Ray
Ray immediately moved to block, drawing his wand as he spread brown glitter in a concentric manner. A wall of earth met the fire, absorbing the attack. But Ray wasn¡¯t done, he brandished his wand, pointing it at the disciple, what did Anita say his name was? Corris or something.
A line of glitter emerged, shooting towards Corriss as he laughed.
¡°So the bigger mouse joins the smaller one. Did you think your sneak attack would work?¡± he said, laughing as the glitter hit a shield of some kind. ¡°I borrowed the battle shield from my brother. The professors won¡¯t help you, and neither will your fellow students. I made sure of that.¡±
Ray paid him no mind, thinking about his next step instead. To keep on attacking him the same way would be foolishness, but what else could he do? Run away? The gate was bound to be guarded by the guy''s friends. At least they weren¡¯t participating in the attack. Marcus had run away somewhere, that Ray was glad of. The poor guy had no combat power, he would only be a burden.
Ray conjured more brown glitter, defending himself as he ran towards Corriss, a closer distance would probably help. Ray sent yellow glitter towards the guy''s shield, attacking it around one spot.
¡°Do you think your glitter can really break this shield? The shield was stolen by my father from a Dwarven commander!¡± he boasted.
¡®Ok.¡¯ Ray said, pointing his wand at Corriss. A spiral of glitter emerged from the tip, drilling into the shield as Corriss counterattacked.
Ray found himself surrounded by fire, barely able to keep the earth walls up and the attack at the same time. To make things worse, Corris had more mana than him, he would come out winning if it became a battle of attrition. The fact that he only had to attack and not defend gave Ray an even bigger disadvantage.
The battle continued in stalemate, Corris grinning as Ray¡¯s attack failed to do anything. Ray kept it up, it was his only way to win this. And his chance came. A rock hit one of Corriss¡¯s lackeys in the head, making him bleed.
¡°So you do bleed!¡± Ray heard Rena shouting as more rocks began hurtling, but he didn¡¯t have time to worry about what was happening. Corriss, however, got distracted, turning towards the commotion, and Ray took the chance to add to his attack. A hundred mana went into conjuring a wave of glitter that attacked the shield, and this time, it cracked.
A loud splintering sound emerged as the glitter passed through the barrier and towards Corris, who conjured flames to defend himself in a hurry.
¡°Well, it would seem that the match isn¡¯t as one-sided anymore.¡± Ray said smiling.
Cirrus grimaced, surrounded by flames, ¡°So you still have enough mana? No, you don¡¯t, do you?¡± A gout of flame shot towards Ray as he countered with some yellow glitter.
The yellow glitter and fire met in the air, locking in a competition of elements as glitter fought against fire¡and won. Though not by much, fire was losing, little by little.
Skill gained!
[Glitter combat]: 50 mana + 2 to Combat
¡°What the heck¡± Ray cursed in his head. Fifty mana at level 0 meant that someone with this skill could gain half the mana to Tier 1. The mana was next to nothing to Ray at this point, but it would still help.
Ray watched as the two forces collided in the air, glitter¡¯s advance had slowed considerably, as Corris seemed to be directing more fire towards him. But one curious thing he noticed was that the fire had the tendency to spread out. As if it wasn¡¯t supposed to be in a single funnel.
Ray smiled, Corris¡¯ fire element must be something that did not favor this type of combat, and it was hurting him. Though special elements were the ones that were most restricted in this, sometimes the normal elements were also restricted in some manner. Uncle Trevor could only make weapons with his metal element, though he¡¯d made that an ability rather than a disadvantage.
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Ray put more force into it, drilling into Corriss¡¯ mana, forcing him to think his fire further. Corriss could just shield himself and attack Ray with full force, but Ray was counting on the noble holding saving his life as more important than killing Ray.
The others weren¡¯t losing either, Ray could see numerous flashes as pillars of books collapsed in the library. But the ones losing were the nobles. The College had too many commoners for the under prepared nobles to put up a fight, even with their higher Tiers. After all, numbers mattered.
But just as Ray was about to win, a voice yelled in the library, ¡°What is going on here?¡±. The sound of something banging against the floor emerged as all the attacks disappeared. Not countered, not stopped, just gone.
¡°Now, who¡¯s gonna pay for all of this damage?¡± the voice of an old mana sounded out as he floated in the air, looking down at them.
Ray shifted as he sat in his chair. The old man had teleported them all into what could only be a courtroom, already populated with teachers sitting on either side of him on what could only be called a judge panel. Ray had been teleported to what would usually be occupied by the defendant in a case. The prosecution''s side was held by Corris and his gang.
¡°I must say, I am very disappointed by what I just witnessed today. The library is a very important, and very valuable resource for the College. The books destroyed today alone are worth thirty million mana coins, and someone must take responsibility for their destruction.
The books may only be copies, but that does not diminish their value one bit in my eyes, and thus in the eyes of the court. In addition to that, under College criminal law, the College is to be paid the exact amount of the fine as Court charges as they are fined.¡± An impassioned speech rolled off the Dean¡¯s tongue, but it just made Ray cringe. The entire focus was on the books destroyed, what happened to the assault charges?
¡°The total fine in question here is fifty million mana coins, which with court charges translate into a hundred million mana coins. A nice round figure. I have already called your guardians, since they will be the ones paying the fees, and to serve as witnesses. Now, who would like to tell me what has transpired here?¡± the Dean said.
Ray wondered if his ears were mistaken. Did the fees just balloon? No, wait. The damage was thirty million, this was the first time the Dean had mentioned the fine¡ But where did the extra twenty million come from?
¡°Yes, Dean. I, Corris Fartallis, would be glad to tell you what actually transpired in the library.¡± Corris began before Ray could get a word in. ¡°The filthy commoner scum got into his head that he could get away with circumventing the College''s fees,, so I decided to carry out my duty and warn him.
But instead of following my well-intentioned advice, he decided to attack me! The filthy whore son even destroyed-¡± Corrin began spewing lies at lightning speed until he suddenly found his hair on fire.
¡°I think my ears have some sort of infection. After all, I couldn¡¯t have just heard Mr Fartallis call me a whore? Or do I have a noble house to burn?¡± Aunty Ariana¡¯s silky sweet voice sounded out, making them all turn back.
Aunty Ariana was sitting at the last row on his side, and a row of scary looking men and even scarier weapons were sitting on the other side.
¡°I wa-was just making a point, Marchioness. Ray is but an orp-¡± Corriss began.
¡°I request that the audience not interfere in the process of the trial.¡± the Dean inturrepted, ¡°The guardians have been invited as a matter of courtesy, they are not to interfere.¡±
Aunty Ariana just ignored him and turned to the men. ¡°Mage-Warrior Erklard, I thought you were in jail for a large variety of causes, and so were your compatriots. Did something happen that I am unaware of?¡±
¡°The good Duke have seen fit to deem us innocent of all charges. I assure you that we will find and bring this Scholar to justice for her crimes.¡± a man that vaguely looked like Corriss replied. What? Rena had said that the proof against them was undeniable, even if it was insufficient, the Duke wouldn¡¯t release them so fast¡unless he¡¯d been influenced somehow.
¡°Oh? I wasn¡¯t aware that presenting evidence was a crime.¡± Aunty Ariana said.
¡°The Scholar is suspected of having treasonous intentions.¡± the Mage-Warrior stated in reply, his arrogance palpable. The man did not consider anyone in the room his equal. Ray frowned, Ma probably did have treasonous intentions, but how did this guy know about it?
¡°I see.¡± Aunty Ariana said, seeming to contemplate something for a second before turning back to him. ¡°Does your release have anything to do with the fact that you just helped the Duke hunt down a rather ferocious beast and reach Tier 21? I hear you made a rather large fortune from it.¡±
¡°Is the Marchioness so eager to oppose the Mage-Warrior order? I do hope you realize we have the support of the Duke now.¡± the Mage Warrior said, clearly irritated.
¡°Oh?¡± Aunty Ariana said as fire started to twirl around her. Ray could not figure out what had happened, but the Mage-Warrior¡¯s face paled at it.
¡°I suppose congratulations are in order, after all, it is not everyday we are in the presence of a Tier 23.¡± the Dean said, his voice actually sounding jovial somehow.
Chapter 28- A talk with the money-grubbing Dean
Ray had to admit, he was shocked. Aunty Anita was more powerful than the duke? The information seemed to come out of nowhere, not just for him, but for everyone in the courtroom.
¡°Now, does student Rosenmund have anything to add to disciple Fartallis¡¯ explanation?¡± the Dean asked.
Ray jumped up at the call, clearing his throat nervously. ¡°Yes, Dean, Corriss has given you a completely inaccurate account of events. Corriss was the one who opened fire, not me, there are several witnesses that can corroborate this. Not to mention that he was wearing some form of Dwarven defense that he got from his brother. Why would he be wearing that if he did not intend to attack us?¡±
¡°I did it because I knew that commoners like you are prone to irrational actions!¡± Corriss protested.
¡°I see, so you destroying the library in your temper tantrum was a rational decision?¡± Ray countered.
¡°The fact that you were the one that actually destroyed the library is apparent. I had enough control to direct my attacks directly at you, and so did my friends. The ones fighting in a haphazard manner were your people.¡± Corriss said, pulling false facts from thin air.
¡°Oh? And would that have happened if you hadn¡¯t attacked us? Do you wish to insult everyone¡¯s intelligence? I cannot think of any reason why you would act this way otherwise.¡± Ray said, feeling proud. The answer was a fluke, but it seemed appropriate.
¡°I do find my intelligence insulted, but I don¡¯t know if that''s the kid in the front or his idiotic supporters in the back.¡± Aunty Ariana quipped in, making the audience emerge in sporadic laughter.
Ray could practically hear Mage-Warrior Eklard gritting his teeth, someone was not used to getting insulted to his face.
¡°The fact that you lied about your element to the Academy, and then used some form of weird magic to attack me using fire, is known to everyone in this room.¡± Corriss countered.
¡°I would like it noted that I did not, in fact, know about this. The chain of events has not been established yet.¡± Aunty Ariana said, her voice merging within seconds of Corriss¡¯ statement. Ray giggled, she was playing with them.
¡°Corriss, have you stepped outside of the Noble¡¯s district lately?¡± Ray asked, going off track.
¡°What does that have to do with anything? I have no wish to talk with some idiotic commoners.¡± Corriss replied, but he was constantly glancing at Aunty Ariana by now, clearly irritated at her presence. The Mage-Warrior¡¯s Order seemed more afraid,, however. Aunty Ariana was far more powerful, after all.
¡°Commoners don¡¯t try to fail the Academy test, Corriss, no one does. The Academy test has far too much importance. I think we¡¯ve seen enough, Dean.¡± Ray said.
¡°Yes, we have, at least from you two. The chain of events cannot be established by either of you. ¡° The Dean said. ¡°Now, if Professor Tari would come to the stand.¡±
Corriss'' face brightened up as a professor rose from the judge panel and sat down on the stand.
¡°Were you there during the event of the attack?¡± the Dean asked.
¡°Yes, Dean.¡± the professor answered, the picture of an obedient follower. A brown-noser.
¡°Now can you tell me, truthfully, what happened during those hours?¡± the Dean asked.
¡°Ooh, this will be interesting.¡± Aunty Ariana quipped in, confusing Ray. ¡°I am interested to hear what actually happened.¡±
¡°Yes, uhm, Corriss, uh, heard that Marcus was telling people about a lab that they had built and how they were going to use it to get more mana. Corris knew that the lab would be direct competition for the College, and thus went to the library with the intention to confront him. I suppose he might have gotten a bit overzealous.¡± the professor testified, his bias clear.
¡°Oh, do tell me how.¡¯ Aunty Ariana added. The professor just looked at her, his puzzlement clear.
¡°Corris, how was he overzealous? Did he attack Marcus unprovoked?¡± Aunty Ariana asked.
¡°I did not get a good look, but that may be what occurred.¡± the professor answered, clearly avoiding the topic. Ray was very glad that Aunty Ariana was around to help them, otherwise he would not get even this trial. Corris had clearly stacked it against them. The chances that the professor would back Corriss¡¯ lies without her there was very high.
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¡°Oh, you¡¯re not sure?¡± Aunty Ariana asked.
¡°I am.¡± the Dean said. ¡°I think this is a simple case of young Fartallis getting overzealous in his administration of his newfound duties. The Mage-Warrior Order will pay the appropriate fine of a hundred million mana coins to the College, since they seem to be so interested in him.¡±
¡°And what of justice for Ray?¡± Aunty Ariana asked.
¡°I was getting to that, as Corriss has shown such an inclination for combat, I fear that he may find himself more comfortable at the Mage-warrior Order. Is that satisfactory, Marchioness?¡± the Dean said.
¡°And are we not to be consulted at all?¡± Mage-Warrior Eklard whined.
¡°No, the decision has been made.¡± the Dean said. ¡°And need I remind you that while I am not as powerful as the Marchioness, I will destroy your Order if it comes to it? After all, I hear that your previous head was rude to my disciple the last time they met. I have yet to account for that.¡±
The surroundings changed, clearly the Dean had teleported everyone away. Ray found himself along with Aunty Ariana in what seemed to be a posh office. The Dean¡¯s office per the marker on the desk.
¡°I take it you still have business with us since you called us here?¡± Aunty Ariana asked.
¡°Yes, I do.¡± the Dean said. ¡°I am sure you know of the Mage Academy¡¯s latest hunt, Marchioness.¡±
¡°Yes, Anita is participating in it, in fact I think she invited Ray too.¡± Aunty Ariana said.
¡°Yes, the same one. Now, Corriss was to represent the College in the Tier 5 and below hunt. Now that he is not around, I feel it is only right that Ray take his place.¡± the Dean said.
¡°Now, now, that''s just asking for Ray to kill himself. Or do you think that Corriss¡¯ friends will help him? Not to mention, the Mage-Warrior Order is out to kill him now.¡± Aunty Ariana said.
¡°I have already taken sides, Marchioness, no need to press the issue. Ray can take his friends, I am sure they¡¯ll appreciate the mana.¡± the Dean said.
¡°But can I presume that you will continue the deal with Count Friendez?¡± the Dean said, confusing Ray further.
¡°Yes, sure. I have no need to stifle the College after all. Though I do hope that this entire unpleasant affair is over.¡± Aunty Ariana said.
The Dean just sighed, ¡°I will have Krrishank reduce the prices back to normal, though the College is still in need of another source of money. The Mage-Warrior Order¡¯s pay day will help. But it won¡¯t last for long.¡±
¡°On that note, I do suggest that you claim that little island named Hurrent¨¨ as your compensation. I suspect that it would float if I put it in the air.¡± Aunty Ariana said, making Ray sit up in surprise. What? A floating island? Ray had heard of natural ones, but there were none on the Elven continent.
The Dean was also shocked, showing emotion for the first time. A stack of papers levitated to the table along with some ink that slammed into the paper. A bunch of words appeared on it, clearly a contract.
¡°Are you really sure? The island itself is worth only ten million mana coins, I would be losing ninety million if I made this deal.¡± the Dean said.
¡°Would I lie to you?¡± Aunty Ariana asked, her voice so sweet that even Ray didn¡¯t trust her words.
¡°Yes, you would do it without hesitation if it suited you. So would I, but that¡¯s besides the point.¡± the Dean said, looking at her with his voice narrowed.
¡°In this case I am not lying, I have a vested interest in making the Mage-Warriors guild suffer.¡± Aunty Ariana said.
The papers disappeared as the Dean put his hands on his desk. ¡°The embarrassment from the arrests along with the loss here will make the Order regret even thinking about the bakery. A rather large overreaction, don¡¯t you think? The matter has escalated rather fast.¡±
¡°On the contrary, the events are far from over. The treasury and armory of the Order was raided a few hours ago by the rebellion. The Scholar sold their defense¡¯s weaknesses for cheap.
The embarrassment of having their recruits standing in their underwear where the castle used to stand is what will really kill them. Not to mention going into debt to pay off all those bribes.¡± Aunty Ariana said, making Ray choke.
What? Ma had sold the Order¡¯s defenses? And the rebellion had stolen the castle? Just how did you steal a castle? And why would they take the recruits'' clothes too?
¡°Wha-What. Wait a second.¡± the Dean said, closing his eyes as Ray felt a rather shift in mana. The College shook a few minutes later as Ray looked out the window. A large rundown building appeared behind the College.
¡°I see that I am not the only one that has been hiding my power.¡± Aunty Ariana said, smiling widely.
¡°Well, I decided that since it was an open and close deal, it would be best if I took the island already. After all, I am doing the Order a favor.¡± the Dean said, telling one of the most plain lies Ray had heard in his life.
¡°The Duke must be furious.¡± the Dean stated.
¡°Yes, he is quite furious. I think he broke a few plates in his tantrum.¡± Aunty Ariana quipped back.
¡°I get looking down on him, but it is foolish to ignore him. After all he is still the main government here.¡±
¡°Yes, I know. And he¡¯s called the Xnarthan for help with the rebels. In fact, one of the Emperor¡¯s outer disciples will be coming.¡± Aunty Ariana replied.
¡°Oh, just great. So we get to deal with another brat that probably won¡¯t get to Tier 20 but thinks he¡¯s the next Tier 30. ¡± the Dean said, his irritation palpable for once.
¡°Tell me, do you know this Scholar person? I wonder if they know anything about Alchemy. I have a lot of money.¡± the Dean said, turning towards Aunty Ariana began laughing for some reason as Ray felt profoundly nervous under the Dean¡¯s gaze.
Chapter 29
Ray
The Dean tried to interrogate Ray for a while, but Aunty Ariana managed to get him out of the office. The two of them boarded Aunty Ariana¡¯s vehicle, a disc-like car that floated in the air. The inside was cushy, to say the least.
A couple of recliner chairs were the only seating there. The insides were notably dark, but the darkness was more calming and comfy than dangerous. Ray felt sleepy just resting on the chair, it was clearly built for resting on long journeys.
The car lifted up and flew away, though had a hard time making out the direction. Aunty Ariana was thankfully good enough at levitation that it wasn¡¯t a bumpy ride at all.
¡°So, were you gonna tell me you¡¯re Fae anytime soon?¡± Aunty Ariana said, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
Ray jumped up, retracting his earlier statement. The ride was a different kind of bumpy.
¡°Well-um-uh, I didn¡¯t really think about it?¡± Ray said, suddenly very attentive to the fact that he was in a closed space with a Marchioness of the Empire.
¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so scared, I suspected long ago. I blame Matilda, she¡¯s the one that made me read all those banned books. Not that it was rather hard to tell you weren¡¯t human. Did you know that you were singing instead of crying as a baby? Matilda tried to hide it from me, but I spent enough time there to catch you a few times.¡± Aunty Ariana said.
Ray did not know that.
¡°What do you intend to do now?¡± she asked.
¡°Well, Ma thinks we shouldn¡¯t escape until we are at least Tier 15, it¡¯s apparently not safe.¡± Ray said.
¡°Yes, that is a good idea. The Empire isn¡¯t the safest place for you, but Afreial doesn¡¯t have a big Xnarthan presence, and I can help hide you. Not to mention her side job as a Scholar. Did you figure that one out yet?¡± Aunty Ariana asked.
¡°Just a few hours ago. Ma has been acting suspicious for a while, she downplayed her crossing those Tiers, and she¡¯s been going out more and more. At first, I thought it was just the rebellion, but now¡¡± Ray said.
¡°So she did end up connecting with the rebellion,¡± Aunty Anita said, sounding defeated for some reason. Ray just tried to hide in the recliner, he¡¯d mess up again.
¡°Oh, don¡¯t look nervous, I suspected it for a long time. The only reason I wasn¡¯t sure was that I didn¡¯t want to be. Do you know why she moved here?¡± Aunty Anita asked, surprisingly changing the topic. Ray had to admit that he was put off by the lightning fast nature of this conversation. Aunty Ariana seemed more interested in telling him things than having an actual conversation.
¡°No, Ma never said.¡± Ray replied.
¡°Matilda and I were both disciples of the same Master, Duke Rendez, one of the Deans of the Capital Mage Academy. The difference was that I got a good element, and Matilda didn¡¯t. At first, she did the same thing you did, but she got a bit more successful.
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Master was ready to give her a higher rating when I intervened and told the truth. Matilda hadn¡¯t used her element, she¡¯d used a poison she had concocted. I still regret the decision, I was worried about her, and maybe a little jealous.
Matilda had been the better disciple, better at mana manipulation, better at studying. I was the one that got into fights every chance I got. Matilda always got me out of it.¡± Aunty Ariana said, speaking very fast.
Ray had questions. A lot of them, for one, how did Ma end up as the Duke¡¯s disciple? Did he not help her at all after? And if she could concoct poisons, then wasn¡¯t it all right?
¡°The poison Matilda concocted used many rare materials and could only kill that one beast. Matilda claimed that her element made her physique stronger too. I knew she was lying, and when the chance came, I exposed her.
Master laughed at us, he already knew she was lying. I still remember the look on her face. Master had her parents forge her signature on marriage documents. And forced someone thrice her age to marry her. A rural baron that was deep in debt and had not married. Matilda was furious, she refused to accept the marriage.¡± Aunty Ariana said, her words slowing down. Now she seemed to be sinking into her words, almost pensive.
Ray was shocked. Ma was married? Had she escaped somehow? Did she have another family somewhere else?
¡°Master had her put in her room until she accepted. I visited her. The look of hurt on her face broke my heart. In the span of a few hours, she''d been betrayed by everyone she had ever known. Master, me, her parents. The Academy had already kicked her out, she had no way to escape.
So I helped her. I put her on a ship to the Elven continent. The man she was engaged to died the next day, leaving her his Barony. I think Master knew that, that¡¯s why he had arranged for the marriage. But Matilda wouldn¡¯t have any of it, she was done with all of that.
The thought of returning to the nobility disgusted her, and then you came in. A Fae child. The fact that she managed to keep you hidden so long is a shock in itself, even in Afreial.
But it would be impossible in the mainland, the Elven continent is not feverous in its persecution, something about living in Elven homes makes it hard to demean them as animals. The mainland folks don¡¯t have that problem, it''s every child''s dream to hunt the barbarous elves down and expand the Empire. Though it''s still rare for one to know what a Fae child looks like, the chances of your discovery are much higher.¡± Aunt Anita said.
¡°So if I wasn¡¯t around, Ma would have gone to be a Baroness.¡± Ray said, deep in thought.
¡°Oh, please. Matilda wouldn¡¯t have gone even if you weren¡¯t around. And besides, she would need to sign the papers to accept the Barony, and she didn¡¯t do that. I have no idea if she could still inherit it now.¡± Aunty Ariana said. The vehicle had stopped long ago, as far as he could tell, though it was hard to tell in this vehicle.
¡°Why tell me this now, Aunty Ariana? Has something happened?¡± Ray asked, now worried.
Aunty Ariana just looked at him. ¡°Yes, Ray, something has happened. The bakery has become a thorn in the Empire¡¯s side. A few Xnarthan members are coming, Ray, including a disciple of the Emperor.
And there are rumors that the Emperor has gone to the Dwarven continent to ask for their surrender. Now, if you were a cunning organization that wanted to destroy the rebellion in the root without making anyone a martyr, what would you do?¡±
Ray thought for a few seconds, to halt a rebellion you needed to prove that it was hopeless. The bakery was proving that it wasn¡¯t, but if the bakery was proven to be owned by a Baroness¡it would destroy the entire point of it.
¡°The Xnarthan are going to take Ma away.¡± Ray answered.
¡°Not the Xnarthan, they don¡¯t get involved in these matters, it will be the political bureau. A technically separate bureau, but they have a lot of agents in common with the Xnarthan.¡± Aunty Ariana said.
¡°Does Ma know about this?¡± Ray asked.
¡°I haven¡¯t talked to her about it, but I would be surprised if she didn¡¯t know.¡± Aunty Ariana said.
¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Ray asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know, Ray.¡± Aunty Ariana confessed, ¡°I can¡¯t see a way out. Matilda¡¯s the intelligent one. I just burn things. I just felt I should warn you before you say something you regret today, you may not get to see her again.¡±
Ray nodded as the door opened to reveal the bakery door. Had Aunty Ariana been blocking the entire street for this long?
¡°I was levitating above the bakery.¡± Aunty Ariana said as Ray looked at her judgingly. ¡°Now go.¡±
Ray nodded as he left. But one thing stuck by him.
¡°What was the thing with Count Friendez?¡±
¡°Oh that? Just some politics. The good Count was unhappy that I broke his monopoly on herbs. And protested the fact rather violently. So I did the same. Now I have a monopoly on herbs. A rather nice turnaround, isn¡¯t it?¡± Aunty Ariana said, shrugging as the door closed behind Ray.
The bakery was unusually quiet, the occupants were all staring at the black disc-like vehicle take off. Well, everyone but Norman, who was stealing cookies from the display. Ray walked to him and picked the cat up.
¡°Are you stealing cookies again?¡± Ray asked him.
¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± Norman answered, tilting his head in Ray¡¯s hands. Ray looked at the cat in shock. The answer wasn¡¯t something he could refute, given Norman''s condition, it was quite likely that he had forgotten it. But Ray had a hunch that the sneaky cat was just lying.
But he had other things to worry about than one old Fae, the Scholar of Afreial waited for him. Ray walked up the stairs to Ma¡¯s room, creaking it open as he looked for her. The room was empty.
Ray headed to the kitchen, finding it empty too. In the end he found her on the third floor, sitting on the dining table, eating a plateful of cookies.
¡°Ma, when were you going to tell me about the Scholar of Afrieal thing?¡± he asked as Ma looked up at him.
Chapter 30- A conversation that wasnt awkward at all.
Ray
¡°Ma, when were you going to tell me about the Scholar of Afrieal thing?¡± he asked as Ma looked up at him.
¡°In a few days, when the Order of Mage-Warrior¡¯s was dealt with.¡± Ma said, her voice calm.
¡°So you are behind it.¡± Ray stated, taking a seat.
¡°Yes, I think that much is obvious.¡± Ma replied.
¡°Why keep it a secret?¡± Ray asked.
¡°At first, I did not want you to get involved. The business is dangerous, Ray, you could get killed anytime. After that, I was just waiting for the right time.¡± Ma answered.
¡°And it¡¯s safe for you?¡± Ray demanded, putting his hands on the table.
¡°Not really, but I am a Tier 13 with nearly a hundred of the rebellion¡¯s soldiers guarding me. I am much safer than you would be, Ray.¡± Ma said, shocking him.
¡°Tier 13?¡± Ray exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock.
¡°What can I say, the secret business is lucrative.¡± Ma said, a smile dancing on her lips.
¡°What class do you have, Ma?¡± Ray asked.
¡°[Scholar of Afreial- The Commoner baker- Fae Mother]. The System offered me a hybrid class, [Scholar-Baker-Mother], I get mana for all three. Though I need to meet requirements for all three.¡±
¡°Requirements? Wait, no, we¡¯re talking about how you¡¯ve been hiding things from me! Aunty Ariana told me about you being a Baroness and all that happened fifteen years ago.¡± Ray said.
Ma looked irritated, but replied either way, ¡°What do you want to talk about Ray? I found you in the woods, singing like you weren¡¯t in a xenophobic Empire. I knew what I had to do, if I didn¡¯t adopt you then you would have died.
The rebellion wasn¡¯t around back then, or at least, not active in Afrieal. And after that, you were my son, and I didn¡¯t want to part with you. Perhaps I was selfish in that, you would have been better raised by Elves, but I love you, Ray. I won¡¯t apologize for that.¡±
¡°I meant about you having to stay here. The barony would have meant that you wouldn¡¯t have to work so hard¡¡± Ray said, his voice soft this time.
Ma just laughed. ¡°Do you think I would have been happy, Ray?¡± Ma asked.
Ray was caught off guard by the question. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡probably?¡±
¡°No, Ray. Just having a lot of money doesn''t guarantee happiness. The exact opposite at times. I never got along with my parents Ray, at first was the object of my Father''s jealousy, and later an embarrassment.
As for my Master, you already know how he was. I would have been lonely, Ray. And looked down upon to boot. The nobility are not very accepting of people with weak elements, Ray. The fact that we exist reminds them that they too can be weak.
A reminder of the fact that they are, in fact, not better than the commoners. Just more powerful. I would have been that reminder. An object of hatred. I had to work hard here, yes, but I had a purpose here. A family. I wasn¡¯t alone. Not like I would have been.¡¯¡¯ Ma said, her voice emotional.
The two of them just stared at each other until Norman sneaked on the table and tried to sneak one of Ma¡¯s cookies. A hand-picked him up, dumping him back on the floor, much to his chagrin.
¡°The requirements are things you need to change your class. Just like the ones when you had when you chose your first class, The System just tells you what they are this time.
The changes happen at Tier 6, Tier 11,Tier 21 and so on. The class for the first five levels is something of a tutorial. The skills are largely generic, they get better later on. I got [Knowledge deployment] for this one. The skill lets me transmit information into other people¡¯s heads, though they can¡¯t reply.¡± Ma said.
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¡°Now, do you have anything to say? I hear you had an interesting day.¡±
Ray chuckled, of course she knew, she was the Scholar of Afrieal after all.
¡°Yes, a little scuffle with a noble brat, but I have to take part in the Academy hunt now.¡± Ray answered.
¡°The Academy hunt? Yes, that will be a good opportunity. Not lacking in danger, but I expect you won¡¯t have a lot of problems with a bunch of Tier 5s as long as you are one.¡± Ma said.
¡°I am Tier 4 though.¡¯ Ray noted.
Ma laughed, ¡°Did you think I didn¡¯t have a little something extra to help you along? Now tell me, how would you like to try out some rare Alchemic recipes that increase your ability to manipulate mana? The secret stash of our dear Mage-Warriors.¡±
The grin on Ma¡¯s face made Ray wonder whether he had really known her before. The woman who¡¯d raised him had turned into a schemer. Or had she always been one, and he just didn¡¯t notice?
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[Alchemy] has leveled up twice to level 5: 360
[Mana Manipulation] has leveled up to level 4: 120
Glitter element strengthened!: 300 mana
Tier 5 (1904/3200)
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Ray took a deep breath as he reached tier 5. The element strengthening potion had apparently been in the order¡¯s treasury, something Ma had apparently taken a share off. So now he had reached Tier 5. A notable achievement, even for a noble at his age.
The vast majority of commoners stopped between Tier 3 and 5. The ones that pursued power possessively got to Tier 9. But after that, the Empire would not give licenses to raise one''s power. The higher Tiers were reserved for nobles, and nobles only. The Empire demanded significant military service before they gave any titles at all.
The things were changing of course, the commoners were gaining power. The rebellion in particular was gaining power. The bodyguards they¡¯d provided had grown in power over the last few days, no doubt Ma had raised the amount she was paying.
Ray still had mixed feelings about the new side of hers. On one hand, he couldn¡¯t protest. What she did seemed reasonable, and she had helped him a lot. On the other hand, she didn¡¯t seem true to herself. The new Ma was acting a bit too much like a noble.
The ruthlessness, the gifts, the casual declaration of war, all were things a noble would do. Ma wasn¡¯t exactly acting out of character¡it just felt off. But a small part of him said that this was exactly what she was. Ray was the one holding on to her.
In the end, there was little he could do, she was what she was. And Ray had a hunt to go too. Aunty Ariana would arrive in a few minutes to pick him up, and he had to be ready.
Ma was, as usual, gone to her Scholar thing, though she did say that she would be back in time to see him off.
¡°Are you ready, Ray?¡± Marcus asked, peaking into the room. Ray nodded, stepping out of the room.
¡°Yeah, just nervous. Are you guys ready?¡± he asked.
¡°Yeah, well, as ready as we¡¯re going to be. Rena, Gravon and the others will be joining you.¡± Marcus said.
¡°So you won¡¯t be?¡± Ray asked, sad, but understanding. Marcus had gotten [Water healer] as a class, something very connected to his element. Marcus¡¯s element had a very harsh limitation, he couldn¡¯t attack using it. At all. The attacks would only heal, something that made him useless in combat.
The professors that had interviewed him had never caught it, they¡¯d thought he would gain normal control also, but Marcus did not. The power remained as benign as before.
¡°No, you know why. I will be working instead, you guys go enjoy your break while we profit. After all, the great Ray Rosenmund¡¯s potions will be missing from the inventory for a few days.¡± Marcus said, smiling sarcastically as the two of them descended the stairs.
Ray smiled, ¡°No they won¡¯t, I have this magical thing you see, it¡¯s called a backlog.¡±
Marcus just looked at him with a blank expression, ¡°I will personally make sure you sell out on the first day itself, so we get a chance.¡±
Now Ray was confused. ¡°Not gonna try to outsell me instead?¡±
Marcus just stared at him. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that''s even possible, oh famous leader of the revolution. I like my idea better.¡±
Ray just shrugged, Marcus was going to be the one handling things anyway, he could do as he wanted. Aunty Ariana was here anyway.
¡°So, are you ready?¡± she asked.
¡°As ready as we¡¯re ever going to be.¡± Ray replied as they boarded the waiting disk. The same one he had boarded the other day, but it had a lot more chairs this time.
¡°Well, you better be, cause the Order of mage-Warriors have joined the hunt, and I am pretty sure that they will be hunting something other than beasts.¡± Aunty Ariana said, making everyone but her pause.
Well, that was a good start.
Chapter 31- And trouble is at Rays door again.
Ray
¡°What do you mean they''ve joined the hunt? I thought it was just for the affiliated colleges.'''' Ray asked.
¡°Eklard made a grand inspirational speech about how they had changed, and that they deserved some pity from the Dean. The fool caved, and now we have a situation.¡± Aunty Ariana said.
¡°I can¡¯t stop the College Dean from teleporting you lot into the hunt area, the old man is just too good at teleporting people. So you¡¯re going to have to deal with that lot. The good thing is that they¡¯re still led by that idiot son of Eklard, the bad news is that they are all highly leveled. Though I see they aren¡¯t the only ones.¡± Aunty Ariana said, glancing at them.
Rena and the rest hadn¡¯t exactly been slacking, of the dozen people coming, seven were Tier 5, the rest Tier 4 and 3. The hunt was pretty useless for them, but it was much safer this way.
Aunty Ariana looked like she wanted to continue, maybe she had a plan, but she didn¡¯t get to say it. Ray felt his surroundings change to a wood as a voice boomed, ¡°The hunt has begun. The highest leveled beast in the vicinity is a Tier 5 wood chipper, the lowest Tier 1 horned rabbits, a lot of them. ¡°
And just like that, the hunt had begun. Ray looked around, he was alone, they had clearly been teleported separately. Did the College Dean decide to get rid of his nuisance? Well, actually, this was a pretty good plan if he did. Aunty Ariana wasn¡¯t in control here, he was, and it was unlikely that she would-
¡°Do not panic, its common practice to teleport people separately so that they don¡¯t make too much noise and scare away the beasts. Do not worry about your safety, I will teleport you out if things get deadly, but I can¡¯t interfere other than that. Do try to kill some Mage-Warrior brats, though, I would like fewer enemies.¡± the Dean¡¯s voice said into his head.
Oh. Now, that did sound reasonable. And the teleporting thing was nice. A safety net. Ray should have figured that they would separate them, the hunt was for hunting beasts after all, and a beast''s reward could only go to one person.
And that reminded him that there were beasts here. Ray cursed as he adjusted his senses, looking for beasts. After all, he did get a bunch of stats from the skills. The surroundings were much different from the last time ray had been in a wood. The sun was up, mana was much more plentiful, and there were a lot more beasts in the surroundings.
An entire colony of horned rabbits for example. Ray panicked, conjuring yellow glitter as he sent it into the colony en masse. A few seconds later, the entire colony blew up, presumingly informing everyone in his vicinity that there was someone here. And that included beasts. But he did get mana, a lot of it.
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Horned Rabbits killed x31 = 3 ¡Á 31= 93 mana
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Ray could see why the nobles preferred to kill beasts, they were practically dripping in mana. Though, he suspected that the amount of mana he gained was minimal compared to what a Tier 1 would gain on killing the beasts.
But he had to go, others would be here in a while. Ray jumped up a tree, using the trees to run away from the place in a random direction while keeping his eye out. The woods were packed with beasts, too packed. Ray had no experience with hunts, but these seemed to be just teeming with things to hunt.
A few minutes into running, Ray ran into a group of monkeys going about their business. Ray hid, observing them, getting an idea of their Tier. Tier 1, seven monkeys, and they were on the hunt for someone, or something. Was someone bleeding somewhere? A bleed would be bad here, there were enough beasts that even a Tier 5 like him would fall.
But he had a choice to make now. Did he hunt these monkeys or continue running? A part of him wanted to just keep running, to hide. But at the same time¡why? What reason did he have to hide? Ray wasn¡¯t weak anymore, he could kill these monkeys, and use their mana to get to Tier 6. The next class waited for him at Tier 6.
Ray conjured green glitter, twirling it around the monkeys, restricting them. The monkeys took a minute to figure out what had happened. Ray took the chance to set them on fire. And drop rocks on them. The monkeys didn¡¯t stand a chance, the sneak attack was successful.
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Fire attuned Tier 1 monkeys x7: 31 ¡Á 7= 217 mana
Tier 5 (2218/3200)
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A lot of mana indeed. Ray wondered if this mana was normal. Was it a lot? Was it too little? Ray had no idea. But he would hunt. Perhaps he would run into some Tier 2s, they would be more worth his time. Ray cast his senses out, looking for them, and he was nearly blinded by the amount of beasts there were.
The area was surfeit with mana, there were beasts everywhere, the flowers were Tier 1s, the bees were Tier 0s¡but Tier 2s were rarer. The only one Ray could find was the Queen bee from a beehive a few meters away. Now, this one would be tricky to hunt. The bee was surrounded by dozens of Tier 1 warrior bees and hundreds of Tier 0s. Just setting fire would have them all attack at once¡he needed something to draw them out.
Hmm, what plants are in the vicinity. Were there any poisonous flowers? Ray looked around, finally finding a single vine on a tree ten meters away that was poisonous and flowering. A lucky find? Ray did not think so. The vine was Tier 3, and growing towards the hive. Well, it was easier to burn than a hive. And Ray was pretty sure that he would get more mana if it was a Tier 4 instead.
A thread of green mana went out, heading towards the vine. The vine absorbed it with glee, growing towards the hive. At first a few bees went, attracted by the scent. And then more, and more. The vine ate them with relish as its mana grew. Ray felt it approach Tier 4, and readied its demise, yellow glitter.
The glitter surrounded it, making it sparkle yellow as the bees converged on it. The scene was quite magical, if it didn¡¯t involve a bunch of things that were trying to kill each other. But that was what magic was about, wasn¡¯t it? A tool. And here in the wild, a weapon.
The vine crossed into Tier 4, its scent multiplying, attracting hundreds of bees to it. The poor thing was relishing the opportunity, ready to get mana from this feast it was having. Ray put an end to it. The glitter ignited, burning the vine to smithereens.
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Wood attuned carnivorous vine killed (Tier 4): 339 mana
1 Warrior bee: 27 mana
173 worker bees [mana negated due to tier difference >=5]
Tier 5 (2584/3200)
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Ray smiled at the mana, and immediately moved on to the bees. The bees were hard to catch, they were already flying off when Ray got to them. Ray conjured violet mana, making a gust that blew them right into a tree. And then did it again until they died. The poor things couldn¡¯t even fight back, the Tier difference was too high.
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Warrior bees x 11: 297 mana
Queen bee: 57 mana
Tier 5 (2938/3200)
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And just like that, Ray was much closer to Tier 6. But the Tier difference thing was irritating, it meant that he wouldn¡¯t get mana from Tier 1s after he got to Tier 6. Tier 1s were the most common beasts here.
Ray once again set out to hunt, but this time he was looking for some place where there were a lot of Tier 1s, a place like the rabbit colony where he could kill them all together. After all, why waste the mana. The System would presumably give it all to him together, and he would get the mana as a Tier 5, not a 6.
The hunt was hard, the colonies Ray found were too small, smaller than even the one he blew up. The other places were too open, he couldn¡¯t kill them. And then he found it. A mongoose tunnel. The tunnels of a larvitticus mongoose to be accurate. A cold-blooded nocturnal Tier 1 beast that, unlike most mongoose, traveled in packs. And made nests near snake nests. The tunnels were thin, thin enough that if Ray wasn¡¯t careful, the fire could be stopped by a single mongoose. But yellow glitter was quite thin, in fact, it was well suited for this attack.
Ray dispersed the glitter in, spreading it throughout the tunnels. The tunnels were bigger the deeper you went, and Ray could vaguely sense some more powerful beasts inside. Perhaps this was a bad idea, but Ray had already gone too far.
¡°What should he do? The beasts could come out and kill him, and even people he cared about. At the same time, the tunnels were full of mana. At least that was how Ray saw them, a collection of mana he could now harvest. And then the decision was taken out of his hands.
The wand began shaking, the tip flickering as the glitter began to explode. A flash later, the tunnel blew up in a massive explosion that nearly threw Ray off his tree. The earth had cracked before him as he saw dozens of beasts lying dead as more tired to crawl up from the smoke.
The attack had been successful¡kind of. Though, it might be best to escape before the incoming army realized who¡¯d caused the destruction of their home. Or maybe he could sit around and clean up, they were injured, after all.
Chapter 32- A lot of mana is on its way.
Ray decided to do a little bit of both. Green glitter led grass to grow on the cracks, as yellow glitter lit it up, all while Ray did not show his face. The beasts died in hordes, falling prey to his attack.
The System hadn¡¯t responded yet, so they must still be dying, but Ray had to admit, he felt a little unease at the situation. The cracks were still widening, and it seemed like the tunnel had more exploding to do.
The entire thing felt like a disaster waiting to happen. So Ray ran. Jumping from tree to tree, Ray ran away from the disaster.
The trees around him were noticeably devoid of beasts, but not of humans. The explosion had attracted a variety of other hunters, wearing the clothes of the Army, the Mage-Warriors Order, but not the College. Ray¡¯s worry increased. The situation had further solidified his assumption.
The beasts would rush towards the explosion if there wasn¡¯t something off. After all, there was a lot of blood and mana to be had. But they¡¯d run away instead. And that implied the presence of a bigger predator.
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Tier 1 mongoose x 33: 10x 33= 330
TIer 2 warrior mongoose x 31= 60 ¡Á 31= 1860
Tier 3 captain mongoose x 11= 105x 11=1155
Tier 6 (6283/6400)
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Ray¡¯s face paled as he raised the predicament he was in. The mongoose were hierarchical. And that meant that there were higher ranks. A lot of higher ranks. Just what nest had he poked this time? And where were the College students?
Ray rushed around, switching targets, he had to warn everyone at once.
¡®Ooh, mongoose! A nice feast of ingredients. The kids have escaped, they are currently surviving a very unsuccessful ambush by the Mage-Warrior ¡well they were. The attackers are dead now. Oh, and this is the only time I will be contacting you.
A little thank you for giving me all these ingredients, mongoose kings are rare, baby mongoose kings are very rare. Ooh, is that a mongoose emperor? A Tier 15 emperor mongoose, just where was this sweetie hiding¡ Ah, the tunnels are from another zone! What a nice little mangoose empire extending its outpost with some help¡ Well, I don¡¯t think anyone will mind if I teleport these to me.¡¯ the Dean said.
The connection cut off before Ray could give an answer. What the heck? The mongoose tunnels were an extension of some kind of mongoose empire? And it had a Tier 15 emperor? Did mongoose turn sapient?
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The Class system is reinitialized, please choose your new class.
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Ariana
Ariana looked at the mess of a zone with boredom. The thing was so contrite that she would bet a hundred mana coins that the mage Academy¡¯s old fogie had planned it. The zone borders were not something some mongoose could dig through. The zone wasn¡¯t Tier 5, it was Tier 7. The College¡¯s Dean had predictably carted off the rest of the mongoose, though she was sure they would never have interfered in the hunt even if he hadn¡¯t done so.
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The trick was an old one, say the hunt was of a particular level, the kids were sent at that level, and then let some higher Tier beasts in to make it a challenge. The trick was apparently so old that the other colleges hadn¡¯t even bothered to act surprised. Or complain about the matter.
The lot of them had instead sent kids with hidden auras in. The Corriss kid, for instance, a Tier 8. A nice challenge for Ray if he was Tier 5. Now close to Tier 6, the kid was just going to end up as mana fodder. Ariana had hoped that Ray would get some challenge from this exercise, perhaps unlock some rare element? The possibility was gone now.
An explosion wrecked the wood as the Tier 7 mongoose went on another rampage, the thing was getting close to Tier 8, things would get interesting when it did. Huh, it was having a hard time against that kid. A Mage-Warrior¡¯s order one. The kid had been gaining mana fast, from Tier 5 to Tier 6 in the few hours he was here. Ray¡¯s speed wasn¡¯t easy to match.
A person to look out for, perhaps she could steal him. The kid''s armor did look weak, a vast difference from Corriss¡¯ brand new, dwarven made full coverage armor that could withstand blows up to Tier 9.
The kid exchanged blows with the beast, injuring it. The mongoose pivoted around him, slashing at him with his claws. The kid stood there calmly, waiting for it to come close before shining bright golden light into its eyes.
A smart move, the mongoose was still nocturnal, it would have a hard time against the light. The kid raised his hand, ready to finish him off, when he found himself shoved off by Corriss. The mongoose recovered a little, striking randomly. Corriss just used his shield for defense while shooting fire at it. The technique disgusted Ariana. Fire was supposed to spread, not be directed in a ray like this.
The mongoose, of course, couldn¡¯t take the attack as injured as it was. The poor thing died too early, as Corriss took all of the mana. The kid from before tried to approach him, but was met with Corris throwing fire at him. Ariana couldn¡¯t see clearly as high up as she was, but she was pretty sure the poor kid was getting mocked.
Ah, some people never learn. Corriss should have been kicked out after the College fiasco, but instead he¡¯d been given enough mana to get to Tier 8. An overly proud culture strutting like a peacock. But Ariana was more interested in the kid.
Erkland was right there looking all irritated. The man was clever, Ariana would give him that. The fact that the Order was still around was a testament to his cunning. A pity he had such a useless kid.
¡°So, who¡¯s the kid?¡± Ariana asked, walking towards him with fire surrounding her, flaunting her power.
¡°I presume you mean my son, Corriss? Yes, he is quite a genius.¡± Erkland said, but even he couldn¡¯t keep a straight face when saying it.
¡°No, I meant the actual genius, not the fake one.¡± Ariana said, making sure her tone was informative instead of mocking. The fact that it was true would hurt far more than any mockery on her part. What could she say, she held grudges. And she held them for a long time.
¡°Yes, that one. A coward, as you can see. The kid had such potential when he came, just sending that useless son of yours on that errand. But then he had some sort of bout of cowardice. Just look at him, walking away from cowardice.¡± Erkland said.
Torrin. The professor''s kid. Ariana wondered what had happened to him, probably some bullying. A surprising amount of bullies felt guilty after getting bullied. And Torrin hadn¡¯t even been one of the violent ones.
¡°I suppose you wouldn¡¯t mind me poaching him, then?¡± she asked.
¡°Oh? Well, I would certainly be supportive of you wasting money. A million mana coins, what do you say?¡± Erkland said, presuming she wouldn¡¯t take him up on it.
¡°So cheap? What a disappointment, I was willing to pay so much more for him. But a deal is a deal.¡± Ariana said. Torrin could have gone three paths, either he was bullied out of his talent, he rebelled against the Mage-Warrior¡¯s guild but still wasn¡¯t a friend of Ray¡¯s. Or he became an agent of the Order.
Ariana did not like the odds, so she changed them. A genius was always worth more than a million mana coins. A genius on the opposite side? Ariana would find no price too much. Torrin was a threat, now he was a threat that depended on her and had to spend inordinate amounts of time in her company.
And she could be very convincing. Erkland¡¯s face twisted into irritation, but he didn¡¯t back out. The man clearly thought that Torrin wasn¡¯t worth a million mana coins. Or he really needed the money. A bit of both, perhaps. Ariana was fine either way, as long as she got what she wanted.
Chapter 33(interlude)- What do you mean nobles are only friends till youre useful?
Torrin
Torrin sighed as he walked away from the battle area. The mongoose were still around, but he didn¡¯t have the will to fight for them anymore. Corriss and his lot would have it anyway. Just injuring that Tier 7 mongoose had taken a lot out of him, golden light might look good, but it wasn¡¯t the best element.
The Order of Mage-Warriors had not been what he had expected. The Academy program had always been something of a dogfight, but this was something else. The higher ranked disciples would steal others'' things in the open.
And demand it if they couldn¡¯t. The amount of times Torrin had to go to his room in his underwear was more than he could count. The higher ranked disciples would never be subjected to things like this, but low-ranked barely nobility like Torrin? The Order was a competition, and Torrin was on the losing end. At least that had helped him when the rebels raided the fortress.
A good armor would help him immensely in a fight, but wherever he got one, it would be stolen. The worst thing? The ones doing the stealing were usually his old friends, the ones he had helped bully Ray. And on whose request he had manipulated him into going into the woods.
But he¡¯d been betrayed. The second they had no use of him, they had started bullying him too. The professors hadn¡¯t helped at all. Torrin was apparently supposed to use the embarrassment as fuel. The only thing it fueled was his shame. The hunt had been his hope. A way for him to get mana that wasn¡¯t related to the Order.
The reason he¡¯d joined the Order was this, he¡¯d told himself. The Order was the most loose with the licenses it dispersed, the Academy had the largest amount, especially of the more valuable ones, but the Order had a significantly smaller number of recruits.
A disciple would gain at least one each year, and this was his chance. But it had been hopeless. Torrin was already Tier 5. The second he¡¯d heard that it was a Tier 5 area, the hope had died. But he¡¯d persevered and used the mongoose as an opportunity, taking on the biggest one. And then Corriss came in.
The guy was famous, how could he not be? The baby-faced son of the Order head. The same one that had lost to Ray Rosenmund. The same pretty boy he¡¯d humiliated. Torrin could never say why he¡¯d been so bullied.
Perhaps it was his pretty face. Perhaps his ridiculous mana and memory. Or even his apathy. The boy didn¡¯t have any friends in the program, nor had he made an effort to be friends with anyone. In fact, he barely talked at all. A fact that had clearly changed.
Corriss had described him as some sort of evil mastermind that had lured him into a trap and used his Aunt to bully the College Dean. The bullies had tried to awkwardly flatter him, but even they found it hard to reconcile the weak boy that could barely hold a sword to Ray Rosenmund, the evil mastermind.
Torrin couldn''t stop himself from laughing. Oh, it had meant losing yet another set of clothes, in fact it had meant losing all his clothes, but it was worth it. The week in his underwear had even helped him. [Swordsmanship: sturdy light] had leveled up to 5, bringing him closer to Tier 6.
After all, even that needy skill couldn''t not level up after practicing it all day every day wearing barely anything. Torrin couldn¡¯t exactly attend classes in his underwear. The Order treasury had delivered this new set of armor after a week, and he¡¯d had it since.
¡®Torrin Harris, you¡¯ve been thrown out of the Order of Mage-Warriors.¡¯ The voice of the Order head said into Torrin¡¯s mind. Torrin paused in his steps. The world seemed to dull around him. The rustling of the trees faded to him, the bees returning to their post seemed unimportant to him.
After all this¡he¡¯d been kicked out? Just like that? Did the Order head want him to confront Corriss? Or was it that he had outshone him? What had happened? Torrin could barely make sense of it. Not even anger, just confusion. After all that blood, sweat, humiliation, only to get kicked out. And for what? No, Torrin couldn¡¯t accept this. No, he had to¡what could he do?
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At the moment, Torrin wanted to destroy something, light something on fire, just do something. Not to vent his anger, but to prove that he wasn¡¯t useless, he could do something, he was a Tier 6 close to Tier 7.
A thousand rays emerged from his hand, scorching the trees, the bees as he vented his anger. But he didn¡¯t feel satiated. Perhaps it was the fact that the bees had survived. Or that the trees did not seem particularly hurt. Or just that everything reminded him of a simple fact: he was weak. A weakling that couldn¡¯t even vent his anger.
¡°Is there a particular reason that you insist on using magic instead of a sword?¡± a voice said to him from a tree. A woman jumped down onto the ground, looking at him with curiosity in her eyes.
Black hair, brown eyes and a light brown complexion. The description wasn¡¯t particularly uncommon, but no one in Afrieal would mistake this woman. Marchioness Ariana Salazar, the newly revealed Tier 23.
Torrin bowed low, greeting the Marchioness. The proper thing was to wait for her to address him, and he knew better than to break decorum before someone so powerful. Oh wait, she¡¯d asked a question.
¡°Umm, it has better range? I can¡¯t exactly use it in a forest, Marchioness.¡± Torrin replied, scrambling to remember the proper way to address a Marchioness.
¡°Why does someone use a sword then? Why teach it at the Academy?¡± she asked.
¡°The weapons are useful against other humanoids, Elves and such, Marchioness.¡± Torrin said, still looking at the ground.
¡°Do raise your head, protocol only calls for bowing once, a noble may raise his head after. Though a commoner has to remain bowing until they are allowed.¡± the Marchioness said. ¡°Though I think Ray missed the memo. I have never seen him bow to anyone, tell me, have you?¡±
¡°Uh, no, Marchioness.¡± Torrin replied. Ray hadn¡¯t bowed, ever. Not to sons of Earls, Viscounts, or Barons. The lot of them had to let it pass, Ray had a special status in the program. A genius always did. A fact Ray reminded them off every day, perhaps not verbally, but with his action.
The reason he didn¡¯t raise his hand wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know the answer, it was that he couldn¡¯t be bothered to.
¡°On to your sad education. The sword isn¡¯t just to go around parrying elves, in fact, I highly doubt you will be doing that. Elves are generally better at sword wielding. No, it is because a large number of elements can be manipulated into weapons. And act better that way. Come on, give it a try.¡± she said.
Torrin wanted to say no, he had little mana left. And what he had, he would need to protect himself. But one simply did not say no to a Marchioness. So he did it, conjured light and coalesced it into the shape of a sword. Torrin had tried it before, but it didn''t work at all.
¡°No, not like that. Not a bunch of light put together to look like a sword, put more mana in one ray and make it into a sword.¡± the Marchioness said. Torrin obeyed, he hadn¡¯t tried anything like that before. Just hadn¡¯t thought of it.
To his surprise, the technique worked, light turned into a sword. Torrin stared at it, and then chucked it at a tree. The sword cut into it, instead of burning, a mark in the shape of a sword appearing.
The Marchioness nodded, looking satisfied.
¡°The technique will need a lot more work, but I think we are on the right track here. Come on, we need to go.¡± the Marchioness said as the two of them lifted into the air. Torrin could not understand what was happening. Why was the Marchioness helping him?
¡°Oh, don¡¯t look so confused. I am not kidnapping you. I just bought you off that idiot of a fart we lovingly call Erkland. Now, you¡¯re my disciple.¡± she said, smiling, but Torrin just felt danger.
¡°Why? I don¡¯t have any relation to you, and you know as well as I that I am no genius, just why?¡± Torrin asked.
¡°Why? Well, dear, clearly we have differing opinions on your genius. Did you not see the hole you carved into the tree?¡± she said.
¡°The hole wasn¡¯t anything abnormal, any other Tier 6 could do more, not to mention you were the reason I could do even that.¡± Torrin said.
¡°Oh dear, you have no idea what actually happened, do you? And as for the help, expect more where that came from. The Academy might want its students to be independent and figure things out themselves. I think that a little help is ok sometimes. Now, tell me, what options do you have for your class?
Chaoter 34- A Fae moment.
Ray
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Glitter Alchemist
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The wielder of glitter and Alchemy, a money making monster.
[Negotiation]¡ª> [Magic negotiation]
[Alchemy]¡ª> [Golden alchemy]
+3 stats a level
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Glitter Rebel
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A wielder of glitter for a cause.
[Glitter Combat] -> [Glitter fire]
[Alchemy] -> [Alchemic Arsonist]
+3 stats per level
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Glitter leader
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A leader decked in glitter
[Glitter speech] skill
[Glitter inspiration] skill
+3 stats a level
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Glitter Arsonist
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A specialist in setting things on fire, by glitter
[Glitter Arson] skill
[Glitter Combat] negated
[Glitter Alchemy] negated
+10 stats a level
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Glitter revolutionary
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A leader of revolution and an exemplary inspiration.
The class will only remain as long as your position among commoners remains
+10 stats a level
[Alchemy] ¡ª> [Glitter Alchemy]
Glitter element: space element unlocked.
Glitter inspiration skill unlocked
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Ray took a deep breath as he looked at his options. The last one was obviously the best among them, but it came with a catch. And he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted his power to be dependent on something that he could lose at any time.
What position did Ray really have? A leader? No, at least he didn¡¯t think so. The System said it was a hope, but surely there were more people at that stage by now. Marcus, Rena, the rest had all progressed impressively. The failed ambush was an example of that, they hadn¡¯t needed him then.
As far as he could see, the class was too flimsy. But the element part interested him. The Academy had never found a way to give elements to people, but there was much that the Academy did not know that the System did casually.
Glitter arsonist was impressive in itself, but Ray was sure that an Arsonist wasn¡¯t what he wanted to be. A Mage was, but he would settle for Alchemist. The Golden Alchemy part interested him, it could have some interesting effects. But given the previous skill, the class seemed entirely focused on the financial aspect of Alchemy.
Ray liked money, and it was certainly a way to power, but was it tenable? The class meant he just continued in the same manner he was. Rebel meant he probably had to oppose the Empire in some way, an exercise in futility given that he was but a Tier 6.
Glitter leader seemed useless, even if Ray somehow succeeded in becoming the leader of his little revolution, it was still harder to progress than Glitter Alchemist. Not to mention giving no truly useful skills.
As for Glitter Revolutionary? Ray had no idea what he would have to do. Glitter Apprentice had needed him to learn things, this class? Ray had no idea what these skills would require him to do. What happened to the other skills anyway? Did they just go away? System, do I retain the skills not mentioned in this description?
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Yes, the skills will progress unchanged. A skill upgrade will only happen after a particular class is chosen or under very specific, and very rare circumstances. The skills will progress forward once a class is chosen.
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And what happens if a class is not chosen?
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The skills will remain capped, however Tiers may be increased in other manners. The tactic is often used to get to classes that require higher than normal Tiers to gain access.
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Wait, higher than normal Tiers¡System, is Glitter Mage such a class?
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The question is not within acceptable parameters.
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Ray felt his breath quicken at the answer, the system might not have told him anything, but the chances of him getting it were high. Tier 7 might unlock some other classes anyway. Now, where things he could kill?
The area surrounding Ray was still only sparsely populated. A few Tier 0 and Tier 1 beasts, but Ray wouldn¡¯t get mana from those anymore. Hmm, what should he kill? Perhaps there was wisdom in not going berserk for mana this time. Just killing things that he passed by seemed the better option.
Ray jumped down, walking in the general direction where there were more beasts. The Tier 1s avoided him, ran away from him in fear. Ray had expected it, but it was still something to see. A few weeks ago, one of these could kill him. Now, he could kill them all with a wave of his hand. Now, they had to run from him, the powerful Tier 6.
Perhaps this was why the nobles looked down on commoners so. The average commoner was between Tier 0- Tier 3. To a noble, this level of power was nothing. A commoner complaining was like one of these insects attacking Ray, Ray could just swat it away, and it would die.
A thing that could easily go to one¡¯s head. And that meant Ray couldn¡¯t let it. A beast was feral, an animal that would attack him the first chance it would get. The only reason they were running was because he was more powerful.
As if to enhance his point, a Tier 5 wood hawk attacked, its tiny sparrow sized green body hurtling towards Ray from the trees. The wood hawk must have thought that it could take Ray. Ray retreated, conjuring yellow and green glitter towards it. A net of branches grew around it as it flapped its wings, fire emerging as it burned through the net, but yellow glitter had already ignited.
The wood hawk survived it, flying through the fire. But it wasn¡¯t uninjured. Ray was already making his next move, violet glitter met the bird, pushing it back towards the fire and putting it off balance. And it was brown glitter¡¯s turn, rocks dropped on the bird, making it squawk in pain as its wings began to bleed.
Fire spread out, burning anything near. Ray just conjured an Earth shield as he continued his attack. The bird died a few minutes later.
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Tier 5 wood hawk: 313 mana
Tier up!
6596/12800
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Ray sighed as he felt his Tier increase. Would he get the stats for this Tier if he got a class? At the moment, the only thing he got was more mana, and the esoteric mana purity thing the Academy talked about.
Though it was a known fact that one¡¯s lifespan, strength and other abilities with mana and Tier, it wasn¡¯t known why. The Academy had found that there was a significant difference between the lifespan of a person that was on the cusp of Tier 15 and one that had already crossed the barrier, so it clearly wasn¡¯t mana.
A professor had then stated that it must be the purity of mana, apparently after crossing a Tier the purity of one¡¯s mana increased, thus increasing its effect. But he couldn¡¯t explain why said effect didn¡¯t extend to combat, a hundred points of mana still had the same effect as before.
Or at least, that was how it worked before the System. Ray continued walking, keeping an eye out for more attacks, but none came. The beasts were still running, but they were slow. So slow that Ray could kill them all. The temptation was there. The feeling of power was there, just rising in his heart. A swirling of mana in the air, reacting to his emotions.
But it was also¡wrong. Ray could imagine himself there, burning the forest down. But he felt disgusted by the thought. Oh, there were reasons he could use to justify his actions, but it came down to one thing. The beasts were innocents. In the future, they may turn more violent, or they may die. Ray could not judge that, all he could judge on was what he knew now.
And the beasts were not harming him now, instead they were running for their lives, quite like what Sapients might do when they encountered a murderer. A realization struck Ray. The beasts tell him as a murderer. And he saw them as murderers. In a way, they were the same, in this wilderness. Just some creatures trying to survive and grow.
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Trial passed.
A path has been chosen, [Fae magic] unlocked. Error! Fae spirit not detected, [Fae Magic] relocked. Fae stone interface is unavailable. Trial is suspended.
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A flash appeared in Ray¡¯s vision, a red mass of gas with golden powder entering it. As quickly as the vision came, it went away. But it did not leave Ray unaffected, the world had changed for him.
A blinding array of lights entered his vision, making it hard for him to see.
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Class options significantly altered, previous options no longer available. Error! System sensors show that the host is in mortal danger, process halted until situation stabilizes.
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Ray blinked his eyes, trying to clear his vision. But the lights would not go, no they weren¡¯t lights. The things were just¡brighter. And the mana, Ray could always see mana, but it was a haze, a shimmer in the air. Now it was like a constant light. The world was brighter, more beautiful, more exotic.
At least it would be if not for the dark brown sphere hiding behind a tree.
¡°Well, well, we meet again, Ray Rosenmund. I have been looking for you.¡± Corriss¡¯ voice said as the sphere emerged from behind the tree. Ray just clutched his wand as he pointed it at the sphere, surrounded as it was by swirling shapes of violet, green, and blue. The most exotic and terrifying scene Ray had seen in his life.
Chapter 35
Ray
¡°I have to say, I don¡¯t consider myself particularly lucky, but this is an unexpected stroke of luck. To run into you here, in the wild, with your head bobbing around like it''s on some kind of drug.
Tell me, did you get bitten by some insect? A surprise one? Well, I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter. But you can rest assured, I could have killed you anyway. I realized that I¡¯d been lazy. And stupid. I was a noble, not a silly commoner. Now look at me! Tier 9, a new shield, and going to kill you in a few minutes. I even got a few element strengthening potions just cause.¡± Corriss said.
Ray had to admit, he sounded different from before. A little more insane for one. But he was wrong about one thing, Ray wasn¡¯t impaired. Just overwhelmed. The sight was¡a bit much. But it also told him that Corriss was going to attack soon. And what direction the attack was going to take.
Ray could literally see the yellow fire mana coalesce, and he could send blue glitter there to ambush it. Corris attacked, a spiral of fire heading towards Ray, a spiral that found itself strangled by a sudden influx of water.
But the spiral wasn¡¯t done, the yellow mana began surrounding and neutralizing the blue glitter, little by little. Ray poured more, trying to keep the battle even. The only reason it was working was because the yellow mana kept fighting itself every few seconds.
The spiral was not its natural position, no, the mana wanted to be free. But Corris was a control maniac that wouldn¡¯t let it. The revelation did little for Ray¡¯s case, the fire was too strong as an element.
Glitter couldn¡¯t stand in a direct confrontation with the Fire. The Fire was too strong. Corriss was right, had he caught Ray before the Trial thing he would have killed Ray. As it was, Ray was barely holding on.
What could he do? Hmm, Air? No, it would only help the fire. Fire couldn¡¯t fight fire, and Earth would fall down. Wood would just burn¡but it could consume the fire. And produce more, that would not be controlled by Corriss. Ray conjured green glitter, extending the branches of the nearest tree.
The branches caught fire, the fire spreading to the trees, and further into the forest. A forest fires. Corriss¡¯ fire must be extra special to cause such a thing so fast. But it helped Ray. Corriss was in a place with more vegetation, and would have more problems.
Ray returned fire, strangling the rest of the spiral, and pelting the shield with rocks. The attack had no effect, whatever shield Corriss was sporting today, it was not easy to break. Ray took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing in focus. The tip of his wand glowed yellow as a drill-like structure of yellow glitter attacked the shield.
The point glowed yellow, a sole point of fire in a brown shield. The shield was hurting, though not enough to break. Ray concentrated his attention, relying on the forest fire to protect him. A mistake. The first sign was the smoke in his lungs that broke his concentration. The second was the heat on his skin. The last was the dozen snake-like constructs of fire surrounding him.
¡°Did you think I was as useless as before?¡± Corriss shouted from within the shield, his voice shrill. ¡°I am now in possession of a mutated element! A mutated element, you hear me! The Fire of freedom burns with me. And that means that your little trip with the fire Ray, it just backfired on you.¡±
The snakes struck at once, all twelve heading for Ray. Ray panicked, his vision telling him that an ocean of yellow mana was heading towards him, ready to engulf him. The blue glitter he conjured was swallowed. The Earth swallowed. The Fire neutralized. Ray was helpless.
What could he do? What would save him? Wood would make things worse. Earth, Fire and Water were useless. Air, what could Air do? The only thing Air did was feed it¡feed it. Fire wanted to eat. Air was food. Ray did not have time to think more, he acted.
The tip of his wand glowed violet, violet glitter headed out, making a trail of air away from him, towards the sky. The tactic worked, to a point. The violet glitter headed up, the yellow mana chasing it. But it did not work completely.
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Yellow mana turned back, heading for Ray, and then turned back towards the air again. Corriss was trying to exert control, but was losing the fight. At least for now. Fire of freedom. Corris had no idea how to use it, did it. The yellow mana eating itself, the fire making loopy loops.
Corriss was consuming more mana than him, Ray was sure of it. In fact, he would be surprised if it wasn¡¯t several times what Ray was spending. The only thing Ray had to do was preserve through this, and Corriss would fall. As long as he survived.
The violet glitter parade ended as Corriss finally wrested control of his mana back. Ray sent air horizontally, trying to replicate it, but it only diverted it for a few seconds before it came back. The snakes combined as Ray prepared to defend himself. A dozen layers of Earth appeared, ready to defend Ray.
The yellow mana collapsed on itself, wasting itself to turn into a spiral-like structure. But it formed. Ray could not see Corriss through the shield that covered him, but he was sure the boy was exhausted. The only way Ray survived was if he was.
The spiral struck, the shield crumbled, and healed, strangling the fire. The battle continued, Ray desperately putting out the fire, the fire advancing. Earth plates fell through the fire, taking out a huge portion, water spontaneously took out portions of the snake.
Air ran feral, drawing fire everywhere but where it was supposed to go. Ray tried his best to waste time. The technique was succeeding. The advanced. Not stopped, no, Ray did not have the power to do that. But it slowed. And that was what he needed. The fire had broken through seven of the shield when an Earth plate struck a section that did not recover.
Ray saw his chance. A legion of blue glitter left his wand, countering the fire, and it worked. The fire was extinguished, though the forest still burned around him. Corris just didn¡¯t have the mana to control it anymore.
Ray turned towards him, checking his mana meter.
The mana was minimal, but it would have to be enough. The shield was a problem, it might give Corriss the time he needed to recover. Ray attacked, feeling the shield out. The brown mana would move wherever his attack came, reinforcing the area. But how many areas could it possibly reinforce?
Ray struck, dispersing yellow glitter throughout its surface, and then combusting it all at once. The shield tried to compensate, sending mana here and there to get it safe, but it couldn¡¯t. And then it glitched.
The shield began breaking in places, holes phantamising as its mana system failed. A loud blast and a scream later, Corriss came into view, wearing a burnt vest that was currently ash. But that was little compared to the giant twelve-inch hole in his chest. Corriss did not even have time to react before blood poured out of his body, marking his death.
A cry of pain split the sky, the cry of a man grieving. Ray felt the temperature lower explosively. The forest fire quited to nothing. A splatter of snow began falling as the weather changed. And then there was a bright flash of fire that extinguished the snow.
¡°I honestly cannot say how disappointed I am in the Academy. The rules clearly state that no one is to blame for any deaths caused in the hunt. Not to mention, Corriss was the one who attacked my son. I don¡¯t remember you stopping that.¡± Aunty Ariana''s voice sounded out, her meaning clear. Mage Erkland must have attacked him, or at least tried to. Aunty Ariana must have put a stop to it.
But that was not what most occupied Ray¡¯s mind. The Trial thing, it had saved his life. But it was also convenient, very convenient. A bit too convenient, in fact. Now, who did he know that knew enough about the Fae to mimic a Trial, know exactly what it was going to do, and be powerful enough to do it right under the noses of the city''s nobility?
A certain came to mind. Ray thought back to what Norman had said. The first time they¡¯d talked, he¡¯d said he was not supposed to talk to Ray. The outburst, what do you mean you¡¯re blind? Well, what were the chances that he¡¯d been talking about this new vision Ray had? The System had mentioned a Fae spirit, could Norman be one? What was Norman?
A weight emerged on Ray¡¯s head as he looked up at the furry nose. ¡®Ray, how did I come here?¡¯. But Ray¡¯s mind was not on the message, it was on the fact that Norman didn¡¯t have any mana surrounding him.
The trees had some, the air some, Corriss¡¯ dead body had some. But not Norman. The white fur glistened in the sun, settling in Ray''s red hair. But not a speck of mana. The black eyes that stared down at Ray suddenly felt far more threatening.
Just what was Norman? And what exactly did this old cat want with him?
Chapter 36- Anita is offended by your actions, Dean.
Anita
Anita stared at the slouching figure of the Dean before her.
¡°Is it true?¡± she asked.
The dean sighed, his wrinkled old face frowning under the weight. ¡°Yes, sadly it is. I couldn¡¯t do much-'''' he began, but Anita was out of patience.
¡°No, you could have just followed the rules. Corriss broke them, Ray just defended himself.¡± Anita stated.
¡°Anita, Ray is a commoner that killed a noble. A ranked noble that was the son of one of the major organizations in the city. I fear that overrides any rules in the matter.¡± The Dean said, full of sighs and excuses. Anita had heard enough.
¡°I fear I have a moral objection to your decision.¡± she stated.
¡°Anita, if you¡¯re about to leave then I suggest you rec-¡± the dean began, but was once again interrupted by her.
¡°Oh, I am not as foolish as that. I will be a Mage, don¡¯t you worry, Dean Retrenouz. I suggest you prepare a certificate, a special one, I am attempting the path of greats.¡± Anita said, sauntering off before the Dean could protest.
The path of greats wasn¡¯t hard to find, it was just next door. Anita took a deep breath and stepped in. The door opened to a room of black fog, filled with a hazy figure.
¡®Th-the ma-mages of o-old he-hear your call, Anita. And they shall not let you passsss!¡± the figures said, wasting no time to attack her. Anita just stared at them.
¡° A pity¡± she said, pointing her finger at the room, ¡°The Void finds you wanting.¡± A black glow shot out as the room filled with darkness once more. The only sound was the tapping of her heels as they moved forward to the next room.
To attack her brother was to attack her, it was the way it had been since they were born, and it was how it would be after. Anti would see to it that these fools remembered that.
Ray
¡®Huh, what do you mean?¡¯ Norman asked. Ray just looked at him suspiciously. Was it an act? Or was it serious? Ray had no way of knowing. Ma might, with her knowledge element.
¡°Ray, come on, we¡¯re going.¡± Aunty Ariana¡¯s voice said behind him.
Ray turned around to find her standing by the door of her disc vehicle. Ray boarded it without a word, finding it already filled with everyone else.
Rena looked at him, and then at the cat on his head. And then back at him.
¡°Ray, why is Norman here?¡± she asked, clearly confused.
¡°Well, you¡¯d have to ask him. I have no idea.¡± Ray answered, looking up at the furry snout poking out of his hair.
¡°The cat can wait.¡± Aunty Ariana said. ¡°Now that Corriss is dead, Erkland will not let you go. Not under any conditions. To make things worse, I just heard that one of the Xnarthan lieutenants will be coming with that meddlesome disciple of theirs. The lieutenant is Tier 25.¡±
¡°Will it turn violent?¡± Ray asked.
¡°I doubt it. The Xnarthan are proud, arrogant. No, they will take the ¡®smart¡¯ way. An increase in taxes here. An accident or two there. A thousand small cuts to kill off your revolution. The Xnarthan are experts at that. A bit too good in my opinion. But my opinion doesn¡¯t matter. I suggest you think things over, plan a bit. Corriss¡¯ death has complicated things.¡± she said.
¡°I will drop you off at the bakery, and you can get things going. On the side, I will see what I can do about the Order of Mage-Warriors.¡± she continued.
Ray sat down on one of the chairs, turning towards Rena, but was interrupted by a blue screen appearing.
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Tier 9 human killed: 2700 mana gained
Mana shield (bronze) destroyed: 300 mana gained
9596/12,400
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Glitter Alchemist (Fae)
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A Fae alchemist that wields the power of glitter.
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
+10 free stats per level
[Alchemy] -> [Fae Alchemy]
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Fae child (lost)
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A lost child of the Fae on his way home.
+10 free stats per level
[Fae seeker] skill gained
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Glitter Mage
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A Mage unseen, unheard of. A Mage that fought against great odds and won, that reached the heights of Tier 7 before attempting the change. A Mage that braves the world with glitter in his wand and magic in his heart.
+13 free stats per level
[Glitter Combat]-> [Glitter Magic]
[Alchemy]¡ª> [Glitter Alchemy]
[Learning]¡ª> [Magic Learning]
Element strengthening x 2
Glitter sub-element: invisibility
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Ray¡¯s heart filled with joy. A hundred ways of doom hung over him, but he couldn¡¯t help it. To achieve one¡¯s dream was a great thing indeed. And Ray had just done it. The class was just what he wanted. [Glitter magic], the [Learning] metarmoshis, the [Alchemy]...the class was just what he needed.
Not wasting any more time, Ray chose it.
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Stats gained!
13 ¡Á 7= 91 free stats ready to be assigned.
[Glitter Combat]-> [Glitter Magic]
[Alchemy]¡ª> [Glitter Alchemy]
[Learning]¡ª> [Magic Learning]
Element Glitter has been strengthened: 1500 mana gained
Tier 7 (11,096/12,400)
[Magic Learning] has leveled up thrice to level 3: 700 (100+200+400) + 6 to intelligence
Tier 7 (11,796/12,400)
Glitter Magic has leveled up twice to level 2: 600 (200+400) +3 to Combat +3 to Aura Force
Tier 7 (12,396/12,400)
Alchemy has leveled up once to level 1: 100 mana +2 to Wisdom
Tier 8 (12,496/12400)
Tier up completed.
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¡°Hello!¡± Rena¡¯s voice called out, ¡°Empire to Ray! Have you gone mad while you were away? Corris make you dumb using some magic tool?¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Ray replied, dismissing the notifications. ¡°No, I just got a new class. Was picking it and getting all those notifications.¡±
¡°A new class? What, did you win some kind of System lottery?¡± Rena asked.
¡°No, I just reached Tier 6. A new class has to be chosen every five levels after that.¡± Ray said.
¡°No, it''s only five for the first one. The System told me that the real class for the first ten levels is the one you close at Tier 6, it''s why you get stats for the first 6 levels. The same doesn¡¯t happen every time.¡± Aunty Ariana said, interrupting.
¡°I am just a few mana off from Tier 6¡ Wait, you got to Tier 6, Ray? Corriss was worth a lot, eh?¡± Rena said.
¡°Yes, though I got to Tier 7 before that.¡± Ray answered.
¡°Wait, you¡¯re Tier 7?¡± Rena exclaimed.
¡°No, I am Tier 8¡¡± Ray said as everyone turned towards him. ¡°I just reached it a few minutes ago.¡±
¡°Ray, you¡¯re going to sit right here and tell me all those juicy secrets you are hiding. I want those Tiers too.¡± Rena said, her eyes staring at Ray like she wanted to gobble him up.
Anita
¡°A new morsel!¡± the spirits in the latest room exclaimed as Anita walked in. The taunts got old fast.
The path of greats was the Academy¡¯s trial for new heirs. Anita would be able to call herself next in line for the position of Dean if she passed it. The trial also scaled to the trial-takers Tier, so it was basically a walk in the park for her. A dozen spirits a Tier above was harsh for most people. Not for her.
Void appeared on her finger as she pointed her finger at it, ¡°No, but you¡¯re getting boring.¡± Anita said as a black light shot out. Void did not discriminate, it just killed. The element would reduce any object it came in contact with to its molecular form. Or energy in case of these spirits.
The wails died out, leaving a single white light floating in the middle of the room. A spirit. Anita rolled her eyes. A test. The spirit was either a sneak attack, or a test of whether she would show mercy. Or even both.
Anita walked towards the spirit, Void on the tip of her finger. The spirit, in the form of a little girl, shriveled in fear, shying away from Anita.
Anita sighed as she put off the Void, instead hugging the spirit. ¡°Now, now, it¡¯s okay.¡± she said, preparing her defenses and ways to kill the spirit. The spirit was likely a trap. As predicted, the spirit screeched as she let out some kind of light, probably to burn her. Anita just voided her before that.
¡°What a nice trick. Tell me, does anyone still fall for it. I would think that chivalry was dead with all the things you are doing.¡± Anita stated as the last door opened. The path of greats was passed.
¡°The spirit was Tier 13, you know. So yes, a lot of applicants have fallen to a trap with two Tiers more than them.¡± the Dean answered.
¡°Oh. So the Academy is full of fools.¡± Anita stated.
The dean frowned, saying, ¡°Are you listening to what you¡¯re saying, Anita? The Academy has given you everything it could. Has fulfilled every request it could. And now, because of one event¡¡±
¡°Oh? Was it just my imagination that you banned me from leaving the Academy grounds a few days ago? Or when you wanted me to marry that Fartallis idiot? Do not act coy, Dean, the Academy only acts as long as it''s in its favor. Now, if you will excuse me, I am leaving. The path gives a graduation certificate, yes?¡± Anita said, walking out. The sound of a staff slamming sounded out as a barrier appeared before her,
¡°I cannot let you do that, Anita. I fear it''s just not possible for the Academy to let an heir leave¡± the Dean said.
Chapter 37- Deans and scams.
Anita
¡°Oh? And what are you going to do?¡± Anita taunted.
¡°I will ground you if it comes to it, but I do not think it will.¡± the Dean said.
¡°And why in the world would I cooperate with you?¡± Anita asked.
¡°The heir to one of the nine main branches has a status similar to outer disciples of the Emperor. As such, you have that status. The Order of Mage-warriors will have to hesitate before taking action against you and your family.¡± the dean answered, making Anita turn towards him.
¡°The protection only counts if the Academy is willing to act, and you''ve shown that you are not.¡± she stated.
¡°And if I were to make a public declaration of support?¡± the Dean said.
¡°What declaration?¡± Anita asked, now interested.
¡°I am sure I can cook something up. Did you know that the Dean of the College is my brother?¡± the Academy Dean said.
¡°Yes, I also remember that he tried to kill you. Or was it the other way around?¡¯ she asked, sneering.
The Dean¡¯s face clouded in irritation. ¡°As that may be, he still owes me a few favors.I just used one to get him to take your brother as his disciple. A Tier 22 taking your brother as a disciple, one of the Empire''s best Alchemists. The only disciple besides the Armorer himself, a Tier 20 in his own right. Is the protection enough?¡± the dean asked, clearly proud.
¡°So you were scammed. Ray just broke through to Tier 8, without ever having partaken in eating monsters. Do you think you needed to call in a favor for him?¡± Anita answered, the protection was enough. But he didn¡¯t need to know that.
The Dean¡¯s face scrunched up in irritation. ¡®I am going to kill that scamming idiot!¡±
¡°I suggest you learn to track teleports and go into space first.¡± Anita stated. The College Dean was known for his ability to teleport, and how hard he was to counter.
¡°So, what can you give me?¡± Anita asked. After all, she was her mother''s daughter. The Dean was clearly willing to give more, why not ask for it?
¡°I promise to not force you into any marriages?¡± the Dean answered, hesitantly.
¡°And?¡± Anita asked.
¡°What do you want?¡± the Dean finally asked.
¡°A new sword, I broke the last one.¡± Anita answered, brandishing her old sword that had smoke coming out of its broken end.
¡°¡ I will have Irvetta open the Treasury to you.¡± the Dean said.
¡°I want one from the College treasury. And the ability to go visit ray whenever I want.¡± Anita demanded.
¡°Is the Mage Academy¡¯s treasury not enough for you?¡± The Dean asked, sounding offended.
¡°Not when your brothers¡¯ is on the table.¡± she stated in reply. The dean just sighed in resignation. A successful scam.
Ray
Rena was stubborn, but she finally accepted that there weren¡¯t any secrets to Ray¡¯s increase in Tier. Ray felt a bit guilty hiding his Species, but it wouldn¡¯t help her, just put him in more danger.
¡°So, what are you going to do, now?¡± she asked.
¡°I am going to assign my stats, if it''s not against you.¡± Ray answered.
¡°Oh, sure. Do tell us how many you got after. A little jealousy helps one progress.¡± she said.
Ray nodded, thinking ¡®System, status.¡¯
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Name
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Eritrae Rosenmund
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Class
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Glitter Mage
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Element
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Glitter (strengthened x3)
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Parent/Guardian
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Matilda Rosenwood (Human); Marchioness Ariana Salazar (Human)
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Affiliation
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Empire of Humanity
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Species
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High Fae
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Titles
|
[The hope]
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Mana
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Tier 8 (12,496/24,400)
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|
Age
|
15
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Tier
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
|
Tier 8
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Skills
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[Magic Learning lvl 3], [Glitter Magic lvl 2], [ Glitter Alchemy lvl 1], [Leadership lvl 1], [Mana Manipulation lvl 3], [Negotiation lvl 1], [Tutoring lvl 1]
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Stats
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|
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Strength[The amount of brute force one can use]
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7
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Endurance[The amount of time one can work continuously]
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10
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Flexibility[The range of movement of the body]
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11
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Precision[The accuracy of one¡¯s movements]
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14
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Perception[The ability to notice nuances and advanced concepts]
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15
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Intelligence[The ability to comprehend the advanced concepts]
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20
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Wisdom[The ability to effectively use the concepts]
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16
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Aura Force[The ability to force your will on your surroundings]
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20
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Combat[The speed of one¡¯s reactions, ability to process situations and other general combat abilities]
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12
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Huh, there were fewer skills than he thought he would have. And the stats were pitiful. Ray would have to work harder if he wanted to get more stats. Or just get better classes. But it was nice to see that the stats from the skills lost had not been lost permanently.
So, how should he give his stats? A hundred and four stats to give, and how many was it? 9 to give to. Strength, Endurance and Combat were obvious. Ten to each. The stats got allocated, rising to 17,20 and 22. The lowest of Rays stats were now among the highest.
Ray felt his perception change, the mana in the air felt more reactive, his muscles felt stronger. As a test, Ray stood up and tried to lift the pure metal chair with his finger. The process was easy. A bit too easy.
The area felt different too. Ray could get a measure of how much of a threat people were. Rena was the biggest. Norman and Aunty Ariana were blanks. But he could sense the rolling reddish-yellow mana of her, the same could not be said for Norman. The cat was still lounging on his head, showing no signs of ever having helped Ray. But Ray was sure, it was Norman who had helped him.
But he had other things to do, the sixty-one other stats, for instance. Intelligence would rise with [Magic Learning], so just five to that. And Perception needed some more, Ray was lacking. So thirteen to that. Wisdom was also rising naturally, just nine. Ray now had thirty-four left.
So ten to flexibility and precision¡left him with thirty-five stats and¡ System, status.
|
Name
|
Eritrae Rosenmund
|
|
Class
|
Glitter Mage
|
|
Element
|
Glitter (strengthened x3)
|
|
Parent/Guardian
|
Matilda Rosenwood (Human); Marchioness Ariana Salazar (Human)
|
|
Affiliation
|
Empire of Humanity
|
|
Species
|
High Fae
|
|
Titles
|
[The hope]
|
|
Mana
|
Tier 8 (12,496/24,400)
|
|
Age
|
15
|
|
Tier
|
Tier 8
|
|
Skills
|
[Magic Learning lvl 3], [Glitter Magic lvl 2], [Glitter Alchemy lvl 1], [Leadership lvl 1], [Mana Manipulation lvl 3], [Negotiation lvl 1], [Tutoring lvl 1]
|
|
Stats
|
|
|
Strength[The amount of brute force one can use]
|
17
|
|
Endurance[The amount of time one can work continuously]
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20
|
|
Flexibility[The range of movement of the body]
|
21
|
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Precision[The accuracy of one¡¯s movements]
|
24
|
|
Perception[The ability to notice nuances and advanced concepts]
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28
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Intelligence[The ability to comprehend the advanced concepts]
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25
|
|
Wisdom[The ability to effectively use the concepts]
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25
|
|
Aura Force[The ability to force your will on your surroundings]
|
20
|
|
Combat[The speed of one¡¯s reactions, ability to process situations and other general combat abilities]
|
22
|
Hmm, five to Aura Force, seven to strength and three to Flexibility. Yes, now they were all in the twenties in stats. Combat was looking lonely, and Ray was sure it would come in use¡the rest seven to it. And Ray might have a lot of new concepts coming lately...thirteen to Wisdom
And done. The stats were allocated. Ray felt the changes set in. The surroundings lit up, things were brighter, clearer. Ray felt queasy in his stomach as the changes increased. And then it came, like a tidal wave that he could not stop, Ra puked all over the floor before collapsing onto the chair. Perhaps allocating so many stats at once wasn¡¯t the best idea.
Ray came to staring at the face of the Armorer. Wait, what. Why was the Armorer here?
¡°Do not panic, little brother. Master just took note of your talent and took you in as a disciple. Oh, and he scammed his brother doing it. A win-win. Not to mention, your sister went ahead and did it again. A nice family you have, not hesitating to scam. And then there is the Scholar, do you know her?
Well, either way, she knows you. The news that you were cowardly attacked by the heir to the Order of Mage Warriors that had two Tiers on you and had a special shield has spread throughout the city. The Order once more stands humiliated.¡± the Armorer said.
The bakery business just took off. Now, could you please give your brother a chance there? I assure you that I am very good at doing business!¡± the Armorer asked
Ray desperately tried to process everything he was hearing, but he knew one thing for sure.
¡°No, don¡¯t try to scam me again,¡± he said.
¡°Or what?¡± the Armorer asked jokingly.
¡°Or I will get Aunty Ariana to scam you.¡± Ray threatened as the Armorer¡¯s face paled.
Chapter 38- A conversation with the Dean.
Matilda
¡°I need your help, Matilda.¡± Antasia said, taking a seat before her.
¡°The missing Satyrs?¡± Matilda asked. A few Satyr children had snuck into the city, and had gone missing. The Satyrs were beside themselves, an Elder had taken residence and was insisting on sending her people to the surface. At the same time the Xnarthan were pouring into the city.
¡°Yes, what do you know?¡± Antasia asked.
¡°Not much, sadly. The children teleported into the Merchants district, they were seen wearing extremely baggy clothes. A few hours later, they disappeared from everyone¡¯s eyes. I can confirm that the Xnarthan weren¡¯t involved, so you can rest assured there.
The entire contingent was away welcoming the Emperor¡¯s disciple. Oh, and congratulations on finally connecting with an Elder.¡± she said.
¡°Yes, yes. I know it''s a good thing, but it will only last if the children are found. At least the Xnarthan thing is good. But I do need your help on this, Matilda.¡± Antasia said.
¡°The kids¡¯ warehouse lab needs protection, and I am sure you could use their help. I could have Ray ask them to keep an eye out for them.¡± Matilda offered. ¡°I would also not rule out the Xnarthan, the Emperor¡¯s disciple arriving is too big a coincidence. An ambitious member could be outsourcing. The Order is getting money from somewhere, and the Xnarthan have a big budget.
I suspect some kind of underground slave ring.¡± Matilda suggested. ¡°Ray just became the College Dean¡¯s disciple, I could ask him to get some information on new materials.¡± Matilda said.
¡°The passage of information is rather fast isn¡¯t it? Anita found out about the attack within minutes. And here you are knowing information before me. Tell me, what have you been up to?¡± Antasia said.
¡°Oh, nothing much. The information thing was all Ariana, she is good with some things you know.¡± Matilda said.
¡°Ah, so she knows about you now.¡± Antasia said.
¡°Yes, she figured it out, and so did Ray. Not a very hard thing to do if you know me. The Xnarthan thankfully don¡¯t. The Scholar is a mysterious powerful woman, I am a weak Tier 3.¡± Matilda answered.
¡°I see that your deception skills have improved with time.¡± Antasia noted, leaning towards her.
¡°What high praise from the cripple daughter of a Duchess that was thrown out at the age of five but is secretly the Tier 29 Rebel Queen. Tell me, do you still have a doppelganger fool your mother?¡± the Scholar asked.
The Rebel Queen¡¯s face hardened as she said. ¡°Yes, and no, I will not forgive her. Just because she comes to see me does not mean that I care about her. And she has never approached me either.¡±
¡°Well, I am not going to debate keeping contact with one¡¯s parents. I don¡¯t exactly have a foot to stand on. But I do want that security. Do you suppose that you could assign a few Tier 10s?¡± Matilda replied.
¡°As long as you can ensure that in addition to you helping out they will also contribute to the search.¡± Antasia said.
¡°I can¡¯t ensure that, they are Ray¡¯s people.¡± Matilda said.
¡°I can¡¯t offer protection then. I have better things for them to do now. Perhaps tomorrow.¡± Antasia said.
Matilda sighed, she should have expected this. The Satyrs were breathing down Antasia¡¯s neck, she needed all the help she could get.
¡°Can I confirm with you later after talking with Ray?¡± Matilda asked.
¡°Perhaps, I will be busy for a while.¡± Antasia said as she got up and left. Matilda clutched a yellow communication stone in her hand. Well, here was to hoping Ariana had a solution.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Ray
¡°So, what does this mean, the entire disciple thing?¡± Ray asked.
¡°Well, for starters, it means you get to choose a new wand. Though I think we should wait a bit for that, this one is still working. The next is a long list of banned books and artifacts that will help you do Alchemy. The Empire may hate certain things, but Alchemy does not follow the Emperor''s instructions.
Here, these should help you level up your Alchemy skill a bit.¡± the Armorer handed Ray a list of things. ¡°And the Learning skill. I know you have both. Oh, and Master wants to see you so that you can raise your Mana manipulation and Magic bases. A lot of learning to do.¡± the Armorer said, as Ray was teleported into a chair. Ray was still trying to quieten the headache.
¡°Have a bit of tea, it helps with headaches.¡± the Dean¡¯s voice said. Ray obeyed, the headache had to go.
¡°So, what do you know about the general situation of the Empire at large?¡± the Dean asked, his voice calm.
¡°Not much, Ray answered, his headache fading quickly.
¡°Well, then I shall explain. The Commoners as you know, usually cap out at Tier 3. A few progress further, reaching as high as Tier 10. The Empire caps them at that level. The nobility average at Tier 13, the useless ones making up the majority. The mana from directly eating monsters is considered harmful to one¡¯s future progress, it''s why Alchemists are needed. The process costs a lot, and cuts off a third of the monster¡¯s mana.¡±
¡°Wait, how come I didn¡¯t see one of these potions in the library books?¡± Ray asked, now puzzled.
¡°The potions are usually taught in the fifth year onwards. Now, back to the topic. So these fools take monster parts directly, like your friend Corriss. I doubt he would have progressed past Tier 13, Tier 14 maybe. The Academy is around to encourage more Tier 15s. The Army is the one that produces Tier 13s en masse. At Tier 15, things change.¡± the Dean leaned forward as Ray listened with rapt attention.
¡°The quality of mana gets a significant boost for one. Elements mutate, change into something else. The new ones are often more powerful. And sometimes more restrictive. I can teleport, only teleport. But I can teleport far. A Tier 6 Space Mage could do a lot more, but they would fail at certain distances. I would not.
Ariana is a mystery, her fire seems to be too powerful, too unrestricted for me to make statements about. The Academy Dean, my brother, is another mystery. A Tier 24, but he hasn¡¯t publicly made a move since he reached Tier 15. The only thing he did was pass through the path of greats.
Oh, did you know your sister did that? An inspiration that one. I do find it admirable that she went so far to protect you. And I find it even more admirable that she made sure to scam my brother for every penny she could afterward. A pity she is my brother''s heir now, I would have taken her as a disciple otherwise.¡±
¡°Now onto more important matters,¡±- the Dean conjured a sheet of paper, the fancy kind of paper that Ray had only seen on certificates and the like. ¡°As of right now, you have officially graduated from the College, and are a full Mage.¡±
The Dean said, handing Ray the piece of paper, or rather putting it on a table, Ray was still eating.
¡°Why?¡± Ray asked, puzzled.
¡°Well, you don''t exactly have much to learn there. The professors are still going to be rude, and you have me to teach you now. Not to mention the books here. So you can go and take up a position as a teacher instead.¡±
¡°A fifteen year old teacher?¡¯¡± Ray asked
¡°Yes, so that you can teach commoners, you have a skill for that don¡¯t you? Well you will get one if you don¡¯t . I am sure of it. Oh , and do keep track of your titles, the System does not always tell you when you have one, and it can be very irritating if you get one and don¡¯t maximize its benefits¡±
Ray just stared at the dean for a few seconds, processing what had happened. A lot of things had changed in the space of a few minutes. ¡®System, titles please.¡¯ Ray thought.
|
Titles
|
[The hope], [The Dean¡¯s disciple], [College teacher]
|
¡°What do these even mean?¡± Ray asked.
¡°Well, you can ask the System that, the title¡¯s effects vary from person to person.¡± the Dean answered, still eerily calm.
¡®System, what do these titles mean?¡¯ Ray asked the System.
|
[The Dean¡¯s disciple]: The title gives you greater prestige in some forums, access to restricted areas and a lot of information. Not to mention the guidance of one very sly old man.
[College teacher]: As the youngest of College teachers, you get the most special of benefits, the ability to teach as you wish, since barely anyone will be coming to your class at all.
|
¡°Well, that was anticlimactic,¡±Ray said.
Well, that depends on what your expectations were.¡± the dean said. ¡°I do think these are fine titles, and I can¡¯t really offer better ones. The way you reacted makes me think that you have a better one. Now that¡¯s curious.¡±
Chapter 39- Ray on drugs
Ray
¡°Oh, don¡¯t look at me like that! I am not going to snatch it from you. I am pretty sure that it¡¯s not even possible to do so.¡± the Dean said.
Ray looked at him suspiciously, ¡°Why do this? The arrangement doesn¡¯t benefit you at all. And you¡¯re all about benefit.¡±
¡°What do you mean it doesn¡¯t benefit me? I get a good disciple like you!¡± the Dean said.
Ray wasn¡¯t buying that. ¡°What are you hiding?¡±
¡°Come on, I am not some evil mastermind! I get to do nice things sometimes too!¡± the Dean protested, his expression far too exaggerated for Ray to trust.
¡°No, but you¡¯re a selfish person that only acts in your self-interest.¡± Ray answered, folding his hands as he stared at the Dean.
¡°I am doing that! I get to be friends with you, the new genius! A Tier 8 at 15! A remarkable achievement!¡± the Dean said.
¡°No, you¡¯re still not speaking the truth.¡± Ray said, becoming more sure as the conversation progressed.
¡°Come on! What could I possibly want with you?¡± The Dean continued protesting.
¡°I remember you asking about the Scholar.¡± Ray stated.
¡°I admit, I am curious about her. And I would welcome any information you can give me.¡± the Dean said.
¡°So you admit it.¡± Ray sat, staring at him with his best ¡®not buying what you¡¯re selling¡¯ face.
¡°I do nothing of the sort! I am finally trying to do something good, and you¡¯re not helping at all!¡± the Dean said, acting wounded.
Ray still wasn¡¯t buying it. ¡°No, the more you protest, the more I feel like there is something you¡¯re hiding. What is the catch?¡±
The Dean sighed, reclining in his chair, ¡°I am going to use you to spy on the other side. The rebels are a bit more powerful than I expected. The Xnarthan are coming here to hunt them, but I do not expect them to succeed. I need to plan according to what happens, Ray. And you can be a useful source of information.¡±
Ray reclined on his chair, thinking. So the Dean did have a hidden agenda. But it wasn¡¯t the most disagreeable of hidden agendas. The Dean was offering an awful lot, too. Ray had to admit, he was tempted. The deal was practically a win-win too. The Dean had predictable goals, and was as neutral as a Human could be in Afrieal right now.
¡°Well, you have a deal. I will warn you if any major massacres happen.¡± Ray said.
The Dean seemed surprised, ¡°A wise decision! Come, let me see if I can get some potion recipe for you that might help. Tell me, do you have some specific thing you need help with?¡±
¡°Not really. I have my element strengthened thrice now. A new sub-element. And a lot of new stats. Perhaps some combat practice? I am rather lacking in physical combat.¡± Ray said.
The Dean looked at him with his eyes narrowed. ¡°Yes, though I am unsure about how effective any training would be. Perhaps a shield like the one Corriss had?¡±
¡°I thought that wasn¡¯t in the deal.¡± Ray stated.
¡°Yes, but you don¡¯t need a wand yet. A shield is much more urgent, yes?¡± the Dean said as the surroundings changed. The two of them were now in front of a grand door.
Ray did not see the harm. The Dean was right, the Elven song had served him well, and it wasn¡¯t breaking yet. A shield could do wonders for him.
¡°Ok.¡± he said, taking a deep breath as the doors opened. The Dean was, as usual, a bit too happy about the proceedings.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
The second Ray stepped in, his senses were once again overwhelmed. The scent of dust, of time, radiated off these artifacts. And they glowed. Purple, white, blue, just about every color Ray had seen, and some he had never seen before traveled the air here.
Ray¡¯s Fae sight told Ray that he was standing in the middle of a massive amount of wealth. The massive, grand room could be filled with mana coins, and it wouldn¡¯t come close to a thousandth of the value of these artifacts.
¡°As I suspected, you are a genius.¡± the Dean said. ¡°Tell me, what do you see? I do need to know how our perception works if I am to help you.¡±
Ray felt alarm at the question, but the Dean was right. And he was maybe a little drunk from all the mana in the air. ¡°A lot of money. A plethora of items so ancient that they reek time.¡± Ray took a deep breath, ¡°I can practically smell time in here.¡± Ray felt like cursing, whatever Fae inclination for truth he¡¯d gotten was striking at a very inconvenient time.
The Dean¡¯s face froze with his mouth open, staring at him open-mouthed. ¡°Yes, the artifacts are old. I haven¡¯t heard of anyone else smelling time off them before. Tell me, what else do you see?¡± the Dean asked.
¡°A lot of mana. So many colors¡¡± Ray said, drawling.
¡°Yes, colors, yes.¡± the Dean said, even Ray¡¯s addled mind could see that the Dean thought that he was overly affected by the mana. Ray was alright with him thinking that. ¡°Here, this should help with the ,ugh, colors.¡±
The Dean handed Ray a potion, that he gulped it down. The haze cleared, but neither the colors nor the scent went away. Ray¡¯s senses hadn¡¯t been altered at all.
¡°So, which of these do you want?¡± the Dean said, as Ray began to look around.
A variety of artifacts stood around. The swords were old and varied, but that was not what interested him. The shields did. A table full of various types of talisman, a few round shields and even more stood there.
¡°The shields are¡ over there. ¡° The Dean said, looking at Ray weirdly as he walked towards them.
The most populous were several bracelets, rings and so on that reeked brown mana. Dwarven artifacts. Ray felt an innate disgust for them, the artifacts smelled of¡ Earth. The deep depths where the sky did not reach. The smell of boiling magma reached him, making his shake his head in disgust.
¡°The Dwarven artifacts. The Dwarven magic, the way, is one of the closest to Human magic and is preferred- and you¡¯ve already moved on.¡± the Dean said, his frustration leaking through.
¡°Do you mind telling me what you are doing?¡± the Dean said. Ray nodded as he looked at the table, taking a deep breath as he did so. A necklace with a broken horn on it drew his attention.
¡°Ah, that is a good one. A very useful Space-type tool. The shield it forms is very hard to break, given that it makes a layer of space between you and your target. I don¡¯t know what species it is from, but clearly they were-¡± the Dean began his explanation.
¡°Satyrs.¡± Ray stated. The horn sounded to him of hooves running, space crumpling as they tried to escape. And the smell of blood. ¡°The horn is that of a Satyr, but the poor guy was probably killed for it to be made.¡± he said.
¡°I suppose that is possible.¡± the Dean said, tilting his head as he looked at the horn with an analytic gaze. ¡°Do you want it?¡±
The horn was good, but Ray might meet Satyrs in the future. And wearing that would be insulting to them.
¡°No,¡± he said as he moved on. The area was having strange effects on him. A vest stood out to him. And so did a necklace. The vest sounded of many hammers pounding on metal, a smell of hot air and dust. The necklace was green and sounded of rustling leaves. The smell of earth right after the rainfall emerged, making Ray take a deep breath.
Ray had no idea of the first one, but the second was clearly of Elven make. But there was something else. The smell of time had intensified as he had stepped here. And that meant there might be a place where it was more intense. Ray followed it, looking for what might be the source.
¡°I¡will just follow you as you look for something in this Treasury you are coming to for the first time but seem to know more than me about.¡± the Dean said as Ray walked. The smell led him to a more posh area. The artifacts were spaced more here. But the smell was coming from one particular one. A crown. A golden crown of leaves.
¡°I can¡¯t give you that. The crown doesn¡¯t really have much function as far as I can tell, but it has too much mana for anyone below Tier 18.¡± the Dean said.
But Ray was smelling something else, a sweet undertone that he hadn¡¯t detected before. A bit sickly sweet, a bit tangy. Ray turned around, heading to some empty space. A bit too empty in the treasury filled with things. Walking towards it, Ray shot out a bunch of violet glitter. The glitter disappeared, telling him he was right. And then a bunch of information appeared in his mind.
¡°A Fae illusion stone. The main defensive artifact for the Treasury, yes? I would be careful about this one if I were you, the artifact has been telling me things since I stepped in. And if an actual Fae were here, it would help them steal every single thing from this Treasury.
As it is, even someone with a high Mana affinity is enough to get some help from it.¡± Ray said to a shocked Dean. ¡°Now, how about we make a deal? I will tell you what I know about that crown, and you can give me both the necklace and the vest.¡±
Chapter 40- Wait, what?
¡°I have lived with not knowing what these items are for quite a long time.¡± the Dean said.
¡°The crown is a Fae heirloom.¡± Ray tempted.
¡°Ok, deal.¡± the Dean said, sighing.
¡°The crown is a Fae royal artifact,¡± Ray began, sensing at it. A hazy image formed before his eyes. ¡°The crown was worn by a Fae Prince¡¡±- Ray titled his head trying to sense at it-¡° A Tier 31 I think.¡±
¡°The main headpiece is missing. I can¡¯t get any information on it, but I think there should be a jewel or something in the middle. A symbol of which royal house it belonged to.¡± Ray turned to the Dean, ready to continue, but found him frozen in shock.
¡°Ar-are you sure? Tier 31?¡± the Dean asked, sounding frightened.
¡°Yes, why?¡± Ray asked, now confused.
¡°Ray, no Human has ever crossed Tier 30. The Tier is another big barrier, like Tier 15. The Emperor is Tier 30 only.¡± the Dean stated.
¡°Did he die at least?¡± the Dean asked.
Ray was about to answer yes, but then stopped as something else came. Not from the stone this time. But from the crown.
¡°No¡¡± Ray said, tilting his head towards the crown. ¡°The crown is sending me an image.¡±
¡°The crown can think?¡± the Dean said, sounding alarmed.
¡°No, it¡¯s more of an instinctive reaction. The crown is responding to me, trying to sense things from it. The event is important to it.¡± Ray said, as an image appeared to him, accompanied by a lot of emotion.
¡°The Prince left the crown here. I get the feeling that there was a battle and the crown was broken. And so was someone else. Or something. Perhaps a brother crown?¡± Ray guessed.
¡°Did you excavate some battleground for this?¡± Ray asked.
¡°Ye-yes. The stone is from there too.¡± the Dean said, clicking on something. A pillar appeared, a stone shining in there.
¡°Ca-can you do something about the stone. I can¡¯t switch it off.¡± the Dean requested.
Ray nodded as he walked towards it with the crown. The stone was fixed in place, but the surrounding metal was just normal stuff. ¡°Can you teleport the metal on top of it out?¡± Ray asked.
The Dean compiled, leaving the stone free. Ray lifted it up and balanced it on the crown instead. The stone began glowing gold as golden mana swept the Treasury. The sensations decreased, but Ray still felt that something was missing. Looking around, he found a silver leaf.
¡°The leaf of the Elven dancing Tree.¡± the Dean said, as Ray picked it up. Ray put it where the main piece would have been on the crown. Silver mana joined the showcase as Ray felt the sensation tamp down to a murmur.
And then the artifacts began working together. Gold merged with silver and then with the pink of the stone. The sensations stopped. A lock seemed to appear as the Dean looked around in surprise.
¡°The space is locked. I can teleport, but I get the feeling that these three are letting me. Can you still get information?¡± the Dean asked.
Ray sensed out. ¡°Yes, though I have to ask for it. The stone sends a bit of pink mana with information.¡±
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
The Dean turned to Ray. ¡°So, you can see mana. The legendary level.¡± The Dean¡¯s eyes were sparkling as he said.
¡°Oh, we¡¯re going to have so much fun!¡± he said, smiling widely.
Ray suddenly felt nervous, ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.
¡°Alchemy is very dependent on perception, though I am sure you knew that. To discover new recipes requires a lot of tests about what the ingredients are about mana-wise. And then there is so much effort to find out if they react well, how they react and all of that. But you, you can see that. And that is just¡¡± the Dean¡¯s eyes were practically sparkling as he said it.
¡°Come on, disciple, we have much to do! Oh, and thank you for the help with the stone. Just tell me what you want for it later.¡± the Dean said, walking out.
Ray wondered if he hadn¡¯t just found the Dean¡¯s second love: Alchemy.
Academy Dean
Rassi sighed as he looked at the skyline of Afrieal. The white city, they called it. The Elves were fantastic builders, at least as far as aesthetics were concerned. The original city only extended up to where the Noble¡¯s district ended, but it was beautiful. A pity that they had to add so many buildings to fit in more people. The city had changed a lot over the last century, but some things still remained the same.
The stars still shined in the sky, Archduke Lorenthal was still irritating to talk to, and his brother still hated him. Rassi wondered if there would be a day that he would forgive him. A person had to let go sometime. But he feared that the idiom wouldn¡¯t hold for them. What Rassi had done was too big. A mistake that had completely crushed his brother¡¯s world.
A hundred years ago, when they were still young. Rassi was the Tier 15 heir to the Academy, and Ronne the Tier 14 rogue Alchemist. Rassi was the overachiever, the one that had reached the heights that millions wished for. But no matter what he did, he just couldn¡¯t measure up to his brother. Not in his Mother¡¯s eyes. Or, at least, he thought so.
Ronne was his Mother''s prodigy, the heir to her Alchemic skills. Skills Rassi could never hope to inherit. Alchemy just wasn¡¯t his strong suit. Ronne though, he was a genius. So brilliant that every Alchemist that he came across wanted to take him in as a disciple. But Ronne refused. To him, no one could compare to their Tier 11 mother.
The two of them grew, Rassi passed the path of greats, Ronne remained the same. But their mother didn¡¯t. Mother was, in the end, just a Tier 11. At the age of 130, old age finally caught on to her. A few memories here and there at first, but soon it became full-blown dementia. And then the calls began. Rassi had set up a special crystal for her to call if she was in crisis. But she kept calling it.
The day was Rassi¡¯s Tier 15 celebration. The day he had been working so hard for. The final license had taken him a whole decade of work to get, but he¡¯d finally reached Tier 15. A rank Ronne was unlikely to reach, given that he had no intention of working so hard. And then it happened.
A call just as he was about to give his speech. Rassi decided to let it be. What were the chances that this was the one important call? As it turned out, higher than he thought. A jealous rival had decided to take things into his own hands. To threaten his Mother so that he would be embarrassed during his celebration.
But it didn¡¯t work, Rassi never answered the call. Ronne on the other hand, had to see their mother get murdered while he could do nothing. The attacker was only Tier 13, but Ronne was a non-combatant. Spacial magic was very good for Alchemy, but his version was too weak to harm a person that had nearly made it through the path of greats.
Mother was already dead when Rassi arrived, Ronne crying over her corpse.
Ronne had turned to him, his eyes filled with hatred, the words were still stuck inside his head, his enhanced memory forcing him to remember.
¡°Mother would have answered, you know. In the shower, in the middle of making a potion, no matter where she was, she would have answered your call. But you, no, you never loved her as much as she loved you. No, you wanted other things. The Mage Academy, the power, the money! And look where that led us! Mother wanted to meet you, you know.
The end was coming, she said. But you had more important things to do. So she let it be. And now, she¡¯s dead. I am sure you¡¯re happy. Now you no longer have to be the son of the dying old Tier 11. Just the fancy heir to the Academy¡¡± The voice always distorted after that in Rassi¡¯s memory, but the words were burned into his head.
And so was what happened next. Ronne found his hand out, the power of a Tier 15 appearing, and he flung Rassi right into space with the parting words, ¡°I will make sure that I am more powerful than you, and richer than you our entire life. And I will do it without your silly Academy¡¯s help.¡±
Ronne had proved himself a man of his word, though Rassi didn¡¯t know that then. What he knew was that he was desperately trying to breathe in space as his mana flowed out of his body, his magic no longer working after leaving the atmosphere.
And then his room joined him, along with the person that had killed their mother.
Chapter 41- What did you just say?
Rassi
Ronne eventually did teleport him back, but the five minutes he spent there were the worst he had ever spent. And that was saying something considering the things he¡¯s had to do in the years before.
The memory changed his world. Ronne was wrong about one thing. Rassi did love their mother, and that was why he had worked so hard to make sure it never happened again. The reason the situation even came around was that he¡¯d taken things from those in power.
A son whose only claim to nobility was a Tier 11 Alchemist had no right to be the Academy¡¯s heir. And that was why his Mother had died. Rassi had seen it happen whenever someone rose higher than they were meant to.
The fact was hard to accept, but the world only worked one way. Rassi had tried, again and again, but not once had he succeeded. A dozen disciples, but only one was still alive. The last he¡¯d heard of her, she had returned to the Human continent.
But he¡¯d delayed enough, he was reminiscing here for a reason, and it wasn¡¯t to feel pain. Rassi picked up the crystal and sent mana into it. A few seconds later, Ronne¡¯s face appeared, smiling widely.
¡°What is- oh, it¡¯s you,¡± Ronne said, his smile disappearing on seeing Rassi¡¯s face. ¡°What do you want, Rassi?¡±
Rassi sighed, this was what their conversations were now, short, painful events. But at least they were talking.
¡°Anita wants a sword.¡± Rassi said, sure that Ronne already knew. The information had spread throughout Afrieal at the speed of lightning thanks to this Scholar person.
¡°Yes, I take it you¡¯re calling in a favor?¡± Ronne asked, his tone abrupt.
¡°Yes, when can I come over?¡± Rassi asked, sighing. Just one more left.
¡°Tell Anita that she can come tomorrow with her brother. As for you, brother, you can stay away. I don¡¯t want to see your face unless I have to.¡± Ronne said, switching off the communicator. At least he had one more favor left.
Rassi turned around, heading back into his office, clutching his staff in his hand. The adornments stood out to him. A pair of mana holders in case he found himself in space again, a few treasures in case of trouble, and a communication blocker. Just in case, he got a chance at the good Duke. Ronne wasn¡¯t the only one that could keep a grudge after all.
A knock on the door brought his attention back to the present.
¡°What is it?¡± he asked.
¡°The Emperor¡¯s disciple is here, Dean. And, uh, he¡¯s a bit angry that you didn¡¯t visit him.¡± his secretary said.
Rassi groaned, the Emperor''s disciples were the worst. The entire lot of them thought they were geniuses that were going to shape the future of the Empire. The truth was that they were likely going to be decent powerhouses, nothing to scoff at, but as the Order¡¯s head had shown, not exactly at the peak of the world. The barrier of Tier 21 wasn¡¯t exactly easy to cross.
But whatever, Rassi had a very well felicitated noble brat to talk with. And he was even angry that he, the Dean of the Mage Academy, hadn''t rushed to meet him!
Ray
¡°So, what do you think?¡± the Dean asked. After hurrying Ray along to the lab, he¡¯d abruptly left to deal with a ringing crystal. But he¡¯d left Ray with a question. The answer hadn¡¯t changed since he came back.
¡°I still don¡¯t think that it''s a good idea.¡± Ray answered.
¡°But I already measured the properties, they are very compatible.¡± the Dean said.
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¡°Yes, a bit too compatible. The two of them seem like they won¡¯t even react with each other, I suggest adding a supportive herb.¡± Ray answered.
The Dean observed him carefully, looking at him like he was an animal in a zoo. ¡°Did that fool finally go blind?¡±
¡°What?¡± Ray exclaimed, now thoroughly confused, that was not the sentence he expected.
¡°I am talking about that idiotic Master of your sister¡¯s. I knew that he was a stickler for rules, but how exactly did he think letting you go was a good idea? Well, his loss is my gain. Yes, you are correct. The two of them are too compatible. I lost three sets before I figured that out. So, what herb would you suggest?¡± the dean asked.
¡°Umm¡¡± Ray scratched his head, trying to think of the best way to break it to the Dean that he had a very limited idea of herbs at that level. The two herbs sitting on the table were both Tier 21 herbs, or at least that''s what Ray thought.
The experience in the Treasury had given him a deeper insight on how to use his Fae sight, but he still had a hard time detecting how much mana a thing had.
The herbs though looked like they had over a hundred million mana to his eyes, thus Tier 21.
¡°Retreldus?¡¯ Ray said, quoting the only supportive herb he knew of that level.
¡°Why, you disappoint me, Ray. Retreldus is a Fire herb, and these two are Shadow. Though the herb can indeed react them, the end result would be a potion at most Tier 20. I want a better one.¡± the Dean said, sounding more excited than disappointed.
¡°I, uh, only know that herb at that level¡¡± Ray said.
¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to cure that deficit.¡± the Dean said, his excitement palpable. ¡°And then you can tell me what herbs I need.¡±
¡°And what do I get from this?¡± Ray asked, folding his arms.
¡°A lot of mana, what else. Can you imagine how much your [Alchemy] skill will rise on assisting on potions at this level?¡± the Dean tempted.
¡°And then cap out. I don¡¯t see it as worth my time.¡± Ray stated, a smile dancing across his lips. The Dean, surprisingly, had a frown on his lips.
¡°Ray, I know we have the mutually scamming each other thing going on, but I do hope you¡¯ll keep it out of this lab. The knowledge you gain from literally inventing new recipes with me is not something that can be replicated easily.
The only other places conducting experiments of this level are the Capital¡¯s Mage Academy and the Xnarthan. I doubt you can get into either of those.¡± the Dean answered.
Ray''s eyes narrowed as he considered what the Dean had said. In a way he was right, if the relationship remained a simple matter of give and take then it would not only be tedious for both of them, but likely end up with him at a loss. Ray had only so much to give, the Dean on the other hand¡
¡°Ok, sure. But how exactly does learning all of this help me?¡± Ray asked.
"Well, for one, you''ll get to see some extremely advanced techniques in action. Not to mention the mana manipulation exercise, access to the herbs and of course the recipes here. I have a rather extensive collection of recipes. On that note, I have an offer for you, but we can discuss that after you''ve learned the ingredients. ¡° The Dean said.
¡°The offer is practically bait.¡± Ray stated, his eyes narrowing. Was the Dean already stepping back on his own words?
¡°Oh, nothing of the sort. I just fear that you will want to leave immediately after I give my offer. Now go, the sooner you finish, the sooner we can move on to other things. " The Dean answered.
Ray reluctantly moved to the library and looked at the book lying on the recliner chair. The herbs of humanity: Tier 21-30. The treatise was actually quite thin, but that could be easily explained by the rarity of such herbs.
Ray sat down to read. The book was easy to memorize. Perhaps it was the Fae transformation or the same stat increase, but Ray could now memorize things with just a few glances at the page. The page just got stuck in his head. An hour later, he was done.
Ray ventured out to see the Dean staring at several herbs.
"I think Midday Night is the only option for the potion. " Ray stated.
"Yes, but the herb only grows on the side of the Elven continent still controlled by Elves. So we will have to keep searching. But I see that you have done what I ask. Come, sit, this talk will take a while. " The Dean said, teleporting two chairs facing each other.
Ray took a seat, waiting for the Dean to make this offer of his.
"I want two things, I want you to make me a list of what the Fae illusion stone tells you about each of my artifacts, and I want you to arrange for a meeting with the Scholar.¡± the Dean stated.
Ray frowned, those were big asks. ¡°And what do I get in return?¡±
¡°Well, how about a potion that increases your chances of getting a more combat-focused element?¡± the Dean asked.
Chapter 42- The Dean is doing things again.
Ray
"What do you mean?" Ray asked.
"The recipe is something I discovered years ago. The Emperor teleported to me minutes after I registered it. The potion was sealed as a banned recipe, but really it''s been used by the Emperor to boost his most loyal followers all this time.
Now you and your little rebellion can have it. The recipe is Tier 15, so you''ll need someone at that Tier to make it, but if the rebellion is even half as powerful as I think it is, then it should be a walk in the park for you." the Dean said.
Ray just stared at him, shocked. The offer was, indeed, unexpected. But not exactly unwelcome. Was he surprised that the Emperor had reserved some special thing to help keep ahead? Not really. In fact, he¡¯d expected things like this to exist.
What did surprise him was that the Dean was offering it to him? But he wasn''t about to doubt this one. The potion was too valuable.
"I cannot arrange a meeting with the Scholar for you." Ray said, it was true. Ma meeting the dean was just too dangerous. Ray had seen the Treasury, what were the chances that something in there could help the Dean identify her? In Ray¡¯s opinion, too high to risk it. Why did he want to see her anyway?
"Well, can you at least help me ask her a question? I do need help with a matter.¡± the Dean said. "But if you cannot, then it is alright, the Treasury thing will be enough for me."
Now Ray was suspicious. The money-grubbing Dean taking a step back? Ha! The offer was far too suspicious now.
"What do you want?" Ray asked.
"What do you mean? I just told you what I want." the Dean asked, acting confused.
"No, you could have given anything else for the Treasury thing. I would have taken it too, you know that, I know that, so what is up? The recipe is a bit much." Ray asked.
The Dean took a deep breath, "I see that you still don''t trust me. A pity. As for the rest, the recipe isn''t as good as you think. The materials are rare, not so rare that the Emperor will notice if someone starts buying them, but they aren''t things you can just buy off the local market." the Dean said.
"And yet the question remains. The value may now be in doubt, but you could have easily given anything else. A sword from the treasury. A few books from that library. But no, you gave the recipe. And even with the rare ingredients, the recipe is extremely precious. " Ray noted.
"And you''re underestimating the value of what you are giving. The artifacts have been mysteries to me for decades, unusable despite their power. And you are the only person that can do it for me. Not to mention your help in the Treasury.
I felt that it earned some help from my side." the Dean said. Wait, what? The Dean had a gentle side? No, there had to be something up. And hadn¡¯t the Dean acted like knowing what the artifacts were unimportant to him?
"Why the recipe?" Ray insisted.
"I wanted to be sure that you would accept my proposal, and you overestimate its value. The potion would be more valuable if it could be mass-produced, but as it is, it''s a valuable commodity to make sure overprivileged children remain overprivileged. And I wanted to extend, what did the old ones call it, an olive branch." the Dean said.
Ray had to grudgingly accept that if the Dean wanted to make friends, giving this was a good way to go about it.
"The fact that you are giving me a recipe the Emperor reserved is more suspicious to me than its value. But I will see what I can do about the Scholar. Perhaps you could give me the question you wanted to ask?" Ray asked.
The Dean looked at Ray hesitantly, "Perhaps later, I have work to do now. Here, your vest and necklace. I hope you know that the necklace is one mana-intensive artifact, you won''t be able to support it with your current mana."
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Ray took them, the vest awkward in his hands. "Yes, it''s, uh, not for me. And I will have to get back to you on the deal after talking with people. I have to see how useful it is.to us."
"Well, your sister is coming in the evening to choose her sword. I was going to give her something from the College Armory, but if you want, I could instead give her something from the Treasury here, as long as you can choose it.
Though I expect you''ll have to codify the swords while you are at it." the Dean said. A leopard beast didn''t change its stripes after all, but the offer was, once again, suspiciously generous.
"I actually have something in my mind." Ray answered. The swords had only held his attention for a short while, but one had still been in his mind. After all, it was misfiled. The sword was some kind of hidden weapon.
On the surface, it was a normal Tier 13 weapon, but below the surface...Ray had heard the sounds of thunder, dust storms, and screams. The sword had something to do with calamities, Ray was sure of it.
"Oh?" the Dean asked, now curious. "I don''t suppose you could show me?" the Dean said, teleporting them back into the treasury. Ray felt the Fae illusion stone connect with him once more, but this time it was something he could detect. And it gave him another curious piece of information.
"The stone, it hides this place from the Emperor, doesn''t it?" Ray asked.
"Yes, the Empire thinks my treasures are all in the Armory in the College. I like it that way, there is just too much of a chance of the Emperor wanting the things stored here. Not to mention that the Xnarthan frown on foreign artifacts." the Dean said. "A Tier 30 artifact like the stone works well to shield it. Now, what sword is it that interested you."
Ray turned to the wall, his eyes glowing red, silver and pink as he absorbed information. The sword shown bright. But Ray had been wrong, the sword was not about calamity, it was about what you used a calamity for. The sword spoke of things after, of things coming. And it brought a smile to his face. Anita was going to love it. Ray picked it off the wall, giving it to the Dean.
"Could you give this to Anita?" Ray asked.
"What is it?" the Dean asked, sounding curious.
"A sword that brings about a new beginning." Ray said, smiling at the memory it brought. "A new beginning. Now hope."
SC
Anita
Anita was excited, good swords were hard to come by. And swords as rare as the ones the College Dean had? Well, she hadn''t expected to get one for decades. The College Dean led her to the Armory, the main Armory of the Alchemic College. A place of wonders. The largest and best collection of Human-made artifacts on this continent. Anita was very excited.
The door opened to reveal a plethora of weapons. The racks were filled with them. The room smelled of them. And right there, in front of Anita, they stood. A multitude of swords. Just which should she choose? The brown one that curved unexpectedly? The green one that looked like it had been dipped in goblin blood? Or maybe the super-thin silver one! Anita couldn''t choose. The mana in the air, the smell of new swords...ooh! Anita could spend days here.
"Do you like what you see?" the Dean asked.
"Yes! Do you have any suggestions? The green one? Or the silver one?" Anita asked, barely able to keep her excitement.
"Not really no, but your brother did." the Dean said, removing a sword from his spacial tool.
Anita took the sword, looking at it. The sword didn''t feel special on the first try, but Anita had a hunch. A trickle of her mana seeped into the sword as it lit up. The sword was simple-looking, unadorned except for a wavy curve that ran up the blade.
Anita''s mana traveled up the wave and as it did so, it told her what the sword was all about. A thunderstorm rushed the countryside, wreaking havoc across the plain. And leaving behind farmlands with renewed fertility.
A flood seeped into a town, destroying livelihoods. But it also washed away the grime and dirt that was causing a virulent disease. A dust storm destroyed a monster in the making, a landslide cleared a road.
The message was clear. And so was why Ray had given her the sword. The idiot had remembered. A sword that brought hope, but not the gentle kind of hope. No, that was Ray''s hope. Anita had a different hope. The forceful kind. The conversation they¡¯d had that day¡ Anita had thought he¡¯d forgotten it. But he hadn¡¯t, not at all.
The sword agreed with her.
"Now hope!" she yelled, laughing as she pointed the sword at air, mimicking the pose she¡¯d demonstrated to Ray back when they were still twelve-year olds wondering what they would be in life. And her mana reached the tip as she did so.
|
The sword, Now hope, has bonded with you. + 100,000 mana. The sword will grow along with you, and bring great rewards as it does so. But be warned, the loss shall be great should it fall.
|
But Anita was too far gone to care. Was there such a thing as love at first sight with a sword? Well, if there was, Anita just had it.
Chapter 43- The world is...
Ray
Ray contemplated the future as he walked home. The dean''s offer was something else. Ray did not have any deep relations with the rebellion, but if he gave this potion recipe to them, there would be.
In fact, he would be surprised if he did not become an honored member after he gave it. But it came with its own considerations. Did Ray want to part of a rebellion? The rebellion would presumably be under attack now that the Xnarthan were pouring into the city. But at the same time, this was a good time to join the rebellion.
The rebellion was sure to be grateful to someone that came to their aid in their time of need. But the decision was not his alone, Marcus and the others lives would also be affected by this situation. So, Ray could not, in good conscience, take the decision alone. The prudent decision would be to take a detour to the warehouse after going home. Marcus and the others needed to be clued into what was going on.
Ray stepped into the bakery, surprised to find it mostly empty. The bakery was rarely empty these days. Did something happen? The things Ray knew of would not have any effect on these things. Ma stepped onto the stairs soon, clearly she had seen him coming. Or one of her new powers was detection.
"I have something to share. A little request." Ma said.
"I have news too, "Ray replied, going up the stairs. The conversation was too sensitive for a public bakery.
"Antasia, the Rebel Queen that is, wants you to conduct searches for a group of Satyr children that got lost in the city. " Ma said. Now that was a shock. A bunch of Satyr chidren got lost in the city? Ray could see why the Rebel Queen wanted to find them, but it begged the question: What exactly were a bunch of Satyr children doing in the city?
"Ma, why we''re there Satyr children in the city? Is that not like asking to be caught? " Ray asked.
Ma sighed, "Yes, you are right. The Satyr children should not have been there. As far as Antasia can tell, there was a mishap in the Satyr portal system and the kids exploited it to have some fun. Antasia would be very grateful if you and your people could help with this. The Xnarthan are your enemy too... "Ma said.
Ray sighed, things were getting more complicated as time went by. "I have news of my own. I got you a new necklace for one. " Ray said, handing Ma the emerald necklace.
"Ugh, it''s nice to look at? But a bit random, did the Dean scam you again? " Ma asked.
"Not quite, I got this vest. " - Ray hoisted his bag that contained the vest-" And this necklace after I did a service for him. "
"But that''s not the only thing. The Dean wants me to do it again, many times in fact. And he''s willing to give a few very good rewards for it. " Ray said.
"And what exactly is this service?" Ma asked, her eyes narrowing.
"The Dean wants me to document the artifacts in his treasury. The Fae stone there has been collecting information that he needs to know what they''re about. But I am the only one that can access it... cause I am Fae. " Ray said. " Though it might be the high mana affinity too. I can now see mana somehow... it¡¯s hard to tell."
"Did you say, see mana? As in, mana is a physical, visible component to you? " Ma asked.
"I wouldn''t call it physical, though it is certainly visible. " Ray said.
"What a curious thing. I wonder what prompted it. " Ma said, the Scholar seeping out.
"Norman,¡± Ray said. ¡°Norman is behind it, as far as I can tell. ¡°
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"Norman? Now, that is even more curious. But enough of that, I hear something about rewards? " Ma said.
"Yes, the Dean has offered to give me the recipe for a potion that increases the likelihood of a child having a combat capable element. " Ray answered.
Ma'' eyes widened in shock at the statement. " The potion... it would change the way society works if it''s publicized. The Emperor must have a monopoly on it. "
"Yes, but the Dean said that the potion used some rare materials and can''t be mass-produced. " Ray answered.
"Yes, that would be a worry, but even then... I think this is a very good deal. Though at the same time it comes at the risk of breaking your cover, which I don''t feel we should risk for any amount of money. What Tier is it? " Ma asked.
"Tier 15. The Dean also asked that I arrange a meeting with the Scholar, though that is apparently optional. " Ray said.
"The Dean is acting very strange in all this. Is there something else that I am still unaware of?" Ma asked.
"The Dean also wants me to be his lab assistant. The fact that I can see mana is apparently very helpful to him." Ray answered.
Ma''s eyes widened as she realized something. "The research. I forgot that he was one of the leading figures in inventing new recipes. The fact that you can see and predict the effects of mana could save him hundreds of thousands of mana coins, not to mention the time saved...yes, I see now. The Dean wants you to stay. The task, it will take long, yes?" Ma asked.
"Yes, it would take weeks easily. Though I I''ll try to speed it up somehow. Perhaps I could use telepathy or one of the artifacts to quickly note down the information I get?" Ray asked.
"Yes, as it may be, it would force you to be there for a long while. The dean would benefit from that, of course. The deal sounds better now." Ma said. Ray had to agree, the Dean getting some extra benefit. But he had to wonder, what was stopping him from just leaving. The Dean''s power of teleportation, he supposed.
But it still left the question of why the dean didn''t just force him. Aunty Ariana? Or did the Dean secretly have a conscience? Had the Dean ever actually been cruel? Hmm, the high charges for the lab building were done by the professor that the Dean quickly dropped.
And the understudent thing was also not too unfair. The price for paid students was also doable for the rich brats that usually enrolled. What was up with this Dean... Ray had to wonder. Was he just greedy, a normal noble, or something else entirely? But he could wonder later, now he had to go talk to Marcus and the rest.
"What do the rebellion offer for helping them in the search?" Ray asked.
"A few guards, with the Xnarthan coming in, you''ll need them. " Ma said. "Ariana is providing a few though. So it''s not urgent. I can ask for something else if you like."
"I will have to talk to Marcus and the rest first." Ray said, heading down the stairs.
"Are you going to take the vest with you?" Ma asked, coughed.
"Oh." Ray said. "No, ugh, could you keep it?"
"Yes. And thank you, for the necklace." Ma said, awkwardly.
"Yeah...just send mana into it, the thing should work naturally. '''' Ray answered, going down. The conversation was as awkward as it had been since he''d found out Ma was the Scholar. The two of them had other things to do...other responsibilities. And sometimes they even took them in different directions.
Ray exited the bakery and headed towards the warehouse. The roads were the same as usual, dirty, and noisy. But there was a palpable feeling of fear in the air. The Xnarthan were in town. Not out and about yet, as far as Ray knew, but it had already spread throughout the city. The reason they were here was clear.
The rebellion had been making moves. The Emperor did not like that. And that meant that the Xnarthan would be coming to the Commoner''s district, the most rebellious part of the city. Ray sighed as he entered the warehouse. The sanitation mechanism working as he was cleared to pass.
The warehouse had changed much over the past few weeks. The building had been painted white, and looked like a real lab building, at least on the inside. A bunch of cubicles occupied the first floor, each an independent lab.
But Ray was not here for the labs. The meeting point would be on the second floor, the cafeteria to be specific. Ray would just have to wait for people to come around after that. The cafeteria was packed today, a good and bad thing. The good was that Ray could get Marcus easily, the bad was that it made it a terrible place to hold meetings.
The people here were trustworthy, but whether they were trustworthy enough that Ray could share information like the recipe with them was in doubt. The existence of the recipe was top secret, it becoming public would not be a good thing. At all. Ray beelined for Marcus, who was busy eating some kind of folded thing.
But that was not what caught his attention. What caught his attention was the people he was talking with. Torrin and the Shadow Princes. Did he die on the way in? Just what was the world coming to?
Chapter 44- A noble enters a warehouse full of poor alchemists.
Ray
Ray moved towards them, trying to overhear what they were talking about. "Do you know when Ray will be back? I have been waiting for hours." Torrin asked.
"No, but you can have some food if you want." Marcus answered, holding out one of those folded things. What was it called again?
"I thought this was a celebration in honor of a successful hunt. Ray should be here." Torrin stated.
"Yes, he should. But we don''t exactly get to choose when nobles whisk us off, do we?" Marcus quipped back.
Torrin turned to look at the Shadow Princess, his face pleading for help. "Oh, don''t look at me. I am just enjoying this...what is this again?" the Shadow Princess asked, turning to Marcus.
"Pesta. Ferrin''s Mother is from the Human continent. The dish is apparently very old." Marcus said, informatively. Torrin sighed in frustration as he said. "The dish was brought to the continent by our ancestors. So was that Teco that you are eating. Do you have some respect, you are eating something as old as our language." Torrin said.
"Oh, excuse me. I just thought I was eating food. Now, I hear I am eating food as old as Ingdish. What interesting facts you learn in such noble company." the Shadow Princess said, putting her sarcastic skills on show.
"The lot of you should have learned a lot then. After all, Ray is the Marchioness'' son. Not to mention, the College is full of nobles." Torrin said.
Marcus laughed, almost choking on his Teco. "Come on, even you can''t be that dumb. Ray isn''t a noble, adopted children cannot be heirs. The land would revert to the Empire after death, not pass on to the adopted son. Not fair if you ask me, but then, what is?"
"What do you want, Torrin?" Ray asked, stepping out.
Torrin turned to him in surprise. "Ray? Wait, how long have you been here?"
"What do you want?" Ray repeated. "Does the Order of Mage-Warriors have some message for me?" Ray asked, remembering that Torrin was a part of that organization. Torrin actually looked embarrassed at the question.
The people around him turned hostile, turning toward him with raised eyebrows.
"And here I thought you were working for the Marchioness." Marcus said, his tone sharp and accusatory.
Torrin looked sheepish as he said, "I was, ugh, kicked out of the Mage-Warrior''s Order. The Marchioness took me in."
"Oh? What did you do to make them kick you out?" the Shadow Princess asked, her curiosity apparent.
"I don''t really know, but as far as I can tell, it was trying to kill a beast in the hunt. Corriss took it before I could make the kill." Torrin answered, looking even more embarrassed than before.
The Shadow Princess began laughing, almost spilling her Pesta. "Oh, this is fun. So you got kicked out cause you tried to kill something on a hunt? And the noble brat stole it from you in the end? I am almost sorry that Ray killed him. The guy could have brought down the Order all by himself."
Marcus coughed awkwardly, "Please, miss, it is best that such things not be talked about."
"Yes, some people have a tendency to get into places where they don''t exactly fit." the Shadow Princess said, looking at Torrin pointedly.
"Aunty Ariana took you in?" Ray asked, more interested in that than the barbs Marcus was making.
"Yes, she, ugh, approached me during the hunt." Torrin said.
"I see. And why exactly are you here?''" Ray asked.
"Yes, she told me to help guard the warehouse. I just reached Tier 7." Torrin said, extending his neck like a peacock.
"Oh. I am already in Tier 8. I would''ve expected you to have more, if I am honest. After all, you are a noble. But whatever. Are you sure you can guard here? After all, this is a place run by filthy commoners." Ray said.
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"I don''t really have any problem with commoners, you know..." Torrin said.
"I thought that once, too. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I have other people to talk to." Ray answered. The matter would have to be taken up with Aunty Ariana, it would be a bit bratty of him to ask her for help and then demand to have a say in who helped. Ray was also pretty sure that if Aunty Ariana was sending Torrin here, there was a good reason for it.
"Why are you here?" Ray asked the Shadow Princess. "Have you moved on to Pesta from cookies? The bakery doesn''t provide that, you know. So you''ll have to hash out a deal with someone else for it."
The Shadow Princess almost choked on her Pesta again, rapidly trying to swallow it. "Wha-at do you mean? I am just enjoying some nice food. What are you thinking up in your head?" the Shadow Princess said, moving her head towards the noble standing to the side.
Ray sighed as he turned towards Torrin, "Torrin, could you please leave us for a moment?" he asked.
"Yeah, sure." Torrin replied, looking around awkwardly as he left.
"So...what do you want?" Ray asked, exasperated by the distractions.
"Is there somewhere private we can talk? Perhaps with a few people from your-"the Shadow Princess looked around at the packed room- "friends?"
"Yeah sure, one of the labs should be empty." Ray said, turning to Marcus.
"I will call Rena over and meet you in Lab 3-17." Marcus said, wading into the crowd.
Ray led the Shadow Princess to the lab. The naming scheme was simple, 3-17 meant the seventeenth lab on the third floor. The ab was, as expected, empty.
Marcus arrived with Rena a few moments later, though the latter looked a little tipsy. Ray sighed as he turned around ,levitating a few ingredients. The party essential was a popular potion for a reason.
The potion making barely took a minute. Ray added the ingredients, manipulated the mana into place, and then the potion was ready. The Dean was right, seeing, mana was very useful when doing Alchemy.
"Here." Ray handed Rena the potion. Rena gulped it down, staring at Ray the entire time. "So, you''re faster. Did you drink a super Alchemist potion or something? Did the dean have some secrets?" Rena asked.
"Not quite, but close." Ray answered, turning to the Shadow Princess. "So, Shadow Princess of the rebellion, daughter of the Rebel Queen, what is it that your Mother wants?"
Rena and Marcus immediately turned to stare at her. "Well, what do you think of other species..." the Shadow Princess began, making Ray facepalm No, that wasn¡¯t how you broached the subject. Ray was a social imbecile, but even he knew to use something like: ''Elven food is delicious'' to test things out.
Rena raised her eyebrow, turning to Ray. "Is she serious?"
"What do you mean?" Ray asked, not quite understanding why her seriousness was in question. Rena had the habit of expecting him to pick up on symbols that he just couldn''t detect.
"Is she really starting the conversation by asking for help with something involving other species while the Xnarthan are pouring into the city by the hundreds?" Rena asked. "I strongly suggest just hunkering down and doing nothing for a while."
Ray sighed, this was going to be a difficult conversation.
"Shadow Princess, could you please leave us for a moment?" Ray asked.
"Mother asked..." the Shadow Princess began, then looked around a bit. "I will let you discuss."
"The Xnarthan aren''t here just for the rebellion. And they likely think that we are involved. " Ray said.
"I mean, we want change, they want change...not really a leap. And your Aunt did warn us about it." Marcus said.
"Yes, they are coming for us, but that does not mean that we need to go right into the fire. " Rena replied, huddling together.
"Do we have a choice?" Ray asked.
"I have no idea, but wouldn''t we be better off alone at this stage? What is stopping this Shadow Princess and others from making us their scapegoat?" Rena asked. A fair question, blame them for things and make it seem like the rebellion was just a little thing.
The Xnarthan would love that story, and that could buy them time. And pushed any hunt for the rebellion into secret after the Xnarthan dealt with the ''rebellion''. But Ray had something to add.
"I have a little to add to that." Ray took a deep breath as he continued. " As you know, the Dean took me in as a disciple today, and he made us an offer. In return for a thing that will remain secret, but will not need anything from you, he will give me the recipe for a very special potion.
A potion that can increase the probability of a child getting a useful element. In other words, it could help bridge the gap between a Commoner and a noble." Ray said.
"And you...want to give it to the rebellion? I mean, we''re literally a potion producing factory led by you, who just made a potion in a minute. Why would we give the potion to them?" Rena asked.
"The potion requires rare materials, the kind you need connections to buy. And a Tier 15 alchemist. Perhaps we will reach that level in time, but the crisis is right now. So we have to decide what we want to do, help them now and have their good will. Or hold it so that we can become powerful ourselves?"
Chapter 45- A meeting gone very wrong.
"So it''s a gamble." Marcus noted.
"On one side, on the other we''d be counting on our own capabilities." Rena said.
"No, we''re still gambling on the fact that we can survive the hunt for rebels,not something that we can be sure about." Marcus countered.
"I suppose. But is it not better than relying on some unknown force." Rena said. "Not to mention, we''re not really elected leaders. Why are we the ones making decisions anyway?"
"Well, who else would you want to be making them? I don''t know half the people in the cafeteria. The ''movement'' is growing, but we don''t know if we can trust the people in it. A good half of them could be spies. Do you want to risk the information getting out?'''' Ray noted.
"I doubt it." Rena said, sounding frustrated. "I know I am outnumbered here, but I still think just giving it to them is a bad idea. And yes, we''re not an official group, but we''re together in the fact that we are not satsfied with how things are. I don''t like the fact that we''re making decisions here, just like the nobles did, without informing them about it."
Ray sighed, there was no good answer to the problems. "And what do you suggest, that we just make it public that we are in possesion of a potion that the Emperor really doesn''t want public?"
Rena took a deep breath in. "I don''t know. I suppose we could just ask some people what they think. A few people we know we can trust. Gordon, Anartica...and Norris. The one who just revealed herself to be the Shadow Princess."
Ray raised an eyebrow at that. "So you thought she was trustworthy."
"Well, her anger with the current system seemed geniune. I supose it is, she just protests differently." Rena said, her frustration even more evident. "I am not good at this. The past few weeks have frustrated me to no end. I thought that people would be grateful for what we are doing, but they have complaints. A lot of them. The cubicles are too small. The herbs are not restocked fast enough. The machines are in short supply."
Ray could sympathize. The complaints could get on one''s nerves, though it was mostly people that did not understand what they were asking for, just that it inconvenienced them.
"Ok, we''re going a bit off track here." Marcus said.
"Not really, these things need to be talked about." Ray said. "I don''t really have any solutions, but if we are going to lead a revolution then we need to talk things out. And we also have to decide that. Are we going to lead a revolution? The answer means we have to take certain decisions without consulting everyone we can."
[Leadership] has levelled to 2: 200 mana
The single decision had gotten him a level. Though it was more likely it was a gradual thing, it meant that the System approved of his decision.
"I don''t know id we have a choice. The System thinks we are leading a revolution. The people outside think we are leading a revolution. Do we still have a choice to not lead a revolution?" Rena asked.
"I think you overestimate our importance." Marcus noted. "I am sure that no one would notice us dropping out." Rena and Ray just turned to stare at him.
"Marcus, even I am not dumb enough to think that. I know I am famous for killing a noble in direct combat even after he was two Teirs higher than me. Can you tell me that will fade?" Ray asked.
"Not unless you dissapear for a long time...I mean, we''re here without telling anyone we were going away. And there hasn''t been any chaos yet." Marcus stated. Rena paused. Ray looked quesy. And then the two of them bolted for the door.
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The situation was not chaotic. Just Gordon listening in while Trevor and the Shadow Princess watched.
"So, you heard everything." Ray said to teh people that now on the floor.
"Ugh, remind to not get into a wrestling fight with red-haired twinks. The lot of you are too strong. What the heck is that stregnth? I knew you were Tier 8 but..." Gordon said, looking up at Ray from the from the ground.
"Well, I wasn''t here for it all, but we know that you have something that the Emperor does not want public. And you have to decide things but are wondering if you have a right to make a decision without us." Gordon said. "I don''t know what it is though.. I don''t suppose you want to share?"
"No," Ray answered, shaking his head.
"A pity, though understandable. Just take a decision, it''s not like we''re an official group, no matter how people view us. The less we know, the better it is for us if we leave." Gordon said, just walking off. Ray was surpried. The matter ended so quickly?
Ray looked at the two people standing guard. Torrin and the Shadow Princess again. The two of them were fast becoming friends, weren''t they. And then the Shadow Princess disproved him by brandishing a dagger at Torrin. So maybe not friendly after all.
"What is the problem?" Ray asked. " I hope it''s a good one since it stopped you from doing your job.
"I truth tested everyone." Torrin said, looking proud. Ray just looked at him like he were a fool. "And you didn''t think to stop them from overhearing? Or at least inform us to stop talking?"
"I was about to barge in...Nora was the one stopping me." Torrin said, making Ray turn to the Shadow Princess.
"I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page." she shrugged.
"And get what information you could from the conversation." Ray noted.
"A fact that will count against you in the coming negotiation, if one happens.'''' Rena said, turning to Torrin. "And you should have barged in, but I suppose that is what we can expect from a noble. Tell the Marchioness that my opinion of her has been severely reduced by you."
Ray sighed, shaking his head at Torrin. "I was going to! I just got here a few seconds ago. Gordon was the only one here for long." Torrin protested. So these people were arrested by the Shadow Princess.
"Well, be prompter next time, noble." Rena said, turning to Ray. "Perhaps we should have the conversation somewhere else? I don''t feel safe here anymore."
"Yes, we can meet back at my home. I will ask Ma for more information too. And help with the negotiation if it comes to it."
Ray turned to the Shadow Princess, looking at her pointedly as he said, " I am sure she will offer whatever help she can."
"Ok..." Marcus said. "I think we should talk about your Mom too, cause the Shadow Princess looks a bit too worried about a baker involving herself. A lot of secrets tonight. Perhaps we should call it the secret night?" The joke fell on unappreciative ears.
"Why would we call it a secret night? A secret night should be well...secret. And nothing that happens today should be public, thanks to the Shadow Princess'' efforts, the only people that heard it were Torrin, her and Gordon. The three of them, at least, can be trusted, they''re too deep to step back now. Do you mind if I invite Gordon to the meeting?" Rena asked.
"Not at all. " Ray answered.
The three of them dispersed, Ray heading home. The bakery was still only sparsely occupied. The Xnarthan must have done something. Or just existed. Ray had to admit, they scared people. And they did it very well. The kitchen was still working, and Ma was on her desk, writing something.
"So, how''d things go?" she asked.
"Not well. Gordon started spying, bringing a lot of Xnarthan agents or something. So we had to disperse. The Shadow Princess was quite uncooperative too." Ray said.
"Oh? I did not expect her to be there." Ma said.
"Well at least that means you''re not spying on me." Ray said.
Ma sighed, "Ray, you know I wouldn''t do that." Ray just stared at her.
"Well ok, if I thought it would help you. " Ma admitted. "On other topics, did you say you wanted to know about things?"
"The rebellion, you mentioned Satyrs." Ray said.
"Yes, some children made a portal and came in here. Satyrs are experts at that, even children apparently. I am sure your new master will be interested in their knowledge." Ma noted.
"I am sure he will, what do they want me to do?" Ray asked.
"I don''t want you to do anything. But I do thing that it will be a goood idea for you to help now. I have been good friends with Antasia for years-" Ma began but was inturrepted by Ray.
"Antasia?" he asked.
"Yes, the Rebel Queen." Ma said. "As I was saying-"
"Wait, you''ve been friends with the Rebele Queen for years?'' Ray asked, astonished. What else was Ma hiding?
"Yes, I approached her back when you were a baby." Ma sighed.
"Is this about my singing?" Ray asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Yes, " Ma sighed "I just want to give you the best I can, Ray."
"Well maybe you should start telling me things then!" Ray answered, exasperated.
Chapter 46- Why are the Deans just so nosy?
Ma sighed, her frustration evident. "I thought we already had that conversation."
"No, we had that conversation about you hiding the fact that you were the Scholar, not your knowing the most wanted rebel on the continent on a personal level. And I presume this friendship comes with knowing her location too?" Ray asked, exasperated.. "So there''s another reason for the Xnarthan to want to hunt you."
"The Xnarthan wanted to hunt me the second I became the Scholar. And look who''s talking about the Xnarthan wanting to hunt people." Ma said.
"I don''t go around giving them more reasons to want to hurt me! But you seem to be just fine with doing that, Scholar of Afrieal." Ray answered.
"I did it to help you." Ma stated, standing up as she took a deep breath in.
"Well, I didn''t ask for your help!" Ray answered.
"Ray, you''re my son, you don''t need to ask for help, it comes without saying." Ma answered, her voice calm.
Ray took a deep breath in, shouting would help no one. "Ma, I don''t know who you are anymore. I thought you spent the day earning, so I could go to the program, and I still thank you for that. But now you tell me you were meeting with the rebellion and making some organization. Tell me, is the Rebel Queen really so accessible among the rebellion that anyone can befriend her?"
"No, Antasia is...a little cut-off to be honest. I just happened to meet her years ago." Ma said.
"Just happened to meet the leader of the rebellion?" Ray asked, suspicious.
"Yes, as suspicious as it sounds, I just met her. Antasia scouted me, said I had talent. I already knew that." Ma said, taking her seat again. Ray followed, taking a seat facing Ma.
"And then she offered me money. I needed the money, Ray." Ma said.
"So, the Rebel Queen has been buying your cookies for a long time." Ray noted.
"Not quite... Antasia didn''t want my cookies, she wanted my opinion." Ma answered, hesitantly. "In addition to getting knowledge, I can also derive things from it. I don''t know if it''s a part of my element, or just a talent I have. But I can do it."
"So you''re her advisor." Ray noted again.
"Yes, I suppose you could say that." Ma said, tilting her head.
"I see..." Ray sighed, this wasn''t going to go anywhere. "What can you tell me about the Satyr problem? Is there anything we should know?"
"Yes, I suspect the Xnarthan are behind it. "Ma said, putting her elbows on the table while shifting forward, "Before you panic about that, the current Xnarthan strength is not enough to pose any threat to the rebellion. Antasia is Tier 29 already, and there are quite a few other powerful people in the rebellion. I expect they''re planning to go public as soon as they''re sure the Emperor can''t kill them all with a single stroke of his sword."
The rebellion was far more powerful than Ray had thought it would be, weaker... Why had they been silent this long? Wait, had they? The rebels did loot the Order of Mage Warriors, and Ray doubted it was the first to be targeted by them.
Ray was sure that if he checked the list there would be a rise in burglaries, murders and assassination. The nobles killed and burgled so often that it must have been presumed to be another noble. Not to mention, the rebels were intelligent. Ray was sure a number of cases had been ''solved'' with the blame landing on other nobles.
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Or maybe he was just letting his brain run wild. But Ray doubted it. What was the probability that the rebels hadn''t acted at all?
"Ray, there is something else we need to talk about." Ma said, drawing Ray''s attention to her.
"What is it, Ma?" Ray asked.
"I may need to leave soon." MA said.
"Leave? Why?" Ray asked, now confused again.
"The Academy Dean has requested my Academy records. The records don''t have much, just the fact that I have a standing case for a Barony that I refuse to accept. But it''s only a matter of time before he finds something."
"Wouldn''t he be less likely to suspect something after knowing your noble background? Why would he become more suspicious? Or would you having a grudge impact that?" Ray asked, alarmed.
Ma sighed, "Yes, he would be less suspicious. At first. But that will change once I start acting again, it''s only a matter of time before someone connects the Scholar to me."
"So you''re going to escape?" Ray asked.
"No, I have a plan for when the time comes, I just want you to be ready. Ariana will take care of you, I have already talked with her about it." Ma said.
"What do you mean you have to escape? Why exactly are you not escaping? No, this makes no sense. Ma, what are you hiding again." Ray asked.
"I am not hiding anything, you just haven''t connected the dots. An escape is not an option, the only place I could possibly escape to would be the Elven lands, and the Emperor is likely to resume the advance soon. The Empire has gained much in the last few weeks, but the rebels have grown more.
To maintain the lead, the Emperor needs a new, faster source of mana. The Elves are that source. Didn''t you get mana from killing Corriss? Just imagine the mana from killing all those Elves. Though I suspect they''ll be taking prisoners this time.
The price of herbs used in mind control potions has gone up tenfold, the stocks are dropping. But the production has more than tripled. The only answer is that someone is buying them all up." Ma said.
"So we can escape somewhere else, the Satyrs are an option..." Ray began.
"No, they aren''t. The Satyrs do not take others in, at all. And they certainly don''t take Humans. Antasia has been trying to score a visit to Carti, the only Satyr city in the world, for decades. But no luck.
The fact that most of their population is nomadic means that they have limited security measures in place, they have no army, limited government and wartime measures. The city''s location is secret, at least to me. The only way to enter is to be escorted in, and no Satyr is doing that." Ma said.
Ray took a deep breath in, frustrated. "So you''re just going to let them find you? The College Dean has a lot of Fae artifacts-"
"No, Ray. I am not going to plan to die. I can''t share my plan with you, it would reduce its effectiveness and put you at risk. But please know that I will make sure that I survive." Ma said. Ry didn''t doubt it, but it still irked him that she was taking such a big risk.
And he had a hunch that it was because of him, Ma could easily just live in the rebel base and be safe. But because he was on the surface...she was too.
"Ray." Marcus said, peeping in. "Oh, you''re here. I forgot the time."
"No, I am early. I didn''t see the point in waiting..." Marcus said, looking at the two of them sitting as if in some kind of negotiation. Ray turned to Ma, who nodded.
"Marcus, I would like you to meet my mother, Matilda Rosenmund, the Scholar of Afrieal." Ray said as Marcus turned towards her in shock.
"Oh. So, can you tell me why Gordon is so good at knowing where Rena is?" Marcus asked, trying to make some kind of joke. Ma split into laughter, though even Ray couldn''t tell what she was laughing at.
"So, do you have a plan, honored Scholar?" Rena asked, her awkwardness at Ma''s presence clear.
"No, I am just here to help if you need it." Ma said, reclining on her chair.
"So, have you come across any new information since our talk?" Rena said, glancing at Ma.
"I will leave you kids to it. Tell me, how would you like some cookies? I just got this new chocolate thing from the Elven lands..." Ma said.
"I will take one of those, please, Ms. Scholar." Gordon said. Ma smiled, as she nodded. Rena just glared at Gordon in a very ''did you just ask the Scholar for cookies'' manner.
"Yes, I did." Ray interrupted, replying to Rena. "Ma said that the Xnarthan don''t pose a threat to the rebellion in their current numbers."
"Ok, now I am curious. Why not? The Xnarthan have been pouring in by the thousand, and have a Tier 15 disciple of the Emperor leading them. Not to mention, there is apparently a Tier 25 Xnarthan lieutenant coming with." Rena asked.
Ray took a deep breath in, building the drama as he said. "The Rebel Queen is Tier 29. The rebellion isn''t aiming for the Xnarthan, they want to fight the entire Empire head on."
Chapter 47- Do you want to fool a bunch of nobles?
Ray
"So, they''re going for the big drop, are they?" Gordon said. "Are they planning to directly kill the Emperor, or just go public with their rebellion?" The excitement in his voice was palpable.
"I don''t know, I doubt even Ma knows'''' Ray said. "The rebels have been pretty quiet about their intentions. But the question is, what do we want to do?"
"I don''t think we have an actual choice, Ray. " Marcus said. "The rebels are already powerful, if we join in now our support would count more than later when they''ve already revealed themselves to be powerful.
I am sure there will be no lack of people wanting to join them. Now, we can set our own conditions. But then we''ll just be another group of people joining in."
"Not if we get powerful. And we''ll have the recipe as our leverage." Rena asked.
"Are we sure that we can get so powerful without the rebellion''s help? I have my doubts." Marcus said. "I am sure you have some too."
"I trust in our people." Rena insisted.
"I think they would want to take the safe road in this condition." Marcus said.
"Ok, let''s not fight. But I agree with Marcus, we should join. The rebels are powerful, and more than that, joining would help our end goal. To take down the nobles." Ray said. "After all, that''s what we''re after, isn''t it?"
"Yes, it is." Marcus said. Rena turned to look at Gordon, likely hoping he wouldn''t agree.
"What? I agree with them, ok? And besides, I am the fun guy that organizes parties, not the one that sits around deciding this serious stuff." Gordon said, looking proud. Ray shook his head, how''d they recruit this person again? Oh, right, they didn''t, Gordon was the one that said it first.
"Ok, fine, but we''re asking for something good." Rena said.
"And what about the Satyrs." Ray asked.
Rena gave him a judging look. "Yes, that too. I don''t know how we''re going to pull it off under the Xnarthan¡¯s noses, but guess we are going to look for some Satyrs."
"I actually have an idea about that." Ray said. "I think we should send people to go to the Merchants district and sell potions. And while they''re there, they can ask questions."
"What kind of questions?" Rena asked, looking curious as she tilted her back towards him.
"Just some normal ones like¡± What''s going on in the Merchants district? Did you see the Xnarthan? Did someone go missing? I hear the Xnarthan have been kidnapping people." Ray said, thinking of examples.
"The effort would have a dual effect. Not only will it get people asking, it will reduce the current cloud of fear. The Xnarthan are sure to wonder what is going on." Ray said.
"And this means we don''t have to tell anyone in our group, so any Xnarthan agents will think we''re just making encouraging movements." Rena said.
"Yes, and they are sure to try and interfere." Marcus pointed out.
"I will be there to stop that. But it is good if they act, it will move them from a mysterious but powerful force to something that can be fought. The more resistance we put up, the better it is for us." Ray said.
"Hmm, we can sell food too. The Scholar''s cookies are delicious." Gordon said. The cookies reminded Ray that he hadn''t seen Norman in a while, where had the cookie stealing cat Fae run off to this time? Ray would just have to check back in after a while.
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"So, are we in agreement? The thing needs to move fast." Ray said.
"No, we forgot what we''re going to get." Rena said.
"Hmm, we get to harm the nobles. The recipe can be discussed later, but I am in full support of acting against the nobles now. The finding Satyr part is really just secondary here, the main thing is finding out who knows what and showing the Xnarthan that we haven''t been intimated by them." Marcus said.
"Well, it looks like you kids have a nice plan. I can guarantee that you would get a good deal if you do so. I suggest you ask the rebellion to help train your people, I suspect it will prove useful" Ma said coming in. "And Ray, wear that vest you got from the Dean. The Xnarthan aren''t as powerful as they want you to think, but they''re still strong enough to kill all of you. I would like to reduce the chances of that."
"What vest would that be? Now I am curious, exactly what are you giving that the Dean wants so much?" Rena asked.
"I can''t share that. The vest is just a protection artifact. Now, are we sure about the plan?" Ray asked.
"Yes." Marcus said. Rena just shrugged. Gordon was too busy munching on cookies. "Well, off to the market it is."
The morning market in Afrieal was a bustling place. Hundreds of deals happened here every day, starting from dawn to dusk, when shadier agents took over its environs. But today it was something else. The market didn''t look that different on the surface, two long rows of stalls on either side of the road, followed by proper shops.
But if one looked closer, one would see that something was up. The stalls had small stands between them, occupied by young, eager faces. The people around them did not seem very comfortable by the presence of these young people, fidgeting whenever they got close, but they welcomed them nonetheless.
And then the next stage of the day began. The coming of customers. A trickle at first, and then a veritable flood of people rushed in, eager to get their hands on whatever item they wished for at the moment. But today, there was an ambush waiting for them.
The young faces emerged from their stands and approached the customers, waiving their potions as they shouted their deals. The customers dismissed them at first, presuming their wares were lacking. But that changed as they saw the potions on sale.
''Do you want a go at Alchemy yourself? Have one of these neutral mana potions and look at a bright future!" one shouted, showcasing his prize. The customers came like flees to an oil lamp, attracted by the many wares displayed there.
A potion to make your hair lush again, one to make your daughter prettier, all sorts of wares floated this marketplace, drawing people from the Nobles district to the Commoners'' district. The young faces didn''t just sell their wares, they made conversation too. A customer would come, eager to buy some form of potion, and find himself chatting with an eager student.
Ray looked on with satisfaction as the plan worked. Gordon in particular was a fine addition to the crew, he was the best among them at human interaction. Not to mention his natural tendency to start a conversation.
"Did you know that this potion is made from mushrooms?" Gordon asked a woman dressed heavily in silver. And buying the hair changer to boot. A potion to change your hair, in this case, to silver.
"No, I didn''t know that." she said sharply, her unwillingness to converse clear.
"Oh, don''t be like that, miss. I was just making conversation. Gordon said, acting the victim.
"I am sorry, I am just not in the mood right now." the woman said, not sounding apologetic at all.
"I do suggest you buy some more potions, these wear off in only three weeks. And with things the way they are, I don''t think we''ll be getting a batch of those mushrooms anytime soon." Gordon said.
"Why not? The potion was one of the more popular ones, last I checked. The dealers should be happy to transport ingredients. " The woman answered, now interested. The hook had caught a fish.
"I wish that was the way it worked, miss, but things just don''t work that way. The mushrooms grow in Furton, it''s one of the few villages still owned by the Order of Mage-Warriors. But after their recent stint of trouble, it doesn¡¯t look like they''ll be shipping anytime soon." Gordon said.
"Oh what nonsense.! I was just invited to a grand ball at their residence. The Order may have suffered, but they''re not gone yet. The Emperor''s disciple will be there, likely making speeches all day.
How could the Order not be able to deliver some mushrooms if they can host the Xnarthan? Don''t be fooled by those commoner rumors, there isn''t a lick of truth in them. Just make your potions Alchemist, the ingredients will be there." the woman said, falling for the trap.
The ''ignorant merchant trap''. An age-old technique, but it worked. Humans, and nobles in particular, loved to correct someone. The feeling of knowing that ¡®you know better¡¯ was addictive.
"As you say, miss." Gordon said, handing the woman the potion. The woman took it and walked off, feeling proud about correcting an ignorant merchant. And Ray got some very valuable information. A deal well done, he''d say.
Chapter 48
Ray
The deals continued well into midday as people of various walks of life frolicked to the market. The sale on potions was its own attraction, who could resist a lot of potions? After all, there was a reason Alchemists were so vaunted. The reason certainly wasn''t their good looks. The deals led to the collection of stupendous amounts of information, as the people worked full time to spread rumors and verify their own.
The Xnarthan had been meeting with every force in town, with the noted exception of the College Dean. Aunty Ariana had gotten a full force visit. The Emperor''s disciple along with a hundred of his loyal guards had arrived at the gates. And been blocked from entry. The nobles had a rather myopic view of the matter, they thought the Marchioness arrogant.
Ray was sure the disciple had asked for too much. But another thing stood out, the Xnarthan hadn¡¯t wandered the city yet. In fact, they''d been avoiding the city like the plague. The Order were the ones frolicking around all day.
A surprising number of people had complained about the Order barging in on more than one occasion, usually in the Commoner''s district, but occasionally in the Merchant''s too. The Order sometimes took the odd souvenir, giving cursory payment in return.
And then there were the missing persons. A few dozen from the Commoner''s district, more from the Merchant''s district, but far fewer among the nobles. The Order was up to something. But what exactly? Now that was unknown.
"Hello sir, would you like to have a The hilarity method ? The potion will help you have a great sense of humor tonight." one of Ray''s people, an understudent in the College, said to a man. The reason for his offer wasn''t hard to guess, the man was dressed in black and looked like he had just come from his mother''s funeral on one of the moist, boisterous streets in Afrieal right now.
"Just die, peasant." the man replied, shooting a bolt of fire at the understudent as he walked away. Ray reacted quickly, conjuring a wall of rock to shield the understudent as he shot yellow glitter at the man.
"Do you really want to die, peasant? I have no problems fulfilling your wish if that''s what you want." the man said, turning to Ray as he looked at him in distaste. As if looking at something that disgusted him to no end. Ray held his fire and the man moved on, tssking at him as he did so.
Well, that escalated fast. Ray signaled to Marcus to keep watch as he followed the man. A place where they wanted to kill ''peasants'' was sure to be interesting. Not to mention, Ray had a hunch that the man would have valuable information to give.
Ray observed him as he walked, noting his gait. The man walked as if he owned the streets, tssking at anyone that came too close or inconvenienced him in any way. And that happened often, given that he also insisted on walking in the middle of the footpath.
An arrogant man, from head to toe. Ray would bet a billion mana coins on the fact The two of them approached a quiet alleyway, the man entering and turning around. Ray activated his vest as he turned around.
"So, you did follow me, huh? What a fool. I don''t know why the Emperor even thinks your lot is a threat when you die so easily." the man said, waving his hand as a few shadowy constructs shot at Ray.
The constructs were lazy, the lack of care put into making them apparent. Ray conjured yellow glitter, trying to burn them as he dodged. Fire burst into the constructs as Ray avoided them, turning to deal with the Xnarthan agent.
But the constructs weren''t done, the fire had failed to do any damage to the constructs at all, and they were now turning back towards Ray. The man just smiled lazily as he let out a few more constructs, his arrogance apparent.
"As I said, you''re going to die today. I don''t know what made you think that you could succeed. A noble is inherently better. The Empire has already confirmed that the quality of elements is based on one''s pedigree, and as you can see-" the man waved his hand towards the shadow constructs- "elements are what matter."
Ray was too busy thinking of a solution to pay much attention to the Xnarthan agent''s goading. As arrogant as he was, he was right when he said his constructs were hard to match. But Ray wasn''t entirely without options. The mana from the constructs was the same as the one the Shadow Princess used. A shadow-type attack.
And there was such a thing as black glitter. Ray conjured it, targeting the constructs. The constructs ballooned, increasing in size as the black glitter turned to shadow. But it also slowed them. The man''s face changed as he seemed to realize something, quickly conjuring dozens of constructs as he targeted Ray in a mad rush.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.Ray conjured a wall of shadow around him, protecting himself. The constructs clashed, dissipating parts of the wall as they exploded. But that wasn''t all. The vest began vibrating as silver mana targeted the constructs. Ninety percent of constructs ceased before even reaching the wall.
But all of this cost mana, and Ray had no intention of getting into a battle of attrition with a Xnarthan agent. Yellow glitter emerged from his wand, surrounding the Xnartahn agent as he conjured shadow constructs in panic.
The Fire burned through his shield, blasting a hole in the man''s heart as he hurriedly reached for some sort of square-shaped device. The man didn''t make it, but the device activated nonetheless.
Tier 10 Human killed: 3900 mana
Ray blinked, thinking fast as his surroundings clear. The teleportation was slower than the Dean''s, but he had seconds before he emerged in what might be a room full of enemies. The class, it had mentioned an invisibility element. Ray had no idea what invisibility glitter looked like, so he went with the first option he could think of: invisible glitter. And it worked. Ray couldn''t see the glitter, but he could see the pale white, gassy mana surrounding him. The teleportation completed, Ray emerging out in the open. The pale white mana lost cohesion for a second, but reformed. But there was no one to see it happen, Ray had landed in an empty corridor.
But it didn''t remain empty for long. A girl came in holding some kind of rectangular device. The girl looked up and down at the device a few times and then shouted at the top of her voice, "Revelia! The device is malfunctioning again! Do something about your bloody illusions, or I swear, I will tear that throat off your body."
"I would like to see you try." came the shouted reply. Ray recognized that voice. Professor Revelia, the professor who had initially scouted him out. What was she doing here? What was this place?
Ray had assumed the man to come from the Xnarthan, but this seemed to be a completely different place. Walking quietly, Ray followed the girl through a winding group of corridors, remembering the path. The corridors led to a lab of some sort, with a bunch of people walking around, holding everything from vials of strange liquids to more rectangular items.
"What did you find?" Professor Revelia''s voice called out, shifting Ray''s attention. The lab coat wearing form of his previous professor came into view as she emerged from what looked like a private cubicle. The same woman who had scouted him into the Academy program worked here.
"The hallway was empty, mana levels were normal, no signs of teleportation taking place." the girl replied, flippantly. "A malfunction thanks to your ''security measures''"
"The measures are necessary. The facility needs to remain secure from rebel interference. " Professor Revelia said. An anti-rebel base? Ray couldn''t say he was surprised it existed, but Professor Revelia leading it was a surprise. The Professor was good at recruiting talents, but little more. Ray wouldn''t peg her as the sort to lead such an important base.
"The signal was from Anthran''s token. An emergency signal." the girl said, now thoughtful. Anthran must be the man Ray killed.
"Hmm, Anthran was on the surface, supposedly having dinner. I suspect he went to the market commotion." Professor Revelia said. "Is there any indication that someone with anti-shadow powers is there?" Ray could think of two, him and the Shadow Princess. Wait, didn''t Trevor have a light based power too? Was that power effective against the shadow thing Anthran had?
"Yes, two, the Marchioness'' disciple and an unknown from the rebellion. I suspect the unknown to be the Tier 10 genius, Shadow Princess. But neither have moved since Anthran left the base." the girl said. "The only person of interest that has moved in the last hour is Ray Rosenmund. A Tier 8 that shows no indication of having powers that could hold against Anthran."
"Ray is good with sneak attacks. Not to mention a suspected Fae, the tests came back negative, but still¡ Did he and Anthran have an encounter?" Professor Revelia asked as Ray conjured more invisible mana around him.
"Yes, an unknown man matching Anthran''s description was seen entering and leaving the premises by our men. Ray Rosenmund followed him. I still put the chances of Anthran losing at less than five percent.
The idiot was cocky, but there was a reason he was on the fast track to becoming the Emperor''s disciple. The shadow attacks are not something easily defended against." the girl said. Ray liked that, the attacks weren''t easy to defend against anyway, so she was right.
"I am putting the base on high alert. Tell the Xnarthan and the Order of Mage Warriors''s to find Anthran. I will go brief the doctor on the subject." Professor Revelia said as she turned around, entering something into her rectangular device.
The large arc-shaped twin door slid open as she did so, revealing a long corridor on the other side. But that wasn''t what caught Ray''s attention, neither did the rows upon rows of Elves, Satyrs and many other non-Humans held in cages on either side. Not at that moment at least.
What held his attention was the round table that sat in the middle of this corridor, where a large, burly looking man was about to chop Norman with a broadsword.
Chapter 49- The attack has now begun.
Ray
Ray moved closer, ready to attack, but the man moved too fast. The sword had collided with Norman before Ray could do anything. The skill of someone far more powerful than Ray. And then the sword broke. Or rather, crumbled to pieces as if the attack had injured the sword rather than Norman.
''What are you doing, you pipsqueaks! I knew I shouldn''t have trusted you Humans, but you had such tasty cookies¡do you still have them? I can tell you how to build better swords than that one if you give them to me. No, wait, I shouldn''t help you. Why shouldn''t I help you?'' Norman said, making Ray want to slam his face into a wall somewhere. Norman, could you stop obsessing over cookies for a minute!
''Wait, Ray, is that you? Have you been here too? Tell these people to get me cookies!'' Norman said.
''Norman, you need to get out of there! Do whatever you did to get to the forest, run!'' Ray said.
''Wait, what forest? Does it have cookies?''
Wha- Just why was Norman thinking about cookies so much? Was it some Fae thing he was unaware of? No, this wasn''t the time to think about this, he could figure it out later.
''Norman, what Tier are the people around you?'' Ray asked.
''The big guy is Tier 13, but the rest are even lower.'' Norman said.
Tier 13, not as bad as Ray thought, but still more than he could handle.
''Norman, I am going to take you out and then come back with others to rescue everyone else.'' Ray said, looking at the poor people in the cages. The cages were filthy, and its occupants clearly mistreated. Not that he would expect anything else from these people.
''I wouldn''t suggest waiting any longer. I don''t think these guys are going to stop anytime soon.'' Norman said as the burly man slammed another sword on him. Ray winced, anticipating a gruesome scene, but to his surprise, the sword crumbled again.
''The swords in this building are too weak, I already checked. But the Elves in here aren''t going to survive much longer. I would suggest getting help now. I am older than this paltry Empire Ray, I can survive these paltry attacks.'' Norman said, showing a rare moment of clarity.
Ray was certainly shocked. But he was right, Ray couldn''t handle this alone, he was too weak. But the rebellion wasn''t. Ray had no idea if the Satyrs they wanted were here, but he was sure they would be happy about the ones there were.
Ray went back into the lab, looking for any way out. The search didn''t take long, there was a collection of ''tokens'' there, not quite unprotected in the middle of a lab full of Mages, but still something Ray could access. Ray poured mana into one of the tokens while he snatched the rest. A few seconds later, he was somewhere in the Commoner''s district. The smell of the gutter was unmistakable after all.
Ray walked out, trying to find a way back, but to no recourse. But he did have that communication crystal Anita had left him.
"Ray?" Anita''s drowsy voice said. "What happened?"
"Can you come help me, please?" Ray asked.
"What happened? Do you want me to kill someone?" Anita asked.
"¡ Yes, actually. The Xnarthan kidnapped Norman and are keeping him in some kind of secret base with a lot of other non-Humans. I think they are running experiments on them." Ray said.
"Well, that certainly sounds like the Xnarthan. What do you need me to do and how powerful are the enemies? I need to know if I have to call Momma." Anita said.
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"Tier 13, but I would suggest that you call the rebellion instead. The Shadow Princess should be in the market. I have no idea where I am, though¡" Ray said.
"Just turn to your right, walk straight for a few kilometers, and you''ll get to the main road. The market should be easy to get to." Anita said. Ray was speechless. "What? I just added a little tracking software in case you got into trouble. Now go, time to hurry."
Ray followed her instructions, running the whole way. The market was quieter than when he had left. Not to mention the dead bodies on the street. What the heck happened here?
"The Xnarthan decided to intervene. The Shadow Princess wasn''t very polite. In fact, she killed them all without negotiating and declared that the rebellion took responsibility. The stall owners ran after that, and so did we. But as you can see, some of us came back." Rena said, giving him a quick run down. "So, I hear you found the place? An underground lab?"
"Do you have the location? I can get some people there quickly, though it will be a problem if they are Tier 13, I can''t handle those." the Shadow Princess said, rushing her words. Ray started to reply, but was interrupted by Anita.
"I can. Do you have the place? I can get teleporters too." Anita said.
"I have teleporters, though just a few. Can you give that tracking thing to someone else so that they can track our location?" Ray asked.
"The place could be packed with Xnarthan, rushing in would be foolish. I suggest letting the rebellion handle it." Rena said.
"I am going in, you can stay here if you want. Norman is in there, and I am not leaving him alone." Ray said.
"Do we get anything if we go in?" Gordon asked.
"Yes, the peace of mind that you helped hundreds of sapient humanoids that our species is torturing to¡do whatever the Xnarthan want to do. And I am sure the Satyrs will be happy to have their children back." the Shadow Princess said. "A reward might await, though I can''t guarantee anything."
"Hmm, you could say that it would be counted in our upcoming negotiation."
"So, you are going to join us. " The Shadow Princess said, sounding happy.
"No, we''re still considering it. But sweetening the deal wouldn''t hurt. " Ray said.
"I can''t assure anything, but sure, we''ll count it. " The Shadow Princess said.
"I can take the tracker to Ray''s Mom. I would be useless in the battle itself. " Marcus said.
"Well, we''ve no time to waste. How many teleporters do you have, Ray? " Anita asked.
Ray took out the teleporters, counting them. "Nine."
"Ok, that means me, the Shadow girl, you, Rena, Gordon, Torrin, hmm we''re still missing three people. " Anita said.
"Dorrit, Rempe and Vortel can join us. Tier 10,9 and 7 respectively. " The Shadow Princess said.
"I see no problem with that. " Ray said, handing out the teleporters as Marcus ran off.
The nine of them poured mana into the teleporters, teleporting to the base. But this time, all was not what it seemed.
The corridor was different from Ray remembered. Not just darker, but also filled with a breezy pink mana.
"The defenses are on. " Ray warned.
"The Void dislikes them, '''' Anita shouted, shooting Void into the space to no effect.
" Was that supposed to do anything? "The Shadow Princess asked.
"The last time I was here, they were able to detect that someone had teleported in. An attack is incoming" Ray said.
A rebellion member scoffed. Dorrit, was it? " As if you could see one coming. The place is clear, I already checked. Come on, we''re not cowards like you revolution people. " Dorrit said as she walked forward.
And promptly disappeared.
"As I said, something is up. " Ray said.
" Do we have a choice in walking in? " The Shadow princess asked.
"Not really. " Ray said.
Well, here goes nothing then. " she said, walking in. Ray followed in, the rest following.
The second he stepped into the mana filled area, his surroundings changed into some kind of valley.
Ray was in the middle of dried trees now, staring at a bleak yellow landscape. An illusion, likely courtesy of Professor Revelia.
Ray traveled in, following the way he had traveled before. The only thing he could do now was travel deep enough to kill Professor Revelia and free others.
The landscape didn''t change, the same area appearing, making Ray second guess himself. On a hunch, Ray put his hand on where the wall was supposed to be, and it passed right through.
Ray panicked, sending mana in, only then realizing that he couldn''t see any mana at all. Wait, why did he realize it until now? What was going on?
The illusion, it was weird. Ray was unsure of everything he saw. The space around him seemed genuine. Was he teleported without knowing it? No... it couldn''t be. But what other explanation was there?
Wait. An illusion would fool senses. The illusion could be fooling his tactile senses like it was his eyes. Ray hesitated as he followed the route, looking around nervously. The illusion didn''t clear as he approached the lab, finally stepping through the barrier that would mark the change.
At first, nothing happened. And then Ray took a couple more steps in. The landscape disappeared, green replacing the yellow as Ray entered what looked like another illusion.
Chapter 50- In illusion lay her hope.
The image of a person bowing before another appeared, the environment overly green. A greenish white patch appeared before him, as if it was a hilly road. Ray walked on carefully, wondering what he should do. The lab should, logically, have Professor Revelia, but she might have moved on.
Now what? Ray had no idea where in the base she could be. But he did have an idea as to where the door was. Ray conjured yellow glitter, shooting it at where the door was supposed to be. The yellow glitter came in contact with the person in the middle of the road¡and exploded.
A roar emerged as the silhouette turned towards Ray, red eyes glowing within. Two arms of shadow rushed towards him, prompting him to conjure a wall of black glitter in defense. The place was confusing, and unnerving.
Ray began attacking erratically, a little yellow glitter there, a little air somewhere else. The figure distorted to air, making him rush gusts at it. But the figure always reformed, and resumed attacking Ray. The vest had already started vibrating, A dispersive wave emerged that stopped the arms in their tracks and made the space around him distort.
At least, Ray was now sure that whatever was in front of him wasn''t very real. Just confusing, and disturbing. Ray gave up attacking the figure, relying on his already working defenses to defend him as he attacked where the door was supposed to be.
The yellow glitter collided with an invisible barrier and disappeared, as if having no effect. Ray worried that he was losing again, but he had no choice. Throwing away caution, Ray conjured nine thousand pellets of yellow glitter, and shot it in a single line at the door.
A bright dot appeared as space distorted and the smell of smoke permeated the air. A hole appeared in the door, revealing the corridor after, as the illusion unraveled.
The green bled out into white as Ray conjured Earth walls around him, ready for an attack. Not a moment too soon. As soon as the illusion fell, a number of attacks rushed at him, colliding with his shields as the vest worked overtime to dull them. Ray put the attack effectiveness between 30-50%, the vest nullifying the rest at the cost of Ray''s mana. But Ray would rather lose mana than his life.
"The Void finds you wanting." Anita''s voice called out as her Void element collided with the air before Ray, tearing through the illusion and returning his mana vision. Ray reeled from the sudden emergence of colors.
Pink, blue, red, black, yellow, green, violet. The air was rife with mana colliding and mixing, trying to get the upper hand over one and another. The attacks were colliding with each other, causing chaos in mana. But far more were attacking Ray. The battle was not like fighting Corriss who didn''t know how to fight properly, these people were professionals.
"The Void finds your conduct wanting." Anita said as a wave of black mana headed towards the people attacking, Ray joined her, backing her up with a wave of yellow glitter. Void worked to kill the people there, and the few that survived died to Ray''s attack.
Tier 5 Human killed x3: 500 ¡Á 3= 1500 mana (mana differed to 150 x3= 450 due to combined effort)
Tier 7 Human killed x2= 1000 ¡Á 2= 2000 mana (mana differed to 350 ¡Á 2= 700 due to combined effort)
Tier 9 Human killed= 3000 mana (mana differed to 1300 due to combined effort)
Total mana : 2,450 mana
Tier 8 (18,846/25,600)
What? The distribution made very little sense...unless the System was counting Humans as worth more mana. Ray did know that Sapients had naturally more mana than beasts at the same tier, but to even be worth more¡ And then there was the other thing. Was the System observing contribution in real-time now? Ray didn''t remember the System doing that before.
But Ray didn''t have time to waste thinking about this, a wave of black mana headed towards the door as Anita shot Void at it, destroying it.
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"I think we should have waited a bit" Ray said. "The rest of our group are not here."
Anita just looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Come on, let me show you what your big sister can do." Anita walked into the relatively empty corridor. The Elves were still in their cages, but the stage in the middle was missing. And so were the jailers. But not for wrong. Ray sensed mana move to his right, a bolt of yellow approaching fast.
"On the right!" he shouted, conjuring an Earth shield to block the bolt. A bolt of black emerged from Anita''s finger, rushing at the attacker. The bolt was fast, faster than any attack Ray could launch, reaching its destination within a second. Ray barely had time to register it as an explosion of yellow mana sounded out, just to be ineffective against the black bolt.
"The guy is dead." Anita said, prompting several attacks to emerge from various sides. Ray countered as his vest worked on stopping the attacks. Green glitter caught the attackers in place, black bolts shot from Anita, killing them. A few resisted the Void, but setting their clothes on fire was enough to tide them over.
Tier three Humans killed x7: 100 ¡Á 7 mana gained (mana differed to 30 ¡Á 7= 210 due to combined effort)
Tier 4 Human killed: 300 mana (mana differed to 110 due to combined effort)
Tier 6 Humans killed x9= 630 x9= 5,670 mana gained (mana differed to 300 ¡Á 9= 2700 due to combined effort)
Tier 8 (21,866/24,800)
The mana was luxurious. But Ray felt wrong taking it. The fact that the mana for killing Humans was so much¡it represented a temptation he would rather not exist. But he also didn''t get a say in the matter.
"I see that you''ve already tidied things up." the Shadow Princess said, entering the area along with the others. Rena was limping, Derrit was bleeding from one side, but aside from that there were no injuries.
"Did you get ambushed?" Ray asked.
"Yes, beasts in the desert illusion. Did you not encounter them?" the Shadow Princess said.
"No, though I didn''t spend much time in there¡" Ray said, thinking. The situation was¡off. The battle had been too easy. Anita was strong, but to take the entire attacking team? And then there were the Elves around, they''d been whimpering all this while, but the sound...it was repetitive. As if someone was playing the sound of them whimpering over and over again.
Ray conjured blue glitter as he shot water at a cage, and proved his hunch right. The Elf didn''t even react.
"Ok, I am officially annoyed with the Xnarthan. ¡°Anita said, pointing her finger at the cage and shooting Void at it. The space in front of the cage flickered before the mana structure changed. Pink mana appeared around the cages as the silhouette of Professor Revelia appeared in the corner of Ray'' vision.
Ray wasted no time, attacking with full force. Green glitter entwined her in plants, yellow set her alight. Violet glitter stood guard to stop anything coming. And brown glitter caused boulders to fall on her head. But he was still too slow.
The professor died, but not before she was able to pour what looked like hundreds of thousands of points of mana into a device The mana was transmitted into the walls of the base, likely the defenses'' she was talking about.
Tier 14 Human killed: 13,000 mana
Tier up!
Tier 9 (34,866/51,200)
Ray blinked, not sure that it wasn''t an illusion. The professor had died...just like that? How...an illusion. The professors'' element was only an illusion, and when Ray uncovered her, it left her defenseless.
So she decided to pour all her mana into the defenses instead of trying to defend herself. But the System just counted it as Ray killing her, netting him more mana than he had yesterday.
Ray had now earned more mana today than he had in the weeks prior.
"Well, that was quick." Anita said.
"A non-combat power." Rena noted.¡° I think she was the cause of all the illusions we were dealing with. A very good illusion master. " Rena noted.
"But still useless in one to one combat, she should have been safe in the back lines, why was she here at all?" Derrit asked.
"And elemental quirk." Torrin said, looking at Ray.
"Did you know her?" Derrit asked, looking at them with a raised eyebrow.
"Professor Revelia was a professor in the Academy program branch Torrin and I went to. Though Torrin would know more than me." Ray said.
"Professor Revelia''s element was deemed grade E by the Academy due to the fact that she had to be in the middle of any illusion she cast. A few years ago, before transferring here, the element was raised to C grade due to how good the illusions she cast were. But she was still known to be a non-combatant."
"What now? Just go home? The Elves are gone, we were too late." one of the rebellion people asked, speaking for the first time during the entire attack. Ray had sadly forgotten his name.
"Well, if the professor had to be in the middle of her illusion, then that means we''re still only halfway through." Gordon noted as they all turned towards the other end of the corridor. The next stage awaited.
Chapter 51- Had the ice...just helped him?
Ray
Ray walked towards the opposite wall hesitantly. The wall seemed normal, even to his mana vision, but that didn¡¯t make any sense. So he lit it on fire. A typicall wall wouldn''t catch fire easily, stone just wasn''t the most flammable of substances.
But then there was this one. The fire spread across the wall, flickering and avoiding certain spots as it spread across some sort of film that was across the wall. The fire cleared away the block, revealing a large stone door.
"Void it." Anita said a wave of black bolts collided with the door. The door disappeared to reveal a large amphitheater -like room. A massive portal stood in the middle of the room, through which several Humans dressed in black were escorting scantily clothed, hunched and shivering Elves in chains through it.
A smaller number of non-Humans were huddled in a bunch of cages in a corner. But most of all, it was the emotions. A bit apart from the common cages, there was a pedestal. On which stood, bound by a dozen chains, a gag and more, a single cat. Norman wasn''t thinking now, he was just angry and afraid. And Ray felt it.
The poor thing could barely figure out why he was bound before he forgot it again. A cycle of misery that Ray felt passed by in seconds. The Elven song appeared in his hand as yellow glitter appeared in the air, light blue on the floor. Ice spread out, restricting movement as Ray slid out, lashing out with the yellow glitter.
Tripping over his feet and falling down as attacks flew towards him, narrowly avoiding them. Ray got up again, suddenly regretting his attack as he slipped and fell down again. But not before unleashing another attack towards the Xnarthan.
Ray hadn''t even seen snow before, let alone ice. The idea must have come from Norman. Was the cat remembering things? Ray had yet to figure out how Norman¡¯s memory worked. At times, he would remember the most incredulous things, at other''s he couldn''t remember his own name.
But for now at least, he was able to tell Ray what to do. Mana rolled in the air as Anita and the rest resumed their attacks, targeting their disoriented enemies. The Xnarthan weren''t used to the ice either, in fact they were doing worse than him, desperately trying to avoid the people out to kill them.
The panicked rushing made them even more likely to slip and fall, usually onto a dagger that had just shadow travelled there. Ray levitated himself into the air, attacking as he did so. Three Xnarthan fell to his attacks, as he stabilized himself on the ice. But the Xnarthan weren''t done for.
The wind began to blow fast as a person started to float in the air, conjuring a typhoon and drawing attacks towards him. An image of pointed things made of ice hanging from the ceiling appeared in Ray''s mind, Norman''s next instruction.
Ray followed it, sending light blue glitter to the ceiling. The pointed things, icicles, Ray was pretty sure they were called, emerged on the ceiling, falling down quickly as the wind pulled them off.
The icicles fell on the Xnarthan agent''s head, distracting him as the Shadow princess appeared behind him and decapitated him. Ray stopped mid-cast, shocked at the turn of events.
The attack might have failed, but it gave the Xnarthan the time they needed. A good amount had run off into the portal, the rest gathering there, as if guarding it. Ray had a bad feeling about it.
An attack after another headed towards Ray as he slipped and fell, desperately countering the attacks. The Xnarthan died by the dozen, but there were just too many to be killed quickly. The Shadow Princess was teleporting around, killing people while avoiding the ice. Anita was flying on some kind of disk.
But the rest of them were forced to stick in the back. Rena was sending birds and other objects of fire towards the Xnarthan, Torrin swords of light, a variety of projectiles were on their way from them. The real workers, though, were Anita and the Shadow Princess.
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The former was picking out the Xnarthan like they were sitting ducks. The latter assassinated them with such speed that the Xnarthan were sent scrambling. The core surrounding the portal, however, remained too hard to get into.
Anita could take a few shots at it, but the second the Shadow Princess teleported in, she''d get shot to death. Rena and the rest were exchanging long range fire with them, but the Xnarthan were clearly more focused on protecting the portal. And that was very, very suspicious.
Ray tried to get up again, sending a wave of yellow glitter towards the portal. But he slipped down and fell again. The place was just too slippery for any Human to keep their footing. The good thing was that the Xnarthan were having the same problem, the bad was that it still left them at an impasse. An impasse where one side had an active portal to an unknown area with an unknown number of enemies.
''What are you planning?'' Norman said into Ray''s head, his voice sounding worried for once.
''Just going to keep attacking for now, I don''t see an easy solution to this.'' Ray answered.
''No, why are you fighting like that?'' Norman said.
"What do you mean? I don''t have time for riddles, Norman."
"The slipping, the walking¡why are you acting like you''re a bag of flesh like the rest?" Norman asked.
"Norman, if there is some secret Fae trick that can help me, just tell me. I don''t know Fae stuff, just tell me." Ray said, frustrated.
''A Fae doesn''t walk like that¡ A silly Human goes around fighting alone, a Fae fights with the elements. Why are you not asking the ice you conjured for help?'' Norman asked.
Oh great, Norman''s advice was useless. What was new?
''Norman, I don''t know what you''re asking me to do. I can''t control anything I conjure, and last I checked, ice wasn''t sapient.'' Ray answered, defending himself against an arrow. A Xnarthan member was targeting Ray with arrows, making him have to dodge. A hard thing with the ice restricting his movement.
''No, the ice will help you. A Human goes around forcing, a Fae need not even ask. The Fae are energy, we are a part of the world around us, and when the time comes, it will aid us. '' Norman said.
Norman''s description was interesting, but Ray didn''t have time to ponder over it. The attacks were getting more. Rena had blocked a couple, even Torrin had chimed in, but if Ray didn''t get out of here quickly, one of these arrows would kill him.
''Norman, I cast like a human, now can you please give me some ideas? I am about to die here thanks to your idea.'' Ray said.
''What. I cannot understand this¡what do you mean that you cast like a Human? No, you don''t. Just look around you, is anyone else using magic like you are? Human magic is restricted, Fae magic, on the other hand, is far more versatile. I sensed it long ago, you''re using Fae magic through some other pathway, but it is Fae. A weaker version of your own element.'' Norman said.
What? Ray had been doing Fae- an arrow appeared in Ray''s face as he ducked, falling face first on the snow but still surviving.
''Just stop trying to control your body and let the ice take over!'' Norman said.
Ray rolled to the side, dodging more arrows, ''What do you mean? I have to dodge! I will die if I do that''.
''Oh, come on! What was that exercise they had children do¡how old are you anyway?'' Norman vented as Ray rose to a kneeling position, conjuring an Earth wall and blocking a wave of arrows. The agents targeting him had turned to three now. Ray wouldn''t be able to fight for long.
''I am fifteen, and if there is something you know then you better say it fast, Norman.'' Ray said, conjuring a wave of yellow glitter towards the portal. Rena added to it with a wave of fire birds, Torrin added light arrows, Derrit added raindrops, daggers appeared out of the shadows as dozens died. Ray had a couple of minutes before the attack resumed.
''I really am dealing with a baby. Ok, now focus on what you know, what you want to do, and tell it to the ice. Just like you''re telling me. Do not, under any conditions, tell the ice what to do. The elements hate it when you do that.'' Norman said as the attacks resumed.
Ray was far from ready. The agents attacking him before were dead, but there were five attacking him right now. Ray countered, doing as Norman said. Just telling the ice what he was doing as he levitated himself standing. And then he slipped. Just a bit, but it was enough for him to dodge a blazing disc that instead cut his hair. Had the ice¡just helped him?
Ray hesitantly skid forward, thinking to the System, Thirteen free stats to Combat. Ray would need all the help he could get to manage all these new attackers. Wait, System, could you please give me the mana that came from all the killing till now?
Mana gained: 12,003 mana: a detailed explanation may be requested later.
Tier 9 (41,569/51,200) (5,300 spent)
Chapter 52- Rena on drugs.
Rena
Rena watched with shock as Ray broke into Tier 10. The second wave of new mana in the last five minutes. Ray must have been close with the last one. The wave of mana lit him up as he skidded through the ice, sending a wave of yellow glitter at the Xnarthan guarding the portal.
Rena backed him by sending a few fire eagles, their effect was minimal, the Xnarthan could see them coming too easily. But they still had to counter them, and that consumed time and mana. System, mana please.
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Mana gained: 7,871 mana: A complete list may be requested later.
Tier 8 (13,377/24,800) (8,003 spent)
|
Well, at least the System was nice. Tier 8. Rena was officially the highest tiered person in her family. A fact that nearly made her reconsider her take on this attack. But it wasn''t enough. Rena would rather be Tier 6 than die here.
Oh, they were winning here for now. But so what? The Xnarthan had a big portal right there. The fact that they were waiting for reinforcement was pretty bloody clear, too. The lot of them were going to die in minutes once whatever reinforcements there were on the other side of got their things in order.
But hey, at least she got to see this battle. Rena wasn''t a battle junkie, in fact, she hated violence with a vitriol that only someone who¡¯d witness massacres would have. But she recognized the necessity of it. The huddled Elves were proof that the Xnarthan needed to go.
As deaths went, dying trying to rescue a bunch of innocent people from the Xnarthan was an achievement. Not to mention the amount of torturers they''d killed in the last few hours. A few dozen? Or was it less? Wait, it couldn''t be¡more. No, that was unlikely.
Hmm, it would be better to die with the Elves actually free. The Xnarthan were holding their attention, but she could do something about that. Rena kicked the noble beside her on the shin.
"In a few minutes, target the Elves'' chains quickly, before the Xnarthan can do anything." she said, conjuring a few eagles. The eagles were worth just ten mana each, not really damaging. But they were very distracting. A thing Rena had found out young was that a little mana was all that was needed to kill.
Torrin followed her orders, attacking the restraints. Rena followed, conjuring a thousand mana''s worth of little snakes and throwing them on the restraints. The snakes coiled around the chains, making quick work of them. The Elves got up, slipping as they did so, but soon making their way to the corner.
The Xnarthan had done them a favor by putting them on the far corner from the portal. Or maybe they had just done it because they had moved the other ones already. Rena liked the latter theory more. But it was done.
And the three main players had been wreaking havoc among the Xnarthan while they were distracted. Ray was a maelstrom on ice. Slipping, skating as glitter surrounding him. A few minutes ago, he was dying. But a Tier,, and he was suddenly a monster walking.
Rena smelled something fishy, and looked at the cat. The cat had been the most tightly bound prisoner there. A Fae? Rena couldn''t think of any other creature that could help Ray so much. The Fae had telepathic powers too.
Ray didn''t know it, but Rena was a bit more well-read than he thought. After all, she was technically eligible to be a noble¡¯s spy. Though she didn''t know what that noble was thinking when he demanded she spy for him. Perhaps he thought it would help his candidacy for idiot of the year.
A wave of arrows rushed towards the Elves that were hurrying towards them, forcing Rena to retaliate. A flock of eagles countered the arrows while blades of light fell on the Xnarthan, even killing a couple, courtesy of Torrin.
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The two of them worked well, a bit too well for Rena''s taste. Now, where was she? Yes, the idiot noble. No, just noble. The idiot part went without saying. The idiot had approached her and demanded she spy for him. Just like he had demanded she marry him. But this time Rena had complied.
And promptly fed him false information. The fool was far too easy to fool. Hmm, that was a nice sentence. The fool was easy to fool. Ok, she was getting distracted. Perhaps that ''battle potion'' she¡¯d had before wasn''t a good idea.
In her defense, Gordon was persuasive, and she was nervous. The last time she had encountered the Xnarthan¡wasn''t a pleasant memory. Rena might have just been three at the time, but the smell of her burnt friends wasn''t something she could forget.
How the Xnarthan thought burning her friends because they were ''suspected Elves'' would make her anything but rebellious puzzled her to this day. But it was enough to say that she enjoyed killing the Xnarthan today.
The ''powerful Xnarthan'' that had died by the dozen without killing a single one of her group. The same ones that had been reduced to a bunch of targets that could fight back. Just a bit, not much, or they died. Hmm, that guy in the back was acting up a bit. Did he really think he could play smart on the same battlefield as her?
No, wait, that was the drugs talking. The logical decision was to coordinate an atta-oh f the logical way. A line if birds should kill the idiot.
"Gordon, bounce your ball in there a bit, I want to see if I can kill a few of them." Rena said, twisting her hands as she made a butterfly with her hands. Why she did that was not something she could know, but it could probably be surmised to be the drugs. A line of butterflies emerged from her hands, heading straight for the Xnarthan. A thousand mana down the drain.
But Rena liked her new self. The old Rena would be obsessing over her incoming death. The new one was more interested in having fun and killing Xnarthan. Tarrit would be proud. Or maybe she would be horrified. In her defense, she was three, it was hard to remember what your friend liked from when you were three. Just ask any Human. The other species did not count.
Wait, where''d the cat go? The Fae cat was missing! Ray would be- Rena felt something brush against her leg and looked down to find the cat sitting on her feet. Why the heck had this thing decided to come here? Did she look like a cat station? Wait, why was it sniffing? Did she smell? No, she couldn''t - oh, she was going to kill Gordon if he¡¯d given her a smelly potion. And then the cat bit her.
Rena screamed, raising her leg in reflex, but was shocked to find that she wasn''t able to. What the heck was this cat?
''Hmm, that''s a nice potion you''ve got in your blood. Did you know that Human blood isn''t toxic to Fae? A Fae has special filters that can filter out the harmful substances.'' a voice said in Rena''s mind. Rena felt the potion''s effect wear out as the old Rena came back, panicking as she saw what was coming.
''Oh, you don''t really think that you need the potion, do you? Yes, the thing is useful, but it just enhances certain parts of you. I think it''s better if you have your mind back, just concentrate on what the Xnarthan have done to you. Oh, don''t look at me like that, the fact that you have a grudge against them is obvious.¡¯
¡®Now here you go, I added a little bit of magic in there, so you should heal right up and get some mana too.'' the cat said as it stopped drinking her blood. Rena did not know why she didn''t feel more angry about this, but she was unable to conjure up any strong emotions about it. Just surprise.
''I should drink a bit of your companion''s blood too before I start forgetting things again. Tell Ray to get me more cookies, those things help a lot. Oh, and you should really start helping. The portal is starting up again, I expect more people will arrive in five minutes or so.¡¯
¡®Though Ray is looking quite fine isn''t he?'' the cat said, sinking its teeth into Gordon. Rena could once again not feel anything about it, the blank was worrying, as if something was holding her emotions away.
''Oh, just how much potion has this kid drunk? I should be able to recover to a good amount soon. I changed my mind, tell Ray to get me this potion, it''s less tasty but ooh if it isn''t good stuff. Hmm, the kid has a bunch of stuff in there.¡¯
¡®A hardcore druggy, is he? Well, no worries kid, Grandpa Norithius is here to drink away your addiction. What a mix¡'' the cat continued on, but Rena felt that ignoring it might be better for her mental health. Hmm, he was right about Ray, though.
The fight was mesmerizing. Ray, a spinning top on ice, moving around as he burned, drowned and froze the Xnarthan to death. The Shadow Princess teleporting around in concert, wreaking havoc across the field.
The two were monsters, dancing people to their death. Rena could almost picture it, as they moved, the ice forcing Ray into curving motions as they alternated targets, moving in a strangely mesmerizing pattern.
The dance bettered by the monster in the sky, Anita, the Void Princess, the black diamond of the continent, perhaps the entire Empire. An inspirational genius that was currently focusing on killing prestigious agents of the Empire. Rena felt almost honored to be seeing the three geniuses in action.
And then the drugs wore off.
''Oh no, we''re all gonna die!'' her mind screamed as Ray slipped back, throwing fire at the portal as it lit up. Well, she did tell them it was a bad idea.
Chapter 53- A battle cated
Ray
Ray slipped back, letting the ice skid him towards the back as purplish back mana flooded through the portal. Xnarthan appeared through the portal, hundreds pouring through in minutes.
"A thousand birds ride to death!" Rena shouted, making
An amateur move, just a few shields would have been enough. The birds pecked the shields, dissipating while minimal damage. The shields collapsed a few seconds later, the Xnarthan reaching for potions for a refill.
Ray took the chance, pouring three thousand ma
Ray was surprised for a second before he sensed the amount of mana, Tier 1 and Tier 2 with just a few Tier 3. The Xnarthan were trying to make them run out of mana.
Mana gained: 43, 573 mana. A detailed amount may be requested later
Mana as unspent: (96,333/102,400)
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A hundred thousand mana. Ray would be almost Tier 11 now with the mana he had already. But he had to admit, he wasn''t surprised it was this much. After all, he had killed hundreds. The number still hadn''t caught up with him.
But somewhere, in the back of his mind, he knew that he had killed hundreds of living, breathing Humans that had lives and families. Now, however, was not the time to have a conscience. No, he could do that after he killed the hundreds more pouring in. A collection of Tier 2, 3 and 4 this time.
Ray reached back at the door, shooting more waves, spending over thirty thousand mana in the process. Torrin held out a potion towards him, prompting him to take it.
"A mana recovery potion, it should help you refill." Torrin said.
"Wait, we should spend as much mana as we can before using it." Ray said as he attacked the Xnarthan with all of his remaining mana. Seventy thousand mana. Ray was judicious about it, conjuring multiple types of glitter and sending it at the portal in waves. The Xnarthan erected defenses, but still failed.
After all, Ray was fighting a bunch of uncoordinated, seemingly untrained people that were nearly a third of his Tier. Not to mention the fact that his element was just that stronger. Ray could see why the purer mana theory was trusted, despite the lack of proof. The glitter rushed through the entire army, butchering them. A massacre.
Ray controlled his mind, willing himself to not think about what he had just done. Just a thought and hundreds dead. The emotion was there, hovering in the back of his mind, threatening to break him down during this critical moment.
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Mana gained: 60,013
Mana as unspent Tier 11: (156,346/204,800)
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Ray drank from the potion, hiding his shaky breath as he did so. The fights before had been easier, then he had been fighting for his life, but now¡ The Xnarthan would kill him if he did not kill them, but he was still killing hundreds.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Ray could feel their panic as his fire descended, the resignation as their shields failed, regret as they died¡but no hatred, not for him. But it was probably his imagination making things up, so he could justify his actions.
¡®But they didn''t hate me!¡¯
''In war death,
In life breath,
And in Fae enwreathe''
''
"
To be Fae is to surround yourself with the elements of the world. A Fae influences the world around him as it influences him. But you are not at that stage yet. The trial of adulthood would prepare you, and aid you, in fighting such issues. But war, dear war, is not an easy beast to tame.
And should the day come that you care no more, then know that you no longer walk the path of peace. The path I pressured you into choosing a few days ago in the woods.
"
''
Or you will find yourself failing when the time comes for you to be Fae. A path is not exclusionary, a Fae of war must put down their weapons at times, and a Fae of peace must pick them at times.
And the Fae of self must learn to care at times. Come, child, as you enter the next stage of your Trial, I, Norellies, ancestor of the House Feline, shall guide you on the next step on our path
The Xnarthan appeared in focus, the rest of the world blurring as mana rushed into Ray.
''
emotions. So we help them. A Fae, after all, does not fight alone. Come child, take my strength. As you have not the strength, I give you mine.
Ray found himself sliding on the ice towards the Xnarthan, the rush of mana flooding his body as his brain just¡opened up. A thousand different senses entered his head as he felt a completely different sensation: the mind. Ray could feel what was happening before him. The fear of the Xnarthan poured in as he slipped towards them.
And the intent to kill.
The soldiers that were pouring in, they were forced to come here, but the only thing on their minds was their lives. Not a thought to the Elves. Ray even felt some disgust towards the Elves huddled in the corner. The Elves on the other hand were radiating a much stronger sense of fear, and weakness.
Ray could barely make out the mana radiating off them, the Xnarthan must have cleared the stronger ones out first, the ones remaining were too weak now.
''
''An army.'' Ray said.
''A mixture of selection, brainwashing and mental influences, I am sure. The Empire is not the first to employ such a tactic, nor will it be the last. As long as Sapients exist, so will the path of war and self. But so will the path of peace, and it is our duty to ensure that the other two do not get any greater.''
''Do not worry about my name, Norman is as good as any. I am surprised you got one so close. But now is not the time to worry about such things. The time has come for you to kill''
But this time he could feel their emotions. Anita was a bit scared, but still remained confident in her power. The Shadow Princess was harder to read, but she possessed a very keen hatred for the Xnarthan, and¡something similar to what he was feeling right now? A weaker version?
"I do recommend you focus on the task at hand. The Xnarthan will not wait for long.''
Ray refocused, concentrating on the enemies as he conjured yellow glitter, mixing it with green and light blue. The amount of information he was getting was disorienting. The fears of nearly a hundred people that were gathered there, not to mention those that were determined to end him.
''What do you do now?''
''Do you end the lives of those that have not harmed you yet?''
''Yes, for they would do so should they have a chance. I can feel it.''
''But should you not give them a chance? After all, they could change their minds.''
and gave him some idea of what the enemy was thinking. Norman was helping him again.
''Oh, I assure you, I did not lie. The Trial is truly on, and you will face your conscience today, the other things are just¡coincidental.''
Ray rushed at the Xnarthan shooting yellow glitter as he waded through them. The new ability let him see their attacks coming, giving him time to dodge, but it had a side effect. Ray felt the emotions of every person that he killed, the fear, the resignation, the shock.
''Do you see what you are becoming? Is this what you want to be? A machine of war?''
''No, this is what I have to be,'' R
The vest was working overtime, absorbing his mana as it blocked most of the attacks. But a few still sneaked in. And then Ray made a mistake. Or perhaps he had made one when he walked in here without knowing what power he was using. The prelude was normal, an average Xnarthan agent that shot swords at him. But the emotion
that came when Ray killed him¡the agent was thinking of his daughter.
Ray''s mind went to Ma, and for a split second, he was distracted. The Xnarthan struck as Ray conjured layers of earth, retreating as waves of attacks struck him.
''And yet it is what you cannot be. The path of peace holds not the mechanisms of war. What do you do now, child of peace?''
Ray had no answer to give, the Xnarthan surrounded him, their armored silhouettes in focus. A mess of emotions, and for the first time, he felt the vitriol radiating from them. The people before him, they took pleasure in bringing down enemies.
The glory was what they wanted. The victory. And Ray despised it. Perhaps it was hypocritical of him when he had killed hundreds of their compatriots, but he could safely say that he did not like the act of killing. The act was a necessity, but no matter how necessary it was, Ray did not like it.But what could he do?
''What can you do?''
''I don''t know. What do you think I should do?''
''What do you do? Oh, I am glad you asked.'' Norman
''In war death. In life breath. And in Fae enwreathe. Do you remember this? Not just a poem, you know. The Fae do not act by thinking, they act by emotion. The magic you use might take the shape of Human, but it is still Fae. And during this trial, it will answer you. Now tell me, what do you want to do?''
''I want to kill them.''
''Well then, just do it, give yourself over to your power. Just let go, Ray Rosenmund, of house unknown, for you are Fae today, and the Fae of peace do not fight alone, the elements fights with them.''
Ray thought of what Norman was saying for a second, and then realized what he was talking about. The tell the ice everything advise. Was he telling Ray to just do it with all the elements around him? Ray had no problem with that. A few seconds later, Ray let it out, concentrating on what he was doing, thinking to the space around him
now.
And it worked, somewhat. The power Norman had sent through, flowed through him as thought faded and emotion took over. The emotions of the Xnarthan pointed Ray towards what was to come. The incoming elements were but a single thought away, and so were Ray''s own. A weapon Ray could wield with ease, and he did. A hail of
fire, a storm of ice, the elements warred as Ray wielded them against the Xnarthan.
Mana rolled in the air as Ray sunk into his senses, his body operating on autopilot. An elemental puzzle formed in the air, inviting Ray to solve it. A hundred points of green glitter there, a little blue there. The emotions helped Ray target, the stronger the emotion, the stronger his reaction.
Anita, the Shadow Princess and the rest joined in, forcing Ray to change tactics. The fight progressed into a dance, a continuous exchange of moves as Ray tried to put up a fight. In the back of his mind, he felt a life end. Derrit. Or was it one of the other rebellion people?
A wave of happiness and glee traveled through the Xnarthan at the death, prompting a reaction from Ray. An angry gust blew through his mind, as the sky filled with glitter. A rain of fire ensued, killing the ones responsible. But Ray still felt little, the event sinking to the depths of his mind as, for the first time, some of the Xnarthan retreated.
And were immediately killed by their compatriots. The portal lit up again, purple mana seeping into the air. Ray turned the ice below him into spikes as he struck at the Xnarthan remaining. The Xnarthan panicked as attacks began to flow.
A massive ball rolled through the crowd, crushing everyone. Gordon, who had been hanging back, acting now. A rain of light, void, and dagger killed most as they retreated back.
But this time there was no pouring for Xnarthan. No, the people this time were quite recognizable. A group of people emerged from the crowd, dressed in gaudy gear. Mage-Warrior Erkland. A guy in a wheelchair that disgusted Anita. A legion of Mage-Warriors. A bigger legion of high Tier Xnarthan.
And finally, a guy dressed in so much shiny gear that Ray wondered if he wasn''t some sort of treasure monster. But it was easy enough to tell who, and what, he was. The Emperor''s outer disciple.
The most worrying thing wasn''t that they had come face to face with his oh so important self, the Emperor''s disciple. No, what held Ray''s attention was the simple fact that every single person among the fifty odd people in front of them was at least Tier 15, with Mage-Warrior Erkland capping it off with the heavy weight of a new Tier 20.
Ray crouched, knowing that the fight was hopeless before they even started. System, mana,'' he thought, conjuring what mana he had gathered.
Mana gained: 43,119
Tier 11 (199,465/204,800)
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A failed attempt. The Tier up must have reduced the mana he got. Wait, didn''t he not get mana from people more than five Tiers less than him¡why did that change?
In battle situations such as this, the System may raise the requirement to more than ten Tiers on a subjective basis if the numerical difference is more than 100:1 in total.
The total amount of Xnarthan agents faced were 573, due to the fact that only three people participated in any major capacity the mana was not curtailed.
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Ok, he had an answer now. But what was he supposed to do with it? The people in front of him were too powerful.
Norman jumped on Ray¡¯s head, tilting his head. ''
''
"I have to give credit where it is due, you put up a good fight. A lot more died than we thought it would take to kill you. And you didn''t break from all the killing, either! An achievement, certainly. I would take you into the Xnarthan if I could. But you wouldn''t like that, would you?
No, I have no choice but to kill you. A pity, but you are too talented and too powerful to let live." the Emperor''s disciple said as Ray sensed a storm of reddish yellow mana emerge, heading right towards him.
The storm was calm, slow and steady as if it had all day to kill them. The Emperor¡¯s disciple clearly didn¡¯t view them as a threat. And then Norman began growling, glowing white as Ray heard a horn blow in his mind.
Chapter 54- To arrest the Scholar of Afrieal
Chapter 55- The hollow feeling
Rassi
Mana coiled around the Scholar, a whirlpool forming in her eyes as Rassi
The mana calmed as the Scholar closed her eyes, making Rassi''s heartbeat with anticipation. What was the answer? What did she think? The thoughts swirled through his head, making him revert to his younger self. The young man that had still wanted his mother''s acknowledgement, but didn''t get it.
The Scholar opened her eyes, making Rassi hold his breath in anticipation.
"I have to say, she was a remarkable woman. '''' she said. "A remarkable woman who was very, very proud of her sons. The last thing she felt was pride. Yes, Rassi, she was proud of the fact that you were so good that a high ranked noble had to go as far as killing her to get her revenge.
Though, she was sad that Ronne had to live with regret. As for her last wish, she wished that the two would make up so that you could collectively prove the Empire wrong. I don''t think she regretted a thing."
Rassi waited, waiting for some burst of feelings, some weight to lift off his chest, but nothing came. A sigh escaped his lips as his body shuddered from exhaustion. The struggle had been long, but he had his answer. And now, he could¡go home? The answer was what he wanted to hear.
But it felt empty, insufficient somehow. Rassi sighed, even he didn''t know what it was that he wanted. What would satisfy this unrest in his heart. But the Scholar had done as he asked, it was time to fulfill his end of the deal.
"I will wait here as you deal with the Duchess, I have a couple of things to do before I leave." the clever woman said, getting up and moving towards the stairs.
"Will you truly leave?" Rassi asked.
The Scholar turned towards him, a surprised expression on her face. "What do you mean?"
"Just leave when you''re done. I will come back in an hour, if you are still here, I will kill you." Rassi said, teleporting out. The Scholar would be gone soon, and then this chapter in his life would be over.
Ray
Ray looked around for anyone that could know a way out, settling on a rebel nearby that looked like he was in charge. The rebel portal had begun spewing people out that were taking stock of the things there.
The rebel turned towards Ray, as if sensing his intent, and said, "I will debrief you in a bit, can you just compile the timeline of events?" he said. Ray knew that he shouldn''t be irritated at a person just doing his job, but his lack of care annoyed him. Not to mention, he had other things to do.
"I need to leave, where does the portal go?" Ray asked, feeling exhaustion seeping into his body. Ma was still in danger, a lot was left to do, but that did not stop his body from telling him that it was tired.
The effect was immediate, somewhat. But it was still not enough for him to feel complete yet. The physical effects were mitigated, but Ray was still feeling the mental effects of his actions.
The rebel on the other hand looked irritated. "I am sorry, but the debrief-"
"Warus, if you try to hold us now,
"Ok, but I will need you to-" the rebel began, but Ray had already walked through the portal. The scene on the other side was not what Ray expected. What awaited him was a busy chamber, full of people passing by in a hurry.
A man nearly crashed into Ray as he walked by, looking up in irritation as he said, "How long is the portal going to be up for?" And then turning to Ray, he said, "I don''t suppose you know?"
Ray looked at him observantly, trying to get a read on him. Did he not know what it was here for? "No, do you know why it is here?" he asked.
The man snorted. "As if they tell us anything. I know secrecy is important and all that, but making a portal in the middle of the administra-"
"Oh, shut yer trap Conthus. Just go about yer work, the portal ain''t too much in the way and ye know it." a gruff voice said, but Ray didn''t stick around to hear the rest of the conversation. Though he didn''t know the way out, he did have the local princess.
The Shadow Princess nodded at him as she led him through a confusing series of corridors and out an entrance that Ray did recognize. The rebellion had apparently built a hidden base just a few buildings away from the bakery. A clothing shop, the entrance was in one of the many trial rooms. Ray exited the shop, giving a polite nod to the people in the shop as he rushed to the bakery.
The blinds were drawn when he arrived, the bakery looked positively deserted. Ray feared the worst as he stepped into the silent bakery, looking at the empty tables. An envelope was kept on one of the tables, radiating Ma''s mana. Taking a deep breath, he picked it up with shaking hands, fearing what was within.
The envelope opened easily, the mana radiating through as words appeared on the blank page.
Ray,
I am sure by now you have guessed, what I feared has come to be. The Academy Dean visited me a few minutes ago, and we have reached an understanding. I will leave Afrieal and take the barony while he pins the blame on the Duchess. Ariana will take over as your primary guardian, the Human continent is too great a danger.
I doubt the effect of this plea even as I write it, but I shall still make it, please do not come after me. The Human continent is too dangerous. The continent is surrounded by a Spacio-spheric shield that can stop teleportation attempts with a strength less than Tier 30. The way in is guarded by Xnarthan, and each and every person is checked.
The fact that you are Fae will be detected easily. Not to mention the cities themselves have safeguards also, which will force you to travel through the beast filled wilderness. A deadly task before Tier 15. But if you still wish to come, then I beg you, wait till you are Tier 15.
The path to me is filled with blood and suffering that I do not wish for you to experience. I will be fine here, there is much for me to settle on this side of the Human sea, not to mention a largely inhabited barony to take care of. Did you know that the only two things in the entire barony are a fortress and an orphanage? The nearest settlement is kilometers away!
Ray deflated, just staring at the letter in shock. A lone tear tear rolled down his face, making him let out a little sniffle/ But it was as if it was happening to someone else. Ray felt hollow, an empty shell where there should be mirth, or even sadness.
After all, he had just killed
Norman had been able to do that at least. But the hollow feeling persisted. Why? Why did he feel this way? Ray felt a hand touch his as the Shadow Princess sat beside him. Had she been here the entire time? The hand felt calm, telling him it wasn''t alone. But the hollow feeling persisted. Ray opened the letter again, watching as the letters appeared.
I know I didn''t recommend anything before, but now I will. I think you shouldn''t take the deal. The offer is good, but the results are not immediate. The rebellion''s upper ranks are filled with noble bastards that are far too well versed in bureaucracy.
A potion that will have an immediate effect however will multiply your effective leverage, and give you space to choose. But that is all I can say, goodbye for now, my son, we shall meet again.
Oh, I almost forgot to say, there are ten million mana coins for you upstairs, just in case you need them.
Ray laughed as the letter ended. A hollow laugh that did little to quell the hollow feeling in his chest. A hollow feeling that made him cry, but didn''t tell him why.
Chapter 56- Oh no...Wait, what am I talking about?
Norman, 15 years ago.
Norellius was asleep. Not a novel thing for a cat, but this sleep held a special position in his feline heart. After all, he''d been asleep for¡wait, how long had it been? Oh, never mind. What need had he of time?
Norellius settled back in his place, ready to go back to sleep, but was interrupted by a queer sound. A series of melodic sounds that travelled through the air, making his ears twerk in response. What was this now? Could a cat not sleep anymore?
Norrelius settled back in, snorting with all the fury he could muster. Not much, but it mattered. The singing continued, disturbing his sleep, but he was stubborn. The silly little thing wouldn''t wake him, no, he was stronger than it!
Why was he singing though¡wait. How did he know it was a he? Did the music mean something? Was it a message? Did he- Wait¡the music was at it again? No, it would not wake him! Norellius settled back in, ignoring any thoughts this time. The music eventually stopped, the song fading away,, and he returned to his precious sleep once more.
The sleep was long, years passed, leaves fell and trees grew, but he slept. And then it came. The bloody blue thing that woke him up.
Please wait as the System finishes recalibrating the planet¡¯s mana.
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The Class System has been activated.
Norellius was furious, and rightfully so, the bloody thing woke him up without his permission! Did it have no notion of manners? But he didn''t stay angry long. A memory emerged, reminding him of a song. . Norellius had not recognized it before, but now that the bloody thing had awakened him, he remembered.
The song was a call for aid, something Fae children sang when they needed help. A child was in need somewhere. Leaping into the air, Norellius broke his mirage, rushing in the direction of the call.
Wait, what call was that? Norellius stopped in his tracks as his memories vanished, trying to remember things. A few seconds later he remembered the tune, returning to his run. But it did make him question what was happening.
The journey did not take long, Norellius may be terrible at teleportation, but he was fast. A city loomed in the distance, smelling of Human and Elf. But the song was silent. What had happened to the child? A Fae child did not quite easily, he knew that from experience.
The little buggers had once protested by singing for an entire century. The Fae Empire had been forced to give ''youth representation'', or they would start singing again. The memory of the song led him deep into the city, towards the parts that smelled more Elf.
The city was Elven, but Norellius saw only Humans walking about. The rest was not hard to deduce. A war, eh? Norellius couldn''t say it was unexpected, the Humans were just next door, after all.
But this was not the time to think about all that, there was a child waiting. But he couldn''t remember the song at all. In fact, he could sense his memory waning as he stood there. A power deep within him was sucking it- What? What was doing what now?
What had just happened? Why did he not remember anything? What was he? Why was he here. The cat looked at its orange paws, finding them strange. The tree it was on was even stranger. Was it supposed to be on a tree? Titling his head, it looked around, wondering what to do. A strange haired bipedal stood out.
Red hair and blue eyes, the color was almost as offensive as its own. Hmm, maybe it should-No, it should not approach it! No, wait. Why not? The thought seemed weird. Why was it weird? The cat was puzzled, it did not like that. So it stopped thinking. Hmm, were those cookies baking in that house? Well, cookies were his by right!
The cat jumped off the tree, heading towards its prey, sparing not a thought more to what had transpired.
Ray sighed as he walked down the stairs. The last few days had been¡something. The feeling eventually went away, but it still left him feeling different. The news of what happened had spread like wildfire, but the exact specifics were unknown.
The rebellion had taken credit for the attack, and had revealed what the Xnarthan were doing there, causing a huge uproar. Not because the general populace suddenly cared about other Species, but because they feared they would be next. But the Xnarthan had yet to act.
Ray would like to think that it was because he''d killed the people involved and destroyed the evidence, but that wouldn''t stop the nobility. No, the reason things hadn''t escalated was simple, the nobles were having a civil war of their own.
The Academy Dean blaming the Duchess had been a master stroke. The Duke had moved to deny it, which caused him to clash directly with the Dean, and lose. The Academy Dean had called for an immediate investigation into the Ducal holdings, an investigation that had been denied by the local legal authority, the Duke.
As it stood, the nobles were far too busy fighting among themselves to care about Commoners. But that same could not be said for the rebellion. The Satyrs had cemented their alliance with the rebellion, establishing a portal to their lands in their base.
But that was not all, they were making portals to high Tier areas, actively helping the rebellion level up. The support they were giving was on a completely different level than before, Ray''s contribution hadn''t gone completely unacknowledged either. The Satyr Elder wanted to meet him, apparently to thank him for his efforts and discuss things.
Ray wasn''t going to reject a Tier 27 that wanted to thank him. Not to mention, she''d offered to meet him at the bakery, an encouraging gesture. Purple mana coiled in the air as a woman appeared next to one of the many empty tables.
Ray had kept the bakery shut the last few days, but he would have to open the doors eventually. Ma had trained enough people that it wouldn''t be an issue, but something would still be missing without her.
"I greet the Elder Ro." Ray said, bowing slightly as he had been told to. The Satyrs had a
"Come, sit." the Elder said, waving her hand towards a chair.
"Do you know why I asked you here?" the Elder aske
"No." Ray said, taking a seat.
"What do you think of this?" she said, making a gray shawl appear on the table. Ray had no idea what she was talking about, but the shawl gave him a bad feeling. Purple mana surrounded it, clinging to it, but the nature of it was different than normal. No, it was the same type of mana, but there was something wrong about the way it worked with the shawl. A sickly feeling emerged in his stomach just from looking at it.
"Here, take it. The shawl is very soft, a precious article even in the Human continent. " The Elder said, shoving the shawl at him. Ray''s hand touched it, it was indeed very soft. But it also made him feel sick. The nearer it got to him, the more he felt like puking. Ray shoved the shawl back, forgetting all decorum.
"I am sorry, I just can''t-" Ray puked, a sick feeling overcoming his body. What the heck was that shawl? A magic artifact? Not one he''d seen before. Was the Elder trying to kidnap him? But why bother with shawl, she could just wave her hand and teleport him.
The Elder''s expression calmed as Ray vomited his lunch on the floor. A purple hole appeared, swallowing the puke in as Ray wiped his mouth, embarrassed.
"So it is proved." she said. "A High Fae in the Empire."
Ray tried to calm his upset stomach, that was a test? A detection technique of some kind?
"The¡shawl I just gave you is what remains of my son. I wasn¡¯t supposed to be able to give birth at my age, but somehow I did¡only for this to happen." the Elder said through gritted teeth. "Satyr fur becomes very soft after death, making it a prized possession among Human nobility."
Ray paused. . A shawl made of Satyr fur? Did the nobility have some conscience killing potion? Did they not feel a tiny bit of guilt wearing their victims around?
"Oh, it''s not common in the Elven continent. Or in the common nobility. But such objects are often looked on as tokens of loyalty among the Emperor''s inner circle. A way of publically declaring that they are loyal and agree with the Emperor''s policies." the Elder said.
"Why tell me this? Why even test me?" Ray asked.
The Elder put the shawl away. "I wanted to show this to you. What Humans will do if you let them. Antasia and her kind are different perhaps, but even now, too much of this city thinks of us as little more than animals. A lack of knowledge, yes, but will they really accept us? I doubt it"
The Elder breathed out, her breath labored, "I sensed your presence during the battle, but did not have time to focus on you. A Fae child here¡it was unexpected."
Chapter 57
Ray felt much calmer now that the shawl was gone. Why did he even react this way?
"Does the shawl have some kind of detection property?" he asked, guessing. The Elder not reacting could be easily explained by her Tier.
"Not really, the shawl is merely repugnant to Fae due to your nature. But enough of that. I have something to ask of you." the Elder said, sitting upright before Ray, as if to make a big declaration.
"Three thousand years ago, the Satyr King disbanded our nations, freeing us from the state and setting us free to do as we wish. The council was formed of those of us too old to travel anymore, but we do not rule.
The council''s authority extends to only the Satyr capital, Satri. But we have another power. In time of need, the council may call upon the might of Satyrs, to once again unite and form a nation, so that we may protect ourselves from outside forces.
I thought the Empire too divided to pose a great enough threat, I was wrong. Humans¡these fickle creatures are far too powerful, even divided. I have already submitted a petition of war, calling for the council to exercise it¡¯s power. '''' the Elder said.
"Why tell me this?" Ray asked. The conversation was puzzling, why was she telling him all of this, he had nothing to do with it?
"The petition will not pass, too many of my kin think the Empire''s threat is minimal. And even if we do join the war, we cannot actually do much, we don''t have a nation, let alone an army. But there is one force that can put a stop to this., and encourage the council to join. The Fae. I want your aid, High Fae of the Empire."
"What do you mean?" Ray asked.
"I want you to push the Fae to act. I will ask, but the Fae are unlikely to move just because the Satyrs asked them to." the Elder said.
"Why would the Fae even listen to me? And why would I help you?" Ray asked, a bit irritated. Why couldn''t he just go a few days without someone wanting him to do something again.
"The word of a lost child carries more weight than you think, and you are fooling yourself if you think you are just a normal child. Just think about it." the Elder said. "But I digress. I did not come here to make demands of you, I came here to give you this."
The Elder conjured a small golden flute from somewhere, holding it out to Ray. "The flute marks you as a friend of the Satyrs. Sing into it should you be in need, and I shall come to your aid."
Ray did not take it, the flute was tempting, but it came with too many strings. "No, with all due respect, Elder, I cannot take this."
The Elder sighed, shaking her head. "The flute comes without any strings attached. I will fulfill my promise whether you take the deal or not, but I do feel it is not much to ask. Not to mention, I can take you there now."
"What do you mean?" Ray asked.
"Satri, the Satyr capital is located on the Fae continent itself, I have permission to teleport in and out, and take you with me." the Elder tempted.
"No, I cannot. Not unless you can take Ma too." Ray said.
"Ma? Do you mean the Scholar?" the Elder said.
"Yes, can you take me in?" Ray asked.
"No, the continental shield is too strong. But I can teleport you out, but you must be with your Ma when you call upon me, the Emperor will sense me acting and act himself, we will have but seconds." the Elder said.
Ray sighed, that left him with the same problem as before, how to get to Ma.
"Thank you for your aid, Elder. I appreciate it." Ray said, getting up.
"No, I should be the one thanking you. And I hate to pressure you, but I must. Do consider my offer." the Elder said, not getting up.
"I will." Ray assured her. What she asked wasn''t that hard, just not something he wanted to do immediately.
The Elder disappeared as Ray sagged back into his chair. What the heck was he going to do now?
The Human Sea
A man stood in the air, a dagger twirling in his finger as he stared at the beast in front of him. A large coiling dragon-like thing that was roaring at him like there was no tomorrow. Not that it fazed the man, a light scoff left his lips as the dagger stopped spinning.
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A wave of water appeared, shooting towards the beast as lightning attempted to intercept its path. A normal wave would have been slower than a bolt of lightning, but not this one. The beast fell, its body cut in two as it failed to resist.
"Master." a boy said, appearing next to the man, bowing low.
"What is it?" the man asked, looking at the boy with disdain.
"The Rebel Queen has acted, your majesty, Xnarthan bases across the Elven continent have stopped reporting. I fear that brother-" the boy began, but was interrupted.
"How interesting. Why attack the Xnarthan? The nobility would be a bigger statement¡or was this an unplanned action? Tell me what exactly happened." the Emperor demanded.
"As far as we can tell, brother Fitrus-'''' the boy gulped as a scoff sounded out- "I mean, the honorable outer disciple of your majesty was carrying out your instructions and collecting materials. Hundreds of Elves, Satyrs, and even a few Dwarves had been caught by him. "
"I doubt it. The boy was an airhead. The plan must have been that Erkland¡¯s. Did he survive the attack?"
"No, your majesty." the boy replied.
"A pity, I would have liked to employ him further. Perhaps have him be one of my ministers. Tell me, who attacked them?" the Emperor asked.
"Th-the rebels as far as we can tell, your majesty." the boy said, shivering in fear.
"I know that, you fool!" the Emperor said, his lip curling in disappointment. "I want to know who exactly was responsible for this."
"Th-the Satyrs blocked information access, your majesty. I-I don''t know, please forgive me!" the boy said, kneeling in the air.
"The Satyrs! So, you are telling me that a bunch of hippie goats that don''t even have a bloody army, were able to block me, me, from getting information? And because what? Humans can''t control space as well as them? What hogwash. The bunch of goats have some kind of artifact." the Emperor seethed.
"Tell me, did you at least get the Elf head teleporters? And that Satyr shawl I wanted?" he asked.
"N-no, your majesty. Professor Revelia was the one in cha-" the boy didn''t get to finish his statement as a hand slammed him into the sea, killing him.
"What imbeciles." the Emperor cursed, pulling out a communicator. "Rempe, you have three months, I want that bloody Marquis and her croneys as my slaves. The idiotic rebels are acting up again, and I can''t risk her getting in with them. Oh, and make sure that Scholar thing is dealt with. I don¡¯t want to hear about some bloody woman spreading rumors again."
"The Dean of the local Academy branch already dealt with the Scholar, your majesty, it was the Duchess of Afrieal." the voice on the other side replied.
The Emperor''s face relaxed, some semblance of calm returning. "I should have known it was that idiot again. I have changed my mind, Rempe I want you to deal with the Marchioness in a month. After that, I am coming to that bloody continent.¡±
¡°The Elves have become too much of a nuisance, and I need that goo in their heads. Have the Xnarthan set up a few breeding factories, we''ll be needing a sustainable supply of the goo. The teleporters could be a game changer."
"Y-yes, your majesty. At once. Do you have any message for the Academy Dean?"
"Yes, tell him to wash his hands off that disciple of his, she''s too much of a threat. Tell him, if he keeps at it, I will kill half the Commoners of Afrieal. A weak hearted idiot like him will know what to do." the Emperor said, crushing a cube as he vanished from the place.
Matilda
Matilda looked out the window with resignation in her eyes. The scene outside was beautiful, no doubt about it. The barony was largely weak Tier wood, with few beasts over TIer 5 in the area. The area was picturesque, filled with orange and brown leaves, marking the coming of Autumn.
The seasons were far more prominent here in the Human continent than in the Elven one, the trees responded to time, making it seem more significant. Matilda had forgotten just how militaristic the Empire was. Just her barony had three thousand armed privates to ''keep the peace''. As far as she could tell, the army was the only one breaking it around these parts.
The castle came into view, marking the end of her journey. The gates opened, allowing the carriage into a wide, but empty area. The castle was grand, but also bad at defense. The walls were weak, the guards were missing from the holes, the castle was barely maintained. But that was not all Matilda saw.
Mana leaked from her as she felt the secrets pour out of the castle, her feet moving of their own volition. The carriage door was thrown open as she stepped down, looking at the space before her.
The castle staff was supposed to come out to meet her, but had clearly chosen not to. Had her message not reached them? Or some army official felt snubbed by her taking over?
A sly smile emerged on her face as she stepped into the castle, pulling open the doors with her enhanced stats. The area inside was stuffy, not quite dirty, but certainly not as clean as it should be. The windows looked like they hadn''t been opened in years, likely to prevent dust from getting in.
Matilda had no such worries. Mana surrounded her as windows slammed open and dust levitated out. A small cyclone of mana stepped out, opening windows throughout the castle as she reached the main hall. A long table occupied most of the space. The candles were unlit, the carpet resting against the wall, the table unset. Matilda wasn''t having any of that.
The carpet rolled down, cooking up a storm of dust as the staff rushed into the hall. Matilda stood at the head of the table, her hands on the head chair.
"Hello, I am Matilda Rosenmund, you don¡¯t know me, and I don''t know you. I plan to change that. Come sit, we''re going to be spending a long time together, and I want to know who you are." she said, taking the seat as she motioned for the staff to take theirs.
The staff nervously took their seats, looking at each other as they wondered what exactly was in store for them. Oh, they had no idea. The Scholar of Afrieal might be dead, but she was just getting started.
Chapter 58 (book 2 begins)- the herb search
Ray
Ray adjusted his collar as he stepped into the building. The nobles seemed to have no idea who was responsible for the attack, or at least had shown no indication that they were aware of it. As it stood, there was little stopping him from going to the College and keeping his post as the Dean''s disciple.
Ray stepped in, finding the Dean waiting in the library, a small army of books hovering around him. "Oh, Ray, welcome. I see you''ve returned from your ordeal. The bakery is set up, I take it?"
"Yes, we''ve resumed business." Ray said, the bakery had opened doors again without Ma. The potions were selling, the cookies were still tasty, things were pretty normal. Ray had let Marcus handle it all, he was good at it.
"Yes, do you remember the potion we talked about before you left? Well, I have just come into possession of a rather peculiar herb. Here, have a look at it." the Dean said, making a herb appear. The herb was a strange mixture of dark blue and blood-red. The two colors mixed symmetrically on the herb, making it rather beautiful to look at. But that was not all, the herb was powerful, and reeked of having mixing properties.
"The herb can''t be used for the shadow herbs you have, a pair of magma and deep ocean herb will be needed" Ray said, deducing what would be required. The colors spoke for themselves.
"Yes! I am looking for some that could work."- a bunch of books floated towards Ray- "Here, you can help. Looking for the herb you want is a big part of Alchemic research."
Ray took the open book, looking at the page. A variety of herbs were listed on it. Ray had to barely look at them to know that he was unfamiliar with most of them, A lot of research to do. Sitting down on a nearby stool, he set out to compile a list of suitable herbs.
"The rempostus has oceiana and magma versions" Ray noted. The Dean looked up from his book, waving his hand as two herbs appeared in the air. Ray shook his head at them, the herbs were misnomers, the oceiana version was wood elemented and the magma was too earth elemented.
"Cortel?" he asked. The herb appeared, glowing pink. Ray called out several more probable herbs, but they were either too dark or not dark enough. The herb would need something very close to its coloration to preserve most of it''s power.
Ray slammed the books shut, frustrated. "The herbs are either too earthy or too fiery, we require magma, deep earth herbs. And we don''t have a good list of oceiana drugs at all!"
"Hmm, what do you mean deep earth drugs?" the Dean asked, moving books about.
"The herbs found deep in the ground, the ones we have to dig very deep for. Can you teleport some?" Ray said.
The Dean shook his head. "Not quite. The herbs are mostly sourced from Dwarves, I don''t have any idea where they are. I can''t teleport them if I don''t know where they are."
"Why not ask the Dwarves for some, then?" Ray asked.
"Well, that would the Emperor not invading them. Not to mention we don''t know what to get either." the Dean said. Ray ran his fingers through his hair, trying to think of a solution.
"Hmm, don''t you know the Satyrs?" the Dean asked.
Ray paused, looking at the Dean in alarm. "Why would I know any Satyrs?"
The Dean looked at him like he was stupid. "Ray, I know you''re working with the rebellion. And I know that they have trade relations with the Satyrs. I am a space mage, Ray. I sensed that massive space block around the entire continent. Not to mention that portal. Now, can you get in contact with them?"
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"What do you want?" Ray asked, his eyes narrowing.
"The Satyrs have been collecting knowledge for the last three millennia. I was wondering if they know any deep earth herbs¡not to mention oceiana herbs." the Dean said.
"I will need to have something to trade." Ray stated.
"The Treasury has a lot of things, just take one. And speaking of the Treasury, have you thought over my offer?" the Dean asked.
"I have, And I must refuse. The offer is tempting, but the potion is just not valuable enough for me." Ray said. "But if you could offer something that would be a bit more valuable on a more immediate basis¡"
The Dean observed him for a few seconds, looking at him like he was a puzzle that he had to figure out. Ray wasn''t sure he liked the feeling.
"Ok, what do you want?" the Dean asked, folding his hands.
"What can you give?" Ray bluffed.
"I can''t tell you what I can give if you don''t ask." the Dean said. Ray wasn''t buying it.
"No, I think you can. Don''t you have a list somewhere?" Ray asked.
The Dean sighed, conjuring a bottle. "The potion will increase your friend Marcus''s ability to cast, giving him a lot more versatility."
Ray liked that. "I don''t suppose I can get a recipe?"
"I don''t have one to give." the Dean said. "And I am sure you want something more, so let me think a bit."
"Hmm, how about a recipe of elemental strengthening, not top secret, but still not something the rebels have. A recipe of telepathy, it enhances your telepathic powers, but the powers it gives are a bit random." Ray paused at that. The powers¡did the Dean know something?
"Well, that''s it." the Dean said. Ray just folded his hands and looked at the Dean.
"Not really enough, you know¡" Ray said.
The Dean sighed. "What do you want, really? A love potion? I have limited options, you know. "
Ray sighed, the problem was that he didn''t have any idea what he wanted either. What did a rebellion on the verge of going big need that he could ask for here? "Can I ask some people and come back to you with the news?" Ray asked.
"Yes, sure, but you are delaying things by quite a bit you know¡" the Dean said, sounding irritated.
"Yes, I know, I will get things to you by tomorrow." Ray promised.
"Ok, now canyou get me an in with the Satyrs? "The Dean asked.
"I can try, though I can''t guarantee anything." Ray answered. "Are you sure you want to business with them, though? The Xnarthan will not be happy if they-" the Dean had already started laughing boisterously, clearly finding it more hilarious than Ray did. "I don''t care what the Xnarthan think, Ray. Do you really think this is my first time doing deals with those I am not supposed to?"
"So you''ve done this before?" Ray asked, curious now.
"Yes, though not the Satyr council in Satri, The treasury didn''t just build itself you know." the Dean said. "Just tell me what they want, I will have someone arrange it."
"Thank you." Ray said, getting up. The Dean teleported him back to the bakery, making him trip as the surroundings changed abruptly. Marcus looked up from his position on the dining table, reading some kind of ledger.
"I take it the class went well?" Marcus asked.
"Yes," Ray said, taking a seat. "Though, I will need to meet with the rebellion representative to discuss a few things. What''s up on this side?"
Marcus sighed, closing the ledger. "Not good. Not good at all. The Empire has raised taxes on Alchemic sales, ingredient sales, baking sales and a number of other professions practiced by commoners. The net tax we''re paying is over sixty percent of our gross income, that''s without counting the costs of manufacturing."
Ray''s brows furrowed, this was unexpected. "Is this kind of sudden hike usual?"
"I wouldn''t think so, but according to my Dad, spikes like this are common when the nobles lose something. The nobility doesn''t want to pay to rehire and train all those Xnarthan, not to mention fix the things we broke, so they do stuff like this."
Ray paused, shocked. "Why would the nobility do something so foolish, this would just increase the chances of people joining the rebellion."
"Yes, but that is exactly what they want. The Empire has faced a lot of rebels in its time, Ray, and they have a strategy for it. The food prices are already rising, a lot of people are joining the rebellion, and more want help.
The rebellion will be forced to act somewhat publically in some manner, and after that the Xnarthan or even the Emperor will swoop in and kill them. Dad said that''s what they did a decade ago to a rebellion in Sertal¡ "
Ray froze in shock. What an utterly ruthless policy, thousands would die and far more would suffer, just so the Emperor could retain power. As expected of the Empire.
But it did give him an idea on what to ask for though, potions that increased yield of crops, sped them up, perhaps even a few teleportation potions. The rebellion was sure to eat them up.
Chapter 59- The Xnarthan are still moving
Ray
Ray''s head buzzed with ideas as he sat there. The Satyrs could set up portals in homes, and transport things. The rebellion and Aunty Ariana could grow the crops, with his groups providing the potion.
What just remained was negotiating it out with the Dean. Ray had a feeling he was getting tired of the demands Ray kept making, so he''d have to make it an attractive offer. Well, next up was meeting the Satyrs, perhaps Ray could figure something out.
A knock sounded on the door, making Ray jump.
"Oh, that must be Nora, she told me that she would be coming by." Marcus said.
"Nora who?" Ray asked, confused, he didn''t remember any Noras¡
"The Shadow Princess, she told us to just call her Nora. I think she wants to meet you. After all, you''ve been spending a
The two of them had been spending a lot of time together, but it had more to do with their shared experience than anything else. What was up with the Nora stuff? But whatever, now that she was here, they might as well talk about the Satyrs.
''Nora'' peaked in when no one responded, her eyes narrowed. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked, looking pointedly at the fact that neither of them had bothered to reply.
"Not at all, though Ray seems to have some ideas. I am sure you two will love talking about it." Marcus said in a funny voice, making Ray more suspicious that something was up.
"Ok¡" Nora said, looking at Marcus weirdly as he stepped out.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" she asked.
"Marcus just told me about the Xnarthan''s tactic, now what do you say to a deal where we can provide a potion that can increase the production of crops? The Satyrs could teleport it, and Aunty Ariana and you guys can grow the crops." Ray suggested.
Nora paused, surprised by his words." I suppose we could do so¡we have our reserves, but they won''t last forever. Can you get the potion?"
"I haven''t actually asked the Dean if he has one yet¡but I am pretty sure he does." Ray said, sheepishly, "Ma recommended I give up on the combat potion for now, it will have limited immediate effect as it is. But if I need to get this, then I need your help with so
"I expected that, what do you want?" Nora asked, folding her hands.
"The Dean wants some information on Deep Earth herbs and Oceiana herbs from the Satyrs." Ray said.
"Just that?" Nora asked, her brows furrowing in puzzlement. What? Why was him making a nice deal so unexpected?
"Well, we do expect you to pay us for the potions, we need to eat too, you know." Ray said.
"I do hope you will limit the prices¡" she said. Ray just stared at her as if she were dumb. Did he look like he was going to scam her? Just because he was good at negotiating did not mean that he was going to take advantage of people!
"Ok, is that it?" Nora asked.