《Villager Three》 Prologue: Broadcast People who tell stories and legends focus on the heroes, the villains, the epic weaving of love and war. Almost no one spares a thought for Villager Three whose crops were all nuked from orbit by the floating Demon Castle. In games a Villager Three will never get a name, and never get assigned a unique voice actor if they got voiced at all. Sometimes they''ll be allowed to give a useful tidbit but often it was just some random tutorial blurb that no one bothered listening to after their first time through a save file. Villager Three, with their farm and their rake, was always bypassed and forgotten. Most people hearing stories like to imagine they''d be the hero or the damsel or the cool anti-hero sidekick, not the merchant whose life was ruined by some adventurers who failed to protect his goods. People played games to be a badass not an accountant, and they didn''t consider what blasting open someone''s doors to get to their life savings hidden in a pot would do for that poor peasant''s retirement plans. What would it be like to watch the world ending around you while having no inkling of the events leading up to it? One day watering tomatoes and pulling weeds, and the next day the moon starts dripping blood and the demons of Hell erupt from the ground. What if you weren''t a key player in the storyline? Maybe some people knew what was going on. Maybe there was an organization, or a branch of some country''s government, or a cult with diabolical plans working behind the scenes. Most people had no clue about any of that though. They were just continuing along with their day, minding their own business, doing their best to provide for their families and live a good life, when suddenly enormous cracks in the sky tore open revealing a deep void beyond. In that moment everyone on Earth was just another Villager Three. ¡¾ Ah, ah, testing. 1, 2, 3. Can everyone hear me? Good, good! I''ll begin the broadcast now. ¡¿ Floating semi-transparent windows of light appeared in front of everyone in the world, like holographic screens from science fiction movies. Somehow even young children, the blind and the deaf could see, hear, and understand the words being spoken. On each screen was displayed the same figure: a man in a garish Hawaiian shirt wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat decorated with tacky flowers, whose facial features seemed strangely obscured. He leaned on a long staff, one hand on his hip where a ring of keys swung freely back and forth. Most unforgivable of all, he wore mismatched patterned socks with gold and silver sequined crocs. Humanity cringed as one. The man held up his hand in a peace sign, the keys on his waist jingling merrily. ¡¾ Yo! I''m Janus. God of Beginnings, Ends, Entrances and Departures. In less complicated terms I''m the God of Change. Or the Custodian of the Universe if you prefer. ¡¿ ¡¾ As you can imagine, the fact I''m showing up means there''s a big change happening. Have you all seen the cracks already? Ah, yep, there''s panicking. You''ve seen the cracks. They''re not harmless but it''s fine as long as you don''t touch them, so don''t go flying any aircraft near them okay? They''ll go away soon. ¡¿ Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡¾ The most recent War of the Gods has concluded and I''m sorry to say your realm didn''t do too well. In fact it was... downright abysmal. You didn''t place in any rankings, losing your rights to operate independently. ¡¿ ¡¾ Ah, in short... a hostile takeover? ¡¿ ¡¾ Good news, you weren''t last in the competition at least which means you don''t get subjected to a full reset. Bad news, you''re a winner''s prize instead. ¡¿ ¡¾ The realm that''s assimilating you has a different underlying set of rules which means the rules governing existence are changing as far as you''re concerned. I won''t divulge too many details since it''s pretty complex stuff and you''ll figure out the intricacies on your own. ¡¿ ¡¾ You were previously a Science-type realm but now you''ll be Magic-type, putting things in a... Slightly erroneous way to help you visualize what''s happening. Previously your universe had essentially no mana, now it''s going to have... A lot. Basically. All the mana. It''s the easiest way to describe it quickly, okay? Got it? Good, moving on. ¡¿ ¡¾ To make acclimation easier I''m installing a System to help everyone adjust. For the sake of survival and not because I''m a fan of your realm''s many System novels. Don''t be absurd! ¡¿ ¡¾ I''ve already had it working in the other realm for awhile from their perspective. Time is relative and everything. They won''t find anything strange with you using it too, but that also means you won''t have any abnormal advantages. ¡¿ ¡¾ Let''s see... Gates will manifest as part of the assimilation process. Gates can have great benefits but they''re dangerous too so you know. Caution. ¡¿ ¡¾ Dungeons will show up a bit after Gates. Maybe after a century or so? They''re similar to Gates in some ways, but are far more lethal and strict with their Rules. Pay close attention to Dungeon Rules! Especially regarding Soul Gems! ¡¿ ¡¾ Some of you watching this broadcast are actually already inside Gates. If you are looking around wondering what the hell is happening, good job! That''s an opportunity you have in your hands there. Don''t worry, the first Gates are very simple so you''ll be fine. ¡¿ ¡¾ Mm. Probably. ¡¿ ¡¾ Your planet Gaea is the Origin of Humanity and will be protected from aggressive invasions for a maximum of one thousand years as a Newbie Blessing. Your realm didn''t rank even among the losers so you only get a millennium at most, sorry about that. If you wanna blame anyone blame your Pantheon. Your representative Gods were weak. ¡¿ ¡¾ During the Newbie Blessing''s duration Classes and Skill Books and other such useful things can only be obtained via Gates, but monsters and whatnot may spawn and develop naturally as mana permeates your world. ¡¿ ¡¾ After the Blessing falls you''re on your own so use the time wisely! But don''t push yourselves toward progress for the sake of progress, for your own sakes. Take your time to build a strong foundation! ¡¿ ¡¾ Or don''t. Whatever. But your world will change fast, clinging to what you understand of common sense will only hurt you in the long run. I recommend you adjust swiftly if you want to avoid extinction. I like humans, I hope you''ll do your best! ¡¿ ¡¾ Anyway, I''ll wrap this up since I''ve gone on long enough, you''ve got plenty of hints now. The old tend to ramble, you know how it is. ¡¿ ¡¾ I know some of you won''t believe me. Good luck with that, you won''t last long. ¡¿ ¡¾ Full realm assimilation will be completed in a few million years give or take and then the Gates will stop appearing, use them while you can. The next War of the Gods is scheduled to start in about 15 billion years, practice hard until then. ¡¿ ¡¾ See ya around! ¡¿ With that simple farewell, the screens disappeared and the world changed forever. Humans were above all else an adaptable species. When faced with the unknown, they rose to the occasion and overcame adversity with a tenacious determination that other species swiftly learned to fear. Civilization fell, then rose again even more grand than before. As it did so many times in the past, as it would many times in the future. #1: Overdue Farewell Kira Hawthorne sighed, tossing an apple core toward the ground far below. She sat comfortably on a swing made of verdant green vines drooping from the branches of a tall tree. The lanky teenage girl looked like a youngster from the countryside: she wore knee-length denim shorts and a sleeveless shirt revealing tanned arms spotted with freckles, like clusters of stars on her shoulders. She seemed oblivious to the fact she was barefoot in the wilderness, or that her dirty blond hair tied back in a casual messy bun had a few leaves sticking out of it. Her round face had more freckles splattered across her cheekbones and upturned button nose. Bright blue fox eyes were usually drooping in a lazy expression, thin lips curved into an almost constant idle smile. Her surroundings were simple, almost idyllic. The tall tree grew atop a lone hill in the midst of a field of flowers that stretched as far as the eye could see. Somewhere beyond the limit of her vision the ground began to curve, so that when she looked upward she could see a familiar forest rather than an empty sky. It was as though she were constantly at the bottom of a strange hollow sphere. No matter where Kira walked, the ground was beneath her feet and a different area of the Gate was above her head. Despite this odd arrangement there were obvious day and night cycles with lighting and shadows from the mysteriously invisible sun and moon. Deer, foxes, squirrels, and other wildlife frolicked in the flowers without a care in the world, completely oblivious to her presence. Even when she whacked a raccoon upside the head with an apple core, it merely took its prize from Heaven and ran. Kira had long accepted her strange fate. One moment she was getting ready for school, grabbing her backpack and notebooks from where she threw them a few days before. Then she found herself stepping through a door not into her usual familiar old hallway but into a vast forest. In hindsight her bedroom door looked a little different than usual and maybe she should have inspected it more closely before running through. But in Kira''s defense: it was a rainy Monday morning, she spent all night doing a big raid in her favorite video game which she was both main healer and party leader for, and she wasn''t entirely conscious when she ran out. And then there was the whole thing with the Janus guy, and the System... It took her awhile to get over the initial freak-out. Once she calmed down Kira realized it was actually an excellent opportunity. Obviously she stumbled into one of the Gate things, so she could just hide out for awhile and take it easy! Explore the Gate instead of having to go to school, deal with teachers and other students and tests and homework... Everything she hated about her life, she could just. Ignore for awhile! So she did. The Gate wasn''t completely peaceful but it provided the necessities and always had perfect weather. Clean water, fruit, and vegetables were everywhere. Fat slow fish drifted lazily in the several forest ponds, creating a simple source of protein. Aggressive creatures distinct from normal wildlife were easily dispatched with a throw of a rock, and she gained the ¡¾ Dismantle ¡¿ skill under highly insistent tutorial instructions from the new System. And in the forest was a small cottage surrounded by a village of fluffy talking creatures who called themselves Porin. She had to buy supplies for exorbitant prices through the System Shop, trading in dismantled monster parts and foraged goods for pitiful amounts of Credits, but it allowed her to have things like toilet paper and blankets. Days faded in to each other. She wasn''t sure when it began, but her perception of each day seemed to become a bit blurry. Perfect weather, abundant food, a safe place to sleep and friendly little talking creatures to socialize with. Kira grabbed a vine and freed herself from the swing, descending slowly to the ground with the support of the rope-like plant. "I''ve been having such a good time on my holiday... Maybe I should figure out how to go back now. They''re gonna be so mad at me..." Kira meandered through the woods with both hands in her pockets. Despite her casual pace and lack of anything resembling stealth, none of the monsters on the way even bothered tossing her a single glance. They used to scare her, the big wolves and boars and vicious bunnies with rows of sharp little teeth, but somewhere along the line they just became background noise. As far as she could figure, it probably had something to do with her special passive skills.
NAME SPECIES CLASS TITLES
Kira Hawthorne Human Geomancer ¡¶ Relic ¡·
RANK LEVEL HP MP
F 1 20/20 50/50
STR INT AGI DEX
4 6 1 3
PASSIVE ¡¾ Acrobatic ¡¿ ¡¾ Human Adaptability ¡¿ ¡¾ Keen Aim ¡¿ ¡¾ Sense ¡¿ ¡¾ Trifling Presence ¡¿
SKILLS ¡¾ Dismantle ¡¿
SPELLS ¡¾ Throw Rock ¡¿
None of the monsters gave any experience no matter how many hundreds or thousands she killed. Over time she learned a Skill, a Spell, and a few Passives. She looted a Class Medallion that made her into a Geomancer for some reason, but unfortunately... Without something like Scan she couldn''t actually analyze her own information. Or even that strange title that popped up on its own one day! And she only knew that because of tutorial tooltips that popped up in the first few days whenever she encountered new things. While she could buy Skill Books from the System Shop, they were stupid expensive. High-level Skills like Scan, Inspect, Appraise, all cost more individually than the total amount she earned collectively during her entire time in the Gate. A time which she was pretty sure wasn''t anything to sneeze at. Through the System Shop she could buy books, music, even episodes of television series with her handful of Credits, but she couldn''t communicate with the outside world. On top of everything, her brain felt a bit fuzzy. She couldn''t clearly remember when she found the Class Medallion, what monster it dropped from, or even when she started fighting monsters instead of running and hiding like she did in the beginning. The first week or so in the Gate was a clear sequence of memories, and then the most recent week was always clear. But how about in between? Everything was an odd dream-like haze. It didn''t feel uncomfortable or particularly alarming, just... Unfocused. "How long have I actually been in here?" Kira muttered, plucking a piece of Sweetgrass from a clump growing nearby and biting down on the tough stalk. It tasted a bit like cotton candy with the texture of a marshmallow. "Two weeks, a month? Two months? "Mom''s probably furious. And the school. Ahhh... I''m gonna be so behind on homework! But... It really can''t be helped if I don''t know how to leave." Kira made her way back home at a leisurely pace. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Welcome back, Kira!" "Hi, Kira!" "Welcome home!" A chorus of voices greeted her as she entered the glade where her cottage and the Porin village were located. Giant mushrooms and tree stumps surrounded the cottage, with various openings for their Porin occupants to freely enter or exit. Fuzzy little balls of fluff of every color, with eyes like black marbles and big mouths forming silly grins, countless Porin bounced up and down around her feet and ankles without obstructing her path. The smallest were the size of a ripe plum while the largest could compete with a basketball. Some of the more bold Porin scrambled up her body, clinging to her clothes to avoid scratching her skin with their little claws. "Kira! Kira! Will you play with us today?" "Kira! Did you get more snacks today?" "Kira, Kira!" "Kira, can we play?" "That''s quite enough children," a wizened old voice interrupted. An enormous pure white Porin, bigger than the others by far with fur growing to resemble an elderly beard in shape, waddled through the crowd. "Miss Kira is troubled. Now is not the time to play." The biggest and oldest Porin, known only as Elder amongst his peers and Gramps to the teenager, didn''t object when Kira lifted him into her arms and carried him onto the cottage porch. All the other little Porin grumbled and scattered to continue their daily routines of romping and eating berries. Kira sat with the elder on a cushioned bench. "How can you always tell when I''m bothered, Gramps?" People usually complained she wasn''t expressive enough, but even the most subtle of her moods were always detected by the wise old Porin. "We''ve known each other a long time now, Miss Kira." Elder chuckled, kneading the cushion with his paws before settling into a comfortable loaf position. "Long enough for your face to be as familiar to me as my own." "Really...?" Kira sighed, scratching the back of her neck. "That long, huh..." Comfortable silence stretched out between them. Kira yawned and leaned back on the bench, but Elder knew better than to rush Kira through her thoughts. He waited patiently while she sorted words and concerns into something concise and manageable. "Do you know how to leave the Gate?" She finally asked, scratching her neck again. "I do." "Can you tell me?" "I cannot." Kira sighed. "Any hints?" Elder thought for a moment. When he spoke again, he slowly enunciated every word. "This Gate is a Teaching-type meant for the youth. I have told you this before, I believe, and explained it is for learning useful skills. But I failed to explain not all useful skills are related to combat." "And you haven''t told me this before why?" "You never asked." Kira coughed awkwardly. Well... That was true. Elder never offered information in all the long time she knew him, she always... Had... To ask first. The girl sat up straight, feeling like a lightbulb suddenly illuminated the empty space of her mind. "Gramps! What can you teach me?" Elder chuckled, a soft ripple spreading through his long, fluffy fur. "That took you long enough. Is it really so hard to ask for help?" Kira blushed. Honestly, she enjoyed spending time in the Gate. Everything felt so laid back and relaxing once she got used to fighting monsters! Playing with the little Porins, napping in the cottage or the forest or the flower fields, watching television through the System and munching on ridiculously expensive snacks... She wasn''t actually... Trying. Just... Existing. "I wasn''t in a hurry to go anywhere!" Kira muttered, avoiding eye contact with the chuckling old Porin. "Otherwise I would have noticed a lot sooner... Since you always answer my questions but never volunteer info... So, teach me! Er. Please." Elder chuckled again. A white light enveloped his fluffy body, coalescing into an orb above his head that slowly shaped itself into a book. It dropped into Kira''s hands, and a familiar tooltip screen appeared above the cover.
Skill Book Obtained
¡¾ Earthshape ¡¿
Learn the skill?
¡¶ Yes ¡· ¡¶ No ¡·
Again, without Scan or anything, she failed to obtain more useful information. Kira glanced at Elder, raising her eyebrows. "What does it do?" "Shaping is the basis of elemental magic. Fireshape, Earthshape, Watershape, and so on. Through Shaping you use mana to manipulate a chosen element with sheer force of will. It lacks the raw power of a Spell, but is required as the foundation for Spellcraft and has its own utility as well." "And this, this was what I needed all along to leave?" Kira frowned, tapping ¡¶ Yes ¡· to learn the Skill. The book dissolved into a cluster of golden lights that rushed to hug her head, merging information into her mind before vanishing. "No." Kira resisted the urge to bounce the Elder on the ground like a fluffy basketball. "Then! What! Do! I! Need!" "Miss Kira... You need to learn to ask when you don''t know something. Communication is important in life, and there''s no shame in lacking knowledge. There is only shame in remaining ignorant when opportunities for enlightenment are presented before you." Seeing the girl look embarrassed, Elder smiled and placed a paw on Kira''s knee. "Don''t rely on personal biases. You did not think a Porin like myself could teach you anything of use, so you never asked. And yet, here we are. In the future, I hope you will keep this lesson in mind. This skill is what you truly lacked." The old Porin waved his paw in the air. White threads of light emerged from the tips of his claws, forming a door at the base of the porch steps. The door was solid black. In its opalescent white frame was set a glass container filled with golden liquid that sparkled and gave off its own glow. Embedded in the upper right corner of the door frame was a red gem the size of a man''s fist. Kira looked at the door, then at the calm old Porin who hopped down from the bench to waddle in front of it. She hesitated for a moment, then asked: "Gramps... Can you... Tell me about Gate doors?" Elder felt happiness in his little dual hearts seeing her take the lesson seriously. "Of course, Miss Kira. On a door leading into a Gate there will always be carvings depicting what enemies or challenges await within. "The glass container is the Meter. For most Gates, it shows how close the Gate is to either being fully closed or reset. When it''s closed, the Gate will merge with the world in which it appeared and cease being a separate pocket of existence. If the liquid is gold it''s counting down to a closure, while silver liquid means a reset. "A reset causes the Gate to revert to its original state. Terrain is fixed, loot restored, monsters are respawned, and non-occupants are kicked out the door." "The gem in the corner of the frame reveals how difficult the Gate is among others of its type. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and black, in ascending order of difficulty. "Meanwhile, the door frame material refers to the quality of the Gate. Wood, bronze, iron, silver, gold, mithril, adamantium. Again, in ascending order." "And here," Elder bounced up to tap a plaque beneath the Meter with his claws. "Are the Rules. Gates can have many Rules, or none at all. It will also list the Gate''s requirements for completion and what type of Gate it is. Teaching, Challenge, Training, Conquest, or Hybrid. "This is a Teaching Gate, which means the exit door wouldn''t appear until you completed the assigned task. Now that you''ve passed the lesson, you can leave whenever you like. "And that''s all I can tell you. Everything else you''ll have to learn elsewhere." Elder chuckled, concluding his long lecture by stroking his ''beard'' with a paw. Kira hesitated, glancing at the door then back to the old Porin. "When I leave... Can I come back in?" Elder paused. His black marble eyes seemed to become especially watery for a moment, and he glanced off to the side. "No, Miss Kira. You''ve passed the lesson, and this was a single-use Gate." "But... Then the Gate will merge with the world, right? So you''ll all still..." Elder bounced over to jump onto Kira''s lap. Like the polite old gentlePorin he was, Elder pretended not to notice the girl''s tears. Instead, he snuggled into her arms for an affectionate hug. "Yes, Miss Kira. We will be somewhere in the world, waiting for you to visit us again. But this farewell, you must admit, has been long overdue." "I did slack off a little, huh?" Kira sniffled, rubbing the corners of her eyes to chase away the tears. She didn''t know how long she''d been in the Gate, but from the hints Elder gave she could guess it was a bit more than the two weeks it felt like. Thanks to the Porins, her time in the Gate felt more like a vacation or holiday than anything else. She didn''t miss her family or friends yet since the little fuzzy guys kept her busy with games and little parties when she wasn''t hunting monsters or lazing about. She''d really grown fond of them and their playful ways! Leaving the cottage and the Porin village felt like moving away from her hometown. Her heart ached. "You are indeed a little lazy, Miss Kira." Elder chuckled, then let out a low whistle that caused the entire village of Porins to gather around the cottage. "Everyone, Miss Kira has closed the Gate! Let us all give her a grand farewell party!" Cheers filled the air. Kira was swarmed by baby Porins rubbing their faces against her with affection, while the adults fetched stores of fruits, herbs, nuts and veggies. Watching Porin cook was always entertaining. Kira realized after Elder''s explanation that they used Earthshaping to create ovens, pans, plates and bowls of smooth stone. Water was carried from the nearest source in little stone buckets, and older children gathered firewood. They used Windshaping and Watershaping to mix and combine ingredients, then Fireshaping to heat the ovens. She never asked if they could teach her how to do it because she thought it was inborn magic unique to their species. She expected magic to involve chants, or magic circles, or hand gestures, or wands and staves, and anything else must have been something like psychic powers, right? Like Elder said, Kira was affected by her personal bias. Once she recognized her mistake, she asked Porin who weren''t busy cooking to help her practice Earthshaping and provide some tips. Kira and the Porins partied for three days, singing and dancing and eating all sorts of yummy food. She sold all the excess materials in her Inventory to buy treats and party favors from the System Shop, showing the little ones the joy of party poppers and silly string. Early in the morning on the fourth day, Kira stood before the Gate with an unusually serious expression. Elder emerged from his tree stump, waddling over to stand beside her in silence. "I''m gonna miss you guys," Kira said after a few minutes. She didn''t dare turn to look at the village for fear of crying. "We will miss you as well, Miss Kira. I... Do not know if we will change during the merge. Sometimes merging into a new world causes the Gate inhabitants to adapt their forms. We may look different the next time we meet, but... We will wait for you, Miss Kira. As long as it takes for you to find us again." "And then we can have another party, right?" "The biggest party." Kira grinned, scooping Elder off the ground and planting a big kiss on his forehead. "See you later, Gramps. Thanks for everything." Elder coughed and spluttered, his white fur turning an interesting shade of red. He barely composed himself in time to realize she''d put him back down and pushed the Gate door open. Her skinny figure and the Gate door both disappeared in a flash of white light. #2: Brigit Kira stood amongst crumbling stone ruins in a small forest clearing, shafts of golden sunlight filtering through the canopy of trees yet unable to dispel the early morning mist clinging to the ground. She wiggled her bare toes, pulled her blue hoodie out of the Inventory to fight off a chill, then opened the Map. ¡¸ Did the Gate put me somewhere random?... No, it says... What?¡¹ The girl frowned. The Map was lit up and filled out as though she''d been in that area before, yet the forest didn''t look familiar at all! She was so engrossed in scrutinizing the Map she didn''t notice her voice sounded just a bit different, like a faint echo was tracing every word, a trembling and charismatic resonance forming an undercurrent beneath each sentence. Not unpleasant nor overtly obvious, but definitely unusual. A faint outline on the map showed the walls made by the stone ruins, and a closer look made her stomach leap into her throat. The layout of the ruins was familiar. Very familiar. Kira spun on her heel, blue eyes wide. The stone walls were composed of large gray rocks slotted close together, mostly covered in vines and brush. Kira ran into the ''room'' behind her into the far left corner. A big shrub grew over the corner of the wall. Kira snapped branches and smashed the shrub with her feet, ignoring splinters of wood and thorn that tore into her flesh and made her HP drop. When the bush was cleared away, Kira saw a white rock about the size of a normal brick, just a bit lighter than its gray peers. Her hands trembled as she fit her small fingers around the protruding edges of the rock, pulling it out of the wall. Dust flew into the air. Behind the rock was a small gap with a rusted metal box hidden within. There was a tiny heart-shaped padlock keeping the box shut. ¡¸ Oh... Oh no...¡¹ Kira''s voice dropped to a hoarse whisper as she fell to her knees, her knuckles almost as white as the rock she clutched in her shaking hands. When it was new, the house was a beautiful stone Ranch-style home with a unique, distinct asymmetrical floor plan. Big windows, big rooms, and a big backyard. Warm and welcoming and filled with memories. Kira reached into the hidden alcove and flicked her finger against the padlock. The metal felt brittle and cheap, snapping easily when she gave a forceful tug. Part of the metal box came with it, tearing off with a faint crunching sound. Inside the box was her prized gemstone collection. Kira swept them into her Inventory with barely a thought but focused instead on the padlock in her grip, crumbling bits of metal from the box falling to dust. The ¡¶ Relic ¡· title suddenly made sense. For her house to be ruins and a forest to have sprung up in the surroundings, with thick adult trees and not thin young saplings, for the treasure box to have rusted to the point where it fell apart with some outside pressure? ¡¸ How long... Was I really gone? My house, my room, my treasure... My...¡¹ Tears rolled down her face, a broken sob rattling in her throat. ¡¸ No... No! This... This is... This is too much! I just... I just wanted a vacation, I just wanted to skip school for awhile and have some fun, I just... I...¡¹ Kira pressed herself into the corner and cried, hugging the padlock and white rock to her chest. Her teachers were gone. Her friends were gone. Her favorite friendly old lady who ran the corner market and gave free popsicles to kids was gone. ... Her family... Was gone too... And from the looks of the house they''d been gone a long damn time. All because she was lazy and didn''t try harder to solve the Gate''s simple mystery. ¡¸ I didn''t even think about them, I didn''t even miss them! I... I...¡¹ Kira''s broken sobs turned into wretched shrieks and screams as she kicked her feet, hit the ground, swore and raged and flung rocks and branches and even leaves. She ripped the flesh on her hands and tore off fingernails prying brick after brick from the walls to smash them against the ground or throw them against trees. By the time her tears finally ran dry her voice was completely gone from her nigh constant screaming and cursing. Kira fell on the ground and stared at the sky in a daze. Then she sat up again because her nose was congested from crying and that made it hard to breathe when laying down. ¡¸ I don''t have my home. I don''t have my family. I don''t have toilet paper.¡¹ Kira sighed. She thought her house would be on the other side of the Gate door so she didn''t bring any extra supplies from the cottage. Technically she was correct, her house was indeed on the other side. It just wasn''t in a state she expected to see. Or even wanted to look at ever again. All her Credits were spent during the farewell party celebration. Her inventory held her treasured gem collection, her old backpack and school supplies, and a blue hoodie she''d had since before entering the Gate. Nothing that would really help in her current situation. Only items with traces of mana could be sold to the System Shop, and for far less than they were actually worth. She couldn''t just grab some random twigs and berries to sell for supplies. ¡¸ Mm. I have to find people. Get a job maybe. Find out how things have been since...¡¹ Hot tears stung the corners of her eyes once more. She dragged her thoughts away from that particular depressive mire and jumped to her feet. ¡¸ I can''t just be lazy all the time anymore.¡¹ She fled the ruins of her house like they were haunted, without looking back once. The surroundings were different, but she walked the streets of her hometown enough to find where the road used to be. Somehow it turned into a wide but shallow creek, lined with weeds and flowering bushes. Kira followed the creek for a long time. She didn''t want to see how the old familiar landmarks had changed, to see her favorite spots become strange and overgrown. So she walked. And walked. Took a break to soak her feet in the creek. Then walked some more. Kira refused to think about anything regarding the past. Instead she enjoyed the fresh morning air, the clear skies, and the peaceful quiet, immersing herself in the present moment. She practiced using Earthshaping as she walked, causing the earth under her feet to undulate and ripple like water. Not enough to be a strain on her mana, but enough to practice the feeling of manipulating it. The key she learned from the Porin was visualization. A strong visual meant more effective Shaping and was more efficient in terms of mana consumption. Since Shaping was the foundation of Spellcraft, practice would only help her future magic career. Career... ¡¸ Haa... I don''t have to go to high school or college anymore, right? I didn''t really have a plan for the future to begin with, but now...¡¹ Kira scratched the back of her neck and let out a deep sigh. ¡¸ Whatever. I''ll figure things out as I go. First priority: food and shelter. Everything else can wait!¡¹ Her stomach released an audible growl as though agreeing to her decision. She paused and sniffed the air, hoping to catch the scent of something yummy - ever since the ¡¾ Sense ¡¿ ability showed up in her Profile, her ability to perceive the surroundings kept getting better. If she focused on what her sensory organs were picking up Kira could even increase the range of detection. Whether it was enemies, small animals, or even edible food, her sharp senses allowed hunting them down with relative ease. Just because she couldn''t Inspect her Skills for greater detail didn''t mean she was completely oblivious to what they did! Their names were pretty descriptive. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. She exhaled slowly and focused. Instead of ripe berries or fruit, her sensitive nose was teased by the faint stench of blood. Kira''s sleepy expression turned sharp, and she hurried off in the direction of the disturbance. Brigit Cinderscale, proud Drakke Squire and aspiring Sword Saint, found herself cursing her erstwhile ''teammates'' in her heart. Her muscular body was littered with deep wounds and bruises, armor dented and clothes torn. She breathed heavily, struggling to remain on her feet. "Why... Are you...?" Tim and Boris Bonehorn, Orc brothers, couldn''t help but glance at each other and laugh. Tim had an arrow notched in his bow, the arrow pointed toward the ground and string lax. Boris, on the other hand, held a large iron mace in one hand and a heavy wooden shield in the other, waving the mace menacingly. Both of them were in much better shape than the Drakke, but their bodies nonetheless bore evidence of her struggle. Boris had one eye swollen shut, blood dripping from his cracked lips, while Tim had countless lacerations of varying depth on his body. Despite their injuries, the brothers didn''t seem to be experiencing much pain. Tim drew back the bowstring, aiming his arrow at the Drakke''s chest. "This entire excursion was a bust, and it''s all your fault! We almost died in that hole, you dumb lizard bitch." "I acknowledged... My mistake and... Was going to pay... The three of you back when... When we reached town." Brigit glanced at the Kobold Acolyte standing to the side, an expression of hurt flickering across the Drakke''s beautiful face before it was replaced by her usual calm demeanor. "Lamp... You... Agree to this?" Lamp avoided Brigit''s gaze and remained silent. She clutched her wooden staff tightly, neither moving to defend Brigit nor obstruct Tim and Boris. Brigit felt her heart break. The sword in her hand trembled. Tears sprang to her eyes, rolling slowly down her blood spattered cheeks. They created a Party together, conquered several Gates as a team. Brigit one day received news of a treasure in a den of wolves in the wilderness, but her information source failed to mention the wolves were led by an evolved Dire Timber Dweller. Against a Level 15-E monster, the Level 5-F party was lucky to escape with their lives. Quite a bit of their meager savings went into travel costs and supplies. They used all their potions and scrolls during the escape, and didn''t even manage to loot anything worthwhile! Their Party''s finances were deep in the red and they almost died all because Brigit''s information was lacking. Anger was understandable. But she thought they were friends. Teammates. Companions! That they''d turn their weapons on her without a second thought after everything they went through together... A cluster of bushes atop a nearby slope rustled. Tim and Boris directed their weapons to the new threat while Brigit remained unmoving, tears rolling down her face, disbelief in her golden eyes. Until a thin girl fell out of the bushes, stumbled down the slope, tripped on an exposed root, did an awkward pirouette, and landed unceremoniously on her face in the dirt between the Drakke and her ''teammates''. She held up a one hand clenched in a fist, then stuck out her thumb in a strange gesture. Brigit stared. Tim and Boris stared. Lamp stared. The girl sat up, brushed dirt off her shirt, and started babbling in an incomprehensible yet oddly familiar language. Strangest of all, none of them detected her presence until the moment she fell through the bush into their midst! Everyone in the Party was already Level 5, they experienced countless dangers and just escaped a life-or-death situation. Their senses were on high alert and attuned to the surroundings, only something of a higher level trying to hide its presence could pass by so close without them noticing! Except...
¡¾ Kira Hawthorne ¡¿ Lv. 1-F
Human Geomancer
HP MP
16/20 32/50
Everyone used their various Scan-type skills simultaneously, so their reactions were nearly simultaneous as well. Lamp screamed and backed away until her back hit a tree. Tim''s hands shook so hard he dropped the arrow notched to his bow. Brigit, kneeling on the ground, could only stare at the girl in disbelief. Only Boris reacted sensibly, holding up his shield in a defensive position. The bright sheen of sudden sweat on his fat, bald head gave away how he really felt. The girl looked confused, furrowing her eyebrows. She spoke slowly, but her words were still random gibberish. Tim and Boris exchanged glances. A young Human, in the wilderness alone? Yeah, right! And Boris was a Beauty Queen! "We''ll let you off this time Brigit," Tim said as he backed slowly away behind the cover of his larger brother and his sturdy shield, not making any sudden movements. "Looks like you''ll die soon enough anyway, no matter what we do!" Tim, Boris, and Lamp turned and ran without another word. Brigit received a notice that she''d been removed from the Party only after they vanished from sight. Meanwhile, the Human girl looked absolutely baffled. She turned to look at Brigit, her babbling sounding hesitant and questioning, but still incoherent. Brigit kept staring. A Human! A real Human! Not a Demi of any kind, but a full pure-blooded Human! With 50 MP and 20 HP at Level 1-F! Anyone or anything below Level 5 couldn''t consume elixirs, use treasures, or otherwise utilize anything that would permanently alter their base stats. Most Beings got between 5-15HP and 5-20 MP per level depending on species and Class bonuses. But at Level 1, hardly any Being in the world would start with values above 10 each! Even if her Class was unfortunate... The girl wasn''t acting hostile or arrogant. She didn''t call for her Clan or signal any hiding companions. Her clothes were a mess from the fall, her hair was filled with twigs and leaves, her exposed limbs were riddled with shallow scratches and smears of blood, while her bare feet were caked with mud. She didn''t look anything like the terrifying monster she''d grow up to be. She just looked confused. A loud growl emerged from the girl''s stomach, causing her to blush a bright red as she pressed her hands to her belly in a desperate attempt to stifle the noise. Brigit glanced around. Seeing nothing in the surroundings ready to pounce on her for being too close to a Human child, she pulled a bread roll from her Inventory and held it out to the scrawny Human. "Are you... Hungry? Do Humans eat bread?" The girl''s eyes lit up. She babbled a short phrase before taking the bread, bobbing her head up and down in thanks, then devoured the offering in two greedy bites. Brigit laughed and pulled some more bread from her Inventory, handing it all over to the suddenly very excited Human girl. "I guess Humans eat bread." Kira really didn''t know what to make of the situation. First, she tracked the source of the blood stink to a group of fighting... People? Monsters? Two monster men faced off against a monster woman, yelling at her in a strange language while the woman seemed to be weakly responding. Off to the side was something that looked like a bipedal puppy with soft brown mottled fur wearing a plain robe and holding a staff in its paws. The men were huge, over two meters tall each, with one being skinny while the other was fat. Their skin was a deep green color. Most shocking of all were their pig snouts, cow ears, and heavy tusks protruding from their mouths. Across from them was a strange but beautiful woman with long dark blue hair plaited into an intricate braid that almost reached the ground when she was standing. She had large gold reptilian eyes, beautiful facial features in no way diminished by her sharp protruding canines, long pointed ears, and dark blue horns curling up and away from her temples. She seemed to have teal skin from a distance, but once Kira accidentally tripped into their midst she saw the woman actually had scales - the scales on her face and neck were smaller and less distinct than the ones on her arms. Clusters of darker blue scales decorated the sides of her face, neck, and the backs of her hands, almost like freckles. Gold patterns shimmered on the woman''s eyelids. ¡¸ Hey, guys! Sorry about dropping in on you. Uh. It was an accident, really. I wasn''t planning on getting into the middle of whatever this is. Since I don''t know your situation and if this pretty lady did anything bad or what. Sorry! But now that I''m here, maybe you can talk out your problems instead of resorting to violent murderdeath? I mean... Murder''s illegal, isn''t it? And morally reprehensible. But also illegal which is arguably worse.¡¹ Silence. And then a scream, as the dog let out a piercing shriek and backed into a tree. The skinny man dropped an arrow, while the fat one held up his shield like he thought Kira was going to fling herself bodily against it. The men started backing away, saying something Kira couldn''t understand, before they and the dog turned to flee. ¡¸ So uh. That was weird? Are they coming back or... Are you even okay?¡¹ Kira asked the teal woman, furrowing her eyebrows as she glanced over the woman''s many injuries. More silence. Then her stomach growled, and the teal woman gave her a very delicious bread roll! She seemed happy when Kira ate it, laughing and handing some more over. ¡¸ A language barrier huh...¡¹ Kira sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. ¡¸ How am I supposed to ask her where a town is...? Oh!¡¹ She clapped her hands, startling the teal woman enough that she scooted away a few inches. Choosing to ignore her strange reaction, Kira grabbed the backpack from her Inventory and pulled out a notebook and pen. Her art skills weren''t anything phenomenal, but she could at least draw something simple. A person standing alone surrounded by trees in one corner of the page, and in the opposite corner a cluster of houses. Once she finished, Kira proudly displayed the product of her labor to the teal lady. She pointed at the lone figure in the drawing, then to herself. Then she pointed to the cluster of houses and made a shrugging gesture before shielding her eyes with her hands like she was looking for something in the distance. Then she shrugged again. The teal lady seemed thoughtful. She held out her hand to ask for the pen, then drew two figures on either side of the lone figure, larger in stature but basically the same design. The bigger figures seemed to be holding the smaller one''s hands. The teal lady turned her questioning gaze back to Kira, who sighed. She took the pen back and slowly crossed the figures out. Her hand shook, causing the lines to wobble. Kira scribbled in frustration, blacking out the two figures entirely and ripping the page before throwing the pen into the bushes at full force. Then she hugged her knees to her chest, hiding her face in her arms. After that temperamental outburst she was too embarrassed to face the pretty teal monster lady. Comprehension dawned on Brigit''s face. She wasn''t able to understand the Human''s strange spoken tongue, but that body language and reaction were a different story entirely. It also explained why Inspect didn''t reveal the Human''s Clan along with her name. The little Human was alone. All the lingering fear clouding Brigit''s heart disappeared, leaving only sympathy and concern for the young Human girl by herself in the wilderness. Brigit sheathed her sword and slowly climbed to her feet. Once she was stable and upright, she extended a hand to the Human. Kira glanced up at the teal woman. Tall, muscular, monstrous yet somehow pretty even with all her injuries and broken armor. On her face was a small smile, not scary at all despite the sharp teeth and protruding fangs. Warm kindness shone in the depths of her gold reptilian eyes. And the teal lady gave her so much yummy bread! After only a moment''s hesitation, Kira grabbed the hand. #3: Scroll of Recall The teal lady''s hand was a little on the cool side, soft and smooth snake skin on the palms while the back had rougher scales of larger size. She had thick black claws on the tips of her fingers, but she was careful not to cut Kira''s tender skin as she lifted the thin girl effortlessly off the ground. Kira tugged on the woman''s hand once she stood on her own two feet again, then pointed to herself. ¡¸ Kira. ¡¹ The teal woman seemed surprised for a moment but recovered quickly. "Brigit," she said, pointing at herself. Brigit... Not a name Kira expected to hear for a tall muscular lizard-type lady with horns. Surprisingly normal, and very... Human. Kira gripped Brigit''s hand firmly and shook it up and down. Bemused and completely unaware of what a ''handshake'' was, Brigit could only assume the girl was excited about making a friend despite the language barrier between them. She started to pull her hand away, only to stop when the girl''s grip tightened. How long had it been since she held someone''s hand? Kira fought back tears, slightly alarmed by how much she''d cried that day. She didn''t want to give up that little source of warmth just yet. Seeing the girl''s shoulders shake as she fought to suppress her emotions, Brigit could no longer bring herself to pull away. She sighed, smiled, and tugged on Kira''s hand gently to signal they should start walking. ''I wonder if she''s still considered a hatchling?'' Brigit thought as she walked hand-in-hand with the thin Human girl. ''She looks so small, I''ve only ever seen adult Humans and never up close... Or very often.'' The Drakke frowned. She didn''t know much about Humans, but Demis never let their hatchlings roam the wilderness unguarded. They had a habit of taking at least two adults for every one hatchling, ensuring the young one''s safety should anything unexpected happen. But Demi children grew differently from Humans due to their mixed Being heritage. Some were considered adults within a decade, while others were still hatchlings well into the later half of their first century. Judging from appearance and behavior, Brigit could only assume the girl gently swinging their clasped hands was, in fact, just a hatchling. An unguarded hatchling. In the wilderness. Alone. One naively trusting a stranger she just met and couldn''t communicate with. Despite her own youth and relative immaturity, Brigit''s maternal instincts roared to life. Kira, oblivious to the motherly awakening of the Drakke woman beside her, opened the System to turn on music. A holographic headset appeared on her head, semi-transparent and the same lavender color as her System Interface. Her taste in music was varied to say the least. Kira''s music archive had a little bit of everything from pretty much any genre in existence! Even if the song was in a language she couldn''t understand, as long as it sounded good she''d like it just fine. Kira scrolled through her assortment of playlists for awhile until she found a set of classical music for her own personal Forest Walk BGM. Volume was kept low so she could hear changes in the surroundings, but a nice soothing instrumental was exactly what her nerves needed at the moment. The pair walked for hours, pausing every so often for a snack break to enjoy treats from Brigit''s inventory. Despite the simplicity of the fare Kira was always delighted to eat whatever Brigit handed her. Aggressive wild animals were scared off by the Drakke, who stomped and roared and shook her sword in a display so dramatic it made Kira nearly fall over laughing. Ridiculous, but effective. ¡¸ Bears... Were there always such big bears and stuff in this area? ¡¹ Kira muttered as she watched a fat black bear scramble into the undergrowth away from Brigit''s roaring. ¡¸ We''re not near any mountains... Well, I guess we weren''t near a forest originally either. ¡¸ Wish I could just ask. I wonder if we can''t understand each other because she''s a monster race or if it''s something else? I could talk to the Porin just fine... ¡¹ Brigit, already used to Kira''s soft babbling, just smiled and shook her head to show she still had no idea what the girl was saying. When the sun started to set and the woods were getting too dark to traverse safely, Brigit set up a small three-man tent between some trees. She then proceeded to gather wood for a campfire from the surroundings, only to pause her actions when she saw Kira carefully molding the dirt and stone. Clumsy, slow, like a child building a mud castle, Kira stacked layer upon layer of earth until the tent was secure. It drained all her mana but she felt much safer seeing solid walls around where she planned to sleep. She wasn''t in the Gate anymore. There weren''t safe zones where monsters refused to wander perfect for napping, or a nice solid cottage where she could sleep without worry. If the bear returned for vengeance in the night with a group of nasty little friends friends she didn''t want to be caught unprepared in a little tent that very obviously smelled like it didn''t belong in the forest! The thing was practically a beacon yelling ''Hey, Intruders Over Here''! Brigit arranged a small campfire and Kira made a roof for the makeshift hut with long branches and several armfuls of ferns. Seeing the little Human work so hard to hide the tent despite being visibly exhausted from mana expenditure and an entire day of nigh constant travel, Brigit chuckled. What a good hatchling. Having such control over a Shaping Skill at Level 1-F! Very impressive. After a quick supper of vegetables and meat spit-roasted over the campfire, they stomped out the fire and crawled into the tent for a good night''s sleep. ''Will she be alright sleeping next to a stranger?'' Brigit wondered as she handed over her spare blanket and pillow. ''Most Demi hatchlings have trouble sleeping in new environments, much less- Ah. She''s already asleep. Nevermind then.'' Kira rolled herself in the blanket and passed out without any fanfare. She was sound asleep and quietly snoring in just a few moments, one hand sticking out from her blanket to grab the corner of Brigit''s with the lavender System headphones still securely in place on her head. Meanwhile, the Drakke woman wore a complicated expression. The Human hatchling was... Really too trusting! She didn''t even have a weapon in her hands while she slept next to a stranger! And her insistence on clinging to the first person who showed her kindness... No wonder Demi never let their young ones roam about alone. Any creepy stranger could just walk off with one, quick as you like, and the hatchling would even thank them for it! While sleeping, the air of melancholy that followed her throughout the day seemed to vanish. Without her furrowed brows, subtle scowl and downcast eyes the hatchling looked even younger than Brigit first thought. It made sense for her to be a little clingy, especially since the Drakke had no idea how long the girl wandered alone to begin with. She was so skinny and didn''t even have shoes... Grinding her sharp teeth in frustration, Brigit opened her Inventory. All her savings went into contributions for the treasure hunt that ended in her Party attempting murder. They wouldn''t have killed her just to vent their anger, that was a waste of time and effort and not worth the inquiries they''d face afterward from the company. Instead, they were after the few important items they knew she kept in her Inventory. Beings dropped the contents of their Inventory upon death, including up to half of their Credits. Even if they were linked to a Soul Gem and eventually revived, their Inventory would be totally cleared out. Her erstwhile ''teammates'' were counting on that when they tried to kill her! Sitting nice and cozy in her Inventory was a valuable ¡¾ Scroll of Recall ¡¿. Too expensive to be used frivolously, its long casting time meant using it to escape battle was unwise. But it was good for getting back to whatever location was specified on the scroll from anywhere in the world without requiring walking through established portals or having the knowledge and materials to set up transport arrays. Brigit got it as reward for completing a Gate quest, and she held on to it for a big emergency. Her ''teammates'' wanted to sell the scroll to cover their losses, so they refused when she offered to use it to get them to safety after the wolves debacle. She glanced down at the sleeping Human and felt her heart twist painfully. So young. So thin. So sad and alone. The Human trusted her, but what would happen if she left Kira at an orphanage? Would they take care of her, or would they fear her for being Human even though she was a friendly and sweet little hatchling? Kira couldn''t even speak Common. How would the adults at the orphanage communicate with her? Or the other children? Would they have the patience to even make the attempt? If not, she''d be alone, isolated, friendless. Maybe even bullied or abused once they found out the thin young girl didn''t have a Clan backing her up. Wouldn''t a Human without a Clan be the perfect target for all their repressed frustrations, jealousy and fear? A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Brigit clenched her hands into fists, drank a potion, and started making plan after plan until she finally fell asleep. Kira awoke to the teal lady gently shaking her shoulder and enticing her to the outdoors with the smell of a cooked breakfast. Meat again! And bread! Even a little bit of cheese! Sheer decadence! It''d been so long since she had filling things other than fruit and veggies like the Porin preferred, or the fish she caught for herself. All she could get from the System Shop were snacks and junk food, nice high quality treats but not good for overall nutrition. While the Human ate breakfast with undisguised enthusiasm, Brigit packed up the tent. A good night''s sleep - and her very last healing potion - ensured the Drakke healed from most of her injuries. None of them were life-threatening to begin with, and looked worse than they really were. She already tried inviting Kira to a Party, but the hatchling wasn''t Attuned so the request was instantly rejected. Without Attunement, Beings only had access to the bare minimum version of the System - no Chat or Party or Group functions, no learning high level Spells or Skills, no Class Advancement, and just a basic Shop with limited inventory. They couldn''t even transfer funds securely between System Profiles! Banks, auction houses, and even most shops in big towns wouldn''t deal with people who weren''t Attuned. Since they couldn''t be recruited to Groups or Parties it would be harder for them to get stronger. Attunement was painless but it wasn''t free. Some Groups would pay for recruits to Attune, but... That was only if they had potential. Kira was Human and had infinite potential, but her Class was unfortunately something that couldn''t Evolve! Geomancers were weak and the Class was listed on most Group''s Blacklist - if you had a Class on the Blacklist, you could kiss any chance of recruitment goodbye no matter how strong you were! Changing Class wasn''t impossible, but it also wasn''t free. Explaining all those points to a hatchling who couldn''t speak Common? Brigit sighed. The first part of her plan was finding someone who could understand Kira''s odd language. If she knew what language the hatchling spoke, she could find a tutor who understood it to teach Kira Common! Too bad anything with utility enchantments like ¡¾ Translation: Common ¡¿ on it was expensive. Not even selling the ¡¾ Scroll of Recall ¡¿ could get one! As for buying the Skill Book from the System Shop or an auction house? Forget it. Seeing the teal lady lost in thought, Kira ate slowly to give her more time to finish whatever she was thinking about. "Kira." Brigit held a thick roll of paper sealed with a circle of glowing blue wax. She knelt and made a cluster of rocks, then drew lines between the rocks in the dirt and surrounded the odd diorama with a wall crafted of sticks. Then she grabbed two leaves and placed them far away from the diorama. She pointed at Kira, then a leaf, then herself, then another leaf. When Kira nodded in understanding, Brigit pantomimed opening the scroll, wiggled her fingers, and moved the leaves into the middle of the rocks. They couldn''t talk to each other, but that didn''t mean communication was impossible! She was sure the language gap between them could be bridged with just a bit more effort. Since Brigit looked so proud of herself and stared with expectation sparkling in her golden eyes, Kira nodded slowly even though she had no idea what the teal lady was trying to convey. Brigit stood and held out her hand, pulling Kira to her feet before tearing the seal on the scroll. There was a bright flash of white light, and a sense of disorientation that made both ladies feel as though the ground was churning beneath their feet. Kira''s grip on Brigit''s hand tightened. After several long nauseating moments, the light disappeared and the pair found themselves standing on a paved stone road. Kira staggered a little but ultimately managed to keep her footing. ¡¸ Ah! So that was a teleport scroll of some kind! Ugh that didn''t feel good... It felt so different from going through a Gate door... ¡¹ Brigit smiled and pat the girl''s head with the hand that wasn''t being clutched for dear life. The road they stood on was at the entrance to a tiny valley, and emerged from a narrow mountain pass behind them. Tall mountains obscured the horizon no matter which direction someone looked, jagged icy peaks piercing the clouds. An enormous city wreathed in fog was suspended above a vast deep lake occupying most of the valley. Leading into the city was a single wide bridge protected by towers and a massive wrought gate close to the mountain pass, which thankfully stood open to welcome travelers. Traffic flowed around them. People on foot, riding mounts of all kinds, beast-drawn carriages or even some things like the trucks and cars Kira was used to seeing. All going either to or from the city depending on which side of the road they used, hardly giving Brigit or Kira more than a glance. Any sort of Recall- or Teleport-type Spell took time to activate, and it created a very bright and distinct glowing magic circle at the location someone was appearing. Said circle kept people from intruding into its space, creating a safe zone until the magic was complete. Savvy travelers were adept at spotting and avoiding the circles, so it didn''t make any sort of commotion worth mentioning. Kira couldn''t see the city very well through the fog, but she could still make out massive dark shapes clustered together like a bunch of skyscrapers trying to conquer the skies. Over the lake hovered various ships in different sizes and shapes, some floating with the aid of inflated balloons while others had glowing sails or giant steaming engines. Airships! Her eyes sparkled with excitement bordering on glee. Brigit chuckled and tugged on Kira''s hand, pulling her to walk with the flow of traffic toward the city gates. The gates themselves stood open, but on the side of the bridge taking incoming traffic was a long line of guard posts, where everyone''s identity was checked before they were allowed inside the city proper. If they tried to cross the bridge without getting verified at one of the posts... At the end of a bridge was a broad band of gold brick separating it from the city. Streaks of black ash stained the gold band where stubborn folks in the past insisted on making examples of themselves. "Welcome to Atmont put your hand on the reader please," Keller repeated the phrase over and over for hours on end, day in and day out. It became second nature, to the point that it left his lips before any sort of polite greeting when meeting his friends for drinks. Luckily all his friends were also city guards, and they understood his pain deep in their bones. Bridge duty was the one rotation people would pay half a month''s salary to avoid! Each guard post was a hut big enough to fit the guard on a comfortable chair in front of a small desk with a computer. A transparent glass wall separated the guard from the people getting checked, and in front of the glass stood a pedestal with a palm reader installed on the top. Keller didn''t even glance up from the computer screen where he''d been playing a game to pass the time. His eyes shifted to the info screen that popped up next to his game, waiting for approval or denial. Drakke, Squire, Level 5-F. Nothing too outstanding, nothing suspicious, no prior criminal records or outstanding bounties. He tapped the key for approval and waved her along. "Welcome to Atmont put your hand on the reader please," Keller sighed, as he clicked the wrong tile in his game and the whole board exploded. He started a new game and was about to click on the first tile when he saw the information window that popped up. Keller yelped and pushed away from the computer so fast he fell over with his chair, staring in shock and surprise at the thin young girl who pressed her palm to the reader with a bemused expression on her face. "Is something wrong?" The Drakke woman next to the girl asked, her eyes narrowed. "This... She... But..." Keller stammered while scrambling to press his face against the glass to look for the girl''s Clansmen. "She has been entrusted to my care." The Drakke woman''s expression was cold, and the guard felt a chill run down his spine when he met her golden eyes with his own wide brown ones. "Or is there something else?" "Ah... N-no... Just a... Just a moment, please." Keller cleared his throat, righted his chair and took a seat. He sent a copy of the girl''s profile to his superiors along with a note about her being in the care of a Drakke woman instead of Clansmen, before approving her entry. What monstrous stats for her level! And for her Skills and Spells to have those levels of mastery... Keller watched the ladies walk toward the city while his entire body bristled with fear. Humans really were just so scary! #4: Professor Liam There were no humans. Kira clung to Brigit''s hand, quickening her steps to ensure she was practically pressed against the teal lady''s side as they walked toward the city. She couldn''t understand what anyone was saying so Kira spent her time looking around and observing people instead. And the one thing that stood out the most was the lack of humans. There were human-like people. Humans with one or two animal features, horns or small wings or sharp teeth or fuzzy ears or, sometimes, even a long fluffy squirrel tail. Humans with really long ears and beautiful faces that Kira suspected might be elves or something similar. There were people that looked like something popular on certain parts of the internet, a more thorough blend of human and animal features. And then there were those that looked like bipedal animals in clothes - various sizes, species, and even breeds within species. Cute and fluffy people who Kira struggled to resist petting when they walked by. There were a few ladies like Brigit, with scales of different colors and sharp fangs and horns. There were big people with pig snouts and tusks, blue people with copious amounts of hair on their bodies, and once Kira spotted something she could have sworn was an android. But no humans. "Weird," Kira muttered, shaking her head as she stared across the way at a small fluffy dog person riding a much larger two-headed dog with a saddle. "Interesting, but weird." The variety in clothing styles was interesting too. People wore clothing styles from all over the world, and from various points in Earth''s history, as easily and casually as Kira wore jeans and T-shirts. Mix and matched in terms of style but at least most of them had the sense to coordinate colors. Even the more outrageous outfits, with bright contrasting colors and sharp uncomfortable angles, didn''t get more than a passing glance from people walking by. Most people also wore bits and pieces of armor. Occasionally someone had full or half plate, but it was more common to see folks wearing gauntlets, a chestplate, and shoulder armor. And then they entered the city. Skyscrapers crafted of colored glass and metal fought each other for space in the sky, walkways made of metal pipes and intricately carved stones strung between them. Transparent pipes filled with liquid of different colors wove in and out between buildings and floors, steam occasionally escaping from valves set into the sides. Wide paved roads with traffic lights kept people on mounts or in vehicles from getting into accidents. Television screens flashed colorful advertisements on the sides of buildings, holographic screens floated above shops or against walls to display goods and prices and even business names and contact numbers. Speakers played music in front of cafes, vendors pushed their carts through the crowds, and people in interesting costumes stood on street corners handing out coupon fliers to their businesses. It was a city. A loud, lively city. Kira felt a bit overwhelmed. She wanted to see everything, try everything, but being unable to understand anyone was a big handicap. Brigit bought a bundle of meat kebabs off a vendor and handed it to the Human hatchling, who looked absolutely delighted at having more food. Kira snacked happily on the kebabs while glancing around at everything they walked past, taking in the sights like an excited tourist. Their first stop was a nearby walk-in clinic. Brigit was mostly healed but couldn''t help feeling bothered by the state Kira was in - scratched limbs, scraped knees, and battered hands lacking some fingernails. Notwithstanding her being Human, Kira was just a hatchling. Brigit''s heart ached to think of the pain she must have been struggling to suppress. Kira, on the other hand, already forgot about her missing fingernails since she had so many other things to think about. Like what kind of meat the yummy kebabs were made of. ...She could only hope it wasn''t someone she knew. Wait, no. That couldn''t be possible. Then it was fine! She finished her kebabs and glanced around, interested to find Brigit took her to a place that looked and smelled like a doctor''s waiting room. There was even a woman with big glasses behind a counter, typing away at a computer. On the wall behind her were various posters with bright pictures that probably depicted different warnings or information. Unlike doctor''s offices Kira was used to seeing, however, there was a heavily armored bull man with massive muscles standing by the counter, clutching a massive spear. He stared toward the entrance, standing at attention and ready to deal with any troublemakers. The receptionist looked up and smiled when she saw Brigit approach the counter. On her shoulder gleamed a brass name plaque stating her name was Wendii. "Good morning, ma''am! How can we help you today?" "My ward requires a check-up." Brigit signed her name on the provided tablet screen. "She has some minor injuries that need tending to." Wendii glanced around. "You''ll need to bring the patient here, we don''t do house calls." Brigit''s mouth twitched. "I did bring her." "Oh, is she sitting down already? Or waiting outside? I''ll need to see her so I can assess her priority for treatment." Brigit coughed and glanced down at the girl standing next to her. "It''s this hatchling here. Her name is Kira." The receptionist jumped in her seat, dislodging the large silver glasses from her face. When did that girl get there?! The Drakke woman approached the counter alone... Didn''t she? "Ah, yes. Well. Ahem." Wendii fixed her glasses and held out the tablet screen again. "Place your hand on the screen for assessment, please." ''Here we go again,'' Brigit thought, gently taking Kira''s hand and placing her palm to the screen. Three... Two... "Kyaaaaa!" Bingo. Brigit sighed and patted a very bemused Kira on the head. "Please don''t scream at my ward." Wendii choked on air, struggling to calm her breathing. "Y-yes, it''s just... I see. Yes. I''m so sorry. Please, come this way!" The receptionist hurried to open the door beside the counter, leading Brigit and Kira through a long hallway to a comfortable room with plush couches. Various drinks and snacks were arranged on a table, which Wendii broadly gestured to. "Please, help yourself to anything you like! The healer will be with you in just a moment." Brigit frowned. She couldn''t afford the VIP treatment! Her remaining Credits would barely cover a basic check-up. "But the fee-" Wendii cut Brigit off before she could finish the sentence. "Please, please! How could we possibly accept your money? Yes, yes, it''s our pleasure to assist! Do make yourselves comfortable, miladies!" The receptionist bobbed a curtsy before backing out the door. Brigit raised her brows while Kira sat down, completely unbothered by the commotion, and started picking through snacks on the table. As they waited, Brigit opened her System Interface and tendered a resignation to the company. Her teammates tried to kill her, then kicked her from the party when they failed to do so. Continuing to work for the same company as them would only lead to problems in the future. She made sure to file a complaint and requested an inquiry along with the resignation. If she was lucky, there''d be recompense! At the very least, it would keep her ex-teammates from seeking further vengeance through the company. Brigit used the ¡¾ Scroll of Recall ¡¿ and returned far more quickly than the others, so she had the advantage in timing. Brigit also managed to find a business with a service she thought could help with Kira''s language situation, and reserved an appointment for consultation. Kira barely had time to finish her second drink before a tiny, fat Kobold in a white coat hurried into the room, huffing and puffing like she sprinted a mile to get there. "I''m so sorry to have kept you waiting, miladies! Healer Plank, reporting. How may I assist?" "My ward is injured. I want a check-up and full treatment. She doesn''t speak Common and won''t understand your instructions, so make sure you''re extra careful and don''t make sudden moves that may startle her." Brigit sat protectively next to the hatchling, watching the Kobold with wary eyes. For her part, Plank was very professional. She didn''t tremble as she examined the Human with various tools and instruments, her movements slow and gentle. Everything she did, she did without having to lay a paw on the girl. Kira just kept sorting through the snacks, oblivious. ''One for Brigit, one for me. Two for Brigit, two for me!'' Plank''s paws glowed with a green light that spread toward Kira, enveloping her body in a feeling of tickling warmth. Her wounds closed, her nails regrew, and her HP filled back up to maximum in just a few minutes. ¡¸ Cool, ¡¹ Kira muttered, flexing her fingers. ¡¸ Magic healing. Very neat! So this really is a doctor''s office, huh. ¡¹ "Other than those superficial injuries which I''ve already treated she''s in mostly excellent condition. My only advice is to monitor her food intake more closely! She''s not quite malnourished just yet, but there''s definitely some deficiencies that need to be resolved. How long has she been in your care?" Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "Just a day." Plank scrutinized the Drakke''s face for a moment, then glanced at her hand clasped tightly in the Human''s firm grip. The child kept sorting two increasingly large piles of snacks between them with her free hand. "Will she be in your care long?" "For the foreseeable future, yes." The Healer pulled a notepad from her Inventory and scribbled until the entire page was filled, tearing it off and passing the page to Brigit. "Very well. Humans are omnivores and require balanced diets to meet nutritional needs. She has a low level of vitamin B12 and lacks a diverse set of amino acids, which means she hasn''t been getting enough varieties of meat for a significant amount of time. "Does she refuse to eat meat?" "No, she seems to enjoy it a lot." "Then supplements won''t be necessary. I have written further instructions but I recommend doing research about Humans, especially the care of their children, at a library when you have the chance. "And she is a child, milady." Plank sighed, but the glare she fixed on Brigit''s face was uncannily sharp. "This Human is very young, in most Clans she wouldn''t even be allowed out of the Nursery just yet. I don''t know your circumstances, or why she''s so trusting of you, or why her Profile doesn''t show a Clan affiliation, but do take caution. For whatever reason her upbringing is in your hands. Make sure you remember that and bear the responsibility with pride. "But I digress. Return here every week until further notice so I can monitor her condition and progress, or else I will report you to the Atmont Council for neglect and she will be turned over to the Clans. Otherwise, I swear on my honor as a Healer none of the information about this child will leave my clinic." "Understood. Thank you very much, Healer." Plank nodded once and left without a fuss. Brigit finally exhaled a long sigh of relief, indifferent to the sight of Kira stashing all the food and drinks in her Inventory once the Healer was out of sight. Other than needing more meat, Kira was healthy! But that probably meant she really had been on her own in the wilderness for awhile. It explained why she was so happy to eat meat and bread, and almost cried for joy when Brigit handed her some cheese. She must have survived on foraging! Brigit sighed again, her expression complicated. For some reason, having a glimpse into the girl''s circumstances made her want to spoil the hatchling a little more. Since the session didn''t cost anything... Brigit dragged Kira back out into the city while simultaneously searching her Map for the nearest clothing store. She had enough Credits to buy herself and the Human hatchling a couple new outfits. Yet for some reason, Kira kept refusing shoes. The air in Atmont was a touch on the chilly side so her outfits were layered, with long skirts over leggings and nice long coats with deep cozy hoods and short mantles, even a couple pairs of comfortable soft gloves. All in understated tones of brown, white, or beige that complimented each other well without being too flashy - save for gold embroidery on the coats and skirt hems and a lengthy navy blue scarf with white trimming. But no shoes. Brigit could only sigh and give in, seeing as how Kira was happy with everything else. She secretly bought a pair of boots that looked to be the right size to fit the hatchling and stashed them in her own Inventory, just in case. Then for herself she picked out some black sleeveless tunics with silver embroidery designs, white loose-sleeved undershirts, new knee-high leather boots, and plain gray leggings that laced up the sides. Brigit wasn''t old enough to worry about her talons just yet, so normal boots were still fine. Older Drakke had to buy special shoes that had open toes while having enough actual boot to keep protecting the softer soles, since their talons would just shred through boot leather like paper as they walked. Drakke talons grew longer and harder with age, and Brigit wasn''t even old enough to start looking for a mate yet. She didn''t have to worry about her talons for another few decades or so. They wore one set of new clothes out of the store. Kira kept her old outfit to wash later, but Brigit dropped hers in a dumpster along with the ruined armor. Damned things held bad memories, she didn''t even want to try mending them. Brigit tugged Kira through dense crowds and across busy streets for almost two hours before arriving at their destination - a tall office building with two statues of gargoyles reading books standing on either side of the door. The Drakke double-checked the address in the appointment confirmation notice before leading the hatchling through a spacious lobby and into an elevator to the fifth floor. The fifth floor was mostly a big open space filled with tables and lined with bookshelves. Dozens of people were constantly sorting through books and piles of paper while inputting data into computers, while dozens more ran around the space at top speed with carts filled with even more books and files and sometimes pieces of stone or statues covered in strange symbols. Brigit and Kira made their way through the chaos to a small office in the back of the room. Just to be polite, she knocked thrice on the door before entering. Compared to the chaos outside, the office felt much more calm and cozy even if it was just as cluttered. Shelves with various trinkets and knick-knacks, piles of books, loose leaf pages and even some scrolls filled just about every inch of space. Behind the single large desk in the center was... A rabbit. No, a rabbit man. Kira blinked a few times. She''d seen quite a few animal people walking in the city, but none with a multicolored waistcoat and golden spectacles scribbling away in a book with a quill pen in its paw... Er. Hand. His fur was long, plush, and a brilliant auburn speckled with white. Kira really, really wanted to pet it. Her hands twitched. The rabbit man''s nose twitched a few times in quick succession before he glanced up - perhaps sensing danger. "Ah... You are?" "Brigit Cinderscale. I made an appointment?" "Yes, yes, of course! How silly of me. Please, come in, come in!" The rabbit man hopped out from behind the desk and started to busy himself making tea at a counter he swept free of crumpled bits of paper. "I am Professor Dellis Liam. Now, what can I help you with? You requested a consultation?" Brigit closed the door, and cleared a spot off a couch for her and Kira to sit. "Well, it''s a bit of an... Interesting problem. This girl here is Kira, and she doesn''t speak Common." Professor Liam glanced over his shoulder, giving a small start when he realized there was indeed another person sitting next to the Drakke. But he was so sure she entered alone...! He cleared his throat and casually added a third teacup to the tray. "Yes, I see. So you want me to identify what language she does speak, so you can find an appropriate tutor?" "Exactly!" Brigit sighed with relief. "I... Have to admit, my funding at the moment is a bit... Well. At any rate, I certainly can''t afford any enchanted accessories for her. Even if I can''t find her a tutor immediately, I can at the very least copy common words and phrases from a basic translation dictionary from a library. Right?" "Yes, yes! That''s a very clever idea." Professor Liam hopped over carefully with the tray, setting it on the table in front of his two guests and pouring them each a cup of tea. "Then, can you get her to say something for me?" "I can try. Kira?" Brigit turned a little to face the Human, who was already nibbling on one of the biscuits she snatched stealthily from the tray. When the girl looked up, Brigit used her hand to imitate a talking mouth, then pointed to Professor Liam. "Can you say something for the professor? Ah... She can''t understand me, but she''s been clever with gestures and tone, so maybe..." Kira looked at the rabbit man, then back at the teal lady. She was so used to Brigit doing all the talking to everyone, but now... They wanted her to talk for some reason? Even if they couldn''t understand her? Oh! Maybe they could! The Human turned to look at Professor Liam with sparkling eyes. ¡¸ Can you understand me when I talk, then? Do you speak English or have a Spell or something to understand English!? ¡¹ Professor Liam, who had just sipped an entire mouthful of tea, spat it back out into the cup in shock. Though he couldn''t understand the words Kira used, he recognized a few - enough to know the language, certainly! It was a language anyone in the world would recognize if they heard the right words! "Good sweet Heavenly mercy of the Divine Goddess, this girl''s speaking the Arcane Tongue!" #5: Enliss Enthusiast "Magic is willpower and intent given form with mana, which is easier with a strong mental image, and hence magic is tied to language. Language itself, you see, is intrinsically a method for communicating one''s ideas and understood concepts to others. It''s a magic in itself! "When the Gods wove magic into this world of Gaea, which previously held none of its own, they had to use an... Anchor, of sorts. They had to pick an Arcane Tongue, as one did not already exist. "There were many languages at the time the merger began. And so the Gods chose the one that was spoken most commonly throughout all the kingdoms of the world - a language we now know as Enliss. "Our knowledge of this language has dwindled over time. Those who spoke it fluently have long gone to their eternal rest, and our magic has weakened because of it. But this! This child! This miraculous child!" Professor Liam''s brown eyes sparkled with excitement, his nose twitching at rapid speed. He spoke so fast Brigit had to struggle in understanding him, but once it sunk in her eyes widened. "This, this, this... This has gone beyond me, my dear ladies! Miss Brigit, would you mind bringing this wonderful young lady along to meet Archmage Karl with me?" It was Brigit''s turn to splutter tea. Kira glanced at her teacup and wrinkled her nose, having second thoughts about drinking it since everyone''s reaction to the flavor was so poor. Her hopes of having someone understand her were already crushed, so she focused instead on stealing the rest of the snacks from the tea tray. "Archmage? How... That''s... You... But?" Not just anyone could meet Archmage Karl DuFeu! How could some random Professor running a tiny translation service shop have connections so high up in the Council!? "Ah, don''t get me wrong, it''s not a personal connection. It''s a professional one! I am a humble member of a Group led by Sir Karl, one for Enliss enthusiasts and researchers. My ranking isn''t very high, but if I mention this in a correspondence I''m sure-" "Professor!" Brigit interrupted, holding out her hand. "Please. Kira''s situation is... Delicate. I just wanted a way to communicate with her, not parade her in front of the city''s leaders. There''s no need to trouble the Archmage over this." Professor Liam paused, then glanced at Kira. A quick Scan told him all he needed to know, and he sat back down with a heavy sigh. "I see. Oh dear. She''s... She''s Clanless." "Yes. And in my care. I alone lack the ability to protect her, or..." Brigit looked down at her hands and clenched them into tight fists. "Even warn her of what''s to come, should she draw attention." "I''m afraid it''s too late for that, my dear." Professor Liam nibbled on a biscuit from the tray, carefully avoiding meeting the Drakke''s suddenly fearful eyes. "You passed into the city legally, I assume? From the front?" "Yes, but-" "So the child has been verified by a guard." "Yes, she- Oh." "I''m sure that guard will enjoy a nice bonus and promotion after informing their superiors that a Clanless Human child has been led into the city. The Council has probably already been made aware... And it''s all the more reason to meet Sir Karl! "As an Archmage of the Council and Headmaster of the Atmont Academia, Sir Karl enjoys a unique position of neutrality and power that would benefit the child to be associated with." "I see..." Brigit sighed, her shoulders slumping. She really didn''t have a knack for complicated political shenanigans, her mind couldn''t wrap around the intricate nets and intrigue woven by those holding seats of power. She just wanted to watch over the little Human girl who trusted her. The only reason she even seriously considered following the professor''s advice was because he was a Lepidor. They had strong familial instincts, to the point that they''d never willingly endanger the young of other species and have even been known to risk their lives in protecting the hatchlings of strangers! If a Lepidor was recommending she speak to Sir Karl then it was probably for the best. "Then... Professor Liam, if you would...?" "Yes, yes, of course! I''ll contact him right away. He''s a very busy man and may take awhile to respond, do make yourselves comfortable in the meantime." Professor Liam''s ears twitched, and he turned to face Kira. His face screwed into a strange expression, as though he was trying to remember a complex mathematical formula without any notes or references. ¡¸ Wait. Time. Short. ¡¹ Kira dropped her handful of snacks, mouth falling open in shock. ¡¸ So you... You do understand me! Or no wait... That wasn''t even a proper sentence. Drat. Wait time short? Wait time is short? Or Wait for a ... Ah! Wait for a little while! I bet that''s it. ¡¹ She nodded to show she understood. The professor clapped his hands with delight, then opened his Interface to send a message. Archmage Karl DuFeu was in a foul mood. His agents sent word the other Council Members were in a tizzy over something, but it was so hush-hush that not even his best Smokewalkers could find the details. Everything was locked down with the highest security, and they purposefully left him out of the loop. In fact, they kept sending people over with more tasks they knew he couldn''t refuse just to keep him busy and away from their business. That abominable Roy Fultree even had some of his younger family members cause a ruckus in the Academia that would require his personal attention to resolve. Annoying. Really annoying! He was the youngest Archmage in Atmont history, the youngest Headmaster of Atmont Academia, youngest member of the Council... And they never let him forget it! All those old geezers really treated him like a useless brat. Condescending, pedantic, jealous power-hungry short-sighted old... Karl would have been a rather handsome young Dragon were it not for his furious expression and the twin plumes of smoke spiraling out of his nostrils. Emerald green reptilian eyes, chiseled features, beautiful spiraling horns and long pointed ears both heavy with gold cuffs and gems dangling from gold chains, matching the many bracelets and cuffs on his arms. Scarlet hair hung loose down his back to just past his knees, decorated sparsely with a few tiny braids and kept away from his face by a twisted gold circlet. Despite the opulence of his accessories, Karl''s tall and lean figure was clothed simply in a sleeveless maroon robe tied with a gold sash. Scarlet scales the same shade as his hair hugged the outer and back sides of his body, fading away to expose bronze skin on his face, neck, and the insides of his arms. In his brow was embedded an oval emerald gem that matched his eyes, and seemed to give off a faint glow of its own. He paced the full length of his office, back and forth and back and forth, until his most trusted and loyal assistant was tempted to smack the Archmage upside the head. "Sir Karl," Lilian sighed, counting backwards from ten in her mind to keep calm. "If you throw a tantrum - ah, excuse me, if you lose your temper - it will only prove those old bastards - gentlemen - correct in their assessment of you." Lilian was an Automata, a Being formed from inorganic materials. Her blood was alchemical fluid pumped through muscle tissue crafted of crystalfiber mesh over a skeleton of solid adamantium. Armored plates of mithril formed a protective outer shell. Only elbow, wrist, knee, and ankle joints were exposed to air, revealing the neon red crystalfiber mesh protected by localized mana barriers. Her eyes were glowing white lenses, her carefully sculpted and delicate face the exact same design as all other sister Automata. Bright red shimmering runes sparkled in contrast to the silvery white mithril on the top and back of her head. As an Automata, Lilian was sentient with thoughts, feelings, complex emotions and opinions of their own. In many ways her kin were like organic Beings, except they were physically incapable of reproducing, or telling lies. She could be diplomatic with her truths, carefully picking through words like a chef perusing vegetables for dinner. She could refuse to speak when questioned, or just neglect to offer information on her own. But where was the fun in that? Lilian enjoyed using the truth as a tool. And those old farts who kept being rude to her boss were high on the list of personal annoyances anyway, so she didn''t watch her words in the least where they were concerned. What could they do about it? She was an Automata. And as a companion who watched over Sir Karl since he was an egg, Lilian was well aware he wouldn''t dismiss her from his service just for offending some peers. Peers he was mad at anyway. "If I were to guess, I would think those old farts - ah, gentlemen - were keeping things from you because it is something in which you would stand in opposition." Lilian spoke frankly, her monotone voice failing to hide the snark behind her words. "And as you possess high popularity among the general populace in addition to influence over the Atmont Academia, standing in direct opposition to you publicly is tantamount to professional suicide." "Yes, yes, thank you Lilian. I assumed as much!" Karl sighed, dropping into the big heavy chair behind his desk. "What''s next on the schedule? If it''s those blasted formulae from Ogben''s workshop-" "Professor Liam requested an appointment with utmost urgency. He claimed to have met someone fluent in Enliss, so I-" "Bring them here immediately!" Karl slammed his hands on the desk, sparks flying from his mouth and threatening to set the papers on his desk ablaze. Lilian calmly produced a handkerchief from her Inventory, dipped it in a vase of flowers, and threw the wet cloth at Karl''s face to calm him down. "As I was saying, Sir Karl. I inserted them into the schedule, they are your next appointment. Professor Liam has already sent them over." Someone knocked on the closed office door a few moments later. Lilian waited for Karl to hastily remove the wet cloth and toss it aside, before opening the door long enough to let two girls inside. A young teal Drakke and a Demi of some sort who stared at his magnificent horns with the appropriate amount of awe. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.If he knew she was silently comparing his horns to gemelli pasta noodles, he''d probably cough up blood. "Sir Karl, this is Brigit Cinderscale and Kira Hawthorne, here on Professor Liam''s recommendation." Lilian bowed her head and stepped back. Karl stood straight at an impressive 2.1 meter height, clasped his hands behind his back, and released control of a single percent of his aura. Any more and the hearts of the low level girls would probably explode. He didn''t even need to Scan them to see both were in the lower side of Rank F. And one claimed to know Enliss? Laughable! They were so young and weak he could almost see eggshell fragments in their hair like fresh hatchlings, how could they have the time to study it? Much less the resources? If they had access to the kind of funding and resources required to learn Enliss enough to claim fluency, the girl would be wearing shoes! And the Drakke would certainly have a much nicer sword on her hip! His already foul mood darkened even further, and the suppression from his aura increased until the Drakke woman started struggling to breathe. The danger of crushed expectations. He''d had his hopes up, only to find them dashed against the rocks before they could even try to fly. Professor Liam was going to get an earful later! Karl crossed the length of his office in a few steps and loomed over the Drakke, whose teeth were clattering as her entire body visibly trembled. Dragons were a higher evolutionary form of Drakke, so his aura suppression was especially effective on her. She couldn''t move or speak. "So, you are the one with the audacity to claim fluency in Enliss? Little Drakke?" ¡¸ Knock it off you giant bully! ¡¹ Karl looked down, emerald eyes wide open. The tiny Level 1-F Demi girl- No. He Scanned her quickly and his mouth dropped open. A Human hatchling! A Clanless Human hatchling! Speaking Enliss! True Enliss with the appropriate mana resonance, weaving together into a fluid song unlike any Enliss chants or phrases he''d ever had the privilege to translate! Real, fluent Enliss! The thin Human girl fought against his suppression and moved to stand between him and the Drakke, holding her arms out as though she sought to shield the woman behind her. Her bright blue fox eyes were filled with defiance and anger, even as her face was pale and shimmering with cold sweat. Karl dropped to the ground in a kowtow and pulled back his aura. "I sincerely apologize!" Followed immediately by: ¡¸ Sincere apology! ¡¹ Kira jumped in surprise. Unlike Professor Liam''s halting awkward use of a few words, the Karl guy with noodle horns... The words he said, even though he only used two, just fit better together than the stilting ones used by the rabbit man. She didn''t know why she had that impression. ¡¸ Then don''t do it again. Or else I won''t forgive you! ¡¹ Kira stomped her foot, trying to look serious and intimidating just in case he didn''t understand her. Behind her, Brigit gasped for breath and tried to reorient herself. ¡¸ Yes! Many gratitudes! ¡¹ Karl sat up like an obedient child before their favorite teacher, hands resting on his knees and eyes sparkling bright. He reluctantly pulled his gaze away long enough to flash a glare at the quietly snickering Automata in the corner. "Lilian, send Professor Liam a bonus and Gold-tier accolade on behalf of the Group. Clear my schedule for the day, make whatever excuses you like. Then guard the perimeter." "Yes, Sir Karl." Lilian left the office, leaving a very confused Brigit and slightly amused Kira alone with the enthusiastic Archmage. "I truly am sorry, Miss Brigit." Sir Karl said, climbing to his feet and gesturing to the comfortable chairs in front of his desk. "When I first saw you both, I... Well, I assumed someone was pulling my leg about one of you speaking Enliss." "Understandable, Sir Karl. It''s quite an outrageous claim coming from people of our level." Brigit smiled faintly but refused to meet the Dragon''s eyes. He was just too strong, and she felt like a leaf in the wind under the oppressive force of his aura. Even restrained, it made her heart pound with fear. How was she supposed to watch over Kira if she couldn''t even defend herself?! "I am an Enliss enthusiast, it is my... My Fixation." Karl''s cheeks turned a bit red. Most Dragons had Fixations on gems, minerals, jewels or even specific creatures. The level of their interest could vary from mild hobby to life-consuming obsession. But his was something as intangible and difficult to collect as a language! Dragons prided themselves on their Hoards and the flaunting of such, yet his was... Rather pitiful in comparison. Enliss was almost a dead language, used for magic but no longer spoken conversationally. Translating old texts required enormous time and effort, especially since the language itself was difficult, nuanced, convoluted and complex as hell. His Hoard consisted of several hundred books, a few translated texts, and a rudimentary grasp of the language. Not exactly something he could take pride in. "Then it''s even more understandable," Brigit said, her expression softening. A Dragon getting a mad due to his Fixation... She counted herself lucky he didn''t char her into a crisp when he thought she was lying. "Kira doesn''t speak Common, Sir Karl. I wanted to find her a tutor, but all she understands is Enliss..." "A tutor? No no no that won''t do at all. It would take far too long, and I have so many questions... I need to make amends anyway. Wouldn''t having an accessory with Translate be more convenient for now?" Karl slipped off a gold ear cuff and held it in his palm. Green magic circles appeared one after another, blooming like flowers of light, as he rapidly fired off a list of Spells. "¡¾ Enchant Accessory ¡¿. ¡¾ Imbue ¡¿, ¡¾ Translate: Common ¡¿. ¡¾ Imbue ¡¿, ¡¾ Skill: Disguise Species ¡¿, replace Human with Demi-Elf. ¡¾ Imbue ¡¿, ¡¾ Emergency Contacts ¡¿, register the Brigit Cinderscale and Karl DuFeu currently present. ¡¾ Imbue ¡¿, ¡¾ Crisis Signal ¡¿. ¡¾ Imbue ¡¿, ¡¾ Locater ¡¿, broadcast to emergency contacts only. ¡¾ Imbue ¡¿, ¡¾ Hide Accessory Enchantments ¡¿." Kira raised her eyebrows. She could understand most of what he said! They sounded like Spell names... But whatever he mumbled in between the names was back to gibberish. The green magic circles hovering above the ear cuff spun in place and descended onto the accessory. They flashed bright light for a few moments, then dimmed to leave only the cuff in Karl''s hand which he held out to Kira. ¡¸ Gift. Please adorn. ¡¹ Kira glanced at Brigit, waiting for her encouraging nod before taking the cuff and clipping it into place on her left ear. Brigit wasn''t surprised an Archmage Dragon would be able to make such a high level and valuable accessory in mere minutes, then hand it over to a hatchling like it was a mere toy. Especially since he was trying to curry favor with someone who could fluently speak his Fixation language! "Can you understand me now, Kira?" Brigit asked. Kira''s expression went from confusion to surprise and finally delight in the span of seconds. "Yes! Then, can you understand me too?" What a strange sensation. She was speaking English, but the other two seemed to hear something else. And when they spoke, her ears heard the same gibberish as always but she just... Knew what it meant. Too bad the knowledge didn''t seem to stick. ''More like a video stream than a file download, huh?'' Kira thought with interest. Magic was really neat! "I can understand you too!" Brigit laughed and clasped both of Kira''s hands in her own. "I''ve been wanting to thank you, Kira. If you hadn''t shown up when you did, and scared those guys off, they would have..." "Ah? So they really were bad guys..." Kira scowled. She regretted not throwing rocks at those pig-men''s short little legs as they ran away yesterday. "Sorry, I didn''t know if anyone was in the wrong there or I would have done something sooner. Falling in the middle of you guys was an accident, though." Brigit chuckled. What could a Level 1-F do against a few Level 5-F? Even if she was Human! And she looked so serious, like she really would have done something for her sake. Brigit felt a comfortable fuzzy warmth well up in her heart. "Thank you all the same." "You''ve helped me a lot since then, I think we''re square!" Karl cleared his throat to remind the ladies of his presence. "Yes, well. Miss Kira, please accept that ear cuff as my apology for startling you and Miss Brigit with my... Rather immature outburst. As I told Miss Brigit, I thought I was being made a fool of, and I lost my temper." Kira turned to scowl at him. "Look, mister-" "Karl. Karl DuFeu." "Mister Karl. You should be more careful of your temper in the future! No one likes a bully." Color drained from Brigit''s face with every word Kira spoke, until she looked more gray than teal. But Karl just laughed, propping his chin on his hand. "You''re absolutely right. I''ve been in a bad mood, but that''s no excuse to take it out on others." "It''s good that you know! Behave better in the future." Kira crossed her arms and let out a soft ''hmph'', fully displaying her displeasure. Karl grinned wider. He was being scolded by a child but didn''t look embarrassed or angry at all. Despite the first impression he left on her, Kira couldn''t help liking him a little. Plus he had noodle horns, and that was pretty funny. "How old are you, Miss Kira?" "Um..." Her scowl faded, her gaze shifting to focus on her hands. "14, I think? Kind of. Technically. I think also much older than that. Like a lot older. But I''m not sure how much more older cuz I don''t know how much time has passed so..." Both Brigit and Karl raised their brows in surprise. Karl waved a hand, and a large green magic circle formed on the floor of the office.
NOTICE
You have entered an isolation array.
Kira glanced at the tooltip that popped up and raised her brows as well, but for a different reason from the other two. "What''s an isolation array?" "A Spell for keeping out eavesdroppers," Karl said, folding his hands together on the desk and leaning forward. His grin vanished, replaced by a very serious expression as he fixed his gaze on Brigit. "Miss Brigit?" Unlike before, Brigit met his gaze directly. "Even if it was an accident how it happened, I still owe Kira my life." Nodding, Karl turned back to the bemused Human hatchling looking back and forth between him and the Drakke. "Very well. Miss Kira, can you tell us your story?" Villager Three on Amazon! Sorry to jumpscare everyone with a notification ping, it''s not a new chapter! (pls no throwing tomatoes) Villager Three is now on Amazon! If you liked the story and would like to help support me as an author while ALSO obtaining a copy of the book for yourself, the link is in the author''s comments. If you do happen to buy it, please leave a review on Amazon letting people know what you think! (Good or bad.) Reviews really help me out! The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. It''ll be on KU for three months, which does mean I''ll be (temporarily) purging the archive. Depending how it does there, it may return to RR in the future! Thank you very much for supporting my story and creative endeavors. I appreciate all of you. (For the curious, the process of this was kind of rushed because Villager Three was plagiarized and was being sold on Amazon under another name. If you wanna blame anyone, blame them!)