had been giving advice on what classes to take in the Academy, as well as some heads up about how admissions usually go. At least, it had started out like that.
¡°Cause some havoc, Adion,¡± Benji said, ¡°I want to hear about the Academy turned upside down.¡±
¡°Benji,¡± Sahra said with a smile, ¡°I think it would be better for Adion to keep low-key, don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Adion doesn¡¯t have it in him,¡± Benji said, ¡°And his talent is too outstanding. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be a Gold, no, a Diamond by the time he graduates. The Headmaster will give him the Academy then and there.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure I would want to become the Headmaster,¡± Adion said, smiling at the drunk Benji.
¡°You have to,¡± Benji said, ¡°And then make me a scholar. I want my own building to do my research. And you better pay me well.¡±
¡°Okay, okay,¡± Adion said, ¡°If I become Headmaster, I¡¯ll be sure to do as you say.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Benji nodded.
¡°Maybe it¡¯s time for us to call it a night?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Already? The night is still young,¡± Rufus said.
¡°Mm, far too young,¡± Lomin nodded.
¡°I¡¯m sure Benji can handle a few more drinks after getting some water,¡± Sahra said, ¡°And we haven¡¯t gone through everything you need to know yet!¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to be at Cyalis almost a year before the admission. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll-¡± Adion began but was interrupted by Sahra.
¡°You never know!¡± She said, ¡°It¡¯s our responsibility to make sure you¡¯re prepared.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Benji nodded.
¡°Alright, alright,¡± Adion smiled.
¡°Hearing all this talk about the Academy, I¡¯m jealous,¡± Rufus said.
¡°Well, you¡¯ll get to visit the Kuwa Mountains, adventuring deep into the continent,¡± Adion said, ¡°Who knows what ancient secrets you¡¯ll uncover?¡±
¡°Haha!¡± Rufus laughed happily, ¡°I guess you¡¯re right, Adion,¡±
¡°And there are other academies,¡± Lomin said, ¡°Where you don¡¯t have to be 17 to enter. If you really want to, you could head there.¡±
¡°No,¡± Rufus shook his head, ¡°Sounds bothersome.¡±
¡°Then why are you jealous of me?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, you¡¯ll get to go there already strong enough to graduate, having a princess as a girlfriend, known as a genius with a Gift. How is that comparable?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°I guess that¡¯s true. I¡¯m pretty awesome,¡± Adion said with a grin.
¡°Oh,¡± Sahra pretended to sigh, ¡°He¡¯ll go crazy with bragging without us to keep him grounded.¡±
¡°I never brag,¡± Adion refuted.
¡°I have a list,¡± Sahra threatened.
¡°I sometimes brag,¡± Adion admitted to everyone¡¯s laughter.
The group continued their drinking into the morning hours. Talking more about the future than the past. Not focusing on the goodbye, but excited about what they would get up to when they meet again.
Chapter 84 - A mothers smile
I should stop here. I don¡¯t want to show up for my first lesson with a completely dried-up Will, after all.
Adion stopped his meditation and got up from his bed, stretching his body slightly before heading out of his room.
Adion had gotten a new room now that his teammates had left. The inn he was staying at now was closer to Hevima and a lot cheaper than the hotel he had stayed at previously. Even if Adion had money, he didn¡¯t really need anything more than a bed to sleep on. There was no need to splurge for no reason; who knew when he would find himself in need of the money he had wasted on a fancy room.
Adion left the inn and started walking down the streets of Rethi toward his new teacher¡¯s store. A feeling of melancholy once again began rising in his chest. Even if his teammates had only left the city the day before, Adion was feeling their absence. The thought of them getting further and further away from him every moment gave Adion an uneasy feeling.
I¡¯ll get used to it. And I¡¯ll see them again eventually. Now, I need to make the most of my time here to figure out how to use shadow magic.
It didn¡¯t take Adion long before he found himself in front of Hevima once again. He made his way inside and immediately approached Ferrith, who was standing behind the counter as always, seemingly busy with nothing.
Adion didn¡¯t even get a word out before Ferrith gestured for the stairs behind him.
Right, guess I can just head up then.
Adion found Quahim sitting on a carpet on the floor when he got upstairs. Quahim¡¯s eyes were closed, but Adion suspected he knew Adion was there, so he simply waited in silence for Quahim to finish what he was doing.
¡°Conjure some shadows,¡± Quahim said after a few seconds, opening his eyes to look at Adion, ¡°Let me see what you can do.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded. He focused on the pure mana surrounding him, almost turning it to fire mana on instinct.
Shadow mana, come on.
Adion wasn¡¯t completely useless in his shadow magic. Even if it wasn¡¯t a lot, he had spent some time practicing his shadow mana control. He could have used the shadow mana present in the room, but from Adion¡¯s experience in conjuring fire from pure mana, he knew that would be more effective as he got used to it. And pure mana would always be present, a much safer bet than counting on there to always be enough shadow mana around.
It took a while for Adion to succeed, but eventually, he had conjured what he thought was a fair amount of shadow. Unfortunately, his control was horrendous. The shadow was only visible as a small dark cloud above his palm for a second before it scattered. Adion felt how some of his conjured shadow gathered in the shadows already present in the room.
It took almost as much Will as conjuring a ball of fire¡I guess I could hold onto it if I had used my Authority, but that isn¡¯t something I want to reveal in front of Quahim.
My Authority over shadow isn¡¯t as absolute as my authority over fire and space either, so I could need a lesson in how to keep control over it.
¡°I see,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°You¡¯re a fire mage, right?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Adion nodded.
Did I tell him that? Maybe he felt my fire affinity along with my shadow affinity. It might be the case that my affinity for space is so strange that he couldn¡¯t recognize it, therefore assuming I have a fire core. Even Fellion couldn¡¯t tell I had a space core after all. He just knew my core was of an element he hadn¡¯t seen before.
But I have an affinity to water, too¡Could he somehow tell it was weaker? I¡¯ll have to ask how he can feel affinities in aura before I leave.
¡°Why do you want to learn shadow magic? Fire should be a lot more powerful, and you¡¯ll have your core to aid you,¡± Quahim said.
¡°I just feel that I should make use of my affinity,¡± Adion said, ¡°I will still give most of my attention to fire, as that is where my power lies. But shadow feels like a very unique and valuable support to master. I would at least like to know what shadow magic can do. I¡¯ve never seen anyone use it before.¡±
¡°Hm,¡± Quahim nodded. He then got up from his sitting position and approached one of the empty canvases placed by a big window. He took some paint and arranged it expertly on a palette.
¡°Paint something,¡± Quahim said, handing Adion the palette and a painting brush.
¡°Paint? I thought we were going to practice shadow magic?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°This is practice,¡± Quahim said.
Adion looked at Quahim questioningly.
¡°Magic is not so easy to learn. Especially something as concepts-heavy as shadow,¡± Quahim said, ¡°I find painting to be a good way of grasping aspects of shadows. You need it for a painting to come alive. And this shadow, you can perfectly control.¡±
¡°I guess I see what you mean,¡± Adion said hesitantly, ¡°But I¡¯m kind of in a hurry. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have time to paint and slowly grasp concepts. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to focus on the practical aspects first? I can always paint by myself later on.¡±
¡°The youth is always in such a hurry,¡± Quahim muttered, ¡°Never want to take the proper steps.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion said, ¡°I am in a bit of a hurry, though. I¡¯m not going to get anywhere in a few weeks by painting.¡±
¡°A few weeks? You¡¯re just 16. You have a year before you need to head to Cyalis in time for admissions.¡±
Adion hesitated. He hadn¡¯t actually clarified that he was only planning on staying a short while.
¡°I was planning on going to Cyalis early,¡± Adion said, ¡°I stayed behind because you offered to teach me shadow magic. But I still need to get going in a few weeks.¡±
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¡°You think you can learn anything in a few weeks?¡± Quahim questioned, ¡°Better not waste my time then.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I know I¡¯m the one who offered to teach you, so I won¡¯t complain. But I won¡¯t start teaching you shadow magic if you¡¯re just going to scurry off before we can get anywhere. It¡¯s a waste of both of our time.¡±
What? You¡¯re saying that now?
¡°Even if I didn¡¯t have to head to Cyalis, I couldn¡¯t waste a year''s time learning shadow magic,¡± Adion said, a little defensive, ¡°I just need an introduction. And I can focus more on it once I¡¯m older and stronger.¡±
¡°Older and stronger,¡± Quahim muttered, ¡°When you¡¯re young is exactly the time to focus on these things. You¡¯re too much in a hurry for everything. Proper results take time.¡±
¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say,¡± Adion said, ¡°You¡¯re already old and powerful.¡±
Adion was getting a little upset. He knew Quahim didn¡¯t owe him anything. But Adion felt like he was looked at as a fool for not wanting to waste a year on something that wouldn¡¯t increase his strength, when strength was what he needed more than anything at the moment.
¡°Old? Yes,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°But getting old isn¡¯t all that. You spend the most of your time missing your youth. And in the grand scheme of things, I¡¯m not very powerful. There is always someone stronger, Adion. You will live your whole life always being weaker than someone. The sooner you accept that, the better, or your life will be a miserable existence of feeling powerless.¡±
¡°If I get stronger than everyone else, I won¡¯t have to feel that,¡± Adion said, ¡°So that¡¯s what I plan on doing.¡±
Quahim just stared at Adion, no expression on his face.
¡°I hope you come to change your mind,¡± Quahim said, ¡°There are many things more worth pursuing than strength.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I just don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be free to pursue them if I don¡¯t have strength. Will you be able to continue painting if a Soul mage shows up and decides to destroy everything here? Decides to kill you?¡±
¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Quahim conceded, ¡°But it¡¯s been working so far. And I would bet I will be able to continue painting in peace for the remainder of my lifespan. You can always die. Even if you become the strongest mage in the world. A world-ending event can occur just like during the Age of Wonder, leaving you powerless despite all your strength. A life spent on pursuing something entirely useless.¡±
Then I¡¯ll be even stronger.
¡°It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t enjoy life while pursuing strength at the same time,¡± Adion said, ¡°The reason I¡¯m heading for Cyalis early is to see my family.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why you''re in such a hurry?¡± Quahim questioned, ¡°Youth is truly foolish.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve been preaching?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I don¡¯t think strength is stupid,¡± Quahim responded, ¡°I am a Diamond mage, after all. I realize that your freedom to do as you wish increases as you grow stronger. What I question is that you¡¯re throwing away opportunities in life that may not come again because you¡¯re in such a hurry to grow strong. That, to me, is letting life slip you by.¡±
¡°So you think I should take a year to practice shadow magic instead of seeing my family? I haven¡¯t seen them in four years. To me, that¡¯s letting life slip you by.¡± Adion argued.
¡°A valid point,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°But your family will still be there even in a year, I suppose? You would have all the time in the world to spend with them then. If that¡¯s your goal and what you plan on doing, you should go. But my guess is that you won¡¯t stay with them. You will leave again after a few years. We all do. You will continue to travel, to grow. Perhaps you will realize that you need to find someone to teach you shadow magic, wasting a lot more than a year in your journey to do so. So, is it really about filling up your life with time spent with your family? Or is it a youthful impulse? You want to see them now, of course you do. You want to grow strong now, of course you do. But your life is not tomorrow. It is not the coming week, month, or year. It¡¯s hard to see just how far your life stretches when you¡¯re young.¡±
Does he have a point?
¡°Which is why the young should listen to their elders,¡± Quahim said, flicking Adion''s forehead, ¡°And the elder is telling you to paint.¡±
Not sure I agree. But I guess there¡¯s no harm in painting for a while.
Adion didn¡¯t say anything in response. He grabbed the brush and palette and sat down in front of the canvas.
What should I paint? I don¡¯t even know how to paint.
Adion grabbed his brush and started mixing some colors. Perhaps it was the talk about his family, but Adion thought he could see the color of his mother¡¯s hair in the mixture. He experimented with mixing the different colors some more, wanting to get it exactly right.
It took him almost fifteen minutes, but finally, Adion felt satisfied. He started putting paint on the canvas, and a picture similar to ¡®Hermillin¡¯s last drink¡¯ appeared in Adion¡¯s mind. But instead of the back of the head of an old man, he drew the back of his mother¡¯s head. Her long blonde hair falling across her shoulders.
Adion wasn¡¯t going for the feeling of an old man experiencing the last bout of nostalgia in his life. Instead, he thought he could almost tell how his mother was smiling, even if all you could see was the blonde hair.
Adion sat for hours, completely absorbed. He drew his brother and sister vaguely in the background. In his mind, they were training together in the training grounds at the Remori manor. It was far from perfect. Just a lot of blonde hair, hinting at two characters in the background. But Adion had to admit something stirred within him as he looked at the finished painting.
¡°What¡¯s it called?¡± Quahim asked as Adion put down his brush.
¡°A mother¡¯s smile,¡± Adion said. He noticed that his voice was coming out a little shaky.
Are my eyes starting to tear up? I can¡¯t cry in front of Quahim because of something I painted.
¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Quahim said.
Somehow, it felt more significant than any compliment Adion had ever heard.
¡°I¡¯ll go get us something to eat,¡± Quahim said, turning around, ¡°I¡¯ll show you some shadow magic when we¡¯ve finished.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded absentmindedly. He turned to look out the window. People were out enjoying the warmth of the sun, smiling at the signs of spring.
This wasn¡¯t so bad. But I don¡¯t think it increased my understanding of shadow.
Adion turned to look at his painting again.
Why do I feel so proud of it? How embarrassing.
¡°Haaah,¡± Adion let out a shaky sigh.
What should I do? What do I want? What would be best for me? Quahim had a point when he said that life is not just today, next week, month, or year. Should I stay and make full use of this experience? Can I take it? I really want to see everyone again.
To keep my family safe, I need to get strong. It won¡¯t matter if I can see them now if I¡¯m too weak to protect them in the future. We will have centuries together if I can get strong enough. Considering that, is it really a good decision to turn away perhaps the only chance of learning shadow magic that I will ever encounter? I have a small amount of Authority over it, and I can definitely see it being useful.
Adion turned to look at his painting again. Smiling at the thought of his mother¡¯s smile behind all the hair.
It took Quahim over thirty minutes to return with food, perhaps taking his time out of consideration for Adion¡¯s shaky state. Adion wasn¡¯t concerned, though. He hadn¡¯t spent any more time thinking about complicated decisions. He had simply been enjoying the thought of his mother¡¯s smile.
Chapter 85 - Shadow
¡°So,¡± Quahim said as the two finished eating, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about shadows, shall we?¡±
Adion was sitting opposite Quahim on a carpet on the floor. Adion hadn¡¯t seen any tables in Quahim¡¯s studio, and he didn¡¯t mind eating on the floor.
¡°Yes,¡± Adion nodded his head, looking at Quahim expectedly. They hadn¡¯t talked much during their meal, and Quahim hadn¡¯t mentioned how he wouldn¡¯t teach Adion anything if he decided to leave in just a few weeks. Adion didn¡¯t think Quahim had dropped the subject, though, probably just leaving it for another day.
¡°Shadow magic is very different from other elements. Do you know why?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°From what I''ve heard, it takes a great understanding of the element to be able to use it. A lot of concepts are involved,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Yes,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°A fire mage can conjure a fire and use it immediately upon forming a core. But shadow mages struggle to make use of their shadow even in the most basic manner when they first form their core. A fire mage can simply slowly work concepts into their flame and grow from there. But to use shadows without concepts is not possible. A fire is dangerous as it is, but a shadow? Not very useful unless you want to keep the sunlight out of your eyes.¡±
¡°So you need plenty of concepts in order to make your shadow do anything useful?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°Let me ask you this: What is the difference between water and ice? Between earth and lava?¡±
¡°Concepts,¡± Adion said, ¡°A water mage grasping the concept of coldness, and perhaps a few other concepts needed, would be indistinguishable from an ice mage.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°And an earth mage could slowly work in concepts of hotness into their core, making it indistinguishable from lava. At least in theory. But can they change their concepts so much that the lava turns to fire?¡±
¡°I¡I¡¯m not sure,¡± Adion said, ¡°It should be possible, right?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Quahim said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that elements are just a mishmash of concepts that you can shape to your Will. There is a core, a foundation, an essence, somewhere that you can¡¯t escape from. Let¡¯s call it a foundation so as not to confuse it with the mana core, even though I think core would be a better word.
¡°This foundation is something that binds you to an element that exists outside of any concepts. I believe shadow has this foundation too, but it is hidden deeper than other elements. I believe this is why you need concepts to make much use of your shadow magic.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°It should also be that shadows are pretty useless as they are, right? Other than blocking light, they don¡¯t seem to be much use without concepts. A normal rock can at least be thrown at someone, even without concepts. But shadow is more¡ ethereal?¡±
¡°True,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°You need to polish your shadow with a lot of concepts to make it useful. But that is also where its strength lies. You are not bound to the element as it exists in the world as much as other elements are.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Adion asked.
¡°An element can be changed by concepts to do all sorts of things,¡± Quahim explained, ¡°But I believe that you can never incorporate a concept that goes against the foundation of the element. Earth can be hot lava or cold mud. It can be sand, rock, dirt, you name it. But it can never be something that doesn¡¯t cohere to its foundation: earth. That goes for all elements. A fire will always be fire, water will always be water, wind will always be wind, and shadow will always be shadow. But what is shadow? What¡¯s the foundation that you can never change?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Adion said, thinking hard about it, ¡°Maybe just an opposition to light?¡±
¡°I think so too,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°I can¡¯t know, of course. No one can. And testing the limits of what a shadow can be is something I am still working on every day. But its opposition to light seems unchangeable. It is, by definition, the absence of light. Is that all there is? Are there countless other things that can¡¯t be changed? I don¡¯t know. Just like I don¡¯t know what can be done with the other elements. But in simple terms, as long as your shadow is a shadow, you¡¯re good.¡±
This is way too confusing. Has Quahim ever taught anyone before?
¡°What about darkness then? What¡¯s the difference between that and shadow?¡± Adion asked.
¡°There is no difference when it comes down to it,¡± Quahim said, ¡°At least I don¡¯t think so. Sure, my shadow differs from the darkness of a darkness mage, but my shadow also differs from the shadow of another shadow mage. I believe it to be two paths of the same element. Similarly to how ice and water are two paths of the same element.¡±
¡°That¡¯s pretty much what I thought,¡± Adion said.
¡°Where was I going with this¡¡± Quahim said, squinting his eyes in thought, ¡°Right, the point being that shadow is very concepts-heavy, but also very concept-free. It is up to you to experiment and see where your concepts take you, but I can give you some inspiration.¡±
Quahim conjured a shadow above his palm. It looked a lot darker and denser than what Adion had accomplished.
¡°I have contemplated a lot of concepts in my life,¡± Quahim said, looking at the cloud-like shadow before him, ¡°One of them being darkness. You can see the result in my shadow. I also focused a lot of time in my youth on the concepts of compact, speed, and sharpness, letting me fight with the element.¡±
Quahim waved his hand, and the shadow sped through the room in the shape of a crescent, cutting deep into a piece of marble further into the room.
Amazing!
¡°Don¡¯t get too excited,¡± Quahim warned, ¡°That is the result of decades upon decades of contemplation and practice. It¡¯s not something you can achieve anytime soon. Otherwise, shadow mages wouldn¡¯t be seen as so weak in the early stages.¡±
¡°I understand,¡± Adion nodded. He could only imagine how hard it would be to accomplish something like what Quahim had just shown.
¡°This is a spell passed down in my family clan for as long as anyone can remember. It¡¯s called the ¡®crescent shadow blade.¡¯ A little on the nose, perhaps, but I¡¯m in no position to change it,¡± Quahim said.
¡°What family clan are you a part of?¡± Adion couldn¡¯t help but ask.
Quahim looked at Adion for a while before shaking his head, ¡°Another time. I will show the scroll with the spell later. It is far too early to start practicing it, but it would do you well to memorize.¡±
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¡°Is that really fine?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°If you¡¯re able to use it, it will only make it easier for future generations to master it. No need to keep it too secret.¡±
¡°Thank you, teacher,¡± Adion said. He knew that there were a lot of people willing to spread their spells far and wide. But a lot of family clans still chose to keep them well-guarded.
¡°So you believe it will be easier to master spells more frequently used?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°I know it¡¯s debated, but I believe it to be true. The Theory of Treaded Paths has been shown to be correct in all areas that can be proven. No reason to doubt it wouldn¡¯t work for spells. Have you ever learned a spell?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t,¡± Adion shook his head. There were a few spell scrolls in the Remori manor, but Adion had been sparkless during all his time there, so they were pretty useless to him.
¡°Not even a fire spell, a basic one?¡± Quahim questioned.
¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± Adion answered, not in the mood to make up an excuse that wouldn¡¯t reveal his true element.
Quahim looked at Adion for a moment, expressionless like always, making it hard for Adion to know what he was thinking.
¡°Well,¡± Quahim said, ¡°When you do, you will realize just how much easier learning a spell is than making something up on your own. The world, and the mana of the world, likes to do things the way things have always been done. You will still need to grasp the concepts necessary, and practice a lot, but it is almost like the world is giving you a helping hand instead of struggling against you.¡±
That seems nice. I wish I had a spell for space magic. Maybe there are some hidden within the Celestial Phoenix Sect.
¡°What else can you do with shadow?¡± Adion asked, ¡°That thing you did when I was here for the first time, and you covered the entire store in shadow. What was that?¡±
Quahim gave Adion a rare small grin, ¡°It is a trick of my own. It is hard to explain, as concepts of the shadow usually are. But basically, I conjured a lot of shadow. But it is the concepts that my shadow carries that make it special. It does not only block light, but other things too. I will leave the rest for you to ponder about. As much as it can be helpful to have things explained, I believe what really gives the best results is to discover things on our own. Instead of struggling to replicate my steps exactly, see where your own mind takes you.¡±
That makes a lot of sense. I feel like I can always make better progress when I find inspiration on my own rather than trying to replicate someone else.
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Why don¡¯t you play around with it for a while,¡± Quahim said and got up from his sitting position, ¡°I¡¯ll do some painting in the meantime. Join me once you¡¯ve tired out your Will.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
Quahim left for his paint, and Adion made himself comfortable on the carpet.
Let¡¯s see. I can¡¯t use my Authority here. Quahim would definitely notice it. I will just practice conjuring shadow from pure mana. I know from my practice with fire that it is tiresome but rewarding work. And it seems like the best place to start; no use learning a shadow spell if I can¡¯t even conjure the shadow to use it.
Adion started gathering the pure mana in his surroundings, using his Will to turn it into shadow mana. Adion managed to conjure shadow about the size of a head. It didn¡¯t stick around, though, almost immediately dispersing in all directions.
That should be about the amount I can use my Authority over. I¡¯ll give it a try back at the inn later. It¡¯s not nearly as dark as Quahim¡¯s shadow, though, and his shadow also seemed a lot denser. I have a lot of work to do.
Adion repeated the process; it was tiresome work, but he knew it would get easier with time.
After about an hour, Adion felt his practice having severely diminishing returns, his Will too strained. He decided to rest for a while and headed over to where Quahim was painting.
The painting was far from done, but Adion thought he could see a man and a woman sitting in some sort of library.
Is it a happy painting or a sad painting? It feels more on the happy side.
Adion tried to focus on how Quahim used shadows to make his painting more realistic. But after a while, Adion found himself being more absorbed in the way Quahim painted, his mind trying to absorb the knowledge in front of him.
As it started getting dark, Quahim put down his brush and turned to Adion.
¡°Learn anything?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Adion said, ¡°But you are very good.¡±
¡°It just takes practice,¡± Quahim said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you can achieve something similar too one day.¡±
Something similar to that?
Quahim¡¯s painting was incredible. It was almost like Adion was actually watching what was occurring on the canvas. It was as if he put his hand forward; he wouldn¡¯t touch anything, simply keep going, entering the painting. But it wasn¡¯t only that, Quahim¡¯s painting had a way of evoking emotions that Adion hadn¡¯t experienced before.
I¡¯m quite lucky to be in this situation, aren¡¯t I?
¡°What is it called?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s not finished yet,¡± Quahim said, ¡°I don¡¯t like to name my paintings before they are done.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Well,¡± Quahim said, getting up from his stool, ¡°It¡¯s too dark to paint, and I assume your Will is too exhausted to do much more magic. You should head back and get some rest. Make sure to come back well-rested tomorrow.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Thank you for today, teacher.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else.
It seems he is planning on continuing to teach me. Adion thought as he made his way out of Hevima. Is he so sure I will stay? Or has he just changed his mind? I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll just take it as it comes for now.
When Adion got back to his room at the inn, he sat down on his bed to get some more practice done. He conjured some shadow and used his Authority to keep control over it this time. It felt slightly different from how his Authority over fire and space felt. It wasn¡¯t as absolute.
It was almost like his Authority over space and fire was something he had an absolute right to. Not even the world itself could question Adion¡¯s Authority over it. But shadow was more like he was allowed to have, nothing he had an actual right to.
It¡¯s really strange¡Is there a difference? There should be. I can only guess that it¡¯s because the Wisdom pill that gave me this power was made from the blood of a weaker beast than the Phoenixes.
Adion played around with his shadow for a while, but other than not immediately dispersing, it did nothing besides blocking light. He manipulated it around the room but had to eventually accept that without concepts, shadow was basically useless.
I guess there is no getting around it. These things take time.
Adion went out of his room to get something to eat for dinner. The inn served food, so he didn¡¯t need to wander about in search of something.
The dinner was just as lonely as his breakfast had been. Adion was used to having his meal surrounded by friends. The sudden loneliness was a bit hard to get used to.
I¡¯ll manage. It makes eating a quick affair, at least, leaving more time for training. I¡¯ll do some aura training to exhaust my Will before going to bed. And I¡¯ll try to wake up early to do some more meditation tomorrow morning. I have been a Bronze mage for too long. It¡¯s time for me to reach Silver.
Chapter 86 - Silver
I am finally ready.
Adion opened his eyes. He had made sure his core was completely full and ready to advance. He was sitting cross-legged on his bed. The sun¡¯s first rays of light made their way in through his window, lighting up the room. Now that he could advance any time he wanted, Adion took the opportunity to just be in the moment, in some strange way enjoying his final moments as a Bronze mage.
What a journey. Even though I got through the Bronze stage a lot faster than most people, it still feels like I¡¯ve been a Bronze mage forever. I¡¯m ready to go on ahead and never look back.
Adion had managed to fill his core to the brim the night before, but not even he was in such a rush that he wanted to risk advancing to Silver without a fully rested Will, so he had patiently waited for the next day to arrive.
Well, let¡¯s get on with it. I can feel that I have sufficient Will. Just focus, and everything will work out.
Adion closed his eyes again, his heart racing. He took a few deep breaths, focusing on his core and gathering all the Will he could possibly muster. Then, in one big push, he compressed his core with his Will. He could feel it getting smaller and smaller, denser and denser.
Not enough.
Adion kept pushing his Will. It was a lot harder than advancing to Bronze had been. If advancing to Bronze had been like squishing a plum with his hand, this was more like squishing an apple. Nothing impossible or even particularly difficult, but considering his Will had gotten a lot stronger since he was a Bronze mage, it was a little worrisome for his future advancements that advancing had gotten this much harder already.
Come on, a little more.
Finally, Adion felt his core settle at a comfortable size. He kept his Will focused, but could slowly let go as he felt that the core was stable.
I¡¯m a Silver mage.
Adion could almost laugh in joy. He jumped out of bed, full of energy, but then he remembered that a new core was the best time to get some meditation done, so he sat down on his bed again and started manipulating space mana into his core. Even if his Will was a bit tired, it was nothing excessive.
Pushing mana into one¡¯s core became increasingly difficult as one advanced from low-middle-high-peak in a particular stage, but right now, Adion was the lowest of low Silver, and his core offered very little resistance as he fed it with space mana.
After about an hour of meditation, Adion felt that the resistance was starting to amp up, and he decided to stop so as not to get to Quahim completely exhausted.
I think I managed to gather more space mana in my core in the last hour than in the previous few weeks combined. Amazing.
Adion got up from his bed once again and took a deep breath.
It¡¯s truly a wonderful feeling. Getting stronger is definitely addictive. It feels like all my training has been more than worth it.
Adion felt how his new strength was noticeable in his aura. He grabbed hold of it with his Will and pulled it towards his body to hide. He hid down to low Bronze as usual. It took more effort than it had done when he was a peak Bronze mage, but he still believed he would have almost any Diamond mage fooled without worry.
That¡¯s good to know, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be hiding my strength down to low Bronze very often.
Adion released his grip slightly and revealed the strength of a middle Bronze mage in his aura. It had always been his plan to reveal middle Bronze strength when he applied to the Academy, and even if it was a while left, Adion didn¡¯t see any problem with having his advancement a little early. It was a precaution he took so Quahim wouldn¡¯t notice anything off.
Adion had gone over for lessons at Hevima every day for a little over a week now, and he had told Quahim the day before that he was going to advance to middle Bronze this morning. Adion didn¡¯t think he would be able to sense his strength, but there was always a risk that he could tell something was slightly off in Adion¡¯s aura. If he revealed a higher strength, that would clear all suspicions.
Should I reveal my middle Bronze strength when I¡¯m out and about, though? It might cause some attention¡Whatever, I¡¯ll just do it. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the first 16-year-old to reach middle Bronze.
Adion felt very energetic, so he took off his clothes and put on a pair of light pants and a cheap shirt that he had been using for physical exercise during the past week. Now that he wasn¡¯t traveling and didn¡¯t hunt beasts on the Outskirts anymore, he needed to exercise to stay in shape.
He made his way out of the inn and onto the busy streets of Rethi and started running. Adion had found that running through Rethi was quite enjoyable. Even if there were a lot of people about, he got to see more of the city this way. And running was a great way to clear his head.
I wonder if there are any training grounds around here? It would be nice to get some sword exercises done and maybe train my muscles a bit.
Adion decided to ask Quahim about it later and simply enjoyed the run. His newfound energy making him run far longer than the previous days.
Once back at the inn again, Adion took a bath and changed into his other set of clothes. He then started making his way to Hevima for his daily lesson.
Walking through the streets, Adion was in a great mood. He was a Silver mage and stronger than ever, and he had a good routine going that would make sure he would continue to grow stronger every day. Nothing beats a good routine.
Spring had also finally arrived in full, lifting not only the mood of Adion but all the people he passed on the street as well.
Arriving at Hevima, Adion headed straight upstairs to the studio, wishing Ferrith a good morning on the way.
¡°Took you a while,¡± Quahim said, putting down his brush and turning away from his painting to look at Adion.
¡°I exercised a little after advancing,¡± Adion said, ¡°Might have gotten a little carried away while running.¡±
¡°Oh? You¡¯re trying to get in shape for something? A lady to impress?¡± Quahim asked.
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¡°Well¡¡± Adion didn¡¯t really know what to say, as the thought of Sell had definitely been a motivator, ¡°It¡¯s always good to stay in shape, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°I suppose,¡± Quahim said with a light smile, ¡°Congratulations on your advancement. Very talented to reach middle Bronze so young. I suppose you¡¯re not all talk.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion said, ¡°Thank you, teacher.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll be quite valued at the Academy. Do you have any House in mind?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°No,¡± Adion said, ¡°I just know it won¡¯t be the Shields. Other than that, I don¡¯t really have a clue what I¡¯ll choose.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re not rushing into it, at least. Give it a lot of thought before deciding.¡±
¡°What House were you a part of, teacher?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I never went to Cyalis Academy,¡± Quahim answered.
¡°So you¡¯re really not from Shiora? You¡¯re from Quemer? Evalia?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Good,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°I¡¯m from Quemer, yes. Evalia.¡±
¡°What is it like there?¡± Adion asked.
¡°We¡¯ll save the stories for another day,¡± Quahim said, ¡°I have a few books that you can borrow if you¡¯re really curious.¡±
¡°I would like that,¡± Adion nodded excitedly.
¡°Remind me before you leave,¡± Quahim said, ¡°Any questions crop up since yesterday? Or should we get right to it?¡±
¡°I was thinking something. I¡¯m not sure if you have an answer, though,¡± Adion said.
¡°Go ahead,¡± Quahim said.
¡°We talked about how a shadow is not limited to blocking light, as it can even be used to block aura. But can it hide more obscure stuff, like distance?¡±
Adion had thought a lot about how Quahim had managed to move away so quickly that day when he covered the store in shadow. He was wondering if there was a Deep Concept involved, or was it just a simple concept that had been grasped to perfection? Or was there something else going on that Adion wasn¡¯t even aware of, as he hadn¡¯t understood shadow magic enough yet?
Quahim looked at Adion with a slight smirk, ¡°Whenever I wonder if something is possible to accomplish or not, I think of the gods of ancient times. Were they able to do this seemingly impossible feat? And the answer I always find myself with is ¡®yes.¡¯ They were gods, after all. Surely, they could do whatever I could imagine. And if the gods could do it, that means it can be done. Even if it is incredibly unlikely for someone like me to succeed, the possibility still exists.¡±
So, anything is possible? Well, that¡¯s usually what I think, too. It just takes a lot of practice.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°That¡¯s a good way to think about it.¡±
¡°Get some practice done, and then come join me,¡± Quahim said and turned back to his painting.
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded and went to sit down on the carpet further into the room.
Adion hadn¡¯t really gotten anywhere with his shadow magic, but he hadn¡¯t had much time with it yet, either. Every day, he would sit for a few hours, conjuring shadows from the pure mana surrounding him, getting slightly better at it with each passing day. He also had shadows on his mind almost all day, contemplating them, trying to figure out what kind of concepts would go well with his shadow magic.
As Adion conjured up a shadow, he focused and tried to make it more stable, so it wouldn¡¯t slip away from his control without him using his Authority. Unfortunately, it showed no real result. Except for a slight delay in the shadow scattering, Adion couldn¡¯t feel any real difference.
Maybe ¡®stable¡¯ doesn¡¯t go together with shadow. Or maybe I just need more training. Perhaps there is a way of looking at it that makes it work. I¡¯ll test it out some more when I get back to the inn and can use my Authority.
After about two hours of conjuring shadows, Adion felt his Will was reaching its limits and walked over to Quahim. The painting was starting to come alive. It was still the same one he had worked on for over a week now: A man and a woman sitting across from each other at a table, reading.
It was always fascinating watching Quahim paint, but after observing him for a while, Adion felt his hand start itching for a brush of its own.
Adion walked over to where he put his half-finished painting the day before and put it back on an easel of his own. He put some paint on his palette and sat down to begin painting.
He wasn¡¯t painting anything special, just the scenery outside the window. It was mainly because he needed practice. Adion felt that he wanted to paint ¡®A mother¡¯s smile¡¯ again, but better, doing it justice. And for that, he needed to practice.
He had already tried to improve it but found his skill severely lacking. It was really a shame because he enjoyed working on that painting. It felt like he was able to spend time with his mother in a way, even if she was gone. Adion had a hard time putting it away at first, but eventually made the decision to focus on his skills for a while before coming back to it.
After painting for a few hours, Adion felt that the result wasn¡¯t too bad, but nothing he was proud of. He put the painting away and was planning on doing some more practice with shadow magic before coming back to paint something else. But as he put the painting away, he noticed Quahim looking at his painting in silence.
¡°Is it finished?¡± Adion asked and walked over to take a look.
¡°It is,¡± Quahim nodded.
Even if it was just two people reading in a library, Adion was moved by the painting. He thought he could feel nervousness and joy. A very pleasant feeling.
¡°What is it called?¡± Adion asked.
¡°¡®Heartbeats in silence,¡¯¡± Quahim answered, a light smile on his face.
¡°Is it you and a girl you liked?¡± Adion couldn¡¯t help but ask.
¡°Hehe,¡± Quahim gave a rare chuckle, ¡°You could tell all that?¡±
¡°It just felt like that was the case,¡± Adion answered, ¡°How do you do it? Make your paintings evoke such feelings in people?¡±
¡°I¡¯m still far from what the greatest painters can accomplish,¡± Quahim said, ¡°And it is not always one of my paintings makes you feel anything. It also depends on the person looking. I¡¯m guessing you recognize the feeling? Being close to a girl you like? Feeling your heart racing?¡±
¡°Well, yeah,¡± Adion said.
¡°Oh? You have yourself a little girlfriend, perhaps?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, a little embarrassed.
¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Quahim said. ¡°What do you like about her?¡±
¡°Well, everything. She-¡± Adion began but soon interrupted himself, ¡°Wait, I¡¯m not talking with this about you.¡±
¡°¡®With this about you¡¯?¡± Quahim repeated and actually laughed out loud, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you could get a girl, talking like that.¡±
¡°You wouldn¡¯t know, but I¡¯m quite charming when I want to be,¡± Adion said.
¡°Haha,¡± Quahim laughed, ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±
¡°Whatever,¡± Adion muttered, ¡°Anyway, it is a nice painting.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Quahim nodded.
Adion went to take a seat on the carpet again. Halfway there, he stopped to look back at Quahim. Adion had made his decision already but never actually told Quahim.
¡°I¡¯m staying, by the way,¡± Adion said.
¡°Staying?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°Here in Rethi,¡± Adion said, ¡°Until it¡¯s time for my admission to the Academy.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Quahim nodded, a light smile on his face.
Adion went to take a seat on the carpet. His Will had recovered, and he was ready to get to work again.
Chapter 87 - A visit
I wonder what the best paintings during the Age of Wonder were like. Adion thought to himself as he was sitting on the carpet in Quahim¡¯s studio, reading one of the books Quahim had lent him. It was a book about art, and Adion was just getting to a part of paintings from long ago.
It was almost summer, and Adion had read through a bunch of books during the last months. Quahim had lent him a few books about Quemer to sate his curiosity, and Adion found himself enjoying reading a lot. He used to read back at the Remori manor, but he hadn¡¯t really had the time or opportunity ever since he ended up on the other side of the continent.
¡°Are there any paintings remaining from the Age of Wonder?¡± Adion asked Quahim.
Quahim turned from his painting to look at Adion, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t heard of any. It¡¯s a shame; I would have loved to see what the painters back then were capable of. There are records of old paintings, though. Some are brought in the book you¡¯re holding. Have you got to that point?¡±
¡°I was just about to begin reading about it,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°Tell me when you¡¯ve finished; we can discuss it over lunch.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion said, turning his attention to the book in his hands again. The book was called ¡®Art through the Ages,¡¯ and Quahim had told him that the author was a scholar who had earned the title of Sage after publishing the book.
Adion soon got to the part where the author discussed paintings during the Age of Wonder. Apparently, Shiora was known for having more shadow mages back then. Something Adion was shocked to read about in a book.
Is this hinting at the Celestial Phoenix Sect? They seem to have had shadow mages in their clan. But is the existence of that place something known? Based on what Sell told me about her family¡¯s goal for coming to Shiora, it shouldn''t be. Maybe there were a lot of shadow mages outside of the sect.
Adion continued reading the book: ¡®Through the gracefulness of the Hoemri family, I was let in on an old book discussing the existence of a famous painting on Shiora during the Age of Wonder. The painter was a shadow mage by the name of Yohi Yoseta, and his most famous painting was said to be able to temper the Will of even the most powerful mages. It had people sailing for Shiora from all over the world just to see it. Simple words can¡¯t do it justice, obviously, and it was just mentioned in passing in the old book the Hoemri family let me study. But from what I can gather, the painting was black.
¡®People reading this might think this not being anything extraordinary. But realizing a painting that can only be described as entirely black was enough to temper the Will of powerful mages certainly gives us an understanding of just how high great art can reach. I have had the chance to see truly great paintings during my time, depicting scenes that are able to move me more than if I were to experience the scene myself. But no painting has ever come close to actually tempering my Will.
¡®The painting in question was named ¡®Atao¡¯ by its creator, meaning ¡®lack of everything¡¯ in a literal sense. Perhaps ¡®Nothing¡¯ or ¡®Void¡¯ is a more apt translation. I have to admit that just imagining it gives me the chill, perhaps rightly so, as weaker mages were known to lose consciousness looking at it.
¡®I believe that discovering art of the past like this gives us a glimpse of just how amazing the world used to be, and how wondrous it can become once again. By continuing our strive to improve, we won¡¯t just have mages that can punch harder; every aspect of our society will take leaps that seem hard to imagine. Art just being one of them.¡¯
Incredible. I wonder if I could ever paint something like that.
Adion continued to read the book, greedily absorbing the knowledge contained within the pages.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s get something to eat,¡± Quahim said after a while.
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded. He noticed he was sweating and realized he had to dress more lightly going forward.
These windows let too much sunlight in. Just how hot will it get in here when summer really hits?
¡°Doesn¡¯t the heat bother you?¡± Adion asked as he stood up and stretched his body.
¡°Not really,¡± Quahim answered.
¡°You should hire an ice mage to cool the place down or something. Rather than paying a Gold mage to stand in the shop all day, doing nothing,¡± Adion said.
¡°Having Demoth guard the store gives me peace of mind to paint,¡± Quahim answered, ¡°That¡¯s worth a lot more than having the perfect temperature.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t there runes for these things? Like a cooling rune?¡± Adion asked.
¡°There are,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°The heat never really bothered me enough to get one. You are free to do so if you want, however.¡±
I might look into it. If it¡¯s not too much money, it will definitely be worth it.
Just as Quahim and Adion were about to head down to get something to eat, they noticed Ferrith coming up the stairs.
¡°A human gentleman is here looking for you, Adion,¡± Ferrith said.
¡°What? Who?¡± Adion asked.
¡°He introduced himself as Termon Delhelm,¡± Ferrith answered.
¡°Termon is here?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Someone you know?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°He is the one I gifted your painting to,¡± Adion said, ¡°He helped my friends and me a lot.¡±
¡°You should go talk to him then,¡± Quahim said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait here and paint some more.¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± Adion nodded.
Adion followed Ferrith down the stairs and noticed Termon standing behind the counter as he came down.
¡°Termon,¡± Adion said, ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you. What are you doing here?¡±
¡°I¡¯m making my way back to Ellia and thought I¡¯d stop by to say hello in case you were still here,¡± Termon said with a smile.
¡°You¡¯re heading back to Ellia? I thought you would stay in Cyalis?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I was planning on staying for a few years,¡± Termon nodded, ¡°But the situation in the Empire seems to have calmed down somewhat.¡±
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¡°Really?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, the Empire is still split in two,¡± Termon said, ¡°But an all-out war seems unlikely.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Adion said.
¡°Besides,¡± Termon said, ¡°I got bored in Cyalis. I thought the tournament would take place in the Public Plaza, but it seems to be held in the Academy Proper, so I won¡¯t get to see how Prago performs.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion nodded. The Public Plaza was part of the Academy in a way. It was where admissions, among other things, took place. It was open for everyone to visit, but the actual Academy was walled off, and no one but students and the mages working there could enter.
¡°Why don¡¯t we take a walk?¡± Adion suggested, ¡°It¡¯s a nice day, and I want to hear about your trip.¡±
¡°That sounds nice,¡± Termon nodded.
Adion and Termon headed outside, and Adion started asking a few questions about his teammates. He had thought about them a lot during the past months, wondering where they were at the moment.
¡°We left them in Dormia, where they would stay for a few days before heading to Benji¡¯s family manor,¡± Termon said, ¡°I think they should be well on their way to the Kuwa mountains now.¡±
¡°I hope they¡¯ll be careful,¡± Adion said, a little worried about them.
¡°Benji doesn¡¯t strike me as a reckless person,¡± Termon said.
¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°After that, it was a pretty boring journey with Prago scribbling runes the entire way,¡± Termon said, ¡°He managed to impress the elders enough to make it into the silver class, though. I¡¯m just afraid he¡¯ll be pushed down to bronze class after the tournament. He¡¯s not much of a fighter.¡±
During admissions, everyone interested in entering the Academy had to show their skills in front of a group of elders. If you were accepted, you would be placed in a class with people of similar skills. The top class being diamond and the bottom stone, named after the stages of advancement.
Everything couldn¡¯t be tested, though, so there was a tournament for first-years where they would be ranked according to results. Only the top 100 out of around 4000 students can get a spot in the diamond class. The tournament was also a chance for the different Houses to scout new members. If you performed well enough, you could enter one of the top Houses straight away.
¡°I¡¯ll make sure he gets his fighting abilities up to par when I get there,¡± Adion said.
¡°Hehe,¡± Termon chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you then. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t have much trouble getting into the gold or perhaps even diamond class with your strength.¡±
Adion realized he was showing middle Bronze strength through his aura. It must have been quite a surprise for Termon.
I guess Termon already saw my strength as a low Bronze mage when we first met. So he has always known I¡¯m quite talented.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°My advancement speed has been a pleasant surprise. I¡¯ll be aiming to enter the diamond class. I¡¯ll be sure to use my status to order around Prago so he doesn¡¯t slack off.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Termon smiled, ¡°And I have to thank you again for the painting you gifted me. I have only grown more fond of it as time has passed. I have found myself taking it out to admire many times during the journey.¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad you like it,¡± Adion said. He already knew Termon appreciated the gift, as he had expressed great joy when Adion gifted it to him. Termon had sat looking at it during their last night in Rethi, ignoring everything happening around him.
¡°I was hoping to meet the painter when I came by, actually, but I assume he must be busy,¡± Termon said.
¡°Oh? He¡¯s not that busy,¡± Adion said, ¡°I can introduce you later.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Termon chuckled, ¡°I appreciate it. Have the two of you been getting along?¡±
¡°I would say so,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°And how is your shadow magic going? I believe it was the reason you stayed, right?¡± Termon asked.
¡°It¡¯s been going alright,¡± Adion said, ¡°But it¡¯s difficult. You have to grasp a lot of concepts to make much use of it. I find myself spending a lot of time reading and painting, hoping to gain some inspiration.¡±
¡°So you¡¯re a painter now?¡± Termon asked, pleasantly surprised, ¡°I would love to see one of your paintings.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to call myself a painter just yet,¡± Adion said with an awkward smile, ¡°I¡¯m still not very good.¡±
¡°Well, it takes a lot of practice,¡± Termon said, ¡°You¡¯re still young. Keep at it, and I¡¯m sure your name will be known all over the continent in time.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Adion said, ¡°Anyway, how long will you be staying in Rethi?¡±
¡°Just for the day,¡± Termon answered, ¡°There is an auction in Hemdia that I don¡¯t want to miss.¡±
¡°There¡¯s an auction when there is a civil war going on?¡± Adion asked.
¡°People have to carry on with their lives at some point, and Hemdia is far from any area of contention,¡± Termon said, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s the Horrof family holding the auction. People don¡¯t mess with them lightly.¡±
¡°Oh? Why?¡± Adion asked.
¡°The dean of Cyalis Academy is of the Horrof family. Even if I¡¯ve heard he isn¡¯t really involved in his family matters, the title of dean of Cyalis Academy carries a lot of weight.¡± Termon answered.
¡°I see,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Seems fun. Are there any auction houses in Cyalis?¡±
¡°Plenty,¡± Termon nodded, ¡°It¡¯s by far the largest city on the continent, after all.¡±
¡°I might look into that when I get there. I guess I would need a lot of money if I want to do anything besides looking, though.¡±
¡°That might be difficult in the near future,¡± Termon said, ¡°The things auctioned off there are only for the top powers. But I think just getting a seat and having a look at the objects auctioned would be a fascinating experience.¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Anyway. Do you want to head back? I¡¯ll introduce you to my teacher. I¡¯m sure he hasn¡¯t eaten anything yet, so we can go do that together.¡±
¡°That sounds wonderful,¡± Termon nodded.
Adion and Termon headed back to Hevima, and like Adion had guessed, Quahim hadn¡¯t eaten by himself. Adion introduced the two, and they headed for a restaurant to have lunch together.
¡°What a lovely little place,¡± Termon said as they took their seats at the restaurant, ¡°Do you come here often?¡±
¡°We end up coming here most days,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°They always have freshly caught fish,¡± Quahim said, ¡°I would recommend trying the perch.¡±
¡°I will do so then,¡± Termon nodded with a smile, ¡°So how is Adion as a student?¡±
Quahim turned to look at Adion for a moment.
¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Adion asked with narrowed eyes, ¡°This is where you say I¡¯m an excellent student. If nothing else, just to be polite.¡±
¡°I guess he¡¯s alright,¡± Quahim answered.
¡°Whatever,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°Hehe,¡± Termon chuckled, ¡°He¡¯s a good kid, though he can be a little reckless.¡±
¡°That he is,¡± Quahim nodded in agreement.
What¡¯s going on? Since when have I been reckless?
The three continued their lunch, soon shifting the topic of discussion from Adion to paintings. Adion enjoyed listening in and absorbing some of the knowledge the two had.
When they had finished their lunch, Adion bid farewell to Termon, letting the old man go back to rest a little before he would continue his journey.
My Will has recovered from this morning. Adion thought as he walked back to Hevima next to Quahim. I guess I¡¯ll practice conjuring some shadow before continuing my painting.
Chapter 88 - Uncle
Come on, this has to be useful during the day. Adion thought as he conjured a shadow and tried to Will it denser faster than the Will of the world could sweep it away from his control.
He was sitting on the carpet in Quahim¡¯s study. Sweat was running down his temples, not from physical strain but from the heat. Summer had arrived in full swing, and even with the windows open, Quahim¡¯s study seemed to have been designed to trap heat.
Adion continued conjuring shadows, but the Will of the world was not easy to beat, and Adion had to finally give up. If he could use his Authority, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but shadow was even harder to control than wind. A shadow mage had to conjure a shadow packed with concepts if they wanted to have any chance of controlling a shadow for any amount of time.
It is a lot easier at night, but I don¡¯t want to be handicapped like that. Quahim manages to keep his shadow under control even during the day. At least long enough to attack with it.
But I guess this is good training. Keeping control of a shadow in daylight without Authority has to be one of the hardest things you can attempt.
Adion decided to rest his Will for a while before continuing. He had managed to make significant improvements in his shadow magic since he started his training. He could now conjure a shadow the volume of a watermelon in just under three seconds. It was very hard to shave off those last few seconds, though. But Adion knew he would get there with enough effort.
He didn¡¯t know if his concepts had made any significant improvements, though. Adion hadn¡¯t experienced any moments of great insight. He simply tried to Will his shadow to become more compact, faster, and sharper. Those were the key concepts needed for the spell Quahim had shared with Adion. Even if Adion didn¡¯t feel the need for an attack like that, it was a good place to start. And he thought he had at least a basic understanding of those concepts already, so he opted to push his shadow in those directions every time he conjured one. There weren¡¯t a lot of results to show for it yet, but Adion thought he inched his way closer and closer with every effort.
He didn¡¯t know if that was the best method in trying to grasp concepts, but it was something at least. Concepts were still something that wasn¡¯t entirely clear to Adion. He thought that his grasping of ¡®stable¡¯ was something more like an inspiration than brute-forcing it, like making his fire ¡®hot¡¯ had been. Finding inspiration through slowly pondering an element was definitely more effective, as he had noticed when he finally had a fire powerful enough to kill Silver beasts. But he had the privilege of studying Sell¡¯s fire every day for that. Who knows how long it would have taken otherwise?
Adion had thought about a way to study Quahim¡¯s shadow in the same way, but that would also reveal Adion¡¯s strange control over shadow to Quahim. And even if Adion trusted Quahim to not want him harm, he couldn¡¯t trust him with any of his secrets. He still didn¡¯t know why he had been curious about him when they met, after all.
So besides painting, reading, and playing around with his shadow, hoping for some sudden enlightenment, Adion had no choice but to brute force his shadow to become denser, faster, and sharper.
I¡¯ll paint for a while. That¡¯s something I can notice steady improvements in, at least.
Adion got up and walked over to Quahim, who was painting by a window.
¡°It really is far too hot,¡± Adion complained, ¡°Are you actually comfortable in this heat?¡±
¡°Not really,¡± Quahim said, ¡°I just don¡¯t go around complaining about it. I keep it to myself.¡±
¡°Complaining helps keep off the heat,¡± Adion said, taking a seat on a stool next to Quahim, preparing to start painting. Adion had started a painting of Sell the week before without thinking about it. Out of embarrassment and afraid that Quahim would recognize the kingdom¡¯s princess, Adion had left the painting unfinished and opted to make a painting of just her hair. It would be anonymous enough, and it felt like a nice thing to paint.
He began mixing some colors on his palette to get the perfect shade of red.
¡°You should work on not making your every thought known to the people around you. People will abuse it in the Academy,¡± Quahim said as he continued painting.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I do it with strangers,¡± Adion said, his eyes on the color mix.
¡°I believe you called me bald the first time we met,¡± Quahim said.
¡°It sort of slipped out,¡± Adion muttered, ¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°Insult shouldn¡¯t just slip out,¡± Quahim said, ¡°Not to Diamond mages.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind,¡± Adion said.
¡°Will you?¡± Quahim looked over at Adion with a questioning look.
What¡¯s this about all of a sudden?
¡°I don¡¯t show the slightest expression unless I choose to,¡± Quahim said, ¡°It is a waste of aura control if you give it all away with your reaction. If you go to the Academy like you are, you wouldn¡¯t be able to hide a thing.¡±
¡°I¡¯m actually good at hiding things,¡± Adion argued. He had kept all his secrets from Quahim even after months of spending every day together.
¡°Is that so?¡± Quahim asked, ¡°What do you think about Termeth Hesfym?¡±
Adion looked up at Quahim in surprise. Hesfym? Why does he bring up that bastard?
¡°Truly a mystery. Your face is impossible to read,¡± Quahim said sarcastically, ¡°Ganta, you¡¯re even clenching your fists in anger.¡±
Adion looked down at his hands and realized it was true.
Okay, so he has a point. But how did he know I¡¯d react to that?
¡°Why would you ask that question?¡± Adion asked.
¡°To see your reaction and prove a point,¡± Quahim said.
¡°Why that particular question? You knew I¡¯d react. How?¡± Adion asked, his eyes narrowing.
¡°You know, Adion. Your aura control is truly immaculate,¡± Quahim said, looking straight at Adion. ¡°It¡¯s almost too good. Suspiciously good. You can¡¯t expect to spend so much time with a Diamond mage and expect him not to notice.¡±
What!?
¡°So that begs the question, what would you need to hide?¡± Quahim continued, his eyes boring into Adion, ¡°The first thought someone would have is that you¡¯re hiding your strength. And when you advanced to ¡®middle Bronze,¡¯ I confirmed my suspicions.¡±
He knows I¡¯ve been hiding my strength? How did he do it?
¡°But that isn¡¯t all that you¡¯re hiding,¡± Quahim paused.
Adion didn¡¯t know what to say. His heart was beating fiercely in his chest.
¡°Your age,¡± Quahim said, ¡°You¡¯re not actually 16.¡±
Wait. What?
¡°So I got that one wrong,¡± Quahim nodded to himself and looked away from Adion, ¡°I thought it would be unlikely. Never heard of anyone managing that.¡±
¡°What-¡± Adion said, but Quahim interrupted him.
¡°I¡¯m teaching you a lesson,¡± Quahim said, ¡°Look how much I found out about you, even with that aura control of yours.¡±
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¡°You¡¡± Adion muttered.
¡°I played you,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°¡®I¡¯m actually good at hiding things.¡¯ What a joke.¡±
¡°Okay, fine,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m awful at hiding things. Can you tell me now? Who are you? How did you know about me?¡±
¡°You¡¯re actually peak Bronze already,¡± Quahim said with surprise on his face.
Adion just stared back at Quahim with a blank expression, angry at being ignored.
¡°Better,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°Too bad. I was curious.¡±
Quahim got up from his seat and walked away, waving Adion to accompany him. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll show you something.¡±
Adion got up and followed. Quahim led him to the back of the room and started looking through a bunch of canvases with half-finished paintings on the floor.
Once he found the one he was looking for, he grabbed it and handed it over to Adion.
¡°This¡this looks like me,¡± Adion said as he looked at the painting in his hand. It wasn¡¯t completely clear as it wasn¡¯t finished, but he was certain that it depicted him.
¡°Should be,¡± Quahim nodded.
¡°Who painted this?¡± Adion looked up to Quahim and asked.
¡°My niece,¡± Quahim said with a slight smile.
¡°Your¡¡± Adion was thinking rapidly, confused about what was happening.
¡°Her name is Sellitha,¡± Quahim said.
Adion looked at Quahim in surprise.
Quahim is Sell¡¯s uncle?
¡°Right¡¡± Adion said, trying to think, ¡°We might have met.¡±
¡°She¡¯s your little girlfriend, isn¡¯t she?¡± Quahim asked.
Adion could tell that he was flushing a little in embarrassment.
¡°Definitely going to need to work on that,¡± Quahim said, looking at Adion¡¯s obvious expression.
¡°You knew¡¡± Adion said. It was very dangerous for someone from Sell¡¯s family to find out about their relationship, but seeing how Quahim hadn¡¯t done anything even after all this time, Adion didn¡¯t think he was about to be ratted out.
¡°Sell came here at the end of last summer,¡± Quahim said, taking back the painting from Adion¡¯s hands and turning to look at it, ¡°Only for a few days, unfortunately. She was suspiciously happy. Grumpy, sure. She tends to be. But she was happy. Just like you, she¡¯s not very good at hiding these things.
¡°She started asking me about shadow magic all of a sudden. I thought it was strange; she had always been occupied with fire, not giving much thought to anything else. When I asked about it, she finally admitted that she was asking ¡®for a friend.¡¯ And then she went and painted this¡It wasn¡¯t difficult to take a guess what had happened. That¡¯s why I was curious about you when you showed up in my shop out of the blue. I wanted to take a good look at the guy who made my Sell so happy.¡±
Adion was silent for a few seconds, thinking through everything he had heard. ¡°Does this mean I have your blessing?¡± He asked with a small grin.
¡°Well, you¡¯re a hell of a lot better than that Hesfym bastard that she loathes,¡± Quahim said.
Adion had never had more respect for his teacher than right there and then.
He¡¯s more wise than I thought.
¡°You¡¯re still not worthy of her, though,¡± Quahim said, bringing Adion¡¯s opinion of him down again.
¡°You know far from everything about me,¡± Adion said, a little grumpy, ¡°I¡¯m quite impressive, actually.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°You should work on bragging about your secret talents too.¡±
I wasn¡¯t bragging¡
¡°Come here,¡± Quahim said, putting down the painting and walking back again, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a trick that has helped me keep a tight grip over my expressions. I won¡¯t let you carelessly reveal your relationship with Sell and bring her trouble.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded and followed. He was slowly melting all the new information he had received. ¡°Where is Sell now, by the way? In Amyss? Have you heard from her?¡±
¡°I assume she is,¡± Quahim said, ¡°I¡¯m not really close to my brother¡¯s new family. Other than my nieces, I don¡¯t get involved.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Adion said.
Is he an outcast? Well, Sell seems to have been allowed to visit. I wonder if Sell will come to visit again on her way to the Academy?
Adion noticed Quahim had stopped to stare at Adion¡¯s painting. Earlier, he had worried much, but now he realized that it was pretty obvious he was painting Sell¡¯s hair.
¡°So¡¡± Adion didn¡¯t know what to say.
¡°I have a lot of paintings in my mind,¡± Quahim said, ¡°The one etched most deeply is one I saw in my youth. Perhaps it was the reason for my to pursue painting.¡±
¡°What was the painting?¡± Adion asked.
Quahim was quiet for a while before speaking. ¡°It was called ¡®Sunset over Melovain.¡¯ It doesn¡¯t sound like anything special perhaps, but it is to me.
¡°I had an incident in my youth. I was fighting on the Outskirts of Evalia and found myself alone against a beast much stronger than me. I completely panicked. I couldn¡¯t think, couldn¡¯t move. But then, suddenly, that painting appeared in my mind, and everything calmed down. I could breathe, I could think. I won the fight against the beast against all odds. I could return home.
¡°After that, whenever I would experience something similar, the painting would appear in my mind, and instead of panicking, I would feel the pleasant feeling that the painting gave me every time I saw it. Now, whenever I experience any sort of surprise, before I can react, the painting is there, calming me down and allowing me to think clearly.¡±
Quahim turned to look at Adion, ¡°I want you to find a painting that achieves a similar result for you. Practice making it appear in your mind. Instead of immediately reacting to things like you do now, with everything plainly written on your face, let the painting calm you down and react as you see fit. In a controlled manner.¡±
¡°Does that really work?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It won¡¯t work right away,¡± Quahim said, ¡°But with practice. I have ¡®Sunset over Melovain¡¯ in front of me right now. It isn¡¯t clear, but should you tell me something shocking, it will immediately appear, calming me down and stopping my body from having any sudden reaction.¡±
¡°It sounds like it''s definitely worth a try,¡± Adion said thoughtfully, ¡°What painting should I choose?¡±
¡°That¡¯s for you to decide,¡± Quahim said, ¡°We¡¯ll begin practicing tomorrow.¡±
¡°Practicing?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Just like I managed to reveal so much about you earlier, I¡¯ll ask a few pointed questions throughout the day. Hopefully, I¡¯ll manage to sate my curiosity a little before you come to control it.¡±
Can he really figure out my secrets just from asking questions and seeing my reaction?
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Thank you, teacher.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t let me down,¡± Quahim nodded.
Adion took a seat on the carpet and started thinking while Quahim continued working on his painting.
Have I seen any painting that would work well?
Adion thought about the paintings he had seen and how they had affected him. But the ones that had affected him didn¡¯t really have a calming effect. A painting like ¡¯Hermillin¡¯s last drink¡¯ was impactful, but Adion didn¡¯t think it would calm him down and allow him to think clearly.
It feels like the paintings I¡¯ve painted myself would stir too many emotions. That doesn¡¯t feel like a good thing in this case. I need something that¡¯s rid of all that, that can always reset me no matter the situation. Something that can erase the surprise and shock I would feel at a pointed guess.
After thinking for a while, Adion thought of a painting that he hadn¡¯t actually seen, but that seemed like it would work perfectly.
It¡¯s probably for the best that I haven¡¯t really seen it. I can¡¯t imagine it would work otherwise.
Adion turned to look at Quahim, ¡°Can you do the thing where you guess something about me?¡±
¡°Already?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°I just want to see if I¡¯m on the right track,¡± Adion said.
As Quahim opened his mouth to speak, Adion pictured the blackness of ¡®Atao¡¯ appearing in front of him, the ancient painting Adion had read about a few weeks earlier, erasing all surprise and shock to nothing.
¡°You¡¯re a very handsome young man,¡± Quahim said.
Adion registered the words in silence. He felt that there was a slight delay to everything, allowing his mind to brew the words over.
¡°Impressive,¡± Quahim said, ¡°But you were prepared for it.¡±
¡°Did you call me handsome?¡± Adion asked, letting go of the painting in his mind.
¡°I wanted to catch you by surprise,¡± Quahim shrugged.
I would definitely have reacted to that comment if I hadn¡¯t prepared. This can come in handy.
Adion once again imagined ¡®Atao¡¯ appearing in front of him, training his mind to have it ready for whenever he would need it.
Chapter 89 - Nighttime
¡°Adion, quick!¡± Quahim yelled as he jumped up from his seat.
Adion immediately got to his feet, too. Only a second passed before the image of ¡®Atao¡¯ appeared in the back of Adion¡¯s mind, but it was a second too late.
¡°You got me,¡± Adion said, taking his seat again.
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded, sitting down and picking up his brush again, ¡°It¡¯s good to react quickly. But to react in the best way, you need to keep calm. I could tell a lot from your expression before you got a hold of it; nothing that reveals anything you want to hide, but it can be abused.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°It¡¯s getting there.¡±
Adion could already feel himself improving, and it had only been a little over two weeks since he first started practicing. So Adion was more than pleased at his current pace.
¡°So, what painting are you thinking about? ¡®A mother¡¯s smile¡¯?¡± Quahim asked.
Adion didn¡¯t reveal anything from his expression. The complete darkness of Atao was still in the back of his mind, allowing everything that happened to lose its edge and Adion to keep control of his reaction.
¡°Well done,¡± Quahim said, ¡°Even if you are ready for it, you have gotten the hang of it quickly. You must have thought of a very effective painting.¡±
¡°It seems that I have,¡± Adion said with a small smile. He didn¡¯t remain completely expressionless. Just like Quahim, Adion just had control of when to show his emotions and when to hide them.
Adion focused on his painting once again. He had gotten as far as he could with his current skills with the painting of Sell¡¯s hair. It was something he wanted to do justice so he had decided to finish it once he had practiced more.
At the moment, Adion was painting the view of the Endless Forest from the mountain he had arrived in when he stepped through the teleportation formation over four years ago. The image was still etched in his mind, and as he painted, he could feel memory coming alive, feelings he had forgotten he had once felt started stirring as the sky and forest came to life on the canvas.
I feel like this could become really nice once it¡¯s finished. That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve held that level of confidence before a painting is finished. Maybe because it¡¯s just a landscape with no people involved.
After a few more hours of painting, and a few more attempts from Quahim to startle Adion, it had gotten too dark to paint. Adion noticed Quahim putting down his brush, and Adion did the same.
¡°Thanks for today, teacher,¡± Adion got up with a slight bow, ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded.
Adion went down the stairs to the first floor. He said goodnight to Ferrith and Demoth and went out on the street. Breathing in the fresh air after being cooped up in Quahim¡¯s studio the entire day brought Adion great relief.
It didn¡¯t take long before he reached his inn, where he sat down and ordered something to eat. His Will had recovered a lot from the hours of painting, but Adion wanted it to be fully rested before his nightly activities. And it wouldn¡¯t do to be hungry during his exercise.
Adion had shifted his daily routine of exercising from morning to night time. It was partly because the morning was too hot, but also because it always resulted in him wasting a few hours of daylight that could be spent in Quahim¡¯s studio.
The sky still has some light in it. I¡¯ll head up and do some light practice in the meantime.
Adion got to his room and sat down on his bed. He focused on his Authority over space and grabbed hold of as much space as he could. He then conjured some space from his core. The amount of space he could conjure had increased by a lot since the beginning of his journey, but it was still only about the volume of a grain of sand, just a bigger grain of sand than before.
Adion wasn¡¯t expecting the amount of space he was able to conjure to become useful any time soon, though, so he wasn¡¯t bothered by the small volume.
As space was so hard to conjure, it was also easy for Adion to control, almost indistinguishably from having Authority over it, at least in the short term. So Adion now had the maximum amount of space under his Authority plus the amount of space he had just conjured. He focused on pushing the newly conjured space into the same area where he had Authority. It was tough, and it was slow work, but it showed results. After successfully making the space he has Authority over and his newly conjured space indistinguishable from each other, Adion successfully slightly increased the amount of space he had Authority over.
Even if I do this every day for a year, it will barely make a difference, though.
This was something Adion had started doing when he first got the idea as a middle Bronze mage. With time, it had been left to the wayside, though. It took too much effort and showed too little result. Now that he could conjure more space, it was slightly more effective. But Adion still didn¡¯t do it every single day, only once in a while so as not to get out of touch with his space powers in his pursuit of mastering shadow magic.
I still have no way of increasing my Authority over fire and shadow, though. Even doing the exact same thing shows no results. It would be great if I could find a way to do that. No matter how small the increase is, it will be crucial in the long run.
Perhaps I need to find a different angle. If I could experience something similar to when I froze the entire Outskirt building in Trabis, I wouldn¡¯t need to waste my time like this. But I have never gotten a feeling even resembling the one I had back then. And I¡¯ve gotten plenty angry plenty of times.
Well, this is the power Phoenixes have. It¡¯s not strange that I can¡¯t increase it with just my Silver mage Will.
Adion didn¡¯t want to tire out his Will too much, so he started meditating and working on slowly increasing the size of his core.
After about an hour had passed, Adion felt that it was dark enough outside to begin his nightly routine. He got up from his bed and changed into a newly bought outfit, loose pants and a tight-fitting shirt, both completely black in color.
He released a load of space mana from his core and created his sphere of space mana, filled to the brim so he could get a nice image of his surroundings. He focused on the street below his window and teleported outside.
A quick look around confirmed what his senses had told him: no one was around to spot him. Adion conjured as much shadow as he could control with his Authority and spread it to cover his entire body.
The shadow was far from entirely dark when spread so thin, but it was still incredibly useful during the night.
Adion closed his eyes and began running down the street. He could see through the shadow covering his eyes somewhat, and even if he controlled the shadow to clear his eyes, he didn¡¯t think anyone would spot him because of his eyes. Still, Adion was planning on having a much darker shadow in the future, and he didn¡¯t want to get into the habit of being able to see while hiding in his shadow.
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It was also great practice for his spatial awareness. He already had a great sense of space, and with his sphere of space mana, not much could escape his notice. But Adion knew that he could still improve. Just imagining being able to see the expression on people¡¯s faces or read secret documents through his space sense was enough to motivate Adion greatly.
Running with his eyes closed was also great practice for sensing shadow mana. Even if it was dark outside, light was cast from the windows in basically every alley. The bigger streets also had runes lighting up the way all through the night.
A quick look would immediately reveal the best places to hide, but Adion wasn¡¯t going out to get someplace special without notice. He was going out to practice.
Adion focused on his senses, the information from his sphere of space mana almost overloading his brain. But he didn¡¯t want to be caught unaware, so he would need to be able to focus on other things while still paying attention to what his senses told him.
After running for a while, hiding his body and aura as best as he could, he reached a street that was busy with life. The street was crowded with street vendors selling food and alcohol. People were out enjoying the summer night in the company of friends and lovers. The noise had reached Adion from blocks away.
The street wasn¡¯t lit up by runes, but big fires placed in intervals down the road. It gave a vibrant life to the shadows that danced on the ground and surrounding walls.
Adion stopped next to a building and decided to try to approach a vendor as close as he could without being noticed.
He stood and observed the people and shadows for a good thirty minutes before starting.
Adion focused on his target, a vendor selling liquor across the street from where Adion was standing. The vendor didn¡¯t have any customers at the moment to distract from Adion¡¯s approach, making it a perfect little test.
Adion didn¡¯t even try to keep up with the shadows cast by the fire. He had no idea how he would manage that. Instead, he tried to slowly walk where he could feel shadows gathering for longer, and as he was about to be revealed by the light cast by the fires, he took quick control of the shadows around him, trying to cover up his unnatural movement and distinct shape.
Controlling a shadow without Authority was incredibly difficult, but Adion didn¡¯t need to control them for long. A split second of covering himself with them when the light from the fire would otherwise reveal him was enough.
It was exhausting work, though. Infusing his Will into the shadow mana surrounding him, only to be immediately fought by the Will of the world, wasn¡¯t a great feeling. He had to let go of his control and try again.
But he managed to cross the street unnoticed. He pushed himself against the wall of a building facing the street and looked to the vendor about 30 feet to his left. Now that the light from the fires wasn¡¯t as big of a threat, Adion focused on the shadow he had surrounded himself with. It was far from completely black, looking more like dark smoke than the pitch-blackness of Quahim¡¯s shadow. But during the night, it did its job.
Adion had also noticed that his shadow did grow darker with time. He didn¡¯t know how exactly, as there had never been a clear improvement from one day to the next, nor had he had any great epiphany.
I guess I have spent several months pondering shadows and particularly the concept of darkness. It¡¯s not strange that I have come to understand it better, if only slightly. I suppose that is how most mages comprehend concepts.
Adion took his steps slowly, focusing on hiding his aura now that he was getting close. As he got within ten feet, he focused on his space Authority and grabbed hold of a thin film of space surrounding himself, hoping to block any noise that could reveal his location.
5 feet, 4 feet, 3 feet, 2 feet¡He can¡¯t tell I¡¯m here?
Adion opened his eyes to look at the man, controlling the shadow over his eyes to disperse. The vendor was right next to him, looking out into the street in search of customers.
Amazing. Well, let¡¯s go before he discovers me, and I scare him to death.
Adion started to slowly back away, closing his eyes and covering them with his shadow again. Once he was at a distance from the vendor again, he took off running down an alley, heading for the place he had planned to visit that night.
Let¡¯s see how good of a thief I¡¯d make.
After running for a while, Adion came upon a small manor on the west side of the city. It belonged to a 4th-tier family clan that Adion had received some information about. He had nothing against them and wasn¡¯t planning anything nefarious. He simply wanted to test his abilities without risking being discovered by a mage that was too strong.
He had visited the same bar that he had gone to when he first got to Rethi and asked for information about Quahim. He wanted to have a list of 4th-tier family clans in the city, something that was arranged without much hassle for a small amount of money.
There is only a single Gold mage in this family, enough danger to make sure I have to be careful, but not enough for me to fear not being able to get away.
The manor was placed on a street lit up by runes, making it difficult for Adion to approach unnoticed. He looked around for any building nearby, thinking he might be able to climb up them and jump across the walls, but nothing like that was close by.
I guess having a manor wouldn¡¯t be very safe if it was that easy to sneak into.
Adion looked towards the gate leading into the manor further down the street. Two guards were stationed there, keeping a lookout.
Could I just run across the street and climb the wall without them noticing? That seems like a risk. Guess I¡¯ll just teleport. Even if it feels a little like cheating, I¡¯m using my own power in the end.
Adion focused on his sphere of space mana. It reached across the street and into the manor without issue. He could feel the shape of a tree on the other side of the wall. He focused, the distance not affecting the difficulty at all as it was still well within Adion¡¯s abilities. He could teleport anywhere within 400 feet at the moment, after all.
After a few minutes of ensuring the area was safe, Adion teleported. He opened his eyes and found himself just where he pictured, on the branch of a tree on the manor. It was dark, thankfully, so no one would be able to spot Adion easily.
After looking around for a while, deciding on his path, Adion closed his eyes once again and jumped down the tree. He could feel that he was in a deep shadow and wasn¡¯t scared of being noticed.
Only when he got close to the main mansion did he slow down. He opened his eyes once again to get a good look. A lot of the windows spilled light on the surroundings, making an unnoticed approach slightly more difficult. But it was a big mansion, and Adion could make out a few paths covered in shadow where he could hide well enough.
He closed his eyes and started sneaking up to the mansion. There were a lot of things to pay attention to: hiding his aura, hiding his body in shadow, hiding his sound through his space isolation. And when the mansion entered Adion¡¯s sphere of space mana, there was too much to focus on for Adion to process it all. He just rushed to the wall, ignoring the information his senses gave him.
Reaching the wall, Adion focused on hiding his aura and what his sphere of space mana told him about the mansion''s interior.
I can¡¯t feel all of it¡But there is no one close to where I am at the moment. I should be able to teleport onto the roof and find some people.
Adion did just that, and once on the roof, he started pacing around, focusing on the new information his sphere of space mana provided him.
That¡¯s a Gold mage!
Adion was excited to feel the aura of the Gold mage. He stopped moving and sat down on the roof. He focused on the room he could feel the Gold mage in and grabbed hold of space there. Not teleporting, but still infusing his Will into the space mana, just enough to feel like he was almost in the room.
¡°We could,¡± A man¡¯s voice reached Adion¡¯s ears.
¡°Good,¡± An older voice said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± The man responded, ¡°Goodnight, father.¡±
¡°Goodnight, son,¡±
I almost feel a little scared at how easy this is. I¡¯m just a Silver mage and can get away with this. All thanks to unique abilities, but still. I don¡¯t know how people without a sphere of space mana could ever relax.
The two men¡¯s conversation ended, and Adion walked around atop the roof some more, listening in here and there, but didn¡¯t hear anything interesting being discussed.
Adion teleported off the roof and ran off the same way he had come. It didn¡¯t take much effort for him to leave the manor again.
I suppose this is good enough for tonight. I¡¯ll visit another manor tomorrow.
Chapter 90 - Perk
¡°Evening, Adion,¡± The bartender, an old elven man called Belkim, greeted Adion as he entered the inn, ¡°Want some warm food?¡±
¡°No thanks,¡± Adion said with a polite smile, ¡°I just ate.¡±
¡°Alright then,¡± Belkim nodded.
Due to being absorbed with his painting, Adion had skipped lunch back at Hevima. So Adion had stopped to eat on the way back, too hungry to wait until he got to the inn.
I should skip lunch more often. It was a nice little place to eat. It¡¯s starting to get dark early now, too, so I should make the most of the daylight and not waste time on eating.
Fall had arrived, but it was still very pleasant outside. Adion even preferred it to the warmth of summer. Even if it was slightly cold during the night when he went around the city practicing shadow magic, nothing could be worse than the heat in Quahim¡¯s studio during the hottest days of summer.
It will be rough going out when it gets really cold, though. But I guess I¡¯ll leave for Cyalis before it gets too cold. Admission is the first day of spring, and I don¡¯t want to be late.
Adion climbed the stairs at the back of the inn, planning on doing some meditation before heading out to practice his shadow magic.
I think I¡¯ll have to stop my nightly visits to the manors around the city. I couldn¡¯t find out much useful information anyway.
Adion had noticed an increase in guards around the city lately. He didn¡¯t know if anyone had noticed what he was doing and notified the authorities, or if it was unrelated. Either way, it would be for the best if he didn¡¯t do anything too risky at the moment.
As Adion stepped inside his room, his senses screamed, and his eyes shot up to look at the corner of his room.
No one¡¯s there!?
His room was completely empty, but Adion trusted his spatial awareness. He released space mana from his core and could immediately feel the shape of a person standing in the corner of his room. He focused on the aura and felt that it was just the strength of a peak Stone mage.
Did they notice I could tell that they are here? They should have. No time to waste then.
Adion leaped to the corner of the room and froze the one standing there in space. He put his hand on the throat of the invisible body, feeling incredibly strange at knowing there was a person in front of him but not able to see them.
¡°Who are you?¡± Adion asked, releasing the head from his space prison, allowing the person there to speak.
¡°I-I-I¡¯m sorry, I-¡± The voice of a young boy stammered. Adion felt that he was only 13 years old from his aura.
¡°Show yourself,¡± Adion interrupted.
Suddenly, a boy appeared in front of Adion. A human boy. His brown hair was dirty, and his clothes were shabby. He was looking at Adion with fear in his eyes, which was not strange as his body was frozen in space, and he still had Adion¡¯s hand around his throat.
¡°A Gift?¡± Adion asked, curious about the strange ability.
¡°Er¡I¡¯m not supposed to say,¡± The boy answered.
¡°You answer, or you die,¡± Adion threatened.
¡°It¡¯s a Gift! I can turn invisible,¡± The boy fearfully answered.
¡°What are you doing in my room?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I-¡± The boy began but was once again interrupted.
¡°Just answer my question and nothing else,¡± Adion said, ¡°Should I cut off a limb for motivation, or do you think you can answer without going that far?¡±
¡°I can answer!¡± The boy yelled, ¡°I was sent here to spy on you.¡±
¡°By whom?¡± Adion asked.
¡°My superior,¡± The boy answered, ¡°Silver Gumo.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure. He just told me to bring information about the talented human that was going to Hevima each day. I couldn¡¯t find anything about you from just watching from afar, so I took a gamble today, not wanting to bring disappointing news to my superior.¡± The boy answered.
This is worrisome. But at least it seems like none of my secrets are out.
¡°What organization are you and this Silver Gumo a part of? What is your purpose in looking into me?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Er, we are called Heavenly Light,¡± The boy answered.
Adion felt such a surge of emotions that the image of Atao appeared in front of him almost on instinct. He calmed down and thought things through, trying to keep his expression from revealing any emotions.
Okay. They probably don¡¯t know anything about me. They sent a Stone mage after me, after all. But this is a tricky situation. If they just have weak mages here in Rethi, I can take care of it, but otherwise, I have to find a way to keep them off my back.
¡°What¡¯s the strongest mage in your organization?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± The boy answered, ¡°I only know about Silver Gumo and a few other weak mages like me.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion said. He realized he was still holding the boy around the neck.
He let go of his grip and released the boy from his space prison. The boy collapsed onto the floor, his body shivering.
¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Adion asked.
¡°P-Perk, Sir,¡± The boy answered.
¡°Don¡¯t call me Sir,¡± Adion said.
What a bothersome situation.
¡°Sit,¡± Adion said and pointed to a chair. Perk hesitantly walked over and took a seat.
¡°So, what do you know about Heavenly Light? Why did you join them?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I only know something about beasts¡that we are supposed to defeat them once and for all or something. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t pay much attention during our introduction.¡± Perk answered.
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¡°Then why did you join?¡± Adion asked, staring down at Perk.
¡°My brother is sick,¡± Perk answered, ¡°My brother and I were heading to Cyalis. He said that my Gift would make me able to enter the Academy, and we could make a home there. He also said I shouldn¡¯t tell anyone before then¡¡±
¡°No one besides your brother and me knows about your Gift? No one at Heavenly Light?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No one,¡± Perk answered.
¡°Makes sense,¡± Adion nodded. If they knew, Perk wouldn¡¯t be around doing spy missions like this, but probably trained by some powerful mage to enter the Academy as a spy for them once he got older.
It seems he was just recruited without knowing anything. But now he knows too much about me¡Hopefully, he¡¯s not as big of a fool as Konfed and chooses to remain loyal to Heavenly Light. I¡¯ll have to force an Oath on him, though.
¡°So you needed money for your brother?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Perk answered, ¡°We came here from the Delovan Empire, we¡we were slaves of a family clan there and escaped when the chaos of the civil war reached the manor. My brother got sick a few days before we reached Rethi. I asked around for help, and that¡¯s when Silver Gumo found me and helped my brother with some medicine. The medicine works a little, but in order to cure him, I have to get my hands on a really powerful medicine. I don¡¯t have the money for that, but Silver Gumo said he could get it for me with enough merits.¡±
¡°Haaah,¡± Adion sighed.
I¡¯m really not in the mood to get involved in all of this. I just want to train and head for the Academy. But since Heavenly Light seems eager for me to kill them quicker, I¡¯ll fulfill their wish.
¡°Show me to your headquarters,¡± Adion said, ¡°You should know where it is, right?¡±
¡°I do,¡± Perk nodded hesitantly.
¡°...Let¡¯s go see your brother first,¡± Adion said, wanting to confirm Perk¡¯s story and take a look at what kind of disease needed some mysterious medication to cure.
He also needed time to think. It wasn¡¯t a situation he should rush into.
If they are too strong for me, I might be able to ask Quahim for help.
¡°...what will you do to my brother?¡± Perk asked.
¡°I¡¯ll take a look at him. I want to see if you¡¯re telling the truth.¡± Adion said, even though he could tell from the boy¡¯s aura he wasn¡¯t deceiving him. But Adion knew better than anyone that you could make something false seem true with the right wording.
¡°You promise you won¡¯t hurt him?¡± Perk asked.
¡°I¡¯m not planning on it,¡± Adion answered.
¡°You have to swear an Oath not to harm him. I¡¯d rather die otherwise.¡± Perk said with a determined look.
Troublesome kid.
¡°I¡¯m not swearing any Oaths,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll just say that I don¡¯t wish him any harm at the moment. And if you don¡¯t show me to him, you¡¯re dead. How will your sick brother live without you to get him medicine?¡±
Perk got a conflicted look on his face, seemingly thinking through his options.
¡°If you and your brother don¡¯t try to harm me, I promise I won¡¯t harm you,¡± Adion said, ¡°I might even be able to help your brother, who knows?¡±
¡°Will you really help cure him?¡± Perk asked.
¡°If I can, sure,¡± Adion said, ¡°If the price isn¡¯t too high.¡±
¡°Alright then,¡± Perk nodded.
¡°Lead the way,¡± Adion said, ¡°Turn invisible before going out. It will look weird to the people downstairs if you appear here out of nowhere.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Perk nodded. In a flash, he was nowhere to be seen. But Adion had his senses locked on his body and could tell he was still there.
¡°Go,¡± Adion ordered.
Perk walked out of the room with Adion following. Once they got out into the street, Perk became visible again.
¡°I can¡¯t hold up my invisibility the entire way,¡± Perk explained.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
Interesting ability. Even as a Stone mage, he would be able to spy on a lot stronger mages. Even in daylight. It¡¯s just his aura control that would need work.
It was a long walk to get to where Perk and his brother were living. They had to exit the city walls and make their way to the slums, a place Adion had never visited before.
Stopping in front of a building looking like it was on the verge of collapsing, Perk turned and looked at Adion.
¡°This is it,¡± Perk said.
Adion inspected the place with his sphere of space mana and didn¡¯t notice anything suspicious.
¡°Go ahead,¡± Adion said.
Perk opened the door and led Adion up a flight of stairs before unlocking a room at the end of the hallway.
Once inside the room, Adion saw it was a very small room with two thin, shabby-looking mattresses on the floor. A boy was sleeping in one of them, sweating and seemingly in pain.
Twelve years old¡not even a mage yet.
Adion stepped up to the boy and took a look. He wasn¡¯t a doctor or anything. But he knew that there weren¡¯t many diseases that couldn¡¯t be fixed with a healing pill.
Adion took off his backpack and took out a Green healing pill. Even if he had found a great hiding spot for his backpack in his room, Adion always took it with him when he visited Quahim during the day.
Adion didn¡¯t feel bad losing a Green healing pill; he had plenty of those. He even had a couple of Yellow ones since he was pretty wealthy and didn¡¯t want to end up in a situation where he had to waste a Supreme Healing Pill of Mesana.
Hopefully, this is enough. Even a Blue healing pill should be enough for most illnesses.
Adion placed the healing pill in the boy¡¯s mouth and made him swallow it. Immediately, the hurried breathing calmed down, and the pain seemed to disappear from the boy¡¯s face. He was now sleeping with a peaceful expression.
¡°Is this usually how he reacts to medicine?¡± Adion asked.
¡°This¡¡± Perk hurried to check his brother¡¯s condition, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. What did you do?¡±
¡°I just fed him a healing pill,¡± Adion said, ¡°Not many illnesses that can¡¯t be cured by one of those. Basically everyone knows that, Silver Gumo amongst them.¡±
¡°Then¡this was the medicine I had to earn merit for?¡± Perk asked.
¡°This pill costs a few silver coins,¡± Adion said, ¡°You could easily earn that in a few weeks. Or you could steal it in a day with your ability.¡±
¡°Then¡¡± Perk looked at Adion with a confused look.
¡°My guess is that this Gumo just wanted someone to work for him,¡± Adion said, ¡°If your brother were sick, you would continue doing so. I¡¯m guessing you are pretty good at your job, so he didn¡¯t want to let you go. Bad call, as I would assume just healing your brother would earn your gratitude. But maybe he was planning on doing so when you were a little more desperate. Making you take an Oath or something in the process.¡±
¡°Why would he do that?¡± Perk asked.
¡°He¡¯s a bad guy,¡± Adion said, ¡°Not surprising. It¡¯s an evil organization, after all.¡±
¡°E-evil?¡± Perk asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t know all about them. But I witnessed myself how they killed innocent people, women and children among them, just to gain something they valued.¡±
¡°I-I didn¡¯t know,¡± Perk stammered, tearing up.
¡°I know,¡± Adion said, glad that he couldn¡¯t find himself feeling any malice towards the boy. ¡°I would have killed you if I thought you were loyal to them. But that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡±
¡°Y-yeah,¡± Perk nodded nervously.
That doesn¡¯t change the fact that he knows about me. But he hasn¡¯t asked how I froze him in space or how I noticed him in my room¡Is he too stupid? He does seem a bit dumb.
¡°Anyway,¡± Adion said, ¡°Let your brother rest. If he doesn¡¯t get better, I have a stronger healing pill I can give him, so don¡¯t worry.¡±
¡°T-thank you,¡± Perk said, bowing to Adion, pressing his forehead to the floor.
¡°Okay, okay. None of that. Get up,¡± Adion said.
Perk got up and no longer looked at Adion with fearful eyes. He was looking at Adion as if he was some sort of hero.
Don¡¯t know how I feel about that.
¡°Lead me to Heavenly Light¡¯s headquarters,¡± Adion said.
¡°Right,¡± Perk nodded and started walking away.
Maybe he just doesn¡¯t ask a lot of questions.
Chapter 91 - Tib
¡°It¡¯s the building down there,¡± Perk told Adion as he pointed out a building further down the street.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded and dragged Perk behind the building where they were standing. Out of sight of anyone that might be keeping an eye out.
It¡¯s not exactly the slums, but we are still outside the city walls. That building is a far cry from the manor Heavenly Light had in Wender. Does that mean that there aren¡¯t any strong members here?
Adion stood with his eyes closed, going through different scenarios in his head.
Shouldn¡¯t be any risk.
¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go take a look. Wait here and stay out of sight,¡± Adion said.
¡°Should I turn invisible?¡± Perk asked.
¡°If you need to,¡± Adion said. ¡°Just don¡¯t let anyone notice it. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±
Adion stepped around the corner and started walking down the street toward the building Perk pointed out to him.
He focused on spreading his sphere of space mana to the max, and as he passed the building of Heavenly Light, Adion got a clear image of the layout.
I can¡¯t feel any people inside, though? Did Perk lie to me? No. I would be able to tell. So why is no one there?
Adion continued walking without pausing. He checked every nook and cranny through his senses but couldn¡¯t feel anyone.
However, as he continued down the street, Adion noticed something.
I¡¯m being followed? Two people appeared out of the building next door. Did I make a mistake?
Adion could feel that the two people following were both Silver mages. He didn¡¯t turn around to look at them, however. He noticed a vendor selling fruit a little further ahead and decided to buy something in order to sneak a glance.
¡°Two apples, please,¡± Adion told the vendor and handed over some coins.
¡°Sure thing,¡± The vendor said, accepting the coins.
Adion grabbed two apples and glanced at the two people who were now standing by another street vendor. They were elven men, and they were dressed as guards.
Why are they following me? Did they¡I see. It seems like Sell¡¯s family isn¡¯t completely incompetent. After the burning of Iitha, they must have been on constant lookout for any suspicious activities that could be linked to Heavenly Light.
It seems like this branch has already been taken care of without me getting involved. I guess I was a little suspicious-looking when I walked past like that? Shouldn¡¯t be too hard to shake off that suspicion, though.
Adion turned around to walk back the way he had come. The two guards were still following at a distance.
As Adion turned around the corner, he spotted Perk waiting for him.
¡°Here you go,¡± Adion said and handed Perk an apple, ¡°I gave him a little extra for the fruit you stole. You shouldn¡¯t do that in the future.¡±
¡°Er¡¡± Perk looked at Adion, trying to figure out what he meant.
¡°Let¡¯s go back and take a look at your brother,¡± Adion said, ¡°Hopefully he¡¯s feeling better.¡±
¡°Right!¡± Perk said excitedly, ¡°Maybe he has woken up.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
After walking for a few minutes, Adion could tell that the guards were no longer following.
If my guess is correct that this branch wasn¡¯t that strong, it would be weird that they had someone like me there. I guess they just do a quick check on people walking past.
¡°The building was deserted,¡± Adion told Perk, ¡°And guards were in the building next door. Never mention you were a part of that organization again.¡±
¡°Oh¡okay,¡± Perk said.
Once they returned to the old building Perk lived in. Adion saw that the little brother had woken up.
¡°Tib!¡± Perk yelled and went to hug his younger brother. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±
¡°I¡¯m feeling good, Perk,¡± Tib said in a calm voice, ¡°Really good. Did you find some medicine?¡±
¡°It was¡¡± Perk looked up to Adion.
¡°Adion,¡± Adion said, ¡°So the illness is gone?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Tib nodded, looking at Adion warily.
What should I do about this¡
¡°Let your brother catch up with what you¡¯ve been up to, Perk,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside.¡±
Adion stepped out into the hallway and began thinking things through. He didn¡¯t think Perk would be able to cause much trouble for him, but it wasn¡¯t like he could take the chance, hoping for things to turn out well.
I will have to make them swear an Oath of secrecy. Or should I keep them around? Perk is a Gifted, after all. If I could train him in aura control, he would make a formidable spy. It would be great not to have to always find some tavern with lackluster information every time I want to find something out.
His brother is pretty useless, though. But everyone can become powerful with enough effort. The question is if I want to bother with it all. It might be better to just find a Moonlight Oak and then be done with them. I need to focus on my own training first and foremost.
¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Adion heard Tib¡¯s voice as he was eavesdropping on the brother¡¯s conversation, ¡°We have to go to Cyalis. Your Gift will be very valued at the Academy. We can only trust the Academy. Don¡¯t you remember what old man Henden told us?¡±
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°I know, I know,¡± Perk said, ¡°But Adion knows about my Gift already. And he even healed you! He didn¡¯t even ask for anything in return!¡±
¡°Not yet,¡± Tib said, ¡°You trust people too easily. Now we have to figure out how to get out of this.¡±
¡°We have to at least pay him back for healing you,¡± Perk said stubbornly.
¡°I guess you''re right,¡± Tib sighed. ¡°It would be ungrateful not to. We can stay here until we have paid our debts. At least he didn¡¯t deceive us like that Gumo.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Perk said, ¡°I still think we should stay with him. He¡¯s really powerful. It didn¡¯t even take a second for him to see through my Gift! And I think he might be Gifted too.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Tib said, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anything that would make him able to do what he did to you. But what kind of Gift is that? It seems very powerful.¡±
¡°I have no idea,¡± Perk said, ¡°I never asked any questions, just like you told me.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Tib said, ¡°It can be dangerous knowing too¡much. He¡¯s not going to let us leave.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Perk asked.
Clever kid.
Adion smiled to himself and decided to step into the room to lay out his options before they got too riled up by their fantasies.
¡°So here¡¯s the deal,¡± Adion said, entering the room and looking at the two boys. ¡°You know too much.¡±
Adion could see Tib looking at him warily and Perk giving him a confused look.
¡°So I¡¯ll give you two options,¡± Adion said, ¡°Option one is to swear an Oath not to tell anyone about me, and then you can be on your way.¡±
¡°We¡¯re not supposed to swear Oaths, brother,¡± Perk said to Tib worriedly.
¡°Not a slave Oath, right?¡± Tib asked Adion.
¡°No. Just one of secrecy,¡± Adion said. He could see Tib relaxing slightly.
¡°The second option is to work for me,¡± Adion continued, ¡°Your Gift is very well-suited for spying, Perk. I could train you in aura control so you would be practically undetectable. I could also make sure you got a room and food so you both can focus on growing strong.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Perk asked happily.
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Tib said, ¡°We have to go to Cyalis.¡±
¡°You can do that after taking the Oath if you want,¡± Adion said, ¡°But no one is going to help you for free. Not in Cyalis either. Sure, it will probably be nice, but I don¡¯t know the place well enough to say anything for certain. But I know that you would have to contribute eventually for any help you receive.¡±
¡°Then you would want something in return, too?¡± Tib asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯m tired of taking care of everything myself all the time, so it would be nice to have someone doing things for me that I don¡¯t enjoy. Mostly finding out information for me, at least when it comes to Perk. You could still help around with other stuff, Tib.¡±
¡°We should do it,¡± Perk said, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten really good at spying, you know. And if Adion can help my aura control, I¡¯ll be truly invisible!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know¡¡± Tib said hesitantly.
¡°I¡¯m not only planning on making Perk stronger. I can help you out too, Tib,¡± Adion said.
¡°I¡¯m sparkless,¡± Tib said, ¡°I¡¯m never going to become strong.¡±
Sparkless? Well, it¡¯s not impossible, but he would have to start training his mana manipulation. And it would take a long time. He would also need to find an abundant source of mana to form his core. He won¡¯t become any stronger for a very long time.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not necessarily impossible,¡± Adion said, ¡°I was sparkless too.¡±
¡°What?¡± Tib looked at Adion with a confused look.
¡°You can form a core even without a spark. That¡¯s what I did. I spent every day practicing mana manipulation for years, though. And I got lucky to find an abundant source of fire mana, otherwise it would have taken much longer. Do you think you have it in you to put in that much effort?¡±
¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± Tib asked.
¡°I am,¡± Adion nodded. He could see that Tib wasn¡¯t wholly believing it, though. ¡°Do you know if you any affi¡nities?¡±
Suddenly, Adion was struck by an idea.
That¡¯s an option. But is it worth it? I would have to have him swear an Oath of loyalty. But with time, it would definitely be worth it.
¡°Actually,¡± Adion said, ¡°I might have a way for you to become a spy on par with Perk. It would also allow you to become a mage a lot sooner. But you would both have to swear an Oath of loyalty.¡±
¡°That¡¡± Tib hesitated.
¡°We should do it, brother,¡± Perk said, ¡°You have always wanted to become a mage! This way, we can grow strong together. Will we ever get a better offer? Even in Cyalis?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a big decision,¡± Adion said, ¡°And I won¡¯t force you. Let¡¯s go to the inn I¡¯m staying at. I¡¯ll train you in aura while I look for a Moonlight Oak. If you decide to leave, you¡¯ll have to swear an Oath of secrecy. If you want to stay, an Oath of loyalty.¡±
¡°O-okay then,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°You will train me in aura?¡± Perk asked excitedly.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s getting late.¡±
¡°Thank you, boss!¡± Perk said as he got up to bow at Adion.
Boss? That doesn¡¯t sound too bad.
Adion gave Perk an encouraging nod and turned to lead the way back to his inn.
I have 11 Moon Shadow Panther Wisdom Pills left. Even if they are priceless treasures that I shouldn¡¯t waste, can I find a better use than giving one to Tib anytime soon? Having Authority over shadow will definitely make it easier to create a core. Then, I would have someone loyal to me with a shadow core.
When Tib and Perk become strong enough, is there anywhere they won¡¯t be able to go? I can¡¯t focus all my time on doing stuff like that, so why not have subordinates do it for me? I can¡¯t believe I never thought about it before. Well, I never encountered a situation like this before, I guess. I shouldn¡¯t waste it. It will take some effort to train them, but the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that they will be more than worth it in the future.
I don¡¯t believe it will be of any use to force them into an Oath of loyalty, though. In the end, I think loyalty is better earned. But I can¡¯t reveal this information lightly. An Oath would ease my worries. Hopefully, they¡¯ll choose to stay.
Adion arrived at his inn with the two brothers walking behind him.
¡°Hey Belkim,¡± Adion stepped up to the old innkeeper behind the bar, ¡°Got a room with two beds free? Preferably close to my room.¡±
¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Belkim said with a smile, ¡°How long for? And do you want breakfast and dinner to go with the room?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll just pay for two weeks for now,¡± Adion said and handed over some coins, ¡°Food too.¡±
¡°Alright then,¡± Belkim pocketed the coins and nodded, ¡°Take a seat and have something to eat while I send someone to get the room ready.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion nodded.
It wasn¡¯t long before Adion sat with Perk and Tib at a table filled with food.
¡°This¡this is all for us?¡± Perk asked, looking at the plates of food in front of him.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Just let someone know if you want more. It¡¯s all paid for already.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°You¡¯re the best, boss!¡± Perk said with a bright smile before stuffing his face with food.
Yeah. Boss has a nice ring to it.
Chapter 92 - Teachings
That should be enough meditation for the morning. I¡¯ll ask the brothers if they want to have breakfast.
Adion got up from his bed and headed out of his room. As he opened the door, though, he saw Perk standing outside with an eager expression on his face. His younger brother was beside him, looking around with a bored look.
¡°Good morning, boss!¡± Perk greeted with a smile.
¡°Good morning,¡± Tib said.
¡°Er¡what are you doing outside my room?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Waiting for you to wake up,¡± Perk said, ¡°Are you ready to start training?¡±
¡°Well, you could have just knocked, you know? Anyway, we¡¯ll start the training tonight. I have to go to Hevima to do my own training during the day.¡± Adion said.
¡°Oh,¡± Perk looked a little bummed out.
¡°You can train by yourselves while I¡¯m gone,¡± Adion said, ¡°You¡¯re only a peak Stone mage. That¡¯s far too weak. Meditate properly while I¡¯m gone. And Tib, you should practice your mana manipulation.¡±
¡°I thought we would train my aura control,¡± Perk said.
¡°Once we¡¯ve had a few sessions together, you¡¯ll be able to handle it yourself,¡± Adion said.
¡°And I thought I would need to swear an Oath of loyalty before you showed me how to become a mage?¡± Tib questioned.
¡°Training your mana sense and mana manipulation will always come in handy,¡± Adion said, ¡°Anyway, have you two had breakfast yet?¡±
¡°No,¡± Tib answered.
¡°Then let¡¯s eat something,¡± Adion said.
The three headed downstairs and sat down at a table to order some food.
Perk and Tib both threw themselves over the food once it was placed in front of them.
Is this really worth the hassle? Yes. It should be. And they are good kids. Tib could become really remarkable if he makes good use of his Authority over shadow. If my theory is correct, he should be able to form a core a lot faster than he would have been able to without taking the pill.
Adion had based all his decisions regarding the pills on the letter he found along with them. It had stated that the recipient should take the Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill once he had his core formed, and that the Grand Soul Clarity Pill would be of great use in the Soul stages.
This made Adion comfortable taking the wisdom pills as soon as he found them, and it also made him hesitate to try the other one.
Tib didn¡¯t have a core, but Adion wasn¡¯t going to hand him a Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill; he would receive a Moon Shadow Panther Wisdom Pill. Adion had taken both those pills himself when he was just a weak Stone mage, and he knew that there wasn¡¯t anything dangerous happening, just the awakening of his Authority. And Authority was connected to the soul, not the mana core.
The recipient of the letter had a shadow spark, and nothing was said about taking the Moon Shadow Panther Wisdom Pill once his core was formed. Adion theorized that it was probably obvious to take that pill earlier than that, as it would help significantly in practicing control of shadow mana and forming a shadow core. The reason for not taking the Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill was probably just because there was no need to have that power that early. It might be confusing having that strange power all of a sudden, and take focus away from forming the core as soon as possible.
It is possible that I am completely wrong about everything, but I have to trust what I have experienced myself more than an old letter with unclear directives. It wasn¡¯t like it was a proper guide containing all information on what to do in all situations. The recipient would be surrounded by powerful and knowledgeable mages, after all. If not the world had ended, that is.
¡°When will you be back?¡± Perk asked, finished with his breakfast.
¡°When the sun goes down,¡± Adion answered, ¡°So we will have plenty of time tonight.¡±
¡°Okay, boss,¡± Perk nodded.
¡°Here,¡± Adion handed over some coins to the boy, ¡°For lunch. You only get breakfast and dinner here. You will need the energy.¡±
¡°So much?¡± Perk asked.
¡°It¡¯s just a couple of silver coins,¡± Adion shrugged. He then got up from his seat to leave. ¡°Well, time for me to go. See you tonight.¡±
¡°See you later, boss,¡± Perk got up to bow. Tib hesitated for a while before following his brother¡¯s lead.
Don¡¯t know how I feel about that.
Adion left the inn and started walking to Hevima with hurried steps, not wanting to waste sunlight.
When he arrived, Quahim was already sitting by the window, painting as usual.
¡°Good morning, teacher,¡± Adion greeted.
¡°Good morning, Adion,¡± Quahim said, still looking at the painting in front of him.
Adion took a seat on the carpet in the middle of the studio and started conjuring shadows. He could do so in just over a second now, but there was still room for improvement. Adion didn¡¯t spend much of his time in Quahim¡¯s studio practicing his shadow anymore. Conjuring shadows the first thing in the morning was as far as plain shadow magic training went. He usually spent the rest of the day painting and reading.
He had a lot more use of training his shadow magic at his nightly excursions when he had a lot of shadows to play around with and could freely use his Authority. And he would need to practice his painting skills at some point. At least Quahim seemed to think it was important to paint, and Adion enjoyed it a lot, so he didn¡¯t want to question it.
Once he had tired out his Will, Adion got up and prepared to start painting. He set up his canvas and mixed some colors on his palate. He was currently working on finishing the painting of Sell¡¯s hair. It would be the second painting he would finish that wasn¡¯t just for the purpose of practicing his skills. The first one had been the one overlooking the Endless Forest. He had finished it a few weeks ago and decided to name it ¡®A world for the taking.¡¯
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Quahim had only muttered ¡®youth¡¯ and walked away when Adion told him the name. But Adion was happy with it, and was planning to bring it with him to the Academy.
Adion got his mixture of colors ready in no time, as he had done the process for days already.
I think I¡¯ll finish it soon. I will miss painting it. But I suppose I¡¯ll get to see the real deal soon. That will be even better.
After painting in silence for a little over an hour, Adion turned to Quahim.
¡°Do you know any place nearby with a Moonlight Oak?¡± Adion asked his teacher.
¡°A Moonlight Oak? Why?¡± Quahim asked, turning to look at Adion.
¡°I need it for an Oath,¡± Adion said.
¡°Obviously,¡± Quahim said, ¡°Who is taking the Oath?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°I guess I might have found myself a couple of subordinates.¡±
¡°Subordinates? Why?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°It could always be useful,¡± Adion said.
¡°Sure,¡± Quahim said, looking at Adion questioningly, ¡°What¡¯s the Oath for?¡±
¡°I will reveal some secrets sooner or later,¡± Adion said, ¡°Need them to keep it quiet.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Quahim hummed, ¡°There is one in the Lomerian Garden.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it.¡±
Adion had run through the Lomerian Garden several times. It was a beautiful park on the east side of the city. Anyone could enter for a few coins.
¡°They don¡¯t advertise it,¡± Quahim said, ¡°But most mages know of it.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion said, ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll take a look.¡±
¡°So what is this secret that you don¡¯t want them spilling? Your strength?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°That would be one thing,¡± Adion carefully nodded, keeping Atao firmly in the back of his mind.
¡°Are you really not going to indulge your old teacher?¡± Quahim asked.
I suppose I could tell him one thing. I might even catch him off guard.
Adion had thought about revealing his Gift to Quahim. It was something he would reveal at the admission anyway, so it would be common knowledge soon enough. And Adion wasn¡¯t scared Quahim would sell him out. He could have done so long ago, knowing about Adion¡¯s relationship with Sell.
¡°Do you really want to know?¡± Adion asked with a small grin.
¡°Not if you¡¯re going to act all smug about it,¡± Quahim answered.
¡°How about I show you?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded. Adion thought he could see some excitement in the old man¡¯s eyes.
Adion focused and froze the space surrounding Quahim. He couldn¡¯t hold on even for a second, though. His Will not a match against the Diamond mage.
¡°Really? No reaction?¡± Adion asked. Quahim hadn¡¯t even widened his eyes in surprise.
¡°A Gift?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°What does it do exactly?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°I can stop things from moving. Powerful mages are a bit hard to keep still, though,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Interesting,¡± Quahim said, ¡°How long can you stop someone at the same stage?¡±
¡°Long enough for my sword to pierce their heart,¡± Adion said.
Quahim was quiet for a while before a small smile slipped out. ¡°Seems like my Sell didn¡¯t just take a liking to your face.¡±
¡°It was probably the main part, though,¡± Adion said with a smile of his own.
¡°Hehe,¡± Quahim chuckled, ¡°Interesting. Very interesting.¡±
Adion thought Quahim would ask more questions, but he simply turned around to continue his painting again.
He¡¯s going to startle me with some question to see my reaction, isn¡¯t he? I¡¯ll make sure to keep Atao ready.
However, contrary to Adion¡¯s thoughts, the day passed without any questions from Quahim. He simply sat in silence and focused on his painting the entire day.
¡°It¡¯s getting dark,¡± Adion said once the sun was nearing the horizon.
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll paint some more. I¡¯ll see you again tomorrow.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Thank you for today, teacher.¡±
Adion put away his painting material and headed out of the studio.
Once on the street again, Adion enjoyed the fresh air. Even with so much going on, his mind was caught up with Sell at the moment.
I wonder where she is now? Is she on her way to the Academy already? What has she been up to since I saw her?
Adion knew she wouldn¡¯t be visiting Rethi before going to the Academy. Quahim had told him. He also denied Adion¡¯s wish to send her a letter, scolding him for having reckless ideas.
Stubborn old man. Surely, there should be a way of getting a letter to her without people knowing.
Adion got back to the inn and snapped out of his musings as he went to Perk¡¯s and Tib¡¯s rooms.
I¡¯ll get them started and then head out for some shadow training later. I can¡¯t put a break on my own progress too much.
¡°I¡¯m back,¡± Adion announced as he knocked on their door.
¡°Boss!¡± Perk greeted happily once he opened the door.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Have you guys had dinner?¡±
¡°We did,¡± Perk answered.
¡°I guess I¡¯ll wait with eating a little then,¡± Adion said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to my room, and I¡¯ll start teaching you a few things.¡±
¡°Right away,¡± Perk said with a happy smile, ¡°Tib, come one.¡±
¡°I¡¯m coming,¡± Tib said, walking up to his brother.
Adion led them to his room and made them sit down on the floor while he took a seat on his bed.
¡°Alright, what do you know about aura?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s like the feeling of a person, right?¡± Perk asked.
¡°In a way,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Aura stems from the soul. If the soul is the sun, then aura is its warmth. And the soul carries with it everything a person is. Some things are very obvious, like the strength of a person. But there are less obvious things. We are talking about the soul here. With a sharp enough aura sense, you can tell everything there is to know about a person. Even going so far as to read their minds.¡±
Adion smiled as he saw Perk looking at him with a horrified expression, ¡°Yes. I can.¡±
¡°Ah!¡± Perk yelled out and turned to his brother, ¡°Boss can read our minds, Tib!¡±
¡°Hahaha,¡± Adion laughed, ¡°I was only joking. I am nowhere near that skilled. I doubt anyone is. But it should be possible in theory. An example for you to see how far you can reach so as not to set the bar too low.¡±
Adion continued his lesson, making use of much of the knowledge Fellion had once taught him. But this time, Adion had a lot of insights to add as well. And as the brothers asked their questions, Adion realized that teaching was an excellent way of learning.
I guess this isn¡¯t so bad.
Chapter 93 - Oath of loyalty
¡°There! I feel it! It¡¯s the aura of high Stone strength,¡± Perk said.
¡°Well, done,¡± Adion said, nodding approvingly, ¡°It seems like you haven¡¯t slacked off.¡±
¡°Of course not, boss,¡± Perk opened his eyes and responded. He and his younger brother were sitting on the floor facing Adion.
Adion had been training them both every evening for the past two weeks now, and Adion had focused on making them able to just barely tell the strength of his aura in order to hone their aura sense.
¡°How about me?¡± Tib asked.
¡°Let¡¯s give it a try,¡± Adion said. He hid the part of his aura that revealed his strength and then, ever so slowly, started revealing low Iron strength.
¡°I feel it,¡± Tib said, ¡°It¡¯s low Iron strength.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Not quite at the level of Perk¡¯s aura sense, but you are younger, after all. And hopefully, you have focused a lot of your attention on mana manipulation.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Tib nodded, looking a little downcast.
¡°Well, I will leave you to train alone for a while,¡± Adion said, rising to his feet to head out for some shadow practice.
¡°Er¡boss,¡± Tib stopped Adion, ¡°Do you know how long it would take me to form my core if I do it all on my own?¡±
¡°Well, I managed to do it when I was 12,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I had trained every day for years by that point. I also got lucky, finding an incredible mana source when forming my core. Even if you get equally lucky, it will still probably take you five years of hard work. A more realistic guess is that it will take you about 15 years before you are ready. But after that, you would be able to advance just like anyone else, slightly faster even.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Tib nodded, looking at the floor in thought.
Is he planning on doing it on his own, after all? It does seem like something he would choose.
Suddenly, Tib looked at Adion with a determined look. He got up on his feet and bowed, ¡°I would like to swear an Oath of loyalty, boss.¡±
A pleasant surprise!
¡°Really, Tib?¡± Perk asked excitedly.
¡°Mm,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°Me too, boss!¡± Perk yelled and got up to his feet to bow.
¡°Well,¡± Adion said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m glad. I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t regret the decision.¡±
¡°This is so exciting,¡± Perk said, ¡°Will you help Tib now?¡±
¡°I guess I can skip my practice just for tonight,¡± Adion said, ¡°Let¡¯s head out and make the Oath right away.¡±
¡°Head out?¡± Tib asked.
¡°We have to make the Oath in front of a Moonlight Oak,¡± Adion said, ¡°An Oath doesn¡¯t really work if we just do it here.¡±
¡°Really? How come?¡± Tib asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s just one of the mysteries of the world waiting for someone to uncover.¡±
¡°I want to uncover it, boss,¡± Perk said.
¡°Go ahead,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll reward you if you bring me an answer.¡±
Perk got an excited smile on his face and looked at his younger brother triumphantly.
¡°Hear that, Tib. Boss will reward me,¡± Perk said.
¡°Well, Tib will get a treasure valuable enough to buy this entire city tonight. So I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be too jealous.¡± Adion said.
Perk and Tib both stared at Adion in shock.
¡°Are you serious?¡± Tib asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I will explain more after the Oath.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Tib said impatiently.
¡°Let¡¯s,¡± Adion nodded and left his room, the two brothers following.
It will be fun having someone else around with Authority. Maybe he¡¯ll even teach me something about it eventually.
Hopefully, Perk won¡¯t be too jealous. He has a water core, so there is not much I can do. He is too weak to pay any attention to an element other than water right now. Maybe I can give him one in the future when Tib has become strong enough to teach him shadow magic.
It took them close to 30 minutes before they were in the Lomerian Garden, looking at the Moonlight Oak. True to its name, the leaves of the oak shimmered strangely in the moonlight. Adion had already come to check it out when Quahim told him about it, but sunlight apparently didn¡¯t have the same effect on its leaves.
¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Adion said.
¡°Mm,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°Well,¡± Adion said, taking out two sheets of paper from his backpack, ¡°Here is the Oath you will need to swear. Read it through first and decide if you are sure you want to agree to everything. There is no going back once you¡¯ve sworn the Oath.¡±
Adion handed them the papers and conjured a small flame to give some light for the boys to read. He kept some of his attention on his sphere of space mana. It was pushed to the limit. Adion didn¡¯t want anyone stumbling across what they were doing.
¡°I¡¯m ready, boss,¡± Perk said once he had read through the text.
¡°Me too,¡± Tib said.
¡°Go ahead,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°I swear to remain loyal to Adion Remori, to never betray him, harm him or any of his allies. I swear to never reveal¡¡± The boys read through the text that Adion had gotten from Quahim. It was the standard Oath of loyalty that subordinates of powerful families had to swear. Adion had only tweaked it a little, knowing that more detail would make it less effective. But he wanted to add a few lines emphasizing not revealing any information about him.
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¡°...on my body and soul, I shall uphold these words for the entirety of my life.¡± The boys finished the Oath. Adion felt a great relief. He had planned on heading to a Moonlight Oak with his old teammates, but things had never gotten to that. And even if he was glad he didn¡¯t do it, he had to admit that it was a weight off his shoulders.
Perk and Tib will also be the first people to know a bit of my biggest secret: the pills I have in my possession.
¡°Glad to have you,¡± Adion said with a grin.
¡°I feel a little different,¡± Tib said.
¡°Mm,¡± Perk nodded, ¡°I think the Oath did something.¡±
¡°Well, don¡¯t break it, and you won¡¯t have to worry about it,¡± Adion said.
¡°Of course not, boss!¡± Perk stressed.
¡°Relax, I know,¡± Adion said, ¡°Alright, Tib. Are you ready?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°Take a seat,¡± Adion said, gesturing for Tib to sit down on the grass.
Tib sat down while Adion took out a Moon Shadow Panther Wisdom Pill from his backpack.
¡°Even if I told you that you could form a core faster with my help, it will still take time and a lot of hard work. But I will give you something that helps you do magic by the end of the night.¡± Adion said.
¡°Magic without a core?¡± Tib asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I will give you a power that, besides me, I don¡¯t think anyone on the continent, perhaps the entire world has. I don¡¯t think it has even been heard of since the Age of Wonder.¡±
¡°You¡have something like that, boss?¡± Perk looked at Adion with wide eyes.
¡°And you¡¯re really giving it to me?¡± Tib asked.
¡°Well, you¡¯ll be working for me, won¡¯t you? It won¡¯t do if you¡¯re weak,¡± Adion said.
¡°Right,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°I¡¯ll explain some more after you take it,¡± Adion handed the pill over to Tib, who grabbed it cautiously.
¡°Is it dangerous?¡± Perk asked with worry.
¡°No,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°Go on, swallow it.¡±
Tib didn¡¯t hesitate and swallowed the pill. Adion thought he could feel the shadows around him stir slightly.
Is this what it looked like when I took my pill? It¡¯s nothing compared to the feeling I felt myself, but it¡¯s still amazing that taking a pill can have any effect at all on the surroundings.
After a minute had passed, Tib opened his eyes and looked around in amazement.
So it only lasts for a minute? I think it felt longer than that. But it was a pretty intense experience, I guess.
¡°How do you feel?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Incredible,¡± Tib said quietly, ¡°Shadows? I never even knew it was an element¡but suddenly, they were all under my control. I felt like I could do anything.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the feeling,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°And perhaps one day you¡¯ll get to experience it again, but for real. However, not all of it is lost. Try to take control of the shadows around you.¡±
Tib did as Adion had asked and grabbed hold of the nearby shadows.
¡°Haaah,¡± Tib sighed, ¡°It¡¯s impossible. The Will of the world fights me.¡±
¡°Only try to grab a hold of as much as you can without any resistance,¡± Adion said.
Tib tried once again, and this time, he didn¡¯t seem exhausted from the effort at all. Adion noticed that an area the size of a head in front of Tib grew much darker.
Seems like it worked.
¡°It¡it¡¯s like that power I just felt, just smaller,¡± Tib said.
¡°It¡¯s called Authority,¡± Adion said.
I wonder if I can grab hold of the shadow he has under his control using my Authority? I¡¯ll try it later.
¡°All I know about this power is what I have discovered myself, so there is a lot of mystery surrounding it. But you can basically control shadows as long as it doesn¡¯t exceed a certain limit. But within that limit, the Will of the world won¡¯t fight you at all. The possibilities from that are nothing short of remarkable, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll discover a lot of uses of shadow with time. But you need to practice your shadow mana manipulation. Right now, this power is useless without shadows, so you need to be able to conjure one from pure mana.
¡°This should make the process of gaining control over shadow mana a lot faster, however, which is why I think you¡¯ll be able to form a core faster, too.¡±
¡°This¡thank you, boss,¡± Tib got up to his feet and bowed deeply, ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Adion nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t go and try forming a core without consulting me first, though. It will still take years of training, pushing yourself to the limit every single day. Do you think you can handle it?¡±
¡°I can,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°Amazing, Tib,¡± Perk said excitedly, ¡°You¡¯ll be able to become a mage! A shadow mage!¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Tib nodded with a gentle smile.
¡°Is there a way for me to get this Authority?¡± Perk turned to Adion and asked.
¡°You have a water core, so I have no way of helping you,¡± Adion said, ¡°But it is definitely possible. This power exists outside of pills, so you just have to grow strong enough to grab it for yourself.¡±
¡°I will,¡± Perk nodded.
¡°Is there a way for me to increase my Authority?¡± Tib asked.
¡°There is,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°It works for me with¡another element,¡±
Adion hesitated to reveal too much about himself. Even though the brothers had just sworn an Oath, Adion felt uneasy about revealing too much at once.
It will take some time to get used to the idea that I can safely tell these guys things without worry.
¡°Another element?¡± Tib asked.
¡°I¡¯ll explain more another time,¡± Adion said, ¡°It¡¯s possible, even as you are now. But I don¡¯t know how you can do it. So you¡¯ll have to figure it out yourself.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°Well, no point in staying here,¡± Adion said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±
¡°What should I focus on with my training from now on, boss?¡± Tib asked as they started making their way back.
¡°You should focus on shadow mana manipulation. But don¡¯t let your aura practice fall too far behind. Once you are able to control your own aura, it will be a great way to temper your Will. But yeah, when I¡¯m not there during the day, shadow mana manipulation is the priority. When your Will gets too tired, play around with shadows and get familiar with the element. It is an element that requires you to comprehend a lot of concepts, so you should think about it as often as you can. We¡¯ll talk about it more tomorrow.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°What about me, boss?¡± Perk asked.
¡°Same as before,¡± Adion said, ¡°Meditate until your Will is too tired for it to have much use, and then focus on aura. There are a lot of more things you can do, like ponder about your water element and experiment with your Gift, but for now, aura and meditation are the most important.¡±
¡°Alright, boss,¡± Perk nodded.
When they returned to the inn, Adion took a seat on his bed after leaving the brothers in their room. Since he didn¡¯t go out on his nightly excursion, he had more Will than usual to tire out before bed. Adion decided to conjure some space to increase his Authority.
It¡¯s small. Very, very small. But it does feel good to have some sort of improvement.
After almost an hour of tiring his Will, Adion pushed his Will to the limit, trying to hide his aura, something he ended practically every night with in order to improve his aura control and temper his Will.
After only a few minutes, Adion collapsed on his bed, completely exhausted.
I¡¯m glad everything went well. It will take a while before Perk and Tib become strong enough to become useful. But by the time I graduate from the Academy, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be more than ready to get to work.
It didn¡¯t take long before Adion fell asleep, a pleased smile on his face.
Chapter 94 - Flame Ruby
It took a lot longer than I expected, but I guess it¡¯s finally finished. I don¡¯t think I can drag it out any longer. I¡¯ll soon see her for real, so I guess it¡¯s okay.
Adion turned away from his painting to look outside. The ground had a thin layer of snow on it.
It¡¯s still not even winter for a week, but it already feels like we¡¯re a month in. Hopefully, it won¡¯t be too harsh a winter. It would make traveling to Cyalis a pain.
¡°Are you finally finished?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°You could tell?¡± Adion turned to his teacher and asked.
¡°I read your body language,¡± Quahim said, putting down his brush and coming over to take a closer look. ¡°It took you months.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°It was nice to paint. And I wanted it to be perfect.¡±
¡°Hm,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°I suppose it¡¯s good that you don¡¯t feel any pressure to finish a painting before its time. That was something I used to struggle with. So, what is it called?¡±
Adion had thought of just naming his painting ¡®Sell¡¯s hair.¡¯ It was how he had thought about it all this time, after all. And he knew he wasn¡¯t good at naming things. But he felt it didn¡¯t quite fit the painting and the feelings it represented.
As long as Adion could remember, his life had been a struggle. There was a lot of joy in his life as well, especially back with his family. But it had still been a struggle. A struggle to become a mage, a struggle to get out of the Endless Forest, a struggle to grow strong, a struggle to live. Until he met Sell, that¡¯s what he just thought life was like.
¡°It¡¯s called ¡®Life is easy.¡¯¡± Adion said, looking at Quahim nervously.
¡°Hehe,¡± Quahim chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s a fitting name.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion nodded.
They were quiet for a while, looking at Adion¡¯s painting.
¡°Any ideas for your next painting?¡± Quahim asked after a while.
¡°I¡¯m going to try to finish ¡®A Mother¡¯s smile¡¯ before leaving, so I¡¯ll start working on it tomorrow,¡± Adion said.
¡°Tomorrow?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°I think I¡¯m going to head back for today,¡± Adion said, ¡°I was thinking of buying Sell a gift¡¡±
¡°I see,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°Why not gift her the painting of her?¡±
I knew he knew.
¡°That would be¡ embarrassing,¡± Adion said, ¡°And I want to keep it.¡±
¡°Hm,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°Have you decided when you will leave?¡±
¡°I¡¯m thinking about leaving in a few weeks, maybe a month. That should give me plenty of time to reach Cyalis, even if it turns out to be a harsh winter. I¡¯ll hire a carriage from somewhere to take me and the brothers. I¡¯ll probably arrive early, but I don¡¯t want to be late.¡± Adion said.
¡°It¡¯s always good to be on time,¡± Quahim said, ¡°But I would suggest waiting for the worst of winter to pass before leaving. It will make for a much easier trip.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that the Academy can be very strict with their deadline for admission.¡±
¡°Your Gift and strength would make any deadline lose importance,¡± Quahim said.
¡°Even for the elders at the Academy? I¡¯m not planning on revealing more than middle Bronze, you know.¡± Adion said.
¡°If you say so,¡± Quahim said, ¡°But your Gift alone will impress them enough. It¡¯s not every year a Gifted joins the Academy. Even if were, Gifts are all new and exciting types of magic for the elders to study.¡±
Will they want to study my ¡®Gift¡¯? Hopefully, I can refuse without causing a scene.
¡°Worried they¡¯ll know you¡¯re a space mage?¡± Quahim asked.
Adion was shocked. On instinct, he pictured the blackness of Atao in front of him, but he knew he was too late. He had been eased into a feeling of relaxation during the conversation.
¡°Gotcha,¡± Quahim said with a smirk.
¡°What are you talking about?¡± Adion acted as if he hadn¡¯t been caught.
¡°If you don¡¯t admit it, I¡¯ll send the information to the Amyss family. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be very interested.¡± Quahim said.
¡°Fine, fine,¡± Adion immediately gave up. He knew there was no point in denying it. Quahim was too good at reading his expressions. ¡°How long have you known?¡±
¡°A few seconds,¡± Quahim shrugged.
¡°How long have you suspected it?¡± Adion clarified.
¡°Since you used your ¡®Gift¡¯ on me,¡± Quahim said, ¡°I am not immune to curiosity, so I wondered what type of mana could give you such a power. I¡¯ve thought of wind first, but that didn¡¯t feel right. Then I remembered something I heard once, a very rare and powerful element even during the Age of Wonder, allowing a mage to control space itself.¡±
¡°Is space common knowledge or something? Or did you hear it from the Amyss family?¡± Adion asked.
Quahim was quiet for a while, looking at Adion. ¡°Sell told you, didn¡¯t she?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Adion said with a grin, ¡°I¡¯m a space mage, so what¡¯s the harm in me knowing what they came to Shiora looking for?¡±
¡°Youth,¡± Quahim muttered, shaking his head, ¡°Very well. Yes, I learned it from my brother.¡±
¡°And you managed to guess it just from knowing that the element of space once existed?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, I had a lot of time to think about it,¡± Quahim said, ¡°And I knew you had more secrets, so I was ready to take some crazy guesses. Seems like I was right.¡±
¡°Well¡Do you think others at the Academy could do the same?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I doubt it,¡± Quahim said, ¡°Not many know of space as an element. And even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t suspect you of being a space mage if you didn¡¯t give them a reason to. Such as bragging about your secret abilities.¡±
¡°Alright, alright,¡± Adion said, ¡°I promise not to do that.¡±
¡°You¡¯re also a lot better at controlling your expression now,¡± Quahim said, ¡°If I had not held my tongue for so long, and eased you into a casual conversation just now, I doubt I would have managed to get you.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I guess that¡¯s a little relieving.¡±
¡°But don¡¯t get careless,¡± Quahim warned, ¡°There are a lot of old monsters in that Academy. I have no idea what they can do.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Adion said, ¡°You won¡¯t tell anyone, will you?¡±
¡°Do you think I will?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°No,¡± Adion said.
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded.
That¡¯s it? Not even a promise? Oh well, I don¡¯t think Quahim is the type of person to tell my secrets. He has known other secrets about me for a long time without telling anyone, so I suppose I can trust him with this too.
¡°So¡impressed?¡± Adion asked with a grin.
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¡°How? Were you born with a space spark?¡± Quahim ignored Adion¡¯s question and asked.
¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± Adion said, ¡°And no, I was sparkless.¡±
¡°Now that, I didn¡¯t think to guess,¡± Quahim said with his eyebrows raised.
¡°Even more impressed?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I suppose I am,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°So how did you go from sparkless to having a space core? A space core at such a level at that.¡±
¡°I had an affinity to space due to some circumstances,¡± Adion said. Quahim had never really asked anything about Adion before, so he didn¡¯t know more than he had guessed and whatever Adion had let on.
It¡¯s rare to see Quahim this curious.
¡°Even though I was sparkless, I was convinced that I could become a mage with enough effort. So I trained my mana control until I was able to form a core even without a spark,¡± Adion explained.
¡°How old were you when you managed that?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°I was 12. But I got a little lucky along the way,¡± Adion answered.
Wait. If his brother told him about space mages, he probably told him about the Celestial Phoenix too. I¡¯m sure Quahim will make the connection.
¡°I see,¡± Quahim nodded. ¡°Very interesting.¡±
Is that all he is going to ask? He always stops his questioning and turns to musing. It makes me feel like I have revealed more than I thought somehow.
¡°Well¡¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll get going then. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, teacher.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded.
Adion put away his painting and made his way out of Hevima.
I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll take more guesses out of nowhere to see my reaction. But I¡¯ll be ready next time.
Adion practiced having Atao appear before him all the way back to the inn. The complete blackness erased all impressions that the city threw at him.
Once back at the inn, Adion knocked on the door where the brothers were staying. Perk had expressed his desire to explore the city more, so Adion had promised to relieve him of practice and take him along on a tour someday.
Since Adion was planning on going around to look for a gift for Sell, he thought he might as well bring his subordinates with him.
¡°Boss!¡± Perk smiled in surprise as he opened the door to see Adion. ¡°You¡¯re back early today. Did something happen?¡±
¡°I have something I need to buy,¡± Adion said, ¡°I thought I¡¯d ask if you two want to join me.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Perk said, ¡°Are we leaving now?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Let¡¯s go, Tib,¡± Perk went to his brother who was sitting on the floor, ¡°We¡¯ll get to see Rethi.¡±
¡°I would like to stay here and train if that¡¯s okay with you, boss,¡± Tib said to Adion.
¡°I guess that¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said, ¡°But it¡¯s okay to relax once in a while, you know.¡±
¡°I need to form a core as soon as I can,¡± Tib said with a determined look.
¡°True,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But remember that shadow is an element that needs a lot of concepts to be of much use. You¡¯ll need to experience things other than just sitting in a room all day. The city has a lot of shadows that might give you some inspiration.¡±
TIb hesitated for a moment before nodding, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll come.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s get going,¡± Adion said and turned to leave, Perk and Tib following close behind.
I should make sure they get out more often. I¡¯ll give them some physical exercises to do so they get out more.
¡±Where are we going, boss?¡± Perk asked as they left the inn.
¡±To Emmelth,¡± Adion said, ¡±It¡¯s a fancy jewelry store, so behave yourselves when we get there.¡±
¡±Mm,¡± Tib nodded.
¡±You¡¯re getting jewelry?¡± Perk asked, scrutinizing Adion¡¯s appearance.
¡±It¡¯s for my girlfriend,¡± Adion said.
¡±You have a girlfriend?¡± Perk asked.
¡±Mm,¡± Adion nodded with a light smile.
¡±As expected of boss,¡± Perk said with admiration.
¡±Where is she?¡± Tib asked.
¡±I¡¯ll see her in Cyalis,¡± Adion answered.
¡±I bet she is some kind of princess,¡± Perk said, nodding to himself.
How did he guess that? Is Perk actually smart? No. Probably just a lucky guess.
It didn¡¯t take long before they found themselves inside Emmelth. Adion had never been inside the store before. He had just come to take a look during one of his nightly excursions.
Adion walked through the aisles of jewelry and precious accessories behind panels of glass. He knew a Gold mage was in the store as a guard through his mana sense.
It makes more sense than having a Gold mage protecting paintings that almost no one comes to see. Quahim has too much money to spend. He is a Diamond mage himself, after all.
¡°Can I assist you, young master?¡± An elven girl in her early twenties came up to Adion and asked with a smile.
¡°I¡¯m looking for a necklace. Where do you keep the best ones?¡± Adion asked.
¡°We have a lot of precious necklaces for sale, young master. As for the best ones, we have a few special ones on the upstairs floor. But I have to warn you that they are very expensive.¡± The attendant said.
¡°How much are we talking?¡± Adion asked. He knew that prices could go crazy when it came to precious gems.
¡°Nothing less than 10 Vastro coins, I¡¯m afraid,¡± The attendant said.
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said, ¡°Show me them, please.¡±
Adion still had the Vastro coins from the robbery in Wender. He hadn¡¯t bought anything particularly expensive since then. Now that he was going to buy something for Sell, he wasn¡¯t going to buy anything cheap.
He had thought about perhaps painting something for her, but he didn¡¯t feel confident enough in his skills yet to gift her something like that. And even if he knew that Sell probably had all the jewelry she could ever want. Adion knew that his mother always got very happy whenever his father gifted her something. No matter how much she already had.
She used to be happy just to receive flowers, though. Should I think this through again? No. Not many flowers will have started blooming by the time I get to Cyalis. This is safer. And I remember when she received a necklace from Dad, she bragged about it to everyone for weeks.
Adion was led to the second floor, where he was taken to a separate room and seated on a fancy couch. Perk attempted to sit down next to him, but was stopped by his younger brother and pulled to stand behind Adion.
¡°My daughter informs me that you are interested in the very best we have to offer,¡± An elven man said as he arrived in the room with an array of necklaces, ¡°These are the necklaces we have in store for the moment, young master,¡± The attendant girl, apparently the man¡¯s daughter, said as she showed off 12 necklaces of various design. The one that immediately grabbed Adion¡¯s attention was one with what looked like a ruby, reminding Adion of Sell¡¯s eyes.
¡°Is this a ruby?¡± Adion asked as he looked closer at the necklace. From a distance, it looked like a raindrop, but as he got closer, he realized it was shaped more like a small flame.
¡°It¡¯s a Black Mountain Ruby, or Flame Ruby, as it is often called. A very precious gem that is not only beautiful but also said to help comprehend concepts of fire,¡± The man said.
¡°Really?¡± Adion asked, ¡°That¡¯s perfect. I¡¯ll take it. How much?¡±
¡°Haha,¡± The man laughed, ¡°Not one to drag decisions out, I like it. This one is 35 Vastro coins, young master.¡±
I¡¯ll just have 7 Vastro coins left, but it¡¯s worth it. Not like I¡¯m spending it on anything else. And I can always get more money.
¡°Good,¡± Adion said and started digging through his backpack for the coins.
It¡¯s a good thing that I reveal my strength at middle Bronze. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯d be thrown out just because of my clothes and poor manners.
¡°Are you paying so much for a necklace, boss?¡± Perk couldn¡¯t help himself from asking.
¡°It¡¯s nothing much when weighed against a girl¡¯s smile,¡± Adion lectured Perk with a small grin.
¡°Ah. Of course, boss,¡± Perk nodded.
¡°She is sure to love it,¡± Tib said.
How would you know?
¡°I¡¯m sorry. What was your name again?¡± Adion asked the attendant.
¡°Oh, my name is Emella, young master,¡± The elven girl responded.
¡°You would like to receive this necklace from someone, right?¡± Adion asked, wanting to make sure he wasn¡¯t making a mistake.
¡°I-I would be thrilled,¡± Emella said, blushing.
Why is she blushing? She doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m giving it to her, right?
¡°Well¡good,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Here are 35 Vastro coins.¡±
¡°A pleasure doing business, young master,¡± The man said, handing over the necklace in a small velvet box, ¡°Please consider us for any future needs.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go, boys.¡±
Adion placed the small box with the necklace in his backpack before heading downstairs again.
Hopefully, this will make her happy. I¡¯ll try to look for some flowers in Cyalis, too. Just to be safe.
Chapter 95 - Cake
How does he do that? Every detail is so precise. Every shade brings an incredible sense of depth. It¡¯s almost like I am looking through a window, not staring at a painting. And it¡¯s almost as if the painting tells me what the painter wants me to know.
Adion was standing behind Quahim, watching the old elf paint. It was something he did for at least a short while each day. Adion knew that he would never have a chance like this ever again, so he tried to make the most of it.
Unfortunately, it¡¯s a long way to go before I can begin to replicate that. But Quahim is probably one of the best, if not the best, painter on the continent, so I shouldn¡¯t expect to be able to do what he does after only a year.
Adion went back to his own painting, the one he had named ¡®A mother¡¯s smile,¡¯ adding some finishing touches. He had hoped to gain something from watching Quahim, but it was impossible to implement anything in a short time.
I suppose it¡¯s part of the charm of the painting that it¡¯s not been painted by an expert. And I am only painting it for myself at the end of the day.
Adion continued painting for hours, his mother''s hair now much more detailed and alive than when he first painted it.
I feel like I can still feel her smile even while turned away. That¡¯s nice.
Adion stared at the painting for a while, enjoying the sensations the painting had always given him.
Even if it¡¯s not actually her, it feels nice to be close to her again like this.
Adion didn¡¯t feel like start painting anything else; the day was coming to an end, and he was enjoying the silent and calm atmosphere in the studio. Snow was falling heavily outside the window.
It would have been a nice scene if I didn¡¯t have to worry about getting to Cyalis in this weather.
After a while, Adion noticed Quahim putting down his brush, bringing him out of his thoughts. He turned to see that Quahim had also finished his painting. Adion got up to take a closer look.
It¡¯s one of the happy ones.
It depicted an elven woman sleeping on a couch with an open book on her chest. The sunlight coming in through the windows lit up the room, giving the painting a very cozy and homely feeling.
¡°This one took you a while,¡± Adion said after a while. Quahim usually finished most paintings in a week. This one had taken him almost a month.
¡°I usually take my time when painting her,¡± Quahim said.
Her¡I¡¯ve seen her in a few other paintings, come to think of it.
¡°Hevima,¡± Adion said. Somehow feeling that was her name.
Quahim looked at Adion in surprise. He stared in silence for a while before turning to look at his painting with a small smile, ¡°Truly a marvelous world. Isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion agreed.
Adion didn¡¯t ask anything about the woman. He could make a few guesses. Quahim never asked much about Adion, either. There were never any questions about his family or what he painted. It was a nice, quiet understanding. What needed to be said could be said through their paintings.
¡°I bought you some cake,¡± Quahim said after a while.
¡°Cake?¡± Adion turned to Quahim in surprise, ¡°Are we having a going away party?¡±
¡°Ganta, no,¡± Quahim said, ¡°It¡¯s your birthday, no?¡±
¡°Oh¡You¡¯re right,¡± Adion said. He hadn¡¯t kept track of the days much, completely forgetting that he was turning 17.
¡°I¡¯ll go get it,¡± Quahim said as he got up from his stool and started walking downstairs.
I thought I¡¯d be able to spend my birthday with my family this year. I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter. It¡¯s just like any other day, really. And I¡¯ll get to see them soon.
Quahim returned with two plates of cake and gestured for Adion to take a seat on the carpet.
¡°How did you know it¡¯s my birthday?¡± Adion asked as he sat down.
¡°I¡¯m a Diamond mage,¡± Quahim said, ¡°You might have excellent control in hiding your strength and element, but you¡¯re not hiding your age. It makes it easy for me to tell how old you are.¡±
¡°I never realized that you had such a good aura sense. I¡¯m not able to tell age down to the day like that,¡± Adion said, ¡°How come you¡¯re not advancing to the Soul stages? If you practice aura a little more, it might be possible, right?¡±
¡°I have no desire for it,¡± Quahim answered.
¡°What? Why?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, perhaps there is some curiosity in me. It would be fascinating to see how far I can go. But it is not worth spending my remaining time on. I¡¯d rather paint,¡± Quahim said.
¡°But if you advance to the Soft Soul stage, you¡¯ll be able to live for much longer, having a lot more time to paint,¡± Adion said.
¡°True,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°Still. I have come to accept my old age and the time I have remaining. If I can spend my last years here in my studio painting, I will have lived a nice little life.¡±
But why not live an even nicer life?
Adion didn¡¯t ask, though. He and Quahim started eating their cakes.
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¡°I never asked when your birthday is,¡± Adion said.
¡°You don¡¯t really care past a certain age,¡± Quahim said.
¡°Now I feel like a kid,¡± Adion said, looking at his cake.
¡°You are a kid,¡± Quahim said, ¡°So eat your cake.¡±
Adion smiled and continued eating.
¡°Have you decided on when you¡¯re leaving?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°Soon,¡± Adion said, ¡°The weather is getting worse. I don¡¯t want to wait until it¡¯s too late.¡±
¡°I¡¯d wait for it to pass, but it¡¯s up to you,¡± Quahim said, ¡°Just know that it won¡¯t be a pleasant journey. And you might arrive in time even if you leave a month from now if the snow has melted.¡±
¡°I¡¯d not be able to relax waiting for something so uncertain,¡± Adion said, ¡°It might be slow to travel in the snow, but at least I¡¯ll be making progress. I¡¯ll wait for a week and see how things look.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded.
The sun had started going down, and due to the clouds, it was already dark outside. So Adion got up to leave once they both finished their cakes and their talk.
¡°Thank you for the cake, teacher,¡± Adion said, ¡°It was delicious.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded, ¡°Happy birthday, Adion.¡±
Adion made his way out on the street. Even with people working to shovel the road, the falling snow constantly worked against any effort to clear the roads.
Will I even be able to travel in this weather? If I hire a carriage with Silver beasts it should be possible, if a little slow.
It took Adion a while longer than usual before he reached the inn due to the street conditions.
Since it¡¯s my birthday, I¡¯ll relax a little tonight. Maybe I can take the brothers out for some food and drinks. They are not close to 15 yet, though. So maybe not drinks.
Adion got to his room, threw his backpack on the floor, and hung his robe to dry.
Maybe we should just get something to eat at the inn. I don¡¯t want to go out there again if I don¡¯t have to.
Adion made his way to Perk¡¯s and Tib¡¯s room and knocked on their door.
¡°Boss!¡± Perk greeted as he opened the door, ¡°Notice anything different?¡±
¡°You have advanced to Iron,¡± Adion said with a smile, ¡°Good job, Perk. Was it hard to compress your core?¡±
¡°Not at all, boss,¡± Perk said with a big smile, ¡°I was more than ready for it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Adion said, ¡°But don¡¯t grow complacent. It will only get harder from here on out.¡±
¡°I know, boss,¡± Perk nodded.
¡°But for tonight, we can celebrate a little,¡± Adion said, ¡°Let¡¯s go get some food.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Perk asked, ¡°Where?¡±
¡°Er¡Let¡¯s go out and see if we can find a nice restaurant, I guess,¡± Adion said.
I guess it¡¯s not so bad out there. A short walk is fine.
¡°A restaurant,¡± Perk said excitedly, ¡°Did you hear that, Tib?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Tib nodded and opened his eyes. He had been sitting cross-legged on his bed, manipulating shadow mana.
It feels like he has gotten pretty good control. Better than expected. But I¡¯ll need to be closer to be sure. I¡¯ll test him a little tomorrow.
¡°Get dressed,¡± Adion said, ¡°We¡¯ll leave immediately.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Perk nodded and went to get something warm on his body. Tib didn¡¯t argue and went to put on his boots.
When they got outside, Adion picked a direction at random and decided to stop at the first best restaurant he could find. And it didn¡¯t take long before he spotted a place that he had walked past many times before. Looking in through the windows, it seemed like a nice enough place.
It¡¯s nothing too fancy, but that would have only been a hassle.
They went inside and took a seat at a table deep inside the restaurant, where a waiter was quick to bring them menus.
¡°Order whatever you want,¡± Adion said.
¡°I want the duck,¡± Perk said straight away, ¡°I¡¯ve never had duck before.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Adion nodded.
Tib wanted to try duck, too, so Adion saw no reason not to either. The three meals arrived not long after they had ordered, along with a beer for Adion and glasses of water for the brothers.
¡°We¡¯ll be leaving in about a week,¡± Adion said as they started eating, ¡°So be prepared for that.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Perk said, ¡°Alright, boss.¡±
¡°Will it be alright with this much snow?¡± Tib asked.
¡°That¡¯s why I want to get moving,¡± Adion said, ¡°If it keeps going like this, it will take well over a month to reach Cyalis. And we can¡¯t be late.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°I¡¯ll need you two to look into hiring a carriage,¡± Adion said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to hire anything right now. Just bring me some information about the options. I want a driver to steer the carriage, maybe two. And I want it to be pulled by Silver beasts.¡±
¡°Won¡¯t that cost a fortune?¡± Perk asked.
¡°I have the money, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Adion said.
¡°Mm,¡± Perk nodded.
¡°We¡¯ll take care of it, boss,¡± Tib said.
¡°Good,¡± Adion said, ¡°You want dessert?¡±
¡°No,¡± Tib shook his head.
¡°I do, boss,¡± Perk said.
¡°Mm. Me too. Are you sure, Tib?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I am sure,¡± Tib said, but Adion could tell he wanted some.
¡°You should have something since we¡¯re celebrating your brother¡¯s advancement. I¡¯ll order us three pieces of cake,¡± Adion said.
¡°A-Alright,¡± Tib nodded.
Adion also ordered some drinks for himself, but even though he liked Tib and Perk, they weren¡¯t the best drinking partners. So after a while, Adion called it a night, and they all left to head back for the inn.
I miss drinking with my teammates. I wonder what they are doing right now? They¡¯re probably somewhere in the Kuwa Mountains. I can¡¯t wait to hear all about it when I see them again.
Once back at the inn again, Adion sat down on his bed to train his aura after leaving the brother in their room. Even if he had decided to take a break from training for the day, it just felt too odd to go to bed without exhausting his Will more.
It was a nice day. But next year, I¡¯ll celebrate with my family and Sell. I¡¯m looking forward to it.
Chapter 96 - Ready to leave
¡°Boss, the carriage is here,¡± Perk¡¯s voice sounded from outside Adion¡¯s room.
Adion stopped his meditation and went to open the door.
¡°Did everything look alright?¡± Adion asked as he opened the door to Perk and Tib standing outside.
¡°The carriage looked to be in good condition,¡± Perk said, ¡°The driver was a bit concerned about driving in this weather, though.¡±
¡°We paid the carriage company extra, so he doesn¡¯t have the right to complain,¡± Adion said.
¡°Mm,¡± Perk nodded.
¡°Well, get your stuff ready,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to Hevima and say goodbye to my teacher.¡±
¡°Okay, boss,¡± Perk nodded and headed to his room alongside his brother.
Adion stepped out of the inn and onto the snowcovered street and started making his way to Hevima.
It¡¯s finally time to leave for Cyalis. But I¡¯m not looking forward to the journey very much.
It had been almost two weeks since Adion¡¯s birthday, and the weather had finally calmed down a little. But even if it wasn¡¯t snowing at the moment, it had been snowing for weeks already, and Adion feared what the road to Cyalis would be like.
It¡¯s probably going to be a rough start, but hopefully, the road will clear as time goes on.
When Adion arrived at Hevima, he headed straight to Quahim¡¯s studio. He was a little sad that this would be the last time he would head up those stairs to spend the day painting and learning about shadows.
Thankfully, I¡¯m moving on to something I¡¯m even more excited about.
¡°Everything ready for your journey?¡± Quahim asked from his stool where he was painting as Adion came up the stairs. Adion had already told him the day before that he would be leaving the coming morning.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I came to say goodbye and thank you for the past year, teacher.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Quahim nodded. He put his brush down and stood up to look at Adion. ¡°I have something for you.¡±
¡°For me?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up,¡± Quahim said, ¡°It¡¯s just some painting material.¡±
Quahim went deeper into the studio for a moment before coming back with a few painting brushes and a small jar that seemed to contain black paint.
¡°These brushes are made out of hair from the mane of a Cerrilion Lion. In the Soft Soul stage, no less, so don¡¯t lose them,¡± Quahim said as he handed Adion four brushes of different sizes.
¡°This¡¡± Adion was stunned, ¡°This is far too valuable, teacher.¡±
¡°They hold no value at all for me,¡± Quahim said, ¡°So don¡¯t worry about it. And this paint¡I won¡¯t give you an explanation. Just know it is very dark, so don¡¯t use it lightly.¡±
¡°I understand,¡± Adion nodded absent-mindedly. He was a little overwhelmed to receive gifts from Quahim. It was something he thought was his role. He had even thought about gifting an Elixir of Life or perhaps a Moon Shadow Panther Wisdom Pill, but he had discarded that idea. It was something that was simply too valuable. Not to Adion, but to the world.
Instead, Adion decided to give Quahim a painting. It seemed like the only thing the old elf might be interested in. But now that felt a little cheap.
Whatever, I¡¯ll just accept his kindness, and perhaps I can repay him in the future.
¡°I hope you continue to paint,¡± Quahim said, ¡°You are quite good at it.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion said, ¡°I promise I will.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Quahim nodded.
¡°I want to give you ¡®A mother¡¯s smile¡¯ as a thank you for the past year. Even if it seems like a little pale in comparison to your gifts, I still want to do it,¡± Adion said.
¡°¡®A mother¡¯s smile¡¯?¡± Quahim asked, surprised, ¡°I know that painting means a lot to you. You¡¯re certain you want to give it to me? You don¡¯t owe me anything for teaching you, you know.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I¡¯m certain. It¡¯s a gift, but it¡¯s a gift that I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll hold onto for very long.¡±
¡°Oh? How so?¡± Quahim asked.
¡°I¡¯ll return with such a masterpiece that you can¡¯t help but want to exchange it for ¡®A mother¡¯s smile,¡¯¡± Adion said with a grin.
¡°Hehe,¡± Quahim chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it then.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Anyway. I already have my other paintings back at the inn. So I have everything I need.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Quahim said, ¡°Have a safe trip. And enjoy yourself at the Academy.¡±
¡°I will,¡± Adion said, ¡°Goodbye, and thank you for your teachings.¡±
Adion cupped his fist and bowed deeply in gratitude.
¡°Alright, alright,¡± Quahim said, waving Adion off, ¡°Hurry up before the weather turns for the worse.¡±
¡°Mm. I¡¯ll come visit when I get the chance,¡± Adion said and turned to leave.
¡°Make sure to bring Sell with you when you do,¡± Quahim said, taking his seat in front of his painting again.
¡°I will,¡± Adion said, smiling at the thought.
Adion went downstairs again, where he said a quick goodbye to Ferrith by the counter and Demoth, who was guardian the door like always. He hadn¡¯t spent much time talking to the two of them, so it wasn¡¯t a particularly difficult goodbye.
Adion made his way out onto the street again and headed back to the inn. His mind was at ease, and he was eager to be on his way.
It won¡¯t be long now.
Arriving at the inn, Adion packed all the things he would need and loaded them onto the carriage. It was nothing much. Everything he owned could basically fit inside his backpack. Only his paintings had to be carried separately. But he had asked his subordinates to buy food, water, and other necessities that would be vital during the journey. He had no idea how far it was until the text small town, and he didn¡¯t want to stop more than necessary.
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¡°Everything is in the carriage, boss,¡± Tib said.
¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Adion said, entering the carriage, ¡°Tell the driver to get moving and come join me with Perk.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Tib nodded and went up to the driver.
Adion took a seat in the carriage, happy with the cushioned seats. He had not spared any expense on comfort and quality when renting the carriage; he knew it was going to be a challenging journey even with the best of carriages.
¡°Everything¡¯s in order, boss,¡± Tib said as he got in the carriage along with his older brother.
¡°Good,¡± Adion said, feeling how the carriage started moving.
¡°It¡¯s a shame that we couldn¡¯t find another driver to share the load with¡Holen, was it?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yeah, Holen,¡± Tib nodded, ¡°And it wasn¡¯t that there was no one else. Holen said he could drive through the day without a problem. And even if they were two, no one can drive at night in these conditions.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion said, ¡°Seems like a waste to stand still for so much of the day, but I can understand it. We have almost two months to get to Cyalis, so we should take things safe.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a shame we couldn¡¯t find a ship,¡± Tib said, ¡°That would have been a lot easier.¡±
¡°Not many ships sail during the winter,¡± Adion said, ¡°And the ones that do don¡¯t travel from Rethi to Cyalis. Even during summer, that is a trip done by land, according to Quahim.¡±
¡°It would have been nice,¡± Perk said, ¡°I have never been on a ship.¡±
¡°Me neither,¡± Adion said, ¡°Well, a small one, but that was more of a riverboat.¡±
¡°So what should we focus on during the journey?¡± Tib asked.
¡°Same as always,¡± Adion said, ¡°Just because we are traveling doesn¡¯t mean we can relax. Quite the opposite, there is nothing to do besides training, so might as well make the most of it.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°You got it, boss,¡± Perk said and closed his eyes to meditate.
Well, we could have talked some more. But this is fine, I suppose.
As the carriage left the city and got on the road leading north, Adion noticed just how uncomfortable a journey on compressed snow was. The carriage was rocking back and forth, and they weren¡¯t even moving at a fast pace.
I wonder how long it will take if we travel at this speed the whole way? Definitely more than a month. But it can¡¯t be as long as two. We should be fine.
However, as the day went on, the road was getting worse, as fewer carriages had traveled there before, clearing the way.
After hours of traveling a distance too short to Adion¡¯s liking, the carriage came to a halt as it had gotten too dark to see the road clearly. Adion stepped out of the carriage alongside his two subordinates.
¡°I¡¯ll start a fire for us,¡± Adion said, ¡°You two prepare dinner.¡±
¡°Yes, boss,¡± The brothers responded and got to work. Adion noticed the driver chewing on some dried jerky while feeding the two Silver beasts pulling the carriage.
I can feel that he is a Silver mage, and he has a water core. How will he keep himself warm?
Adion grabbed some wood that the brothers had brought him and started a fire where they could warm themselves and cook some food.
¡°Holen, right?¡± Adion turned to the driver, ¡°You¡¯re free to warm yourself by the fire. We have plenty of food too, so get yourself something more substantial.¡±
¡°Oh? That is very kind of you, young master,¡± The old elven man thanked Adion and stepped up to the fire.
It¡¯s a good thing I thought about food. Benji was always the one doing that before. It¡¯s a pain having to think about logistics like this.
Adion turned to look at Perk and Tib. They were both grilling some meat for everyone to eat.
I¡¯ll have Tib take care of things like this when he gets more experience.
After eating, Adion entered a tent that Tib and Perk had set up. He let the brothers stay in the carriage. Adion could keep control of fire indefinitely, so he didn¡¯t fear growing cold. He did fear setting the carriage on fire, though. So he opted to stay in a tent despite the cold.
It¡¯s far from the best trip I¡¯ve had. But if it stays like this, we¡¯ll be fine.
The days went by as Adion continued his journey. The carriage was moving slower and slower each day as the road had yet to be cleared by any carriages. And things turned from bad to worse as the snow started coming down again on the fifth day.
¡°It¡¯s a damn blizzard out there,¡± Adion said, looking at the snow blowing past the carriage window.
¡°Is Holen alright out there?¡± Perk asked.
¡°He will stop if it gets to be too much,¡± Adion said, ¡°He has accepted a job driving a carriage through one of the harshest winters in decades, so I don¡¯t think he fears cold too much.¡±
¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± Perk nodded thoughtfully.
¡°But if this continues¡will we even be able to move at all?¡± Tib asked.
¡°I hope so,¡± Adion said, ¡°We have Silver beasts pulling the carriage. They should be strong enough to get through snow, no matter how much. It just might take a while.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Tib said.
Adion closed his eyes to do some aura training, but he had a hard time focusing, the snow worrying him greatly.
I wonder if Sell would be able to just melt the snow in front of us with her fire if she was here. She would probably grow exhausted pretty quickly, but it might have made some difference.
The snow didn¡¯t let up for the entire day, and when it turned dark, and the carriage came to a halt, Adion feared even getting out of the carriage.
¡°Should we maybe¡just not eat tonight?¡± Perk asked.
¡°It can¡¯t be that bad,¡± Adion said, opening the carriage door.
As he stopped outside, the wind almost knocked him over.
I wasn¡¯t ready for the wind to be that strong!
¡°Can we even keep a fire going in this!?¡± Tib asked, yelling to get his voice heard through the howling wind.
¡°Let¡¯s get back inside!¡± Adion said, and they all hurried inside the carriage again.
¡°Room for one more!?¡± Holen''s voice came through just as Adion was about to close the door.
¡°Get in here!¡± Adion yelled back.
¡°Thank you, young master Adion,¡± Holen said as he got inside.
¡°What do you think? Will we be able to move tomorrow if it continues like this?¡±
¡°It will take a while,¡± Holen said, ¡°But we¡¯ll get going in an hour, I reckon. But we¡¯ll be moving at a crawl from now on.¡±
¡°Is it really that bad?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It is,¡± Holen said, ¡°And we have to find a way to get to a town or village. My beasts have been working a lot harder than usual. This journey in summer and the food I brought would last until Dormia. But we are moving at a snail¡¯s pace, and they have to put in a lot more effort for every mile we travel.¡±
¡°That¡do you know where the closest village is?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I don¡¯t even know where we are,¡± Holen responded.
¡°Haaah,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°Would it be better to wait until this blizzard settles? Let the beast regain some energy?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Holen said, ¡°The snow will always be a struggle to get through. Might as well be moving.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°We still have almost two months to get to Cyalis. There should be enough time, right?¡±
Holen hesitated for a moment before nodding, ¡°Yes. Less than a month, and I wouldn¡¯t have hope, but two months is doable. Definitely.¡±
Adion was not very comforted by those words.
Chapter 97 - Final stretch
¡°What¡¯s the hold-up!?¡± Adion yelled for Holen to hear.
¡°There seems to be a problem up ahead!¡± Holen responded.
What is it this time? We don¡¯t have time for any more delays.
Adion stepped out of the carriage to get a look at the situation.
It was a complete stop on the road. Carriages blocked the road as far as Adion could see.
¡°I¡¯ll go take a look. Wait here,¡± Adion said and started running up the road to see what the problem was.
When things were finally looking up, something just had to slow us down again.
They were just about to reach Dormia, and even if they were low on time, Adion believed they could get to Cyalis without being late. If nothing else came in the way, that is.
It had taken Adion and his companions over a month to even get to the Rellen Kingdom. The blizzard that had started after just a few days into their journey had lasted for a week, and they barely managed to travel any distance at all during that time. What was worse, when the weather finally calmed down, Holen realized they had gotten lost. The road was nowhere to be seen, just snow in all directions, reaching higher than the carriage they were traveling in.
It had then taken ten days of slow travel before they finally stumbled upon a small village, where they managed to stock up on food and get directions. At that point, Adion was close to losing hope of ever making it in time. But as a blessing from the gods, after a few more days of slow travel, the temperature had started to rise. Soon enough, the snow was even beginning to melt, and more and more carriages could be seen on the road.
As the group was just about to reach Dormia, the snow was basically gone altogether, and spring had arrived with a vengeance. Even if they didn¡¯t have much time before they had to be in Cyalis, Adion was very optimistic.
That was until Adion saw what was causing the long line of carriages.
What? Where is the bridge?
Adion arrived to see the road abruptly come to a stop. The only thing that could be seen was water and, in the far distance, the outline of a city.
¡°What is going on here?¡± Adion asked a middle-aged man who was leaning against a carriage nearby.
¡°The most snow I¡¯ve seen in my life melted in just over a week. This is the result. The Vell has risen higher than the bridge leading to Dormia. Nothing to do but to wait for the water levels to settle again.¡±
¡°How long would that take?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± The man shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll get paid for however long it takes, so I don¡¯t mind waiting.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the situation further upstream? Do you know?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Can¡¯t imagine it¡¯s much different,¡± The man said, ¡°But it could be worth a shot.¡±
Damn. I don¡¯t have time for this.
Adion looked out over the flooded river, thinking about a solution.
Admission is in eight days. Just getting delayed for one day would be bad. But what can I do? Should I head upstream and look for a place to teleport? I could take the Perk and Tib with me and send Holen back. There should be a carriage for rent in Dormia.
Just as Adion was about to head back to the carriage to discuss it with his subordinates, he spotted something on the water.
¡°Is that a boat?¡± Adion said. The man looked out over the water to take a look.
¡°It seems like it,¡± The man said, ¡°Perhaps a ferry. I¡¯ve heard they are doing some construction work at the harbor in Dormia. They might have come to pick up one of their carriages.¡±
I¡¯ll need to get a spot on that ferry.
Adion ran back to his carriage as fast as he could.
¡°What¡¯s going on up there?¡± Holen asked as he spotted Adion.
¡°The Vell is flooded, the bridge is completely submerged under water,¡± Adion said.
¡°What? Then-¡± Holen was about to say something but was interrupted by Adion.
¡°A ferry is coming. We have to get a spot on it, so get going,¡± Adion said.
¡°But there¡¯s a line,¡± Holen said.
¡°I don¡¯t care, drive past them,¡± Adion said, getting into the carriage again.
¡°What¡¯s going on, boss?¡± Perk asked as Adion took a seat and the carriage started moving.
¡°You¡¯re in luck, Perk. It looks like we¡¯ll get to go on a boat after all,¡± Adion said.
¡°Really?¡± Perk asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Just wait. I¡¯ll explain later.¡±
Adion turned to look out through the carriage window. There were a few angry shouts as they drove past the others, but no one got too aggressive. There were a few carriages that decided to follow, though.
¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Holen yelled as the carriage came to a stop.
Adion got out of the carriage along with Perk and Tib.
¡°What has happened here?¡± Perk asked.
¡°Too much snow has melted too quickly,¡± Tib said, looking out over the flooded river.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Adion said, ¡°So our only hope is this ferry.¡±
Tib and Perk both looked up and spotted the approaching ferry.
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¡°Will we be able to take the carriage with us?¡± Tib asked.
¡°I hope so,¡± Adion said, ¡°But if we can¡¯t, we¡¯ll leave it and get a carriage once we¡¯re across.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Tib nodded.
After a few minutes, the ferry arrived a bit away from the lined-up carriages. A skinny middle-aged man stepped out to address the gathered crowd.
¡°Please, make some space,¡± The man said, ¡°We have carriages that need to disembark. We¡¯ll take some of you back to Dormia once they¡¯re all off. The price is 50 gold coins per carriage.¡±
¡°50 gold coins!?¡± An old man yelled, ¡°That¡¯s robbery!¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to accept. You are free to wait for the river to settle and continue your journey then. If you don¡¯t wish to wait, however, the price is 50 gold coins.¡± The man on the ferry said.
50 gold coins is a crazy price. But I¡¯d be willing to pay much more just to get going.
¡°I¡¯ll pay!¡± Adion yelled out, ¡°Our carriage is the one over there. Where should we go?¡±
¡°Good!¡± The man on the ferry smiled, ¡°Make your way over there,¡± The man pointed out a spot to the left of the ferry. ¡°Everyone else interested, and willing to pay the price, can line up behind their carriage!¡±
Adion breathed out in relief and made his way back to the carriage with his group.
¡°Isn¡¯t 50 gold coins too much?¡± Perk asked.
¡°It¡¯s far too much,¡± Adion said, ¡°But it is more than worth it for us. We can¡¯t afford to wait.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re rich, boss,¡± Perk said.
¡°Well, money is definitely useful,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m starting to run out of it. I¡¯ll need to find a way to earn some more.¡±
They arrived at their carriage, and Adion left the money for the ferry with Holen and got in the carriage with the brothers.
¡°Just let us know what to do, boss,¡± Perk said, ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be very useful in making money.¡±
¡°Mm, I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Adion said as he leaned back to relax. He felt the carriage starting to move.
¡°Maybe there is a way to earn some money in Dormia,¡± Tib said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s a very wealthy city.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s an emergency. I have plenty of money left,¡± Adion said, ¡°And we don¡¯t have time to stop in Dormia. We¡¯ll have to get going immediately.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Tib nodded.
To think I¡¯d be cutting it this close despite leaving Rethi so early.
Adion felt how the carriage boarded the ferry. When it came to a halt, Adion opened the carriage door to take a look outside.
At least we managed to solve the situation pretty quickly. If there wasn¡¯t a boat that could take us across, I don¡¯t know what we would have done.
¡°Come on out,¡± Adion told Tib and Perk, ¡°You should enjoy the trip.¡±
The brothers stepped outside, and Adion walked up to Holen at the front of the carriage.
¡°Any problems?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Nothing besides you being 50 gold coins poorer,¡± Holen said.
¡°Good,¡± Adion said. He saw that a few more carriages had decided to take the offer of a ride across the river.
As the ferry started moving, Adion and Holen walked to join Perk and Tib by the railing.
¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen a winter like this one,¡± Holen said, ¡°You are quite unlucky, Adion.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°But we¡¯ll need to hurry. Admission is in eight days.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you think they¡¯ll postpone?¡± Holen asked, ¡°I¡¯m not sure there will be many students making it in time. At least not from Iitha and the Delovan Empire.¡±
¡°From what I know, most people travel to Cyalis in the summer leading up to admission. No one wants to be late, and traveling in winter is not a pleasant experience, as we have just discovered. It also gives you time to get familiar with the city.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Holen nodded, ¡°That makes sense. So why didn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°I was painting,¡± Adion said.
Holen looked at Adion questioningly, but he didn¡¯t explain further.
¡°They might be willing to accept latecomers this year due to the weather, but I¡¯m not planning on being one of them,¡± Adion said.
¡°I¡¯ll make sure we get there in time,¡± Holen said, ¡°Even if I have to drive through the night.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°It¡¯s the least I can do,¡± Holen said, ¡°This journey has become quite expensive for you, and who knows what they¡¯ll charge for latecomers in order to accept their admissions? I¡¯ve heard the prices are ridiculously high as it is. You still have enough for that, right?¡±
¡°It costs money to go to the Academy?¡± Perk asked.
¡°Of course, it does,¡± Adion said, ¡°How would they be able to keep the Academy running otherwise?¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t the Academy own the city?¡± Tib asked, ¡°That should be more than enough.¡±
¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But they can¡¯t just give away the best education on the continent for free either.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that what the Age of Discovery is all about? I thought the Headmaster was a Sage? Shouldn¡¯t he want as many people as possible to grow strong and knowledgeable?¡± Tib questioned.
¡°The world is far from that idealistic,¡± Holen said, ¡°No one does anything without gain.¡±
Tib turned quiet and stared at the water in thought.
¡°I¡¯m sure they can make exceptions if someone can¡¯t afford to pay,¡± Adion added, ¡°And the most talented people that go there are accepted for free.¡±
¡°They are?¡± Tib asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°If you are put in the diamond class, there is no charge. That¡¯s why I won¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll get into the diamond class, boss?¡± Perk asked.
¡°Of course, I will,¡± Adion said.
¡°Amazing,¡± Perk said.
How common do you think someone like me is? Perk needs to get more experience.
¡°I know it is very rare to be a middle Bronze mage at your age, Adion,¡± Holen said, ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a guarantee to enter the diamond class. There are many talented people in this world, and the most talented all head to Cyalis. You should make sure to have enough money just in case.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m not only relying on my strength.¡±
With a ¡®Gift¡¯ like mine, I might even be able to convince them to pay me to join the Academy.
The ferry finally reached Dormia¡¯s harbor, and Adion entered the carriage along with his subordinates. Holen started driving the carriage off the ferry as soon as he was given permission, and Adion breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, there is nothing in the way for us to reach Cyalis.
¡°Ganta,¡± Perk said, looking out the carriage window as Dormia came into view. ¡°It¡¯s the most beautiful city I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±
¡°It¡¯s like the whole city has been carved out of some precious marble,¡± Tib agreed.
¡°Can¡¯t we just stop to take a look around, boss?¡± Perk asked.
¡°No way,¡± Adion said, ¡°We have no time to waste. We¡¯ll have to travel at full speed to make it to Cyalis in time.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Perk nodded with a gloomy expression.
Holen didn¡¯t drive in through the city gates but made his way straight to the road leading to Cyalis. Adion smiled as he felt the carriage carrying them at a faster pace than ever before.
It¡¯s been a rough journey, but it will all be worth it. Just the final stretch left.
Chapter 98 - Cyalis [End of Book 1]
I hope there are some interesting people joining this year. Rellitha thought to herself as she stood staring out the window. She had a full view of the thousands of youngsters who had already begun lining up for admission.
I heard there is some Noble guy from Delovan that has reached high Bronze. I wonder if that¡¯s true.
It was still quite early in the morning, and the admission wouldn¡¯t begin for a few hours. But there were still well over a thousand men and women gathered outside on the plaza. Rellitha noticed how some people were approached by elders from the Academy and asked to leave. Probably because they hadn¡¯t reached Bronze yet, or were too old or too young. There were always a few people who wanted to try their luck.
I¡¯ll have to keep an eye out. If I can make Soaring Souls take the top rank from the Shields during my last year, I¡¯m sure it will do wonders for my reputation. I didn¡¯t gather all those credits and take on the position of Head of the House just so we could remain second.
¡°How long until they close admissions?¡±
Rellitha turned to see that her younger sister had joined her in looking out at the gathering crowd.
¡°Before midnight,¡± Rellitha said, ¡°Some special cases can arrive before noon tomorrow. You have plenty of time.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Sell muttered with a worried look on her face.
¡°What are you so worried about? Your test? You¡¯re a high Bronze mage. You¡¯re more than guaranteed to enter the diamond class, probably at rank 1 after the tournament,¡± Rellitha said.
¡°I¡¯m not worried,¡± Sell said, turning away from the window and going back to lie down on the couch again.
You¡¯re obviously worried about something.
¡°Is it that Graton boy? You also heard he has reached high Bronze?¡± Rellitha asked.
¡°How could I be worried about someone so weak?¡± Sell looked at Rellitha like she was stupid.
He is as strong as you¡
¡°What are you so worried about then?¡± Rellitha asked.
¡°I already told you I¡¯m not worried,¡± Sell said.
Rellitha didn¡¯t believe it, of course. Her younger sister had arrived at Cyalis two months ago. At first, Sell had been in a very bright mood, which wasn¡¯t so strange as she had always looked forward to going to the Academy, but she had been acting very strange in other ways.
Rellitha had heard that her younger sister would go out at a specific time every day, always heading for the plaza and waiting there for an hour before leaving again. Rellitha had tried asking her why, but she would never answer.
She doesn¡¯t trust me. Not that I can blame her. I wouldn¡¯t trust me either.
Eventually, Sell had changed from being in a bright mood to getting angrier and angrier with each passing day, until the past week when she had stopped being angry and instead begun having this worrying look on her face all the time.
I heard she has been standing at the plaza for almost all hours of the day this past week. What is going on with her?
¡°Are you expecting someone?¡± Rellitha couldn¡¯t help but ask.
¡°What?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I hear you¡¯ve been visiting the plaza every day since coming here. It seems like you¡¯re waiting for someone,¡± Rellitha said.
¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d been keeping tabs on me,¡± Sell said, looking over at her with an accusatory expression.
¡°Sorry,¡± Rellitha said, feeling a little angry at herself for saying something like that in front of her sister, ¡°I¡¯m the head of the family here in Cyalis at the moment, so people tell me things. I wasn¡¯t trying to put my nose into your business.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Sell muttered.
¡°Will you tell me? I¡¯ve been a little worried,¡± Rellitha said.
¡°I can imagine,¡± Sell said without much conviction, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s nothing going on.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t¡¡± Rellitha didn¡¯t know what to say. She only had herself to blame in the end.
I¡¯ll make it all up to you, Sell. I¡¯ll show you what your big sister can do.
A knock on the door brought Rellitha out of her thoughts. The room they were in wasn¡¯t their family¡¯s; it belonged to the Academy. But it was allocated to the student council, and as the student council president, she could use rooms like these at her leisure.
¡°Come in,¡± Rellitha said.
The door opened, and Aiden stepped in. He pushed some of his blonde hair from his face, revealing his green eyes. Rellitha tried to calm down her heart as it started to beat faster just from looking at him.
¡°Aiden,¡± Rellitha greeted with a small smile, ¡°You want to grab some talents for your House before the tournament as well?¡±
¡°Temev wanted me to take a look to see if I could spot someone interesting,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve heard about the Graton one, I assume?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Rellitha nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll have to have someone test his character though.¡±
¡°He¡¯ll probably join you or the Shields,¡± Aiden said, ¡°But I will give it a try.¡±
Aiden turned to look at Sell. She was still sitting on the couch, looking at Aiden with a weird expression.
¡°Right,¡± Rellitha said, ¡°This is my little sister, Sellitha. She has just turned 17 and will enter the Academy.¡±
¡°A pleasure,¡± Aiden said and gave a slight bow.
¡°No, no. Don¡¯t bow or anything,¡± Sell said and got up from her seat in a hurry.
¡°Oh,¡± Aiden looked at her with a confused look.
¡°Sell?¡± Rellitha asked.
¡°Just¡Nice to meet you,¡± Sell said.
¡°Mm,¡± Aiden nodded with a polite smile, ¡°A high Bronze mage already. That¡¯s very impressive.¡±
¡°Right¡¡± Sell said, staring at Aiden¡¯s face.
¡°Sell, what¡¯s going on? Why are you acting so strange?¡± Rellitha asked.
¡°I¡¯m not strange,¡± Sell said, looking back to Rellitha.
¡°Okay¡Anyway, this is Aiden Remori, vice president of the student council,¡± Rellitha introduced.
¡°Remori family, you say? I haven¡¯t heard of it,¡± Sell said, turning to Aiden again.
Why is she so curious about Aiden? She hasn¡¯t taken a liking to him, has she? No. Sell would never give that sort of stuff any thought. So why the sudden interest?
¡°It¡¯s just a small family clan based in Valis, so it¡¯s not strange you haven¡¯t heard about it,¡± Aiden explained.
Please don¡¯t ask more about his family.
¡°I see,¡± Sell nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Anything special happen lately? Any happy news?¡±
¡°Er, what?¡± Aiden asked, confusion written all over his face.
¡°Never mind,¡± Sell sighed. She then walked over to the window again, scrutinizing the people gathering there.
¡°What¡¯s going on, Sell?¡± Rellitha asked.
¡°Nothing,¡± Sell murmured.
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I¡¯ve never seen her act like this before. What¡¯s happening?
¡°Sorry,¡± Rellitha said to Aiden with an awkward smile.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Aiden said, shaking his head, ¡°I have a weird younger sister too.¡±
¡°I thought I said I wasn¡¯t weird,¡± Sell said.
¡°Right, sorry,¡± Aiden said with a smile.
Rellitha caught Sell staring at Aiden¡¯s face a little too long again.
I know he¡¯s handsome, but this is ridiculous.
Sell finally turned away from Aiden and looked through the crowd below again.
But I can¡¯t imagine Sell ever having an interest in a boy.
¡°I can just show my high Bronze strength and then win at the tournament to gain my rank, right?¡± Sell asked, ¡°No need to show off more than that?¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Rellitha said, ¡°But it would do you well to impress the elders as much as you can.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sellitha nodded absent-mindedly.
¡°Will you join your sister¡¯s House, Sellitha?¡± Aiden asked, stepping up to join the two by the window.
¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet,¡± Sell answered.
¡°You should join us,¡± Rellitha said, ¡°I can help you out a lot.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Sell answered.
¡°Or you could join Eternal Fire,¡± Aiden said, ¡°I heard you have a fire core.¡±
¡°How did you hear I have a fire core?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Your sister told me,¡± Aiden answered.
Sell turned to look at Rellitha.
¡°Was it a secret?¡± Rellitha asked, a little nervous.
¡°No,¡± Sell said, ¡°So you have a little boyfriend now and everything. Good for you,¡±
The room turned quiet. Rellitha''s brain felt frozen.
¡what?
Realizing what her sister had said, Rellitha could feel how her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She looked away from Aiden, making sure he couldn¡¯t see anything.
¡°Wha-What are you saying? Stop being ridiculous. What¡¯s going on with you today?¡± Rellitha asked.
¡°I can see what Sahra meant,¡± Sell said with a small smile.
¡°Who is Sahra?¡± Rellitha asked, completely stumped at her sister¡¯s sudden shift in personality.
¡°Never mind,¡± Sell said, shaking her, ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare.¡±
Sell left the room, and Rellitha scrambled for any ideas to get rid of the awkward atmosphere she had left behind.
¡°Sorry about that. Sell is usually very polite, but she has been acting strange lately,¡± Rellitha lied. Sell had never been the least bit polite, but she had never been acting like this, either.
¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Aiden said.
They stood side by side in silence for a while, staring out over the ever-growing crowd below.
¡°Do you know what you will do after graduation, Aiden?¡± Rellitha asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Aiden said with an awkward smile, ¡°But I will stay in Cyalis until Ailera has graduated, at least.¡±
¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Rellitha said.
¡°How about you?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°You might not know it, but you have made me realize a lot of things for the past four years, Aiden,¡± Rellitha said with a small smile.
¡°I have?¡± Aiden asked, confused.
¡°Mm,¡± Rellitha nodded, ¡°So, I¡¯ll go back to Amyss after we graduate.¡±
I have some changes to make.
¡°Ganta, I can see the walls from here! They go on forever!¡± Perk yelled as he leaned out the window of the moving carriage.
¡°It¡¯s the biggest city on Shiora,¡± Adion said, ¡°It will probably take years to see all of it. You have a lot of work ahead of you.¡±
Even if the city walls of Cyalis were still distant, it felt very much like they had already arrived. The busy street and the buildings facing the road gave Adion the impression that they were very close to the city center, but it was still a long way there.
¡°Work?¡± Perk asked as he took a seat again.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°While you will mainly focus on getting stronger, I will count on you two to get to know the city for me. I don¡¯t want to go around asking for information when I have two capable subordinates.¡±
¡°We will get it done,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°Just don¡¯t forget to practice,¡± Adion reminded, ¡°You should make the most out of every day.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°How will we know what to do when you¡¯re at the Academy?¡± Perk asked, ¡°We won¡¯t be allowed to visit there, will we?¡±
¡°Not the Academy proper,¡± Adion said, ¡°But there is a public part of the Academy where we can meet from time to time. You can send a letter whenever you need help or to inform me of something.¡±
¡°How do I send a letter?¡± Perk asked.
¡°...I¡¯m not sure,¡± Adion said.
¡°I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Tib said.
Thank Ganta for Tib.
¡°Good,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll get you a place to stay when we get into the city. I¡¯ll visit there and bring you up to date once I¡¯ve settled within the Academy.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you in a hurry?¡± Perk asked.
Adion looked out the window to see the sun¡¯s position in the sky.
¡°I¡¯ll have time to book an inn on the way. But I¡¯m really cutting it close. I¡¯ll have to head straight for admissions. But at least the people there might know where my family is.¡± Adion said.
¡°Are you looking forward to seeing them, boss?¡± Perk asked.
¡°I am,¡± Adion nodded with a smile.
¡°And your girlfriend, too, right?¡± Perk asked.
¡°Her too,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°You won¡¯t forget about us, right?¡± Perk asked.
¡°Of course not,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll try to find a way of getting money. That way, I can buy a place for you to stay. It would be nice to have a place for ourselves to work, like sort of a headquarter. I could go there whenever I need to hide something from the Academy, too.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Perk asked, ¡°How will you get money for that?¡±
¡°I¡¯m thinking of selling an Elixir of Life,¡± Adion said, ¡°It¡¯s not much use for me. I could use the absurd amount of money it would sell for a lot more. But it would be risky to reveal that it comes from me, so I need a way to sell it anonymously while still getting my money.¡±
¡°Should we look for a trusted auction house?¡± Tib asked.
¡°That could be useful,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But these are things that are incredibly valuable. Even if an auction house has a good reputation, a look at the Elixir of Life could mean that all bets are off. So make sure never to mention it. But look into if something of equal value has ever been sold around here. It might work.¡±
¡°Leave it to me, boss,¡± Tib said.
¡°Good,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But remember that you aren¡¯t even a mage yet, so be careful.¡±
¡°I will,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ll have our own headquarters,¡± Perk said.
¡°Should we look for more people to recruit?¡± Tib asked.
¡°Recruit?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s a big city, and an even bigger world. We will need more people eventually, no? Or were you thinking of just having me and Perk in the organization?¡± Tib asked.
You¡¯ve thought so far ahead, Tib? An organization, huh?
¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Adion mused, ¡°But it will have to wait. You would have to become stronger first. I don¡¯t want someone stronger than you joining for a good while.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°What is our organization called, boss?¡± Perk asked.
¡°I don¡¯t think we have a name. Do we need one? It¡¯s just us three so far,¡± Adion said.
¡°A name would be good,¡± Tib said.
I¡¯m not very good at naming things.
¡°Well¡¡± Adion thought about it. ¡°At our core, we would be an organization that works for the destruction of Heavenly Light, right? So if they are ¡®heavenly,¡¯ we will be something even higher than heaven. We¡¯ll be celestial. And if they are the light, wouldn¡¯t we be the shadow?¡±
Adion looked at the two brothers with a small smile, ¡°How does Celestial Shadow sound?¡±
¡°I just got chills, boss!¡± Perk said.
¡°I like it,¡± Tib said with a smile.
¡°Then it¡¯s decided,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°This is so exciting!¡± Perk got up from his seat and clenched his fists, ¡°Our name will be known by everyone soon enough. And your name will resound all over Shiora, boss!¡±
¡°Hold on, hold on,¡± Adion tried calming Perk down, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a while before revealing ourselves. We are Celestial Shadow, after all. And don¡¯t ever mention my name in association with it. I don¡¯t want to bring trouble to my loved ones, so I will remain anonymous.¡±
¡°Oh, that makes sense,¡± Perk nodded, taking his seat again.
¡°So, who should we say our leader is?¡± Tib asked.
Adion almost instantly had a name appear in his mind. He reached for his backpack and pulled out his Ash Willowin mask for the first time in a long while.
¡°What¡¯s that, boss?¡± Perk asked.
¡°It¡¯s a mask,¡± Adion said, ¡°A masked leader that no one knows who it is sounds cool, right?¡±
¡°Very cool,¡± Perk nodded vigorously.
¡°Mm,¡± Tib agreed.
Adion smiled at his two subordinates, ¡°And the name of this leader will be ¡®Atao.¡¯¡±
End of Book 1
Chapter 99 - Admission I [Start of Book 2]
¡°When will you be back, boss?¡± Perk asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯ll get back and let you know the situation as soon as I can. You have money, so just stay here and train while you wait for me to come back.¡± Adion said, turning to leave. He had gotten the brothers a room at an inn fairly close to the Academy so that he could be at ease while he got everything sorted. But now he had to hurry for admissions.
¡°Okay, boss,¡± Perk nodded.
¡°We won¡¯t slack off,¡± Tib said.
¡°I know,¡± Adion said, ¡°Just don¡¯t forget to eat and get some exercise. Explore the city a little. It should be safe as long as you don¡¯t go out too late or do anything suspicious.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°But don¡¯t go out both at once,¡± Adion reminded, ¡°I never want my stuff to be left unattended. Even if it¡¯s hidden.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss,¡± Tib said, ¡°We¡¯ll make sure no one comes near it.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°See you soon.¡±
Adion headed out of the inn after saying goodbye to his subordinates and found himself in front of the carriage again.
¡°You know the way, Holen?¡± Adion asked the driver, who was leaning against the carriage waiting for him.
¡°It¡¯s a very well-planned city,¡± Holen said, looking up from a map that Adion had bought as they arrived in the city. ¡°And I¡¯ve been there before, so there is no problem. Do you want your map back?¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t need it, I guess it would be good to get an idea of the city,¡± Adion said, accepting the map.
¡°It should be about 30 minutes,¡± Holen said.
¡°Good,¡± Adion nodded and got into the carriage.
The sun is about to go down, but there are still about 6 hours until midnight, so I should arrive with more than enough time to spare. That man said midnight and not sundown, right? Yeah. Definitely midnight.
Adion looked out through the window as the carriage started moving, enjoying the view of the city. He hadn¡¯t seen anything spectacular so far. Except for the size, the city didn¡¯t differ much from others Adion had visited. But there was a certain atmosphere that was hard to describe; the city almost felt peaceful despite the crowded streets and people hurrying around.
Maybe it¡¯s just me that¡¯s peaceful. I¡¯m finally here.
Even though Adion had arrived later than he had planned, he was very happy. The last month and a half had been filled with dread almost every day of not making it in time.
It would have been nice to head straight for my family, but I don¡¯t really know where they are anyway. Even if I had arrived early, I might have had to wait for admission to ask the elders if they knew their whereabouts.
¡°This is as far as I¡¯m allowed to go with a carriage, Adion!¡± Holen¡¯s voice sounded.
Adion stepped out of the carriage and saw a great wall that cast a long shadow over the road he was standing on.
¡°Is that the Academy?¡± Adion went up to Holen and asked.
¡°The public part,¡± Holen nodded, ¡°Even so, it is well-guarded, and it would cost a pretty penny to take a carriage inside.¡±
¡°No problem,¡± Adion said, ¡°I can walk.¡±
¡°Good luck,¡± Holen said with a smile, ¡°Have fun during your time here.¡±
¡°I will,¡± Adion said, ¡°Thanks for the ride. Sorry for the poor conditions. If I ever hire you for a ride again, I promise to do so during summer.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Holen chuckled, ¡°I appreciate it. Now go, you don¡¯t want to be late.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded and started walking to the large gate leading into the public Academy. He had already paid for the ride, and all his luggage was with Perk and Tib. Even his backpack had been left behind, as Adion wasn¡¯t sure what kind of situation he would encounter during his admissions. He felt a lot more at ease without his pills on him.
As he approached the wall, he saw ten huge slabs above the entrance. Each slab had a number next to it. The slab with the name ¡®Shields¡¯ next to the 1 gave Adion a good idea of what the list was concerning.
That should be the top 10 Houses. The Shields are number 1, as expected.
Adion turned to look at the rest of the names.
#1 - Shields
#2 - Soaring Souls
#3 - Eternal Fire
#4 - Scrolls
#5 - Raindrops
#6 - Outskirters
#7 - Runesmiths
#8 - Senkan
#9 - Alchemists
#10 - Perillians
I should read up on the Houses. If I want to join any of them, I need all the information available. Maybe I¡¯ll ask Sell about it, she should know.
At the thought of Sell, Adion¡¯s heart started beating in anticipation. He hurried his steps a little more than before, making his way into the public Academy without being stopped.
That should be the place we decided.
Adion looked around the plaza in case he had gotten the location wrong, but after looking around for 10 minutes, he had to accept that she wasn¡¯t there.
It¡¯s not strange, I¡¯m arriving at the last minute. A lot later than we had said. I hope she won¡¯t be too mad.
Adion gave up and moved to the huge line that had taken shape outside one of the massive buildings facing the plaza he was currently on.
That¡¯s a lot of people. Thankfully, the line seems to be moving quite fast.
Adion took his place at the back of one of the lines and took time to look around. For some reason, he was looking for his family in the crowd of people, even if he knew that there was no chance of them being there.
I¡¯ll just have to wait a little longer.
Adion was far from the last to arrive. More people kept filling up the queue as Adion moved forward. He tried sensing the strength of the people around him and wasn¡¯t surprised at what he found.
Almost all of them are low Bronze. I wonder how common middle Bronze mages are? From what I can tell, there are around three here right now. Is middle Bronze not enough to be guaranteed a spot in the diamond class? I guess there are a lot of powerful families when you take the whole continent into account. At least my spot will be safe.
It took around 20 minutes before Adion was finally at the front of the line. A man with a scholarly look was sitting by an impromptu desk, waving Adion over.
¡°Name, strength, family clan?¡± The man asked.
¡°Er, Adion Remori. I¡¯m a middle Bronze mage from a 2nd tier family,¡± Adion responded.
¡°Good,¡± The man nodded, ¡°Any other relevant information?¡±
¡°Er,¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Is this the admission?¡±
¡°Of course not,¡± The man said, ¡°I just need to know what hall to send you to. It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re a middle Bronze mage, so you¡¯ll go to hall A. Head inside. There are clear directions there.¡±
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded and entered the building that was working as a test center for admissions at the moment.
Luckily, hall A was indeed not hard to find, taking Adion only a minute to locate it. There was a girl standing outside the doors leading into the hall. From her age, Adion guessed that she was a 3rd year student.
¡°You were assigned hall A?¡± The girl asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion said.
¡°There is no line at the moment, so you can head straight inside,¡± The girl said, opening the door for Adion.
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion nodded and entered.
The hall seemed to be some kind of auditorium, but right now, there was no one in the many seats that were probably occupied by students under normal circumstances. Only three people were in the hall. They each had a big wooden desk in front of them, stacked with papers.
They were all facing Adion as he entered, and he soon took his spot in front of them. He was slightly nervous despite his confidence in not revealing anything he shouldn¡¯t.
I know Sahra said so, but it¡¯s incredible that they actually have Diamond mages handling the admission.
As Adion took his place in the area where he assumed professors usually held their lectures, he quickly examined the three people, as they did him.
To the left was a skinny man who looked to be in his fifties. A stubble adorned his face, and he looked bored to be there.
In the middle sat a man who only looked to be in his late twenties, something very unusual for a Diamond mage. He had a kind smile on his face as he looked at Adion.
The one to the right was a beautiful woman who looked to be in her late thirties. She didn¡¯t even look up at Adion as he entered but was focused on something written on the papers in front of her.
¡°Hello there,¡± The man in the middle said, ¡°My name is Lukas Horrof, welcome to Cyalis Academy.¡±
Lukas Horrof? I¡¯ve heard that name. Isn¡¯t he the dean?
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion said and gave a slight bow.
¡°What is your name, young man?¡± Lukas asked.
¡°I¡¯m Adion Remori, sir,¡± Adion rescinded respectfully.
¡°Remori?¡± Lukas asked.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I actually have a brother and sister here in the Academy. Aiden and Ailera Remori, do you know of them?¡±
¡°What a fool,¡± The man on the left muttered, ¡°You think we will rank you higher just because you have a brother and sister here? I¡¯ll take 10 credits just because you annoy me.¡±
Adion looked at the man, stumped.
When did I say that?
¡°Er, it¡¯s not like that,¡± Adion said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them in 5 years and simply wanted to know where they are.¡±
The man looked at Adion for a few seconds before responding, ¡°It still annoyed me, so I¡¯m keeping the credits.¡±
¡°Professor Haul,¡± Lukas said, turning to look at the man, ¡°Please be reasonable. You were the one who asked to be here.¡±
¡°I had to be somewhere around here. I just asked to be with you. At least there is a chance of someone interesting showing up.¡± The man surnamed Haul said.
¡°Still,¡± Lukas said patiently, ¡°You¡¯ll have to uphold some sort of decorum if you want to stay.¡±
¡°Have your credits then,¡± Haul muttered. He then pulled a bottle from his coat pocket. Taking out a small pill from the bottle, Haul popped it in his mouth and put the bottle back in his coat.
What kind of pill was that?
Lukas nodded, satisfied, and turned back to Adion. ¡°So a missing Remori child¡very interesting.¡±
¡°Why is that interesting?¡± The woman asked, butting into the conversation for the first time.
¡°We can talk about it later,¡± Lukas said to the woman before turning to Adion again, ¡°Your brother and sister are both here. I¡¯ll have someone show you to them later.¡±
¡°Thank you very much, sir,¡± Adion said, relieved.
¡°As for this ¡®sir,¡¯ you can throw it away,¡± Lukas said, ¡°Professor, elder, scholar, and teacher are the titles used here at the Academy. With a few exceptions, such as myself. You can call me Dean Lukas.¡±
Lukas? Whatever.
¡°Thank you for the lesson, Dean Lukas,¡± Adion said.
¡°You will learn more about all this once classes start,¡± Lukas said, ¡°Let¡¯s get on with the test.¡±
¡°Ah! Ailera Remori is in several of my classes,¡± The woman exclaimed suddenly, ¡°I always call her ¡®Limia,¡¯ so I didn¡¯t realize.¡±
Why?
¡°What¡¯s so special about her?¡± The woman asked Lukas.
¡°There is nothing special about her. We will talk about it later, professor Alamani,¡± Lukas said.
Is he talking about the situation at the Remori manor? If he is the dean, he should be pretty well-informed.
¡°Now,¡± Lukas said, ¡°Let¡¯s see what you can do. What type of mage are you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m a fire mage, Dean Lukas,¡± Adion responded.
¡°Alright. See that training dummy?¡± Lukas asked and pointed toward a dummy that seemed to be made out of some metal, as far as Adion could tell. Adion hadn¡¯t even noticed it when he entered the room.
¡°Attack it with your fire until we tell you to stop,¡± Lukas said. He then turned to Haul, ¡°Haul, pay attention.¡±
¡°I am,¡± Haul responded non-committedly.
I¡¯ll need to make sure I don¡¯t hold on to the fire more than I should be able to.
Adion conjured a fire, much bigger than he had Authority over in order to both impress the professors and get a good feeling of how much he could control fire without Authority.
He shot it toward the dummy and Willed it to burn. Unfortunately, fire wasn¡¯t that easy to control, so it didn¡¯t have any effect on the dummy.
If I could use my Authority, I would be able to melt that thing. But my concepts aren¡¯t developed enough to have any effect that quickly, not on metal.
Adion continued his barrage of attacks for a full minute before he was asked to stop.
¡°What do you think, Haul?¡± Lukas asked.
¡°Average concepts, below-average control,¡± Haul responded.
What?
¡°I think that the dummy being made of metal didn¡¯t really allow my concepts to-,¡± Adion began but was cut off by Haul.
¡°And a deduction of 20 credits for thinking that he knows more about concepts than a professor at the Academy he is seeking admission to,¡± Haul added lazily.
Adion was stumped once again. He didn¡¯t know exactly what credits were used for, but he knew he wanted to have as many as possible. He turned to Lukas in hopes that he would reverse the situation again.
¡°He¡¯s got a point,¡± Lukas shrugged, ¡°Any other elements or battle prowess you want to showcase?¡±
¡°Hold on,¡± Haul said, leaning forward in his chair to look at Adion, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use the fire mana from your core?¡±
¡°He didn¡¯t?¡± Alamani asked.
¡°No, he conjured it from the pure mana around him,¡± Haul said.
¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t even notice,¡± Alamani said, surprised.
¡°I wanted to have a full core for meditation later,¡± Adion lied, controlling his aura not to reveal anything. He wasn¡¯t panicking as he had been prepared for someone to notice. ¡°I have practiced conjuring fire from pure mana for that reason. It has become a habit at this point.¡±
Haul stared at him quietly for a while. ¡°Smart,¡± He finally said. ¡°Finally, someone who thinks ahead a little. 10 credits. And 10 more credits for not annoying me by bringing it up yourself.¡±
Is this common? Do professors just throw credits around left and right? At least he doesn¡¯t only take them away.
¡°Very impressive, Adion,¡± Lukas said with a smile, ¡°Any other abilities you want to showcase? Only abilities that are useful when you¡¯re fighting, I should add. Your knowledge of other things will come into play later in the year.¡±
Adion had considered showcasing his shadow abilities now that he had spent a year practicing it, but he realized it would be hard without risking revealing his Authority. And it wouldn¡¯t be bad to keep that ability a secret.
¡°I don¡¯t have any control of any other element,¡± Adion said, preparing to bring up his ¡®Gift.¡¯
¡°Since you seem to have been away from your family clan, I should remind you that it is strictly forbidden to hide your strength. So think hard about if there is anything you haven¡¯t shown that can be used in a fight,¡± Lukas said.
¡°Er, I do have one other thing that I was about to bring up,¡± Adion said, ¡°But why is it forbidden to hide something?¡±
¡°Everyone has secrets, and that is fine,¡± Lukas explained, ¡°But you¡¯re not allowed to hide strength during the admission due to the risks that would pose on students in the upcoming ranking tournament. Say you hide your strength, and we place you in stone class, as that is the strength you have shown us. When other stone class students go up against you in the tournament, they would be far too weak to handle you and could possibly end up dead.
¡°Injuries are expected, and accidents happen, but should we discover that someone has feigned weakness and used an official fight to kill a student¡well, let¡¯s just say that whole family clans have been known to disappear after such incidents.¡±
That makes sense. But I can¡¯t show off my strength, can I? What would happen if they found out I¡¯m a Silver mage? It might be fine¡But I shouldn¡¯t change my plans on the spot. I need to think it through.
Even if the Academy is the strongest force on Shiora and is known for protecting its students, I¡¯m quite the special case. And who knows who could be on the side of Heavenly Light in secret? It¡¯s good to keep your cards close to your chest.
I¡¯ll just make sure I get the top spot. That way, it doesn¡¯t really matter how much extra strength I¡¯ve hidden.
¡°Well,¡± Adion said, ¡°You should probably place me at rank 1 in the diamond class if that¡¯s the case. I¡¯m afraid any student that goes up against me will end up dead.¡±
Chapter 100 - Admission II
Are they going to say anything?
The professors all stared at Adion, trying to see if he was serious. He had just boldly claimed to be the strongest student by far, after all.
¡°A bold statement,¡± Lukas said calmly, ¡°Why would you say that?¡±
¡°I am Gifted,¡± Adion said, ¡°And my Gift is very powerful in a one-on-one fight.¡±
¡°You¡¯re Gifted?¡± Lukas asked, surprised.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
Lukas smiled widely at the news. Haul and Alamani were both leaning forward in interest.
¡°What a pleasant surprise,¡± Lukas said, ¡°We haven¡¯t had a Gifted join the Academy from this batch yet. And there was no one last year. What is your Gift?¡±
¡°I can stop things, basically,¡± Adion said, trying to avoid using the word ¡®space¡¯ in his explanation.
¡°Stop things?¡± Haul questioned.
¡°I can show you,¡± Adion said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you throw something at me?¡±
Haul immediately picked up a thick book and threw it toward Adion. The book didn¡¯t make it far though, as Adion froze it in space in the middle of the air.
¡°Very interesting,¡± Haul said with a smile.
¡°I haven¡¯t seen a Gift like this before,¡± Alamani muttered.
¡°Gifts are basically all unique and differ greatly from what we think magic can do,¡± Lukas said, staring at the book still in mid-air.
¡°How long can you keep it like that?¡± Haul asked.
¡°Since this is a non-living entity, I can basically hold it still forever,¡± Adion said.
¡°You¡¡± Lukas took his eyes from the book to look at Adion, ¡°You can stop people from moving too?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But the stronger the Will, the harder it is. I couldn¡¯t hold you still for even a second.¡±
¡°Try to stop me,¡± Haul said excitedly. He grabbed a cane and started limping toward Adion.
He¡¯s injured? Shouldn¡¯t he take a healing pill and rest?
Adion didn¡¯t think too long about it and grabbed hold of the space surrounding Haul and froze it. Haul came to a halt, but only for a split second before he broke free and started moving again.
¡°Interesting,¡± Haul said, a smile on his lips.
¡°How was it?¡± Lukas asked.
¡°I was stopped,¡± Haul said, ¡°I could easily break free. But still, you managed to stop me.¡±
¡°That¡¡± Lukas looked down at his desk in deep thought.
¡°How are you against Bronze mages?¡± Haul asked.
¡°It differs depending on the Will of the mage,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I would bet all my belongings on there not being a Bronze mage alive that I couldn¡¯t stop long enough for me to pierce with a sword.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Haul chuckled. He then turned to the doors of the auditorium and started limping away. ¡°Sora! Get in here!¡± Haul yelled.
The doors opened, and the girl who had let Adion in looked inside. She looked at Haul with confusion.
¡°What¡¯s the matter, professor Haul?¡± The girl named Sora asked. Adion spotted another boy out in the hallway, probably waiting for his turn to enter. He was looking at the situation curiously.
¡°We need your help with something,¡± Haul said, ¡°Get in. And close the door behind you.¡±
Sora did as asked and hesitantly walked toward the area where Adion was standing.
Haul limped to his desk again and began instructing. ¡°Attack that boy,¡± Haul said.
¡°What?¡± Sora asked, looking at Adion hesitantly.
¡°Haul, you have to explain the situation properly,¡± Lukas sighed. He then turned to Sora, ¡°This is Adion. He has a Gift that we need to test, so please fight him for us. We will make sure to put a stop to it before any injuries.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll get 10 credits for the effort,¡± Haul said, ¡°100 credits if you win.¡±
That got Sora¡¯s attention.
¡°I understand,¡± Sora nodded seriously. She unsheathed her sword and turned to face Adion.
She¡¯s a peak Bronze mage. But it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.
¡°Start!¡± Haul announced.
Sora immediately conjured a fire, but Adion knew he wouldn¡¯t be short on time against a Bronze mage, so he froze Sora stiff before she could do anything with the fire.
I can hold her still without a problem. Probably ten seconds if I really push myself.
Adion unsheathed his sword and walked up leisurely to Sora. Her eyes were darting around frantically as Adion placed the sword against her neck.
¡°Is it my win?¡± Adion asked, turning to look at the professors.
Lukas and Alamani had their mouths open, not a word coming out.
Haul was the only one grinning, ¡°You win.¡±
Adion put away his sword and let go of Sora. The girl slowly started moving her body again, looking at Adion curiously.
I thought she¡¯d be more scared.
¡°Well,¡± Haul said, ¡°Thank you, Sora, you can leave.¡±
¡°What was that?¡± Sora asked Adion.
¡°I¡¯ll take 10 credits for that,¡± Haul said, ¡°And 10 more for every time you annoy me.¡±
Sora immediately turned and ran out of the hall.
Credits seem pretty important.
¡°Will we even be able to put him in the tournament?¡± Alamani asked Lukas.
¡°That¡¡± Lukas hesitated. He looked up at Adion, ¡°How can your Gift be so powerful?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think it is more powerful than other Gifts,¡± Adion said, ¡°As far as I know, Gifts are all incredibly useful in a specific area. My Gift is just really good against people my own strength. But should I meet a Diamond mage, wouldn¡¯t the Gift of flight be a lot more powerful than mine?¡±
¡°I suppose you have a point,¡± Lukas said and slowly nodded, ¡°It does complicate the tournament somewhat, though.¡±
¡°How boring can you be?¡± Haul muttered, ¡°We have the most interesting Gift in at least a decade, and you worry about how the tournament will function.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Lukas sighed, ¡°This is a great thing. Don¡¯t get me wrong, Adion. But I am the dean, and I have a lot of things to consider.¡±
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°Why don¡¯t you just give him rank 1 and have the others compete for rank 2?¡± Alamani asked. ¡°If anyone complains, they can just casually defeat a peak Bronze mage without breaking a sweat.¡±
¡°It would set a precedent that I¡¯m not so sure about,¡± Lukas said, ¡°And there would be no end to the complaints.¡±
¡°Excuse me, Dean Lukas,¡± Adion said, ¡°Why exactly can¡¯t I fight in the tournament?¡±
¡°It would be irresponsible of me to put someone so powerful against the other students,¡± Lukas replied, ¡°If something were to happen, I would be responsible.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not planning on killing anyone,¡± Adion said, ¡°I can just defeat them like I defeated Sora.¡±
Lukas sat quietly for a while, thinking it over.
¡°Very well,¡± Lukas said, ¡°I hope you hold to that. I will make sure everyone knows the risk of going against you. Hopefully, just one fight is enough to discourage everyone.¡±
I didn¡¯t really think about it, but I¡¯m going to look pretty cool, aren¡¯t I?
¡°Elder Kilth is going to be really excited when he hears about this,¡± Alamani said with a smirk. ¡°How did you awaken your Gift, Adion?¡±
¡°Do I have to say?¡± Adion asked. He had thought of a story already, but there was no point in letting people dig around too much.
¡°No,¡± Lukas said before Alamani could say anything else. ¡°But anything you can share will be appreciated. A lot of professors will surely approach you about the subject. I would share as much as I could if I were you. You can earn a lot of credits.¡±
That might complicate things.
¡°I¡¯ll think it over,¡± Adion said.
¡°Mm,¡± Lukas nodded, ¡°Well, that is all for another day. We need to move on with the admissions.¡±
¡°Someone interesting finally shows up, and you want to send him away,¡± Haul muttered.
¡°We can¡¯t forget about our responsibilities just because of a Gifted,¡± Lukas said, ¡°You¡¯ll have five years to learn more about him.¡±
¡°Make sure you pick ¡®Inexplicable Magic¡¯ when choosing your classes, kid,¡± Haul said to Adion, ¡°I¡¯ll come to find you if you don¡¯t.¡±
¡°Er,¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°Sure.¡±
I suppose it can¡¯t hurt to give that a try. It sounds interesting, at least.
¡°I have your information written here,¡± Lukas said, stretching out a paper for Adion to grab, ¡°You are obviously placed in the diamond class, the top of it. Your exact rank will be determined after the tournament.¡±
¡°Thank you, Dean Lukas,¡± Adion said, grabbing the paper.
¡°Take that downstairs. There are people there who will register you and give you your Academy badge. You should¡¯ve spotted the area on the way in.¡± Lukas said.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded. He had indeed noticed a large reception area where they handed out Academy badges on his way there.
¡°You didn¡¯t even bring money for admission with you, did you?¡± Haul asked with a small grin.
¡°There is no admission fee for diamond class, right?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Hehe,¡± Haul chuckled, ¡°Cocky and backing it up, 10 credits. And another 100 credits for being so interesting. Don¡¯t disappoint me going forward, kid.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion said hesitantly, ¡°Thank you, professor Haul.¡±
Is it enough to just say my change in credits out loud? Should I be writing it down somewhere?
¡°You can make your way now,¡± Lukas said, ¡°Welcome to Cyalis Academy.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion said with a smile. ¡°Er, about my brother and sister?¡±
¡°Oh, of course,¡± Lukas said and then started writing down something on a piece of paper. ¡°Take this with you as well and show it when you turn in your information. Someone will take you to their residences.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion said, excited about meeting his siblings soon.
As Adion left and entered the hallway, he noticed several pairs of eyes on him. Sora was there along with the boy he had spotted earlier. There was also an elven girl there now, looking Adion up and down.
¡°Um,¡± Adion looked around, ¡°I¡¯m done now.¡±
¡°What did you do?¡± Sora asked.
¡°I used my Gift,¡± Adion said, ¡°It stops things.¡±
¡°Things?¡± Sora questioned.
¡°And people,¡± Adion added.
¡°How can a Gift be so powerful? How did you get it?¡± Sora asked.
¡°I¡¯d prefer to keep that private,¡± Adion said.
Sora looked at Adion unhappily for a moment before turning to the other boy in the hallway. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go in?¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± The boy nodded, ¡°I¡¯m Relmon, by the way, Relmon Zemer. Branch family.¡±
Adion was a little surprised as Relmon stretched out his hand in greeting.
¡°Right,¡± Adion shook Relmon¡¯s hand, ¡°Adion Remori.¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t heard of the Remori-¡± Relmon began but was interrupted by Sora.
¡°Are you seriously keeping the professors waiting for small talk?¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Relmon said, a little embarrassed, and hurried inside the auditorium.
I¡¯m afraid he might lose some credits to Haul for that.
¡°That human was from the Zemer family?¡± Sora questioned as Relmon walked away.
What¡¯s the Zemer family? I could probably use a crash course in the different families.
¡°You said your name was Adion?¡± The elven girl grabbed Adion¡¯s attention and asked with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m Felicia Quath. It''s a pleasure to meet you.¡±
¡°You too,¡± Adion said.
Is everyone so friendly here? I¡¯m not going to have time for any studies if I have to greet every person I meet.
¡°I heard a little what happened. Could you show me too, do you think?¡± Felicia asked.
¡°Show what exactly?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Your Gift. Can you stop me like you stopped Sora?¡± Felicia asked.
She¡¯s already started talking about it? Will this become a common occurrence?
¡°I suppose,¡± Adion said, not finding a reason to refuse.
¡°Go ahead,¡± Felicia said, standing at the ready in front of Adion.
Adion froze the space around her, and he noticed how Sora was examining the situation with an intense gaze.
After a few seconds, Adion let go, not seeing a reason to hold on any longer.
¡°Amazing,¡± Felicia muttered, ¡°I couldn¡¯t move at all. How could anyone beat you?¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m the wrong person to ask, I think,¡± Adion said.
¡°Haha,¡± Felicia laughed softly, ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡±
¡°Well, nice meeting you both,¡± Adion said, wanting to get moving, ¡°I need to head downstairs to get my Academy badge.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Felicia said, looking a little disappointed, ¡°See you later, Adion.¡±
Is my Gift really that interesting? I guess this is a great place to build connections, so getting to know a Gifted is something a lot of people would be interested in.
That might get annoying.
Adion headed to the big reception area, where he got lined up after some other students who had held their admissions elsewhere. It didn¡¯t take long before he was at the front of the line and passed over the paper with his information.
¡°It will take a few minutes to get your badge ready,¡± The man behind the counter said, ¡°You can wait with the other students over there.¡± The man pointed out an area a little further away where groups of newly admitted students stood talking to each other.
¡°I have this as well,¡± Adion said, handing over the note Lukas had handed him with instructions to take him to his siblings.
¡°Alright,¡± The man said with a nod after reading through the note, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure your guide gets this. After taking you all to your dorms, he will take you where you need to go.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion said. He headed to the area where the other students were waiting. Adion thought about going up to join in on the conversations, but he decided not to in the end. His thoughts were filled with his family members. Everything else had to wait.
After a few minutes, Adion¡¯s name was called out, and he approached a desk where he was handed his Academy badge. It was similar to the one he got from the Outskirts Guild, a metal plate slightly bigger than a playing card.
Does it have runes in it?
¡°That will identify you in the Academy,¡± The man behind the counter said, ¡°Don¡¯t lose it.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°You can go wait again,¡± The man said, ¡°When there are enough of you with badges, someone will guide you to where you¡¯ll be staying.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion said, pocketing his Academy badge.
How long will it take until we have enough people to move?
Adion made his way back to where he was supposed to be waiting with the other students. Looking through the crowd, he spotted a girl that he thought he recognized.
Where have I seen her before?
But before Adion could think further on the topic, a voice he hadn¡¯t heard in a very long time cut through the air.
¡°Adion!?¡±
Chapter 101 - Reunion
¡°Adion!?¡±
Is that¡Aiden?
Adion stared at the figure who had just entered the building, looking around frantically.
¡°I swear I saw him,¡± Aiden said to an elven girl with long white hair beside him.
¡°Your brother? I thought he¡¡± The girl didn¡¯t finish the sentence.
¡°Brother?¡± Adion murmured to himself. His brother looked older, but still unmistakable from the 16-year-old he had in his memories.
Even though Adion had spoken in a barely audible voice, his brother seemed to have heard it, as he turned to look straight at Adion.
¡°Adion¡¡± Aiden whispered.
Before Adion could register anything else, he found himself embraced by his brother.
I¡¯m taller.
Adion had looked forward to reuniting with his family ever since he found himself in the middle of the Endless Forest. Even though he had expected to meet them soon, it was only now, when he finally saw his brother, that Adion realized how much doubt he had carried around. Doubt that he would actually ever see them again, buried deep within him.
¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m so late,¡± Adion said, hugging his brother back.
¡°How?¡± Aiden asked as he pulled out of the hug to scrutinize Adion¡¯s face. Adion saw tears running down his cheeks.
¡°I¡I got away,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I was lost for a very long time. I knew you¡¯d be here. Is Ailera and Grandpa¡¡±
¡°They¡¯re both here,¡± Aiden said with a big smile, his eyes red, ¡°Did anyone else get away?¡±
¡°No,¡± Adion said, ¡°Only me. I saw them kill Mom and Dad, brother. They¡¯re gone. I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Aiden said, hugging Adion again, ¡°Everything is fine now.¡±
Yeah. Everything is fine now.
Adion didn¡¯t know how long they stood there. Hugging in silence. No one disturbed their reunion.
¡°Wait¡What!?¡± Aiden suddenly yelled and pulled out of the hug. He stared at Adion incredulously.
What?
¡°How are you a mage? You¡¯re sparkless!¡± Aiden yelled out in shock, finally registering Adion¡¯s aura.
¡°Oh, right,¡± Adion said. I guess that was coming out sooner or later. He noticed that if there were any pair of eyes not on the two before, they were now. ¡°I created a core for myself.¡±
¡°Incredible, you actually did it,¡± Aiden murmured. He then turned to the girl he had arrived with, who was standing a little behind the two, watching everything with a happy smile. ¡°Has that ever been done before?¡±
¡°I-I¡¯m not sure,¡± The girl responded. ¡°But I¡¯ve never heard of it, at least. So this is your brother, Aiden? The one you said was dead?¡±
¡°Yes, yes,¡± Aiden nodded happily, not caring at all about the snot running down his nose.
¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Adion greeted.
She looks a lot like Sell. Is this her sister?
¡°You too,¡± The girl answered and stepped forward a little, ¡°I¡¯m Rellitha Amyss. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡±
Heard a lot about me? Are they a couple?
¡°Are you two¡¡± Adion wondered what their relationship was. He saw Rellitha turning a little red.
¡°Rellitha is the president of the student council, and I¡¯m the vice president,¡± Aiden explained. ¡°But I can¡¯t believe it, you are alive.¡±
¡°I am,¡± Adion smiled.
¡°You are alive! Hahaha!¡± Aiden laughed. Adion could only imagine the relief his brother was feeling.
¡°You¡¯ve worked hard,¡± Adion said. He noticed his brother was already a Silver mage.
¡°Me? You¡you¡¯re even middle Bronze. Just what have you done for the past years?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°It¡¯s a very long story,¡± Adion said with a smile, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go find Ailera and Grandpa? I want to tell you everything.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Aiden said with a smile, ¡°Come. Let¡¯s go.¡±
Aiden grabbed Adion¡¯s hand and practically ran out of the building. Adion happily followed. He left all thoughts of the Academy behind him and just enjoyed the moment of peace he felt. It was only now that he didn¡¯t feel the doubt at the back of his mind anymore that he realized it had been there.
How long have I felt like that? I didn¡¯t even realize that something that heavy was weighing me down.
¡°Adion?¡± Aiden asked, looking at him.
¡°Sorry, what did you say?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I just asked what class you made it into,¡± Aiden said, slowing down his pace slightly.
¡°Diamond,¡± Adion responded.
¡°Incredible,¡± Aiden shook his head, ¡°How did you manage to reach middle Bronze so quickly?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about it when we¡¯re all together,¡± Adion said. He looked around and noticed that Rellitha was no longer with them. Aiden was leading Adion somewhere outside the Academy.
¡°Are you and Rellitha a couple?¡± Adion asked. He thought they might be. It would be a strange coincidence.
¡°What?¡± Aiden stopped to look at Adion in surprise, ¡°You might not have realized, but Rellitha is the crown princess of Iitha, Adion. She is very casual, though, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±
¡°What does she being the crown princess have to do with anything?¡± Adion questioned, ¡°Aiden¡Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re a coward?¡±
Aiden gaped at Adion¡¯s response.
¡°What?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You¡¯ve changed,¡± Aiden said with a small smile.
¡°Of course I have,¡± Adion smiled back, ¡°I¡¯m taller than you now, for one.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Aiden laughed, ¡°Barely an inch.¡±
¡°Way more than an inch,¡± Adion argued, placing his hand on top of his head to compare heights.
¡°All skin and bones,¡± Aiden said, waving away Adion¡¯s hand, ¡°Girls like muscles.¡±
Skin and bones?
Adion had trained very hard for the past year in order to not get out of shape. He thought he was plenty muscular. He had to admit that Aiden was visibly stronger, though.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°I have plenty of muscles,¡± Adion argued. ¡°And girls like height more anyway.¡±
¡°What would you know about girls?¡± Aiden asked with a small grin.
¡°I have a girlfriend. Do you?¡± Adion bragged.
¡°You-¡± Aiden looked at Adion, stumped once again, ¡°When did you get a girlfriend? Who?¡±
¡°I met her on my travels,¡± Adion said, chin raised proudly.
¡°Stop talking like some old sage,¡± Aiden laughed.
¡°I can¡¯t help it,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve grown too wise.¡±
Aiden and Adion both laughed out loud.
¡°Wait a minute,¡± Adion suddenly came to think of something, ¡°We¡¯re heading for Grandpa, right?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°Ailera should also be there.¡±
¡°Can we make a quick detour? I need to grab something at an inn nearby.¡± Adion said.
¡°What do you need to grab?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°I brought some gifts,¡± Adion smiled.
¡°Go on,¡± Ailera gestured to her strange brew, ¡°Drink it.¡±
Why is it that color? Arlen thought to himself.
¡°Is it¡¡± Arlen hesitated, ¡°How is the taste?¡±
¡°The taste doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Ailera argued, ¡°It¡¯s for your health.¡±
¡°My dear Ailera,¡± Arlen sighed, ¡°You do realize that I¡¯m perfectly healthy?¡±
¡°You¡¯re 106 years old. Age is coming for you, Grandpa,¡± Ailera said.
¡°I¡¯m a Diamond mage,¡± Arlen argued, ¡°You can¡¯t tell me I look a day over 50.¡±
¡°You look plenty over 50,¡± Ailera said with a serious expression.
¡°That¡¯s harsh,¡± Arlen muttered.
¡°Drink,¡± Ailera pushed the ¡®drink¡¯ toward Arlen. It looked like black goo.
I guess it gives Ailera some practice. And I don¡¯t want to disappoint her.
It was the beginning of a new school year, so Ailera had a few days free from classes. It was something Arlen had looked forward to greatly. He had just hoped that a rare visit from his granddaughter wouldn¡¯t result in testing her health potions.
I hope Aiden doesn¡¯t forget he promised to come. Perhaps he can save me.
Looking out through the window and noticing the dark sky, Arlen was beginning to doubt his grandson.
¡°Grandpa,¡± Ailera looked at him with puppy eyes.
Damn. That is even worse than when she is strict.
¡°I¡¯ll drink, I¡¯ll drink,¡± Arlen said, bringing the vial of black goo up to his mouth.
Here it goes.
Arlen held his nose and swallowed the health potion all in one go.
¡°Oh?¡± Arlen said, surprised, ¡°It actually doesn¡¯t taste so bad.¡±
¡°Really? That¡¯s good to know,¡± Ailera said, noting it down on some papers in front of her.
¡°And I feel slightly more energetic,¡± Arlen commented, ¡°You¡¯ve improved. Particularly when it comes to taste.¡±
¡°So it¡¯s better than the last one? The effects, not the taste?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Arlen nodded, ¡°Definitly.¡±
¡°I guess my concepts must have improved a little after all,¡± Ailera commented.
¡°Congratulations,¡± Arlen said with a smile.
¡°Thanks,¡± Ailera smiled back.
¡°I¡¯m sure it will do wonders for your rank,¡± Arlen encouraged.
¡°Not really,¡± Ailera sighed, ¡°You can¡¯t reach diamond class without being a good fighter.¡±
¡°Gold class is still plenty good,¡± Arlen said.
¡°Aiden managed to get to diamond class in his 3rd year. I¡¯m entering my 4th year now and still have a long way to go,¡± Ailera said.
¡°Aiden only focused on his strength and fighting prowess,¡± Arlen said, ¡°You have a unique skill on top of being an excellent fighter.¡±
¡°Not excellent enough,¡± Ailera sighed, ¡°I have to find a way to get my destructive and healing concepts to go together.¡±
Ailera started scribbling some notes down. Arlen looked at her focused face and couldn¡¯t help but smile.
She works so hard. They both do.
¡°I¡¯ll get Marli to make us some tea,¡± Arlen said and got up from his seat at the table.
Opening the dining hall doors, Arlen spotted Marli standing outside, dutifully awaiting instructions.
¡°Would you make us some tea, Marli?¡± Arlen asked his maid.
¡°Of course, master,¡± Marli said with a curtsy, ¡°Should I prepare some for young master Aiden as well?¡±
¡°If he¡¯s not here yet, I doubt he¡¯s coming,¡± Arlen said.
¡°It must be a busy day for him,¡± Marli said, ¡°I¡¯m sure he will arrive as soon as he¡¯s finished.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Arlen chuckled, ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. Prepare some Blomeld Tea for us then. I¡¯ll have Aiden pay me back if he doesn¡¯t show up.¡±
¡°At once, master,¡± Marli said and started walking down the hallway.
Everyone around me is so hardworking. I can¡¯t let myself grow lazy, either. But there is just something in the way of my advancement. I guess it makes sense that it¡¯s hard, or the world would be crawling with Soul mages.
Arlen closed the doors and walked back to the dinner table.
Still, I can¡¯t afford any excuses. I¡¯ll have to reach the Soft Soul stage before Aiden graduates. Only then can I keep my family safe here in Cyalis.
¡°Grandpa,¡± Ailera¡¯s voice cut through Arlen¡¯s thoughts.
¡°Hm?¡± Arlen turned to look at his granddaughter.
¡°Didn¡¯t you ask Marli to take out the dishes?¡± Ailera asked.
Arlen looked at the dirty plates on the table. ¡°Oh, right.¡±
¡°I should look into something for memory loss,¡± Ailera murmured.
¡°I¡¯m not that old,¡± Arlen said, ¡°I just forgot about it.¡±
¡°Still,¡± Ailera said, getting up to take some plates, ¡°I¡¯ll look into it.¡±
¡°I can just ask her once she comes with the tea,¡± Arlen said.
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ailera said, turning to walk away with the dishes. ¡°I want to move my legs.¡±
¡°Alright then,¡± Arlen nodded. He turned to look out the window again. A useless way to tell the time at night, but Arlen found it a hard habit to shake.
Take your time, little Aiden. I¡¯ll wait up for you.
His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the sounds of plates crashing from the hallway.
¡°Now who¡¯s the one getting old!?¡± Arlen yelled, getting up to help his granddaughter and make sure she hadn¡¯t gotten hurt.
As he opened the dining room doors, though, he saw something his brain had a hard time registering.
Ailera was hugging a boy, tightly.
He looks familiar somehow.
He noticed Aiden was also standing there.
What¡¯s going on? Why did Aiden bring some-
And then he recognized him. Adion. His grandson, who he had thought dead along with the rest of his family.
Before Arlen could stop himself, he was on his knees. He couldn¡¯t find the strength to stand up.
¡°Adion¡Is that really you?¡± Arlen asked in a shaky voice. But he already knew it was him. It was hard to forget the feeling of an aura once so familiar to him.
¡°Hello, Grandpa,¡± Adion said in a voice much deeper than Arlen remembered. The now young man smiled at Arlen, squinting his eyes that were red from tears. Eyes that reminded him of Maya.
¡°Good,¡± Arlen choked out, feeling his eyes water. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here, Adion. I missed you.¡±
¡°I missed you all, too,¡± Adion said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being gone for so long. I¡¯ll explain it all.¡±
Arlen saw how Adion put his hand on his sister¡¯s head and patted her. ¡°Are you okay, Ailera? I didn¡¯t mean to surprise you.¡±
¡°I¡¯m okay. Now,¡± Ailera sniffled out, head buried in Adion¡¯s chest, ¡°I¡¯m okay now.¡±
¡°How¡¡± Arlen couldn¡¯t help himself from letting out.
¡°The formation,¡± Adion said, ¡°In the treasury. Mom told Sami to-¡±
¡°Later,¡± Arlen said, shaking his head. Finding strength in his legs again, he walked over and embraced his grandson and granddaughter. ¡°It can wait til later.¡±
He felt Aiden join the hug. No one said anything for a good while.
First my mother. Then my wife. Then my son. Then my grandchildren. My great-grandchildren. I have lost so many.
Arlen squeezed Adion harder, making sure he was still there.
I¡¯m not strong enough to lose you, my silly family.
¡°Thank you,¡± Arlen whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡±
Gods, spirits, whatever brought Adion back to me. Thank you.
Chapter 102 - Adions story I
Can I just stay here forever? Screw the Academy.
Adion was sitting on a couch in his grandfather¡¯s study. His sister was hugging him from the side, patting his head comfortably. His brother wasn¡¯t quite as close, but he still sat beside Adion with a hand on his shoulder, a content and peaceful smile on his lips.
It feels nice to be a little brother again.
¡°This should be¡Wait! Marli! The grapes we bought last week, bring them too,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather instructed the maid.
¡°Of course, master,¡± Marli said with an amused smile and hurried off.
¡°Something is missing. Will the wine be enough?¡± His grandfather mused aloud.
¡°It¡¯s fine, Grandpa,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°It looks delicious.¡±
¡°A reunion like this should be done right,¡± His grandfather stressed.
¡°Isn¡¯t it already perfect?¡± Adion questioned.
His grandfather stopped his tinkering and turned to look at Adion with a smile, ¡°I suppose it is.¡± He took a seat in an armchair next to Adion and his siblings and poured some wine for everyone.
¡°It¡¯s a nice place you managed to get,¡± Adion said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know we were this rich.¡±
Adion¡¯s grandfather lived in a small mansion just 15 minutes walk from the Academy. Adion didn¡¯t know how much it was, but it couldn¡¯t have been cheap.
¡°We got a good price for the Remori manor from the Grath and Valis family,¡± His grandfather said.
¡°Because of the formation?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You know about it?¡± His grandfather asked.
¡°It was how I managed to escape,¡± Adion answered. His brother turned to look at Adion with curiosity. Even his sister lifted her head to look at him.
¡°I suppose I¡¯ll start at the beginning,¡± Adion said. He knew that telling them carried its risks. Perhaps his grandfather could keep his secrets without issue, but Aiden and Ailera wouldn¡¯t stand a chance if someone questioned them about it. Their aura control wasn¡¯t good enough.
So be it. We¡¯ll solve everything together. I¡¯m not lying to my family. I want to tell them everything.
¡°Mm,¡± Ailera nodded. He had his family¡¯s undivided attention.
¡°A month after you all left for Cyalis,¡± Adion began, ¡°I was out training in our courtyard. Mom and Dad were close by. It was a peaceful day. But suddenly, Dad got this serious expression on his face. I didn¡¯t know what was happening, but we all took off to the front of our manor. A huge crowd had gathered there. Mom, Sami, and I stayed at the back while Dad went to see what was going on. There were three men in white masks there. They had killed Francis. It wasn¡¯t only the three of them. All around us, there were masked men and women.
¡°I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying to Dad, but Mom must have heard, as she instructed Sami to take me away to the treasury. I didn¡¯t want to leave, but Sami grabbed me, and I could offer no resistance. As I was being carried away, I saw how those men killed Mom and Dad.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s how they died,¡± Aiden said in a low voice with an expressionless face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t there, Adion.¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad you weren¡¯t,¡± Adion said.
¡°Those people, they were from Heavenly Light, right Grandpa?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°So you know about it?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You know about them, Adion?¡± His grandfather asked softly.
¡°Not at the time, but later,¡± Adion said, ¡°How did you find out?¡±
¡°Not long after we arrived in Cyalis, I got a message from Arissa about what had happened,¡± His grandfather explained, ¡°At the time, no one knew who was responsible. But I headed straight for the Valis kingdom when I got the news, and seeing the cave with the formation collapsed, I understood what they had been after.
¡°I was¡angry, very angry about what had been done to my family. But more than anything, I felt tired. I felt empty. Thankfully, Arissa was there to handle everything. She also brought in the Valis family as she was clever enough not to keep something like that to herself.¡±
¡°It only took a week after the Valis family got involved before they discovered who was behind the attack. I decided that even if I would likely die, I had to get my revenge. The only thing to fill in the emptiness with was hate. I am not proud of what I was like during those days. Thankfully, Arissa stopped me and talked some sense into me. I realized that I still had family left. And Aiden and Ailera would need me. So I left the Valis kingdom behind me and returned to Cyalis.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion said, ¡°And you¡¯re safe here? You don¡¯t think Heavenly Light will want to finish us?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure they do,¡± His grandfather nodded, ¡°But Cyalis is pretty safe. And I¡¯m pretty strong. I don¡¯t think we are very high on their list of priorities, either. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not their enemy, and they might strike when I least suspect it. Thankfully, Ailera and Aiden are students at the Academy. No one would dare to harm them.¡±
¡°Not even Heavenly Light?¡± Adion questioned, ¡°They are very powerful, Grandpa. And they probably have people working for them inside the Academy.¡±
¡°They probably do,¡± His grandfather agreed, ¡°But so does any other organization worth their name. It would be foolish not to have your members be part of the greatest institution on the continent. But does that mean they can kill a student? No. Not even the Royal families would dare plot such a thing.¡±
¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Adion asked. It seemed to him that someone with a lot of friends in the Academy could make someone disappear without evidence with enough preparation.
¡°I¡¯m as sure as I can be,¡± His grandfather said with a smile, ¡°The Academy is different from the rest of the families and organizations on Shiora, Adion. They don¡¯t just have the most powerful mages; they have knowledge. No one knows what means they have to unravel a plot. And even if it were the Royal family of the Alago Empire, should the Academy declare them enemies, the rest of the continent would follow suit. Even the Nobles of the Alago Empire would rush to kill the Royals to please Cyalis.¡±
¡°How could that be?¡± Adion asked, surprised.
¡°How could it not? The Academy is more powerful. People tend to side with the most powerful. And they use their power to educate all our children and grandchildren. Sharing much of their valuable knowledge. Basically every family clan on the continent has a deep connection to the Academy. That is what makes them truly powerful. They wouldn¡¯t even need to leave the Academy to end a Royal family. Just say the word, and we would all gladly do it for them.¡±
That is true power¡Say the word, and the world obeys.
¡°Seems like I might be able to relax for a while then,¡± Adion said.
¡°Yes, you should,¡± His grandfather said with a smile, ¡°You must have been through a lot.¡±
¡°It¡¯s been quite the journey,¡± Adion said, ¡°Before I continue, though. Do you know about how Heavenly Light is planning an attack on the Remori manor again?¡±
¡°I do,¡± His grandfather said, surprised, ¡°How come you know so much about all of this?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Adion said.
¡°Keep telling it,¡± Ailera urged, ¡°How did you get away from our manor?¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Do you, by any chance, know what that formation in the treasury does?¡±
¡°No,¡± Ailera shook her head. She turned to look at her grandfather, ¡°You said that no one knew.¡±
¡°No one does,¡± His grandfather said, ¡°At least not that I know of.¡±
¡°Well, I will tell you then,¡± Adion said, ¡°It¡¯s a teleportation formation.¡±
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it¡°A¡what? You mean¡¡± Aiden looked at Adion, trying to understand.
¡°I was brought down to the formation by Sami,¡± Adion explained, ¡°And the formation grabbed my attention. I stepped onto it, and before I knew it, I was on the other side of the continent.¡±
¡°What!?¡± His grandfather yelled out in shock, ¡°This is¡Once this is known¡¡±
¡°¡®Once it is known¡¯? I see no reason to make it known,¡± Adion said.
¡°Why not?¡± His grandfather asked.
¡°Well, let me continue explaining, and we¡¯ll discuss everything later,¡± Adion said.
¡°Mm,¡± His grandfather nodded, looking curiously at Adion.
¡°You might remember that I used to be a sparkless,¡± Adion said.
¡°Of course,¡± His grandfather nodded, ¡°Just how did you-¡±
¡°Ganta!¡± Ailera interrupted, ¡°Adion! You¡¯re a mage!¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t notice until now?¡± Adion asked with an amused smile.
¡°How?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°I created a core without a spark,¡± Adion said, ¡°I have always trained my mana control, as you might all know. But what you might not have known is that I have always had an affinity other than fire and water. It has always been my strongest affinity, actually.¡±
¡°Stronger than your fire affinity?¡± His grandfather questioned, ¡°What element?¡±
¡°Space,¡± Adion replied. Not hesitating a second to hide something like that from his family.
¡°Space?¡± Ailera asked, looking at Aiden and her grandfather questioningly.
¡°What do you mean ¡®space¡¯?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°The element of space,¡± Adion replied with a smirk. He grabbed the four glasses of wine on the table with his Authority and brought them in front of each of his family members. ¡°It¡¯s a convenient element. I recommend training in it.¡±
¡°What is going on? How are you doing this?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°I¡¯m freezing space and moving it around,¡± Adion explained, ¡°This is an affinity I believe you two have as well, maybe just to a lesser degree. It¡¯s probably why we have such good spatial awareness.¡±
¡°Hold on,¡± His grandfather pressed his temple, contemplating what he was hearing, ¡°Then¡you don¡¯t have a fire core, but a space core?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Adion nodded. ¡°The reason the formation was acting up was because huge amounts of space mana was leaking through it. Somehow, that seemed to have given us an affinity to it. Perhaps because I was sparkless, I gained the greatest affinity.¡±
¡°You mean I could do what you¡¯re doing too?¡± Ailera asked, grabbing the wine glass as Adion let it go.
¡°Well, it would take a lot of practice, and you would need¡we¡¯ll get to that. Anyway, I teleported to the other side of the continent. Somewhere deep within the Endless Forest, in a cave much like the one in the treasury.¡± Adion continued.
¡°In the Endless Forest? How did you-¡± Adion''s grandfather began but interrupted himself, ¡°Never mind, sorry. Continue, Adion.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion said, ¡°On the other side of the formation, I discovered what was causing all the space mana to leak through. There was so much space mana around that I could hardly believe it. For some reason, I just immediately began forming a core from it. Even without a spark, if you bend enough mana to your Will and compress it together, you can form a core. It was just like we thought, Grandpa. I just managed to do it a lot earlier than expected.¡±
¡°Incredible,¡± His grandfather said with a smile. ¡°And you¡¯ve managed to reach middle Bronze already. It seems all that practice wasn¡¯t for nothing.¡±
¡°About that¡¡± Adion said, slowly revealing his true cultivation, ¡°I¡¯m a bit stronger than middle Bronze.¡±
¡°Ganta,¡± His grandfather whispered.
¡°Adion¡how?¡± Aiden asked with a serious expression.
¡°This surprises you more than me having a space core?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°It¡¯s one too many surprises,¡± Ailera said.
¡°Well, get used to it because there are plenty more,¡± Adion said with a grin.
¡°But how are you a Silver mage already? And how did you hide it even from me?¡± His grandfather asked, mouth open in shock.
¡°You couldn¡¯t tell?¡± Ailera asked, ¡°But¡¡±
¡°I have very good control of my aura,¡± Adion said, ¡°That¡¯s not even one of the surprises.¡±
¡°How could that not be a surprise? I¡¯m a Diamond mage, and over 100 years old. You¡¯re just 17. Just how could you have that kind of control of your aura?¡± His grandfather questioned.
¡°It will reveal itself as the story moves forward,¡± Adion said, enjoying himself greatly at seeing his flustered family.
¡°Then go on!¡± His grandfather urged.
¡°So where was I? Oh yeah, I discovered the surge of space mana was because the Celestial Phoenix was being reborn.¡±
No one said anything. His family just stared at Adion, waiting for him to continue.
¡°I would have thought that to be the biggest surprise,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°I¡¯ll bite,¡± Ailera said, ¡°What are you talking about, Adion?¡±
¡°I discovered later the place I had woken up in used to be the headquarters for the Celestial Phoenix Sect during the Age of Wonder. And that very Phoenix was reborn right next to me. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t stay long, taking flight immediately after it was reborn.¡±
¡°This¡¡± His grandfather didn¡¯t seem to be able to handle all the information Adion was revealing.
¡°Are you sure you¡¯re my brother?¡± Ailera questioned, ¡°Not some hero of ancient times?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve gotten pretty cool,¡± Adion nodded thoughtfully, ¡°But a hero? No.¡±
¡°Silly,¡± Ailera smiled.
¡°So there is not only the Fire Phoenix that has returned¡What could this mean?¡± His grandfather asked aloud, ¡°Surely we need to tell the Academy about this.¡±
¡°Why do you want to tell everyone everything?¡± Adion questioned.
Is that why I¡¯m so bad at keeping secrets?
¡°This is too big to keep to ourselves,¡± His grandfather said with a serious expression.
¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later,¡± Adion said, ¡°I have a lot more to tell you first.¡±
¡°Right,¡± His grandfather nodded.
¡°So, the thing about space as an element is that it is very hard to conjure,¡± Adion explained, ¡°Even now, as a Silver mage, I can only conjure a tiny tiny bit, about the size of a grain of sand. So I was pretty weak even as a mage. But as fortune would have it, there was something remaining in the Celestial Phoenix Sect that has helped me greatly. A pill made during the Age of Wonder, made from the blood of the Celestial Phoenix. And this gave me a power that I call ¡®Authority.¡¯ Basically, it lets me control a certain amount of space without having to conjure it myself, nor does the Will of the world fight me over it.¡±
¡°There is something like that?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°And there was one made from the blood of the Fire Phoenix as well.¡±
Adion conjured a flame and controlled it to take the shape of White, just like he used to when playing around with his Authority.
¡°This¡That pill allowed you to do this?¡± His grandfather asked. His family was gathered close by the flame, scrutinizing it.
¡°I have to conjure the flame myself,¡± Adion said, ¡°But as long as I don¡¯t try to make the flame bigger than this, I have perfect control. The will of the world lets me do as I please.¡±
¡°The possibilities,¡± Aiden murmured, ¡°You¡¯re undefeatable. You¡¯re¡¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded. He would share the happy news that there was a pill for Aiden and his grandfather after he was done with his story. He felt like they needed the full picture first. ¡°I am very strong. Although my abilities in space trumps those I have with fire. But it makes it easier to pretend to be a fire mage.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t even think about that,¡± Aiden said, ¡°So the professors, they think you¡¯re a fire mage?¡±
¡°And they believe that my ability to freeze space is my Gift,¡± Adion said.
¡°You lied?¡± Aiden asked, shocked.
¡°Well, I know I¡¯m not supposed to¡¡± Adion looked a little guiltily to his grandfather, ¡°But this isn¡¯t something that can revealed casually to people that are so much stronger than me. Who knows what they would do?¡±
¡°Not even I know anymore,¡± His grandfather said, shaking his head with a strange smile, ¡°This is too much to take in all at once.¡±
¡°Well, this isn¡¯t a night of boring planning anyway,¡± Adion said, smiling, ¡°Let¡¯s get to the part where I meet some friends.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve made friends?¡± Ailera asked, an amused smile on her lips.
¡°He claims he has even made a girlfriend,¡± Aiden said with a grin.
¡°What!?¡± Ailera yelled out in shock.
¡°How can that be the biggest surprise of the night?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Hahaha!¡± His grandfather and Aiden both broke into laughter. Aiden wiped a tear from his eyes and looked at Adion with an amused smile, ¡°So who is this girlfriend? Somehow, that is the most normal thing you¡¯ve told us so far. I¡¯m looking forward to hearing about it.¡±
¡°Her name is Sell,¡± Adion said with a smile, ¡°Sellitha Amyss, she¡¯s Rellitha¡¯s younger sister.¡±
The room turned silent once again.
Chapter 103 - Adions story II
¡°Your girlfriend¡is Sellitha Amyss?¡± Aiden said in a low voice, trying to wrap his head around what Adion had just said.
¡°Maybe we should actually check to see if everything¡¯s alright with your head,¡± Ailera said. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine you lying, but this can¡¯t all actually be the truth either.¡±
¡°Why? I¡¯m pretty impressive, you know,¡± Adion said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the part about me being a Silver space mage with the aura control to fool Grandpa?¡±
¡°B-but,¡± Aiden stammered beside him, ¡°How? When? What?¡±
¡°We met in the Outskirts of the Delovan Empire,¡± Adion said, ¡°But we¡¯re jumping ahead.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a pretty important jump,¡± Ailera stressed, ¡°Tell me about her.¡±
¡°Well, she¡¯s¡¡± Adion didn¡¯t know what to say. It was quite an embarrassing topic, ¡°She¡¯s just pretty and cool and stuff.¡±
¡°Hahaha,¡± Ailera laughed, ¡°How cute.¡±
¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get back to where I was,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°But¡¡± His grandfather seemed to be having trouble formulating himself, ¡°I¡Yeah, sorry. Tell your story.¡±
It is probably going to take a long time for them to process everything. I¡¯ll just get it all out there, and time will take care of the rest.
Adion began telling how he had scavenged for food and slowly increased his strength, eventually turning to hunt beasts for food and training. When he got to the part where he met White and Fellion, his family once again broke into a deep discussion about his adventures.
¡°How strong was it? A Soul beast like that? Maybe it was a Pure Soul beast,¡± Ailera said.
¡°He never actually told me,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I would guess Hard Soul or Pure Soul.¡±
¡°Incredible,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather muttered, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t give you the aura control you have, though. Even if it explains a lot.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll come to that part,¡± Adion said, ¡°But it sure is getting late. I don¡¯t think I will be done with the story anytime soon. It is five years of my life, after all.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Aiden said.
¡°Me neither,¡± Ailera stressed.
¡°I can be up til morning, no problem,¡± His grandfather said.
¡°This might take days, though,¡± Adion mused aloud, ¡°Should I give you the short version for now?¡±
¡°I want to hear all of it,¡± Ailera said stubbornly.
¡°Just keep it to the important parts, perhaps. We will have years to hear it all.¡± His grandfather said.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°So after Fellion dropped me off, I found myself in the south of the Delovan Empire.¡± Adion continued his narration of events as the sun slowly began rising. Even just keeping to the essential parts, his family had plenty of questions along the way. Adion didn¡¯t think it was annoying, though. He enjoyed every second of it.
¡°And I finally made it here today,¡± Adion finished. Looking at the sun outside the window, he changed his wording slightly, though. ¡°Well, yesterday. I skipped over a lot, but that should give you a pretty good idea of what I¡¯ve been up to.¡±
¡°Marvelous,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather sighed, a smile on his lips.
¡°You should write a book about all this, Adion,¡± His sister urged, ¡°I think you could earn the title of Sage if you choose to reveal all of it.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t do that,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°Not until I¡¯m stronger.¡±
¡°The most incredible part is still that your girlfriend is an elven princess,¡± Aiden murmured. ¡°I met her, you know.¡±
¡°You did?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Where? When?¡±
¡°Calm down,¡± Aiden said with a smile, ¡°It was yesterday morning. She was with her sister. She acted a little strange when she met me, but I guess that makes sense now.¡±
¡°Do you know where she is?¡± Adion asked, anticipating meeting Sell again.
¡°You¡¯re already tired of your family, huh?¡± His grandfather asked with a smile.
¡°What? No, no,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s just¡¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± His grandfather chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m joking. I¡¯m glad you have someone you like. I want to meet her.¡±
¡°I will bring her,¡± Adion said.
¡°A princess,¡± Ailera muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure she doesn¡¯t have any ill intentions.¡±
¡°What ill intentions could she have?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You¡¯re still young, dear brother,¡± Ailera said, ¡°Leave it to your big sister.¡±
¡°She¡¯s not a bad person, Ailera,¡± Adion said.
¡°I guess she doesn¡¯t seem to have revealed your secrets,¡± Ailera grudgingly admitted, ¡°I¡¯ll still make sure, though.¡±
¡°Right¡¡± Adion said, hoping Sell and his sister would get along.
¡°Well,¡± His grandfather said, ¡°Let¡¯s end it for today. I need to digest all this information with a good night¡¯s sleep. Or a good morning¡¯s sleep, I suppose. You will all stay here, I hope?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Ailera nodded, ¡°I want to hear more about your story when I wake up, Adion.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°I want to hear what you¡¯ve been up to, too. I¡¯m about to start in the Academy and don¡¯t know much about it, after all.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t we take you on a tour when we wake up?¡± Aiden suggested.
¡°That sounds great,¡± Adion nodded. He wanted to explore the place and get to know more about what his sibling''s life in the Academy was like.
¡°That¡¯s not fair,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather said, ¡°I won¡¯t be able to go with you.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you might be busy anyway, Grandpa.¡±
¡°Busy with what?¡± His grandfather asked.
¡°Advancing to the Soft Soul stage,¡± Adion said.
¡°Haah,¡± His grandfather sighed, ¡°Adion, I¡¯m trying, but I¡¯m not sure I can ever-¡±
¡°There is one last thing I haven¡¯t mentioned, actually,¡± Adion interrupted his grandfather.
¡°I won¡¯t be able to handle it, Adion,¡± Aiden said, looking at Adion fearfully.
¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want a Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill, then that¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said.
¡°Wha¡What?¡± Aiden stammered.
¡°I have a pill for you and Grandpa,¡± Adion said, ¡°It should make you a lot more powerful.¡±
¡°Adion¡you mean that power you showed us,¡± His grandfather spoke, trying to process what he was hearing.
¡°It hasn¡¯t been easy keeping this a secret,¡± Adion said, getting up and walking to his backpack that he had picked up at the inn with Aiden earlier. ¡°You see, even though there was only a single pill made from the blood of the Celestial Phoenix. There were five from the Fire Phoenix.¡±
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Adion picked up the ancient case he had found years ago and opened it to pick up the Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pills. He handed one to his brother and one to his grandfather. They both looked at the pill warily.
¡°Such power,¡± His grandfather murmured.
¡°Adion, are you sure about this? This is priceless. You could get anything you want in exchange for a pill like this.¡± Aiden said.
¡°Of course I¡¯m sure,¡± Adion said, ¡°I have more pills that are basically priceless.¡±
¡°You do?¡± Adion''s grandfather asked.
¡°Take a look,¡± Adion gestured to his case, ¡°There is a letter there I found along with the pills. You should read it.¡±
His grandfather immediately grabbed the letter and started reading as Aiden looked through the case. Adion turned his attention to his sister and let out a regretful sigh.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there is no pill for the water element, Ailera,¡± Adion said.
¡°It¡¯s fine, Adion,¡± Ailera said with a smile. Adion could tell she was a little disappointed, though. ¡°I¡¯m just happy that our family will get stronger with this.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°I¡¯ll take a look, too,¡± Ailera said and got up to look through the pills, ¡°I am an alchemist, after all. Just getting to look at pills like these is incredible enough.¡±
¡°Wait, you¡¯re an alchemist?¡± Adion asked, stopping his sister.
¡°Mm,¡± Ailera nodded.
¡°But then the Authority over fire would be extremely useful,¡± Adion said excitedly, ¡°You could control the flames to an incredible precision when you make pills and elixirs.¡±
¡°It would, but¡wouldn¡¯t that be a waste?¡± Ailera asked carefully.
¡°Of course not,¡± Adion said. He grabbed a Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill and handed it to his sister, ¡°It might be even more useful to you in a way. You don¡¯t want it?¡±
¡°You¡¯re really giving this to me?¡± Ailera asked, scrutinizing the pill in her hands.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯m glad it can be useful to you. I was afraid you might get sad not receiving anything.¡±
Ailera looked up at Adion with teary eyes and rushed to hug him.
¡°I love you, Adion. Thank you!¡± Ailera said with her head pressed against his chest.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion said, ¡°I love you too, sister.¡±
This feels nice. I¡¯m glad I had so many of them.
¡°This¡Adion, this Grand Soul Clarity Pill,¡± His grandfather said as he looked up from the letter he had been reading.
¡°That¡¯s what hopefully will help you reach the Soft Soul stage,¡± Adion said, ¡°And eventually even higher, I hope.¡±
¡°This is too good for me,¡± His grandfather said, ¡°You should save them for yourself. Someone like you will reach my stage in no time.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Adion said, ¡°Take the pill and advance. I want to know what it does and if it¡¯s possible to take at my strength.¡±
His grandfather looked at Adion for a while, ¡°Have you really thought this through? These pills are perhaps the greatest treasure in the world. You want to give them away like this?¡±
¡°If anything, it will feel relieving to get rid of some of them. And I can think of no better use for them than making my family strong.¡± Adion said.
¡°I don¡¯t think I can ever repay the favor, but I will try,¡± His grandfather said.
¡°It¡¯s not a favor, it¡¯s a gift,¡± Adion said, ¡°So no need to think about it.¡±
¡°Such a good little brother,¡± Aiden said and hugged Adion tightly.
¡°I am,¡± Adion agreed.
¡°Does this mean we¡¯ll become a Noble family?¡± Ailera let go of Adion and asked their grandfather.
¡°I haven¡¯t actually advanced yet,¡± He responded, ¡°But if I do, yes.¡±
I hadn¡¯t thought about that. I will become one of those annoying people?
¡°A Noble family of the Valis Kingdom?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I was actually thinking of joining the Academy and trying to become an elder there,¡± His grandfather said, ¡°It would mean giving up a lot of freedom, but it would also mean that we can be safe here even after you all graduate.¡±
¡°What freedom will you have to give up?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Nothing important, really,¡± His grandfather responded, ¡°Our family would just become a Noble family of Cyalis instead of the Valis Kingdom, and we would have to adhere to the Council instead of the Royal family. That means we can¡¯t go against the Council¡¯s interests, such as getting involved in any conflict on the continent without their approval.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t that mean we can¡¯t seek revenge?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It would,¡± His grandfather nodded, ¡°Unless the Academy announces Heavenly Light as an enemy, but I don¡¯t see that as likely if they don¡¯t do something to mess with Cyalis. But it would also mean that they can¡¯t do anything to any of you without suffering the consequences.¡±
I don¡¯t like that. But it would mean that my family would be safe from them. I could always find a way to handle them on my own eventually.
¡°Let¡¯s discuss it another day,¡± His grandfather sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us are in a place where we should make important decisions at the moment. I have a lot to melt.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Ailera nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s just enjoy that we¡¯re all together again. Let¡¯s go to bed and go to the Academy together when we wake up.¡±
¡°I will need to bring word to Temev first,¡± Aiden sighed, ¡°He¡¯s probably going to be angry that I just disappeared from my duties.¡±
¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s the Head of my House, Eternal Fire. I was supposed to look for promising students and get them to join us,¡± Aiden said.
¡°Oh? Well, I might join your House then,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m going to be rank 1, so he should be happy with that.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Aiden said with a smile, ¡°You want to join Eternal Fire, then?¡±
¡°Well¡maybe I¡¯ll look into the other Houses first just to be safe,¡± Adion said.
¡°Haaah, we¡¯d be able to earn so many credits if you join,¡± Aiden sighed, ¡°But I guess it doesn¡¯t seem so important compared to everything else that has just happened.¡±
¡°Right, how exactly do credits work? I got some during my admission,¡± Adion said.
¡°Tomorrow, please,¡± Ailera said with a yawn, ¡°Or later today, I guess. We should sleep.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Aidon nodded. He was also feeling tired, and even if he didn¡¯t absolutely need to sleep, he was used to always beginning the day with a well-rested Will.
¡°Shouldn¡¯t we take the pills first?¡± Aiden asked as he looked at the pill in his hand.
¡°About that,¡± Adion said, ¡°It might be good if you got some aura training first. You can¡¯t reveal this ability, after all. If someone notices anything, which I¡¯m sure someone will, you would need to able to lie about it.¡±
¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Aiden said.
¡°I consider myself a good enough liar to start right away,¡± His grandfather said with a grin. ¡°But I will advance first. The Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill will be my reward.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I hope to see you as a Soul mage the next time we meet.¡±
¡°I will make sure of it,¡± His grandfather nodded.
¡°Does this mean I have to start focusing on my aura?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°You haven¡¯t trained your aura at all?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It didn¡¯t seem very important,¡± Ailera said.
¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the Soul stages without very good aura control,¡± Adion said, ¡°So it¡¯s absolutely crucial that you begin focusing on it.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Ailera said, ¡°I guess that does seem possible now.¡±
¡°How good would we have to be before we can take them, do you think?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°Realistically,¡± Adion said, ¡°You should probably wait until after graduation. It will give you some time to train, and it will also allow you to increase your power without the scrutiny of the professors. But it¡¯s up to you.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll train my aura vigorously from now on,¡± Ailera said seriously, ¡°And¡you and Grandpa can test me before I take the pill.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Adion said with a small smile.
¡°Alright, alright,¡± His grandfather ushered them from his study, ¡°Nothing else is going to get decided until we all have time to think. Go to bed and have fun at the Academy. I will try my best to advance in the meantime.¡±
¡°Are you excited to become a Soul mage, Grandpa?¡± Ailera asked with a smile.
¡°I thought I was beyond the halfway point of my life, but it seems I¡¯ll get to stick around a while longer. I¡¯m excited to see what you all will amount to.¡± His grandfather said, a warm smile on his lips.
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Adion said, stepping out into the hallway with his siblings, ¡°The Remori clan has a bright future ahead.¡±
Chapter 104 - Credits
¡°So this is Cyalis Academy,¡± Adion muttered as he stepped through the gates of the Academy proper. He had left with his siblings as soon as they all woke up. Due to the late night, though, it was already well past noon.
¡°This is just one small part of it,¡± Aiden said, gesturing for Adion to continue following him and Ailera. ¡°The Academy is the size of a town, so it will take a while before you get to see all of it.¡±
¡°It¡¯s that big?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°Well, besides the many unique facilities, there are about 20,000 people living here, so it¡¯s not strange that it needs to be so big,¡± Aiden said.
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded. He knew the Academy was big, but it was still hard to wrap his head around. In his mind, the Academy was just the Tower of Cyalis and a few surrounding buildings.
¡°What¡¯s this place then?¡± Adion asked as they walked past a few buildings with a lot of students going in and out.
¡°Stores, restaurants, training facilities,¡± Aiden listed, ¡°This is the commercial area; it basically has everything that the public Academy has, but only students and faculty are allowed here, of course.¡±
¡°Shouldn¡¯t we stay and look around?¡± Adion asked as his siblings just kept walking while he tried to examine everything they walked past.
¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of time to explore later. Let us show you around some more first,¡± Aiden said.
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Let¡¯s go to your dorms first, shall we?¡± Ailera suggested.
¡°I suppose that might be a good start,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Do you know where I should stay?¡±
¡°I forgot about that,¡± Ailera said. ¡°Since you didn¡¯t go with the guide, you¡¯ll have to check with the administration about where to go. The dorms are far too big a place to start knocking on doors.¡±
¡°Where is the administration?¡± Adion asked.
¡°For this, we should head to the Old Academy,¡± Aiden said.
¡°Old Academy?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s where the Tower of Cyalis is located,¡± Aiden explained, ¡°The Academy used to be a lot smaller long ago when we had just arrived from Quemer and started settling here. There are a lot of interesting things to see there.¡±
¡°Like what?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Like the Ruins,¡± Ailera said with a small smirk.
¡°What are those?¡± Adion asked, feeling like a child with endless questions.
¡°Haha,¡± Ailera laughed, ¡°It feels nice to be on the opposite side of things from last night.¡±
¡°Just tell me,¡± Adion said.
¡°It¡¯s structures left behind from the Age of Wonder,¡± Ailera explained, ¡°But students aren¡¯t allowed to go near it. It is said that these ruins are the reason that the people from the Tower of Sages decided to settle at this place.¡±
¡°So no one believes that the Ruins are just collections of old rock,¡± Aiden said, ¡°But only the Council truly knows what hides there.¡±
What could it be? Some artifact? Maybe a teleportation formation like in the Remori manor? Maybe I could find a way to sneak inside and take a look.
¡°How well guarded is that place?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Adion¡¡± His brother looked at him seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid. Your powers might have helped you before, making the impossible an easy task. But this is Cyalis Academy. We have no idea what means they have. I would be surprised if they didn¡¯t have a runic device capable of sensing even a Pure Soul mage trying to hide.¡±
¡°Something like that?¡± Adion asked, surprised.
That would make things very difficult, I guess.
¡°Remember that this place began with the most powerful people in the world showing an interest in it,¡± Aiden said, ¡°And whatever they found has been built upon for thousands of years. Even knowing about your special circumstances, I would take care not to underestimate the most powerful institution on the continent.¡±
¡°I get it, I get it,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay out of trouble.¡±
Still, all this secret information is too enticing.
¡°Is there a way to get to know secret information?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I mean the stuff they won¡¯t teach in classes and the like. The information has to be passed to some people, right? What if I get the rank 1 spot? Would that carry any special privileges?¡±
¡°Having that rank will help a lot,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°As much as the Academy shares its knowledge with its students. A lot of information has to be kept a little secret. But as you said, it''s possible to gain information that is not available to all students. But that has to be bought with credits.¡±
¡°Credits can give me secret information?¡± Adion asked, feeling extremely thankful to professor Haul for his generous contribution.
¡°Credits can get you anything. It¡¯s more valuable than money, in a way,¡± Aiden said.
¡°How can something be more valuable than money?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°I guess it¡¯s not entirely true, as it¡¯s common for students to exchange credit for money,¡± Aiden said, ¡°But credits can get you things that money can¡¯t. No matter how much money you offer, you won¡¯t be able to gain access to the restricted part of the library, but credits can get it done easily. The same goes for a whole lot of other things. At the Academy, credits can get you anything money can, but not the other way around.¡±
¡°Interesting,¡± Adion murmured, ¡°How do I get credits? Actually, I already have 110 credits from the admission, I think.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Aiden said, ¡°I guess that makes sense considering your talents. Anyway, you gain credits through all sorts of things. Most professors give it out to students to their liking. They can¡¯t give it out indiscriminately, though, as they have to pay for those credits themselves.¡±
¡°That¡¯s generous, I guess,¡± Adion said, ¡°Wait. Do they get to keep the credits they take away?¡±
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¡°Of course not,¡± Aiden shook his head, ¡°That would never work. But they have the power to take away a certain amount of credits as they like. So don¡¯t annoy anyone with that power. It can become really troublesome.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°So professors use credits just like students?¡±
¡°They do,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°They are also interested in the things that credits can earn them. I think only the Council stands above credits.¡±
¡°So I get credits by impressing professors?¡± Adion asked.
¡°To a very small degree,¡± Aiden said, ¡°Someone like you would earn the most simply by holding your position. If you actually gain rank 1 in the diamond class, you will be earning an immense amount of credits.¡±
I get credits from being rank 1?
¡°How much will I get?¡± Adion asked.
Aiden smiled ruefully and looked at Adion, ¡°1000 credits per week.¡±
¡°What? Isn¡¯t that¡like a lot?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s crazy,¡± Ailera said, ¡°I only gain 50 credits every week. And I¡¯m in gold class. The difference is truly staggering.¡±
¡°So everyone gets credits every week depending on their position?¡± Adion asked.
¡°They do. It makes for a fierce competitiveness among the students,¡± Aiden said, ¡°You will have a lot of people after you as rank 1. Rank 2, even in diamond class, only gains 500 credits.¡±
That¡¯s still a lot. But it¡¯s a huge difference. Well, I¡¯m not worried. I¡¯m sure no one will be able to threaten my position.
¡°How about the other rankings?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, in the diamond class, everyone gains 100 credits every week. The top 10, 200 credits. And third place, 300 credits. Below that, people in gold class earn 50 credits a week, silver class 20 credits, bronze class 10 credits, iron class 5 credits, and stone class 1 credit.¡± Aiden said.
¡°That¡¯s¡how can anyone even do something with only 1 credit per week?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°They will have to do odd jobs or buy them for money, or count on getting them in other ways,¡± Aiden said.
¡°Seems rough,¡± Adion said.
¡°I think it¡¯s a pretty smart system,¡± Aiden said, ¡°It gets the students to work hard. No one placed in the stone class is happy with staying there after all. And their opponents are Bronze mages the same age as them, nothing impossible to beat.¡±
¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± Adion nodded thoughtfully.
It seems like an excellent motivator for students to work hard.
¡°Since I will be earning so many credits, do you have any suggestions on what I should use them on?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Not in particular,¡± Aiden said, ¡°Just don¡¯t spend it carelessly. You might need a lot of them if it¡¯s secretive knowledge you¡¯re after.¡±
¡°Hm,¡± Adion nodded.
I don¡¯t think I need anything in particular. Knowledge that is otherwise hard to come by seems to be the most worthwhile. I¡¯m glad that rank 1 earns so much. It will let me think about other things besides hunting for credits.
¡°You should also know that you won¡¯t be able to keep all of your credits,¡± Aiden warned.
¡°What do you mean?¡± Adion asked, looking to his brother.
¡°You will need to let go of some of it when you join a House,¡± Aiden said, ¡°It differs from House to House, but every House takes at least a portion of the credits of its members.¡±
¡°What? Why?¡± Adion asked, not fond of the idea at all.
¡°Well, to gain all the advantages a House will give you, you have to give something up, right?¡± Aiden said, ¡°At least someone in your position probably won¡¯t have to give up all of their credits.¡±
¡°Then who gets the credits?¡± Adion asked.
¡°The Head of the House decides where the credits go. A lot of it would go to strengthen you and the other members, so it¡¯s not an actual loss in a way. At least if you manage to get a good position, which I¡¯m sure you will.¡± Aiden said.
¡°Why would anyone join a House instead of just using your credits for yourself?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°Because you gain a lot more,¡± Aiden said, ¡°Think about it. Instead of a thousand people slowly waiting to gain enough credits to, say, buy a focusing pill each. They put all their credits together, and now they all get to share resources that they could never afford on their own. They could also influence the Academy more, as their credits weren¡¯t enough to influence anything on their own, but together they become very powerful.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded. He wasn¡¯t stupid. He could see the obvious advantages. It was just that they weren¡¯t so enticing to him.
¡°And joining a House would require you to listen to this Head of the House, I¡¯m assuming?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, sure.¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°Depending on the House. But it¡¯s not like you would become a slave or anything. The Head of the House can be replaced if he is unreasonable, so they wouldn¡¯t do anything unpopular.¡±
¡°Yeah¡I think that¡¯s not for me,¡± Adion said.
¡°Adion,¡± Aiden sighed, ¡°I know you are extremely powerful, but think it through. You would gain access to a lot of valuable information. You would have access to facilities to help you grow. You would have a place to go even after the Academy. Connections are probably the most important aspect of joining a House.¡±
¡°I get all that,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard Houses be explained before, but I guess I just feel¡in the mood to be free? I don¡¯t like the thought of subordinating myself. And I don¡¯t want to have to give my credits away and have someone else decide how to use them.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Aiden sighed, ¡°I guess there is no rush. You don¡¯t have to make a decision now. But don¡¯t turn anyone down too harshly if they offer you a spot in their House. Say that you¡¯ll think about it.¡±
¡°What if I create my own House?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Your own House?¡± Ailera asked, ¡°I never heard of anyone doing that.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure people have done it,¡± Aiden said, ¡°Even in recent years. But why would you want to create your own House, Adion?¡±
¡°What you said about joining a House made sense,¡± Adion said, musing aloud, ¡°It would be advantageous to be a part of one. The only problem is that I don¡¯t want to be subservient to someone else and have them control what happens to my credits. So wouldn¡¯t it all be solved if I created my own House? I could do whatever I want then, right?¡±
¡°I¡guess,¡± Aiden said, ¡°But what could you accomplish in just five years? Even with your powers, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to challenge the top Houses. They¡¯re all centuries, probably millennia old.¡±
¡°I agree,¡± Ailera said, ¡°I feel like you would have to put in a lot of effort with little to gain. Not many would join a newly created House, even by a rank 1 student.¡±
¡°But it¡¯s not impossible,¡± Adion said.
¡°Haah,¡± Ailera sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it more later.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded. He was liking the idea the more he thought about it. He had thought about it since he heard of Houses, but since he didn¡¯t really see the value before, he just left it in his fantasies. But now that he knew about the credits and had seen a little of how restrictive Aiden was in his duties even as a highly valued member of a House, Adion thought the effort would be worth it.
And if I manage to make my House powerful, wouldn¡¯t I have control over it even after the Academy? The other top Houses are very influential even on the rest of the continent. I could be the leader of Celestial Shadow and do things in the dark as Atao, while being the leader of my House as Adion Remori in the open.
But I shouldn¡¯t take on more than I can handle. None of this can be done easily. If it gets in the way of me growing stronger, I¡¯ll have to rethink things.
Chapter 105 - Continuing the tour
¡°What is that building?¡± Adion asked as he and his siblings continued their walk through the Academy. Looking into starting his own House had to wait as not even his brother had any idea about the process. So his brother and sister continued taking Adion around the Academy, telling him bits and pieces about their life there.
¡°It¡¯s the North Hall,¡± Ailera answered him as she also spotted the huge building appearing from behind the trees. Adion had discovered that much of the Academy grounds was empty of buildings, with fields of trimmed grass and beautiful trees covering both sides of the wide road they were walking on. He spotted a lot of students who were sitting on the grass, meditating. Some were accompanied by classmates and were training together instead, or simply having a relaxing meal.
It¡¯s a very peaceful environment.
¡°What¡¯s the North Hall?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s one of the Five Halls,¡± Ailera said, ¡°That¡¯s where almost all classes are held. As a first year, most of your classes will be in the North Hall, so you should remember how to get here.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
Amazing. If someone had told me that just the North Hall was the entirety of the Academy, I would have believed it. But I guess the Academy has a lot more students than I realized.
Even though you couldn¡¯t get accepted without reaching the low Bronze stage at 17, something only the most talented people could accomplish, the number of people managing it wasn¡¯t so low when the entire continent was taken into account. He had learned from his siblings that about 3,500 students joined the Academy each year, the number varying slightly depending on the number of talents born in a particular year.
¡°There is also the West, East, South, and Fifth Hall,¡± Ailera said, ¡°We will soon be able to see them. You might take a class or two in one of those Halls, depending on what you choose.¡±
¡°How do I choose classes?¡± Adion asked.
¡°There will be an introductory speech from the Headmaster tomorrow,¡± Ailera said. Some reverence could be heard in her voice. ¡°After that, you will get a schedule with some obligatory classes assigned to you already. But you will also have free slots to fill with classes of your choice if you would like to. Don¡¯t get more than you can handle, though. Most people only choose one extra class, maybe two, and focus the rest of their time trying to increase their strength.¡±
¡°I¡¯m already very strong, though,¡± Adion said, ¡°I should make the most of the opportunities here.¡±
¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Ailera nodded carefully, ¡°You are already strong enough to graduate, after all.¡±
¡°Still, no need to take on more than you can handle,¡± Aiden said, ¡°You should take some time to familiarize yourself with the Academy before deciding how much time you want to spend on studying.¡±
¡°You have already worked hard for so long,¡± Ailera said, looking at Adion with concern, ¡°You should relax a little and enjoy yourself now that you¡¯re safe.¡±
Adion smiled at his sister. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea to start things slow for once, ¡°I will do it like that then.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°You have a girlfriend that will need attention, after all.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion smiled, a little embarrassed, ¡°Do you know where she could be?¡±
¡°Haaah,¡± Aiden sighed, ¡°I can ask Rellitha next time we meet. But she will be at the introduction tomorrow, so I wouldn¡¯t worry.¡±
¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± Adion murmured. He had preferred to meet Sell sooner if possible. But one more day wasn¡¯t too much.
I look forward to training with Sell again. It never felt like something I had to push myself to do so when we were together.
¡°I still can¡¯t believe it,¡± Aiden said, ¡°I still can¡¯t believe a lot of things. But the fact that your girlfriend is Sellitha Amyss will take a long time for me to accept.¡±
¡°Why would that be so hard to believe?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Probably because he would never dare do the same thing with Rellitha,¡± Ailera commented.
¡°Oh?¡± Adion looked at his brother, ¡°You like her?¡±
¡°What? I-,¡± Aiden seemed stumped, ¡°I mean, who wouldn¡¯t like a beautiful princess? But I don¡¯t have any thoughts about her or anything.¡±
¡°You should tell her that you like her if you do,¡± Adion said with a nod, ¡°Or are you actually a coward?¡±
¡°It¡¯s far from that simple, Adion,¡± Aiden said, a little flustered. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s literally impossible.¡±
¡°Hahaha!¡± Ailera laughed, ¡°How can you say that to Adion? Isn¡¯t he the proof that it¡¯s very much possible?¡±
¡°I still can¡¯t believe it,¡± Aiden muttered.
¡°Hmm,¡± Adion looked at his brother, a little disappointed, ¡°Whatever.¡±
¡°It seems that you have disappointed our little brother already,¡± Ailera said with a wide smile.
¡°Adion¡It¡¯s just a little complicated,¡± Aiden tried.
¡°I get it, I get it,¡± Adion waved the matter off. Thinking about it, he actually didn¡¯t know enough to judge the situation. ¡°If you don¡¯t like her enough to tell her, it¡¯s probably for the best anyway.¡±
¡°Ouch!¡± Ailera stabbed her heart mockingly and grinned at Aiden.
¡°Fine,¡± Aiden said stubbornly, ¡°I¡¯ll tell her I like her. We¡¯ll become a couple, then marry, and I¡¯ll be accepted as the first human to become the king of Iitha. Everyone will bless us. Just like that. Happy?¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Adion said, surprised, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t-¡±
¡°I was trying to- Whatever, let¡¯s forget about it,¡± Aiden sighed.
I don¡¯t get it. Does he like her or not?
¡°What just happened?¡± Adion asked his sister in a low voice.
¡°I think Aiden wanted to show how unreasonable you were, but you didn¡¯t get it,¡± Ailera said with a smile.
Adion took a moment to think about it.
I guess I¡¯ve been through a lot of things that made me change my perspective of things. Aiden is just now learning about all of it and has a hard time wrapping his head around it. From his perspective, it does sound ridiculous.
¡°Sorry, Aiden,¡± Adion said, looking a little guilty, ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s ridiculous. But so are a lot of things that have happened recently, no? Try to get used to the idea that our family will become the most powerful family clan on the continent.¡±
¡°Adion,¡± Aiden looked at Adion a little strangely, ¡°Even with all you¡¯ve told us. We¡¯ll be far from the most powerful family. Even if Grandpa manages to become a Soul mage, even if he eventually becomes a Pure Soul mage, we wouldn¡¯t be the most powerful.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not saying he will take us there,¡± Adion said, ¡°He¡¯ll be part of it, but we are the future pillars of the family. And I¡¯m planning on going higher than the Pure Soul stage, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°I¡I can¡¯t say that I am,¡± Aiden said hesitantly.
¡°Well, you should,¡± Adion said.
¡°You think you can reach that high, Adion?¡± Ailera looked at her younger brother carefully.
¡°I do,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But I know how it sounds. Just try to get used to the idea.¡±
It¡¯s just like when I told my teammates about my plans. They didn¡¯t think I could reach the Soul stages. And doubted they¡¯d even reach Diamond themselves. But eventually, they got used to the idea to aim higher.
Adion knew he was unusual in being so sure of his own advancement, but he thought that belief in itself was an important part of going far. And he wanted his siblings to grow strong along with him, so it would be nice if they started thinking like that too. He didn¡¯t want his family to be left behind and grow old while he kept on growing stronger. Not because of their attitude, at least.
¡°Right,¡± His sister said, looking at Adion doubtfully.
¡°Anyway,¡± Adion said, ¡°Where to next?¡± They had reached a crossroad as they left the Five Halls behind them.
¡°We could take a look at the arena on our way to the Old Academy,¡± Ailera said, ¡°Your tournament will take place there.¡±
¡°Sounds interesting,¡± Adion said, ¡°When will the tournament take place?¡±
¡°In two days,¡± Ailera answered, ¡°So you have time to rest and prepare yourself, but I guess you won¡¯t need that.¡±
¡°Not really,¡± Adion said.
¡°It will create quite the spectacle when you reveal your Gift,¡± Aiden said with a small smile.
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¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯m a little worried that some professors will take a great interest in it and question me about my Gift. That seemed to be the case when the professors at admission talked about it.¡±
¡°Probably,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°Do you think you can fool them?¡±
¡°It depends on how powerful they are,¡± Adion said, ¡°I can probably fool Diamond mages without issue, but if someone stronger takes an interest, they might notice something.¡±
¡°Not many Soul mages take an interest in the day-to-day here,¡± Ailera said. ¡°But I guess your Gift could be the exception.¡±
¡°You could always refuse their invitations,¡± Aiden said.
¡°I could,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But that might create unnecessary problems. I might just say I need some time to get accustomed to the Academy. That will give me some time to think about how to deal with it all.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Aiden nodded.
¡°I can¡¯t really think of anything,¡± Ailera said, ¡°I still don¡¯t quite believe any of this is real.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out.¡±
¡°Worst case, they figure everything out,¡± Aiden said, ¡°But they might just be even more interested in you. It is unlikely someone from the Academy would wish you harm just because of your unique element.¡±
¡°I know it¡¯s unlikely,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I¡¯m still too weak to take any chances.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Aiden nodded. ¡°There are a lot of things to consider, I guess. Better take things slow and safe.¡±
Yeah. No need to rush into anything. I can slowly consider my options. I can also discuss it with Sell. She will probably have a better idea of the possible consequences revealing things about myself would have.
At the thought of Sell, Adion once again felt his mood soar. He was already extremely content with everything, but the thought of being around Sell again lifted Adion¡¯s spirits to new heights.
Maybe I can just ask someone if they know where she would be. It might be seen as strange, but I can just make up some excuse.
¡°Is that Rellitha?¡± Ailera suddenly interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see Rellitha walking towards them further down the brick road. Unfortunately, her little sister didn¡¯t seem to be around.
Rellitha also seemed to have spotted the siblings as she got a small smile on her face and increased her pace to meet them.
¡°Don¡¯t say anything crazy, please,¡± Aiden muttered.
¡°Why would I say something crazy?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I¡¯ve carried a lot of secrets for a long time. I can keep my mouth shut.¡±
Adion¡¯s siblings looked at each other with doubt.
What¡¯s this? Why the doubt?
¡°Aiden,¡± Rellitha greeted as she walked up to the group. There were two other elven girls her age beside her.
¡°Rellitha,¡± Aiden greeted. He then turned to the other girls, ¡°Hether, Klissa. Nice to see you.¡±
¡°Is this the little brother?¡± The girl introduced as Klissa asked, she had long brown hair and, just like the other two, a feeling of nobility around her.
¡°Yes,¡± Aiden nodded with a smile, ¡°This is my lost younger brother, Adion.¡±
¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you all,¡± Adion nodded to the girls.
¡°I¡¯m glad to see you have all reunited,¡± Rellitha said with a smile, ¡°Adion, I heard you were quite impressive during your admission.¡±
¡°You have?¡± Adion asked.
How could she have heard about it already?
¡°Is it true?¡± The girl named Hether asked excitedly, brushing some of her black hair from her face behind her ear.
¡°I guess I impressed them,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Not that,¡± Hether said, ¡°Is it true that you¡¯re Gifted? And that it¡¯s incredibly powerful?¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Adion didn¡¯t see a point in denying it, ¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Can you show us?¡± Hether asked.
¡°Hether,¡± Rellitha said a little sternly, before turning to Adion, ¡°Sorry, you don¡¯t have to show anything. It might be useful to keep it a secret until the tournament.¡±
Sell¡¯s sister is really nice!
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll win the tournament no matter how much I reveal.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a brave statement,¡± Klissa said with an intrigued smile. ¡°There are two high Bronze mages joining this year. One of them being Rellitha¡¯s younger sister.¡±
Sell has advanced to high Bronze? That¡¯s good.
¡°I still like my chances,¡± Adion said.
¡°Do you think so too, Aiden?¡± Rellitha asked his brother.
¡°He¡¯s grown a little cocky,¡± Aiden said with a smile, ¡°But yes, he will win. His Gift is very strong.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Rellitha looked a little surprised.
¡°Seems like you have to warn Sellitha about him,¡± Klissa said with a teasing smile.
¡°I guess so,¡± Rellitha nodded.
¡°Can you show us the Gift?¡± Hether asked. ¡°I heard it can stop people from moving.¡±
Is it that Sora who has begun spreading information? I should be careful of things like this in the future, it seems.
¡°Alright, who should I try it on?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Me!¡± Both Hether and Klissa said at the same time.
¡°I can only do one person at a time,¡± Adion said. It wasn¡¯t completely true, as his Authority was enough to freeze the both of them completely, considering their small stature. But it was a limitation Adion had contrived in order to not reveal everything about his powers.
¡°Me first, then,¡± Hether said, stepping in front of Klissa and started walking toward Adion.
Adion nodded and froze the space around Hether, making her come to a standstill. She was a low Silver mage, and she had a strong Will. But Adion could still hold her for a few seconds before he didn¡¯t want to waste more Will and let her go.
¡°What!?¡± Hether yelled as Adion let go, ¡°I¡¯m a Silver mage! How did you¡¡±
¡°You tried to move?¡± Rellitha asked carefully.
¡°I fought with all I had,¡± Hether said seriously as she turned to look at Rellitha.
¡°It¡Your Gift is that powerful?¡± Rellitha asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but your sister doesn¡¯t stand a chance,¡± Hether said.
¡°Can you try it on me too?¡± Rellitha asked.
¡°Sure,¡± Adion nodded. Klissa didn¡¯t insist on her turn and let Rellitha try.
As Rellitha stepped toward him, Adion did as always and froze the space surrounding her. But he was shocked at how difficult it was. Not even a second passed before Rellitha broke free.
She must have a very strong Will. I should remember that mages are a lot different from beasts.
¡°Incredible,¡± Relltiha murmured, still impressed with Adion¡¯s power despite her fast release.
It was to be expected. In her eyes, Adion was just a middle Bronze mage, and seemingly without much effort, he could hold her still long enough for a sword to pierce her heart given the right circumstances.
¡°I want to try to,¡± Klissa said and walked toward Adion.
Adion obliged once again, this time managing to hold her still just as long as Hether.
¡°This feels like cheating,¡± Klissa said as she was released.
¡°Congratulations on such a powerful Gift,¡± Rellitha said, ¡°Have you joined Eternal Fire yet? If not, Soaring Souls could make you a better offer.¡± She then looked to Aiden with a small smile, ¡°Sorry Aiden, but your brother is too powerful to pass up.¡±
¡°If you can make him join you, I would be glad,¡± Aiden said while shaking his head. ¡°He is planning on starting his own House as it is now.¡±
¡°Your own House?¡± Rellitha looked at Adion, surprised.
¡°I want control over my own credits and actions,¡± Adion said with a small shrug.
But if Sell has joined this House¡No. Well, maybe.
¡°You should think it through carefully,¡± Relltiha said, not threateningly, more like she was giving heartfelt advice, ¡°It would be a shame if you couldn¡¯t progress to Silver because you didn¡¯t join a high-ranking House.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll think about it some more,¡± Adion said, ¡°Is your House powerful? Have you gotten any strong first years? The two high Bronze mages you mentioned?¡±
¡°Not yet, we do most recruiting after the tournament,¡± Rellitha said, ¡°But you would be different.¡±
Adion elbowed his brother, gaining him a confused look. Adion tried to make him ask about Sell, but his brother didn¡¯t seem to get it.
¡°Surely your sister can join you without having to compete in the tournament?¡± Ailera asked.
That works too.
¡°She is still thinking about it,¡± Rellitha said with an awkward smile.
Adion once again elbowed his sibling, this time his sister.
Ailera looked at Adion with a knowing smile.
¡°Where is your sister?¡± Ailera asked, ¡°Is she preparing herself for the tournament?¡±
¡°Er,¡± Rellitha hesitated, ¡°No. She wanted to check on the list of new students for some reason. So she went to the admissions office to look.¡±
Is she looking to see if I got here? Maybe she didn¡¯t hear from her sister.
¡°What a coincidence,¡± Adion said awkwardly, ¡°We were just heading there. I don¡¯t know where I¡¯ll be living as I missed the guided tour.¡±
¡°Oh? We could all-¡± Rellitha began, but Adion interrupted her.
¡°But you should all continue talking,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll run and get it done in a few minutes.¡± He turned to his siblings who were staring at him knowingly, ¡°I¡¯ll meet you by the arena like we said.¡±
As soon as he said that, Adion took off running. Leaving three elven girls looking after him with confused expressions.
I don¡¯t want anyone else there. It would make it hard to talk.
Adion didn¡¯t know the exact location, so he had to stop and ask a few people along the way, but he didn¡¯t slow down as he didn¡¯t want to miss Sell.
Hopefully, she¡¯s still there. I don¡¯t want to wait until tomorrow.
Chapter 106 - The long way
This is the place?
Adion looked to the building he had just been directed to, where he hoped he could see Sell before she left.
He hurried inside the administration building and looked around. The only thing he could see was rows of desks with people lining up to a few of them. Adion approached one of the desks without a line.
¡°Excuse me,¡± Adion said to the clerk behind the desk, ¡°I want to look at a list of the newly admitted students. Is that possible?¡±
Hopefully, I¡¯ll be directed to where Sell is.
¡°Of course,¡± The clerk, a middle-aged man, nodded as if it was a perfectly normal thing to ask. ¡°It will be 1000 credits, please.¡±
¡°1000 credits? I don¡¯t have that much,¡± Adion said, a little stumped at the extreme cost.
¡°Your House didn¡¯t give you the credits? Wait. You¡¯re a newly admitted student. Why are you looking for the information?¡± The man asked.
¡°I just wanted to see if an old friend made it,¡± Adion made up.
¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid the cost is 1000 credits. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it,¡± The man said with a regretful expression.
I guess the price makes sense if it¡¯s only the big Houses that buy this information.
¡°Can I spend more credits than I have?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Not without punishment,¡± The clerk said with a serious expression.
¡°Haaah,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°Alright¡Do you have a bathroom I can use?¡±
The man looked at Adion weirdly for a few seconds before pointing out a door further inside the room. ¡°It¡¯s the one over there.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion nodded and made his way over.
Once in the bathroom, Adion made sure to lock the door before closing his eyes and releasing his space mana from his core, filling it up and trying to get a look at the place. He focused on the people inside the building, but there were too many people moving about, and Adion couldn¡¯t get a clear image of everyone¡¯s body without spending a lot of time. He tried focusing on the auras he could feel. He knew Sell would be a high Bronze mage after all.
The first one he felt was on the floor above, but a quick test of grabbing the space there revealed the shape of a large man. Adion moved on to the next aura, but wasn¡¯t any luckier. Finally, two floors above him, around 250 feet away, Adion felt an aura that he immediately recognized.
Of course. I wouldn¡¯t forget her aura.
His heart started beating in excitement, and Adion examined the room Sell was in to make sure she was alone. Unfortunately, there was another person in the room with her, a peak Bronze mage.
Is it someone looking up information or someone working here?
Adion examined the peak Bronze mage closer and found the woman was sitting by a table, just like Sell, seemingly writing something down.
Probably another student. What should I do? I guess I could wait until she leaves, but there would always be people around.
As Adion was thinking about it, though, he noticed the woman in the room get up and turn to leave.
Perfect.
Adion focused on the space inside the room, and as soon as the other woman left, Adion teleported into the room.
¡°What the-¡± The first thing Adion heard was Sell¡¯s flustered voice as she turned to look at the place where she just felt someone appear.
¡°Hello, Sell,¡± Adion said with a smile. Sell was staring at him with her mouth open.
Beautiful.
¡°Adion!¡± Sell yelled out in shock, but soon, a big smile appeared on her beautiful face. She hurried up from her seat and ran to embrace him.
Adion heart was beating fiercely.
What do I even say? I should have thought this through! I had the time!
Adion turned his head down to look at her. Only the crimson hair at the top of her head was visible to him. Her face pressed against his chest.
I¡¯ll just hold her for a while.
After a minute had passed in silence, Adion finally spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m so late,¡±
¡°You¡¯re really late,¡± Sell complained cutely, lifting her flushed face to look at Adion.
Something in Adion made it impossible to hold himself back, so instead of explaining his lateness, he put his hand on her left cheek and leaned in to kiss her.
¡°Mm?¡± Sell let out a surprised muffle as their lips touched, but she soon leaned into the kiss as well.
After what felt like far too short, she leaned back with a face as red as her hair and looked at Adion accusatorily. ¡°Y-you¡You kiss me like that without explaining anything?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded with a pleased smile, ¡°You have somehow gotten even prettier.¡±
¡°So embarrassing,¡± Sell mumbled and looked away with a smile.
¡°I missed you a lot,¡± Adion said. He felt it now more than ever.
What did I do for the past year and a half? I should have just gone to Amyss immediately. We could have figured something out.
¡°I missed you too,¡± Sell said, looking up to Adion again, smiling. ¡°But what happened? Why are you just arriving now?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Adion said, ¡°I was with your uncle in Rethi. He taught me some shadow magic. And then the trip took a long time because of the weather. I didn¡¯t get here until yesterday.¡±
¡°Wait, you were with my uncle?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Quahim. We met by coincidence, and he offered to teach me.¡±
¡°You told him about us?¡± Sell questioned.
¡°He recognized me from the painting you made of me,¡± Adion said with a smirk, ¡°He showed it to me. It was a very nice painting.¡±
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¡°He did what!?¡± Sell yelled out in horror, letting go of Adion in embarrassment, and started fiddling with her hair. ¡°He-He-I will have a talk with him.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Adion laughed, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? I¡¯m flattered.¡±
¡°Stupid,¡± Sell muttered. ¡°So you and uncle had fun together while I waited, huh?¡±
¡°Well¡¡± Adion hesitated, realizing he was not in a position to tease his girlfriend. ¡°I got you something,¡± Adion said, trying to change the topic, as he remembered the necklace he had bought.
Adion had left his backpack at his grandfather¡¯s residence as he thought his pills would be safer there. But he still brought the necklace he had bought Sell, as he hoped he would meet her when he got to the Academy.
He brought out the small box and opened it up to show the necklace to Sell. He was feeling a little embarrassed now that he was actually gifting it, as he realized how unimpressive it was to someone like Sell.
Maybe this will just make her more disappointed?
But Sell looked at the necklace with an open smile, surprised at the sudden gift.
¡°You bought me a necklace?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know what to get, and I thought you might already have everything you want. But I remembered that my mother was very happy when she got a necklace from my father¡so, yeah, the jewel is a Flame Ruby. I thought it would suit you,¡± Adion said, not sure when to stop, ¡°It¡¯s also said that it can help with comprehending fire concepts. I mean, you probably already-¡±
¡°I love it,¡± Sell said, looking at Adion with an amused smile.
She picked it up from its box and held it up in front of her.
¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Sell murmured, ¡°Thank you, Adion.¡±
Sell once again stepped forward and hugged Adion, this time more shyly than before.
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Adion said, relieved.
¡°I¡¯ll forgive you for being late,¡± Sell said with her head against his chest.
¡°Really? I thought I could make it up for you with a date,¡± Adion said.
¡°A date?¡± Sell asked, looking up at Adion with a happy smile.
¡°I promised that we would go see a bard performing together here in Cyalis, didn¡¯t I? Do you want to?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yes!¡± Sell nodded her head vigorously.
¡°Good,¡± Adion smiled.
¡°Help me put the necklace on,¡± Sell said excitedly, handing Adion the necklace. She turned her back to him and pulled her hair away, exposing her neck.
I have to buy her more necklaces.
Adion placed the necklace around her neck and made sure it was securely fastened.
¡°How do I look?¡± Sell asked as she turned around again.
¡°Beautiful,¡± Adion said seriously, earning him a blush from Sell.
¡°You know,¡± Sell started saying, but stopped herself as the door to the room opened.
Why?
A student who was probably in his second year based on his age stepped inside, immediately looking toward Adion and Sell.
¡°Er,¡± The young man hesitated.
¡°What do you want?¡± Adion asked, a little aggressively.
The student''s eyes kept darting between Adion and Sell in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m here to look over the list of new students.¡± He replied with a slight frown and made his way to the table in the middle of the room.
Can I get him to leave? Maybe with some credits?
¡°Adion,¡± Sell grabbed his attention in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Adion nodded.
He grabbed Sell¡¯s hand and started walking out of the room. When they were outside in the hallway, Sell let go of his hand with a flushed face.
¡°We can¡¯t show that we¡you know,¡± Sell said in a hushed voice.
¡°Oh¡right,¡± Adion said, remembering the need to keep their relationship a secret.
That¡¯s not going to work.
¡°I¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Adion said, determined.
¡°What are you planning?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure yet,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I¡¯m not going to spend the next five years hiding.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Sell said, ¡°Is it so bad that it¡¯s secret?¡±
¡°It¡¯s bothersome,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Okay, we¡¯ll figure something out together then,¡± Sell said, ¡°Now tell me, what have you been up to? How strong are you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m-¡± Adion stopped, remembering how he had gotten there, ¡°I have to teleport back. Meet me outside.¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± Sell nodded, hurrying down the corridor alone.
Adion found the bathroom through his sphere of space mana and teleported back. Stepping out of the bathroom again, he made eye contact with the clerk who had directed him there.
I wasn¡¯t in there too long, was I?
Adion gave a short nod to the man and headed outside.
It didn¡¯t take long for Sell to join him. Even though he had seen her not even a minute ago, the visage of her hurried steps toward him caused Adion to smile.
¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk while we talk, shall we?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded. He noticed that Sell¡¯s beauty had caused more than a few heads to turn.
This is why I don¡¯t want to remain a secret. It would feel nice to grab her hand now.
¡°I came here with my brother and sister and told them to wait for me by the arena. Do you know the way?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± Sell nodded happily and started walking, ¡°So you met your family? How was it? How did they react?¡±
¡°They were happy, of course,¡± Adion answered with a smile, ¡°And surprised. I was a sparkless when they left, and now I¡¯m a Silver mage.¡±
¡°No way,¡± Sell said, looking at Adion with her eyes wide open, ¡°How?¡±
¡°I meditated a lot,¡± Adion shrugged.
¡°You think I didn¡¯t? It¡¯s unfair,¡± Sell muttered.
¡°Well, I will train with you from now on to make sure you don¡¯t slack off,¡± Adion said with a smile.
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°It¡¯s a promise. But still, I can¡¯t believe it. You¡¯re a Silver mage already. Did you advance recently?¡±
¡°Almost a year ago,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m not far from middle Silver.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡Whatever, I¡¯ll catch up. Just you wait,¡± Sell said, ¡°I¡¯m not far from peak Bronze. I¡¯ll make sure to reach Gold before you.¡±
¡°You¡¯re welcome to try,¡± Adion said.
¡°Does the Academy know?¡± Sell asked.
¡°No, I hid it down to middle Bronze,¡± Adion said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to gain too much attention, but I¡¯m having second thoughts. I revealed my space powers as a Gift, and that seems to have already alerted the whole school. Your sister and her friends even knew about it. I met them on the way.¡±
¡°You met Rell?¡± Sell asked, ¡°Oh, right. She knows your brother, right? I met him too, you know.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°He told me.¡±
¡°He did? What did he say?¡± Sell asked.
¡°He just said that you were acting strange. But he could see why you did so after learning about us,¡± Adion said.
¡°You told your family about us?¡± Sell asked, surprised.
¡°Of course,¡± Adion said, ¡°I told them about everything. My space core, too.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡that¡¯s nice,¡± Sell said, ¡°I wish I could tell my family.¡±
¡°Well, your uncle knows. I even got his blessing,¡± Adion said with a smirk.
¡°You got his blessing?¡± Sell asked with an amused smile.
¡°In a way,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°I want to hear about it,¡± Sell urged.
¡°Then let¡¯s go this way,¡± Adion said, stepping off the bricked road onto the grass.
¡°But the arena is that way,¡± Sell said, tilting her head in confusion.
¡°I thought we might take the long way,¡± Adion said with a smile.
Sorry, Aiden and Ailera. I won¡¯t be too long.
Chapter 107 - Smooth
¡°Hahaha!¡± Sell laughed, holding her hand over her mouth, ¡°Sorry. I just imagined your face when Uncle guessed all that.¡±
¡°I was perfectly calm and collected about it, of course,¡± Adion said, ¡°I just chose to give away some secrets since he had helped me a lot.¡±
¡°Of course, of course,¡± Sell nodded, still laughing.
Adion and Sell had continued wandering around the Academy, telling each other about what they had been up to since they last saw each other. Sell had found it particularly amusing how Quahim had managed to figure out a lot of Adion¡¯s secrets.
¡°He never found out about my encounter with the Celestial Phoenix, though,¡± Adion said, ¡°At least I think he didn¡¯t.¡±
¡°I should hope not,¡± Sell said, ¡°It would take you telling him for him to be able to guess something like that.¡±
¡°Whatever,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m glad that your family has someone like him at least.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°He has never cared for politics or power struggles. So he is the only one who has always been on my side. Unfortunately, he¡¯s not exactly part of the family, and even if he was, he wouldn¡¯t have much influence as an old Diamond mage.¡±
¡°A Diamond mage means so little in your family? How many Soul mages does it have?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well,¡± Sell hesitated for a second, ¡°We have 3 Hard Soul mages and 14 Soft Soul mages, so they don¡¯t give much thought to someone with no chance of reaching that stage.¡±
¡°That many?¡± Adion asked, shocked, ¡°I guess it¡¯s a Royal family. I thought my family would be impressive when Grandpa reaches the Soft Soul stage, but I guess not.¡±
¡°You think he will?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I can¡¯t be sure, of course. But I would bet a lot of money that he will advance very soon.¡±
¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Sell said with a smile.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I will be able to relax a little more with my family stronger.¡±
¡°Yeah, you should relax now that you''re here and know that your family is safe,¡± Sell said. ¡°No need to think about revenge or stuff like that for the moment.¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Adion agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll just try to gain as much knowledge here and try to become stronger. Do you know any classes you will take?¡±
¡°Not really,¡± Sell said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of a few that sound interesting, but I¡¯ll wait until tomorrow to take a look at what classes will be obligatory and what other options there are. I don¡¯t want to waste too much time in classes, though. I need to focus my time on getting stronger.¡±
¡°But isn¡¯t this a rare opportunity?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, yeah,¡± Sell agreed, ¡°But I have a pretty substantial education already. And I have no plans of becoming a scholar. I just want to get as far as I can as fast as I can.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll help you train whenever you want. Even if I have to skip classes.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°Thanks. But you will lose a lot of credits like that.¡±
¡°Seems like a good use of credits,¡± Adion shrugged, prompting Sell to smile.
¡°I guess you will have a lot of them,¡± Sell said, ¡°You are going for rank 1, right?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Even without revealing my strength, I can just freeze my opponents with my ¡®Gift¡¯ and win without a problem.¡±
¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m not planning on revealing my Words of Truth,¡± Sell said, ¡°I¡¯ll settle for second place this time.¡±
Would she be able to beat me if she used all her power? Even if she¡¯s a Bronze mage?
¡°You think you could beat me if you used that?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Sell said slowly, ¡°You¡¯re a bit tricky. If you could keep me still long enough, or if you could teleport fast enough, I might not be able to hit you. But if I did, you wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. Which is why I couldn¡¯t use it even if I wanted. There is nothing but death waiting for someone on the receiving end of that attack.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t control it to be a little weaker?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Not as I am now,¡± Sell said. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. I would probably not have used it anyway. And I¡¯m confident at beating people my age even without it. Besides you, that is.¡±
¡°Hm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to reveal it? It would surely make you valuable to the Academy, right?¡±
¡°The same reason you don¡¯t reveal anything,¡± Sell said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what would happen if I do. And I¡¯m not strong enough yet to handle the consequences of a wrong choice.¡±
¡°Surely someone wouldn¡¯t do anything to a princess?¡± Adion asked, ¡°And what would they even do? Wouldn¡¯t they be happy that something so special is here for them to study?¡±
¡°Probably,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°But even the Amyss family wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against Cyalis. And I don¡¯t know enough about the people in power here and their goals for me to be comfortable in letting them decide what to do.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°It¡¯s probably for the best for both of us to get a good idea of this place first.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded.
¡°But anyway, I think I might have to take a class called ¡®Inexplicable magic.¡¯ Do you want to take it together? It seems interesting. It could probably touch upon Words of Truth and maybe help you understand your powers a little better.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°Remind me when we are picking out classes.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°By the way, will you join your sister¡¯s House?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not decided yet,¡± Sell said, ¡°I would rather not. But it is true that I would probably gain the most by joining Soaring Souls. What about you?¡±
¡°Well, I don¡¯t know enough about any of the Houses to make an informed decision, really. But I heard about how you had to give credits away by joining a House, and I¡¯ve also seen how my brother needs to take orders from the Head of his House. I wouldn¡¯t like that at all, so I have been thinking of just starting my own House.¡±
¡°Starting your own House?¡± Sell asked, surprised, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to lose credits and not take orders, wouldn¡¯t it be enough to just not join a House?¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But a House sounds like a good thing to be a part of at the same time, so I thought I might just make my own. If other people join, wouldn¡¯t I get even more credits to do stuff?¡±
¡°I¡I guess, but that would be difficult, even for someone like you,¡± Sell said, ¡°What would you do to attract people to join?¡±
¡°I just got the idea today, so I haven¡¯t thought about it,¡± Adion said, ¡°I would also have to look into what I would have to do. If it is too much work, it might not be worth it.¡±
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Well,¡± Sell hesitated, ¡°I might join your House then.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Adion asked, turning to look at Sell, who had a slight blush on her face,
¡°I said ¡®I might,¡¯¡± Sell emphasized, ¡°You would have to offer me a good deal to convince me.¡±
¡°I will make you an irresistible offer then,¡± Adion said, suddenly a lot more convinced to start his own House.
¡°Are you going to have a House focused on fighting or something knowledge-related? And what will you call it?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I haven¡¯t really thought about it,¡± Adion said, ¡°I guess fighting is important, but it wouldn¡¯t be bad to focus on other things as well.¡±
Runes seem interesting, but I¡¯m sure it would take up a lot of time. If I could get some people focused on that in my House, I might get them to work on some of my ideas for me. I should check if Prago has joined a House yet.
¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to decide anything right away,¡± Sell said, ¡°Houses make more generous offers if you choose to join them immediately, but for people like us, we would always be welcome even if we take a while to decide.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Adion said.
Not long after that, a grand coliseum came into view further down the road.
¡°That¡¯s the arena,¡± Sell said.
I¡¯ve been gone for almost two hours. Will Aiden and Ailera still be there?
¡°Hopefully, Aiden and Ailera won¡¯t be too angry,¡± Adion said.
¡°I¡¯m a little nervous,¡± Sell said.
¡°Why? You have already met Aiden,¡± Adion said.
¡°And he thought I was strange,¡± Sell sighed, ¡°Hopefully, I can make a better impression on your sister.¡±
After a few minutes of walking, Adion could see his brother and sister up ahead. But they weren¡¯t the only ones there. Rellitha and her friends were still talking with his siblings.
¡°My sister is still with them?¡± Sell said, ¡°Isn¡¯t she busy?¡±
¡°Looks like they¡¯re still talking about something,¡± Adion said.
¡°Won¡¯t they think it¡¯s strange that we¡¯re together?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Why? Aiden and Rellitha know each other, and we are both the most powerful students of the first years. It¡¯s normal that we would get along.¡± Adion said.
¡°That makes sense,¡± Sell nodded.
It didn¡¯t take long before the group of five noticed Adion and Sell coming up on them.
¡°Sell?¡± Rellitha looked at her sister, surprised to see her there.
¡°Hello,¡± Sell said.
¡°Sorry I was so late,¡± Adion said to his brother and sister.
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Aiden said, looking carefully at the two.
Seems like he understands.
¡°What are you doing here?¡± Rellitha asked her sister.
¡°I met Adion in the admissions building,¡± Sell said, ¡°We got to talking, and I decided to come along.¡±
¡°You¡got to talking?¡± Rellitha asked, looking at her sister like she didn¡¯t recognize her.
¡°Have you heard about Adion¡¯s Gift, Sellitha?¡± Klissa asked with a smirk, ¡°Think you can beat him?¡±
¡°No,¡± Sell shook her head, ¡°But I¡¯ll take second.¡±
¡°You¡Right,¡± Rellitha nodded slowly, ¡°His Gift is very hard to overcome in a one-on-one fight after all.¡±
¡°Nice to meet you, Sellitha,¡± Ailera stepped out and greeted her with a friendly smile, ¡°I¡¯m Adion¡¯s older sister, Ailera.¡±
¡°Oh? Nice to meet you too,¡± Sell said hurriedly.
¡°Anyway,¡± Adion said, ¡°This is where the tournament will take place?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a big event at the Academy, so don¡¯t embarrass yourself.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Adion said, ¡°I might not even get to fight. The dean said that he would try to discourage people from going up against me. Besides Sell, there is only one other high Bronze. I imagine I won¡¯t have many challengers after I defeat him.¡±
¡°¡®Sell¡¯?¡± Rellitha questioned, surprise evident in her voice.
¡°Hm?¡± Adion looked at Sell, only to find her having a slight blush on her face that wasn¡¯t there before.
¡°Isn¡¯t it natural that people call me that when we¡¯re the same age and strength?¡± Sell asked.
Oh¡I guess most people call her Sellitha.
¡°I¡¡± Rellitha looked at her younger sister without knowing what to say.
¡°By the way¡¡± Hether said slowly, ¡°Where did you get that necklace? I didn¡¯t notice it on you earlier.¡±
¡°I had it. It was just under my shirt,¡± Sell quickly made up, but the slight blush on her face was making it seem strange.
As much as I enjoy seeing Sell blush, this is making things very obvious for everyone, no?
¡°Is that so,¡± Rellitha looked closely at her sister.
¡°Well, we should get going,¡± Aiden said, trying to save the situation, ¡°We still haven¡¯t shown Adion where the dorms are.¡±
The dorms! I completely forgot.
¡°Did you find out where you¡¯ll be staying, Adion?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Oh? Where?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°Well¡the dorms,¡± Adion said.
¡°Yeah, but which dorms,¡± Ailera questioned.
¡°So¡I might have forgotten to ask that.¡± Adion finally admitted.
¡°It was my fault,¡± Sell said, ¡°I recognized him as people talked to him about his Gift, so I started talking to him and distracted him.¡±
Rellitha and her friends had been staring at the both of them intently for some time now, and that comment didn¡¯t help.
¡°I¡¯ll go back and check,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll be quick this time.¡±
¡°Haaah,¡± Aiden sighed, ¡°We¡¯ll come with you. You''re just going to get lost or something.¡±
Aiden then turned to Rellitha and her friends, ¡°It was nice talking to you. I¡¯ll see you all at the tournament, if not before.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Rellitha nodded, ¡°We should head on. Are you coming with us, Sell?¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Sell said.
¡°Good luck in the tournament, Adion,¡± Rellitha said.
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion nodded. He then turned to Sell and had to fight hard against his instincts to not kiss her again. ¡°See you tomorrow, Sell.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded, trying to force a smile down.
¡°Well, that was smooth,¡± Aiden said in a low voice as they walked off.
Ailera was giggling beside them, ¡°I can¡¯t believe how obvious you are. You actually gave her a necklace? And she wore it?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°Who¡¯s to say it was from me? I¡¯m sure Sell can clear it up.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Aiden said, ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s head for the admissions building. We at least need to know where you¡¯ll be staying before we do anything else.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
Rellitha surely figured something out. But she¡¯s Sell''s sister, so we should be fine, right?
Chapter 108 - Dorms
¡°That is the North Dormitory,¡± Ailera said as the large building came into view further up the road. They had gone to the admissions building together and found out that this was the place where Adion would be living.
¡°Seems like a nice place,¡± Adion said, ¡°How are the rooms here? Do you guys also have rooms around here?¡±
¡°No,¡± Ailera shook her head, ¡°I live by the Academy Garden, and Aiden lives at his House.¡±
¡°Eternal Fire even has rooms for its members?¡± Adion turned to his brother and asked.
¡°Not for everyone,¡± Aiden shook his head, ¡°But someone in my position can get a pretty nice accommodation. I could get something like that for you if you decide to join us, you know.¡±
¡°Not worth it,¡± Adion said, ¡°But how come you get to live by a garden? It sounds nicer than this.¡±
¡°Everything can be arranged if you¡¯re willing to pay credits for it,¡± Ailera said, ¡°So if you don¡¯t like this place, you can arrange to live somewhere more fancy. You will have the credits for it, but every new student gets to live at one of these places for free, with the more prominent students moving out pretty soon.¡±
¡°Joining a House can speed up the process a lot,¡± Aiden said, ¡°Which is why many choose to do so as soon as possible. Everything becomes easier for you, and you don¡¯t have to wait to collect enough credits to live someplace nice.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Adion said, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t look so bad, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be in a rush.¡±
Adion didn¡¯t care very much where he was living. Just having a bed and a desk would be enough. But if he could get someplace fancy just for some credits, he wouldn¡¯t be averted to the idea of moving out.
¡°Anyway,¡± Aiden said as they arrived at one of the entrances of the large stone structure, ¡°Your place should be on the third floor, so we will wait outside for you to go and see how it is.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t want to come and take a look?¡± Adion asked.
¡°We¡¯ll let you say hi to your roommates in private,¡± Aiden said, shaking his head.
¡°Alright then,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll try not to take too long.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Aiden said, ¡°We¡¯ll head back to Grandpa¡¯s place when you¡¯re finished. We can finish the tour tomorrow.¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Do you think he will have advanced when we get back?¡± Ailera asked with an excited expression on her face.
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Adion said, ¡°Does it take more time to advance to the Soft Soul stage than the ones before?¡±
¡°I have no idea,¡± Aiden said.
¡°I guess we¡¯ll see then,¡± Adion said, ¡°In any case, it shouldn¡¯t take too long.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Ailera nodded.
Adion opened the doors and went inside the building.
The third floor, huh.
Adion started walking up the wide staircase and soon found himself in front of a room with the number ¡®45.¡¯ He had received keys to the room from a clerk at the admission building after showing his Academy badge, so he didn¡¯t see the need to knock.
¡°Which is why I even made the offer in the first pla- Oh?¡± Adion heard a voice interrupting itself as he opened the door.
Two young men Adion¡¯s age turned to the door as Adion walked inside. The one who had just been talking was standing in front of the other young man who was sitting on a couch in what appeared to be a common living area.
Both low Bronze mages.
¡°Looks like our last roommate finally decided to show up,¡± The young man standing said as he approached Adion with an outstretched hand and a smile on his face.
¡°A pleasure to meet you. My name is Heso Jimmen,¡± The tall brown-haired man said as Adion shook his hand.
¡°Adion Remori, nice to meet you,¡± Adion said.
¡°Our quiet friend over there is called Sokken,¡± Heso said as he gestured to the muscular blond man sitting on the couch, ¡°Not from a family clan, he says, and still manages to become a Bronze mage at 17. Impressive, right?¡±
¡°It is,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Is the name Shirorin?¡±
Sokken just gave a quiet nod in response.
¡°You said you were from Mitomera, didn¡¯t you, Sokken?¡± Hiso turned to the man and asked.
Sokken answered with a quiet nod once again.
How did Heso have a conversation with this guy when I walked in?
¡°So, where are you from, Adion?¡± Heso turned back to Adion and asked, ¡°I¡¯m here from Cyalis, by the way.¡±
¡°I¡¯m from the Valis Kingdom,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Then I don¡¯t see us having any conflicts based on that, at least,¡± Hiso said with a satisfied nod.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded. He looked around the room and found it quiet to his liking. Even if it didn¡¯t look very fancy, the living area gave a homely feeling.
¡°So, where do I sleep?¡± Adion asked.
¡°That would be your room,¡± Heso said as he pointed out a room on the left, ¡°We have two more roommates, but they are out at the moment. I will introduce you to them later.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion said and made his way to his room. Opening the door with the same key he had used earlier, he found himself in a small room with a simple bed, a desk, a chair, and a chest for his belongings.
It looks like a cheap inn. But that¡¯s what I¡¯m used to.
¡°You don¡¯t have any luggage with you?¡± Heso asked from the door to Adion¡¯s room.
¡°I don¡¯t have much,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I have a backpack that I will bring later. My grandfather has a place in the city, so I have been staying there.¡±
¡°I see, I see,¡± Heso nodded.
There wasn¡¯t much to look at in Adion¡¯s room, so he stepped outside and locked the door again.
¡°I have to admit that I haven¡¯t heard of the Remori family,¡± Heso said from next to him, ¡°Perhaps you haven¡¯t had a branch in Cyalis for long. Or have you gone under my radar?¡±
¡°We are just a 2nd-tier family, so it isn¡¯t strange,¡± Adion said.
Or have we perhaps become a Noble family already?
Stolen story; please report.
¡°And we don¡¯t have a branch here in Cyalis,¡± Adion answered.
¡°You managed to reach middle Bronze coming from a family like that, huh,¡± Heso said, ¡°Impressive.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion said, somewhat grateful for Heso¡¯s talkative nature, considering Sokken¡¯s presence.
I guess I¡¯ll stay and talk for a few minutes. Aiden and Ailera didn¡¯t seem to mind. And it would be rude to just leave immediately. I don¡¯t know how long I will stay here after all, so I might as well get along.
Adion didn¡¯t walk out again, but he didn¡¯t take a seat either.
¡°So, Adion,¡± Heso said, ¡°What class were you put in?¡±
¡°Diamond class,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Really?¡± Heso asked with a surprised look. Sokken also lifted his eyes to look closer at Adion.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°I guess you are middle Bronze, but it is still impressive. It¡¯s been a while since that strength guarantees entry to diamond class.¡± Heso said.
¡°Oh? It used to be?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Heso nodded, ¡°The requirement of being a Bronze mage at the age of 17 hasn¡¯t always been the case. Only the most talented few could reach that strength. And a middle Bronze mage was a genius not seen every year. But Shiora keeps on getting stronger with every generation. Perhaps it won¡¯t long before the requirements have to be even stricter, as more and more people are eligible to enter the Academy.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion nodded.
I hadn¡¯t really thought about it, but I guess we are still recovering from the Age of Darkness. Perhaps someone like me will be common garbage in the future. But I doubt it. There should be a limit to how fast someone could advance.
¡°We might be saying goodbye to you sooner than we would like then,¡± Heso said with a friendly smile, ¡°I¡¯m guessing you will join a powerful House soon and go to live somewhere more pleasant.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I don¡¯t think this place is so bad. I¡¯ll probably stay for a while, at least.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Heso said, ¡°It will give us a chance to get to know each other. Connections are very important, after all. I would say that it¡¯s the most valuable resource available here at the Academy.¡±
¡°Even more so than the classes, the knowledge?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Those are incredibly valuable,¡± Heso nodded, ¡°But the students here will all be among the most powerful people on the continent in the future. What is a little knowledge compared to friends like that?¡±
¡°I guess you have a point,¡± Adion nodded.
Well, I should probably get going. I have more time to get to these people in the future.
¡°Anyway, I have to get going,¡± Adion said, turning to leave.
¡°Already? Where to?¡± Heso asked.
¡°My brother and sister are waiting for me. We will head back to my grandfather¡¯s place in the city,¡± Adion answered.
¡°I see,¡± Heso nodded, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you later then.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Nice meeting you. You too, Sokken.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sokken nodded.
I guess that¡¯s something.
Adion stepped out into the staircase again, leaving his two roommates to continue their conversation together.
A part of me almost wants to spy and see how Heso handles talking with someone like Sokken.
¡°How was it?¡± Aiden asked as Adion stepped outside again.
¡°It was alright,¡± Adion said, ¡°Nothing fancy, but it¡¯s not worse than a common inn. I¡¯ll probably live here until I get to know the Academy more¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go visit Grandpa. I¡¯m excited to see if I¡¯m a Noble yet.¡±
¡°Is that something you want?¡± Adion asked as the three began walking.
¡°Of course,¡± Aiden answered, ¡°Nobles don¡¯t have much power here at the Academy, but in the rest of the world, they are far above the rest of us. It would be very useful to become one of them.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not interested in becoming someone powerful, Adion?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°Of course I am,¡± Adion said, ¡°It¡¯s just had some unpleasant encounters with Nobles. But I guess it is a good thing for the family.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Ailera nodded, ¡°I¡¯m excited to see if he has advanced. I never thought we would have a Soul mage in the family.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Aiden smiled, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s not out of our reach either.¡±
¡°Of course it isn¡¯t,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll save the same pill I gave Grandpa for you too, so I don¡¯t want to hear any excuses.¡±
¡°Such a good little brother,¡± Ailera said, giving Adion a hug with a bright smile.
¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Adion smiled.
It took them a while before they made it back to their grandfather¡¯s residence. Thankfully, there were carriages in the Academy that the students could hire for credits, so they didn¡¯t have to walk for very long, at least.
Once there, they were let inside by a Silver mage guarding the place and were soon welcomed by Marli.
¡°Welcome, young masters,¡± Marli greeted the Remori children.
¡°Marli, has Grandpa come out of seclusion?¡± Ailera asked excitedly.
¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Marli shook her head, ¡°He asked that no one disturb him until he comes out. No matter how long he takes.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Aiden said, ¡°We¡¯ll stay the night, and if he hasn¡¯t come out by tomorrow morning, he can send us a letter to let us know.¡±
¡°I will deliver the message,¡± Marli said, ¡°Would you like something to eat?¡±
¡°That would be great,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll have it in the dining room.¡±
¡°Then I will prepare something,¡± Marli said and made her way to the kitchen.
¡°I should also have someone making me food,¡± Adion commented as the siblings made their way to the dining room, ¡°I wonder how many credits it would cost.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t start spending them recklessly.¡± Ailera said, ¡°You can just buy food for money. We¡¯re not poor.¡±
¡°I suppose,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°It¡¯s a shame Grandpa hasn¡¯t finished,¡± Ailera said, ¡°You don¡¯t think anything will happen to him, do you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine,¡± Adion said, ¡°It can¡¯t be an easy thing to ingrain your mana core into your soul.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Ailera nodded.
¡°Well,¡± Aiden said as they took their seats at the dining table, ¡°Do you guys want to play something? I have playing cards.¡±
¡°Sounds fun,¡± Ailera said.
¡°Sure,¡± Adion said, ¡°You¡¯ll have to teach me, though.¡±
¡°No worries,¡± Ailera said, ¡°We¡¯ve played a lot with Grandpa the past years. It will take you a while to catch up with our skills.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Adion said, intrigued, ¡°Why don¡¯t we start slow and then throw some bets in?¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Ailera smiled.
¡°No cheating, though,¡± Aiden said as he looked at Adion.
¡°I would never,¡± Adion said, acting appalled. He then added with a smirk, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s only cheating if you get caught.¡±
¡°Then we should have some penalties if you get caught,¡± Aiden smiled back and began shuffling.
¡°Fair enough,¡± Adion nodded with a smile.
And so Adion spent the rest of the night enjoying the company of his siblings as he learned the different games they used to play. They stayed up late after they had eaten, and his siblings talked more about what they had been up to during their time in Cyalis, while Adion dived into some of his own stories that he hadn¡¯t told yet.
Not until many hours after dark did Adion go to bed, excited about the day ahead of him.
Tomorrow I¡¯ll have to attend the introduction for the first years. Then I¡¯ll get to choose my classes for the coming year. And I¡¯ll get to see Sell again. Looks like it will be another great day.
Chapter 109 - Introduction
I can¡¯t spot her. Maybe she¡¯s already inside.
Adion looked around him, searching the crowd of hundreds of students crowding around him for Sell. They were all heading inside the Fifth Hall, where they would listen to some speeches, become familiar with their professors, and get informed about some essential matters about the Academy.
He had gone to the Academy with his brother and sister, but this introduction was only for first-years, so they had left him here and gone to handle their own business.
¡°Adion!¡±
Adion turned around and spotted the one who had called out. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t the one he was looking for. It was a human with straight black hair, someone Adion recognized.
That was the guy who had his admission after me. What was his name again? Relmon something.
¡°Adion, nice to see you again,¡± Relmon said as he caught up to Adion.
¡°Mm, you too. Relmon, right?¡± Adion said, shaking Relmon¡¯s hand.
¡°Relmon Zemer, branch family,¡± Relmon introduced himself once again with a friendly smile.
¡°You said that last time, too,¡± Adion commented, ¡°Do you have to specify that you¡¯re from a branch family?¡±
Adion knew that many old family clans had several branches and that there were differences between them and the main family, but he found it odd that someone kept bringing it up.
¡°It¡¯s just to avoid misunderstandings,¡± Relmon said as he and Adion entered the grand building together, following the stream of students.
¡°What misunderstandings?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, a human from an elven Noble family isn¡¯t very common. But with my talent and family name, people might assume I¡¯m from the main line of the Zemer family,¡± Relmon explained. ¡°I¡¯ve been told that I have to make it very clear that I¡¯m just from a branch family.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Adion nodded.
I didn¡¯t know the Zemer family was a Noble family from Iitha, but that makes sense then.
Adion knew that there were a lot of couples of humans and elves. It wasn¡¯t something that was frowned upon. But that was only the case for ordinary people. With no way of making sure that such a union would result in elven children, Noble families had to keep away from such things, lest they change from an elven family to a human family in a few generations.
I think most human children in elven Noble families would lose their status as family members, but maybe there¡¯s an exception if they are as talented as Relmon.
¡°That seems like it could get annoying after a while,¡± Adion said.
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Relmon waved it off. ¡°I assume you got into the diamond class?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°You?¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Relmon nodded with a smile, ¡°Hopefully, I¡¯ll be able to get a ranking in the top 10 after the tournament. I assume you¡¯re going for that as well?¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m taking the rank 1 spot,¡± Adion said.
¡°You think you can do that?¡± Relmon asked, ¡°I know you have a powerful Gift, but there are two students who have already reached high Bronze; one of them is even a princess of Iitha.¡±
Adion turned to look at Relmon. He had said that last part with a lot of admiration.
¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Adion said.
¡°That¡¯s all we can do,¡± Relmon agreed.
¡°What do you know about the princess, by the way? Seeing how you¡¯re from Iitha as well, you must have heard some things?¡± Adion asked, curious about the rumors surrounding his girlfriend.
¡°I¡¯ve never met her, but I hear she is one of the most beautiful girls in all of Iitha,¡± Relmon commented.
That seems about right.
¡°I also hear she is a training maniac,¡± Relmon said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t socialize like many other Nobles, always focused on getting stronger. She has a fire core, which is very rare among elves, and it is said that her fire has incredibly powerful concepts. A lot of people believe that there once was a powerful fire mage in the Amyss family, or else her power doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±
It¡¯s true that her fire is incredible. I wonder if it¡¯s gotten even stronger since we last met? I can¡¯t wait to train with her again.
¡°It sounds like she¡¯s very impressive,¡± Adion said.
¡°Yeah,¡± Relmon said and nodded slowly, ¡°I wonder if we¡¯ll have a chance to meet her? Diamond class is only 100 people, after all.¡±
¡°I already met her,¡± Adion said casually. A lot of people had already seen them together, so it wasn¡¯t a secret. ¡°We¡¯re friends.¡±
¡°What? When? Really?¡± Relmon asked.
¡°Why are you so surprised? We happened to meet, and since we are top students, we had a lot in common.¡± Adion said.
He and Relmon finally entered the giant auditorium that was already filled with over a thousand students. Adion looked around but didn¡¯t like his chances of finding and being able to make his way to Sell.
¡°But¡it¡¯s the princess,¡± Relmon muttered.
¡°I¡¯m sure there are a lot of people of similar status here,¡± Adion said, ¡°Calm down.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Relmon nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll have to get used to that idea. Want to sit together?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Adion said, taking his seat in one of the rows next to Relmon.
¡°Do you think you can introduce us?¡± Relmon asked carefully.
Adion turned to look at Relmon and said with a serious expression, ¡°No.¡±
¡°What, why not?¡± Relmon asked.
¡°I don¡¯t trust you have good intentions,¡± Adion said.
¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Relmon asked.
¡°Quiet down,¡± Adion said, ¡°It¡¯s starting.¡±
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Relmon turned to the stage down below and noticed that it was still empty, with a lot of students still pouring in.
¡°It¡¯s not starting,¡± Relmon said.
¡°Still,¡± Adion said, closing his eyes, ¡°We should take this opportunity to grow stronger. I¡¯ll meditate for a while.¡±
¡°Here?¡± Relmon questioned, ¡°What core do you have?¡±
¡°Fire,¡± Adion said.
¡°Isn¡¯t it a waste to meditate here then?¡± Relmon questioned.
Most people in Adion¡¯s situation wouldn¡¯t waste Will on turning pure mana into fire mana, opting to meditate in a place abundant in their mana or with a beast core of the same element.
¡°Progress is progress,¡± Adion said as he started manipulating the surrounding space mana into his core.
I¡¯m not far off from reaching middle Silver. Is there a chance I can reach Gold before graduating?
The Academy had higher mana density than any place he had ever been to except for the previous headquarters of the Celestial Phoenix Sect, making Adion very pleased that he would be able to progress a little faster in this place than during the previous years.
But after only 15 minutes of meditation, the large crowd quieted down as a man walked onto the stage down below.
Adion opened his eyes to look at the man he had seen the first time two days prior.
Dean Lukas.
¡°Welcome, everyone,¡± Lukas said as he took his position behind a podium in the middle of the stage. His voice easily reached all the way to where Adion and Relmon were sitting, even if he wasn¡¯t yelling.
There must be some kind of runes at work. Amazing.
¡°My name is Lukas Horrof, and I am the dean of Cyalis Academy,¡± Lukas began, ¡°I have seen some of you during the admissions and hope to see the rest of you during the coming years, excelling with the opportunities available to you all here at the Academy.
¡°We will be welcoming some of your professors to the stage soon to inform you of some important details to keep in mind during your time here. After that, you will all be handed a schedule as well as a booklet with other available classes, should you be interested in taking them. But before all of that, our customary introduction speech. Boys and girls, please stand for the Headmaster of Cyalis Academy, Pure Soul Vermon Demorr!¡±
Immediately after hearing those words, and seeing the old white-haired and bearded man walking to the podium, every single student there flew up to their feet and gave a thunderous applause.
¡°The Headmaster! I can¡¯t believe how lucky we are,¡± Relmon said from beside him, ¡°He only returned to the Academy five years ago. Before that, it was decades without him showing himself. We were truly born at the right time.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
So this is one of the most powerful people in the world. I can tell that he is definitely more powerful than Fellion from his aura. Unless Fellion hid his full strength from me.
Adion observed how the Headmaster slowly walked to the podium while ignoring the reception of the students. Even if his white hair and beard spoke of a very old age, his back was straight, and he seemed to be filled with energy.
I wonder how old he is? How long can someone live when they get to the Pure Soul stage?
Adion was also curious if the same thing that prevented him from using his Authority on Mephina would prevent him in a different way with someone so much stronger.
He is far away, but he is still within my reach. I¡¯ll see if he has that same cloud-like, unbreachable space around him.
Adion focused on the space surrounding the Headmaster, not like when he was freezing someone stiff in space, but just surrounding the man.
Incredible. There is a much larger cloud-like space around him than Mephina. I can¡¯t take control of any space around him using my Authority.
¡°Wha¡what¡¯s happening?¡± Relmon nervously whispered beside him.
Adion realized the Headmaster had stopped abruptly and was looking into the sea of students. A cold shiver ran down his back as he could feel the same sensation as when Fellion poked his aura all those years ago.
Is this his aura sense? Why is he making it so obvious? To scare us? To scare me?
Adion soon calmed down as he felt Atao appear at the back of his mind, taking the edge of the situation. He started breathing deeply to think about what had happened in the last few seconds.
I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence. He felt what I did, even if I never actually grabbed hold of any space. Just the fact that I was testing the space around him alerted him.
Don¡¯t mess with Soul mages in the future, even with my abilities. Good to know.
Hopefully, he doesn¡¯t know it¡¯s me. If he has discovered it, I¡¯ll apologize deeply and blame it on my Gift.
¡°Hehe,¡± A low chuckle came out of the Headmaster¡¯s mouth as he continued his walk to the podium.
¡°It seems like we have an interesting batch this year,¡± Headmaster Vermon said as he reached the podium and looked out of the sea of students.
That¡¯s a promising reaction, at least. But I think I¡¯d better stay away from anyone with an aura sense like that if I don¡¯t want all my secrets revealed.
¡°Sit,¡± The old man said in a calm but commanding voice.
Every single student immediately sat down. Adion noticed how he and Relmon were not the only ones who were a little shaken by the previous experience.
¡°Don¡¯t be so frightened,¡± Vermon said, shaking his head, ¡°It was just a bit of aura sense. What should frighten you is when you can¡¯t feel it. But we¡¯re not here to talk about that. We¡¯re here to commemorate the beginning of your journey here at the Academy.¡±
The Headmaster took a moment to look around the large auditorium.
¡°Congratulations on entering the greatest Academy on Shiora. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all worked hard to get where you are. But this is far from the end. You might have heard a lot of praise from family and friends before getting here, saying you¡¯re a genius, a once in a generation. And for sure, reaching the Bronze stage at 17 years old is no easy task. But it is not good enough.
¡°Here you are just one of many. If you truly want to reach the top, you will have to work hard and surpass your limits. As much as we focus on knowledge here at the Academy, we acknowledge that knowledge is useless without strength.
¡°I¡¯m sure that some of you have spent a lot of time preparing for admissions by studying, and are perhaps upset that it didn¡¯t matter to determine your classes. But don¡¯t worry, nothing has been in vain, as that knowledge will still serve you in the years to come, allowing you to grow stronger. If you perform well in your classes, you will receive credits. If you have credits, you can gain strength. And with strength, you can gain even more credits, creating a positive feedback loop for those at the top. Some might feel it unfair and that it will be impossible to catch up to the greatest talents here, but such is the way of the world. No one is going to hand you anything if you don¡¯t show your value and work hard.
¡°The current Age is still very young, and as much as the focus of it is to discover the secrets of the past through research and studies, a lot of it can¡¯t be done by weak mages. Mages need to be strong so we can explore this world. And strong so we can protect what we have managed to get so far. Not even the mages during the Age of Wonder were strong enough to handle the calamity that destroyed them, so we are far from strong enough to be comfortable.
¡°I¡¯m sure many of you have heard of the potential return of the Fire Phoenix. Whether this is true or not, and whether you believe that the Phoenix is an enemy or savior, it is a reminder of how weak we all are. If we wish to have a lasting chance here in this world, a future for our family and our race, we can never become comfortable with what we have. We must strive to always reach higher, and dare challenge what is known and safe.
¡°As much as this Academy is a safe place for you young people to learn and grow, the world waits for no one, and neither do we. If you want the best, you¡¯ll have to show us the best. Those of you at the top, I hope to see you fight to keep it that way. Those at the bottom, I hope to see you fight to change it. And at the end of it all, I hope to see you all at a higher peak than the generation before you.¡±
With those words, the Headmaster of the Academy turned away from the students and started walking off stage. After a few minutes of silence, the students once again stood up on their feet and applauded the old Pure Soul mage.
That was a short speech. I figured he would talk more about the importance of studies, but I guess he didn¡¯t want anyone here to grow lazy. It might be an important wake-up call for some students who saw entering the Academy as their end goal.
With this speech, I feel like a lot of those in the lower classes won¡¯t waste any time to change their situation.
¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to continue to work hard,¡± Relmon said beside him.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
Even though I¡¯m far ahead of the other students here. I¡¯m miles behind people like the Headmaster. I still have a lot of work ahead of me.
Chapter 110 - Classes
¡°As such, I hope to see you all take the subject seriously. I look forward to our time together,¡± Professor Tenami ended her speech and walked off the stage. The students all clapped as she finished her speech, less excitedly than at the beginning of the day, as it had been hours of listening to different professors and faculty members talking.
Tenami is Shiorin for ¡®wise.¡¯ She must be Kuwamin. And considering her position, she seems to be living up to her name well.
¡°Thank you, professor Tenami,¡± Dean Lukas said as he took his place behind the podium once again. ¡°With that, we are almost finished with what we came here to do today. All that remains is for you to go and pick up your schedules and a booklet of available classes. Remember to turn everything in before the deadline.
¡°I believe a reminder is in place, however. Even though you have all been placed in classes depending on what you showed us during the admission, everything can change after the tournament. Those at the top of their class can challenge the ones at the bottom in the class above. If you change classes after the tournament, remember to take a look at your new schedule at the administration office.
¡°That is all. I will see you all at the tournament. I hope you won¡¯t disappoint.¡±
With that, Dean Lukas left the stage to a wave of applause as the students stood up and began walking out of the auditorium.
¡°Are you going to take any extra classes?¡± Relmon asked Adion.
¡°At least one,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But I¡¯ll try to keep it to a minimum. I don¡¯t want to get overwhelmed. I can always take more classes once I¡¯ve gotten used to the Academy.
¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Relmon nodded, ¡°I think I¡¯ll just take the obligatory classes and focus the rest of my time on increasing my strength. You can¡¯t be lazy in diamond class. Everyone will be out to get your place.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded. Even though he was confident in his place at the top, he had to admit that he couldn¡¯t slack off because of that. Sell was a perfect example of someone his age with abilities beyond the ordinary that he could have trouble dealing with.
I¡¯ll make sure that no one will have the slightest chance of catching up.
Adion and Relmon made their way into the spacious but crowded hallway, where they soon found signs directing them where the students of the diamond class were supposed to go.
¡°That way,¡± Relmon pointed.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded and started walking, the crowd soon thinning out.
After walking for a while, they made it to a room that seemed to function as a lecture hall under normal circumstances. There were only about 30 other students in the room when Adion and Relmon arrived, but more students were constantly filling in from behind.
Every single person in the room had the aura of a middle Bronze mage. They were all looking at their schedule while sneaking glances at the other people there, scrutinizing the competition.
I bet there are a lot of people from influential families here. I hope there won¡¯t be any problems.
The continent was far from united, especially with the recent situation in the Delovan Empire, so Adion knew that conflicts were unavoidable. But no one could cross the line. The Academy had made it perfectly clear that they were not taking a side in the conflict in the Delovan Empire, just like with most other conflicts throughout their history. But should anyone kill an enemy or cripple someone outside of a sanctioned fight, Cyalis wouldn¡¯t hesitate to take revenge by getting involved.
¡°It sure is nice to be part of such a small class,¡± Relmon said in a low voice.
¡°Agreed,¡± Adion said.
The diamond class only had the top 100 students in a given year. The gold class had 300, the silver class had 500, bronze and iron both had 1000 each, and the stone class had whatever remained. This year, there were 936 students in the stone class.
¡°Looks like I¡¯ll still have a lot of time to train,¡± Relmon said as he grabbed a piece of paper with their class schedule.
Adion took one for himself and looked through it. There were only four obligatory classes. At least for the diamond class. Two classes on two days every week, leaving a lot of space for personal training or more classes.
History - From the Mysterious Past to the Complex Present
North Hall, History Lecture Hall C, Professor Tenami
Fighting - To Diamond and Beyond
Old Academy Fighting Pits, Professor Magner
Fighting Beasts - The Use of Weapons
Old Academy Fighting Pits, Professor Olema
Concepts - A Bottomless Well
East Wing, Hellosi Hall, Headmaster Vermon
¡°We have a class with the Headmaster?¡± Adion asked, surprised.
¡°I heard he taught a few classes. It seems like we are really lucky,¡± Relmon said excitedly, ¡°I don¡¯t think any other class but diamond gets this chance.¡±
Learning concepts from a Pure Soul mage will be incredibly valuable. I¡¯ll have to take this seriously.
¡°Incredible,¡± Relmon muttered as he picked up a booklet with available classes, ¡°I¡¯m almost tempted to take a few of these. There is even another one taught by the Headmaster!¡±
Adion immediately picked up a booklet for himself and was stumped by all the classes available for him to take.
I didn¡¯t expect there would be so many options.
There were classes on all kinds of fighting, specific ones for axes or spears, or ones focused on fighting in groups. There were pages of variations. Then there were classes in geography, culture, and history of nations on Quemer. There were classes on etiquette, runes, and alchemy.
There is even a class in painting. It seems fun but most likely a waste of time for me. But I can¡¯t help but want to fill my entire schedule with some classes here. I¡¯ll have to limit myself, though. I have already accepted to take ¡®Inexplicable Magic¡¯ by Professor Haul. I might be able to take one more, but I should wait to take on more than that. I have five years here at the Academy, so I shouldn¡¯t rush into anything.
¡°What do you think?¡± Relmon asked.
¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be so much,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m definitely taking ¡®Aura - To Sense and Control It to the Peak¡¯ by the Headmaster,¡± Relmon said.
Even I am tempted by it. I am far beyond others here when it comes to my aura, but I could certainly still learn a lot from someone like the Headmaster.
But there is a high possibility he¡¯ll realize how good my aura control is. He might be curious to see what I¡¯m hiding. Taking a class in aura taught by a Pure Soul mage seems like a dumb idea when you have something to hide.
¡°How about you?¡± Relmon asked, ¡°Getting taught aura by a Pure Soul mage is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.¡±
¡°True,¡± Adion nodded.
It really does seem like a waste not to take it. But can I take that chance? I don¡¯t think I can. What a shame.
¡°Adion Remori?¡± A feminine voice sounded from behind Adion.
Adion turned around and saw it was the blonde elf that he had met along with Relmon in the hallway after he had finished his admission. But she wasn¡¯t the one to grab Adion¡¯s attention, as walking in beside her was his girlfriend.
¡°Remember me? I¡¯m Felicia Quath,¡± Felicia reintroduced herself with a smile, ¡°I figured you¡¯d make it into the diamond class.¡±
¡°Mm, I remember,¡± Adion nodded before taking his eyes to Sell. She smiled at him, and Adion spotted that she was wearing his necklace beneath her shirt.
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¡°You look very pretty today, Sell,¡± Adion said with a smile.
Sell blushed and gave him an accusatory look. She couldn¡¯t help but smile, though.
¡°Thanks, Adion,¡± Sell said.
¡°Oh, you¡you know him Sell?¡± Felicia asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°His brother and my sister are in the same year and are good friends.¡±
¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Felicia said.
Felicia turned quiet, a little lost for what to say, as she turned back to look at Adion. Adion also felt how Relmon was staring at him in shock right next to him. Adion turned to see that a lot of other students'' eyes were on him as well.
I just said she looked pretty. What¡¯s the big deal?
¡°Anyway,¡± Adion said, ¡°How do you two know each other then?¡±
¡°We¡¯re roommates,¡± Sell answered as she went to pick up her schedule next to Adion.
¡°We¡¯ve also met a few times through the years as we¡¯re both Nobles,¡± Felicia said, ¡°Anyway, what did you think of the introduction?¡±
¡°It was interesting for the most part,¡± Adion said.
¡°I couldn¡¯t really focus after the Headmaster did that thing with his aura,¡± Relmon broke in. He turned to Felicia and Sell. ¡°Nice to meet you again, Felicia. And nice to meet you, princess. I¡¯m Relmon Zemer, branch family.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded. ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Sellitha Amyss.¡±
¡°I agree that the Headmaster gave me quite a scare. What do you think he was doing?¡± Felicia asked.
¡°Who knows,¡± Adion murmured. He saw how Sell gave him a questioning look.
There¡¯s no way she can know it was me.
Sell gave Adion a smug smile.
How!?
¡°Have you decided on any classes, Adion?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Only ¡®Inexplicable Magic,¡¯¡± Adion said, ¡°But I¡¯m interested in several others.¡±
¡°You shouldn¡¯t take on too much,¡± Sell said.
¡°I know,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m at most choosing one more.¡±
¡°Me too, then,¡± Sell said and started flipping through the booklet of classes.
¡°Looks like we actually will have a class with the Headmaster,¡± Felicia commented as she looked through the schedule.
¡°He¡¯s even teaching another class in aura that you can choose if you want,¡± Relmon commented.
¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Felicia said, grabbing a booklet for herself.
¡°There is a class in water magic without a water core,¡± Sell said, looking up at Adion, ¡°What do you think about that?¡±
¡°I would like to take some time to focus on that if I can,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But I think I could do that without a teacher. It seems like a waste considering all the other classes here.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you taking the Headmaster¡¯s aura class?¡± Felicia asked.
¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± Adion said.
¡°You should,¡± Felicia said, ¡°It¡¯s probably the most valuable class in the entire Academy. You¡¯re taking it, aren¡¯t you, Sell?¡±
¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Sell said non-committedly.
¡°Well, I¡¯m definitely taking it,¡± Felicia said.
If I¡¯m only taking one more class, I think I should take a beginner class on runes. That would be very hard to learn elsewhere, and it seems like it could be very useful.
¡°Sellitha Amyss?¡± A man¡¯s voice sounded behind them.
Adion turned around along with Sell to see a brown-haired man as tall as Adion looking at her.
¡°Yes?¡± Sell asked.
¡°My name¡¯s Vels Gratton. I came to say that I¡¯m taking rank 1 in the upcoming tournament. You should give up if you face me,¡± Vels said with a straight face.
Sell frowned at the comment. ¡°I¡¯ll burn you to a crisp. Keep some healing pills nearby.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Vels said with a smile. He nodded to Adion, Felicia, and Relmon in greeting and turned to walk away again.
¡°What a weird guy,¡± Adion said, looking at Vels reading through the booklet of classes along with some other people Adion assumed were his friends on the other side of the room.
¡°He¡¯s the only high Bronze mage besides Sell,¡± Felicia said, ¡°He probably thinks no one else can compete for rank 1.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Is it really so unbelievable to beat someone just a minor stage stronger?¡±
¡°When we all are the same age and most of us come from Noble families, a small difference in strength like that means a lot,¡± Felicia said.
I guess that makes sense. He¡¯s also a fire mage, so there¡¯s not much chance that someone weaker beats him.
¡°Still, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible to beat him,¡± Relmon said, still looking at Vels.
¡°Just difficult,¡± Felicia said and then sighed, ¡°Haaah. It¡¯s going to be a lot of tension in our class, it seems like. The Gratton family were the biggest supporters of Onden Delevan during the civil war, and I see a lot of people looking at him with murder in their eyes.¡±
Adion looked around and noticed she was right. The room was gathered in small clusters of students, and a few of them were staring daggers at Vels and his friends.
I still haven¡¯t found out if Heavenly Light was involved in all of that. It seems likely that they played some role in it. I wonder if you can get this type of information for credits?
¡°Anyway, do you guys want to grab something to eat?¡± Felicia asked.
¡°Sell and I have to meet up with our siblings to talk about some things,¡± Adion made up, ¡°But maybe another day.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Felicia said and looked to Sell questioningly.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°We should hurry so we¡¯re not late.¡±
She then grabbed the schedule and booklet and put it inside a bag she had with her.
¡°See you guys later,¡± Adion said, turning to walk out of the room with Sell.
¡°Right,¡± Relmon said, ¡°See you around.¡±
¡°Our siblings'' relationship is really convenient,¡± Sell said quietly as they walked out.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°How did it go yesterday? Did your sister figure something out? You were incredibly obvious after all.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t obvious,¡± Sell refuted and looked up to Adion, ¡°You were the one who called me Sell.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not enough to rouse suspension,¡± Adion defended, ¡°You¡¯re the one who blushed at anything anyone said.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡¡± Sell looked offended and had a small blush appear on her face.
¡°Haha,¡± Adion laughed, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s cute.¡±
¡°You-¡± Sell pushed Adion away with a bigger blush on her face.
Should I teach her what Quahim taught me so she can keep her reactions under control? But I really like seeing her like this. It would be bad if I couldn¡¯t make her blush anymore.
¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Adion laughed and walked up next to Sell again, ¡°So she didn¡¯t think anything was strange?¡±
¡°She did,¡± Sell said, ¡°But not to the point of suspecting anything. I just explained that we got along, and we left it at that.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good then,¡± Adion said, ¡°Even if I doubt your sister would tattle on us.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Sell muttered.
Adion knew she didn¡¯t get along with her sister well, so he didn¡¯t push it.
¡°I was thinking about taking a class on runes, by the way,¡± Adion said.
¡°Oh? That sounds interesting,¡± Sell said.
¡°You think so too?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I meant for you. I think it sounds boring,¡± Sell said with an apologetic smile.
¡°Oh,¡± Adion said, ¡°Well, it might be. Still, I think a lot of power can extracted from it. Seems like a good opportunity to learn some of it while I¡¯m here.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, but I¡¯ll probably take something else.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Adion said.
¡°So what did you do to make the Headmaster react like that?¡± Sell asked.
¡°How did you know?¡± Adion asked and looked at her suspiciously.
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°I just felt like it was you.¡±
¡°Well that¡¯s an unfair ability,¡± Adion muttered, ¡°Anyway, I was just trying to see if I could use my Authority on the space around him. But I didn¡¯t even grab hold of it, and he reacted like that.¡±
¡°He is one of the strongest people in the world, so I¡¯m not surprised,¡± Sell said, ¡°Is that why you don¡¯t want to take the aura class with him?¡±
¡°I would love to take it, but I feel like it¡¯s not the best environment for someone trying to hide things about their aura,¡± Adion said.
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Sell nodded.
¡°Anyway,¡± Adion said, ¡°You want to talk about everything over something to eat?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded with a bright smile.
Chapter 111 - Soul mage
¡°So I¡¯ve been thinking about some sort of runic device to make that possible,¡± Adion finished and took a sip of his wine, not liking the taste much. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you prefer this to beer, by the way.¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing much compared to the best wines,¡± Sell admitted, ¡°But it¡¯s still way better than the cheap beer we drank on the Outskirts.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Adion muttered, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll get used to it.¡±
¡°Anyway,¡± Sell said, ¡°A runic device like that would be incredible. You could teleport to any place around the continent as long as you had a runic device placed there. But it will be difficult, no?¡±
Adion had just explained his plans of trying to make use of his unique powers in runes. He and Sell had gone to eat a restaurant in the public part of the Academy where they were now drinking some wine after having a delicious meal.
¡°Yeah, probably,¡± Adion said, ¡°But with an artifact capable of stabilizing space in the hands of my enemies, I feel like I have to learn more about runes. If I can get something like what I¡¯m planning out of it, that¡¯s just a bonus.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded thoughtfully, ¡°That sounds like a good idea. I¡¯ll probably take the aura class with the Headmaster then. I don¡¯t really have anything I need to hide in my aura. If I learn something useful, I can teach you myself.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion smiled.
¡°Want to go train together now?¡± Sell asked, ¡°I already have a bunch of credits, so we can use a private training area at the Academy.¡±
¡°That sounds like fun,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I have already promised to meet up with Aiden and Ailera soon. They are going to show me around the Academy some more. Why don¡¯t you join us?¡±
¡°Oh¡okay,¡± Sell nodded shyly.
¡°Good,¡± Adion smiled. ¡°I also have to see if I can find a friend here and ask him for advice on which class on runes I should take.¡±
¡°You have a friend here?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded. He then went on to explain how he had met Prago and Termon at the auction where he first spotted her back in Dorbarta.
Midway through his story, though, he spotted Aiden and Ailera coming into the restaurant. They both seemed excited as they approached the table where he and Sell were sitting.
¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Adion asked as his brother and sister came up to them.
¡°Grandpa has advanced!¡± Ailera said excitedly.
¡°He just sent us a message. Let¡¯s go to his manor and congratulate him,¡± Aiden said.
¡°Really? That¡¯s great,¡± Adion said, relieved.
¡°Congratulations,¡± Sell said to them all.
¡°Thank you,¡± Aiden and Ailera nodded to Sell.
¡°How did you know I was here?¡± Adion asked as he got up from his seat along with Sell.
¡°I was with Rellitha, and she wondered where Sellitha was,¡± Aiden said, ¡°When she got word that you were with her, she told me.¡±
¡°She really is keeping tabs on me,¡± Sell muttered unhappily.
¡°Well, there are a lot of people paying attention to you two,¡± Aiden said with an awkward smile, ¡°You¡¯re not exactly discreet. Some rumors have already started spreading.¡±
¡°What kind of rumors? We¡¯re just having lunch together, isn¡¯t that a normal thing to do?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Haaah,¡± Aiden sighed, ¡°Sellitha is a princess, so, of course, people pay attention to every small detail. You two practically holding hands and giggling through the Academy is something people have reacted to.¡±
¡°What? We haven¡¯t done that,¡± Adion refuted, ¡°People are just making things up.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Sell agreed, ¡°We have been very careful. No one can claim we have done something that normal friends wouldn¡¯t do.¡±
¡°Hahaha,¡± Ailera laughed, ¡°Just because you have the excuse that you are friends doesn¡¯t mean that people don¡¯t notice the obvious. But I guess it¡¯s fine as long as you have good deniability.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Aiden said, ¡°Rumors like these are pretty common, so don¡¯t worry too much. Anyway, are you ready to go?¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded.
It¡¯s not like I can just act like I don¡¯t like her. And I¡¯m not going to stay away from her either. Let people assume what they want.
¡°Do you want to come with us, Sell?¡± Adion asked as they started walking out of the restaurant.
¡°I¡You should congratulate him as a family first,¡± Sell said, ¡°I¡¯ll visit another day.¡±
¡°Oh, okay,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°You want to meet at the plaza tomorrow morning then? We can train together after submitting our class choices.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Sell nodded with a smile.
¡°Good,¡± Adion smiled back.
Damn people everywhere. Adion thought as he looked around at the many witnesses to a potential goodbye kiss.
¡°See you around, Sell,¡± Ailera waved goodbye.
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°Congratulate your grandfather for me.¡±
¡°Will do,¡± Aiden said.
Adion watched Sell as she started walking back to the Academy proper again.
¡°Alright, Adion, stop staring. Let¡¯s go,¡± Ailera said, as she dragged his arms to get moving. ¡°We have just become a Noble family. We have a lot to discuss.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Aiden said as they started moving, ¡°Are we becoming a Noble family of the Valis Kingdom or Cyalis?¡±
¡°Grandpa seemed to be planning to join Cyalis and the Academy,¡± Adion said, ¡°And I think that might be the best bet.¡±
¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like that idea,¡± Ailera said.
¡°It¡¯s true that we wouldn¡¯t be able to take revenge openly anymore,¡± Adion said, ¡°But we wouldn¡¯t be able to do that in a long time anyway. Our enemy is far too strong. When I become strong enough to take revenge, I doubt the Council can stop me anyway.¡±
And there is nothing stopping me from doing things in the dark. I should visit Perk and Tib later to see how they are doing.
It didn¡¯t take very long before the three siblings once again found themselves outside their grandfather''s mansion. They weren¡¯t the only ones there, however.
¡°Who are all these people?¡± Ailera asked as she stepped out of the carriage they had rented at the Academy.
¡°Looks like word has spread that there is a new Soul mage around,¡± Aiden said.
In front of the gate to the mansion, there was a crowd of people talking, trying to get a glimpse of the happenings in the mansion. There were also several luxurious carriages lined up by the side of the road.
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¡°Seems like he has some important visitors,¡± Adion said.
¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s going on,¡± Aiden said and started walking to the gate.
The guards recognized them as grandchildren of the newly advanced Soul mage, so they entered the mansion without issue.
¡°Young masters,¡± Marli spotted them as they came inside. She was holding a tray of drinks and seemed to be making her way to their grandfather¡¯s study.
¡°Marli, what¡¯s going on?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°Master Arlen has advanced to the Soft Soul stage,¡± Marli said with a big smile.
¡°We know,¡± Ailera said with a smile of her own, ¡°But who are all those people outside? Do we have visitors?¡±
¡°A lot of people noticed the aura of your grandfather, and word is now spreading around the city, it seems. The people outside are probably just curious passersby, but master is entertaining some Nobles and family patriarchs from the area who have come to congratulate him.¡±
¡°Oh? I guess that makes sense,¡± Aiden said.
¡°Should we wait for them to leave?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°Let¡¯s go and congratulate him first,¡± Aiden said.
¡°Please follow me, young masters,¡± Marli said and started moving toward the study.
There is only one aura of a Soul mage in the mansion, so I should be safe going along. Adion thought as he scrutinized the auras in his grandfather¡¯s study.
¡°Aiden, Ailera, Adion!¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather looked over with a big smile as he saw them enter the study. He didn¡¯t look much younger than before, as even if he practically doubled his lifespan, that would take time to show results, and he would, at most, look 5 or 10 years younger unless he managed to advance again. He did look a lot more energetic, though.
There were six other people in the room with their grandfather. They all looked over to Adion and his siblings at their grandfather¡¯s words.
¡°Congratulations on becoming a Soul mage, Grandpa,¡± They all congratulated their grandfather.
¡°Haha,¡± Their grandfather laughed happily, ¡°Thank you. Everyone, these are my great-grandchildren. All talented students at the Academy.¡±
¡°It seems like talent runs in the family,¡± A Diamond mage who looked middle-aged complimented with a smile.
¡°I¡¯ve been very lucky,¡± Their grandfather said with a wide smile. ¡°Aiden here is the vice president of the student council. Already a Silver mage well before his fifth year. Ailera is starting her fourth year and is very gifted in alchemy. And Adion here is just about to start his studies but has already been placed in the diamond class.¡±
¡°The Remori family seems to have their future in safe hands,¡± Another Diamond mage, an old woman, complimented.
¡°I believe so,¡± Their grandfather nodded with a smile.
Just as he was about to continue speaking, Marli stepped inside the study just after leaving, bringing everyone¡¯s attention to her and the old man who entered beside her.
¡°Master, this is Elder Salron Appos,¡± Marli introduced, ¡°He has come to congratulate you on your advancement.¡±
All the guests who had remained sitting when Adion and his siblings entered immediately stood up to greet the new guest. A show of respect that was entirely expected as the man in question was a Soft Soul mage.
A Soul mage? Even someone like that is here? Hopefully, he doesn¡¯t look too deeply into my aura.
¡°Arlen Remori,¡± The Elder said with a friendly smile, ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you. Congratulations on your advancement.¡±
¡°Thank you, Elder,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather said, bowing his head humbly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a visit from someone like you. It is an honor to welcome you to my humble home.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Salron chucked, ¡°It is only natural that I come to congratulate you. It is far from every day that we have a new Soul mage appearing in our city-state. I was hoping to have a few words with you if it is convenient?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather nodded.
¡°I won¡¯t take up any more of your time,¡± One of the DImaond mages said, ¡°I will visit again when things have calmed down some more.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Another man said. And soon all the visitors bid their farewell and started moving out of the room.
¡°Thank you all for coming,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather said with a smile, ¡°I will contact you so we can continue our conversations another day.¡±
¡°We will wait for you to finish your business in the dining hall, Grandpa,¡± Aiden said, leading Adion and Ailera out of the study.
¡°Mm,¡± Their grandfather nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll come talk to you later. Elder, please take a seat.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Elder Salron said, moving to take a seat on a couch as Adion and his siblings entered the hallway.
¡°Do you know who that was?¡± Adion asked his brother as they walked to the dining hall.
¡°I don¡¯t know him specifically, but the Appos family is an ancient family. They have roots back to the first mages from the Tower of Sages who arrived here on Shiora. I don¡¯t know exactly how much power they hold today, but it¡¯s not small.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion nodded.
He¡¯s probably someone connected to the Council in some way.
Adion and his siblings arrived in the dining hall and began playing some cards to pass the time while waiting for their grandfather to finish his business.
¡°Do you think they¡¯ll suspect anything?¡± Ailera asked in a low voice as she played a card on the table.
¡°Suspect what?¡± Adion asked.
¡°How Grandpa advanced,¡± Ailera said.
¡°I doubt it,¡± Adion said, ¡°Grandpa has been a peak Diamond mage for a long time. I don¡¯t think someone can tell he advanced using a pill.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Ailera nodded.
After waiting for a while, Adion noticed how the Elder left the mansion through his sphere of space mana, and soon after, their grandfather entered the dining hall.
¡°Haaah,¡± Their grandfather sighed, ¡°What a day. I didn¡¯t expect the news to travel so quickly. I think I¡¯ll be busy with meetings for a long time.¡±
¡°What did that Elder want, Grandpa?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°He wanted to know if I was going to become a Noble of the Valis Kingdom or if I planned on staying here even after you all graduated. If that was the case, he asked if I wanted to join Cyalis. He must have information about our situation in Valis. We don¡¯t have a place to stay there anymore. And all of the current Remori family is here, so it is not a strange question.¡±
¡°And what did you say?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°I said I was very interested, and had thought of asking the same thing myself. But I asked him to give me a few days while I thought about it,¡± Their grandfather said, taking a seat for himself.
¡°What exactly will it mean for us to become Nobles of Cyalis?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°Just like we have discussed, instead of adhering to the Valis family, we will have to start listening to Council. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s such a bad thing,¡± Their grandfather said.
¡°We don¡¯t think so either,¡± Adion said, ¡°You won¡¯t have to take an Oath or reveal any secrets, right?¡±
¡°No, no,¡± His grandfather shook his head, ¡°Oaths are nothing to take lightly, and no Soul mage would agree to something like that.¡±
¡°Then I think it¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said.
¡°Mm, good,¡± His grandfather smiled.
¡°Do you think you can join the Council?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°Not anytime soon. But that is a goal for sure,¡± His grandfather responded, ¡°But it is not easy. Elder Salron is a Soft Soul mage from the Appos family, a family with two members in the Council, and he has not even gotten the chance to join. Unless I become a Hard Soul mage, I believe it will be very difficult.¡±
¡°Well, I guess you¡¯ll have to continue working hard then,¡± Adion said with a grin.
¡°Yes,¡± His grandfather smiled, ¡°Now is no time to slow down. I can finally meditate and grow stronger after standing still so long.¡±
¡°Does this mean we are Nobles now?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°Hmm,¡± Their grandfather mused, ¡°There will be a ceremony to welcome us to the local Nobility after I accept joining Cyalis; after that, everything will be official. But even now, no one would say anything if you claim to be Nobles, so better start getting used to it.¡±
Adion and his siblings looked at each other, feeling weird about the sudden change.
From a 2nd tier family to Nobles. Well, in the end I guess it¡¯s all a good thing. But this ceremony¡I feel like there will be a lot of Soul mages there. I guess I¡¯ll have to start training with Grandpa.
Chapter 112 - Visits
Spring really came back with a vengeance. Adion thought as he enjoyed the morning sun¡¯s warmth on his face as he was walking through the streets of Cyalis. He was heading to check up on Perk and Tib before he was supposed to meet up with Sell.
I¡¯m looking forward to training together with Sell again. It makes everything more fun. I still have to meditate and train my aura control by myself, so I will focus on those things whenever I¡¯m not with her. I especially can¡¯t relax my aura training.
He had spent the previous day talking with his grandfather about the aura sense of Soul mages. He was worried that he would be surrounded by a lot more Soul mages than he had initially thought, and it was only a matter of time before one of them decided to take a look at his aura more closely.
His grandfather had told him that his aura sense had developed a lot. But if that was thanks to the Grand Soul Clarity pill or his advancement was uncertain. The fact was that his core now wasn¡¯t only something physical but also part of his soul, something only possible to accomplish with a great sense of one''s soul. And aura was inseparable from the soul.
Adion¡¯s grandfather could now very easily control his own aura to only show what he wanted. However, it wasn¡¯t absolute and could still be improved. The soul and aura are very complex, and not even Fellion knew all about his own aura.
When Adion asked his grandfather to try and sense his aura, he could feel that Adion was hiding his strength, but he wasn¡¯t able to pinpoint exactly how strong he was. Perhaps if he was given more time or when he gained more experience with his improved aura sense, he could tell exactly what he was hiding. This made Adion sure that, just as he suspected, he couldn¡¯t count on being able to hide his strength from a curious Soul mage.
But when it came to Adion¡¯s space core, his grandfather had no clue how to find such a thing in Adion¡¯s aura. His grandfather hadn¡¯t had much practice in sensing other¡¯s elements before, so it wasn¡¯t very strange that he couldn¡¯t sense his element without practice. He hadn¡¯t even been able to say for certain that he wasn¡¯t a fire mage. But he was able to tell that he should have been able to feel it if he actually had a fire core, making the only possible explanations that either Adion was very good at hiding his fire core, or he didn¡¯t have one. Most Soul mages would probably assume the second option was more likely.
My space core is probably safe. Not even Fellion could tell what my element was. He only knew it was an element he had never felt before. But that isn¡¯t much better.
As I am now, a Soul mage searching through my aura will probably be able to tell my strength, and if they are suspicious about my fire core, they will be able to tell that I don¡¯t have one.
I will have to stay away from Soul mages as much as I can going forward. And I have to keep training my aura control. It won¡¯t make a difference in the short run, but that¡¯s no reason not to give it my all.
Unfortunately, Adion¡¯s grandfather had also strongly advised against Adion taking a Grand Soul Clarity Pill before he was ready to advance to the Soft Soul stage. The pill wasn¡¯t like the Merillian Soul Peach. It was created with the intent of helping mages ingrain their core into their soul, something that would be dangerous to try and experiment with in Adion¡¯s situation. Taking the pill and making use of the effects would also take a great amount of Will, and Adion was far from matching the Will of a peak Diamond mage.
If I take the pill now, my Will wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. There is no knowing what kind of side-effects would result from it. Better to forget about it and develop my Will and aura control slowly.
Adion reached the inn where had rented a room for Tib and Perk and made his way to their room. He had visited them after his admission with his brother to get his backpack, but that was three days ago, and he hadn¡¯t had time to talk much with them.
Adion knocked on the door to the brother¡¯s room and felt how Perk rushed to open it.
¡°Boss, you¡¯re back!¡± Perk said with a big smile. Tib also made his way over to the door when he heard his brother.
¡°Boss, welcome back,¡± Tib said, palming his fist in greeting.
¡°Sorry for my absence. I¡¯ve been busy,¡± Adion said, stepping inside the room, ¡°So, how have you been?¡±
¡°We¡¯ve been good, boss,¡± Perk said, ¡°We¡¯ve continued to train hard by ourselves, like you told us.¡±
¡°We¡¯ve also been around the city a little and looked for information,¡± Tib said.
¡°Oh? Already? Find out anything interesting?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, we heard how your grandfather has managed to become a Soul mage. Congratulations, boss,¡± Perk said.
¡°Where did you hear that?¡± Adion asked.
¡°We overheard someone talking about here at the inn,¡± Perk said.
Seems like even in Cyalis, something like this grabs people¡¯s attention.
¡°Anything else?¡± Adion asked.
¡°We asked around a little about the different auction houses like you asked us to,¡± Tib said.
They have already started on that?
¡°From what we understand, the best option if you want a trusted place to auction off something of high value, you should go to Appos Auction House,¡± Tib said.
Appos? It¡¯s the family that the Soul mage that visited Grandpa yesterday belonged to. They should be too strong to scam their customers.
¡°I have heard of the Appos family, they should have quite the reputation to uphold. Have they sold something like the Elixir of Life in the past?¡± Adion asked.
¡°We¡¯re not sure of the exact value, but they have sold artifacts and natural treasures that, from what we understand, are considered priceless,¡± Tib said.
¡°We couldn¡¯t find out how trusted it is exactly, but like you said, the Appos family is a big Noble family that wouldn¡¯t want their reputation tarnished,¡± Perk added.
Maybe I should ask around a little myself. If I could safely sell the Elixir of Life, I would get more money than I would be able to spend. I¡¯m running a little low at the moment. I could even buy a place for Tib and Perk to stay in the city and perhaps expand our operations.
¡°You¡¯ve done a lot better than I expected,¡± Adion said with a pleased smile, ¡°I¡¯ll reward you when I get the money from the Elixir of Life.¡±
¡°We were just doing our job, boss,¡± Tib said.
¡°And you¡¯ve done it well,¡± Adion said with a nod, ¡°But make sure that you don¡¯t forget about your training. That is your main priority at the moment.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Perk and Tib nodded.
Adion spent some time answering questions from the boys about his situation at the Academy. He also gave a few tips about how to make the most of their time when they were training, such as making sure to meditate first thing when they woke up and always pushing their aura to the limit before going to bed in order to temper their Will and hide their aura better.
¡°Well,¡± Adion said after almost an hour had passed, ¡°I have to get going. You know where I¡¯ll be staying for the time being, so send me a letter if anything comes up. Otherwise, just focus on training. We can begin focusing more on information gathering once we have the money.
¡°Alright, boss,¡± Perk said, ¡°Good luck in the tournament.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded and stepped out of the room.
¡°I¡¯ll make sure to form a core soon,¡± Tib said.
¡°Don¡¯t rush it,¡± Adion warned, ¡°And let me know before you try anything.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Tib nodded.
¡°Good,¡± Adion said, ¡°Continue working hard.¡±
Adion went down the hallway as Perk closed the door behind him.
Once out on the street again, Adion started walking towards the public Academy where he was going to meet up with Sell. He noticed a carriage at the side of the road with a driver offering to take people around the city. It was a common business in Cyalis, as the city was too big for walking without wasting a lot of time.
¡°To the Academy, please,¡± Adion said as he handed some coins to the driver.
¡°Straight away, young master,¡± The driver said and took off as soon as Adion entered the carriage.
It took a little more than 20 minutes before Adion arrived in front of the gates leading to the public Academy. He knew from before that it would cost a lot of extra coins to take the carriage inside, so Adion walked from the gates to the plaza.
I wonder if she is already here? Adion thought to himself as he walked with hurried steps. He wasn¡¯t late, but he didn¡¯t want to keep Sell waiting more than necessary if she was early.
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As soon as he arrived at the plaza, Adion spotted Sell. She was standing outside one of the luxurious restaurants facing the plaza, and she was accompanied by Rellitha and her two friends.
What are they doing here?
¡°Sell,¡± Adion called out as he got close, ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late.¡±
¡°Adion,¡± Sell turned to look at him with a smile, ¡°No, I was early.¡±
¡°You¡¯re meeting Adion?¡± Rellitha asked.
¡°Yeah, bye,¡± Sell said and walked toward Adion, away from the group of girls.
Adion nodded in greeting to Rellitha, Hether, and Klissa, and turned to walk away with Sell.
¡°Wait, where are you going?¡± Rellitha asked.
¡°To the Academy,¡± Sell said without turning around.
¡°That¡¡± Rellitha seemed to be at a loss for words while Klissa and Hether giggled beside her.
¡°Let¡¯s hurry out of here,¡± Sell whispered as she pulled on Adion¡¯s arm to follow.
¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Rell is just really annoying,¡± Sell muttered.
¡°How so?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Just asking a bunch of questions all the time,¡± Sell said with a slight blush, ¡°And she and her friends wouldn¡¯t leave me alone while I waited for you.¡±
¡°Is she suspicious of us?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Probably,¡± Sell said, ¡°But it¡¯s not like she knows anything. I¡¯ll just ignore her, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll tire eventually.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion mumbled, looking back to Rellitha and her friends, who were still watching them as they walked away.
¡°Anyway,¡± Adion said, ¡°Are you fine with visiting Prago before turning in our classes?¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°We have plenty of time. Do you know where he lives?¡±
¡°Aiden checked for me last night,¡± Adion said, ¡°He apparently lives in the West Dormitory.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not very far,¡± Sell said, ¡°I know the way.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Adion said.
¡°How was it yesterday? Was your grandfather happy?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Yeah, he was very happy,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But it was a busy day for him. A lot of people came to visit. We even had a Soul mage come by.¡±
Adion went on to explain how his family was going to join Cyalis and how there was probably going to be a ceremony welcoming them to the local Nobility once everything was sorted.
¡°That will be good for you,¡± Sell said with a pleasant smile, ¡°Nobles have a lot of privileges, and being a Noble of Cyalis even more so.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion said, ¡°It¡¯s probably for the best. I¡¯m just a little worried about how many Soul mages I¡¯m going to run into. I thought I¡¯d be pretty safe from encountering them since most professors are Diamonds at most, but if I have to go to a ceremony like that, I imagine the place will be crowded with Soul mages.¡±
¡°Probably,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°But will it matter? It¡¯s only for a night, and if you don¡¯t give anyone a reason to, I doubt they¡¯ll scrutinize your aura very much.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Adion said, ¡°But it¡¯s still a big risk. I might have to make up an excuse not to make it.¡±
¡°That will be hard,¡± Sell said, ¡°You only have four family members. If you are missing, people will wonder where the Gifted fourth member of the family is during such an important event. That might just make things worse.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t think of it like that,¡± Adion muttered, ¡°But you have a point.¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s still some time away,¡± Sell said, ¡°We¡¯ll have time to think about it.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
It didn¡¯t take much longer before Adion and Sell made it to the West Dormitory. The big building didn¡¯t look much different from where Adion lived, and he already knew exactly which room Prago was in.
¡°I¡¯ll wait outside,¡± Sell said as Adion opened the door to the section where Prago had his room.
¡°Hm? Why?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s inappropriate to go inside a boys'' dormitory,¡± Sell said.
I didn¡¯t even know that there were boys'' and girls¡¯ dormitories. But I guess that makes sense.
¡°I¡¯ll try to be quick then,¡± Adion said and went inside.
Prago¡¯s room was on the first floor so Adion found the room quickly. He knocked on the door and spread some of his space mana around him as he waited.
That¡¯s Prago¡¯s aura. Good. I don¡¯t have to come back later.
¡°Yes?¡± A brown-haired man, a year older than Adion, asked as he opened the door.
¡°Hello, I¡¯m Adion Remori. I¡¯m looking for Prago. Is he in?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± The man nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll go get him. Come inside.¡±
Adion stepped into the common area of the room that looked a lot like his own room at the North Dormitory. The man went to knock on Prago¡¯s private room.
¡°Prago, Adion Remori is here looking for you,¡± The man said through the door.
¡°Adion?¡± A voice was heard from inside the room. Prago opened the door to his room and smiled as he spotted Adion.
¡°Adion!¡± Prago yelled, ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d stop by.¡±
¡°I was planning on coming here later but had a question about my class selection,¡± Adion said, ¡°But it¡¯s good to see you. How have you been?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been good,¡± Prago said, putting a hand on Adion¡¯s shoulder and scrutinizing him. ¡°Not as good as you, though. How can you have grown even more?¡±
¡°It¡¯s normal for men our age,¡± Adion said, ¡°You should eat more healthy.¡±
¡°Tsk, did my grandpa tell you to say that?¡± Prago asked.
¡°He did say I should look after you,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°He seemed most worried about your fighting abilities and romantic life, though.¡±
¡°I¡¯m doing just fine on both counts,¡± Prago snorted.
¡°Is that so?¡± Adion raised an eyebrow questioningly.
¡°It¡¯s so,¡± Prago nodded resolutely, ¡°Anyway, what did you say about class selection? Oh yeah, what class were you put in, by the way?¡±
¡°Diamond class,¡± Adion said.
¡°As suspected,¡± Prago shook his head, ¡°Well, congratulations. I¡¯ll be counting on your credits in the future.¡±
¡°Hmm, I can lend you a little because of your grandfather, I guess,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°Really?¡± Prago asked, surprised, ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll teach you runes in return.¡±
That doesn¡¯t sound so bad.
¡°What class are you in, by the way?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Stone class,¡± Prago responded with a straight face.
¡°Stone?¡± Adion asked, shocked, ¡°I heard from Termon that you were put in silver class. How did you drop so low?¡±
¡°I dropped to bronze class during the tournament,¡± Prago said, ¡°And then I was challenged and ended up all the way down in iron. After that¡well, it¡¯s been a year full of challenges, and I didn¡¯t want to waste time on them, so I just conceded every fight and focused on my studies instead.¡±
¡°That¡how do you get credits then?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I get credits from performing well in my classes,¡± Prago said, ¡°Nothing much to a student in the diamond class, perhaps, but it gets me by.¡±
¡°Haaah,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°Whatever, we¡¯ll talk about it another time. I just stopped by to get your opinion on a good class for me to take as an introduction to runes.¡±
¡°Alright, I can help with that,¡± Prago nodded with a smile, ¡°Do you have a list of your options?¡±
Adion pulled out and handed Prago the booklet of available classes.
¡°Hmm,¡± Prago mused as he looked through the different classes on runes, ¡°You should take as many as you can, really.¡±
¡°Only one,¡± Adion said.
¡°What a waste,¡± Prago muttered. ¡°Very well, in that case, just take ¡®Runes - An Introduction.¡¯ You¡¯ll have no way to keep up in any of the other ones.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll ask for your help again once I¡¯ve passed this one.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Prago nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to help.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion said, ¡°Well, I¡¯d love to stay and talk some more, but we¡¯ll have to do that another time. My girlfriend is waiting for me outside.¡±
¡°Your girlfriend is?¡± Prago asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, turning to leave, ¡°I¡¯ll come visit after the tournament again. And we can talk.¡±
¡°Wait, wait, wait,¡± Prago said and ran up to Adion, ¡°Let me take a look at this girlfriend first. Shouldn¡¯t you introduce us?¡±
Should I? Well, Prago won¡¯t tell anyone. And he already knows my girlfriends is called Sell. He¡¯ll figure out her identity sooner or later. But there could be other people around, and Prago doesn¡¯t seem like someone who can control his reactions very well.
¡°Another time,¡± Adion said, ¡°We¡¯re in a hurry. And we are kind of keeping it a secret, so I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t tell anyone.¡±
¡°A secret?¡± Prago asked, looking at his roommates¡¯ rooms. Adion had already surrounded them by a thin film of space that he held Authority over to quiet down their conversation, something he basically always did when talking about anything sensitive. So he wasn¡¯t worried anyone had overheard.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°You¡¯ll understand later. Just remember to keep quiet about it, okay?¡±
¡°Okay, you can count on me,¡± Prago said with a serious look.
¡°Right,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll see you after the tournament, then.¡± Adion waved goodbye and left the room.
¡°I¡¯ll make sure to go there and cheer you on!¡± Prago yelled after him before closing the door.
Oh, yeah. He doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m Gifted. Well, it will be a nice surprise, I guess.
Chapter 113 - Private fighting pit
¡°Seems like quite the line,¡± Adion said as he and Sell spotted the administration building by the Old Academy further down the road.
¡°You have to turn in your choice before noon tomorrow, so it¡¯s not strange that a lot of people get here at the same time with such a short deadline,¡± Sell said.
¡°True,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I guess everyone has already made their decisions before coming here, so it should be a quick process.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°And it¡¯s not even noon yet, so we have plenty of time to train.¡±
Adion and Sell lined up after the other students outside the administration building. A few people turned to look at them as they arrived. Something Adion had noticed people doing ever since he met up with Sell.
Is it because she is beautiful that people can¡¯t help to turn and look? Or is it because of that rumor Aiden was talking about? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. It would just be nice if other students assumed we were together. As long as we can plausibly deny it, anyone with power will have trouble causing us problems over us being friends.
¡°Watch it, Brendtord,¡± A man¡¯s voice rang out from somewhere ahead of the line.
¡°I didn¡¯t even touch you,¡± Another man¡¯s voice sounded, ¡°Are you so weak that just my presence rattles you? Looks like it¡¯s going to be an easy fight when I challenge you.¡±
¡°An earth mage like you think you have a chance? I¡¯ll make you wake up to reality in the tournament.¡± The first man responded.
¡°What¡¯s that all about?¡± Adion asked Sell in a low voice, tuning out the argument.
¡°Brendtord is a Noble family from the Delovan Empire that has sided with Onden. I¡¯m guessing they are from opposite sides of the conflict,¡± Sell said.
¡°Oh, right,¡± Adion said. He had noticed a few tensions between those two groups in particular. ¡°Seems like they don¡¯t dare do anything outside of an official fight, though,¡±
¡°No one would be that stupid,¡± Sell said. She then turned to look up at Adion with narrowed eyes, ¡°Make sure that you don¡¯t use your powers on anyone outside of an official fight. Even if they bother you.¡±
¡°I thought you said no one would be that stupid,¡± Adion questioned.
¡°And then I thought of you,¡± Sell responded with a teasing smile.
¡°Even I know that much,¡± Adion muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t even trip that Vels guy after he challenged you, remember?¡±
¡°Wait, you were thinking about tripping him? So you admit you¡¯ve been doing that?¡± Sell asked, smiling.
¡°No,¡± Adion refuted, ¡°Those other guys were all just clumsy. Vels would have been the first.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°Of course. Well, I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t. Even if it wouldn¡¯t have been easily noticed, you-¡±
¡°Sell, Adion, fancy meeting you here,¡± A girl¡¯s voice rang out from behind them, interrupting Sell.
Adion and Sell turned around to see Felicia coming towards them with another elven girl beside her. She had curly dark brown hair and looked a little shy, walking a step behind Felicia. She was also a middle Bronze mage, but Adion didn¡¯t recognize her from the people he had seen in diamond class.
¡°You said you would be busy the entire day,¡± Felicia commented to Sell as she stepped up behind them in line, ¡°So you had plans with Adion?¡±
¡°We are going to train together after submitting our classes,¡± Sell said.
¡°Is that so? Are you also a fire mage, Adion?¡± Felicia turned to Adion and asked.
¡°I am,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Sell has stronger concepts in her fire than anyone I¡¯ve ever seen. So I learn a lot from her.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve trained together before?¡± Felicia asked.
¡°Only a little,¡± Adion said.
¡°I¡¯ve never seen your fire, Sell,¡± Felicia said, turning back to Sell, ¡°Do you think I could join your training?¡±
¡°No,¡± Sell said, shaking her head, ¡°It doesn¡¯t work.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Felicia asked, ¡°I just want to watch. I won¡¯t get in the way.¡±
¡°It just doesn¡¯t work,¡± Sell said.
¡°Oh¡¡± Felicia said, turning silent.
¡°I have a few secret moves that I don¡¯t want to show anyone before the tournament,¡± Adion made up an excuse.
¡°Even with a Gift like yours?¡± Felicia questioned.
¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a guarantee I can win with it. Someone might have come up with a counter,¡± Adion argued, ¡°That¡¯s why I asked Sell for some private practice.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Felicia slowly nodded.
¡°Who is this?¡± Adion asked about the elven girl next to Felicia.
¡°This is Lastia Isryn,¡± Felica introduced.
¡°Hello, I¡¯m Felicia¡¯s and Sellitha¡¯s roommate,¡± Lastia said, not looking Adion in the eye.
¡°I¡¯m Adion Remori, nice to meet you,¡± Adion responded.
¡°She is a little on edge because a boy from her class has been bothering her lately,¡± Felicia said to Adion.
¡°Not so loud,¡± Lastia said to Felicia.
¡°You¡¯re a Noble,¡± Sell said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you can just ask you not to bother you, right?¡±
¡°He seems like the persistent type,¡± Felicia said with a smile, ¡°He even gave her a bouquet of flowers after the introduction yesterday. It has become quite the talking point in the gold class.¡±
¡°Who is he? Is he also a Noble?¡± Sell asked.
¡°What was his name Lastia? Astor Tyllen, right?¡± Felicia asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Lastia nodded.
What?
Adion turned to look at Sell to see her standing with her mouth open. Adion had already told her about his encounter with Astor after he fled Dorbarta, so she knew Astor was even more unpleasant than she had experienced for herself.
¡°You know him?¡± Felicia asked, looking at Sell.
¡°I visited the Tyllen family when they were introduced to the Nobility a few years ago,¡± Sell answered.
¡°Oh, what do you think of him?¡± Felicia asked.
¡°He was bothersome,¡± Sell said.
¡°Haha,¡± Felicia laughed, ¡°I can imagine.¡±
¡°What should I do,¡± Lastia sighed.
¡°Work hard in the tournament and advance to the diamond class,¡± Felcia said, putting a hand on Lastia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Then you won''t see him as much, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll eventually give up.¡±
¡°What if I can¡¯t make it?¡± Lastia asked.
¡°Then enjoy the free gifts,¡± Felicia laughed.
So Astor is in gold class, despite his confidence in making it into diamond class. I really hope he doesn¡¯t climb ranks during the tournament, or I will have a hard time following the rules of the school.
¡°Anyway, what classes have you decided on taking?¡± Felicia asked them.
¡°I¡¯m taking the Headmaster¡¯s aura class and ¡®Inexplicable Magic¡¯ by Professor Haul,¡± Sell said.
¡°¡®Inexplicable Magic¡¯ and a beginner class on runes,¡± Adion answered.
¡°¡®Inexplicable Magic¡¯?¡± Felicia asked, ¡°I would be careful if I were you. Professor Haul seems¡Well, I lost 20 credits to him just during my admission.¡±
¡°He seems a little loose with credits,¡± Adion agreed.
¡°So you¡¯re really not taking the Headmaster¡¯s class, Adion?¡± Felicia asked.
¡°Not at the moment,¡± Adion shook his head.
¡°Adion¡¯s grandfather just advanced to the Soft Soul stage,¡± Sell said, ¡°So he will have a good private teacher in aura going forward.¡±
¡°Really? So your family has become Noble now?¡± Felicia asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Congratulations,¡± Felicia said with a smile.
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¡°Congratulations, Adion,¡± Lastia joined in.
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion said.
It would do me good to train aura with Grandpa, and it has been a long time since we trained together. It will also be a good excuse if someone notices my out-of-the-ordinary aura control.
The group finally made it to the front of the line and were able to turn in their class choices. Most classes were limited in number, but as students of the diamond class, Adion and Sell weren¡¯t worried that they wouldn¡¯t make the cut.
¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later,¡± Felicia waved goodbye as they finished. She headed in a different direction along with Lastia, who was still looking over her shoulder, watching out for Astor.
¡°Astor knows about you and me,¡± Sell said worriedly as they started walking to the training area. ¡°Well, not everything, but he knows some of it.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t think about that,¡± Adion murmured, ¡°He might cause us some trouble. But still, as long as no one from your family finds out, we should be fine. And it would take more than just us spending a lot of time together to be proof of anything.¡±
¡°But it will come out that we already met years ago, that we were in the Outskirts together,¡± Sell said.
¡°I guess that¡¯s possible,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But is that so bad? It actually explains better that we¡¯re spending a lot of time together, since we already knew eachother.¡±
¡°But won¡¯t people question why we¡¯ve lied?¡± Sell asked. ¡°Why did we even lie about that?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never lied about it,¡± Adion said, looking at Sell, ¡°I just never mentioned it.¡±
¡°I guess I never outright lied about it either. But it will seem like we¡¯re hiding something,¡± Sell said.
¡°Well, I¡¯m sure people will forget about it eventually,¡± Adion said, ¡°There¡¯s too much for people to focus on here at the Academy for them to waste time thinking about us.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Sell sighed.
¡°And worst case scenario and everything is revealed,¡± Adion said, ¡°We will still be fine as long as we stay here at the Academy. We¡¯ll have time to figure something out before we graduate.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about what we can¡¯t control and focus on getting stronger.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
It didn¡¯t take them very long to arrive at the training area. It was located close to the arena, and the main fighting pit was empty at the moment as no classes had started yet. There were also several smaller fighting pits in the area that students could rent for credits, which is exactly what Sell had done.
¡°This is the one I have reserved,¡± Sell said as they arrived in front of a walled-off fighting pit. There was a gate barring their way, but Sell had already received the keys to open it when she made the reservation.
As she opened the gate, Adion saw that there was nothing spectacular about the fighting pit, just an area with dry earth and a few rocks scattered, surrounded by stone walls on all sides. There was no roof, but that was something Adion appreciated.
¡°How sturdy are the walls?¡± Adion asked.
¡°They should be pretty sturdy,¡± Sell said as she put away the bag she had carried with her, and locked the gate behind them. ¡°But don¡¯t try to attack them. I think they are mostly there to stop any stray attacks, as well as give privacy for any students that don¡¯t want their training spied on.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded. He then turned to Sell with a smile, ¡°What do you want to start with?¡±
¡°Space sense!¡± Sell yelled excitedly, ¡°And I want to teleport!¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Adion laughed, ¡°Okay. As long as you give me your fire to study later.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Sell nodded. She picked up a blindfold from her bag and tied it over her eyes. ¡°I brought plums. Don¡¯t hold back.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded and went to pick up some plums and rocks with a content smile.
Finally back to practicing together. I should work hard for credits so we can rent one of these fighting pits to train in more often.
Adion immediately threw a plum at Sell without warning her they would start. Sell gracefully dodged it, surprising Adion.
¡°Ha! I knew you would do that,¡± Sell said with a victorious smile.
¡°Well done,¡± Adion said, ¡°I won¡¯t go easy on you then.¡±
They spent the next thirty minutes with Adion alternating between throwing rocks and plums and occasionally attacking with his sword or fire. When Sell started breathing heavy, Adion decided they should take a break and do some teleportation.
¡°Let¡¯s teleport for a while,¡± Adion said, ¡°I think it might be a good idea to place pieces of paper around the pit, with different numbers on them. You can then try to guess where we are as I teleport around.¡±
¡°That sounds fun,¡± Sell said, removing her blindfold and squinting her eyes at the light.
¡°I¡¯m not sure if it will work in making your spatial awareness improve, but I think it will,¡± Adion said, ¡°And we should be able to notice the improvement. After a while we can add even more numbers around the pit until you can tell exactly where we are.¡±
¡°That will probably take a lot of time,¡± Sell said.
¡°Not up for the challenge?¡± Adion teased.
¡°Of course I am,¡± Sell said, pulling out some paper and a pen from her bag. ¡°I won¡¯t give up until I have a better sense of space than you.¡±
¡°Then we will have to do this for a very long time,¡± Adion said.
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Sell said, smiling as she drew numbers on the pieces of paper. She drew all the way up to 20 numbers, but Adion thought they should start with just 4, one for each wall, and work their way up.
Adion placed the papers as Sell put on her blindfold once again.
¡°Ready?¡± Adion asked, grabbing Sell around the waist and pulling her close.
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded, blushing.
Seems like it¡¯s still hard to focus when she is this close. Adion thought as he grabbed hold of the space by the number 3, trying to change the space between there and where he and Sell were standing.
¡°I feel that we changed places,¡± Sell said as Adion successfully teleported them. ¡°But how am I supposed to know where we are?¡±
¡°Try to feel the space around you,¡± Adion said, ¡°Even if these places don¡¯t differ much, there are subtle changes you can feel to make a guess. But let¡¯s start with giving you a feeling for each spot. This one is 3, so try to remember what it feels like, the wall behind us, the ground and small rocks, our position in relation to the gate and our bags.
¡°Okay,¡± Sell nodded.
Adion continued teleporting around, Sell making a guess each time after trying to feel the space around her. Unfortunately, she only got a slightly better result than random guesses.
¡°This is so hard,¡± Sell said, taking off her blindfold again, ¡°The only place I was pretty sure about was 1, and that was because of the gate behind us. I even got that wrong once.¡±
¡°Well, it will take a lot of practice,¡± Adion said, ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty impressive you could even tell that much.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Sell said, ¡°Do you want to take a look at my fire now?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Adion said excitedly.
Sell smiled and conjured up a flame. Adion grabbed as much of it as he could using his Authority, which wasn¡¯t very hard as Sell didn¡¯t fight him over it.
¡°This is incredible, Sell,¡± Adion murmured, ¡°How can it be so much stronger?¡±
The flame was so hot that Adion had to keep it a distance so he wouldn¡¯t get burnt. The flames were also flicking strangely, one moment moving slowly, only for them to the next moment flicker somewhere else in an instant. It almost looked like snakes, moving slowly and gracefully through the grass, and then attacking their prey in a lethal attack.
¡°I worked hard,¡± Sell said, sitting down beside Adion, ¡°But my fire still has a long way to go.¡±
¡°With this fire, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll kill anyone you hit during the tournament,¡± Adion said.
¡°I can hold my concepts back a little,¡± Sell said, ¡°But yeah, I shouldn¡¯t aim for the head.¡±
If this is the fire that the mana in her fire core produces, just how powerful are her Words of Truth? I feel like I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against Sell if we were in a life-and-death battle. I guess I really can¡¯t afford to relax.
Adion continued scrutinizing the fire while Sell watched.
¡°Okay, time to move on,¡± Sell said after almost an hour had passed with Adion playing around with Sell¡¯s fire and trying to gleam the hidden concepts within it.
¡°Let¡¯s do this again tomorrow,¡± Adion said, more excited to work on his own concepts than ever.
¡°The tournament is tomorrow,¡± Sell said with a smile.
¡°We¡¯ll have time while the lower classes fight,¡± Adion said.
¡°And tire ourselves out? Not even I¡¯m confident enough to fight other students with an exhausted Will,¡± Sell said.
¡°I guess you''re right,¡± Adion said. ¡°After the tournament, then.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Sell nodded. ¡°Now. Let me see how long you can hold me still.¡±
Sell jumped up to her feet and faced Adion in a fighting stance. ¡°Hold on as long as you can.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Adion nodded and got up as well. He took control of the space surrounding her and froze it, only to feel how Sell immediately fought against it.
Looks like it won¡¯t be so easy.
After almost four seconds had passed, Sell broke free despite how much Adion struggled to hold her still.
¡°So fast?¡± Adion asked aloud, shocked.
¡°It took forever,¡± Sell muttered grumpily.
¡°I¡¯m a Silver mage, you know? No Bronze mage has ever come close to four seconds before,¡± Adion said.
¡°Still,¡± Sell said, ¡°Let¡¯s go again. I feel like it¡¯s a good way to temper my Will. And I want to get below one second.¡±
¡°Alright then,¡± Adion smiled. It would be good practice for him too.
It was very high-intensity training, so not even 10 minutes after they started, they were completely exhausted.
¡°Okay, let¡¯s take a break,¡± Sell said, lying down on the ground, sweaty from the effort.
Adion wasn¡¯t much better off. His Will had truly been pushed to the limit, so he laid down beside her.
¡°You were able to hold me still longer and longer with every effort,¡± Sell said.
¡°Giving up?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Never,¡± Sell said, turning to look at him with a brilliant smile.
Adion thought that smile was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
He looked into Sell¡¯s deep red eyes, and then to her lips. Suddenly his body was filled with energy again as his heart started beating wildly.
He brushed some of Sell¡¯s hair away from her face behind her ear, and pulled her into a deep kiss. Sell accepted the advance and kissed him back.
Since there was finally no risk of interruptions, they could both relax in each other''s embrace, and Adion got to experience more than ever before as his tongue met Sell¡¯s.
Screw everything else. All my credits will be used on private fighting pits in the future.
Chapter 114 - Tournament
¡°I hope I managed to get a good seed,¡± Heso said nervously.
¡°How did your admission go?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I think it went well,¡± Heso said, ¡°I managed to get into silver class, after all. I know it¡¯s not much for someone like you, but for a low Bronze without much fighting experience like me, it was more than I could hope for.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded, turning from Heso to look over the heads of the people in front of them to see how much of the line remained.
Adion had gone back to his dorm room after spending the day with Sell the day before. He didn¡¯t meet any new roommates and just went straight to sleep after some aura training. But as he was heading out to the tournament this morning, he met Heso who was also about to head out, and they had decided to walk to the arena together.
Adion was going to meet up with his siblings to watch the tournament, but he needed to collect his fighting schedule first. As a student of the diamond class, he wouldn¡¯t start fighting until much later, leaving him a lot of free time to watch some of the fights of the students in the lower classes.
¡°Do you think you¡¯ll get a good seed?¡± Heso asked.
¡°Probably,¡± Adion nodded. He had heard from Dean Lukas that he would only fight once, hopefully discouraging other students from challenging him.
¡°Lucky,¡± Heso said, ¡°Is it really fair that some students won¡¯t have to fight as much as others? How am I supposed to beat a seeded student if it¡¯s my fifth fight for the day while it¡¯s their first one?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion said, ¡°Would it be better for you to fight someone a lot stronger on your first fight and be ranked at the bottom of your class?¡±
¡°I suppose that¡¯s true,¡± Heso nodded, ¡°That would feel bad. I heard it¡¯s not rare at all for the students ranked at the bottom for each class to drop down a class after the challenges tomorrow.¡±
¡°Is that true?¡± A red-haired man in front of them turned around and asked.
¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard,¡± Heso nodded. He then smiled and introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Heso Jimmen, by the way. And this is Adion Remori.¡±
¡°Ah, I¡¯m Bid Hedrell,¡± The young man responded, ¡°Do you know more about the challenges? I¡¯m a bit worried about them.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Heso said, ¡°I only know what we¡¯ve been told.¡±
¡°And what is that?¡± Bid asked, ¡°I missed the introduction, so I am not sure about the details.¡±
¡°You missed the introduction? That¡¯s rough,¡± Heso said compassionately. ¡°Well, today, you will have to fight the other students in your class one on one. You might fight up to 10 matches if you win enough before the rankings are settled, so make sure to always save some energy.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Bid nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve asked around and heard as much. But I¡¯m not sure about the challenges.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Heso said, ¡°Tomorrow is the second day of the tournament, and then, starting from the bottom ranks in the stone class, everyone will have a chance to issue a challenge. You don¡¯t challenge a specific person but a certain amount of ranks above you, and it is determined who you will fight randomly. So you can¡¯t target someone whose element makes it easy for you to beat.
¡°Everyone can keep issuing challenges until they lose a fight. But you have to think about it carefully, if you lose a fight after issuing a challenge, you will receive a large penalty, losing out on a lot of credits.¡±
¡°How large?¡± Bid asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Heso answered. ¡°Do you know, Adion?¡±
¡°My brother says it differs a little each year. And it differs from class to class. But I know that when my brother entered the Academy, and someone lost a challenge in the gold class, the penalty was not receiving credits for three months. That is a loss of 600 credits for someone in the gold class.¡±
¡°So much?¡± Bid asked, surprised.
¡°Otherwise, everyone would issue challenges, and that would take forever,¡± Adion said.
¡°Then I better not do something like that,¡± Bid said, ¡°I¡¯ll focus on trying to get the best results today.¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t challenge anyone, you won¡¯t be able to advance a class though,¡± Heso pointed out.
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Bid said hesitantly, ¡°I¡¯ll stay and watch the silver class fight. If I think I stand a chance, I might issue a challenge.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Heso nodded.
They soon reached the front of the line, where they showed their Academy badges and received their fighting schedule.
Just like I thought. But this has to be pretty rare, no? I¡¯m pretty sure seeded students aren¡¯t normally placed like this.
Adion only had a single fight scheduled for the day, and that was the final match of the tournament. That meant he would, at worst, be placed at rank 2 after the first day was over.
I¡¯m sure people will complain about this. I just hope they don¡¯t come to me for any trouble.
¡°Haaah,¡± Heso sighed from beside him, ¡°As I expected, I¡¯m not seeded. How about you, Adion?¡±
¡°I¡¯m seeded, so I¡¯ll be able to relax for a while,¡± Adion said, without showing his very empty fighting schedule.
¡°Congratulations,¡± Heso said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll stay behind to cheer you on.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to cheer you on too, then.¡±
¡°I appreciate it,¡± Heso smiled, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll let you go to see your brother. I will go get ready.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded, leaving Heso to find his brother and sister.
They said they would be waiting for me at the same place they waited for me when showing me around.
It didn¡¯t take long before Adion saw his brother and sister in the distance. They weren¡¯t alone, however. A tall bald man was standing there, talking with his brother.
¡°Adion!¡± Ailera greeted him with a smile as she spotted him walking over.
¡°Good morning,¡± Adion said with a smile.
¡°Adion,¡± Aiden said, ¡°This is Temev Falar. He¡¯s the Head of Eternal Fire.¡±
¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Adion said to Temev, ¡°I¡¯m Adion Remori, Aiden¡¯s younger brother.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Temev nodded with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡±
¡°How is your schedule?¡± Aiden asked Adion.
Adion didn¡¯t say anything and just handed him the paper for him to look for himself.
¡°Haha,¡± Aiden laughed, ¡°It¡¯s actually like you said. This will cause quite the commotion.¡±
¡°Only one fight? Wait. You¡¯re actually seeded straight to the finals?¡± Temev asked as he looked at the schedule over Aiden¡¯s shoulder.
¡°He has a Gift, as you know,¡± Aiden said, ¡°The Dean didn¡¯t see anyone coming close to beating him because of that.¡±
¡°Still,¡± Temev muttered.
¡°Dean Lukas seemed worried about casualties,¡± Adion explained, ¡°Even if I promised not to kill anyone, he didn¡¯t want to take any unnecessary risks.¡±
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
¡°It must be quite an amazing Gift,¡± Temev said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing it in action.¡±
¡°Well, no point in standing here,¡± Aiden said, ¡°Will you join us in watching the tournament, Temev?¡±
¡°No,¡± Temev shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m going to get something to eat before meeting up with some others. But you guys enjoy yourselves.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Aiden said, ¡°I¡¯ll see you after the tournament.¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Temev nodded, ¡°Good luck in your fight, Adion. I heard from Aiden that you weren¡¯t interested in joining a House yet, but make sure to at least hear my offer before deciding on joining any other House.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded.
Temev then left the area, and Adion started walking to the arena with his siblings.
¡°Are you still thinking about creating your own House?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure anymore,¡± Adion said, ¡°When I asked about it at the administration building, there seemed to be quite the process. I would have to have 20 students willing to join before even applying, and I won¡¯t have enough credits for a while.¡±
¡°I told you it wouldn¡¯t be easy,¡± Aiden said, ¡°And it will take up a lot of your time. It will be much better if you just join Eternal Fire.¡±
I¡¯m not sure about that. I think I¡¯d rather just stay away from Houses for now. I should focus on my classes and training with Sell for the time being.
¡°Anyway,¡± Ailera said, ¡°Do you know anyone competing in the iron class?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Adion said, ¡°I don¡¯t really know anyone yet. And the ones I know are basically all in the diamond class.¡±
¡°Well, it can still be interesting to watch.¡± Aiden said, ¡°And if you get bored, you can always bet some credits to make it more interesting.¡±
¡°You can make bets?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°I put a lot of credits on you placing 1st, so don¡¯t let me down.¡±
¡°You did? Can I also bet that I¡¯ll win?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You can,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°But do you have any credits to bet yet?¡±
¡°Not really,¡± Adion sighed.
¡°I¡¯ll give you some of my winnings,¡± Aiden said, putting a hand on Adion¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You¡¯re the one winning it for me, after all.¡±
¡°Unfortunately, a lot of people know you have an amazing Gift,¡± Ailera said, ¡°So it¡¯s not very favorable odds.¡±
¡°You really should have kept it a secret,¡± Aiden agreed, ¡°We could have become rich.¡±
That really is a shame. But even if I tried to keep my Gift a secret, a lot of people would have known because of Sora.
¡°We can bet that Sell comes in 2nd,¡± Adion said, ¡°There is no way she doesn¡¯t.¡±
¡°The odds aren¡¯t very good for that either,¡± Ailera said, ¡°She is a high Bronze princess, after all.¡±
¡°Damn,¡± Adion said.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much,¡± Aiden said, ¡°You will earn more credits than you can spend just by being rank 1. A little betting wouldn¡¯t change your credits much.¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Adion nodded.
They soon arrived at the stands, where they got a nice view of all the different fights going on down below. The stone class had already finished all their fights earlier, and currently, the students from the iron class were fighting to determine their rankings.
The floor of the arena had been walled off into 16 different sections, so there were always a few fights going on that the audience could watch. Adion immediately saw a student get a sword to the throat, but it was stopped by a judge overlooking the fight before the sword could cut through.
¡°That was close,¡± Adion said, ¡°How did he manage to stop the sword?¡±
¡°The judges are all metal mages,¡± Aiden said, ¡°No one is allowed to fight with their own weapons but have to fight with a weapon that has been infused with the Will of the metal mages. The judges have also taken a special kind of Focus Pill that allows them to react before anything too serious happens.¡±
¡°But accidents still happen every year,¡± Ailera said, ¡°So remember to be careful even if you¡¯re strong.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°Even with all the precautions, you can¡¯t account for everything.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Adion said. He would also have to take care not to carelessly injure someone so much that it couldn¡¯t be fixed with healing pills. Even if it was an accident and in an official fight, students who maimed or killed another student received punishment. It wasn¡¯t meant to be a fight to the death, after all.
I¡¯ll probably be fine. As long as the judge ends the fight in time, I won¡¯t have to do more than touch my opponent with my sword.
Adion didn¡¯t think he knew anyone in iron class, but after looking through the different ongoing fights, he noticed someone he recognized.
¡°Oh, that guy is my roommate,¡± Adion said, pointing out where Sokken was currently fighting.
So he was placed in iron class? He must be doing fairly well if he is still fighting.
¡°Looks like he is going up against a seeded student,¡± Aiden commented.
¡°Yeah, I¡¯d be surprised if this isn¡¯t his first fight,¡± Adion said. While Sokken¡¯s clothes were dirty with plenty of tears, his short and black-haired opponent looked clean and energetic.
¡°Hopefully, he saved some of his energy,¡± Aiden said.
As soon as the judge started the fight, Sokken pulled out two daggers and ran to his opponent at full speed. His opponent conjured a ball of fire and shot it toward Sokken, making Adion doubt if he could dodge it in time.
But to both his and the black-haired youth''s surprise, Sokken simply held up his arms over his face and took the fire head-on.
¡°That must have hurt,¡± Ailera said with a grimace.
Sokken continued running and his opponent took a few steps back while conjuring an even bigger ball of fire. Just before Sokken reached him, the man shot the fire at him. But this time, Sokken didn¡¯t stand still. Anticipating the attack, he dived down onto the dirt, dodging it.
He didn¡¯t stop, though, and almost seemed to flow all the way to his opponent. Just before reaching him, he jumped up and attacked. His opponent seemed surprised and couldn¡¯t get his sword ready to strike at that angle, so Sokken easily knocked his sword out of the way with one of his daggers and punched the black-haired in an upper-cut.
The judge stopped the fight there, announcing Sokken as the winner.
¡°Why stop there?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It was obvious your roommate could have killed him if he used his dagger,¡± Aiden said, ¡°Since the Academy wants to avoid deaths, a strike like that results in a win.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°But he is very good at fighting,¡± AIilera said, ¡°He didn¡¯t even use his mana.¡±
¡°He probably used some of it on the ground,¡± Adion said.
¡°Oh? Now that you mention it, he didn¡¯t move naturally, did he,¡± Ailera nodded.
¡°So he¡¯s an earth mage?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°Should be,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Seems like he hasn¡¯t let that discourage him from fighting,¡± Aiden said, ¡°Even though his opponent wasn¡¯t very good, he finished him without spending much of his energy.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But if he goes up against a better mage, that won¡¯t work. He would be finished before reaching his opponent.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°But it might be enough for 1st-years in iron class.¡±
And that seemed to be the case. Sokken didn¡¯t only win that fight, but the next one as well. And the next one. And the one after that.
¡°He actually won,¡± Adion said, looking at Sokken breathing heavily on the ground as the audience cheered. Even if it was still only the iron class, the finals were always exciting.
¡°Very talented indeed,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°He might get a few good offers from the Houses despite being in the iron class. Even I would be scared to fight him up close.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded in agreement. He was confident in his fighting abilities, but that was mostly against big beasts. If he had to fight another sapi, and not be able to use his magic, he would have a tough time beating Sokken and his daggers.
¡°Are you getting excited to fight, Adion?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°A little,¡± Adion smiled.
He knew his fight wouldn¡¯t be very exciting. Most likely, he would just freeze his opponent in space and run up to them unhindered. But he had to admit his blood was starting to pump with more vigor as he thought about his upcoming fight.
I should take it seriously. Maybe someone will surprise me and put up a good fight.
Chapter 115 - Heads
¡°How did she do that?¡± Ailera asked. ¡°Was that light?¡±
¡°It looked like it,¡± Aiden nodded.
That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen someone with the element of light. I guess it¡¯s not that useless in a fight if you know how to use it.
Adion and his siblings were watching a match between a blonde human girl and an elven boy. It was one of the first fights with students from the gold class.
The girl had managed to catch the boy completely off guard by conjuring light and directing it into his eyes, blinding him temporarily and finishing the fight easily.
It wouldn¡¯t work very well on me though. Maybe even Sell could fight perfectly well with just her senses.
As the second round of fights started, Adion caught a glimpse of the girl that occupied his thoughts most of the day.
¡°Sell!¡± Adion called out.
Sell was walking up to the stands along with her sister and looked up at Adion with a smile when she heard him.
¡°They got here pretty late, didn¡¯t they?¡± Ailera said.
¡°The Heads of the top ten Houses will have a chance to talk about their Houses in front of everyone before the diamond class starts their fights. Rellitha probably spent the morning organizing everything,¡± Aiden said.
¡°And Sell isn¡¯t very interested in watching the weaker classes fight,¡± Adion said, ¡°She also wanted to be well-rested before the fights.¡±
¡°I guess not everyone can be so lucky to only have to fight once,¡± Ailera said.
Sell and Rellitha soon reached the three siblings and greeted them. Sell made sure to get the spot next to Adion, leaving Rellitha at the end of the group.
¡°Nervous about the speech?¡± Aiden leaned forward and asked Rellitha.
¡°A little,¡± Rellitha said, ¡°But we don¡¯t have much time allotted to us, so I will make things quick.¡±
¡°Does it change anyone¡¯s mind?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I¡¯d think most of the talented students have already decided which House to join.¡±
¡°Maybe a few,¡± Rellitha said, ¡°There will always be new students who have already been told which House to join by their family. But there are thousands of students here. Most of them aren¡¯t Nobles and don¡¯t know as much about the different Houses.¡±
¡°Have you decided which House you will join, Sell?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°Not yet,¡± Sell shook her head.
¡°You really should join us as soon as possible,¡± Rellitha said, ¡°You¡¯ll fall behind if you take too long. That would go for you too, Adion.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Adion said.
¡°Anyway,¡± Sell said, ignoring her sister, ¡°How does your fighting schedule look, Adion?¡±
¡°I got seeded straight to the final,¡± Adion answered.
¡°As expected,¡± Sell said with a small smile.
¡°Straight to the final?¡± Rellitha asked, surprised, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that before. The Elders must have been really impressed with your Gift.¡±
¡°I suppose,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°How about you, Sell?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have to fight four times if I win them all,¡± Sell said, ¡°So I guess I¡¯ll see you at the final.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have to fight you?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You think I¡¯ll lose to Vels?¡± Sell asked with narrowed eyes.
¡°No, no,¡± Adion answered, ¡°I just didn¡¯t think about it before.¡±
I somehow just imagined I would be facing Vels or someone. I never thought about going up against Sell. I can beat her if I make use of my Authority, but it won¡¯t feel very good.
¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± Sell asked, ¡°I already know you¡¯ll beat me.¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°You¡¯ll have to beat up that Vels guy for me.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Sell smiled.
¡°Look, it¡¯s Lastia Isryn. Isn¡¯t she your roommate, Sell?¡± Rellitha asked as she pointed down to one of the fights that was just about to begin.
¡°She is,¡± Sell nodded.
Adion also spotted the girl he had seen with Felicia the previous day. But the one that really caught his attention was the man she was going up against.
Astor.
¡°I really haven¡¯t missed that guy,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°I hope he doesn¡¯t get very far. Hopefully, Lastia can take him out here,¡± Sell said.
¡°Do you know that boy?¡± Rellitha asked
¡°His name is Astor Tyllen,¡± Sell answered, ¡°I was down visiting that family with mother and father almost two years ago. He is very unpleasant.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Rellitha nodded.
The fight between Lastia and Astor soon began, and Adion paid rapt attention, hoping to see Astor get thoroughly beaten. But to his and everyone else¡¯s surprise, the fight never got that far.
¡°I surrender!¡± Astor¡¯s loud voice made it all the way up to the stands.
Lastia stopped in her tracks and looked toward Astor in shock.
¡°He surrendered?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Why would he do that?¡± Ailera questioned.
¡°It seems like he is really smitten with her,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°Poor Lastia,¡± Sell sighed.
The judge ended the fight at Astor¡¯s surrender and declared Lastia as the winner. She didn¡¯t seem too pleased, though.
¡°At least, this gives her a chance of advancing a class,¡± Sell said.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded.
Didn¡¯t take Astor as the sort of guy to surrender an important fight like this because of a girl he likes. Thank Ganta that he moved on from Sell.
The fights continued, and there was a noticeable difference between the gold class fights and the other classes. Adion himself was unsure how he would fair without being able to rely on his Authority if he had to go up against those students.
¡°That¡¯s the end of the line for Lastia it seems,¡± Sell commented as the judge in Lastia¡¯s current fight intervened and judged her opponent as the winner.
¡°There are always the challenges tomorrow,¡± Adion said.
¡°Hopefully, she¡¯ll make it,¡± Sell said.
¡°I need to go get ready,¡± Rellitha said, ¡°Do you want to come with me, Sell? You need to start preparing soon.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll stay a while longer,¡± Sell said.
¡°Okay,¡± Rellitha nodded, her eyes lingering slightly on Adion before turning to walk away.
¡°A shame she had to leave when things are getting so exciting,¡± Ailera said.
¡°Were the fights earlier boring?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Not boring,¡± Ailera said hesitantly, ¡°Well, maybe a little boring. But it¡¯s also because we don¡¯t know anyone fighting. Except for two of Adion¡¯s roommates that we could cheer on.¡±
¡°Oh? How did they do?¡± Sell asked.
¡°One of them, Sokken, actually won the final match of the iron class,¡± Adion said, ¡°But Heso, my other roommate, didn¡¯t make it very far. I think he placed near the bottom.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Sell said, ¡°That Sokken will probably advance a class then. It is pretty unlikely that he won¡¯t win the fight against the bottom-ranked in bronze class.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded.
It didn¡¯t take much longer before all the students in the gold class had finished fighting. The winner was someone Adion didn¡¯t know, but he suspected he would advance to the diamond class after issuing a challenge.
¡°Will you stay here and listen to the Head¡¯s speeches? Or do you need to go prepare?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I¡¯ll stay. My fight won¡¯t be one of the first ones anyway,¡± Sell said.
¡°Remember that it will be a lot quicker with your class,¡± Aiden said, ¡°You are only 100 students, after all.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll leave as soon as they¡¯re finished talking,¡± Sell nodded.
Soon, a huge metal platform was raised from under the fighting pit, bringing everyone¡¯s attention to the spectacle.
¡°Are the metal mages responsible for this? But isn¡¯t that too much metal?¡± Adion asked.
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¡°It¡¯s not mages. It¡¯s runes,¡± Aiden answered with a small smile.
¡°They have runes capable of doing that?¡± Adion asked.
¡°They have runes for everything here,¡± Aiden said.
¡°Even we have similar runes in Amyss,¡± Sell said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing complicated. It just takes a lot of mana.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion nodded.
The platform soon came to a halt, and Dean Lukas walked up to a podium already placed in the middle of the platform.
¡°I know you all want to see what the best of the first-years have to offer,¡± Dean Lukas''s voice rang out across the arena, ¡°But first, we will listen to a few words from the Heads of the top 10 Houses in the Academy. It is a privilege only afforded to the strongest Houses. I hope all you first-years will listen carefully, as joining the right House can make or break your future here at the Academy.
¡°Well, without further ado. Please welcome up the stage, rank 10 of all Houses at the Academy, Head of the Perillians, Silona Quath!¡±
As soon Dean Lukas finished speaking, a beautiful blonde elven girl walked up the platform, smiling and waving to the people around the arena who were loudly cheering for her.
¡°Quath? Is it the same family as Felicia?¡± Adion turned to Sell and asked.
¡°Yeah, it is a very big Noble family,¡± Sell said, ¡°Solina is the daughter of the future patriarch. Felicia is her cousin.¡±
¡°I see. Do you know her, Ailera?¡± Adion asked his sister.
¡°Somewhat,¡± Ailera answered, ¡°I¡¯ve met her plenty of times, but I can¡¯t say we are close. There are many girls more talented than me in our House. But every time we do talk, she is extremely nice and caring.¡±
¡°She is pretty famous in Iitha,¡± Sell said, ¡°She is said to be not only the most beautiful girl in all of Iitha, but as gentle as a saint as well.¡±
¡°You must really be avoiding public appearances then,¡± Adion said.
¡°You-¡± Sell looked up at Adion with a blush, causing Adion to grin widely.
¡°We¡¯re also here, you know,¡± Ailera said, staring at Adion with a plain expression.
Adion coughed and looked to the platform, ¡°Stop talking so much. Let¡¯s listen.¡±
¡°...And this year, we will go further than ever before. All talented girls with the determination to grow are welcome. Thank you all for listening.¡± Solina finished her speech and walked off the stage.
Guess the speeches aren¡¯t very long.
After Solina left the stage, Dean Lukas introduced the next speaker, the Head of the Alchemists, ranked 9th of all Houses at the Academy.
Adion wasn¡¯t uninterested in alchemy. It was just that he didn¡¯t think he would have any time for it. He had to prioritize other things. But listening to the Head of the Alchemists talking about it, Adion had to admit that he was questioning not spending at least some of his time studying alchemy.
¡°Ailera, do you think you can teach me some alchemy someday?¡± Adion asked his sister.
¡°Sure,¡± Ailera smiled, ¡°But you know you¡¯ll have to work hard on your concepts, right? The concepts used for alchemy are very different than the ones used for fighting.¡±
¡°I suppose that might be difficult,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But it¡¯s fine if it takes some time.¡±
¡°When do you want to start? Tomorrow after the tournament finishes?¡± Ailera asked excitedly.
¡°No, no, no,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ll have to get settled in first. I¡¯ll ask you about it when I feel like I can take on something like that.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Ailera said, ¡°I guess that makes sense. Well, just let me know.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
After the Alchemists, the Head of Senkan, ranked 8th, made his way to the podium and introduced himself.
¡°My name is Shome,¡± The black-haired and black-clothed man said, ¡°I am the Head of Senkan. Senkan, for those of you who are not familiar with Shiorin, means ¡®All.¡¯
A House created for those of us who refuse to just focus on a single aspect of power. We don¡¯t have specific alchemists, runesmiths, scholars, and fighters. We all strive to improve in all those aspects and more.
¡°If you also feel like you would be limited in the other Houses, that you want to make the most of yourself. I welcome you to come to our House and show us what you got.¡±
That doesn¡¯t sound so bad. I would assume that focusing on so many different things would make it impossible to fight at the top. But they are ranked 8th, so they are clearly doing something right.
After the Head of Senkan finished speaking, the Head of the Runesmiths, ranked 7th, arrived at the platform and began his speech. Once again, the speech ignited Adion¡¯s curiosity. He was made even more sure of his choice to make one of his classes about runes.
The Head of the Outskirters was next up the stage, making his speech about the Outskirts and the mysteries still hidden within the Endless Forest, sparking great interest not only in Adion but many other students there.
I can see how the Outskirt Guild has managed to reach the point it has. It really does seem like the perfect House to join for those who are undecided about their future. And with a constant flow of talented graduates from the Academy, the Guild could only do better and better with time.
After the Head of the Outskirters finished, a muscular man carrying a big axe on his back made his way to the podium and started speaking.
¡°I am Hanque, the Head of the Raindrops.¡± Hanque started speaking in a gruff voice, ¡°Do not let the name fool you. Even if our House started out as one for water mages, we now accept mages of all elements. We only care about one thing: that you can fight. If you have enjoyed the tournament so far, you will love our House. We will make great fighters of you all!¡±
¡°Not what I expected the Head of a House named ¡®Raindrops¡¯ to look like,¡± Adion commented.
¡°They¡¯re all crazy,¡± Aiden said, ¡°Battle maniacs that are always looking for a fight. Even if someone calm and collected joins them, it only takes a few months before they are changed forever. It is probably the House I fear the most.¡±
¡°Seriously?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Aiden nodded slowly.
After Hanque left the stage, Dean Lukas presented the next Head, but it was not their only title.
¡°Please welcome, the Head of the Scrolls, Scholar Dorsia Tryelli!¡± Dean Lukas announced. And soon a modest-looking girl with curly brown hair appeared on the platform, smiling and waving at the audience around the arena.
¡°Scholar?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°Scholar,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°She is one of the very few people who have managed to earn that title before even graduating. Most people struggle to earn the title of scholar even when they have a lifetime. She¡¯s a genius.¡±
Impressive.
Listening to Dorsia¡¯s speech, Adion¡¯s curiosity was piqued once again. And his desire for the knowledge only available at the Academy made him somewhat regret not choosing more classes.
It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s only my first year here. If I notice I have the time, I can pick up more classes next time.
After Dorsia finished talking, Adion saw a familiar face appear on stage.
¡°That¡¯s Temev,¡± Adion said in a low voice to Sell, ¡°He¡¯s the Head of Eternal Fire, Aiden¡¯s House.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed and smiled at Adion, ¡°I know. But thanks.¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± Adion said, a little embarrassed.
¡°With the Fire Phoenix¡¯s return, we fire mages are stronger than ever. If your fire burns hot enough, you are welcome to join us at Eternal Fire. Let¡¯s show everyone why fire is the strongest element!¡± Temev finished his speech.
A lot of people cheered at the words, but even more people booed loudly, and some even yelled curses.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Temev laughed happily, ¡°Let¡¯s show these weaklings that their complaints mean nothing in the face of our flames!¡±
Dean Lukas hurriedly ushered Temev off the platform while shaking his head at the commotion.
¡°Haaah,¡± Aiden sighed with his head in his hands, ¡°I told him not to do that.¡±
¡°I think he did pretty well,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m sure he managed to convince a lot of fire mages.¡±
¡°But all the other students will hate you,¡± Ailera said with a teasing smile.
¡°Alright, settle down, everyone, settle down,¡± Dean Lukas said calmly, trying to quiet down the rowdy crowd. There were a lot of heated discussions going on all over the arena, though, so his words didn¡¯t have much of an impact. ¡°What are you all so upset about!?¡± Dean Lukas''s loud voice resounded through the arena, ¡°What good are your words? They prove nothing. If you disagree with Head Temev¡¯s words, show it with your strength. I will approve every challenge issued to him.¡±
The crowd finally quieted down. Some quiet murmurs were all that could be heard.
¡°Now that that¡¯s settled, I will introduce the penultimate speaker, the Head of the Soaring Souls, ranked second of all Houses at the Academy, crown princess Rellitha Amyss.¡± Dean Lukas introduced and made space for Sell¡¯s sister as she walked towards the podium, not smiling and waving like the two other girls but with a serious expression on her face.
¡°My name is Rellitha Amyss. I am the Head of Soaring Souls,¡± Rellitha began, ¡°We only accept the absolute strongest students into our House, those with a firm determination to reach the Soul stages, and perhaps even higher. Although we are ranked second, that will change this year. We will take the top spot from the Shields. If you want to be part of the House that will, from now on, always be seen as the undisputed top power of this continent, I welcome you to join us. You will become part of an elite group of Soul mages in the future.
¡°However, If you are more interested in subordinating yourself to Nobles of higher status. If you want to be part of a House losing its number one spot for the first time in centuries, I suggest you listen carefully to the final speaker of the day.¡±
With those words, Rellitha turned away from the podium and walked off the platform to loud cheers all over the arena.
¡°I didn¡¯t think your sister would be so aggressive,¡± Adion said.
¡°Me neither,¡± Sell said.
¡°She has been determined to take down the Shields ever since she joined the Academy,¡± Aiden said, ¡°And I think that speech managed to persuade several people who were thinking about joining the Shields.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°It would be fine joining the second-ranked House even if they didn¡¯t climb, but with that prospect, it seems very enticing. The Shields, on the other hand, have nothing to gain, only something to lose.¡±
¡°It will be interesting to hear what Magvem has to say,¡± Aiden said with a smirk.
And it wasn¡¯t long before the final speaker arrived at the podium; a blonde and handsome man with a light smile, looking out over the crowd silently.
¡°My name is Magvem Veloria,¡± Magvem finally began in a gentle voice, ¡°I am the Head of the Shields. The Head of Soaring Souls just made some extravagant remarks that I can¡¯t help but comment on.
¡°It is far from the first time someone like her has gotten the idea to dethrone our House in order to increase her reputation. But who could have guessed that focusing on something impossible like that never ends well? It is Rellitha Amyss¡¯s last year. She has nothing to lose and everything to gain by going to war with us. But it is a war she will lose, and she will throw all the resources of her House at a lost cause, not caring for the damage done to the House and the consequences of her actions after she is gone.
¡°If you want to spend your first year fighting a useless fight, falling behind in both your studies and advancement, go ahead and join her. If you want to spend the next four years seeing your House decline, dropping in ranks with each passing year, with no resources to become stronger, go ahead and join her. If you want to start your time here at the Academy making enemies instead of friends, go ahead and join her.
¡°But if you don¡¯t find that idea appealing, you are welcome to join the Shields. I am unfortunately out of time, so I will simply leave you with this: if you are aiming for the top, come join us at the top.¡±
With those words, Magvem left the platform.
¡°That wasn¡¯t very good for Rellitha, was it?¡± Ailera asked worriedly.
¡°No,¡± Aiden shook his head seriously.
¡°I think he sounded scared,¡± Adion said.
¡°Scared?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°At least I only got the feeling of wanting to prove him wrong. Even if I had wanted to join the Shields before this, his speech would have made me feel like a coward if I went through with it.¡± Adion said.
¡°Let¡¯s hope there are more people like you then,¡± Aiden said with a small smile.
Chapter 116 - Fights
¡°I should get going,¡± Sell turned to Adion and said.
The platform where the different Heads had just made their speeches was lowered below the ground again, and soon the final fights of the day would begin.
¡°Okay,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the final then.¡±
¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± Sell said with a smile and turned to leave.
I hope she¡¯ll be careful.
¡°Worried?¡± Ailera asked from beside him.
¡°A little,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But Sell is incredibly strong. I doubt anyone can stand a chance against her fire.¡±
¡°Is it very strong?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded with a smile, ¡°You should pay attention. You might be able to find some inspiration.¡±
¡°She has more powerful concepts than me?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°A lot more powerful, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Adion said. He had studied Aiden¡¯s fire, and while it was powerful enough to be proud of, it didn¡¯t come close to what Sell had accomplished.
¡°Seriously?¡± Aiden asked with raised eyebrows.
¡°Just watch, and maybe you¡¯ll feel it yourself,¡± Adion said.
It¡¯s not strange that he is surprised. He has had four more years to improve his fire, and he did it while studying at the best Academy in Shiora. I know for a fact that Aiden hasn¡¯t been lazy either. But Sell is just that amazing.
¡°If she has a much stronger fire than Aiden, her opponents are in trouble,¡± Ailera said.
¡°She will have to hold back,¡± Adion nodded.
It didn¡¯t take long before the first fights with the students of the diamond class started. Sell was seeded, so she wouldn¡¯t fight for a while. But Adion spotted a few people he recognized from his class.
There is Relmon. Seems like he going up against one of the guys I saw hanging around Vels.
¡°Do you spot anyone you know?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°I know that guy a bit,¡± Adion said as he pointed to Relmon. ¡°His name is Relmon Zemer.¡±
¡°A human from an elven Noble family is rare,¡± Aiden commented, ¡°He must be very talented.¡±
¡°I guess he is a middle Bronze mage,¡± Adion shrugged.
¡°What core does he have?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°Wind,¡± Adion said, ¡°So he shouldn¡¯t be at too much of a disadvantage.¡±
In tournaments like these, with several fights back to back, it was very disadvantageous with an element that was hard to conjure a lot of. Normally water mages were seen as really good fighters, only beaten by fire mages when it came to the four most common elements. But with a lot of fights, things were very different for water mages. A Bronze mage could only conjure a little more than two cups of water, enough to be dangerous in a fight if they had grasped useful concepts, but not very useful if they had to fight several fights one after another.
Of course, earth mages had an even rougher time, but that was always the case, even if it was only one fight.
¡°Looks like his opponent is a fire mage,¡± Ailera said as the fight commenced.
Adion watched as Relmon conjured a big wind, scattering the ball of flames that was shot toward him. Relmon wasn¡¯t in a hurry to close the distance, though. He stood there comfortably, attacking with his conjured wind. Adion saw a few blades of wind managing to cut his opponent, making blood start to show through his clothes.
His opponent rushed toward Relmon, deciding to bring to fight up close. Even if wind was difficult to deal with for most fire mages, it was easier to keep the fight under control if there wasn¡¯t much distance. And no matter how much it hurt to be cut from the wind, it wasn¡¯t particularly dangerous. A wind mage rarely had the concepts needed to lethally wound a mage of the same stage.
Relmon noticed his opponent approaching and pulled out his spear, and that was where he really showed his talent. The fire mage had no chance of getting close enough with his sword. Relmon¡¯s opponent opted to once again conjure a fire, but that was a mistake, as Relmon jumped toward him, swinging his spear straight toward his throat with incredible speed.
The judge took control of the fight before Relmon could connect his strike, declaring Relmon as the winner.
¡°He¡¯s a good fighter,¡± Ailera said.
¡°He is,,¡± Adion agreed, ¡°I don¡¯t know how would have handled that spear.¡±
¡°Most mages use swords because it is often the best option when fighting beasts, but a lot of us lack experience in fighting anything but beasts and other swordsmen,¡± Aiden said.
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Adion nodded.
The fights continued one after another, and it wasn¡¯t long before Sell appeared in one of the fighting areas for the first time.
¡°There¡¯s Sell!¡± Ailera said, excitedly, ¡°Do you know who her opponent is?¡±
¡°No idea,¡± Adion shook his head. He had only briefly seen his classmates when receiving his class schedule, so he only knew a few of them.
¡°I spotted him fighting earlier,¡± Aiden said, ¡°He is a fire mage who is really good with the sword.¡±
Let¡¯s see how she does.
Adion was far from the only one paying attention. The arena was filled to the brim at this point of the day since only the most talented were still fighting. And Sell¡¯s beauty caused discussions that soon revealed her origin as a princess of Iitha. People all over could be heard starting to cheer for her victory.
¡°Looks like she has plenty of fans already,¡± Ailera grinned at Adion.
¡°That¡¯s natural,¡± Adion said.
¡°Tch, boring,¡± Ailera muttered.
The fight soon started, and Sell was quick to start moving. She conjured a fire at the same time as her opponent. But what he created didn¡¯t come near what Sell could do. She was a princess, so she had access to plenty of powerful and useful spells. And Adion noticed she was using one of them, conjuring a snake of flames that sped toward her opponent.
The blonde youth shot out a ball of flames of his own, trying to fight fire with fire. But he did not have the time he thought he had. Just as he shot out his own fire, Sell¡¯s fiery snake reached him, hitting him straight in the chest. He shot back from the impact, and the powerful fire made him scream loud enough to reach Adion and his siblings.
The judge announced Sell as the victor and hurriedly made his way with some healing pills to her opponent. Sell turned away from the severely injured man and turned to look at Adion far away in the audience with a smile. The crowd all cheered loudly at the show of power.
¡°Amazing,¡± Aiden muttered, ¡°That speed¡It¡¯s not normal.¡±
¡°And her opponent couldn¡¯t even fight the fire with his Will before passing out from the injuries it caused,¡± Ailera said.
¡°It was a good thing she held back,¡± Adion said, ¡°Otherwise, he would probably die before the judge could do anything.¡±
¡°That was holding back?¡± Aiden asked, shocked.
¡°Mm,¡± Adion nodded.
Even if she pushed herself to her limit, nothing compares to her Words of Truth. I wonder how much devastation that would be able to cause.
¡°She¡¯s just as much of a freak as you,¡± Aiden muttered unhappily.
Adion just smiled at his brother.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°Does even Grandpa¡¯s fire move that fast?¡± Ailera questioned.
¡°If it does, it¡¯s not much faster,¡± Aiden said.
¡°Sell¡¯s fire¡¯s speed is tough to beat,¡± Adion said, ¡°But Grandpa¡¯s fire is more powerful. He has grasped the concept of what he calls ¡®incineration¡¯ to a very high degree.¡±
Adion had gotten the chance to study his Grandpa¡¯s fire when he had advanced to the Soft Soul stage, and Sell¡¯s fire couldn¡¯t compare when it came to raw power.
¡°Still,¡± Aiden said, ¡°She must have had an epiphany of epic proportions to comprehend speed like that.¡±
She has comprehended a Deep Concept, so yeah.
The fights carried on, and Sell won her next fight in much the same way. This time, her opponent had been a little more careful, but he was a pretty exhausted water mage, so he still didn¡¯t stand a chance.
¡°I should get going,¡± Adion said, ¡°Sell will probably fight Vels next, and after that, it will be my turn.¡±
¡°Good luck,¡± Ailera said.
¡°Make sure she doesn¡¯t get the chance to conjure any fire. You wouldn¡¯t stand a chance,¡± Aiden said.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know,¡± Adion said and turned to leave.
Even if he knew Sell was fast, she wasn¡¯t faster than Adion could command the space around her to keep her still. Sell knew that too, which is why she didn¡¯t hold any beliefs of beating Adion.
I almost wish Sell would lose. Well, not really. I just wish I could beat someone else. It doesn¡¯t feel right to fight her like this.
Maybe I should just fight her without using my ¡®Gift¡¯? Then I wouldn¡¯t feel so bad about it. She isn¡¯t using her Words of Truth, after all. Do I stand a chance fighting her that way? I am almost a middle Silver mage, so my Will is a lot stronger than hers. I might be able to take control of her fire before it injures me too much, and then use it against her.
She has been fighting and showing everyone how amazing she is. For me to come along and just freeze her in space would feel wrong. I want to defeat her, but not like that.
¡°Adion, you¡¯re finally here. I was getting worried,¡± Adion¡¯s thoughts were interrupted as he saw Dean Lukas coming toward him.
¡°Well, I was also getting a little relieved, to be honest, hehe,¡± Dean Lukas chuckled. ¡°But it¡¯s good that you¡¯re here. You¡¯re ready to fight, I assume?¡±
¡°Yes, Dean Lukas,¡± Adion bowed slightly with his fist palmed, ¡°Sorry I was late. I was watching the fights with my siblings.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Dean Lukas said, ¡°You¡¯re not really late. Anyway, soon Vels and Sellitha will fight one another, and you will face the winner.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded.
Dean Lukas went away to talk with someone else, coordinating the final moments of the first day of the tournament.
Adion looked around a little. He was inside a large hall that led into the arena. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t see any of the fights from there, so he would miss Sell¡¯s fight.
There were other students from the diamond class around, many of whom were injured. But no one was seriously hurt, those who had suffered the worst injuries had been carried to the infirmary to rest.
¡°Adion?¡±
Adion turned around to see Relmon walking toward him, his torso covered in bandages soaked in healing potions.
¡°I haven¡¯t seen you around all day. Have you had any fights?¡± Relmon asked.
¡°I got seeded straight to the final,¡± Adion responded.
¡°Seriously? How is that fair?¡± Relmon questioned.
¡°It is what it is,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°You fought well, by the way. Congratulations on your victories.¡±
¡°Haaah,¡± Relmon sighed, ¡°Thanks. I still couldn¡¯t quite make it to the top 10. I¡¯ll issue a challenge tomorrow so I can rise a few more spots.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Adion nodded, turning his head to face the big opening to the arena, where he heard the crowd cheering much louder all of a sudden.
¡°Sellitha and Vels must be starting their fight now,¡± Relmon said, also looking out, ¡°I thought that would be the final match. But I guess not.¡±
¡°The audience must think the same,¡± Adion said with a small smile.
Everyone will probably be disappointed at the actual lackluster final match of the day.
After only a minute, the crowd once again roared loudly, and Adion turned to look at the opening to the arena, not sure exactly what he hoped to see.
It didn¡¯t take long before he saw the results of the fight, as a passed out and severely injured Vels was carried through the area.
I guess that¡¯s for the best. I wouldn¡¯t want to see Sell injured.
¡°Sellitha is scary strong,¡± Relmon said in a low voice as everyone watched Vels being carried away.
Not long after, Sell entered the area, several people approached her to congratulate her. Sell only politely smiled and made her way to Adion.
¡°Congratulations,¡± Adion said with a smile.
¡°Thanks,¡± Sell smiled back.
That¡¯s it.
¡°I won¡¯t use me Gift in our fight,¡± Adion said, ¡°So I hope you haven¡¯t emptied out your core completely yet.¡±
¡°What?¡± Sell looked at Adion with a confused expression, ¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion turned to look at Relmon, ¡°Give us a moment, will you?¡±
¡°Oh, er, sure,¡± Relmon nodded and walked away.
Adion used his Authority to isolate their conversation in case someone was trying to eavesdrop.
¡°You won¡¯t be using all of your abilities, so I¡¯ll do the same,¡± Adion said, ¡°Let¡¯s have a proper fight.¡±
¡°How is that a proper fight?¡± Sell questioned, ¡°You not using your Gift is like me not using my fire. And you¡¯re Gift is far from everything you have.¡±
¡°But¡Wouldn¡¯t it feel bad to end it all on me freezing you in space, winning without you even making a move?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It would feel worse if you let me win by not using your powers,¡± Sell said, ¡°Use everything you have and can show, and I¡¯ll do the same.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion said hesitantly.
¡°Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? It¡¯s your power, Adion. It¡¯s not a cheap trick. It¡¯s really cool magic! Show everyone what you can do. I won¡¯t feel bad losing to something spectacular like that.¡± Sell said, smiling at Adion.
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Adion smiled back.
¡°Make sure you enjoy it while it lasts,¡± Sell said with a grin, ¡°It won¡¯t take long before I figure out a way to deal with that strange ability, and then you¡¯ll only suffer losses from me from thereon out.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see.¡±
I¡¯m really not sure if I could have defeated her if I was also a high Bronze mage. Her Will is a lot stronger than other mages her strength.
Adion spotted Dean Lukas walking over hurriedly and made the thin film of space isolating their conversation disappear.
¡°Can¡¯t you hear me? It¡¯s time,¡± Dean Lukas said, ¡°A lot of people are already leaving. They must have thought your and Vels¡¯s fight was the final one. I should have seen that coming.¡±
¡°People are leaving?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Dean Lukas said, ¡°I announced that the final fight was yet to come. And plenty of people were still waiting for an end of the first day announcement from me. There will be plenty of people watching.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Sell said.
Dean Lukas looked at her hesitantly, ¡°Sellitha, you might not have heard much about Adion. But I put him straight to the final for a reason.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dean Lukas. I know this will be my defeat,¡± Sell said.
¡°That¡¯s¡well, good. We don¡¯t need any more accidents today,¡± Dean Lukas said, ¡°Anyway, off you go.¡±
Adion and Sell took off together, heading to the middle of the arena. They would fight in the same walled-off section where all the finals had taken place earlier in the day. It was the fighting area that could be seen the best from all over the arena.
Adion took his place at one end of the fighting area, while Sell walked toward the other end. Adion chose one of the swords placed there, not paying too much attention to how it felt to swing. He tuned out all the noise from the audience and focused on the judge.
Everyone in the audience is probably expecting some big fight.
¡°Are you both ready?¡± The judge asked.
¡°Ready,¡± Sell and Adion both confirmed.
¡°Wait for my signal,¡± The judge said and started to walk off to the side.
Adion spread out his space mana and focused his attention on the space surrounding Sell. She was smiling toward Adion and called out, ¡°You better hurry, I¡¯m conjuring my fire straight away!¡±
Adion smiled in response, he knew he couldn¡¯t take things slow, but he would have enough time to reach her while keeping her still.
Sell is right. This is my power. And I have no reason to take it easy on her. If I do, she will pass me before I know it, and I won¡¯t let that happen.
But why do I still feel this itching feeling inside me?
¡°Start!¡± The judge yelled, and Adion froze the space surrounding Sell. He raised his sword and ran toward her at full speed.
That¡¯s it. That¡¯s what I need to do.
I¡¯ll show everyone why I can defeat you, Sell. It¡¯s because I¡¯m stronger.
In just three seconds, Adion had made it where Sell was, his sword placed against her neck.
¡°Victory, Adion!¡± The judge yelled out as he ran up to Sell and Adion with a shocked expression.
Adion looked at Sell, who was also looking at him in surprise.
¡°Adion¡your aura,¡± Sell said.
¡°I defeated you using my strength as a Silver mage,¡± Adion said with a smile, ¡°So that¡¯s what I¡¯ll show everyone.¡±
Chapter 117 - Questions
¡°You¡¯re a Silver mage?¡± The judge asked in surprise after checking that Sell was free from injuries.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded, turning to the judge.
¡°How?¡± The judge asked.
¡°Just like everyone else who has managed to become a Silver mage,¡± Adion said.
¡°But¡¡± The judge seemed to be at a loss for words.
¡°This will probably cause quite a commotion,¡± Sell said, ¡°Are you sure about this, Adion?¡±
¡°It will be fine,¡± Adion said with a smile.
It¡¯s a choice I can¡¯t take back, but I¡¯m really glad I did it. This feels great.
He had thought about revealing his Silver strength before, but he didn¡¯t really have any good reason to, except that it would be nice not to have as many secrets to keep hold of. And the reason he had always hidden his strength was that he was afraid it would bring him too much attention.
But now he was at the Academy, and he had just become a Noble, so he would be pretty safe from any families or organizations with nefarious intentions. With his Gift and his status as the strongest mage in his year, he would have a lot of attention anyway, Silver mage or not.
The only downside was that he would inadvertently reveal his strong aura control by revealing his strength, as not even the Diamond professors had noticed anything during his admission. That was not a small downside, so Adion had opted to be safe rather than sorry.
But that had all changed with his fight with Sell. Adion had felt bad about it ever since the thought of fighting her had occurred, but he couldn¡¯t figure out why. It was only after talking with Sell that he realized that the reason he felt bad about it was that he would be fighting her while hiding his strength.
Adion knew he was stronger than Sell, and he was very comfortable fighting her and winning. It was even a great pride to defeat someone like her.
But it wouldn¡¯t feel good doing so while pretending to be weak. It would make Adion look like someone who only won using his Gift, a cheap trick. And it would make Sell look like someone who lost to a weaker mage. Adion didn¡¯t like that at all.
Even if no one knew his and Sell¡¯s relationship, Adion wanted to show everyone, most of all himself and Sell, why he deserved to be with her. It was because, as amazing as she was, Adion wouldn¡¯t lose to her.
I can¡¯t focus on silly things that don¡¯t matter. I need to keep getting stronger, or Sell will surpass me before I know it.
¡°You really are a Silver mage,¡± Dean Lukas''s voice reached Adion from behind. He turned around to see Dean Lukas standing there with a complicated expression. Around him were various professors and other faculty members.
¡°Come with me for a moment,¡± Dean Lukas said, ¡°We need to talk.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded. He turned to Sell and said, ¡°If you want, you can go to Aiden and Ailera. I¡¯ll meet up with you later.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Sell nodded.
Adion started walking away with Dean Lukas and the other professors.
¡°How are you a Silver mage already?¡± A professor who only looked to be in her early thirties asked while they were walking.
¡°I guess I meditate faster than other people,¡± Adion shrugged. His only theory was that he could advance so much faster because there was always plenty of space mana around, as well as his Authority. But he didn¡¯t actually know for certain.
¡°How didn¡¯t anyone notice?¡± An old professor with a white beard asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Dean Lukas muttered.
¡°He managed to fool the professors during his admission?¡± Someone Adion didn¡¯t see asked.
¡°I¡¯ll talk with Adion in private and answer all your questions later,¡± Dean Lukas said sternly as he looked around. ¡°Please be a little patient.¡±
¡°Please let me join, Dean Lukas,¡± The old professor asked, ¡°I have a lot of questions.¡±
¡°We all do,¡± Another professor said, ¡°Dean Lukas, wouldn¡¯t it be better for all of us to be present? That way, we won¡¯t miss asking anything important.¡±
¡°You can ask Adion whatever you want,¡± Dean Lukas said as they arrived in front of a door in the wall of the arena. ¡°But only after I¡¯m finished with him.¡±
Dean Lukas opened the door and ushered Adion inside.
¡°Up the stairs,¡± Dean Lukas instructed.
Adion obliged and followed Dean Lukas upstairs. At the top of the stairs, there were three doors, one of which Dean Lukas opened. Behind the door was a small and messy office. Dean Lukas gestured for Adion to take a seat by a circular table with a bunch of papers strewn about on top of it.
Adion took a seat as Dean Lukas stood staring deeply at Adion.
¡°Am I in trouble, Dean Lukas?¡± Adion carefully asked.
¡°Hmm,¡± Dean Lukas mused to himself, taking a seat opposite Adion. ¡°No, you¡¯re not in trouble. Why did you hide that you were a Silver mage from me?¡±
¡°I hid it from almost everyone,¡± Adion responded.
¡°Why?¡± Dean Lukas pressed.
¡°Well, I was just used to it, I guess,¡± Adion said, ¡°I advanced to the Bronze stage when I was 14, and I was far away from my family. I didn¡¯t want to bring too much attention to myself. Who knows what kind of ideas someone with power would have about me?¡±
¡°I guess I can see that,¡± Dean Lukas slowly nodded. ¡°How can you hide your aura so well? Not even I noticed anything during your admission.¡±
I better not mention the Merillian Soul Peaches. The dean could very well know about the theft from the Derolm family.
¡°I practiced a lot,¡± Adion simply responded.
¡°A lot of people practice a lot. That doesn¡¯t explain it,¡± Dean Lukas said while shaking his head, still looking deeply at Adion.
¡°Like I said, I have had to hide my strength for years,¡± Adion said, ¡°All day long, never letting down my guard. The other aspects of my aura are not near that level. I don¡¯t have a particular good aura sense either; I just focused on that one aspect. And I doubt I could have hidden my strength if someone of your ability was actually looking. But I¡¯ve noticed that people rarely suspect someone like me of hiding my strength.¡±
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Dean Lukas leaned back in his chair and finally took his eyes off Adion, staring up at the ceiling in contemplation.
¡°Why are you treating this so seriously?¡± Adion broke the silence with a question, ¡°I thought the Academy would be glad to have someone talented?¡±
¡°It is a good thing,¡± Dean Lukas nodded, looking at Adion again. ¡°It is a very good thing. I just can¡¯t help but be slightly irritated at being deceived.¡±
¡°It was never my attention-¡± Adion began defending himself but was interrupted by the dean.
¡°I understand the situation. Still, it¡¯s not a good feeling,¡± Dean Lukas said.
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°A Gifted and also a Silver mage¡¡± Dean Lukas mused to himself. ¡°You are quite interesting. Do you know how many Silver mages the Academy has accepted through the years?¡±
¡°I imagine it must be very few,¡± Adion said.
¡°It¡¯s never happened,¡± Dean Lukas said, ¡°Only twice has someone managed to reach peak Bronze before their admission. The first one to do so was Termeth Hesfym, and the second one was me.¡±
Termeth Hesfym¡Guess he is pretty talented. But not more so than me.
¡°Just how did you manage to reach Silver at such a young age?¡± Dean Lukas asked.
¡°I really don¡¯t know what to answer,¡± Adion said sincerely, ¡°People always ask me that when they find out. I just meditate a lot. I have practiced mana control since I was very little, spending as much of the day as possible working to improve. I also have a strong Will, so I haven¡¯t been stuck at a bottleneck so far.¡±
¡°So you¡¯re just freakishly talented? That¡¯s it?¡± Dean Lukas questioned, ¡°I suppose there always will be outliers even among outliers. But I just remembered, you were sparkless, correct?¡±
Of course, he would have heard about it.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°How did you create your core without a spark,¡± Dean Lukas asked.
¡°Hasn¡¯t it been done before?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I have read of people achieving it,¡± Dean Lukas nodded, ¡°It has long been a curiosity after all. But it takes a long time. Every sparkless that tried was a full-grown adult by the time they succeeded. So how could you do it so young?¡±
¡°Again,¡± Adion said, ¡°I practiced a lot. Every single day for as long as I remember.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Dean Lukas put his chin in his hand, seemingly thinking things through.
This way of questioning led Sell to discover my space core. But she had information Dean Lukas doesn¡¯t have. Is there a way to mislead him?
¡°I have heard that forming a core as a sparkless is considered very difficult, so I have one strange theory,¡± Adion said.
¡°What is it?¡± Dean Lukas asked.
¡°Well, I seemed to have formed my core at almost the exact time when the Fire Phoenix returned. Perhaps that made it easier for me?¡± Adion speculated.
¡°Could it have become easier to form a fire core since the Fire Phoenix returned?¡± Dean Lukas asked himself with raised eyebrows. ¡°Fire has become slightly easier to control. But perhaps there is even more to it. I had never considered that.¡±
Seems like it worked to grab his attention.
¡°That is a very interesting theory,¡± Dean Lukas said with a small smile, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s worth testing it. We could invest some effort into teaching a few sparkless children to form their cores. If the ones who form fire cores show significantly better results, there must be something to it.¡±
Did this get out of hand? Well, it will take a long time to see any results. And it will be a good thing if more sparkless children get the chance to become mages.
¡°I¡¯ll talk to the Headmaster about it,¡± Dean Lukas said decidedly, ¡°Anyway, with this revelation, I¡¯m sure the complaints of seeding you straight to the final will quiet down. I hope you like attention, Adion, because it won¡¯t be long before the entire Academy knows that you are a Silver mage.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said, ¡°I was already known to be Gifted, and it wasn¡¯t so bad.¡±
¡°Hahaha!¡± Dean Lukas laughed loudly, ¡°We get a Gifted every other year or so. It¡¯s nothing too unusual. But there has never been a Silver mage as young as you. I¡¯m afraid you will have far more people approaching you.¡±
¡°That¡¡± Adion was at a loss. If other students were constantly approaching him with questions, his life would become really bothersome.
¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± Dean Lukas said, ¡°I¡¯m sure things will quiet down with time.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Well, I believe that is enough for now,¡± Dean Lukas said, standing up from his seat, ¡°I¡¯ll keep the professors outside from bothering you for the moment as thanks for answering my questions.¡±
¡°Thank you, Dean Lukas,¡± Adion said, also getting up.
Maybe I can just ignore it if people come up to me. It would be rude, but I can¡¯t be bothered answering the same questions over and over again.
As Adion and Dean Lukas reached the door leading outside, Adion got an idea.
¡°Dean Lukas,¡± Adion said, ¡°What is the Academy¡¯s policy on using magic on other students that doesn¡¯t bring them harm?¡±
¡°It is forbidden of course,¡± Dean Lukas said, ¡°Far too many loopholes. Why do you- Oh. You want to use your Gift to keep people away?¡±
¡°That was my thought,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°...I¡¯ll give you a pass for the day,¡± Dean Lukas said with a slight smile.
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion said.
Dean Lukas opened the door and took control of the professors outside before they could bother Adion. Fortunately, Dean Lukas seemed to hold some authority so they all listened and followed him inside.
Adion made his way to the hall where he had been waiting for his fight earlier. There were still people around, most of them students from the diamond class.
¡°There he is,¡± Adion heard someone say.
¡°He really is a Silver mage.¡±
¡°How!?¡±
¡°Is he really 17? Has someone checked?¡±
Adion ignored the voices and tried to make it out without being held back. He was supposed to meet his brother and sister by their spot. Hopefully, Sell would also be there.
¡°Adion,¡± Relmon¡¯s voice cut through the noise, and Adion turned to see his acquaintance approaching along with a few other students.
¡°What¡¯s going on? Since when are you a Silver mage?¡± Relmon asked, looking Adion up and down as if he didn¡¯t recognize him.
¡°Since about a year,¡± Adion said while continuing to walk.
¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Relmon muttered, ¡°Has that ever been done before?¡±
¡°Apparently not,¡± Adion answered, ¡°How did everyone find out? I thought you wouldn¡¯t be able to feel my aura from the audience.¡±
Adion knew it would be known soon enough. But if the whole Academy found out at once, his day would be really tiring.
¡°It caused quite a commotion among the professors,¡± Relmon answered, ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone in the audience noticed anything. But with the dean and professors appearing, I¡¯m sure there are a lot of discussions going on.¡±
¡°I bet no one will be able to guess the actual cause, though,¡± A short elven man among the group walking with Relmon said with a laugh.
At least I¡¯ll be able to walk unimpeded for a while.
¡°Well, I have to meet up with my brother and sister,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you tomorrow.¡±
¡°Oh¡Alright. Congratulations on becoming rank 1, by the way,¡± Relmon said, slowing down to let Adion leave.
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion said, waving goodbye.
Maybe I¡¯ll just spend the coming days training together with Sell. I¡¯ll start receiving plenty of credits, after all.
Chapter 118 - Challenges
¡°I still think we should have rented a fighting pit and spent the day there,¡± Adion said in a low voice to Sell. She was standing next to him on the arena''s stands. His brother, sister, and Rellitha were also there, standing to the right of him.
¡°And what if we were challenged?¡± Sell asked with a smile.
¡°Do you think anyone would dare? I¡¯m a Silver mage, and you almost killed the only other high Bronze mage,¡± Adion said.
¡°True,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°But you never know. And this could still be interesting.¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Adion nodded, looking out over the ongoing fights down below.
It was the second day of the tournament, and anyone not happy with their rank could issue a challenge in order to climb. Most people wouldn¡¯t risk it, since the penalty for losing a challenge you had issued was a deduction in credits. But there were always risk-takers, and basically every student who had ranked near the top of their class wanted to take the chance to climb to a better class.
¡°Adion Remori, right?¡± Adion heard someone say as he felt a tap on his shoulder.
This again?
Adion hadn¡¯t had much trouble the day before. Basically, everyone who knew he was a Silver mage were the other students in the diamond class and the professors. No one else had noticed yet, so he had managed to enjoy a pretty peaceful evening with Sell and his siblings. But that had changed overnight.
When Adion had made his way to the arena from his dorms earlier in the morning, he could tell that even if he had hidden his aura again, a lot of people were staring at him. Fortunately, most students still kept their distance. It was the teachers and professors who had made sure to bother Adion every step of the way, making him answer the same questions over and over again. While he could ignore other students, he couldn¡¯t be too rude to the professors.
But even if most students had kept their distance so far, that wasn¡¯t the case for everyone.
¡°What?¡± Adion turned around and asked.
The one behind him, on a slightly elevated part of the stands compared to where he was standing, was a girl with long black hair. Adion could feel from her aura that she should be in her third year.
¡°My name is Vila. I know you¡¯ve probably gotten plenty of offers, but you shouldn¡¯t just consider the top Houses. I am part of the Midnight Moon, and you would have a lot more freedom to do as you wish if you joined us. The top Houses would restrict you and determine your every move.¡±
¡°Thanks for the offer,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I¡¯m not joining any House at the moment.¡±
¡°Is that so? Well, there is still a chance in the future, perhaps,¡± Vila said with a smile, ¡°Would you like to grab something to eat someday? I could tell you some information about the less well-known Houses.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Adion was a little surprised at the invite, ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I will be busy for a while.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡± Vila asked with a pout, ¡°Well, come find me if your schedule ever opens up.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded and turned away to watch the ongoing fights again.
As he was about to say something to Sell again, he noticed that she was looking at him with a sour expression.
Is she jealous? That¡¯s cute.
Adion gave her a teasing smile and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±
¡°What¡¯s with that smile?¡± Sell asked unhappily, ¡°Are you happy at the invite? Then maybe we should cancel our practicing sessions, so could have more time to go to eat with girls.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡¡± Adion was stumped.
Damn. It backfired.
Adion turned around to Vila again. ¡°Vila, just so you know, I won¡¯t ever meet just a girl alone for dinner, so if that was the idea, I''ll always decline. I already have the prettiest girl in the world who grabs all my attention.¡±
¡°Oh, okay,¡± Vila nodded with a slightly embarrassed expression.
Adion turned around to Sell again. Her face was deep red, but she couldn¡¯t stop a smile from sprouting.
¡°I didn¡¯t mean you had to do something like that,¡± Sell murmured, taking a step closer to Adion, almost leaning on him.
Adion didn¡¯t have time to enjoy the moment, though, as Ailera pulled him away from his girlfriend.
¡°What was that?¡± Ailera whispered harshly in his ear, ¡°Are you just giving up on keeping your relationship a secret?¡±
¡°I never said I meant Sell,¡± Adion whispered back, defending himself.
¡°Are you actually this stupid? How can I never have noticed?¡± Ailera asked herself in disbelief.
¡°I¡¯m not stupid, I just-¡± Adion began explaining himself but was interrupted by Ailera.
¡°And she is not any better,¡± Ailera said, looking toward Sell angrily.
Ailera looked up at Adion¡¯s face and whispered sternly, ¡°Stay away.¡± She shoved Adion toward his brother and Rellitha while moving to grab hold of Sell.
Maybe it looked a little obvious from the outside. But does it really matter that much? We can always just say it¡¯s baseless rumors if anyone from her family were to ask questions.
Adion looked to Aiden and Rellitha. They didn¡¯t seem to have heard anything as they were absorbed in a conversation of their own.
I bet not many people even heard me. But I guess I can be a little more careful. It¡¯s just hard when it comes to Sell. For some reason, I can never make use of Atao when I¡¯m with her.
Adion looked over and saw Sell nodding dutifully as Ailera scolded her.
I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll grow closer from this. All good.
¡°Have you seen him, Adion? He¡¯s pretty amazing,¡± Aiden¡¯s voice pierced through Adion¡¯s thoughts.
¡°Seen who?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Sokken, right? Your roommate. He¡¯s already challenged three people and won easily every time,¡± Aiden said.
Adion looked towards one of the fighting areas and spotted Sokken walking away, breathing heavily but without injuries.
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¡°He started out as an unseeded student in the iron class but has already moved up to the top of the bronze class,¡± Aiden said, ¡°It¡¯s unusual to see such a rise in ranks. He might even get into the silver class.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind having someone like that in Soaring Souls,¡± Rellitha commented.
¡°I think the Raindrops will go crazy for him,¡± Aiden said with a smile, ¡°But it could be worth a try.¡±
¡°I think so,¡± Rellitha nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll go tell Klissa to approach him. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Aiden nodded. He then turned to Adion and saw Ailera and Sell discussing something behind him.
¡°What happened there?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°Girl talk,¡± Adion shrugged his shoulders.
¡°Huh. Anyway, did you read the letter?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°I did,¡± Adion nodded.
Aiden had received a letter from their grandfather earlier in the morning that he had given Adion to read. Apparently, their grandfather had received quite a few guests after Adion¡¯s true strength had been revealed, and he wanted to talk to Adion about it.
¡°I hope it¡¯s nothing serious,¡± Aiden said worriedly.
¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing much,¡± Adion said, ¡°If it was, he would have told me to come over straight away.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Aiden nodded, ¡°But even if we are a Noble family now, we basically only have Grandpa as our only strength. As far as Nobles go, we are very weak and poor. People could still cause us all sorts of trouble.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll look into perhaps auctioning something of value I have,¡± Adion said, hinting at the Elixir of Life, ¡°If Grandpa can handle it for me, I wouldn¡¯t have to be as worried about being scammed.¡±
¡°You would give the money to the family?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°I would only be able to sell it with Grandpa¡¯s help,¡± Adion said, ¡°And I¡¯m part of the family, am I not? It would put me at ease if Grandpa had money to solve potential problems. He could also hire some more guards.¡±
Adion had planned to use the money he would get from selling the Elixir of Life on his organization, but he would probably get more money than he could spend. It would be well worth it to give some of it to his grandfather.
¡°I¡¯m sure it would help a lot,¡± Aiden nodded with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll be able to help him out a lot after I graduate, too.¡±
¡°You will stay in Cyalis after graduation?¡± Adion asked.
¡°What did you think I would do?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe go to the Outskirts and fight,¡± Adion said, ¡°Explore and stuff.¡±
¡°Maybe one day,¡± Aiden said, ¡°But I¡¯m far too excited about our future here to think about that anytime soon.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Adion smiled.
Ailera and Sell came up to Adion and Aiden again, finished with their little discussion.
¡°So¡¡± Adion looked over Ailera¡¯s head to make contact with Sell.
¡°You are on this side from now on,¡± Ailera said, blocking Adion from going over to Sell.
¡°Well, that¡¯s ridiculous,¡± Adion said.
¡°Adion, let¡¯s just do it like this for now,¡± Sell leaned forward and said in a low voice.
¡°What did you do?¡± Adion asked his sister with narrowed eyes.
¡°I¡¯m handling your mess,¡± Ailera said, flicking Adion on the forehead.
¡°Adion, we¡¯ll talk about it later. Let¡¯s just enjoy the fights,¡± Sell said.
Adion turned to look at his brother, but he only shrugged in response.
¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Adion muttered. But he wasn¡¯t too upset. It wasn¡¯t like he could do anything with Sell with so many people around. And he would have plenty of privacy when they were practicing together.
Still, it¡¯s always nice to just be next to each other.
Adion dropped the matter, however, and time quickly passed. Fewer challenges were issued as the classes got higher in rank. When it got to the gold class, only four sessions of fights took place in the 16 fighting areas.
Most fights bored Adion, but there were a few that managed to grab his attention. Mostly when he knew the people fighting.
One of those people was Astor, who made two challenges to students 100 ranks higher. He won both of them, but the second was won by a hair, and he was too injured to challenge anyone else.
Thank Ganta that he didn¡¯t make it to the diamond class, at least. I guess even Astor wasn¡¯t confident enough to challenge the students of the diamond class straight away.
Theoretically, even someone in the stone class could challenge Adion to a fight. Not that anyone would be so stupid, but they could. Likewise, Astor could have issued a challenge that would take him straight to the diamond class if he had won. But that was a risk not many were willing to take; the penalty was too harsh in case of failure.
Most people opted to challenge a safer opponent, usually around 100 ranks above them. The exact opponent would then be someone from 80-120 ranks higher, chosen at random.
That wasn¡¯t the case for the diamond class, however. Anyone could issue a challenge to a specific person in the top 10, and that person would have to fight or lose their rank.
¡°It is rare to not see anyone daring to challenge the rank 1 and rank 2 students,¡± Aiden said as they looked out over the intense fighting among the top students of the diamond class, who had begun their fights after the gold class students finished.
¡°But it¡¯s not surprising considering what Sell and Adion showed everyone yesterday,¡± Ailera said.
¡°Still, the difference in credits every week is so big that I would have thought someone to be crazy enough,¡± Aiden said.
That¡¯s certainly true. I guess that¡¯s why the challenges are so frequent among the top 10, despite the threat of a penalty.
Adion would receive 1000 credits every week, and Sell, just one rank below him, would receive 500. Vels, if he managed to keep his position as 3rd, would receive 300. But the reason that people wanted to enter the top 10 so badly was because a normal student in the diamond class received 100 credits every week, while the top 10 received 200.
Receiving double the amount of credits is no small thing. And I guess the battle for being number 1 is normally a fierce battle. It''s a good thing I revealed my strength; otherwise, I might have had to deal with challenges despite my Gift.
I¡¯ll still need to keep my guard up, though. I¡¯m sure every single classmate will be eyeing my spot. I can¡¯t afford to slow down.
¡°Seems like no more challenges will happen,¡± Aiden commented as all the fighting areas remained empty even after a few minutes.
¡°What was the final result? Did anyone keep track?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°I have someone handling that,¡± Rellitha, who had returned hours ago, said, ¡°You all can come with me while I go check.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Ailera nodded.
Even if challenges could still be issued during the year, the rankings would probably remain unchanged for a while. So every House kept an eye out for the results of the tournament, wanting the best to join them.
¡°Adion, are you still undecided about joining a House?¡± Rellitha asked him as they began walking.
¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll probably not decide on anything for a good while,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Fine,¡± Rellitha nodded, ¡°Just remember to talk to me before deciding anything. And you Sell¡why won¡¯t you just join Soaring Souls? I guarantee that no other House would treat you better. But not even I can justify helping you out if you are not part of our House.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Sell said non-committedly.
¡°Haaah,¡± Relltha sighed, ¡°Well, let¡¯s talk about it later.¡±
Adion took a few steps to walk next to Sell.
¡°Want to see if there is a fighting pit available?¡± Adion asked in a low voice.
¡°Okay,¡± Sell nodded with a smile.
What a good day.
¡°Just remember that you have classes starting tomorrow,¡± Ailera said as she looked at Adion sternly.
¡°I know, I know,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to be there on time.¡±
Getting to learn from the best Academy on the continent, I¡¯m excited about it.
Chapter 119 - History
Is it up here? Adion thought to himself as he tried to locate Hall C, where the first class of his time at the Academy would take place.
¡°Adion!¡± Relmon¡¯s voice sounded from above. Adion looked up and noticed the newly appointed rank 9 of the diamond class calling for him.
¡°Is Hall C up here?¡± Adion asked as he came up the stairs and greeted his classmate.
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s over there,¡± Relmon said as he pointed out a lecture hall with open doors further down the hallway.
¡°What are you doing out here still?¡± Adion asked as he headed to the hall.
¡°I was waiting for you,¡± Relmon said, ¡°I want to know how you managed to reach Silver so young. Surely you have some time before the class starts?¡±
¡°I did just like everyone else,¡± Adion said, tired of answering the same question once again, ¡°I guess I just do it slightly better.¡±
¡°That¡¯s it? No secret method?¡± Relmon asked.
¡°If I had a secret method, telling people about it wouldn¡¯t make much sense, would it?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± Relmon slowly nodded, ¡°So you do have a secret method?¡±
¡°No,¡± Adion responded.
¡°But that¡¯s what you would say even if you had a secret method,¡± Relmon said.
¡°I guess I would,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°...So which one is it?¡± Relmon asked.
¡°Haaah,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°I promise that I don¡¯t have a secret method. You¡¯ll just have to take my word for it.¡±
Relmon scrutinized Adion¡¯s face closely, trying to see if he was telling the truth.
¡°Anyway,¡± Adion said, ¡°You should focus on your own strength instead of mine. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a tougher time defending your position than me.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Relmon said, ¡°No one would be stupid enough to challenge you. But I think I¡¯m far from in the clear. Keeping a position in the top 10 is a constant struggle.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll have to work hard then,¡± Adion said as they entered Hall C. It was a pretty small auditorium, filled with the students from the diamond class. A lot of people turned to Adion as he entered and started whispering about him. As basically everyone already knew about his strength, Adion didn¡¯t bother hiding it anymore.
Adion spotted Sell sitting next to Felicia further in the back. She gave him a small wave when she saw him. Adion smiled and headed up.
¡°You can¡¯t exactly relax either,¡± Relmon said in a low voice, ¡°More than discouraging anyone, I think you have just made everyone more determined to improve. When someone reaches Silver, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll challenge you.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Adion said. He had no intention of standing still.
The seat to the right of Sell was still empty, so Adion sat down and turned to her with a smile.
¡°Good morning. How was the family meeting?¡± Adion asked.
After training together after the tournament the day before, Sell had received a letter that told her to head over to an Amyss family meeting. She had no idea what it was about, so Adion was curious how it went.
¡°I¡¯ll tell you later,¡± Sell said, ¡°Anyway, you sure are cutting it close. It¡¯s only a few minutes until we start.¡±
¡°It is?¡± Adion asked. ¡°I thought I¡¯d arrive with a lot of time to spare.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have a watch?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I tend to go by the sun,¡± Adion answered.
¡°The sun?¡± Sell questioned with a teasing smile.
¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Nothing,¡± Sell shook her head, ¡°That explains a lot. I think I¡¯ve caught you staring up at the sky even when it is dark. I thought you were looking at the stars or something, but it turns out you were looking for the sun.¡±
Sell tried to hold down her laughter, but it still caught the attention of the students nearby.
¡°I look at the stars sometimes,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°Do you know the name of a single star?¡± Sell questioned.
They have names?
His expression seemed to have given him away as Sell started laughing even harder.
¡°What are you two-¡± Felicia leaned forward to question them but stopped herself mid-sentence as someone with a Diamond mage aura entered the classroom.
Adion looked down to the person he had seen during his introduction. Professor Tenami looked through the students, who had all quieted down when they noticed her, as she made her way to the blackboard. Adion thought her eyes lingered slightly when she looked his way.
¡°Welcome to ¡®History - From the Mysterious Past to the Complex Present.¡¯ I¡¯m Professor Tenami, and I will teach you all to the best of my ability during our time together,¡± Professor Tenami said in a clear and loud voice.
She placed her bag on the chair behind the desk at the front of the classroom.
¡°I¡¯m sure most of you in the diamond class already have received an excellent education, and some of what I teach you might be familiar,¡± Professor Tenami continued, facing the just below a hundred students. ¡°But please do pay attention. Cyalis Academy is not known as the best Academy for nothing.¡±
Hopefully, she¡¯ll still cover the basics. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m far behind most other students here.
Even if Adion had received a pretty good education from teacher Francis during his childhood. It couldn¡¯t compare to what children of Noble families had access to.
¡°Today, we shall have a brief history from the beginning to the present. And we will dig deeper into certain periods in the coming classes. But for now, let¡¯s start at the beginning, shall we?¡± Professor Tenami said, ¡°We are all aware of the Age of Wonders, but what came before it? Who here can answer this?¡±
No student offered any response to Professor Tenami¡¯s open question.
¡°I¡¯ll give you 20 credits if you answer correctly,¡± Professor Tenami added.
Suddenly, a few hands shot up into the air.
¡°You there,¡± Professor Tenami pointed to a brown-haired girl in the front row.
¡°As far as I know, before the Age of Wonder, there was presumably a Dark Age, from which sapi slowly built up power over hundreds of thousands of years,¡± The girl answered.
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¡°That¡¯s not a bad explanation,¡± Professor Tenami nodded, ¡°But it''s wrong. Or perhaps incomplete is a better word. But I¡¯ll still give you 10 credits for participating in the class.¡±
That¡¯s generous for a wrong answer.
¡°We don¡¯t know much about the history before the Dark Age. Our current Age is pretty much all about discovering the knowledge lost from the Age of Wonder, after all. But we still know a few things. We will go through the methodology in a later lesson, but let¡¯s just say that through countless old books and documents, a picture has slowly taken form. And from this, we can deduce a few things.
¡°There have been more Ages than we can perhaps ever imagine. We only know of five of them, including the current one. How do we know that there are more than those Ages? That the world simply didn¡¯t begin with the Age of Gods, as the first Age we know of is called? There are several factors, but the most clear evidence, I believe, is the Primordial Story. For those of you who are not aware, the faelin has a story that is passed down from generation to generation. You will never meet a faelin who does not know the story by heart.
¡°But the Primordial Story is a topic for another day. What the story is very clear about, however, is the existence of a race called the fae. And though there are some scholars who doubt the validity of the Primordial Story and the existence of such a race, most of us believe it to be a fact.
¡°That leads us to an incredible discovery by Sage Tevolisis. Around 700 years ago, he discovered that the faelin was an existing race even during the Age of Gods, and much speaks for there not being any fae during that time. This would mean that the Primordial Story is much older than we had previously believed, and the world is far more ancient than we can imagine.
¡°Unfortunately, we know very little about that time. We don¡¯t even have a single surviving remnant from the Age of Gods. Only through the mention of such an Age through old books have we become aware of it.¡±
Professor Tenami saw a raised hand and pointed to the student. ¡°A question?¡± She asked.
¡°Professor Tenami, why was the Age of Gods called that? Were gods truly around at that time? Where did they all go?¡± The student asked.
¡°Well, that¡¯s very unclear, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Professor Tenami said with a smile, ¡°We know that gods have existed. Even during the Age of Wonder, there seemed to be plenty around. As for why the Age of Gods was called that, maybe that was the first Age any being became so powerful. But we can only guess. As for why they are seemingly gone now, we will get to that.
¡°Now. We do not know why the Age of Gods ended. There are theories, of course, but it is all speculation. But we do know that it ended, and we do know that the Age after was called the Age of Mysteries.
¡°We know very little of this Age as well, as the information we have is mainly from people talking about this Age in documents from the Age of Wonder. But it is an Age not as far out of our reach as the Age of Gods, and a lot of interesting theories exist concerning it. But we will not dig too deep into any of that. If you are interested, you can talk to me after the class is over.
¡°The Age of Mysteries ended, and with its end, the Age of Wonder began,¡± Professor Tenami continued. But she noticed another student had raised their hand, so she prompted them to speak.
¡°How did the Age of Mysteries end? Do we know?¡± The student asked.
Professor Tenami was quiet for a while, seemingly in thought. After a while, she smiled slightly at the student who had asked the question and answered, ¡°The Age of Mysteries is actually an area of particular interest to me. It is the reason I became a scholar. I wanted to find out more about that part of our distant past.
¡°I will be truthful to you,¡± She said and looked to the rest of the students, ¡°I will be truthful to all of you. I have a lot that I will not share. That is not my decision but just the way the world, and in particular the world of scholars and Sages, works.
¡°This class is meant to give you a good overview of our history. And I believe that it is the best overview given at any academy on Shiora. And even at Cyalis Academy, you here are given more information than most. Don¡¯t think that the other classes gain the knowledge of the Age of Gods and the Age of Mysteries. That is a privilege only the best of the best can receive for free. If other students want the information I give you, they¡¯ll have to pay for it with their credits.
¡°But just because you are in the diamond class doesn¡¯t mean that you can gain access to the same information as me, or the other top scholars at the Academy. It wasn¡¯t until I became a scholar that I was made privy to more secret information about what we know of our history. And it didn¡¯t come for free.
¡°My hope for this class is not only that you will gain an understanding of what has led us all here, but I also hope to spark some curiosity in you. Most diamond class students tend to focus most of their attention on gaining strength. That is to be expected as that is what let you get the position you now hold. But do not forget what your strength has earned you. Make use of the privileges you have.
¡°When you graduate, you might graduate from the diamond class. But you will still only be a Silver mage among countless others if you haven¡¯t focused on your studies. I hope to see some of you choosing to dig deeper into the history of our world. Because it is more spectacular than you can ever imagine.¡±
Professor Tenami noticed a few raised hands and pointed to a black-haired boy to let him speak.
¡°How should I go about if I want to ¡®dig deeper,¡¯ as you put it?¡± The boy asked.
¡°Excellent question,¡± Professor Tenami said with a wide smile, ¡°First of all, you should pay attention in class. It is free information that you shouldn¡¯t take for granted. Secondly, you should try to catch the attention of a professor teaching a more exclusive class, where you will be taught more restrictive information. But I will add that it takes a lot of credits to get into those classes.
¡°Most important of all is to become a scholar of the Academy. It is not easy by any means. But if you truly want access to all the Academy has to offer, that is the only way. So use your time here getting as close to that as possible. Use your credits on classes and at the library instead of wasting them on less important stuff.
¡°As I see it, you can spend your time here fighting to be at the top of the diamond class. It is not a bad thing at all. But you should figure out why you want to be there. Is it prestige? To impress your family and friends? Think about how long that will last for you.
¡°Hopefully, my class will make some of you see your fighting prowess not as something of value in itself but as a way to obtain something of actual value.
¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get back on track,¡± Professor Tenami said, shaking her head, ¡°The Age of Wonder is the Age we all strive to know more about. We will go through it in detail in coming classes, but we don¡¯t have time for that today.
¡°I¡¯m sure you all are curious about the Academy¡¯s stance on how the Age of Wonder ended, and how we could somehow be brought to the state we were in during the Age of Darkness. I know that the Hellemi Church blames the Fire Phoenix, while the Fire Phoenix Church believes quite the opposite. I am not going to say that one is wrong while the other is right. I¡¯m sure many of you have already made up your mind about it, depending where you come from.
¡°Instead, I will say what we do know. The Age of Wonder didn¡¯t end in a slow decline. It was sudden and catastrophic. The world seemed to have suffered several big earthquakes, giant waves, thunderstorms, and, as the Hellemi Church so often points to, fire. For some reason, an incredibly strong fire is mentioned leveling not only civilizations here on Shiora, but on Quemer as well. If that was the Fire Phoenix or something else entirely, I leave it for each of you to think about yourselves.
¡°The result was basically a complete reset of the world. Not many people survived the calamity, and it took over a hundred thousand years before we built the world up to what we see today. We will talk about the Dark Ages in detail after we are done with the Age of Wonder.
¡°As for the Age of Discovery, we are only in the year 5815, but we know far more about this period than the rest of history because of how recent it is. The Age of Discovery will be the bulk of our class, with a special focus on Shiora, not only through the viewpoint of Quemerians who got here in the year 2362, but the Kuwamin and Sabamin as well.
¡°But I am not so rigid as to set my class in stone. I am aware that you might have particular periods of interest. So I will hand out some papers with questions for you to answer, and I will take into account any special requests on topics to cover.¡±
Professor Tenami handed out bundles of papers to the students in the front row, who then passed them along to the students behind them after grabbing a paper for themselves.
¡°Do you have any particular interest?¡± Sell asked in a low voice.
¡°Besides the Age of Wonder, I haven¡¯t really thought much about it,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Yeah,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°I¡¯m not particularly interested in anything besides that. But I imagine she is already planning on telling us everything she is allowed to concerning the Age of Wonder.¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Adion nodded. His thoughts were still a little distant. Even if he was interested in the Age of Wonder, he was far more interested in the Age of Mysteries at the moment.
I have never heard about the Age of Gods and the Age of Mysteries before. That information can¡¯t be very widespread. But while the Age of Gods seems to contain little more knowledge than its name, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case with the Age of Mysteries.
Adion had noticed that Professor Tenami had no problem saying she didn¡¯t know how the Age of Gods ended, but when it came to the Age of Mysteries, she had gone on to explain that she couldn¡¯t share certain information with them.
She knows how it ended. I wonder how much credits it will cost for me to find out too.
¡°Want to go to the library after our classes?¡± Adion asked Sell.
¡°Didn¡¯t you have to go talk with your grandfather?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Oh, right,¡± Adion said. ¡°Tomorrow then?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Sell smiled.
Chapter 120 - Old Academy
¡°Did you know about the Age of Mysteries?¡± Adion asked Sell as the received their food.
They had gone to eat lunch together after their history class. It had been a little awkward to get rid of Relmon and Felicia. The excuse of meeting their siblings for lunch seemed a little doubtful a second time around, but Adion really wanted to talk with Sell alone.
¡°I don¡¯t know much about it,¡± Sell said, ¡°But I knew it was the Age before the Age of Wonder.¡±
¡°What do you know about it?¡± Adion asked excitedly.
¡°Well,¡± Sell said, smiling amusedly at Adion, ¡°Apparently, a lot of scholars believe that the people of that Age were focused on the mysteries of magic. Presumably, things like Gifts and Words of Truth. They might have even had an answer to all of that and were investigating even more mysterious forms of magic. That is in contrast to the Age of Wonder, where the focus was on runes. At least that''s what I heard.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion slowly nodded, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about it?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°But is there really a way to find out anything about an Age so far into the past? Whatever we find out about that Age is from findings left behind from the Age of Wonder.¡±
¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Adion said, ¡°But Professor Tenami seemed to know a whole lot that she couldn¡¯t share.¡±
¡°Planning on finding out?¡± Sell asked.
¡°You¡¯re supposed to be able to find out anything if you have the credits,¡± Adion said, ¡°That¡¯s why I want to go the library. Maybe I can afford to know a little.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Sell nodded, taking a sip from her drink.
¡°Anyway,¡± Adion said, ¡°What was the family meeting about?¡±
¡°Haah,¡± Sell sighed, ¡°Just a bunch of idiots wanting to know things I didn¡¯t want to tell them.¡±
Adion raised an eyebrow questioningly, not understanding Sell¡¯s vague answer.
¡°You see, the Amyss family is very big,¡± Sell said, ¡°And we have a lot of members even here in Cyalis. My sister is currently in charge of the Cyalis part of the family. But that is only on paper, as her status as the crown princess beats anyone in a branch family. But in reality, she has too much work with the student council and her House to give much thought to anything else. And she is only here for five years, so the one who is actually in charge is Falmion Amyss. He is my great uncle¡¯s son, and he is a little too invested in my life it seems.¡±
¡°In what way?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, for one, he wanted to know about my powers,¡± Sell explained, ¡°As a high Bronze mage, I was expected to do well in the tournament, but no one expected my fire to be so powerful that I could defeat Vels Graton without a problem. I¡¯m sure he is going to send word to my parents, and I¡¯ll soon hear from them about it. They are probably going to be mad that I¡¯ve hidden my strength.¡±
¡°You are not allowed to do that?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s exactly forbidden,¡± Sell mused, ¡°But it¡¯s just strange to hide your strength from your own family. At least, my family thinks so.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯m glad it doesn¡¯t seem to be so bad. I was worried they had heard about us spending time together and were suspicious about it.¡±
¡°Oh, you were the main topic of the meeting,¡± Sell said with a smile.
¡°What?¡± Adion asked, surprised.
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°You are the first student ever to be admitted as a Silver mage. Of course, people will talk about it.¡±
¡°But not anything about us being a couple?¡± Adion asked.
¡°He didn¡¯t even seem to think of the possibility,¡± Sell said with a wide smile, ¡°In fact, it was suggested that I should get close to you. It would be good to have someone like you as a friend of the family if you continue to grow.¡±
Adion stared open-mouthed at Sell, hardly believing what he had heard.
¡°Hahaha,¡± Sell laughed happily, ¡°Still, we shouldn¡¯t push it. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve already heard some rumors but dismissed it as nonsense. But we can¡¯t let them get anything with substance to cling to.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion said, smiling at the thought of getting to spend time with Sell, all with the blessing from her family.
Revealing my strength might have been a better idea than I thought.
¡°What about your sister?¡± Adion asked, ¡°She was there, right? I can¡¯t imagine her not being suspicious of us.¡±
¡°She definitely is,¡± Sell said, blushing slightly, ¡°She is poking me with questions in that direction every time we meet. But I have always denied it. I¡¯m not sure if she believes it or not.¡±
Sell paused, with a conflicted look on her face. ¡°Anyway, she was actually quite supportive of the idea. And she didn¡¯t mention anything about us being more than friends during the meeting, at least.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Adion said, ¡°Maybe you should just tell her. She might be able to help out if anything happens.¡±
¡°Absolutely not,¡± Sell refused, ¡°Never trust her, Adion. Unless it¡¯s for the good of the Amyss family, she won¡¯t budge an inch.¡±
¡°Okay, okay,¡± Adion said, giving up on the idea. He looked at her empty plate and asked, ¡°Have you finished?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s get going. We shouldn¡¯t be late.¡±
Adion and Sell both got up from their seats and started walking toward the Old Academy, where their next class would take place.
¡°Have you been to the Old Academy before?¡± Adion asked as they walked side by side.
¡°No,¡± Sell shook her head, ¡°Not even my sister is allowed to bring people inside the Academy before they are students here. And even as a student, the Old Academy is closed to most people.¡±
¡°It is? Why?¡± Adion asked.
¡°A lot of important buildings and people,¡± Sell said, ¡°Can¡¯t just have anyone running around.¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± Adion said, ¡°The Ruins are in the Old Academy. Do you know anything about them?¡±
¡°No one but the Council knows anything about them,¡± Sell said. She turned to look up at Adion with a smile and said, ¡°But I have a feeling you will try to find out despite that, right?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not going to teleport inside or anything,¡± Adion said, ¡°I have been told that¡¯s a bad idea. But with enough credits, who knows what I can find out?¡±
¡°In theory, credits can get you anything,¡± Sell said, ¡°But I can¡¯t imagine how much that would cost you. I doubt even being the rank 1 student for five years straight would cut it.¡±
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¡°How unfair,¡± Adion muttered, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll figure it out.¡±
Once they arrived at the wall surrounding the Old Academy, they had to show their Academy badges before they were allowed to enter.
As they continued making their way to the fighting pits, Adion looked around curiously, trying to see what was so special about the place. But besides the Tower of Cylalis, he didn¡¯t notice anything different.
¡°I expected more,¡± Adion said.
¡°More what?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°Secret stuff? Runes and artifacts?¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°I¡¯m sure they have secret stuff somewhere. But it¡¯s probably behind locked doors. The Ruins, for example, should be behind those walls over there.¡±
Adion looked in the direction Sell pointed and spotted a wall, pure white in color, a bit further away.
¡°The Ruins are over there?¡± Adion asked.
Do they really have runes that would detect me if I teleport inside and take a look?
¡°It¡¯s probably the most well-guarded area of the Academy, so don¡¯t get any ideas,¡± Sell warned.
¡°I just can¡¯t imagine what type of runes could detect me,¡± Adion said.
¡°How about a Soul mage trained in sensing auras?¡± Sell questioned.
¡°I guess that would do it,¡± Adion admitted.
I¡¯ll find some other way.
Eventually, they reached the fighting pits, where they saw most of their classmates already waiting.
¡°Adion, Sellitha,¡± Relmon greeted as he walked up to the two.
¡°Sell! Could you come over for a second!¡± Felicia¡¯s voice rang out from further away.
Sell looked toward her with a slight frown.
¡°I¡¯ll go see what she wants,¡± Sell said before walking away.
¡°You sure spend a lot of time with Sellitha,¡± Relmon commented, ¡°Must be nice having a brother that close to her sister.¡±
Adion looked at Relmon with narrowed eyes.
What¡¯s that supposed to mean?
¡°Anyway,¡± Relmon said, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t leave me alone with Felicia again. I don¡¯t think she likes me very much.¡±
¡°No offense, Relmon,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I¡¯m good friends with Sell, and I barely know you. So that will probably happen again in the future.¡±
¡°Oh¡right. Sorry,¡± Relmon said, screeching his neck awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯ll figure out a way to handle Felicia¡¯s personality.¡±
She seems pretty nice to me?
¡°Anyway,¡± Relmon said, ¡°You are aware that people are talking a lot about you two, right?¡±
¡°Well, we are the rank 1 and rank 2 of the diamond class, so I would expect as much,¡± Adion said.
¡°Yeah, sure. But more than that, people are talking about you two seeming¡well, more than friends,¡± Relmon said, looking for a reaction from Adion.
Adion was very well aware of the direction the conversation was taking, so he had Atao ready to eliminate any reactions he could show to give anything away.
¡°That¡¯s just normal for people to talk about,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s not like it bothers me.¡±
¡°Is there any truth to it?¡± Relmon asked.
¡°No,¡± Adion denied.
¡°You¡¯re a hard guy to read, Adion,¡± Relmon said, scrutinizing Adion¡¯s expression.
That might be the first time I¡¯ve heard something like that.
¡°Why are you so concerned about what people are saying about me and Sell?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Relmon said, ¡°It¡¯s just something to talk about.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Adion said slowly.
He was still thinking that Relmon wasn¡¯t saying something, but he decided to drop the matter when he saw a Diamond mage approaching.
¡°Anyway, looking forward to some fighting?¡± Relmon asked, also looking towards the professor.
¡°I guess it could be interesting,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Alright, everyone. Gather around!¡± The Diamond mage yelled out as he arrived. He was a middle-aged man with short black hair and a big black beard with sprouts of white in it.
¡°I¡¯m Professor Magner,¡± The professor introduced himself as the students of the diamond class circled around him, ¡°And I will be your instructor in this class. The name of the class is ¡®Fighting - To Diamond and Beyond.¡¯ Just like the name would suggest, the focus of the class will be on fighting. You will mainly be fighting each other, as even if we would like to think that we sapi only use our strength to fight beasts, that is often far from the truth. And there is a world of difference between fighting other sapi and fighting beasts.
¡°But that is not the only focus of the class. As you all know, weapons are very important when fighting, but more so when fighting beasts than sapi. And it is only essential in the lower stages of a mage¡¯s journey. You will realize that weapons will lose more and more of its importance as you grow stronger.
¡°It will never be completely useless, as even Soul mages make use of weapons. But it is a fact that most mages who come here tend to have an overreliance on their weapons. This makes it hard to develop any fighting style revolving around your magic. I watched the tournament, and a lot of you use magic as a supplement to your weapons, and not the other way around.
¡°If you one day reach the Soul stages, you will notice just how much of a handicap that is. For this reason, you won¡¯t be using weapons in this class. Some of you might take some time to adapt. But eventually, you won¡¯t even recognize your old selves.
¡°You will have to make use of your concepts and spells. And you will have to use them cleverly, honing your battle instincts little by little. I know this might seem especially difficult for the earth and wind mages among you, as your element rarely has what it takes to kill an opponent of the same stage, But we are not here to kill each other, and you lot will have the most to gain from a class like this. So make use of the experience. By the end of it, you will be able to take down the fire and water mages a lot easier than before.
¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to say much more than that for now. Let¡¯s get started. We¡¯ll begin with rank 100 against rank 99. Step forward.¡±
Two boys stepped forward from the group. They both had straight backs and seemed fired up to give a good fight.
¡°That red-haired guy was placed in the gold class before the tournament,¡± Relmon said in a low voice for Adion to hear.
¡°I would guess we have a few of those around,¡± Adion said, ¡°Maybe I should take the time to learn who my classmates are.¡±
¡°You really should,¡± Relmon nodded with an amused smile.
¡°Alright, you win if your opponent gives up or if I have to intervene on someone¡¯s behalf,¡± Professor Magner said as the two boys stood facing each other on the fighting pit. He turned around to look at the rest of the class. ¡°Pay attention to the fight. If I ask a question later and you don¡¯t have a good answer, I¡¯ll deduct 20 credits.¡±
That¡¯s harsh.
Professor Magner started the fight, and the two boys immediately started conjuring flames to attack each other with.
A fire mage usually doesn¡¯t rely too much on their weapons either way, so I guess they¡¯ll be able to handle it pretty well.
¡°I guess we¡¯ll get a rematch between you and Sellitha by the end of the class,¡± Relmon whispered to Adion.
¡°I didn¡¯t think about that,¡± Adion murmured.
¡°Will you be allowed to use your Gift?¡± Relmon asked.
¡°If I do, there will never be much of a fight,¡± Adion responded.
¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll see a little more interesting fight this time,¡± Relmon said.
Interesting? Adion thought with a rueful smile. I¡¯m afraid Sell will defeat me immediately if I¡¯m only able to use fire against her. But I guess I can give her the chance to shine a little.
Chapter 121 - To Grandpa
¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± Sell asked worriedly. Her hands were fidgeting as she wanted to grab Adion¡¯s arm and look at the wound. But she held herself back as there were people around who could see the intimate act.
¡°I told you it¡¯s nothing,¡± Adion said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re very cute when you worry, though. Maybe I should get injured more often.¡±
Sell looked up at Adion with a pout and a slight blush, ¡°You better not. If you do, I¡¯ll yell at you.¡±
¡°That might be good, too,¡± Adion nodded thoughtfully.
¡°Then I¡¯ll just ignore you,¡± Sell countered.
¡°That would definitely be bad,¡± Adion said, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll not get injured again.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Sell nodded with a pleased smile.
Adion had been put up against Sell at the end of the fighting class, just like he expected. Professor Magner didn¡¯t forbid him from using his Gift, but he agreed with Adion¡¯s decision not to use it. He was there to learn, after all.
Unfortunately, even if he was a Silver mage, he couldn¡¯t defeat Sell with just his fire. His Silver strength didn¡¯t give him any advantage except a stronger Will to control fire with, and he couldn¡¯t use his Authority in front of so many people.
If he could, he might have been able to grab hold of Sell¡¯s fire and use it against her, but as it was, Adion had to fight using his own, much weaker fire.
He didn¡¯t just give up, though. He wanted to try his best to defeat Sell even with all those handicaps, but that only resulted in him getting pretty severe burns on his right arm. Fortunately, healing bandages and healing pills were available, so he wouldn¡¯t stay injured for long.
¡°Alright, you can hop on this carriage here,¡± An elven man said as he pointed out the carriage to Adion. ¡°The driver already has his instructions.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion nodded and started walking toward the carriage with Sell.
He had decided to take a carriage to his grandfather. It was a long way to go by foot, after all. Besides, the cost was pretty cheap for someone like Adion, who received 1000 credits every week.
¡°Do you want a ride?¡± Adion asked Sell as they arrived by the door to the carriage.
¡°My dorms are in the wrong direction,¡± Sell said, shaking her head.
¡°I don¡¯t mind taking a longer route,¡± Adion said.
Sell smiled at him and said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t let your grandfather wait longer than you already have. Besides, I have some stops I want to make along the way.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Sell smiled.
Adion noticed she started to turn away, but before she could, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in for a quick kiss.
¡°You,¡± Sell said with a blush, looking around quickly, ¡°What if someone sees?¡±
¡°No one is around, don¡¯t worry. And even if they were, it would be worth it. Bye,¡± Adion said with a smile, opening the carriage door.
¡°Stupid,¡± Sell muttered with a smile and walked away, still looking around, not taking Adion¡¯s word for it.
What does she expect me to do if we can¡¯t ride in the carriage together?
Being alone in the carriage with Sell had been his main reason for renting one.
With this, I guess I can hold on until tomorrow at least.
The carriage took off and Adion leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. He started meditating as he saw no point in wasting his time.
But he soon got pulled out of his concentration as the carriage came to a halt, followed by a knock on the door.
Adion opened the carriage door to a Gold mage in what appeared to be his thirties. He had blonde hair and a clean-shaven face.
¡°Adion Remori?¡± The man asked.
¡°Yes?¡± Adion hesitantly answered.
¡°My name is Eugen Derf. I am a disciple of Elder Kilth and have come to you on his behest,¡± Eugen said as he handed Adion a letter. ¡°He gave me this letter to give to you.¡±
¡°Oh, thanks,¡± Adion said. He thought the man would go away, but he didn¡¯t move from his spot. ¡°Should I read it now?¡±
¡°If you would,¡± Eugen nodded.
Adion opened the letter and started reading. It was short and to the point. Elder Kilth wanted Adion to come to his workroom to answer some questions.
Is this about my Silver strength? Or about my Gift? Either way, I guess I have no choice but to visit him.
¡°Alright, would you tell Elder Kilth that I¡¯ll come visit as soon as I¡¯ve finished my business?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Er,¡± Eugen hesitated, ¡°You are a new student, so you might not know, but Elder Kilth is a Hard Soul mage. I would suggest you make your way over immediately.¡±
A Hard Soul mage? And I have to answer questions from him? That might be a problem. Well, it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t see this coming. I can just refuse to answer anything I don¡¯t want to answer. And if he notices that I don¡¯t have a fire core, I can make up some kind of excuse.
It will be complicated, but I should be alright. Even if he is a Hard Soul mage, he shouldn¡¯t be able to do whatever he wants.
But I really feel like I should visit Grandpa first if I can. It will give me some time to think things through.
¡°I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Adion said thoughtfully, ¡°But I¡¯m on my way to my grandfather, and it seems rather urgent. Is Elder Kilth¡¯s matter with me something that needs me straight away? Otherwise, I would rather take care of my family business first. I¡¯ll make my way over straight away after that.¡±
Eugen hesitated slightly before finally nodding, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let him know. Just don¡¯t be too late.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Adion said, ¡°Thank you.¡±
Eugen stepped away, and Adion closed the door again, soon feeling how the carriage continued on its way.
Hopefully, it¡¯s nothing much. I am sure that someone like that doesn¡¯t want to just take Dean Lukas¡¯s word for it and wants to hear everything straight from me.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
But I shouldn¡¯t forget that this man is a Hard Soul mage, and I know nothing about him or his motives. I have gotten a little relaxed from being in the Academy, but even if being a student here protects me from people outside, people inside could still cause a lot of trouble for me.
It took a while, but Adion was finally brought out of his musings as he arrived in front of his grandfather''s manor. Marli brought Adion straight to his grandfather in his study, where he found him going through a few documents.
¡°Adion,¡± His grandfather looked up with a smile, ¡°You have caused quite the commotion in just a few days.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°Sorry about that.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± His grandfather said, ¡°I think it will be good for you in the end.¡±
¡°I think so too,¡± Adion agreed, taking a seat opposite his grandfather. ¡°So, what did you call me here for?¡±
¡°I wanted to talk about our new situation,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather said, ¡°Have you been approached by anyone in the Academy?¡±
¡°Lots of people,¡± Adion said, ¡°But other than Dean Lukas, no one has called me for a meeting yet. Well, except Elder Kilth. He summoned me just as I was making my way over. I¡¯ll have to go pay him a visit after this.¡±
¡°Elder Kilth?¡± His grandfather asked, ¡°That makes sense. He is researching Gifts at the Academy. I¡¯m sure he would have wanted to talk to you even if you weren¡¯t a Silver mage. But with the recent news, he might be even more curious than before. Do you have any idea what you will do if he notices you don¡¯t have a fire core? The chances of that are very high, I¡¯m afraid.¡±
¡°Hopefully, he won¡¯t think to look,¡± Adion said, ¡°He has no reason to examine my aura for my element. But if he does, the only excuse I can think of is that I practice my aura control by hiding it.¡±
¡°He will still be able to tell that you don¡¯t have a fire core,¡± His grandfather said, scrunching his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Even I can tell that much.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion said slowly, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to decline to answer? I mean, it¡¯s not like he can know what my element is even if he figures out it¡¯s not fire. Not even Fellion could do that.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± His grandfather muttered, ¡°I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be happy with that at all. And I¡¯m sure he is far from the only elder who will want to have a talk with you. Do you think you will be allowed to keep a secret like that when all the elders of the Academy want answers?¡±
¡°That¡¡± Adion didn¡¯t know what to say. He knew that the Academy was far from that idealistic. If the people who controlled the Academy wanted something, even while bending a few rules, they would make sure to get it. ¡°Do I really have no other choice but to reveal everything?¡±
¡°Maybe not,¡± His grandfather muttered, scratching his beard in thought. ¡°Well, like you said, it¡¯s not sure he will notice. And it might take a while before there are consequences. But eventually, no matter how this meeting goes, someone will notice. And I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll want answers.¡±
¡°Damn Academy,¡± Adion muttered, ¡°I thought that Soul mages didn¡¯t get involved in what the students were up to.¡±
¡°Your Gift would have always garnered some attention,¡± His grandfather said, ¡°And you are far from any students even without that ability. But is it so bad to reveal your element? You are a Noble now, and the whole Academy knows about you. It would be difficult for anyone to force you to do much.¡±
¡°I honestly don¡¯t know anymore,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°But if I reveal it, I want it to be my own choice, not something forced upon me. Besides, I¡¯ve been hiding it all this time, not only to avoid getting noticed by someone with nefarious intentions, but also because it will let me get away with things. If everybody knows I can teleport, suddenly that power becomes a lot less useful, people might start thinking about guarding themselves better, and I would be blamed for every unexplained theft.
¡°Heavenly Light would also see me as a more serious threat, I¡¯m sure. And they would be a lot harder to deal with if they knew what I could do. Do you know how much of a relief it is to have teleportation in my back pocket? If I ever get captured, I can always escape unnoticed. But that¡¯s only because no one knows about it. If I reveal myself, all my advantages disappear.¡±
¡°I see what you mean,¡± His grandfather nodded, ¡°Perhaps you could keep your teleportation a secret.¡±
¡°People would figure it out eventually,¡± Adion said, ¡°And they would be ready for me to attack them using space. I gain a lot by catching people unaware.¡±
¡°It is truly a problem, then,¡± His grandfather slowly nodded, ¡°If we are able to get some time, perhaps I can gain a few allies to keep some pressure off you. But allies don¡¯t come for free.¡±
¡°That would be good,¡± Adion said, ¡°As for money, I have already thought about selling an Elixir of Life. I would probably just get stolen from, but if you are the one who offers it, I doubt the auction house would scam you.¡±
¡°Oh? Are you sure you want to do that?¡± His grandfather asked.
¡°I am,¡± Adion said, ¡°I won¡¯t need all the money it sells for. You can take half of it to do whatever you need.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a generous offer I won¡¯t decline,¡± His grandfather said with a smirk, ¡°But that is not all I meant by saying that allies don¡¯t come for free. It is the other reason I called you here to talk. You see, I have had quite a few visitors since the news of your strength became known. Suddenly my advancement wasn¡¯t so exciting anymore. Everyone was more interested in you.¡±
¡°Sorry about that,¡± Adion said with a slight smile.
¡°Hehe,¡± His grandfather chuckled, ¡°It''s nothing to apologize for. What grandfather doesn¡¯t like to brag about his grandchildren? But while many simply wanted to make a connection and ask some questions, there were a few who wanted more than that.¡±
¡°What did they want?¡± Adion asked.
¡°To put it bluntly, they wanted our families connected by marriage. Specifically with you.¡± His grandfather said.
Adion frowned when he heard that.
Someone wants to marry me?
¡°I tried asking if I would do, but it seems like I will have to remain single,¡± His grandfather said jokingly.
¡°So, what? Some families wanted me to marry their daughter? Unless the Amyss family made the offer, I¡¯ll have to decline,¡± Adion said resolutely.
¡°I thought you would say that,¡± His grandfather nodded. ¡°But you know it isn¡¯t a terrible idea, right? I¡¯m sure more offers will pop up with time, from some very powerful Noble families at that. That kind of connection could help you a lot in not revealing anything you don¡¯t want.¡±
¡°I know I¡¯m talented, but isn¡¯t that a little ridiculous?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°People only need to look at Dean Lukas and Termeth Hesfym to know how ridiculous it is. Even if there is a possibility that you reach a bottleneck and can¡¯t keep your current pace, those two serve as a prime example of how far you could go in the future.¡± His grandfather explained.
I guess it makes sense when you look at it like that.
¡°If that¡¯s the case, maybe we could even bring the idea to the Amyss family,¡± Adion said, slightly excited.
¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. You know that,¡± His grandfather said with a kind smile, ¡°Sellitha is engaged to Termeth Hesfym. Even if the current you were a Pure Soul mage, they wouldn¡¯t take that deal. This is also why I want you to think a little more about the matter. I know you like Sellitha very much¡but I can¡¯t really see how that ends well for anyone, Adion.¡±
Adion frowned at his grandfather¡¯s words. ¡°I see very clearly how it ends well for everyone except that Hesfym guy.¡±
¡°Haaah,¡± His grandfather sighed, ¡°Will you at least think about it? I¡¯m sure there are some very pretty girls who would be interested in you. You would also be able to see them openly, and their family would be able to help you. I know you have a love-filled brain at the moment, but would you at least think about it?¡±
¡°No,¡± Adion answered immediately as he got up on his feet. ¡°Sorry, Grandpa, but you should give up on that idea.¡±
That¡¯s it. I¡¯ve waited long enough.
¡°Are you leaving?¡± His grandfather asked.
¡°I need to get something first,¡± Adion said. He focused on his sphere of space mana and soon found what he was looking for.
In a small room in the basement of the mansion, Adion found his case of pills hidden away from everyone but him. He focused on the space surrounding it and teleported the case over.
His grandfather just watched as Adion opened the case and pulled out a Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill. The last one.
¡°For Sell? Are you sure about this, Adion?¡± His grandfather asked.
¡°Very sure,¡± Adion said with a smile.
Chapter 122 - Elder Kilth
¡°Do you have business in the Old Academy?¡± One of the guards posted by the gate asked Adion as he tried to enter.
¡°I have been asked to go to Elder Kilth¡¯s workroom,¡± Adion answered. He pulled out the letter he had received and handed it to the guard.
¡°Alright,¡± The guard nodded after reading the letter, ¡°Go on ahead.¡±
¡°Thanks. Do you perhaps know where that would be?¡± Adion asked. He only knew that Elder Kilth worked and lived in the Old Academy.
Fortunately, the guard seemed to know the place well and gave Adion directions.
Let¡¯s hope everything goes smoothly. Adion thought as he continued on his way with hurried steps. And that it doesn¡¯t take too long. I don¡¯t want to leave my pill unattended longer than necessary.
Adion had been a little rash when grabbing the Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill and taking off to the Academy. His thoughts were entirely preoccupied with Sell at that moment.
Adion had realized that he had been too relaxed. The thought of how much was beyond his control gave him the determination to finally act on what he actually could control.
He had long thought about giving Sell a Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill. He was even slightly tempted to do it back in the Outskirts, before they were even a couple, but he knew that would be stupid. And until now, he had never even told Sell about his pills. It was the only secret he hadn¡¯t shared with her. And it was quite a big one.
The reason he could tell his family about it and even gift them the pills was that he completely trusted them. In a way, he trusted Sell just as much. She knew all of his other secrets, after all.
It was just a scary thought. He knew nothing would change between him and his family, even if he revealed his treasure. But Fellion¡¯s reaction to the Grand Soul Clarity Pill had been deeply ingrained in him. There was a slight fear that Sell could react in an unexpected way to such power. He didn¡¯t actually think so, but why take a risk when things were already so great? There was no rush.
At least, he didn¡¯t think there was until his talk with his grandfather. If he didn¡¯t do anything, in five years, Sell would have to flee to Quemer to avoid getting married to Termeth Hesfym. That was far from optimal, and there wasn¡¯t even a guarantee that it would work out. Her family could probably figure out a way to stop her, and then everything would be over.
And then there was the new issue of other families approaching his grandfather with marriage proposals. He could always refuse. He knew his grandfather wouldn¡¯t force him to do anything. But it would still be a recurring issue.
And something in his grandfather¡¯s words about there being other girls for him had sparked something in Adion. He knew that there could never be any other girl. There was only Sell. So there wasn¡¯t a reason to hesitate for even a second longer.
I wonder what her reaction will be? I hope she won¡¯t be upset that I didn¡¯t tell her all this time.
I¡¯ll ask her if she wants to go on that date I promised her. It would be a nice time to tell her everything.
Adion soon arrived in front of the Tower of Cyalis. Elder Kilth¡¯s workroom was in the East Wing, one of the four large structures connected to the tower. Adion walked to what looked like an entrance.
There were guards on duty there as well, but with the letter, Adion was guided by one of the faculty members there to where he needed to go.
I¡¯m starting to get a little nervous. Thank Ganta I remembered to leave the pill in my dorm room before coming here.
Adion wasn¡¯t really thinking straight when he took the pill. He just wanted to give it to Sell as soon as he could. Only after calming down did he realize that he had an appointment with Elder Kilth. He was very far from confident enough to hide the pill¡¯s aura from a Hard Soul mage, so he went by his dorms and left it hidden in his room. Not even he could feel the pill¡¯s presence from outside his room without looking for it, so he was confident it would be safe. But he still wanted to get back to it as soon as he could.
¡°This is Elder Kilth¡¯s workroom,¡± The faculty member told Adion as they arrived in front of a large metal door.
Okay, just relax and take things as they come. Worst case, everything will be revealed. I¡¯ll figure out a way to deal with it.
Adion knocked on the door.
¡°Come in,¡± A deep voice sounded from inside.
Adion opened the door and entered the large room with a ceiling reaching at least 20 feet. There were long rows of desks with papers and weird runic devices Adion couldn¡¯t tell the purpose of. It looked very much like some sort of research facility.
His attention was soon brought to the only person in the room. At the far end of the room, Adion spotted an elven man with black hair sitting in an armchair by the window. He looked to be in his fifties, but from his aura as a Hard Soul mage, Adion knew he was much older.
¡°Adion Remori?¡± Elder Kilth asked, taking his eyes off the paper in his hands to look toward Adion.
¡°It''s a pleasure to meet you, Elder Kilth,¡± Adion said, palming his fist and bowing in respect.
¡°Come take a seat,¡± Elder Kilth said with a kind smile, gesturing to the armchair next to him.
Adion did as he was asked.
¡°So,¡± Elder Kilth said, looking intently at Adion, ¡°You¡¯re the one who has caused all the recent commotion?¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to say I¡¯ve caused a commotion, Elder,¡± Adion said, smiling awkwardly.
¡°Hehe,¡± Elder Kilth chuckled, ¡°You think it is common to reach Silver at your age?¡±
¡°I know it¡¯s a first,¡± Adion said, ¡°But like I¡¯ve told the Dean and others who have asked, it¡¯s just a result of hard training, talent, and a little luck. Even if I¡¯m the first, I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t be the last.¡±
¡°Perhaps,¡± Elder Kilth nodded, ¡°But you¡¯re also Gifted, and you used to be a sparkless. I am quite sure I won¡¯t see anyone even getting close to being as impressive as you in my lifetime. You might have heard that I¡¯m studying Gifts?¡±
¡°I have,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Well, that was the reason for wanting to see you at first,¡± Elder Kilth said, ¡°But that has changed slightly as your other achievements have come to light.¡±
¡°Oh? May I ask what Elder Kilth wants from me?¡± Adion asked.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
¡°Other than ask you to be part of my research,¡± Elder Kilth said, ¡°I want you to join the Shields. I¡¯ve heard you have yet to join a House. That is good. It will be simple for you to join them that way. With your strength, you should obviously be in the 1st-ranked House.¡±
He wants to recruit me for the Shields?
That was far from any guess Adion would have had about the purpose of meeting him.
¡°Are you a member of the Shields, Elder?¡± Adion carefully asked.
¡°Hehe,¡± Elder Kilth chuckled, ¡°Of course not. Council members can¡¯t be a part of any other organization. And as much as Houses are a part of our Academy, most of them also go on beyond its walls.
¡°But I once was a member, and my family clan is closely related to the House. I stay out of it as much as I can. It wouldn¡¯t be proper to get involved too much. But we are all living beings in the end. It is natural that we want the best for those we care about. That¡¯s why I want you there. It would do both the House and you good.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯m very honored. I will definitely give the matter some thought.¡±
¡°Some thought?¡± Elder Kilth asked with furrowed eyebrows, ¡°What¡¯s there to think about?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°It¡¯s just that I still have a lot of options to consider. I don¡¯t dare refuse the Elder, but what about when I¡¯m summoned to meet another elder? I don¡¯t mean to build myself up too much, but I think all the Houses would gladly have me. I need to think it through to find a House where I don¡¯t offend too many, and, if I¡¯m honest, where I can gain the most.¡±
Hopefully, that will make him drop it.
¡°So that¡¯s what you''re worried about?¡± Elder Kilth asked with a light smile, ¡°I thought it was obvious how much you would gain from something like this. The Shields is the strongest of all the Houses, Adion. Beyond the Academy, it has considerable influence. Someone of your talent will be able to rise a lot higher there than anywhere else.
¡°Your time in the Academy would be smooth sailing, and your time outside even more so. You¡¯re familiar with Heavenly Light, no?¡±
Heavenly Light? Is he connected to them somehow?
Atao appeared in front of him almost on instinct as he heard those words.
¡°What is that, Elder?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Oh? I would have thought your grandfather had told you about it,¡± Elder Kilth said, ¡°I guess it¡¯s not my place to tell you about them then.¡±
¡°Is it an organization? Is my grandfather part of it?¡± Adion asked with feigned curiosity.
¡°No,¡± Elder Kilth shook his head with a smile, ¡°You should ask him about it when you get the chance. But let¡¯s just say that they are powerful and likely to take issue with you when you graduate from the Academy. The Shields would work as excellent protection against them.¡±
So he isn¡¯t one of them? I shouldn¡¯t assume either way.
¡°As for your concern about offending anyone, you don¡¯t need to worry,¡± Elder Kilth said, ¡°Normally, all of this is in the hands of the students, and us elders would never get involved. But you are quite special. Do you think we were sitting on our thumbs for two days after your revelation?¡±
¡°Er,¡± Adion hesitated. He just assumed that he was given space by the more influential members of the Academy. He was going to be there for five years, after all, so why the need to rush anything?
¡°Hehe,¡± Elder Kilth chuckled, ¡°I can¡¯t speak for anyone else, but the reason I didn¡¯t call for you sooner was out of respect for the Headmaster. I wouldn¡¯t be so bold as to snag you from him just because I was quicker. But with him not doing anything for two days, I think no one could argue against my move. There are a few other Hard Soul Council members, but they would never cause a problem over something like this. They might be a little grumpy that they didn¡¯t dare act sooner, but no one will bother you over it. So rest assured, you can join the Shields without worry.¡±
Elder Kilth looked at Adion with a pleased expression as he finished speaking, seemingly waiting for him to answer.
How did things end up like this? I worried about my secrets being revealed, but the Elders actually had some silent war over me? How can they stoop so low as to pressure a Silver mage to join their preferred House?
Adion was upset, but he didn¡¯t show it. It wasn¡¯t an awful deal. He might even be willing to take it if it meant making a Hard Soul mage happy. It could be extremely useful to have someone like that on his side.
But the House just had to be the Shields? Any other House, and Adion might have accepted it. But he had an extremely poor opinion of the Shields.
¡°Er,¡± Adion hesitated. For the first time, the fact that he was sitting opposite a Hard Soul mage really sank in. ¡°That does sound incredible, Elder. But can I think about it first? I want to discuss this with my family just to be safe.¡±
Elder Kilth frowned at Adion¡¯s words. ¡°Your family is just your grandfather and siblings, I¡¯ve heard? Your grandfather is not going to have anything against you joining the strongest House at the behest of a Council member. If anything, this is very good news for him. He will be able to make plenty of allies. Your welcoming ceremony is going to take place soon, and if he is alone at that time, he will struggle a lot.¡±
¡°All very true,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Still, I don¡¯t want to make a decision like this without consulting them. My family is very important to me.¡±
Elder Kilth''s frown eased up somewhat at those words. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re still very young. And you haven¡¯t been here for long. Very well, go talk to your family.¡±
Adion stood up at Elder Kilth¡¯s beckoning and gave a polite bow. ¡°Thank you for understanding, Elder Kilth.¡±
¡°I hope to hear some good news by the end of the day,¡± Elder Kilth said, picking up the papers in front of him again, ignoring Adion.
End of the day? It¡¯s almost dark already.
¡°Teres!¡± Elder Kilth suddenly called out.
A door behind Elder Kilth opened up, and a black-haired elven girl walked out.
¡°Show Adion out,¡± Elder Kilth muttered without looking back at her.
Teres looked at Elder Kilth with a confused expression before shaking her head slightly. She turned to Adion and gestured for him to follow.
Adion didn¡¯t see any reason to linger and hurriedly made his way out of there.
¡°What did you say to my grandfather?¡± Teres asked Adion as they got out into the hallway.
¡°Your grandfather?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, my great-grandfather, technically,¡± Teres said, ¡°But what did you do?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if I did anything,¡± Adion said.
¡°He was¡¡± Teres hesitated, ¡°Whatever. My name is Teres Kilth. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±
Teres suddenly shrugged off her slightly aggressive demeanor and smiled at Adion.
¡°Oh, yeah. I¡¯m Adion Remori. Nice to meet you too,¡± Adion said with a nod.
¡°I¡¯m in my fourth year now. But next year, I¡¯ll be the new Head of the Shields. I¡¯m very glad we¡¯ll have someone like you with us,¡± Teres said with a smile.
¡°I haven¡¯t actually joined the Shields yet,¡± Adion said with an awkward smile.
¡°What? Why?¡± Teres asked, frowning.
¡°I need to talk to my family first,¡± Adion explained.
¡°What a stupid-¡± Teres began before stopping herself and sighing. ¡°Well, you should hurry up and ask them then. I¡¯ll take you on a tour of our House once everything is settled.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Thanks.¡±
Teres followed Adion all the way until they reached the gate leading out of the Old Academy, asking him about his Gift, his strength, his family, and his ambitions. Adion tried to respond as much as he could without giving away anything he shouldn¡¯t.
¡°Well, I¡¯ll head back now,¡± Teres said, ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±
Teres waved Adion goodbye with a smile before turning around to head back.
Well¡this is a mess.
Chapter 123 - Trouble
¡°See you later, Adion,¡± Heso said his goodbye as Adion stepped outside their dorm room.
¡°See you,¡± Adion said, his expression slightly uneasy.
This will probably cause me some trouble. But I can handle trouble. Compared to Heavenly Light and that Hesfym guy, this is nothing.
Adion had thought long and hard about his decision the night before. In the end, he decided not to accept Elder Kilth¡¯s proposal to join the Shields. It was just too far from what he wanted. And even if he would have a Hard Soul mage with a grudge against him, Adion doubted he would encounter any real danger. He was still a promising student at the Academy, after all. Surely not even an Elder could kill him simply out of spite.
I won¡¯t be on good terms with Elder Kilth going forward. But at least that will also keep him from discovering my space element. In a way, it is good that I¡¯ve angered him. He shouldn¡¯t want to get involved with me any time soon.
Adion continued on his walk for his class at the Old Academy, deep in thought. But a voice soon brought him out of his musings.
¡°Not greeting a professor when you cross paths?¡±
Adion looked up to see a woman who looked to be in her forties staring at him with a displeased expression.
¡°Oh? I¡¯m sorry, professor,¡± Adion said, ¡°Good morning.¡±
¡°These first years have no manners,¡± The professor muttered unhappily. ¡°I¡¯ll take away 20 credits for that.¡±
With those words, the woman continued on her way, leaving a stumped Adion staring after her.
She is even grumpier than Professor Haul. Hopefully, I won¡¯t run into her too often.
Adion continued on his walk, but not even a minute passed before another professor approached him with a scowl.
¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± The old elven man questioned.
¡°Er,¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡±
¡°How disrespectful,¡± The professor scolded, ¡°A deduction of 20 credits might teach you a lesson.¡±
With those words, the professor turned away from Adion and walked away.
Don¡¯t tell me¡
Adion had never met a professor behaving like the two he had just met. It was too much of a coincidence that two of them would approach him not even a minute apart. Considering what had changed from the day before, it wasn¡¯t hard for Adion to figure out what had happened.
Seems like Elder Kilth carries quite the weight around the Academy. Oh well, I have plenty of credits. I can deal with the consequences if it¡¯s only this.
It didn¡¯t take long before Adion realized how naive he was, however. In short succession, one after another, various professors would cross his path and deduct 20 credits for some ridiculous reason.
I have already lost 120 credits, and I¡¯m not even halfway to the Old Academy yet.
Adion decided he couldn¡¯t take things so casually anymore. He stepped off the path and stepped onto the grass, intent on taking a detour. He figured Elder Kilth must have known about his class at the Old Academy and where he was living. He probably instructed the professors to intercept him on his way.
That crazy old man. How many professors does he control? Don¡¯t they have classes to teach?
Fortunately, due to choosing a different and longer path to his class, Adion managed to avoid any preplanned encounters.
I guess I¡¯ll have to move a little less predictably from now on. But hopefully, he can¡¯t keep this up for long.
Adion knew there was no use in complaining. Who would he complain to? It was a Council member who orchestrated it all. And Adion had noticed that they all deducted exactly 20 credits. If he had to guess, that was the limit a professor could deduct without having to give a justification.
I am lucky that I have so many credits. This would absolutely destroy any other students. What even happens when you have a negative amount of credits? I should look into that.
Adion continued walking in an unpredictable manner, slowly making his way to the Old Academy. He didn¡¯t run into a single professor this way, but that changed when he finally got close enough to see the walls surrounding the Old Academy.
Damn. I should have expected this.
On the road in front of him, six professors stood grouped together. They weren¡¯t facing each other, though. Every single one of them was looking around suspiciously, searching for something. It didn¡¯t take long before one of them noticed what they were looking for as he spotted Adion and grinned.
No matter what paths I take, will they just group up close to where my class is? Will I ever be able to go to class like this?
¡°Look at that, Professor Hender,¡± one of the professors said as Adion got close, ¡°Such an attitude in one of the newly admitted students. If no one disciplines him now, I wonder what will become of our Academy.¡±
¡°You really said it,¡± Another professor nodded in agreement, ¡°Adion Remori, I will take 20 credits for your disrespectful behavior.¡±
¡°So will I,¡± Another professor immediately agreed. Quickly followed by the rest of them.
Diamond mages and scholars. So highly regarded everywhere in the world. And they embarrass themselves like this?
Adion just shook his head and ignored them.
By this point, there were a lot of other students around. Everyone looked at Adion weirdly, taking a few extra steps away from him.
¡°What the hell was that?¡± Adion overheard a student whisper loudly to his friend.
¡°Seems like that Adion has made himself a powerful enemy. I wonder what he did,¡± His friend said in a low voice.
Adion thought that he had at least gotten through the bulk of the professors after him. But before he reached the gate leading to the Old Academy, three similar groups of professors appeared in his way and similarly deducted 20 credits each for his disrespectful behavior.
How many credits have I lost now? 600? And the first class of the day hasn¡¯t even started yet.
When Adion finally arrived at the gate leading to the Old Academy, he was surprised when he spotted Sell and Felicia standing outside.
¡°Sell?¡± Adion called out as he ran up to her, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±
¡°Nice to see you too, Adion,¡± Felicia said, rolling her eyes.
¡°Oh, good morning Felicia,¡± Adion nodded to the blonde elf.
¡°The class is canceled,¡± Sell said. She then looked at Adion¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°How is your injury?¡±
¡°All healed, don¡¯t worry,¡± Adion said with a smile. ¡°But why is the class canceled? Did something happen?¡±
¡°It¡¯s pretty normal, I heard,¡± Sell said, ¡°At least with Soul mages teaching classes. And in particular, the Headmaster. He is a busy man, after all.¡±
Stolen story; please report.
¡°Oh,¡± Adion nodded in understanding.
¡°Are you ready to go now?¡± Felicia asked.
Adion looked questioningly at Sell.
¡°I thought we might as well go to the library now, and she wanted to go too,¡± Sell explained.
¡°Oh,¡± Adion nodded.
Why is she and Relmon always so keen on going with us? Don¡¯t they have other friends?
¡°What?¡± Felicia asked, ¡°Am I not welcome? You want to go on a date just the two of you?¡±
Sell looked at Felicia with an angry look and a slight blush. ¡°I already said you could come. Just don¡¯t spout nonsense.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Felicia laughed, ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go.¡±
They all headed inside the Old Academy together. There was a library in the middle of the Five Halls as well, but the one with the most interesting information was the Old Library in the Old Academy.
Adion looked around carefully to see if he could spot any professors. Fortunately, they all seemed to have made sure to catch him before entering.
Still. If this is a daily occurrence from now on, I¡¯m done for.
¡°Sell, do you know what happens when you get negative credits?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Hm? Why?¡± Sell asked. Felicia also turned to look at him curiously.
¡°I might have gotten myself into some trouble,¡± Adion said, smiling awkwardly.
¡°What kind of trouble?¡± Sell asked with a worried expression.
¡°So, yesterday, I got summoned to see Elder Kilth,¡± Adion then went on to explain all that had happened to the two girls. Including his run-ins with the various professors on his way over.
¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you just join the Shields?¡± Felicia asked, shocked at Adion¡¯s decision.
¡°I didn¡¯t want to join them,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°And I didn¡¯t like being pressured like that.¡±
¡°Being pressured by Elder Kilth would be an honor to most people,¡± Felicia argued.
¡°Maybe,¡± Adion said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s done is done. Now I have to find a way to deal with it. Do you just what kind of limitations there are on the professors?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Sell said carefully, ¡°I think they can basically take 20 credits away without having to explain themselves. At least not explain themselves very much. It should be impossible to do so from a distance. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have gone through the trouble of finding you and making up excuses. But I have no idea if they can just keep doing so every day.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have to find a way to avoid running into professors going forward, it seems,¡± Adion said.
¡°This is really shameful behavior,¡± Sell said angrily, ¡°I really thought the Academy would be better than this.¡±
¡°If everything is done according to the rules, no one can say anything about it,¡± Felicia said, ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d give up on Elder Kilth and try to see if someone else might be able to protect you. Maybe there is a Soul mage hoping to see you join Soaring Souls or some other House.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Adion nodded.
That might be the best course of action.
¡°Haaah,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°Hopefully, it will blow over eventually.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t count on it,¡± Felicia said, ¡°A Hard Soul mage can easily live to be 600. What does it change for them to spend five years spending a little of their time to cause your trouble?¡±
¡°How can he be that petty?¡± Adion questioned, ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to join the Shields. Does he have to act like I did something so unforgivable?¡±
¡°You did do something unforgivable,¡± Felicia said, ¡°You went against a Hard Soul mage. I¡¯m sure he wants to make sure that everyone knows what will happen to anyone thinking they can be so disrespectful just because they are at the Academy.¡±
¡°What a pain,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°I¡¯ll talk to Rell and see if she can do anything,¡± Sell said.
¡°I doubt even she can do something against a Council member,¡± Adion said, ¡°But she might have a better idea of what I should do about my situation.¡±
The group of three soon reached the library. It was a magnificent building close to the Tower of Cyalis. Pillars of marble decorated the entrance, and even though the building was old and slightly worn, that only gave it a feeling of profoundness.
¡°Incredible,¡± Adion said as he stepped inside and spotted the endless sea of books in front of him.
I¡¯m sure there are even more books hidden away. There should be sections around here where you can only go by paying a lot of credits.
¡°Don¡¯t cause such a ruckus,¡± Adion turned to his side, where he spotted a young elven man in spectacles.
¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Adion said, but he had a creeping suspicion things wouldn¡¯t end with just that.
¡°I can¡¯t have someone like you yelling and disturbing the other students. I¡¯ll have to take 20 credits for that and have you banned from the library for four weeks,¡± The man said in a determined manner.
Of course.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that doesn¡¯t seem fair at all,¡± Sell said through gritted teeth with a furious look.
¡°Well, too bad. Twenty credits will be deducted from you, too, along with a four-week ban,¡± The elven man said as he grinned at Sell.
What the hell?
Adion was fine with taking responsibility for his actions, but he couldn¡¯t accept Sell getting dragged into it.
¡°Listen here,¡± Adion said, staring deeply into the Gold mage¡¯s eyes, ¡°I get that you have to cause trouble for me. It¡¯s fine. But you should take back your words to her. No need to cause more trouble than you have to.¡±
¡°I stand by my words,¡± The elven man said with an angry expression, ¡°Now get out.¡±
¡°Adion, it¡¯s fine. I wouldn¡¯t come here alone anyway,¡± Sell said, pulling Adion to go outside.
¡°I hope you don¡¯t come to regret it,¡± Adion said threateningly to the man before turning to leave with Sell.
Felicia hurriedly stepped up to Sell and said in a low voice, ¡°Sorry, Sell. I really need to get my book. Is it fine?¡±
¡°Of course, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Sell said.
Felicia smiled apologetically to them before turning around back inside.
¡°Sorry about that, Sell,¡± Adion said as the two walked away from the library together.
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Sell said with a comforting smile. ¡°This is nothing really. As long as we continue to grow strong, everything else will take care of itself.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion smiled. He remembered the pill that he was going to give to Sell and couldn¡¯t help but be slightly excited.
¡°What did your grandfather want to talk with you about, by the way? Did you get the chance to see him?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I did,¡± Adion said, ¡°He just wanted to talk about me revealing my strength. Apparently, a lot of people had already stopped by to talk to him.¡±
¡°That makes sense. What did they want?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I think they mostly just wanted to form a connection with our family. People seem to think I have a very bright future,¡± Adion said with a grin.
¡°I can imagine,¡± Sell said, ¡°These connections¡Have you received marriage proposals?¡±
¡°There seemed to have been a few of those, yes,¡± Adion nodded.
Sell looked at Adion with a slightly angry expression, ¡°And what did you say?¡±
¡°Unfortunately, the Amyss family wasn¡¯t one of the families offering their daughter, so I had to decline,¡± Adion said with a smile.
Sell blushed a rare deep red at the implication.
¡°Good,¡± Sell said and skipped a few steps ahead of Adion so he couldn¡¯t look at her.
¡°Since your family seems intent on not offering you, I guess I¡¯ll have to court you the old-fashioned way,¡± Adion said as he caught up to her, trying to glimpse her face.
¡°And how will you do that?¡± Sell asked, still hiding her face from Adion.
¡°I thought a date would be nice,¡± Adion suggested, ¡°I have prepared a gift.¡±
¡°A date? Another gift?¡± Sell asked, cautiously looking in Adion¡¯s direction.
¡°You want to go?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I want to go,¡± Sell nodded shyly. ¡°But not until next week!¡±
¡°Next week, why?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°You¡¯ll find out later,¡± Sell said with a smile, finally turning to look at Adion again.
I guess I can wait a week to give her the pill.
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded.
Sell and Adion continued walking, not having a destination in mind, just enjoying each other¡¯s company until it was time for the next class.
All things considered, this was a great morning.
Chapter 124 - Dean Lukas
¡°Alright, alright,¡± Adion said, sitting down exhausted. ¡°That has to be it for today. I don¡¯t want to be completely useless when I meet Dean Lukas later.¡±
Sell didn¡¯t argue, as she tumbled to the ground herself.
¡°I¡¯m getting better at it,¡± Sell said as she breathed heavily.
¡°Are you?¡± Adion questioned.
They were practicing together in one of the private fighting pits, and they had both agreed to finish it up with Adion freezing Sell in space and her trying to break free.
Adion didn¡¯t notice anything different, but it was only the fourth time they were practicing together, so he wasn¡¯t expecting Sell to improve any time soon. He was also getting stronger with each session, after all.
Sell looked at him with a pondering expression. ¡°I might not be able to get out of your space quicker, but it feels like I¡¯m getting closer to something.¡±
¡°Closer to something? Like what? Is there a way to escape my space besides getting a stronger Will?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Sell said carefully. ¡°Either way, I¡¯m going to be immune to that power of yours sooner or later.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡± Adion asked with a grin.
¡°It is,¡± Sell nodded with a smile.
Adion couldn¡¯t help himself when she smiled like that, so he got up on his feet and went to sit down next to her.
Sell blushed when Adion leaned in for a kiss. But since that had been the usual routine for the two for the past few days whenever they finished practice, she wasn¡¯t surprised.
After a while, Sell broke free from the kiss. She looked at Adion with a flushed face. ¡°You¡¯re going to be late.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said resolutely.
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed and got up to her feet, ¡°This is important, Adion. You should make sure to be there on time.¡±
Adion looked up at her with a mournful look on his face. ¡°Damn that Elder Kilth. I¡¯ll remember this.¡±
¡°This is what upsets you?¡± Sell asked with a smile.
¡°Everything else I can handle,¡± Adion said with a serious expression, causing Sell to laugh.
I suppose the sooner I solve all this, the more time I can relax with Sell later.
Adion got up to his feet and headed to the gate together with Sell. He made sure to hold her hand on the way.
¡°We can¡¯t be seen holding hands, you know,¡± Sell said.
¡°Just to the gate,¡± Adion said.
The gate in question was just 20 feet away from them, so this line caused a smile to appear on Sell¡¯s face.
At the gate, Adion let go of Sell¡¯s hand and reached to pull the gate open. As the gate opened, Sell sneaked in a quick kiss before hurrying outside.
How did I get this lucky? Even with everything going on, I feel excited to wake up every morning because of her.
Adion smiled and hurried out after Sell.
¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be able to do something?¡± Sell asked as they walked toward the Old Academy together.
¡°I don¡¯t really know,¡± Adion said hesitantly, ¡°I doubt even the dean holds much sway over a Council member. But at the same time, surely he will understand that this can¡¯t continue.¡±
¡°He better. This is embarrassing for the whole Academy,¡± Sell said angrily.
It had been three days of continuous harassment from the different professors and faculty members who were controlled by Elder Kilth. He now didn¡¯t have a single credit to spend. And it would be well into the negatives if that had been possible. But he had been informed that you couldn¡¯t have credits deducted into the negatives without a special reason.
Sell had asked her sister for advice, and she had told Sell that there were a few options that she could think of. Adion could try to placate Elder Kilth somehow, perhaps by agreeing to join the Shields. He could also try to get the support of someone who carried equal or more weight. But that was easier said than done. Not even Rellitha knew how to get into contact with a Council member of the Hard Soul stage.
The final option she could think of was the one Adion had opted for. He had scheduled a meeting with Dean Lukas to see if he could solve the problem somehow.
I have to make sure he takes this seriously. I can¡¯t possibly continue like this.
¡°Anyway,¡± Adion said, deciding to change the topic, ¡°I have two options in mind for our date.¡±
¡°Go on,¡± Sell said excitedly.
¡°Either we go to an auction together. I have looked one up and can arrange a private booth for us. We can have dinner before at a restaurant in the same building,¡± Adion laid out the first option.
¡°That sounds amazing,¡± Sell said, ¡°I want to go!¡±
¡°Oh, okay,¡± Adion nodded with a smile.
¡°Wait, what was the second option?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Never mind,¡± Adion said while shaking his head, slightly embarrassed.
¡°No, tell me,¡± Sell urged.
¡°Well,¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°I looked into it a little and found a bard that is supposed to be very good.¡±
Or, well, Perk and Tib looked into it for me.
¡°It¡¯s nothing fancy at all, though,¡± Adion continued, ¡°He just plays in regular bars around Cyalis. I just thought it might be nice. A little like how it was when we were at the Outskirts together.¡±
¡°That¡¯s even better,¡± Sell said with a smile, ¡°I choose the second option.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°That¡¯s what we said we would do back then, after all.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to another auction at a later date. One that will be talked about all over the city.¡±
¡°Oh? What auction is that? Is there something special being auctioned?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Nothing you or I would need,¡± Adion said, ¡°But I¡¯ll tell you about it later.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Sell questioned.
¡°Because it¡¯s a surprise,¡± Adion said.
¡°That¡¯s just your new way of saying ¡®secret,¡¯¡± Sell said with a pout.
¡°It¡¯s a secret with a time limit, I suppose,¡± Adion said.
¡°Aren¡¯t all your secrets ¡®secrets with a time limit¡¯?¡± Sell said with a laugh.
¡°I thought we already established that you¡¯re not one to talk,¡± Adion countered.
¡°I don¡¯t even come close to being as bad as you,¡± Sell argued with a smile.
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°I¡¯m not sure about that,¡± Adion said with a grin, ¡°You blushing at every mention of us being together is a dead giveaway that something is going on.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡not fair,¡± Sell muttered with a blush, causing Adion to laugh at how cute she was.
After walking and talking for well over half an hour, Adion and Sell reached the North Wing. Dean Lukas had his office in this substructure of the Tower of Cyalis, and it was just 10 minutes before his meeting with him was scheduled.
¡°I¡¯ll sit down here and meditate while I wait,¡± Sell said as she stopped and sat down beneath a tree a bit away from the entrance.
¡°Okay,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll try to be quick.¡±
¡°No hurry,¡± Sell said with a smile, ¡°Good luck. And don¡¯t go easy on him.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Adion nodded.
Adion was led to Dean Lukas¡¯s office by a faculty member as soon as he entered the North Wing and showed his Academy badge.
It wasn¡¯t very far, and as Adion approached the office, he saw that the doors already stood open.
¡°Adion,¡± Dean Lukas said as he looked up from his papers and noticed him approaching.
¡°Dean Lukas,¡± Adion greeted him with a small bow as he stepped inside the office.
¡°Hefta, would you close the doors, please?¡± Dean Lukas instructed the faculty member.
The woman named Hefta left and closed the doors behind her.
Dean Lukas looked at Adion with a tired smile. ¡°I imagine I already know what you¡¯re here for. Why don¡¯t you take a seat?¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion said with a nod and took a seat in a comfy armchair opposite the dean.
¡°It¡¯s about Elder Kilth, right?¡± Dean Lukas got right into it.
¡°Yes,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I guess you know that I¡¯m being approached by groups of professors who deduct credits from me without cause? Not just once but every time I go out. In just three days, I must have lost close to 2000 credits. That¡¯s not even talking about how other random faculty members have treated me. I even got banned from entering the library. I can¡¯t help but find it all a little ridiculous. Just what am I supposed to do here?¡±
¡°Haaah,¡± Dean Lukas sighed, ¡°I understand that things haven¡¯t been easy. But why didn¡¯t you just take Elder Kilth up on his offer? Surely you knew that there would be consequences?¡±
¡°Of course, I did,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that this is my fault. I doubt I have broken any rules in declining to join the Shields. But the rules here don¡¯t seem to matter as much as I thought.¡±
¡°The rules do matter a great deal,¡± Dean Lukas said with an awkward smile, ¡°And while you didn¡¯t break any rules in declining to join the Shields, Elder Kilth has not broken any rules either. Every professor who has deducted credits from you did so completely within the rules. Normally if I noticed a petty professor targeting a student like this, I would simply have a talk with them and sort out the matter. But this time, it is far from only one professor, and they all have the support of a Council member. That makes it very hard for me to do anything about the situation. Even if I am the dean, I am still only a Diamond mage, after all.¡±
¡°So what? Nothing to be done? I¡¯m just supposed to go on like this?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°I¡¯m sure things will settle down eventually,¡± Dean Lukas said.
¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± Adion said, ¡°Is there really nothing to be done? Doesn¡¯t any of the other Council members have a problem with this?¡±
¡°This is probably below the notice of most Council members,¡± Dean Lukas said while shaking his head.
¡°Well, maybe they should start taking notice,¡± Adion said, ¡°Because I can¡¯t go on long this. If this is what the Academy entails for me, I might as well head elsewhere instead of wasting my time here.¡±
¡°Surely, that is taking it too far,¡± Dean Lukas said, ¡°There are still classes here that are not available anywhere else. And far from the bulk of professors have anything against you. In fact, most of the professors here are very interested in you. I think the current situation has blinded you a little to the whole picture. Understandably so.¡±
Adion stared at the ceiling in thought for a while.
It¡¯s not like I actually plan on leaving. As much as this is bothersome and far from what the Academy could be if I didn¡¯t have Elder Kilth in my way, I still have valuable protection here. And the classes I plan on taking are far from useless. And that¡¯s not even mentioning getting to spend every day with Sell.
But no one will take me seriously if I don¡¯t threaten them a little.
¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯m only 17, after all. But I¡¯ve always done things myself so far. And that didn¡¯t turn out too bad. I was looking forward to learning runes, true, but there are other academys for that. I imagine I¡¯d be a lot more welcome anywhere else but here.
¡°And wouldn¡¯t it be a great embarrassment for Cyalis Academy if people find out that a Council member pushed away the first-ever Silver mage just because he didn¡¯t join his preferred House? Word has already started spreading, and that¡¯s without me making a big deal out of it and leaving the Academy. ¡±
¡°Is that a threat?¡± Dean Lukas asked without anger.
¡°Not a threat,¡± Adion said, shaking his head, ¡°Just a bit of motivation to get the situation under control. I don¡¯t want to leave. But I don¡¯t want to stay if it¡¯s going to be like this. And I don¡¯t think you can fault me for that.
¡°And even if not for my sake, for the Academy¡¯s reputation. If this is allowed to go on, everyone will know about it eventually. Suddenly, people wouldn¡¯t see the Academy as a safe haven of knowledge and fairness. It would be obvious that you have to comply with the wishes of the powerful or get crushed. I sure wouldn¡¯t send my children to an Academy like that.¡±
Dean Lukas was silent. He stared deeply at Adion for a good minute before finally speaking.
¡°You are correct, of course,¡± Dean Lukas said, ¡°You might not believe me, but I have tried very hard to find a solution to this problem ever since I heard about it. I even went to see Elder Kilth, but it was useless.
¡°This is a rather peculiar situation. Never has something like this happened, which is why I¡¯m slightly at a loss. You have a special value as the first Silver mage to enter the Academy, but you are also the first to manage to anger a Hard Soul Council member. Even with all that, it could be easily solved in other circumstances. But the other Hard Soul Council members I know of are all unavailable.¡±
¡°What about the Headmaster?¡± Adion asked curiously.
¡°He doesn¡¯t care about these things,¡± Dean Lukas said with a regretful smile, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I might be the only one to take this issue seriously. But I¡¯m only a Diamond mage for now, and can¡¯t do much about it.¡±
¡°The Headmaster doesn¡¯t care about his own Academy?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°At least not about something so silly as a reputation. You see¡¡± Dean Lukas hesitated slightly, ¡°Never mind.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± Adion slowly nodded, ¡°Well, I at least appreciate your help, Dean Lukas.¡±
Adion got up and gave a quite genuine bow of gratitude, as the Dean actually seemed to be trying.
¡°But it seems like this Academy isn¡¯t big enough for both me and Elder Kilth, so I¡¯ll move on.¡±
Why did I say that? Was there a reason for such a gamble? It¡¯s going to be very embarrassing if he calls my bluff.
¡°Adion, wait,¡± Dean Lukas held up a hand and stopped him from leaving. ¡°Please sit down again. I have a suggestion.¡±
Adion didn¡¯t show any outward expression but was extremely relieved on the inside.
¡°What is your suggestion?¡± Adion asked as he took a seat again.
¡°Haah,¡± Dean Lukas sighed, ¡°I have a way to get the Headmaster involved. That should take care of everything.¡±
¡°Just like that?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°Just like that,¡± Dean Lukas nodded with a smile, ¡°I should have done it from the start.¡±
¡°Oh¡Thanks,¡± Adion said hesitantly.
¡°Hehe,¡± Dean Lukas chuckled, ¡°I hope you can hold out for a while longer, though. The Headmaster has been¡well, he is not to be disturbed. But it should only be a few days at most before he becomes available again. I¡¯ll get in touch with him as soon as I can.¡±
¡°I suppose I can wait if it¡¯s only a few days,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Good,¡± Dean Lukas smiled, ¡°I have another proposal for you. It concerns the experiment with the sparkless children that we talked about briefly the last time we met. I will need some help in conducting it, and I could think of no better aide than the one who gave me the idea and who actually managed to form a core as a sparkless himself.
¡°I will pay you in credits, of course. Perhaps nothing much to a rank 1 student, but 100 credits for every hour you help. If you agree, I will also reimburse every credit you have lost to Elder Kilth¡¯s actions.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Adion questioned. ¡°Then I agree.¡±
¡°Good, good,¡± Dean Lukas said with a tired smile as he leaned back in his chair.
It¡¯s solved? This easily? Did he help me just because he wanted me to help with his research? That makes me feel a little bit guilty that I made it all up.
Adion thanked Dean Lukas for his help and made his way out again, a pleased smile on his face.
I can¡¯t believe it actually got resolved. Thank Ganta that Dean Lukas seemed really scared of losing me. I wonder how he will get the Headmaster to act and why he was so hesitant about doing it.
Am I missing something? Does Dean Lukas have some hidden intentions? I guess it doesn¡¯t matter as long as everything gets back to normal.
If he truly did all this for me out of kindness, I¡¯ll find a way to repay him in the future.
Chapter 125 - Inexplicable Magic
¡°No improvement, I see. 20 credits will be deducted from you for your disrespectful behavior,¡± An elven woman who looked to be around 40 years old said as Adion walked past her and her some other professors.
Her three colleagues soon joined in and deducted 20 credits each from Adion for the same made-up reason.
Adion wasn¡¯t really that bothered by it anymore, though. His talk with Dean Lukas the day before had worked to ease all his worries.
No matter how many credits you take away, I¡¯ll get it all back for helping Dean Lukas.
I just hope the Headmaster doesn¡¯t go easy on anyone. It would be a shame if it just stopped without anyone getting punished. But I guess I shouldn¡¯t expect too much. Resolving the situation is more than enough for now.
Adion grinned at the professors as they deducted points from him, causing frowns to appear on their faces.
What jokes.
Adion arrived in the Fifth Hall not long after passing them, and started heading to his classroom.
Finally time to see what ¡®Inexplicable Magic¡¯ is about. Hopefully, Professor Haul isn¡¯t in a bad mood. Not that any credits he takes away from me will have much effect.
Adion spotted Sell standing by herself as he arrived outside the classroom. There were around 15 other students besides her already there, but no one Adion recognized. This wasn¡¯t an obligatory class he took with the rest of the diamond class, but one that he had chosen himself. So the students taking this class could be from any year and any class, although he had heard that students who were not in gold or diamond class had to pay credits in order to take the class.
¡°Adion,¡± Sell looked at him with a warm smile when she noticed him approaching.
¡°Good morning,¡± Adion said and smiled back. ¡°Why has no one gone inside yet?¡±
¡°The doors are locked,¡± Sell said, ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to wait for Professor Haul to get here.¡±
¡°How long until the class starts?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It should have started a few minutes ago, actually,¡± Sell said with an amused smile, ¡°Were you held back by some professors, or did the sun give you the wrong time again?¡±
¡°Professors,¡± Adion said resolutely.
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re lying, Adion.¡±
How does she do that?
¡°You¡¯re weird,¡± Adion muttered, ¡°Always reading my mind.¡±
¡°You¡¯re the weird one,¡± Sell said, sticking out her tongue childishly.
¡°Er,¡± A hesitant voice came from beside them.
How long has he been standing there?
Next to them was a man with short brown hair and an awkward smile on his face. Adion felt from his aura that he should be in his fourth year.
¡°Sorry to interrupt,¡± The man said, ¡°I just came to say hello. You¡¯re Adion Remori, right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°I¡¯m Marso Valis. I¡¯m in the same class as your sister,¡± Marso introduced himself, ¡°I heard you¡¯re having a rough time despite your talents. I just wanted to say that I¡¯m willing to help if there¡¯s anything I can do.¡±
¡°Oh? That¡¯s¡nice,¡± Adion said hesitantly, ¡°But I¡¯ve got a handle on it. It will all be over soon.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Marso asked, ¡°That¡¯s great news.¡±
¡°You said your name was Valis? As in the Royal family? You¡¯re a prince?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I am,¡± Marso nodded, ¡°But I¡¯m far from being a contender to the throne.¡±
¡°I heard that the king had a lot of children,¡± Adion nodded slowly.
¡°Father has been lucky in that regard,¡± Marso said with an awkward smile, ¡°Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and offer my help. I¡¯ll let you two continue.¡±
¡°Right, thanks,¡± Adion said as Marso returned to his group of two friends.
¡°Why did he want to help you?¡± Sell questioned.
¡°Maybe he hasn¡¯t heard about us becoming a family of Cyalis, so he thought I¡¯d be important for the Valis Kingdom in the future,¡± Adion suggested.
¡°I doubt he wouldn¡¯t be aware of something like that,¡± Sell said. ¡°Oh well, he didn¡¯t seem to have any ill intentions.¡±
Adion nodded in agreement. Marso seemed like he just genuinely wanted to help.
¡°Move, Move!¡± A yelling voice reached Adion from down the hall. Adion turned to see Professor Haul walking toward them with the help of his cane. ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m handicapped? Show a little concern.¡±
Everyone immediately made some space and moved to the walls to let Professor Haul pass.
¡°Where were you raised? On a farm?¡± Professor Haul questioned as he unlocked the doors to the classroom. ¡°There. Don¡¯t linger. Get to your seats.¡±
¡°You weren¡¯t kidding when you called him grumpy,¡± Sell said in a low voice as they headed inside the classroom.
The classroom was a small auditorium, having seats for at most 40 students. But there were only 20 of them at the moment, so Adion and Sell could sit down next to each other without a problem.
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¡°Right,¡± Professor Haul said as he faced the students. He turned to a 2nd-year student in the front row and asked, ¡°You there, why did you choose this class?¡±
¡°Wha-, Er, I thought it¡¯d be interesting, Professor Haul,¡± The student answered.
¡°Why did you think so?¡± Professor Haul asked.
¡°Because it¡¯s about magic we can¡¯t explain, right? How can that not be interesting?¡± The student answered.
¡°How boring,¡± Professor Haul muttered and turned to Adion further in the back, ¡°You! Why did you choose this class?¡±
Did he forget?
¡°You said you would come find me if I didn¡¯t take it, Professor Haul,¡± Adion said in a serious voice. A few of the other students laughed at his response.
¡°I did? Oh, right, it¡¯s you,¡± Professor Haul seemed to remember him. ¡°Fair enough,¡± Professor Haul said with a nod. He then turned to Sell and asked, ¡°How about your girlfriend?¡±
¡°I-¡± Sell was a little stumped at the way he addressed her. ¡°Er, It¡¯s not like that,¡± Sell began explaining with a slight blush but was interrupted by Professor Haul.
¡°Oh, forget it,¡± Professor Haul waved her off, ¡°I forget that you¡¯re all children. 10 credits deducted from you, young miss, for failing to answer a simple question.¡±
Professor Haul started limping to the blackboard but stopped after a few steps and turned to look at Adion with a grin. ¡°And 10 credits to the young man for snagging a princess.¡±
This old man¡
Adion didn¡¯t know what to say, so he only gave the Professor an awkward smile. He glanced at Sell and saw that she was looking down at some papers, trying to hide her blush.
The other students in the classroom looked at them, and most had amused smiles on their faces.
I hope this isn¡¯t spread around. Please, just a few weeks without any trouble coming for me.
¡°Now,¡± Professor Haul said, ¡°Let¡¯s begin with what I meant when I named this class. Inexplicable magic is simply a term I made up to describe all the kinds of magic that elude us. Not the usual spells or conjuring of elements, but the mysterious forms of magic that I¡¯m sure brought you here. I¡¯m talking about Gifts, Words of Truth, Oaths, you name it. It¡¯s all different from the magic most of us know.
¡°If I am being blunt, they don¡¯t make any sense. We all know about the Theory of Treaded Paths. It is the most widely known theory out there; even children of non-mages get it explained to them. It is usually explained simply by saying that the world likes to do things as it always has done.
¡°But that is not entirely accurate, not just the world, not just mana, everything. Everything in existence prefers to follow the path that is already treaded. That is why a common spell used by millions is so much easier to learn than the restrictive spells of Nobles. That is why we can read the words of people from 100,000 years ago and still understand them. Perhaps, it is even why the Phoenix is reborn.
¡°All of this is obvious to anyone who has studied the topic. But it does beg the question, what is the deal with Gifts? With Words of Truth? These forms of magic seem to not follow the Theory of Treaded Paths as we understand it. Adion, right?¡±
Adion was a little stumped at being called out all of a sudden. ¡°Er, yeah,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°I believe most of you know of his Gift since it made quite the spectacle along with his Silver strength,¡± Professor Haul stated, ¡°Adion¡¯s Gift is strange. Just like almost any other Gift, it is different from the elemental magic we usually think of when we hear the word ¡®magic.¡¯ And it is also different from other Gifts. So how can he do it? How does he break the Theory of Treaded Paths?¡±
Professor Haul looked at the students silently for a while. ¡°That was a question. You¡¯re meant to answer it.¡±
¡°He doesn¡¯t break it,¡± A girl in her fifth year said with a raised hand, ¡°It is known that Gifted all come to receive their Gift at a highly intense and often life-threatening moment. I believe that made it possible to ¡®tread¡¯ a new path all at once. Instead of thousands of people slowly making a path with a new spell, given the right circumstances, someone can do it all on their own in just a moment.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Professor Haul nodded, ¡°20 credits. But can you answer why, then, no one else can learn their Gifts after this path is treaded? If it works like you explained, shouldn¡¯t we all be able to do what Adion does easily now that is already being used so much?¡±
¡°That¡¡± The girl hesitated for a moment, ¡°Perhaps the path closed straight after it was trodden?¡±
¡°Well, anything is possible,¡± Professor Haul said, ¡°But that explanation doesn¡¯t get us anywhere. So we might as well leave it for now. Any other ideas?¡±
¡°Perhaps the Theory of Treaded Paths is wrong? Or at least incomplete?¡± Another student suggested.
¡°I am open to everything. But the arguments for the Theory of Treaded Paths are a lot more convincing than anything against it. Find some proof for your theory, and I¡¯ll listen. But as it is now, we will assume that the Theory is correct. So how do we explain Gifts?¡±
No one answered this time. So, after waiting for a while, Professor Haul made his way back to the blackboard and started drawing. He drew two straight lines. The one to the left, he left clear, but the one to the right, he started crisscrossing other lines all over.
¡°I will tell you my thoughts, I suppose. These lines that I¡¯ve drawn are all paths. Imagine that the leftmost one represents a fireball, perhaps the easiest of spells. And this line over here is Adion¡¯s Gift.¡±
Professor Haul pointed to the cluttered line that represented Adion¡¯s Gift.
¡°There is a path for his Gift, but it is hidden. Hidden very deeply. Adion has, in a moment of desperation, managed to find that path, and now it appears as clear as the path of the fire ball to him. But for the rest of us, we can only see the path of the fireball clearly, while the Gift¡¯s path escapes us.
¡°There is a path there. Something perhaps used plenty long ago, during the Ages of the past. But to get there, you must pass a certain hurdle. Only then will it become clear.
¡°This is only one theory, of course, and one with holes in it. Another theory is that Adion created the path through sheer brute Will. Another is that Ganta, the world itself, saw him as worthy of receiving this power. There are plenty more, and we will discuss many of them in this class going forward.
¡°We will also look at Words of Truth and see how we can compare it to Gifts. Where are they alike, and where are they different? We will discuss why Oaths work, even for non-mages. And plenty more of the unexplained.¡±
Professor Haul looked at the students for a second. Then, with a small smile, he said, ¡°If you are looking for answers, I¡¯m afraid this is the wrong class for you. Here, you will only have more and more questions.
¡°Now, let¡¯s go through the faelin and their strange magic. Some of you might have heard about it already but listen up as you could learn something too. Hopefully, we¡¯ll have time to discuss the fae before it¡¯s time to end.¡± Professor Haul then began giving a brief history of the faelin and Words of Truth.
Adion couldn¡¯t help but glance toward Sell as Professor Haul talked, as he never once mentioned a race other than the faelin accomplishing what Sell had.
Why is it that she was able to grasp Words of Truth? And at such a young age at that? Is there some explanation, or is it all just a happy coincidence?
The class went on for a long time, and Adion had to agree with Professor Haul¡¯s words at the beginning of the class.
He had more questions than ever before.
Chapter 126 - Vermon
Hmm? Was that it?
Vermon opened his eyes and studied the large structure in front of him carefully.
Just my imagination, perhaps. I¡¯ve been down here for days now.
Vermin shook his head and got up on his feet. He approached the artifact, if it could even be called that, and laid his hand on it.
Even if something is about to happen, it will most likely take time. What happened in the Remori manor is different from here, and nothing seems to have come of it.
Vermon had heard reports about the formation below the Remori manor that was now under the Valis Royal family¡¯s control. He had even been curious enough to take a look himself once he realized that it was the first time Heavenly Light showed themselves so openly on Shiora.
And he was not disappointed. It was a teleportation formation. Not that anyone else recognized it as such. He doubted even Heavenly Light would have been able to figure anything out without someone more powerful from Quemer coming over to look at it.
But even if a teleportation formation was marvelous, it didn¡¯t interest Vermon very much. There was a teleportation not far from the room he was currently in, after all. The Sages of Pollonti had immediately figured out what it was when they made landfall here, as there was one in the Tower of Sages as well, and they had long ago figured out its use.
Unfortunately, no one knew how to make it work. Even after all this time.
It was one of the things Vermon spent most of his time with when he first discovered the secrets beneath the Tower of Cyalis. He would only attend the most crucial matters during his first years as a Headmaster, spending the rest of his time down in the Cellar, trying to figure out the damn formation.
But he was unsuccessful, just like the ones before him. He had almost forgotten about it when he got the news of the Remori family, sparking some curiosity in him once again.
Arlen reported that the formation was lighting up faster and faster during his years there, seemingly approaching some sort of climax. The Heavenly Light members that the Valis family got their hands on supported the story of some strange mana coming from it.
But why did it all suddenly stop? Did it reach its climax? What happened?
Vermin rubbed his chin in thought.
It was about the same time that the Fire Phoenix returned. But surely the two can¡¯t be connected. Unless it¡¯s not a teleportation formation.
Vermin once again looked deeply at the structure in front of him, trying to feel something.
No, that was definitely a teleportation formation. And I doubt that even the gods of the past would create two of these things.
Vermin couldn¡¯t help but shudder slightly as he once again read the words of warning engraved on the wall.
Enough of this. I¡¯ve been here too long, and even if I notice something amiss, I might not be able to determine if it¡¯s real or just my own imagination.
Vermon pulled his hand away from the cold metal and started walking toward the stairs at the end of the cavern.
Perhaps that Remori kid knows something. He was there at the time, right? Wait.
Vermon stopped with one foot still in the air.
Didn¡¯t Lukas say something about him? What was it? He was Gifted, yes. He was even a sparkless, yes. There was something else¡Right! He was thought dead. His family didn¡¯t meet him until just a few days ago. But that doesn¡¯t make any sense. Who would stay away from their family after something like that?
I should look into where he was during those years.
Vermon finally put his foot down and resumed his walk. He couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly. He had been a lot more curious lately. Something he was happy about. It was always a pride for him to live up to his name. Not the one most people knew him by, the one his father gave him, but the one given to him by his Kuwamin mother.
Maybe I should head out to the Endless Forrest. It¡¯s been a while since I went on an adventure.
Vermon reached the stairs and started his long climb up.
But first, I suppose I should prepare someone to be in charge while I¡¯m gone. Maybe Dersum could do it. He is a little too involved in Iitha¡¯s politics to be counted on as impartial, though. But it could work if it¡¯s only for a while.
Vermon reached the top of the stairs and went up to the large metal door. Runes were running through them in a complicated pattern that only a few in the Academy could decipher. Vermon was one of them.
He pulled out a runic device from his robes, a thin metal plate with runic inscriptions, and put it against a plate next to the large door. He infused it with his water mana, and the doors slowly opened.
¡°Headmaster,¡± The two guards stationed outside bowed at him as he stepped outside.
¡°Good work,¡± Vermon nodded at the two before making sure the thick metal door closed properly behind him.
¡°Any news?¡± Vermon asked the two guards.
¡°There have indeed been some incidents that may concern you since you entered the Cellar,¡± One of the guards, Losten, answered.
¡°Oh? What then?¡± Vermon asked.
¡°We have both been here all this time, so I¡¯m not sure of all the details, but Dean Lukas has asked for you many times during the past week. I believe he is waiting for you in your public office at the moment,¡± Losten said with a straight face.
¡°Why would he wait for me there?¡± Vermon questioned. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t know I was coming out now.¡±
¡°He has come there to wait for the past three days,¡± Losten answered, ¡°He probably wants to make sure he can talk to you as soon as you¡¯re available.¡±
¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to give him some of my time then,¡± Vermon said. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the Cellar to you.¡±
¡°Of course, Headmaster,¡± Losten said, bowing low.
Vermon started walking toward his public office. A place he never spent any time in. It was only used to meet important people he didn¡¯t want snooping around his private office.
It can¡¯t be too serious. If it were an emergency, he would have used the touban.
It didn¡¯t take long before Vermon arrived at his office. Lukas was sitting on a couch for guests, doing some paperwork, when Vermon walked inside.
¡°Headmaster,¡± Lukas got up and bowed to Vermon when he noticed him.
¡°Lukas, what¡¯s the matter? I hear there is news?¡± Vermon questioned.
¡°Indeed,¡± Lukas nodded with a serious expression. ¡°Adion Remori revealed himself to be a Silver mage on the first day of the tournament.¡±
Vermon stopped midstep and turned his head to look at Lukas.
A Silver mage?
¡°I suppose that¡¯s as close as I¡¯ll ever get to seeing you surprised,¡± Lukas said with a small smile.
¡°How?¡± Vermon asked.
¡°He says it¡¯s simply because he is talented and has worked hard, but I doubt it,¡± Lukas answered.
¡°He¡¯s lying?¡± Vermon asked.
¡°It¡¯s hard to tell,¡± Lukas said with an awkward expression.
¡°What do you mean it¡¯s hard to tell?¡± Vermon asked with narrowed eyes.
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¡°His aura control is quite spectacular, Headmaster,¡± Lukas said. ¡°I find it difficult to see through it. It¡¯s shameful to admit, but not Professor Haul, Professor Calamani, nor I could see through him hiding his strength during his admission. We never thought to look, of course. Something I should have done. I take full responsibility.¡±
¡°Not even I would check to see if a 17-year-old middle Bronze mage was hiding his strength,¡± Vermon muttered. ¡°But even when you check? It¡¯s hard to see through?¡±
¡°He doesn¡¯t hide his strength anymore, but I believe I wouldn¡¯t have an easy time noticing anything with how hard it is for me to see through his intentions,¡± Lukas answered.
¡°Impressive,¡± Vermon muttered, ¡°But such an aura control is not unheard of. It is strange for it to belong to somehow with such strength, however. How did he have the time to focus on both?¡±
¡°I would like to know that too,¡± Lukas said with a chuckle.
Vermon could understand his curiosity. Lukas had spent most of his short life focusing on advancing. To great results. But his aura control had lagged behind, and it was likely that it would hold him back from advancing to the Soul stages for a while.
¡°So you didn¡¯t press him on it?¡± Vermon guessed.
¡°I didn¡¯t see the point of rushing. He is going to be with us for at least five years, and his family is about to join Cyalis. No need to pressure him too much and make him uncomfortable with talking to me,¡± Lukas answered.
Vermon smiled at the response, ¡°I really chose my dean well, didn¡¯t I?¡±
Not only does he have ridiculous strength at his young age, but he is as patient as an old Sage. I should take some more of my time to teach him. If I can leave the Academy to him, I wouldn¡¯t have any worries.
Lukas tried to suppress a beaming smile from forming, to little success. ¡°Thank you, Headmaster.¡±
¡°Alright, alright,¡± Vermon waved the matter off. ¡°So, I can assume it caused some commotion? We have never even had a peak Bronze mage join the Academy before, after all.¡±
¡°I did become quite the talking point,¡± Lukas nodded, ¡°The reason I¡¯m searching for you is that Elder Kilth tried to pressure Adion to join the Shields. Adion refused for some reason, and now every professor and faculty member connected to the Shields or Elder Kilth are doing everything they can to make Adion¡¯s life miserable.¡±
¡°Are they breaking the rules?¡± Vermon asked.
¡°Not outright,¡± Lukas said, ¡°But the situation is rather unique. The current rules seem quite inefficient.¡±
¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t seem serious enough for me to call the Council together. I¡¯ll leave it for you to handle as you see fit,¡± Vermon said. ¡°But you already knew that. So why are you here?¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about Adion? He is Gifted, a Silver mage at the age of 17, and was even born sparkless. Surely a little help from you could go a long way in getting close to him,¡± Lukas said.
¡°I am indeed curious,¡± Vermon nodded, ¡°But I can just ask him about it. At the end of the day, he is still a Silver mage kid. I¡¯m not going to start fighting with Dersum over something so small.¡±
¡°I thought as much,¡± Lukas said with a sigh, ¡°Remember when you asked me to be the dean, and I refused?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Vermon nodded.
¡°Well, I¡¯d like you to forget about what I asked in return and instead help Adion from Elder Kilth¡¯s harassment,¡± Lukas said resolutely.
What?
Vermon looked deeply at Lukas, and he could see that he was serious.
¡°Why? You know this will all blow over eventually. Dersum won¡¯t continue like this forever. If we just give him some face and let him flaunt his power, he will soon calm down and forget about it,¡± Vermon said.
¡°Well, Adion doesn¡¯t see it like that. He is close to leaving the Academy,¡± Lukas said.
¡°Hah!¡± Vermon let out a laugh, ¡°No, he¡¯s not. Did he tell you that? He¡¯s bluffing.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Lukas said, ¡°But he is also just a kid. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising for him to make a rash decision like this.¡±
¡°I doubt it,¡± Vermon murmured.
¡°Still. Will you do it?¡± Lukas asked.
¡°Are you sure?¡± Vermon asked, ¡°It¡¯s not even a decade left until you¡¯ve done your part of the deal. Are you willing to give up on it now? You¡¯ve been obsessed with learning about the Cellar ever since you first got here.¡±
Lukas smiled calmly, ¡°I still am. But I will find out when I become the next Headmaster either way. This way, I don¡¯t have anything to fall back on. Maybe that¡¯s the kick I need so I can get on with my advancement.¡±
This kid. When did he grow up so much?
¡°I guess I have no choice but to accept your request then,¡± Vermon said with a smile.
¡°Thank you, Headmaster,¡± Lukas said with a bow.
¡°By the way, Lukas,¡± Vermon said, ¡°Adion. What was he doing between the attack on the Remori manor and admission? Where was he?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know all the details,¡± Lukas said hesitantly, ¡°But from what I¡¯ve heard, he spent a lot of time in the Outskirts of the Delovan Empire. At least he seems to have been there 2 years ago, at the same time as Sellitha Amyss. The two seem very close.¡±
The Delovan Empire? How did he end up there? Is it possible¡
Vermon continued asking Lukas about all the details he knew about Adion. Slowly, a picture was formed in Vermon¡¯s mind that made him more curious than he had been for a very long time.
¡°You¡¯ll have to fill me in on the other news later,¡± Vermon said as he got up and headed to the door, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a look at that boy and see what¡¯s special about him.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll just stick around here for the time being,¡± Lukas said.
Vermon headed straight for the private fighting pits. He knew from Lukas that Adion should be there, training together with the Amyss princess.
Did he actually make use of the teleportation formation? How? And where did he end up?
Vermon dispersed his aura as he got outside, making sure that even Hard Soul mages would have a hard time feeling his presence. He conjured some water from his core and some light from the pure mana around him, forming a sphere around him that would make him practically invisible. A mixture of concepts he had worked on ever since he got the idea while studying in Pollonti hundreds of years ago.
I won¡¯t be as easily fooled as Lukas. Let¡¯s have a talk and see exactly what you¡¯re hiding.
Vermon reached the arena and the surrounding fighting pits after only 3 minutes of running. He might look old, but his body was powerful, and he had perfect control over it. None of the students or professors spotted him as he ran past them.
There is the aura of a young Silver mage and an equally young high Bronze mage.
Vermon couldn¡¯t see through the walls, but he could feel the auras from afar and started making his way over. He spotted a blonde girl looking toward the fighting pit from afar with an uneasy expression.
Started a fan club already? I guess it makes sense.
As Vermon got closer, he couldn¡¯t help but pause slightly. The auras of Adion and Sellitha were changing places.
How are they moving around so quickly? I can¡¯t feel them moving. They are changing places from one moment to the next. What¡¯s going on?
Vermon hurried his steps and jumped atop the walls of the fighting pit to take a look. But as his head crested the walls, what he saw almost caused a shiver to run down his spine.
Adion was staring right at him.
How could he possibly feel my presence? Is his aura sense that strong? But that¡¯s impossible!
Vermon slowly climbed the wall and started walking around it. Adion¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t follow him. But Vermon could tell. Adion knew where he was.
He is ignoring me. But I can feel it when I¡¯m being observed.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sellitha asked down below.
¡°Nothing,¡± Adion shook his head with a comforting smile.
¡°Then let¡¯s continue te-¡± Sellitha didn¡¯t get to continue speaking as Adion put his hand over his mouth.
How very subtle. What was she about to say?
¡°So, want to show yourself?¡± Adion asked, ending the charade. He grabbed Sellitha and pulled her to stand behind him.
She seems used to his touch. I guess Lukas was right about them. Foolish children.
Vermon didn¡¯t immediately reveal himself. He examined Adion¡¯s aura carefully.
He really is a Silver mage. And¡what? He is hiding his element? Why would he hide his element?
Vermon carefully examined deeper, digging into Adion¡¯s aura.
He isn¡¯t a fire mage, but¡what is he?
¡°Maybe we should run and call for someone?¡± Sellitha suggested in a low voice.
¡°No need for that,¡± Vermon said as he finally revealed himself. He looked down at Adion with an intrigued smile.
¡°Headmaster?¡± Sellitha asked in surprise.
Adion just looked at him with an expressionless face. He bowed to him in respect along with Sellitha, though.
¡°I heard from Lukas that you were having some trouble lately,¡± Vermon said, ¡°I thought I¡¯d come to take a look at you. I didn¡¯t expect to get caught.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s it,¡± Adion nodded in understanding, ¡°I thought I heard something.¡±
Vermon still had his senses focused on him, so he could feel the fluctuations of deceit as Adion uttered those words.
Interesting. I can see how Lukas was duped by his aura control.
I should learn from Lukas and not rush things.
¡°I¡¯ll call for you to come see me tomorrow,¡± Vermon said, ¡°We can talk about how we will resolve the matter then.¡±
¡°Thank you for your help, Headmaster,¡± Adion said with a bow.
I never thought I¡¯d get so many surprises. I¡¯ll have to think about how to approach this.
Vermon stepped off the walls to the fighting pit and started heading back.
Seems like the most mysterious thing about this Academy isn¡¯t hidden away in the Cellar.
Chapter 127 - The Headmaster I
¡°Perhaps the Fire Phoenix Empire and Hellemi Theocracy have reached a level where the Sages of Pollonti aren¡¯t as scary as they used to be, but they are still very influential. Pollonti is still the most powerful Empire by quite a bit, after all, and everyone respects their knowledge and contribution to getting us out of the Age of Darkness,¡± Professor Tenami answered a student¡¯s question patiently.
¡°I heard there is a famous academy there as well, does it have the same status as Cyalis Academy has on Shiora?¡± The same students asked.
¡°There is an academy there much grander than Cyalis Academy,¡± Professor Tenami nodded, ¡°But it is slightly different. And the other powers of Quemer all have numerous academies of their own that can at least compete slightly with Sage Academy. Quite different from the other academies here on Shiora, but that is to be expected. The Empires and Kingdoms of Quemer are a lot older.¡±
¡°Are the mages there a lot more powerful?¡± Another student asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Professor Tenami nodded, ¡°But the peak is still Pure Soul mage as far as I know. They just have more mages with that kind of strength.¡±
Professor Tenami clapped her hands and looked out of the rest of the students, ¡°We will end it there for today. I will see you all next week. Don¡¯t forget to study the books I¡¯ve mentioned in your free time.¡±
With that, all the students got up from their seats. Adion was seated next to Sell as usual, so they headed out together.
¡°Do you want to grab something to eat?¡± Adion asked her.
¡°Sure,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°But do you have the time? Maybe the Headmaster will call to see you?¡±
¡°He¡¯ll call me when he calls me,¡± Adion said with a shrug, ¡°I¡¯ll just carry on as usual until then.¡±
He had said it casually, but the truth was that he was quite nervous.
When he found out that he would receive some help from the Headmaster, he never expected he would be approached by him in person.
Adion knew that with this meeting, most of his secrets would be revealed. If they weren¡¯t already.
I¡¯ll just have to make sure I can get something out of it. If someone is to realize that I¡¯m not a fire mage, it might as well be the Headmaster. If he stands by my side, I won¡¯t have to worry about anything going forward. It will be worth it to reveal my space element for that.
I just don¡¯t know what his intentions could be. I doubt he is part of Heavenly Light, as they would have no trouble taking over Shiora if that was the case. But he could be allied to other powers I know nothing about.
Adion had tried looking up as much about the Headmaster as he could ever since he appeared in front of him the day before. But he wasn¡¯t able to find anything useful in such a short amount of time.
I¡¯ll just have to go with my gut. If I feel like I can trust him, I¡¯ll reveal my space element to gain his trust and support. If I feel like he is a bad person¡I¡¯ll have to think of something.
Adion let out a sigh. The truth was, if the Headmaster wanted to find something out, there was nothing Adion could do to stop it. There was no higher power to turn to. He could not only threaten Adion, but he could also threaten Sell and his family. Adion would have no choice but to comply.
Let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯t come to that. If it does. I¡¯ll just have to obey until I¡¯m strong enough to take revenge.
¡°Adion,¡± Relmon grabbed his attention, ¡°Are you sure you have a handle on the situation? It¡¯s been almost a week since you said everything would go away.¡±
¡°It will be fine after today,¡± Adion assured.
¡°Are really meeting with the Headmaster about it?¡± Felicia asked, ¡°I doubt he¡¯ll get involved.¡±
¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll see after today,¡± Adion said.
By now, everyone was well aware that Adion had managed to anger Elder Kilth. Plenty of people in his class seemed pleased with the situation, as it gave them confidence that Adion wouldn¡¯t grow stronger for much longer. But there were also people who seemed genuinely worried about him, such as Relmon and Felicia, which made Adion see them in a slightly better light than before.
¡°Why don¡¯t you join us for lunch?¡± Adion suggested.
¡°Really?¡± Felicia asked, surprised.
¡°You¡¯re the one suggesting it?¡± Relmon questioned.
¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Adion muttered. He just thought he should ease it on always trying to be alone with Sell. He did prefer it that way, but it would be too rude to continue declining people¡¯s attempts at friendship.
Adion had to admit that he had pretty much been ignoring everyone but his family and Sell ever since he got to the Academy. He found Felicia and Relmon tolerable on a good day, annoying on most.
Through no fault of theirs, really. He felt the same way towards his dormmates and every other acquaintance he had made so far. He just had too many secrets and troubles that he couldn¡¯t let them in on. That made it difficult to see them as friends. And unlike the situation with Benji, Sahra, Rufus, and Lomin; Adion wasn¡¯t in need of a comforting ear willing to listen. He had his family and Sell already.
But he didn¡¯t want to push people away more than necessary. He also didn¡¯t want to pull Sell away from her friends all the time. Even though Sell told him that Felicia annoyed her, Adion believed she actually liked her.
Besides, we can¡¯t do anything more than talk at lunch. As long as me and Sell continue to practice just the two of us, I¡¯ll be happy.
¡°Of course, we want to join you for lunch,¡± Felicia said, ¡°I just didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be willing to let go of your dear Sell without a fight.¡±
¡°Will you cut it out, Felicia,¡± Sell muttered unhappily.
¡°So sensitive,¡± Felicia muttered, rolling her eyes.
Just as they began climbing down the stairs from the floor where the history class was held, a Diamond mage in scholarly clothes approached Adion from below.
¡°The Headmaster wants to see you,¡± The old man said in a neutral voice.
¡°Oh, right,¡± Adion nodded. He had expected something like this to happen, so he wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°Lead the way.¡±
¡°You knew you wouldn¡¯t be able to have lunch with Sell all along, didn¡¯t you?¡± Felicia questioned.
¡°I admit it turned out well,¡± Adion said with a smile.
¡°Good luck, Adion,¡± Sell said, clenching her fists.
¡°It¡¯ll all work out,¡± Adion said with a reassuring smile.
He separated from the group and followed the Diamond mage outside, where a carriage was waiting to take him to the Old Academy.
Adion stepped inside the carriage and closed his eyes. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down.
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There is nothing to worry about. Whatever happens, happens.
The carriage continued driving through the gates to the Old Academy and didn¡¯t stop until it arrived in front of the Tower of Cyalis.
I wonder how tall it is? Adion thought as he stepped out of the carriage and looked up. It was the first time he was so close to it.
¡°Follow me,¡± The old Diamond mage said. He then turned around towards the entrance of the tower and started walking. Adion followed close behind.
They were not stopped by any of the guards at the entrance, and Adion soon found himself climbing a long spiraling staircase.
How high up are we going?
It took them almost 10 minutes to reach what assumed was close to the top floor. He thought himself as someone in quite good shape, but he was breathing pretty heavily as he took the final step.
How is that old man not exhausted? Is a Diamond mage¡¯s body so different?
Adion wasn¡¯t given any time to rest, however. The old man continued walking without stopping, and Adion had no choice but to follow.
It didn¡¯t take long before they reached a wooden door on metal hinges. No one was standing guard outside, and the door was slightly ajar. But Adion knew that this should be the Headmaster¡¯s office, as he could feel a powerful aura inside.
¡°Go ahead,¡± The old man said, nodding to the door, ¡°The Headmaster is waiting for you.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion bowed slightly to the old Diamond mage and headed inside.
The office was not very large. It was about the size of Adion¡¯s and his roommates¡¯ shared dorm room. The walls were covered with pieces of art, very expensive art if Adion had to guess. There were also several bookcases filled to the brim with books that Adion felt a great urge to read through.
Behind a large wooden desk at the far end of the office, Adion saw the Headmaster. He was standing up, facing away from Adion, looking out through the wide window that gave a magnificent overview of the Melorian Bay.
¡°Why didn¡¯t you join the Shields?¡± The Headmaster asked of all things, still looking out the window.
¡°I don¡¯t have a very good impression of them, Headmaster,¡± Adion answered honestly.
¡°Is it because Termeth Hesfym is the current leader?¡± The Headmaster turned around and asked, looking at Adion curiously.
That Hesfym guy is part of the Shields?
¡°I didn¡¯t even know he was a part of them,¡± Adion muttered, ¡°Now I¡¯m really glad I didn¡¯t join.¡±
¡°You¡¯re quite honest,¡± The Headmaster remarked with an amused smile.
¡°I don¡¯t think I stand a chance in fooling you, Headmaster,¡± Adion said, ¡°So I don¡¯t see the point in lying.¡±
¡°There is a pretty wide margin between lying and telling the truth, you know,¡± The Headmaster said, his smile getting wider.
¡°I suppose that¡¯s true,¡± Adion nodded.
They both turned quiet for a moment. Adion¡¯s eyes unconsciously wandered to a globe he saw was placed on the Headmaster¡¯s desk.
The Headmaster noticed and commented, ¡°A Bersoni globe. Ever seen one of those before?¡±
¡°No,¡± Adion shook his head and looked to the Headmaster curiously.
¡°It¡¯s a replica of our world, of Ganta,¡± The Headmaster answered with a small smile.
¡°I knew the world was round, but I didn¡¯t think we even had Shiora mapped out yet. Someone actually mapped out the entire world?¡± Adion couldn¡¯t help but ask.
¡°Hehe,¡± The Headmaster chuckled, ¡°Of course not. Even though we have a better grasp on Shiora than you might believe, we are far from knowing the entirety of Ganta. Come, take a look.¡±
On the Headmaster¡¯s beckoning, Adion walked closer and examined the globe. He only saw two small specks of land, covering only a tiny part of the globe. He recognized the shapes as Shiora and Quemer.
¡°So small?¡± Adion asked. ¡°Is everything else just water?¡±
¡°Everything else is a mystery,¡± The Headmaster corrected, ¡°The water is just painted on there as we don¡¯t know what is actually there. But what¡¯s so amazing about the globe is the scale. Bersoni calculated the dimension of Ganta a long time ago, and to everyone¡¯s surprise, this is the result.¡±
¡°You mean there could be so many other continents out there? Just how many would be able to fit? Are you sure?¡± Adion asked.
¡°The math checks out,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°Perhaps Quemer and Shiora are the only landmasses there are. Perhaps there are countless others, but only we have sapi still living here. Perhaps the Age of Darkness never affected those places, and they are still in the golden Age of Wonder, thinking we are not worth the trip.¡±
¡°I doubt that,¡± Adion said. If there was any other society out there able to reach them, they would try. He didn¡¯t believe the location of the old Celestial Phoenix Sect could be ignored.
¡°I do too,¡± The Headmaster nodded. ¡°But anything is possible.¡±
I can¡¯t believe I never knew about this. It¡¯s an exciting thought to imagine what could be out there.
¡°Anyway,¡± The Headmaster interrupted Adion¡¯s musings, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a seat, Adion. We have a lot to talk about.¡±
¡°Alright. Thank you, Headmaster,¡± Adion said with a slight bow, realizing he had been a little too casual.
The Headmaster also took a seat by his desk, opposite Adion.
¡°How did you know I was there?¡± The Headmaster asked, staring intently at Adion.
Adion knew exactly what he was talking about despite the obscurity of the question.
¡°Do I have to answer that?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I know I wouldn¡¯t get away with lying. But would refusing to answer make you an enemy? I¡¯ll just tell you if that¡¯s the case. I have had enough of Soul mage enemies.¡±
The Headmaster looked at Adion in silence for a while, seemingly contemplating something.
¡°I¡¯m a curious person,¡± The Headmaster finally said, ¡°But I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m not that petty. You can refuse to answer.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Adion asked, slightly surprised.
¡°Really,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°But I would still advise you to answer and be honest with me. I have promised to resolve the matter with Elder Kilth, so I will. But he is not the only one with his eyes on you. There are many others in line to get their hands on you. And they could all cause trouble for you in the future if you refuse them like you did Elder Kilth.
¡°And you were lucky with him. I know you have a marvelous aura control. But no Soul mage of the Academy would have trouble seeing that you¡¯re not actually a fire mage. They would just have to be curious enough to take a look. And I think they will.¡±
So he already knows. I expected that. But he still doesn¡¯t know my element. I don¡¯t think anyone can figure that out.
¡°Once they figure that out. I don¡¯t have high hopes that you will get away with refusing to answer. Perhaps it will even spread beyond the Academy. I don¡¯t know when, but things will definitely spiral out of control for you long before you are strong enough to deal with it.
¡°So, you can either take your chances and deal with the consequences when things turn for the worse. Or you can choose to tell me. Might as well. I already know quite a lot, after all. I don¡¯t mean that as a threat, it¡¯s just the reality of the situation. And it¡¯s not like I wish you harm. You doing well will only be a good thing for me.¡±
He¡¯s right. It will just be a matter of time before some Soul mage ready to do whatever it takes to find out my secrets find out about me. It might take months, or even years. But with the way things have been going, I don¡¯t have much confidence I¡¯ll be able to keep my secrets for very long if I don¡¯t do anything.
And he does seem pretty genuine. A lot better than Elder Kilth.
But I would like to get something in return.
¡°So are you saying you will protect me from all of those problems if I tell you my element?¡± Adion asked.
The Headmaster smiled amusedly at Adion, ¡°Clever. Not just your unknown element of course. I believe you hide a lot more than that. But we can take things slow. I know the feeling of someone trying to pressure you to spill all of your secrets.
¡°If you answer my questions today, I promise no one else will bother you as long as you are a student here.¡±
How much is he going to ask? I am prepared to reveal a lot. But my pills can never be revealed. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever trust the Headmaster with something like that.
I would also prefer not to reveal the existence of the Celestial Phoenix Sect. I still plan on going there in the future and see what else could be left behind.
I''ll just have to do my best to control the conversation somewhat.
¡°I will choose to trust you then,¡± Adion said with resolution, ¡°What do you want to know?¡±
Chapter 128 - The Headmaster II
The Headmaster smiled in satisfaction at Adion¡¯s response and asked, ¡°Did you manage to teleport using the teleportation formation in the Remori manor?¡±
¡°I did,¡± Adion nodded. He noticed a spark of curiosity appear in the Headmaster¡¯s eyes.
¡°But I didn¡¯t do anything to make it happen,¡± Adion continued, ¡°The formation had been acting up for years. I just happened to be there at a point where I guess it got enough mana to function.¡±
¡°As I thought,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°And you ended up in the Delovan Empire? Where exactly?¡±
¡°I arrived on a teleportation formation in a cavern much like the one in the Remori manor. It was located somewhere in the Endless Forest. I don¡¯t know where exactly. After spending years training there, I finally decided to leave when I became a Bronze mage. When I got back to civilization, I was in the far south of the Delovan Empire,¡± Adion answered.
¡°So that¡¯s it,¡± The Headmaster nodded. ¡°Pretty impressive. To make such a journey and make it back in one piece. I can now see a little how you managed to reach the Silver stage at such a young age. Your Will must have been tempered greatly.¡±
¡°I think that¡¯s a large part of why I haven¡¯t encountered any bottlenecks so far,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°But how come you have such a good aura control?¡± The Headmaster asked.
I guess there is not really any use in keeping that a secret.
¡°I was lucky enough to befriend a Silver stage beast during my time in the Endless Forest,¡± Adion answered, ¡°I then got to meet his leader, a Soul beast. I asked to be trained in aura, and he agreed to teach me for a year.¡±
¡°Now that I would never have guessed,¡± The Headmaster said with a wide smile. ¡°Haha, this is fun. What kind of Soul beast was it? Tell me about your training.¡±
The Headmaster got up from his seat and went to pour himself and Adion a drink as Adion began describing Fellion and how he was trained by him.
¡°You¡¯re like some character out of a story, aren¡¯t you?¡± The Headmaster said, shaking his head. ¡°I suppose that explains some of it. You must have an insane amount of talent for aura control, though. And worked on it constantly. How could you reach Silver while doing that at the same time?¡±
¡°I managed to get my hands on some Merillian Soul Peaches. Those helped quite a lot,¡± Adion answered.
¡°How did you ¡®get your hands on¡¯ something like Merillian Soul Peaches?¡± The Headmaster questioned with a raised eyebrow.
¡°I stole them from the Derolm family during an expedition I was part of in the Outskirts of the Delovan Empire,¡± Adion confessed.
¡°Admitting to crimes now?¡± The Headmaster asked with an amused smile, ¡°I seem to have gotten you to really open up.¡±
¡°I imagine you would have been able to figure out where they came from eventually either way,¡± Adion replied with a smile of his own.
¡°How did you do it?¡± The Headmaster asked curiously, taking a sip of his drink.
¡°I did it using my unique powers¡¡± Adion said hesitantly, ¡°You still haven¡¯t asked me about my element, Headmaster. Are you planning on letting me keep that secret?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not that generous,¡± The Headmaster said with a grin, ¡°A part of me was just hoping to be able to figure it out myself. But I don¡¯t think I can hold in my curiosity any longer. So tell me, Adion. What is your element?¡±
Adion paused slightly. This was the first time he was revealing this secret to anyone in this way. And if he was wrong about the Headmaster, he could be in trouble. No one hearing about his space element would leave him alone in the future.
I have no choice. At least this might be able to keep others from finding out. As long as Heavenly Light remains unaware of my abilities, everything is fine. It¡¯s just too bad I didn¡¯t get the chance to teleport around a little first, seeing if I could get into the Ruins unnoticed.
¡°I have a space core,¡± Adion answered.
¡°A what?¡± The Headmaster questioned with furrowed brows.
¡°A space core. I can control space,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to apologize for fooling the Academy, but I¡¯m not actually Gifted. It¡¯s just me making use of space mana.¡±
¡°Space¡¡± The Headmaster murmured, looking to the ceiling in a daze. ¡°I see. Now it makes sense. The formation works on space mana, doesn¡¯t it? That was how you were able to form your core.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Adion nodded. ¡°Have you heard of the space element before?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve heard it all before,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°There are records of all kinds of elements we don¡¯t see anyone able to form a core of today. How much is myth, and how much is truth? I don¡¯t know. I did suspect that space mages were a thing in the distant past, if rare. But this confirms it.¡±
The Headmaster stood up from his seat and went to look out the window again.
No one said anything for a few minutes. But eventually, the Headmaster turned to Adion and asked, ¡°You can teleport?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Adion nodded.
The Headmaster didn¡¯t show any expression of surprise and turned to look out the window again.
After a few more minutes of silence, the Headmaster turned to look at Adion once again. He conjured some water and controlled it to levitate in the air between them.
¡°You see this ball of water?¡± The Headmaster asked.
¡°Er, yes,¡± Adion nodded hesitantly.
¡°I can control it perfectly,¡± The Headmaster said, staring intently at the water, ¡°But ever so slowly, I can feel myself losing my grip. No matter what concepts I comprehend, it simply prolongs the inevitable. The world doesn¡¯t allow me to control it forever. A struggle that no matter how much I fight, the Will of the world always wins in the end.¡±
The Headmaster turned his eyes from the water to look deeply into Adion¡¯s eyes. ¡°So why is it that you are allowed it?¡±
¡°What?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Try to freeze me in space. Use your ¡®Gift¡¯,¡± The Headmaster instructed.
¡°It won¡¯t work on you,¡± Adion said. He had already tried freezing his grandfather in space once he reached the Soul stage, so Adion knew that it wouldn¡¯t work. His Will was simply so far below a Soul mage that he couldn¡¯t even take hold of the space surrounding them for even an instant. There was something like an inviolable cloud surrounding them.
¡°Try it,¡± The Headmaster urged.
Adion just did as asked. He felt how the space surrounding the Headmaster was impossible to control. But the space outside that cloud was free for Adion to grasp without resistance, so that¡¯s what he did. The Headmaster could still move in his cloud of space, though. And should he walk away from his position, the cloud around him would break Adion¡¯s grip on the surrounding space before he had a chance to freeze him.
The Headmaster looked around curiously as Adion froze the space around him.
¡°So that¡¯s what that was,¡± The Headmaster murmured.
Adion realized he was referencing the incident during the Headmaster¡¯s introduction speech.
¡°I just wanted to check how hard it would be to freeze the space around someone so powerful,¡± Adion explained with an awkward smile.
¡°You can stop,¡± The Headmaster said, ignoring Adion¡¯s response. ¡°Space has to be countless times more difficult to conjure than water. As such, you should be able to control it for a long time. That would explain your freezing of space and teleportation. Except it doesn¡¯t. Not really. How can you control such a large amount of space? No matter how much I think about it, it doesn¡¯t make sense. You could not conjure something like this in an instant.¡±
The Headmaster turned to look at Adion again and asked in almost a whisper, ¡°Authority?¡±
He knows about Authority? And he¡¯s using that word? I thought I made it up.
¡°I¡I always called this power Authority in my head, yes. It lets me control a certain amount of space without having to conjure it myself,¡± Adion responded.
¡°A certain amount?¡± The Headmaster questioned.
¡°Only about the size you just felt me have control over. I can¡¯t control any more space than that no matter how much I push my Will,¡± Adion responded, slightly curious about what the Headmaster knew about his ability, since he didn¡¯t know much himself.
¡°That¡¯s strange. How did you gain this ability, Adion?¡± The Headmaster asked, looking at Adion with a careful expression.
I have to try not to reveal the pill. If he knows about that one, he will surely ask if there were more.
¡°I was once in a branch of the Outskirts Guild, and someone insulted my dead mother. At that time, it was as if space was entirely in my control. The whole building and the street outside were frozen. And not even mages an entire stage above me could move an inch. Only after I killed the man and calmed down did this feeling of being all-powerful disappear. But somehow, I still retained some of the power, and that is being able to control the amount of space you see now. I never managed to replicate the feat, however, no matter how angry I¡¯ve gotten.¡± Adion explained.
¡°Amazing,¡± The Headmaster murmured, once again taking a seat opposite Adion. ¡°Just when I thought you had revealed all there was. Do you have any idea how powerful this ability is?¡±
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¡°I think I might know more than anyone. It has saved my life countless times,¡± Adion answered. ¡°But I don¡¯t really know anything about it. Do you, Headmaster?¡±
The Headmaster turned quiet, tapping his fingers on the desk and looking at the wall where some of his paintings were hanging.
¡°Do you know the defining factor that separates a Soul mage from an Immortal, Adion?¡± The Headmaster asked after a while.
¡°An Immortal?¡± Adion asked in disbelief.
¡°They are not actually Immortal,¡± The Headmaster explained, ¡°But they live a long time. And that is just the name that the stage above the Soul stages has been given for some reason.¡±
¡°These people exist?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Even now? People who have reached the stage above the Pure Soul stage?¡±
¡°They do,¡± The Headmaster slowly nodded, his eyes dimming slightly. ¡°And they got there by grasping the same power you have: Authority.¡±
This is a lot to take in. Does that mean I already have what it takes to reach that stage?
¡°But it¡¯s strange. Although my information is limited, my understanding of Authority differs from what you¡¯ve told me. You should only be able to have Authority over the element you conjure yourself. To have Authority over an element of the world¡that sounds like the power of gods.¡±
Gods? I have the power of gods?
¡°Of course, you seem to be limited by something. But still, you can imagine how surprised I am,¡± The Headmaster continued in a low voice. His eyes still weren¡¯t on Adion.
The room turned quiet once again. Adion¡¯s thoughts were all over the place.
The blood from the Celestial Phoenix must have let me borrow some of its power. I suppose it¡¯s not too surprising to hear that it¡¯s the power of gods. But how was I able to increase my Authority like that?
¡°I want you to become my disciple, Adion,¡± The Headmaster¡¯s sharp voice cut through Adion¡¯s thoughts. He was looking at Adion with a new sharp glint in his eyes.
¡°Your disciple?¡± Adion questioned, ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Several reasons,¡± The Headmaster said with a smile, seemingly more energetic all of a sudden. He got up from his chair once again and started walking around the room as he talked.
¡°First of all, you have frankly made me more curious than I have been in centuries. I can¡¯t help but be excited to see where you will go, and I wish to help you get there.
¡°I also believe your unique abilities can be used for a lot of interesting things. I already have several ideas in my head. If you could find a way to get a teleportation formation to work¡Anyway, there are many things I believe only you can do.
¡°And lastly, I want to get to the bottom of this Authority. I want to grasp this power too. I am very old, and perhaps it would be appropriate for me to accept that my time soon will come. But I can¡¯t do that. I want to see what lies beyond the Soul stages for myself. With you around, I believe that might become possible.¡±
A disciple to the Headmaster doesn¡¯t sound bad at all. No one would be able to make trouble with me going forward. But why does it sound like the Headmaster is getting the better part of the deal here?
He seems to be extremely curious about Authority. I am too, and it is not something I really need to hide from him. I could be quite open about what it lets me do. Perhaps he will end up realizing something about it and then teach it to me, allowing me to finally find a way to grasp more Authority for myself.
But he also wants my help in using my unique powers for various applications¡I don¡¯t have a problem with that. It actually sounds exciting. But I shouldn¡¯t make my help come free. This is my chance to gain something from a Pure Soul mage!
¡°Becoming your disciple would be an honor, Headmaster,¡± Adion said, bowing his head, ¡°But if I may be a little bold, I have some problems that I would greatly appreciate if you could help me with. Without those problems weighing on my mind, I believe I could give it all to our relationship, and get to the bottom of how a mage can gain Authority.¡±
The Headmaster looked at him with an amused smile. ¡°Hehe,¡± He chuckled, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s hear it. What¡¯s got my disciple so troubled?¡±
¡°First of all, Heavenly Light killed my family. I want them destroyed,¡± Adion said with a resolute expression.
¡°You want me to destroy Heavenly Light?¡± The Headmaster asked.
¡°No, I just need your help in bringing them down,¡± Adion clarified.
¡°I might carry a lot of influence on Shiora,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°But even I can¡¯t go around destroying organizations without cause. I¡¯m sure you are smart enough to realize the consequences if I started doing that.
¡°Besides, Heavenly Light have their origins on Quemer. It would be like me going against the Hellemi or Fire Phoenix Church. The top brass on Quemer would never allow me to live after something like that.¡±
Damn. I guess that¡¯s to be expected.
¡°But you will have the chance to grow strong under me without worrying about them,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare act against my disciple. I would be entirely justified to seek revenge if they did, and they know what lines not to cross.¡±
I guess that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll handle it myself once I¡¯m strong enough. If I can grow strong without worrying about them interfering, it¡¯s just a matter of time until I can knock on their door myself.
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°That makes sense. I¡¯ll handle it myself when I get strong enough. But there is one more thing that troubles me greatly. Something I can¡¯t handle myself because I have no way to grow strong enough in time.¡±
¡°And what would that be?¡± The Headmaster asked.
¡°I¡¯m sure you already know about me and Sellitha Amyss?¡± Adion asked with a small smile.
¡°Haaah,¡± The Headmaster sighed, ¡°I noticed your relationship was not that of just friends. And since then, I have heard some troubling rumors surrounding you two.¡±
¡°Rumors are just rumors,¡± Adion said, ¡°There are countless rumors in the Academy. Nothing can be proven. But once Sell and I graduate, I will need help so that the Amyss and Hesfym family can¡¯t forcibly take her away.¡±
¡°I can help you,¡± The Headmaster said with a nod.
Great!
¡°I can help you by convincing you that you need to put an end to whatever you have going with that girl,¡± The Headmaster finished.
Adion frowned at those words. ¡°Not going to happen. I¡¯m sorry, Headmaster, but I will fight that Hesfym guy myself if I have to. So if you don¡¯t want to have a dead disciple in five years, you will have to think of something.¡±
¡°Of all the girls in the world,¡± The Headmaster sighed, shaking his head, ¡°I¡¯m sure even the Imperial family of the Alago Empire would be happy to marry their daughter to you as my disciple. But you know Sellitha is already engaged to Termeth Hesfym. And it is the wish of both families that they marry. Not even I can get involved in that. They are two very powerful families. And Termeth Hesfym is a Pure Soul mage just like me, and he is a lot younger. There is a high chance he will be able to reach the Immortal stages.
¡°You have to forget about it. I can shield you from any trouble if you stop your relationship now. There are still only rumors, after all. But I¡¯ll have you know that these rumors will cause your death if I don¡¯t intervene. You have truly been reckless. Do you really think that the way you two have behaved so openly can be shrugged off as friendship? People aren¡¯t fools. Termeth Hesfym isn¡¯t a fool. And when he hears what¡¯s been going on with his fiance, I¡¯ll have to do a lot of appeasing to not have him come after you.
¡°End it with her. Focus your time here on getting stronger and exploring your abilities, so you can take your revenge in the future. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you managed to reach the Immortal stages yourself in the future, considering what you¡¯re already capable of. What would any of this matter then? Take it from someone who has lived to see¡Well, let¡¯s just say that even if you managed to get your way with this, most of your life would be spent without Sellitha by your side. Not many have what it takes to advance to the Soul stages, less so even further.¡±
¡°Headmaster,¡± Adion said in a calm voice, ¡°That will never happen. I¡¯m sorry, but even if I have to fight against Immortals, I won¡¯t ever let go of her.¡±
¡°Haaah,¡± The Headmaster sighed, ¡°I forget how you¡¯re still just a kid. You can¡¯t listen to reason, blinded by emotions that will fade with time.¡±
The Headmaster looked at Adion with a slight frown and said, ¡°You¡¯re only 17 years old. You don¡¯t know what¡¯s best, even hearing it. So you should listen to the Pure Soul mage with centuries of experience.¡±
¡°If you have so much experience,¡± Adion said, frowning back at the Headmaster, ¡°Then you should know that I¡¯m never backing down on this.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± The Headmaster said, closing his eyes with a troubled expression. After being quiet for a few seconds, he grumbled to himself, ¡°Maybe I should just send that girl home so we can forget about it and move on.¡±
He¡¯s going to do what?
Adion felt his stomach drop. He was furious. But most of all, he suddenly felt great fear. He thought he would have at least five years to figure something out. But now the Headmaster seemed to consider sending Sell away. Everything that seemed so close just a second ago was suddenly slipping through his fingers.
Don¡¯t you dare.
I probably couldn¡¯t just send her away for no reason, though. Vermon thought to himself, trying to figure out a way to get his stubborn disciple to give up on his foolish ideas.
I¡¯m sure Adion would be angry at me for a long time, too. He might never forgive it.
Maybe I could introduce him to some other pretty girls? He seems to be at that age. I¡¯m sure he will forget about Sellitha with a little work and some time.
It would give us time to focus on what¡¯s important, and he would be able to improve a lot quicker with a clearer mind. With a lit- Huh?
Vermon opened his eyes in shock as he felt trouble breathing. The air wasn¡¯t moving.
He looked to Adion, who was looking at him with cold eyes. Vermon thought he could see shadows spreading across his office, making the situation even more chilling.
What the hell happened? Is he using his Authority? How is it so strong?
Vermon could feel how the space around him was frozen, something he thought was way beyond Adion¡¯s abilities.
Crazy kid! What¡¯s gotten into you?
Vermon focused and slowly made his way to Adion. The space around him made every movement a great struggle, like he was walking through thick tar.
¡°You¡¯re not going to do anything to Sell,¡± Adion¡¯s voice somehow reached Vermon¡¯s ears.
Gah! That¡¯s what got him all riled up? I wasn¡¯t actually going to do it!
Vermon had enough and pushed his Will to the limit, refusing to be hindered by a Silver mage. The space that seemed so constrictive just a moment ago couldn¡¯t hold him back when he got serious. He made his way to Adion quicker than the boy could react. He knocked him hard in the back of the head, causing him to pass out.
Ganta, what was that?
Vermon looked around his office, the shadows were receding, and the frozen space was slowly becoming easier to move through.
Even passed out, space remains effected to this degree. Just how is that possible? Doesn¡¯t he need an active Will to control it?
Vermon looked down at the unconscious young man in front of him and couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of emotions.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Vermon laughed out loud. ¡°I guess you really like her.¡±
Vermon stepped away from Adion and walked around his office. The space was still so rigid that he doubted anyone below the Soul stages would be able to move through it. He turned to look back at Adion with a light smile.
You win, brat. I¡¯ll figure something out, I suppose.
Vermon turned to the door of his office. He could feel people approaching, probably having felt the effects of Adion¡¯s outburst for themselves.
I really shouldn¡¯t get involved in all this. But If I can¡¯t advance and become an Immortal Lord, I¡¯ll be dead in a few decades anyway.
A wide grin couldn¡¯t help but form on Vermon¡¯s lips.
I might as well have some excitement in my final years.
Chapter 129 - New plans
Hmm, wait¡What happened!?
Adion woke up from his slumber and soon remembered the situation he had just been in before passing out. He looked around and found himself still in the Headmaster¡¯s office. The Headmaster himself wasn¡¯t sitting behind his desk anymore, though.
I¡I did it. I managed to somehow demand more Authority again.
But that can wait. What about the Headmaster? Where is he? He better not be thinking about doing anything to Sell.
Adion jumped out of his chair and ran towards the door to leave and find Sell.
Before he reached it, however, the door to the office opened. The Headmaster walked inside with a light smile on his lips.
¡°What did you do to Sell?¡± Adion asked cautiously.
¡°That¡¯s the first thing you say?¡± The Headmaster asked with a light scoff. He started walking to his desk, muttering, ¡°An apology would have been in its place. Reckless child.¡±
I¡I guess I did lose control there for a second.
¡°I apologize for my outburst,¡± Adion said, ¡°I let my emotions get away from me. But you didn¡¯t do anything to Sell, did you?¡±
¡°I was never going to,¡± The Headmaster said, taking his seat behind his desk. ¡°Come sit. We have some matters to talk about.¡±
¡°What matters?¡± Adion asked, sitting down opposite the Headmaster.
The Headmaster was quiet for a while, staring at Adion with a light smile.
¡°You said you could only control a certain amount of space,¡± The Headmaster finally commented.
¡°And you should know that I was telling the truth,¡± Adion said, ¡°This has never happened before. I¡I guess I just really didn¡¯t like the idea of anything happening to Sell.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± The Headmaster chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t know how I feel about being the second person ever to get you upset enough to take more Authority than you should. Well, it¡¯s all a good thing in the end, I suppose. Can you control more space now?¡±
Can I?
When Adion heard the Headmaster consider sending Sell away, all Adion could think about was to stop him. It was as if his Will was working sharper than ever, far above his actual level. He commanded the space to freeze, and the space didn¡¯t dare to question him, even managing to freeze a Pure Soul mage for a while. Unfortunately, Adion was too lost in his anger and fear to stop and contemplate the feeling.
But there is no doubt that this was a significant step forward. I feel like that kind of Authority isn¡¯t something I can only gain by getting angry, it is always available to me. It¡¯s just incredibly hard to attain the kind of mental state required to demand it.
Adion focused on the space to the left of him, grabbing hold of as much space as he could. If before, it was the size of two full-grown men, it was now at least double that.
I want more.
Adion tried to push through his limits, something he had failed every time he had tried. The only way to increase it slightly was to conjure his own space and push it to mix with the space he held Authority over.
If I can¡¯t grasp this power, I can¡¯t protect her.
Adion sharpened his mind, focusing his Will, refusing to give up. He searched for that state he had been in just before passing out.
Don¡¯t you dare disobey me. I command space. I command you.
The space he held Authority over slowly increased, soon letting Adion command a space covering half of the office they were sitting in.
This¡ Adion had a stray thought. He was too impressed with the result before him to remain calm.
And just like that, the feeling disappeared, and with it, Adion¡¯s control of space.
He once again held Authority over just the same volume of space as before.
It didn¡¯t increase? Or did it? Maybe ever so slightly? I don¡¯t remember exactly how much space was under my control before. I just increased it, after all.
But I did it¡How exactly?
¡°You seem to have stumbled upon something,¡± The Headmaster said after a while.
¡°I seem to have doubled the amount of space I can control,¡± Adion said, ¡°And¡It seems if I really focus, I can control a lot more.¡±
¡°If you can learn to get into that state of focus quicker¡¡± The Headmaster murmured. He then turned to look at Adion with a grin, ¡°It looks like I have done a good job as your master.¡±
As if me getting angry enough to grasp more Authority was ever your intention.
Adion ignored the Headmaster''s shameless boasting and asked, ¡°How long did it take me? Around a minute?¡±
¡°A minute?¡± The Headmaster questioned, ¡°That took you well over ten minutes.¡±
That long? It didn¡¯t feel that long at all.
¡°That¡Well, at least I now have a way forward,¡± Adion said.
¡°Hahaha,¡± The Headmaster laughed. ¡°I think every Pure Soul mage in the world would kill to accomplish even a fraction of what you have.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°So, how did you do it? Surely you¡¯ve managed to realize some things?¡± The Headmaster asked curiously.
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¡°I am still not entirely sure,¡± Adion said hesitantly. He pondered what he had just experienced and vocalized it to the Headmaster. ¡°I just kind of demand the space to obey me. It¡¯s like there is a narrow path for my Will to take, and I need to find that path and focus all my Will to push at exactly the right place. When I do, it is like nothing can stop me. But as soon as I lose focus, even slightly, it all slips away from me.¡±
¡°Interesting,¡± The Headmaster said with an intrigued smile. ¡°And how does that differ from the Authority you have right now? You don¡¯t seem to have to focus even a little bit.¡±
¡°I suppose it¡¯s like¡the space is easily convinced up to a certain point?¡± Adion said, still unsure exactly how his Authority worked. ¡°I can just command it to obey with a thought. Only if someone contests me do I have to use my Will to keep the space under my control.¡±
¡°Haah,¡± The Headmaster sighed, but he had a pleased smile on his lips. ¡°You have given me a lot to think about. I can imagine it won¡¯t be easy for me to replicate. Without first experiencing the feeling of having Authority, it will probably be countless times harder to find this narrow path you speak of.¡±
¡°Hahaha,¡± The Headmaster suddenly laughed happily, ¡°But at least now I have a path forward. I look forward to what else you will be able to show me.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion carefully nodded. ¡°About Sell?¡±
¡°I have decided to help you,¡± The Headmaster said with a light smile, ¡°But it won¡¯t be easy. You will have to work hard. And at the end of it all, it will be up to you to resolve it. The only thing I can do is to give you both some time.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good enough,¡± Adion said, trying hard to keep a big smile from sprouting. He was elated at having the Headmaster onboard to help him and Sell.
¡°How are you going to help?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I thought about it,¡± The Headmaster said carefully, ¡°And I believe I have come up with an idea that could be done without much risk of causing any big commotion. But it will be up to you to see it to fruition.¡±
¡°What do I need to do?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You see, there is a certain event on Quemer,¡± The Headmaster began explaining. ¡°It is a big event that involves the whole continent. All the major powers place a great amount of importance on it.¡±
¡°What kind of event is it?¡± Adion asked.
¡°A competition,¡± The Headmaster answered, ¡°A competition among academies. I actually participated in this competition when I first got my position as Headmaster. I had spent many years studying on Quemer, and I had watched the event many times. I wanted Shiora, and in particular, Cyalis Academy, to finally make itself known. Shiora is mostly seen as no more than a weak former settlement to the north. None of the great powers take it seriously.
¡°Unfortunately, my dreams of placing Cyalis Academy on the map of powerful influences on Quemer came crashing down as we were utterly defeated at every turn. Instead of changing people¡¯s view of my home, I reinforced the image they had in their minds. Since then, I never bothered signing up to compete again.
¡°But that has changed with you,¡± The Headmaster looked at Adion with a grin, ¡°I have no doubt you¡¯ll be able to dominate even the most talented mages on Quemer.¡±
¡°This all sounds very exciting, but how does it solve anything?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It buys you time,¡± The Headmaster answered, ¡°It would be hard, if not impossible, to just take your little princess away to Quemer without greatly angering the Amyss and Hesfym families. They would definitely try to stop it. And even if you two got away, they would come straight after you. But what if you simply left to compete in an important competition? Going off to bring glory to Shiora and the Academy?¡±
¡°They would allow her to leave?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I doubt it,¡± The Headmaster shook his head, ¡°They would probably try to put a stop to it if they could in time. But it is a perfect excuse for me to get her away. No one would blame me for sending a talented student to represent us in an important competition. Those families would just have to accept it and wait for her to return.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t they still come after her?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°No,¡± The Headmaster shook his head, ¡°Just like I can¡¯t get away with doing whatever I want, such as getting involved in two families'' engagement. Those families can¡¯t get away with whatever they want either. If they dare get involved and cause trouble by taking away a promising student by force, I would have all the justification I need to swiftly take care of them as I see fit. The Council and I don¡¯t take these matters lightly, and those families know that. They can only swallow their annoyance and wait for her to come back once the competition ends.
¡°Once you two are over there, however. I have ways to make you stay. I have a lot of old friends who would surely be interested in you. I can say that my disciple and Sellitha have stumbled upon an important opportunity and chosen to stay there for a while. What can the Amyss and Hesfym family do then? Sail across the sea and go against a power they know nothing about just to take away someone who doesn¡¯t want to leave? I find it hard to believe.¡±
¡°This is genius Headmaster,¡± Adion said with a wide smile.
If I can go to Quemer with Sell, we will be free to explore and grow strong in peace. Once we are strong enough, we can return. Nobody will be able to do anything to us then.
¡°The plan requires some work on your part to work, however,¡± The Headmaster said.
¡°What do I need to do?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Houses is a tradition that started a long time ago,¡± The Headmaster began explaining, ¡°It is not something Cyalis Academy came up with. Every single academy on Quemer has its own Houses as well. And it is only the top-ranked House that can receive the honor of representing their academy.¡±
¡°You mean¡I have to join the Shields if I want to go?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You and Sellitha both,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°Of course, that would only be necessary if the Shields remain number one. The competition won¡¯t be held until your fourth year. If things were to change by then¡¡±
¡°So I should join Soaring Souls and help them take over as the top-ranked House?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Unfortunately, that wouldn¡¯t work,¡± The Headmaster shook his head, ¡°It would be very risky. That House is deeply tied to the Amyss family. They would surely try to get in the way of sending Sellitha to Quemer.¡±
¡°Then-¡± Adion was about to suggest the next option but was interrupted by the Headmaster.
¡°Eternal Fire doesn¡¯t work either,¡± The Headmaster shot down Adion¡¯s unspoken suggestion. ¡°They only allow fire mages to join them. As much as you might fool most people, it wouldn¡¯t take long before they discover that you always conjure your fire from pure mana. Not only would you be thrown out from the House, but people would know you have been hiding your true element.¡±
¡°So¡I have to join the Scrolls? Your old House?¡± Adion asked with a raised eyebrow.
¡°That does seem like the only path forward,¡± The Headmaster said with a smile, ¡°And doesn¡¯t it have a nice ring to it? ¡®The Headmaster¡¯s disciple joins the Scrolls and takes it to rank 1 for the first time since he did the same centuries ago. Now he sails off to bring glory to us all.¡¯¡±
Is he serious.
Adion looked at the Headmaster with an unamused expression.
¡°Hahaha,¡± The Headmaster laughed at the look of Adion¡¯s face. ¡°I know it sounds meticulously planned, but this is the only way I can think of. If you have a better idea, I¡¯m all ears.¡±
I really can¡¯t. And it¡¯s not like I have anything against joining the Scrolls. And I don¡¯t think Sell will be opposed to the plan either. She always planned on running off to Quemer. This way, we can do it safely.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it like you said,¡± Adion said.
¡°Good,¡± The Headmaster smiled. ¡°I look forward to seeing the rise of my old House.¡±
Chapter 130 - Good mood
I should be able to catch her. Adion thought as he looked out one of the small windows lighting up the spiraling staircase he was currently walking down.
He knew that he had missed his fighting class due to being preoccupied with the Headmaster for a long time, but he hoped he could still manage to meet up with Sell before she left. He was looking forward to sharing the happy news.
Sell is right that my sense of time isn¡¯t very accurate, though. She could have already finished a while ago.
Adion climbed down the stairs with hurried steps. He passed a guard on the way down, who stopped and looked at Adion with a strange look.
Adion nodded in greeting and continued past him.
A door to his left was opened right after passing the guard. Adion turned to look, but the door shut abruptly before he had a chance to catch a glimpse of anyone.
It¡¯s a little unsettling that so many people might suspect some of my abilities. But at least they can¡¯t talk about it.
The Headmaster had explained to Adion that in his moment of anger, he didn¡¯t just freeze the space of the Headmaster¡¯s office. He had managed to freeze the space in a wide area, affecting plenty of people on the lower floors of the tower.
Fortunately, the Headmaster had gone to handle the situation while Adion was passed out. This high in the tower, most people were guards and faculty members who came into contact with many secrets that couldn¡¯t be revealed easily. As such, they had all sworn strict Oaths not to reveal any secrets of Cyalis. With the Headmaster telling them to keep quiet about the incident, Adion wasn¡¯t worried that word would spread from them.
They were not the only people who noticed the disturbance caused by Adion, however. Elder Seron Appos, a Soul mage of the Council, had his office in close proximity to the Headmaster¡¯s. And he had been meeting with a guest at the time of Adion¡¯s outburst. They had both been extremely startled by the experience and headed to the Headmaster¡¯s office to understand what was going on.
They weren¡¯t the only ones, either. There were Soul mages further down in the tower who had sensed something from afar. Even if they weren¡¯t directly affected by Adion¡¯s space, they had sensed something off.
The Headmaster had no choice but to make up an excuse. If he ignored them, they would begin to investigate it by themselves, and perhaps uncover Adion¡¯s secrets.
The Headmaster had opted to make up the existence of an artifact that he had been having trouble with for a long time. He had told the Soul mages that Adion¡¯s Gift was exactly what he thought he might need to activate it, and to his great excitement, Adion succeeded. He had then announced his decision to accept Adion as his disciple, something that would surely spread across the Academy soon.
The Soul mages were all curious about this powerful artifact, but the Headmaster had refused to answer any more questions. Hopefully, their attention would shift from Adion to trying to discover more about the mysterious artifact.
They would probably not suspect me of being the culprit. It is a much more far-fetched possibility. With the Headmaster¡¯s explanation, there is no need to suspect me. Everyone knows that the Academy has several mysterious and powerful artifacts, after all. But no one can believe that a Silver mage has the power to freeze Soul mages.
Adion finally reached the bottom of the tower and rushed outside. He was in a great mood. Even if trouble could always come knocking, he was in a much more secure place than he had been just this morning. His power had soared unexpectedly, doubling the amount of space he could control with his Authority. He had resolved the problem with Elder Kilth and even gained the protection of the Headmaster. Most important of all, he saw a way out for him and Sell. He would have to work hard, though. bringing the Scrolls from 4th to 1st wasn¡¯t going to be easy.
Even if I don¡¯t make it, I don¡¯t feel like the Headmaster will leave me and Sell to fend for ourselves. But there is no doubt that this is the safest route to take. I should work hard so there will be minimal risks.
As Adion got outside the Tower of Cyalis, he got a pleasant surprise.
¡°Sell!¡± Adion called out with a smile.
She was sitting under a tree not far from the entrance to the tower. She looked up as Adion called out and hurried to meet him.
¡°How did it go? What did the Headmaster say?¡± Sell asked, her voice and eyes filled with worry.
Adion looked into her beautiful red eyes and couldn¡¯t help but smile.
I will have to work hard so that I can stay with her.
¡°You can¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Sell said, turning her head away with a deep blush. ¡°What happened in there?¡±
¡°It¡¯s all fine,¡± Adion smiled reassuringly, ¡°Elder Kilth won¡¯t bother me anymore. I somehow ended up becoming the disciple of the Headmaster.¡±
Sell smiled at the news, not seeming too surprised. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. But¡that means he has found out about everything, right?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°He knew a lot, and I decided to tell him the rest. But it would have been impossible to hide it for long even if I didn¡¯t. This way, I¡¯ll at least have the backing of the Headmaster.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Sell said, ¡°Can you trust him?¡±
¡°Can I?¡± Adion asked himself, ¡°I suppose he didn¡¯t seem like a bad person. And in the end, do I have a choice? I think I¡¯ll have to trust him. At least as long as he wants something from me, I think I can rest assured.¡±
¡°What does he want?¡± Sell asked.
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¡°Something very precious that only I can give him,¡± Adion said with a small smile, ¡°He wants to figure out how to gain Authority for himself.¡±
¡°Is that something you can teach?¡± Sell questioned.
Adion had told Sell about his Authority, but she didn¡¯t know what it really was. As far as she knew, Adion had just gotten lucky and found a treasure that made him capable of controlling fire and space to a certain limit without the Will of the world interfering.
¡°Let¡¯s walk and talk,¡± Adion suggested. He always made sure to isolate any sensitive conversation with a film of space, but being so close to a lot of powerful mages, Adion was still a little uneasy.
¡°Sure,¡± Sell agreed, ¡°Where do you want to go?¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t we head to the fighting pits? Or are you too tired from class?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Not at all,¡± Sell said, seemingly excited for some more training.
Once they had gotten a little further away from the Tower of Cyalis, Adion felt a little more confident in speaking about his secrets.
¡°So about my Authority¡¡± Adion started, prompting Sell to look up at him. ¡°I have no way to teach it. I just kind of tried to explain it when the Headmaster asked. But I don¡¯t really know much about this power myself, so maybe he hopes to see me come to a realization that could help him.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you explain that it came from a treasure?¡± Sell asked.
Should I explain it all? No. We will go on our date soon. I want to give her the pill immediately upon revealing everything.
¡°I managed to hide that part,¡± Adion said with a small smile, ¡°I also managed to hide everything about the Celestial Phoenix.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡good? But won¡¯t he soon find out about everything? Not even you can hide your lying from the Headmaster,¡± Sell questioned.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t lie,¡± Adion said, ¡°But now that I already have the Headmaster on my side. I can refuse to answer. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll push too hard.¡±
¡°Adion,¡± Sell said worriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t make an enemy out of him. It¡¯s not worth any secret.¡±
¡°I doubt he is that kind of person,¡± Adion said, ¡°With what I¡¯ve already revealed, he is sure to be content for a long time. I can always just challenge him to figure it out himself. He seems like the kind of person who would enjoy something like that.¡±
¡°Just be careful,¡± Sell warned.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know,¡± Adion said.
¡°But this is really great,¡± Sell smiled, ¡°With you being the Headmaster¡¯s disciple, no one would dare find trouble with you.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°I also managed to get his help in another matter. How do you feel about joining the Scrolls?¡±
¡°The Scrolls? Why? Did the Headmaster demand you join them?¡± Sell asked.
¡°He didn¡¯t exactly demand it,¡± Adion said, shaking his head, ¡°He just laid out a plan where us joining the Scrolls and taking it to the rank 1 spot was the best option.¡±
¡°What plan? What are you talking about about?¡± Sell asked.
¡°A plan to get away safely to Quemer, all without being intervened with or followed by the Amyss or Hesfym family,¡± Adion said.
¡°You¡How?¡± Sell asked hopefully.
Adion went on to explain all the details the Headmaster had told him. Sell listened attentively the whole way through.
¡°This could work,¡± Sell said, looking at Adion with a wide smile, ¡°This could actually work! I was always worried about my chances of getting away, but now I feel like there is a lot of hope.¡±
¡°Of course, it will work,¡± Adion said, ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t, we¡¯ll find another way.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Sell nodded happily, ¡°I can¡¯t believe the Headmaster agreed to help us out like this.¡±
¡°Well, he didn¡¯t immediately agree,¡± Adion muttered, still a little unhappy at the Headmaster¡¯s previous words. ¡°But I managed to convince him, so it¡¯s fine now.¡±
¡°Oh? How did you convince him?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I charmed him,¡± Adion said with a grin.
¡°You charmed him?¡± Sell questioned with an amused smile. ¡°Somehow, I found that unlikely. He must have been very reluctant to get involved with another Pure Soul mage.¡±
¡°He was easily convinced with the right push,¡± Adion said, ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s not dig into that. How was class?¡±
Sell looked at Adion with a pout. But she soon began talking about the class and what Adion had missed during his meeting with the Headmaster.
They eventually reached the arena and rented a private fighting pit to train together in as usual.
Sell began placing out numbered papers around the pit as soon as they entered. They would usually begin their practice with Adion teleporting around and testing Sell¡¯s spatial awareness.
¡°Hopefully, no Soul mage sneaks up on us today,¡± Sell said as she placed a paper in one of the corners of the pit.
¡°If they do, I will be able to tell,¡± Adion said, ¡°Not even the Headmaster was able to escape my notice after all.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true, but they might examine your aura just like the Headmaster if they notice they¡¯ve been caught,¡± Sell said.
¡°That is a possibility,¡± Adion slowly nodded, ¡°If I ever say, ¡®The weather is getting more pleasant every day¡¯, it means someone is watching, and you shouldn¡¯t reveal anything.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Okay,¡± Sell nodded.
¡°Right, you never actually said if you agreed to join the Scrolls with me. I know it might cause your sister and family to-¡± Adion began but was interrupted by Sell¡¯s laughter.
¡°Of course, I will,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°Even if Soaring Soals might have been easier if we want to take it to rank 1, the Headmaster is right in that it will be a challenge for me to leave with that House.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Adion said with a pleased smile.
¡°By the way,¡± Sell said carefully, ¡°You joining the Scrolls. And this competition. Does that mean¡you will come with me? That you will escape to Quemer with me?¡±
Adion realized that it indeed was a decision he should probably have thought some more about. But somehow, it was just obvious to him that he would go where Sell goes.
I¡¯ll have to talk to my family about this. I also need to think about what to do with Perk and Tib.
But no matter what, I¡¯ll leave with Sell.
Adion looked at Sell¡¯s hesitant expression and smiled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not exactly known for being able to keep my distance from you.¡±
Sell smiled brightly and ran up to kiss Adion.
Yeah. No matter what.
Chapter 131 - Sellithas preparation
¡°Sell!¡± A happy voice called out as Sellitha walked out of her room.
¡°What?¡± Sellitha asked cautiously, looking over at Felicia.
Felicia was sitting next to Lastia by the large dining table, seemingly just finished with breakfast.
Even if every student only got the chance to choose their rooms once they had the credits to pay for it. Things worked a little more conveniently for Nobles. It was expected that they would immediately move out to somewhere a little more comfortable, so instead of going through that inconvenience every year, Nobles were placed in dorms of a much superior quality to other students. They still had to pay the same amount of credits as anyone else who wanted to live like them, though.
¡°I heard Adion somehow got accepted by the Headmaster as his disciple,¡± Felicia said, looking at Sellitha intently, ¡°You went to have a little date with him after class, right? Do you know what happened?¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t a date,¡± Sellitha said irritably.
Getting annoyed by Felicia so early in the morning, Sellitha thought about just heading straight out. Her sister had called for her, and she might as well get the meeting over with. But as she saw a servant place breakfast for her at the dining table, Sellitha realized she was quite hungry.
I¡¯ll just have a quick bite.
¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Felicia said unconvincingly, ¡°So? Do you know what happened?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Sellitha nodded. She took her seat and started placing some eggs, meat, vegetables, and bread on her plate.
¡°Someone¡¯s hungry,¡± Felicia commented, ¡°I noticed you were out late last night. Did you practice with Adion?¡±
¡°We did,¡± Sellitha nodded and began eating.
¡°Did anything happen?¡± Felicia asked suggestively, smiling at Sellitha.
Why does she always!?
Sellitha felt her cheeks turning red and grabbed a piece of bread to throw at Felicia.
¡°Hahaha! Sorry. Sell, don¡¯t get mad,¡± Felicia laughed while dodging the thrown food.
¡°I¡¯ll just eat in my room,¡± Sellitha muttered, grabbing her plate and preparing to leave.
¡°No, Sell, I¡¯m really sorry,¡± Felicia said, getting up from her seat to push Sellitha down again. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. But can you tell me what happened between the Headmaster and Adion?¡±
I can¡¯t say anything about Adion¡¯s special powers. But Adion also said something about him making use of an artifact had been made as an excuse? Why would he need an excuse? He is a Silver mage. Surely people would believe that.
¡°I don¡¯t know all the details,¡± Sellitha said, reluctantly taking her seat again, ¡°But Adion is a Silver mage. Isn¡¯t it natural that the Headmaster takes an interest in him?¡±
¡°I guess¡But why did he wait so long to do it? Everything changed so quickly,¡± Felicia said.
¡°I heard that the Headmaster just got out of some kind of seclusion. Perhaps he didn¡¯t know about it until now,¡± Sellitha suggested.
¡°That makes sense,¡± Felicia said with a nod. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s good that Elder Kilth will have to back off from now on.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Sellitha smiled as she thought about the times ahead. She and Adion would finally be able to begin their life at the Academy without worrying about trouble coming their way.
We just have to work hard together, and everything will work out. We will get to go to Quemer together. I can hardly wait.
¡°Looks like you are really happy about it,¡± Lastia said with a smile.
¡°Well, it¡¯s good that things can settle down. We should all focus on training and studying,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Lastia said.
¡°Anyway,¡± Felicia said, ¡°What are you doing today, Sell? Lastia and I are going to head to the arena and rent a fighting pit. Do you want to join us? We were thinking about going to the library afterward if you want to come with us.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Sellitha said, shaking her head, ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±
¡°Busy with what?¡± Felicia asked. ¡°Busy with Adion?¡±
¡°As a matter of fact, I am going to be busy with Adion. We¡¯re friends after all,¡± Sellitha defended.
¡°Right,¡± Felicia smiled at Sellitha, ¡°Come on, Sell. It¡¯s obvious to everyone that you two like each other. Why do you keep denying it?¡±
¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± Sellitha said abruptly, not wanting to get dragged into Felicia¡¯s conversation. She knew she was bad at hiding her thoughts about Adion, but it was important never to admit anything.
¡°I don¡¯t get it? I already know, so why not admit it? Adion is very suitable. He is even a Noble now. And a Silver mage that has been accepted as a disciple to the Headmaster. Surely even your parents wouldn¡¯t object even if he is a human?¡±
Wait, what? She doesn¡¯t know? Sellitha suddenly stopped.
I thought she knew about my parents'' arrangements. Even if it¡¯s not talked about much, all the Noble families surely know about it. I just assumed someone would have told Felicia.
Noticing Sellitha¡¯s expression, Felicia approached her slowly.
¡°Okay, I won¡¯t push anymore,¡± Felica said hesitantly, ¡°I just thought it would be nice to talk about. But you don¡¯t have to say anything.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Lasita agreed, walking up to Sellitha, ¡°Sellitha, don¡¯t pay any mind to Felicia. Just ignore her.¡±
What¡¯s wrong with them?
Sellitha noticed that she, without realizing it, had her fists clenched. Just the thought of that old bastard and what her parents had done to her was enough to get Sellitha¡¯s body to react.
¡°No,¡± Sellitha said in a low voice, shaking her head, ¡°Sorry. I was just thinking about something. Actually¡¡±
If they don¡¯t know, there is no harm, right?
¡°I...I¡¡± Sellitha hesitated, feeling her throat clench in nervousness. ¡°I like Adion. I¡¯m going on a date with him later. That¡¯s why I¡¯m busy.¡±
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¡°You-¡± Felicia stared at Sellitha with her mouth open.
Why did I say that?
¡°But it¡¯s a secret!¡± Sellitha yelled out hurriedly, ¡°You can¡¯t tell anyone.¡±
¡°Of course, of course,¡± Felicia said, letting a little laugh slip through.
¡°Seriously, not a word to anyone,¡± Sellitha stressed.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t say anything. Right, Lastia?¡± Felicia turned to Lastia and asked.
¡°Of course not!¡± Lastia agreed.
¡°So, tell us more about it,¡± Felicia urged with a smile, ¡°Are you a couple? Have you kissed yet?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Sellitha nodded. Her body had almost reacted on instinct.
How can I say that? How embarrassing.
Realizing what she had just admitted to, Sellitha felt herself blush. She hurriedly turned away from the two girls and headed toward the door.
¡°Okay, I have to go. See you later. Don¡¯t tell anyone. Bye,¡± Sellitha rambled as she ran away.
She could hear how Felicia was asking her to wait through fits of laughter behind her, but she paid it no mind and hurried out of the building.
Why did I suddenly reveal everything? I¡¯m even worse than Adion! How will I explain this to him?
Sellitha¡¯s thoughts were all over the place as she made her way to the House of Soaring Souls. But even though she was scolding herself for being reckless, she couldn¡¯t deny that her heart was pumping and her stomach was fluttering. It was an exhilarating feeling.
I still shouldn¡¯t have done it. What if they tell someone? What will I do? But it felt so good to finally tell someone! Will Adion be disappointed?
After struggling with her conflicted thoughts for almost half an hour, Sellitha finally made it to the large building serving as the headquarters of the Soaring Soals. This was where her sister lived and spent most of her time.
Sellitha had visited plenty of times before, so she made her way to her sister¡¯s office without a problem.
I have to keep my guard up. Rell has questioned me about Adion several times. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me today, but I have to keep myself under control.
¡°Sell, thank you for coming,¡± Rell said from behind her desk as Sellitha stepped inside.
¡°Why did you want to see me?¡± Sellitha asked, trying to get straight to the point.
¡°You must have heard about Adion becoming the disciple of the Headmaster, right?¡± Rell asked.
¡°You already know we spent the day training together yesterday,¡± Sellitha said, rolling her eyes. She went to take a seat on a luxurious couch at the side of the office, preparing for the assault of questions.
¡°Everyone knows you spend every day together, so obviously,¡± Rell muttered.
¡°I was tasked with getting close to him by the family, no?¡± Sellitha questioned.
Rell was quiet for a while, staring at Sellitha with a complicated look.
Why is she so worried? Sell thought, looking into her sister¡¯s eyes.
¡°The Amyss family branch here in Cyalis is¡Well, I doubt they¡¯ll receive rewards for that suggestion. Anyway, I didn¡¯t call you to talk about that. Do you know what happened between the Headmaster and Adion?¡±
¡°They talked, and the Headmaster decided to take him as his disciple? What else is there to know?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°There seems to have been some kind of incident high up in the Tower of Cyalis. A lot of Soul mages apparently left their positions and headed to the Headmaster¡¯s office. I¡¯m trying to get information about it. Did you hear anything from Adion?¡±
Something like that happened?
¡°Are you sure? I didn¡¯t hear anything about it,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Rellitha nodded, ¡°But if you don¡¯t know, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll have my people ask around.¡±
What¡¯s this all about? Did Adion hide it from me? He probably just forgot. I¡¯ll ask him about it later.
¡°If that¡¯s all there was, I¡¯ll go,¡± Sellitha said, getting up from her seat.
¡°Wait,¡± Rell put a hand forward to stop Sellitha.
¡°What?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°Er, have you thought about joining Soaring Souls yet? I can show you around and let you see what I¡¯ve prepared for you,¡± Rellitha suggested carefully.
¡°Oh,¡± Sellitha said, ¡°I¡¯m already decided. I¡¯m joining the Scrolls.¡±
¡°The Scrolls?¡± Rell asked, surprised, ¡°Why the Scrolls all of a sudden? What did they offer you?¡±
¡°They haven¡¯t offered me anything,¡± Sellitha said, ¡°I just decided to go there.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Rell asked, confused.
¡°Well, for one, the Amyss family doesn¡¯t have any power over that House. Do you need a second reason?¡± Sellitha asked, feeling her mood taking a turn for the worse.
¡°That,¡± Rell hesitated, ¡°You know the family would only support you, right? And I¡¯m the Head of the House, here. Let me show you what I¡¯ve prepared. I promise, no one from the family would try to cause trouble for you.¡±
¡°Are you serious!?¡± Sellitha yelled out. She almost felt a tear started to form, but she held it in with all her will, refusing to cry.
Rell looked at her with a guilty expression. She didn¡¯t say anything.
Sellitha turned to walk away again.
¡°Is Adion also going join the Scrolls?¡± Rell asked.
Sellitha stopped. Answering without turning around, she said, ¡°Yes.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not¡good,¡± Rell said with a sigh. ¡°Sell, what is your plan? How do you expect the family will react? You and Adion¡This isn¡¯t going to end well.¡±
¡°What about me and Adion? We¡¯re friends. I don¡¯t care about your delusions,¡± Sellitha said. ¡°And if trouble comes, I will handle it.¡±
Sellitha continued walking away. This time, Rell didn¡¯t try to stop her.
I can¡¯t believe it. She dares? She dares!?
I can¡¯t believe I even considered joining Soaring Soals before. I can¡¯t trust anything with even the slightest association with my family.
Now my good mood is completely ruined.
Sellitha didn¡¯t let it change her plans, though. She rented a carriage to take her to the public Academy. She had to collect Adion¡¯s gift before their date.
Sellitha brooded the whole ride there. The thought of her sister upset her greatly.
As she arrived at the store, she tried leaving those thoughts behind. But it was hard. The anger she held toward her family was hard to shake whenever she got reminded of how despicable they all were.
¡°Is my work done?¡± Sellitha asked the storeowner as she got inside.
¡°Princess Amyss,¡± The storeowner bowed when he spotted her. ¡°It is indeed finished. I hope you will be happy with the result.¡±
The store owner brought out a pocket watch. It was made from a rare type of pitch-black metal called ¡®Dark Vastrian.¡¯ The watch was also adorned with gold edges. Sellitha very much liked the look of it.
The back of the watch had the word ¡®Obviously¡¯ inscribed on it, a word that somehow always popped up in her head whenever she thought of Adion. But looking at it now, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that it was a little too embarrassing.
Oh, well. I just hope he likes it. He should at least be able to be on time from now on.
He said he would get me a gift as well. Hopefully, it¡¯s not anything as good as the necklace he gave me, or I will feel silly gifting him this.
Sellitha thanked the store owner for a work well done and headed back to the carriage.
I hope Felicia and Lastia have left already. I can¡¯t handle anymore of their questions at the moment.
And I need time to figure out what to wear.
A smile finally made its way to Sellitha¡¯s face as she thought about the day ahead of her.
Chapter 132 - Date I
¡°Everything is prepared, boss,¡± Perk reported with a grin.
¡°Did you arrange for someone to keep a watch in the park?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Perk nodded.
¡°With the amount of money you were spending, I don¡¯t think they¡¯d even let a Noble pass,¡± Tib said.
Did I spend too much? I don¡¯t want to attract trouble. Well, I doubt anyone would take such risks in the middle of Cyalis after getting their fair pay.
¡°Good,¡± Adion nodded with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll be off then. Take this.¡±
Adion handed Tib a pouch full of gold and silver coins.
¡°What¡¯s this for, boss?¡± Tib asked.
¡°It¡¯s for you,¡± Adion said, ¡°A reward. Go have some fun tonight, you too.¡±
¡°What are we supposed to do with this much money?¡± Perk asked as he looked inside the pouch his brother was holding.
¡°Whatever you want,¡± Adion shrugged, ¡°Enjoy yourselves a little. My grandpa has managed to get into contact with the Appos Auction House, so it won¡¯t be long before we have more money than we can spend.¡±
¡°Are you going to buy a headquarters?¡± Perk asked excitedly.
¡°That would probably be a good idea,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But we¡¯ll talk about all of that later. You two are still too weak. So focus on your training.¡±
¡°Yes, boss,¡± Perk and Tib nodded.
¡°After tonight, that is. It¡¯s important to have some fun once in a while. I¡¯ll have you give me a report on what you spent the money on later,¡± Adion said sternly.
¡°Alright,¡± Tib nodded hesitantly.
¡°Have fun. I have to go,¡± Adion said, leaving the two behind him at the inn they were staying at.
¡°You too, boss,¡± Perk yelled after him.
Adion made his way outside where he already had a carriage waiting for him. As he got inside, the carriage promptly made its way to the public Academy where he would meet with Sell.
I¡¯m getting a little nervous for some reason. But it¡¯s a good feeling.
Adion smiled as he looked out at the city passing him by. It had been a warm and sunny day. Even if the sun was beginning to make it¡¯s way down, it was still very pleasant.
Adion couldn¡¯t help but think about the past years. He had been through a lot, and it was hard at times. Really hard. But it was all worth it for him to finally be able to live like this.
I wonder how powerful Sell will be once sell gains the Authority over fire. I¡¯ll have to work harder going forward so she doesn¡¯t pass me.
The carriage came to a halt in front of the gates leading into the public Academy. Adion got out and started walking to the place where he and Sell had decided to meet up. They had opted not to meet at the plaza this time. Even if he could shrug off any speculations of them being together as simple friendship, Adion had realized from the Headmaster that a lot of people still pretty much knew about them. Not that Adion really cared, now that he had the Headmaster behind him, and a plan moving forward, he thought they would be fine as long as they didn¡¯t admit to anything or did anything that couldn¡¯t be explained with friendship.
But there was no reason to have people speculate more than they could help, so they would meet up at a slightly less crowded place.
Adion got to their meeting place before Sell for once. It was on a street a couple of blocks away from the plaza without much foot traffic.
He didn¡¯t have to wait long. Less than ten minutes passed before he saw the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Sell was walking toward him with a smile and slight blush. Her crimson hair was let down and blowing slightly in the wind. She was wearing a spring dress that was very different from her usual clothes that were made to fight comfortably in, and the necklace Adion had given her was around her neck.
¡°Adion, you are early,¡± Sell said as she walked up to him.
Adion focused on the surroundings. Unfortunately, he could feel a lot of presences around. He couldn¡¯t guarantee no one had their eyes on them, so he had to hold himself back from kissing her.
¡°You look beautiful, Sell,¡± Adion said, looking into her eyes.
¡°Y-You too,¡± Sell stammered.
¡°I look beautiful?¡± Adion asked with a grin.
¡°Handsome,¡± Sell muttered shyly.
Adion deeply regretted that he hadn¡¯t taken the carriage all the way. He thought it would be nice to walk together, but he didn¡¯t think about how hard it would be having to act like they were friends.
Sell noticed Adion¡¯s look and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°Maybe we should just admit to being a couple,¡± Adion said, ¡°I really can¡¯t stand it.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°You know we can¡¯t do that. And this isn¡¯t so bad, right?¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s go?¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Sell nodded.
¡°Friends can hold hands, right?¡± Adion asked as they started walking.
Sell laughed again and gave Adion a soft scolding look. ¡°No, they can¡¯t, Adion.¡±
Damn. As expected. Well, at least we¡¯ll be able to be alone in the park later.
¡°By the way, Adion, I might have done something stupid,¡± Sell admitted with a guilty look.
¡°What did you do?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Are you doing the thing?¡± Sell asked, looking around her.
Adion realized she was asking about his sound isolation, which he almost always had up when talking with Sell in public. He nodded and urged her to continue.
¡°I told Felicia and Lastia that we were together,¡± Sell said, looking at Adion to see his reaction.
¡°Wait, what? Why?¡± Adion asked, completely stumped. He never thought Sell would be the one to do something so stupid.
¡°It just slipped out. I don¡¯t know what happened,¡± Sell said, looking at Adion pleadingly.
¡°But¡Won¡¯t they tell someone?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I made them promise not to,¡± Sell said.
¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like it will be worth much,¡± Adion muttered, ¡°Isn¡¯t this like¡bad?¡±
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¡°Didn¡¯t you just suggest we should be open about everything?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Well, yeah,¡± Adion admitted, ¡°But I knew you wouldn¡¯t agree. You¡¯re supposed to be the reasonable one. Now we¡¯re both unreasonable. I don¡¯t like our odds.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Sell couldn¡¯t help but let out a laugh. ¡°I know I made a mistake; I''m sorry. I¡¯ll make sure it doesn¡¯t happen again. And I¡¯ll talk to them to make sure they know to keep everything quiet.¡±
¡°Maybe it will be fine,¡± Adion slowly nodded, ¡°It¡¯s not like most people don¡¯t already suspect it. And with our plan, it doesn¡¯t matter how much people talk. But we should be careful not to outright admit anything.¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± Sell said, ¡°It just felt so good to tell someone.¡±
I guess she has never told anyone before, has she? I have my family. I have Tib and Perk. I even told Prago about it.
¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to tell people then,¡± Adion said with a smile, ¡°If it manages to get out. We¡¯ll deal with it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not planning on telling anyone else,¡± Sell hurriedly clarified.
¡°I¡¯m just saying that if you end up wanting to tell someone, I support it. So don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Adion said.
¡°Okay, okay,¡± Sell smiled, ¡°But I won¡¯t.¡±
Adion continued walking and talking with Sell until they finally reached the small bar where they would watch the bard perform. Perk and Tib had suggested him to Adion when he asked them to look into it.
When they got inside, Adion and Sell picked a table in the back of the bar with a good view of the small stage and ordered some drinks.
¡°Are you actually choosing to drink beer?¡± Adion asked as Sell took a sip.
¡°It reminds me of our time in the Outskirts,¡± Sell said with a smile, ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t taste good, I like it.¡±
¡°That somehow makes sense,¡± Adion said, nodding. ¡°I remember how Sahra always used to take the seat next to you. It always made me so mad.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Sell laughed, ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice.¡±
¡°She knew I liked you,¡± Adion muttered, ¡°She would give me these annoying looks every time she did it. Like she was challenging me to do something about it.¡±
Sell laughed at the new information. ¡°That sounds like something she would do. But she always arranged for us to be together later on.¡±
¡°She did?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± Sell nodded with a smile, ¡°You didn¡¯t think it strange how we always ended up alone practicing together? The others were also training, but Sahra would just take me to you and then make up some kind of excuse to leave.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t know about that,¡± Adion said.
¡°Well, that was only in the beginning. After a while, I just went with you by myself and tried to avoid the others coming along. After that she changed and started teasing me about it instead,¡± Sell explained with a pout.
¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to thank her when I see her again,¡± Adion said.
¡°I can¡¯t help but miss her. All of them. It was such a fun time,¡± Sell said.
¡°It was,¡± Adion agreed, ¡°But I still like this better.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Sell agreed. ¡°But it would be nice to see them again.¡±
¡°We will,¡± Adion said, ¡°If they don¡¯t visit before we leave, I¡¯ll send a letter to Benji''s family letting them know to come find us on Quemer.¡±
¡°It would be fun to explore the Outskirts on Quemer together,¡± Sell said excitedly.
¡°It would,¡± Adion agreed.
Adion and Sell continued their conversation, talking about the past together and discovering things about each other that they never knew.
Eventually the bard came up on stage and sang a few songs. All of them were new to Adion, and even Sell hadn¡¯t heard all of them. Mostly it was songs about the Sages on Quemer, making Adion guess that the bard might be from there.
We should do this more often. Adion thought, glancing at the beautiful girl next to him. It¡¯s a shame we can¡¯t, or things would probably get far too obvious.
¡°Sell,¡± Adion said in a low voice as the bard finished his last song to loud cheers.
¡°What?¡± Sell looked into Adion¡¯s eyes and asked.
¡°What do you think would happen if our relationship actually came out?¡± Adion asked.
Sell looked to be contemplating the answer for a while before answering. ¡°My family would probably send people here to get me to leave. I wouldn¡¯t be willing, of course. But tensions would run high with both the Amyss and Hesfym family getting involved. I have no idea what the result would be now that you have the Headmaster to back you, but it would be messy. Sorry.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°It¡¯s only for a while, after all. I recently learned that the stages above the Pure Soul stage are called the Immortal stages. Since we¡¯re both going there, we will live for a very long time.¡±
¡°Wait, what? Who told you that? The Headmaster?¡± Sell asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.
¡°He did,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Does he know how to reach that stage? Has anyone done it before?¡± Sell asked.
¡°He knew a little, and apparently people have,¡± Adion answered, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go someplace else, and I¡¯ll tell you all about it?¡±
¡°Someplace else?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I wanted to give my gift to you someplace private, so I arranged a place in a park close to here,¡± Adion said.
¡°Right,¡± Sell said. She grabbed something from a small handbag she had with her and handed it to Adion, ¡°I got you a present too.¡±
She got me a present? It¡¯s a pocket watch¡
Adion looked at the pocket watch in his hand and couldn¡¯t help but feel that it was a lot more precious than even the pill he was planning on giving Sell.
¡°Do you like it?¡± Sell asked carefully.
¡°I love it,¡± Adion said, looking into Sell¡¯s eyes with a smile.
Sell looked away from him with a blush, smiling.
¡°Good,¡± Sell said.
¡°Now I just feel a little silly about my present,¡± Adion muttered.
Even if it¡¯s a priceless pill, I can¡¯t help but feel it¡¯s nowhere near as heartfelt as something like this.
¡°No, no, no,¡± Sell said, ¡°You already gave me this necklace. It¡¯s the most precious thing I¡¯ve ever gotten. I don¡¯t need anything else.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll still give it to you,¡± Adion said. ¡°But not here. Come on.¡±
Adion and Sell made their way out of the bar, and Adion led the way to the park that was located nearby. He had already taken a look at the place before letting Perk and Tib set everything up.
It wasn¡¯t a very big park, but it was more than large enough for them to be unseen by anyone on the streets surrounding it.
It had already gotten dark, and the park was usually closed at this time of the night. But Adion had managed to convince the people responsible to let him and Sell spend the night there with a few Vastro coins.
This is what money should be spent on. Adion thought as he was let inside the gate to the park by a guard standing outside.
¡°Did you rent the entire park?¡± Sell asked as they got inside.
¡°It was actually quite easy,¡± Adion said, ¡°And now we don¡¯t have to worry about anyone spying. My space sense reaches almost the entire park.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Sell said with a smile and grabbed Adion¡¯s hand.
Adion smiled back at her and led her to the center of the park. There was a big tree there with a blanket for them to sit on. There were also plenty of drinks and snacks.
¡°You set up all of this?¡± Sell asked in surprise.
¡°Well,¡± Adion said awkwardly, ¡°Technically, I had someone else set it up.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I still think it¡¯s a perfect gift.¡±
¡°Wait, what?¡± Adion questioned, ¡°This isn¡¯t the gift.¡±
¡°There¡¯s more?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s take a seat. I need to tell you something.¡±
¡°What do you need to tell me?¡± Sell asked, taking a seat on the blanket and looking at Adion attentively.
¡°I-¡± Adion¡¯s words got caught in his throat. He was beginning to fear that Sell would get mad at him for hiding something like this from her for so long.
I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll understand. Either way, I need to tell her about it.
Chapter 133 - Date II
¡°I¡I haven¡¯t been entirely honest with you, Sell,¡± Adion admitted, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t get mad. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t trust you, or didn¡¯t want to tell you. I just feared¡Well, it¡¯s something quite shocking. I wasn¡¯t sure how you would react.¡±
¡°What are you talking about, Adion?¡± Sell asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°The truth is that I still have a secret. One that no one knew about before I met my family and told them. Not even Sahra, Benji, Lomin, or Rufus managed to figure this one out,¡± Adion said, ¡°Remember that treasure I found that allowed me to keep control over fire?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Sell nodded.
¡°Well, the truth is, that treasure was actually a collection of pills. Pills that were made during the Age of Wonder, and were probably the most priced possession of the last sect master of the Celestial Phoenix Sect. The pill that gave me, what I call Authority, over fire, was the Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill. It was made from the blood of the Fire Phoenix and gave me the ability to control fire to a certain limit. But there was also a Celestial Phoenix Wisdom Pill, and that gave me Authority over space. Without that, I wouldn¡¯t come anywhere near my current abilities. Space is way too hard to conjure. The last of these pills was the Moonlight Panther Wisdom Pill, it worked pretty much the same, but for shadow, only to a slightly weaker effect.
¡°There were also bottles of Elixir of Life and healing pills made by the goddess Mesana. There were even pills called Grand Soul clarity Pills, making the trip through the Soul stages a lot easier. That pill is the reason my grandpa was able to advance, by the way.¡±
¡°These pills,¡± Sell muttered, ¡°You realize not even my family has anything close to this precious? With those pills¡¡±
¡°I have long realized that these are priceless treasures that I can¡¯t carelessly reveal,¡± Adion said with an awkward smile, ¡°I gave a Grand Soul Clarity to Fellion in return for teaching me, and his reaction made me become acutely aware that I should never take anything for granted. I think Fellion is very kind, wise, and fair, and I owe him a lot. But even with all that, I think there is a possibility he could cast all that aside and killed me had he seen all the pills I had.¡±
¡°That¡¯s probably true,¡± Sell nodded seriously, ¡°A thing like this. Adion, you can never tell the Headmaster, or anyone else for that matter. Not until you can protect it.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡±
¡°So¡You don¡¯t think I¡¯ll cast everything aside and rob you?¡± Sell asked with a small smile.
¡°Not for a second,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°And I had to tell you about it in order to give you this.¡±
Adion pulled out the Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill he had carried with him in his pocket.
¡°This is?¡± Sell asked, staring at the pill in Adion¡¯s hand.
¡°A Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill,¡± Adion said with a small laugh.
¡°There was more than one?¡± Sell asked, shocked.
¡°There was only one from the Celestial Phoenix, unfortunately. But there were five Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pills. I took one, and my family took one each. This is the last one.¡±
¡°And you¡¯re¡to me?¡± Sell asked, looking up from the pill to stare at Adion.
¡°Of course,¡± Adion said, ¡°You can¡¯t take more than one of these anyway.¡±
¡°Adion¡You don¡¯t want to save it? What if you need it for someone else? What if you regret it?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I¡¯ll never regret it,¡± Adion said with a smile, ¡°According to the Headmaster, Authority is what separates Immortals from Soul mages. He even thought my kind of Authority might be the kind of Authority that belongs to gods. So¡I thought you might want to see if we can become gods together?
¡°Gods?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Don¡¯t dare take on the challenge?¡± Adion teased.
Sell smiled brightly at Adion, ¡°Of course I do. But it doesn¡¯t sound even like a challenge somehow. When I hear you say it, it almost feels easy. It sounds fun.¡±
¡°Want to have some fun, then?¡± Adion asked, pushing the pill toward Sell.
¡°I do,¡± Sell nodded. She got on her knees and moved to the pill. But she didn¡¯t take it. She pushed Adion¡¯s hand away and put her face right in front of Adion¡¯s, looking into his eyes.
¡°I love you, Adion,¡± Sell said, leaning in to kiss him.
¡°I love you too, Sell,¡± Adion smiled more brightly than ever and kissed her.
After what felt like just a second, but must have been minutes, they pulled apart. Sell didn¡¯t move away, though. She put her head against Adion¡¯s chest and rested in his embrace.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Adion asked, looking down at Sell.
¡°I¡¯m listening to your heart. It¡¯s a nice sound,¡± Sell said in a low voice.
¡°What about the pill?¡± Adion asked with a small laugh, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take it?¡±
¡°Won¡¯t I need to focus on that then? I don¡¯t want to move. I¡¯ll take it later,¡± Sell said.
Adion smiled and put his chin to rest on Sell¡¯s head. ¡°Okay.¡±
Adion and Sell stayed like that for a long time, relishing every second of being close to each other.
Eventually, Adion finally spoke, ¡°Did you know that I saw you for the first time at that auction in Dorbarta?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Sell nodded softly, ¡°Why?¡±
¡°I just think, looking back at it, I fell in love with you right there,¡± Adion said.
Sell raised her head from Adion¡¯s chest and looked at him with a smile, ¡°Really? Was I so dashing?¡±
¡°You were,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°When I first saw you, I just thought you were silly and cute,¡± Sell said with a laugh.
¡°Cute?¡± Adion questioned, ¡°Surely you mean ¡®strikingly handsome?¡±
¡°Hahaha,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°Nope. Just cute. I still think you¡¯re cute.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know how I feel about that,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°Well, that¡¯s how it is,¡± Sell said with a smile, ¡°In particular your eyes. I always thought it cute how they revealed everything you were thinking.¡±
¡°My eyes reveal what I¡¯m thinking?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°I never told you?¡± Sell asked, ¡°I have always been very good at telling things from people¡¯s eyes. It¡¯s not always a sure thing, but it works a lot of the time.¡±
¡°That¡¯s how you always know¡¡± Adion muttered, ¡°That¡¯s cheating. Can you do that with anyone?¡±
¡°I can tell more than most people on almost anyone, but it works the best on you. Your eyes are my favorite,¡± Sell said.
¡°Your eyes are my favorite, too,¡± Adion said with a smile, ¡°Let me take a look and see if I can see something.¡±
Adion leaned close to look deep into Sell¡¯s eyes. But he couldn¡¯t really focus being so close.
¡°I see,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°What do you see?¡± Sell asked curiously.
¡°I can¡¯t tell what you¡¯re thinking. So it must be empty. Maybe you¡¯re stupid?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°I¡¯m not!¡±
Sell jumped on Adion and pushed him to the ground. ¡°You¡¯re just not as amazing as I am. Admit it.¡±
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¡°Never,¡± Adion grinned.
Sell gave Adion a quick kiss before pulling back, ¡°Admit it?¡±
¡°Okay, I admit it,¡± Adion immediately gave in. He raised his head to give Sell a deep kiss.
¡°I guess we can be equally amazing,¡± Sell said after breaking the kiss.
¡°Thank Ganta,¡± Adion said with relief, ¡°Because I was just bluffing.¡±
¡°You-¡± Sell jumped on Adion again.
After a wrestling match in which Adion gave Sell the victory, they both lay down to look up at the night sky. Adion had his arm around Sell, pulling her close.
¡°Want me to teach you some stars?¡± Sell asked.
Adion just wanted to listen to Sell talk, so even though he didn¡¯t see the point in the information, he agreed to be taught by her.
¡°That big one is Quimine, and the three right below are the sister stars Hursia, Julia, and Fersia,¡± Sell explained, pointing out three stars to Adion, ¡°It¡¯s part of the Gelemeian constellation. It is said that those sisters were once slaves, but through the grace of the spirit of the Quimine lake, they eventually became gods and ruled over the kingdom that once enslaved them for thousands of years.¡±
¡°Is that true?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sell said, ¡°I doubt anyone knows any of the stories of the stars are true. But it¡¯s still fascinating, don¡¯t you think?¡±
¡°I suppose,¡± Adion said, ¡°So the stars are old gods?¡±
¡°Not all of them,¡± Sell said, ¡°Maybe a star is something that is born when a particularly outstanding person dies.¡±
¡°How far away do you think they are? I wonder if you could fly there with enough power,¡± Adion said.
¡°Anything is possible, right?¡± Sell said.
¡°I really want to fly someday,¡± Adion sighed.
¡°That¡¯s right, you got to fly on Fellion¡¯s back. Is it really that amazing?¡± Sell asked.
¡°It¡¯s incredible,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll show you when I figure it out for myself.¡±
¡°But you¡¯re just a human. Would you be able to take me with you?¡± Sell questioned, ¡°We are different from beasts, after all.¡±
¡°If I can¡¯t, we¡¯ll just walk together,¡± Adion said, ¡°That seems nice too.¡±
Sell smiled at the answer and leaned in to kiss Adion again. And Adion was never one to refuse.
¡°I think it¡¯s beginning to get bright,¡± Sell said after breaking the kiss and looking up at the sky. It was still very dark, but hints of light were showing on the horizon.
¡°You should take the pill now,¡± Adion said, ¡°Before it gets too late.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Sell nodded. She got up to sit in a lotus position. ¡°What will it feel like?¡±
¡°It will feel like all the fire in the world is yours to control,¡± Adion said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s an unreal feeling. It¡¯s like you are all-powerful. It goes away after a while, and you will be left with just a part of it, so try to focus and enjoy the experience.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Sell nodded, slightly nervous.
Adion handed Sell the pill. She looked at it curiously for a second before popping into her mouth and swallowing it.
Adion observed her carefully. This was the only time besides Tib that he had seen the experience from outside.
He didn¡¯t notice anything at first, but after a few seconds, he thought he noticed an increase in fire mana around him. It was small at first, but it spread more and more. Adion started getting afraid that the grass and trees around him would light on fire if it continued.
Adion tried to take control of some of the fire mana but realized that it was impossible. No matter how much he pushed his Will, the fire mana around him wouldn¡¯t budge.
That might be a good thing. If it¡¯s under some sort of control due to Sell, it likely won¡¯t set anything on fire.
¡°Adion,¡± Sell''s low voice broke through Adion¡¯s thoughts. He turned to look at Sell, who was staring at him with wide eyes.
¡°You never said it would be so¡so,¡± Sell struggled to get the right words out.
¡°Awesome?¡± Adion suggested.
¡°Yeah,¡± Sell said with a small laugh.
¡°Try to conjure some fire,¡± Adion suggested.
Sell did as asked. She began with just a small flame, slowly increasing its size until it was about the size of Adion.
¡°Alright,¡± Adion said hesitantly, ¡°Maybe not so much.¡±
¡°I can control it,¡± Sell said, ¡°Even this big.¡±
¡°What?¡± Adion questioned. ¡°How?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sell muttered, ¡°It just lets me. The Will of the world doesn¡¯t fight me. I¡¯m almost all out of fire mana.¡±
Sell put the fire on the ground and let it spread. She still had control over it, though. It wasn¡¯t until the flame was about the size of a small building that it seemed to slip out of Sell¡¯s control.
¡°Haaah,¡± Sell sighed, ¡°I almost hoped that I didn¡¯t have a limit.¡±
¡°This is still absolutely amazing,¡± Adion said, ¡°I never thought you¡¯d gain this amount of Authority. Wait, first of all, put the fire out. This is bound to attract some attention.¡±
¡°Oh, you¡¯re right,¡± Sell said, hurriedly smothering the huge fire.
¡°We should get going,¡± Adion said, ¡°It might be that no one bothers to check, but better safe than sorry.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Sell said. They quickly made their way out of the park. Adion had his attention on the surroundings to make sure no one was sneaking up on them.
¡°It must be because you have a fire spark already, and perhaps because you are so close to fire,¡± Adion speculated.
But why, then, wouldn¡¯t it be implied to take the pill much later? Maybe it was just common sense back then.
¡°Or it could be some other reason,¡± Adion said, ¡°But it¡¯s still a very nice surprise.¡±
¡°Adion¡with this¡I feel so powerful!¡± Sell said excitedly.
¡°I think you could fight even most Gold mages without a problem,¡± Adion speculated, ¡°That amount of fire under your control, with your concepts, I don¡¯t see how someone could stand a chance.¡±
¡°I want to go train,¡± Sell said, ¡°But it¡¯s late. And where do I even train now? This would attract too much attention, even in a private fighting pit.¡±
¡°Well, you might not have to push it to the limit every time,¡± Adion said.
¡°But I want to,¡± Sell muttered.
Adion laughed, thinking Sell was really cute. ¡°Maybe we can take a trip sometime, far away from any people, and just train without worrying.¡±
¡°That sounds fun,¡± Sell said with a smile.
They got out of the park and onto the street again. Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t a crowd of people outside curious about the fire. Adion turned back and estimated that without being as close as he was, people probably wouldn¡¯t notice.
But the city is far from dead at night. Someone has for sure noticed. Oh, well, it¡¯s just a large fire. It doesn¡¯t prove anything. But we should still get going.
¡°Are you going back to the Academy, too?¡± Sell asked as they were making their way back.
¡°I thought I might spend the night at my grandpa¡¯s mansion,¡± Adion said, ¡°Do you want to come too? My grandpa has been asking to meet you.¡±
¡°Oh? I¡¡± Sell hesitated, her face turning red. ¡°O-Okay.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Adion nodded with a smile.
They continued walking leisurely through the city. The night was cool but not cold. Sell seemed a little nervous at first but lightened up as Adion talked about Authority and his thoughts and theories about it.
Eventually, they reached the Remori mansion. The Silver guard outside spotted Adion and Sell as they approached.
¡°Young master Adion?¡± The guard asked.
¡°I thought I¡¯d spend the night here. Is my grandfather up?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure. You¡¯ll have to ask Marli about that,¡± The guard answered.
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded and headed inside. Sell followed carefully a step behind him.
The guard gave Sell a look and turned to give Adion an approving nod with a slight grin as they passed him.
Oh. This might look strange if we are just supposed to be friends. I¡¯ll have to have Grandpa tell them an excuse and make sure nothing spreads.
It didn¡¯t take long for Marli to appear once they got inside the mansion.
She sure is diligent.
¡°Young master, I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d visit. Your grandfather has turned in for the night,¡± Marli said.
¡°Oh,¡± Adion said, ¡°I guess that¡¯s to be expected. I¡¯ll talk to him tomorrow then.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Marli nodded. She turned to look at Sell. ¡°Shall I arrange a room for the young lady?
¡°Well,¡± Adion was about to speak but was interrupted by Sell.
¡°Yes!¡± Sell said in a slightly panicky voice and hurried over to Marli. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Adion.¡±
Marli tried hard to suppress an amused smile, but she wasn¡¯t very successful.
¡°Right,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°Goodnight, Sell.¡±
I guess that¡¯s to be expected. Adion thought as he made his way to his room.
Well, I tried.
Chapter 134 - Filial
Finally. Adion thought as he opened his eyes. He had just finished his morning meditation and noticed that his core was now filled to the brim. He was ready to advance to middle Silver.
I¡¯ll wait for tomorrow to advance. No need to take any unnecessary risks and advance without a fully rested Will.
Besides, Sell might have gotten up already. I should go see if she wants to eat breakfast.
Adion got up from the carpet where he had been sitting while meditating and stepped out into the hallway. As he focused on his aura sense, he could tell that his grandfather was next to Sell in what should be the dining hall. He could release some space mana to get a clear picture of everything, but he didn¡¯t want to do that unless necessary when it concerned his family or friends. It felt wrong to spy on them without them knowing.
They are both up already? Why didn¡¯t anyone come get me?
Adion hurried his steps.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather¡¯s loud laughter reached him as he got close.
Adion entered the dining hall, where he spotted his grandfather sitting next to Sell by the dining table. The table was filled to the brim with all kinds of food and drinks.
¡°Thank you, Sell,¡± His grandfather said with a smile, ¡°I will keep that in my back pocket. That kid has gotten pretty cocky lately.¡±
¡°What did you tell him?¡± Adion asked Sell as he walked up to the table.
Sell turned around with a surprised expression, not having noticed Adion entering, ¡°Oh? I-¡±
¡°It was nothing,¡± His grandfather said, ¡°Take a seat, Adion.¡±
¡°Why didn¡¯t you call for me?¡± Adion asked his grandfather with a frown as he sat down next to Sell.
¡°I thought you could use the rest,¡± His grandfather answered with a small grin. ¡°And it gave me a chance to talk to Sell here. I can now see why you like her so much.¡±
Sell blushed slightly at his grandfather¡¯s words.
¡°Right,¡± Adion murmured. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s fine. I was able to meditate and fill my core to the brim. I will advance to middle Silver tomorrow.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Sell turned to Adion and asked.
¡°Really,¡± Adion nodded, smiling at her.
¡°Ganta, Adion,¡± His grandfather sighed. He couldn¡¯t help but smile, though. ¡°Will I ever get a break? Ever since I became a Soul mage, it feels like I¡¯m spending all day meeting people. Just as things were starting to calm down from you revealing your Silver strength, it is announced that you have become the disciple pf the Headmaster. And now you¡¯re going to advance yet again?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure people will get used to my achievements eventually,¡± Adion said with a smirk.
¡°See what I mean?¡± His grandfather asked Sell, prompting her to giggle.
¡°You should be a little more concerned about the weight on your grandfather¡¯s shoulders, Adion,¡± Sell said to Adion.
¡°What did you do?¡± Adion asked his grandfather with narrowed eyes.
¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± His grandfather said, shaking his head innocently, ¡°I am just lucky to have finally gained a filial granddaughter who sees my plight.¡±
Sell once again blushed at his grandfather¡¯s words.
¡°Didn¡¯t you get a Grand Soul Clarity Pill? Even a Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill? Surely I have been incredibly filial?¡± Adion challenged his grandfather with a small smile. He knew his grandfather wasn¡¯t actually ungrateful, but was just having some fun.
¡°What use are all those treasures if I don¡¯t have the time to use them?¡± His grandfather sighed remorsefully.
He does have a point¡It must be frustrating to be so close to growing stronger but not being able to do anything about it due to being busy all the time.
¡°You should hire some people. Get them to take an Oath and then handle the day-to-day for you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have more than enough money after the auction.¡± Adion suggested.
¡°Auction?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Another assignment my grandson has given me,¡± His grandfather said, closing his eyes as if he just remembered a great burden.
¡°Adion, aren¡¯t you laying too much on your grandfather?¡± Sell asked.
¡°You know he¡¯s only acting, right?¡± Adion questioned, ¡°He¡¯s thrilled at all the money the auction will bring to the Remori family.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± His grandfather nodded solemnly, ¡°In order to secure a bright future for my family, I must endure.¡± His grandfather rose from his seat. ¡°Time passes quickly, and I have to start attending today¡¯s guests.¡±
¡°So early?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Someone forgot to inform me of their visit,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather said while giving Adion a look. ¡°I hope you will come visit again soon, Sell. I will invite Aiden and Ailera and we can have a proper dinner together.¡±
¡°Oh, then I will. Thank you, Patriarch Remori,¡± Sell answered hesitantly.
¡°Call me, Grandpa,¡± Adion''s grandfather said with a smile.
¡°G-Grandpa,¡± Sell stuttered out with a blush.
¡°Haha!¡± His grandfather laughed happily, ¡°Good. Adion, even if you are making sure that I¡¯m working myself to the bone, I must admit you have done well with Sell here. Perhaps it won¡¯t be as long as I feared until we see the next generation Remori.¡±
With those words, Adion¡¯s grandfather left a speechless Adion and disappeared down the hall.
¡°Sorry about that,¡± Adion apologized to Sell awkwardly.
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Sell said with a smile, ¡°I like him. Your family is so nice, Adion.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Grandpa?¡± Adion asked with a grin, bringing his face closer to Sell. ¡°It¡¯s your family too.¡±
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.Adion kissed the flustered Sell on the lips.
It would be fantastic if every morning could start like this.
Adion and Sell enjoyed their breakfast together. Sell told Adion that she had only talked with his grandfather for 20 minutes or so before he arrived. His grandfather knew that Adion was planning on telling Sell everything and even giving her a Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill, so he hadn¡¯t been surprised when Sell told him he had taken it the night before.
His grandfather had yet to do so, so was curious what it was like. He wanted to be able to take the pill and contemplate its powers in peace, so he was postponing it until things settled down more.
After they finished eating, Sell and Adion decided to head to the Academy to practice together. They were both eager to increase their strength. Sell went to change her clothes quickly before leaving. Adion had asked Marli to arrange for some clothes for Sell train in. The dress she had worn the day before wouldn¡¯t do, after all.
¡°You shouldn¡¯t be too far away from peak Bronze, right?¡± Adion asked as they got into a carriage they had rented to take them to the Academy
¡°I¡¯m very close,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°Only a few days more, a week at most. But from now on, I will advance at a much quicker pace.¡±
¡°Oh? Because of your Authority?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Do you notice a difference?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure if my Authority makes it easier to control fire mana,¡± Sell said, ¡°I didn¡¯t have a very good focus this morning when I was meditating. But the fact that I can keep a fire burning without the Will of the world interfering will give me plenty of fire mana to work with. Now I don¡¯t need to constantly keep beast cores around.¡±
Right. Not everyone can be fortunate enough to constantly have the mana of their core available around them.
¡°By the way, what is this auction you and your grandfather were talking about?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I have decided to sell an Elixir of Life,¡± Adion revealed, ¡°I don¡¯t really need it, and I know that it will sell for a fortune. So my grandpa has contacted the Appos Auction House about it. It will be the main event of the upcoming auction.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t imagine the commotion this will cause,¡± Sell said, ¡°Won¡¯t your grandfather get in trouble? I¡¯m sure a lot of people will be looking into him after this.¡±
¡°His identity will be kept a secret,¡± Adion answered, ¡°The Appos Auction House has a reputation to uphold, after all. But even if it is somehow revealed, he has thought up a good excuse for how he got his hands on it.¡±
¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t get out,¡± Sell murmured, ¡°Even with a good excuse, the fact that it¡¯s your family we are talking about could make people look more closely than we want. People might think you have more treasures, and that is why you are so strong.¡±
¡°There is always a risk,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But I think it will be worth it. An extra Elixir of Life doesn¡¯t give me anything, but the wealth gained from selling one will open up a lot of options.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Sell nodded. She then looked at Adion with a smile, ¡°The auction is bound to get lively. Are you planning on going there?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°Do you want to come with me?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Sell answered excitedly.
¡°By the way,¡± Adion said, ¡°Do you think an Elixir of Life or Grand Soul Clarity Pill would work as a bribe to the Amyss and Hesfym families?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I just thought that maybe we could buy their consent to us being together,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ve actually thought about it for a long time. It¡¯s just that I had no way of making the offer. I also wouldn¡¯t have had any way to guarantee them upholding the agreement.
¡°Now it is a little different, as I am a Noble and even the disciple of the Headmaster. But there are still a lot of problems. It would reveal that I have those things, what¡¯s to say I don¡¯t have more? It could invite all sorts of trouble. The Headmaster might take them for himself if I asked for his help. But if it¡¯s you doing the talking, your family might agree. You wouldn¡¯t have to say those things came from me.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t like that,¡± Sell said with a frown, ¡°I don¡¯t want your treasures to go into their hands.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t like that either,¡± Adion said with a small smile, ¡°But it would be worth it if everything could be resolved that easily.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll think about it, I guess,¡± Sell said, ¡°But I don¡¯t think it would do any good. My family would just want to use me to get more of those treasures. And I have no faith in them not going back on their words and sticking to their previous arrangements even after receiving those treasures.¡±
¡°I guess it¡¯s a little too risky,¡± Adion sighed.
¡°I think so,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°But does it really matter? We already have our plan. We just have work hard until we get to Quemer. Once there, we will be free from the Amyss and Hesym families.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°And I guess it really would rub me the wrong way if that Hesfym guy got his hands on my treasures.¡±
Adion and Sell eventually arrived at the arena. They had taken the carriage the whole way, so it was a relatively quick journey. They rented out a private fighting pit without issue and headed inside.
¡°I guess you might want to focus on your fire today?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Sell nodded excitedly, ¡°Is that okay?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Adion smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll just focus on my space powers.¡±
Adion took a seat on the ground while Sell conjured a small flame to play around with. Adion started grabbing hold of some space using his Authority. He wanted to get an exact sense of the amount of space he could keep under his control.
He was planning on seeing if he could actually increase his Authority permanently by going into that focused state he had been in when he was meeting with the Headmaster.
Adion wasn¡¯t allowed to focus for long, though, as he felt someone approach the fighting pit. The person was extremely fast, and it didn¡¯t take long before Adion felt them atop of the surrounding wall.
¡°Headmaster?¡± Adion asked as he sensed the cloud-like area where his Authority couldn¡¯t take hold.
¡°It¡¯s really annoying that I can¡¯t sneak up on you,¡± The Headmaster grumbled as he revealed himself in front of Adion.
I wonder if he can teach me that. It seems really convenient to turn invisible.
Sell had immediately put out her fire when she noticed the Headmaster. She bowed respectfully toward him. Adion did the same.
¡°You two didn¡¯t have enough fun last night?¡± The Headmaster asked.
¡°Er,¡± Adion hesitated.
¡°I would think our little talk would at least make you somewhat more careful in your relationship,¡± The Headmaster said with a stern look. ¡°But you actually spent the whole day glued to each other¡¯s hips? The day after I announced you were my disciple and everyone had their eyes on you? You even went home together?¡±
Sell blushed slightly and looked to the ground.
¡°Are you spying on me?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Everyone is spying on everyone,¡± The Headmaster said irritably, ¡°I thought you were smart enough to realize that.¡±
¡°Well, we didn¡¯t do anything inappropriate,¡± Adion defended, ¡°We were just spending time together as friends.¡±
The Headmaster looked up at the sky and closed his eyes. ¡°Calm down, Vermon,¡± The Headmaster said to himself in a low voice, ¡°They are just children.¡±
Sell and Adion shared a confusing look.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± The Headmaster sighed, ¡°I came to have a talk with you about how everything will pan out going forward, Adion. Let¡¯s head to my office. I¡¯ll take you to the Scrolls after that so you can join them.¡±
¡°Oh, okay,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Can Sell come? She¡¯s going to join them too.¡±
¡°Are you going to fight me again if I say no?¡± The Headmaster asked with a raised eyebrow.
¡°Er, no?¡± Adion answered.
Sell was looking at Adion in shock at the Headmaster¡¯s words.
¡°I guess you might as well be there,¡± The Headmaster said, looking at Sell, ¡°It will give me a chance to scold you too.¡±
Chapter 135 - Gerilym
¡°Take a seat,¡± The Headmaster told Adion and Sell as they entered his office. It was a different office from the one Adion had visited before, though, located much lower in the Tower of Cyalis.
Adion and Sell sat down next to each other, facing the Headmaster, who sat down behind his desk.
¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have much time at the moment, so let¡¯s make this quick. Have you told her the plan?¡± The Headmaster asked Adion.
¡°I have told her everything, Headmaster?¡± Adion answered.
¡°Everything, as in¡¡± The Headmaster looked at Adion questioningly.
¡°As in absolutely everything, including my space powers and Authority,¡± Adion answered. He thought he should make it clear so that the Headmaster wouldn¡¯t talk about everything in circles.
¡°I should have guessed,¡± The Headmaster murmured with a displeased expression.
¡°I have known for a very long time, Headmaster,¡± Sell spoke up, ¡°Adion and I are used to sharing everything. I hope you won¡¯t be mad if he shared anything you thought he should keep a secret.¡±
¡°How very moving,¡± The Headmaster said, rolling his eyes, ¡°I hope you are better at keeping secrets than your ability to hide your relationship.¡±
¡°I know we have been with each other a lot,¡± Sell said with a slightly nervous voice, ¡°But we really haven¡¯t done anything in public that would suggest we are more than friends.¡±
¡°Nothing that would suggest that you are more than friends?¡± The Headmaster questioned, ¡°I would disagree. I think the way you two have been behaving has strongly suggested something more than friendship. And I¡¯m not alone. I¡¯ve asked some of my people to investigate you two, without giving them any information, of course. They all came to the conclusion that you two are secretly in a relationship. So? Do you think that is a coincidence? Or has your behavior perhaps suggested something more than friendship after all?¡±
Sell looked a little stumped at the Headmaster¡¯s words.
¡°I can understand that people would come to that conclusion,¡± Adion said, ¡°But did anyone offer any evidence? Without evidence, it¡¯s all speculation. I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s anything to worry about.¡±
¡°What do you think evidence is? Let me tell you that if someone from the Amyss or Hesfym family catches wind of what¡¯s going on and decides to do the same kind of investigation I did, they would receive the same answer. They wouldn¡¯t need more than that to be sure of what¡¯s going on.¡± The Headmaster answered.
¡°Do you think they will do something like that?¡± Adion asked hesitantly.
¡°If you continue broadcasting your relationship like you have, then I¡¯m sure of it,¡± The Headmaster nodded.
¡°What would happen if they find out?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± The Headmaster shook his head with a sigh, ¡°I haven¡¯t been involved in the politics of Shiora for a long time, so I don¡¯t know how far they will go if they get to know about your relationship. They wouldn¡¯t be able to get Sellitha out of the Academy against my will, but they could cause plenty of problems in other ways. The plan of bringing you two to Quemer would suddenly become a lot more complicated.¡±
¡°Then what do you suggest we do?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Stay away from each other until it¡¯s time to leave for Quemer would be great,¡± The Headmaster suggested.
Adion was about to object to that idea, but the Headmaster waved him down.
¡°I know, I know,¡± The Headmaster sighed, ¡°You can continue to see each other. But please be aware that there are always people watching, and they are not stupid. There surely isn¡¯t a need to flirt so openly every single opportunity you get?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if we do that,¡± Adion murmured.
¡°I have a list of the occasions if you¡¯re interested,¡± The Headmaster countered.
¡°No need, I get it,¡± Adion said.
I guess we have been acting pretty carefree.
¡°Good,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°I hope you will keep it in mind going forward. Now, let¡¯s get on with the other matters. I have informed the Head of the Scrolls, Dorsia Tryelli, about your plans to join them. She will be personally guiding you two so you can can get acquainted with the House. Remember to try to make a good impression on the other students there, it would be good if you could take over as Head as soon as possible, and that won¡¯t happen if nobody likes you.¡±
¡°Why wouldn¡¯t people like me?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°You¡¯re not very likable,¡± The Headmaster answered with a straight face.
¡°I¡¯m not?¡± Adion turned to ask Sell.
¡°You¡¯re very likable,¡± Sell refuted the Headmaster¡¯s words.
¡°Of course, he is to you,¡± The Headmaster scoffed, ¡°To others, not so much. Well, it¡¯s not a big problem, just keep it in mind. Anyway, going forward, you should focus your time on studies and training while getting involved in the Scrolls as much as you can, you don¡¯t have a lot of time if you want it to reach rank 1.¡±
¡°How exactly do Houses climb ranks?¡± Adion asked.
¡°We can go over that later,¡± The Headmaster said, seemingly in a bit of a hurry, ¡°Just focus on becoming a good fighter and gaining knowledge for now. I will sign you up for my aura class, it will be useful even for you, and I can take time to train you after each class. I will also make time for you after my class in concepts and once more every week after your class in runes. Make sure you don¡¯t forget. I don¡¯t want to run around looking for you every time. I also have some resources prepared for you. I will have them sent to your dorms, your new dorms, that is.¡±
The Headmaster looked around his desk for a while before finding the paper he was looking for. He handed the paper to Adion and explained, ¡°I took the liberty of moving you closer to here. It¡¯s a nice place, I¡¯m sure you will like it.¡±
This is in the Old Academy. It does seem nice. This would allow me to train my space powers a little more freely without roommates to worry about.
¡°Thank you, Headmaster,¡± Adion said, bowing his head slightly.
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Getting private lessons from a Pure Soul mage¡I didn¡¯t even think about that perk when I accepted becoming his disciple.
¡°Move over as soon as you can,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°And make use of the resources I will send you. The stronger you get, the better.¡±
¡°Resources,¡± Adion murmured, ¡°What resources?¡±
¡°Pills and elixirs,¡± The Headmaster shrugged, ¡° A few books and spells that might be useful. You can let me know what you need during our lessons.¡±
¡°You¡¯re just giving them to me?¡± Adion asked, surprised.
The Headmaster looked at Adion with a confused expression. ¡°You¡¯re my disciple. Obviously, I¡¯ll do my best to make sure you increase your strength.¡±
I guess I never really thought of myself as his actual disciple. I just imagined this was a deal. My knowledge of Authority in return for his protection.
I need to make sure I can live up to his expectations. That shouldn¡¯t be very difficult. If I perform well and grow strong, the Headmaster will look good.
¡°I¡¯ll make sure the Scrolls climb to number 1,¡± Adion said with a resolute face.
¡°Hehe,¡± The Headmaster chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you motivated. Now go. I have some business to attend to. Do you know where the House of the Scrolls is located?¡±
Adion didn¡¯t know, but fortunately, he was with Sell.
¡°I know where it is, Headmaster,¡± Sell said.
¡°Good,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°Off you go.¡±
Adion and Sell got up from their seats and bowed to the Headmaster. They left the Tower of Cyalis together, with Sell leading the way.
¡°You were right about the Headmaster,¡± Sell said as they were walking, ¡°His eyes seem pretty genuine.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± Adion said, ¡°I actually didn¡¯t think that being his disciple would help me so much more than his protection. Hopefully, I can make it worth it to him.¡±
¡°If you take the Scrolls to rank 1, you would have done more than enough,¡± Sell said, ¡°Having a disciple is mainly about reputation, after all.¡±
¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯m just not sure how much he actually cares about that. He¡¯s already the most respected man on the continent. I suppose it would be nice if we could perform well on Quemer, he seems to care a lot about that.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s do our best,¡± Sell smiled, ¡°And who knows, he might be able to become an Immortal because of your help. If that happens, I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t have any complaints no matter what you do.¡±
¡°I should do my best then,¡± Adion said, ¡°It would be a very good situation for me too if he advanced. His protection would be a lot more valuable. And he might even be able to get rid of that Hesfym guy for us.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s not get our hopes too high, though,¡± Sell said with an amused smile, ¡°Becoming an Immortal can¡¯t be easy.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s do our best and focus on the here and now.¡±
¡ª
I have a bad feeling about this. This troublesome disciple of mine better not have done anything even more stupid than I¡¯m already aware of. Vermon thought to himself as he stared at the old elf who had just stepped inside his office.
¡°Headmaster Vermon,¡± The old Soul mage said with a bow, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. You might not remember me, but I was a student here a long time ago and had the pleasure of taking a class of yours. Thank you for taking the time to see me.¡±
¡°Gerilym Hesfym,¡± Vermon murmured, scrutinizing the man in front of him. ¡°How could I forget? It¡¯s far from every student of mine who has what it takes to reach the Soul stage. Why don¡¯t you take a seat?¡±
¡°Thank you, Headmaster,¡± Gerilym said, rising from his bow walk toward the chair in front of Vermon¡¯s desk.
¡°It¡¯s very unusual for a Soul mage to request passage into the Academy, even more so for them to request a meeting with me. So tell me, what can I do for you?¡± Vermon asked.
¡°I really didn¡¯t want to bother you with something like this, Headmaster,¡± Gerilym said with an awkward smile, ¡°But it turns out that you have just accepted Adion Remori as your disciple. That makes this matter somewhat more complicated than I had originally thought.¡±
¡°How so?¡± Vermon asked.
¡°The Hesfym family received some worrying news, that Sellitha Amyss is in a relationship with your newly accepted disciple. As you know, she is engaged to be married to Lord Termeth Hesfym, so that isn¡¯t an acceptable situation,¡± Gerilym calmly explained.
As I thought. But how in Ganta did they receive word so quickly? They are even taking it seriously enough to send a Soul mage¡I feel like I¡¯m missing something here.
I know the Shields could very well send information about the rumors going around. But that shouldn¡¯t warrant a Soul mage requesting to see me. As much as Sellitha and Adion have been careless, they really haven¡¯t done anything too outrageous.
I can lie to him and perhaps clear any suspicion, but there are many others he can ask who cannot get away with lying. I should be careful with what I say.
¡°I¡¯ve heard those rumors as well,¡± Vermon said, ¡°But they appear to just be friends to my eyes. They are both the most talented students in their year, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange for them to spend time together. What exactly have you heard that makes you suspect they are in a relationship?¡±
¡°A trusted source is sure of the relationship,¡± Gerilym calmly stated.
Who is this trusted source? How could they be sure?
¡°Very well,¡± Vermon nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my disciple.¡±
¡°If the Headmaster could make sure this all ends here, I would be most grateful,¡± Gerilym said with a smile.
Well, this sure is a headache.
¡°If there is something going on, I will deal with it,¡± Vermon said, ¡°But it¡¯s not like I can forbid them from spending time together. And that might result in rumors, as it often does.¡±
¡°Well, I would appreciate if your disciple could spend more of his time on his studies,¡± Gerilym said, ¡°But I won¡¯t overstep my bounds. As long as their relationship stops here, we won¡¯t need to sour our relationship with the Academy.¡±
Those words are a lot more threatening than I would have thought the Hesfym family would dare utter. There is something strange going on here.
¡°Forgive me for not taking your word for it, Gerilym, but if there is something going on, I will make sure it ends,¡± Vermon said, ¡°But you better be able to back up your claim next time.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Gerilym chuckled, ¡°I didn¡¯t wish to make a scene. But if you want me to back up my claim, why don¡¯t we call the two here and ask them about it? I¡¯m sure everything will be clear.¡±
¡°You are so confident?¡± Vermon asked.
¡°We could make a bet of it,¡± Gerilym suggested with a slight smile.
He really knows. But how?
¡°No need, I can see that you are certain,¡± Vermon said, shaking his head, ¡°I¡¯ll put an end to it. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just a crush that will pass soon.¡±
¡°I¡¯m relieved,¡± Gerilym smiled.
This will be slightly problematic. Vermon thought as he watched Gerilym leave. If I don¡¯t know how they became so sure, I won¡¯t be able to stop it a second time. I¡¯m guessing they will involve the Amyss family at that time, and I will have a whole lot more trouble on my table.
I need to tell Adion about this. But will that stubborn disciple listen to reason?
Chapter 136 - Scrolls
¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Sell said as she pointed to the building further down the small road.
This place feels very tranquil. It¡¯s slightly secluded, and someone must have given a lot of thought to the surrounding landscape.
The House of the Scrolls reminded Adion of the Old Library, if only smaller. There was also a huge crest above the large door between two marble pillars. It unsurprisingly depicted a scroll, representing the House. There were a lot of trees and beds of flowers in the area, and Adion didn¡¯t spot many students walking around.
It might have been a library at some point. I expect the Scrolls to have plenty of books.
Adion and Sell had to step up a wide but low staircase to get to the door. Just outside the door, two students were sitting opposite each other at a small table. They were playing cards.
They both turned to look at Sell and Adion as they noticed someone approaching them.
¡°You must be Adion, right?¡± One of the students, a 2nd-year student with short brown hair, asked Adion with a friendly smile.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°I¡¯m Erfin. I heard you would be showing up. I¡¯m glad to have you join us. I bet all the other Houses will be seething when they hear about it,¡± Erfin said with a small laugh.
¡°Right,¡± Adion said with a slight smile, ¡°Well, I¡¯m not really sure about the process, but we are both here to join the Scrolls.¡±
¡°Of course, of course,¡± Erfin said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get Dorsia for you.¡±
With those words, Erfin turned around and ran inside.
¡°Want to play some cards?¡± The other student still there asked. He had long black hair tied up in a sloppy bun. He was still sitting by the small table and seemed to almost look at them with a pleading gaze.
Adion turned to look at Sell questioningly, but she just shrugged in response.
I should keep the Headmaster¡¯s words in mind and be friendly when I can.
¡°Okay,¡± Adion nodded and went up to the small table, ¡°I¡¯m Adion Remori, by the way. This is Sellitha Amyss. We¡¯ll both be joining the Scrolls.¡±
¡°Good to have you. I¡¯m Ohem,¡± Ohem said as he began shuffling the cards.
Adion felt that he was a 4th year and already a Silver mage, something very impressive considering the new year had just started.
I wonder why someone like him is just sitting here playing cards?
Adion turned to Sell and asked, ¡°Do you want to play too?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll just watch,¡± Sell said with an amused smile.
¡°What do you want to play? Sailor¡¯s luck? That¡¯s the best card game, so surely you¡¯re down?¡± Ohem asked Adion.
¡°Er,¡± Adion hesitated. Ohem was looking at him expectedly with bright green eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I know the rules.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s it,¡± Ohem nodded in understanding, ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll teach you. We begin with five cards each. I will also lay down ten cards face down on the table. The goal of the game is to match¡¡± Ohem rambled on the rules of the game, which were a lot more complicated than the game he had played with his siblings. He still agreed to give it a try after a brief explanation, though.
But before they could finish a single game, Erfin came back with Dorsia.
¡°Adion?¡± Dorsia asked. Adion turned around to look at the girl with curly brown hair and an amused smile on her lips.
¡°Head Dorsia,¡± Adion got up from his seat and greeted respectfully. Sell stepped up next to Adion and did the same.
¡°No need for formalities. We try to avoid them when we can here in the Scrolls,¡± Dorsia said with a smile, looking Adion and Sell up and down. ¡°You must be Sellitha, right? Are you here to join us as well?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Sell nodded.
¡°I¡¯m very happy to have you both. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to get both the rank 1 and 2 students without even approaching them. I guess I¡¯m a lot smarter than I thought!¡± Dorsia said and started laughing.
Adion and Sell turned to look at each other in confusion.
¡°I¡¯m joking, I¡¯m joking,¡± Dorsia said, waving her hand, ¡°I know you¡¯re not here because of anything I did. Anyway, come with me, and I¡¯ll show you around.¡±
¡°Alright, thanks,¡± Adion nodded. He then turned to Ohem and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯ll have to leave the card game for another day.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ohem said, ¡°I remember the state of the game. I¡¯ll come find you later so we can finish.¡±
Oh¡I didn¡¯t think we were actually finishing it.
Sell seemed to know what he was thinking as she was looking at him while holding back her laughter.
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Dorsia said and Sell and Adion inside.
Adion arrived in a large hall. At the end of it, Adion saw what he assumed was some kind of reception. But the feeling wasn¡¯t as stale as he had come to expect from a place like this. There were several other students around. They were playing chess, reading, writing, or just talking with friends. There were several comfy-looking sofas where you could sit down and spend time with your fellow House members.
¡°This is a much nicer place than the House of the Soaring Souls,¡± Sell commented. ¡°Even if they have a bigger building and more facilities, I would much rather spend my time in a place like this.¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad you feel that way,¡± Dorsia said while like back at Sell with a friendly smile. ¡°We have tried to focus on creating an environment suitable for relaxation, where you can easily find peace and quiet to think, or easily reach out to an older member for help. We have training facilities as well, of course, and we acknowledge the need for fighting abilities, but we spend a lot more of our focus on getting there through studies, discussion, and contemplation.
¡°This environment might not make us as feisty as the Raindrops in a fight, but I would dare say we have the most evolved concepts out of any House. I believe that is greatly attributed to the peaceful environment we have cultivated. A stressful House can definitely work well for certain things, but I believe it hurts more than it helps.¡±
Grasping a concept is probably possible by being pushed and pressured, but I know it is also possible with quiet contemplation. I must say, I prefer the second choice.
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Dorsia kept taking them around, floor by floor, and explaining the purpose of each room and research facility. When they got to the library, Adion had a question pop up in his mind.
¡°Can you read everything here for free?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No,¡± Dorsia shook her head, ¡°Some books are available for everyone and don¡¯t cost anything, but the vast majority of books you have to pay credits to read.¡±
Adion frowned slightly at that answer and asked, ¡°I thought the purpose of joining a House was so you wouldn¡¯t have to have a vast amount of credits in order to gain knowledge or access to facilities?¡±
¡°Well, we have our own way of doing things,¡± Dorsia said, ¡°And I¡¯m sure many other Houses have a similar structure. I think it works very well.¡±
¡°What¡¯s your way of doing things?¡± Sell asked.
¡°To be a member of the Scrolls, you only need to pay 10 credits every week, regardless of what your rank is,¡± Dorsia explained, ¡°So you two would barely notice it. What¡¯s more, those credits can be used on any service our House has to offer, whether it is books, training facilities, or help with your studies, it¡¯s up to you. So in a way, you¡¯re not losing anything.
¡°There are, of course, things available that you wouldn¡¯t be able to afford with just 10 credits a week, such as certain valuable information or rare books. And if you want to receive help for one of your classes from someone like me, that would cost you a fortune, but everything is available.
¡°The benefit of doing things this way is that the credits don¡¯t disappear, but end up with the House. The House can then use the credits for more resources for its members. In a way, spending your credits here doubles their value to you.
¡°Instead of paying credits to rent a private fighting pit by the arena, use the credits to rent one here. You don¡¯t lose anything, and the House you are part of gets the chance to grow stronger. We could make everything free, but we would stagnate before long. We need a lot of credits to function. If you ever get a job here in administration, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see how every small thing adds up.
¡°A lot of services are still free, though. We can¡¯t demand credits for every single service. We wouldn¡¯t be much use then, would we? And should someone be in desperate need of something that costs more credits than they can afford but would help them pass a class or climb a rank, we usually find a way to solve it.¡±
¡°That makes a lot of sense,¡± Adion said. He also felt it was a fair way of doing things. With this, he wouldn¡¯t have to give away more credits than anyone else just because he received a lot of them from the Academy.
¡°There are also bonuses if you contribute a lot,¡± Dorsia added with a meaningful smile.
¡°Oh?¡± Adion looked at Dorsia curiously.
¡°I¡¯m sure you two won¡¯t be happy with remaining low in the hierarchy of the Scrolls for long, and should you contribute a lot of credits, you will find yourselves in the Scrolls council eventually. I wouldn¡¯t even be surprised if you managed to become Head one day.¡±
That is something I have to do.
¡°How do you join the Scrolls council?¡± Adion asked.
¡°That¡¯s the thing,¡± Dorsia said with a smile, ¡°It is a complicated process to determine who is the most worthy. After all, you have to take into account so many different things, fighting prowess and knowledge are just a few of them, and there are many things to consider just with that. Fortunately, the Academy already has a perfect system in place to determine who the people most suitable are. Credits. If you have more credits than someone else, you have done something the Academy values more than that person. Thus, the ten people who have contributed the most credits to the House get a seat in the Scrolls council. And there are a lot of things you get access to there without having to think as much about credits. So I hope to see you two start spending,¡± Dorsia finished explaining with a small laugh.
Adion turned to look at Sell. She smiled and nodded.
¡°That¡¯s a cute mind-reading thing you got going there,¡± Dorsia commented with a smile.
Adion noticed that Sell tried to control her expression, but she couldn¡¯t stop a slight blush from slipping through.
¡°Unfortunately, it only goes one way,¡± Adion said with a shrug, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m very interested in the Scrolls council, so I guess I¡¯ll be spending some credits. Do you have any suggestions?¡±
¡°I spent most of mine on books,¡± Dorsia said. Unfortunately, we can¡¯t compare the Academy¡¯s library, so I had to spend a lot of my credits there. But you should make sure you look through the books and scrolls here first. But I know you are a fighter, so let me show you some of our training facilities.¡±
Sell and Adion followed Dorsia as she led the way.
¡°I¡¯m also interested in runes,¡± Adion commented, ¡°And in anything related to inexplicable magic, such as Words of Truth and Gifts. Do you know how I could learn more about that?¡±
¡°I could suggest a few books to you,¡± Dorsia agreed, ¡°We also have a lot of members proficient in runes. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be more than willing to help you in exchange for some credits. But then again, I guess you are the Headmaster¡¯s disciple. You might get everything you need from him. But he must be a busy man, and you have a lot of credits to spend, so I would still take the opportunity.¡±
¡°How does that work in terms of my contribution?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Anyone exchanging credits within the House has to pay a part of it to the House. How much depends on the service. But the whole amount will work toward your contribution. Don¡¯t try to abuse the system, though. We register everything carefully, and it is easy to spot when something isn¡¯t right. The punishment is quite severe, so don¡¯t even try.¡± Dorsia warned.
Adion could see how it would be easy to abuse, so he trusted Dorsia¡¯s words that they had a handle on it.
It might be worth giving it a try. This place is bound to be filled with knowledgeable people, and the Headmaster can¡¯t teach me everything. As long as I have the credits, I don¡¯t see why not. And I will have to spend a lot of my credits here if I want to reach the top of the House.
¡°By the way, Dorsia,¡± Adion said as they stepped outside, ¡°Do you have any plans on rising the rank of the Scrolls?¡±
Dorsia gave Adion an awkward smile, ¡°If only it were that easy. Of course, I want to. Everyone does. But just keeping our position as fourth takes a lot of effort. We recently climbed from fifth just a few years ago, so we will need some time to stabilize. There might be a chance next year, however. With the Soaring Souls and the Shields going to war with each other, they are bound to spend a lot of credits in the upcoming House Clash. If they are careless and spend too much of their credits, they will be weakened and at risk of dropping in the rankings.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the House Clash? Is that where the rankings of the Houses are decided?¡± Adion asked.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Dorsia nodded, ¡°It is a sort of competition that differs slightly every year. But it always puts a great focus on fighting abilities, which is why all the Houses have to do the same if they want to do well. But there are other important areas where you need to do well. Runes and Alchemy are always featured in some way, for example.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion nodded. ¡°So, I guess that excelling in many areas is a good strategy.¡±
¡°Yes and no,¡± Dorsia said, ¡°While it is obviously good to have a lot of areas of expertise, you don¡¯t want to have that at the cost of truly being the best in any one area. Getting first place in the fighting section, and scoring zero on everything else, is worth a lot more than placing average in everything.¡±
¡°That complicates things a little. I can see how there are many ways to approach it. Is there anywhere you can read about previous House Clashes?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Sure,¡± Dorsia said, ¡°I can show you later. I always encourage our members to study previous clashes.¡±
¡°You said something about spending credits in the Clash,¡± Adion said, ¡°What exactly does that mean?¡±
¡°With enough credits, you can make anything happen at the Academy,¡± Dorsia said with a small smile, ¡°That includes influencing the House Clash. All the top-ranked Houses need to save up a lot of credits every year in order to gain an advantage. The question is how much you should spend, and on what. A lot of thinking goes into it. Last year, we spent about 40 percent of all the credits we received that year in order to keep our position at rank 4. We can probably get away with spending slightly less this year, though, as we have gotten stronger overall.
¡°But you never know for sure. It is a silent war every year. No one knows if a House will suddenly up their investment in order to climb a rank.¡±
So that¡¯s why she said the Shields and Soaring Souls can¡¯t be careless. If they spend all their credits, they will be a lot weaker going forward.
I have to study this deeply if I want to take the Scrolls to rank 1 in the future.
Chapter 137 - Cards
Lost it again.
Adion put a hand on his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
¡°How long did it take this time?¡± Adion turned to Sell and asked.
Sell was sitting a bit away from Adion, staring intently at the fire she had conjured. Adion could feel its heat even at a distance. She didn¡¯t look up from her fire as she answered, ¡°About 30 minutes, I think.¡±
Adion picked up his pocketwatch and noted that Sell¡¯s estimate was pretty accurate.
That should be it for today, then. It just gets harder and harder to focus.
It had been almost two weeks since Adion¡¯s first attempt at pushing his Authority in the Headmaster¡¯s office. He now spent some time every day attempting to get into that state of focus that allowed him to control a lot more space than he should.
It was quite an arduous process. Adion had thought that the 10 minutes it took to enter that state in the Headmaster¡¯s office was the most amount of time it would ever take him, but he was sorely mistaken. Most days, it would take him over 20 minutes before he managed to focus enough to increase his Authority temporarily. And he didn¡¯t see himself getting quicker any time soon.
It didn¡¯t always take him that long, though. Three days ago, he managed to get into the right state of mind in just over 6 minutes.
I suppose it doesn¡¯t really matter how long it takes me unless I¡¯m in danger. But if I¡¯m in danger, I probably won¡¯t have many seconds to act. How much will I have to practice until I can get to that level?
Oh, well. Only one way to find out. What¡¯s most important right now is to increase the amount of time I can hold onto that focus without slipping.
The more space I can grab when I¡¯m in that state of mind, the more my Authority increases.
Adion had noticed that the amount of space he could control did indeed increase every time he managed to enter that focused state. It wasn¡¯t by a lot, but it was hundreds of times faster than his previous method of conjuring space and pushing it into the space he held Authority over.
I believe this is also greatly tempering my Will. Not only does it feel like my Will becomes stronger, it somehow becomes sharper. I¡¯m not sure what the difference is, but I feel like there is something important to discover here.
¡°Alright, I have to go,¡± Sell said, standing up. They were in a private fighting pit that they had rented from the Scrolls at the moment. A place they had been spending most days at ever since they joined the House.
¡°Okay,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll stay here for a while.¡±
¡°Did you manage to increase your Authority?¡± Sell asked.
¡°A little,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But I think I¡¯m done with that kind of training for today. I¡¯ll just relax and contemplate some concepts.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Sell smiled. ¡°I really want to see if I can enter that special focused state too. I¡¯ll ask Felicia and Lastia if they know anywhere we might be able to go for that.¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Adion nodded.
Sell had no way of increasing her Authority at the moment, but that wasn¡¯t a big problem as she could control a lot more fire than she could conjure. Still, it was something she wanted to address, and Adion could understand that. Unfortunately, a big fire like that would draw too much attention no matter where at the Academy they were, so they had to look for an opportunity to travel someplace more private.
¡°Don¡¯t forget to study for the history test,¡± Sell reminded.
¡°I think I got it covered,¡± Adion assured her.
¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Sell muttered. ¡°If you stay at the House of the Scrolls, I can come over once I¡¯m back and help you study.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t say no to that,¡± Adion grinned.
¡°Good,¡± Sell smiled. She bent down to give Adion a kiss before turning to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later!¡±
¡°Have fun!¡± Adion called after her.
She was going into Cyalis with Felicia and Lastia, and Adion had no intention of getting in the way of their time together. He was glad Sell had gotten friends, even if he was slightly suspicions of them.
Maybe I should follow and see for myself how trustworthy they are. It has been a while since I practiced my spying skills.
Adion soon discarded that thought, though. No. Then I would be spying on Sell too. And besides, Sell has already assured me that they weren¡¯t the ones to tell the Hesfym family. I might be better at Sell in aura control, but she has me beat in aura sense. She also has that weird eye thing. I trust her ability.
Adion had got word from the Headmaster that he had been visited by a Soul mage from the Hesfym family. Apparently, they were somehow sure of Adion¡¯s and Sell¡¯s relationship.
Adion had no idea how someone could be sure of that. He had an excellent spatial awareness. He didn¡¯t think anyone would be able to spy on him without him knowing. Not even the Headmaster himself had managed to do so.
So, the only thing he could think of was that someone who knew about it had revealed it to the Hesfym family for some reason. At the top of Adion¡¯s list of suspects were Lastia and Felicia. But Sell had a good argument against those two; they didn¡¯t know anything until after the Hesfym family had already received word about their relationship.
She questioned them about it just to be safe, but they claimed they hadn¡¯t told anyone. And Sell was sure they weren¡¯t lying.
Adion had then asked his family if they had talked about it without thinking. They were all sure that they wouldn¡¯t have let something like that slip.
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He had gone to Prago to ask him about it, but he was also completely sure he hadn¡¯t talked about it.
Adion had even gone to ask Perk and Tib to make sure they hadn¡¯t revealed anything by accident, but they assured him that there wasn¡¯t any possibility of that.
Even if Marli or the guards have overheard something, they have all taken Oaths that would prevent them from speaking.
Oh, well. I guess it¡¯s impossible to find out exactly how something was revealed.
It¡¯s just surprising that they seemed to be so sure about it. Not even the Headmaster knew how that could be.
Since then, Adion had been extra careful with Sell. He wasn¡¯t going to be threatened into ending things with her, even if it was only for the remaining time at the Academy. But he now always made sure to keep his senses extra sharp whenever he and Sell were alone together. He didn¡¯t want to miss anything suspicious.
I haven¡¯t noticed anything out of the ordinary. Maybe it was just a coincidence.
Adion sat out the remaining time he had rented the fighting pit for, silently contemplating concepts in peace.
When the time was up, Adion got up and headed over to the House of the Scrolls. The private fighting pit he had rented wasn¡¯t far away, so it didn¡¯t take him long.
Adion headed to the library and sat down to read some of the books he had borrowed that covered the topics that would appear on the history test. He had to admit that he was somewhat behind on the subject. He had spent most of his time training or on other subjects. With most other students in diamond class already having received a much better education, Adion would fall behind if he didn¡¯t put some effort in.
Maybe I can impress Sell when she comes back.
The hours ticked by, and Adion decided to go get something to eat. He headed for the cafeteria located next to the reception. It was pretty expensive, as you had to pay in credits to eat there, but the food was delicious. Adion knew he would have to spend a lot of his credits if he wanted a chance to enter the Scrolls council and compete for the position of Head before his fourth year.
It¡¯s a little lonely to eat without Sell. Adion thought as he got the food delivered to his table.
He had quickly entered a routine when he joined the Scrolls. He would start each day by meditating as always. Even if he was a middle Silver mage now, he had no intention of slowing down. Sell had reached peak Bronze, and Adion was afraid that she would catch up to him now that she had Authority over fire.
He obviously wanted Sell to grow as strong as possible. He just wanted to grow slightly stronger.
After meditating, on the days that he didn¡¯t have any classes, he would head to the House of the Scrolls to meet up with Sell. They would rent out a fighting pit together and train for a few hours. After that, they would go to the library and study together, they mostly had the same classes, so they would usually discuss whatever subject they were studying together.
After that, they would get something to eat and relax for a while. Usually, they would spend a few hours in the cafeteria talking, or going for a walk together. But this was the first day Sell had other plans.
Am I seriously already at a loss just because she has been gone for a few hours? That¡¯s ridiculous.
Adion didn¡¯t want to sit by himself with nothing to occupy his mind, so after eating he decided to take a walk around the House of the Scrolls to take a look around.
He got a few stares from the other students, but it was nothing unusual. He was the disciple of the Headmaster, after all. That, along with his strength, caught people¡¯s attention.
Fortunately, no one got weird about it. The Scrolls had a very relaxed attitude to social etiquette. No one expected anyone to be treated differently just because they were older, stronger, or came from a more powerful family. The Scrolls believed those things only got in the way of elevating their knowledge and could be detrimental to cooperation and discussing new ideas.
This fitted Adion perfectly, as he was a little uncomfortable whenever other students started acting overly polite to him.
After wandering around for a while, Adion reached one of the recreation rooms. He spotted Ohem sitting in the corner, he was sitting comfortably in an armchair reading a book.
Adion hadn¡¯t seen the man for a while. He had only finished his game of cards against him the day after he joined the Scrolls and had not looked for him since then.
¡°Hey there, Ohem,¡± Adion said as he walked up to the fourth year, ¡°Do you want to play some cards? Or are you busy?¡±
Ohem looked up to Adion with a wide smile, ¡°I knew you were an alright guy. Sit. Let¡¯s play.¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± Adion nodded and took a seat. Ohem seamlessly pulled out a deck of cards from somewhere and started shuffling.
¡°I heard you had advanced to middle Silver,¡± Ohem commented, ¡°It seems like it¡¯s true.¡±
¡°I actually advanced a while ago,¡± Adion said, ¡°I just didn¡¯t want there to be any commotion for a while. It has been a couple of turbulent weeks.¡±
¡°I can imagine,¡± Ohem nodded.
Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t as big of a reaction as I had feared. Perhaps people have gotten used to it.
¡°Sailor¡¯s luck?¡± Ohem asked.
¡°Sure,¡± Adion nodded.
Ohem started dealing out the cards. ¡°I thought I was talented when I reached Silver in my third year. I guess it¡¯s good I never got too conceited.¡±
¡°That¡¯s still very impressive,¡± Adion said earnestly, ¡°And it doesn¡¯t really matter how early you reach each stage. What matters is where you end up.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Ohem nodded.
They both turned silent and started playing. As it was only Adion¡¯s second time playing, he was thoroughly defeated by Ohem.
¡°You¡¯re very good at this,¡± Adion commented. As much as luck was always involved, Adion knew Ohem had played very skillfully.
¡°I have spent countless hours playing, so it¡¯s only natural,¡± Ohem said.
¡°How do you have time to play so much cards?¡± Adion questioned, ¡°Don¡¯t you need to spend basically all your time meditating and training?
¡°Playing cards is a way of training,¡± Ohem said.
¡°You said that like it was something profound. Are you sure you don¡¯t just like playing cards?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°Maybe,¡± Ohem admitted with a small smile, ¡°But it¡¯s still true. When my parents noticed my talents and saw how much time I ¡®wasted¡¯ on games, they took all my cards away from me. I figured I might as well train so I can get to play again. But I noticed that my speed of advancement slowed to a crawl all of a sudden.
¡°My parents thought I was doing it on purpose and were furious with me. But no matter what they said or did, I just couldn¡¯t advance like I had earlier. Eventually, they gave up and allowed me to play again. All of a sudden, everything became easy again. I haven¡¯t had a bottleneck since.¡±
¡°How is that possible?¡± Adion asked, confused, ¡°What makes playing cards something that helps you advance?¡±
¡°I have no idea,¡± Ohem said, shaking his head, ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to play a lot more to figure it out.¡±
¡°You think there is a mysterious reason behind it?¡± Adion asked. He believed Ohem was just refusing to try, maybe on a subconscious level, but still very explainable.
¡°It¡¯s a mysterious world,¡± Ohem said with a shrug.
I¡¯ll give him that.
Adion decided not to think too much about it and just focused on the card game. He had to admit that it was a nice way to pass the time.
Chapter 138 - Runes
¡°That¡¯s why creating runes will be a lot easier for the metal mages among you,¡± Professor Horanda told the class as she finished up the lesson, ¡°But don¡¯t be too discouraged. Runesmithing is a profession available for every kind of mage. For those of you who have a fire, water, or earth core, there have been plenty of mages paving the way before you. I¡¯ll write down some books available for you in the library. You should read through the one corresponding to your element in preparation for our next class.¡±
Professor Horanda saw that a few of the around 200 students had their hands raised. She pointed to a girl and asked, ¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Professor, I have the light element. Are there any books with that in focus?¡± the first-year girl asked.
Professor Horanda smiled comfortingly at the girl, ¡°I¡¯m afraid the light element will be a bit of a struggle when it comes to creating runes yourself. But don¡¯t be too discouraged. You just have to make it up by comprehending the right concepts. As for a book on the topic, Sage Ufelios wrote one a couple of decades ago that goes through every known element and its application in runes. It doesn¡¯t go very deep in any direction, but it covers a lot. You should give that a read. I¡¯ll write it down with the others.¡±
Light has to be pretty difficult to work with without a lot of concepts. I can¡¯t imagine doing the same with shadow. Adion thought, looking at the girl a couple of rows below him. He was in his ¡®Introduction to Runes¡¯ class, sitting by himself as he didn¡¯t know any else taking it.
It¡¯s a good thing space seems to work very well. I¡¯ll just have to practice it a lot.
Professor Horanda finished the class and Adion along with the other students got up from their seats and bowed respectfully to the professor. Adion picked up the papers on his desk and put them in his bag. Even if this was the third class, they hadn¡¯t started making runes yet. Most of the time was spent on drawing runes and memorizing patterns and their effects.
¡°Adion,¡± Someone called out as Adion turned to leave. He turned around and spotted a silver-haired elf his age approaching him.
¡°Sorry, we never met, I¡¯m Qelso. I just joined the Scrolls a few weeks ago and spotted you over there recently. I heard you also joined?¡± Qelso asked.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±
¡°You too,¡± Qelso smiled as he shook Adion¡¯s hand. The two started walking out of the classroom together.
¡°So why did you join the Scrolls?¡± Adion asked. He was slightly curious as he never really thought he would join the House himself.
¡°It just seemed like the perfect House for me,¡± Qelso answered, ¡°I don¡¯t come from a family clan, so I don¡¯t really have an education to speak of. But I¡¯m really eager to learn. That¡¯s why I¡¯m in this class, by the way, I heard we might not have many runesmiths going forward, so I thought I should make an effort to carry that load for the House. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here, though.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve just been interested in runes for a while,¡± Adion said with a shrug, ¡°But I never got the chance to learn much about it. Now that I¡¯m here at the Academy, I thought I shouldn¡¯t let the opportunity slip me by.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Qelso nodded happily, ¡°Seems like we¡¯ll have some reliable help with runes in the House then.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure I can help a whole lot,¡± Adion said with an awkward smile, ¡°But I¡¯ll try. I¡¯ll at least promise to win the fights for the House.¡±
¡°Oh, of course,¡± Qelso said, smacking himself on the forehead, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot that¡¯s, like, your thing. Don¡¯t worry, Adion, I¡¯ll make sure we beat even the Runesmiths in the House Clash.¡±
¡°Now that would be something,¡± Adion said with a smile.
¡°It won¡¯t be easy,¡± Qelso nodded, ¡°But I¡¯ll be sure to give it my all. By the way, do you want to grab something to eat?¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Adion said, ¡°I have to meet up with the Headmaster.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Qelso once again smacked himself on the forehead, ¡°I forgot that you are the Headmaster¡¯s disciple.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said with a smile, finding Qelso quite amusing.
They soon split up, however, and Adion headed to the Tower of Cyalis. By this point, almost everyone recognized him, so he had no trouble making his way inside and up the tower to the Headmaster¡¯s office.
¡°Hello, Headmaster,¡± Adion said with a bow as he stepped inside the office.
The Headmaster was standing by the window, looking out over the Melorian Bay. He turned to look at Adion and asked, ¡°How are your studies in runes going?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a lot to remember,¡± Adion said with a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve memorized a few basic patterns by now, at least. But I haven¡¯t gotten even a simple heating rune to work like it should, even with the materials you sent me.¡±
The Headmaster had not only sent books and pills to Adion, but all types of resources that could ease his studies. Amongst them were metals and inscription tools, as well as some basic runic devices for Adion to study.
¡°You have only been studying runes for a few weeks, so that¡¯s not very surprising,¡± The Headmaster said with a light smile, ¡°It took me several decades of hard effort before I could be considered somewhat apt in runesmithing. And centuries before I felt I was at the forefront. Just take it slow and practice meticulously. The results will follow.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Well, take a seat,¡± The Headmaster said, gesturing to the carpet where they usually sat together during their private lessons. ¡°Let me see where your current skills are at.¡±
Adion nodded and took a seat. He picked up a steel plate, which was often used for cheaper and more common runic devices, and prepared to make a heating rune as the Headmaster watched.
He used a runic pen to engrave the pattern in the steel. It was basically a pen made out of a much harder metal than the one you were inscribing. The fancier version that Adion used was also a type of runic device that could get incredibly sharp by infusing mana into it.
Adion focused as he started inscribing. The pattern for a heating rune was one of the easiest there was, but it was still incredibly complex, and it took Adion¡¯s full attention to get every detail right. He had studied the pattern for a long time in order to have it memorized.
¡°Well, it¡¯s better than last week,¡± The Headmaster commented as Adion finished, ¡°Give it a try.¡±
Adion manipulated some pure mana to flow through the pattern he had engraved. The steel plate heated up, but it could at most be called warm. Adion had no problem holding on to it.
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¡°Not very efficient,¡± Adion said.
¡°No,¡± The Headmaster agreed, ¡°With a proper source, I would estimate an efficiency of around 10 percent. Still, it¡¯s an improvement.¡±
Actual runic devices didn¡¯t require the mage to guide mana themselves. There would be a rune doing that work, and usually, a beast core would be placed in it to power the device.
¡°And this is one of the easiest runes there are,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°Like I said, it¡¯s something that will take you centuries to master,¡± The Headmaster said with a small chuckle.
¡°How long would it take until I master grade 1 runes?¡± Adion asked.
¡°That should probably be possible during your time at the Academy,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°It¡¯s a completely different process when working with grade 2 runes, as you know. And that¡¯s where you really sink most of your time. But perhaps your Authority can speed up that process.¡±
¡°That would be nice,¡± Adion said.
A grade 1 rune was the type of rune that Adion was currently working on, which could be created with the help of a runic pen and basically didn¡¯t require anything from the runesmith but practice and knowledge of runes. But grade 2 runes were completely different. The patterns for those runes were so complex that they couldn¡¯t just be inscribed on a flat surface, you had to create pathways in three dimensions, and you did that by using an incredibly finetuned manacontrol.
That is why metal mages were so much better at creating runic devices. Runes were almost always created using metals, after all. Other mages could create the pathways too, but it was harder and incredibly time-consuming.
Adion might not have it quite that difficult, though.
The Headmaster had suggested that with Adion¡¯s Authority, he could create runes without ever having to contend against the Will of the world. If he just managed to fine-tune his control of space enough to create the delicate patterns, he could create runes at a ridiculous speed.
Unfortunately, my control of space is nowhere near fine-tuned enough yet. But I believe creating runes is a perfect way to practice getting there.
¡°Can I start practicing creating grade 2 runes with my Authority now?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You shouldn¡¯t run before you can walk,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°I could see the use of practicing that skill in your particular case, but I¡¯m sure you spend almost all your time when you¡¯re not with me doing that. So for now, we¡¯ll focus on grade 1 runes when we¡¯re together.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion sighed. He didn¡¯t argue, though. The Headmaster was right that Adion never really practices inscribing grade 1 runes during his free time.
Adion continued inscribing runes while the Headmaster looked on and gave a word of advice once in a while. It didn¡¯t take much mana or Will, so Adion could go on for hours if no one stopped him.
I somewhat hoped to get proficient in runes quickly. Then I could start developing my own runes and see if my ideas for spatial runic devices could work. I still plan on it, but it looks like it will take me a while.
Still, I have to admit it is relaxing to just follow someone else¡¯s instructions and see myself getting better slowly but surely.
Creating space magic for myself and trying to figure out concepts is exciting, but this isn¡¯t so bad either.
After a few hours of making runes, Adion started getting tired of it. He looked up to the Headmaster and noticed he was flipping through a book.
¡°Don¡¯t you have some rare artifacts or something?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I have very rare artifacts,¡± The Headmaster answered without looking up from his book.
¡°Can I see them? Maybe I¡¯ll get inspired,¡± Adion said.
¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how it works,¡± The Headmaster said with a light smile, ¡°If it becomes relevant for your improvement, I can show you a few things.¡±
¡°What kind of artifacts do you have? What can they do?¡± Adion asked curiously.
¡°Hehe,¡± The Headmaster chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s a closely guarded secret.¡±
¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be knowledgable as your disciple?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°I intend to make you knowledgeable,¡± The Headmaster answered, ¡°But you need to build it from the ground up. You don¡¯t need to know about artifacts before you can even inscribe a simple rune.¡±
¡°That sounds like an excuse not to reveal anything secret,¡± Adion argued.
¡°Perhaps,¡± The Headmaster said with a small grin.
¡°Shouldn¡¯t you let on those secrets to your disciple?¡± Adion asked, ¡°You need to leave them with someone, right? It¡¯s okay, Headmaster. I am willing to share your burden.¡±
The Headmaster laughed and said, ¡°I suppose I have been in the world of academia for centuries. I¡¯m not used to revealing information for nothing, as it is the most valuable thing I have. But I suppose I should sate your curiosity somewhat, so you can get back to focusing. I¡¯ll answer a single question. How about it?¡±
Really? I can ask anything?
What should I ask? What might he know? Should I ask about Heavenly Light? He must know a lot about them. Maybe who leads them? Or their situation on Shiora? Who they are involved with?
¡°Can you tell me about Heavenly Light?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I should have seen that coming,¡± The Headmaster said with a sigh, ¡°I guess I know a few things about them. But it is no use telling you about it now. It will only distract you and make you think about things you can¡¯t change.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Adion began pondering again.
¡°Just ask something,¡± The Headmaster sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not going to answer if I don¡¯t feel it is appropriate. So there is no need to come up with the perfect question.¡±
I guess I will have plenty of time to ask him about things I¡¯m curious about.
¡°How did the Age of Mysteries end?¡± Adion decided to ask.
¡°I didn¡¯t expect that question,¡± The Headmaster looked at Adion with an intrigued smile. ¡°What makes you think I know the answer to that?¡±
¡°Professor Tenami seemed hesitant to answer that question, but she never said that we don¡¯t know how it ended,¡± Adion explained, ¡°So I guessed that it is probably known, just secret.¡±
¡°I see,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°I¡¯m afraid Professor Tenami actually doesn¡¯t know, though I¡¯m sure she has some theories. Not even I know for sure. I just know some of the circumstances.¡±
¡°What circumstances?¡± Adion asked.
¡°The end of the Age of Mysteries was probably not as destructive as the end of the Age of Wonder,¡± The Headmaster mused, looking up to the ceiling with empty eyes, ¡°But I feel that it was still a lot more terrifying.¡±
Adion almost got chills from the Headmaster¡¯s words. He could feel that the Headmaster truly felt fear.
¡°Why was it so terrifying?¡± Adion asked, leaning forward.
The Headmaster snapped back and turned to look at Adion with a gentle smile. ¡°I¡¯ll take you somewhere one day. As my disciple, I do think you should know. But not here, and not now.¡±
¡°But-¡± Adion wanted to protest.
¡°Don¡¯t be in such a rush all the time,¡± The Headmaster scolded with a smile. ¡°Get back to the runes. When you make a grade 2 rune, I might tell you more.¡±
Adion wasn¡¯t very pleased with the answer he had gotten, but he didn¡¯t push it any further. He focused on the steel plate in front of him and started making runes again.
I¡¯ll just focus on this for now. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find out everything eventually.
Chapter 139 - Announcement
Adion focused as he was drawing up the patterns he thought would make a cooling rune. It was a little difficult to focus, as Prago was sitting on the floor in front of him and was observing every small detail Adion drew.
¡°No, no, no,¡± Prago shook his head with a disappointed look on his face, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re the Headmaster¡¯s disciple? Because the more time we do this, the more I¡¯m convinced you have just made everything up.¡±
Adion smiled bitterly. Even if Prago knew that Adion had only begun his studies in runes when he came to the Academy, he seemed to think that Adion was supposed to grasp every new piece of information immediately.
¡°I am the Headmaster¡¯s disciple,¡± Adion said, ¡°And I¡¯ll have you know that he¡¯s quite impressed with my progress.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Prago questioned.
¡°Some of us aren¡¯t spending all our effort solely on runes. I have other classes to focus on. Not to mention that most of the day is spent increasing my strength,¡± Adion said.
¡°I expect better than to hear these excuses from you, Adion,¡± Prago said, shaking his head. ¡°I also have classes and meditate diligently, but that doesn¡¯t stop me from pursuing mastering runes. You just have to make some sacrifices, such as letting go of your ranking. I don¡¯t remember the last time I had a full night¡¯s sleep or spent the day just enjoying the company of friends. These are small prices to pay in order to reach the top.¡±
Adion looked at Prago with an incredulous look.
Why is he talking like he is some kind of experienced professor?
He didn¡¯t really need Prago¡¯s help that much. He had the Headmaster to help him with anything he couldn¡¯t understand, after all. But it was better than practicing alone. And it was a good way to help Prago too, as he paid him credits through the Scrolls for his help.
Adion had been in the Scrolls for a month now. And a few weeks ago, he had decided to invite Prago to join him in his new House. He still remembered his promise to Prago¡¯s grandfather to help Prago out, so he had talked to Dorsia and managed to secure a spot for him, even if he only was a stone class student.
To make sure Prago had the credits to pay for his membership, Adion had decided to hire his help in runes for credits. So most mornings, Prago would come over to Adion¡¯s new luxurious dorm room and help him with whatever he was struggling with.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Prago,¡± Adion said with a sigh, ¡°I never knew that you lived such a lifestyle. Here I spend my days in the company of my beautiful girlfriend and never thought how that made you feel. It can¡¯t have been easy for you, living such a lonely life, to watch that. You have my respect. I could never imagine living such an existence where a girl would never even spare a glance-¡±
¡°Alright, alright,¡± Prago hurriedly shut Adion¡¯s mouth with his hands. ¡°I get it. It¡¯s good that you know of my sacrifices.¡±
Adion had an amused smile on his face and said, ¡°I really do. As such, I have become determined to help you stay on this path. At first, I was thinking about your grandfather¡¯s words and decided to help you find some pretty girl who might keep you company, but after hearing those words, I realize my mistake.
¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will make it my mission to remove any distractions from your life. If I see anyone sprouting an interest in you, I will let them know that it can never be. You walk on a solitary path where there is no room for romance.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Prago said hesitantly, giving Adion a slightly angry look. ¡°Since it¡¯s my grandfather¡¯s words, you should probably adhere to them somewhat. We wouldn¡¯t want to disappoint him, would we?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure he would understand,¡± Adion immediately responded with a straight face.
Prago looked at Adion in silence for a while with an uncomfortable look on his face. ¡°When did you become so awful?¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Adion laughed, ¡°Since you began acting all high and mighty with me.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Prago muttered, ¡°Did you really plan on setting me up with someone?¡±
¡°Er,¡± Adion hesitated. He hadn¡¯t actually planned on doing that, but he couldn¡¯t admit that now. ¡°Of course, just give it some time.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Prago laughed happily, ¡°I knew I could count on you, Adion. I¡¯m looking forward to going on a double date with you and Sell in the future.¡±
Damn. Now I have to think of something.
Do I know anyone? Maybe I could have him meet Felicia and Lastia meet him and see if some sparks fly?
¡°Maybe we could also have a secret romance, fighting against a world that refuses to accept us,¡± Prago mumbled to himself.
Why does it feel like these types of situations always backfire on me?
¡°Well, you can¡¯t rush these things. I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± Adion said.
¡°Naturally, naturally,¡± Prago nodded with a light smile.
¡°Anyway, it¡¯s time to get moving. I¡¯m going to meet Sell to practice soon,¡± Adion said and got up to his feet.
¡°Right,¡± Prago nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll come with you. I need to make sure no one has ruined my efforts at the runic department.¡±
¡°Just don¡¯t be too overbearing,¡± Adion said hesitantly.
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Prago said, ¡°I know my limits.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Adion nodded.
The two headed out and started walking toward the House of the Scrolls.
I heard from Qelso that Prago has managed to impress a lot of the other students in the runic department. He seems to have taken Qelso under his wing somehow.
The only problem is that he is a little domineering when it comes to runes. Some of the older students are apparently quite hostile to him.
Well, I¡¯m sure these things will resolve themselves with time.
Even if Adion had invited Prago to join the Scrolls because he was his friend, that wasn¡¯t the only reason. He also thought of the Scrolls as his future House, and he wanted it to be strong. If he wanted the Scrolls to become the rank 1 House in the House Clash, he needed every department to become stronger. Adion believed Prago¡¯s abilities in runes were nothing to scoff at, so he was very glad to have him there.
¡°Are you sure you have to go train?¡± Prago asked as they were walking, ¡°You could join me in the runic department. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d learn a lot.¡±
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¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m not canceling my training,¡± Adion said, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to join me and Sell instead?¡±
¡°No way,¡± Prago immediately refused.
Adion had forced Prago to join him and Sell in their practice when he first joined the Scrolls. He wanted to train Prago so he could become somewhat proficient in fighting. He had hoped Prago would be able to gain back his rank and advance to a higher class.
Unfortunately, Prago was completely uninterested in honing his fighting abilities. After a week of trying to push him, Adion had no choice but to let him be. It really wasn¡¯t up to him to force Prago to do anything he didn¡¯t want. Even if he thought fighting was important, he let Prago make his own choice.
The two of them reached the House of the Scrolls after a short 15-minute walk; Adion¡¯s new dorm room was very close.
Adion greeted some of the members he ran into as he got close. He was pretty famous in the Academy, and even more so in the Scrolls. Fortunately, most people seemed to have a favorable impression of him. Probably because of his connection to the Headmaster and his strength. Who wouldn¡¯t be excited to have the first-year middle Silver mage in their House?
¡°It¡¯s still strange to me that you are so popular,¡± Prago muttered. ¡°Is strength really all that?¡±
¡°Of course it is,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to train you whenever you come to realize that.¡±
¡°As long as I excel in my studies on runes and continue meditation, I don¡¯t see any use for it,¡± Prago said, ¡°Maybe if I reach a bottleneck in the future.¡±
¡°I¡¯m looking forward to being in charge of tempering your Will,¡± Adion said with a grin.
¡°Maybe I¡¯ll look for someone else,¡± Prago said when he saw the look on Adion¡¯s face.
¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Adion waved him off, ¡°I¡¯m off to see Sell. I¡¯ll see you later.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Prago nodded and headed off to the runic department.
Adion reached the private fighting pit he always rented and looked around for Sell, but she didn¡¯t seem to have arrived yet.
Adion was just about to sit down and wait when he remembered he had a watch these days. He picked it up and realized he somehow ended up coming 30 minutes before they were supposed to meet.
Am I really this bad at keeping track of time?
Even if he had received a pocket watch from Sell, Adion still subconsciously used the sun and his internal clock to determine the time.
I have to remember to check my watch more often.
Adion decided to check the contribution board as he waited. He headed inside the House of the Scrolls and walked up to the six big placards hanging high on one of the walls in the reception area. There was a list for each year, as well as a combined list, of the top 10 students in terms of contribution of credits.
Adion had reached the top of the first years with 3680 credits contributed, followed by Sell at second place with 1430 credits. But he was nowhere near any of the older members.
The competition will take place on Quemer in my fourth year. That means that the Scrolls need to take rank 1 in my third year. I should make an effort to be Head of the House by that point. That means I have to be elected just before the third year starts.
It would be good if I could join the Scrolls council at the end of this year so I have some time to familiarize myself with everything and earn the older students¡¯ trust.
Looks like I¡¯ll have to spend some more credits.
Adion was just about to turn around to walk back to the fighting pit when he overheard two fifth-years talking.
¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t get me a spot?¡± A blonde man asked his red-haired friend.
¡°I¡¯ll try, but it will probably be impossible. The Appos Auction House has never made an announcement like this before. I¡¯m sure there will be several powerful people coming from all over Shiora to take part,¡± The red-haired man responded.
¡°I know, I know,¡± The blonde man said, ¡°But it¡¯s just one seat. Surely that¡¯s possible?¡±
Adion tuned out the conversation and left.
The Appos Auction House seems to have made some kind of announcement. That¡¯s good. That means there will be no lack of rich mages showing up.
When Adion got back to the fighting pit, he spotted Sell standing outside waiting for him. She looked up to him with a smile when she spotted him.
¡°Did you hear the news?¡± Sell asked.
¡°About the Appos Auction House?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°Have you heard their announcement?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t,¡± Adion said, ¡°I just overheard some people talking about it just now, though. Do you know the details?¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t your grandfather tell you anything?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Not recently,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°He just said that the Appos Auction House had sent out information to all the big families about the upcoming auction a few weeks ago. But they seem to have done some kind of more open announcement this time?¡±
¡°They made a public announcement this morning,¡± Sell said with a smile, ¡°They said it¡¯s going to be the biggest auction they have ever held. And the final item is something that even the Royal families on Quemer would consider a priceless alchemy product.¡±
¡°Those are some big words,¡± Adion said with his raised eyebrows.
¡°Well, considering what the item is, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be accused of exaggerating,¡± Sell said.
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Adion nodded.
The Elixir of Life was seen as the epitome of alchemy in this Age. No one had managed to replicate this feat yet, but every alchemist dreamed of it. It would surely cause alchemists all over the continent to go crazy. They would be willing to spend all their wealth in order to study it. But they might not be able to. They were not the only ones interested, after all. Every mage was in a race against time. No one wanted to die, but if they couldn¡¯t advance a stage before a certain age, there was nothing to do about it. Until now. With the Elixir of Life, any mage could extend their life span by at least 100 years. Adion was a little scared of the commotion this was going to bring.
Oh, well. That¡¯s the Appos family issue to handle. I¡¯m sure they have some measures in place.
¡°By the way,¡± Sell said as they entered the fighting pit together, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea for me to come with you to the auction? It might give the wrong idea.¡±
Adion frowned slightly, ¡°We would just be going as friends. I don¡¯t think anyone could accuse us of anything else. Since we don¡¯t want anyone suspecting our family to be behind the Elixir of Life, Grandpa has just arranged a small booth for our family, not more extravagant than most other Soul mages in the city. If you go along with my whole family, no one could look at it like a date, right?¡±
¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± Sell nodded thoughtfully.
Then again, I guess this is an event with eyes everywhere. It might cause unnecessary rumors if Sell comes alone with my family.
¡°How about we invite some other people too?¡± Adion suggested, ¡°I¡¯m sure Prago would like to come. You can ask Lastia and Felicia, too, if you want.¡±
¡°That might be a good idea,¡± Sell smiled, ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s fine?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll just have to make sure to keep quiet about the Elixir of Life. We can¡¯t let on that we know about it.¡±
Sell looked at Adion doubtfully.
¡°What?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Are you sure you can hold it to yourself for an entire night?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I¡¯ve kept it a secret for years,¡± Adion said incredulously, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to keep it a secret for a night?¡±
¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Sell said with a laugh. She went up to kiss Adion, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do great.¡±
Have I really set the bar so low?
Chapter 140 - Oaths and aura
¡°As much as a lot of mages might look at these kinds of things as curiosities, they all hold secrets of unimaginable power. Look at the Gift, Adion has,¡± Professor Haul said as he gestured to Adion.
Why does he always feel the need to point me out? Adion thought to himself with a grumpy expression.
I¡¯m not even actually Gifted.
¡°Look at the Words of Truth of the faelin,¡± Professor Haul continued, ¡°We have yet to go through it in any great detail, but trust me when I say that Words of Truth does not lose out in terms of power compared to Gifts. In my eyes, they are often even more incredible.
¡°But we are not faelin, and most of us are not Giften, so those powers seem beyond us. Well, I refuse to accept that. The world can¡¯t possibly be so boring. With enough knowledge and power, these things should be within anyone¡¯s grasp.
¡°Those things actually appear very easily accomplished in my eyes. At least when you compare it to the power of Oaths. Gifts and Words of Truth can be somewhat explained and understood. But what sort of magic compels Oaths to be kept? And what tremendous power does it take to deliver the punishment of a broken Oath? This is not a power any living being has. If someone were to grasp a similar power, I¡¯m sure they would become the most powerful mage in the world.¡±
Professor Haul looked out at the classroom and spotted a student with her hand raised. ¡°Yes?¡± Professor Haul urged the student to ask her question.
¡°What exactly happens when an Oath sworn in front of a Moonlight Oak is broken?¡± The student asked Professor Haul.
¡°When an Oath is broken¡¡± Professor Haul repeated to himself. He then looked out to the class and beat his cane against his limp leg. ¡°There are consequences.¡±
He got that injury from a broken Oath?
Adion and Sell sitting next to each other as usual and were paying rapt attention. Out of all Adion¡¯s classes, ¡®Inexplicable Magic¡¯ was probably his favorite. The class was nearing its end, but Professor Haul had been seemingly led off-topic by a student¡¯s question and revealed some interesting information.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Professor Haul nodded solemnly, ¡°I have broken an Oath, and this is my punishment. This is perhaps the greatest reason for my interest in the sort of magic we discuss in this class.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t you heal the injury with healing pills?¡± The same student asked carefully.
¡°No,¡± Professor Haul shook his head, ¡°It just gives a temporary relief. But this is far from the worst effects breaking an Oath can have. In many ways, I got away lucky.
¡°Since we are on the topic, we might as well dig into it a bit. As you all know, taking an Oath is no light matter. Even if you are not in the presence of a Moonlight Oak, few would dare swear an Oath lightly.
¡°Does anyone know what kind of magic is used when taking an Oath?¡±
The class was silent at Professor Haul¡¯s question.
¡°You there, Kivron¡± Professor Haul pointed out an elven boy in the front row, ¡°What do you think? Is it some kind of mysterious mana? Is it a concept? Is it the Will of the world making sure people keep their words?¡±
¡°Er,¡± Kivron hesitated, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±
¡°No one is,¡± Professor Haul scoffed, ¡°I asked you what you think.¡±
¡°I would probably say¡that it¡¯s some form of mana, perhaps with a lot of mysterious concepts imbued,¡± Kivron answered.
¡°Could be,¡± Professor Haul slowly nodded, ¡°Does anyone here have a different opinion?¡±
¡°I think it¡¯s the Will of the world,¡± Hefrem, a fourth-year student whom Adion recognized from the Scrolls, said. ¡°Nothing else could be responsible for such a mysterious and all-mighty effect.¡±
¡°Nothing else?¡± Professor Haul questioned, ¡°Not even gods? Not even the Phoenix?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Hefrem answered.
¡°Well, I won¡¯t say anything, as I don¡¯t know the answer,¡± Professor Haul said, ¡°What I do know is that an Oath operates in a way that is beyond our current understanding. It has gotten the name ¡®Oath-magic¡¯ in academia. Pretty on the nose, but it is a suitable name.
¡°This Oath-magic works in a way that is almost undetectable. I say ¡®almost¡¯ because everyone who has taken an Oath can feel something at work. It is just far too mysterious and subtle for anyone to grasp exactly what is happening, though. And is is a difficult feeling to put into words. I can only say that it is a vague feeling of an incomprehensible power at work.
¡°When I broke my Oath, that same feeling manifested itself again, but at that time, it was a lot more horrifying. The power didn¡¯t feel vast, but it felt unstoppable. It was as if it was just a light breeze, but even so, even if all the most powerful mages during the Age of Wonder worked against it, it wouldn¡¯t matter.
¡°Why do some who break Oaths live and others die? Why do the punishments vary so? We can only speculate. But many believe that it depends on the Oath and how severe the crime is. Perhaps even intent plays a part.
¡°As of yet, we have no idea how to fight this. My injuries look no different from an ordinary wound that a mage might suffer in battle, but due to the influence of this Oath-magic, it cannot be healed.¡±
Professor Haul looked at the students for a while before announcing, ¡°This will make a great assignment, come to think of it. I want you to write a short paper with a theory on Oath-magic. What is it? How does it work? How can we begin to understand it? Use your imagination. I hope you won¡¯t bore me.¡±
With those words, the class ended, and the students were dismissed.
¡°What do you think about this Oath-magic?¡± Sell asked as they stepped outside the classroom.
Adion had given the matter some thought, and as he listened to Professor Haul talk about it, he thought he had a theory he could write about for his assignment.
¡°I feel like it¡¯s a special kind of magic, like Words of Truth, a deep concept that someone incredibly powerful has manifested in the world,¡± Adion said.
¡°That¡¯s an interesting theory. If that¡¯s the case, it must be one of the most powerful or perhaps deepest concepts to have ever existed,¡± Sell said.
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¡°Yeah,¡± Adion said, ¡°It hurts my head just to think about somehow grasping a concept with that ability.¡±
¡°Well, we have plenty of time to think about it. Maybe we can come up with something similar,¡± Sell said with a smile.
Since Sell has already managed to grasp her own Words of Truth, she might be able to take it further than anyone else.
Adion couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly vexed.
I should work hard so I can grasp Words of Truth of my own.
¡°I never knew Professor Haul received his injuries from breaking an Oath,¡± Sell mused, ¡°But I guess it makes sense. Otherwise, he would surely have found a way to heal by now.¡±
¡°What kind of Oath do you think he broke?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I have no idea,¡± Sell said, ¡°It could be anything. I¡¯m more curious why he risked his life to break it.¡±
¡°It can¡¯t have been an easy decision,¡± Adion said.
¡°You haven¡¯t sworn an Oath, right?¡± Sell asked worriedly.
¡°Of course not,¡± Adion said.
Have I?
¡°You¡¯re not sure!?¡± Sell yelled out in shock.
¡°I¡¯m sure, I¡¯m sure,¡± Adion said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t forget something like that.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°I haven¡¯t either. And I wasn¡¯t planning on it. But discussing it in class, I¡¯m more sure than ever that it¡¯s a bad idea.¡±
Yeah. Unless it¡¯s something I¡¯m incredibly certain of, I won¡¯t swear an Oath on anything. I don¡¯t want to leave my life in the hands of some mysterious power.
Sell and Adion had lunch together before they headed to the Old Academy where they had the Headmaster would hold the next class.
¡°By the way, haven¡¯t Professor Haul ever asked you about your Gift?¡± Sell asked as they were walking together.
¡°Not yet,¡± Adion said, ¡°Hopefully, he doesn¡¯t plan on it. But if it¡¯s just a few questions, I¡¯m sure I can bluff my way through it. Now that I¡¯m the Headmaster¡¯s disciple, I doubt that any professor would be bold enough to suggest any deeper cooperation. Maybe Elder Kilth would have approached me if not for our disagreement.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Sell said, ¡°It might be hard to fake your Gift if it came under scrutiny for a long time. I¡¯m not sure if there is a way to determine whether something is a Gift or not.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure either,¡± Adion said, ¡°Maybe I should ask the Headmaster about it. It would be good to be prepared in case someone questioned me about it.¡±
It didn¡¯t take long before they arrived in the North Wing of the Tower of Cyalis, where their class would be held. As they arrived in the classroom, Adion spotted Felicia and Relmon sitting next to each other.
¡°Adion,¡± Relmon greeted Adion in a grumpy tone.
¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Adion asked as he and Sell sat down.
¡°I just told him about the legendary upcoming auction at the Appos Auction House,¡± Felicia revealed with a smile, ¡°Thank you again for the invitation, Adion.¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± Adion nodded. He turned to look at Relmon, ¡°You want to come too?¡±
¡°I can come?¡± Relmon asked, surprised.
¡°If you don¡¯t act all grumpy, sure,¡± Adion said.
¡°Haha,¡± Relmon happily laughed, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I¡¯m the life of the party. Thanks, Adion.¡±
¡°No worries,¡± Adion smiled.
¡°How did you manage to get a booth at the auction? Did the Headmaster set you up?¡± Relmon asked Adion curiously.
¡°My grandfather has some friendship with the Appos family, so he managed to secure a booth for us,¡± Adion said.
¡°I¡¯ll make sure to thank him properly then,¡± Relmon said with a smile.
¡°Sell, did you-¡± Felicia leaned over to ask Sell something, but stopped herself as the aura of a Pure Soul mage took over the classroom, arriving as a wave that made every student aware of who was coming.
Does he have to do this every time? The aura of a Pure Soul mage is really uncomfortable when they want it to be.
The Headmaster soon walked into the classroom, scanning the students of the diamond class with a light smile.
Every single student rose to their feet and bowed.
¡°Hehe, you¡¯re getting used to it. That¡¯s good,¡± The Headmaster said with a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s not proven, but just like the body and Will needs tempering to grow strong, I believe aura can also use some roughing up once in a while.¡±
Is that true? Although it somewhat makes sense, I still feel like the Headmaster just likes messing with students.
¡°Anyway, for today¡¯s class, I hope you have been preparing yourselves. For the past two weeks, we have been looking into lies. How to hide them in your own aura and how to uncover them in someone else¡¯s,¡± The Headmaster continued as he looked out over the students.
¡°If you haven¡¯t prepared, then I¡¯m afraid you will embarrass yourself today. But for the top performers, I won¡¯t be stingy.¡±
The Headmaster paused for a moment and then sighed, ¡°I flaunt a little of my aura, and everyone becomes too scared to ask questions. Very well, I will simply explain. We are going to hold a small competition. Every one of you will take turns joining me up here and lie to your classmates.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, though. You won¡¯t have to lie about personal matters and end up revealing things you shouldn¡¯t.¡±
The Headmaster pulled a gold coin from his pocket and held it up for everyone to see. ¡°You will lie about the result of a coin flip. Easy enough, right? You won¡¯t get to choose when to lie or tell the truth, though; that would invite other aspects to come into play. You will receive a list when you come up. That list will tell you when you need to lie and when you need to tell the truth.
¡°You. Norfen,¡± The Headmaster pointed to a student in the front row, ¡°You will go first. Get up here.¡±
Norfen hesitated for a second before approaching the Headmaster with uncertain steps. The Headmaster grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face the class. The Headmaster gave him the gold coin and the list of instructions on when to lie and when to tell the truth.
¡°Your classmates will come up one by one, flip the coin, and hide the result from them. Then, if the list says to lie, you lie. If the list says to tell the truth, you tell the truth.
¡°I¡¯m aware that there is an unfairness at play since it is quite easy to simply guess the correct answer without actually seeing through Norfen¡¯s aura. To combat this, there will be a punishment for guessing wrong.¡±
The Headmaster turned to look out over the class and continued, ¡°If you give the wrong answer as to whether Norfen has lied or told the truth, you will lose ten points. If you decline to guess, you only lose one. If you guess correctly, you gain one.
¡°Norfen, you will lose one point every time someone guesses correctly and gain one point every time they guess wrong or if they decline to guess. This will continue until everyone has had a go. At the end of the class, the more points you have, the more credits you will receive as a reward. I promise I won¡¯t be stingy, so make sure to give it your best effort.¡±
Adion turned to look at Sell and they both smiled at each other. This was a competition that suited both of them very well. Even if Adion hadn¡¯t focused as much on hiding lies as he had on hiding his element and strength, he would be extremely shocked if anyone could see through him.
It¡¯s not like I¡¯m in a great need of credits, but I sure won¡¯t say no if they come for free.
¡°Alright,¡± The Headmaster¡¯s clear voice rang out, ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±
Chapter 141 - Aura competition
The Headmaster turned to look at the person who had been sitting next to Norfen and said, ¡°You. Dulia. You¡¯re first.¡±
A red-haired girl in the front row stepped up and approached the Headmaster and Norfen. The Headmaster instructed Norfen to begin after making sure they were both ready.
Norfen flipped the coin and looked at it. He then looked at the list before speaking, ¡°Heads.¡±
Truth.
¡°Lie,¡± Dulia answered.
What?
¡°He was telling the truth,¡± The Headmaster said, shaking his head, ¡°Dulia, you lose ten points. Norfen, you gain one point.¡±
Norfen smiled brilliantly and his back seemed straighter all of a sudden. Dulia returned to her seat with a frustrated expression as the next student in line approached Norfen to make her guess.
This continued for several minutes before it was finally Sell¡¯s turn. Adion had been surprised by how many of his classmates actually dared take a guess. Even if Norfen wasn¡¯t anything much in Adion¡¯s eyes, he still had somewhat of an aura control.
Even if most of the people who guess, guess correctly, I would have thought that there would be some fear of losing so many points. So far five students have made that mistake, it¡¯s not an easy position to catch up from.
Sell approached Norfen, and Adion followed a few steps behind as it would be his turn next.
Norfen flipped his coin and said, ¡°Tails.¡±
¡°Truth,¡± Sell immediately stated.
¡°Correct,¡± The Headmaster nodded.
Sell didn¡¯t seem especially happy with the result, as it was expected.
Adion headed up next and focused his attention on Norfen¡¯s aura. It would be extremely embarrassing if he guessed incorrectly just because he was overconfident.
¡°Tails,¡± Norfen said with a straight face. He couldn¡¯t hide his aura fluctuations from Adion, though. He knew exactly what to look for in an aura when someone was lying.
¡°Lie,¡± Adion said.
¡°Correct,¡± The Headmaster nodded without any expression.
Adion returned to his seat next to Sell and continued observing his classmates.
As time went on, Adion noticed that a few of his classmates were a lot better in aura control than he expected. Even he wasn¡¯t 100 percent sure all of the time.
As expected of Nobles, they must have had a very good education in aura control from a young age.
I can tell when someone is lying, but it is harder to tell when someone is telling the truth. It¡¯s very hard to differentiate between someone telling the truth and someone hiding their lies well.
When about half of the class had had their turn to lie in front of everyone, a girl with short black hair named Sota stepped up next to the Headmaster. Norfen was the first one to step up and make his guess.
¡°Tails,¡± Sota said.
Lie.
¡°Lie,¡± Norfen said.
¡°Incorrect,¡± The Headmaster said with a small grin.
What?
Adion looked at Sell only to see that she was also confused.
¡°Did you also think she was lying?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I did,¡± Sell reluctantly admitted.
¡°She even managed to fool you? How?¡± Adion asked.
¡°She somehow made her aura appear as if she was lying when she was telling the truth. I didn¡¯t know you could do that,¡± Sell said in a low voice, ¡°But we are far away from her. When it¡¯s my turn, I¡¯ll be able to figure it out.¡±
Student after student approached Sota, but when it was Sell¡¯s turn, only one student had managed to guess correctly so far. The previous ten students hadn¡¯t even bothered guessing.
Adion focused his full attention on Sota¡¯s aura when Sell stepped up.
Sota flipped the coin and spoke, ¡°Heads.¡±
That felt like a lie, but¡
Sell looked at Sota for a moment before smiling, ¡°Lie.¡±
Sota smiled in response.
¡°Correct,¡± The Headmaster said.
So it was a lie. Damn, I need to really focus this time.
Adion stepped up after Sell was done. Sota flipped the coin and said, ¡°Heads.¡±
I can¡¯t feel her aura fluctuate at all. Surely she can¡¯t hide her intentions that well?
But what if she can? She seems to be incredibly apt in this particular aura control.
¡°Truth,¡± Adion said, trusting his gut.
¡°Correct,¡± The Headmaster nodded.
Sota seemed a little disappointed when Adion looked at her face.
Did she count on me gambling that she was bluffing?
¡°What¡¯s going on exactly?¡± Adion asked Sell as he returned to his seat.
Sell smiled and explained, ¡°She probably thought you wouldn¡¯t be confident enough to guess if she didn¡¯t do anything. She had to tell the truth, but by now, most of us have realized that she can fake telling a lie. Since she knows you are apt in aura sense, she probably thought she had to try something else on you.¡±
¡°That might be it,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°How about you? What was she trying to do?¡±
¡°She tried making her lie come off as a fake lie,¡± Sell said, ¡°I managed to see through it, but she is very good.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t know we had such a monster in our class,¡± Adion said, thoroughly impressed by Sota¡¯s abilities.
¡°She is from the Sorria family,¡± Sell said, ¡°That¡¯s a powerful Noble family on Meloria. She must have been practicing this sort of thing since she was a kid and received a lot of support. She might even have gotten the chance to eat a Merrillian Soul Peach. Still, I doubt many in the same circumstances could live up to the same results.¡±
That¡¯s right. Sell¡¯s sister had also recieved a Merrillian Soul Peach. I shouldn¡¯t assume I¡¯m the only one with lucky opportunities.
Not long after Sota had her go, it was Sell¡¯s turn to fool their classmates. She didn¡¯t have Sota¡¯s weird abilities, but she was leagues above most other students. Still, a few people managed to guess correctly. Adion suspected those people couldn''t see through Sell. They simply got lucky.
It was a recurring thing, some of the students had gotten so far behind that they seemed to have given up on receiving any reward, so they took a gamble and guessed every single time, even if they had no idea.
As Adion stepped up, he was curious what the results would be. He didn¡¯t feel much pressure, he was fine with guessing wrong if Sell was his opponent. But he would still prefer to beat her, of course.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
He knew that when taking the Merrillian Soul Peaches, Sell had focused on her aura sense, while Adion had focused on his aura control. He could hide his aura better than her, but Sell could see through other people¡¯s aura better than him.
Now that he would use his aura sense against her aura control and they would both try to fight each other, he was curious about the result.
Sell flipped the coin and said, ¡°Heads.¡±
Adion was a little stumped. He had focused on her aura, but he didn¡¯t need to use his aura sense to tell that Sell was telling the truth. It was somehow obvious to Adion. He didn¡¯t know if it was her body language, facial expression, or something else. He just felt that she was telling the truth.
Is this what it feels like for Sell all the time when she is with me? What a strange ability.
¡°Truth,¡± Adion said with a smile.
Sell seemed a little displeased as Adion guessed correctly. She muttered, ¡°Lucky.¡±
Adion shook his head with a smile and returned to his seat. He didn¡¯t stay seated for long, however, as it was his turn right after Sell.
Let¡¯s see if anyone is capable of seeing through me.
Adion couldn¡¯t imagine anyone besides Sell having the aura sense to see through him. But Sota had already given him quite a shock, so he didn¡¯t dare be too cocky. He didn¡¯t focus nearly as much attention on this part of his aura as his element and strength, after all.
As Adion arrived next to the Headmaster and looked out over his classmates, he was faced with many determined faces.
It seems like quite a few people here want to see me beat. I can imagine some of them will be guessing.
Adion looked at the list he had been given by the Headmaster and memorized the first few lies and truths before turning to Norfen, who was already walking toward him. Adion flipped the coin and looked down to see that it had landed on heads.
¡°Heads,¡± Adion said truthfully. He made Atao appear at the back of his mind in order to not have his expression give anything away.
¡°Truth,¡± Norfen said.
¡°Correct,¡± The Headmaster said.
What? No way he saw through me. He must have guessed.
And that seemed to be the case, as the next three students didn¡¯t dare make a guess, earning Adion 3 points. But right after that, a student successfully guessed that he was telling the truth once again.
Hmm. It could definitely be a coincidence. But I don¡¯t like this.
Wait. Since I¡¯m telling the truth, my aura doesn¡¯t reveal anything. Even though most people know I have an excellent aura control, they might not believe I can hide a lie that well.
As more students stepped up, Adion noticed a pattern. Most students didn¡¯t dare guess, but everyone who did, guessed that Adion was telling the truth. That meant that he caught some of them with his lies, but a few also managed to get away with a guess. That didn¡¯t sit right with Adion.
They can¡¯t tell whether I¡¯m lying or telling the truth; they just can¡¯t notice any lies and, therefore, make a guess. Is there anything I can do?
Adion thought about it for a while, and he decided to try to start having some fun.
As the next student stepped up Adion had to truthfully say that his coin flip turned out tails. But instead of simply telling the truth, he tried replicating the trick he had seen Sota use.
He focused on the part of his aura that revealed his lies. But unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t wrap his head around how he could make that part of his aura reveal a lie when he was telling the truth.
Is it even possible? You can¡¯t make your aura show anything false. That¡¯s what Fellion told me. And the Headmaster has confirmed it. But if that¡¯s the case, how did Sota do it?
Adion had to say something, so he said, ¡°Heads.¡±
¡°I decline to guess,¡± His classmate said, shaking his head.
Lucky.
Adion tried thinking of a solution as the next student stepped up.
If I can¡¯t make my aura reveal anything that is not truth¡I¡¯ll just have to muddy the waters.
Adion once again had to tell the truth, so he flipped his coin and said, ¡°Tails.¡±
But just as he spoke, he thought about Termeth Hesfym. If there was anything that made Adion¡¯s blood boil, it was that guy and Heavenly Light.
¡°Er, lie,¡± The girl in front of him guessed.
¡°Incorrect,¡± The Headmaster said with a small smile.
It worked? Is that how Sota did it?
As more students made their guesses and Adion thought about it some more though, he realized it couldn¡¯t be that simple. Perhaps he managed to fool some of his classmates with his little trick, but he knew a lot of them saw through it too.
I would definitely have noticed if Sota just was angry and not lying. She did something else.
Adion continued trying to make his aura do different things. Controlling it and experimenting with it as he told the results of the coin flips. But he wasn¡¯t able to figure anything out.
When Sell finally stepped up to go against him, Adion had reverted back to simply controlling his aura as best he could.
Adion flipped the coin and saw that it was tails. He had to lie about the result. That had worked on all of his classmates so far, but against Sell, he didn¡¯t have much confidence.
She has that weird eye-thing. Should I close my eyes?
No. It¡¯s nothing important anyway.
¡°Heads,¡± Adion said.
¡°Lie,¡± Sell immediately replied with a smile.
¡°Correct,¡± The Headmaster nodded.
The class all looked up at Sell with interest. She was the first person to catch Adion in a lie, after all.
Adion could only accept that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hide anything from her.
Somehow I feel like it wouldn¡¯t have mattered even if I closed my eyes.
Adion continued flipping his coin for a while longer, and at the end of it, he was okay with his result.
At the beginning of the class, I wouldn¡¯t have thought that anyone could get a point against me. But with wild guesses involved, I suppose this is as good as a result anyone can really get.
The class continued on for a while longer. When the last student finished and stepped away from the Headmaster, he clapped his hand and addressed the class.
¡°Well, that was interesting,¡± The Headmaster said with a light smile, ¡°Most of you performed well. I¡¯m sure a lot of you have noticed that this exercise wasn¡¯t solely about the ability to get away with lying. But also getting away with telling the truth. Sota,¡±
The Headmaster turned to look at the black-haired girl, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see such an impressive performance that illustrated this ability to such a degree. 500 credits on top of the rewards from the competition.¡±
All the students opened their mouths in shock. 500 credits were an enormous amount to receive in a single class. Sota got up on her feet and bowed to the Headmaster in thanks.
I must admit though, it sure was the most impressive thing I¡¯ve seen a student do so far.
¡°As for the results of the competition, the winner is Sota Sorria, followed closely by Adion Remori and Sellitha Amyss. Well done to you. I have the rest of the results written down here. I don¡¯t have the time to read it out loud, so you will have to look at it yourselves when class is finished. But as for the reward, that is simple. You will receive 10 credits for every point you¡¯ve earned.¡± The Headmaster announced as he put a piece of paper on the blackboard.
¡°That much,¡± Relmon muttered from beside him.
¡°The Headmaster sure is generous with credits,¡± Sell said.
I guess he is different from the other professors. He probably has a lot of room in how he gives away credits.
Adion knew that the Headmaster couldn¡¯t give them out completely unchecked. Such as giving Adion 100,000 credits for being his disciple. It would make Adion¡¯s journey to Head of the Scrolls easier, but it would tear down the trust in credits in the Academy. The Headmaster probably wouldn¡¯t do that even if the Council had supported him with it.
¡°Of course, if you¡¯re in the negative, the same rule applies,¡± The Headmaster continued as he looked out over the students.
This got quite a few students to almost drop on the floor.
¡°Headmaster,¡± A blonde boy hesitantly raised his hand.
¡°What?¡± The Headmaster asked gruffly.
¡°Do you mean that for every negative point, 10 credits will be deducted? Headmaster never mentioned something like that,¡± The boy said in a shaky voice.
¡°Of course, that¡¯s how it works,¡± The Headmaster said with a shrug, ¡°I didn¡¯t make the rules haphazardly. There is always some uncertainty in life, so I thought guessing should still be a part of the competition to make things a little interesting. But if you gamble, there have to be stakes. Are you new to the Academy? Professors take away credits all the time if your performance is disappointing. What made you think that you could get an end result in the negatives and get away scot-free?¡±
The student who had asked the question sank down in his seat, an embarrassed and dejected look on his face.
¡°Well, we will continue on this topic next week as well. Continue practicing as you have. That¡¯s it for today,¡± The Headmaster said, dismissing the class.
Adion didn¡¯t care too much about the credits, even if it was a nice bonus. He was more interested in understanding how Sota had fooled him. He turned to Sell and asked, ¡°Did you figure out how Sota managed to fake lying?¡±
¡°No,¡± Sell said, shaking her head, ¡°No matter how I think about it. It shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll ask the Headmaster about it. I¡¯ll tell you about it later,¡± Adion said.
¡°Thanks,¡± Sell smiled.
Adion would have his private lesson with the Headmaster after the class, so he stayed behind while everyone else left.
Once it was only Adion and the Headmaster left in the classroom, Adion remained in his seat, staring at the Headmaster intently.
The Headmaster was silent for a while before chuckling, ¡°Alright, alright. I guess I¡¯ll tell you a bit about Sota''s ability. I can¡¯t have you embarrass me in the future, after all. Let¡¯s go to my office.¡±
Adion smiled and ran after the Headmaster.
Being a disciple to the Headmaster sure has a lot of benefits.
Chapter 142 - Faking a lie
¡°I have some reports I need to read through,¡± The Headmaster said as he and Adion arrived in his office. ¡°Clear your mind or something in the meantime. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just some trivial matters. I¡¯ll be done soon.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded.
The Headmaster took a seat at his desk and began reading some papers while Adion wandered around the office, looking at the pieces of art.
I have only painted once since I got to the Academy. I¡¯ve just been so busy with everything else. But it¡¯s really peaceful and enjoyable. I should try to find some time to put aside for it at least once every week.
I promised Quahim that I would return with a masterpiece that was a lot better than ¡®A mother¡¯s smile.¡¯ It would be incredibly embarrassing if I showed no improvement when I go visit. Especially after he gave me those precious materials to paint with.
Adion continued wandering around and stopped at the Headmaster¡¯s bookshelf. Even if Adion appreciated the art in the office, his eyes often made their way to the books instead. It was just such a precious resource.
What¡¯s this?
Adion stopped as his eyes landed on a book with the title ¡®Ancient Shiora - Through ruins, remains, and records, Shiora¡¯s place in the world during the Age of Wonder.¡¯
This seems interesting.
Adion turned to look back at the Headmaster; his eyes were still on the papers in front of him.
Is there a chance to borrow this?
Adion had asked to borrow a few books before, but the Headmaster usually told him that it was useless to the current him, and that he should focus on more important matters.
It wasn¡¯t Adion¡¯s style to not ask, though.
¡°Can I borrow this?¡± Adion asked, pointing to the book.
The Headmaster looked up and moved his eyes to the book, after thinking for a few seconds he nodded and said, ¡°When you can compare to Sota¡¯s ability in telling fake lies, I¡¯ll let you read it as a reward.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Adion said, accepting the challenge. ¡°But how did she do it? As far as I know, you can¡¯t make your aura show anything false?¡±
¡°You can¡¯t,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°But there are a lot of little tricks you can do to make it appear that way.¡±
The Headmaster gathered the papers on his desk and carried them outside his office to hand over to a guard there.
As he got back inside, he continued, ¡°I noticed you tried to replicate her strategy. Tell me your thought process.¡±
¡°Well, I thought that I could achieve a similar result by making my aura change in some other ways, so I tried thinking about something that made me angry. But I realized that anyone who was decently apt at sensing aura wouldn¡¯t be fooled by that at all. What Sota did was completely different. I just can¡¯t figure out how she did it,¡± Adion responded.
¡°Not a bad effort,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°Aura is incredibly complex, and if you only follow other¡¯s direction, you won¡¯t be able to go very far with it. You should keep experimenting with your aura. It will take more than a lifetime to completely familiarize yourself with it. Even I am far from perceiving my own aura perfectly. But if you just continue using your aura to hide your strength and element, you won¡¯t ever discover what else you can do.
¡°But you are still young, and you have plenty of time. Everyone needs a foundation, and yours is more profound than most. So I will tell you how to accomplish what Sota did.¡±
The Headmaster took a seat on the carpet and invited Adion to sit down in front of him. Adion sat down and gave the Headmaster his full attention.
¡°You can¡¯t show anything false in your aura,¡± The Headmaster began, ¡°But what is false, and what is truth? It is more relative than you might think. How did Sota fake that she was lying, you ask? She didn¡¯t fake anything. She was actually lying.¡±
¡°What?¡± Adion asked, confused. ¡°But she was telling the truth. You said so yourself.¡±
¡°From my perspective, she was,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°She was instructed to tell the truth, and when the coin revealed heads, she said as much. But somehow, she was still lying. How?¡±
Adion paused and thought about it. ¡°Did she believe that she was lying?¡±
¡°There you go,¡± The Headmaster said with a light smile, ¡°She convinced herself that the coin revealed tails, so her saying it was heads would be a lie. It sounds simple enough, but it¡¯s actually incredibly difficult to accomplish. Most of your classmates might think that 500 credits were an exaggerated amount to give to Sota for her accomplishment, but it really doesn¡¯t do her skill justice. Even I was surprised.¡±
¡°Is it very uncommon?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it an uncommon ability in my circles, but for a 17-year-old? Yes. I have never seen anything like it.¡± The Headmaster responded.
Never seen anything like it? It¡¯s actually that amazing?
¡°Never?¡± Adion asked, just to make sure.
¡°Never,¡± The Headmaster nodded with an amused smile, ¡°But I haven¡¯t been teaching aura to first-years for very long. If someone gives it a lot of focus, I can see how it is possible. But that doesn¡¯t take away from how impressive it is. Sota has just started going to the Academy, after all. I¡¯m sure a lot of your classmates will eventually master it. If they give it a lot of their time, it might even happen in a year or two. But it¡¯s a world of a difference to be able to do it at the start of the Academy and a few years in. Your Silver strength is just like this, it shocked the whole city, but give it a year or two, and many of your classmates will also become Silver mages.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°If she can do this much already, she will probably continue to grow, just like my strength will grow.¡±
¡°I would think so,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°The Sorria family is very apt in training aura sense and aura control. I would imagine that Sota will choose to continue honing this skill of hers.¡±
¡°How annoying,¡± Adion muttered, ¡°I guess I can¡¯t relax at all if I don¡¯t want people snooping around my aura for secrets.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± The Headmaster chuckled, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that threat coming from any of your classmates, not even Sota. Your ability to hide your strength and element is a lot more shocking than what she can do.¡±
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¡°I guess that¡¯s a little comforting,¡± Adion said with an awkward smile.
¡°That Sellitha isn¡¯t too bad either,¡± The Headmaster commented, ¡°Did you share some Merillian Soul Peahces with her?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Adion nodded with a grin.
¡°Of course,¡± The Headmaster repeated with a shake of his head. ¡°Anyway, if you want to be able to fake a lie, it will take a lot of effort. I hope you won¡¯t let your other studies lag behind because of this.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll make sure of it,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But how exactly do you train something like that?¡±
¡°The same way you train in anything,¡± The Headmaster said with a straight face, ¡°You try. You fail. You try again. Eventually, you will succeed. How long it takes depends on your ability.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not very helpful,¡± Adion muttered.
¡°This isn¡¯t something I can hold your hand through,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°Aura is complex, and works differently for everyone. And as for fooling yourself into believing a lie when the truth is staring you in the face just to fool other¡¯s aura sense, I can¡¯t possibly explain something like that in words. If I could, I would be the greatest Sage of all time, and people could just read my work to grasp concept and aura to reach levels untold.¡±
¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Adion nodded. He didn¡¯t think he would be able to explain something as elusive as a concept or aura either. He doubted anyone could.
¡°Why don¡¯t you give it a try,¡± The Headmaster encouraged and gave Adion a gold coin.
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded. He flipped the coin and hid it from the Headmaster.
Heads. I have to somehow convince myself that it¡¯s tails and lie about it.
Adion closed his eyes and pictured that the coin revealed tails in front of him.
Tails. Tails. Tails.
¡°Heads,¡± Adion said.
¡°Hoo,¡± The Headmaster sounded surprised, ¡°Did you notice it? You actually revealed a lie in your aura for a fraction of a second.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Indeed,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°You seem to have been able to convince yourself slightly, but as soon as you started saying it out loud, your aura revealed that it was the truth.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s try again,¡± Adion said.
¡°Hehe, alright,¡± The Headmaster chuckled, ¡°We might as well make this the focus of today¡¯s lesson.¡±
So a few hours passed, with Adion trying to convince himself that he was seeing something other than reality and lying about it.
At the end of it, the Headmaster looked at Adion with an impressed smile and said, ¡°That should do it for today. You are starting to slip. But I¡¯m surprised. I didn¡¯t think you would be able to grasp it so fast. You actually managed to come quite far. I¡¯m sure you would have been able to fool several of your classmates if you had done this during class.¡±
Adion smiled slightly in response. It actually hadn¡¯t been that hard once he got used to it. And Adion had a trick. Right after looking at the coin, he would make Atao appear in his head, clearing all impressions from his mind. As a result, he was able to make himself believe the lie a lot better. At his best, his aura had revealed his lie to about a tenth of what Sota could accomplish.
Quite a fruitful day.
¡°Well, good job,¡± The Headmaster said, rising to his feet. ¡°It¡¯s a useful ability, so keep at it. I¡¯m sure you can make a fun game out of it with your classmates. I¡¯ll see you again at our next lesson.¡±
¡°Thank you for today, Headmaster,¡± Adion said as he got up to his feet and bowed.
¡°Yeah, yeah, off you go,¡± The Headmaster said, waving Adion off.
Adion turned to leave, but paused as he got to the door as he thought of a question.
¡°Headmaster, can you feel in someone¡¯s aura if they are Gifted?¡± Adion asked.
¡°That should definitely be possible,¡± The Headmaster said as he turned back to look at Adion. ¡°But I don¡¯t have that ability. I could see Elder Kilth being able to do it, though. But considering he didn¡¯t see through you when you two talked, I doubt he is very good at it, even if he can.¡±
¡°Is there any other way to see if someone is Gifted?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Their Gift is usually a dead giveaway,¡± The Headmaster said with a small smile. ¡°But if you¡¯re thinking that someone will discover your secret, I wouldn¡¯t worry about it. Not even I suspected anything until I scrutinized your aura and noticed your lack of a fire core. Why are you asking about this now?¡±
¡°I just thought I should be prepared for the unexpected,¡± Adion said, ¡°I have a class with Professor Haul, and he often comments on my Gift. If he starts asking questions, he might figure something out. And there could be many more like him eventually.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think anyone would dare to be too curious considering you¡¯re my disciple,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°If you find yourself in a difficult situation, you can use my name to get out of answering.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion said with a nod. ¡°Also¡About Dean Lukas, I¡¯m supposed to help him with the experiment on sparkless children. I¡¯m feeling a little bad that he¡¯s spending time on something that is based on a lie. But it¡¯s not like I can reveal that I actually didn¡¯t form a fire core. There is also a risk he discovers something with enough time.¡±
¡°Right,¡± The Headmaster nodded slowly, ¡°There was that matter. I¡¯ll give it some thought and let you know.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Adion said. He turned to leave again, but the Headmaster¡¯s voice stopped him.
¡°I just remembered,¡± The Headmaster said, flipping through some pieces of paper on his desk. ¡°Are you interested in going to the Appos Auction House?¡±
Hm?
¡°I¡¯m very interested,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°My grandpa has managed to get a booth for the family.¡±
¡°Oh, I see,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you should go with your family.¡±
¡°Is the Headmaster going?¡± Adion asked curiously.
¡°I believe I am,¡± The Headmaster nodded with a slight smile, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I went to one of these. And from what I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard, it won¡¯t be an ordinary auction.¡±
Does he know what will be sold? Surely even the Headmaster would be interested in an Elixir of Life.
But I shouldn¡¯t bring it up. He can see through me too easily if I¡¯m careless with my words.
Or does it make it seem suspicious if I don¡¯t ask him about it? I would definitely ask if I didn¡¯t know. And I am curious about other things that might be auctioned. I won¡¯t have to fake that.
¡°Does the Headmaster know what will be auctioned?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I have an idea,¡± The Headmaster said slowly, ¡°But I won¡¯t say anything more about it. Since you¡¯re going there, you will naturally find out.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded with a sigh. Even if he was glad to get out of the conversation, he was still a little curious.
Adion finally said a final goodbye to the Headmaster and headed home to his dorms.
Even the Headmaster will be at the auction. From his reaction¡did he really know about the Elixir of Life? Somehow, I don¡¯t think so.
Either way, I just need to stay out of it and enjoy the spectacle. It¡¯s bound to get lively.
Chapter 143 - Before the auction
Hm? This apple is delicious.
¡°Hey, Perk,¡± Adion turned to look at the recently turned 14-year-old boy. ¡°Where did you get this?¡±
¡°Do you like it, boss?¡± Perk asked with a pleased smile.
¡°It¡¯s very good,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°It¡¯s a Terras Sunlight Apple,¡± Perk explained in a scholarly voice, ¡°It¡¯s supposed to help you fire mana into your core. I¡¯m not sure how well it works, though. I just bought it because it tastes good.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion slowly nodded. He turned to look at Tib, but the boy looked away with a rare embarrassed expression. ¡°Where did you get it?¡±
¡°I got it from the Vermillion Abode. They have all incredible kinds of precious items there. Not that we can afford anything truly special, but even this apple costs 40 silvers.¡± Perk said.
¡°That much for a single apple? It tastes good, but isn¡¯t that a little too wasteful?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°We didn¡¯t know how to spend the money you gave us,¡± Perk said with a sigh, ¡°So we just headed to the most expensive place in Cyalis and bought a few of their cheaper items. If we spent it all in one go, we might get robbed after all.¡±
¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Adion said, remembering how he had urged the boys to spend some of his money when he went on a date with Sell. ¡°That¡¯s fine then. After the auction tonight, money won¡¯t be an issue for a long time.¡±
¡°Are you going to buy a place for us to start our operations from? A secret headquarters?¡± Perk asked excitedly.
Tib also turned to look at Adion with curiosity in his eyes.
¡°Well, not immediately,¡± Adion said hesitantly, ¡°But I¡¯ll start looking into it. It would be good if you got at least a little stronger before we think about anything big. But I¡¯ll definitely buy a decent place for you to stay. You¡¯ve stayed at this inn far too long.¡±
¡°Should we look for a convenient location for you, boss?¡± Tib asked.
¡°That would be nice,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°You two will be spending most of the time there, after all.¡±
Perk and Tib looked at each other and smiled.
¡°Anyway,¡± Adion said, getting up to his feet, ¡°I have to get going, but I¡¯m pleased with your progress. Are there any more questions?¡±
Adion hadn¡¯t visited his subordinates for over a week before coming here this morning, so he had spent most of the day answering any questions that might have sprung up since then. But it was the day of the auction of his Elixir of Life, so he had to leave. It wouldn¡¯t do to be late to something like that.
¡°Not for me. Thank you for your guidance, boss,¡± Perk said with a bow.
¡°And thank you for the books,¡± Tib added, also bowing.
¡°No problem, it will certainly be useful for you to study runes. You can¡¯t train the entire day, after all. Now you have another way to increase your strength when you have exhausted your Will.¡± Adion said.
During his last visit, Adion had told them a little about his studies. Both Perk and Tib had been curious about runes, and Adion thought it would be good for them to at least have a basic understanding of the topic, so he had brought them a few books on it.
¡°Well, then,¡± Adion said, turning to leave, ¡°I¡¯ll try not to take too long for my next visit. Keep up the good work.¡±
¡°Yes, boss,¡± Perk and Tib said in unison.
Adion left the inn and started walking toward his grandfather¡¯s mansion. He couldn¡¯t bring the brothers with him to the auction. It wouldn¡¯t be good if people saw them together with him. He couldn¡¯t exactly explain their existence to his friends and family either. They were supposed to be the backbone of his secret organization, after all. The only one he had told about his plans was Sell. He wanted to keep his family out of it.
It¡¯s unfortunate that they will be far too weak for a long time. But I guess I¡¯m not in a hurry.
After the auction, I¡¯ll spend some money on resources for them. I¡¯ll also look into hiring a guard or two to make sure that no one comes to cause trouble at their new place. Even if Cyalis is pretty safe, it¡¯s always good to take precautions.
Adion arrived at his grandfather¡¯s mansion and greeted the guard with a nod before heading inside.
He felt the aura of his family in the dining hall as he walked over, but he also felt another familiar presence.
He¡¯s here already?
¡°Yes, exactly,¡± Prago¡¯s voice reached Adion as he approached the door to the dining hall. ¡°Can you believe it? He can¡¯t even memorize a simple cooling rune, and he thinks he has time to play around. I¡¯ve tried instilling some work ethic in him but-¡±
Adion gnashed his teeth and opened the doors, ¡°Is that so, Prago?¡±
¡°Adion, you¡¯re finally here,¡± Prago said as he turned to look at Adion, seemingly completely at ease in front of his Soul mage grandfather. ¡°Where have you been? Everyone has been waiting for you.¡±
¡°There¡¯s plenty of time left until we have to leave,¡± Adion said, staring intently at Prago.
¡°Haha,¡± Prago laughed, ¡°I suppose we look at time a little differently.¡±
What¡¯s with his attitude?
¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to come to the auction if you are so afraid of wasting your precious time,¡± Adion said as he took a seat next to his brother and sister. They were both looking at him with amused smiles.
¡°Adion, you shouldn¡¯t be so harsh on your friend,¡± His grandfather said scoldingly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard just how much Prago has done for you. You should show some appreciation.¡±
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Adion stared at his grandfather with an open mouth.
Just what has this guy been saying about me?
Prago looked at Adion with a pleased grin and said, ¡°Appreciation is all I¡¯ve ever asked for. That and an apology.¡±
¡°Apologize for what?¡± Adion asked, flabbergasted.
¡°Adion, apologize to your friend,¡± His grandfather said.
¡°What? Grandpa, you know his just been telling lies. You¡¯re a Soul mage, don¡¯t expect me to believe he can fool you,¡± Adion said.
¡°Adion,¡± His grandfather warned him in a stern voice.
Adion sighed. As much as he knew his grandfather was screwing with him, he didn¡¯t have it in him to disrespect him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Prago. I appreciate all your help.¡±
¡°Thank you, Adion,¡± Prago said, closing his eyes and seemingly etching the words into his heart.
Just you wait.
¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen Grandpa scolding you, Adion,¡± Ailera said with a laugh.
¡°Yes, we should celebrate,¡± Aiden said with a nod. He smiled and looked up to where Marli was standing by the door, ¡°Would you prepare some drinks for us, Marli?¡±
¡°Certainly, young master,¡± Marili said with a small smile and scurried off.
¡°This is ridiculous,¡± Adion sighed.
I¡¯ll have to write a letter to Prago¡¯s grandfather and tell him what Prago has been up to.
Sorry, Prago. You¡¯ve forced my hand.
Adion¡¯s family continued with the charade as the drinks arrived. Prago had no issue spinning tales of Adion¡¯s lackings, to his family¡¯s great joy.
Almost an hour later, Marli stepped into the dining hall and spoke to Adion¡¯s grandfather, ¡°Master, Sellitha Amyss has arrived with her two friends.¡±
¡°Oh? Good, let them in,¡± His grandfather said with a smile, ¡°Bring in some snacks as well.¡±
Marli stepped away for a short while before arriving with Sell, Felicia, and Lastia.
¡°Greetings, Soft Soul Remori,¡± Felicia and Lastia greeted Adion¡¯s grandfather with a bow. Sell seemed to be slightly at a loss as she didn¡¯t know how to appropriately greet him.
They had only met once, and at that time, his grandfather had told her to call him ¡®grandpa.¡¯ But Adion could tell that she was not entirely comfortable doing so in this situation.
¡°Haha,¡± His grandfather laughed, ¡°No need to be so polite. Since you¡¯re friends of Adion, make yourself at home. Little Sell, come sit over here. Let me know if Adion has been bullying you. I¡¯ll make sure to punish him for you.¡±
Sell blushed slightly but went to sit next to him. Felicia and Lastia smiled at the scene and also took their seats at his invitation.
¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Felicia asked Adion in a low voice as his grandfather grilled Sell.
Adion sighed and answered, ¡°My family is jealous of my achievements, and now they are in some sort of frenzy, making up stories for some reason.¡±
¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a little teasing, Adion,¡± His sister said, ¡°Since when did you become such a baby?¡±
¡°Alright, then,¡± Adion said with a smirk, ¡°I already have my plans on how to deal with Prago. Just wait until I have thought out something for you too. Let¡¯s see how you handle it.¡±
Ailera squinted her eyes at him, ¡°Alright. Truce.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Adion smiled. He then looked over to Prago, ¡°You¡¯re still not off the hook, though.¡±
¡°Oh, please. Do you think I fear you?¡± Prago asked.
¡°I already have the first 10 lines figured out for the letter I¡¯m sending to your grandfather,¡± Adion said with a smile.
Prago paused with his drink halfway to his lips. He gave Adion an awkward smile and said, ¡°Adion, why don¡¯t we just forget about this? It¡¯s just a bit of fun.¡±
¡°I agree,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°So why stop now?¡±
Seeing Prago¡¯s crestfallen face, Adion felt a lot better.
The conversations around the table carried on for a while. Eventually, Adion¡¯s grandfather excused himself and went to prepare. Relmon arrived soon after and joined everyone around the dining table.
He was the only one who didn¡¯t know about Adion and Sell, so everyone restrained themselves slightly. Adion hadn¡¯t thought about it when he invited him, but it was too late to do anything about it.
He wasn¡¯t going to tell Relmon something like that. Even if he was sure Relmon suspected something, he wouldn¡¯t confirm it for him. He needed to be a lot more careful than he had been previously.
Even if he started seeing Relmon as somewhat of a friend, he didn¡¯t trust him nearly as much as Prago. Prago was someone he had met for the first time when he was 15, and he had seen enough of him and his grandfather to understand what kind of person he was. The same couldn¡¯t be said for Relmon.
Not Felicia or Lastia either, for that matter. But since Sell trusted them, Adion accepted them knowing about it.
Everyone should be aware enough not to reveal anything in front of him. There will be a lot of eyes everywhere tonight anyway, so it is probably for the best that we have a constant reminder among us.
It will make me more careful with what I say about the auction too. I definitely can¡¯t have anyone besides my family and Sell know about the Elixir of Life. That will result in even more terrifying consequences than revealing my relationship with Sell.
¡°What do you think the mysterious alchemy product is?¡± Felicia asked.
¡°It¡¯s definitely something we have no hope of obtaining,¡± Ailera said, ¡°If I had to guess, it¡¯s something found in some ruin somewhere, left behind from the Age of Wonder.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t imagine anything else capable of making the Appos Auction House make that sort of announcement,¡± Felicia nodded in agreement.
¡°Does anyone know of anything besides that alchemy product being auctioned?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I tried asking around, but it seems like the Appos Auction House has kept things really quiet this time around,¡± Sell said, ¡°Usually, an auction can gain something by spreading a few words about what¡¯s going to be auctioned off. As much as mystery is important in order to spark the interest of mages from all walks of life, there is also much to gain from revealing some information. If they are going to sell a runic sword, for example, it would be stupid not to have people interested in that showing up.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Ailera nodded, ¡°I guess they have more than enough people willing to show up this time around. Even if they revealed some of the items, they would probably not be able to increase the public interest more than they already have.¡±
¡°Yeah, even my family has sent someone to participate,¡± Felicia said, ¡°Even if they aren¡¯t interested enough to send anyone with high status, it is really unusual for them to send someone just to go to an auction in Cyalis.¡±
There will probably be people arriving from all over Shiora. I just hope they brought enough coin to fill my pockets with.
Chapter 144 - Auction I
¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I went to an auction. I¡¯m really excited,¡± Felicia said as she looked out the window of the moving carriage.
¡°Did you bring funds to buy something?¡± Sell asked.
¡°Not really. I might have enough to buy something small. Otherwise, I can always ask my great aunt if I really want something. She¡¯s going to be there too,¡± Felicia answered. ¡°What about you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m just going to watch,¡± Sell said, shaking her head.
¡°What about you, Adion?¡± Felicia asked, ¡°Since your family even prepared a booth, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re going to make a few bids?¡±
¡°Probably,¡± Adion nodded.
Their family wasn¡¯t really wealthy enough to contend with the bigger families of Cyalis, but with the Elixir of Life, that would change. And since it was sure to make a killing, Adion¡¯s grandfather had already received a vast amount of money beforehand. This was not only so they could make a bid in case they spotted something they liked, but also because it would help draw suspension away from their family after the auction.
If their family suddenly started spending money like crazy right after the Elixir of Life was sold, some people might start looking into where that money came from. So his grandfather had asked for a loan, which the Appos Auction House agreed to without a problem.
His grandfather had already started spending that money, so now it would just seem like they had held a lot of money in reserve and began spending it once they became a Noble family. Considering that they sold their manor to the Valis Royal family, no one would think it so strange that they had a lot of money. It also made sense that they didn¡¯t want to show off their wealth too much before his grandfather became a Soul mage.
I¡¯m glad Grandpa thought about that. I also need to come up with a reason for buying a new manor for Tib and Perk. I could find a way to do it anonymously, but that would also mean that they wouldn¡¯t have the protection of a Noble family.
But I can¡¯t really do it openly, either. That would make building a secret organizition separate from my family completely useless.
Oh well, I¡¯ll think of something.
The carriage came to a halt, and everyone stepped outside. Adion saw his Grandpa and siblings step out from the carriage in front of them, and his Grandpa gestured for them to follow him.
What a magnificent building.
Adion had never been to the River of Coins before, so everything around him was new. River of Coins was a part of Cyalis known for it¡¯s extreme wealth. The most luxurious stores and establishments in Cyalis were located here, and that included the Appos Auction House.
The building was located by an enormous square, and the auction house itself took up the entire side of the square. It was surprisingly made out of wood, but Adion knew that it couldn¡¯t be any type of ordinary wood. It was almost black in color, and it seemed as sturdy as rock.
All around them, carriages were arriving with influential people getting out. All of them heading to the auction house.
¡°That¡¯s the crest of the Alago Royal family,¡± Sell commented as she spotted a luxurious carriage arriving, ¡°It seems like this auction has managed to gather people from all over Shiora.¡±
¡°The Appos Auction House better have something heaven-shaking to auction for an announcement like this,¡± Felicia said, ¡°I can feel a Soul mage¡¯s aura from that carriage. Even in a Royal family, their status can¡¯t be low. These types of people will not be happy if they have had their time wasted.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure they are well aware of that,¡± Relmon said, ¡°I just wonder what it could be. I almost feel like I¡¯m part of a historic event.¡±
¡°It might be,¡± Felicia said.
¡°I¡¯m just afraid it will result in some kind of fight,¡± Sell said, ¡°With these powerful people all gathered, things might get heated if something too precious is up for bids.¡±
¡°The Appos family has two members in the Council,¡± Adion said, ¡°I don¡¯t think even a Royal family would dare cause a ruckus.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Sell nodded.
As their group stepped onto the red carpet that Adion guessed was made from the hairs of some rare beast, a Diamond mage in uniform approached Adion¡¯s grandfather with hurried steps.
¡°Patriarch Remori, it¡¯s good to see you again. I hope you have been well,¡± The man said with a light bow and a wide smile.
¡°So it¡¯s Diamond Terofs,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather said with a chuckle, ¡°How can I not have been well? But I have been cooped up for too long, so I hope your auction house can give me some excitement tonight.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Terofs said with a laugh, ¡°Why don¡¯t you all follow me and I¡¯ll take you to your booth.¡±
¡°Then I¡¯ll thank you,¡± His grandfather said with a smile.
Does that man know? He shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯m sure only the Soul mages in charge of the Appos Auction House know that it¡¯s Grandpa who delivered the Elixir of Life. Terofs has probably seen him at their family mansion a few times.
The group entered the auction house and reached the grand entrance hall. It was full of people conversing and laughing, drinks in their hands.
¡°Adion?¡± A voice called out.
Adion turned to see his old roommate Heso approach him with a smile.
¡°Heso, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Adion greeted with a smile.
¡°Haha,¡± Heso laughed, ¡°It sure had. With your new status as the disciple of the Headmaster, I can only guess how busy you have been. I expected you to come here with him.¡±
¡°My family has a booth already, so I chose to attend the auction with them,¡± Adion said.
¡°I see,¡± Heso nodded, ¡°Well, I won¡¯t hold you up. Come by the Jimmen family booth later if you want to have a chat. I will become very popular if I manage to introduce you to some people there.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Adion nodded.
He left Heso behind and continued following his family. They entered a wide staircase at the side of the entrance hall and started climbing floors.
¡°I have spotted quite a few great influences from all over Shiora,¡± His grandfather commented to Terofs, ¡°I guess basically every Noble family from all over Shiora will show up thanks to your announcement.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Terofs laughed, ¡°Far from every Noble family, I¡¯m afraid. But I do believe that most have at least sent a representative. Some families have taken it more seriously than others, but at the very least, one person has been sent from all the top powers. We even have some unexpected guests.¡±
¡°Unexpected guests?¡± His grandfather asked.
¡°Apparently, a few people here tonight have come from some powers of the Fire Phoenix Empire on Quemer,¡± Terofs said with excitement in his voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know why they are here, nor do I know their exact background. But they should be pretty big fish.¡±
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¡°Interesting,¡± His grandfather said slowly. ¡°Things will get lively tonight, it seems.¡±
¡°They are sure to be,¡± Terofs nodded, ¡°But what fun would an auction be without some tensions? However, rest assured, we have prepared for this auction for quite some time now, and the security for tonight is leagues above any other auction in at least the past century. Not even the powers from Quemer can cause a ruckus.¡±
¡°I expect nothing less from the Appos family,¡± His grandfather said with a chuckle.
The group soon reached a long hallway, a red carpet covered the floor and it was lit up by crystal crowns hanging from the ceiling. Twelve doors lined one of the walls, and each door had a Diamond mage standing guard outside. Terofs stopped by one of the doors and handed a key to Adion¡¯s grandfather.
¡°This is the booth we have prepared for you. If you have any requests, please ask one of the servants inside and they will do do their utmost to fulfill it.¡± Terofs said.
¡°Alright,¡± His grandfather nodded and unlocked the door.
Their booth reflected the theme of the auction house, dark wooden walls with a luxurious red carpet. There were couches and armchairs for more than fifteen people to sit. There were also drinks and snacks that Adion thought would be enough for more than fifty people.
There was a man and a woman standing against the wall, they both bowed and greeted them as they stepped inside.
They have Silver mages acting as servants? What kind of luxury is that? They are even just above 30 years old.
Adion was quite shocked at the luxury suddenly in front of him. It was countless times more affluent than the Dorbarta Auction House he had previously visited.
He turned to look at Sell and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are these types of situations normal in Noble circles?¡±
Sell smiled and answered, ¡°It¡¯s the foremost auction house in Cyalis. What did you expect? They are receiving Soul mages here, after all. The booths of the guests from Royal families are surely countless times more spectacular. They probably even have Diamond mages serving them.¡±
Ganta. Well, I guess this won¡¯t be out of my reach any longer. If I didn¡¯t have to take care not to flaunt my wealth too much, I might even afford to buy something similar to this whole auction house.
¡°Alright, everyone,¡± His grandfather said, ¡°Help yourselves. The auction won¡¯t start for a while, so I will go see some acquaintances.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Aiden nodded.
As his grandfather left, everyone started talking more easily. Adion stepped up to pour himself a drink but was stopped by the servant girl.
¡°Please let me, young master,¡± The girl said with a smile.
¡°Oh, alright,¡± Adion nodded awkwardly. He turned to look at Sell and asked, ¡°Is this the kind of wine that you¡¯re always talking about?¡±
¡°Let me take a look,¡± Sell said as she approached the table of drinks and looked over the selection. ¡°Oh? This one is really good. Poor two glasses of this, please.¡± Sell pointed out the bottle of wine she wanted to the servant.
Adion got his glass and tasted it curiously. ¡°It¡¯s quite good.¡±
¡°Quite good?¡± Sell questioned.
¡°Well, it¡¯s really good,¡± Adion admitted. ¡°But I still prefer regular beer. It just has a certain something.¡±
¡°You¡¯re just a brute,¡± Sell said, shaking her head with a smile.
¡°Adion, you¡¯re a Noble now,¡± Felicica said as she approached the two, ¡°You need to start to familiarize yourself with these things.¡± Felicia then leaned in to whisper in Adion¡¯s ear, ¡°We can¡¯t have you embarrass Sell in the future, can we?¡±
¡°Felicia,¡± Sell looked at Felicia with a stern look.
¡°I¡¯m just joking around, relax,¡± Felicia said with a laugh, taking a swing of her drink.
¡°Your friends are even more careless than me,¡± Adion said in a low voice, smiling teasingly.
¡°Sorry,¡± Sell muttered, embarrassed.
Thankfully, it was only Relmon around who could overhear, and he was on the opposite side of the room. Even if he heard, most things could be waved off as teasing, so Adion wasn¡¯t worried.
Time passed with everyone enjoying themselves. Eventually, Adion¡¯s grandfather returned as well. He took a drink and talked lightly with everyone.
¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please gather your attention to the stage,¡± A voice rang out.
Adion looked up as he noticed that the voice hadn¡¯t come from the stage but from inside the booth. He spotted a small runic device in the ceiling of their room.
They even have these runes here? I don¡¯t know a lot about runes yet, but this must have been incredibly complicated to incorporate.
¡°It¡¯s starting,¡± Ailera said with an anticipatory smile, ¡°Should we stay in here or go outside?¡±
Their booth was covered by a large glass panel. From there, they could look out over the large auction hall without any problem. But it was a special type of glass that could only be viewed through from one direction. Thus, no one else could look inside.
If they wanted to, though, there was a small balcony they could step out on. But if they made their bids from there, everyone would know who it was.
¡°We might as well head out to the balcony,¡± His grandfather said, ¡°No matter what we bid on, we won¡¯t attract more attention than the final item. And we won¡¯t be bidding on that. Besides, I might not know exactly what kind of runes they have working here, but I don¡¯t think that the more powerful guests will have any trouble seeing through this glass. Perhaps it could work on other occasions, where Soul mages don¡¯t show up, but not today. Even I can feel the aura of people I recognize in a lot of booths.¡±
¡°Oh, that makes sense,¡± Ailera nodded.
This certainly is a creative way of making bidding anonymous, but in front of the truly powerful, it just comes off as silly.
The last time I went to the auction in Dorbarta, I used my powers to spy on people there without anyone noticing. But I don¡¯t have the courage to try that tonight.
They all stepped out on the balcony, and Adion turned his head to see a lot of other people choosing to do the same. He spotted Heso, waving to him from across the auction hall a few floors below. Adion waved back and turned to see if he could spot anyone else he recognized. But before he could, his attention was brought to the stage down below, where a black-haired girl who looked to be in her late twenties walked up.
¡°Hello and welcome, everyone. My name is Milana Appos, and I will be your host this unforgettable evening,¡± Milana¡¯s voice rang out across the hall.
She received thunderous applause from the auction hall, which was filled to the brim with guests from all over the continent.
¡°Before we start, I would like to thank a certain guest on behalf of the Appos Auction House. And that guest is no one else but the Headmaster of Cyalis Academy, Headmaster, Sage, and Pure Soul Vermon Demorr.¡± Milana said as she graciously bowed to a booth high above.
Adion turned his head to see the Headmaster sitting on the most prestigious of all balconies a few floors above him.
It might have caused some stir of one of the Royal families got the seat of honor when there are so many of them here. But with the Headmaster in that spot, I don¡¯t think anyone could raise any objections.
The Headmaster responded to the introduction with a simple nod and a light smile.
¡°Adion,¡± His grandfather said in a low voice.
Adion turned to look back at his grandfather and saw him, and everyone else, bowing to the Headmaster.
¡°I know you¡¯re his disciple, but you should still bow,¡± His grandfather said with an amused smile.
¡°Right,¡± Adion said and hurriedly bowed along with basically every single other guest there. Even if you came from a Royal family, the Headmaster of Cyalis Academy was not someone you could slight. That was not even mentioning his strength or status as a Sage.
¡°As this is a very special night for our auction house, we have managed to get the protection of the Council of Cyalis. This is a night where a lot of influential people from all over the continent have gathered, and there might be some tensions. But I hope you can all remember to give some face to Cyalis, and not take things too far,¡± Milana said, smiling as she looked out over the guests.
The Headmaster agreed to act as protection? Does that mean he actually knows about the Elixir of Life? Isn¡¯t that something even he is interested in?
Maybe he¡¯ll bid for it anyway.
I¡¯ll feel a little guilty taking his money as his disciple, though.
¡°Now then, honored guests,¡± Milana continued with a bright smile, ¡°Let the auction commence!¡±
Chapter 145 - Auction II
A great cheer ran through the audience at Milana¡¯s words. As Adion looked around, he could see that basically only the distinguished Soul mages who had come appeared somewhat indifferent. But the vast majority of guests were mages weaker than them. And all of those Soul mages also had the younger generation of their families with them.
¡°Yeah!¡± Prago shouted loudly from beside him, causing Adion to shake his head in amusement.
¡°I will introduce the first item for the night,¡± Milina said as an attendant carried out an object covered by a red cloth.
¡°What else but Merillian Soul Peaches could be worthy of starting the night,¡± Milana said with a smile as she revealed the five pieces of precious fruit.
Merillian Soul Peaches?
¡°Not even a Royal family can have enough of these legendary treasures,¡± Milana continued, ¡°It is widely known as a precious fruit originating from the Merillian Kingdom on Quemer, but these specific fruits have been found on Shiora. I can guarantee that the effect is no less miraculous, however.
¡°Should a young mage eat one of these, their sense of aura and soul will take a tremendous leap forward, and for a peak Dirmaond mage looking for a chance at advancing to the Soul stages, this fruit is indispensable. We have a total of five Merillian Soul Peahces, and we will auction them off one at a time. The starting bid is set to 100 Vastro coins!¡±
¡°110 Vastro coins!¡± A young man on a balcony across Adion yelled out, only to be immediately overbid by someone in the stalls down below.
¡°Grandpa,¡± Adion said in a low voice, ¡°It would be good if we could get one of these for Aiden and Ailera. Their aura control is too poor, and these fruits really do have an amazing effect.¡±
¡°I was already thinking the same thing,¡± His grandfather said with a smile, ¡°But what about you? Aren¡¯t you interested?¡±
¡°I have already eaten three,¡± Adion said, shaking his head, ¡°It won¡¯t have much of an effect on me anymore. And I think it would be pushing it too far to take three of them for our family in this auction.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± His grandfather nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to get you something else.¡±
¡°Is Grandpa bidding for those for us?¡± Ailera asked Adion in a low voice as she heard their grandfather start bidding.
¡°He is,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°With this, you won¡¯t have as much of a problem keeping secrets in front of powerful mages.¡±
¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Ailera said with a bright smile, ¡°Maybe I can finally take that pill.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Adion reluctantly said. Ailera and Adion had both held up on taking the Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill. There were simply too many eyes on them in the Academy, and someone would notice their control of fire eventually, no matter how well they hid it. And as they were right now, they wouldn¡¯t be able to lie about it to their Diamond professors.
I¡¯m glad both me and Sell had a chance to eat those peaches already. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been willing to let any of them go, and that would surely rouse some anger from the other guests here.
¡°1500!¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather said in a loud but calm voice.
¡°Soul mage Remori, surely you jest,¡± An old man on a balcony two floors above to the side of them said, ¡°A Merillian Soul Peach is not worth this much. Why don¡¯t you let me take this one and you can bid on the others for a much lower price? 1550!¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Adion grandfather laughed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Soul mage Burmasi, I have grandchildren to look after. I¡¯ll just be taking the first two, and then I¡¯ll be happy to step away. 1600!¡±
¡°Taking the first two? How can there be anything so good?¡± The old man Burmasi scoffed and then raised the bid, ¡°1700!¡±
¡°If you bid more than me, then naturally, I won¡¯t say anything about it,¡± His grandfather said with a smile, ¡°2000!¡±
¡°You¡¯re crazy, Remori,¡± Burmasi said, displeased. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll let you have it. 2000 is far more than it¡¯s worth.¡±
And with that, no one else took on Adion¡¯s grandfather, and he won the first Merillian Soul Peach.
Adion¡¯s siblings and friends jumped up in excitement when they heard Milana announcing their win.
¡°That¡¯s how you should do it! Haha!¡± Prago laughed.
¡°I¡¯m Impressed, Patriarch Remori,¡± Felicia said with a bright smile, ¡°You were so fierce!¡±
¡°Haha, thank you, little Felicia,¡± His grandfather laughed, ¡°But the only reason I could win this easily is probably because the most powerful powers here have their own means of getting their hands on these fruits from the Merillian Kingdom. At a price well below what I paid at that.¡±
That¡¯s most likely right. But it would be worth it for Grandpa even if he had to pay double what he did. For our family, those Merillian Soul Peaches can¡¯t easily be bought, so they are priceless in a way.
Adion¡¯s grandfather won the next bidding war quite easily, and he only had to pay 1050 Vastro coins this time around.
¡°It was quite clever of your grandfather to announce that he was taking the first two and then he would step down,¡± Sell commented, ¡°Everyone knew he would take them all the way up to 2000, so it¡¯s no point to make an enemy with a Soul mage if you have no chance of winning. It¡¯s better to wait for the other three.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a privilege that comes from having more money than you can spend,¡± Adion said with a smile.
¡°How much do you think it will go for?¡± Sell asked, slightly excited.
¡°No idea,¡± Adion said, shaking his head.
¡ª
¡°These people actually got so excited over something like a Merillian Soul Peach?¡± August said with a sneer on his face. ¡°What¡¯s going to be the final item for the evening? A Grand Focus Pill? We are just wasting our time here.¡±
¡°A Merillian Soul Peach is of value for us too, nephew,¡± Amelia said calmly. ¡°Haven¡¯t you had several of them yourself? It¡¯s natural that someplace so far away from the Merillian Kingdom would place a high value on them.¡±
¡°And don¡¯t forget that the Royal families haven¡¯t made a move so far. This is likely a battle between the local Noble families,¡± High Cleric Revano added.
¡°I still don¡¯t believe that anything here can possibly catch our eyes,¡± August said, shaking his head.
Amelia sighed. Did I really need to bring this troublesome son of yours here, brother?
¡°I wouldn¡¯t so say,¡± Amelia said, trying to educate her nephew a little. ¡°In terms of strength and history, Shiora is far far from reaching the powers of Quemer. But when it comes to treasures from the Age of Wonder, they can compete with us on equal grounds. If this Appos Auction House has dared to say this will be a historic auction in order to bring the influences from all over the continent here, then it will definitely be something noteworthy.¡±
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¡°I still don¡¯t think-¡± August began contradicting her.
¡°August! Just shut up, and you¡¯ll see at the end of the auction!¡± Amelia yelled.
¡°Yes, aunt,¡± August nodded, finally shrinking back and quieting down.
I lost my temper again. I shouldn¡¯t flare up like that.
¡°Sorry, dear nephew,¡± Amelia sighed, ¡°It¡¯s been a long journey.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Bishop Derman laughed, ¡°A long journey or not, when have you ever not lost your temper? I¡¯m sure August is used to it by now.¡±
¡°What did you say, old man?¡± Amelia looked toward the old bishop with angry eyes.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Bishop Derman laughed even louder, ¡°Oh, it was right of me to come along on this journey. You have always been a blast, Amelia.¡±
So annoying. Am I the only adult here?
Amelia dropped the matter. She was prone to anger, but she was also quick to move on. She looked out over the gathered mages on the balconies around her. Her eyes drifted up to the Headmaster of Cyalis Academy.
To think even a Sage would appear. It seems like this auction won¡¯t disappoint.
She shifted her gaze to the mages on the balconies down below. The same man that had just won the first Merillian Soul Peach won again.
Hm? He looks familiar.
¡°Has anyone caught your interest?¡± Bishop Derman walked up to Amelia and asked with a smirk. ¡°Point him out to me. I¡¯m sure that even if we fail tremendously on our mission, I would be rewarded handsomely by his majesty if I managed to get you married during this trip.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t push it too far,¡± Amelia warned. She would likely have yelled some harsh words if not for her curiosity being pricked, ¡°Look at that man over there. Don¡¯t you think he seems familiar?¡±
¡°Hm?¡± Bishop Derman glanced over the railing to where Ameilia pointed. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±
Am I just imagining things? Where have I seen him? He looks like¡Impossible!
Amelia¡¯s heart rate started beating violently. It had been a long time since she felt like this.
¡°I think I¡¯ve also seen him somewhere, Bishop Amelia,¡± High Cleric Revano said from beside her.
¡°You have? Where?¡± Amelia asked nervously.
¡°I can¡¯t remember,¡± High Cleric Revano shook his head.
Fool!
Amelia clenched her fists. She turned to one of the servants behind her in the booth. She was more and more certain of her suspicions.
¡°You. Do you how that Soul mage is?¡± Amelia asked as she pointed out the same man again.
¡°That should be Soul mage Arlen Remori, Bishop,¡± The servant said with a respectful voice.
¡°Remori? Are you sure?¡± Amelia asked, her throat slightly dry.
¡°Yes, Bishop,¡± The servant nodded.
¡°What do you know about him? Tell me everything,¡± Amelia urged. She had to make sure.
¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know much,¡± The servant said with an awkward smile, ¡°I only know that that black-haired youth over there is Adion Remori. He has caused a few stirs lately. He is only 17, yet is already a middle Silver mage. He has even become the disciple of the Headmaster of Cyalis.¡±
¡°Oh, there is such a thing,¡± Bishop Derman muttered, taking a closer look at the boy.
¡°What else? I want to know everything,¡± Amelia said, not caring much about the boy, even if he was talented.
¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not the right person to ask,¡± The servant said, ¡°I can go ask around for the Bishop and try to collect some information.¡±
¡°Hurry,¡± Amelia said, waving the man away.
¡°Do you know that man? Arlen Remori?¡± Bishop Derman asked.
¡°No,¡± Amelia shook her head, ¡°It was nothing. Forget about it.¡±
¡°Nothing?¡± Bishop Derman asked with a laugh, ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll look into it myself.¡±
Why do you have to get involved? Oh well, it¡¯s not likely that he¡¯ll discover something.
¡°Hm? Now that I take a closer look. He does seem familiar. His aura too¡¡± Bishop Derman murmured.
Damn! Has he actually seen him before? That¡¯s not good. I shouldn¡¯t have brought his attention to him.
¡°I said forget about it,¡± Amelia said in a threatening tone.
Bishop Derman looked up to Amelia with an amused grin, ¡°Little Amelia, just what is this about? You know I¡¯m going to find out.¡±
¡°There is nothing to find out,¡± Amelia said.
¡°Well, I¡¯ll just go over and take a look myself then. Just to make sure,¡± Bishop Derman said, turning around. ¡°I¡¯ve lived for a few centuries, so my memory isn¡¯t what it has always been. A conversation with that Arlen might jog a few memories.¡±
Why does this fool always have to get involved?
¡°Alright, Bishop Derman,¡± Amelia said, holding out her hand to stop the old man from leaving. ¡°If you won¡¯t stop. I¡¯ll just tell you.¡±
¡°Hm?¡± Bishop Derman turned around and looked at Amelia questioningly.
¡°The truth is¡that I once fought that man in my youth. He defeated me, so I got a little excited.¡± Amelia said.
¡°Haha!¡± Bishop Derman laughed loudly. ¡°Little Amelia, do you think you can lie to me? You might have reached a high degree in aura, but you are not even eighty years old yet. You are centuries away from lying to me.¡±
Amelia gritted her teeth in anger as Bishop Derman turned away to leave once again.
¡°Fine! Then I¡¯m coming with you,¡± Amelia said in anger and hurried after the old man.
¡°Should we¡¡± High Cleric Revano looked around at the others in the room awkwardly, ¡°Should we stay here?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Amelia yelled.
¡°I want to come too,¡± August said excitedly as he joined Amelia and Bishop Derman.
¡°Haaah,¡± High Cleric Revano sighed as he also joined them. ¡°Cleric Jofelli, you are in charge. If anything of interest to the church turns up, you can bid at your own discretion.¡±
¡°Yes, High Cleric,¡± Cleric Jofelli said with a nod.
Amelia matched her steps to Bishop Derman as they exited their booth and entered the hallway. She threw the old man a displeased look.
¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I saw you like this,¡± Bishop Derman said with an amused smile, ¡°I haven¡¯t been this curious in a good while, either. Isn¡¯t this just a match made in heaven? Haha!¡±
Amelia ignored him. There was no way of convincing the old man to back down. Even if she was the daughter of the Emperor as well as a Soul mage, her status wasn¡¯t above this old monster.
¡°Remori, Remori,¡± Bishop Derman mused, ¡°No matter how much I think about it. It doesn¡¯t ring a bell. But that man is a familiar face. I¡¯m looking forward to getting to the bottom of this.¡±
How I wish I could beat that face. How was there ever a time when I found him endearing?
¡°Aunt Amelia,¡± August said as he ran after her, ¡°Those elven girls were real beauties. Can you introduce me to them so they know my status? I want to make a good impression.¡±
Amelia abruptly stopped and turned to look at her nephew. She narrowed her eyes and said in a harsh voice, ¡°If you make a fool of me in there, I¡¯ll send you back to your father in 444 pieces.¡±
August paled at the threat and hurriedly lowered his head as he took a step back.
Amelia ignored her nephew and focused on the matter at hand. She was nervous, but she also couldn¡¯t help but be excited.
Is this Arlen really who I think it is? If that¡¯s the case, I can¡¯t let that old man figure anything out.
Chapter 146 - Guests
¡°Next up, we have the beast core of a Soul beast,¡± Milana said as she revealed a dark crystal the size of a child¡¯s fist. ¡°It contains the shadow element and was killed in the Outskirts of Evalia on Quemer. The beast was a Summer Shadow Hawk, and it was at the Soft Soul stage. The core is no more than a year old, so the mana inside is still full to the brim. Even if you don¡¯t have a shadow core, a beast core from a Soul beast can still be incredibly useful in runesmithing. The starting bid is 50 Vastro coins!¡±
A beast core from a Soul beast with shadow mana? That might be useful if I need quick access to shadow mana. But at the same time, it¡¯s not something I can rely on forever. It¡¯s better not to buy it if that¡¯s the case. I might end up using it as a crutch.
The price quickly reached 200 Vastro coins as the different guests placed their bids.
Wait! This could actually be incredibly useful to Tib. If he is going to form a shadow core without a spark, he is going to need an immense amount of shadow mana. This beast core would be perfect!
¡°Grandpa,¡± Adion grabbed his grandfather¡¯s attention, ¡°Could you bid in this for me?¡±
¡°Oh? Right, you are quite apt in shadow magic. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get it for you,¡± His grandfather nodded.
And thanks to their resources, his grandfather easily won the beast core for the price of 650 Vastro coins.
¡°That¡¯s quite a bargain,¡± Sell commented.
¡°Really? The price was raised so much. How much would it usually cost?¡± Adion said.
¡°I don¡¯t really know,¡± Sell said, shaking her head, ¡°But if it was a beast core with, say, the fire element, the price would be a lot higher. But I doubt there is even a single shadow mage here at the moment, so unless someone had a particular use for this beast core in mind, no one would be willing to pay very much for it.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Adion said, ¡°I guess we got very lucky then. A shadow beast core should be incredibly rare. But that rarity actually worked in our favor.¡±
Hopefully something pops up that can be of interest to Perk as well. He¡¯s been working hard too.
¡°Patriarch Remori,¡± One of the servants suddenly appeared on the balcony and approached Adion¡¯s grandfather.
¡°What?¡± His grandfather turned around and asked.
¡°There are some guests here to see you,¡± The servant answered.
¡°During the auction? Who are they?¡± His grandfather asked.
¡°I believe they are visitors from the Fire Phoenix Empire,¡± The servant said, ¡°I believe two of them are Soul mages.¡±
¡°Soul mages, huh,¡± His grandfather repeated in a low voice. He seemed to be in deep thought for a brief moment before nodding his head. ¡°Very well, show them in.¡±
¡°Do you know who these people are, Grandpa?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°I have no idea,¡± His grandfather said, shaking his head.
I wonder what they want. They can¡¯t have discovered we were the ones who sold the Elixir of Life, right?
Without Adion¡¯s grandfather to make the bids, Adion didn¡¯t see the point in staying on the balcony. It wouldn¡¯t be proper for a 17-year-old to contest against the other guests. Besides, he was also curious about the people coming from Quemer.
I just hope we don¡¯t miss anything good. But I guess we have already won enough items for a while. It wouldn¡¯t look good to take everything for ourselves.
Aiden and Ailera also followed after their grandfather while his friends and Sell stayed behind.
¡°Patriarch Remori, thank you for taking the time to see us,¡± An old man said with a wide smile as he was led inside their booth by the servant.
As Adion felt the aura of the old man, he came to a halt.
A Pure Soul mage? What is someone like that doing here?
Adion had only ever met the Headmaster at that level before, at least when it came to sapi. He was unsure of how strong Fellion was. But other than that, even a Hard Soul mage was something he had only encountered once, when he met Elder Kilth.
I don¡¯t know how common Pure Soul mages are on Quemer, but it is impossible for this old man to have a low status.
Adion only knew of two Pure Soul mages on Shiora, and that was the Headmaster and Termeth Hesfym. Not even Sell¡¯s Royal family had someone that strong. That told Adion that becoming a Pure Soul mage was very far from a guarantee just because you managed to advance to the Soft Soul stage.
¡°No problem at all,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather said with a smile while palming his fist and lowering his head. ¡°May I ask who this honored elder is?¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± The old man chuckled, ¡°No need to be so polite. I¡¯ve never been one for formalities. Besides, I¡¯m the one disturbing your night here at the auction with your family.¡±
The old man turned to look at Adion and his siblings. Adion wasn¡¯t sure, but he felt that the old man¡¯s eyes paused on Adion for a while.
He wouldn¡¯t look for my element, right? That would be a disaster.
¡°You can call me Bishop Derman,¡± Bishop Derman introduced himself, ¡°I also go by ¡®old man.¡¯ It¡¯s up to you what you want to call me, hehe. This is Bishop Amelia, and next to her is High Cleric Revano. The kid is called August. We have come from The Fire Phoenix Empire on business for the Fire Phoenix Church. Do you mind if we take a seat?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± His grandfather nodded and invited them to sit down. ¡°These are my grandchildren. Aiden, Ailera, and Adion Remori.¡±
Adion palmed his fist and greeted the guests along with his siblings. They didn¡¯t sit down along with their grandfather, though. It would be improper to do so in front of guests of this caliber, so they stood behind the couch their grandfather was sitting in.
Adion was very curious about these guests and wanted to sense their aura. But he didn¡¯t dare do that in the presence of a Pure Soul mage. He knew he could easily be discovered. He could feel the strength of the old man and Bishop Amelia. They didn¡¯t hide it, and strength was something that could be felt almost on instinct. But if he wanted to find out how old they were, he would need to put in at least a small amount of conscious effort in. He didn¡¯t know what effect that would have, though, so he stayed his hand.
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With people his own age, he could run circles around them with his aura control and aura sense, but in front of a Pure Soul mage hundreds of years old, Adion had no confidence in doing anything undetected.
That woman looks like she is in her twenties, yet she is already a Soft Soul mage. She is definitely older than that, but she must be younger than Grandpa.
¡°So this is the Adion I heard about,¡± Bishop Derman said as his grandfather introduced him, ¡°I heard you managed to reach middle Silver at just 17 years of age. It seems like it¡¯s really true. No wonder that Sage Vermon took you in as his disciple.¡±
¡°Thank you, Bishop Derman,¡± Adion said with a light bow.
¡°What can I do for the friends from the Fire Phoenix Church?¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather asked.
¡°To tell you the truth,¡± Bishop Derman said, ¡°I seem to recognize you, Patriarch Remori. I just can¡¯t seem to remember where from. Not only that, but Bishop Amelia here also seems to recognize you, isn¡¯t that right?¡±
¡°I really don¡¯t think so,¡± Bishop Amelia said, shaking her head, ¡°I was mistaken before. I apologize for this, Patriarch Remori. This old man here is too curious for his own good. I¡¯m embarrassed that we have come here to disturb you over nothing.¡±
Adion saw his grandfather¡¯s face ease up in a smile after being slightly tense ever since these guests arrived. But just as he was about to respond, Bishop Derman laughed out loud.
¡°Haha! See what I mean? Oh, I suppose you don¡¯t But let me tell you, I¡¯ve seen this girl since she was just a baby, and she has never showed as much care for anyone¡¯s opinion as she did you just now,¡± Bishop Derman said with an intrigued smile.
¡°Well, aren¡¯t I a lucky man,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather said with a laugh. ¡°But I truly don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve met either of you before. Perhaps I just have a common face.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not just your face. It¡¯s your aura, too,¡± Bishop Derman said, shaking his head, ¡°Have you been to the Fire Phoenix Empire before?¡±
¡°I have,¡± His grandfather nodded, ¡°But that was in my youth. It must be over 80 years ago now. I don¡¯t think I would have been impressive enough to cause Bishop Derman to notice me. And I doubt Bishop Amelia was even born at the time.¡±
I never knew about that.
¡°Is that so,¡± Bishop Derman said slowly, looking up to the ceiling in thought. ¡°What did you do in the Empire? Adventuring in the Outskirts?¡±
¡°That was definitely part of it,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather nodded, ¡°I also had the good fortune of meeting my wife there. Perhaps I spent a little more time on her than on my training. My thoughts were clouded by love, haha!¡±
¡°Is that so?¡± Bishop Derman asked with an intrigued smile that Adion felt bad about for some reason. ¡°What is your wife¡¯s name? Perhaps she is the one I know.¡±
Adion¡¯s grandfather was silent for a moment before sighing, ¡°She has already long passed, I¡¯m afraid. Forgive me, but I don¡¯t like to dig into those things.¡±
Just as Bishop Derman was about to respond, Bishop Amelia talked over him, ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sorry for Bishop Derman¡¯s crass question. He¡¯s getting old, and his mind isn¡¯t what it used to be.¡±
She seems a little odd. Well, she¡¯s very polite to Grandpa, at least.
¡°Haha!¡± Bishop Derman laughed, ¡°That might be the case. I apologize if I caused offense, Patriarch Remori. It¡¯s just that I have this itch ever since I saw you. I can¡¯t help but want to scratch it.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t think anything of it, Bishop Derman,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather said, shaking his head.
¡°I¡¯m relieved,¡± Bishop Derman said with a smile, ¡°I hear you have been winning quite a few bids so far. Are you a Noble family of Cyalis? Or do you come from somewhere else?¡±
Why does this old man keep questioning Grandpa like this? It¡¯s a bit rude.
I guess he has a very high status as a Pure Soul mage. So he can afford this much. At least that Bishop Amelia seems aware that the situation isn¡¯t entirely appropriate.
But why is he so curious about Grandpa? It doesn¡¯t seem like he is digging for information that would point to the Elixir of Life, but I might be mistaken. Did he truly meet Grandpa in the past?
Bishop Derman kept on asking questions about Adion¡¯s grandfather¡¯s life, with Bishop Amelia interrupting from time to time to scold the old man. The High Cleric and the boy named August didn¡¯t speak during the entire time.
Eventually, Milana¡¯s voice sounded out from the runic device in the booth. She had already auctioned off a few more items, but it was nothing that caught anyone¡¯s attention. This time, however, the item to be auctioned off was a cauldron with runic inscriptions.
Hearing the description, Ailera started fidgeting slightly.
¡°You¡¯re interested in the cauldron, Ailera?¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather asked as he noticed her reaction.
¡°Well,¡± Ailera said hesitantly.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bischop Derman, Bishop Amelia. My granddaughter studies alchemy, you see. I will have to make an appearance on the balcony. I hope you can excuse me. Otherwise, If you want, you are free to join me,¡± His grandfather said in good humor.
¡°Well, if-¡± Bishop Derman began speaking but was immediately cut off by Bishop Amelia.
¡°Then we shall take our leave,¡± Amelia said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to have taken up so much of your time, Patriarch.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather laughed, ¡°No troubles at all. It was a very pleasant conversation. I hope you find something pleasing to bid for by the end of the night. I will stay around after the auction if there is something else.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Bishop Amelia smiled. She pulled Bishop Derman¡¯s arm and began walking away, the High Cleric and young man following her.
As soon as the door to the booth closed, they all heard a female voice yelling. Adion wasn¡¯t sure what was said, but he thought he could hear the words ¡®old fool.¡¯
Was that Bishop Amelia? She seemed so calm and nice.
¡°This¡¡± Aiden said with an awkward smile.
¡°Haaah,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather sighed, ¡°What a mess.¡±
¡°What was that all about Grandpa? Did you know any of those people?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No,¡± Adion¡¯s grandfather shook his head, ¡°But¡Well, we¡¯ll talk about it later. Everything should be fine. Let¡¯s hurry so we don¡¯t miss out on the cauldron.¡±
Everything should be fine?
They all stepped out on the balcony, and Adion¡¯s grandfather jumped into the bidding war. The old Soul mage that had contested his grandfather for the first Merrillian Soul Peach called out some snarky remarks, but Adion¡¯s grandfather ignored him and kept on raising the bid.
¡°Who were those people? I felt a Pure Soul mage in there,¡± Sell asked in a low voice.
¡°They were Bishops from the Fire Phoenix Church,¡± Adion answered, ¡°I have no idea what they were looking for. They seemed to want something out of Grandpa. I just can¡¯t figure out what.¡±
Adion was really confused about the situation. Even if Bishop Derman spoke amiably, Adion still felt that he had some ill intentions.
Could it be some old enemy of Grandpa¡¯s? Has he caused some trouble for the Fire Phoenix Church?
If so, I hope everything will be forgotten when the Elixir of Life is revealed.
Chapter 147 - Elixir of Life I
¡°Sold! To the Duts Royal family for 5000 Vastro coins,¡± Milana announced with a wide smile as the somewhat rusty sword was carried away.
¡°I know it¡¯s supposed to be from the Age of Wonder, but can it really be worth that much?¡± Relmon questioned, ¡°It didn¡¯t even have any runes. It looked like it could break with just a casual swing.¡±
¡°Even if it can¡¯t be used for anything, it is still something from the Age of Wonder. That makes it more than rare enough to be worth the price, even if it¡¯s only used for decoration,¡± Prago said, ¡°And even if it doesn''t have any runes, they might uncover some secret forging techniques from studying it. It might even have been conjured, and they could get a lot from studying the concepts if that¡¯s the case.¡±
¡°Can they really tell what concepts are imbued in it after such a long time?¡± Relmon questioned.
¡°I have no idea,¡± Prago said, shaking his head.
Is there such a thing? I¡¯ll ask the Headmaster about it. He should have some old remains that I can take a look at. Even if it¡¯s concepts used for metal, I could use it as inspiration for my concepts in space mana.
After the people from the Fire Phoenix Chruch had left, the auction had continued for a couple of hours. His grandfather hadn¡¯t talked about those people anymore, and Adion had left it aside to focus on what happened on the stage below. He was sure he could get some answers once they were back at his grandfather¡¯s mansion.
Besides the Merillian Soul Peaches, the beast core for Tib, and the alchemy cauldron for Ailera, the Remori family had also spent a considerable amount of money on various weapons. Adion himself had received a runic sword made by the runesmiths of the Duts Kingdom. He wasn¡¯t that much in need of a new sword, but he would have to upgrade it sooner or later. Now that his family had the money, Adion certainly wouldn¡¯t refuse.
He also got a couple of runic daggers for his subordinates. He had only been meaning to buy one for Perk at first, just so he would receive something when Adion gifted his brother the beast core. But he realized Tib would also need a weapon, and he didn¡¯t think Perk would be petty enough to be disappointed by something like his brother receiving an extra gift.
I feel like a dagger is a weapon that will suit them both very well. I should try to get my hands on an instructor to teach them.
¡°Honored guests, we now only have five items remaining,¡± Milana announced, ¡°So, as is the custom here at Appos Auction House, we will now present the main item for the night, the mysterious alchemy product that has brought you all here. Remember, even if you don¡¯t manage to take this item home, there are still four more precious items afterward to compete for. ¡±
It¡¯s finally time!
It was a usual practice for auction houses not to save the best for last. That could work in some circumstances. But tonight, everyone here was waiting for the alchemy item that had been hinted at. As such, no one would want to spend too much of their money before they made sure they had it in their hands.
If the auction house wanted the most money out of the guests'' pockets, it was better for them to get the Elixir of Life¡¯ out of the way in a way. This way, everyone besides the winner still had something they could spend their money on. It would be tragic if the four other items they had couldn¡¯t get a decent price just because everyone was waiting for the final item.
¡°Hard Soul Nefermas, would you please join me on stage?¡± Milana called out.
Everyone in the auction house seemed to hold their breath in anticipation as a black-haired middle-aged man walked on stage with an amused smile. His Hard Soul aura was obvious to everyone watching. But what caught most people¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t the man himself, but the small wooden box he was carrying.
¡°Before I reveal this item, I would like to say a few words,¡± Nefermas said as he put down the wooden box on the small stand where the previously auctioned items had been placed.
Nefermas looked out over the audience and spoke in a calm and clear voice, ¡°First of all, I would like to thank each of you for gracing our humble auction house with your presence tonight. I know very well that our announcement about tonight¡¯s auction might have seemed quite audacious. But I believe all of you will understand once you see what it is.
¡°As for its origin, I won¡¯t say anything. Let it just be known that it was found in the Outskirts and has been left behind since the Age of Wonder. As for how it could remain its quality for such a long time, don¡¯t ask, for I don¡¯t know.
¡°As this will very likely be the most precious item our auction house has had the opportunity to present, I once again remind everyone to take caution and not cause unnecessary trouble. Many powerhouses are here tonight, and if someone should cross the line, I¡¯m afraid we will have to take action, no matter your background. Let¡¯s have a civil and exciting auction just like we have had previously during the night.
¡°Finally, I believe they¡¯re are many alchemists here tonight due to the nature of our announcement. As such, any group with a Soul mage present may send one alchemist down to the stage to examine the product. Just remember to keep it civil.¡±
Nefermas paused to let his words sink in. No one in the audience made a sound. Adion thought he could almost hear the frantic heartbeats of the curious mages around him.
¡°The alchemy product we have brought you here tonight for is¡¡± Nefermas said, pausing his words as he opened the small box. He put his hand in the box and pulled up a clear bottle with a bright, but incredibly deep green liquid. ¡°The fabled Elixir of Life!¡±
For a short moment, no one said a thing. But then, all at once, the audience came to life.
¡°Impossible!¡±
¡°The Elixir of Life? How?¡±
¡°Who made it? How can you be sure?¡±
¡°You better not be joking!¡±
Everyone yelled out their thoughts and opinions. Adion found it hard not to smile. But he managed to fake a shocked expression in case anyone happened to have their eyes on him. He had to admit that even if he had seen that bottle, and many more like it, many times before, it made for a spectacular sight on the auction stage. With the anticipation the Appos Auction House had managed to build up, its effects were amplified to the extreme.
¡°Of course, everything I said is true. Calm down, everyone,¡± Nefermas said, ¡°As I just said, due to this being such a legendary elixir, we understand you just can¡¯t take our words for it. If you¡¯re in a company with a Soul mage, you can send down someone here to the stage to verify for yourself.¡±
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
I had the letter for the old sect leader of the Celestial Phoenix Sect, but how can these people be sure of what it is?
¡°Grandpa,¡± Adion called his grandfather¡¯s attention, ¡°Should we send someone? You or Ailera?¡±
¡°You go, Grandpa,¡± Ailera said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get much space down there anyway.¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go take a look,¡± His grandfather nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to buy it, however. Not even I have the money to contest for something like this.¡±
With those words, Adion¡¯s grandfather left the balcony to go down to the stage. He had to keep up some sort of appearance, after all. A chance to take a look at the legendary Elixir of Life wouldn¡¯t be passed on by any of the parties present.
¡°I can¡¯t believe it. It¡¯s really the Elixir of Life,¡± Lastia said with hurried breath. She had been quiet for most of the night, but this sight could probably cause the exclamation of a mute man.
¡°Can it really be? How?¡± Relmon asked.
¡°It has to be real. The Appos family would never do this unless they were absolutely sure,¡± Felicia said.
¡°But how do they have it? Did someone make it? Does the Appos family have someone that capable?¡± Lastia asked.
¡°Hard Soul Neferams said that it is left behind from the Age of Wonder, so that should be the case,¡± Felicia said, ¡°I just can¡¯t imagine how it has made it after all this time. This is really mysterious.¡±
¡°Oh, why didn¡¯t my family come here,¡± Lastia lamented, ¡°It could help Grandma. She doesn¡¯t have long left. Felicia, do you think your family can bid for it? I¡¯m sure my family will pay you back. With interest!¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lastia,¡± Felicia said with an awkward smile, ¡°I have no confidence that my family can outbid the other Noble and Royal families here. And even if we did, I couldn¡¯t convince them to sell it. Which Noble family doesn¡¯t have an old Soul mage at the end of their life who would give up everything to increase their lifespan.¡±
¡°I¡¡± Lastia hesitated, ¡°Is there really no way?¡±
¡°Maybe someone will be able to figure out how to make it,¡± Adion said, trying to comfort Lastia, ¡°I¡¯m sure that whoever wins the auction will give it their all in trying to study the Elixir of Life before letting anyone consume it. If so, it might not be long before everyone has a chance to buy a bottle.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± Lastia nodded.
¡ª
¡°We have to get it,¡± Bishop Derman said with a rare serious expression. His eyes were locked onto the almost glowing bottle down below. ¡°If we bring this to His Majesty¡Nothing else matters. Even if we have to give up on our mission. There is a chance our alchemists can use this to conduct research. Even if they can¡¯t replicate it perfectly, just being able to produce an elixir with some of its effects will bring endless benefits.¡±
Amelia was upset at Bishop Derman, but she also realized the gravity of the situation and knew she had to put away her grudge.
At least with this, he should throw away any thoughts about the Remori family.
¡°High Cleric Revano, how much money can we spend?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°This¡¡± High Cleric Revano hesitated, swallowing down his saliva nervously. ¡°We should have enough for our journey. But I never foresaw this kind of situation. At most, we have 10,000 Vastro coins. I could run to the local branch of the Church and see what I can my hands on.¡±
¡°It won¡¯t be enough,¡± Amelia said, shaking her head. ¡°These people have all prepared for this auction. There is no chance that we can compete with them no matter how much we can scramble together.¡±
Everyone was silent for a while, thinking.
I¡¯m sure Father would accept almost any price for this.
¡°We need to get into contact with the Appos family,¡± Amelia said firmly, ¡°No matter what, these families can¡¯t compete with the combined wealth of the Church and the Empire. If we can get some time to pay, we can win this bidding war.¡±
¡°I doubt these people will agree to that,¡± Bishop Derman said with a frown, ¡°How could they? If we do it, I¡¯m sure everyone else is thinking of doing the same. If there is a ruler among these families who is close to the end of his life, I¡¯m sure they would be willing to sell everything in their kingdom as long as they have the Elixir of Life in their hands.
¡°The reason the Appos family made their announcement was to make sure everyone brought the money here. If not, they could simply announce that they had the Elixir of Life and that they were willing to sell it. That would just bring endless trouble to their doors, of course. Now, they want to give this problem for someone else to handle, with the most amount of coin in their hands as possible.¡±
¡°These people don¡¯t even have the alchemy talents to make use of it!¡± Amelia spouted angrily, ¡°These savages will surely waste this precious material. Either their incompetent alchemist will fumble it away, or some greedy ruler will immediately drink it. The Elixir of Life will once again be gone from humanity¡¯s hands for who knows how long.¡±
¡°So what do we do?¡± August asked.
Not now, brat. Amelia thought, clenching her fists. She could feel the rage building and tried to take a few deep breaths to calm down.
¡°We can¡¯t count on winning the bid,¡± Bishop Derman said in a resolute voice, ¡°But we still can¡¯t give up on getting our hands on it. The Appos family was very clever to get the Council to agree to act as a deterrent tonight. With that Sage here, not even I can act too recklessly. But as long as we see who wins the auction, we have a good chance.¡±
¡°You want to rob them?¡± High Cleric Revano asked, shocked.
¡°I will approach them with an offer,¡± Bishop Derman said, ¡°And I won¡¯t be greedy, of course. I will explain our background and would even be willing to offer double what they spent on the elixir in the auction. That would be a vast amount of wealth that comes to them through no effort at all. Only a fool would decline it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Amelia said, calming down slightly, ¡°But what if they refuse? Even if you offer all the money in the world, it won¡¯t have any use to a man at the end of his life.¡±
¡°If they refuse, we¡¯ll have to do things the hard way,¡± Bishop Derman said, ¡°As long as we get some distance from Sage Vermon, I don¡¯t fear anyone on this continent.¡±
¡°Very well,¡± Amelia nodded.
¡°What if Sage Vermon is the one to win the bid?¡± High Cleric asked.
Everyone turned silent.
¡°That¡would complicate matters,¡± Bishop Derman said slowly. He turned to look at High Cleric Revano and ordered, ¡°Go take a look at the Elixir of Life and confirm that it¡¯s the real deal. I doubt they would take a chance with something like this, but we should still make sure. I will go visit Sage Vermon and prod him. I might ask him to cooperate with us. He should have a considerable amount of wealth. If he can lend us the money, I can offer some rewards from the Empire in return. Hopefully, he¡¯s not too stubborn.¡±
With those words, Bishop Dermon left with determined steps to see Sage Vermon. High Cleric Revano ran off to testify to the quality of the elixir.
Amelia was slightly at a loss of what to do as she was left behind. But she knew that she could count on Bishop Derman in a situation like this.
I have to admit that even if I can¡¯t stand the old man, he''s a priceless ally when we share a common goal.
Chapter 148 - Elixir of Life II
Unbelievable. It¡¯s real.
Dorea could hardly believe it. But the proof was right in front of her.
¡°This aura, if it¡¯s not the Elixir of Life, it¡¯s something equally valuable,¡± An alchemist from the Velorian Kingdom said, shaking his head in awe.
¡°I¡¯ve read countless descriptions of the Elixir of Life during my time at the Academy,¡± Dorea said, ¡°Even if they aren¡¯t conclusive in what it takes to make it. This aura shouldn¡¯t be anything else from what I¡¯ve read.¡±
¡°By just smelling it, it feels like I¡¯ve gained a new lease on life,¡± An old woman from a local Noble family said.
¡°Hard Soul Nefermas,¡± Dorea said, looking to the man holding the elixir, ¡°I don¡¯t doubt the validity of your claim. But I¡¯m very curious how you were able to determine that this is the Elixir of Life.¡±
Dorea had to admit that even she would doubt herself if you had this elixir in her possession. She wouldn¡¯t dare make the announcement the Appos Auction House did without verifying it over and over. But from the reaction of everyone present, the Appos family seemed to have kept the information about the Elixir of Life very well-hidden. Not even the Headmaster had known about it.
¡°We obviously had our alchemists take a look at it,¡± Nefermas answered with a smile, ¡°And with the assurance from the one who gave it to us to auction, we were very confident.¡±
¡°Who was the one who found it?¡± An old alchemist asked. Dorea could vaguely remember that he was from some Noble family in Rellen.
At his words, all the gathered alchemists turned to look at Nefermas curiously.
¡°I¡¯m afraid the seller would like to remain anonymous,¡± Nefermas said with a calm smile.
That makes sense. No one would want to be caught up in the middle of this. Perhaps the Headmaster can find out who the seller is. I¡¯m sure he would be curious about where this was found as well.
¡°Then I will naturally respect that,¡± The same old alchemist responded, ¡°But how come his words assured you that this was the Elixir of Life?¡±
Nefermas seemed to hesitate for a while before revealing, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the exact circumstances, but it was somehow apparent when the seller found it. The seller agreed to open their aura for us to see that their were no lies.¡±
So that¡¯s it.
Well, I can think about all of this later. I need to hurry so I can implement the Headmaster¡¯s plan.
Dorea stepped away from the stage and made her way to the fourth floor. She didn¡¯t return to the booth that the Headmaster and she occupied, but stopped by the door leading to the Alago Imperial family.
I saw Hondes was here. Hopefully, he won¡¯t let our history get in the way of a good deal.
Dorea¡¯s full name was Dorea Alamani. She was part of the Alago Imperial family in the past. She didn¡¯t have a very high status in the family, though. She was far removed from the current Emperor. The Emperor¡¯s great-uncle was Dorea¡¯s great-great-grandfather. There were quite a few princesses like her.
When she went to study in the Academy in her youth, she had fallen in love with the place. After graduation, she saw no reason to return to the Imperial family just to be used in some marriage alliance. As such, she broke off from the family and joined the Academy and eventually worked her way to becoming a respected professor.
This wasn¡¯t looked upon with kind eyes however. In many ways, what she did was a betrayal. For some people, it was fine to join the prestigious Cyalis Academy, there were many advantages of having some members of the family join the ranks there. But Dorea did not receive permission to do so, and when she had been ordered to return home, she had ignored it.
Now, it was over 50 years since she had last met the people behind those doors.
¡°Can I help you miss?¡± A Diamond mage standing guard outside asked.
¡°Could you please let them know that Dorea Alamani is here to offer a deal on the behest of Headmaster Vermon,¡± Dorea said.
¡°Certainly,¡± The guard nodded and headed inside.
It didn¡¯t take long for the doors to open again, and the guard gestured for her to step inside.
¡°Dorea,¡± An old voice rang out, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±
¡°A very long time, Hard Soul Hondes,¡± Dorea said with a small smile as she looked at the old man she remembered from her youth. ¡°Is it convenient to have a small chat?¡±
¡°If you can make it quick,¡± Hondes said with a nod.
Dorea noticed that besides a few people from the Alamani family, there were several other Noble families from the Alago Empire present in the room.
¡°I believe you are interested in the Elixir of Life?¡± Dorea asked.
¡°Of course we are. Get to it,¡± Hondes said impatiently.
Dorea didn¡¯t care about his tone. Everyone in the auction house was currently on edge.
¡°The Alamani family should have quite good chances at winning the bidding war,¡± Dorea said, ¡°But it¡¯s far from certain. Even if you work together with some other Noble families. The Magnim family is extremely wealthy, and the Hesfym family carries a lot of weight. They can probably gather a vast amount of money. There is also always a risk that the Delovan, Regor, or Femor family manage to gather enough people to contest you.
¡°But the Headmaster believes you have the greatest chance at winning. As such, he would like to offer you a deal. He is willing to lend you money if you let the Academy study the Elixir of Life for ten years.¡±
¡°He wants to keep it for ten years?¡± Hondes asked, ¡°Impossible! Perhaps I could agree to one year if we receive some sort of assurance. But I would have to communicate with the Emperor.¡±
Dorea had expected something like this, and she had her instructions from the Headmaster.
¡°Please do,¡± Dorea said, ¡°We can offer a loan of 10,000 Vastro coins for every year you let us keep it. But you have to agree to a minimum of one year, no matter the result of the auction. If you decline, we will naturally have to approach another family.¡±
Hondes frowned slightly, ¡°Are you threatening us now, Dorea?¡±
¡°I was the one who asked for the Headmaster to approach you first,¡± Dorea said, shaking her head, ¡°But no matter what, we have to study that elixir. I¡¯m sure you understand that, right?¡±
¡°Very well,¡± Hondes scoffed. He turned to look at a young girl in the corner of the room and said, ¡°Shimu, make contact with the palace and relay the offer.¡±
¡°At once,¡± Shimu nodded. She went to take a seat in an armchair and closed her eyes.
Shimu¡I¡¯ve heard about her. A very convenient Gift to keep around in situations like these. A touban could never make contact at such a long distance. It¡¯s incredible.
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Dorea couldn¡¯t help but look deeply at the girl, trying to see if she could see something. But there was nothing, as expected. A Gift like Shimu¡¯s was one of the most mysterious she had heard of.
A full minute passed and Shimu was starting to sweat.
I hope they accept. If I can study this elixir and figure out how to replicate it¡
Dorea had hoped that the Headmaster would bid for the Elixir of Life himself. Something this serious should be handled by them. No one else came close to their expertise. But for some reason the Headmaster had chosen to take this route instead.
If they disagree, I¡¯ll have to try the Magnim family. For some reason the Headmaster didn¡¯t want us cooperating with the Hesfym family. I didn¡¯t know he was on bad terms with that family. Is it because Termeth Hesfym is a Pure Soul mage? I¡¯ve heard that he might be able to actually reach the stage above. Perhaps the Headmaster fears someone becoming stronger than him.
That makes sense. Cyalis needs strength to protect its valuable heritage.
But why wouldn¡¯t he just buy it himself? Could it be that he thinks it will be too expensive? I suppose we don¡¯t know what the price will be. And these families can probably gather a considerable amount of wealth.
¡°His Majesty has agreed to Headmaster Vernom¡¯s terms,¡± Shimu finally spoke, breathing heavily.
¡°Alright,¡± Hondes nodded, ¡°Dorea, you can report to the Headmaster that we agree to cooperate.¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± Dorea said with a smile, ¡°I wish you all the best.¡±
With those words, Dorea turned to walk away.
This was a wise decision. Not even the Alamani family might have been able to withstand the pressure of keeping something like the Elixir of Life. With the Academy behind them, they can be a lot more fearless in their actions.
¡ª-
¡°It¡¯s starting,¡± Lastia said, fidgeting.
Adion turned to look at the stage down below. Milana had given way for Nefermas, and he was now looking out over the audience that was beginning to quiet down.
Let¡¯s see how rich we¡¯ll get.
¡°Everyone,¡± Nefermas called out, ¡°I believe you all have been given ample time to confirm the quality of the Elixir of Life for yourselves. As such, I will now begin taking bids for this historic treasure. I¡¯ll remind everyone one final time of our rules. You must have the money you bid in hand, we do not accept credit here. If you cannot pay the price you have stated, you¡¯ll be asked to leave and won¡¯t be welcomed here again, and the auction will resume. Please, do not try anything so foolish.
¡°Well, then. Without further ado, For the Elixir of Life, the starting bid is 10,000 Vastro coins. Do have have any offers?¡±
10,000 just as the starting offer.
¡°The Deller family bids 12,000!¡± A man yelled out.
¡°The Hemdia family bids 13,000!¡± Someone else called out.
¡°The Amyss family bids 20,000!¡± A middle-aged elf called out.
¡°The Alamani family bids 50,000 Vastro coins,¡± A calm but forceful voice called out.
The four bids had come in rapid succession, but after the Alamani family, there was a brief silence.
50,000!
Adion found it hard not to show any expression to reveal his excitement. He knew he would get a lot of money for the Elixir of Life. It was almost priceless, after all. But he just didn¡¯t know how much wealth these families had to spend. His family just recently became a Noble family, after all. He didn¡¯t have a clue what a Royal family with thousands of years of history could pull out.
¡°The Hesfym family bids 60,000 Vastro coins,¡± An old elf called out.
The Hesfym family?
Adion didn¡¯t know how he felt about that. He shared a brief look with Sell and could see her discomfort.
As much as it would be nice to dry up the coffers of the Hesfym family¡I don¡¯t want the Elixir of Life to go to that man.
¡°The Femor family bids 85,000 Vastro coins,¡± A middle-aged woman said through gritted teeth. It appeared as if they were almost at their limit already.
¡°The Dormia family bids 100,000 Vastro coins,¡± A calm voice rang out from a young man in one of the balconies straight above Adion.
100,000¡
Adion glanced at his siblings and saw that they also had trouble keeping the smiles off their faces. Only his grandfather remained calm without expression.
¡°The Magnim family bids 110,000 Vastro coins,¡± A blonde man called out in a stern voice.
The price kept increasing without end. From 120,000 to 130,000 to 140,000. As soon as someone made a bid, someone else would raise the price again.
¡°The Alamani family bids 200,000 Vastro coins,¡± The same old man called out, his voice still calm. From just looking at him, it seemed as if 200,000 Vastro coins were of no consequence to him.
¡°The Hesfym family bids 210,000 Vastro coins. Hard Soul Hondes, our family can go all the way. Why don¡¯t you give us some face and end it here?¡±
¡°Haha!¡± The man called Hondes laughed, ¡°Do you think we fear a little competition? But let me give you a word of advice, our Alamani family will take this Elixir of Life. There is no doubt about it. Do you think your family can compete with the combined resources of the families of the Alago Empire and Cyalis Academy?¡±
Cyalis Academy?
Those words caused not only the Hesfym man but several others who had made previous bids to frown. Everyone turned their heads to look up at the balcony where the Headmaster was sitting.
Adion imagined the Headmaster would say a few words in response, but he only gave a light smile and ignored the questioning looks.
Is he cooperating with the Alamani family?
¡°The Magnim family bids 250,000 Vastro coins!¡± The blonde man yelled out in obvious irritation.
¡°How pointless,¡± Hondes laughed, ¡°The Alamani family bids 260,000 Vastro coins.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t let you win this,¡± The man from the Hesfym family said with a calm voice, ¡°The Hesfym family bids 300,000 Vastro coins!¡±
¡°310,000!¡± Hondes called out a fraction of a second later.
¡°Damn, Hondes! Do you really want to do it like this?¡± The man from the Hesfym family immediately lost his temper.
¡°So what if I do? Stop with the useless struggle. It¡¯s clear you don¡¯t have the money it takes. Such a thing as the Elixir of Life can obviously only end up in the Imperial family¡¯s hands. It was clear from the start.¡± Hondes said with a confident grin.
The man from the Hesfym family didn¡¯t say anything for a while. Neither did the Magnim family. And those for the only influences still in the running.
¡°The Alamani family has made an offer of 310,000 Vastro coins. Do we have any higher offers? Otherwise, the Elixir of Life will go to the Alamani family,¡± Nefermas called out.
Adion saw that the man from the Hesfym family was whispering furiously among his people.
¡°The Magnim family bids 350,000! I hope the Alamani family can give us some face here,¡± The blonde man yelled out through gritted teeth.
¡°Haha,¡± Hondes once again just laughed, ¡°The Alamani family bids 360,000 Vastro coins.¡±
From beginning to end, the old man from the Alamani family had never seemed bothered in the least as the price increased.
The audience once again turned quiet. The man from the Magnim family was just staring daggers at Hondes but didn¡¯t speak. Adion also turned his head to see that the Hesfym family balcony had become empty.
¡°We have 360,000 Vastro coins going once, going twice¡¡± Nefarmas said and took a moment to look around to see if there were any other bidders, ¡°Sold! Congratulations to the Alamani family!¡±
360,000 Vastro coins.
Adion was in a daze. He stared out with an unfocused gaze, and the sound of the rowdy auction house sounded distant.
I knew it would be sold for a lot of money, but this¡What concept of wealth even is this?
He turned to look at his family and noticed that they were having the same expressions.
¡°Wow! I can¡¯t believe I got to witness something like this,¡± Relmon said with an excited voice.
¡°The Alamani family is too fierce,¡± Felicia said with a sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they brought so much money to spend. And that¡¯s not even talking about the Magnim and Hesfym family! Just how did they manage to get their hands on that amount of money?¡±
Adion was also a little confused about who the top bidders turned out to be. But he was very happy with the result.
I¡¯m glad the Alamani won. Such a good family that caused the Hesfym family to suffer deserves the Elixir of Life.
Chapter 149 - Persona
¡°Heads,¡± Adion lied.
¡°You have improved a lot quicker than I thought,¡± The Headmaster said with a slight smile.
¡°Well, I have been practicing a lot,¡± Adion said, looking down at the coin he held hidden. It showed heads, but Adion had convinced himself that it was tails. It was something he had practiced a lot these past weeks. He always liked to improve, especially so when it could be measured, and progress came quickly.
¡°Is it enough to get to borrow the book?¡± Adion asked, looking toward the bookshelf.
The Headmaster''s gaze followed Adion¡¯s, and he said, ¡°I did make that promise, didn¡¯t I? Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t hurt. Just remember to balance it with your other studies.¡±
¡°I will,¡± Adion said excitedly. He got up from his seat and went to pull out the book called Ancient Shiora - Through ruins, remains, and records, Shiora¡¯s place in the world during the Age of Wonder.¡¯
It¡¯s been a while since I had something interesting to read.
¡°How secret is it?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Hehe,¡± The Headmaster chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s about the level a diamond class student wouldn¡¯t have to work too hard to find out about. But it would still cost quite a few credits.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion nodded. He had somewhat hoped that it would be something basically only the Headmaster had access to.
Well, I guess I shouldn¡¯t expect too much. But it¡¯s still all new information for me.
Adion put away the book in his bag to bring with him later.
¡°By the way, how is the research on the Elixir of Life going?¡± Adion asked.
It had been two weeks since the auction, and Adion had found out that the Alamani family had cooperated with the Academy in obtaining it. Now, the Academy would be able to study it for three years before handing it over to the Alamani family.
Adion had asked why the Academy simply didn¡¯t buy it. He knew it was expensive, but he didn¡¯t think that the Academy would lose out in a battle of wealth even with the Alamani family.
Apparently, the Headmaster could have struggled for it. But he wasn¡¯t the sole leader of Cyalis. There were a lot more members in the Council. Even if he had the most power by far, he couldn¡¯t be too careless. If he had spent that much money, he would have been in an awkward position. Perhaps it would have been worth it if he could obtain it for himself. He was getting old, after all. But that would have caused a great commotion, not only from inside the Academy but outside as well.
The Headmaster wasn¡¯t that desperate for a longer life. He had faith in Adion¡¯s future and that it could lead to him advancing to the Immortal stages. But he couldn¡¯t do that if he did something as stupid as taking the Elixir of Life for himself. It was safer to make a deal to study it and see if they could replicate it.
Adion was relieved when he heard the Headmaster explain it. He would have felt guilty taking so much money from the Headmaster. He could also just give an Elixir of Life to him. Adion didn¡¯t value them all that much. He just had to be stronger first, so that he could deal with the consequences.
If the Academy seems close to discovering something but has to give the elixir up, I might make an anonymous donation. It would be a nice gift not just to the Headmaster but to all of Shiora.
¡°It¡¯s still far too early,¡± The Headmaster answered, shaking his head, ¡°Perhaps things would have been a little easier if the elixir was for us to use as we wanted. But it¡¯s not. We have to be careful not to affect it in any way. It makes research a lot harder.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Adion said, nodding.
¡°Well, we have three years to examine it and do experiments,¡± The Headmaster said with a light smile, ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to figure something out. Perhaps it¡¯s too much to say we can replicate it exactly. But with so many talented people giving it their all, I¡¯m sure we can at least replicate it to a small degree.¡±
¡°I hope it works out,¡± Adion said sincerely. ¡°By the way, I thought about a question I have about aura.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± The Headmaster urged Adion to continue.
¡°Is there a way to hide your aura that makes it seem like you¡¯re someone else?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I know how to hide my aura, but that would only make it appear as if I¡¯m hiding, but is there a way to do it so you hide while still showing off your aura?¡±
Adion had thought about this ever since he received his money from the auction. He had already given money to Tib and Perk to buy a mansion in the city. He also hired two Gold mages to guard and train them. It was well within his budget now, and he didn¡¯t want to worry about their safety all the time.
Even if the guards hadn¡¯t taken an Oath to secrecy, they had signed a contract with him. It was far from as secure as an Oath, but it should be somewhat of a deterrence for them to do anything stupid, and it wasn¡¯t like he would let them know anything too secret either. He also had confidence in dealing with them if they betrayed him.
Tib and Perk had already found a place when he brought them the money. And just a few days ago, they bought it. Now, Adion wanted to go visit, but he knew he had to take some precautions.
He thought it was fine to visit them a few times at their inn, he was always careful in not being seen and only met them alone in their room. But he didn¡¯t feel entirely confident in approaching their new mansion in his identity as Adion Remori. He knew there were eyes on him. Even if he had his sphere of space mana, he couldn¡¯t be sure there wasn¡¯t someone spying in the middle of the city.
If someone saw Adion repeatedly enter that mansion, they would begin to question what he was doing there. And once Tib and Perk were ready, and they started working toward bringing Celestial Shadow to work, it would be disastrous if someone could tie it to Adion.
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Thus, he planned on making sure everything was completely safe. He bought a room in an apartment building across the road from the new mansion, from which he could teleport to the mansion unseen. He also had his mask he could wear, so people wouldn¡¯t recognize him. But what he was afraid of was that someone would be able to tell it was him from his aura.
If he hid his aura, he would stand out like a sore thumb walking down the street. But if he didn¡¯t hide his aura, it was possible that someone who had a very good aura sense and was familiar with his aura could recognize him.
Thus, he asked the Headmaster if there was any way to make his aura appear different from his usual one.
¡°Why do you want to know that?¡± The Headmaster asked curiously.
¡°I feel like there are a lot of eyes on me these days. I want to figure out a way to avoid potential spies,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Looks like you¡¯re starting to think a little,¡± The Headmaster said with a nod, ¡°Just don¡¯t think this will allow you to act recklessly with Sellitha.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Adion said with an awkward smile, ¡°So, is there a way?¡±
¡°There is,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°Like we have already established many times over, you can¡¯t make your aura show something that is not true. But you already know a trick to work around that, don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I can convince myself that that a lie is the truth. I thought something similar might be possible on a larger scale. Like I convince myself I¡¯m someone else. But that sounds a bit too fantastical.¡±
¡°Well, that is the only way to do it,¡± The Headmaster said with a slight smile.
¡°Really? That works? How can I possibly convince myself I¡¯m an entirely different person? And does my aura really reflect that?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°In a way,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°It works better the more you practice it, of course. But it can never be perfect. I doubt you would ever be able to fool your grandfather, for example. Even family members with just some degree of skill in aura would probably recognize your aura no matter how much you convince yourself you¡¯re someone else.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Adion said, ¡°As long as I can fool spies. But I don¡¯t see how it¡¯s possible to convince myself I¡¯m someone else, especially not for any significant amount of time.¡±
¡°It takes a lot of time and a lot of effort,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°But I¡¯m sure you have already done it to a small degree.¡±
¡°I have?¡± Adion asked.
¡°In a way,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°Most people in your class would have become somewhat familiar with your aura right now, but let¡¯s say you go into a fit of rage. You are so angry that you want to kill someone. Your aura would reflect that. Someone with an aura sense like myself would still feel it¡¯s you, just a very angry version of you. But your classmates wouldn¡¯t recognize it with the calm Adion they know. I¡¯m sure you have experienced something similar yourself.¡±
There might be something to it. I never really try to memorize auras, but I know what the Headmaster says about anger and other strong emotions being reflected in aura. It¡¯s possible I could be fooled by something like that if I don¡¯t know the person well and they hide their identity.
¡°I¡¯ll give you an example using myself,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you are somewhat familiar with my aura, right?¡±
¡°I suppose,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Close your eyes and focus on my aura,¡± The Headmaster instructed, ¡°Tell me when you feel something else.¡±
Adion did as asked and closed his eyes. He focused on the Headmaster¡¯s aura. It was vast and powerful, as well as somewhat familiar. Adion was far too unskilled to be able to tell anything else, such as mood, from someone as powerful as the Headmaster.
But suddenly, something changed.
This¡His aura is completely different now. He is revealing Diamond strength, but it¡¯s not only that. That vague sense of familiarity is entirely gone.
Adion opened his eyes and looked at the Headmaster. He was watching Adion¡¯s reaction with an amused grin.
¡°This is one of the auras I have under my belt,¡± The Headmaster revealed, ¡°As for how I do it, it is something I have worked on for a long time. I¡¯m sure there are a lot of ways to go about it, but as for myself, I have always had the habit of daydreaming. What I daydream about can change from day to day and year to year, but sometimes, I like to imagine myself as someone else. What if I never took on the role of Headmaster and instead became a fearless warrior who adventured out in the Outskirts? What if I was a famous scholar born during the Age of Wonder? What if I were the hero in the Primordial story and married the fae princess? With time, I build out these scenarios in my head more and more, and the persona becomes more and more real.
¡°When I changed my aura just now, I simply believed myself to be that other version of myself. I focused on all aspects of my aura that I know about and can control, and changed them to fit the persona. The rest comes automatically, as my belief gets firm. With that, the sense of familiarity you have with my aura disappears.
¡°But once again, this is not something that can be perfected. No matter how much you train in this, your soul will retain certain unmistakable and unchangeable characteristics. I suppose you could, in theory, fool even your own grandfather if you knew exactly what parts of your aura he senses familiarity with and manage to hide it from him, but that is impossible.
¡°Your aura contains everything about you. And I mean everything. You can never understand all of it. What you are doing when you believe yourself to be someone else is, in a way, to put up a smokescreen. The more you manage to convince yourself that you are someone else and the more thoroughly that character has been built up in your head, the thicker the smokescreen becomes.
¡°That is why this won¡¯t work on anyone with a superior aura sense. They can pierce through that smokescreen and see the real you underneath. This shouldn¡¯t be a problem with a random spy, however. It would take conscious effort to reveal something hidden like that.¡±
¡°I need to build up a persona, huh,¡± Adion mused, ¡°That makes a lot of sense.¡±
¡°This is something that will take you a while. In particular, maintaining that persona for hours on end without bringing yourself out of the illusion. And you should always remember that when it comes to aura, you should take everything I say with a grain of salt. I¡¯m only speaking from my own experiences. There might be another more suitable way of doing things for you. I¡¯m just a Pure Soul mage. There is a lot about aura that still eludes me.¡±
¡°I understand, Headmaster,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Thank you for the advice.¡±
Adion finished up with his lesson soon after the Headmaster¡¯s little lesson and started heading to his dorm room. It had been a long day, but Adion was excited about getting some practice done in the evening.
I¡¯ll probably need to visit Tib and Perk before I can master this new persona thing. But it should be fine if I only do it a few times. I¡¯ve taken a lot of safety precautions already.
I¡¯ll visit them tomorrow so they don¡¯t get lost on what they need to do going forward. I¡¯ll also visit Grandpa since I don¡¯t have any lessons. I haven¡¯t seen him since the auction. The last time I went to visit, that Bishop Amelia had been there, so I didn¡¯t want to risk her spotting something in my aura. I just hope she didn¡¯t go there to find trouble with Grandpa.
Chapter 150 - Grandfathers story
¡°Young master, Adion,¡± Marli greeted Adion as he stepped inside his grandfather¡¯s mansion.
¡°Hello, Marli. Is my Grandpa free?¡± Adion asked, but he had already investigated the mansion and saw that there were no guests there at the moment.
¡°Of course, he should be in his study,¡± Marli answered, ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare something to drink.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion nodded and started walking to his grandfather¡¯s study.
Nothing serious seems to have happened after Bishop Amelia¡¯s visit, at least. That¡¯s good. But just what is Grandpa¡¯s story with these people?
Adion had questioned his grandfather after the auction two weeks ago, but he declined to answer anything at the time. He said he needed time to think things through. Now, Adion felt like he had held his curiosity long enough.
¡°Grandpa?¡± Adion called out as he knocked on the door to his grandfather¡¯s study.
¡°Adion? Come in,¡± His grandfather called back.
Adion stepped inside and noticed his grandfather leisurely reading a book in his armchair.
¡°What brings you here?¡± His grandfather asked with a smile.
¡°I don¡¯t have any classes today and was already going into the city, so I thought I should stop by. I was here a few days ago, but I heard Bishop Amelia was here at the time, so I left. I didn¡¯t want to risk her looking through my aura,¡± Adion said.
¡°Oh,¡± His grandfather said, his smile disappearing, ¡°That was probably a good idea.¡±
¡°What did she want?¡± Adion asked, taking a seat opposite his grandfather.
¡°Well,¡± His grandfather hesitated. But after a few seconds, he sighed and put down his book, ¡°I suppose I should tell you. You can keep a secret, and it might do you good to know.¡±
¡°A secret?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yes,¡± His grandfather nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what those people from the Fire Phoenix Church wanted. Their behavior confuses me somewhat. Especially that Amelia. But, there is a good chance that the old man called Bishop Derman truly recognized me. As for if he knew exactly where he recognized me from, I¡¯m not sure. Hopefully, he is too distracted to give me much thought.¡±
¡°Is there anything for him to find out?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Did you do something bad when you were in the Fire Phoenix Empire?¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it bad,¡± His grandfather awkwardly muttered, ¡°But it wasn¡¯t something the Imperial family liked, that¡¯s for sure.¡±
¡°The Imperial family? You¡¯re in trouble with the Imperial family?¡± Adion asked, surprised.
¡°I am,¡± His grandfather nodded, ¡°And it¡¯s quite serious, which is why I¡¯ve never talked about it. You should remember not to mention this to anyone. Even if you are the disciple of the Headmaster now, this can still cause our family a great deal of trouble.¡±
¡°I promise I won¡¯t say anything,¡± Adion said with a serious expression. Then he thought about it for a moment and added, ¡°Except for Sell.¡±
His grandfather gave Adion an amused look. He sighed and continued with a slight smile, ¡°Very well, tell your girlfriend. It¡¯s not like my story is anything great, considering all the secrets you¡¯ve already shared.
¡°The truth is that I was born in the Fire Phoenix Empire.¡±
¡°What?¡± Adion asked, stunned.
¡°Is that so shocking?¡± His grandfather questioned, ¡°You should know I only settled down at our Remori manor when I found the formation there. The reason I was traveling was to escape the Fire Phoenix Empire.¡±
¡°I just thought you came from somewhere else on Shiora, maybe the Alago Empire. You always said you didn¡¯t come from a family clan. Was that a lie?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, I don¡¯t believe I used those exact words. In truth, I did come from a family clan. A Noble family, at that.¡± His grandfather revealed.
¡°A Noble family?¡± Adion repeated, once again confused by his grandfather¡¯s revelation.
¡°How is this such a surprise?¡± His grandfather grumbled, ¡°I had to sit through and accept all your crazy adventures. I still haven¡¯t gotten used to it. So just sit and listen if you are curious. It¡¯s nothing compared to what you have been up to anyway.¡±
¡°I¡Okay, you¡¯re right. Continue, please,¡± Adion urged.
¡°Right, I was born into a Noble family called the Fellissi family. It is a much older family than our Remori family. As such, it was countless times bigger. Generations of children had spread the family to several different branches, and I was just the third son born in one of those branch families. My status wasn¡¯t anything great. Even if I came from a Noble family, there were countless others like me.
¡°I trained hard to become a mage, just like everyone else did. If things had carried on as they should, it was likely for me to take up a position as an elder in the future. If I were lucky, I might have had the opportunity to advance to the Soul stages and have more of an impact on the family clan. Those were my dreams and ambitions from a young age. Grow in power and grow in status.
¡°But then, I met your grandmother.¡± His grandfather paused for a moment, looking out the window with a gentle smile. ¡°She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Talented, righteous, and gentle. She was adored by many men. I had no business of dreaming of being with her. She was far from my reach.
¡°But Ganta was on my side. When the Fellessi family sent out a few mages from the younger generation to fight in a competition in the Outskirts, I was chosen to be one of the people representing the family. The goal of the competition was to temper the younger generation through battles against beasts, with their lives on the line. Great prizes were available for those with the best results.
¡°I separated from the other young men of the Fellessi family to find my own luck. I was sure that if I could receive a good placement and stand out from my fellow family members, my goal of rising in status in the future was guaranteed.
¡°One day, a few days into the competition, I stumbled upon a peculiar scene. A young, beautiful woman was peacefully resting by a Life Birch. I thought I had begun hallucinating, because how could anyone rest so peacefully in the Outskirts with beasts around every bush?
¡°But as I walked up to the woman, I noticed something strange. She didn¡¯t move a single finger. I didn¡¯t sneak up on her, so surely she should have heard me walking up. But she didn¡¯t move a muscle. Even her breathing was so soft that it almost appeared as if she was dead.
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¡°Then I saw her eyes. And her eyes were very much alive. Fear, wariness, and a hint of anger. Her pupils shrank as they looked at me, seemingly warning me not to take a step closer.
¡°I couldn¡¯t understand what was happening. But as I looked around, I noticed that not far away, there was a bush of Derossi Berries. They are quite delicious berries, and they are known to have a particular adrenaline-inducing effect. Eating a few of those berries will let you go days without sleep and fight with twice the energy. One of nature''s many wonders.
¡°But what would have been a treasure was not so in this circumstance. Because below the bush was a type of flower called Remori Roses. They are beautiful to look at, but should you be stupid enough to eat one, you would die before you knew it. No one would be that stupid, of course. They don¡¯t exactly look edible. But what the beautiful girl didn¡¯t know was that those flowers had affected the berries because of their proximity. Even if she didn¡¯t die, she still turned completely paralyzed from head to toe. The only thing she could move were her eyes.
¡°I was at a loss of what to do. I didn¡¯t have any expertise in alchemy. I didn¡¯t know how to heal her. But I also obviously couldn¡¯t leave her alone to become food for beasts. So I excused myself and took a seat next to her. I told her that I would wait for her to regain her mobility.
¡°I thought that in a few hours, she would be fine to move on her own again. But it turned out those flowers were a lot more potent than I could have imagined. For three days, I sat there, waiting for her to begin moving. She couldn¡¯t even talk, so I ended up in a one-sided conversation with her to fill the silence. I talked about my family and my dreams. My thoughts about the competition. What I liked to do during my free time. I asked her questions once in a while, too. She couldn¡¯t respond of course, so I made up answers in her stead. Hypothesizing what kind of girl she was and the life she lived. I could see the cold and fearful eyes slowly melting away to reveal a cheerful and bright light.
¡°After waiting for three days, the girl finally started to regain control of her body. I was very curious about who she was, but I had been awake for three days straight, so right as she started moving, I relaxed and fell asleep.
¡°I woke up many hours later to her voice. Just like I had done for her, she was now talking to me without any response. Narrating her life. Even if I was awake, I pretended to be asleep to keep hearing her thoughts.
¡°It wasn¡¯t until many hours later that I reluctantly opened my eyes as the sound of the horn sounded, signaling the end of the competition. We had both wasted the opportunity given to us, returning with quite shameful results.
¡°When we returned, we both discovered that something had bloomed between us. We immediately decided to see each other again. She was from a Noble family in the capital, and I was from a city many weeks north. Blinded by love, I decided to stay in the capital even as my family summoned me to return.
¡°Days passed. Weeks passed. Months passed. We saw each other at every opportunity we had. I was convinced she was the one for me. I summoned the courage and asked her to marry me. She said yes. I immediately hurried home to my family clan to arrange things. I still needed my family¡¯s approval, after all. I planned on using up all my savings to buy a magnificent betrothal gift to hand over while I asked her family for their blessing.
¡°But when I returned to the capital after a few months away, I was met with some dreadful news. The son of the Arch Bishop, the nephew of the Emperor himself, had taken a liking to the woman I loved. He had asked her father for her hand in marriage, and even to his daughter¡¯s protests, he had agreed.
¡°I was not deterred, however. I knew I couldn¡¯t let go of her that easily. I managed to meet with her before the wedding, and she asked me to take her away. I agreed, of course. The world was a big place. We could go anywhere we wanted. Far away from the influence of the Imperial family.
¡°But when have things ever been so easy? We were discovered while trying to escape, and word reached the Arch Bishop¡¯s son. He was furious and set out after us, along with several guards. I was only a Silver mage back then, so how could I possibly stand a chance against those powerful people?
¡°They caught up just as we were about to board a ship away from the Empire. Everything seemed domed. We were so close to sailing far away from anyone¡¯s reach. Yet now, we were surrounded by powerful enemies.
¡°But through a string of coincidences, things somehow turned around. You see, I was interested in the Remori Rose ever since the woman, who I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve realized by now was your grandmother, fell to its paralyzing effects. I researched it on my own and found that it was known to be used in small doses as a sort of pain relief for suffering patients. There was even information about an antidote. A certain type of snake was known for its ground scales'' miraculous effects on counteracting various poisons. It didn¡¯t work for everything, but it was perfect for the Remori Rose.
¡°I had the idea of giving your grandmother a Remori Rose when I came to her family to ask for her hand. It was the flower that brought us together, after all. I thought it would be romantic. I couldn¡¯t possibly poison her, though. Thus, I used some of my savings to get my hands on these ground scales. This way, she could take the antidote and freely appreciate the beauty of the flower.
¡°But things never came to that, as you know. We had to escape. And it wasn¡¯t until that moment, surrounded by enemies, that I remembered the flower I carried with me. I quickly gave your grandmother the antidote and swallowed some myself. I then threw out an attack against the Arch Bishop¡¯s son and his guards. They laughed when they saw my pitiful flames. But little did they know that hidden in that fire was the Remori Rose.
¡°Eating a berry growing near that flower had paralyzed your grandmother for three days. Even if those people were strong, they weren¡¯t strong enough to ignore the powerful effects of such a strange flower. It only took a few seconds before they all fell to the ground.
¡°Your grandmother and I boarded a ship to Shiora and never looked back,¡± His grandfather finished his story with a light smile.
¡°I never knew you had such a story in you, Grandpa,¡± Adion said, ¡°You were so cool!¡±
¡°Haha,¡± His grandfather laughed, ¡°I suppose I was.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s why our family name is Remori? After the rose?¡± Adion asked.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± His grandfather nodded, ¡°We needed to take on a new name to make sure no one could find us. And what better name than the one of the flower who had both brought us together and made sure we could end up together?¡±
¡°It¡¯s very fitting,¡± Adion said with a smile, ¡°But surely this is all in the past. No one could be looking for trouble over something so small happening such a long time ago, right?¡±
¡°Well,¡± His grandfather said, a conflicted look on his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you quite the whole story.¡±
¡°Did something more happen?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Haaah,¡± His grandfather sighed, ¡°It¡¯s difficult to explain, but that man¡the Arch Bishop¡¯s son. He was a very bad man, Adion. He would never let us go. And I¡I wanted to make sure he couldn¡¯t cause anymore trouble for us in the future. No matter what, he was an enemy. I didn¡¯t want to let him come after me again with more and stronger people.
¡°So, I killed him. I killed him and his guards as they lay defenseless on the ground,¡± His grandfather said with an unapologetic expression.
¡°I see,¡± Adion said slowly. He didn¡¯t think his grandfather was in the wrong. Adion was far from a saint himself. But it made the current situation a lot more complicated.
¡°If they know who you are¡¡± Adion thought out loud.
¡°They wouldn¡¯t let me go,¡± His grandfather finished, ¡°I¡¯m sure that Bishop Derman saw my face drawn on some kind of poster after the death of the Arch Bishop¡¯s son. Even if it¡¯s been 80 years, the murder of a member of the Imperial family can¡¯t be forgiven.¡±
¡°Then what about Bishop Amelia?¡± Adion asked, ¡°Did she seem to know anything?¡±
¡°It¡¯s hard to tell,¡± His grandfather said, ¡°She acts like she knows of me, but she doesn¡¯t seem to carry any resentment. When she came to visit, I tried asking her about it. But she avoided the topic. I had to be careful of what I said too, so I couldn¡¯t push it. We ended up talking about the Fire Phoenix for a few hours. It was a nice talk. But I¡¯m still confused about what her motives are.¡±
Adion frowned slightly, just as confused as his grandfather. ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. If they figure anything out, they still can¡¯t commit murder against a Soul mage in the middle of Cyalis. We¡¯ll figure out a way to deal with it.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± His grandfather nodded, ¡°I just thought you should know. But don¡¯t think about it too much. Tell me what you¡¯ve been up to in the Academy these past weeks. Have you learned anything interesting?¡±
Adion smiled and leaned back in his chair. He began talking about his life in the Academy and his friends there. He slowly forgot all about the potential troubles from across the Warm Waves.
Chapter 151 - New mansion
Adion left his grandfather¡¯s mansion after spending a few hours talking and headed over to the new headquarters of his secret organization. He was in a good mood. Even if his grandfather had an unexpected history that might result in some trouble later on, Adion wasn¡¯t too worried. He felt that as long as he was in Cyalis, there wasn¡¯t any reason to overly worry. He just had to focus on his studies and increasing his strength.
The day was extremely hot. After an extraordinarily harsh winter, its effects couldn¡¯t be seen at all during the spring. And now as summer was just around the corner, it didn¡¯t seem like whatever decided the weather had any inclinations of changing the current trend.
If it continues like this, won¡¯t it become unbearable during the peak of summer? It seems like the seasons have turned to the extreme.
Adion soon reached an inn not too far away from the mansion where Perk and Tib were staying. He ordered a cold beer from the bartender to stave off the heat.
After gulping it down, he went to the bathroom, not locking the door behind him. He focused on the building about 300 feet away. It didn¡¯t take long before he found the room he was looking for. He focused on the space there and teleported over.
That should do it. Adion thought as he appeared in the apartment building where he had bought a room.
He knew there was always a risk of people following him. Even if he put on a mask and changed his aura, people wouldn¡¯t be so easily fooled if he stepped out of the same inn. But if he went to the bathroom and teleported away, no one would be able to follow him. He didn¡¯t lock the door behind him, so if anyone had their eyes on him, they would have to assume they missed him exiting. No one would be able to guess that he had actually teleported.
Adion looked around the apartment. It was a pretty fancy apartment with a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and even a small study. Adion didn¡¯t need anything fancy, but it was hard to get anything less luxurious in this part of Cyalis. Either way, he didn¡¯t lack money at the moment.
Adion focused on his aura. He hid his strength down to show low Bronze. He didn¡¯t want to appear to be a 17-year-old with middle Silver strength. That would immediately reveal his identity as Adion Remori.
He had practiced hiding his age, but it didn¡¯t come near his ability to hide his strength. He would probably be able to fool the common mage, but should anyone apt in aura sense try to sense his aura, they would feel that his age seemed off. Thus, he also changed his strength. He didn¡¯t think there were a lot of people who could see through that.
He tried to apply the advice that he had gotten from the Headmaster the day before, but it was far too early to see any results. Adion had decided to slowly create the persona of Atao, the leader of Celestial Shadow. That was the identity he would use when changing his aura, after all.
But it was still a long way off. He couldn¡¯t imagine being someone else for very long even if he gave it all his focus, and he didn¡¯t think his aura changed that much even then.
He grabbed an Ash Williwon mask that he had left in the apartment and put it on. Even if he was going to meet Tib and Perk, there would be two Gold mages accompanying them from now on. He didn¡¯t want them to know his true identity without swearing an Oath.
Perhaps it¡¯s been good for me to have all these eyes on me. Even if it has inconvenienced me and Sell, it could have been far worse if I wasn¡¯t prepared for it and accidentally revealed my plans with Celestial Shadow.
Adion focused on the mansion on the other side of the street. He couldn¡¯t get his space mana sphere to occupy the entirety of the property. It was not just a mansion but several other buildings and plots of land with trees and a few gardens. But he could still reach most of the rooms in the main mansion.
Maybe I should get a few people to work on keeping the place nice. If they are non-mages, it might be easier to get them to swear an Oath if I offer them enough money. I guess I¡¯ll let Perk and Tib handle it as they like. They are the ones who will spend their time there.
Adion chose one of the many empty rooms and teleported over.
This should be either Perk''s or Tib¡¯s bedroom. Looks like they have already settled in.
Adion didn¡¯t linger. He could now feel Perk and Tib and one of the Gold mages at the back of the mansion. They appeared to be practicing in a small fighting pit.
Oh? Perk has reached middle Iron. He¡¯s just 14, so that¡¯s not bad at all. He¡¯ll definitely be able to reach Bronze before he turns 17. With his Gift of invisibility, and counting on his aura control to keep improving, he should be able to start getting some serious work done by then.
As Adion approached, the Gold mage was the first one to notice him appearing. His name was Grender. Adion had found him and his friend, the other Gold mage called Taronto, after posting a mission in the Outskirts Guild. They had both spent a large amount of time in the Outskirts together, and were now looking for a mission with less danger than hunting beasts. They were starting to get old, both already having passed 50.
Adion had conducted a short interview and thought they were somewhat capable and trustworthy. He never showed them his face, though. Nor did he ever let them know his name. He warned Perk and Tib to be careful in revealing anything either.
He was pretty sure they wouldn¡¯t easily leak any information. There was simply no advantage in doing so. Adion was paying them very well. And they would have to be stupid to anger someone with the capital Adion appeared to have, especially without knowing his background. But Adion didn¡¯t want to take any chances, so whatever could remain a secret, he kept a secret.
¡°So it¡¯s master Atao,¡± Grender greeted Adion with a gentle smile as he saw him coming. He treated him politely even if he only showed low Bronze strength. He probably suspected him of coming from a very influential background.
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¡°Grender,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Boss! You came!¡± Perk yelled excitedly. Adion noticed that both of the boys were covered in sweat. They held the daggers Adion had gifted them in their hands.
Grender must have been teaching them to fight. Looks like he is doing his job.
¡°How are things going?¡± Adion asked, stepping up to take a look at his subordinates.
¡°We were just about to finish today¡¯s lesson,¡± Grender answered, ¡°I would have arranged for us to practice in the evening if I knew it was going to be so hot.¡±
¡°It really is unbearable,¡± Perk complained.
¡°It¡¯s good to get some sunlight and exercise,¡± Adion said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go inside and get something to drink? Grender, you can join Taronto and take a break while I¡¯m here.¡±
¡°I certainly won¡¯t refuse that,¡± Grender said with a laugh.
Adion led Perk and Tib inside the mansion again and settled down in a small reception room. It was out of sight, and Adion could feel if anyone approached, so he removed his mask.
Perk brought some cool lemonade for them as they sat down.
¡°You have to try this, boss,¡± Perk said excitedly, ¡°This place is incredible. They have all sorts of cooling runes that can even keep things frozen if you want. Should we show you around?¡±
¡°We can do that later,¡± Adion said with a smile. He already had a pretty good idea about the layout of the place after investigating it through his sphere of space mana. But it was always preferable to see it with his own eyes.
¡°How is your training going? How is Grender and Taronto treating you?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It¡¯s really fun, boss,¡± Perk said, ¡°Grender and Taronto have been teaching us for a few hours every day in different fighting styles. They are really good!¡±
¡°They should be,¡± Adion said with a nod, ¡°They managed to survive in the Outskirts long enough to reach Gold, after all.¡±
Adion continued asking about their current situation. He was happy to see both of them in such a good mood. They had been slaves, and then on the run, before finally stumbling upon Adion. Since then, things had gotten better, but they had spent most of their days training hard.
Now, they had been with Adion long enough for their training to start showing some results. They also had access to resources that might even make kids of Noble families jealous. With Adion¡¯s new wealth, they didn¡¯t lack anything.
Even if every day still was filled with diligent practice, they had access to Gold mages to train and protect them, and an entire mansion for themselves. How could these two kids coming from poverty not be excited about their new circumstances?
¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy with everything. How is your shadow mana manipulation coming along, Tib?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Let me show you, boss,¡± Tib said, a rare smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Adion felt how Tib controlled the surrounding pure mana to gather above his palm, where he turned it to the shadow attribute.
¡°It only takes you a few seconds, very good,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Do you think I¡¯m ready to form a core soon, boss?¡± Tib asked.
¡°That¡¯s still a very long time away, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Adion said, ¡°Forming a core without a spark will take at least a few more years of practice.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Tib said with obvious disappointment.
¡°Well, you have Authority over shadow, so strange things can always happen,¡± Adion said, ¡°But it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. I don¡¯t want you to fail in forming a core. If you lose control while having a large amount of shadow mana in your body, it could have some serious consequences. And should you form a core while having traces of other elements, not even I know what would happen.
¡°It¡¯s not even been a year since you started training. It can be said that your current progress is a lot faster than I was. And it took me seven years. I had access to an absurd amount of space mana, though, but with the Soul beast core I got from the auction, it shouldn¡¯t be completely hopeless. As long as you can finetune your control enough, that beast core should be more than enough for you to form a core.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll continue to work hard,¡± Tib said with a serious expression.
¡°Good,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°That¡¯s all you need to focus on for the moment. You also have more money than you can spend that has been left in your hands. If you need anything, you now have Grender and Taronto to guard you as you go out, so there is nothing to worry about there. Just don¡¯t overdo it. If you bring too much attention to your wealth, it can still result in serious problems.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, we know, boss,¡± Perk said.
Adion continued advising the boys on what they should focus on until he could visit next. He suggested they should hire some non-mages to act as servants. There were a few Moonlight Oaks in Cyalis, and it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for them to get access to at least one of them. Adion had no interest in wasting his time making contracts with non-mages, so he left it to the brothers.
After spending almost an hour talking, Adion got up from his seat.
¡°Are you leaving already, boss?¡± Perk asked.
¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry,¡± Adion said, shaking his head, ¡°Since I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll take some time to teach you a few things. Let¡¯s begin with taking a look at your aura, then I¡¯ll test your fighting abilities and your progress in runes.¡±
As expected, Adion¡¯s words caused the brothers to smile.
I should do this more often, they work hard for themselves, but more than that, they work hard for me. If I don¡¯t examine the fruits of their labor, what use is there in working so hard?
Adion didn¡¯t leave the mansion until late at night, spending almost the entire day with the brothers. He had planned on leaving earlier, but was unexpectedly treated to dinner. Seeing Perk¡¯s eager expression as he asked, Adion had no choice but to stay behind and join them for a meal. Adion had no idea that Perk knew how to cook. Apparently, it was something he had learned since he was a child. Adion had to admit that it wasn¡¯t bad at all, and he asked Perk to prepare something the next time he stopped by.
Haah. Adion inwardly sighed as he stepped out onto the streets, his aura and face on full display once again. The cool night air made for a nice walk, so he didn¡¯t hire a carriage to take him back to the Academy.
It feels good to finally be able to provide for them. I have asked for a lot, and they have always delivered. I can¡¯t forget that. I should figure out something nice to give them the next time I stop by. They were so happy when they got the daggers. I don¡¯t think they even understood how precious they were. Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll at least give them some little trinkets.
Maybe I can give them some cool clothes? We are going to start an organization, after all. We should have our own unique uniform.
Chapter 152 - Reading
¡°Did you know that there was a war about 10,000 years ago between Fornia and the Fire Phoenix Empire?¡± Sell asked.
She was leaning against Adion¡¯s shoulder, reading some book about Quemer. The two were in one of the private fighting pits belonging to the Scrolls. After practicing together, the two sat down to read together. It was another hot day, but they could sit in the shadow of the walls surrounding the fighting pit. It would have been nicer if they could go out and sit under a tree somewhere, but they both preferred privacy over comfort.
¡°Really, why?¡± Adion looked up from his own book and asked Sell.
¡°Long ago, countless small kingdoms and city-states all over Quemer fought against each other. With time, Empires rose, and an equilibrium of power settled the current borders. But Fornia was different. It was not connected to any other state, so no one knew its strength. The Fire Phoenix Empire was closest to it, and they wanted to keep conquering territory. Conquering the Outskirts is a slow process, but taking over another kingdom wouldn¡¯t take much effort if the ones in power were weak.¡±
¡°So what happened?¡± Adion asked, curiously.
¡°At first, the Fire Phoenix Empire completely dominated. The average faelin was a lot weaker than the average human. But then, the Wise faelin joined the battle, and suddenly the tables were turned. The mages of the Empire had never seen the power of Words of Truth before, and didn¡¯t stand a chance against that kind of of magic.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°Even if the most powerful mages of the faelin are slightly weaker, as they have a poorer mana control, Words of Truth more than makes up for it.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a shame that they are so secretive about their Words of Truth,¡± Sell said with a sigh.
¡°The book doesn¡¯t say anything?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No,¡± Sell said, shaking her head slightly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to speak Words of Truth out loud in order to use its power, so it would be impossible to know without a Wise faelin wanting to share.¡±
¡°It¡¯s all supposed to be recorded in that tower, though, right?¡± Adion asked, ¡°I think Lomin said it¡¯s called the Spire. Maybe we can go there and take a look.¡±
¡°Definitely,¡± Sell said, tilting her head up to smile at Adion, ¡°But do you think they¡¯ll accept humans and elves to enter?¡±
¡°I have no idea,¡± Adion said, ¡°Probably not without a good reason. But maybe it will be possible with Lomin¡¯s help. Or if you reveal your own Words of Truth, they might be more than happy to have you.¡±
¡°It depends on how strong we are when we go there,¡± Sell said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to reveal anything without some assurance. I can ask for Lomin¡¯s opinion, I guess.¡±
¡°You would be willing to tell him?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I think so,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t think he would say anything if I asked him not to.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so either,¡± Adion agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll try to get in contact with them before we leave for Quemer. We¡¯ll probably have to stay put for a while after the competition, but after that, we can travel around Quemer to explore.¡±
¡°Sounds fun,¡± Sell said with a bright smile.
Adion smiled back at her. He was glad Sell was enjoying the book as it was something he had bought her. He knew she was interested in learning everything about Quemer. And it was one of the few things he could think of to buy for her.
Ever since the auction two weeks ago, Adion had tried to think of things to buy for her. He was incredibly rich now, after all, and he wanted to spend money on his girlfriend. The problem was that Sell was a princess. Anything he bought for her just for money¡¯s sake was completely meaningless to her.
Oh well. My money is not going anywhere. I¡¯ll figure out something eventually.
¡°Have you found a place we could go to practice your fire Authority?¡± Adion asked. Sell¡¯s Authority gave her the ability to control fire to a frightening scale. If she wanted to test her limit, and try to break past it, she would need a place far from anyone¡¯s eyes.
¡°No,¡± Sell sighed, ¡°Too many people live around Cyalis. It will be extremely difficult to find a place anywhere close. Besides, now that we have a plan on how to leave, I don¡¯t want to risk anything. Who knows what kind of ideas the Hesfym family would get if they knew I left Cyalis? But it¡¯s fine. I can still practice my Authority here. I just can¡¯t do it to my limit.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Adion thought about the problem, ¡°I think I heard somewhere that the Academy will set up a few excursions to the Outskirts once in a while. Maybe that could be a good opportunity.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°My sister went to the Alago Forrest with her class last year. I¡¯m sure something similar will be arranged for us too, eventually. We might be able to sneak away from everyone and fight beasts to our limits.¡±
¡°That sounds fun,¡± Adion said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I fought with my full abilities too. I want to know just how powerful I am now that I¡¯m middle Silver.¡±
¡°You should ask the Headmaster about it,¡± Sell suggested, ¡°I¡¯m sure he knows if anything has been planned.¡±
¡°I will,¡± Adion nodded.
Even if I have been fighting here at the Academy, I could only ever use my space core to freeze space. And there is not enough pressure in these types of fights. In the Outskirts, it was life and death, my strength improved at a lot quicker pace than it does now.
Even if studying shadow magic with Quahim and learning all types of knowledge here at the Academy have been incredibly valuable opportunities, I can¡¯t help but feel that it would be good for me to fight in the Outskirts again.
But I guess I can¡¯t have everything. It¡¯s far too impractical to travel back and forth to the Outskirts from Cyalis, and if I had to choose between spending five years here or five years in the Outskirts, I believe staying here will have countless times better effects in the long run.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
But if it¡¯s just once, and something the Academy organizes, fighting in the Outskirts again will surely do me good. I¡¯ll ask the Headmaster about it.
Adion shook his head and continued reading his book. It was the one he had received from the Headmaster about the ruins of Shiora. Adion found it pretty interesting so far. Even if there wasn¡¯t any shocking information, the book contained a lot of things he didn¡¯t know.
He was currently reading a part that speculated on the power structure of Shiora during the Age of Wonder. It was obviously impossible to know for sure, but through the ruins found so far, theories could be made. The author thought that Cyalis had surely been a hub with a large population and powerful influences. That was because the remains found in Cyalis were so significant. Even if the author didn¡¯t know exactly what secrets were kept in the Academy, it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that it was something spectacular. The Sages of Pollonti had decided to set up a city and academy here, after all.
Through a few old records found, it was also believed to have existed a powerful Empire in the Saba desert long ago. It was hard to be sure, because even if the Sabamin were descendants of the Shiorin who had lived on the continent long ago, too much time had passed for anyone to remember anything about where they came from. The Sabamin could very well have been survivors from the other side of Shiora who had walked across the continent during the Age of Darkness until they ended up in the Saba desert.
But the different ruins that had been found spoke of a powerful civilization that had been located there long ago. It was no secret that the Alago Empire had spent tremendous effort on the area around Kerrick Hold in the far northeast of the Empire. And no matter how much they tried, they couldn¡¯t keep the information sealed that they had found a lot of ruins there.
I wonder what those ruins are like¡It¡¯s too bad that the author doesn¡¯t seem to have a lot of insider information.
But no matter what, I¡¯m sure it doesn¡¯t come close to the secrets that Cyalis Academy is hiding. And I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to find out about that eventually. Unfortunately, the Headmaster doesn¡¯t want me to focus on those things right now. But I¡¯m sure that when I¡¯m more powerful and apt in runes, he¡¯ll bring me to take a look at a few old artifacts they have hidden. He wanted my help with something like that, after all.
Adion and Sell continued to read for a few hours before they decided to put away their books and head for the House of the Scrolls.
¡°It really won¡¯t be too long before you¡¯re able to join the Scrolls council,¡± Sell commented as they looked at the leaderboard of credits contributed.
¡°I¡¯m not far from reaching the top of even the 2nd years,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But so are you. I¡¯m guessing both of us will easily be able to join the Scrolls council before it¡¯s time for us to head to Quemer. The difficult part will be to get the Scrolls to go from rank 4 to rank 1 in just a few years. It would also be good if I could become Head of the House before our fourth year.¡±
¡°With your strength and contribution, I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be too difficult,¡± Sell said with a smile, ¡°But maybe wait a little longer to open up about your ambition. If you can perform well in this year¡¯s House Clash, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll gain a lot of popularity.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not very worried about the fighting part, but it would be nice if I could get good enough in runes to be able to contribute in something else,¡± Adion said.
¡°Maybe in our 2nd year,¡± Sell said with a teasing smile.
¡°You don¡¯t think I can improve fast enough to make a difference this year?¡± Adion challenged with a smile.
¡°I have no knowledge of runes¡but from the way Prago has been evaluating your abilities¡¡± Sell said hesitantly.
¡°What? What¡¯s Prago been saying?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°Well, let¡¯s not focus on that. I¡¯m sure Prago will be able to take home a lot of points for our runesmiths. You brought him into the House, so it can be seen as your contribution.¡±
That Prago. I¡¯ll have to have a talk with him. I never actually wrote that letter to his grandfather, but maybe I should.
¡°Oh, Adion, Sellitha, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Dorsia¡¯s voice sounded from Adion¡¯s left.
¡°Head Dorsia,¡± Adion nodded in greeting.
¡°Dorsia, have you looked into the books I¡¯ve requested?¡± Sellitha immediately asked.
¡°Haaah,¡± Dorsia sighed, ¡°They should be on their way. You two just spend credits like crazy, don¡¯t you? Well, it¡¯s good news for the Scrolls, so I won¡¯t complain. As for the books, I couldn¡¯t get my hands on all of them. Even with sufficient credits, the Academy won¡¯t hand over everything just like that.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine, as long as some of them arrive before I¡¯m finished with the one I¡¯m reading,¡± Sell said.
¡°Why have you two started reading so much lately? Are you researching something? About Quemer?¡± Dorsia asked.
Adion and Sell shared a look. No one else knew about the Headmaster¡¯s plan to have the Academy participate in the competition on Quemer. But the reason for Sell and Adion reading so much lately was mostly just because it was a nice thing to do together. They couldn¡¯t train all hours of the day, and even studying the subjects they had in class had a limit. So reading had become somewhat of a habit lately, and they didn¡¯t want to waste their credits in the Academy library when they could go through the Scrolls and contribute the credits to the House.
¡°Something like that,¡± Adion said carefully.
¡°Whatever,¡± Dorsia shook her head, ¡°I was just going to let you know that it¡¯s been decided to raise the cost of renting the fighting pits from now on.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Well, with the nice weather, people naturally spend more time practicing their fighting skills outside, but more than anything¡you two have taken it too far,¡± Dorsia said in a somewhat exasperated voice.
¡°What are you talking about?¡± Sell asked.
¡°You do know that the two of you have rented out one of our three private fighting pits for an entire day basically every day since you joined us? Most people only do it a few hours at a time, and at most once or twice a week. With you two showing up, the demand has gone up, so we have to increase the price,¡± Dorsia said with a complicated look.
Adion and Sell shared an awkward smile.
¡°Isn¡¯t it good that we are spending our credits?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It is,¡± Dorisa nodded, ¡°But isn¡¯t there a limit? Whatever. It¡¯s good. I just thought I¡¯d let you know so you can be prepared. Hopefully, this will calm down demand somewhat.¡±
I guess no one can really match mine and Sell¡¯s credits. We are first and second rank in the diamond class, after all. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if we earn the most credits in the entire Scrolls.
Dorsia left them while continuing to mutter to herself about how crazy the two were.
¡°Should we¡maybe ease it on renting the fighting pits?¡± Sell asked.
¡°No need,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that they raised the credits to rent it in a way. It will let us spend credits more easily.¡±
Sell laughed, and Adion couldn¡¯t help but look around, hoping no one had heard his boastful words.
Chapter 153 - Smile
Adion stared at the painting in front of him. He wasn¡¯t very happy with it. Even if it was far from finished, Adion could tell that it wouldn¡¯t turn out the way he wanted.
I¡¯ll just start over. If I¡¯m going to give it to Quahim, it needs to be my best one yet.
Adion was currently in his dorm room. He had spent the day in class, and thought he would be training with Sell afterwards as usual. But he found out she had plans with Felicia and Lastia, so Adion decided to train his Authority on his own before heading to his dorm room to spend the evening painting.
He hadn¡¯t spent a lot of time painting ever since he got to the Academy. But he had promised Quahim that he would return with a masterpiece to trade him ¡®A mother¡¯s smile¡¯ with. Adion certainly couldn¡¯t do a shabby job, and he couldn¡¯t save it for the last second. It was something that would require time and effort so he wouldn¡¯t disappoint his teacher when he met him again.
Besides, painting was calming. It was unlike any other form of training Adion did. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would ever play any part in increasing his strength, but just this one thing, Adion didn¡¯t mind. It was fine spending time painting just for the task itself.
Quahim told me painting would allow me to grasp concepts of shadow more easily, but so far, I don¡¯t seem to be able to grasp anything. Maybe he just made it up to get me to paint with him.
No, I could feel something from Quahim¡¯s painting that bordered on the magical. And I know that the painting ¡®Atao¡¯ that appeared on Shiora during the Age of Wonder definitely made use of some extremely complicated and profound concepts. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t spent enough time with it yet.
Adion grabbed a blank canvas and started over. He had decided to do a painting of Sell. He knew Quahim was very fond of his niece, so he would certainly appreciate a painting of her if he did it justice. It was also something Adion was in the mood to paint. He just hadn¡¯t captured the right scene in his head yet. His previous three efforts were all thrown out after he realized that they wouldn¡¯t turn out at the level he was aiming for.
Maybe something during our date.
Many memories flashed through Adion¡¯s head. All of them of Sell and her various expressions.
It has to be suitable for Quahim to look at. It can¡¯t be something overly romantic.
Just as an image appeared in Adion¡¯s mind that he thought was worth giving a try, he was interrupted by someone knocking on his door.
A visitor?
Adion put down his brush and went to open his door. To his surprise, he spotted Ohem, Erfin, and Prago standing outside.
¡°I knew you¡¯d be here,¡± Prago said with a grin.
¡°We¡¯re here for beer and cards, like we said,¡± Ohem said without expression. Adion noticed he was carrying a big crate of beer in his hands.
¡°I never said that,¡± Adion said, confused.
¡°Oh,¡± Ohem nodded and proceeded to walk into Adion¡¯s dorm room.
¡°Thanks for having us, Adion,¡± Erfin said with a smile. He looked around the place with bright eyes as he stepped inside, ¡°As expected of the Headmaster¡¯s disciple. This place is really nice.¡±
Adion could only watch helplessly as Ohem and Erfin made themselves at home. He turned to Prago and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°I spotted Sell with Felicia and Lastia over at the Scrolls. I figured you¡¯d be lonely and sad, so I came to cheer you up. Aren¡¯t I nice?¡± Prago asked with a bright smile.
¡°Well, I was actually painting,¡± Adion said hesitantly.
¡°I¡¯m glad you weren¡¯t busy,¡± Prago nodded and stepped inside.
Whatever. I guess it¡¯s fine.
Adion closed the door and walked to the dining table, where his friends had already taken their seats. Adion¡¯s dorm room was a lot bigger than the general dorm room. He even had a whole dining room for himself. It didn¡¯t lose out much to any of the mansions he had visited.
¡°Adion, have a beer,¡± Ohem said as he picked up a bottle of beer and passed it to Adion, ¡°It¡¯s from my hometown. You¡¯ll like it.¡±
¡°Oh? Thanks,¡± Adion said, accepting the drink, ¡°What is your hometown?¡±
¡°Deller, in the Rellen Kingdom,¡± Ohem answered.
Deller¡I think I¡¯ve read a few things about that place. It¡¯s a huge city not far from the Outskirts, and a lot of strong mages are living there. That part of the Outskirts has one of the strongest presence of beasts of all the places bordering the Endless Forest.
¡°Have you ever been to the Outskirts there?¡± Adion asked.
¡°No,¡± Ohem answered, ¡°I was too weak. But I will in the future.¡±
¡°It sounds like an interesting place,¡± Adion said, ¡°I might visit sometime, and see that part of the Outskirts for myself.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll welcome you in my home at that time,¡± Ohem said with a slight smile.
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion said with a grin.
He quite liked Ohem. Even if they hadn¡¯t known each other for long, they had spent a lot of time playing cards together. Something Adion knew Ohem greatly appreciated, since he couldn¡¯t advance if he wasn¡¯t allowed to play.
¡°Alright,¡± Erfin said, ¡°Let¡¯s play. What should we start with? Sailor¡¯s luck?¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°We should have some stakes,¡± Prago suggested.
¡°Do you even know how to play?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°I¡¯ve played plenty of cards with my grandfather,¡± Prago said, ¡°Even if I¡¯ve never played Sailor¡¯s luck, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll learn quickly.¡±
¡°Should we bet credits?¡± Erfin asked.
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°We can start small. How about 10 credits each per game, winner takes all?¡±
¡°How is that small?¡± Erfin questioned, shocked.
¡°Adion gets 1000 credits every week from his ranking. Don¡¯t think about it. It will only make you depressed,¡± Prago said mournfully.
¡°Right, I forgot,¡± Erfin said with a sigh.
¡°Well, we can do whatever you guys want then. The amount doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Adion said.
¡°10 credits sound good,¡± Ohem said in a calm voice.
¡°You¡¯re also in the top 10 diamond class,¡± Erfin said with a sigh, ¡°Whatever. I can afford it!¡±
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¡°Me too,¡± Prago nodded, ¡°Adion. I¡¯ll be stopping by to teach you some runes tomorrow. You¡¯re still far from adequate.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Adion answered with a smile. He would probably be paying back Prago more than double the amount of credits he lost tonight in the coming week.
The group started playing, and it was obvious that Ohem was the undisputed champion. But what surprised Adion was Erfin¡¯s skill. Adion had thought that he had gotten pretty good at Sailor¡¯s luck by now, but he couldn¡¯t compare to Erfin.
But as he thought about it, the first time he had met Erfin was outside the House of the Scrolls where he was playing cards with Ohem. He probably had a lot more experience than Adion.
Since Adion had plenty of credits, he didn¡¯t really mind. He simply drank the beer Ohem had brought and enjoyed his time.
That was until Prago started showing his skills. Even if it was his first time playing, he quickly caught on and began overtaking Adion. Even if Sailor¡¯s luck came down to a lot of luck, skill was a fundamental part of the game. As skill was involved, pride naturally came with it.
Adion could take being inferior to Ohem and Erfin, as they had played longer than he had. But he didn¡¯t want to lose to Prago.
¡°Haha,¡± Adion laughed as they just finished a game, ¡°Take that, Prago.¡±
¡°What do you mean ¡®take that¡¯? You lost!¡± Prago yelled out.
¡°I still beat you,¡± Adion grinned. The alcohol made him feel extra good about beating him.
¡°This is so infuriating,¡± Prago mumbled, ¡°Credits don¡¯t even matter to you, so what¡¯s the point.¡±
¡°We could do a different kind of bet,¡± Erfin suggested.
¡°What do you suggest?¡± Ohem asked.
¡°We could do dares,¡± Erfin said, ¡°We are all equal in front of dares.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡¡± Adion hesitated.
¡°That¡¯s an excellent idea,¡± Prago said with vigor.
¡°Sure,¡± Ohem nodded.
¡°Fine,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°What kind of dare?¡±
Just as Erfin was about to respond, Prago yelled out in an aggrieved voice, ¡°You have to set up a date with Felicia for me!¡±
What?
Adion stared at Prago in shock. Even Ohem had a rare look of surprise on his face.
¡°Er,¡± Adion didn¡¯t really know what to say, ¡°You like Felicia?¡±
¡°Who wouldn¡¯t like that goddess?¡± Prago questioned, ¡°She is perfect in every way. I thought you would be a good friend and set things up for me at the auction. You did promise me, after all. But you didn¡¯t even think about it, did you?¡±
¡°Er,¡± Adion once again was at a loss for words. In truth, that particular matter had slipped his mind.
¡°You have this kind of power, Adion?¡± Ohem asked with a bit of reverence.
¡°No, no,¡± Adion shook his head, ¡°I just promised Prago¡Whatever, forget it. If you like her, just tell her, Prago.¡±
¡°As if I could do that,¡± Prago murmured.
Adion suddenly got an idea that appeared brilliant to his intoxicated mind and said, ¡°Alright, Prago. Let¡¯s play a game with some stakes. If I lose, I can¡¯t promise anything, but I¡¯ll try my best to set things up. If I fail, I¡¯ll pay 1000 credits, no, 4000 credits. A whole month¡¯s worth.¡±
¡°Seriously?¡± Prago asked.
¡°Of course, I¡¯m serious,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°But if you lose, you have to go to Felicia and ask her out yourself. And you have to do it tonight. Do you dare?¡±
Prago hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°What if Ohem or Erfin wins?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll give them 100 credits, and we can play another game after that if we want. Our stakes would be canceled,¡± Adion said.
¡°Alright,¡± Prago finally nodded, ¡°But you can¡¯t go back on your words.¡±
¡°Neither can you,¡± Adion said with a grin.
¡°Then let¡¯s play,¡± Prago said resolutely.
¡°Good,¡± Adion nodded.
As Prago picked up his cards, entirely focused on the game. Adion grabbed Erfin¡¯s and Ohem¡¯s attention and gave them a meaningful look. They both nodded back in understanding.
Adion could cheat using his space magic, of course, but he felt that would be wrong. He could cheat, but he would cheat the right way.
With three against one. There was never a chance for you to win.
Thirty minutes later, the four of them were already almost at the House of the Scrolls.
¡°You know what, guys, let¡¯s stop here for a moment and enjoy the night sky,¡± Prago suggested.
¡°No way,¡± Adion refuted, ¡°You lost the bet. Be a man about it.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Prago muttered, ¡°It¡¯s such a nice summer¡¯s night. I just thought we could take a small break.¡±
¡°No matter what happens, I envy your courage,¡± Erfin said, trying to be encouraging.
¡°We¡¯ll go back to Adion¡¯s place afterward so you can drink away your sorrows,¡± Ohem added.
Adion gave Ohem a look.
¡°I meant to say¡So you can drink in celebration,¡± Ohem corrected himself.
¡°Yeah,¡± Prago said in a somewhat shaky voice.
Maybe I pushed it too far. Even if I think this is the best way to go about it. It¡¯s ultimately Prago¡¯s business.
But just as Adion started having second thoughts, the group ran into Sell, Felicia, and Lastia exiting the House of the Scrolls.
Whatever. Even if he fails, this is an important first step. I¡¯ll just have to give it my best to support him so he doesn¡¯t give in to despair.
¡°I¡¯ll take care of Sell,¡± Adion whispered to Ohem, ¡°I¡¯ll leave Lastia to you two.¡±
Ohem nodded, and Adion stepped in front of the group and approached Sell. Prago had slowed his steps, but Adion didn¡¯t wait for the rest of the group.
¡°Sell, can I talk with you for a minute?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Oh, sure,¡± Sell nodded and stepped away with Adion.
¡°Sorry about that,¡± Adion said as he and Sell walked away.
¡°It¡¯s fine. What¡¯s going on?¡± Sell asked.
Adion explained the situation, and Sell opened her mouth in surprise.
¡°I never knew Prago felt like that¡¡± Sell said hesitantly.
¡°Neither did I,¡± Adion said, shaking his head with a smile, ¡°But it made me-¡±
Adion interrupted himself as he felt someone¡¯s presence about 200 feet away. Adion was always on his guard when he was alone with Sell, so he didn¡¯t miss someone walking past them.
Adion turned to look at who it was and breathed out in relief when he saw it was just a first-year student, a blonde girl, walking past. And he realized he hadn¡¯t said anything compromising, even if it might not look great that they were alone so late at night.
Just as Adion was about to turn his attention back to Sell, something in his mind stirred.
That girl. Why does she seem familiar?
Adion tried to recall where he had seen her. It wasn¡¯t unlikely that he had spotted her somewhere during his months in the Academy, but something at the back of Adion¡¯s head made him feel it wasn¡¯t as simple as that.
And then he remembered. The first day he entered the Academy, when he just finished his admission. He had spotted her just before Aiden called out to him and thought he recognized her from somewhere.
Have I met her before that?
The girl seemed to have noticed Adion¡¯s gaze as she turned around to look at him. She smiled.
That smile¡doesn¡¯t seem right.
The girl turned around and kept walking. Adion got a bad feeling for some reason.
¡°Sell, do you know who that girl is?¡± Adion asked in a serious voice as he pointed her out to Sell.
¡°No,¡± Sell said, shaking her head, ¡°Why?¡±
¡°She just smiled at me,¡± Adion said in a low voice.
¡°How nice for you,¡± Sell snorted.
¡°It wasn¡¯t that kind of smile,¡± Adion said, his voice somber.
Sell noticed his serious expression and asked, ¡°What kind of smile was it?¡±
Adion furrowed his brows and answered, ¡°It was challenging. No, more¡triumphant.¡±
Chapter 154 - Bad feeling
What a mess. Stupid. Silly. What more could I expect? Didn¡¯t I know it would end like this all along?
Mephina let out a deep sigh as she watched the surrounding landscape pass her by. Their carriage had just left the capital, and the carriage was picking up pace. The fastest carriage available in the Amyss family, and it even had Diamond beasts pulling it. The Amyss family would never employ Diamond beasts to carry a carriage out of respect for Mephina and her family. But this was an emergency, so even if Mephina found it demeaning that beasts of so high intelligence were used like this, she couldn¡¯t find it in her to voice a complaint.
¡°Lady Mephina, are you sure you should accompany us? It wouldn¡¯t be too late to turn back now,¡± Lady Lerretha said in a cold voice.
¡°Why should I?¡± Mephina questioned grumpily. She had never liked the old witch, but unfortunately, Lady Lerretha was stronger than her, so she could never beat her up when she was angered.
¡°You know your presence outside of Amyss will raise a commotion. Even in Cyalis, a Soul beast is something very rare. And in these times, it will be far less popular than your previous visits,¡± Lady Lerretha responded.
¡°Who cares what those people think?¡± Dorello said with a laugh, ¡°We are all Soul mages. If anyone has complaints, I¡¯m not afraid to fight it out!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t cause a commotion, Dorello,¡± Lady Lerretha said with a stern voice, ¡°You know this matter has to be handled as discreetly as possible. It is already a great shame for our family. Thankfully, the Hesfym family seems to want to keep this matter hidden as well. Let¡¯s bring Sellitha out as quickly and as quietly as possible. If we handle the matter in an orderly fashion, everyone will forget this ever happened in a few year''s time.¡±
¡°As if those Hesfym bastards will let us forget,¡± Dorello scoffed, ¡°I still refuse to believe it is true. This is Princess Sellitha we¡¯re talking about! Surely you are both aware of her personality?¡±
¡°It is true, unfortunately,¡± Lady Lerretha said in a low voice.
¡°How do you know?¡± Dorello questioned, refusing to accept the matter, ¡°Because those Shields people say so? It¡¯s obvious they are afraid of the movements of the Crown Princess in the Academy. They are about to lose their rank for the first time in over a century, so they could only make up this ridiculous story to have us bring out one of our strongest members.¡±
¡°Sellitha is not a member of Soaring Souls,¡± Lady Lerretha said, her voice still without fluctuation, ¡°She chose to join the Scrolls instead.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Dorello looked at Lady Lerretha in surprise, ¡°Why would she do that?¡±
¡°Adion Remori joined them, so she joined them too,¡± Lady Lerretha calmly explained.
¡°That¡¯s¡strange indeed,¡± Dorello said with a nod, ¡°But it¡¯s still too far-fetched to have us pull her out of the Academy for such a reason. This doesn¡¯t prove she is in a relationship with him. Isn¡¯t this simply too embarrassing? I feel like an errand boy for the Hesfym family. If they dare make accusations, we should dare ask for proof! But we accept the slander of our princess and head out at their beck and call. It¡¯s ridiculous!¡±
¡°You weren¡¯t there,¡± Lady Lerretha said, sighing, ¡°It is unquestionable. You can ask Lady Mephina if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±
¡°Lady Mephina, surely you know Princess Sellitha best. This can¡¯t be true?¡± Dorello turned to Mephina and asked.
I wish it wasn¡¯t.
Mephina was perhaps the one with the clearest image of what was happening out of all the members of the Amyss family. She regretted her willful behavior that had let Sell and Adion experience each other¡¯s company for that summer.
If I could take it back¡I don¡¯t know. I just wanted her to experience a little happiness. Was it wrong of me?
¡°Lady Mephina?¡± Dorello repeated, trying to bring Mephina out of her daze.
Mephina turned to look at him, but she didn¡¯t know what to say. She was in the Elder¡¯s Hall just like Lady Lerretha when those people from the Shields and Hesfym family brought forth their case. Even if they didn¡¯t have irrefutable evidence, an idiot could see what was going on with the information that was given.
There could be hope that it was all made up, but with the promise of copious rewards in case they were mistaken, there wasn¡¯t much protest that could be made. The matter would be obvious to everyone as soon as they talked to Sell. And the Hesfym family wouldn¡¯t damage their treasury to such a large extent just to have three Soul mages of the Amyss family waste a few weeks of their lives.
But how could they be so careless? It hasn¡¯t been that long since they started the Academy, and things have already come to this. And for the Hesfym family to be willing to stake so much on this, they must have been absolutely sure. They must have been careless to the extreme!
Just as Dorello was about to bring attention to his question once again, Mephina let out a sigh and answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. We will see when we get there. Speculating is pointless.¡±
¡°You know as well as I do, there is no speculation left to be had,¡± Lady Lerretha scoffed, ¡°What we could confirm by ourselves all agreed with what those people have told us. If it was just that, we could have handled the matter carefully and silently. We could allow Princess Sellitha to remain in the Academy so as not to bring attention to this matter. But with the Hesfym family pressuring us, even willing to pay such a large compensation in case they are mistaken, there can be no doubt.¡±
¡°They¡they were willing to stake so much in this?¡± Dorello asked.
Lady Lerretha briefly explained the situation that had occurred in the Elder¡¯s Hall. Mephina wasn¡¯t in the mood to listen so she tuned out their conversation and looked out the window again.
I don¡¯t feel good about this. How can the Royal family be driven into a corner like this? Even if we handle the matter perfectly, the truth will come out. Sell will be whispered about, and rumors will spread. Even so, Lord Hesfym seems very determined to go through with the wedding. I suppose things haven¡¯t gone too far between them so as to have a point of no return. But I would have thought Lord Hesfym to be too prideful for this kind of forceful behavior. Especially since the truth will come out.
What really baffles me is that the family believes this will work. It appears no one ever truly got to know their own princess.
Perhaps things could have worked out if things came to an end quickly. But not now. I¡¯m sure Sell will resort to attacking everyone in her rage. We could knock her out. But then what? She would just become more furious.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Perhaps that brat can find a way for the Headmaster to step in¡no, that seems unlikely.
I truly can¡¯t see a way this ends well.
¡°How about it?¡± The Headmaster asked, ¡°Do you feel anything?¡±
¡°Maybe¡something?¡± Adion answered hesitantly.
¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± The Headmaster chuckled.
¡°Fine, you were right. I just wanted to try it out. Surely I will be able to grasp it eventually if I continue to do this long enough,¡± Adion said.
Adion had been practicing runes for months now, and what he was most curious about was if he could discover some new runes for himself. Mainly runes relating to space.
There was a process of doing this that runemasters used. A certain strange metal that had been named ¡®rune stone¡¯ was used. It had the peculiar property of tracing rune patterns of whatever magic it came into contact with. Other natural metals and ores could be used in the same way, but nothing came close to being as efficient as a rune stone.
It wasn¡¯t something easy, however. Even a runemaster in the Soul stages would struggle for years to unravel all the intricacies of a certain runic pattern, which was especially true for complex runes.
Adion had thought he could be able to notice something, but the Headmaster had always told him he was far from ready. Today however, he had finally yielded to Adion¡¯s request and gave him a rune stone to try for himself.
Even if Adion didn¡¯t think he would be able to perfect it on his first try, he still believed he would be able to notice something. But when Adion had given it a try, the result was far from any runic pattern at all. And Adion didn¡¯t even know what he did wrong or how to improve.
He had wanted to figure out a runic pattern for teleportation. It would be world-changing if he could figure something like that out. Even if there was the teleportation formation at the Remori manor, Adion had no access to it. And he wanted to make the discovery himself. That would allow him to understand it on a much more fundamental level.
Unfortunately, when Adion had grabbed the rune stone, he realized he had no idea how he would inject teleportation magic into the rune stone. The result would just be that he teleported the rune stone away. So instead, he figured he should start slow and figure out the process of the rune stone slowly. He instead froze the space in the rune stone, this time not using his Authority, but self-conjured space.
But Adion couldn¡¯t feel any kind of pattern in the rune stone he was holding. He didn¡¯t even feel any difference in it at all.
¡°Not even I¡¯m wealthy enough to waste rune stones like that,¡± The Headmaster denied Adion¡¯s request, ¡°The current you have no chance of even injecting the most basic heating rune. You would have to have a much deeper understanding of runes before trying something as ridiculous as discovering a new runic pattern, especially one so complex that it deals with space.
¡°To engrave a runic pattern in a rune stone takes a ridiculous amount of finesse, and you would definitely have to waste hundreds of rune stones before seeing any results, even if you became a runesmith of high caliber. The current you wouldn¡¯t even be able to do it if you had 10,000 rune stones.¡±
¡°Haaah,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°Alright, I believe you. I guess I¡¯ll have to wait.¡±
¡°So hasty with everything,¡± The Headmaster said, shaking his head.
¡°Have you ever discovered a new runic pattern, Headmaster?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I have,¡± The Headmaster said with a slight smile, ¡°And from start to finish, it took me almost 200 years of work.¡±
¡°200 years!?¡± Adion yelled out in shock.
¡°Of course,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°It was quite a spectacular rune, so that is to be expected. And the result was more than worth it. That discovery earned me the title of Sage, after all.¡±
¡°It was a rune that made you a Sage?¡± Adion asked, ¡°What kind of rune was it?¡±
The Headmaster seemed to hesitate for a moment before answering, ¡°It was a communication rune.¡±
A communication rune? I think I heard Prago mention something about that once. It was true? And the Headmaster was the one who discovered it?¡±
¡°With that runic pattern, I constructed a runic device called touban,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°It allows for sound to travel over vast distances. But it comes at a great cost of mana, and there is a limit, so it can not be used casually. But if there was an emergency on the other side of Cyalis, I would hear of it immediately, and even if something were to happen on the other side of the continent, a string of mages with toubans in hand could use it to communicate the information to me.¡±
¡°Incredible,¡± Adion muttered, ¡°Why isn¡¯t this widely known?¡±
¡°It¡¯s by no means a secret,¡± The Headmaster said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sure you would stumble upon the information eventually. But even a Noble family would have to save up money for a long time before they would be able to afford one, so it¡¯s not strange that you haven¡¯t come across it.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t believe something like that exists,¡± Adion mumbled, ¡°You basically know everything going on all over Shiora all at once. Could you even communicate with Quemer?¡±
¡°Quemer is far, far too distant to establish a connection. And like I said, the cost is very high, so unless it¡¯s urgent, I receive my information by letter just like anyone else.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion slowly nodded, ¡°How come you could discover a rune like that? Can you communicate over long distances yourself? With just your magic? Are you Gifted?¡±
¡°Haha,¡± The Headmaster laughed, ¡°I believe I¡¯ve spoiled you with too many answers lately, so I¡¯ll leave that for you to ponder about yourself.¡±
¡°But¡alright,¡± Adion nodded, slightly vexed.
¡°Anyway, that should be it for today,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°I have other matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll see you in two days again.¡±
¡°Alright, thank you for today, Headmaster,¡± Adion said, getting up to leave.
But just as he was about to exit the Headmaster¡¯s office, Adion stopped by the door.
¡°There is one thing, Headmaster,¡± Adion turned around and said.
¡°And what is that?¡± The Headmaster asked.
¡°Well¡¡± Adion hesitated, ¡°Is there a way to find out about people in the Academy? Information about them?¡±
¡°There should be all sorts of places for that,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°The administration office is one of them. It will cost you some credits, but I believe you can afford it. If you want to dig up dirt on someone, however, you will have to look elsewhere.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll try the administration office then,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°Who has caught your attention?¡± The Headmaster asked.
¡°It¡¯s¡I saw someone last night. Someone I can vaguely remember, but I don¡¯t know from where,¡± Adion answered.
¡°I see,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°Well, good luck.¡±
¡°Right, thanks,¡± Adion nodded and stepped out.
It has to be nothing. But I just can¡¯t get that girl out of my head. Every time I think about how she looked at me, I get this sinking feeling in my stomach.
I¡¯ll see if I can find anything out. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing, and I¡¯m just imagining things.
Chapter 155 - Termeth
2 parts, 4 parts, 8,16,32,64,128,256,512. Countless. How high can I reach?
Adion focused on the volatile space in front of him. What had started as a step-by-step process to make an attack out of space years ago was now more approaching the feeling of a concept. It had become almost as familiar as teleportation to him.
Is it really a concept? What separates a concept from a spell? I guess a spell can¡¯t really work without concepts, and the need for strong concepts varies from spell to spell. This volatile space attack started as a way to construct a spell, but the only concept I was aware of applying was stableness.
Now that it is so easy for me to make work, it shouldn¡¯t make me feel like this. Teleportation doesn¡¯t feel like this. What¡¯s different? Is it simply because I¡¯m looking for it?
Adion felt he was close to grasping something. The volatile space in front of him was, in reality, just the freezing of space using his Authority. He just split the space up into hundreds of parts and moved them around sporadically. He always tried to forcefully make it more volatile and sharp. But he had never had any epiphany about those kinds of concepts, and he didn¡¯t really know if he had managed to grasp them at all.
Maybe teleportation just feels complete to me. Other than increasing the distance I can teleport, I can¡¯t figure out a way to improve it. The same applies when I freeze space. Other than making it more stable, I am not moving it in a new direction at all. Only this volatile space feels like it has endless paths for me to follow. But where should I take it? And how?
¡°What are you doing? It feels strange,¡± Sell asked as she walked over from the other side of the fighting pit where she had been training with fire on her own.
¡°You can feel it?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I feel something,¡± Sell said, squinting her eyes at the space in front of Adion.
Her space sense must have improved. I don¡¯t think many others at her level would be able to notice.
¡°What do you feel?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It feels¡erratic? Like the space there is a little agitated. I definitely get the feeling of not wanting to come too close,¡± Sell answered.
Erratic. Agitated.
¡°So what is it?¡± Sell asked curiously, looking at Adion with a smile.
¡°It¡¯s my volatile space attack,¡± Adion answered, ¡°I¡¯m trying to see if I can make something more of it. It¡¯s just hard to test. It¡¯s pretty destructive, after all.¡±
¡°Why are you practicing that all of a sudden?¡± Sell asked.
It wasn¡¯t a strange question. Adion had been focusing a lot of his attention on other things ever since he got to the Academy. When it came to his space powers, he mostly practiced increasing his Authority and freezing space. He wasn¡¯t able to make use of his space powers while at the Academy, after all.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Adion said slowly, ¡°I just have this bad feeling. So I guess I wanted to be a little more prepared in case anything happens.¡±
¡°You¡¯re still worried? Is it about that girl?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I know it¡¯s probably nothing. I¡¯m just thinking out loud,¡± Adion said, shaking his head.
Adion had gone to investigate the strange blonde girl two days prior. But since he knew nothing about her, except her looks and that she was in her first year, it wasn¡¯t easy to find something out about her. There were thousands of first-years to go through.
Adion had gone to the administration office and looked through every single new student who joined. It had taken him hours and a lot of credits, but in the end, it didn¡¯t give any results.
Maybe I¡¯ll spot her again soon. I¡¯ll have to make sure to approach her and figure out where I know her from.
Adion didn¡¯t really have an impression of the girl. He knew it wasn¡¯t someone he knew well. He would definitely remember her if they even had a conversation before. It was more like a vague sense of familiarity. He was sure he had seen her somewhere but couldn¡¯t figure out where.
¡°Well, even if there is an evil girl running around, it¡¯s not like she can do anything,¡± Sell said in a joking tone, ¡°You are basically the strongest student in the Academy, and you have the strongest mage on the continent as your master. So try to relax. It¡¯s fine if you can¡¯t figure out where you know her from. We¡¯ll be in the Academy for years, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get the answer eventually.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Adion nodded.
¡°By the way, I¡¯ll be at the ceremony next week,¡± Sell said, finally taking a seat next to Adion.
¡°Really? That¡¯s great. It would be boring without you,¡± Adion said.
¡°You know we have to be more careful than ever during that time, right?¡± Sell asked.
¡°I know, I know,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be busy greeting guests and the like anyway. Grandpa says I have to meet with people and be polite.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Sell laughed, ¡°It¡¯s going to be fun watching you suffer through Noble society.¡±
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The ceremony they were talking about was the one where Adion¡¯s family would officially become part of the Noble families in Cyalis. Even if they had been recognized as a Noble family ever since his Grandpa advanced, it was customary to have an official ceremony where the other Noble families welcomed the newcomer. Adion wasn¡¯t very much looking forward to it, though.
¡°Are you coming with the Amyss family?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Sell nodded, ¡°We have a branch here in Cyalis, after all. And we have been invited. Rell will also be also be going, probably as she knows your brother well. She asked me if I wanted to come, so I said yes.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Adion nodded.
Their conversation soon drifted to concepts and spells. Adion brought up his different musing, and Sell brought up thoughts of her own. Slowly, Adion forgot about his troubles and enjoyed the warm summer day.
Termeth tapped his fingers on his desk, his eyes on the man in front of him but his thoughts elsewhere.
After a few minutes of silence, Termeth breathed out and took a good look at his subordinate. He could tell that he was nervous. But he was getting better and better at hiding it.
¡°Is the matter taken care of?¡± Termeth asked in a cold voice.
¡°The Amyss family didn¡¯t have any objections once we laid out our case. They should be arriving in Cyalis in a few days. A week at most,¡± Gerilym answered with his head slightly lowered.
¡°I can¡¯t believe that the things I¡¯ve heard are actually true. But even I believe it now. The Amyss family will pay dearly for this shame,¡± Termeth muttered.
¡°It is indeed unforgivable,¡± Gerilym agreed, ¡°But when the Lord advances, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll realize what fools they have been.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll make them realize it if I advance or not,¡± Termeth answered, ¡°It¡¯s not like they can resist me either way.¡±
¡°You¡¯re correct, of course,¡± Gerilym agreed.
¡°Still. The Amyss princess will be useful if I can¡¯t make an advancement. Even if I have great confidence in reaching the Immortal stages, I don¡¯t know how long it will take me. I don¡¯t want to leave my plans to something so uncertain.¡± Termeth said.
Termeth knew that once he became an Immortal Lord, nothing on this continent could stop him. Taking down the Amyss family would be a simple matter. But even if he had more accomplishments than anyone else on the continent in grasping the elusive Authority, he was unable to say just how much more it would take him to advance.
Even if he was an extremely powerful Pure Soul mage, replacing the Amyss family would still be somewhat troublesome. He was far from undefeatable if he was faced with several Hard Soul mages. Public opinion couldn¡¯t be completely ignored either. But with the Shields working for him, he wasn¡¯t very worried that the Noble families would get in his way.
All that was missing was marrying the Amyss princess. That, along with his status and strength, would give him sufficient legitimacy to take over Iitha. He could slowly whittle down the Amyss family¡¯s power from the shadows. With the Shields under his control, and his cooperation with Heavenly Light, it would be simple.
Looks like things are finally starting to settle in to place. I¡¯ll be able to step away to focus on my advancement soon enough.
¡°What¡¯s the plan for the kid? Is there a way to kill him?¡± Termeth asked.
¡°Originally, it was impossible,¡± Gerilym answered with a smile, ¡°But with Heavenly Light helping us, it seems the situation has taken a bright turn.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡± Termeth asked, ¡°Tell me about it.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Gerilym laughed, ¡°It seems that Adion Remori is the main goal of those people this time. I guess they see him as a threat ever since he was accepted as a disciple of the Headmaster. They slaughtered his family, so it¡¯s obviously impossible to reconcile.¡±
¡°Is that their objective?¡± Termeth questioned, ¡°I suppose it makes some sense. But the risk is also very great. That Headmaster is no fool. And he is not as gentle as he might appear. If they touch his disciple, they will have to face his wrath.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure what they have planned, but they seem pretty sure about succeeding from what I¡¯ve been able to find out,¡± Gerilym answered.
How are they planning on going about it? Are they planning on bringing reinforcements from Quemer? That¡¯s not good.
Even if Termeth cooperated with Heavenly Light as it had served his purpose, he didn¡¯t want them to gain too much influence on Shiora. It would be better if they all returned to Quemer once he had gotten what he wanted out of them.
But it¡¯s strange that they take that kid so seriously. Even if he is the disciple of that old man, he is only a Silver mage. There will be plenty of opportunities to get rid of him in the future.
Are they planning something else?
The first time Heavenly Light approached him with the matter of Adion Remori and his fiance, they had acted as if it was nothing but a simple favor. But Termeth didn¡¯t trust that. They were far too willing to give up that information, even going as far as swearing an Oath of the legitimacy of their claim.
Termeth had sent Gerilym to handle the matter. Unfortunately, Adion Remori had become the disciple of the Headmaster by that point, so they couldn¡¯t be too forceful.
But when Heavenly Light approached them once again with information that the relationship was still ongoing, Termeth was convinced of two things. One, the relationship between his fiance and Adion Remori was a fact, and he needed to immediately put an end to it. And two, by doing so, he would be doing exactly what Heavenly Light wanted him to do.
But even if he knew that he was working for the benefit of those people, it wasn¡¯t as if he could ignore it. He didn¡¯t care if the girl had a crush during her time at the Academy, but to actually have an explicit relationship was crossing the line by far. Just the thought of people whispering about this made his blood boil. But he had no choice but to turn to the Amyss family and make the matter known to them. He couldn¡¯t take her out of the Academy himself, and he couldn¡¯t allow her to stay there. Even if the matter would blow up to some degree because of this, the consequences could be far worse if he waited things out.
And now he had something to use when negotiating with the Amyss family. Their shame would be as great as his, and they were the ones at fault.
¡°Well,¡± Termeth muttered after a moment of silence, ¡°Either way, it has nothing to do with me anymore. If Heavenly Light and Cyalis fight each other, it will only benefit me.¡±
Maybe I could use this opportunity?
¡°Gerilym,¡± Termeth said, ¡°Have our people pay close attention to this situation. They shouldn¡¯t interfere, only observe. If Heavenly Light really goes against the Headmaster¡¯s disciple, we will find a way to let him know who did it.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll see to it right away, Lord Termeth,¡± Gerilym said with a bow.
Chapter 156 - Ceremony
¡°How are you looking like this already? It¡¯s only been a few hours, and your suit is already a mess,¡± Ailera scolded.
A mess? Adion thought in confusion as he looked down at his attire.
¡°I look fine, don¡¯t I?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°It¡¯s all wrinkly,¡± Ailera softly murmured as she patted out some indistinguishable wrinkles, ¡°And look at your tie. I told you not to touch it.¡±
¡°Ailera, calm down,¡± Aiden said with an amused smile, ¡°No one is going to bother with those details. Maybe if we were a normal family that ascended to Nobility, but with Adion¡¯s status, I doubt anyone would mock him for something like that.¡±
¡°You¡¯re both just stupid boys, so what do you know?¡± Ailera said with a pout.
¡°Haha,¡± Adion softly laughed, ¡°Even if I wore my normal clothing, my middle Silver aura would still grab all the attention.¡±
¡°Adion, we are about to become Nobles,¡± Ailera scolded, ¡°These things matter more than you know. Even if you are strong for your age, our family is still incredibly weak compared to the other Noble families. So until we are stronger than everyone else, you will have to be careful with your behavior.¡±
¡°Alright, alright,¡± Adion nodded, aware that Ailera had a point, ¡°I¡¯ll remember to be as courteous as I can tonight.¡±
¡°Be more courteous than you can,¡± Ailera instructed with a stern expression.
¡°How do I do that?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°Just do it,¡± Ailera said.
¡°Alright, I will be more courteous than I can,¡± Adion conceded with a sigh.
They were currently in one of the side rooms to the great hall in a building called the Assembly. It was located in the public Academy, and was the location where matters concerning Cyalis would take place, such as a ceremony for welcoming a new Noble family to the city-state. That was exactly the case tonight.
Adion¡¯s grandfather was already in the great hall, handling the official part of the ceremony together with some members of the Council. Adion and his siblings, along with the various guests, wouldn¡¯t have to appear until later. The latter part of the ceremony wasn¡¯t very different from a party, the basic function of which was for various Nobles and other important people to get familiar with each other.
¡°Remember to be on your absolute best behavior when Sell shows up later with the Amyss family,¡± Ailera warned, ¡°No flirting. It should be hard to even tell you are friends.¡±
¡°I remember. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Adion assured.
¡°Do you?¡± Ailera asked with a doubtful look, ¡°I will say it again. There have only been rumors so far, but I¡¯m sure a lot of people showing up tonight will be curious about it and have their eyes on you two. Even if you don¡¯t do anything inappropriate, just your free behavior with each other will give tremendous weight to those rumors. But if you behave, and even act a little cold, you will be able to dispel a lot of doubts in a lot of important people¡¯s minds. Even if they hear from somewhere that you two get along a little too well in the future, they will trust their own eyes more. So make sure to make the most of this opportunity and not make it into a disaster instead.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Adion nodded slowly, ¡°I will make sure to be careful in everything I do tonight.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Ailera nodded.
The door to the side room was opened, and a servant stepped inside.
¡°Remori young masters, the official ceremony has now been completed, and the great hall is open for the celebration.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Ailera declared and strode out.
¡°When did Ailera suddenly become the eldest sibling, brother?¡± Adion murmured teasingly to Aiden.
Aiden gave Adion a sour look, ¡°She¡¯s your elder sister, so it¡¯s natural that she acts this way to you. But I¡¯m still the eldest. Let¡¯s go!¡±
Adion smiled and followed. He had no issue with taking orders from his elder siblings. Even if he was stronger than them, he was the younger brother, after all.
The great hall was filling up with guests who had arrived early and been waiting in the reception hall. But Adion and his siblings made their way to their grandfather, who was talking to a few other Soul mages.
After paying their respects to their grandfather, they made their way around the great hall to greet the different guests of the younger generation. Even if they were of the Remori family, who was the center of attention tonight, it would be improper to approach the leaders of different families. That was the role of their grandfather.
¡°Ailera,¡± A man¡¯s voice rang out as the group of siblings had just finished greeting a local merchant family.
¡°Oh, Marso,¡± Ailera said as she saw the person walking up.
¡°Congratulations on becoming a Noble family,¡± Marso said with a bright smile.
¡°Thank you,¡± Ailera said. She gestured to Adion and Aiden, ¡°This is my elder brother Aiden and my younger brother Adion.¡±
¡°I have already had the pleasure to meet them before. I hope you two are well,¡± Marso said as he turned to look at them.
¡°Oh?¡± Ailera seemed surprised.
¡°Marso is in the student council,¡± Aiden cleared Ailera¡¯s confusion.
¡°And he¡¯s also taking ¡®Inexplicable Magic.¡¯¡± Adion explained.
Marso¡¯s full name was Marso Valis, a prince of the Valis Kingdom. He had approached Adion before his first lesson had begun when he first started the Academy. He had offered his help when Adion was being harassed by the professors under Elder Kilth.
¡°I see,¡± Ailera nodded, ¡°Did you come here with anyone from your family?¡±
¡°My uncle traveled from Lavi to come here, actually,¡± Marso answered.
¡°Really? I hope your family hasn¡¯t taken any offense at us joining Cyalis,¡± Ailera said, lowering her head slightly.
¡°Haha,¡± Marso laughed, ¡°None at all. Your family has been relocated here for years already. It is apparent that this has long become your home now. And considering Adion has become the disciple of the Headmaster, I doubt even my father has the courage to be even slightly displeased.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Ailera said with a smile.
Marso excused himself after some more small talk, and the siblings continued to be approached by the youngster of the Noble families in Cyalis.
Adion quickly became bored. He always enjoyed training, but having spent so much time training and studying lately, he had been looking forward to having some fun and relaxing at the ceremony. But he had been unaware that having countless conversations with people he held no interest in, all while being on his best behavior and acting as polite as he could, was far more straining than fighting beasts in the Outskirts had been.
After almost two hours, Ailera looked to the entrance of the great hall and spoke, ¡°The Amyss family has arrived. Remember not to flirt!¡±
Since when have I ever flirted in front of other people? Adion thought with a sigh.
He glanced over and spotted Sell. She wore a stunning red dress, and the necklace he had given her adorned her neck. Her arrival attracted countless looks, and Adion even felt how a silence was placed in the great hall. Sell and Rellitha were both extremely beautiful princesses, after all. It was far from a common sight even for those who attended this kind of ceremony. Adion met Sell¡¯s eyes and couldn¡¯t help but smile. But he quickly averted his eyes.
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It¡¯s better not to look at her, in case I do something stupid.
Sell, along with her sister and two young men who Adion assumed came from the branch family, left the older members of the Amyss family that had arrived and started walking over.
¡°Aiden, Ailera, Adion. Congratulations on becoming a Noble family of Cyalis,¡± Rellitha took the opportunity to speak.
Adion focused his whole attention on Rellitha, focusing almost all of his willpower not to take a glance at Sell. He knew there were many eyes on them at the moment, and he didn¡¯t think he could fool those old and experienced Soul mages. This time, it wasn¡¯t about rumors and what could be proved. It was about what people saw with their own eyes and what they concluded from it. As much as Adion was willing to cross the line and toss consequences away from his mind when it came to Sell, he had actually taken Ailera¡¯s words to heart. If it was ever an event not to be careless, it was tonight.
¡°Thank you, Rellitha. I¡¯m glad the Amyss family could grace us with your presence. I¡¯m sure Grandfather will be delighted to see that your family has come to congratulate him,¡± Aiden responded.
I know I have to be careful. But is there really a reason for everyone to act this stiff?
Adion soon tuned out the conversation. Atao occupied his mind and soul. He was not afraid to use all he had to make this one interaction a success.
¡°Adion, Adion!¡± Ailera¡¯s voice finally broke through as she pulled Adion¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Let¡¯s go greet some other guests.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion stiffly nodded.
As they got some distance away, Adion calmed down. He turned to look at his sister with a smile and asked, ¡°Did I do well?¡±
¡°You were stiff and weird,¡± Ailera answered, ¡°But at least you didn¡¯t act inappropriately. So I guess for you, it can be counted as a glorious success.¡±
Adion smile melted off his face.
Is that all the praise you can muster? I gave it my all back there!
As the night continued on, Adion found himself peeking at Sell more than a few times. It got harder and harder to ignore her presence in the great hall.
Come on, Adion. Be more resolute.
¡°Hahaha, if it isn¡¯t the Remori children,¡± A loud laughter sounded.
Adion turned to look at the man who was walking up to them. He looked to be in his fifties and he had a stomach that made his suit almost burst at the seams. His aura revealed him to be a Soft Soul mage. Next to him was a girl in her early twenties. She had long black hair, and a bright but careful smile adorned her face.
¡°Congratulations to you all. I¡¯m glad to see so many promising youngsters join the Nobles of Cyalis. Oh, I¡¯m Darelio Astrofon, by the way. I was just about to go greet your grandfather, but I just had to take a look at you children first. Especially you, Adion. I almost believe that my senses are fooling me, but you really are a 17-year-old middle Silver mage. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t take long before you take the Headmaster¡¯s place as the number one of the continent.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t deserve such praise, but thank you for your kind words, Soft Soul Astrofon,¡± Adion said with a slight bow.
¡°Haha, you can even feel my strength. What a scary kid,¡± Darelio said with a wide smile.
Am I not supposed to be able to feel that? That can¡¯t be right. A Soul mage would be able to hide from my senses easily if they wanted to.
¡°This is my daughter Refelia. I¡¯m sure you two will get along. She just graduated from the Academy this year and was part of the same House as you. I¡¯m sure she will be happy to hear all about the Scrolls and how it is doing now. Well, I¡¯ll be off to see Patriarch Remori. Take care of my daughter, will you?¡± Darelio asked with a wink before walking away.
Adion was a little stumped, but as he saw the slight blush on Refelia¡¯s face, he soon remembered how his grandfather had been approached by a number of people wanting to arrange a marriage with him.
Is he trying to set me up with his daughter?
¡°So¡¡± Adion hesitated a little, ¡°You were part of the Scrolls?¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Refelia laughed softly, ¡°Yes. I was a part of the Scrolls council. So if you want to know any of the secrets of the Scrolls, I¡¯d be happy to share. But I guess you¡¯ll soon be there yourself. It wouldn¡¯t surprise anyone even if you became Head of the House before your fifth year.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Adion answered with an awkward smile. Even if he knew what the current situation was, he couldn¡¯t exactly be so ruthless as to walk away. He glanced at his sister to see if he could receive some help, but she didn¡¯t seem to know how to butt into the conversation.
Adion had no problem with talking with a pretty girl, even with the implications in the air. But the issue was that Sell, and he was sure that there was a pair of cold eyes boring into his back at the moment.
Why did this have to be tonight? I have promised Grandpa not to do anything stupid. But I had to ignore Sell, and now I have to entertain someone who obviously has an interest in me.
Oh well, I¡¯ll just have to bear with it. I¡¯m sure Sell will understand.
¡°I¡¯ll have to perform well in the House Clash if I want any kind of chance to become Head. I¡¯ve never participated in one, though. How was your experience?¡± Adion asked what he thought was an appropriate question.
But as Refelia answered him, Adion¡¯s focus wasn¡¯t on the answer as he felt a chill run down his back.
Am I imagining things? Surely not just a look from Sell can have this kind of response? But I¡¯m somehow convinced that¡¯s the case.
Not good. I have to find a way to get out of this situation.
Adion tried to think of excuses that wouldn¡¯t come off as impolite when he suddenly felt a powerful and familiar aura. Adion wasn¡¯t the only one who felt it, as the great hall quieted down, and everyone¡¯s heads turned to the entrance where the Headmaster walked in.
Perfect!
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Refelia, I have to greet my master,¡± Adion said with an apologetic look.
¡°Of course,¡± Refelia said, nodding her head with a dazed look.
Adion turned away and ran up to the Headmaster with hurried steps.
¡°Headmaster, I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d come tonight,¡± Adion said, greeting him with a slight bow and palming his fist.
¡°Hehe, you¡¯re my disciple, after all. It wouldn¡¯t be proper if I didn¡¯t make an appearance,¡± The Headmaster said with a light grin, ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I pulled you away from a conversation with a pretty girl. You should hurry back, don¡¯t worry about me.¡±
Adion definitely noticed the teasing in the Headmaster¡¯s voice. He smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°How can that be? I¡¯m your disciple, so that wouldn¡¯t be proper at all. Let me escort you to my grandfather.¡±
¡°Escort?¡± The Headmaster asked with an amused smile.
¡°I have promised to be polite tonight,¡± Adion said.
¡°So that¡¯s it,¡± The Headmaster nodded in understanding, ¡°I won¡¯t make things difficult for you then. Take me to see your grandfather.¡±
Adion breathed out in relief and started walking with the Headmaster to where his grandfather and the other Soul mages were gathered deeper in the great hall.
¡°I can feel that you¡¯re on edge. Is it really so difficult for you to act proper for a night?¡± The Headmaster asked.
¡°It really is,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why things can¡¯t be a little more casual. But since I made a promise to Grandpa, I¡¯ll battle through it.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± The Headmaster chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s only important to behave because you are weak. If you become strong enough, you can act as you will. No one would dare question my behavior tonight, for example. Haha, it¡¯s truly great to be powerful.¡±
I never imagined I¡¯d gain a new reason to become powerful. It seems like such a silly reason. But I have to admit that I¡¯m pretty jealous of the Headmaster right now.
¡°Oh?¡± The Headmaster came to a stop. He pulled out something from his robe and got a serious look on his face.
What is that he¡¯s holding?
The Headmaster turned to look at Adion with a complicated expression.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Adion asked.
The Headmaster didn¡¯t answer for a while before finally letting out a soft sigh. ¡°I just received word that the formation at the Remori manor has been attacked.¡±
¡°What? By Heavenly Light?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It would appear so,¡± The Headmaster slowly nodded, ¡°I have heard about their plans for a long time, but I never thought¡I should go there and take a look. This is something that will impact all of Shiora. If Heavenly Light has started this attack, it would probably mean they have more powerful mages sent over from Quemer than I thought. Perhaps they will do a lot more than just take over the formation. Anyway, I probably won¡¯t be able to stop any of it, but if your great aunt is in trouble, I¡¯ll do my best to get her to safety.¡±
¡°This¡thank you,¡± Adion said, somewhat in a daze.
¡°Give your grandfather my condolences. I¡¯ll be back in a couple of days,¡± The Headmaster said before turning around and disappearing from Adion¡¯s view.
I¡¯ve also known about this plan for a long time, but to think the time has finally come. Will they take on all of the Valis Kingdom? Has their power reached such a level?
Chapter 157 - Fire Phoenix Church
¡°You did well today, Adion,¡± His grandfather said with a smile, putting a hand on his shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m surprised.¡±
¡°Why are you surprised I did well?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°Don¡¯t praise him too much, Grandpa,¡± Ailera said, ¡°Or he¡¯ll grow too confident in his abilities. This should be the bare minimum going forward.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± His grandfather laughed, ¡°Don¡¯t be too harsh on him, Ailera. He¡¯s still young, after all.¡±
¡°Whatever,¡± Adion muttered, turning his head to look out the carriage''s window. Even if it was deep into the night, it was warmer than the middle of the day compared to most summer days.
I should get Grandpa to buy some cooling runes. I¡¯m not going to be able to sleep in this heat.
¡°By the way, why did the Headmaster leave just as he arrived, Adion?¡± Aiden asked him, ¡°Do you know?¡±
Adion had only told his siblings and grandfather that something important came up and he would tell them about it later. He didn¡¯t want to bring down the mood during the ceremony. But now that it had ended, he had no reason not to tell them.
¡°Heavenly Light has initiated the attack against the formation in the Remori manor,¡± Adion said.
¡°What!?¡± His family members exclaimed in shock.
¡°The Headmaster left immediately to check what was happening. Even if he probably won¡¯t be able to stop anything, he promised me he¡¯d try to help aunt escape.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good,¡± His grandfather said absentmindedly.
¡°But how can they actually attack the Remori manor now? The Valis Royal family has control there now, along with aunt¡¯s family. Are they going to take on the whole kingdom?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Adion said, shaking his head, ¡°I would be surprised if they have that kind of power, but¡they have been planning it for years, after all. And the Headmaster has told me that they have their roots in Quemer. If they have sent over mages from there, they might be a lot more powerful than even the Valis Kingdom right now. A teleportation formation might have been worth it for them to do this kind of move.¡±
¡°That¡¯s certainly not good news,¡± His grandfather said slowly, ¡°It seems like things will be turbulent from now on. But it¡¯s not something you children should think about, just focus on your studies. Even if Heavenly Light have become much stronger, they still don¡¯t have a chance to stand against the Academy.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Ailera nodded.
Just when things had managed to become peaceful for once, this happened. I have to get stronger as fast as I can.
The carriage soon arrived at Adion¡¯s grandfather¡¯s mansion. But the good mood that came from a successful ceremony had been muted considerably.
As they were just about to reach the doors to the manor. His grandfather stopped and turned around with a light smile on his lips and asked, ¡°What do you say about accompanying me to the Fire Phoenix Church tomorrow morning?¡±
¡°The Fire Phoenix Church? Do they want something from us?¡± Aiden asked.
¡°It¡¯s nothing like that,¡± His grandfather said, shaking his head, ¡°I¡¯m still not sure what those people from Quemer have figured out. But I trust my own eyes, and that Amelia is not someone who wishes us harm.¡±
¡°Did she say something?¡± Adion asked.
Bishop Amelia had unexpectedly appeared at the ceremony to congratulate their grandfather, but Adion had no idea what she had talked to his grandfather about.
¡°She just congratulated me,¡± His grandfather answered, ¡°But I have found myself reminiscing a lot these days. A lot of old memories have come to life after those people from the Fire Phoenix Church appeared. It¡¯s¡Why don¡¯t we go inside first?¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded.
They all headed to their grandfather¡¯s study. No one felt it was important to wake Marli up, so Ailera went to grab a few drinks for everyone.
¡°You all know by now that I am from the Fire Phoenix Empire,¡± His grandfather began talking as they sat down, ¡°I have never talked about it since it would have dire consequences if it ever came to light. The fewer who knew, the better. But my faith has, at times, slipped out. I instructed you all in magic, after all. And speaking of fire has always evoked a certain reverence in me. That is due to my upbringing and belief. But it would be strange for our family to follow the Fire Phoenix Church in the Valis Kingdom, with Gantanos being the prevalent faith. It wouldn¡¯t have been too strange, I guess, but I didn¡¯t want to take any risks.
¡°With time, I gave up on ever making the Fire Phoenix Church a faith of the Remori family. But now, things are different. The Fire Phoenix has returned. I¡¯m sure you all believe so more than anyone else, considering we are the only ones who know that the Celestial Phoenix has indeed returned, thanks to Adion.
¡°And from today, we are a family of Cyalis. Hellemi, Fire Phoenix, and Gantanos, all have a hold here. Before, only Aiden had a fire core. And while that is still the case, thanks to the Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill, Adion and Ailera will also have a strong relation to fire.
¡°Talking with Amelia¡She¡¯s very devoted. Her love toward the Fire Phoenix stirred something in me I guess, and I decided that it was time for me to show my devotion again as well. That¡¯s not to say I¡¯ll force you all into anything, but it would make me happy if we could share this as a family.¡±
Adion and his siblings turned to look at each other in slight confusion. Ailera looked at their grandfather and said, ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll go with you to the Fire Phoenix Church, Grandpa. If that is our origins, we should know more about it.¡±
Aiden and Adion nodded along to Ailera¡¯s words.
¡°Haha,¡± Their grandfather laughed, ¡°That makes me truly happy. Then, I will tell you a short story about Fire Phoenix before we go to bed. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll go pay our respects to our protector.¡±
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Adion felt slightly awkward at those words. But seeing his grandfather smiling, he couldn¡¯t offer any resistance.
Whatever. It¡¯s not like I think the Fire Phoenix is evil, like the Hellemi Church does. So it doesn¡¯t matter. It will be fun to listen to Grandpa¡¯s stories.
¡°Where have you been off to?¡± Bishop Derman asked Amelia as she stepped inside the mansion the Church had bought once they arrived in Cyalis.
Bishop Derman was sitting atop the mantelpiece, above a fire that had long gone out. Even if it was summer, the people of the Fire Phoenix Church wouldn¡¯t miss a chance to light a fire at such a convenient place.
Why hasn¡¯t anyone made sure to keep the fire burning?
The only light in the hall was from a small candle next to Bishop Derman. It was lighting up his face in an eerie way.
¡°Are you going to pretend you don¡¯t know?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°Hehe,¡± Bishop Derman chuckled, ¡°Of course, I know. Why did you go there?¡±
¡°What does that have to do with you?¡± Amelia questioned.
¡°He¡¯s a traitor to the Empire. It has everything to do with me,¡± Bishop Derman answered calmly.
Amelia didn¡¯t respond, as she simply stared at Bishop Derman without any expression.
¡°You were already aware that I knew,¡± Bishop Derman said to himself in a low voice, nodding his head. He once again addressed Amelia, ¡°What I can¡¯t seem to figure out is your relation to him. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time, but I just can¡¯t figure it out. You weren¡¯t born yet when he left the Empire, and you have never been to Shiora before. Yet you knew all about his traitorous actions already. Even more, you want to protect him from me.
¡°You have always been willful, but your loyalty to the Empire and the Church is something not even I dare to question. So why?¡±
¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± Amelia answered, ¡°You know better than I do that acting against him would be utterly foolish. It has been a long time, and he poses no threat to either the Empire or the Church. But acting against him would definitely set Cyalis against us. He is now a Noble, and his grandson is the disciple of the Headmaster. If you create trouble for us just because of this, I¡¯ll report it to father, and I have no doubt that he would punish you severely.¡±
¡°But if I can get away with it unnoticed, I¡¯ll be rewarded,¡± Bishop Derman said with a smile.
Amelia didn¡¯t reply. She had been thinking about whether to tell Bishop Derman about what happened at the ceremony all night.
¡°I can trust your word, right?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°Of course, you can,¡± Bishop Derman said after a brief pause.
¡°I might have found a way to get us the Elixir of Life,¡± Amelia said, ¡°You should know that is far more important than taking care of Arlen Remori. So if I tell you about it, I need you to promise not to act against him.¡±
¡°You would go so far?¡± Bishop Derman asked, ¡°You know how important the Elixir of Life is for us. Would you really not tell me about it if I refuse?¡±
¡°I¡¯m the one who has the plan,¡± Amelia said, ¡°As such, it would only be fair for you to give me this promise. I might have told you out of loyalty to the Empire, even without the promise, in other circumstances. But if it is one thing that trumps my will of seeing the Elixir of Life in our hands, it is that I refuse to suffer a loss from you. So either give me your word, or forget about it.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Bishop Derman chuckled, ¡°It is true that you are a proud woman. Very well, if your plan can get us the Elixir of Life, I won¡¯t move against the Remori family.¡±
Amelia felt herself relax. As much as she disliked the old man, he wouldn¡¯t go back on his word.
¡°The Headmaster has left Cyalis,¡± Amelia said.
¡°Oh?¡± Bishop Derman perked up.
¡°I don¡¯t know where he has gone,¡± Amelia said, ¡°But he left the ceremony in a hurry right as he arrived after he received a message through his touban. I overheard Adion Remori say that he had something to take care of, and later, he told his siblings that he wouldn¡¯t have lessons with him for a while.¡±
¡°That would make things a lot easier,¡± Bishop Derman said, ¡°But it¡¯s probably well guarded. Even I can¡¯t force myself into the Academy, even without the Headmaster there to stop me.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve obviously thought about that,¡± Amelia said, ¡°While you have been occupied with thinking about Arlen Remori, I¡¯ve been thinking about how to get our hand on the Elixir of Life. You should know that even if the Council is the unquestionable ruling power of Cyalis, there are a lot more institutions that can influence this city. And in the Academy, Houses are something that holds considerable power. Even if it is only students who are officially members of the House, the power they hold goes beyond that.
¡°I have investigated the Houses both inside and outside Cyalis with the help of the Clerics in the Church. I¡¯ve found a professor who is close to the project involving the Elixir of Life. With a little encouragement from me, he was willing to tell me all about where they kept the elixir and what measures they have taken to keep it safe.
¡°I also made contact with Eternal Fire. They were surprisingly willing to cooperate with the Empire after I promised some benefits. Or perhaps it isn¡¯t so surprising, we are the number one authority when it comes to fire magic, after all. If we make contact with them, they¡¯ll be able to contact their members in the Academy and have them escort us as visitors. The only risk is when we move to steal the elixir. But considering your power, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to make our move without causing a disturbance. At most, you¡¯ll have to fight a Soft Soul mage.
¡°But even if all else fails, with the Headmaster gone, we should be able to get out of the Academy even if we are discovered.¡±
¡°Well, well. It seems I have forgotten just who you are after this little incident with the Remori family. I almost feel ashamed. I had long ago resigned myself to waiting for the elixir to be moved to the Alamani family. Very well, we will move according to your plan.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Amelia nodded, ¡°We will make our move tomorrow. The further away the Headmaster is, the better.¡±
¡°Haha, alright,¡± Bishop Derma laughed, ¡°I¡¯m almost hoping to be discovered. It would be boring if everything went without a hitch. I¡¯m itching for a fight after so long.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t cause unnecessary trouble,¡± Amelia said with a frown.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m only joking,¡± Bishop Derman said with a smile. He jumped off the mantelpiece and started walking away. ¡°Goodnight, Amelia.¡±
Amelia didn¡¯t say anything back and started walking to her own bedroom.
The Headmaster will probably be able to figure out that the Fire Phoenix Church were the ones behind this sooner or later. I¡¯ll have to leave behind some safety measures for our people here.
Instead of strengthening our position on Shiora, we¡¯ll probably end up weakening it. But the Elixir of Life is far too important.
Chapter 158 - Amyss family arrives
¡°How does anyone know what the Fire Phoenix looks like? I mean, it¡¯s not like anyone has seen it, right?¡± Ailera asked their grandfather as they stood before a giant sculpture depicting the Fire Phoenix.
They were currently in the Fire Phoenix Church, they had headed there right after breakfast at their grandfather¡¯s behest. Adion had to admit that the church was one of the most beautiful buildings he had ever seen. It couldn¡¯t compare to the Tower of Cyalis in height, but it still reached far above the surrounding buildings. Looking almost like a lone mountain in the middle of the city.
The Fire Phoenix Church had never been a small faith on Shiora, but with the rumored return of the Fire Phoenix, the faith experienced a never-before-seen period of growth. The building was crowded with people, and despite the heat of summer combined with the numerous burning fires all around the hall, no one seemed to be bothered by the heat. People dutifully knelt down before the different monuments depicting variants of the Fire Phoenix.
The statue the Remori family was standing in front of was depicting the Phoenix spreading its wings wide, shielding everyone below from something unseen behind it. It was supposed to represent how the Fire Phoenix saved the world from the great calamity that ended the Age of Wonder.
¡°If you think the Fire Phoenix has an important place in people¡¯s consciousnesses now, it is nothing to how it was during the Age of Wonder,¡± Their grandfather responded to Ailera¡¯s question, ¡°It had already been the protector of this world for a long time. Even the gods had to bow before it. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if half of what has been left behind from the Age of Wonder concerns the Fire Phoenix in one way or another. The Fire Phoenix was still alive and well in those times, so it isn¡¯t surprising that people knew what it looked like.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Ailera nodded.
I wonder why the Celestial Phoenix doesn¡¯t have the same history. I¡¯ve never heard anyone mention it before. Surely someone should have found something about it at some point. I guess the Amyss family did. But that¡¯s really nothing compared to what¡¯s known about the Fire Phoenix.
Maybe all records of the Celestial Phoenix are still hidden here on Shiora. The Endless Forest still covers the vast majority of the continent, after all.
Or maybe something has already been found, but it¡¯s kept secret. Maybe the Headmaster knows about it from something found by the Sages when they got to Cyalis. But wouldn¡¯t he make the connection with my experiences then? He knew that the Fire Phoenix had returned, so he should be able to connect the dots and realize the Celestial Phoenix very well could have returned as well.
¡°I wonder where it is now. What is it doing?¡± Adion asked.
And where did the Celestial Phoenix go?
¡°There is no way of knowing,¡± Their grandfather said, shaking his head, ¡°But as long as it is somewhere in this world, we can rest assured. If something terrible were to happen again during this Age, the Fire Phoenix will be there to see us through it.¡±
Grandpa seems really certain about the intentions of a god-like being. But I guess it isn¡¯t that hard to believe that it was the Fire Phoenix that protected the world all those years ago. It was either that or it was the one to destroy it. It ended up dying somehow, after all. But I feel like that¡¯s the more unlikely option. Why would such a powerful being suddenly decide to destroy the world after living peacefully for so long?
¡°Well said, Patriarch Remori,¡± A voice sounded from behind.
Adion turned around and was surprised to see none other than Bishop Amelia walking up to them with a smile.
¡°So it¡¯s Bishop Amelia. I didn¡¯t expect to run into you here,¡± His grandfather said with a smile.
¡°I am a bishop of the Church, after all,¡± Bishop Amelia said, ¡°I heard you came to visit, so I thought I¡¯d come to see if there was anything I could help you with.¡±
¡°How considerate of you, thank you. I¡¯m just taking the opportunity to educate my grandchildren about some of the Church¡¯s beliefs.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Bishop Amelia said with a nod, turning to look at Adion and his siblings, ¡°So what do you think about the Fire Phoenix Church?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a very beautiful place, Bishop Amelia,¡± Ailera said with a slightly lowered head, ¡°And seeing Grandpa so excited about something is really fun.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Bishop Amelia laughed softly, ¡°That¡¯s nice. We are all truly lucky to be born in these times.¡±
¡°What do you mean, Bishop Amelia?¡± Ailera asked.
¡°Your grandfather and I grew up in a world where many believed the Fire Phoenix to be gone forever, ¡°Bishop Amelia answered, ¡°Even if there were ancient records that told us that the Fire Phoenix would be reborn, there were a lot of people who doubted it. It had been countless thousands of years without any signs of the return of the Fire Phoenix, after all. But now, all of that is in the past, and we have the privilege to witness this return. Perhaps I can accomplish my dream of seeing the Fire Phoenix for myself in this life.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure the Fire Phoenix will show itself soon enough. And where else would it make an appearance if not the Fire Phoenix Empire?¡± His grandfather suggested.
¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± Bishop Amelia said with a bright and genuine smile.
Just who is this lady? And why is she nice to us?
Adion figured Bishop Amelia had to know his grandfather from somewhere. But the only thing she could know him from was his betrayal of the Empire, which should have made her hate his family.
I guess it doesn¡¯t matter for now. I can¡¯t feel any ill intentions from her, and I don¡¯t see any reason for her to deceive us.
Unless she knows the Elixir of Life came from Grandpa? And she wants to get close to us to figure out where it came from and if we have other treasures.
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That thought gave Adion some pause. Bishop Amelia was a Soul mage, after all. And she came from a prestigious background. It was very possible that she could hide her intentions from Adion without a problem.
But Grandpa shouldn¡¯t be so easy to fool, right? And he seems to trust her.
I guess I¡¯ll just leave it all to him. It¡¯s not for me to worry about.
Bishop Amelia continued conversing with his grandfather for a while before a cleric approached her and whispered something in her ear, after which she excused herself and left.
¡°Well, I guess we should leave as well,¡± His grandfather said, ¡°Ailera has a class later on. And the two of you shouldn¡¯t slack off either.¡±
¡°Alright, alright,¡± Adion nodded. He was starting to feel a little restless anyway. And he couldn¡¯t disappoint the Headmaster when he returned.
They left the Fire Phoenix Church together, and Adion and his siblings headed back to the Academy, leaving their grandfather at his mansion where he had to receive numerous guests coming to congratulate his new status as a Noble.
¡°Should we really head straight to the Academy?¡± Mephina questioned, ¡°Let¡¯s find a place to rest for the night first. I¡¯ll contact Sell and talk things through with her.¡±
¡°No need,¡± Lady Lerretha said.
The carriage continued without stopping, all the way through the public Academy up to the gates of the Academy proper.
¡°You know we can¡¯t just go inside even with our background,¡± Mephina said, ¡°We will need to make a request to the Academy first and have someone escort us to the Dean. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if I sent a message to Sell and asked her to come meet with us?¡±
¡°That girl won¡¯t leave with you,¡± Lady Lerretha said, ¡°And it¡¯s not like we can take her away without informing the Academy.¡±
I know all that, you difficult woman. Which is why I want to talk to her first. Won¡¯t we just cause a giant scene this way?
¡°Then how are we going to enter the Academy?¡± Mephina asked.
¡°It¡¯s already taken care of. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything,¡± Lady Lerretha said.
Already taken care of? Will Rell come to escort us? She doesn¡¯t have that kind of authority, does she?
¡°The Amyss family, you¡¯re right on time. May I step inside?¡± A man¡¯s voice reached them from outside as the carriage came to a stop in front of the Academy gates.
¡°Of course,¡± Lady Lerretha said, reaching over to open the door with a polite smile plastered on her face. ¡°Elder Kilth, thank you for your help on this matter.¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing difficult at all,¡± Elder Kilth said with a chuckle as he stepped inside the carriage. He nodded toward Mephina and Dorello and greeted them politely. ¡°Even if I am now a member of the Council, I still remember my roots. How could I not offer some help to the Amyss family on such an important matter.¡±
¡°We will surely remember this help, Elder Kilth,¡± Lady Lerretha said, still with that polite smile that seemed very unnatural to Mephina.
Why is someone from the Kilth family here to help us? He is even a member of the Council¡
If I remember correctly, he should be a previous member of the Shields. Is Lord Hesfym really so desperate for things to proceed smoothly that he even called in someone like that just to escort us?
The carriage started moving and entered the Academy without issue.
¡°I¡¯ve already instructed the driver on where to go, so there won¡¯t be any problems,¡± Elder Kilth said.
¡°Elder Kilth,¡± Mephina said with some hesitation, ¡°I am very thankful for your help. But shouldn¡¯t we arrange a meeting with the Headmaster? Or at least with Dean Lukas?¡±
¡°The Headmaster is unavailable at the moment,¡± Elder Kilth said, shaking his head, ¡°And even though I don¡¯t come close to the Headmaster in authority here, I can at least help a Royal family get their family member back.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Mephina said, nodding slowly.
Is he really unavailable? I had hoped to talk to him. That brat Adion is his disciple, after all. There could be a chance that he would be willing to put a stop to this.
Even if I think it is unlikely, at least I¡¯d be willing to accept that there are no more options if he didn¡¯t want to get involved.
¡°Is it really fine to take her home?¡± Mephina questioned. She felt all of this was moving a little too smoothly. ¡°Princess Sellitha is an important student, after all.¡±
¡°Mephina,¡± Lady Lerretha warned her with a cold voice, still with a fake smile.
¡°Haha,¡± Elder Kilth laughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Lady Mephina. Normally, this would be quite the process, but seeing as it involves the Amyss family and you have arrived here personally with so many important people, I don¡¯t feel it is appropriate to make this matter too difficult for you. The Academy doesn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter. We protect the students from harm, but we don¡¯t keep them here against their will, and we don¡¯t separate them from their families by force.¡±
¡°What if she doesn¡¯t want to leave?¡± Mephina asked.
¡°That¡¯s not something to involve others in,¡± Lady Lerretha said, ¡°We will handle our family business privately. I¡¯m sorry about this, Elder Kilth. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to help. The Amyss family won¡¯t forget this favor.¡±
¡°It¡¯s only a small thing, and I could use the sunlight,¡± Elder Kilth said with a polite smile.
Mephina turned to look at Dorello, hoping to see some suspicion from him. But he was just staring out the window, appearing to be reminiscing about his own time at the Academy long ago.
This doesn¡¯t sit right with me. I have a bad feeling for some reason.
It didn¡¯t take long for the carriage to arrive outside of Sell¡¯s dorm room. Mephina was mostly lost in her thoughts as Lady Lerretha and Elder Kilth were occupied by small talk.
¡°I will go in and talk to her first,¡± Mephina said, opening the carriage door and stepping outside.
¡°There is no need for that. We will all go,¡± Lady Lerretha objected.
¡°You know about Sell¡¯s temper,¡± Mephina said, ¡°And she won¡¯t be happy with this. If you want to avoid making a scene that will spread all over the Academy, I am the one with the best chance of succeeding. Let me talk to her first. She will probably at least listen to me before doing anything stupid.¡±
Lady Lerretha paused for a while before turning away from Maphina and said, ¡°Very well. Make it quick.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Mephina said, closing the door behind her.
Do I really have a chance of convincing her? I don¡¯t think so¡
How can this possibly end well?
Chapter 159 - Dersum catches on
This should be enough for now.
Sellitha got up from her bed and put out the fire on the slab of stone in front of her. She had been spending a lot more hours of the day meditating lately. After gaining Authority over fire, Sellitha had a much easier time making progress. Earlier, she often had to spend a lot of effort caring for the fire in her fireplace in order to have an abundant source of fire mana around her. But now, she barely had to spend any effort and could have a fire burn indefinitely, even on plain stone.
This, along with her thirst for power, made her spend almost double the amount of time meditation from before. Even if pushing fire mana to her core had a diminishing result the more time she spent on it, due to her weakening Will, she found it hard to pull herself away. She could feel that it wouldn¡¯t be much longer before she advanced to Silver.
A few months more. But I¡¯ll definitely succeed before my second year. I can¡¯t fall behind Adion. Now that I have Authority over fire, there aren¡¯t any excuses.
Sellitha left her room and noticed a note left on the dining room table. It was from Felicia. She and Lastia had gone to the Old Library to study.
Should I also go? I don¡¯t have any plans until the evening.
She had made plans to meet up with Adion at the House of the Scrolls later. But she didn¡¯t know if he would show up early.
I¡¯ll just train on my own before he shows up. I don¡¯t feel like being inside.
Everyone she knew, even the ones with fire cores, was having issues with the current weather. Every day was scorching hot, and most people preferred to stay inside until the sun went down. But Sellitha really liked it for some reason. The unusual fierceness of the sun was making her feel closer to fire.
I wonder what kind of concepts are required to have a fire burn as hot as the sun.
Sellitha grabbed her bag and packed a few books to have something to read while resting between her exercises.
But just as she was about to leave, there was a knock at the door.
¡°Who is it?¡± Sellitha called out, walking to the door.
Wait? A Soul mage? And it feels familiar¡
Sellitha stopped in her tracks, a sinking feeling in her stomach.
No one answered her call, but the door slowly opened even without Sellitha unlocking it.
¡°It¡¯s me, little Sell,¡± Mephina said with a sigh as she walked inside, closing the door behind her.
Mephina!?
¡°What are you doing here, Mephina?¡± Sellitha asked nervously.
¡°The family has found out about you and Adion,¡± Mephina said, walking inside and taking a seat on the couch.
¡°What about me and Adion?¡± Sellitha questioned.
¡°Do you really need to lie to me?¡± Mephina asked, ¡°I have known about your relationship since the start. I would have just hoped you could have been a little smarter. How can you have been so careless?¡±
Sellitha felt cold despite the heat. Sweat was gathering at her temples due to nervousness.
¡°What has happened?¡± Sellitha asked with a shaky voice.
¡°I¡¯m not sure about all the details, but the Hesfym family sent their people to the Amyss family a few weeks ago,¡± Mephina explained, ¡°They had enough evidence to make your parents and the elders convinced.¡±
¡°Evidence? That¡¯s impossible! What kind of evidence?¡± Sellitha questioned. She really had no idea how anyone could possibly manage to convince her family about her and Adion.
¡°I don¡¯t know all the details, but they have someone here who has caught you two multiple times,¡± Mephina said, looking at Sellitha with a disappointed frown, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s someone from the Hesfym family. It¡¯s probably someone from the Shields. But they have managed to convince Lord Hesfym of it. If it turns out that their accusation is wrong, they were willing to pay 500,000 Vastro coins in compensation. As you can understand, we had no choice but to believe them with a guarantee like that.¡±
How can they be so sure? The only times Adion and I have acted like a couple have been behind closed doors.
¡°Well, so what?¡± Sellitha questioned nervously, ¡°I¡¯ll just deny it. It seems like it¡¯s just their word against mine in the end.¡±
¡°You forget that your word is easy to see through,¡± Mephina said with a smile full of sadness, ¡°You will be brought in front of the family and questioned about this. Even with your aura control, it¡¯s impossible to fool our Soul mages.¡±
¡°What do you mean by ¡®brought in front of the family¡¯?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°Lady Lerretha was sent here along with Dorello and I to take you home. I volunteered to come along because I knew you wouldn¡¯t come along easily,¡± Mephina said.
¡°You¡¯re right about that,¡± Sellitha said, her anger flaring, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere with you. So you can return to my family and tell them that I won¡¯t return before my graduation.¡±
¡°Haah,¡± Mephina sighed, ¡°I knew you would refuse. But Sell, it is impossible for you to stay. I could perhaps make up some excuse if I came here alone. But you know Lady Lerretha will take you by force if she has to. It would be better if you came along peacefully. There is no need to cause a scene. And there is still time before you have to marry Lord Hesfym. But if you struggle now, you will be under close watch and not easily trusted. It will be a lot harder for you to make any moves to solve this once that happens.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t believe that,¡± Sellitha said with a shaky laugh, ¡°You are just like them.¡±
¡°Sell,¡± Mephina said softly.
¡°Spare me,¡± Sellitha said with a cold voice, ¡°You can forget about it. You have no power here. Neither does Lerretha. If you take me by force, you will make an enemy out of the Academy.¡±
¡°We have received permission to take you with us,¡± Mephina said, ¡°You are a member of the Amyss family after all.¡±
¡°Who gave you permission?¡± Sellitha questioned, ¡°It can¡¯t be the Headmaster, and when he finds out who did, he will punish them.¡±
Mephina looked at Sellitha with a strange look, ¡°Why would the Headmaster do that?¡±
¡°Are you all idiots?¡± Sellitha asked, trying hard not to yell, ¡°Adion is the Headmaster¡¯s disciple. Do you think he didn¡¯t know about us? Did you think he didn¡¯t tell Adion that we had to end things? Did you think Adion would agree to that?¡±
¡°What are you saying?¡± Mephina asked.
¡°I¡¯m saying that the Headmaster values Adion more than you can imagine, and he would be willing to make an enemy out of both the Hesfym and Amyss family because of him. If you take me by force, I hope you are prepared for the mess that will follow.¡± Sellitha spit out.
¡°Are you serious?¡± Mephina asked, standing up and looking at Sellitha closely.
¡°Didn¡¯t you say I have no chance of lying to a Soul mage? You know I¡¯m telling the truth,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°This¡complicates things,¡± Mephina said slowly, ¡°But it might be a good thing.¡±
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Mephina turned to look at the door. Sellitha followed her eyes but couldn¡¯t hear anyone.
¡°Are you sure about the Headmaster?¡± Mephina asked.
¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Sellitha nodded.
¡°I did think something was a little strange. But I¡¯m still confused,¡± Mephina muttered, ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll try to talk to Lady Lerretha, but knowing her¡You should go for now. The Headmaster isn¡¯t at the Academy, so go somewhere where you¡¯ll be safe for now.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°I can¡¯t promise everything will work out. But I know better than anyone that nothing will actually be solved by bringing you back. You won¡¯t be marrying Lord Hesfym no matter what anyone says, so what use is there in trying so hard to push it through? If you have the Headmaster behind you, that will give us a valid explanation. Anyway, I have to go before Lady Lerretha grows too impatient. Get out of here.¡±
Mephina walked to the door and disappeared as soon as she finished speaking.
What¡¯s going on?
No time to think about it. I have to get out of here. Without the Headmaster around, I can¡¯t be sure that anyone will stop Lerretha.
Sellitha didn¡¯t bring anything with her. She ran up to the window, ready to jump out of it and run away.
But just as she arrived in front of the window, she felt herself struggling to move. Space was constricting her movements more and more until she came to a standstill.
What!? Adion? What¡¯s he doing?
Sellitha calmed down for a moment, feeling assured that Adion had arrived. But she quickly felt herself getting nervous again.
Is he having one of those outbreaks? Even with that, he can¡¯t possibly fight against Lerretha and Dorello. And he¡¯s going to reveal his power like this!
¡°Lady Lerretha! Calm down and think about this. This will have severe consequences for the Amyss family,¡± Mephina¡¯s voice rang out from the hallway.
What? They can move?
The door opened, and Sellitha realized something was wrong. Very wrong.
¡°There she is,¡± Lady Lerretha¡¯s cold voice sounded from behind her, ¡°You have been causing quite a few problems for us, Princess Sellitha. It¡¯s time for you to come back home and make up for it.¡±
¡°Sell, what are you¡¡± Mephina said in an unsure voice.
Suddenly, the space around Sellitha eased up, and she could move again. She turned around to see Lerretha, Dorello, and Mephina looking at her.
I have to move.
Sellitha conjured a fire and was about to shoot it out when she felt someone grab her arm.
¡°I knew you would make trouble,¡± Lerretha said, her nails digging into Sellitha¡¯s arm.
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Lerretha said.
That was the last thing Sellitha heard as something struck her head, and she passed out.
¡°Did they take her?¡± Derfen asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Frida nodded. She could see how the Amyss princess was being knocked unconscious and carried away. ¡°It seems she was about to escape. I didn¡¯t think that beast would let her off like that.¡±
Why would the beast leave her alone to get away? What did she tell that beast? Frida thought to herself. She didn¡¯t like it when her plans had surprises like that.
Oh well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I was prepared for her to try to escape.
¡°It¡¯s a good thing Diamond Tremis was ready for it,¡± Derfen said.
¡°Yes,¡± Frida nodded. Diamond Tremis didn¡¯t like taking orders from a Bronze mage like Frida, but she had managed to convince him that there was no way Sellitha would not try to escape. It would also be a good opportunity to test the space artifact in action. They would definitely need it later for Adion and his strange teleportation. ¡°Now, there shouldn¡¯t be anything that can go wrong anymore. We have eyes on Adion, right?¡±
¡°We do,¡± Derfen nodded, ¡°Should I go there now?¡±
¡°No. Use the touban. We don¡¯t want Adion to find out when it¡¯s too late. The more recent she got taken, the more likely it is for him not to think straight and head straight after them. If he goes to his grandfather before moving, it will complicate things. Tell them to start in three minutes.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Derfen nodded and picked up the runic device to deliver the message.
Frida watched how Sellitha was being carried out and loaded into the carriage. The walls couldn¡¯t impede her vision at all.
¡°They will let him know,¡± Derfen reported.
¡°I hope they remember to be subtle about it,¡± Frida said.
Then again, I doubt Adion will be able to think clearly when he hears about his precious girlfriend being taken away.
¡°Why did we have to make the Amyss Princess actually be taken away?¡± Derfen questioned, ¡°If this Adion is as rash as you say, wouldn¡¯t it be sufficient just to make him believe she was being taken away? He would have no way of knowing if it was a lie.¡±
¡°It¡¯s an unnecessary risk to take,¡± Frida answered, ¡°He will probably stop and ask someone at some point about the Amyss carriage, and we don¡¯t want him having any doubts. Besides, it will be good to have Termeth Hesfym owing us a favor.¡±
And the most important point is that this will make Adion suffer.
¡°I see,¡± Derfen nodded.
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Frida said as she spotted Diamond Tremis coming out of the building where he had used the space artifact to capture Sellitha.
¡°Are you sure Adion won¡¯t catch up too soon? We wouldn¡¯t want to have to make a move while still in the city,¡± Derfen said.
¡°He shouldn¡¯t be able to,¡± Frida said, ¡°He is too far away. But even if he is faster than I expected, we will be able to make our move. It will just be slightly messier.¡±
¡°Is Soft Soul Hedande really going to show up?¡± Derfen asked with slight agitation.
He better. I have been very clear about Adion¡¯s abilities. He can¡¯t be underestimated.
I¡¯m finally going to get my revenge.
The carriage ride was very awkward. Dersum never expected them to actually knock Sellitha unconscious.
Just what is going on with the Amyss family? Is she against marrying Lord Hesfym?
Well, it¡¯s not for me to worry about anymore. I have done as I was asked, and they are all from the Amyss family, after all. No one can blame me.
Still, Dersum didn¡¯t feel like remaining in the carriage any longer.
¡°I think I will step out here,¡± Dersum said with an awkward cough, ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any problem leaving. I talked with the guards about your visit before you arrived.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Lady Lerretha said with a slight smile and ordered the carriage to stop. ¡°Thank you very much for your help, Elder Kilth. I won¡¯t forget it.¡±
¡°I was just doing my duty as an Elder of the Academy,¡± Dersum said with a polite smile. But he didn¡¯t feel like he was doing his duty.
Dersum stepped out of the carriage and watched it continue moving towards the Academy gates.
This feels a little strange. I should probably report it to the Dean, just in case.
Dersum started walking back to the Old Academy, trying to clear his mind.
But suddenly, he came to a halt. A chill crept up his back.
What¡¯s happening?
He looked around in a panic, but no one else seemed to notice anything strange.
A wind blew towards him. He didn¡¯t know how he knew that, but he was sure of it. But no matter how he looked at it, there wasn¡¯t any reason for a wind to start blowing.
Something is coming¡I have no way of fighting it. What¡¯s going on?
Dersum almost fell to his knees in fear. And then it hit him. Something so powerful that Dersum couldn¡¯t even begin to understand it. A wind arrived that didn¡¯t interact with anything around him, but it blew straight through his soul.
¡°Argh!¡± Dersum yelled out as he fell to the ground in pain.
What¡¯s happening to me?
He could feel his core cracking.
It can¡¯t be! My Oath? But I haven¡¯t betrayed the Academy!
The cracks spread around his core, and Dersum started coughing blood.
This can only be the effect of a broken Oath, but¡how did I betray the Academy?
Dersum felt how his strength was leaving him. He was having trouble remaining conscious.
I didn¡¯t know! Please! I didn¡¯t know!
Chapter 160 - Adion runs
Damn, it¡¯s really unbearable.
Adion wiped some sweat from his forehead and got up to move his position to a new spot in the fighting pit, where some shadow from the walls still remained.
He took his seat and once again grabbed hold of some space using his Authority. He once again made the space volatile, but he didn¡¯t apply the step-by-step approach he had used previously.
Usually, he had to first split the space into two parts, then four parts, eight parts, and so on. He then had to consciously manipulate the different parts of space to move around sporadically, Willing them to be more destructive. Of course, this was a process he had pretty much perfected by now, and he could take each step a lot faster, almost on instinct.
But he wasn¡¯t happy with just that. He wanted to move away from the step-by-step process, no matter how fast it was, and move on to something else. He wanted it to become something akin to a concept. Just like he didn¡¯t have to increase a fire to become hotter and hotter when he conjured it, he didn¡¯t see any reason not to be able to do the same with his volatile space. If he could, there might be a way to make improvements at a faster rate, or at least discover a new path.
It really only does take a thought from me to make space volatile. But it starts off pretty weak. I have to make use of a lot of Will to increase the lethality of the attack.
Adion let go of the space, and it soon returned to normal. He didn¡¯t see any point in exhausting his Will too much, he needed time to think and test every new idea that came into his mind if he wanted to improve. If he exhausted his Will entirely so early in the day, he would waste a lot of time that could be spent practicing.
¡°Did you hear about Princess Sellitha?¡± A voice suddenly reached Adion.
Sell?
Adion immediately spread his space mana to feel what was going on the other side of the wall.
¡°What happened?¡± Another voice asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know everything, but apparently, she was carried out of her dorms by members of the Amyss family and taken away from the Academy in their carriage. I guess something serious must have happened for them to be willing to make a move like that on their own princess.¡±
What!?
Adion felt himself grow cold. His heart started beating fiercely.
Adion grabbed hold of the space behind the two students and teleported over.
¡°What happened to Sell?¡± Adion asked, trying to keep his voice from yelling.
The two students turned around in surprise. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not sure. But she was seen being carried away by some elves in a carriage with the Amyss family crest.¡±
¡°When did this happen?¡± Adion asked, resisting the urge to beat the man in front of him. Even if he had answered straight away, Adion felt he was too slow.
¡°Not long ago, maybe five minutes?¡±
Adion turned around and ran away at full speed.
I should be able to catch up. The carriage can¡¯t move too fast inside the city.
But why would they take her away? Did they discover our relationship? Even so, they can¡¯t kidnap a student from the Academy, can they? I have to tell the Head-...Right, he¡¯s gone.
Is there anyone else I can ask? Dean Lukas should be willing to help, but I don¡¯t know where he is at the moment. If I go to the Tower and he is somewhere else, I would waste a lot of precious time. It¡¯s also not guaranteed he can do anything. I should have asked how powerful the people were who took Sell away.
I should just assume that they are Soul mages. Even a Hard Soul mage is not impossible. Would they listen to Dean Lukas even if he is weaker? I somehow doubt it. If they are able to act like this within the Academy in front of witnesses, they are sure to have some backing here to make them unafraid of suffering consequences.
Who let them in, though? Don¡¯t they fear the Headmaster?
Right, they wouldn¡¯t know that the Headmaster would protect Sell because of me.
It didn¡¯t take long before Adion got out of the Old Academy. He decided not to ask for help from Dean Lukas.
He looked around to see if he could spot any carriage that might be able to take him the rest of the way.
Would it be quicker? At least in the Academy, I should take a carriage.
Adion quickly ran up to a carriage at the side of the road and threw a pouch of Vastro coins to the driver.
¡°Take me to the Academy gates as fast as you can!¡± Adion yelled before jumping into the carriage. Carriages within the Academy would usually only accept credits, but Adion didn¡¯t think anyone working as a carriage driver would hesitate to accept his requests when it involved so many Vastro coins.
And he was right as the carriage soon took off at full speed.
There aren¡¯t so many twists and turns inside the Academy, so the Silver beasts pulling the carriage should be slightly faster than my running speed. When I get into the city, I will have to move on my own, though, or I will never catch up.
Should I ask Grandpa for help? No. There is no time for that. If I let them get too far, everything will be too late.
Is there a way for me to catch up, though?
Adion thought through his options. But his worry of losing Sell made it hard to think clearly.
I¡¯ll have to teleport if I want a chance. Thankfully, I have my mask. If I teleport across the rooftops, I should be able to get through the city pretty much undetected. It will also clear the view of the carriages down below and allow me to move unimpeded.
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Adion soon arrived at the Academy gate, and he immediately jumped out of the carriage.
¡°Did you see an Amyss family carriage drive past here?¡± Adion asked the guards there.
¡°Um, yeah,¡± One of the guards nodded.
¡°When did it leave here?¡± Adion asked.
¡°About 10 minutes ago?¡± The guard answered hesitantly.
¡°Thanks,¡± Aidon said, before running off.
I¡¯ll deal with you all later.
Adion couldn¡¯t help but feel furious at the incompetent guards. How could they let a carriage drive off with an unwilling student?
If the Headmaster doesn¡¯t want to get involved. I will take it upon myself to wreak some havoc once this is resolved. I¡¯ll punish everyone responsible.
Adion left the main street and ran into an alleyway, where he donned his mask. He then quickly teleported to the roof of the building next to him.
They should be heading for the west side of the city if they are heading back to Amyss.
Adion pushed his space sense as much as he could before grabbing hold of the space there and teleported to another rooftop. He stopped to look around before giving up trying to find the carriage for now, and teleported to the next building.
They are ten minutes ahead of me, so it will take some time to catch up. I can ask the guards at the city gate even if I accidentally overtake them.
Adion switched between running along the rooftops and teleporting as he headed to the western side of the city at full speed. His only worry was that he would exhaust his Will before making it.
I have to push through. I can¡¯t let them get away.
As long as I can catch up, everything is salvageable.
Since I¡¯m the Headmaster¡¯s disciple, they should be willing to at least listen to me. I¡¯ll threaten them if I have to, or bribe them if that doesn¡¯t work. Anything can be taken care of once the Headmaster gets back.
Worst case, I¡¯ll reveal the existence of another Elixir of Life. Now that I have the Headmaster behind me, I can handle the consequences. Well, it will still become troublesome. But not as troublesome as if they manage to take Sell to Iitha. I¡¯m not sure even the Headmaster can help me at that point.
No. He definitely will. He knows I¡¯ll do anything to take Sell back, so unless he is willing to give up on me, he can¡¯t give up on Sell.
Still, things will be a lot easier if she is kept in Cyalis.
¡°Can¡¯t this thing move any faster?¡± Amelia questioned, annoyed at the carriage¡¯s slow pace.
¡°Relax, girl,¡± Bishop Derman said with a chuckle, ¡°We got what we came for. You should rejoice.¡±
¡°It won¡¯t be long before it¡¯s discovered,¡± Amelia said with a frown, ¡°Even without the Headmaster here, it won¡¯t be easy to get out of the Academy once it¡¯s discovered that the Elixir of Life is gone.¡±
Amelia conjured a small flame to burn off a patch of her clothing that had gotten some blood on it. It was far too conspicuous in case they got stopped.
Amelia and Bishop Derman had gotten inside the Academy with the help of some people from Eternal Fire. They had no idea that their intention was to steal the Elixir of Life, though. If it was discovered, Amelia was sure that they would come forward and point them out immediately. Thus, she had taken care of them before they could betray their existence.
She had already ordered her subordinates in the Church to take care of the Eternal Fire members she had been in contact with outside the Academy. There was a risk someone who knew who they were was left alive, but Amelia knew that they couldn¡¯t expect to get away without suspicion. Her only goal was to get away from Shiora before anyone could stop them.
They were sure to get discovered eventually, but the longer they could escape notice, the better.
It¡¯s a shame what this will do to the Fire Phoenix Church¡¯s position here on Shiora. But the Elixir of Life is too important to let go.
¡°You worry too much,¡± Bishop Derman said, looking out through the carriage window, ¡°It will take at least a few hours before anyone notices anything. We¡¯ll be long gone by then. Perhaps our involvement won¡¯t ever be discovered. There are plenty of other families with motives to suspect, after all.¡±
¡°Sage Vermon isn¡¯t a fool,¡± Amelia said with a snort, ¡°I would have to plan for a very long time before being able to come up with a plan that would make us clear of suspicion. With the importance of the Elixir of Life, the Headmaster will not spare any effort in getting to the bottom of its theft. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he discovered the truth within a day after he returns.¡±
¡°Perhaps,¡± Bishop Derman shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s not like he can do anything to us outside of Cyalis. And we¡¯ll be long gone before he returns. In front of our Empire, Cyalis can do nothing but accept their inferiority.¡±
¡°Of course I know that,¡± Amelia said, ¡°But that¡¯s only if we can get out of here before he returns.¡±
¡°Surely he will be gone for many days still,¡± Bishop Derman said.
¡°Nothing is ever certain,¡± Amelia said, ¡°So keep your guard up until we are back in the Empire.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Bishop Derman laughed, ¡°As you command.¡±
Bishop Derman¡¯s relaxed attitude annoyed Amelia, but she knew arguing wouldn¡¯t get her anywhere.
¡°Let me take a look,¡± Amelia said, wanting to get her mind off the predicament they were in until they left the Academy.
¡°I was the one who killed a Soul mage for it,¡± Bishop Derman said.
¡°And I was the one who came up with the plan,¡± Amelia argued.
¡°For which I promised to ignore a traitor to the Empire,¡± Bishop Derman countered, ¡°I¡¯ll let you have a look later. I thought you didn¡¯t want to celebrate too early? Not even I dare to take it out while we¡¯re still in Cyalis. A lot of people would be able to recognize its aura.¡±
I guess he has a point.
¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t that the Remori kid?¡± Bishop Derman asked.
Amelia followed his eyes and looked out the carriage, where she spotted Adion running up to a carriage driver in a hurry.
Why is he in such a hurry? Did something happen? Does it concern the Headmaster?
She saw how Adion threw a pouch of coins to the driver before jumping into the carriage.
¡°Should we stop him and ask why he is hurrying so?¡± Bishop Derman asked, ¡°It could be news of the Headmaster.¡±
¡°And reveal our presence here? Are you stupid?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°We would have to silence him afterward, of course,¡± Bishop Derman said with a slight smile.
¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± Amelia said with a glare, ¡°Remember your promise. Besides, killing the Headmaster¡¯s disciple might incur his wrath on a whole other level. It is best not to push our luck too far.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Bishop Derman laughed, ¡°I¡¯m only joking. I¡¯m not that careless.¡±
But I wonder what happened. He seemed deeply troubled.
Well, I can¡¯t get involved. We have no time to waste.
¡
Maybe something happened to Arlen?
Chapter 161 - Frida
¡°The Amyss carriage has left the city gates,¡± Derfen reported.
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Frida nodded, ¡°It seems like they are making haste just like expected.¡±
We should be at the gates at most in a minute or two. It won¡¯t take long before we catch up once the road clears up.
¡°Do we have eyes on Adion?¡± Frida asked.
¡°We lost him once he left the Academy,¡± Derfen said, ¡°But he should be about 10 to 15 minutes behind the Amyss carriage.¡±
¡°I thought we told our people to watch Adion¡¯s movements,¡± Diamond Tremis said with a frown. He was sitting opposite Frida and Derfen in the carriage.
¡°He probably teleported,¡± Frida said, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for them to keep track of him. But it doesn¡¯t matter as we know where he is going.¡±
¡°Do you seriously believe he can teleport?¡± Diamond Termin questioned.
¡°I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes plenty of times,¡± Frida said, ¡°You should be able to tell that I¡¯m not lying.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re lying. I think you lack experience,¡± Diamond Tremis said, ¡°Even if you are extremely talented, you are still a Bronze mage. It¡¯s more likely he has studied some movement technique that is too fast for your eyes to follow.¡±
¡°Maybe if it was just a one-time thing,¡± Frida said, ¡°But I¡¯ve studied him for a long time. Besides, you were also there that day. He has powers that can¡¯t be attributed to a mere Gift.¡±
¡°The Headmaster told us that it was due to an artifact,¡± Diamond Termin said, ¡°Even if he lied to cover up something else. Do you truly believe what happened that day can be accomplished by a Silver mage?¡±
It should be impossible. But I¡¯ve seen Adion do plenty of things that should be impossible.
The event Frida was talking about was when she was visiting Diamond Tremis a few months ago to report her findings about Adion. Diamond Tremis was the member of Heavenly Light who had the highest status in the Academy, thus, he was the only one she could turn to in order to get her message to the members outside the Academy.
Diamond Tremis had not believed her words when she reported Adion¡¯s abilities. But that changed when the surrounding space started acting strange during their meeting. Something had happened higher up in the Tower of Cyalis, and Diamond Tremis had headed up to see what was going on. He received the explanation that the Headmaster had gotten an artifact to work with the help of Adion Remori¡¯s Gift.
Diamond Tremis believed the Headmaster for the most part, and still didn¡¯t take Frida¡¯s words seriously. But with Adion becoming the Headmaster¡¯s disciple immediately after, he had to take the matter with a certain amount of seriousness. The Remori family was considered an enemy of their organization, after all.
He had reported the matter to his superiors, and thankfully, they didn¡¯t dismiss Frida¡¯s claims entirely. That was when her position in Heavenly Light started to change. Her position as a student in the Academy was valuable, but it wasn¡¯t too unique. Her powerful Gift, however, made her an important member that was cared for by the organization.
Still, she was only a Bronze mage at the end of the day, it would take a long time before she could wield any real power. But as she contributed more and more information, along with her own theories and plans, her position started cementing itself.
Now, she was almost as important as Diamond Tremis, despite him being a Diamond mage with a position as a professor in the Academy. And should things play out just as she had planned today, she had no doubt that she would receive even more attention. It was very likely that Soft Soul Hedande would accept her as his disciple and nurture her for an important position in the future.
I¡¯m looking forward to seeing Tremis''s face when he realizes how wrong he has been about everything. Let¡¯s see if he still has the face to question me in the future.
I just hope he doesn¡¯t screw up today because of his doubts.
¡°You are still young, after all,¡± Diamond Tremis said, shaking his head, ¡°There are Gifts and spells that are beyond my comprehension, but let me tell you, there is no way for a Silver mage to affect a Soul mage to that degree.¡±
Even Frida had to admit that it was a little ridiculous if Adion was truly that powerful. Most likely, he had the help of some kind of artifact, but she didn¡¯t want to take any chances. That¡¯s why she had pushed for Soft Soul Hedande to take action himself. She would rather embarrass herself by blowing the threat of Adion¡¯s power out of proportion than underestimate him and end up failing the mission.
¡°I¡¯ve tried to warn you, Frida,¡± Diamond Tremis continued, ¡°Even with your talents, if you end up making a mistake as big as I think you¡¯re about to do, you will have a hard time recovering. But I guess it¡¯s too late to go back on anything now. At least you will get your revenge. That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been pushing so hard for this, right?¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t abuse my position for something so selfish,¡± Frida refuted, ¡°You know very well that I¡¯ve told no lies.¡±
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¡°It would be impossible for me to know if you¡¯ve even been lying to yourself,¡± Diamond Tremis said with a shrug, ¡°Your hate for Adion Remori has warped your mind.¡±
Even if I hate him, I¡¯m not crazy.
But it was true that she hated Adion. But that hate led her to discover all his secrets, and that, in turn, could help her organization.
In the beginning, she had only investigated Adion for selfish reasons. She was looking for something to use against him, to make him suffer. She quickly found out about his relationship with Princess Sellitha, but before she could figure out how to use that to her advantage, she found out about her engagement to Lord Hesfym. She had never been so happy as that day. She immediately started her plan to convince the people above her about the relationship, even going so far as to swear an Oath to verify all her claims.
But that was only the beginning. Adion Remori held a lot more secrets than she had thought. That¡¯s when she realized there was a possibility to make Heavenly Light act against him. She would achieve her revenge a lot sooner than she first thought.
¡°I get that the Remori family is an enemy,¡± Derfen said hesitantly, ¡°But why do you hate Adion Remori so much? Did he do something to you? I¡¯ve never heard him behaving badly at the Academy, and I have access to a lot of information there.¡±
¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± Frida said in a cold voice. She felt her anger surfacing. The images of that night appeared in her mind once again.
Frida always thought that she couldn¡¯t hate anything more than the mindless beasts that attacked her village and killed her parents. Her hatred of the beasts had almost become her entire identity. She trained from sunrise to sundown every day in order to one day rush into the Outskirts and slay every single beast that hid on the continent.
That was until she one day found the light. An old man had come up to talk to her on the streets of Wender. At first, she didn¡¯t really listen. She felt wary of his intentions. But his words started resonating with her. His ideas of how the world worked and the constant threat of beasts. He told her that there was a place for her.
She thought there wasn¡¯t any harm in seeing the place the old man had told her about, so she went to take a look. It was late at night in an old chapel. There, she heard about the dream of the Everlasting Age, a world without beasts. She found a meaning again. Even more so, she found a family again.
Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t last long. Because there was a person coming to those meetings who she didn¡¯t think much about at the time, but that she had countless times since that day regretted not killing immediately. Adion Remori.
She didn¡¯t even get to live in that blissful world for a month before it was all taken away from her. She still remembers the fire that devoured Diamond Eulen¡¯s mansion. Everywhere she looked were dead bodies, people she had respected and who had treated her so kindly.
She had never imagined that fellow humans were capable of such a heinous crime. The rage that had somewhat calmed down after she had joined Heavenly Light came back in full swing. She needed to know who did it. Know who was responsible. It was dark, and those responsible were already too far away to see. Even so, Frida needed to see them. She needed to know who had taken everything away from her again. She needed to know who she hated.
And that¡¯s when it happened. The darkness cleared up, and the walls and buildings in front of her were nothing but air. Even the mask covering Adion¡¯s face couldn¡¯t impede her vision. She saw his face. And then she passed out.
It¡¯s ironic in a way, Adion. You created the power that will destroy you.
You thought you were safe to act as pleased behind closed doors and stone walls, but I have seen it all.
I hope you have enjoyed your blissful little existence, never sharing a thought about the lives you¡¯ve taken, because it will all end soon.
¡°Can you spot the Amyss carriage?¡± Diamond Tremis asked.
¡°Let me look,¡± Frida said. They had been outside the city gates for a while now, so they should have almost caught up. Not that they needed to, but it was good not to be too far away in case something unexpected occurred.
Frida focused, and the wooden walls of the carriage in front of her melted away. So did they on the carriage in front of them. With barely any effort at all, Frida could see through all obstacles, and she soon laid her eyes on the Amyss carriage.
¡°They are not very far ahead,¡± Frida said, ¡°Just a few minutes before they reach our outpost. We should get ready to send word. If we can¡¯t get eyes on Adion soon, we¡¯ll have to either slow them down or pick up some reinforcements.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t we just let them go and wait for Adion to show up?¡± Derfen asked.
¡°What if Adion doesn¡¯t take this road? What if he does but teleport past us?¡± Frida questioned.
¡°Right,¡± Derfen nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll send word.¡±
Frida still had her eyes on the Amyss carriage. She penetrated the walls with her vision and took a look at the situation inside. She didn¡¯t want any surprises.
It would have been nice if we could capture her, too. I would have loved to kill her in front of Adion.
But I guess I can¡¯t ask for too much. Once I grow stronger and Heavenly Light gets a firmer hold on Shiora, I¡¯ll be able to do as I please. I should be patient.
Just as she was about to cancel her Gift and look away, she saw Sellitha stirring slightly.
Is she waking up? Well, it¡¯s not like she can cause any trouble with a Hard Soul mage watch- What!?
Frida had to close her eyes as a large fire exploded, almost blinding her.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Derfen asked as he noticed the commotion further down the road.
¡°It¡¯s Sellitha. She woke up,¡± Frida said.
¡°How can that be?¡± Diamond Tremis asked, looking out the carriage window to see the situation ¡°She¡¯s a Bronze mage. There is no way for her to conjure that amount of flames!¡±
¡°I have no idea,¡± Frida said, starting to worry, ¡°Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter for now. The Amyss family will handle her. But Adion will definitely see this and head over. We need to intercept him. We can¡¯t do this without people noticing anymore. But that will also allow us to act more freely. Alert everyone at the outpost. Get the spatial artifact ready. Let¡¯s go!¡±
Chapter 162 - Catching up
I can¡¯t go on like this.
Adion felt he was close to his limit. His Will wasn¡¯t even fully rested before he began his chase, and now he had teleported across all of Cyalis. He knew he didn¡¯t have much more in him.
Hopefully, they haven¡¯t left the city yet.
¡°Did you see an Amyss family carriage pass here?¡± Adion asked the guards at the city gates. He had removed his mask and come down from the rooftop.
¡°Who are you?¡± The Silver mage guard asked Adion with a frown.
Should I use violence? No, let¡¯s not be stupid. There are surely stronger mages around here, and I don¡¯t want to waste any more energy.
¡°Please, it¡¯s really important. I just need to know if they have passed and how long ago it was,¡± Adion said as he took out a small pouch of Vastro coins and handed it to the guard.
¡°I still need to know-¡± The guard began, but he stopped as he opened the pouch of coins and took a look inside. ¡°V-Vastro coins? This¡¡±
¡°Can you please tell me?¡± Adion hurried the guard.
¡°They passed here a few minutes ago,¡± The guard said a little absentmindedly.
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion said and ran off. The guard simply stared out into empty space with a confused expression.
Do I need to get back onto the rooftops? I might not have the Will to continue teleporting, though.
The road is still a little congested. They wouldn¡¯t be able to go at full speed. I¡¯ll just run for now.
Adion focused and ran as fast as he could, dodging the people on the street easily as he looked out for the carriage.
If I don¡¯t catch up in five minutes, I¡¯ll have to make a last-ditch effort to teleport after them. If I give them a chance to get too far away where they can travel at full speed, I¡¯ll never be able to catch up.
Adion was nervous, but he felt slightly better about the situation for every carriage on the road that he ran past.
They shouldn¡¯t steer off the main road, right? That would just take them longer.
Adion debated whether he should go back onto the rooftops or not in order to get a clear overview of the road.
When he had run for about three minutes or so, Adion couldn¡¯t help himself anymore. He darted into a sidestreet and put his mask back on before teleporting up to the roof.
He looked out over the road below while running on the roof, trying to see if he could spot the carriage.
Will I be able to recognize it from up here? The carriage should be pretty luxurious, I- What the!?
Suddenly, further up on the road, a huge fire appeared out of nowhere. Even at the distance Adion was at, his eyes were almost blinded. It stretched higher than any nearby building, and the surroundings were completely incinerated by it.
But it didn¡¯t last long. Adion saw and felt powerful mages quickly take control of the situation. The fire receded, and besides the powerful mages, only ashes remained.
That¡That was Sell¡¯s Words of Truth!
Adion focused and could make out Sell on the ground, unconscious.
She must have been willing to gamble everything in hopes that the commotion would be enough to alert someone.
Don¡¯t worry, Sell. Leave the rest to me!
Adion increased his speed. Once he arrived at a point where he couldn¡¯t jump across, he would teleport. His Will was strained, but he had to push with all he had. It was now or never.
Is that Mephina? So she is also a part of this¡That old lady should be the one in charge, though.
Adion saw how the people down below were running away in a panic. The people from the Amyss family had put out all the fire and were discussing something.
They should have to stay here and explain themselves, right?
But I shouldn¡¯t take any chances. The question is how I should approach this. Will speaking to them lead to anything good? They are most likely not in the best of moods.
Screw it. I have a better idea.
Adion was very close now. His space sense was able to take in the scene down below, slightly ahead. He hid behind a chimney and did his best to pull in his aura. With almost everyone having run away, his presence could stand out if he wasn¡¯t careful.
Adion focused on Sell¡¯s body. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance of teleporting someone in this situation. Even the passive Will of someone unconscious would make it impossible for Adion to do something to them. But Sell and Adion had teleported countless times together. Every time they trained together, they would set some time to teleport in order to practice Adion¡¯s teleportation and Sell¡¯s spatial awareness. It was very likely that she would accept Adion¡¯s teleportation even subconsciously.
They should be very familiar with her aura, however. I¡¯ll have to run immediately. But how many teleportations do I have left in me? If I teleport Sell to me¡I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to teleport us away more than two times, even if I push myself to the absolute limit.
But that should be enough. It won¡¯t be easy for them to conduct a search after all of this commotion. It won¡¯t be long before guards arrive to see what is going on.
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Adion focused on the space Sell occupied and pushed his exhausted Will.
Come on. Don¡¯t resist, Sell.
Finally, Sell appeared before him. He pulled her into his embrace and smiled.
I did it. It was a little harder than I thought, but I did it. I hope Sell is fine, but there is no time for me to check now. I have to go.
Adion focused on his sphere of space mana. He felt how the people from the Amyss family panicked and ran out to search for Sell, who had disappeared.
No time to focus on them.
Adion pushed and tried to sense space as far as he could in the direction of the city. He found a building and searched for an empty room.
That should do.
Adion focused on the space inside and grabbed hold of it with his Authority.
¡°Ah!¡± Adion yelled out in pain. Someone had attacked him. He felt how his shoulder blade was completely crushed by a stone, probably an attack from a powerful earth mage. He coughed up blood all over Sell, who he still held on to tightly.
¡°I found him!¡± A man¡¯s voice yelled out behind him.
Adion turned around and looked at the man with murderous eyes. He was a Diamond mage, and he was human. He didn¡¯t recognize him from the people he had seen with the Amyss family.
I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but there is no time to think about it.
¡°Who are you?¡± Adion asked warily. But he wasn¡¯t planning on waiting for the answer. He focused on the space inside the empty room again, planning on escaping.
Unfortunately, the Diamond mage didn¡¯t seem to want to give him a chance.
Adion saw the man gesticulating with his arms and felt something approach him from behind.
That rock again! It¡¯s coming for my head.
Adion had to let go of the space inside the empty room and focused on the space behind him. He froze the space with the rock in it and managed to slow it down to a stop. Unfortunately, it took a lot of Will to stop an attack from a Diamond mage.
I have to go. Quickly!
Adion once again tried to focus on the empty room, but the Diamond mage didn¡¯t give him any breathing room. He broke the rock free from Adion¡¯s hold and hit him in the back of the head with it. Adion had no chance to freeze a conjured rock without giving it all his focus, not when he was contending against the Will of a Diamond mage.
Fortunately, the speed wasn¡¯t as high anymore, so he wasn¡¯t very hurt by the impact.
¡°I¡¯m not giving you a chance to escape,¡± The Diamond mage said as he ran up to Adion.
Damn. I¡¯m going to die if I don¡¯t do something. And Sell might die, too.
He had killed a Diamond mage as a Bronze mage. But he had caught the man completely unprepared, and he had planned for the attack for weeks. Battling a Diamond mage who had his wits about him and didn¡¯t underestimate him was impossible. At least with his Will exhausted and having to protect Sell.
He saw how the Diamond mage was just about to reach him with his sword and Adion suddenly felt how everything slowed down.
I¡¯m not that easy to kill. Space! Obey me!
Adion froze the space around him, catching the Diamond mage off guard. His Authority grew by leaps and bounds. He felt how the Diamond mage struggled, but he didn¡¯t stand a chance against Adion¡¯s Authority at the moment. He felt that he could crush the man in front of him if he focused his Will there.
But his focus wasn¡¯t on the man. His Will was entirely focused at the moment. A feeling he had gotten slightly used to lately. He knew that it couldn¡¯t last forever. A stray thought was enough for him to lose all his power.
He focused on the empty room. The space there was entirely clear for him now, and he teleported over with a single thought.
¡°Haah,¡± Adion breathed out as he appeared in the room.
Damn. I lost it. I had hoped I could hold on to teleport all the way back to the Academy.
Adion collapsed on the floor with Sell still in his arms. His Will was now entirely gone, and he could barely remain conscious. Even his space element that was always hidden in his aura, even while asleep, was starting to show.
¡°Sell,¡± Adion said, shaking her body with weak arms, ¡°Can you wake up?¡±
Adion continued to shake her gently, but she gave no response.
She was out for hours the last time she used her Words of Truth in the Outskirts. It is probably impossible for her to wake up anytime soon.
That means I can¡¯t fall asleep.
We should be safe for a while. But we will eventually be found. Hopefully, the commotion is enough to attract not just the guards but powerful mages from different families nearby too.
Can I convince them to help using my identity?
I don¡¯t know. All I can do is wait. Wait and regain my strength. As soon as I can, I¡¯ll teleport us away again.
Adion let go of everything else. His only focus was on remaining conscious. He breathed in and out, trying to ignore the pain of his destroyed shoulder. He held onto Sell tightly, not wanting to let go.
¡°This boy is a lot more interesting than you have reported, Frida,¡± Soft Soul Hedande said in a calm and unhurried voice.
¡°Even I am surprised by his ability to control space,¡± Frida said, slight impatience in her voice, ¡°But now it is even more important that we capture him so we can question him. We should hurry, before he gets too far.¡±
¡°Quite interesting indeed,¡± Soft Soul Hedande murmured, seemingly ignoring Frida.
What is he doing? If he gets away, it will be impossible to capture Adion in the future! The Headmaster will constantly be on guard.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for failing,¡± Diamond Tremis said, bowing slightly to Hedande, ¡°I underestimated him.¡±
¡°No, it was good that you held your blows and didn¡¯t kill him,¡± Soft Soul Hedadande said. ¡°Do you have the artifact?¡±
¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t get a chance to use it,¡± Diamond Tremis said.
¡°Give it here,¡± Soft Soul Hedande ordered, stretching out his hand.
Is he finally going to act?
¡°Soft Soul Hedande, do you know where Adion is?¡± Frida asked carefully.
¡°It is quite hard to follow an aura that teleports,¡± Soft Soul Hedande said, ¡°Thankfully, that boy is too exhausted to hide. And I received some timely help.¡±
¡°Help?¡± Frida asked.
¡°Let¡¯s go before someone too complicated to deal with shows up,¡± Soft Soul Hedande said, ignoring Frida¡¯s question, ¡°Tremis. Stay here and contact the Amyss members about Sellitha¡¯s location in case we need them. Be close by. We¡¯ll point them in another direction if they get too close and prove to be a hindrance.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Diamond Tremis nodded.
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Soft Soul Hedande said, ¡°We have made a bigger mess than planned. But that¡¯s not necessarily such a bad thing. We¡¯ve been working in the shadows too long.¡±
¡°What do you mean by that, Soft Soul Hedande?¡± Frida asked curiously.
Soft Soul Hedande turned to Frida and smiled, ¡°We¡¯re Heavenly Light, after all. The shadows aren¡¯t where we are supposed to be. It¡¯s time we make ourselves known on Shiora. A new era will begin.¡±
Chapter 163 - Cant die yet
¡°Argh!¡± Adion coughed up some more blood.
I should never have stopped carrying around a Supreme Healing Pill of Mesana. I got careless. I should have taken more precautions.
Adion was filled with regret at the moment. His injury seemed more serious than he had first thought.
I didn¡¯t feel much during the fight, but this isn¡¯t good. Am I going to bleed out? Am I going to die? That would be a shame. I was looking forward to so many things.
Grandpa will be sad. Brother and sister, too.
I still have Sell to take care of as well.
It¡¯s better not to die, after all.
Adion forced himself to move. It had only been a few minutes since he arrived in the room with Sell, but he felt he couldn¡¯t rely on recovering his Will anymore. It was just a matter of time before he passed out. Even if he somehow escaped from the people who were after him, he might bleed out before anyone finds him.
Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the strength.
Damn. Just lifting my arm is a challenge.
This won¡¯t do. Come on, Adion. Come on!
Adion contracted his abs and struggled to sit up. He couldn¡¯t afford to pass out. It was the only thing he could think about.
But just as he was about to succeed, he felt how it got harder and harder to move. And it was not because of his exhaustion.
What¡¯s going on? Space? Why does it feel so like space is freezing? Am I imagining things?
Adion felt how the space around the room was slowly getting more and more stable. He could also feel that the area of effect was slowly moving in on him.
Am I doing this somehow? Another space mage? The Celestial Phoenix?
Adion couldn¡¯t figure out what was happening. He felt a sense of danger, and his senses became more alert once again.
It can¡¯t be¡That artifact? From Dorbarta? Was the mage who attacked me not with the Amyss family but Heavenly Light? They somehow figured out how to make the artifact do something like this?
The space around him had become so stable that he doubted he could even affect it in his normal condition.
¡°Well, there we have him. It looks like I was overly cautious,¡± A man¡¯s voice sounded from the door that he didn¡¯t know when it had opened.
Who? I didn¡¯t notice someone approaching. My head really isn¡¯t where it needs to be.
¡°He might have died if left to fend for himself in here. It¡¯s a good thing we showed up,¡± The man continued. Adion was facing the ceiling and couldn¡¯t turn his head to look because of the space around him constricting his movements. He couldn¡¯t even breathe.
This isn¡¯t good. I have to get Sell out of here. Space! Obey me!
Adion tried to summon what was left of his Will, but he knew it was pointless.
Damn! Who are these bastards?
I should at least try my best to remain conscious. If I pass out, everything is definitely over. There is still hope if I get the chance to talk. They might be interested if I reveal some secrets.
¡°Haha,¡± A girl¡¯s laughter sounded, ¡°It looks like Tremis didn¡¯t hold back so much, after all. Good. Otherwise, this bastard might have found a way to sneak away again.¡±
¡°True. But we should take care not to let him die. He is very useful to us,¡± The man said.
¡°Soul mage Hedande, can you let me talk to him? I¡¯ll be quick,¡± The girl said.
¡°I suppose he needs to breathe, I¡¯ll release his head for you to say a few words. After that, we need to get going.¡± The man said.
Adion felt the space around his head return to normal. He took a deep breath and quickly turned to look at his enemies.
What he saw when he turned his head was the bottom of a shoe that stomped down on his face.
¡°Ah!¡± Adion yelled out in pain. He felt his nose might be broken. His mind started to become misty.
¡°I thought you wanted to talk. Don¡¯t kill him, Frida. It would be too embarrassing after all the effort you spent on capturing him,¡± The man said in a calm voice.
¡°I know. Sorry,¡± The girl named Frida said.
Adion¡¯s vision was blurry, but it slowly cleared up as he looked up at the girl in front of him.
It¡¯s her.
It was the blonde girl who had given him such a bad feeling when she smiled at him. The girl he remembered from somewhere when he first spotted her when he entered the Academy.
¡°Who are you?¡± Adion asked in a weak voice.
¡°I don¡¯t expect you to remember me,¡± Frida said in a low voice, ¡°I bet you don¡¯t remember any of the people you killed in Wender. Let alone someone you left alive. But now I¡¯ve come to collect my dues.¡±
Wender¡I see. That makes sense. I wanted revenge even if I knew it could lead the cycle to continue.
It doesn¡¯t matter who is right and wrong. Only who loses and who wins. Who is stronger and who is weaker.
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Still. I can¡¯t accept it.
Adion once again focused and tried to summon some of his remaining Will. He knew he wouldn¡¯t have a good ending if he didn¡¯t do something soon.
¡°I want you to know that it''s because of your own evil actions that this has happened,¡± Frida continued, staring down at Adion. Her eyes were filled with a calm fury. ¡°You have no one else to blame but yourself. It¡¯s your actions that have led to this. And now you will see your precious girlfriend die in front of you. Not able to resist. Just like it was for me back then.¡±
¡°Sell has nothing to do with this,¡± Adion said in a strained voice, ¡°If you touch her, I will kill you. I will kill you all.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Frida laughed, ¡°How frightening.¡±
¡°Frida. You can¡¯t kill her,¡± The man named Hedande called out from behind her, ¡°That wasn¡¯t the plan. We don¡¯t have time for unnecessary complications.¡±
¡°I know, Soft Soul Hedande,¡± Frida said in a soft voice, ¡°But we should bring her along. He will tell us all we want to know if we have her with us.¡±
¡°That might be true,¡± Hedande said, ¡°Alright, then. If the Amyss family finds out, so be it. They won¡¯t last long anyway.¡±
Damn. Come on. Move!
Adion struggled against the constraining space, but no matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t move anything but his head.
Hedande approached Adion and he finally saw the appearance of the man. He was a human, tall and thin, looking to be in his 50s.
He bent down in front of Adion and put something around his neck.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Adion asked, his voice betraying his unease.
¡°You are too troublesome. Even with the spatial artifact, I wouldn¡¯t feel safe. So I have to take some precautions,¡± Hedande said in a calm voice.
Adion felt cold metal touch his neck. Hedande did something out of Adion¡¯s vision, and then he felt his mana slowly depleting. He didn¡¯t use much of his spatial mana earlier, relying mostly on his Authority to teleport.
What is this? Another artifact? It can deplete my space core of its mana?
¡°That should do it,¡± Hedande said with a nod, ¡°Grab the girl and let¡¯s¡Frida, get behind me.¡±
Right after Hedande called out to warn Frida, Adion heard the window crash open. And he felt the presence of a powerful mage in the room.
Who?
The room was silent for a few moments before Adion heard a slightly familiar voice.
¡°I¡¯ll be taking that boy with me. Any objections?¡± Bishop Amelia asked.
Bishop Amelia? Why is she here? How did she find me?
¡°Yes, I object,¡± Hedande stated, seemingly not bothered by another Soul mage¡¯s sudden appearance.
¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll have to fight,¡± Bishop Amelia said. Then, Adion saw a large stream of fire blow past him into Hedande. Adion felt how the space around him turned back to normal again. But that also made some of the fire able to reach him, and he screamed out in pain. Thankfully, the fire was quickly put out as he felt someone grab him and run off.
¡°Sell! Please, you have to get Sell!¡± Adion yelled out once he realized Bishop Amelia was about to carry him away. He felt that he was really beyond all his limits at this point. The only thing keeping him going was that he was worried about Sell.
He felt Bishop Amelia stop, and Adion breathed out in relief.
But then he heard a new voice.
¡°I didn¡¯t expect I needed to make an appearance. What brings you here, Bishop?¡± The voice of an old man sounded from somewhere in front of Amelia.
Another enemy?
¡°Hard Soul mage,¡± Adion heard Bishop Amelia mutter to herself.
Is it¡Is it over?
¡°Aren¡¯t you guys a little too shameless? So many Soul mages just to kidnap a Silver mage kid?¡± Bishop Amelia questioned, still carrying Adion.
¡°Hold, Hedande,¡± The newly appeared Hard Soul mage said, ¡°Don¡¯t make any moves.¡±
¡°Yes, Hard Soul Ulmero,¡± Hedande said in a much more respectful voice.
¡°Greetings, senior,¡± Frida said in an excited voice.
¡°So you are Frida, huh? I¡¯ve heard a lot of impressive things about you. Well, let¡¯s save that for later. Bishop, let us be frank with each other. We are not leaving without Adion Remori. And you can¡¯t bring him away with me here. I don¡¯t want to fight either, so how about you just leave?¡±
¡°How do I know before I¡¯ve even tried?¡± Bishop Amelia asked in a calm voice. Then she burst out in unexpected anger, ¡°Shameless old fool! I¡¯m not leaving without him, either! And a Pure Soul mage is about to appear, so scram!¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Ulmero chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m aware of the Pure Soul mage in your company. He is nowhere near. If you insist, we shall fight. It¡¯s true we shouldn¡¯t stay here for too long.¡±
It¡¯s useless. It¡¯s over. If they fight¡even if Bishop Amelia somehow can win, I¡¯ll die from the attacks. And Sell is defenseless at the moment too.
¡°Bishop Amelia,¡± Adion said in a low voice, even if he was trying his best to call out to her, ¡°Leave me. They won¡¯t kill me, so I¡¯ll be fine. Just please take Sell and leave. They don¡¯t care about her.¡±
¡°How would I explain that to your family, Adion?¡± Bishop Amelia asked.
¡°They like Sell a lot, too. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll thank you,¡± Adion said, not in the clearest state of mind, ¡°Please. I will do whatever you want in return. I¡¯ll never forget it.¡±
After a moment of silence, he could feel Bishop Amelia putting him down on the ground.
¡°I¡¯ll go get help right away, so hang on, Adion. Don¡¯t make your family sad. I¡¯ll come back soon.¡± Bishop Amelia said in a tender voice, but she didn¡¯t say it out loud. He felt that she was talking to him through his aura, just like Fellion used to do.
¡°Whatever,¡± Amelia scoffed after putting Adion on the floor, ¡°I¡¯m taking the girl. If you want to stop me, we can all just die. I¡¯ll aim for the blonde.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Ulmero said.
¡°This¡Hard Soul Ulmero, I-¡± Frida began in a pleading voice but was cut off by Ulmero.
¡°Enough! Hedande, grab Adion. Let¡¯s go,¡± Ulmero said in a strict voice.
¡°Yes,¡± Hedande said before grabbing Adion.
Adion could see Sell being taken away by Bishop Amelia. She left without looking back.
That¡¯s good. As long as she is safe.
Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make anyone sad. I¡¯ll survive.
¡°Hard Soul Ulmero,¡± Hedande said carefully, ¡°That Bishop will soon come back. Probably with reinforcements.¡±
¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Ulmero said, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll be long gone. Let¡¯s go to the ship. We caused more trouble than we should have this time, but it¡¯s fine. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Taking out the Fire Phoenix Church can be a good start to our conquest of Shiora. It will be a gift to Bishop Amelia for her help this time.¡±
¡°Haha,¡± Hedande laughed softly, ¡°I can hardly wait.¡±
¡°Feed the Remori kid a healing pill. We don¡¯t want him dead,¡± Ulmero instructed.
Adion felt something in his mouth and he didn¡¯t reject it. He needed to survive if he wanted to escape.
They will act against the Fire Phoenix Church. I caused trouble for Bishop Amelia. I haven¡¯t even repaid her for saving Sell yet.
Like I thought, I really can¡¯t die yet.
Chapter 164 - New era I
¡°Haah,¡± Ormell sighed as he looked out over the battlefield. Countless bodies stretched across the plain of burnt and overturned grass and trees. A battle between two forces of powerful mages would turn even a paradise into hell.
Ormell didn¡¯t mind, though. Nature will find a way to rebuild. Even the cities can be rebuilt to their previous state given sufficient time.
But Ormell had to admit that the Valis Kingdom was a tough nut to crack. He didn¡¯t expect this small kingdom to give them such a hard time.
That man sure packs a punch. He¡¯ll be a tough opponent going forward. I¡¯ll have to have someone look into more details about his strength.
Ormell stretched his neck and felt that even with the healing pills he had taken, he would need at least a week before he dared make an appearance on the battlefield again.
It doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll win in the end. And this is a good opportunity to temper our members. There will be tumultuous times ahead.
¡°Hard Soul Ormell, Hard Soul Jemin,¡± A Diamond mage came up to Ormell and Jemin and bowed.
I believe his name is Ellien, right? He did a good job in the battle.
¡°What are our losses?¡± Jemin turned to the man and asked.
¡°Besides Soft Soul Rafael, we have lost three Diamond mages, 45 Gold mages, and 1340 Silver mages, give or take. As for the Bronze mages, they didn¡¯t suffer much as Soul mages got involved in the battle so early on.¡± Ellien reported.
¡°Hehe,¡± Ormell chuckled with a self-deprecating smile, ¡°It truly is a little too much to bear.¡±
¡°We haven¡¯t got an accurate count on the Valis Kingdom¡¯s losses yet, but they definitely suffered more than us. Three Soft Soul mages from their side fell today,¡± Ellien reported with a slight smile.
¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Jemin nodded, ¡°But we wouldn¡¯t be able to continue suffering these kinds of losses. When are the forces from Veloria and Delovan arriving?¡±
¡°The Velorian Kingdom shouldn¡¯t be more than a few days away still. I suspect that they are taking their time in order to make us suffer the brunt of this war,¡± Ellien said.
¡°It seems like even with the crown prince on our side, that king doesn¡¯t want to throw his lot in with us completely yet,¡± Jemin said with narrowed eyes.
¡°It¡¯s natural for them to act this way,¡± Ormell said, shaking his head, ¡°I¡¯m sure they are smart enough to give us an explanation and show some goodwill in the coming fights. We can¡¯t be arrogant enough to take on all of Shiora alone.¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Jemin muttered, ¡°What about Delovan?¡±
¡°It shouldn¡¯t take long before their ships arrive. We have yet to receive word,¡± Ellien responded.
¡°I suppose we can¡¯t count on them until the final battle,¡± Ormell said with a sigh, ¡°I guess we can¡¯t be too greedy. That Onden has a war of his own to fight.¡±
¡°What about Adion Remori?¡± Jimen asked.
Ormell also turned to look at Ellien curiously.
¡°We have succeeded in capturing him,¡± Ellien reported with a smile, ¡°It caused a lot more disturbance than planned, unfortunately, so the Academy will probably figure out we were behind this soon enough.¡±
¡°That Headmaster was always going to figure it out,¡± Omell shrugged, ¡°As long as we have him, it doesn¡¯t matter if we suffer the enmity of Cyalis. That was inevitable from the start.¡±
¡°I take it they have set sail. Are they going to our outpost in the Saba Desert as planned?¡± Jemin asked.
¡°Yes, they are already on their way there,¡± Ellien nodded.
¡°And everything that girl reported was true?¡± Jemin questioned.
¡°¡®That and more¡¯ were the words I received in response,¡± Ellien said with a bright smile.
¡°Oh?¡± Jemin raised his eyebrows, intrigued, ¡°I almost want to head over there and take a look myself.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll have time for that when the Valis Kingdom is under our control,¡± Ormell said. He turned to Ellien and instructed, ¡°Have the people from Cyalis come over as soon as they can. We need to put our focus here. We can¡¯t afford to be careless.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Ellien nodded solemnly.
¡°Are you sure about that order, Ormell?¡± Jemin questioned, ¡°You know how important that kid is. We should keep sufficient strength there to prevent any accidents.¡±
¡°Who can find that place in the middle of nowhere? He¡¯ll still be there once we¡¯ve finished up here,¡± Ormell said.
¡°Very well,¡± Jemin nodded and dropped the issue.
¡°You can return and rest, Ellien,¡± Ormell said.
¡°Thank you, Hard Soul Ormell,¡± Ellien said with a bow. But he didn¡¯t leave immediately.
Ormell noticed his hesitance and questioned, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there something else?¡±
¡°This¡forgive my curiosity. I¡¯m wondering what is so special about this Adion Remori? I was actually the one who found the formation at the Remori manor a few years ago, and it wasn¡¯t until recently that I found out someone managed to escape.¡±
¡°Oh? So that was you,¡± Ormell said with a nod, ¡°You have earned yourself a good merit. I suppose I can let you in on a few secrets. As for why we are interested in the Remori kid, it relates to why we are interested in Shiora at all.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Ellien perked up in rapt attention.
Ormell smiled and continued explaining, ¡°You see, at first, we simply wanted to integrate ourselves here. It was fine to take things slow. This continent can¡¯t compare to Quemer, after all. But once we found out about the formation¡well, we quickly surmised that it concerned a teleportation formation. Something like that is completely unheard of back on Quemer, but it¡¯s not impossible to appear on Shiora. Back during the Age of Wonder, there was a secretive sect, I don¡¯t know much about it, but I know they possessed powers related to space.
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¡°These were all rumors before, and couldn¡¯t be confirmed. Besides, even if it was true, that was long ago. How can we hope to find remains from so long ago on a continent so large? Everything might have been destroyed during the great calamity that ended the Age of Wonder.
¡°But with the appearance of the teleportation formation, a seed of ambition was born in the upper echelons of our organization. Since a teleportation formation can be found, why wouldn¡¯t other space-related treasures appear? Even if we can¡¯t find anything else, just the ability to replicate the teleportation formation would allow us to reach a new height back on Quemer.
¡°Needless to say, since we have the ability to take it for ourselves. Why would we let these ignorant people from Shiora take hold of it?
¡°The problem we face is, of course, that space is truly too mysterious of an element. It will take a lot of time for us to crack this formation. That is where Adion Remori comes in, if what we have heard is correct, and it seems like it is. He not only has the ability to freeze space, he can even teleport. Coupled with a few other clues, it is safe to say that Adion somehow has a core of the space element. I have no idea how that came to be, or how he learned to use his powers when he was just a sparkless kid of a 2nd tier family a few years ago. But that will all be clear to us soon, won¡¯t it?
¡°Not only will we be able to solve the mystery of the teleportation formation, but we might even be able to go even further!¡±
¡°I see,¡± Ellien nodded with wide eyes.
¡°It¡¯s truly a shame that there is such enmity between us and him. He would have made an excellent member of our organization,¡± Jemin said with a sigh.
Ellien seemed to tense up slightly at those words.
¡°Hehe,¡± Ormell chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. What you did had to be done. Otherwise, we would never have gotten our hands on the formation. And we¡¯ll be able to get what we want from him in the end, either way. He might be reluctant at first, but he¡¯s just a kid in the end. We have our ways.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Ellien said with a nod.
Even if he remains hardheaded, since he possesses a space core, then his children should inherit a space spark. It will take a while to bring them up and for them to be of any use, but that¡¯s fine. A few space mages loyal to Heavenly Light are worth the wait.
I¡¯ll have to be on the lookout for some suitable partners.
¡°Thank you for satisfying my curiosity, Hard Soul Ormell. I will take my leave,¡± Ellien said with a bow before he turned to walk away.
¡°You really think he has a space core?¡± Jemin asked.
¡°It¡¯s either that or two Gifts that are incredibly powerful and space-related. That would almost be more shocking. Besides, since we received confirmation of his abilities, and they even seem to surmount our expectations, I don¡¯t doubt he has a space core.¡±
¡°I suppose,¡± Jemin nodded, ¡°Anyway. Even with all of that going our way, it won¡¯t be easy for us in the coming years. We can¡¯t forget our objective of controlling this continent before the time limit.¡±
Ormell frowned. Jemin¡¯s words reminded him that they lacked time. No matter how much progress they had in their exploration of space magic, it wouldn¡¯t affect their organization¡¯s strength for a long time.
It¡¯s truly unfortunate. It would have been much easier if we could take our time here.
Then again, this makes it more exciting.
¡°By the way¡Hard Soul Ormell,¡± Jemin looked at Ormell hesitantly. Ormell was slightly surprised to hear Jemin referring to him in that way. ¡°Do you know the details of what has been going on lately? There are a lot of things that don¡¯t make sense to me. Why are we in such a rush to finish our business here?¡±
Ormell nodded in understanding. Even if Jemin was a Hard Soul mage just like him, he was a few centuries younger, so he naturally didn¡¯t have the status and connection Omell had. Even if he had slightly better potential.
¡°Not even I know all of it¡¡± Ormell said in a low voice, ¡°The Immortals are extremely secretive about it. But this matter can¡¯t be kept secret for too long. People are already starting to talk, and the Immortal Saint has shared a few details with my brother-in-law.¡±
Ormell turned to look at Jemin with a solemn look, ¡°Let me ask you. What if, when we found Shiora thousands of years ago, there weren¡¯t just a few savage tribes of weak mages? What if there were Empires and Kingdoms here no less impressive than those on Quemer?¡±
¡°What are you talking about?¡±Jemin asked with a frown.
¡°I¡¯m saying that the fact that we have the Tower of Sages might have led us to believe that Quemer used to be the center of the world. The state we found Shiora in has reinforced this image, but¡What if that¡¯s actually not the case? What if there are other continents that are not just as powerful as Quemer, but even more so?¡±
¡°Ormell, speak clearly, please. Has another continent been found?¡± Jemin asked.
¡°No,¡± Ormell said, shaking his head, ¡°But we might have been found.¡±
¡°We have been found?¡± Jemin slowly repeated to himself.
¡°I¡¯m just talking without actually knowing anything. Don¡¯t put too much thought into it. I just let my imagination run a little wild,¡± Ormell said with a shrug.
¡°How can you be so relaxed? If this is true, then, then¡what the hell are we doing here?¡± Jemin asked.
¡°We are here because those are our orders,¡± Ormell said with a chuckle, ¡°And we don¡¯t need to think about anything else for now. The higher-ups will handle it. And I don¡¯t really think this is necessarily a bad thing.¡±
¡°How so?¡± Jemin asked.
¡°When we found Shiora, we conquered it in full force. It was only when we found it lacked in comparison to Quemer that we stopped caring so much. If another continent really has the kind of strength the captured scouts claim, wouldn¡¯t we know it already?¡±
¡°That makes some sense,¡± Jemin nodded.
Ormell noticed Jemin¡¯s fists were clenched, and his eyes seemed full of vigor.
¡°Excited?¡± Ormell asked with a smile.
¡°It¡¯s a little hard not to be, right?¡± Jemin asked.
¡°Hahaha!¡± Ormell laughed heartily, ¡°I agree. It wouldn¡¯t do if I passed away without some action. Even if the future holds danger, it definitely won¡¯t be boring!¡±
¡°We should finish up and stabilize our position here as soon as possible,¡± Jemin said with a smile, ¡°We will definitely start sending exploration teams again. I don¡¯t want to miss it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re motivated,¡± Ormell smiled.
How I envy the young. Ormell thought when he looked at the man beside him. Ormell himself didn¡¯t even have a century left before his time was up.
I guess I should consider myself lucky enough to be able to witness this new era.
Even something like another continent like Shiora would make great changes. But I have a feeling it won¡¯t be so simple this time around.
No matter how much I try to caution myself, I can¡¯t help but feel excited!
Chapter 165 - New era II
It¡¯s too hot. Summer is always bad, but this summer is the worst summer.
Is it because last winter was the best winter?
White jumped across the shades of the forest, trying to avoid the sunlight. It didn¡¯t make much difference, but White thought it might annoy the sun.
Serves it right for melting all the snow.
White leaped forward at a quick pace, before he suddenly stopped to look around.
Where should I go now? King Owl- No, his name is Fellion. Right.
But King Owl is a much better name?
I¡¯m so far away from him, so I¡¯ll call him King Owl for now.
White glanced to the side and noticed the aura of a few beasts, but they were Silver beasts, so White wasn¡¯t interested in fighting them.
Of course, White is the best name. It¡¯s the color of snow! And the color of me!
Adion must be a genius to think of such a name.
It¡¯s a shame his name is so bad¡Maybe I can name him! I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t think about that. I need to pick something good, something as good as White.
White arrived below a giant tree, the biggest he had seen for days. The terrain had been getting rockier, and it had been harder to find patches of forest for the past weeks. He conjured up some snow in its shadow and laid down to take a short rest.
It¡¯s been so long, and I still haven¡¯t found where the humans are. King Owl said they were to the east, and he pointed to¡I can¡¯t remember. I¡¯ll just keep going the same way. It¡¯s been cooler since it got rockier. Maybe there is winter further ahead?
I really hope the worst summer ends soon. I miss best winter.
Will next winter be best winter again? Maybe even better? Impossible. How can it be better than best winter?
White soon closed his eyes and fell asleep.
He woke up a few hours later, the snow below him had melted, and White couldn¡¯t help but feel aggrieved.
Stupid summer melted my snow when I wasn¡¯t looking.
Just wait until winter comes back. I¡¯ll see if you dare melt my snow then.
White took off once more, continuing to head in the direction where it seemed to be rockier.
King Owl said I can make my snow colder if I figure something out. His words were really complicated, though¡Why couldn¡¯t he just explain it simpler?
White stopped and conjured a patch of snow.
Colder! Be colder, snow!
White looked at his conjured snow for a few minutes to see if there were any results.
Did it work?
White walked up to the snow and felt it with his paws.
It¡¯s really cold! As expected of me.
But what if it was colder?
White refused to give up and continued to conjure snow while trying to convince it to be colder. After a few hours, White couldn¡¯t help but feel exhausted, however.
It¡¯s this feeling again. King Owl said I should rest when I feel like this and continue when I feel better.
White once again found a small tree to rest in its shade. He didn¡¯t always spend his days trying out new ways to use his magic, only when he felt like it. Most days were just for traveling and fighting other Gold beasts.
A few hours later, White woke up to find that it had gotten dark.
Not even when the sun is gone does it feel cold. This really is the worst summer. I knew I wasn¡¯t wrong!
White got up and continued traveling, forgetting about his goal of making his snow colder.
He continued traveling, and the terrain was getting rockier and rockier. After a few more days, White couldn¡¯t even find trees anymore.
White wasn¡¯t in a hurry, though. He had been traveling for years already. When Adion had left a few years ago, White decided to wait for him, because he had told him that he would come visit. But he had waited for a whole month without seeing him!
King Owl said I had to be patient. But even after two months, Adion didn¡¯t come to visit. Was King Owl wrong? But he is really smart¡
Maybe he can be wrong and smart.
Either way, Adion will have to make it up to me for making me wait so long. If he gives me something good to eat, I¡¯ll give him a good name.
¡Okay, I¡¯ll give him a good name either way because he gave me such a good name.
Hehe, I wonder if he has any new stories. I¡¯ll surprise him with my own story! I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be happy. I¡¯ve thought about it for a long time. Even King Owl thought it was a good story. I defeated so many Draconis Squirrels that he is bound to be impressed!
White forgot his grievances quickly as he thought about meeting Adion again.
Days came and went, and the terrain kept changing. It wasn¡¯t long before White realized that not only was the terrain now completely mountainous, it was even starting to get slightly colder.
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It¡¯s really winter over there!
White hurried on, forgetting all else except going toward the place he felt the cold from at the fastest possible speed. Only when he was exhausted did he conjure some snow and lay down to rest. And it wasn¡¯t long before the snow remained when he woke up.
The sun has been so arrogant lately. What about now! Can¡¯t melt my snow even when I keep my eyes off you.
White continued his journey. Soon enough, he noticed that snow was starting to cover the ground in a thin layer, and it got deeper and deeper as he continued.
He also realized that the beasts in the surrounding area had become fewer and fewer, and now he hadn¡¯t felt the presence of another beast for days.
How come no one is here? This is obviously the best place to be.
Could it be the strange feeling?
There was a strange feeling in the air, but White didn¡¯t think it was bad. It reminded him of the feeling surrounding a mountain close to where he was born, but this feeling was a lot stronger.
Strange feeling or not. Coldness can never be bad!
White continued his journey as it got colder and colder, and after a few more days journey, he could finally sense that he had arrived at the coldest place. If he continued in any direction, it would get warmer again.
No one would believe it was the middle of a record-hot summer at this place. Snow covered the ground as far as he could see.
White looked up into the sky and then down toward the ground.
Is it colder down there? I should look! Maybe it¡¯s something even colder than my snow. If so, I¡¯ll tell my snow to be more like that, and I won¡¯t have to think so hard.
White immediately started digging. Even if the ground was frozen hard, it was nothing in front of a Gold beast.
It wasn¡¯t long before White¡¯s body couldn¡¯t be seen any longer, as he dug deeper and deeper and could feel that the ground below him was colder and colder.
It¡¯s so cold!
White dug in with another paw, but this time, something different happened. The ground began to shake, and White felt it was on the verge of collapsing.
How can this be?
Suddenly, White felt that there was nothing to support his weight anymore as the ground gave way, and he started falling into the darkness below.
Another sky below the ground!
Fortunately, he didn¡¯t fall very far, and even if he suffered some pain as he crashed on the cave floor, he wasn¡¯t injured.
It¡¯s just a cave¡Whatever, when I tell this story to Adion, I¡¯ll say there is a second sky below the ground, and a second ground below that! I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll love the story more that way!
But¡I shouldn¡¯t lie, either.
Whatever. A cave is also a story. Especially one this cold!
The whole cave was covered in ice, so it was obviously cold. But what was strange was that no matter how White thought about it, it shouldn¡¯t be cold to this extent. It was like the ice, and even the air around him was filled to the brim with some sort of coldness that it didn¡¯t usually have.
This cold reminds me of the cold around the snow that the elders conjure¡
Is this what King Owl was talking about? Can I make my snow cold like this?
White slowly stepped forward. He glanced around the cave, but besides the ice, he couldn¡¯t see anything to explain why it was so cold.
The cave was dark, but thanks to the hole that White had arrived through, there was enough light for him to see.
He felt that the source of the coldness came from something further inside the cave, so he approached it. But this time, he didn¡¯t rush forward. He took one slow step at a time.
The strangeness in the air is even stranger¡Is this what it feels like for those other beasts who don¡¯t dare come here?
I think I understand now. This strangeness isn¡¯t bad, but¡it¡¯s not good either. It almost makes me shiver for some reason.
Should I approach?
White stopped. He was in a dilemma.
Should I listen to the strangeness, or to the coldness?
It didn¡¯t take long for White to decide. He continued walking forward.
The strangeness isn¡¯t that bad! It¡¯s at least not as bad as the coldness is good!
Step by step. Even with his determination, White still took it slowly. He could only see ice all around him. After a while, he could see the outline of the back of the cave.
Strangely enough, there was no ice there. It had come to an abrupt halt, and the back of the cave was covered only in rocks. But White didn¡¯t think that meant it wasn¡¯t cold there. He could feel that it was a lot colder there than the ice he was currently stepping on.
But White didn¡¯t pay any attention to that, because in the back of the cave was the strangest sight White had ever seen.
It was a huge ribcage.
Even a hundred Snow White Wolves could fit inside.
That¡¯s¡a big beast. That strangeness makes sense now. It is the strangest thing I¡¯ve ever seen.
White¡¯s legs were shivering, the strangeness in the air seemed to tell him not to advance. But White didn¡¯t want to stop. He continued walking forward.
When he got to the area where the ice no longer covered the ground, something shocking happened. White felt cold for the first time in his life.
Is this¡what it feels like to be cold?
It¡¯s¡unpleasant. It¡¯s almost like being warm. How can coldness not be comfortable? Is there such a coldness?
White was still trembling from the strangeness in the air, but he was suddenly a lot more excited.
This¡this is coldness!
White continued walking forward, step by step. Frost covered his fur. It didn¡¯t take long until he was shivering from the cold. When he arrived under the rib cage, the cold had seeped into his bones. His body was in pain from the cold. But that only made him more excited.
So¡cold.
I am trembling from strangeness. I am trembling from cold. I am trembling from excitement.
Which one is strongest?
White looked up at the ribcage that formed a dome around him. But he knew that most of the coldness he felt didn¡¯t come from the bones.
He looked down on the ground. A few feet in front of him was a small puddle. Barely the size of his paw. It was the color of the strangest blue he had ever seen, and he somehow felt that it was the true color of coldness.
Just looking at it might make someone assume it was a strange kind of water, but White felt the vitality from it. He knew it was blood.
Is this blood? From this giant creature?
How could it be so cold?
White stared at the puddle of blood for a few moments before he took another step forward.
I want it.
I want to have that coldness.
Not even the sun would be a problem if I have this coldness.
Step by step, White approached the puddle.
When he finally got there, his body had stopped shivering. The cold he felt was far past shivering.
He bent down and slowly reached out with his tongue.
I will become colder than the sun is warm!
Chapter 166 - New era III
Vermon stared down at Elder Kilth, who was lying in a bed in front of him with a pale expression. Behind were all the Elders of the Council, and a solemn silence filled the room.
¡°Elder Kilth¡¡± Vermon muttered, ¡°I knew you were ambitious, meddling in things outside the Academy. But I always assumed you knew where to draw the line.¡±
¡°Headmaster, I¡¡± Elder Kilth¡¯s voice was shaky as he spoke, and he looked completely lost, ¡°I never could have imagined. I know I crossed a line to accept the request of an outside power, but I followed the regulations. I always do. I know I like to play around the rules, and that is something I shouldn¡¯t have done. But never in my life have I even considered betraying the Academy.¡±
¡°I believe you. Otherwise, the Oath would have killed you,¡± Vermon said calmly.
Elder Kilth breathed out slightly in relief, but he was still tense.
¡°That¡¯s why the kind of Oaths we have to swear are so effective,¡± Vermon continued, ¡°Intent matters, but so does effect. It truly is a marvelous form of magic. I can tell just by the state of you that you had no intention of betraying the Academy, because you would be dead. But there is no arguing that you have betrayed us nonetheless.
¡°Headmaster,¡± Elder Kilth¡¯s voice turned shakier, ¡°I know there are no excuses. The result of my carelessness this time is truly unforgivable. I swear to change my ways. I will exert every effort of my being to repent to the Academy for the rest of my life. I will let my family clan, the Shields, and every other power I have a relation to know that there will be no more favors. Only the benefit of the Academy will sway my mind.¡±
The atmosphere in the room turned extremely gloomy. Everyone in there could tell that Elder Kilth was now begging for his life.
Vermon could tell that the people behind him were slightly surprised. After all, Elder Kilth was an Elder like them and, until recently, was a Hard Soul mage. He had never been one to grovel. Many would even describe him as haughty. Even when facing Vermon, he wouldn¡¯t be excessively polite.
But soon, everyone behind Vermon came back to reality and understood the gravity of the situation. No matter the circumstances, Elder Kilth had betrayed the Academy.
Vermon wasn¡¯t surprised by Elder Kilth¡¯s pleading tone or attempts at reconciliation. Because even if Vermon was calm on the outside, he knew that Elder Kilth could feel the danger emanated from Vermon¡¯s eyes.
¡°Life¡¡± Vermon said, almost in a whisper. No one was sure if he talked to himself or addressed them all. ¡°We all make choices, and those choices have consequences. If the very same actions you took when you helped the Amyss family at the Hesfym family¡¯s behest didn¡¯t result in any consequences, I would say nothing. But that¡¯s not the case.
¡°You have, as you said, liked to play with the rules. It has benefited you to be careless when everything went according to your plan. You have reaped those rewards for many years. This time¡you went too far. Or perhaps you were unlucky. Either way, you have reaped the rewards, and now you must suffer the punishment.¡±
¡°Headmaster, I¡I am truly sorry,¡± Elder Kilth said, his voice matching the low volume of the Headmaster. It was almost as if the two ignored the other Elders in the room. ¡°I will accept my punishment. I will accept being locked up for the rest of my life. Never to see the light of day. I only ask that you let me contribute to the Academy, continuing my research. I can only redeem myself by doing so.¡±
Those words¡really make it difficult for me to keep my resolve.
He knew that if he took it to a vote, he would have the support of the other Elders to punish Elder Kilth just as he had suggested. But even if Elder Kilth had no ill intent, the consequences were too severe this time. At least to Vermon himself.
¡°You have already done enough for the Academy,¡± Vermon said, shaking his head. ¡°I won¡¯t forget your meticulous deeds over the years. I can promise you that. But no matter how I feel about it. You have betrayed the Academy, Elder Kilth. That¡¯s irrefutable. And you will pay for it with your life.¡±
The room turned silent. Even these powerful mages couldn¡¯t help but tremble slightly at those words.
¡°I will make sure your work is published under your name,¡± Vermon continued, ¡°And you will be recorded as having perished while fighting for the Academy. If you have any last words, please speak them now.¡±
Elder Kilth stopped trembling, and slowly, as Vermon spoke, he laid his head down on the pillow, and a calm smile appeared on his face.
¡°That¡¯s just as well. I¡¯ve lived so long now. It¡¯s time to move on. I truly am sorry, Headmaster Vermon. I hope you know that. Thank you for everything over the years. You have done so much for me over the years and now¡I won¡¯t ask for forgiveness. I don¡¯t deserve it.¡±
No one spoke, and Vermon could see Elder Kilth¡¯s eyes tear up. But the smile was still there.
¡°I have lived a good life. I made a lot of mistakes. Now, the reasons I made those decisions truly seem ridiculous. What a strange clarity I can see everything with.¡±
Elder Kilth turned to look at the Vermon, and he met his eyes.
¡°Even with the mistakes. I feel proud of the life I¡¯ve lived. I did well. I did the best with what I had.¡±
He turned to the Elders behind Vermon and continued, ¡°Thank you all. If there is a place beyond, I¡¯ll set things up for you in advance, so we can enjoy a drink together when the time comes. I¡¯d like to hear all about how you crushed Heavenly Light and brought glory to the Academy. If we don¡¯t beat those Academies on Quemer by then, I will truly laugh at you, and the drinks will be on you, so work hard.¡±
No one spoke in response, but every single one of the Elders behind Vermon bowed in respect. For most of them, it was probably over a century since they last bowed so low to anyone. But even Elders who were past enemies had no hesitation in them to send Elder Kilth off with honor.
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¡°I thought it would be a shameful death, considering the circumstances. Only you could go out with such dignity. You have truly surprised me til the end,¡± Vermon said heartfully.
Elder Kilth smiled, ¡°If someone from my family clan enters the Academy, please make sure to educate them so they can turn into better people than me. Even if they are unruly, give them a chance. They are kids, after all.¡±
¡°I will,¡± Vermon nodded.
¡°Thank you,¡± Elder Kilth said and closed his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m ready to go now.¡±
Vermon approached his side and put his hand on the side of Elder Kilth¡¯s head.
I came here in a fury. I wanted nothing more than to kill you¡
Who would have thought that I could change so quickly.
Perhaps I needed to hear it. It doesn¡¯t feel so heavy anymore.
¡°Thank you for your service. Cyalis Academy won¡¯t forget you,¡± Vermon said. Then, he immediately conjured an arrow of water filled with powerful concepts and sent it into Elder Kilth¡¯s head. He didn¡¯t resist, and he died on the spot.
Vermon looked down on the face below as it slowly drained of colors. He watched him with a complicated expression on his face.
After a few moments of silence, Vermon took a step backward and bowed deeply as well.
No matter what, you did a lot for the Academy. And, in a way, you were loyal until the end.
I will find the true culprits and take my rage out on them.
After a minute of silence, Vermon turned around to look at the Elders. They watched him with a solemn expression. They knew that the future wouldn¡¯t be peaceful.
¡°Prepare the funeral,¡± Vermon ordered, ¡°Elder Kilth died while fighting against Heavenly Light in Cyalis for the sake of the Academy. If anyone here refutes it in public or reveals the truth, they will be looked upon as a traitor to the Academy.¡±
¡°Yes, Headmaster,¡± The Elders all voiced out and bowed.
I¡¯ve been keeping to myself for too long. A scene like this would never have occurred before Heavenly Light acted.
It¡¯s not a bad feeling.
¡°Will we be announcing our stance on the matter?¡± Elder Herten asked.
¡°I know I was a little¡rash and angry when I returned. I¡¯m sorry about that. I¡¯m more clearheaded now.¡± Vermon said, deciding to clear up a few things.
Vermon had really been furious when he heard that Adion was taken by Heavenly Light, a scheme pulled off by spies from the Academy and powerful mages from Quemer. He had not even given the matter of the Elixir of Life being stolen much thought, even if that would have definitely shaken the Academy to the core at any other time. Someone actually dares come in to kill and steal in his Academy. How could he not feel humiliated?
But nothing could anger him more than returning to find out Adion was missing.
Vermon had seen the situation in the Valis Kingdom, and it exceeded all his expectations. Heavenly Light really came prepared. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t been able to get Adion¡¯s great-aunt out of there. She didn¡¯t want to leave the Kingdom in its moment of crisis. Vermon had no choice but to respect her decision. But she asked him to take her grandchildren with him. They were too weak to contribute either way. Seeing as they were related to Adion, Vermon didn¡¯t refuse. He was sure Adion would be furious if he had.
But little did he expect to receive a voice transmission with news of a large battle in Cyalis. Heavenly Light had attacked and kidnapped his disciple.
As soon as he had returned, he had yelled out in fury that the dogs of Heavenly Light better hide because he would hang them all from the city walls. The entire city shivered in fear that day.
I really should have been a little more composed.
¡°I will hold a speech when we bury Elder Kilth, I will announce our intentions to the Academy at that point. We can spread word of the Council¡¯s decision after that,¡± Vermon instructed, ¡°We will tell the powers of Shiora that they can choose to stand on Cyalis or Heavenly Light¡¯s side. This is no time for neutrality. If they are not with us, they are against us.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that a little too harsh? I¡¯m not sure it will land well. The Noble families are incredibly proud, not to mention the Royal families. It¡¯s hard to believe they want to get involved in a war that doesn¡¯t concern them,¡± Elder Fesora said.
¡°Thankfully, they have the Valis Kingdom as an example. If they can fall, so can everyone else. They can refuse, of course, but don¡¯t think about stepping foot on Cyalis or sending their children to our Academy. Not even the Alago Empire would dare say they can take on the rest of the continent. They need allies,¡± Vermon said.
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Elder Fesora nodded, ¡°How was Heavenly Light''s strength? Did you get a good look?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t see any Pure Soul mages and only the auras of two Hard Soul mages. But their truly terrifying might is in their huge number of Silver, Gold, and Diamond mages. And I refuse to believe I saw all of their forces,¡± Vermon answered.
¡°Are they from Quemer?¡± Elder Fesora asked.
¡°These new Hard mages should be. But I believe most of their other forces have been recruited from Shiora over the years. Perhaps I should have kept a closer look on them than I have.¡±
Vermon sighed and shook his head, but he didn¡¯t despair. He looked up to the 14 Hard Soul mages in front of him and smiled.
¡°Either way, I believe they have looked down on Cyalis. It¡¯s true we spend most of our time behind these walls reading and researching. But we have always pointed out the importance of strength. It is time to show the world that now,¡± Vermon said.
He could see most of the Elders smiling at those words. Even if Heavenly Light was surprisingly strong and shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. Cyalis had more Soul mages than anyone could possibly imagine. Several thousand Silver mages graduated from their Academy every year. That¡¯s not something Heavenly Light can compare to.
¡°Once the funeral is completed and we have declared our intention to the world, we will hold a public execution of the spies in the city that we have found. Don¡¯t stop searching for more. We will convene again after that to plan our actions against Heavenly Light.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± The Elders responded.
I¡¯m finally beginning to see some fighting spirit in these guys. They seemed so hesitant at first. It seems I¡¯m not the only one who is looking forward to some battle again.
¡°Good. I¡¯m heading back to my office. Report to me immediately if we receive information on Adion¡¯s whereabouts. I won¡¯t share too much, but you are not stupid people. There was a reason that I accepted him as my disciple, and there is a reason Heavenly Light kidnapped him. In the future, our Academy can soar to unimaginable heights with him on our side.¡±
¡°It¡¯s more than his strength?¡± Elder Fesora asked hesitantly.
¡°Much more,¡± Vermon answered and walked away.
I know they have figured out his space core. But there is no way they could have ever guessed he has Authority over space as a Silver mage. And it¡¯s a more powerful Authority than that of those Immortals.
Hold on, Adion. I¡¯ll find you and bring you home.
Chapter 167 - New era IV
¡°Hasho, are you sure your village is this way?¡± Benji asked hesitantly.
¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure!¡± Hasho said with confidence.
¡°But¡You always say that. It¡¯s been weeks,¡± Sahra said with a sigh.
¡°That¡¯s the way you have to take,¡± Hasho said, ¡°How could anything be so easy to find?¡±
Benji looked at Sarah, and they both shook their heads.
¡°Wait, there it is!¡± Hasho said with a jubilant expression as he pointed behind them.
Benji turned to look but didn¡¯t see anything. It wasn¡¯t long before a roaring laughter sounded behind him.
¡°Hahaha. I can¡¯t believe you fell for it. I tricked you!¡± Hasho exclaimed.
This damn kid¡
Benji turned to look at Lomin, and he could see annoyance even on the patient faelin¡¯s face.
¡°Can you stop with that!¡± Rufus roared, veins starting to show on his face.
¡°Haha, it¡¯s not my fault you are so easy to trick. Not even a five-year-old would fall for that in my village,¡± Hasho said, ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s continue. I¡¯m going to be a hero when I return with you guys. You are so easy to trick!¡±
If there was anything they had learned over the past weeks since they encountered this teenager, it was that he loved to play tricks. It was strange at first, then it became a little annoying. Now, it was almost to the point where they couldn¡¯t take it anymore.
¡°Just¡lead the way,¡± Benji sighed.
¡°Of course, of course,¡± Hasho said, ¡°It¡¯s not far now.¡±
As Hasho turned away and started leading the way again, Rufus walked up to Benji and asked in a low voice, ¡°Benji, are you sure we should keep following this brat? Maybe it¡¯s better to turn around.¡±
¡°I admit he seems a little strange,¡± Benji said with a nod, ¡°But he still seems like a good kid. And the reason we visited the Kuwa Mountains was to adventure and learn of its secrets. He says he¡¯s the first one to ever leave the village, so it has to be a special place. I admit that I¡¯m very curious, and would love to take a look. And I doubt we would be in any danger.¡±
¡°I suppose I¡¯m curious too,¡± Rufus said, ¡°And I doubt Lomin is willing to give up on a potentially good story.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Benji said with a smile, ¡°Besides, I would feel a little bad leaving Hasho to wander home on his own. I really have no idea how he made it so far without being a mage.¡±
¡°He¡¯s extremely lucky,¡± Rufus said, ¡°We have only had to fight once since we met him. Maybe this is an area beasts tend to stay away from?¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Benji nodded, ¡°It would explain how he doesn¡¯t know about mana cores. There is no way for a village to survive without mages unless it''s in an area without beasts.¡±
The group continued walking. By this point, Benji had given up hope of reaching Hasho¡¯s village anytime soon. They had been traveling for two weeks already, and Hasho always said they were close to the village.
Fortunately, Benji and the rest didn¡¯t have to wait for much longer, as they saw wooden walls in front of them two days later. The village was placed in a valley, pressed between two mountainsides.
¡°Here it is!¡± Hasho exclaimed.
¡°It is quite well hidden,¡± Benji commented, ¡°Have there been other outsiders here before?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Hasho said with a shrug, ¡°But there should have been, otherwise there wouldn¡¯t be people knowing Quemerian.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Benji nodded. He knew that there were a lot of places in the Kuwa Mountains that didn¡¯t have contact with the rest of Shiora. But that didn¡¯t mean no one had ever discovered them. The people of Shiora had been exploring the surrounding areas for over a thousand years, after all. So even if they were very deep into the Kuwa Mountains, Benji doubted their group was the first to discover the village.
The wooden gate didn¡¯t have anyone guarding it, and Hasho simply pushed the gate open and entered the village. Benji and the rest followed behind him.
¡°Everyone! I¡¯m back!¡± Hasho called out. He spoke in Shiorin this time, but Benji had studied the language intensely in preparation for their journey to the Kuwa Mountains, so he could understand what they were saying.
¡°Hasho? You¡¯re not dead?¡± a young man asked as he approached the group.
¡°How could I die?¡± Hasho questioned.
¡°But you went outside the village,¡± The young man said.
¡°Haha!¡± Hasho laughed, ¡°Reso, don¡¯t you get it? You¡¯ve been tricked.¡±
¡°Impossible,¡± The young man named Reso said, shaking his head.
¡°Then how do you explain I¡¯ve been able to return alive? There is no danger outside at all. Those old fellas just tell everyone that to trick us!¡± Hasho explained.
¡°That¡I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Reso said.
¡°I¡¯m the only one with a brain in this village,¡± Hasho sighed, ¡°It was such an obvious trick. How could the outside be so dangerous? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯ll soon realize the truth.¡± Hasho turned to Benji and gestured for him and the others to follow him, ¡°Come, I¡¯ll show you that thing I promised. I may be a trickster, but I don¡¯t go back on my word.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Benji nodded. One of the reasons Benji and the others were willing to follow Hasho was because he told them that there was an amazing treasure in the village. While they were extremely doubtful, based on Hasho¡¯s previous actions, it was very likely to be a lie, but they still held some hope that it would turn out to be true.
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Benji and his team followed Hasho. They soon entered deeper into the village and started seeing people moving about, quite a few of them looked at them curiously. Many who recognized Hasho also approached him to talk. The conversations were just repeats of the one he had with Reso earlier.
¡°Just follow me to the Wheel, and you¡¯ll know the truth of it!¡± Hasho finally yelled out angrily when the tenth person in a row refused to believe that the outside wasn¡¯t dangerous.
¡°We won¡¯t fall for that, Hasho. You¡¯re just trying to trick us. It¡¯s not that easy,¡± A young woman said.
¡°Then don¡¯t come,¡± Hasho said and continued walking through the village.
After a while, an eight-year-old girl in dirty and torn clothes approached the group, but she didn¡¯t walk up to Hasho, but Benji.
¡°Mister, do you have anything to eat? I haven¡¯t eaten for days,¡± The girl asked with a pitiable expression.
I guess this scene occurs even in this distant village.
Benji didn¡¯t hesitate and pulled out some of the rations they had with them and gave it to the girl.
¡°Here you go,¡± Benji said with a smile, ¡°If it¡¯s not enough, you can come back for more later.¡±
The girl accepted the food with a bright smile and started laughing, ¡°Haha! You fell for it! I¡¯m not hungry at all.¡±
Benji¡¯s face turned gloomy.
¡°Seriously, how gullible are you?¡± Hasho turned around and asked, ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of one of the village elders. How could she have to beg for food?¡±
¡°I realize how Hasho turned out the way he is,¡± Rufus said in a low voice.
¡°Is everyone in the village like this?¡± Sahra questioned.
¡°Let¡¯s keep in mind to treat everyone like Hasho,¡± Rufus said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be surrounded by a bunch of con men who think of us as gullible idiots.¡±
Everyone nodded their head in agreement.
After around fifteen minutes of walking, the group reached a seemingly deserted part of the village. There were no buildings around, only a few trees and boulders. It was like they had left the village.
At least twenty people were following behind them. Even if everyone contradicted Hasho on the way, there were still a few people who were too curious about Hasho¡¯s words to stay away.
Eventually, they arrived at a small glade, and the view in front of them made Benji and his friends come to a halt and stare in amazement.
¡°What is that?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°It¡¯s not ordinary,¡± Lomin said in a solemn voice.
In the middle of the glade was a large wheel. It was halfway buried in the ground and reached at least 50 feet into the air. It looked like it was made from ordinary stone, but the feeling it gave off made them all refuse to believe that there was anything ordinary about it.
It feels so¡powerful.
¡°Hasho, what is that thing?¡± Benji asked.
¡°It¡¯s the Wheel,¡± Hasho answered like he was looking at an idiot.
¡°What-¡± Benji was about to ask more, but Hasho ignored him and walked up to the giant wheel.
The crowd of people turned quiet as they watched Hasho approach the wheel and place his hand in the center of it.
Suddenly, a wind blew. But it was no ordinary wind. It didn¡¯t affect the leaves on the trees or the blades of grass on the ground. It was like it was blowing yet not blowing. It was a feeling that Benji had never experienced before.
¡°Do you guys also feel it?¡± Rufus asked in a serious voice.
Everyone nodded, and Sahra said, ¡°I feel that something is happening to me, but I don¡¯t know what.¡±
¡°Hahaha!¡± Hasho roared out in laughter as the strange wind stopped blowing, ¡°All those people I¡¯ve tricked, this journey was worth it. I¡¯m going to be the greatest trickster in the world!¡±
¡°Hasho, how did you do that?¡± A middle-aged man asked excitedly.
¡°I¡¯m telling you, the people outside are extremely easy to fool. Not only is there no danger outside, it¡¯s full of gullible people who believe every single thing you say.¡±
¡°You¡¯re tricking us!¡± The middle-aged man exclaimed, ¡°Everyone knows that heading outside is the greatest trick there is. No one has fallen for that for ages. You¡¯re just upset that you fell for it when you headed outside, and now you¡¯re trying to trick us.¡±
¡°Believe what you want,¡± Hasho said with a shrug, a brilliant smile adorning his face. He walked up to Benji, Sahra, Lomin, and Rufus. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll teach you all how to trick people. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡±
¡°Are you trying to trick us again?¡± Rufus asked carefully.
Hasho looked at him in surprise, ¡°You actually didn¡¯t fall for it? Haha, I guess you¡¯re learning. I need to head out again and find other people to trick.¡±
Rufus looked at Benji and said, ¡°I say we get the hell out of here.¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Sahra nodded
¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± Hasho said with a smile, ¡°Wait for a while, and I¡¯ll gather a few friends. They all laughed and called me crazy when I left. I¡¯d like to see what they say now.¡±
¡°Hasho, what is that wheel?¡± Benji asked, ¡°What did it do to us?¡±
¡°The Wheel is the Wheel,¡± Hasho said like it was an obvious thing, ¡°Since you¡¯ve been fooled, you naturally have to pay the price. And since I¡¯m the one who fooled you, I naturally get the reward.¡±
¡°What kind of price did we pay?¡± Benji asked hesitantly.
Hasho put his hand on his chin and pondered how he should explain it, ¡°I don¡¯t know all the details. But basically, my words carry more weight now, and it will be easier to trick people. And your words carry less weight.¡±
¡°Our words will carry less weight?¡± Rufus asked.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Hasho nodded.
Rufus exchanged glances with Benji and the other two.
¡°Should we¡¡± Sahra said hesitantly.
¡°Alright,¡± Benji said with determination, ¡°We¡¯ll go with you and trick some people.¡±
His teammates looked at him in surprise.
¡°What? Don¡¯t you want to figure out what happened to us? It¡¯s only tricking a few people. We can compensate them in some way afterward,¡± Benji reasoned.
¡°You¡¯re right. I refuse to suffer a loss. Whatever we lost, we¡¯ll get back tenfold,¡± Rufus said.
¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Hasho said with a nod, ¡°You have been outside for a long time, so we¡¯ll follow you when we go out.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Benji agreed. They would need Hasho¡¯s help to get to the wheel later anyway.
¡°I really hope we run into Adion somehow. I¡¯d love to see his face when he realizes he¡¯s been tricked by us,¡± Sahra said with a grin.
¡°Maybe this isn¡¯t a good idea, after all,¡± Benji said with slight apprehension. He knew his girlfriend well, and she easily got swept into these kinds of things.
¡°What are you talking about?¡± Sahra questioned, ¡°Stop thinking so much. Let¡¯s go trick some people!¡±
Sahra laughed as she walked away.
Yeah. This is definitely a bad idea.
Chapter 168 - New era V [End of Book 2]
Fellion flew high up in the air, and the scenery below changed as the days passed. Even with his speed, this journey of his had taken weeks.
But this day, Fellion felt something rare. The aura of Soul beasts.
Soul beasts were spread throughout all of the Endless Forest, and Fellion had come into contact with many of them. But they were almost always by themselves, kings of their own area.
This time, however, there were countless of them gathered together in the valley below Fellion. Many of which were as strong, or even stronger, than Fellion.
Looks like Temeron was right. I have a bad feeling about this.
Fellion soon felt a familiar aura and dived down. He landed next to Yshel, a Wind Striped Wolf he had met on several occasions and was on friendly terms with. It had been decades since they last saw each other.
¡°Fellion, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Yshel said as he glanced at Fellion.
Fellion looked around at the large gathering of beasts and walked up to Yshel. ¡°It has,¡± Fellion said with a nod.
¡°Didn¡¯t expect to see you so far up north. You don¡¯t like coming here, as I recall,¡± Yshel said.
¡°I will if the situation calls for it,¡± Fellion said.
¡°Has word spread all the way to your area?¡± Yshel asked.
¡°I heard that something big was about to happen through the wind. I don¡¯t know the details of it, though. Care to fill me in?¡± Fellion asked.
¡°Barmon has called for us all to gather. He has something to announce,¡± Yshel said in a solemn tone.
¡°Has he advanced again?¡± Fellion asked.
¡°That would be very scary. But not very surprising. He surpassed us old ones a long time ago, and he doesn¡¯t seem to be slowing down,¡± Yshel said.
¡°He has the bloodline for it,¡± Fellion said, ¡°But even so¡His rate of advancement shouldn¡¯t be so fast.¡±
¡°He probably carries some secret. No one is that talented. But it has nothing to do with us,¡± Yshel said.
¡°I suppose,¡± Fellion said with a light nod, ¡°If he is just going to make a show of dominance like last time, I¡¯d rather go back.¡±
¡°Who wouldn¡¯t? But it¡¯s not worth offending him for something so small. You¡¯re here now anyway, might as well stay and listen to what he has to say,¡± Yshel said.
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Fellion agreed.
¡°How are things in your area? Have the sapi started acting there yet?¡± Yshel asked.
¡°No. The Black Mountains still keep them back. They have even been pushed back slightly these last few years,¡± Fellion said, ¡°But I heard there was some activity in the Shattered West.¡±
¡°Anything worrying?¡± Yshel asked.
¡°Not really,¡± Fellion said, ¡°I went to take a look, and besides their outpost on one of the islands there, there hasn¡¯t been much progress as far as I can see.¡±
¡°You shouldn¡¯t take it lightly. You are close to the Shattered West, and the sapi are sneaky. You might come to regret it if you are careless,¡± Yshel advised.
¡°You might be right. Thank you,¡± Fellion said.
¡°Any news of the Phoenix?¡± Yshel asked.
Which one?
Fellion hesitated on whether to bring up the Celestial Phoenix or not, and Yshel caught on.
¡°Oh? There is something?¡± Yshel asked.
¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything about the Fire Phoenix since fire got easier to control. There has been no news from Quemer among the sapi either. But¡¡± Fellion hesitated.
¡°What?¡± Yshel pushed.
¡°Have you ever thought that maybe the Fire Phoenix wasn¡¯t a unique existence?¡± Fellion asked.
¡°You mean there was more than one? That shouldn¡¯t be. The humans have preserved pretty convincing records, and nowhere does it mention a second Fire Phoenix. Besides, I don¡¯t think the world would allow a race like that to procreate easily. The world would collapse under their might. Especially considering their ability to be reborn. Can you imagine any other race surviving in a world filled with a race like that? There is always a balance,¡± Yshel argued.
¡°I see,¡± Fellion said, not arguing against Yshel.
¡°You think otherwise?¡± Yshel asked.
¡°I-¡± Fellion was just about to answer when a terrifying aura swept over him, and every beast in the valley quieted down immediately.
Barmon.
He feels a lot stronger. What level has he reached?
The shadows behind the trees and beasts stretched further and grew deeper. Fellion could suddenly feel a vague sense of danger from those dark places.
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Is this¡Authority? But how? Has he already reached such an incredible height?
¡°Beasts of the Endless Forest,¡± A voice rang out. It was smooth and low, and it carried none of the arrogance and aggressiveness that Fellion remembered it by.
Fellion turned up his head and saw a shadowy figure walk out of a cave in the mountain facing the valley.
¡°You did well in gathering here today. I see a lot more beasts have gathered than any of my previous summonings,¡± Barmon spoke calmly, ¡°I bring you a simple message today. Submit, or die.¡±
Fellion felt a shiver run down his back at those domineering words spoken so calmly. The valley of beasts was silent.
¡°As many of you know, the Phoenix has returned,¡± Barmon continued, ¡°I know many of you see it as a blessing to us beasts. Finally, the god of this world, the king of all beasts, has returned. Right?¡±
Barmon looked down at the beasts below, and Fellion could feel how those yellow eyes pierced through his soul as they swept past him.
¡°Wrong,¡± Barmon said, ¡°Has the Phoenix ever cared for us beasts? We call it a beast, and recognize it as one of us. But does the Phoenix have a tribe of its own? Does it take other tribes of beasts under its wings? Has the Phoenix ever cared for the interest of us beasts? As far as I know, the Phoenix sees itself as one of the sapi. It protects the sapi, it guides the sapi, and shares its wisdom with the sapi. It gives its very blood to the sapi in order to increase their strength. Strength they use to slaughter us.
¡°The return of the Phoenix is not a blessing for us beasts. It¡¯s a calamity. If we sit by and wait for the Phoenix to come to our side and guide us, we¡¯ll be left with disappointment and dead brothers and sisters. The Phoenix is not our friend; it''s our enemy.¡±
Finally, some noise could be heard from the beasts in the valley. Obviously, not many beasts agreed with Barmon¡¯s words. Every tribe had always revered the Phoenix. Once, it was the strongest god of this world, the pride and honor of all beasts. Now, Barmon disparaged it, and it obviously dissatisfied many of the beasts gathered.
¡°Disagree if you want. It doesn¡¯t matter. In the end, it all comes down to strength. If the Phoenix came back here with the same strength as in the past, even I would have to bow my head. But I refuse to believe that is the case. The Phoenix has been reborn, but it is still very weak. I refuse to revere someone weak. Especially such a lover of the sapi.
¡°The Phoenix has had its time in this world. And it is time for other beasts to rise up and take its place. We might be limited by our bloodline, but even our bloodline can be changed and strengthened through training, comprehension, and natural treasures. I want to see a new era of gods. I want all of you to stop being content with what you have.
¡°Do you all think I got here by luck? Being born with a special bloodline? How can there be such a good thing in this world? What I have accomplished, you all can as well. The only question is, are you willing? Beasts of the Endless Forest, are you content with your place in this world? With the legacy you will leave behind to your tribe? Are you content with waiting for the Phoenix to tell you your place? To be nothing but a pet to the sapi? To be enslaved? Or do you wish for more? Do you wish to hear your race¡¯s name spread through the world? Do you want to bring glory to your ancestors and pride to your descendants?¡±
A large roar spread out in the valley, as almost every beast there had felt the words Barmon spoke hit close to home.
¡°Do you wish to become gods with me?¡± Barmon asked.
An even larger roar rang out through the valley, and Fellion was sure it could be heard from miles away.
¡°From today, I will be the leader of the beasts in the Endless Forest. I will lead you to glory. The name of my Moonlight Panther has already spread throughout this continent. Who is going to be next?¡±
A wild roar answered his question, as everyone here wanted their lineage to advance to the next level.
¡°Bow,¡± Barmon said in a calm voice. It didn¡¯t sound commanding at all. But his words were law.
I really shouldn¡¯t have come here. Fellion thought with a sigh. But he still bowed in the end, as did every other beast in the valley.
There is nothing to do about it. A wise owl submits to the circumstances.
Adion woke up and immediately felt the pain.
Agh! Damn!
His back felt awful. He was lying on his crushed shoulder blade. It was slightly better than when he had passed out, but it was in no way healed.
But even worse than the pain was the thirst. It was hot in the room Adion was in, and he didn¡¯t know how long it had been since he last had something to drink.
Adion wanted nothing more than to get up. Unfortunately, he was unable to move. The space around him was completely frozen. He couldn¡¯t fight it. Only the space around his head was free, so he could still breathe.
The space artifact¡
Where am I? Why did they take me away?
Did Sell get away?
Amelia took her, so she should be safe.
That¡¯s good. I need to focus on myself now.
It was completely dark in whatever room Adion was in, so he got no clue from that. But the smell and the bobbing motion told him he was on a ship.
Please tell me they aren¡¯t taking me to Quemer. No one will be able to find me there.
I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. I need to rely on myself to get out of here.
Adion felt that his Will had recovered, but his core was still empty from mana because of the strange collar that had been put around his neck.
They aren¡¯t taking any chances, are they? I guess my teleportation can be a pain to deal with.
What am I supposed to do in this situation? It would be great if I could just teleport out without anyone noticing. But they have taken every precaution against me.
Wait¡Do I really need my mana? I have Authority. And there is no way they know about that.
Adion focused on the space around him and tried to make it move.
Ah¡It¡¯s really hard to grab hold of it. It seems like someone with an incredibly strong Will has taken control of that artifact. That¡¯s the only way to explain it.
But I¡¯m not giving up that easily.
You want to compete with me in control over space? Bring it on!
So what if you have an ancient artifact and the Will of a Soul mage? I refuse to believe I¡¯ll lose.
Adion didn¡¯t begin immediately, though. He focused on the pure mana right above his head and slowly changed it into water mana. He then conjured it into water and felt how a drop formed and fell down into his mouth.
It¡¯s a good chance to practice my water magic. Now, I don¡¯t have to worry about anything until I begin to starve.
I have already found a way to increase my Authority, and right now, I have nothing but time.
Let¡¯s see how long it will take me to get out of this. I definitely won¡¯t lose to some artifact.
Space! Obey me!
End of Book 2
Chapter 169 - Battlefield [Start of Book 3]
Sellitha watched the scorched earth in front of her, and something caught her eye. It was a body. Or, well, only the skeleton remained. It must have been missed by the people responsible for clearing the battlefield. Sellitha felt no need to tell anyone about it, though. She didn¡¯t think anyone there deserved her sympathies, even if the praxis of Cyalis was to bury all the dead.
She looked up at the sun and conjured a ball of flames in her hand. The fire in her hand was a lot warmer than the sun, but she knew that was only because her fire was right next to her. She was nowhere close to grasping the sort of hotness emitted from the sun.
But she still liked to compare the two from time to time, hoping to gain something from it. She knew of no better source of inspiration for her fire, especially in a summer as hot as this.
Only a few weeks until fall arrives. It will probably get cooler from now on. Oh well, there is always next summer.
And maybe I will be able to notice something different in a cooler season. I¡¯ve never thought that much about it before, after all.
Sellitha took a seat on the ground, not minding dirtying her uniform. She manipulated the fire using her Authority. It was hard to distinguish Authority from regular fire control unless she took it too far. And she always kept in mind that someone could be watching, so she didn¡¯t make her fire do anything impressive. She only used her Authority not to waste her Will.
I have to keep in mind to put it down after a while. There are a lot of people around.
I can¡¯t be as careless as Adion.
Sellitha smiled as the memory of that time surfaced in her mind. Adion had been so happy to study her fire that he had completely forgotten how weird his ability looked from the outside. He controlled her fire for a ridiculously long time, seemingly without struggle.
He is so stupid.
Sellitha put down her fire again. She didn¡¯t want to push it. A normal fire mage couldn¡¯t keep control over their fire for very long without having to fight against the Will of the world.
She decided to practice once she got back to the Academy again. She had been improving at a much faster rate ever since she got the Fire Phoenix Wisdom Pill from Adion. The difference between struggling to keep control over fire for even a minute and controlling it for hours without effort speaks for itself.
Sellitha lay down on the ground and closed her eyes. She enjoyed feeling the sun on her face.
I wonder what he¡¯s doing now. I hope he¡¯s alright and hasn¡¯t suffered too much.
It¡¯s been so long without any news¡
Sellitha shook her head to clear her mind. She knew nothing good would come from following that train of thought. The only way to change things was to grow stronger.
¡°Sell, we¡¯re getting ready to move,¡± Ailera¡¯s voice sounded from behind her.
Sellitha sat back up and looked behind her. Ailera was walking up the small hill Sellitha was sitting on.
¡°Did we find out anything?¡± Sellitha asked, failing at hiding the anxiousness in her voice.
¡°They have only just started the interrogation,¡± Ailera said with a sad smile, ¡°And the strongest mage was only a Diamond mage. I doubt he knows anything.¡±
Sellitha knew that, of course. But it was hard not to hope for a miracle.
Cyalis had captured hundreds of members from Heavenly Light since the war started. They even got their hands on a few Soul mages. But none of them knew anything about Adion.
Considering that he had been missing for two months already, and that Cyalis had spared no effort in trying to find him, it was hard not to have dark thoughts.
Cyalis had even set an extremely generous reward for anyone willing to offer information that could lead to finding him. It could be said that the entire continent was on the look out for any shadow of him. But so far, there was nothing.
¡°I¡¯m sure something will turn up sooner or later,¡± Ailera said with a comforting smile, ¡°And Adion is not weak. We all thought he was dead when Heavenly Light attacked our family manor all those years ago. But even when he was a sparkless 12-year-old, he managed to get away from an army of mages that wanted to kill him. So I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll get away this time as well.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Sellitha smiled.
Ailera looked out over the scorched battlefield and said, ¡°You went a little wild today.¡±
¡°Do you think anyone noticed anything strange?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°It wasn¡¯t to that extent. A lot can be explained away by just saying you''re a genius fire mage. Even if someone noticed anything strange, so what? There are a lot of strange things in this world. It would take a lot for anyone to correctly guess the kind of power you have.¡±
¡°I should still be a little more careful,¡± Sellitha said, ¡°Like you said, there are a lot of strange things in this world. So you can never be too relaxed.¡±
¡°I guess so,¡± Ailera nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go?¡±
Sellitha got up and started walking back next to Ailera. She saw some injured and even dead students as she walked back and couldn¡¯t help but feel bad. Even if she didn¡¯t know any of them, they had been standing by her side, alive and well, just this morning.
I wonder how many will die by the end of this.
¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Ailera said, ¡°I think the Headmaster wanted to speak with you.¡±
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¡°The Headmaster was here?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°With the two of us here, I don¡¯t think he would be comfortable leaving our safety in someone else¡¯s hands,¡± Ailera said, ¡°He was here during our last battle as well.¡±
¡°That seems a little unfair,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°It is. But that¡¯s how the world works,¡± Ailera said.
The Academy could definitely handle an army of the size they had just fought on their own. Just the Headmaster on his own could probably take care of it. But they gave these kinds of opportunities to the students instead. It was a chance for them to grow. No class behind the safe walls of the Academy could compete with a battle of life and death.
Some students would obviously lose their lives, but the ones who survived would grow a lot stronger. And strength was needed more than ever in these times. It would be even crueler to isolate the students from the conflicts of the continent and then let them out into the world unprepared. At least, that was what the Academy thought. And Sellitha agreed.
The only problem was that there were a few students who got special treatment, and Sellitha was one of them. But she could understand the reason. The Headmaster wasn¡¯t taking any chances after what happened to Adion.
¡°That¡¯s the Headmaster¡¯s carriage over there,¡± Ailera said, pointing to a luxurious carriage in front, ¡°I¡¯ll see you back at the Academy.¡±
¡°Okay. Well fought today,¡± Sellitha said, waving goodbye.
¡°You too,¡± Ailera smiled.
Sellitha walked up to the Headmaster¡¯s carriage and knocked on the door.
¡°Come inside,¡± The Headmaster called out.
Sellitha opened the carriage door and stepped inside. She took a seat opposite the Headmaster. He put down the paper he had been reading and knocked on the carriage roof, calling out the driver to start taking them away.
The Headmaster turned to look at Sellitha and said, ¡°Do you know how much fire you controlled during the battle today?¡±
¡°Was it too exaggerated?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°You¡¯ve just recently advanced to a Silver mage, but even a Diamond mage wouldn¡¯t be able to do what you did,¡± The Headmaster said in a calm voice.
¡°I¡¯ll be more careful,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°No, you won¡¯t,¡± The Headmaster said, shaking his head slightly, ¡°I understand that it¡¯s difficult to hide your power in a battle like that, so let¡¯s not force it anymore. I finally got some professors questioning me about it today, and I decided to make up an excuse that you have a special physique.¡±
¡°A special physique?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± The Headmaster nodded, ¡°Just like beasts can have special bloodlines that make them capable of certain magical feats almost on instinct, similar things can occur in us sapi. It¡¯s even rarer than Gifts, but it does occur. I¡¯ve only had four such students during my time as the Headmaster.¡±
¡°And I will pretend to have such a physique? One that makes me able to control fire?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°A special physique can vary just as much as Gifts, as far as I know, so there is no reason for you to be too specific. Just say that you can control a large amount of fire for a long time thanks to your special physique, and the questions should go away. It will let you fight with more freedom from now on,¡± The Headmaster said.
¡°Thank you, Headmaster,¡± Sellitha said with a slight bow. She hadn¡¯t told the Headmaster anything about her Authority or Words of Truth, but it was obvious he had figured something out. He never questioned Sellitha about it, though. And she was grateful for that. Even if she trusted him, she didn¡¯t want to reveal anything that could get Adion in trouble.
I¡¯m sure my family has been suspicious ever since I used my Words of Truth when I was taken.
With the Headmaster putting his word out there that it¡¯s all because of my special physique, a lot of questions should be put to rest.
¡°Do you have any news of Adion, Headmaster?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°No¡I suspect only the Hard Soul mages know about him. And they are not easy to deal with, even for me. Even if I discover their whereabouts, I can¡¯t easily leave to hunt them down. It¡¯s very possible for it to be a trap. I can¡¯t leave Cyalis unprotected at a time like this,¡± The Headmaster answered.
¡°Don¡¯t we have spies in their organization?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°We do. But I can¡¯t be sure they haven¡¯t been found out. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if Heavenly Light let us receive information about these troops just to make us trust our spies¡¯ intel,¡± The Headmaster said.
If it¡¯s Heavenly Light, they would certainly be able to do something so cruel.
The troops they had intercepted today weren¡¯t the first they had taken down. They had received plenty of information from their spies about troops moving throughout Shiora, and Sellitha had to admit that things had been a little too easy.
I have to remember to be careful, too. I could be targeted by Heavenly Light at any time.
I need to get stronger.
¡°You have some family members waiting for you when you get back to the Academy,¡± The Headmaster suddenly said.
¡°Who? What do they want?¡± Sellitha asked with a frown.
¡°You¡¯ll have to ask them about that. Your mother is with them. You should see what they have to say,¡± The Headmaster advised.
¡°I have nothing to say to those people,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°They are allies to Cyalis,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°You will come into contact with them sooner or later if you want to fight Heavenly Light. And it¡¯s not like they would dare take you away anymore, so why not see what they have to say?¡±
After Heavenly Light attacked the Valis Kingdom and Cyalis announced that they would back the kingdom in their war, every nation on Shiora had to choose a side. Rellen and Duts sided with Cyalis, while Veloria sided with Heavenly Light. The Delovan Empire is split in two with each side taking a different stance. Iitha is also officially in support of Cyalis, but many Noble families aren¡¯t that keen on getting involved in the war. The Amyss family doesn¡¯t have the power to order those families to fight for them.
It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if the Hesfym family is actually fighting for Heavenly Light in the dark.
Meloria and the Alago Empire are both choosing not to participate in the war. And even with Cyalis¡¯s influence, they are not easy to convince. They are two very powerful nations.
This would be dealt with in weeks if everyone could come together and fight Heavenly Light. Don¡¯t they see how scary and uncertain the future would be if Heavenly Light is allowed to grow?
¡°Are you sure the Amyss family is on our side?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°No,¡± The Headmaster answered immediately, ¡°I would be a fool if I just took their word for it. But I think it is more likely than not that they are genuine.¡±
I guess I can meet them and see their intentions.
I just hope they don¡¯t bring up anything about my supposed engagement to that old bastard.
Things had gotten weird after their attempt to bring her home by force. They had gotten extremely angry and tried bringing her back again, but with the Headmaster back at the Academy, they couldn¡¯t do anything to her.
But Sellitha didn¡¯t think her insane family had given up just like that.
I guess it will be nice to see them again. Things aren¡¯t the same as in the past.
I can finally give them a piece of my mind.
Sellitha couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly.
I wonder if my fire is strong enough to burn them now?
Chapter 170 - Reckless
Sellitha looked out of the carriage window, the destruction she had caused here two months ago was barely visible anymore. Even if she had used her Words of Truth, the damage wasn¡¯t to the extent that the buildings facing the street collapsed completely.
It was a good thing, as she didn¡¯t want anyone innocent to die. She just wanted to fight against her captors. But she was too weak, so she had no choice but to resort to a sneak attack of full power.
She didn¡¯t remember much about that day. She had been unconscious for most of it. She had only been awake for a brief moment before deciding to use her Words of Truth in order to bring attention to her situation. A huge attack like that wouldn¡¯t go unnoticed in the outskirts of Cyalis.
Unfortunately, she had immediately fainted afterward. She always did after using her Words of Truth.
I wonder how strong I need to become before I can begin to have control over that power. It still feels so mysterious to me. I wonder if it¡¯s like that for the faelin too. I¡¯ll have to travel to Fornia to find out more, I guess.
But I¡¯ll only go there with Adion. We promised to go together.
¡°Have you found out anything more about that artifact?¡± Sellitha asked the Headmaster.
¡°Not since the last time you asked me,¡± The Headmaster said with a slight smile, ¡°We will certainly discover everything about it when we find Adion. So let¡¯s not think about it too much.¡±
¡°It just worries me that they can freeze space. They were prepared for Adion¡¯s powers. If they didn¡¯t have that, I refuse to believe Adion wouldn¡¯t have gotten away by now. But if they are able to control the space around him¡¡± Sellitha said worriedly.
¡°Leave the worrying and planning to me,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°Just focus on your classes and training.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Sellitha nodded.
I really am too weak right now to think about being able to affect anything.
¡°Will you be going to Valis to help, Headmaster?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°No,¡± The Headmaster said, shaking his head, ¡°I can¡¯t afford to leave Cyalis. Heavenly Light has infiltrated deeper than I had ever thought, and we are on the verge of losing the Outskirts Guild to their faction there. They are not the only ones either, I¡¯m sure. If I¡¯m not careful, we might fall apart from the inside. I¡¯ve sent all the help to Valis that I can. If they can¡¯t hold on¡there is not much else I can do.¡±
¡°Do you think they have a chance?¡± Sellitha asked. The battle between Heavenly Light¡¯s forces and the Valis Kingdom had been going on for two months. Even with all the help sent to reinforce the kingdom¡¯s troops, Heavenly Light was making steady progress in taking over the kingdom.
¡°As the situation is now, it is only a matter of time before the Valis Kingdom falls,¡± The Headmaster said with a solemn voice, ¡°Things can always change, of course. The Alago Empire might send some help if we manage to convince them.¡±
¡°Why aren¡¯t they doing anything? Do they think Heavenly Light will stop with the Valis Kingdom?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°I fear they are looking to take advantage of the situation. The Alago Empire has always been incredibly powerful, but Cyalis has been a deterrent for them. They are conquerors. But with us here to hold the continent together, they have had no choice but to focus on the Outskirts. Now, both Cyalis and their other potential enemies are fighting each other. From their perspective, this is a good thing.¡±
¡°Is it possible for me to go there and help?¡± Sellitha asked. She really only felt at ease when she was fighting. Staying in the Academy only made her anxious.
¡°No,¡± The Headmaster said, ¡°You are stronger than most. But in a conflict like this, you are incredibly weak. The slightest mistake and you will die before you know it. Not to mention that your identity is not ordinary. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if you got captured before even making it there. I know it is frustrating, but can you imagine the feeling of being used by them? We¡¯d either have to give you up or give in to their whims.¡±
¡°I guess I am being reckless,¡± Sellitha sighed, ¡°It just doesn¡¯t feel good to sit still when he¡¯s still out there. Maybe I can go search for him? I could hide my identity.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t underestimate them,¡± The Headmaster said in a slightly scolding tone, ¡°They are a lot smarter than you are. And not as reckless by far.¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°You¡¯re young,¡± The Headmaster said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s good to be a little reckless.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you always scold Adion for being reckless?¡± Sellitha asked with a slight smile.
¡°There is obviously a limit. He¡¯s far too reckless. I¡¯ll have to scold him properly next time,¡± The Headmaster said.
Sellitha smiled. She liked that Adion was reckless. Even considering everything that had happened, she was happy that he was willing to risk everything just to stop her family from bringing her home. She had heard all about his actions when she woke up in the Remori manor and Bishop Amelia told her everything.
Am I bad for thinking like that?
I¡¯ll be reckless for him, too. I have to make things even.
It didn¡¯t take long before the carriage arrived at the Academy again. Before they arrived at Sellitha¡¯s dorm room, the Headmaster turned to her and said, ¡°Your family is staying at the Tower. Someone will come to take you to meet them later.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Sellitha nodded. ¡°Today?¡±
¡°It would be for the best,¡± The Headmaster said.
I¡¯m really tired. But I might as well get it over with, I guess.
Sellitha wasn¡¯t very worried about her family anymore.
The Headmaster had been on her side before the war on Heavenly Light, but he couldn¡¯t go too far.
Things changed a little after they tried to take her away forcefully, though. The Headmaster had been in a very bad mood when he returned and heard about the incident. He had just lost his disciple, and the Elixir of Life had been stolen, it wasn¡¯t a great time for the Amyss family to have tried taking her away. Even if it was her own family and Elder Kilth guided them, they really had no right taking her away with force like they did, without going through the proper channels.
A small mistake that could have been handled easily or perhaps even ignored in other circumstances was taken very seriously just because the incident was related to Adion¡¯s kidnapping. The Council got really serious about security and went through all its staff to test their loyalty. It was a purge.
The Amyss family had returned to try and take her away again at a moment like that, and the Headmaster was not having it. He warned that he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to go to war with Iitha, too, if they tried taking away a student of his again.
What a great face that old hag made. Sellitha smiled at the memory of Lerretha getting scolded by the Headmaster.
The Headmaster can be really scary when he gets angry. I should remember never to push things too far with him, even if he¡¯s nice to me.
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¡°I¡¯ll try not to be reckless when we meet,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°It¡¯s fine even if you do. I felt the urge to have a fight with your mother myself when I met her. She¡¯s so¡diplomatic,¡± The Headmaster said with a frown.
¡°I know what you mean,¡± Sellitha nodded. Her mother didn¡¯t really feel like a real person most of the time.
¡°Anyway. I¡¯m sure it will be good for you to talk. And it might help me a little too. I want to know their attitude to the Hesfym family. If it¡¯s changed or not,¡± The Headmaster said.
¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it afterward, Headmaster,¡± Sellitha said. She was more loyal to the Headmaster and Cyalis than the Amyss family. It wasn¡¯t even a choice for her. The Headmaster was the one protecting her from her family.
A side of me almost hopes they turn out to be enemies of the Academy. It would make it easier not having to deal with them anymore.
The carriage arrived at Sellitha¡¯s dorms, and she bid the Headmaster farewell and headed inside.
She didn¡¯t see Lastia or Felicia inside.
We don¡¯t have any classes. Did they go to the Scrolls?
Sellitha didn¡¯t feel like being alone at the moment, so she looked around to see if they left a note behind that said where they were going.
Neither Lastia nor Felicia had reached the Silver stage yet, which wasn¡¯t strange. Sellitha was the strange one. If Adion hadn¡¯t existed, she would have become just as big of a sensation as he had. She was still only in her first year, after all. It was considered really good to reach Silver in your fourth year. Even in the diamond class, reaching Silver in the third year was extraordinary. But now, both she and Adion had broken all previous records.
The reason she was allowed to go and fight against the troops of Heavenly Light was because she was a Silver mage. It was too dangerous for Bronze mages to go, so most of the people Sellitha knew hadn¡¯t been deployed to fight earlier.
Sellitha didn¡¯t find any note, so she decided to head to the House of the Scrolls to take a look. But just as she was leaving, she felt that someone was in the room with her.
She turned around and conjured some fire, ready to attack.
¡°Lady boss! It¡¯s me!¡± A familiar voice sounded from the seemingly empty space in front of her, prompting Sellitha to put out her fire.
¡°Perk, you need to stop doing that,¡± Sellitha said, trying to calm herself down.
¡°Sorry, lady boss,¡± Perk said as he turned visible before her.
¡°And stop calling me lady boss,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°But you said you didn¡¯t like being called madam?¡± Perk said with a confused face.
¡°Just call me Sellitha,¡± Sellitha said with a sigh.
¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± Perk said, shaking his head.
Sellitha stared at Perk silently for a while. She didn¡¯t want to be too harsh with the boy, but he was getting on her nerves.
¡°Maybe mistress?¡± Perk asked.
¡°Lady boss is fine,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Perk said with a smile.
¡°What are you doing here, Perk? You shouldn¡¯t keep sneaking inside the Academy. They are very strict about security these days. And your aura control is far from good enough to get by unnoticed if someone is paying attention,¡± Sellitha warned.
¡°It¡¯s the best way to practice,¡± Perk argued.
¡°Whatever. What are you here for?¡± Sellitha asked. She had come into contact with the two brothers working for Adion after he had disappeared.
At first, they had approached her to ask about Adion. She was the only one who knew about his plans on forming an organization called Celestial Shadow. Not even his family knew anything about it.
Perk and Tib had been very upset when they heard Adion was missing. But it didn¡¯t take long before they got to work. Even if they were young and weak, they spared no effort in trying to find information that could help them locate Adion. Unfortunately, it was something even the combined effort of Cyalis and its allies were having trouble with, so how could the two boys possibly have a chance?
¡°We have some news!¡± Perk said excitedly.
Sellitha smiled. Even if she was tired and found Perk¡¯s appearance a little annoying, she had to admit that it was impossible to be angry at him despite showing up uninvited once again. She knew they didn¡¯t stand a chance at gathering any useful information, and that they should just spend their energy on training, but she didn¡¯t have it in her to discourage them. They were worried about Adion too, after all.
¡°Alright, come sit down and tell me about it,¡± Sellitha said as she invited Perk to sit down.
¡°Tib said I should stand,¡± Perk said, refusing to sit down even though Sellitha could tell he wanted to.
¡°Whatever,¡± Sellitha sighed with a smile, ¡°Do as you wish. What did you want to tell me?¡±
¡°Right. I found a member of Heavenly Light here in the city and followed him around for a while and found out a few things,¡± Perk started explaining excitedly, ¡°Most of it was useless, and I was about to give up following him. He was just a Bronze mage, after all. He wouldn¡¯t know much. But then yesterday, he was having a drink with his friend, and I heard him mention something very interesting.¡±
¡°What was it?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°His grandfather, who is also a member of Heavenly Light, was sent on an important mission to the Saba Desert. Tib and I think it might have something to do with boss,¡± Perk said.
¡°What makes you think it¡¯s related to Adion?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°Well, I found out from their conversation that his grandfather is pretty famous in certain circles in Heavenly Light. Even if he is just a Gold mage, he has contributed a lot to the organization by recruiting tons of talented people to join them. His status is quite high, it seems like.¡±
¡°What does that have to do with Adion?¡± Sellitha asked.
¡°Well, I don¡¯t really get it either. But Tib thought it was weird for someone like him to be sent to the Saba Desert. We did some digging, and that guy is really good at recruiting people. He should be used in more populous areas, especially at a time like this when they are fighting a war and need more mages to fight for them. But he is sent all the way to the Saba Desert. That doesn¡¯t make any sense, right?
¡°But then Tib had this theory. Boss wasn¡¯t killed by those guys. He was taken. That tells us they probably have some use for him. They probably need his help with some space stuff. Maybe that teleportation formation at the Remori manor. But Boss is their enemy, so how could he ever choose to help them? That¡¯s where this recruitment guy comes in. He is sent there to recruit boss!¡±
¡°Wait, what? Recruit Adion? That¡¯s impossible,¡± Sellitha said, shaking her head.
¡°It should be,¡± Perk said, ¡°But he has been gone for a long time. Anything is possible. And this guy is far from ordinary. Don¡¯t you find it odd that Heavenly Light can recruit so many mages while fighting a war against Cyalis? How could mages be so easily convinced to risk their lives?¡±
¡°We have intercepted a lot of troops,¡± Sellitha said, nodding, ¡°You¡¯re right. Mages aren¡¯t that common. Heavenly Light should have to be a lot more careful than they have been with their troops. Especially when they are recruiting new members who are going in with the knowledge that they will be joining an organization from outside the continent to fight against Cyalis. You¡¯re saying it¡¯s this Gold mage who is responsible? How can he be so convincing?¡±
¡°There are a lot of strange things in this world. He might have some kind of Gift that makes him very convincing,¡± Perk said.
¡°I¡¯ve never heard about a Gift like that. But it¡¯s certainly possible,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°So you think we might be right?¡± Perk asked.
¡°It¡¯s a stretch. But it¡¯s certainly possible¡And it¡¯s certainly worrying,¡± Sellitha said, ¡°Did you think of all this?¡±
¡°Tib did. I agreed with him,¡± Perk said.
¡°That makes sense,¡± Sellitha said with a nod, ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing that should be disregarded. I¡¯ll bring it up to the Headmaster. I¡¯m sure they have thought about the Saba Desert already and even sent some people there. But it¡¯s a big place. We might find something if we focus our attention there.¡±
¡°Great,¡± Perk said with excitement, ¡°Let us know if you find out anything, lady boss. I¡¯ll go back and spy on that Bronze mage to see if he reveals anything else.¡±
As soon as he finished speaking, Perk turned invisible again, and Sellitha could sense him running off.
¡°Wait!¡± Sellitha yelled out.
¡°What?¡± Perk asked, still invisible.
¡°Just¡be careful. You¡¯ve already done a lot. You should focus on your training. Adion will be disappointed if you haven¡¯t improved when he gets back.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine. As long as he makes it back,¡± Perk said. Sellitha felt his hidden aura grow more distant, and it didn¡¯t take long before she couldn¡¯t feel it anymore.
Haaah. Adion, those kids are far too reckless.
But I¡¯m glad you have so many people who worry about you.
I hope you¡¯re safe.
Chapter 171 - Mother and sister
¡°Sell!¡± Lastia yelled out as she spotted Sellitha walking over. She was sitting next to Felicia in the library section of the House of the Scrolls. ¡°Did you go fight? Are you alright?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Sellitha said with a smile, ¡°How did you find out about the battle?¡±
Cyalis couldn¡¯t let it be known in advance that they were going to intercept the troops going to fight in the Valis Kingdom, so even if Lastia and Felicia were close friends who she trusted, she wasn¡¯t allowed to tell them anything until after everything was over.
¡°Word has already spread. We figured that¡¯s where you went,¡± Felicia said, ¡°How was it?¡±
¡°It was fine. The Academy was well-prepared, as always, so there is nothing to worry about. If any of our information had been wrong, we had plenty of Soul mages ready to act,¡± Sellitha said.
¡°Don¡¯t be careless, Sell. This is war,¡± Felicia said sternly.
¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m taking it seriously,¡± Sellitha said. She looked down at the table to see what they were reading and asked, ¡°Are you preparing for the History exam?¡±
¡°Yes. We can¡¯t fight in the war so we have to focus on these things to earn credits,¡± Felicia said.
¡°I guess I could use some catching up too,¡± Sellitha said, ¡°But don¡¯t forget to focus on your battle prowess. Strength is all that matters in the end, and it¡¯s the best way to earn credits.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve been training all morning,¡± Felicia said.
¡°That¡¯s good then,¡± Sellitha said and took a seat.
She picked up one of the books on the table that Felicia and Lastia had brought and started reading.
Unfortunately, her mind was elsewhere and she had a hard time focusing. She had just fought a battle with her life on the line, after all. And knowing that her mother was in the Academy wasn¡¯t helping.
Maybe I should have just stayed in my dorm room and waited for someone to get me.
Sellitha gave reading another half hour before giving up, deciding to take a walk to calm herself down. She said goodbye to Lastia and Felcia and headed outside.
Sellitha preferred staying around the House of the Scrolls, it was one of the most united Houses these days. It was one of the few Houses that didn¡¯t have many complicated connections outside the Academy, basically all the previous members who had made something of themselves were now working for the Academy.
It was more complicated for Houses like the Shields. They were part of the Academy and therefore had to fight against Heavenly Light, but they were also part of a larger collective outside the Academy where it wasn¡¯t as clear what side to stand on. The patriarch of the Hesfym family was the leader of the Shields, and even if he hadn¡¯t publicly stated that he was supporting Heavenly Light, he didn¡¯t state he was on the side of the Academy either.
Many other Houses found themselves in similar situations. They were too ingrained in the powerhouses of Shiora.
The Alago Empire and Meloria wanted to stay out of the war, and a lot of students came from there and would return when they graduated, so they weren¡¯t so keen on going out to fight.
They didn¡¯t have an option, though. The Academy had cracked down hard after Adion was kidnapped. Every student and teacher had been taken in for questioning. A few spies were found and locked up, and some who were sympathizers of Heavenly Light, like students from Onden¡¯s part of the Delovan Empire, were expelled.
But there were still a lot of students left who didn¡¯t want to get involved at all, and people¡¯s minds changed from one to another every day. It was impossible to keep track of.
So tensions were running high.
I¡¯m glad I ended up joining the Scrolls. Even if they are more on the scholarly side and don¡¯t care too much for fighting, they are at least loyal to the Academy.
Sellitha walked around for an hour, letting her thoughts run around as they wished. After which, she headed back to her dorm room. The Headmaster had told her someone would come and take her to the Tower, so she couldn¡¯t be out for too long in case they were looking for her.
When she got back, she lay down on her bed and began thinking about what to say to her mother.
I should just make my stand clear. I have the Headmaster as backing now, so I don¡¯t need to keep up any pretenses.
If they still insist on marrying me to the Hesfym family, I¡¯ll give them a taste of my fire. It will let me vent.
Too bad my mother is too strong for me. But I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll see some familiar annoying faces there that I¡¯ve always wanted to beat up but never had the chance to before.
It wasn¡¯t until three whole hours later that someone finally came to get Sellitha. It was a young human woman who should be a worker at the Academy.
Sellitha followed her out, and they took a carriage together to the Tower.
Whatever they have to say, I¡¯ll just speak my mind and then let go of this matter. I can¡¯t afford to be distracted. Sellitha thought as she approached the Tower. She hadn¡¯t gotten any practice in for the past hours as her mind was too occupied thinking about her family.
I can¡¯t afford any more days like this. I need to get stronger and find a way to help Adion.
Sellitha stepped out of the carriage and was led to the West Wing, where her family was staying. She tried to calm her mind as she approached and entered her family¡¯s living area.
I haven¡¯t seen Mother since I came to the Academy¡Maybe she was forced by the Elders to act against me? Maybe she wanted to see me in order to apologize?
No. That¡¯s impossible.
Sellitha shook her head silently but couldn¡¯t help but have some small hope of having her mother on her side.
¡°Your Highness, I have brought your daughter,¡± The woman who had brought her there called out as she knocked on the door to her mother¡¯s living quarters.
¡°Let her in,¡± A low voice sounded from the other side of the door. Sellitha recognized it as her mother¡¯s.
¡°Please,¡± The woman said as she opened the door for Sellitha and gestured for her to walk inside.
Sellitha took a deep breath and entered. The room was bright thanks to the large windows lighting up the room. Sellitha immediately spotted her mother sitting by a small table at the far end of the room. The table had three cups of tea placed on it as well as some snacks. Opposite her mother, Seliitha saw her sister, who was looking toward her with a slightly nervous expression.
Only Mother and Rell are here?
Sellitha looked around but couldn¡¯t see or feel anyone else around. She walked to the table as she scrutinized her mother.
Her mother had silver hair, just like her sister. Even if she was well over 100 years old, she looked more like Rell¡¯s sister than her mother.
¡°Hello, Sell. How have you been?¡± Sellitha¡¯s mother asked with a friendly smile. Sellitha doubted it was very genuine, though.
¡°The Academy is nice as always,¡± Sellitha answered, ¡°With the exception of having to worry about your kidnapping attempts, that is.¡±
¡°Haah,¡± Her mother sighed, ¡°That was all Lerretha¡¯s idea. She was just told to bring you back home. I had no idea where she got the gall to knock you unconscious to bring you back.¡±
Right. Sellitha scoffed inside.
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Her mother looked to Rell with a helpless smile, ¡°It¡¯s sure been a tumultuous couple of months.¡± She then looked back to Sellitha, ¡°It¡¯s been hard to get all the details all the way over in Amyss. Things were looking grim back then. No one could see the path forward clearly. We were sure Lord Hesfym was prepared to make a move. We felt the need to gather our strength and figure out how to deal with the situation, as a family.¡±
¡°I thought you already had it all figured out?¡± Sellitha questioned calmly, ¡°By forcing me to marry him.¡±
¡°No, no,¡± Her mother denied with a soft chuckle, ¡°We were way past that at that point. It seemed like the best option when we saw how our families could cooperate in the future, but the way the Hesfym family has¡By Ganta, they are in cahoots with Heavenly Light, the same people who set fire to our city.
¡°Anyway,¡± Sellitha¡¯s mother shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t stand over there, little Sell. Come and have some tea.¡±
Sellitha looked at the empty chair and hesitated. She didn¡¯t believe a word out of her mother¡¯s mouth, of course. That was probably her stance on the matter now that everything had already happened, but she was sure her mother still planned on having her married off when she was taken away two months ago.
I should really tell her off.
Sellitha put that off for the moment and went to sit down. She always felt it was difficult to yell at her mother when she was like this. Smiling and acting like she had done nothing wrong. It made arguing far too tiring and unrewarding. Her mother surely did it on purpose.
I¡¯ll listen for now.
¡°Rell told me you have been fighting Heavenly Light? I still can¡¯t believe you have already become a Silver mage, it makes a mother proud,¡± Her mother said with a smile, ¡°I brought some resources from home for you. It should speed up your progress going forward.¡±
¡°What do you want, Mom?¡± Sellitha cut through her mother¡¯s charade.
¡°I just want to get along,¡± Her mother answered calmly, ¡°Me and the rest of the family haven¡¯t made it easy for you the last couple of years, so I¡¯m trying to make up for it. That¡¯s what families do, right? They fight, and they make up.¡±
¡°Fight? You call this a fight? Mom, I mean¡how,¡± Sellitha tried to find her words as she looked into her mother¡¯s eyes, ¡°How could you?¡±
Her mother didn¡¯t answer immediately, and Sellitha fought to keep tears from coming.
Damn. Why do I still even care?
¡°Sell, dear,¡± Her mother said with a sad smile, ¡°I know I¡¯m not a perfect mother. I¡¯m not a perfect wife. I¡¯m not a perfect ruler. I just try to do the best I can. When I find myself lacking, I try to make up for it. That¡¯s all I can do.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡that¡¯s not good enough, Mom,¡± Sellitha said with a shaky voice. She turned to her sister, who had been sitting quietly for the entire conversation.
¡°Rell, don¡¯t you agree? I mean, I mean, I was kidnapped!¡± Sellitha yelled the last words, surprising herself, ¡°I was going to be married off against my will. Separated from Adion, who now is Ganta knows where.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Rell looked towards their mother hesitantly, ¡°I do agree with Sell, Mom. Our family has a lot to answer for. I don¡¯t think it can just be shrugged off so casually.¡±
Sellitha breathed out in relief that at least her sister hadn¡¯t completely abandoned her. Their relationship had finally started to heal somewhat, and she was afraid Rell would take their mother¡¯s side just like she had when she was first informed of her marriage to the Hesfym family.
She still remembered how she had turned to her sister at that time, being certain that she would stick up for her and tell their mother that she was crazy. But she had instead turned to Sellitha, explaining how marrying into the Hesfym family was for the best.
That¡¯s right. Since that day, we stopped being a family.
No matter what they say now, nothing can change the past.
¡°I¡¯m definitely not trying to shrug anything off, I¡¯m trying to fix things,¡± Her mother said, ¡°How do you think we should fix things between us, Sell?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sellitha said with a sigh and slumped back in her chair.
¡°Well,¡± Her mother said with a light smile, ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll figure it out eventually. We can take it slow. Why don¡¯t you tell me about this Adion boy? I¡¯ve heard a lot about him. You like him, yes?¡±
¡°I do,¡± Sellitha said with a nod.
¡°What do you like about him?¡± Her mother asked, her smile widening.
¡°I don¡¯t know, I just do,¡± Sellitha answered and looked away from her mother awkwardly.
¡°Haha,¡± Her mother laughed softly, ¡°That¡¯s nice. I¡¯ve discussed it with the Elders in the family, and since you two seem to like each other so much, why don¡¯t we set a date for a wedding?¡±
¡°Wedding?¡± Sellitha asked, surprised.
¡°Of course. From what I¡¯ve heard, he¡¯s more than impressive enough. We have to find him first, of course. The family will help as much as we can with that. When he¡¯s back here, safe, we¡¯ll discuss it with the Remori family.¡±
Marry Adion?
Sellitha had nothing against that idea. She couldn¡¯t see herself with anyone else. But her mother brought it up so suddenly that she didn¡¯t really know how to answer.
¡°Well, well,¡± Sellitha hesitated, ¡°That¡¯s up to Adion to decide.¡±
¡°And you too, no? What do you say?¡± Her mother asked.
¡°I guess that¡¯d be nice,¡± Sellitha answered shyly.
Her mother smiled brightly, ¡°That¡¯s great, dear. I¡¯m happy you found someone you wish to spend your life with.¡±
This¡Isn¡¯t going the way I planned.
Mom has always been good at controlling the conversation in the direction she wants.
¡°Your little sister might get married before you do, Rell,¡± Her mother turned to Rell and said, ¡°Unless you have also found someone you like here at the Academy?¡±
¡°What? I¡no?¡± Rell answered with a confused expression.
Well, this is a new side of Mom I¡¯ve never seen. Sellitha thought as she tuned out the conversation.
Too bad it¡¯s all fake.
Sellitha found it strange how she suddenly had everything she had wished for. Her family was willing to bless her relationship with Adion. There was no longer any talk of marrying her away. She could have a family again.
But she didn¡¯t feel as happy as she had imagined.
¡°Mom,¡± Rell suddenly interrupted their mother with a slightly serious voice all of a sudden.
Sellitha looked over and saw Rell looking over at her with a hesitant look on her face.
¡°I have something to say as part of the Amyss family and the future queen,¡± Rell said and turned to look at their mother.
¡°Oh? That sounds serious. Let¡¯s hear it,¡± Their mother answered.
¡°I believe we really have to make an effort to make Sell part of our family again,¡± Rell said.
¡°What are you talking about? She¡¯s always been part of our family,¡± Their mother said.
¡°Not really,¡± Rell said with a sigh, ¡°She might have been once. But for the past couple of years, she has only been a tool. I don¡¯t want to point fingers and direct blame on whose fault it is we ended up here, but now that we are, I believe we have to make a gesture as a family.
¡°Sell is now in a position that is very important. She is a Silver mage despite only being in her first year, and a very powerful one at that. She is extremely close to Adion and, by extension, the headmaster. She is vital for our family to find support from the Academy now that the situation on Shiora is so unstable.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Her mother nodded slowly, ¡°I agree.¡±
¡°So I believe we should spare no effort in searching for Adion, I believe it would go a long way in showing our sincerity. We should also open up the treasure vault and bring out our valuable resources that Sell can use. That way, she can grow stronger faster and help in more ways,¡± Rell said.
I¡¯m actually viewed as important by the family now?
Sellitha hadn¡¯t thought about it before, but she realized that what Rell said made sense. She was in a position of power for the first time, mainly by borrowing the prestige of the Headmaster, but also her own advancement.
I guess it should have been obvious. My mother wouldn¡¯t have acted like this otherwise. She has never been this accommodating in the past. If I were weak and had no connections, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d still be used as a pawn.
¡°That¡¯s obvious,¡± Her mother agreed, ¡°Aren¡¯t we already searching for Adion? And I have brought resources for Sell to use.¡±
¡°Not enough. Now is not the time to save for the future. If we don¡¯t make use of what we have, there might not be a future to worry about,¡± Rell said.
¡°I suppose we could bring out some of the more rare resources,¡± Her mother nodded slowly. She turned to Sellitha with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone with more resources when I get back to Amyss.¡±
¡°Not just the resources,¡± Rell said stubbornly, ¡°We can¡¯t expect the mages we have sent out to get much results when even the Academy has failed. I think we should activate all Elders in the family who are just focused on their own progress to search. Give each of them a team to control and spread out over Shiora. We should even send some to Quemer to look. I don¡¯t believe we won¡¯t be able to find something if we put the effort in,¡± Rell said.
¡°That¡ might be difficult,¡± Her mother said with an awkward smile.
¡°Is it really? It¡¯s our only option if we wish to be seen as a genuine ally to the Academy. Don¡¯t forget that Adion is not just Sell¡¯s boyfriend. He is the disciple of the Headmaster,¡± Rell said.
¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± Her mother said with a nod after giving the matter some thought. ¡°What do you think, Sell?¡±
This isn¡¯t going how I expected.
¡°It¡¯s something, I guess,¡± Sellitha answered with a sigh. She wasn¡¯t able to turn away help like that.
She still felt more empty than she expected. But at least she would be able to grow stronger faster now. And finding Adion seemed a little closer all of a sudden. That was comforting.
I guess I won¡¯t get the chance to set fire to the old bastards in the family.
That¡¯s too bad.
Chapter 172 - Escape I
¡°You have kept him like this? Poor child,¡± An old man¡¯s voice reached Adion¡¯s ears as he woke up from his slumber.
¡°Turn off the artifact. This is no way to treat someone,¡± The old man spoke.
¡°That¡¯s not recommended, Gold Narvar. He is extremely dangerous, and if we let him escape, we can¡¯t bear the consequences.¡± A guard whose voice Adion recognized responded.
¡°So you¡¯ll just keep him like this forever? Might as well kill him if that¡¯s the case. Don¡¯t worry about the higher-ups, just do as I say and release him,¡± The old man called Narvar said.
¡°If you say so,¡± The guard responded.
It didn¡¯t take long before Adion could feel the change. For the first time in months, his body could move.
From the moment he was taken until now, he had always been kept still through the effects of the spatial artifact. Whenever he was brought food and water, they would grant him control over his head, but that was it. He had to be fed by the male guards as he couldn¡¯t move his arms.
He had refused at first, finding it humiliating. But when the hunger got bad enough, he couldn¡¯t find it in him to care anymore. He still needed to stay alive, after all. He needed to escape.
So he had started eating and drinking again, giving him energy to practice going against the spatial artifact so he could get out of there.
It was a horrible experience at first. He didn¡¯t know what would happen to him. But to his surprise, no one ever came for him. They hadn¡¯t tortured him for information as he feared. No one ever asked him any questions. The guard just fed him and left without saying a word.
The only other person he saw was a woman who helped bandage his injured back.
Eventually, he managed to calm his mind and focus on how to get out of there.
Even if he was confused by the relatively pleasant treatment, he wasn¡¯t about to get too comfortable. Who knew when things would change?
So he focused his attention on developing his Authority.
Every day had been the same routine ever since he was brought to the small room he was currently in. He would wake up and immediately start trying to use his Authority to disrupt the space around him. Even if he couldn¡¯t gather any space mana into his core because of the strange collar they had put on him, that did nothing to inhibit his Authority.
Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have enough control to contend with the artifact. Adion had no idea how the artifact worked, but it felt like punching a brick wall, it wouldn¡¯t budge when a puny human punched it, no matter how much he trained his body.
But Adion didn¡¯t give up, everyday he tried to grab control of the space around him until he had exhausted his Will.
After that, he would rest, eat the food that was brought to him, and think about whatever came to mind. Until nighttime, when he would once again gather his Will to break through the prison of space.
He would try until he eventually fell asleep, exhausted.
Unfortunately, he still hadn¡¯t noticed any improvements even after almost two months of effort. But he refused to be impatient. He knew he would eventually sharpen his Will enough to break through.
He was ready to stay for years if needed. But that all changed now. All of a sudden, a strange old man appeared, and Adion could finally feel the space around him release its grip.
¡°Argh!¡± Adion couldn¡¯t help but let out a painful yell when he moved his body. His body had stayed in place for so long that his muscles weren¡¯t used to the movement.
Will I be able to escape like this?
He flexed his fingers and toes, and slowly moved to stand up. He tried not to show any intentions of running away.
I¡¯m sure people are worried. I need to get back to the¡Academy? Why doesn¡¯t it seem to fit?
Anyway. Back to Sell. Yeah.
Adion shook his slightly cloudy head in order to think clearly.
Where is the exit? Which direction is safe?
Adion didn¡¯t have any space mana in his core to release, so he couldn¡¯t get a perfect picture of his surroundings. But he still had his spatial awareness, so he could make out his surroundings somewhat. There were at least two floors above the one he was currently at.
I should be able to teleport to the roof. That will let me see the best direction to go.
¡°How are you feeling, son? You¡¯re body must hurt after not moving for so long,¡± The old man called Narvar said as he looked at Adion with a kind smile.
Adion looked at the man. He looked to be in his 70s, so as a Gold mage, he was surely over 100. His hair and long beard were white. He was wearing a white and gold robe, his shoulders poking through the thin fabric, suggesting a skinny frame.
Someone important from Heavenly Light? He¡¯s only a Gold mage, though. Perhaps only someone¡¯s underling.
¡°My name is Narvar, and I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re treated well from now on,¡± Narvar introduced himself.
Adion still didn¡¯t answer, though. He slowly stood up on his shaky legs that hadn¡¯t had to carry any weight for months.
Why did he release me from the artifact? Isn¡¯t he afraid I¡¯ll escape? They know I can teleport.
They probably assume I can¡¯t do anything without mana. But still, I¡¯m a Silver mage with the ability to teleport. Aren¡¯t they too careless?
¡°Looks like you still have some strength in you, that¡¯s good,¡± Narvar commented as he looked at Adion on his feet again. ¡°I figured we could have some lunch together, get to know each other a little. Maybe you would like a bath first?¡±
Adion still didn¡¯t respond, occupied with his own thoughts.
Do they have Soul mages stationed here? That should be the case. Would escaping be too hasty? But I don¡¯t know when the next chance will come.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
If I escape just to get caught right away, that would be too wasteful. They would know I can teleport without mana, and I¡¯d be less likely to escape in the future.
¡°Is anything making you uncomfortable?¡± Narvar asked, seemingly not able to ignore Adion¡¯s silence any longer. ¡°If you tell me, I might be able to help.¡±
¡°Could you get this thing off my neck?¡± Adion asked in a raspy and unused voice as he pointed to his collar.
He didn¡¯t expect Narvar to agree of course, but he figured he should respond in some way while figuring out an escape plan.
¡°I see, how silly of me. I forgot about that,¡± Narvar said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s get you out of that collar right away.¡±
Really? Adion thought as he looked at Narvar in surprise.
Narvar put his hands in the collar around Adion¡¯s neck and, after a few moments, the collar released its grip.
How did he do that? Maybe I should have spent some more time experimenting with it to see if I could undo it myself.
¡°Does that feel better?¡± Narvar asked with a smile as he put the collar away.
Adion reached up to touch his naked neck, feeling strange.
He focused his Will and could feel the space mana around him. He started gathering it into his empty core. The feeling was almost euphoric after so long.
Won¡¯t I be able to get away now? Even if I get caught, they won¡¯t know it was because of my Authority and not my mana core.
¡°It does,¡± Adion decided to answer, ¡°Thanks. But aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll escape?¡±
¡°If you want to leave, I won¡¯t stop you,¡± Narvar said with a smile.
Adion raised an eyebrow questioningly. He didn¡¯t believe him for a second.
¡°It¡¯s a long way from home, however. I suggest you get some food in you first. Can¡¯t travel on an empty stomach, right?¡± Narvar asked.
¡°Right,¡± Adion answered hesitantly.
¡°Good,¡± Narvar smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I have had the servants prepare a meal for us.¡±
Narvar turned and walked out of the room along with the guard, and Adion followed on shaky and unstable footsteps.
Why would he be okay with me escaping? What use is it to lie to me?
He has probably done something to the food, right? Some strange drug to make me talk?
But why wait until now?
Adion couldn¡¯t figure out the situation. He didn¡¯t know if Narvar had planned for him to try to escape, or if he had planned for him to not even try.
Surely I should at least try, right?
Adion had just woken up, and his Will was well-rested. He could use teleportation for a good while before needing to stop.
Maybe I should just kill them?
They were both Gold mages, and Adion doubted they would stand a chance if he caught them unprepared. He had killed Gold mages in similar ways with his volatile space before, and back then, he was only a Bronze mage.
But Adion dismissed the idea. His priority was to escape. If he killed them and he failed to escape, they might send a Soul mage to him next time. That would make it a lot more troublesome to escape.
Adion used some of the space mana he had gathered and spread it out around himself. He found that he was underground. Beyond the walls was only hard-packed earth, or possibly even rock.
Is this why he is so confident? But surely, I can get to the surface eventually.
He couldn¡¯t sense the surface. He was too deep. But he knew he could get there eventually.
As he looked around with his space mana, he came across a few rooms where he couldn¡¯t keep his control over the space mana. As he tried to push the mana into those rooms, he was met with a force that pushed him back.
Are there more spatial artifacts there? They have figured out how to create them? How is that possible? That¡¯s something left behind from the Age of Wonder! And it¡¯s space-related. It should be even more impossible for a non-space mage to figure out.
Is this why they are so confident? Do they have this whole place surrounded by frozen space?
Adion felt a chill run down his back. If they had enough of these things, he would really be trapped.
No. I at least need to try. It would be too shameful just to accept defeat.
And I don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t work around those artifacts now that I¡¯m free to move.
My practice these two months hasn¡¯t been for nothing, either.
Adion searched for a good spot to teleport to. At the same time, he kept his attention on Narvar and the guard, who were walking just a few steps ahead of him. They were keeping their pace slow, so Adion could keep up. His body was still stiff and moving about hurt a great deal.
¡°Here we are,¡± Narvar said as he came to a stop in front of a door in the hallway. He opened the door and stepped inside while casting a glance at Adion.
Adion nodded and moved to follow, but as soon as Narvar and the guard took their eyes from him, Adion grabbed hold of the space two floors above him and teleported away.
What an amazing feeling.
From the ultimate restriction to the ultimate freedom in just a few minutes. Adion couldn¡¯t help but smile.
I don¡¯t know what they have planned, but it can¡¯t be anything good. No need to think too much, just get out of here.
Adion arrived in a hallway, still below ground, so he teleported once again, arriving in what looked like some laboratory. There was no one around, but Adion didn¡¯t feel like he had the time to look at what they were working on. He once again focused on his sphere of space mana and noticed that no matter how he tried, he couldn¡¯t get his space mana to enter the floor above him.
So they really have made some sort of spatial cage for me.
Damn.
Adion ran out of the room and into the hallway. A woman who looked like a servant let out a surprised yell as he appeared.
Adion ignored her as he continued running. He could¡¯ve asked if there was a way out, but he didn¡¯t think he had the time to force out an answer. And who knew if she had been instructed beforehand and would lead him into a trap?
Adion ran down the hallway as he focused on the surrounding space. Eventually, he reached the end of the hallway and focused on the earth outside.
The blocked space stretches outside, damn. There is no way to feel the space above me.
But if I can teleport outside, I should be able to get around the blocked space eventually.
Adion grabbed hold of the space outside, planning on teleporting the earth there into the hallway so there would be some space for him to teleport to.
Damn, why does it feel so difficult? Is it because we are deep underground? Is it really stone outside? Will I be able to cut out an opening?
Adion pushed through and, after a few seconds, managed to teleport the area outside away. A large pile of sand spilled out behind him.
Sand? Was it so hard to move just because of the pressure then? Wait! Sand?
Adion once again focused on the space outside and noticed, to his great dismay, that nothing had changed.
Damn, the hole just fills up again straight away. No wonder they were so confident in letting me out.
Adion once again turned his attention to the floor above. He tried to grab hold of the space there, but it was useless.
Maybe if I had more time, I could work my way around it. There should be space above the sealed space for me to grab hold on, but I can¡¯t sense it.
What should I do? I don¡¯t think I have much time left.
Adion once again focused on the space outside, where all he could sense was sand. He grabbed hold of an area of sand and once again teleported it behind him. This time, his focus stayed outside.
Not even a second¡
Would I have enough time? If I switch places with the sand and immediately teleport to the surface, I should be able to make it. Well, maybe.
But what if the surface is still far away? I¡¯d be dead. There¡¯s no way I can survive getting crushed by that sand.
Think, Adion, think.
Chapter 173 - Escape II
Think, Adion. Think!
Adion banged his head on the wall, trying desperately to spark some inspiration before the guards caught him.
That¡¯s it! Can¡¯t I just freeze the space around me?
Adion immediately put it into practice. He once again teleported a chunk of sand away, but this time, he kept control over the pocket of air that had formed outside, freezing the space around it.
Damn!
Adion let go of his control. The pressure from the surrounding sand was too great. He would exhaust himself completely if he tried to hold on.
But it should give me enough time. At least I¡¯d be able to check my surroundings. Even if I¡¯m deep below ground, if I can reach the end of the blocked space with my mana, I should be able to work around the blocked space and teleport back inside the building on the floor above.
Adion noticed that even if he had been restricted for two months, his control over mana had actually increased. It wasn¡¯t very surprising, as he sharpened his Will a lot during that time.
He could now control space mana at a distance of around 400 feet before it became impossible to keep hold of.
That should be more than enough. I don¡¯t believe they have surrounded the floor more than that.
Adion focused on the space in the sand about 200 feet away from him. He didn¡¯t want to push himself in a situation like this. He froze the space there using his Authority, and part of it, he changed place with himself, teleporting outside.
¡°Gh!¡± Adion let out a grunt as he arrived in the pocket of air. The space around him was still frozen, but the pressure from the tons of sand above was making it troublesome to hold. Even if the sand didn¡¯t have a Will of its own, it followed the Will of the world, wanting to fall down and collapse. When nature operated on large enough scales, it felt harder to contend against than a mage with an active Will.
Adion quickly spread his space mana upwards and away. Directly above him, space was still blocked, but as he pushed it further out, Adion finally managed to reach an area where he could freely move up again.
That¡¯s it!
Adion teleported back to the hallway again. When he arrived, he fell down to the floor, his Will somewhat exhausted, and his body still unused to the dynamic movements.
It should work! I just need to keep freezing space above me and teleporting over along with my pocket of air. I should be able to handle a few teleports even as I am now.
Adion took a few deep breaths. At the same time, he tried to sense if anyone was closing in on him. Fortunately, the hallway was still quiet, and Adion couldn¡¯t sense anyone nearby.
Okay, let¡¯s go for it.
Adion once again teleported outside. As he arrived, the sand over him was pressing down hard on his frozen space. Adion quickly found a space further out and teleported over, making sure to freeze the space around him.
I should be far enough now.
Adion focused on going up. He could now feel the space clearly above him.
I need to make sure to have enough of my Will left to get back to the building. But surely I should be able to reach the surface like this?
Adion grabbed hold of a pocket of space about 200 feet above him and teleported once again. When he arrived, he could feel the pressure from the sand above him had lessened somewhat. But it was still a struggle to hold on.
Continue!
He once again teleported 200 feet up. But as he spread out his mana with his exhausted Will, he still couldn¡¯t feel the surface.
Just how deep did they keep me? What is this place?
Adion had a quick bout of panic as he realized he couldn¡¯t keep it up much longer.
One more time!
Adion teleported another 200 feet up.
Yes! Finally.
Adion was heaving heavily as he finally felt how the space around 300 feet up was free from sand.
One last push.
Adion focused on the space above the surface. It was almost the extreme of what he could manage to teleport, but the gravity of the situation gave him the push he needed, and he managed to reach the surface.
¡°Haaah,¡± Adion breathed out in exhaustion as he fell down on the dune of sand high above where he had been kept. He almost broke out in tears as he felt the familiar sun caressing his tired body.
No time to rest. I can enjoy it later.
Adion looked around and noticed a few buildings down to the right of the sand dune.
That has to be where Heavenly Light kept me. I can¡¯t let them see me.
He could feel several strong auras from those buildings, so he immediately started running in the opposite direction.
The sand made it hard to run, especially as Adion hadn¡¯t moved a muscle for two months. But his Will was even more exhausted than his body, and he didn¡¯t have it in him to teleport any further.
Where the hell am I? The desert? The Saba Desert?
Adion stumbled forward as fast as his body managed. He had hoped he would be close to some sort of town, but as far as the desert landscape let him see, there was nothing but sand.
I can¡¯t just run without a direction. But where should I go? I came on a ship, right? So maybe we are close to the sea, and I should head east.
He had been blindfolded when he was brought from the ship, but he didn¡¯t feel like they traveled very long before he arrived in his prison.
To the east, it is then. I don¡¯t think there are particularly many towns around there, but it must be better than going in blind to the depths of the desert.
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Adion first continued to travel north for a while, as the Heavenly Light base was to his south, and he needed to get away from there as soon as possible.
After a few minutes of intense running, Adion found himself more exhausted than he expected.
Am I really this out of shape? They¡¯ll have no problem catching up to me like this.
And what¡¯s with this heat?
Adion squinted his eyes as he looked around, the sweat from his forehead was coming down into his eyes.
I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever felt heat like this. I¡¯ll be dehydrated if I don¡¯t find a source of water.
He knew it was a bad idea to make use of his sweat to drink. His mother had told him stories of the desert, and she told him that sweat was used to cool the body down. If you removed it to drink before it evaporated, you would slowly cook yourself alive.
So Adion stopped and conjured some water from the pure mana in the surroundings. Unfortunately, it only came out to a pitiful few drops.
This is far from enough. And I don¡¯t have the Will to keep conjuring water.
Even if he had some practice conjuring water, it was far from his ability to conjure fire. Water was also much harder in general to conjure. It took a lot more water mana to conjure water than fire mana to conjure fire. Even all the water mana in the core of a Gold water mage only amounted to half a gallon.
I have been running for at least 10 minutes now, and there is still no sign of anyone following. Were they so sure that I couldn¡¯t get around the spatial artifact that they didn¡¯t prepare any countermeasures? Well, it¡¯s good news for me.
Anyway, I should be careful. I need to keep some Will for now to hide my aura as much as I can. I don¡¯t know how strong those mages back at the base were. If there are Soul mages there, I can still be easily found without much effort. I need to get as far away as possible.
Adion changed direction after a couple more minutes of running and started heading east. Now that water appeared as a much bigger problem than he had initially thought, he was even more certain that he needed to get to the ocean.
After 10 more minutes of struggling, Adion stumbled down into the sand from exhaustion.
Damn, I can¡¯t continue like this.
I need to get in under some shade, and get some water and rest.
Is there a way to take shelter underground?
Probably not. I would exhaust my Will way too quickly keeping the sand away.
Adion laid down to rest for a moment, he felt he was far away enough to rest for a few minutes.
He put his arm over his face to shield it from the sun. It gave him some relief from the intense heat.
Could I use shadow magic somehow?
Adion decided to experiment with it, but he first conjured some droplets of water to ease his thirst.
Damn, that was tougher than it should be. Can I really waste time and effort on conjuring shadows when I need it for water?
It should be worthwhile. I have some Authority over shadow, so it won¡¯t drain me much keeping it up.
Adion Willed the pure mana around him into shadow mana and tried to conjure a shadow to block the sunlight.
It¡¯s weak, but it¡¯s a lot better.
It was far from a pitch-dark shadow, Adion had only conjured a thin veil around him, and the sunlight still managed to get through, although greatly weakened.
It¡¯s definitely an improvement, but the heat from the surrounding sand and air is still a problem.
I can¡¯t keep this up for much longer. It¡¯s still not even noon. There is no way I can make it through the day in this condition. I need to find shelter.
There should be solid rocks if I dig deep enough, but I don¡¯t have the Will to get back down below the ground. And cutting out a dwelling in the rock would require a lot of effort and time.
Guess I¡¯ll just have to hope for the best.
Adion got up on his feet again, his legs shaking from strain.
He kept the shadow around him, valuing the shelter from the sun more than the small effort it took to keep it up. He continued heading east at a much slower pace than earlier. He didn¡¯t have it in him to run anymore. And if he ended up being stuck outside in the desert the entire day, he would probably drop dead if he continued to run.
He kept an eye on his sphere of space mana, hoping to come across a plateau of stone that would allow him to hide both from his pursuers and the heat.
An hour passed, and Adion felt his eyelids drooping. His body screamed for water, but his mind screamed to let him sleep and not have to conjure anymore.
This¡what should I do?
Adion knew he needed to think of something, and he needed to think of it soon. But his mind was a foggy mess, and he couldn¡¯t gather his thoughts.
Adion didn¡¯t know how much more time passed, but he suddenly found himself with his face in the sand.
Did I¡pass out?
Adion knew he had to get up, but his body had already been pushed to its limit. The sun was bearing down on him now, he had lost control over the shadow, and it felt like he was being cooked alive on the scorching sand beneath him.
I¡¯m¡not going to die, am I?
I need to go down underground. I can¡¯t stay in the sand like this. If I pass out, I¡¯ll die.
But if I pass out beneath the ground, I¡¯ll be buried alive all the same.
I should have just hidden below the ground right away. If I stayed close to the surface I should have been able to hold on until nightfall.
Damn, I¡¯m an idiot.
Adion forced himself to get off the ground. He didn¡¯t know where the energy came from. He just knew he couldn¡¯t die here.
One slow step at a time, he continued walking. The heat felt suffocating. Adion felt he could give anything for a breath of fresh, cold air. The thirst was getting worse, and he knew how important it was to get water, no matter how little.
The wish for survival pushed Adion to conjure a few more drops of water to drink. He had no idea where he found the Will, he could have sworn he was spent hours ago.
I guess this is a good way to sharpen your Will besides fighting in the Outskirts.
I would prefer fighting dangerous beasts any day, though. At least I¡¯d have water.
Adion lost all concept of time as he just focused on taking the next step. Then the next. When he felt himself close to collapsing, he would somehow find the Will to conjure a few more drops of water. But he knew he couldn¡¯t tap into his survival instinct forever. He would collapse soon, and when he did, he wouldn¡¯t get up again.
Is this¡it? I¡¯m going to¡die? Like this?
Adion¡¯s sluggish thoughts tried to grasp the severity of the situation. But he couldn¡¯t find a way to solve the predicament. All he could do was push himself to take one more step.
Is that water?
Adion thought that he could suddenly see the ocean ahead of him. But as soon as the thought appeared, the ocean disappeared, and there was only sand ahead of him once again.
I¡¯m hallucinating.
I¡¯m still far, far away.
But somehow¡I can feel it? Am I imagining?
Adion stopped walking, trying to grasp that sweet fantasy.
I know it¡¯s there. It¡¯s ahead of me. Shouldn¡¯t I be able to¡
¡°By Ganta, why would you head out into the desert all by yourself without any water or protection?¡±
What?
Adion turned his tired head to the side, where he suddenly heard a voice.
Narvar?
The old man was standing right next to him, Adion hadn¡¯t even felt him approach. Behind him was some kind of wooden ¡®ship¡¯ where a few more people were standing.
Narvar looked worried as he brought out a flask of water that he handed to Adion.
¡°You need to drink something, son,¡± Narvar said.
Adion didn¡¯t even need to think. His body moved on its own as he grabbed the flask and gulped down the cold and refreshing water.
¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Narvar said with a smile, ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we¡¡±
That was the final thing Adion heard as his body finally gave up, and he passed out.
Chapter 174 - Narvar
¡°Gah,¡± Adion woke up with a grunt. He felt awful. His whole body hurt, and his mind felt fuzzy.
¡°You¡¯re up, that¡¯s good,¡± A voice sounded from his side.
Adion lifted his head in surprise and turned to look. Narvar was sitting on a chair next to the bed he was lying on, smiling kindly at him.
¡°I¡¯ve tried my best to rehydrate you while you¡¯ve been unconscious, but it would be better for you to drink yourself,¡± Narvar said as he handed Adion a cup of tea.
Tea?
Adion would prefer plain water and found it strange why Narvar would offer tea in this situation. He was thirsty, though, so he took the cup and swallowed it all without thinking.
¡°It¡¯s a special kind of tea called Persmytha. It should help the body and mind heal and relax. It¡¯s quite popular with the Nobles on Quemer,¡± Narvar explained.
¡°I see,¡± Adion said in a raspy voice. He handed back the empty cup and laid back down to rest.
What¡¯s going on here? I thought I¡¯d be put back in confinement after my escape.
Adion carefully felt the space around him and realized he still had full control over his power. His Will was not fully rested even after sleeping for what he assumed was more than the normal eight hours. But even so, it was enough for him to make another attempt should he want to.
It¡¯s just that I need to prepare better, or the outcome won¡¯t be any different. Would it be better to escape at night perhaps?
But what is this Narvar planning? Will he really allow me to escape again? Why is he treating me so well? Aren¡¯t we enemies?
¡°Why are you treating me well?¡± Adion decided to simply ask the man himself.
¡°Haha,¡± Narvar laughed softly, ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I treat you well? Do we have any grievances with each other?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion thought about it, ¡°No. Not you in particular. But Heavenly Light.¡±
¡°When did I say I was part of Heavenly Light?¡± Narvar asked with a smile.
¡°You¡¯re not? Then what are you doing here?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I¡¯m here to take care of you and make sure you are treated well,¡± Narvar explained.
¡°And why would you do that? Who asked you to?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°I understand you have a lot of questions,¡± Narvar said with a nod, ¡°But you should rest well for now and don¡¯t think too much. Why don¡¯t you go back to sleep for a while and I¡¯ll have some food prepared. I¡¯d be happy to answer everything when you¡¯re feeling better.¡±
¡°You aren¡¯t going to keep me from escaping?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Of course not,¡± Narvar chuckled, ¡°You are free to leave whenever you want, just like I told you yesterday. Though I do wish you wouldn¡¯t be so reckless about it. You would have died if I hadn¡¯t found you in time.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion said, ¡°Thank-. Right.¡±
Narvar smiled at Adion¡¯s words and stood up to leave. ¡°Rest well.¡±
What a strange man. I guess I¡¯ll recover, fill my stomach, and then go outside. Let¡¯s see if he really lets me leave, as he said.
As Narvar reached the door, he turned to speak to Adion again. ¡°Why don¡¯t I take you outside later? Since you seem to want to go outside so much. It will be safe if I come along.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Adion nodded slightly, ¡°Wait. No. I want to go on my own.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t you just die like earlier?¡± Narvar questioned in a gentle voice.
¡°I-I¡¯ll be more prepared,¡± Adion insisted.
¡°Where is it you want to go so badly? Even willing to die for it?¡± Narvar asked.
¡°I¡¡± Adion hesitated, some images flashed across his mind, but he felt none of them quite fit. ¡°I want to go the ocean.¡±
¡°What are you going to do there?¡± Narvar asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Adion admitted, closing his eyes, too tired to think.
¡°You were severely dehydrated when I found you. It¡¯s normal that you would dream about the sea. I¡¯ll bring enough water for you to drink when we go outside, so there is no need to go to the ocean.¡± Narvar said.
¡°That¡¯s fine, I guess,¡± Adion said, a slight smile on his lips. He thought about Sell, and he realized it didn¡¯t really matter how he got back to her. If Narvar insisted on not going by the sea, it was fine by Adion.
¡°See you when you wake up,¡± Narvar said as he left, closing the door behind him, and leaving Adion alone with his thoughts.
I guess it¡¯s been a while since I had a proper rest. It¡¯s not exactly relaxing being constricted in space, the only way to get a good rest is to exhaust my Will through training.
Wait. Why was I constricted like that?
If it wasn¡¯t Narvar, then who?
Adion felt his mind was too fuzzy to remember exactly.
Heavenly Light. Right. How did that slip my mind?
Adion didn¡¯t panic over the momentary forgetfulness, however. The Persmytha tea had a calming effect on him.
I¡¯ll ask Narvar about it when I wake up. He seems to be a good guy.
¡ª--
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
¡°How was it?¡± Soft Soul Yelleda asked as Narvar stepped inside the Soul mage¡¯s office.
¡°It¡¯s just the start, but I can tell we¡¯re making progress,¡± Narvar answered.
¡°He won¡¯t try to escape again, will he?¡± Yelleda asked.
¡°I doubt it,¡± Narvar said, shaking his head, ¡°I¡¯ve tried my best to explain how futile it would be. I don¡¯t think he can resist my suggestions. But if he does, we¡¯ll be prepared just like we were last time.¡±
¡°We could take the risk because we knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to get anywhere even if he somehow managed to get out. But a second try will be harder to control,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°So be careful. Not even I would be safe if something had happened to him.¡±
¡°There will always be uncertainties in life,¡± Narvar said with a light smile, ¡°Who would have thought he could get past the spatial block? Do you have any idea how he managed?¡±
¡°If he came out from above, I would have noticed something,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°He must have teleported around it and come up on the surface further away.¡±
¡°He can teleport so far? Or did he somehow teleport into the ground? That would explain the sand in the hallway, I suppose,¡± Narvar said.
¡°That¡¯s for you to figure out, isn¡¯t it?¡± Yelleda said with a smile, ¡°The higher-ups are looking forward to what you can find out.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll ask him all of my questions when he feels he is one of us,¡± Narvar said, ¡°It¡¯s unnecessary to take any risks this early on.¡±
¡°It¡¯s up to you,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°How is the tea working? Do you find it useful?¡±
¡°It should be quite helpful indeed,¡± Narvar said with a hesitant nod, ¡°Normally, if I didn¡¯t have the tea, I wouldn¡¯t dare make any promises. I could perhaps catch him off guard a few times and manage to extract some useful information. But I could never make him one of us, he hates Heavenly Light, after all.¡±
¡°Hopefully, he won¡¯t remember that for much longer,¡± Yelleda said. ¡°But the tea is not foolproof. It can cloud the mind and hide memories, but the soul is a mysterious thing, and the tea has no effect on it. People will instinctively remember a few things. They will be impossible to erase.¡±
¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Narvar said with a nod, ¡°That is why I believe you have failed in the past. Even though you had fed him some tea before I got here, his first instinct was to escape. He didn¡¯t let his confusion make him cautious, instead trusting his gut, so to speak. I will work on convincing him that all of his feelings have an explanation, an explanation that suits us.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°How long before you can bring him to the Remori manor to work on the formation?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Narvar said, ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten a good grasp of his character yet. It can be done in a few days, or take as long as a month.¡±
¡°That should be fine,¡± Yelleda nodded. ¡°Take your time. It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. The war is still ongoing, so it wouldn¡¯t be too bad to wait until the situation over there has calmed down somewhat.¡±
¡°How is the war going?¡± Narvar asked, ¡°Are we winning?¡±
¡°Of course, we are winning,¡± Yelleda answered with a confident smile. ¡°Come. Why don¡¯t you take a seat.¡±
¡°I will impose, then,¡± Narvar said with a smile as he took a seat across Yelleda, a desk filled with documents separating the two.
Narvar still couldn¡¯t quite wrap his head around how young Yelleda looked. His clean-shaven face suggested an age no older than 35, but he knew he could very well be older than himself.
Narvar had come into contact with quite a few Soul mages over the past few months, something he had never expected just a year ago, when he had yet to join Heavenly Light.
But those were all old men, both in appearance and actual age. So he was not uncomfortable treating them as seniors. But Yelleda was different. He was technically his superior, and he had the power to back his position, yet he looked like he could be his grandchild.
At least he doesn¡¯t put on much airs.
Narvar had met plenty of Diamond mages who thought more of themselves than Yelleda.
¡°You might view a whole Kingdom as a fearful foe. Especially with the help they receive from Cyalis,¡± Yelleda started explaining, ¡°And they are certainly nothing to take lightly. But to us from Quemer, this so-called Kingdom is only viewed as a small hurdle. If we had brought our organization¡¯s entire strength over, we could crush both Valis and Cyalis in an afternoon.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Narvar nodded, ¡°I suppose that makes sense. But with the strength we currently have at our disposal, can we really contend against the Academy?¡±
¡°The Academy will be a difficult fight, for sure. But they won¡¯t leave their city in any great numbers, so the Valis Kingdom¡¯s days are numbered. The higher-ups view it more as a training exercise than an actual war. It¡¯s also a good way to show off our prestige.¡±
¡°Hm. That¡¯s good, I suppose,¡± Narvar said, ¡°Won¡¯t there be a problem with people escaping to the Saba Desert? It could prove a hindrance when I bring the boy over. Unless you will allow us to go by ship?¡±
¡°The Melorian Bay is not safe for the moment. At least not with something so important. The Academy is looking for Adion all over the continent. Our best option is to keep it low-key and travel through the desert,¡± Yelleda explained, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one of significance would be able to get out.
¡°We have people all over Veloria and the Silver Peaks. We even have a Soul mage stationed in Reshu. Even an Iron beast can¡¯t get into the Valis Kingdom without our knowing. I will make sure there is a safe route for you to travel.¡±
¡°Then I can rest assured,¡± Narvar said with a smile.
Do we really have so many members with nothing better to do?
Narvar had his doubts about the point of it all. He had joined Heavenly Light as he saw it as a powerful organization from Quemer with a dream he shared, to fight the beasts.
But the war¡Narvar had a difficult time comprehending it.
He was already old, his life goal was accomplished many decades ago when he advanced to become a Gold mage and he finally succeeded in establishing a family clan so his children and grandchildren could prosper. That had been the dream of his and his late wife.
He had planned on enjoying his final years accompanying his family, making sure they had everything they would need once he passed on.
But that changed when he was introduced to Heavenly Light. He thought he could do something more before his time came, contribute to something bigger.
A world without beasts. The Endless Age. Even if he wouldn¡¯t be able to see that future himself, he wanted to be part of it. No matter how small.
But it didn¡¯t take long before people noticed something unusual about Narvar. It was discovered he had a Gift. Something he had been unaware of himself all these years. He just knew he was convincing. He had attributed it to his logic and understanding, but it seems it was all the works of some greater power.
Now, he couldn¡¯t deny that he really was Gifted. With the training he had received, he could control his Gift somewhat. And he had been able to convince hundreds, if not thousands, to join the cause.
Are those people fighting beasts right now, or their fellow humans in Valis?
¡°Are you feeling okay, Narvar?¡± Yelleda asked.
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Narvar answered with a smile.
¡°Well, you should take care of your health. The heat is even affecting me. Make sure you drink enough water,¡± Yelleda kindly advised.
¡°I will. Thank you,¡± Narvar said.
¡°Why don¡¯t you go back and rest for now? You have a lot of work ahead of you. I¡¯m sure using your Gift to this extent can be draining,¡± Yelleda suggested.
¡°Then I will do so,¡± Narvar agreed, rising from his seat.
¡°Try to find some time to meditate as well. We all want you to reach the Soul stages as soon as possible. The resources provided to you even make me jealous, so make the most of it,¡± Yelleda said.
¡°Of course, I¡¯ll make sure to make time for my advancement,¡± Narvar said, turning to leave.
Can I really become a Soul mage? A Diamond mage used to seem like a distant dream.
These resources are better spent on the young than an old man like me.
But the higher-ups deem me worthy, so I can¡¯t disappoint them.
I suppose it¡¯s a good thing in the end. I can contribute more. Look after my family for a while longer.
Chapter 175 - Gyll
¡°I guess we¡¯ll have a few more for the road, Captain,¡± Hummel said with a grin, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
¡°Nothing wrong with that,¡± Gyll said with a smile, ¡°But let¡¯s get back to the ship before we kill more beasts than we can carry.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right, Captain, we shouldn¡¯t push our luck,¡± Tevor said with a fearful expression, caressing his bandaged arm gently.
¡°I know, I know,¡± Gyll said, ¡°That¡¯s why we are heading back. I can¡¯t stop beasts from attacking us on the way, can I?¡±
Gyll was really questioning bringing Tevor along with him. He wasn¡¯t cut out for this kind of life. But he had warned the boy that this might be a trip they wouldn¡¯t return from, and Tevor had been adamant about going with them.
Aren¡¯t you a little too cowardly? We¡¯re all fine, aren¡¯t we?
I guess he at least fights with his all when it comes down to it. I shouldn¡¯t expect everyone to keep morale high. That¡¯s my job.
¡°Let¡¯s go as fast as we can,¡± Tevor said, ¡°I have a bad feeling.¡±
Now, that¡¯s something you just never say out loud.
¡°Grab all the meat you can carry, boys!¡± Gyll called out, ¡°The ship is just down this slope, so don¡¯t be afraid to carry heavy.¡±
¡°Aye!¡± His men yelled out somewhat tiredly.
Gyll was tired as well. But he didn¡¯t dare show it. This expedition was all his idea, and he couldn¡¯t be seen lacking in energy or optimism even for a second.
But the truth was, he was quite nervous. Not because he was afraid of the beasts, he was sure he and his team could take on even Gold beasts if they worked together. And running into a Gold beast this close to the coast was unlikely.
What he was nervous about were the people. His men might not be aware, but he knew the Alago Forest wasn¡¯t just for anyone to hunt in. It was more of a giant private park belonging to the Nobles of the Empire than an actual forest.
It had been cleared of all Soul beasts long ago, and the strongest remaining beasts were all under supervision. This way, the Empire had a relatively safe place to explore for resources that were hard to replicate outside of the Endless Forest. It also served as excellent training for young mages. All areas with strong beasts were marked on the map, so the young ones could experience what the Endless Forest was like without the fear of stumbling upon a beast far too strong for them.
This also made it an excellent hunting spot for Gyll and his team. As he, the strongest of them, had only recently reached peak Silver, it was pretty risky to head into the unknown Ishina Forest.
He had first thought of the Ishina Forest, of course, because he knew he couldn¡¯t escape unharmed if he was caught stealing from the Empire. But when he had arrived at the Ishina Forest about a week ago, his gut practically yelled at him to escape immediately.
Gyll knew better than to ignore such a feeling, so he gave up on the idea and decided to risk going into the Alago Forest to hunt. He could have stopped by Meron and simply bought a new stock of food, but he was low on money, having spent his entire fortune on the ship he was now using to explore the north.
¡°This should last us a few weeks, but we¡¯ll still need to go to shore to hunt eventually. And¡well, that didn¡¯t go so well last time.¡± Garnet, Gyll¡¯s right-hand man, said as he walked up alongside him.
¡°I know,¡± Gyll said, his eyes still on the lookout. Not wanting a momentary lapse in attention to cause the first death among the crew. ¡°But this will keep us fed and clothed until we are far away from that place. I don¡¯t believe the entire eastern coastline is occupied by as strong beasts as that place.¡±
Gyll and his crew had already made an effort to sail up the coast. They had decided to explore a mountainous area north of Kerrick Hold, but that exploration ended as Gyll sensed the presence of a Soul beast just a few miles march inland.
Gyll realized there should be a lot of strong beasts in that particular area, otherwise the Empire would have pushed further North. But he was willing to bet that was a one-off. Soul beasts couldn¡¯t be that common.
Nonetheless, the crew was pretty spooked, and he realized it would become a problem if they ran out of food while still stuck there. So he decided to head back to the Ishina Forest, then the Alago Forest. Giving the crew some relief and stocking up on food for a longer trip.
¡°And if Soul beasts really are sprouting like cabbages along the coast, I guess we¡¯ll just have to fight them,¡± Gyll said with a grin.
¡°We¡¯ll die, Captain,¡± Garnet said, looking at Gyll with a strange expression.
¡°Aye, but we¡¯ll go out gloriously. Rather than die fighting fellow humans back home, right?¡± Gyll asked.
¡°That¡¯s certainly true,¡± Garnet agreed.
Gyll¡¯s decision to leave his previous safe life sailing up and down the Trident was in part due to a wish for an adventure before he got too old, and in part because he wanted to get away from the civil war. He didn¡¯t even know what they were fighting about. He just knew that if he stayed, he would probably be forced to join the battle eventually, killing a few fellow humans he didn¡¯t know and then dying at the hands of a stranger himself.
The men with him had similar thoughts. No one cared much for the danger. It was a better alternative than what was waiting for them back home.
¡°Captain!¡± Tevor suddenly called out. ¡°There is another ship there. And I can spot a few people that aren¡¯t with us by the shore.
Gyll felt a chill run down his back.
Have we truly been discovered? I thought we¡¯d be able to go in and out quickly without anyone noticing.
Gyll squinted his eyes to make out the details further down the coast. It was just like Tevor said. There were a lot more people there than he had left behind.
¡°What should we do, Gyll?¡± Garnet asked. He was the only one who knew they were currently stealing from the Empire, rather than freely hunting dangerous beasts.
¡°If we''re caught, we¡¯re caught. We can¡¯t just stay here, can we? Maybe we can work out a solution,¡± Gyll said, sounding a lot more confident than he felt inside.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
If I take the blame, I hope they can leave the others alive.
Gyll kept his pace steady as he and his men approached the strangers further ahead.
They shouldn¡¯t object to free slave labor. Mages are too valuable.
It might not be a good life, but it will be life.
Gyll felt his steps falter slightly.
Who am I kidding? Wasn¡¯t it that kind of life we were trying to get away from?
Should I order them to fight instead?
But we are probably too weak.
¡°Stop right there!¡± A voice called out.
Gyll stopped walking, gesturing for the men beside him to do the same.
He could now make out the people in front of him. He could also feel their strength, as they didn¡¯t hide it. The man who had just called for them to stop was a Diamond mage. And he wasn¡¯t the only one.
¡°Who is in charge?¡± The man called out.
¡°That would be me, sir,¡± Gyll responded, keeping his back straight.
¡°Come over. The rest of you stay over there,¡± The man instructed.
Gyll nodded to Garnet and gave a reassuring look to his men. Their confusion had started to turn into fear.
¡°Who are you? What are you doing here?¡± The man asked as Gyll stepped up to the group. Gyll noticed that his men, who he had left behind, seemed unharmed, though obviously, they were kept under tight watch and not allowed to leave.
Besides the man who had spoken, there was a good-looking woman in her forties standing next to him. She was also a Diamond mage. Behind them were about 20 Gold and Silver mages who Gyll didn¡¯t recognize from his own crew, looking around the area for signs of trouble.
¡°I go by Captain Gyll. As you can probably tell, me and my men are here to hunt beasts. We had run out of food and decided to venture into this forest here to get it ourselves. By the time we would have gotten to Meron, we would have been half-starved,¡± Gyll explained.
The man looked at Gyll doubtfully and asked, ¡°So you were heading east? What for?¡±
¡°To explore north of Kerrick Hold,¡± Gyll answered, ¡°We are going on an adventure, so to speak.¡±
¡°With your strength?¡± The man questioned with a suspicious tone.
¡°Well, it was either dying to beasts or to our fellow man,¡± Gyll answered with an awkward smile, ¡°We are from the Delovan Empire.¡±
¡°I see,¡± The man said, looking a little less hostile.
A young woman approached the man and whispered something in his ear. Gyll had seen her just come off a rowing boat. She had probably gone to inspect their ship while they were away.
I don¡¯t have anything that can cause any more trouble there, do I?
¡°You know this forest is the property of the Alago Empire, right?¡± The man asked.
¡°I¡¡± Gyll was planning on denying any knowledge of it, but he realized that would be pointless, and it could possibly create more trouble if he was found out. ¡°I know, sir. We were just trying to find some food and rid the world of some beasts. I hope we can pay compensation and forget about this whole affair.¡±
The man looked at Gyll carefully for a few seconds before asking, ¡°Are you with Heavenly Light?¡±
¡°Heavenly Light?¡± Gyll asked.
¡°Oh, you¡¯ve never heard of it?¡± The man asked sarcastically, obviously not believing him.
¡°I really haven¡¯t heard of it, sir,¡± Gyll insisted.
¡°How long have you been out at sea?¡± The woman asked, speaking up for the first time.
¡°We took off a week or two after the civil war started,¡± Gyll answered.
¡°You haven¡¯t been to shore since?¡± The woman asked.
¡°We have. Once in the mountains north of Kerrick Hold, once in the Ishina Forest, and finally here,¡± Gyll said.
¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not so strange that you don¡¯t know,¡± The woman said. She turned to the man beside her and asked, ¡°What do you think, Magner?¡±
¡°Seems to be telling the truth,¡± The man, called Magner, said with a reluctant nod.
Magner looked around for a few seconds, seemingly thinking about something, before turning back to Gyll. ¡°Sorry to bother you. It seems we aren¡¯t enemies, after all.¡±
¡°Er,¡± Gyll struggled to get out a response, ¡°No problem, sir.¡±
¡°All right. Get back to the ship,¡± Magner called out to his people, turning around.
¡°So we¡¯re not in trouble for hunting beasts?¡± Gyll asked, surprised.
Magner continued walking, but the woman answered with a kind smile, ¡°We aren¡¯t with the Empire, so we don¡¯t care about any of that.¡±
¡°Oh. That¡¯s a relief,¡± Gyll said with a dry laugh.
The woman nodded and turned to walk away. But she gave Gyll a piece of advice before leaving, ¡°You should probably know that it¡¯s not only war in the Delevan Empire these days. An evil organization called Heavenly Light has come over from Quemer. They have almost taken down the entire Valis Kingdom. You should be careful.¡±
What? How could something like that happen in just a few months?
¡°Thank you for the warning. I¡¯ll keep it in mind,¡± Gyll said.
The woman didn¡¯t answer as she walked away, but she suddenly stopped and turned around to ask something once again. ¡°By the way, you said you had sailed all the way up to Kerrick Hold. Did you see anything suspicious or strange along the way? We are from the Academy, and we are looking for someone important who was taken away by Heavenly Light. If you have useful information, you could be rewarded handsomely.¡±
¡°Academy?¡± Gyll asked, ¡°As in Cyalis Academy?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± The woman nodded with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m professor Claire, that man is professor Magner. So, did you see anything?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Gyll told the woman, professor Claire, about his short stops at land and what had happened, hoping it might be of some help.
¡°Oh, right,¡± Gyll said as he remembered an incident from a few weeks ago. ¡°While sailing south, by the Saba Desert, we spotted what looked like a small town. I didn¡¯t spot many buildings, but there were large docks and a few ships stationed there. One of my men thought it might be an opportunity to make some money, so we decided to make a quick stop to take a look around. But as we approached, I got a bad feeling about the place, so we decided to continue on our way.¡±
¡°Oh? Could you point it out on a map?¡± Claire asked, walking up to Gyll once again, pulling out a map from a small bag slung across her shoulder.
¡°I suppose,¡± Gyll said, ¡°But you should know I have these bad feelings quite often, it¡¯s been a common occurrence the last few months. I''m sure it doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡±
¡°You never know,¡± Claire said with a smile, ¡°We are heading that way anyway, so we might as well check it out.¡±
¡°Alright then,¡± Gyll said, grabbing the map and marking out the spot.
Hopefully, I won¡¯t waste their time.
¡°I hope you find whoever you are looking for,¡± Gyll said with a smile as he handed back the map.
¡°Thank you,¡± Claire said, returning the smile, ¡°I hope so too. If you don¡¯t mind, you can help us look.¡±
¡°I¡¯d be happy to help,¡± Gyll said, feeling strangely happy.
¡°This is a portrait of him,¡± Claire said as she pulled out a poster from her bag and handed it over, ¡°If you find him, bring it to the Academy¡¯s attention, and you could have any reward you can think of.¡±
¡°Then I¡¯ll make sur-¡± Gyll stopped himself as he took a look at the drawing.
This boy¡Why does he seem a little familiar?
Chapter 176 - Where am I?
Adion opened his eyes. He felt the fatigue wasn¡¯t as bad as it had been. He was still thirsty, though.
Perhaps he wasn¡¯t actually thirsty, just a remnant thought that refused to go away. He wanted to drink water.
Adion sat up on his bed, noticing he was still in his clothes.
Ugh. I really should take a bath.
He turned his head and saw a pitcher of murky water on his bedside table.
Why does it look dirty? I¡¯m not desperate enough to drink that.
Adion grabbed the pitcher and noticed it was cold. Water had condensed on the outside.
Looks like it was iced when it was put here. I wonder what time it is?
Adion smelled the dirty fluid and noticed that it actually smelled quite nice.
Oh. It¡¯s some sort of lemonade. Right. Obviously, they wouldn¡¯t give me dirt water to drink.
Adion poured a glass for himself and drank it. It was sweet, cold, and thirst-quenching. Adion poured himself another glass straight away.
That was nice.
Adion got up from his bed and stretched his battered body.
Damn, I really¡Wait. What did I do again?
Adion expected his body to be stiff. He expected himself to be thirsty. But he couldn¡¯t quite understand why.
What did I do last night?
Adion tried his best to remember and he finally saw a vast land of sand in his mind.
Right, I was traveling through the Desert. But why?
To get back to Sell and my family. Right.
Adion looked around the room for a while.
So what am I doing here? Why is everything so fuzzy?
Adion decided to step outside the room to have a look.
How did I end up here? Why can¡¯t I remember? Did I hit my head or something?
Adion tried to recount everything in his head as he walked down the hallway, but it was difficult.
Let¡¯s see. I was at the¡thing. The city. Grandpa, Aiden, Ailera, and Sell are there. So why am I here?
Adion recalled some bits and pieces, but it was hard to make sense of anything.
Some kind of fight? And then I ended up in the desert? Was I taken prisoner?
Adion looked around. He didn¡¯t feel like he was a prisoner. And he didn¡¯t appear to be in a prison either. He spread out his space mana to get a feel of the rooms behind the walls of the hallway he was walking through.
No one seems to be around.
And outside¡Right. I¡¯m underground¡Did I already know that?
Adion came upon a door leading to what seemed like a bedroom and checked to see if it opened. Unfortunately, it seemed to be locked.
He didn¡¯t get discouraged, though. He continued on his way.
Oh? A person.
Adion finally felt the aura of a person further ahead. His space mana told him that the person was in what appeared to be a kitchen.
Adion checked the door, and this time, it opened.
¡°Ah!¡± A yell sounded as soon as Adion opened the door.
A young woman had dropped a loaf of newly baked bread. She looked at Adion with an open mouth.
¡°Hello,¡± Adion said hesitantly, ¡°Who are you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m¡what are you doing up? Are you hungry?¡± The woman, who appeared to be a maid as Adion took a closer look, asked.
Does she recognize me?
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Adion said, ¡°How do I get out of here?¡±
¡°You really should be resting,¡± The woman said, looking nervous.
Weird.
Adion turned around and walked away, deciding to find his way out himself.
¡°Wait!¡± The woman called out, ¡°Let me get Gold Narvar. He will answer everything you want to know.¡±
Adion stopped walking, hesitating.
I don¡¯t get a good feeling from this.
¡°No need,¡± Adion said and continued walking away. He noticed the woman running down the hallway in the opposite direction.
Is she getting someone? Is it someone friendly or¡
I can think about everything once I get out of here.
Adion also started running, suddenly feeling a strong urge to get out of this place. He traced the walls with his space mana, and finally found a staircase leading to the floor above. Unfortunately, the door was locked.
So I am being kept here?
Adion didn¡¯t hesitate and teleported through the locked door into the staircase. He hurried up the stairs to the floor above, but he soon noticed that his space mana only got so far before stopping. Not because he was out of reach, but somehow, the space there seemed like a wall.
This¡Wait.
Adion felt a few images flash through his mind. He couldn¡¯t make sense of anything, though.
I can¡¯t get out with that kind of space blocking the way.
The space was filled with Will, counteracting Adion¡¯s Authority.
Strange. Somehow, this feels familiar.
Damn! Why can¡¯t I think straight?
Adion left the staircase, heading out into the hallway on the floor above the one he had just stayed on.
Maybe I should just find someone to ask what¡¯s going on. I wasn¡¯t tied up or anything. So I might just be able to ask to leave. But I somehow feel like that space is specifically intended to keep me here.
Adion soon stumbled upon an empty room, seemingly an office. The door was locked, but Adion just teleported inside this time.
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Maybe I can find some information.
The office wasn¡¯t very big. A desk with two chairs and a bookshelf was basically all that fit.
Adion sat down behind the desk and started searching through the drawers. There were a few papers inside that Adion grabbed, hoping to find something out about his current situation.
This is useless. This too.
Adion quickly skimmed through the different documents. Soon, he saw a word that grabbed his attention.
Heavenly Light. Right. Those bastards. Is this their hideout? Did they do something to me?
Adion felt his mind giving up in just a few seconds of following that train of thought.
I should grab pen and paper so I can write my thoughts down. That will make it easier to think.
Adion grabbed a few blank pieces of paper and a pen, putting it under his shirt.
I¡¯ll need to find someplace I can sit down and figure this all out in peace.
¡°Adion? Are you in there?¡± A voice, along with a knock on the door, pulled Adion¡¯s eyes away from the paper.
I recognize that voice¡
¡°It¡¯s me, Narvar,¡± Narvar said as he unlocked the door and stepped inside.
Right.
¡°What¡¯s going on? Why can¡¯t I remember anything? Who are you?¡± Adion questioned, ready to attack the man with his volatile space if needed.
¡°Calm down,¡± Narvar said with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m Narvar. I pulled you out of the desert, remember?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion furrowed his brows, his mind struggling to understand.
Narvar sat down at the opposite side of the desk with a gentle smile.
¡°It must be confusing,¡± Narvar said, ¡°You almost died no more than two days ago. I found you dehydrated and alone out in the hot desert. Do you remember?¡±
Something like that seemed to have happened.
¡°A little,¡± Adion answered.
¡°Well, when experiencing something like that, it is normal for you to feel a little dizzy. Temporary memory loss is also quite normal, which it seems like you are experiencing. Why don¡¯t you ask me if you have any questions? I¡¯d be happy to clear up any confusion,¡± Narvar said.
¡°Are you keeping me here?¡± Adion asked, still on his guard. His senses focused not only on Narvar but also on the hallway outside. For now, no one else seemed to be approaching.
¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know where else to put you,¡± Narvar said with a light chuckle, ¡°I¡¯m working and living here for the moment. Since you needed urgent care, I brought you here when I found you. But you are free to leave if you want, of course.¡±
¡°Then why are the doors locked and space constricted,¡± Adion questioned, scrutinizing Narvar carefully.
¡°Space?¡± Narvar asked, confused, ¡°Oh, right. I forgot you are a space mage. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t tell you much about that. It involves research that is quite confidential. As for doors being locked, that¡¯s my mistake. I didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d wake up and immediately want to leave. I¡¯ll make sure they are unlocked.¡±
¡°Is that so¡¡± Adion said slowly.
Could he be telling the truth? It seems like it.
Even without focusing on Narvar¡¯s aura, he could tell that Narvar was trustworthy, so Adion didn¡¯t doubt him much.
¡°Well, can I go then?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You want to leave? Straight away?¡± Narvar asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Adion said, determined.
¡°Haah,¡± Narvar sighed, ¡°I¡¯d hate to see a life I saved wasted for no reason. But it¡¯s not like I can keep you here against your will.¡±
Narvar got up on his feet. ¡°If you¡¯re sure, I can take you outside right now.¡±
Adion hesitated slightly, but in the end, he felt it was best to be on his way back to his family. He was too muddleheaded to decide on anything else.
¡°Good,¡± Adion said, rising to his feet.
¡°Follow me,¡± Narvar said with a gentle and slightly sad smile.
Adion followed. They got to the staircase and climbed up floor by floor. When they got to the floor with the blocked space, Adion noticed it wasn¡¯t blocked anymore.
¡°When did the space here change?¡± Adion asked.
¡°It isn¡¯t always blocked. How would anyone ever get outside if that¡¯s the case?¡± Narvar said.
¡°How do you do it?¡± Adion asked, very curious about how something that seemed like it wasn¡¯t the work of a mage could contend against his Authority.
¡°Haha,¡± Narvar laughed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not even I know. If you truly want to know about it, you¡¯d have to join our organization and climb the ranks.¡±
¡°Your organization¡¡± Adion said slowly. Feeling curious but also slightly apprehensive.
¡°Here we are,¡± Narvar said as he opened the door at the top of the long staircase.
Adion felt the heat hit him like a wall. He squinted his eyes and looked around outside. A few sand-colored, abandoned-looking buildings entered his vision.
¡°As you can feel, this isn¡¯t the place to head out unprepared,¡± Narvar said, ¡°The heat is unforgiving, and you¡¯ll need to travel for weeks before you reach a place where you can find food and water.¡±
He¡¯s right. Damn.
¡°Besides, you haven¡¯t recovered fully yet,¡± Narvar said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a day or two to think things through? You can stay here, recover, clear your mind, and head out when you have prepared sufficiently. I understand you want to get home, but going out like this, you won¡¯t be getting anywhere.¡±
¡°Haah,¡± Adion sighed, ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡±
¡°Good, I¡¯m glad I won¡¯t have to collect your dead body,¡± Narvar said with a smile, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back down and have something to eat? We can make plans together. I do have some experience traveling through the desert, after all.¡±
¡°That sounds good,¡± Adion said with a nod.
¡°How is he? Have you made any improvements?¡± Yelleda asked
¡°He tried to escape again,¡± Narvar answered with a wry smile. He had once again gone up to meet with Yelleda after saying goodbye to Adion for the night. ¡°This time, it didn¡¯t get very far, though. And I managed to talk him out of it fairly quickly. The Persmytha tea really does work wonders, I was able to go a lot further with my suggestions today. It seems he doesn¡¯t remember how he got here.¡±
¡°He forgot about the kidnapping?¡± Yelleda asked, pleasantly surprised.
¡°It seems to be mostly the recent period of time he is having a hard time with,¡± Narvar answered.
¡°That¡¯s lucky,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°There is no way to control these things, but it should speed up your process, right?¡±
¡°Maybe. But I don¡¯t want to be too hasty,¡± Narvar said, ¡°It¡¯s easy to convince him of things he knows to be true, hard to convince him of things he doesn¡¯t know, and impossible to convince him of things he knows are false. If I accidentally suggest something he still remembers differently, it could accidentally trigger a negative response. Making it difficult to make him trust me again.¡±
¡°So that is how your Gift works,¡± Yelleda said, slowly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem quite as frightening anymore.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t use it on you, Soft Soul Yelleda,¡± Narvar said with a slightly awkward smile, ¡°And my Gift is really not that spectacular. I¡¯m just convincing. But no matter how convincing I am, I can¡¯t convince you of something you know to be false.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Yelleda said with a smile. ¡°Then I suppose you will have to be sure he has forgotten about his past before convincing him of your own narrative of events.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Narvar nodded, ¡°I will work slowly. If I notice him blanking on something, I will fill it in with something that fits us. He seems to have forgotten he was captured by us, so I am trying to have him believe he was found by us. When he forgets all about Heavenly Light, I¡¯ll recruit him like I have done many times before.¡±
¡°And when he forgets his family, you might as well convince him that he has always been part of us,¡± Yelleda suggested, ¡°That would make him truly loyal.¡±
Narvar jolted slightly at the suggestion.
¡°Will he really forget them completely?¡± Narvar asked.
¡°Eventually, of course,¡± Yelleda said with a nod.
That¡seems a little cruel.
Narvar had hoped they could stop with the Persmytha tea once Adion joined them in full, forgetting their past enmity. That would make both sides better off.
¡°But don¡¯t let him drink more of the tea at once than he should,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°We want to keep it under control, making him forget little by little. If he forgets how to use his space magic, that would truly be tragic. Make sure to remind him to practice every day, so it stays fresh in his mind.¡±
¡°I will,¡± Narvar agreed.
¡°He might also carry some important secrets that we won¡¯t know if he forgets,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°Information about Cyalis and the Headmaster could come in handy. As well as how he got his space element, of course.¡±
¡°If I ask too bluntly, he¡¯ll resist,¡± Narvar said, ¡°That could get him to mistrust me, and we¡¯ll be set back days. He might put up so much struggle we¡¯ll have to restrain him, complicating everything tremendously.¡±
¡°We wouldn¡¯t want that,¡± Yelleda agreed, ¡°But we have found that right between forgetting and remembering is where secrets come out easily. If you ask something he needs to think about himself, it should come out naturally. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll manage to get a few things out of him.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep an appropriate amount of pressure on him going forward,¡± Narvar conceded.
¡°Good,¡± Yelleda nodded with a pleased smile.
Narvar said goodbye after a few more minutes of conversation and headed back to his bedroom down on the same floor as Adion.
I¡¯ll ask him about his family tomorrow. That way, I can see what he remembers while keeping track of it myself. If he forgets one day, I can perhaps help him remember them again once he¡¯s been integrated with Heavenly Light for a while.
That¡¯s the least I can do.
Chapter 177 - Not normal
¡°Ah, thanks for the food,¡± Adion said as he leaned back in his chair with a pleased expression. He had just enjoyed a platter of seafood, something that he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever had the pleasure of eating before.
¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Narvar said with a smile from the opposite side of the table, already finished eating.
Say what you will about this place, the food is good.
¡°How are you feeling? Are there any symptoms?¡± Narvar asked.
¡°I¡¯ve been feeling well for days,¡± Adion said, ¡°Except for a slightly cloudy memory, everything is fine.¡±
¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re feeling well,¡± Narvar said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sure your memory will slowly come back as long as you eat and rest well.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Adion said, ¡°I feel like I¡¯m ready to leave soon.¡±.
¡°Is that so? Alright,¡± Narvar nodded. ¡°You know I never constrict you. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s dangerous outside. I wouldn¡¯t want you to get hurt again.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Adion said.
¡°Hehe,¡± Narvar chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m glad. I still don¡¯t understand why you want to go outside so much, though. I guess I understand the longing for fresh air and sunlight. I can feel a little uncomfortable myself after staying down here for a few days. But to travel all the way back where you came from, can¡¯t that wait until summer ends and the temperature drops?¡±
¡°I have already been here for¡A week now? Two?¡± Adion said, a little unsure, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s been long enough. And I find it hard to focus on my training while I¡¯m here, so I might as well get going.¡±
¡°Haah,¡± Narvar sighed, ¡°All right then. Just who is it you want to get back to so badly?¡±
¡°Well, to-¡± Adion stopped himself.
Back to Sell¡My family. Why does it all seem so fuzzy? Am I forgetting more and more?
I should head back as soon as possible. No matter the danger.
¡°Never mind, no need to think too much about it,¡± Narvar interrupted Adion¡¯s thoughts, ¡°I suppose you are young and want to be free and unfettered. That¡¯s normal.¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡± Adion answered hesitantly, ¡°Narvar, do you know where my family is?¡±
Adion knew they weren¡¯t in the desert, but he couldn¡¯t quite remember where they were. In his mind, he just saw a dining room they had been sitting in not long ago, but he couldn¡¯t quite place it.
¡°Your family,¡± Narvar repeated, seemingly lost in thought, ¡°I do know. But would you really go back to them as you are now?¡±
¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Adion asked.
¡°You might have forgotten, but you told me a lot about yourself when I had just brought you here. You only have a few family members left. The others, like your mother and father, were all killed by beasts. I seem to recall you having said that you would take revenge? Going back now, with your strength, would you really be able to fight the beasts? Would you be able to protect them? I suggest you train yourself first. Become strong, hunt beasts, and then return when you have accomplished what you set out to do.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Adion said, confused.
Mom and Dad were killed by people, weren¡¯t they? What¡¯s going on?
Is Narvar lying? Why would he lie?
¡°I¡¯ll go back to my room,¡± Adion said, getting up.
I need to think. Something is strange.
¡°Weren¡¯t we going outside?¡± Narvar called out in a slightly too loud voice, stopping Adion.
¡°Now?¡± Adion asked.
¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Narvar said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go have a look around. The fresh air might help you think clearly.¡±
I guess that would help.
¡°Okay,¡± Adion agreed.
¡°Let¡¯s head out then,¡± Narvar said, leading Adion away.
After what felt like an endless set of stairs later, Adion finally saw sunlight again.
¡°I forgot how hot it was,¡± Adion said, already feeling discomfort from the heat despite standing in the shade.
Narvar and Adion started walking around the small compound. Adion didn¡¯t see anyone else around, but considering the temperature, it wasn¡¯t strange that everyone else decided to stay inside.
How did I end up here in the middle of the scorching hot desert? Why would I be stuck here with seemingly no preparations?
Damn, my head is too fuzzy.
Narvar had told him that his mind might feel a little tired after he almost died of thirst. Apparently, experiencing some temporary memory loss was very normal. But Adion felt something was strange about the situation.
He said beasts killed my family¡Did they? I really don¡¯t think so.
¡°It¡¯s the middle of the day, after all,¡± Narvar explained, ¡°It gets better at night.¡±
¡°I was planning on traveling by night,¡± Adion said.
¡°And where would you take shelter during the day?¡± Narvar asked, ¡°There is nothing but sand for countless miles around.¡±
¡°I can freeze space, can¡¯t I? I¡¯ll just bury myself underground. It gets cool pretty quickly,¡± Adion said.
¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to keep that up for long, though, right?¡± Narvar asked.
¡°I¡¯ll-¡± Adion was about to mention his Authority but decided against it, ¡°I¡¯ll manage. Don¡¯t you have any tents to use? Surely that would help.¡±
¡°Hehe,¡± Narvar chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re right, the heat will be uncomfortable but nothing too dangerous if you prepare sufficiently. I¡¯ll handle everything when it¡¯s time for us to leave.¡±
¡°Time for us to leave?¡± Adion questioned.
¡°Well, I¡¯m only staying here temporarily,¡± Narvar explained, ¡°I need to be on my way soon. When I¡¯m gone, I¡¯m afraid it would be difficult for you to stay behind. If you want to, we could travel together. Even if I think it would be a shame for you to return to your family while you¡¯re still weak, it¡¯s ultimately up to you.¡±
Didn¡¯t he want me to stay just a few minutes ago? Did I misunderstand him?
¡°That sounds good,¡± Adion said. He felt a strong urge to return to his family for some reason. He could always get stronger once he reunited with them. ¡°When do we leave?¡±
¡°A week or two, I suppose,¡± Narvar said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you know.¡±
¡°I guess that¡¯s fine,¡± Adion agreed. He knew it would be a lot safer to travel with Narvar. A week or two won¡¯t make any difference.
Adion didn¡¯t know the way back to civilization either, so following Narvar was his best option.
¡°What are all these buildings for? What exactly is it that you do here?¡± Adion asked as he looked around the low sand-colored structures around him, looking like no one had lived in them for hundreds of years.
¡°Some kind of research, I¡¯m not too clear on the matter,¡± Narvar said, ¡°Just doing whatever we can to make progress for the sapi. The beasts are a constant threat, and we can¡¯t afford to lose the momentum we have finally gained.¡±
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¡°Right,¡± Adion said, noticing a strange shift in Narvar¡¯s voice as he mentioned beasts.
Narvar usually talks in a kind and easy-going manner, as if nothing needs to be taken seriously. But when he mentioned beasts, it seemed as if he was serious, like it was important.
He said beasts killed my family¡
¡°If you decide to join us, you will probably get to know all about this place. You are much more important than someone like me. You¡¯re incredibly talented, and you have the space element. That¡¯s very rare. I¡¯m sure my superiors would throw resources your way if you decided to join us.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Adion said non-committedly.
¡°Please do,¡± Narvar said, ¡°You would get stronger faster than you can imagine. You would be able to protect your family, too. Just imagine their surprise if you return as a Soul mage. I¡¯m sure that would make them very happy.¡±
¡°I-¡± Adion was about to answer but suddenly noticed the aura of a Soul mage approaching, and it was fast.
Adion turned to look just as a man came up on him and Narvar.
¡°Narvar,¡± The man spoke to Narvar, ¡°I need to go to the docks, something has come up. It shouldn¡¯t be anything I can¡¯t handle, but keep the touban with you just in case. Be ready to move.¡±
¡°I understand,¡± Narvar said, nodding solemnly.
The Soul mage disappeared just as fast as he had appeared.
¡°Who was that?¡± Adion asked.
¡°His name is Yelleda, the Soul mage in charge of this place,¡± Narvar said, ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s head back for now. The heat is getting to me.¡±
¡°What is happening? Are we under attack?¡± Adion asked.
Narvar smiled at him gently and answered, ¡°It¡¯s probably some beasts causing trouble. The heat isn¡¯t the only threat in the desert. But as far as I know, there are no Soul beasts here, so Yelleda will be able to handle it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Adion said.
¡°But be ready, in case anything serious happens, we will need to get out of here.¡± Narvar cautioned.
¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be safe underground?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Better not take any risks. We should make our safety our priority and let the Soul mages handle it,¡± Narvar said.
¡°Well, I guess I wouldn¡¯t mind leaving sooner,¡± Adion said.
Adion and Narvar walked inside once again. From outside, it was impossible to guess that the shabby house was hiding such a massive underground structure.
At least once every day, Adion would take a walk and explore the different floors. But he still felt that there were places he had yet to discover.
Or do I just forget about it? Is this really normal?
¡°Will you be going back to practice your space magic?¡± Narvar asked as the two were climbing down the stairs.
¡°Yes, I can¡¯t afford to slack off,¡± Adion answered.
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Narvar said with a gentle nod, ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t overdo it. If you feel tired, you should take a break. I can borrow some books for you to read if you want.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you know.¡±
The two were silent for a while before Narvar asked, ¡°How do you usually train, if you don¡¯t mind me asking? I have found myself stuck at the peak of Gold for decades now, while you seem to have no bottlenecks as you advance. Perhaps I¡¯m doing it wrong.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion said, ¡°I guess I just practice controlling space in different ways, playing around with it. I also spend some time meditating and training my aura control. I find that aura control, in particular, is useful for sharpening your Will.¡±
¡°I see. Maybe I should make some time for that,¡± Narvar said with a nod. ¡°By the way, how did you learn space magic? Did you have a teacher who also had a space core?¡±
¡°No, I¡¯ve never met another space mage,¡± Adion answered, ¡°I taught myself.¡±
¡°Incredible,¡± Narvar muttered, ¡°You truly are a genius. How did you get the idea to freeze space and use it to fight?¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± Adion answered, ¡°That would be the Celestial Phoenix. I guess I got some inspiration from watching it freeze space when I-¡±
Adion stopped talking as he noticed Narvar had halted his steps. But as he turned around to look, Narvar quickly started walking again.
¡°The Celestial Phoenix, you say?¡± Narvar asked.
¡°Yeah¡¡± Adion answered, feeling something was wrong, ¡°Like the Fire Phoenix, but with space, you know?¡±
¡°I know,¡± Narvar answered with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m just surprised you have actually seen it. I¡¯d really like to hear about it, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Adion said. He could remember seeing the Celestial Phoenix being reborn in front of him, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel that it was a somewhat private memory for some reason.
¡°I¡¯m having a hard time remembering,¡± Adion answered, ¡°I think I need to rest.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Narvar said, not able to hide his disappointment.
Did I say something I shouldn¡¯t have?
¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you later,¡± Adion said, leaving Narvar behind as he headed off to his room.
The Fire Phoenix has its own Church, and I somehow know that it¡¯s common knowledge. But I feel like the Celestial Phoenix isn¡¯t the same.
Did I just tell Narvar a huge secret?
Adion got back to his room and started pacing around worriedly.
And Narvar¡he acted like nothing.
Adion thought about everything that had happened earlier, going through scene by scene.
Why don¡¯t I remember these things clearly? And it seems as if I am forgetting more and more!
This isn¡¯t normal. It''s not normal at all.
This kind of memory loss¡from dehydration? How could I have believed that?
Adion felt a chill. He had, for some reason, accepted Narvar¡¯s ridiculous explanation for his failing memory. Not until he actually thought about it did he realize how ridiculous it was.
Then why am I forgetting things?
Is¡Narvar the one doing this to me? But why?
Does he want information?
Adion couldn¡¯t think straight. His head was a mess. Some parts of his memory were still clear, some were cloudy, and some were completely gone. Some were there but felt strange for some reason.
Adion leaned against the wall and slumped down to the ground.
Let¡¯s carefully go through everything that happened today.
Adion tried to recall the conversation the two had had. Everything from when they were outside was clear. But as he got to the dinner they had shared, his memory wasn¡¯t as reliable.
He said my parents were killed by beasts. They might have been involved, but there were definitely people there as well.
I told him it was people who killed them. What did he say to that? Or did I only think it?
Adion felt it was impossible to go through everything in his head. He got up to his feet again and headed to his desk. He felt he needed to carefully write down everything he knew, so he could go through it without his mind confusing him midway through.
Adion opened the different drawers, looking for pen and paper. He found both pretty quickly and sat down to write.
But as he looked at the papers, he noticed that there was writing on one of them. He pulled it out to take a look.
¡®Heavenly Light¡¯ Was the first thing written, and Adion felt something stir in his mind.
This¡this is my handwriting. I wrote this? When?
Adion continued reading and was chilled by what he found out. It was not much, but the information was shocking.
Narvar is part of Heavenly Light. They are the ones who kidnapped me and killed my family. I need to escape and get back to Sell. They are doing something to make me forget.
Adion felt his heartbeat quickening.
Narvar? Impossible.
But the more Adion thought about it, the more he felt that the words written there were true.
How could I forget writing this? How long have I actually been here? What are they planning?
Is anything Narvar has said true?
Will I forget this as well?
I need to get out of here.
Adion rose to his feet in a panic, but he didn¡¯t run off.
No. Will I be able to get away right now? I can¡¯t trust anything Narvar has told me.
Maybe I should ask Narvar to take me outside, and escape from there.
But¡what if I forget again?
Will I just come back here again?
Have I gone through these motions before? Will I just repeat the same thing over again, forgetting more and more?
Adion started pacing around his room again, deep in thought.
I need to plan meticulously. I can¡¯t rush this.
And I need to write everything down, or planning will be useless.
I also need to write down everything I can remember so I don¡¯t forget again.
Adion was about to sit down to write when he noticed his breakfast plate that still hadn¡¯t been removed from his bedside table.
It needs to be foolproof. I don¡¯t want to end up in this situation over and over again.
Adion walked to the plate and grabbed the used knife, cleaning it on his shirt.
Damn, is there no other way?
Adion stood looking at the knife for a few seconds, hesitating.
I can¡¯t afford to risk it. This might be my last clearheaded moment.
Adion got a resolute expression on his face and stabbed the knife into his forearm.
Chapter 178 - Narvar II
Celestial Phoenix¡Could it be true?
No. It must be true. Adion doesn¡¯t have it in him to lie to me.
Narvar paced around his office, contemplating the words Adion had just told him.
I need to tell Yelleda about this. Hopefully, there isn¡¯t anything serious going on, and he¡¯ll return soon.
Narvar poured a glass of spirits for himself, even though it was still early in the day.
Should I use the touban to report to the Soul mages in Valis? But that would be expensive. And it¡¯s nothing urgent¡
Whatever, I¡¯ll wait for Yelleda to return and leave it for him to decide.
Perhaps the higher-ups are already aware of the Celestial Phoenix, and I¡¯m just getting worked up over nothing.
Narvar grabbed his glass and went to take a seat in an armchair in the corner.
It makes one wonder what else that boy knows. Should I head over and ask him some more?
No. I can¡¯t be hasty. I will have all the time in the world once he has truly come over to our side.
The hours passed, but Narvar didn¡¯t move from his chair. He continued to think, and wait for Yelleda to return.
He was close several times to get up and visit Adion. Just ask for a few more clarifications.
But in the end, he decided against it. He recalled how Adion had looked unsure when he had left earlier.
He might have noticed something. Now isn¡¯t the time to push. I¡¯ll have the tea work its magic for a few days, and get him to believe deeper in the narrative that I¡¯ve constructed.
Then I¡¯ll test the waters again. If he reacts the same way, I¡¯ll have to adjust. He might be harder to shake secrets out of than I had thought.
Oh, well. In time, I¡¯m sure I can explain away all these feelings of discomfort and have him tell me willingly.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, snapping Narvar away from his thoughts.
How long has it been?
¡°Come in,¡± Narvar called out.
A maid stepped inside with a curtsy and reported, ¡°Gold Narvar, Soft Soul Yelleda asks for your presence in his office.¡±
So he¡¯s back already? Everything should be fine then.
¡°I¡¯ll head over straight away,¡± Narvar said as he stood up, ¡°No need to go back and report.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± The maid nodded and stepped away.
Narvar climbed up the many sets of stairs, not seeing anyone else on the way. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what this place was used for. He didn¡¯t lie to Adion when he said he didn¡¯t know much. He hadn¡¯t been involved with Heavenly Light for very long, after all. He just knew there was some kind of research conducted, but he rarely saw other people except servants around.
Maybe the war has pulled everyone away.
Narvar soon reached Yelleda¡¯s office. He knocked on the door and announced his presence.
The door was soon opened, and Narvar immediately noticed the dirty robes Yelleda was wearing.
He must have just come back.
¡°Narvar,¡± Yelleda said with a tired smile, ¡°Come in and take a seat.¡±
Narvar did as asked. As he sat down, he looked to Yelleda and asked, ¡°How was it? Any trouble?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Yelleda said hesitantly, ¡°Not at the moment. But I¡¯m afraid it will become quite troublesome soon enough.¡±
¡°What happened?¡± Narvar asked.
¡°Haah,¡± Yelleda sighed, ¡°It seems we¡¯ve been discovered.¡±
¡°Discovered? By whom? How?¡± Narvar asked, surprised.
¡°It seems to be people from the Academy,¡± Yelleda answered, ¡°According to the people by the docks, they seemed to have spotted us from the sea, and came into shore to question the people there. They were apparently from a task force sent out to find Adion.
¡°One of my guys sent me a message as soon as he heard about people from the Academy asking around for signs of Heavenly Light. By the time I got there, they had already figured out that the docks were entirely under our control. They took a few of our people away to question and left before I arrived. I¡¯m sure they are on their way back to Cyalis by now, and they will soon have information about this place.¡±
¡°Is there no way to stop them? We should be able to intercept them, right?¡± Narvar asked.
¡°I have already sent out information to the higher-ups, but this is beyond their control,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°The people from the Academy had Diamond mages with them, and the closest Soft Soul mage to the south of the Empire is me.
¡°Perhaps we could send some people from the Melorian Bay, but that would also be difficult, and would surely attract attention. Unless we give up on Valis, we don¡¯t stand a chance against the Academy in that area.
¡°Besides, a group like that surely keeps a touban aboard. I¡¯m sure the Academy already knows everything. Stopping them now won¡¯t change anything.¡±
What about the people they captured? Narvar wondered, but he knew Yelleda probably didn¡¯t care about them.
¡°So what do we do? The Academy will surely send more people,¡± Narvar said.
¡°They¡¯ll definitely come here in full force,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°Which is why I¡¯ve been ordered to abandon this place.¡±
¡°Abandon? When?¡± Narvar asked.
¡°As soon as possible,¡± Yelleda answered, ¡°I¡¯ll gather what can be taken away and what¡¯s most important. We¡¯ll fill up as many ships as possible and leave this place behind.
¡°As for when. Well, I¡¯ll start cleaning out the place tonight. But I won¡¯t be going anywhere for a while, it seems. I¡¯ve been ordered to bury this place, making it indistinguishable from the surrounding desert. Even if we can¡¯t protect it for the moment, it wouldn¡¯t be good if the Academy found it. Hopefully, we can retake it once the war has settled down and we have more manpower at our disposal.¡±
¡°What should I do? And what about Adion?¡± Narvar asked.
¡°You two are a priority, of course,¡± Yelleda answered, ¡°It looks like someone will come over from Valis to protect you as you make your way over there. They have yet to decide who, though. This is all new information, so it will take some time before a final decision on everything is made.¡±
¡°That will take a few weeks, at least,¡± Narvar commented, ¡°What if people from the Academy show up before our person gets here? The Academy could have someone stationed just a day or two away, for all we know.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what is worrying,¡± Yelleda said, his face etched with concern, ¡°Cyalis has sent out a lot of people in search of Adion Remori. Some of them are sure to be at least as strong as me, and we have no idea where they are.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ll need to start your journey alone. You can meet up with the Soul mage sent from Valis on the way over.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Narvar said, nodding slowly.
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Yelleda said with a smile, ¡°There aren¡¯t many things in the desert that can threaten a Gold mage. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Narvar nodded. He wasn¡¯t very worried about traveling the desert. He was just a little uncertain if Adion was ready to be let loose. ¡°When do we need to leave?¡±
¡°The sooner, the better,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°How is your progress?¡±
¡°I would be a lot more comfortable if I could have another week or two with him,¡± Narvar answered hesitantly.
Yelleda furrowed his brows and answered, ¡°Two weeks is absolutely impossible. They can certainly send someone over during that time. At most a week.¡±
¡°I suppose that should be alright,¡± Narvar nodded.
¡°Are you really worried? The boy seemed quite well-behaved when I saw him today,¡± Yelleda said.
¡°He is,¡± Narvar agreed, ¡°He hasn¡¯t shown any hostility toward me since the first few days. I would even call our relationship amiable at this point. But he still wishes to return to his family. It will take a while before he forgets enough for me to be able to influence him.¡±
¡°Give him a higher dose of the tea in the coming days,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°We used it somewhat sparingly because we had plenty of time, but now that we are on a deadline, there is no use in saving it.¡±
¡°But the sudden memory loss might have an adverse effect,¡± Narvar said, ¡°You¡¯ve told me it is best used in small doses over a longer period of time.¡±
¡°Well, it should be all right if we don¡¯t overdo it,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°Try to keep him company during these days, keep his mind off his family and past. Try to convince him of the story you¡¯ve prepared for him.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been pushing my narrative as much as I can, but as soon as I say something he knows is false, he will panic and distrust me, setting the progress back. It can¡¯t be rushed,¡± Narvar said.
¡°Well,¡± Yelleda paused in thought, ¡°I¡¯ll just leave it to you. You know best. But no matter what, you have to leave within a week.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Narvar nodded.
I suppose it should suffice.
¡°That should be it, I guess,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°I need to get to work. I¡¯ll let you know if I come to know anything else. Oh, and don¡¯t forget to have him practice his space magic, lest he forget how to use it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Narvar said. He was just about to get up when he remembered why he¡¯d wanted to meet Yelleda in the first place. ¡°That¡¯s right. Adion said something quite interesting earlier.¡±
¡°Oh? What did he say?¡± Yelleda asked.
¡°Have you ever heard of the Celestial Phoenix?¡± Narvar asked.
Yelleda thought about it for a while before shaking his head, ¡°Doesn¡¯t ring a bell. What is it? Some organization here on Shiora I should be aware of?¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Narvar said, shaking his head with a light smile, ¡°It would seem that it¡¯s an actual Phoenix. Just like the Fire Phoenix, but with control over space instead of fire.¡±
¡°What are you talking about?¡± Yelleda questioned, ¡°From some storybook?¡±
¡°No. A real creature. Apparently, Adion has seen it himself,¡± Narvar said and went on to explain the short but interesting conversation he had had with Adion earlier.
¡°Could he be lying?¡± Yelleda asked.
¡°Impossible,¡± Narvar denied.
¡°But he might be confused,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°He isn¡¯t the most clearheaded, after all. It¡¯s more likely he read about it somewhere and got the facts mixed up.¡±
Narvar was at a loss for words.
Isn¡¯t he the least bit interested? This could be huge news.
¡°Shouldn¡¯t we send this information to the higher-ups? It might be important even for the leaders on Quemer,¡± Narvar said.
¡°It¡¯s way too costly to use the touban for something like that,¡± Yelleda said, ¡°You haven¡¯t even found out any details of it yet. Where did he see it? When? How does he know it was the Celestial Phoenix?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t want to push him,¡± Narvar explained, ¡°I will find out eventually.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Yelleda said with a smile, ¡°So let¡¯s wait until he¡¯s more open. Everything will be clear in time. I¡¯m sure he has a lot of useful information about space that we could use.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Narvar nodded. Did I get too ahead of myself? Maybe he really was just confused.
¡°I¡¯ll head back for now, then,¡± Narvar said, getting up from his seat.
¡°Let¡¯s meet again tomorrow. I should have heard back from Valis by then,¡± Yelleda said.
¡°Thank you for the trouble,¡± Narvar said, and headed outside.
Was he really talking about some story?
Narvar thought about it as he headed back down to his office.
Maybe he managed to find some old book from way back in time. He might have misunderstood something.
Narvar wasn¡¯t usually an impatient man. But he knew this would bother him until he got a clear answer.
Whatever. I¡¯ll ask delicately.
Narvar decided to go to Adion¡¯s room to see how he was doing. He could try to clarify a few things while he was there.
Adion¡¯s room wasn¡¯t far from his own office, so he got there quickly. He knocked on the door and called out, ¡°Adion. It¡¯s Narvar. Can I come in?¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s open,¡± Adion responded.
Narvar opened the door and spotted Adion sitting cross-legged on his bed, seemingly meditating. He stepped inside with a friendly smile, but he soon stopped as he noticed Adion¡¯s bandaged arm.
¡°Adion, my boy. What happened to your arm?¡± Narvar asked. He could see it wasn¡¯t a light injury, as most of the bandage was red from blood.
¡°I got injured while trying to come up with a spell,¡± Adion answered with a wry smile.
¡°With space?¡± Narvar asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded, ¡°I thought since you said there were beasts outside, I should have some way besides freezing space to fight them. But it was trickier than I thought, and this happened.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Narvar said, nodding slowly.
He seems¡alright.
¡°You should be careful,¡± Narvar warned, ¡°What if you had passed out from the injury? There might not be anyone able to find you in time.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Adion said, ¡°I¡¯ll be more patient going forward.¡±
Narvar was quiet for a few seconds, thinking.
¡°What kind of spell was it?¡± Narvar asked.
¡°I kind of tried to disrupt space,¡± Adion answered, ¡°It¡¯s still experimental.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Narvar nodded, ¡°Is this also something you saw from the Celestial Phoenix?¡±
Adion seemed to think about the question for a second before looking at Narvar slightly¡wary?
What¡¯s this?
Adion smiled and answered, ¡°I thought of it myself.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡± Narvar said.
Did I imagine it?
Maybe I have been too hasty.
¡°Well,¡± Narvar said, trying to activate his Gift as much as he could, ¡°You should probably hold off on that kind of practice for now. We will be leaving in a week. It wouldn¡¯t do if you were too injured to move.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Adion asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Narvar nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll be going to the Valis Kingdom to the west. That place is not far from your family, so we can travel together.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Adion nodded.
Something is¡a little off. He isn¡¯t as relaxed. My Gift doesn¡¯t have the same grasp over him as it did earlier.
It was a subtle but distinct feeling. Narvar could tell pretty accurately how much sway his words had, and how they were received. Usually, there was no resistance in everyday conversations with Adion. Only when he touched upon Adion¡¯s past, trying to alter it, did he feel him getting confused, and not so easily influenced.
But now, even if he hadn¡¯t told him a lie, or tried to convince him of anything but their departure, he could feel Adion getting confused when he should easily believe him.
This Celestial Phoenix is certainly not from some storybook, to have startled him this much.
I should give him some space. One step back, two steps forward.
¡°Well, I just came to see how you were doing,¡± Narvar said, ¡°You should rest. Let the body heal.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Adion nodded.
Narvar relaxed slightly as he felt those words get through without a problem.
¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow,¡± Narvar said with a gentle smile, ¡°I¡¯ll send something for you to eat before you go to bed.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Adion said.
Narvar turned to leave, but happened to spot something on Adion¡¯s desk. A few pieces of paper with writing on them.
Has he been writing? That¡¯s not good.
Narvar realized that a lot of the effects from the tea could be counteracted if Adion were to write down information before he forgot it, such as Heavenly Light being an enemy who had abducted him.
This is a massive oversight. How did he get ahold of pen and paper? I¡¯ll need to do a sweep of his room once he¡¯s gone to bed.
He walked to the kitchen to have someone prepare a meal.
Let¡¯s spike his drink with double the amount of Persmytha tea leaves tonight.
It would be for the best if this day faded entirely from his memory.